Pages

Friday, 29 August 2014

Skegness Log: 29-08-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 87.6 2235 CZE Radio Impuls, Brno/Kojál (JM) 2203 _IMPULS_. Radiotext and AFs. 37dBf  1219km

OIRT Sporadic E:
 68.24 0817 UKR Radio Mariya v Ukraini, Antopil'/RFKRRT, vul. Kyivs'ka, 12 (RI) Jingle ID 
                1803km
 66.53 0818 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Antopil'/RFKRRT, vul. Kyivs'ka, 12 (RI) OM, as web 
                1803km
 67.46 0818 UKR UR 2 Radio Promin', Antopil'/RFKRRT, vul. Kyivs'ka, 12 (RI) Phone
                caller, as web  1803km
 69.68 0820 BLR BR Radio Brest, Brest/Rakitnica (BR) Pops, as web  1593km
 70.91 1754 UKR Radio Mariya v Ukraini, Vinnytsya/VFKRRT, vul. Maksymovycha, 23 (VI) OM and
                YL, as web  1992km
 71.75 1755 UKR UR 2 Radio Promin', Lozova/TFKRRT, vul. Pol'ova, 13 (TE) Ad break, as web  1793km
 71.93 1755 UKR UR 3 Radio Kul'tura, Balanivka/VFKRRT (VI) YL, as web  2096km
 73.55 1756 UKR Radio Mariya v Ukraini, Horodok/KHFKRRT, vul. Radyans'ka, 1a (KM) OM and YL,
                as web  1871km **
 73.73 1757 UKR Radio Mariya v Ukraini, Kul'chiyivtsi/KHFKRRT (KM) As others  1907km **
 67.70 1758 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Khmel'nyts'kyy/KHFKRRT, prosp. Myru, 43 (KM) OM, as web 
                1887km
 69.35 1759 UKR UR 3 Radio Kul'tura, Vesternychany/OORTPTS, vul. Voroshylova, 115a (OD) Jingle
                ID  2139km **
 69.83 1759 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Lozova/TFKRRT, vul. Pol'ova, 13 (TE) Local music, as web 
                1793km
 69.92 1800 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Pervomais'k/MFKRRT, Pidgornyans'ke shose, 13 (MY)
                ID and news, as web  2209km **
 70.46 1800 UKR UR 2 Radio Promin', Khmel'nyts'kyy/KHFKRRT, prosp. Myru, 43 (KM) News,
                as web  1887km
 70.76 1801 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Kul'chiyivtsi/KHFKRRT (KM) YL news, as web  1907km
 71.69 1801 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Vinnytsya/VFKRRT, vul. Maksymovycha, 23 (VI) YL news,
                     as web  1992km
 72.89 1802 UKR UR 2 Radio Promin', Kul'chiyivtsi/KHFKRRT (KM) OM news, as web  1907km
 66.98 1803 UKR UR 1 Persha Prog., Kirovohrad/KFKRRT, vul. Sadova, 88 (KH) YL news, as web 
                2282km
 67.82 1804 UKR Svitle radio Emmanuyil, L'viv/LFKRRT, Vysokyy zamok, 9 (LV) Religious talk,
                over piano music, as web  1674km
 68.48 1818 MDA RFE/RL, Straseni/STRV (ST) Vocal ID  2105km **
 70.31 1820 MDA RFE/RL, Edinet/SRTV (ED) OMs, as other frequency  1966km

Band 2 Sporadic E:
 90.2 1808 MDA Radio Noroc, Nisporeni (NS) Dance music, as web  2083km **
 88.0 1812 POL PR 1, Krosno/Sucha Góra (PK) 3211 __DYNKA_. AFs point to this tx  1530km
 88.6 1812 POL PR 2, Tarnów/Lichwin (MP) 3222  1465km
 87.6 1814 BUL BNR Radio Shumen, Shumen/RRTS Venets (shm) 8236  2220km


** Personal Skegness 'First'

I wonder why we don't have more openings to Moldova on band 2, considering the distance. It's the same as southern Italy or the regular Algerian stations for most of us in the UK, so why the relative absence? Yet another mystery of sporadic E.


Two unidentifieds from this opening:


https://app.box.com/s/8tt95vhgbyciflll56ju
https://app.box.com/s/uc5rdphe0memrlm7suy


Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.

