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Avainsana: 2016

DXpedition to backyard – Lapland Tropo 11102016

Tropo forecasts promised good condx for Lapland, not much activity there, so results not known. Today’s ducting was favorable for Central Finland. In the morning just some typical SR stations for this QTH with fair signals (no RDS). However one personal new catch: Radio Rossii Karelia 72.17 just over the noise level with Tecsun, but clear ID. TNX JJH!

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In the work (driving van) I was lucky to follow signals from 350-450 km improving all the day with the car radio. The morning was foggy, lot’s of accidents because of zero visibility and icy roads. The fog was accompanying us all day long, even temperature reached plus degrees in the afternoon. Still nothing special on lunch hour at home. Unfortunately Triax 4el can see only AZI 100-280 from the balcony…

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As Janne (JJH) said: ”Kalix tulee niin lujaa, että sen pitäisi kuulua mummon hetekallakin” (culture-bound, impossible to translate). Thanks to my good old lad, I moved the Yagi from balcony to backyard and placed RX’s on a less-elegant garden chair. Between the pines, the Northern sky can be seen.

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Word, Kalix was so strong, that it could have come even with a whip!

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Usually here is YLE Lahti 50 kW / 166 km

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..and here Järviradio Jyväskylä 3 kW / 34 km

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Such a fresh autumn afternoon today, but with the hot coffee it was fun for two hours. Then it was already getting dark and conditions seemed to be stuck on this direction. New H stations ided and recorded, and nothing special was heard using V polarization.

SR-transmitters from Örnsköldsvik, Sollefteå, Vännäs, Lycksele, Arvidsjaur, Älvsbyn, Kalix, Överkalix and Gällivare were noted. Possibly also Storuman and Vuollerim (150 W!). For some loggings, please have a look: http://www.fmdx.tk/october-logs/

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Total 400 logs for FMDX season 2016

The end of August brought some ES stations and the number of logs reach 400 total. More than 100 of those stations are new-for-me, so the season can be considered a good one (using only one receiver, no SDR). Magical Tropo Day 26 August will be written in Finnish FMDX History – guys on Southern Coast heard numerous new countries! Czech Republic is not common catch but it all started with nice regional stations caught by many listeners in South and South-Western Finland. Soon they got Austria (many transmitters), Slovenia 88.5 by MB and in the end Croatia (Zagreb and Ivanscica transmitters!). The new Finnish tropo record is 1691 km by JJJ Mynämäki. Congratulations to everyone! Also Slovakia was heard for the first time by ducting. Other logged countries were Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia and Sweden. HNG, KAL, NOR and UKR have been heard earlier in Finland by tropo, but those countries were not logged that day. Now total is 23 heard countries by Tropo. Unfortunately these conditions didn’t reach inner Finland, so the longest was Suwalki 105.5 from here.

On Sunday 28 Aug ES season was completed with nice OIRT opening, mostly to Kirov and Perm. Surprisingly Radio Rossii stations have regional window till 0800 UTC on sunday mornings. Regional programs were on air already at 0730, possibly they started at 0710 UTC.

total 400 logs

Based on total number of my personal QSLs, some statistics on ”most important countries and languages for FMDXer”

1. Russia (110 QSLs)
2. Germany 67
3. Italy 65
4. France 39
5. Czech Republic 37
6. UK 35+3
7. Ukraine 29
8. Romania 27
9. Serbia 22
10. Sweden 22

If we look at the map, the result can be explained geographically. Bigger the country is, more conditions will be favorable to this area. Only CZE and SRB are smaller countries among the list, probably stating that those countries have a relatively good number of local stations to listen to..

FM season seems to be closing, it is time to concentrate on AM – especially TA signals. Lattemiele played a song (23082016) that suits pretty well for this time of year.

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July-August 2016

Although June was not a perfect FMDX month, then July was a total flop. Fortunately August has been a bit more active so far..

FMDX 07 and 08-2016

The evenings are getting darker and the interest turns to AM. Some nice TA-catches on 49 mb in the mornings, no reason to forget Iberian peninsula and it’s numerous MW stations and of course (listening) free radio will be fun, in case there is no tropospheric ducting.

The holiday season will finish in Central Europe, so it is time to send some FM-reports again. The goal is to have 100 FM QSL’s for this season  – 25 to go!

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ES July 31 and August 1-5

After a flop July ES seems to be activating little by little. On July 31, morning conditions offered some UKR and MDA on OIRT. Highest log was Radio Shanson with rolling RDS on 88.8 MHz. Next day continued with OIRT conditions to Komi. Conditions were good, also Radio Rossii transmitters listed as 100 W and 400 W were audible, but unfortunately there is nothing much to hear from Komi under 100 MHz. All signals disappeared around 0900 UTC, so I couldn’t confirm, if GTRK Komi-Gor has a regional bulletin from 0910 to 1000 UTC.. maybe next time!

On August 2, surprisingly good evening opening to Benelux and France up to 108 MHz for one hour, with some double hop to Spain! (NB: Could have been prelonged Tropo over Bay of Biskaya too!). Spain will be difficult to identify, but guys on South-Western coast had better condx towards Iberian peninsula! Only some of the Spanish signals reached inner Finland. From France mostly networks as France Inter, Fun Radio, MFM, Nostalgie and NRJ. From Belgium Radio Contact and a new-for-me network Joe FM.

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During inactive July many of us have found new hobbies: sailing, fishing, stamp collecting or picking up berries and mushrooms (it’s the best season now for them!). In this picture you can see some of 20-30 porcinos (penny buns) under my old abandoned Alfa Romeo, which seems to be optimal athmosphere for such a mushroom (enough humid and probably soon rusty!)

