Shortwave Radiogram, March 10-11

@jushin_Perseus received these images in Japan, Monday 0800-0830 UTC, 7730 kHz from WRMI Florida.

Hello friends,

As I was typing last week's edition of this email, the lights in my house were flickering because of the high winds on 2 March. I knew I had to work fast: adding new names to the mailing list, then sending the email three times, each with a third of the mailing list, and finally uploading the Shortwave Radiogram audio to Bulgaria and to WRMI. All of that was finished just before the lights went out at 6:00 am. (Actually, I was on the UPS.) Power was not restored until about 7:00 pm.

But my internet connection was not restored at that time. The Verizon fiber optic lines were victims of falling trees a few blocks away. Internet did not return until Sunday at about 3:00 pm. Because of this, I was not able to send my usual Twitter reminders and retweets of listeners' images, at least for the Saturday 1600 UTC show.

Videos:  BacardeSan in Mississippi produced an amazing video showing his simultaneous reception of 5850 and 7730 kHz, from WRMI Florida, Monday at 0800-0830 UTC. He used a single RTL_SDR and GQRX software. You won't be able to decode from his audio because the two frequencies were about about 400ms apart: https://youtu.be/E1tY4qGJkTE

BlackApple 62 in Italy provided this video of reception Saturday at 1600-1630 UTC on 9400 kHz from Bulgaria:
https://youtu.be/-j0Su_lBzZE And Scott in Ontario produced this video of the Sunday 2330-2400 UTC broadcast on 7780 kHz:
https://youtu.be/aMgET0jWfaA
MFSK image experiment

This weekend's Shortwave Radiogram will include an MFSK32 image transmitted at normal speed. It will then be transmitted at half speed, to be recorded then played back at double speed. Is the quality of the latter image better?

You can use Audacity to record and change the speed of the transmitted audio. (Effect > Change Speed > Percent Change: 100.0)  Other audio editors are also available. Sometimes it is tricky to transfer audio from one application to another inside a PC. A virtual audio cable such as VB Cable might help.

Details of the experiment are in the attached pdf prepared by Mark Braunstein, WA4KFZ.

Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 38, 10-11 March 2018, all in MFSK32 (but with one item slowed down):

 1:36  Program preview
 2:44  Clocks in Europe affected by power grid irregularities*
11:16  Odd and amazing cyclones at Jupiter's poles* 
16:53  Goodyear's photosynthesizing concept tire*
22:16  MFSK image enhancement experiment*
25:00  Closing announcements

* with image(s)
Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net
Twitter: @SWRadiogram
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304

Shortwave Radiogram Program 38 (10-11 March  2018)
Saturday	1600-1630 UTC	9400 kHz	MFSK32	Space Line, Bulgaria
Sunday	2030-2100 UTC	7780 kHz		WRMI Florida
Sunday	2330-2400 UTC	7780 kHz		WRMI Florida
Monday	0800-0830 UTC	7730 kHz 5850 kHz		WRMI Florida

The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ).  And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 7-9 pm EST) on 6150 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC.  Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/. 

 Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC)  For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit  http://ibcradio.webs.com/  Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,” per the schedule below:

Wednesday	2025-2030 UTC	5845 kHz	Europe, Middle East, Asia
Tuesday	0125-0130 UTC	5950, 11580 kHz	Americas
Friday	0225-0230 UTC	9955 kHz	Americas
Friday	0255-0300 UTC	5985 kHz	Americas
Saturday	0155-0200 UTC	5850, 5950, 9395, 9455 kHz	Americas
Sunday	0055-0100 UTC	7730 kHz	Americas
Sunday	1155-1200 UTC	6070 kHz	Europe

Thanks for your reception reports! 

Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB
Producer and Presenter
Shortwave Radiogram
Reporting on international broadcasting at https://twitter.com/kaedotcom

Weekly Propagatin Forecast Bulletins

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2018 Mar 05 0116 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 26 February - 04 March 2018
Solar activity reached low levels on 02 Mar due to an isolated C1 flare from Region 2700 (N06, L=328, class/area=Cro/30 on 26 Feb), which was the only active region with sunspots this period. Solar activity was very low throughout the remainder of the period and no Earth-directed CMEs were observed. No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 26-27 Feb and 03 Mar and moderate levels were observed on 28 Feb and 01-02 Mar. Normal levels were observed on 04 Mar.

