My AM Archive : November 2019

 UNDERSTANDING how Medium Wave (AM) radio works, how the broadcasts logged in this post arrive at my radio receiver, can be introduced in this short piece by the United States Federal Communications Commission, which you can read here.

A previous post of Medium Wave logs, dated September 2019, can be found here.

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

Receiver used: Sangean ATS-405.

November 2019 : Medium Wave

• [Tuesday] 12 November [2019]: 1540 UTC: 1242 kHz: Starting with an ad break on Absolute Radio  Deliveroo, ID, travel update.
  Strong to fair reception; 1 kW via Stockton-on-Tees (Hardwick), Teesside.
  Music from Blur and Nickelback.
  Logged to 1549 UTC.
• 12 November: 1556 UTC: 1251 kHz: Smooth Radio  Ad for homebase, Postcode Lottery, Calgon.
  News bulletin: Floods in UK, fires in Australia, weather update. News from the Global Newsroom, ID 'This is Smooth Radio'. Music: Lady Antebellum 'Need You Now'.
  Good to poor reception.  I presume this to be Smooth Radio - Suffolk, 760 watts via Gt Barton, Bury St Edmunds.
  Logged to 1610 UTC.
• 12 November: 1621 UTC: 1260 kHz: BBC Radio York  Battling to hear the broadcast through a lot of noise. Male speech.
  500 watts via Scarborough.
  Logged to 1626 UTC.
• 12 November: 1629 UTC: 1269 kHz: COPE  Female speech in the Spanish language, Music: Culture Club 'Karma Chameleon'. Speaking to phonecallers. Male and female speech. Ads.
  10 kW via Badajoz or 5 kW via Zamora, Spain.
  Fair reception.
  Male speech.
  Logged to 1638 UTC.

From the Archive: Radio Rovers logo from a letterhead, dated 8 November 1996.

• 12 November: 1643 UTC: 1278 kHz: Pulse 2  Male speech, music, female speech, ads. Music: Steve Winwood 'Valerie'.
  Fair to poor reception via Tyersal Lane, Bradford. 430 watts.
  Logged to 1658 UTC.
• 12 November: 1701 UTC: 1287 kHz: Unidentified broadcast  Music at 1705 UTC, missed ID - "On Medium Wave" male voice.
  Music: Queen 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', crossfade into male speech. Music: Middle Of The Road 'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep'.
  Logged to 1712 UTC.
• 12 November: 1715 UTC: 1296 kHz: Radio XL  Interview between male host and female guest, the guest speaks about opportunities open to her family in India.
  Fair reception; 10 kW via Langley Mill B, Birmingham. Co-channel interference from Spain.
  Ad break: Legal matters solved, call 0121; Dishwashers in Birmingham, call 0121; Event to mark a 550th Anniversary. ID for Radio XL with 'Radio XL' sung three times. Music.
  Logged to 1727 UTC.

Meal break at 1735 UTC.

• 12 November: 1826 UTC: 1305 kHz: Greatest Hits Radio  Ad for People's Postcode Lottery.
  Interference from a co-channel broadcast in the Spanish language. Music: Chicago 'If You Leave Me Now'.
  Greatest Hits Radio, South Yorkshire, 150 watts via Barnsley / Ardsley.
  Logged to 1841 UTC.
• 12 November: 1843 UTC: 1314 kHz: RNE Radio 5  Speech and music. Broadcast becomes inaudible due to rising noise.
  25 kW via Tarragona, Spain.
• 12 November: 1854 UTC: 1332 kHz: Unidentified broadcast  Music: John Lennon 'Just Like Starting Over'.

From the Archive: Red Dragon Radio With Compliments note, 1991.
Red Dragon Radio operated two services: Touch 1359 & 1305 AM and Red Dragon FM.

