News Archive

# 500 kHz # FAROE ISLANDS # FINLAND # FRANCE

500 kHz
In the 500 kHz Experiment quarterly report for the period ending February 2010, Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, reported that since the experiment began in late 2006, 19 of the 31 participating stations are currently active. The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology granted the WD2XSH experimental license to the ARRL in September of that year. Raab said that during the quarter, nine new stations were active on the air:"Conditions during the winter were generally good. As a result, there has
been a great deal of activity during the past three months."
Full Story at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/23/11400/?nc=1
Mike Terry via dxld yg (23/3-2010)

500 kHz
Fritz Raab, W1FR, coordinator for ARRL's 500 kHz Experimental Station, WD2XSH, reports that fall has brought lower static and good propagation, making excellent conditions for the 500 kHz experimenters.
The experimental license, issued in September 2006, has more than 20 active stations. Raab said that last year, a second US experimental license - WE2XGR, with five participants - joined the project, as well as experimenters in the UK, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
These stations' operating modes include CW, QRSS, PSK-31 and others. Contacts have been achieved at distances up to 1234 miles, with signals received from all over North America, Alaska and Hawaii; transatlantic reports are not uncommon.
"The 500 kHz experimenters are experiencing excellent propagation conditions, " Raab said. "The best time to listen is between sunset and sunrise. The operating frequencies are: WD2XSH - 505.2 - 510 kHz; WE2XGR - 505-515 kHz; UK - 501-504 kHz, and SM, DL, OK - 505.0 - 505.2 kHz.
Raab requests that listeners file reception reports at the experiment's Web site so that they become part of the station's data base http://www.500kc.com
Source: http://www.southgatearc.org:80/news/november2008/arrl_500khz_station.htm
via Mike Terry, mwdx yg (8/11-2008)

500 kHz
FromRadio Bulgarias DX-program 30 march I quote the following:
ARRL 500 kHz Experiment Logs Thousands of Activity Hours.
A total of 16 participating stations have been active on the air since the experiment got under way in late 2006. The low-frequency investigation has demonstrated ground-wave communi-cation at distances of 100 miles in New England, in the Gulf Coast states and in Colorado.
"This might not sound very dramatic, but it is very important, as no current amateur band has the capability for beyond-line-of-sight communication that does not depend upon the whims of the ionosphere", ARRL 500 kHz Experiment Fritz Raab, W1FR said.
The longest distance over which a QSO has been maintained is 884 miles from New Hampshire to Tennessee. The stations have been using CW or very low-speed CW.
Even daylight contacts have been completed via ground wave. These include a 127-mile path between Massachusetts and Connecticut and an 87-mile path between Mississippi and Louisiana. The latter has proven reliable multiple times at all times of day or night.
The two-year WD2XSH authorization permits experimentation and research between 505 and 510 kHz using narrowband modes at power levels of up to 20 watts effective radiated power (ERP). Important WD2XSH frequencies: CW beacons: 505.300 and 506.300 kHz; Low-speed CW (QRS) operation: 505.250 and 505.255 kHz, and calling frequency: 507.5 kHz (band center).
500 kHz Experiments Elsewhere.
SM6BHZ in Sweden has been authorized to operate from 505.0 to 505.2 kHz. Two German experimental stations that had been operating in the vicinity of 400 kHz have shifted to 500 kHz too. The UK is now issuing special permits for 501 - 504 kHz.
Ullmar Qvick (1/4-2007)
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FAROE ISLANDS
Journalism Review --- Glenn, More acerbic commentary from a troglodytic curmudgeon. Trade "journalists" are even more unreliable than the general ones. One of my professional colleagues refers to all marketing puffery as "journalism" as a term of contempt.
The weasels who have taken over Radio World, buying it from Steve Dana, are even more reluctant than Steve was to name names for fear of annoying their advertisers. Here is an article from the current (August 2008, p. 14) international edition, which is certainly
informative but would be a lot more interesting and useful if it told us (1) who made the unreliable and uneconomical box of whistles that's being terminated, (2) who supplied the “used” (perhaps rebuilt?) tube that would only make 40% power and (3) who was selected to supply the replacement pair of 50's and maybe even why they were selected, since
it is a government purchase and may actually be public information, even in a European country.
Benjamin Dawson, WA, Aug 19, DXLD
“*Unsuitable Tube:*
The Faroe Islands parliament has approved state funding for the purchase of two 50 kW medium-wave transmitters for public broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya. The new units replace a 200 kW transmitter, which has been in the local headlines for a number of years. Not only did the energy costs for the transmitter rise enormously but, after a failure of the main tube, the transmitter was also out of use for several months.
Kringvarp Føroya acquired a second-hand tube but it proved unsuitable, resulting in bad audio quality and frequent transmitter failures. The maximum power achieved with that tube was around 80 kW.
The investment necessary for the new installations is estimated at approximately 9.7 million Danish Krone. The transmitters will operate on 531 kHz as before. The standard operational power will be 50 kW but may rise to 100 kW by adding the second transmitter whenever appropriate.”
via Dawson, DXLD 8-099 (7/9-2008)

