Author: mw

Asian MW Conditions

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The last two nights have been improved for Asian MW.
In particular, 909 KHz China, and 1386 KHz NHK Japan. This is a welcome improvement over the poor summer months that was plagued by electrical storm static.
The Gary DeBock design 40 inch square PVC loop excels at bringing up 1386 Japan out of the noise. There is a notable contrast between the Indian Bollywood songs aired on 1386 KHz Auckland, NZ, and no-nonsense NHK Japanese female announcers.
The locally generated QRM on 909 KHz has fortunately gone.
The best compromise here for MW DX on 9 KHz channels is the indoor 40″ PVC loop inductively coupled to a Sangean PR-D3. The PR-D3 is identical to the Crane CC 2E, except the switchable narrow bandwidth feature.
The usual nightly routine is to watch TV (usually in my case, 1950s and 1960s U.S. TV series and films), then try MW DX starting no earlier than 2330 local time. It is a challenge staying awake till 0030. Anything later, e.g. 0130 LT, usually guarantees a hangover the next day. But that is one of the challenges with Asian MW, because the optimal reception window is between circa 2330 to 0200 local Sydney time.
One recent discovery is that my 26 inch (nominal) diameter hula-hoop loop dimensions is actually 21″ height, 23″ width. Karl at PK loops tried to make the tank coil diameter dimension larger, but it would not tune up to 1710 KHz. Hence the version I have is the largest available that tunes 520 to 1710.
Regards, Todd, Sydney, AU to ICDX-AM groups.io (2021-03-01)

United Kingdom

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Four AM transmitters in the North turn off in April. these are all Greatest Hits Radio in Lancashire, Manchester and Leeds, plus Magic in Humberside in the UK.
Bauer to turn off four AM transmitters in the North – RadioToday:
In Lancashire, 999 kHz carries the same output as 96.5FM in Blackpool, in Manchester 1152 kHz is duplicated on 96.2FM from Oldham and GHR was added to the former Radio Aire frequency of 96.3FM last year in addition to 828 kHz.
Bauer will also switch off the Magic Radio AM (1161 kHz) in Hull. Magic replaced Greatest Hits on AM last year when KCFM (owned by Nation Broadcasting) re-branded as Greatest Hits Radio.
David Ayling (2021-02-25)

Greece

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Today ERA is off at 729. Tested on 1700 no signal at 1800 signal from RNE. At 1900 just a carrier at -75 but 1904 RNE is again in the clea. In contrast ErA in 1008 is heard well.
[…]
Zacharias Liangas via WOR groups.io (2021-02-24)

Czech Republic

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1233 Dechovka about to close, now with info loop. Radio Dechovka has stopped airing the regular music programme on this frequency yesterday and is now broadcasting an in total 24 minutes long loop programme containing of the station hymn played several times, two songs and after each music the same 2 minutes long “retune information” spoken by a female voice. Content: Dear Listeners of Radio Dechovka in Middle, East and North Bohemia will have to retune their radios from the end of February as this service has ended.
792 kHz local in Hradec Kralove will remain and continues with normal programming, which improves its coverage during evening hours and at night into the whole republic because of the propagaion on the medium wave band.
The loop does also feature detailled instructions how to listen via digital television (DVB-T2) by using the Radio/TV button on the remote control of the DVB-T receiver. Digital radio DAB and FM frequencies are mentioned only at the end of the text.

Horst Puestow, Germany (2021-02-24)

Algeria

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Confirming Amine Ferhane’s item February 19th, I can listen to Radio Algérie Internationale (https://www.radioalgerie.dz/rai, Stream https://www.radioalgerie.dz/player/fr/live/radio-alg%C3%A9rie-internationale) on the following medium wave frequencies:
531 kHz Radio Algérie Internationale (ex youth programme Jil FM, which continues to be heard on 549 kHz)
891 kHz Radio Algérie Internationale (ex Chaîne 1)
252 kHz (which used to carry foreign language external programming looooong ago in the evening) continues transmitting the French language Chaîne 1 (https://www.radioalgerie.dz/chaine3, Stream https://www.radioalgerie.dz/player/fr/live/chaine-3) 
I was unable to find any information on the frequency changes at their website  https://www.radioalgerie.dz, but I noticed that one can download their Journal du Sahel which is also broadcast on shortwave.  https://www.radioalgerie.dz/rai/fr/le-journal-du-sahel
Dr. Hansjoerg Biener (2021-02-20)