Early evening activity

There was plenty of Dutch activity at the top of the MW band yesterday evening from around 1800 and signals were coming through very well indeed. In fact, the best conditions were between 1800 and 2000 UTC. By later in the evening, signals were not so stable. Here is what we heard . . . 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

1636       1801       Keizer En Keizerin 34433 music programme

1512       1806       Tempico 44544 music programme

1630       1806       Brugwachter 54554 asking for report

1645       1806       Tambour 34533-45554 qsoing

1649       1809       Valkenburg 34533 qsoing

1660       1809       Orion 45444 qsoing

1611       1810       Tower 44534 music programme

1625       1823       Zwarte Arabier 44434 music programme              

1611       1827       Spanningzoeker 54544 qsoing

1650       1844       Moby Dick 45544 music programme

1620       1949       Quintus 34533-44544 qsoing with Saporro

1625       2318       Relmus 44534 music programme

1633       2319       Barcelona 44534 qsoing

1620       2322       Zonneschijn 54544 qsoing

Observations

• 1512 kHz is often not a great channel here in the UK, but Tempico was coming in very well at just after 1800. Later in the evening there are many foreign signals on the frequency which makes listening to the Dutch stations very difficult
• Brugwachter was a new name, although the voice was familiar! He was booming in here, and I made a recording of the signal. Click here to take a listen
• Tambour was another new one for us. I have seen him mentioned on the Am Forum but never heard him before. He was coming through very well indeed
• Tower was busy on 1611 with a very long programme. Some other stations were also using the frequency for QSOs, including Spanningzoeker who, as usual, was incredibly strong
• Good to hear Relmus late in the evening. As well as reports from around Europe, he was also heard in the USA

Busy, busy, busy

Well today I had a free day from work, so after a nice walk this morning and a pub lunch with my new wife I spent the evening doing some pirate listening. And what an evening! From 1700 it was very busy at the top of the MW and there were many stations active with music programmes and qsoing. There were some nice catches of stations using very low power. Here's what I heard . . .

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

1653       1700       Monza 35533 qsoing

1650       1710       Schaduwjager 54554 qsoing

1650       1719       Digitaal 34533 qsoing

1645       1741       JB 44544 qsoing

1645       1744       Blauwe Reiger 34533 asking for report

1635       1747       Goudenster 22532 music programme

1615       1750       Batavier weak signal music programme

1645       1752       Soerabaya 25542 qsoing

1640       1752       Leopard 54544 music programme

1620       1753       Vendor 33533 music programme

1647       1818       Dageraad 35543 qsoing

1640       1821       Pecon 44544 qsoing

1635       1822       Leopard 45534 qsoing   

1642       1832       Blauwe Reiger 34533 qsoing

1635       1839       Studio Friesland 24522 qsoing

1611       1845       Blauwe Piraat 24532 qsoing

1670       1847       Matrix 24522 qsoing

1647       1851       Calipso 55534-55555 music programme

1650       1948       Bonte Specht 32422 qsoing

1656       1949       Albatros 33433-34543 music programme

1637       1950       Dageraad 34433 qsoing

1624       1951       Wadloper 35433-55544 music programme

1640       2022       Witte Raaf 44533 music programme

1665       2106       Polkaman 24522-34533 music programme

1644       2110       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55544 music programme

1630       2135       Nachtrijder 22542 music programme

1655       2145       Turfsteker 23422-33433 music programme

1653       2209       Jeneverstoker 23432 qsoing

1619       2210       Rebel 23422 music programme

1640       2214       Monte Carlo 45544 qsoing

1645       2216       Marianne 45534 qsoing

1640       2218       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55544 qsoing

