A-11 Shortwave Schedules Are Up!

AOKI TXT File (Text)

AOKI Zip File
Zip file contains a spreadsheet (XLS) file

EiBi TXT File (Text)

EiBi PDF File (Portable Document File) requires adobe PDF reader or other PDF software.

EiBi Microsoft Word File (Open Office will also work for this) 
This is a ZIP file!

HFCC A-11 Schedule (ZIP File) contains the following:

Shortwave Broadcast Schedule
Station Administration Reference
Broadcaster Reference
Antenna Listing with comments field
Broadcaster Language Table Reference
Global Transmitter Site Table Reference
All of these are in standard ITU Format!

Also see the HFCC Transmission and Programme schedules by Broadcasters and FMOs
Each station has their specific schedule listed with a link right next to their station name. 
Click the link to see the schedule.

Here is also a quick listing from Dan Ferguson at NASWA: Dan does lots of work to get this stuff together and Shortwave America is thankful to Dan for sharing this with us via direct e-mail. You can also find this posted at the NASWA site and at the shortwave-radio@yahoogroups.com mail list.


The Aoki schedule file was updated earlier today - see http://www.geocities.jp/binewsjp/ .

The EiBi A11 file was posted yesterday - see http://eibispace.de/ .

The HFCC schedule file was updated yesterday - see http://www.hfcc.org/data/index.phtml .

The PTSW file was updated April 4 - see http://www.primetimeshortwave.com/ .

The FCC schedule file was last updated March 24 - see http://www.fcc.gov/ib/sand/neg/hf_web/seasons.html 

The Radio Netherlands schedule file was updated yesterday - see http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/rnw-frequency-schedule-summer-2011 .

The Deutsche Welle schedule file was updated April 11 - see http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1777509,00.html .

The Media Broadcast file was updated April 11 - see http://www.media-broadcast.com/en/radio/analogue-radio-networks/short-wave.html .

The NASWA Combined schedule file, with all these and more, in a single Excel spreadsheet, as well as text and Perseus versions (all zipped) was posted this morning.

HFSkeds.com has the following files available for everyone as well:

A-11 Combined Schedule built on 16 April 2011, zipped text version of the schedules, zipped version of the schedules for PERSEUS users, and a modified txt file with shortened names for Perseus users.

Please note that these files just are modified broadcas.txt files that makes the HFCC schedules a little easier to read, per Dan Ferguson.  Thanks for the information!

Here is the Media Broadcast A-11 Schedule direct link! (PDF File)

Happy listening everyone! Share what you hear, it really helps the flow of information in the radio community as well as helping your fellow radio enthusiast & fellow radio amateurs to stay informed about all sorts of useful items happening in radio all around us.

UKRAINIAN HAMS LOSE FREQUENCIES ON HF AND UHF

Some restructuring news out of the Ukraine that’s bad news for ham radio operators in that nation. This, as the Ukrainian government has affirmed new rules for amateur radio operations that have resulted in spectrum losses on the High Frequency, UHF and microwave bands.

According to an e-mail from Alexander Doshchich, UY0LL, the spectrum withdrawn from access by Ukranian hams includes 10.100 to 10.150 and 14.250 to 14.350 MHz on the HF bands. On UHF an above the losses include 1240 to 1300 MHz, 2300 to 2450 MHz, 5670 to 5850 MHz and numerous other spectrum slots right on up to 248 to 250 GHz.

From Paulette MacQuarrie

PCJ Media / PCJ Radio Assembles Transcription Department

Keith Perron at PCJ Radio & PCJ Media has assembled a Trasnscription Department specializing in providing public transcripts of the popular Media Network Plus show. You can follow the activities of the new Transcript Department on Twitter @MNP_Transcripts, or you can read updates and other relevant information at the Radio Assignment Desk on Wordpress.The Radio Assignment Desk is the official home of the transcript team.

Keith Perron & Paulette MacQuarrie have chosen an active, visionary, leader who also acts as part of the overall organization allowing them to have their hands free to care for the core duties involved in the production of Media Network Plus.

Foreign Affairs Commitee Report On BBC World Service

The report from the Foreign Affairs Committee is in. To read the submissions made to the committee click here (SUBMISSIONS).

Here is part of the report made to the British Government about the cuts. Today at 0304 (click here to listen to hear recording) (UTC) I heard on the BBC New the cuts would be reversed.

Ring-fence BBC World Service against Cuts,
say Foreign Affairs Committee

The BBC World Service is of such value to the nation that its income should be ring-fenced against spending cuts, says the Foreign Affairs Committee in its report, released today into the future of the BBC World Service. The report says that the decision to transfer funding responsibility for the BBC World Service from the FCO to the BBC will have major long-term ramifications for the future of the World Service.
 
The World Service promotes British values across the globe and has a reputation exceeded by none. Despite this, the Service has suffered a disproportionate reduction in its future Grant-in-Aid under the Spending Review settlement, by comparison with that of the ‘core FCO’: allowing for inflation, 16% as against 10% across the four years 2010–11 to 2014–15. High-level discussions between the Government and the BBC about a transfer took place for the first time only nine days before the formal announcement of the change, and the approval of the Foreign Secretary was secured only 48 hours before. 

The decision was essentially financial, taken at very short notice, albeit with the full agreement of BBC top management.
 
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Richard Ottaway MP, says, “The BBC World Service has been described by Kofi Annan as “perhaps Britain’s greatest gift to the world”. The value of the World Service in promoting the UK across the globe, by providing a widely respected and trusted news service, far outweighs its relatively small cost. The recent dramatic events in North Africa and the Middle East have shown that the “soft power” wielded through the World Service could bring even more benefits to the UK in the future than it has in the past, and that to proceed with the planned cuts to the World Service would be a false economy”.
 
