Tune-in the holidays from a QSL perspective

A Christmas treat for blog readers that may not be subscribers to Monitoring Times. The following is a portion from my December 2009 edition of QSL Report. Hope it gives you some new ideas for QSLing during the holidays.

To learn more about Monitoring Times, consult http://www.monitoringtimes.com/

Gayle Van Horn

Ready or not the holiday season is here, and for shortwave listeners it’s a month of annual holiday programming favorites. This is a great opportunity to preserve your favorites by QSLing the best of the season. Listeners can find a variety of programs from around the world featuring classical music, comedy, choral, plays, religious services and nostalgic favorites.
Between Christmas and New Year, look for year-end retrospectives, looking back at the events of 2009 and forward to 2010. New Year celebrations begin in New Zealand at 1100 UTC on December 31, as you follow the New Year around the globe (easy on the toasting). Follow the latest holiday schedules from MT’s Programming Spotlight columnist, Fred Waterer as he keeps you abreast of the holidays in his informative column, and on his DogHouseCharlie website at www.doghousecharlie.com/christmas-programming/ Consult M.T.’s SW Guide and MTXtra Shortwave Broadcast Guides for current by-hour frequency schedules.

Radio Free Asia is offering their 13th Anniversary QSL card until December 31, 2009. The card not only commemorates RFA’s anniversary, but also helps capture the spirit of RFA’s family and friends around the world while promoting freedom, democracy and peace. This years anniversary card is a sketch drawn by the children of RFA personnel. Reception reports may be submitted at the QSL Reports link at www.techweb.rfa.org or by email at qsl@rfa.org Postal address: Radio Free Asia, 2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036 USA.
Complete language listings for RFA are listed in the MTXtra Shortwave Broadcast Guide.

European readers should look for Radio Bila Hora, broadcasting from the Czech Republic, on New Years Eve. Each year the annual pirate broadcaster operates on 3333 kHz, and was heard last year at 1530-1600 and 1900-2000 UTC from the United Kingdom. Send program details to rbh@email.cz The station’s Czech website at http://czechian.net/ may be translated using Google language tools. You Tube video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTreCgFS0z4

After an absence of several months, listeners are hearing Radio Amanecer, Internacional again on 6015.02 kHz from the Dominican Republic. Monitoring has been from 2300-0300 UTCin Spanish, and reception reports may be sent to; Apartado Postal 1500, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (or) Juan Sánchez Ramírez #40, San Domingo, Domnican Republic. Streaming audio and podcast at http://www.radioamanecer.org/

An amateur radio Dxpedition is planned for December 29-January 4, 2010 from Robertson Island, Houtman Abrolhos (OC-211). Located off the west coast of Australia, the Abrolhos were activated for the first and only time in 1996. Consult www.westozdx.net/IOTA/OC211.html for broadcasting details, QSL via VK4AAR-Alan Roocroft, 376 Old Toowomba Road, Placid Hills, QLD 4343 Australia.

The following web addresses and email updates may be used for surfing and QSLing.
Clandestine, Radio Free Chosun www.rfcosun.org/eng email: rfchosun@rfchosun.org
Euro Pirate, Playback International, email: playbackinternational@gmail.com
Israel World Federation Inc. (via WHRI), http://www.british-israel-world-fed.ca/

email: biwf.canada@bellnet.ca
Polish Radio, english.section@polishradio.pl
RAE Argentina, argentinainternationalradio@gmail.com
Radio Miraya FM, email: mirayasudan@mirayafm.org
Radio Tirana, Albania english@hotmail.com
Southern Sudan Interactive Radio, ottok@sentech.co.za
U.S. pirate, Northwoods Radio has changed their email address to northwoodsradio@gmail
while WBNY/Commander Bunny has a new web address at http://wbny.webhop.org/
Voice of Vietnam, englishsection@vov.org.vn