UTILITY STATIONS FROM THE PAST

 

This model, Lafayette HA-230, was the one with which I heard most of my utility DX back in the 70s.
  (Image from an unknown source)


UTILITY STATIONS FROM THE PAST

Two years ago, I suffered from a dose of Christmas COVID. It was hardly a seasonal joy for me! 

Determined to spend my time in isolation doing something useful, I went through old magnetic tapes of long-forgotten recordings from the early 70s. A discovery of utility station recordings led me down a fascinating memory lane. Over about two weeks, I slowly released video recordings of these voice mirror announcements. The hours spent recovering the deteriorating audio quality of these recordings proved a great antidote to COVID!

Some readers may have missed the opportunity to explore these recordings, so I have gathered them in one collection below. Below each YouTube video you will  also find additional details and observations relating to each of the stations. Most of the recordings include images of QSL cards and verification letters received either by myself or other utility DX enthusiasts.

I hope you find these interesting as you while away the holiday hours over Christmas and New Year.


Gander Radio, Newfoundland, Canada

https://youtu.be/LE3dLigtSUo?si=yGpdlNI8arzlHunf


Rügen Radio, East Germany

https://youtu.be/YW4vlYRrD5k?si=vl6Lv1tlGxb8hzWc


Tel Aviv PTT Service, Israel

https://youtu.be/4NZr1bH2OXA?si=Rln2ctW4GuD4dc0P


New York Radio VOLMET

https://youtu.be/_TL-j7ql49A?si=Ug0rGmVamUEK5Slm


Brazzaville PTT, People's Republic of the Congo

https://youtu.be/Bb5zPTOETrs?si=gtj-2r9gigrTfceS


Shannon Aeradio, Ireland

https://youtu.be/E_T3pGVNtes?si=eQWR0AiXHUlWb9AH


Lyngby Radio, Denmark

https://youtu.be/PQHhqUj7fEo?si=0I06cPgSWKAsosHZ


Paris PTT, France - 20233 kHz

https://youtu.be/MGNi9yEAX5w?si=BTlygd8qoommvWKC


Scheveningen Radio, The Netherlands

https://youtu.be/e90s1ZS72e4?si=TiJLdRpLnqexheyX


Belgrade PTT, Yugoslavia

https://youtu.be/52ulFw56R28?si=uzhPcQw4h-bJKFjv


73 and good DX,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW



CLICK HERE for VK3BVW Live Stream (Clublog)



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© Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn DX Report, and contributors 2012-2026

Comments

  1. Dan Greenall VE3HLCDecember 31, 2024 at 11:24 AM

    These are great, Rob. Thanks for reposting them. I was a real "utility buff" back in the day and recall tuning into many of these so happy memories to hear them again. I saved many of my recordings and was fortunate to digitize them before the audio quality got too bad. In addition, I recently found and purchased a copy of the Utility DXer's Handbook from 1971 on eBay in very good condition. All of this material is now uploaded to the Internet Archive, and I have submitted a number of links to Thomas Witherspoon at the SWL Post here:
    https://swling.com/blog/2024/12/rediscovering-the-golden-age-of-utility-dxing/
    Cheers and best wishes for health and happiness in 2025.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rob WagnerDecember 31, 2024 at 1:01 PM

      G’day Dan. Lovely to hear from you! Yes, I checked out your site on the Internet Archive after reading about your work on Thomas’ post several days ago.

      That’s a fabulous resource there! Congrats! You were into the utes in a much bigger way than I was in those days, as evidenced by your collection of recordings and verifications. Anyone else reading this blog post should make sure they check out your site.

      All the best for 2025, my friend. - Rob VK3BVW

      Delete

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