Tuning in to the Dutch pirates

For listeners, dxers, pirate fans and general radio nuts who might be new to having a look at this blog, I thought I'd start the new year with a recap on some of the equipment here. 

The receiver I use most of the time is the Kenwood R5000. I also have the Lowe HF150, which spends most of its time in the living room rather than the radio room, the Lowe HF225, which has incredible audio quality, and countless other receivers I have accumulated over the years. In actual fact you don't need fancy radios to hear the bigger Dutch pirates. I've heard them on all sorts of devices, from clock radios to a novelty radio shaped like a can of Pepsi. The key to reception is the antenna.

For most of my listening I hook up a Wellbrook loop out in the garden, just a couple of metres above the ground. I have tried various models from this company over the years and am now using the ALA1530LNP. I also have a couple of portable loops, which work great with the smaller receivers.

To help eradicate local interference and to get the noise level as close to zero as possible I use a noise cancelling signal enhancer - the MFJ-1026 which is hooked up to the loop and to a second antenna - a dipole cut for 48 metres shortwave.

Below are my Dutch MW pirates logs so far for this year. The first figure is the frequency in kHz, followed by the time which, as ever, is given using UTC/GMT (Dutch time is one hour in front). The italicised figures represent the SINPO code.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

1621       1910       Mike 34433-44444 music programme

1629       1911       Turftrekker 45444 testing

1660       1930       Veldwachter weak signal

1619       2135       Uniek 34333-45444 music programme

1638       2136       Armada 45333-45444 testing

1615       2136       Malibu 24322-34333 music programme. Later on 1612

1625       2159       Blauwe Koe 34333 music programme

1654       2210       Noordzee 35333-45444 music programme

1635       2242       Monte Carlo 33333-45434 report for Noordzee

1622       2255       Napoleon 33333-44444 music programme

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

1630       2035       Marianne 45333-45444 music programme

1611       2044       Zwarte Boer 23322-34433 music programme
1620       2046       Moonbreaker 25322-35443 music programme

Monday, January 2, 2017

1620       0613       Bootsman 35333-45444 music programme

1620       0741       Schaduwjager 45444 report for Bootsman

1620       0814       De Friese Piraat 25222-35333 qsoing

1645       1918       Bandoeng 44444 music programme

1625       2003       Brandaris 43333-44444

1655       2213       Dikke Betta 45333-45444 qsoing

1635       2215       Ruisbreker 25222-35333 music programme

1655       2216       Digitaal 35333-45444 qsoing

1654       2220       Kristal 35333 qsoing

1656       2223       Noordzee 35333-55444 qsoing

1655       2231       Noorderzon 25222 qsoing

1630       2315       Monte Carlo 34333 qsoing

1640       2319       Noorderzon 35222-35333 report for Ruisbreker

Sunday, January 1, 2017

1647       1735       Witte Tornado 45333-45444 music programme

1620       1745       Derdeman 25222-35333 music programme

1615       1811       Moonbreaker 25222-35333 music programme

1626       1910       Capri 54434 non-stop music programme with jingles

1645       0022       Bandoeng 45444 music programme

Thursday, December 29, 2016

1620       0625       Zonnester 43433-55444 music programme

1645       1810       Casablanca (Twente) 25432 qsoing

1655       1818       Dikke Betta 45444 qsoing

1620       1820       Zwarte Arabier 45444 music programme

1647       1840       Quintus 45434-55444 music programme

1620       2100       Sapporo 25222 report for Zwarte Arabier

1620       2105       Edelkampioen 44434-55444 report for Zwarte Arabier

1620       2110       Pioneer 33333-44433 report for Zwarte Arabier

1615       2115       Twentana 35333

1638       2135       Twentana 35333 music programme

1615       2143       Noordzee 35333 qsoing

1620       2159       Noordzee 35322 qsoing