Tag Archives: 4KZ

Radio World: “Australia Still Has Shortwave Voices”

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(Source: Radio World via Michael Bird)

HANS JOHNSON ? APR 23, 2019

SYDNEY — Radio Australia shortwave services may be dead, but the medium is alive and well on the continent.

Reach Beyond Australia is on shortwave, but with its Christian programming largely in foreign languages, it really isn’t seen as representing Australia on the shortwaves. But there are other private Australian stations that are broadcasting and more are planned.

And while these stations are not a replacement for Radio Australia’s international transmissions or the defunct (for the moment) Australian Broadcasting Corp. domestic service, they do have various goals and share certain characteristics.[…]

4KZ is a shortwave relay of an Innisfail, Queensland, medium-wave station with the same call sign. It is part of the NQ Radio network. 4KZ plays a variety of music and is heavily involved in the community. The shortwave serves remote areas of north Queensland. “We are planning a 90-or 120-meter service for evenings local time, from station 4AM in Mareeba,” explained Al Kirton, NQ Radio’s general manager.

Unique Radio has been on three years and currently broadcasts from Gunnedah in New South Wales. Its owner, Tim Gaylor, has a background in community radio. “We like a station to inform people about alternative subject matters not currently on mainstream media,” he said. Unique Radio also plans to add a night frequency in the 90-meter band.

There are also future stations in the works from New South Wales.[…]

Click here to read the full article at Radio World.

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4KZ update: Transmitting low power for now

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The 4KZ transmitter is located in Innisfail, Australia

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jerome van der Linden, who writes:

Have been communicating with Al Kirton (4KZ, Innisfail, Queensland Manager), and by virtue of my membership of a couple of Facebook groups for caravan (trailer to you) owners in Australia, have publicized the fact that Al is keen for reception reports from people in the target area.

Al also advised that they’re not even on 500 watts at the moment:

“We are only on 300 watts due to the fact that we only have one of the two 600 watt RF modules working.(Half of the 600 watts in the good module is lost into the combiner). It should be much better on ~ 1 Kw when the part arrives from the USA and the module is repaired.”

Thank you for the update, Jerome!

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4KZ celebrating 50 years, now on shortwave

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The 4KZ transmitter is located in Innisfail, Australia

(Source: Southgate ARC)

Australian broadcaster celebrating on shortwave

As part of 50th celebrations, radio broadcaster 4KZ in Northern Queensland is now on 5055 kHz and already getting signal reports including from North America and New Zealand.

General Manager of NQ Radio (4KZ, 4AM, 4AY, KIK FM & KOOL FM), Al Kirton announced the decision to SWLing Post in May, and now confirms the transmission began on December 20.

He told the WIA: “Unfortunately we are on half power for a couple of weeks until one of the RF boards can be repaired, then we will go up to I kW.”

The shortwave broadcast is from a site at east Innisfail in Tropical North Queensland. Mr Kirton said the USA-made 1.2 kW transmitter being used is feeding an Inverted V antenna at about 14 metres high at the peak.

The program is from the 4KZ and 4AY AM band transmitters and designed to cover the Cape York area and the northern outback. However the 60m band signal has been heard further away.

He said: “I have had many reception reports, many with audio clips”, some from Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria, as well as from “Monterey USA, Alberta Canada and New Zealand.”

The transmission hours are about 0500 to 2300 hours UTC. All confirmed reception reports will receive a 4KZ shortwave QSL card. No return postage is required.

Reports by email to Al Kirton ([email protected]) or to Radio 4KZ, PO Box 19, Innisfail Queensland 4860 Australia.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation stopped its shortwave services to the northern outback in January 2017.

Jim Linton VK3PC

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4KZ Update and Reception Report Information

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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

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Breaking News: Australian broadcaster 4KZ now on shortwave!

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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!

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4KZ Update: broadcasts will commence after transmitter repairs

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jerome van der Linden, who shares an update from 4KZ Station Manager, Al Kirton:

Hi Jerome

5055 is not on the air yet.

The transmitter failed and requires some inexpensive parts which are not available in Australia. They should be here any day from the US.

We hope to be able to commence in the near future.[…]

Best wishes

Al Kirton
Radio 4KZ

Thanks for sharing this update, Jerome. For more information about 4KZ, check out this previous post.

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4KZ: More info about Australia’s new shortwave broadcaster

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Many thanks to Al Kirton, the General Manager at NQ Radio, who has kindly shared a few more details about NQ Radio and, specifically, 4KZ:

Hello Thomas

NQ Radio operates about 20 AM & FM transmitters in North Queensland, Australia. Our stations are 4KZ, 4AM, 4AY, KIK FM & KOOL FM.

In a couple of months or so we will be establishing a 4KZ shortwave service on 5055 kHz with 1 kilowatt.

The antenna is designed to give primary coverage from 200 km to 800 km from Innisfail. We suspect it will be heard with a low quality signal much further away.

Sincerely

Al Kirton
General Manager

Many thanks, Al! We’ll be listening!

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