My AM Archive: January 2012

 MEDIUM Wave logs dated Monday, 2 January, 2012, which was also the Saints Day of St Caspar del Bufalo [Source: Vatican Radio calendar, 2012].

The previous post in this thread, My AM Archive: October 2011, 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.

January 2012 : Medium Wave

• [Monday] 2 January [2012]: 1955 UTC: 1377 kHz: France Info  Excellent to fair reception. 300 kW via Lille, France.
  Two male hosts, with a male studio guest, speaking of sport headlines, including Paris Saint-Germain of French football. Extended speech. Speaking of Davor Šuker, footballer. Reference to English football? Thank you to the guest. ID for France Info. Ad break: Santander? Male and female voices. Back to studio with mention of France Info.
  ID for 20 UTC, with new male voice - Details of programme, news? Mention of Budapest? Male speech. ID: Speech of President Sarkozy. Speech regarding commerce and Paris? Report by female.
  Logged to 2010 UTC.
• 2 January: 2027 UTC: 1386 kHz: Euskadi Irratia  Music: Female vocalist with acoustic guitar. Speech from a female with a male - Is this an interview by the male with the female who sang the song?
  [British DX Club shows this broadcast is] Euskadi Irratia, Bilbao, Spain. Programmes are in Basque dialect / language. Continued speech with more music by female with acoustic guitar at 2035 UTC. Confirmed as Euskadi Irratia: Parallel with 1476 kHz via San Sebastian.
  Good to fair reception.
  Male host with female playing the music. Basque language via Bilbao.
  Logged to 2045 UTC.
• 2 January: 2052 UTC: 1395 kHz: Unidentified broadcast, believed to be Trans World Radio  Male speech, believed to be broadcasting on Trans World Radio via Flakë, Albania, with Polish language broadcast from 20 UTC? Male speech, music at 2057 UTC: Male vocalist with backing band.
  Excellent to fair reception.
  Male speech "Radio broadcast, internet, satellite"? Details of an SMS (text) contact telephone number? Postal address. Music.
  ID at 21 UTC? Male speech, with female speech, music.
  Logged to 2112 UTC.
• 2 January: 2120 UTC: 1404 kHz: France Info  Speech by a male and female in French - France Info via Brest, 20 kW. Fair reception.
  Logged to 2130 UTC.

France Info logo.

• 2 January: 2140 UTC: 1413 kHz: "Through several stations, the clearest broadcast I hear is, I believe, Premier Christian Radio via West London (Heathrow) or East London (Dartford Marshes) with 0.5 kW.  I believe music and speech in English could be BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
  "Premier Christian Radio has female preacher with readings from the Bible.
  "BBC Radio Gloucestershire has male host, telephone number (0845), music from Rod Stewart ('Downtown Train') and Michael Jackson 'Rock With You'.
  "Female preacher still strong, lost Gloucestershire to Spanish programmes.
  "Both Premier Christian and BBC Gloucestershire logged."
  Logged to 2205 UTC.

Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower!

📻

My AM Archive: Autumn 2010

 TAKING you back to the period of September to November 2010, for broadcasts heard during that time on the Medium Wave band.

My AM Archive is a continual thread of my Medium Wave logbooks, bringing them online for posterity, and for other like-minded radio listeners to enjoy.

Logs of Short Wave broadcasts are also on this blog, under the My DX Archive thread.

The previous post in this thread, My AM Archive: July 2010, 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.

September 2010 : Medium Wave

• [Tuesday] 7 September [2010]: 1825 UTC: 1413 kHz: BBC Radio Gloucestershire  Music: Gary Newman 'Cars', speech by male and female, telephone caller, travel news. Music: John Lennon 'Woman'.
  Fair reception, 500 watts via Bourton-on-the-Water and Berkeley Heath.
  Male speech: 'Lionel Richie on the way - Lionel Richie as promised' Music: 'Running With The Night' and 'You Are My Destiny'.
  Logged to 1850 UTC.
• 7 September: 1857 UTC: 1413 kHz: Premier Christian Radio  'Insight for Living', Chuck Swindoll, talk of the Insight for Living website. Details of Chuck Swindoll's new book, how to make a donation, website address, postal address.
  Premier Christian Radio via East London (Dartford Marshes) or West London (Heathrow) both transmitters 500 watts.
  'Right to Reply' programme, website, telephone number. Jingle for Premier Info line. Male speech over music, jingle for telephone number to call.
  Fair reception. ID for Premier Christian Radio. Female speech. Choir music. Male speaker with American accent.
  Logged to 1913 UTC.