• 12 November: 1900 UTC: 1341 kHz: BBC Radio Ulster  'BBC Northern Ireland - BBC Radio Ulster News': Syrian refugees are settling in Northern Ireland. Weather: Wind and wet weather increasing. Music at 1903 UTC. Programme in local language dialect.
  Fair to poor reception; 100 kW via Lisnagarvey, County Down, Northern Ireland. Noise on the broadcast.
  BBC Children In Need promo.
  Logged to 1909 UTC.
• 12 November: 1916 UTC: 1359 kHz: BBC Radio Solent  Male speech: Male in studio with male guest on the telephone. Music. Losing to noise.
  BBC Radio Solent via Fern Barrow, Bournemouth, 850 watts.
• 12 November: 1922 UTC: 1368 kHz: Manx Radio  Music: Bananarama 'Cruel Summer', Seal 'Crazy'. Male host with speech, music: Savage Garden 'To The Moon And Back'.
  Excellent to fair reception; 20 kW via Foxdale, Isle of Man.
  Ads: Manx Cover; Just Care Mobility products; Just Bathrooms showroom in Ramsey. Harmony Homes. Music ID: Manx Radio 'Greatest Hits' programme. Music: Shakira 'SheWolf'. Breakfast show promo. Music: INXS.
  Logged to 1935 UTC.
• 12 November: 1958 UTC: 1386 kHz: Radio Svoboda  Male and female speech, IDs, male speech at 20 UTC: news bulletin. Male speech with music sweeper.
  Strong to fair reception. Radio Svoboda, a broadcast of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, via Radio Baltic Waves International, Viešintos, Lithuania. 75 kW.
  Logged to 2009 UTC.

My AM Archive : March 2019

 SIX years since originally heard, I present logs of Medium Wave (AM) broadcasts, heard March 2019.

A previous post of Medium Wave logs, dated early 2019, can be found here.

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

Receiver used: Sangean ATS-405

March 2019 : Medium Wave

• [Monday] 18 March [2019]: 2002 UTC: 1134 kHz: COPE (Spain)  Male speech in Spanish language, with clips of vox pops recordings.
  Echoes and propagation; Fair reception (COPE broadcasts from multiple sites across Spain).
  Female speech in English language, dubbed into Spanish language. Music.
  Logged to 2011 UTC.
• 18 March: 2027 UTC: 1152 kHz: SRR Radio România Actualitați  Music: Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus 'Nothing Breaks Like A Heart'. Time marker for 2030 UTC (pips), female speech from Bucharest, Romania. Male speech.
  Fair reception (Co-channel music from UK broadcasts on low power).
  Logged to 2037 UTC.
• 18 March: 2041 UTC: 1161 kHz: Tay 2  Music: Boy Meets Girl 'Waiting For A Star To Fall' Male host, talks of songs coming up, including Culture Club. Segue into showbiz news - ID for Tay 2. Speech regarding BBC drama series. Ads.
  (Fade out into Smooth Radio [Details below])
  Tay 2 reception: Strong to fair. 1.4 kW to Dundee via Greenside Scalp.
  Music: Blondie 'Heart of Glass'. Tay 2 ID. Music: Annie Lennox 'Little Bird'.
  Logged to 2050 UTC.
  [Smooth Radio : Playing Enrique Inglesias 'Hero', male talks of Mother's Day coming up, music: Elton John 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight'. ID for Smooth Radio. Music: Lionel Richie.
  Fair reception. 160 watts to Wiltshire via Blunsdon, Swindon.]

From The Archive: 1494 kHz Asfaltstelegrafen - The Asphalt Telegraph QSL, 2019.

21 UTC: Tea ☺

• 18 March: 2113 UTC: 1170 kHz: Greatest Hits Radio  Music: Genesis 'I Can't Dance' ID for Greatest Hits Radio - Playing Genesis for dance school in Liverpool. Music: Mike Oldfield 'Moonlight Shadow', Wings 'Live and Let Die'.
  Strong to good reception. 320 watts via Hardwick transmitter, Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside.
  Music: Culture Club 'Karma Chameleon'.
  Logged to 2122 UTC.

Listening to 10cc 'I'm Not In Love'.

• 18 March: 2132 UTC: 1179 kHz: SER (Spain)  Male and female speech, Spanish language.
  Strong to good reception.
  Round table discussion programme.
  Logged to 2141 UTC.
• 18 March: 2151 UTC: 1197 kHz: Absolute Radio  Female and male speech, this is a low(er) power broadcast from Absolute Radio. Female and male talking about a band and album. Female host was joined in the studio by George Ezra. Female host signing off, back on air tomorrow evening. Music: Paul Simon 'You Can Call Me Al'.
  Strong to fair reception. This signal is relatively clear, possibly 400 watts via Wallasey, Merseyside (Absolute Radio recently turned off / reduced power on AM).
  Ad break, ID, no news at 22 UTC, music: The La's 'There She Goes'.
  Logged to 2205 UTC.

My AM Archive : January - February 2019

 RETURNING to where one left off, and proceeding with logs of Medium Wave (AM) broadcasts heard January 2019, plus test transmissions from Sweden, heard February 2019.

