KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - TUESDAY MAY 31st 2011

TYRONE COMMUNITY RADIO MOVES FROM 1512 TO 927:

A poor signal is being heard here in Scotland from TCR on 927kHz, especially in the hours of silence from high power BRT (Belgium). The move from this Irish station was noticed by fellow dxer in Ireland at the weekend. The signal is particularly poor for a lower frequency, and sounds like they need a bit of work done to something. This also coincides with Benelux dxers hearing a strong carrier test on 1512. Source as yet unknown.

 

LIGHTBULBS OR QRN SOURCES:

I have sometimes repeated myself in these pages ove the years, so apologies if you have read the following comments before. I was listening to a couple of radio hams chatting on the top band one night about these silly modern day so called light bulbs. The government recently banned common light bulbs, in a strange attempt to change everyone over to these fluorecent tubes shaped like a light bulb.

Wonderful, their propaganda preaches, as one would expect.

Shocking I say that more rubbish is being imposed upon us.

Wonderful said the hams on top band. (I wish I had made a recording of this QSO).

I read on one of these newsgroups recently some comments about them. I have to say that I shouldn't be surprised by these non technical sorts. I would not expect the people concerned to be able to make an accurate judgement. Or judgement of any kind even, for that matter. But I thought radio hams were slightly more clued up. But when I was listening to a QSO, one of the hams was singing the praises of these things. Now both guys were using top band, a freq near the MW band. Any dxer that knows a bit about the band, and mw dxing, knows fine and well the problems caused by fluorecent tubes over the years. Other sources of trouble come from these touch lamps, from many makes of badly made power supplies etc etc. Do we need any more causes of rf noise?? As I say, I would expect the rude and pointless answers on some of these newsgroups, but I would have thought older radio hams (as they were older chaps) would be a bit more clued up than this subject of buzzing QRM. Try and listen to a weaker MW station near these wonderful "bright" lights. And if you can't hear it for buzzing, at least try and read a magazine when they are switched on from cold. Get the candles fired up.

The bit that really bites is the fact that these things have been imposed on us here in the UK, like we are now in some kind of a police state. Standard light bulbs are reputedly banned. No user choice whether he prefers to use a decent bulb, or this source of QRN. I am not sure about the availability of real light bulbs these days. I must look up ebay and have a look. I guess old time radio hams that use a light bulb as a dummy load on their equipment will have to find other types of dummy loads eventually.

My own power supply here has been very unreliable for many months now. So variable. No idea why, but this shows on standard light bulbs, more than on these noisy rf sources. The flashing dimming light is such a pest and pretty hard on the eyes when sitting at night. I have not really checked up with the neighbours yet to see if they are the same.

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - WEDNESDAY MAY 25th 2011

MAJOR CONCERN FOR ALL PERSEUS USERS:

This is not a damning article about the Perseus SDR. It is an article made from observations over the last few weeks, and longer. I have been aware of this major concern for all Perseus users for some time.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR RECEIEVER BREAKS DOWN??

I have only had one problem with my Perseus, and that was a bad connection on the DC input socket (power socket) a few months ago. At that time my second Perseus was on loan to a dx friend in Ireland, so I started to panic. But luckily all that was needed was a blob of solder. The receiver has been fine ever since.

BUT..... I have another DX friend who has had a breakdown with a Perseus. Rather than return the thing directly to the Italian manufacturer, MICROTELECOM, they insist on going through the pointless delaying motion of sending to the supplier first, who then has to re-send the receiver on to Italy. (Why o why don't they simply accept returns direct from Perseus owners, by prior e mail arrangement??) In this case it was sent to the UK, to Martin Lynch. Lynch sent it to Italy on 6th April or there abouts, where it has remained ever since!!!

This is a definite concern to any Perseus owners. What has undoubtedly become the elite amongst MW dx receivers, the Perseus back up seems to be suffering from some kind of a lack of something I can not quite put my finger on. Customer service was not always seen to be what you might call "helpful". Sometimes customers have been treated with contempt on the Perseus Yahoo Group. Some uncourteous specimens deservedly so, who I personally would have immediately banned from the Yahoo group. Others debatably not. (Imagine if you're local friendly bar person was talking to you in the same contemptuous manner that some people were replied to on line. Or for that matter, imagine speaking to other customers in a bar line that. You could easily end up with a punch on the nose..lol)

But what if you do have a busted receiver??? It seems you may well have a £700 doorstop, at least for a time much longer than expected???? Isn't the receiver still being manufactured?? And if so, can't a replacement full board be used for a receiver that is giving trouble?? After all, what is the real component value in a board?? You are paying for the software development are you not?? The thing is, answers are not forthcoming. Two months could be the peak of a MW DX season.