FAROE ISLANDS
The Utvarp transmits again on mediumwave. A new MW-xmitter has been installed in Akraberg, so it now again is possible to listen to MW. The transmitter has been in bad condition for several years. And this spring it stopped definitely. Since then the Utvarp could be heard on FM. Lagtinget [Faroese Parliament/ed] decided to spend money on two new 50 kW mediumwave transmitters, later changed to a 100 kW transmitter and a 50 kW transmitter.
The transmitter now installed is the 50 kW transmitter, is a backup transmitter. In november the 100 kW transmitter will be installed, and then Utvarp can be heard much better on MW.
From Kringvarp Føroya's website (8/8-2008)
Please excuse the incomplete translation. The original text here:
Útvarpið sendir nú aftur á millumbylgju. Ein nýggjur millumbylgjusendari er settur upp í Akrabyrgi, og tað hevur við sær, at skip og onnur, ið lurta á millumbylgju, aftur kunnu hoyra útvarpið. Millumbylgjusendarin hjá Útvarpinum hevur verið svikaligur í fleiri ár.
Og í vár slóknaði hann endaliga. Síðani hevur Útvarpið bert verið at hoyra á FM. Løgtingið samtykti í vár at játta pening til tveir nýggjar 50 kW-millumbylgjusendarar. Tá avtornaði, vórðu í staðin ein 100 kW sendari og ein 50 kW-sendari keyptir.
Millumbylgjusendarin, ið nú er settur upp, er 50 kW-sendarin, sum er ætlaður sum backup-sendari. Í november verður 100 kW-sendarin settur upp, og tá fer Útvarpið at hoyrast uppaftur betur á millumbylgju.
Akraberg 531 kHz heard here tonight at my location in southern Denmark.
Ydun Ritz (9/8-2008)

FAROE ISLANDS
I'm hearing [friday night 8/8] a strong station on 531 kHz in a Nordic language. Is this Akraberg, Far Oer already activated again ? This was planned for the beginning of October.
Can anybody confirm ?
73, Guido Schotmans via MWDX (9/8-2008)
Hi Guido,
Yes.. this certainly is.. I'm listening to 531 and its // to the Internet
http://www.listenlive.eu/faroe.html
Cheers David Onley via MWDX (9/8-2008)

FAROE ISLANDS
New transmitter on Akraberg 531 kHz to come. Since May 6th Kringvarp Faroya has been silent on this frequency. The old transmitter went down due to technical problems caused by old technology, and was irreparable. It was considered, that the best and cheapest solution was to install a new transmitter. This will come into temporary use during August, and installing the new xmitter will be completed during last quarter of 2008.
Source: Hans Andor Johannsen, Head of technology, Kringvarp Faroya (25/6-2008)