The report says that the decision to reduce World Service spending by 16% during the 2010 spending review period should be reversed, and resources made available for it to continue its operations at roughly the 2010–11 level of staffing and output. If the Service’s funding is reduced in spite of this recommendation, the Committee urges for damage limitation. In particular, the report calls for the World Service to commit itself to longer-term support for an unreduced BBC Hindi and BBC China Mandarin shortwave service, and to providing enhanced resources to BBC Arabic as required by the recent and continuing political developments in the region.
 
There is a discrepancy between the relatively small amounts of money needed to avoid the most damaging cuts to the World Service and the scale of the Department for International Development Spending Review settlement. Some of the activity of the World Service contributes to the wider aims of DFID and it would be appropriate to consider how an additional small element of the DFID budget might be spent on specific activities and projects of the World Service which are consistent with the terms of the International Development Act 2002. A transfer of just 0.35% of DFID’s resource budget over the next three years would compensate for the proposed 16% reduction in World Service funding. There is no reason why such a transfer should not be made if the political will to carry it out is present.
 
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Richard Ottaway MP, says, “We do not believe the decision to transfer funding responsibility for the World Service from the FCO to the BBC will make the World Service’s funding more secure. Despite all assurances, this decision could lead to long-term pressure on the World Service budget, with the risk of a gradual diversion of resources to fund other BBC activities. No transfer of funding responsibility for the World Service from the direct FCO Grant-in-Aid to the BBC should take place until satisfactory safeguards have been put in place to prevent any risk of long-term erosion of the World Service’s funding and of Parliament’s right to oversee its work.”

Tribute To Paul Streeter - Part 3

Paul loved to talk! When he was on the air, the air was all his (As in people paid attention)! Although it did happen that Paul would run out of things to talk about, it wasn't always that often. A conversation with him could run for hours on end, but none of us complained because it wasn't ever boring. Paul had other loves in life beyond radio. Railroad, as mentioned in part two of this tribute, was one of those loves. In the photo above, Paul is shown at the Glencoe Metra station during a local bicycle event for which the Northshore Radio Club provided volunteer emergency radio communications support. This author was his assigned partner during this event.

In the photo we see the famous AB9PS portable dual-band 2M / 70cm Yagi antenna Paul made by hand.  This antenna used a cut wooden 2 by 4 plank as a boom, PVC pipe, and a run of RG8 coax. Anyone who knew Paul or even spoke with him for long enough would eventually hear some of Paul's love for railroad. He could talk about railroad for lengths of time that would have a person dreaming about crossing the continent by rail while simultaneously yearning to learn U.S. history.

The connection is made to U.S. history because Paul would talk about the old days of railroad. I remember asking Paul about the "whine" for lack of better words of modern Amtrak Genesis engines as they go from a standing position at a station stop to full service. First the engineer gets the "highball" from the line dispatcher, releases the air, and sets the engine into motion. As the train starts moving, you hear a very distinct sort of whirring or whine that goes up in pitch before the engine reaches a decent clip.

For anyone that loves trains, it is the release of the air brakes, the whirring/whining, followed by the K5LA horn blast that makes a great day better! Just as in the photo above, where Paul is getting to enjoy radio AND railroad at the same time, I would hope that he is finally getting to engineer his own train while making radio contacts the entire time AND getting full enjoyment of the greatest music anyone has ever heard.

One of the routines Paul had in the final days of his life, and one of the gifts Paul left all of us with was sharing late evening chats on 442.725+, talking about old re-runs of MASH, and of course we talked about food, meals, anything edible. The photo just above shows the five watt Alinco DJ-596 Paul once used just prior to obtaining a five watt Icom D-Star dual band HT.

The late night group usually consisted of Paul, this author, Jan (pronounced Yahn) - NE2AR, Andy - AB9EW, and whoever else was on the air at the time. Usually, Liam, from Evanston, Il, would chime in when his time allowed. Sitting at the control point until my eyes got heavy and ending the evening having fun with a friend was always the best way to end a late evening. Oh, we can't forget Tom - KC9AZJ (All Zebras Jump)! He became part of the group as time wore on. Tom and Paul often had some good talks about railroad because Tom is also a rail fan.

When we say we had late evenings, late is defined for us as a group as 1AM or after. I almost never held out to the end of the QSO, but there were nights when I would last and Paul would be the first to go followed by me and then Jan. Those nights are already missed.

I remember my first time meeting Paul. We went to Quiznos by the CTA Red line station. We both had a sub and Paul had his coffee. We talked about music, radio, and railroad. Paul did most of the talking when it came to the technical / historical stuff of music and railroad, but he also told some of his famous jokes. We talked about life, family, and classic TV.

Thank you Paul, for the years of memories. Thanks for being a friend, for just being you. Although it hurts to see you leave us, it would hurt more to see you suffer. What always earned my respect the most was that you never let your limitations take away your independence nor your dignity. You were never proud in an arrogant way, never did I see selfishness, never did I see contempt, and never did I see you hate.

The key now may be silent, the control point without your presence, but your voice will keep on being heard and your memory alive. With great gratitude for having had you on this earth, and all the memories to treasure....for what you were to each of us, rest peacefully dear Paul and happy seventy three.

Tribute To Paul Streeter - Part 2

One of the things Paul was well known for was his tales of the Church, his love for traditional types of music, and especially his volunteer work at WFMT radio - Chicago's classic radio. In the photo pictured above, we see Paul enjoying an educational lecture given by a Senior Engineer of WFMT Radio during a special presentation given for the North Shore Radio Club. Besides NSRC, Paul was also a well known and well liked member of W9LYA - The Chicago Metro Amateur Radio Club.

This author has attended a few of the MAC meetings with Paul in the past, which always proved to be fun. Paul was a certified genius, and as such, was inducted into Chicago Area MENSA.  Prior to holding the United States Federal Communications Commission assigning him the Extra Class callsign AB9PS, Paul held the call KB9ZIO as a General Class Operator.

Paul was more than just a local amateur radio operator with a gifted brain, he was more than just a local genius, and a Skywarn Net Control Op. Paul and his son, Dave, are both heroes to the railroad service. In 2009, Paul and his son, Dave, were returning home from a meeting at the National Railway Historical Society when Paul noticed a couple of kids playing on a moving railroad engine, and used their radio skills to contact the train engineer, saving the lives of the children. 