In the early days of the Perseus receiver, things were very different and much more courteous. Now it is more like dealing with these large corporations you have nowadays, rather than a smaller company.

 

QUESTION:

So what do I personally think of Perseus now????

 

ANSWER:

I still think it is the best receiver I have ever had the pleasure of operating, and streets above your NRD or AOR. I speak of MW dxing, and of course I speak so highly based exclusively on the merit of the record facility, to record the whole MW band. I would not like to go back to single channel dxing now that I have had the taste of wideband recording since late 2007.

 

QUESTION:

Would I change it for any other receiver?

 

ANSWER:

Certainly not. I haven't seen anything that comes close.

 

PERSEUS RF NOISY POWER SUPPLY AND ADAPTOR:

To diversify slightly, I have also heard others complain of the small DC plug on the wall power supply supplied with a new Perseus. The somewhat rf noisy power supply I may add. This no longer concerns me, as I have been running the Perseus off of the PC power supply for many months now. I wish I had made that modification a few years back.

(On desktop PC supply, Red wire +5v, Yellow wire +12v)

The PC also requires a clean 5 volts, and thus Perseus runs flawlessly with this set up. Laptop users may find this modification impossible of course.

 

 

GOODBYE TELEVISION ANALOGUE:

I was watching the TV at midnight local time, 2300 UTC last night to see the analogue TV from the Main tv transmitter going off air. It never went off. But when I tried again later on, it was of by just after half past. So I missed it switching off. I gather it is quite uneventful, and simply goes off air mid sentence. No text message on screen, nothing. Not even a local test card generated briefly.

It is a fact that a good analogue wideband signal was hard to beat for picture quality, but so often prone to ghosting in weaker signal areas. Here in the hills and glens of Scotland, we have a main 100kW station about 6 or 7 miles across the moors, yet require a local repeater. As do we require repeaters in another 3 or 4 areas very local to me. My own local analogue repeater is co channel with Blackhill. Or should I say it was.

Such was the lousy UHF reception in my own village, that a local aerial firm was commisioned in the late 1970's, or early 1980's to install a local cable system around the 5 streets that make up the village. This was in general a pretty unsuccessful venture, although most of the time a much better option than UHF aerials could offer. But so often there were complaints of cross mod, and left hand ghosting, (signals getting into the receiver from badly screened cable or amps, before the signal from the antenna) and bad picture. The signal level seemed to vary causing either snow, or cross modulation, (ie BBC in the background of STV etc). The aerial guys used to be harassed by members of the community council reporting faults, and were even accused of "giving" pictures to the new hooses up the road, and at the same time taking the pictures from the scheme down the street. (I guess I should use the term SCHEME with caution these days LOL).

Many who lived next to the high banking which was the woods, had their television aerials up at the top of the hill on a tree. Many boasted to have "The best tv picture in the village" at that time, and I think they opted out of the cable relay scheme. Many had I guess, but in these days of satellite dishes and freeview, it is hard to imagine the picture quality many folks were stuck with in country areas. I don't remember how much a year the cable system was supposed to be, or who collected for it, or if it was funded by community council grants??

Such was the unreliability factor of the cable system, that the BEEB were eventually contacted, and after some negotiations through the community council, eventually installed a proper repeater on the hillside. Incidentally, some clever sod has decided to plant a woodland area in between the village and the TV mast. This will no doubt cause trouble in years to come as the trees mature.

There was an up side to the cable system being decomissioned. I fell in with the job of hawling out most of the lengths of cable. Initially me and a pal tried to resell the heavy coax cable to another aerial company, thinking there was a good drink in it for us. In the end, I was left with it, but I used it for years as feeders for various aerials. There is still some of it kicking around yet, though much of it was damaged over the years by winds and storms and falling into rivers etc.

