Monday, February 02, 2026

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

 Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2026 Feb 02 0937 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 26 January - 01 February 2026

Solar activity ranged from low levels to very high levels. On 26-30 Jan, mostly low level C-class flaring was observed with the majority of the flares occurring from Regions 4351 (S04, L=004, class/area
Dai/080 on 24 Jan), 4353 (N18, L=359, class/area Dai/110 on 25 Jan). The largest flare during this timeframe was a C8.8 at 26/1339 UTC from Region 4355 (S12, L=299, class/area Cao/020 on 25 Jan). On 30 Jan, a new region emerged in the NE quadrant and was numbered 4366 (N14, L=202, class/area Ekc/550 on 01 Feb). This region quickly grew into a large, compact, and magnetically complex region over 31 Jan-01 Feb. Multiple delta magnetic configurations evolved as the region grew. Consequently, there were 17 M-class flares and 2 X-class flares observed on 01 Feb. The largest was an X8.1 flare at 01/2357 UTC. Associated with X8.1 flare was observed three CMEs that appeared in SOHO LASCO C2 imagery beginning at 02/0048-0300 UTC which was also evident in GOES/SUVI 304 imagery. Modelling was currently underway at the timing of this report. 

A greater than 10 MeV proton enhancement near 1 pfu (below S1-Minor) was still in progress from the event that began on 18 Jan, but declined to near background levels by 28 Jan. 

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 26 Jan-01 Feb with a peak flux of 13,200 pfu observed at 27/1650 UTC. 

Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to G1 (Minor) levels over the period. The period began under positive polarity CH HSS conditions with solar wind speed averaging around 500 km/s with total field around 5-8 nT. Solar wind conditions returned to nominal levels by early on 27 Jan. A solar sector boundary crossing from positive to negative occurred around 27/1500 UTC followed by an increase in total field to 13 nT and solar wind speed increase to around 670 km/s on 28-29 Jan as a negative polarity CH HSS became geoeffective. Solar wind speeds gradually subsided to nominal levels by 01 Feb. The geomagnetic field responded with quiet to unsettled
levels on 26-27 Jan, unsettled to G1 (Minor) storming on 28 Jan, quiet to active levels on 29-30 Jan, and quiet conditions on 31 Jan - 01 Feb. 

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 02 February - 28 February 2026

Solar activity is expected to continue at moderate to high levels with further M-class (R1-R2, Minor-Moderate) flares expected and a high chance for X-class (R3-Strong or greater) on 02-10 Feb as Region 4366 transits across the visible disk. Low levels with a chance for M-class flares are expected on 11-22 Feb. An increase to moderate to high levels is once again likely on 23-28 Feb as Region 4366 returns to the visible disk. 

The greater than 10 MeV proton flux is likely to reach S1-S2 (Minor-Moderate) storm levels on 02-04 Feb due to proton prediction model guidance from the recent X8.1 flare. A chance for further proton enhancements exist through 12 Feb as Region 4366 transits the visible disk and beyond. 

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 02-03 Feb, 06-12 Feb, and 15-28 Feb due to recurrent CH HSS influence. 

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at mostly quiet levels on 02-05 Feb barring the potential for CME activity related to the X8.1 flare. Quiet to unsettled levels are expected from 05-11 Feb, 22-23 Feb, and 26 Feb. Unsettled to active levels are expected on 13-21 Feb, and 24-25 Feb, with G1 (Minor) levels likely on 13 Feb due to recurrent CH HSS effects. 

:Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2026 Feb 02 0938 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 2026-02-02
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2026 Feb 02     160           5          2
2026 Feb 03     155           5          2
2026 Feb 04     155           5          2
2026 Feb 05     145           5          2
2026 Feb 06     120           8          3
2026 Feb 07     125           8          3
2026 Feb 08     130           8          3
2026 Feb 09     135          10          3
2026 Feb 10     140           8          3
2026 Feb 11     135           8          3
2026 Feb 12     140           5          2
2026 Feb 13     145          20          5
2026 Feb 14     145          15          4
2026 Feb 15     155          15          4
2026 Feb 16     160          15          4
2026 Feb 17     170          15          4
2026 Feb 18     180          15          4
2026 Feb 19     175          15          4
2026 Feb 20     170          15          4
2026 Feb 21     160          15          4
2026 Feb 22     150           8          3
2026 Feb 23     140           8          3
2026 Feb 24     135          20          4
2026 Feb 25     130          20          4
2026 Feb 26     130           8          3
2026 Feb 27     140           5          2
2026 Feb 28     160           5          2
(NOAA)

Saturday, January 31, 2026

Saturday programing from Calling All Radio Nutzz

 



Saturday January 31, 2026 

19:00 - 22:00 UTC with Jen & GB

It's time for the January edition of CARN; this time it`s a CB radio special, along with the CO/KS QSO party & GB's 40m antenna experiment. In addition to the usual DX tips & diary dates, we have a new Interval Signal series from the SW archive. Plus live tuning with Jen in CO & GB in Swinging England.

Live Stream. 


For your contact pleasure


Hope you can join us 

73s & Good DX for the New Year

From Jen & GB.

QSL Report 2.0- February 2026

  


                      Bringing you the latest in QSLing from across the globe 

Welcome to the February 2026 edition of QSL Report 2.0. Thank you for your comments and contributions.

QSL Report 2.0 is a revival of my former QSL Report column in Monitoring Times magazine. Each issue brings you updates on QSLing trends—what worked (and what didn’t) —along with special-event QSLs and stations verified across amateur radio, mediumwave, pirate, shortwave, and utility bands. If you’ve received a QSL from any of these stations, share your results with the world!

Send your contributions to w4gvhla@gmail.com

Euro-Free Radio
Etherfeak 6240. Full data e-QSL received in 104 days , for e-report to radioetherfreak@gmail.com (J van der Galien, NLD/BDXC)


FRS Holland 5870. Full data e-QSL for 45th Anniversary. Received in 26 days for e-report to frs@frsholland.nl (H Kenji, Japan/FB DX Fanzine).

Radio De Rietvink 1645. Full data QSL and sticker received in two days by postal mail. Reception report to: Radio de Rietving, Marktstraat 16, 8071 GV Nunspeet, Netherlands (van der Galien).

Free Radio Victoria 5790. Full data e-QSL, received in one day for e-report to freeradiovictoria@gmail.com (van der Galien) 

Radio Parade International 8447 via Ireland. Full data e-QSL in four days for e-report to radioparade@prontomail.com (van der Galien).

Radio Poema 1611. Full data e-QSL received in 42 days, for e-report topoema.mediumwave@gmail.com (van der Gallen).

Radio Titanic International via Winsen 6160. Full data e-QSL in 92 days for e-report to radiotitanic@aol.com (J Waga, Germany/BDXC)

Radio Voyager 6925. Full data e-QSL in ten hours, for e-report to radiovoyager@hotmail.com (C. Erdmann, Brazil/DX Fanzine).

Studio 29, 6260. Full data e-QSL received in one hour, for e-report to studio29shortwave@gmail.com (van der Galien).

Studio X 1188. Ful data e-QSL in 24 hours, for e-report and MP3 file to qsl@radiostudiox.it (Waga).

Address Updates/Euro Pirate Radio 
1611  Radio Luka - radioluka@gmail.com,
1611  Radio Ros AM rosamradio@gmail.com
6280  Radio Cuckoo radiocuckoo@yahoo.com,

Shortwave
Adventist World Radio-The Voice of Hope
A series of full-data color e-QSLs confirming relay sites. Received in 30 days for English e-reports to: www.awr.org. Language services as indicated.
Austria, AWR 17725 Urdu 
Germany, AWR 11800 Abinomn
Guam, AWR 15670 Pashto
Madagascar, AWR 17725 Dayak 
Sri Lanka, AWR 11955 Urdu
Tajikistan, AWR 15505 Chin
Uzbekistan, AWR 9700 Lao
(Van Horn, LA)

AWR Sri Lanka QSL
Australia
Reach Beyond Australia 17650. Full data e-QSL in seven days, for e-report to hcjbjapan.office2@gmail.com (H Kenji, Japan/FB DX Fanzine). 15440, full data e-QSL received in six days for e-report to radio@reachbeyond.org.au (JC Perez, Spain/FB DX Fanzine) 11905, full data e-QSL in five days for radio@reachbeyond.org.au (DZ Kirov, Russia/FB DX Fanzine).RBA on 15460 via Kununurra verified with full data e-QSL in 20 days (B Clement, OR)

Clandestine
National Unity Radio, 5900 via Tamsui, Taiwan. Full data e-QSL in 17 days, for e-report to umg.info@unimedia.net (K Barsenkove, Russia/FB/DX Fanzine)

Cuba
Radio Habana Cuba 13780. Full data e-QSL in 30 days, for e-report to radiohc@enet.cu (F Hilton, SC)

Eswatini
TWR 15105. Full data e-QSL in three days, for e-report to lstavrop@twr.org (J McCall, TX)

Finland
Radio Igloo 6195. Full data color Radio Igloo/RealMix e-QSL. Received in one day for e-report to radioigloo@gmail.com. (Wilkinson/BDXC)

Germany
Atlantic 2000 International via Channel 292, 9670. Full data e-QSL in ten days for e-report to atlantic2000international@gmail.com (G McDowell, TX)

Bible Voice Broadcasting via Nauen 15310. Full data e-QSL in 150 days, for e-report to mail@bvbroadcasting.org (S Wright, MS).

HCJB Deutschland QSL

HCJB Deutschland 5020. German service e-QSL in 35 days, for English e-report to  info@hcjb.de (F Hilton, SC)

Radio Slovakia International via Kall Krekel relay 6005. Full data QSL card for German service. Received in 25 days for e-report to rsi_german@rtvs.sk (Clement) 

Texas Radio Shortwave 9670 via Channel 292. Full data e-QSL, for English report to texasradioservice@protonmail.com (Wilkinson).

Guam

KTWR-Last Day of Service (25 Oct 2025) 9900. Full data color scenery e-QSL. Received in 46 days for e-report to asiafeedback@twr.org (Van Horn, LA)

Indonesia
Voice of Indonesia 4755. Ful data e-QSL in 38 days, for e-report to voilisteners@gmail.com (Montero).

Netherlands
Free Radio Victoria 5790. Full data e-QSL in one day, for e-report to freeradiovictoria@gmail.com (van der Galien)

Radio Delta QSL

Radio Delta International 9800. Full data e-QSL with station logo. Received in seven days for e-report to info@radiodelta.am (Wright)

Palau
Hope Radio 9930. Full data e-QSL in seven days, through online form at www.hoperadio.net/reception (D Zhavoronkove, Russia/FB QSL)
Hope Radio 9930. Full data e-QSL in seven days from Deb Anderson Billing for online form. (A Napolitano, Italy/QSL FB)

Philippines
Radyo Pilipinas 15640. Full data e-QSL in ten hours for e-report to dzrp.radiopilipinas@gmail.com (Kenji).

Taiwan
Fu Hsing BS, Kuanyrin 9774. No-data QSL card in 74 days, for e-report to fhstp@fhbs.com.tw (Waga).

