Tuesday, September 16, 2014

The Calipso jukebox

Monday night has been exceptionally quiet at 1611 kHz and upwards. In fact, I've been tuning around since 2100 and, over three hours later, I've heard only three stations. It seems most operators are still lying low. 

One who has been braving the airwaves is Calipso, who is just about to close down on 1620 kHz as I write these words. He's been playing requests throughout the evening and pumping a strong signal into the UK. As our regular reader Terry from Bristol commented on my last post, Calipso is always heard well in the UK, and tonight was no exception, as you can hear from this recording . . . 



There was a nice surprise on 6397 kHz at around 0900 utc on Monday morning when Good Ship Venus was playing out a programme of Weekend Music Radio that aired over the weekend. The signal from Scotland was very good here, and further evidence that propagation is changing as the summer drifts away and autumn starts to arrive.

Like I say, MW has been quiet recently because of all the AT activity and I haven't posted any logs for some weeks, so let's bring things up to date:

Monday, September 15, 2014
1620       2112       Calipso 55444-55555 music programme
1636       2229       Mi Amigo 24322-34333 music programme
1630       2254       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444-55555

Saturday, September 13, 2014
1620       1828       Calipso 55544-55555 music programme
1637       1831       Keizer en Keizerin 35343 music programme
1611       2021       Turftrekker 34443-55544 qsoing
1630       2021       Pioneer 35333 testing
1648       2021       Moby Dick 45444-55544 music programme
1620       2029       Schaduwjager 55444 qsoing
1620       2034       Akai 34333-45444 qsoing
1629       2057       Python 25222 testing
1651       2156       Turfsteker 33433-44444
1666       2219       Digitaal 55444 music programme              
1628       2219       Zwarte Panter 24332-35443 music programme
1641       2222       Monte Carlo 55444 qsoing
1655       2226       Turfsteker 34443-44444 qsoing

Thursday, September 11, 2014
1650       2005       Kristal 35333-45444 music programme
1629       2046       Golden Oldy (Atletico) 25222-35333 music programme 
1655       2158       Plof Kip (Witte Kat) 35333 qsoing
1654       2201       Studio 69 35333-45444 qsoing
1621       2205       Pioneer 35333 testing

Monday, September 8, 2014
1633       1940       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444 report for Vrijvogel

Sunday, September 7, 2014
1655       2050       Studio 69 35333-45444 music programme
1638       2055       Bluebird 45444-55555 music programme
1665       2057       Polkaman 34333 music programme
1647       2057       Witte Tornado 45444-55444 music programme

Saturday, September 6, 2014
1620       2043       Schaduwjager 55444-55555
1611       2044       Barones 44444-55544 music programme 
1643       2046       Batavier 35333 music programme
1648       2046       Moby Dick 55444 music programme
1635       2053       Yogi Bear 23322-44444 music programme
1653       2054       Nachtzwerver 25332-35333 music programme
1656       2113       Nachtzwerver 25332-35333 music programme

Monday, September 1, 2014
1638       2140       Bluebird 45444-55444 music programme
1620       2146       Spanningzoeker 45434-55544 qsoing
1647       2154       Monte Carlo 34333-44444 qsoing
1648       2227       Casablanca 45434 qsoing
1620       2228       Soerabaya 25222 qsoing
1620       2240       813 25222 qsoing
1650       2250       Spanningzoeker 55444 qsoing
1634       2305       Jeneverstoker 35333 qsoing

Thursday, August 14, 2014
1611       2116       Armada 24322-35333 music programme
1620       2117       Calipso 55544-55555 music programme
1655       2117       Mohammed Ali, Drentse Variant & James Bond 55444-55555 music
show for Carona
1640       2118       Noordzee 35333-45444 music programme
1625       2119       Atletico 23322-34443 music programme
1645       2120       Batavier 25222-35433 music programme
1663       2201       Nachtzwerver 25222-35333 testing
1637       2205       Toulouse 35443-45444 report for Noordzee
1620       2216       Montecarlo 44444 report for Noordzee
1636       2217       Repower 35433 report for Toulouse
1636       2226       Romax 35433-45444 qsoing
1655       2230       Carona 45444 report for James Bond etc
1648       2232       Jeneverstoker 35433 report for James Bond etc
1663       2246       Monte Carlo 35433-45444 qsoing
1620       2350       Soerabaya weak signal
1650       0010       Jeneverstoker 25332-35333 testing
1636       0039       Pandora 44444-55444 report for Jeneverstoker

Saturday, August 9, 2014
1476       1950       Edelkampioen 33533-45544 music programme

Friday, August 8, 2014
1620       1908       Sterrekijker 35453 music programme
1620       1956       Calipso 35453
1645       1908       Relmus 35453 music programme

Thursday, August 7, 2014
1611       2115       Brugwachter
1620       2120       Schaduwjager 55444 qsoing
1620       2126       Meteoor 35333-45343 qsoing
1671       2126       Armada 35333-45444 music programme
1638       2126       Bluebird music programme
1654       2127       Kristal 35333-45444 music programme
1629       2129       Atletico 25222-35333 music programme
1615       2150       Polkakanon 25232 music programme
1662       2154       Wilskracht 34333 qsoing
1655       2331       Studio 69 45333-45444 qsoing

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Worrying times

I've been a little quiet with my words on the blog in the last few weeks - there's always something to keep me busy. But I've been tuning the bands and doing plenty of radio listening, although the top of the MW in particular has gone very quiet of late. The reason: the Agentschap Telecom (AT) has been very active in the Netherlands. 

In the last few years the proliferation of high-power FM pirates has kept the AT very busy, but as more and more of these stations have been taken off air while fines become ever bigger, it seems attention has been turned to pirates broadcasting on MW.

A few weeks ago I heard that Radio 0511 was taken off air, a station that has been broadcasting every Sunday for some time. Another who can be heard with a regular weekend programme is Radio Sanussie on 1512. However, I understand they had a visit from the AT last Sunday. From what I hear, other stations who have been told to cease transmissions include Denappel, Sterrekijker and Bluebird. They could also be facing payment of a hefty fine.

So, if you think MW is a little quiet when you are tuning around for pirates, increased AT activity could be the reason as stations take a slightly lower profile.