Millers Point Mini DXpedition
July/August 2004

By Gary Deacon

Millers Point is situated on the picturesque coastal route between Simonstown and Cape Point, approximately 45 km south-east of Cape Town. This coastal resort is an excellent location for early evening MW DX. It is a short 20 minute drive from my QTH in Fish Hoek. I set up an 80 metre antenna directed towards Australia and used the FRG7 via a home-built preselector to DX from my car. I used a separate 12 volt car battery for the receiver.

I listened for a few evenings during July and August 2004 from 1500 UTC (approximately an hour before local sunset) until around 1700 UTC. Asia, The Far East and Australia were noted each evening. Some of these stations were really strong ! Australia 720 kHz and 1296 kHz, China 1134khz, 1323 kHz and 1593kHz , Vietnam 1242 kHz, Maldives 1449 kHz, Taiwan 1503kHz, Phillipines 1530 kHz, India 1566 kHz and Mauritius 1575 kHz were almost local quality at times !

Excellent Openings to Australia on 8/7 (South Australia) and 12/8 (Western Australia).

The most notable : 2AY Albury 1494 kHz (2kw), 2QN Deniliquin 1521 kHz (2kw) and 6NM Northam (500 watts).

Vision FM on 1431 kHz was heard for the first time.

675 1620 AUSTRALIA 6BE Broome w Olympic commentary - poor 25/8

720 1527 AUSTRALIA 6WF Perth w Olympic commentary - very good 25/8

729 1525 AUSTRALIA 5RN Adelaide w discussion - fair 8/7.

774 1610 AUSTRALIA 3LO Melbourne w Olympic commentary - poor but clear with QRM 26/8

783 1616 CHINA (presumed) w language lesson - fair 8/7

810 1540 AUSTRALIA 6RN Perth w traditional country music - poor under Mozambique 25/8

828 1545 AUSTRALIA 6GN Geraldton w Olympic commentary - fair 25/8

882 1625 AUSTRALIA 6PR Perth w ads - good steady signal - surprising for 2 kw ! 12/8

891 1515 AUSTRALIA 5AN Adelaide w Olympic commentary - poor under Radio Losotho 26/8

918 1610 AUSTRALIA 6NA Narrogin w report about a drunk driver - poor/fair 12/8

981 1518 AUSTRALIA 6KG Kalgoorlie w pops - poor 25/8

990 1515 AUSTRALIA 6RPH Perth w BBC relay - poor 8/7

1026 1517 AUSTRALIA 6NW Port Hedland w pops - poor 25/8

1044 1720 INDIA AIR Mumbai A w ragas // 1566 kHz - poor

1062 1514 AUSTRALIA 5RN Renmark w Olympic commentary - poor 25/8

1062 1548 PHILLIPINES DZEC Quezon City w easy listening music (Nat King Cole) - fair 26/8

1080 1605 AUSTRALIA 6IX Perth w pops - poor/fair 8/7

1116 1612 AUSTRALIA 6MM Mandurah w pops - fair 12/8

1125 1545 AUSTRALIA 5MU Murray Bridge w pops - fair 8/7 1

1134 1532 INDIA AIR Chinsurah w EE news // 1566 kHz - poor 24/8

1134 1624 CHINA CNR 1 w announcements and id - very good and consistent ! 26/8

1161 1535 AUSTRALIA 5PA Naracoorte w ABC id, wx and "The Night Life" - fair and consistent 8/7

1188 1538 AUSTRALIA 6XM Exmouth w Olympic commentary - poor 26/8

1197 1516 AUSTRALIA 5RPH Adelaide (Presumed) under Lesotho carrier 8/7

1206 1710 INDIA AIR Bhawanipatna w ragas // 1566 kHz - poor 22/8

1206 1512 AUSTRALIA 6TAB Perth w racing results - fair 12/8

1215 1548 AUSTRALIA 6NM Northam w story, ABC news @ 1600 - fair ( 500 watts ! ) 12/8

1224 1534 AUSTRALIA 6RN Busselton w jazz music (great) - good clear signal 12/8

1242 1515 VIETNAM VOV Hanoi w news commentary - very good 24/8

1296 1532 AUSTRALIA 6RN Wagin // 1224 - excellent consistent signal ! 12/8

1323 1514 AUSTRALIA 5DN Adelaide w phone-in - fair 8/7

1323 1625 CHINA CRI Changchun in EE w news report - fair/good steady signal 9/8

also at 1608 in EE w news and "Athens Update" - very good peak 26/8

1357 1610 TAIWAN Family Radio Fangliao w ann - good consistent signal 8/7

1386 1620 KENYA KBC Maralal with news, id and time check for "20 after 7" - poor/fair 26/8

