Thurs July 31

4025: Laser Hot Hits @ 1950 with an offshore radio documentary. Good signal peaking at S9+10dB.

6310: Unid station playing instrumental music @ 1910 with long gaps between the music. Someone testing? SINPO 44433.

6310: Shortwave Combination Holland with IDs in Dutch and English @ 2200. Could well have been the station on all evening on 6310 (see above). SINPO 33333.

6400: Another unid with non-stop oldies. Heard @ 1930 playing "Give Me the Night. " Good signal. SINPO 44444.

6925u: Spider Radio @ 2040 with Abba "Gimme Gimme Gimme." SINPO 24332.

(updated 22:00UTC)

Wed July 30

3932: Bogusman with a midweek broadcast. Heard @ 1950 playing alternative music, broadcast ended at 1958. Good signal. SINPO 44444.

4025: Laser Hot Hits playing Rhianna @ 1820. Good signal. SINPO 44333.

6925u: Spider Radio heard @ 2025 playing "Every Breath You Take." SINPO 24332.

Tues July 29

4025: Laser Hot Hits with dance music @ 2110. Strong signal. SINPO 54444.

6401: Radio Borderhunter in Luxembourg playing schlager @ 2055. Good signal but slight whistle from weaker station. SINPO 44433. (see comments)

6925u: Spider Radio with oldies @ 2050. SINPO 24332.

Mon July 28

4025: Laser Hot Hits with rock, greeting listeners @ 2040. Good signal, pushing S9+10dB but quite lot of crackle tonight (very humid, here). SINPO 44333.

6310: Shortwave Combination Holland (Radio Lowland, Alice, Marconi & Belfast) heard @ 2140 with oldies and schlager. Also announced special broadcast next weekend. Email: radiolowland @ hotmail.com Fair-good signal. SINPO 43333. To hear recording click here

6400: Unid station playing African music @ 2055. Probably not a pirate at all. SINPO 34333.

6925u: Spider Radio @ 2048 with usual canned ID by woman, then Cyndi Lauper "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." SINPO 34333.

North American log

A log from Joe Wood in Greenback, TN, USA:

6925u Red Radio. 2332-0011+. 25/26 July 08. English. First log of this station. YL announcer with MOR mx. The mx included funk, soul, and pop with the second portion of Meat Loaf this week. I think this was a joint effort with Sycko Radio. Fair.

Sun July 27

Clear blue skies, looks like it's going to be another hot day!

3900: Antonio Radio heard @ 2125 greeting listeners, giving out email address. Good signal but lot of static tonight. SINPO 44333.

4025: Laser Hot Hits with recording of 80s London pirate Tip Top Radio @ 1755. SINPO 44433.

5815: Orion Radio playing Dutch songs @ 0800. Good signal but some fading. SINPO 44433.

6140: Radio Gloria via Wertchatal signing on @ 1200 and playing "The World is not Enough." Good signal. SINPO 44444.

6220: Radio Marabu via Mystery Radio @ 0825 with oldies. SINPO 34433.

6265: Premier Radio Int playing a Jimi Hendrix song @ 0900. SINPO 34433.

6280: Radio Mazda with schlager @ 1155. Good signal but some fading. SINPO 4433.

6300: Unid station with good signal @ 0930. Off a few minutes later. SINPO 44444.

6309: Radio Valencia playing oldies @ 0920. SINPO 34433.

6310: Radio Malaisy with ID jingle @ 1743 and playing Eagles "Hotel California." SINPO 34433.

6400: Radio Nova (tent) playing Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" @ 2120. Weak-fair signal with utility QRM. SINPO 23332.

6430: Radio Victoria @ 0805 with non-stop 60s music. ID finally came at 0830 with email address. SINPO 34433.

6540: Radio Hamamelis with "Eye of the Tiger" @ 0815. Weak signal with fair peaks. SINPO 24332. ID according to Iann's website. SINPO 24332.

(updated 21:25UTC)

Sat July 26

3932: Bogusman heard @ 2040 talking about buying train tickets, playing the usual alternative music. SINPO 44444.

