Peter's DX Corner

QSL NDB LU-397 and NA-383 Banja Luka

September 26, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I received an email from Mr. Goran Nikolic, Systems Engineer at BHANSA. He asked me if he could use the information of my reception report of NDB „TU“ on 445 kHz near Tuzla in a technical book he was preparing on radio navigation aids. The idea was to explain that NDBs can be received over much longer distances if propagation conditions are favourable. As Mr. Nikolic wrote: “It is a very useful practical example for explaining a phenomenon that can otherwise remain rather abstract.”

Of course I agreed, but I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Nikolic if he could confirm my reception of a number of beacons from Bosnia Herzegovina. My request was forwarded to Mr. Borenovic, Head of CNS department in Banja Luka. He confirmed my reception of beacons NDB LU on 397 kHz and NDB NA on 383 kHz. But also informed me that both beacons have been taken out of operation in 2026.

It is sad to see that this part of our radio hobby disappears as NDBs are replaced with more modern navigation systems. The picture below from OurAirports shows the position of these former beacons. Quite frankly I do think the exact location is a little bit more to the left, in line with the runway.

This is the equipment at the LU location as shown on Google Streetview:

Banja Luka International Airport (BNX), also known as Mahovljani Airport, began construction in 1976 as a secondary facility intended only for domestic flights within socialist Yugoslavia, and it saw little scheduled traffic even then. After the Bosnian War Banja Luka became the de facto capital of Republika Srpska, giving the airfield new political and practical weight; it opened to civilian traffic on 18 November 1997 and briefly served as the hub of the short-lived flag carrier Air Srpska (1999–2003).

Facilities were upgraded in 2002–2003 ahead of Pope John Paul II’s visit. For years passenger numbers remained modest, but the arrival of Ryanair in 2018 and Wizz Air in 2021 transformed it into a low-cost gateway. By 2025 it handled nearly 485,000 passengers, making it Republika Srpska’s only international airport and a vital link for Banja Luka—Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second-largest city—connecting the region to Belgrade and numerous European cities and supporting tourism, business, and the entity’s economic integration with the wider continent.

More info about the Republika Srpska can be found in my post on NDB BLK on 340 kHz.

QSL Taiwan Area Fishery Radio Station 1143 kHz

September 23, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

A QSL letter from Taiwan Chu Yuyeh Kuangpo Tientai, 台灣區漁業廣播電台
(Táiwān Qū Yúyè Guǎngbō Diàntái). Also known as Taiwan Area Fishery Radio Station on 1143 kHz. With 100 kW they also broadcast on 738 kHz. I couldn’t copy them there unlike other Benelux DX Club members. Their third frequency is 1593 kHz but that one has 3 kW only.

It is always a pleasure to receive a nice envelope that has traveled halfway around the world:

I heard them at 19:59 h UTC with time pips and a female ID for Fishery Radio:

Much stronger was the reception a later that evening with a Radio Taiwan International program:

By the way: Radio Taiwan International confirmed my reception as well with a f/d email and promised a dedicated QSL card. Let’s see.

Taiwan Area Fishery Radio Station (now Fisheries Radio Station, or FRS) is a government-run mediumwave service created to keep fishermen at sea informed and safe. It broadcasts 24 hours a day on AM 738 kHz and 1143 kHz from Penghu and 1593 kHz from Yilan. Programs are also carried in parts of eastern Taiwan by partner stations.

Taiwan is surrounded by sea and has a large fishing industry. In 1980 the Ministry of National Defense’s General Political Warfare Headquarters asked the Intelligence Bureau to plan a dedicated station that would deliver timely, accurate marine weather and related information so crews could protect lives and property and make better use of ocean resources. Trial weather broadcasts began on 1 July 1983. After provincial government reorganization in 1999 the station moved under the Fisheries Agency. It has belonged to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Agency since 1 August 2023.

Programming also includes general information and entertainment and is produced in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Filipino, and indigenous languages to reach both local fishermen and foreign crew members. Mediumwave was chosen because it travels well over water and can be received on simple shipboard radios far from shore.

QSL WMLB 1690 kHz Avondale Estates

September 11, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

A QSL for my reception of WMLB 1690 Avondale Estates, or WMLB 1690 AM Atlanta as this is what they themselves advertise. My first QSL for an AM broadcaster from the state of Georgia! I received a ‘simulcast’ of a program from WCPT, with the WMLB station ID on the hour:

As the WRTH provided links to WCPT Heartland Signal sites only I left a message on their website. Rodney Gibbs, General Manager confirmed my reception report. He states that they recently launched the station and are preparing to add local programming soon:

As far as I know WMLB 1690 is not (yet) owned by Heartland Signal. The FCC licensee is still John Fredericks’ Disruptor Radio, LLC.

Most of the news talk stations I have received so far voice a conservative opinion (like WXKS for example). Heartland Signal however brings a progressive voice. The format is “live, local & progressive”: discussions with activisten, journalists and politicians from the MidWest, with news from the digital newsdesk of Heartland Signal.

