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Bulgaria DX |
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The first Bulgarian website dedicated to DX-ing! |
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FM DX-ing in Bulgaria |
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Tropospherically enhanced FM-reception in Bulgaria’s inlands is not as common as in other regions of Europe, like the Pannonian (Hungarian) plain, northern Germany or Poland.
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Tropospheric Reception |
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In the inland |
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In western Bulgaria, where the terrain is predominantely mountainous, tropospheric reception is rare. Tropospheric enhancement can make possible the reception of many radio stations from Croatia that are otherwise absent, but only in the extreme northwest of the country (the region of Vidin) and on high mountain peaks. Hungarian stations from both eastern and western Hungary can be received on a regular basis under appropriate tropospheric conditions on Vitosha mountain near Sofia. Transmitters that have been received up to this date (April 10, 2009) include Kekes, Szentes, Mecsek near Pecs, Komadi and even Kabhegy, which is in fact the most distant transmitter (663 km!) from which tropo-signals have been received in Bulgaria’s inland (Slager on 107,2). MR3 Bartok from Kekes can be heard regularly and nearly daily during the summer. A Bosnian signal— Radio Republike Srpske (the Radio of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina) on 88,7 MHz from Trebevic mountain near Sarajevo can sometimes be received on the western slope of Vitosha mountain near Sofia. The reception is very difficult even during tropo conditions due to the extremely strong signal of RR Actualitati from Craiova on the same frequency. It is not very clear wether this radio can be received only during tropo conditions, or it is a scatter-reception. Moreover, in June 2009 on Vitosha mountain near Sofia was realized the first reception of FM-signals from Italy in Bulgaria (video). Up until now (late July 2009) Italian radios can be received on a daily basis on Vitosha mountain. However, it is certain that this is not constant reception since such signals have never been received in other seasons of the year. Overall, three radios from Italy have been received in Bulgaria—RAI Radio 2 on 91,1 MHz and RAI Radio 3 on 93,1 from Monte Trazzonara near Martina Franca and RAI Radio 1 on 90,7 MHz from Parabita near Lecce. Both transmitters are located in the Puglia region in southern Italy. The distance to both of them is about 515-550 km. Other radio stations received on a regular basis (at least 2-3 times a year, sometimes for several days) include Turkish radios from Edirne (tropospheric enhancement) and Istanbul (tropospheric ducting). A Greek radio—Ihorama—transmitting on 94,2 MHz from Veroia, has been heard regularly two years ago, but its reception is now quite difficult to achieve.
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The transmitter on peak Kabhegy (599 m.) situated some 633 kilometers away from Vitosha where it was received in June 2008. Up to this date (10 April 2009) there has been no other confirmed tropo reception (except on the Black sea coast) from a transmitter situated farther away… Thanks to http://www.panoramio.com/user/388681 for this photo.
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On the coast |
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As far as tropospheric reception is concerned, the contrast between Bulgaria’s inland and its coastal regions is quite stunning. Tropo reception on the coast is very common even during winter months, and “long path” maritime tropo can make possible the reception of FM-signals from up to 1200 kilometers! Turkish radio stations from Istanbul are almost always there and disappear or fade-out quite seldom. Sometimes their signals are so strong that even local Bulgarian radios, most often transmitting with powers around 100 watts, are perturbed. Sometimes signals from Anatolia (the Asian part of Turkey) appear— Zonguldak, Trabzon and Rize (located more than 1000 kilometers away!) are only a few examples. Ukrainian FM tropo-signals on the coast are the most common after Turkish ones. TV-signals also appear quite often. Most often they come from the Crimean peninsula and the towns of Sevestopol, Jevpatorija or Simferopolj. The reception distances are in the range of 600-700 kilometers. This kind of reception is common even during winter months. Russian signals are also not uncommon to the Bulgarian Black sea coast, although they tend to appear somewhat more rarely than Ukrainian ones. The Russian transmitters from which tropo reception is possible in Bulgaria are generally situated in the region of Krasnodar—most of the radio stations come from the town of Novorossijsk, situated on the coast. Reception distances are around 800-900 kilometers. Georgian FM-radios can be received too on the coast, by tropospheric ducting. They are the most uncommon tropo-signals on the Bulgarian coast and the possibilities for receiving Georgian stations there are not very well explored yet. Finally, it is interesting to notice that maritime tropo can sometimes expand inwards, into the country’s territory, thus covering remote areas in Bulgaria’s inland. In July 2007, two Russian radios from Novorossijsk—Pervoe Radio on 104,9 and Radio Zvezda on 107,4, were received in the northern Rhodope mountains, above the town of Asenovgrad in the region of Plovdiv, some 230 km. away from the coast :
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“Long path” maritime tropo reception in central Bulgaria. Dist.— 1080 km.! |
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The transmitter of Novorossijsk |
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Scatter reception |
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Regular scatter reception is a recent discovery for Bulgarian DX-ers. To this moment, regular scatter reception has been observed in Sofia on 106,2 MHz, where Slavonski Radio from Belje, Croatia, can be received, as well as on 107,8 MHz, where MR1 Kossuth from Budapest, Hungary, can be received. Here are e few recordings of this scatter reception from Budapest, 635 kilometers away : |
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In southern Bulgaria tropospheric reception is not as uncommon as in the west of the Country, mainly because of the fact this part of thee country is predominantly flat. Tropospheric enhancement there can improve considerably the reception of Romanian signals coming from the north, but new stations do not generally appear—most of the enhanced signals can be received even under normal conditions, although not with such a good quality. However, when there is good tropo from the southeast, most of the radio stations transmitting from Istanbul begin to appear and their signals often reach the northern slopes of the Rhodopes around Plovdiv. This type of tropospheric ducting from Istanbul is actually quite common in the Thracian plain. In November 2008, tropospheric conditions made it possible for signals coming from Turkish transmitters situated on the southern shore of the Black sea to be received in the Northern Rhodopes. The transmitter in Bozkurt that was received then, is situated nearly 755 km. away! Northern Bulgaria, on the other hand, seems to be exposed quite often to tropospheric enhancement and ducting—much more often even than the southern part of the country. This is mainly due to the nearly entirely flat terrain there. Tropo reception in this part of the country includes enhancement of Serbian transmitters (Tupiznica and Deli Jovan), which can then be received with good quality as far as in the extreme east of the region of Ruse. In November 2008, stations from central Serbia (Cacak, Cuprija etc.) were received in the Region of Ruse due to tropo. Many Romanian stations are enhanced too under such conditions and new stations also tend to appear. It is also not uncommon to receive Greek and Turkish radios in northeastern Bulgaria, under tropo conditions. |