tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84390874872552233342024-03-13T01:29:56.853+00:00MW Free RadioAn English perspective of the Dutch MW pirate radio sceneMW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.comBlogger406125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-21232414249674921342024-02-12T11:40:00.010+00:002024-02-12T11:43:13.232+00:00February updateAnother weekend comes to an end and it's been a good one. Not necessarily lots of stations to listen to on 1.6 MHz during Saturday and Sunday, in fact activity levels were down on usual but what this meant was that I could spend longer listening to each station, which was an absolute pleasure.Since I last posted I received a surprise email with a qsl from Radio Nachtrijder. I don't send many MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-25175247639593969212024-01-14T22:19:00.006+00:002024-01-14T22:21:50.725+00:00Second update of the yearGreetings from the radio room high in the sky in the centre of the UK, where I have been busy listening to lots of Dutch pirates since the turn of the year. I promised to update the blog more often during 2024 than I managed last year, so I'm staying true to my word with my second update of the year. Here's what I've heard recently:Freq Time Station name SINPO (type of broadcast) Sunday, January MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-48218288534411995202024-01-03T22:17:00.089+00:002024-01-07T17:53:21.450+00:00Happy New Year!I hope you all had the most wonderful Christmas and have started the new year in fine style. It has been a long while since I wrote on the blog, but it's more that time so often gets away from me than anything else. I've been listening to the radio most days, I've met up with great radio pals in the last few weeks and I have plenty to write about, so my resolution for 2024 is to update this blog MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-21409529913765077702023-03-12T16:25:00.008+00:002023-03-12T17:56:39.866+00:00Time flies - the first update of 2023Time sure flies. It seems like only a couple of weeks ago since I last posted, but it turns out it was the end of October! So, a belated happy new year to you all, and all the very best for the rest of 2023.It might have been a long time since I posted on here, but I have been listening plenty, most days in fact, so there is lots of logs and news to share with you:Freq Time Station name SINPO MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-63678631695371251092022-10-28T16:39:00.005+01:002022-10-28T16:46:56.790+01:00The arrival of autumnThe leaves are on the ground, the nights are getting longer, and the signals are getting stronger. It's my favourite time of year and I've been listening to the Dutch pirates most afternoons and evenings recently, so time to update the blog!Freq Time Station name SINPO Thursday, October 27, 20221710 1645 Digitaal 45444-55555 (m)1645 1721 Telefunken 25332-35333 (m)1657 1832 Batavier 35443 (m)1638 MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-4131529829399315652022-09-01T16:00:00.011+01:002022-09-01T16:11:03.116+01:00Return of the blog!It's the first day of September, which means that in the meteorological calendar it's the first day of autumn. For me, the third season of the year doesn't begin until September 23 but, whatever you believe, it is safe to say the leaves will soon be falling from the trees, the days will be getting shorter, the nights will be getting longer, our energy bills will be going up - and, happily, it MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-1100237334770945572022-04-04T14:12:00.000+01:002022-04-04T14:12:15.304+01:00Logs and news (January to April)I might not have posted a great deal on the blog this year but I've been listening plenty over the last few months, and making lots of logs, so an update is long overdue and I'll now bring the logbook right up to date:Freq Time Station name SINPO Sunday, April 3, 20221665 1627 Digitaal 35433-45444 (m)1646 1724 Eigen Risico 25232-35443 (m)1629 1757 Blauwe Fazant 25222 (m)1671 1825 Viking en Tante MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-58825894074111133722022-03-30T15:50:00.016+01:002022-04-01T18:41:26.677+01:00So long, ArizonaSad news to report from the Netherlands as this week I heard that Gerard, the operator of Radio Arizona had passed away. I never had the chance to meet him, but I enjoyed catching his signal particularly as his transmitter was low power and it was always a surprise for him when his signal made its way to my radios in England.The operator of Radio Paradiso tells me that Gerard was in his late 60s MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-11524973792917879122022-01-10T16:36:00.012+00:002022-01-10T19:30:32.160+00:00Strong start to 2022It was