Sad news on Alfa Lima International

At noon today, I hopped onto HFU to see if anything interesting had happened over the weekend. There, I saw the stunning news that Alfred Zoer of Alfa Lima International had died at the age of 46 on May 21.

It's been about 10 years since Alfa Lima International was on the air on a regular basis, so I'd imagine that a number of listeners these days don't know who Alfred is. Alfa Lima was originally an 11m outbander station. In 1998, Alfred made his first broadcast on shortwave. From this point through 2005, Alfa Lima International was one of the best-heard shortwave pirates around the world. Over the course of those years, ALI sent out more than 1200 QSLs.

ALI was a trendsetting station. Although Radio USA and Live Wire Radio had used 13m in the early '90s, Alfa Lima was the first to do it on a regular basis. He was so successful on those frequencies, thanks in part to his Rohde & Schwartz SK-050, being reported in North America nearly every weekend for weeks at a time.

To put this service into perspective, still one of the best pirate signals I've ever heard was from Alfa Lima International on 13 meters. In the fall of 2001, I went out to a baseball field in the afternoon to roll up an antenna that I'd left out from the night before. While I was checking, Alfa Lima came on the air and the signal was so strong and clear that it literally sounded like Alfred was in the next room. There was no noise whatsoever and I could even hear background sounds in his attic studio.

For a comparison of operation types, ALI was very similar to Cupid Radio, except even more active.

Back in the late '90s, the FRN was one of the only pirate websites around. Alfred was active there, but he decided that Europe needed a general pirate forum, so he created www.alfalima.net, which is still active today.

Alfred was extremely open about his activities and he frequently signed his QSLs as "Alfred" or with his full real name. In fact, he set up a webcam on alfalima.net and whenever he was on the air, the webcam was showing it. I remember seeing his toddler in the studio with him. For a look at the Alfa Lima studio when the station was on the air, here's a video that Alfred posted to YouTube years ago.

I have more to say about the station--especially if I had more time to look up some information.

I e-mailed Alfred a number of times in the years that he was active and he was always friendly and helpful. About a month ago, I was thinking about him and wondered what he was up to. I looked him up on Facebook and it seemed like he was doing well, showing plenty of happy photos of him with his daughters and also some of his muscle cars. I was thinking that it was great that he was doing well and that I'd have to drop a line to him sometime.

It's too late to drop a line to him now and I regret it. My lesson learned is: when I think it's a good time to say hi to someone, I need to do it.

Goodnight Alfred. It was a lot of fun.

Homebrew Transmitters

It's been a while since I've added any posts that weren't just lists of loggings.

As I wrote in my column for The Spectrum Monitor, I'm about to start building a Corsette transmitter with crucial guidance from Z from Channel Z. I'm not sure if I'll write about it here on the blog, for an edition of the Pirate Radio Annual, or for somewhere else. But I am planning to write about it somewhere.

If you haven't been following the low-powered transmitters that people in the pirate radio community have been building over the past few years, the Corsette is a tiny AM-modulated shortwave transmitter with an output of just a bit more than one watt.

What's the point of such a low-powered transmitter? Well, for starters, Channel Z has been reported across a number of states in the East with just the Corsette. Also, the transmitter is the base for the the Corsair which can output approximately 10 watts, so it has been used by a number of pirates with good results. I haven't heard of amateurs using Corsair or Corsette transmitters on 40m, but that would be a possibility, too. Finally, I'm planning to either back off the power or use it into a small dummy load so that I can transmit audio to my antique radios around the house.

I can't speak for everyone else who has an interest in radio, but I can't just pick up a schematic and understand it. I don't know substitute components and I don't know proper kit construction techniques.

I had wanted to get some good transmitter articles in the Pirate Radio Annual, so I've asked Fearless Fred, Z, and James Brownyard about writing. Everyone expressed interest, but Z said "Why don't you build a transmitter and write about it?" He said that he'd also build one at the same time and help guide me through the process. Well, I couldn't really refuse an offer like that!

I've ordered most of the parts, so I think I'm about ready to get started. I feel as though my utter lack of knowledge in combination with all that Z knows and has experienced, will result in a how-to article that will help newbies be able to successfully build a working Corsette.

*    *    *

Ironically, as I was finishing ordering parts on Friday and thinking about starting the Corsette transmitter project, I received an anonymous hand-written letter at my mailbox. It's a tube transmitter schematic. I won't reprint it here because the designer didn't say whether it was intended for public consumption. I will reprint the note that came along with the schematic:

"A first look at a transmitter we have firing into an array of dummy load cables. Here's a circuit diagram close enough to make up a parts list and hit the bench. Will have more info (and fun results) in a couple of months. Out of ink."

Interesting stuff!

