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Sunday, May 31, 2020

Discount Postage for Postal QSLing



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Happy Mailing,

William Plum
12 Glenn Rd.
Flemington, NJ 08822

908 788-1020


Friday, May 29, 2020

From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, May 31-June 6


From the Isle of Music, May 31-June 6: 
This week, we enjoy a Cuban dance party with four new releases from the Bis Music label. Special guest Ricardo Oropesa will be with us for part of the program.

The broadcasts take place:
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 SpaceLine, 9400 kHz, from Sofia, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=9400am

For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).
If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7

For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to uplinks from various websdrs in Europe.
The Facebook page for the program is https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic/
The Patreon page for the program is https://www.patreon.com/tilford

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, May 31 and June 2: 
In the first half of episode 167, Egyptian orchestral and Iraqi oud music. In the second half, our monthly Radio Balcony segment has special guests and new music including Jesse Charbonnier from the USA, César Rodríguez from Colombia, Ramiro Pinheiro from Spain and Nic Bennett from the UK.

The transmissions take place:
Sundays 2200-2300 (6:00PM -7:00PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7

Tuesdays 2000-2100 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.
If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from different web SDRs in Europe including a live uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands at http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
The Facebook page for the program is https://www.facebook.com/UncleBillsMeltingPot/
The Patreon page for the program is https://www.patreon.com/tilford

A second test broadcast of both programs will take place on 7440 kHz from Germany to rule out a bad day during the first test on Friday, May 29 from 1600-1800 UTC.

William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC

Shortwave Radiogram, weekend schedule

Hello friends,

I am not sure if I saw any advantage in last weekend's Thor22 over our usual MFSK32, and not much over the much faster MFSK64. On my PC, the Thor22 performed poorly via WINB, but well via WRMI. There is something peculiar about WINB's audio. The RSID's don't work (for me, anyway) and now the Thor22 doesn't, either. But, via WINB, the MFSK modes are OK, and, for the most part, so are the images. It's fun to try to solve these mysteries.

Another anomaly last weekend was the absence of 5850 kHz during the Sunday 0800-0830 UTC broadcast (7780 kHz was on the air). During a storm, one of the poles (like telephone poles) at WRMI that hold the transmission lines between the transmitter and the antenna fell to the ground. The amazing crew at WRMI replaced that pole the next day.

Videos of last weekend's Shortwave Radiogram (program 153) are provided by Scott in Ontario (Friday 1300 UTC) and by 2010DFS in Japan (Sunday 0800 UTC on 7730 kHz, with more of this amazing reception and decode through co-channel interference). The audio archive is maintained by Mark in the UK. Analysis is prepared by Roger in Germany.

This weekend, we will experiment with three speeds of Olivia, all 2000 Hz wide. These modes often work well when reception conditions are poor, so let's hope for bad reception this weekend. (And that pretty much guarantees good reception this weekend.)  I don't know the official speeds of these Olivia modes, but I think they are about 24 wpm for Olivia 64-2000, 40 wpm for Olivia 32-2000 and 80 wpm for 16-2000. Slow. If reception is good, you can make it more challenging by using you old, cheap shortwave portable with the broken whip antenna.

After the Olivia, we'll have time for seven images in the MFSK64 mode.

Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 154, 28-31 May 2020, in modes as noted:
 1:49  MFSK32: Program preview
 3:16  Olivia 64-2000: Recyclable rubber polymer, part 1**
 6:52  Olivia 32-2000: Part 2**
11:05  Olivia 16-2000: Part 3**
15:43  MFSK64: This week's images*
28:20  MFSK32: Closing announcements

* with images

** Turn off Fldigi squelch (SQL). Use bandwidth wide enough for
these 2000-Hz-wide modes, i.e. at least 2.5 kHz for SSB, 5 kHz
for AM.

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net
And visit http://swradiogram.net
Twitter: @SWRadiogram or https://twitter.com/swradiogram (visit during the weekend to see listeners' results)
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304
Shortwave Radiogram Gateway Wiki https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Shortwave_Radiogram_Gateway

Shortwave Radiogram Transmission Schedule
UTC Day UTC Time Frequency Transmitter
Saturday 0230-0300 UTC 9265 kHz WINB Pennsylvania
Saturday 1330-1400 UTC 15770 kHz WRMI Florida
Sunday 0800-0830 UTC 5850 kHz
7730 kHz WRMI Florida
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC 7780 kHz  WRMI Florida

The Mighty KBC transmits to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. A 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/.

