Peter's DX Corner

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Tag: LW (Page 8 of 8)

“SQUEEZE 100” NDB Event

August 29, 2023 / / 3 Comments

Last weekend I participated in the “SQUEEZE 100” NDB event, organized by the NDBlist group. Aim was to log 100 NDBs (Non Directional Beacons) in an as small frequency range possible. Hence the name “SQUEEZE 100”.

I had participated in two earlier events this year in which I logged only 4 and 13 stations respectively. So I decided that I needed a bit of help and installed Pskov NDB software. The result was impressive. Not knowing what to expect I started monitoring between 300 and 500 kHz. After I had 100 NDBs logged I could start to zoom in a bit, trying to squeeze the frequency range.

In total I logged over 183 NDBs. Between 350 and 403 kHz I had exactly 100 NDBs, close to 2 per kHz! The picture above shows the most distant ones I heard. With 3033 km OZN from Prins Christian Sund in Greenland was on top of my list. I was also very happy to catch three beacons from Iceland (KF-392; VM-375 and HN-330) and two from Algeria (ON-415; BJA-423).

Below the Pskov screenshot of my OZN-372 log:

Signal from NDB OZN, Prins Christiansund, Greenland on 372 kHz

QSL DCF77 Time-Signal 77.5 kHz

August 15, 2023 / / 2 Comments
QSL DCF77 Mainflingen
QSL DCF77 Mainflingen Time-Signal 77.5 kHz

I received this beautiful QSL card DCF77 Time-Signal on 77.5 kHz by mail. The transmitter is located in Mainflingen, Germany. The QSL was accompanied by a folder on how time is managed. I also received a 2009 magazine from the PTB (Physikalisch-Technischen Bundesanstalt) with a special topic on 50 years of DCF77. This magazine is also available online. I sent my report to dirk.piester@ptb.de .

As you can read on the QSL there is no voice announcement of the time. Instead the date and time are transmitted by in code through the interval between second markers (0.1 s = “zero”; 0.2 s = “1”). You can see this in my waterfall map below. The gap prior to second 53 and 57 is twice as big. At the minute there is no gap.

DCF77 signal. The binary code is clearly visible.

QSL SAQ Grimeton Alexanderson Day

August 11, 2023 / / 2 Comments

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.

QSL SAQ Grimeton 17.2 kHz
e QSL SAQ Grimeton 17.2 kHz Alexanderson Day 2023

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.

RTE ends long wave service 252 kHz

April 11, 2023 / / 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.

Information Letter Atlantic 252
QSL folder (1989) for Atlantic 252, Ireland

QSL NDB MF Halmstad 421 kHz

March 27, 2023 / / 0 Comments

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!

QSL NDB MF-421 kHz Halmstad
QSL NDB MF-421 kHz Halmstad

Coordinated Listening Event

February 27, 2023 / / 1 Comment

Since a few weeks I’m member of “NDB list“, a must have for all NDB, DSC, Navtex fans. The NDB group organizes CLE’s, Coordinated Listening Events. Aim is to log as many NDBs in a certain frequency range over a period of 3 days.
Target for the 289th CLE was 270-320 kHz. Now I do like NDB hunting, but this is not my favourite part of the band with lots of noise and QRM from DGPS stations. And last night’s Aurora did not make things much better. I finished with a disappointing 4 logs only:

293 OB Brussel (BEL)
311 LMA Lintfort (G)
315 HOL Villacoublay (F)
319 VS Valenciennes (F)

All I can hope for is a better result next time!

QSL Grimeton SAQ 17.2 kHz

February 24, 2023 / / 0 Comments

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

QSL Grimeton SAQ, Sweden, 17.2 kHz

Icon lost: QSL RTL Beidweiler 234 kHz

February 24, 2023 / / 1 Comment

RTL, one of the most powerful transmitters on long wave went “off air” with their French programme from Luxembourg on January 2nd this year to save electricity. The percentage of listeners on long wave didn’t justify the electricity bill, which equalled the power consumption of 3000 people. So this is probably one of their last QSL cards for the Beidweiler station… I feel sad, as this was one of the stations on the long wave dial of my first receiver, the Nordmende Traviata (as you can see on the header picture of this blog).
More about the history of this station: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beidweiler_Longwave_Transmitter

QSL RTL Beidweiler 234 kHz
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