Month: August 2023

Italy

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Radio Centrale Milano is testing on 1575 kHz. You can already listen to Centrale Milano via an internet stream. The station intends to start broadcasting via mediumwave from Alessandria, Italy, as well. Despite a power of only 10 Watts and a distance of 840 kilometers the reception was pretty good August 28th, 23h UTC in the Netherlands. During the tests the station transmits a pulse with increasing pitch. That results in a very interesting waterfall on the HDSDR as you can see in my YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/LYMIMVohT_w

Enzo from Centrale Milano wrote in an email:
Yes, we are testing our site near to Alessandria where we are authorized to use the 1575khz formerly in charge of the Italian Rai and now assigned to us.

The test are performed with a 50mt folded dipole and 10w carrier. We are authorized to 1kw and it seem we will reach you again probably much better ! The regular programs currently available online will be soon activated replacing the test tones and increased (in quality and number of direct ‘on air’) starting from January next year.

I’m 60y/o, owner of the radio and very happy to meet person as you, with your passion for the radio. Congratulations for you ability to capture a so low signal coming from so far away !

You will receive soon our QSL, for the moment thanks again and stay tuned !
Report by Peter Reuderink: https://petersdxcorner.nl/
Thanks to a tip from Hugo Matten: https://hugosdxhoekje.wordpress.com/

Peter Reuderink (2023-08-31)

France

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Bretagne 5, the only medium wave radio station in France, stood out for its broadcast of Frédéric Guyon’s marine weather forecast four times a day. A weather forecast for the southern areas of the North Sea and English Channel, Near Atlantic and Western Channel, as well as for the coastal areas of Brittany.

Bretagne 5 has decided to stop broadcasting marine weather forecasts from September 1st. This last weather forecast will be presented by Stéphane Hamon. The decision is justified in order to offer content more suitable for broadcast on DAB+. For professional sailors and pleasure boaters, there are many alternatives: mobile applications, real-time weather alert systems, etc.

Bretagne 5, which will be present on DAB+, does not give up medium waves. It will keep, more than ever, its character as a general Breton regional radio,

Bretagne 5 broadcasts its programs from its transmitter site located on the Monts du Mené in Saint-Gouéno, in the south of the Côtes d’Armor department. The transmitter center is equipped with an antenna system consisting of a 45 m ¼ wave radiating tower. height, coupled with a new generation medium wave transmitter of 10 kW on 1593 kHz.

It is responsible for all technical services for its transmitting installations, as well as remote management, technological monitoring and broadcast quality control.

Franck Fzerodow to mwcircle FB group (2023-08-30)

Lithuania

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Lietuvos radijo ir televizijos komisija (LRTK) announced a tender for a content retransmission license to retransmit a radio program using the 666 kHz radio frequency in Sitkunai.

The main operating conditions of the electronic communication network using the 666 kHz radio frequency in Sitkunai are as follows:
The user of the radio channel is the Lithuanian Radio and Television Center AB
The radio frequency (channel) is 666 kHz.
The area of use of the radio channel is Sitkunai, Kaunas district.
The deadline for submitting applications is November 06, 2023.
https://www.rtk.lt/lt/naujienos/paskelbtas-konkursas-radijo-programai-retransliuoti-sitkunuose-1

Alex Yankovsky (2023-08-30)

Denmark

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243kHz strange signals

DR on 243kHz is asking for help in identifying any signals broadcast on 243 kHz but NOT transmitted by DR !!

About 23. August at about 1500UTC, I saw  “strange signals” on 243 kHz in my HDSDR waterfall display. I reported this to DR and received a reply from Mr. Jens C. Seeberg asking for more information, as DR did NOT transmit these signals.

There was no carrier visible on 243.00, but there were strong signals in the lower and upper sidebands, and these signals were completely different. LBS  on 242.71 kHz had a Morse-code CW-signal USB on 243.26 kHz had a digital signal with fairly periodic signal-bursts

TDoA measurements would be VERY helpful, in trying to find out from where these signals are originating.

ScreenShot(s) showing as much detail as possible would be quite helpful.
If any audio is present, a mp3-recording would also help.

DR plans to stop all broadcasting on 243 kHz by the end of 2023. Reception Reports are also welcome for their normal DR broadcasts.

Mr. Seeberg replies to reports in his spare time, so it may take a while for a report to be verified. Please send all reports to:   Mr. Jens Chr. Seeberg at this email:    jseeberg(at)post3.tele.dk

Robert Kipp (2023-08-30)

United States

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Hurricane Idalia is approaching the Gulf coast of Florida and strengthening.
It is expected to become a powerful Category 3 hurricane before making landfall Wednesday.
It is anticipated to cause widespread flooding due to the storm surge and this is bound to affect radio broadcasting.
Rainfall up to 10inches is expected in Tallahassee FL and Augusta GA and beyond (see map below)
Firstly transmitters and MW antennas in the coastal region are vulnerable to a storm surge of 1-3 metres, as are electricity distribution facilities.
Secondly stations that stay on air may change their operational situation (perhaps operate on daytime power and antenna pattern) and broadcast special emergency programming.
Area likely to be affected:

Steve Whitt to mwcircle iog (2023-08-29)

Japan

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AFN hopes to have Okinawa 648 AM station back on the air by September.
By Matthew M. Burke, Stars and Stripes, 27 July 2023. Camp Kinser, Okinawa.

Fans of talk radio and NPR on American Forces Network must wait a little longer while further repairs are
made to a faulty tower and supporting equipment on Okinawa. Surf 648 AM — sister station to Wave 89.1 FM — went off the air March 21 so crews could fix a support wire for the station’s radio tower, AFN spokesman John Clearwater said in April. The work was expected to be completed by June 1.

While making repairs, contractor KBR Inc. discovered “severe” corrosion on a transformer, which regulates and conducts electricity to the tower, according to a Tuesday email from Keith Smith, chief of operations for AFN Pacific. The network hopes to have the AM channel back online by early September.
“AFN Okinawa’s Camp Kinser AM Tower is nearly complete,” Clearwater said by email Friday. “Our AFN Pacific Technical Service crews are working to fully restore AM service to the Okinawa community on AM Surf 648 as soon as possible.”
(https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2023-07-26/afn-am-radio-tower-okinawa10868456.html via Dave Kenny via BDXC-UK)

Medium Wave News Sept. 2023 (2023-08-29)

Canada

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CRTC pauses new licence applications
The Canadian radio regulator, Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has announced that it will not process any new radio station applications for a period of around two years. It is focusing on implementation of the Online Streaming Act. This was communicated in Broadcasting Information Bulletin 2023-278 on 23rd August. The bulletin said that the Act will “bring major changes to the Canadian broadcasting system”. CRTC will process change of ownership requests.

The last new station in Canada on MW was CFAJ 1220 which took five years to get on the air.
CHTO-1 on 1490 was issued a construction permit which was renewed a couple of times then expired last September unbuilt. Set against this is the steady loss of Canadian stations. It is unclear whether this announcement will delay applications for AM – FM conversions.
(theprovince.com, CRTC and own records)

Medium Waves News Sept. 2023 (2023-08-29)