 

FAKE / INFERIOR DIGITAL RECEIVERS:

Major manufacturers have been selling digital terrestial receivers to the UK market for quite some time. But how come they are allowed to flog flawed goods?? There must have been some kind of spec desired by the broadcasters and by the license provider??

Among the companies who's receivers have stopped working include branded names like SAMSUNG!! Around a year or two ago, some kind of change was made to the freeview transmission system in the UK. Many receivers were rendered virtually useless. Often the channel numbers stored for the first five channels were mixed in among the 800's. As of the digital switch over, many of these boxes that worked to a fashion, are picking up nothing. How's that for selling crap to the public and getting away with it!!!! Daylight robbery is what it used to be called. Nowadays it is called progress, or tough titty.

Isn't it sad that so much government propaganda is broadcast about counterfit goods and pretending the sellers are involved in organised crime, while these major highwaymen of the high streets are left untouched, free to trade and in general uncontactable about their crimes??

(Why are the freeview channels numbered the way they are?? There are nowhere near 800 channels, and doubtful if there ever can be in the limited bandwidth of a few hundred mhz in the UHF band????)

 

 

FIRST REAL SPORADIC E OF THE SEASON:

My DX buddy up the street, Davie H, (From Davie's Log's and Blogs..lol) always has a somewhat different idea of the first sporadic e as I have. There were a few whispers earlier in the month, but nothing I would even write about or even log. When the TV is alive on band 1, and when the OIRT FM band is jumping, and hopefully even band 2 open, that is when I start to show an interest. I can't get excited at all about extreme minor openings.

But Saturday I think it was, was a bit different. I had the following identified stations on TV:

R1:

Belarus fading in and out around 1000

Ukraine fading in and out around 1000

Czech Republic - Nova around 1120

Russian stn with 5 in a circle seen

Lithuania was also seen on R1 around 1550

 

R2

Slovakain TV

Lithuanian TV

 

I also had what I believe to be sound from Iran, which Davie H received pictures from, on E2..

 

OIRT BAND / EASTERN EUROPEAN FM BAND:

On the OIRT FM BAND, 67 - 73mHz, I had a few station ids. Logs were chaotic, but I think I have a few ids to find. I did record a top of the hour on the Perseus through the IF OUT of the rx, but of course, I was too fast to delete Saturday's files in general, and ended up deleting my first top of the hour wideband recording of OIRT??

I did ID a couple of stations, including one with a nice little tune in English called I love Belarus. I did a little research, and discovered it was the Belarus Eurovision entry for 2011!! I guess everyone on the planet except me would have known the tune. Anyway, below is a clip of the UNID station on 66.06 near enough. The ID is far too fast for me though. The clip below is about 2 meg. Initially I thought the station may have been from Belarus, but if it plays a Eurovision song, it could be from anywhere.

110521_1129_66.060_radio_magilious_i_love_belarus.mp3

 

Below are a few TVDX photos from Satrurday. I had visitors and was not settled properly and as you can see the shack light has been on in some of them. NOVA (R1), Slovakia (R2), Lithuania (R2) and M1 (Hungary) (R1)

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - FRIDAY MAY 20th 2011

 

MORE ABOUT THE LATINS FROM APRIL:

Not much dx this last few days, at least at this qth anyway. So I have taken a little time to work on the Latins, which for a non native Spanish speaker, can be somewhat of an uphill task. I did suggest back in early April, when the amazing day with all the Columbians all over the band happened, that a native SS speaking DXer would no doubt winkle out a lot more station ids than I could from the mess.

Added to the personal firsts above now include the following.

1060 - 1370 - 1190 // Puerto Rico stations, 0500, 8/4/11.

1490 Emisora Punto Cinco, Bogota, Columbia heard on 0512, 8/4/11

1510 Institute of Oceanografico, Ecuador. (Time Signal Station) 10/4/11, 0502

 

REVISED LOG FOR LATINS HEARD ON 8th APRIL:

I have copied the log from 8th April to here. It was by sheer chance that the particular morning in question was one of the best for Latins at these lattitudes, and I happened to have the westerly antenna in at the time. The only North American I think was WOKB 1680 FL.

My initial log book has been well added to, so here we go with an attempt to log what was heard.