Trans World Radio

TWR Tajikistan QSL

A series of full-data color e-QSLs confirming relay sites. Received in 35 days for English service e-reports to: asiafeedback@twr.org. 
Australia, TWR 15460
Madagascar, TWR 17700
Philippines, Bocaue  TWR12130
Tajikistan, TWR 9910
(Van Horn, LA)

Turkey
Voice of Turkey, 7260. Full data e-QSL in four days, for e-report to espanol@trt.net.tr (N Fischetto, Argentina/DX Fanzine)

United Arab Emirates
Gaweylon Tibetan Radio QSL

Gaweylon Tibetan Radio via Dhabbaya relay 15215. Full data e-QSL in three days for e-report to gaweylon@gmail.com (Montero).

Mediumwave
Algeria
Radio Laghouat 702. Full data e-QSL in 21 days, for e-report and MP3 file to radiolaghouat03@gmail.com (Waga).

Brazil
ZVK764 Radio Imaculada Conceição 1490. Full data e-QSL from Nelson Henrique Batistote, Producão e in seven days, for e-report to milicia@milciadaimaculada.org.br. (AO Torres, ARG/FB DX Fanzine)

France
TWR Europe 1467. Full data e-QSL in 24 hours from Kalman Dobos, TWR Broadcast Monitoring /Frequency Coordination. E-report to kdobos@twr.org (Torres).

India
Akashvani via Sanbalpur 945. Full data postcard in 24 days, for e-report to spectrum-manager@prasarbharati.gov.in (Montero). 

Akashvani via Luknow 747. Full data QSL card in 34 days, for e-report to (same as above) (H Súss, Austria, FB/DX Fanzine).

Sweden
Radio Asfalttelegrafen, Ludvika 1440. Full data e-QSL and response from Torlief Roos. Receive in ten hours for e-report and MP3 file to am1440khz@gmail.com. (A Pennington, UK/BDXC).

Taiwan
RTI QSL
Radio Taiwan International 9550/11995/15145. Three full data RTI QSL cards received by post in 77 days. E-report to deutsch@rti.org.tw (R Pankov, Bulgaria) BDXC)

United Kingdom
Radio Red Hill 1431. Full data e-QSL within a few hours from Ian, Station Engineer. The reception report was sent via the station’s website form.(Paul Flanagan, UK/DX Fanzine).


Friday, January 30, 2026

Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal, February 1

 


Next Sunday, February 1, for Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal


For your contact pleasure


Happy & Healthy New Year to All.

Jen

Supercharged Ionosphere Delivers Rare Winter DX

 


A solar storm heated up the airwaves for North American long-distance signal hobbyists

By Nick Langan

Published: January 26, 2026
Nick’s Signal Spot is a new feature in which Nick Langan explores RF signals, propagation, new equipment and related endeavors. 

For VHF FM radio and TV long-distance signal reception enthusiasts, or DXers, the wintertime doldrums are often real.

Cold temperatures and dry air masses, as we’ve covered previously, often do not support tropospheric propagation. In the northern hemisphere, there is a winter E-Skip cycle, and there was some associated activity with it across North America earlier in January, but it’s much less intense compared to the summer. Typically, by late January, chances for skip dry up.


Key Channel Radio slated for Friday-Sunday broadcasts

 



Blog Logs - February 2026

   

Welcome to the February 2026 issue of Blog Logs. Thank you for your emails, logging contributions, and following my latest daily tweets on X at: Shortwave Central (Gayle Van Horn W4GVH@QSLRptMT

Have you subscribed to the Shortwave Central YouTube channel? You will find a vast selection of videos and audio airchecks, and the Playlist is growing! Join your fellow radio enthusiasts at: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShortwaveCentral 

The Shortwave Central blog brings you the latest from the ever-changing realm of radio. Additional radio information is covered in my Bits & Bytes monthly column in The Spectrum Monitor e-zine at: https://www.thespectrummonitor.com/

Languages as indicated
// denotes station heard on a parallel frequency
*Sign-on Sign-Off*/ frequencies in kHz
Monitoring  January 1-27, 2026   

UTC, frequencies kHz 

Mediumwave
Argentina
1130, Emisora Santiago y Copia, Ciudad Evita. Spanish programming 0235-0245. Argentinian songs and station ID as “tramsnite emisora y Copia. (Rudolf Grimm, Brazil)

1620, AM 1620 La Radio, Mar del Plata. Spanish text to Argentina with regional music to station ID (Grimm).

Bonaire
TWR Bonaire

800, Trans World Radio, Kralendijk. Spanish programming at 0138-0149 with holiday messages. Station ID in Spanish: “Radio Trans Mundial, RTM360 24 h en dia.” (Grimm). Station website https://twr.org/bonaire

Brazil (Portuguese)
590, Rádio Cruzeiro, Salvador BA. Portuguese programming 0102-0123. Christian instrumental of the Old Rugged Cross song. Announcer’s text to additional hymns. (Grimm)

630, Rádio Educadora, Marechal Candido Rondon RR. Portuguese 0126-0137. Pop music tunes by 14 Bis’ group to station ID.  (Grimm).

Canada

730, CKAC Montreal, Quebec 1220-1230. French newscast topics from Montreal. Ads to station ID. (Van Horn, LA) YT video https://youtu.be/58PAf7XB3aQ

990, CBW Winnipeg, Manitoba 1230-1240. Interview on Canadian sports to hockey game updates and local weather (Van Horn, LA) YT video https://youtu.be/KKSIuoiGvcs

Czechia


792, Radio Dechovka. Czech programming 2255-2305. Czech music to station ID and national anthem. Music continued at 2300 after anthem (Van Horn, LA) YT video https://youtu.be/-0H2Y1DlZeg

United States
700, KBYR Anchorage, Alaska 1402-1405. PSA’s, ads, station promo, and mention of slogan “ Smark Radio 700.” (Van Horn, LA) YT video https://youtu.be/FQf7Wz7I0ow


710, WOR New York City, NY 1210-120. Station ID to traffic reports, weather, and news from New York. (Van Horn, LA) YT video https://youtu.be/3E8h8u0_lQA

810, KSFO San Francisco, FL at 1306. Station promo to national news headlines to station promo and program previews. PSA announcements and station ID at 1324. (Van Horn, LA) YT video available at: https://youtu.be/cl5GU_x3DjY

1060, KYW Philadelphia, PA 0235-0245. National newscast, IDs, promos, and ads for sports banquet (Van Horn) YT video https://youtu.be/qSTos-Th1ZA

1180, Radio Martí, Marathon, FL, in Spanish to Cuba. 0203-0215 with announcer’s discussion with studio guest discussing the current situation in Cuba. Station ID (Grimm) Website https://www.martinoticias.com/


1190, KEX Portland, Oregon. 0500-0510. Talk show routine to sporks talk and basketball scores for the Beaver Basketball promo. (Van Horn) YT video https://youtu.be/MSSQAltGhwU

1530, KFBK Sacramento, CA 1355-1400. Morning talk-show, previews, realtor ads, state news to ads. (Van Horn). YT video https://youtu.be/Axedlr12PIA

Shortwave
Ascension Island

9655, KBS World Radio via English Bay. French service to Northern Africa from 2020 to 2025. Announcer’s talk and announcements to music tune. (Grimm)

Brazil (Portuguese)
5939.52, Rádio Voz Missionaria, Camboriu SC. 0149-0154 covering Christian hymns and announcements about “Congresso dos Gideóes Missionários (Gideons Missionary Congress). Local time check (Grimm).

6010, Rádio Inconfidencia, Belo Horizonte 2112-2128. Announcer comments to Brazilian music and program A Hora do Fazendeiro // 15189.8 SINPO 15421. (Manuel Méndez, Spain/BDXC). To learn more about  Rádio Inconfidencia, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A1dio_Inconfid%C3%AAncia

9818.5, Rádio 9 de Julho, São Paulo 2106-2114. Religious comments and music. Interference from China National Radio on 9820. SINPO 32432 (Méndez).

Rádio Nacional da Amazonia

11780, Rádio Nacional da Amazonia, Brasilia DF, 2039-2042. With music, oldies tunes (Caetano Veloso) to clear station ID. (Grimm).To lean about this station, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A1dio_Nacional

Canada
3330, CHU Ottawa - Time/Frequency station, Ottawa. English/French IDs and time pips every second // 7850; 14670 CHU same format at 0132-0138 (Grimm). More on CHU at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHU_(radio_station)

Clandestine

9680, Shabname Radio to Iran. Sign on 1830 with station ID, web info. Brief martial music to the Farsi service including talks on Iran. Additional martial music intros for new program segments (Van Horn) YT video available at:

Ecuador
6050, HCJB Pichincha 0218-0226. Religious programming. SINPO 35433 (Méndez,). To learn more about HCJB go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCJB

Ethiopia
6110, Radio Fana, Addis Ababa 1839-1855. African vernacular announcements to East African music. SINPO 25422 ((Méndez).

Germany

3995, HCJB Deutschland, Weenermoor 1911-1933. Religious music to German comments and text. SINPO 15422 ((Méndez). Website https://www.radiohcjb.de/

Luxembourg
6140, Radio Onda, Junglinster, 1837-2059.* English pop music to French ID “vous ecoutez Radio Onda.” , followed by Portuguese ID “Radio Onda a nosa radio.” SINPO 35433 (Méndez,)

6140, Radio Gloria via Radio Onda, Junglister, 0706-0742. German religious comments and music. SINPO 25422 (Méndez).

Mexico


6185, Radio Educación, Ciudad de México, 0548-0623. Spanish comments from announcer to regional music and station ID = “Cultura 1060 AM, una emisora de Radio Educación, la radio de las cultura de México.” (Méndez).

Netherlands
6005, Radio Piepzender, Zwolle 0656-0719. Pop song variety to Dutch comments. Station ID “Radio Piepzender.” SINPO 35433 ((Méndez).

North Korea
6170, Voice of Korea. Korean service to Europe 2016-2021. Program text from a male/female duo and Korean music. S5 signal. Noted on 7570 in English to Europe 2135-2145. Sequence of various Korean music with S-6 signal quality (Grimm). Website http://www.vok.rep.kp/index.php/home/main/en

Solomon Islands
5020, SIBC, Honaira 0748-0809. Lady announcer’s English comments to local music – very weak signal. The program matches the signal via remote receivers in New Zealand. SINPO 14411 ((Méndez).



SIBC video from Nov 19, 2025 1155-1204 UTC, including Local evening programming with pop tunes to music dedications to local listeners. Religious text, prayer, and national anthem to sign off. Video available at https://youtu.be/Z9gNuBkrs28

United States
4840, WWCR Nashville, TN. English to North America 0213-0217. Presumed to be a religious text. WTWW Lebanon, TN heard on 5920 in English 0142-0148. Christian vocal music and group discussion. 7355 Radio Martí via Greenville, NC in Spanish to Cuba at 0403-0412. Station ID to interview discussing health care in Cuba (Grimm). https://www.wwcr.com/

Vanuatu

5040, Radio Vanuatu, Port Vila, 0732-0807. English/Bislama text to local music. SINPO 15421 (Méndez). Video of Nov. 19, 2025, broadcast. Programming includes Bislama/English announcements, newscast, local time check, and religious segments.(Van Horn, LA) Available at https://youtu.be/kP_0d3UgKSk

Vatican State
9705, Vatican Radio via Sta. Maria di Galeria. French service to Central Africa 2030-2035. Interval signal to station ID in French to news about Burkina Faso. S=5 signal. (Grimm) Station website https://www.vaticannews.va/en/epg.html

Venezuela
4940, Estacion 4940, 0634-0728. Spanish text and religious tunes. SINPO 15421 ((Méndez).


