The wonderful world of listening to the radio
A real QSL card for Cyprus Radio 5BA on 8414.5 kHz. I heard this coastal station with a DSC message. It is nice that they still award QSL cards by mail. Forty years ago they were also reliable verifiers. I attached an old QSL letter from 1982 for a reception of a broadcast in A1 (Morse code).
As long as I have been listening to shortwave radio there have been stations representing the opposition in countries where Freedom of Speech is an issue. Radio NUG is representing the National Unity Government of Myanmar. This government opposes the junta in Myanmar, and is recognized by the European Union as the legitimate government of Myanmar.
The NUG programs are being broadcast from Paochung , Taiwan in the Burmese language. Currently they are on the air on 11940 kHz, 14:00 – 14:30 h UTC, and 17790 kHz, 02:00 – 02:30 h UTC. Given propagation conditions the first frequency is your best bet in Europe. It is also where I got this QSL Radio NUG 11940 kHz for. At the Radio NUG site you can find a web form to submit your reception report which resulted in this computer generated QSL. Today the site also shows an email address for QSL cards: RadioNUG@MoCITMyanmar.org .
Earlier I received a special QSL Radio Taiwan International on 11995 kHz for a report on the German program. Normally this program is broadcast from Kostinbrod in Bulgaria, but in July it was also transmitted from Tamsui, Taiwan.
In August the French program was in the air from Tamsui, also on 11995 kHz. For reports on this transmission another special QSL Radio Taiwan International was awarded. And again via regular mail! Throughout the year you can listen to their French program via the powerful transmitters in Issoudun, France or Kostinbrod, Bulgaria.
Earlier this year I received this nice e QSL Olympia Radio with call sign SVO. My report was for a DSC message on 8414.5 kHz. I sent my QSL to olympiaradio@ote.gr . Like in many countries maritime or coastal radio stations in Greece merged into one station: Olympia Radio. Occasionally I do see other MMSI station identifiers popping up like for example Aspropyrgis Radio, but as far as I know everything is centrally controlled since 1998.
As said, in the past there were multiple radio stations. Athens (SVA) was the station operating on both MF and HF. Iraklion (SVH), Limnos (SVL), Kerkyra (SVK), Rhodos (SVR) and Chios (SVX) were operating on MF only. Of those Kerkyra was most frequently received in the Netherlands. Below you can see the QSLs I received in the 80-ies from Athens and Kerkyra Radio.
I received an email from the English desk of Radio Romania International announcing their new winter schedule. In the same email they announced that they are working ways to send out digital or eQSLs in 2023. As we are already in the 4th quarter I’m not sure if this is a typo, although I’m still waiting on a 2023 QSL. Anyway it is a pity as I loved the old school QSL they sent, and they were reliable verifiers.
Recent budget cuts forced them to close two out of five transmitters. So I guess the move to eQSLs is probably another cost reduction measure.
I have QSLs from various program owners that had there programs broadcast via WRMI, Florida, USA. But until now I didn’t manage to QSL the station itself. I was worried my reception reception report of 5050 kHz in March this year would also remain unanswered. But today I got this beautiful postcard QSL. Definitely worth waiting for!
Radio Taiwan International usually transmits their German program from the Kostinbrod site in Bulgaria. But in July they were also in the air from Tamsui in Taiwan. I received them on 11995 kHz. Reception reports were award with a special QSL Radio Taiwan International.
I received Alcaravan Radio on Sunday night on 5910 kHz. Following a program with Latin American music I heard a DX program “Onda Continua”. In this program they also transmitted their call sign and frequency in CW, so I could practice my morse skills again. The e- QSL Alcaravan Radio 5910 kHz arrived in just two days.
The DX program was presented by Rafael Rodriguez who is also QSL manager for Alcaravan Radio: rafaelcoldx@yahoo.com . He wrote me that “Onda Continua” is aired on Saturdays and Sundays at 1, 4 and 9 hr UTC.
Rafael also invites you to visit his DX blog: http://dxdesdecolombia.blogspot.com/, and his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DXdesdeColombia/videos .
Radio Piepzender (Peep-sender) is a station that can be heard in the 41 m band during the weekend. The station is also testing on various other bands, but as far as I know there is no regular schedule.
I got this email for my reception report of their transmission on 7405 kHz. As you can see power is 150 watts. The transmitters of Piepzender are quite impressive: robust Rohde and Schwarz.
Stationmanager Henri asked me to make it explicit that reception reports should go to radioqsl@hotmail.com. Other email addresses are not monitored anymore.
You can also get a paper QSL if you send 5 Euro to:
PO Box 2702
6949 ZG HERTEN
The Netherlands
Thanks to a tip from Artur at Maresme DX I tuned in to a program of Radio Andorre. This program, broadcast via Kall-Krekel at 3985 kHz, told about the history of Radio Andorra. I really recommend to visit their website to get acquainted with the history of this radio icon. Unfortunately there no stations other than on FM in Andorra these days. So it is difficult to get anything else than an amateur radio QSL from this tiny mountain country in the Pyrenees.
In 1939 Jacques Tremoulet, who owned several private stations in France, founded Radio Andorra. The main reason for this was that he feared prohibition of his stations in France whereas the country (principality) of Andorra had a special – independent – status.
During WWII, thanks to the neutrality of Andorra, the station continued broadcasting without control from neither France nor Germany. But after the liberation of France problems started for Radio Andorra. Tremoulet was accused of collaboration for his attempts to preserve his stations in the occupied territory. He was sentenced to death and sought refuge in Spain and Switzerland until he was acquitted in 1949.
That did not put an end to the “war” between the French government and Radio Andorra. Aiming for full control over radio in France the government initially jammed the station with transmitters in Bordeaux and Paris. When the court found this unlawful the French government decided it was better to beat Radio Andorra through competition. Ultimately this resulted in the start of Radio des Vallée, later renamed to Sud Radio in Andorra. But not after the French government closed the border with Andorra for a year to frustrate the operation of Radio Andorra and to put pressure on Andorra to allow construction of this new station. In 1961 both stations got a license to operate for a period of 20 years.
In 1981 the government of Andorra decided not to renew the contracts of Radio Andorra and Sud Radio, as they wanted to establish their own radio company… And that was the end of medium and shortwave broadcasting from Andorra. Fortunately I have my QSLs and I can say that I traveled through Andorra, crossing the Port d’Envalira with my wife on bicycle…. but that was, like my QSLs, years ago.
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