📡 RAF VOLMET on 5450 kHz: A QSL from the Skies

Weather for the Forces: Logging RAF Volmet

Shortwave listening can sometimes feel like eavesdropping on the pulse of the world—and once in a while, you catch something that’s not meant for the usual civilian audience. That’s exactly what happened on March 26, 2025, when I tuned into RAF VOLMET on 5450 kHz USB and logged one of their weather broadcasts.

For those unfamiliar, RAF VOLMET is a military weather information service operated by the UK Ministry of Defence. It transmits automated meteorological reports for Royal Air Force and allied aircraft flying across various regions. The voice you hear is synthesised, but the data it carries is essential: wind speed, cloud cover, visibility, temperatures, pressure levels—all tailored for pilots in the sky.

Reception Snapshot

• Date: March 26, 2025
• Time: 1940–1950 UTC
• Frequency: 5450 kHz USB
• Mode: Upper Sideband
• SINPO: 45444
• Location: Received online from Kolkata, India
• Receiver: WebSDR Twente

At 1940 UTC, the familiar female synthesized voice came through clearly, reading out met reports for locations coded in ICAO-style identifiers (like Foxtrot Tango Tango Juliet or Sierra Uniform Mike Uniform). Around 1945 UTC, I caught a clean station ID: “This is Military I Volmet Information Broadcast”, and again at 1946 and 1949 UTC.

Reception was stable overall, with light fading and static, but no co-channel interference. The transmission was steady throughout the 10-minute logging window.

For those interested in listening to the reception, I've preserved a 3-minute audio snippet that captures the essence of this broadcast: http://sndup.net/zcdrw

Acknowledgement from the MOD

Following my report, I received an official confirmation and QSL letter from the UK Ministry of Defence. It acknowledged my reception of the 5450 kHz transmission from “Military 1,” making this one of those rare but satisfying logs that combines technical interest with a touch of official recognition.

A Brief History of RAF VOLMET

RAF VOLMET has long been a behind-the-scenes player in military aviation, offering continuous weather updates for in-flight operations. The service forms part of the UK’s broader military communications infrastructure and helps aircraft navigate safely in varied and often unpredictable weather conditions. You can learn more via the UK Ministry of Defence official site.

Final Thoughts

Catching a VOLMET transmission might not be the most dramatic DX log, but it’s deeply rewarding. It connects you to real-world operations happening in the skies above, quietly supporting aviation safety. If you’re scanning the bands and hear a robotic weather briefing, don’t skip it—you might just be tuned into RAF VOLMET.

73s and happy monitoring!

Radio NUG E-QSL - One more Clandestine Station verified!

To stay connected with the people, The Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology of the National Unity Government (NUG) of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar - (which is a Myanmar government in exile formed by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw  or CRPH, a group of elected lawmakers and members of parliament ousted in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.) has been broadcasting a radio program, called Radio NUG.

A test run of this program first went on-air on 20th Aug 2021. And in the following months DXers from across Asia and beyond started reporting on their reception of Radio NUG. Ever since its initial days on-the-air, Radio NUG broadcasts for 30 minutes, twice a day (in mornings and evenings) on a daily basis.

I was fortunate to log Radio NUG for the first time on 11940 kHz on 17th Jan, 2022 from my home in Kolkata, India. Programming in Burmese was heard between 1415-1430 UTC. Reception was fair/ audible. At times signal suffered slight fading with static interference. Otherwise no co-channel interference was noted during the broadcast. Overall, there were no significant breakups in signal/ reception during the transmission.

LISTEN HERE

Rajdeep Das · Radio NUG - Burmese - 11940KHz - 17.01.2022

Reception report with audio clip (above) was emailed on 24th Jan, 2022. And the station replied back with E-QSL (full-data) verification on the next day.

Radio NUG E-QSL 

Currently the station identifies itself as - "Radio NUG - The Voice of Myanmar Spring Revolution and National Unity Government of Myanmar". The Shortwave Broadcasting schedule daily 0200-0230 UTC on 17775 KHz & 1400-1430 UTC on 11940 KHz also listed on the website 👈 (Txr - Paochung, Taiwan, Txr Power 250 kW)  Reference Link

Radio NUG - poster. Source: website

If you wish to collect E-QSL verification submit your reception report to Radio NUG by filling up this google form 👉 Link

If you have listened to/ verified Radio NUG in the past, share your experience in comments section below!