1635       2224       Monte Carlo 45534 qsoing

1650       2228       Klaas Snoek 45434 qsoing

1635       2249       Melkbus 25422-35533 music programme

1633       2256       Barcelona 54544 qsoing

1660       2311       Orion 35533 qsoing

1641       2316       Jeneverstoker 35533 qsoing

1645       2325       Monte Carlo 45534 qsoing

1645       2340       Electron 44544 asking for report

Observations

• Conditions were particularly interesting this evening. At around 1830 there was a lot of rapid fading with signals changing very quickly. This levelled out and stations became more stable with the result that even those using very low power could be heard at our location
• Even before conditions settled down, Batavier was heard using just five watts. Okay, the signal wasn't good, but to cross the North Sea and then travel across the land in England is some going for such low power
• It has been a while since I've heard Goudenster, but he was coming through with just 50 watts, while Nachtrijder was heard with 65 watts and Rebel with just 30 watts
• There was a very interesting experiment from Albatros. He was busy with a music programme on 1656 and just before he closed down his transmission, he reduced his power right down to two watts. I was still able to hear Enya with Orinoco Flow, even with such low power and with Turfsteker just 1 kHz away on 1655. I think this goes to show that conditions were working well for us... and that Albatros, like many of the other stations successful with low power, has a very good antenna
• Good to hear Melkbus for the first time in a while. He was running his usual 90 watts but with a different antenna to previously
• Calipso made a rare appearance on 1647. He can usually be found on 1629 and he had plenty of people fooled for a good while before revealing his indentity. The signal was incredibly strong but with the usual slow fading that typifies reception of stations using wire antennas
• Monte Carlo was busy qsoing on various frequencies. I made a video of him talking on 1645 at around 2325. Take a look . . .

• I also made a video of the whispering Electron, who was coming in loud and clear on 1645 while asking for a reception report . . .

The breakfast show

There was another breakfast show to listen to at the top of the MW band this morning. At around 0700 I found Radio Noordzee on 1629 kHz and stayed listening to his requests and dedications until closedown at around 0800. The great thing about listening at this time of the day is that the noise level is low, so signals can come through very well. The typical SINPO was around 35533, but sometimes peaking higher and sounding very good indeed.

Here are some more stations from the Netherlands heard recently at our location in England. All were heard using the Lowe HF225 and Wellbrook 1530s outdoor loop antenna

Saturday, November 10, 2012

1650       1914       Moby Dick 44544 music programme

1633       1915       Verona 43543 music programme

1636       1915       Keizer En Keizerin 33533 music programme

1656       1916       Albatros 34533 music programme

1645       1920       Grutte Pier 34543 music programme

1671       2220       Barones 55534 music programme

1625       2235       Relmus 44534 music programme

1616       2240       Batavier music programme

1648       2248       Readymix 33533 music programme

1625       2309       Monte Carlo 32532 qsoing (same time as Relmus)

1696       2318       Polkaman 24422-35533 music programme

1659       2330       Monte Carlo 34543-44544 asking for report

1655       2347       Spakenburg 45444-55544 qsoing

1633       2357       Barcelona 54534 qsoing

1656       2358       Soerabaya qsoing

1656       0012       Romax 34433 qsoing

1640       0017       Pecon 44534 qsoing

1640       0023       Professor Sickbok 34533 qsoing

1657       0027       Jeneverstoker 32532 qsoing

Observations

• Now the clocks have changed and it is getting dark earlier and earlier, reception of the Dutch pirates is possible from as early as 1400 in the UK. By 1900, signals are usually up to full strength. Particularly strong on Saturday night was Moby Dick who was on air with a very long programme. Click here for a superb recording made towards the end of his show in the early hours of Sunday morning
• Saturday was very busy on the band and some frequencies were quite congested. However, once things began to calm down a little, some really good signals came through and it was possible to listen using wide filters. I made two recordings of Spakenburg. Click here for the first recording when the radio was set to the widest 10kc filter. Click here for the second recording with the 7kc filter, which I what I try to use as often as possible
• A station I don't hear too often is Pecon, but he was coming through very well on Saturday night. Click here to take a listen

Good start to the weekend

There was a nice surprise on the radio this morning. When I woke up at around 0700, I switched on the Sony 2001d next to the bed and had a quick tune around at the top of the MW band. There was a huge signal on 1633 with strong modulation. It sounded like it could be Radio Barcelona and, after a few minutes, sure enough came the ID. This was the first time Ive heard him at this time of the day, and it was a very fine signal, peaking at the maximum 55555. 

Barcelona stayed on air for a while playing some Dutch music before closing down and having a qso with Rocking Billy, Noordzee and Blauwe Piraat. By around 0800 the signals had dipped a little as the conditions started to change, but Noordzee was coming through with 44533 and Rocking Billy with 35533. 

I will be tuning around early tomorrow morning to see what's on air. Zonnester is usually busy on 1620, so hopefully I will hear him for the first time this autumn.

Heard recently. . .