Comment. I wonder who on earth would wish to listen to the weird repetative chanting about Maria on their radios?? And what else I wonder do they do for kicks?? See 1400 / 1580 / 1470

I have also moved the recordings and unids directly below the log list. This simply keeps it near the current date, and keeps it current.

 

FRIDAY 8th APRIL 2011 around 0500

900 0500 Unid SS. 0458 mention poss Puerto Rico, though nothing listed. Maybe just a Euro??
990 0500 Unid SS. Maybe Euro?? Poss Italian Resturant ad, suggesting Euro??
1010 better during various quieter audio bits of Dutchie. Causing grief. Latin / Central music heard.
1020 Music heard of similar strength to 1010. In the splatter mainly....
1050 Unknown if SS or ee. too weak
1060 mess around 0500 Unable to determine. Radio Education Mex common, but this was no common day. Long tks noted, mx, and 2 or more stations here.
1060 WCGB PR ID matched up to 1190 and 1370 // (Personal First)
1070 Emisora Atlantico, Columbia. Very good id 0500 (Personal First)
1080 SS Euros
1090 Unid jingle think in SS. Difficult with UK activity 1089. 0500
1100 "Caracol Radio" id at 0500 Columbia. 2 listed, like old Radio Reloj days. Never knew which one you had heard. 0510 jingle // 1100, 1170, 1280, 1310, 1540, 1580
1120 had Latin style music playing. Never noted any ids.
1130 had Latin style music playing. Never noted any ids.
1140 UNID ss. 0501 Ann briefly between tunes. Convinced ID on recording. See unids. Also 0506
1170 0500 Caracol ann hrd. Weak in Euros. 0510 jingle // 1100, 1170, 1280, 1310, 1540, 1580
1190 WBMJ Puerto Rico. 0501 3 Calls.. ann. The other two are WIVV 1370, and WCGB 1060.. best in LSB with Euro notched. Hf end too noisy. (Personal First)
1200 RCN Columbia ID, 0507. Chatter in SS 0505 // 1220 (Personal First)
1220 RCN Columbia ID 0507 (Personal First) // 1200
1230 Radio Calidad. 0501 (Personal First)
1250 Unid phone in. Prob Capital Radio, Bogota, COL. One id heard as Radio Columbia. 0509 tel no maybe.
1270 SS mx noted, but DLF 1268 splattery. 0500
1280 WCMN PR Noti Uno 0503. Pers 1st.. 2 ss stns noted, similar strength. One had ann around 0500.
1280 Caracol, Columbia, 0510 jingle // 1100, 1170, 1280, 1310, 1540, 1580 (Personal First)
1290 Radio Puorto Cabella, Venez. Good ids as usual with this stn. Consistently dominant various days.
1310 Caracol ID best usbPersonal first. 0510 jingle // 1100, 1170, 1280, 1310, 1540, 1580 (Personal First)
1320 Loud SS, 2 stations just before 0500. Moscow causes grief here after 0500. 0513 Mentions of PR.
1330 UNID ss. Failed to pull out an id. Sounded like Radio something around 0513.
1340 RCN Columbia ID 0508. (Personal First)
1340 UNID EE Voice 0509 about water supply. Too weak in BBC splatter. Only thoughts are Virgin Isles.
1350 Ondas De La Montana, Columbia 0458 8/4 (Personal First)
1360 Unid long weird like folk / traditional music over top of hour, and never an id.
1370 WIVV Puerto Rico. ID matched with 1060 and 1190, 0501. (Personal First) Also unid SS with slow talk and music. Poss religious.
1390 WISA, Isabela, Puerto Rico ID 0458 8/4 (Personal First) SS mx as well as talk stn here today. Pretty good peaks. 0504 some kind of voice over but not matched to anything.
1400 SS tk, as well as anthem station. The anthem made an ann at just scarce of 0501, mixing with the other ss stn. After 0500, there was a weird repetative chanting religious thing, prob Radio Maria. Going on about Maria... //1580 and 1470
1420 SS but too weak in the German splatter
1430 UNID SS. 14-30 AM voice over 0501. Poss HJKU Columbia???
1430 WNEL, CAGUAS, Puerto Rico 0505 Like LV W??? (UPDATE: Yes WNEL, Caguas Puerto Rico, verified by Thomas in Sweden. Tnx)
1470 Tent Radio Maria weird chanting on 1470 // 1580 // 1400
1490 Emisora Punto Cinco, Bogota, Columbia heard on 0512 8/4/11
1500 ss mx
1510 Strong rough to very rough distorted SS audio. Heard a few times.
1520 2 strong ss stations mixing. Very strong peaks. No trace WWKB. 0507 Ann like Cadena Radio??
1520.1 Radio Minuto, Columbia. ID 0530 8/4 (Personal First)
1540 Bahamas news in ee
1550 Radio El Sol, Columbia 0511 8/4 (Personal First)
1560 unid ss. tk around 0515. No id so far
1570 A right mess today
1580 Caracol Radio id 0500,30s approx. (Personal First) SS mixing with anthem type tune. Also Tent Radio Maria 0517 weird chanting on 1470 // 1580 // 1400
1600 unid ss
1610 Pres Carribean Beacon, very strong, but never IDs.
1620 WDHP VI. Very good, but for some Rebelde QRM
1680 WOKB FL

