Swedish DXer tunes in to Pattison Media radio stations in Saskatchewan

6,524 kilometres. That’s the distance between Saskatchewan and Sweden.

So, when Göran Hardenmark picked up the AM frequency of CJNB radio in North Battleford from his small town on the west coast of Sweden, he was thrilled to mark another location on his DXing map.

“For us radio listeners, the excitement and reward is when you perhaps have been listening for a special station for days or weeks without any luck and then you suddenly hear them,” said Hardenmark about his hobby.

“For example, a few weeks ago I was finally able to hear Radio Vanuatu (east of northern Australia and west of Fiji) on a shortwave after many years of trying. A true happy moment, and yes, I know of internet and live stream – but that’s not the sport for us DX-listeners.”

DXing basically means looking for radio signals from far away and trying to ‘catch’ as many stations as you can. Hardenmark was introduced to the hobby by a schoolteacher when he was 12 years old.

“I still remember how amazed I was hearing different countries on AM and SW and our first reception report to Deutschlandfunk radio in Germany on 1269AM. As a 12-year old boy in 1992 – the world was quite small but suddenly I could listen to music from Africa and beyond – I was hooked!”

One of the QSL, or confirmation cards, Hardenmark has received over the years from radio stations he was able to pick up as a transatlantic DXer. This one is from an Argentine radio station. (Submitted photo/ Göran Hardenmark)

From Harplinge, where he works as a service advisor at the local BMW dealership, Hardenmark has heard radio broadcasts from many countries. His favorite catches include LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel , Antartica.

“This was mega when I picked up the signal from them. Super exotic,” he said.

Another special memory is when he picked up Radio St. Helena broadcasting from the island of St. Helena in the southern Atlantic ocean. It was known for transmitting an international shortwave radio broadcast only once a year.

Each time he picks up a signal, Hardenmark reaches out to the station to verify his catch by providing coordinates and an audio recording and hopes for verification back either by email or in the form of a QSL card – which is like a postcard confirming the radio contact.

Hardenmark uses his ‘trusty’ Kenwood R-5000 communications receiver to pick up frequencies of stations from around the world. (Submitted photo/Göran Hardenmark)

Equipment for DXing is minimal; all you need is a proper communications receiver and a good antenna, but Hardenmark said there is another important factor and that is the atmospheric conditions and propagations. The season, weather conditions and wet ground or proximity to a body of water can all effect signals differently.

He said his hobby has taught him so much including language and geography, but he worries about its future since many countries have abandoned shortwave radio.

“You learn so much about the different countries and people living there. Also, all the QSL cards you get from different radio stations…when looking at my QSLs from the 90’s I still remember the fond memories in front of the radio.”

It’s an intriguing and challenging way to get in touch with remote corners of the world, so Hardenmark continues trying to catch as many stations as possible.

Now, he can add two more to his list.

On Jan. 4, 2025 he logged both 1050 AM CJNB radio in North Battleford and 900 AM CKBI radio in Prince Albert.

Hello from the heart of the Saskatchewan prairies Göran!

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @princealbertNOW