UK Propagation Update

 

August 29, 2025

This week saw a change in HF propagation with a perceptible move towards more autumnal conditions.

The 10 and 12m bands have started opening up to the USA, at least on FT8. As we move into 

September this will improve further. Also, as we head towards the autumnal equinox, we can expect better conditions on north-south paths, such as the UK to South Africa.

The week saw the solar flux index climb to 226 on Thursday, the 28th, thanks to a host of sunspots, mainly in the Sun’s southern hemisphere.

Over the last seven days the Sun also provided us with 12 M-class solar flares. Any associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were not Earth-directed, so these had little effect and the Kp index stayed firmly at 3 or below. The latest updates suggest that there is only a 10 percent chance for a strong X-class solar flare.

FT8 continues to be the preferred HF mode, or so it seems, with stations in China, Japan, Indonesia and Cameroon making their way into UK logs on the 12m band.

The 10m band has also been humming, with South America rolling in during late afternoon and early evening. This can only get better as we move into September and October.

NOAA predicts that the coming week will start with a solar flux index of 155 on Monday, 1 September. This may be a little pessimistic, but we’ll see. It also predicts that the solar flux index will drop off as the week progresses, ending the week at 125.

Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be good for the first half of the week, but then decline from 4 September. Batten down the hatches as a Kp index of 6 is forecast for 5 September, with unsettled conditions lasting until 10 September. Check for auroral HF signals on 5 September, or even the possibility of visible aurora from the UK.

We recommend you get your HF DXing in early next week!

VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO:

Last week saw some lovely late season sporadic E on the 6 and 4m bands, including Spain, Italy, and east into Ukraine. There was an opening to Brazil on the 24th that reached as far as East Anglia but, as usual, stations on the south coast and west of the country had the best of the transatlantic QSOs.

This is the last bulletin in the nominal 2025 sporadic E season, which lasts from May to August. However, last week was a good reminder not to give up too soon as there were several CW and SSB paths showing up, particularly on the 10 and 6m bands. There were also a few reports on the 4m band.

The daily sporadic E blogs on propquest.co.uk come to an end Sunday, 31 August, but the site will continue to provide the maps as usual. To help you, notes on how to interpret the maps are available on the website. Thanks to all the sporadic E operators who have submitted logs to the various clusters this year.

The change over to unsettled weather is now complete and we will see rain and thunderstorms in most areas from time to time. It’s a good period to check out rain scatter propagation if you are set up for the gigahertz bands.

The heavier rain is well-captured by the many online rain radar displays to help you track the most active scattering volumes, which move with the stronger winds quite high up in the atmosphere. Speeds of 30 to 60 miles per hour are common.

There is one note of contrast with the model evolution after midweek. One branch sticks with low pressure to the following weekend, while another outcome tries to bring in a ridge of high pressure and a chance of tropo propagation. If the latter turns out to be the actual evolution, it may prove useful for the 144MHz Trophy and Backpackers Contest next weekend. However, it may not have arrived in time for the 144MHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday.

The solar conditions are still providing some interest for auroral propagation, but with a Kp index less than 3, nothing of use radio-wise. Look for a Kp index increase beyond 7 for that. Meteor activity is currently between major showers so expect random activity, which suggests early mornings for checking out meteor scatter prospects.

Moon declination is negative, reaching a minimum on Monday, 1 September. So, it’s a week to check out your equipment rather than to operate. With the Sun still high in the sky, it’s easy to check system performance with Sun noise. Path losses started to fall after apogee on Friday, 29 August. 144MHz sky noise is close to 3,000 Kelvin on Monday, dropping back to moderate on Wednesday.

 

https://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/propagation-news/2025/08/29/propagation-news-31-august-2025

(Mike Terry/BDXC)

Radio Blacksmith Knoll set for weekend broadcasts

 

Finland

Radio Blacksmith Knoll, a low-powered station airing from Finland, will broadcast on the following schedule

6120 kHz 

Please note that although our license allows 24-hour broadcasting, we may not always be on air continuously on the listed days.

August 30, 2025 

2100 UTC  (24 hour scheduled)  with chill vibes and dreamy night tunes to snooze like a pro!

Freeform, unscripted programming

August 31  Freeform, unscripted programming

Music Programs on Shortwave update available

An updated version (Version 4) of my Music Programmes on Shortwave PDF file for the current A-25 broadcast season is now available to download from the permanent link at:

https://app.box.com/s/kbdxb4c5lwpju0kpoi27aiwc35br2g2a (or for short: 

TinyURL htttp://tinyurl.com/shortwaveprograms 

Note that you will also find here my at-a-glance programme grids for BBC WS*, VO Turkey*, CGTN R, R Romania Int and R Taiwan Int* (* have been recently updated).

I hope that you find these of interest.

As always, I appreciate any updates or corrections. 

(Alan Roe, UK/BDXC) 

Active Brazilian Stations on Mediumwave

 

Active Brazilian Stations on Mediumwave

The following list represents Brazilian stations on mediumwave that are actively being heard. As the shift from AM to FM for various Brazilian stations, this list may be adjusted frequently. Your additional information and observations are welcome at: w4gvhla@gmail.com 

Broadcast in Portuguese

Brazil

570         Rádio Eldorado, Criciuma, SC

580         Rádio América, Uberlândia, MG

580         Rádio Relógio Federal, São Goncalo, SP

590         Rádio 79, Ribeirão Preto, SP

610         Rádio Itatiaia, Belo Horizonte, MG

620         Rádio Assunção Cearense, Fortaleza, CE

620         Rádio Jandaia, jandaia do Sul, PR

640         Rádio Deus é Amour, Londrina, PR

650         Rádio Difusora, Piracicaba, SP

670         Rádio Gazeta, Carazinho, RS

690         Rádio Difusora, Londrina PR

720         Rádio Difusora, Casa Branca, SP

730         Rádio Cidade, Jundiai, SP

750         Rádio América, Belo Horizonte, MG

750         Rádio CBN Vale, São José do Campos, SP

750         Rádio Jovem Pan News, Brasilia, DF

760         Rádio Manchete, Rio de Janeiro, RJ

810         Rádio Cancão Nova, São José de Rio Preto, SP

820         Rádio Jauense, Jauú, SP

830         Rádio Tropical, Nova Iguacu, RJ

840         Rádio Bandeirantes, Sáo Paulo, SP

850         Rádio Difusora, Campos de Goytacazes, RJ

870         Rádio Central, Campinas, SP

870         Rádio São Francisco do Sul, SC

880         Rádio Inconfidencia, Belo Horizonte, MG

890         Rádio Difusora, Bento Goncalves, RS

890         Rádio Ubá, Ivaiporã, PR

910         Rádio Venãcio Aires, Venãncio Aires, RS

920         Rádio Cultura, Visconde do Rio Branco, MG

920         Rádio Novo Tempo, Salvador, BA

930         Rádio Cidade, Caxias do Sul, RS

930         Rádio Cultura Curitibe, PR

950         Rádio Aleluia, Belo Horizonte, MG

960         Rádio Deus é Amor, Aparecida de Goiania, GO

970         Rádio Difusora, Marechal Candido Rondon, PR

970         Rádio Piratininga, São da Boa Vista, SP

990         Rádio Contemporánea, Rio Janeiro, RJ

990         Rádio Cultura Regional, Dois Córregos, SP

1010 Rádio Difusora, Lencois Paulista, SP

1020 Rádio Educacao, Limeira, SP

1030 Rádio Difusora, Franca, SP

1030 Rádio Emissora da Barra, Barra Bonita, SP

1050 Rádio Deus é Amour, Vitoria, ES

1060 Rádio Educadora, Piracicaba, SP

1080 Rádio Deus é Amor, Juiz de Fora, MG   

1080 Rádio Monumental, Aparecida, SP

1090 Rádio Metropolitana, Rio de Janeiro, JP

1120 Rádio Clube, São José dos Campos, SP

1130 Rádio Princesa do Oeste, Xanxerê, SC

1140 Rádio Bandeirantes, Rio Claro, SP

1160 Rádio Cacique, Taubaté, SP

1160 Rádio Luz e Alegria, Frederico Westphalen, RS

1170 Rádio Vanguarda, Ipatinga, MG

1180 Rádio Cultura, Alfenas, MG

1190 Rádio Regional, Taquarituba, SP

1210 Super Rádio, Brasilia, DF

1250 Nossa Rádio, Veapasiano, MG

1270 Rádio Brasil Central, Goiania, GO

1290 Rádio Novo Tempo, São José do Rio Preto, SP

1310 Rádio Coronados, São Fidélis, RJ

1320 Rádio Tropical Gospel, Curitiba, PR

1320 Rádio Vitória, Videira, SC

1340 Rádio Jornal da Manhã, Ijui, RS

1350 Super Rádio Boa Vontade, via Rádio Cristal, Salvador, BA

1360 Rádio Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ

1370 Rádio Cancão Nova, Curitiba, PR

1380 Rádio Cidade, Brasópolis, MG

1410 Rádio Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, RS

1420 Rádio Guarujá, Florianópolis, SC

1430 Rádio Estacão Portão, Portão , RS

1430 Rádio Serra Negra, Serra Negra, SP

1430 Rádio Campinas, Campinas do Sul, RS

1460 Rádio Campinas, Campinas do Sul, RS

1470 Rádio Absoluta, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ

1470 Rádio Mensagem, Jacarei, SP

1480 Rádio Boituva, Boituva, SP

1500 Rádio Aparecida do Sul, Ilicínea, MG

1510 Rádio Teresópolis, Teresópolis,, RJ

1520 Rádio da Cidade, Mogi das Cruzes, SP

1530 Rádio Sulina, Dom Pedro, RS

1540 Rádio Cultura, Leme, SP

1540 Rádio Deus é Amor, Sertãozinho, SP

1550 Rádio Cacique, Capnivari, SP

1550 Rádio Imperial, Petrópolis, RJ

1560 Rádio Jornal, Leopoldina, MG

1590 Rádio Cultura, Andirá, PR

Brazilian States

AC: Acre

AL: Alagoas

AM: Amazonas

AP: Amapá

BA: Bahia

CE: Ceará

DF: Distrito Federal

ES: Espírito Santo

GO: Goiás

MA: Maranhão

MG: Minas Gerais

MS: Mato Grosso do Sul

MT: Mato Grosso

PA: Pará

PB: Paraíba

PE: Pernambuco

PI: Piauí

PR: Paraná

RJ: Rio de Janeiro

RN: Rio Grande do Norte

RO: Rondônia

RR: Roraima

RS: Rio Grande do Sul

SC: Santa Catarina

SE: Sergipe

SP: São Paulo

TO: Tocantins   

(Rudolf Grimm/Gayle Van Horn via Teak Publishing)

(copyright 2025-2026/Teak Publishing)

Audio for Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal for August 24, now available

 

 Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal for August 24 is now up and ready for you! 

 Jen's Cast Link

 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hpc6kqnyneta2gp1v47if/Jen-s-Eclectic-Views-Real-Deal-For-Sunday-August-24th-18-21-heard-on-Unique-R-Australia.mp3?rlkey=v5mi8wf2rcmkbboqwjr9dde6i&dl=0

 Live Stream for next week will be on Sunday, August 31, from 1800 to past 2200 UTC. There will be additional information as we move closer to programming..

 GB's All That World Jazz Show, and then I go on with my Labor Day End of Summer Special.

 http://uk4-vn.mixstream.net:8104/index.html 

 For your contact's pleasure

Jenur@proton.me

 Jen In The Rad

The Transatlantic Race to Create Television

 A special thank you to Ray Robinson and Jeff White for sharing this week's Wavescan - with an interesting tie-in to radio !

Partially sourced from:

https://theconversation.com/the-transatlantic-race-to-create-the-television-258726

Published June 12, 2025

Jeff: We don’t often talk about television on Wavescan, but there’s a very interesting story of how it was first developed back in the 1920’s and 30’s, and it does include radio.  Various countries lay claim to the invention, but what was the reality?  Here’s Ray Robinson in Los Angeles, who has been uncovering the truth.

Ray: Thanks, Jeff.  Yes, when I was growing up in England, we were always taught that Scotsman John Logie Baird had been the inventor of television.  I was quite surprised when, in my 20’s at work, I met a Russian co-worker who insisted it had been a Russian.  And then when we came to the States in the 1980’s, I found that people here thought it was an American – either Charles Francis Jenkins (who I hadn’t heard of before), or Philo Farnsworth (who I had).  So, what was the true story?  It turns out it was a mixture of all of them, plus a number of others!  In fact, it became something of a race.  Let me explain.

Number 1519 Connecticut Avenue lies just north of Dupont Circle, about a 20-minute walk from the White House in Washington, DC.  In 1921, the inventor Charles Francis Jenkins set up his laboratory and offices there, upstairs from a car dealership.

