A few minutes ago I heard Radio Montecarlo from the east of the Netherlands with a reception report on 1646 kHz for Professor Sickbok. He is usually very strong here, with typical signal strength of four out of five on the SINPO scale. Tonight he was more of a two, coming in with a SINPO of 25342. I was listening carefully and he mentioned his antenna was in the low position.
Many of the Dutch pirates use what they call 'spool' antennas. This is basically a coil high up a mast with some top-loading and then an earth system which usually features plenty of copper piping buried around the base of the mast in a star shape. This type of antenna generally produces a good groundwave (although the skywave is not at all bad, either), which makes it ideal for covering a good part of a small country like the Netherlands.
Such an antenna is also pretty compact, especially when it is on a hydraulic or electric mast, like that used by Montecarlo. At the press of a button, the mast rises, and so does the antenna. And reception generally improves in line with how high the antenna is. When pirates come on air with a reception report for a station in their locality there is often no need to have the antenna as high as possible as they will be heard regardless, so it stays low - and that is when overseas reception dips.
So, next time you hear a pirate with a lower signal than you sometimes get, it might not be the fault of propagation or solar flare.
Here's the list of stations I've heard tonight, together with some other recent listings:
Monday,
November 16, 2015
1620 0545 Nova
4 45344 music programme
1640 2205 Veronica
44444 music programme
1640 2213 Professor
Sickbok 45444 report for Veronica
1630 2216 Anton
45444 music programme
1646 2303 Monte
Carlo 25342 report for Professor Sickbok
1626 2315 Jack
Sparrow 35333-45444 qsoing
1625 2347 Jeneverstoker
weak signal qsoing
Sunday, November 15, 2015
1620 0623 Amigo 35333 music programme
1620 0747 Zonnester 25222 report for Amigo
1620 0752 Johan 35343-45444 qsoing
1647 1627 Witte Tornado 35343 music programme
1675 1850 Batavier 25222 music programme
1611 1912 Atletico weak signal music programme
1657 1944 Turfsteker 25222-35333 music programme
Saturday, November 14, 2015
1620 1544 Druckstromjager 35343-45444 asking for report
1640 1558 Professor Sickbok 25332-35333 qsoing
1629 1604 Pioneer (Rotterdam) 35333 asking for report
1640 1620 Professor Sickbok 35333-45444 music programme
1650 1651 Vendor 35333 music programme
1636 1707 Keizer en Keizerin 35333, 45444 at 1752 music programme
1620 1725 Zwarte Golf 35333 testing
1611 1840 Atletico 25222-35333 music programme
1622 1901 Dageraad 35333 music programme
1648 1908 Mustang 55444 music programme
1620 1943 Monza 45444 report
1648 2127 Moby Dick 35333-45444 music programme
Thursday, November 12, 2015
1620 0545 Nova 4 35333 music programme
1626 1724 Zwarte Boekanier 55434 asking for report
1655 1725 Hooiberg 25222-35333 music programme
1620 1732 Sterrekijker 25222 music programme
1611 1740 Zwarte Boekanier 55434 asking for report
1645 1916 Amigo 35333 testing
1614 1933 Zwarte Panter (North Holland) weak signal music programme
1665 1936 Polkaman 25222-45444 music programme
1620 2041 Saporro 35333-45444 qsoing
1633 2048 Turftrekker 33333 qsoing
1680 2129 Armada 45333 testing and asking for report
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
1646 2206 Wadloper 45434 music programme
1630 2240 Pandora 45434 music programme
1630 2320 Spanningzoeker 45434 report for Pandora
1633 2330 Spanningzoeker 45434-55444 qsoing
1624 2342 Jeneverstoker 35333 qsoing
1615 2345 Soerabaya 25332-35333 qsoing
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
1620 0545 Nova 4 35333 music programme
1654 1600 Oldtimer 35322-35333 music programme
1615 1604 Zwarte Boekanier weak signal
1620 1612 Zwarte Boekanier weak signal
1660 1650 Digitaal 45434-55544
1635 1704 Ruimzicht 25222 asking for report
1645 1726 DB 35333 qsoing
1620 1730 Pontiac 45333-55444 asking for report
1638 1743 Osaka 25222-35333 qsoing
Monday, November 9, 2015
1655 2325 Witte Raaf 35333 music programme
Friday, November 6, 2015
1636 1501 Havanna 35353 music programme
1637 1624 Blonde Zwerver 35333 qsoing
1653 1624 Rode Ster 45444 qsoing
1635 1635 Ruimzicht 25242 qsoing
1620 1638 Sterrekijker 25222, 34443 at 2018
1655 1730 Hooiberg 35333-45444 music programme
1629 1904 Relmus 45444-55555 music progamme
1646 2054 Mustang 55444 music programme
1620 2110 Nova 4 45444-55444 music programme
1640 2114 Moskou 35333-45444 testing
1640 2127 Poema 45444 qsoing
1633 2336 Uniek 33433-55444 music programme
Thursday, November 5, 2015
1620 1845 Nova 4 55444 music programme
1647 1847 Armada 35333 qsoing
1646 1850 Zwarte Bizon 45444 qsoing
1615 2106 Barones 25222-35333 music programme
1636 2106 Barones 45434-55444 music programme
1660 2106 Noorderzon
1620 2242 Baantje 34333 qsoing
1622 2351 Pontiac 55544 testing
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
1620 0545 Eskimo 35333-45444 qsoing
1620 0603 Johan 55444 qsoing
1620 0650 Noordzee 45333-45444 music programme
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
1620 0545 Nova 4 55444-55555 music programme until around 0630
1635 1749 Boogschutter 25222-35333 music programme
1615 1809 Batavier 35333 music porgramme
1647 1830 Nachtzwerver 24222-35443 testing
1620 1832 Spanningzoeker 55444-55555 testing
1620 2134 Station from northern Greece with report for Mijnwerker 35333
1620 2135 Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444 qsoing
1629 2147 Pioneer 35323 asking for report
1646 2208 Wilskracht 45334 music programme
1640 2217 Professor Sickbok 45434-55444 qsoing
1665 2301 Amigo 45434 qsoing
1640 2307 Noordzee 45434 qsoing
1635 2307 Ruimzicht 25222-35333 qsoing
Observations
- Nova 4 is pretty busy early in the morning. He can be heard several times a week on 1620 kHz, always closing down at around 0630 UTC (0730 Dutch time)
- Sterrekijker has been on air for the last couple of Friday evenings, running at just 30 watts. He used to run considerably more power for his weekly programmes and, although the signal is obviously weaker now, it still seems to be getting out pretty well
- Sunday morning on 1620 kHz is usually the time and place you will find a music programme from Zonnester or Dokwerker. Last Sunday, though, Amigo took their place. Zonnester made his appearance a little later for a QSL, along with Johan, who always has a strong signal over here
- Last Saturday was interesting with some stations I haven't heard in a while. It was good to welcome back Zwarte Golf, Vendor, Atletico and Dageraad to my receiver
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