Diego Garcia AFRTS 1485 kHz QSL and Audio

Diego Garcia - a tropical, coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

It was a pleasant surprise to hear AFRTS, Diego Garcia on 1485 kHz for the first time during a holiday/dxpedition at the South African coastal location of Cintsa (45 km from East London).

The 200 watt signal made it through over a distance of 5 366 km on the 16th July 1991 via the FRG7 and 50 metre longwire antenna.

The reception turned out to be a rare occurrence as the station has not been heard here since, despite numerous attempts to tune in!

The AFRTS 1485 kHz AM tower, showing the lagoon and cargo ships in the distance. Apparently there are many sharks in the lagoon which offers a good swimming opportunity until one spots gray dorsal fins! The photograph (courtesy of the VQ9Z website) was taken from the top of the 90 ft. VQ9Z log periodic antenna tower.

I was fortunate to receive a QSL letter (pictured above) and a postcard of an aerial view of the atoll from Chief Journalist and U.S. Navy Officer in Charge, Steven Pitruzzello, in response to my reception report.

Steven added, "Our 1485 station normally operates at approximately 80 percent of its 250 watt capability, so you're doing well to have received our signal over such a distance. I have no record of our station being received in South Africa prior to your reception."

At the entrance to the 1485 kHz transmitter "shack" (Photograph courtesy Joe Talbot).

Another view of the entrance to the "shack", showing the medium wave transmitter inside (Photograph courtesy Joe Talbot).

Close up of the medium wave transmitter (Photograph courtesy Joe Talbot). Thanks to Joe for his kind permission to include the above four photographs. Visit Joe's website for additional photographs.

Coconut Plantation, East Point, Diego Garcia (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

Audio Clips

Recorded on the 16th July 1991 at 2028 UTC - a remarkable peak!

Audio clip also available here.


Recorded on the 16th July 1991 at 2030 UTC - the AFRTS station id.

Audio clip also available here.

The DX location at Crawfords Beach Lodge, Cintsa East, South Africa.

Any memories or futher information regarding AFRTS Diego Garcia on 1485 kHz medium wave would be greatly appreciated. You are welcome to add your comments below.

8AL Alice Springs NT 783 kHz - Audio

Mediumwave stations from the Northern Territory are rarely heard at Fish Hoek so it was a pleasant surprise to hear 8AL Alice Springs NT on 783 kHz on the 13th April 2007 and a month later on the 13th May 2007. There was intermittent interference from the usually dominant co-channel 6VA, Albany WA.

Audio Clips

13th April 2007 1829 UTC : An "ABC local radio" id was announced by the male presenter of the overnight programme.

13th May 2007 1734 UTC : Part of the ABC newscast by the female announcer included Sports news.

Alice Springs Telegraph Building (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

6VA Albany WA 783 kHz QSL

6VA Albany WA on 783 kHz was heard on the 13th September 1989 via the FRG 7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Fish Hoek.

Chief Engineer Gary Wheatcroft kindly responded to my reception report with an informative letter and included a listener club membership card.

The 6VA transmitter building and antenna mast, situated at Albany WA (Photograph Google Street View) .

Solomon Islands SIBC Honiara 9545 kHz QSL - Audio

The Pacific remains an interesting target area for the South African dxer. Apart from Australia and New Zealand, memorable and sensational shortwave catches such as the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Vanuatu have been reported in South Africa by a few experienced dxers.

The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation was heard on 9545 kHz on the 4th August 1989 via the FRG 7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Fish Hoek. I was fortunate to receive a QSL card in response to my reception report.

Audio Clip

It was a surprise to hear the S.I.B.C. 22 years later, during the March 2011 dxpedition at Seefontein. The station made it through on 5020 kHz on the 30th March 2011 at 1912 UTC.

Honiara, Solomon Islands (Photograph : Wikimedia Commons).

6MM Mandurah WA 1116 kHz QSL and Audio

6MM Mandurah WA on 1116 kHz was heard and identified for the first time on the 27th July 1989 via the FRG 7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Fish Hoek.

