Quiet bank holiday

Conditions have not been great recently for reception of the Dutch pirates here in England. As the days are getting longer and longer, signal do not arrive until later in the evening, and when propagation is down there is often not a great deal to hear.

Today was a bank holiday here in the UK and it was very nice indeed to hear the Xenon Transmitting Company (XTC) on 6308 kHz during the late afternoon. This station has been going for many years but is not regular these days - in fact, bank holidays seem to be the best time to catch broadcasts. Hearing XTC takes me back to the 1990s when the British free radio scene was thriving. Later in the evening, Bogusman appeared on 6305 kHz to do his bit. As usual his signal was very good here. There was no activity from the Netherlands to hear, though, and it has been quiet on MW too, with just a couple of stations heard.

Here's my recent log list . . . 

Monday, May 26, 2014

1640       2151       Professor Sickbok 45333 music programme

1640       2225       Monte Carlo 34333 qsoing

Friday, May 23, 2014

1611       2223       Barones 44333-55444 music programme

1623       2223       Monte Carlo 45343-45344 music programme

1648       2224       Uniek 35222-35333 music programme

1655       2224       Witte Raaf 45344 music programme

1695       2224       Korenklopper 45333-55334 music programme

1640       2225       Professor Sickbok 45334 qsoing

1638       2236       Blonde Zwerver 32222 qsoing

1670       2309       Batavier 44344 music programme

1641       2311       Jeneverstoker 35233 qsoing

Monday, May 19, 2014
1630       2011       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 45344-55444 music programme
1640       2011       Professor Sickbok 45344-55444 music programme
1625       2020       King 22322 music programme and testing limiter
1640       2139       Veronica 35232-45344 report for Sickbok
1650       2151       Monte Carlo 35233-45444 qsoing
1629       2207       Mustang 44344-55444
1622       2222       Soerabaya 34333 qsoing

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

1651       2053       Witte Raaf 44444 music programme

1631       2054       Mustang 55444-55555 music programme

1625       2058       Atletico 32422-34333 music programme

1630       2143       Soerabaya 24222 report for Mustang

1635       2143       Monte Carlo 33433 report for Mustang

1636       2148       Noordzee 43333 report for Mustang

1630       2149       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 43333 report for Mustang

Monday, May 12, 2014

1630       2025       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444-55555 music programme
1654       2028       Vliegende Schotel 44444 qsoing
1655       2035       Oldtimer 55444 qsoing
1611       2057       Batavia 24432 music programme
1646       2159       Noordzee 44444 music programme

Wednesday, May 7, 2014
1620       2210       Pelgrim 35333 music programme
1636       2212       Wadloper 35333 music programme

Monday, May 5, 2014
1620       0554       Amigo 24342 music programme
1618       0556       Zwarte Bouvier weak signal music programme
1638       2015       Bluebird 55555 music programme
1655       2015       Oldtimer 44444 music programme
1671       2016       Armada 45434 music programme
1611       2023       Batavia weak signal music programme
1611       2247       Calipso 55544 music programme

Saturday, May 3, 2014

1632       2334       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 54444 qsoing

1655       2334       Studio 69 33433-44444 music programme

1662       2334       Klaas Snoek 44444-55555 music programme

1633       2336       Barcelona 54544 qsoing

1636       2346       Professor Sickbok 54444 qsoing

1655       2350       Jeneverstoker 33433 qsoing

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

1625       2034       Napoleon 55444 music programme

1611       2324       Calipso 55555 music programme

Observations

• It was good to hear Korenklopper on Friday night. He's not often on air, but can usually be found above all the other pirates, and his choice of 1695 kHz was typical of where he usually broadcasts
• It's always nice when I hear a station for the first time and there have been three new names for me recently. Blonde Zwerver, Pelgrim and Zwarte Bouvier made it across the North Sea to my radio for the first time in the past few weeks. Judging from the signal strengths, I'm guessing all are low power which makes catching these stations even sweeter
• Talking of low power, Atletico was doing well on May 13. He was using only 30 watts of power, which sounded like more when the signal peaked. He sent me a picture of his antenna mast, which he has allowed me to share with you:
  
  
  

AT keeping busy

The authorities have been keeping busy in recent days. One of the stations hit was Ruisbreker, who broadcasts on MW from time to time, often getting a decent signal to England with his low-power transmitter. He was broadcasting on FM with his regular Saturday programme when the AT arrived at the transmission site and started to take photographs. A warning was then issued that the broadcast should stop within the hour. And so within the following minutes the plug was pulled and the station closed down. No equipment was seized.

