At about 1253 UTC on Wednesday, the 20th day of August 2025, I tuned in to KTWR, Guam, broadcasting on 15400 kHz in the English language.
Above:- World globe showing the location of Guam. Image c/o Wikipedia.
The broadcast was coming from the 90 kW transmitter at Merizo in the Northern Mariana Islands. The target audience was South Asia. The broadcast contained religious programs.
The overall reception of KTWR was good.
S
I
N
P
O
4
5
4
4
4
My equipment:-
Yaesu FTdx101MP
dipole antenna
Below is a short video showing my reception of KTWR.
References.
World Radio TV Handbook 2025
Shortwaveschedule.com. (2024). ShortwaveSchedule.com. [online] Available at: https://shortwaveschedule.com/ [Accessed 20 Aug. 2025].
Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 20 Aug. 2025].
At about 1225 UTC on 19th August 2025, I tuned in to Brisbane Radio on 5634 kHz, and several aircraft flying across the Great Australian Bight and in the northern part of Australia.
At about 1317 UTC on Sunday, the 17th day of August 2025, I tuned in to XSL ‘Japanese Slot Machine’, transmitting on 4291 kHz.
XSL is a Japanese military station that transmits data in the form of QPSK (quadrature phase-shift keying) at 1500 Bd. It is known as the ‘Japanese Slot Machine’ due to the signal resembling the sounds made by a slot machine. It operates on several frequencies, including 4291 kHz. The XSL signal is transmitted from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force Ichihara Transmitting Station in Ichihara, Japan. (Numbers 2016)
Above: Map showing the location of the Ichihara Transmitting Station. Image c/o mapcarta.com
Below is an aerial view of the Ichihara Transmitting Station.
Above: aerial view of the Ichihara Transmitting Station. Image c/o mapcarta.com
The XSL signal was first reported on the shortwave bands by listeners back in late 2000. (Rogers 2025)
At about 1313 UTC on Sunday, the 17th day of August 2025, I tuned in to the XSQ Guangzhou Coastal Station, transmitting on 4212 kHz.
Guangzhou is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. (Wikipedia 2019)
Above: Map showing the location of Guangzhou. Map c/o Google Maps
The Guangzhou Coast Station is one of China’s largest coastal stations and was established on the 14th day of October 1949. The station is controlled by the Guangdong Maritime Safety Agency. (Blogspot.com 2025)
Over the weekend of Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th August 2025, the 28th International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend was held. I got into the shack whenever possible, hoping to work as many lighthouses and lightships as I could.
I ended up working lighthouses and lightships in the following countries:
Australia
Belgium
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Ireland
Italy
Malta
Netherlands
New Zealand
Northern Ireland
Portugal
Spain
Turkey
West Malaysia
I also worked several WWFF park & SOTA activators in Europe.
Below is a list of those whom I worked.
SATURDAY
VK2NCS – Sugarloaf Point lighthouse AU0033
VK3DX – Lady Bay Upper & Lower lighthouses AU0049 & AU0096
VK5ARC – Point Malcolm lighthouse AU0029
VK2HBG – Warden Head lighthouse AU0035
VK3SWV – Whaler’s Bluff lighthouse AU0117
9M4LHU – Puiau Undan lighthouse MY0017
9M4LHN – Tanjung Tuan/Rumah Api lighthouse
VK6CLL – Cape Leewin lighthouse AU0008 & Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park VKFF-0283
9M4LBJ – Bukit Jugra lighthouse mY0006
VK6CNL – Cape Naturaliste lighthouse & Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park VKFF-0283
VK3/ZL1MVL – Cape Nelson lighthouse AU0055
ZM2MF – Bean Rock lighthouse NZ0011
