Radio Freedom*

Radio Freedom*, transmitting from The Netherlands, was logged on 1 November 2015. Occasional station IDs along with pop tunes, "Kids of America", "Fire", "Here Comes A Miracle", were observed from 09.05 till 09.22 UTC. Reception on 6.295 kHz was (SINPO) 34333 - weak, atmospheric noise and  fading was noted, otherwise transmission was audible and clear.

Who is Radio Freedom? "Freedom Radio is a combination of enthusiastic Dutch shortwave pirates called PowerWave, Etherfreak and Skywave Radio. A few times a year we broadcast from open field locations in different countries of Europe. All the equipment is mobile. The main goal of our transmission is to test new antennae and transmitters and, of course, to "Have Fun". Our last broadcast was 150-Watt output power and 22 metre end fed antenna system."

Reception report was emailed on the same day. An eQSL arrived on 5 November 2015. Thanks a bunch, Radio Freedom!!!

*Logged using a remote SDR receiver linked to the University of Twente (The Netherlands) website and monitored in Malaysia

Voice of Mongolia

Voice of Mongolia, transmitting from Ulaan Baator, was logged on 3 November 2015. An English language broadcast featuring a disussion and music about Mongolia was monitored from 09.15 to 09.28 UTC (English broadcast from 09.00 till 09.28 UTC) and 09.30 to 09.58 UTC (Mongolian language broadcast from 09.30 to 09.58 UTC). Reception on 12.035 kHz at 09.15 UTC was (SINPO) 23342 -- despite a weak signal and noisy transmitter transmission was audible and discernible speech was noted occasionally.

Reception report was emailed and posted on 4 November 2015. QSL card arrived in the mail on 4 February 2016. Interestingly, unlike previous cards it was not sent by registered mail.

Email:
vom_en@yahoo.com

Misti Radio*

Misti Radio* in the The Netherlands was logged on 1 November 2015. a selection of heavy metal rock, including AC/DC's"Highway to Hell", was monitored from  08.50 till 09.05 UTC. Reception on 6.285 kHz (SINPO) 24322 - weak, atmospheric noise and occasionally long fades, otherwise audible

Reception report was emailed on the same day. An eQSL arrived on 2 November 2015. Thank you for the prompt reply, John!

 *Logged using a remote SDR receiver linked to the University of Twente (The Netherlands) website and monitored in Malaysia

QSLs for October 2015

Der Deutsche Wetterdienst* (QSL Card) in a "test transmission" from Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Adventist World Radio & Pilipinas DX Report (QSL Card) transmitting from Agat, Guam

Radio Europe* (eQSL) transmitting from Italy

Pan America Broadcasting via Media Broadcasting GmbH (eQSL) transmitting from Nauen, Germany

Trans World Radio (eQSL) transmitting from Manzini, Swaziland




FRS Holland* (eQSL) transmitting from the Netherlands


Radio Bandidos* (eQSL) transmitting from Italy





Radio Abu Dhabi* (eQSL) transmitting from the Netherlands

Panda Radio* (eQSL)  transmitting from the Netherlands


NHK World - Radio Japan (QSL Card) transmitting from Nauen, Germany

Radio CFRX* (QSL Card) transmitting from Toronto, Canada



Voice of Turkey (QSL Card) transmitting from Emirler, Turkey

Radio Free Asia (QSL Card) transmitting from Saipan
 

Radio Vatican (QSL Card) transmitting from Santa Maria di Galeria


Radio Amathusia* via Radio 700 (QSL Card) transmitting from Kall-Krekel, Germany

 

Radio Enterprise* (eQSL) transmitting from Italy

Global 24 Radio via WRMI (QSL Card) transmitting from Okeechobee, Florida (USA)

 
 
Global 24 Radio via WRMI* (QSL Card) transmitting from Okeechobee, Florida (USA)

Radio Voyager* (eQSL) transmitting from Italy



Promised:
Voice of America (QSL) transmitting from Woofferton, UK

Dandal Kura Radio (QSL) transmitting from Ascension Island

*Logged using a remote SDR receiver linked to the University of Twente (The Netherlands) website and monitored in Malaysia

Radio Saudi International

Radio Saudi International, transmitting from Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was logged on  29 October 2015. An Indonesian language broadcast of Arabic music, news (Berita) and Islamic programming was observed from 10.12 till 11.05 UTC. Reception on 21.670 kHz was (SINPO) 45534 -- good signal strength and audio quality, despite an occasional and long fade.

