QSLs for November 2016

Bunka Hosa / Nippon Cultural Broadcasting - JOQR (QSL Card) transmitting from Akai, Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture (Tokyo), Japan

All India Radio Leh (QSL Card) transmitting on short-wave from Ladakh, Leh district in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir (India)


All India Radio Cuttack (QSL Card) transmitting on medium-wave from Cuttack, Odisha (India)

 HCJB  (QSL Card) Russian and Cechan Service transmitting from Nauen, Germany

 Radio Taiwan International (QSL Card) transmitting from Paochung, Taiwan

Radio New Zealand International (eQSL) in a test transmission from Rangitaik, New Zealand

WRMI (eQSL) transmitting from Okeechobee, Florida, USA

Radio Studio Otkrovenie - HCJB Global (QSL Card) Russian and Chechen Service transmitting from Nauen, Germany

Seoul Radio Center Korea Telecom - Station HLG (QSL Card)  transmitting from Seoul, Republic of Korea

 

Radio Thailand World Service (QSL Card)  transmitting from Udon Thani, Thailand



Voice of Vietnam (QSL Card)  transmitting from Hanoi-Sontay, Vietnam

Voice of Indonesia (die Stimme Indonesiens) (QSL Card) German Service transmitting from Jakarta. One card for reception reports submitted in June, July and August 2016.

Radio Nikkei 1  (QSL Card) transmitting from Chiba-Nagara, Japan

NHK World Radio Japan (QSL Card) Indonesian Service transmitting from Ibaragi-Koga-Yamata, Japan



Promised:
KNLS Chinese language broadcast (QSL) transmitting from Anchor Point, Alaska (USA)

Voice of Vietnam (QSL) transmitting from Hanoi-Sontay, Vietnam

Radio Habana Cuba

Radio Habana Cuba, broadcasting Spanish, was logged on 25, 26 and 27 November 2016, from 23.30 till 00.15 UTC. A mix of talk, quite possibly about the passing of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, and Cuban music was observed during this period. Reception on 15.230 kHz was SINPO: at 23.30 UTC was 15421 -- faint and fading audio, barely audible was noticed, best in LSB mode. By 23.45 UTC, signal strengthened to 25431, but still not as good as reception on the previous day, 25 November. On that particular day, SINPO was 35443 -- fair strength, clear speech and audio, minor fading.

Reception report was emailed a few days later.

Email:

radiohc@enet.cu

radiohc@rhc.icrt.cu

Fidel Castro Remembered in Radio Memorabilia

With the passing of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (1926 - 2016), Cuban politician, dictator and revolutionary who governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008, perhaps it is fitting to look back at how he was portrayed in QSL cards and souvenirs from a few international broadcasters, chiefly Radio Habana Cuba and the Voice of Russia.

When I resumed the hobby of radio listening, one of the first stations to verify was Radio Habana Cuba. Aside from their QSL card, pocket calendars, often depicting Castro, were received over the years. He was equated with Cuban poet and independence leader Jose Marti in one card, and simply portrayed in others with his iconic beard, olive green military attire and cigar.

All of the pocket calendars of Fidel Castro were based on portraits painted by Oswaldo Guayasamín, an artist of Iberoamerica. The 2017 calendar was the fourth and last painting of Fidel Castro, which was made for his 70th birthday in 1996. The image entitled "Fidel with hands" carries the signature and a phrase from the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, whose 90th birthday was celebrated on 13th August 2016.

Even the Voice of Russia offered a QSL card, depicting Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara with Yuri Gagarin. It was part of their 50th Anniversary Manned Space Flight series.

Love him or loathe him, Fidel Castro certainly stirred political waters, for good or bad, depending on one's convictions.

Radio Quillabamba (Peru)?

Radio Quillabamba (presumably), transmitting from Cusco (Peru), was logged on 17 November 2016. A DXer in Thailand initially alerted me about this Peruvian station, otherwise it quite possibly would have gone unnoticed. Over the course of about a week, their signal consistently has been heard between 10.50 to 11.25 UTC UTC (05.50 to 06.25 AM Peru time). A Spanish speaking female announcer, in a mostly talk format with at least two songs, was observed on this particular day.