4025: Laser Hot Hits playing dance music @ 1910. Some utility QRM and heavy static crashes. SINPO 33333.

6220: Mystery Radio playing "Electric Dreams" @ 1940. Good signal. SINPO 44444.

6276: Radio Dr Tim (tent) with schlager @ 2115. Best in usb due to strong utility on 6275. SINPO 33333 (in usb).

6400: Radio Mordor with rock music @ 1920. Weak-fair signal with deep fading. Sign off at 1933. SINPO 24332. (See comments) For recording click here

6925u: Spider Radio playing "Nothing's Going to Stop Us Now" @ 2035. SINPO 24332.

Fri July 25

3905: Bluestar Radio playing "Live is Life" @ 2055. Good signal. SINPO 44444.

4025: Laser Hot Hits with Steve Roberts @ 2100 with the song " I Can Hear Music." Very good signal - S9+10dB. SINPO 54444.

Thurs July 24

4025: Britain Radio Int via LHH heard @ 1935 with Roger Davis talking about a radio meeting and thanking Laser for their support. Good signal but some fading. SINPO 44433. It's good to hear BRI coming in well on shortwave.

6925u: Spider Radio playing "I Just Called to Say I Love You" @ 2050. Fair signal. SINPO 34333.

Wed July 23

4025: Laser Hot Hits now moved to this frequency. Good signal @ 2035, with Stewart Ross playing Gerry Rafferty. Signal peaking at S9+10dB, some fading. SINPO 44433.

4032: Laser Hot Hits heard @ 1855 with soft rock music. Good signal, some utility QRM but no sign of the strong utility that totally blocked the frequency yesterday evening. SINPO 43333.

6925u: Spider Radio @ 2042 with Iggy Pop "The Passenger." Signal 5-6 tonight. SINPO 34333.

(updated 20:45UTC)

Tues July 22

5050: Unid station heard in the tropical bands @ 1955 with non-stop dance music. No ID at the top of the hour - as you would expect from a licensed station. Good signal but who is it? SINPO 44333. Update: Still going @ 2145 - SINPO 34333.

Reports on SW Pirates and Alfa Lima report hearing African music later so could have been Tanzania testing, and not a pirate.

Mon July 21

4032: Laser Hot Hits with songs by Shampoo and Tori Amos @ 1845, a recording from Laser's FM days. Good signal - peaking at S9+10dB. SINPO 44433.

5815: Radio Telstar South playing 60s music @ 2045. SINPO 34333.

6925u: Spider Radio with Gary Numan's song "Cars" @ 2055. Fair peaks. SINPO 24332.

North American logs

Here's a few weekend logs from Joe Wood in Greenback, Tennessee, USA:

6925u Northwoods Radio. 0134-0202*. Sat 19 July. English. A show featuring biting political satire and rhetoric. Several IDs. Nicely done show. F-G.

6925u Radio Jamba International. 0221-0226. Sat 19 July. English. OM with hypnosis routine repeated in segments. Several IDs. Fair.

6925u Radio El Loco (t). 0234. Sat 19 July. I never caught a clear ID on this one. The show consisted of announcers doing comedy with one of thespeaking with a Spanish accent. Fair.

Sun July 20

3900: Radio Black Arrow @ 2040 playing the Animals. Weak-fair signal and quite a lot of crackle and fading. SINPO 34333.

4032: Laser Hot Hits with a Bryan Adams song @ 1640. SINPO 43433.

5815: Orion Radio playing "Dancing in the City" @ 0750. Good signal. SINPO 44433.

6140: European Music Radio via Wertchatal heard @ 1200 with Paul Graham playing 60s music. Good signal but quite a lot of fading. SINPO 44433.

6220: Mystery Radio with pop @ 1630. SINPO 34433.

6265: Premier Radio Int with Abba "SOS" @ 0855. Signal slowly improving. SINPO 33433.

6275: Unid station with schlager @ 0800 but utility QRM on same frequency. SINPO 33433. (Not Calypso - see comments)

6280: Radio Brandaris Int with polka and ID @ 0840. SINPO 34333.

