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QSL RadioFreccia on 88.3 MHz

June 16, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

June 13th late afternoon brought very good ionospheric conditions towards Italy. Around 17:50 h UTC I received a couple of Italian stations. RadioFreccia on 88.3 MHz was one of them. I sent my report to info@radiofreccia.it and qualita@rtl.it. Mr. Alessandro Palumbo was so kind to confirm my reception by email. The transmitter I received is located in Madonna del Tufo, south of Rome, almost 1300 kms from my QTH.

This was the first Ionospheric DX reception I made since I picked up my hobby again last year. Reception was made with my ICOM R8600, HDSDR and Discone as antenna. I posted a small clip of my reception on Youtube.

QSL SM Radio Dessau 9670 kHz

June 13, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

More or less by accident I tuned in to a program of SM Radio Dessau via Channel 292 on 9670 kHz. I couldn’t find this slot on the SM Radio Dessau website. And did not see it on Channel 292 website either.

I received a repeat of a show from April 2021. Two hours later I heard the same show on 6070 kHz, which is in line with the schedule posted by SM Radio Dessau.

Anyway, within a day I received this beautiful eQSL card, with a bit of local flavor from Max Berger. Thank you so much!

My first Transatlantic SSTV catches

June 12, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

I have never really been into amateur radio/HAM. Maybe that is something for later when the last broadcast station has left the waves for the internet. There is one exception to the rule though. I bought the MULTIPSK decoder a few months ago, and occasionally I like to keep it running on 14230 kHz to see if I can catch some SSTV DX. It is probably all about the instant satisfaction of receiving a nice picture.

One June 9th conditions allowed me to make my first Transatlantic SSTV catch: VE2JWC from St. Jerome, Quebec Canada. Cute detail is that the picture shows the QTH of the station.

SSTV_RX 2023-06-09 02h44m33s — My first Transatlantic SSTV reception was VE2JCW from St. Jerome, Quebec

And on June 10th I also received stations from New Hampshire and Wisconsin. Nothing spectacular probably for the seasoned radio amateur, but a first for me!

SSTV_RX 2023-06-10 00h41m56s — N1DOU, from Barnstead, New Hampshire

SSTV_RX 2023-06-10 23h00m02s — W1QC from Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin

QSL Radio Six International

June 11, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Today I received the QSL of Radio Six International for their 60th anniversary broadcast on June 6th. I listened to them on both 9670 kHz via Rohrbach Waal – Germany (Channel 292) and 1323 kHz via Villa Estense – Italy (NEXUS).

Radio Six programs can be heard 24/7 daily via the internet: https://www.radiosix.com/

Radio Six International 60th anniversary QSL

Boni Whip and MLA30+

June 10, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

It is summer time and as a pensionado I really enjoy spending time at the campsite. But I’m still DX-ing. With my son’s old laptop, an SDRPlay RSPdx receiver, a Boni Whip Antenna and an MLA30+ loop I’m still “in business” on the campsite.

And not without success. I received Valparaiso Playa Ancha Radio, Wiluna and Charleville Radio, a few Italian local radio stations… and all with an old laptop, a less than 200 Euro receiver, and a 60 Euro antenna…. DX-ing has never been so affordable.

Below a picture of my antenna setup. We are camping here since April. Initially I had the PVC pipes without support. But now it got warmer the PVC piping flexed a bit more and required a little rigging.

My Bony Whip, and MLA30+ antenna in Appelscha — My mobile antenna set-up: Bony Whip, MLA30+ and a lot of PVC piping

Of course I’m just an amateur… a little over 5 kilometers from here there is the real stuff… The Celinex Tower in Hoogersmilde. It is 303 meters high.

In 2011 it caught fire, and FM and TV reception in the north east part of the Netherlands was severely compromised as a result. Today analogue TV has gone…. not sure they would rebuild the antenna today?

My report read on Radio Six International (and recorded by Hugo!)

