Friday, January 16, 2015

Special QSL of the Week: Benin, Hard to Hear and Difficult to QSL

ORTB Benin QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection)
Some time ago, Claes Olsson in Norrkoping Sweden, informed us that he received a QSL card from Radio Benin, which he describes as a station that is hard to hear and difficult to QSL.  He heard ORTB in the African country of Benin on September 20, 1985.  The colorful QSL card shows six mini-pictures on the picture side; a silhouette map of Africa, the station emblem, and African representations.   
However, this highly prized QSL card does not specify just which location nor which shortwave channel was heard by Claes Olsson in Sweden.
            At the time, Radio Benin was on the air on three shortwave channels:-
                        Capital City Cotonou   5025 kHz & 7190 kHz with 20 kW each
                        Regional Parakou       4870 kHz 30 kW     
(AWR/Wavescan  NWS 307)