Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
87.6 1141 CZE Radio Impuls, Brno/Kojál (JM) 2203 1219km
Band 2 Tropospheric/Scatter:
89.7 2001 D WDR 3, Münster/Baumberg (nrw) Screechy classical, as web, over a nulled
Tacolneston 493km
Continuing with my mission to reduce all Belmont outlets to nothing, I
removed Lincs FM almost completely today. This was the most difficult
one to remove. A bit of playing around with the direction and
polarisation of the 9.2 did the trick, but the beamwidth of the null was
extremely tight. It was interesting to hear the signal from Lincs FM
fading in and out on aircraft scatter. We live only a couple of miles
from a local airfield and I suspect it's the local planes which are
causing this effect as much as the high altitude passenger planes. I
even observed the signal flutter in and out rather abruptly as a pigeon
(or duck?) flew past the antenna!
I recorded meteor scatter on 102.2 but none of it was in parallel with any of the web streams I recorded. It was
the same with the meteor scatter I recorded on 88.8 yesterday.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Monday, 12 May 2014
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Skegness Log: 10-05-14 (FM)
OIRT Band Sporadic E:
67.82 1556 UKR Svitle radio Emmanuyil, L'viv/LFKRRT, Vysokyy zamok, 9 (LV) Gregorian chant
and OM, as web 1674km
68.99 1556 UKR UR 2 Radio Promin', L'viv/LFKRRT, Vysokyy zamok, 9 (LV) Music, as web 1674km
67.04 1557 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., L'viv/LFKRRT, Vysokyy zamok, 9 (LV) Presumed Lviv but
not UR1 anymore 1674km
66.59 1653 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Horishnya Vyhanka/TFKRRT, vul. Televizijna (TE) Local
music, as web 1826km **
Band 2 Sporadic E:
87.6 1544 SVN Radio MMR, Pecarovci (ms) 9456 1334km
87.6 1544 HRV Podravski Radio, Durdevac/Micetinac-Veliki Kostanj (kc) C440 PO__RADIO 1436km
87.6 1545 SRB Bum Radio, Kraljevo (Srb) 8000 1821km
Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
102.3 1325 D BR Klassik, Wendelstein or Ochsenkopf OM and piano music, as web **
Band 2 Tropospheric/Scatter:
94.6 0748 D MDR 1 Radio Sachsen-Anhalt, Brocken (san) ID between pops 712km
92.1 0753 D NDR 2, Torfhaus (Harz-West) (nds) ID between pops 707km
89.4 1519 D NE-WS 89,4, Düsseldorf/Rheinturm (nrw) Brief but noise free peak. Pops,
as web 488km
** Personal Skegness 'First' via the mode
Sporadic E Notes:
More teasing Es today! I first noticed some wonderful Gypsy music on 88.7. I thought it was France Musique at first until I checked their stream. Then I realised that the bottom of the band had opened. It seems the Es had reached up to 102.3 at one point, sadly while I was in town. I had left the XDR recording meteor scatter there.
The OIRT band had a few signals too. I heard several stations I could not trace to begin with. I first wondered if double hop was involved as I could not find any web parallels to the DX, but I quickly realised that the stations were probably old familiar Ukraine transmitters which are now carrying Russian services.
