Author: Peter Reuderink (Page 41 of 58)

QSL Radio Timișoara 630 kHz

November 25, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I received a polite email from the English desk of RRI to QSL my reception of Radio Timișoara on 630 kHz. They thanked me for my report and they will mention it in the upcoming Listener’s Corner on RRI. Funny detail: the English desk is very clear in communicating that engl@rri.ro should be the only address to be used, but their replies still seem to come from different addresses. Anyway: engl@rri.ro it is for you!

Like other stations in Romania (see my post on Marosvásárhelyi Rádió) Radio Timișoara has a rich history. Timișoara is most important city in the region called Banat, which is currently split between Hungary, Romania and Serbia. The name itself comes from the original Hungarian name Temesvár, which means “castle on the river Temes”.

As early as 1930 there were plans to create a “Radio Timișoara”. These plans were approved in 1939, but WWII thwarted execution. After the war the first programs began to be broadcast from Timișoara in 1952. In 1956 regular broadcast in Serbian and German language began, each with a 20 minute program. Censorship from Bucharest increased over the years, but Radio Timișoara managed to stay “out of sight” until Ceaușescu ordered the closure of all regional radio stations to facilitate censorship from Bucharest in 1985 .

Personally I vividly remembered Timișoara as the city where the Romanian Revolution started in December 1989 (I was 17 years old at the time). This led to the demise of the Ceaușescu regime. Soon after the revolution Radio Timișoara resumed broadcasts, and the Hungarian language was added to the program in addition to German and Serbian. Today they feature broadcasts in Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Romani and Bulgarian as well.

Next SAQ transmission 24th december

November 25, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

QSL SAQ Grimeton Sweden — e QSL from SAQ for UN-day 2023 transmission

On Christmas Eve morning, Sunday December 24th 2023, SAQ Grimeton is scheduled to be on the air, to send out the traditional Christmas message to the whole world, using the 200kW Alexanderson alternator from 1924, on 17.2 kHz CW.

Program and transmission schedule:
08:00 CET (07:00 UTC: The transmitter hall at World Heritage Grimeton is opened for visitors.

Transmission & YouTube Live stream:
08:25 CET (07:25 UTC): Live stream on YouTube begins.
08:30 CET (07:30 UTC): Startup and tuning of the Alexanderson Alternator SAQ.
09:00 CET (08:00 UTC): Transmission of a message from SAQ.

Test transmissions
We are planning to carry our some test transmissions on Friday, December 22nd, approximately between 13:00 CET (12:00 UTC) and 16:00 CET (15:00 UTC). SAQ will be on the air shorter periods of time during this interval, when we will be carrying out some tests and measurements. Your comments are welcome to info@alexander.n.se.

More info on https://alexander.n.se/en/

QSL Varna Radio LZW 16804.5 kHz

November 22, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Two weeks after sending my report I received an email with a QSL letter for Varna Radio, call sign LZW, broadcasting a DSC message on 16804.5 kHz. I sent my report to varnaradio@bgports.bg .

It is always interesting to see how coastal radio and GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) monitoring is organized. From what I’ve seen it is usually an integrated part of the Coast Guard, which is either integrated in a Department of Transport or in the National Navy. In the case of Varna Radio however the station is embedded in the National Port Authority: Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Co.

The signature of the QSL was attached in a separate picture:

QSL Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio 12577 kHz

November 21, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

QSL Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio, Canada — e-QSL from Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio, Canada

For my reception of a DSC message I received this beautiful QSL for Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio on 12577 kHz. I sent my report to: IQANORDREG@innav.gc.ca .

The duty officer apologized for taking so long to reply (about 5 months) but they had a very busy season. Of course that’s no problem at all and I’m grateful for the service they provide to us listeners. They also wrote that they enjoy receiving letters from all around the world!

As far as I know all DSC communications on shortwave (4 MHz and higher) are coordinated via Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut in Canada. The station in Prince Rupert seems to be the only exception to the rule. I’m not sure what the status of the Canadian mediumwave Coast Guard stations is these days. In the 80-ies and 90-ies I could regularly hear them in SSB on 2182 kHz. But I don’t see any of them listed with DSC. So my guess is that, like their counterparts in the USA, distress calls are no longer monitored on medium wave.

VOCM: “Your Merry Christmas Station is back!”

November 20, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

In the Netherlands we just celebrated the arrival of Sinterklaas this weekend, a children’s party that culminates in a festive gifts evening on December 5. Only after December 5th we start preparing for Christmas.

However in Canada VOCM is already in the Christmas spirit. After the Aurora of the past few days, reception conditions seem to be recovering. So for those who want to get into the Christmas mood right now: tune in to VOCM 590, “your Merry Christmas station is back!”. Click on the link for a short YouTube clip.

