Peter's DX Corner

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

Category: Argentina

QSL CGTM Mar del Plata 8414.5 kHz

April 9, 2026 / / 1 Comment

It was my second attempt and but this time my report of a DSC transmission by CGTM Mar del Plata, Argentina on 8414.5 kHz was confirmed. I sent my report to mpla(at)prefecturanaval.gob.ar .

CGTM stands for Centro de Gestión de Tráfico Marítimo (Maritime Traffic Management Center). It is part of the Prefectura Naval Argentina (PNA). The CGTM are the operational centers responsible for the real-time monitoring and management of maritime traffic in Argentine waters.These centers act as Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) stations and coordinate, among other things:

  • tracking of ships via radar, AIS, and other systems,
  • providing information and advice to vessels,
  • coordinating search and rescue operations (SAR),
  • responding to emergency situations (such as breakdowns, flooding, or man-overboard incidents),
  • enforcing maritime safety and preventing incidents in ports, rivers, and sea areas.

There are multiple CGTM centers spread across the country. But as far as I know only those in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia and Ushuaia are active with a DSC watch on HF. With three of them confirmed Ushuaia is still on the to-do list.

QSL Radio Buenos Aires 1350 kHz

May 9, 2025 / / 2 Comments

One of the stations I heard during my stay on Curacao earlier this year was LS6 Radio Buenos Aires on 1350 kHz. Yes, with 50 kW this is one of the stronger stations in South America, but I was still very pleased to hear this one over 5300 km on my small Tecsun PL368 with standard antenna. Radio Buenos Aires has been received in the Netherlands as well, so that’s my next goal. So far Radio Z100 Milano has prevented me from doing so.

email to QSL my reception of LS6 Radio Buenos Aires

As my emails to the address advertised on the Radio Buenos Aires website bounced I asked my radio friend Néstor Damián Fischetto if he knew a contact. Which is how I learned that mr. González might confirm my report. Thank you so much Néstor, and of course thank you mr. González.

I don’t have a lot of information about the history of Radio Buenos Aires. LS6 is their call sign and according to Wikipedia the station was active under various names before it was acquired by Radiodifusora Esmeralda S.A in 1999. As a significant portion of this company is owned by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (a Brazilian entity), there is some controversy as Argentinian law apparently prohibits foreign religious organizations to own media licenses… The program I listened to was neutral, with popular music and news.

QSL Comodoro Rivadavia Radio 12577 kHz

April 7, 2025 / / 0 Comments

I received Comodoro Rivadavia Radio with a DSC test acknowledgement to a vessel with MMSI 311000867 (SYLVIA EARLE, Bahamas). It’s the second time I sent them a report. I heard them earlier in December 2024. They confirmed they were sending a message at the time but my decode of the MMSI of the ship they contacted was incorrect. Despite the ERR check being OK. These things can happen sometimes. This time there was one other DX-er that picked up the same message using YADD decoder, so I was confident I really heard them! 

The distance between my QTH and Comodoro Rivadavia is 12890 kilometers… and this is definitely not a DSC station that I hear as often as the ones from Brazil. My other confirmation from Argentina was Buenos Aires Radio.

QSL SHN Buenos Aires on 12577 kHz

July 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

During my stay on a campsite in the north of the Netherlands I enjoyed good conditions on 12 MHz in a relatively noise free environment. That resulted in the reception of a lot of new DSC stations. SHN (Servicio de Hidrografia Naval) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was one of those!

QSL Servicio Hidrografia Naval Buenos Aires
QSL… just three letters, but I got my QSL for MRCC Buenos Aires!

The email reply took hours only and was the shortest possible. But it carried the three key letters: “QSL”! (I added their logo to the email myself to improve the appearance of this post).
I sent my report to shn@hidro.gov.ar. Confirmation followed via snautica@hidro.gov.ar, which is probably the Coast Guard branch.

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