Geomagnetic field activity reached active and G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 27 Feb due to the influence of a negative polarity CH HSS. Generally quiet and quiet to unsettled conditions were
observed throughout the remainder of the period.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 05 March - 31 March 2018
Solar activity is expected to be very low throughout the outlook period. 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 18-25 Mar and moderate levels are expected on 17, and 26-30 Mar. Normal flux levels are expected for the remainder of the outlook period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 18, 22 and 26 Mar due to the influences
of multiple recurrent, CH HSSs. Active levels are expected on 15-17 and 21 Mar with generally quiet and quiet to unsettled conditions likely through the remainder of the outlook period.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2018 Mar 05 0116 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html
#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2018-03-05
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2018 Mar 05      68           5          2
2018 Mar 06      68           5          2
2018 Mar 07      68           5          2
2018 Mar 08      68           8          3
2018 Mar 09      68           8          3
2018 Mar 10      68           5          2
2018 Mar 11      68           5          2
2018 Mar 12      68           5          2
2018 Mar 13      68           5          2
2018 Mar 14      68          10          3
2018 Mar 15      68          12          4
2018 Mar 16      70          12          4
2018 Mar 17      72          15          4
2018 Mar 18      72          18          5
2018 Mar 19      72           5          2
2018 Mar 20      72           5          2
2018 Mar 21      72          12          4
2018 Mar 22      72          18          5
2018 Mar 23      72          10          3
2018 Mar 24      72           5          2
2018 Mar 25      72           8          3
2018 Mar 26      72          20          5
2018 Mar 27      72           5          2
2018 Mar 28      72           5          2
2018 Mar 29      72           5          2
2018 Mar 30      70           8          3
2018 Mar 31      68           8          3
(NOAA)

March Specials ... Airmail Postage & DX Supplies

Dear Customer,
Below are DX supply Offers and news for MARCH  2018. 

DX Supplies 2018:  Sorry to say, but I do not plan to restock Euro or stateside envelopes once they sell out. Envelope sales for 2017 were half the envelope sales of 2016, and a dismal 20%  of what I sold in 2013. I know 2018's selling pace will be even slower. Below are listed new envelope ordering options designed to maximize sales based on what I have on hand.  QSL Albums and pages will not be restocked either, once supply is exhausted. At this point, it just doesn't make sense to re-stock items that take so long to sell...or not to sell.   

DX Postage: Some countries will be deleted over time, when supply is exhausted.  US Discount postage offers will continue, as this is the only area of my business that shows continued annual jumps in growth. It's something.  Fountain Pens: Delighted to hear from one contact doing Ebay selling. She has purchased a number of vintage fountain pens and mechanical pencils during the past few weeks, so this area might finally get some traction. Hopefully, giving me the opportunity to buy more, restore them and do quicker re-sales. Restoring these old gems can be a challenge, but it's fun and rewarding.  I'll continue my pen selling efforts at local flea/craft fairs and hamfests. It's a day out to socialize at least...a good break from the computer. I have 12 events planned for this year---will certainly add 5+ new ones. Most are usually listed with 2 weeks or less lead time...At least ones I attended last year give me a month+ heads up.

 DISCOUNT POSTAGE!!:  The Forever stamps I have listed below in the grid are in full sheets mostly. Final 300 Single Forever stamps: minimal effort to remove from backing paper. Offered CHEAP!! 300 for only $120.00  Email me to reserve this final batch.

HAMFESTS/Craft Shows:

March 10th:  Cherryville Repeaters Hamfest at North Hunterdon High School, Clinton, NJ: some DX supplies plus fountain pens/pencils.

April 28th: Branchburg Middle School, Baird Rd, Branchburg, NJ with fountain pens & mechanical pencils.

May 5th: Ringoes Grange, Rt 179, Ringoes, NJ with pens and mech. pencil hoard.

FOUNTAIN PEN & PENCIL PRICE LIST:  Request your updated copy today.

NEW FOREIGN RATES:  

   NETHERLANDS now at 1,40 euro for 20g. Neth. Forever stamp I sell is valid for new rate.

   CZECH REP> now 41 CZK for 50g.  Czech. Forever stamp I sell is valid for new rate.

   UKRAINE Jan 1 jump to $2,50 they seem to be using the US $. Supply just rec'd. Ukraine Forever stamp covers new rate

   QATAR now 8,50 for 20g letter...almost doubled from their 4,50 rate.

   UK 20g rate increases to 1,45 GB pound March 26th....If you have current unit with 1st + 1st + 10p stamps....you're 1p short for new rate...1st will increase in value from 65p to 67p.  Soo, on March 26th, your units will total = 1,44....Let me know how many 1p stamps you need with your next order...What you currently have will cover their new 10g rate of 1,25---but seems many UK hams complained weight always went over 10g...

      ***IF you notice rate increases, let me know.***

IN STOCK AGAIN: Slovakia and Saudi Arabia

STAMPS ON BACK ORDER:   Thailand

STAMP PRICE LIST UPDATE:

Saudi Arabia now priced at $5.00

Ukraine now priced at $3.00 

Thailand now $2.00

Brazil now $2.50

Mexico now $2.00

Finland now $2.00

Qatar now $4.00

Save Big on your domestic mailings when you plaster 

 your envelope with colorful vintage stamps!

HAPPY  MAILING!!

50c units	Forever		in  3 stamps	4 stamps	5 stamps
x 100	$46.00		$43.00	$42.00	$41.00
x 200	$88.00		$65.00	$64.00	$63.00
x 500	$215.00		$160.00	$159.00	$158.00

        Sent to USA addresses only.        

Add $1.00 for P&H

 MARCH 2018  DX  SUPPLY  OFFERS

NOTE: NEW Envelope Options With NEW PRICING!!!

50/50 European Plain Mailers and Plain Returns - $16.00

200/200 European Plain Mailers and Plain Returns - $45.00

200/200 European AIR Mailers and Plain Returns - $45.00

European AIR Returns are SOLD OUT.

 Wanna Use Just the One larger Euro Mailer Envelope?

$ave on These Clearance Deal$!

400 European AIR Mailers only - $40.00

400 European PLAIN Mailers only - $40.00

Stateside Envelope Supply Almost Sold Out. 

200/200 STATESIDE Mailers and Returns - $25.00

400/400 STATESIDE Mailers & Returns - $45.00

                                     100 #6-3/4 Forever Stamped Envelopes - $45.00

(save a little on shipping and order with other supplies!)

Qty of 3 available

Priority Mail Shipping Rates: Orders up to $40.00 add $9.00, orders from $41.00 to $100.00 add $15.00. orders from $101.00 to $150.00 add $20.00, orders over $150.00 add 15%. When ordering supplies and stamps, the stamps ride free, just use supply total to figure shipping costs. Shipments to Canada and overseas ship at a greater cost. (07/2015 modified)

Stamps Only Orders: Just add $1.00 P&H for posting to USA, add $2.00 for posting to Canada.

William Plum

12 Glenn Road
Flemington, NJ 08822
908 788 1020
Email: plumdx@msn.com

From the isle of Music and Uncle Bills Melting Pot schedules

Part 2 of 2 parts
This week, Part 2 of our special guest, saxophonist/composer/bandleader Alexey León, 1st Place winner in the Interpretation category at JoJazz 2017. He already has a very impressive musical resume, and in one of our rare interviews in English, we’ll talk about his career to date and listen to some of his new album Cuban Connection, which also features other distinguished jazzistas such as Ivan Melon Lewis and Carlos Sarduy.

We will also listen to some of Alexey’s first album Cuba Meets Russia, some of Carlos Sarduy’s first album Charly en la Habana, and a composition by Juan Almeida from the 1970s, Leningrado, a modern Cuban suite dedicated to the Russian defense of Leningrad in World War II.

Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on Space Line, 9400 kHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)

2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0100-0200 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 kHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US). This is running on a backup transmitter due to a recent fire.

3 and 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, Sunday, March 4:  1st Anniversary Broadcast!

Episode 52 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, to celebrate the first anniversary of the program, will have a little bit of everything along with our mystery song for the week.

Sunday, March 4, 2300-2330 UTC (6:00PM -6:30PM Eastern US) on
WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz shortwave from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
A18 schedules for FTIOM and UBMP

1. FTIOM continues at the current days and UTC times from Channel 292 and Space Line, local times will change accordingly. WBCQ will stay at current day and current local time (8-9pm Eastern Mondays) and UTC will change to Tuesdays 0000-0100.

2.   UBMP will continue Sundays 6-7pm Eastern and UTC will change to 2200-2300.  Watch for a new option for Europe in April.
William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC

Review: World Radio TV Handbook 2018

World Radio TV Handbook 2018 Review 
by Gayle Van Horn W4GVH
Teak Publishing

          As December nears each year, in addition to holiday activities, radio enthusiasts are reminded that the release of World Radio TV Handbook’s (WRTH) annual edition is also in our future. This year is not the exception. WRTH 2018 released their latest edition, to worldwide listeners during the latter part of December.

Nicholas Hardyman, Publisher, begins this edition with a brief synopsis of what is included in the book and some general comments. Equipment reviews follow, with a look at the ICOM IC-R8600, a wideband communications receiver, receiving rave reviews for it’s combination of a modern SDR (software defined radio), below 30 MHz coverage, and a conventional superheterodyne radio, referred to as “two separate receivers” in one.

Building on last year’s review of the SDRplay RSP, WRTH reviewed their new model known as SDRPlay RSP2. The newer receiver offers a considerably larger feature set and provides extended coverage down to one kHz. The reviewer notes, “the RSP2 is hugely impressive.”

Are you looking for a high-end portable radio? The Tecsun PL-880 is rated as Tecsun’s best product yet, owing to the excellent DSP filtering and good audio. In contrast, is the Tecsun S-8800, a larger, though considerably different transportable radio. An additional review of the AOR AR-DV10, a hand-held battery-powered scanning receiver, popular among scanner hobbyist is also included.

Antennas play a large role in your radio reception, and the Cross Country Wireless Active Loop, appears to be an answer to many antenna issues. The testers conducted test-runs both indoor and outdoor. The Cross Country Wireless loop is noted for its ease of assembly and disassembly, as well as being an asset for those faced with limited space for antennas.

Another SDR review in this edition was the Expert Electronics ColibriNano It gathered favorable attention from the WRTH reviewers. The Nano offers a bandwidth of 10 kHz-55 MHz, and can be extended to 500MHz with an external filter. Overall, the Nano received good reviews, comparable with the lower-cost RSP2.

In the features section, well-known New Zealand DXer, Bryan Clark, takes readers on an Antipodean Journey to Spain and Morocco. An antipodean consists of two places situated diametrically opposite to one another on the earth’s surface. Using this as a radio perspective, Bryan focused on his long-held fascination for this part of the world and the radio-scenes for medium wave and shortwave.

Freelance writer and active radio enthusiast Han’s Johnson latest journey, takes him to Radio Romania International in Bucharest. The station’s long history has covered the ravages of war and communist dictatorship to the vast broadcasting improvements of today. Radio Romania International retain a large multilingual voice to the world with big plans.

Has the issue of noise and interference continued to plague your listening area? The WRTH editorial staff revisits the subject and delves in-depth on issues of concerns voiced by reader feedback. Since noise and interference continue as an increasing problem, the WRTH staff has a few ideas to consider in combating it.

In March 2017, Voice of Hope, the first and only Christian radio station in Israel, began broadcasting on mediumwave 1287 kHz. Because of its mission and powerful coverage, the station is well-placed to reach their Arabic programming into Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, with nighttime coverage into areas of Egypt and Turkey. Founder and President of the Strategic Communications Group, John Tayloe describes setting up a new medium wave station on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Radio nostalgic fans will enjoy Dr. Martin Hadlow’s feature on exploring the history of broadcasting in Radio Voices from the South Seas. From the new ‘technology’ of 1923, perils of WWII, and present day international regulations, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation remains a critically important role to listeners in the South Seas and beyond.

DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) began as an experiment, with predictions as a major advancement in broadcasting, but has not by many observers, ‘caught-on’ with world listeners. Is there any future for this mode in this year’s feature Digital Update?

Ulf-Peter, adjunct professor of physics, updates his annual HF Broadcasting Reception Conditions Expected During 2018. During the year, he predicts a good year for reception on the HF broadcasting bands, recommending an excellent time for newcomers to join the radio hobby.

The National Radio section includes domestic radio stations broadcasting to a national audience on medium wave, shortwave, FM and DAB. Listings are grouped by country and include frequencies, transmitter information, power, contact and website information. The International Radio contains the same information for international broadcasters airing to a world audience.

Clandestine and Other Target Broadcast, contain stations broadcasting politically motivated programming, or those targeted at zones of local or regional conflicts. A one-page listing of Religious Broadcasters Cross Reference Table closes this section.

The Frequency List, covers by-frequency listing of world medium wave stations. The SW Stations of the World includes a by-frequency listing, followed by International Broadcasts in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish in UTC 24-hour format. DRM International Broadcasts is arranged by UTC hour. Closing this section is National Television listings

by country.

This edition ends with an extensive Reference section of country indexes and codes, world transmitting sites, radio clubs, organizations and institutes, selected Internet resources, WRTH abbreviations and symbols plus Transmitter Sites (location and decode Tables) for international transmitter sites, Domestic SW Transmitter Sites, Standard Time & Frequency Transmissions contain contact information and schedules for worldwide time and frequency stations.

The World Radio TV Handbook, 72^nd edition, remains a gold-standard reference book for the global broadcasting audience. It still is the most comprehensive guide to broadcasting and a must reference in every radio listening-post. I highly recommend this excellent publication.

World Radio TV Handbook 2018, is available from the WRTH website at http://www.wrth.com/shop/ It is also available from Universal Radio at https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/2018.html.

The KDKA Far Northern Service

The world’s first regular international shortwave service was inaugurated by the Westinghouse radio broadcasting facility at the time when their transmitters were still located on top of the eight story Building K at their factory complex in East Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.  However by this time, radio

production studios had already been transferred from Building K into the William Penn Hotel at 530 William Penn Place in downtown Pittsburgh.  

            In his memorable volume on the early history of shortwave broadcasting in the United States, Michael K. Sidel tells the story of how the historic medium wave station KDKA in Pittsburgh began the world’s first truly international shortwave service.  It was in the summer of the year 1923 when KDKA itself was not quite three years old at the time, that George A. Wendt of the Canadian Westinghouse Company in Hamilton Ontario suggested that KDKA should introduce a program service for residents in the Canadian far north. 

            During the Summer of 1923, the northern posts of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been issued with shortwave receivers that could tune in to the program service from shortwave KDKA-8XS in Pittsburgh.  The Westinghouse Far Northern Service was introduced during that same 1923 Summer, and it was on the air medium wave and shortwave each Saturday evening. 

            The programming for the new Far Northern Service was compiled with readings from listener letters, news and entertainment music and it was beamed to the Canadian Arctic areas which included police outposts, personnel in service with the Hudson Bay trading company, the extensive French

Revillon Freres fur trading company, and isolated Catholic mission stations.  It is reported that KDKA received a flood of appreciative letters from northern listeners after the harsh northern winter was over and the mails had begun to flow again during the Spring of the following year 1924.

            Brief radio histories covering the development of the Far Northern Service state that station KDKA-8XS broadcast a special message to a Hudson Bay trapper in northern Canada on January 17 during the harsh northern winter of 1924, stating that his wife was recovering satisfactorily after a

successful emergency operation.  However, there is much more to this interesting story than just a
simple one sentence historical report.  This is what happened. 

            During the year 1906,  22 year old James S. C. Watt migrated from the Scottish Highlands to Canada East, where he soon afterwards accepted an appointment with the Hudson Bay Company.  Around that same time a high school girl, Maud Maloney, caught his attention.  Maud, born on the Gaspe Peninsula on the southern coast of the St Lawrence Estuary in Canada in 1894, was the tenth child in a blended family of Irish-French background with 16 children.  She was fluent in both French and English, and she subsequently became familiar with the northern Algonquin language at a  conversational level.

            As time went by, James Watt accepted a transfer with the Hudson Bay Company to Fort McKenzie in Province Quebec; and Maud accepted employment in the early part of World War 1 as a telegraphiste at Clarke City PQ, a little west of the north entrance to the Gulf St. Lawrence Estuary.   Subsequently in a simple ceremony, Presbyterian James Watt in his late twenties and the very practical eighteen year old Catholic girl Maud Maloney were married, and they took up a long term residence in Fort McKenzie.

            Although the small trading post settlement of Fort McKenzie was located in the north of

Province Quebec, yet it was accessible only after an arduous ship voyage along the coast of Labrador followed by a long inland walk of 200 miles due west.  The Watt family lived much of their life in Rupert House at Fort McKenzie. 

            On one occasion, it became necessary for Maud to undergo an emergency operation and she traveled to a hospital in North Bay, some 175 miles due north of Toronto in Ontario, for the occasion.  The operation was a success, and practical Maud wanted to inform her husband, still way up at Fort McKenzie, that all was well.    

            She had some friends make contact with station KDKA, “way down south of the border”, and Frank E. Mullen included this good will message into his evening Farm Service broadcast.  It was known that James Watt would listen on shortwave to KDKA-8XS each evening for news, information and entertainment.  The grateful and lonely northern resident subsequently thanked KDKA by mail,

stating that yes, he did indeed hear the welcome information about his wife.

            Three and a half years later, Maud was on another voyage along the Labrador coast, on the

return journey to Rupert House Fort McKenzie.  Traveling with her were their two children, two and half year old Hugo and six months old Jacqueline, together with a nine year old orphan girl Alice McDonald.

            On July 22, 1927, the new ship Bayrupert, on only its second voyage north, struck the

underwater Clinker’s Rock and it was split open.  The wireless operator tapped out an SOS in Morse Code, and in response a steam tugboat came out, took all aboard, and dropped them off on nearby Farm Yard Islands.  Soon afterwards, Maud and her three fellow travelers were taken by the ship Kyle back to Newfoundland, where they waited out the season until shipping began to move along the mainland coast once again during the Spring of the following year.

            Both Maud and James befriended the local peoples of the north, and their service to them has become legendary.  Maud herself is honored with the informal title, the Angel of Hudson Bay; books have chronicled her exploits, adventures and service; and movie films have catalogued in dramatic style her endeavors in the Canadian Arctic.  

            Let’s go back to the year 1924 again; and on August 4, the Canadian government asked KDKA to maintain radio contact with the Canadian Coast Guard supply ship CGS Arctic during its annual cruise to isolated outposts in the Canadian north.  New radio equipment was installed on the CGS

Arctic in Quebec before she set sail for the frozen north, with William Choat Toronto amateur operator 3CO, as the ship’s radio operator.  The ship CGS Arctic was actually registered in Newfoundland which was not yet a part of Canada at the time, and its radio equipment was licensed with the callsign VDM.             

            As requested, shortwave 8XS at the KDKA facility in Pittsburgh did maintain regular

communication in Morse Code during the nearly three 3 month long 1924 voyage of the CGS Arctic VDM from Quebec, up to the northern outposts and then the return to Quebec.  One of the amateur
radio stations contacted by William Choats at VDM during this voyage was the pioneer English amateur radio operator Gerald Marcuse G2NM.  It will be remembered that Marcuse began the transmission of his now historic program broadcasts on shortwave three years later, and that was the beginning of international shortwave radio programming from England.    

            Back during that era, the KDKA-8XS Far Northern Service was presented usually in English, though on occasions Bishop Turquetil spoke to the northern Canadians in one of the Eskimo

languages.  By the year 1938, the KDKA Far Northern Service was on the air in five languages:
English, French, Danish, Icelandic and Eskimo.  The broadcast of the KDKA Far Northern Service for the 1939 Winter season began and by that time their shortwave service had undergone a double
callsign change, from W8XS to W8XK and then to the regularized WPIT.