6310: Radio Malaisy with pop and jingle IDs @ 1620. SINPO 34433.

6400: Radio Pionier (tent) with schlager @ 1255 and ID and hotline number. Weak-fair signal with deep fading. SINPO 24332.

(updated 21:00UTC)

Sat July 19

3900: Radio Spaceman playing rock music @ 2135. Usual strong signal. SINPO 54444.

3927: Delta Radio from Gelderland with dance music @ 2130. signal peaking at S9+10dB, ID at 2142. SINPO 44444.

4032: Laser Hot Hits playing a song by the Nightcrawlers @ 0910. Fair-good signal. SINPO 34433.

6310: Radio Condor with dance music. Fair-good signal (S8-9) @ 2050. SINPO 34333.

6325: Unid station heard @ 2100 with schlager. Good signal - peaking at S9+10dB but faded before ID heard. SINPO 44444.

9290: Radio Casablanca via Latvia with German pop and folk music @ 1105. SINPO 44433.

(updated 21:40UTC)

Fri July 18

3905: Radio Boomerang with non-stop rock and pop music @ 2020. Strong signal - S9+10dB. SINPO 54444. ID from Franja DX.

4032: Laser Hot Hits playing Bryan Ferry @ 2035. Good signal but some SSB QRM. SINPO 43433.

6306: Unid station heard @ 2050 with talk in German. Deep fading and some morse QRM making IDing difficult. SINPO 23332.

Tues July 15

4032: Britain Radio Int via LHH playing Counting Crows @ 1750, followed by promos for Offshore Echos and the BRI website. Fair-good signal but a bit of utility QRM. SINPO 33433.

5805: Radio Telstar South with 60s and 70s music @ 2035. SINPO 34333.

6308: Unid station playing 70s disco @ 1635, occasionally saying "hello, hello" into the mic (sounded Dutch). Sudden off at 1647. SINPO 34433.

6400: Radio Pionier playing a song by Mika @ 1650, off few minutes later. Fair signal. SINPO 34433.

(updated 20:40UTC)

Pirate radio documentary

Pirates of the Airwaves, ITV1 Yorkshire, July 10 (now on Google Video)

The activities of non-licenced radio stations presently broadcasting throughout West Yorkshire, UK, following Leeds station Radio Frequency. These latter-day pirates have fallen foul of media regulator Ofcom for their refusal to end their transmissions. Tony Blackburn, himself a radio pirate in the 1960s, offers an insight into this type of lawbreaking, with comment from a Scarborough MP who set up his own station 40 years ago.

The documentary has been uploaded to Google video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6913287523754352609&hl=en

(via Mike Barraclough, anoraksuk)

Sun July 13

3900: Radio East Coast Holland playing Status Quo @ 1850 followed by ID and email address. Good signal. SINPO 44433. To hear recording click here

3900: Radio Spaceman heard @ 2230 with some polka. Very strong signal - peaking at S9+30dB. SINPO 54444.

3900: Skyline International Radio with a report for Spaceman @ 2237. SINPO 34333.

4032: Britain Radio Int via LHH playing "Dancing in the City" @ 0915. SINPO 34433.

5805: Radio Telstar South with jingles and playing 60s music @ 1935. SINPO 34433.

5815: Orion Radio playing rock music @ 0805 with fair-good signal, off at 0910. SINPO 34433.

6215: Radio King Shortwave (tent) with a weak signal, heard @ 0825 with a Roxy Music song. SINPO 24332.

6220: Mystery Radio with pop @ 0830. SINPO 34433.

6255: Britain Radio Int heard @ 0920. Signal struggling at the moment. SINPO 24332.

6255: Radio Altrex playing a song by OMD @ 1945. Fair-good signal. SINPO 44333.

6277: Camping Radio (pres) relaying Radio L'Arboc. Heard @ 2000 with time pips and woman talking in presumed Catalan - in parallel with internet feed. SINPO 33333.

6280: Radio Brandaris Int with instrumental music and signing off @ 0815. SINPO 34433.

