I've been listening for Polar flights the last few days. Here are some reception reports.
2018.02.08, 2104 UTC
UAL086, EWR-PEK, Bodo 4675
Aircraft position - 79N000E
KiwiSDR G8JNJ South West UK
Aircraft reception 3/3 - position report "79N000E at 2103Z eta 80N020E at 2130Z next PIREL, fuel 137.0, selcal BSHK"
Bodo reception 4/4 - "[selcal tone], squawk 0212, monitor VHF 127.725, at PIREL contact Murmansk 8950 primary 11390 secondary"
2018.02.08, 2056 UTC
AFL122, SVO-JFK, Bodo 4675
Aircraft position - approaching NORVA (68 05 50N 010 57 41E) (initial call on HF)
KiwiSDR G8JNJ South West UK
Aircraft reception 4/4 - "request selcal check"
Bodo reception 4/4 - "[selcal tone], crossing 71N000W call Iceland 8864 primary 4675 secondary"
2018.02.10, 1855 UTC
ACA045, DEL-YVR, Murmansk 8950
Aircraft position - vicinity LUGOT (72 02 20N 69 48 40E) (initial call on HF)
KiwiSDR SK3W Fernbo Sweden
Aircraft reception unreadable
Murmansk reception very weak 1/1 - "maintain FL360, selcal, say eta AMODI, report AMODI"
2018.02.10, 2025 UTC
CPA841, JFK-HKG, Iceland 8891
Aircraft position - approaching ABERI (87 30N 032E)
LiveATC Amherst NH USA
Aircraft reception very weak mostly unreadable
Iceland reception 3/3 - selcals aircraft requesting position report, readback "87 30N 000E at 2017Z eta ABERI 2027Z next RAVUL, at ABERI contact Murmansk 8950 primary 11390 secondary"
2018.02.09, 2156 UTC
AAL289, ORD-PVG, Gander 8891
Aircraft position - vincinty 75N105W (initial call on HF)
LiveATC Amherst NH USA
Aircraft reception unreadable
Gander reception 3/3 - reaback "CPDLC, call me over RESUM this frequency, selcal DRBM, [selcal tone], 4675 or 11279 backup"
2018.02.09, 2317 UTC
AAL289, ORD-PVG, Gander 8891
Aircraft position - RESUM (84 14 45N 141W)
LiveATC Amherst NH USA
Aircraft reception unreadable
Gander reception 3/3 - readback "position RESUM at 2317Z at FL360 eta RAMEL 2337Z next PETUL, at RAMEL contact Magadan 11390 primary 8837 secondary"
There still seems to be a large "hole" over the Polar region where satellite reception is spotty or not available, so you still hear Gander and Iceland using HF voice for a lot of these flights. For now anyway as I seem to recall reading about some new satellites to be launched to cover this area in the near future.
JS