Late night qsoing

It is the early hours of Thursday morning as I write these words, and the MW band has gone quiet after a late-night qso. I did not switch on the radio until just after 2300 UTC but, as usual, there was activity from the Netherlands although propagation conditions were not good. Several of the legal US stations had started to come through, suggesting long skip, with the effect that signals from across the North Sea were not as strong as they often are. Here is what I heard, along with logs from the past few days . . .

Wednesday, January 30, 2013
1640       2328       Electron 24322-34433 qsoing 
1650       2329       Noordzee 35433-45444 qsoing
1660       2332       Eendracht 23322 qsoing
1665       2334       Polkaman 24432
1638       2337       Calipso 45444-55544 qsoing
1657       2346       Jeneverstoker 23332-34333 qsoing
1655       2348       Bruine Beer 35433-45434 qsoing

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

1663       1656       Digitaal 44444 qsoing    

1663       1700       Readymix 34543 qsoing

1648       2237       Electron 34443 qsoing

1647       2238       Armada 44444 qsoing

1629       2241       Bluebird 24432-34433 music programme

1658       2248       Electron 45544 qsoing

1627       2254       Noordzee 43543-54544 music programme

1665       2303       Polkaman 33433-44544 music programme

1655       2326       Carona 55555 qsoing      

1624       2334       Salamander 42432 qsoing

1655       2348       Jeneverstoker 35333 qsoing

1636       2357       Romax 34343-44444 qsoing

1650       2358       Monte Carlo 44444 qsoing

Monday, January 28, 2013

1656       2115       Studio 69 44444 qsoing

1648       2118       Readymix 34433 music programme

1659       2120       Oldtimer 34433 qsoing

1638       2130       Calipso 55544 music programme

1620       2146       Ijsbeer 24433-34443 qsoing

1669       2152       Korak 24322 qsoing with Ijsbeer

1639       2214       Professor Sickbok 32542 (later 45544)

1655       2328       Jeneverstoker 35423 qsoing

1633       2329       Barcelona 55544-55555 qsoing

1647       2332       Noordzee 55444 qsoing

1647       2334       Casablana 55544 qsoing

1629       0028       Bluebird 25422-35433 report for Barcelona and then music programme

Observations

• Good to hear Eendracht back in action. It was a shame 1660 kHz was not a little clearer as there was a hetrodyne caused by a legal station from Costa Rica, who often comes through when conditions are right
• The voice behind Bruine Beer was a famous one. I wonder just how many names the Black Bandit has used over the years?
• Bluebird has been busy over the last few days with some fine peaks on his signal, made even more impressive as he uses only 80 watts
• There was a new name for me on Monday evening when Ijsbeer was heard on 1620 in qso with Korak, who was using 1669. Interesting that these low-power Dutch stations were talking to each other in English for some of their broadcasts. Korak might be better known to some readers for his work on shortwave in the 1990s. He used to be a Saturday night regular, pumping out a solid signal on 76 metres. Maybe he will be back on that band one day. For now, it was good to hear his voice on MW. You can download a short recording here. And you can listen to qso partner Ijsbeer here