The station operates at approximately -1 Hz off 5.025 kHz. On my receiver it is 5.024; for others it appears to be around 5024.78 kHz. It is possible Radio Rebelde could be the station, but most DXers I know have stated Rebelde is spot-on 5.025 kHz. It past years I have even heard Rebelde on this frequency. So, this  may indeed be Radio Quillabamba.

In any event, reception was less than ideal with an (SINPO) of 15321. At 10.50 UTC, the signal was a faint carrier and best received in SSB mode. Between 10.55 and 11.25 UTC, the grey-line road between Peru and Malaysia allowed voice and music to be heard, despite strong atmospheric noise and slight fading. By 11.25 UTC, the signal completely disappeared under atmospheric noise.

Reception report was emailed, Facebook messaged and posted to Radio Quillabamba. Interestingly, the station replied on Facebook, stating in Spanish: "¡Buenos días Timm Breyel!,nuestro agradecimiento por la información, gracias por compartir esta experiencia. Mañana en nuestro noticiero a las 6.30 am, te mandaremos saludos, sigue escuchando nuestra señal nos ayuda mucho tu información." Well, while I welcome the acknowledgement it falls short of a verification. I can only hope and pray that my letter reaches this remote Andean village, and then they reply with a QSL. I'm thinking this would be a small miracle if it were to happen!

QSL in the Mail

Bunka Hosa / Nippon Cultural Broadcasting - JOQR, transmitting from Akai, Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture (Tokyo), Japan sent the above QSL card, programme schedule and postage stamps. Of the three Japanese medium-wave stations logged in Malaysia thus far, it proved the most difficult. Nice to get this verification! Thank you, JOQR!

2017 Calendar from NHK World - Radio Japan

2017 CALENDAR from NHK World - Radio Japan, courtesy of their Russian service. This calendar comprises award-winning photos, sponsored by NHK. It was gifted to me a few days back. Thank you very much, NHK Russian service!

Nippon Cultural Broadcasting - JOQR

Bunka Hosa / Nippon Cultural Broadcasting - JOQR, transmitting from Akai, Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture (Tokyo), Japan, was logged on 15 September. A selection of old/traditional Japanese music was observed from 18.10 till 18.40 UTC (03.10 till 03.40, Tokyo Time). receprion on the medium-wave frequency of 1134 kHz was (SINPO): 25431 -- poor signal when not fading every two to three minutes. Despite these conditions music was audible, given there was no co-frequency interference.

Reception report was emailed and posted on the following day. QSL card arrived on 24 November 2016.

Voice of Vietnam (via Hanoi-Sontay)

Voice of Vietnam, broadcasting in English from Hanoi-Sontay,  was logged on 22 November 2016. News about Vietnam, region and world, reports on Vietnam hosting APEC 2017, 'Miner's Bread' and Vietnamese fish sauce was heard from 15.00 till 15.27 UTC. Reception on  9.840 kHz was (SINPO) 54555 -- excellent signal strength and clarity of audio

Reception report was emailed the following day to VOV. QSL card via email was promised on 23 November 2016. QSL card arrived in the mail on 24 December 2016.

Email:
englishsection@vov.org.vn
vovworld@vov.org.vn

Radio Taiwan International (via Paochung)

Radio Taiwan International, transmitting from Paochung, was logged on 20 November 2016. The programmes "Trends", "Jukebox Republic" and "One More Thing" aired during  this English language service from 15.20 till 16.00 UTC (broadcast time 15.00 till 16.00 UTC). Reception on 11.685 kHz was (SINPO) 34443 -- fair and clear signal, despite some transmitter noise and minor fading. Transmission worsened after 15.50 UTC to 24322.

Reception report was emailed and submitted online, the following day. QSL card arrived in mail on 7 December 2016.


Email:
rti@rti.org.tw

KBS World Radio

KBS World Radio, transmitting from Kimjae (South Korea), was logged on 20 November 2016. Vietnamese language programming of news, current events and music aired from 10.30 till 11.30 UTC. Reception on 9.770 kHz was (SINPO) 44544 -- strong and clear audio despite slight fading and minor QRM under signal. Increased QRM from unidentified  source (similar to utility transmission) was detected at 10.50 UTC.

