Friday, January 30, 2015

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/31-2/1/15

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/31-2/1/15


Thanks to everyone who's ordered a copy of the latest PRA. I'm expecting that they'll be ready during the week of 2/10 and I plan to send them out then.

Hobart Radio International: 6975.1, 1/31, 0014+ A relay of the Aussie pirate HRI, which was featuring a pirate radio special, including lots of original audio from Radio Northsea International. Audio from Radio Ice Cream near the end, RHI starting again, then a spliced-up version of George Zeller's quote about it being the worst thing he's ever heard.

Insane Radio: 6924.5, 1/31, 0032-0034* Just caught the end after HRI, with lots of IDs.

Old-Time Radio unid: 6770, 1/31, 0040+ A lounge harmonica song, then into a comedy. Amos & Andy with guest Victor Borge

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/24-1/26/15

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/24-1/26/15

Just bought a Winradio G31DDCC and finally got the software to work on my computer. Right now, the noise levels are high & it's less sensitive than my Realistic DX-300, so I think I need to play more with the settings and also get a BNC to PL-259 connector to see if that solves the problem. As a result, these logs are all with the Drake R8:

Boombox Radio: 6925, 1/24, 1408-1412 Heard the last few minutes with some music and fading.

unid: 6975, 1/24, *1440+ After reconnecting the antenna to the R8, I found a dead carrier on 6975 kHz. Who needs an SDR to catch broadcasts at sign on? Wide audio & strong carrier with Steve Miller "Abracadabra," Pat Benetar "A Little Too Late," etc.

Old-Time Radio unid: 6770, 1/24, 1408 Noted in passing on my way to hear Boombox

WMID (tent.): 6950.8, 1/24, 2329+ ID per HFU. Poor signal here with just hints of audio. I'll have to check my recording to see if any IDs were audible.

Wolverine Radio: 6950U, 1/25, 0115+ All big band music so far. Much weaker signal than usual her. Getting more contemporary with The Doors "Soul Kitchen" and Cream "White Room" When it fades up, the signal is pretty good on the Twente receiver. Given the nice signals, listeners from Europe might want to tune in (if anyone is still awake)

Log via Twente online receiver

Barracuda: 5880U, 1/25, 1600+ Kool & the Gang "Celebration." One simple ID "Barracuda" by male announcer. Good signal, but then again, I think this is a Dutch station. Now a Dutch ballad. Some talk in presumed Dutch over music, but it sounded more like open-mic background talk than an announcement. "My Way" & "Dancing Cheek to Cheek" A heterodyne started on the freq around 1615. Dutch cover of "Angel in the Morning"

Baltic Sea Radio: 6995L, 1/25, 1632 Nice ID with e-mail address over sea gulls & off. This is one station that I've been trying without success to hear via my own receiver. A lot of DXers in North America have heard it, but it's like there's a dead zone to my receiver.

Radio Baken 16: 6385, 1/25, 1650-1704* Production music (maybe station theme music?) a few times. Excellent signal, but it dropped off for every ID. "This station is now signing off" with an electronic voice at the end

Thursday, January 22, 2015

2015 Pirate Radio Annual Station Entry List

2015 Pirate Radio Annual Station Entry List

 OK, now that the 2014 Pirate Radio Annual is at the printer, here is the entry list for the 2015 edition. If you know of a station that should be on the list, just e-mail me.

Note to European hobbyists: The Pirate Radio Annual is focused on what can be received in North America. I go through the logs from the past year and include those stations that have been heard deeper than just coastal North America. My general rule is that if a European station can be heard beyond Ohio, it should be included. I would like to include all of the European stations that were active in a given year, but from a time perspective, it's impossible for me to do it. Even so, this year's annual will include a large number of from Europe!

If I can ever get this edition finished, I think it's going to be huge:



