Tag Archives: XSG TRansmitter Site

Revised: XSG Special World Radio Day Event and QSL Card

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Michael (BD4AAQ) and Xusheng Niu (BH4BFS), who share the following revised announcement:


120 Years of XSG: World Radio Day Commemoration

Revised Notice from Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG)

Dear SWLers and Amateur Radio Enthusiasts,

In celebration of World Radio Day and the 120th anniversary of Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG), XSG will transmit special commemorative messages on its dedicated frequencies from 12 to 13 February 2025.

Established in 1905, Shanghai Coast Radio Station has proudly served maritime communications for 120 years. Operating under the callsign XSG since its inception, the station continues to uphold its legacy by maintaining Morse code telegraph services, alongside its role in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

Event Schedule:

Scheduled duration: 00:00 UTC on 12 February 2025 to 24:00 UTC on 13 February 2025.

XSG Transmission Frequencies and Modes:

  • 4105 kHz CW/A1A
  • 6780 kHz CW/A1A
  • 8502 kHz CW/A1A
  • 12871.5 kHz CW/A1A

QSL Confirmation:

For QSL card requests, please send your card or reception report to: Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG), No. 1 Diantai Road, Zhangjiang Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201206, PR China. Email: [email protected].

We warmly invite SWLers and amateur radio enthusiasts worldwide to join us in celebrating this historic milestone.

Best regards,

Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG)
1 February 2025

Information provided by BD4AAQ (Michael Ye) and BH4BFS (Xusheng Niu)

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120 Years of XSG: Special World Radio Day Event and QSL Card

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Michael (BD4AAQ), who shares the following announcement:


Notice from Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG) on Hosting the Global Amateur Radio Communication Event

Dear Amateur Radio Enthusiasts,

To celebrate World Radio Day and foster communication and interaction with amateur radio operators worldwide, Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG) is pleased to announce a global amateur radio communication event. The event will take place from 12 to 13 February 2025, using the station’s long-standing callsign, XSG.

Established in 1905, Shanghai Coast Radio Station celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. The station has used the callsign XSG ever since and, apart from the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), has maintained Morse code telegraph services, preserving its historic significance and operational excellence.

Event Schedule:

The scheduled period will be from 00:00 UTC on 12 February 2025 to 24:00 UTC on 13 February 2025.

XSG Transmission Frequencies and Modes:

  • 4105 KHz CW/A1A
  • 6780 KHz CW/A1A
  • 8502 KHz CW/A1A
  • 12871.5 KHz CW/A1A
  • 17103.2 KHz CW/A1A

Prior to the official event, intermittent schedule announcements will also be broadcast on the above frequencies.

XSG Receive Frequencies and Modes:

  • 3521.3 KHz – 3526.3 KHz CW/A1A
  • 7021.3 KHz – 7026.3 KHz CW/A1A
  • 10121.3 KHz – 10126.3 KHz CW/A1A
  • 14021.3 KHz – 14026.3 KHz CW/A1A
  • 21021.3 KHz – 21026.3 KHz CW/A1A

QSL Confirmation:

Due to differing regulations set by amateur radio licensing authorities across the globe, XSG will only confirm amateur radio QSOs and SWL reports via paper QSL cards delivered by mail. If you wish to receive an XSG QSL card, please send your card to: No. 1 Diantai Road, Zhangjiang Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201206, PR China. Email: [email protected].

Important Reminder:

To be clear, contacts with XSG will be cross-band contacts where XSG will operate on its authorized frequencies outside of the amateur radio bands, and any amateur radio operator making contact will operate within their own allocated amateur frequencies as listed above. Operators should exercise caution when operating split cross-band, ensuring they do not accidentally transmit on top of another station within the amateur bands. It’s a good practice to regularly monitor your transmit frequency.

Please note that amateur radio operators are not permitted to transmit on XSG’s dedicated frequencies. Operators must adhere to the transmission requirements in their respective licenses. It is recommended that amateur radio enthusiasts consult their national licensing authorities regarding applicable regulations before engaging in communications with XSG.

