December 2009 Volume 55 No. 07 ♣ Hon. President* Bernard Brown, 130 Ashland Road West, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts. NG17 2HS Secretary* Herman Boel, Papeveld 3, B-9320 Erembodegem (Aalst), Vlaanderen (Belgium) +32-476-524258 [email protected] Treasurer* Martin Hall, Glackin, 199 Clashmore, Lochinver, Lairg, Sutherland IV27 4JQ 01571-855360 [email protected] MWN General Steve Whitt, Landsvale, High Catton, Yorkshire YO41 1EH Editor* 01759-373704 [email protected] (editorial & stop press news) Membership Paul Crankshaw, 3 North Neuk, Troon, Ayrshire KA10 6TT Secretary 01292-316008 [email protected] (all changes of name or address) MWN Despatch Peter Wells, 9 Hadlow Way, Lancing, Sussex BN15 9DE 01903 851517 [email protected] (printing/ despatch enquiries) Publisher VACANCY [email protected] (all orders for club publications & CDs) MWN Contributing Editors (* = MWC Officer; all addresses are UK unless indicated) DX Loggings Martin Hall, Glackin, 199 Clashmore, Lochinver, Lairg, Sutherland IV27 4JQ 01571-855360 [email protected] Mailbag Herman Boel, Papeveld 3, B-9320 Erembodegem (Aalst), Vlaanderen (Belgium) +32-476-524258 [email protected] Home Front John Williams, 100 Gravel Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1SB 01442-408567 [email protected] Eurolog John Williams, 100 Gravel Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1SB World News Ton Timmerman, H. Heijermanspln 10, 2024 JJ Haarlem, The Netherlands [email protected] Beacons/Utility Desk VACANCY [email protected] Central American Tore Larsson, Frejagatan 14A, SE-521 43 Falköping, Sweden Desk +-46-515-13702 fax: 00-46-515-723519 [email protected] S. American Desk Tore B Vik, Post Box 88, NO-1851 Mysen, Norway +-47-69891192 [email protected] N. American Desk Andrew Brade, Sand Gap, Bursea, Holme-on-Spalding Moor York YO43 4DF [email protected] Verifications Friedhelm Wittlieb, Kreuzstraße 4, 44532 Lünen, Germany [email protected] KEEP IN TOUCH Internet: MWC Web site http://www.mwcircle.org e-mail news service: http://www.mwcircle.org/member_e-news.htm Webmaster [email protected] STOP PRESS: Netherlands : Big L has reactivated 1395kHz on 3rd December 2009 using the Dutch transmitter at Trintelhaven. According the Media Network test transmissions started today around lunchtime Today the long-awaited return of the on 1395 kHz became a reality. The website of KBC Radio http://www.kbcradio.eu has photos of the (re-)installation work of the transmitter at Trintelhaven. Stop Press Deadlines: 30 th December for January 2010 30 th January for February 2010 Cover illustration: Seasons greetings! Medium Wave News is published 10 times a year by the Medium Wave Circle © 2009 EDITORIAL Landsvale, High Catton, Yorkshire YO41 1EH with Steve Whitt e-mail: [email protected] +44-1759-373704 This month we are approaching Christmas and it seems that MW DXers received an early Christmas present in the form of great conditions during the month of November. We were in for a treat with an almost spotless sun and an extremely quiet ionosphere. And as a result DXers all around the world reported exceptional MW reception. th spotless sun November 4 2009 As a result Martin Hall’s column extends to 39 pages with over a hundred personal firsts reported – many of which will turn out to be UK reception firsts too. Once again lucky Martin caught Hawaii and New Zealand and a considerable collection of Japanese signals, and Alaska was almost regular reception in Northern Scotland. Further south good conditions prevailed but as far as I know Alaska was not heard in England (though it was reported in Germany). Paul Crankshaw in Western Scotland said “It is probably the longest spell of continuous good conditions that I can remember.” Middle Latitude High Latitude Estimated - Fredericksburg - ---- College ---- --- Planetary --- Date A K-indices A K-indices A K-indices 2009 11 03 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2009 11 04 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2009 11 05 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2009 11 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2009 11 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2009 11 08 4 0 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 11 1 0 0 3 4 4 2 2 6 0 1 1 1 2 2 3 2 2009 11 09 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 5 1 1 3 3 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 2009 11 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2009 11 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2009 11 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2009 11 13 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2009 11 14 3 0 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 5 0 0 2 4 2 0 0 0 5 1 1 2 2 2 0 1 2 2009 11 15 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 5 0 0 1 1 3 3 1 0 4 1 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 2009 11 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2009 11 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2009 11 18 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 2009 11 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2009 11 20 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Satellite measurements also reveal how quiet the ionosphere was; below is one of quietest images I have seen of the northern Auroral Zone (4 th Nov 2009 at 0855 utc), which explains why signals from Alaska could easily reach Scotland. Medium Wave News 55/07 3 December 2009 Coming Soon - Updated All Time DX Lists It has been a while since the Circle has been able to update & publish the All Time DX Lists containing details of around 2500 MW stations from outside Europe heard in the UK & Ireland. The good news is that Andrew Brade has been working hard updating the lists and improving the underlying spreadsheets. In the early days we distributed the lists in MWN or as paper supplements via the club's Reprint Service. More recently the files were issued as spreadsheets on annual CDs. As the files grew it became increasingly unwieldy to distribute printed paper copies. Now we are making the All Time Lists available to Medium Wave Circle members on-line via the Internet and we are introducing a new development. From 2009 we will be updating the lists on a monthly basis rather than annually. We will still publish a “definitive” annual version, which will be as accurate and complete as possible. But for the active radio listener and anyone who wants to keep on top of news, the monthly updated list will be extremely useful. For the latest news please join other members on the Circle’s Yahoo Group. Dates for your Diary The next meeting of the Reading International Radio Group will be on Saturday December 5 in Room 3, Reading International Solidarity Centre, 35-39 London Street, Reading at 2.30 p.m. The meeting will finish looking at unofficial political radio broadcasting in the UK, have a report on the Dutch Offshore Radio Day, look at the history of radio commercials in the UK, as well as other current and historical radio related items and audio extracts including some Cold War Iron Curtain stations. All are welcome. For more information email me or phone 01462 643899. Medium Wave News 55/07 4 December 2009 The following dates have now been booked for 2010, all in Room 3: Saturday February 27 (N.B. This meeting has been rescheduled from the previously announced date of February 6); Saturday April 10; Saturday June 5; Saturday July 24; Mike Barraclough DX Test – advance notice – (one for the diary) WGGH 1150 IL MARION. Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night) February, 6, 2010. Time:0000-0200 ELT (0500-0700 UTC). Mode of Operation: 5000 watts (daytime pattern.) Programming: Classic Country, oldies music and various sound effects. We will operate at our full 5000 Watts and Day pattern.