A previous post of Medium Wave logs, dated October 2018, can be found here.

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

Receiver used: Roberts R881.

January 2019 : Medium Wave

• [Saturday] 12 January [2019]: 1458 UTC: 999 kHz: Greatest Hits Radio  Ad break: Morrisons food stores. ID: 'Across Lancashire, Greatest Hits Radio' News at 1500 UTC: Rory Stewart wants short prison spells scrapped, Chris Grayling warns against voting against Brexit plan, explosion in France, women could miscarry if exposed to petrol / diesel. Sport: West Ham 1 - Arsenal 0. Sky News Radio.
  Greatest Hits Radio. Music: Queen 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
  Good to fair reception. 800 watts via Longton, for Preston / Blackpool.
  ID: 'Good times sound like this, Greatest Hits Radio' Music: Prince '1999'. ID: 'Greatest Hits Radio, good times sound like this' Music: Alannah Miles 'Black Velvet'.
  Logged to 1515 UTC.

From the archive: Südwestrundfunk (SWR) QSL, 2009.
SWR broadcast on 576, 666, 711, 828, 1017 and 1485 kHz.

Cup of tea time!

• 12 January: 1548 UTC: 1035 kHz: Lyca Dilse 1035  Music, ad break, website, telephone number, music.
  Lyca Dilse 1035, 2.5 kW via Crystal Palace, London.
  Female and male speech for an Asian audience.
  Strong to fair reception.
  'The Afternoon' (Saturday) with Bali Brahmbhatt.
  Sky news at 4pm: Rory Stewart wants prison reform. Arrests following robbery in Manchester. Sport: Football. Weather report by Southall Travel. Travel report.
  Logged to 1606 UTC.
• 12 January: 1609 UTC: 1044 UTC: SER (Spain)  Multiple voices, in the Spanish language, with lots of sound effects.
  Good to fair reception.
  Logged to 1616 UTC.
• 12 January: 1623 UTC: 1053 kHz: talkSport  'Matchday Live' - Poorly synchronised transmitters, many echoes.
  [Most likely] 500 kW via Droitwich + 10 kW via Dumfries.
  Signals settle.
  Strong to good reception.
  Logged to 1632 UTC.
• 12 January: 1637 UTC: 1071 kHz: talkSport  Latest football results on 'Matchday Live': Premier League, Championship, League One.
  Fair reception; [most likely] 1 kW via Wrekenton for Newcastle upon Tyne.
  Faded since first reception.
  Logged to 1645 UTC.
• 12 January: 1651 UTC: 1089 kHz: talkSport  'Matchday Live' Full Time updates at football.
  Good to fair reception - Echoes from transmitters up to 1 second apart!
  [Most likely] 400 kW via Moorside Edge + other high powered transmitters in north of England / Scotland / Northern Ireland.
  Logged to 1702 UTC.

Break.

Note: 12 January: 1930 UTC: 1098 kHz: Speech from a female, with music from a female opera singer. Female speech, music, speech, music. Good to fair reception. Could be any of Iran (200 kW), Saudi (100 kW), Slovakia (25 kW), Spain (10 - 25 kW), Italy (100 watts).
Logged to 1935 UTC.

From the archive: Radio Asia 558 AM, which broadcast to Greater
London via Spectrum Radio 558 AM
('Spectrum International 558')

• 12 January: 1954 UTC: 1134 kHz: COPE (Spain)  Low power transmissions from COPE (Spain), multiple synchronised transmitters, same power, very slight echo.
  Fair reception.
  Logged to 1957 UTC.

"Closing this Roberts R881 DX on the frequency of 1134 kHz at 20:00 UTC. Goodnight! ☺"

February 2019 : Medium Wave

• [Tuesday] 19 February [2019]: 0124 UTC: 1494 kHz: The Asphalt Telegraph  Test transmissions (from Sweden) on new frequency of 1494 (ex - 1476) kHz. Low power of 300 watts. Heavy music (continuous rock music).
  Fair to poor reception (at best).
  Peaks during music, not heard an ID.
  Transmission site is Boras, Sweden.
  Best audio at 0133 UTC, sustained through to 0135 UTC. Speech at 0136 UTC - ID? Music. Bass sounds good.
  Signing off at 0140 UTC.
  Receiver used: Sangean ATS - 405.
• [Sunday] 24 February [2019]: 0119 UTC: 1494 kHz: The Asphalt Telegraph  Test transmissions from Sweden, on air on 1494 kHz on power higher than 300 watts.
  Rock music: Iron Maiden 'Run For The Hills'
  I hear ID for The Asphalt Telegraph with drum track!
  Contacts: 1494 kHz at gmail dot com or radio sweden international dot com
  Male speech.
  Fair to poor reception.
  Male speech and idents for The Asphalt Telegraph. Music at 0126 UTC.
  Transmission via Boras, Sweden.
  Music at 0128 UTC.
  Logged to 0130 UTC.
  Receiver used: Sangean ATS - 405.
  ["Music continues - I'm saying goodnight at 0135 UTC - Thank you Sweden!"]
  