Happy Listening 📻🎧

73

Transworld Radio Swaziland (TWR Africa) - Verified with e-QSL

It was early spring in 1997 when I started listening to distant radio signals on my 10-band Kchibo shortwave radio receiver. Back then, the shortwave bands were open and teeming with radio stations. The BIG 5 international broadcasters in my region (ITU Zone 41) were - British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Voice of America (VOA), China Radio International (CRI), Deutsche Welle (DW) and Voice of Russia (VOR). Apart from them, there were the major gospel stations transmitting every morning and evening in dozens of South Asian and South East Asian languages preaching the message of Jesus! The BIG 4 broadcasters of the time were - Family Radio, Adventist World Radio, Transworld Radio (KTWR) and FEBA Radio.

Apart from these 'usual' stations that every listener would eventually hear on the radio bands, there were others too! The challenge for SWLs/ DXers back then was to tune in to those 'other' stations - the ones that were hard to tune and harder to decipher! Most of these dx stations  either targeted their transmission to zones other than mine (zone 41) or were using low-powered transmitters to broadcast to local communities.

Every nation has its unique culture and music! And stations broadcasting out of Africa were the most alluring ones as they would play drums, pipes, flutes and indigenous musical instruments specific to their culture at the beginning and end of their radio broadcasts everyday! These short musical notes, commonly referred as 'signature tune', bore the identity for each radio station. As a DXer, freshly introduced to this wonderous world of shortwave radio listening, I was mesmerized to say the least! 

One such station was Transworld Radio Swaziland broadcasting from Manzini in Eswatini (Swaziland)! It is part of TWR's global ministry in Africa. TWR Swaziland opened their radio broadcast every evening (IST) around 14 hrs. UTC with a unique signature tune and station ID. The station would broadcast only 45 mins of programming in Urdu back then. Their other broadcast times did not match with my local time zone! TWR Swaziland remained one of my favorites for years during that period of my DXing hobby-life! 

A good two-decades hence and today, while I was sorting through truck loads of DX interactions from all these years - and archiving email communications with radio stations those hold dear memories, up came an e-QSL from TWR Africa (erstwhile TWR Swaziland)  confirming my reception of  their broadcast in Malagasy on 18th Dec, 2017.  

                                                                        LISTEN HERE

Rajdeep Das · Transworld Radio Africa in Malagasy on 9585 kHz - 18.12.2017 via Manzini, Eswatini (Swaziland)

I have been quite a sporadic listener ever since the pandemic has ebbed! DXing took a backseat due to major broadcasters closing doors on shortwave, Chinese stations dominating the air waves left vacant by the media houses and governments running the big radio stations and shifting the most prominent radio stations to digital media. However, amid my dwindling interest of shortwave listening and the predominance of online SDRs and app-based tuners like radio garden et al. eclipsing the ever-so-alluring art of distant shortwave listening, this e-QSL from TWR Swaziland was a stark reminder that - "past can never be forgotten" and it eventually pops up in our present at the most unlikely hours and instantly takes us back to where our hearts belong!

Radio Orion 2000 QSL - Free Radio Station on Shortwave

One of my new-found DX addiction is listening to radio broadcasts via web based Software Defined Radios (WebSDRs). For those of us who entered this magical world of DXing by manually turning the knobs of analog radios, SDRs are nothing short of Aladdin's Magic Lamp! I remember the first time when I actually operated an SDR during ADXL DXpedition 2014, I was simply awestruck! The ease of tuning along with the real-time feed of the station signals appearing in waterfall view on the SDR user interface screen mesmerized my senses! Online (Web-based) SDRs are even more thrilling! The sheer excitement of operating a WebSDR located thousands of kilometers away, right from the comfort of my home and listening to low powered radio stations that are practically impossible to hear from my QTH was something unimaginable even a few years back. 

Now SDRs are just a click away! Hence, once I started tuning SDRs I never got tired, and the thrill continues. Nowadays, (almost every other day) I tune into pirate radio and free radio stations operating with very low power in Europe via WebSDRs located in different countries of Europe. I love the variety of programming, the music, the 'accented' presentation, the local commercials and the colorful QSLs/ eQSLs of these free radio stations. Puritans might say that QSLing a radio station using WebSDR isn't fit to be counted among laurels. I agree, but then WebSDRs provide refreshment to my ever-hungry DX soul, enabling me to relish slices of exotic entertainment, in our present era of dwindling 'powerhouse' broadcasters. 

