Friday, January 01, 2021

The Class of 2020

A very Happy New Year to every listener, dxer and pirate broadcaster reading the blog. Many thanks for all your support over the last year, and I hope you will continue to enjoy my words about the weird and wonderful world of Dutch pirate radio on the MW band.

As we enter 2021 I will continue with an annual tradition where I look back at the last 12 months and compile an A-Z of all the stations I've heard. And while the world was a confused place for much of 2020 as the coronavirus took hold and brought many lives to a virtual standstill, our small bubble of pirate radio was thriving as station operators switched on their transmitters to offer some light relief and to pass the time while many had their employment put on hold. So much so that a huge tally of 203 stations were heard at my location in England during the last year - always with my own receivers and never with a web receiver.

This figure is a massive boost from 2019 when I heard just 129 Dutch MW pirates. In 2018, some 154 pirate signals were heard over here, while in 2017 the number was 172, in 2016 it was 167 and in 2015 it was 185.

I certainly don't claim to have heard every single MW pirate in the Netherlands during 2020, and it is very possible that the number of stations operating is much closer to 300 given there are many daytime low-power operators who I don't get to hear. However, it was wonderful to break the 200-mark, showing the highest level of activity at the top of the MW band for at least six years.

These are the stations I heard, and I would like to thank each and every one of these broadcasters for switching on your transmitters during the last 12 months. I am sure your transmissions have been a lifeline for many people during troubled times, when a friendly voice kept up the spirits while the world seemed a very different place to the one we are used to:


807

813

Admiraal

Akai


Alabama 

Alice

Alpenjager (Groningen) 

Anton

Arizona 

Armada 

Astronaut

Atlantic 

Avia

Baanbreker

Baansluiper 

Barcelona

Barones

Batavier 

Bavaria 



Belladonna

Billy de Bluffer

Bizon

Black Molly

Blackstone 

Blauwe Fazant

Blauwe Karabijn

Blauwe Koe

Blauwe Piraat

Bluebird

Boerenzwaluw

Bonte Specht

Boogschutter 

Boomerang

Bootsman

Boskabouter

Bos Piraat

Brugwachter 


Casablanca (Emmen)

Casablanca (Twente)

Columbia

Concorde

Curacao 

Dageraad 

De Kat

De Klap

De Klok

Derde Man

De Oudeman

Digitaal

Dolfijn

Dr Bloe

Driland

Drukstroomjager

Duranza 

Dutchman 

Eigen Risico

Eldorado 

Electron 

Eskimo

Ethervogel

Flamingo 

Friese Piraat

Harrie

Havana 

Hemmeling

Hennie Veldwijk

Ijsvogel 

Interpol 

Jack Sparrow

Jeneverstoker 

Johnny Camaro

Johnny Depp

Johnny Pecon

Josje Power

Kaaiman 

Kamelenboer

Karabijn

Karel Doorman

Keizer en Keizerin

Klaverboer 

Kleine Jopie 

Kleine Man



Kristal 

Linda

Lotus

Marconist

Marianne 

Marskramer

Mascotte

Matrix 

Mebo 2

Melkbus

Meteoor 

Mi Amigo

Mike

Musky

Mustang



Moby Dick

Moonbreaker 

Mondeo 

Monte Carlo

Monza

Morgenster 

Mosfet

Nachtrijder 

Nachtzwerver 

Napoleon 

Nimmerzorg

Noordster

Noordzee 

Odynn 

Oldtimer

Oliebollenbakkers 

Omega

Orban

Osaka 

OSM 



Pacman
Pandora
Pecon 
Pereboom
Philadelphia 
Piraten Jantje



Poema

Polidor 

Polka Express 


Polkaman

Pontiac

Professor Sickbok

Quiksilver 

Quintus 

Rebel

Rietvink 

Rockin Billy

Rode Rover 

Rode Ster

Romax


Ros Am

Ruimzicht 

Ruisbreker 

Santana en Cobra

Sapporo

Schaduwjager 

Scotland

Shetland

Silvia 

Simplex

Skywire

Snowman 

Soerabaya 

Soto 

Spanningzoeker 

Spakenburg 

Speedygonzales

Technical Man

Telefunken

Torpedojager (Twente)

Topedojager (NWO)

Toulouse 

Tower 

Turfsteker


Turftrekker

Twee Gebroeders



Twentana

Uitzendkracht

Ultra

Uniek

Utopia

Veldwachter 

Veluwse Ster

Vendor 

Viking en Tante Foeke

Vliegende Hollander

Vliegende Hollander (Friesland)

Vliegenfluiter 

Vloedgolf 

Vonkenboer 

Vonkentrekker 

Vossenjager

Vriendschap 

Vrijevogel 

Vrolijke Mijnwerker

Vuilnisman 

Weduwe

Wegpiraat

Wilskracht 

Witte Duif 

Witte Raaf

Witte Tornado

Yogi Bear

Zender Johan

Zeelandia 

Zeepiraat 

Zeewolf

Zwarte Arabier

Zwarte Boekanier



Zwarte Boer

Zwarte Man

Zwarte Panter

Zwarte Panter (Friesland)

Zwarte Piraat

Zwarte Ridder

Zwolse Vliegenvanger


And there you have it - an incredible year of activity in one list. A few operators are included twice with their alternative names, but I include these every year so comparisons are fair. I'll be be doing the same thing at the start of 2022 - and just maybe the total will be even higher next time!

1 comment:

  1. We wish you a happy and healthy 2021 and thank you for the interest and reports for the radio pirates from Holland
    greetings from Vliegende Hollander.

    ReplyDelete