VK5CJL – Cape Jervis lighthouse AU0094
9M4LBJ – Bukit Jugra lighthouse MY0006
VK4GHL – Grassy Hill lighthouse AU0019
VK4CQR – Sea Hill lighthouse AU0060
GB4CL – Cromer Light, Norfolk UK0076
IR3LH – Porto Piave Vecchia lighthouse IT0033
9H6SEL – St Elmo Grand Harbour West Breakwater MT0003
EI1K – Cromwell Point lighthouse IE0001
DA0OIE – Greifswaler OIE DE0009
SQ2BXI/p – SPFF-1340
TM2LW – Be Leger lighthouse FR0039
M1EYP/p – SOTA G/ SP-015
EG5FOM – Faro Oropesa de Mar lighthouse ES0056
PA6OEL – Old Emmerloord lighthouse NL0029
F6KMB – lighthouse FR0029
OZ1NBG – Nordborg lighthouse DK0006
ZB2LGT – Europa Point lighthouse GI0001
GB1DLH – Dungeness Lighthouses old & new UK0059 & UK0060
DL8ECA/p – DLFF-1255
9A/DJ1KW – Savudrija lighthouse HR0001
DK0RA – ALtenbruch Unterfeur lighthouse DE0050
DL0RWE – Old lighthouse Borkum DE0046
GB2EL – Rahlin East, Low & High, UK0055 & UK0056
SUNDAY
VK4BAR – Cleveland Point lighthouse AU0014
ZL1FND – Cape Reinga lighthouse NZ0020
DA0LCC – Altenbruch Oberfeur lighthouse DE0057
TC7TR – Yoroz lighthouse TR0003
GB2SL – Spurn Point High lighthouse UK0080
DK5FF/p – DLFF-0040
SQ9MDF – SOTA SP/ BZ-001 & SPFF-0002
SQ2BXI/p – SPFF-0645
VK6ADF – Cape Leewin lighthouse AU0008 & Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park VKFF-0283
VK6CLL – Cape Leewin lighthouse AU0008 & Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park VKFF-0283
F4HXJ/p – FFF-2188
ON4RCO – Oosende ‘Lange Nelle’ BE0008
GB1RP – Rue Point lighthouse UK0185
ON9BD – ‘Westhinder 3’ lightship BE0006
GB2WL – Rathlin West lighthouse UK0217
CT2HOV/p – SOTA CT/ BT-008 & CTFF-0177
MM7TKU/p – GM/ WS-318
F4GYM/p – Cayeux-sur-Mer lighthouse FR0007
DK0SN – Lightship ‘Elbe 3’ DE0150
OZ4HAM – Hammeren lighthouse DK0015
CS2SJB – Sao Juliao da Barra lighthouse PT0006
F4IQU/p – FFF-0027
GB2HLH – Hunstanton lighthouse UK0011
PD0FSB – Ooserdijk Lighthouse de Ven NL0035
EG1LWM – Faro Oropesa de Mar lighthouse ES0020
CT7AUS/p – CTFF-0944
EC2AG/p – SOTA EA2/ BI-073
DL0HGW – Lighthouse Cape Arkona New Tower DE0002
TM0BSM – Phare de Berck lighthouse FR0014
Below is a video of some of my ILLW contacts over the weekend.
At about 0703 UTC on Friday, the 15th day of August 2025, I tuned in to WWV and WWVH, transmitting on 10000 kHz.
WWV and WWVH are shortwave radio time signal stations operated by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). They transmit time and frequency information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (NIST 2025) (Wikipedia 2025)
WWV is located near Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. It transmits on 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 15 MHZ using 10,000 watts, and on 2.5 MHZ & 20 MHZ using 2,500 watts. (NIST 2025) (Wikipedia 2025)
WWVH is located at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, in Kekaha, on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. WWVH transmits on 10 MHZ and 15 MHZ using 10,000 watts, and 2.5 MHZ using 5,000 watts. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Aerial view of Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands. Image c/o Google Maps.
WWV and WWVH operate on the same frequencies, and depending on where you are in the world, you will often hear them both. Voice announcements on one correspond to silent periods on the other. WWVH uses a female voice to distinguish itself from WWV. (Wikipedia 2025)
The voice used on WWVH is that of Jane Barbe. She was born in 1928 in Winter Haven, Florida, USA, and died in 2003, age 74, at Roswell, Georgia, USA. Barbe was a voice actress and singer. She was known as the ‘Time Lady’.
VK5PAS 