Radio Orion 2000 logged via Twente SDR

With the onset of A16 broadcast season a plethora of (low powered) pirates/ free radio stations seemed to have emerged in Europe and I have been listening to a lot of these stations every weekend. My recent log of Radio Orion 2000 was quite by chance! I followed up the live blog of a fellow radio aficionado and tuned in to Radio Orion 2000's broadcast on 6940 KHz between 1720-1735 UTC ON April 29, 2016 via Twente WebSDR. A musical program was heard with both German and English songs being played. Prominent IDs in German “Radyo Orion Zweitausend” and in English was heard. Reception quality was overall Average to Fair. Reception suffered from noise (probably QRM from electrical gadget / power source at remote receiver QTH) vicinity. Except this QRM audio stream was flawless with NO breakups in audio feed. A reception report was mailed on May 2nd and eQSL verification was received on May 3rd from Commander Cliff Allister McLane of Radio Orion 2000. Their contact email id is <radioorion2000@gmail.com> .

HCJB Deutschland in Weenermoor Germany Verified!

In early March, I have received a package from HCJB Deutsch – Neuesleben (New Life) in Germany. Inside was a view card, station material (promotional), ‘donate us’ form, the gospel of Luke, HCJB newsletter for January 2016 and most importantly a QSL Verification Letter addressed to me and signed by Mark-Thorsten Wardein (Editor in Chief) of HCJB Deutsch – Neuesleben. The QSL verified my reception report of their broadcast dated 12 Dec 2015 on 3995 KHz from Weenermoor heard via Twente SDR.

HCJB Deutschland transmission from Weenermoor started from June 2012 and this was the first occasion that I happened to QSL this station. Besides producing a German (Neuesleben) and Spanish radio program (Radio Amigos), they give their programs to 40 FM stations in Germany, Latin-America, Spain and USA. 

Here’s a link to an article on HCJB Weenermoor with glimpses of the transmitter centre and antennas (by the way it’s written in German!) Click HERE

For details about the station visit these websites > neusleben.de and hcjb.de

Reach Beyond Australia - QSL Verification

Reach Beyond Australia is a prompt verifier of reception reports. Thanks to the untiring efforts of Shelley Martin, Listener Correspondent for Reach Beyond Australia, listeners across the globe can get access to updated broadcast schedule of Reach Beyond at the onset of every broadcasting season, and she also responds ‘real fast’ be it on Facebook or via emails. At the onset of A16 broadcast season I was monitoring Reach Beyond’s frequencies (as I often do twice every year after seasonal frequency changes in March and October), only this time I happen to note that I haven’t heard their Rawang broadcast anytime before, although it’s been around for quite a few years now. Rawang (as per Wikipedia entry) is a Sino-Tibetan language of India and Burma with over 63,000 native speakers. On 14^th April (which happened to be Bengal New Years day and hence a state holiday) I made fruitful use of my leisure and tuned in to Reach Beyond Australia’s Rawang broadcast on 15575 KHz between 1145-1200 UTC. Programming consisted of gospel talk and religious hymns and music. Reception at my QTH in Kolkata on my portable Tecsun PL310 was SIO 454.

Nowadays with the availability of web SDRs (Software Defined Radio) it has become easier for DXers to monitor local/global listening conditions, signals strength, propagation of broadcasts from around the world. I tuned in to WebSDR at Twente, Nederlands to compare listening conditions of Reach Beyond’s Rawang broadcast in Europe with that audible over my Tecsun radio at my QTH. Promisingly, the signal from Kununurra was moderate to fair in the Nederlands. A detailed reception report was mailed to Shelley Martin with a video file of the broadcast and screenshots of web SDR. In just over 3 days I received a nice acknowledgement with E-QSL verifying my report. Indigenous (Aboriginal)Australian Art is featured on the full data verification e-card.