We warmly invite amateur radio operators worldwide to participate in this event and look forward to celebrating this milestone together.

Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG)
19 January 2025

Information provided by BD4AAQ (Michael Ye) and BH4BFS (Xusheng Niu)

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The Giant Antennas of Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael (BD4AAQ) who shares the following guest post:


Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG):

Those Giant Antennas!

The 17th of May is the World Telecommunication Day. It is also the open day of Shanghai Coast Radio Station. On this day, a group of amateur radio operators were invited to visit the transmission facility, a huge antenna farm, of the radio station, located on Chongming Island of Shanghai, the third largest island in China.

Google Satellite Photo

The transmission site of Shanghai Coast Radio Station is as shown below in the map of Chongming Island. Other sites of the station include a central control/receive station in Zhangjiang, a receive station on Hengsha Island and some VHF base stations in a number of other locations. All these locations in Shanghai, linked via cable and microwave connection, form Shanghai Coast Radio Station, also known by its callsign as XSG.

(Google map of transmitter location for Shanghai Coast Radio Station. Note the antenna farm on the left.)

Presentation by Station Officials

Fifteen or so local hams were cordially invited to have a tour of the station. The radio enthusiasts were greeted by station representatives, including Mr Wan, Mr Wang, Mr Zhou and Mr Niu (BH4BFS), who also gave them an overview of the coast radio station’s history and development. 

Antenna Farm

Mr Wang then showed the visitors around the antenna farm. Many of us, myself included, saw and were deeply impressed with these huge antennas for the first time! Indeed, many professional radio facilities and operators of similar coast radio stations work quietly around the globe and around the clock to provide for distress, navigational, business and personal communications needs of ships!

[Click on images to enlarge.]

The antennas cover a wide range of frequencies, from MF, HF, to VHF and UHF. Many of them are, however, shortwave (HF) antennas.

Transmitter Room

(I placed a Tecsun PL-330 radio near the transmitter at 12380.1 kHz (weather fax). The signal strength, in dbu, is 96. Given the margin of error of the receiver’s display, that’s probably as high as it could go.)

Shanghai Coast Radio Station (XSG) operates on a wide range of frequencies. Its HF frequencies include 4207.5, 4209.5, 4215.5, 4369, 6312, 6326, 6501, 8414.5, 8425.5, 8770, 8806, 12577, 12637.5, 13176, 13188, 16804.5, 16898.5 and 17407 kHz. Of particular note is that they have kept a CW frequency of 8665 kHz for general broadcast of information on a 24 hour basis.

The station’s VHF phone service covers 25 nautical miles of the coast. Its MF NAVTEX covers 250 nautical miles of the coast. And its HF phone and weather fax and HF NAVTEX extend to 1,000 nautical miles.

History and Current Status

Founded in 1905, Shanghai Coast Radio Station has been around 119 years. The XSG callsign has since remained in use.

China has in place DSC watch and NAVTEX broadcast in coast stations (including XSG) in accordance with GMDSS requirements. Among services provided by XSG are Radio Telephony (RT), Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP), “Voice of the East China Sea Coast” (voice broadcast on 161.600 MHz and 8806 kHz) and marine radio weather fax. The station is without a doubt one of the largest coast radio stations in the Asia Pacific region and plays an essential role in the region’s marine safety and communications.

QSL Cards

Shanghai Coast Radio Station issues QSL cards in Chinese and English, traditionally in paper form and nowadays electronically.

(This is an electronic QSL card issued to a Shanghai listener, who received their signal over the radio. Examples of QSL cards in English can be found online.)

Show Room

[Click on images to enlarge.]

Ham Station

Mr Niu of Shanghai Coast Radio Station, one of the tour’s organisers, is a ham himself with callsign BH4BFS. According to him, there are intentions to start a ham radio station within the establishment, possibly incorporating the letters XSG. However, there is much work to be done to make it happen. An amateur radio station with overlapping callsigns with a professional one would be really charming.

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