Senior Technician Sydney Smith responded to my reception report with an informative letter and kindly included a 6MM car sticker as well as a photograph of the studio building.

The 6MM Studio Building (Photograph courtesy of Sydney Smith).

Inside the 6MM studio (Photograph Mark Leonard).

Audio Clip

The 2 kw signal from 6MM was heard over a distance of 8 657 km with a very good consistent level on the 13th May 2009 at 1647 UTC via the Sony SRF-M37V ultralight receiver and 220 metre BOG at Fish Hoek.

The 6MM transmitter building and 73 metre antenna mast, situated at West Pinjarra (Photograph Google Street View).

WGN Chicago IL 720 kHz QSL

WGN Chicago IL on 720 kHz made it through to Fish Hoek on the 26th of February 1989. The station was heard over a distance of 13 707 km via the FRG7 and 25 metre longwire antenna.

I was fortunate to receive a QSL card in response to my reception report (click onto the images below for a higher resolution).

Included with the reply was a promo card with a photograph featuring Bob Collins and Friends, signed by WGN business and agribusiness reporter Max Armstong.

The WGN Transmitter Site

The 750 ft. WGN antenna tower (Photograph Google Street View).

The WGN transmitter building (Photograph Google Street View).

CKEC New GLasgow Nova Scotia 1320 kHz QSL

It was a pleasure to hear Canadian mediumwave station CKEC New Glasgow, Nova Scotia on 1320 kHz on the 16th of February 1989. The station made it through via the FRG7 and 25 metre longwire antenna at Fish Hoek.

I was fortunate to receive a friendly QSL letter from Doug Freeman, CEO President and Managing Director, in response to my reception report. Doug also kindly enclosed a photograph of the CKEC main transmitter room and added :

" ... To reach South Africa from a Canadian medium wave station is quite a feat - certainly our first ! Congratulations ... "

The verification letter received from Doug Freeman.

The main transmitter room of CKEC, showing the 25 kw Nautel tx and 5 kw Gates standby tx (Photograph c1991 courtesy Doug Freeman).

In 2006, CKEC was licensed to convert to FM. As of December 11, 2007, CKEC launched its FM station, 94.1. Simulcasting remained on both the AM and FM stations for 90 days, before converting entirely to FM.

WVIE Pikesville MD 1370 kHz - Audio

Another highlight from the September 2011 Seefontein dxpedition was the reception of WVIE Pikesville MD (a personal first) on 1370 kHz.

The station (branded as "V-1370") made it through over a distance of 12 616 km via the Icom R71E and 220 metre beverage antenna directed towards Eastern Canada. I did not manage to obtain a verification from WVIE but thought I'd share an audio clip of the reception from across the Atlantic on the 15th September 2011 at 0436 UTC.

Audio Clip

The six WVIE (Presently WQLL) antenna towers. The night time antenna pattern towards the south-east would have contributed greatly towards the trans-Atlantic reception in this part of the world.

WQLL (Q-1370)

On August 6, 2012, WVIE changed their format to classic hits (branded as "Q-1370"). On August 7, 2012, WVIE changed their call letters to WQLL.

WNGL Mobile AL 1410 khz - QSL and Audio

It was a pleasant surprise to hear and identify WNGL Moblie AL on 1410 kHz (a personal first) on the 15th September 2011 during the previous dxpedition to Seefontein.

The station's 4.6 kw signal made it through over a distance of 13 186 km via the Icom R71E and 220 metre beverage antenna directed towards Eastern Canada.

Station Manager David Renshaw kindly responded to my follow-up reception report with a prompt email reply. David seemed to recognise the call letters from the female announcer on the audio clip and added that there are no female announcers at the station (My guess is that the top-of-the-hour id announcement was possibly pre-recorded and aired during the time when the previous station manager, Daniel diSilva, was in charge).

Audio Clip

A careful listen to the recording at 0500 UTC on the 15th September 2011 revealed the station id : " ... WNGL 14-10. You're listening (static crash) to Archangel Radio ... ".

A Brief History

As the oldest radio station in Mobile, WODX first broadcast from the Battle House Hotel on February 7, 1930.

