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Sunday, 2 February 2014

Skegness Log: 02-02-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 88.2 0124  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) Jazzy piece, as web  813km
 88.2 0223 SUI Radio SRF 1, Bantiger or Feschel MLTR song, as web
 88.2 0419  D  NDR Kultur, Marlow (mev) Piano piece, as web  814km
 88.2 0430  D  NDR Kultur, Marlow (mev) YL talking about Josef Haydn, as web  814km
 88.2 0437  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) Folk song, as web  813km
 88.2 0459  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) Promo, as web  813km
 88.2 0508  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) OM in outside broadcast, as web  813km
 88.2 0510  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) German YL, as web  813km
 88.2 0512  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) Folk music, as web  813km
 88.2 0519  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) YL talk in classroom, as web  813km
 88.2 0520  D  NDR Kultur, Marlow (mev) Classical, as web  814km
 88.2 0524 NOR NRK P1, Skien 1/Vealøs (te) Rod Stewart song, as web  890km
 88.2 0543  D  NDR Kultur, Marlow (mev) Choral piece, as web  814km
 88.2 0600  D  NDR Kultur, Marlow (mev) NDR Kultur, nachrichten ID  814km
 88.2 0736 HOL Radio 2, Roermond/Alticom Toren (lim) Sensual jazzy female soloist,
               as web. One second burst.   443km
 88.2 0745  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) German YL, as web  813km
 88.2 0748  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) German OM, as web  813km
 88.2 0824  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) German OM, as web  813km
 88.2 0827  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) German OM, as web. Eight second
               meteor burst  813km
 88.2 0932 SUI Radio SRF 1, Bantiger or Feschel German YL, as web
 88.2 0942  D  NDR Kultur, Marlow (mev) Slowly spoken German YL, as web  814km
 88.2 1006  D  Bayern 2, Büttelberg (bay) Musical bed, as web  813km
 87.7 2130 SVK Fun Rádio, Kosice/Dubník (KE) Euro disco song, as web  1545km
 87.7 2131  F  France Culture, Strasbourg/TDF Nordheim (67) French OM, as web  709km
 87.7 2207  D  MDR Figaro, Chemnitz/Geyer (sac) Double bass and piano, as web  905km
 87.7 2236  F  France Culture, Strasbourg/TDF Nordheim (67) French song, as web  709km
 87.7 2237 SVK Fun Rádio, Kosice/Dubník (KE) Pops, as web. Two second burst  1545km