Today there are no obvious external indications of this famous resident, nor of his exceptional achievements, awards and numerous patents.  Just over 100 years ago at his laboratory, on June 13, 1925, Jenkins gave a demonstration of a televised film sent by radio waves from a building about 4 miles away in what is now the US Naval Research Laboratory in Bellevue, on the southern outskirts of the District of Columbia.

The invited group of mostly government officials included the secretary of the Navy, Curtis D. Wilbur.  They watched with fascination a film that showed a silhouette of a toy windmill with its blades in motion.  The television picture comprised 48 lines, refreshed at the silent-movie rate of 16 frames per second.

By July 1925, Jenkins had demonstrated vision and sound transmitted together on a single short-wave radio frequency.  The published technical details indicate a high degree of sophistication in his designs, as might be expected from someone with a background in precision phototelegraphy (the transmission of images over wires).  In the early 1920’s he had developed a practical means of sending images of weather charts by radio to ships at sea.  It was this phototelegraphy work that led him into experiments in televising silhouettes of live and filmed scenes.

Parallel development

But, the Scottish inventor John Logie Baird beat him to become the first to perform a public demonstration of a similar mechanical television system, in London, over three weeks in March and April 1925.  Baird, who had been working on the technology since early 1923, showed live moving images in reflected light transmitted by radio to enthusiastic crowds in Selfridges department store on Oxford Street in London’s West End.  With only eight lines per picture, he carefully chose simple objects that would be easily identifiable.

For the demonstration, he had built a television studio in Covent Garden, less than half a mile away, and experimented with a small transmitter.  By January of the following year, 1926, he gained widespread recognition for being able to demonstrate 30-line television showing recognizable facial features in reflected light.

But in order to gain more funding which would require the sale of television receivers, he soon realized he needed a much more powerful transmitter to broadcast his programs.  The BBC had such a transmitter, 2LO, which was conveniently located on the roof of Selfridges.  2LO was used for daily 'wireless' programs, but the BBC service closed down in the evening at about 11pm and often didn’t re-start until mid-morning.  So, Baird approached the BBC for permission to use the transmitter during the overnight periods.  Eventually the BBC reluctantly agreed, and by the end of 1929 Baird was running a program of regular television broadcasts which would continue for the next six years.  Unfortunately, at first the BBC only had the one transmitter (for television you need two; one for the picture and one for the sound).  It meant that for the first six months, television programs comprised two minutes of picture, followed by two minutes of sound and so on.  By March 1930 the BBC had opened a second radio transmitter, and so simultaneous sound and picture transmissions began. 

In the United States, meanwhile, Jenkins had doubled down on improving the image quality for his demonstration.  He launched his silent silhouette video service for hobbyists on radio station W3XK in July 1928, around the same time as similar offerings from companies that included General Electric (GE) and the Radio Corporation of America (RCA).  By the end of 1928, there were thought to have been as many as 15 experimental television stations operating in the United States.

Like Baird’s and Jenkins’ methods, many of these early stations relied on mechanically rotating disks with patterns of holes to scan images line by line.  They were all very low on detail, but were still heralded as proof of concept for television.  A key factor in their acceptance was the uncanny ability of human vision to recognize facial expressions along with natural body motion in poor quality images.

Back in the UK in 1928, Baird went on to demonstrate color television, early 3D stereoscopic television, and transatlantic television all for the first time, though more as a way of attracting financial backing than presenting prototypes of future offerings.

What came next

But, those mechanical systems were short-lived.  

Many scientists and engineers felt that mechanical television, using spinning discs, was not the answer to television.  They felt that the answer lay in a form of electronic television and its champions were:  Vladimir Zworykin at RCA in the USA; Isaac Shoenberg's team at EMI (Electric and Musical Industries) in the UK; and a fourteen-year-old farm boy from Idaho called Philo Farnsworth.

It took Farnsworth six years to take his system from first ideas to prototype – and by 1929 he was the first to demonstrate a complete electronic television system with no moving parts.  But he was soon overtaken by other inventors and faded from the scene.

RCA and EMI focused their respective resources on developing vastly superior electronic television systems.  These scanned and reproduced images using electron beams that are fired inside a cathode ray tube to capture and show the transmitted moving picture on the screens of people’s TV sets.  Those pictures had 

around 100 times the information content of the earlier mechanical systems, and they used ideas from scientists such as Boris Rosing in Russia and Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton in the UK.

Sadly, Charles Jenkins didn’t live to see those new electronic systems.  His health began deteriorating in late 1930, and he died in 1934 aged 66, leaving behind a superb legacy of a career in inventions.

In the summer of 1934, the British government set up a committee, chaired by Lord Selsdon, to investigate the possibility of providing a high-definition television service to replace the low-definition 30-line transmissions already taking place.  At that time Baird's improved mechanical television system had had the benefit of nearly ten years of development since its invention whilst the EMI electronic system was still in its infancy.

The picture quality of the two systems at that time was similar, and so the Selsdon committee recommended that 'two television systems of High-Definition Television should be tried at the London Station'.  The London Station was to be built and operated by the BBC, and the two systems (Baird and EMI) would broadcast on alternate weeks for a trial period of six months.  The government defined High-Definition as 'not having less than 240 lines per picture' and Baird set to work to increase his system to meet the 240 line threshold.

At EMI, Isaac Shoenberg took the courageous decision to develop an electronic system which had 405 lines.  This leap of faith, based on advice from his research team (over 60 strong), would have financially ruined the company had it failed.

The Baird Company set to work to design and build all the equipment for a complete television station, including the transmitters.  EMI on the other hand felt that they didn't have the expertise in transmitter design, but they knew a man who did - Guglielmo Marconi - so a new company, Marconi-EMI, was formed to deliver the entire electronic station.

Alexandra Palace

Meanwhile the BBC, tasked with providing a suitable building complete with the studios, sound transmitter, mast and aerials - all within 18 months - began a frantic search for a suitable site.  Alexandra Palace, a run-down Victorian entertainment complex in North London, was not their first choice.  However it had a couple of significant advantages:

1) part of it was available for rent, and

2) it was on top of a hill.

The BBC knew that it was vital to get the transmitting aerials as high as possible. Calculations showed that to get a reliable range of 25 miles reception with a 34 kW transmitter in VHF band 1, the aerial had to be about 600 feet (180 metres) above sea level. Alexandra Palace was already half that, so the transmitting tower only needed to be another 300 feet (90 metres) tall.

The summer of 1936 saw a hive of activity as everyone worked frantically towards the official opening date of early November - but all that was about to change.

