First Australian DX Reception in England
On the evening of January 28, 2025, at 21:00 UTC, I received Australia on medium wave at my location in the Fens of Eastern England.
The station was 6EL, located in Metricup, Western Australia, on 1494 kHz, at a distance of 14,564 km. The name Metricup sounds like a sports trophy to me, which is quite appropriate since the station is a sports network station, carrying the Spirit South-West sports network.
As far as we know, this is the first time Australia has been received on medium wave in England. However, the first Scotland logging of Australia is credited to Martin Hall in Clashmore, north-west Scotland.
I mention this, not wishing to create another barrier between England and Scotland since both are part of the United Kingdom, but it has always been considered that there is, usually, a striking difference in DX reception between the two countries, even when the distances are not that far apart.
Barry Davies would famously comment how different transatlantic reception was ‘north of the border’, compared to his own
reception yet he was only 10km south of that border. DXers in nearby Scottish counties would sometimes report hearing stations that he couldn’t. It’s surprising how often this reception difference has held up over the years, yet during the evening of January 28th, things were different again.
Unusual Reception Conditions
My DXing setup is remote: my receiver and antenna are located on my partner Alison’s farm, about 10 km south of where I stay in Long Sutton. Since I record my DX and listen to it days later, I was actually two weeks behind when I reviewed my recordings from January 28th.
At the time, I wasn’t even looking for Australia—I was focused on 10 kHz frequencies, searching for transatlantic stations. However, an email conversation with Mauno Ritola from Finland changed that. Mauno mentioned that despite the poor season, some rare DX had still managed to get through—including Australia on 1494 kHz!
The Moment of Discovery
On February 3rd, while reviewing my old recordings, I checked 1494 kHz around 21:00 UTC—and to my surprise, I thought I heard something Australian!
I heard “S.E.N. News” at the top of the hour—a service carried by 6EL. Initially, I dismissed it, thinking I might be imagining things. The signal was weak, but I could hear snippets of Australian-accented presenters.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept wondering: Had I really heard Australia?
Confirming the Catch
A few days later, I shared my recording with Mauno Ritola, Andrew Brade, Steve Whitt, Martin Hall, and Jack Weber. Their responses:
- Mauno Ritola: Thought he could hear “S.E.N. News”, but it was slightly different from the ID he had heard in Finland.
- Steve Whitt: Said it “does sound like an OM with ‘S.E.N. News’”.
- Andrew Brade: Not entirely convinced but intrigued.
- Martin Hall: Couldn’t hear it on my recording but checked his own from January 28th—and he had caught it too!
Andrew then made a side-by-side comparison of my recording and Martin’s, and it was a perfect match.
This confirmed that I had indeed received 6EL from Australia in England!
What’s Next?
A few DXers have already asked me: “New Zealand next?”
Who knows? DXing is full of surprises, and you never know what you might hear next!
📺 Watch my recording here: https://youtu.be/Z-K1CavQQ6M
🎧 Pro Tip: Use headphones to listen—this signal won’t stand out on regular speakers!
Thanks to Alison for allowing me to use her farm as my receiving station, and to the new Fenland Kiwi, now available online to Medium Wave Circle members!