As you can see from these photos, the antenna mast has been taken down . . .

And on Sunday, there was more action when the police noticed at unmanned pirate operating on FM from Barger-Compascuum. The transmitter was sighted inside a tree and the fire brigade was called to remove it . . . 

Defying the authorities

Late on Sunday evening the signal on 94.5 in the east of the Netherlands disappeared. After occupying the frequency illegally for around seven days the station SADO - Schijt Aan De Overheid was taken off the air. For our non-Dutch readers, look it up on an online translator!

SADO caused a great deal of interest, not least by their name! The transmitter power was around 3kw - no where near as much as some Dutch FM pirates run, with output up to 30kw for the bigger concerns. But this station, operating from the village of Balkbrug in Overijjsel, went one step further than other pirates, placing their stacked dipole antenna at the top of a 45 metre T-Mobile mast . . .

The position of the antenna and transmitter meant that, try as they might, the AT and police were unable to take the station off air immediately - doing so would have caused the T-Mobile mast to be disabled.  

As many FM pirates these days, the whole operation was unmanned and operated remotely. But as these pictures show, they certainly raised quite some interest in the local area . . . 

All that now remains is a mains cable and the antenna and some empty cabinets that housed the transmitter - everything else has been removed.

Enjoying the weather and the radio

It's been a fine day here in England, with very pleasant weather during the late afternoon. I spent a little time out in the garden, where I'm preparing the ground for some earth radials for my MW coil antenna, which is coming along - very slowly!

Conditions on shortwave this morning were good, with the Rode Adelaar coming in strongly during a short audio test. Propagation went downhill after that, though, and I spent much of the day listening to Radio Caroline and then the internet stream of Dutch SW pirate Radio Telstar while I was working. 

There is some activity at the top of the MW band as I write this. Oldtimer has just closed down from a music programme on 1655 and is now chatting to Vliegende Schotel and Wilkskract. Just down the band on 1620, Nova 4 has been coming in well. It's a little noisy on 1.6 MHz this evening - perhaps some local disturbance in the neighbourhood, although propagation is not particularly good, it seems.

UPDATE AT 2230 UTC Conditions seems to have improved. Studio 69 is playing some good tunes on 1654 kHz and coming in very well indeed despite using only 100 watts of power. His audio sounds very fine as well with a good, deep bass. Here's a recording of his signal at this side: 

Studio 69 1654 kHz (April 28, 2014) by Mw_Pirate Fan on Mixcloud

And here are my my recent logs:

Monday, April 28, 2014

1620       1913       Nova 4 55444 music programme

1655       1913       Oldtimer 55444 music programme

1653       2022       Vliegende Schotel 44334-55444 report for Oldtimer

1652       2028       Wilskracht 33333-45334 report for Oldtimer

1620       2058       Calipso 55544-55555 music programme

1654       2144       Studio 69 35333-45344 music programme

1640       2145       Monte Carlo 44444-55444 music programme

1633       2154       Barcelona 55544 report for Monte Carlo
1644       2253       Monte Carlo 55544 report for Calipso
1653       2253       Jeneverstoker 32432 report for Calipso

Saturday, April 26, 2014
1611       1739       Tower 35333 at 1815 music programme
1620       1739       Anton 45344 music programme
1627       1742       Admiraal weak signal asking for report
1632       1747       Verona 35343 at 1818 music programme
1648       1749       Moby Dick 45444 music programme
1636       1759       Keizer en Keizerin 34333 at 2018 music programme
1625       1959       Barones 54444 music programme
1655       2001       Oldtimer 45344 music programme
1635       2002       Marskramer (Friesland) 34333-44344 music programme
1665       2003       Polkaman 34333 music programme
1615       2003       Tower 44344 music programme
1620       2006       Tower 44344 music programme
1627       2012       Barones 45344-55444 music programme
1692       2115       Blauwe Ster 45344 music programme
1628       2125       Tower 45344 music programme
1655       2130       Barones 44344-55344 music programme

