Zender Zanussie from Holland on 1512 kHz

During Christmas time I have some more time for pirate DX-ing.

On this Sunday 27.12.2009 I heard Dutch pirate on unusual frequency, on 1512 kHz. The station was Zender Zanussie from Overijssel-province, near Kampen in Holland!

The most surprising thing was that this station was audible for the whole day!! Usually MW-signals fade away for midday-hours when the sun is shining.
Also my antenna is not the best possible for this kind of reception. I used 48 mb SW-dipole.

I contacted my friend, Zender Blauwe Piraat, in Holland and he sent my clip to this station during the broadcast - so I got greetings live on the air from Zanussie, which I luckily also heard myself!

Here is that recording made by me in Finland (greetings to me): Zender Zanussi, on 1512 kHz - 27-12-2009 at 13.20 cet: Mp3-FIN

Luckily Blauwe Piraat made also recording of this same moment locally in Holland! It is here: Wav-HOL

That was a little bit special reception this Sunday. Yesterday (Saturday 26.12) , I think I heard Zender Montoya on this same frequency, but no ID unluckily.

Texas from Serbia on the air

Radio Texas from Serbia is on the air non-stop 24h till Monday morning 23rd November.
Frequency is 1697 kHz and power 80 Watts.
I heard Texas at Saturday evening 20.53utc playing Deep Purple. Very weak but clear for short moment.

So, try to hear Texas at this Saturday night or Sunday evening!!
You can inform of all receptions and give comments here under this message!!

Female-pirate-QSL after 33 years of listening!!

When I was school-boy during 70's I tuned and reported hundreds of pirate stations on SW and MW. I sent letters especially to Dutch MW-pirates and got many nice replies (listed here).

A few weeks ago I had interesting e-mail-contact from Zender Ricardo from Oude Pekela, NE Holland. He is ex-pirate operator from the 70's. He has built own web-page of many pirates from that time and he also found my page of Dutch stations! Ricardo's nice and rare photos can be found here (many lady-pirate-photos!).

One very interesting point is that he recognized one of my old recordings (1976) from my page. .
He identified this to be female pirate Zendster Mira, also from Oude Pekela (my recording 1976)!!!

Zendster Mira was broadcasting weekly music programmes for 5 years during late 70's on around 1620 kHz, MW (Transmitter: 3x VT4C, modulator 2 x EL519, out about 300 Watts)!

It was also nice surprise that this lady is alive and kicking very well !!

So, after 33 years of my listening I got QSL-card from this lady-pirate! Zender Ricardo invited her to his home. She listened her voice from my internet page - and wrote me QSL - after 33 years of listening !! I got it posted in letter)!
Here is the photo of that QSL-writing! >>

This is absolutely the most special QSL I have ever had in my DX-career!! (I have more than 1700 QSL's).
Big and warm thanks to Zender Ricardo and to Zendster Mira!

Serbian pirates tested - no signals in Finland

New Serbian pirates tested signal to Finland on late Saturday evening 19.9 at 20. 00 utc = 22.00 hours Central European Time! The tests lasted about 15-20 minutes around 1690 and 1700 kHz...

These stations were Radio Fenix and Radio Novi Probni, both have powers about 100 - 200 watts .
However, no signals in Finland that evening!

There might be a problem with my antenna. I have to check - or there were no conds.

If you have heard these stations, please leave your comment to my blog!

WE WILL ARRANGE NEW TEST LATER THIS AUTUMN - perhaps summer is too close...

Radio Fenix, Arandjelovac, Serbia

Here more exotic photos of Serbian pirate stations! This is Radio Fenix, located in Arandjelovac, about 50-60 km south from Belgrade, Serbia.
The transmitter gives about 200 Watts with 8 x PL504. Fenix is also on the air on 27 MHz with 50 Watts.
I have not heard this station but I hope we can have a test to Finland after summer! (Click the photos for bigger view)

First US-pirate-QSL: Radio Jamba !

Yestreday I got my first pirate-radio-QSL from USA! I heard this station over one year ago, and I sent an e-mai,l but it never reached the operators!
Now the station operator found mp3 from my blog and confirmed it to be Radio Jamba International (blog).
This broadcast which I heard in May 2008 was mobile from Missouri with 80 Watts USB on 6925 kHz. Signal was weak here in Finland but it was recognizable!

Radio Jamba is on air for alternative radio programming and it is part of Area 51-group broadcasting on legal SW-station WBCQ on 5110 kHz. Jamba has own weekly show on this station.


It is very hard listening trying to catch US-pirates. The reason for that is time for reception. Here in Finland it is mostly possible between 02-05 at night our local time - also the time for deepest sleep.
It is possible to reach the whole world on this frequency/power, if there is s chance to have long broadcasting times. Spider Radio from Athens, Greece is a good example. This station has been heard all over the world on this channel in USB, including New Zealand, Japan, USA... Very often good signal here in Finland!

Old Time Radio QSL and video

On Friday 17th of April 2009 I got mail from Finnish pirate station Old Time Radio!
They asked me to inform European pirate-listeners of their high-power broadcast on three bands on the coming weekend!!

This session was very unique on pirate-radio scene because they did broadcast on three bands during the weekend 18-19.4.2009 (First time ever in pirate-history?):
On 19 mb (15065 kHz, 200 W), 48 mb (6270 kHz, 1 kW) and even on MW 1670 kHz (500 W)! I was told that they used the same transmitter all the time!

Signal was very strong here in Naantali on MW but skipped mostly over on 48 mb and was silent on 19 mb.
19 mb-broadcast was heard in Athens, Greece. 48 mb broadcast was so strong in Europe that the listeners there were sure that it was relayed by some Dutch-station!!! 1670 kHz was not received in UK or Holland (because of local interference?) but in Germany it was weakly on.

