The breakfast show

There was another breakfast show to listen to at the top of the MW band this morning. At around 0700 I found Radio Noordzee on 1629 kHz and stayed listening to his requests and dedications until closedown at around 0800. The great thing about listening at this time of the day is that the noise level is low, so signals can come through very well. The typical SINPO was around 35533, but sometimes peaking higher and sounding very good indeed.

Here are some more stations from the Netherlands heard recently at our location in England. All were heard using the Lowe HF225 and Wellbrook 1530s outdoor loop antenna

Saturday, November 10, 2012

1650       1914       Moby Dick 44544 music programme

1633       1915       Verona 43543 music programme

1636       1915       Keizer En Keizerin 33533 music programme

1656       1916       Albatros 34533 music programme

1645       1920       Grutte Pier 34543 music programme

1671       2220       Barones 55534 music programme

1625       2235       Relmus 44534 music programme

1616       2240       Batavier music programme

1648       2248       Readymix 33533 music programme

1625       2309       Monte Carlo 32532 qsoing (same time as Relmus)

1696       2318       Polkaman 24422-35533 music programme

1659       2330       Monte Carlo 34543-44544 asking for report

1655       2347       Spakenburg 45444-55544 qsoing

1633       2357       Barcelona 54534 qsoing

1656       2358       Soerabaya qsoing

1656       0012       Romax 34433 qsoing

1640       0017       Pecon 44534 qsoing

1640       0023       Professor Sickbok 34533 qsoing

1657       0027       Jeneverstoker 32532 qsoing

Observations

• Now the clocks have changed and it is getting dark earlier and earlier, reception of the Dutch pirates is possible from as early as 1400 in the UK. By 1900, signals are usually up to full strength. Particularly strong on Saturday night was Moby Dick who was on air with a very long programme. Click here for a superb recording made towards the end of his show in the early hours of Sunday morning
• Saturday was very busy on the band and some frequencies were quite congested. However, once things began to calm down a little, some really good signals came through and it was possible to listen using wide filters. I made two recordings of Spakenburg. Click here for the first recording when the radio was set to the widest 10kc filter. Click here for the second recording with the 7kc filter, which I what I try to use as often as possible
• A station I don't hear too often is Pecon, but he was coming through very well on Saturday night. Click here to take a listen

Good start to the weekend

There was a nice surprise on the radio this morning. When I woke up at around 0700, I switched on the Sony 2001d next to the bed and had a quick tune around at the top of the MW band. There was a huge signal on 1633 with strong modulation. It sounded like it could be Radio Barcelona and, after a few minutes, sure enough came the ID. This was the first time Ive heard him at this time of the day, and it was a very fine signal, peaking at the maximum 55555. 

Barcelona stayed on air for a while playing some Dutch music before closing down and having a qso with Rocking Billy, Noordzee and Blauwe Piraat. By around 0800 the signals had dipped a little as the conditions started to change, but Noordzee was coming through with 44533 and Rocking Billy with 35533. 

I will be tuning around early tomorrow morning to see what's on air. Zonnester is usually busy on 1620, so hopefully I will hear him for the first time this autumn.

Heard recently. . .

Thursday, November 8, 2012

1645       0710       Torpedojager 35543 music programme

1655       2035       Bonte Specht 35543 qsoing

1619       2042       Nova 4 34433-44444 qsoing

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

1629       2235       Calipso 55544 music programme

1655       2245       Carona 54544 qsoing

1629       2250       Noordzee 55544-55555 music programme

1639       2255       Santana 44534 music programme

1665       2311       Leopard 34533 music programme

1655       2333       Jeneverstoker 34533 qsoing

1660       2335       Polkaman 34544 music programme

1635       2335       Monte Carlo 33543 qsoing

1654       2335       Klaas Snoek 54544 qsoing

1649       2347       Monte Carlo 33543 qsoing

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

1653       2130       Readymix 34533 music programme

1645       2155       Soerabaya testing      

1640       2254       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55544-55555 asking for report

1654       2300       Studio 69 34543 music programme

1645       2302       Marianne 44534-45544 report for Mijnwerker

1647       2306       Casablanca 44534 report for Mijnwerker

1636       2319       Klassiek 34533

1620       2327       Rebel testing (mixing with Balkan station)