Memorial Day logs: 5/24-5/25/15

WAZU: 9275.2, 5/24-25, 2345+ Checked out HFU logs, tuned in, & am hearing Stones "Let's Spend the Night Together" at 2345, with a fair signal. My 1st time hearing the station outside of 43m & my 1st time hearing a North American pirate on 31m in a long time. Sounds like Ratt at 0002, a bit earlier, I heard The Seeds "Pushin' Too Hard," which I'm not sure if I've ever heard on a pirate. Fun to hear this test, apparently with low power, and on an odd (but very effective) band.

Weekend Logs 5/17-5/18/15

I've been remiss in posting logs here, so I thought I'd give it a shot with a couple tonight. I spent most of today at a graduation (Congrats, K!), wrote a couple of entries for the Pirate Radio Annual while experiencing the all-thumbs Pirates of the diamond blow another game as it was pouring here. After it cleared, I ran the weedeater for an hour and checked the radio. I'm hearing:

Radio Cinco de Mayo: 6935U, 5/17, 0005-0021* Lots of  Spanish-language Mariachi music and IDs & e-mail address from a male announcer who might not be fluent in the language. HUGE signal. This could be a broadcast from Radio Diecisiete de Mayo. Announcement at at 0016 was overdriven and the audio clipped badly. Radio Cinco de Mayo was one of the entries that I wrote about an hour ago. I thought I was safe to write the entry, but not so. Great to hear again.

Ireland Radio International: 6299.5, 5/17, 0004+ Heard a tiny bit of audio and a decent carrier. I decided to record Radio Cinco de Mayo instead, with the hope that IRI will still be here after R5dM signs off. I really need to set up a good secondary antenna! Fortunately for me, my bet paid off and RII was still on the air when I tuned back at 0029. It's just barely there in heavy static crashes. Signal has improved here, but it's not as good as what other North Americans have been reporting. I've been comparing it back & forth with the signal on the Twente receiver and it's now getting to the point that I can copy a bit via my own radio without using Twente as a crutch. Right now playing Laurie Anderson "Oh Superman" which is so choppy that it sounds like something weird is going on with propagation (like really fast selective fading or maybe a utility on the frequency). No, it's just the song. Also heard music by Green Day & John Lennon. I didn't hear an address, nor have I found one online. Does anyone have contact info?

Radio Abu Dhabi: 6285, 5/17, 0115+ Much better signal that IRI here! Heard the end of an announcement, then part of a song. Dead air, then into what sounds like folk music with flute 

Went grocery shopping and filled the car up with gas. Came back & discovered that I missed Radio Free Whatever and Wolverine Radio. On the plus side, at least I heard Radio Cinco de Mayo, which typically only makes one broadcast per year and Ireland Radio International, which I've never heard or heard of. 

unid: 6965U, 5/17, 0320-0324* '60s music: "Incense & Peppermints" "Little Red Riding Hood" SSTV of what seems to be a husky or maybe a wolf. During the show, someone threw a carrier on the freq that was so strong, I had to look to see if the receiver had shut off.

Big Johnson Radio: 6935U, 5/17, 1946-1956* Decent signal here with the original version of "10-Inch Record" clear IDs with gmail address (so it was a new or revised show). Haven't heard this station in close to 20 years. Found a few instances of this one being on in '95 & '96. Not sure the last time it was on.

Northwoods Radio: 6935U, 5/17, *2312+ SSTV but the sync is totally messed up, then loons & "Freedom from the Great Lakes" ID. Excellent signal. "Proud Mary," Leningrad Cowboys "Vodka" (sounds like a good band for Radio Free Whatever) + "Fight for Your Right," "Gimme All Your Lovin'" Ha! Jack Pine Savage just said that this is the perfect band for DJ Dickweed. I'm guessing that it was just serendipity & not that JPS is reading my blog while the songs are playing :o)

The Crystal Ship: 6876, 5/18, 0140+ Excellent signal with a song that sounds like Tom Petty. Tuning away to check on Big Johnson Radio. Only caught the last two min of BJR, so I'm back here. More Tom Petty music & heard IDs that this is the TCS Tom Petty Buried Treasure special

Big Johnson Radio: 6950U, 5/18, 0143-0145* Good signal. "Big 10" Record again" YL computer voice: "Write to us at Big Johnson Radio at gmail dot com" Old interval signal, but I can't remember whose it is.

Weekend Loggings: 5/8-5/11/15

Old-Time Radio unid: 6770, 5/8, 2210+ Noted in passing on my way up to listen for Over 60 Degree Radio (but not heard here)

Weekend pirate loggings: 4/26-4/28/15

Weekend pirate loggings: 4/26-4/28/15

Made it back home to a bunch of pirates on the air, but unfortunately I missed KVPH again and also WPIG. Wonder if WPIG is in any way related to the WPIG from the '90s?

