Month: August 2024 (Page 1 of 2)

eQSL from World Music Radio 5930 kHz

August 29, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

This week I received an email from Stig Hartvig Nielsen from WMR to verify my reception on 5930 kHz. The station is broadcasting from Bramming in Denmark. Unfortunately, as mr. Nielsen explains in the email below it doesn’t contain any detail. That said, the station offers QSLs for a small compensation, so that will be my next step.

WMR can be received in good quality here. They offer a nice selection of “world music”, which is a good alternative for listening to long lost tropical band stations.

no detail e QSL from WMR, Bramming, Denmark on 5930 kHz

It is not the first time I received a QSL from World Music Radio. Years ago I heard them via the Meyerton transmitter in South Africa:

1997 QSL from WMR broadcasting via Meyerton, South Africa, also signed by Stig Hartvig Nielsen

Dear P. J. Reuderink

Thanks very much for your reception report to World Music Radio (WMR)! It is very kind of you to reach out to my small radio station. I am pleased to verify your report; please find attached the WMR eQSL for 2024.

WMR no longer issues full detail eQSL’s. A printed full detail QSL card, however, is available – if you send your report by mail to me at Hovedvejen 17, DK-8920 Randers NV, Denmark – and if possible enclose return postage (two duly stamped International Reply Coupons – or ten euro). An additional donation to keep WMR and Radio208 on the air will be appreciated. Please note that our PO Box in Randers SØ has been closed by PostNord. All PO Boxes in Denmark are being closed this year in this crazy country.

A printed full detail QSL card is also available if you send your report by e-mail, and at the same time make a donation of at least 75 DKK (10 euro) via PayPal to wmr@wmr.dk or paypal.me/worldmusicradio.

Reception reports using remote receivers (such as KiwiSDR’s) are not QSLed, unless it is a remote receiver in your own country set up and owned by yourself.

Now some details about World Music Radio: WMR is an independent music station with a cheerful mix of tropical, world music. The main focus is on reggae, salsa, soca, Brazilian music, and African music as well as a little Andean music and Punjabi music. I would say that at least 90 % of the music is from the Global South.

WMR commenced broadcasting on shortwave more than 50 years ago from the Netherlands and has since 1997 been owned and operated by Hartvig Media ApS, Denmark. In 2004 broadcasting from Denmark began. At present WMR is broadcasting 24 hours a day seven days a week on mediumwave 927 kHz (approx. 150 Watts from Hvidovre, Copenhagen. Currently off air), on shortwave 5930 kHz (150 Watts from Bramming), on shortwave 15700 kHz (300 Watts from Randers), and on shortwave 25800 kHz (150 Watts from Mårslet, Aarhus). Also streaming on the Internet.

Aerials used are an experimental coil aerial (“spool”) for 927 kHz (18 m above the ground), a horizontal dipole for 5930 kHz (13 m above the ground), a three element yagi beamed South for 15700 kHz (30 m above the ground), and a vertical half wave dipole for 25800 kHz (110 m above the ground).

Listening to WMR using this website: http://radio.garden/listen/world-music-radio-classic-am-927/g27WAsrY is recommended. Radio.garden is also available as an app for your mobile phone. Please add WMR as your favourite.

Using these sites: https://www.radio-danmark.dk/wmr-world-music-radio and https://raddio.net/331768-world-music-radio/ you can usually see the titles of the tracks played on WMR. Please give “thumps up” for WMR here.

If you are using Facebook, you are also kindly invited to follow WMR here: https://www.facebook.com/WorldMusicRadioWMR

Best 73s and good DX,
Stig Hartvig Nielsen
www.radio208.dk
www.wmr.dk

QSL Music Wave Radio 3940 kHz

August 27, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

A QSL from Music Wave Radio, a pirate station on 3940 kHz. The transmitter location is a bit unclear. Some sources state that it is Belarus, with programs produced in Russia. Anyway, it is definitely not the eastern part of The Netherlands, the UK where most of my pirate QSLs come from.

When I listened Music Wave Radio was broadcasting Russian pop and rock music. Shazam helped me out to identify some titles and artists, but I still had to decipher them from cyrillic script. Apparently I passed the test because operator Evgeniy confirmed my reception report with in a day. I sent my report to podradio@mail.ru.

QSL Polaris Radio 6390 kHz

August 26, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I got a nice e QSL document for my reception of pirate radio station Polaris Radio on 6390 kHz. It had with quite a bit of information which I will not share here for obvious reasons. Unlike most pirate stations they are transmitting from the western part of The Netherlands with a maximum power of 2 kW into an inverted V antenna. I sent my report to polarisradio@hotmail.com .

QSL Radio City via Channel 292

August 24, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

This morning I listened to Radio City via Channel 292 on 9670 and 6070 kHz. A nice mix of lesser known oldies, including some French songs that always give you that “summer feeling”. Within an hour I received the above QSL which gives some information about the format. The 2nd page of the QSL (not shown here) gave information about the music that was played.

The “Tower of Power!” logo on the QSL confirmed what I already suspected. The station is named after the offshore radio station. The original Radio City was active between 1964 and 1967 from the Shivering Sands Army fort in the Thames Estuary. These were the wild days of offshore radio in the UK, culminating in Radio City’s manager Reginald Calvert being killed by Oliver Smedley, former manager of offshore Radio Atlanta, in a violent row about a transmitter sale.

