The 4KZ transmitter is located in Innisfail, Australia
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Phil Brennan (VK8VWA), who notes that 4KZ started broadcasting today in Australia. Phil notes:
At last! ID for 4KZ confirmed at 0750 [UTC] Wednesday 20 December on 5,055 kHz.
Thank you, Phil–and thanks for following this development so closely over the past few weeks.
I tried tuning to 5055 kHz at my home in eastern North America, but of course conditions weren’t ideal to receive a 1,000 watt AM signal from Australia. I wasn’t ready to give up, of course, so I turned to the KiwiSDR network.
The following recording was made on December 20, 2017 starting around 11:33 UTC on 5,055 kHz . The receiver is a KiwiSDR located in Goulburn, NSW, Australia.
Click here to view on YouTube.
No details yet on where to send reception reports, but I will ask the station manager and post his reply in an update.
Post Readers: Please comment if you’ve also logged 4KZ!
Here in Malaysia, I’ve managed to catch Radio 4KZ on 5.054 kHz, slightly off 5.055 kHz, on 22 and 23 December 2017, between 17.05 till 18.45 UTC. Reception before 16.00 UTC is impossible due to station splatter (5 Hz +/-) from Voice of Beibu Bay which operates on 5.050 kHz. Reception on both days was quite poor, yet signal was occasionally audible and clear when signal peaked above the noise, which is ample as the following audio file will attest (K4Z announcer is heard about 30 seconds into the recording) — https://app.box.com/s/p7umqe8nyckufc563fn7g8f1ne4bc8re
RX: Tecsun S-2000 ANT: 1/4 wave aerial elevated to a height over 10 metres QTH: Kuala Lumpur
Greetings from Victoria, Australia.
Had a listen tonight for 4KZ on 5055KHz.
I definitely could hear an Aussie station on 5055, but there was a much stronger one on 5054KHz
It’s obviously an Aussie broadcaster, had a “Air News” broadcast on the half hour.
Is asking for signal reports to “[email protected]”.
I found their web site at http://www.ozyradio.com/
Apparently they are on 3210KHz as well as 5045 KHz.
Cheers ………….. Zim
Many listening DX stations in the Northern Finland (Lapland) are prepaired to hear it. I saw only a line on the waterfall by the Haparanda SDR in the Northern Sweden this morning.
Amazing! That’s some serious DX from Lapland!
Reasonable copy of 4KZ 5055 khz here in Adelaide at 1930utc, similar to you Rob, Ozy radio is at a better level. Great to see this development, hope the outback users and grey nomads embrace it.
Paul, when I was travelling last year in the Daintree region, up north of Port Douglas, daytime AM was pretty much useless. But with 4KZ targeting that Gulf region using shortwave, listeners and travellers may now have an option! Geez – I’ll need to make another trip up there just to see if it works!!! 🙂
It’s a great development for people in the bush up here after the loss of the NT shortwave service. At the Senate hearings here in Darwin earlier in the year it was evident that a lot of people relied on that service. More than the ABC has ever been prepared to acknowledge. So bravo to Al Kirton for going ahead with this. Already I’ve heard from a mate who is out in western Queensland who has tuned in and enjoying the station.
Wow, Al was the manager at 4VL in Charleville and later 4ZR in Roma. He has filled a niche after the ABC pulled its short wave service.
Reception into Mount Evelyn started off very weakly in the early evening. But it improved significantly as the evening progressed. I’ve made a YouTube video comparing the signal strengths of 4KZ and Ozy Radio:
https://youtu.be/5eqHB0rvACU
Also, my reception notes are at:
http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2017/12/4kz-fires-up.html
Good luck catching this one, folks!
You’re right, Rob!
Listening via the KiwiSDR in Goulburn and the signal sounds pretty impressive right now.
Despite 2017 starting out on a depressing note with the passing of RA, Australia has been a great year for new low power shortwave activity.
Yes, a great way to end 2017, Thomas. Wouldn’t it be nice to have more Aussie SW broadcasters inhabiting the 60mb. Good for outback residents and workers, and a good DX challenge for global listeners. Fingers crossed.
I usually have wonderful reception from this part of the world in Northern California. I will try to hit this one tomorrow. Will pass along info, if garnered.
We sat around our MWRS Amateur Radio club last night (20dec2017) & tuned into 5055 to hear 4KZ on 5055. We had summer knockout static crashes from a local storm but your audio was ok. Enjoyed the Beatles & JoJoZep. A QSL card is on the way, but in the meantime, some feedback.
RST: 38-
Antenna: 80m dipole
Rx: FT-1000 MkV
Sincerely wishing you all the best in your shortwave venture…
—
Dom Bragge VK2JNA
Member: Manly-Warringah Radio Society VK2MB
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly-Warringah_Radio_Society
http://www.mwrs.org.au/