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.

Super Rádio Deus É Amor Logged & Verified from India

Super Rádio Deus É Amor transmitting from Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil with just 10 Kilowatt was logged on Dec 26, 2014 around 20:00 Hrs UTC from Mandarmani, West Bengal, India. Programming was in Portuguese. A male preacher was heard delivering sermon/ prayer to a house full of audience (probably one of the gospel discourses of the Pentecostal Church). The station was heard between 19:56-20:23 UTC with SIO 342-222 after which signal became almost inaudible due to heavy noise. RX used: Tecsun PL 660 Antenna: Longwire (90 mts). Here's the video of my reception:

Reception report was sent via email to IPDA in January and electronic verification was received from IPDA on that same day v/s Marcos Ribeiro (IPDA)

The English translation reads - " Good day, Thank you for listening to the signal of our radio station Super Rádio Deus É Amor (Curitiba/PR) here in Brazil." 

This was one of my farthest logs ever! The distance between the station and my QTH was a staggering 15,617 Kms and that too it transmitted its signal with just 10 KW. All in all, a fantastic DXing experience and a memory to cherish for years.

Here's a little information on the radio station and its background - 

Super Rádio Deus É Amor (God is Love) is a gospel radio station run by the IPDA ministry founded by legendary missionary David Martins Miranda. IPDA (Igreja Pentecostal Deus É Amor) was founded way back in 1962 and is well known in South American countries. IPDA's radio broadcasts are predominantly heard in local FM & AM (MW) channels in Brazil and all other South American countries, most Central American nations as well as in the USA and Canada, in both MW,SW,FM broadcast formats as well as online (worldwide) in Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. 

For details visit their website: http://www.ipda.com.br

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/igrejadeuseamor

73 & 88

DX Logs from Gopalpur on Sea

Whenever I go on a trip, be it a long vacation or a weekend escapade out of the city limits, I never forget packing in my portable radios. Listening to the same station from different location has its own charm. For example when I hear All India Radio Kolkata from my home in Kolkata it sounds different from when I listened to it in the past from Rajgir in Bihar or from Mandarmani, Tajpur, Puri, Chandipur and now from Gopalpur, it’s different every time and that’s the charm of radio listening. Plus you can tune in to the local (low powered) stations more prominently while visiting a far off location and that’s something to treasure about in our hobby. 

This time I travelled to Gopalpur beach situated about 17 KMs from Brahmapur (ex Berhampore) in Ganjam district of Odisha. Gopalpur is very close to the Andhra Pradesh state border and a very prominent Telegu (the state language of Andhra Pradesh) influence was eminent and surprisingly less Odiya influence was felt. 

Now coming back to my radio listening experience, let me tell you that during my 2.5 days at Gopalpur I could only manage 2 hours to devote myself to DXing.

Here are the logs. Receiver used Tecsun PL 310, telescopic rod antenna, all times in UTC.

Shortwave Logs

4760 KHz All India Radio Port Blair logged at 0025 hrs with Bhajan (devotional song in Hindi) followed station ID by YL Krishi Samachar (?) followed news reader OM SIO 343

4820 KHz All India Radio Kolkata logged at 0028 hrs with sehnai (wind instrument) SIO 444

6130 KHz Lao National Radio from Vientiane logged at 0035 hrs with news (?) by OM talk in Laotian. Talk continued with just one break, when YL heard (program highlights?) SIO 444

2365 (+/-) 5 KHz UNID heard 2 channels 0040 hrs with Burmese talk by YL presenter SIO 343 and co-channel a gospel program in English was noted with OM preacher(?) heard to decipher SIO 222  

15590 KHz Radio Thailand in English 0045 hrs current affairs program followed by news YL and sign off with tune at 0055 hrs SIO 444 Click to watch my video 

4800 KHz All India Radio Hyderabad with devotional music flute heard SIO 333

4810 KHz All India Radio Bhopal talk program with OM(s) SIO 233

4860 KHz All India Radio Shimla 0048 hrs program in Hindi, ‘krishi katha’ (program on agriculture & farming) talk by OM (var.) followed by Hindi song, YL ID 0100 hrs  SIO 434

4880 KHz All India Radio Lucknow devotional talk ‘significance of chanting ram naam’ spiritual discourse by OM (Hindu priest) 0102 hrs SIO 333

4835 KHz All India Radio Gangtok (Sikkim) devotional song ‘Bhajan’ by singer Anup Jalota 0104 hrs SIO 322

4920 KHz All India Radio Chennai Talk by YL followed by film songs in Tamil. At 0105 hrs station ID by YL SIO 555

4895 KHz All India Radio Kurseong Talk in Nepali heard 0110 hrs by OM SIO 322

Mediumwave Logs

558 KHz Bangladesh Betar Khulna, Sports news followed by weather update 0117 hrs YL reader SIO 444

1242 KHz All India Radio Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) Hindi song ‘Sawaar Loon' from the movie Lootera being played 0121 hrs SIO 333

657 KHz All India Radio Kolkata (A) elocution in Bengali by YL artist at 0144 hrs SIO 444

945 KHz All India Radio Sambalpur (?) (Odisha) indistinct talk probably Odiya (?) 0147 hrs SIO 222

FM Logs

98.3 MHz Radio Mirchi Vizag Id at 0156 hrs followed by talk on Allu Arjun's I AmThat Change (Latest Telugu Short Film)

92.7 MHz Big FM Vizag id at 0200 hrs program ‘Happy Morning’ YL host Telegu film songs played

73 & 88