At about 0805 UTC on Saturday, the 19th day of July 2025, I tuned in to Radio Nacional da Amazonia, BRAZIL, broadcasting on 6180 kHz in the Portuguese language.
The broadcast was coming from the 250 kW transmitter in Brasilia. The program consisted of music.
The overall reception of Radio Nacional da Amazonia was good.
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My equipment:-
Yaesu FTdx101MP
dipole antenna
Below is a short video showing my reception of Radio Nacional da Amazonia.
References.
Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 19 Jul. 2025].
On Saturday 19th July 2025, I attended the AHARS Buy and Sell. I wanted to catch up with some of my amateur radio mates for a chat and I was also on the lookout for an old communications receiver. I fulfilled both of my wishes.
I purchased a Kenwood R-300 Communications Receiver.
This particular model of Kenwood receiver was sold commercially from 1976-1979. It covers from 0.17 ro 30 mHz.
I was keen to get it home and give it a go. I was very pleased with its performance. Below is a short video showing my reception of some AM stations using just a small piece of wire connected to the receiver.
At about 1154 UTC on Friday, the 18th day of July 2025, I tuned in to China Radio International broadcasting on 5955 kHz in the English language.
The broadcast consisted of news and current affairs programs.
The overall reception of China Radio International was good. The signal was very strong, but there was a squealing type noise on the frequency and some static crashes from local storms.
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My equipment:-
Yaesu FRG7
Alpha Delta DX sloper antenna
Below is a short video showing my reception of China Radio International.
At about 1150 UTC on Friday, the 18th day of July 2025, I tuned in to Radio 567, New South Wales, Australia, broadcasting on 4970 kHz in the English language.
The broadcast was being transmitted from Wee Waa in New South Wales and consisted of music.
I had tuned in to Radio 567 a few nights earlier, and the reception was quite good. However, tonight was not the same. The overall reception of Radio 567 was poor. It was being severely affected by an Over the Horizon radar signal on the frequency.
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My equipment:-
Yaesu FTdx101MP
dipole antenna
Below is a short video showing my reception of Radio 567.
At about 1145 UTC on Friday, the 18th day of July 2025, I tuned in to Shortwave Australia, Victoria, Australia, broadcasting on 4835 kHz in the English language.
The broadcast consisted of old-time 1920s music.
The overall reception of Shortwave Australia was excellent. The signal was very strong and there was no interference from other stations.
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My equipment:-
Yaesu FRG7
Alpha Delta DX sloper antenna
Below is a short video showing my reception of Shortwave Australia.
At about 1229 UTC on Wednesday, the 16th day of July 2025, I tuned in to Radio 567, New South Wales, Australia, broadcasting on 4970 kHz in the English language.
The broadcast was being transmitted from Wee Waa in New South Wales and consisted of music.
The overall reception of Radio 567 was fair. There was no interference from other stations, and there were slight static crashes on the band.
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My equipment:-
Yaesu FTdx101MP
dipole antenna
Below is a short video showing my reception of Radio 567.
References.
Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 16 Jul. 2025].
At about 1158 UTC on Wednesday, the 16th day of July 2025, I tuned in to KBS World Radio in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), broadcasting on 5920 kHz in the Indonesian language.
Above: World globe showing the location of South Korea. Image c/o Wikipedia
The broadcast was being transmitted from the Kimjae 100 kW transmitter in South Korea.
The overall reception of KBS World Radio was good. There was some slight interference from China Radio International in the Cantonese language on the same frequency. There was some occasional interference from a digital type signal.
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My equipment:-
Tecsun S-2000
Alpha Delta DX sloper antenna
Below is a short video showing my reception of KBS World Radio.
A few weeks ago, on July 16, 2025, I decided to tune in to as many distant AM broadcast signals as possible. At night, I can easily hear Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania, as well as Queensland, frequently. But on this particular night, I wanted to focus on the most distant station that I could hear.
It often makes me laugh when I work a European station on amateur radio and they ask, ‘What is the weather like in Australia today?’ I have to remind them that all of Europe and the United Kingdom can easily fit into Australia, and with plenty of room left.
Some facts on just how big we are in Australia:
about 3,030 km from Adelaide in the south to Darwin in the north
about 3,843 km from Sydney in the east to Perth in the west.
From my QTH:
Adelaide – Melbourne: about 726 km
Adelaide – Sydney: about 1,374 km
Adelaide – Brisbane: about 2,007 km
Above:- Map of Australia compared to Europe and the UK.
