IRIB VOIRI - QSL card

Sent a reception report to IRIB for their English language broadcast on 15525kHz for the Indian subcontinent. Got a reply a few hours later:

Dear Georgi Bancov ,

Many thanks for your kind email and attention. We are so happy to have  a new listener. We will send you a QSL card, 2012 calendar and some other products as soon as possible.

We wish you a blessed new year.  I also want you to extend my warmest regards and greetings to other members of your family. I hope that this year will be a great year for you and your family.

Your comments will help us improve our programs.

Please keep in touch with us

Best regards,

English radio staff

All India Radio QSLs

I have not received any QSL cards from All India Radio emailed reports yet, but I'm going to send another by post on Monday. By the way, I got very interested in the AIR domestic services, while scanning the 60m. broadcasting band earlier today on my remote location in the village of Patreshko, high in the mountain (700 metres), far away from any local QRM. Most of the AIR stations popped up with strong signal, playing beautiful traditional music from the Indian subcontinent. I'll try to verify as many transmitter sites as I can (it would be interesting for you to know, that there are 26 shortwave transmitter sites in India), including Gangtok, Chennai, Guwahati, which I observed today, and of course the ones of the General Overseas Service of AIR.

Reception reports

I have been sending reception reports all the week:

1. Vatican Radio, Bulgarian (via Santa Maria Di Galeria)
2. SW Radio Africa, English (via Meyerton)
3. Radiodifussion Vision Djibouti, French (via Arta, Djibouti)
4. Caroline Radio (pirate broadcaster from the Czech Republic) - VERIFIED
5. Radio Macedonia, Bulgarian (via Ovce Pole)
6. Christian Science Monitor, Russian (via Wertachtal) - report sent both to transmitter centre and station owner.
7. Kol Israel, Farsi (via Yavne, Israel)
8. XVRB Radio (via Woofferton, United Kingdom) - VERIFIED
9. Deutschlandfunk (via Berlin-Britz, Germany) - VERIFIED
10. Radio Romania International (via Galbeni, Romania) - VERIFIED
11. Radio Canada International (via Xian, China) - VERIFIED
12. Voice Of America, English (via Nauen, Germany), report was emailed to IBB Monitoring.
13. BBC World Service, English (via BBC WS Atlantic Relay Station, Seychelles Islands)
14. BBC World Service, English (via BBC WS Woofferton Relay Station, Woofferton, United Kingdom)
15. Radio France International, Russian (via Issodun, France), report was sent to TDF Department Unit, France)
16. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian and various other languages (via Biblis, Germany) - report was sent to IBB Relay Station in Biblis, Germany.
17. Radio Farda, Farsi/Persian (via Lampertheim, Germany) - report was sent to the IBB Relay Station in Lampertheim.
18. Radio Africa Network (via Bata, Guinea) - report was sent directly to the station and to PanAmerican Broadcasting. - VERIFIED

Soon I'll show you how I am writing reception reports and will post some tips and frequently asked questions about writing reception reports.

Strange stuff

Some strange stuff received today on shortwave:

9430kHz - 55555 - 1230-1300UTC - Test transmission, no station ID during the whole broadcast, only email mentioned (transmissiontest@gmail.com)

9450kHz - 53344 - 1300-1330UTC - E25 Numbers station from Egypt, sending encrypted messages to spies?

Radio Free Asia (via Mongolia) - QSL Reception Report

Radio Free Asia broadcast in Korean, broadcasting via Mongolia, was heard on 19th January, at 2100UTC. Frequency: 7460kHz; The signal was strong, with slight fading and no interference. Reception report was submitted via the RFA online reception report form.