I just got video-clip of Old Time Radio's broadcast on 18.4.2009. Views of the tx and being on the air.

You can SEE the power !! Download this video from here (3.5 Mb wmv-file)

Radio YU1, Belgrade, Serbia

I just got new photos from Serbia.
The station is Radio YU1 (="Ju jedan") from Belgrade area.
I think this is the biggest pirate in Serbia with about 5 kW of power. Here you can see the self-built transmitter with huge tubes. I hope I will get more detailed information of the tubes later.
Click photos (taken by Texas) for bigger views >

I have heard this station a few times here in Finland around 1700 kHz with huge signal. I visited Serbia in May 2008 but I had no connection this station.

Here is one old audio-clip of YU1 from my archives! I heard this on 26.2.2005 on 1667 kHz.

QSL from Radio Snowball, Russia!

Last week I got a letter from Stavropol-city. There was my first Russian pirate-QSL ever!!

This station is Radio Snowball, Russia which confirmed my reception with printed QSL-card. It is very special QSL also because the distance is quite long (near Black Sea)!

Radio Snowball had special tests to Europe in February on 6630 kHz USB. The test was organized by me and it was very interesting happening as many pirate listeners in Europe heard this station!! Real rarity!

Click for bigger views >>

Old photos from Holland - R. Casablanca, Emmen

A few weeks ago I got a few 30 years old transmitter-photos from Emmen-city from East-Holland.

Radio Casablanca was on the air in Emmen on Medium Wave since 1976. Here you can see that old stuff. The power of this 304tl-transmitter is about 600 Watts. Click the photos >>

I have not heard this station but many others at that time from this same area.
30 years ago there were thousands of pirate stations in Holland on MW and FM. I heard many of them and here is my old list of identified Dutch MW pirate stations.

Snowball observations 6.2.2009 - 20.00 utc >

Radio Snowball from Stavropol, Russia is giving better signal this evening than week ago!!

Russian rap-music and announcements in English on 6630 kHz!
My mp3-clip at 20.12 utc. Deep fading.

Other observations:
South Sweden (Göran Hardenmark) Listen mp3 (later) (www)
Holland (Black Arrow) - Listen mp3 - Good signal, O=3
Germany (Achim) - Listen mp3 - Weak, O=1 (www)
Germany (Dr. Tim) - Chatting while broadcast
Poland (Warszava, Kristof) - Listen mp3 - Fair signal (www)
Finland (Raisio, Rick) - Listen mp3 - Weak signal (www)
Finland (Pietarsaari, Jan) - Listen Wma - Fair signal
North Finland (Close to Rovaniemi) - Comment below
USA (West Virginia, Alex) - Comment below

EVEN WEAK SIGNAL USA!!!! Not expected!

Radio Snowball on air Friday 6.2.2009 at 20-21 UTC

Russian pirate station, Radio Snowball (=Radio Snegovik), from Stavropol-city, SW Russia will have test broadcast to Europe on this Friday evening!

Radio Snowball will broadcast music for one hour on 6630 kHz on Friday 6th February 2009 from 20.00 to 21.00 UTC. Power is 50 Watts in USB.

This station was heard in Finland on 31.1.2009 on this same channel.

At the moment there is no public e-mail or contact address to the station!

YOU CAN GIVE YOUR REPORTS VIA THIS BLOG BY GIVING COMMENT to this message (Comment-button below) - or e-mail to my personal e-mail address!

Radio Snegovik (Snowball), Stavropol, Russia!

After few weeks I did some DX-ing this weekend.
I had e-mail contact from far away SW Russia, from Stavropol. The operator of Radio Snegovik (=Snowball) found my pages and wanted to test signal to Finland. Stavropol is about 200 km north from Georgian border close to Black Sea. Click the map >>>

On 31.1. Saturday evening at 20.15 utc I was surprised to hear weak USB signal on 6630 kHz with Russian music and station announcements: "This is radio station Snowball, Snowball, Snowball...." (mp3-clip).
The operator promised to mail QSL of this reception.
Radio Snowball is also interested in to make international broadcast later with many hours programme around 6630 kHz. I will inform you all via Dr. Tim post if this will happen!!

LOG SUNDAY 1.2.2009

5800 kHz - Shortwave Cowboys (tent). Only music heard but this was on air here. 09.45- O=0-2+
6205 kHz - DRP playing Queen "We are the champions"and later "Voyage,Voyage"-title. 10.10- O=0-2
6210 kHz - Radio Boorderhunter, Holland. Good signal with many greetings to Europe. 10.00- O=2-3+
6215 kHz - King SW, Holland (tent). I have never manage to ID this station but heard many times (6214.8 kHz). 10.15- O=0-1+
6220 kHz - Mystery Radio with good signal. 0950- O=2-4
6240 kHz - Misti Radio. "You are listening to Misti Radio...." Played Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee" at 10.09- O=0-2+
6270 kHz - Radio Perfekt gave contacts talking over Man of Action. 10.25- O=1-3
6280 kHz - Radio Merlin, UK. 09.30- O=0-2+
6291 kHz - R. Dr. Tim with good signal and clear, readable audio. Mp3. Many greetings to listeners around Europe. New power?? 09.25- O=1-3+
6316 kHz - Radio Contact gave e-mail + sms-number. 09.50- O=1-3
6325 kHz - UNID. Waves? 10.08- O=0-2
6870 kHz - Radio Playback with nice signal. Blues programme. 10.00- O=2-3+