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 :)

Luton FM log

Visited Luton today, for the We Are Luton demo. Having played my part in marching against the EDL, I chilled out in the park with the FM radio section of my Samsung Galaxy phone. The following stations were heard:

88.6  BBC Radio 2
89.1  BBC Radio 2
90.8  BBC Radio 3
91.3  BBC Radio 3
93.5  BBC Radio 4
97.1  Radio Lab - student radio from the University of Bedfordshire
97.6  Heart FM
98.8  BBC Radio 1
100.9 Classic FM
102.8 Diverse FM
103.8 BBC 3CR
105.1 Inspire FM

Finally, sorry it's been so long since I left an entry on this blog. Hopefully there'll be fore to come in the near future ...

Gizza job

Just been on the Birmingham March for Jobs, called by the Unite union. I have a particular interest in this cause, as I will be laid off from my current job on 30th June :(

Of course, I took my Roberts EcoLogic 1 radio along with me, and logged a number of stations at Centenary Square:

87.7 South Birmingham Community Radio, RSL.
89.1 Aston FM, small community station. RDS = ASTON FM
91.3 Raaj FM, an Asian community radio station. RDS = RAAJ FM , info text was the phone number
92.0 Hot FM, pirate. RDS = www.hot92.net
94.2 Skyline Radio, pirate? Weak, no RDS. Is this the same Skyline Radio which used to broadcast from Wolverhampton in the early 1990's ?
95.1 Kris FM, pirate
98.7 New Style FM, local non-profit community station (similar to Sheffield Live). RDS = NEWSTYLE
101.5 Silk City FM, pirate, with scrolling RDS
107.5 Sting FM, pirate. Strong signal, mono, no RDS

Also of note: heard BBC Radio Stoke on 94.6

More London pirates

In addition to yesterday's log, the following pirates were heard tonight:

94.6 Kool FM
96.1 Supreme Dance
97.1 Energy FM


Off-topic, tonight at the Marxism event, there was a showing of the film I Cento Passi (which translates to English as The Hundred Steps). This Italian film is the story of a Sicilian trade unionist who stood up against the Sicilian Mafia, back in the 1970's. To spread his message, he started a small-scale radio station, Radio Aut.

London pirates log

Arrived in London this afternoon, for the SWP's Marxism 2008 festival. Staying in student flats near Euston railway station. In my flat on the 2nd floor, from 14:40 to approx 15:00, I can hear the following:

87.9 Shine FM
88.6 House FM
90.3 Point Blank FM
90.6 Unknown FM (?)
93.8 Vibes FM
99.2 Unknown FM
100.2 True FM - Dirty Outlaws mix programme at the time
101.3 Unique FM
107.9 Unknown FM

Unknown FM was on 3 different frequencies, namely 90.3, 99.2 and 107.9 - is this nearby micro-transmitter owned by someone listening to Unknown FM online, so close that it's 'sprogging all over the band'?

Later, at 23:15, I also heard:

94.4 Tempo FM (?) - reggae music format

Also at that time, Unknown FM had disappeared from 107.9, meaning the ex-pirate Radio Jackie 107.8 could be heard.

On Emley Moor baht 'at

Visited Emley Moor today, for an IOSH Health & Safety course. (Now I'll at least know the safe way of installing antennas in dodgy places, LOL). This time, I stayed long enough to do a (almost) full bandscan:

87.7 Asian Air - Bradford - RSL - ASIANAIR
92.4 BBC Radio Leeds - BBC Local - BBC LEED
94.9 BBC Radio Lincolnshire - BBC Local - BBCLINCS
95.0 BBC Radio Tees - BBC Local
95.1 BBC Radio Manchester - Holme Moss - BBC Local - BBC MANC
95.3 BBC Radio Leeds - BBC Local
95.5 BBC Radio Lancashire - BBC Local - BBC LANC
95.9 BBC Radio Humberside -BBC Local - BBC HUMB
96.1 Rother FM - Rotherham - ILR
96.3 Radio Aire - Leeds - ILR - RAD AIRE
96.6 TFM Radio - Bilsdale - ILR - TFMRADIO
96.9 Viking FM - Hull - ILR - VIKING
97.2 Stray FM - Harrogate - ILR / community
97.5 Pulse FM - Bradford area - ILR
99.8 2BR - Burnley - ILR
100.0 Unidentified - very weak, splatter from Classic FM
100.7 Century Radio - North East - IRR
101.8 Branch FM - Dewsbury, West Yorkshire - ILR / community (Christian radio)
102.0 Dearne FM - Barnsley area - ILR
102.5 Pulse FM - Bradford area - ILR - PULSE1
102.7 BBC Radio Leeds - BBC Local
102.9 Hallam FM - South Yorkshire - ILR
103.2 Sunrise FM - Bradford ILR / community (Asian) - SUNRISE
103.4 Hallam FM - South Yorkshire - ILR - HALLAM
103.7 BBC Radio York - York - BBC Local - BBC YORK
104.1 BBC Radio Sheffield - Holme Moss - BBC Local - BBC SHEF
104.5 Peoples FM - Leeds - Pirate - PEOPLES
104.7 Minster FM - York - ILR - MINSTER
105.1 Galaxy - Emley Moor - IRR - GALAXY
105.4 Century Radio - North West - IRR
105.8 Galaxy - Yorkshire - IRR - GALAXY
106.2 Real Radio - Emley Moor - IRR - REAL
106.6 BCB - Bradford ILR / community - BCB 106-6
106.8 Ridings FM - Wakefield - ILR
107.1 Trax FM - Doncaster - ILR
107.6 Real Radio - Yorkshire - IRR - REAL
107.9 The New Pennine FM - Huddersfield - ILR - PENNINE

I didn't bother logging the 'nationals', as it sometimes gets difficult to tell which is a 'on-frequency' distant TX, and which is bleedover from a more local TX.

Blackpool FM log

Arrived in Blackpool this afternoon, staying until Wednesday.

A stormy day, most of the rides and even the North Pier were closed (I began to wonder if I'd arrived off-season, the town seemed almost 'dead'!)

Ah well, still a good number of stations heard on my car radio ...

88.6 BBC Radio 2 (Winter Hill)
88.9 BBC Radio 2 (Llangollen)
89.3 BBC Radio 2 (Holme Moss)
89.8 BBC Radio 2 (Llanddona)
90.0 BBC Radio 2 (Morecambe Bay)
90.3 BBC Radio 3 (Sandale)
90.8 BBC Radio 3 (Winter Hill)
91.1 BBC Radio 3 (Llangollen)
91.2 Energy FM (Snaefell, Isle of Man)
91.5 BBC Radio 3 (Holme Moss)
92.0 BBC Radio 3 (Llanddona)
92.2 BBC Radio 3 (Morecambe Bay)
93.0 BBC Radio 4 (Winter Hill)
93.3 BBC Radio 4 (Llangollen)
93.7 BBC Radio 4 (Holme Moss)
94.2 BBC Radio Cymru (Llanddona)
94.4 BBC Radio 4 (Morecambe Bay)
94.8 BBC Radio Wales (Llanddona)
95.1 BBC Radio Manchester BBC_MANC
95.5 BBC Radio Lancashire (Hameldon Hill) BBC_LANC
95.8 BBC Radio Merseyside
96.1 BBC Radio Cumbria BBC_CMBR
96.3 Coast FM (North Wales)
96.5 Wave FM (Blackpool - from Blackpool Tower!) WAVE_965
96.9 The Bay FM (Morecambe Bay)
97.1 The Buzz 97.1 (Storeton)
97.4 Rock FM (Preston & Blackpool - from Winter Hill) ROCK_FM
97.7 XFM (Manchester)
98.2 BBC Radio 1 (Winter Hill)
98.5 BBC Radio 1 (Llangollen)
98.9 BBC Radio 1 (Holme Moss)
99.4 BBC Radio 1 (Llanddona)
99.6 BBC Radio 1 (Morecambe Bay)
100.4 Smooth FM (Winter Hill) SMOOTH
101.1 Classic FM (Holme Moss)
101.8 Classic FM (Morecambe Bay)
102.0 Galaxy FM (Manchester)
102.4 Wish FM (Wigan)
102.6 Signal One (Stoke on Trent)
102.8 Chorley FM (Chorley)
103.0 Piccadilly Key 103 (Manchester)
103.4 Marcher Sound (Wrexham)
103.9 BBC Radio Lancashire (Winter Hill) BBC_LANC
104.3 BBC Radio Cymru (Llangollen)
104.5 BBC Radio Lancashire (Lancaster)
105.1 Galaxy FM (Yorkshire - from Emley Moor)
105.4 Century FM (North West) CENTURY
106.2 Real Radio (Yorkshire - from Emley Moor)
107.0 The Bee (Blackburn)
107.3 Abbey FM (Barrow in Furness)
107.6 Juice FM (Liverpool)
107.9 Dune FM (Southport)