5RN Adelaide 729 kHz and 5AN Adelaide 891 Khz Barefoot Ultralight Radio QSL

Graham from the ABC kindly responded to my reception report regarding the unusual barefoot appearance of 729 5RN Adelaide and 891 5AN Adelaide on the 22nd September 2010.

Both 50 kw stations made it through to Fish Hoek, South Africa over a distance of 10 125 km / 6 291 miles via the Sony SRF-M37V's internal 5cm loopstick antenna.

Hi Gary,

I am happy to confirm your reception of:

729kHz 5RN Adelaide @ 1929Z 22/09/2010, and
891kHz 5AN Adelaide @ 1916Z 22/09/2010.

Both stations operate at a power of 50kW from a site at Pimpala in the southern suburbs of Adelaide in South Australia.

Impressive reception - thanks for the report!

Regards,

Graham.

Yours truly with the Sony SRF-M37V ultralight receiver - an impressive performer in the Cape Peninsula / South African environment with only a few local stations to contend with.

Audio : 729 5RN Adelaide and 891 5AN Adelaide received barefoot at Fish Hoek, South Africa.

I thought I'd share the unusual reception of 729 5RN Adelaide and 891 5AN Adelaide on the 22nd September 2010 , with the Sony SRF M37V via its internal 5 cm loopstick antenna!

Both 50 kw stations made it through to Fish Hoek, South Africa over a distance of 10 125 km / 6 291 miles via the barefoot Sony SRF-M37V.

891 5AN Adelaide peaked to an astonishing level at 1916 UTC - the most remarkable barefoot signal that I've been fortunate to hear from the station.

AUDIO

Two brief audio clips of the reception have been included below :

891 5AN Adelaide recorded at 1916 UTC on 22nd Sep 2010.

729 5RN Adelaide recorded at 1929 UTC on 22nd Sep 2010.

Google Earth Image of the 729 5RN and 891 5AN antenna masts site at Pimpala, situated in the southern suburbs of Adelaide in South Australia.

Google Earth Image showing the arrival bearing of 5RN and 5AN from Adelaide. After an initial takeoff above 6.6 km of land from down under, the signals continued over an all-sea path across the Indian ocean, arriving above False Bay and only 1 km of land to the dx location at Fish Hoek, over 10 125 km / 6 291 miles away.

KDKA Pittsburgh PA 1020 kHz QSL

KDKA Pittsburg PA on 1020 khz made it through to Pinelands via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna on the 21st August 1986.

Radio Programming Intern Rodger Sauer kindly responded to my reception report with a letter and an interesting 1970 booklet "It Started Hear", about the early history of KDKA.



Carried aloft by a big balloon, an experimental antenna is tested in the Pittsburgh area by KDKA personnel (Photographs from "It Started Hear" - a KDKA booklet commemorating 50 years of broadcasting).

WMAZ Macon GA 940 khz QSL

WMAZ logo on the station's letterhead from 1986.


WMAZ Macon, Georgia on 940 kHz made it through on the 27th July 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire at Sandbaai (The station was heard with co-channel WINZ Miami, Florida).

Chief Engineer William Sowell kindly verified my reception report.

WINZ Miami FL 940 kHz QSL

WINZ Miami Florida on 940 kHz made it through on the 27th July 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire at Sandbaai.

Technical Director Mitch Wein kindly verified my reception report.

CAYMAN ISLANDS Radio Cayman 1555 kHz QSL

The Caribbean has always been an interesting target for the South African Dxer. It was a pleasure to hear Radio Cayman on their previous mediumwave frequency of 1555 kHz. The station made it through to Sandbaai on the 17th July 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna.

Brodcasting Director Loxley Banks kindly verified my reception report with a friendly letter.

Stingray City, Grand Cayman (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

CBE Windsor Ontario 1550 khz QSL

CBE Windsor Ontario on 1550 khz made it through to Pinelands via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna on the 14th July 1986.

Radio Resources Manager Rod Clark kindly responded to my reception report with a letter in which he included the following interesting comment :

" ... I have just verified another report from Norway, at a weather station in the Arctic ocean. Your report gives us almost 180 degrees of coverage."

Skyline of Windsor, the southernmost city in Canada, viewed from Detroit (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

NIGERIA Radio Benue Makurdi 918 kHz QSL and Audio

The Benue River in Nigeria, looking south east from Jimeta/Yola (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

Radio Benue, Makurdi, Nigeria on 918 khz was heard at 1900 UTC on the 5th July at Fish Hoek via the Sony SRF-M37V and 220 metre BOG.

Radio Benue Director of Administration & Finance, Espie Adzape kindly verified my reception report with a recent friendly email :

Nice to hear from you. Your report is correct. we broadcast on 918 khz and 95 mhz FM and our sub station at Idekpa. The reception report is cheering news because our radial wires were recently vandalized so we are unsure of our present reach. It is heart warning to know that we can still be heard far away. Somebody wrote in from Russia as well. Look forward to more communication with you. My regards, Espei Adzape.

AUDIO CLIP

Station Identification in English was included in the following announcement which preceded a local newscast at 1900 UTC on the 5th July 2010 :

" ... 8 'o clock ... This is the combined service of Radio Benue. You can listen to this broadcast on 95 megahertz FM, 918 kHz mediumwave band or our local sub station ... "

6NA Narrogin WA 918 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear 6NA Narrogin WA on 918 khz for the first time during the exceptional reception conditions on the 27th June 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Sandbaai.

I received a friendly QSL letter from Radio Technician Peter Brown who kindly responded to my reception report.

The checkered Bunbury lighthouse was built in 1959. The original lighthouse was subsequently attached to the top of the 10 metre base extension which was constructed in 1971 (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

6GE Geraldton WA 1008 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear 6GE Geraldton WA on 1008 khz for the first time during the exceptional reception conditions on the 27th June 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Sandbaai.

I received a QSL letter from General Manager Lyle J. Harris who kindly verified to my reception report.

Coronation Beach, just north of Geraldton WA, is a popular windsurfing location (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

2CH Sydney NSW 1170 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear 2CH Sydney on 1170 khz for the first time (A South African First) during the exceptional reception conditions on the 25th June 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Sandbaai.

I received a QSL card, letter, bumper stickers and promo pamphlet from Network Chief Engineer Alan Liddelow who kindly responded to my reception report.

The 2CH "9 O'Clock Specials" promo pamphlet for August 1986.

One of the old 2CH antenna towers at Ermington, New South Wales (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

The old 2CH transmitter building and antenna towers at Ermington New South Wales (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

5PI Port Pirie SA 1044 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear 5PI Port Pirie for the first time on the 25th June 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Sandbaai.

I received a QSL card, letter and bumper stickers from Chief Engineer Richard Kruger who kindly responded to my reception report. Richard added that in the 4 and a half years that he had been with the station, this was the first report received from the Continent of Africa - a reflection of superb reception conditions experienced at an ideal coastal location!

The station changed their callsign to 5CS in 1987.

The former Port Pirie railway station. The impressive Victorian pavilion-style building was built in 1902 and is now a museum (Photograph Wikimedia Commons).

KRGV Weslaco TX 1290 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear KRGV Weslaco TX on 1290 kHz on the 25th June 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Sandbaai. The music request phone-in programme was heard until fade out at 0645 hours UTC that morning - the latest that I managed to hear a mediumwave radio station from the U.S.A. at the time.

I received the friendly and informative QSL letter with a station sticker from Chief Engineer Lawson Campbell who kindly responded to my reception report.

6IX Perth WA 1080 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear 6IX Perth for the first time on the 24th June 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Sandbaai. The 2 kw signal was received with consistent good peaks that evening.

I received the above QSL letter and microphone stickers from Chief Engineer Alan D'Mello who kindly responded to my reception report.

NEW ZEALAND 4ZB Dunedin 1044 kHz QSL + Audio

The sensational appearance of 4ZB Dunedin, New Zealand on 1044 kHz on the 25th and 26th June 1986 via the FRG7 and a modest 30 metre longwire antenna at Sandbaai, South Africa, was a remarkable and rare occurrence.

To the best of my knowledge New Zealand has not been logged on the mediumwave band in South Africa since.



The 4ZB envelope with the enclosed QSL card was received in response to my reception report and was a cause for great celebration!

Audio Clip

The recording was made at 1724 UTC on the 25th June 1986 and included a "time check" announced as "five and a half away from the 5:30 news" as well as a promo for "Replay Radio".

Polar Absorption

The proximity of the signal path to the South Pole would help explain the rare appearance of a New Zealand mediumwave station in South Africa.

Google Earth Image showing the 10 646 km great circle path between Dunedin, New Zealand and Sandbaai, South Africa.

Polar absorption seems to reduce the ability of signals from the more southerly latitudes to reach here. It would appear that quiet ionospheric conditions with very low A/K indices are essential in order to receive dx signals from the south east part of Australia and New Zealand.

My guess is that the zero sunspot count with the quiet geomagnetic field on the 25th and 26th June 1986 would have contributed greatly to the reception of 4ZB.

Google Earth Image showing the ZB 1044 kHz 122 metre antenna mast at Highcliff to the east above Dunedin (Click onto the image for a high resolution).

WAME Charlotte NC 1480 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear WAME on 1480 kHz for the first time (A South African First) on the 4th June 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Pinelands.

I received the above QSL letter from Chief Engineer Fred Roberts who kindly responded to my reception report. Fred indicated that this was their first report from South Africa and quite possibly the most distant.

After many call sign and ownership changes, the station is now operating as WGFY 1480 Radio Disney, presently owned by the ABC.

WWL New Orleans LA 870 kHz QSL

WWL New Orleans LA on 870 kHz was heard on the 14th May 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Pinelands.

WWL Director Of Technical Services Hugh Burney kindly responded to my reception report to the station.

Hurricane Katrina

WWL was one of the few radio stations to remain on air in the area during the immediate effects and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in late August 2005. Announcer Garland Robinette kept broadcasting for a time from an improvised studio built in a closet after the studio's windows were blown out.

KWKH Shreveport LA 1130 kHz QSL

It was a pleasant surprise to hear KWKH on 1130 kHz for the first time (A South African First) on the 12th May 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Pinelands.

I was fortunate to receive the above QSL form letter in response to my reception report.

WOAI San Antonio TX 1200 kHz QSL

WOAI San Antonio TX on 1200 kHz was heard on the 5th May 1986 via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna at Pinelands.

I was fortunate to receive the above QSL card in response to my reception report.

KFI Los Angeles CA 640 kHz QSL

KFI on 640 kHz was received at Sandbaai for the first time (A South African First) on the 22nd March 1986. It was a pleasant surprise to hear the station over a remarkable distance of 16 091 km via the FRG7 and 30 metre longwire antenna.

I was fortunate to receive the above QSL card and car bumper sticker in response to my reception report.

An early 1940's photograph of the KFI/KECA studios, located at 141 North Vermont Avenue. KFI remained in The Morgan, Walls and Clements building until 1975 (Photograph with kind permission from Barry Mishkind whose interesting and informative website www.oldradio.com includes additional images and recollections from KFI's early days).