Early start

The bulk of today's activity came in the afternoon and early evening. Here's how the band was shaping up here in England:

Freq Time Station name SINPO

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

1630 1358 Alaska weak signal-25242 (m)

1630 1406 Rode Ster 25342-35443 (q) report for Alaska

1647 1408 Eigen Risico weak signal (m)

1656 1455 Arizona weak signal (m)

1629 1459 Noordzee weak signal-25232 (q) report for Rode Ster

1646 1504 Karel Doorman 25332 (m)

1628 1504 Bannbreker weak signal-25342 (q)

1667 1514 Digitaal 45444 (q)

1660 1540 Josje Power 25222-35333 (m)

1630 1540 Ros Am 35333 (m)

1638 1556 Casablanca 25222 (m)

1611 1600 Zorro 25222 (r)

1630 1646 Vrije Vogel 25222 (m)

1660 1703 Cabballero 45444 (r)

1665 1740 Telefunken 25222-35333 (m)

1638 1935 Kleine Man 35443 (m)

1625 1937 Turftrekker 34333-45444 (m)

1617 1938 Marianne 45444 (m)

1665 2221 Josje Power 45444 (m)

(m) = station was broadcasting a music programme
(q) = station was qsoing
(r) = station asking for a reception report from another station
(t) = station was testing

Observations

• I flicked on the Kenwood R-5000 receiver at just before 2pm today and was rewarded immediately with the trace of a carrier on 1630 kHz. I stuck with it and soon I heard music and found out that I was listening to Alaska. He closed down a few minutes later, making way for an appearance from Rode Ster, who came on the frequency with a reception report and a little qso before spinning some tunes himself. This is one of the stations that has been on air for many years and one I remember from the early days of my listening at the start of the 1990s, so it’s always good to hear him.

• At about 3pm I got a message from Ros Am asking if I would be able to listen out on 1630 kHz for his signal. He was very interested to know if I would be able to receive him with still a couple of hours of daylight left. Sure enough, a few minutes later, there he was on the frequency, his distinctive voice filling my speaker together with a selection of tunes from across the decades. Ros stayed on air for just over an hour and a sinpo around 35333 gave a very listenable signal here in the middle of England.

• Lovely to catch another long-time pirate in air at around 5pm when Cabballero switched on his transmitter to ask for a report. 

• Turftrekker might not have been quite as strong as usual, but he still peaked at a sinpo of 45444 and was running only 100 watts of power.