Tag: NDB (Page 4 of 8)

QSL NDB GRZ-290 Graz

February 24, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Austro Control sent a nice fullly detailed QSL. I got my QSL NDB GRZ-290 via info@austrocontrol.at . The beacon was located on Graz Airport in Austria.

Fully detailed eQSL from Austro Control for NDB GRZ-290 Graz

And yes: “was located”. Because this is another NDB that can’t be heard anymore. More and more of them are taken out of service, as they are deemed obsolete as modern VOR and GPS systems are now available to support navigation.

NDB GRZ was taken off the air on September 7th, 2023. Fortunately I still had a Pskov recording from its final month of operation. I guess I better hurry to get my other Austrian NDBs QSLed.

QSL NDB SAY-431 Stornoway

February 18, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

QSL for NDB SAY-431 from Stornoway signed by Peadar Smith, Air Traffic Controller. Peadar answered my reception report by email first and offered me to sign a PPC as well. And since I thought of starting using PPCs again I gladly accepted his offer:

PPC for my reception of NDB SAY-431 Stornoway, United Kingdom — PPC QSL for NDB SAY-431 Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.

Stornoway is situated on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, United Kingdom. The airfield was opened in 1937, primarily for military purposes. Today it is owned by HIAL and mainly used for domestic services.

My QSL is the 5th from a HIAL airport (Islay, Wick, Benbecula and Kirkwall other the other NDBs I received a QSL for). I sent my initial report to info@hial.co.uk. But you could also send your report to directly to Peader at the address below. Mind you: Peader is an avid stamp collector, so trust he will be very happy if you could add some stamps with your report!

Peadar Smith
Air Traffic Controller
Port Adhair Steòrnabhagh
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
Stornoway Airport, Isle of Lewis, HS2 OBN
United Kingdom

QSL NDB L-365, L-372, B-429, R-534 Czech Republic

February 15, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

In the last three months of last year I received 11 beacons from the Czech Republic. My report to ANS remained unanswered. Arvid Husdal was so kind to provide me with the email address of Miroslav Najman, OK1DUB, who works at ANS as Radiocommunications Systems Adminstrator.

Within a day Mr. Najman sent me an email. 7 of the 11 beacons in my report were military and outside ANS responsibility (see below). But he could confirm my reception of 4 of them:

NDB L, Karlovy Vary, 365 kHz
NDB L, Prague, 372 kHz
NDB B, Brno, 429 kHz,
NDB R, Ostrava, 534 kHz

The beacons are Thales NDB 436, operating on 50 Watts power. In addition to the technical info I received 4 nice pictures of the transmitter containers and antennas.

The following beacons are owned by the military:
CF-345.5 and C-715 for Caslav Airbase
PK-432 and P-888 for Pardubice Airport (shared mil/civil)
K-438 for Praha-Kbely Airbase
LA-514.5 and XU-563 for Namest nad Oslavou Airbase

QSL NDB WCK-344 Wick

February 5, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

My 4th QSL from a HIAL airport! The other ones are Islay, Benbecula and Kirkwall. I sent my report of my reception of NDB WCK at 344 kHz, Wick, to info@hial.co.uk, and got a detailed letter plus a holiday brochure by regular mail from Neil Bramble, Senior Air Traffic Controller at Wick John O’Groats Airport.

posted by regular mail: QSL letter confirming reception of NDB WCK Wick/John O’Groats

Wick John O’Groats Airport is located in the northern tip of Scotland and hence the most northern airport of mainland United Kingdom. The only scheduled flights are by Eastern Airways to and from Aberdeen.

QSL NDB LAY-395 Islay

February 3, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

The Islay airport is one of 11 airports operated by HIAL (Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd.) in Scotland. I sent my reception report of NDB LAY-395 Islay to info@hial.co.uk . The QSL was by email from Laura at the Islay Admin desk.

Islay is the most southern island of the Inner-Hebrides. The island has close to 3500 residents and 9 (!) whisky distilleries. There is only one scheduled flight, twice a day, by Logan Air to and from Glasgow.

QSL NDB BX-389 La Palma

January 22, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

This QSL is for another of the three beacons I received from the Canary Islands: NDB BX-389 La Palma.

“PPC” QSL for NDB BX-389, La Palma, Canary Islands

La Palma Airport is just one runway, but unlike tiny El Hierro it does offer flights to Europe.

QSL NDB HIE-376 El Hierro

January 20, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

During the CLE299 all of a sudden I received three beacons from the Canary Islands. I’ve said it before, reception from a station based on an island is somehow always a bit special. So I am very pleased with this QSL for NDB HIE-376, located on the island of El Hierro.

“PPC” QSL for NDB HIE-376 El Hierro, Canary Islands.

El Hierro is the tiniest inhabited island of the Canaries. But it has an airstrip, and on the picture below you can actually see the radio beacon, to the left of the terminal building. It’s a tiny airport, and traffic is limited to flights from Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

El Hierro Airport. Photo © Iván Berrocal

As was the case with the QSL for the NDBs on the Baleares, the email confirming my reception came with a fully detailed datasheet:

QSL 7 NDBs from Bulgaria

January 16, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

There are 9 active NDBs in Bulgaria. During the CLE299 event I was able to receive 7 of them. Mr. Kostadinov, Deputy Director Operational Systems was so kind to sent me an email confirming my reception of:

GNA-284 Gorna
BOZ-312 Bozhurishte
DWN-350 Devnya for Varna
KMN-399 Burgas/Kamenar
PDV-450 Plovdiv
WAK-490 Vakarel
PD-537 Plovdiv

Despite the distance, which is between 1719 and 1958 km from my home QTH, I receive these beacons on an almost daily basis. But on the other hand I did not yet receive the remaining two: BD-297 and BU-321…

QSL NDB CSD-345 Daouarat

January 15, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

Via ONDA (Office Nationale des Airports) in Morocco I received an email to QSL my reception of NDB CDS-345 Daouarat. This beacon is located south of Casablanca. Mr. Fouad Naji, Chef de Division NAV, encouraged the passion of a DX-er, which is nice. I sent my report to communication@onda.ma .

I’m looking for a neat way to document my NDB QSLs other than just printing the emails. The example above is what I’m currently thinking about. The relevant info, email, company logo and the signature recorded by Pskov.
What do you think? Comments are more than welcome!

QSL NDB PEP-297 Prilep

January 7, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A QSL for NDB PEP on 297 kHz from Prilep, North Macedonia. My 2nd QSL from this country. The beacon is located 1733 kms from my QTH. The Cyrillic text on the email translates as “keep up the good work”!