Band 2 Aircraft Scatter:
 91.1 0631  D  NDR 1 Niedersachsen, Steinkimmen (nds) Albert Hammond song, as web  543km
 94.4 0632  D  NDR Kultur, Steinkimmen (nds) Classical music, as web  543km
 95.2 0633 HOL Slam!FM, Alphen aan den Rijn/Alticom Toren (zho) Club beats, as web  313km
 95.8 0633  D  NDR 1 Niedersachsen, Aurich (nds) Albert Hammond song, as 91.1  479km
 96.1 0634 BEL RTBF La Première, Wavre (wal-bra) French OM  397km
 96.8 0634 HOL 3FM, IJsselstein/Gerbrandytoren-Alticom (utr) Pops, as web  344km
 97.0 0636  D  WDR 3, Teutoburger Wald/Bielstein (nrw) Strings, as web  591km
 99.8 0636  D  NDR 2, Steinkimmen (nds) Pops, as web  543km
105.5 0637  D  WDR Eins Live, Teutoburger Wald/Bielstein (nrw) Pops, as 106.7  591km
 91.4 0641 HOL Radio 4, Markelo/Alticom Toren (ove) Classical music, as web  425km
 91.8 0642 HOL Radio 1, Smilde/Alticom Toren (dre) OM  YL talk, as web  408km
 92.0 0642  D  WDR 5, Münster/Baumberg (nrw) Talks, maybe OB, as web  494km
 92.8 0643  D  NDR 1 Niedersachsen, Lingen-Damaschke (nds) Light pops, as web  477km
 93.8 0645 HOL Slam!FM, Megen/Alticom Toren (nbr) Banging toons, as web  387km
 93.9 0646  D  WDR 4, Aachen/Stolberg (nrw) Robbie Williams, as web  484km
 96.5 0647  D  Deutschlandradio Kultur, Langenberg/Hordtberg (nrw) German song.
               Almost noise free  505km
 98.1 0648  D  WDR 3, Nordhelle (nrw) Classical. Almost noise free  554km
 99.2 0648  D  WDR 2, Langenberg/Hordtberg (nrw) German YL  505km
 99.8 0648  D  NDR 2, Steinkimmen (nds) Paul Young song, as web  543km
104.8 0649 HOL Radio 1, Roermond/Alticom Toren (lim) Dutch OMs, as web  443km
 93.5 0654  D  WDR 2, Nordhelle (nrw) Bee Gees song, as web  554km
 93.8 0655  D  bremen eins, Bremen-Walle (bre) Pops, as web  565km
 87.9 0705 HOL Omroep Zeeland, Goes/Alticom Toren (zee) Dutch pop  303km
 88.0 0705 HOL Radio 2, Smilde/Alticom Toren (dre) Reggae song, as web  408km
 89.9 0706 BEL VRT Klara, Genk/VRT Zendmast (vlg-lim) Weather  431km
 97.3 0709  D  WDR 3, Kleve/Bresserberg (nrw) Classical piece, as web  421km
 97.4 0710  D  SWR4 Rheinland-Pfalz, Linz (Rhein)/Ginsterhahner Kopf (rlp) OM and
               YL talking, as web  560km
 99.1 0710 BEL RTBF Classic 21, Anderlues/Mont-Sainte-Geneviève (wal-hnt) French news,
               mentioning Charleroi  409km
 99.5 0712 BEL RTBF Musiq'3, Liège/Bol d'Air (wal-lge) French YL, as web  459km
100.6 0713 BEL VRT Studio Brussel, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw/Norkring Toren (vlg-vbr) Pops,
               as 102.1  376km
102.5 0715 HOL Radio 538, Tjerkgaast/Alticom Toren (fri) Jason Mraz, as web  361km
 97.9 1206 BEL VRT Radio 2, Genk/VRT Zendmast (vlg-lim) Dutch sports news, noise
               free  431km
101.0 1207 HOL Sky Radio, Smilde/Alticom Toren (dre) Pops, ID  408km
101.2 1208 HOL Sky Radio, Hilversum/Media Park-Alticom (nho) Pops, as 101.0  342km
101.3 1208  D  WDR 4, Langenberg/Hordtberg (nrw) 13dB and noise free. German song  505km


It was the turn of 88.2 overnight. There were lots of classical music bursts but due to shared programming it was not possible to be more specific which station it was, but both NDR Kultur and Bayern 2 came in numerous times, including NDR Kultur with an actual vocal ID.

Signals would have been sufficient to produce RDS but I didn't use Bandicam overnight as this poor computer is being pushed to enough extremes with dozens of huge audio files as it is (and it's starting to buckle). What I find amazing is that there are so many different stations coming through, it's impissible to make any guesses. It seems that it's mostly the more powerful transmitters are producing the RDS while the lower powered transmitters are still pushing through with great ease.

Once again, I have logged ALL instances of identified meteor scatter just to show the regularity of the signals. Quite amazing stuff.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL

Saturday, 1 February 2014

Skegness Log: 01-02-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 88.3 0202  G  BBC Radio 2, Bressay (SC-SHE) BBC News. Several second burst above
               Sutton Coldfield  781km **
 88.3 0214  D  SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Raichberg (bwü) German OM, numerous bursts,
               as web  813km **
 88.3 0238  D  SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Raichberg (bwü) Bruce Springsteens High
               Hopes, as web  813km
 88.3 0246  D  SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Raichberg (bwü) Fairground Attractions Perfect,
               as web  813km
 88.3 0327  D  SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Raichberg (bwü) George Michael  Aretha
               Franklin song, as web  813km
 88.3 0343  D  SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Raichberg (bwü) Paper Lace Billy Dont Be A
               Hero, as web  813km
 88.3 0513  D  SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Raichberg (bwü) Scissor Sisters song, as
               web  813km
 87.6 0713  D  BR Klassik, Dillberg (bay) Concerto, as web  879km **
 87.6 0910  D  hr3, Sackpfeife (Biedenkopf) (hes) Klangkarussel song, as web  612km **
 87.6 0945  D  Antenne Brandenburg, Frankfurt (Oder) Booßen (brb) Buffalo Soldier,
               as web  951km
 87.6 0948 CZE Radio Impuls, Brno/Kojál (JM) Katy Perry, as web  1219km
 87.6 0956 NOR NRK P1, Nordhue (he) Norwegian OM and YL, as web  1094km
 87.6 0957  D  NDR 2, Hamburg-Moorfleet (ham) Brooke Fraser song, as web  650km
 87.6 1006  D  BR Klassik, Dillberg (bay) Sombre classical, as web  879km
 87.6 1020  D  NDR 2, Hamburg-Moorfleet (ham) Five second burst. Pops, as web  650km

Band 2 Aircraft Scatter:
 87.7 0602 HOL Radio 10, Lelystad/Alticom Toren (fle)  351km
 87.9 0603 HOL Omroep Zeeland, Goes/Alticom Toren (zee)  303km
 88.2 0603 HOL Radio 2, Roermond/Alticom Toren (lim)  443km
 88.4 0603 HOL Slam!FM, Roosendaal/Alticom Toren (nbr)  334km
 89.2 0603  F  France Musique, Reims/TDF Hautvillers (51)  516km
 90.3 0605  D  WDR 5, Nordhelle (nrw)  554km
 90.7 0605 HOL SubLime FM, Ijsselstein/Gerbrandytoren-Alticom (utr)  344km
 91.2 0605 BEL RTBF Musiq'3, Brussel/Financietoren=Bruxelles/Tour des Finances (bru)  377km
 91.7 0606 BEL VRT Radio 1, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw/Norkring Toren (vlg-vbr)  376km
 91.8 0606 HOL Radio 1, Smilde/Alticom Toren (dre)  408km
 92.0 0606  D  WDR 5, Münster/Baumberg (nrw)  494km
 95.4 0607  F  France Inter, Amiens/Saint-Just-en-Chaussée [60] (80)  431km
 96.8 0607  F  France Inter, Reims/TDF Hautvillers (51)  516km
 97.5 0608 BEL VRT Radio 2, Schoten (vlg-ant)  354km
 97.8 0608 HOL Radio Veronica, IJsselstein/Gerbrandytoren-Alticom (utr)  344km
 98.0 0608  F  France Culture, Lille/Bouvigny le Mont [62] (59)  343km
 98.6 0608 BEL VRT Radio 2, Egem (vlg-wvl)  309km
 99.1 0608 BEL RTBF Classic 21, Anderlues/Mont-Sainte-Geneviève (wal-hnt)  409km
102.7 0609 BEL RTBF La Première, Profondeville-Rivière/Sart à Soile (wal-nam)  441km


** Personal Skegness 'First'

This is a more complete picture of today's scatter.

I recorded 88.3 and 87.6 overnight for meteor scatter. I included duplicate loggings to show how regular some signals have been.

The aircraft scatter log was based on a quick scan from the bottom to the top of the band including all continentals I heard in a single sweep. This is the first time I haven't included programme details for reasons of quickness.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL      

Friday, 31 January 2014

Meteor Scatter Videos on my YouTube Channel

Since putting the FM5 on the garden I have been able to enjoy noise-free reception across FM. This has enabled the reception of some very weak signals which would have otherwise been buried under mountains (up to 30 dBf - XDR-GTK software) of noise.

Reception has been so good, it has been like being on a DX trip to a remote location. There's simply zero noise. So many signals can fade in from nowhere, via scatter modes, which otherwise wouldn't have stood a chance on my rooftop antenna, which is now receiving so much noise it has become unusable.

To demonstrate, I have taken some recordings from the computer using Bandicam software. Here are the pick of the bunch, but many more can be viewed on my YouTube page.