“This is a Music Show” Most of the show is a music show, but the host transmits some text and images in various modes near the end of the broadcast. It’s transmitted on WRMI, Thursdays at 0200-0300 UTC on 5850 kHz (Wednesday evening in the Americas) and a new time also on WRMI, Wednesdays at 2100-2200 UTC on 7780 kHz (aimed towards Europe) . Also look for a waterfall ID at the beginning of the show. thisisamusicshow@gmail.com .  www.twitter.com/ThisIsAMusicSho/ @ThisIsAMusicSho

New York and Pennsylvania NBEMS nets. Most weekends, as KD9XB, I check in to the New York NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging Software) net Saturday at 1200 UTC on 3584 kHz USB, and the Pennsylvania NBEMS net Sunday at 1200 UTC on 3583 kHz USB (with out-of-state check-ins now starting at 1130 UTC). Check-ins are usually in Thor 22, and messages are in MFSK32. Messages generally use the Flmsg add-on to Fldigi. If you are a radio amateur in eastern North America, feel free to check in. Outside the region, use an SDR in the eastern USA to tune in and decode. You do not need Flmsg to check in, and most of the messages can be read without Flmsg. If you can decode the net, send me an email to radiogram@verizon.net , or tweet to @SWRadiogram , and I will let them know you are tuned in. USEast NBEMS Net: Please also note the USEast NBEMS Net, Wednesdays 2300 UTC (7 pm EDT) on 3536 kHz USB.

Thanks for your reception reports!
Kim

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



Wednesday, May 27, 2020

The Greenland Story: The Good Ship Morrissey and its Arctic Voyages



Effie M. Morrissey 1894 (Wikipedia)
The longest continuous series of expeditions to the Arctic was conducted aboard the fishing  schooner that was registered under the name of a girl who was born in Canada in the year 1877.  This small though quite famous ship was in use for a total of 20 annual expeditions into Arctica beginning in 1926; it is now a registered National Historic Landmark in the United States; and it is the official State Ship for the American state of Massachusetts.  We go back to the beginning.

William Edward Morrissey was born in Lower East Pubnico in Nova Scotia Canada on August 17, 1845.  In 1867, the 22 year old Edward Morrissey married the 16 year old Caroline Larkin, and in the course of time, they gave birth to five children, three boys and two girls.  The second youngest child was a girl, and she was named Effie Maude Morrissey. 

On February 1, 1894, a two-masted Gaff-rigged 150 ft long fishing schooner was launched at the ship building yards of James and Tarr at Essex in Massachusetts.  This new fishing vessel was locally designed and constructed for the Wonson Fish Company with William Edward Morrissey as its first captain.  He named this new ship as the Effie M. Morrissey, in honor of his pretty 17 year old daughter, Effie Maude Morrissey.  In its first fishing season, the fishing ship Effie M. Morrissey brought in nearly 40 tons of fish which handsomely paid for its construction. 

Captain William E. Morrissey died in 1913 at the age of 67, and during the following year (1914) the ship was sold to new owners in Newfoundland.  Give thirteen more years (1926) and with the installation of a new diesel engine, Robert Bartlett was ready to take the ship up north, in its first annual exploration tour of Arctic areas. 

On this historic first expedition, the Effie M. Morrissey was taken up north through Baffin Bay and along the west coast of Greenland as far as Etah on the north west tip of the island.  At one stage, Etah, just 20 miles across the frozen waters from the Canadian island of Ellesmere, was the most northerly inhabited location in the world.

This first northerly expedition was financed and led by author and publisher George Putnam, who subsequently married the well known though tragic aviatrix Amelia Earhart five years later.  This northern expedition into Greenland was made on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in Michigan.  There were two major purposes for this expedition; collecting specimens of Arctic sea life, and establishing plans for subsequent expeditions to the same areas.

