Tag: NDB (Page 1 of 12)

QSL NDB CA-281 Cartwright

September 15, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

My first QSL for a Canadian beacon was YMH Mary’s Harbour. But the first NDB I received from Canada was NDB CA on 281 kHz for Cartwright Airport. With 4022 kilometers the distance is a little bit further than YMH at 4009 kilometers.

Jennifer from Navcanada was so kind to confirm my reception report. And we exchanged some ideas for the exchange of QSL cards from Navcanada (which would be great!).

QSL letter for NDB CA Cartwright on 281 kHz

Below an audioclip of the reception of NDB CA… for those not familiar with morse code… it is -.-. .- (dah-di-dah-di di-dah) that you will hear:

Cartwright Airport has only one gravel runway of 1200 meters. Twice a week there are flights to Goose Bay (the biggest airport of Labrador) and Black Tickle, an Inuit settlement on the Island of Ponds.

If you want to explore Cartwright Airport, you could use the webcam… but there is not a lot to see.

Green circle is Cartwright NDB on 281 kHz. The water aerdrome is marked with a cross, and Cartwright airport with the purple plane.

QSL NDB RUS-424 Reus

September 12, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A QSL for NDB RUS operating on 424 kHz for Aeropuerto de Reus in Spain. Checking the statistics on NDB list this shouldn’t be a difficult catch. But despite receiving many Spanish NDBs, July this year was the first time I received RUS.
And my reception was far from perfect. In the Pskov recording I made you can see that the beacons was briefly visible with RUS in morse: .-. ..- …

Enaire was again so kind to confirm my report and included their usual data sheet. I sent my report to informacion@enaire.es .

Most flights from Reus Airport are seasonal, carried out by budget airlines like Ryanair and Jet2.com.

QSL NDB LRD-404 Lerida

September 10, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

I write Lerida as the call sign of this beacons is LRD and it is know as Lerida, but the formal name of the city in Catalan is Lleida. The NDB LRD is operated and maintained by Enaire who verified my report with the usual fact sheet. It shows that it is one of the typical Sistema radiante de tipo T antennas fed by a 200 W transmitter.

Factsheet NDB LRD Lerida at 404 kHz provided by Enaire

Now I’m not entirely sure if you can associate this beacon with Lleida-Alguaire Airport or not. But if so, while most of the NDBs from Spain I got confirmed were either associated with an Aena Airport or the military, Lleida-Alguaire airport is operated by Aeroports de Catalunya. It was constructed in 2010 by the Government of Catalunya at the cost of 130 million Euros.

Lleida Alguaire Airport… new, modern, but not much used

LRD is one of the Spanish beacons heard most easily at my QTH, and reported by European NDB listeners. But the airport seems to be less of a success though. Airnostrum seems to operate flights to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca. But that’s all. For that reason the airport seems to target “aeronautical services” today. That means niche businesses as flying schools, aircraft storage and maintenance services.

QSL NDB SGO-356 Sagunto

September 4, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

NDB SGO on 356 kHz is another typical ENAIRE beacon: 200 Watts in a “Sistema radiante de tipo T”: three horizontal wires between two towers. The navigational function is linked to Valencia Airport. The beacon is located in Canet d’en Berenguer, north of Valencia. I’m not an expert, but when I checked on flight radar I noticed that flights pass north of Valencia, making a U-turn to land in an easterly direction.

The info sheet for NDB SGO shared by Enaire

If search for the beacon on GoogleMaps you will see that it is a bit of a weird location, in front of a hotel and in right in the centre of a nice beach resort and yacht club. But I guess the beacon was already there when the development of the resort started around 2001.

NDB SGO Sagunto is located next to the lighthouse, in front of a hotel (GoogleMaps).

My report was confirmed via informacion@enaire.es .

QSL NDB ECV-319 Colmenar-Viejo

September 3, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

ENAIRE confirmed my reception of the NDB ECV-319 at Colmenar-Viejo airbase in Spain. This is the home of the Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET), the Spanish Army Airmobile Forces. There are 4 helicopter batallions that have Colmenar-Viejo as their base, including BHELTRA V who fly Chinook (which is cool as my nephew and godson flies a Chinook as well).

Chinooks at Coronel Maté base Colmenar-Viejo

I sent my report to informacion@enaire.es

QSL NDB ZRZ-389 Zaragoza

August 29, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

QSL for NDB ZRZ Zaragoza on 389 kHz. A beacon with a strong signal, but somehow often compromised by QRM at my location. The ZRZ beacon is located 15 kms NW of Zaragoza Airport.

My report was confirmed by informacion@enaire.es .

NDB ZRZ Zaragoza (green circle) is located 15 km NW of Zaragoza Airport

Zaragoza Airport history goes back to the Cold War. Constructed by the US it was one of three major USAF Cold War airbases in Spain. But what I didn’t know is that is was used as a Transoceanic Abort Landiing facility for Space Shuttle missions.

QSL NDB PI-420 Madalena/Pico Island

August 27, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

My 6th and final Azores beacon confirmed (there are only 6 active NDBs on the Azores) is PI on 420 kHz. This beacon is located on Pico Island. Pico Airport is also a smaller airport operated by Sata Aeródromos. But in addition to flights to the island of Terceira and Sao Miguel it also offers flights to Lisbon in mainland Portugal.

My report was confirmed by Marco Figueiredo from Nav Portugal.

QSL NDB GC-428 Santa Cruz de Graciosa

August 26, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

During the night of July 25th/26th I heard three new NDBs from the Azores. GC on 428 kHz on Graciosa Island was one of those and it was confirmed with the other two by Mr. Figueiredo from NAV Portugal:

The bigger airports of which I received other beacons (Horta, Ponta Delgada, Flores) are managed by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal. Smaller airports like Graciosa are managed by SATA Aeródromos. They also operate the airports on Islands Corvo, Pico and São Jorge. SATA is the abbreviation of Serviço Açoriano de Transportes Aéreos and they also operate the daily flights to Graciosa to Lajes and Ponta Delgada.

QSL NDB HT-360 Horta/Faial Island

August 23, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

The night of July 25th/26th offered excellent reception conditions from the Azores. I heard all 6 NDBs including 3 new ones! Mr. Figueiredo from NAV Portugal was so kind to confirm my reception report. So my Azores collection is now complete

NDB HT Horta on 360 kHz is one of two NDBs on Faial Island. The other one, FIL on 380 kHz, is easier to receive in The Netherlands. Horta Airport is relatively small with flights to neighbouring islands in addition to a scheduled flight to Lisbon, Portugal.

QSL NDB YMH-250 Mary’s Harbour

August 12, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

A very nice QSL letter from Jennifer Bath at NAV Canada for my reception of NDB YMH Mary’s Harbour on 250 kHz, 4012 kms away from my home location. It was not the first Canadian NDB that I received at my location (that was CA-281 Cartwright), but it is my first QSL. Thanks to Wolf, DE2WHG, for giving me the address tip.

To my surprise I wasn’t only able to receive this signal during summer, but also in pretty good quality as you can see on the picture below. I have to admit that with 1000 Watt the transmitter power is higher than most European beacons. And Roelof Bakker – and experienced NDB DX-er – told me that indeed this beacon is often stronger in summer than CA from Cartwright.

Mary’s Harbour Airport (YMH) is a small airport in Canada with domestic flights only, operated solely by Provincial Airlines (PAL Airlines). There are two non-stop destinations from Mary’s Harbour: Blanc-Sablon (YBX) and St. Lewis (YFX), each with around 9 flights per month.

The airport has one gravel runway and limited facilities. And no internet presence, so this is the best picture I could find: