DX LISTENING DIGEST 11-31, August 4, 2011 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2011 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1576 HEADLINES: *DX and station news from: Afghanistan, Albania, Anguilla, Argentina, Azerbaijan non?, Bahrain non, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Easter Island, Finland, Germany, Guam, Indonesia, Jordan, Kashmir, Koreas, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands non, Papua New Guinea, Sarawak, Slovakia, Sudan non, Taiwan, Tibet, UK non, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam non, Zanzibar SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1576, August 4-10, 2011 Thu 0330 WRMI 9955 [confirmed on webcast] Thu 1500 WRMI 9955 [confirmed on webcast] Thu 2100 WRMI 9955 [not jammed but JBA; confirmed on webcast] Thu 2100 WTWW 9479 [confirmed and also webcast now working] Thu 2130 WBCQ 7415 [inaudible but confirmed on webcast] Fri 0330 WWRB 5051 Fri 0500 WRMI 9955 [audible mixed with pulse jamming] Fri 1430 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 1500 WRMI 9955 Sat 1730 WRMI 9955 Sun 0400 WTWW 5755 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1530 WRMI 9955 Sun 1730 WRMI 9955 Mon 0300 WBCQ 5110v-CUSB [time varies later] Mon 1130 WRMI 9955 Mon 1530 WRMI 9955 Mon 2130 WRMI 9955 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://193.42.152.193/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/wrn-listeners/world-of-radio/ http://www.wrn.org/listeners/world-of-radio/rss/09:00:00UTC/English/541 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org [NOTE: the stream linx for WOR 1576 are not working for unknown reason as they were constructed the same way as for all previous editions; one may still download 1576] DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location, and say something about why you want to join. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN. VoA Kabul 1296 QSL --- E' sempre più difficile ricevere delle conferme, anche dalle grandi stazioni internazionali, ma quando arrivano spesso sono di grande soddisfazione, soprattutto da un Paese come l'Afghanistan. Il mio personale conteggio ora è a 181. Il rapporto era stato inviato prima per posta tradizionale, senza risposta, poi per e-mail. La risposta è arrivata in un voluminoso plico contenente diverso materiale e che riportava il seguente indirizzo: 3166 Cohen Building, Washington, D.C. 20237 (Alessandro Groppazzi, http://gropdx.blogspot.com/ via Dario Monferini, 28 July, playdx yg via DXLD) ** AFGHANISTAN. FOREIGN PUBLICATION SECTION OF RADIO AFGHANISTAN INAUGURATED Sunday, July 31, 2011 Kabul (BIA) --- Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen Minister of Information and Culture inaugurated the foreign section of Radio Afghanistan yesterday. This section in the first place will air program in English and Urdu languages each night from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. Opening the section Dr. Raheen said that this section has been revived with the efforts of the director general and employees of the radio and in the first place it will air English and Urdu programs and followed by Arabic and Russian programs and subsequently French and German programs. According to Dr. Raheen revival of this program shall assist in recognition of Afghanistan to its outside friends and will inform them about our country’s events. Abdul Ghani Mudaqaq head of the publications department of Radio Afghanistan said that this program shall cover Asia, Africa and Europe regions. According to officials of the radio ten years delay in the radio programs was inactivity of the short wave in Yakatout. Ghulam Nabi Farahi, Deen Mohammad Mobarez Rashidi deputy ministers of information and culture, Zareen Anzur general director of National Radio-TV and some other officials participated. Radio Afghanistan started its publications in 1304 and after a short lapse restarted its publications in 1320 [Islamic years] and now it is 20 hours on the air. An employees of the radio said that Afghanistan was the first country in the region which had radio publication on that time. SOURCE: Bakhtar News Agency - Foreign Publication Section Of Radio Afghanistan Inaugurated http://bit.ly/qlHgdx (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, July 31, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) Andy Sennitt comments: It’s almost five years since Radio Afghanistan was supposed to restart its foreign service, but I guess it’s better late than never. As is usually the case with news agencies, no frequency is mentioned (Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) WTFK??? Is there really a SW transmitter available? Or maybe on an existing MW, at least at the outset. 8-9 pm local = 1530-1630 UT. But will certainly need SW (or webcast?) to ``cover Asia, Africa, and Europe regions`` (gh, DXLD) 6100, 1527-1607, R. Afghanistan, Kabul, 31/07, local OM singing, then English with news at 1530, Afghan traditional song, OM talk about Ramadan, and one western pop song (tentative ID at 1555'58 as "The International service of National Radio of Afghanistan"), 1600'24 music and Urdu service - poor at the beginning, then fair and almost good after 1600 with local noise, KRE in the background and CRI on 6095 till 1557. 73! (Mikhail Timofeyev, Saint-Petersburg, Russia Drake R8A and 30 m long wire, HCDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) IIRC, 6100 used long ago (gh) Andy Sennitt on Jul 31st, 2011 at 17:44 --- Thanks Mikhail - good work! I was not able to check it here as my shortwave radio has ‘conked out’. But I wonder if that frequency propagates to western Europe in the summer months? (Andy Sennitt, MN blog comment via DXLD) R. Afghanistan Kabul on 6100 kHz {on shortwave again}. Also logged here in Europe by Christoph in Salzburg and Douglas in Kiel. Good signal here in Salzburg till s/off at 1628 UT (Christoph Ratzer-AUT, Douglas Kaehler-D, A-DX July 31 via BC-DX via DXLD) Following up the tip from Mikhail Timofeyev of Saint-Petersburg, Russia, it was great to log Radio Afghanistan in Urdu at 1600-1630 UT on 6100 kHz today 1st August 2011. The interval signal was from plucked Afghan string instrument and the Station ID said "Yeh Radio Afghanisthan ke Urdu Service hai". Programming consisted of traditional Afghan songs (called "Quwali"), modern songs, news and talk. Signals for this broadcast varied from moderate to strong which was significantly better than the English broadcast 1530-1600. In English the station called itself " This is the National Radio of Afghanisthan" (Supratik Sanatani, Kolkata India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Poor reception here in Bulgaria of Radio Afghanistan on August 1: 1530-1600 on 6100 (32342) in English, strong QRM CRI English on 6095 till 1600; 1600-1630 on 6100 (34333) in Urdu. No QRM co-channel from KCBS Pyongyang on same frequency. 