June 10, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

On June 6th Radio Six International celebrated their 60th anniversary. They ran a 24 h broadcast on 9670 kHz via Channel 292 Rohrbach. And there was also a 2 hr live evening show via Nexus 1323 kHz.

My reception report on 9670 kHz was read in the evening show. Hugo Matten was listening as well and recognized my name. He made a nice recording of my letter being read on the show and posted it via YouTube .

The Radio Six International team must have been very busy that day. And I probably didn’t convey my message on signal quality properly. I could receive them in good quality on both frequencies. But it is definitely true that on my suburb home QTH solar panels (almost every neighbor has them on their roof) produce a lot of interference on a sunny day. A loop antenna helps, but not everyone has one… evening hours are therefore always preferred!

Now I’m anxiously awaiting their QSL!

Radio Six International celebrated their 60th anniversary on June 6th

QSL Radio Dechovka on 1233 kHz

June 3, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

On May 18th, Radio Dechovka brought a special program to commemorate the fact that regular radio broadcasts started 100 years ago in Czechoslovakia. They used the Prague Zbraslav transmitter on 1233 kHz. A special QSL was issued Radio Dechovka to confirm reception reports for this event.

Radio Dechovka 1233 kHz Prague — Centennial QSL for Radio Dechovka on 1233 kHz

The Prague Zbraslav transmitter on 1233 kHz is normally not in use by Radio Dechovka as they can’t afford the bill. Their normal programming can be heard on 792 and 1260 kHz. Some sources report that 1233 khz might be taken off the air forever later this year.

The nice thing about the Radio Dechovka QSL is that it came by regular mail. A real old fashioned QSL, plus stickers, my report stamped in a beautiful priority mail envelope!

QSL Europarl Radio via Channel 292

May 30, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Better weather finally arrived. And I had to do some catch up in training for the 235 km long bicycle Elfstedentocht which I completed last weekend. As a result I spent less time behind the radio. QSL response rates were a bit lower as well. The QSL from Europarl Radio, via Channel 292, was therefore more than welcome.

Early May Europarl hired 3 time slots on Channel 292. It was the first time in Europarl Radio history that they broadcast their programmes on short wave. You could already listen to their programmes/podcasts via the internet.

I’m not sure whether it will be a success though. First of all because the time slots hired on 9670 kHz were mid day. With the sun out there is a lot of solar panel interference in my suburb area (including our own panels I have to admit). Signal strength of Channel 292 is not sufficient to overcome this. Secondly, listeners might struggle a bit with the programme format. It changed from English to French to German every 10 minutes…

That said, their QSL card is nice and fully detailed.

QSL Valparaiso Playa Ancha Radio on 12577 kHz

May 13, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I bought a RSPdx receiver plus Boni Whip antenna for use on the campsite. It immediately delivered some nice results. My catch of Valparaiso Playa Ancha Radio, CBV, Chile was awarded with this beautiful QSL. I listened to a DCS message on 12577 kHz.

I also got a nice detailed letter plus some photo’s of their facilities.

QSL Valparaiso Radio CBV, Chile — QSL Valparaiso Playa Ancha Radio CBV

Controlroom Valparaiso Radio CBV, Chile — Controlroom Valparaiso Playa Ancha Radio CBV

QSL Pop Shop Radio via WRMI

May 11, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I received this e-QSL and a nice friendly email from Pop Shop Radio. I heard their programme on 5950 kHz via WRMI, Okeechobee, FL, USA.
Pop Shop Radio is a program made in Hope, British Columbia, Canada. Having lived in Alberta, Canada for 4 years such a Canadian QSL is always special. And yes, I have driven through hope on a trip to Vancouver. No suprise, because as Tony from Pop Shop Radio wrote: all 4 highways to Vancouver pass through Hope.

Check this link for their latest schedule. The schedules posted on the WRMI website seem a little bit outdated.

Peter's DX Corner