Farewell Holland

All good things must come to an end, and I'm now on the ferry back to the UK.

While docked in Rotterdam, the following FM stations can be received:

 87.6  WOS 87.6
 87.9 Radio Zeeland (RDS = 'ZEELAND')
 88.4 Slam FM (scrolling RDS = 'POWER TO THE BEAT SLAM!FM')
 89.0 (RDS = 'NON STOP MUZIEK')
 89.3 //el 89.0
 89.8 Amur FM (RDS = 'AMUR-FM')
 90.2 100% NL (RDS = '100% NL')
 90.5 Arrow Jazz FM (RDS = 'JAZZ FM')
 91.0 (RDS = 'Omroep Brabant: Cafe De Zachteh')
 91.3 BNR Niewsradio (RND = 'BNR NIEWS')
 91.8 FunX
 92.0 Den Haag FM (RDS info = 'www.denhaagfm.nl')
 92.6 Radio 2 (RDS = 'RADIO 2')
 92.9 Radio 2
 93.1 Decibel (RDS = 'DECIBEL')
 93.4 Rijnmund FM (RDS = 'RIJNMUND FM')
 93.9 (RDS = 'MEGASTAD')
 94.6 Radio 4 (RDS = 'RADIO4NL')
 95.2 Slam FM (RDS = 'SLAM FM')
 95.4 (RDS = 'NIDIO')
 95.6 Fresh FM
 95.8 Radio Schiedam (RDS info = 'www.radioschiedam.nl')
 96.0 (RDS = 'Radio HW')
 96.2 ZFM (RDS = 'ZFM RADIO')
 96.8 3 FM
 97.6 Radio Decibel
 98.2 Radio 4 NL
 98.4 FunX
 98.9 Radio 1
 99.4 Radio Decibel
 99.8 3 FM
100.1 BNR Niewsradio
100.4 Q-Music
100.7 Q-Music
101.2 Sky Radio (RDS = 'SKYRADIO')
101.5 Sky Radio
102.1 Radio 538
102.3 Amur FM (RDS = 'AMUR-FM')
102.7 Radio 538
103.2 Radio Veronica (RDS = 'VERONICA')
103.5 Radio Veronica
104.6 100% NL
105.1 Smart FM (RDS = 'SMART FM')

and, again, others which could not be ID'd.

On the coach from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, I noticed a few billboard ads for Radio Veronica.
Veronica started in the 60's as an offshore 'pirate' - good to see them not only surviving, but alive and well, to this day. A tribute to the liberal nature of Dutch society, I guess.

In my opinion, the UK authorities should legalise Caroline and give them at least a MW, and preferably an FM, frequency. And open a few coffeeshops too!

When it's spring again I'll bring again

FM logs from Amsterdam.

Following log is of stations receivable in my hotel room, on the 4th floor of the Koopermoolen Hotel on old Amsterdam:

 87.7 Radio Dre (Radio 3?)
 88.3 RDS = 'VRIJE RADIO PATAPOE A-DAM 88.30 FM'
 88.9 Radio Noord-Holland
 89.6 100% NL (RDS = '100% NL')
 90.0 Ujala Radio (scrolling RDS)
 90.7 Arrow Jazz FM
 91.0 Slam FM (RDS = 'SLAM FM')
 91.6 Radio Veronica
 92.3 Radio 2 (RDS = 'RADIO 2')
 93.1 Radio Utrecht
 93.3 Ujala Radio
 93.6 Wild FM (scrolling RDS = 'WILD FM HITRADIO 10 HITS')
 93.9 Radio Noord Holland
 94.2 Radio 4 (RDS = 'RADIO4 NL')
 94.9 Radio NL (RDS = 'RADIO NL Nederlands Nr 1')
 95.2 Radio Lebens (?)
 95.7 Fresh FM
 96.1 FunX FM
 96.5 3 FM
 96.8 3 FM
 97.6 Decibel
 97.9 Decibel
 98.1 FunX FM
 98.1 Radio 1  (RDS = 'RADIO1 NOS')
 99.4 Wereld FM (?)
 99.8 BNR Niewsradio (News)
100.1 BNR Niewsradio
100.4 Q-Music
100.7 Q-Music
101.2 Sky Radio (RDS = 'SKYRADIO - 101 FM')
101.5 Sky Radio
101.8 BNR
102.1 Radio 538
102.8 Radio 538
103.0 Radio Veronica
103.2 Radio Veronica
104.3 100% nl
104.9 Jamm FM (RDS = 'JAMM FM')
105.7 Lol Radio (RDS = 'LOLRADIO')
106.8 Amsterdam FM
107.9 Caribbean FM (?)

A few other stations are much harder to ID, due to no RDS being received, or confusing scrolling RDS. (Dutch FM stations seem to make far more use of scrolling RDS than do British stations).

Off now to sample the delights of Amsterdam ... catch u l8r :)

Final log of the night

As Britain disappears into the distance, the FM band is becoming very quiet. Apart from the UK national networks, the following are now audible:

 96.2  North Norfolk Radio
102.2 Lincs FM
103.2 North Norfolk Radio

and various BBC locals which, in the absence of RDS, are virtually impossible to ID this time of night while they are relaying regional programmes.

Catch U tomorrow ... when my next update will be from Holland :)

Goodbye England

Tonight I leave the UK, for my first foreign holiday in over 20 years. And, I've 'accidentally on purpose' timed my emigration so I can avoid the Jubilee as much as possible!

Earlier, while the train to Hull passed through Doncaster, I heard Sine FM on 102.6. RDS was 'Sine FM', RDS info was 'Sine FM 102.6 Doncaster's Community Radio Station - Enjoy!'

Right now I'm on the P&O ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, from where I will travel by coach to Amsterdam. But for now I'm still in the Humber estuary, where the following stations are receivable:

 94.9  BBC Radio Lincoln
 95.9  BBC Radio Humberside
 96.4  Compass FM (RDS = 'Compass')
 96.9  Viking FM
 99.8  KCBC
102.2 Lincs FM
103.4 Hallam FM
105.1 Capital FM
105.8 Capital FM
106.2 Real Radio
106.6 Smooth Radio
107.1 Trax FM

and others which are unconfirmed, due to weak signal and/or bleedover from adjacent stations.

I'll try again later, when we're on the North Sea proper. But for now, I'll have a few drinks, chill out and enjoy the on-ship entertainment.