Good things come for those who wait. So, no matter if it required quite five years of chasing, here I am with my QSL from SAQ, found in the mailbox today. It's related to the broadcast held on 3rd July 2011, twenty-six days ago (my previous blog entry here). I'd remember everyone that, for a radio aficionado, Grimeton Radio marks the last chance of a signal in the clear in VLF (17.2 kHz). The station ended its commercial mission years ago, but the Alexander Generator and the huge towers used to broadcast the signal from Sweden are too much of radio-architectural interest to be lost, so it's now a foundation which takes care of the station, with some special broadcasts scheduled every year. Receiving 17.2 kHz succesfully requires a set-up not really at entry level, but you have a challenginng option: SAQ frequency falls in the range of a personal computer soundcard, so plug the antenna to the "line-in", and run a spectrum visualization software like "Argo". Propagation should do the magic. Personally, as you know, I'm old fashioned, so I did run with an NRD-525 coupled to the PA0RDT "Mini-whip", and I'm proud of the confirmation. Long live to SAQ, and the Grimeton Heritage!

73,
Chris

You'll forgive me being silent in the last days. I'm testing a new antenna (with interesting results, as you'll soon read). However, today it was a special Sunday, with a double SAQ transmission planned., and this deserves to be shared You surely know we're talking about the Alexander Generator station in Grimeton, Sweden. One of the last starring characters of VLF aiming radio enthousiasts (everything else left is strategical). Probably due to the fact I'm not owning the best set-up for such low frequencies reception, this station gave me hard times in the past. On the last Christmas transmission (that's when they usually activate the mastodontic generator) I wasn't able to receive at all their signal. Today, however, NRD-525 and "Mini-whip" did the trick: they came in pretty strong both times, at 9.00 and 12.00 UTC. Tuning of the generator started quite in advance, and it' has been a double pleasure either to receive a signal coming from quite far on 17.2 kHz and hearing so classy hand-keyed CW. A short evidence is in the video above. Reception reports will be accepted for today's broadcast, both via e-mail and standard letter. So, you can easily guess what will be my next step, as I miss confirmation from this station so far!

73,
Chris