The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

A live, off-air, half-hour recording of the BBC World Service special Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast on 21 June 2022 beginning at 21:30 UTC. The broadcast, hosted by Cerys Matthews, featured messages and music for the 32 members of the staff of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) overwintering in Antarctica at the Rothera (Antarctic Peninsula) and King Edward Point and Bird Island (South Georgia) research stations. In addition to personal messages from family and friends, there were special messages from BAS personnel and others including ones from Sir David Attenborough and Maj. Tim Peake. The transmitter came on the air with a test tone (1108 Hz plus harmonics) about a minute before the program started.The recording is of the transmission on a frequency of 12065 kHz from the BBC’s Woofferton, England, transmitting station (300 kW rated transmitter power, antenna beam 182 degrees). The transmission was received on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with a Tecsun AN-03L 7-metre wire antenna outdoors in Hanwell (just outside Fredericton), New Brunswick, Canada, in AM mode with 2.3 kHz RF filtering. Reception was quite good with little noise and fading and good signal strength, which was better than that on the parallel frequencies of 9505 kHz from Woofferton and 7305 kHz from Ascension Island.

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes: Probably my favourite interval signal of all time, the Song of the Coconut Islands, used by Radio Republik Indonesia stations. Here we have Jakarta on 15150 kHz signing on April 11, 1998. Their signal had to travel over 15800 km to get to my receiver in southern Ontario, Canada, so there is a little flutter which is expected. Receiving equipment consisted of a Panasonic RF-3100 portable hooked up to a long wire antenna.Broadcaster: Radio Republik Indonesia JakartaDate of recording: 4/11/1998Frequency: 15.150Reception location: Thamesford, Ontario, CanadaReceiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:Rarely logged here, the interval signal from Radio Madagasikara broadcasting from the island of Madagascar, as heard in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada on February 18, 1997 at sign on around 0258 hours UTC on 5010 kHz shortwave. Their national anthem is played followed by announcements which are of unfortunately low modulation. The receiver used was a Panasonic RF-3100 portable and a longwire antenna.Broadcaster: Radio MadagasikaraDate of recording: 2/18/1997Starting time: 0258Frequency: 5.010 MHzReception location: Thamesford, Ontario, CanadaReceiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna Audio Block Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:During my early years of SWLing, The Voice of Free China from Taipei, Taiwan was an exciting catch for me. The signal came direct from Taiwan (no relay) and was often subject to “polar flutter” as it found it’s path to Southern Ontario, Canada. My receiver was a Hallicrafters S-52 hooked up to a long wire antenna. This recording is from early 1971 and the frequency used was 15125 kHz. Their interval signal is heard followed by presumed ID in local Chinese dialect and ID in EnglishBroadcaster: The Voice of Free China, Taipei, TaiwanStarting time: 0200Frequency: 15.125 MHzReception location: Ancaster, Ontario, CanadaReceiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following recording and notes:KNLS sister station Madagascar World Voice broadcasts Radio Feda, an Arabic language Christian program from Madagascar to the Middle East on 13670 kHz at 1900-2000UTC and 13710 kHz from 2000-2100UTC. This is the 13710 kHz broadcast as received in McGrath Alaska on 15 May 2022.