Thursday, January 29, 2026

A Closer look at St. Helena

 
Thank you to Ray Robinson, Dr Adrian Peterson, and Jeff White for this week's nostalgic look at St. Helena. 

1992 QSL

Jeff: Occasionally, here on Wavescan, we like to bring you features about the radio history of some very remote and exotic locations, and today is one of those occasions.  Ray Robinson in Los Angeles has been researching the radio scene on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena, which is probably most famous for being the isle to which Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled by the British in 1815, and where he died in 1821.  So, here’s Ray.

Ray: Thanks, Jeff.  St. Helena is a tropical island in the South Atlantic Ocean, lying about 1,000 miles west of Angola, 2,000 miles east of Brazil, and 16 degrees south of the equator.  It’s part of the British Overseas Dependency that includes Ascension Island to the northwest, St. Helena, and the Tristan da Cunha group to the far south.

St. Helena is actually the tip of a volcano that rises some 14,000 feet from the floor of the ocean, with only the top 2,700 feet poking out above sea level.  The island is about 10 miles long and 5 miles wide, covering an area of 47 square miles.  It has a very rugged coastline with only one small sandy beach, and that’s in a very difficult-to-get-to location well away from the population centers.  Indeed, much of the coastline consists of barren cliffs over 1,000 feet tall.  The center of the island is forested, however, and due to its remoteness, it boasts dozens of unique forms of vegetation that are not found anywhere else on earth.

There are disputed claims as to who discovered the island, but it is likely that it was first sighted by the Spanish in 1500.  However, it was uninhabited then and remained so for another century and a half.  As far as we know, there have only been human settlements on the island for less than 370 years, beginning with a boatload of colonists sent from England in 1659.


Interestingly, it is claimed that the world’s oldest living land animal is on St. Helena – a giant tortoise named Jonathan that was imported from the Seychelles in 1882.  He was already a fully mature 50-year-old adult when he was moved to St. Helena, so it is estimated that in 2025, he celebrated his 193rd birthday!  And, there’s a whole Wikipedia page about him if you want to know more – just search for ‘Jonathan Tortoise’.

As far as the human population of St. Helena is concerned, that currently numbers about 4,500, most of whom are descended from Africa and several countries in Asia with only a small minority of Europeans.  The capital is Jamestown, but because that is squashed into a narrow coastal valley with steep cliffs on each side that limited its growth, a second population area developed called Half Tree Hollow.  This is on a hilltop overlooking Jamestown, and it has now become a larger settlement than Jamestown itself.

Originally administered by the East India Company from 1658 to 1815, St. Helena was then taken over directly by London following Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, so they could exile him to the island.  Sadly, Napoleon died there just 5½ years later in 1821 at the age of 53.  An autopsy pronounced the cause of death to be stomach cancer, but both arsenic poisoning from the makeup he wore, and mercury poisoning from medication he was given, are also possibilities.  The island officially became a crown colony in 1833, and more than 15,000 freed slaves were landed there in the 1840’s.  

When it comes to radio history in St. Helena, one of the challenges that must be understood is that electricity generation and distribution wasn’t available in Jamestown until 1953!  However, the Annual Colonial Report, known as the ‘Blue Book’, for 1932, stated that “The Empire Short-wave Broadcasting Service is received well in the island”, and the same ‘Blue Book’ for 1947 stated “There are about 150 radio sets but there is no local radio station nor electricity supply!”  So those radio sets must all have been operated by batteries or accumulators.  A telephone service had been installed much earlier, with an undersea cable to Cape Town having been laid in 1889.  A wireless communication station on St. Helena was installed just after the First World War, and it used the callsign BXH for communication with nearby shipping, and for the transmission of weather reports to London.

There had, of course, been military radio stations on the island during both World War I and World War II, but these only communicated with shipping.  A Diplomatic Wireless Station started operating on St. Helena in 1965, but this did not make any broadcasts receivable by local people.  There was also at that time a weather radio station located on St Helena and it was on the air under the British callsign GHH, operating with a 1 kW Racal transmitter and an inverted V antenna system on 6824 and 9044 kHz.