Skegness Log: 29-08-14 (MW)

 981 2200 CHN CNR1, Multi-tx Chinese time pips Weak
1224 2200 CHN Chinese time signal Vweak
1539 2200 CHN CNR 1, Golmud/SARFT916 (QH) Chinese time signal Vweak  7135 km


Yes, these are mostly time signals I can hear, often the only recognisable things which are able to penetrate through the QRM, but things should improve as the season progresses.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com

Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna:  10ft x 25ft flag at 28 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; Mestor    

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Skegness Log: 28-08-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 97.2 0848  S  SR P3, Uddevalla/Herrestad TM (vg) YLs talking, as web. Live listening  922km
 93.3 1106 HRV HRT-HR 1, Beli Manastir (os) C201. Live listening  1552km

Band 2 Aircraft Scatter:
 97.2 0840 DNK DR P3, Rangstrup/Gammel Tøndervej 28 (sdk-sjy) Rock song, as web. Scatter  617km
 93.3 0841 DNK DR P1, Aalborg-Frejlev/Svenstrupvej 25 (njy) Danish OM, as web. Scatter  740km
 95.1 0850 DNK DR P2, Rangstrup/Gammel Tøndervej 28 (sdk-sjy) Opera, as web. Scatter  617km
 91.8 0945 NOR NRK Petre, Bjerkreim/Urdalsnipa (ro) Pops, as web  703km


Very good scatter to the north-east today. Scatter has been well below par for the last two or more weeks. This may well tie in with our recent unseasonal weather. Unseasonal? I mean, how can we have temperatures of freezing point and a ground frost in the middle of summer? It's a joke!

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.  

Denmark & Norway via Aircraft Scatter

Nice scatter conditions to Scandinavia this morning and not a hint of tropo. 

97.2 Danmarks Radio 2, Rangstrup, via aircraft scatter at 617 km

91.8 NRK Petre, Bjerkreim, via aircraft scatter at 703 km

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Skegness Log: 27-08-14 (FM)

Band 2 Auroral:
 87.8 1803 NOR NRK P1, Hovdefjell (aa) YL news then Brian Ferry, Lets Stick Together, as web 
               805km **
 88.0 1824 NOR NRK1, Gulen or Bagn Music, as web **


** Personal Skegness 'First' via this mode

I have removed a couple of Dutch stations, 87.9 Omroep Zeeland and 88.0 NPO2, from this log as I originally thought they were received via aurora. Their signals peaked to the NNW, the same direction as the aurora at the time, and sounded very scratchy. There was a definite distinction in directivity with their signals fading away completely between N and E and then returning to their regular scatter. After some studies I am still not 100% certain that they could just have been received 'off the back', so I have removed them from the log.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.    

Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Skegness Log: 26-08-14 (FM)

Band 2 OIRT:
 67.13 1824 RUS Radio Rossii, Sortavala/RTPS (KR) Russian OMs, as web  2025km