E-QSL from Reach Beyond Australia

Reach Beyond Australia monitored via Web SDR @ Twente, Nederlands

Reach Beyond Australia, Rawang Service as received in Kolkata, Apr 14, 2016

HCJB Australia Vintage E-QSL (2004)

I have been listening to Reach Beyond from the days when the station started broadcasting to Asia-Pacific region as HCJB Australia which was later changed to HCJB Global Voice. It’s been a long journey of over 12 years! I feel happy to see that in spite of changes in the policy of the parent organization they have stuck to shortwave and still going strong! May the Lord bless them infinitely to carry on their humanitarian mission in the decades to come and may we (the radio lovers) remain ever happy listening to Reach Beyond Australia on shortwave transmitting across the ether from the Great Southland!

Marconi Radio International - Full Data Electronic QSL Verification

Marconi Radio International (MRI) broadcasting from Italy was heard broadcasting on 7790 KHz in USB mode with just 100 watts power on 2^nd April, 2016, between 1445 -1500 UTC via remote SDR in Rimini, Italy. Location of listening was my QTH Kolkata, India. The Program Host was heard talking in Italian on various topics. DX related information was shared with listeners. MX (music) was heard in the background. A listener based in Potomac in Maryland, USA was mentioned in the show. 

A DX reception report was read out with “SINPO uno quarto tre quarto uno” or SINPO 14341. At 1458 UTC Station ID in Italian followed by Station announcement in English “This is Marconi Radio International…” by Male (OM) announcer. A reception report was mailed to marconiradiointernational@gmail.com on the next day. A full data Electronic QSL Verification from Marconi Radio International (MRI) was received on April 25, 2016 along with ‘History of MRI’ & ‘MRI Newsletter’ PDFs.

Here’s a synopsis of verification email received from Marconi Radio International (MRI) -

“Thank you for your reception report about one of the first transmissions of Marconi Radio International on 7 MHz carried over a new transmitter capable of tuning between 3 and 30 MHz Our full data electronic QSL verification is enclosed. We are a small free radio station broadcasting from the Italy which, after 15 years of dormancy, returned back to the airwaves on 15 August 2015. MRI began its short wave transmissions on 4 January 1986 and this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. Until a few weeks ago our test broadcasts were aired on our historic frequency of 11390 kHz with a power in the region of 30 watts. On 21 March 2016 a new transmitter was added and, for the first time in our history, a test was made outside the 11 MHz band. We used the frequency of 7700 kHz (USB mode) which gave good reception in Europe. The station was also heard in Newfoundland (Canada). As from 3 May 2016 MRI will start a regular service  on Wednesdays, from 18 hrs to 19 hrs UTC, 20 hrs to 21 hrs UTC, and 22 hrs to 23 hrs UTC on 7690 kHz USB mode  (alternative frequencies: 7700 and 7790 kHz) with a power of 100 watts. Additional broadcasts may also be aired during week-end. When this occurs a circular message with details about days, times and frequencies of these transmissions will be sent in advance to short-wave community and listeners in our mailing list…We hope to extend the duration of our broadcasts in the near future and also to increase power. We also plan to send in printed QSL cards by snail-mail but only to some lucky listeners. That’s why it’s vital to let us have your postal (street or P.O. box) address. Unlike a number of free radios from Northern of Europe we know what a QSL is and our verifications will always come with all details about reception of MRI. 

Last but not least, we need your help! If you use social networks, please post an announcement on Facebook about MRI.  You can also forward this message to a friend. This should help increase our potential audience. We would be glad to hear from you again.Yours sincerely, Marconi Radio International (MRI).”

The Mighty KBC QSL - A Wish Fulfilled

"The Mighty KBC is a European shortwave station that blasts out rock n’ roll oldies and classic rock to truckers across the continent." 

On June 28, 2015 at 00:15 Hrs UTC I logged The Mighty KBC on 9925 kHz (SIO 232) with station id in English “we're The Mighty KBC” by male (OM) announcer from my QTH in Kolkata, India using Tecsun PL 310 receiver and the standard telescopic rod antenna attached with the RX. English pop and rock ’n’ roll oldies from 50’s-60’s era were played in the musical program with multiple station IDs, RJ mentions & commercials and jingles in between. 

I was lucky enough to know about the date and time of the SW transmission from their Facebook wall post, the day before. I tried my luck and guess what I heard them for the very first time! It was raining since early morning. I was apprehensive yet as it turned out The Mighty KBC signal from Nauen was audible at my QTH. The transmission was heard till 00.36 Hrs UTC. 

Reception report was emailed on the same day to > themightykbc@gmail.com  Within an hour of emailing the report, I received an eQSL reply (electronic verification) from Eric van Willegen. 