During the 20 years that the Effie M. Morrissey conveyed annual expeditions to Arctica, more than a dozen of these voyages were specifically to various areas of Greenland itself.  All of these expeditions were funded by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and by similar institutions associated with geography, exploration, museum collections and natural sciences. 

During the 1933 expedition to northwest Greenland, the Morrissey ship was temporarily impounded by the British while it was traversing Canadian waters without proper papers.  This legal infringement was corrected when the ship returned to the waters of New York City at the end of that summer voyage.

On half a dozen other occasions, the Morrissey ship voyaged into northern Canadian territories, along the northern seacoast of Labrador, and in particular to the two large islands called Baffin and Ellesmere.  During the latter part of World War 2, the Morrissey was taken over by the American authorities and it was used under charter to convey needed supplies to American forces on duty at Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island, and at nearby Ungava on the Canadian mainland. 

Upon every occasion during its 20 years of service into Arctica, radio was in use aboard the Effie M. Morrissey; for operational communications, for the transmission of news to supporting newspapers in the United States, for the relay of live broadcasts to the mediumwave networks in the United States, and for amateur radio QSO communications worldwide.  Due to international radio regulations, two operators were aboard the Morrissey on each expedition.

  The first radio operator was Edward B. Manley who operated the equipment aboard the Morrissey for ten years, from the very first northern expedition in 1926 up until during the year 1935.  During the 1926 Summer Expedition, Manley sent regular dispatches to the New York Times under the ship’s original callsign VOQ.  Then during the following year, Radio Broadcast magazine in October 1927 printed a picture showing their shortwave radio equipment.

Six years later, a 1933 QSL card shows the use of a modified callsign, now VOQH.  The main transmitter was a 250 watt Morse Code unit, and the receiver was a Hammarlund Comet Pro from New York.  Three years later again, in August 1936, a QSL card shows the official callsign aboard the Morrissey in north east Greenland as W10XDA, and the equipment was a 100 watt Radiophone transmitter together with a new Hammarlund receiver, the Crystal Pro. 

In 1941, the Morrissey was in use for another northern expedition, this time on behalf of NBS, the National Bureau of Standards.  NBS operates the international standard chronohertz station WWV and at that time, a new shortwave station was under construction at Belltsville Maryland, out from Washington DC.

On this expedition, three personnel represented NBS, including the rather well known northern explorer Louise Boyd.  The radio operator, Mr. T. A. Carol, was seconded from the United States Coastguard.

This voyage took the Morrissey north through Baffin Bay, the expansive waters that separate Greenland and its western islands from several of Canada’s eastern islands.  During this voyage, local magnetic levels were noted, together with associated shortwave monitoring observations.  While located along the northern coast of Baffin Island, a very large black sunspot was noted, and this resultant emanation from the sun caused a sensational manifestation of the Aurora Borealis Northern Lights, and also a total radio blackout that lasted for two weeks.
(AWR/Wavescan-NWS 584)

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Germany's Shortwavservice, schedule update


Germany
Shortwaveservice

Effective; 18 Many 2020

All times UTC / 1.0 kW
1500-2300 - 3975 WIS English Monday
1600-2300 - 3975 WIS English Tue-Fri
0700-2300 - 3975 WIS English Sat/Sun
1100-1900 - 6160 WIS English Mon-Fri
0800-1900 - 6160 WIS English Sat/Sun
2100-2200 - 6160 WIS English Daily
(deleted daily programs 0700-2200 on 3975; 0800-1600 & 1800-2000 on 6160.
(NASWA/DX Mix-Bulgaria)

Shortwaveservice, formerly known as "Radio 700 Kurzellendienst," has been broadcasting since November 24, 2007. Programming is primarily targeted to the European listening audience. Programming entails relays of third-party programs and music.
Send your programming details to: info@shortwaveservice.com
website: http:www.shortwaveservice.com 

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins


Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2020 May 25 0124 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 May 2020

Solar activity was at very low levels throughout the period. No spots were observed.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at moderate levels.