73! (Ivo Ivanov, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6100, Radio Afghanistan, 1525-1628, Aug 1, 2011, Abruptly on air at 1525 UT, Talk/Telephonic Interviews by OM/YL in unID language (probably Dari or Pashto), at 1530 ST [? Timesignal?], ID in English by OM/YL, frequencies announced as FM 93.0 & SW 6100, followed by English news, song & a talk on Ramadan by OM at 1548, closing announcements at 1556 followed by another vernacular song. Urdu service noted at 1602, ID, frequencies announced as FM 93.0, MW 1600 (?) & SW 49 mb, news by OM up to 1611 followed by songs and commentary on current events. Urdu song at 1621, closing announcements at 1627, abruptly off air at 1628. Good, clean signal on my portable Redsun RP2100 (aka Kaito KA2100) + Telescopic Antenna. English ID at 1530: http://tinyurl.com/3z7jsbf Urdu ID at 1602 UT: http://tinyurl.com/3cfk6zr RTA website (in Pashto; English link not working) has a picture of towers, anyone fluent with Pashto can throw some light on it? http://rta.org.af/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1139:day-picture-&catid=14:readable-article --- (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, India, http://alokeshgupta.blogspot.com/ dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 31.07.2011, at 1652 UT: Thanks Mikhail, tuned in at 1625 UT and hard typical Afghan string instrument music and seems to s-off at 1629 UT and then Family Radio dominated the frequency is some vernacular. Will try tomorrow (Victor A. Goonetilleke-CLN, 4S7VK, DXplorer July 31 via BC-DX via DXLD) Hi Mikhail, thank you for the nice tip. It has been difficult to get reliable information about this project. At first it was supposed to start many years ago {started 2003, announced in 2005 again, TDP mentions Thomson SW unit erected in 2006, wb.}, then the Ministry of Information & Culture told, that the whole SW project has been cancelled. But that was soon denied by RTA. Then BECIL {which co-contracted 100 kW Thalès-Thomson-Thomscast SW unit from Switzerland, wb.} told a couple of years ago that tests have been conducted. That sounded hard to believe, but probably was true after all (Mauno Ritola, Finland, DXplorer Aug 1, ibid.) Re: Radio Afghanistan Kabul on 6100 kHz Despite of Indian BECIL announcement in 2003 and premature inauguration notice by RTA in September 2005, there is also 100 kW TSW2100 transmitter of Thomson - Thalès mentioned (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX via DXLD) 6102.00, R Afghanistan, 1623, Aug 3, Urdu talk & songs at threshold level to 1631:21 carrier off. Surprised to find they had moved up exactly 2 kHz from nominal. Seems a punching error? 73, (Martien Groot, Schoorl, Netherlands, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I guess 6102v was well-considered selected tonight. Due of Kashi China powerhouse "Beijing Hour" on adjacent 6095 kHz. Maybe a DXer advised RTA engineers? Best reception here in Europe upper side 6098 to 6110 kHz. vy73 (Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, ibid.) National Radio of Afghanistan. Heute auf 6102 kHz, wenn sich mein alter Sony nicht irrt ...? Seltsam (Simon-Peter Liehr-D, A-DX ng Aug 3 via BC-DX via DXLD) Yes, exact on 6101.999 :-) - Mauno said 2 Hertz down - yesterday. :-) S=8-9 signal in Finland. Grey zone at Batumi in Georgia, dark zone in Ashgabat Turkmenistan. At 1631 UT cut off transmitter powerline, a little late tonight (Wolfgang Büschel, Aug 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews via DXLD) Radio Afghanistan in English/Urdu noted on Aug. 4: 1530-1630 on new 6102.0 (44444), instead of nominal 6100.0 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) #3 Kai Ludwig on Jul 31st, 2011 at 20:43 The first reports about this delivery of shortwave equipment from India even appeared already in October 2003, with the inauguration at this time being promised for March 2004. So we have here the little delay of seven years, if the current inauguration has still anything to do with the project from 2003…2005 at all. And the hinted extension plans would pretty much reinstate the foreign service of Radio Afghanistan as it existed in the past. It seems that as such it went away at some point in the mid-nineties, not at the same time but not too long after the use of transmitters in the former Soviet Union ceased (in 1992 I assume). Well, my shortwave radio still works, a broken whip antenna is not really an issue since a piece of wire does the job as well… but if anything is audible here on 6100 kHz it will hardly be more than a mere DX catch, and I fear without a high gain curtain antenna (I would not count on one having been built) it would not be much different on any other frequency. At the same time all one gets when clicking the “English” link on their homepage is a “down for maintenance” message, and I have a feeling that “please check back again soon” is not more than just the standard text from the CMS… #4 Mervyn Hagger on Aug 1st, 2011 at 06:50 I see. So while USA and UK taxpayers are being squeezed at home to keep their own countries running, money still flows into silly projects such as this. I had to comment that in light of where the money is ultimately coming from, these projects are obscene and should end immediately - simply by turning off the money chain. Besides which the idea that “….revival of this service will assist in recognition of Afghanistan to its outside friends and will inform them about the country’s events” is absurd. This is a war zone in which terrorists roam and its drug suppliers cost money to the social services of the USA and UK who have to deal with the result of their undertaking. Finally, the idea that anyone who matters will be listening on short wave proves the point that this is another example of USA and UK taxes being squandered away. #5 Andy Sennitt on Aug 1st, 2011 at 11:45 I think you will find that the broadcasting infrastructure in Afghanistan is being supported mainly by India. See press release at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=73608 #6 Mervyn Hagger on Aug 1st, 2011 at 12:51 Ah, yes, Andy, I just accessed that site after you brought it to my attention. But here is the stupidity in all of this. India is launching a space program and assisting with Afghanistan’s broadcasting while getting financial aid from the USA and probably the UK as well. So that is just a money-chain that appears to be merely a part of a big worldwide financial mess. More money down the drain in a war zone broadcasting good will programming on a medium that is obsolete. Lots of smart thinking there by some financial wiz-kids with access to more money than common sense (MN blog comments via DXLD) Probably from Oct 30 in B-11 season, like in B-10 season 6095 1500-1600 Kashi China 500kW 6100 1600-1700 Kashi China 100kW 6100 1600-1630 M&B Wertachtal AWR in Bulgarian 6100 1530-1600 Novosibirsk RUS 6100 KCBS Pyongyang Kanggye 6105 1500-1600 Shijiazhuang China 500kW (Wolfgang Büschel, Aug 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Related story from 2005y: http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/Radio%20Afghanistan%20to%20return%20to%20shortwave%20soon Radio Afghanistan to return to shortwave soon September 13th, 2005 - 12:50 UTC by Andy Sennitt. The Indo-Asian News service quotes Abdul Rehman Panjshiri, director of international relations at the Afghan Radio and TV, as saying that “The 100 kW shortwave transmitter with seven antennas being installed by India at Yakatoot in Kabul is being completed this month. It will enable Kabul Radio programmes to be heard in South East Asia, South Asia, Africa and Europe. The people in remote areas in Afghanistan who remain cut off during the harsh winter months will now be able to follow the happenings in Kabul and other areas of the country through the programmes beamed on this shortwave transmitter.” (via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (Govt. of India enterprise) --- Terrestrial Broadcasting - Consultancy & Turnkey Jobs Projects Completed [including]: * Supply & Installation of Transmitter, Antenna, Tower and cables for Shaq Network, Jalalabad, Afghanistan. * Revamping and restoration of information setup including Radio and TV facilities in Afghanistan. * Restoration/Augmentation of Television Hardware in Jalalabad and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan. Projects In Progress [including] * Establishment of Television studio for M/s Constellation Business Group, USA in Kabul, Afghanistan. http://www.becil.com/story/2008/6/6/057/20907 Regards, (via Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi http://alokeshgupta.blogspot.com/ dx_sasia yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) Also... RTA TV (& Radio?) is also carried on Hotbird 9 which covers Northern Africa & Europe. RTA TV & Radio Afghanistan domestic radio outlet is on Insat 3A (Asia). Cheers, (Mark Fahey, NSW, August 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Afghanistan time is UT +4hrs30m. In 1970 R Afghanistan started at 0200 UT, WRTH 2011 shows start at 0100 UT. Den ollen 20 kW Telefunkensender habe ich etwa 1969 bis 1978 noch gehoert. 73 wb Hello All, es wird also nicht nur abgeschaltet und ausgesourced. Congrats. Ohne diese info waere ich etwas skeptisch gewesen, weil 6100 kHz zu anderer Sendezeit ein Heimatkanal vom AIR Kashmiri Service in Urdu ist. Die ollen Telefunkensender wurden waehrend der sowjetischen Besatzungszeit bestimmt durch Leningrader Hardware ersetzt? Und eine der Antennen die bei den Bombardements zerstoert wurden, koennten wieder zusammen geflickt worden sein. Sendezentren in Kabul siehe alt - AFG Kabul Yakatut 34 32 23.59 N 69 12 41.82 E rechts hinten die beiden MW masten sowie neu - AFG Kabul Udkhel SW masts in 125 / 305 degr 34 32 20.78 N 69 20 48.42 E Links die zwei hohen Masten ist die MW Anlage. Das ist die Pul-i- Charki / Udkhel station aus dem Januar 2002, nach den Bombardements wieder in Betrieb genommen und eingeweiht fuer 1107 kHz domestic AFG, und 1296 kHz fuer IBB Service. Die zwei MW Antennen sind schoen zu sehen. AFG Kabul Pol-e Charki/Udkhel AFG 1107 / IBB 1296 kHz 34 32 16.34 N 69 20 19.28 E Das gleich-namige Gefaengnisgebaeude sieht man 1.7 km suedlicher. (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 Aug via DXLD) Various USSR shortwave frequency relays used by R Afghanistan in 1980 till 1991 years. Source also: Afghanistan 1941. (via wwdxc BC-DX May 24, 2006) "....However, in the ensuing fighting after the Russian invasion in 1979, most of the radio facilities at all of the various locations were damaged and destroyed. Meanwhile, in an unexpected move around mid year 1979, the radio world suddenly discovered that Radio Afghanistan was on the air via relay stations in Russia." Einige R AFG Relays fuer Europa waren wohl in der UKR SSR beheimatet. Am 17. Juli ist der "Mr. Radio Moskau Frequency", Anatoly Titov mit 71 Jahren gestorben, siehe unter Russia. Der haette uns bestimmt die genauen Senderstandorte der AFG und LAO relays zwischen 1980 und 1991 mitteilen koennen. Oder BF in Mittelhessen auch? (wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 31, 2011) I checked the 1980 Handbook and the external service was on 11805 1630-1700 in Russian and 1730-1930 on 15075 in Arabic, Pushto, Dari, German and English using 100 kW transmitters in Afghanistan. Schedule expanded to 6 hours daily in the 1981 Handbook with the additional use of a 50 kW transmitter on 6230 1330-1600 in Urdu and English. 