Ultralight Dxing at Castle Rock - 11th March 2009

Google Earth Image of the dx location at Castle Rock, looking north towards Millers Point with False Bay to the east.

Castle Rock is situated just south of Millers Point on the picturesque coastal route between Simonstown and Cape Point, approximately 45 km south-east of Cape Town. It is a short 20 minute drive from my QTH in Fish Hoek and an excellent location for early evening MW DX.

From the mountain side, looking south east across False Bay.

A previous visit with the Sony SRF-M37V was encouraging, so I decided to take the ultralight receiver along again. My main aim was to check out the barefoot reception with this tiny receiver. I also set up a modest 20 metre "over the shoulder" "sloper" antenna.

Another view of the dx location against the mountainside, towards the west.

Despite a fair amount of static, the reception with the SRF-M37V was quite surprising ! Highlights included the barefoot reception of 1449 Maldives (10kw) over 7 152 km / 4444 miles and 1575 Mauritius (2kw) over 4 124 km / 2 562 miles. 1566 India and Korea also made it through barefoot.

Barefoot Highlights :

666 1854 REUNION Radio Reunion, St.Pierre w ann in FF by YL

720 1740 AUSTRALIA 6WF Perth with talkback

1134 1715 CHINA CNR 1 w piano mx

1323 1721 CHINA CRI in EE w "China Drive"

1323 1908 CYPRUS BBC Relay Zygi w news in EE

1359 1845 TAIWAN Family Radio Fangliao w hymns - strong

1377 1723 CHINA CNR1 Zhengzhou w anns over music bed

1413 1908 OMAN BBC Relay A'Seela w news in EE

1413 1900 MOLDOVA Voice of Russia, Grigoriopol, Kremlin bells and ann

1422 1842 MALAWI MBC Radio 1 w interview in EE

1440 1928 TANZANIA Radio One, Dar-es-Salaam w R&B mx

1449 2010 MALDIVES Voice of Maldives, Male w dramatic radio play (10kw)

1458 1817 MAYOTTE RFO, Pamandzi w interview/discussion in FF

1503 1830 IRAN R. Iran, Busherh w id

1503 1815 TAIWAN Fangliao w anns

1512 1810 SAUDI ARABIA BSKSA Jeddah in AA

1521 1810 SAUDI ARABIA BSKSA Duba in AA

1539 1810 UAE VOA R. Aap Ki Dunyaa, Al-Dhabbaya w id

1566 1725 INDIA AIR Nagpur w ragas and EE news by YL at 1730 UTC

1566 1725 KOREA HLAZ Jeju w discussion

1575 1915 MAURITIUS BBC Relay Bigara in EE w mention of an upcomming interview with a winemaker (2kw)

1575 1725 KUWAIT Radio Fada w anns

All stations received with a barefoot Sony SRF-M37V.

WEPN New York NY 1050 QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to receive a QSL letter today from 1050 ESPN Radio Anchor Bob Galerstein. Bob kindly replied to my email report of reception during the excellent opening from the U.S.A. on the 12th January at Noordhoek. WEPN was heard with a huge signal via the Sony SWF-M37V Ultralight and 220 Metre BOG (Beverage On Ground).

1050 WHN (previous call sign) used to get through quite regularly with their country music format during the early 1970's when I first began dxing. I used to enjoy listening to an almost "local quality" signal, via an old Sierra domestic valve receiver and modest 30 metre receiving antenna.

Despite two or three previous attempts over the years, I never managed to obtain a QSL from the station until today. Thank you Bob for your kind reply !

Bob's reply also represents an unexpected 100% return from my 8 recent reports to the U.S.A. It's gratifying that all the recipients have kindly managed to find the time to reply to a distant listener way beyond their respective target areas.

Google Earth Image of WEPN's transmitter and three antenna tower array, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A favourable night time pattern results in good Trans-Atlantic reception in Fish Hoek at times.

MW Stations From Six Different Continents Award

Today I received a beautiful ultralight award certificate from John Bryant on behalf of the other ultralight awards commitee members Robert Ross and Gary DeBock.

The award is for the reception of six continents utilizing an ultralight radio receiver of the barefoot class. I believe that this is also the first "Six Continent" Award issued.

My humble thanks and appreciation for the acknowledgement guys !

A brief breakdown ot the continents/stations heard may be of interest :

On the 24th February, I managed to receive 5 continents barefoot, including 720 6WF Perth, barefoot for the fist time on the Sony SWF-M37V.