Geomagnetic field activity was at mostly quiet levels with isolated unsettled intervals. Solar wind parameters were at nominal levels. Solar wind speed ranged from 289-415 km/s while the total field ranged between 1-8 nT.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 25 May - 20 June 2020

Solar activity is expected to continue at very low levels.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to isolated unsettled levels through the outlook period.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2020 May 25 0124 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 2020-05-25
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2020 May 25      70           5          2
2020 May 26      70           5          2
2020 May 27      70           5          2
2020 May 28      70           5          2
2020 May 29      70           5          2
2020 May 30      70           5          2
2020 May 31      70           5          2
2020 Jun 01      70           5          2
2020 Jun 02      70           5          2
2020 Jun 03      70           5          2
2020 Jun 04      70           5          2
2020 Jun 05      70           5          2
2020 Jun 06      70           5          2
2020 Jun 07      70           5          2
2020 Jun 08      70           5          2
2020 Jun 09      70           5          2
2020 Jun 10      70           5          2
2020 Jun 11      70           5          2
2020 Jun 12      70           5          2
2020 Jun 13      70           5          2
2020 Jun 14      70           5          2
2020 Jun 15      70           5          2
2020 Jun 16      70           5          2
2020 Jun 17      70           5          2
2020 Jun 18      70           5          2
2020 Jun 19      70           5          2
2020 Jun 20      70           5          2
(NOAA)

Saturday, May 23, 2020

From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, May 24-30



From the Isle of Music, May 24-30:
This week, we add a new test transmission on 7440 kHz.  The primary objective is to provide better service to North Africa,  the Middle East, South Asia and SE Asia, but it should be listenable beyond these zones. 

This week, we spend a delightful hour with Zule Guerra and her music, during which she shares some of her new jazz album El Viaje with us.

The broadcasts take place:
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 SpaceLine, 9400 kHz, from Sofia, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=9400am 

For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).

If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you canhttp://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7 listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to uplinks from various websdrs in Europe.

TEST: For NE Africa, the Middle East and South Asia but probably audible beyond these zones, 1600-1700 UTC Friday, May 29 on Channel 292, 7440 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic 
Our Patreon page if you would like to support the program is https://www.patreon.com/tilford

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, May 24,26 and 29: 
This week, we add a new test transmission on 7440 kHz.   The primary objective is to provide better service to North Africa,  the Middle East, South Asia and SE Asia, but it should be listenable beyond these zones.

Episode 166 features music from Puerto Rico.
The transmissions take place:
Sundays 2200-2300 (6:00PM -7:00PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe

If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7 

Tuesdays 2000-2100 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.
If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from different web SDRs in Europe
including a live uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands at http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am 

TEST: For NE Africa, the Middle East and South Asia but probably audible beyond these zones, 1700-1800 UTC Friday, May 29 on Channel 292, 7440 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
Visit our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/UncleBillsMeltingPot 
Our Patreon page if you would like to support the program is https://www.patreon.com/tilford

William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Radio New Zealand Pacific schedule update


AM mode Daily
1959-2158 on 11725 RAN 050 kW / 035 deg to All Pacific English
2159-0458 on 13840 RAN 050 kW / 035 deg to All Pacific English
0459-0558 on  9700 RAN 050 kW / 035 deg to All Pacific English
0559-0958 on  5945 RAN 050 kW / 035 deg to All Pacific English

AM mode Mon-Fri
0959-1258 on  5945 RAN 100 kW / 325 deg to NWPa/PNG/As English

AM mode Sun-Fri
1259-1650 on  6170 RAN 050 kW / 035 deg to All Pacific English

AM mode Sat
1259-1958 on  6170 RAN 050 kW / 035 deg to All Pacific English

DRM mode Sun-Fri
1651-1735 on  6115 RAN 035 kW / 035 deg to Tonga/Samoa English
1736-1835 on  7285 RAN 035 kW / 035 deg to Tonga/Samoa English
1836-1958 on  9760 RAN 035 kW / 035 deg to Tonga/Samoa English

NOTE: Expect schedule changes from time to time to take account of propagation to our target audience. Every month on the first Wednesday is maintenance day at our transmitter site Rangitaiki at 2230-0600UT (Thursday 1030-1800 NZST). During this period there may be interruptions of Radio New Zealand Pacific transmissions.
(DX Bulgaria 19 May 2020)

Monday, May 18, 2020

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins


Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2020 May 18 0322 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 11 - 17 May 2020

Solar activity was very low. The solar disk was spotless. Beginning  on 15 May, a rise in x-ray flux background was observed as two plage regions emerged on the ENE and ESE limbs, possibly the return of old Regions 2762 (N23, L=338) and 2761 (S18, L=332). No Earth-directed CMEs were observed.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal to moderate levels with a peak flux of 203 pfu observed at 16/0220 UTC.

