LRA 36 15476 Khz 19:42 UTC

[glimmer twin]

I usually wouldn't post a station that I heard via a remote receiver but this is a special case. LRA 36 in Antarctica was active yesterday from about 18:00 until 21:01 UTC on it's usual frequency of 15476. It has been off for quite a while...at least a year. It is the only shortwave station in Antarctica ( as most dx'ers know). There have been rumors that its reactivation was imminent for months & it really is back . Yesterday was also the day the sun set for the next 6 months in Antarctica. There is a new crew at Base Esperanza & apparently they are activating the station for the winter. It is a very tough catch & I want to be clear that I did not hear it from my QTH in Kansas City but via Twente. Good luck with this one

[skeezix]

Thanks for the info... got to get this one.

[jFarley]

Thanks for the heads up, glimmer!  Here's some background on the Antarctic broadcasting scene; there's even an FM 'pirate' !

http://www.radioheritage.net/story135.asp

[Chanter]

Oh, I badly want to hear this one!  Thanks for the info.   

[glimmer twin]

I heard it again on 5\10 at 18-21 UTC  via Twente. Absolutely nothing on my R75 & maybe a weak carrier on the sdr-iq, although that may have been wishful thinking ..it was so faint. On Twente I got fair audio for about 30 minutes from 19:30 to 19:58 while BBC arabic service was in a quiet non splattery part of their program. DX listening Digest YG has a few posts also. It is an incredibly difficult catch for North America as BBC is on 15480 from 17-21 UTC & LRA 36 seems to be on from 18-21. The broadcast hours seem kind of variable though.

[jFarley]

glimmer;

I had a weak carrier here at 2033 on 15476.0, 10May13.  No audio.  

BTW, what was the exact freq you observed on the Twente catches?

[glimmer twin]

on Twente the carrier was right on 15476. others have measured it at 15475.997.

[skeezix]

Wonder if they can hear Wolverine Radio down there. 

[glimmer twin]

just an fyi.. LRA36 hasn't been heard for about a week. The staff of the radio station does the radio stuff in their spare time as I understand it. They are probably busy with .....antarctic stuff..research..I have no idea what they do down there. Try to keep warm I guess.

[jFarley]

Friday 31May13

I left the SDR on this freq while out doing errands.  Around 1802z a very weak abrupt increase (~2dB) was noted in the noise floor in the Strength History, and I also note a weak carrier now in the waterfall around 1825z.  No audio, but will keep an eye on this.  I need to re-calibrate the SDR freq, but appears almost nominally on 15476.

Faded out or off around 2000z, so absolutely nothing definitive here.

[glimmer twin]

They have been back on for abouta week now.  In DXLD i saw this

Per TLC with the operator at Base Esperanza, Sergio Lucero, he confirms the sked of LRA36 as M to F 1800-2100. The 10 KW original xmtr has been repared but due to power restrictions (a small power generator) the current output is 1.2 to 1.5 KW. (Alejandro Álvarez, LU8YD, Neuquen, Argentina, in Condiglist YG, May 30 via Nigro, Uruguay).

 Healso posted pics from their facebook page
http://i.imgur.com/XQ7yoxJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hHpklOu.jpg

their facebook is

https://www.facebook.com/junto.avos.756

[ulx2]

Probably received in Kiev, Ukraine with DE1103 and 25 mtrs. longwire  on 11th of June from 1813 till 1855 UTC with SINPO = 25411 - 25422. Non-stop rock music till 1840, then some speech (mostly female voice), however too weak to recognize language.

Short mp3 clip: http://ulx2.narod.ru/audio/LRA36.mp3

[glimmer twin]

Today, 6/28/2013, they are coming in the best I've heard them. I noticed them on my regular daily check via Twente. When I see them i try for them via my qth. Today there was not only a carrier visible on Twente but actual honest to god audio with out being qrm'ed by adjacent BBC on 15480. I was able to listen in am although it was necessary to tune on the low side. Via my qth, however I could see a carrier but was unable to pull anything from it.

[ulx2]

Quite strong signal on 1st of July 2013 with portable RX and 25 m. long wire:

http://ulx2.narod.ru/audio/LRA36_8.mp3