Peter's DX Corner

"It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on" - Marilyn Monroe

“pre-e-QSL” Radio Cairo 9900 kHz

September 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Last year I received a QSL from Port Said Radio on 2187.5 kHz. Prior to that my only QSL from Egypt was from the Middle East News Agency (MENA) for a 1993 reception report. In those days I built a small RTTY converter connected to my first PC allowing me to decode these messages. It was quite common for news agencies to have an RTTY outlet on shortwave. It resulted in a nice QSL letter:

QSL letter from MENA Cairo broadcasting on shortwave

Despite many attempts I’ve never been able to get a QSL from Radio Cairo. But a DX friend of mine, Paul Flanagan, triggered me to give it another shot as he received what he described as a “pre-QSL email”. So I tried again and indeed, within a day I received this “pre-QSL email”:

pre-QSL email from Radio Cairo

So now I have to wait and see if that elusive e-QSL will arrive in my email inbox one day…

I listened to a Turkish program from Radio Cairo on 9900 kHz. They seem to have broadcasts in English, French, German on the 31 meter band as well, but I have the impression that it is a bit erratic. And when I receive them the signal is often strong, but a poor modulation compromised reception quality. Below a clip of my recent reception with time announcement.

QSL WPTX Lexington Park 1690 kHz

September 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The North American Transatlantic DX season has started, and one of the stations I received last week was WPTX 1690 AM from Lexington Park, Maryland, USA. I wrote to this station in the past, never got an answer. This time my report was answered with this n/d email. I sent my report to sharon@somdradio.com .

WPTX was one of the stations that moved to the socalled “expanded band” in the late 90’s. This expanded band, which runs from 1610 to 1700 kHz was approved for use by the FCC on March 17th, 1997. I remember that at the time European DX-ers thought that this would open a lot of opportunities for Transatlantic DX as there are no European stations active on these frequencies (and in those days the traditional MW band was still crowded with high power EU broadcasters).

But apart from a few regulars it turned out to be not that easy… mainly because most of the stations allowed were low power (10 Watts only). WPTX is an exception, with 10 kW during day time, 1 kW night time. And with their location close to the coast they are one of the stations that can be heard regularly at my QTH.

WTPX targets a 50+ year old audience with oldies, rock and roll and surf music.

QSL NDB CA-281 Cartwright

September 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments

My first QSL for a Canadian beacon was YMH Mary’s Harbour. But the first NDB I received from Canada was NDB CA on 281 kHz for Cartwright Airport. With 4022 kilometers the distance is a little bit further than YMH at 4009 kilometers.

Jennifer from Navcanada was so kind to confirm my reception report. And we exchanged some ideas for the exchange of QSL cards from Navcanada (which would be great!).

QSL letter for NDB CA Cartwright on 281 kHz

Below an audioclip of the reception of NDB CA… for those not familiar with morse code… it is -.-. .- (dah-di-dah-di di-dah) that you will hear:

Cartwright Airport has only one gravel runway of 1200 meters. Twice a week there are flights to Goose Bay (the biggest airport of Labrador) and Black Tickle, an Inuit settlement on the Island of Ponds.

If you want to explore Cartwright Airport, you could use the webcam… but there is not a lot to see.

Green circle is Cartwright NDB on 281 kHz. The water aerdrome is marked with a cross, and Cartwright airport with the purple plane.

QSL Stockholm Radio 2187.5 kHz

September 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

A nice QSL email from Stockholm Radio Sweden for a DSC message on 2187.5 kHz with a copy of the classic Stockholm Radio QSL card with call sign SDJ attached. I sent my report to info@stockholmradio.se .

email QSL for Stockholm Raidio at 2187.5 kHz

I sent this report because Hugo Matten received such a nice reply on his report. But as was explained to me in an earlier email all emergency monitoring (GMDSS/DSC) is done by JRCC Sweden, located in Gothenburg. They have access to the facilities of Stockholm Radio for that purpose.

Stockholm Radio is in fact only responsible for the VHF services from Stockholm.

A copy of the physical QSL card for Stockholm Radio that was in use in the 80s was enclosed.

QSL NDB RUS-424 Reus

September 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

A QSL for NDB RUS operating on 424 kHz for Aeropuerto de Reus in Spain. Checking the statistics on NDB list this shouldn’t be a difficult catch. But despite receiving many Spanish NDBs, July this year was the first time I received RUS.
And my reception was far from perfect. In the Pskov recording I made you can see that the beacons was briefly visible with RUS in morse: .-. ..- …

Enaire was again so kind to confirm my report and included their usual data sheet. I sent my report to informacion@enaire.es .

