The text below has been posted to a top radio guy who rejected reading it due to its long text and tried once again to post to him but he again rejected it. After that i made many additions as my memory helped me with more interesting snippets of the past. A few are a bit anecdotes of DXing but are relatively funny stories
Several names removed
Altough many DXes kow my story I once again show you my main history link page with all my activities related ot my passions : DXing , PC and music for a total of at 8 pages Please read: https://sites.google.com/site/zliangas/hisrtory-
There are also some interesting points mostly funny , bad spoils hat unnoticed in the page above:
First I can describe myself as a all life Dxer that is since my birth . Just 6 months old and played with the Morse tutor of my father - noticed also in the page. The continuous trips my father with commercial ships as radio telegraphist in the USA , Cuba Russia and Japan and the records he bought from those far-away places, aroused my feelings about Japan. I also enjoyed very much to read and decode the text included as sheets in the record envelope . It was the first language I learnt by myself!
First I can describe myself as a all life Dxer that is since my birth . Just 6 months old and played with the Morse tutor of my father - noticed also in the page. The continuous trips my father with commercial ships as radio telegraphist in the USA , Cuba Russia and Japan and the records he bought from those far-away places, aroused my feelings about Japan. I also enjoyed very much to read and decode the text included as sheets in the record envelope . It was the first language I learnt by myself!
Here is an addition
the usage of the 15 mini vinyl records of 45 RPM were another breakthrough for me trying to decode the lyrics and and being acquainted with Japanese writing and its triple character set (kata and hiragana syllabic and Chinese characters ) I still remember part of these kana writing systems
On 2021 or 22 year I used Goo trans to decode once again the titles and some of the lyrics as fund in the records with some success though immediately after I aked a few Japanese people to help me get much closer to the truth. As for example Tokyo Anna the Greek sailors hit song referred to a geisha as far as I can understand Japanese hesitated to say anything. The lyrics noted about a woman who offers happiness.The only i knew before was supposedly a woman who was in the resistance or something similar.
Japan was the top destination for Greek sailors .The song tokyo Anna was their most favorite that impressed the 60s generation and later so that a little later got Greek version . This link includes also detailed info on the original song
This old period relatives and friends were asking anyone visiting a foreign country to buy a present for them. Most of my relatives after returning back shared some presents to the remain. In contrast there were people pretending to love music, asked for a Cuban records and then never again returned them back to the buyer. My father and a few uncles lost a huge music material from these 'stealers'.
At 70s I don't remember when exactly the Silver radio cassette recorder has been used for also recording from shortwaves and my top song was one from Pakistan, which turned my hand hair turned upright something as a impressive awe . This song has been discovered again with its title 6 years ago (CT was 8 yrs old ) after asking a few Indians I also made a few recordings in MW with song that wee also discovered after discussing with some Arabs. . I feel that this tape was lost long ago wen I started RIPing my material I still remember talking parts of it with various exotic languages as like a Dutch sounded Chinese!! I have played this tape hundred of times. The funniest part was the "Teg muti, cheba" which was told to a friend on 80s who liked it and used it to call on her mother calling her as cheval! (horse in french) Shortly after i found some songs from my second music idol on pre80s - low class music- using many Arabic and Turkish songs/
I was also listening in the low school especially in medium wave but in the high school I had the help of my teacher to write a letter to Radio Beijing so I won my first QSLs! The same time I was using my guitar over cross legged feet as a table ! to read my school lessons while the same time I listened to CNR on 7935 among other Asian stations using the Silver Rt430 a Sw radio with cassette recorder, I used most of the times to play shortwaves instead of MW (before 1980 when FM was vacant here or just used for pirate use ). From R Beijing i have heard the second national anthem called I love you China which has been rehearsed many times later with also e-pop and very atmospheric sounds.
Later times i used the HiFi speakers to play the sound of the RT430 . The radio in as sudden stooped playing with its very clear and sharp sound. Speakers were well good and offered good sound close to the radio. Its amplifier sharpened the neatly telephonic audio as recorded form the Sony 7600D radio. Used them also with he Lowe150 but it didn't sound so good These speakers have been bought from London on mid80s. Sony 7600D on the early 90 times was also connected into a Fair quality IiFi system with high levels of recordings.
There are some unnoticed info I have receiced more then 25 QSL cards from R Beijing most of them unsigned .R Pyongyang sent me two times also their material that later 00s included not only QSLs but pennants flags and lots of printed material (booklets for Kim and two I think newspapers from the engish version).i can account about 500 QSls received so far
From that time I was also a a subscriber in various magazines from Guoji Shudian of that included the magazine of "Chinese literature" a mostly poems booklet of 120 pages per month and for two years, two magazines for something as China today and later I was a member of them for their Mesenger magazine received every two months(?). IN my older literature collection I had sample copies of their main magazine in B2 paper format, in Mongol Uighur Tibetan etc and bought the Big dictioanry of Chinese language (100000 characters ) the big dictionary of Chinese and Uigur languages.
