During the 1980s, I recorded many American pirate radio stations on cassette tape and actively traded tapes with other DXers.\u00a0 A slow and long process of transferring these cassettes to MP3 was undertaken a few years ago with many more tapes left to convert.\u00a0 Below is the start of a list of stations that I have recorded and archived, with more to follow as time permits to process them.\u00a0 The quality varies from decent to down right horrible (depending on band conditions at the time, recording media, etc.), but nonetheless they are presented here for historical purposes. All recordings were made from a circa 1986 GE \u201cWorld Monitor\u201d shortwave receiver and a simple longwire antenna.<\/p>\n
KBFA<\/a> \u2013 7400 Khz \u2013 November 27th, 1987 \u2013 1618 UTC Radio Clandestine<\/a> – 3445 Khz – September 26th, 1987 – 0423 UTC Radio Clandestine<\/a> – time\/date\/frequency unknown – should have kept better records WDOG<\/a> – 7415 Khz – October 10th, 1987 – 0014 UTC The Voice of Laryngitis<\/a> – 7415 Khz – October 31st, 1987 – 2231 UTC
\nCalling themselves the “Broadcasters of Free America”, this pirate usually operated on the odd frequency of 8000 Khz and solicited reception reports to the Pirates Den column in Popular Communications magazine. This drove the column editor nuts and frustrated me since I could never get a QSL from these guys. KBFA played a good mix of 80s pop music and the station ops went by the name of “The Archer” & “Corona”.\u00a0 As noted here, KBFA also operated near 7400 Khz and used the slogans “AM 74” & “AM 8000” depending on the frequency used during a broadcast.\u00a0 KBFA claimed they were broadcasting at 200 watts (TROMP-MI)<\/p>\n
\nStation op “RF Burns” operating here at the top of the 90 meter band with his classic anti hum-drum programming style.\u00a0 I’m still waiting for my reception report to be verified that I sent in over 20 years ago.\u00a0 Hey Clandestine<\/a> – how about it? \ud83d\ude42 (TROMP-MI)<\/p>\n
\nThis short clip contains Radio Clandestine signing off, possibly continued from the broadcast noted above (TROMP-MI)<\/p>\n
\nPerhaps the only broadcast (and logging) of this shortwave pirate calling itself “WDOG” testing and playing a string of songs by Gary Numa. (TROMP-MI)<\/p>\n
\nClassic Huxley<\/a> style programming at its best! (TROMP-MI)<\/p>\n