Here's something I didn't think I'd ever say: "I prefer broadcast DXing to amateur radio ... and by a mile!" It's a personal thing of course and I am not suggesting one is better then the other, but I find certain aspects of amateur radio irritating and unnecessarily challenging.
I decided to rekindle my interest in amateur radio a few days ago by erecting a dipole for 10m. It only took me a minute or two before I worked St Vincent and the US state of Georgia, both personal firsts. Then I heard a station in Sudan calling CQ, operating on a split basis - that's calling on one frequency but listening on another. Or, on this case, several others! All my attempts to work him failed due to an insane pile-up. The calling frequencies occupied 28.500 to 28.525! - a sizeable part of the most commonly used SSB DXing frequencies. Why so many? It was a joke! There was very little chance of getting through, despite me calling for about half an hour. How did I know which frequency he would be listening on? Frankly, I was getting fed up with the number of irate stations asking me to move frequency. Yes, I did the decent thing and checked the frequency TWICE to see if it was in use before I called. You'd think there would be plenty of room available for all those calling with that amount of frequencies. I ignored them in the end. They were asking lots of other people to move too. I won't allow bullying to dictate what I do on the air.
But looking back at my amateur radio activities over the last few years I have to say it's all been good fun, though it has never come close to the excitement I have had from broadcast band DXing. BCB DXing is where I began and it still wins me over today. But why?
Familiarity may be the main reason. I know where I am with medium wave and the FM broadcast band. I know what to expect regarding propagation. I have been lucky enough to keep up with the technology surrounding this side of the hobby, progressing from drifty old valve radios and analogue tuners (I still have a great fondness for them) to modern broadband IF devices with computer control. So many years of happy association with these things makes you feel like you've been in the driving seat, steering the hobby to your own advantage, helping to shape it with active involvement on internet forums.
These days BCB DXing, like amateur radio, has its own communities: DX clubs and societies; Global online logbooks; Online discussion and chat; DX maps and clusters. So there are a lot of similarities and they all add to the fun. The main difference is of course the fact that you can talk to people on amateur radio, you can only 'listen' with BCB DX, but they are basically the same DX radio hobby.
When I first actively became involved with amateur radio, I would take to the hills of Derbyshire and DX! I miss that. It's something I briefly dabbled in when I moved to Lincolnshire, but the BCB side of DXing takes precedence once again. If I were to conduct any mobile radio exercises these days it would be BCB, in nearby open countryside and with beverage antennas. That would certainly be the case in winter. Perhaps I will try 2m again in the summer although I suspect band 2 will take over once the Es start flying in.
If I was blessed with a large garden and didn't have so many ridiculous planning regulations regarding antennas, I would have several antennas up for the amateur bands too, but the emphasis would be on DXing and probably digital modes like WSPR and JT65, etc. Call it laziness, but my aim would have to be to automate as much of my amateur radio exercises as possible as I really don't see the point in spending an hour or two trying to break through a pile-up and ultimately failing. Each to their own though. Not knocking any of it, but I know which bands I would rather be listening to.
Good DX!
John
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Skegness Log: 26-11-13 (MW)
760 0500 USA WJR Detroit MI. ID - The Great Voice Of The Great Lakes, W..J..R. Good. 6009 km
1190 0500 USA WOWO Fort Wayne (IN) Scratchy ID but alone. Newstalk Wowo. Call letters spoken
as one word. V weak 6227 km
1300 0500 USA WOOD Grand Rapids MI. ID - This is Newsradio Wood 13 hundred and 1069. Call letters
spoken as one word. Fair 6111 km
1540 0500 USA KXEL Waterloo IA. Good signal. ID and ABC News. Good 6546 km
780 0600 USA WBBM Chicago IL. WBBM Newstime. CBS News coming in late at 10 seconds past the hour.
