Guangxi Beibu Bay Radio (via Nanning)

Guangxi Beibu Bay Radio (BBR), transmitting from Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang, was logged on 24 December 2012. Local pop music, frequent station IDs and advertisements was observed from 22.59 to 00.00 UTC. Transmission was on 5.050 kHz. Reception (SINPO) of this 50 kW station was 45444 -- strong and clear signal. 

Reception report was emailed to CRI and posted to BBR on the following day. Subsequently CRI replied with a promised QSL for  Guangxi Beibu Bay Radio.  This QSL card from CRI arrived in the mail on 29 January 2013, confirming the report for Guangxi Beibu Bay Radio.

Original email from CRI

Radio Merlin International, UK (via Internet)

Radio Merlin International, transmitting from Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom, was logged on 26 December 2012. Rock, Christmas and novelty music, presented by DJs Jackie Frost and Nellie, was heard from 04.30 to  05.30 UTC. Since their short-wave transmission on 6.305 kHz was more suitable for audiences in UK, Europe and the Americas, I caught their Internet stream at  their website: http://radiomerlininternational.weebly.com/. 

Reception report was emailed immediately to RMI on the same day as the broadcast. These eQSLs arrived on 28 December 2012.

Email:

radiomerlin@blueyonder.co.uk

The Mighty KBC (via Wertachtal)

The Mighty KBC, transmitting from a 250 kW transmitter in Wertachtal, Germany, was logged on 23 December 2012. An English broadcast of rock and country music was monitored from 15.20 to 15.59 UTC on 15.470 kHz. Reception (SINPO) was 34433 -- fair signal strength with slight fading. At 15.40 UTC reception improved to 45444 -- good signal strength. By sign off, reception was degraded to 24332.

A sound file of this broadcast may be heard HERE.

Reception report was submitted on-line and emailed immediately after broadcast ended. This eQSL arrived a few hours later.

Email:
themightykbc@gmail.com

'Tis the season for festive greeting cards and souvenirs

Atlantic 2000 International eCard

'Tis the season once again for festive greeting cards and souvenirs from radio stations around the world. In the closing weeks of December I have received eCards from Atlantic 2000 International in France and Radio Alcaravan in Colombia. Calendars from KBS World Radio and have arrived too. In all likelihood this will continue well into the first few months of 2013, given the provision I contacted a particular station  in the past year, their database contains my address and the station sends out these items.

Radio Alcaravan  eCard

Perhaps it is as much the old advertising guy in me as it is the radio enthusiast  who welcomes the arrival of these tokens of appreciation. On the one hand,  I am quite aware these are the tools of the advertising / marketing trade and designed to promote their station and country. Yet, on the other hand, I sense these stations genuinely do value their listeners and wish to encourage us to stay tuned in the coming year.   

Desktop calendar from KBS

As more and more radio stations leave the short-wave band or reduce their broadcast hours and language services, these souvenirs are becoming treasured momentos just as valuable as the QSL. Last year alone, we sadly saw the end of Radio Bulgaria International, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Radio Canada International and a few more notable international broadcasters. Who knew at the time we would no longer hear their staple of wonderful programmes and never again receive their greetings and souvenirs.

Radio Ukraine International

With this little reminder, let us as listeners be more attentive and listen to these radio stations, especially those broadcasting on the short-wave and medium-wave bands. Who knows how much longer they will occupy the airwaves. Even Web Radio / Internet stations deserve attention, particularly the former short-wave broadcasters, such as Radio Ukraine International and Voice of Malaysia, who turned to this medium due to financial, organisational and/or governmental policy. If we truly value our hobby, let us show our support with a "Thank You Note" and a reception report or two in the coming year. They deserve our loyalty.

RTI eCard for New Year 2013

BLOG COMMENT:

Chrissy Brand in the UK commented: "Great post - thanks for the festive QSL cards!"

Thank you for the kind words.

NHK World Season's Greetings

Voice of Mongolia sent this Season's Greetings by registered mail

Voice of Pujiang (via Shanghai)

Self-prepared eQSL

Voice of Pujiang, transmitting from Zhenru, Shanghai, People's Republic of China, was logged on 18 December 2011. Local pop music with intermittent station announcements in Chinese was observed from 12.00 to 12.35 UTC, but signal continued to be heard well after 14.30 UTC. Transmission was on 5.075 kHz. Reception (SINPO) was  23332  -- weak signal, some unidentified QRM, and slight fading, yet clear and audible speech and music.

To listen to a transmission from the Voice of Pujiang, click HERE. This Voice of Pujiang announcer was recorded on 23 December 2012, around 15.12 UTC.

A reception report was posted by aerogramme shortly afterward. There was no response for over a year. Finally, on 21 December 2012, I received an email from  Mr. Victor Qian (Editor for China Business News/Voice of Pujiang) who explained why no QSL ever arrived.

Mr. Qian is now the veri-signer who issues QSLs for the Voice of Pujiang. So, I prepared the eQSL shown here and emailed my initial reception report back to him. He filled in the data and verified  the eQSL on the following day. No official stamp was marked on the eQSL, nor will any eQSL be issued with the official stamp, according to Mr. Qian. The official seal is reserved only for a QSL-letter, which is available for 1 IRC or US$1 (to cover postage). For complete details about how to obtain a QSL from Voice of Pujiang refer to this BLOG ENTRY,

The original aerogramme

Here is the aerogramme I posted over a year ago. Mr. Victor Qian noticed the South East Asia DXing blog site and my entry stating no QSL was ever received from the Voice of Pujian. He followed up, checking the archived letters at the station. Some reception reports as old as 10 years were filed away with my aerogramme. He discovered my email address and contacted me. What more can I say, except thank you VERY much for your dedication and interest, Victor! 

