Log Sunday 30.3.2008

This weekend basic conditions on SW. Strongest was VOTN on 6275 kHz. One new Russian MW-pirate was identified (my 3rd). Also Energy Power AM from Dublin, Ireland (which I visited in December 2007) was nice to hear on 1386 kHz after a few months.

1386 kHz - Energy Power AM, Dublin, Ireland. Surprsingly clear - 00.00- (O=1-3)
1645 kHz - Radio Barones, Neede, Holland sent greetings to Latvia. Early evening broadcast from Baro - 18.00- (O=2-3)
1713 kHz - Radiostantsja Kalavok (or near like that), Russia. DJ singing karaoke!! Sat 20.35- (O=2-3) mp3 later
5815 kHz - Orion Radio Netherlands. Basic signal here - 08.35- (O=2-3)
6215 kHz - King SW tentatively. Visible, weak audio - 09.40- (O=0-2)
6220 kHz - Radio Marabu, Germany with long programme via Mystery R. - 08.30- (O=2-3)
6250 kHz - Radio Queen, Italy tentatively. Not well audible today - 08.45- (O=0-1)
6270 kHz - Radio Saxonia, Germany (6269.5 kHz) - 10.21 (O=0-2+)
6275 kHz - Voice of the Netherlands. Strongest of the day - 09.40- (O=2-3+)
6280 kHz - Radio Calypso, Holland. My friend Rick (near here) told me Calypso has 30-40 W and that their signal is suprisingly good. That is true!! Little distortion on audio - 10.40- (O=1-3+)
6295 kHz - UNID Dutch. Started with polka non-stop - 10.12- (O=0-2)
6300 kHz - Radio Northpole International, Holland (6300.6 kHz) - 09.08- (O=0-2+)
6305 kHz - UNID shortly "Very good morning..." - 08.55- (O=0-1+)

6308 kHz - Radio Royal (www), Holland. This station has raided 13 times (!) on FM and therefore the operator swiched to Short Wave!! - 08.30- (O=0-2+)

6310 kHz - Radio Malaisy, Italy - 14.20- (O=1-3)
6882 kHz - Radio Playback International opened own blog. Daytime weak, evenings very strong - 09.40- (O=1-3)
12257 kHz - WR International, UK. Quite nicely, but not enjoyable - 09.35- (O=1-2+)

Log Sunday 23.3.-08

Many stations on the air on SW with Shadowman as the strongest. During the day I tried to phone Greek MW-pirates (see below under next headline).

5815 kHz - Orion Radio Netherlands. Clearly weaker than week ago. - 09.10- (O=2-3)
6254 kHz - Britain Radio International. Switched off at 11.35- (O=0-2)
6265 kHz - UNID. Premier? from UK, only visible again. No audio - 09.15- (O=0-1)
6270 kHz - UNID shortly. Saxonia?? 6269.6 kHz - 11.20-? (O=0-2)
6271 kHz - Dr. Tim, Germany. Signal improving after 10utc - 09.15- (O=1-3)
6274 kHz - Radio Scotland, Holland - 10.30- (O=1-3+)
6280 kHz - Radio Merlin International, UK - 11.20- (O=0-2)
6285 kHz - Crazy Wave Radio, CWR. Strong but litlle odd modulation - 11.20- (O=2-3+)
6290 kHz - UNID weak - 11.20- (O=0-31)
6295 kHz - UNID weak but momentarily audible - 09.15- (O=0-2)
6295 kHz - Radio Shadowman, Holland. Very strong again - 10.30- (O=3-5)
6300 kHz - UNID 6300.7 kHz - 09.15- (O=0-1+)
6305 kHz - Radio Mazda, Holland - 09.15- (O=2-3+)
6320 kHz - UNID with dance music but too weak to ID while talking - 10.30- (O=0-2)
6882 kHz - Radio PlayBack International. Very strong at night as usual - 09.15- (O=1-3)
6925 kHz - Spider Radio, Greece. Classical music on Sat-Sun night!! - 23.oo- (O=2-3+)

Greeks on 19. - 20.3 - Skype-callings to Greece

Here a few Greek pirate-loggings from the past week. Some music-pirates were on the air above 1620 kHz . They gave GSM-numbers for SMS and and I phoned them. (Unfortunately I have quite bad local background-noise on MW just now).
My other identified Greeks are here (with some transmitter photos).