Reception report was emailed and submitted online to Radio Saudi International, although I am extremely doubtful a verification, let alone a reply, will result. Firstly, Broadcasting Services of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, now Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC),  stopped QSLing years ago. Secondly, I have mailed registered letters only to have them returned and sent countless emails to no avail. Lastly, the only replies from SBC in recent years have come from the Urdu  and Bengali sections, but short of a verification from SBC.

On that note, I will give SBC credit where credit is due. Their programming is ideally suited for Sunni Muslims. The news, Quran recitation and Islamic programming is superb. But it stops there. Whether one is a Muslim or non-Muslim, the public relation skills of SBC fall short of being effective and professional. They stubbornly refuse to acknowledge practically everyone. It's a pity too, really. They might win more listeners, possibly converts, if they were as accommodating as the Christian broadcasters who seem to dominate the shortwave bands presently.

My humble advice to SBC -- if anyone from the Saudi Ministry of Culture & Information is reading this blog entry -- would be to re-evaluate your mission. Surely you have the financial resources and personnel to at least acknowledge your listeners. In doing so, you would do Saudi Arabia and Islam a great service. Should your broadcast engineers/department heads not have the time to do so, I would more than welcome the opportunity to be SBC's monitor and veri-signer. Seriously, I am willing to assist SBC in this respect, in sha Allah. I am not only a long-time radio enthusiast, I worked in the advertising/public relations industry for many years. Interested? Contact me.

Radio Europe*

Radio Europe*, transmitting from Italy, was logged on 18 October 2015. Funk and jazz music, including "Got the Funky", "Down in China Town" with DJ chatting in Italian, "All My Life" with DJ whistling to song, then  DJ chatting with station ID, was observed from 16.40 till 17.00 UTC. Reception on 6.875 kHz was (SINPO) 44444 -- good signal strength and audio with occasional utility QRM and slight fade

Reception report was emailed on 18 October 2015. Received an eQSL on 21 October 2015.

*Logged using the remote SDR receiver at the University of Twente (The Netherlands) website and monitored  in Malaysia

Der Deutsche Wetterdienst* (via Pinneberg)

Der Deutsche Wetterdienst*, in a "test transmission" from Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), was logged on 21 October 2015. A German language broadcast beginning with sign-on and station ID presented by female announcer, followed by male announcer presenting weather/atmospheric conditions for various cities, then lastly a female announcer closing with station ID and location, was observed from 06.00 till 06.10 UTC.

Reception on 6.040 kHz was (SINPO) 34333 -- fair, audible and discernible signal, despite persistent QRM hum from either their 10kW transmitter or co-frequency interference from a Brazilian station and atmospheric noise

HERE is how this transmission  sounded in The Netherlands

Reception report was emailed on the same day. Wilfried Behncke at DWD replied later in the day, confirming report and promising a QSL, stating: "Many thanks for your interesting reception report! Today I will send you a QSL-card."  Indeed, Wilfried did send a QSL card which arrived on 29 October 2015.

DWD Schedules: 
www.dwd.de/sendeplan

NAVTEX-messages received at German coasts:   
www.dwd.de/navtex

Internet: 
www.dwd.de/seewetter

Email:
info@dwd.de


*Logged from a remote SDR receiver linked to the University of Twente (The Netherlands) website and monitored from a desktop computer in Malaysia