*
Theme
-
00:00
“Birthday Serenade” -
Willi Glahe
*
Opening Announcement - 00:16
Welcome to “Wavescan”,
international DX program from Adventist World Radio
Researched and written in
Indianapolis, produced in studios of shortwave WRMI
Program outline
1.
Tribute to Shortwave WYFR - 14: The Okeechobee Story
2.
Australian Shortwave Callsigns: VLB
3. EDXC
Report
4. SQOTW27
Special QSL of the Week: Test Broadcasts for International Emergencies
*
Tribute to Shortwave WYFR - 14: The Okeechobee Story
- 01:04
As we continue in our long and
interesting series of topics on the illustrious history of shortwave station
WYFR, we come now to the story of the current transmitter site which is located
in Okeechobee Florida. Okeechobee itself
is a quite small regional city located above the northern edge of the rather
large Lake Okeechobee, in the bottom part of the Florida peninsula.
Lake Okeechobee is itself a large
freshwater lake, 35 miles long and 29 miles wide, with several small rivers and
streams running into it. The name
Okeechobee means “big
water” in an old local
American Indian language. The small town
called Okeechobee, which caters for lake tourism, is situated near the northern
edge of the lake itself.
The huge new mega-shortwave station
for Family Radio was constructed on a leased property of 664 acres, some 20
miles north of Lake Okeechobee. The flat land in this area is utilized
locally for animal grazing, and nearby are large citrus groves and areas for
sod grass crops.
A single one-storey building was
constructed in the center of this property for use as the transmitter building,
and the surrounding area was set aside for the installation of a massive series
of antenna systems; rhomboid, curtain and log periodic. The pattern of the multitude of feeder lines,
running from the transmitter building to the antenna systems, is described as
resembling the spokes on a huge wheel.
Construction work on this new shortwave station began nearly forty years
ago, in late 1976.
Audio
Insert
WYFR Theme, identification
announcement in German
During the following year (1977),
the first shortwave transmitter was installed.
This unit was a 100 kW Continental model 418D that Family Radio had
purchased a few years earlier and it was taken out of storage in Dallas Texas
for installation in Okeechobee Florida.
This new transmitter, now identified
as WYFR1, was taken into scheduled service on November 23, 1977 with
programming in two progressive segments which were beamed to Europe followed by
the Spanish service to Latin America. At
this stage, WYFR was now on the air from two widely separated locations; four
transmitters, 50 kW and 100 kW at Scituate in Massachusetts and the new 100 kW
in Florida, all under the collective callsign WYFR.
Audio
Insert
WYFR Identification announcement in
Spanish
The second transmitter for
installation at the new Florida site was also a 100 kW Continental model 418D and this unit had been on the air
earlier with Family Radio at Hatherly Beach Scituate for just three years. This Scituate transmitter, WYFR(6), was shut
down in late 1977 and made ready for the more than 1200 mile journey to
Okeechobee Florida where it was re-activated early in the following year and
identified consecutively as WYFR2.
The 50 kW Continental 417B at
Scituate, where it had been on the air under the previous owners as WNYW4, was
shut down in the early part of the year 1978, and after installation at
Okeechobee it was re-activated at the end of the same year as WYFR3. During the two years, 1978 & 1979, two
more of the transmitters at Scituate, the 100 kW Harris Gates units, model
HF100, WNYW2 & WNYW3, were shut down and re-activated at Okeechobee under
the consecutive designations WYFR4 & WYFR5.
Audio
Insert
WYFR Theme,1999 intro & music
The last transmitter at Scituate,
the 50 kW Harris Gates model HF50C, was closed down without ceremony at the end
of its broadcast day on Friday November 16, 1979. A report in an Australian radio magazine
atests the closing time as 2052 UTC; that is, 4:52 pm Eastern Daylight Savings
time, at the end of the English Service to Africa on 21525 kHz. However, Dan Elyea, WYFR Engineering Manager, who was at
the transmitter site at Hatherly Beach at the time, remembers that the final
broadcast over WNYW ended sometime in the evening.
At the end of its 60 year era of
illustrious service, Scituate now lay silent.
Gone were the uncounted, innumerable broadcasts in a multitude of
languages that were heard virtually in every country of the world, and gone
were the life stories of the experienced radio personnel who kept the station
alive over the life time of its active on air service.
After Family Radio, under Dan Elyea
and his crew, had removed all usable equipment, the 40 acre property reverted
to its owners and it lay idle for a score of years. Occasional radio visitors to the location
described the property as abandoned and covered with so much undergrowth that
it would be better described as overgrowth.
There were just a few identifiable
objects that remained on the property as reminders of its previous glory. The transmitter building, which had been in
use by the American army during World War 1 for an electric power generator was
still there, and so was the old chimney, though minus either of the callsigns
WRUL or WNYW. In addition, a few odds
and ends of debris lay scattered around on the ground. However, some 20 years ago, the property was
taken over for the construction of an upscale housing area, and it remains that
way to this day.
Audio
Insert
WYFR Theme, announcement in Arabic
(?)
Meanwhile, down there in Florida,
WNYW5 from Scituate was installed as WYFR6, where it was reactivated on its
previous frequency, 21525 kHz in the English Service to Africa.
In addition, work continued on the
construction of eight more transmitters at 100 kW, and the erection of the
remaining antenna systems. Each of the
new transmitters was constructed by WYFR staff on site at Okeechobee using the
same design as the Continentals that were already on the air at WYFR. The first of their new locally made units,
WYFR7, was activated on December 7, 1981, in the Family Radio English Service
to Western Canada.