From that time I was also a a subscriber in various magazines from Guoji Shudian of that included the magazine of "Chinese literature" a mostly poems booklet of 120 pages per month and for two years, two magazines for something as China today and later I was a member of them for their Mesenger magazine received every two months(?). IN my older literature collection I had sample copies of their main magazine in B2 paper format, in Mongol Uighur Tibetan etc and bought the Big dictioanry of Chinese language (100000 characters ) the big dictionary of Chinese and Uigur languages.
In the between time , I think on 80s I tested the Philips 2395 radio with BFO and analyzed the FDM channels via satellite by experimenting with the sub channels that is telephony via satellite .,This was my first interception of satellite signals. I then used this technique a few times only, preferring to watch satellite TV or radio channels . This radio was used later with a Spectrum computer for decoding RTTY signals of the 90s esp press agencies. Some of these news were forwarded to a friend owner of a radio station. ☺😀😀
in addition systems connectivity was rather simple: antenna , simple LC pres elector, hacked radio to connect the audio directly from the speaker for higher level than the OUT , interface, spectrum and cassette player top load the program for ....around 3 minutes! plus a monitor to show the decided text >
Just to add that the equipment i used for installing satellite antennas was a ver poor's solution of using just a hex cable crimper and a signal measuring box that produces funny sinusoidal tone generator that increases its pitch as far as the satellite signal is higher . Instead i used a oscilloscope and a frequency counter which others supposed they were just system monitoring! the freq counter was also used with a receiver to have some digitally accurate QRG measurement of the station being received Later were sold to a electronic engineer who really was more vacant talker (witty moron ) than a real results person . After long talks and insistence he made a S-meter adaptor for the Lowe receiver which lasted less that 5 months...this happened on the 90s.
The 90s time the interest was moved in listening to the utilities. I used the Klingenfuss guides as a help book to listen or decode various utes.
One of my favorte was in decoding the press releases from Tanyug one of my favorite RTTY stations. They used the standard 50/800 format and transmitted that time news from the Yugoslav war. Par fo these news were then forwarded to a local radio station in free. Two times the newscaster told me to speak the news in the air but final it as a unsuccessful project as my voice was totally bad for FM ,possibly becase I was speaking as a `retarded' guy as I can call myself . Many year later the station was sold to another company which was totally political
That period I also won many QSL from ute stations that included several meteo , DDH in RTTY Mode and many other using TTY . Once I found a malay TTY station received in low signal with a terror rate of around 50% As far as I remember this was around 98.
There was also a next session around 2008 using Radioraft software with ICOM R75 when I once again started sending letters to ute stations . The old PC had very good transformer without adding any noise in the bands . Instead the newer PC's transformer produced a all HF noise to the S9 level. The older router was relatively clear in the bands except of producing some selfagile carriers
One of my favorte was in decoding the press releases from Tanyug one of my favorite RTTY stations. They used the standard 50/800 format and transmitted that time news from the Yugoslav war. Par fo these news were then forwarded to a local radio station in free. Two times the newscaster told me to speak the news in the air but final it as a unsuccessful project as my voice was totally bad for FM ,possibly becase I was speaking as a `retarded' guy as I can call myself . Many year later the station was sold to another company which was totally political
That period I also won many QSL from ute stations that included several meteo , DDH in RTTY Mode and many other using TTY . Once I found a malay TTY station received in low signal with a terror rate of around 50% As far as I remember this was around 98.
There was also a next session around 2008 using Radioraft software with ICOM R75 when I once again started sending letters to ute stations . The old PC had very good transformer without adding any noise in the bands . Instead the newer PC's transformer produced a all HF noise to the S9 level. The older router was relatively clear in the bands except of producing some selfagile carriers
I Once took Lowe in the end of 90s in the village for listening somewhere in the fields with really zero noise. Really this was an excellent crystal clear reception with electricity source from a set of tubular batteries of 200Ah used for a PV system and listening to stations from LA in the tropical bands.
In one of these nice nights (with logs etc) there was a strong storm with lightnings > I removed the antenna from the radio and then slept The next day I connected the antenna and the radio stopped working . It was clear that something happened . After returning back home I given that to a technician who changed the transistor because the other was fried!