89.0 Radio Impuls, Ostrava, via meteor scatter:  2014-01-26

Good Overnight Meteor Scatter: 89 5, 2014-01-20

Quadrantids Meteor Scatter Highlights 03 01 14

Overnight Meteor Scatter - 01 01 14

Thursday, 30 January 2014

Skegness Log: 30-01-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 90.2 1334  D  MDR JUMP, Inselsberg (thü) Part of jingle ID  739km **
 90.2 1409  D  Radio Teddy, Berlin/Alexanderplatz (brb) Boy band song, as web  881km **

 90.2 0725  I  Radio Maria, Three transmitters listed Prayer. Mention of "Le Lodi"
               programme. Thanks FM Franco for help.


** Personal Skegness 'First'

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Skegness Log: 29-01-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 88.1 1034  I  RAI Radio1, Several listed including three high power OM news, as web.
               Frequent bursts **
 88.1 1250 SRB Radio Beograd 1, Ovcar (Srb) Don McLean song, as web  1779km **
 88.1 1306 SUI RSI Rete Uno, Monte San Salvatore (ti) Sades Paradise, as
               web stream  1010km **
 88.1 1312  G  BBC Radio 2, Several Sites possible Maybe North Hesssary Tor?
               A fluttery Jeremy Vine!   **
 87.6 2111  D  Antenne Brandenburg, Frankfurt (Oder) Booßen (brb) Neil Diamonds
               "I Am I Said", as web. Two second burst  951km **


** Personal Skegness 'First'

Poor meteor scatter yesterday but much better today. It's been 'pings' rather than 'bursts' but there were a few longer ripples of activity lasting up to about five seconds during the last few hours of the day.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL

Monday, 27 January 2014

Skegness Log: 27-01-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 88.5 0023 AUT Hitradio Ö3, Innsbruck 1/Patscherkofel (tir) Israel Kamakawiwoole
               song, as web  1030km **
 95.8 1258  I  RAI Radio3, Trieste/Monte Belvedere (RAI) (ts) Presume Trieste.
               Italian YL, as web  1278km **
 95.8 1313  D  Bayern 3, Grünten (Allgäu) (bay) End of song and OM, as web  942km **
 95.8 1348  D  WDR 5, Ederkopf (nrw) Country song, as web  593km **
 95.8 1545  D  RBB Radio Eins, Berlin/Alexanderplatz (brb) YL phone caller,
               several seconds.   881km **
 93.4 2118  D  RBB infoRADIO/Sorbisches Prog., Cottbus Calau (brb) OM, as web.
               Several short bursts  935km **
 93.4 2142  D  delta radio, Hamburg/Heinrich-Hertz-Turm (ham) Vocal ID. Thanks
               pe1etr, Jurgen and Konrad DX for confirmation. Matches jingle ID 100%
               on recorded jingle ID.  642km **


** Personal Skegness 'First'

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL

Sunday, 26 January 2014

Skegness Log: 26-01-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 91.2 0104 AUT Ö1, Graz 1/Schöckl (ste) Frequent pings of jazz, as web  1262km **
 95.4 0148 AUT Ö2 - Radio Steiermark, Graz 1/Schöckl (ste) German song, as web  1262km **
 89.0 1001 CZE Radio Impuls, Ostrava/Hostálkovice (MO) 2203 ____ULS_  1287km **
 89.0 1225  F  France Culture, Le Mans/Mayet (72) YL, as web. Three short bursts  599km **
 89.0 1259  D  89.0 RTL, Brocken (san) German pop song, as web  713km **
 89.0 1304  D  SWR4 Baden-Württemberg, Witthoh (Tuttlingen) (bwü) German OM, as web  834km **
 99.1 1420 AUT Antenne Steiermark, Graz 1/Schöckl (ste) Taylor Swift song, as web.
               Several short pings over the last hour  1262km **

Band 2 Tropospheric:
101.7 1422 BEL AFN PowerNet, Everberg (vlg-vbr) Brief noise free peak. US OM  386km