Paul would often speak of his family's heritage, and could often be heard recounting the story of the time someone he knew who was a religious man and also a conscientious objector due to reasons of faith, being drafted into the U.S. Armed Services long ago. This person thought that the Amish were exempt from being drafted and Paul would always say "But someone forgot to tell Congress about that!"

If this author ever found anything unique about Paul, it was that he never ever was heard or observed speaking badly about anyone even if he had the chance to do so. There would be times when Paul and myself would be sitting around watching TV and he would say something out of nowhere, and it was always either something funny or something that made you think because it would always be something most people never thought about or even noticed. Paul had a keen sense of observation.

Paul's love for logic seemed to fuel his interest in electronics and communications, or was it the other way around? It was hard to tell sometimes, but either way, Paul knew what he was doing. My mother once said "No man is ever so tall as when he stoops to help a child." Paul has been known to spend many hours on the phone with this author's daughter helping her with difficult & confusing algebra problems, never asking for anything in return. 

No matter what else Paul did in life, you could find him thinking about something. Paul was known as a deep thinker who was never afraid to look for answers. Conversations with Paul could get so intense as to leave a person speechless, and deep in their own thoughts. This author always had a reverent and playful nickname for Paul - "wise old owl".

Part 3 of this tribute to Paul Streeter will continue tomorrow. Thank you to everyone for allowing this publication to share the celebration of Paul's life with you.

Tribute To Paul Streeter - AB9PS

Just this past Tuesday, the world lost a great man and the circle of radio amateurs around the world lost a great member of its fraternity. Paul Streeter - AB9PS became a silent key (SK) in a local Chicago hospital after fighting with medical problems.

Paul made a list of contributions and achievements to amateur radio, most recently serving as a Net Control Operator for Northern Cook County Skywarn during severe weather events. Behind the scenes, Paul was a warm, caring, easygoing, man. He was the kind of person who appreciated everyone around him, and was always the definition of what a friend should be.

You always knew Paul on the air even without his callsign because of his distinctive voice. That voice was welcoming and friendly, fun, kind, and full of humor. Paul liked to tell jokes and laugh, he could make anyone laugh to be honest. Many hours and days were spent with Paul, all of them were pleasantly memorable.

Shortwave America will dedicate the next few entries to Paul's memory. Rest peacefully, Paul, you are never forgotten.

Attention Radio Cryptogrophers: FBI Calls For Help From Public In Unsolved Murder

This has nothing to do with radio, but maybe our fellow radio enthusiasts can help here....especially those of you with experience with cryptology! This means maybe even the numbers crowd can help! Here's the link to the story and the notes made public that the FBI is calling for help with:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110329/ts_yblog_thelookout/fbi-asks-public-for-help-breaking-encrypted-notes-tied-to-1999-murder 

Anyone who can give any good, solid information to the FBI should write to:

FBI Laboratory
Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit
2501 Investigation Parkway
Quantico, VA 22135
Attn: Ricky McCormick Case

Here is the Official FBI Press Release

WRN Newsletter For 25 March 2011

With all the newer posts that needed to be published, especially the new A-11 schedules, the WRN Newsletter is a little late with sincere apologies. This Friday's newsletter will run on time.

WRN Newsletter 25 March 2011

Media Network Plus - March Edition

Features David Goren's Shortwave Shindig from the SWL Festival held in Plymouth Meeting, USA.,  radio to and from Japan after the massive 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, a talking QSL Card from Radio Japan from the early 60s. LISTEN NOW

For continuing updates from Media Network Plus, see the Media Network Plus Blog over at Wordpress

International Spring/Summer 2011 Shortwave Broadcast Schedules (A-11 Schedules)

These schedules are good from 27 March 2011 until 30 October 2011 unless otherwise noted. Thanks to Shortwave Central  and Primetime Shortwave for obtaining & posting these skeds even before Eibi or HFCC! There will likely be more A-11 schedules to come until Eibi and HFCC get their official schedules posted.

We will start with the TXT listings from Primetime Shortwave: UTC Time Conversion

Shortwave Broadcasts Sorted By Time

Sorted By Country

Directed To AFRICA

Directed To AMERICA

Directed To ASIA / OCEANIA

Directed To EUROPE

Directed To The MIDDLE EAST 

Tab Delimited

Frequency LARGE

Frequency small

DBase ZIP

Excel ZIP

From Shortwave Central:


Radio Bulgaria, broadcasting in the following languages:
Albanian, Bulgarian, English, French, German, Greek, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish.

Radio Taiwan International, broadcasting in the following languages: English.

Radio Taiwan International Multi-lingual Schedule
Languages: Cantonese, English, French, German, Hakka, Hokkein, Indonesian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese.  

Radio Havana Cuba, broadcasting in the following languages: English.

Voice Of America, broadcasting in the following languages: English.

Radio Canada International, broadcasting in the following languages: English

Radio Canada International Multi-lingual Schedule

Adventist World Radio, broadcasting in the following languages: English

Libya's Voice Of Africa (LJBC) broadcasting in the following languages:
Arabic, English, French, Hausa, Swahili.

Radio Free Asia broadcasting in the following languages:
Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Mandarin, Tibetan, Uyghur, Vietnamese.

France, Radio France Internationale
No languages listed as of now.

Radio New Zealand International In English

Radio Japan In English

Radio Veritas - Philippines
Bengali, Burmese, Filipino, Hindi, Hmong, Kachin, Karen, Khmer, Mandarin, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zomi-Chin.

Voice Of Turkey
Arabic, Azerbaijan, Bulgarian, Chinese, Dari/Pashto, English, French, Georgian, German, Italian, Kazakh, Persian, Russian, Spanish, Tatar, Turkish, Turkmen, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek.