 

 

SATURDAY 9th APRIL 2011 AROUND 0500

1130 Columbian // 1520. Multiple Vida freq anns just around 0500.
1430 SS pretty strong at times but lacking ids. lots tk 0514 and again 1516, when it sounds like poss ids ...
1450 SS ID 0500 "La Radio" Needs further investigation
1540 0500 ann. Snds very like Radio Condor , Columbia. Need SS experts to confirm, but pretty confident. Pers First (Tnx AB for listening confirming)
1600 Again unid SS today which is prob not WUNR, Brookline. Phone in 0511 romantico mx. Poss PR.

 

 

SUNDAY 10th APRIL 2011 AROUND 0500

1190 Radio Revolution Cuba 0500
1370 SS dominant. Traffico mentioned.

 

UNID RECORDINGS (MOVED FORWARD A WEEK OR SO AS STILL CURRENT) :

UPDATE: 18th MAY, I have sorted out the unids from the ids now, and made the high freq at the end of the list which is more natural. Can anyone verify the 1390 and 1060 PR calls for me??? (UPDATE: Matched id on 1060 1370 and 1190 PR stations in //)

Another unid station on 1309.72 approx shouting halleluya etc around 0510 on 8/4. Other frequencies with SS the 8th April include 1010, 1370, 1590, which I have yet to ID.

 

110408_0501_1140_unid_like_radio_provinsa_or carinsa_or similar.mp3

110503_0358_1140.25_unid_ss_or_pp_like_radio_manyana.mp3

110408_0500_1250_clips_unid_ss_poss_capital_bogota_inc_radio_columbia_id.mp3 (Added 25th May. Is there a call at 27s??)

110408_0511_1309.72_approx_halleluya_roaring_head_off.mp3

110408_0513_1330.1_unid_ss__is_there_id_7s.mp3

110514_0356_1390.2_unid_ss_voice_over_yl_20s.mp3

110410_0513_1500_unid_ss_poss_dos_mil.mp3

110514_0354_1510_distorted_ss_stn_maybe_id_23s.mp3 (added 25th May 11)

110518_around_0400_1510_rough_distorted_audio_ss.mp3

110410_0500_1520.15_approx_unid_ss_poss_lv_something_id_33s.mp3

 

 

IDENTIFIED / LOUD / VARIOUS RECORDINGS:

110408_0502_1060_unid_suspect_wcgb_pr_dual_call.mp3 (UPDATE - Matched up same id on 1190, and 1370 from PR)

110408_0507_1200_rcn_la_radio.mp3

110408_0507_1220_rcn_la_radio.mp3

110515_0400_1280_tent_pr_multi_ss_calls.mp3 (UPDATE - WCMN PR confirmed on Real DX, Maricio, Thomas, and Alessandro)

110408_0510_1280_unid_yl_xxx_radio_jingle_see_1540.mp3 (UPDATE - CARACOL, COLUMBIA. // 1580, 1540, 1310, 1280, 1170, 1100)

110408_0508_1340_rcn_columbia.mp3

110408_0458_1350_unid_ss_lv_something.mp3 (UPDATE - LA VOZ DE LA MONTANA, COLUMBIA, tnx Mauricio, and Thomas on Real DX)

110408_0500_1390_unid_suspect_pr_wisa.mp3 (UPDATE - Thomas on real dx verifies as PR, but matches an ad. I am sure I hear a call in here somewhere. Can anyone verify??)

