Power-packed Monday

As I write these words in the very early hours of Tuesday morning I'm sitting in the living room with one ear on my 1950s Pye radio. Bluebird from the north of the Netherlands has been qsoing with Jeneverstoker and is now playing some old polka records - it sounds like he's enjoying every minute of it. He doesn't speak much English, but is giving some annoucements every now and again as the records spin. It never fails to astound me just how well many of these Dutch pirates make it to England despite using low power. Have a look at this video clip of the Bluebird . . .

And this one of the Jeneverstoker . . . 

At the other end of the power spectrum there were some booming signals coming in during Monday evening and some great music, too. Vrolijke Mijnwerker, Calipso and Barcelona were bending the needle on the communications receiver and were heard very well across Europe.

On Sunday evening there was some late-night fun when Calipso was qsoing with Radio Jaguar from Serbia just as Mijnwerker had done a couple of days earlier. Then Utopia started to qso with Jaguar as well and there was much repeating of words very slowly to try and beat the fading of signals. Not only was this heard at our location in England, but the qso was heard in Newfoundland, Canada as well!

Here are some of the recent stations heard at this side . . . 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

1647       1713       Witte Tornado 45544 at 1850 music programme     

1512       1730       Tempico 43533 music programme

1665       1829       Viking 35433 (44444 at 2020) music programme

1620       1853       Weduwe and Kruik 44444 music programme

1635       1944       Batavier 34433 music programme

1643       2023       Wadloper music programme

1615       2102       Napoleon 44444 music programme         

1611       2205       Kruik 23432-34433

1618       2206       Cowboy 44444 music programme

1630       2211       Utopia 44444 music programme

1665       2211       Polkaman 34433 music programme

1650       2215       Jenverstoker 24422-34433

1636       2326       Pandora 54544 qsoing

1638       2333       Calipso 55544-55555 qsoing with various, including Jaguar from Serbia

1648       2333       Casablanca 55544-55555 qsoing

1659       2334       Black Bandit 44544

1640       0049       Utopia calling Jaguar from Serbia

Saturday, February 16, 2013   

1655       1620       Spakenburg 24332 qsoing

1611       1642       Zwarte Non 33443 music programme

1647       1653       Bluebird 34443 music programme

1645       1653       Kaaiman 23432-34443 music programme

1625       1659       Batavier 34433 music programme

1636       1700       Keizer En Keizerin 24432-34433 music programme

1668       1704       Polkaman qsoing

1655       1730       PPR (Black Bandit) 44434

1659       1839       Albtraos 35333 music programme

1648       2007       Moby Dick 44444-55555 music programme

1620       2042       Kruik 23432-34443 music programme and qso later           

1656       2042       Calipso 55544 music programme. Report from Newfoundland

1665       2126       Polkaman 34433 music programme

1636       2235       Pandora 53444 qsoing

1642       2241       Jeneverstoker 24422-34433 qsoing

1654       2258       Jeneverstoker 24422-34433 qsoing

1655       2328       Turfsteker 34443 qsoing

1650       2330       Monte Carlo 43443 qsoing

1640       2356       Monte Carlo 45444-55555 qsoing

1636       0014       Romax 34433 qsoing

Observations

• It was great to hear Napoleon with a long programme on Sunday evening. He used to be a regular every weekend playing English tunes but is not so often on air these days
• The action from Serbia was interesting. Jaguar was asking Calipso for his Skype ID and Calipso was then having a little trouble explaining himself in English. When Utopia joined the qso, he couldn't quite catch the ID (neither could I!) and everything was going round in circles for some time, to the amusement of various people in the pirate chatroom
• Spakenburg has not been on the air a great deal recently, so it was good to hear his voice early on Saturday evening just as the Dutch pirates started to arrive in England. As time went by, signals got stronger and stronger and by the end of the night Moby Dick was hitting the maximum 55555
• This blog is all about the activities of MW pirates, but I'll give a mention anyway to couple of Trans-Atlantic shortwave catches . . . on Saturday night, Wolverine Radio was coming in very well on 6925 usb. And 24 hours later Radio GaGa was hitting these shores on the same frequency. It's always a pleasure to hear US pirates making it into our radio room