3885 Radio
All Music Radio
America’s Beacon of Freedom
Artem’s World of Music
The Backstabber
Bangalore Poacher
Big Dawg Radio
Black Cat Radio
Blue Ocean Radio
Blues Traveler
Boom Box Radio
BOR. See Blue Ocean Radio.
BZN Radio
Captain Morgan SW
Chairman of the Board Radio
Chamberpot Radio
Channel Z
Chester the Fester
Chris Lobdell Appreciation Group (CLAG)
Cool AM
The Count
The Crystal Ship
CYOT
Drifting (or Drifty) Crystal Radio
Echo One
Eclipse Radio
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Station
Evil Elvis
Family Radio http://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,16786.0.html
Frederic Chopin Radio
Free Thinker Radio
Generation Wild 100
Germany Calling
Go FM
The Great Pumpkin
Happy Hanukkah Radio
Hardtack Radio
Heat Man Radio
Hey Joe Radio. See WHJR.
High Plains Relay Service
Hit Parade Radio
Hot Legs Radio
Indira Calling
Insane Radio
Kasey Kasem Halloween Top 25 Countdown
KBOX
KCPR
KHAQQ/NRUI (search both)
Kiki Radio
KIPM
KMUD
KQDS relay
Laser Hot Hits
The Late Movie
Left Lane Radio
Liberty Radio Network
Liquid Radio
L0de Radio Hour
London Calling
Looking At You Radio
Lord Hee Haw
Lounge Lizard Radio
LTO Radio
MAC
Make Your Liver Quiver Radio
Man Cave Radio
Music Bed Number (#) One
Mysterious Mystic Radio. See WMMR.
Northern Relay Service
Northwoods Radio
Orbital Mind Control Satellite
Peskie Party Radio
PBS Underground
Pirate Broadcast System. See PBS Underground.
Pirate Radio Boston
PPVR
Pseudo-Radio
Pumpkin Patch Radio
Radio Appalachia
Radio Azteca
Radio Blah Blah Blah
Radio Casablanca
Radio Cinco de Mayo
Radio DMT
Radio Freak Southwest
Radio Free Gutterville
Radio Free Mars
Radio Free Whatever
Radio Ga-Ga
Radio Gallifrey Intergalactic
Radio Garbanzo
Radio Halloween
Radio Jihad
Radio Jingle Bells
Radio Marlene
Radio Metallica Worldwide
Radio Mushroom
Radio Paisano
Radio Plate Current
Radio Redskin
Radio Ronin SW
Radio Totse
Radio True North
Radio Underground
Random Radio
Rattlesnake Radio
Rave On Radio
Red Man Radio
Red Mercury Labs
Renegade Radio
Satan Radio
SHARON Radio
Smash Radio Shortwave
Snowball Radio
Southern Extension of the Northern Relay Service
Southern Relay Service
TCS. See Crystal Ship, The.
Thinking Man Radio
Toynbee Radio
Turkey Breast Radio
Turtlehead Radio
Twangy Radio
Uncle Sam
Undercover Radio
Unids
                Aggressive Policeman CW
                Don’t Panic (ebola unid)
                Fruitcake station (6/2)
                Jack Bruce Tribute
                Old-Time Radio unid (may 6: 6772.6)
                Old-Time Radio unid #2

UNID Presidential Speeches
                Santana unid http://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,15605.0.html
                Son of the Lincolnshire Poacher
                The Yodeler
Voice of the Abnormal
Voice of the Central Plains
Voice of Honor
Voice of KAOS
Voice of Mongolia
Voice of Portugal 
W807
WAHR
WBNY
WDDJ
WDDR
WEAK Radio
Weather Control Radio
WHJR
Whiskey Redneck Radio
WHYP
Witch City Radio
WJFK
WMFQ
WMID
WMMR
WMPR
Wolverine Radio
World of Radio parody
WPDR
WPOD
WRCT relay
WRMR. See Red Man Radio.
WRR. See Whiskey Redneck Radio.
WRRI
WTNV
XEROX
X-FM
XLR8
YHWH
Yukon Jack

Europe

Baltic Sea Radio
Black Bandit Radio
Blackbeard Radio
Borderhunter
Carmen Radio
Cupid Radio
Horizon FM
Laser Hot Hits
Magic AM
Mustang Radio
Over 60 Degrees Radio
Premier Radio
Radio Abu Dhabi. See Black Bandit Radio.
Radio Black Arrow
Radio Boomerang
Radio Eldorado
Radio Focus International
Radio Hardanger
Radio Kawa
Radio Marabu
Radio Powerliner
Radio Tango Italia
Radio Tidal Wave
Sluwe Vos Radio
Tip and Elvis Radio Show

Monday, January 19, 2015

Now taking orders for 2014 Pirate Radio Annual

Now taking orders for 2014 Pirate Radio Annual

I have no idea why the aspect ratio of this JPG is messed up. It looks fine until I upload it, then it gets narrow.