6300: Delta Radio from Gelderland back on today. Heard @ 0923 with ID and playing dance music. Surprisingly good signal, considering the poor conditions. SINPO 44433.

6305: Radio Mazda with polka, schlager and country and western @ 1145. Good signal. SINPO 44433.

6310: Unid station with oldies, heard @ 1210 playing "Some Girls Will." Splash from Mazda. SINPO 33433.

6310: Free Radio Holland (tent) @ 0810 with oldies. Weak signal. SINPO 23432.

6310: Radio Condor with dance music @ 0955. Weak signal here - I can only just hear him. SINPO 23432.

6925u: Spider Radio @ 2010 with oldies. SINPO 24332.

(updated 22:40UTC)

Sat Jul 12

3900: Radio Spaceman playing rock music @ 1815. Strong signal peaking at S9+20dB. SINPO 54444.

3905: Radio Zanussi with schlager @ 1820. Weak signal suffering splash from 3900. SINPO 23432. See comments

3910: Radio Optimod @ 1940 playing Dire Straits. Good signal, peaking at S9+10dB. SINPO 44444.

3934: Radio Ramona with rock music and IDs @ 2020. Weak signal with fair peaks. SINPO 24332.

4032: Laser Hot Hits moved back to this frequency. Heard @ 0920 playing dance music. Good signal. SINPO 44433.

6220: Mystery Radio with pop music @ 1945. Coming in well. SINPO 44433.

6255: Radio Altrex playing a song from 10CC @ 1955. SINPO 33333.

6280: Radio Merlin Int now faded in, heard @ 0935 playing dance music with two DJs chatting over the music. SINPO 44433.

6310: Delta Radio with "Axel F" @ 2015. Good signal. SINPO 44333.

6925u: Spider Radio with rock music @ 2040. SINPO 24332.

(updated 20:40UTC)

Fri July 11

3933: Radio Whitesnake heard @ 2210 playing soft rock, followed by ID. Good signal. SINPO 44333.

6255: Radio Altrex playing music by Madonna @ 2200. Fair signal with good peaks, but beginning to fade out. SINPO 34333.

6305: Radio Mazda playing schlager @ 1945, some splash from the Sahara station on 6300. SINPO 43433.

6310: Radio Condor with dance music @ 2050. Fair signal, some static noise. SINPO 34333.

6925u: Spider Radio playing oldies @ 2055. SINPO 24332.

(updated 22:15UTC)

Thurs July 10

6925u: Spider Radio heard @ 2015 playing the song "Radar Love." Signal hovering around S4-5 tonight. SINPO 24332.

Wed Jul 9

6878: Radio Playback Int back on this frequency tonight, heard @ 2045 playing jazz music. Fair signal. SINPO 34333.

6925u: Spider Radio @ 2055 playing "Brown Eyed Girl." Weak signal. SINPO 24332.

Tues July 8

4025: Laser Hot Hits with Tony James playing rock music @ 1945. Good signal. SINPO 44444.

6888: Radio Playback Int @ 1815 playing oldies, but strong utility QRM making reception difficult. SINPO 32432. Update: Tuned in again @ 1955 - utility gone off and Playback in the clear, with a live programme. SINPO 34433. To hear recording click here

6925u: Spider Radio with oldies @ 2045. SINPO 24332.

(updated 20:45UTC)

Threat to shortwave listening in UK

This message came via sw pirates:

"A severe threat to your hobby of using shortwave is on its way to a house near you!

BT (British Telecom) are supplying their customers with devices called Home Plugs (power line adapters) that send TV/data around the house using the mains wiring of that house. To do this they use the frequency range of 3-30 Mhz. You would have thought it very basic to understand that unshielded wires will act as transmitting antennas for this frequency range. Well this is exactly what it does.

Myself and other radio fans are already finding terrible QRM at +30db in my case from a house over 100 feet from mine. Don't let apathy ruin your hobby. We are coming together on a new Yahoo group to organise petitions and other actions to try and save our hobby. Please feel free to join and add your valuable support.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKQRM/

I am Mike from the UK who has a very unhelpful neighbour with BT equipment giving me +30db of QRM from 3-30 Mhz. This could happen to you! All it takes is one of your neighbours to swap ISP and then you could be sitting there with 100's £ of radio doing nothing.