Meteor Scatter Notes:
I tried to null all my Belmont frequencies this afternoon, in the hope that I might reduce their signals enough to allow meteor scatter to override them. I heard several meteor bursts over 88.8. It is my ambition to identify meteor scatter on every frequency across band 2. So far I am up around 110 frequencies so there is still a long way to go. This may be a little too ambitious, but I managed to get all Belmont frequencies down below 20dB this afternoon, with the exception of Lincs FM on 102.2 which I could only reduce to 30dB. Belmonts on 90.9 and 93.1 were relatively easy to reduce. I didn't try 98.3, which was almost 100% nullable at the last QTH, or 100.5. 94.9 has already produced Bourges on meteor scatter.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
67.82 1556 UKR Svitle radio Emmanuyil, L'viv/LFKRRT, Vysokyy zamok, 9 (LV) Gregorian chant
and OM, as web 1674km
68.99 1556 UKR UR 2 Radio Promin', L'viv/LFKRRT, Vysokyy zamok, 9 (LV) Music, as web 1674km
67.04 1557 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., L'viv/LFKRRT, Vysokyy zamok, 9 (LV) Presumed Lviv but
not UR1 anymore 1674km
66.59 1653 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Horishnya Vyhanka/TFKRRT, vul. Televizijna (TE) Local
music, as web 1826km **
Band 2 Sporadic E:
87.6 1544 SVN Radio MMR, Pecarovci (ms) 9456 1334km
87.6 1544 HRV Podravski Radio, Durdevac/Micetinac-Veliki Kostanj (kc) C440 PO__RADIO 1436km
87.6 1545 SRB Bum Radio, Kraljevo (Srb) 8000 1821km
Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
102.3 1325 D BR Klassik, Wendelstein or Ochsenkopf OM and piano music, as web **
Band 2 Tropospheric/Scatter:
94.6 0748 D MDR 1 Radio Sachsen-Anhalt, Brocken (san) ID between pops 712km
92.1 0753 D NDR 2, Torfhaus (Harz-West) (nds) ID between pops 707km
89.4 1519 D NE-WS 89,4, Düsseldorf/Rheinturm (nrw) Brief but noise free peak. Pops,
as web 488km
** Personal Skegness 'First' via the mode
Sporadic E Notes:
More teasing Es today! I first noticed some wonderful Gypsy music on 88.7. I thought it was France Musique at first until I checked their stream. Then I realised that the bottom of the band had opened. It seems the Es had reached up to 102.3 at one point, sadly while I was in town. I had left the XDR recording meteor scatter there.
The OIRT band had a few signals too. I heard several stations I could not trace to begin with. I first wondered if double hop was involved as I could not find any web parallels to the DX, but I quickly realised that the stations were probably old familiar Ukraine transmitters which are now carrying Russian services.
Meteor Scatter Notes:
I tried to null all my Belmont frequencies this afternoon, in the hope that I might reduce their signals enough to allow meteor scatter to override them. I heard several meteor bursts over 88.8. It is my ambition to identify meteor scatter on every frequency across band 2. So far I am up around 110 frequencies so there is still a long way to go. This may be a little too ambitious, but I managed to get all Belmont frequencies down below 20dB this afternoon, with the exception of Lincs FM on 102.2 which I could only reduce to 30dB. Belmonts on 90.9 and 93.1 were relatively easy to reduce. I didn't try 98.3, which was almost 100% nullable at the last QTH, or 100.5. 94.9 has already produced Bourges on meteor scatter.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Friday, 9 May 2014
Skegness Log: 09-05-14 (FM)
Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
102.6 0017 EST Raadio 2, Koeru (Jae) Lively pop track, as web. Two second burst 1708km **
102.6 0023 SVK SRo 3 Rádio Devín, Banská Stiavnica/Sitno (BB) Piano music, as web. Two
second burst 1402km **
102.6 0045 D Radio TON Heilbronn, Schwäbisch Hall (bwü) Belinda Carlisle, as web 795km **
102.6 0310 F France Bleu, Multiple sites. Likely Mulhouse. This tx has been heard frequently
via MS on 88.6 (France Culture). OM with phone number. Tnx Cédric, Stuart
and Jean-Louis for help with this **
102.6 0559 D RBB Fritz, Berlin/Alexanderplatz (brb) Pops, as web 880km **
102.6 0602 D Radio ffn, Cuxhaven Otterndorf (nds) FFN own news with OM over music, as web.
Four second burst 571km **
102.6 0602 D NDR 2, Stadthagen/Bückeberge (nds) Pops, as web. Three second burst 606km **
102.6 0649 D MDR Info, Weimar-Ehringsdorf (thü) YL talking to OM, as web 791km **
102.6 0659 EST Raadio 2, Koeru (Jae) In again with distinctive guitar playing, as web.