Deutschlandfunk QSL Verification card, September 2010.

• 7 September: 1921 UTC: 1422 kHz: Deutschlandfunk  Beautiful piano and violin, followed by fast piano and violin.
  Excellent to good reception via Heusweiler, D (Germany), 1200 kW / 600 kW.
  Concerto or unbroken recital / broadcast of recordings. No speech.
  Female host with speech, in German, including an ID for Deutschlandfunk. Speech includes the name of the composer Rebecca Clarke. Male speech, female speech. Classical piano and violin.
  Logged to 1935 - 1945 UTC.
• 7 September: 1957 UTC: 1440 kHz: Announcements from the German service of China Radio International via Radio Luxembourg (RTL). Music.
  Broadcast: RTL via Marnach, Luxembourg. 1200 kW / 300 kW.
  Launch of the French service of China Radio International (2003 UTC) via RTL.
  Excellent to good reception.
  Logged to 2014 UTC. [See image of QSL verification, posted below]
• 7 September: 2022 UTC: 1458 kHz: Various broadcasts audible, including Sunrise Radio (Brookmans Park London, 125 kW); BBC Asian Network (Birmingham, 5 kW); Capital Gold Manchester (Ashton Moss, Manchester, 5 kW; Good to fair reception).
  Logged to 2050 UTC.

October 2010 : Medium Wave

• [Saturday] 30 October [2010]: 2129 UTC: 1179 kHz: Radio Sweden  Currently broadcasting in the Swedish language, 300 - 600 kW via Solvesborg. Radio Sweden's last night on Medium Wave [and Short Wave].

November 2010 : Medium Wave

• [Thursday] 18 November [2010]: 1405 UTC: 1458 kHz: BBC Newcastle  Good-fair-poor reception, 2 kW via Wrekenton, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
  Music: Womack & Womack 'Footsteps'.
  Male host, interview with male guest: "I've done all I want to do, I'm happy being back in Newcastle". Music: Natalie Imbruglia 'Torn'.
  ID for BBC Newcastle. Male host: "...weekend of sport...versus Bolton Wanderers". Music: Dusty Springfield 'Son of a Preacher Man'. Speech: Text / telephone number. Music: Olly Murs 'Please Don't Let Me Go'. Male host, ID, speech. Music: Fergal Sharkey 'A Good Heart'.
  Logged to 1425 UTC.
• 18 November: 1440 UTC: 1485 kHz: BBC Radio Merseyside  Music: Sarah Phillips. ID "...on the Billy Butler show". Music.
  Good to fair reception. ID for BBC Radio Merseyside, telephone number, speech promoting "our carol service in December"; "Coming up after 3pm". Music: Andrew Gold 'Never Let Her Slip Away'.
  2 kW via Wallasey, Merseyside. Speech by Billy Butler regarding BBC TV show 'The Apprentice' featuring Lord Sugar. Music: Billy Joel 'Tell Her About It'; Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
  [1500 UTC] News headlines with Graham White.
  Logged to 1500 UTC. [See letter of verification at foot of this post]

BCE [RTL Luxembourg] QSL Verification, September 2010.

• 18 November: 1518 UTC: 1494 kHz: France Info / France Bleu  French language female and male speech.
  France Info via Clermont-Ferrand; France Bleu via Bastia, both 20 kW via France.
  Good to fair reception.
  Logged to 1540 UTC.
  
