“I demmand you confirme reception report!”

As manager for coast radio station Vardø Radio (LGV), I receive reception reports from DXers every now and then, mostly from Europe, but I have actually also received a report from New Zealand on one of our SITOR-B transmissions on 8 MHz. However, most of the reports are from reception of our NAVTEX or DSC transmissions in the MF-spectra, and most of them are correct. These reports are of course confirmed by letter and some information material. It’s not very often that I receive a fake reception report, until last December…

I mid-December I received a reception report from a “DXer” in Italy, whom I will have the courtesy to remain anonymous. The “DXer” had “heard” a NAVTEX transmission from Berlevaag Radio(!!) on 518 kHz. Well, first of all: There hasn’t been a “Berlevaag radio” for many decades. Yes, the transmitter facility and antennas are still there, remotely controlled from Vardø. But, there has never been transmitted as much as a “milli-bit” NAVTEX from that site, and it’s not likely to happen in the future. Second: the time of reception and so called “proof” of reception all made it so totally obvious that it was a fake report.

Well, I wrote a kind answer by e-mail to the guy, telling him that it was impossible for me to confirm a transmission that never had happened, and I included the schedule for our transmissions in all modes in the MF-spectra. Didn’t hear anything from him again, until today…

“I demmand you confirme reception report” was his answer, in an e-mail that I received when I was about to go home for the day. That made me decide to stay at work for yet another five minutes – writing an answer to this “DXer”. I told him that it was not likely that he would receive many QSL’s writing fake reception reports, and his generally rude attitude. I also told him that a real DXer never demands a station to confirm a reception report, a real DXer asks kindly to have a reply. A QSL is a courtesy, and the station’s staff answers reports and verifies reception if, and only if, they have time to do so – if the report is correct, that is. I sent him the e-mail, hoping that he finally had understood and went home…

Obviously, he hadn’t understood a thing. After writing and sending a few reports myself, I decided to check my work e-mail, to see if there was any late incomings of importance. Well, there wasn’t. But there was a reply from the “DXer”:

“Fuck you you stupido stupido man!”.

Thanks and goodnight, everyone 🙂

Hans

Well, I’m still here…

Oh my… Time flies! Well, due to an unexpected heavy workload, I haven’t been able to do any updates, nor examined any files from the AIH22 expedition for the last couple of months. I’m sorry for that, but now my working life is getting back to something that looks pretty normal.

So, since last week I’ve started to continue the examination of the AIH22 IQ-files (a log update is coming) and I’ve started to make plans for the upcoming MW-season. I decided to try a new QTH near Vardø, and I’ve bought a caravan which now is located in Komagvær, between Vardø and Vadsø. This looks like a pretty good QTH, with a good takeoff towards Asia and Pacific. Guess it will work OK towards North America as well. Time will show. I’ve also booked two weeks in Aihkiniemi, in December and in February 2014, for two AIH-Expeditions.

This friday I will drive to Aihkiniemi to help Martti and the group with some antenna work and measurments. I will stay until saturday, and I guess it will be a fun evening to spend together with the gang. I will update the blog with pictures and info when I’m back from AIH.

73’s for now!

Hans

In need of some assistance…

Is there anyone visiting this site who can help me with e-mail adresses to Japanese (commercial) MW-stations? WRTH gives no information, and the station’s web-sites doesn’t give much help. I prefer to send e-mail reports to save valuable time in both the sending and receiving end, and to help saving the rain forest, of course.

If anyone has information to share, please contact me via the e-mail adress below:

barentsdx(at)gmail(dot)com

73 de Hans

Things are getting better: Midnight sun’s gone!

We’re getting there! The MW-DX season 2012/13 is getting closer for every day now. A few days ago, the sun disappeared below the horizon for an hour or so, and each night is getting a couple of minutes longer. Around November 21, the sun gets below the horizon 24/7 and we will not see it again until around january 21. Although 24 hours of daylight is bad for DX, the midnight sun is a beautyful sight, isn’t it?

73, s

Hans

Yet another unusual thing: No wind!

Here’s another thing that doesn’t happen too often on the Barents shoreline: No wind! But don’t worry, wind will come back. Plenty of it.

73’s

Hans

Thunderstorm approaching Vardø

Well, it doesn’t happen very often, but this aftornoon we had quite a thunderstorm approaching from the northwest and over Vardøya island. The temperatures the last few days has been pretty high (yes, over 16 degrees Celsius is considered almost “tropical” up here in the arctic clima zone). Anyway, I took a picture of it, sorry for the poor resolution – my cellphone camera doesn’t allow anything better than this – and although there isn’t any visible lightning in the picture, the sky was amazing.

By the way, at the right in the picture, one of the 60 meter high MF-transmitter towers of Vardø radio is visible. We have four of those here. Luckily enough, we only transmit during a few minutes every third hour on medium frequency, and never on the full hour, so it’s actually possible for me to erect my phased HDLA-loops here and do some serious DXing, hi!

73’s

Hans

Alive and kickin’ – and preparing for next MW-season!

Yes! I’m still around! It’s still sort of summer up here (actually, with “summer” I mean “non-MW-season”), but we’re definetely getting closer to the next season of darkness – and DX:ing! A lot has happened since my last post here and, among other things, I’m now settled permanentely here in Vardø. Right now I’m preparing my antennas for the next season, and I will modify my phased HDLA-loops a bit – trying a pair of phased KAZ-loops, which I beleive will be able to fight local QRM a little bit better than my previous setup. As you can see in the picture, the loop wires are cut and as soon as the horses that now are populating the area where I’m planning to erect the antenna are gone – I will put the antenna up. A schematic diagram of the modified HDLA-loops will be published here within a few days.

During “pre-season”, I’m planning to update the blog two to three times per week, and when the season has started in september, my ambition is to update on an daily basis.

By the way: please note that I’m now using a new e-mail adress for DX-related correspondance:

barentsdx@gmail.com

73’s!

Hans

Some inactivity…

Well, I haven’t been writing for a while due to extremely poor conditions, a heavy workload and some business trips. I will, however, try to do some updates during the weekend. A few new QSL’s has arrived and I’ve been testing some *very* portable equipment the last few days. More about all this very soon! Have patience, friends!

Edit 26th of March; Ok, folks… looks like it will take one or two days more before I get time to do my updates, due to some unexpected family matters.

73!

Hans

Now this must be a joke… or..?

Hey! Check this out: Link

The Aerosol Spray Antenna! What’s next? The Aerosol Ferrite Spray? With one spraybox of each you will be able to spray up at least a 20″ FSL anywhere  in no time.

Hans

Back to Vardø!

After being away from Vardø since the 28th of November, I’m going back again.  If everything works out fine I will have an ETA in Vardø at 13:28 local time tomorrow. I really hope there will be some periods with good conditions in January and beginning of February. I will be in Vardø until the second week in February, when I fly to Stavanger again for yet another three weeks.

From tomorrow, there will be more activity on this site!

Have Faith!

Hans