QSL ABC Newsradio 6PB 1152 kHz Busselton

September 8, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 6 Comments

I’m flabbergasted. A QSL for ABC Newsradio via 6PB 1152 kHz Busselton, West-Australia. A record 14113 kms with a 10 kW signal. Mr. Graham Himmelhoch-Mutton was so kind to confirm my report (and yes in the excitement I forgot to provide info on my receiver and antenna).

I received this station thanks to a tip from Guido Schotmans on the Benelux DX Club Facebook page. So credits to him. Funny detail: in Belgium he heard them strongest just past the hour, while at my location (200 kms NNE) reception was best 20 minutes later around 21:27 h UTC. Not as good as Guido’s recording, but on 25 secs you can clearly hear ABC Sportnews.

With only a provisional antenna up and running and still much to improve, it seems that my new QTH is quite promising in terms of DX potential.

Personal record: 14113 kilometers on AM Mediumwave!

History and future of ABC NewsRadio

ABC NewsRadio in Australia originated from the legal obligation introduced in 1946 to broadcast parliamentary sittings live. Those broadcasts initially went out over the existing national ABC networks. In 1988 a dedicated Parliamentary Broadcast Network (PBN) was established for this purpose, using AM transmitters in the capital cities. On 15 August 1994 the Parliamentary and News Network (PNN) was launched on those same medium-wave frequencies: when parliament was not sitting, continuous news programming was provided. That service developed into ABC NewsRadio and reached a large part of the population via AM transmitters such as 630 kHz in Sydney, 1026 kHz in Melbourne and 585 kHz in Perth. Medium wave remained the backbone of the network for decades because AM offered wide coverage, including in cars and in rural areas.

The future of ABC NewsRadio on medium wave is mixed. The ABC is shifting resources towards digital platforms (DAB+, streaming and the ABC Listen app) and is moving some AM services to FM because of better sound quality and lower costs. In Perth, for example, ABC Radio Perth and Radio National switched from AM to FM in 2026, but NewsRadio is required to continue broadcasting on 585 kHz AM there because of the 1946 parliamentary legislation, in addition to a new FM frequency. Analogue radio will remain for the time being nationwide, particularly where legal requirements or coverage needs demand it, but investment in AM transmitters is declining. As a result, NewsRadio is likely to stay on medium wave longer than other ABC networks, while audiences increasingly listen via digital channels.

The transmitter location in Busselton/Kealy, Western Australia (c) GoogleMaps

QSL CKOC Hamilton 1150 AM

September 7, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A QSL for CKOC Hamilton 1150 AM, Canada’s oldest continuously operating radio station. A station that has adapted through more than a century of broadcasting while remaining a local voice. Station CHAB, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, began broadcasting a week earlier and is still on the air today, but was shut down for a period of time in 1933 before re-opening.

Recording of my CKOC 1150 AM reception, resutling in the first QSL on my new QTH

My reception report was confirmed within hours by Mr. Pervin, General Manager of the station. It is nice to be able to add this Canadian radio icon to my QSL Collection. And it is the first QSL from my new QTH!

A brief history of CKOC

Signed on May 1, 1922, by Herb Slack and George Crawford of Wentworth Radio and Auto Supply, the station began as a modest way to sell radios. Its call letters come from the original owner’s parent company, Ontario Cycle. Early broadcasts were limited, and the station hopped frequencies—including 880, 630, and 1120 kHz—before settling on 1150 AM in 1941. It served as a CBC affiliate from 1936 to 1962.

CKOC became a regional powerhouse during its Top 40 years from 1960 to 1992, competing with Toronto stations and earning a reputation as “The Busy Bee.” In 1992 it flipped to oldies as “Oldies 1150,” briefly using the CKMO calls before listeners demanded the original CKOC letters back in 1993. In 2013 the format changed scope from “Oldies” to “Classic Hits”.

Bell Media bought the station in 2013, and changed the format to sports talk in 2015, joining the TSN Radio network as TSN Radio 1150. In 2021, Bell Media ended the TSN Radio formats at CKOC as it did with CFRW Winnipeg and CKST Vancouver. CKOC continued as BNN Bloomberg Radio.

When Bell Media put the station up for sale in 2024 amid broader AM cutbacks the CINA Media Group acquired CKOC (along with sister station CHAM). In August 19, 2024, the new owners relaunched it as 1150 CKOC with a classic hits format branded “Superhits of the 70s and 80s.” The station now pairs that music with local news, including weekday morning newscasts and a simulcast of CHCH-TV’s Evening News at 6 p.m.

CKOC facilities

The CKOC transmitter site near Empire Corners (Google Street View)

Technically, CKOC is a Class B regional station with 50,000 watts daytime and 20,000 watts at night from a six-tower directional array near Empire Corners in Haldimand County, about 25 kilometres south of Hamilton. The signal covers the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Its website is 1150ckoc.com.

The provisional antenna is up!

August 28, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 4 Comments

OK, have to admit that I had an antenna up and running on the attic of our new house, but that was indoor… This is the first outdoor antenna I put up, and let’s see. First impression is that the noise floor is pretty low, but local thunderstorms spoiled listening. Next weekend there is a CLE for NDB enthousiasts, we’ll see!

