Peter's DX Corner

The wonderful world of listening to the radio

Tag: Trans World Radio

QSL TWR Africa 9500 kHz

December 9, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This year Trans World Radio (TWR) celebrates that it was 50 years ago that they started broadcasting from a location near Manzini, Swaziland. I had the pleasure of visiting the country, which is now called Eswatini, and the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary 12 years ago.
Transmitter power has been upgraded from 25 kW to 100 kW which results in a very good reception of their program on 9500 kHz here in The Netherlands. Unfortunately, as far as I know there is only 1 hour of English programming left on their schedule, Sundays only. And when I tuned in they went already off air after 30 minutes. So I’m afraid that TWR is also moving more and more to FM and the internet to get their message heard.

e QSL to celebrate 50 years of TWR Africa

Mrs. Lorraine Stavropoulos confirmed my reception within a day. I sent my report to lstavrop@twr.org (please note the first letter is an “L”). Funny detail is that the QSL features a Bible text in Dutch, so apparently custom made!
Below the well known QSL card which I received in 1980.

1980’s QSL from TWR Swaziland

QSL TWR Roumoules 1467 kHz

September 2, 2023 / / 4 Comments

The transmitter site at Roumoules is owned by Monaco Media Diffusion. Located in France they are among the most powerful in the world. The 2000 kW long wave transmitter on 216 kHz went silent however in 2020 when Radio Monte Carlo decided to focus on FM and internet only. The 1000 kW transmitter on mediumwave is still in use by TWR (Trans World Radio). For my reception report I received this nice QSL TWR Roumoules 1467 kHz.

e- QSL from Trans World Radio, Roumoules, France
e- QSL card from TWR broadcasting from France

I listened to a program in the Arab language (which I don’t speak) and then it is difficult to pick up details. But then I heard the name of Brother Andrew mentioned a few times. Checking on Wikipedia I learned that he was a Dutch missionary. For his activities in smuggling bibles and christian literature into communist countries during the Cold War he earned the nickname “God’s Smuggler”. So even if you don’t understand a language, you can still learn something in this hobby!

QSL Radio Rossii Pridnestrovsky Radiotelecentr 999 kHz

August 1, 2023 / / 1 Comment

Listening to the radio can bring you very close to current affairs. For my report on a Radio Rossii program transmitted on 999 kHz I received this QSL from Pridnestrovsky Radiotelecentr (prtc@idknet.com). The Radiotelecentr also broadcasts programmes of Vesti FM (1431 kHz) and Trans World Radio (1548 kHz).

QSL Radio Rossii
QSL Radio Rossii Pridnestrovsky Radiotelecentr 999 kHz

Pridnestrovsky Radiotelecentr is located near Grigoriopol in Transnistria, a small strip of land between the river Dniestr and the border with Ukraine. Transnistria literally means “across the Dniestr. When the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1990 this part of the former Moldovan Soviet Republic broke away. They hoped to stay within the Soviet Union. In 1992 a military conflict ended with a ceasefire and the creation of a demilitarized zone. The region which calls itself the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic has since been autonomous but is not recognized by any UN member state. It is still seen as part of Moldova.

In 2022, while the Russian invasion in Ukraine took place, a wave of attacks struck Transnistria. Two blasts on April 26th destroyed the two most powerful antennas of the radio station. There are different views on who was behind the attacks. From the email I received it is clear what the station administration thinks of it.

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