By Tim, WK4U
Article 4 in a series of 5
The gray line, also known as the terminator (I'll be baaack) is practically here. Do you know we can use the gray line to communicate (or hear other stations) much easier than normal? When it's dusk here in Atlanta (in August), you can make contact with stations in Southern Greenland, Northern Scandinavia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Western India quite easily. Load any gray line program on your computer to see for yourself. By the way, if you're an aspiring SWL or ham DX'er, you'll use the gray line often. Sometimes twice a day! Don't forget the dawn terminator, which highlights different parts of the world.
North American pirate radio is definitely starting now. Especially on weekends and holidays. 6925 USB is still the most active frequency. Last week, I heard 3 different pirates at the same time! 6925, 6930 & 6935. Amazing.
Signals are much stronger than any other time of the day. Many stations are beaming towards North America now. Many of them are religious, which I will avoid in this article. Some stations are quite interesting. Others extremely boring - usually government run. Some stations seem very strong for being so far away (Radio China International and Voice of Vietnam come to mind). That's because they lease transmitters from Canada to get much stronger signals into North America. Something to be said for one-hop propagation. China Radio International is even broadcasting to us in digital DRM delivering great sounding audio. So what are some of the better stations we can hear on short wave after eating dinner Tim?
You can try Radio New Zealand. They broadcast to the Pacific area, but can be heard extremely well here in Atlanta. Try them on 13730 in DRM mode. Excellent decoding all evening long. 15720 simulcasts the same programming in regular analog audio if you're not setup for digital short wave. WBCQ (America's only free speech radio station) on 7415 from Monticello, Maine offers very interesting programming. 5110 is even more interesting at times. All I can say is listen for yourself 🙂 Both transmitters are only on in the late afternoons and evenings. 5110 is harder to copy here in Atlanta, but can have even more risqué programming. WWCR on 5070 from Nashville, TN offers some interesting programs at times, with very strong signals here in Atlanta. Radio Rebelde from Cuba on 5025 offers another strong AM signal in Atlanta. Even during the daytime! They have this transmitter broadcasting with almost 20 KHz wide AM audio. Some of the best sounding Caribbean music heard on HF radio! If you have a radio capable of receiving that wide, be sure to give them a listen. Of course, you can always hear Radio Habana Cuba on 6000 bash the Americans. Radio Canada International broadcasts on 6100. The Voice of Russia pounds into Atlanta on 9665 & 9890 for a couple of hours. Often with great music and news with a Russian view point. Radio Australia is easily heard on 17715 right now.
China Radio International sounds almost like an American station! Hmmm, wonder why!? Listen for yourself. 6020 & 9570 beamed to North America directly from Albania. 9570 is usually better. 7350 directly from China. Hear the difference for yourself. Starting at 9pm, hear Radio China International on 9580 from a relay in Cuba. Or 9790 from a Canadian relay. You can even try 6080 and hear CRI in digital DRM mode. The Chinese are really trying to be heard in North America!
Iran (“The Voice Of Justice”) can be heard on both 7235 & 9495 from 9:30pm–10:30pm in English. Not the best signal in the world, but a very interesting, and controversial source. Their 7 MHz signal is from Sirjan, which is 6350 nautical miles from my home. Their 9 MHz signal is from Tehran, which is 5930 nautical miles from my home. Interesting that they often play an imam singing Koranic verses before the news during part of this English broadcast to North America.
We also have three very strong stations near the bottom of 3 MHz that pound extremely strong signals into Atlanta all evening. You can hear them on any cheap portable short wave radio. Try 3145, 3185 & 3215. You'll hear anything from religious programming to far right wing programming. Radio Miami International on 9955 has some interesting programming during the day and evening – when not being jammed by our friends in Cuba.
And finally, here's a recent schedule of short wave related programs throughout the week in our evening hours. Be sure to give them a listen. Do you have the capability to automatically record with your radio while you're away? Great way to catch broadcasts when you're not at home.
Friday
8:00pm Allan Weiner's Worldwide WBCQ 5110.0, 7415.0
8:15pm DX Partyline WRMI 9955.0
9:30pm Wavescan WRMI 9955.0
10:35pm DX Program Radio Bulgaria 9700.0, 11700.0
10:45pm DXers Special Supplement R.A.E. 11710.0
Saturday
8:20pm Radio Waves Radio Exterior de España 6055.0
9:30pm DXing With Cumbre WHRI 7315.0, 7385.0
9:35pm (variable) DXers Unlimited Radio Habana Cuba 6000.0, 6140.0 9:45pm Ask WWCR WWCR 5070.0
10:00pm Australian DX Report WWCR 5070.0
10:15pm DX Partyline WWCR 5070.0
Sunday
10:00pm DXing With Cumbre WHRI 7385.0
Monday
8:15pm DX Partyline WRMI 9955.0
8:25pm Radio Waves Radio Exterior de España 6055.0
Tuesday
8:00pm Pirates Cove WBCQ 7415.0
9:00pm DX Partyline WRMI 9955.0
9:35pm (variable) DXers Unlimited Radio Havana Cuba 6000.0, 6140.0 Wednesday
8:15pm DX Partyline WRMI 9955 .0
Thursday
8:30pm International Radio Report WBCQ 5110.0
Next month, we'll move to midnight local time, and the last article in this series. Gosh, I think it's time to use some radio tuning oil – a delicious cold margarita. Maybe two! Stay cool and enjoy your evening DX till next month. Do you have any questions? Anything you'd like me to cover? I'd love to hear from you.
Tim, WK4U
tim_lemmon@yahoo.com