great to see so many of you enjoy the list of Dutch pirates heard in England during 2021 I posted last week. And the good news is that the new year has started strongly with heaps of activity at the top of the MW band. So, without further ado, here's what I've been listening to, along with plenty of observations, together with some recordings, photos and even a video:Freq Time Station nameMW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-34091181660965832922022-01-01T17:47:00.025+00:002022-01-01T23:07:49.201+00:00The class of 2021A very Happy New Year to you! Whether you are a station operator, listener, DXer or you've just arrived here by accident and are having a read, let me wish you good health and happiness for the months ahead.In what has become an annual tradition, it is time to take a look at all of the Dutch pirate stations heard on MW during the last 12 months. The key point to note here is this list is not an MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-41898117972129446472021-12-24T14:22:00.003+00:002021-12-24T14:27:53.904+00:00Happy Christmas!A very happy Christmas from England. I hope you are well and ready to enjoy the festivities, which will hopefully include a little time for listening to your radio. It seems that I might just have a little more time for listening this festive season than usual as my wife has just tested positive for Coronavirus and I might be safer staying in the loft with my receivers rather than being with the MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-35760194671564160722021-11-24T22:29:00.003+00:002021-11-24T22:52:19.990+00:00Huge signalsAn afternoon and evening of ideal conditions resulted in some fine signals at this side of the North Sea today. Here's what I heard, together with my observations:Freq Time Station name SINPOWednesday, November 24, 20211670 1339 Digitaal 35333 (m)1640 1423 Rode Ster 35333, 45444 at 1513 (m)1625 1444 Dolfijn 35443 (t)1638 1522 Ros Am 35333-45444 (t)1654 1544 Zwarte BMW 25222 (q)1625 1546 MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-59823685325181869682021-11-23T20:49:00.002+00:002021-11-23T20:51:53.705+00:00Autumn is hereThe days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer, so I'm happy that I have more and more opportunities to tune around and hear Dutch pirates on the MW band at all sorts of times of the day and night.I was looking at the noise level at my location earlier. I always use a little attenuation when listening at 1.6 MHz, which means that noise is practically zero with me at the moment. I MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-44612067662123604282021-11-03T23:00:00.022+00:002021-11-03T23:00:00.184+00:00Nine years ago today . . .The year is 2012 and I'm marrying Lisa today. It's going to be quite the occasion with family and friends, including some special guests from the Netherlands. Joining us throughout the day is Radio Barones, Radio Batavier, Radio Matrix and his brother Wim, together with ace pirate listener Siny from Langeveen.I'm not quite sure what the local pubs made of these awesome visitors, but we massively MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-63459606831113932492021-11-02T23:00:00.009+00:002021-11-03T15:47:32.862+00:00Early startThe 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 SINPOTuesday, November 2, 20211630 1358 Alaska weak signal-25242 (m)1630 1406 Rode Ster 25342-35443 (q) report for Alaska1647 1408 Eigen Risico weak signal (m)1656 1455 Arizona weak signal (m)1629 1459 Noordzee weak signal-25232 (q) report for Rode MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-6872021382849182222021-11-01T20:31:00.012+00:002021-11-02T17:01:24.817+00:00Bring on the good conditionsBritish winter time is here, and with it is my favourite time of year. Yes, the days might be shorter and the weather colder, but we get cosy nights in front of the fire and there are improved propagation conditions and the chance to catch Dutch MW pirate signals here in the UK from early afternoon compared to much later during the height of summer.Today, for example, at just after 2.30 local MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-40570987937136843432021-04-12T00:54:00.004+01:002021-04-12T01:09:48.674+01:00Return of the blog!I would like to say a big thank-you to all the people who have been kind enough to leave messages on the blog and to send emails over the last few months. Your words have been a big help at what has been a difficult time. Everybody loses their parents at some time, but it is not until it actually happens that you really understand what it means and what the impact is. However, spring has MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-29383409802958727322021-02-01T23:29:00.010+00:002021-02-02T09:44:02.184+00:00Sad timeApologies for