Arctic Radio 1584

Arctic Radio was monitored during the tests and the official broadcasts at home with a IQ and an ALA100 antenna. Although the noise level is high and there were interference from the co-channel stations it was heard several times at night and in the afternoon of Dec. 28th. Fortunately on Dec 28th they were transmitting after 14 utc of their afternoon broadcast and the signal level starting (Arctic R. is the black line) to increase then as can been seen in the graph. The levels were recorded afterwards using SpecLab´s Plotter window and the data was transfered to Excel for the graph.
Below is also a small clip of the transmission with heavy noise containing a part of the programme before 15 utc (with Iran coming quite strong as well) and an announcement in Swedish later on. The picture shows a SpecrtaVue screen with resolution of about 0.1 Hz.
Keep up the good work in b´casting all the staff of Arctic Radio Morokulien.

I wish also my best wishes to Arctic Radio Club now 50 years old
!

LATEST SDR-RADIO TESTS PART 1 - PERSEUS

I have had some time after all to check a bit what is happening in the field of new software and receivers in the fascinating world of SDR-technology.

Finally tested a bit the latest release of Perseus software 2.1h. I was of course waiting for something from the big wish list which is easy to do but the implementation of the list is in the hand of the software designers. It is like waiting for presents from Santa Claus, you do not always get all you are dreaming of.

Well, the most important new features for me has been so far:

Multiple receivers attached to a single PC.

- for me not a big issue as I have currently not enaugh powerfull PC to run two Perseus at the same time. This feature is really good during DX-peditions. I wonder how many Perseus you can put into a same PC- they say you should not go more tahan totally 2000 kHz sample rate alltogether on one machine.

Waterfall Time Ticks

- this could be a usefull addition when checking what is happening on a certain SPAN especially hunting some carriers. However it seems SpecLab can do this more accurately and with many nice options.

Markers Log (file)

– this feature seems interesting, but of course not for a "normal" dx hunter, but for a more "scientivical" approarch what is happening on a certain SPAN. For instance when you try to find out certain fade in times of weak stations. However, the format is not a table if you log several markers (like a carrier and a noise marker) so you have to make some tricks with softwares (like Excel) to make graphs. Maybe someone could make a simple 3rd party software to do the graphs. As it seems the marker is locked into the peak of carrier, the lock can be loosed when the signal fades out ? And if you want to log markers before the fade in it seems hard as the marker is not locked to the exact frequency as far as I can understand. So making frequency locked logs of relative signal strengths one should use SpecLab instead. With SpecLab Plotterwindow you can trace the data of many carriers not only the signal level but the frequency drift as well.
The picture shows an example of a typical frequency with known offsets (Korea 1566.003 and Hubei China 1566.030).


Fully featured demonstration version

This version is nice to those who want to just test the software using some example files or files from friends. So now you do not need to have a Perseus RX plugged at least once to your hardware. This seems to be as a marketing tool for the Perseus. Money Talks.

WinUSB drivers and control DLL. Windows Vista and Windows 7 support.

Now the support of Vista 64bit and Win7 with own drivers, which is good. For me not a reality until I have to go for a new operating systems. I am still having a good worksing enviroment with an old XP. What I would like to see is a working system with Apple Macintosh OS or Linux environment!

Not all that good..

But what was a disappointment for me was that you still has to listen on AM or SAM when trying to read the exact carrier frequency! As you can see in an example here (AM-window behind the LSBdemod window) – a TA channel 1510 kHz, which also has very usual (and good indicators) of US stations: Boston, Denver and Seattle on 1510.018, 1510.000 and 1509.987 resp. (+- 1 Hz). If you look at the Perseus using lower sideband to avoid Euro QRM 1510 you are lost !

The same situation using the latest SpectraVue (now 3.03 with RBW 0.1Hz) – software shows using the LSB the carriers well and also automatically gives you the frequency reading on the upper left corner of the window. Maybe Perseus software could have one more button "show the center frequency of SPAN" which is independent of demodulation.


However, all in all the software runs OK and there are many good additions, it seems also there will be in a near future a version of Perseus software with easy connection over the internet. Let´s see. And last but not least: Perseus is the best receiver I have ever had. period.

KING´S VILLAGE DX - A MYSTERY AFTER THE SOLSTICE

When visiting my cottage I found a mystery around December 23rd at the cottage - now with a lot of snow around everything - also covering my antennas. Fortunately I had my video camcorder with me - a short video shows what is happening in the darkness of King´s Village...

So it is time to wish you all the best for the Holiday Season 2009!
73 TK

The Sun is Standing !