Band 2 Sporadic E:
 90.7 0918 ALG Chaîne 1, Aflou (3) YL, as web  2120km
 87.6 0919 ALG Radio Laghouat, Aflou (3) Presume, as 90.7 Chaine 1 received. Arabic/French OM 
               2120km
 88.6 0926  E  IB3 Ràdio, Es Mercadal/El Toro (BAL-MN) E2A0 IB3RADIO  1492km
 87.9 0928  E  RNE Radio Clásica, Bunyola/Alfabia (BAL-ML) Classical, as web  1503km
 88.4 0930 ALG Chaîne 3, Chréa (9) Presumed. French OM  1872km
 87.8 0950  E  Catalunya Música, Calonge/Mas Nou (CAT-GI) Classical music, as web  1275km
 88.1 0952  E  Los 40 Principales, Rocacorba (CAT-GI) E235 40_PRINC  1245km **
 87.6 1636  I  R101, Cagliari/Palazzo Griffa (ca) 5215 _R_101__  1688km
 88.0 1636  I  Radiolina, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) Normal Greenbaum song, as 88.2  1513km
 88.2 1639  I  Radiolina, Capoterra/Poggio dei Pini (ca) Vocal ID after pops  1689km
 88.6 1639  I  RDS - Radio Dimensione Suono, Tempio Pausania/Monte Limbara (ot)
               5264 *_RDS_*_  1521km
 88.9 1639  I  RAI Radio1, Tempio Pausania/Monte Limbara (RAI) (ot) 5201 __RAI___ _RADIO1_ 
               1521km
 89.4 1640  I  RTL 102.5, Tempio Pausania/Monte Limbara (ot) 5218 RTL102.5  1521km
 87.5 1642  I  Radio Maria, Sant'Antioco/Località Batteria/Monte Cresia (ci) 51CC R.MARIA_ 
               1684km
 93.3 1642  I  Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana, Teulada/Su Calcinau (ca) 5220 R_IT__IA  1704km
 91.2 1643  F  Virgin Radio, Saint-Tropez/Saint-Peire (83) F219  1186km
 91.8 1644  F  France Inter, Plan-de-la-Tour (83) Vocal ID  1186km **
 93.0 1645  I  Radio 105 Network, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 5211  1678km
 93.3 1645  I  RAI Radio2, Santu Lussurgiu/Punta Badde Urbara (RAI) (or) 5202 __RAI___  1575km
 89.0 1646  I  Radio Otto Nove Classics, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 58BD OTTONOVE  1678km
 90.7 1646  I  RAI Radio1, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (RAI) (ca) 5201 __RAI___  1678km
 95.5 1647  I  Radio Sportiva, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) 5244  1513km
 97.3 1648  I  RAI Radio3, Santu Lussurgiu/Punta Badde Urbara (RAI) (or) 5203 __RAI___  1575km
 99.6 1648  I  R101, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) 5215 _R_101__  1513km **
101.3 1649  I  Radio Capital, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) Vocal ID  1513km
103.6 1649  I  Radio Studio One, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 5495  1678km
104.0 1650  I  Radio Studio 2000, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 5499  1678km
 87.7 1651  I  RDS - Radio Dimensione Suono, Santu Lussurgiu/Punta Badde Urbara
               (or) 5264 *_RDS_*_  1576km
107.3 1651  I  Radio Maria, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 51CC ____RI__  1678km
107.6 1651  I  Radio Maria, Capoterra/Poggio dei Pini (ca) OM, as 107.3  1689km **
 87.9 1652  I  R101, Sant'Antioco/Località Batteria/Monte Cresia (ci) 5215  1684km
 92.2 1655 TUN Radio Zitouna FM, Gorraa (bej) Chanting, as web  1976km
 88.0 1656 TUN Radio Zitouna FM, Djebel Zaghouan (zag) Arabic chanting, as others  2016km
 97.8 1656 TUN Radio Zitouna FM, Maktar/Souk Jomaa (kas) Arabic chanting, as web  2039km
 92.7 1658  I  RAI Radio2, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (RAI) (ca) Onda Verde programme  1678km
 87.9 1706 ALG Radio Tébessa, Doukhane (12) Phone in, as web  2071km
 87.7 1752 ALG Radio Chlef, Aïn N'sour (48) Back to back Arabic music, as web  1913km
 88.0 1802  E  Megaparty FM, Benitatxell/Puig Llorença (VAL-A) 1000 _Cheryl_ _Cole___
               Megaparty  1605km
 87.8 1804 ALG Chaîne 1, Mecheria (45) Twangy music, as web  2177km
 89.3 1805  E  RNE Radio Nacional, Benicàssim/El Bartolo (VAL-CS) E211 __E_1___  1453km
 89.2 1807  E  Bay Radio, Dénia/La Segària (VAL-A) Phil Collins track, as web  1594km
 87.9 1858  I  Radio Camaldoli Stereo, Ercolano-Vesuvio/Area Osservatorio (na) 5006  1730km
 88.0 1906  I  Radio Capital, Corbara/Hotel Green Park (sa) 5219  1749km
 88.4 1907  I  Radio Globo, Ercolano-Vesuvio/Area Osservatorio (na) 5E29 _GLOBO__  1730km


** Personal Skegness 'First'

Another nice late season opening. It was a bit messy at times with long gaps of nothing, but with lots of little teasers, typical of so many Es openings this summer.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.

Skegness Log: 26-08-14 (FM)

OIRT Sporadic E:
 67.13 1824 RUS Radio Rossii, Sortavala/RTPS (KR) Russian OMs, as web  2025km

