QSLs for Month of December 2018

KCBS Pyongyang.  Kanggye, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Radio Romania International. Galbeni, Romania.
Radio Romania International. Galbeni, Romania.
Trans World Radio*. Central Asia.
Radio Thailand World Service - HSK9. Udonthani (Ban Dung), Thailand.
IBB/BBG for Radio Thailand World. Udonthani (Ban Dung), Thailand.
Voice of Turkey. Emirler, Turkey.
NHK World Radio Japan. Yamata, Japan.

*Transmission logged from SDR receiver at the University of Twente, The Netherlands

Signficant QSLs for 2018

While many verifications were received this year, the QSLs depicted in the above video were among my prized gems. Most were for MW stations. A few were special SW broadcasts.  A few were a right royal pain in the derriere to monitor, then to finally obtain the station managers' QSL. And one card (from Voice of Turkey) I simply like for its political statement/social conscience. 

I am not sure how my quest for QSLs will fair next year. With each passing year it is becoming more and more difficult to find new stations to DX, what with propagation being so poor and so much QRN, in my quarter. And then, a verification is next to impossible to acquire for many stations. That said, here's my list of significant QSLs for 2018:

- Radio 4KZ. Innisfail, Queensland, Australia.
- Ozy Radio. Razorback, New South Wales, Australia.
- Norddeutscher Rundfunk. Nauen, Germany and Moosbrunn, Austria.
- Radio Emmeloord. Nauen, Germany.
- Radio DARC. Moosbrunn, Austria.
- Voice of Turkey. Emirler, Turkey.
- Voice of Islamic Republic of Iran. Fesenduz. Marhemetabad District, West Azerbaijan Province.
- All India Radio Vijayawada. Andhra Pradesh, India.
- All India Radio Jeypore. Odisha, India.
- All India Radio Raipur. Chhattisgarh, India.
- All India Radio Bhawanipatna. Belamal, Odisha, India.
- Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation. Islamabad and Peshawar, Pakistan.
- Radio Republik Indonesia. Singaraja, Bali.
- Friedensstimme Mission. Nauen, Germany.
- VOA / Radio Sawa. Umm al-Rimam, Kuwait.
- Radio Sawa / BBG.Cap Greco, Cyprus.
- Radio Thailand. Phuket, Thailand.
- Radio Thailand. Songkhla, Thailand.
- RTM Radio Tawau - Limbang FM. Kajang, Malaysia.
- FEBC - Radio Teos. Iba, Philippines.
- Shanghai Coast Radio Station - XSG. Shanghai, China.
- Kyrgyz Radio  (Birinchi Radio). Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.☺

Radio Thailand World Service - HSK9

Radio Thailand World Service - HSK9  in Udonthani (Ban Dung), was logged on  27 November 2018, from 02.10 till 02.35 UTC with Business Report in English, advertisements for Radio Thailand and Thai Music, followed by programming in Thai at 02.30 UTC. Reception on 13.745 kHz rated a SINPO 55544 -- excellent signal strength, no interference, clear audio, only a bit of occasional fading.

Reception report was emailed to Radio Thailand on the same day. QSL card arrived on 10 December 2018.

RX: Degen DE-1102 ANT  3 meter wire QTH West Malaysia

Voice of Vietnam Souvenir

This Voice of Vietnam bookmark was received in the mail, today. I suspect this souvenir was intended to  accompany their QSL card for a recent reception report. Oddly, VoV has promised a few previous QSL cards, but none have been received to date. In years past, VoV was much more reliable.

KCBS Pyongyang (via Kanggye)

Korean Central Broadcasting Station  (KCBS) Pyongyang, broadcasting  from a 50 kW transmitter site in Kanggye, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was logged on  6 October 2018. A selection of uninterrupted classical orchestral and vocal music was monitored from 05.25 to 06.00 UTC. Transmission was observed on 11.680 kHz. Reception (SINPO) rated 45434.

Reception report was posted to Radio-Television Committee of the DPR of Korea -- same address as The Voice of Korea. I am aware a Voice of Korea email exists, however, I have never received a verification card using it, whether it be for the Voice of Korea and KCBS Pyongyang.