Transmitter Documentation Project (TDP) Clandestine Schedules

Voice Of Russia English Service Schedule

Links To International Broadcasters:
Primetime Shortwave Links To International Broadcasters

If anyone out here has A-11 schedules for any station not listed here, or if you have multi-lingual schedules for any station that is only listed here with an English service, please submit that information in the comments section.

United States A-11 (Spring/Summer 2011) Shortwave Schedules

The United States Federal Communications Commission has posted the new A-11 Spring/Summer Shortwave Broadcast schedules! Here is the link: http://www.fcc.gov/ib/sand/neg/hf_web/A11FCC01.TXT

Operation Odyssey Dawn Recordings Hit The Web

WIRED has the story about one radio listener who uses a combination of techniques to monitor military movements with great accuracy. Technological hobby groups from amateur radio operators who hold a license and have to take an exam, to ATC monitors, and computer geeks come together and use their vast array of knowledge and resources to track U.S. Federal Agencies who thought that they could not be tracked.

Who said radio is useless? Here are OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN FREQ LISTINGS from Bryan Herbert, a Licensed Amateur with a 6 call.

China Radio International Coded Messages?

A reliable source in the politburo informed me a few months ago that China Radio International's distribution of content on radio stations in Australia, United Kingdom, United States and Canada is not just way to have foreign listeners. My source informed me that since 2005/06 China's Ministry of State Security has been embedding messages into the Chinese programs. The messages are encoded in the audio. How the messages are encoded is unknown at this time.

More on this will follow!

WRN Newsletter For 18 March 2011

Shortwave America is pleased to finally announce the very first authorized distribution of the WRN Newsletter! Since blogger doesn't like the html or something in the newsletter, and formatting was a huge pain with the blogger template, SCRIBD has been used to create and publish the newsletter for Shortwave America readers.

With no further waiting, please enjoy this awesome piece of journalism brought here by permission of World Radio Network!

WRN News Letter 18 March 2011

Shortwave America Amateur Radio Listening Gallery News Update

This new feature of Shortwave America is almost ready!! There are only four license call districts that need to be added to this gallery before it is published. This gallery will also serve as a comprehensive, exhaustive resource center for amateur radio licensees and unlicensed enthusiasts alike.

When the gallery is published, the complete resource center will not be ready, so readers will get to see what is being worked on in real time! Check back daily to see what is going on here at Shortwave America!

Icom America and Yaesu Production News

Both of these news pieces are from CQ Amateur Radio Magazine:

ICOM: Staff & Factories OK, Other Issues May Slow Production

Yaesu/Vertex Standard OPerations Suspended in Fukushima Due To Earthquake Damage, Some Production Continues In China

Speculation on part of Shortwave America says that prices will jump and quality of some equipment may not be the best since Vertex is operating under such harsh circumstances. Product availability could likely become a problem as well. It is gonna be a wait & see situation.

U.S. Funds BBC Effort To Defeat China's Great Firewall

Published as HC 849-i,

HOUSE OF COMMONS  ORAL EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE

FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IMPLICATIONS OF THE BBC WORLD SERVICE CUTS

WEDNESDAY 9 MARCH 2011

LUKE CRAWLEY and JEREMY DEAR JIM EGAN, PETER HORROCKS and RICHARD THOMAS MARK THOMPSON

If this works the way it is intended, China can forever say goodbye to the great firewall.

Number Station

The past few nights I have been picking up a number station I have never heard before. Broadcast begins at around 0000UTC and continues for about 6 hours. The frequency is 6478.8mhz LSB. I'm just in the middle of making a recording.

IARU Has Japan Emcomm Information

Shortwave America has discovered, late as it may be right now that the IARU has two updates to emcomm in and around Japan related to their horrific state of living right now. READ IT HERE

Russia Joins CEPT Amateur Radio License Agreement

Southegate ARC brings us news that Russia has joined the CEPT amateur radio licensing agreement. READ IT HERE

Japan Reels From 8.9 Earthquake, Tsunami, Nuclear Meltdown Highly Possible

The ARRL has the story, stating a report from the JA1 area of Japan that the JA7 prefecture area is unreachable by any means so far. Read it here

Shortwave America is following the state of emergency, recovery, and other developments carefully. At this time, it has been learned that nuclear reactors in Fukushima are still in a state of emergency and unable to be cooled.

PCJ Radio has live streaming coverage. Go to the Shortwave America Listening Gallery and click on the PCJ link.

Fighting Against The West - China's Powerplay To Control Radio Communications

BBC's decision to cut certain services, VOA's situation, Firedrake, the most recent CPC meeting in Beijing where a comment was made about "The fight against the west" and "a victory for communism" have clearly marked China as the enemy of anyone who has gotten used to hearing communications from all over the world. Licensed radio amateurs should also be raising their eyebrows at this because China holds considerable influence over the most powerful medium of communications there is: the airwaves.

Shortwave broadcasters and amateur radio operators share many things in common and the most important of these commonalities are the ability to perform technical experiments, to understand HOW to use radio, and being able to communicate the entire world over. We both know who our audience is, we know how to reach them, and we know how to set up effective communications nets in order to keep the flow of information going.

China's power play for control of the communications medium is encroaching just as aggressively as the Iranian government. Neither of these entities can be trusted. In order for diplomacy to happen, in order for the last communist governments of the world to be effectively dismantled, those of us in the communications arena need to use our medium well. When a person uses communications well, communications actually become ninety nine percent of bringing diplomacy and democracy to the forefront.

It is already well known that communications are ninety nine percent of getting most jobs on the world done, but China needs to be given the message that their so called "victory" is short lived. One step in the right direction would be setting up American-Chinese, or Chinese-International civillian controlled shortwave stations and amateur radio nets on a regular basis.

Although radio amateurs may not broadcast, we CAN talk about technical subjects and pass on vital information that pertains to radio communications. The latest CPC meeting was merely a meeting of foolish minds.

CPC Meeting in Beijing on HF and international broadcasting

As you may or may not know March 5th was the start of the annual National

People's Congress in China. At a meeting Sunday night with the head of the

Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China which is headed by Li

Changchun. This department is directly controlled by the Politburo Standing

Committee have called the cuts at the BBC World Service and the proposed cuts to

the Voice Of America as a victory for "the Communist Party of China and the

fight against the West", in speech to members of his department. In the

un-publisized speech he said with the Western media outlets losing the media

war, it will give China a chance to dominate the international airwaves. Li

Changchun also announced that China will spend 52 000 000 Yuan (8 million USD)

starting this year to expand it's reach to international audiences. This

includes satellite broadcasts, "taking over AM/FM stations in the west", and

expanding China's use of shortwave to the Americas, Europe, Africa and South

East Asia. China will also be looking at taking over relay stations once used to

broadcast to the PRC by the West "who have mis-informed the people of China to

create an un-stable society".

A proposal by the Politburo Standing Committee will be submitted to the high

level officials of the Communist Party of China on March 8th to combine CCTV 4

and 9 (international) and China Radio International into one, to "take over the

airwaves of the imperialist aggressors of stations like the BBC and the Voice Of

America".

This information comes to me from a source I can not name to protect his

identity as they work in the documents office at Zhongnanhai, the main

headquarters of the CPC. I got this information this morning March 7th.

Most Of The 70CM Band Up For Auction

420 to 440Mhz is up for auction in the United States, threatening to shut down a large block of 70cm Amateur Radio Operation to make way for "public safety" broadband operations. The ARRL has the story

Next Media Network Plus - February Edition

The February edition of Media Network Plus is ready to go. On this show we will have a commentary on the BBC, VOA cuts. Canada's Minister Of Industry will be on the show to talk about having more competition in the mobile sector. Wendell Minnick a US based journalist in Taiwan will join us to give us the back story of when he wrote a piece on a Taiwan numbers stations.

Also the SWL Winter Fest (formerly Klupsville Winter Fest) is about to kick off on March 4th and 5th. This time for the first in 24 years taking place in Plymouth, Meeting PA. Richard Cuff one of the organizers will join us to give us the run down of what will be happening.

You can catch the first live transmission of Media Network Plus on shortwave at 0200UTC February 26th on 9955KHZ directed to Latin America and he Caribbean. If your outside this area you can listen to the live webstream at www.wrmi.net. This show will be relayed on some of PCJ partner stations and on PCJ itself.

Good listening!!

Shortwave radio – back to the future?

By Paulette MacQuarrie, co-host, Media Network Plus

Around the world today, there is a growing fascination with the internet amongst commercial and public broadcasters. No great surprise – there is a lot of money to be made in online advertising. In a recent Audio4cast report, last year in the UK, listening to Internet radio grew by 55% and for the first time crossed over the 3% of all radio listening share threshold.

However, this fascination with a new “toy” and the revenue stream leaves a huge audience in the lurch, because shortwave transmissions are increasingly being sacrificed on the Internet altar.

This defies common sense. For one thing, there are much more people in the developing world than in the developed world. Read: larger potential audience. However, in the developing world, relatively few people have access to the internet, and those who do often find the service sketchy to say the least. Whereas shortwave radios are very inexpensive, and the broadcasts are free, reliable and widely accessible.

So how wise is it for broadcasters to abandon a huge audience base that is starving for news and entertainment from the developed world?

JWT Intelligence in its December 27, 2010 report "100 things to watch for in 2011” puts South Africa’s growing middle class at #2. According to the report, McKinsey forecasts a 35 percent rise in African consumer spending power through 2015, and marketers are targeting high-growth countries including Nigeria, Angola, Kenya and Ghana. Also, at #95 on the JWT list wasUkraine, which has suffered drastic cuts to shortwave transmissions from Radio Canada International and, more recently, BBC. Then there are the cuts to China, of all places. Talk about a huge audience in a high-growth country!

If broadcast media moguls are abandoning large audiences in favour of a smaller (albeit more affluent, ones) then clearly they are motivated merely by dollars and cents, rather than by common sense.

However, let’s hope the big broadcasters continue to focus on short-term ROI rather than long-term audience building. Why? Because their short-sightedness leaves the field open for new visionaries in the shortwave world to fill the void with better programming and service.

People like Keith Perron of PCJ Media, whose knowledge of, and affection for, shortwave broadcasting knows no bounds. Others, like veteran Swiss broadcaster Bob Zanotti and his colleague (known as “the two Bobs”) who have been broadcasting for decades to loyal listeners. Such broadcasters have created legacies for, and formed bonds of trust with, their listeners … who are much less inclined to skip around the radio dial than online listeners with myriad choices of programming designed to attract attention to itself rather than edify its audiences. Then there’s Andy Sennitt of Radio Netherlands, and many other too numerous to mention here. But they know who they are, and so do you. J

These broadcasters recognize the huge audience potential in the developing world, not to mention overlooked revenue potential from increasingly cash-conscious advertisers who are looking to emerging markets. Like in the early days of radio advertising in North America, today there are vast opportunities for advertisers to reach listeners in countries climbing out of poverty and oppression via shortwave radio. Like in those early days, they have virtually (pardon the expression!) captive audiences to whom they can introduce their products and services.

However, I truly believe that shortwave broadcasters will be more responsible (and responsive) than the current crop of commercial and public broadcasters. I believe that the focus of shortwave broadcasters is (and always has been) on creating and nurturing audiences that are less materialistic and shallow, but rather more green, more responsible, and much more appreciative (and demanding!) of quality programming in entertainment and news.

There is an inherently interactive quality to shortwave radio that would (were they cognizant of it) make traditional broadcasters who are abandoning shortwave and flocking to the internet turn green with envy.

So in a strange twist of irony, the internet has actually created an unprecedented opportunity in the world of shortwave. I fervently believe without a doubt that exciting times are just around the corner in shortwave radio … for broadcasters and listeners alike.

New shortwave service to be launched from PCJ

February 21, 2011

New shortwave service to be launched

For Immediate Release

PCJ Media announces the creation of a new international shortwave radio service with targeted programming to Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific.

