by Claude Morales

Created on: April 09, 2010

I remember the first time I became a short-wave listener. In fact, I did not want to broadcast, to transmit because you have got to take the relevant examination and study a lot of course. But I just wanted to tune in and listen to radio stations, wherever they could be, given my huge interest in foreign languages. I was indeed curious to tune in to remote stations, the farther the better and perhaps marine or air traffic as well.

I then bought by mail order a radio set that would cover all existing radio frequencies. After opening the package and placing the set on a table, I pulled ou the antenna and began to read scrupulously the brochure.

I looked at an array of different transmission frequencies from foreign stations, looked at my watch to check out the GMT time at this very moment and spotted in the list Peking Radio that was due to be on air within the next ten minutes.

I decided to calibrate the digital frequency on the dial after switching the radio set on the “on” position then waited. Only a deep breath could be heard as if it was coming from space and nothing else.

Suddenly, on the hour specified, the breath stopped short and Chinese music took over, then a voice in English "This .. is Radio Peking”. I was totally stunned. It felt great.

This was my very first beginning which led me to Norway, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Germany and I was indeed proud of my “achievements”.

One day, my radio-set broke down but I managed to get an other set, rather smaller I would say, let to me by a relative.  This set could also accept short waves. After setting it on the kitchen table, I pulled out the antenna and started to search for a frequency manually since this set did not have the digital frequency research knob as it was older. I spotted a rather clear station broadcasting in English, although the commentator's accent seemed strange to me. I was certain it was not the BBC !. The voice said the prime minister had taken his small airplane to travel to the island. This puzzled me a lot and I began to wonder if this was not Australia. Yes, a little moment later, the commentator confirmed that the Prime Minister was on a visit to Tasmania!

I was seized with intense joy and wrote to the station to confirm receipt. Two weeks later, I received a documentation and a small flag with the compliments of Radio Australia.

But my fondest memory, and I think of it regularly, is the one with Radio Moscow in 1985. At that time, commentators kept

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