On Sunday morning my alarm sounded at around 0715. The plan was to get out of bed, come down to the radio room and listen to some of the Dutch pirates on MW. I was hoping to hear Zonnester on his usual broadcast, followed by a nice qso. However, it had been a late night and I went back to sleep! For a while in the afternoon I listening to free radio activity on shortwave, although conditions were not good at all. On 48 metres, the signals were weak, but there was a standout sound on 41 metres - the Free Radio Service Holland was very strong on 7685. You can hear the quality of reception by listening to a long recording I made. Click here to download it. It was late in the evening before I got a chance to listen to the MW band. This is what I heard . . .
Late night Sunday, December 30, 2012 / Monday December 31, 2012 1637 0035 Alaska 34543 testing 1636 0039 Soerabaya 24532-35543 qsoing 1665 0050 Polkaman 24532 music programme 1640 0059 Pandora55544 report for Alaska and
Soerabaya 1652 0150 Jeneverstoker 33433 music programme
Observations
Hearing low power pirates is always interesting for me. Radio Soerabaya runs around 100 watts and was busy qsoing around 1636. His signal was a little up and down but with some very nice peaks. Have a listen here
This was the first time I have heard Radio Alaska. When I first heard him tonight he was reporting to another station. Then he returned with a test and a report for Soerabaya. Apparently he was using 100 watts, but he tried an experiment and turned down the power to ten watts. The results were impressive, especially as propagation conditions did not seem to be at their best. You can find my recording here. Broadcasting from the east of the Netherlannds, his antenna is 24 metres high
As usual, Pandora was very strong indeed and with excellent modulation quality
The turkey is all gone and the pile of mince pies is getting less. But the Christmas tree lights are still twinkling and there is still a nice big cake and plenty of festive treats to eat! And, talking of treats, there was some interesting broadcasts at the top of the MW band during the late afternoon/early evening today . . .
Saturday, December 29, 2012
1616 1616 Zwarte Non44544 music programme
1611 1617 Batavier 34543 music programme
1512 1617 Tempico 44544 music programme
1655 1621 Relmus 44544-55555 testing antenna after
adjustments
1660 1653 Zwarte Panter (north NL) weak signal
1630 1657 Zeehond 34543 report for
Relmus
1640 1700 Lotus 54544-55555 asking for report
1645 1716 Schaduwjager 54554 asking for report
1636 1725 Keizer En Keizerin34533 music programme
1650 1730 Schaduwjager 55555 qsoing
1611 1736 Zwarte Non44544 music programme
1645 1750 Blauwe Boerweak signal qsoing
Observations
You don't hear the Black Nun on the air often, so it was good to hear him with a music programme this afternoon, starting off on 1616 and later moving down to 1611
Relmus had been busy making some antenna adjustments earlier in the day and came on 1655 to find out the results. Although the optimal frequency for him to get the best out of his set-up is 1670, his signal was superb. Click here for a listen to how he sounded when he signed on
There were some other tremendous signals on the band, none more so than Lotus, who was booming in on 1640. This was the strongest I have ever heard him
I have often heard the Blauwe Boer mentioned during qsos, but never heard him myself. However, today I heard music on 1645 and, with the help of Herman from Radio Zeewolf, it seems that I was hearing the Blauwe Boer for the first time. He is very much from the old school of pirate broadcasters and around 80 years old. He uses only 50 watts, so it was a fine achievement to make it across the North Sea. He has also been heard in Norway on previous occasions. When the conditions are good, anything is possible . . .
There has been plenty of activity on MW tonight (Christmas Eve) and stations were audible on the old Philips radio here that we acquired recently. I made a video of the reception of Radio Casablanca on 1647 kHz . . .
The Philips B5X14A is popular in the studios of pirate stations throughout the Netherlands, so it's a novelty being able to hear them on such a radio here in England
A very happy Christmas to everybody out there... to all listeners, blog readers, station operators, dxers and radio enthusiasts, we wish you all the very best for the festive season. Many thanks to all of you who have been kind enough to send Christmas cards through the mail, which are sitting proudly in the house. And thank you also to those who have sent email cards, which look fantastic. Have a look at these:
Greetings from England, where it is 0200 local time as I write this from the radio room while listening to Laser Hot Hits booming in on 4026 kHz. It's nice and warm inside, but the frost is forming outside and it's a cold night. The days are getting shorter and shorter, which is a good thing for trying to catch signals on MW from the Netherlands and on Monday I was able to hear a station on 1625 at 1215 UTC - that's very early indeed. I wasn't able to catch an ID, but music could clearly be heard. I've been trying out a new addition to the radio collection at this side. I've acquired a Philips B5X14A, which was made in the Netherlands in 1961 and can be seen in pirate studios throughout the country. It looks great and it performs very well. In fact, on Monday evening I was able to hear Monte Carlo on 1635 and Utopia on 1611 without an external antenna - fine conditions on the band and a very well-made receiver. Here are a couple of pictures . . .
And so on to the stations heard recently . . .