PCJ sees an opportunity to fill a void being left by large publicly funded broadcasters. In the last few months a number of well-respected international broadcasters have dropped their shortwave transmissions to these regions in favor of internet and podcasts. Most notably are the significant cuts to the BBC World Service and the Voice Of America transmissions.

To fill this void, PCJ’s new service would broadcast in five languages, with programming targeted to the audiences of those specific languages. New distribution platforms such as the internet will also be used.

The five language groups which PCJ Radio would target are:

Farsi – Middle East

Mandarin – China

Spanish – Latin America

Ukrainian/Russian – Eastern Europe

English - to regions mentioned above

Launch date TBA.

For more information please contact Keith Perron of PCJ Media.

Email: pcjmedia@gmail.com

Tel: +886 938 408 592

Odd Number Station just popped up

Many SWL's over the years have been fascinated by the mysterious number stations that have popped up going back to WW2. In the last few days I have monitored one that I have never heard before coming from Taiwan. Some of you have heard of New New Star Broadcasting which is a number station from Taiwan, but this one is very different. I should mention that New New Star has not been on for a while. A few months ago two high up officials from the Ministry Of Defense were arrested for spying for China and passing along classified information. Just around this time a few days later New New Star went silent. They were normally using frequencies between 10.400mhz and 10.550mhz USB. And was broadcast at 0400UTC, 0500UTC, 0600UTC. There were other broadcasts as well. I should mention these ones were the clearest in Taiwan to pick up.

In the last few days a new station has appeared. This time with some major differences. The first thing I noticed was there was no interval signal. Second was the voice was not computer generated, and finally third it was a mans voice not a woman.

Time to check: 0300UTC to 0330UTC

Frequency: 10.774mhz (USB)

Click here to hear a 2 min sample recorded a few moments ago.

WRN Newsletter Delay

Those who are wondering about the WRN Newsletter here at the site will be interested in knowing that it will be posted as soon as possible as a double edition to catch up with the two newsletters that have been published since they were due here. Blogger does not like how this newsletter is constructed, and the time spent so far on editing and production has been intensive.

The best option will be to post it here as a word document or a PDF.

Thanks for your patience everyone.

Shortwave America Web Store Opens It's Doors!

This morning marks a great day at Shortwave America, because the Official Shortwave America Store has opened for business! Now you can enjoy t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, mouse pads, coffee mugs, thermos bottles, wall clocks, and all sorts of other items!

One request for the store was to have electronic / radio kits. That is an item still being researched at this time, and will happen once everything can be organized so as to make sure there is enough stock available to prevent back-orders and prevent customer service issues.

When you buy an item from the Shortwave America store, you support the time and work it takes to put Shortwave America together. When you support Shortwave America, you support an uncensored, balanced voice for shortwave and amateur radio. New products will be added to the store on the basis of demand and other factors.

Thank you for reading Shortwave America! Feedback about the store is always welcome.
 

Anti-Jamming Antenna (and it really works)

If anyone can access this blog and are in an area where jamming is focused against broadcasters like the Voice Of America, BBC World Service and others there is a quick and easy way to get around this and improve your reception. These plans come from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the Voice Of America.

Last summer I built it myself to see the results and I was amazed. It really works and does improve stations being jammed by the Chinese. Of course it does depend on propagation, but it does work. It took me less than an hour to build and I used stuff that I had around the house. Above you will find a diagram and picture how it should look. I came across these plans on the BBG website.

Materials:

A compact portable receiver radio with its telescoping whip antenna

An additional telescoping whip antenna similar to the one used with the receiver radio or a stiff wire

Two pieces of aluminum foil having same width and length as those of the portable radio receiver

A clean piece of plywood or equivalent, non conducting of electricity, big enough for overall support

Two short pieces of connecting wire with screws for connection as required

A block of wood or equivalent to support the additional antenna

Installation:

On the piece of plywood used as overall support, lay the radio receiver on the first aluminum foil pad. Use a rubber band or string to secure the receiver if desired.

Fix second antenna into wood block so it stays vertical.

Connect the additional telescoping whip or stiff wire to the foil pad on which the radio lays. A small screw can be used to attach the first connecting wire to the aluminum foil.

Wrap the other bare end of the wire around the whip and twist the wire to assure that a good electrical contact with the whip is established.

Use the second wire to connect the remaining aluminum foil to the telescopic whip of the receiver as described above.

Operation:

The interference reducing antenna should be operated in a relatively clear area. It works best when people are not near the antenna.

The interference reducing antenna is operated by rotating the whole system, receiver and the two whip antennas together with the plywood support, until the interfering signal is minimized and the desired program is as clear as possible.

If the desired program cannot be received clearly by rotating the plywood support when the interference reducing antenna is level, then try slanting each of the antenna whips or both, and then rotating the system again. Keep experimenting with different slants and rotations combinations until the desired program clears.

Well known music on shortwave

A few weeks ago I went out to dinner to a popular restaurant in Taipei. This 5 star restaurant serves very traditional Chinese food and is one of the most popular places around the time of the Chinese New Year. I've been to this place a number of times, but this time was different. We walked in, the waiter showed us to our table, we order a bottle of wine and the rest. All during this time my mind was else where. My friends kept asking me if something was wrong, and yes there was something wrong. The background music caught my interest.
The whole time I kept thinking I've heard it before, but was unable to place it. Until! Then I remembered where I heard it before. It was the music used by the Chinese on a number of frequencies to jam foreign broadcasters. Yes! The infamous FIREDRAKE being played in a restaurant in Taipei. The following day I contacted a friend who teaches in the traditional music department of Taiwan National University and played for him a recording of FIREDRAKE. And well he had heard the piece. What he told me was the following. The piece we know as Firedrake goes back to the time of Kong Qiu (孔丘) or as you might know him Confusius (551BC to 479BC) and the Zhou Dynasty (周朝) (1046BC to 256BC). The piece was traditionally played during the Chinese New Year, but through the years has changed. Beginning around the time of the Qin Dynasty (221BC to 206BC) to the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911) each of the Emperors influenced the piece as we know it today. As for a name? This has also changed multiply times.
I should mention this is only a short history. But I'm in the middle of working on a piece which will be used on Media Network Plus to look at it's history.
If you have never heard the full FIREDRAKE before click here for the full unedited version.

