KGOW Bellaire TX 1560 kHz QSL

KGOW Bellaire TX on 1560 kHz was received at 0344 hours UTC on the 9th April 2010 via the Sony SRF-M37V and 60 metre BOG antenna at Betty's Bay.

A recent nighttime power increase from 1 kw to 15 kw with a favourable nighttime antenna pattern would help explain the recent reception for the first time.

Senior Vice President / General Manager Richard Topper kindly verified my email report.

Google Earth Image showing the path of KGOW's signal over a distance of 13 936 km to Betty's Bay, South Africa.

The installation of the 3ABN Busselton 400 watt narrocaster on 1629 kHz

The 3ABN AM 1629 kHz mast adjacent to a mobile phone tower, situated just north of Busselton, Western Australia (Photograph with kind permission from Rosemary Malkiewycz).

3ABN Australia

3ABN (Three Angels broadcasting Network) Australia is part of the world wide ministry of 3ABN (situated in southern Illinois USA) and looks after the ministries' work in Australia and New Zealand. The Christian broadcasting network includes TV, radio, books, and music. 3ABN can be viewed around the world via satellite, the internet and on cable TV in many places.

John and Rosemary Malkiewycz have been running 3ABN Australia from Western Australia since 2003. In March 2010, they relocated their operations to the east coast (1.5 hours north of Sydney) where they plan to build a new studio and head quarters. This will include a radio studio for producing local content to be aired around the world as well as in the area.

The recent installation of 3ABN's first AM expanded band narrocaster just north of Busselton provided an opportunity to post a brief article from a broadcasting perspective. My thanks and appreciation to Rosemary Malkiewycz for providing most of the information and kindly allowing me to publish the photographs.

The installation of the 3ABN Busselton 400 watt narrocaster on 1629 kHz

The concrete foundation/mounting for the AM mast. There is a ceremic insulator between the two plates. This structure still requires guy wires to anchor it in place (Photograph with kind permission from Rosemary Malkiewycz).

The following extract from an open letter, written on January 11th 2010 by Rosemary Malkiewycz, provides a brief insight into the hard work behind the installation of the station, situated just north of Busselton WA :

" ... John has spent two weeks working on the installation with a few others helping him. Thankfully Daniel has had those two weeks off work and has been able to come down here to help. The two of them leave the house between 5 and 7 in the morning getting home between 7 and 9:30 pm. The weather has been mainly hot with some days in the 100 F range and they are working in a hot, dry, sandy field. Four other friends have helped on different days when needed, such as putting in the guy wire footings and transmitter hut floor, erecting the tower, and putting the ground mat in. They have been a big help. The only thing left to do is to have the fence around the antenna put up and that will happen on Tuesday ... "

Assembling the "top hat" frame which sits at the apex of the AM mast. It is designed to electronically lengthen the physical mast (Photograph with kind permission from Rosemary Malkiewycz).

After approximately 10+ months of work, the 400 watt narrocaster commenced broadcasting on the 7th January 2010.

The original 3ABN signal is downloaded via satellite (Optus D2) and rebroadcast on 1629 kHz via a 1 kilowatt Blythe transmitter.

Another view of the completed installation. Click onto the image for a higher resolution (Photograph with kind permission from Rosemary Malkiewycz).

The height of the antenna tower is 30m (98.425 ft) with 60 x 30m copper wire radials in the ground mat. A 6m (19.685 ft) “top hat” at the apex of the antenna effectively increases the range of the signal which is apparently audible in Perth’s northeast suburbs over a distance of 200 km (125 miles) away.

The small green shed, surrounded by a fence at the base of the antenna tower, most probably houses the transmitter.

The proposed installation of the 3ABN Perth 400 watt narrocaster on 1629 kHz

3ABN Australia has a second AM expanded band license and will also operate on 1629 kHz in Perth, using another 1 kw Blythe transmitter. Due to the location in the metro area, the station will apparently have to use a different antenna set up. Reciprocally, the signal may not travel as far as Busselton. However, my guess is that the additional narrocaster from Perth will probably enhance the unusual skywave propagation to this part of the world!

3ABN Busselton WA 1629 kHz QSL and Audio

It was a pleasant surprise to receive 3ABN Busselton WA on 1629 kHz for the first time (A South African First) on the 8th April.

