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Author Topic: DPRK 11710 KHz  (Read 2038 times)

Offline [tRMZ]

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DPRK 11710 KHz
« on: May 19, 2018, 1410 UTC »
does anybody else in USA like to catch •Voice of Korea• from KUJANG? I'm frickin obsessed with hearing their English-language broadcasts! It's been a thing with me...trying to catch DPRK.
Well conditions + reception is getting better for that...I am hearing their French program now 14:06z. It seems like every time I copy their English-language program it's not optimum and I can only catch every other word.

I'm just intrigued and I want to hear what DPRK could possibly have to say to me in English! I'm hearing French very clearly now. Every time I hear English...too much noise.

Is it a...bad idea to ask for QSL card from Pyongyang? I want to, but...just tell me it's a bad idea plz!  ::)
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Upper MI's Copper Country
•Grundig Satellit 750• w/wire-clip
•Kaito 1103• w/wire-clip EXT ant
•Uniden BC125AT•
•Uniden BCD436HP•
2 •GE 3-5980A handheld CB•

(I got another EXT SW antenna but haven't taken it out of the box just yet!)

Offline MDK2

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2018, 1524 UTC »
I have found that Voice of Korea's beams to the Americas propagate best in May and June, but this year, when the solar activity is as low as can be, it hasn't been great. But it's still better than the preceding months.

Lots of people have QSL'd VOK, so go for it. But it must be sent by snail mail.

Anyway, I have some hearing damage and always struggle to understand it. The signal has to be just perfect, which I haven't copied since May/June of 2016, because between their accents (especially the male announcer), their sometimes strange diction ("dotard," anyone?), the perennial presence of their own jamming transmission mixing with their broadcast, and of course the background noise that their signal seldom overcomes, I can usually only understand every fourth or fifth word myself. That said, this time of year gives you your best shot at hearing a decent copy.

And yes, it's an interesting station to listen to, because until very recently it was the one most stuck in Cold War mode, with over the top screeds about America and the "South Korean puppet" (the government in Seoul).  When I started getting into SWLing, it reminded me greatly of Mao-era CCP propaganda I had studied. Listeners who remember Radio Peking will know what I'm talking about.
Denver, CO.
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eQSLs appreciated wickerjennie at gmail

Offline Josh

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2018, 1705 UTC »
I don't think the fbi would bother you over a request for a qsl card, but it will get more data added to your "file".

Also, I expect anything from that part of the world to respond best with a vertical or other low angle of radiation antenna, so perhaps a horizontal dipole or horizontal loop isn't the best for long path work. You know, if you're using that kinda dipole or loop.
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Offline Pigmeat

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2018, 2139 UTC »
People wrote Radio Moscow and most of the Warsaw Pact countries for QSL's at the height of the Cold War with no hassles other than it took forever to get some of them.

It might be akin to writing Radio Havana back in the day where the QSL had to travel through non-embargo country we had good relations with.

Offline shadypyro

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2018, 2239 UTC »
I have yet to send the reception report i wrote for one of their Spanish broadcast to them, and i always amazed how they say Korea "Career" in english lol.

I also get stuff from Radio Habana Cuba even though it takes time to get the mail to my location as it goes to Montreal Quebec.
Tecsun PL-880, MLA-30 plus loop antenna. Various sdrs.

Please eQSL to deserthawk1990@hotmail.com

Offline skeezix

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2018, 2333 UTC »
VoK comes in here on 11710, 9435 and used to on 15180 & 13760.

I did send reception reports to R Moscow back in 1989 & 1990 and still have the stuff I got from them. I know I made a list back then, but seems to have no impact to this day.

If you have a hard time listening to them from where you are, you can try them on U of Twente's WebSDR. They come in pretty well there.

In a way, I'll miss their Cold War antics. They're the last vestige of that era on shortwave. While R Havana has their views of us, its not the old style nor all that interesting. VoK is kind of like listening to a time machine.
Minneapolis, MN

Offline [tRMZ]

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2018, 2009 UTC »
I have yet to send the reception report i wrote for one of their Spanish broadcast to them, and i always amazed how they say Korea "Career" in english lol.

yeah! "THIS...is the Voice of Ko-reeh-ur!"
--------------------------------------
Upper MI's Copper Country
•Grundig Satellit 750• w/wire-clip
•Kaito 1103• w/wire-clip EXT ant
•Uniden BC125AT•
•Uniden BCD436HP•
2 •GE 3-5980A handheld CB•

(I got another EXT SW antenna but haven't taken it out of the box just yet!)

