NOJ - Coast Guard Communications Station (Kodiak Island)

NOJ-Coast Guard Communications Station (COMMSTA), transmitting from Kodiak Island, Alaska (USA), was received on 28 December 2013. Weather and safety of navigation forecasts transmitted in facsimile over shortwave in SSB/USB mode was monitored from 19.00 to 19.10 UTC. Reception on 6.501 kHz SSB/USB was 34443 -- fair sign strength with clear facsimile transmission

Reception report was submitted a few days later. Postal reply came on 23 January 2014.

Postal address:

NOJ - Coast Guard Communications Station (COMMSTA)

P.O. Box 190017

Kodiak, Alaska

99619-0017

MW & SW Radio Recordings

Have you ever wondered what certain radio stations sound like? The recordings below represent some of the medium-wave and short-wave stations received in Malaysia. To listen, click the stations below.

CANADA

CBC Radio Nord Quebec via Sackville, New Brunswick



BRAZIL

Radio Aparecida



COLOMBIA

Radio Alcaravan



BRUNEI

Amateur Radio Operator V85DX



KAMPUCHEA

National Radio of Kampuchea



LAOS

Lao National Radio



VIETNAM

Voice of Vietnam via DakLak (former South Vietnam)



SOLOMON ISLANDS

Soloman Islands Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Happy Isles)



SRI LANKA

PCJ Radio International via Trincomalee

Sri Lank Broadcasting Corporation via Ekala



BULGARIA

The Mighty KBC via Kostinbrod



FINLAND

Radio Spaceshuttle International



GERMANY

Amateur Radio Operator DK1NO in Stuttgart



TURKEY

Voice of Turkey



UNITED KINGDOM

Amateur Radio Operator G0DBE in Liverpool



EGYPT

Radio Cairo - ERTU



LIBYA

Radio Television Libye



ISRAEL

Kol Israel

Galei Zahal



MADAGASCAR

Radio Madagsikara



SOMOLIALAND

Radio Hargeysa

Radio Free Asia (Iranawila)

Radio Free Asia, transmitting from Iranawila, Sri Lanka, was logged on 17 January 2014. A Korean language broadcast featuring a Korean music artiste and current event news on North Korea was monitored from 17.05 to 17.45 UTC (broadcast time 17.00 to 19.00 UTC). Reception on 9.720 kHz was (SINPO) 55545 -- excellent reception on all accounts, except for minor and occasional fading.

Radio Free Asia reportedly will issue a special panda mascot QSL card for the Sochi Olympics. Valid reception reports from 1 January till 31 March 2014 will be confirmed with this verification card.

Hopefully the reception report of the above transmission, which was emailed a few days later, will be honored with this unique QSL from RFA. Indeed, I did receive the Sochi Olympics QSL card on 6 February 2014.

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation / Radio Happy Isles

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) / Radio Happy Isles in Honiara was logged on 15 January 2014. An English language broadcast of Pacific Island music, Christian religious message for the day, local weather and news was observed from 10.30 till 11.00 UTC. Transmission has been heard in previous days from 10.00 UTC onward. Reception on 9.545 kHz is much better than their previous frequency of 5.020 kHz and is generally fair to good. SINPO on this particular day was 45433 up until 10.59-11.00 UTC when CRI in Beijing signed on at 9.550 kHz. The reported 10 kW transmitter of SIBC is no match to the station splatter created by CRI's more powerful 500 kW transmitter.

HERE is an audio file of SIBC at 10.57 UTC with their theme song, followed by a female announcer giving station ID of Radio Happy Isles, then a weather report. It's always such a delight to hear these mighty mites and their local programming. I wish they could live on forever in this age of the Internet, satellite transmissions and super-power transmitters.

SIBC Headquarters

SIBC was previously QSLed on 5.020 kHz a few years back. At the time the given email address on their website was for their news department, and rarely were reception reports passed along to the station engineer. Communication may have improved since and listeners should certainly try to email, FaceBook message or post a letter to SIBC.

To my surprise I received this reply from SIBC on 17 February 2014, more or less, confirming my reception report on 9.545 kHz. The note reads: "Hi Timm Breyel, We are so pleased that you are able to receive our signal from Malaysia. We would send you a QSL shortly. Kind Regards SIBC Engineering Team". Now, I await their promised and prized QSL. SIBC Engineering Team did indeed send eQSL on 22 April 2014 via their FB page.

National Broadcasting Corporation - Radio Madang

National Broadcasting Corporation - Radio Madang in Jomba, Papua New Guinea was logged on 5 January 2014. A Tok Pisin broadcast with indigenous music and station ID in English from YL on the hour was observed between 11.50 to 12.05 UTC. Reception on 3.260 kHz was (SINPO) 25322 -- weak but audible signal with fading and affected by static bursts from thunderstorm in my quarter. Around 12.00 UTC signal peaked and audio was much stronger despite the storm.

Reception report was submitted to NBC Radio Madang the following day. I received an email from Mr. Vitus Bongai, Technician at NBC Madang, in the afternoon confirming my report. The QSL shown here is self-made; the message itself is from Mr Bongai.

In his email I learned NBC Radio Madang's short-wave transmitter site would remain in Jomba; previously I had been informed it would be relocated to Mt. Nobonob. Only the FM transmitter will operate from this site. 

Mr. Vitus Bonai added the 10 kW short-wave transmitter was actually operating at 4 kW when I logged the station, owing to technical problems.

Radio Oromgenati via IRRS Milano (Tiganesti)

Self-designed QSL with actual message from IRRS

Radio Oromgenati via IRRS Milano, presumably transmitting from Tiganesti, Romania to East Africa, was logged on 4 January 2014. This clandestine station was heard from 15.00 to 15.30 UTC, broadcasting Horn of Africa music hosted by a male DJ speaking Oromo. Before sign-on The IRRS interval signal featuring Verdi was noted. Reception on 15.515 kHz (for this Saturday only) transmission was 35443 -- fair signal strength, clear audio despite noise and fading. Signal deteriorated significantly, but was still audible, after 15.20 UTC. 

Reception report was emailed to IRRS, even though I have had not been successful in receiving a QSL directly from them. I received this generic Letter of Verification from IRRS after a follow up email on 11 March 2014. Only their logo has been added and reference to the station.

European Radio Stations on Radio 700

Radio 700 in Germany offers German language broadcasts of Radio Slovakia International, Radio Prague, Radio Ukraine International and Polish Radio External Service on shortwave radio and Internet.

Radio Prague

Shortwave transmissions are heard on 3.985 kHz 6.005 kHz or 7.310 kHz. At one thousands watts these transmissions are impossible to receive in Southeast Asia due to  either Korean or Chinese broadcasters. Jamming is an additional problem on 3.985 kHz.

Radio Prague reverse

The following European broadcasters were logged via Radio 700 on 1 January 2014 in Malaysia using these Internet streams: Radio Slovakia International and Radio Prague on http://broadcast.funkhaus.info/radio700-kw1.m3u Polish Radio External Service on http://broadcast.funkhaus.info/radio700-kw2.m3u

Reception reports were emailed to Radio 700, Radio Slovakia International, Radio Prague and Polish Radio External Service.

Polish Radio

Radio Slovakia International

Email:

info@funkhaus-euskirchen.de (Radio 700)

deutsche.redaktion@polskieradio.pl (Polish Radio External Service)

Vincent.Stofanik@rozhlas.sk (Radio Slovakia International)

cr@radio.cz (Radio Prague)

For more information about Radio 700 and their scheduled transmissions click HERE.