Utö FM-DX-started Monday 22.6 >

Utö FM-DX-started! Two listeners are now in distant Finnish Utö-island for FM-DX and later four listeners will join them this Friday, including me! This pedititon is up from 22.6 till 5.7.2009.
You can read Utö-pedition highlights from http://www.uto-fmdx.blogspot.com/.
We listen in these two little red cottages visible in this photo below (direction South is ahead from the door; left). Click the photo for bigger view:

Mon 22.6.2009

On Monday morning after 07utc some weak Arabic, Turkish and Ukrainan stations noted in South Finland, but nothing here.

Sun 21.6.2009: Spain, Africa, France

Sunday morning brought us nice conditions to Spain, France and even North Africa! Unfortunately I had to be at work for the best opening time because of one quick illness! I had to run out local church service for our local station in Salo (Radio Melodia, Salo, 88.2).
In South Finland Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia was up among many Spanish stations. These are quite rare in Finland although Algeria I have heard many times. This needs douple-hop for sure (3000 km).
Spanish stations were from Andalucia, South Spain, having about 3300 km skip.
Nothing special heard by me but I losed the best moments.

LOG Sun 21.6.2009 (07.45utc >)
88.0 - Radio 5 Todo Noticias, Andalucia, South Spain. This was up for almost 10 minutes with douple-hop (3300 km) - 08.30-
88.3 - RCF, France. I this this was St.Etienne (42) transmitter-site. Heard many times. - 10.38-
88.4 - Radio Tele Algérienne, Chaine 2 in Tamazight-langauge. Transmitter location Nador (see 94.7 below). NICE SIGNAL: mp3 - 10.10-
89.3 - UNID in Arabic. Libya is heard on this frequency in Benelux! (Libya is never identified in Finland!!). Only female talk, no hints. - 10.14-
90.8 - Onda Cero, Andalucia-tx (Sierra de Mijas/Monte Viego - same tower as 88.0 above) mp3 - 08.44-
91.0 - Radio Bruno, Carpi (MO), Italy. - 08.50-
91.1 - Radio Tonic, Chagny (71), France. Only RDS visible with accordeon music . 08.20-
94.7 - UNID, possibly Radio Tlemcen, Nador, Algeria because this was the only signal up at the same time with 88.4 MHz (Nador-tx-site).

Thu 18.6.2009: Weak Turkey

I was very lucky to notice very weak signals from Turkey today after 13utc!!
During about 10 minutes I heard only one Turkish commercial station on 88.0 MHz (no other Es-signals)!!
With the help from Marko Weck from Finland it is tracked this to be a station from Biga-city, about 170 km south west from Istanbul.
It seems this is Radio Pegai (www) from Biga!!
Here is a clip from the station's commercial-break: mp3!! Tuned 18.6.2009 on 88.0 MHz at 13.08utc.
These kind of weak distant signals are the most interesting!!
Let's see if I get any reply from the station. How to explain I heard it on FM because tehy have live stream on their page...

Tue 16.6.2009: Opening to North Italy

On Tuesday evening, 16.6. (1745utc >), there were 20+ minutes long condition to North Italy. Signals were quite strong giving RDS but MUF was not higher than 97 MHz.
I heard mostly stations which I have identified many many times before:

LOG Tue 16.6.2009
87.5 - Radio Zeta, Caravaggio >> Rete Malvisi later (also on 87.6) - 18.01-
87.8 - Radio Radicale, Piacenza-tx. Once I tried to visit this station locally in Pescara (summer 1984) but they did not let me in (left-wing radical station)!!! I talked with two sucpicious guys in the street and finally gave up - 17.54-
88.0 - Radio TRM, Milano (MI). Dance music and RDS flashed on the screen just when I arrived... No talk unfortunately - 17.45-
88.0 - Radio Milano (MI). The other stn on this same frq. in Milano! 18.00-
88.4 - Radio Padova - 18.05-
88.8 - Radio DJ. They have very creative programme jingles-efects-production also in Italy (French stations are clear leaders in sound-production in Europe)!!
91.2 - Radio Radar, Porretta Terme (BO). This was new catch for me. 17.59-
91.2 - Modena Radio City, Modena (MO) pushed over Radar. - 18.02-
91.9 - UNID giving spots to Firenze. Must be R. Blu (Prato/Pisa). - 18.03-
92.2 - RCN, Cremona (PC). - 17.50-

Sun 14.6.2009: Benelux and Denmark on FM !

The beginning of summer 2009 has been very very poor. Only two brief 1-2 minutes long openings to south... One of the worst starts ever!
Finally on Sunday evening 14th of June we had something happening. There were stations mainly from Holland but also some from Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg, mainly strong high-power stations. Unfortunately this was not good condition and it lasted 50 minutes.
The highlight of the day was Denmark ! It is very rare here in SW Finland because the skip is so short. I identified Skala FM (www) from Esbjerg, on 87.6 and 88.4 MHz playing Top 40-programme. Here is mp3 from 88.4 MHz, playing "Human" by Killers after ID. The other Danish was Nova FM tentatively on 89.3 MHz.
The length of the skip was only about 950 km which is short for Sporadic E.LOG Sunday 14.6.2009
Here some loggings from this day. Times UTC.
87.6 - DEN: Skala FM, Esbjerg (Viuf-tx, 500 W). - 17.01-
87.9 - HOL: Omproep Zeeland. - 16.50-
88.4 - DEN: Skala FM, Esbjerg (Vojens-tx, 300 W). - 17.09-
89.3 - DEN: Nova FM tentatively (5 kW). - 17.10-
90.1 - HOL: Slam FM. - 17.25-
90.2 - HOL: 100%NL. - 17.03-
92.2 - F: FUN. (Must be from dep. 59 near Belgium). - 17.23-
92.2 - HOL: Omroep Fryslan fighting with FUN. - 17.23-
93.2 - HOL: Waterstad FM, Sneek (20 kW!). - 17.34-
94.7 - F: France Bleu Freq. Nord with network programme. - 17.32-

Poor May conditions

May 2009 was very poor in Es-conditions. Weak openings to France and Italy (18.5 and 25.5). Es-clouds have been mostly lying over Switzerland and that is too far to give FM-signals to Finland!
On 25.5 I identified: BFM 87.9 / RMC 88.8. Both from very South France (dep. 83, 06). Radio Milano on 88.0 was only ided private from Italy... great...
I have now added Triax FM88108-amplifiers to my Triax 8-el. yagis (V and H). Luckily Sony XDR can handle more local power-signals with no overloading!! That was good news.
Now I am listening Skärgårds Radio 90.2 from Stockholm's coast with strong signal. More power than last summer???