QSL Update (16/01/2012)

QSL cards, stickers, calendars and other materials received from:

• The Mighty KBC, Holland (via Wertachtal, Germany)
• Adventist World Radio, Bulgarian (via Wertachtal, Germany)
• Radio Free Asia, Tibetan (via Al-Dhabbaya, United Arab Emirates)

Reception reports

Various reception reports sent to:

• The Overcomer Ministry (Brother Stair), Wertachtal, Germany
• Radio Taiwan International, Huwei, Taiwan
• Voice Of Russia, Taldom, Russia
• a couple of pirate radio broadcasters on medium wave and shortwave from Holland and other countries in Western Europe

Received an e-QSL card from U-Boat 66 Radio:

















and from Grutte Pier:

and an e-QSL for detailed reception report of the Brother Stair broadcast on 9460kHz from Wertachtal, Germany:

Save Radio Bulgaria

We started an online petition to save Radio Bulgaria broadcasts on shortwave and medium wave: Save Radio Bulgaria ! Please sign the petition and/or write in the discussion forums.

SWL Log - 08-01-2011

15,500kHz - BorderHunter Radio - 1530UTC - 25413 - Playing music and announcements "This is BorderHunter Radio".

6,210kHz - NATO STANAG 4285 - 1540UTC - 45555 - Digital mode for military communications.

6005kHz - Deutsches Radio 700 - 6005kHz - 1545UTC - 42543 - Playing oldies music. Interference from Voice Of Russia in Turkish via Krasnodar (100kW) and China Radio International in Russian via Kashi-Saibagh (100kW).

5985kHz - Voice Of Russia - Turkish - 1550UTC - 55455 - Playing Russian pop music.

6060kHz - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty - Turkmen - 1555UTC - 54444 - Talking about the New Year's Eve in Uzbekistan. (via Lampertheim, Germany)

5900kHz - Radio Rossii - Russian - 1556UTC - Sports program

5990kHz - HCJB Global - Russian - 1600UTC - 45344 - The religious broadcast consisted of Bible reading and music (via Sitkunai, Lithuania).

Cold War Shortwave

IRIN Radio - QSL Reception Report

The email you can send a reception report to IRIN Radio is: louise@irinnews.org, info@radioergo.org.

Radio Moscow QSL

And now for something completely different!

Before the break-up of the Soviet Union it was almost impossible to get any information about the transmitter sites used by Radio Moscow. As noted above, Radio Moscow often used fake transmitter sites locations on many occasions in their schedules and QSLs. When QSLing Radio Moscow broadcasts, it was almost impossible to predict what site would be indicated on the card. This led at least one CADX member to desperation. Tom Ross, back in 1987 and 1988 vented his frustration, when he could not QSL the sites he needed by putting his thoughts into lyrics. Enclosed below are the results of his frustrations. They first appeared in DX Chicago in 1987 and 1988. Hope you enjoy them.

The Radio Moscow QSL Simferopol Site Blues
by Tommy "Juke Boy" Ross

Well I see my mailman comin’
Walkin’ up to my front door
With that "blue and white" envelope
Lord, you know I need one more

Well, I open up that envelope
And get ready for a surprise
But when I rip that sucker out
I can’t believe my eyes

I’ve been mailin’ cards for months
And I’ve really paid my dues
All I see is Simferopol
And I really got the blues

CHORUS: I’ve got the Radio Moscow

QSL Simferopol site blues
The UHN newsletter’s gone
And I don’t know what to do
I’ve even tried Joe Adamov

And the Moscow Mailbag crew
But nothin’ ever seems to work
To get that 25th site
No matter what I ever do

It never seems to be right
Well, I guess I’ll keep on tryin’
To nail that elusive one
But Simferopol keeps poppin’ up

I ain’t never gonna have no fun

CHORUS: I’ve got the Radio Moscow
QSL Simferopol site blues

© Same 2U Tunes, 1987

(reprinted from the December 1987 issue of DX Chicago)

Tula

(A DXer’s Ditty . . .)

by Thomas V. Ross

Well I heard me a signal from-a ol’ Moscow
Where they drink jet fuel and it don’t cost them lotsa moola.

EM-YOO-ELL-AY moola.

I fired a report off that very same day.
I was hopin’ for Georgia but she said "No way, boy it’s Tula."
TEE-Yoo-ELL-AY Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

Well I’m not dumb but I can’t understand
Why her name is Elena, but she writes like a man.
She gave me Tula.
She said "That’s the rule-a." T-T-T-T-Tula.