In addition to North America received on 24th January 2009, Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and South America made it through during the evening of 24th Feb 2009.

A sample of the stations recieved :

Freq = kHz Time = UTC :

1) Oceania

720 1805 AUSTRALIA 6WF Perth WA with ABC news and wx, also at 1935 w musical interlude "We've Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters.

2) Asia

1359 1855 TAIWAN Family Radio, Fangliao with religious programme in EE followed by "To God Be The Glory" interlude.

3) Africa

1458 1905 MAYOTTE Radio Mayotte, w ann by OM in FF.

4) Europe
1557 1938 FRANCE France Info, Nice w discussion by YL in FF.

5) South America
740 2055 BRAZIL Radio Soc da Bahia w ann in PP at fade-up. This station usually gets through with a huge signal here.

* Barefoot Audio Clip on the right hand side of the web page.

6) North America
1120 0310 U.S.A. KMOX St. Louis MO w id and 5-day wx forecast heard on 24th January 2009.

The surprise reception of KMOX at over 13 776 km / 8560 miles also represents a new world distance record for reception on an ultralight receiver of the barefoot class.

All stations received with a barefoot Sony SRF-M37V at Fish Hoek.

Mildura's signal goes across the world !

It was a surprise to discover that my reception of the 2 kw signal from 1467 3ML made the news in Victoria, Australia :

Google Earth image showing the path from 3ML Mildura, Victoria - across the Indian Ocean - to Fish Hoek, Cape Province.

Mildura's signal goes across the world

Tuesday, 06 January 2009

If you’ve ever wondered how far away listeners can hear Sunraysia’s EASYMIX 1467, you’d be pleased to learn it’s at least 10,430 Kilometres !

That’s impressive coverage from a single transmitter-tower off Flora Avenue near Lake Ranfurly !

Surfing the Internet may be a popular pastime, but so is surfing the AM band for distant channels.

EASYMIX 1467 (official callsign 3ML) recently received a letter from a listener in South Africa’s Capetown region who does just that.

Gary Deacon from Fish Hoek, approximately 25km southeast of Cape Town, says 3ML is often the strongest Victorian station to be heard in South Africa ...

To read more, visit :

http://www.milduraindependent.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5609&Itemid=55

Google Earth image of Mildura, located on the banks of the Murray River in north-western Victoria. 3ML's single transmitter-tower is located near Lake Ranfurly in the centre of the pic.

WMVP Chicago IL 1000 QSL

WMVP Chief Engineer John Hurni kindly verified my audio clip which included a clear " ESPN 1000 " id. The reception occured at my QTH in Fish Hoek on the 10th December 2008 with the Icom R71 and ALA 1530 active loop antenna.

ESPN 1000 was also heard at Noordhoek on the 16th January with a strong peak during the NBA Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Caviliers game. The reception (over a distance of 13 657 kilometers / 8 486 miles ) via the SRF-M37V and 220 m BOG was really clear at times and one could hear the dramatic organ accompaniment and public address announcements in the background.

Thank you to DXer Ole Forr for kindly providing the contact details.

Google Earth Image of WMVP's transmitter and three antenna tower array, located in Downers Grove. The night time pattern favours the east towards Chicago through to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and beyond !

Noordhoek DXpedition Ultralight Loggings : 12th,13th and 16th January 2009

Noordhoek is the last remaining truly rural area and country village in the Cape Peninsula. This pristine position on the coast provides the dxer with a great opportunity to hear MW stations from across the Atlantic.

Local dx records reveal the astonishing reception of Tristan de Cuhna's 40 watt AM signal which made it through here on 3 290 kHz during a cold winter evening in the 1970's, resulting in one of the world's rarest QSL's !

The scenic view from the north end of Noordhoek Beach, approximately 2 km from the dx location.

I was fortunate to receive 56 MW radio stations from the U.S.A. / Canada during the excellent reception conditions experienced at Noordhoek on the 12th, 13th and 16th January 2009.

The use of an ultralight radio for the first time in order to hear the T/A signals was particularly interesting. Surprising results were achieved within the first five days of dxing with a small but very capable Sony SRF-M37V pocket radio.

Sony SRF-M37V Ultralight

The radio does not have an external antenna input, so I simply wrapped a few turns of the beginning end of a 220 meter BOG (Beverage on ground) antenna around the set. The antenna was set up along the left hand side of a gravel road which is directed towards the north eastern part of North America.

A view from the dx location reveals a clear run towards North America (Hamilton ON and Buffalo NY are directly ahead and aligned at the identical bearing via the great circle path).

