Countdown to Christmas

It seems the Dutch pirates are already celebrating the festive season. Today I have heard a colossal 26 different MW pirates from right across the Netherlands - that's the biggest haul for some time and it's been great to hear the band so busy. I'm looking forward to tuning around over the next couple of weeks when holiday mode really does kick in. 

Here are the stations I heard today and over the last week or so:

Freq       Time       Station SINPO

Wednesday, December 19, 2018
1645       0734       Zwarte Piraat 25222 report for Utopia
1611       0738       Alabama 35333 qsoing
1638       1452       Sylvania 25442 music programme
1636       1650       Torpedojager (Twente) 35333 report for Sylvania
1650       1702       Pontiac 55444 music programme
1645       1723       Casablanca (Twente) 35343 report for Pontiac   
1630       1725       Pontiac 55444 qsoing
1620       1728       Mustang 35333-45444 qsoing
1619       1735       Wegpiraat 35433 qsoing
1629       1737       Schaduwjager 55444 qsoing
1633       1741       Noordzee 35333 qsoing
1622       1813       Simplex 25222 qsoing
1621       1820       Uitzendkracht weak signal qsoing            
1655       1824       Batavier 35333 music programme
1660       1839       Skywire 25222 music programme
1629       1909       Noordster 45434 asking for report           
1623       1930       Kraanvogel 22222 report for Noordster
1620       1931       Weduwe 45433-55444 music programme
1656       1940       Concorde weak signal music programme
1665       2015       Digitaal 34333-45444 music programme
1655       2021       Ros Am 45333-55555 testing
1638       2110       Morgenster 24332-35333 qsoing
1625       2110       Pandora 45434-55444 music programme
1640       2114       Turfsteker 25222 qsoing
1633       2236       Noordzee 33443-45444 music programme
1630       2307       Monte Carlo 35333-45444 report for Noordzee
1625       2310       Spanningzoeker 55444 report for Pandora
1635       2314       Toulouse 35333-45444 qsoing

Observations

• It was very busy on the band today with something to listen to throughout most of the day. It started off when I heard Zwarte Piraat (a new name for me) and Alabama giving a report to Utopia who had been on air with a programme, although I missed that one.
• Mid-afternoon I heard a weak signal on 1638 kHz, nothing more than a carrier to start with really. However, I stuck with it and as daylight started to turn into darkness, so the signal improved - and I found out I was listening to my old friend Sylvania, who I have happy memories of visiting on one of my first trips to the Netherlands in the mid-90s. He used to be active a lot at the top of the MW band, often at night, but these days he is not so busy on the air and tends to stick to broadcasts during the daytime, which means catching his signal in England is not so easy. The last time I hear him was February 11, 2016.
• When Sylvania closed down various stations came up with reports and a hefty QSO developed. First up was Torpedojager and it made a refreshing change to hear him on air outside of his regular Thursday morning slot on 1636 kHz.
• There was another new name for me later in the day when in response to Noordster asking for a reception report there was a signal on 1623 kHz. I'm pretty sure the name was Kraanvogel. Unfortunately as he was giving his report his signal got hammered by the appearance on 1620 kHz of Weduwe, who was making a rare midweek broadcast. Sunday evenings are usually the time to catch him.
• It was great to hear Ros Am on 1655 kHz tonight. Like many of the signals I heard today, there was a fair amount of fading at times. However, there was also a perfect peak of the maximum 55555 sinpo which was a pleasure to hear - stable and noise-free reception, just like a local station.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

1620       0558       Eskimo 43433 qsoing
1629       0739       Dolfijn 35333 music programme
1638       0744       Alabama 45444 report for Dolfijn
1638       1622       Rebel 25222-35333 music programme
1629       1711       Kaimaan 35333 testing
1625       1740       Pandora 45434 report for Uitzendkracht
1612       1744       Wegpiraat 25332-35333 testing
1660       1747       Digitaal 45444 music programme
1647       1757       Concorde weak signal qsoing
1625       1814       Rebel 25222 qsoing
1622       1817       Simplex 25342 qsoing
1652       1820       Batavier 45444 music programme
1621       1823       Uitzendkracht weak signal qsoing            
1645       1842       Skywire 24222 music programme
1620       1845       Moonbreaker 45444 testing
1645       1904       Oldtimer 34433 testing
1670       1919       Melkbus 25332 music programme
1621       1927       Blauwe Koe 35333-45444 music programme
1632       2235       Noordzee 35333-45444 music programme
1630       2322       Toulouse 45444 qsoing
1630       2327       Monte Carlo 35333 qsoing

Observations

• Great to catch Eskimo early this morning. It's not often I hear this station, but when I do, it is always way before breakfast - it seems he is a real early bird. Later in the day there were some other rare catches, including Simplex and Uitzendkracht, and it was good to hear Melkbus for the first time in a while.