During the next four years, seven
more locally made transmitters were installed at the shortwave site and the
final unit, WYFR14, was activated on September 25, 1988. Thus they were now fully complemented with 14
shortwave transmitters, 2 at 50 kW and 12 at 100 kW, together with a bevy of 23
antennas; 12 log periodics, 5 nested double rhomboids (10), and a TCI curtain
with a passive reflector.
*
Program Announcement - 10:59
Allen Graham
*
Australian Shortwave Callsigns: VLB - 11:46
Quite simultaneously more than 100
years ago, two 50 kW spark wireless stations were under construction in New
Zealand, one at the northern tip of the North Island and the other at the
southern tip of the South Island. Both
of these stations, with identical equipment, were installed by German personnel
who were working with the Telefunken company in Germany under contract with the
Australasian Wireless Company in Sydney, Australia.
The second of these two wireless
stations, at least in alphabetic order, was located on
the Awarua Plain near The Bluff, right at the very bottom of the South Island
of New Zealand. The triangular mild
steel antenna tower for this new wireless station weighed 120 tons and it stood
at 410 ft high, resting on a ball and socket joint on a glass insulator. A 70 horse power motor generated the
electricity. Both the receiver and the
transmitter were installed in the same building, though in separate rooms.
This new wireless station was
activated on March 27, 1913 and it was taken into regular service at the end of
the same year, December 18. It is
probable that the first and temporary callsign for this new station was ZLB,
that is station B in New Zealand, indicating the second of these two new
stations, and also the station at the Bluff.
Soon afterwards, the callsign was modified to VLB, due to new international
wireless regulations.
Somewhere around the year 1924, the electrical
equipment at station VLB was changed from spark gap operation to electronic
valve or tube operation. Then in 1927
the callsign was again amended, this time from VLB to ZLB, due again to a
change in international radio regulations.
The station was closed on August 30, 1991 at the end of its ¾ century
of illustrious service when its communication capability was no longer needed.
In the mid 1930s, the callsign VLB
was taken over for usage with a small communication station located at the
lighthouse on Maatsuyker Island at the very southern coast of the
Australian island of Tasmania.
Maatsuyker is a small uninhabited island which looks on the map like a
tortoise sitting upright; it is just 1½ miles long by ¾ mile
wide. The Maatsuyker Lighthouse is the
most southerly lighthouse in Australia.
A few years later, the callsign VLB
was removed from the little communication radio station on Maatsuyker
Island and it was held in readiness for a powerful 100 kW shortwave transmitter
that was under construction for installation at Shepparton in Victoria. Three transmitters at 100 kW each were
envisaged for deployment at Shepparton, and the original planned allocation of
callsigns was VLA, VLC & VLM.
The driver and preliminary stages
for the new VLB transmitter were constructed in Australia by AWA, and the
modulator and final stages were constructed by STC, Standard Telephones and
Cables, both in suburban Sydney. The VLB
transmitter, with its two channel input allowing for quick frequency change,
was activated in May 1946, and it was taken into scheduled service with test
broadcasts and regular programming soon afterwards.
A postfix number after the callsign,
such as VLB3 VLB6 or VLB8, indicated a specific frequency for on air
usage. Beginning on June 1, 1951, the
usage of the postfix numbers was modified, so that the number itself indicated
a particular megahertz band.
During the year 1960, work was
underway to bifurcate the two 100 kW transmitters and one of the 50 kW
transmitters took over the VLB service.
For example, the PMG Schedule dated September 4 1960 shows both VLA
& VLB shown as 50 kW each.
In 1961, the modifications were
completed, the VLB transmitter was now bifurcated into two units, and with the
insertion of additional electronic equipment, a complete new transmitter became
available. This new unit was given the
callsign VLE. The original VLB
transmitter was finally withdrawn from service in 1983.
At the end of the same year in which
VLB was bifurcated, Radio Australia dropped the usage of official callsigns,
and instead the callsign VLB identified a specific program line from the
Melbourne studios to the transmitter site at Shepparton. To this day, the identification B or VLB
still refers to the specific program line that runs to Shepparton, though not
necessarily a specific transmitter.
Radio Australia was usually a
prolific verifier of reception reports and literally thousands of QSL cards
under the callsign VLB were posted out to listeners all around the world. During the quarter century when this callsign
was in vogue, two different QSL cards were in use, though half a dozen slight
printing variations are known.
The first card was in use from 1946
- 1950 and it depicted a map of Australia in yellow with a stylized antenna;
and the second card which was in use during the 1950s, depicted a more detailed
map with the famous laughing bird, the Kookaburra. This second card had two major variations, one
with the station name in yellow and the other with the station name in
red. Form letter QSLs were issued for a
few years during the 1990s, giving the usage of the line callsign VLB together with the frequency and transmitter
location as Shepparton.
*
EDXC Report - 17:44
Interview:
Toshi Ohtake with Anker Petersen
*
SQOTW27 Special QSL of the Week- 25:05
Test Broadcasts for International
Emergencies - 25:05
On June 5 last year, Tony Ashar of
Depok in Indonesia listened to a series of test broadcasts that were on the air
from several different shortwave stations that were beaming their
programming into Asia. These test broadcasts were on the air as a
trial run in preparation for providing international communication in what
might one day be a real emergency of catastrophic proportions. This series of half hour broadcasts under the
title, Trial of International Radio for Disaster Relief, was presented in
co-operation with a Media Summit on Climate Change that was held in Jakarta
Indonesia.
