Tag: QSL (Page 1 of 39)

QSL Atlantica AM 1485 kHz

January 20, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 2 Comments

There is low power (100 Watts) and “Real Low Power”. 1485 is the “Real Low Power” AM (LPAM) frequency in The Netherland: stations should have 1 Watt maximum. There are around 25 stations active on this frequency. Unfortunately DX-ers in the Netherlands will typically hear one dominant station only. Outside the Netherlands you might be able to benefit from variations in propagation conditions, enabling you to hear several stations.

On my QTH Radio 182, only 15 kilometers away (basically across the meadow) is dominant. But using my NTi Megaloop FX antenna to “null” them out, there is apparently enough of a signal left for Atlantica AM from Dordrecht. On Sundays that is, because I that’s when they are “on air”.

You can check your reception against Flux Radio, because they broadcast the Atlantic AM transmissions as well. If you receive them, feel free to go to the Facebook page of Cor Hitzerd. That’s how I got in touch:

Following my report I had a nice conversation with Cor. He shared quite a lot about his pirate history, his friends on the air, and how they as pirates promoted lots of Dutch artists. The fact that you can connect to station owners is so nice about DX-ing these days! Cor also sent me a few pictures… here we go:

QSL Polderpop Radio 1134 kHz

January 20, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

For DX-ers and QSL collectors listening to LPAM stations in The Netherlands can be rewarding. First of all because many of them are run by radio enthusiasts who don’t mind taking the time to explain a lot about their station via messenger, whatsapp or email. But also because it is a very dynamic scene.

In 2023 I got a QSL from 1134AM from Ooijen. They are gone and now I can hear Polderpop Radio from Veldhoven on this frequency. Broadcasting with 100 Watt they can be received in reasonable quality 82 kilometers away. That is: during the day, in the evening hours it is usually Radio Kuwait that I find here.

Polderpop Radio has quite a history. They’ve been on cable, mediumwave, internet, DAB+ and now they’re back on AM. Their program focuses on popmusic from Dutch artists. I sent my report via the contact form on their website, and Jacco Hagoort from Polderpop Radio confirmed my reception within a day.

QSL COPE Jaén 1143 kHz

January 18, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

The main networks like RNE, SER, Onda Cero and COPE still have local stations which provide a nice DX target. The biggest problem is to hear the local ID. A good opportunity for COPE stations is around 21:57 h UTC (22:57 h local time in Spain). In the late evening hours they broadcast the network program “La Linterna”, but at this time it is interrupted by a local ID followed by local commercials.

I heard COPE Jaén on 1143 kHz. This frequency is shared with COPE Ourense. The two stations often mix, making it a bit more difficult with my limited knowledge of the Spanish language. But this time I heard COPE Jaén only. Mr. Simon from the Engineering department Andalucia Sureste was so kind to confirm my report.

QSL NDB AA-336 Aasiaat

January 16, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A QSL from another Greenland NDB which I received via the Clashmore Kiwi in Scotland during the recent CLE event: NDB AA on 336 kHz for Aasiaat airport. The operator was not allowed to open the MP3 file, but the description of the beacon signal was suffucient. The email text misses the details, but I have another email from Greenland Airports headoffice that does contain the details for my reception of this beacon AA-336 Aasiaat as well as NA-359 Narsarsuaq.

Aasiaat is a small airport on the west coast of Greenland, south of Disko Bay. From Aasiaat you can fly to the bigger airports at Nuuk and Ilulisat. In winter there are cargo flights from Aasiaat to nearby settlements for which you can book a seat as well. In summer the connection is by ferry only.

QSL NDB NA-359 Narsarsuaq

January 12, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

During the last CLE of the NDBlist group I received a few NDBs from Greenland using the BDMR Kiwi in Clashmore. I wrote to Bo Mogensen from Tussas who confirmed my reception of NDB OZN earlier. He explained to me that OZN is a bit of an exception, but that most other beacons are operated by Greenland Airports.

So for my reception of Narsarsuaq I sent a report to bgbw@airports@gl. Within a day I got a reply. According to Wikipedia: along with Nuuk Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport, Narsarsuaq is one of three civilian airports in Greenland capable of serving large airliners. It is also the only international airport in southern Greenland.

A new airport in Qaqortoq is however currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late 2026. This eliminates the need for Narsarsuaq as a domestic and Iceland-bound gateway to South Greenland. In 2022, the Greenlandic government decided that Narsarsuaq will be downscaled to a heliport, losing the runway.