Thursday, November 8, 2012

1645       0710       Torpedojager 35543 music programme

1655       2035       Bonte Specht 35543 qsoing

1619       2042       Nova 4 34433-44444 qsoing

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

1629       2235       Calipso 55544 music programme

1655       2245       Carona 54544 qsoing

1629       2250       Noordzee 55544-55555 music programme

1639       2255       Santana 44534 music programme

1665       2311       Leopard 34533 music programme

1655       2333       Jeneverstoker 34533 qsoing

1660       2335       Polkaman 34544 music programme

1635       2335       Monte Carlo 33543 qsoing

1654       2335       Klaas Snoek 54544 qsoing

1649       2347       Monte Carlo 33543 qsoing

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

1653       2130       Readymix 34533 music programme

1645       2155       Soerabaya testing      

1640       2254       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55544-55555 asking for report

1654       2300       Studio 69 34543 music programme

1645       2302       Marianne 44534-45544 report for Mijnwerker

1647       2306       Casablanca 44534 report for Mijnwerker

1636       2319       Klassiek 34533

1620       2327       Rebel testing (mixing with Balkan station)

1629       2335       Bluebird 24432 qsoing

1653       0006       Jeneverstoker qsoing weak signal

1647       0018       Bluebird 24532 qsoing

Monday, November 5, 2012

1650       1915       Quintus 34533-45544 music programme

1610       1924       Nova 4 45534 music programme

1620       2130       Barones and Batavier 54534 music programme

Observations

• Great to hear Barones together with Batavier on Monday evening. After they travelled back from our place in England, they were on air within minutes! I wonder if they were wearing the official T-Shirt (above)!
• On Tuesday, I heard Bluebird for the first time. It was also great to hear Soerabaya back on air. I was tuned to 1645 before he switched on. I heard the carrier come up, then the music and then some talking. Welcome back to the air! Also on Tuesday, Klassiek was a new name, but the voice was one I know well!
• On Wednesday evening I was listening in bed using the small indoor loop antenna and portable Sony 2001d. As usual, Calipso was booming, but there were also great signals from Carona, Noordzee and Klaas Snoek. Nice to hear Leopard for the first time in a while - he kept using his old name of Moonlight as well! There was some fine 80s tunes on 1639 courtesy of Santana. It was the first time Ive heard him since paying a visit to his studio at the beginning of August 
• On Thursday morning it was great to hear Torpedojager with a music programme. It's been a while since I heard him at this time of the day, but I recall from last winter that Thursday morning is a good time to catch his broadcasts

A week to remember

Well... I am now a married man! Many, many thanks for all the lovely messages we have received over the past few days - they were tremendous. We also had cards in the mail from Radio Soerabaya and today from Radio Zeewolf and family. 

We had many guests at our wedding, including some very special visitors from the Netherlands. We were very proud to welcome to England Radio Barones, Radio Batavier, Radio Matrix, together with the brother of Matrix and number one Dutch pirate listener Siny. The local pubs had never seen anything quite like them and their appetite for the English beer!

It was an absolute pleasure to have their company for a few days, and we would like to say an extra-special thank you for taking the time and expense of travelling across the North Sea just for our big day. And also for the very kind gifts. On the evening of our wedding, our Dutch friends all arrived at the party wearing clogs made just for the occasion, with ours names and their names on the side. As I write this blog, I am wearing Mr Batavier's clogs! Here are some pictures . . . 

These were really great presents... and I can recommend them for keeping your feet warm when you're listening to the radio! Once again, many thanks indeed to our Dutch guests and for all those who got in touch and for the greetings and good wishes via the Am Forum.

Here are a couple more pictures you might be interested in . . .

Big day...

Greetings from England

Firstly, apologies for the long break in posting any new material here on the blog. This time of year is always very busy for me at work, although I am very pleased to say that everything will be much quieter for the next few months and I should have plenty of time to listen to the radio again. But, there is a very big day here in England tomorrow... I am getting married to Lisa.

We have been together for around six years and decided that we should make everything official, so tomorrow is the day. We have had some very kind messages and cards, and I would like to thank everybody for all the good wishes - it is much appreciated.

While I am writing this, I switched on the radio, and although it is still light outside and early in the afternoon, I have heard Toekomst (34533), Schaduwjager (44554) and Monza (34523). This is a great time of the year for listening to the Dutch pirates. Also, last Sunday morning at around 0800 there was some nice reception of Noordzee and Havanna. 

So, time for me to sign off. There is much celebrating to do here and when I return I will be a married man!