Audio
Insert
BBC Test program announcement
The QSL card that Tony Ashar
received was posted in Prague Czechia, and it lists all of the eleven stations
that took part in this international shortwave radio event. A map on the picture side of the card shows
the location of all eleven of these stations.
*
Program Announcement - 24:19
Jeff
White
*
Music of the World - 26:17
Indonesia: Gamelan music
*
Closing Announcement - 26:37
Thanks for listening to “Wavescan”,
international DX program from Adventist World Radio
Researched and written in
Indianapolis
Next week:-
1.
Back to the story of Press Wireless International and some of their shortwave stations in Europe and
the United States.
2.
Publication Review: International Shortwave Broadcast Guide
3.
A bulletin of international DX news
Several QSL cards available. Send your AWR & KSDA reception reports
for Wavescan to the AWR address in Indianapolis; and
also to the station your radio is tuned to: WRMI or WWCR
or KVOH, or to the AWR relay stations that carry Wavescan. Remember too, you can send a reception report to each
of the DX reporters when their segment is on the
air here in Wavescan: Japan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Australia &
India. They will verify with their own colorful QSL
card. Return postage and an address
label are always appreciated.
Wavescan address:-
Box 29235
Indianapolis
Indiana 46229 USA
Wavescan @ AWR.org
Jeff White, shortwave WRMI
*
Music Outrun - 28:19
*
Program Ends - 28:55
==============================================================================
1. The American
Shortwave Scene
Progressive
Topics: Continental USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Topic Callsigns Year to Year NWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American
States on Shortwave
1.
Columbia (DC) WWV
W3XJ W3XK W3XX W3XZ VOA NKF 1922-2013 219
2. Missouri
3. Texas on
Shortwave KFRN KPOL
KCBI KAIJ KK2XEZ WTWW 1952-201x 111
4. Utah on Shortwave W9XAA WNYW KUSW KTBN SDA 1987-201x 117
Early
Wireless Era
1. Avalon Wireless Newspaper A KUXV 1902-1923 213
2. Earthquake Radio “Chicago” 1907-1907
48
3. AT&T Ocean Gate NJ AT&T Rocky Point &
Moulton 1923-1970
95
Early
Radio Broadcasting
1. De Forest
Arcphone Parker
Building NY 2XG WJX 1907-1924 114
2. VOA Shipboard Relay Station KSL OWI VOA
Saipan Malolos 1932-1944
131
Early
Shortwave Era
1. Chronohertz
Stations WWV 1919-2009
59
2. Catalina Island 6BX 6ZW W6XAD KFWO 1920-1930 212
3. Washington DC
on Shortwave W3XAO W3XJ W3XK W3XO W3XX
W3XZ 1924-1946 219
4. NBC Chicago W9XF WENR WCBN W9XQ W9XBS 1928-1938 221
5. AT&T Lawrenceville 3 letter calls & WRX 1929-1975
57
6. AT&T Ocean
Gate WOO
VOA 1929-1999
62
7. CBS In Philadelphia WCAU W3XAU WOGL WCAL WCAB 1930-1941 46
8. Wonderful Isle of Dreams WIOD WCKR W4XB WBKM WDJM WRUX 1932-1996 16
9. American Apex Stations 40 stations 1932-1941
23
10.
WOR on Shortwave WOR
WLB W2XAQ W2XHI W2XII W2XGB 1933-1942
79
11.
RCA Relays to Philippines KKR
KER KEE KEQ KEL KGEI FIS KRCA 1935-1942
88
12.
The Sister Chronohertz Stations WWVB
WWVL W8XAL KQ2XAU KK2XEI 1935-2010 60
13.
The Spy Transmitter W3XAU
Hydra 1949-1962
47
Mediumwave
Broadcasting Stations
1. Catalina Island 6BX 6ZW W6XAD KFWO 1920-1930 212
2. CBS In Philadelphia WCAU W3XAU WOGL WCAL WCAB 1930-1941 46
3. Wonderful Isle of Dreams WIOD
WCKR W4XB WBKM WDJM WRUX 1932-1996
16
4. VOA “Texas” WHOM VOA “Texas” AFRS 1942-1944 129
Major
Shortwave Stations
1. GE Schenectady NY 2XI WGY W2XAD W2XAF 1912-2012 181
2XI
W2XADW2XAF WGEA WGEU WGEO 1923-1939 183
