Quality reception

There have been some very good propagation conditions on MW during the last couple of weeks which have made for some ideal opportunities to listen to the Dutch pirates in decent quality. 

Local interference in this area can be annoying at times, but I'm managing to just about null most of it out with some very fine movements of the loop antenna on the rotator and, when things get worse, by bringing the really handy noise canceller into operation. This is a great bit of kit which I cannot recommend highly enough.

I made these recordings on May 15 - you can hear Studio Friesland, running only low power, followed by Wipkikker, Barones, Twentana and Witte Tornado. The really surprising one in here is Twentana - his signal strength out of five is usually in the region of 2-3 here, but on this occasion it was hugely improved



A couple of months ago I mentioned I had added another radio to my collection - the Tecsun PL-380. I've heard good reports about these and it seems they weren't wrong. Here's a short video clip of Johnny Tobacco coming in loud and clear. Now I know this station is always strong throughout Europe, but all I was using to receive him was the telescopic antenna with the radio indoors. I've been mightily impressed by the sensitivity of this receiver - and all for about £30!



I haven't updated the logbook for a while here on the blog, mainly because I haven't been logging station quite as religiously as I do during the winter, but here's some of the stations I've heard in recent weeks:

Thursday, May 19, 2016

1671          2027         Armada 35333-45444 music programme

1647          2028         Digitaal 45444 music programme

1620          2041         Ruisbreker 24222-34333 music programme

1625          2041         Wilskracht 24222-34333 music programme

1630          2113         Studio Friesland 33333-34443

Sunday, May 15, 2016

1625          2005         Barones 55555 at 2124 music programme

1636          2010         Witte Tornado 34333-45444 music programme

1655          2045         Wilskracht 34333 music programme

1620          2052         Studio Friesland 34333 asking for report

1629          2056         Wipkikker 44444 report for Studio Friesland

1620          2104         Wipkikker 44444 report for Studio Friesland

1665          2135         Twentana 35333-45544 music programme

Thursday, May 12, 2016

1622          2135         Witte Raaf 45333 music programme

1494          2226         Batavia 33433 music programme

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

1638          1930         Calimero 35343 music programme

1640          1945         Moskou 33333

1620          2003         Mustang 45333-55444 music programme

1665          2011         Twentana 25222-35333 music programme

1620          2034         Spanningzoeker 55444 asking for report

Monday, May 9, 2016

1638          1945         Calimero 24322-34333 music programme

1640          1945         Veronica 24322-44444 music programme

1625          2013         Digitaal 45343 music programme

Sunday, May 8, 2016

1647          2147         Witte Tornado 45444-55555 music programme

Thursday, May 5, 2016

1611          2025         Schaduwjager 55444 music programme

1647          2026         Armada 45333-55444 music programme

1638          2026         Calimero 35333 music programme

1626          2026         Polydor 35333 music programme

1611          2057         Zeewolf 24222-34333 report for Schaduwjager

Monday, May 2, 2016

1645          2015         Twentana 35333 testing

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

1636          1912         Blauwe Koe 35232-45444 music programme

1630          1922         Marianne 34333-44444 music programme

1613          1925         Capri 55434 music progamme with monster mod

1652          1930         Digitaal 45444 music programme

1655          1930         Dikke Betta 44444

1669          1938         Zwarte Panter 24222-45444 music programme

1671          1952         Twentana 25222-35333

1640          1954         Batavier 23222

1622          2012         Twentana 25222-35333 music programme

Monday, April 25, 2016

1640          1907         Veronica 35343 music programme

1635          1938         Melkbus 25222-35333 testing

1611          2016         Zwarte Boer 32322 music programme

1647          2016         Armada 45434 testing

1630          2019         Melkbus 25222 testing

Saturday, April 23, 2016

1655          1832         Relmus 45444 music programme

1636          1832         Keizer en Keizerin 35343 music programme

1611          1840         Moonbreaker 25232-35333 music programme

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

1630          1928         Marianne music programme

Monday, April 18, 2016

1640          1928         Veronica 25222-35333 music programme        

1625          1956         Verona 25222-35333 music programme

Thursday, April 14, 2016

1611          1943         Zwarte Boer 25222 music programme

1620          1944         Marskramer 35333-45434

1632          1945         Boogschutter 25222 music programme

1647          1945         Armada 45434 music programme

Monday, April 11, 2016

1615          1750         Zwarte Boekanier 25232 music programme

1620          1751         Calipso 45454-55555 music programme

1636          1805         Bluawe Koe 35322-45454 music programme

1640          1810         Veronica 23432-3443 weekly music programme

1635          1855         Ruisbreker 22422 music programme

Sunday, April 10, 2016

1630          1942         Digitaal 45444 music programme

1638          1946         Calimero 35333 music programme

1647          1947         Witte Tornado 45444 music programme

1611          2204         Baantje 35222-35333 music programme

1646          2214         Barcelona 55444 report for Witte Tornado

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

1665          2128         Batavier 35333-45444 music programme

1638          2133         Calimero 45444 music programme

1611          2133         Noorderzon 24222 music programme

1632          2140         Ruimzicht 25342 qsoing   

1638          2149         Noordzee 42432 qsoing

1647          2152         Monte Carlo 35333 qsoing

Saturday, April 2, 2016

1636          2026         Keizer en Keizerin 44444 music programme

1652          2029         Moby Dick 44444-55444 music programme

1658          2030         Turfsteker 34333 music programme

1647          2045         Quintus 33333-44444 music programme

1617          2103         Uniek 44444 music programme

1494 kHz

Something interesting has just cropped up on 1494 kHz. It's Radio Batavia from the Netherlands. The station has been busy on shortwave recently, mainly using 5890 kHz, but they are back on MW right now and being heard on this unusual frequency for the first time. 

There is a fair bit of Dutch pirate activity in the main MW band, especially on a weekend, but most broadcasts are made during the daytime when reception is not possible at our location in the UK, so it makes a nice change to hear an in-band pirate.  The signal right now is fair with a little bit of interference and fading, but it's certainly listenable.

Batavia's most regular frequency on MW is 1620 kHz, but they are no stranger to trying something different. Ive heard them on 1539, 1593 and 1512 before now. The output power is usually in the region of 200 watts, I believe, and results are generally pretty good. Keep an ear out on 1494 - now they've tried it with success I'm sure they will be back on the frequency again.

Well worth a visit

Last week I was passing through the Shropshire town of Craven Arms and found an interesting looking place called The Land Of Lost Content. Now I like the weird and wonderful, which might explain my fascination with Dutch pirates (!), so I stepped inside to take a look around. 

On three different levels, the building, which you can see below, is literally packed from floor to ceiling with all sorts of paraphernalia from the last 50 years. It is the lifetime collection of one lady and her husband and charts British life through the ages with artefacts from each and every era. 

Remember the Sinclair C5? The museum has one. Remember the Aztec bar? It was Cadbury's answer to the Mars bar, first produced in 1967 and discontinued some time in the 1970s. There is one of those on show too.

You may ask what all this has to do with radio . . . well, one of the 32 exhibitions is a fascinating collection of radios with all sorts of receivers dating back many years. There are shelves of transistor models and the valve radios that grace the studios of most Dutch pirates. In fact, I can think of several pirates who have a similar collection to that on show in the museum. I'd have loved to switch some of them on and whip out a loop antenna!

Sadly, they do not permit photography, otherwise I would have taken plenty of pictures to show you. I can thoroughly recommend a visit if you are ever in the area. I've seen nothing like it before and will definitely be visiting again.