Geomagnetic field activity was mostly quiet with an isolated unsettled period observed late on 12 May. Solar wind parameters were at nominal levels with solar wind speed ranging from 282-354 km/s while total field was between 1-8 nT.



Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 18 May - 13 June 2020

Solar activity is expected to continue at very low levels.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels for the outlook period (18 May- 13 Jun).

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to reach unsettled levels on 19-20 May due to weak coronal hole high speed stream activity (CH HSS). Mostly quiet conditions are expected for the rest of the period.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2020 May 18 0322 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 2020-05-18
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2020 May 18      70           5          3
2020 May 19      70           8          3
2020 May 20      70           8          3
2020 May 21      70           5          3
2020 May 22      70           5          2
2020 May 23      70           5          2
2020 May 24      70           5          2
2020 May 25      70           5          2
2020 May 26      70           5          2
2020 May 27      70           5          2
2020 May 28      70           5          2
2020 May 29      70           5          2
2020 May 30      70           5          2
2020 May 31      70           5          2
2020 Jun 01      70           5          2
2020 Jun 02      70           5          2
2020 Jun 03      70           5          2
2020 Jun 04      70           5          2
2020 Jun 05      70           5          2
2020 Jun 06      70           5          2
2020 Jun 07      70           5          2
2020 Jun 08      70           5          2
2020 Jun 09      70           5          2
2020 Jun 10      70           5          2
2020 Jun 11      70           5          2
2020 Jun 12      70           5          2
2020 Jun 13      70           5          2
(NOAA)

