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.
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.
Staying on the island Curaçao for two weeks I couldn’t resist to bring my small Grundig G6 aviator with me. And send some reception reports of course. The e- QSL TWR Bonaire 800 kHz is for the strongest station in the Caribbean.
QSL TWR Bonaire 800 kHz
In 2021 the transmitter power was increased to 440 kW. The decision to boost power was made when it was recognized that “a large regional station in Latin America was needed to supplement the small FM operations on air in that region”, according to Lauren Libby, president and CEO TWR. The station went on air in 1963 with 500 kW. But the costs of running a high power tube type rig forced them to cut back power to 100 kW in 1998.
The station can be heard in Europe, although it is not as easy as the power might suggest given that the frequency is only 1 kHz away from European 801 kHz with some Spanish stations. Worse at my QTH is LPAM station Radio Jong Europa from Alphen aan de Rijn. Only 100 Watt, but also only 20 kilometers away they spoil reception with broad band non stop music. In Curaçao, at only 80 kilometers away from Bonaire, it is an easy catch obviously.
Nice detail is that you can write the station directly at 800am@twr.org and get a dedicated QSL, rather than the more generic QSL via the TWR webform. And, together with Saba and St. Eustatius, Bonaire is a separate radio country!
eQSL sent bij TWR Asia to confirm reception of TWR PANI, Kyrgyzstan
As I was not sure whether the TWR PANI (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Northern India) would resort under TWR CAMENA or TWR Asia I sent both of them a reception report. Three weeks ago I shared the QSL email received via Mr. Kalman Dobos of TWR CAMENA. Last week I received the eQSL card for my report sent via the TWR Asia webform. Unfortunately, as was the case with the other confirmation, the QSL gave no other information about the QTH than the station ID “CAE”. This stands for “Central Asia East” according to attached information which did include the 1467 kHz schedule.
When I resumed the DX hobby about a year ago I didn’t think that I would be able to add new EDXC radio countries to my total. But this QSL for TWR PANI Kyrgyzstan on 1467 kHz already adds my 3rd new country to my list. It brings my total on 191 as I was never able to get a QSL from the Kyrgyzstan national radio.
TWR has always been a very DX friendly station. But the structure of their organization and website is really tuned to meet the needs of the individual target audiences. As a result it is a bit complicated for DX-ers to find schedules and program/station owners. As Mr. Kalman Dobos from TWR Europe was so kind to send me a QSL for the TWR broadcast from Armenia, I asked him. And indeed within 5 weeks I had my eQSL. The report I sent to TWR Asia via a web form remains unanswered at the time of writing.
QSL TWR Kyrgyzstan 1467 kHz
As was the case for Armenia, the QSL unfortunately only mentions Central Asia. Fortunately there is no confusion possible with TWR from Roumoules, which dominates the frequency in the evening with its high power transmitter from France.
The programs from Kyrgyzstan are referred to as TWR PANI: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Northern India. And the languages spoken are from that region, which makes it difficult to pick up details. But at 15:43 a recording of male voice in English mentioning TWR360.org twice was played. It was followed by the well known TWR interval signal and a telephone number that was repeated in English. That’s probably the best way to identify the station, as there was also another Middle East station from either Saudi Arabia or Iran present on the same frequency. And yes, a local LPAM, Radio Eldorado, contributed to the QRM as well.
More info on the station can be read on the very informative Ydun’s Medium Wave Info site.
Things are a bit slow as I didn’t spend too much time behind the radio the last couple of weeks. But there are still some QSLs from a year ago that I didn’t post yet, as I received them before I started this weblog. This QSL for Radio Eli, Estonia on 1035 kHz is one of those.
a very nice e-QSL card from Radio Eli, Estonia, 1035 kHz
Radio Eli aims to bring the gospel to the countries of the post-Soviet space as they write on their website. They started in 2001 with a two hour Russian program of Tartu Family Radio via a 50 kW transmitter on 1035. In 2008 power increased to 100 kW. Since 2010 they are working together with Trans World Radio (TWR) and power increased to 200 kW, but this seems to be used for TWR and Radio Liberty transmission only. Using the loop antenna to block Radio Lyca from the UK on the same frequency they can be received quite well here in The Netherlands.
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 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!
In May I received TWR (Trans World Radio) Central Asia on 1377 kHz. I heard a program in the Ukrainian language. My reception report was awarded with a nicely detailed e-QSL, signed by Mr. Kalman Dobos:
eQSL TWR Central Asia, 1377 kHz
One thing is missing though and that is the transmitter location. I haven’t seen anything else than “Central Asia” on their QSLs. It seems to be common knowledge though that the station is located in Gavar, Armenia. With 500 kW it can be heard in very good quality here in The Netherlands (SIO 454).
For my reception of their program in Korean language I received this detailed e-QSL from KTWR Trans World Radio Guam.
Detailed eQSL from KTWR Guam
Checking my files I found that it was almost 40 years ago that I QSL-ed KTWR Guam for the first time. This is the card I received for my reception on 11840 kHz, December 30th, 1983.
1984 QSL card from KTWR Trans World Radio Guam
BDXC : SWL 2262 PRe VERON : NL 14228 If you want to get in touch, just leave a message on one of my posts. Please note that I don't publish email addresses of verifiers which are not part of the public domain. So if you don't see the QSL address, just leave a message and I'll get back to you.
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