Author: Peter Reuderink (Page 31 of 46)

“Ukraine” QSL from NEXUS IBA 1323 kHz

October 25, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Following a brief email confirmation in August I received this beautiful “Ukraine” e- QSL from NEXUS IBA 1323 kHz. They broadcast from Villa Estense in Italy.

As they wrote in the accompanying email; “Our latest QSL card is dedicated to all the people in Ukraine, those who died, and those who left their home country as refugees during the current times of war. The card was designed by Pauline Marx, a young German artist who joins us in expressing a message of hope to the people in Ukraine because there is always hope for a better future”.

NEXUS IBA 1332 kHz QSL card dedicated to Ukraine — NEXUS IBA 1332 kHz QSL card, dedicated to the people in Ukraine

They continue:
“We run extraordinary high power broadcast on Shortwave and Medium Wave (1368 kHz) in the evenings with news and inspirational programs to reach those in the current conflict zones. If you wish to know more or support our efforts, please visit our web pages:

Humanitarian Radio Broadcasting at the time of the Ukrainian war

You may also donate to our fund to sponsor the cost of airtime and allow us to
continue these broadcasts:

https://www.nexus.org/ukraine-donate-to-humanitarian-radio-broadcasting/ “

Radio Romania International English Schedule

October 24, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

The English desk of Radio Romania International has always been so kind to verify my reports, even for local Radio Romania stations. So I’d like to do them a little favor in return by publishing their winter 2023-2024 schedule, valid from October 29th. More info can be found here.

Radio Romania International English schedule winter 2023-2024

QSL Woofferton Transmitting Station 17785 kHz

October 21, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 4 Comments

QSL Encompass Woofferton United Kingdom — e QSL for the reception of the Encompass program celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Woofferton Transmitting Station

A special e- QSL for Woofferton Transmitting Station on 17785 kHz. Encompass Digital Media is the owner of this transmitting station at Woofferton, United Kingdom. Formerly owned by the BBC it was handed over to Encompass in 1997 as a part of the privatization of the World Service distribution and transmission.

On October 17th, Encompass brought a special program celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Woofferton Station. The program featured various personal stories of people that are working or had worked on the station. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as having been an operational manager myself (albeit in a different line of business) I can really appreciate how a team can be proud of running a complex technical facility together.

(Thanks to Franz Bleeker for bringing this broadcast to my attention!)

QSL NDB FIL-380 Horta/Faial Island

October 20, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I was really surprised to pick up a NDB signal from the Azores with considerable signal strength. Below you can see the Pskov recording (I added the morse code for clarity):

Pretty strong signal from FIL-380 Horta/Faial Island

The email to QSL NDB FIL-380 near Horta on Faial Island indicates a power of 700W which, in combination with propagation over water, might explain why the signal came through so well.
I sent my report to geral@nav.pt which is the general email address for NAV Portugal, responsible for flight safety in Portugal and the Portugese Islands.

email QSL for NDB FIL 380 kHz, near Horta on Faial Island, Azores

QSL Vocea Sperantei 1584 kHz

October 18, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

The medium wave scene is pretty dynamic right now. And 1584 kHz has always been a frequency where several low power stations compete. I got this QSL Vocea Sperantei for my reception of their program on 1584 kHz. I sent my report to rvs@rvs.ro .

e QSL letter from Vocea Sperantei, Romania, 1584 kHz

Vocea Sperantei has 4 transmitters on this frequency. All have a rather modest power of 1 kW only. Nevertheless I hear them quite often, battling with SER stations from Spain, Greatest Hit Radio from the UK, or Studio X from Italy.

Vocea Sperantei means “Voice of Hope”. The station is part of the Adventist World Radio network (as you could have guessed from the three trumpets in the logo).

As they write on their website: “In an indifferent, confused world with toppled values, Voice of Hope is a different kind of radio, with a different message. Because of the current topics, the warm and optimistic tone of the producers and the interest in the problems of the listeners, Vocea Sperantei radio is for everyone who needs a friend, strength and hope”. And indeed in these troubled times I can only applaud them for their effort.