To this end I urge you to consider joining our group that is planning a fight back against this in the UK.

Unless we join forces we will lose our hobby.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/UKQRM/

And if you want to hear what the noise is like try this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XT99wSm4Gw

Regards and thanks for your time
Mike"

North American log

Another Stateside logging from Joe Wood in Greenback, TN:

6925U Sycko Radio. 0309-0319+. Sat 5 July. English. Sycko with whatsounded to be a live bx with at least one sidekick involved. Ments of being on 6925.1 USB. F-G.

Sun July 6

3905: Bluestar Radio playing Michael Jackson "Billie Jean" @ 2050. SINPO 44444.

3925: Bogusman moved to this frequency as another station now on 3932. Signal even stronger @ 2100 - S9+20dB. SINPO 54444.

3932: Bogusman on again this evening, heard @ 2045 giving out the station address. SINPO 44444. To hear recording click here

3932: Radio Likedeeler @ 2105 playing music by The Doors, then long talk in German, about summer meeting, I think. SINPO 33333.

4025: Laser Hot Hits @ 1710 with Steve Roberts playing oldies. SINPO 43433.

5815: Orion Radio with Dutch music @ 0805. Good signal. SINPO 44444.

6210: Radio Borderhunter playing "On the Border" and greeting listeners @ 0945. SINPO 44433.

6220: Radio Geronimo heard @ 0850 with Dave Scott reading listeners' emails. SINPO 34433.

6220: Mystery Radio with the usual pop and jingle IDs @ 1720. SINPO 33433.

6265: Radio Scotland Int @ 0950 talking about stations he heard this morning, playing rock music. SINPO 44433.

6275: Radio Shadowman playing dance music @ 0915, strong signal - S9+10dB. SINPO 54444.

6285: Radio Northpole with non-stop 60s music @ 1000. ID and signing off @ 1009. SINPO 34433.

6285: Radio Brandaris with a report for Radio Northpole @ 1025. SINPO 34433.

6325: Radio Waves Int with country music @ 0810. Weak signal. SINPO 24332.

6390: Unid station with Boney M songs @ 0910. SINPO 34333.

6960: Radio Bluestar testing a new antenna. Heard @ 0905 playing an Elvis song. Weak signal with fair peaks. SINPO 23432.

9290: Radio Victoria via Latvia playing Siouxsie and the Banshees @ 1105. Local QRM affecting reception. SINPO 33433.

(updated 21:05UTC)

Sat July 5

3905: Classic Rock Radio with rock music @ 1945 and occasional jingles. Good signal but some fading. SINPO 44433.

3932: Bogusman reflecting on life and playing music no-one's ever heard of! Heard @ 1955 with SINPO 44433.

3940: Radio Underground back on this weekend with free radio news and chat about the summer meeting. Andy Walker also on the station this week. Heard @ 1705 with SINPO 34433.

4025: Laser Hot Hits with the Jolly Roger show @ 0820. Good signal. SINPO 44444.

6220: Radio Eastside playing music for Dr Tim @ 2200. Fair signal. SINPO 33333.

6220: Radio Doctor Tim heard @ 2240 playing Flash & The Pan and greeting Gunther in Potsdam. Fair-good signal. SINPO 33333.

6255: Radio Altrex playing "The Great Pretender" @ 0830. SINPO 34433.

6255: Radio Altrex on again tonight. Heard @ 2215 with a good signal playing "Like A Rubber Ball." SINPO 44433.

6265: Radio Oscar Zulu playing a song by ELO @ 1855. Fair signal but deep fades. SINPO 33433.

6278: Camping Radio (tent) with a Sade song @ 1900. Weak signal with fair peaks but conditions not good tonight on 48m. SINPO 23432.

6285: Radio Northpole with ID, greetings and signing off @ 0905. SINPO 34433.