Fair 6311 km
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
1190 0500 USA WOWO Fort Wayne (IN) Scratchy ID but alone. Newstalk Wowo. Call letters spoken
as one word. V weak 6227 km
1300 0500 USA WOOD Grand Rapids MI. ID - This is Newsradio Wood 13 hundred and 1069. Call letters
spoken as one word. Fair 6111 km
1540 0500 USA KXEL Waterloo IA. Good signal. ID and ABC News. Good 6546 km
780 0600 USA WBBM Chicago IL. WBBM Newstime. CBS News coming in late at 10 seconds past the hour.
Fair 6311 km
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Skegness Log: 21-11-13 (MW)
1413 1400 J JOIF
KBC-Kyushu Asahi Hoso, Fukuoka (kyu-fuk) JOIF time signal punching
through a
noisy band. Audible at 1500 & 1600 too. V weak 9225 km
972 1500 KOR HLCA KBS Hanminjok Bangsong 1, Dangjin (ccg) Time signal, mixing Germany.
V weak 8740 km
981 1600 TWN Han Sheng GD Kuanghua zhi Sheng, Hsinfeng (HC). Kwang Hua ID by OM at 12 seconds
past the hour. Weak 9626 km
Nice to hear JOIF again, even if it was only strong enough to deliver the time signal. Conditions seemed poor overall with very little other DX from the far east. Chinese signals were well down too.
From yesterday I logged CRI on 1521 at 1235 but I forgot to post the log. 1235 is the earliest I have ever heard 1521, or anything else from the far east for that matter.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
noisy band. Audible at 1500 & 1600 too. V weak 9225 km
972 1500 KOR HLCA KBS Hanminjok Bangsong 1, Dangjin (ccg) Time signal, mixing Germany.
V weak 8740 km
981 1600 TWN Han Sheng GD Kuanghua zhi Sheng, Hsinfeng (HC). Kwang Hua ID by OM at 12 seconds
past the hour. Weak 9626 km
Nice to hear JOIF again, even if it was only strong enough to deliver the time signal. Conditions seemed poor overall with very little other DX from the far east. Chinese signals were well down too.
From yesterday I logged CRI on 1521 at 1235 but I forgot to post the log. 1235 is the earliest I have ever heard 1521, or anything else from the far east for that matter.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Skegness Log: 18-11-13 (MW)
612 1600 KGZ KTRK Kyrgyz Radiosu/TNK Beles, Krasnaya Rechka (cuy) "Radio Vypusk Kloop" ID and flute
signal V weak 5410 km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
The poor conditions continue, but another new one this afternoon.
Recording:
612 KTRK Kyrgyz Radiosu, Krasnaya Rechka 1600 18-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/gic1i6bcb51ft8am2xam
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
signal V weak 5410 km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
The poor conditions continue, but another new one this afternoon.
Recording:
612 KTRK Kyrgyz Radiosu, Krasnaya Rechka 1600 18-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/gic1i6bcb51ft8am2xam
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Britain To Be Hit By Entirely Typical Weather
After all the ridiculous attention-grabbing headlines about devastating British weather I was pleased to read a refreshing article in the Daily Mash. It might be satirical but I chuckled to away myself and thought it deserved a share here as it brings things nicely into perspective.
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/britain-to-be-hit-by-entirely-typical-weather-201110174431
Even our very own Met Office have been putting a sensible perspective on the weather:
http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2013-10-13/the-met-office-responds-to-headlines-warning-of-worst-winter-in-decades/?post_id=565630567_10152006288670568#_=_
Snowball fight anyone?
John
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/britain-to-be-hit-by-entirely-typical-weather-201110174431
Even our very own Met Office have been putting a sensible perspective on the weather:
http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2013-10-13/the-met-office-responds-to-headlines-warning-of-worst-winter-in-decades/?post_id=565630567_10152006288670568#_=_
Snowball fight anyone?