SAQ scheduled to air on UN-Day Oct 24th

October 17, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

After an extended period of building maintenance, World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station has scheduled SAQ to be on air on UN-Day, Tuesday October 24th 2023 at 17:00 CET (15:00 UTC), to send out a peace message to the whole world, using the 200kW Alexanderson alternator from 1924, on 17.2 kHz CW.

Transmission & YouTube Live stream
16:25 CET (14:25 UTC): Live stream on YouTube begins.
16:30 CET (14:30 UTC): Startup and tuning of the Alexanderson Alternator SAQ.
17:00 CET (15:00 UTC): Transmission of a message from SAQ.

For more info, including how to submit a QSL request: https://alexander.n.se/en/

e QSL SAQ Grimeton 17.2 kHz Alexanderson Day 2023

QSL NDB MN-344 Menorca

October 17, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Another NDB on the Baleares, Spain. A QSL for NDB MN-344 Menorca, via Enaire. This radio beacon is located in Sant Lluis on the island of Menorca. It supports arrival and approach procedures at Menorca Airport. Like NDB IZA-394 the transmitter is a 200W Marconi SS2000A, connected to a T-antenna.

Technical Info: MDN MN-344 kHz Mahon, Menorca

QSL NDB IZA-394 Ibiza

October 16, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 3 Comments

Via Enaire, the air navigation and aeronautical information service provider in Spain, I got a QSL for NDB IZA-394 Ibiza. This radio beacon is located in Santa Eulalia del Rio on the island of Ibiza. It serves as approach beacon for the airport of Ibiza, and take off beacon for the airports of Menorca and Palma de Mallorca. The transmitter is a Marconi SS 2000A with 200W output power. The Antenna is a “T” as you can see on the picture they so kindly provided:

Technical Info NDB IZA-394 kHz Santa Eulalia, Ibiza

Woofferton Anniversay broadcast

October 14, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

October 17, 2023: Anniversary broadcast 80 years of Woofferton
(via Biener’s DX Digest, thanks to a tip from Franz Bleeker)

The Woofferton shortwave station will celebrate its 80th birthday on October 17, 2023. The Mayor of Leominster and the Deputy Mayor of Ludlow will join other dignitaries at a special event in Woofferton to mark the occasion. The transmitter facility was built by the BBC during the Second World War to accommodate additional shortwave transmitters. When the station officially began broadcasting on October 17, 1943, it had six 50 kW RCA transmitters, acquired through a loan-lease agreement. The station has been modernized several times over the years and is now DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) capable and offers daily digital radio programs.
There will be a special program on shortwave (and other platforms) for the birthday on October 17, 2023: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. UTC:

Transmitter 95 Marconi BD272 from 1963: 15245 kHz (250 kW, 294°) towards North America
Transmitter 96 RIZ: 17785 kHz (250 kW kW, 114°) towards Europe
Transmitter 92 RIZ: 11725 kHz-DRM (110 kW DRM, 114°) towards Europe

The program details the history of the broadcasting facility, which was used not only for the BBC and then the Voice of America, but for numerous other foreign services. Station employees will have their say about the history and present of the broadcasting system. QSL hunters can apply for an E-QSL by submitting meaningful reception reports to radio @ encompass.tv. There is even a raffle. (Dave Porter via Alan Pennington/Wolfgang Büschel)

My mind is elsewhere… global tensions

October 13, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

I was not very active blogging I have to admit. Following the developments in Israel my mind is elsewhere, and I still find it difficult to focus my mind on pulling “difficult to read” radio signals out of my SDR IQ recordings…

I’m still monitoring the waves, and the computer picked up some signals from two countries under attack…

On October 7th I picked up this NAVTEX signal on 518 kHz from Haifa Radio, Israel, mentioning the blockade of the Gaza strip. As the message states “as of 03 January” I do believe that this is not related to the current war, but to a blockade that has been established earlier.

On October 10th I picked up another message. This one contains an Israeli Navy annoucnement about a safety zone around the Karish platform.

Another station that I didn’t receive for a while is Odesa Radio, Ukraine. I see a couple of warnings about drifting buoys in the Black Sea… probably nothing out of the ordinary, while buoys are there for safety they often break loose and appear in messages like this.