Wed 19.3.2008
1386 kHz - Radio Makedonia, Greece. This station seems to be on the air daily because every time I try this, and when frequency is free, it is there (+/- 1 kHz) - 19.00- (O=2-4)

1625 kHz - Radio Nikolas Dynamitis, Tyrnavos (10 km NW of Larissa), Greece giving SMS-number (6972734489). I phoned to this number shortly and sent sms - and I have message back!! They are the oldest station in the town!! (Tnx Costas for help) - 18.50- (O=1-3) mp3 (name clearly mentioned in the end of mp3)1630 kHz - Radio Anatolia, from Kilkis, Greece. This is also on air daily with phone-in's in the evenings (usually +/- 2 kHz). Must have a few kW tx - 18.30- (O=2-4)
1650 kHz - Radio Thessalos, Larissa-city, Greece. Music-programme for many hours. Now I have learned to identify this station - 18.45 -(O=2-4)
1680 kHz - Stathmos Alpha Vita, Thessaloniki (East), Greece. QSO-station (Vita=Beta. (Tnx Costas for confirming this stn) - 18.40- (O=2-4)

Thu 20.3.2008
1622 kHz - Radio Anikito Kytos, Imathia, west from Thessaloniki, Greece with music and SMS. Gave n:o: 6981748558. I phoned to this number but nobody talking English (First a little girl talking)!- 21.45- (O=1-3) mp3 (tnx Costas for correction)
1629 kHz - UNID Greek with music and SMS-number. Tel. 6949398344. I phoned them but no reply. - 21.45- (O=2-4) mp3
1640 kHz - Radio Anatolia, Kilkis, Greece had to move 10 kHz up from usual frequency because the other station on 1630 kHz. 21.45-

Loggings Sat 15. - Sun 16.3.2008

Sunday 16.3.2008
5815 kHz - Orion Radio Netherlands with basic, tuneable level - 08.30- (O=2-4)
6210 kHz - UNID, LHH? - 09.30- (O=1-3)
6220 kHz - Mystery Radio, Italy. Weaker around midday here - 09.15- (O=1-3)
6265 kHz - UNID. Premier? Visible only, no audio heard - 09.40- (O=0-1)
6270 kHz - Radio Altrex, Holland - 09.20- (O=0-2)
6280 kHz - UNID German - 09.20- (O=1-3)
6295 kHz - Greenstad Radio, Holland tentatively - 11.37- (O=0-2)
6315 kHz - Radio Lowland, Holland - 08.35- (O=2-4)
6305 kHz - Radio Boomerang, Holland with short audio-test. Strongest of the day - 08.55- (O=3-4)
12257 kHz - WR International, UK. Very weak during last two weekends - 09.55- (O=0-1)

Saturday 15.3.2008
1645 kHz - Radio Spanningzoeker, Holland. QSO-session - 18.34- (O=3-4)
1645 kHz - Radio Corona, Holland (or Verona?) 20.15- (O=1-3)
1645 kHz - Radio Barones, Holland on air again this weekend -21.40- (O=3-4)
1648 kHz - Zender Mustang, Holland - 18.41- (O=2-3)
1649 kHz - UNID Dutch beside Sylvania. Perhaps Spakenburg - 18.48- (O=1-3)
1650 kHz - Zender Digitaal, Holland - 18.37- (O=2-3+)
1650 kHz - Radio Sylvania, Holland - 18.49- (O=3-4)
1655 kHz - Radio Kristal, Holland 18.45- (O=1-3)
1660 kHz - UNID Dutch with programme. Titanic?. Also other late evening Dutches with polka 20.20- (O=2-4)
6265 kHz - Radio Calypso, Holland. Weak - 11.05- (O=0-2)
6275 kHz - Laser Hot Hits, Ireland. Peaked up nicely - 11.05- (O=0-3)
6311 kHz - Radio Barretina, Catalonia, Spain plans to start with 1 kW!!! 18.30- (O=0-2+)
6882 kHz - Radio PlayBack. On Wednesday I heard Power FM-jingles on this frequency. During this weekend PBi offered US-radioplays from 30-50's - 21.00- 18.34- (O=3-5)
6925 kHz - Spider Radio, Athens, Greece - 21.00- (O=0-2+)

Sunday 9.3.2008

I made some updates to my mainpage www.harrikujala.tk. There are photo-series of transmitters of Radio 98 and Radio Xenos (both from Volos, Greece) and Radio Balkan, Beograd, Serbia.
On SW strongest of the day was Orion Radio and Radio Lowland. Not so many stations on the air.
Playback was very strong on 6882 kHz but Spider (Greece) and Barretina (Spain) were weak.

Log Sunday 9.3.2008
1629 kHz - Radio Javor, Serbia. Heard during the week on Thursday 6.3.2008. This station is easy to recognize because of very strong echo and shouting!! - 19.05- (O=2-3) mp3
1665 kHz - Radio Barones, Holland in QSO with other Dutches. Too late night to track more other stations... - 22.55- (O=2-4)
5815 kHz - Orion Radio played Fleetwood Mac. Has been stronger, but was the strongest today - 08.10- (O=2-3+)
6250 kHz - Radio Friends, Italy. Played a lot of 80's hits in a row. ID sounded also "Queen" - 08.10- (O=0-2) mp3
6254 kHz - Britain Radio tentatively. UK-stations are mostly very weak here in my QTH. Premier Radio on 6265 kHz was not audible today but weak signal was visible for some moments - 10.25- (O=0-1)
6290 kHz - Free R. Victoria tentatively. Clear, but no talking heard - 08.05- (O=0-2)
6295 kHz - UNID - 10.25- (O=0-1+)
6306 kHz - UNID Dutch, non-stop. Perhaps R. Viking - 10.25- (O=1-3)
6310 kHz - Radio Lowland, Holland. Quite stabile and fair signal - 08.10- (O=2-3)
6325 kHz - Radio Paardenkracht, Holland tentatively. No talking heard - 08.10- (O=1-3)
6882 kHz - Playback International gave once again huge audio at night - 23.00- (O=3-5) mp3