Monday, December 17, 2018

1620       2145       Soto en Daniel 25222-35333 music programme            
1645       2146       Casablanca (Twente) 25222-35333 music programme
1629       2148       Toulouse 25222-45444 music programme
1630       2242       Monte Carlo 35333 report for Toulouse
1625       2343       Pandora 45444 report for Monte Carlo

Sunday, December 16, 2018
1620       0635       Billy De Bluffer 45444 music programme
1655       0722       Batavier 45434 music programme
1647       0724       Concorde weak signal music programme

Observations

• I just managed a little early morning listening today before a family day with lots of pre-Christmas celebrations. Billy De Bluffer was busy on 1620 kHz - a name from the past and a reminder of his regular broadcasts back in the 1990s.
• Concorde uses only low power - around 40 watts - and the signal today was quite weak here. I'm determined to hear him better though and I'll be gently moving the loop antenna to the optimal position so I can get the best signal possible when I hear him again.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

1620       0645       Zender Johan 55444 report for Barcelona
1620       1541       Poema 25442 qsoing
1638       1545       Polka Express 24442 qsoing
1630       1555       Baanbreker 25442 qsoing
1640       1603       Turfsteker 25442 qsoing
1660       1610       Digitaal 35433-55444 music programme
1652       1645       Batavier 35443-45444 music programme
1646       1656       Zwarte Bizon 34333-44444
1647       1705       Keizer en Keizerin 35333-45444 music programme
1629       1707       Odynn 35333-45444 music programme
1640       1805       Barones 45444 music programme
1635       2257       Electron 35333 music programme
1626       2302       Jeneverstoker 25222-35333 music programme
1625       2322       Pandora 45444 report for Jeneverstoker

Thursday, December 13, 2018
1636       0647       Torpedojager (Twente) 35333-45444 music programme
1621       2030       Turftrekker 45444-55555 testing
1645       2030       Casablanca (Twente) 25222-35333 music programme

Wednesday, December 12, 2018
1620       0600       Rietvink 35333 music programme
1620       0610       Marconist 35343 music programme
1629       2003       Twentana 35333-45444 music programme
1638       2025       Twentana 35333-45444 music programme
1629       2314       Marskramer (Friesland) 45434 music programme

Tuesday, December 11, 2018
1620       0615       Marconist 35343 music programme
1621       1959       Blauwe Koe 34333 music programme
1625       2000       Marianne 44433-45444 weekly music programme

Monday, December 10, 2018
1620       0600       Zender Johan 45434-55444 music programme
1615       1918       Gedrocht 25222 music programme
1645       1921       Oldtimer 45333-45444 music programme
1638       1922       Morgenster 35333 music programme
1643       1924       Vrijevogel 22322 music programme
1628       1924       Marskramer (Friesland) 45433-45444 testing
1633       2015       Bluebird 45444 music programme
1633       2100       Igloo 45434-55444 music programme (via Bluebird)

Observations

• Radio Igloo was back on air this evening with a third programme through the transmitter of Bluebird. All music came from Iglooman's native Sweden and was certainly something different to listen to.

Festive noise

With Christmas fast approaching and all manner of festive lights and gadgets in the neighbourhood as people - including us - put up their decorations, there are potentially thousands more power supply units within a small radius from here. All that means a possible increase in noise level. And, sure enough, listening over the last few days has been challenging with various new forms of local interference to deal with. Luckily, I've been able to eradicate much of it, but that requires plenty of regular retuning of the noise canceller unit, which can become tiresome after a while. Living in the middle of nowhere is appealing a great deal right now!

Anyway, here are some logs from this side, including an interesting in-band catch this morning.

Freq       Time       Station SINPO

Sunday, December 9, 2018
1395       0750       Energy Power AM 24322-35443 music programme
1395       0818       Studio Dennaker 24322 music programme
1611       1543       Brugwachter 35433 music programme
1619       1754       Soto en Daniel 35443 music programme
1647       1809       Witte Tornado 44444-55444 music programme
1611       1812       Texas 24322 music programme
1620       1815       Weduwe 43443 music programme
1629       1829       Moonbreaker 34333-44444 music programme
1615       2059       Technical Man 35333-45444 music programme
1638       2235       Bluebird 55444 music programme
1648       2244       Monte Carlo 35333-45433 testing 

Observations

• I was down with the radios this morning a little later than I had intended but before sunrise. However, I found no pirate activity on the usual frequencies at 1611 kHz and higher, so I checked out 1395 kHz and was pleasantly surprised to hear Energy Power AM coming in from Ireland. 

• It's quite rare that I can hear this station, which broadcasts every weekend from the Emerald Isle but, according to the station's Facebook page, my reception coincides with a new modulation system that was put into operation on Saturday. 

• I'm not sure what is being used now, but the picture above shows what the setup looked like at the beginning of November. And below is a short recording made this morning:
• As I was listening to 1395 kHz this morning I became aware of a second station on the frequency which became clear as Energy faded down from time to time. It was Studio Dennaker, one of a handful of legal low-power Dutch stations operating on the frequency - not a pirate but certainly sounding like one!
• 1620 kHz was a bit of a mess this evening. Daniel en Soto were broadcasting around 1619 kHz - with a carrier very slowly drifting up the band - and had a decent signal into the UK when a big carrier came up alongside them and Weduwe signed on for a lengthy music programme. The two stations were then battling against each other until Weduwe close down at just after 2000, with the result being a rather unlistenable hetrodyne. They could be separated using filters, but it was far from ideal.

Saturday, December 8, 2018
1647       2032       Keizer en Keizerin 35333 music programme

1655       0038       Snowman 24222-34333 music programme

Friday, December 7, 2018
1620       1830       Mustang 45444  
1647       1842       Admiraal 35443 qsoing

Wednesday, November 21, 2018
1611       1857       Mustang 44444 music programme
1630       1857       Noordzee 35443 qsoing
1645       1859       Casablanca (Twente) 35443 music programme
1629       1900       Dolfijn 34443 qsoing
1611       1915       Utopia 34443-44444 testing

Tuesday, November 20, 2018
1620       0630       Utopia 35333 music programme
1625       2053       Marianne 35333 music programme