KING ´S VILLAGE DX WISH YOU A HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE 2009 - THE SUN STANDS AT DEC 21 1747 UT AND WE ARE BEGINING OUR WAY TOWARDS SUMMER!

In the meantime when we also are in the middle of snow and ice in Europe we can enjoy the best medium wave conditions towards the Northern Dimensions!

The photo shows the scene at Abborsfors 10 kms South of the Kungsboele QTH, three days before the solstice, the weather was still fine with sun and - 19 centigrades (18 Dec 10 UTC).

More about latest DX soon.

73 TK

Ecos de Naranjito - revisited

After a nice email and also a postcard from the station (Licdo. Leoncio Delgado Hermida Gerente Propietario) I also got a link (Thank you Henrik Klemetz!) to Valter Comuzzi, Italy, who kindly send us some photos (originally from 2004 - grazie Valter!) of the station. The photo here shows the front door of the station.
Hopefully Ecos de Naranjito´s project of the new transmitter is going well and we wish the situation with electric power is better also soon.

Muchas gracias y saludos cordiales a Licdo. Leoncio Delgado Hermida!

King´s Village DX-Station, November: 4KZ Ingham, Qld, Australia!

That´s it - the X-bander 4KZ finally has been noted several times this fall, although I have had several "fights against the nature" with BOGbiters trying to eat my Far East Bog! The station has usually phone-in shows at nites and sometimes with very marginal signals it is easy to recognize during the TOH with interval signal music and time pips before the news. The best reception has always been during my local sunset around 14.30 - 16.30 UTC. It seems 4KZ has been so far the easiest catch although not so easy - 500 Watts AM and about 14.000 kilometers distance is the reason. I know some special conditions has been noted in the North (Lapland´s DXpeditons), but the situation is a bit different down here.
By the way - the Finnish Immigration Museum near Seinäjoki has received a house (hut) from Ingham last summer. It is an old sugercane workers hut of Finnish immigrants in Australia built in the 1900th century. Obviously it was not only Italians but Finns doing the cane cutting during that time. The barack will be rebuilt at the museum village next summer!
The article of the project is also at http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/01/08/2461654.htm

Thank you very much for the email from 4KZ, the director of 4KZ - Al Kirton says "For some reason, we seem to receive quite a few reports from the Scandinavian region" - that´s right - Scandinavia is certainly a densely populated area of guys trying to pick up distant signals on AM! Another email from the station (Thank you Anthony Palmer - Maintenance Supervisor) contains some photos, here is a 100 Ft tower of the Ingham transmitter (1620 AM). Thanks guys down there!

King´s Village November DX-Station: 2 days left!

The selection of the November DX-Station will be in two days. Recent DX will be rather difficult especially towards North East / East not only because of the BOG-biters, but also due to the current global warming (?) with continuing rains has made by BOG now into a BUW (beverage under water) at least at the beginning of the wire - the picture shows the beginning of the BOG before the rain - some snow was still there up to about 14th November.
One Philippino what was finally IDed in November: 1160.9 DWCM Manila. Seems to be pretty regular altough current conditions favor stations more North and of course China! Ni Hao!
Stay tuned!

Fight against the Nature - BOG Biters!

In October I tried several times to get even something from the Far East and Australia on MW-band. I installed the BOG as usual on the cultivated field (to about 45 degr./NE). The simple antenna is about 250 m long, yet enaugh to bring something from NE direction and whats more important the noise level (mostly from the telephone lines near by carrying ADSL-traffic) is pretty low.
But the wire was destroyed several times in October - sometimes to several pieces - and it turned out to be rabbits / hares testing their teeths to my BOG! So nowadays I call these animals "BOGbiters".
However I have managed to do some DX although also the European QRM seems to be stronger this year.

Anyone who likes to check the band from 909 kHz to 1701 kHz (October 19th 15hrs UTC, there are of course a lot of Europeans, some Chinese etc but a few Aussies on X-band - 1620 the strongest - and on 1548 ? - but something sounds like English on 1233 as well? - Please send your comments to me if you find something interesting) can do by downloading the Perseus file of 30 seconds at:
SPR_091019-1450_01305kHz_001 150002 150032 .wav

PAPUA -NEW GUINEA ON 90 MB

Like Indonesia, Papua was an interesting target with a lot of stations on 120, 90, 75 and 60 meters in the end of 1900 century. Well, there are fortunately still a few stations left on 90 mb. Usually in winter period almost all active stations can be heard - some better durinf their morning broadcasts around 19 - 20 hrs UTC and some during the evening b´casts around 12-13 UTC. I made a scan of these in October while visiting my QTH at Haapavesi. The stations heard can be seen on the picture with offsets frequencies (+-1 Hz). There is a missprint on the picture - please note that .99xx means below the nominal while .0xxx is above!
Around 13 hours utc RRI 3345 had a break of a few minutes making possible to listen the TOH of the Papuan on 3345!
The best reception of these was on 3290:


If you want to check the band yourself you can also find a short Perseus file at 13 utc on 4shared:
90mb_2110_13ut_000 130045 130130.wav

Indonesia on SW

All those who have been active DXers in 1970-1990 remember well the numerous Indonesian Shortwave stations on tropical bands. Now we have only a few left like a couple of RRI stations - the most commons are on 3325 (Palankaraya), 3345 (Ternate), 3976 Pontianak, 3987 Manokwari and 3995 Kendari. The closing down ceremony with a famous "Rayan Pulau Kelapa"-song is very well remembered among us. During my latests visits to my Haapavesi QTH (almost in the middle of Finland) I checked of course some of these channels. What else can we say but sing along:
Tanah airku Indonesia
Negeri elok amat kucinta
Tanah tumpah darahku yang mulia
Yang kupuja sepanjang masa

DX-Station of October: Ecos de Naranjito Ecuador 1470

This station was easy to select as it was heard at home with only a small 3x7m ALA100 loop antenna and an SDR-IQ receiver and the listening situation was quite a surprise. I heard it"live" during a brief check of reception conditons. The frequency of 1470 is well known as an indicator channel of Trans Atlantic reception. When I checked the situationon October 3rd during the local sunrise time I soon realized that a station was interfering normally very strong Venezuelans (both Vibración and Llanerísima are often heard, the first one now being on 1469.995 and the last one on 1470.034). The Venezuelans played their National Anthem as usual at local midnight but a station with localy oriented program with a gentleman at the studio (with "mensajes" and beautiful Ecuadorian music) was intefering others - and soon it became to dominate the channel! Soon I heard also announcements with time check and ID "...minutos faltan para las zero horas ... 14-70 ... Ecos de Naranjito". The 3rd October was one of the best days to get Ecuadorians in Scandinavia. Many DXers reports to have heard several stations! The strongest stations at my QTH were on 1350 (TeleRadio), 1370 (Rocío), 1470 (Naranjito) and 1530 (both Dorado Deportes and Ondas Canaris). Below you can hear the announcement of the station - the clip shows how the Ecuadorian beats the stronger Venezuelans easily!

Best greetings to Ecos de Naranjito!
Felicitaciones a la Ecos de Naranjito!

DX-Station of September: NuevaQ FM Lima Perú

The September DX-station was a Peruvian station which is rather new broadcasting on MW-band. The reason was easy: I discovered a strange programme which sounded Latin, maybe Peruvian with cumbia music. Soon I heard it mentioning "Nueva Q FM" or something like that. After some work with internet I discovered that there are at least that kind of programming on FM and Internet. After a while this station was heard all over Scandinavia (maybe the first loggings by Norwegians at Kalvoya already in August?) and it soon became a very easy target for Trans Atlantic DX enthusiasts. The station has a web feed as well, at least of this name - I do not know if the feed I found is exactly the same as on MW 1360 kHz. The recording of the station is made in September, but the station has been heard better also in October. I had to make some tricks with a still picture & sound - using Apple Mac´s clever iMovie application.
Congratulations to the Nueva Q-FM!
Felicitaciones a la Nueva Q FM!

Saludo de Aniversario

One of the easiest Peruvian AM-station to catch in Scandinavia is Radio Santa Rosa, Limá, Perú.
On October 16th (actually 15th - 16th night in Perú) quite a few Peruvians were audible in Finland. Many DXers have reported to listen several stations (the easiest channels have been at my QTH: 1240, 1310, 1360, 1380, 1400, 1470, 1500 and 1540).
When I checked a SDR-recording of 16th October at around 05.00 UTC I heard the announcement (check the video) of Radio Santa Rosa of their 51st Aniversary. The quality is not the best as I had only a ALA100 loop (7x3m) & SDR-IQ at my home QTH with RF-noise.
As can been seen, Radio Santa Rosa dominates the channel being even stronger than Europeans on 1503 kHz!

So I am happy to wish this:

SALUDO MUY CORDIAL DE ANIVERSARIO A RADIO SANTA ROSA 1500 KCS AM !

King´s Village DX-station August 2009: Radio Princesa AM 1560

Brazil offers usually interesting dx-opportunities in August. This year we had several openings although the reception conditions started soon to favor more Northernly stations from Peru, Colombia and Venezuela.
Several sunday mornings I had a station right below 1560 kHz. Later on it turned out to be a new station for me ZYH257 - Rádio Princesa da Matas, Vicosa (AL)! It is possible that the station usually signs off earlier, but sometimes it was heard past 3 UTC. The frequency (1559.551) has been observed in Brazil as well. The latest list of Brazilian MW-stations (June 2009)is a good database of Brazilians, you can get it from DX-Clube do Brasil - Thank You!
By the way, while searching information of Radio Princesa, a video was found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5KQKJnzdmY. Somebody has been there,hi! Online programming was not found, but it seems the home page is pretty new.