110408_0505_1430_WNEL, Caguas, PR_id_maybe_is_this_wnel_caguas_pr (Verified by Thomas in Sweden. Tnx).mp3

110514_0400_1500_santa_rosa_peru_short_am_clip_(AMAZING SIGNAL).mp3

110408_0500_1520_libertad_columbia_various_vida_ids_bang_on_the_hour.mp3

110408_0511_1540_unid_jingle_see_1280.mp3 (UPDATE - CARACOL, COLUMBIA. // 1580, 1540, 1310, 1280, 1170, 1100)

110408_0500_1580_caracol_radio_id.mp3

110513_0353_1640_onda_zero_peru.mp3

110512_0300_1650_cina_radio_india.mp3

110513_0402_1680_radio_senda_dom_rep.mp3

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - WEDNESDAY MAY 18th 2011

ROUGH DISTORTED SPANISH SIGNAL 1510:

Is anyone else hearing the rough and distorted Spanish signal on 1510? I can't get much from it. The only thing I will comment on is that I heard this same (pres) rough signal in early April, some 6 weeks or more ago. Surely this can't possibly be a commercial station?? Who would pay to have their message broadcast on something that no one can hear properly??? I don't think it was Boston??

I can think of a couple of other transmitters that were left to their own devices when they broke down. CBC 600, and Greenland 570. But these were government transmitters, and thus were not necessarily making money.

110518_around_0400_1510_rough_distorted_audio_ss.mp3

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - TUESDAY MAY 17th 2011

 

WHIZ - ZANESVILLE, OH - 1240:

I was looking through the Perseus file that contained 920 - The Wolf, thinking there may be something else of interest that I have missed at the time. Bingo. I have a new personal first, WHIZ 1240, ZANESVILLE, OH. The date, 14th February 2010. In fact I am unsure how I missed it first time around!!

100214_0800_1240_whiz_zanesville.mp3

 

BOOMING SIGNAL FROM RADIO SANTA ROSA - PERU 1500:

I was pleasantly surprised on Saturday past with the amazing signals hammering in from the above station, around 0400. This was a personal first not so many weeks ago, and yet here it is, booming in like a local station. Onda Zero was also quite good on 1640.

110514_0400_1500_santa_rosa_peru_short_am_clip.mp3

 

BACK TO 8/4/11 - SOMETHING UNUSUAL ON 1340??

Another unusual log that day of Columbians all over the band, was on 1340. There were no North Americans coming through whatsoever on 8th April I don't think. But a distinctive American or at least English voice was heard briefly during a slight period of silence on BBC Radio Ulster, which usually renders 1340 useless here. The voice was talking about the water supply. The only thing I see in the listings is possibly Virgin Islands??? But of course I make no claim of this, due to the sparce reception.

110408_0509_1340_unid_ee_mention_water_supply_vy_poor.mp3

 

MORE NEW LATINS:

I have added a few other Latin stations to my personal firsts from April 2011. Recordings, including UNIDs are listed here.

I could do with someone who is better at the SS than I am, to have a listen to 1280 / 1540, 1390, 1350 and 1060 clips below. 1350, 1390 and 1060 I am convinced have SS calls, like PR stations. The language is too fast for me though.

Anyone have any idea what the station on 1280 with the same jingle on 1540 is?? This was the day there were Columbians all over the band, 8th April. (UPDATE: 1540 // 1280 was also // 1310, 1580, 1170 and 1100 and was CARACOL RADIO)

Other signals that were never identified include SS on 1010, 1590, 1560, and a very distorted signal on 1510.

Thanks to Mauricio, Thomas and Allesandro on Real DX for the assistance with IDs on 1350, 1280 and suggestion for the 1520.15 station, as Radio Minuto.