Sunday, May 17, 2020

The First Wireless Radio Station in Greenland



The island of Greenland in the northern areas of the Atlantic Ocean is the world’s largest island, and yet it also has the world’s lowest population density; just 56,000 people spread out over 86,000 square miles.  Greenland has been under Danish influence, exploration, and settlement for more than a thousand years, though at one stage back 500 years ago, Portugal explored and laid claim to the island. 
In addition Norway also has laid claim to Greenland, or at least part of it, along the central eastern coast.  Then in more recent times, the United States has granted economic support and cooperation with Greenland, and they have also operated a series of military bases in various areas of this same island. 
Nearly 90% of the local population in Greenland is descendant from the original Eskimo-Inuit settlers who migrated in from northern Canada, though the small foreign population living there are mainly of Danish background.  The official language in Greenland is Greenlandic, a local Eskimo-Inuit dialect, though Danish and English are both recognized languages, along with local languages and dialects as needed.
The earliest usage of wireless and radio in Greenland was associated with exploration and hunting.  In 1921, the MacMillan expedition aboard the ship Bowdoin in Baffin Bay made the first wireless transmissions from Arctica, though these longwave communication tests were unsuccessful, due mainly to heavy local static. 
The first successful wireless transmissions from Arctica were made from a land based station at Mosquito Bay on the east coast of Greenland, and this was under the leadership of the Norwegian animal trapper Johan A. Olsen.  The Norwegian government was aware that Olsen planned to visit Greenland once again as a hunter of land and sea animals, and they granted him sufficient funding and equipment to install a radio station for the purpose of sending weather information back to Norway. 
It was in the year 1922 that Olsen and his hunting party made another return voyage to Greenland, aboard the ocean harvesting vessel Anni 1, and they landed at a location they named as Myggbukta,  This Norwegian word Myggbukta means Mosquito Bay, a very appropriate name because of the hordes of mosquitoes in the area.
The Olsen party constructed a small building at Mosquito Bay into which they installed the new radio equipment and they then made their first transmission of weather information back to Tromso Radio on Tromsoya Island in northern Norway.  This first successful wireless/radio transmission from Myggbukta Radio occurred on Sunday October 1, 1922; it was the first wireless/radio transmission from Greenland, and also apparently the first wireless/radio transmission from Arctica.
The second series of successful wireless/radio transmissions from Greenland/Arctica came from the MacMillan expedition aboard the ship Bowdoin in Greenlandic waters in the latter part of the year 1923.  At the time, MacMillan was obviously unaware of the Norwegian transmissions from 
Myggbukta Radio, almost a year earlier.  The MacMillan 1923 claim as the first from Greenland/Arctica, which we erroneously accepted and presented here in Wavescan nearly six months ago, is in actual fact, superseded by the Norwegian station on Greenland almost one year earlier.
The Norwegian radio station at Myggbukta was on the air for several months with weather reports to Norway.  Then during the following year (1923), the station was closed and the personnel boarded the ship Anni 1 for the return voyage to Norway.  However, a few days later, the ship Anni 1 was stuck in an ice floe, and crushed; the ship was broken and sunk, and sadly all personnel died.
The radio station at Myggbukta was repaired by Gunnar Isachsen during the next year (1924) and it was temporarily reactivated.  Give two more years (1926), and the station was activated again, this time by members of the Norwegian Foldvik Expedition.
In 1931, five members of what was called the Arctic Commercial Enterprise, claimed the territory around the radio station at Mosquito Bay as a colony of Norway, though this territorial annexation was totally unofficial and without government authority.  Then during the excesses of World War 2, personnel from a patrol boat operated by the Free Norwegian Navy, the Fridtjof Nansen, came ashore at Mosquito Bay and destroyed the radio station.
After the war was over, the Norwegian government rebuilt Radio Myggbukta at Mosquito Bay in Greenland in the summer of 1946, and it was in continuous operation for the next thirteen years.  However, during the year 1959, the Norwegian government dropped all funding for this station, and so it was unceremoniously closed. 
That was the fascinating 37 year long saga of radio station LMG, Radio Myggbukta, Radio Mosquito Bay, on the east coast of Greenland.  This was the first wireless/radio station in Greenland, and apparently the first radio/wireless station in Arctica.
We might also add, that there were five other Norwegian radio stations in coastal Greenland back during the prewar era, all of which were installed during the year 1932.  These additional radio stations provided local communication for shipping in the Norwegian fishing fleet, as well as weather reports for mainland Norway.  These five additional Norwegian stations in Greenland were located at Karlsbakk, Jonsbu, Storfjord, Torgilsbu and Finnbus.
More about the radio scene in Greenland next time.
(AWR-Wavescan/NWS 580)

Schedule information from Encore-Classical Music

Dear listener,
Encore's usual broadcast on 6070 kHz at 19:00 UTC Friday will continue to be simulcast on 3955 kHz.
It is, of course,  the final repeat of the previous Saturday's show.
We are also trying 3955 at 21:00 UTC on Sundays - when it will be mostly dusk or dark and so good propagation is expected.
Channel 292 will be interested in reception reports for 3955 kHz - info@channel292.de

Regular Broadcast times of Encore are:
10:00 - 11:00 UTC Saturday 6070 kHz Channel 292 to Europe - Now Simulcast on 7440 kHz
Repeated:
01:00 - 02:00 UTC Sunday 5850 kHz, Simulcast on 5010 kHz WRMI to the US, Canada and Central America.
08:00 – 09:00 UTC Sunday 7440 kHz Channel 292 to Europe
21:00 - 22:00 UTC Sunday 3955 kHz Channel 292 to Europe
02:00 – 03:00 UTC Monday 9455 kHz WRMI to the US and Canada
13:00 - 14:00 UTC Tuesday 15770 kHz WRMI to Europe, east coast of US and Iceland.
13:00 - 14:00 UTC Thursday 15770 kHz WRMI to Europe, east coast of US and Iceland.
20:00 - 21:00 UTC Thursday 15770 kHz WRMI to Europe, east coast of US and Iceland.
19:00 – 20:00 UTC Friday 6070 kHz Channel 292 to Europe - Now Simulcast on 3955 kHz

Our email is  encoretumbril@gmail.com. Informal reception reports as well as those requesting eQSL welcome.
The website is www.tumbril.co.uk where we show transmission times and frequencies, the playlist for the most recent programme, more information about Radio Tumbril, and the email link.