15075 now listed as 15077 kHz. The 1982 Handbook shows the addition of a Russian transmitter on 9665 at 1730-1930. The 1983 Handbook shows the 6230 transmitter being used 1000-1030 in English and 1230-1430 in Urdu now with two Russian transmitters also being used on 15255 and 21460. The 1700 UT Arabic broadcast also on 15470 via Russia, 9655 and 11960 via Russia being used for the 1730-1930 UT transmissions. I don't have the 1976 through 1979 Handbooks. The 1975 one has the same schedule as shown in the article with the addition of Arabic 1000-1030 on 15195, listed as 100 kW from Kabul (Mike Barraclough-UK, dxld Jan 5, 2009) From Kabul site, see AFG Kabul Udkhel, four SW masts in 125 / 305 degree azimuth. 305 degrees towards Europe. More four masts towards Middle East at 230 to 270 degrees are like scrap, visible on the south-western corner of the site. 34 32 20.78 N 69 20 48.42 E on Google Earth. The shortwave mast ruins are visible at see both, SW mast ruins and two tall MW masts of 1107 and 1296 kHz MW site: Various USSR shortwave frequency relays used by R Afghanistan in 1980 till 1991 years. After that - in Taliban era - only single 9635 and 4775 were in use from old Kabul Yakatut site, see 34 32 24.35 N 69 12 40.35 E (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 4/5, 2009 via BC-DX Aug 1, 2011 via DXLD) This issue of BC-DX includes a lot MORE historical info about Afghanistan broadcasting, much of it from DXLD back a decade R. Afghanistan new transmitters of 2003/2005 erected now on old 1939 Telefunken site Yakatoot/Yakatut instead of Udkhel 13 kms east, where the old {destroyed} 305 degree Russia/Europe antenna masts are still visible in Google Maps/Earth. 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, August 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So, the Indian BECIL built up new antennas at very old Yakatoot / Yakatut downtown site of Telefunken era in 1939/1940? On latter site antenna mast space is limited to erect huge SW antennas... 13 kilometers eastwards close to the IBB/AFG MW site, old destroyed Siemens(?) curtain antenna masts from the 60ties still visible at Udkhel, at 305 degr direction of Moscow, and Western Europe, accurately fitting for Ru, Fr, Ge, and English services to EUR. (Wolfgang Büschel, Aug 1, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 5 via DXLD) Re Thomson SW unit. I recall it was sometime around 2004 when BECIL asked for bids about this AFG SW project. And I think Thomson was chosen to supply the transmitter. As we see, things have gone slow. If memory serves, the project was funded by Indian Government, Becil was acting as a "midman" and hired contractors to deliver equipment and install them (Jari Savolainen, Finland, DXplorer Aug 1 via BCDX via DXLD) Radio Afghanistan. Hier kann man Sendungen von RTA 1 hoeren: (Paul Reinersch, Germany, A-DX Aug 1 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** ALBANIA [and non]. I agree with writing to stations and we should write more often to let them know we are tuning in and comment on programme content and reception conditions. Sadly, nowadays mailbag programmes are not on a regular basis as few listeners correspond, mainly due to the declining number of listeners. Some mailbag programmes are repeated each week for a month and others every couple of weeks. I remember hearing familiar names of listeners on many mailbag programmes over the years but now no longer hear. Anyway, we should contact stations often with our comments and listening conditions, as well as asking questions about the country, like they do on Radio Tirana`s Mailbag programme. Get writing! (Edwin Southwell, England, Open to Discussion, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) It is indeed worth writing to all the radio stations you hear --- if you send off a reception report and comments to just one station a week, that`s 52 a year you will have contacted. You can easily send an e-mail or a traditional letter. Radio Tirana is just one of many who appreciate hearing that they still have an active audience. Below is a QSL card and CD received by Prithwiraj Purkayastha in Assam, India in May, from his blog at http://prithwisworld.blogspot.com (David Morris, ed., ibid.) 7425, R. Tirana with music that sounded like a cross between a polka & Euro-techno-dance beat music. Wonky! OM English DJ talking about Albanian history. No ID but "and that is the end of our program" and carrier suddenly off at :56. Kinda noisy. 44343 0240-0256* 27/Jul (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) 13625, August 1 at 1431, R. Tirana inaudible, not even a carrier traced. Could be off air or late signing-on Monday, first day of Ramadan, but we are really in the doldrums, with nothing else from Europe making it on band, just North American signals and weakies from China. On 19m, nearby Greece very poor on 15630. Yet solar flux 119 for July 31, and K-index 2 at 1500 August 1 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing heard from RT Shijak on 13625 kHz today Aug 3rd. Service is on summer holiday. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, 1501 UT Aug 3, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) On Aug 3rd, nothing heard on air !!! All were off 13625 1430-1456 UT En 7465 1931-1956 UT Ge 13735 2000- UT En only 7464.984 kHz noted came on air late, not on air at 1930-1955 UT. At 1955:23 UT came on air, single Albanian pop song played for few seconds. Then only carrier on air, German program came back at 1958:30 UT with German closing announcement. Started further at 2000 UT with English ID and frequencies. But still missed 13735 tonight Aug 3rd. Also our Austrian DXer mentioned RT Albanian signals missing on Aug 1st til 3rd !!!!!!! What happened on the feeder line between BChouse or/and Shijak transmitter site in past days? Is there a "substitute" engineering staff on duty during holiday season? Or is one of the two Shijak TXs out of order ? 