John
Skegness Log: 17-11-13 (MW)
1098 1500 CHN CNR 11,
Golmud (QH). Top of the hour jingle/music with YL ID. Thanks to
Mauno for your help again. V weak 7136 km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Very poor conditions this afternoon with hardly anything coming through from the far east, so it was a surprise to hear CNR 11 on 1098. I heard this tentatively yesterday but the signal was slightly clearer today and I could hear the YL ID being spoken over the top of the hour piece.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Very poor conditions this afternoon with hardly anything coming through from the far east, so it was a surprise to hear CNR 11 on 1098. I heard this tentatively yesterday but the signal was slightly clearer today and I could hear the YL ID being spoken over the top of the hour piece.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
Skegness Log: 17-11-13 (FM)
Band 2 Tropospheric:
101.2 0325 D Bremen Vier, Bremen-Walle (bre) As web 565km
94.6 0326 D MDR 1 Radio Sachsen-Anhalt, Brocken (san) As web 713km
93.5 0329 D WDR 2, Nordhelle (nrw) As web 554km
103.8 0329 D WDR 4, Nordhelle (nrw) ARD Hitnacht 554km
104.0 0330 D big fm (Rheinland-Pfalz), Koblenz/Kühkopf (rlp) Phone caller, as web 590km
104.3 0332 D hr4, Sackpfeife (Biedenkopf) (hes) As 103.8 612km
106.3 0334 D SWR4 Rheinland-Pfalz, Bad Marienberg (rlp) German song, as web 592km
107.0 0335 D WDR Eins Live, Olsberg (nrw) As 106.7 592km
107.2 0335 D WDR Eins Live, Ederkopf (nrw) As 106.7 593km
87.9 0336 D MDR Figaro, Inselsberg (thü) Classical, as web 739km
89.5 0337 D hr3, Hoher Meißner (hes) Pops, as web 684km
90.3 0338 D WDR 5, Nordhelle (nrw) As web 554km
99.0 0338 D hr1, Hoher Meißner (hes) As HR3 at this time 684km
90.6 0339 D WDR 5, Teutoburger Wald/Bielstein (nrw) As 90.3 591km
91.0 0339 D hr1, Sackpfeife (Biedenkopf) (hes) As web 612km
92.5 0341 D MDR 1 Radio Thüringen, Inselsberg (thü) Pops, as web 739km
93.2 0342 D WDR 2, Teutoburger Wald/Bielstein (nrw) Pops, as web 591km
95.4 0345 D SWR2, Bad Marienberg (rlp) Piano concerto, as web 592km
95.5 0346 D hr2, Hoher Meißner (hes) Piano concerto, as 95.4 684km
97.2 0347 D Deutschlandradio Kultur, Inselsberg (thü) Light ops, as web 739km
98.1 0348 D WDR 3, Nordhelle (nrw) Concerto, as web 554km
99.6 0349 D hr-info, Sackpfeife (Biedenkopf) (hes) Info! 612km
100.4 0350 D WDR 2, Bonn/Venusberg (nrw) Blacks Wonderful Life, as web 538km
100.8 0352 D WDR 2, Aachen/Stolberg (nrw) As 101.0 484km
101.0 0352 D WDR 2, Bärbelkreuz (Eifel) (nrw) Light pops, as 100.8 520km
101.7 0354 D WDR 4, Kleve/Bresserberg (nrw) Leapy Lee song, as web 421km
102.1 0355 D WDR 2, Olsberg (nrw) German song, as web 592km
102.5 0356 D hr4, Großer Feldberg (Taunus)/hr (hes) German song, as web 648km
102.9 0357 D RPR 1., Bad Marienberg (rlp) Foster The People, as web 592km
104.9 0359 D big fm (Rheinland-Pfalz), Ahrweiler/Schöneberg (rlp) OM YL lively chat, as web 554km
88.9 1127 HOL Radio Noord-Holland, Amsterdam/Alticom Toren (nho) Phone caller, as web 321km
91.1 1128 HOL Slam!FM, Hilversum/Media Park-Alticom (nho) Banging tune, as 88.4 342km
91.6 1129 HOL Radio Veronica, Amsterdam/Alticom Toren (nho) Shaggy, as web 321km
93.4 1130 HOL Radio Rijnmond, Rotterdam/Alticom Toren (Waalhaven) (zho) OM, as web 313km
95.2 1132 HOL Slam!FM, Alphen aan den Rijn/Alticom Toren (zho) Ads and ID 313km
98.2 1133 HOL Radio 4, Loon op Zand/Alticom Toren (nbr) OM talk, as 94.7 366km
103.0 1136 BEL Q-Music, Egem (vlg-wvl) ID and dance toon 309km
103.6 1137 HOL Radio 10, Amsterdam/Alticom Toren (nho) Oldies, as 103.8 321km
103.8 1137 HOL Radio 10, Rotterdam/Alticom Toren (Waalhaven) (zho) Oldies, as web 313km
106.2 1925 G Radio Peterborough, Peterborough RSL ID. Mike Faulkner show (no relation) **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
By chance I happened to be awake around 0330 so I checked the FM band. I am glad I did too as all the German activity had subsided by 1000.