So with the distance of Australia in mind, I didn’t really expect to hear any overseas stations. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
Below is a list of what I tuned into:
4MK Mackay, Queensland – 1026 kHz
1241 UTC
Distance of about 1,848 km – fly
Distance of about 2,587 km – drive
Weak signal
playing music
Being drowned out by 3PB ABC Melbourne, which was strong
Mackay is a city in the Mackay Region of Queensland on the eastern coast, about 803 km north of Brisbane. It is named after John Mackay (b. 1839. d. 1914), a British explorer, sailor, and harbourmaster. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Map showing the distance between my QTH and Mackay, Queensland. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4MK is licensed to broadcast in the Mackay region of Queensland. In 1930, it was announced that Mackay would be home to a new low-powered radio station. Mr. J.H. Williams was granted a ‘B’ class license and allotted the call signal 4MK. (Wikipedia 2025) (Trove 2025)
Above: Article from the Daily Mercury, Tue 1 Jul 1930. Image c/o Trove
John Henry Williams was born in July 1880 in Mackay, Queensland. He was a sea captain who settled in Mackay in 1873. His son was John ‘Jack’ Henry Williams, who was born in 1910 in Mackay. (Facebook 2022)
Above: John Henry Williams. Image c/o ancestry.com.au
Jack Williams was a keen amateur radio enthusiast, and as a boy, he constructed his own radios, including a four-valve radio. In 1930, Jack built a transmitter at the family home and shortly after, the 4MK license was granted. The 4MK studio was the family lounge room. Jack was the sole announcer on the station. He was also the technician and program selector for the first 6 months. 4MK transmitted two hours each night, excluding Thursday nights when Jack attended Lodge. Jack later trained his father to be a part-time radio announcer. (Facebook 2022)
Above: John ‘Jack’ Henry Williams. Image c/o Pioneer Valley Museum Facebook page.
More information on 4MK can be found on their website at:
Longreach is located in Central West Queensland, about 700 km west of Rockhampton. It takes its name from an outstation of Mount Cornish station, called Longreach. The population of Longreach is about 3,100 people. The main industries of the area are cattle, sheep, and tourism. (Wikipedia 2025)(Wikipedia 2023)
Above: Map showing the distance between my QTH and Longreach, Queensland. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4LG commenced broadcasting in 1936 with a B-class broadcasting license. The Courier Mail newspaper in 1936 reported that following tests conducted by 4LG, the station was being heard as far away as Thursday Island, Goodooga in New South Wales, Yeppoon, and Lake Nash in the Northern Territory. (Trove 2025)
Above: Article from The Courier Mail, Brisbane, Wed 6 May 1936. Image c/o Trove
Below is a short video of my reception of 4LG.
4AK Oakey, Queensland – 1242 kHz
1305 UTC
Interference from 3GV Sale, Victoria
news & weather, music
Oakey is located in the Toowoomba region of Queensland. Its name is derived from the river oaks that dominate the banks of the creek in the town. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Map showing the location of Oakey, Queensland. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4AK first transmitted on air in September 1935. Its initial transmitter power was 1,000 watts and this was later increased to 3,000 watts, making 4AK twice as powerful at that time as any other commercial broadcaster in Queensland. (Trove 2025)
Above: Article from the Pittsworth Sentinel Qld, Sat 21 Dec 1935. Image c/o Trove.
More information on 4AK can be found on their website at:
Below is a short video showing my reception of 4BU
4CC Rockhampton, Queensland – 1584 kHz
1330 UTC
Distance – 1,727 km – fly
Distance – 2,294 km – drive
Several stations broadcast on this frequency, and there was a lot of interference.
Above: Map showing the distance between my QTH and Rockhampton. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4CC commenced broadcasting to the Central Queensland cities of Rockhampton and Gladstone in August 1970 under the callsign of 4CD. In 1985, following the station’s purchase by Wesgo, the callsign was changed to 4CC. (Wikipedia 2025)
Below is a short video of my reception of 4CC.
4RO Rockhampton, Queensland -990 kHz
1337 UTC
light signal
Distance – 1,727 km – fly
Distance – 2,294 km – drive
This was the second station in Rockhampton that I was able to copy.
