Category: DSC (Page 2 of 4)

QSL Polish Rescue Radio 2187.5 kHz

February 17, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

My second attempt to QSL Polish Rescue Radio on 2187.5 kHz was successful!
Polish Rescue Radio operates from the city of Gdynia in Poland. I heard them with a DSC message to a cargo ship GT Foresti. When I checked the ship was in the Kiel canal, connecting the East (Baltic) Sea with the North Sea, on its way to Brake, a harbor in the Weser river, north of Bremen.

Email to QSL the reception of Polish Rescue Radio on 2187.5 kHz

I snet my report to gmdss@umgdy.gov.pl . Polish Rescue Radio replaced Witowo Radio on January 1st, 2020. They have a very nice website that provides lots of info on their operations.

QSL Hai Phong Radio 8414.5 kHz

February 1, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 5 Comments

This was my fourth attempt in the last 12 months and finally successful: QSL Hai Phong Radio 8414.5 kHz. They were broadcasting a DSC message to cargo ship “Ga Hong” on the South Chinese Sea. I sent my report to hphong_radio@vishipel.com.vn . It is only my 2nd QSL from Vietnam. The other one is from the Voice of Vietnam, years ago.

Successful on my 4th attempt: eQSL from Hai Phong Radio / XVG

Hai Phong Radio is probably the station from Vietnam that I receive most often. Ho Chi Minh Radio is another regular one. I received Nha Trang Radio once on 8 MHz. This station apparently doesn’t operate on higher frequencies. I sent reports to these latter two stations via regular mail, but never received a reply. So if someone has a good (email)address, feel free to put it in the comments.

QSL MRCC Bilbao 2187.5 kHz

December 21, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A nice fully detailed email confirmation of my reception of MRCC Bilbao, Spain, on 2187.5 kHz. I sent them both an email (2nd attempt to bilbao@sasemar.es ) and a letter. From the answer I guess that it was the letter that made it to the control room.

Email as QSL for my reception of MRCC Bilbao on 2187.5 kHz

Whereas Valencia, Coruna and Las Palmas Radio are frequently heard with DSC messages, the MRCCs seem less active on MF. There are quite a few of them though, but the ITU list indicates a presence on VHF/UHF only. Classaxe however shows five stations that were logged on 2187.5 kHz in recent years: Finisterre, Tarifa, Gijon, Valencia and Bilbao. The first two are most frequently heard apparently.

QSL CROSS Étel 2187.5 kHz

December 7, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

My third QSL from a French CROSS station. This email confirms my reception of CROSS Étel from Bretagne. They can be easily received here in The Netherlands. Though not as frequent as the CROSS Gris-Nez and CROSS Jobourg stations who are situated along the very busy Channel. Jerôme Christ was so kind to send me the QSL a few hours after I sent my report.

Email to QSL CROSS Étel, France, 2187.5 kHz

I found a nice picture on the internet showing the service areas of the various CROSS stations in France, 5 main ones (in red) and the sub-station on Corsica (Corse):

QSL CROSS Jobourg, 2187.5 kHz

December 5, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A very nice QSL letter from CROSS Jobourg on 2187.5 kHz. And radiating the French spirit, which makes it stand out. The station is located on the French coast of the Channel (the French hate it when you refer to it as the English Channel, and I agree), one of the busiest seaways in the world. And as a result it can be heard often.
I sent my report to jobourg@mrccfr.eu

e-QSL letter from CROSS Jobourg, 2187.5 kHz

QSL CROSS MED La Garde, 2187.5 kHz

December 3, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A nice e-QSL from CROSS MED La Garde, France, on 2187.5 kHz. A station that can be heard regularly with DCS messages.

QSL CROSS MED La Garde — e-QSL card CROSS MED Lagarde, 2187.5 kHz

I have to admit that I’m still trying to establish the link between the new DSC stations and what I heard some 40 years ago. Coastal Radio stations like Bordeaux Arcachon, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Brest-le-Conquest and Grasse are gone. But the current CROSS stations are not their descendants. They are the successors of the French Navy stations that were easy to hear in CW in the 80-ies, not only from France, but from all over the world… resulting in nice QSLs from countries like Reunion, Tahiti, New Caledonia and French Guyana for example.

CROSS La Garde is one of 6 CROSS stations in France. The others are Jobourg, Gris-Nez, Étel, Corsen and Ajaccio. The latter, also known as CROSS Corse or “Aspretto” is a secondary station that heard less often. The community of La Garde is situated adjacent to Toulon, the most important French Navy harbor on the Mediterranean Sea (which also features in the movie “Napoleon” (2023))

QSL JRCC Piraeus 12577 kHz

December 2, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

As far as I know JRCC Piraeus, Greece, is not heard too often with DSC messages, but this week the station was heard a few times on 12 and 8 MHz with DSC messages. I sent my report to contact@yna.gov.gr . Within a day I received an email from the Duty Officer to QSL JRCC Piraeus on 12577 kHz.

Email QSL for my reception of JRCC Piraeus with a DSC message on 12577 kHz

QSL JRCC Sweden 2187.5 kHz

November 28, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Göteborg and Stockholm Radio can be received regularly on 2187.5 kHz with DSC messages. As I already had QSLs from the 80-ies for I didn’t bother to send a reception report and QSL request for these two stations. But then I saw a QSL from Artur at MaresmeDX for JRCC Sweden. And I wondered how they are actually organized these days.

Within an hour of sending my reception report for a reception of MMSI 002653000, Göteborg Radio on 2187.5 kHz to jrcc@sjofartsverket.se I got an answer:

So it seems that everything on MF is now under the jurisdiction of JRCC Sweden. The HF band isn’t covered anymore. And I guess that the name Stockholm Radio is used for VHF DSC watch and weather broadcasts: https://stockholmradio.se/ .

In the 80-ies you could listen to a couple of stations on MF. In addition to Göteborg (SAG) and Stockholm Radio (SDJ) I remember Karlskrona (SAA), Härnosand (SAH) and Tingstaede (Visby, SAE). The nice thing was that they had matching set of QSL cards. But although I heard all stations, I managed to get the QSLs for Göteborg and Stockholm Radio only…

1980s (I’ve two, both no details) QSL Stockholm Radio SDJ

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.