The first and only private and commercial shortwave station in Scandinavia

Getting started - 10 founding members: DX-listeners, radio-amateurs, CB-operators, Free Radio -operators, scanner listeners - 10 months for planning and preparations: collecting money, applying license, building (studio, transmitter, station, etc.) - First transmission on 25 meter band - First transmission on 48 meter band - First transmission on medium waves - 11 members at the moment (+ support members)

Broadcasting - SWR broadcasts every 1st Saturday of the month and some special occasions like X-mas - Frequencies on 25 mb: and kHz - Frequencies on 48 mb: 5980 and 6170 kHz -On medium waves 1602 kHz

Behind the station - The stations is operated by the association "Vaihtoehtoisen radiotoiminnan tukiyhdistys ry" (The support association for alternative broadcasting) - 11 members and 5-10 "supporting" members

Broadcasting on 48 meters 48 meters band is for "local" broadcasts. On 48 meters it is possible to receive our signal almost anywhere in Finland, but only during daylight hours. In the night time the signal "jumps" abroad.

Broadcasting on 25 meters 25 meters band is so called DX-band. On the 25 meters the signal is stronger in Central-Europe and Scandinavia than in Finland. Sometimes when solar activity and propagation is favourable, it might be possible to listen us also in USA and Canada.

Broadcasting on Medium waves Medium wave band is for "local" broadcasts. At the time of day light, it’s possible to hear almost anywhere in Finland. In the night time the signal "jumps" abroad and the others station on the same frequency cause interference.

Transmitters 25 meter transmitter watts - Crystal controlled - Mos-Fet PA 48 meter transmitter watts - Crystal controlled - Mos-Fet PA Transmitters are ”homemade” and those fulfil all international official requirements

Antennas Wideband cage dipole type antenna, frequency range kHz - Height 6 meters from the ground - 3-element beam for 25m - Gain about 6 dB - Height 20 m from the ground.

Antennas - Quarter wavelength vertical antenna for medium waves (1602kHz) -Total height 44 m -A few meters wire on ground as ground plane

Studio Studio equipment: - Tascam mixer - MD player x 2 - CD player x 3 - DVD player - Turntable x 1 - Computer - 30 band EQ - Professional compressor-limiter - Several microphones - Monitor amplifier + speakers - One minidisc as a reference recorder - Field strength meter - "UFO detector"

The money comes from: - The members' own pockets (50%) - Commercials - SWR-products (T-shirts, stickers etc.) - IRC's from the listeners ;-)

And the money goes to: - Music copyright fees (50%) - License fees - Studio equipment - Transmitters, antennas and related equipment - Maintenance of the studio building

Members of the SWR team... Pena-setä Rariojaska Trevor Peeveli Esa

FrankV-V Madman Kimmo Other Members of the SWR team...

HäkäPasi Janne More Members of the SWR team... Miki

Programs - More than 50% of the music is from Finland -No playlists or format, real FREE radio -Not only music, but also documentaries, comedy, draama, etc. (Tricky Trev Show, AREA48/AREA25, World Radio Roulette, Free Radio News, Virrat tänään) -Most programs are in Finnish and English

Co-operations -Pirkanmaa Polytechnic: over 50 students have studied radio work in SWR - Special broadcasts by co-operation with Finnish DX-association (Suomen DX-liitto)

Support members and “visitors"

Student Visitors

Listeners around the world Reception reports from: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, France, Italy, Spain, Czech, Austria, UK, Russia, USA, Canada, Norway, Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Hungary... Verification cards to listeners

Happenings at the station

Our Future plans... - More broadcasting power by increasing the our power output. -Good programs… -Radio news in english. Studio update new sound proofing and CD players. - New Jingles in more languages.

Recently completed projects: - New antenna mast for MW, the BIG one … - New 3-element antenna for 25 meter band - New compressor/limiter - New room for broadcasting equipments - 25m transmitter updated from 50w to 100w

How to listen shortwaves... - Some kind of "world band" or "communication" receiver needed, because from the normal radio you don’t usually find any shortwave broadcasting bands - Sometimes if "space weather" is favorable, old tube -Or kitchen radio might be good enough. - External antenna is highly recommended: example 12 meter copper-wire outside from window -Time of day affect to reception very strongly More information from or (Suomen DX-liitto)

How to listen medium waves... Turn on you receiver and switch it to AM(MW) mode and select 1602kHz. Rotate your radio 360 deg to find best possible reception. External antenna is highly recommended if there is a connector to external antenna in receiver (example meter copper-wire outside from window) Time of day affect to reception very strongly Cement and metal walls attenuate the signal. More information from or (Suomen DX-liitto) Due to internal antenna, position of the receiver have a influence to quality of the reception.

What you can do with us and for us? Have your own air time and program content using the SWR studios and equipment. If you have enough imagination and graphical skills you can help us by making QSL card designs for us. (QSL card = Verification card for our listeners) Audio material like station announcement, ID's or only start and end effects to -announcements.

SWR PL Virrat Phone number during the broadcasts:

Any questions Website:-