Olympia Broadcast

The 1936 Radio Show at Olympia, in London was scheduled for the end of August. RadiOlympia was an annual exhibition put on by the Radio Manufacturers' Association, and a number of the exhibitors were displaying new television sets. Concerned that there would be no programs to display on them at the show, the BBC came under pressure to provide demonstration transmissions during August.  A variety show was quickly put together called 'Here's Looking at You', and it went out twice a day for two weeks, with the two competing television systems alternating on a daily basis.

BBC Television formally opened a regularly scheduled service on 2 November 1936 at 3pm, with speeches by the Postmaster General, the Chairman of the BBC, and Lord Selsdon.  The opening ceremony actually took place twice; first (on the toss of a coin) in front of the Baird cameras, and then again with the Marconi-EMI system.  In this way, BBC television's second programme was also its first repeat.  The first program following the official opening on 2 November was a bulletin of British Movietone News.  Other programs transmitted on that day included variety pieces and the first TV documentary, Television Comes to London.

The new BBC Television Service had started, and it was the first regularly scheduled true high-definition television service in the world.  With the two systems alternating on a weekly basis, it was soon clear that Marconi-EMI were offering superior performance.  The decision was taken to end the competition early, and after only three months the final Baird transmission went out at the end of January 1937.  John Logie Baird continued to work as a TV pioneer in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, dedicated to exploring color television and cinema projection.  He died in 1946 at the age of just 57.

In the USA, by the late 1930’s, RCA had developed a 441 line system which was adopted by their NBC TV network, but then in 1941, under pressure from competing technologies, the FCC formed a committee called the NTSC, which decided to standardize on a 525 line system.  That of course was black and white, but a compatible standard for color television was adopted in 1953, and the first program broadcast coast-to-coast in color was the January 1st 1954 coverage on NBC of the Rose Parade from Pasadena, California.

After a short break during World War II, the British 405-line television service continued for several decades.  It was supplemented in 1955 by the introduction of a commercial TV service – Independent Television, or ITV, in VHF Band 3.  And that 405 line black and white system is what I grew up with in England during the 1950s and 60’s.  Alongside the 405 line system, a superior quality 625 line system was introduced on UHF in 1964, and then color television using the compatible PAL standard was gradually introduced, program by program, from 1967 onwards.  The 405 line black and white VHF service was finally shut down at the start of 1985, more than 48 years after it had officially been launched.

Jenkins’ and Baird’s original pioneering efforts, and the excitement they generated, are still rightly heralded by many people today.  We can now only imagine how it must have felt to see moving images transmitted from miles away for the first time. It’s incredible to reflect that what was once considered magic so quickly became mundane.  Back to you, Jeff.

Norway is back on 190 metres!

 

The Bergen Broadcasting Association (FBK), where I am CEO/Editor-in-chief, is operating a local radio station on FM (88.6/93.8/100.3 MHz) and an AM/medium wave station on 1314 kHz. We also have a Shortwave station on 5895 kHz.

FBK is actually operating the only remaining AM stations on the Norwegian mainland*).

The second AM/medium wave transmitter on "Askøysenderen" operated on the Norwegian frequency 1611 kHz from the summer of 2014 to August 2019 with 70 watts, and then with 750 watts until the end of 2023.

It is now back on the air. Yes, we have moved the fine station Radio Northern Star (RNS) a bit further down the medium wave band to 1575 kHz, 190 metres!

The station is radiating the international program of RNS, with announcements in 8 languages //5895 kHz.

We started on Thursday, August 21st at 1940 UTC thanks to great efforts from LB6II and a couple of sponsors. Adjustments followed on Friday, August 22nd.

1575 kHz was allocated to us in early June 2025 after we had applied to NKOM in 2024 with three frequency alternatives. A 6-year licence was subsequently granted by the Norwegian Media Authority.

The 1575 licence is for 6 years and currently allows a transmitter power of 1 kW ERP.

The application and coordination process took a very long time and required a lot of patience, but was carried out very professionally by NKOM with strict adherence to all deadlines for objections from neighbouring countries. However, there were no objections and no competing applications.

We are very grateful to the Norwegian media authorities who have shown us so much trust for 13 years now by granting another broadcast license to transmit from the old Askøy Kringkaster/Bergen Mellombølgesender which originally broadcast NRK Bergen Lokal until May 22, 1966 and NRK Riks until November 1, 1978.

Our fine radio amateurs have been crucial in making this happen.

At the same time as 1575 started, we announced in the DX press and to DX correspondents that we intended to start broadcasting on the new 1575 in early autumn 2025, initially //5895 kHz.

It is possible that more AM frequencies will be advertised in Norway in due course. It is good that the media authorities are still focusing on this band.

Initially, our 2 kW transmitter will be used, initially with approx. 500 watts, eventually up to @750 watts, and the previous inverted V antenna from 2014 that was used for 1611 has been put back into use. Any need for modifications to the antenna will be considered over time.

At 1611, the "inverted V" antenna had a modest performance over Western Norway during the day, but it had a very good skywave and was heard in Canada and 15++ other countries, between Finnmark and Sicily.

The antenna seems to have the best coverage towards the northwest/southeast.

The 1611/1575 and 5895 stations have been operated by a Co-Op within FBK for the past 3 years, which has contributed a lot of effort and finances.

The 1314 station with FBK's Bergen Kringkaster program is running with better sound and higher power than before.

We hope for support from radio amateurs, DXers, the local radio stations, as well as more sponsors and other radio enthusiasts who want to contribute.

It is important to be on the AM bands. The range is unmatched and it is becoming more and more important to be on the alert.

Finally a little history: According to the Copenhagen Plan which was in force until 23rd November 1978, Norway had two transmitters (LKF Fredrikstad 10 kW and LKN3 "Nordkapp" (Honningsvåg) 2 kW) on 1578 kHz and these shared the channel with RAI Genova/Portofino in Italy 50 kW (+19 low-power transmitters) and Emissora Ass. do Lisboa in Portugal 10 kW. These former Norwegian sites were even monitored in Australia and New Zealand.

On the side was 1575 Sharjah Broadcasting 50 kW and 1580 VOA Ban Pachi 1000 kW which were also often heard. So the channel will be less crowded now!

We send our best regards to other official users of 1575 in Italy, Spain and England.

We hope we are heard far away!

So far listener reports have been received from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

Correct reception reports should be sent to styret2025 at bergenkringkaster.no and 1000 at northernstar.no and will be answered with eQSL.

*) Svalbard Kringkaster on 1485 kHz in Longyearbyen, which broadcasts NRK P1, is still broadcasting. It has been improved and is now heard regularly in North America.