Nice to catch Radio Peterborough at last. This was often swamped by Heart and occasionaly overtaken by France Bleu Nord from Calais. Maybe this evening's fog helped it all.
Still nothing from Radio Cheltenham.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1.7m (5'9") ASL.
Website: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Personal All Time VHF Logbooks: https://sites.google.com/site/skegnessdx/vhf-band-2-logs
VHF Band 2 DX Recordings: https://sites.google.com/site/skegnessdx/skegness-vhf-band-2-fm-dx-recordings
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD (tropospheric)
Kenwood KT6040 (sporadic E & meteor scatter)
Icom IC7000 (OIRT)
Conrad RDS Manager
Aerials:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL www.box.com/s/h1a5z3bu94vppln3zsfn
Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Software:
RDS Spy v1.00r2 www.rdsspy.com
101.2 0325 D Bremen Vier, Bremen-Walle (bre) As web 565km
94.6 0326 D MDR 1 Radio Sachsen-Anhalt, Brocken (san) As web 713km
93.5 0329 D WDR 2, Nordhelle (nrw) As web 554km
103.8 0329 D WDR 4, Nordhelle (nrw) ARD Hitnacht 554km
104.0 0330 D big fm (Rheinland-Pfalz), Koblenz/Kühkopf (rlp) Phone caller, as web 590km
104.3 0332 D hr4, Sackpfeife (Biedenkopf) (hes) As 103.8 612km
106.3 0334 D SWR4 Rheinland-Pfalz, Bad Marienberg (rlp) German song, as web 592km
107.0 0335 D WDR Eins Live, Olsberg (nrw) As 106.7 592km
107.2 0335 D WDR Eins Live, Ederkopf (nrw) As 106.7 593km
87.9 0336 D MDR Figaro, Inselsberg (thü) Classical, as web 739km
89.5 0337 D hr3, Hoher Meißner (hes) Pops, as web 684km
90.3 0338 D WDR 5, Nordhelle (nrw) As web 554km
99.0 0338 D hr1, Hoher Meißner (hes) As HR3 at this time 684km
90.6 0339 D WDR 5, Teutoburger Wald/Bielstein (nrw) As 90.3 591km
91.0 0339 D hr1, Sackpfeife (Biedenkopf) (hes) As web 612km
92.5 0341 D MDR 1 Radio Thüringen, Inselsberg (thü) Pops, as web 739km
93.2 0342 D WDR 2, Teutoburger Wald/Bielstein (nrw) Pops, as web 591km
95.4 0345 D SWR2, Bad Marienberg (rlp) Piano concerto, as web 592km
95.5 0346 D hr2, Hoher Meißner (hes) Piano concerto, as 95.4 684km
97.2 0347 D Deutschlandradio Kultur, Inselsberg (thü) Light ops, as web 739km
98.1 0348 D WDR 3, Nordhelle (nrw) Concerto, as web 554km
99.6 0349 D hr-info, Sackpfeife (Biedenkopf) (hes) Info! 612km
100.4 0350 D WDR 2, Bonn/Venusberg (nrw) Blacks Wonderful Life, as web 538km
100.8 0352 D WDR 2, Aachen/Stolberg (nrw) As 101.0 484km
101.0 0352 D WDR 2, Bärbelkreuz (Eifel) (nrw) Light pops, as 100.8 520km
101.7 0354 D WDR 4, Kleve/Bresserberg (nrw) Leapy Lee song, as web 421km
102.1 0355 D WDR 2, Olsberg (nrw) German song, as web 592km
102.5 0356 D hr4, Großer Feldberg (Taunus)/hr (hes) German song, as web 648km
102.9 0357 D RPR 1., Bad Marienberg (rlp) Foster The People, as web 592km
104.9 0359 D big fm (Rheinland-Pfalz), Ahrweiler/Schöneberg (rlp) OM YL lively chat, as web 554km
88.9 1127 HOL Radio Noord-Holland, Amsterdam/Alticom Toren (nho) Phone caller, as web 321km
91.1 1128 HOL Slam!FM, Hilversum/Media Park-Alticom (nho) Banging tune, as 88.4 342km
