Free Radio Weekly #1309

Free Radio Weekly #1309, Saturday, April 24, 2021
Covering free radio activity from April 17-23, 2021

The Free Radio Weekly (FRW) is an internet newsletter devoted to the hobby of listening to free radio "pirate" broadcasters in the shortwave radio bands. The FRW is produced by the free radio community and distributed to those who contribute.

The weekly deadline is Saturdays at 0000 UTC (Friday night in North America). Please send your logs to all the editors, as our editing schedule is subject to last minute changes. Thank you for your inputs!


== FRW editors ==

Harold Frodge (99crawdads@gmail.com)
Dave Turnick (caodwolf@gmail.com)
Larry Will (radio@zappahead.net)

FRW 1309 - April 24 - Larry
FRW 1310 - May 1 - Dave
FRW 1311 - May 8 - Harold
FRW 1312 - May 15 - Larry
FRW 1313 - May 22 - Dave
FRW 1314 - May 29 - Harold


== Contributors ==

Jack Amelar
Lowell, MI
Kenwood TS-480 long wire antenna

Harold Frodge
5525 Whitehall St.
Midland MI 48642-3156
Drake R8B + 185' RW

Chris Gay
Kentucky

Glenn Hauser
P O Box 1684
Enid OK 73702
wghauser@yahoo.com
P- or E-QSLs welcomed
NRD-545 with ALA-330S, IC-R75, PL-880, random wires

William Hassig
williamhassig@yahoo.com

Ron Hunsicker
1238 Cleveland Avenue
Wyomissing, PA 19610-2102
610-478-0371
ronhunsi at ptd dot net

Greg Majewski
Equipment used: an old Eton E1XM with MFJ 1310C tuned preamplifier and Air Spy You Loop

Mark Taylor
Madison, WI
Perseus, Elad FDM-SW2, Airspy HF+ dual & Discovery, various portables; W6LVP loops

Larry Will
Mount Airy, MD
Icom IC-R75, Tecsun PL-880, Grundig Sattelit 6001, G5RV dipole and various wires


== Of note ==

** George Zeller interview

In March 2021 it was reported that Pirate and Clandestine Radio enthusiast George Zeller passed away in a fire at his west side Cleveland home. At the time, I posted my memories of George and his many contributions to the hobby, including The ANARC SWL HAM NET and the Annual Winter SWL Fest. After the ANARC SWL 40 meter Ham Net was put into hiatus in 1999, I started a Netcast on the Internet called Cybershortwave. Trying to keep the interest in shortwave going despite a waning interest by some. On July 23, 2000 it was my pleasure to “Talk Shop” with George for 2 + hours which was broadcast LIVE on Cybershortwave. During this conversation, we touched on many hobby related topics. Here is a replay of our conversation on that day. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and George if you are listening, I don't know if there are many “Pirate Stations” where you are, but I hope you can catch some DX (distant stations) 73, Dave – N1DK / ex – N8JQX.

[www.podomatic.com]

(Dave Kirby via Shortwave Radio Station Listening on Facebook)


== Summary ==

4/11

2334-2334 Pee Wee 6925usb

4/16

0120-0203 Fox News Relay 6970am
0121-0127 Sycko Radio 6935usb
2020-2029 Cheese Dick Radio 6925am
2325-2345 WTF Worldwide Radio 6960usb
2337-2359 XFM 5185am
2339-2359 WTF Worldwide Radio 6930usb
2347-2359 XFM 4180usb
2347-2359 XFM 5185am
2359-2359 Wolverine Radio 6950usb

4/17

0000-0002 WTF Worldwide Radio 6930usb
0015-0015 Ball Smacker Radio 6960am
0049-0113 WTF Worldwide Radio 6930usb
0113-0122 Ball Smacker Radio 6960am
0019-0050 XFM 4180usb
0052-0057 XFM 6930usb
0136-0136 Two Dog Radio 6930usb
0201-0201 Goat Farmer Radio 4180usb
0211-0215 WDOG 4040usb
2212-2226 Sycko Radio 6930usb
2353-2358 Wolverine Radio 6950usb