            Interestingly in December 1933, the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Corporation CRBC

introduced their own northern service under the title Canadian Northern Messenger which was based upon the successful American Far Northern Service from KDKA which was by that time now ten years old.  But that’s a story for another occasion.

Historic medium wave station set to return to the air

KQV schedule to return to the air...

     As was reported widely six weeks back, the historic medium wave station in Pittsburgh, 

Pennsylvania, KQV with 5 kW on 1410 kHz, ended its illustrious 97 years of radio broadcasting service, abruptly and without fanfare, during the last few hours of the year 2017.  At the time, the then owners stated that the station would remain silent forever unless a buyer came forth, and they cited rising financial costs as the reason for the closure of their significant and interesting slice of radio history, news station KQV Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. 

            However, in an interesting turn of events, the 97 year old KQV is to be reborn.  The station was bought recently, and it is to be reopened later this year with a news format, rather similar to what was on the air under its previous ownership.     

            Let’s go back to the beginning with this summary of the long and interesting story behind radio station KQV.  

            During the month of October 1919,  Francis Potts and Richard Johnstone in Pittsburgh

assembled a spark transmitter with the use of a Model T Ford ignition coil.  Their 20 watt transmitter, under the officially allocated land station callsign 8ZAE, was assembled on the ninth floor of the
Doubleday-Hill Electric Building at 719-721 Liberty Avenue, at the intersection with Wood Street in Pittsburgh.  The single wire aerial was strung to another building across the street.  

            During the following month in November 1919, this new Pittsburgh radio broadcasting station, now with an improved Lee de Forest transmitter, was taken into occasional operation for casual broadcasting as a demonstration radio station for the sale of radio receivers.  Two months later on January 27 (1920), an evening music concert was broadcast with the use of 15 phonograph records, and thus began a somewhat regular schedule with recorded concerts for three hours on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

            By the time of the famous inaugural transmission from 8ZZ-KDKA on November 2 (1920), the fledgling 8ZAE-KQV in this same Pittsburgh city had already been on the air with (sometimes

spasmodic) music broadcasts for only a few days less than a whole year. 

            The official license for 8ZAE as a program broadcasting station was granted by FRC the

Federal Radio Commission in October of the following year 1921, and the station was granted a
 consecutively issued callsign which happened to be KQV.  On January 9, 1922, an amended license (No 452) was issued for KQV as a commercial broadcasting station with approval to broadcast on 360 m (833 kHz).  They began to sell advertising over their station three years later in 1925.  

            After several changes of ownership and several changes in location over the years, together with changes in equipment and operating frequencies, the former KQV was thus on the air with 5 kW on 1410 kHz, from studios in the Center City Tower at 650 Smithfield Street.  Their transmitters together with five towers were astraddle a hill in Ross township, some 8 miles to the north north west of

Pittsburgh.  Ownership came into the hands of the Dickey family with Calvary Broadcasting in 1982.

            At the time of the closure of KQV on the last day of last year 2017, it seemed evident that the station was doomed, gone for ever.  However, in a subsequent turn of events; no, KQV is not gone
forever, but instead it will be reborn at a new location in the coming months of this year 2018.

            News reports out of Pittsburgh tell us that a husband and wife team, Robert and Ashley Stevens  of Broadcast Communications, have procured the station and they will incorporate it into their current network of a dozen AM and FM stations in the tristate area; Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.  The sale price for the former KQV with all of its assets was reported as $55,000. 

            The target date for the reopening of the new KQV is set for September or October later this year.  It is planned that a new suite of studios for the new KQV will be installed in an already existing building at their local headquarters in North Versailles and they will utilize a tower that is also currently in use at the same location.  Broadcast Communications is awaiting FCC approval for all of these amendments and modifications, including the planned move to North Versailles which is located a dozen miles South East of Pittsburgh itself.   

            We welcome the modern rebirth of one of the world’s most historic medium wave stations, and we see in this venture another illustration of the fact that medium wave (as well as shortwave) still possess a real value in the international radio world. 

9AWR Wavescan/NWS 469)