A good candidate of the DX-station of August was R Planalto de Ji-Parana 1390 kHz (new name, possibly a new owner,too?).

Indicator Stations from Far East

There are quite a few indicators of Far East conditions audible using a car radio. This is good as when driving to your DX-QTH you can listen what´s the situation on AM band is. I am very pleased with my latest VW and it´s integrated receiver with real knob! A pity it has no switch to 10 kHz increments, so listening to TA is difficult. One of the Far East examples of usual stations is Korea on 1566 - if it is loud and clear (and not India) the conditions over the Northern Latitudes are better. Also 1170 is a good channel to check if the dominant is an European, the Philippines or Korea. An example of the Korean KBS can be heard here.

DX Highlights in September at King´s Village

St Petersburg DX-CLub´s Alexander Beryozkin visited Finland in September on his way to the EDXC Dublin. We spent a few days around Kotka and Kouvola and visited among other places the Kouvola Tube Radio Museum. Alexander discovered also a secret with this receiver - he started DXing with this heavy tube rx (photo) in 1968 - the secret is that while listening to 19 mb was forbidden in Soviet times - the clever designer in Riga had made "an Easter Egg" to the receiver: by pressing both SW1 and SW2 switch down you can tune in to the 19 mb as well. We spent also some time in the old border of Sweden and Finland at Abborfors (10 kms South of the King´s Village) to celebrate the 200 years anniversary of the freedom of Sweden andFinland at the very border station down there.

Further tests of a modest HP-laptop (HP530) has been made recently - now I have this very modest laptop as a mobile pc with Perseus SDR. It has actually only a Celeron 1.83 cpu, but after the downgrade from Vista to XP (and an additio of memory to 1Gb) it works rather well, even when recording full 1600 kHz. The HD has been changed as well, but also the new 80 Gb is rather small for huge sdr-recording. What is the best - the unit´s PSU seems to be practically noise-free!
When visiting the Northern DX-QTH at Haapavesi in September I made some antenna tests with a BOG (400 mtrs East) and heard some Asian stations - unfortunately some powerline noise made very difficult to get Aussies on X-band.

Also a new antenna wire reel system was tested while working with a 300 m horse fence wire to West (plastic wire with three bound coppercoated steelwires), pretty light weight and inexpensive antenna but needs insulated supports (fence sticks were used).

Got my Far East BOG finally working at King´s Village QTH in the end of September - and noted the first X-band Aussies in the beginning of October (1701 and 1620).

Great Trans-Atlantic conditions continued all the time with stations from Brazil, Peru and Ecuador among others. Some of these signals can be heard almost daily with small antennas also at Home with ALA100 loop under an old oak tree!

The decisions to announce the August and September DX-stations at King´s Village are to be made very soon - stay tuned!

WELCOME TO KING´S VILLAGE DXING

This Blog will be devoted to DXing in King´s Village DX-QTH. Earlier notes have been included in the PUDXK-DX blog, which is a common Blog for all the members of the Northern Dimension DXers - a small community of DX-listeners particularly interested in Medium Wave DXing in Northern Finland and Lapland.
Since my main DXing QTH is in Southern Finland I will be reporting later - and hopefully more often - in this blog of my own.
DXing since 1970 has been changed a lot, earlier with analog receivers my focus was to listen and verify stations in the beginning of my DXing career. Nowadays my interests are in listening (mainly to Asia-Pacific and Latin America) "difficult stations on MW", making observation of offset frequencies and exploring reception conditions. I organize also special DX-camps in my Northern Finland QTH as well as in the "King´s Village".
King´s Village - Kungsböle (Swedish)- Kuninkaankylä (Finnish) is a small Village 100 kms to the East of Helsinki near Loviisa. My QTH is an old small house near the centre of the Village. The exact QTH is at 60N 25E. My second QTH is at Haapavesi, 500 kms North of Helsinki (65N 24East). I do some DXing at home in Espoo as well although the the level of RF-noise is high.
Current equipments: King´s Village: Icom9000, SDR-14 & IQ, Perseus-SDR. 280 m BOG NE, 130 m LW NW, 280 LW W. Espoo: SDR-IQ, ALA100 Loop. Haapavesi: Perseus-SDR (IQ), EKD 515. Sev lws/beverages/bogs - partly under construction.