Radio Free Whatever: 6940U, 4/26, 0149-0156* Girlpool "Blah Blah Blah" Mentioned X-FM: "I'm sure you want to go listen to him, not me" "I'm kinda like the president of Hair Club for Men . . . I'm not only the president, but I'm a client of pirate radio." Mentioned stations he enjoyed listening to & haven't been around lately: MAC, Undercover Radio, Blue Ocean Radio . . . " "I'm going to try to listen to X-FM when I'm done here"

unid: 6951, 4/26, 0145+ Noted this station in passing while checking what was on 6965, but disappeared when I was heading back through

X-FM: 6965, 4/26, 0144+ I think this is the 1st time that I caught it, but heard while running the canned "stay tuned for X-FM" IDs. Will tune back to it in a bit, but I'm still finding other stations! Just checked the Twente receiver in NE Holland & signal is barely audible there!

Captain Morgan SW: 6924.2, 4/26, 0159-0244* The Who "Who Are You?" Lou Reed "Walk on the Wild Side" Stones "Jumping Jack Flash" Bowie "Let's Dance." Big signal, like almost everyone else I've been hearing tonight. Twilight Zone theme a few times, which can only mean one thing. Just checked the Twente receiver in NE Holland & signal is very audible there!

unid: 6924.6, 4/26, 0244-0254* Hearing someone here with music immediately after Captain Morgan signed off. Weak. Air raid sirens at 0249 & again later. Thought I heard a bit of "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MGs

WPIG: 6925U, 4/26, 0254+ Weak, but I heard a few clear IDs. Sounds like a phone call. Not sure if this is a recording of the '90s WPIG, but it does sound like it is now. Now singing some songs about WPIG

Radio Free Whatever: 6849, 4/26, 0323+ The Hives "Main Offender" Signal's pretty good, but the audio is overdriven

Radio Casablanca: 6940, 4/26, 1336+ Fair with big band music, computer ID, & a clip from the movie Casablanca."Stormy Weather" "Dancing Cheek to Cheek"

The Crystal Ship: 6876, 4/27, 0145+ Excellent signal with '70s Jukebox Program. Heart "Magic Man" Donner Pass Cafe ad

Old-Time Radio unid: 6770, 4/27, 0200+ Good signal with Abbott & Costello.

European Pirate Logs via the Twente Web Receiver: 4/24/15

 European Pirate Logs via the Twente Web Receiver: 4/24/15

We were busy last night, so I didn't have a chance to check the radio. I did check out the computer earlier in the day & heard these via the Twente web receiver:

Radio Mirabelle: 6300, 4/24, 1420+ Very poor. Sounds about like I’m listening to a somewhat typical reception of a Europirate on my home receiver. I saw the signal on the Twente waterfall & tuned in. It’s mostly just carrier, but I’m getting occasional fadeups of audio. I checked Iann’s chat & it’s Radio Mirabelle because they announce a location in France. Chris Smolinski heard them and received a QSL when the station was running in LSB at a better time of day (2330 UTC), about six weeks ago.

? 6380, 4/24, 1502-1545* Talking about the weather, “but hoping for good conditions for HF” A bit of “Tubular Bells,” announcer mentioned “Mike Oldfield,” then on to other music. Many later announcements in Dutch. Lynyrd Skynyrd “Freebird.” Lots of electronic dance music. Said “---- from Holland. Until next time, bye bye.”

Radio Odynn: 6285, 4/24, 1545-1640* Vince Taylor & Playboys “Brand New Cadillac” Dire Straits “Walk of Life” Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” Jetho Tull, Talk in Dutch. Really nice pro-sounding promo with e-mail address & phone number. Arthur Brown “Fire” Amii Stewart “Knock on Wood”

? 6295, 4/24, 1615+ Lot of schlager & talk in Dutch

Misti Radio: 6306.8, 4/24, 1553-1557* The Doors “People Are Strange,” dance music. Fairly weak. ID per Iann’s chat

Radio Pioneer: 6735, 4/24, 1856+ Nice signal, BZN “Just an Illusion” Buddy Holly “Bye Bye Love” & “Oh Boy” Signal is 20 kHz wide! Cliff Richard “Bachelor Boy” & “Congratulations” & “Lucky Lips”

Radio Arcadia: 6850, 4/24, 1856+ CW & ID arcadiaradio@gmail.com Audio sounds a bit overdriven. Nice signal. Many YL IDs, but a heterodyne on the frequency made listening tough

Radio Voyager: 6950, 4/24, 1903+ Dixieland jazz with a male announcer. Not sure about the language. Nice signal. Also hearing tangos, blues, classical music. Nice promo with e-mail address at 1953