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CHINA [non] Der neue Mitgliederrundbrief Nr. 45 (August 2011) des Radio Tirana Hoerer Klubs ist erschienen, er ist auch ueber die Web Site des RTHK zu holen: Beachtenswert sind auch die Eintraege dort unter "Neuigkeiten"! Viel Spass - Anton (Dr. Anton Kuchelmeister, Germany, DK5TL, Aug 2, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 5 via DXLD) ** ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS. 4760, AIR, Port Blair. Having transmitter problems in the last month and most often off air. On the 20/7 they were on till 1200 tune in to 1702 s/off, but again off the air. Last check 1600 28/7. With Port Blair off, was hoping to catch AIR Leh without luck. Around 1445 TWR Swaziland fades in cochannel (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) ** ANGOLA [non]. HIT VOA PROGRAM "ANGOLA, FALA SÓ" EXPANDS TO FULL HOUR Washington, D.C. — July 29, 2011 — Voice of America’s new Portuguese language call-in show to Angola has become such a hit with audiences, the program is growing from 30-minutes to a full-hour format starting this week. Angola, Fala Só, which roughly translates to “Just Say It” in English, went on the air in March, tackling a range of issues, from politics and health to rules on social behavior. Washington-based host Luis Costa Ribas says the show is being expanded because producers have been getting hundreds of calls by listeners who want to be on the weekly program, which is broadcast on medium wave, shortwave, mobile and streamed on the Internet. Luis Costa Ribas Ribas says, “The extra thirty minutes will allow time for more listeners to have a voice and express an opinion that can be heard all over Angola. It can also give us more room for follow-up on some hot topics, without taking time away from our audiences.” Callers from anywhere in Angola are welcome to phone in or text- message their questions or comments to the show, which is partly funded by a grant from the U.S. State Department. The title for the Portuguese language show was inspired by a popular expression, which is often used in the Angolan capital, Luanda. Visit the Angola, Fala Só webpage (click here) for more details about toll free numbers to call with your questions or to listen on-line. For more about VOA’s Portuguese Service, visit http://www.voanews.com/portuguese/news For more about VOA in English visit http://www.voanews.com For Media inquiries contact Kyle King in Washington at kking @ voanews.com (VOA press release July 29 via DXLD; also via Yimber Gaviria, DXLD) WTFK? WTTK? ``ANGOLA, FALA SÓ !!! À 6ª feira, agora das 17h30 às 18h30 17h30 às 18h00: frequências de 9805 - 13635 - 17820 e das 18h00 às 18h30: frequências de 1530 - 9800 - 15740`` Way to go! All the frequencies change in the middle of it. Are those times Angolan = UT +1, or UT? 17820 Greenville is 1700-1830, so must be UT, so everyone in Angola will tune in one hour too late. But what else is on 17820 at 1800-1830?? 9805 and 13635 are not in Aoki or HFCC. 15740 is Swahili via Sao Tomé at 1630-1700. 9800 is 1700-1830 in Portuguese, switching from ST to Botswana at 1800 as the final semihour is only M-F. None of this makes much sense (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** ANGUILLA. 11775, July 29 at 1219, Caribbean Beacon still absent. Apparently has been off both 11775 and 6090 for a few days (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I've been checking this one all week at around 0600 / 0700 UT but heard no trace of it. 11775 is blocked at that time by CRI in Arabic, but nothing traced "underneath". I recognise the voice on WWCR 5935 as being that of the late Dr. G. Scott so that transmission is still on air. Maybe some bills are outstanding in Anguilla? (Noel R. Green (NW England), July 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6090 and 11775 continue to be absent for about a week, whenever checked on August 3-4. On August 4, George McClintock, consulting engineer and frequency manager for Caribbean Beacon explains, ``A new antenna curtain (wire portion of the antenna) is being installed. Salt air causes problems for the antenna over a long period of time. No transmitter problem`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. 15476, another week past, and Friday July 29 at 1304 check, still no LRA36 carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nor August 4 ** ARGENTINA. New x-bander on 1630, not a pirate --- *1630 Radio América, San José, Entre Ríos, Argentina, new station, 1 kW Esta emisora que retransmitía Radio Melody FM, de la misma localidad, ya tiene instalada la antena, una torre monopolar, en un humedal cerca de San José, ER [Entre Ríos province]. La gerencia tiene mucho interés en recibir informes ahora que se sabe que puede captarse la señal a mucha distancia y que en Europa se sobrepone a las dos emisoras argentinas que venían ocupando la frecuencia, AM Restauración y Super Sport AM. Los dos primeros oyentes en reportarla desde el exterior fueron Hasse Mattisson, de Suecia, y Andrew Brade, de Inglaterra. Informes, por favor dirigirlos a danycanal arroba hotmail punto com. Radio América 1630 no es una trucha; su licencia para operar en 1630 kHz fue otorgada por la AFSCA (Henrik Klemetz, Suecia, 2 agosto, HCDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) So what is its callsign? (gh) Muy interesante información. Vamos a tratar de captarla desde Bs.As. aunque las dos emisoras que operan en la QRG desde el propio GBA pueden tornar dificil la tarea (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, condiglist yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15345-, August 2 at 2132, only a het vs MOROCCO [q.v.] on the hi side, and never overcame with any audio. Finally uncovered at 2202:39 when IMM turns off its carrier, RAE announcing 6060 and 15345 in Spanish, also http://www.radioexterior.com.ar I thought he said, but that goes nowhere, nor the link at Media Network`s Hitlist, http://www.radionacional.com.ar/programacion/rae.html O, I see in the WRTH it should be http://www.radionacional.gov.ar --- That does get to the domestic service homepage, but just *try* to find any link to the external service, even by internal search! Anyhow, with the end of DST for this year, prompted by the beginning of Ramadan, Morocco now runs one real hour later on 15345, which means the northern-summer respite for RAE 21-22 UT German service listeners in Europe is over. That was only a fluke, as the two stations stupidly stick to the same frequency, both refuse to participate in HFCC or heed advice by would-be listeners that one or both should move a bit away to plenty of clear frequencies in the vicinity. A few years ago, Argentina decided to go on DST in its summer, Nov- Feb, and RAE, so remote from the real world of international broadcasting, shifted all its languages one UT hour earlier just so they would stay at the same local time, oblivious of its intended audience. This put German up to 20-21, still colliding with Morocco even when that country was not on DST. English, Italian and French hours from RAE, earlier in the day, remain always blocked by Morocco Later, from biweekly publicity by José Bueno about DX programs, found this link for live audio from RAE: http://www.radionacional.com.ar/vivo/rae.html which does exist with embedded flash player, but nothing heard at 1700 UT August 3. He also has the 404 programacion URL. Maybe at 1800 when SW programming starts in English? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, This link will now get you to what's left (that I can find, anyway) of the External Services pages: http://www.radionacional.com.ar/grilla/4-rae.html and the live stream is at http://www.radionacional.com.ar/vivo/4-rae.html I've updated the links to International Radio Stations on our World DX Club web pages at http://www.worlddxclub.org.uk/WDXC_links_stations.html (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The vivo/rae page still is dead at 1756, but Alan`s vivo/4-rae page indeed runs with the RAE IS and multilingual IDs. Why in the world don`t they take down the old one? On the lofi stream, timesignal came almost a sesquiminute after 1800, and a bit of IS played afterward before official opening in Spanish, French, English, German, Portuguese=Brazilian, Italian, Arabic, Japanese; 1804 starting English hour with a couple headlines, but then lengthy informal opening ceremonies for August 3, program summary including DX Special. Says they are on Facebook, raeinenglish (sic?). More W&M chat, until 1810 ``too much talking``, and time for news? No, music! 1815 finally news but with frequent musical breaks faded up and down. 1818 enough talk, back to a full tango. Kept alternating various feature items with music. 1847 finally `DX Special` prepared by Arnaldo Slaen, read by same M&W anchors as rest of hour. About DW setting up an office for LAm in Panamá. RFI international short stories contest. BBCWS audience allegedly increased by 10 percent. And that`s it, only 4 minutes, wrapping up at 1851, no real SW or DX news at all! More tango (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also ITALY [non] ** ASIA [non]. Radio Free Asia frequency changes: Chinese 0300-0400 NF 17520 TIN 250 kW / 295 deg to EaAs, ex 17495, re-ex 17615 0300-0400 NF 21675 TIN 250 kW / 313 deg to EaAs, ex 21580 Tibetan 0100-0200 NF 9680 KWT 250 kW / 070 deg to CeAs, ex 7530, re-ex 9365 0200-0300 NF 11745 KWT 250 kW / 070 deg to CeAs, ex 7530, re-ex 9365 0100-0200 NF 17505 TIN 250 kW / 295 deg to CeAs, ex 15225 0200-0300 NF 17610 TIN 250 kW / 295 deg to CeAs, ex 15225 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, August 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 2368.5, Radio Symban. Looks to me that they have recently started signing off very early. Had been hearing them from about 1230 to 1330 with decent reception recently, but for about three days now have noted them gone by 1220 or so. A new winter time schedule? (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, August 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, R. Symban does have a new reduced schedule. August 4 at 1202:54*. Confirmed per the following email from Tom Tsamouras: “Yes there has been a slight change and we are on air between 9.00 and 22.00 Eastern Standard Time [2300-1200 UT]. We also have a minor technical issue which we have to address which will improve the signal but we are currently working on another project and once that work is finished, we can go back to the shortwave. Regards, Tom” Thanks to Ian Baxter (Australia) for helping to explain why they have reduced their broadcasting hours. “On July 1st there was a 10-12% increase in our electricity prices here in NSW, with much bigger increases expected with the introduction of the federal carbon tax.” So this is indeed unfortunate for my reception, as their signal recently had been improving up to almost a fair level after 1230 or so. Probably will have to wait till later in the year for better reception here (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Aug 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 4860 harmonic, 2KM, Sydney. Arabic at 2250, 3 x 1620, commercial format. Before it started talking, thought it might be India out of hours. There are always traps for the unwary! 18/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 15240, RA Shepparton accompanied by - probably - spurs at 0050 UT Aug 1. S=9+20dB signal on Brisbane remote sdr unit. Not too strong, so I've my doubts whether the spurs originate of incorrect function of the Perseus? Strong signals noted on 15221 to 15226, 15233 to 15248, as well as 15254 to 15258 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15415, Radio Australia. Often 0100-0200 English with echo, both long and short path // 17750. Brings back so many pleasant memories of the great days of Radio Australia before it was killed off!! 20/7 (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) ??? Not exactly dead yet (gh, DXLD) And as I recall 15415 was an old Carnarvon frequency, Victor. From Shepparton of course, these days -cs. (Craig Seager, ed., ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. AUSTRALIAN STATES ON SHORTWAVE: 4 - QUEENSLAND A total of six different locations in the Australian state of Queensland have been on the air during the past half century or more with the broadcast of shortwave programming. The first of these stations was located at Pinkenba, an outer suburb on the western edge of Brisbane. The Coastal Station VIB was located here, and they were on the air shortwave with weather forecasts and storm warnings. In 1943, this station took a short relay from the ABC each day with the midday time signals. The first actual shortwave broadcasting station in the state of Queensland was located at Bald Hills, a little north of the state capital, Brisbane, and it was opened in 1943 for service to the widely unpopulated outback areas of the inland for which no programming was available on mediumwave. Back in the year 1941, international