Many thanks to Al Kirton, group general manager of radio station 4KZ, who writes with an update to our post from earlier today:
We are pleased to advise that as part of our 50TH Anniversary celebrations, Radio 4KZ shortwave 5055 kHz commenced transmission yesterday afternoon. Reports have come in from as far as Monterey, California USA.
Unfortunately, during the next 2 weeks we will be running on half power at 500 watts.
Transmission is from the 4KZ (am 531 – 8kW) & 4AY (am 873 – 1 kW) site at east Innisfail in Tropical North Queensland. We use a USA made LPB 1.2 kW shortwave transmitter feeding an Inverted V antenna at about 14 metres high at the peak. The transmitter audio is via an Australian-made Crusher digital audio limiter.
The system is designed to cover the Cape York area of Queensland and the Northern outback. Fortuitous reception is available at times over a much wider area.
Transmission hours will be approximately 0500 to 2300 hours GMT (3pm to 9am Queensland time.)
We welcome reception reports. All confirmed reports will receive a 4KZ shortwave QSL card. No return postage is required.
Reports should be sent to me, Al Kirton [email protected]
Or by regular mail to: Radio 4KZ, PO Box 19, Innisfail Queensland 4860 Australia.
Excellent! I will certainly do my best to put 4KZ in the logs, but it will be a challenge doing it from the east coast of the US. Still, perhaps propagation will surprise me one evening!
For more about 4KZ on shortwave, and to follow updates, simply follow the tag: 4KZ
I managed to catch Radio 4KZ in Innisfail, Queensland (Australia) on 5.054 kHz, slightly off 5.055 kHz, from 18.15 till 18.45 UTC, on 22 December 2017. A talk show (presumably John Laws Show) with at least one song (“The Girl is Mine” – P. McCatrtney-M. Jackson) and news/headlines was observed during this period. SINPO rated 15311 — weak but occasionally audible signal, fading under atmospheric noise at about equal strength. Initially, around 18.10 UTC, a strong carrier was detected, then audio was heard drifting in and out between the static. Finally, around 18.40 UTC signal grew weaker and buried under the noise. Voice of Beibu Bay is on 5.050 kHz which would make reception impossible before 16.00 UTC due to station splatter 5 Hz +/-. And, PBS Xinjiang is another hurdle on 5.060 kHz until it signs off at 18.00 UTC. To say the least, I was rather lucky I heard 4KZ. Recordings were made (and one submitted to the station), but all are essentially full of QRN with barely audible content. Hopefully my reception report is worthy of the station’s QSL.
RX: Tecsun S-2000 ANT: 1/4 wave aerial elevated to a height over 10 metres QTH: Kuala Lumpur
I am on the West Coast of the US so maybe I can pick this station up when they go full power. It would be one heck of a DX catch if I do! I was able to snag CFRX out of Toronto for the first time while on my Caribbean cruise out of Florida a couple of months back and I think they broadcast at 1KW. And I was a day or so out of Florida and in the Bahamas I think, but of course that is a bit closer of a distance than this will be.