Friday, August 05, 2011

Pirate radio monitoring

It's almost the weekend again, and chances are the pirate operators are reving up for another edition of what they do best.Whatever your weekend involves, find a bit of time to chase them down. Here is a sampling of what DXers have heard recently. Frequencies to scan include 6925 (AM or USB) plus or minus 30 to 40 kHz. The majority of U.S. pirates operate between 2000-0500 UTC, however some broadcast are known to air earlier or later programming. Let us know what you're hearing.
Gayle Van Horn

All times UTC *sign-on / sign-off*

Logs edited for clarity

Captain Morgan Shortwave
6925AM, 0133-0206* The Captain with a fair to good signal. The show was older rythmn and blues songs about drinking like "Ain't Drunk Just Drinking" (Majewski CT) Also heard on same frequency at 0129-0206* with the theme of the show seemed to be wine, beer, and spirits. Crazy House, Marylou, Another Bottle of Beer on the Wall, Moonshine, Wine-Wine-Wine, One Scotch-One Bourbon-One Beer. Great signal! SINPO 45444 (Ron Hunsicker, PA)

6924AM, 2200. Very poor reception, below S6 noise floor with Drake R8 & 7mhz dipole. Two Jimi Hendrix and one Byrds tune from the late 60's, I don't recall names of those tunes, Twilite Zone theme, if this was Capt Morgan QSL at captainmorganshortwave@gmail.com . (Hassig-IL)

Liquid Radio
6925.3+/AM, 0039-0108.+ Dance/rock music to uncopyable IDs at 0051+ and 0058. Suddenly improved signal at 0102 and finally caught an ID at 0108. SIO=342+, Local noise and buzz burst interference. Frequency drifting upward. (Frodge-MI) Noted on 6925.35v AM at 0240-0257. Poor signal, S8 max, S7noise floor and slow frequency updrift. Dance music including one that sounded like Australian didgeridoo used in recording, lucky to hear ID during upfade. (Wm Hassig-IL)

Northwoods Radio
6925USB, 0032-0105. Courtesy of the Jack Pine Savage, Music and ID's with the e-mail address. Loon call and ID, too. As (almost) always, I recognize the tunes but have no idea of the titles. (Ron Hunsicker, PA)

Radio Ga-Ga
6925USB, 1215-1248. Talk about colleges by what sounded like a drunk John Wayne. Into unid synthesizer music, The Tide is High, Radio Gaga, You've Got a Friend, and Steely Dan's 'Don't Take Me Alive'. Ended with SSTV and clear ID at 1248. SINPO=25332 (John Poet, Michigan)

Radio Jamba International
6925AM, 0144.+ SIO:222. Heard several "RJI" IDs by female computer voice, Music "F**ktard" at 0153 UTC. (Captain Ganja, IL)

XFM
6940USB, 0349-0400.+ "This is XFM the power of X." Rock music and music commentary. Actual UTC time checks at 0355 and 0359. QSL and comment via xfmshortwave@gmail.com. SIO=4+54 killer! (Harold Frodge-MI)
(FRW 804/806/807)

Additional bits heard
Laser Hot Hits 6940, (ex 6946) 0105
Nortwoods Radio 6955, 0050-0058
Radio Jamba Int;l 6925AM, 0045 -0128
Radio Ronin 6925AM, 0322
Sycko Radio 6925AM, 0155
XFM 6930USB, 0337-0521
(FRN/vines)

Though not a complete list of all US pirate addresses, the following are a few that have verified this year

Barnyard Radio barnyardradio@gmail.com
Blue Ridge Radio blueridgeradio@gmail.com
Bust A Nut Radio (BANR) banrradio@gmail.com
Calling Marco Radio callingmarcoradio@gmail.com
Captain Morgan captainmorganshortwave@gmail.com
Channel Z channelzradio@gmail.com
CHIP Radio chipradio@gmail.com
Coyote Radio cyotradio@gmail.com
Iron Man Radio ironmanradio@hotmail.com
KBOX kboxradio@gmail.com
Liquid Radio wwrbfm@gmail.com
MAC Shortwave macshortwave@yahoo.com
Mack Truck Radio macktruckradio@gmail.com
Northwoods Radio northwoodsradio@gmail.com
Outhouse Radio outhouseradio@gmail.com
Punxsutawney Pothead Radio puxradio@gmail.com
Radio Free Whatever radiofreewhatever@yahoo.com
Radio Ga Ga radiogaga6925@gmail.com
Radio Jamba International krackerradio@pmlol.com
Radio Marlene radiomarlene@gmail.com
Radio Mushroom radiomushroom@gmail.com
Radio Paisano radiopaisano@gmail.com
Radio Pigmeat Int'l pigmeat_voab@yahoo
Radio Ronin Shortwave radioroninshortwave@gmail.com
Radio Station XXP radiostationxxp@gmail.com
Satan Radio satanradio@gmail.com
The Crystal Ship tcsshortwave@gmail.com (station off the air)
Thinking Man Radio thinkingmanradio@gmail.com
Turkey Breast Radio turkeybreastradio@gmail.com
Undercover Radio undercoverradio@mail.com
Voice of KAOS voiceofkaos@gmail.com
WBNY & WBNY Relay Service wbnyradiobunny@gmail.com
WBOG wbog@pmlol.com
WDCV 88.1wdcv@gmail.com
WHYP whypradio@gmail.com