tensions were mounting in the Pacific and it was considered advisable to remove the tall radio towers of the three city mediumwave stations that were located on the top of downtown buildings. The towers of these three stations, 4QG, 4QR & 4BK, were all visible from the edge of the nearby Pacific Ocean. In 1941, work commenced at a large new ABC transmitter facility on a property at Bald Hills that was previously in use as a jam factory some 12 miles north of Brisbane. During the following year, the programming of the two ABC mediumwave stations, 4QG & 4QR, was transferred from the city transmitter facilities to the new out of town station. At the same time, a 10 kW STC shortwave transmitter was installed at Bald Hills and this was officially taken into service for outback areas on February 17, 1943 under the callsign VLQ. A subsidiary shortwave service was inaugurated six years later under the callsign VLM with the usage of a temporary 200 watt transmitter, and later another 10 kW unit. The ABC shortwave service at Bald Hills in Queensland was in use:- * For direct listener reception in the outback areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory * As a relay service to other ABC mediumwave stations in Queensland when landline connections failed * Emergency relay service to 5DR in Darwin * For an ABC Regional Home Service into Papua New Guinea * For the relay of Radio Australia programming to Papua New Guinea The Bald Hills shortwave service was on the air for a period of a little over 50 years running from 1943 to 1993. During that time, a total of four different transmitters were in use for the VLQ-VLM programming, three at 10 kW & one at 200 watts. Nearly 1,000 miles further north is another shortwave station, and this is the Radio Australia facility located near Brandon on the Queensland coast. Back in the year 1958, the 50 kW ABC mediumwave station 4QN was transferred from Clevedon and rebuilt near Brandon. Then 30 years later, three shortwave transmitters at 10 kW were removed from the shortwave station at Lyndhurst in Victoria after it was closed and they were re-installed at the transmitter site near Brandon. Test broadcasts from the new location began on April 3, 1989, but next day, the station was damaged by the invasion of Cyclone Alva. However, the damaged antenna system was repaired quite quickly and ten days later, test broadcasts were re-commenced. The three transmitters were used alternately to provide two shortwave program channels under the line callsign VLG & VLJ. A third channel was planned under the callsign VLS, but it was never implemented due to the fact that an additional antenna system was never installed. Originally, it was intended that the low powered 10 kW shortwave facility at Brandon would be a temporary fill in until two additional 100 kW transmitters were installed. However instead, two DRM capable 20 kW RIZ transmitters from Europe were installed (in 2006) and these now provide a dedicated relay service to various islands in the South Pacific where the programming is received on digital shortwave and rebroadcast live on local FM stations. And while we are talking about cyclones, we should mention that on at least three occasions, the ABC mediumwave programming from North Queensland has been noted on shortwave from Shepparton in Victoria. These three cyclones, named Larry & Monica in 2006, and Yasi in 2011, pounded the north eastern coast of Australia and penetrated well inland causing horrendous damage. In order to keep local residents informed, and to serve as a fill-in relay service where damaged local stations were off the air, the cyclone emergency programming from Queensland was beamed to the stricken areas on shortwave over the temporarily diverted 100 kW transmitters located at Radio Australia, Shepparton. Next, in Queensland on shortwave, we take a look at an American army station. This station was established at Hemmant on the edge of Brisbane in 1943 with two transmitters, a Federal at 10 kW and a Press Wireless at 40 kW. It was on the air under an American callsign WTO with army communications and the transfer of news for the American media for a couple of years, after which it was taken over by the Australian government in 1946 as a communication station. On previous occasions here in Wavescan, we have presented the story of the Coastal Radio Stations throughout Australia, and also the weather broadcasts from the navy stations AXM in Canberra & AXI in Darwin. It was on June 30, 2002, that all of the Coastal Radio Stations were closed, and also the weather broadcasts from the two navy station AXM & AXI. On the very next day, July 1, 2002, two new shortwave stations took over these services. The two new stations are VMC at Charleville in Queensland and VMW at Wiluna in Western Australia, both established well inland at electronically quiet locations. Station VMC “Weather East” is located near Charleville, apparently a little south of the town. The current scheduling shows that it operates at least 5 transmitters at 1 kW, with fax weather charts, and at set times during the day, with weather bulletins in voice mode. The scheduling for these two stations VMC & VMW can be obtained from the internet, together with the address for QSL response, at http://bom.gov.au (Adrian Peterson, IN, AWR Wavescan script for July 31 via DXLD) As in Bureau of Meteorology (gh) ** AZERBAIJAN [non?]. 9677.4, Voice of Justice, Nagorno-Karabakh. Heard on band 9677.2-9677.8 but best on 9677.4 at 1301 s/on till 1320 close/down in Caucasus in Azeri on 26/7. Schedule: 1300-1325 Tue & Fri, repeated 0500-0525 on Wed & Sat on same variable 9677-9678 kHz (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF-2001, 16m Marconi antenna), Aug Australian DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD). ** BAHRAIN. 9745, Radio Bahrain, 0200-0220, July 30, carrier + USB. Local chants. Poor to fair. (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BAHRAIN [non]. 15540, August 2 until 2006, R. Kuwait very good with talk outroed as ``Song of the Sea``, another ``Radio Bahrein produxion, presented by R. Kuwait``. Maybe they stick these in at different times from day to day; August 1 was at 2019-2025 as in previous report under KUWAIT. There used to be a programme exchange called Voice of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Maybe this is that. Back to western pop music (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM [non]. 