1395 1513 AUSTRALIA 5AA Adelaide w announcement and id as "5 double A" - good peak 8/7

1413 1545 JAPAN JOIF Fukuoka w announcements - fair, heard briefly 12/8

1422 1555 CHINA CRI Kashi in EE w id - poor under local 22/8

1422 1615 MALAWI MBC Radio 1, Malawi w phone-in about taxi drivers - fair over local (1kw) 20/8

1431 1527 AUSTRALIA Vision FM, Kalgoorlie w religious pr and id - poor w fair peaks 12/8

1449 1558 MALDIVES Voice of Maldives, Male with ads, time pips at 1600 and id - good 6/8

1449 1515 AUSTRALIA 6TAB Mandurah w racing results - good peak ! 12/8

1467 1535 INDIA AIR Jeypore with "News at Nine" read by YL - fair 6/8

1494 1504 AUSTRALIA 2AY Albury w wx, id as "Fourteen-ninety-four 2AY" and results of a draw 8/7

It was great to hear New South Wales again after many years !

1494 1519 TAIWAN Chiao Yu Taipei w announcement - fair 9/7

1494 1701 PHILLIPINES DXOC w id and pops incl "When I Fall In Love" - poor 10/8 (5kw)

1503 1517 TAIWAN Fangliao w ann - very good consistent signal 9/7

1512 1505 AUSTRALIA 6BAY Geraldton w id and pops - fair with good steady peaks ! 12/8

1521 1502 AUSTRALIA 2QN Deniliquin w news - poor 8/7

1530 1520 PHILLIPINES DZME Quezon City w religious sermon - very good 24/8

1548 1525 SRI LANKA DW relay Tricomalee - poor under local 25/8

1548 1617 AUSTRALIA 4QD Emerald w Olympic commentary poor w QRM from local 26/8

1566 1530 INDIA AIR Delhi in EE w "News at Nine" - good consistent signal 22/8

1566 1602 KOREA HLAZ Jeju w inspirational music - good 24/8

1575 1615 MAURITIUS BBC relay, Bigara - good steady peak (500 watts !) 6/8

1575 1520 THAILAND VOA relay Ban Phachi, poor/fair mixing with Mauritius 8/7

1575 1635 UNIDENTIFIED w announcements - mixing with Mauritius and Thailand 26/8

1585 1615 UNIDENTIFIED with EE pops - poor 6/8

1585 1601 INDIA AIR various locations (1kw) w AIR id - (Last heard in 1991 in East London) 24/8

1593 1550 CHINA CNR1 location unknown w announcements - good consistent signal 8/7

1611 1534 AUSTRALIA Radio 2, Broome/Esperance/Kalgoorlie w pops - poor but clear at times 12/8

1611 1602 AUSTRALIA 6GS w announcements and pops - poor but clear at times 12/8

also at 1706 w id as " 6GS Great Southern Radio" by YL - poor 22/8

1620 1542 AUSTRALIA Radio 2, Perth/Geraldton w id and pops - poor 9/7

1629 1630 AUSTRALIA Radio 2, Perth/Albany/Bunbury with pops // 1611 - poor with a fair peak 12/8

STATIONS RECEIVED BY COUNTRY / AREA:

AUSTRALIA:

675 1620 6BE Broome w Olympic commentary - poor 25/8

720 1527 6WF Perth w Olympic commentary - very good 25/8

729 1525 5RN Adelaide w discussion - fair 8/7.

774 1610 3LO Melbourne w Olympic commentary - poor but clear with QRM 26/8

810 1540 6RN Perth w traditional country music - poor under Mozambique 25/8

828 1545 6GN Geraldton w Olympic commentary - fair 25/8

882 1625 6PR Perth w ads - good steady signal - surprising for 2 kw ! 12/8

891 1515 5AN Adelaide w Olympic commentary - poor under Radio Losotho 26/8

918 1610 6NA Narrogin w report about a drunk driver - poor/fair 12/8

981 1518 6KG Kalgoorlie w pops - poor 25/8

990 1515 6RPH Perth w BBC relay - poor 8/7

1026 1517 6NW Port Hedland w pops - poor 25/8

1062 1514 5RN Renmark w Olympic commentary - poor 25/8

1080 1605 6IX Perth w pops - poor/fair 8/7

1116 1525 6MM Mandurah w pops - fair 8/7

1125 1545 5MU Murray Bridge w pops - fair 8/7

1161 1535 5PA Naracoorte w ABC id, wx and "The Night Life" - fair and consistent 8/7