Above: Map showing the distance between my QTH and Rockhampton. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4RO first went on air on the 2nd day of July 1932. It was the second station in Rockhampton, following 4RK. The station was opened by the Mayor of Rockhampton, Mr. Thomas Joseph Lee. The station was located at the corner of East Street and Denham Street, Rockhampton. The studio was located on the second floor of the building, while the antenna was strung between two masts at the rear of the building (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Part of an article from the Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, Mon 4 Jul 1932. Image c/o Trove
4RO’s current studios are located at the corner of Fitzroy Street and East Street, Rockhampton.
Above: 4RO’s current location in Rockhampton. Image c/o Wikipedia.
Below is a short video showing my reception of 4RO.
4WK Warwick, Queensland – 963 kHz
1343 UTC
Warwick is located in southeast Queensland, about 130 km southwest of Brisbane. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above:- Map of Australia showing the location of Warwick. Map c/o Google Maps
Discussions were held in 1930 for a radio station at Warwick. It was initially proposed that the station would simply be a relay station for the Australian Broadcasting Company’s National Broadcasting Service. However, the plans never eventuated. (Wikipedia 2025)
In 1934, the Warwick Broadcasting Proprietary Company Limited was registered for the purpose of establishing a radio station at Warwick. Later that year, on the 28th day of June 1935, 4WK was officially opened by Sir Littleton Ernest Groom, an Australian politician (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Article from The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Thu 7 Feb 1935. Image c/o Trove
Below is a short video of my reception of 4WK.
4VL Charleville, Queensland – 918 kHz
1348 UTC
Distance – 1,200 km – fly
Distance – 1,600 km – drive
Charlesville is located about 747 km west of Brisbane. It is believed the town was named after the town of Charleville in County Cork, Ireland, by William Alcock Tully, Surveyor General of Queensland, who laid out the town’s streets. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above:- Map showing the distance between my QTH and Charleville. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4VL commenced broadcasting on Wednesday the 12th day of February 1936. The station was opened by Mr. C.R. Noyes, Police Magistrate. (Trove 2025) (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Part of an article from The Charleville Times, Fri 14 Feb 1936. Image c/o Trove.
Above: John Taylor, radio announcer at 4VL, 1956. Image c/o National Archives of Australia.
Below is the program guide for 4VL in December 1946.
Above:- Article from The Charleville Times, Fri 20 Dec 1946. Image c/o Trove.
Below is a short video of my reception of 4VL
China National Radio CNR6 – 909 kHz
1355 UTC
300 kW transmitter
located in Quanzhou, Fujian, China
Distance about 6,980 km
Above: Map showing the location of the CNR6 transmitter. Map c/o Google Maps.
Below is a short video of my reception of CNR6.
4GR Toowoomba, Queensland – 864 kHz
1405 UTC
Distance 1,503 km – fly
Distance – 1,925 km – drive
Above: Map showing the distance between my QTH and Toowoomba. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4GR was the first commercial radio station to broadcast in the state of Queensland, and the sixth oldest in Australia following 2UE Sydney, 2HD Newcastle, 2UW Sydney, 5DN Adelaide, & 3UZ Melbourne. Edward Gold had conducted test radio broadcasts in a shed from his experimental radio station 4EG. He then acquired the 4GR license and commenced broadcasting on the 17th day of August 1925. (Toowoomba 2025) (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Article from The Brisbane Courier, Mon 17 Aug 1925. Image c/o Trove
Edward Edwin ‘Ted’ Gold was born on the 21st day of February 1894 at Samsonvale, Queensland. Ted obtained the experimental licence of 4EG in 1922. He died on the 5th day of January 1961 in Brisbane, Queensland, aged just 66 years. (Ancestry 2021) (Aust Old Time Radio 2020)
Above: Edward Gold. Image c/o ancestry.com.au
Below is an excellent YouTube video of the history of 4GR.
Below is a short video of my reception of 4GR.
4RN Brisbane – 792 kHz
1408 UTC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio National station in Brisbane
Interference from 5RM Renmark, South Australia.
4RN initially operated under the call of 4QG, which commenced broadcasting in Brisbane in July 1925 under an A-class license. The number 4 denoted the state of Queensland, while QG stood for Queensland Government. 4QG initially operated on the frequency of 779.2 kHz. 4QG was the only station in Queensland to have been established by the Government. All other stations in Queensland were privately owned. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: 1928 postcard from 4QG. Image c/o flickr
Above: an early 4QG QSL card. Image c/o flickr
Below is a short video of my reception of 4RN
4QW Roma, Queensland – 711 kHz
1411 UTC
ABC Western Queensland
talkback program
Roma is a rural town in the Maranoa region of Queensland. It takes its name after Lady Diamantina Bowen (nee di Roma), who was the wife of Sir George Bowen, who at the time was the Governor of Queensland. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Map showing the location of Roma, Queensland. Map c/o Google Maps.