Two second burst 1708km
87.6 1000 E RNE Radio Nacional, Multi-tx Top of the hour jingle. Live listening **
88.6 1125 CZE CRo Vltava, Klatovy/Doubrava (PL) 232D R-______. Live listening 984km
** Personal Skegness 'First'
A good night for MS. I chose 102.6, a frequency usually dominated by Tournai, but putting the aerial at 70-80 degrees meant that it was much less of a problem. This bearing also probably helped bring in Raadio 2 from Koeru. Radio TON and RBB Fritz were regularly heard on pings.
Estonia is one of three new countries I have received this week via MS. Latvia and Lithuania are the other two, but then my antenna has been pointing slightly further north than usual at 70 or 80 degrees. Even so, the Spanish reception on 87.6 just shows that anything is possible.
People are asking where the Es have gone. 1. We were spoilt by last year's phenomenal Es season in England. 2. We were sent an early teaser on the 26th with a brief band 2 opening. This was unusually early. Don't write off this year's season yet! We don't usually expect band 2 Es until the end of May, so anything before then is a bonus.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
102.6 0017 EST Raadio 2, Koeru (Jae) Lively pop track, as web. Two second burst 1708km **
102.6 0023 SVK SRo 3 Rádio Devín, Banská Stiavnica/Sitno (BB) Piano music, as web. Two
second burst 1402km **
102.6 0045 D Radio TON Heilbronn, Schwäbisch Hall (bwü) Belinda Carlisle, as web 795km **
102.6 0310 F France Bleu, Multiple sites. Likely Mulhouse. This tx has been heard frequently
via MS on 88.6 (France Culture). OM with phone number. Tnx Cédric, Stuart
and Jean-Louis for help with this **
102.6 0559 D RBB Fritz, Berlin/Alexanderplatz (brb) Pops, as web 880km **
102.6 0602 D Radio ffn, Cuxhaven Otterndorf (nds) FFN own news with OM over music, as web.
Four second burst 571km **
102.6 0602 D NDR 2, Stadthagen/Bückeberge (nds) Pops, as web. Three second burst 606km **
102.6 0649 D MDR Info, Weimar-Ehringsdorf (thü) YL talking to OM, as web 791km **
102.6 0659 EST Raadio 2, Koeru (Jae) In again with distinctive guitar playing, as web.
Two second burst 1708km
87.6 1000 E RNE Radio Nacional, Multi-tx Top of the hour jingle. Live listening **
88.6 1125 CZE CRo Vltava, Klatovy/Doubrava (PL) 232D R-______. Live listening 984km
** Personal Skegness 'First'
A good night for MS. I chose 102.6, a frequency usually dominated by Tournai, but putting the aerial at 70-80 degrees meant that it was much less of a problem. This bearing also probably helped bring in Raadio 2 from Koeru. Radio TON and RBB Fritz were regularly heard on pings.
Estonia is one of three new countries I have received this week via MS. Latvia and Lithuania are the other two, but then my antenna has been pointing slightly further north than usual at 70 or 80 degrees. Even so, the Spanish reception on 87.6 just shows that anything is possible.
People are asking where the Es have gone. 1. We were spoilt by last year's phenomenal Es season in England. 2. We were sent an early teaser on the 26th with a brief band 2 opening. This was unusually early. Don't write off this year's season yet! We don't usually expect band 2 Es until the end of May, so anything before then is a bonus.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Thursday, 8 May 2014
Skegness Log: 08-05-14 (FM)
Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
104.1 0014 CZE Frekvence 1, Plzen/Krasov (PL) YL on phone to OM, as web 947km **
104.1 0157 ROU Kiss FM, Petrosani/Parâng (HD) Pops, as web 1877km **
104.1 0206 POL Radio Zet, Kraków/Choragwica (MP) Polish OM and bleepy music, as web 1406km **
104.1 0235 LTU ZIP FM, Kaunas - Juragiai (Kau) Soft YL song, as web 1538km **
104.1 0247 D delta radio, Bungsberg/DTAG-Turm (shs) Vocal ID by OM 694km **
104.1 0516 D N-JOY, Ueckermünde (mev) Distinctive pop song, as web 910km **
104.1 1227 AUT KRONEHIT, Rechnitz 2/Hirschenstein BKF (bur) Suspect Rechnitz, but Lend
also listed at 135W 1308km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
A night of mostly very short pings, but with some longer burst around dawn which lasted around half a minute.