• 18 November: 1550 UTC: 1503 kHz: BBC Radio Stoke  Music: Dusty Springfield 'In The Middle of Nowhere'. Female speech for Children In Need event. Music: Pet Shop Boys 'West End Girls'.
  ID for BBC Radio Stoke, female host "Preparations are going well for Christmas lights switch-on in Hanley".
  1600 UTC news: Bentley workers in Crewe go to protest. Man to serve twenty-one years for murder of girlfriend's daughter - Mother serves five years. Irish economy in peril. Police and fire services in Staffordshire may cut back on share of council tax. Weather for Staffordshire and Cheshire; A500 traffic report.
  ID for BBC Radio Stoke, website. Music: Eric Carmen 'Hungry Eyes'.
  ID for BBC Radio Stoke, 'Tim is in Hanley for Christmas lights switch-on, at 1845 UTC tonight' Female host.
  Good to fair reception, 1 kW via Sideway, Staffordshire.
  Logged to 1610 UTC.
  
• 18 November: 1837 UTC: 1521 kHz: Classic Gold 1521  Music: Everly Brothers 'Walk Right Back', ID 'This is Gold', CCS 'Whole Lotta Love', male host, The Beatles 'All My Loving'.
  Good to fair reception, 640 watts via Reigate / Crawley (Duxhurst). 
  Music: 'Blinded By The Light' (Manfred Mann's Earth Band). Public hearing in Florida to review Jim Morrison's case of exposure, 1961. Gold Travel Desk, Reigate, Leatherhead, Crawley, Gatwick Airport. Music: Stevie Wonder.
  Logged to 1851 UTC.
• 18 November: 1858 UTC: 1530 kHz: Pulse 2  Music: The Commodores 'Three Times A Lady'. Female host.
  1900 UTC news: Reports from Northamptonshire, Kettering, Luton. Retailers report sales increase prior to Christmas. Weather report. Music: Michael Buble 'Hollywood'. Female host.
  Pulse 2, Huddersfield, formerly Classic Gold West Yorkshire.
  Music: Hot Chocolate, ID, Manfred Mann's Earth Band 'Blinded By The Light' (Written by Springsteen).
  Fair reception, 740 watts via Vicars Lot, Huddersfield.
  Now playing: The Carpenters.
  Logged to 1920 UTC.
• 18 November: 1935 UTC: 1539 kHz: Evangeliums-Rundfunk  Speech from two males in the German language.
  Good to fair reception, 120 kW up to 700 kW via Mainflingen, Germany.
  Music: Male vocalist with acoustic flute. Continuation of speech between two males.
  Logged to 1945 UTC.
• 18 November: 2032 UTC: 1557 kHz: France Info  Females speaking French language.
  Fair reception, 300 kW via Nice.
  Male speech.
  Logged to 2043 UTC.

BBC Merseyside letter, verifying reception dated 18 November 2010.

Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower!

📻

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.

📻

Midsummer Medium Wave

SOME notes from an evening spent listening to Medium Wave - Wednesday 22 June 2016:

[Housekeeping: Times in UTC (GMT); Frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz); Transmission powers (where applied) are watts / kiloWatts (kW).]  *Please add one hour to the times for British Summer Time.*

1944 UTC : 1368 kHz : Manx Radio. Good to fair reception. 20 kW via Foxdale, Isle of Man. Male speech, ad break: Vehicle valet, St John's Ambulance. Dining establishment. ID. Male speech, music. Ad / Promo for a storage provider. ID. Male speech. Music. To 2007 UTC.
★Manx Radio website★

2023 UTC : 1395 kHz : Unidentified. Male speech in a European / Continental language. Good to fair reception. Speech continues. To 2035 UTC.

2043 UTC : 1413 kHz : Co-channel broadcasts: BBC Radio Gloucestershire and Premier Christian Radio. Male speech: "...To BBC Shropshire and a BBC Introducing track..." [BBC Gloucestershire] - Now I have a US Preacher fading in! [Premier Christian Radio]. Reverting to the BBC: Male speaking about the band you have just heard. Channel splits:
BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Fair reception. [Female vocalist singing 'Don't Leave Me This Way'.] 500 watts via Bourton-on-the-Water (East Gloucestershire) or 200 watts via Berkeley Heath (South West Gloucestershire). Music: Roxy Music 'More Than This'. ★BBC Radio Gloucestershire website★
Premier Christian Radio. Fair to poor reception. 500 watts via Dartford Marshes (East London) or Heathrow (West London). ★Premier Christian Radio website★
To 2104 UTC.
Short but sweet.