FAROE ISLANDS
Since October 1st, Kringvarp Føroya has 24h. service, including 531 kHz. During 2300-0700 local time (=UTC) non-stop music without any interruptions.
Power is 100 kW, except for main news transmissions at 1230 and 1800, where it increases to 200 kW.
After merging with the faroese television January 1st, 2005 the name has changed to Kringvarp Føroya (from Utvarp Føroya).
Sámal J. Samuelsen, Kringvarp Føroya (Faroese Broadcasting Corporation) in an email (23/11-2006)
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FINLAND
In case you haven't already noticed, there's a new Lapland DXpedition report on DXing.info at http://www.dxing.info/dxpeditions/lem291rep.dx
The 291st DXpedition to Lemmenjoki did not yield coveted Aussies or Kiwis, but AM conditions to North America and the Far East were pretty good most of the time. Also a bunch of interesting stations from Mexico and the rest of Latin America were heard. And as you can see in the photos, Lapland is very beautiful this time of the year.
73 Mika Makelainen via mwdx yg (13/3-2010)

FINLAND
Hello from Finland!
The Finnish Amateur Radio League (SRAL) has started annual summer camp once again. This time Hami camp is located in Pikku-Syöte, Pudasjärvi in the Northern part of Finland. Pudasjärvi is situated between Oulu and Kuusamo.

Radio Hami is on the air on 94.6 FM and 1584 AM on 16th - 19th July 2009.
The official webpages of Radio Hami: http://www.radiohami.net/
Reception reports should be sent to:
Radio Hami / SRAL
PL 44
00441 Helsinki Finland
or by email. Email-address can be found from their webpages too.
73's Hannu Romppainen via mwc (16/7-2009)

FINLAND
Medium wave transmissions launched 11th May 2009.
Radio86 has started broadcasting China-themed programs on 963 kHz in the medium-wave band from Finland. Daily programs air between 5 and 9 am and between 6 pm and 1 am. The transmission is ensured by Digita transmission services in Pori.
The programs are produced by Radio86, based in Tampere, Finland. The radio shows, presented in a number of European languages, all focus on China. Additional content is provided by China Radio International.
"The aim of Radio86 is to provide ample and diverse information on China and its culture to our audiences in the Nordic and Baltic countries. We are committed to this mission in the long-term," Zhao Yinong, Managing Director of FutuVision Media Ltd. says.
Digita is happy with a client who is committed to long-term cooperation. The launch of the transmissions represent a new beginning for medium wave radio in Finland. "We here at Digita are very happy about our cooperation with FutuVision Media. TDF Group, a leading terrestrial broadcast service operator, is backing our cooperation by providing the required satellite linking," Jari Pasuri, Service Development Manager for Digita Ltd. says.
Additional Information:
Jari Pasuri, Service Development Manager for Digita Ltd. Tel. +358-40-5287088, first name.last name@digita.fi
Editor-in-chief Jutta Valkeinen, FutuVision Media/Radio86. Tel. +358-3-4108-9031, jutta@radio86.com
www.futuvision.com www.radio86.com www.digita.fi
http://www.futuvision.com/en/futuvision-media/news/232
Mauno Ritola via mwdx yg (13/5-2009)

FINLAND
/AALAND
The licence that had been awarded to Roy Sandgren for 603 kHz from Aaland has been returned and will be put on auction
ARC Information Desk 17 Mar via Editor Olle Alm, DXLD via Stig Hartvig Nielsen (23/3-2008)
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FRANCE
Radio Orient (F) 1350 kHz off at 2339 UTC, leaving the channel free for DX!
73, Günter Lorenz, D-85354 Freising via mwc yg (18/10-2009)