104.1 around sunrise became a mixture of Joe FM from Egem and the new outlet of Radio 10 from Arnhem. Radio 10 seems to be dominating most of the time when scatter is present, but WDR4 from Olsberg also shows itself from time to time.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
104.1 0014 CZE Frekvence 1, Plzen/Krasov (PL) YL on phone to OM, as web 947km **
104.1 0157 ROU Kiss FM, Petrosani/Parâng (HD) Pops, as web 1877km **
104.1 0206 POL Radio Zet, Kraków/Choragwica (MP) Polish OM and bleepy music, as web 1406km **
104.1 0235 LTU ZIP FM, Kaunas - Juragiai (Kau) Soft YL song, as web 1538km **
104.1 0247 D delta radio, Bungsberg/DTAG-Turm (shs) Vocal ID by OM 694km **
104.1 0516 D N-JOY, Ueckermünde (mev) Distinctive pop song, as web 910km **
104.1 1227 AUT KRONEHIT, Rechnitz 2/Hirschenstein BKF (bur) Suspect Rechnitz, but Lend
also listed at 135W 1308km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
A night of mostly very short pings, but with some longer burst around dawn which lasted around half a minute.
104.1 around sunrise became a mixture of Joe FM from Egem and the new outlet of Radio 10 from Arnhem. Radio 10 seems to be dominating most of the time when scatter is present, but WDR4 from Olsberg also shows itself from time to time.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Skegness Log: 07-05-14 (FM)
Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
104.2 0045 D Berliner Rundfunk 91.4, Frankfurt (Oder) Booßen (brb) Bryan Ferry song,
as web. Two second burst 951km **
104.2 0108 D Landeswelle Thüringen, Inselsberg (thü) Now familar German song, as web.
Four second burst 739km **
104.2 0112 AUT Energy 104,2, Wien 5/RiFu Arsenal (wie) Pops, as web 1256km **
104.2 0337 POL Radio Zet, Bialogard or Jelenia Góra Pops, as web **
104.2 0430 BEL AFN PowerNet, Casteau-Shape (wal-hnt) Big burst above v weak scatter. US OM
over guitar song. 386km **
104.2 0504 LVA LR 1, Rezekne/Griskani (Rez) Latvian OM, as web. Two second burst 1762km **
104.2 0716 AUT KRONEHIT, Hallein/Zinkenkogel (sal) Pop song, as web. Two second burst 1090km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Some long meteor bursts overnight, occasionally lasting up to 30 seconds or more.
Sporadic E:
There were two brief bursts of Slavic/Balkan Es earlier this evening at 1817, both times on 87.8 and 88.5.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
104.2 0045 D Berliner Rundfunk 91.4, Frankfurt (Oder) Booßen (brb) Bryan Ferry song,
as web. Two second burst 951km **
104.2 0108 D Landeswelle Thüringen, Inselsberg (thü) Now familar German song, as web.
Four second burst 739km **
104.2 0112 AUT Energy 104,2, Wien 5/RiFu Arsenal (wie) Pops, as web 1256km **
104.2 0337 POL Radio Zet, Bialogard or Jelenia Góra Pops, as web **
104.2 0430 BEL AFN PowerNet, Casteau-Shape (wal-hnt) Big burst above v weak scatter. US OM
over guitar song. 386km **
104.2 0504 LVA LR 1, Rezekne/Griskani (Rez) Latvian OM, as web. Two second burst 1762km **
104.2 0716 AUT KRONEHIT, Hallein/Zinkenkogel (sal) Pop song, as web. Two second burst 1090km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Some long meteor bursts overnight, occasionally lasting up to 30 seconds or more.
Sporadic E:
There were two brief bursts of Slavic/Balkan Es earlier this evening at 1817, both times on 87.8 and 88.5.