4/18

0000-0054 Wolverine Radio 6950usb
0040-0027 Unid 4020usb
0105-0105 Ball Smacker Radio 4030usb
0107-0110 Unid 4020usb
0121-0128 Two Dog Radio 6930usb
0243-0307 WDDR 6950usb
2303-2306 Yeah Man Radio 6925am
2314-2345 Goat Farmer Radio 4180usb
0120-0120 Ball Smacker Radio 4030usb
0129-0129 Two Dog Radio 6930usb
2131-2135 Enigma 7 6925usb

4/19

0001-0015 Unid 6925usb
0022-0027 Unid 6925usb
0055-0144 Sycko Radio 6930usb

4/20

0000-0019 XFM 4180usb
0000-0019 XFM 5185am
0000-0100 WTF Worldwide Radio 6930usb
0003-0120 Enigma 7 5130usb
0103-0107 Ball Smacker Radio 6960am
0133-0133 Unid 4180usb
0148-0152 I Am Radio 6933usb
0149-0220 Fox News Relay 6970am
0157-0303 Goat Herder Radio 4180usb
2017-2017 Unid 6900am
2027-2217 Radio Free Euphoria/Voice of the Runaway Maharishi 6925am

4/23

2233-2338 Butt Plug Radio 6930usb
2328-2338 Yeah Man Radio 6925am


== North American Shortwave ==

** Ball Smacker Radio

4/17, 0015, 6960am. Tuned in to ID and e mail address with distinctive bowling pin falling sfx, “Fooling yourself,” song I don’t know, another ID, “Get together,” “Groovin on a Sunday Afternoon,” ID into a program of music and ID’s. Never figured out a theme although sometimes they are sort of obscurely connected. (Taylor – WI)

4/17, 0057-0113, 6960am. Carrier, then an IS on a piano, which expended to the first piece of music. ID and songs themed on "young." Young Blood, Younger Girl. (45 dB over the noise, Hunsicker, PA)

4/17, 0103, 6960am. Very weak, barely hear woman singing rock tune, at 0107 tried Barrington Hills IL sdr fair/poor signal, song "young girl" then Ball Smacker ID with bowling sound. (Hassig-IL)

4/17, 0113, 6960am. 0114 annoc reception report to ballsmacker@protonmail.com; 0122 ID, email addr, bowling pins. SIO 444. TNX Email alert from Gary Vance (Amelar-MI)

4/18, 0105, 4030usb. A rebroadcast of last night’s program from Ballsmacker. ID every second or third song with a variety of music. Still can’t tell theme. Fair. (Taylor – WI)

4/18, 0120, 4030usb. Fair/poor signal at my location, song "young girl", nice variety of pop tunes from 1960's, 1970's. (Hassig-IL)

** Butt Plug Radio

4/23, 2233, 6930usb. Very strange repetitive sounds, reminiscent of an old 1970s-era video game. 2236, into spooky metal music. 2237, "This is a radio test" and other talking by pitch-shifted operator. 2241, mellow pop/rock music. 2243, mash-up/remix including bits of Earth Wind & Fire's September. Occasional IDs by low-pitched operator but I can't decipher them. 2247, a hip-hop song with someone talking overtop "pull out the long wire... I can feel the vibrations... breaker one nine..." 2252, ID, "Butt Plug Radio broadcasting out here on the high seas." 2253, into some upbeat dance music. 2257, ID, "Butt Plug Radio... brought to you by the fudge packer's union." Faux vintage children's show at 2258, "come now Billy, you have to work hard, because this is the way things are... Billy's father is a fudge packer... Dad likes to do his own tea bagging... Betty's mom is saving up to get Betty a pearl necklace for her birthday..." 2300, in mid-skit, Butt Plug Radio ID. More comedy skit, "Father is a fudge packer that works in the creamy pleasures candy factory. He has ten men under him... father keeps a tight grip on things." 2305, a profanity-filled hip-hop mashup. ID at 2306. 2308, ID, and "this broadcast is picked up using a long wire antenna." 2309, music, Down With the Sickness. ID at 2316. 2330, rock music, mash-up of Survivor's Eye of the Tiger. Texas Radio Shortwave blurb at 2324 and into Ghostbusters theme mash-up. 2330, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, You're The One That I Want. 2338, "Tom Cruise is a fudge packer" bit from South Park. s3/s5. (Will-MD)

