Season's greetings

I hope everybody out there who stops by to read this blog every now and again is enjoying a happy and peaceful Christmas. Everything has been going well here and I am happy to report I have over two weeks off work with holiday now, so there will be time for plenty of relaxing, family time and, of course, radio time.

Although I didn't get chance to listen to the radio very much on Christmas Day, I did have some very nice radio-related presents, as you can see . . . 

A box of biscuits in disguise as a radio!

Many superb photographs in this fine publication

I've popped down to the radio room over the last few days and enjoyed listening to various stations, including Radio Marabu on 6239 kHz. I always like to tune in to their alternative music programming, and this Christmas has been no exception. 

This morning it was good to hear a steady signal from Polaris Radio on 7600 kHz and a good sound from the Free Radio Service Holland on 9335. And this afternoon I spent a good while tuned in to Weekend Music Radio on 6395. Jack Russel's festive programmes are the stuff of pirate legend, so it was great to hear him roll back the years today on a live broadcast with a powerful signal and great modulation as you can hear on this recording, which was made just before propagation conditions changed and the skip became longer. Towards the end of the recording you can start to hear the noise level increasing. But before that, the signal is almost local quality . . . 

Scottish pirate station Weekend Music Radio heard on 6395 kHz (December 28, 2014) by Mw_Pirate Fan on Mixcloud

Sunday lunch with a difference

Some bad news from the east of the Netherlands yesterday. At around lunchtime, Radio Tower was broadcasting on 6306 kHz when two members of the AT showed at the studio. However, the meeting was very civilised and the AT guys even had a drink while the transmitter remained on air. In fact, the broadcast continued for many hours and during the evening a second transmitter was added on 1611 kHz, which was giving a fair signal here in England.

The AT chat with a member of the Radio Tower team on Sunday afternoon

The Tower team was told they would receive a letter in due course that would tell them they would face a fine of 2,500 euro if they were found broadcasting from the same location again. So perhaps this will signal the end of the station?

Listening around on the MW band last night there was a distinct lack of activity. Clearly, now the AT has turned attention to AM, many stations are running scared. I also understand Santana and Vrolijke Mijnwerker have heard from the authorities in recent weeks, with a promise of a hefty fine if they return to the airwaves. Worrying times for pirate operators . . . 

Afternoon delight

I was working at home today and at just after 1430 I switched on the radio to the top of the MW band. I didn't really expect to hear anything as it was over an hour before sunset, which is when the Dutch pirate signals usually start to arrive over here. Imagine my surprise when I heard music on 1640 kHz. Then when that station closed down, there were signals on 1645 and 1629. 

I had found a qso between Cobra, Picolo and Baanbreker, and the first two of those names were new to me, although I think Picolo was a more well-known pirate using a different name which is a popular tactic at the moment to throw the increasingly active authorities off the scent. 

It was pretty impressive to hear these guys during the afternoon and a reminder that conditions are starting to pick up again for listening to Dutch pirates here in England. The signals weren't strong, and I wouldn't expect them to be at that time of day, but they were listenable, as you can hear on this short recording of Baanbreker . . .

Dutch pirate station Baanbreker heard in England on 1629 kHz (December 9, 2014) by Mw_Pirate Fan on Mixcloud

After that brief burst of activity, the band remained quiet for several hours, with nothing coming through until around 1820 when I heard another qso, this time featuring Baanbreker again, but with the addition of Interpol, Kleine Man and Derdeman, all of whom I've not heard for a good while. 

That's the great thing about this time of year over the summer months. Sure, propagation might be a little up and down, and skip can often be long with Balkan pirates coming in strongly, but it also gives the chance to hear Dutch pirates at a different time of day - and that means the opportunity to hear some names other than the norm. Some Dutch stations broadcast only in the daytime, which means for most of the year I don't get to hear them, but the winter months give that opportunity. Now if I lived by the sea on the east coast I would be hearing the stations round the clock every day of the year - but I don't, and if I did then I'd never leave the radio room!

Anyway, here's a recording of Interpol I made at around 1830 local time. Looking back through my logs it seems the last time I heard this station was on January 7, 2013 - nearly two years!

Dutch pirate station Interpol heard in England on 1632 kHz (December 9, 2014) by Mw_Pirate Fan on Mixcloud

Something different in SSB

Greetings from the radio room and apologies for the lack of recent blog action from this side. The reason: conditions being unsuitable for listening to the Dutch MW pirates here in England.

I just switched on the radio at 2215 and all I could hear was a Balkan pirate around 1630 kHz and various local noise. And that has been the story for the last few weeks. Couple that with the 48 metre band fading out during the late afternoon, and there hasn't been a great deal to pull me towards the radio just recently. The good news is this has been the same for the last few years and it won't be long before propagation changes and the MW pirates start coming through with consistently good signals.

