Tag Archives: Paul Jamet

A Special QSL Card: Remembering the BBC and Deutsche Welle DRM Partnership

Many thanks to SWling Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who hares the following article and notes:

I enjoyed this beautifully illustrated article: Snail Mail QSLs – A Few Stories from a Bygone Era

I’m also taking up the invitation to share a memorable QSL card of my own.

I’ve received hundreds of QSL cards by snail mail. After some hesitation, I’ve chosen a QSL card that I received quickly (in 6 days) but which reflects a time when two very important international radio stations were strong believers in Digital Radio Mondial (DRM):

Testimony of a Joint BBC / DW DRM Programme for Europe

by Paul Jamet

My most memorable QSL card bears witness to the collaboration between the BBC World Service (BBC-WS) and Deutsche Welle (DW). These two broadcasters launched a major radio project in the late 2000s: a joint shortwave transmission in DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), aimed at providing a high-quality digital service for Europe.

The BBC and DW established a partnership to pool their transmission capabilities and deliver a single digital stream (in English) across Europe. Transmission sites located in Sines (Portugal), Woofferton (United Kingdom), and Moosbrunn (Austria) were used to ensure broadcasting from 06:00 local time until midnight.

This is why I invested around €300 in purchasing a DiWave 100 receiver to listen to this programme, broadcast using a technology that both broadcasters were intensively testing at the time. The AFS function—Alternative Frequency Switching or Signalling—allowed the receiver to automatically follow frequency changes throughout the day without any manual intervention. The programme originated alternately from Berlin or London, on one or more frequencies transmitted from the sites mentioned above.

This QSL card, along with the screenshot from the DiWave 100 that enabled me to obtain it, stands as evidence of a broken dream [mainly due to the rise of streaming, but also the lack of DRM receivers].

The BBC and DW eventually abandoned the project. In terms of digital broadcasting, DAB+—a technology stemming from the European Eureka project—has become dominant across Europe. Today, the BBC World Service, and especially Radio Romania International, continue to broadcast daily to Europe. TDF (Télédiffusion de France) is conducting trials on various frequencies from its Issoudun transmission centre.

Today, I still believe in DRM. This technology uses HF bands and makes it possible to cover vast areas with a single transmitter, while offering significantly improved listening conditions and additional services such as text transmission (Journaline), images, and emergency warning messages (EWF technology).

References :

DW And BBC Join Forces On DRM
https://www.drm.org/dw-and-bbc-join-forces-on-drm/
EWF – Emergency Warning Functionality
https://www.drm.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DRM-EWF-Emergency-Warning-Overview-v2.pdf
NAUTEL – DRM
https://www.nautel.com/products/digital-radio/drm/

24 Hours of Le Mans 2026 Special Event

24 Hours of Le Mans 2026

During the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans Automobile race, the amateur radio operators of the Sarthe Radio Club F6KFI will be in the spotlight!

To celebrate the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, the amateur radio operators of the Sarthe Radio Club F6KFI will be in the spotlight!

From May 30th to June 14th, 2026, they will be activating the special callsign TM24H.

Operations will be available on numerous bands and modes:

- SSB
- CW
- RTTY
- PSK
- FT8
- VHF & QO-100

A great opportunity for all radio enthusiasts to connect with this special activation and celebrate one of the world’s greatest motorsport events together!

Tune in, stay tuned… and happy TM24H hunting!

Radioamateur #LeMans #24hDuMans #HamRadio #TM24H #F6KFI

Another URL: https://www.24h-lemans.com/en

Paul Notes That WWFF is Open to SWLs

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who writes:

Hello Thomas,

I think you’re familiar with this program and its website:

WWFF – World Wide Flora & Fauna : https://wwff.co/

I was informed by the head of the French branch that this program is not limited to amateur radio operators. SWLs (shortwave listeners) can also participate and receive awards.

Rules : https://wwff.co/wwff_cont/uploads/2025/09/WWFF-Global-Rules-V_5.10.pdf

Best of luck.

Paul JAMET

I did not realize this although I do participate in WWFF as an on-the-air activity. Thanks for the tip!

Radio Awards Program: 750th Anniversary Patronage of Saint George

Radio For Peace International: Special Daily Broadcasts to Iran

Radio Bulgaria Marks Its 90th Anniversary with a New QSL Card Series

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who shares the following update and QSL card images related to Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and Radio Bulgaria.

As Radio Bulgaria looks ahead to its 90th anniversary in 2026, Bulgarian National Radio has announced a new commemorative QSL card series for listeners who submit reception reports. The series will include 12 different QSL cards, each highlighting a key moment from the history of BNR and the Radio Bulgaria service. According to BNR, a new card will be released each month, along with a short publication explaining the historical background behind the featured image.

One of the cards commemorates Bulgaria’s first radio transmission in 1929, an important milestone that marked the beginning of organized radio broadcasting in the country. Additional background articles from BNR revisit the early days of Radio Bulgaria and trace how the service evolved into an international broadcaster with listeners around the world.

Paul also points to a broader retrospective titled “BNR at 90 – A Story of Pride and No Prejudice,” which looks back on nine decades of Bulgarian National Radio. The piece reflects on BNR’s history through periods of political change and technological transition, while underscoring the role of public broadcasting in preserving culture and maintaining a connection with international audiences.

Attached at the top and bottom of this post are two QSL cards from Paul’s own collection.

Many thanks again to Paul for sharing both the news and the QSL images!

RTI: One-Hour English Broadcast from Taiwanese Students to Norway

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who shares the following tip:

Dear Thomas,

This morning I received a message from Meg Wang, Head of the French Service at Radio Taiwan International. Although this message is intended for listeners of RTI’s French and German services, I think it may be of interest to all DXers, especially English-speaking DXers:

Dear listener,

As part of an exchange between Yilan Senior High School and the municipality of Vardø in northeastern Norway, RTI is going to broadcast a one-hour program in English produced by Taiwanese high school students for listeners in Vardo. Tune in to 15150 kHz to listen to this shortwave program on January 22, from 08:00 to 09:00 UTC, which corresponds to 09:00 to 10:00 local time in Norway.

The transmission will be broadcast from the Tamsui transmitter site in northern Taiwan, on 15150 kHz, with a power of 300 kW and a beam heading of 325 degrees.

RTI invites listeners of the French and German services to send us an audio recording of the program as received at your location, which we will pass on to the Yilan students.

For every recording sent, you will receive a mobile phone shoulder strap and a pad of sticky notes featuring the Formosan blue magpie, along with the RTI logo.

Thank you for sharing this information around you.

Thank you in advance!

RTI French Service.

RTI’s English service is expected to publish an announcement on its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RadioTaiwanInternational/

Have a nice day. Best regards.

Paul JAMET