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 :)

Tropo continues

This evening, from 8pm onwards, Dutch radio was again heard at the lower end of the FM dial.

On 88.0, Dutch Radio 2 was heard, strong enough to read RDS = RADIO 2
On 91.8 was Dutch Radio 1 ("Radio En")
Unidentified Dutch stations also heard on 91.8 and 93.9


Earlier this evening, around 4:45, the following were heard overlooking Kippax near Leeds:

87.7 Asian Air - Bradford - RSL
87.9 Leeds 11 FM - Leeds - RSL
88.1 Radio Frequency - Leeds - pirate (welcome back after a long absence!)
93.2 Sheffield Live - Sheffield - community radio station
94.7 BBC Radio Sheffield - Chesterfield TX
95.3 BBC Radio Derby
95.6 Fresh FM - Leeds - pirate
104.5 Peoples FM - Leeds - pirate
107.4 Peak FM - Chesterfield ILR

Also, I notice the Huddersfield ILR on 107.9 - which started out in 1998 as Huddersfield FM before becoming Home FM - is now IDing as The New Pennine FM. (The original Pennine Radio, which started in Bradford back in the 1970's, changed its name to Pulse FM in the 90's).

Slight lift from Holland

Slight tropo noticed this evening, a number of stations heard with variable-weak signals from 87.6 to 88.1 FM. None strong enough for RDS.

Only one was ID'd, namely Arrow Classic Rock on 87.7

On a Dutch high

As the high pressure area (which has been responsible for the freezing weather lately) dissipates, its swan song seems to be a bumper crop of tropo from the Netherlands and Belgium. This evening from 5pm to 6pm, the following were heard at Woodhall Service Station (north of M1 junction 30):

87.6 Unidentified (weak, music format)
87.7 Unidentified (weak)
87.9 Omroep Zeeland
89.5 Klara (classical music) RDS = KLARA
90.4 Klara RDS = KLARA
91.7 Radio 1 ("Radio En")
94.0 Radio Mi Amigo (Oldies) RDS = MI AMIGO
95.7 Radio 1 ("Radio En") RDS = RADIO 1
97.6 City FM
101.4 Unidentified (weak, rock music)
104.4 Radio 1

Dunno if Mi Amigo is connected in any way with the old offshore pirate, but it's obviously inspired by said; the jingles, and the format, are very reminiscent of the offshore Mi Amigo :-)

A couple of exotic UK stations were also heard; Stray FM on 97.4, and Yorkshire Coast Radio on 102.4

Skip from Eire to Holland

Tropo seems to be with us again.

This morning, from 7am to after 9am, RTE Lyric FM from Eire was heard on 87.8 (from the Clermont Carn TX). Heard while driving from Clowne to Garforth.

Also heard at the time, intermittently, was a Dutch station on 87.9. North of Wakefield, said station was competing with the Asian Paradise Radio RSL for the frequency.

On the way home, on 87.9 was Omroep Zeeland from Holland. (Possibly the Dutch station heard this morning on the frequency). This time the signal was at times quite strong (although no RDS received), audible all the way from Garforth to Clowne.

We traverse afar ...

so said the "three kings of orient" in the Xmas carol. And today, so do radio waves, on the VHF FM band at least.

The high pressure over the UK which is currently causing the annoying fog is also responsible for the tropospheric ducting, well they say it's an ill wind that blows no good :-)

Following stations were noted in Clowne, from 17:00 -

87.7 CAZ FM. Dutch, probably from Flevoland on the north Holland coast. With scrolling RDS (at one point, "CAZ" was on the RDS). Mostly in a foreign language, Xmas greetings from pop stars (including Destiny's Child) were in English. Format is pop music, both recent and oldies.

91.7 Unidentified. Sounds German. Playing what sounded like Xmas music.

100.7 Q-Music. Belgian. Heard before. Freq not listed (perhaps West Vlaanderen on 100.8?)

106.4 Kiss FM from East Anglia. English (when some rap records played, still in English - just about!). RDS = __KISS__

106.9 Again unidentified, language sounded French.

No chance of "following yonder star" until the fog lifts, however ...

Seasons Greetings!