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QSL Oostende Radio 518 kHz

April 22, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

Unless you go for HAM radio or into FM DX there are not a lot of options anymore to receive a QSL from Belgium. Fortunately Oostende Radio is still a reliable verifier. I received this QSL Oostende Radio 518 kHz for my reception of their NAVTEX message announcing gunnery exercises on the North Sea:

2023-04-21 07:10:10> ZCZC TA63
2023-04-21 07:10:12> 210611 UTC APR
2023-04-21 07:10:16> OOSTENDERADIO MSI 187/23
2023-04-21 07:10:20> DE PANNE-OOSTENDE
2023-04-21 07:10:27> GUNNERY EXERCISES IN THE MIDDLE SECTOR OF LOMBARDSIJDE
2023-04-21 07:10:35> TODAY 21 04 2023 FROM 0630 UNTIL 1030 UTC.
2023-04-21 07:10:43> GUNNERY SECTOR IS LISTENING ON CHAN 16 AND 67.
2023-04-21 07:10:49> CANCEL THIS MSG 211030 UTC APR.
2023-04-21 07:10:49> NNNN

Reading the letter I somehow got the feeling that they forgot to include the QSL card. So I “copied” one from Hugo’s DX hoekje… 😉

QSL Oostende Coastal Radio NAVTEX — QSL Letter Oostende Radio, Belgium

QSL Oostende Radio OSU, Belgium (taken from Hugo’s DX hoekje)

QSL Radio SeaBreeze 1395 kHz

April 21, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 4 Comments

These days most stations respond to reception reports with an email or – if you are lucky – an e-QSL. But Radio SeaBreeze is “old school”. For my reception report to info@radioseabreeze.nl I received this very nice QSL card by traditional mail.

Radio SeaBreeze is one of the Dutch Low Power AM (LPAM) stations in the Netherlands. They broadcast on 1395 kHz from the village of Grou in the province of Friesland with 100 Watt. What I like about the station is that they have plenty live programs (that is with a DJ). Some of the other LPAM stations just play non-stop music from a computer. I don’t understand the fun of that to be honest.

SeaBreeze is also planning to start broadcasting with 50 Watt on 1098 kHz from the village of Laren in North Holland. At the time of writing I don’t know if they are already in the air. I will check, and provide updates accordingly!

A traditional QSL card is sent by Radio SeaBreeze, Grou

QSL Nemzetiségi Rádió 1350 kHz

April 20, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

Yesterday I posted the e-QSL from Dankó Rádió. The other thematic Hungarian radiostation broadcasting on mediumwave is Nemzetiségi Rádió. The name translates as “Nationality Radio”. This station offers programmes to the etnic minorities, or maybe better said, language minorities in Hungary. And there are quite a few of those: Armenian, Bulgarian, German, Greek, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovakian, Ukranian and two Roma languages Lovári und Beás.

Nemzetiségi Rádió has transmitters on 873 kHz (20 kW, 2 locations), 1188 kHz (300/100 kW). But my report from December last year is for the weakest of the bunch, the 5 kW transmitter in Györ. And that’s nice because I visited this city while on a bicycling tour with my girlfriend (still my wife 😘) years ago in 1986. Our first 3 week cycling tour outside the Benelux. To travel beyond the “iron curtain” in those days, on a bicycle with camping gear, was not as common as bikepackers today might think. My wife and I share fond memories of that adventure!

As with Dankó Rádió I got my e-QSL with a report to ugyelet@mtva.hu, signed by Mr. Ivan Kovacs.

QSL from MTVA Hungary Nemzetisegi Radio — QSL Nemzetisegi Radio 1350 kHz

QSL Dankó Rádió 1116/1251 kHz

April 19, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

In a study on the future of Hungarian Radio it was concluded that Hungarian music was repressed in the media. This happened despite having a huge fan base, particularly in rural areas. That is why Dankó Rádió was launched in 2012. The station is named after Dankó Pista, a cigány composer from Hungary.
Dankó Rádió is active on two mediumwave frequencies, 1116 and 1251 kHz, from four transmitter locations. Both can be received quite well here in the Netherlands. Via ugyelet@mtva.hu I received an e-QSL for both frequencies, accompanied by a friendly email from Mr. Ivan Kovacs .

