Posted on 03/22/2003 4:38:20 PM PST by Calvin Locke
Saw this in the rec.radio.shortwave newsgroup.
From: Matt
"... As the world waits and watches Iraq, if you've got a shortwave
receiver with sideband mode (USB and LSB) you can hear certain
military communications related to the conflict including many
long-distance GHFS (Global HF System) stations including Emergency
Action Messages (EAMs) and Skyking messages which are high-priority
messages for air and ground stations.
Frequencies to monitor (in the USB mode) include:
4709, 4724, 6712, 6739, 8992, 11175, 11271, 15038 (11175 is a very
active frequency most of the time)
Shortwave broadcasts from the Middle East that you can hear with a
reasonable antenna include the following. Note that UTC (Universal
Time) is 5 hours ahead of EST. Note that because the changing
situation in the area these times and frequencies are subject to
change; of course checking the frequencies from time to time is your
best bet of hearing a broadcast.
Egypt, Radio Cairo on 9900 at 2315 UTC
Iran, Voice of the Islamic Republic, Tehran on 9022 at 1030 UTC (also
on 9835 and 11970) Iran also on 13730 and 13745 at 1330 UTC.
Iraq, Radio Baghdad on 11787 (varies slightly to 11785) at 2000 UTC.
Also check 15265, 15375, 15385, 21470 at 1100 UTC.
Israel, Kol Israel on 6280, 7475, 9435 at 0500 (also on 11605). Israel
also on 15640, 17535 and 6220 at 2000 UTC. Also check 1700 UTC on
17545. At 1900 UTC on 11605, 15615 and 17545.
Kuwait (Radio Kuwait) on 11990 kHz at 1800 UTC. Also check 15110 kHz.
Syria, Radio Damascus on 12085 (and 13610 frequently) at 0500 and 2000 UTC
Turkey, Voice of Turkey, Ankara on 11960 and 12000 at 2100 UTC; on 6020 at 0400 and 2300 UTC
United Arab Emirates Radio, Dubai on 13675, 15395 at 0020, 1330 UTC;
15395 at 0030; 0200 on 15395 and 15370;to listen to!"
There are a few commercial control programs for it, as well as about 1/2 dozen free/shareware packages - It is like
having multiple radios.
Especially nifty when used with the ILG DB.
Downside is if you have 1.) poorly shielded CRT, or 2.) PC w/o serial port. Receives up to 30Mhz. No FM etc.
Kind of miss physical controls though. However, sort the ILG by "on-air" (and "Eng") and start clicking away.
Or load Scan320 and scan the utility bands or ranges.
Or load a WeFax program and get the weather charts.
(I missed it too. Sigh. Did manage to get their ATS505 eqv. for $50.)
Not that its going to do you any immediate good, but you can request a login from www.ilgradio.com.
It takes weeks, but they provide a "quarterly" DB of SW broadcast stations, schedules, programs, station info, targets, etc.
Free to non-professionals, but you need the login.
There's also the annual Passport to World Band Radio for $20 at bookstores.
You are so right. I started listening to SW on a Spartan console AM/SW set my dad bought just before WWII. I could listen to London Calling at night during the war, and it seemed mysterious, somehow romantic, and almost surreal. It was nothing less than magic to a pre-teen kid in a small town in FL. I doubt kids would understand that today with all the electronic wizardry they take for granted.
I didn't know anything about antennae, so I just hooked up a piece of extension cord wire to the antenna post and hung it out the living room window. The old Spartan had a big bandspread dial and a tuning eye to let you know when you were centered on the signal. Surpisingly, I got quite good reception from many European stations even though I knew nothing about SW propagation back then.
I tried SW listening again recently with a small Sony I picked up, but somehow it just isn't the same. My grown kids think I'm weird to try listening in on SW when you can get it live and in color on the satellite. I guess you had to be there to understand the fascination.
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