My AM Archive: October 2015

 AUTUMN 2015 brings these memories of Medium Wave radio broadcasts, heard in the Eden Valley, Cumbria, England.

The previous post in this thread, My AM Archive: August 2015, can be found here.

Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

Receiver used: Roberts R881.

October 2015 : Medium Wave

• [Tuesday] 20 October [2015]: 1817 UTC: 531 kHz: Jil FM [Algeria]  Music: Choral singing, speech by female. Music and speech interchanging. French language speech.
  Fair to poor reception.
  Music: The Beatles 'The Long And Winding Road' ['Signal at best level at this point']; Music: Dionne Warwick 'Walk On By'.
  Transmission site: F'Kirina [Algeria] 600 kW.
  Logged to 1840 UTC.

Logo for Kossuth Radio, Budapest, Hungary.

• 20 October: 1848 UTC: 540 kHz: Kossuth Radio [Hungary]  Speech from male and female, ident, continuation of speech. Strong signal from MR1 Kossuth Radio, broadcasting in the Hungarian language, from Hungary. Reception fading.
  Good to poor reception.
  Top of the hour idents.
  MR1 Kossuth Radio via Solt [Hungary] 2 MW (2 MegaWatts!).
  Logged to 1900 UTC.
• 20 October: 1914 UTC: 549 kHz: UR1 Pershiy kanal [Ukraine]  Speech, followed by music: Eiffel 65 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)'. Sports programme? Weaker signal. Male speech.
  Fair reception; 550 kW via Mykolaiv/Luch [Ukraine].
  Logged to 1923 UTC.
• 20 October: 1925 UTC: 549 kHz: Spirit Radio [Ireland]  Pop / rock song, link by female into Spirit Radio ID, segue into next song.
  Good to poor reception; English language via Carrickroe transmission site, Co Donegal. 11 / 25 kW.
  Music at 1934 UTC; Male speech at 1935 UTC. Contact details for Co Wicklow, Republic of Ireland. Programme: Evenings with Olga Kaye.
  Logged to 1945 UTC.
• 20 October: 1951 UTC: 549 kHz: Deutschlandfunk [Germany]  Long piano piece, applause, male speech in German language.
  Fair to poor reception via Thurnau [Germany] 100 kW.
  Programme: 'Jazz Live' Vijay Iyer.
  Logged to 20:02 UTC.
• 20 October: 2034 UTC: 576 kHz: RNE Radio 5 [Spain]  Barely audible, but clear, Spanish, male speech.
  Poor reception via Barcelona [Spain] 100 kW.
  Logged to 2041 UTC.
• 20 October: 2046 UTC: 585 kHz: BBC Radio Scotland  Sport: Interview with Alan Stubbs, speaking about the standard of refereeing in football; Discussion also included fourth officials and linesmen - Sudden interjection by music! Male host then apologises for interruption by music, returning to football discussion, following tonight's match which was Hibernian FC v Falkirk FC. Programme: 'SportSound'.
  Excellent to fair reception; 2 kW via Dumfries, Scotland.
  10pm [UK time] news headlines: Steelworks in Motherwell & Clyde to be mothballed. Sport & weather updates.
  Programme: 'Another Country' with Ricky Ross: Owen Bradley: The Nashville Sound. Country music show, playing Patsy Cline 'Walking After Midnight' followed by 'Night Train To Memphis'.
  Logged to 2100 UTC.

Google Maps image of the Dumfries transmission site.

• 20 October: 21:11 UTC: 603 kHz: BBC Radio 4  'The World Tonight' Report regarding China's [President] Xi Jinping's state visit to the UK, meeting the Royal Family.
  Excellent to good reception; 2 kW via Wrekenton (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne).
  Logged to 2121 UTC.
• 20 October: 2127 UTC: 603 kHz: France Info  Strong, clear speech from France Info! Male speech with regards to Bashar Assad, the leader of war-torn Syria. Speech from female, male, idents and 'stabs'.
  Excellent to fair reception; 300 kW via Tramoyes, Lyon, France.
  Preview of the new 'Star Wars' movie to be released! Football: Champions League football update.
  [Broadcast in French language]
  Logged to 2144 UTC.
• 20 October: 2157 UTC: 621 kHz: RTBF International [Belgium]  Very faint music, very faint speech, female reading frequencies in kiloHertz. Music. Off air at 2200 UTC.
  Fair reception; 300 kW via Wavre, Belgium.
  Logged to 2200 UTC.
• 20 October: 2207 UTC: 630 kHz: BBC Three Counties Radio  Music: Petula Clark 'Downtown'. Male speech, man on telephone. Female speech. Music: The Corrs 'What Can I Do' (Clear audio).
  Poor reception.
  Male speech, female speech, phone call. Music: 'My Boy Lollipop'. Male speech.
  Transmission site: Lewsey Farm, Luton. 200 kW.
  Logged to 2235 UTC.

Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower!