FRANCE
Trans World Radio (TWR) is pleased to announce the successful completion of a major antenna upgrade to North Africa as of April 9, 2009. The upgrade greatly improves both coverage and signal strength, increasing the number of potential listeners in the region to 40 million people.
Prior to the antenna modification, TWR’s signal to many North African people groups, particularly those in the Northern Atlas mountains, was nearly indistinguishable above the interference caused by electromagnetic radiation from growing cities. Today, the reception is loud and clear. The transmission is now beamed towards the Atlas Mountains in a concentrated beam, as opposed to the earlier, wider-angle signal toward an area with not much interest in reception. The transmitter power for 1467 kHz remains at 100,000 watts. (Later corrected to 1000,000 watts)
One North African listener says, “The signal is better than before. I know that this improvement not only helps us hear the gospel message, but also allows many more in all of North Africa to listen to these programs now.”
Trans World Radio envisions North Africa committed to Jesus Christ, and broadcasts strategic programming to North Africa in Arabic and Berber dialects such as Sous, Tamazight, Tarifit and Kabyle.
TWR website and Wolfgang Büschel, Germany (10/6-2009)

FRANCE
1188khz, former VRT Radio2, is now active with Radio France Blue Nord.
It is about 5Kw, and you can hear it say 300kms away. (It would be nice if you test it, at night you will hear it occasionally ... , there is a Hungarian..)
I do not know what is happening, is the freq or the transmitter hired for the Paris Roubaix Bicycle race??
Marc via EMWG (11/4-2009)

FRANCE
At this moment Sud Radio, France 819 khz reception in South Belgium on 22:25 UTC. QRM from Italy & Egypte on 819 kHz. New on evening transmission at MW?
Ge Huibens, Beffe, Belgium via MWC (3/2-2009)

FRANCE
I if you are interested to see some photos from the site, incl. the 5 MW and 4 LW towers, go to my: http://www.qsl.net/oz3yi/Roumoules.html It is, unfortunately, in Danish only. click on the photos to enlarge.
73, Erik Koie, Copenhagen via dxld yg (11/6-2008)

Great Erik,
also http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7161798
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6802513
singe MW mast for extension by a reflector mast midst between 5mast MW array, mainpower post and 3-mast LW antenna at 43°47'36.11"N 06°09'30.47"E
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=43.794837&lon=6.153471&z=16.9&r=0&src=msl
or go to GEOPORTAIL http://www.geoportail.fr/visu2D.do?ter=metropole
and put > Roumoules < into ALLER À column. Geoportail centers to Roumoules village,
move southwards by using mouse to Longitude : 06° 09' 26'' E Latitude : 43° 47' 34'' N
and move mouse wheel to 50 meters projection. And click also "CARTES" / "Cartes IGN" on left column and you will get also the map layer of France.
Wolfgang Büschel, dxld yg (11/6-2008)

FRANCE
Trans World Radio (TWR) is planning to modify the antenna of its 1000 kW transmitter at Roumoules in Southern France to provide a stronger signal in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
The current omnidirectional antenna on 1467 kHz will be converted to a directional antenna at a cost of US$200,000. TWR's John Summerville says the change has the potential of reaching 15 million new people in Arabic and four different Berber dialects.
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/trans-world-radio-plans-directional-antenna-
on-1467-khz
The full text from Mission Network News:
10 June, 2008
North Africa
Narrowing their focus has translated to action for Trans World Radio.
TWR's John Summerville says they're working on a transmitter modification project, where the signal that's coming from southern France will be changed.
Summerville explains, "Through this transmitter modification, we can clarify the signal that's already going out into Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. But we can also send that signal much deeper to be able to reach people who have never heard the Gospel before." The new signal has the potential of reaching 15 million new people.
The problem: many of these people have never had the Gospel in their own language before. That's complicated by the fact that much of the projected audience doesn't read. Rather than re-invent the wheel, Trans World Radio will use the tools they already have.
They're currently broadcasting in Arabic and four different Berber dialects, but in order to reach more people, they would need some way of throwing the signal further. The solution: change the configuration and the reach of their radio signal from an omni-directional, semi-circular one, to a directional one.
The importance of this project was confirmed by a Moroccan man Summerville met who had come to know Christ through a radio broadcast. "For ten years, that man had no fellowship with other Christians, and it was only through radio that he had fellowship. Radio can go places missionaries often can't."
That's why TWR has delivered radio/CD players to Morocco and Algeria, along with a CD of TWR programming. If broadcast signals are weak, listeners can still hear the programs. In addition, several hundred pre-fixed radios are being readied for distribution throughout North Africa. The team is also raising roughtly $200,000 USD to fund the changeover.
Despite ministry challenges, Summerville says, "We know through anecdotal evidence that churches are being planted; we know that people are coming to know Christ. They contact us in many different ways, and when they do, they're telling us, 'Please give us more programs so that we can hear what God has for us."
As producers focus their radio program content towards women, youth, oral-speakers, and the general public, pray for their wisdom and safety. Many will take on increased prayer ministry responsibilities, as well as financial investment.
http://www.mnnonline.org/article/11315
Media Network by Andy Sennitt via Mike Terry, dxld yg (10/6-2008)

