Southgate
By Jim Linton VK3P
December 24, 2017
As part of 50th
celebrations, radio broadcaster 4KZ in Northern Queensland is now on 5055 kHz
and already getting signal reports including from North America and New
Zealand.
General Manager of NQ Radio
(4KZ, 4AM, 4AY, KIK FM & KOOL FM), Al Kirton announced the decision to
SWLing Post in May, and now confirms the transmission began on December 20.
He told the WIA:
“Unfortunately we are on half power for a couple of weeks until one of the RF
boards can be repaired, then we will go up to I kW.”
The shortwave broadcast is
from a site at east Innisfail in Tropical North Queensland. Mr Kirton said the
USA-made 1.2 kW transmitter being used is feeding an Inverted V antenna at about
14 metres high at the peak.
The program
is from the 4KZ and 4AY AM band transmitters and designed to cover the Cape York
area and the northern outback. However the 60m band signal has been heard
further away.
He said: “I have had many
reception reports, many with audio clips”, some from Queensland, Northern
Territory, New South Wales and Victoria, as well as from “Monterey USA, Alberta
Canada and New Zealand.”
The
transmission hours are about 0500 to 2300 hours UTC. All confirmed reception
reports will receive a 4KZ shortwave QSL card. No return postage is
required.
Reports by email to Al
Kirton (al@nqradio.com.au) or to Radio 4KZ, PO Box 19, Innisfail Queensland 4860
Australia.
The Australian Broadcasting
Corporation stopped its shortwave services to the northern outback in January
2017.