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Skegness Log: 06-05-14 (FM)
Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
89.1 1031 CZE CRo Radiozurnál, Plzen/Krazov (PL) OM, as web 947km **
89.1 1051 NOR NRK P1, Multi-tx Sadly not on local programming **
89.1 1059 D Deutschlandfunk (DLF), Bonn-Bad Godesberg/Heiderhof (nrw)
German rap piece, as web 543km **
89.1 1111 G BBC Radio 2, Multi-tx MS enhancement to Wrotham **
92.4 1158 SVN Val 202, Plesivec (Urslja Gora) (sg) Jazz, as web 1282km **
92.4 1201 ? UNID English news. News in British English
92.4 1238 NOR NRK P1, Melhus/Vassfjellet Vassfjellvegen (st) Local programming. Pops,
as web 1265km **
92.4 1305 D RBB Kulturradio, Berlin/Scholzplatz (brb) Classical music, as web
868km **
92.4 1401 I RTL 102.5, Multi-tx. Sinnai and Rocca Di Papa most likely OM Vocal ID **
92.4 1612 D SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Witthoh (Tuttlingen) (bwü) Level 42 song, as web.
Eight sescond burst 834km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Meteor pings, bursts and flutters are on the increase again!
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
89.1 1031 CZE CRo Radiozurnál, Plzen/Krazov (PL) OM, as web 947km **
89.1 1051 NOR NRK P1, Multi-tx Sadly not on local programming **
89.1 1059 D Deutschlandfunk (DLF), Bonn-Bad Godesberg/Heiderhof (nrw)
German rap piece, as web 543km **
89.1 1111 G BBC Radio 2, Multi-tx MS enhancement to Wrotham **
92.4 1158 SVN Val 202, Plesivec (Urslja Gora) (sg) Jazz, as web 1282km **
92.4 1201 ? UNID English news. News in British English
92.4 1238 NOR NRK P1, Melhus/Vassfjellet Vassfjellvegen (st) Local programming. Pops,
as web 1265km **
92.4 1305 D RBB Kulturradio, Berlin/Scholzplatz (brb) Classical music, as web
868km **
92.4 1401 I RTL 102.5, Multi-tx. Sinnai and Rocca Di Papa most likely OM Vocal ID **
92.4 1612 D SWR1 Baden-Württemberg, Witthoh (Tuttlingen) (bwü) Level 42 song, as web.
Eight sescond burst 834km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Meteor pings, bursts and flutters are on the increase again!
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Monday, 5 May 2014
Skegness Log: 05-05-14 (FM)
Band 2 General Scatter:
99.6 0945 HOL Radio Gelderland, Zaltbommel/Hulpweg (nbr) Pop song, as web on Hoorn fade
367km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
99.6 0945 HOL Radio Gelderland, Zaltbommel/Hulpweg (nbr) Pop song, as web on Hoorn fade
367km **
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Recent DX Videos
Here are some video grabs of scatter propagation from the last few days. These were recorded with CamStudio - software I am still having problems with. It will suddenly stop recording for no apparent reason. When it does this, it won't automatically save what has just been recorded and truncates it to the first few seconds. Other times I have been able to record as much as three hours worth of video.
CamStudio does have some very useful features though, so I will keep using it for a while at least.
YouTube have done the usual thing of blocking some of the audio, and even some of the video, giving their usual messages: "Matched third-party content"; "Audio muted due to claim"; "Video blocked in some countries". Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about this.
CamStudio does have some very useful features though, so I will keep using it for a while at least.
YouTube have done the usual thing of blocking some of the audio, and even some of the video, giving their usual messages: "Matched third-party content"; "Audio muted due to claim"; "Video blocked in some countries". Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about this.
