Today, I was finally able to replace the Spiderbeam mast that broke during the ice storm on 24 December. Now, another Spiderbeam mast is back in use, again 7.5 metres high, but with even more solid elements and now double guying. Furthermore, I am dispensing with the outriggers; the loops are tensioned to the ground, so the loops of the AziLoop system are even better at 2x 26 metres.
Yesterday evening, February 19, 2026, I was able to receive 45 stations from Japan on the 160-meter amateurradio band, i.e. on 1.8 MHz in FT8 mode here in Salzburg. I used my AziLoop antenna, direction 60°, and a fully automatic Web-888 SDR from Hamparts_shop as the receiver, which forwards the logs directly to PSK Reporter.
After the ice storm and the broken Spiderbeam mast on 24 December, the AziLoop antenna has now been provisionally set up so that I can hear something over the next few weeks until the snow and ice have melted. I am continuing to use the 20-metre loops, but these are far from optimally tensioned, although they do pick up some signals. I hope to erect the new mast, which is already pre-assembled at the station, by the beginning of March.
I was able to hear DXKI-AM, “Your friendly Voice“, here in Salzburg at around 21:30 UT on 1062 kHz in December. The station in Koronadal confirmed reception to me today: “Thank you so much po sa pakikinig Bro. Chris. Yes tama po kayo na yan po ang programa namin dito sa 1062 DXKI po Koronadal here on the Philippines“. My first medium wave confirmation from the island of Mindanao on the Celebes Sea, which I am very happy about. Perseus/Jaguar and AziLoop antenna – three days before the mast broke – a fond memory.
Gaweylon Tibetan Radio always plays beautiful music from Tibet and has one of the most beautiful QSL letters of any shortwave station. Many thanks to Anil R. Alfred for the confirmation.
At the beginning of January 2026, I was able to hear ABC News Radio, 6PB from Busselton, on the now free frequency 1152 kHz in Salzburg. To my surprise, the signal was not only audible for minutes, but Jaguar’s good spectrum image is of course a great help with such weak signals. Graham Himmelhoch-Mutton, ABC Master Control Radio, very kindly confirmed reception, my third QSL from an Australian ABC station that I was able to receive in Salzburg.
Work on the “new” AziLoop antenna continues. The clamps to hold the individual elements of the now much more stable Spiderbeam mast are ready.
The new solid Spiderbeam mast has arrived in Salzburg. I am now using the extremely robust bottom 5 elements of the 18-metre Spiderbeam HD mast. The clamps for the upper points of the loops have also arrived. All that’s missing now is the top cover and the right weather for installation.
Over the last few days, as far as the cold weather has allowed, I have set up a temporary solution for my AziLoop antenna. It is far from being correctly installed, but you can hear something with it. Perhaps I will be able to erect the new Spiderbeam mast in February.
On the evening of 21 December 2025, very good signals could be heard from the Philippines. With my AziLoop antenna pointing towards 60°, I was able to receive the following stations in Salzburg:
1017 2149 PHL DYRP Life Radio, Iloilo City/Alalasad (ilo) 10530 km
1062 2135 PHL DXKI FEBC Your Friendly Voice, Koronadal=Marbel (sco) 11051 km
1206 2150 PHL DWAN Radyo Ng Bagong Pilipinas, Valenzuela/Wawang (ncr) 10063 km
1233 2147 PHL DYVS FEBC Sweet Voice of Salvation, Bacolod/Taloc (noc) 10564 km
1323 2148 PHL DYSI Super Radyo, Iloilo City/Navais (ilo) 10529 km
1350 2149 PHL DZXQ Radyo La Verdad, Malabon/Muzon (ncr) 10079 km
1494 2155 PHL DWAR Abante Radyo, Valenzuela/Caloong (ncr) 10075 km
1530 2200 PHL DZME Kinse Trenta, Obando/Panghulo (bul) 10077 km
remotedx 