Is winter on the way?

In the winter time it is possible to hear Dutch MW pirates here in the UK from around 1300. At the height of the summer it is rare to hear anything before 1900. On Thursday night though, the first stations started arriving at just after 1700 - a nice mixture of good conditions and signs that autumn and winter are not far away. And if long-range experts are correct, the British winter could be starting as early as October this year. Could we really be seeing snow on the loop antenna is just two months' time?

Here are the stations heard on Thursday and our list for the early part of the week:

Thursday, August 8, 2013

1638       1738       Bluebird 25452, 35453 at 1813,  45454 at 1847, 55444 at 2030 

1646       1742       Blauwe Reiger weak signal qsoing
1620       1744       Wegpiraat weak signal qsoing

1629       1746       Gele Kanarie (Calipso) 25452

1646       1755       Soerabaya weak signal qsoing

1629       1809       Tidalwave 25452

1611       2025       Meteoor 34333-44444 music programme

1629       2106       Schaduwjager 55454 qsoing

1628       2108       Nova 4 45444 qsoing

1620       2110       King 25332-35333 music programme

1645       2151       Casablanca 33433 qsoing

1645       2145       Noordzee 44444 music programme

1655       2155       Kakkerlak (Black Bandit) 55444 report for Bluebird

1629       2203       Calipso 55555 music programme

1655       2207       Kleine Sjakie 34443 report for Bluebird

1626       2228       Zwarte Diamant 21431 report for King

1654       2307       Jeneverstoker 35343 qsoing

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

1640       2136       Professor Sickbok 45444 qsoing

1645       2139       Casablanca (Twente) 35343 qsoing

1648       2142       Monte Carlo 45434-55444 qsoing

1655       2146       Kakkerlak (Black Bandit) 55434 music programme

1645       2149       Turfsteker 35333 qsoing

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

1638       2152       Bluebird 55444 music programme

1640       2152       Professor Sickbok 43443 qsoing

1668       2153       Witte Reus 25222

1653       2154       Black Bandit 45344 qsoing

1645       2156       Casablanca (Twente) qsoing

1665       2156       Polkaman music programme

1620       2157       King 24222-35333 music programme

1633       2159       Barcelona 54434 qsoing

1652       2204       Jeneverstoker 24222 qsoing

1620       2204       Noordzee 55444 qsoing

Monday, August 5, 2013

1638       2115       Bluebird 55344 music programme            

1629       2115       Armada 44343 music programme

1611       2115       Mustang 45344 music programme

1646       2115       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 45344 music programme

Sunday, August 4, 2013

1637       2038       Napoleon 35333-45343 music programme

1647       2038       Witte Tornado 45444-55444 music programme

1654       2142       Jeneverstoker 34333 music programme

1660       2142       Klaar Toeter (Black Bandit) 54444-55555 music programme

1620       2155       Dinkelland 44444-55444 asking for report

1512       2155       Tempico 43433 music programme

1633       2241       Astronaut 25222-35333 qsoing and testing antenna

1620       2301       Veronica 23332 qsoing

Saturday, August 3, 2013

1625       2225       Batavier 44444 music programme

1633       2228       Barcelona 54444 qsoing

1611       2230       Spakenburg 45344 music programme

1637       2233       Electron 42443 qsoing

1648       2234       Moby Dick 45344 music programme       

1656       2234       Jan Tabac (Black Bandit) 55344-55444 music programme

1630       2237       Digitaal 55444 qsoing

1640       2241       Spanningzoeker 55444 qsoing

1653       2243       Monte Carlo 42442 report for Spakenburg

1656       2244       Pandora 55444 report for Jan Tabac

1636       2248       Romax 32332 qsoing

1619       2255       Spakenburg 45344 qsoing

1651       2315       Monte Carlo 45344 qsoing

Observations

• It was good to hear several stations for the first time in a while. Wegpiraat might not have been strong when we heard him two hours before the sun went down, but there was a clear ID. It's also been some time since I heard Meteoor, but he was back in action on Thursday night with some records on 1611 before a qso with Schaduwjager and Nova 4
• King Radio has been on air a few times recently. He was previously known as Atletico and has been sending a fair signal across the North Sea with less than 100 watts. Great to hear this station on the air again. After he closed down on Thursday night he had a qso with Zwarte Diamant. It was hard work to get a good copy on his signal as he was transmitting on 1626, just 3 kHz down from the powerhouse Calipso, who was blasting in with the full 55555 sinpo. However, it seems Diamont is not often in the air (he has only a few mentions on the AM Fourm) and this was the first time he had been heard in England
• Black Bandit is on MW more than SW these days, which is good news for me as he is always fun to listen to. He seems to have a huge catalogue of names to choose from whenever he comes on air, and his presentation style really captures the imagination. I have a vivid picture in my mind of him sitting in his studio with clouds of cigar smoke billowing out all around while he sits back in an armchair with a tumbler of neat whiskey in his hand. He was on the air for some hours on Thursday night, chatting with various stations, including Kleine Sjakie, who was a new one for me
• On Sunday evening Dinkelland was blasting in with a cracking signal. I made this recording. He was asking for a report when I first heard him, and was later qsoing with Astronaut, who testing out his antenna after a few adjustments. He sent me this great atmospheric photo of his studio while he was on air



Radio Astronaut on air