Most flights from Reus Airport are seasonal, carried out by budget airlines like Ryanair and Jet2.com.

QSL NDB LRD-404 Lerida

September 10, 2025 / / 0 Comments

I write Lerida as the call sign of this beacons is LRD and it is know as Lerida, but the formal name of the city in Catalan is Lleida. The NDB LRD is operated and maintained by Enaire who verified my report with the usual fact sheet. It shows that it is one of the typical Sistema radiante de tipo T antennas fed by a 200 W transmitter.

Factsheet NDB LRD Lerida at 404 kHz provided by Enaire

Now I’m not entirely sure if you can associate this beacon with Lleida-Alguaire Airport or not. But if so, while most of the NDBs from Spain I got confirmed were either associated with an Aena Airport or the military, Lleida-Alguaire airport is operated by Aeroports de Catalunya. It was constructed in 2010 by the Government of Catalunya at the cost of 130 million Euros.

Lleida Alguaire Airport… new, modern, but not much used

LRD is one of the Spanish beacons heard most easily at my QTH, and reported by European NDB listeners. But the airport seems to be less of a success though. Airnostrum seems to operate flights to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca. But that’s all. For that reason the airport seems to target “aeronautical services” today. That means niche businesses as flying schools, aircraft storage and maintenance services.

Voice of Vietnam 80th anniversary

September 7, 2025 / / 2 Comments

Today is the 80th anniversary of a well known Shortwave broadcaster: The Voice of Vietnam.

My 1980s QSL for the Voice of Vietnam

The Voice of Vietnam started broadcasting on September 7th, 1945 from Hanoi in what was then called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The station was established shortly after the August Revolution of 1945 at the end of World War II. The communist-led Việt Minh sought indepence and defeated the French in 1954.

The Voice of Vietnam was one of my first real DX QSLs when I started the hobby in 1979. I received a reply in 3 months. The 10040 kHz they were broadcasting on just outside the formal 31m band made that they suffered less from interference. With the formal QSL leaflet came a more friendly postcard.

Grettings from the Voice of Vietnam, card issued in 1980

In yesterday’s English broadcast the Voice of the Vietnam spent some time on military parades celebrating the August Revolution. But there was also a special topic on the history of the Voice of Vietnam:

QSL Radio Mexico 1098 kHz

September 5, 2025 / / 0 Comments

A QSL from Radio Mexico on 1098 kHz. No, not from Mexico, but from Den Bosch (or ‘s Hertogenbosch) the capital of the province of the province of Noord-Brabant in The Netherlands. I sent my report to info@radiomexico.nl . At my QTH the station is competing with LPAM station Seabreeze on the same frequency.

QSL Radio Mexico from Den Bosch on 1098 kHz

Radio Mexico is a legal LPAM station broadcasting with 100 Watts. It began as a pirate radio station in 1980. Initially operating from a small attic room, it aimed to engage local youth and became a beloved regional institution, known for playing Dutch-language folk hits and supporting local artists. Famous singer Frans Bauer was one of them.

Until mid-2006, it faced approximately 80 shutdowns due to illegal broadcasts, with some operators even jailed for piracy. At the occasion of the 50th raid the inspector of the Radio Control Department brought a special treat with him: Bossche Bollen, a local specialty.

Bas vd Oetelaar, host of “Muziek Jungle” was so kind to confirm my reception report for Radio Mexico

In late 2006 Radio Mexico started legal broadcasts via FM. But in 2018 moved to on-line only as it faced financial challenges. The station briefly expanded to DAB+ and FM frequencies in 2024. But in February high costs forced them to shut down again.

Since July 2025 they are back however, this time with a LPAM license on 1098 AM. Celebrating 45 years in September 2025, Radio Mexico remains a cultural staple in Den Bosch, focusing on regional and national Dutch music.

QSL NDB SGO-356 Sagunto

September 4, 2025 / / 0 Comments

NDB SGO on 356 kHz is another typical ENAIRE beacon: 200 Watts in a “Sistema radiante de tipo T”: three horizontal wires between two towers. The navigational function is linked to Valencia Airport. The beacon is located in Canet d’en Berenguer, north of Valencia. I’m not an expert, but when I checked on flight radar I noticed that flights pass north of Valencia, making a U-turn to land in an easterly direction.

The info sheet for NDB SGO shared by Enaire

If search for the beacon on GoogleMaps you will see that it is a bit of a weird location, in front of a hotel and in right in the centre of a nice beach resort and yacht club. But I guess the beacon was already there when the development of the resort started around 2001.

NDB SGO Sagunto is located next to the lighthouse, in front of a hotel (GoogleMaps).

My report was confirmed via informacion@enaire.es .

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