Vince Stevens was also in attendance during the first morning of 12th January and agreed that this was one of the best openings from North America we had experienced !

Vince used an Eton E100 Ultralight but soon switched over to his main receiver, a Drake R8A, in order to take advantage of being able to record from the latter receiver while the dx was rolling in. I purchased a mini Y-adapor from a local electronics store in Noordhoek the following day. This proved to be a vital addition when listening and recording simultaneously from the ultralight.

Back to the Sony SRF-M37V : The reception results were encouraging and quite astonishing for such a small receiver !

With the exception of tentative loggings of 850 KOA Denver CO and 1160 KSL Salt Lake City UT, the most distant U.S. station recorded was 1040 WHO Des Moines IA (over 14 136 km / 8784 miles) * Audio clip on the right hand side of the web page.

There were six personal / South African firsts from the U.S.A. / Canada with the use of the the 220 metre BOG.

The astonishing reception of eight additional radio stations from the U.S.A. (over 12 500 km to 13 200 km away) with just the tiny 2" / 5cm internal ferrite antenna was also a real surprise !

Noordhoek beach, towards the south.

The Loggings : Freq (kHz) and Time (UTC)

660 0425 WFAN New York NY Commercial for “Turbo Tax” fair 16/01

670 0231 WSCR Chicago IL (presumed) Commercial poor 16/01

680 0320 WRKO Boston MA “We are Boston's Talk Station AM 6-80 WRKO” and the Bill Cunningham Show fair 12/01

690 0347 CINF Montreal QC Discussion in FF poor 12/01

700 0554 WLW Cincinatti OH Commercial fair 12/01

710 0320 WOR New York NY Talkback fair 12/01

720 0231 WGN Chicago IL “WGN Newstime 8:31” time check, wx and “News Talk 7-20 WGN” id fair 16/01

730 0555 CKAC Montreal ON Discussion in FF poor 12/01 * personal first

760 0407 WJR Detroit MI WJR id poor 12/01

780 0311 WBBM Chicago IL "WBBM Newstime 9:11” id and time check fair 13/01/09

790 0343 WNIS Norfolk VA (presumed) Talkback poor 16/01

The dx location with Chapmans Peak in the background.

810 0550 WGY Schentectady NY “The Lutheran Hour” fair 12/01

830 0401 WCRN Worcester MA CBS News, promo for “The Ed Stoltz Experience” and WCRN id good 12/01 * personal first * Audio clip on the right hand side of the web page

830 0408 WEEU Reading PA w Jim Bohannon talkback “echo” effect // WCRN ( a tentative, logical possibility after checking all stations broadcasting on 830 kHz with this show) fair 16/01

840 0314 WHAS Louisville KY Talkback fair 12/01

850 0220 WTAR Norfolk VA “ News, Talk and Sports. AM 8-50 WTAR, Norfolk” and sports comm poor/fair 16/01

850 0425 KOA Denver CO a possibility here, under WTAR with talkback - poor 12/01

860 0309 CJBC Toronto ON YL ann in FF fair 16/01 * personal first

870 0334 WWL New Orleans LA Talkback poor 12/01

880 0259 WCBS New York NY Traffic Report and “WCBS Pin Point Weather” fair 12/01

890 0332 WLS Chicago IL “The Big Eight Nine – WLS” station id fair 12/01

900 0340 CHML Hamilton ON Old Time Radio programme fair 12/01

930 0326 WBEN Buffalo NY Talkback poor 12/01 * personal first Thanks to Vince who managed to id the station for the first time in addition to receiving a QSL !

950 0410 WPEN Philadelphia PA Sports Talkback including a mention of the “University of Penn" fair 13/01

990 0311 UNIDENTIFIED Discussion poor 16/01

There are a large variety of birds in the area - from black eagles to several species of sunbird, wetland and sea birds.

1000 0340 WMVP Chicago IL with ESPN id and promos fair 12/01 Also at 0252 UTC with NBA Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Caviliers commentary - good on 16/01

1010 2234 WINS New York NY Commercial for “6th Avenue Electronics” and id “WINS Newstime 10:34” fair 12/01

1020 0230 KDKA Pittsburgh PA KDKA id and news fair 13/01

1040 0326 WHO Des Moines IA w news item concerning president Geoge Bush's farewell bid to the nation, five days before Barak Obama was to be sworn in - fair peak 16/01 * Audio clip on the right hand side of the web page

1050 0410 WEVD New York NY “Game Night” with Amy Lawrence and "10-50 ESPN" id very Good 12/01

1060 0238 KYW Philadelphia PA Commercial for “Wally Park” and “KYW Accu-weather” fair 16/01

1070 0305 UNIDENTIFIED Sports Commentary poor 16/01

1080 0239 WTIC Hartford CT “WTIC 10-80” id, news and wx poor 16/01

1090 0250 WBAL Baltimore MD Talkback fair/good 16/01 * also barefoot

Surfing at Noordhoek (Nope, that's not me. I'm comfortable with body surfing and a boogie board though).

