The wonderful world of listening to the radio

Category: Spain (Page 1 of 3)

QSL NDB EAG-399 Logroño/Agoncillo

My reception of NDB EAG on 399 kHz for Logroño/Agoncillo airport in Spain was confirmed by Enaire. They couldn’t add the typical data sheet they usually provide with a verification as the beacon is owned by the military. This goes back to the fact that Agoncillo was designated to be a military airfield, although there were always commerical and private flights as well. (for more information check the history website). From the 1996 onwards the local government really made an effort to turn Agoncilla airport into Logroño’s airport.

NDB EAG-399 with Logroño-Agoncillo airport in the background

The NDB EAG can be spotted easily on Google Maps, to the south east of the runway. On the picture above you see the transmitterbuilding between the two masts supporting the dipole. In the back you see the control tower to the left and the new terminal building to the right. The roof of the terminal building seems to feature 5 “wine barrels” which I guess is a reference to the Rioja region of which Logroño is the capital.

Logroño-Agoncillo terminal building featuring 5 wine barrels.

QSL NDB GRA-412 Granada

Via Enaire (informacion@enaire.es) I received a QSL for my reception of NDB GRA on 412 kHz. This beacon serves the Aeropuerto Federica García Lorca Granada-Jaën in the south of Spain. The airport is named after the Spanish poet Garcia Lorca who was murdered in 1936 by Nationalist Forces in the Spanish Civil War

A slightly better picture from Google Maps of this beacon:

And a picture of the terminal building. There are direct flights to various locations in Spain and Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Terminal building Federico Garcïa Lorca airport Granada/Jaën

QSL NDB TON-335 Torralba de Aragon

Enaire was again so kind to confirm my reception of a few NDBs. I got a QSL for NDB TON Torralba de Aragon on 335 kHz. As usual with a nice information sheet:

Unfortunately it wasn’t clear to me from the information provided what the purpose of this beacon was. Torralba de Aragon is a small village, 115 inhabitants just south of the Pyrenees. There is a nearby airstrip, but on Ourairports.com the function is described as “terminal area navigation”. So my guess is that the beacon supports navigation at Zaragoza Airport.

Back to Torralba De Aragon, just because I like what this hobby brings us. Torralba is a small village but it has a beautiful church. I learned that the tower is built in Mudéjar style. The Mudéjars were the Muslims who remained in the former areas of Al-Andalus after the Christian Reconquista in the Middle Ages and were allowed to practice their religion to a limited degree. Mudéjar art is valuable in that it represents peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians during the medieval era. The things you learn triggered by a beacon sending – / — / -.

QSL COPE Jaén 1143 kHz

The main networks like RNE, SER, Onda Cero and COPE still have local stations which provide a nice DX target. The biggest problem is to hear the local ID. A good opportunity for COPE stations is around 21:57 h UTC (22:57 h local time in Spain). In the late evening hours they broadcast the network program “La Linterna”, but at this time it is interrupted by a local ID followed by local commercials.

I heard COPE Jaén on 1143 kHz. This frequency is shared with COPE Ourense. The two stations often mix, making it a bit more difficult with my limited knowledge of the Spanish language. But this time I heard COPE Jaén only. Mr. Simon from the Engineering department Andalucia Sureste was so kind to confirm my report.

QSL NDB EAL-332 Almagro

A Eurocopter Tiger during an “Open Day” on Almagro “Coronel Sánchez Bilbao” airbase

Together with the QSLs for NDBs GE-421 and CVT-417 the Enaire email also served as a QSL NDB EAL Almagro, Spain on 332 kHz. But the usual Enaire info slide was not available, as the beacon is run by the military:

Le confirmamos que la recepción de las estaciones NDB con indicativos GE, CVT y EAL es correcta. Estos sistemas están operativos actualmente en España y apoyan procedimientos de aproximación. Se adjunta para su información datos relativos a la ubicación y características de dichas instalaciones. En el caso del NDB EAL, pertenece al Ejército no a Enaire, luego solo disponemos de los datos publicados en AIP.

NDB con indicativo EAL:
–          Ubicado en el Helipuerto de Ciudad Real/Almagro. Instalación perteneciente al Ejército que da apoyo a los procedimientos instrumentales del Helipuerto.
–          Frecuencia 332.000 kHz
–          Coordenadas publicadas en AIP. ETRS89: 38º57’10.0”N   003º45’17.0”W

The Almagro airbase is named after “Coronel Sánchez Bilbao”. It is the home of the Attack Helicopter Battalion #1 — BHELA I of the Army Airmobile Force. Which sounds wonderful in Spanish: Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra.

Logo of the BHELA I battalion stationed at Almagro Airbase

QSL NDB GE-421 Madrid/Grinon

One of the oldest Airfields in Spain!

NDB GE-421 Madrid/Grinon is a navigation aid for Getafe Air Base, a military base 14 kilometers south of Madrid. Established in 1911 Getafe is one of the oldest airfields in Spain. In addition to a logistics squadron from the Spanish Air Force the base hosts Airbus manufacturing facilities where the Eurofighter Typhoon is produced.

I sent my report to informacion@enaire.es and after a reminder got an email reply within a day including the photo of the beacon and the usual Enaire info sheet.

QSL COPE Málaga 89.8 MHz

A QSL for my reception of COPE Málaga on 89.8 MHz. I heard them during a Sporadic E opening on June 24th. The transmitter is located south west of Málaga and has a power of 5 kW.
Again Artur from Maresme DX was a great help in making the connect with Javier Campos from the technical department at COPE Málaga.

QSL COPE Malaga Spain

QSL Radio Surco, Tomelloso, 91.4 MHz

Again with the help of Artur from Maresme DX I received a very nice email and a scan of a QSL letter from Radio Surco, broadcasting from Tomelloso, Spain, on 91.4 FM. I posted a recording of my reception on YouTube. Radio Surco has two transmitter sites: 2 kW on 91.4 MHz, and 1.2 kW on 99.2 MHz:

Radio Surco transmitter locations

Dear Peter,

Thank you for contacting us and receiving news from the Netherlands. This year, at least, we have received three messages like yours, from different locations. We assume that due to the location of our broadcast tower and the very flat area where we are, the waves work their magic and allow us to reach distant places.

We are a radio station with two broadcasting centers, but according to your instructions, it is Tomelloso’s that you heard. Radio Surco Tomelloso was born in 1986 and is an independent commercial station. Its cover, being a flat land, covers “La Mancha”, an area of the Autonomous Community of Castilla La Mancha to which four of its provinces belong. Tomelloso is in CiudadReal, specifically.

The emitting center is located at this point
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EZCdtXyXT9uYUA6N7

Location of the Radio station Surco TOMELLOSO
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AMhjJvCLcrBaeRet8

The Radio Surco Tomelloso station is located about 12 kilometers as the crow flies or cross-country

I attach the certificate you are requesting, although we do not have an official model. Thank you for being on the other side and greetings from Spain.

Montserrat Castellanos Cañones
Directora

QSL Radio Surco Tomelloso 91.4 MHz
QSL letter from Radio Surco, Tomelloso, Spain, 91.4 MHz

QSL Blue Radio Chella 90.2 MHz

Where would I be with a little help from my friends? I heard Blue Radio Chella on 90.2 MHz, but my report remained unanswered. Artur Fernández Llorella was so kind to help me to get in touch with Alex Selfa, director of the station. Within a day I got a nice email confirmation:

Blue Radio is a local station broadcasting on 90.2 MHz with 2.5 kW power from Chella. Headquarters are in Xátiva, 50 km south of Valencia.

Thank you Artur!!!

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