WGEA
WGEO WGED WGEU KWID KSBU 1939-1963 185
2. AT&T New
Jersey VOA WOO All locations 1919-2006 77
Rocky
Point NY WNL LW Moulton
ME 1923-1970
95
Ocean Gate NJ WOO
VOA Forked River, Manahawkin 1929-1999 62
Lawrenceville
NJ VOA WRX Netcong NJ 1929-1975
57
3. RCA Rocky
Point LI NY W2XBJ WEF River Head LI NY, Belfast ME 1920-195x 91
4. WYFR
1 Early Years NY WRNY WMCA 2XAL 1925-1927 227
2
Early Years NJ WRNY
(W)2XAL 1927-1931
229
3
Early Years Boston W1XAL 1931-1939
232
4 XAL
Callsigns W1XAL-W10XAL 1921-1939
238
5
Callsign Changes WSLA WSLR -
WRUL WRUW 1939-1939 242
6 Hatherly
Beach WSLA WSLR - WRUL WRUW 1939-1942 245
Relay
CBC WRUL CBC 1941-1941 127
7 Wartime
Years WRUL WRUW WRUS1 & 2
WRUA WRUX 1942-1953 256
8
Lemmon Years WRUL (WNYW) 1953-1967 261 9
New WNYW (WRUL)
WNYW WRFM 1967-1973 269
10
Relay Services W)2XAL W1XAL
WRUL WNYW 1925-1967 272
11 Mystery
Callsign WRUR 1941-1947 278
12 QSLs 2XAL, W1XAL, W1XAR,
WRUL, WNYW 1924-1973 282
13
WYFR Scituate WYFR 1973-1979 299
14 Okeechobee WYFR 1976-1988 311
5. PWI Hicksville LI NY VOA W2XGB Centereach LI NY 1930-1957
67
6. WWV National Bureau WWV All
locations 1919-201x 59 271
Sister Stations WWVB WWVL W8XAL KQ2XAU KK2XEI 1935-2010 60
Other
Shortwave Stations
1. Original Radio Free Asia RFA RCA-C 1951-1953 143
Projected
Shortwave Stations
1. From Chicago to Salt Lake City W9XAA KSL Salt Lake City UT 1939 117
2. Texas on Shortwave KFRN Dallas
TX 1960 111
3. Global Broadcasters KFRN Tulsa OK 1961 111
4. Radio NY Scituate MA WNYW Chatsworth NJ 1966 269
5. Sale to VOA WNYW VOA Scituate MA 1970 117
Mediumwave
Converted to Shortwave
1. Texas on Shortwave KPOL-KCBI WTWW 1952-2011 111
Voice
of America: OWI, VOA, AFRS
1. AT&T Ocean
Gate WDI
WDJ WDL WDO WOK WOO WOJ 1942-1944
62
2. AT&T Lawrenceville NJ WCN WMA WOA WOB WOK WON WRX 1942-1944 57
3. VOA “Texas” WHOM VOA “Texas” AFRS 1942-1944 129
4. PWI Hicksville
LI NY WCW WJQ PWI VOA
WKRD WKRX WKTM 1942-1946
67
5. WYFR Hatherly MA WRUA WRUL WRUS WRUW
WRUX 1942-1953 256
6. GE Schenectady
NY WGEA WGEO WGER WGES
WGEC 1942-1963 185
7. RCA Long Island WEC WQE RCAC 1943-1951
91
8. VOA Shipboard Relay Station KSL OWI VOA
Saipan Malolos 1944-1945 131
133
9.
Washington Studios VOA 1954-201x 219
==============================================================================
2. Tribute to Shortwave WYFR
Progressive
Summary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Topic Callsigns Year to Year NWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The
Early Years in New York WMCA 2XAL
1925 - 1927 227
2. The
Early Years in New Jersey WRNY (W)2XAL 1927 - 1931
229
3. The
Early Years in Boston W1XAL WEEI
1931 - 1939 232
4. XAL
Callsigns W1XAL-W10XAL 1921
- 1939 238
5.
Callsign Changes WSLA WSLR - WRUL WRUW 1939 - 1939
242
6. The
Early Years Hatherly Beach WSLA WSLR -
WRUL WRUW WRUS1 1939 - 1942 245
7. The
Wartime Years & Beyond WRUL WRUW
WRUS1 & 2 WRUA WRUX 1942 - 1953 256
8.
Final Walter Lemmon Years WRUL
(WNYW)
1953 - 1967 261
9. On
the Air WNYW (WRUL)
WNYW WRFM
1967 - 1973 269
10. Relay Services (W)2XAL W1XAL WRUL WNYW 1925 - 1967 272 127
11. Mystery Missing Callsign WRUR (WRUW secondary call?) 1941 - 1947 278
12. QSL Cards 2XAL, W1XAL, W1XAR, WRUL, WNYW 1924 - 1973 282
13.
The New Family Radio WYFR Scituate
1973 - 1979 299
14. The Okeechobee Story WYFR Okeechobee
1976 - 1988 311
15. Through the Years with WYFR WYFR Okeechobee
16. WYFR Relay Services
17. Tribute to WRMI Hialeah
1983 - 2013 248
18. 88 Years of Radio History 1&2XAL WSLA WRUL WNYW WYFR WRMI 1925
- 2103 249
19.
