Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) is a public broadcaster for the German state of Saarland. Their radio network consists of five programming streams. The radio programs are transmitted on several transmitters throughout Saarland. SR used to broadcast on medium wave on 1422 kHz until 1994. The network Deutschlandfunk took over the channel on 1 January 1995.
We heard the SR1 Europawelle network on some of their transmitters during our July 1989 trip. Below are the QSL cards they sent in response to my reports.
Deutschlandfunk is a German public broadcasting network which specializes in current affairs and news. They have an extensive network of FM stations throughout the country and several MW (AM) stations. They have broadcast on longwave and shortwave in the past, but these outlets have closed down.
They were an easy catch on MW when we lived in Southern Germany. I sent a report of their shortwave outlet for which they returned a QSL card. They also sent QSLs for two longwave, five medium wave, and one FM outlets. I recently heard their 1422 outlet here in Maryland for which they verified my reception report.
Bayerischer Rundfunk is a “public service” broadcaster for the German state of Bayern (Bavaria). As they were a local station to where we lived near Munich and they were a good QSL verifier, I decided what the heck, I would send them reception reports. In addition to the FM and MW outlets I heard in Germany, I also verified them on shortwave (6085 kHz) from Maryland.
I ended up with 16 FM stations, two MW stations, and one SW station verified by them.
(Click on the thumbnails for full views of the QSLs)
BRF
Hof
530 KHz
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Dillberg/Ismaning
801 kHz
BRF 1
Grunten
90.7 MHz
BRF 3
Hoher Bogen
94.7 MHz
Bayerischer Rundfunk
BRF 3
Grunten
95.8 MHz
BRF 3
Hochberg
95.9 MHz
BRF 3
Inntal
95.9 MHz
BRF 3
Kreuzberg
96.3 MHz
Büttelberg
99.3 MHz
Bayerischer Rundfunk
BRF 3
Ismaning
97.3 MHz
Brotjackriegel
94.4 MHz
Hohe Linie
99.6 MHz
Ochsenkopf
99.4 MHz
We heard Radio FFN on a trip to Northwest Germany (where my Harms ancestors are from) in July 1988. These QSLs are for their transmitters in Lingen on 101.5 MHz and Aurich on 103.1 MHz. The Lingen transmitter serves the Ems area, and the Aurich transmitter serves the Meer (or Sea) area. Radio FFN is owned and operated by Funk und Fernsehen Nordwestdeutschland GmbH in Isernhager.
Before Antenne Bayern came on the air, Radio RPR was an easy catch on my car radio on the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. Below are three QSL cards and a letter I received from them for reception reports. They also send a sticker seen here to the right.
Antenne Bayern transmits its programs over a network of transmitters throughout Bavaria (Bayern). After a period of test transmissions in the summer of 1988, they went on the air with their first official broadcast at 0600 Central European Time on 5 September 1988.
I sent a reception report for the first hour of their first official broadcast. In return, they verified my report and sent 10 stickers, each with a different frequency. You can see copies of the verifications and the stickers below. Additionally, I recorded a couple of their test transmissions. Check them out below.
Antenne Bayern a
Antenne Bayern Data Sheet
Antenne Bayern
Antenne Bayern 100.6
Antenne Bayern 101.5
Antenne Bayern 101.9
Antenne Bayern 102.0
Antenne Bayern 102.7
Antenne Bayern 103.2
Antenne Bayern 103.3
Antenne Bayern 103.5
Antenne Bayern 103,8
Antenne Bayern 104.4
Antenne Bayern – First Hour of Broadcast – Part 1
Zugspitze
102.7 MHz
5 September 1988 0555 MEZ
Antenne Bayern – First Hour of Broadcast – Part 2
Zugspitze
102.7 MHz
5 September 1988
Antenne Bayern – Test Transmission
Munich
101.3 MHz
June 1988
Antenne Bayern – Test Transmission
Traunstein
103.7 MHz
15 August 1988
When we lived in Germany we occasionally took weekend trips to Switzerland. While there I had fun doing a little DXing and band scanning. I also sent off reception reports for QSL verifications. Below is a gallery of QSLs that I received from the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation for receptions of their FM stations that we heard while traveling around the country. Many of the stations were heard at Interlaken, our favorite destination in Switzerland.
Of interest are a couple of QSLs for tunnel re-broadcasters. They received signals on the outside of the tunnel and re-broadcast them inside the tunnel.
In addition to the 39 QSL cards shown here, I received 15 verifications with an annotation on photocopes of my reports.
