Chelmsford Calling Via Finland On SW

Tccwshe CCWS (Chelmsford Calling World Service), a programme produced by Jim Salmon (amateur radio call-sign 2E0RMI), has added a relay via Scandanavian Weekend Radio (SWR) to it’s existing sked via WRMI .

The programme can now be heard on the 2nd Friday of each month via WRMI at 2300z (midday NZDST) on 9955kHz and on the first Saturday of the month via SWR on one or more of the following: 1602, 5980, 6170, 11690, 11720 and  94.9 FM. Jim also broadcasts via NZRDXL member Chris Mackerell’s “World FM” in Tawa, New Zealand.

More info on the links below.

Radio Free Sarawak Signs Off

free_sarawakJust like the Democratic Voice of Burma, another clandestine broadcaster has chosen to promote its ideals via methods other than SW. More on this from the Asia RadioToday website.

A Vital SW Metric

bbgIn these days of shrinking SW audiences, the actual rate of shrinkage and geographic dispersal of the audience are important factors when governments and organizations consider funding allocations.  This interesting story from the Radio World website.

BBC Seychelles Signs Off

bbcqslThe BBC relay station located at Grand Anse on the Seychelle Islands was handed back to the Seychelles government on Tuesday 18th of November. Transmissions commenced in 1988 and in November 2013, they were slated to end, with the last Watt squeezed out on March the 29th. More on this from the Seychelles News Agency web site.

Related articles

Spy Station Broadcasting Continues

randomnumbersEven though the Cold War is long over, remnants remain, amongst them those intriguing coded broadcasts. Here is an article from Gizmodo that assesses current broadcasts and how you can listen to them right now on the Lifehacker website.

New SW Broadcaster Global 24 Radio On Air

global24New, all-news broadcaster is due to ht the air today, Friday 31st October, broadcasting via RMI on 9395kHz.  More on this story from their website.

Democratic Voice of Burma Leaving SW

dvb-logoThe DVB announced on 23rd October that they would be moving their broadcasts to the internet. The anti-Burma/Myanmar regime station has been on air since 1992. More details on their website.

The BBG Must Be Where the Audience Is Listening

bbgThe Radio World is carrying this interesting comment piece from the chair of the Broadcasting Bureau of Governors, Matthew Armstrong. He explains how they have surmised the needs of shortwave in target markets and hints at further reductions or transitions to other media.

Radio In Russia – Historical Article

Dmitry Mezin

Many thanks to Russian DXer Dmitry Mezin for this article. It was originally compiled for Italian magazine Radiorama and appeared in Italian translation for the January, 2001 edition.

moscow_50th_front

Shortwave Scene’s 30th Anniversary

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

“The Shortwave Scene” was a monthly column in the Electronics Australia magazine. Here, Arthur Cushen takes a look back at the first 30 years.

WARC 1984 Article

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Here is an article written by Arthur Cushen in the “Shortwave Scene” column of Electronics Australia, October 1983, previewing the 1984 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC).

 

Mark Nicholls – A Tribute

mn8The following tributes appear in the September 2014 edition of the DX Times, which is dedicated to the life of Mark Nicholls.

From fellow Life Member, Paul Ormandy, comes this: I first met Mark at the 1976 Tatum Park convention, we hit it off straight away and with Paul Edwards, spent every night at the dials getting very little sleep. We had joined the NZRDXL within months of each other, we were the same age and more importantly, we both preferred MW to SW! Mark was a regular attendee of League events in both islands and in 1983, spent the first or his many annual weekly DX pilgrimages with me at Waianakarua. It became the DX-highlight of the year for each of us and we both got on very well together.Mark’s first serious DX-receiver was a Sony ICF-6800W and later a Drake R8B.

The World’s First Pirate Radio

plugge1931Thanks to Paul Rawdon for the following item on DX Dialog: Les Woodland tells the story of Captain Plugge, founder of Radio Normandie, the first station to take on the BBC and probably the World’s first pirate radio. From January 2000.

And these is more detail and photos on the Off Shore Echoes website.

Greenland Returns to MW

greenland

Paul Rawdon reporting in DX Dialog provided this item (a very tough catch from New Zealand!):

Good news from Greenland. It has been revealed a few hours ago, that KNR is to return to three Medium Wave frequencies following a lot of criticism about the lack of reception of KNR on the sea and outside towns and villages in Greenland.

Three MW frequencies are expected to return:

Qeqertarsuaq – anytime between October 1st and December 1st 2014
Nuuk  – anytime between January and March 2015
Simiutaq, Qaqortoq –  approx.  June 1st 2015

Mark Nicholls – R.I.P.

mn8The New Zealand DX fraternity was stunned to learn of the passing of long-time NZRDXL member and DX Times editor, Mark Nicholls. Mark had long-term health issues, even so his passing on the morning of the 20th of August was a shock to us all.

Read tributes to Mark here.

The following from NZRDXL President, Bryan Clark:

Dear colleagues,

As you will know by now, our long time Chief Editor and League Life Member Mark passed away yesterday.

A Breath Of Life For Shortwave?

Radio mast array, Rampisham These mas...

BBC Rampisham (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The ease with which regimes can block websites and streaming audio services may be reason to reconsider the advantages of shortwave. Well, according to this article from the Radio World website, that is.

Memories Of 2XN

2xn_txmtr_1Martin Hadlow has kindly supplied this reminiscence of his home-town station, Nelson’s 2XN.

Radio Caroline Drops Anchor

English: MV Ross Revenge, home of Radio Caroli...

English: MV Ross Revenge, home of Radio Caroline from 1983. Photographed in 1984 at anchor in the Knock Deep channel of the southern North Sea. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And another famous pirate has made the news, this time in this Essex Chronicle article. Broadcasting will resume from “The Ross Revenge” on a short-term license as Radio Caroline chases a full-time permit to operate on the Blackwater, serving the towns of Maldon and Dengie as well as the surrounding area, and no doubt DXers!

Hams Celebrate Dutch Offshore Pirate Radio

nordseeOn August 31st it will be 40 years that the Dutch offshore radio stations stopped their transmissions due to changes in legislation. Many fans still mourn the loss of their beloved stations in 1974. Arie, PD0ARI, from Giessenburg, The Netherlands, will be operating the Special Event Station PD538RNI from August 28th until September 19th. He will be active on 10m, 20m and 40 meters. All operations will be on Phone.

The “538” in the call sign stands for the last frequency the offshore radio station Veronica used, and RNI stands for Radio Northsea International, the name of the other station that had to stop 40 years ago. QSL via PD0ARI, direct (w/SAE & 2 USDs) or by the Bureau.

Donors Dump Shortwave Radio Africa

It seems that money, rather than a shift in audience or realignment of politicial ideals is responsible for the demise of Shortwave Radio Africa. This post on Radio Voice of the People’s website, also indicates the cessation of all forms of broadcast, internet included.