Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Paul Walker, who writes:
Remember the “transmission tests” from Babcock and Wooferton last summer? I finally got an email QSL…
My original email is first along with an audio sample of what I heard….
Original message sent on Tuesday, August 11, 2015:
I wanted to send you a reception report after hearing your broadcast.
“This Is A Test Transmission” on 15745khz heard at 1655UTC/11:55am Central today (08/10/2015) in Beaumont, Texas (far southeast corner of the state). This is 4 1/2 minutes, recorded until abrupt sign off in mid song.
I used a Sangean ATS909X with a PK’s Loop 6-18mhz tuneable Shortwave loop. The loop can be tuned to a certain frequency with a dial and can be rotated.
Tuning the loop to your exact frequency and orienting it in your general direction resulted in a pretty decent signal with good audio. The signal was about a 5 out of 10 with some fading, but generally pretty steady.
A link to the 4 1/2 minute audio clip is here:
Do you offer QSL’s? I would very much appreciate a QSL card or letter via regular mail if that is possible.
Warmest Regards,
Paul Walker
Fast forward to yesterday (Wednesday, January 27, 2016):
Thank you for your report and I confirm the details are correct. These transmissions were to fault-find on a 300 kW sender at the UK HF transmitter station at Woofferton.
The engineers needed a long test time as the fault was of an intermittent nature.
Babcock, Woofferton is the only remaining UK HF sender broadcast station and also is the only one with this transmission test audio and email address.
The audio is contained in a file playout system and incorporates non-copyright music and voice announcements from one of the employees at the transmitter site.
Thanks for your interest.
73
Dave G4OYX,
(Retired) Senior Transmitter Engineer Woofferton 1982-2012.
Very cool, Paul! And many thanks to Dave Porter for supplying Paul’s confirmation!
If you haven’t already, I would highly recommend Dave Porter’s video presentation of Woofferton on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/wooffertonuk) and this history of WOF (http://www.bbceng.info/Technical%20Reviews/technical_reviews.htm).
rcvd the test transmission today 10.00 to 10.24 utc on 25jul16, qrg 15358 khz.
I was driving from Soroe and home, when found it on my Icom 706 rx, with a short comet 20m whip.
sigs were s9 to s9+30dB. very strong and stady.
I also heard them on 9635 kHz on November, 6th 2013. Got same reply from Dave G4OYX in May 2014. Heard the transmission at home in Denmark.
Best regards, Michael Meyer
I also received it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLxBuX_DrLc
I don’t want to sound like a wet blanket, but others might agree with me, that with broadcasters like the BBC, I have stopped complimenting them on how well I receive their signals simply because in the current climate of them cutting their costs without any respect for listeners wishes, they are likely to say to themselves “Thank you very much” – then reduce the power output to save a few bob, and I can no longer get a clear signal, if at all. BBC Radio 4 LW did this some while ago to the dismay of many people in remote parts, and to me in Germany. I currently get good listening from certain BBC stations at night, but I’m not going say which in case their spies are reading this. As a recent commentator said, we have not the least interest in using up our valuable broadband data allowance to listen on an Internet device, so my MW/LW listening possibilities are becoming more and more depressing as station after station goes off air.
I got this confirmation, too, yesterday. I think even in August it was clear that it was a Babcock test transmission; yet, nice to hear an official word from them, and I hope they continue to transmit with such beautiful signals, I had it 55555 here in Central Europe with nothing but an indoor loop antenna, 11675 Khz, like Chris.
73
Better late then never. I gladly accept any QSL I can get
I also got a response from Dave, but for a different time and frequency. You can watch a short video I made from the test transmission on 11675 kHz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mopzQaLiXI