Reception report was emailed and submitted online in subsequent days.

Email:

vietnam@kbs.co.kr

english@kbs.co.kr

QSLs in the Mail

Today, one QSL card for two verifications from All India Radio arrived in the mail: one for All India Radio Leh on short-wave; and the other for All India Radio Cuttack on medium-wave. Confirmation of these two stations has long been sought, and after a number of years, much patience and persistence the prize is finally in hand. Thank you, All India Radio and Spectrum Management & Synergy!

KNLS (via Anchor Point)

KNLS, broadcasting in Chinese from  Anchor Point, Alaska (USA), was logged on 17 November 2016. Religious  and contemporary living programmes, featuring a "Living Bible" radio drama, English language course on the usage of the word 'Bias' and music by Air Supply and Seals & Croft, was heard from 17.00 till 18.00 UTC. Reception on 9.655 kHz was SINPO 54554.

Reception report was emailed on the same day to several KNLS contacts. On the same day, Edward Short, Sr. Producer and one of the announcers for KNLS Chinese Service, replied with a nice email promising to send a QSL card. QSL card and postcards of Alaska arrived in the mail on 30 November 2016. A follow-up QSL card arrived on 6 April 2017.

QSLs in the Mail

While away on holiday in the Cameron Highlands, these QSLs arrived in the letterbox. HCJB Germany sent their verification, along with a leaflet and nice hand-written note in Russian. Otkrovenie (HCJB Global Russian Service) and Media Broadcast previously confirmed this broadcast relayed from the Nauen site as well. Radio Taiwan International verified with their latest QSL card and sent along their English programme schedule. I'm still waiting for their special QSL of a German  broadcast logged in August 2016. Despite this shortcoming, I'm pleased to report that HCJB and RTI remain two of the most reliable verifiers. Thank you, HCJB and RTI!

Radio New Zealand International

Radio New Zealand International,  in a test transmission from Rangitaiki (NZ), was logged on 6 November 2016. RNZI internval, news, sports, weather and Pacific regional news in English was observed from 12.58 till 13.30 UTC and later.

While a "Test Transmission" on 7.355 kHz was initially scheduled the previous day, technical issues prevented RZNI from actually testing until the following day -- 6 November. And then, SINPO was 33443 -- fair signal, good clarity of content, but station splatter from CRI (Kunming) on 7.360 kHz. Transmission was best heard in LSB mode. Signal strengthened after 13.30 UTC, but still plagued by some station splatter from CRI. Once CRI signed off, RNZI ruled the waves.

Interestingly, KNLS in Anchor Point, Alaska operated on the same frequency from 12.00 till 12.58 UTC, and CRI also squashed their signal. They too were only audible in LSB mode.

Reception report was emailed and submitted online on the same day. The online webpage for an eQSL is the only way to obtain verification from RNZI now. Paper QSLs were discontinued last year. The above eQSl was received on 9 November 2016.

Email:

rnz@radionz.co.nz

WRMI (via Okeechobee)

WRMI, transmitting from Okeechobee, Florida (USA), was received on 5 November 2016. Presumably the programmes "FG Radio" and "Words of Life" were observed from 23.10 till 23.50 UTC until grey-line path between Malaysia and the eastern US disappeared. Reception on 9.955 kHz was (SINPO) 24332 -- weak but audible and occasionally clear content, despite atmospheric noise which increased as grey-line ended. By 23.50 UTC, signal was just barely audible.

Interestingly, this marks the first reception of WRMI since early this year. As we approach the winter months, reception of stations in the northern hemisphere and Caribbean should improve, owing to the longer period when a grey-line path is present between Malaysia and these areas of the world.

Reception report was emailed and submitted online to WRMI on the following day, 6 November 2016. An immediate eQSL was requested as well, and it was indeed received with minutes of submission. A follow-up paper QSL card arrived in the mail on 30 November 2016.

Email:
info@wrmi.net
wrmiqsl@gmail.com (for eQSL)

QSLs in the Mail

Four QSLs arrived in the mailbox, today. Verifications include the Voice of Vietnam, Radio Thailand World Service (HSK9), SeoulRadio Centre (HLG) and Otkrovenie (HCJB Global Russian Service) via Nauen. Thank you very much, one and all! 