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My DX Archive: Winter 1997-98

TAKING a trip back twenty one years to the winter of 1997-98 for this selection of radio broadcasts heard on the Short Wave band. Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

December 1997: Short Wave

• 13 December [1997]: 1541 UTC: 6175 kHz: West Coast Radio Ireland Gerard Delaney 'Letter from Ireland': Biddy Earley, a witch. 'Letterbox' Christopher Lewis, 15, Shropshire, England. Martin Cowin has sent a Christmas card. Contact details.
• 14 December: 20 UTC: 12160 kHz: WWCR Address for Miami FL Florida. RTE Radio news: CJD death risk to 250 patients, blood products contaminated with CJD. Rioting in Londonderry following orange march. AA roadwatch: Crash in County Wicklow, Traffic in Galway, congestion in Dublin. Weather: Dry, clear, frost, 2-5°C. Ads: Alka Seltzer. Good to fair reception. Sports reports: Irish football, rugby, hurling, FAI Harp Lager football. English Premiership football, rugby. Gaelic games. Bolton 3 - Derby 3.
• 25 December: 1137 UTC: 6045 kHz: Radio Netherlands Strong to good reception. 'Media Network' archive special: Jim Cutler, Jonathan Marks, Andy Sennitt. Lou Josephs. Music: 'Silent Night'. Editor of 'Practical Wireless' on the answerline. Jim Henderson in Thailand. Email from Canada. Brian Clarke in Auckland, New Zealand (FM DXer). Latin American relays: Trinidad, Moscow, Poland, USA. 1503 kHz Radio London at Christmas and the New Year: Mick Jagger, Cat Stevens. VLU2, 1422 kHz, Victor G in Sri Lanka.
• 27 December: 1523 UTC: 6175 kHz: West Coast Radio Ireland Strong reception. Music: 'My Old Sligo Home'. Michael Commins. Gerard Delaney 'Letter From Ireland'. Music: Sinead O'Connor & The Chieftains 'Foggy Dew'. 'Letterbox': Chris Morris in Shropshire, UK. USA, Austria. Father Brendan Rumley in Peru. Patrick Roebeck in Austria. A Thank You to Martin Cowin for the Christmas card. J K Wood, USA.

January 1998: Short Wave

• 19 January [1998]: 1830 UTC: 6065 kHz: Radio Sweden Stockholm. 'Sixty Degrees North' Sarah Roxstrom.

• 19 January: 1930 UTC: 12160 kHz: RTE Radio news via WWCR. Northern Ireland. Italian finance minister in Brussels. Weather. Sport. Headlines. Ads: Des Kelly Carpets. Books. Canada Life pensions. Eric Donnel farm news. Weather: Met Eireann. End. WWCR 'On The Brink' Ted Anderson. Caller from Alabama.
• 19 January: 2030 UTC: 12095 kHz: BBC World Service 'Newshour' Max Pearson with Vicky Merriot, headlines.

February 1998: Short Wave

• 3 February: 1938 UTC: 5915 // 6055 kHz: Radio Slovakia International Strong to good reception. 'Topical Issue': Slovak Prime Minister gives weekly radio address. Helga Dingova. Skiing. Sports news: Tennis. IAAF athletics. Winter Olympics. News headlines: Presidential elections.
• 3 February: 2015 UTC: 5960 // 6175 kHz: Voice of Turkey 'That Magnificent Sultan, Suliman' English from Anatolia to Europe. Strong reception.
• 3 February: 2026 UTC: 6125 kHz: Radio Exterior de Espana Weather in Spain. News headlines: Baghdad, Madeleine Allbright in Cairo. Fidel Castro, Cuba, US embargo. Libya. Spain. Music: Los Mustang 'Please Please Me' (Beatles cover). 'Press Review': San Sebastian City Council walk out. ETA (Terrorist organisation). One minute silence ignored at Athletico Bilbao football match. Tony Blair to investigate 'Bloody Sunday'. 'Kaleidoscope': Valencia congress. Strong to good reception. Interference: Russia.
• 3 February: 2058 UTC: 6180 kHz: BBC World Service 'Newshour' headlines at 21 UTC, English to Europe, Middle East.

• 3 February: 2106 UTC: 7170 // 7180 kHz: Voice of Russia World Service News: The conflict of Georgia & Aphazia. Headlines: Denmark to help new EU members. 'Science & Engineering in the Commonwealth'.
• 3 February: 2127 UTC: 7235 kHz: Radio Canada International Jim Craig 'Spectrum' Strong to fair reception. Ice storm in Quebec. Skelton transmitting station, England. 41.47m, 300 kW, 180° to Europe / Africa: RCI English. Asian economy crisis.
• 3 February: 2202 UTC: 7530 kHz: Radio Bulgaria English to West Europe, strong reception. News: Bulgarian restructuring conference. Greek ministers meet Bulgarian officials. Seminar of the IMF, World Bank & EU. Bulgarian ministers visit USA. World Bank visit to Romania. Bulgarian parliament receives Greek Ministers. 'Commentary'. 'Events & Developments': Bulgaria and the European Union.
• 3 February: 2252 UTC: 5745 kHz: World Harvest Radio International Strong to good reception. News: Execution. Air jet hits ski lift in Italy. Weather. USA Radio News. Ad break: Bus travel holidays. News: Baghdad. Arizona Senator. Monica Lewinsky. Florida storms. Financial news. Ad for short wave antennas. 'For The People' Chuck Harter.

That concludes the logs from the winter of 1997-98. Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower. Enjoy your day!

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