Address:

Radio-Television Committee of the DPR of Korea

Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Radio Romania International

Radio Romania International via Galbeni was logged on 10 November 2018, from 04.00 till 04.57 UTC. English language programming featured RRI Music Festival Quiz, "Focus on Romania", "Welcome to Romania" Romanian pop and traditional music. Reception on the short-wave frequency of 11.790 kHz rated a (SINPO) of 35333 -- fair signal, but very noisy with lots of atmospheric noise and fading, especially 20 minutes after broadcast began. 

Reception report was emailed on the same day. QSL card arrived in the mail on 17 December 2018.

RX: Degen DE-1102 ANT  3 meter wire QTH West Malaysia

Radio Romania International

Radio Romania International's English language broadcast  to South Asia and Australia was logged on 15 October 2018. Delightful Romanian pop music was heard, along with The Cooking Show telling how to pickle vegetables, RRI Encyclopedia looked at neolithic pottery in the Moldavian region and Travel Romania went to wetlands of southern Romania, from 05.30 till 05.57 UTC. Reception on the shortwave frequency of 17.760 kHz was fair throughout the duration of the broadcast, rating a SINPO of 35333 -- fair signal, clear audio, yet mixing with atmospheric noise. HERE is RRI. 

Reception report was submitted on the same day. QSL card arrived in the mail on 17 December 2018.

RX: Degen DE-1102 ANT  3 meter wire QTH West Malaysia

Trans World Radio* (via Centra Asia)

Trans World Radio*,  transmitting from Central Asia (presumed to be Yerevan-Gavar, Armenia), was logged in a test transmission on 1377 kHz, from 15.45 till 16.20 UTC, on 7 November 2018. Transmission received in Enschede, The Netherlands rated a  SINPO of 43433 -- fair reception, occasionally audible and clear content despite QRM from China National Radio. Reception seemed to be worse after 16.10 UTC. In Malaysia, signal could not be detected due to strong interference from Radio Thailand and China National Radio. Usually their signal on 1377 kHz is best heard in Malaysia after 18.00 UTC.

Reception report was emailed to TWR Europe and Mr. Vasily Gulyaev in subsequent days. Kalman Dobos for TWR Europe sent an eQSL and nice note on 14 December 2018.

*Transmission logged from SDR receiver at the University of Twente, The Netherlands

NHK World Radio Japan (Hindi Service)

Holiday Greetings from NHK World Radio Japan (Hindi Service) 

IBB/BBG for Radio Thailand World Service

IBB/BBG for Radio Thailand World Service - HSK9 via IBB facility in Udonthani, was logged on  27 November 2018, from 02.10 till 02.35 UTC with Business Report in English, advertisements for Radio Thailand and Thai Music, followed by programming in Thai at 02.30 UTC. Reception on 13.745 kHz rated a SINPO 55544 -- excellent signal strength, no interference, clear audio, only a bit of occasional fading.

Reception report was emailed to IBB/BBG and Radio Thailand on the same day. QSL card arrived on 10 December 2018.

RX: Degen DE-1102 ANT  3 meter wire QTH West Malaysia

Voice of Turkey

Voice of Turkey transmitting from Emirler was logged on  20 October 2018. News about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, and Turkish pop music was observed from 16.30 till 17.17 UTC. Reception on 15.520 kHz at sign-on was (SINPO) 22321 -- weak signal, co-frequency interference from Spanish language broadcaster, fading and atmospheric noise. Around 17.00 UTC reception improved sightly to 25432 -- signal stabilised, discernible audio content, although still reasonably weak.

Reception report was emailed to TRT on the following day. QSL card arrived on 10 December 2018.

RX: Tecsun S-2000 ANT: 1/4 Wave QTH: West Malaysia

NHK World Radio Japan (via Yamata)

NHK World Radio Japan via Yamata was heard on 12 November 2018, from 02.30 till 03.05 UTC. During this Japanese language broadcast, a programme on the music of Led Zeppelin, Jeffereson Airplane and Western classical compositions was featured. Reception on 17.810 kHz rated a (SINPO) of 55555 -- excellent reception. 

Reception report was emailed and submitted to an online web form on the same day. QSL card arrived on 5 December 2018.


RX: Degen DE-1102 ANT  3 meter wire QTH West Malaysia

Rhein-Main-Radio-Club Calendar for December 2018

Rhein-Main-Radio-Club Calendar for the month of December 2018

KBS World Radio Calendar - December 2018

KBS World Radio Calendar for month of December 2018