Shortwave America Partners With WRN

Shortwave America has officially partnered with WRN (World Radio Network) to bring you their newsletter in full. WRN happily granted copyright permission today, 03 February 2011. Shortwave America will be bringing you this newsletter the next time WRN publishes.

Everyone, please give a warm welcome to WRN!

This is the second major partnership for Shortwave America in 2011.

BBC World Service Cuts

Today February 2nd at 1145UTC I was invited as a guest on the BBC World Service program Over To You to discuss the cuts to the BBC WS Chinese Section. Raymond Li the Head of the Chinese Service of the BBC WS will also take part. The cuts pushed onto the BBCWS by the Foreign Office mean a cut of services including shortwave to China. The rational of the Foreign Office is the Chinese jam the radio signal so no one can listen. But in a very logical move they decided to focus on the internet as a way to reach the audience. It seems they have not heard of the Great Firewall. Yes it's true that in large centers like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Dalian people don't listen to shortwave. But these areas only account for 15% of the total population of 1.3 billion people. In many remote areas people still do listen to shortwave from domestic radio stations including the VOA, RFA and BBC.
The Foreign Office said that around half a million people from a survey conducted in China listen to shortwave. I wonder how they got this figure, because if you go to areas like Tibet or Xinjang and other areas of China where protests have taken place people will not admit listening. In Tibet just after the protests took place against the Han Chinese the local office of the Public Security Bureau was checking homes for shortwave radios and confiscating them.
Officials with the Chinese Ministry Of Informational Technology ( January 28, 2011) told me off the record on the condition I don't publish there names, they estimate the audience of the BBC in China to be around 3 to 4 million a week. But added that most people in rural areas would not admit to listening. He said if the BBC only had half a million listeners they government would not even bother to jam them.

Remembering Challenger 25 Years Ago This Hour

Twenty five years ago during this very hour, the seven astronauts aboard the Challenger space shuttle lifted off for what was supposed to be a normal launch, and instead gave their lives in an unexpected malfunction. Today, remembrance services were held and the words of the late President Reagan were recalled.

This sad disaster 25 years ago had something to do with communications because the space shuttle program has played an important role in transporting communications gear into space whether it be an amateur radio satellite, an amateur rig to the International Space Station, commercial TV and Radio sats, defense and intelligence sats, and has also served to help develop the use and furtherance of communications between earth & space.

The Challenger crew did not give their lives in vain, for they knew the risks well and bore the courage proudly.

ABC - Radio Australia Advocates For People With Disabilities

"All In The Mind" is a programme of Radio Australia and on January 30th, it will focus on those with a most common, but difficult disability that sometimes has dreadful consequences: the inability of some people to comprehend math. These people see the numbers just fine although their lack of math skills would make one think about numerical dyslexia. This math comprehension learning disability now has a name in Australia.

"Dyscalculia" is going to be defined in this upcoming program during which scientists will lay out the biological basis for this disorder. Go to the Shortwave America Listening Gallery at the top of the page to listen.

BBC CUTS Shortwave to CHINA?

On January 26 the BBC World Service announce the cuts that would take place. Now some of the cuts I do agree with, but some on the other hand are just plain insane. Are you ready for this? The BBC World Service is cutting shortwave to China in Chinese.. Are they mad?

The reason for this were made on Newshour by Conservative MP Louise Bagshawe. She said the reason were that the Chinese Government "BLOCKS" these broadcasts. But they want to move to now uses like the internet. How will that bring in new listeners if the internet is controlled and blocked?

Here is a commentary from PCJ about these insane cuts. You can find it on the home page of PCJ www.pcjmedia.com

UVB-76 Analysis Video

Popular Communications can be credited for bringing this video to light, in which UVB-76 is completely analyzed in different modes, using different reliable software detection tools to give seriously impressive graphics of the signal. In this video, you'll also see the purported UVB-76 antenna system.

Shortwave America Welcomes Keith Perron - PCJ Radio

Ladies and Gentlemen, faithful and loyal readers, and everyone else,

Shortwave America is excited to announce a new writer to this publication! Keith Perron, a veteran of the shortwave radio industry who is also a fellow Licensed Amateur Radio Operator will be writing about Media Network Plus, relevant radio items from Taipei, Taiwan, and other items of radio interest to include some technical items. Keith will also act as Shortwave America's first International Liasion.

                             Read Keith's Professional Bio Here

As International Liasion, Keith will be responsible for assisting the international community with any questions, comments, ideas, criticisms, and customer service issues. Keith will also have an important part to play in helping Shortwave America to develop into more of an international product that reaches it's full daily potential. Over the span of his career, Keith has consistently shown progressive growth and responsibility that rises to the level of someone who can be called an effective industry leader.

Thank you, Keith, for being a part of this publication and for the great future Shortwave America has with you as a team member!

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1745 January 21st 2011

The following is a QST: Amateur Radio Newsline #1745

AR Newsline audio link has been fixed.

Glenn Hauser's World Of Radio: January 6th and 12th 2011

World Of Radio January 6th 2011

World Of Radio January 12th 2011

Don't forget that Glenn and the group can also be found over at the DXLD list!

Sounds Of Shortwave & The Shortwave Report

This is the Sounds Of Shortwave: January 6th 2011

The Shortwave Report: January 7th 2011 
                                    January 14th 2011
                                    January 21st 2011

The RAIN Report With Hap Holly: January 08th and 14th 2011

RAIN Report for 1-8-2011 begins in 5.....4....3...2..1

Here is The RAIN Report for 1-14-2011

Shortwave America: Above & Beyond

Shortwave America wishes to thank the readers out here for their patience during the much needed medical leave. The medical leave has forced some of the new developments here to be delayed by a short time, and now the catch up work begins!