The 400 watt signal made it through over a distance of 8 500 km to Betty's Bay via the Sony SRF-M37V Ultralight receiver which was inductively coupled to a 60 metre BOG antenna.

3ABN Australia Co-Director Rosemary Malkiewycz kindly responded to my request for a verification with an interesting and detailed reply. Apparently the Busselton station only commenced operation on January 7, 2010.

Thank you Rosemary for the verification and your kind permission to post a station profile with photographs.

The 3ABN 30 metre AM mast with a "top hat", situated just north of Busselton (Photograph with kind permission from Rosemary Malkiewycz).

AUDIO CLIP

A brief recording of 3ABN Busselton on 1629 Khz, heard in Betty's Bay at 1830 UTC, is also available here and includes the beginning of the Christian programme "Lift Him Up".

Betty's Bay Dxpedition : 8th - 9th April 2010

The picturesque False Bay coastline en route to Betty's Bay (Photograph Gary Deacon).

After a pleasant overnight stay at the Sunbird Guest Lodge, adjacent to the Steenbras River Mouth, we proceeded along the picturesque False Bay coastline to our next destination : The Bayside Beach House at Betty's Bay.

The Bayside Beach House at Betty's Bay (Photograph Gary Deacon).

The Guest House is situated at the foot of the Kogelberg mountains with an impressive panoramic view of the ocean.

After spending some quality time with the family, I set up a modest 60 metre BOG towards the north west along the mountain slope during the early evening.


Evening propagation favoured Western Australia and included 400 watt narrocasters from that region. A consistent signal from a Christian station on 1629 kHz was received for the first time and proved to be the highlight of the dxpedition. An internet search this evening revealed a pleasant surprise. 3ABN (Three Angels Broadcasting Network) broadcasts on 1629 kHz with an output of 400 watts from Busselton WA.


A limited opening from the U.S.A. occured around the top end of the band from dawn until local sunrise.

An additional highlight was the positive identification of "15-60 The Game" KGOW Bellaire TX which brought a conclusion to another brief and enjoyable holiday dxpedition!

Highlights :

Time (UTC) Freq (kHz)

1560 0344 U.S.A. KGOW Bellaire TX with a station id slogan as "15-60 The Game". Commercials aired at 0502 UTC included "Venom Energy Drink" and "The Matt Swanson School Of Golf". A recent nighttime power increase from 1 kw to 15 kw with a favourable nighttime antenna pattern would help explain the recent reception for the first time (a distance of 13 936 kilometres).

1611 1902 AUSTRALIA 6GS Wagin with a newscast - fair peak (presumed)

1620 1620 AUSTRALIA Promo Radio Perth in CC - fair peak

1629 1755 AUSTRALIA 3ABN Busselton WA w EE religious programming including "Lift Him Up" at 1830 UTC - fair peaks. The most consistent of the X-band stations heard that evening * personal first.

AUDIO CLIP * Available on the right hand side of the webpage

A recording of 3ABN Busselton on 1629 Khz is also available here and includes the beginning of the Christian programme "Lift Him Up". The 400 watt signal was fairly consistent and made it through over a distance of 8 500 kilometres to Betty's Bay with surprising peaks.

Receiver : Sony SRF-M37V Ultralight

Antenna : 60 m BOG directed towards the north-west

Fynbos flowers on the mountain slope (Photograph Gary Deacon).

Steenbras River Mouth Dxpedition : 7th - 8th April 2010

Streenbras River Mouth (Photograph Gary Deacon).

A recent family holiday included an overnight stay on the 7th April at the Sunbird Guest Lodge, adjacent to the Steenbras River Mouth on the east coast of False Bay.

The holiday also provided an opportunity to dx from the opposite side of the False Bay coast. The interesting position on a shoreline curve may also have allowed a certain amount of sea gain from the north, despite a fairly short final run of ocean for approximately 10 km.

Google Satellite Image showing the Steenbras River Mouth with the Sunbird Guest Lodge to the north.

The picturesque holiday/dx locaton offered the following advantages :

* An elevated position overlooking False Bay

* Only 100 meters from the shore line

* The Sea Gain effect

Listening during the evening of the 7th April until sunrise on the 8th April provided some interesting dx from Europe including a personal first from the U.S.A.