I had also the same crystal clear results on 2015 and before in a university vacations place in Chalkidiki where none used any routers in their apartments ! I Used the PL380 radio with fully deployed antenna and listened once to a 50+/25 signal from the V of Pyongyang and other signals that im sure I never heard them before with 5140 Charleston heard as like local ! Now gone are these old days even in Litohoron :(
An ex-SWL fellow guided me to join some clubs of the time on 90s . it is very sad that he stopped DXing for the sake of his business as journalist and later on tourism related business leaving only a very short time to listen to BBC vai shortwaves or via satellite.
In one of these nice nights (with logs etc) there was a strong storm with lightnings > I removed the antenna from the radio and then slept The next day I connected the antenna and the radio stopped working . It was clear that something happened . After returning back home I given that to a technician who changed the transistor because the other was fried!
I had also the same crystal clear results on 2015 and before in a university vacations place in Chalkidiki where none used any routers in their apartments ! I Used the PL380 radio with fully deployed antenna and listened once to a 50+/25 signal from the V of Pyongyang and other signals that im sure I never heard them before with 5140 Charleston heard as like local ! Now gone are these old days even in Litohoron :(
An ex-SWL fellow guided me to join some clubs of the time on 90s . it is very sad that he stopped DXing for the sake of his business as journalist and later on tourism related business leaving only a very short time to listen to BBC vai shortwaves or via satellite.
He first found my name in the logs page on a PopCom issue. It was on Feb 91, Fond my telephone number in the catalog, called my mom, then we met after I returned from Nigeria two months after. this story is also noticed in the main page. There two anecdotes in this story
He was introduced to my mother as 'the shortwave guy' . Really after ending the army he returned home and in his leisure time involved in shortwaves making a short booklet of radio news to anyone interested Around 12 pages per month .
There were a few entries in the telephone catalog. IN each entry the full name was shown followed by the business. My father was noticed as radio telegraphist
Our apartments were just 300 meters far!! He then became our best man.His full name is Daniel Danielidis subscriber of the British bulletin Contact and also club member. This was my fist ever DX related radio club on the start of 90s This mini story was noticed also in the clubs bulletin. I continued to be member till around 2005.
Mr Ken Reitz : I now him from the Orbit magazine a hobby and trading magazine in US related to the technology and program of satellite antennas on 80s . I was very much impressed that he still is in radio publishing with the The Spectrum Magazine that started after the collapse of Pop Com and Monitoring Times. I m now also a nonstandard subscriber to his TSM magazine ie buying separate issues as far as the issue subjects interest to me. I have posted them a message related to the XHdata two years ago part of which was published under the mailbag part.
I do sometimes the same with the British Radio User Just a few per year It is quite expensive at 5 GBP via a internet magazine platform .
Gary C Dexter and Harry Helms : These two guys were my first teachers of DXing . Both were columnists in the magazine Pop Com. Harry is the technician of radio reception while Gary is the columnist of clandestine stations and the logs column. The fist time I have bought the magazine from the local bookstores - on 90- bt later that i subscribed to them for 4 years.
I have kept all the most interesting material into a binder that contains more than 300 sheets from various issues of the magazine. The articles I kept are my two series logs sent to them on 91 The one includes more than 50 logs from both Nigeria and Salonica. Remain articles refer to satellite reception , clandestines, ideas from uncle Harry and the book reviews.
Garry was also an author writing a few book in behalf of Tiare publications hat i thought it was oublhed on behalf of Larry Van Horn . I have a good bookshelf in my home that includes two of his books : Language lab (fancy the language! most who know me know my interest in a country ) and guide to QSLs He is also columnist in the Proceedings series . I have the 92-93 edition . Recently (Feb 21). After the death of John Bryant these guides have been shared in free via the internet as shown in a DX mail list.
I m really interested to know more about them
I have also some connections with various unofficial radio operators (MW pirates) in Greece giving them useful info with spectrum analysis and waterfalls. There is also a Facebook group known also to the MW DXers from Europe.
A bad spoil here or call it open confession , The other person with whom we did the cooperation in satellite design after he designed parts of the die and then, preferred to get a nap while i was to play with the satellite dish and looking for new TV channels. Unfortunately he passed away a few years after. He was a good person a good cousin a good entrepreneur and very good also in his real job as architect in designing homes and buildings. He married a distant cousin.
I have met a DXer visited my city on early 90s .He was introduced by another frind I returned back to the city to meet them! I was that time still single. Thre is a fun case of the first one looking the foreign station cards stuck over the drawer being happy on which he was awarded before but jealous on which he didn't have He tried to remove them from the drawer for his personal pleasure!It was too early foe someone using smartphones
And something funny unnoticed in the web page but noticed in a non-log email : many times I used my Sony radio those older times when I was in the bed listening to shortwave or even medium wave That happened also several times more recently with the PL380 with an indoor wire, and also other days by listening CNR on 17mHz on 1200 and then with a indoor antenna
Sleeping while listening was not only a nearly everyday norm to me but also to my father . In contrast , he prefers to listen to selected FM stations and sleep.