WYFR Okeechobee QSLs
==============================================================================
3. Tribute to Shortwave WYFR - 13
Station History: Hatherly Beach,
Scituate
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Date Information Reference
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYFR
Hatherly Beach, Scituate
1972 Jan 22 Family Radio began broadcasts over
WNYW,
3 hours daily WRMI Document
1972 Family Radio with 16 transmitter hours daily
MT 10-98 12
Began
in January this year WYFR Letter
1973 Sep 2
@ 100 Gates & 1 @ 50 Gates & 1 @ 50 Continental in use WNYW Schedule
1973 Oct 19 Fri Family Radio announced take over of WNYW WYFR Letter
1973 Oct 20 Station
taken over by Family Radio, new call introduced WYFR WRMI Document
4
transmitters on air, 5th already authorized WYFR Letter
9
rhombic antennas, 4 of which are reversible
Began
Spanish & English over 2 transmitters
28
acres antenna farm
Total
property 40 acres
1973 Oct 20 Transmitter
complement DE Email
Continental 50 kW
model 417B
Harris
(Gates) 50 kW HF50C
Was
in storage and held for ELWA
Taken
over by WNYW 1967, after fire
New
ELWA 50 kW constructed
Harris
(Gates) 100 kW model HF100, 2 units
Transmitter
locations
Just
outside control room: On raised platform 2 @ 100 kW
Nearby,
at right angles on left new Continental 418D
Transmitter
shipped out of storage from Dallas
Back
room coal bunker: 1st Harris 50, 2nd
Continental 417
Antenna switching unit
No
WNYW1 at this time
1973 Oct 20 Sat Sold to Family Radio, 1st day MT 10-98 12
1973 Station taken over by Family Radio MT 10-98 13
1973 (Late?) New 100 kW installed, shortly after
purchase MT 10-98 13
1974
Late New 100 kW
installed at Hatherly Beach MT 10-98 13
A
little over a year after purchase History
Continental
418D
1974 Feb Schedule
for new WYFR R&H 79.17 3-74 109
1975 Aug Outline
history R&H 79.17 8-75 102
1977 Late 1st
transmitter removed from Scituate and installed at Okeechobee MT 10-98 14
New
Continental 418D 100 kW
1978 Early 2nd
Continental removed Scituate installed Okeechobee 50 kW 417B
1978 End 3rd
100 kW Gates removed Scituate installed at Okeechobee
1979 Early 4th
transmitter removed Scituate installed at Okeechobee 100 kW Harris Gates
1979 End 5th
transmitter Collins 50 kW removed Scituate
installed at Okeechobee
1977-1979 3
@ 100 kW & 2 @ 50 kW in use DRW
1979 Nov 16 Last
transmitter removed from service WYFR Document
1979 Nov 17 Scituate
21525 kHz 1600-2052 UTC, last broadcast ADXN 12-79 21
English
to Africa
1979 Nov 17 Scituate
closed GH
1993 Abandoned
and undergrowth, over growth AMP visit
1998 Now
upscale housing area MT 10-98 14
==============================================================================
4. Tribute to Shortwave WYFR - 14
Transmitter History: Okeechobee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Date Information
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backgrounds
Okeechobee Florida
Name
in local Indian language means big water
Lake
is 35 miles long, 29 miles wide
Several
small rivers and streams drain into the lake
Town
of Okeechobee near northern edge of lake
1928 Hurricane
2,500 deaths, floodwaters from lake
Shortwave
Station WYFR Okeechobee
664 acres, 20
m north of Lake Okeechobee
Local
property owner, grazing land
Large
citrus groves nearby, also sod grass crops
Single
story building 11,200 sq ft
1976 Late Construction
work began
1977 1st
transmitter taken from storage at Continental in Dallas Interview
In
storage for several years
Purchased
at same time as 418D installed at Hatherly Beach
17845 kHz in Scituate
1977 Nov 23 1st
transmitter taken into program service 100 kW WYFR Document
Beamed
to Europe & South America
Two
double rhomboid antennas
1977 Late 2nd
transmitter, new Continental from Hatherly Beach
1978 Nov 23 2nd
year of operation, 2 @ 100 kW on air WYFR Schedule
19xx 2
Continental @ 100 kW on air, 3rd 100 kW from Scituate now on
site Bulletin
1978 End Projected date for 3rd transmitter WYFR Schedule
1979 Jul 3
@ 100 kW on air, 4th in Fall DRW 15
1979 Nov Mid 4th
@ 100 kW expected on air WYFR Schedule
1979 Nov 16 Last
transmitter Scituate shut down
19xx WYFR4
originally at WYNW Scituate
1980 2
transmitters installed, now 6 on air DXB
1980 Jun 18 WYFR5
50 kW Harris
1981 May 6
transmitters on air WYFR Schedule & Paper
1981 Final
tests and adjustments WYFR7 100 kW WYFR Bulletin
1981 Dec 7 7th transmitter taken into active programming WYFR Document
100
kW beamed to western Canada, log periodic antenna
1983 Jan 3
new transmitters under installation; 7 on air, will be 10 ADXN 2-83 13
1983 Oct 5
@ 100 kW, 2 @ 50 kW transmitters on air
10
double rhomboids & 6 log period antennas
1983
Nov 5 @ 100 & 2 @ 50
kW on FRN 11-83
1984 End Expected
3 more @ 100 kW & 6 more log periodics in service
1988 Jan WYFR
11 now on air, construction well under way 12 13 & 14 DXO 2-88 42
1988 Jun 12th
transmitter recently commissioned ADXN 7-88 11
1988 Jul 13th
transmitter scheduled for active service ADXN 7-88 11
1988 Sep 25 14th