But the only option local people had in the 50’s and early 60’s for news and entertainment programming were stations like the BBC World Service on shortwave or the few stations in Southern Africa that broadcast in English and that were receivable on medium wave at night.

At least five different local amateur operators experimented with broadcast services from 1958 on, successfully demonstrating the need for a radio service on the island.  The most famous and longest lasting was a service by Billy Stevens, who was known as the ‘Ham of Half Tree Hollow’.  He received a license to broadcast, and played musical requests on 90 meters on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4pm and on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9pm.  People would go along to his house and give him 3d for a request, which helped offset the cost of the license.  His theme tune, reputedly, was Jimmy Shand’s - Bluebell Polka (from 1955).

YouTube video Jimmy Shand - Bluebell Polka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-14L7wDwuGc

That sounds a bit Scottish to me!  The St Helena Association in the UK also used to produce a programme called ‘Keeping in Touch’, for the purpose of recording messages from members in the UK, which they then sent out to Billy for broadcast.

In May 1965, the island’s telecom provider, Cable & Wireless, started broadcasting a part-time relay of the BBC World Service through a local transmitter on 3235 kHz in the 90 meter tropical band.  Transmission hours were daily from 11am to 2pm and 5:45 to 8:45pm.  But the first local radio station for the island, the government-funded Radio St. Helena, began broadcasting on Christmas Day, 25th December 1967, using a modified 20-year old Marconi 500 W communications transmitter on 1511 kHz, with the callsign ZHH.  The station was officially opened at 9:45am by the then governor, John Field.  However, all presenters were volunteers, and the regular broadcast schedule was for just two hours per day, from 8-10pm.  The first paid staff member was appointed in April 1973, and broadcasting hours gradually expanded to 3-10pm Mon-Fri, with news from the BBC World Service hourly on the hour.  This was a 9:30pm closedown in 1977:


Radio St. Helena bumper sticker – the island-wide speed limit is 30 mph


The station’s operating frequency changed in October 1978 to 1548 kHz, 194 meters, and two new Harris Gates 1 kW transmitters were installed in 1993.  In October 2000, the schedule was increased again to 7am-10pm.  Here are a couple of ID’s I found:
In the 1990’s and 2000’s, Radio St. Helena also broadcast internationally for one day in October each year on 11092.5 kHz shortwave – using the call-sign ZHH-50.  Many of the station's regular presenters took part in this event, known as "Radio St Helena Day", thereby enjoying the experience of broadcasting to audiences all around the world.

The residents of St. Helena are officially known as St. Helenians, but colloquially they call themselves ‘Saints’, and they enjoy full UK citizenship.  In 2005, a competing independent radio service on FM was started – Saint FM – with the slogan ‘The Heartbeat of St. Helena’.  This station, the first on FM, has been quite popular, but without any government funding it has struggled financially and has been closed down twice, although it was then re-opened each time.  Besides being broadcast island-wide in St. Helena, it is now also relayed by transmitters on Ascension Island and in the Falkland Islands, although interestingly, these are not mentioned in the new 2026 edition of the WRTH.

In 2012, the government decided to reorganize the broadcasting and print media services it did fund on the island, and created an entity called South Atlantic Media Services, or SAMS.  The medium wave Radio St Helena closed down on 25th December 2012 - the 45th anniversary of its launch.

Two months later in February 2013, SAMS Radio 1 was launched in its place on FM as a new local radio service for St. Helena.  And, at the same time, alongside Saint FM and SAMS Radio 1, a third FM service was launched carrying BBC World Service programming 24x7.  If you want to tune in, both Saint FM and SAMS Radio 1 have 24x7 webstreams.


Back to you, Jeff.
(NWS/Wavescan)