QSL Studio AM900 Terneuzen

April 17, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

As reported earlier I received the KL85 3rd anniversary program via Studio AM900, Terneuzen, the Netherlands.
Via Bart Serlie, station manager, I received this beautiful e-QSL. According to the info I got from Bart, Studio AM900 was in the air at the time with a transmitter power of 34 Watt of which some 25 Watt was effectively used. They are planning to get a stronger transmitter online on May 13th. This one was in use by Groeistad AM Wassenaar and is referred to by Bart as the “Groeistad Griek“. Hopefully this increases the opportunity for other DX listeners to receive this nice and friendly station.
Big thanks to Bart and his team for the QSL, the nice email conversation we had, and the opportunity to participate live in the program of Edward Klein last Friday!

QSL Radio Seagull 1476 kHz

April 16, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Radio Seagull can be heard on 747 kHz AM in the Netherlands. But in Woerden this frequency is dominated by nearby MCB Radio from Alphen aan de Rijn. A good alternative is to listen after 8 pm UK local time to the relay via Carillon Wellbeing Radio from Leicestershire on 1476. This is also a low power AM broadcaster, but despite their 250 Watts “only” this station is received very well here in Woerden.
I received a nice email as QSL Radio Seagull 1476 kHz via office@radioseagull.com

QSL Radio Seagull via CWR UK — QSL Radio Seagull via CWR 1476 kHz UK

QSL KL85 via Studio AM 900 Terneuzen

April 14, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Last week I was trying to get a readable signal from LPAM station Studio AM, broadcasting on 900 kHz from Terneuzen, in the Netherlands. In the evening and night this frequency is dominated by COPE Granada. During daylight hours I could pick up a signal, but too weak to positively identify the station.
On the 2nd day of Easter that was different, but at first I didn’t understand the station ID? KL85? I happened to tune in to a special 3rd anniversary full day show of KL85, an internet radiostation that is also relayed via Studio AM 900. Their name comes from the city of Kortijk, the river Leie, and postal code 85.
I received a nice email on my reception report, but I also won a 50 Euro voucher for a visit to the Museum of the 20th century in Hoorn. Having received over 1000 QSLs that’s a first (although I once got a T-shirt from Radio New Zealand many years ago).

Radio Day 2023, Harlingen, May 13th

April 12, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Last night I listened to Radio Seagull on 1476 kHz via the transmitter in Coalville, UK. They announced that Radio Day in Harlingen will take place on May 13th, 2023.
For more information check the Radio Day website, or their Facebook page.

QSL KBS World Radio 5950 kHz

April 12, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

KBS World Radio is the International Service of the Korean Broadcasting System for South Korea. Via the Issoudun transmitter in France I received a program for the “amis francophone” with pop music from South Korea.
Getting a QSL is an easy but a bit unpersonal “do it yourself” service via a webform on the KBS World Radio website.

QSL Korean Broadcasting System World Radio — QSL KBS World Radio via Issoudun (France)

RTE ends long wave service 252 kHz

April 11, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Next Friday RTE (Raidió Teilifís Éireann) from Ireland will end their long wave service on 252 kHz. Operation on 252 kHz started in 1989 when a joint venture of RTE and RTL started as Atlantic 252. With its powerful transmitter it easily covered Ireland and the UK. The BBC and Independent Local Radio complained about the station as they considered it a “commercial pirate”.

Initially the station was on air between 6 am and 7 pm, as listeners were encouraged to tune to Radio Luxembourg in the evening hours. Radio Luxembourg was the station that – following the demise of the North Sea pirate stations – you listened to for the latest popmusic. From 1991 Atlantic 252 it was on the air 24 hours a day, making it an easier catch for DX-ers around the world.

Popularity of the station reached a peak in the mid 90-ies. But commercial radio on FM, with better sound quality, gained popularity in the UK. From over 6 million listeners the audience declined to less than 1 million in 1999, and in 2001 the station went off the air. For a few months in 2002 Teamtalk 252 was aired via this frequency, after that RTE used the transmitter for RTE 1 programmes directed to the Irish expat community.

Below you can see my QSL from 1989, a few months after the start of Atlantic 252. It’s a pity that following the closure of the Beidweiler station of JV partner RTL another LW station bites the dust. On the other hand, given the costs and pressure to save on the huge energy consumption of such transmitters, it is understandable.

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