Band 2 Sporadic E:
 90.7 0918 ALG Chaîne 1, Aflou (3) YL, as web  2120km
 87.6 0919 ALG Radio Laghouat, Aflou (3) Presume, as 90.7 Chaine 1 received. Arabic/French OM 
               2120km
 88.6 0926  E  IB3 Ràdio, Es Mercadal/El Toro (BAL-MN) E2A0 IB3RADIO  1492km
 87.9 0928  E  RNE Radio Clásica, Bunyola/Alfabia (BAL-ML) Classical, as web  1503km
 88.4 0930 ALG Chaîne 3, Chréa (9) Presumed. French OM  1872km
 87.8 0950  E  Catalunya Música, Calonge/Mas Nou (CAT-GI) Classical music, as web  1275km
 88.1 0952  E  Los 40 Principales, Rocacorba (CAT-GI) E235 40_PRINC  1245km **
 87.6 1636  I  R101, Cagliari/Palazzo Griffa (ca) 5215 _R_101__  1688km
 88.0 1636  I  Radiolina, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) Normal Greenbaum song, as 88.2  1513km
 88.2 1639  I  Radiolina, Capoterra/Poggio dei Pini (ca) Vocal ID after pops  1689km
 88.6 1639  I  RDS - Radio Dimensione Suono, Tempio Pausania/Monte Limbara (ot)
               5264 *_RDS_*_  1521km
 88.9 1639  I  RAI Radio1, Tempio Pausania/Monte Limbara (RAI) (ot) 5201 __RAI___ _RADIO1_ 
               1521km
 89.4 1640  I  RTL 102.5, Tempio Pausania/Monte Limbara (ot) 5218 RTL102.5  1521km
 87.5 1642  I  Radio Maria, Sant'Antioco/Località Batteria/Monte Cresia (ci) 51CC R.MARIA_  1684km
 93.3 1642  I  Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana, Teulada/Su Calcinau (ca) 5220 R_IT__IA 
               1704km
 91.2 1643  F  Virgin Radio, Saint-Tropez/Saint-Peire (83) F219  1186km
 91.8 1644  F  France Inter, Plan-de-la-Tour (83) Vocal ID  1186km **
 93.0 1645  I  Radio 105 Network, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 5211  1678km
 93.3 1645  I  RAI Radio2, Santu Lussurgiu/Punta Badde Urbara (RAI) (or) 5202 __RAI___  1575km
 89.0 1646  I  Radio Otto Nove Classics, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 58BD OTTONOVE  1678km
 90.7 1646  I  RAI Radio1, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (RAI) (ca) 5201 __RAI___  1678km
 95.5 1647  I  Radio Sportiva, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) 5244  1513km
 97.3 1648  I  RAI Radio3, Santu Lussurgiu/Punta Badde Urbara (RAI) (or) 5203 __RAI___  1575km
 99.6 1648  I  R101, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) 5215 _R_101__  1513km **
101.3 1649  I  Radio Capital, Sassari/Monte Oro (ss) Vocal ID  1513km
103.6 1649  I  Radio Studio One, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 5495  1678km
104.0 1650  I  Radio Studio 2000, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 5499  1678km
 87.7 1651  I  RDS - Radio Dimensione Suono, Santu Lussurgiu/Punta Badde Urbara
               (or) 5264 *_RDS_*_  1576km
107.3 1651  I  Radio Maria, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (ca) 51CC ____RI__  1678km
107.6 1651  I  Radio Maria, Capoterra/Poggio dei Pini (ca) OM, as 107.3  1689km **
 87.9 1652  I  R101, Sant'Antioco/Località Batteria/Monte Cresia (ci) 5215  1684km
 92.2 1655 TUN Radio Zitouna FM, Gorraa (bej) Chanting, as web  1976km
 88.0 1656 TUN Radio Zitouna FM, Djebel Zaghouan (zag) Arabic chanting, as others  2016km
 97.8 1656 TUN Radio Zitouna FM, Maktar/Souk Jomaa (kas) Arabic chanting, as web  2039km
 92.7 1658  I  RAI Radio2, Sinnai/Monte Serpeddi (RAI) (ca) Onda Verde programme  1678km
 87.9 1706 ALG Radio Tébessa, Doukhane (12) Phone in, as web  2071km
 87.7 1752 ALG Radio Chlef, Aïn N'sour (48) Back to back Arabic music, as web  1913km
 88.0 1802  E  Megaparty FM, Benitatxell/Puig Llorença (VAL-A) 1000 _Cheryl_ _Cole___
               Megaparty  1605km
 87.8 1804 ALG Chaîne 1, Mecheria (45) Twangy music, as web  2177km
 89.3 1805  E  RNE Radio Nacional, Benicàssim/El Bartolo (VAL-CS) E211 __E_1___  1453km
 89.2 1807  E  Bay Radio, Dénia/La Segària (VAL-A) Phil Collins track, as web  1594km
 87.9 1858  I  Radio Camaldoli Stereo, Ercolano-Vesuvio/Area Osservatorio (na) 5006  1730km
 88.0 1906  I  Radio Capital, Corbara/Hotel Green Park (sa) 5219  1749km
 88.4 1907  I  Radio Globo, Ercolano-Vesuvio/Area Osservatorio (na) 5E29 _GLOBO__  1730km


** Personal Skegness 'First'

Continuing our bizarre Es season. It's been better at either end and mostly rubbish in the middle. Nothing makes sense anymore!