Sunday, 4 May 2014
Skegness Log: 04-05-14 (FM)
Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
87.6 1109 E esRadio, Santiago de Compostela (GAL-C) E287. Live listening 1315km **
Band 2 General Scatter:
97.4 1242 D Deutschlandradio Kultur, Brocken (san) OM, descriptive talking, as web
712km
95.3 1254 D YOU FM (hr), Hardberg (hes) Dramatic YL song, as web 712km
101.7 1258 D Radio Salü, Saarbrücken/Schoksberg (saa) News before the hour! As web 628km
99.0 1300 D hr1, Hoher Meißner (hes) ID and news 684km
100.3 1305 D Planet Radio, Eisenberg (Neuenstein) (hes) Pops, as web 677km
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
87.6 1109 E esRadio, Santiago de Compostela (GAL-C) E287. Live listening 1315km **
Band 2 General Scatter:
97.4 1242 D Deutschlandradio Kultur, Brocken (san) OM, descriptive talking, as web
712km
95.3 1254 D YOU FM (hr), Hardberg (hes) Dramatic YL song, as web 712km
101.7 1258 D Radio Salü, Saarbrücken/Schoksberg (saa) News before the hour! As web 628km
99.0 1300 D hr1, Hoher Meißner (hes) ID and news 684km
100.3 1305 D Planet Radio, Eisenberg (Neuenstein) (hes) Pops, as web 677km
** Personal Skegness 'First'
Good DX!
John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification & XDR-GTK software.
Aerial:
Körner 9.2 at 5.5 metres AGL. Yaesu G-5500 elevation/azimuth rotator.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Körner 9.2 Installed at the new QTH!
It took two months to get there, but I finally got the Körner 9.2 antenna on the roof at the new QTH. It has actually been installed for about two weeks now so I can give a better overall assessment of general reception.
To recap. We moved to a new bungalow almost three months ago, where getting permission should have been simpler, in theory. In reality it became rather complicated but we got there in the end.
So how is reception? Is it any different at the new QTH? Is the FM band any noisier?
"Yes" and "No" are the respective answers. Reception is actually better (I had expected it to be no different), though I don't think any of us escape the noise levels completely these days. I haven't. There is a slight noise to the south when horizontal, but it's not a major problems. It varies in strength too. It sounds like nothing I have heard before. It is a 50Hz hum for about 15 minutes and then it becomes white noise. At 10dB it is not going to be a major problem, though I have occasionally seen it up to 20dB and has been known to come in on different bearings. I am fully aware things can change at any moment, such is the level of 'borrowed time' we are all living on regarding noise levels.
Reception to the east is surprisingly good. I now have regular daily scatter from German transmitters like Heidelstein, Kreuzberg-Rhon, Brocken, Torfhaus, Inselberg and Hoher Meissner, all delivered daily on tap! Their signal strengths vary from non-existent to noise free (if I am lucky). Many other less common German transmitters are audible on a daily basis too such as Saarburg, Bad Marienburg, Donnersberg and Bielefeld. The nearer transmitters like Langenberg, Aachen, Munster, Bonn, Gottelborner Hohe, Kleve and Barbelkreuz peak to noise free levels and can reach PI code level on a good day via scatter. Even local stations in Nordrhein-Westfalen are creeping through on good days. I have so far identified 105.2 Radio RST, Schoppingen, 106.9 Radio Euskirchen, 107.4 Radio Wuppertal, Wuppertal via scatter. Naturally, these signals are very weak.
To the north-east, I hear Lingen, Aurich, Bremen, etc. almost constantly, plus occasional scatter from Rangstrup in Denmark and even Bjerkreim in south-west Norway. Heide and Flensburg flutter up and down occasionally too, very weakly.
Reception to the south is disappointing, however. I cannot explain this. The 9.2 'sees' a reasonable take-off in all directions. I can still receive Kippure, Mount Leinster and Clermont Carn on an almost daily basis, but northern transmitters like Caen and Rouen struggle. Brest can be OK at times, but moving to more distant transmitters such as Troyes and Bourges and I struggle. Some you win, some you lose.
Reception inland is worse too, which is good thing as far as I am concerned. But the FM band is more solid with continental transmitters from Holland and Belgium. This is nice but some of them are now frequency blockers for more distant transmitters.
Overall, I am very happy with the situation, but while some DXers say I am very lucky to be able to receive so many continental transmitters, you have to remember that many of them are now my 'locals' in a sense and can actually be a nuisance.
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