Below is a short video of my reception of 4QW.
8RN Tennant Creek, Northern Territory – 684 kHz
1415 UTC
ABC Radio National
Distance – 1,750 km – fly
Distance – 2,039 km – drive
Above: Map showing the distance between my QTH and Tennant Creek. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
Below is a short video of my reception of 8RN.
4CC Biloela, Queensland – 666 kHz
1420 UTC
This is a repeater site of 4CC Rockhampton
Above: Map showing the location of Biloela. Map c/o Google Maps
More information can be found on their website at:
Wagin is located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about 225 km southeast of Perth. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Map showing the location of Wagin, Western Australia. Map c/o Google Maps
6WA is part of ABC Great Southern which broadcasts to the Great Southern region of WA and parts of the Wheatbelt regions of WA. (Wikipedia 2025)
6WA, the South West Regional Broadcasting Station, also known as the Minding Radio Station, was built in 1936 as an ABC transmission station. The building is registered with the Heritage Council, Western Australia. (WA 2025)
Above: South West Regional Broadcasting Station, Minding, WA, c. 1936. Image c/o State Library Western Australia
6WA’s official opening was at 8.00 p.m. Perth time, on Monday, the 7th day of December 1936. A special inaugural program for the station was broadcast from the Wagin Town Hall. 6WA’s power was 10,000 watts.
Above: Article from The West Australian, Mon 7 Dec 1936. Image c/o Trove
Below is an article from The West Australian in 1937 showing the broadcast programs for 6WA.
Above: Article from The West Australian, Wed 21 Apr 1937. Image c/o Trove
Below is a short video of my reception of 6WA.
2BH Broken Hill, New South Wales – 567 kHz
1435 UTC
Distance – 425 km – fly
Distance – 520 km – drive
Above: Map showing the distance between my QTH and Broken Hill. Map c/o airmilescalculator.com
Although not a long way from my QTH, I found listening in to Broken Hill very interesting, as Broken Hill is a quintessential Australian outback town.
2BH serves Broken Hill, NSW and parts of the Far West region. The station commenced broadcasting in July 1934, with a B-class license. (Trove 2025) (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Article from The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 2 Jul 1934. Image c/o Trove.
The 2BH building in Broken Hill is shaped like an old radio and contains a museum of various radios and transmitters, tape reels, and speakers. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: 2BH in Broken Hill. Image c/o Blueturtle01 Wikipedia.
Below is a short video of my reception of 2BH.
4QL Longreach, Queensland – 540 kHz
1438 UTC
Distance – 1,393 km (fly)
Distance – 2,114 km (drive)
This was the second station in Longreach that I tuned in to.
Above:- Map showing the distance between my QTH and Longreach, Queensland. Map c/o airmilecalculator.com
4QL is part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC Western Queensland. Its broadcast area is Central West Queensland, South West Queensland, and some areas of the Gulf and other remote parts of Queensland. 4QL commenced broadcasting in 1947 on 690 kHz. (Wikipedia 2025)
Below is a short video of my reception of 4QL.
SUMMARY.
It was an interesting night with several stations in Queensland logged, some between 1,700-1,800 km away. I also logged 6WA in Wagin, Western Australia, a distance of about 2,120 km. I also tuned in to 8RN in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, a distance of about 1,750 km
The highlight of the night was tuning into China National Radio on 909 kHz nearly 7,000 km away.
Trove. (2025). THREE NEW STATIONS. – ONE IN MACKAY. – Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 – 1954) – 1 Jul 1930. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/170456129 [Accessed 28 Jul. 2025].
Trove. (2025). NEW RADIO STATION – LONGREACH, Tuesday. – The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 – 1954) – 6 May 1936. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38484508 [Accessed 28 Jul. 2025].
Trove. (2025). 4RO ON THE AIR – Broadcasting Station ROCKHAMPTONS SECOND Opened On Saturday By Mayor – Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 – 1954) – 4 Jul 1932. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/55504400 [Accessed 28 Jul. 2025].
VK5PAS 