Reception Report #16: United Kingdom (11580 from Miami on May 26, and 9690 from Germany on May 25, and 9620 from Austria on May 26))

Hi Amanda,

Like many other short wave fans I followed your project about the felling of the RCI towers (with some sadness), and still await a chance to see the full film here in the UK, but when I heard about your 'Requiem for Radio' project this weekend I was really keen to listen in to it and see exactly what it was all about.

What a great idea, as a passionate shortwave fan since I first discovered it in the early 1970s, I've always loved its mystique, and even now, I'd much rather listen to a broadcast that has travelled thousands of miles and bounced off the Ionosphere than something that has come down a wire into a computer or mobile phone - shortwave has a sprinkle of 'magic dust' and a variability about it which just makes it something that is quite unique and never the same twice.

Anyway, like many listeners I like to send in reception reports (and I'm sure you will have received hundreds of them this weekend), so I have attached a short .mp3 file from last nights' broadcast via WRMI on 11580 kHz (26th May). I also listened on the 25th via the German transmitter on 9690 kHz, and both signals were really strong here in north west England. After discovering that not all stations carried exactly the same audio I also had another radio parked on the Austrian transmitter on 9620 kHz last night so I could get more of the effect (I do have four radios, but I think my brain would have exploded if I'd had them all running at once!) :-)

I watched the interviews after the live video stream from Moncton last night and have a better idea of how everything was done now, so tonight (27th of May), I plan to watch the entire broadcast via the stream, and this should be really something. Being a fan of film and art as well as radio, I do love the idea of combining the two subjects like this, so very well done for having such a great imagination.

Being a Radio Ham I can also read Morse Code (but not Latin), and whilst I haven't decoded it all yet, I did work out that the opening piece said "Requiem aeternam Dona Eis Dominie" or "Grant them eternal rest oh Lord", which was very appropriate! :-) The theramin looks and sounds great, maybe you should make your next project about the 'Natural Radio' signalswhich appear at Very Low Frequencies, and are caused by the Aurora and lightning etc. plenty of those over Canada, they could be a perfect thing to accompany a Theramin.

Below is my 'official' reception report, and I would certainly love to receive a QSL for this unique series of broadcasts, probably one if not the most unusual and original broadcast I've heard in over 45 years of listening. I'm not sure if you have printed QSLs or e-QSLs, but if any return postage is required please do let me know as I'd hate it if the shortwave community went and bankrupted you.

Thanks again for doing this Amanda, and showing just what an interesting thing Shortwave really is, I feel just a little bit less of a radio geek today now, and more of an radio art lover instead! :-D

Very best regards, Alan.
 

 

Receivers:      Yaesu FT-920 HF Transceiver with 6 kHz IF Filter, JRC-NRD-525 Receiver

Antenna 1:      30m Inverted L longwire with Wellbrook 9:1 Universal Magnetic Balun

 

DETAILS OF STATION HEARD:

 

Station:           Requiem for Radio via WRMI

Date:               26th of May 2017

Time:               23:00 – 24:00 GMT

Frequency:     11580.0 kHz    via Okeechobee relay

Mode:              AM

SINPO:           55544