Tag: QSL (Page 2 of 51)

QSL Noordkop 247 105.6/107.7 MHz

September 23, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

During a brief stay on the island of Texel I was able to listen to Noordkop 247. I heard them on both of their frequencies: 105.6 and 107.7 MHz. I sent my report to nieuws@noordkop247.nl and received this QSL email almost immediately.

QSL email for the new Noordkop 247 regional radio station

Noordkop 247 is the regional radio for the “Kop van Noord-Holland” the northwestern point of the mainland of the Netherlands. If my information is correct Noordkop 247 is only 23 days old. On September 1st, 2025 the regional station Regio Noordkop (municipalities Den Helder and Hollands Kroon) and Noordkop Centraal (Schagen municipality) merged. Below you see their old logo’s.

The merger is in line with the Dutch strategy to move from local to more professional regional radio. Or better said: regional media, as today these stations run news sites, podcasts and TV as well. See also my posts on RTV Krimpenerwaard and regionalization and SRC FM.

The two transmitters of Noordkop 247 (FMscan.org)

“pre-e-QSL” Radio Cairo 9900 kHz

September 21, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Last year I received a QSL from Port Said Radio on 2187.5 kHz. Prior to that my only QSL from Egypt was from the Middle East News Agency (MENA) for a 1993 reception report. In those days I built a small RTTY converter connected to my first PC allowing me to decode these messages. It was quite common for news agencies to have an RTTY outlet on shortwave. It resulted in a nice QSL letter:

QSL letter from MENA Cairo broadcasting on shortwave

Despite many attempts I’ve never been able to get a QSL from Radio Cairo. But a DX friend of mine, Paul Flanagan, triggered me to give it another shot as he received what he described as a “pre-QSL email”. So I tried again and indeed, within a day I received this “pre-QSL email”:

So now I have to wait and see if that elusive e-QSL will arrive in my email inbox one day…

I listened to a Turkish program from Radio Cairo on 9900 kHz. They seem to have broadcasts in English, French, German on the 31 meter band as well, but I have the impression that it is a bit erratic. And when I receive them the signal is often strong, but a poor modulation compromised reception quality. Below a clip of my recent reception with time announcement.

QSL WPTX Lexington Park 1690 kHz

September 20, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

The North American Transatlantic DX season has started, and one of the stations I received last week was WPTX 1690 AM from Lexington Park, Maryland, USA. I wrote to this station in the past, never got an answer. This time my report was answered with this n/d email. I sent my report to sharon@somdradio.com .

WPTX was one of the stations that moved to the socalled “expanded band” in the late 90’s. This expanded band, which runs from 1610 to 1700 kHz was approved for use by the FCC on March 17th, 1997. I remember that at the time European DX-ers thought that this would open a lot of opportunities for Transatlantic DX as there are no European stations active on these frequencies (and in those days the traditional MW band was still crowded with high power EU broadcasters).

But apart from a few regulars it turned out to be not that easy… mainly because most of the stations allowed were low power (10 Watts only). WPTX is an exception, with 10 kW during day time, 1 kW night time. And with their location close to the coast they are one of the stations that can be heard regularly at my QTH.

WPTX targets a 50+ year old audience with oldies, rock and roll and surf music.

QSL RTI Tamsui French test transmissions

September 17, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 1 Comment

Like the German service of Radio Taiwan International the French service of RTI also ran test transmissions this year from Tamsui. For my reception report on three frequencies I received a beautiful paper QSL:

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 Stockholm Radio 2187.5 kHz

September 12, 2025 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A nice QSL email from Stockholm Radio Sweden for a DSC message on 2187.5 kHz with a copy of the classic Stockholm Radio QSL card with call sign SDJ attached. I sent my report to info@stockholmradio.se .

email QSL for Stockholm Raidio at 2187.5 kHz

I sent this report because Hugo Matten received such a nice reply on his report. But as was explained to me in an earlier email all emergency monitoring (GMDSS/DSC) is done by JRCC Sweden, located in Gothenburg. They have access to the facilities of Stockholm Radio for that purpose.

Stockholm Radio is in fact only responsible for the VHF services from Stockholm.

A copy of the physical QSL card for Stockholm Radio that was in use in the 80s was enclosed.

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