QSL VOSR via Shortwave Gold 6160 kHz

August 23, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

VOSR International (Voice of Shortwave Radio) is a shortwave radio program focused on shortwave listening, equipment, history, listener reports, and related topics.It is produced and hosted by Jeff Silvers (also known online as WaveCrest Guy or similar handles), a shortwave enthusiast based in Hawaii (with mentions of Molokai and time spent on Oahu). The show started in early 2025 as a monthly program and has expanded over time.

QSL card from VOSR via Shortwave Gold 6160 kHz

You can listen to VOSR International via Radio Miami International and Shortwave Gold broadcasting from Winsen, Germany. Reception reports are welcomed via vosrint(at)yahoo.com, and the program features a mailbag segment, guest contributions, equipment discussions, and historical or practical shortwave content. Past episodes are available on the official website and the WaveCrest Guy YouTube channel.

QSL card VOSR via Shortwave Gold 6160 kHz

My reception report was answered within a day by email and an e-QSL. The real QSL card arrived 29 days after it was stamped in Honolulu Hawaii.

QSL NSE Radio Lima 1180 kHz

August 16, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

A QSL for my reception of NSE Radio from Lima, Peru, broadcasting on 1180 kHz mediumwave.

Reception quality was poor. With good DX ears the ID is recognizable in the first clip at 4 seconds: “NSE Radio…”.

The second clip features a female voice with messages and a typical tune in the background. It sounds very familiar, I think it was in one of my childhood piano lessons, but can’t find the tune anymore. Anyone?

NSE is an abbreviation of Nuestra Señora del Encuentro con Dios. Broadcasting on 1180 AM from Lima, Peru, this Catholic station is part of the broader NSE Radio and TV network dedicated to evangelization. The underlying Marian devotion and apostolic works trace their inspiration to Father Rodrigo Molina, with the title “Nuestra Señora del Encuentro con Dios” emerging around 1994 in Spain; the media ministry itself has more than 20–30 years of experience and has expanded across Peru (including stations in Arequipa and Cusco) as well as to other Spanish-speaking countries such as Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and beyond, while also producing content shared with partners like EWTN, Radio Católica Mundial, and Vatican Radio.

The Lima AM outlet (historically noted at around 10 kW) serves as a key production and live-broadcast hub, airing 24-hour programming that emphasizes religious teaching, spiritual formation, evangelization, sacred and other music, news, cultural and educational content, and special live coverage of papal events, all aimed at drawing listeners closer to God through Mary in accordance with Catholic Scripture and Tradition, largely sustained by volunteer efforts.

QSL Mondoradio TuttiFrutti 92,6 MHz

July 25, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Mondoradio Tuttifrutti (also styled as Mondo Radio Tutti Frutti) is a local radio station based in Tricase, in the province of Lecce in Puglia’s Salento region, Italy. Founded in 1988 by a group of young people the station distinguished itself through active involvement in local musical and cultural events and collaboration with venues in the area. Its name “Tuttifrutti” is explained as meaning “for everyone”, reflecting a format aimed at a broad audience.

Mondoradio Tuttifrutti is a regional station in Puglia, the “heel of the Italian boot”

Today Mondoradio Tuttifrutti remains an active local broadcaster serving the Salento area, transmitting on FM frequencies that include 107.5 MHz in the city of Lecce zone and a more powerful (25 kW) transmitter at 92.6 MHz. The latter frequency is the one I heard. My report was confirmed with a friendly fully detailed email.

Below a recording and screen capture of my reception:

QSL Mad Radio Athens 106.2 MHz

July 22, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

Despite best efforts, my scoring percentage on getting Sporadic E receptions QSL-ed was low this year. And thus I am already pleased with a friendly “Thank You” email reply. So imagine my joy when I received a fully detailed e-QSL card for my reception of MAD Radio 106.2 MHz from Athens, Greece.

Mr. Nikos Milonas, Program Director sent me the e-QSL, logo’s (like the one above) and a nice email:

Mad Radio 106.2 (also known as MAD Radio) is a popular youth-oriented radio station in Athens, Greece, owned and operated by the MAD media group. It focuses on mainstream international pop, dance, and hits (roughly 90% international, 10% Greek), targeting younger listeners with high-energy programming, viral trends, and live shows.

Below my reception in pretty good quality of MAD Radio including a Target Sport Club commercial:

The station on 106.2 FM originated as Diva FM. In the mid-2000s (around 2005), following Greek media licensing and ownership changes, it was acquired by the Kouris family (linked to MAD) and renamed Mad Radio.

The broader MAD brand began with the launch of MAD TV (the first Greek music channel) on June 6, 1996. It grew into a major music and entertainment hub, including TV channels, events like the MAD Video Music Awards (MAD VMA), digital platforms, and retail. MAD Radio 106.2 is a key part of this ecosystem, extending the brand’s focus on youth culture, music, and lifestyle.

While most internet sources indicate that MAD Radio is broadcasting on 106.2 MHz only (with 40 kW), FMscan.org shows 4 additional transmitting sites, albeit with low (<2 kW) power.