Peter's DX Corner

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Category: Netherlands (Page 2 of 8)

QSL RTV Krimpenerwaard 106.6 MHz (and a reflection on local FM radio in the Netherlands)

April 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

It’s April… and I’ve a bit of a feeling this is the Doldrum season for us DX-ers. Winter propagation conditions on mediumwave are behind us. During sunny days the solar panel interference makes DX on MF/HF nearly impossible, and regular SpE conditions on FM are still at least a month away…

But radio is never boring, there is always something to look into. So I thought it might not a be a bad idea to spend some time this year in scanning the FM band for local radio. After all it is almost 50 years after local radio was legalized in The Netherlands.

Following the demise of offshore radio stations like Veronica and Noordzee, the government of The Netherlands allowed some experiments with local radio. And the band between 100 and 108 MHz was empty… except for pirate stations taking the opportunity (but that’s a story for another blog). Between 1984 and 1988 there was an “explosion” of local FM radio stations in The Netherlands. Mind you, in those days internet was not available to the public, and both city councils and entrepreneurs saw this as a must have and an opportunity to connect with a local audience.

QSL email from RTV Krimpenerwaard 106.6 FM, a local FM station in “my backyard”

40 years later it seems that a lot of these stations have merged, just as the municipalities they served merged into larger entities. RTV Krimpenerwaard is a good example. In 1989/1990 I received Radio Vrolek (from Nederlek), Radio Vlistam (from Vlist/Stolwijk) and Radio Bergambacht. Together with Radio Zilverstad from Schoonhoven they merged into RTV Krimpenerwaard… just like these villages (and of course, Schoonhoven is a “stad”) merged into the municipality Krimpenerwaard.

Coverage area of RTV Krimpenerwaard… one of the most beautiful areas in The Netherlands, called “Groene Hart” (Green Heart).

The interesting thing is that it doesn’t seem to stop here. If you browse for the website of RTV Krimpenerwaard you end up on the website of RTV Midden Holland, a cooperation between local radio stations in the region we refer to as “Het Groene Hart”. Including my own home town radio “RPL FM” in Woerden. Definitely professional, up to date… but also more and more regional radio rather than local radio… Should we fear this is a bit like what happened to Indepent Local Radio in the UK, with all these stations being bought by “Smooth” or “Gold” making them commercial regional stations rather than stations serving a local community? Your views?

Below the QSLs I got from VROLEK, VlistAM, and Studio Bergambacht…

QSL KBC Huissen 891 kHz

April 9, 2025 / / 2 Comments

From December 1st, 2024, KBC is active on 891 kHz as a LPAM broadcaster from Huissen, The Netherlands. They succeeded Rivierenland Radio.

e-QSL KBC Huissen 891 kHz

I heard them with a program with music from the offshore radio era. It was called “Het Zoute Uur” (The Salty Hour). Reception quality was pretty good (SIO 454) despite their 100 Watt and a distance of 72 kms to my QTH. My report was sent via the webform on their site.

KBC also broadcasts on shortwave to Europe, North America and Australia. Details can be found here.

Radio Twents Gejengel 675 kHz is back

February 7, 2025 / / 2 Comments

My radio friend Joé Leyder couldn’t match a station he heard on Twente WebSDR with any of the webstreams he was familiar with. I gave it a try and found out that LPAM Twents Gejengel was back in the air. I heard mainly non stop Dutch music, but at 16:05 LT there was this ID:

“Hit na hit na hit, zo hoort radio te klinken. Jij vraagt en wij draaien ze. U luistert naar station Twents Gejengel vanuit Westerhaar”

As in the clip below:

No idea when they resumed broadcasting, but they were still listed as “inactive” on the MW list. So I contacted the MW list and within an hour they changed it to “active”. Thank you Mauno! So nice that I can contribute to a community of fellow radio lovers!

The name of the station “Twents Gejengel” refers to Twente (the region in the east of the Netherlands from which they are broadcasting), while “Gejengel” would translate as “whining” when a little kid does it, but in this context the translation would be more like “loud irritating music”. Ah well….. it is definitely something different.

I’m not sure if I can receive this station at my own QTH, as LPAM Unique Gold from Wijchen seems to dominate the frequency at my location. And I’ve no clue whether they QSL as well… they seem to have a website Twents Gejengel, but the only thing it shows are a few reports.