SvennM

CEO/Chief Editor

Bergen Broadcasting As

(Facebook post by Svenn Martinsen, August 24th)

(Mike Barraclough/BDXC)_

Mediumwave news update

 

After its tower was swept away in the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene last September, Jet Broadcasting has completed the rebuild of the former “SportsRadio 1420” WEMB Erwin, Tennessee. .

WEMB is now operating from the tower site of co-owned “Livewire 103.9” WXIS and stunting with sounds of jets taking off along with prerecorded announcements hyping the station’s new format. WEMB will debut programming on Friday, August 22 with the start of the Unicoi County High School football season.

Owner Maria True stated in a Facebook live video discussing the rebuild that WEMB will flip to a Talk format focusing on “positive, non-political” topics.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/307134/

Lance Venta, Radio Insight (2025-08-21)

(Ydun's MW)

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

 Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

:Issued: 2025 Aug 25 0309 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

#

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 18 - 24 August 2025

Solar activity was at low levels on 18, 20, and 21 Aug with only C-class flares observed. Activity increased to moderate levels on 19 Aug following an M1.1 flare at 19/0439 UTC from an area beyond the Eastern limb. Moderate levels were also observed on 22 Aug as Region 4191 (N11, L=172, class/area=Ehi/360 on 24 Aug) produced a long-duration M1.7/Sf flare at 22/1851 UTC. Associated with this flare was a Type II radio sweep with an estimated shock speed of 521 km/s. The associated CME was deemed to be behind the Sun-Earth line. Moderate levels continued into 23 and 24 Aug with an M1.9 at 23/2006 UTC and an M1.3 flare at 24/0836 UTC, both originating from beyond the NE limb. While multiple CMEs were observed in coronagraph imagery over the period, nearly all were at or beyond the Eastern limb and none were considered to have an Earth-directed component. 

The greater than 10 MeV proton flux at geosynchronous orbit was at background levels from 18-22 Aug. Beginning around midday on 22 Aug, flux levels began to rise following the long-duration M1.7 flare event, mentioned above. Levels continued to rise, eventually reaching a peak of 8.3 pfu at 24/2330 UTC, but never exceeded the greater than 10 pfu levels. 

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal to moderate levels on 19-20 Aug, and 22-23 Aug. Activity reached high levels on 18, 21, and 24 Aug, with the peak observed value of 2,200 pfu at 18/0830 UTC. 

Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet to unsettled levels on 18 and 24 Aug, bookending a negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream. Unsettled to active conditions were observed on 20-23 Aug as CH HSS activity elevated, with active to minor storm levels observed on 19 Aug. 

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 25 August - 20 September 2025

Solar activity is expected to be at low levels, with varying chances for M-class flares (R1-R2/Minor-Moderate events) through 20 Sep. 

The greater than 10 MeV proton levels are expected to be at or above 10 pfu levels on 25 Aug before dropping below the 10 pfu level by 26 Aug. Levels should remain below thresholds through 20 Sep, with no additional events expected at geosynchronous orbit. 

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at moderate levels on 25-26 Aug, 29 Aug-5 Sep, and 15-19 Sep. Conditions are likely to see high levels on 27-28 Aug, 6-14 Sep, and again on 20 Sep. 

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at mostly quiet levels on 29 Aug-3 Sep and again on 11-14 Sep. Unsettled levels are likely on 25-28 Aug, 7-10 Sep, and 17-20 Sep. Active conditions are likely on 4-9 Sep and 15-16 Sep, with possible minor storming on 4-6 Sep and 15 Sep. All increased activity levels are associated with coronal hole high speed stream influence. 

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt

:Issued: 2025 Aug 18 0120 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table

#                Issued 2025-08-18

#

#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest

#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index

2025 Aug 18     115          12          3

2025 Aug 19     110          30          5

2025 Aug 20     110          18          4

2025 Aug 21     110           8          3

2025 Aug 22     110           8          3

2025 Aug 23     120           5          2

2025 Aug 24     125           5          2

2025 Aug 25     120           8          3

2025 Aug 26     120           8          3

2025 Aug 27     125          10          3

2025 Aug 28     125          12          4

2025 Aug 29     130           8          3

2025 Aug 30     130          10          3

2025 Aug 31     140          10          3

2025 Sep 01     150           8          3

2025 Sep 02     150           5          2

2025 Sep 03     140           5          2

2025 Sep 04     140          20          4

2025 Sep 05     135          35          6

2025 Sep 06     130          20          4

2025 Sep 07     130          15          3

2025 Sep 08     130          15          3

2025 Sep 09     120          15          3

2025 Sep 10     120          10          3

2025 Sep 11     115           5          2

2025 Sep 12     110           5          2

2025 Sep 13     110           5          2

(NOAA)

Jen's Ecletic Views & Real Deal audio for August 17, now available

 

Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal for  August 17, is up and ready for downloading or listening 

Due to Personal issues, last Sunday's Cast is now coming out.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rsj48cbq6g8jlxy5b19lo/Jen-s-Eclectic-Views-Real-Deal-For-Sunday-August-17th-18-21-heard-on-Unique-R-Australia.mp3?rlkey=l13b7uabnp0qj85p37udhzr5g&dl=0

Live Stream Next Week, 

Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal for Sunday August 24, at 1800-2100 UTC.

http://uk4-vn.mixstream.net:8104/index.html 

For your contact pleasure

Jenur@proton.me

Jen In The Rad.

UK Propagation Update

 

RSGB

GB2RS News Team | August 22, 2025

Last week was relatively good from an HF propagation standpoint, with only a few periods with an elevated Kp index thanks to a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole.

The Kp index hit 4.67 on the 19 August and 4 again on the 20 August due to the solar wind hitting earth at more than 600 kilometres per second. 

Luckily, the interplanetary magnetic field remained mostly neutral, or north-facing, and the density was low, saving us from more disruption.

Meanwhile, the solar flux index declined to 120 by Thursday the 21 August. This is still high enough to affect the ionosphere, but well down on recent highs in the 140s and 150s.

The daytime critical frequency has mostly remained above 7.5MHz, meaning the 40m band has managed to remain good for inter-UK contacts. This has also meant that maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path hit 21MHz and even 24.9MHz at times. Night time critical frequencies have been around 5MHz, giving an MUF over 3,000km of below 14MHz and sometimes even as low as 10MHz.

It may be another month or so before we see daytime F2-layer openings starting again on 28MHz. In the meantime, focus your efforts during daylight on 21MHz and below.

