QSL: CBY Corner Brook NL 990

CBY in Corner Brook is the most difficult AM frequency for CBC Newfoundland at my location as 990 kHz is also used by a number of European stations. Spanish and English stations dominate this frequency and the signal of CBY is heard relatively seldom.

CBY was heard several times at Lista in January though. We had good reception of CBY one morning when they started their morning transmission at 09.30 UTC (06.00 Newfoundland local time). On this particular morning their signal was suddenly all alone on 990 kHz. Terry Brett also confirmed my reception of CBY with a nice full data PDF QSL.

QSL: CBNA St. Anthony NL 600

Most stations from Newfoundland are easy DX targets at Lista. CBC Newfoundland can be heard easily on a number of frequencies. Reception on 750 (CBGY Bonavista Bay) and 1400 kHz (CBG Gander) is particularly good, but their other frequencies are also common.

CBNA in St. Anthony on 600 kHz has also been a regular untill now. This spring, however, this transmitter was turned off for good and replaced by a FM frequency. This according to Terry Brett, Systems Technologist at CBC Newfoundland, who confirmed my reception of CBNA from January with a full data electronic QSL card.

QSL: VOAR Mount Pearl NL 1210

The signal of VOAR is easily heard at Lista on its mediumwave frequency of 1210 kHz whenever conditions are reasonable towards North America. Reception would have been much better if it wasn’t for powerhouse Absolute Radio on nearby 1215 kHz. The signal of Absolute Radio is so strong that it often ruins the nearby channels of 1210 and 1220 kHz. Even though the signal strength of VOAR is often good, the overall quality of reception is usually fair at best.

For some reason, I have never sent a reception report to VOAR untill now. Chief Engineer R. Brian Matthews kindly confirmed my reception of the station made at Lista in March. He says the AM signal of VOAR will soon be history as the station has been granted application to move to FM. He expects their AM transmitter will switch off for good sometime this November.

VOAR is one of only 4 remaining radio stations in Canada using the old call letters of Newfoundland VO.., the others being VOWR, VOCM AM and VOCM FM. The now doomed 10 kilowatt AM transmitter of VOAR is situated at Mount Pearl outside St. Johns’s. VOAR belongs to the Adventist church and transmits religious programmes only.

 

QSL: CFCB Corner Brook NL 570

570 kHz is usually dominated by Cuban Radio Reloj at my usual DX site at Lista. When conditions favour stations further north, CFCB in Newfoundland is the most commonly heard North American station on this frequency.

Richard King, Program Director, kindly confirmed my reception report on CFCB from January 2011. CFCB broadcasts with a power of 1 kilowatt from Corner Brook on the Eastern part of Newfoundland.

QSL: CKIM Baie Verte NL 1240

The most common station on 1240 kHz at Lista is definitely CKIM. In fact it is so common that it is nearly a pest station ruining reception of other stations on this interesting graveyard frequency. I caught CKIM with a local identification early in the evening at Lista in January 2011, or rather an identification for 620 CKCM as CKIM is a repeater only without any local programming. Later on in the evening CKIM always has regular VOCM programming.

The CKIM transmitter is located in Baie Verte on the northern coastline of Newfoundland. It certainly does well for 1 kilowatt only. Program Director Richard King, who has confirmed several VOCM stations for me previously, confirmed my audio recording of CKIM with a nice e-mail reply.

QSL: CFLN Goose Bay NL / CFGN Port-aux-Basques NL 1230

Signals from the CFCB radio network popped up also on 1230 kHz at the October 2008 DX pedition to Lista. These signals could originate from either CFLN in Goose Bay, Labrador or from CFGN in Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland, as both these transmitters repeats CFCB in their respective coverage area.

As far as I know, there is no way in separating these transmitters when they relay CFCB programming which they do most of the day. CFLN is listed with 1 kilowatt of power though while CFGN is only listed with 250 watts of power, which could indicate that we heard the most powerful transmitter (CFLN in Goose Bay).  CFLN will be moving to FM shortly so the next time we hear CFCB on 1230 kHz it will surely be CFGN… 🙂

Richard King kindly confirmed my reception of CFCB on 1230 kHz with another e-mail last week.