Football and Radio updates

First up, the football results of Carlisle United matches played January 2012, followed by the radio stations I heard on Medium Wave during an evening of the same month.

The scores (all npower League One matches):

• Monday 2 January: United 3 - Sheffield United 2
• Saturday 7 January: United 4 - Leyton Orient 1
• Saturday 21 January: United 1 - Walsall 1
• Saturday 28 January: Hartlepool 4 - United 0

Fixtures for February 2012 are as follows:

• Saturday 4: United v Chesterfield (2-1)
• Saturday 11: Stevenage v United
• Tuesday 14: United v Tranmere Rovers
• Monday 20: Brentford v United
• Saturday 25: United v Yeovil Town

Good Luck to the Blues for the February fixtures.

The stations (all stations heard 2 January 2012, times in UTC/GMT, frequencies in kiloHertz):

• 1955 - 2010 UTC, 1377 kHz: France Info, French language via Lille, France, 300 kiloWatt transmission.
• 2025 - 2045 UTC, 1386 kHz: Euskadi Irratia, Basque language via Bilbao, Spain.
• 2120 - 2130 UTC, 1404 kHz: France Info, French language via Brest, France, 20 kW transmission.
• 2140 - 2155 UTC, 1413 kHz: Co-channel broadcasts: Premier Christian Radio, female preacher in English language via Heathrow or Dartford Marshes, 0.5 kW transmission / BBC Radio Gloucestershire, evening programme in English language via Bourton-on-the-water or Berkeley Heath, Gloucestershire, 0.5 kW transmission.

That's it, you're up to date.

September Sunday Round-up, 12 Sept 2010

WELCOME to another RFTFT post. First, npower League 1, Saturday 11 September 2010:

Bournemouth 3 - Dagenham & Redbridge 0

Brighton 2 - MK Dons 0

Bristol Rovers 0 - Brentford 0

Charlton 1 - Notts County 0

Colchester 1 - Plymouth 1

Hartlepool 2 - Exeter 3

Leyton Orient 1 - Huddersfield 2

Peterborough 5 - Oldham 2

Rochdale 3 - Walsall 2

Sheffield Wednesday 0 - Carlisle United 1 (Curran)

Swindon 1 - Southampton 0

Yeovil 3 - Tranmere 1

Radio Round-up, August - September 2010

In a previous post (September 1st), I logged the Short Wave stations I heard Monday 30 August. I failed to include links to the websites on that post, so I shall post them here now :

China Radio International (English)

All India Radio (English index)

Radio Pakistan (Front door to English & Urdu services)

Medium Wave logs, Tuesday 7 September 2010, times in UTC, frequencies in kiloHertz :

• 1828 UTC, 1413 kHz : BBC Radio Gloucestershire via Bourton-on-the-water / Berkeley Heath transmitter. BBC Gloucestershire homepage
• 1857 UTC, 1413 kHz : Premier Christian Radio via East London / West London transmitter. Premier Christian Radio page
• 1921 UTC, 1422 kHz : Deutschlandfunk (DLF) via Heusweiler transmitter, Germany. DLF website
• 1957 UTC, 1440 kHz : RTL Radio Luxembourg via Marnach transmitter, Luxembourg, relaying China Radio International German - French services. RTL homepage
• 2022 UTC, 1458 kHz : Sunrise Radio via Brookman's Park transmitter, London. Sunrise Radio website
• 2022 UTC, 1458 kHz : Gold [Capital Gold Manchester] via Ashton Moss transmitter, Manchester. Gold website

Weblog of the week : Abby's Blog

Abby on board Wild Eyes :

Earlier this year, Abby Sunderland attempted to sail around the world. Unfortunately, Abby was unsuccessful in her attempt, but she did use wireless and satellite technology to link to the internet during her sailing, when she kept a blog, which she has continued to update now she is home. Visit Soloround, Abby's blog on Blogspot (Blogger), by clicking here.

That's it for the time being, have a good week!