QSL Atlantica AM 1485 kHz

January 20, 2025 / / 2 Comments

There is low power (100 Watts) and “Real Low Power”. 1485 is the “Real Low Power” AM (LPAM) frequency in The Netherland: stations should have 1 Watt maximum. There are around 25 stations active on this frequency. Unfortunately DX-ers in the Netherlands will typically hear one dominant station only. Outside the Netherlands you might be able to benefit from variations in propagation conditions, enabling you to hear several stations.

On my QTH Radio 182, only 15 kilometers away (basically across the meadow) is dominant. But using my NTi Megaloop FX antenna to “null” them out, there is apparently enough of a signal left for Atlantica AM from Dordrecht. On Sundays that is, because I that’s when they are “on air”.

You can check your reception against Flux Radio, because they broadcast the Atlantic AM transmissions as well. If you receive them, feel free to go to the Facebook page of Cor Hitzerd. That’s how I got in touch:

Following my report I had a nice conversation with Cor. He shared quite a lot about his pirate history, his friends on the air, and how they as pirates promoted lots of Dutch artists. The fact that you can connect to station owners is so nice about DX-ing these days! Cor also sent me a few pictures… here we go:

QSL Polderpop Radio 1134 kHz

January 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments

For DX-ers and QSL collectors listening to LPAM stations in The Netherlands can be rewarding. First of all because many of them are run by radio enthusiasts who don’t mind taking the time to explain a lot about their station via messenger, whatsapp or email. But also because it is a very dynamic scene.

In 2023 I got a QSL from 1134AM from Ooijen. They are gone and now I can hear Polderpop Radio from Veldhoven on this frequency. Broadcasting with 100 Watt they can be received in reasonable quality 82 kilometers away. That is: during the day, in the evening hours it is usually Radio Kuwait that I find here.

Polderpop Radio has quite a history. They’ve been on cable, mediumwave, internet, DAB+ and now they’re back on AM. Their program focuses on popmusic from Dutch artists. I sent my report via the contact form on their website, and Jacco Hagoort from Polderpop Radio confirmed my reception within a day.

Radio Monique 1332 off-air due to storm damage

January 4, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This morning I noticed that Radio Monique, a LPAM from Velsen-Noord, The Netherlands, was missing on 1332 kHz. According to their website the New Year Storm hit the antenna with 10 Beaufort, causing significant damage. Moreover, as some fuses blew out as well, there might be electrical damage requiring the installation to be inspected.

While I wish them a speedy return to the airwaves it might be an opportunity to tune in to other stations on this frequency.

QSL Radio Monique Velsen
QSL LPAM station Radio Monique Velsen on their old 918 kHz frequency

QSL LPAM Radio Elvira 1485 kHz

December 5, 2024 / / 2 Comments

In The Netherlands the 1485 kHz is reserved for 1 Watt LPAM’s. That should make it an interesting frequency, but despite their low power, Radio 182 from Waddinxveen at 15 kilometers from my QTH is so dominant that it blocks other stations. Their signal probably benefits from a good antenna location and only green fields in between them and me.

So when I visited family in Akersloot I decided to test my new Tecsun PL-368 radio, the one I won during the SWL-2024 contest, on 1485 kHz. I was able to pick up Radio Elvira from Heerhugowaard over a distance of 15 kilometers. Just above noise level at a 2dB SNR (it’s a nice feature that the Tecsun displays this info). They replied with a kind email explaining that for some reason their coverage is only 4-5 kilometres north, but significantly better to the south (where I was receiving them).

Radio Elvira has a nice website where they also post some local news. They advertise as “Radio Elvira 1485 Dijk en Waard”. Dijk the dutch word for dike, and Waard the dutch word for polder.

QSL Mike Radio 6275 kHz

October 6, 2024 / / 0 Comments

A very nice, fully detailed eQSL from Mike Radio. Mike Radio is a Free Radio station operating from the province of Gelderland, The Netherlands. For the Gen Z folks: the station is powered by solar energy!

I sent my report to mikeradio(at)live.nl . UKdxer told me than Mike is one of the younger free radio stations in the Netherlands.

My personal opinion is that rules on hobby broadcasting via MW/SW should be relaxed as apparently nobody seems to care about the interference of PV installations on these frequencies…

Thank you Mike!

QSL Radio Frieloo 6290 kHz

September 27, 2024 / / 2 Comments

For the reception of Radio Frieloo on 6290 kHz I received a friendly QSL email from the operator. I sent my report to frieloo(at)outlook.com .

Radio Frieloo is a pirate station operating from the province Gelderland in The Netherlands. The operator told me that he is not often in the air. When it is the case it is mostly to test antenna designs. The transmitter is a R&S with 100 Watt as shown in the picture.

R&S SK010 at Radio Frieloo
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