Chris Cary 1946 - 2008

One legendary pirate radio personality for me has been Chris Cary. He died in Tenerife on 29.2.2008, still working on some radio projects.
First time I met his name in 1980-81 on Dublin-based pirate Radio Nova, the greatest land-based pirate ever been!! I remember very well when I accidentally found their big AM-signal here in Finland on 843 kHz (50 kW) on November 1981 ! Later I heard Nova also on FM 88.1 MHz (mp3-clip).
I followed happenings around Radio Nova very closely at those times. I have dozens of newsaper-cuttings of Nova-raids, closures, demonstrations, jammings etc. - also from Radio Sunshine, Dublin which Chris was building up with Robbie Dale.
Later I realized Chris was also involved with Radio Luxembough and offshore pirates, Radio Caroline and Radio Northsea.
The most interesting part of this is Chris' legal, local radio, Buzz FM, Birmigham 102.4 MHz in the beginning of 90's.
I heard his small FM-station here in Finland on FM on summer 1993. I sent a report to Buzz but I never got a reply. Ten years later, year 2003, I managed to find out Chris' e-mail and I sent him my mp3-clip. He kindly confirmed my recording.
Buzz FM was not long lived because they were granted only 50 Watts power, but Chris stated me that when I heard his station before the closure, the power was closer to 1 kW. So, no wonder of the nice signal here. Here is my nice sounding clip of Buzz FM received at my home on 102.4 MHz (e-skip via ionosphare, summer 1993)!
Any ideas who is the DJ??

So, I just realized I have QSL from all stations where Chris was involved: Luxy, Caroline, Northsea, Nova, Sunshine and Buzz FM (despite his latest satellite- or LW-projects)!!
(All photos here taken from www.chriscary.com)

Radio PlayBack International

I have a kind and quick reply from new quality-station Radio PlayBack International.
Really interesting venture on SW. They enclosed QSL and very detailed history of radio broadcasting starting from Einstein and Marconi and ending to PlayBack.
In the reply they stated that the station in not located in Italy (We must remember that it is a pirate station - and we are not supposed to know their closer location. So, it is broadcasting from the "island of nowhere", as stated in their jingle).
They promised photos of the equipment and I will publish them here right away!! Very interesting.
Listen PlayBack-jingle in studio-quality!

Loggings Sat 1. - Sun 2.3.2008

Saturday 1.3.2008
1649 kHz - Radiostatsiya Vodopad, Russia with many clear IDs. Mp3 - 23.22- (O=2-3)
1655 kHz - Radio Barones, Holland, I phoned to Baro since long time and he played me good music, Brown Sugar and Beds Are Burning. Thanks! Signal was good but unluckily there were Radio James Bond giving slight interference - 23.00- (O=2-4)
Here is my Barones-QSL from 1980. Click >>

1656 kHz - Radio James Bond, North Holland. Sometimes stations from Central- and North Holland are on the air on same frequency at the same time - they do not hear each other so well. James Bond has also big power, around 1 kW - 23.15- (O=0-3)

6311 kHz - Radio Barretina, Catalonia, Spain. Not always audible here - 20.00- (O=0-2+)
6882 kHz - Radio Playback International, Italy ("from the island of nowhere"). Fantastic programming. I asked them more info and photos, I hope to have something to publish here!
Momentarily great signal - 20.00- (O=2-4+)
6925 kHz - Spider Radio, Athens, Greece. Weaker this time with peak-ups- 20.10- (O=0-2+)

Sunday 2.3.2008
6210 kHz - UNID. Signal mostly only visible - 09.35- (O=0-1+)
6254 kHz - Radio Queen, Holland - 09.35- (O=0-2)
6270 kHz - Radio Altrex, Holland tentatively. Very weak today - 09.45- (O=0-1+)
6276 kHz - Radio Bobby, Germany. First time for me - 09.25- (O=0-2)
6280 kHz - Radio Borderhunter, Holland. Strongest today - 09.25- (O=1-3)
6295 kHz - Radio Grensstad, Holland tentatively. Non-stop. Very bad wide noise all the time on 6292 kHz - 09.45- (O=0-2+)
6300 kHz - UNID Dutch (no English spoken) wit weak mic-audio 10.13-18 (O=1-3)
6310 kHz - Radio Malaisy, Italy started at 10.15- (O=2-3+)
12257 kHz - WR International, UK. Barely there today. Asian QRM - 09.40- (O=0-1)