Offline [tRMZ]

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2018, 2021 UTC »
Thnx for ur help and I gotta tell you this brief story cuz it's hilarious:

Sumtime in the early 60s...my dad was a kid and he was really into radio. Like a nerd! Anyway, he sent a QSL request to •Radio Moscow•, and he asked them for sum maps of Russia. He liked maps.

Well...awhile later he got a letter from...State Dept? Anyway they told him that (paraphrase)
"the materials you requested have been deemed to be propaganda, and so if u really want those maps, you have to file a request with US Gov't."

His mom was PISSED!!

So then in like 1969 he got another letter from the State Dept that explained to him (paraphrase):

"...we kno u asked for maps from Moscow 10 yrs ago when you were 11... and we told you that you'd have to file official paperwork w US Gov't to request those materials. ..however, now that law has been declared unconstitutional, so sry about that. Go ahead and ask for the maps"

...I wish I had the letters in front of me so I didn't have to paraphrase from second-hand memory but...LOL that's hilarious! Can u imagine his mom's reaction?
"The little bastard wrote to MOSCOW! And we got a letter about it from the Feds!"

 ;D :D
--------------------------------------
Upper MI's Copper Country
•Grundig Satellit 750• w/wire-clip
•Kaito 1103• w/wire-clip EXT ant
•Uniden BC125AT•
•Uniden BCD436HP•
2 •GE 3-5980A handheld CB•

(I got another EXT SW antenna but haven't taken it out of the box just yet!)

Offline [tRMZ]

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2018, 1415 UTC »
good copy on French-language program. They're probly hearing this in Montreal, so...good for them
--------------------------------------
Upper MI's Copper Country
•Grundig Satellit 750• w/wire-clip
•Kaito 1103• w/wire-clip EXT ant
•Uniden BC125AT•
•Uniden BCD436HP•
2 •GE 3-5980A handheld CB•

(I got another EXT SW antenna but haven't taken it out of the box just yet!)

Offline [tRMZ]

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2018, 1328 UTC »
Thanks for all ur help; I'm copying English program now, I guess I won't post on this topic anymore cuz there's a newer thread posted 5/26 and I just posted on it.

Thanks! I am gonna ask Pyongyang for QSL!
--------------------------------------
Upper MI's Copper Country
•Grundig Satellit 750• w/wire-clip
•Kaito 1103• w/wire-clip EXT ant
•Uniden BC125AT•
•Uniden BCD436HP•
2 •GE 3-5980A handheld CB•

(I got another EXT SW antenna but haven't taken it out of the box just yet!)

Offline Josh

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2018, 1547 UTC »
Meanwhile in Russia... a swl who wanted to get qsl cards and scheds from the west met up with someone in a warsaw pact country at the border to collect them from him and was arrested by the kgb and imprisoned. Years in prison for being a swl. Nice the state dept only made one request the material rather than raiding their homes.
We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations.

Offline [tRMZ]

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Re: DPRK 11710 KHz
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2018, 0113 UTC »
Meanwhile in Russia... a swl who wanted to get qsl cards and scheds from the west met up with someone in a warsaw pact country at the border to collect them from him and was arrested by the kgb and imprisoned. Years in prison for being a swl. Nice the state dept only made one request the material rather than raiding their homes.

Yeah...it is nice. It wasn't ONLY a QSL request. He unfortunately also asked for maps from Moscow. That was the issue; the maps... :o
--------------------------------------
Upper MI's Copper Country
•Grundig Satellit 750• w/wire-clip
•Kaito 1103• w/wire-clip EXT ant
•Uniden BC125AT•
•Uniden BCD436HP•
2 •GE 3-5980A handheld CB•

(I got another EXT SW antenna but haven't taken it out of the box just yet!)

 

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