1629       2335       Bluebird 24432 qsoing

1653       0006       Jeneverstoker qsoing weak signal

1647       0018       Bluebird 24532 qsoing

Monday, November 5, 2012

1650       1915       Quintus 34533-45544 music programme

1610       1924       Nova 4 45534 music programme

1620       2130       Barones and Batavier 54534 music programme

Observations

• Great to hear Barones together with Batavier on Monday evening. After they travelled back from our place in England, they were on air within minutes! I wonder if they were wearing the official T-Shirt (above)!
• On Tuesday, I heard Bluebird for the first time. It was also great to hear Soerabaya back on air. I was tuned to 1645 before he switched on. I heard the carrier come up, then the music and then some talking. Welcome back to the air! Also on Tuesday, Klassiek was a new name, but the voice was one I know well!
• On Wednesday evening I was listening in bed using the small indoor loop antenna and portable Sony 2001d. As usual, Calipso was booming, but there were also great signals from Carona, Noordzee and Klaas Snoek. Nice to hear Leopard for the first time in a while - he kept using his old name of Moonlight as well! There was some fine 80s tunes on 1639 courtesy of Santana. It was the first time Ive heard him since paying a visit to his studio at the beginning of August 
• On Thursday morning it was great to hear Torpedojager with a music programme. It's been a while since I heard him at this time of the day, but I recall from last winter that Thursday morning is a good time to catch his broadcasts

A week to remember

Well... I am now a married man! Many, many thanks for all the lovely messages we have received over the past few days - they were tremendous. We also had cards in the mail from Radio Soerabaya and today from Radio Zeewolf and family. 

We had many guests at our wedding, including some very special visitors from the Netherlands. We were very proud to welcome to England Radio Barones, Radio Batavier, Radio Matrix, together with the brother of Matrix and number one Dutch pirate listener Siny. The local pubs had never seen anything quite like them and their appetite for the English beer!

It was an absolute pleasure to have their company for a few days, and we would like to say an extra-special thank you for taking the time and expense of travelling across the North Sea just for our big day. And also for the very kind gifts. On the evening of our wedding, our Dutch friends all arrived at the party wearing clogs made just for the occasion, with ours names and their names on the side. As I write this blog, I am wearing Mr Batavier's clogs! Here are some pictures . . . 

These were really great presents... and I can recommend them for keeping your feet warm when you're listening to the radio! Once again, many thanks indeed to our Dutch guests and for all those who got in touch and for the greetings and good wishes via the Am Forum.

Here are a couple more pictures you might be interested in . . .

Big day...

Greetings from England

Firstly, apologies for the long break in posting any new material here on the blog. This time of year is always very busy for me at work, although I am very pleased to say that everything will be much quieter for the next few months and I should have plenty of time to listen to the radio again. But, there is a very big day here in England tomorrow... I am getting married to Lisa.

We have been together for around six years and decided that we should make everything official, so tomorrow is the day. We have had some very kind messages and cards, and I would like to thank everybody for all the good wishes - it is much appreciated.

While I am writing this, I switched on the radio, and although it is still light outside and early in the afternoon, I have heard Toekomst (34533), Schaduwjager (44554) and Monza (34523). This is a great time of the year for listening to the Dutch pirates. Also, last Sunday morning at around 0800 there was some nice reception of Noordzee and Havanna. 

So, time for me to sign off. There is much celebrating to do here and when I return I will be a married man!

Powerhouse signal

Here's a video I made a few minutes ago of Radio Barcelona. Excellent reception . . .

It's good to listen

It's been a little while since I last posted on the blog and a couple of days ago I had an SMS from Radio Salo to ask if everything was okay over here. Well everything is certainly very good, but just a little busy with not enough time to listen to the radio as often as I would like. It seems there are not quite enough hours in the day right now and it is a busy time with my work. However, in a few weeks that will change and I will be tuning around the band much more often.

Last Sunday evening was very pleasant though, and I spent many, many hours working while listening to the Technical Man on 1620 via the SDR in Twente. For those listening closely, it was possible to hear him getting slightly more drunk as the hours passed by. It was late afternoon when I first heard him and around 0200 Dutch local time when he closed down!

As I write this entry on the blog I am sitting down in the radio room listening to Barones blasting in on 1625. I can smell fresh paint as the woodwork has had some attention and is now looking shiny and new. It will be good to spend more time in here again soon.

As well as the Baro, there is a big signal on 1650 from Moby Dick, and I've just heard Valencia on 1660 and Monte Carlo on 1620, while Keizer En Keizerin is playing plenty of English music on 1636. Around at hour ago, Zeewolf was doing very well on 1647 with 200 watts, coming in with a fine SINPO of 34543 and clear modulation. 

It's a busy night on the the MW band with good conditions here in the UK for listening to the Dutch pirates. Long may it continue!