Thursday, April 24, 2014
1630       1919       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444 music programme
1645       1920       Batavier 55444-55555 music programme
1653       1924       Turfsteker 34343 music programme
1660       2206       Snowman 24222-45343 music programme
1650       2206       Klaas Snoek 55444 music programme
1665       2224       Philadelphia 24322 music programme

Tuesday, April 22, 2014
1630       2149       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444
1665       2159       Philadelphia 24222 music programme
1625       2200       King 24322-34333 music programme
1653       2224       Jeneverstoker 35343 qsoing

Monday, April 21, 2014
1619       0558       Zwarte Bouvier weak signal music programme
1658       0713       Twentana weak signal music programme
1642       2047       Wadloper music programme
1655       2048       Studio 69 35333 qsoing
1653       2054       Klaas Snoek 45444-55555 qsoing
1645       2114       Leopard 44444-55544 music programme
1652       2145       Jeneverstoker 35333-45444 qsoing

Sunday, April 20, 2014
1655       1753       Relmus 45444 music programme
1647       1754       Witte Tornado 35333, 55555 at 1826 music programme
1636       1856       Havanna 55444 music programme
1665       1945       Dikke Betta 45444
1636       2017       Akai 44444 music programme
1629       2019       Kruik 45444 qsoing
1630       2030       Schaduwjager 55544 qsoing
1638       2140       Bluebird 54444-55555 music programme
1647       2202       Monte Carlo 54444 qsoing
1645       2210       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55444 qsoing
1630       2240       Monte Carlo 54444 qsoing

Observations

• On Sunday it seems Radio Barones was even more popular than usual . . . he signed on 1625 kHz and got his international music programme under way, but was hit with interference from another station. He moved to 1627 and eventually 1655 before escaping

There's only one way to listen to Barones!

• Snowman from Friesland was doing really well last Thursday. He has only 20 watts of power, but on the peaks his signal was hitting a sinpo of 45343
• It was good to hear Leopard on Easter Monday, for the first time in a good while. He was coming in loud and clear. Earlier that day I had been listening to a few stations via the SDR at Enschede and, among others, I heard Poema on 1476. He was playing some records with his six-year-old son who can already speak English better than I can Dutch!

Caroline North - the final broadcast

During the last four weeks I've spent a fair few hours listening to Radio Caroline North, broadcasting on 87.7 and the internet with a 28-day licence from the Planet Lightship in Liverpool's Albert Dock. Last night this tribute to the offshore station that was anchored in Ramsey Bay on the Isle Of Man between 1964 and 1968 closed down after an entertaining evening.

I listened to the final broadcast while I was on the move. With my mobile phone and an in-car transmitter I listened as I drove over 100 miles on the motorway. I even tuned my radio to the Caroline North channel of 87.7 for added authenticity! The 3g signal stayed with me throughout the whole journey, so there were no breaks in transmission, and I even recorded nearly two hours of the final programme, which you can listen to here:

Radio Caroline North 87.7. The final programme by Mw_Pirate Fan on Mixcloud

Nice start to the bank holiday

I was down in the radio room at just before 0600 utc this morning and I had a nice surprise when I tuned to the top of the MW band. I didn't expect to hear anything from the Netherlands as the sun had risen and it was fully daylight. However, there was some audio on 1619, followed by music on 1646 and more on 1655. None of the signals were particularly strong, but just to hear stations at this time at our location in England was noteworthy. With a little help from the SDR at Enschede, I found out that the station on 1619 was the Zwarte Bouvier and the signal on 1655 was Radio Twentana. I'm not sure who the other station was - just somebody testing as there were no announcements.

After the signals on my radio had completely faded I spent a few hours listening to the Dutch activity via the SDR and enjoyed hearing a few stations I haven't heard for a while. Zender Johan was busy playing records, while Ijsvogel was also on air, and various stations including Black Power were qsoing. And during the afternoon Utopia was airing a music programme on 1611 and Barones was busy on 1640.

Moving qsl

I received a nice email today from Jan at Radio Soerabaya and attached was my first animated pirate qsl! Cheers