** Cheese Dick Radio

4/16, 2020, 6925am. On both Dixon IL and Barrington Hills IL sdr's and hear nothing but normal noise, at 2027 tried Ashley Falls MA sdr and hear weak noisy signal with woman singing then ID that I couldn't understand then woman singing in concert, off suddenly at 2029utc. (Hassig-IL)

** Enigma 7

4/18, 2131-2135+, 6925usb. Serious story; 2135:18 “This is Enigma 7 calling”, into SSTV. SIO=3x3- w/buzzy QRN/M (Frodge-MI)

4/19, *0003:45-0017+, 5130usb. On w/“This is Enigma 7 calling” & disconnected phone # message, repeated; into weird music + CW + mumbling; 0008:30 Tough-to-copy speech by Brit-accented dude; 0013:58 story by Welshman. SIO=3+53+ Sounds like a repeat of the earlier b’cast on 6925. (Frodge-MI)

4/19, 0015-0100, 5130usb. A strange show of man with a British accent reading a speech or poem. At 0032 SSTV image followed Id, This is Enigma Seven calling. Poor to Fair signal (Majewski CT)

4/19, 0042, 5130usb. ID 0043 "This is Enigma 7 calling" + rpt. OM recital to a theater audience. 0122 double ID again. 0116 CW "RIP GEORGE ZELLER", telephone SIT tones with message, SSTV, EOT 0120. I wasn't prepared to copy CW, jotted down enough to interpret as "RIP GEORGE ZELLER". Posting in HFUnderground matches. HFU posting identifies recital as "The Memories of Childhood Have No Order, No End" - Dylan Thomas
TNX Email alert from Andy Robins (Amelar-MI)

4/19, 0044, 5130usb. Weak signal with Barrington Hills IL sdr, hear British accented male speaking, cant understand most of it. (Hassig-IL)

** Fox News Relay

4/16, 0120, 6970am. Emphatic talk at S6-S7, probably the pirate relay of Fox News Channel, but not synchronized and can`t stand to watch Cable 48 more than a few seconds at a time, during Hannity. By 0128 is too weak anyway but still on past 0203. Strangely, no reports of this at HFU, like the last time I heard it after 0600. There is a report of it at FRN: [www.frn.net] (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

4/20, 0149, 6970am. JBA talk S4-S5, probably the Fox News Channel relay as IDed before; 0220 S7-S9 but only equal to noise level, undermodulated. 0536 still JBA carrier. Strangely, no logs now or recently of this in HFU (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** Goat Farmer Radio

4/17, 0201, 4180usb. “Black Betty,” Zeeky thanking Redhat for a wonderful show on this frequency earlier, “what an act to follow.” “Long cool woman, ID and talk w/ strong echos, “Barracuda.” Fair. (Taylor – WI)

4/18, 2314-2345, 4180usb. Goat Farmer Radio Male announcer playing newer pop songs like Someone Like You and Someone Like Me. 2331 Goat Farmer Id then played a song with goat sounds in it. Fair to Good signal (Majewski CT)

** Goat Herder Radio

4/20, 0157, 4180usb. Rock music. Raspy voiced OM "Had to cut down to 10KW". 0206 ID "Goat Herder Radio", 0210 Got Novice License in '55, experienced flashover in antenna. 0220 playing Alvin and the Chipmunks, 0241 "From the goat farm in Vermont, announced former VP and MN Senator Walter Mondale has died (first my hearing of it). 0249 attempt at Digital followed by long explanation why it failed. 0301 another Digital attempt. OM says he's fascinated with Digital mode. EOT 0303. SIO 344. (Amelar-MI)

