Tag Archives: Rob Wagner

Rob Wagner visits a Former Radio Australia Transmitter Site

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Two shortwave antennas a backup antenna at the Brandon RA transmitter site. (Image: Mount Evelyn DX Report)

Two shortwave antennas a backup antenna at the Brandon RA transmitter site. (Image: Mount Evelyn DX Report)

My buddy, Rob Wagner (VK3BVW), has just posted an article with detailed photos of the Brandon Antenna farm on his excellent blog, the Mount Evelyn DX Report.

Rob introduces his article:

During our recent two month trip north from Mount Evelyn through Queensland and New South Wales, we had an opportunity to visit the former Radio Australia transmitter site near the little town of Brandon, about 85 km southeast of Townsville in Far North Queensland. Well, actually I visited the site while my wife Jan sat in the car, exhibiting a state of relative boredom!

Officially, I had not made arrangements to inspect the transmitters. We were just passing through the town one warm Sunday afternoon. The site is only 5km out of Brandon on Jack Road. The topography is quite flat, making it ideal land for the sugar cane plantations that grow vigorously throughout this region. Here you’ll find the powerhouse 50 kW mediumwave outlet of 4QN Townsville on 630 kHz with local programming from the ABC North Queensland studios. This frequency is well heard across a 250 km radius during the daytime, and easily heard throughout most of Queensland (and well beyond) in the evenings. Indeed, 4QN has been broadcasting reliably from the Brandon site to its local communities throughout all sorts of weather including many tropical cyclones since 1958.[…]

Click here to read the full article on the Mount Evelyn DX Report.

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Craig Seager’s review of the Dansk RX4000 receiver

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Dansk ReceiverMany thanks to SWLing Post reader, Rob Wagner, who writes:

Craig Seager is one of Australia’s finest SWL DXers, a longtime listener with great experience on shortwave, mediumwave and other modes. His amateur radio callsign is VK2HBT. Craig also has another special interest – old radio receivers. He has personally restored many fabulous radios to full working order and has accumulated a fine collection of his own. His knowledge of communications receivers is extensive.

The Mount Evelyn DX Report blog is delighted to welcome Craig who, over the next few months, will regularly contribute a new series called Retro Receiver Reviews – a look at some common and not so common communications receivers from the past. This series will be of interest to both amateur radio operators and shortwave listeners.

Craig’s first review has just been published, covering a radio not often seen these days – the Dansk RX4000 receiver. Check it out at:

http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/retro-receiver-dansk-rx-4000.html

Thanks for passing this along, Rob!  That Dansk RX4000 sounds like a robust receiver, with a bullet-proof front end. A nice addition to any collection.

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Papua New Guinea broadcasting 15th Pacific Games via shortwave

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PacificGamesSWLing Post contributor, Rob Wagner, has shared the following update on his blog:

It’s quite difficult to hear Papua New Guinea these days now that nearly all their shortwave transmitters have closed and moved to FM. BUT….In the last day or so, PNG’s National Broadcasting Corporation has been transmitting on shortwave with two new outlets. NBC is the host broadcaster of the 15th Pacific Games, being held in the capital Port Moresby. The games begins tomorrow July 4 and runs through till July 18. The following schedule was noted from on-air announcements as follows:

6075 kHz – 1900 to 2159 UTC
9860 kHz – 2200 to 0959 UTC
6075 kHz – 1000 to 1400 UTC
12025 kHz – 2200 to 1000 UTC (to Pacific Island communities)

Many thanks for sharing this news, Rob!

Nigel Holmes also sent an update confirming that the transmitter site is Brandon and that the transmitter can run a 20 kW carrier. Nigel notes:

The aerials are HR 2/2/ 6-12 MHz arrays so about -6 dB cf. the arrays at Shepparton.

[…]The broadcasts have a power of 20 kW AM up from 10 kW when the site carried Radio Australia programming.

As of time of posting, I can hear the games here in the eastern US on 6,075 kHz, but the signal is very weak and the propagation window will close soon. I will also listen on 12,025 and 9,860 kHz.

Check out the Mount Evelyn DX Report for more details.

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Rob’s Yaesu FTDX3000 video series

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FTDX3000My buddy, Rob Wagner, has started a series of videos featuring the Yaesu FTDX3000 transceiver. On his blog, the Mount Evelyn DX Report, Rob describes his first video:

Some shortwave listeners may not be familiar with using single sideband for receiving stations transmitting in the Amplitude Modulation (AM) mode. I have prepared a little video designed to demonstrate reception of SWBC signals in single sideband (SSB) mode. Under certain circumstances, this can be beneficial in providing better reception and more pleasurable listening in times of heavy interference (QRM).

[…]This video is the first in a short series featuring my new Yaesu FTDX3000 transceiver. You’ll get a good idea of what this rig can do by seeing it actually in operation on the shortwave bands. There are more videos to follow…..

ECSS is indeed a powerful and often overlooked tool for mitigating QRM and adjacent signal interference. Many thanks, Rob, for showing us how easy it is to use!

Though I’ve embedded Rob’s first video, above, I would encourage you to follow his excellent blog so you don’t miss future videos.

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Radio Vanuatu back on the air

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Radio-Vanuatu

My friend and fellow DXer, Rob Wagner, writes:

R. Vanuatu has been off the air for ages. It has suddenly come back on in the last hour or so on 7259.95 kHz and 3945 kHz with post-cyclone assistance and information. There is also a report from a visiting R. New Zealand transmission engineer talking about the SW and MW txers at Port Vila; interviewed on RA – quite interesting. Just thought I’d let you know. details at MEDXR:

http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/station-news-and-log-book-march-20-2015.html

Many thanks for the information, Rob! Very good news indeed!

On a side note, SRAA contributor, Julie (also based in Australia) has done a fantastic job posting cyclone coverage recordings from Solomon Islands Broadcasting. She’s also posted pre-cyclone Vanuatu recordings as well. Click here to browse her contributions on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

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Michael Stevenson reviews the Wellbrook ALA1530S+

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ALA1-2

I just noticed that my buddy Rob Wagner has posted Michael Stevenson’s review of the Wellbrook ALA1530S+ antenna.

Michael does an excellent job describing the Wellbrook, its performance, and even includes comparison audio clips. Click here to read the full review.

If you haven’t already, make sure you bookmark Rob’s excellent site!

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