When I was studying for regular test, I used to listen to midnight programs from the commercial radio stations of Tokyo or Osaka with a radio-casette recorder.
Because the radio-casette recorder had bad sensitivity, I asked my parents to buy a new radio set to hear the programs in better condition. So my parents bought a 3 band radio set SONY ICF-5500 for me.
I found it could also receive the radio programs from foreign countries. I became to listen to them eagerly.
Joy of BCL(DXing) is not only to listen to the programs from far countries but also to collect the colorful verification cards, the pennants and the stickers which can be got by sending the reception reports to radio stations.
On the next photograph, you see some verification cards from the radio stations of Japan and foreign countries. I collected over 200 cards in my school years.
Listening to foreign radio programs was useful for increasing my English ability.
I had enjoyed BCL(DXing) until my university years. But my interest changed to the computer because I belonged to the computer club in the university.
I quitted BCL(DXing) after school years because I had to go to sleep early for my work next day and I was not able to listen to the radio at the midnight.
In those days, BS antenna was big, heavy and expensive. On a magazine, I found a small and light parabolic antenna "SUMISAT 35" and I bought it by mail order.
I installed it to the VTR by myself and I started watching BS channels.
As there is no amusement but bars or PACHINKO here, I did not know how to deal with free time after working.
One day, I found an article of CS(Communication Satellite) Channels on "Radio Life" magazine. I knew that there were many TV channels transmitting to CATV via CS Satellites and foreign TV channels also could be seen with the large parabolic antenna.
So I bought the equipments(Analog Satellite Tuner CST-1000DP and 60cm parabolic antenna) to watch CS channels by mail order. I paid 180,000 Yen for them.
On the end of 1992, I started watching CS channels.
CST-1000DP now working(Below)
And then, I bought a 75cm parabolic antenna in a low price which was shopworn at a radio store in this town. More channels became to be watched with it.
As I hoped more channels more clearly, I bought a 90cm parabolic antenna and H-H Mount Rotator in 1994.
It made possible to receive the waves from 5 satellites with 1 antenna. It also made possible to watch the SNG(Satellite News Gathering) of TV stations, image distributions by companies or religious groups, and some foreign channels from a foreign satellite.
In 1997, the Digital CS TV started and the Analog CS TV ended. The channels on Analog CS TV moved to Digital CS TV.
Since Analog CS TV companies gave me Digital CS equipments free of charge, I have been enjoying many channels by low charge.
In the autumn of 1998, I bought a 1.5m parabolic antenna of stainless mesh and H-H Mount Rotator. So I became to be able to watch many foreign TV channels directly from the overseas satellites.
Now I am enjoying various foreign TV programs in my room.