WODX engineer and equipment (Photograph : Erik Overbey c1930).

The radio station has undergone various ownership and callsign changes : WODX (1930-1933), WALA (1933-1963), WUNI (1963-1984), WMML (1984-1991), WLVV (1991-2009) and WNGL (2009-present).

The WLVV transmitter building and antenna towers, situated on the coast between Mobile and Baldwin Counties (Photograph : Google Maps Street View).

In late April 2010 WNGL received a construction permit to move from the marshland transmitter site (pictured above) to one off Peach Street in Mobile. In late September 2010 the station was reported as active from the new site.

The Voice Of Russia Bolshakovo 1215 kHz QSL

The Voice Of Russia transmitter towers situated near Bolshakovo.

The Voice of Russia on 1215 kHz made it through on the 14th September during the recent dxpedition to Seefontein.

Fellow dxer Vince Stevens sent off a report to the station and received a reply which indicated that this was the first time that they had received a reception report for the transmission on 1215 kHz (beamed to Europe) from as far as South Africa.

A few days later, I received an email verification from Elena Osipova who also kindly sent a QSL card (commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first manned flight into space) which arrived in the post yesterday.

WWRU Jersey City NJ 1660 kHz QSL and Audio

The WWRU/WKDM transmitter site, situated in Carlstadt, New Jersey (Photograph Mark Buniak).

WWRU on 1660 kHz is one of the more regular AM stations from the U.S. to make it through to South Africa during mediumwave propagation from North America. The signal can be heard with some remarkable peaks at times.

After one or two previous unsuccessful attempts to verify the station, I was fortunate to receive two separate email verifications yesterday!

Another view of the antenna masts and the swamp (Photograph Mark Buniak).

First Verification

Korean Radio Producer David Im from 1660 KRB New York (as the station is also known) responded with a kind email.

Second Verification

My report was also forwarded to Multi Cultural Radio Broadcasting Inc. (MRBI) Chief Operator Mark Buniak who kindly verified the reception with an informative email reply which included many interesting photographs.

It was a pleasure to receive the enthusiastic reply from Mark who is also "the voice" behind the WWRU station id announcement!

" ... Gary, it’s my pleasure to confirm you did hear WWRU on September 15, 2011 in South Africa. WOW! Your attached MP3 recording was perfect proof you heard our station and what turned out to be a personal thrill for me is the voice you heard doing the station ID is me and I'm pleased to know someone in Fish Hoek is listening ... "

Mark Buniak
Chief Operator
MRBI Radio Control
NYC

MRBI Master Control Room in New York City (Photograph Mark Buniak).

The sister station 1380 WKDM building at Carlstadt , New Jersey (Photograph Mark Buniak).

AUDIO CLIP

Mark Buniak's top of the hour WWRU id on 1660 kHz made it through at 0400 UTC in July 2008, during a dxpedition to the Cape Of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Pictured above is the Cape Of Good Hope, the south western tip of the African continent.

WTKT Harrisburg PA 1460 kHz QSL and Audio

It was a pleasant surprise to hear and identify WTKT Harrisburg PA on 1460 kHz (a personal first) on the 15th September 2011 during the recent Seefontein dxpedition.

The station's 4.2 kw signal made it through over a distance of 12 669 km via the Icom R71E and 220 metre beverage antenna directed towards Eastern Canada.

Programme Manger Richard Harris kindly verified my reception report with a prompt email reply (Thanks to fellow dxer Vince Stevens for the contact details) :

Gary,

This will confirm your reception of WTKT 1460khz licensed to Harrisburg, Pa on 150911 @ 12:32 AM. It is indeed our radio station.

Thank you for the report, South Africa is a first for us. If you DX the ham bands, hope you get a chance to find me on 20 or 80 meters as W3HP.

Best 73 and TNX.

RJ Harris

Program Manager

WTKT-WHP

Harrisburg, PA

Audio Clip

An edited audio clip of the station identification at 0432 UTC on the 15th September which was announced as "Fox - Sports - Radio" and "14-60 The Ticket".

Downtown Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania State Capitol, on the east bank of the Susquehanna River (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).