** I Am Radio

4/20, 0148, 6933usb. Pirate hard rock music S5-S8, 0152 DJ talk over music, sounds like ``Yes, I Am Radio`` and something about country, fake Russian accent. Other logs of it: Big Badfish Al, Central Pennsylvania: ``I AM RADIO 6933.13 USB 0112 UTC 20 April 2021 « on: Today at 01:15 » SINPO: 24222 - heard mixing into Sycko Radio. 0112 - I AM RADIO something about wicker basket for Frank Bali repeated over and over.`` [www.hfunderground.com] and refmo, Northeast Kentucky: ``Re: UNID 6933 USB 2319 UTC 19 Apr 2021 « Reply #7 on: Today at 00:10 » S5 @ 0010 with something slightly resembling music. 0024 - Shazam says " Mr. Wobble Drop Killa" Ganja White Night 0105 - still the same station?? "We Are" by Thousand Foot Krutch 0109 - OM with Russian accent saying 'here is I am Radio' 0112 - OM again with ' I come to country in wicker basket across ocean', over a Tool tune`` [www.hfunderground.com] (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** Pee Wee Radio (presumed)

4/11, 2334, 6925usb. Pee Wee (or maybe Outhouse). Chanting with occasional SSTV (bone radio tower, DC Squirrels (from HF Underground chat earlier), brown and white squirrel with “Pee Wee,” stuffed squirrel with blue pilot’s hat,) “Gotta run,” off. (Taylor – WI)

** Radio Free Euphoria/Voice of the Runaway Maharishi (WBOG Relay)

4/20, 2027, 6925.3am. Voice of the Runaway Maharishi, giving old Wellesville QSL contact info. Steppenwolf, Magic Carpet Ride, followed by ID and contact info again, and into If You Want To Be a Bird by the Holy Modal Rounders. QSL reports from George Zeller, and then, from Paul Shalbetter at 2056. Dragnet Blue Boy episode clips at 2100 and into Radio Free Euphoria ID. Good signal on W1EQX SDR in Vermont. (Will-MD)

4/20, 2217, 6924.9am. JBA carrier, smax of a pirate. Per HFUnderground, R Free Euphoria was on 6925.30 until 2201*; but yesterday on 6924.9-AM was another unID until 2305* (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** Sycko Radio

4/16, 0121, 6935usb. Hard talk/rock, maybe in a loop, deliberately distorted with hard background noise. Then slightly more intelligible dialog, 0127 song. Off at 0203 recheck. Other reports of this mashup: [www.hfunderground.com] Maybe Big Badfish Al in Central Pennsylvania explain it?: ``Captain Black Baerd {syc} Radio/Sycko R. 5130 USB was 6935 USB 0115 UTC 16 April 2021, SIO: 444 in CT. 0125 - A mixture of radio stations overdub and some electric. Thank you Captain Blackbeard and DJ Sycko for relaying his station`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

4/17, 2212-2226, 6930usb. Some peskie problems on USB. C&W. Mostly "unusable." (24432, Hunsicker, PA)

4/19, 0055, 6930usb. Weak S3-S4 pirate with hard rock, some ACI from the 2-way on 6935-LSB, see UNID. 0101 DJ with reverb, after Wolfman Jack? Makes him hard to understand, but gives an ID and email. Again at 0106; 0113 ``mad man at the microphone``. Still at 0144; off by 0153 recheck. Only 5 logs here say it`s SyckO Radio: [www.hfunderground.com] Someone told me it`s pronounced like ``psycho`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** Two Dog Radio

4/17, 0136, 6930usb. Hard rock, ID and some talk into Led Zepplin and into a program of 60’s and 70’s hard rock with frequent ID’s and talk. Poor – fair. (Taylor – WI)

4/18, 0121-0128+, 6930usb. Pop ditties including Stone’s I Can’t Get No Satisfaction; ID @0128. SIO=2+53- peaks & very fady (Frodge-MI)

4/18, 0129, 6930usb. Barely anything at my location, poor signal on Normal IL sdr. (Hassig-IL)

** Unid

4/18, 0040-0047:23*, 4020usb. Russian-accented dude repeating, sounds like, “He is, I am radio”. 0054-0055:30, 4/18; same dude “A ? country in wicker basket across ocean. He is, I am radio.” *0059:56-0104:32*, 4/18; previous message repeated adding, “This message goes out to Barry Frank. Barry Frank do you copy? Over” SIO=3+54 (Frodge-MI)

