Not been too active recently with the blog updates but MF and HF conditions have been pretty poor last few weeks. However this morning we had some good Latin DX coming into London. Below is how Bethel Radio OCU4J was sounding at 0400:
Receiver as ever was the Perseus SDR and the Flag antenna with the home-brew binocular balun which you can read about in the earlier post.
After several months of poor conditions this morning saw some excellent signal strengths from both North American and Latin American stations. A new one for me was HJLI Radio Libertad from Bogota Colombia on 1520 kHz:
I was astounded to read in the February 2014 issue of Radio User magazine that the editor states in 50 years of trying he has yet to hear a North American MF station on medium wave. I am speechless – he lives near the south coast of England. Does he not known how to erect a flag antenna or even point a loop antenna at 300 degrees? Even in last few months when conditions have been poor 1010, 1130, 1390 and 1510 kHz have all been audible here in London virtually every night and early morning.
I really think he should be reflecting on whether he is the right person to edit a national radio listening magazine….
Caught Weekend Music Radio (WMR) testing on 5800 kHz this afternoon. Here’s how it was sounding in London on the Perseus SDR and pint-size G5RV:
Radio North 846 from the Irish/Northern Ireland border area (Donegal?) is a consistently good signal into London these days. It is audible from mid-afternoon and as late as 09/10.00 in the morning.
Here’s how it was sounding this early evening just after 18.15:
If YouTube has blocked the video due to the brief Glen Campbell song then try this one:
The signal is so consistent it is my MF beacon with which I test the Flag antenna and various baluns.
Yesterday I heard the rare Peruvian Radio Carraviz OAU72 from Juliaca at 0357 on 1570 kHz following a tip-off from Paul C:
Despite the distorted audio you can clearly hear the “La Voz de la Liberacion” id at 03:57:55. Receiver as ever was the Perseus SDR and a 10x4m Flag antenna with home-brew dual binocular toroid balun.
Beauty of MF dxing is that you never know when a new rare one will pop up. Normally 1570 is dominated by the Canadian French popster CJLV out of Laval. If Latin America dominates it is usually Bethel Radio from Lima.