To learn more about this iconic radio station, Click Here  73's

Hobart Radio International Verified

Hobart Radio International is a shortwave community service relayed across Europe, North America, South America and New Zealand and features the DX Extra and The Buzz shows! They are known as ‘The Voice for Tasmania’ among DXers and radio listeners the world over. They refer themselves as a radio station that’s “crossing the borders since 2004, telling the unknown and investigating on what's important.”  

I logged Hobart Radio International for the first time on 25.07.2015 (July 25, 2015) on 6070 kHz (via Channel 292) at 16:00 UTC - 16:30 UTC from my home in Kolkata, India via WebSDR at Univ of Twente, the Nederlands. I liked the unique mix of music, talk, comedy and DX news in their weekly show ‘The Buzz’. Reception report with audio clip of the recording was mailed to hriradio@gmail.com on Aug 01, 2015.

Rob Wise from Hobart Radio International replied with a full data eQSL on Aug 08, 2015 appreciating the effort and inviting me to listen to future shows and write to him again. The ‘DX Extra’ Show “which is about the shortwave and radio hobby featuring news, reviews, pirate radio and anything in-between” which airs from Hobart Radio International is one of the last remaining DX shows on the airwaves. I personally like their format and content. To know more about the station or to listen to their archived programs online visit: http://www.hriradio.org

Gaweylon Tibetan Radio Program QSL'd

Gaweylon Tibetan Radio Program broadcast was recently verified from Kolkata, India. The half hour Tibetan programme from Gaweylon was heard on 4 July, 2015 between 12-1230 UTC, on 15215 kHz in the 19 meter band, relayed via FEBA using 250kW transmitter at Dhabbaya, UAE (Babcock facility).  SINPO for the broadcast was 43433 at my QTH in Kolkata, West Bengal, India using RX Tecsun PL660 with its extended telescopic whip antenna. The magazine program consisted of traditional and modern Tibetan music and songs, including health and general knowledge features.

A reception report along with a five minutes recording of the audio was mailed to their email id on the next day. An email reply was received within a couple of hours from Mr. Anil Alfred (Director) Gaweylon Tibetan Radio Programme thanking my effort and promising a hard copy QSL within a few days.

A package from Gaweylon arrived on 13 July, 2015 consisting of the following collectibles – Hard copy (full data) QSL card (25 yrs spl.) v/s Anil R. Alfred (Director) with Tibetan painting on reverse, a picture post card (depicting Tibetan art), another post card with painting (the original work was done by a Foot and Mouth Painting artist of India), schedule printed on visiting card (in English & Tibetan) and QSL letter v/s Anil R. Alfred (Director).

Those of you who are new to this station let me give you a brief on who they are and what their legacy is. “Gaweylon is a charitable society which exists for the promotion and development of knowledge.” They include charitable, social and cultural aspects of life in their daily programming, with moral and spiritual material based on the teachings of the Holy Bible. They have partnered with FEBA Radio - Far East Broadcasting Corporation

(source: gaweylon.com)

Currently they broadcast daily on 15215 kHz via FEBA/ FEBC hired transmitter facility in Dhabbaya, Uinted Arab Emirates (UAE). Gaweylon has started their broadcast in 1990 and this year they’re celebrating their 25 yrs of on-air broadcasts!

You can send your reception reports to Gaweylon Tibetan Radio Program Broadcast >> gaweylon@gmail.com. 

Their snail mail address is: Gaweylon, Post Box No.286, Dehradun, GPO 248001, Uttarakhand, INDIA.

Happy hunting !! 

73’s

Rádio Nacional Da Amazônia QSL Card Received

On May 22, 2015, I received a QSL card by registered mail from Rádio Nacional Da Amazônia in Brasilia verifying my monitoring report & audio file of their broadcast sent to them in early January 2015. The QSL verifies my reception of their transmission as heard from Mandarmani during ADXL DXpedition on 26^th Dec, 2014 on 11780 kHz at 20:00 Hrs UTC RX Tecsun PL660, 90m long-wire antenna. Listen to my audio recording-

This is the second time that EBC (Empresa Brasil de Comunicação) - the Brazilian government-owned corporation that manages the government's radio and television stations, has verified my reception report. In June 2014 I had my first Reception Verification from Rádio Nacional Da Amazônia However, back then I had to remain satisfied with just email verification as because, EBC didn't had any QSLs in stock! After several follow-ups their reply was quite intriguing “We are unable to give you a date, but a public bidding process has been initiated to select a firm to print the cards.” (Translated from Portuguese)