transmitter taken into program service WYFR Document
1988 Nov Projected
date for implementation of 14th transmitter ADXN 7-88 11
1989 Feb 12
@ 100 & 2 @ 50 on air, all on air at 2200 ADXN 2-89 6
1998 Oct 14
transmitters in use, Continental & Harris, 50 & 100 kW MT 10-98 16 Including
5 from Scituate (3 @ 100 & 2 @ 50)
1988 Nov All
14 in use; at 2200 UTC daily, all 14 on air ADXN 2-89 6
1999 Satellite
from Oakland to Okeechobee
2013 Jul 1 0300
UTC, end of final program last hour of English 6115 kHz
WS
2013 Jul 1 0400
UTC end final RTI broadcast, station closed WS
2013 Aug Transmitter
6 decommissioned WYFR Document
2013 Nov 12 @ 100 kW & 1 @ 50 kW
available for on air service WYFR Document
2
@ 100 kW Continental 418D
8
@ 100 kW based on 418D, built by WYFR
3 older Gates/Harris
2 @ 100 & 1 @ 50
Digital
automation
==============================================================================
5. Tribute to Shortwave WYFR - 14
Transmitter History: Okeechobee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Origin Transmitter kW Close Okeechobee Installation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas Continental 418D
100 WYFR1 1977 Nov 23
WNYW(6) Continental 418D 100 1977 Late WYFR2 1978
WNYW4 Continental 417B
50 1978 Early WYFR3 1978
End
WNYW2/3 Harris Gates HF100 100 1978 End WYFR4 1979 Jul
WNYW3/2 Harris Gates HF100 100 1979 Early WYFR5 1979 Nov Mid
WNYW5 Collins (Gates HF50C) 50 1979
Nov 17 WYFR6 1980 Jun 18 Africa
21525
Local Local
100 WYFR7 1981 Dec 7 W Canada
Local Local
100 WYFR8 1984
Local Local
100 WYFR9 1984
Local Local
100 WYFR10 1984
Local Local
100 WYFR11 1988 Jan
Local Local
100 WYFR12 1988 Jun
Local Local
100 WYFR13 1988 Jul
Local
Local
100 WYFR14 1988 Sep 25
==============================================================================
6. Shortwave Callsigns in Australia
Progressive Topics
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Call Location Location Location Line NWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01. VLA Awanui Cape Bruny Shepparton Shepparton 306
02. VLB Awarua Maatsuyker Shepparton Shepparton 311
==============================================================================
7. The Radio Scene in New Zealand
Progressive Topics
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Topic Calls Years NWS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01. NZ Leads the Way
1888 - 1909 61
02. Tasman
Bridge; Three Ships 1908 - 1909 29
03. Wireless
Station Awanui, Auckland NZA VLA ZLA 1913 - 1930 306
04. Wireless
Station Awarua, The Bluff VLB ZLB 1913 - 1991 311
05. Napier
Earthquake 1931
48
06. Christchurch Earthquake 2011 107
Christchurch Update 2011 107
Christchurch Update 2011 108
==============================================================================
8. Shortwave
Callsigns in Australia
Callsign VLB Awarua,
Maatsuyker Island & Shepparton
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Date Event
Reference
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Callsign
VLB
Awarua New Zealand
1913
Dec 18 Awarua Radio activated as VLB
Located
at Awarua Plain, Southland, The Bluff, New Zealand
Constructed
by German staff with Telefunken
Via
Australasian Wireless Company
50
kW Telefunken spark transmitter
Mast
410 ft weighed 120 tons, umbrella type antenna system
3rd coastal station in
NZ
1921 VLB Awarua, station B the Bluff YBWT&T 555
1924? Station changed from spark
wireless to valve operation
1929
Jan 1 Callsign changed from VLB to
ZLB
1930 Spark equipment dismantled
1987
Mar 23 ZLB QSL card
1991
Aug 30 Station ZLB closed
Maatsuyker Island Tasmania
Island
is shape of tortoise sitting upright
1½ miles by ¾ miles
1891 Lighthouse completed
Most
southerly lighthouse in Australia, bottom of Tasmania
1935 Station VLB on the island
Shepparton Victoria
1941
Jul Original plan, 3 @ 100 kW at
Shepparton ISWC 8-41 9
1942
Nov Projected callsigns VLA VLC
& VLM GB 84.160 213
1945
Jun Work on new VLA & VLB nearing
completion R&H 77.10 6-45 35
1946
May Shepparton 100 kW taken into
service as VLB
Joint
production: AWA driver & preliminary stages
STC modulator and final stage
Two
channels provided, quick frequency change
1946
Jun Test broadcasts to NA from new
VLB RN 7-46 120
1946
Aug New VLB heard with test
broadcasts ARW 77.8 8-46 39
1946
Aug QSL for test broadcasts from
VLB 6100 kHz RN 9-46 127
1946
Sep New 100 kW VLB taken into
service LI 79.24 14-9-46
1951
Jun 1 Postfix number indicated MHz
band
1960
Sep 4 VLA & VLB shown as 50 kW
each PMG Schedule
1961
Jan 15 Bifurcated into VLB & VLE
1961
Oct End Callsigns dropped, VLB
transmitter callsign became line callsign to Shepparton
Radio
Australia Melbourne, Line Callsign VLB
1961
Oct End Callsigns dropped, VLB transmitter callsign became line callsign to
Shepparton
1962
Dec 14 A & B lines shown as 100 kW PMG Schedule
2014 Line
callsign VLA, Melbourne to Shepparton, still in use today
New
Zealand Wireless Stations
1913
Dec 18 VLA Awanui taken into
commercial service
1913
Dec 18 VLB Awarua taken into
commercial service