Well my Soviet sites stand at 24,
And I’d sell my sister just to get one more.
Elena burned me but I gotta try.
It’s listed as Georgia in the EDI-I-I!

Well I’m not the World’s most eloquent man,
But I’ll pour on the sugar and see if I change that Tula.
T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

I dropped her a line.
I prayed for a sign.
I begged for Tbilisi
I whined "Elena, please!"

And she wrote to me and said: "No, siree!"

That’s the way she said it’s going to stay.
"I always want you for my DX slave. You gotta Tula."
T-T-T-T-Tula

"Lvov ould be Kenga, Kiev’s Armavir.

Boy we’re the real masters of the Soviet sphere,
and this is true-la."
T-T-T-T-Tula

"Enclosed is a report form, love and kisses.

Continue to listen, E. Rogova (Mrs.)." Yes, it’s Tula
T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

Well my mama didn’t raise no panty-waist,

So I followed up again without any haste.
Elena dear sent this terse reply:
"Don’t push it boy, or you’ll get nothin’ but Havana,
Simferopol,and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky till you’re
blue in the face. Dig?"

Well I’m not blunt, but I told here where
She could stash that 10th Derzhinski Square card from Tula.

T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

(chorus)

Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula. (etc.)

© Same 2U Tunes, 1988
(reprinted from the March 1988 issue of DX Chicago)

SWL Log - 02-01-2011

1045UTC - 17570 kHz - China Radio International - Hungarian - 55555 - Music and talks by female announcer
1050UTC - 18150 kHz - Radio Pirates - Greek - 45544 - Radio pirates, chatting in Single-Side-Band

17510kHz - All India Radio - General Overseas Service - English - 55455
 - 1055UTC - News bulletin
 - 1059UTC - Frequency schedule of the GOS.
 - 1100UTC - Sign off

7220kHz - China Radio International - Bulgarian broadcast - 55555
 - 1100UTC - News headlines
 - 1104UTC - The CRI director talking about what is going to happen in 2012
 - 1110UTC - Current events and affairs
 - 1122UTC - The Turpan oasis
 - 1125UTC - Learning Chinese
 - 1133UTC - Chinese culture
 - 1136UTC - Chinese music

1457UTC - 15140kHz - Radio Sultanate Oman - English - 35325 - Playing Club music: (Armin van Buuren & Sharon den Adel - In and Out of Love)
1700UTC - 11985kHz - Voice Of Russia - Russian - 35233 up to 55345 - News, read my female announcer and Russian music.
1800UTC - 13625kHz - Voice Of America - Amharic - 25522 - ID and news headlines

e-QSL letter from MV Baltic Radio

Received a day after the reception report was sent.

Global Pirate HF-Weekend 14-15.1.2012

Happy New 2012 Year to all DXers in the world! Wish you and your families be healthy and rich! And of course, much, much DX in 2012!

I'd like to remind all pirate stations and listeners around the world that next HF-Weekend will be 14-15.1.2012 !

That would be a test-weekend for pirates from all over the world to broadcast on High Frequencies 10 - 28 MHz (mostly on 15-22 MHz) !! Still much time for preparing things.

So, I hope also pirate stations from USA and Canada will join this weekend trying to reach Europe and also Asia/Oceania !!
I think that the stations should prefere frequencies between 21.450 - 21.550 MHz and 15.000 - 15.100 MHz, but of course anything goes.

There seems to have been visitors to my blog from all over the world. So, let's hope that we will have new listeners from South America and Asia etc. Big antennas and receivers NOT needed for very long skips.

SCHEDULE for Saturday 14.1 and Sunday 15.1.2012

1) European MORNING 07.00 - 11.00 UTC from Europe to Asia/Japan/Oceania.

2) European AFTERNOON 12.00 - 16.00 utc from Europe to North America and vice versa.

3) European NIGHT 22.00 - 24.00 UTC from North America to Asia/Oceania. NEW!

Borderhunter Radio - QSL card received

QSL card received from the pirate station Borderhunter: