Busy, busy, busy

Well today I had a free day from work, so after a nice walk this morning and a pub lunch with my new wife I spent the evening doing some pirate listening. And what an evening! From 1700 it was very busy at the top of the MW and there were many stations active with music programmes and qsoing. There were some nice catches of stations using very low power. Here's what I heard . . .

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

1653       1700       Monza 35533 qsoing

1650       1710       Schaduwjager 54554 qsoing

1650       1719       Digitaal 34533 qsoing

1645       1741       JB 44544 qsoing

1645       1744       Blauwe Reiger 34533 asking for report

1635       1747       Goudenster 22532 music programme

1615       1750       Batavier weak signal music programme

1645       1752       Soerabaya 25542 qsoing

1640       1752       Leopard 54544 music programme

1620       1753       Vendor 33533 music programme

1647       1818       Dageraad 35543 qsoing

1640       1821       Pecon 44544 qsoing

1635       1822       Leopard 45534 qsoing   

1642       1832       Blauwe Reiger 34533 qsoing

1635       1839       Studio Friesland 24522 qsoing

1611       1845       Blauwe Piraat 24532 qsoing

1670       1847       Matrix 24522 qsoing

1647       1851       Calipso 55534-55555 music programme

1650       1948       Bonte Specht 32422 qsoing

1656       1949       Albatros 33433-34543 music programme

1637       1950       Dageraad 34433 qsoing

1624       1951       Wadloper 35433-55544 music programme

1640       2022       Witte Raaf 44533 music programme

1665       2106       Polkaman 24522-34533 music programme

1644       2110       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55544 music programme

1630       2135       Nachtrijder 22542 music programme

1655       2145       Turfsteker 23422-33433 music programme

1653       2209       Jeneverstoker 23432 qsoing

1619       2210       Rebel 23422 music programme

1640       2214       Monte Carlo 45544 qsoing

1645       2216       Marianne 45534 qsoing

1640       2218       Vrolijke Mijnwerker 55544 qsoing

1635       2224       Monte Carlo 45534 qsoing

1650       2228       Klaas Snoek 45434 qsoing

1635       2249       Melkbus 25422-35533 music programme

1633       2256       Barcelona 54544 qsoing

1660       2311       Orion 35533 qsoing

1641       2316       Jeneverstoker 35533 qsoing

1645       2325       Monte Carlo 45534 qsoing

1645       2340       Electron 44544 asking for report

Observations

• Conditions were particularly interesting this evening. At around 1830 there was a lot of rapid fading with signals changing very quickly. This levelled out and stations became more stable with the result that even those using very low power could be heard at our location
• Even before conditions settled down, Batavier was heard using just five watts. Okay, the signal wasn't good, but to cross the North Sea and then travel across the land in England is some going for such low power
• It has been a while since I've heard Goudenster, but he was coming through with just 50 watts, while Nachtrijder was heard with 65 watts and Rebel with just 30 watts
• There was a very interesting experiment from Albatros. He was busy with a music programme on 1656 and just before he closed down his transmission, he reduced his power right down to two watts. I was still able to hear Enya with Orinoco Flow, even with such low power and with Turfsteker just 1 kHz away on 1655. I think this goes to show that conditions were working well for us... and that Albatros, like many of the other stations successful with low power, has a very good antenna
• Good to hear Melkbus for the first time in a while. He was running his usual 90 watts but with a different antenna to previously
• Calipso made a rare appearance on 1647. He can usually be found on 1629 and he had plenty of people fooled for a good while before revealing his indentity. The signal was incredibly strong but with the usual slow fading that typifies reception of stations using wire antennas
• Monte Carlo was busy qsoing on various frequencies. I made a video of him talking on 1645 at around 2325. Take a look . . .

• I also made a video of the whispering Electron, who was coming in loud and clear on 1645 while asking for a reception report . . .