The wonderful world of listening to the radio
Using the PskovNDB software I received so many new beacons during the SQUEEZE100 event that I did not know where to start sending QSL requests. I decided to target Lithuania, Sweden and Croatia as you can find good address information on the web.
Mr. Filip Wiberg, Chief Operations ATS Kalmar (filip.wiberg(at)acr-sweden.se), was so kind to QSL NDB KM-366 for Kalmar Öland Airport. Located on the east coast of Sweden this beacon is 894 kms from my home QTH.
I received a this nice e- QSL from Radio Igloo. Via WRMI 5950 kHz they brought a program about Britt Wadner, owner of offshore pirate Radio Syd. In 1962 Radio Syd was the successor of Skånes Radio Mercur, the first Swedish pirate station. The popularity of pirate radio is easily understood if you know that Swedish National Radio played a maximum of 60 minutes of recorded music a day, with only two or three “pop songs”.
Unfortunately for me Radio Igloo targeted North and South America from the WRMI location (Okeechobee, Florida, USA). In combination with some propagation disturbance that night it made it difficult for me to really understand the details of what was said about Britt Wadner and her ship. But the 60’s music was very enjoyable.
Hopefully there will be broadcasts targeted to the European audience in future, as happened in the past using a transmitter in Europe. Reports to radioigloo@gmail.com are welcome. Please do specify not only technical details but let them know what you think of program content.
I received an e- QSL from SAQ Grimeton, Sweden, for their transmission on 17.2 kHz to celebrate Alexanderson Day.
Ernst Alexanderson was the inventor of the Alexanderson alternator, a rotating machine used for the generation of a high frequency alternating current, which could be used to produce an electromagnetic wave for radio transmissions. The first alternator based stations were installed in 1906 for long wave telegraphy. In the early 1920s vacuum-tube transmitters came available, replacing the alternators. The Grimeton historical station is the only station in the world that still operates on the basis of an alternator.
I was a bit worried that it would be difficult to receive SAQ on VLF 17.2 kHz at noon in the middle of the summer. Not that I know a lot about VLF propagation. But the signals came through in much better quality than last time I received them on World Radio Day on February 13th this year.
The NDB MF in Halmstad on 421 kHz is located in south Sweden. A NDB, or Non Directional Beacon, is used for navigational purposes. Typically they are fairly low power. This one is about 725 km in NE direction from my QTH.
I sent a report plus audio clip and self-made QSL card to ats.halmstad@lfv.se. To my surprise I got a reply by regular mail, which is always nice.
Halmstad served as an air force base until 1961. Today it is a municipal airport with 800-1300 aircraft movements per year. It still supports the military operations from Halmstad as you can see on the QSL. And of course the jet fighter shown is a Swedish built SAAB Gripen!
During the UNESCO World Radio Day event of February 13th, 2023 a special HAM station was in the air. I received it in CW on the 14 MHz band. It was a long time ago that I decoded CW, but with record/play back I was able to collect sufficient details for a QSL of 7S6WRD Grimeton, Sweden.
My guess is that the station normally operates as SK6SAQ (with SAQ identical to the Grimeton callsign) but was under a special 7S6WRD callsign for this event (with WRD obviously referring to World Radio Day).
Click the link to learn more about the Grimeton World Heritage Station. No doubt there will be future opportunities to receive this station and associated HAM radio.
The VLF Grimeton transmitter in Sweden was in the air on February 13th celeberating “World Radio Day”. This truly is a heritage station, recognized by UNESCO as such. During the event they ran a YouTube Video to show you what it takes to bring a 100 year old transmitter to life… The transmission was – of course – in Morse Code. This e-QSL card marks the lowest frequency I’ve ever received in my DX-ing career!
Learn more about Grimeton on: https://grimeton.org/?lang=en
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