(Click on the thumbnails below for full views) (Audio clips below thumbnails – Scroll down)
SBC Logo
DRS 1
Bantiger
88.2 MHz
DRS 1
Bantiger
88.2 MHz
DRS 1
Baden Horndli
88.4 MHz
DRS (?)
Boltigen
89.3 MHz
DRS 1
Solothurn
89.7 MHz
Bernina Railway – Grisons
DRS 1
Biel-Mannlingen
90.2 MHz
DRS (?)
Langnau
90.5 MHz
DRS 1
St. Chrischona
90.6 MHz
Baregg
90.9 MHz
DRS 1
Baregg Tunnel
90.9 MHz
Radio Suisse Romande 1
Moron
91.2 MHz
Appenzell – Street Scene
DRS (?)
Hopflauen
91.4 MHz
DRS 1
Bonigen
91.5 MHz
DRS 3
Eggiwil
91.8
Radio Suisse Romande 1
Fribourg
91.9 MHz
DRS (?)
Solothurn
94.4 MHz
Lenburg Castle
DRS 1
Uetliberg
94.6 MHz
DRS 1
Gubrist Tunnel
94.6 MHz
DRS 1
Niederhorn
94.7 MHz
Radio Suisse Romande 1
La Dôle
94.8 MHz
DRS 1
Balstal
95.3 MHz
Regensburg near Zürich
Radio Suisse Romande 1
Mount Pelerin
95.3 MHz
DRS (?)
Rosenburg Tunnel
96.0 MHz
Radio Suisse Romande 1
Hornfluh
96.0 MHz
DRS 1
Froburg
96.0 MHz
Radio Suisse Romande 1
Premier
96.2 MHz
DRS (?) Wassfluh 96.3 MHz
DRS 1
Winterthur
99.2 MHz
DRS 1
Säntis
99.9 MHz
DRS (?)
Buchserberg
100.8 MHz
RSR (?) Guggisberg102.1 MHz
Lake Lucerne, Central Switzerland
DRS 3
Valzeina
104.3 MHz
DRS 3
Valzeina
104.3 MHz
DRS 3
Geissholz
105.6 MHz
DRS 3
Säntis
105.6 MHz
DRS 3
Niederhorn
105.8 MHz
Matterhorn, Valais
DRS 3
St. Gallen
106.0 MHz
DRS 3
St. Gallen
106.0 MHz
DRS (?)
Klewenalp
107.0 MHz
(DRS ?)
Biel Magglingen
107.3 MHz
DRS 3
Pfander
107.5 MHz
St. Ursanne, Jura
DRS possibly in Langau on 90.5 MHz – 29 June 1989
Music, time pips, and morning 8:00 news by male announcer
DRS – 20 August 1988 – Music, time check for 17:00, and then DRS Nachrichten (News) by female announcer.
Radio Suisse Romande – La Premiere (RSR-1) – Music, identification, and two men talking (sporting event.)
Below are my AFKN QSLs that I collected over the years. The Army printed up some QSL cards for DXers who send reception reports. AFKN headquarters in Yongsan sent out QSL cards on postcard stock for my reports sent directly to them. I got my hands on a blank one and made several photocopies. Those were sent out with reception reports to the local, non-headquarters stations. Later on, I printed up my own prepared card. The reply rate was 100 percent regardless of where I sent the reports.
The American Forces Korean Network came into existence soon after the US troops landed in Inchon in September 1950. Since then it has undergone numerous changes. For further information about AFKN and its history, click here.
After a slight name change to American Forces Network Korea (AFN-Korea) in 2001 AFKN cease to exist. Since we left Korea in 1997, the network has undergone some format changes and some realignments of channels. But it is still the basic network serving the Department of Defense personnel in Korea. The network has a listenership and viewership among foreigners and among some Koreans.
Most of my reports were for receptions made in or near Seoul. But some of them were made on the road.
I hope you enjoy looking at them. I enjoyed collecting them.
(Click on the thumbnails below for larger views.)
Radio Japan has issued attractive QSL cards over the years. The earliest QSL shown here is from 1969. At that time, Radio Japan broadcast from only one site, Yamata, Japan. Since then, they have broadcast from over 20 different sites, mostly on lease agreements. In 1979 and the early 1980’s, I served as an official monitor for Radio Japan.
Sometime in the 1990’s, NHK changed the name of its overseas service from Radio Japan to NHK World Radio Japan. It is still the same station but with a slightly different name.
As of this writing, there are 52 different QSL issues for 17 different transmitter sites in my collection. I am sure more will be added in the future.
