Back to the Home Page

 
Long Wave reception in Cork, Ireland (153-279 KHz)


The Long Wave band is unusual in that it is only used by broadcasters in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Most transmitters use very high power and they are able to cover a much greater area during daylight hours than would be possible on the Medium Wave band (531-1611 KHz). The map and list below shows what was heard in Cork.

Location of Long Wave transmitters
Long Wave stations heard in Cork

List of stations heard
Freq.
(KHz)
Station Name
Location
Power
(KW)
Distance
(kms)
Notes
153
Deutschlandfunk
Donebach, approx 50 kms SE of Frankfurt
500
1300
This station is present at daytime but the signal is very weak.
162
France Inter
Allouis, Approx 40 kms E of Tours
2000
950
Always a good signal, day and night.
171
Radio Rosiya
Bolshakovo, Kaliningrad (Russian Baltic enclave)
600
2000
Nightime only. Weak signal.
171
Radio Mediterranee International
Nador, N coast of Morocco
2000
1900
Nightime only. Very weak.
177
Deutschlandradio Berlin
Zehlendorf, just N of Berlin
500
1500
This station is present at daytime but the signal is very weak.
183
Europe 1
Felsberg, Saarbrucken, Germany.
2000
1100
Always a good signal, day and night.
198
BBC Radio 4
Droitwich, SW of Birmingham
500
460
Very strong.
207
Deutschlandfunk
Aholming, approx 50 kms NE of Munich
500
1570
This station is present at daytime but the signal is  weak. Of the 3 German signals on the band, this seems to be the strongest one during daylight hours.
216
Radio Monte Carlo / Trans World Radio
Roumoules, approx 50 kms NE of Marseilles
1400
1410
Moderate signal during the day. Good at night.
225
Polskie Program 1
Solec Kujawski, C Poland
1000
1910
Nightime only. Weak.
234
RTL
Beidweiler, E. Luxembourg
2000
1080
Good signal day and night.
252
RTE Radio 1
Clarkestown, Co.Meath. Approx 40 kms NW of Dublin.
500
260
Big signal here on the South coast of Ireland. Suffers a lot at night from interference from the Algerian station.
252
Alger Chaine 3
Tipaza, Algeria
1500
1900
Heard at night underneath the RTE signal.
270
Casky Rozhlas 1
Topolna, Czech Rep.
650
1840
Nightime only. Weak.

Some Notes...
1) Equipment - All signals were heard using a Kenwood TS-140 radio and a 40 metre long wire antenna approx 5 m above ground level.

2) General Hi-Fi Radios - All signals heard on the Kenwood could also be heard on a small SONY 3-in-1 type Hi-Fi system. The SONY has an internal antenna (ferrite rod) which seems to work very well on Long Wave. This would suggest that perhaps any decent type of radio should be capable of giving good performance on Long Wave.

3) Noise - The biggest problem on Long Wave seems to be noise. Many of the signals are very strong but the amount of electrical and electronic noise can be very high. Computers, Televisions, some power supplies and some security systems can generate an awful lot of noise on the Long Wave band.

4) Daylight - The stations that can be heard during daylight hours (near midday) are shown in RED. The 3 German stations can also be heard but they are very weak and buried in the noise. If you live further East, like in the UK, then you may be able to hear them during the day. Near sunset, the stations shown in PURPLE start to appear and last until sunrise.

5) 252 khz - One of the most unusual features of the Long Wave band here in Cork is how strong the Algerian station is on 252 khz. Even though the RTE Radio 1 transmitter on 252 khz is only 260 kms away and has a very strong signal, the Algerian station can nearly always be heard underneath the RTE signal at night. It seems to be a lot stronger than other stations located approx 2000 kms away. One factor that may explain this is that most of the path from the transmitter in Algeria to Cork is over a sea path. Only 300 kms of the 1,900 kms is over land (NE of Spain) with the balance over the Mediterranean and Atlantic. (Note - Long Wave & Medium Wave signals travel a lot further over water paths due to the high conductivity of salt water).

6) 252 khz interference solution - If, for example,  you live in the UK and you suffer from this interference problem on the RTE signal on 252 khz, there is a simple solution. Assuming that your radio has an internal antenna for  Long Wave reception, then all you need to do is to rotate your radio. As you rotate it, you will find one point where the RTE signal will get weak. You will also find another point  where the Algerian signal will get weak and the interference on the RTE signal should disappear.

© John Desmond 2007. Last Updated May 2007

Back to the Home Page
 

Top of this Page