1188 1538 6XM Exmouth w Olympic commentary - poor 26/8

1197 1516 5RPH Adelaide (Presumed) under Lesotho carrier 8/7

1206 1512 6TAB Perth w racing results - fair 12/8

1215 1548 6NM Northam w story, ABC news @ 1600 - fair ( 500 watts ! ) 12/8

1224 1534 6RN Busselton w jazz music (great) - good clear signal 12/8

1296 1532 6RN Wagin // 1224 - excellent consistent signal ! 12/8

1323 1514 5DN Adelaide w phone-in - fair 8/7

1395 1513 5AA Adelaide w announcement and id as "5 double A" - good peak 8/7

1431 1527 Vision FM, Kalgoorlie w religious pr and id - poor w fair peaks 12/8

1449 1515 6TAB Mandurah w racing results - good peak ! 12/8

1494 1504 2AY Albury w wx, id as "Fourteen-ninety-four 2AY" and results of a draw - poor 8/7

1512 1505 6BAY Geraldton w id and pops - fair with good steady peaks ! 12/8

1521 1502 2QN Deniliquin w news - poor 8/7

1548 1617 4QD Emerald w Olympic commentary poor w QRM from local 26/8

1611 1534 Radio 2, Broome/Esperance/Kalgoorlie w pops - poor but clear at times 12/8

1611 1602 6GS w announcements and pops - poor but clear at times 12/8

also at 1706 w id as " 6GS Great Southern Radio" by YL - poor 22/8

1620 1542 Radio 2, Perth/Geraldton w id and pops - poor 9/7

1629 1630 Radio 2, Perth/Albany/Bunbury with pops // 1611 - poor with a fair peak 12/8

ASIA AND THE FAR EAST:

783 1616 CHINA (presumed) w language lesson - fair 8/7

1044 1720 INDIA AIR Mumbai A w ragas // 1566 kHz - poor

1062 1548 PHILLIPINES DZEC Quezon City w easy listening music incl Nat King Cole - fair 26/8

1134 1624 CHINA CNR 1 w announcements and id - very good and consistent ! 26/8

1134 1532 INDIA AIR Chinsurah w EE news // 1566 kHz - poor 24/8

1206 1710 INDIA AIR Bhawanipatna w ragas // 1566 kHz - poor 22/8

1242 1515 VIETNAM VOV Hanoi w news commentary - very good 24/8

1323 1625 CHINA CRI Changchun with news report - fair/good steady signal heard on 9/8

1323 1608 CHINA CRI in EE w news and "Athens Update" - very good peak 26/8

1357 1610 TAIWAN Family Radio Fanglaio w ann - good consistent signal 8/7

1413 1545 JAPAN JOIF Fukuoka w announcements - fair, heard briefly 12/8

1422 1555 CHINA CRI Kashi in EE w id - poor under local 22/8

1467 1535 INDIA AIR Jeypore with "News at Nine" read by YL - fair 6/8

1494 1519 TAIWAN Chiao Yu Taipei w announcement - fair 9/7

1494 1701 PHILLIPINES DXOC w id and pops incl "When I Fall In Love" - poor signal 10/8 (5kw)12/8

1503 1517 TAIWAN Fangliao w ann - very good consistent signal - 9/7

1530 1520 PHILLIPINES DZME Quezon City w religious sermon - very good 24/8

1548 1525 SRI LANKA DW relay Tricomalee- poor under local 25/8

1566 1530 INDIA AIR Delhi in EE w "News at Nine" - good consistent signal 22/8

1566 1602 KOREA HLAZ Jeju w inspirational music - good 24/8

1575 1520 THAILAND VOA relay Ban Phachi, poor/fair mixing with Mauritius 8/7

1575 1635 UNIDENTIFIED w announcements - mixing with Mauritius and Thailand 26/8

1585 1615 UNIDENTIFIED with EE pops - poor 6/8

1585 1601 INDIA AIR various locations (1kw) w AIR id (Last heard in 1991 in East London) 24/8

1593 1550 CHINA CNR1 location unknown w announcements - good consistent signal

AFRICA:

1386 1620 KENYA KBC Maralal with news, id and time check for "20 after 7" - poor/fair 26/8

1422 1615 MALAWI MBC Radio 1, Malawi w phone-in about taxi drivers - fair over local.(1kw) 20/8

INDIAN OCEAN:

1449 1558 MALDIVES Voice of Maldives, Male with ads, time pips at 1600 and id - good 6/8

1575 1615 MAURITIUS BBC relay, Bigara - good steady peak (500 watts !) 6/8

(published on September 2, 2004)