Monday, October 6, 2025

Radio Taiwan International

Radio Taiwan International English broadcast was logged on 18 August 2025, at 16.15 till 16.40 UTC, on 9.405 kHz with SINPO of 45444.

Shown is a picture of Mount Mabolasi. The mountain is located within the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan with a maximum peak height of 3,785 metres (12,418 ft). It is the fourth highest mountain in the island republic.

Reception report was emailed on the following day. QSL card arrived on 6 October 2025.

RX: Alinco DX-R8T EXT ANT: 1/4 wave QTH: Malaysia 


Radio Taiwan International

Radio Taiwan International l English broadcast was logged on 15 September 2025, 16.00 till 16.45 UTC, on 9.405 kHz with SINPO of 44343 -- fair signal, clear audio, despite some atmospheric noise.

Shown is a picture of Mount Dabajian. lt is located in the northern section of the Shei-Pa National Park in Hsinchu County, Taiwan. It is surrounded by numerous other peaks, the most predominant including Mount Nanhu, Mount Yize, Central Range Point, Mt. Pintian, and Mt. Mutule. The mountain stands at a height of 3,492 m (11,457 ft).

Reception report was emailed on the following day. QSL card arrived on 6 October 2025.

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

Saturday, October 4, 2025

Radio Delta International

Radio Delta International, presumably transmitting from Germany (?), was logged on 28 September 2025. Broadcast of pop music, biographical profile of Joe Crocker, weather and frequent station ID was monitored from 09.55 until 10.30 UTC, using the remote SDR at Twente University, Enschede, The Netherlands. Reception on 9.800 kHz rated a SINPO of 55444 - good signal strength, slight fading.

Reception report was emailed on the same day. An eQSL without my name and details was received on 4 October 2025.


RMT RX: SDR via Twente University EXT ANT: mini whip QTH: monitored remotely from Malaysia 

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Commemorative Postcard "First Meeting of German Shortwave Amateurs after the War in Stuttgart"

Commemorative postcard for the "First Meeting of German Shortwave Amateurs after the War in Stuttgart" held on 7-8 June 1947.

The postcard featured an illustration of presumabl Stuttgart, with radio equipment and antennas.

The text "Hams always come back" and "Der alte Ham-Spirit lebt noch!" (The old Ham-Spirit still lives!) reflected the resilience and passion of German amateur radio enthusiasts after World War II.

The locked cage with vacuum tubes and the question "Wer hat den Schlüssel?" (Who has the key?) likely alluded to the challenges and restrictions faced by German amateur radio operators in the immediate post-war period.

The reverse side of the card is identified as a "Tagungs-Festpostkarte," which translates to "Conference-Festival Postcard," suggesting it was issued for this specific amateur radio gathering.

The card was "Herausgegeben vom Veranstalter" (issued by the organizer) WBRC, located at Stuttgart, Neue Weinsteige 5.

Affixed to the postcard is a 24 Pfennig stamp depicting Heinrich von Stephan, a key figure in German postal history.

The circular postmark indicates "Stuttgart",  7-8.6.1947. It also mentions "deutscher Kurzweil Amateure Württ-Bad. Radia-P," suggesting this particular amateur radio event was held in the Württemberg-Baden region.

Background 

In July 1947, this shortwave conference was held in Stuttgart, attended by around 500 radio amateurs from all over Germany, giving amateur radio a significant boost there. 

Clubs were gradually authorised in other parts of Germany as well. First, the Hessian Radio Club (HRC), modeled on the Stuttgart model (even American officials considered this a precedent), then the Bavarian Amateur Radio Club (BARC), and finally the German Amateur Radio Club/British Zone (DARC/BZ). The radio operators in the French Zone had to wait until 1949, those in the Saar region until 1951, and those in the Soviet Zone until 1952 (this is a reminder for GDR nostalgics). 

An important culmination of this development was the founding of the DARC (without any additions) in the fall of 1950, into which the aforementioned clubs and their members were integrated over time.

Wednesday, October 1, 2025