SW interval signals

If you were like me, you will recall the old shortwave interval signals of old. I remember the sound of Radio Moscow and VOA on the shortwave bands. These days, the shortwaves are a lot different with far fewer English language broadcasts.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/sw-interval-signals .

SW broadcast interval signals

 See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/sw-interval-signals .

This was created a long time ago, so I hope the links still work.

Short Waves

As a child, we had low noise levels (apart from LORAN on the top part of topband) and lots of shortwave broadcasters, many in English. These days many (most?) are plagued with very high manmade noise and there are few English language broadcasters. I enjoyed QSLing many stations. Some sent me gifts too as recently as the 1970s.  Much was communist propaganda. Most of this was ignored. What was more important was that QSL card.

As I have said before, you can take a nostalgic trip into the past. The shortwave bands are not the same!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval

SW BC interval signals

I know this has been posted before, but it is quite good to hear some of these again. If you are like me, your first introduction to amateur radio was via shortwave broadcast signals. Shortwave is quite different these days with far fewer English language broadcasts. It is no longer the magic it was to oldies like me!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval

Nostalgia - SW interval Signals

Well I am pretty sure I've posted this link before, not that it matters.

When I started in the 1960s my first experiences were with short wave broadcast stations.  There was no such thing as TV live from the USA or Australia. Skype and FaceTime were in the far future.

Radio Australia would fade in and out. Radio New Zealand was a good catch. Many broadcasters had English language services. On the hours and half hours we'd listen for the interval signals. Many communist nations tried to blast us with propaganda. All I wanted was a QSL card!

Anyway, grab a drink and listen to the past. Enjoy.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval.

SW interval signals from the past

Many of us started in the hobby by building simple shortwave receivers and listening to the many broadcasters on shortwaves long ago. Did any of the communist stations really expect us to listen intently to their propaganda? I certainly did not! Mind you, I got some nice goodies from some. These days there are fewer and fewer BC stations on the air on shortwave, and very few in English.

If you want a dose of nostalgia try https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval . A Google search will find others.

I miss these and I am sure I'm not alone. They speak of an age long past. Certainly we were no safer then with the constant threat of nuclear war. And yet, they bring back such memories!

Shortwave interval and announcement signals

Nostalgia time!

See https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15047843/SWintervalsigs.mp3 .

I first shared this some years ago, but I guarantee these sounds will bring a tear to some eyes.

I cannot recall where I found this recording and I hope the originator won't mind me sharing it here.

These are shortwave interval/announcement signals now long gone. For many of us I think these sounds will bring back happy memories. The communist broadcasters tried hard, but I was more interested in the interval signals than their propaganda. 

No, it is not the same these days.

Shortwave interval signals

See http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15047843/SWintervalsigs.mp3

This was flagged by Facebook today as a memory I first posted there in 2011. I have no idea where I first found this. If, like me, you grew up with these then I very much hope you enjoy a little trip down memory lane. Memories of simple shortwave receivers and broadcast DXing. Simple pleasures long before the internet.

Shortwave Interval Signals

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval  .

For a touch of pure nostalgia try the link above. Like many, my first experience with short wave was as an SWL, listening on a simple receiver to some of these broadcasters. Many were trying to indoctrinate me whereas all I was really interested in was a QSL card! I recall some great gifts from China! I heard some impressive DX back in the 1960s.

Of course radio amateur DXing came later and  radio amateurs ran considerably less power. These days I regularly copy stations running less than 5W from the other side of the planet, but I can still recall the thrill of hearing a 5kW broadcaster in the Windward Islands and copying Radio Australia on a crystal set - all the way from Australia too!

Shortwave Radio Archive

Just spotted on the Southgate site that K4SWL is creating a website to archive shortwave broadcast  recordings before these disappear. Already many SW BC stations have closed at least parts of their services. The HF broadcast bands are nothing like they were even 20 years ago. See http://shortwavearchive.com/ . 

My shortwave radio experience started over 50 years ago listening to SW broadcast stations on a simple crystal set in my bedroom. As much as I hated the propaganda from the communist broadcasters like Radio Moscow and Radio Sofia, Bulgaria, I do miss them and their evocative interval signals.

See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval and take a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Nostaglia - listen again to famous shortwave interval signals

If, like me, your first experience of short-wave radio was listening to DX broadcast stations back in the 1950s or 1960s on a simple home built radio you may want to take a nostalgic listen to the recordings of a large number of the interval signals from those far-off days. Even now, those evocative tunes send a shiver of excitement down my spine.  Some browsers may not like the link which is to my public Dropbox folder, but I assure you it is safe.

Shortwave in the 1960s - interval signals montage

Yesterday I found this wonderful link which is a montage of 40 different old shortwave interval signals from almost 50 years ago. Get a coffee, sit back and listen.  Imagine you are listening on your one valve radio in your bedroom in 1964.  It brings back such happy memories that I am almost tearful with nostalgia.

http://garlinger.com/QSL/montage.mp3

HF broadcast band reception

With the broadcasters supposedly moving out of the 7.1-7.2 MHz slot from earlier this month I thought I'd check who was still there last night. Firstly Radio Ethiopia on 7.11 was a strong signal as was Voice of Broad Masses of Eritrea on 7.175MHz, both around 1915z last night. Also heard on 7.570MHz was Radio Thailand. I guess this is in the new 41m band allocation?

At much the same time a listen on 15.120MHz brought in Radio Nigeria at good strength at 1930z with their news commentary in English.

All this BC listening made me quite nostalgic for those heady days in the 1960s when the joys of Radio Sofia, Radio Prague International, Radio Moscow and others graced the airwaves with their propaganda. Although I never cared for the propaganda I did like the interval signals which thrilled me when receiving them on a crystal set under the bed clothes late at night. Hear these again at http://www.intervalsignals.net/ .

A useful guide to English language BC schedules and frequencies can be found at http://www.primetimeshortwave.com/ .

Off-air historical ham recordings

Looking around for a site which has off-air historical ham recordings I found http://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Internet_and_Radio/Sounds/ which has quite a lot.

Somewhere I have a reel-to-reel tape recording made off-air 42 years ago of G4PJ (Salcombe, Devon) and I also have a recording made at the peak of cycle 22 (I think) when I tuned across 10m SSB hearing stations from Europe, South America, the USA and ZD9 (Tristan) amongst others.

There is an excellent website for SW broadcast interval signals at
http://www.intervalsignals.net/ which I believe I've mentioned before.