Tag: DSC (Page 4 of 5)

QSL Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio 12577 kHz

November 21, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

QSL Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio, Canada — e-QSL from Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio, Canada

For my reception of a DSC message I received this beautiful QSL for Iqaluit Coast Guard Radio on 12577 kHz. I sent my report to: IQANORDREG@innav.gc.ca .

The duty officer apologized for taking so long to reply (about 5 months) but they had a very busy season. Of course that’s no problem at all and I’m grateful for the service they provide to us listeners. They also wrote that they enjoy receiving letters from all around the world!

As far as I know all DSC communications on shortwave (4 MHz and higher) are coordinated via Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut in Canada. The station in Prince Rupert seems to be the only exception to the rule. I’m not sure what the status of the Canadian mediumwave Coast Guard stations is these days. In the 80-ies and 90-ies I could regularly hear them in SSB on 2182 kHz. But I don’t see any of them listed with DSC. So my guess is that, like their counterparts in the USA, distress calls are no longer monitored on medium wave.

QSL CCR Las Palmas 8414.5 kHz

October 5, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

e QSL Las Palmas Radio — e QSL card from Las Palmas Radio

Coast Guard Radio in Spain is remotely operated from three centers: Coruna, Valencia and Las Palmas. This e-QSL CCR Las Palmas confirms my reception of the latter, operating from the Canary Islands on 8414.5 kHz. It was my 2nd attempt to get a QSL from this station via ccr.laspalmas@cellnextelecom.com , so maybe they reply a little bit irregular.

Unfortunately the e QSL doesn’t show the station name, so I have to save the email that went with it in my files as well:

Email accompanying the e-QSL for Las Palmas Radio

QSL Cyprus Radio 5BA 8414.5 kHz

October 4, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 3 Comments

A real QSL card for Cyprus Radio 5BA on 8414.5 kHz. I heard this coastal station with a DSC message. It is nice that they still award QSL cards by mail. Forty years ago they were also reliable verifiers. I attached an old QSL letter from 1982 for a reception of a broadcast in A1 (Morse code).

QSL Cyprus Radio Nicosia Cyprus — Nice QSL card from Cyprus Radio 5BA, Nicosia, Cyprus

QSL Cyprus Radio Nicosia 5BA Cyprus — 1982 QSL for Cyprus or Nicosia Radio 5BA, Cyprus

QSL Olympia Radio SVO 8414.5 kHz

September 25, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 4 Comments

Earlier this year I received this nice e QSL Olympia Radio with call sign SVO. My report was for a DSC message on 8414.5 kHz. I sent my QSL to olympiaradio@ote.gr . Like in many countries maritime or coastal radio stations in Greece merged into one station: Olympia Radio. Occasionally I do see other MMSI station identifiers popping up like for example Aspropyrgis Radio, but as far as I know everything is centrally controlled since 1998.

QSL Olympia Radio SVO, Greece — e QSL from martime station Olympia Radio/SVO, Greece

As said, in the past there were multiple radio stations. Athens (SVA) was the station operating on both MF and HF. Iraklion (SVH), Limnos (SVL), Kerkyra (SVK), Rhodos (SVR) and Chios (SVX) were operating on MF only. Of those Kerkyra was most frequently received in the Netherlands. Below you can see the QSLs I received in the 80-ies from Athens and Kerkyra Radio.

1982 QSL Athens Radio SVA, Greece — 1982 QSL from Athens Radio SVA, Greece

1988 QSL Kerkyra Radio, Greece — 1988 QSL from Kerkyra Radio SVK, Korfu Island, Greece

QSL Torshavn Radio 2187.5 kHz

September 19, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I started this weblog a few months after I resumed DX-ing. As a result there are a few QSLs that I didn’t post yet. One of those is this comprehensive Word document I received as QSL Torshavn Radio. Torshavn Radio – call sign OXJ – is part of the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) on the Faroe Islands. I received them with a DSC test message on 2187.5 kHz. It is a pity that they forgot to tick the DSC box on the document, but I applaud them for sending this neat QSL. I sent my report to MRCC@vorn.fo.

QSL Torshavn Radio, Faroe Islands — E-QSL letter from Torshavn Radio, Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but with a very high degree of self-governance. They are not part of the European Union. The debate on whether they should become fully independent of Denmark lingers on… For us DX-ers and QSL-hunters that doesn’t make a difference: the European DX council has long declared it a separate radio country.

QSL Taupo Radio 8414.5 kHz

August 7, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

Last night I received Taupo Radio, New Zealand, with a DSC message on 8414.5 kHz. Within the hour I received a polite email confirming my reception report via maritime@kordia.co.nz .