FRANCE
Littoral AM Tests: Surprised at their AM signal this evening on 1593 ... punching through WDR's DRM quite nicely.
On the littoralam.fr website they say they use 50 kW daytime and 5 kW evenings/nights.
Don't understand why they then annouce the http://www.radionumerique-bretagne.com
website on-air as it's such a mouthful.
But at least on that website you can send them a reception report online (en français).
Mark Hattam via MWC (20/4-2008)

FRANCE
Hi, as I was informed, France Info was heard in this country on 13 APR 2008 at 0528 UTC on 1521kHz with an ID. Is not that strange? Not listed as far as I know. Does anybody know more?
Thanks, Karel Honzik, CZE via MWC (17/4-2008)

FRANCE
PRESS RELEASE: DRM trials of Littoral Media in Brittany, France [Littoral AM 1593 kHz].
Since Thursday 21st February Littoral Media’s medium wave transmitter broadcasting in DRM digital mode in Brittany (France) with a TransRadio 25 kW transmitter (2,5 millions potential listeners).
Following an incredible seven-year adventure, Littoral Media have at last broadcast on the airwaves for the first time with theirs partners TransRadio the German company leader in the building of AM and DRM transmitters, APIC Company, IDT, the Consortium DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and the association for digital radio DR.
Despite the authorization from the CSA (Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel) being given only for these technical DRM trials, it is however, for our modest team already a victory.The tests will now continue just until the end of April, and during this period the teams will carry out measuring the distance of coverage for the whole of Brittany. (A process of validating the technical choices carried out for many years, and the real geographical coverage of the transmitter).If the launch of this test is already a victory, there still remains a lot of work to be done. The long awaited for next stage, is the selections of the candidatures by the CSA. President of the Society, Stephane Hamon, hopes that this will take place very rapidly.
The team hope very much to obtain a frequency. Then, and only then, the team of Littoral Media could at last realize their real job : The radio.
Please note: listeners can follow the unfolding of the tests of Littoral Media (1593 kHz) on
http://www.radionumerique-bretagne.com
Partners:
TransRadio
Sociéte APIC
Consortium DRM (Littoral AM is DRM supporter since 2005)
IDT
Association DR
Press contact:
Nathalie Villalon - n.villabon@littoralam.fr
Clare Bonner - clarebonner@yahoo.co.uk
Received from Frédéric Guyon via Martin Hall, MWC (5/4-2008)

FRANCE
Radio Maria France is audible for a few days now on 1467 kHz with s/on at 0500 UTC.
[http://www.radiomaria.fr/]
73 from Austria, Patrick Robic (3/11-2007)

FRANCE
1314 khz Paris been off air since friday22 June; any info why?
David James (27/6-2007)
Nothing observed so far here /ed
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