QSL CFGO Ottawa “TSN 1200”

November 19, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

Receiving Transatlantic medium wave stations is still one of the nicest aspects of the DX hobby. Rick Furniss, engineer at CFGO was so kind to QSL my reception of CFGO Ottawa, Canada, better known as “TSN 1200”. I heard them with a TSN network program, broadcasting the NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Detroit Lions.

In his email Rick wrote that he receives more reports for the 50 kW sister station CFRA on 580 kHz, most likely because the antenna direction is more favorable for Europe. So that is another challenge for this winter. Rick also sent two nice pictures with comments which I’d like to share:

“The first is one of the Current Main Tx, a Nautel NX50 sitting beside our old backup Tx a Gates 10kW full tube unit. The Nautel is about 5 years old and the Gates is built in 1962 from a 1959 Gate Corp. drawing. It was removed from service after a small electrical fire in the power supply cabinet about 5 years ago but it worked great right up till then. We have not owned it from new but we did buy it from the station that did. We have it’s complete documentation and log books since the day it went on air, Truly a museum piece today. We also have a Nautel ND50 Tx not shown that is our current backup Tx for this site.” (Photo Rick Furniss)

“The second picture is of the 6 towers in the CFGO antenna array in south Ottawa. I was waiting to go into the site while a thunderstorm passed (It had taken us off the air with an Hydro failure) and I noticed the rainbow.” (Photo Rick Furniss)

A big “thank you” to Rick for the QSL and the nice pictures!

QSL NDB MIQ-426 Ingolstadt

November 18, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 5 Comments

QSL NDB Mike for Ingolstadt — A postcard QSL confirming reception of NDB MIQ-426 Mike for Ingolstadt

It took 36 weeks, but worth waiting for: a real postcard QSL confirming my reception of NDB MIQ-426 “Mike for Ingolstadt”. I sent my report to DFS (Deutsche Flugsicherung) in Langen, Germany. The beacon is located south of Ingolstadt, and you can actually see it driving on highway A9 between München and Ingolstadt (east of the highway).

Not sure where the “for Ingolstadt” comes from. The beacon is close to Ingolstadt airport. But it is not aligned with the runways and serves as a high and low level enroute navigation beacon according to ourairports.com .

QSL Radio Igloo 4975 kHz

November 17, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

QSL Radio Igloo - West Coast DX Club — QSL from Radio Igloo and the West Coast DX Club, Sweden

Radio Igloo was on air last weekend (and I told you so!). This time from Europe (my previous QSL was for a reception via WRMI). On Saturday, November 11th, they were present on three frequencies via three different Free Radio stations. I managed to pick up the one on 4975 kHz, but only the first 30 minutes. Conditions were poor and I suffered a lot of QRN on my holiday location in Exloo, which didn’t help either.

A day later I heard them on 6375 kHz (which was the only frequency they used that day). Fortunately quality was much better this time, and I could listen to the entire show which featured a nice selection of music, mainly picked by participants on the Westcoast DX Club event that was held at the same time. They were together 25 km North East of Gothenburg, Sweden, with some nice antennas, including a 300 m long Beverage. You can see the expedition on the QSL – I’ve been on many DX weekends, but never one where the beds were directly behind the receiver 😉!

According to Shortwave DX blog, the 4975 kHz transmission was via Free Radio Akenzo, and the 6375 kHz via Radio Mexico. I sent my report to radioigloo@gmail.com.

QSL Del Tracks 6270 kHz

November 17, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I received an email to QSL Del Tracks (sometimes referred to as Deltracks) on 6270 kHz. Del Tracks is a Free Radio station from The Netherlands. I heard them last weekend with the slogan “Del Tracks, your Classic Rock Station! Do you remember where you were in 1984?” I sent my report to deltracks@outlook.com .

Email QSL Free Radio Del Tracks 6270 kHz

Radio Baken 16 on 6385 kHz

November 16, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Last weekend I received Baken 16 (Dutch for Beacon 16) on 6385 kHz. This Free Radio station is named after the popular program “Baken 16” which was broadcast by Radio Mi Amigo on weekdays, lunch time, from August 1976 unit October 1978. The program was presented by Marc Jacobs. In 1979 the show featured on Radio Caroline for a few months (source: Radiopedia).

There is a nice nostalgic video on YouTube with fragments from the 500th Baken 16 show.

As a Free Radio station from The Netherlands the name Baken 16 lives on. The transmitter is a Rohde & Schwarz SK010 (100W) connected to an inverted V.