T30TTT in Western Kiribati remains one of the DX stations to chase, mostly on 18 and 21MHz. The operators are alternating between using CW, SSB and FT8. Other choice DX worked included Jim, E51JD on South Cook Islands who has been active on the 17m band using SSB. TY5AD in Benin, Africa has been worked on the 10m band using FT8. And 3G1P, an IOTA DXpedition in Chile, was logged on the 15m band using SSB.

Closer to home, today, the 24 August, is the last chance to work OG0C on the Aland Islands.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the 120s, until the end of the month when it could rise to 130 and even 150. 

Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 28 August when the Kp index could hit 4.

Otherwise, make the most of the relatively settled conditions over the first half of next week to work some choice DX!

VHF and up:

After this weekend, the weather changes from a Tropo high pressure pattern to an unsettled story with areas of low pressure and fronts together with wind and rain. This will remove any Tropo options and replace them with a possibility of rain scatter on the GHz bands.

The auroral conditions have recently produced minor enhancements, although nothing too exciting so far radio-wise. It’s worth noting that the autumn, along with spring, are times of the year when auroras are more likely. So, it’s a good time of the year to keep abreast of the Kp index, especially if the Kp index goes above 5.

We are at the tail end of the broader period of the Perseid meteor shower, ending today, the 24 August. This leaves random meteor activity as the only option for a while. As those of you who are active in the mode already know, it tends to favour the early pre-dawn period for better chances of catching meteor scatter.

Sporadic-E is hanging on for the last week or two of the 2025 season, but opportunities become much rarer. You’ll need to keep a close watch on band reports to capture these increasingly fleeting events. In the main Sporadic-E season, there are usually two well-defined peaks of activity in the morning and late afternoon. However, in the tail of the Sporadic-E season you are just as likely to find it around the middle of the day as at any other time.

The daily Sporadic-E blogs at propquest.co.uk  finish at the end of August, but in some years the last events have extended into the first week of September.

Moon declination is still positive, but falling, going negative on Monday. So, Moon window lengths and peak elevation will follow suit. 

Path losses are rising again as we approach apogee on Friday 29 August. 

144MHz sky noise was low until lunchtime on Friday 22 August, when the Sun and the Moon were very close in the sky. This continued throughout the Moon window on yesterday, the 23 August, and will revert to moderate-to-low next week.

https://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/propagation-news/2025/08/22/propagation-news-24-august-2025/

(Mike Terry/BDXC)

Radio Love Warbler RSL set for August 23 broadcast

 

Woofferton, UK via Wikipedia

United Kingdom

The Radio Love Warbler RSL will broadcast on shortwave! Radio Love Warbler is broadcasting internationally on shortwave from Woofferton via Encompass Digital Media as; 

23 August: Radio Love Warbler special SW broadcast on 9500 kHz 1900-2000 UTC

via Woofferton, part of the Creative Folkestone Art festival

More information at https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/artists/hanna-tuulikki/

Address is Creative Folkestone, Quarterhouse, Mill Bay, Folkestone CT20 1BN

Enquiries to: jocowdrey@creativefolkestone.org.uk

Encore classical music from Radio Tumbril

 

Dear Listener,

Regular Broadcast times of Encore By WRMI and Channel 292 are:

02:00 - 03:00 UTC Friday 5850 kHz WRMI to US

20:00 - 21:00 UTC Friday 15770 kHz WRMI to Europe

10:00 - 11:00 UTC Saturday 9670 kHz Channel 292 to Europe

01:00 - 02:00 UTC Sunday 5850 kHz WRMI to US and Canada

19:00 - 20:00 UTC Sunday 3955 kHz Channel 292 to Europe

02:00 - 03:00 UTC Monday 5950 kHz WRMI to the US and Canada

13:00 - 14:00 UTC Tuesday 15770 kHz WRMI to Europe, east coast of the US, and Iceland. (Sometimes RTTY on the lower sideband. Suggest notch out or use USB.)

Some Things to see on The Encore Website:  www.tumbril.co.uk

The Encore website is where you will find:

Important information about the funding of Encore - Radio Tumbril.

Up-to-date transmission times and frequencies.

The playlists for the most recent programmes.

An email link.

Informal reception reports as well as those requesting eQSL cards, are welcome.

WRMI and Channel 292 are very generous with their air-time but Encore still costs around 100 Dollars/Euros a month to broadcast.

If you can - please send a small contribution to help Encore keep going.

THE DONATION BUTTON is on the homepage of the website - www.tumbril.co.uk - which folks can use if they would like to support Encore.

(Please don't be put off by the POWR security wall when using the PAYPAL button - it is a harmless requirement of WIX the website hosting service.)

THIS FORTNIGHT'S PROGRAM - First broadcast on FRIDAY 22nd August by WRMI at 0200 UTC on 5850, and 2000 UTC on 15770 and then Channel 292 on SATURDAY 23rd August at 10:00 UTC on 9670 kHz:

Begins with organ music composed by Buxtehude, some Thomas Adés played in an interesting way, and Haydn's symphony No. 88 in G Major.

After that 'Whitescape' by contemporary composer Sally Beamish, and to finish a piece by John Dunstable sung by the Hilliard Ensemble.

(This bulletin is sent by Bcc to the many hundreds of listeners who have been in contact with Encore over the last nearly six years of broadcasting Encore.)

Brice Avery - Encore - Radio Tumbril - www.tumbril.co.uk

GMØTLY

Akashvani seeks reception reports for mediumwave and shortwave

 

A live performance from All India Radio

Akashvani (All India Radio) is looking for reception reports for MW & SW transmissions; all reception reports will be verified by paper QSL cards.

MW Frequencies 

http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/mw/freq.htm

SW Frequencies

https://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/sw/freq.htm

Reception Reports to :

Please submit your reception reports online at: https://prasarbharati.gov.in/reception-report/

or by email to:  spectrum-manager@prasarbharati.gov.in

or by postal mail to :

Director (Spectrum Management & Synergy)

Akashvani (All India Radio),

Room No. 204, Akashvani Bhawan,

Parliament Street

New Delhi110001, India

(Alokesh Gupta/New Delhi, India)

100 Yeras of Radio Broadcasting in Indonesia, Part 2

 Special thanks to Ray Robinson and Jeff White for this week's edition of Wavescan.  

100 Years of Radio Broadcasting in Indonesia

Part 1 https://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/2025/08/100-years-of-radio-broadcasting-in.html

Jeff: In our feature this week, we conclude our two-part visit to Indonesia, which this month is celebrating the centenary of radio broadcasting in their country.  Here once again is Ray Robinson at the Voice of Hope studios in Los Angeles.