Monday, December 10, 2012
1642 1749 Blauwe Reiger35433 qsoing
1615 1750 Alpenjager34433 qsoing
1647 1802 Calipso54544 music programme
1636 1902 Zwarte Arabier45433 qsoing
1625 1911 Roderover35433 qsoing
1655 2156 Carona 44544 music programme
1611 2156 Utopia 34533-44534 music programme
1658 2156 Sluwe Vos23522 music programme 20 watts
1663 2157 Readymix
1635 2207 Monte Carlo35443-45544 music programme
1650 2213 Vrolijke Mijnwerker55444 qsoing
1654 2231 Noordzee 54444 qsoing
1647 2236 Toulouse 45434 qsoing
1647 2251 Jeneverstoker 24432 qsoing
1665 2252 Potkachel 44444-55544 music programme
1633 2300 Barcelona 55444-55555 qsoing
1647 2306 Casablanca 45534 music programme
1665 0000 Monte Carlo44544 report for Potkachel
1654 0003 Jeneverstoker 25432 report for Potkachel
Observations
There was some early-evening qso action at the top of the MW band before Calipso switched on for a fine music programme for several hours. As usual the signal was booming across the North Sea
Nice to hear the Zwarte Arabier for the first time in a while and also to catch the Roderover (you can hear him by clicking here)
When condtions work in our favour here in the UK, it's possible to hear stations running very low power, and there was a fine example on Monday with Sluwe Vos. He was running only 20 watts yet was peaking really well. Even with Vrolijke Mijnwerker nearby to his frequency, and later with Potkachel close to 1658, it was still possible to hear Sluwe Vos talking and to identify many of the tracks being played
The man with a million names became Potkachel on Monday. When he started his transmission the audio was very wide. In fact, it was possible to hear the station from 1645-1685. However, this was soon reduced and his famous voice was on air for a while with some interesting music before a qso with Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Jeneverstoker and Casablanca. Click here was a recording of how Potkachel was received at our location towards the end of his broadcast
Good morning from England, where it is cold and frosty outside, but warm in the radio room with lots to listen to on the mediumwave band. I had intended to come down here much earlier and my alarm sounded at around 0645, but our bed was too warm and I stayed there until around 0800! So, I finally turned on the radio at around 0825 and although I had missed Zonnester's usual Sunday morning programme, he was busy qsoing and I heard his usual strong signal and some of the other stations he was chatting to. Here are the logs . . .
Sunday, December 2, 2012
1616 0825 Alpenjager 35553 qsoing
1641 0826 Orion 34543 qsoing
1620 0829 Amigo 24532-34533 qsoing
1629 0830 Admiraal 34543 qsoing
1620 0834 Zonnester 35433-45554 qsoing
1655 0845 Dikke Betta24542-34543 qsoing
1641 0846 Quiksilver 34533 qsoing
The propagation conditions changed at about 0900 and here in England it becomes more difficult to hear the Dutch pirates before they start arriving again from around 1500. It was the same yesterday morning... Ijsvogel was blasting in at around 0800 and Vriendschap also had a good signal, but an hour later the signals had gone. However, to hear the pirates from across the North Sea during daylight hours is a real treat and something that is not possible during the summer. Here's a video of how Ijsvogel was coming in yesterday morning on the small indoor loop antenna and portable receiver. Very impressive signal. The small amount of interference you can hear was actually from the mobile phone I was using to make the video. For most of the time his signal was the maximum 55555
Here are some of the other stations we have heard recently . . .
Saturday, December 1, 2012
1655 0820 Ijsvogel 55555 qsoing
1645 0845 Vriendschap 35533 qsoing
1611 1920 Barones 54534-55555 music programme
1636 1922 Keizer En Keizerin music programme
1650 1924 Moby Dick 44544 music programme
1633 2332 Barcelona 54544-55555 qsoing
1636 2337 Vrolijke Mijnwerker55544 qsoing
1661 2342 Polkaman 23422-33533 music programme
1636 2344 Spakenburg 44444 qsoing
1640 2350 Monte Carlo54544 qsoing
1611 0040 Utopia 44534 music programme
1642 0043 Soerabaya 24422 asking for report
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
1660 2318 Kristal 55544 qsoing
1633 2321 Barcelona 55544 qsoing
1646 2324 Monte Carlo 45534 qsoing
1652 2330 Vrolijke Mijnwerker55544 qsoing
1653 2339 Jeneverstoker 24422 qsoing
1641 2352 Orion 34433 qsoing
1647 0018 Casablanca 44534-55534 qsoing
Monday, November 26, 2012
1647 1850 Calipso 55534-55555 music programme
1617 1856 Nova 4 35533 qsoing
1619 1900 Weg Piraat 24522 qsoing
1610 1900 Black Power 45533-45544 testing
1646 2050 Vrolijke Mijnwerker (testing while
Calipso on frequency!)
1662 2100 Oldtimer 35533 music programme
1635 2120 Melkbus 24522-34433 music programme
1648 2142 Readymix music programme
1651 2142 Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55534-55555 music
programme
1644 2227 Monte Carlo 24432 qsoing much weaker than
usual. Later 34433
1655 2230 Noordzee 34433 qsoing
1633 2230 Barcelona 44534-55555 qsoing
1654 2235 Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444 qsoing
Observations
On Saturday night (December 1) Barones was booming in with a long programme. As usual, the audio an modulation quality were superb. Also very strong were Vrolijke Mijwerker and Barcelona. Click here for a Barcelona
Last Monday (November 26) there was an interesting experiment from two powerhouse stations. Calipso was busy with a programme on 1647 and was incredibly strong as he always is. And at about 2050, the Vrolijke Mijnwerker switched on to 1646 just to see how his signal compared to Calipso. The result was fascinating to listen to. One minute Calipso was strongest and then, when he faded, Mijnwerker came up very, very strong
It's always nice to hear Pandora on air. The best time is often very late in the evening but his signal and audio are always superb. Click here to listen to how he sounded during the early hours of November 27