==============================================================================
9. Shortwave Callsigns
in Australia
Transmitter VLB
Shepparton: QSLs in Chronological Order
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Call
kHz Year Date
Source IRM State Country QSL Description Information
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transmitter Callsign
Shepparton 100 kW
VLB5 21540 1946
Nov 5 DOI JFF NZ Card Yellow Map DOI, Print 5
VLB6 15200 1946
Nov 29 DOI ECP Card Yellow Map DOI,
Print 6
VLB11 15160 1948
Jan 2 DOI HFS USA Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB3 11760 1948
Feb 5 DOI AMP SA Australia Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB
9540 1948 Oct 31 DOI PGH NZ Card Yellow
Map DOI
VLB
9540 1949 Feb 8 DOI LGJ Sweden Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB2 9650 1949 Nov 29 DOI LGJ Sweden Card Yellow
Map DOI
VLB15 15160 1951
Jul 29 DOI PGH NZ Card Yellow Map DOI Cut
VLB9 9580 1952 Jul 29 DOI EDM NZ Card Yellow Map DOI Cut
VLB11 11760 1953
Aug 2 ABC PGH NZ Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB15 15300 1953
Jul 4 ABC PGH NZ Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB17 17790 1953
Oct 30 ABC PGH NZ Cad Yellow Call 780H
VLB11 11900 1954
Apr 1 ABC BL Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB11 11900 1954
Nov 3 ABC PGH NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB11 11740 1956
Sep 6 ABC PGH NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB21 21540 1957
Mar 13 ABC EDM NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB15 15160 1957
Apr 16 ABC BL Card Red Call 780H
VLB21 21540 1957
Apr 16 ABC SE Sweden Card Red
Call 780H
VLB11 11710 1958
Jan 17 ABC JWE (15
Entries) Card Red Call 428G
VLB11 11710 1958
Jun 10 ABC AMP SA Australia Card
Red Call 780H
VLB11 11810 1959
Sep 20 ABC EJG USA? Card Red Call 428G
Line Callsign
Shepparton 100 kW
VLB
9580 1991 Nov 8 ABC AMP IN USA FL
VLB
9580 1997 Feb 20 ABC AMP IN USA C Shepparton Antennas, small
VLB 15365 1992
Jun 30 ABC AMP IN USA FL
==============================================================================
10. Shortwave
Callsigns in Australia
Transmitter VLB
Shepparton: QSLs in Frequency Order
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Call
kHz Year Date
Source IRM State Country QSL Description Information
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transmitter Callsign
Shepparton 100 kW
VLB
9540 1948 Oct 31 DOI PGH NZ Card Yellow
Map DOI
VLB
9540 1949 Feb 8 DOI LGJ Sweden Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB9 9580 1952 Jul 29 DOI EDM NZ Card Yellow Map DOI Cut
VLB2 9650 1949 Nov 29 DOI LGJ Sweden Card Yellow
Map DOI
VLB11 11710 1958
Jan 17 ABC JWE (15
Entries) Card Red Call 428G
VLB11 11710 1958
Jun 10 ABC AMP SA Australia Card
Red Call 780H
VLB11 11740 1956
Sep 6 ABC PGH NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB3 11760 1948
Feb 5 DOI AMP SA Australia Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB11 11760 1953
Aug 2 ABC PGH NZ Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB11 11810 1959
Sep 20 ABC EJG USA? Card Red Call 428G
VLB11 11900 1954
Apr 1 ABC BL Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB11 11900 1954
Nov 3 ABC PGH NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB11 15160 1948
Jan 2 DOI HFS USA Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB15 15160 1951
Jul 29 DOI PGH NZ Card Yellow Map DOI Cut
VLB15 15160 1957
Apr 16 ABC BL Card Red Call 780H
VLB6 15200 1946
Nov 29 DOI ECP Card Yellow Map DOI,
Print 6
VLB15 15300 1953
Jul 4 ABC PGH NZ Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB17 17790 1953
Oct 30 ABC PGH NZ Cad Yellow Call 780H
VLB5 21540 1946
Nov 5 DOI JFF NZ Card Yellow Map DOI, Print 5
VLB21 21540 1957
Mar 13 ABC EDM NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB21 21540 1957
Apr 16 ABC SE Sweden Card Red
Call 780H
Line Callsign
Shepparton 100 kW
VLB
9580 1991 Nov 8 ABC AMP IN USA FL
VLB
9580 1997 Feb 20 ABC AMP IN USA C Shepparton Antennas, small VLB 15365 1992 Jun 30 ABC AMP IN USA FL
==============================================================================
11. Shortwave
Callsigns in Australia
Transmitter VLB
Shepparton: QSLs in Postfix Number Order
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Call
kHz Year Date
Source IRM State Country QSL Description Information
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transmitter Callsign
Shepparton 100 kW
VLB
9540 1948 Oct 31 DOI PGH NZ Card Yellow
Map DOI
VLB
9540 1949 Feb 8 DOI LGJ Sweden Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB2 9650 1949 Nov 29 DOI LGJ Sweden Card Yellow
Map DOI
VLB3 11760 1948
Feb 5 DOI AMP SA Australia Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB5 21540 1946
Nov 5 DOI JFF NZ Card Yellow Map DOI, Print 5
VLB6 15200 1946
Nov 29 DOI ECP Card Yellow Map DOI,
Print 6
VLB9 9580 1952 Jul 29 DOI EDM NZ Card Yellow Map DOI Cut
VLB11 11710 1958
Jan 17 ABC JWE (15
Entries) Card Red Call 428G
VLB11 11710 1958
Jun 10 ABC AMP SA Australia Card
Red Call 780H
VLB11 11740 1956
