FMDX: ES season in the run
Summer Es (spodaric E) -season started in here in May. So far this season has not been so productive but in the southern coast of Finland DXers have got some excellent results. I’ve got only one really good day (8th June 2017) when FM band was open for hours. My equipment for FM is Perseus SDR with FM+ converter and 5el Triax-yagi some 3m from the ground. I use my station as remote, QTH is about 12km from my home. My location in the west coast of Finland is quite ok for UK/Ireland and France but I am a bit too north for eg. Greece and Turkey. I have fixed antenna direction to 210 degrees, which receives the stations from Romania to Ireland.
22.5.17
The start of the season took some time. Short opening with low MUF to ROU/AUT/CZE. Then at 20z some BBCs on the low band.
23.5.17
FM band was up and down several hours. It peaked 11-12z to Italy with some powerhouse D and HRV also. MUF was hardly over 90 MHz but got some interesting Italians like Millennium, Radio Freccia (new chain), One Dance and Radio LatteMiele Torino.
24.5.17
Short one minute to Italy daytime then 1622-1655 mixed Germany and France. MUF again was not very high. Mostly powerhouses but managed to catch Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg. Some F shorties also later in the evening.
30.5.17
Another very short (few minutes) opening to ITA/HRV.
31.5.17
I turned my antenna to about 170 degrees so I was able to catch some Ukraine and even some Turkish stations this day. Band was up and down but peaked for 30 minutes to UKR between 1822-1847 UTC. Most of the stations were Russians from the occupied Krim, Simferopol.
2.6.17
Few minutes to openings to Balkan and Italy at 08z and 16z.
4.6.17
Over 4 hours opening mostly to Italy with lots of powerhouses and chain stations on the band. At the beginning of the opening also some RTE and BBC on the band the after the Italians some D, Balkan and CZE. At times MUF was high (over 105 MHz) but not many new Italians found. Radio Marilù, Radio Alba, Radio Piterpan were the interesting ones. From Germany AFN The Eagle was heard. At 1515z I heard ERA 2 Deutero Programma, which was the first Greek station for me since 1990s (I was QRT 1998-2013). From Serbia Radio Rubin was nice catch and especially Radio Ferizaj from Kosovo.
5.6.17
2 hours of es but unfortunately mostly powerhouses from Germany with MUF below 100 MHz. The best stations were probably the two first ones: Radio Pogoda POL and West City Radio ROU. Other worth of mentioning: Landeswelle Thüringen, Rom Radio (SRB), Hrvatski Radio Karlovac (HRV).
6.6.17
Few short openings in the morning and daytime: F, HRV, D, BUL. Not much to talk about.
7.6.17
3½ hours of chaos. Band was open from Bosnia to UK. So much QSB and QRM that very difficult to dig anything. I have not listened recordings yet but there are stations like Radio Central (SUI), Slavonski Radio (HRV), InfoRádió (HNG), we will see.
8.6.17
The best opening so far and Top10-days all time. All started with CZE Fajn Radio Hity at 0506z and ended at 1214z with RTE. Very good SVK/HRV/HNG/POL opening around 07z (I had “blind recording” on as I was working), then Ireland moving to Benelux and even some Danish stations! Denmark skip is less than 1000km for my QTH. Then France and condx fininshing to UK. I still have one hour of recordings to go thru but some goodies are: Rádio SiTy (SVK), Radio Kaj Krapina (local, HRV), RMF Maxxx Oleśnica (local, POL), Radio Doxa (POL), BBC Oxford, South East Radio (IRL), Today FM (IRL), Red FM (IRL), Midwest Radio (IRL), Skala FM (DNK), Radio Skive (DNK), North Norfolk Radio, France Bleu Poitou, La radio sans pub (F), France Bleu Maine, RBM (F), Radio 538 (HOL), Sweet FM (F), Radio Eenhoorn (HOL), L’Autre Radio (F), Radio Melinda (BEL) … much more quality in these stations!
9.6.17
Few minutes of HNG (Tisza-tó Rádió) and SRB (BB Radio Bački Brestovac) then later few minutes of BBC.
11.6.17
RAI and France Culture heard.
13.6.17
Condx to RUS and UKR. Antenna to wrong direction but at least to stations to report: UR 1 Persha Prog. and Radio Mir.
14.6.17
Band never opened properly. Here and there some powerhouses and Radio ROKS – Ukraina.
