The idea of having my own AM station had been on my mind for a long time, but for years it felt far away. I didn’t know much about transmitters, licenses, or studio technology. The turning point came in 2023, when I heard about the founding of SLART ry, a finnish shortwave association. Its goal is to make shortwave activity possible – which was exactly what I had hoped for. I joined SLART and later also became a member of its board, and as licensing and copyright matters became clearer, starting my own station stopped feeling impossible.

In December 2023, I decided to start the station. In January, we sent a license application to Traficom, and RealMix received permission for 6185 kHz. February became a hectic build phase: I needed an antenna, some kind of “studio,” and a complete transmission chain built from scratch. I attached a metal pole to the end wall of our house and hung a half-wave dipole from it, with both wires just under 12 meters, as I had been advised. The transmitter sat inside the house next to the studio desk, connected by an audio cable to my laptop, and I did the final setup just days before launch without meters, proper tools, or real experience.

The First Broadcast

When the first broadcast went on the air 2 March 2024, I knew many people were listening and wondering if a 16-year-old could really make it happen. The first minutes went smoothly, and RealMix was on the air with 15 watts. Positive feedback and reception reports started arriving by email, and at 09:00 my first show aired on shortwave. The nervousness began turning into joy: “this is starting to sound like radio.”

On the second broadcast day, Sunday, my listener request show aired for the first time. While producing it and reading emails, I quickly understood the community spirit in this hobby. Feedback and reception reports gave a huge boost of motivation. During spring and summer 2024, RealMix broadcast regularly on Saturdays and Sundays. I built a new studio, optimized the audio processing, built a new antenna, and raised the power to 100 watts. DJ Mac and DJ Pera joined the team, along with news from Mediamonitori.

Radio production

RealMix also motivated me to learn more about radio production. In autumn 2024, I applied to study radio journalism in Kauhajoki, about 300 km from home. Moving at 17 was a big step, but RealMix continued remotely: streaming made it easier, and many thanks to my dad for taking care of the transmission tech back home. By the window of my “remote studio” (the classroom), I had a portable radio monitoring the broadcast.

It’s not always easy

There have been difficult moments too. One of the worst was when I was on a train to Kauhajoki listening via remote SDR when after Tampere the signal suddenly disappeared, and the transmitter wouldn’t respond. With nobody at home, I traveled back the next day, installed a backup transmitter, and got RealMix back on the air. The main transmitter needed service and was back on the air a month later.

The best moments have happened behind the studio. One highlight was spring 2025, during a partial solar eclipse: between live speaks I went outside to watch the phenomenon and describe it to listeners in real time. And yes – mistakes happen. Once, while starting the request show, the music didn’t play at all; I only heard a strange out-of-phase distortion in my headphones, and while talking on air I tried to figure out what was wrong on the mixer.

Music gives a flow

The broadcasts are largely built around music I discover by listening to foreign AM, FM, and DAB stations via remote receivers, using Shazam, and through DX listening. In summer, FM conditions sometimes bring stations in for only a few seconds – so music-spotting becomes a speed test. That’s one of my favorite ways to find good tracks. But of course I also follow the world of music on social media. And I’ll admit it: sometimes my current favorite track may end up on RealMix too, because I hope the listener will like it as well.

A lot of work happens behind the scenes: replying to reception reports, programming the rotation and automation, and constant optimization. RealMix isn’t a playlist that repeats endlessly- it’s a programmed system designed to make sure that for example, high-energy dance tracks don’t hit too hard in the morning and consecutive songs flow together. The financial side has been tight at times – equipment, licenses, and electricity aren’t cheap, so my warm thanks go to the family and a few fans who have helped this student to keep shortwave active.

The future of RealMix radio

RealMix has now been on shortwave for two years. The journey has included twists, surprises, and happy moments. My goal is to keep the station active, improve the listening experience, and strengthen the connection listeners feel with the station. New programme makers are welcome. If you want your voice on shortwave, send us a demo recording and a few words about yourself by email.

Thank you to every listener, every reception reporter, and everyone who has been part of making RealMix possible!

Special thanks to Harri Kujala, David Mawby and Risto Harjula!