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Medium Wave, September 2017

MANY say Medium Wave is becoming increasingly redundant, which may be true, as a number of broadcasters switch off their AM transmitters in favour of FM, DAB and online. For those that are remaining, however, reception conditions become favourable, as the number of co-channel broadcasts are reduced and broadcasts can cover greater distances, especially after dark.

I am pleased to bring you logs of an evening spent listening to the Medium Wave band in September. I spent the evening of Thursday 21 September listening to the Roberts R881 and here is what was heard [Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz), transmission powers in watts and kiloWatts (kW)].

• 21 September: 1826 UTC: 1260 kHz: Smooth Radio, UK. Strong to moderate reception. Either 1.6 kW via Mangotsfield for Bristol & Bath, or via Farndon for Wrexham and Deeside. Music: Four Tops 'I'll Be There', ad break: Co-op Food, patio doors, PPI 'The Claims Guys'. Music: Rod Stewart 'You're In My Heart', ID 'Smooth Century on Smooth Radio', music: 'You Might Need Somebody'; Bob Seger 'We've Got Tonight'. Chris Skinner is the host. Ad break: Crimestoppers, Local Heroes [British Gas], Thompson Cruises, Moody Blues / Justin Hayward on tour. Music: Daniel Bedingfield 'If You're Not The One'. To 1850 UTC.
• 21 September: 1857 UTC: 1269 kHz: COPE, Spain. Good to poor reception. Either 10 kW via Ciudad Real, or 5 kW via Badajoz / Zamora. Birdsong...? Speech, in the Spanish language. Predominantly male speech, with some female speech. To 1909 UTC.
• 21 September: 1918 UTC: 1278 kHz: Pulse 2, UK. Strong to moderate reception, 430 watts via Tyersal Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Music: Lionel Richie 'Three Times A Lady', Billy Joel 'Uptown Girl'. ID: 'Greatest Hits of all time...' Ad break: SCS sofa, £99 summer offer on Dacia Sandro at Bristol Street Motors, Bradford. ID: 'Pulse 2'. Music: Eric Carmen 'Hungry Eyes', ID 'Across West Yorkshire, this is Pulse 2'. Music: Johnny Nash 'I Can See Clearly Now', Adele 'Hello'. To 1931 UTC.

• 21 September: 1949 UTC: 1287 kHz: SER, Spain. Moderate reception, either 10 kW via Radio Lugo, 5 kW via Radio Lleida or 2 kW via Radio Castilla, Burgos, Ctra Madrid. Spanish speech, football commentary? Male speech, anchor in studio linking to reporters, music, male speech. Time pips at 20 UTC, male speech. To 2002 UTC.
• 21 September: 2005 UTC: 1296 kHz: Radio XL, UK. Strong to good reception, 10 kW via Langley Mill B, Birmingham. ID for Radio XL, ad for dealer of Mercedes-Benz spare parts, travel - Radio XL weather sponsored by Southall Travel. ID, music. ID: 'On 1296, this is Radio XL'. Ad: Southall Travel, Rainbow casino, programme trailers. Music. Male speech with contact telephone number: 0121 753 1296. ID: 'Birmingham's only 24 hour Asian station, this is Radio XL'. Ad break: Tile store. ID: 'Across the Midlands, this is Radio XL', music. To 2024 UTC.

The evening concluded by tuning to 1305 kHz, where a number of broadcasts were audible on the channel; Strongest seemed to be Smooth Radio and Premier Christian Radio. I felt I could not logically separate and log these broadcasts, but for the purpose of these footnotes, Smooth Radio on 1305 kHz serves South Wales (Christchurch, Newport, 200 watts); Premier Christian Radio serves South and North London, 500 watts.

I also tuned to 1314 kHz, where inaudible broadcasts were present... Better luck next time. I brought the evening to a close at 2050 UTC, on the frequency of 1314 kHz.

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