This week the programme contains the usual mix of old and new. We have some Haydn; Le Matin, Elgar; first symphony,  Brahms; piano Quintet, and Poulenc; two motets.
Contemporary compositions by Beth Anderson; Piano and strings, and Matthew Embleton: solo lute, add to the mix. There is even some organ music by Vidor which might bring back a few memories.
I hope you can join me to enjoy beautiful sounds being bounced off the sky.

The cost of running a SW transmitter
Channel 292 broadcast many excellent shows as well as Encore. They keep their charges to customers like Radio Tumbril affordable, but they make a loss.
292 covers only 30% of its running costs from programme revenue. The rest is by donation.  If you enjoy the programmes like Encore that Channel 292 transmits - please think about making a donation. Use this link to find the Channel 292 donations page and perhaps register for the 292 newsletter - newsletter

The latest Encore playlist and the previous one are now on the website - www.tumbril.co.uk

Channel 292 can be pulled live off the internet if the reception is poor in your location. Easy to find their site with a google search.
A very good site for online SDR receivers all over the world is: http://kiwisdr.com/public/  Click the 'Map' button in the top left of the screen.

In the meantime - thank you for spreading the word about Encore - Classical Music on Shortwave on Radio Tumbril.

Brice Avery - Encore - Radio Tumbril - Scotland

www.tumbril.co.uk


From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill's melting Pot schedule info and updates




ANNOUNCEMENT: On May 22 and May 29, From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot will be testing 7440  kHz in the hopes of adding service to the Middle East, NE Africa and South Asia (but audible in other zones as well) Fridays from 1600-1700 (FTIOM) and 1700-1800 (UBMP) UTC on Channel 292 from Rohrbach, Germany.

Schedules:
From the Isle of Music, May 17-23:
This week, we add a new test transmission on 7440 kHz. May 10 was El día del son (the day of the son cubano), and we will honor that with music from several of the best bands that play the son in Cuba.

The broadcasts take place:
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 SpaceLine, 9400 kHz, from Sofia, Bulgar ia (1800-1900 MSK)
If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=9400am
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 on WBCQ, 7490 kHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).
If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to uplinks from various web SDR's in Europe.
5. TEST: For NE Africa, the Middle East and South Asia but probably audible beyond these zones, 1600-1700 UTC Friday, May 22 on Channel 292, 7440 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, May 17,19 and 22:
This week, we add a new test transmission on 7440 kHz. Episode 165 features musical comediennes from classical to popular to slightly risque.
The transmissions take place:
1.Sundays 2200-2300 (6:00PM -7:00PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490):  http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7
2. Tuesdays 2000-2100 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.
If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from different web SDRs in Europe
including a live uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands at  http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
3. TEST: For NE Africa, the Middle East and South Asia but probably audible beyond these zones, 1700-1800 UTC Friday, May 22 on Channel 292, 7440 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
Visit our Facebook Page at  https://www.facebook.com/UncleBillsMeltingPot

William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Global Radio Guide (Summer 2020) Now Available


Press Release:                                                                        

Teak Publishing Company 
P.O. Box 297
Brasstown NC 28902

For Immediate Release                                                                             

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Global Radio Guide (Summer 2020) Now Available

During times of emergency and crisis, radio hobbyists worldwide turn on their radios and tune to the shortwave radio spectrum for context, perspective, and insight into what is happening around the globe. As tensions heat up in the world’s hotspots, you can follow these events on radio, and you need an accurate and comprehensive radio guide to hear the action.

Teak Publishing is proud to announce the release of that all-important radio resource – the Global Radio Guide (GRG), 14th edition (Summer 2020) e-book, by Amazon bestselling author Gayle Van Horn, W4GVH. The book was formerly known as the International Shortwave Broadcast Guide.

Teak Publishing co-founder and GRG author, Gayle Van Horn, says that for this 14th edition, they have brought back the popular SDR Buyers’ Guide and expanded their coverage of SDR information, by popular demand.

“Based on the responses from our readers of the 13th edition of the GRG, we have expanded the coverage of SDRs in this 14th edition”, says Van Horn.  “SDRs are truly the future of our hobby and DXers need a source they can trust for information on this booming industry.”