** Personal Skegness 'First'

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL

Saturday, 25 January 2014

Skegness Log: 25-01-14 (FM)

Band 2 Tropospheric:
 89.4 1243  F  France Musique, Brest/Roc Trédudon (29) F203  604km
 89.9 1245  F  France Musique, Rennes/Saint-Pern (35) F203  564km
 95.4 1250  F  France Inter, Brest/Roc Trédudon (29) F201 __INTER_  604km
 94.2 1251  F  France Culture, Nantes/Haute-Goulaine (44) Talk, as 98.0  675km
 90.6 1252  F  France Inter, Nantes/Haute-Goulaine (44) OM, as 103.7  675km
 89.2 1253  F  France Culture, Cherbourg-Octeville/Digosville (50) OM, as 98.0  413km
100.7 1256  F  France Bleu Cotentin, Cherbourg-Octeville/Digosville (50)
               French song, ID, France Bleu Le Weekend. Noise free  413km

 95.6 1311  F  France Musique, Caen/Mont Pinçon (14) F203 MUSIQUE_  469km
 91.5 1312  F  France Culture, Caen/Mont Pinçon (14) F202 _CULTURE  469km
 93.8 1425  F  France Inter, Parthenay/les Chateliers (79) Michel Polnareff song, as 103.7  712km
 91.8 1426  F  France Musique, Bourges/Neuvy (18) As 88.7  672km
 89.0 1429  F  France Culture, Le Mans/Mayet (72) Om, as 98.0  599km
 92.6 1430  F  France Inter, Le Mans/Mayet (72) OMs, as 103.7  599km
 97.0 1430  F  France Musique, Le Mans/Mayet (72) Classical, as 88.7  599km
 97.8 1431  F  France Culture, Brest/Roc Trédudon (29) Never matching the strength
               of the other Brest outlets  604km

 98.1 1431  F  France Culture, Chartres/Montlandon (28) OM, as 98.0  531km
 94.6 1433  F  France Inter, Chartres/Montlandon (28) OM, as 103.7  531km
 87.9 1436  F  France Culture, Parthenay/les Chateliers (79) OM, as 98.0  712km

I didn't start to listen to the radio until after midday, so I don't know if I missed much before.

Nice to see RDS with these weak/fair signals, something which I never report much of, unless I have been using the KT6040. Traditionally, tropo DXing is done with the XDR-F1HD here, which is very poor with RDS, but the GTK software really comes into its own now.

Tropo conditions didn't take off in any great way here. No Spanish stations were heard. Nothing from the SW of France either. Mostly it was just a small enhacement to the bigger TDF outlets in NW France.

88.2 was monitored for meteor scatter overnight but no RDS stored.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL

Friday, 24 January 2014

Skegness Log: 24-01-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 89.2 1053 AUT Hitradio Ö3, Graz 1/Schöckl (ste) Jingle ID  1262km **
 89.2 1331  D  NDR Kultur, Schwerin (mev) Piano concerto, as web. NOT France Musique  740km **
 89.2 1427  I  RAI Radio1, Pescara/San Silvestro (RAI) (pe) Presume Pescara. Long burst.
               Guitar song, as web  1576km **
 89.2 1512 POL PR 3, Klodzko/Czarna Góra (DS) Rock song, as web  1178km **
 89.2 2227  D  SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Blauen (bwü) Bob Seger song, as web  793km **
 89.2 2337  D  SWR2, Ulm/Kuhberg (bwü) YL and classical music, as web  859km **

** Personal Skegness 'First' via this mode

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL

Thursday, 23 January 2014

Skegness Log: 23-01-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 87.8 1456 POL PR 3, Zagan/Wichów (LU) 3233  1037km **

** Personal Skegness 'First' via this mode

I have observed a decline in MS activity today. My chosen frequency to record overnight was 102.0, but it did not reveal much. After recording other reliable frequencies it soon became clear that meteor activity has fallen (here at least) by a large degree. I would estimate by 70 or 80%.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <2m ASL.

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.

Aerial:
Rooftop Körner 9.2, 8m AGL & Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator
Triax FM5, one metre AGL