QSL letter from Radio Baltic Waves International on 1386 kHz

Today I received a nice QSL letter from Rimantas Pleikys, confirming my yesterday's reception of the Russian program of Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe.

Reception was relatively good and interference-free, save for some occasional fading.

QSL cards, received in the past few days

Here are some QSL cards I received in the past few days:

Vesti FM QSL

Received a nice QSL card and a brochure from the Krasnodar-Tbilliskaya transmitter site for my report of their Vesti FM transmission on 1089 kHz.

Some of the latest QSLs

QSL card from TDF for Radio Algerienne broadcasts

Another QSL card from Radio Romania International

Radio Free Asia releases 3rd QSL in IBB transmitter series

Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces the release of the third QSL card in the series highlighting the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) transmitter sites used for RFA programming. RFA programs broadcast from the following IBB sites: Biblis, Iranawila, Kuwait, Lampertheim, Saipan and Tinian. IBB's Iranawila transmitter site in Sri Lanka is equipped with four 500 kW and three 250 kW transmitters. All seven of these transmitters broadcast at a power level of 250 kW in carrying out the station's mission, which includes broadcasting RFA's Burmese programming on shortwave. This is RFA's 54th QSL overall and will be used to confirm all valid RFA reception reports from July 1-August 31, 2014.

RFA is a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcasts news and information to listeners in Asian countries where full, accurate, and timely news reports are unavailable. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin (including the Wu dialect), Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a 'surrogate' broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest. More information about Radio Free Asia, including our current broadcast frequency schedule, is available at www.rfa.org.

RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at http://techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX'ers, but also from its general listening audience.

Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org and by mail to:

Reception Reports
Radio Free Asia
2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300
Washington DC 20036
United States of America.

(Via Andrew "A.J." Janitschek, Radio Free Asia)

QSL card received from PCJ Radio International

Operation QSL Fury

Some of them are easy to catch, some are not. Some are easy to verify, some are not, most of them broadcast regularly, but a few of them not. One thing that unites them is that I haven't sent them detailed reception reports. End justifies the means and that's why I will use all means to verify them - detailed reception reports, pictures of my equipment, sending postcards and of course return postage. But it's high time to QSL them all.

NORTH and CENTRAL AMERICA

Bonaire
 - Radio Nederland - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Alaska
 - KNLS

Cuba
 - Radio Habana Cuba - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Anguilla
 - Carribean Beacon - RECEPTION REPORT SENT

Costa Rica
 - Radio Exterior De Espana - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Mexico
 - Radio Transcontinental de América

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina
 - Radio Argentina al Exterior - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Brasil
 - Observatorio Nacional - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL
 - Radio Brasil Central - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

EUROPE

Albania
 - Radio Tirana - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Bosnia
 - Radio Serbia International - RECEPTION REPORT SENT

North Cyprus
 - Radio Bayrak International - IRREGULAR OPERATION

South Cyprys
 - RIK - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Greece
 - Voice Of Greece - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL
 - ERA3 Makedonias - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Italy
 - Radio Maria - LOW POWER OPERATION

Luxembourg
 - CRI, KBS World Radio relays

Serbia
 - Radio Serbia International - RECEPTION REPORT SENT

Ukraine
 - Radio Dniprovska Hvylya - RECEPTION REPORT SENT
 - Radio Miraya FM - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

MIDDLE EAST

Armenia
 - Radio Armenia International - RECEPTION REPORT SENT
 - Voice Of Russia - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL
 - The Overcomer Ministry - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL
 
Azerbaijan
- Voice Of Justice - IRREGULAR OPERATION

Bahrein
- Radio Bahrain - RECEPTION REPORT SENT

Georgia
 - Apsua Radio Abkhazia - RECEPTION REPORT SENT

Kuwait
 - Radio Kuwait - CONFIRMED WITH A QSL

Saudi Arabia
 - BSKSA Foreign Service - RECEPTION REPORT SENT

9:1 transformers

And a new QSL card from WBCQ - The Planet :)) 73

QSL-ing continues

Confirmed with QSL: GREEN
Received via SW/MW/LW: RED

I'm soon going to apply for the following NASWA Awards:

• World Wide DXer - for verification of at least one shortwave broadcast station in each of 50 different broadcast countries.
  
• Pirate DXer - for verification of at least 10 unlicensed shortwave broadcasts
• Soviet Sphere DXer - for verification of at least one shortwave broadcast station in ten former Soviet Union countries

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.

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)

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)

QSL-ing

I regret I started collecting QSL cards two months ago, so I can't verify Radio Sweden, Radio Slovakia International, RAI International, and some other countries.
These are the October QSL cards

Air Mail Reception reports

Wrote six reception reports (VOA Greenville, The Mighty KBC, Radio New Zealand International, BBC South Atlantic Relay Station in Ascension, Voice Of Korea KCBS and BBC Far East Relay Station in Krajni, Singapore). They will be sent by air mail tomorrow.

Radio Pakistan Reception Report

Reception report sent to fmcell@radio.gov.pk! QSL card was received more than two months later.

RTE Radio Worldwide Reception Report

Reception report sent to hearus@rte.ie

e-QSL card, received a couple of hours later:

12055kHz - Radio Taiwan International

I made a recording how clear and strong is the signal of Radio Taiwan International here in Bulgaria. RTI uses a transmitter in Issoudun, France, beaming to South Asia.

Overcomer Ministry QSL Card

Received QSL card from Brother Stair - Overcomer Ministry religious broadcast from the USA, relayed by private transmitter in Milan, Italy