Festive greetings

Greetings from England! I hope you've been enjoying the festivites, had a great Christmas Day and are looking forward to the new year.

I have some holiday now, so plenty of radio time and in the next few days I'll be looking through the logs for 2017 and counting up the number of different stations heard, just like I've done for the last couple of years. Despite the authorities in the Netherlands taking a greater interest in MW activity over the past 12 months, I have a feeling that the number of pirates active is pretty high, perhaps greater than the previous year.

I might not have written here on the blog for a few weeks, but I've been listening and keeping up to date with what's been going on . . .

Freq       Time      Station SINPO

Friday, December 29, 2017

1655       2102       Digitaal 45434 music programme
1629       2105       Akenzo 25322-35333 music programme
1620       2108       Batavia 25322 music programme
1644       2151       Batavier 35333-55444 music programme
1665       2242       Bandoeng 35333-45434 testing
1638       2256       Vonkenboer 25222-35333 testing modulation
1665       2312       Polkaman 25222-35333 music programme
1615       2320       Bluebird 55544-55555 music programme
1645       2334       Noordzee 43442 qsoing
1637       2348       Noordzee 45444 qsoing
1638       2351       Monte Carlo 45444 qsoing

Observations

• It's not so often you heard Bandoeng on MW these days. He's busier on SW under his various different guises. Hopefully, now his antenna for 186 metres is up and working well, we'll hear some more broadcasts from this great pirate in the next few days

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

1671       1932       Viking en Tante Foek 25322-35333 music programme
1615       1934       Bluebird 35333, 55444 at 2000 music programme
1636       1935       Keizer en Keizerin 25222-35333 music programme
1620       1953       Kruik 32432 music programme
1620       2007       Sapporo 22422 music programme

Observations

• It's been a long time since I heard the Viking en Tante Foek on the air. Together with Technical Man and Utopia, we paid them a visit in the summer of 2016, so it was good to catch them broadcasting for the first time since that meeting. When you hear live singing on 1671 kHz, it can only be one station!

Monday, December 25, 2017     

1629       1237       Vriendschap 25222-35343 music programme
1611       1250       Verona weak signal music programme
1642       1300       Zeewolf 25342 report for Vriendschap
1620       1311       Silvia 25332 qsoing
1620       1315       Sterrenboog 35343-45444 qsoing
1633       1319       Noordzee 35443 qsoing
1640       1348       Kaaiman weak signal music programme
1629       1416       Twentana 35333 music programme
1647       1418       Friese Piraat 24332 report for Kaaiman
1620       1419       Silvia 25332-35333 music programme
1620       1439       Brugwachter 35443 report for Silvia
1647       1440       Witte Tornado 35333-45444 music programme

Observations

• There was a nice surprise at just after 1230 here in England when I was having a quick tune around the top of the MW band and heard a signal coming through on 1629 kHz. It is very rare to hear signals from the Netherlands at our location in the middle of the day, even rarer to hear fairly good signals. The station was Vriendschap, who then had a chat with a few other stations when he closed down. That gave me the chance to hear Zeewolf the first time during hours of daylight on MW. Best signal of the lot came from Sterrenboog, who was peaking very well indeed
• Mid-afternoon and after Friese Piraat had popped up on 1647 with a report for Kaaiman, another station came on the station with continuous music. After a while I wondered if it could possibly be Witte Tornado returning to the air after they were paid a visit by the AT on October 8. Indeed it was, back on their old frequency with a special Christmas broadcast

Sunday, December 24, 2017

1634       2300       Oliebollen Bakkers 34333-44444 music programme
1646       2310       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444 music programme
1626       2340       Uniek 45434 music programme
1641       0009       Casablanca 44444 qsoing
1647       0014       Schorpioen 32442 qsoing

Saturday, December 16, 2017

1630       2317       Quintus 45434 music programme
1643       2320       Ros Am 44333-44444 music programme
1625       2320       Akenzo 24222 music programme
1648       2334       Moby Dick 34333 music programme
1633       2336       Barcelona 35433-45444 music programme
1618       2336       Turftrekker 55444 music programme

Thursday, December 14, 2017

1640       2215       Professor Sickbok 45444 music programme
1625       2220       Bluebird 55444 music programme
1635       2220       Electron 34333
1611       2229       Horizon 23222 music programme

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

1629       2005       Zwarte Arabier 45444 music programme
1647       2030       Melkbus music programme
1620       2106       Batavia 25222 music programme
1610       2106       Anton 34333 music programme
1625       2241       Bluebird 45444 music programme
1646       2250       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 45444 music programme
1633       2313       Barcelona 35333-45434 music programme

Monday, December 4, 2017

1620       1745       Schaduwjager 55444 qsoing
1645       2010       Oldtimer 45444 music programme
1635       2025       Digitaal 45444 music programme
1637       2100       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55544 report for Digitaal
1625       2120       Uitzendkracht 25222-35333
1625       2132       Pandora 45444 report for Uitzendkracht
1648       2220       Pereboom 35333-45444 qsoing
1629       2220       Spakenburg 34333-44444 testing

Sunday, December 3, 2017

1646       2221       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 45444 qsoing

Saturday, December 2, 2017

1643       1749       Skywire
1636       1750       Keizer en Keizerin 35333 music programme
1645       2110       Ros AM 45434 testing
1615       2115       Twentana 35333 music programme
1625       2250       Pandora 35333-45444 music programme
1630       2336       Barones 44444

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

1646       2225       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444 testing antenna
1638       2227       Batavia 23322 music programme
1620       2228       Mi Amigo 35333 music programme

Monday, November 27, 2017

1645       2116       Oldtimer 35333-45444 music programme
1640       2116       Veronica 35333 music programme
1647       2119       Pereboom 55444 report for Oldtimer

Observations

• A new name cropped up on the band tonight. Pereboom appeared on 1647 with a report for Oldtimer. It seems he was broadcasting from Friesland, but I have no other details other than this seems to be a pirate from the past returning to the air. 

Sunday, November 26, 2017

1640       0815       Kaaiman 25552 music programme

Saturday, November 25, 2017

1650       0800       Golfbreker 25452 music programme

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

1630       2125       Marianne 55444-55555 music programme
1638       2245       Bluebird 55444-55555 qsoing
1629       2248       Alabama 45444 qsoing
1630       2253       Monte Carlo 35333 qsoing

Sunday, November 19, 2017

1611       1020       Atlantic 25422 qsoing
1620       1030       Zender Johan 25332-35443 qsoing
1637       1042       Admiraal weak signal qsoing
1645       1048       Digitaal weak signal qsoing
1649       1057       Lotus weak signal qsoing

Observations

• A morning of superb conditions meant reception was possible way later in the morning than usual. Dutch signals have usually faded out between 0800 and 0900, but today they could be heard until around 1100

Thursday, November 16, 2017

1629       1821       Spanningzoeker 55555 qsoing
1629       1822       Schaduwjager 55555 qsoing
1636       1826       Torpedojager 45444 qsoing
1629       2010       Columbia 35333-45444 music programme
1611       2011       Zwarte Boer 24332 music programme

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

1647       1655       Friese Piraat 35333-45444 music programme
1647       1720       Digitaal 45433-45444 report for Friese Piraat
1647       1735       Admiraal 35333 report for Digitaal
1647       1820       Nachtzwerver 35443 qsoing
1635       1830       Batavier 35333 testing
1630       2050       Marianne 45434-55444 music programme
1655       2051       Kristal 45433-45444 music programme
1647       2115       Armada 45433-45444 report for Kristal
1620       2137       Sapporo 44333 qsoing
1611       2137       Spakenburg 44444 qsoing
1615       2236       Monte Carlo 35333 qsoing
1638       2237       Bluebird 55444 music programme

Monday, November 13, 2017

1645       2115       Oldtimer 45444 music programme
1645       2230       Monte Carlo 55444-55555 asking for report
1626       2239       Alabama 25222 report for Monte Carlo
1625       2310       Pandora 55444 music programme

Saturday, November 11, 2017

1625       2250       Barones 45444 music programme
1655       2255       De Kat 23222 music programme
1645       2304       Dinkelland 55444-55555 testing
1650       2314       Monte Carlo 45444 asking for report
1636       2320       Romax 35333 asking for report
1640       2326       Monte Carlo 34333 qsoing
1650       2332       Dinkelland 55444-55555 testing
1619       2335       Jeneverstoker 23222 music programme
1645       0016       Vonkenboer 25332 qsoing
1656       0049       Paradiso weak signal qsoing
1625       0125       Uniek 35333 music programme

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

1638       2345       Bluebird 55444 music programme

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

1620       1825       Zwarte Arabier 55444 music programme
1645       1841       Batavier 45434 music programme
1655       1910       Relmus 45434 music programme
1620       1940       Sapporo 33433 report for Zwarte Arabier
1611       1940       Centurion 25332 report for Zwarte Arabier
1630       1942       Marianne 45444-55555 music programme
1620       1943       Turftrekker 45434 report for Zwarte Arabier
1625       2010       Yogi Bear en Einstein 33333 music programme
1647       2114       Armada 45434 testing
1629       2211       Noordzee 45434 qsoing
1629       2219       Monte Carlo 45434 qsoing
1629       2229       Spakenburg 45434 testing modulation