QSL email Taupo Radio DSC New Zealand — Email QSL from Taupo Radio, New Zealand

Now obviously I’m very grateful that operators of Taupo Radio took the time to send me answer. I do realize that replying to reception reports is not their core business. Many stations don’t even bother… But while a reply within the hour is an example of efficiency, it also makes me longing for the old days and it raises some concern…

In 1989 I received Awarua Radio, ZLB. It was one of 4 coastal radio stations in New Zealand, and it was the one that covered HF. So with proper propagation conditions you could pick up their CW signals. Yep, we were still on morse code. I think rationalization kicked in between 1991 and 1994, and 4 stations became one: Taupo Radio. And in itself that was not a bad thing. You can learn a bit more on this site about NZ coastal radio station history and here on Awarua Radio in particular.

At the time my reception report took about three weeks to land on their desk and another three weeks for an envelope to drop in the mailbox. The days we worked with printers if not typewriters. When there was no email and we had to rely on airmail. But I received a comprehensive letter with lots of information about the station, their transmitters, the receivers (JRC NRD515s – nice detail is that I made today’s Radio Taupo reception on my 30 years old JRC NRD 535!). And a beautiful QSL card that displayed pride in the coastal radio stations of New Zealand.

QSL Awarua Radio New Zealand — Proud of your Coast Radio Station… the QSL of Awarua Radio shows it!

And that is what is lacking today. Call me an old dude, a radio geek whatever… but I do think it is an opportunity missed. Driven by efficiency and bureaucrats who don’t understand the difference between a Volt and an Ampere there is no more space and time for pride and passion in engineering and technology and what it brings society… How much effort would it take to just include one promotional picture in an email from an interested listener? Promotion has never been so easy…
And that – as a PhD Physics and retired technology manager – worries me… How are we going to foster interest in engineering studies so much needed in western society? Your thoughts? Leave a comment!

QSL Bremen Rescue 2187.5 kHz

August 5, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Earlier this year I received this beautiful QSL Bremen Rescue 2187.5 kHz. I really appreciate DSC stations (and other stations) that offer this service. Somehow I do hope that it helps younger people to develop an interest in the hobby and therefore in radio and electronics. I sent my report to mail@mrcc-bremen.de .

QSL MRCC Bremen 2187.5 kHz — QSL from MRCC Bremen on 2187.5 kHz.

QSL Tokyo Coast Guard 12577 kHz

July 29, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

For my reception report of Tokyo Coast Guard from Japan on 12577 kHz I received this nice QSL letter. I heard Tokyo Coast Guard with a DSC message as you might already have guessed.

I added two dollars to cover return postage. They were donated to the Blue Feather Donation as you can read in the letter. Two blue feathers accompanied the QSL: pretty cool!

QSL Tokyo Coast Guard Radio Japan — QSL Tokyo Coast Guard Radio, Japan

Thanks to Hugo Matten who confirmed to use the address below:
Japan Coast Guard, 2-1-3, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8976, Japan

QSL SHN Buenos Aires on 12577 kHz

July 3, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

During my stay on a campsite in the north of the Netherlands I enjoyed good conditions on 12 MHz in a relatively noise free environment. That resulted in the reception of a lot of new DSC stations. SHN (Servicio de Hidrografia Naval) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was one of those!

QSL Servicio Hidrografia Naval Buenos Aires — QSL… just three letters, but I got my QSL for MRCC Buenos Aires!

The email reply took hours only and was the shortest possible. But it carried the three key letters: “QSL”! (I added their logo to the email myself to improve the appearance of this post).
I sent my report to shn@hidro.gov.ar. Confirmation followed via snautica@hidro.gov.ar, which is probably the Coast Guard branch.

Honiara Radio, Solomon Islands on 12577 kHz

June 27, 2023 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Soon after my return to the hobby a couple of months ago I picked up my interest for maritime radio as well. Thirtyfive years ago I received stations in morse code with CW and VVV markers. This allowed me to to QSL countries that were almost out of reach otherwise: D4A Cabo Verde, P2M Port Moresby, 3DP Suva…

But CW is gone, and DSC is what we got in return. And during the winter months I managed a couple of nice receptions on 2187.5 kHz in particular like Aasiaat Radio. But on the higher frequencies I was less successful, apart from nice catches like Charleville/Wiluna and Valparaiso. Despite the distance those stations are quite common however.

But since last week conditions are great. In the community I see DSC loggins from all over the world were made in Europe. My personal best catch was Honiara Radio from the Solomon Islands, the reception looked like this with the YADD decoder:

TIME: 2023-06-26 06:16:21 FREQ: 12577.0 DIST: — Km
SYMB: 120 120 053 080 008 005 030 108 000 055 070 000 010 118 126 126 126 126 126 126 126 122 107 122 122
FMT: SEL
CAT: SAF
TO: SHIP,538008053,???
FROM: COAST,005570001, UNID
TC1: TEST
TC2: NOINF
FREQ: —
POS: —
EOS: ACK
cECC: 107 OK

And yes, it read UNID. But the DSC community made me aware that 005570001 is MRCC Honiara, Solomon Islands! The ship contacted was a bulk carrier “Golden Pearl” on the Coral Sea. The emails are out, letters soon to be followed. Let’s see if I can QSL this one!