SDR coverage in this edition includes direction-finding HF stations using the SDR.hu network of radios by Mike Chace-Ortiz. Tom Witherspoon takes an AirSpy HF+ Discovery into the field and shows us how we can truly operate a portable receiving station.  There is also an introductory article on Software Defined Radios, an updated SDR buyers guide, and an in-depth equipment review on the new SDRPlay RSPdx SDR.

“The SDR Buyers Guide is unique to our publication and something that readers really responded well to in our last edition,” says Teak Publishing co-found and GRG editor, Larry Van Horn.  “The Global Radio Guide is the only place you will find this type of in-depth information on what has become an integral part of the radio monitoring world.”


Beyond SDR information, this Amazon 'electronic' book is your ticket to travel the Global Radio bands. The heart of this publication is a 24-hour station/frequency guide with the latest Summer 2020 schedules for selected AM band, longwave, and shortwave radio stations. This unique resource is the only radio publication that lists by-hour schedules that include all language services, frequencies, and world target areas for over 500 stations worldwide. There are listings of DX radio programs and Internet websites addresses for many of the stations in the book. There are also entries for time and frequency stations and a few other intriguing shortwave radio stations.

The 13th edition of the GRG was widely well-received by readers and reviewers alike.  David Harris of Radio User magazine said of the 13th edition:  “I defy anyone with an interest in SW radio not to find something of interest in this fine publication.”

Now in this 14th edition of the GRG is included an article on monitoring worldwide weather facsimile transmissions on shortwave. The Spectrum Monitor’s Fred Waterer checks in with a feature on summer shortwave radio programming.  This edition also has introductory articles on Traveling the World via Shortwave Radio Broadcasts, Monitoring the Shortwave Action Bands, and a completely updated Teak Hot 1100+ worldwide utility station HF frequency list.

“This truly is a comprehensive guide for any DXer,” Gayle Van Horn says.

“I think the bottom to top coverage of the spectrum is what readers will be most excited about,” says Larry Van Horn. “We have worked very hard, especially on the utility side, to make this edition vastly more comprehensive. HF-ACARS is a great example as people have wanted to know where they can hear airline activity on HF and this is it.  We have the information on how you can decode these messages  - which run an average of 150,000 messages a day on the network from 80 plus airlines - either on your own SDR or even on Web SDRs, to allow you to track these flights in real-time on HF. 

Global Radio listeners are routinely entertained with unique perspectives to events, music, culture, history, and news from other countries that you will not see or hear on your local or national broadcast channels. Global Radio broadcasts are not restricted by country borders or oceans and can travel thousands of miles, reaching millions of listeners worldwide, now in over 300 different languages and dialects.

Listeners can hear shortwave broadcast stations from China, Cuba, France, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, New Zealand, North/South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, and many other counties. If you have a shortwave radio receiver or Internet connection, and this unique radio resource, you will know when and where to listen to your favorite radio broadcast station.

This publication will have wide appeal to amateur radio operators, shortwave radio hobbyists, news agencies, news buffs, educators, foreign language students, expatriates, or anyone interested in listening to a global view of world news and major events as they happen.

Whether you monitor shortwave radio broadcasts, amateur radio operators, or aeronautical, maritime, government, or military communications in the HF radio spectrum, this book has the frequencies to help you to hear it all. Teak Publishing’s Global Radio Guide brings the world to you.

You can find this edition of the Global Radio Guide, along with all of our titles currently available for purchase, on the Teak Publishing Web site at www.teakpublishing.com  

The 14th edition of the Global Radio Guide e-Book (electronic book only, no print edition available) is available worldwide from Amazon and their various international websites at

The price of this latest edition is US$8.99. Since this book is being released internationally, Amazon customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia can order this e-Book from Amazon websites directly servicing these countries. Customers in all other countries can use the regular Amazon.com website to purchase this e-Book.

You can read any Kindle e-Book with Amazon’s ‘free’ reading apps on literally any electronic media platform. You do not have to own a Kindle reader from Amazon to read this e-book. There are Kindle apps available for iOS, Android, Mac and PC platforms. You can find additional details on these apps by checking out this link to the Amazon website at www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771.