King`s Village DX Update, March 2014

This year I hope to publish some updates every now and then instead of the "station of the month" posts. That´s mainly due to the fact that not so many new station has been heard this season. Also I have less time for the hobby at least for the time being. These updates will focus mainly on the highlights of DXing or other related activities.

I was able to continue my Far East listening only in January when my "antenna field" finally had frozen! There was actually a small lake during the end of 2013! Anyway I put a wire of about 250 laying first under the snow and ice which has now all disappreared. Some interesting catches were made actually during this period, mainly from the South East Asia and Australia. The western hemisphere has been rather poor this season, mainly because of some problems with my longwire antenna. Hopefully it will be fixed for the next season. I have also concentrated to record only a small spectrum of MW-band, mostly 1200-1400 and 1600-1700 (X-band Australia) this season.

January 2014 - A couple of new Thai-stations

These were heard on 1323 (Thor Or) and 1350 (Phon Neung Ror. Or., Bangkok) - this one seems to be always on 1349.989. Thailand seems to be best heard around 2100 utc.

February 2014 - The Philippines and some X-Aussies

In the beginning of February a couple of openings to the South East Asia - Australia were noted. Around 1300 kHz stations like DXAB 1296, DYSI 1323, DWUN 1350 and DXCR 1386 were noted with good signals. It seems DXAB 1296 is now operating very near the nominal 1296.00 (it used to be on around 1295.97 some years ago). La Radyo Verdad 1350 was heard with good strength like DXCR 1386 - I have never heard it with so nice signal (a clip can be heard on the clips section). And what´s more a station on 1322.944 was also identified - there has been a carrier earlier also. It was heard now with morning programs with IDs like "Hope Radio Philippines". And after a while the station was found from the web as well: DXHR Hope Radio Philippines Radio Operated by the Seventh-day Adventist, broadcasting from Butuan City, Caraga Region! The conditions were interesting - no the usual China-QRM, instead only a heavy QRM from DYSI (1323.00) was noted!

Also in February a nice opening to Australia was noted on X-band. There was a station or more on nearly all X-band channels: 1611 (Vision) , 1629 (AM1629 Newcastle), 1638 (2ME Arabic), 1656 (VAC, Chinese), 1674 (Vision, on 1674.04), 1683.23 Greek Radio, 1701 (Catholic, Arabic) & Brisvaani.

March 2014 - Indonesia on MW

Indonesian stations are not so rare to be captured in the Arctic or in Northern Finland. However for the first time for me in the South Coast of Finland a RRI was heard (actually first time in February and later several times in March around the c/d) with rather nice signal: RRI Tanjung Pinang 1341. On March 15th the station was heard during the closing down ceremonies ("Rayuan Pulau Kelapa"), first a vocalist version and after that the well known guitar version during the closing announcement at 1700 UTC. At the same time there was also a Radio Thailand station with the sign off (the typical seremonies with "bells" and the anthem) at 1702 UTC.

73's TK