1100 0353 WTAM Cleveland OH Talkback good 13/01 * also barefoot

1110 0415 WBT Charlotte NC WBT id poor 16/01

1120 0235 KMOX St. Louis MO “Traffic and weather together every 10 minutes, mornings and afternoons. Always informative. Always KMOX”. good 16/01

1130 2215 WBBR New York NY Financial news at fade-up id as “Bloomberg 11-3-0” fair 12/01

1140 2231 WRVA Richmond VA News fair 12/01. Also at 0350 UTC with a huge signal via the ICOM R71 on 13/01 : Audio clip on the right hand side of the web page * also barefoot.

1160 0415 KSL Salt Lake City a possiblity here with Talkback poor 13/01

1170 0250 WWVA Wheeling WV Religious px poor 16/01

1180 0250 R. Marti Marathon Key FL SS ann fair 16/01

1190 0300 WLIB New York NY Pubic Service msg and id “Your praise and inspiration sation 11-90 WLIB” very good 16/01 * also barefoot

1410 0410 KQV Pittsburgh PA commercial and id - poor 16/01
* personal first

Google satellite image of KQV's impressive five antenna tower array. A favourable night time pattern using all five towers would have contributed greatly to the reception of the 5 kw signal at Noordhoek.

1420 0402 WHK Cleveland OH id as “WHK Cleveland” - pleased to catch the id of this station after a careful listen back to a recording of the reception -very poor 16/01 * personal first

1440 0325 UNIDENTIFIED Sports Commentary poor 16/01

1460 0325 UNIDENTIFIED Sports Commentary poor 16/01

1500 0246 WFED Washington DC News good 13/01 * also barefoot

1510 0244 WLAC Nashville TX Talkback, id at 0300 UTC and Fox News good 13/01 * also barefoot

1520 0322 WWKB Buffalo NY Talkback fair 16/01

1530 0250 WCKY Cincinatti OH “CBTS” ad and "15-30 Homer" id good 13/01 * also barefoot

1540 0300 WDCD Albany NY “Finally, a station worth listening to, Golden Radio 15-40 WDCD, Albany” fair 13/01 * also barefoot

1550 0353 UNIDENTIFIED announcement included “15-50” but could not catch an id poor 13/01

1590 0324 UNIDENTIFIED Sports Comm poor 16/01

1600 0012 WWRL New York NY Talkback fair 13/01

1660 0220 WWRU Elizabeth NJ Discussion in KK fair 16/01

A visit from mother duck and chicks at Chapmans Peak Caravan Farm during a review of the DX recordings.

In conclusion, on behalf of Cape dxers John Plimmer, Vince Stevens, Graham Bell and myself I would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to dxers John Bryant, Gary DeBock and Guy Atkins for their generous collective contribution of the ultralight recievers. It's thanks to these guys that we've become truly addicted to this fascinating new aspect of dxing !

WDCD Albany NY 1540 QSL

Programme Director Rich Leighton kindly verified the reception of 1540 WDCD. The Christian station made it through to Noordhoek during the excellent T/A conditions on the 12th January.

WDCD was heard on the barefoot Sony SRF-M37V ultralight over a distance of 12 673 kilometers / 7 874 miles.

WLAC Nashville TN 1510 QSL

Programme Director Tom Peace from WLAC kindly responded to my verification request with this attractive email attachment from the golden days of radio ! Click onto the above image to obtain a more detailed resolution.

I was fortunate to hear the station via the internal antenna of the Sony SRF-M37V ultralight, during the great reception conditions experienced on the 13th January at Noordhoek.

WLAC Nashville has been heard fairly regularly since the early 1970's when I first began DXing. Despite two or three previous attempts over the years, I never managed to obtain a QSL from the station until yesterday. Thank you Tom for kindly inlcuding the great email verification attachment too !

Google Earth Images of the Noordhoek DX Location

The satellite image above (34 06'29.00 S 18 22'42.66 E) shows the low density housing and farmland in the area (Click onto the image for a more detailed view).

This is an excellent, quiet location with no / negligible domestic electrical noise sources to contend with. By additional good fortune a gravel road runs from the DX location towards North America. This allows for a quick and easy set up of the 220 metre BOG along the left hand side of the road.

The DX location is less than 2 km from the NW coast and only about 5 km from my QTH in Fish Hoek :


The FRG 7 and SRF-M37V 's selectivity issues don't seem to present a problem here in the Cape Peninsula, especially during good reception conditions. Propagation peaks are received with astonishing clarity via the wide bandwidth on AM, as indicated by the audio clips on the right hand side of the web page.

WTAM Cleveland OH 1100 QSL

WTAM made it through over a distance of 13 197 km / 8 200 miles via the 5 cm internal ferrite antenna of the Sony SRF-M37V ultralight, during the excellent reception conditions experienced on the 13th January.

Dave Ramos from WTAM kindly verified the reception :

" Gary, this is fantastic. I, too, am a "DXer"...but I couldn't imagine hearing a station from the other side of the world. This has been forwarded to our station manager. I'll be sure to send over (via postal mail) something nice from our station...an autographed photo or something like that of our morning team, Wills and Snyder. That's the show that I work with. Try tuning in super early on a Sunday morning...you might even hear my show! It would be 5am to 8am in your time zone. Thanks so much for writing! "

Dave Ramos
WTAM 1100, Cleveland

Many thanks for you kind reply Dave !

WCRN Worcester MA 830 QSL

General Sales Manager Chris Thompson kindly verified the ultralight reception of 830 WCRN during the excellent T/A conditions on the 12th January 2009 at Noordhoek.

The station was heard with some surprising peaks over a distance of 12 507 km / 7771 miles (A personal first).

Audio  

KMOX St. Louis MO 1120 QSL

News Director John Butler kindly verified the unusual barefoot ultralight reception of 1120 KMOX :

"Gary,That’s pretty amazing. From your description it certainly sounds like you had KMOX on.I’m forwarding this on to our engineering team. Again,Thank you."

John M. Butler
News Director
KMOX/CBS

Ultralight Reception of 1120 KMOX St. Loius MO

I thought I'd share the surprise reception of 1120 KMOX, St.Loius with the Sony SRF M37V via its internal 5 cm loopstick antenna !

The station made it through to my QTH here in Fish Hoek this morning at 0305 UTC with an id and 5 day wx forecast. I nearly fell off my chair as KMOX is not often heard even via a conventional receiver and beverage antenna !

At over 13 776 km / 8560 miles this appears to be the most distant of the 9 North American AM stations to make it through "barefoot" to this part of the world so far.

KQV Pittsburgh PA 1410 QSL

Today I was fortunate to receive my first QSL from T/A reception on an ultralight.

The reception occurred at Noordhoek, Cape Peninsula via the Sony SRF-M37V and 220 m BOG. The 5kw signal from 1410 KQV managed to make it through over a distance of over 13 000 km. Also a personal first.

News Director Frank Gottlieb kindly verified the reception and recognised KQV announcer Bruce Sakalik's voice with their station id at the end of my attached audio clip.

Google satellite image of KQV's impressive five antenna tower array. A favourable night time pattern using all five towers would have contributed greatly to the reception of the station at Noordhoek.

Ultralight DXing with the Sony SRF-M37V

Fellow dxer Vince Stevens visited us on Sunday evening (11 January), during our annual holiday at Noordhoek (20 km south of Cape Town). He kindly presented me with a Sony SRF59, aligned by Gary DeBock and a Sony SRF-M37V. These radios are part of a generous collective contribution of ultralights from dxers John Bryant, Guy Atkins & Gary DeBock. Thanks again guys !

Right from the beginning of briefly trying out the Sonys during that first evening, I relized that, despite their size, these are very capable receivers ! The barefoot reception of numerous African MW stations from Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique via the SRF59 was a real surprise. The SRF-M37V has a nice feel about it and produced my first barefoot ultralight TI reception of Radio Mayotte on 1458 kHz and CNR1 on 1134 kHz !

The following morning Vince and I headed down the road for what turned out to be an interesting dxpedition.

I decided to use the SRF M37V and simply wrapped a few turns of the near end of the 220 metre BOG around the set.

The results were quite astonishing with strong peaks from the USA and a few Canadian stations across the dial !

Highlights included :

680 WRKO Boston MA

690 CINF Montreal QC

730 CKAC Montreal QC (personal first)

800 CKLW Windsor ON

830 WCRN Worcester MA (personal first)

900 CHML Hamilton ON

The following morning (13 January), I deceided to visit the same location in order to have a go at possible barefoot reception with the M37V.

The main "reference" receiver was an ICOM R71 which I conncected to a 220 BOG directed towards North America.

It was a real surprise to receive my first TA signals from the USA on the barefoot M37V, during some serious propagation peaks !

1100 WTAM Cleveland OH

1140 WRVA Richmond VA

1500 WFED Washington DC

1510 WLAC Nashville TN

1530 WCKY Cincinatti OH

I also heard a "flutter" from CHML on 900 kHz but could not quite resolve the audio.

Another highlight during a brief listen that evening (13 January) was the barefoot reception of Taiwan on 1503 kHz.

More loggings to follow as time permits.

3ML Mildura VIC 1467 QSL

AM stations from Victoria are not often heard here in Fish Hoek. Apart from 3LO on 774 kHz, 3ML on 1467 kHz is the most consistent station from Victoria to make it through during the few occasions when reception conditions permit.

Ted Guinea kindly verified my follow-up email report from 1 May (the first time I managed to hear the station) and 2 May 2006. Ted included the comment " ... We knew that 3ML had good coverage but we never expected it could be heard over 10 000 kilometres away !"

Thank you Ted for your interest and kind response !

WZNZ Jacksonville FL 1460 QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear and identify WZNZ as "Jacksonville's ESPN 1460" from home on the 1st Jaunary 2006. However, I was not able to verify the reception during the time of the station's sports talk format.

The difficulty in trying to obtain a verification has been compounded by the fact that WZNZ has since undergone two ownership/format changes with a third change due this week ! The ESPN format gave way to religious programming (http://www.1460theriver.com/) which in turn became Jacksonville's Progressive Talk.

A few days ago, I was fortunate to receive an email verification from ex NFL Jacksonville Jaguar's middle linebacker/radio host Tom McManus who recognised his voice on my audio clip from January 2006 ! The clip included a promo for his program, "The Rumble" on "Jacksonvile's ESPN 1460".

Thank you for the verification Tom and the best of luck with your two new shows on 1010XL !

KGED Fresno CA 1680 QSL

Today I received a very nice QSL letter from Patrick Martin
(A higher resolution is available by clicking onto the QSL).

Patrick also forwarded my report to the Chief Engineer of KGED who remarked : "That was quite a haul". It certainly was. The 1 kw night time signal and distance of 16 250 km (over 10 000 miles) would make KGED one of the most surprising AM stations to get through here in many years.

And a really special QSL it is too. Thanks Patrick !

1680 KGED Fresno CA received in South Africa !

I was fortunate to hear and identify KGED Fresno CA for the first time after reviewing a recording from my second visit/dxpedition to the Cape Of Good Hope National Park last week. The reception of the 1 kw signal occurred over a distance of 16 250 km !

Apart from a tentative appearance of former 1680 KVAT in 2006, It's been over 20 years since I've managed to hear and identify California on medium wave (640 KFI Los Angeles, 680 KNBR San Francisco and 1070 KNX Los Angeles made it through in 1986).

KGED Reception Manager/International Dxer Patrick Martin kindly verified the reception :

" ... Gary, I am impressed!!! The first report from Africa for the station. A very excellent catch. Bravo!!! I tried the last time, but unfortunately there were two Radio Disney stations on 1680 and I could not ID the audio you sent. This time, there are no doubts. I can catch the calls easily. I will mail you out a QSL. Thanks for giving it such great try. You did it. Fantastic. 73, Patrick ... "

Thank you for the kind comments Patrick. I look forward to receiving your QSL !

BENIN TWR Parakou 1566 QSL

Trans World Radio, Benin on 1566 kHz is regularly heard here in Fish Hoek with a good consistent signal.

Lorrain Stavropoulos very kindly responded today to my email request for a verification from reception on the 9th May (during the DXpedition at the Cape of Good Hope) with a very nice pdf QSL (Click onto the image above for a detailed view).

Thank you to dxer Vince Stevens for providing the email address.

Cape of Good Hope Dxpedition 9th - 11th May

The picturesque Cape of Good Hope National Park was the destination for a brief family weekend break/dxpedition. The Cape of Good Hope (pictured above) is the most south-westerly point on the African continent. We had a pleasant stay at Eland family cottage, situated a few kilometers to the north.


There is plenty of space for beverages, particularly towards the NW (North America) and SW (South America). The proximity to the Atlantic coast (3 km towards the west) and False Bay coast (8 km towards the east) provides another important dx advantage.

Highlights :

660 0518 USA WFAN New York NY (50 kw)

680 0504 USA WRKO Boston MA (50 kw)

700 0530 USA WLW Cincinnatti OH (50 kw)

700 2320 ST VINCENT NBC Kingstown * Audio clip included *

710 0353 USA WOR New York NY (50 kw)

730 2358 COLOMBIA Radio Lider Bogata (100 kw)

750 0104 VENEZUELA RCR 750 Caracas (100 kw)

770 0005 COLOMBIA RCN SF de Bogota (100 kw)

790 0522 USA WNIS Norfolk VA (5 kw)

850 0453 USA WTAR Norfolk VA (25 kw)

870 0510 USA WWL New Orleans LA (50 kw)

880 0512 USA WCBS New York NY (50 kw)

900 0606 VENEZUELA Mara Ritmo 900,Maracaibo (25 kw)

980 0519 USA UNIDENTIFIED w discussion

1000 0514 USA WMVP Chicago IL (50 kw)

1010 0334 USA WINS New York NY (50 kw)

1017 1608 AUSTRALIA Vision Radio, Bunbury w hymn (tent)

1040 0404 USA WHO Des Moines IA (50 kw)

1050 0442 USA WEVD New York NY (50kw)

1060 0425 USA KYW Philadelphia PA (50 kw)

1130 0428 USA WBBR New York NY (50 kw)

1140 0406 USA WRVA Richmond VA (50 kw)

1160 0547 USA KSL Salt Lake City UT (50 kw)

1170 0345 USA WWVA Wheeling WV (50 kw)

1190 0350 USA WLIB New York NY (50 kw)

1200 0450 USA WOAI San Antonio TX (50 kw)

1460 2203 BRAZIL Radio Aqreste Sousa (250 watts)

1500 0515 USA WWWT Washington DC (50 kw)

1510 0543 USA WLAC Nashville TN (50 kw)

1520 0515 USA WWKB Buffalo NY (50 kw)

1530 0542 USA WCKY Cincinnati OH (50 kw)

1540 0540 USA KXEL Waterloo IA (50 kw)

1590 0546 USA UNIDENTIFIED w sports comm

1590 2207 BRAZIL Radio Globo Joinville (500 watts)

1600 2132 BRAZIL Radio Nove de Julho, Sao Paulo (20 kw) Regularly heard here with an impressive "local quality" signal on this occasion ! * Audio clip included *

1660 0415 USA WWRU Elisabeth NJ (1 kw)

1700 0222 USA KVNS Brownsville TX (880 watts)

Receivers : FRG7 and ICOM R71E

Antenna : 220 m BOG towards North America
120 m BOG towards South America

Vision Radio Margaret River WA 1611 QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear and identify Vision Radio Network on 1611 kHz for the first time at Fish Hoek on April 15th. The 400 watt Christian station from Margaret River WA is relatively new (The station commenced broadcasting in December 2007).

Broadcast Operations Manager Phil Edwards kindly verified my email report this morning. Thanks Phil. (My third WA narrowcast verification on 1611 kHz. I was also fortunate to receive verifications from 6GS, Wagin and 6MX, Albany).

Visit http://ucbmedia.com/blog/2007/12/19/ucb-australia-margaret-river/ for some additional information and pics regarding the station. Check out the pic of the shed housing the transmitter, including a brave broadcast engineer climbing the 46 meter high mast in order to inspect the fittings !

CBA Moncton NB 1070 QSL and audio

CBA Moncton NB, Canada will be signing off permanently from their mediumwave frequency of 1070 kHz and moving to 106.1 FM within the next few hours.

As a tribute, I've included a QSL from the reception of CBA on 30 January 1986 and audio from part of their sign/off announcement on 6 June 1988.

Sylvia Roy from Audience Relations was kind enough to include a friendly verification letter and other CBC related material including sticker and coverage map back in 1986. The station was last heard in South Africa during the late 1980s.

Jongensgat DXpedition - 10th to 14th March

Another enjoyable visit to Jongensgat with fellow dxers Vince Stevens, John Plimmer and Derrick Du Plessis produced some interesting dx, particularly from South America, despite a fair amount of static. (Click on pic above for higher resolution).

Dxing from Jongensgat provides a refreshing change from the regular reception of Brazilian stations heard across the MW band during the early hours in Fish Hoek. Instead, stations from Argentina tend to get through remarkably well.

Highlights included stations from Uruguay and Paraguay, some of which were noted for the first time :

550 0430 URUGUAY Radio Colonia, Colonia w id

590 0500 ARGENTINA Radio Continental, Buenos Aires w id and news

610 0501 URUGUAY Radio Rural, Montevideo w pr promos and id

700 0439 ARGENTINA Radio Cordoba (tent) w pop music

710 0352 ARGENTINA Radio Diez, Buenos Aires w id

790 0429 ARGENTINA Radio Mitre w ann and telephone no.

840 0407 ARGENTINA Radio Salta w id

870 0422 ARGENTINA Radio Nacional w ann by female presenter

900 0158 ARGENTINA Radio Provincia de Corrientes w id and accordian mx

910 0428 ARGENTINA La Red, Buenos Aires w 'Crockodile Rock' by Elton John

920 0252 PARAGUAY Radio Nacional del Paraguay, Asuncion w mx

940 0420 ARGENTINA Radio Chajari w multiple ids and promos

950 0356 ARGENTINA Radio Belgrano, Buenos Aires w id

990 0301 ARGENTINA AM 990 Formosa w 'Noche de Gallos'

999 1647 INDONESIA RRI Jakarta w id

1000 0432 UNIDENTIFIED (USA) w religious sermon

1020 0400 PARAGUAY Radio Nanduti, Asuncion w id and news

1030 0452 ARGENTINA Radio del Plata w id and anns

1050 0229 URUGUAY Radio Uruguay, Montevideo w jazz music including “I Love Paris” id at 0259 UTC as “La Radio Difusion Nacional de Uruguay” over nylon acoustic guitar music bed.

1100 0402 ARGENTINA Radio de la Ciudade Beunos Aires w news and wx

1130 0410 ARGENTINA Radio Nacional (tent) w ads

1140 0413 PARAGUAY w tent id ann including mention of 'Paraguay' and tx frequency

1150 0449 ARGENTINA Radio Brigadier, Sante Fe w anns

1160 0445 UNIDENTIFIED (South America) with song 'I'm Only Human'

1170 0418 URUGUAY Radiomudo, Montevideo (tent) w frequent mention of Uruguay

1190 0446 ARGENTINA Radio America, Buenos Aires w 'Marieta' by Francisco Tarrega performed by classical guitarist Naciso Yepes. Station and program id at 0446 by male presenter preceded continuation of classical orchestral music. Excellent signal
* Audio sample on the right hand side of the web page *

1210 0415 UNIDENTIFIED (South America) w 'Clocks' by Coldplay.

1215 0212 UK Virgin Radio w 'Kiss Form A Rose” and id at 0220 UTC

1270 0235 ARGENTINA Radio Provincia de Beunos Aires w mx

1287 1634 UNIDENTIFIED (Far East) w EZ listening music

1341 1748 UNIDENTIFIED in EE w old testament reading concerning the Israelites

1395 0155 HOLLAND BIG L w promo for “BIG L's Singles Connection”. Also noted the previous evening on 12/3 at 1820 UTC w 70's rock mx

1413 1755 JAPAN JOIF, Fukuoka w “All Night Nippon” id

1458 0200 UK Sunrise Radio w station id jingle, time check for 2 o'clock and news

Receiver : Icom R71

Antenna : 220 m BOG towards South America and 300 m Beverage towards the UK.

WJXL Jacksonville FL 1010 QSL

A surprise appearance of WJXL Jacksonville FL on 1010 kHz was noted for the first time (A South African First) during the early hours on the 1st November. The reception occurred at my QTH in Fish Hoek, via a recently acquired ICOM IC-R71E and an ALA 1530 loop antenna, suspended from my cupboard door. Co-channel WINS New York NY is the usual dominant station from the USA to make it through under favourable propagation conditions from North America.

I received a friendly email reply last night from WJXL's Programming Consultant, Tom Fridley who kindly verified my audio clip and reception report :

" ... Gary, What a pleasant surprise it was to read your thoughtful note and listen to the sound clip – indeed, it is our station in Jacksonville, FL. I am fascinated by your account and the detail with which you presented the information. I also took a quick look at your web site and was very impressed. And what a beautiful place it appears that you live ... I will share your email with others here at 1010 XL ... Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness! ~ Tom ... "

Thank you Tom for your interest and kind response !