91.6 1129 HOL Radio Veronica, Amsterdam/Alticom Toren (nho) Shaggy, as web 321km
93.4 1130 HOL Radio Rijnmond, Rotterdam/Alticom Toren (Waalhaven) (zho) OM, as web 313km
95.2 1132 HOL Slam!FM, Alphen aan den Rijn/Alticom Toren (zho) Ads and ID 313km
98.2 1133 HOL Radio 4, Loon op Zand/Alticom Toren (nbr) OM talk, as 94.7 366km
103.0 1136 BEL Q-Music, Egem (vlg-wvl) ID and dance toon 309km
103.6 1137 HOL Radio 10, Amsterdam/Alticom Toren (nho) Oldies, as 103.8 321km
103.8 1137 HOL Radio 10, Rotterdam/Alticom Toren (Waalhaven) (zho) Oldies, as web 313km
106.2 1925 G Radio Peterborough, Peterborough RSL ID. Mike Faulkner show (no relation) **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
By chance I happened to be awake around 0330 so I checked the FM band. I am glad I did too as all the German activity had subsided by 1000.
Nice to catch Radio Peterborough at last. This was often swamped by Heart and occasionaly overtaken by France Bleu Nord from Calais. Maybe this evening's fog helped it all.
Still nothing from Radio Cheltenham.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1.7m (5'9") ASL.
Website: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Personal All Time VHF Logbooks: https://sites.google.com/site/skegnessdx/vhf-band-2-logs
VHF Band 2 DX Recordings: https://sites.google.com/site/skegnessdx/skegness-vhf-band-2-fm-dx-recordings
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD (tropospheric)
Kenwood KT6040 (sporadic E & meteor scatter)
Icom IC7000 (OIRT)
Conrad RDS Manager
Aerials:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL www.box.com/s/h1a5z3bu94vppln3zsfn
Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Software:
RDS Spy v1.00r2 www.rdsspy.com
Thursday, 14 November 2013
Skegness Log: 14-11-13 (MW)
1140 0200 USA WQBA La
Voz de Miami, Miami (FL) WQBA Miami ID in Spanish V weak 7146 km
738 1600 CHN Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Ürümqi (XJ) OM ID after time pips Weak 6042 km
900 1600 CHN CNR 1?, Site? YL Beijing ID after six pips. V weak
981 1600 CHN CNR 1, Multiple sites YL Beijing ID after pips V weak
1044 1600 CHN Xinjiang RGD Uighur/CNR 13, Multi-tx Tentative. Chinese ID after time pips but
not in // Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe V weak
1359 1600 CHN CNR 1, Three sites together Echoey YL Beijing ID after pips. Third pip shortly
after. Clear and dominant. Probably Golmud in there. Weak
1494 1600 CHN Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Multiple txs Pips, OM ID, as 738. Echo, indicating
more than one tx received Weak **
1539 1600 CHN CNR 1, Golmud/SARFT916 (QH) YL Beijing ID after pips V weak 7135 km
603 1700 CHN China Radio Int./Voice of Russia, Dongfang/SARFT871 (HA) CRI Interval signal
V weak 9494 km
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Does anybody know if that standard YL "Beijing... " ID heard on CNR 1 is used on other CNR national networks? She is very distinctive and it might just narrow down a station I heard earlier today.