QSLs in the Mail

The first QSL cards for the month of November arrived in the mail, today. Three cards, surprisingly! Radio Nikkei 1 (Chiba-Nagara), NHK World-Radio Japan (Yamata) and Voice of Indonesia (Jakarta). The VOI card verifies three reception reports. The Radio Japan card is for their Indonesian service. And Radio Nikkei is their most recent design. Glad to get these QSLs.Thank you, one and all!

Adventist World Radio (via Moosbrunn)

Adventist World Radio, broadcasting in Arabic from Moosbrunn (Austria), was received on 2 October 2016, from 18.20 till 18.59 UTC (broadcast time 18.00 till 18.59 UTC), under poor conditions (SIO 232) on the shortwave frequency of 11.985 kHz, . Religious discussion in Arabic and music was observed during this broadcast.

Reception report was emailed to AWR, shortly after the transmission ended, 2 October 2016.

Radio Publique Africaine (via (Talata-Volondry)

Radio Publique Africaine, broadcasting in French via MGLOB (Talata-Volondry, Madagascar), was received on 2 October 2016, from 18.35 till 18.58 UTC (broadcast time 18.30 till 18.58 UTC).  Talk and music in French was observed during this period. Reception on 11.550 kHz was (SINPO) 24322 -- terribly weak signal, dominant carrier with peaks of faint audio when not fading

Reception report was emailed to MGLOB, shortly after the transmission ended, 2 October 2016.

Random Log 2 October 2016

 ALBANIA
Radio Tirana via Shijak // 7.465 kHz // 15221 - signal fading in and out, no real discernible content, but present // 19.00 UTC with talk in Italian

ASCENSION ISLAND
BBC // 15.400 kHz // 25332 // 17.55 UTC with English news report on Muslim American vote in US Presidential election

AUSTRALIA
Radio Australia // 12.065 kHz // 55555 // 18.31 UTC with discussion about collecting for charities in English

AUSTRIA
Adventist World Radio via Moosbrunn // 11.985 kHz // 25432 // 18.20 UTC with music and presumably relogious talk in Arabic

BOTSWANA
Afia Darfur // 11.615 kHz // 44544 // 18.00 UTC with news in Arabic

BULGARIA
Bible Voice Broadcasting via Kostinbrod // 11.600 kHz // 33443 -- jamming // 17.58 UTC with English ID and contact details for Persian broadcast

FRANCE
Radio Algerienne Holy Quran via Issoudun // 11.660 kHz // 43443 // 18.10 Quran recitation, followed by news in Arabic

GERMANY
Voice of America via Lampertheim // 11.955 kHz // 22432 -- weak, audible signal despite heavy jamming // 18.20 UTC with programming in Amharic

INDIA (GOA)
All India Radio via Panaji // 12.025 kHz // 55555 // 18.26 UTC with music in Malayalam

INDONESIA 
Voice of Indonesia // 9.525 kHz // 55555 // 19.10 UTC with Indonesia news in English

MADAGASCAR 
Radio Publique Africaine via Talata-Volondry // 11.550 kHz // 24322 // 18.35 UTC with talk in French

MALI
China Radio International via Bamako // 11.640 kHz // 44444 // 18.05 UTC news in Hausa

PHILIPPINES
Radyo Pilipinas // 15.190 kHz // 45544 // 17.55 UTC with news reports in Filipino

SAUDI ARABIA
Radio Saudi // 11.915 kHz // 11.915 kHz // 55445 // 18.15 UTC with Quran recitation

SOUTH AFRICA
Channel Africa // 15.235 kHz // 35443 // 17.50 UTC with sports news and music in English

THAILAND
Radio Thailand World Service // 9.390 kHz // 44444 // 19.05 UTC with news report on King Bhumipol in English

TURKEY
Voice of Turkey // 11.730 kHz // 55545 // 18.10 UTC with Turkish pop music

Receiver used: Tecsun S-2000. Antenna: external 1/4 wave aerial elevated to a height of 13 meters. Listening post: Malaysia

November 2016

The Rhein Main Radio Club Calendar for month of November 2016