Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Author Topic: Your Most Exciting SWL Event  (Read 29530 times)

K0OD

  • Member
  • Posts: 3039
Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« on: December 07, 2011, 08:48:43 AM »

Mine was listening to the ham station at the St. George's Medical School during the Grenada invasion in 1983.

Medical student ham: "Our generator outside is nearly out of gas."

U.S. station: "We're getting a report that they're setting up an artillery piece down the road from you."

Medical student ham: "Yes, we know and are debating whether to try to get to the generator."
---------

Also working and listening to WB6MID/8R3 in Jonestown Guyana. That was a year or two before the op became SK.
Logged

ONAIR

  • Member
  • Posts: 3823
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2011, 11:46:54 AM »

 As a kid I was given one of those electronic hobbyist sets, you know the ones where the components clip in to a sort of peg board.  One of the projects was a one tube SW receiver with coils.  I'll never forget the night that I completed the radio, clipped on a 3 foot antenna wire, and low and behold I heard the words "You are listening to Radio Australia, and here is the news"!!!
Logged

K0OD

  • Member
  • Posts: 3039
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2011, 11:58:32 AM »

Quote
"You are listening to Radio Australia, and here is the news"!!!"

Was that from NY? I built something like that and about all I heard was CHU, the Canadian time signal around 3 mHz! Boring, but I had the most accurate wristwatch in 6th grade.
Logged

ONAIR

  • Member
  • Posts: 3823
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2011, 02:19:21 PM »

Quote
"You are listening to Radio Australia, and here is the news"!!!"

Was that from NY? I built something like that and about all I heard was CHU, the Canadian time signal around 3 mHz! Boring, but I had the most accurate wristwatch in 6th grade.
   Yep, I was in NYC at the time.  That little receiver kit was just a one tube regen with coils, and it would only pick up the strongest stations on the band.  Of course, back then Radio Moscow was transmitting all over the dial with mega Watts, and the BBC as well as a few other high powered European stations, would come roaring in as well.  After hearing that, I began bugging mom to get me a real SW receiver, and pretty soon after I had the Hallicrafters 120 clone.
Logged

WA4053SWL

  • Member
  • Posts: 0
    • HomeURL
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2011, 02:31:49 PM »

I remember two events, one is the earthquake in Mexico 1985, listen the traffic between stations of the Red Cross in different frequency, and radio amateurs from different countries, the only means of communication at that time for news about family members.
Another event that I like to hear is the US psyops broadcasts,  I've heard three times, first in 1999 in Kosovo, in 2001 on Afghanistan (8700 USB), and finally in Iraq in 2003 (I have confirmation of the first two operations) ;D
« Last Edit: December 07, 2011, 04:37:36 PM by WA4053SWL »
Logged

2E0OZI

  • Member
  • Posts: 270
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2011, 03:18:46 PM »

Dunno about exciting, but it was kind of shocking to hear RFI announce that Lady Diana had been in a car crash. At first they said she was in a serious but stable condition...then they said she was dead. I'm no monarchist, but it was a startling thing at the time nontheless.

I heard a bloke on 11.175 on the way to Andrews pass on an increadibly important message..."2 pepperoni and a seafood....."

The first time I heard RFPI in Costa Rica was a big deal.
Logged
Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness.
George Orwell

K3NRX

  • Member
  • Posts: 3641
    • HomeURL
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2011, 06:10:47 PM »

For me, it would have to be on the 20 meter band back in early 1991 when the Lituanian Parliament was being overtaken by protesters, who were standing their ground against the Soviet military.....I even recorded the transmissions that I was monitoring and fed KDKA Radio here in Pittsburgh with them over the phone....Also, monitoring Radio Belgrade at the time of the NATO bombings back in 1999....Both of these events sent chills up and down my spine.....

V
KA3NRX

P.S. I wish I could find some audio and/or video of the hams receiving all of the information out of Grenada....I remember that vividly seeing on the TV news where they were in someone's ham shack getting all of the info from the medical school over the radio.....It's one of the things that inspired me to get a license...

Logged

K0OD

  • Member
  • Posts: 3039
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2011, 07:15:13 PM »

I made a recording of Grenada traffic on one of those old micro cassette tapes. It was so "micro" that I can't find it now. Plus I don't own anything now that can play it.

The Grenada invasion sold a lot of shortwave receivers here in St Louis. Jim White, W0NJB, was a top rated talk-show host on KMOX-AM, our clear channel CBS radio station. He spent a lot of time broadcasting about the Grenada ham connection and gave out the ham band frequencies to monitor.   
Logged

N8YX

  • Member
  • Posts: 2449
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2011, 03:18:44 PM »

Radio Moscow, 2 or 3 days after it happened:

"There has been an explosion at Chernobyl."

Ya think, Comrade?
Logged

ONAIR

  • Member
  • Posts: 3823
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2011, 05:19:38 PM »

Radio Moscow, 2 or 3 days after it happened:

"There has been an explosion at Chernobyl."

Ya think, Comrade?
   LOL!  Speaking of Russia, I wonder if anyone on here copied the world's first artificial satellite Sputnik, back in the late '50s?
Logged

K0OD

  • Member
  • Posts: 3039
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2011, 09:53:26 PM »

Sputnik sent one letter in Morse code "L" over and over. As I recall it was on 20.0 MHz. I briefly heard it. I still remember the date it was launched, October 4, 1957. 

The next day our math and science homework doubled! :)
Logged

K3NRX

  • Member
  • Posts: 3641
    • HomeURL
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2011, 07:52:54 AM »

Radio Moscow, 2 or 3 days after it happened:

"There has been an explosion at Chernobyl."

Ya think, Comrade?


Sounds like the media here....at least for certain types of stories..... ::). ::).....I remember hearing on the news when Chernobyl happend that a ham in the Ukraine was being received by another ham in the Netherlands.....the Ukranian was pleading for help as "there were hundreds dead and injured."......Won't hear about that on state radio, that's for bloody sure.....

Logged

N9LCD

  • Member
  • Posts: 260
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2011, 05:50:58 PM »

Coast Guard Group San Diego: 01/11/84; 5,692 KHz USB; "Plane Guard with Aircraft 1481.  1481, a HH-3F on patrol over the Pacific, was having trouble and calling San Diego.  Copied 1481 in Chicago but San Diego couldn't copy.  Called the San Diego and got through to the Radio Room and was on the phone with a radio operator when 1481's call came in on the squawk box.  "81" made it in safely without incident.

UDK2 -- Radio Murmansk:  01/02/86; 12,797 KHz;  CW call tape at an indicated speed of 25-27 wpm.  As a card-carrying Polak, I HAD TO try qsl'ing this one just to let them know that somebody might be listening to them!  The Director General of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications himself directed my attention to the "Radio Regulations, 1982".       
Logged

AE6ZW

  • Member
  • Posts: 100
    • AE6ZW STN info
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #13 on: December 10, 2011, 03:43:38 PM »

I used to listen to KUAM 610 kHz Guam when I was living in southern japan of Kyshu island. in 1980's.  also I enjoy listening to Far east Network stations, on shortwaves.
Logged

JAHAM2BE

  • Member
  • Posts: 335
    • qrp-gaijin
RE: Your Most Exciting SWL Event
« Reply #14 on: December 13, 2011, 04:25:04 AM »

Well, it's not the most exciting thing in the world, but I recall listenining intently to WWV sometime in the early 80's to catch the moment they added a leap second, a very rare occurrence. I actually made a recording of it at the time. Ah, the things that will excite a youthful radio addict in a quiet suburban town...
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up