As it seems now, my second attempt to QSL Rádio Nacional Da Amazônia didn’t go astray. Early in March 2015, I was seeing New EBC QSLs popping up in multiple Facebook groups and some personal blogs of DXers (especially from Japan and Latin America). After a good look I concluded that EBC is issuing the new cards only to fresh reports (those logged from B14 season onwards), Hence, although I was pretty sure that my earlier report (of Jan 2014) would not fetch me QSL card, I certainly kept my fingers crossed for my reception report of 26^th Dec, 2014. Here are snaps taken just after opening the envelope from EBC.

Till next time, 73 from Kolkata, India.

KTWR QSL for Special Broadcast to Nepal

In the wake of the recent Earthquake in Nepal and the numerous aftershocks still rocking the Himalayan Nation causing havoc to life and environment, Trans World Radio (TWR) has put up a commendable initiative. TWR from its broadcast facility in the Island of Guam (KTWR) has started a daily Nepali broadcast on shortwave. Here’s the excerpt from the official TWR blog post “TWR is producing a one-hour program with four 15-minute segments in Nepali, Hindi, Bhojpuri, and English. The programs is on-air once a day, seven days a week, on shortwave (SW) from Guam to reach those closer to Mount Everest, where survivors may not be able to receive FM broadcasts.”

Rajdeep Das · KTWR Special Transmission to Nepal 15280 kHz 03.05.2015

Just after getting the news of this special ‘disaster relief’ broadcast from KTWR Guam, I logged the transmission on May 3, 2015 from my QTH in Kolkata, India. SIO was a crisp 454 and the whole 1 hour transmission was monitored. Reception report was emailed to KTWR Frequency Co-ordination Department. On May 14, 2015, Kathy Gregowske confirmed my report with an e-QSL card.

I must mention that TWR is distributing over 5,000 radios to quake struck people in the core areas. If you want to bring hope to the shattered lives of countless Nepalese I ask you to donate to Asia Disaster Relief Fund. Spread the good word around by sharing this post on social media.

Pirate and Free Radio QSLs from Europe

Listening to Pirate and Free Radios is very popular among European and North American listeners & hobbyists. However, sitting here in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, it is next to impossible to hear these broadcasts. The chief roadblocks are – low powered transmitters (mostly a few wattage of power) and  the broadcast timings (mostly early mornings and late afternoons CET & GMT) which is mid-day to early evening in this part of the world, hence unfavourable day-time propagation on the SW band plays havoc. To add to the tough luck, my QTH is in the busiest part of the city and full of QRM (human-generated interference) from use of everyday electronic gadgets. So it leaves me with no choice but to log and monitor Pirate and Free Radio stations from Europe and North America through remote receivers over an internet connection. The WebSDR at University of Twente, in particular, is my wonder toy! I spend hours listening to Pirate and Free Radio stations operating from the Adriatic to the British Isles and even across the pond from the Appalachians to the Rockies and beyond.

I am amazed to find so much interest in Pirate and Free Radios among listeners at a time when international broadcasters are closing their doors for shortwave radio listeners and dismantling historic transmitting facilities citing lame reasons like lack of funds, lack of listeners, policy change, evolving to a digital only presence and so on. I am into DXing for over 18 years now and I like to enjoy my hobby in all its shades. Having said that I must also confess that nothing beats the sheer charm of slowly turning the tuning knob of radios and adjusting the fine tune/ BW filter to hear voices from across the seven seas! Notwithstanding, Web-SDRs and remote receiver logs are equally fascinating to me. 

With the intention to explore the world of Free Radios and Pirate Radios, I started sending e-reports of my monitoring of Pirate and Free Radio broadcasts since early 2015. I was fascinated to receive my first WebSDR* logged QSL from Radio Geronimo. Then one QSL followed another - Radio Quadzilla, Europa 24, Radio Underground, Radio Merlin International, Atlantic 2000 Internationall, and a few more are in the queue.