4/18, *0107-0110*, 4020usb. “CQDX Gary Davis”, “CQ contest, trying to contact the biggest asshole Gary Davis.” “CQ contest Zeeky.” Not same voice as the previous bizarreness. (Frodge-MI)

4/19, 0001-0015, 6925usb. Heard Eye of the Tiger, Into the Danger Zone and Hook on a feeling. Faded at 0015 Poor Signal (Majewski CT)

4/19, 0022-0027:15*, 6925usb. Classic rock ditty. SIO=3+43+ peaks w/buzz burst & LSB pesky. Off w/o ID...What’s the point? (Frodge-MI)

4/20, 0133, 4180usb. Mellow upbeat instrumental prog music. Excellent signal and sound, s9 and steady. There's a nearby utility making a squeal but it is easily nulled with the R-75. (Will-MD)

4/20, 2017, 6900am. Music, "Memphis Tennessee" (not the Buck Owens version). 2020, weather report says rain mixed with snow. Gave an ID for a couple of terrestrial radio stations and a program ID "Cool cat oldies" and into some early 1960s pop music. Fair to good signal. (Will-MD)

** WDDR (See also Wolverine Radio)

4/18, 0243, 6950usb. Still a pirate here, sounds as strong as Wolverine, S9+20, same transmitter? These say Drunken DJ Radio took over at 0115 and posting requests here: [www.hfunderground.com] 0259 ID as Drunken DJ Radio, asking for requests, and refers to earlier Wolverine broadcast. Then ``8 Miles Hi`` by The Birds. BTW, this has a much better signal than Area 51 on WBCQ, q.v. at USA, and no RHC QRM! At 0307 I notice that switching to 6950-LSB, instead of zero, I get residual audio, only the bass-line of the music, rather than full fidelity on USB! Not sure if this be transmitter anomaly or receiver, but with straight-up passband equally between LSB and USB, and not noticed such on other SSB signals (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** WDOG

4/17, 0211, 4040usb. End of a song, ID into another song, ID hard rock then signal dropped from fair – good to barely audible at 0215. (Taylor – WI)

** Wolverine Radio

4/17, 2353-2358+, 6950usb. Cute musical "interval signal" singing "testing 1 2 3 can anybody hear me". Then ID by OM and into music. Peaking 20 dB over S9 in central Kentucky. (Gay-KY).

4/17, 2359, 6950usb. Good signal at my location but slowly faded to fair during broadcast, heard woman singing the blues, now a man singing a jazz tune, wide variety of songs with the word girl in them, echo ID at 0111 then SSTV/FAX. Thanks for the program. WDDR (drunken DJ radio) at 0113 after Wolverine ended, same signal strength, possible relay by Wolverine. (Hassig-IL)

4/18, 0004, 6950usb. S9+20 pirate music in ``Boogie-woogie Country Girl``, 0005 segué to ``This Little Girl`s Gonna Rockin``` --- bet it`s Wolverine Radio this time on a theme of songs about girls; should be plenty of those! Yup, 0034.5 check, Wolverine Radio ID; still going at 0101. Many more logs here with playlists, SSTV IDs: [www.hfunderground.com] with famous portrait of a girl: [en.wikipedia.org] ``Girl with a Pearl Earring (Dutch: Meisje met de parel) is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer dated c. 1665`` --- makes very interesting further reading. Someone might now want to add that she has been immortalised as a Wolverine Radio SSTV QSL. Sure hope she`s P.D. by now (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

4/18, 0004, 6950usb. Wolverine with a “girl” theme. I was largely doing something else, so wasn’t paying attention that well to the tunes, “echo” ID, SSTV (Verveer portrait of a girl looking over her shoulder with “Wolverine Radio.” Excellent decode here.) About 30 seconds of dead air. WDDR started with Drunken DJ playing a variety of music, giving frequent ID’s, acknowledging HF Underground posts and taking requests including “Werewolves of London.” Fair – good. (Taylor – WI)