Ray: Thanks, Jeff.  RRI, Radio Republik Indonesia, was founded on September 11, 1945, with headquarters in central Jakarta.  Following the Japanese occupation during World War II, Indonesia initially came under Australian administration from 1945-1946, and the AAAS, or Australian Army Amenities Service, ran a 21-station network of low power shortwave transmitters until the Dutch colonial authorities were ready to retake control of the country and its radio facilities.  After a three year period of conflict, the Dutch then finally granted independence to Indonesia in 1949.

Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, a plethora of low power tropical band shortwave transmitters were used by RRI for local coverage.  But in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, plans were implemented to replace most of those tropical band transmitters with medium wave ones.  Interestingly, it wasn’t until the 1973 edition of the WRTH that any medium wave stations were listed, but Wavescan’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Adrian Peterson, did hear some operating during visits he made to the country as early as 1968.

Well, as part of RRI’s plans, in 1967 they decided to provide nationwide coverage for domestic programming, especially to rural areas and remote islands, using high power shortwave.  For this, they constructed a new shortwave transmission site at Cimanggis, about a dozen miles south of downtown Jakarta.  The first transmitter installed there was a 100 kW Telefunken unit, Model SST338, made in Germany.  Callsigns in Indonesia before World War II were in the Dutch ‘P’ series, and afterwards in the independent Indonesian ‘Y’ series.  Accordingly, this new transmitter was assigned the call YDF.

Unfortunately, the story of shortwave broadcasting from Cimanggis is the saga of an almost constant supply of new transmitters which replaced earlier ailing ones; brought about by the harsh tropical climate with its high temperatures and monsoonal rains, and worsened by financial shortages and poorly trained staff.

There were times also when the delivery of electricity from the national grid

was insufficient to energize the high-powered transmitters.

Classic QSL card from VOI Indonesia

In his monumental compilation of shortwave transmitter histories, “Transmitter Documentation Project 1998”, Ludo Maes in Belgium presented this following litany of shortwave transmitters that were installed over the years at RRI Cimanggis:- 

         

1967 1 Telefunken Germany 100 kW SST338

1970 4 Philips Holland 50 & 120 8FZ514 & 8FZ515

1974 2 Funkwerk Germany 100

1982 3 Harris USA 100 SW100

1983 1 Thomson France 250 TRE2320

On May 21, 1984, the completed installation at Cimanggis with four new transmitters (the 3 Harris 100’s and the Thomson 250) was taken into service,

and the then President Suharto presided at an official commissioning ceremony.

This cluster of four transmitters was intended to provide RRI Home Service programming on a nationwide basis as a national unifying factor.

The three 100 kW transmitters relayed the RRI programming to the westward islands, and the 250 kW transmitter beamed the same programming eastward.

Then in 1992, RRI announced plans for a new overseas service called the Voice of Indonesia, to provide information about Indonesia to people around the world.  For this new Voice of Indonesia, RRI ordered another seven 250 kW Marconi B6131 shortwave transmitters from England, together with 20 curtain antennas for installation at both Cimanggis and at another site on Sulawesi Island.  All this new equipment was progressively installed over the next three years, and then the new double facility was officially inaugurated on September 14, 1996.

In September 2005, international radio monitors in Australia were surprised to hear

Radio Australia programming being relayed over RRI shortwave in Indonesia.

This program relay in the Bahasa (ba-HAH-sa) Indonesian language was educational in nature and it was presented under the title Kang Guru (Kangaroo).

These days, the WRTH lists the Voice of Indonesia with just one broadcast in English, daily except Saturdays to North America at 0800 UTC on 7780 kHz with 40 kW from a site at Palangkaraya in Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.  Other languages are heard daily to South East Asia on 3325 kHz from that same site, and also on 4755 kHz from Cimanggis, south of Jakarta.

RRI has several radio channels with broadcasts for Indonesia and abroad, serving all Indonesian citizens throughout the nation and overseas.  Extensive use of medium wave transmitters is still made for the domestic audience, along with a network of FM transmitters that carry RRI’s four domestic program services.  There are also hundreds of privately-owned FM stations, and a growing use of digital radio, especially in Jakarta, on DAB+.

Over the years, many international radio monitors around the globe have been successful in logging RRI, and their reception reports have netted an invaluable QSL card.  During the past 80 years since RRI was founded in 1945, they have issued a variety of QSL cards, usually in color; some as artistic renderings of Indonesian symbols, and some showing photos of various Indonesian cities.

Back to you, Jeff.

(Ray Robinson/Wavescan)

 For an audio clip of Voice of Indonesia English service, go to: https://youtu.be/8exhkZ0w00U

Voice of Indonesia French service:  https://youtu.be/c6vLEauTs9o

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

 Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

:Issued: 2025 Aug 18 0120 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC at  www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

#

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 11 - 17 August 2025

Solar activity reached moderate levels on 11-12 Aug due to M-class (R1-Minor) flare activity observed. Region 4173 (S18, L=110, class/area=Dro/20 on 10 Aug) produced an M1.3 flare at 11/0352 UTC, while Region 4168 (N05, L=103, class/area=Eki/350 on 08 Aug) produced M1 flares at 11/1435, 11/1536, 12/0059, and 12/0123 UTC. Low levels of solar activity were observed over 13-17 Aug. No Earth-directed CMEs resulted from the activity observed over the past week. 

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 11-17 Aug. 

Geomagnetic field activity reached active levels on 11-13 Aug, with quiet to unsettled levels observed on 14-15 Aug, due to positive polarity CH HSS influence. Quiet conditions prevailed over 16-17 Aug with the return of nominal solar wind conditions. 

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 18 August - 13 September 2025

Solar activity is expected to be at low levels, with a varying chance for M-class flares (R1-R2/Minor-Moderate events), through 13 Sep. 

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 21-22, 27-28 Aug, and 04-13 Sep. 

Geomagnetic field activity is likely to reach G1 (Minor) storm levels on 19 Aug, and active levels on 20 Aug, due to negative polarity CH HSS influence. Active conditions are likely again on 28 Aug due to negative polarity CH HSS influence. Periods of G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) storming are likely on 05 Sep, with active conditions likely on 04 and 06 Sep, due to positive polarity CH HSS influence. The remainder of the period is expected to be at quiet or quiet to unsettled levels. 

:Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt

:Issued: 2025 Aug 18 0120 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC at: www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table

#                Issued 2025-08-18

#

#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest

#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index

2025 Aug 18     115          12          3

2025 Aug 19     110          30          5

2025 Aug 20     110          18          4

2025 Aug 21     110           8          3

2025 Aug 22     110           8          3

2025 Aug 23     120           5          2

2025 Aug 24     125           5          2

2025 Aug 25     120           8          3

2025 Aug 26     120           8          3

2025 Aug 27     125          10          3

2025 Aug 28     125          12          4

2025 Aug 29     130           8          3

2025 Aug 30     130          10          3

2025 Aug 31     140          10          3

2025 Sep 01     150           8          3

2025 Sep 02     150           5          2

2025 Sep 03     140           5          2

2025 Sep 04     140          20          4

2025 Sep 05     135          35          6

2025 Sep 06     130          20          4

2025 Sep 07     130          15          3

2025 Sep 08     130          15          3

2025 Sep 09     120          15          3

2025 Sep 10     120          10          3

2025 Sep 11     115           5          2

2025 Sep 12     110           5          2

2025 Sep 13     110           5          2

(NOAA)

Recent Video Additions to SW Central YouTube channel

  

 AM Airchecks Canada

CBC/CBK Saskatchewan  https://youtu.be/HXjMCCI-Rx8 

AM Airchecks United States

KFI Los Angeles, CA  https://youtu.be/BNQ32lDD1is

WOAI 1200 San Antonio, TX https://youtu.be/kngcuLGbqtc 

WSB Atlanta, GA  https://youtu.be/rL29O8GeDgQ

WSM Nashville, TN https://youtu.be/E7WX6JINNps

International Mediumwave

Armenia, TWR Europe relay https://youtu.be/cSI3lca2kF4

Bahrain, Radio Bahrain  https://youtu.be/55LrpSGRscc

Bahamas: ZNSi National Voice Nassau https://youtu.be/wXVWL8npiyc

Shortwave

Algeria,  Radio Ifrikiya FM https://youtu.be/uJNh6TPuELg

Canada, CFRX  https://youtu.be/IXPxZ6bRUDE

Clandestine, Radio Zaman Bidari https://youtu.be/KwTxb8RTcJo 

India, Akashvani-Independence Day 2025 https://youtu.be/F_TwE8vMbAE

U.K. Propagation Update

 

RSGB

GB2RS News Team | August 15, 2025

Last weekend was characterised by unsettled geomagnetic conditions caused by a massive coronal hole on the Sun.

At one point, the Kp index got up to 6, with a corresponding decrease in maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs. In fact, the Dourbes Digisonde failed to record much at all over a six-hour period. Luckily, that disruption had passed by Monday, 11 August, as the ionosphere started to get back to normal.

Meanwhile, the solar flux index reached a peak of 153 on the 10 August, before dropping back to 140 on Thursday the 14 August. There have been numerous C-class solar flares and ten M-class events over the past five days, but nothing of note.

The MUF over a 3,000km path exceeded 24.9MHz at times, but has generally been between 21 and 24MHz.

Another coronal hole is Earth-centric at the moment and could cause some disruption, with increased Kp indices by tomorrow, the 18 or Tuesday, 19 August.

HF DX has been good at times with the stand-out station being T30TTT in Western Kiribati. The station has been worked on many bands, including 20, 15 and 10m using CW, as well as FT4 and FT8. After two weeks there will be just one operator who is there until mid-September. So you have plenty of time to work him.

Stanley, AH6KO, in Hawaii, has also been spotted on the 15m band using CW. This is a relatively rare opportunity and good for anyone chasing their Worked All States award.

A little closer to home is Henri, OJ0JR on Market Reef who has been easily workable on the 30m band using FT8. Get in quick though as he is only there until tomorrow, the 18 August.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the

140 to 150 range. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for tomorrow, the 18 August, until Wednesday 20 August, probably caused by the coronal hole mentioned earlier. Better conditions are predicted for the 23 to the 27August with a maximum Kp index of 3.

VHF and up:

Last week’s propagation highlights were SSB and CW QSOs between the UK and Las Canarias on both the 23 and 13cm bands between G4GLT, EA8DMF, ED8BRZ and EB8AYA.

There may be more Tropo next week with high pressure close to, or over, the British Isles. However, at this time of the year, any Tropo will be due to temperature inversions. These can be at the surface and are especially persistent over water, so look for marine paths across the North Sea or up the east coast to Scotland.

Other potentially good marine paths might be across the Channel or Biscay to Spain and beyond. The hot days of high summer break down these surface inversions over the land during the day so, if your station is inland, your best chances of Tropo in summer will often be overnight and until mid-morning.

Inversions can also be elevated in the region of the high pressure, say between 1 and 2km above ground, giving good DX prospects that are not affected by the heating of the summer day. In this high-pressure period, it is much more likely to be a surface inversion that drives the Tropo.

There will be little rain in prospect except for parts of Ireland, South Wales and southwest England, where a few thundery showers are possible. 

However, these will not be particularly good for rain scatter.

There continue to be some aurora alerts so monitor the Kp index and if it is rising to, say, 6 try beaming north on the 10, 6, 4 and 2m bands in turn to see if any genuine auroral signals are coming back.

Lastly, the Sporadic-E season is coming into its closing weeks. 10m is a good band to check first. If Sporadic-E is very short-skip there, try moving up to 6m or beyond for a strong event. Digital modes are best, so use these to get clues as to where the CW and SSB paths might show up next.

Meteor scatter operators have been very busy during the Perseids meteor shower. The Perseids should still provide some activity into the coming week.

Moon declination is positive and rising until Tuesday 19 August, so Moon window lengths and peak elevation will follow suit. Path losses are rising again as we are now past perigee. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate all next week.

https://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/propagation-news/2025/08/15/propagation-news-17-august-2025/

Miami Pirate Faces Felony After Arrest During Live Broadcast

 

A habitual Miami pirate broadcaster who repeatedly defied FCC enforcement efforts is facing justice after being arrested and charged with a felony for continuing to operate his unlicensed radio station out of his home in Biscayne Gardens.

As first reported WPLG-TV, Abdias Datis, known as “DJ AJ 305,” was taken into custody by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies on August 12 during a live broadcast, when agents executed a search warrant and seized broadcasting equipment. He is charged with unauthorized transmissions – a third-degree felony.

According to the FCC Enforcement Bureau, Datis had been running “Unique FM” on 91.7 FM back to at least 2018.

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Miami Pirate Faces Felony After Arrest During Live Broadcast - Radio Ink