6305: Radio Merlin Int playing r&b @ 0825. Good signal. SINPO 44444.

6305: Radio Mazda with schlager @ 1845 but signal fading and splash from Sahara station on 6300. SINPO 33433.

6309: Unid station @ 2210 with a weak signal and heavy utility QRM. SINPO 22332.

6888: Radio Playback Int (pres) with American radio recordings @ 1935. Fading made it difficult to follow. SINPO 34333.

9290: Radio Joystick via Latvia with dance music @ 0900. SINPO 45444.

(updated 22:45UTC)

Fri July 4

3900: Radio Delamare heard @ 2130 greeting Dr Tim, playing 60s music. SINPO 34333.

3905: Antonio Radio playing schlager @ 1750. Weak signal with fair peaks. SINPO 24332. Update: Still going at 2140, signal much better - 44433.

4025: Laser Hot Hits with oldies @ 1800. SINPO 34333.

6255: Radio Altrex playing blues music tonight @ 2025, utility QRM. SINPO 33433.

6305: Radio Merlin Int on a new frequency, heard @ 2015 playing Snow Patrol "Chasing Cars." Signal S9+10dB. SINPO 54444. Thanks for mention.

6888: Radio Playback Int trying out another new frequency. Heard @ 2055 with fair-good signal, playing song "Slip Sliding Away." Clear channel. SINPO 34333.

6925u: Spider Radio playing Van Halen "Jump" @ 2030. Signal around S5. SINPO 24332.

North American logs

Today is American independence day so expect plenty of activity from those USA pirates. Joe Wood in Greenback, Tennessee, has already heard a few:

6925u Radio Free Speech. 2348-2354. 3 July 08. English. OM announcer, Bill Of Rights, with a show of parody ads and political rhetoric. Lost signal at 2354 w/o any s/off ancmts. S5/Fair.

6700 The Crystal Ship. 0128-0305+. Independence Day, 2008 (July 4). English. Great show by Mr. Poet. Music by REO Speedwagon, Styx, Steely Dan, and many others. Lots of martial music as befits the Holiday including some nice sets by a Fife and Drum Corps. There were fewer political items than in the past. S9+10/VG. // 5385.5 S9/G.

Thurs July 3

3905: Unid station with polka @ 1745. Weak signal that went off/faded out a few minutes later. SINPO 24332.

4025: Laser Hot Hits heard @ 1755 with a fair-good signal, playing soul music, some fading. SINPO 34333.

4025: Britain Radio Int v LHH with a repeat of the June transmission. Heard @ 2210 with Roger Davis. Good signal but rapid fading. SINPO 44433.

6280: Radio Merlin Int with a good signal @ 2005, playing oldies. Signal peaking at S9+10dB. SINPO 44444.

6925u: Spider Radio playing "War of the Worlds" @ 2015. Fair peaks. SINPO 24332.

(updated 22:10UTC)

Wed July 2

4025: Laser Hot Hits playing pop music @ 1900. Static noise levels quite high tonight. SINPO 34333.

6280: Radio Merlin Int putting in a strong signal @ 2050, peaking at S9+10dB. IDs and dance music. SINPO 44444.

6925u: Spider Radio with oldies @ 2045. SINPO 24332.

New Irish radio group

Hello from "The Irish Pirate Radio Aircheck Collectors" E-Mail Group.

You must have thought Irish pirate radio was dead and buried, well we intend to resurrect the memories of those glorious days of the 80's and 90's when our radios were blasting with the sounds of Radio Nova, Sunshine 101, South Coast Radio and many many more.

If you have a collection of recordings of the Irish Pirate Radio Stations, no matter how big or how small, you're welcome to join in the fun, buy, swap or sell your recordings and enlarge your recordings collection - TODAY!

Naturally, if you have a collection of recordings of British land-based offshore radio stations you're welcome to join the IPRAC as WE also have a sizeable collection of recordings of these stations for sale or swap.

You can join our Yahoo Group by going to: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Irish_Pirate_Radio_Aircheck_Collectors/?yguid=303962619

(via swpirates)