Bulgaria DX

The first Bulgarian website dedicated to DX-ing!

FM DX-ing in Bulgaria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREECE

Constant Reception

Greece

After Romanian FM-radios, Greek ones have the broadest coverage in Bulgaria.  Receiving Greek signals to the south of the Balkan range is very easy and their reception is difficult only in deep mountain valleys and areas hidden by high mountain peaks to the south—this is the case with the northern slopes of the Rhodope mountains around Pazardzhik and Plovdiv, where Greek signals are particularly difficult to receive. However, moving only few kilometers northwards  can improve the reception drastically and make it nearly perfect. 

Receiving Greek radios on FM in northern Bulgaria is somewhat more difficult and the quality is often nothing more than merely satisfactory. Reception of Greek FM-signals has been reported as far away as in the area of Ruse in northeastern Bulgaria.

Greek transmitters from which constant reception on FM is possible in Bulgaria are mainly situated in the regions of Aegean Macedonia and Western Thrace (northern Greece). Two transmitters have a particularly strong signal and each of them covers approximately the same area of Bulgaria (around 40-50 percent of the territory of the country). Both transmitters are located around Kavala—the first and somewhat more powerful one is located on mount Paggaio/Pangeon just next to the town of Kavala, while the second one is situated on mount Ipsario/Ipsarion on the island of Thassos, some 30 kilometers to the south of Kavala. The northern limit of the territory where reception from these two transmitters is possible, is the Balkan mountain range, but reception is also possible on particular DX-spots in northern Bulgaria, while the eastern limit of reception is the Sliven— Elhovo line. These signals can be received without any problems at the border with F.Y.R.O.M. and Serbia.

Mount Ipsario (1205 m.) on Thassos island—all radio stations from this transmitter are monophonic and in vertical polarisation.

RDS was recently added.

Other strong Greek transmitters received in Bulgaria include the ones on peak Vitsi near Florina and peak Hortiatis near Salonica (Thessaloniki).  Signals from low-power transmitters situated in Greek towns and villages are more difficult to receive, but some of them can travel as far away as to the regions of Sofia, Burgas or even Gabrovo, in northern Bulgaria!

The only Greek FM-transmitter situated south from 40°N, an thus situated outside the regions of Macedonia and Thrace, that can be received in Bulgaria, is situated on mount Pelion (Pilio) near Volos, eastern Thessaly.  The fourth programme of the Greek State-owned radio (ERA Spor) transmitting on 107,1 MHz from this transmitter can be received on the southern slope of the Balkan mountain (Stara Planina mountain) in the region of Sofia, as well as on Sredna Gora mountain, not far from Panagjurishte near Pazardzhik. In the summer of 2008 the signal of ERA 1 (NET 105,8) on 92,8 from this transmitter was received on Vitosha mountain.

Bulgarian regions where FM-reception from Greece is possible.