Radio Geronimo Shortwave QSL, Germany

Quadzilla Radio QSL, East Holland

Europa 24 QSL, Germany

Atlantic 2000 International QSL, Germany

Radio Underground QSL, England

Radio Merlin International QSL, England

Radio Merlin International QSL, England

         Radio Carrierwave QSL, The Nederlands

I must add here that although these are QSLs received after monitoring hours of radio broadcasts (with a Wide Band WebSDR) I would personally consider these as my souvenirs for general listenership. When it comes to ‘real’ QSL hunting and collecting I prefer to remain old school. In the coming months I will keep on adding exotic pirate & free radio mementos to my collection here and will share with you from time to time. Stay connected. 73's

Radio Free Asia QSL - IBB Tinian and Saipan

Radio Free Asia (RFA) broadcasting from IBB transmitting stations located at Saipan and Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands was logged with programming in Mandarin on Feb 28, 2015 at 0345 UTC on 21700 KHz (250 Kw) & 0445 UTC on 17690 KHz (100 Kw) SIO 444 & 333 respectively. 

Reception report for both Tinian and Saipan transmissions was submitted to RFA using their web-form on the same day at http://techweb.rfa.org

Radio Free Asia (RFA) sent two full-data QSLs (mailed from their Washington H.Q).The package containing the 2 QSLs was received on 14 Mar, 2015 in Kolkata, India (in mint condition!) 

The QSL celebrates 2015 as the Year of the Ram (as per Chinese Zodiac). RFA has stated earlier that the same QSL (Year of the Ram - design) will be issued to all correct reception reports received between January-April 2015. Reception reports can also be sent to their email id: qsl@rfa.org

73 from Kolkata, India.

Dengé Kurdistané Clandestine Station QSL'd

Radyoya Dengé Kurdistané broadcasting from Kishinev-Grigoriopol in (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) Pridnestrovie, was logged on 5 March, 2015 on 9400 KHz with programming in Kurdish between 14:20-14:40 UTC (19:50-20:10 Hrs IST) Programming consisted of commentary/ interview & report based narratives in Kurdish with songs (patriotic) playing in between talks. Station ID was heard at 14:05 UTC in between news snippets. SIO 433 RX Tecsun PL660, ANT- Degen 31MS Indoor MW SW Active Loop Antenna. QTH Ballygunge, Kolkata, India. 

Reception report was emailed to the Technical Director of the transmitting station. An e-QSL verification (v/s Sergey Omelchenko, Technical Director, Pridnestrovskiy Radiotelecentr) came within two days of sending reception report.

Denge Kurdistane (Voice of Kurdistan) broadcasts are targeted to Iraq, operationl since 1 September 2012 *as per Shortwave Central Blog. "This service either replaces Denge Mezopotmaya/Voice of Mezopotamya or has been renamed from it."

Denge Kurdistan has a dedicated app listed on the Google Play Store. Click HERE. You can also listen them online via their website: www.denge-kurdistan.com -OR- you can connect with them on their Facebook Page facebook.com/dengekurdistan 

73 from Kolkata, India.

Radio Payam e-Doost QSL'd

Radio Payam e-Doost broadcasting from Kishinev-Grigoriopol in (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) Pridnestrovie, was logged on Feb 22, 2015 on 7480 KHz with programming in Farsi (Persian) between 1815-1845 Hrs UTC (2245-2315 Hrs IST) with SIO 433. Programming consisted of indigenous music and talk (speech). Station ID was heard just before sign off. Reception report was emailed to the Technical Director of the transmitting station. An electronic QSL verification (v/s Sergey Omelchenko, Technical Director) came within a few hours of sending reception report. 

By the way, there seems to be confusion as to whether coin this station as a clandestine or a religious broadcaster. I consider it as a clandestine station. Here's my analysis - 

Payam e-Doost closely translates to "message from a friend"/ 'message of friendship'/ 'friendly message' - 'payam' is message and 'doost' friend in Farsi (Persian). Unlike hardcore Clandestine stations where differing political thoughts and voice against the ruling powers is the main agenda of the broadcasts, in case of Radio Payam e-Doost it is about practicing 'religious freedom' and having equal rights for Baha'i people of Iran. 

"The Baha’i community in Iran faces severe and systematic discrimination and persecution. They are routinely denied freedom of religion and are prosecuted for practicing their faith." Read these two features in your spare time - The Huffington Post & International Campaign for Human Rights In this respect, I find it fair enough to refer the station as clandestine broadcaster. Your comments are welcome. 

73 from Kolkata, India.