Freq (kHz) Time (UTC)

621 0421 CANARY ISLANDS Radio Nacional, Tenerife

648 2138 U.K. BBC World Service, Orfordness

729 1950 GREECE NET, Athens

747 2147 HOLLAND Radio 5, Flevoland

756 2014 ROMANIA România Actualitati, Lugoj-Boldur

774 0420 SPAIN Radio Nacional, various locations

792 0418 FRANCE France Info, Limoges-Nieul

837 2148 CANARY ISLANDS COPE Las Palmas, Tafira

855 0425 SPAIN Radio Nacional, various locations

864 0417 FRANCE France Bleu, Paris - Villebon-sur-Yvette

1000 0450 U.S.A. WMVP Chicago, IL

1008 0432 SPAIN SER various locations

The view of the Steenbras River Mouth towards the west at sunset (Photograph Gary Deacon).

1017 0415 GERMANY SWR Cont.Ra, Wolfsheim

1062 0430 ITALY Rai Radio 1, various locations

1098 0407 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations

1190 0439 U.S.A. WLIB New York NY

1215 2205 U.K. Absolute Radio, various locations

1206 0405 FRANCE France Info, Bordeaux-Néac

1242 0406 FRANCE France Info, Marseille-Cabriès-Réaltor

1278 0405 FRANCE France Bleu, Sélestat

1305 0432 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations

1314 0432 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations

1377 2035 FRANCE France Info, Lille-Camphin en Carembault

1395 2118 HOLLAND BIG L Radio London Trintelhaven

1422 2134 GERMANY Deutschlandfunk, Heusweiler

The friendly blue-eyed resident dog (Photograph Gary Deacon).

1440 1942 LUXEMBOURG China Radio International

1458 2000 U.K. Sunrise Radio Brookmans Park

1476 0434 SPAIN Euskadi Irratia, Biribilondo

1485 2030 SPAIN SER various locations

1494 2225 FRANCE France Bleu, Bastia

1500 0443 U.S.A. WFED Washington DC

1503 2007 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations (2 kw)

1510 0440 U.S.A. WLAC Nashville TN

1520 0452 U.S.A. WWKB Buffalo NY

1548 1938 U.K. Capital Gold, Saffron Green

1557 2017 FRANCE France Info, Nice-Fontbonne

1560 0455 U.S.A. KGOW Bellaire TX * personal first

1602 2038 SPAIN SER various locations

Receiver : Sony SRF-M37V Ultralight

Antenna : 60 m BOG directed towards the north

FALKLAND ISLANDS FIBS Stanley 2380 kHz QSL

The South Atlantic remains another interesting target area for the South African dxer. The tropical 90 metre and 120 metre band used to provide an opportunity to hear Tristan da Cunha and the Falkland Islands respectively. Tristan da Cunha's 40 watt signal on 3290 kHz proved to be illusive but the Falkland Islands got through on 2380 kHz during the winter of 1985.

The Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station from Port Stanley on 2380 khz made it through to Sandbaai on the 4th July 1985 via the FRG-7 and 30 metre longwire antenna. The station operated with a fairly conservative 3.5 kw at the time.

I was fortunate to receive a QSL card and form letter from the FIBS in response to my reception report. A unique feature was that the QSL cards were numbered (I received QSL number 350).

AUDIO CLIPS * Available on the right hand side of the web page

The first recording was made at 0455 hours UTC on the 4th July 1985. The station schedule included BFBS programming which was noted at the time of the reception. A BFBS id jingle proceeded the vintage promo for "Pop The Question" by British DJ Johnnie Walker.

The 250 watt co-channel Radio Educ. de Limeira, Brazil also made it through and can be heard under FIBS.

The second recording was made 20 minutes later at 0515 hours UTC during a fair peak of the signal. It was part of an interesting interview with Benedict Allen who gave a fascinating account of his more than 600 mile solo journey through tropical and previously unexplored jungle from the mouth of Orinoco River to the mouth of the Amazon back in 1983.

FIRS STANLEY 530 kHz QSL

The highlight of the August 2009 dxpedition to Jongensgat was the reception of FIRS on 530 kHz. I was fortunate to receive a QSL card, available here.

THAILAND VOA Bangkok Relay 1575 kHz QSL

The VOA Thailand relay on 1575 kHz used to get through to Sandbaai with a good signal at times and also served as an indicator for reception conditions from the Far East.

The QSL card above was received in response to my reception report from a broadcast on the 7th June 1985.