I was having a tune around earlier in the evening - at about 1700 - and there were some final signals before the conditions changed. I heard the Zwarte Boekanier (who was also using the name Eenzamejager, which means Lonely Hunter in English) qsoing with Osaka and Digitaal. All were coming through really well. And then I heard a somebody around 1637 kHz whistling into a microphone. 

At first I thought it was somebody tuning up a transmitter. Then I realised the signal was in SSB, so I switched mode on the radio and heard somebody calling for the Boekanier. There was no station ID, but he was coming through very clearly. Who it was, I have no idea, although there were some Dutch fisherman on 1675 kHz a few minutes later, so just perhaps it was one of them and they had been enjoying some polka sounds and thought they would give a report. 

The same thing happened back in the late 1990s on the 76 metre band. There used to a lot of late-night pirate activity around 3945 kHz, where some Scottish fisherman also used to illegally chat to each other from time to time. From listening to them it turned out that they often used to listen to the pirates while they were out in the North Sea. The likes of Live Wire Radio, Subterranean Sounds and the Wizard's Magic Spell could then often be heard sending them best wishes and playing records for them!

Back in business

So this afternoon despite having something of a fear of heights I was at the top of a long ladder putting the loop antenna back in place at the top of one of the two masts and aligning it with a northerly direction so it would work in sync with the rotator. I was doing this after being without the loop for a week or two while waiting for a new part. Like I mentioned in my previous post, it has been a frustrating time as I haven't been able to receive signals on MW with anything like their usual strength.

But the good news is everything is working fine now and I am listening to the regular Sunday evening programme of Witte Tornado on 1647 kHz as I write this. And the signal is pretty good, despite propagation conditions not being great for hearing the Dutch pirates - I can hear a legal station from the US on 1610 with a fair signal.

It was also good to hear Matrix for the first time in ages during the late afternoon. Exactly two years ago he was over here in England to celebrate my wedding, so it was fitting to hear him on the radio today.

Earlier in the day I was listening to shortwave with the inverted v antenna. Skip was short during the morning but as we went into the afternoon, stations further afield started arriving with good signals. One of the best of the day was the Free Radio Service Holland, who could be heard on 7700 and 9300 kHz with a repeat of last weekend's programmes that were being aired again due to the SW blackout seven days earlier. I made a recording as Peter Verbruggen handed over to Roger Davis, the voice of Britain Radio International for so many years . . .

Free Radio Service Holland 7700 kHz heard in England on November 2, 2014 by Mw_Pirate Fan on Mixcloud

On the high seas (sort of)

For the last week I've been at sea. Well, my family and I were on some of Britain's canals, gently coasting along at around four miles an hour. And as we relaxed and enjoyed the great weather I noticed a few things that reminded me of the pirate hobby . . . 

It's been a little while since I heard Odynn on MW, but he was testing with a new antenna a couple of months ago and will hopefully be active during the autumn and winter months. As for Alaska, looking back at the logs I see it was just about 12 months ago I last heard him, and before that he was making it across the North Sea on New Year's Eve 2012. 

Anyway, it was nice to be reminded of the pirates as we meandered along some countryside waterways, and I even managed a little listening with my old Sony ICF 2001d and small portable loop. Now, tuning the bands while inside a metal box isn't ideal and there was all sorts of interference, even with most appliances switched off. So, on Thursday night in the pitch dark I took the receiver and loop outside and sat at the front of the boat and was very surprised to hear some cracking signals, none more so than Professor Sickbok, who was very strong on 1640 while qsoing with Casablanca. 

We're back home now and I've been doing some antenna maintenance. Yesterday I replaced the coax cable in the shortwave dipole antenna and tomorrow I'll be reinstalling the outdoor loop antenna which has been on the sidelines for a couple of weeks waiting for a new part. I can't wait to get it back in working order - it's essential for pulling in weaker signals on AM, and I've been lost without it. Trying to listen to MW, for example, with a SW antenna is not ideal and it's frustrating when signals are being received with only a fraction of the strength they should be, together with loads of noise as well. The right antenna for the job is so important . . . 

Antenna work

Today I've been busy with my MW coil antenna, making the earth connections to the mast, and there's not much more to do now. Soon, as well as the loop antenna I use for listening to all the pirates, I'll have the coil antenna in action as well. I used this a couple of years ago for a short time, but the earth I had was minimal so I abandoned it. But this summer I've placed lots of copper pipe in the ground which should help it work better. As many of the Dutch pirates use this antenna to transmit with, I'm hopeful to get an improvement in reception. Also, two good MW antennas on the go will mean that, with the help of the noise cancelling enhancer I've got, it will be much easier to null any unwanted local interference. In short, the antenna situation here will be improved this autumn and I'll be ready to hear lots of pirate signals from across the North Sea.