A met an American DXer after having a communication with him via email before. We met together for a short time as the 'appointment' was time restraining for him . His name is Dan.His email address n that time as dandan@ a quite funny username that was similar to my best-man's and ex-DXer Dan.iel Dan.ielidis . Because if this story i called my frind as DanDan
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There was a second meeting with the Italian DXer in Greece on 2001 in my wife's house again . He was quite tired He checked once my Icom radio and listened to a DX program The signal was only S1 mixed just over the local noise I am not sure if he really could listen anything!
The recent years another DXer visited the city but was near the airport of Salonica. Unfortunately my program was rather against his program and we didnt met together.
A club asked me to join them with video calls but i rejected this meeting without replying to them. The reason is rather uncommon. as o can read read my English is rather good in writing but not my talking . There are s few reasons : Very bad and heavy pronunciation . My speaking is totally different from spoken English so surely none could understand me .
There was a second meeting with the Italian DXer in Greece on 2001 in my wife's house again . He was quite tired He checked once my Icom radio and listened to a DX program The signal was only S1 mixed just over the local noise I am not sure if he really could listen anything!
The recent years another DXer visited the city but was near the airport of Salonica. Unfortunately my program was rather against his program and we didnt met together.
A club asked me to join them with video calls but i rejected this meeting without replying to them. The reason is rather uncommon. as o can read read my English is rather good in writing but not my talking . There are s few reasons : Very bad and heavy pronunciation . My speaking is totally different from spoken English so surely none could understand me .
This was also proved with two friends , the one is a native born in Autralia while the other is a family friend grown in Canada. Both are laughing the time I m discussing with them in English . The reason is simple. I learnt English during my marketing studies for 3 years in a level below the Lower certificate . After that i tried to continue in the local British council but the continuous usage of English instead of Greek was too tiring for me and stopped in the very first lesson.
In contrast MR Bill Tilford from R Angela checked my voice whej I started making the greek program Geek music refuge and advised me it is OK for the purpose, advising me that he heard many others making their own programs with even bassier voices.
As with GMR I did a lot of tests in music joints until I finally used a commercial program, I started using old programs
used on 2ks which helped on joining audio files but I found many hurdles:
Joining mp3 files of different bitrates was ok
Joining mp3 files of different khz was not ok.
Joining mono and stereo mp3 files result to mono . good for the transmission
as he prpposed me to downrate them to mono
Transmitter requires files normalized t0 -6db otterwise artifacts start
Long ago in the past the time i was involved with satellite antennas on the mid80s upon in a business trip in the UK i met an American journalist involved in this subject and introduced myself to him .He was also an expert in the satellite business and hobby together and had written a few guides and the near annual Satelitte Almanac the equivalent to WRTH . His name was Mark Long. We had a short discussion related to the topic and then I left for the next company in the trade fair. A PW related trade fair only to TVRO systems.
Many years after , i fond his email and called him for buying one of his guides.
It was very stunning that after nearly 20+ years he still remembered me. In his reply he stated that much name is very unusual
My name is not only christian but also Hebrew and Muslim
I was deeply regretted hat he passed away on the middle of 10s
And finally ,I m servicing my sick parents since two years ago, my family and in part my in laws. This makes me rather `unemployable' .and makes me use more time in radio and Dxing the times especially the dead time due to the virus . In the former years I was also writing reading book s on writing (14-17) and lifehacks and also with music and computers and posting photos in Instagram.
And finally ,I m servicing my sick parents since two years ago, my family and in part my in laws. This makes me rather `unemployable' .and makes me use more time in radio and Dxing the times especially the dead time due to the virus . In the former years I was also writing reading book s on writing (14-17) and lifehacks and also with music and computers and posting photos in Instagram.
And now about the so called dangdut and beyond. Does anyone know what is that? Dangdut is a music kind that started on between 70s to 80s using irama malayu music , though the king od this music Rhoma Irama sounded to me quite Indian (it isnt) with rock
This music passed many ‘waves in its life’ always as a poors music on those old times with many fans tough it represents more the poorer class even on 90a and early 2ks.Was also mania in Malaysia on the 80s-90s period with Amelina as the queen. Various artists of the 90s time in indonesia diversed it with jazz, pop , rock ,metal , Sunda Jawa or other local music styles that included also the so known koplo with lead drums and slow down rhythm On the 10s based on my findings than any info the naga effect changed the music towards a more happy style with techno /house remix making CT Badriah he most viral singer on 2018 with her song lagi syantik although I m sure that there is at least one other slightly different sounding .Intesting to notice oler songs before the 10s were mostly sad while after 00s you could easier find happy songs.
Hoping tat is interesting !
