Pirate stations which I received on FM last summer !

During summer time I monitor FM-band very intensively! It is possible to hear radio stations from 1000 - 3500 km distance on FM-band 87.5 -108 MHz via ionosphere (photo beside)!

Last sumer there were excellent conditions on FM to Europe. I identified hundreds of stations from all around (My distance-record last summer was Radio Darom from Beerseba, Israel on 95.8 MHz, 5 kW, 3380 km. I have QSL).

However, I heard also a few pirate stations on FM via ionosphere - from London, Holland and Serbia.

Here are some audio-clips of these pirate stations which I identified last summer on FM (Many of these stations are indentified or tracked of the given telephone-numbers on commercials):

FM-Pirates from London, UK
87.5 MHz - Platinum FM, London - 14.6.2010 at 15.05 utc // mp3
90.4 MHz - Whoa FM, London - 1.6.2010 at 20.38 utc // mp3
92.2 MHz - MetroLove, London - 1.6.2010 at 20.30 utc // mp3
94.6 MHz - Kool FM, London - 1.6.2010 at 19.43 utc // mp3
See Kool FM studio live-video from their web

FM-Pirates from Belgrade, Serbia
87.5 MHz - Narodni Radio, Beograd - 18.7.2010 at 12.51 utc / mp3
92.2 MHz - Radio Raka Esinger, Lazarevac-city - 15.6.2010 at 09.10 utc // mp3
99.5 MHz - Radio Balkan, Beograd - 18.7.2010 at 12.02 utc // mp3
104.2 MHz - Radio Krajina, Beograd - 7.6.2010 at 15.37 utc // mp3

FM-Pirate from Holland
87.5 MHz - Zender Starsky, Vroompshoop - 1.8.2010 at 12.30 utc // mp3

I tuned this Dutch pirate only about 1,5 minutes time on 87.5 with nonstop music, but I was in contact with this pirate and they confirmed my clip (you can hear vinyl-record slow-starting sound in my clip). They sent a few photos of their equipment, too. Power 2 kW + antenna gain to 4-element yagi.

Serbian pirate Radio YU1 heard in Japan !!

Last week I got interesting e-mail from Hokkaido, Japan from Mr. Ushio Shimpei. There was a sample clip of unknown station heard on 1723 kHz.
It was a sample of Radio YU1, Serbia, which was easy to recognize because his voice has a bit special sound. Also there were many times station-name YU1 mentioned, clear IDs!!

Very nice catch in Japan! Radio YU1 is located near Belgrade and he uses 5 kW transmitter. Here are the photos of YU1's equipment (taken by Radio Texas, Serbia).

Here is mp3-clip of Radio YU1 received in Japan ! Clear and strong signal !

These Japanese DXers are Ushio Shimpei and Gosui Kazuhiro.
There had pedition in country side in Hokkaido near Sapporo, North Japan.
Equipment used:
Receiver: Perseus (SDR-receiver) / Frq: 1723 kHz

Date: 18:00-19:00, 19th September, 2010

Place: Hokkaido Japan,

Antenna:400 m BOG (Beverage On the Ground)

Antenna direction:north-north west

If someone want to contact these Japanes DXers, just put me e-mail - or leave comment under this blog-text.

Serbian internet-page for tubes!! 25 000 tubes!!

I just got a message from Serbia of a web-page for tubes: www.tubes.rs.

The owner of this page is ex-pirate called Radio Columbia from Pancevo, near Belgrade. He was active pirate for many years on MW in the beginning of 90's.

He has been collecting vacuum tubes for 25 years and he owns today about 25 000 tubes (!), some of them unused!! In his page there are many photos and also old schemas of tube-transmitters for FM. Very nice page - and collection!
Perhaps he is also selling tubes, if you are interested (There is his e-mail).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Glowing tubes are very beautiful !! There is no doubt of that! It was fantastic view when I visited Greek pirate station in Larissa-city 3 years ago.

I saw 5 kW transmitter in action. It was Radio Parizionos. (However, I do not know what are the tubes in this transmitter >>> Click for larger version) - More photos

Radio Elektron-video, Kucevo, Serbia

On May 2008 I visited many Serbian pirate radios in the countryside: like Radio Vihor from Pancevo (near Belgrade), Radio Novi Studio from Smederevo and Radio Elektron from Kucevo (in very beautiful mountain countryside, 100 km SE from Belgrade).

Here is video of Radio Elektron having QSO in the afternoon of 23rd May 2008. Transmitter is 2 x EL519, 50 Watts. Home-made equipment.
In this video operator have QSO with Mig Radija (about 50 km West of Belgrade).
I think Elektron has now new transmitter with more power.

Spider Radio, Athens, Greece

Spider Radio from Athens, Greece is active again on 6925 kHz. This station is broadcasting almost daily from 19-21 UTC.
The power is about 70 Watts in USB-modulation. (Sometimes also AM-mod. 30-40 W).

Signal has been very good in Finland around 20utc, even with AM-modulation. Spider closes transmissions always with title "Il silencio" at 20.57 utc.

You can send reports to Spider Radio to spider.sw@hotmail.com.

Radio Viktor and Radio Novi Probni from Serbia

I got new photos from Serbian Medium Wave pirate stations.
Radio Novi Probni is from Despotovac from Central Serbia. This station's power today is around 200 watts but on these photos you can see elder 50 W transmitter. The frequency area is 1650 - 1780 kHz.The most interesting in Novi Probni-transmitter is that it is based on mosfet-transistors. I know only one other station which uses transistor-AM-tx. It is Power Energy from Dublin (which I have seen in operation 2y ago). All equipment is self built, even SWR-meter and receiver!!!
I have once tried to hear Novi Probni but no luck with conditions.
The other Serbian is Radio Viktor from Smederevska Palanka, about 30 km South from Belgrade.
I have these photos directly from the station.
I have heard this station once shortly when Radio Barones from Holland had QSO with Serbians around 1700 kHz (Mp3-clip). That happened two years ago on 19.1.2008, late evening on 1702 kHz .
Later I got more information about the transmitter: Power is 500 Watts with 3 x GK71-tubes with 1500 V anode Voltage. Antenna is 76 m about 12 m high (1,5mm wire). (So, the comment from UU1CC below, under these photos, was perfectly right! Great knowledge!)



I have also contact from 3rd new Serbian MW-pirate. That station is Radio Sony near Kragujevac, Central Serbia. He is interested in to test signal to Finland when new tx is ready.

Russian pirate-history in internet

Finally we have some information of Russian pirates in internet in English. Ivanov The Valetinas (RX1AG) from St Petersburg writes Russian pirate and radioamateur history:

- Radio-hooliganism in USSR and the CIS (Go to page)
- History of amateur radio in the USSR of 1924-1990 (Go to page)

Unfortunately I have not had time to read those pages carefully yet.

There are a lot of pirates in Russia. Those stations operate mainly around 3000 kHz but also around 1700 kHz.
I suppose these Russian unlicensed stations operate mostly like radioamateurs and they do not play music so often. However, I have heard many Russian pirates playing music above 1600 kHz.
I have heard Radio Galavok very often there. No idea of exact location. Perhaps from St Petersburg area because os strong signal?