QSL: CFNW Port au Choix NL 790

Hearing CFNW on 790 kHz is not terribly difficult at Lista, especially early at night when other stations haven’t faded in yet. CFNW is located in the small town of Port au Choix on the Northwestern coastline of Newfoundland. According to Wikipedia, Port au Choix (also spelled Port aux Choix) had a population of just 893 in 2006 so it is a very small place…

CFNW does not have it own programming, it only relays programming from CFCB in Corner Brooks. The transmitter is listed as transmitting with 1 kilowatt of power only. Richard King, Program Director at CKGM, confirmed my October 2008 reception of CFNW at Lista with an e-mail some days ago.

QSL: CBT Grand Falls NL 540

Now that Belgium has left and Hungary doesn’t use the frequency at night, 540 kHz has become a frequency opening up for Transatlantic DX. During the October 2008 DX-pedition to Lista, 3 stations were heard on this frequencies: CBT in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, CBGA1 in New Carlisle, Québec and WFLF in Pine Hills, Florida. Of these 3 stations, CBT in Grand Falls Windsor in Newfoundland usually had the best signal. CBT broadcasts with a power of 10 kilowatts carrying regular CBC Radio One programming as well as  local programming and regional programming. Keith Durnford at CBC in St. John’s confirmed my reception of CBT with an e-mail today.

QSL: CKGA Gander NL 650

CKGA in Gander, Newfoundland, is one of the most commonly heard North American radio stations here. The station can be heard almost every night in the winter season on its frequency 650 kHz, provided you have a decent radio and antenna of course. CKGA is part of the VOCM Radio Network in Newfoundland and simulcasts the mainstream VOCM programming most of the day.

On both the November 2007 and the February 2008 DX-pedition to Lista, CKGA could, however, be heard signing on at 06.00 a.m. local time with a local station identification. The station identification was announced as: “6-50 C-K-G-A Gander, a Newcap Radio Field Communication Station”. 6.00 a.m. equals 10.30 our local time and it was a bit surprising to hear CKGA so late in the morning as 10.30 was about 2 hours past our local sunrise. The ever so kind Richard King, Program Director, who has confirmed a couple of my other reports of VOCM radio stations previously, also confirmed my audio clip of CKGA with an e-mail.

QSL: CBGY Bonavista Bay NL 750

CBC Newfoundland is one of most commonly heard AM stations from North America in Southern Norway. Both CBN St. John’s on 600 kHz, CBGY on 750 kHz and CBG on 1400 kHz are easy catches.

The only one of these 3 transmitters which I had not verified previously was CBGY in Bonavista Bay on 750 kHz. Today, however, I received a brief e-mail from Keith Durnford at CBC Newfoundland confirming my reception of the station. This was another report from the successfull November 2007 DX-pedition to Lista on the southwest coast of Norway.

QSL: CHCM Marystown NL 740

 

CHCM in Marystown, Newfoundland, is one of the most commonly stations heard on the AM band from North America. The station has only got own programming during the local mornings and afternoons, otherwise they relay VOCM from St. John’s. CHCM do have some local commercials and station identifications though during the VOCM programming, usually identifying as “CHCM 7-40 Country”.

Program Director Gary Myles replied to my reception report today with an e-mail. This was for an audio recording made on the November 2007 DX-pedition to Lista when I heard the station with a terrific signal carrying local commercials at night.

QSL: CBN St. John’s NL 640

Keith Durnford at CBC Newfoundland sent me an e-mail verifying my report to CBN in St. John’s, Newfoundland on 640 kHz. CBN is an easy catch at Lista and I have also heard this station on my modest longwire antennas at home on several occacions. CBN usually has a weaker signal than CBG in Gander on 1400 kHz though.

QSL: CKCM Grand Falls NL 620

Richard King sent me an e-mail last week confirming my reception of CKCM Grand Falls NL. This VOCM outlet is an easy catch, but is usually heard with only standard VOCM programming. My report was from October 2005 when I heard some local commercials for various companies in Grand Falls on 620 kHz.

QSL: CKVO Clarenville NL 710

Richard King also verified my report on the VOCM outlet at Clarenville on 710 AM (CKVO). CKVO was heard with a local identification as “7-10 VOCM” and with local commercials for a.o. the upcoming Christmas sales while we were at Lista on November 2 last year.

QSL: VOCM St. John’s NL 590

The most common North American radio station of them all, VOCM in St. John’s, Newfoundland, replied today with an e-mail from Richard King, Program Director. VOCM is a very easy catch, especially at Lista where they can always be heard with a good signal from before dusk to well after dawn. VOCM is my verified radio station no. 600!