Sep 6 ABC PGH NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB11 11760 1953
Aug 2 ABC PGH NZ Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB11 11810 1959
Sep 20 ABC EJG USA? Card Red Call 428G
VLB11 11900 1954
Apr 1 ABC BL Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB11 11900 1954
Nov 3 ABC PGH NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB11 15160 1948
Jan 2 DOI HFS USA Card Yellow Map DOI
VLB15 15160 1951
Jul 29 DOI PGH NZ Card Yellow Map DOI Cut
VLB15 15160 1957
Apr 16 ABC BL Card Red Call 780H
VLB15 15300 1953
Jul 4 ABC PGH NZ Card Yellow Call 780H
VLB17 17790 1953
Oct 30 ABC PGH NZ Cad Yellow Call 780H
VLB21 21540 1957
Mar 13 ABC EDM NZ Card Red Call 780H
VLB21 21540 1957
Apr 16 ABC SE Sweden Card Red
Call 780H
Line Callsign
Shepparton 100 kW
VLB
9580 1991 Nov 8 ABC AMP IN USA FL
VLB
9580 1997 Feb 20 ABC AMP IN USA C Shepparton Antennas, small
VLB 15365 1992
Jun 30 ABC AMP IN USA FL
==============================================================================
12. SQOTW29: Special QSL of the Week
Progressive Topics
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
No Call
Location Land IRM
kHz (k)W
Year Date Significance QSL NWS ——————————————————————————————————————————————————
001
7LA Launceston Tasmania AMP
1100 .1 1961 Nov 6 Emergency
transmitter C 282
002
RA Kabul
Afghanistan AMP 96.1 .01 1971
Jul 4 Experimental FM C 284
003
VOA Poro Philippines AMP 15000 LP 1984 Feb 19 Malfunctioning
exciter L 286
004
TTY Perth Australia AMP
1130 .2 1966 Jun 24 6NM
transmitter to 6ED DIYC 287
005
ICPA Kabul Afghanistan AMP 102.8 ½ 1972
Aug 27 Hotel Intercontinental DIYC 289
006
KSFO Frisco California AMP
560 5 1989
Oct 18 Temporary after
earthquake C 290
007
RM
Havana Cuba AMP 9600 100 1982
Feb 3 Relay Radio Tashkent C
291 008 NILB Central Pacific PH
10800 LP 1968 Dec 23 Apollo
Recovery, 1,000 SW L 292
009
AWR Ekala Sri
Lanka CG 11800 100 1981
Feb 21 Test broadcasts Africa &
ME C 293
010
PJC Willemstad Curacao PH
8694
1 1969 Jan 9 Morse
loop C
294
011
AFRTS Adana Turkey
AMP 1590 .01 1980
Mar 24 Plane, WL in ft DIYC 295
012
AWR Sines Portugal TD 9670
250 1977 Aug 26 Self-designed AWR card C 296
013
VoM Honhor Mongolia CL 12085
250 2012 Sep 14 Lived in Ulaan Baatar L&C 297
014
CRI Beijing China UQ
21660 2005 Sep 19 Firedrake
jammer C 298
015
RM Russia
AMP 11875 1984 May 2 Russian
jammer, BBC ARS? C 299
016
NBC Pt Moresby New Guinea VL 4890
35 2006 Mar 18 Reduced power C 300
017
RM
Murmansk Russia JB
5930 5 1979
Jan 13 Long wait DIYC & L
301 018 RM P’zavodsk Russia JB
5065 5 1979 Jan 21 Long wait DIYC & L
302
019
VLU2 Christmas Is Indian O. AMP
1420 .5 1977 Aug 23 Tried many
locations DIYC & L
303 020 XMX Christmas Is Indian O. AMP
341 .1 1977 Aug 28 Airplane
reception DIYC 304 021
AIR Pt Blair Andamans JJ 1440
1 1992 Nov 12 Emergency transmission L 305 022
ABC Shepparton Australia TA 6080 100 2011
Feb 4 Emergency transmission C
306 023 ORTB Benin
CO SW 1985 Sep 20 Hard
to hear, difficult to QSL C 307 024
025
026
027
SW
11 Sites Asia
TA 2 SW
2014 Jun 5 IRDR Trial Broadcasts
C 311
028
029
NBC Pt Moresby New Guinea JJ 3925 10 1976
Oct 25 1st report from
India C 313 030
======================================================================================
13. SQOTW29: Special QSL of the Week
Alphabetic Listing
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Title Call City Country IRM City
Country NWS ——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Airplane
Monitoring AFRS Adana Turkey AMP Airplane Turkey
295
XMX Christmas Is Indian Ocean AMP Airplane Indian Ocean 304
Apollo
Recovery NILB USS Arlington Pacific PH Woodland H USA-CA 292
Demonstration
Transmitter TTY Perth W
Australia AMP Perth Australia 287
Difficult to hear ORTB Benin CO Norrkoping Sweden
307 Earthquake Emergency KSFO San Francisco USA AMP Eugene USA-OR 290
Emergency
Transmitter 7LA Launceston Tasmania AMP Launceston Tasmania 282
AIR Port Blair Andaman Is JJ Hyderabad India 305
ABC Shepparton Australia TA Depok
Indonesia 306 Experimental FM RA Kabul Afghanistan AMP Kabul
Afghanistan 284
Firedrake
Jammer CRI Beijing China UQ-S Norrkoping Sweden
298
First
Report: India NBC Port Moresby New Guinea JJ India 313 Letter
from Home VOM Honhor Mongolia CL Bloomington USA-IN
297
Listener
Designed QSL Card AWR Sines Portugal TD Rosrath
Germany 296
Long
Wait RM Murmansk Russia JB Lexington USA-MA 301
RM Petrozavodsk Russia JB Lexington USA-MA 302
Malfunctioning
Exciter VOA Poro Philippines AMP Lahore
Pakistan 286
Many
Locations VLU2 Christmas Is Indian
Ocean AMP Carnarvon
Australia 303
Morse
Code Loop PJC Willemstad Curacao PH Woodland
H USA-CA 294
Reduced Power NBC Pt Moresby New
Guinea VL Naples USA-FL 300
Russian Jammer RM Russia AMP Poona India 299
Tashkent
Relay RM Havana Cuba AMP Berrien S USA-MI
291 Test Broadcasts AWR Ekala Sri
Lanka CG Nice France
293
IRDR 11 sites Asia TA Depok Indonesia 311
Translation
Transmitter ICPA Kabul Afghanistan AMP Kabul
Afghanistan 289
======================================================================================
