QSL front from Radio Caroline in the United Kingdom
QSL rear from Radio Caroline in the United Kingdom
- Station: QSL from Radio Caroline in the United Kingdom
Band: Medium Wave 648 KhZ on the AM band.
Date: March 6, 2022
About: Radio Caroline has a rich history. Originally they were a pirate station operating off the UK coast in international waters. Estimates place their listeners at 3 to 4 million people back then. Now they are legitimate and operate from an old BBC transmitter site. They transmit with 4 kilowatts and can be heard in the UK and parts of Europe.
English language website
Notes: Radio Caroline is a wonderful station to tune in. Lots of popular music from the 1960s to present. Very little talk. Excellent jingles. It is an AM station that is distinctive and has character.
QSL from Radio Tumbril in the United Kingdom
- Station: QSL from Radio Tumbril in the United Kingdom
Band: Shortwave
Date: February 25, 2022
About: Brice Avery,owner and producer of Tumbril writes "Like many others I enjoy listening to both shortwave and classical music. Sadly, since the world has gone digital - and many large state funded stations have gone off the air or reduced their output - western classical music programmes have almost disappeared. So I decided to make a western classical music programme and find some transmitter time to broadcast it. Many thanks to the folks at Channel 292 in Europe, and WRMI in the USA for making it possible".
English language website
Notes: Brice emailed a thoughtful note and QSL in just a few days. It costs them about $200.00 a month to broadcast their shows. Donations are needed and a small amount can make a big difference.
I often listen to Radio Tumbril on WRMI in Okeechobee, Florida. Great classical music.
QSL from BBC in the United Kingdom
- Station: QSL from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the United Kingdom
Band: Shortwave
Date: About 1970
About: The BBC has fallen on hard times but in the 1970s was a staple of the short wave broadcast spectrum. They discontinued service to North America but can still be heard broadcasting in English to other parts of the world. I often listen to their Africa broadcast in English.
The BBC was the first shortwave station I tuned in back in the late 1960s. I was surprised that my 1950s radio could pull in a station over 3,000 miles away. That marked the beginning of my 50+ year shortwave listening hobby.
Wikipedia Link
Notes: Unfortunately BBC no longer provides QSL cards. I mailed and emailed several reception reports to the BBC over the past several years. I have not received any response.
Absolute Radio in the United Kingdom
- Station: Absolute Radio in the United Kingdom
Band: 1215 KhZ on the AM band
Date: January 8, 2023
About: Absolute Radio is a British National radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via Digital audio broadcasting and on 1215 kHz MW. Absolute is ceasing all over the air AM broadcasting on January 23, 2023.
Wikipedia Link
Notes: I emailed a reception report to Absolute Radio and requested a souvenir QSL. If one arrives I will post it here.
Shutdown Video and Memorial for Absolute Radio AM
Radio Scotland BBC in the United Kingdom
- Station: Radio Scotland BBC in the United Kingdom
Band: 810 KhZ on the AM band
Date: January 12, 2023
About: BBC Radio Scotland is a Scottish radio network owned and operated by BBC Scotland, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same name from 23 November 1978. Radio Scotland is broadcast in English, whilst sister station Radio nan Gàidheal broadcasts in Scottish Gaelic.
Wikipedia Link
Notes: I emailed a reception report to Radio Scotland. They replied by email the next morning stating
"Thank you for your email dated 12 January 2023 and for your interest in BBC Radio Scotland. Your correspondence was forwarded to us and and we appreciate your kind words about the station.
Please accept this response as an eQSL card. We can confirm your reception report dated 12 January 2023 pertained to BBC Radio Scotland and the BBC Radio 5 Live simulcast output you highlight. The station frequency, for BBC Radio Scotland, being 810kHz.
We hope this is helpful and also send you our best wishes.
Kind regards
BBC Scotland Enquiries Team".
The email address I used was radioscotland@hotmail.com
The photo came from Radio Scotland's Facebook page.
Lyca Radio in London, England
- Station: Lyca Radio in London, England
Band: 1458 KhZ on the AM band and Digital (DRM)
Date: January 17, 2023
About: From the Lyca website: "On air since 2014.
Lyca Media acquired the 1458AM, 1035AM and 107.5FM from the Sunrise Radio Group when it went into administration back in 2014.
Lyca Media is the parent company of four radio stations broadcasting across Greater London – Two for the South Asian community – Lyca Radio 1458AM and Lyca Gold 1035AM, a station specifically for the Tamil community – Athavan Radio based in Sri Lanka and an English commercial station – Time 107.5FM for the community of Romford and surrounding areas..
Lyca Website
Notes: I emailed a reception report to Lyca Radio at info@lycaradio.com. This is my second reception report sent to them in the past year. If I get a response I will post it here. I have listened to both the analog 1458 and digital broadcasts.
Smooth Radio in Essex, England
- Station: Smooth Radio in Essex, England
Band: 1530 kHz AM or MW
Date: March 8, 2022
About: Smooth Essex is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Smooth Radio network.
Smooth Essex Website
Notes: I emailed a reception report to Smooth Radio at Customer.Support@Global.com. They responded but did not issue a QSL.
Radio Northern Europe International
Radio Northern Europe International
Radio Northern Europe International
- Station: Radio Northern Europe International
Band: 5850 KhZ Shortwave
Date: February 1, 2023
About: Radio Northern Europe International has their studios in the UK and broadcast via WRMI in Okeechobee, Florida to North America.
Radio Northern Europe Int Website
Notes: I emailed a reception report to Radio Northern Europe International. I also signed up on Patreon and donated $11.00 US dollars to expediate the QSL. Later I received an email stating that they were running 12 months behind in filling QSL requests. If one arrives I will post it here. Meanwhile I found one online and posted it above.
BBC Radio 5 England
- Station: BBC Radio 5 in England
Band: 693 KhZ on the AM band
Date: February 23, 2023
About: BBC Radio 5 is a domestic station that features sports related programs. I listened to a Voices from Ukraine interview show on the one year anniversary of the war.
BBC Radio 5 Website
Notes: I have emailed several reception reports to various BBC stations. I have not received a reply for many years.
BBC Radio 4 England
- Station: BBC Radio 4 in England
Band: 198 KhZ on the Longwave band
Date: March 4, 2023
About: BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasting House, London. The station controller is Mohit Bakaya.
Wikipedia Link
Notes: I have emailed several reception reports to various BBC stations. I have not received a reply for many years.
BBC Talksport
- Station: BBC Talkpport in England
Band: 1098 on the Medium wave band
Date: March 7, 2023
About: Talksport (styled as talkSPORT), owned by Wireless Group, is a sports radio station in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
The station was originally launched as Talk Radio UK in 1995. Broadcast from London to the UK, Talksport is the only UK radio station broadcasting sporting discussions and commentaries 24 hours a day, having dropped 39 hours of weekly non-sports content on 2 April 2012.
Talksport's content includes live coverage of sporting events, interviews with the leading names in sport and entertainment, phone-ins and discussion. Since June 2020 it has also produced sports bulletins for Times Radio.
Wikipedia Link
Notes: I have emailed several reception reports to various BBC stations. I have not received a reply for many years.