GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: DXing on the Queen Mary II

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR:

DXING ON THE QUEEN MARY II

With Rob Shepherd


Long time Australian DXer from Toowoomba, Queensland, Robert Shepherd, has been DXing in style! With his wife, Rob has been traveling through Southern Africa including Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), North Eastern Botswana, Zambia and South Africa). Once in Cape Town, they boarded the famous and luxurious Queen Mary II for the long trip back to Queensland, via Durban, Mauritius, Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney. 

With him, Rob has been carrying the DEGEN 1121 receiver and using the inbuilt whip antenna. His logs were made while in Africa and onboard the QM2. As well as the SW logs below, he also observed some MW and FM outlets. Only the SW logs are listed here.

3200 0500 SWAZILAND TWR – Manzini. English Religious talks,  50 kW at good level, Jan 23

3320 2030 SOUTH AFRICA R. Sonder Grense. National PX with English and Afrikaans and AF anncts 

3395v 0530 UNID Arabic chants (Koran) ? weak, Jan 29

3404 0530 UNID Male speaker in unidentified language, Jan 29

4750 1400 UNID Weak on Feb 2

4775 0500 SWAZILAND TWR - Manzini, // 3200, Jan 23

4800 1430 INDIA AIR – Hydrabad. Good, Feb 2.

4810 1420 INDIA AIR - Bhopal. Fair

4840 1500 INDIA AIR – Mumbai. Fair, Feb 2

4840 0530 USA    WWCR with English religious programming and // 5935 kHz  Feb 4

4870 1600 INDIA AIR – Delhi. Fair, Feb 2

4880 1600 INDIA AIR Lucknow,  good with national px

4920 1530 INDIA AIR – Chennai. English news  and mixing with PBS Xizang, Feb 1

4930 2030 BOTSWANA VOA - Moepeng Hill, Botswana. Music in Africa Today show, // 6080.   

4970 1600 INDIA AIR - Shillong.  Good with National program, Feb 1

5010 0300 MADAGASCAR R. Madagasikara – Antananarivo. Fair 

5040 0400 CUBA R. Havana. Fair with SS 0400, Jan 31

5915 2100 ZAMBIA Zambia NBC – Lusaka. Radio 1 service, phone-in chat in African language,  fair level.

5920 1545 RUSSIA VoRussia. Good level with English, Feb 1

5935 0530 USA     WWCR  0530, English and // 4840 kHz  Feb 4

5995 0445 SWAZILAND TWR - Manzini.  Fair level, Feb 2

6015 0230 TANZANIA Zanzibar BC - Dole. 50 kW Fair level with Political address Swahili.  95% sure this is the one and 11735 kHz not heard.  Fits the propagation path.

6055 0500 RWANDA     R. Rwanda – Kigali. Fair level with French talks and local langs. Heard s/on 0300, Feb 1.  Has English news 0515 and 1830 UTC.

6080 2030 SAO TOME VOA - Pinheira. Music in Africa Today show, // 4930 
  
6115 2040 CONGO R.Congo - Brazzaville.   Tentative reception, French anncts and long sessions of African music. Heard on Jan 21 at Victoria Falls.

6120 0500 SWAZILAND TWR - Manzini. English ID "TWR Radio 115" at 0530

6155 1500 MADAGASCAR AWR – Talata Volonondry. Good level with religious program, Feb 2

7230 0500 STH AFRICA Channel Africa – Meyerton. English news at, Jan 31

9625 0800 STH AFRICA Channel Africa – Meyerton. English program "Rhythms of Africa" and announced // to 15255 kHz

Thanks to Rob Shepherd for his contribution to the MEDXR Blog this time around. 

73's everyone,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

On the top deck of the QM2 working the radio and with the WRTH at the ready!





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