Steenbras River Mouth Dxpedition : 7th - 8th April 2010

Streenbras River Mouth (Photograph Gary Deacon).

A recent family holiday included an overnight stay on the 7th April at the Sunbird Guest Lodge, adjacent to the Steenbras River Mouth on the east coast of False Bay.

The holiday also provided an opportunity to dx from the opposite side of the False Bay coast. The interesting position on a shoreline curve may also have allowed a certain amount of sea gain from the north, despite a fairly short final run of ocean for approximately 10 km.

Google Satellite Image showing the Steenbras River Mouth with the Sunbird Guest Lodge to the north.

The picturesque holiday/dx locaton offered the following advantages :

* An elevated position overlooking False Bay

* Only 100 meters from the shore line

* The Sea Gain effect

Listening during the evening of the 7th April until sunrise on the 8th April provided some interesting dx from Europe including a personal first from the U.S.A.

Freq (kHz) Time (UTC)

621 0421 CANARY ISLANDS Radio Nacional, Tenerife

648 2138 U.K. BBC World Service, Orfordness

729 1950 GREECE NET, Athens

747 2147 HOLLAND Radio 5, Flevoland

756 2014 ROMANIA România Actualitati, Lugoj-Boldur

774 0420 SPAIN Radio Nacional, various locations

792 0418 FRANCE France Info, Limoges-Nieul

837 2148 CANARY ISLANDS COPE Las Palmas, Tafira

855 0425 SPAIN Radio Nacional, various locations

864 0417 FRANCE France Bleu, Paris - Villebon-sur-Yvette

1000 0450 U.S.A. WMVP Chicago, IL

1008 0432 SPAIN SER various locations

The view of the Steenbras River Mouth towards the west at sunset (Photograph Gary Deacon).

1017 0415 GERMANY SWR Cont.Ra, Wolfsheim

1062 0430 ITALY Rai Radio 1, various locations

1098 0407 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations

1190 0439 U.S.A. WLIB New York NY

1215 2205 U.K. Absolute Radio, various locations

1206 0405 FRANCE France Info, Bordeaux-Néac

1242 0406 FRANCE France Info, Marseille-Cabriès-Réaltor

1278 0405 FRANCE France Bleu, Sélestat

1305 0432 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations

1314 0432 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations

1377 2035 FRANCE France Info, Lille-Camphin en Carembault

1395 2118 HOLLAND BIG L Radio London Trintelhaven

1422 2134 GERMANY Deutschlandfunk, Heusweiler

The friendly blue-eyed resident dog (Photograph Gary Deacon).

1440 1942 LUXEMBOURG China Radio International

1458 2000 U.K. Sunrise Radio Brookmans Park

1476 0434 SPAIN Euskadi Irratia, Biribilondo

1485 2030 SPAIN SER various locations

1494 2225 FRANCE France Bleu, Bastia

1500 0443 U.S.A. WFED Washington DC

1503 2007 SPAIN Radio Nacional 5, various locations (2 kw)

1510 0440 U.S.A. WLAC Nashville TN

1520 0452 U.S.A. WWKB Buffalo NY

1548 1938 U.K. Capital Gold, Saffron Green

1557 2017 FRANCE France Info, Nice-Fontbonne

1560 0455 U.S.A. KGOW Bellaire TX * personal first

1602 2038 SPAIN SER various locations

Receiver : Sony SRF-M37V Ultralight

Antenna : 60 m BOG directed towards the north