Month: February 2023

Gibraltar

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Radio Gibraltar has celebrated 65 years on the air. Hitting the airwaves for the first time on the 16th February 1958, the station continues to inform and entertain the community. It is one country in Europe still on MW, but 1458kHz is a
difficult channel. https://www.gbc.gi/news/radio-gibraltar-marks-65-yearsair
One of its stalwart presenters George Du Boulay is himself celebrating a milestone this year, 50 years on air.

BDXC Communication March edition (2023-02-28)

United Kingdom

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1350 khz Mid Downs Radio Haywards Heath
I can add a bit to this – Mid Downs Radio [1350 kHz] really is rather precisely, 1 Watt EMRP.

Stig is correct that these use a 50 watt (carrier power) transmitter with a 10 m tall toploaded monopole.
The ground system is also very minimal, else the Q would be too high and sidebands would unhelpfully be reflected back to the transmitter, rather than be radiated – this means the efficiency is not great. In more than 60 installations, radiation efficiency averaged about 4 or 5%, so even if someone naughty tampered with the transmitter power setting, they’d get ~2 watts EMRP max.

Years ago, I worked with the supplier and we managed to squeeze 4 watts EMRP out of couple of these installations for special use cases, but it wasn’t that easy. 

We enlarged the hat radials and removed a series resistor usually fitted to minimise the extremes of wet or dry ground conditions and also fat wood pigeons (about 5 pF each 😉 landing on the capacity hat radials.

I am again working out of the same unit as the company now so I know that MDR recently had the antenna relocated and the (corroded) feeder cable replaced. 

The fellow that did this work is meticulous and would have set the aerial current to be spot on for the licensed power level – not a dB more or less!

I have also attached a picture of the actual antenna at MDR, but this is from the MB21 website and was not taken by me. The ATU is located in the steel enclosure at the base of the antenna.

Best regards, Rash to mwcircle iog (2023-02-28)

Space Weather

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We’re still waiting for a second CME to hit Earth’s magnetic field *but* it might have already arrived. On Feb. 27th, between 1000 and 1300 UT, the Faraday Cup on NOAA’s DSCOVR satellite went haywire due to a grounding fault. When it regained its senses, the solar wind speed had jumped to 800 km/s, suggesting that a CME might have arrived unnoticed during the period of chaos. If so, it means the peak of the storm occurred on Feb 27th at category G3, and we can now expect subsiding G1– to G2-class activity on Feb. 28th.
https://spaceweather.com/

Mike Terry to WOR iog (2023-02-28)

Russia

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While tests of medium-wave broadcasting are being carried out in the European part of Russia, in Primorye RTRS is
going to demolish the MW and HF antennas of the Ussuri radio center in Razdolny and one of the RVS-1 masts in
Tavrichanka. Purchases have already been made.
1.
https://zakupki.gov.ru/epz/order/notice/notice223/documents.html?noticeInfoId=14851486
2.
https://zakupki.gov.ru/epz/order/notice/notice223/documents.html?noticeInfoId=14581807
3.
https://zakupki.gov.ru/epz/order/notice/notice223/documents.html?noticeInfoId=14667686
Thanks to user spassk_14 from the Victor City website for the tip.
https://vk.com/tv_fm

RUS-DX #1226 (2023-02-26)

Iceland

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More about the closure of Eidar longwave transmitter on 207 kHz
https://www.ruv.is/frettir/innlent/2023-02-27-langbylgjan-a-eidum-syngur-sitt-sidasta-mastrid-fellt-a-midvikudag
in Icelandic, but Google translate does a good job

“Today at 15:11 RÚV’s long wave transmitter finished its mission on Eid. Then the transmitter stopped broadcasting the daily RÚV and is now singing its last with an announcement that RÚV’s broadcast on this frequency has been turned off. The long-wave tower on Eid will be taken down on Wednesday, but it is the third tallest structure in the country, 218 meters high.

The long wave on Eiður has been replaced by a more powerful FM system in East Iceland. RÚV increased the number of FM transmitters and renewed. For a while it will continue to be broadcast on longwave from Gufuskálar, but then the FM system will completely take over the role of safety broadcasts.

In an announcement from RÚV, it is stated that the equipment needed to maintain the existing masts is very expensive and radio equipment that receives longwave broadcasts is rare. The change should be made in cooperation with Emergency Line and Public Safety. The construction of the FM system in less frequented places started in 2017 and is progressing well. Transmitters have been placed on the highlands as well as large transmitters at key locations for seafarers. Back-up power stations reduce the risk of transmission interruptions due to weather and power outages. In the next two years, the FM system will be further concentrated in the service area of the long-wave transmitter at Gufuskálar, and it is expected to be taken out of service next year.”

At ruv.is/dreifikefirti there is information on where to access RÚV’s broadcasts. It is also possible to present suggestions on where the distribution system could be improved.

Hansjoerg Biener to MWlist iog (2023-02-27)

Iceland

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Eiðar (207 kHz) is now broadcasting a close-down loop. The mast will be brought down next Wednesday.
Gufuskálar (189 kHz) will likely close down next year. FM and Internet are to replace them.

Reynir Heidberg Stefansson (2023-02-27)

Russia?

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Last nite I was listening on 549khz and using my new very directional areal was able to null out jilFM from Algeria and could hear a man and woman talking in an East European language also there was some music was this Bolshakovo? Or ukraine? Anyone else hear it 

Kelly Marie Angel Johnson (2023-02-27)


It is most likely Radio Rossii from Bolshakovo, you have heard.
I have heard it recently early in the mornings.

Ydun Ritz (2023-02-27)


Maybe it was Slovenia. Bolshakovo is currently only turned on during the working hours, but I haven’t checked the last days.

Marco (2023-02-27)