I just got the 2014 PRA e-mailed to the printer, so I'm taking orders. From now until 2/28/15, I'm taking advance orders for $15 + $3 shipping ($18) in the US. If you want a copy, send the $ via PayPal to info (at symbol) hobbybroadcasting.com or send a check or money order to:

Hobby Broadcasting
POB 109
Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214

This edition is 178 pages and features a look at the pirate activities during the government shutdown of 2013, the Rohde & Schwarz SK010 transmitter, and Radio Free Nashville. It also contains entries on 187 shortwave pirates that were reported in North America during 2013. The book also will contain an audio CD with clips from 70 different stations. For those of you who've never seen a copy of a PRA, it is a perfect-bound paperback book with a color glossy cover, approximately 5.5" x 8.5". This is the 5th edition.

 You will notice that I am late with this edition going to the printer. I have started on the 2015 edition and am hoping to have it available before the end of 2015. But a ton of stations were active last year & I think I'll be working hard and long to have it available before Christmas. But, yes, I am working on 2015 and I am hoping to have two different PRAs made available within the same calendar year, weird as that might seem. So, if a station operator wonders why I'm already writing for more information when I just wrote a couple of months ago, that's why.

International postage keeps increasing at ridiculous rates, so I'll check on those costs soon. The last I checked, they got rid of international book rate and now it's something like $9 or $10 to ship to Canada and something like $12 to $15 to send to the rest of the world.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/17-1/19/15

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/17-1/19/15


X-FM: 6975, 1/17, 0317+ One of the best signals I've had from X-FM in the past year. DJ Redhat with lighter, poppier music than normal. Tons of shoutouts.

Radio Dr. Tim (relay): 6875.7, 1/17, 2227 Nice signal. Polka, including chicken dance. Very long ID jingles with IDs & e-mail address.

Old-Time Radio unid: 6770, 1/17 Noted in passing several times today. Signal seems weaker than usual.

Radio Dr. Tim (relay): 6975, 1/18, 0000+ Just checked the radio to see if anyone was on & found a good signal on 6975. Tuned in to polka & thought "Wow, Dr. Tim is back!" Sure enough, it is. Station went off at 0002, but came back on within about 30 seconds, with an even better signal.

Radio Free Whatever: 6925U, 1/18, 0041+ Nice to hear RFW back on again. Seem to be winging this one: accidentally cut a song off in the middle, so Dick Weed said "totally killed the mood of that one" & started the song over from the beginning again.

Karma unid: 6925U, 1/18, 0110+ Haven't listened to this one yet, but I was recording RFW when this came on afterward. Have 4 legible SSTV decodes, primarily about karma (hence my name for the unid). (Later) I guess this station is actually called "Karma" because Chris Smolinksi reported an eQSL from the station this morning

WRR: 6925U, 1/18, 0154+ Country music under pescadors on the frequency. Just heard a couple of IDs, but difficult to copy. Seemed to fade out

unid: 3275, 1/18, 0211+ Per HFU, this station was playing a Sherlock Holmes OTR mystery, but I tuned in and heard it playing Culture Club "Karma Kameleon." Not sure if it's the Karma unid or if the song is just happenchance

Cool AM (relay): 6950L, 1/18, 0215+ Heard some talk and music, but the station's buried in utility splatter, plus I have some noise. ID per HFU

Old-Time Radio unid: 6770, 1/18, 2200+ Excellent signal again.

The Crystal Ship: 6850, 1/19, 0022+ Excellent signal with '60s pop music, including The First Edition "Just Dropped In," Status Quo "Pictures of Matchstick Men," etc.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/10-1/13/15

Weekend Pirate Loggings: 1/10-1/13/15


Over the past few years, WAZU has been a difficult-to-hear North American pirate to log, but for the next two months, Fearless Fred's station recordings will be audible via licensed station WBCQ on 5110 kHz from 9-10 PM Friday nights (0100-0200 UTC Sat. mornings).

WBCQ (WAZU relay): 5110, 1/10, 0115+ Fearless Fred with the Belfast address a few times, Gerbil Rooter ad, T Rex "20th Century Boy," Dr. Tim promo, "We Love the Pirate Stations" clip


Monday, January 5, 2015

Weekday Pirate Loggings 1/5/15-1/9/15

Weekday Pirate Loggings 1/5/15-1/9/15


Old-Time Radio unid: 6770, 1/5 Our Miss Brooks, Great Gildersleeve, Parkay margerine & Ipana toothpaste ads, NBC chimes & promo, etc. Nice signals