The band seems to be getting a little busier again following a drop in activity levels following some work from the Dutch authorities, issues warning letters to some MW pirates and paying the odd visit here and there. Also, now the days are becoming shorter, signals can be heard for longer over here, which is a real plus. Whereas during the summer it is often late evening before stations are audible, I can already hear them from around 1700 utc - as the weeks pass by and the clocks change later this month, the signals will start to arrive earlier and earlier.

There has been some excellent propagation just recently as well. Take Sunday evening, when there were some tremendous signals to be heard. Have a listen to this mp3 and you'll see what I mean.  

Dutch pirate signals on MW heard in England (September 28, 2014) by Mw_Pirate Fan on Mixcloud

That mp3 kicks off with Quintus, who is followed by Pontiac, Moonbreker, Schaduwjager, Viking, Witte Tornado and Blue Star Star. The standout signals are Pontiac and Schaduwjager. Both are usually very strong here, but they were local quality this time. Amazing!

Time now for the latest logs from this side:

Monday, September 29, 2014

1645       1723       Blauwe Reiger 35443 qsoing

1633       1734       Vrijevogel 25222 music programme

1643       1736       Baanbreker 34333 qsoing

1640       1753       Pecon 45434 qsoing

1640       1756       Free Netherlands (Klaverboer) 25222 qsoing

1613       1804       Black Power 45444 short test

1620       1824       Calipso 55444 music programme

1655       1901       Carona 35333-45344 music programme

1646       1902       Zwarte Bizon 45344 qsoing

1655       2150       Wilskracht 35343 music programme

1636       2230       Pandora 55444-55555 testing

1647       2236       Jeneverstoker 35333 report for Pandora

Sunday, September 28, 2014

1620       0510       Santana 45344 music programme

1647       1703       Witte Tornado 35343, 45444 at 1740, 55444 at 1828 music programme

1671       1734       Viking 25332, 45444 at 1900 music programme

1629       1755       Quintus 45434-55444 music programme               

1620       1828       Moonbreker 34333-45444 music programme

1636       1830       Schaduwjager 55555 testing

1660       1842       Pontiac 55444-55555 music programme

1655       2211       Vliegende Schotel 35333 asking for a report

1636       2217       Pandora 55444 music programme

1630       2325       Bluestar 35333 testing

Saturday, September 27, 2014

1647       1645       Casablanca 34333 qsoing

1620       1650       Akai 34333 qsoing

1636       1650       Keizer en Keizerin 34343 music programme

1646       1654       Vendor 25342 qsoing

1630       1708       Bonte Specht 25332-35333

1648       1712       Zeewolf weak signal qsoing 

1648       1801       Pecon 35333 qsoing

1655       1841       Relmus 45434 music programme

1648       2043       Moby Dick 55444 music programme

1665       2049       Polkaman 25222 music programme

1630       2053       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 43443-54444

1620       2105       Calipso 54444 music programme

1630       2235       Blue Star 35443 testing

1655       2239       Wilskracht 24332-34333 music programme

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

1640       2007       Wadloper 35333-45444 testing modulation

1620       2231       Calipso 55444 music programme

1636       2255       Pandora 45444 report for Calipso

1648       2255       Monte Carlo 35333 report for Calipso

1640       2306       Monte Carlo 35333 report for Calipso

Monday, September 22, 2014

1636       2146       Mi Amigo 25222-35333 music programme

1648       2228       Monte Carlo 35333 report for Mi Amigo

Saturday, September 20, 2014

1629       1907       Quintus 35333 music programme

1645       1908       Batavier music programme

1611       1908       Barones 35333 music programme

1636       1912       Keizer en Keizerin 35333 music programme

1647       2247       Nachtzwerver 35333-45344 qsoing

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

1650       0032       Jeneverstoker 25222 qsoing

1636       2204       Romax 44444 music programme

1620       2205       Calipso 55555 music programme

1650       2205       Mi Amigo 35333

Observations

• Because of the recent AT activity some stations have been changing their name. So, you might hear one that you think is new when actually it's an old hand with a different ID!
  

• It was good to hear Blauwe Reiger for the first time in a while on Monday. Also good to catch Wilskracht a little later in the evening. When I was in the Netherlands in August I was driving around with Relmus and we went down the street where Wilskracht lives. I was looking at his antenna when we suddenly noticed the man himself chatting to his neighbour! We had a little talk, and that was another Dutch pirate I've had the pleasure of meeting. Strange for him that a listener from England should suddenly be driving past his home!
• On Sunday morning I set the computer to record 1620 kHz from 6am local time (0500 utc) thinking I might hear Zonnester with his regular programme. When I listened back to the recording, there was indeed a station on the frequency, but it was Santana and with a fine signal, too
• Moonbreker was a new name for me on Sunday evening. He was broadcasting from Twente and giving out the email address moonbreker@gmail.com
• On Saturday it was good to hear Zeewolf on MW for the first time in a while. Although the signal was weak, it was around 1700 utc and so still early and before the sun had set. He was using only 40 watts