4/18, 0048-0054+, 6950usb. Tune-in to China Girl; ID @0049:33 & more “girl” ditties. SIO=353- (Frodge-MI)

** WTF Worldwide Radio

4/16, 2325-2345, 6960usb. WTF Worldwide Radio Sci Fi type show with Please state your name followed by call sign. Fair Signal (Majewski CT)

4/16, 2339, 6930usb. Country rock and other music … 2348 “Down at Palisades Park, unfamiliar 50’s song with New Jersey theme, “New Mexico,” “Going to Carolina in my mind,” 0001 ID mentioning thanks for requests about New Jersey into a program of songs mentioning states, apparently in alphabetical order with periodic ID’s. (Taylor – WI)

4/16, 2346, 6930usb. Pirate with steady S9 of rock; 2347 ``and now New Jersey by request, is that right?`` April 17 at 0002, ``WTF Radio Worldwide``. Many more logs here: [www.hfunderground.com] Is playing songs about each state in alfabetical order (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

4/17, 0049-0057*, 6930usb. Country Road, Bang on the Drum All Day, and an ID. (45454, Hunsicker, PA)

4/17, 0051, 6930usb. John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads; ID 0057 WTF World Wide then EOT; SIO 455. TNX Email alert from Gary Vance (Amelar-MI)

4/17, 2345, 6930usb. Weak signal, hear rock music, fair signal at 0036, at 0050 song "West Virginia", off at 0100. (Hassig-IL)

** XFM

4/16, 2337-2352, 5185am. XFM (relay by Radio Illuminatti) Show of new rock music by the likes of the Zoles and others. Did play AC/DC Thunderstruck. Male Announcer said it was a tough year and gave QSL email address XFMshortwave@gmail.com. ID at 2345 Good to poor (at end) signal (Majewski CT)

4/16, 2347, 5185am//4180usb. 2347utc, very weak with semi rapid fading, barely hear audio on 5185am, better on 4180usb, ID at 2359utc, heavy metal music, suddenly off 4180usb at 0006utc but still on 5185am, signal improving on 5185, ID at 0019 as "X-FM the power of X", dance music. (Hassig-IL)

4/16, 2348, 5185usb. X-FM via Azimuth Coordinatior, 2348, 4/16/21. Started listening then was distracted by other things … 0030 contemporary choir like music, Redhat with talk about the music and ID, thanking Azimuth Coordinator and Mix Radio International (4180 USB) for “making this happen” (the relays,) into more of Redhat’s unique and professional program of music and talk with accurate TC’s, reading HF Underground posts and chat. // 4180 USB. Fair. (Taylor – WI)

4/17, 0010-0050, 4180usb. XFM (another relay). More rock music by the likes of Nine Inch Nails and others. Gave a shout out to the posters of HF Underground. 0041 played a Cracker song. Excellent signal until sigh off (Majewski CT)

4/17, 0042, 4180usb. X-FM via Mix Radio International, 0042, 4/17/21. Listening for a signal here since about 2345, which came up at 0042. Cracker – “Low” announced by Redhat with ID, accurate TC, reading HF Underground posts into more music. // 5185 USB. Checked in later – 0135 and program was Mix Radio International with ID and contemporary dance music. Fair throughout. (Taylor – WI)

4/17, 0052-0057, 6930usb. WTF Worldwide Radio Heard a Tom Rungren song and then faded out. Fair signal until fade (Majewski CT)

** Yeah Man Radio

4/18, 2303-2306, 6925am. Yeah Man Radio Show of sixties pop music Id as Yeah Man Radio at 2305. Fair Signal (Majewski CT)

4/23, 2328, 6925am. Yeah Man Radio with music by War, Spill the Wine. Pescadories on the lower side band are making a mess of this somewhat. s9 with some deep fades. (Will-MD)


== Internet Resources ==

Free radio station contacts:
[sites.google.com]

The FRW on Facebook:
[www.facebook.com]

HF Underground
[www.hfunderground.com]

The FRN
[www.frn.net]


Regards, Lw