I look forward to the promised QSL-letter with station's official seal in the near future. It arrived in the mail on 21 February 2013.

Want a QSL from Voice of Pujiang?

Voice of Pujiang in Shanghai will now verify reception reports from listeners, after many years of not responding. Mr. (Victor) Qian Xiaoyan, an Editor for China Business News/Voice of Pujiang and avid DXer himself, wrote in a recent email to me  that he would personally confirm reception reports for the Voice of Pujiang, even those neglected reports that were submitted "several years ago".

Self-prepared eQSL

This is partially attributed to the Voice of Pujiang having long ago run out of QSL cards. Moreover, the station at present has no plan to print new cards. Despite this situation, Mr. Qian gave his assurance saying, "I will confirm  any reception report either through email or snail-mail with a QSL-letter. The snail-mail (reception report) will have an official seal." 

To obtain an eQSL for an emailed reception report, he has requested submissions be sent to: victor.pujiang@gmail.com. He will confirm it by email with full data, excluding the official seal.

For a reception report sent by snail-mail with an IRC or a dollar, he will confirm it with a full data QSL-letter and official seal. He went on to say, "The IRC or dollar is needed to cover  postage. If the listener sends an IRC, please do not fold it;  I prefer the IRC because the dollar is difficult to exchange here".

The postal address one should use when submitting their reception report is: 

Mr. Qian Xiaoyan

Floor 11, Radio Building

No.1376 Hongqiao Road

Changning District

Shanghai 200051

P.R. CHINA. 

With regard to the current broadcast schedule for the Voice of Pujiang, Mr. Qian had this to say, "There is some mistake about the time and frequency of our station in the new WRTH 2013 (page 155)". 

He elaborated by providing the correct broadcast schedule for the Voice of Pujiang. On medium-wave, it is  22.00-16.00 UTC on 1422 kHz @ 20kW; on short-wave, transmission is 12.00-16.00 UTC on 3.280 kHz,  4.950 kHz and 5.075 kHz @ 15kW. The station may also be heard live on webradio / Internet at http://radio.weibo.com/shanghai/am1422

In addition to being a radio enthusiast, Mr. Qian is also a "serious QSL collector". He invites listeners who possess  Chinese radio QSL cards before 1980s to scan their classic cards and email copies to him. 

For all enquiries regarding the Voice of Pujiang, PLEASE contact Mr. Qian. This is entirely his initiative, not mine. As a courtesy to a fellow DXer, I am merely passing along the information he shared with me.

Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) Short-wave Stations

RADIO KLASIK

RTM - Radio Klasik  FM, transmitting from Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia, was logged on 21 December 2012. A mix of classic Malay pop tunes and Nashid (Islamic religious songs) and talking with frequent station IDs was observed from 09.35 to 10. 30 UTC. Transmission was on 5.965 kHz. Reception (SINPO) was 45444 -- good signal strength, clear and audible.

Radio Klasik may be heard HERE.

RADIO ASYIK FM

RTM - Radio Asyik FM, transmitting from Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia, was logged on 21 December 2012. This simulcast FM transmission orginates from a studio in the Cameron Highlands, then is relayed on short-wave from Kajang. Malay pop tunes, news on the hour and frequent station IDs were heard from 10.30 to 11.00 UTC. Transmission occurred on 6.050 kHz. Reception (SINPO) was 44444 -- good signal strength with slight fading, otherwise clear and audible. 

Radio Aysik may be heard HERE.

TRAXX  FM

RTM - TRAXX  FM, transmitting from Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia, was logged on 21 December 2012. Malaysian business news and English pop/rock music hosted by two DJs was heard from 11.00 to 11.30  UTC. Transmission was on the frequency of  7.295 kHz. Reception (SINPO) was 34433 -- good strength, slight interference and some fading, otherwise clear and audible

TRAXX FM may be heard HERE.

SARAWAK  FM

RTM - Sarawak FM, transmitting from Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia, was logged on 21 and  22 December 2012. Malay songs, news, commentary on India-ASEAN meeting and commercials were noted from 23.45 to 00.20 UTC. This FM simulcast originates from a studio in Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia. It is relayed to Kajang, then transmitted on the short-wave frequency of 9.835 kHz. Reception (SINPO) was 32332 -- fair strength, severe interference and some fading, otherwise audible despite  QRN.  

Sarawak FM may be heard HERE.

WAI FM

RTM - Wai FM, transmitting from Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia, was logged on 22 December 2012. A mix of music and Christmas wishes from phone-in listeners was heard from 03.03 to 03.40 UTC. Broadcast was in Malay and indigenious language (possibly Dayak or Iban). This FM simulcast originates from East Malaysia (presumably Sabah), then is relayed to Kajang for broadcast on the short-wave frequency of 11.665 kHz. Reception (SINPO) was  44444 -- good signal strength with slight interference.

Wai FM may be heard HERE.

Reception reports were emailed on 24 December. An email with QSL card to be posted was received on 26 December 2012. Thank you very much Encik Zulkifli at RTM!