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.  

Skegness Log: 26-08-14 (MW)

1098 1900 CHN CNR 11, Golmud/SARFT916 (QH) Time pips and Beijing ID Weak  7136 km
1566 1900 KOR HLAZ FEBC, Jeju=Cheju (jej) Time signal and anthem Weak     9067 km
 972 2000 KOR HLCA KBS Hanminjok Bangsong 1, Dangjin (ccg) Korean time signal behind Germany
              Weak  8740 km
1134 2000 KOR HLKC KBS 3 Radio, Hwaseong (gye) Korean time signal Vweak  8724 km
1350 2000  J  JOER RCC Chugoku Hoso, Etajima/Okimi (chg-hir) Familiar time signal, as 1413
              Vweak  9252 km
1413 2000  J  JOIF KBC-Kyushu Asahi Hoso, Fukuoka (kyu-fuk) Familiar time signal Vweak  9225 km
1557 2000 TWN RTI iLoveMusic 1557/Radio Taiwan Int., Kouhu (YL) Time signal Weak  9715 km


Really surprised to hear Japan so earlyin the season. Hopefully it's a good sign.

Yes, these are mostly time signals I can hear, often the only recognisable things which are able to penetrate through the QRM, but things should improve as the season progresses.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com

Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna:  10ft x 25ft flag at 28 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; Mestor  

Monday, 25 August 2014

Skegness Log: 25-08-14 (MW)

 738 2200 CHN Xinjiang RGD 738 Zonghe, Ürümqi/Hutubi-XJTS631 (XJ) Presumed with Chinese time
              signal Vweak  6042 km
1359 2200 CHN Chinese time signal Vweak


Yes, these are mostly time signals I can hear, often the only recognisable things which are able to penetrate through the QRM, but things should improve as the season progresses.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com

Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna:  10ft x 25ft flag at 28 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; Mestor

Sunday, 24 August 2014

Back To Medium Wave DXing!

Around this time of year I turn some of my radio attentions towards the medium wave band, though I have never started quite this early. Usually it's mid September or even October when I get around to constructing my flag antenna. I just fancied trying things a little earlier this year as we are in a new property and I wanted to know if the band was quiet here. Walking around the garden, listening to a portable radio, my Degen DE1103, showed that the band is very quiet indeed. Will a flag be equally as quiet though?

This season I was thinking about running two flag antennas. One for the North American continent and one for the far east. One corner of the garden seemed perfect for these flags and it was my plan to devise some system where I can have a movable flag. Two pairs of supports could be fixed along two fences which would allow me to lift the flag out of one set and into another. That was the plan.

Nervously, I began to construct the supports for the flag and fixed them to the fence. "Nervous"? Yes, very. It's because I have had so many problems with neighbours in the past that I have become really conscious of my hobby and everything about it when it comes to almost any aspect hobby that I begin to look over my shoulders to see who might be watching. Accounts of my many problems on this matter are documented elsewhere in this blog.

Back to the construction. As I fixed the supports for the North American flag to the fence I spotted something I had missed. A telephone wire, coming down from a telegraph pole outside the front of a neighbouring property and into the roof, was going to be right in the way of the North American flag. This flag would be ten feet high off the ground and would actually touch the cable, running parallel with it for a couple of metres. Would this telephone cable cause any interference? I placed my DE1103 near the wire and listened with disappointment as the radio gave out a horrible growl, right across the whole of medium wave. Bang goes the North American flag!

Undeterred, I proceeded with the construction of the far east flag, which would be about four or five metres away from the telephone cable. I had this up and running in no time and went to the shack to make the final connections. Switching on the Perseus revealed a superbly quiet medium wave band. Long wave was also fabulously electrically quiet. There was no need to insert my ferrite chokes as I was forced to at the previous address due to the excessive electrical noise I experienced there.

Time for a quick tune around the medium wave band. I adjusted the variable resistor to get a null on 1026 kHz, the frequency of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. This transmitter is roughly on the back end of the flag's 'beam' and I managed to eliminate it completely, leaving what I presumed to be Tabriz, Iran, completely dominating the frequency. 1521 had a clear signal from CRI, Urumqi, China. This was actually producing a stronger signal than was my local station, BBC Radio Lincolnshire on 1368!

So far so good. Fingers crossed now that conditions pick up and give us all some good medium wave DX.