Some recordings of today's DX:
1494 Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Multi-tx 1600 14-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/nqumqdtv1w848zjharwd
738 Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Urumqi 1600 14-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/576dye2ivo8yxamd6a4r
1044 1600 14-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/vysjbplvuk1ira1gk2d4
I think there is an ID on 1044 but it's quite well buried. I suspect it's the Uighur outlet of Xinjiang RGD, going by the conditions. I think there was a Kazakh outlet on another frequency, but I can only guess with some stations.
I moved my flag slightly yesterday. It now points towards 15 degrees (Google Maps is quite clear it is 14 degrees but I hate to be that pedantic). Hopefully this will improve DX from the far east. West coast North America, Alaska and Hawaii should still get through (now there's wishful thinking!) and perhaps with a little less interference from the east coasters.
Background noise levels have improved too, surprisingly, and are down to -120dB in the X band, gradually tapering off to below -130dB at the bottom of the band. About 3 to 5dB of noise at the top of the band is caused by my router or its psu. The noise drops to -125 when the router is switched off.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
738 1600 CHN Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Ürümqi (XJ) OM ID after time pips Weak 6042 km
900 1600 CHN CNR 1?, Site? YL Beijing ID after six pips. V weak
981 1600 CHN CNR 1, Multiple sites YL Beijing ID after pips V weak
1044 1600 CHN Xinjiang RGD Uighur/CNR 13, Multi-tx Tentative. Chinese ID after time pips but
not in // Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe V weak
1359 1600 CHN CNR 1, Three sites together Echoey YL Beijing ID after pips. Third pip shortly
after. Clear and dominant. Probably Golmud in there. Weak
1494 1600 CHN Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Multiple txs Pips, OM ID, as 738. Echo, indicating
more than one tx received Weak **
1539 1600 CHN CNR 1, Golmud/SARFT916 (QH) YL Beijing ID after pips V weak 7135 km
603 1700 CHN China Radio Int./Voice of Russia, Dongfang/SARFT871 (HA) CRI Interval signal
V weak 9494 km
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Does anybody know if that standard YL "Beijing... " ID heard on CNR 1 is used on other CNR national networks? She is very distinctive and it might just narrow down a station I heard earlier today.
Some recordings of today's DX:
1494 Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Multi-tx 1600 14-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/nqumqdtv1w848zjharwd
738 Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Urumqi 1600 14-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/576dye2ivo8yxamd6a4r
1044 1600 14-11-13
https://app.box.com/s/vysjbplvuk1ira1gk2d4
I think there is an ID on 1044 but it's quite well buried. I suspect it's the Uighur outlet of Xinjiang RGD, going by the conditions. I think there was a Kazakh outlet on another frequency, but I can only guess with some stations.
I moved my flag slightly yesterday. It now points towards 15 degrees (Google Maps is quite clear it is 14 degrees but I hate to be that pedantic). Hopefully this will improve DX from the far east. West coast North America, Alaska and Hawaii should still get through (now there's wishful thinking!) and perhaps with a little less interference from the east coasters.
Background noise levels have improved too, surprisingly, and are down to -120dB in the X band, gradually tapering off to below -130dB at the bottom of the band. About 3 to 5dB of noise at the top of the band is caused by my router or its psu. The noise drops to -125 when the router is switched off.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Skegness Log: 13-11-13 (MW)
1476 1600 THA Sor. Wor. Thor. Chiang Mai, Lamphun/Ban Pratu Khong (lpn) Thanks to Mauno for
the translation. YL ID on the hour which can be heard in my recording.
V weak 8928 km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Really pleased to bag this one. I have always dreamed of bagging a local station from Thailand. I love those names "Wor Sor Thor" and "Ror Sor Por" etc. What do they mean? :O)
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna: 10ft x 25ft flag at 15 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; HDSDR v2.63; Mestor
BBC Video - "The Very Particular World Of Amateur Radio"
Or did they mean "Peculiar"? I am not sure of what to make of this. Does the video paint us in the right light?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24917880
Via the bureau OM!
John
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24917880
Via the bureau OM!
John
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