QSL TWR Benin 1476 kHz

January 9, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

While Transatlantic conditions are poor there is still plenty to listen to on medium wave. This week I received TWR from Parakou, Benin. They started a bit earlier than announced. Around 0305 h UTC I heard some nice African music like the song “Noé” from Pasteur Plaingué. The Shazam app works wonders… At 0320 their regular program started in Hausa, the lingua franca of the region. The typical TWR interval signal was absent.

QSL TWR Africa from Parakou, Benin, 1476 kHz

My report was answered within a day by Mrs. Lorraine Stavropoulos, DX manager for TWR Africa via lstavrop@twr.org. Unfortunately, unlike the e-QSL from TWR Eswatini which featured the 50 years anniversary logo, there is no reference made to Benin. This seems to be a bit of a TWR policy, as neither of my Kyrgyzstan QSLs indicated the QTH.

QSL NDB OO-369 Örnsköldsvik

January 2, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Another beacon from northern Sweden confirmed. A QSL for NDB OO-369 Örnsköldsvik. The other NDB for this airport is OD-322. Chris Landstrom from Aviseq was so kind to send a confirmation (together with NDB OL Luleå):

As for OO, it’s definitely our station but it baffles me how your reception was so much worse than previous NDB’s or even OL which is several hundred kilometers further away from you than OO is, I looked into weather history for these dates and saw nothing that should indicate a worse prerequisite in terms of climate and considering OO’s placement there shouldn’t be any difficult obstructions or similar making it much worse than OL. I’m not aware of any conflicting frequencies that could play a role but maybe you have an idea what could cause this? Our monitoring receivers are generally placed at nearby airports so any long-range discrepancies wouldn’t be picked up; but it would be fun to understand it better.

“I’m happy to confirm that Peter Reuderink has received the following stations:
NDB OO on 369 kHz on October 26th, 2024, 22:15 h UTC, and
NDB OL on 377 kHz, on October 27th, 2024, 23:15 h UTC”

I explained Chris that the quality of the reception depends on the propagation at the time I scan that specific part of the frequency band. And at the time conditions were not stellar due to solar activity. Moreover, OO shares a frequency (with similar offsets) with NL Goteborg-Landvetter and MNE Munich, which are more or less in the same antenna direction and definitely much stronger at my QTH.

It’s nice to have these sort of conversations with the engineers that maintain these beacons!

QSL NDB OL-377 Luleå

December 31, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Chris Landstrom from Aviseq Sweden was so kind to confirm my reception of OL Luleå on 377 kHz (as well as OO Örnsköldsvik):

We’re happy to confirm these receptions – technically OL Luleå @ 377 kHz belongs to our colleagues in Luleå but due to workload right now I’m confident you’ll struggle for a reply there. They have quite a bit more work this time of year than we do so they’re pretty busy right now. I feel confident enough that we’re looking at OL Luleå here so I’ll go ahead and confirm that.

Luleå Airport is quite a busy airport with regular flights to Gothenburg and Stockholm, but also to Paris, Düsseldorf and London, plus charters to various holiday destinations around the Mediterranean.

QSL CFZM 740 Zoomer Radio Toronto

December 29, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A QSL for CFZM 740 Zoomer Radio, Toronto. I heard this station for the first time this year. The reception report was via their webform. Following a brief email exchange Genya Hulak was so kind to send me a fully detailed email:

The 740 AM frequency was in use by CBL (a CBC station) until 2000. But as their AM transmissions suffered from interference in downtown Toronto they left this frequency. Despite the interference issue many stations contested for this clear channel frequency. The application was granted to CHWO which moved from 1250. CJYE is their replacement on 1250. The CBC brand is still visible on the Hornby transmitter building:

CBC transmitter station at Hornby, now in use by CFZM 740

In 2007 the CHWO operations were sold and the station was rebranded to CFZM. The format is “oldies and adult standards”.

QSL Radio Briscola, Lenta, 1449 kHz

December 19, 2024 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Scanning the medium wave band I found Radio Briscola in pretty good quality on 1449 kHz. As I only heard a lady talking, without an ID, I made a recording and sent it to radiobriscola@gmail.com (thank you Artur at Maresme DX for the tip).

e QSL Radio Briscola 1449 kHz from Lenta, Piemonte, Italy

Gianfranco Giudice sent me a kind email reply:

I’m very pleased with your listening report
Radio Briscola is a small amateur broadcaster with a regular permit that broadcasts from Piedmont (Italy) with 500 watts/carrier and a 32 meter vertical folded antenna every weekend, also because electricity costs a lot; we plan to power the transmitter with photovoltaic, but later……….

While it is nice that in countries like Holland and Italy there is a bit more of a liberal attitude toward low power broadcasters on AM, the energy costs are providing a challenge. We haven’t seen the sun in The Netherlands for 9 days on a row now. Will we get messages like “our station is off the air because a lack of solar power?”.