You already know that Shortwave America has added a full - time dedicated streaming link to Radio Netherlands, has added a second listening gallery focused on a list of other shortwave broadcasters, and is working on the following:

*Adding an amateur radio listening gallery
This gallery will not just focus on amateur radio listening by way of internet streaming, but will also offer all sorts of sought after international information focused on amateur radio all in one place. This will include licensing information from all over the world and all sorts of surprise goodies!

*Adding a Shortwave America podcast

*Adding a Shortwave America product store with a special section that will offer radio kits and electronic components.

*Adding a Shortwave America e-zine and a series of e-books.

*Opening up access to seven specific high quality shows based on radio topics
These shows will all be backdated to the original date Shortwave America had planned for this feature to kick off so no one here misses anything.

*All future interviews will be in both written AND audio format (MP3)

*Shortwave America is developing working relationships with the most influential, prominent names in radio today and will indeed be adding an "international liasion team" to assist readers and other interested parties from all over the world. The international liasion team will initially focus on providing service in German, Russian, Mandarin, Polish, Spanish, Itialian, and French. Shortwave America will expand in the future to all languages offered by blogger so as to serve the international community in the most efficient manner. Until these developments become reality, translation can be offered using Babelfish.

Shortwave America will also add a regular newsletter by WRN (World Radio Network) A copyright clearance is pending to offer this service from WRN. WRN is one of the biggest radio and television broadcasting conglomerates around, and they offer an awesome newsletter that is so valuable it just has to be featured here!

As Shortwave America continues it's regular schedule of news information, the Amateur Radio community is waiting for the long awaited show-down between Glen Baxter - K1MAN, and the United States Federal Communications Commission as his application to renew his license has been sent to the Administrative Law Judge for Administrative Law Review. In this hearing, Baxter will bear the burden of proving that he is fit to become or remain a Commission licensee.

Medical Leave

What a surprise to log in tonight to find that there are now over ten thousand unique readers of Shortwave America! WOW! This past week has been spent working on making the advertised changes to this publication, and getting new material ready, so things are coming slowly but surely!

Today starts a temporary "medical leave" for Shortwave America. Your well wishes and continued readership are appreciated. Posting will resume as soon as possible, and hopefully, sooner rather than later.

This evening's RAIN Report had Hap Holly with Part 2 of his interview with KE6RRI who now owns the wasteland known as the renegade repeater in L.A. Apparently, she and her group are moving the machine or a receive site about 20 miles away from her as opposed to the 80 miles she originally had to struggle to make it into the machine.

Everyone check the recent Amateur Radio Newsline because two stations in Southern Illinois will be conducting DX testing with different modes and levels of power. Antenna and signals will all be non-directional. One of these stations will go as low as 3 watts!

That's it for now. Stay around everyone, Shortwave America will be back!  

Christina - KE6RRI Pushing Limits Of Free Speech

When the FCC gave Amateur Radio to the United States, and eventually, the world via the HF bands between 160 Meters and 6 Meters, the purpose was to have a trained pool of technically trained & able communicators, electronic communications experimenters, to create and maintain good will, and to conduct emergency communications.

The First Amendment in the Bill Of Rights was to afford a broad swath of protection to speech and to make sure that the U.S. Government could not censor speech unless it was so tasteless as to incite real violence without good cause by way of the proper channels used by our founding fathers when the United States was becoming a reality.

Can someone please make a LOGICAL legal connection between amateur radio and free speech? Tonight on the RAIN Report, Hap Holly interviewed KE6RRI who is the new owner of the controversial 146.435 repeater in Los Angeles, California. In this interview, Hap offered KE6RRI an out when he likened this machine to a "ham radio stage" on which the various players perform in their respective characters and he also asked her a good question (paraphrased): "What communications have been conducted between you and the FCC in regards to the 435 repeater?"

Apparently, this new owner was told to closely monitor the machine for outrageous obscenities that go beyond just foul language. shortwave America asks the FCC openly right this second...why are you allowing broadcast standards to apply to amateur radio? Amateur Radio is NOT served well by allowing these disgusting people to keep their amateur licenses and equipment!

Why isn't the FCC enforcing the intent and spirit of part 97? How the hell did broadcast standards get confused and then intermingled with amateur radio and the laws that make up Part 97? KE6RRI needs to be pressured as intensely as possible by the amateur radio and SWL community to ban each and every person who so much as utters a reference to anything foul! Tasteless, foul, incendiary, offensive, childish, immature, disgusting, sexually violent, racist, sick behavior on an amateur radio frequency should never, ever, under any circumstances be even tolerated, much less accepted by the amateur radio and SWL community.

"435 is really a psychology"? Christina, please, spare all of us the embarrassing political correctness! Either you control these goofs or we, the amateur radio community will do all we can to make sure that the repeater doesn't have an operations site! As a matter of fact, Shortwave America strongly urges everyone to write to the owner of the repeater site and urge him/her/them to demand Christina remove the 435 from the site and that the repeater and all future owners be banned from said site.

The repeater site owners should know about the content and character of vile content that the repeater is used for, and how it impacts the character of a site owner who allows a home to such a foul and violent communications system. Dear fellow amateurs, please also deluge the FCC and your local Congressmen with written letters and petitions to end the existence of the 435 repeater, and strip Christina and her users of their amateur licenses permanently.

Shortwave America is a HUGE free speech advocate, even advocating for speech that isn't well liked nor politically or socially popular, however, 435 crosses the line beyond acceptable boundaries. Shortwave America will seek to interview Christina and ask some really hard questions based on her interview with Hap Holly and let's see if she can stand on her own when really intelligent and pointed questions threaten to expose what her decisions mean to the amateur radio community as an entirety.

****Update****
There is a HUGE discussion happening over at ShoutMix
Apparently, this piece has a few of the 435 denizens quite upset
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