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Old August 21st 06, 09:00 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave
Will Will is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 20
Default Pirate logging - the Crystal Ship

Hi!

I heard the "Crystal Ship" pirate station last night for a relatively
extended period. I was inspired by hearing another logging of it
reported by Chris Lobdell on DXing with Cumbre -- I was listening
to their transmission from WHRA on 5850 kHz in the 0230-0300 UT
Monday 8/21/06 timeframe, in which he reported a logging of TCS
on 6876 kHz. So, as that program ended, I tuned over to 6876
and there it was!

Logging details: Tune-in at 0255 UT Monday 8/21/06 on 6876 kHz.
Kept listening to the station until it appeared to terminate the
transmission at 0400 UT. Relatively weak signal here in St. Louis, MO,
but I was only using the whip antenna on a Grundig Satellit 800 or
a short stub of a wire antenna (I lost my outdoor random wire
antenna during the storm here July 19th, and am waiting for cooler
weather to re-install a replacement). Signal averaged S2 with
frequent fades. Seemed to be clearer on the voice announcements
than on the music.

IDs as "The Crystal Ship" & "Voice of the Blue States Republic"
heard at 0256, 0315, 0334, & 0345 UT. An ID and the addresses
for reception reports given at 0357 UT but the fading made it
impossible to reliably copy the details; I confirmed the e-mail
address from a listing in Monitoring Times. Program contents
were a mix of music and politically-oriented talk, with a
parody poem read at 0329 UT.

Wanted to say that I really appreciate their transmitting
during this timeframe. This is the prime time of day that I
listen to shortwave -- late evening and overnight. It seems
that the vast majority of pirates/free radio people transmit
earlier in the day, and I never think to tune the pirate
frequencies then, or there are too many competing things
keeping me from doing it then. So to have a chance to
hear pirates after 0200 UT and especially after 0300 UT is
welcomed.

Regards,
Will Martin
St. Louis, MO