the break in service here and the lack of activity on the blog for a couple of weeks. We had some terrible news when my dad was taken into hospital following a stroke and a small bleed on the brain. He also had pneumonia and then contracted Covid-19 while in hospital. In the early hours of Monday, January 18, he sadly passed away after struggling to breath.As you can imagine I have MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-19981857210461343732021-01-12T23:58:00.010+00:002021-01-13T07:32:21.551+00:00Lockdown 3.0England has now been placed into a third Covid-19 lockdown so we are confined to our homes once again. Similar restrictions are also in operation in the Netherlands which must go some way to accounting for the non-stop action at the top of the MW band. With nowhere to go, Dutch amateurs are switching on their transmitters more than ever, which is giving listeners plenty to tune in to. I MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-13942859480124782732021-01-07T23:50:00.004+00:002021-01-07T23:51:19.266+00:00Week oneThe first week of 2021 has passed and, while it started quietly on the MW band, the scene has absolutely flourished during the last couple of days, with Dutch pirates clamouring to get on air to take advantage of some hugely decent propagation conditions. Here is what I've heard:Freq Time Station name SINPOThursday, January 7, 20211638 1259 Casablanca (Twente) weak signal-25322 (m)1632 1345 MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com0England, UK52.3555177 -1.174319724.045283863821155 -36.3305697 80.665751536178846 33.9819303tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-43415813695079164472021-01-06T23:51:00.004+00:002021-01-07T23:15:38.004+00:00So long, AntonOn Tuesday evening, January 5, there was more sad news from Twente in the east of the Netherlands when I heard of the death of Antonius Ruhof, better known to pirate radio listeners around Europe as Radio Anton. He was 87 years old.Anton's distinctive voice could often be heard on or around 1610 kHz in recent years, where he would spin records and chat to other stations in his area.Pirate MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com0England, UK52.3555177 -1.174319724.045283863821155 -36.3305697 80.665751536178846 33.9819303tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-85121169399424839512021-01-01T17:23:00.007+00:002021-01-02T16:54:04.772+00:00The Class of 2020A 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 MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com1England, UK52.3555177 -1.174319724.045283863821155 -36.3305697 80.665751536178846 33.9819303tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-38252698964089706092020-12-31T16:52:00.006+00:002020-12-31T16:57:59.791+00:00Season's greetingsI hope you've all had a lovely Christmas, spent time with your families where possible - and also enjoyed some radio time as well.Here in England, I've had holiday from work, enjoyed time at home with my wife and girls, watched the snow fall, opened presents, eaten and drunk too much - and, of course, I've been listening to the bands most days - MW and SW. Back in the late 1980s and 1990s the MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com5England, UK52.3555177 -1.174319724.045283863821155 -36.3305697 80.665751536178846 33.9819303tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-60798602130930475602020-12-22T23:10:00.012+00:002020-12-22T23:24:35.039+00:00Low noise levels, lot of pirate signalsAs I mentioned last time, I now have a new radio room, and indeed also a new listening location. Noise levels here are lower, which is very good news. The Wellbrook loop antenna is currently in a temporary spot in the garden, but it's working well and pulling in lots of pirate signal from across the North Sea. Here's what I've been listening to during the last few days:The listening postFreq TimeMW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com2England, UK52.3555177 -1.174319724.045283863821155 -36.3305697 80.665751536178846 33.9819303tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439087487255223334.post-81827726387327369622020-12-18T23:34:00.011+00:002020-12-19T00:40:09.054+00:00New radio roomThe wind and rain is battering the windows as I sit in a brand new radio room at the top of the house updating the blog. I'm listening to Nachtzwerver - the Night Tramp - playing classic 70s rock on 1655 kHz and drinking a very nice chocolate stout (Stoutzilla 20 from Unbarred - it's a good one, Maurits!). It's been a very busy week at this side, but I've managed plenty of radio listening, MW Pirate Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06519029719036139285noreply@blogger.com2England, UK52.3555177 -1.174319724.045283863821155 -36.3305697 80.665751536178846 33.9819303