July 4th brought no conditions at all, but MUF was 108 literally next day, just after midnight on the South Coast. Unfortunately the best skip didn’t reach inner Finland, but some low band stations were audible for short time (i.e tentatively RAI 87.8).

July 5th, the summer meeting day started with 30 minutes OIRT conditions in the morning to UKR/BLR. A new-for-me station Svitle Radio Emmanuel 67.82 ided. Last time night conditions trigged super day June 8, this time we were expecting a little bit more than this, but even MUF 74 is good compared to MUF24.

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Uurainen: weak Ireland over 100 MHz 30062016

During work day got some ES alerts by WhatsApp (BBC/TDF). Similar evening opening began around 8 o’clock with BBC and TDF stations, suddenly turning to Ireland. Mostly RTÉ up to 102.7 MHz, but also private stations were logged: LMFM 95.8 MHz, Classic Hits 4 FM 94.9 MHz and Today FM 101.8 MHz. Ireland has been rare here as it seems to be, that over 100 MHz opening is easier with average distances and the most of the island is close to maximal skip 2400 km. Surprisingly for example Dublin is only 2100 km from here – so it should be pretty common on band!

June 2016 compilation

june 2016 in uurainen

June 2016 was pretty dry month, compared for example to last year.

june 2015

Counting also May demonstrates that Season 2016 has been pretty good so far. The following ”statistics” are based on logs mostly made by Sony XDR F1HD and 4 element Yagi, so the receiving equipment should not affect.

Year/Total logs

2016/304 (till 30 Jun)
2015/324 (out of the band 14 Jul-22 Jul and 26 Jul-20 Aug)
2014/566
2013/364 (out of the band in August)
2012/121 (best day 14 Jul spent in work)
2011/65 (+ 16 logs from Turku)

Summer 2016 could easily beat the personal best ever season, the mythical Summer 2014!

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Uurainen: a private opening up to 108

These evening condx can be described as private conditions, because the reflecting cloud was so small, that it gave MUF 108 only for Uurainen, but not for other localities in inner Finland. The diameter of such a cloud must be less than 30 km. Usually those ”private” conditions can offer stations up to 108 MHz, but there are lot of empty frequencies. If the reception area is small, so are the transmitters heard only from small geographical area. Condx started with OIRT, probably MDA and UKR. First CCIR ID was local commercial spot of Radio Pyatnitsa from Rivne, soon turning to Romania (mostly networks), but also some Serbian local stations: Radio Mig 107.3 MHz and Radio Gong 93.6 MHz.

After a short break the conditions started again from BUL, ROU and some Italians on the band too. MUF rised again over 100 MHz and opened rare direction: Istanbul (2400 km). The maximal skip is rarely open over 100 MHz. In the end it turned back to ROU..

Full logs will follow later in Visual log book. I just reached my goal: 100th Russian FM QSL, so it is time to concentrate to other countries. Italians of 29 May are still unreported, so are couple of French stations and so on..

Based on last days, seasonal trends seem to be middle of Russia (Komi/Tatarstan), Bulgaria and France – exactly as it seemed to be in the beginning of season. Interesting variety!

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Another kind of pretty rare ID

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Central Finland: OIRT opening to BLR and TS

After excellent Utö logs some more ordinary catches from Central Finland. Couple of posts ago I described OIRT as ”a less interesting band” but it has something more to offer than Radio Rossii. Today Radio Askhadar 66.68 was heard tentatively and Kunel Radiosy 67.79 with clear ID’s, both from Tatarstan. Gomel FM jingle from Belarus surprised on 66.98. Radio Shanson network ID came on 71.72, it is just a bit over 1000 km to Kaluga – interesting oblast. Unfortunately no local commercials heard or local programmes going on Radio Rossii.

QSL Qazaq Radïosi, UNID-TX 101.9 MHz brought verified FM country # 40

Kazak Radiosy QSL

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Central Finland: OIRT opening to KO and UL 14062016

Daily (or better say nightly) OIRT opening came also tonight, offering familiar Komi frequencies, but also Tatar Radiosy on 67.7. Interestingly one of Rossii frequencies had other broadcast going on. Don’t they split some programmes based on time zones!? Must have been Radio Rossii Urala.

Couple of photos from yesterday evening (Uurainen):

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Short log by JJH, Jyväskylä

66.89 1928 RUS Radio Rossii, Ishim/Gagarino (TY) 2539km
67.10 1930 RUS Radio Rossii, Barda (PR) 1766km
69.65 1932 RUS Radio Rossii, Serov (SV) 1887km
71.69 1933 RUS Radio Voskreseniye, Serov (SV) 1887km
69.11 1941 RUS Radio Rossii, Puksinka (SV) 2001km
66.92 1945 RUS Radio Rossii, Pechora (KO) 1566km
69.08 1948 RUS Radio Rossii, Inta (KO) 1702km
67.70 2023 RUS Tatar Radiosy, Ulyanovsk/Dom Byta (UL) 1582km

 

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Uurainen: weak evening opening to France up to 108 12062016

Missed first 30 minutes of this opening, it seemed that the best moments were going on when turned rx on. Soon the conditions get weaker and only TDF stations were heard, still up to 105.5 at least. After one hour exactly the same direction opened again. 100.7 was probably Honnert 7 from LUX as 88.9 was Luxy. 100.4 was still speaking French in african accent. This time it showed RDS referring to Frequence des Loisirs, but no audio ID. Better luck was with Radio Campus 3, which ided at least 10 times at the top of the hour. Waiting for more to come tomorrow!

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