The original Radio City station was operating from Shivering Sands Army fort.

QSL Realmix Radio 6195 kHz

August 22, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 5 Comments

A QSL for Realmix Radio from southern Finland on 6195 kHz.
With the major broadcasters leaving shortwave there is a trend of smaller low power stations to step in. If only for the fun of it! The Netherlands seem to be leading with stations like Casanova, Delta, Veronica and Piepzender. But Finland is following with Scandinavian Weekend Radio, Piko, Realmix Radio and Radio Blacksmith Knoll (the latter one is a station I still have to receive).

I heard Realmix Radio around 18:30 UTC for a few minutes in reasonable quality SINPO23332, with the English presenter clearly understandable. Around 19:00 I was able to pick up a few song titles with Shazam. Their SSTV signal was also clearly audible, but did not result in a decent decode.
I sent my report to realmix.sw@gmail.com . Realmix Radio is on air during the weekend, check for the latest schedule on their Facebook page.

QSL Xenon Transmitting Company 6205 kHz

August 21, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A QSL from Xenon Transmitting Company on 6205 kHz, broadcasting from England, United Kingdom.
I sent my report to xtcshortwave@googlemail.com .
As they write in their email:

XTC (full name the Xenon Transmitting Company) has been on the air since 1993. We like to talk about various subjects rather than just play music. XTC does not have a regular schedule, but we try to be on the air over the Bank Holidays, Easter and Christmas.

If you google ‘UK Free Radio Shortwave Memories from the 1990’s’ you will find a very good blog which has more information about XTC and other stations that were active during that decade.

QSL Radio Ö1 Moosbrunn 6155 kHz

August 20, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I received a fully detailed email to QSL Radio Ö1 Moosbrunn received on 6155 kHz. I sent my report to oe1.service@orf.at .

QSL email from Radio Ö1 Moosbrunn 6195 kHz

Radio Österreich International, also known as “Austria Calling” among English listeners, discontinued operations in 2003. Shortwave operations continued as Radio Ö1 International, but got reduced in coverage and quality. In 2010 there was only a 75 minute program on 6155 kHz left.

From March 2022 onwards, in response to the war in the Ukraine, it was decided to increase the number of broadcasts again. With 300 kW there are now morning, afternoon and evening programs on 6155, 13730 and 5940 respectively.

To honor the good old days: below the QSL card from “Austria Calling” as I received it in 1979.

QSL card “Austria Calling” Radio Österreich International from 1979

QSL Radio Voyager 6956 kHz

August 17, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

QSL Radio Voyager a Free Radio with Jazz music — eQSL Radio Voyager from Northern Italy, broadcasting on 6956 kHz

A nice QSL from Radio Voyager. I heard them on 6956 kHz with nice Jazz music. According to their email they are Free Radio from Northern Italy, transmitting with 400 W on a dipole.
I sent my report to radiovoyager@hotmail.com . They have a facebook page shared with – guess what – Enterprise Radio ! Star Trek fans will understand the connection. Unfortunately I’ve only just applied for membership, so I can’t tell you much more about this station.

QSL Royal Navy Northwood 2618.5 kHz

August 16, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 3 Comments

JOMOC Northwood QSL — paper QSL from RN Northwood (JOMOC) on 2618.5 kHz

One of the first things I discovered when I restarted the hobby almost 2 years ago is how easy it is to decode the various digital modes these days. I played with MultiPSK and received a weather fax from JOMOC Royal Navy Northwood on 2618.5 kHz. The quality was quite poor as I was still working with a simple indoor MLA30+ loop, which picked up a lot of noise. But the JOMOC ID was clearly visible:

Weather FAX Northwood — Weather Fax from Royal Navy (pretty poor quality)

As I didn’t have an email address I sent my report by regular mail. One and a half year later I received a beautiful paper QSL card. And a letter apologizing for the delay. Well, it was worth waiting for:

Fully detailed “old school” QSL card from JOMOC RN Northwood

Apart from the long wait there was a complication in receiving this QSL. For some reason or another a customs declaration form was attached to the envelope. Indicating that the value of the contents was 10 GBP. And prior to delivery by PostNL I had to pay 8 Euros taxes and admin fee as the UK is no longer part of the EU. A complaint could only be filed after payment.
Upon reception of the QSL I tried to file the complaint online. But PostNL forgot to properly register delivery in their systems so that didn’t work… In other words: basically I was taxed for something they were not even able to demonstrate that it was actually delivered😂 . The PostNL helpdesk explained that all I could do was send a letter to their head offices… in the end I got a 2.36 Euro refund… I left it at that…

August ’24 QSL Atlantic 2000 Int. via Ch.292

August 16, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I did not count on it as I didn’t had the time to listen to their full 1 hour programme. Just dropped them a quick comparison of the 6070 and 9670 reception quality. But probably out of courtesy towards a regular listener I received the August ’24 QSL for their broadcast via Channel 292, Rohrbach, Germany.

QSL Atlantic 2000 International via Ch. 292

You can always listen back to their programs via the website: http://radioatlantic2000.free.fr/