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - THURSDAY MAY 3rd 2011

LATINS LOGGED AND IDENTIFIED FINALLY LISTED:

Sometimes if the weather is fine, there will be a lull in entries on this site. This last few weeks is no exception. The weather has been fine and sunny, complete with Easter weekend and the extended Mayday holidays, that I have had little desire to sit in front of a pc and create listings. But I have been recording on a daily basis, although not every day has even been worthwhile. This morning, Thursday, I think the files can be deleted straight away. Yesterday I had SS on 1430 and Turbomix on 1540. Some other logs have been heard in the past... Eg Columbia on 1520, and PR also on 1520. These two have been coming in at various times pretty well here in Scotland. The Radio Bethel station on 1570 was just awsome one day in particular, although strong on other days as well.

I recon I have a good few more IDs hiding in the Perseus files of the last few weeks, and will add when I find them. I still have to create an audio file for 1130 above.

I have taken the time out to copy silly call signs for the suspected new Latin stations heard, even though they rarely use them, as far as I am aware. (Well I never make them out of the fast language or bad reception..LOL) This is simply because of the sheer volume of stations heard in the last few weeks, to try and make a better effort at identification. I am sure that I have a few Perseus files that a dxer who's language is SS, could dig up so much more. Of course no one will have the time or desire to flick through someone elses files I guess.

 

UNID - 1140.24 :

On Tuesday 3rd May, a very offset SS stn was heard with audio on 1140.25 approx.

110503_0358_1140.25_unid_ss_or_pp_like_radio_manyana.mp3

 

MB HEARD OVER EASTER:

A mystery beacon called MB was heard around 499kHz over Easter. I found a QSL from this "MYSTERY" on line.

110423_0437_499_mb_beacon.mp3

 

WULLIE WHO??

There was a big wedding on Friday in London. A royal wedding. It was a big day in the whole of the UK, with all the BBC radio stations covering the event. It is also a national holiday. I personally don't know either the bride or groom, and thus I wasn't invited, so I have not really paid any attention. I neither read newspapers, or watch much in the way of mainstream TV and radio, and thus any so called superstar that is caught smoking funny cigs, inhaling or otherwise, or in bed with someone they shouldn't be, kinda goes over my head. Most of the names of these pretend superstars are foreign to me. A joke was posted to me on the Skype chat from Stu in London. It was wasted on me, as it involved these self aclaimed superstars. Only one name was familiar to me. Ewan McGregor.

But what is probably a bit over the top was a situation on Easter Saturday at a motorbike do. The bikers always have a big run at Easter weekend, giving healthy cheques to various charities. So last Saturday I was at my local pub, where they bikes set off from, about 100 in all. A combination arrived on the scene. (Motorbike and sidecar) with a large banner saying Kate and William, we love you forever.

"Well", I thought to myself, "I've never heard of a couple of folks called Kate and Wullie that I assumed had been killed in a bike crash or something."

I took a few photos of the guy's fancy decorative machine.

"All I lack is the red white and blue umbrella", he says to me.

I didn't like to ask any more of his poor deceased friends or relatives.

Later in the pub, I was talking to my wee pal about the bike and the banner.

"Ach ya silly bastard", he says, "That'll be in memory of his wains (kids) or something".

"Aye I suppose it could be", I said.

Meanwhile the YL was just shaking her head in despair at the two of us. It turned out that it was a tribute to the royal couple, who were to be married in less than a week!!!! So there were nae "deed folks" after all!!! I wonder if the poor chap with the bike knew how little knowledge I really had when taking the photos!!!!

As a footnote, on that day there is usually a visit to COMBAT STRESS, a charity for old war weary soldiers. But it seems that they had given the bikers short shrift on the phone, and said there would be no one there to meet them to receive their donation. And they would have to go to their open day to donate the money. Now first of all, is that being helpful, when your money is earned with cap in hand?? Do their superiors know how a generous donor was treated?? Have they enough cash that a donation is not required. I am not talking of a 20 quid donation either. In the end, they received nothing. And rightly so. I too would have given them nothing ......ever again. The idea was to take a few shots for the local papers, for publicity. The other charity that was visited on this day, was more than pleased to accept the money, and to stand with the "big rough bikers" for their photos.

 

 

CKHJ / KHJ 12-60:

Noted during playback of old Perseus recordings, from back on 17th September 2009!!! Heard during a Radio Disney fade out, at 0556 and again at 0600, with no real trouble from the Euros!! This is a personal first, and surprised I missed it at the time!!