17750-17755-17760, Aug 3 at 2014, NO DRM noise; TDP Disco Palace is scheduled and usually blasting away from 20 to 22 via Guiana French; presumably an anomaly, but needs rechecking. 17750-17755-17760, August 4 at 2026, DRM noise is rampant, TDP Radio via GUIANA FRENCH, while it was missing earlier in the same hour on August 3 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. SINDICATOS DE EL CHAPARE MEJORARÁN EQUIPAMIENTO DE RADIO KAUSACHUM COCA. 04/08/2011 Con un aporte individual de 10 bolivianos, los productores de la zona de El Chapare mejorarán el equipamiento de la Radio Kawsachun Coca que funciona en la población de Lauca Ñ, confirmó el domingo el presidente Evo Morales. Más informaciones y fotografias en http://gruporadioescuchaargentino.wordpress.com/ (Arnaldo Slaen, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Con un aporte individual de 10 bolivianos, los productores de la zona de El Chapare mejorarán el equipamiento de la Radio Kawsachun Coca que funciona en la población de Lauca Ñ, confirmó el domingo el presidente Evo Morales. En una concentración con los pobladores de la zona, donde entregó varias obras de desarrollo, el Mandatario manifestó las seis Federaciones del Trópico de Cochabamba decidieron apoyar el fortalecimiento de la radioemisora. Dijo que “esta radioemisora es la voz de los productores de hojas de coca como un instrumento de orientación y de lucha por la liberación nacional”. Anotó que en el pasado funcionaba en la región la radioemisora denominada La Voz del Trópico que era financiada por el gobierno de Estados Unidos con un desembolso de 70.000 a 80.000 dólares. “Ese medio de comunicación era enemigo de los productores de hojas de coca y transmitía con mensajes negativos al desarrollo de la región”, anotó. Destacó que por ello se decidió dar origen a la radio Kawsachun Coca, que es la voz de los trabajadores. “Sin embargo ahora requiere de su fortalecimiento para que sus ondas no solamente lleguen a El Chapare y regiones cercanas, sino a todo el país e inclusive al exterior”, puntualizó el Jefe de Estado. Recordó igualmente que durante el Gobierno del entonces presidente Jorge Quiroga Ramírez entre 2001 y 2002 se allanó la emisora para inutilizar sus equipos. “Ahora la radio Kawsachun Coca debe fortalecerse y ser un instrumento de la educación para la liberación del pueblo”, afirmó. (ABI) (GRA blog via DXLD) HOW exactly are they going to improve it? Put it back on SW?? The name is spelt various ways, but WRTH 2011 reminds us it used to be on 6075. We haven`t seen it reported in a long time. LA-DX has it on the inactive list, last reported in Dec 09 at 0850-1105. This station is in-your-face, pro-cocaine and those who produce it as a nationalistic enterprise vs the dirty yankees. As for La Voz del Trópico, which this article claims was supported by $70-80K from the US government, could that be another inactive one at LA-DX, ``6037.5, RDif Trópico, Trinidad [2240-0005*](36.7-.37.6) Apr07 A SS ex 4552 see 4958.1``? WRTH 2011 has R. Trópico on 4958v, not flagged as inactive but another one not reported since July 07 per LA- DX (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. EL CHASQUI DX - JULIO 2011 --- CQ, CQ, CQ, Aquí Pedro F. Arrunátegui para compartir algo con los que disfrutan y aman el DX latinoamericano, todas las horas son UT, desde la tierra de los incas, les informo mediante este Quipus lo siguiente: 6155, BOLIVIA, R. Fides, La Paz, 12/07 2315/0040, 33333, ads cajero automático del banco Idisa, Café Copacabana, Cerveza Paceña, trasmitiendo la Copa América, partido Perú – Chile. ID mv "Por el Grupo Fides" La recepción lo he efectuado del 1/07 al 29/07 con mi Sony ICF-SW7600G en compañía del Mizuho KX-3. Muchos 128´s PFA (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Peru, UT Aug 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Eis aqui amigos, algumas boas escutas em OT e OC. 2380, 30/07 0227, R. Educadora, Limeira -- SP, música variada 45434 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso. Bandeirantes - PR. Receptor: Tecsun PL310. Antena: RC3-FM, radioescutas yg via DXLD) So it is active (gh) ** BRAZIL. 4865, R. Verdes Florestas, Cruzeiro do Sul. News 1010- 1025+, program “Jornal Difusora” with correspondents’ reports, etc., good on 20/7. Full ID and frequency announcement at 1008 on 22/7; can be a tricky one to extract an ID out of once they start their religious content. Appears to be operated by the Catholic Diocese of Cruzeiro do Sul (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4876.77v, Rdif Roraima, 0237-0404*, July 31, Brazilian ballads. Portuguese announcements. Sign off with National Anthem. Weak. Poor in noisy conditions. Frequency constantly drifting between 4876.74 - 4876.85 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BRAZIL. Re 11-30: Guarujá começa a transmitir em 5045 kHz no domingo, 7 --- http://romais.jor.br/blog/?p=32 Estúdio da Guarujá Paulista foi remodelado recentemente [caption] Em um grupo de debates no Facebook, o diretor da Rádio Guarujá Paulista, de Guarujá (SP), jornalista Orivaldo Rampazo, avisa que até no máximo no domingo, 7, a emissora começa a testar a sua frequência de 5045 kHz. O objetivo da Guarujá é voltar a transmitir em ondas curtas de forma regular (Célio Romais, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Plans to start testing 5045 again on August 7 (gh) ** BRAZIL. 6089.96, 0005-0150 29+30.07, R Bandeirantes, São Paulo, SP, Portuguese talk, audible while Caribbean Beacon was off the air 25232 (Anker Petersen on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 6089.95, Radio Bandeirantes, 0040-0110, July 31, Anguilla 6090 still off the air allowing Brazil to be heard with futebol play-by-play. // 9645.38 - weak. // 11925.22 - threshold copy (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BRAZIL. 15190, Radio Inconfidencia, Belo Horizonte, 0900-1000, 28.07, program "Trem Caipira", with Brazilian music and comments: "Inconfidência, Trem Caipira, o som da terra, o som da nossa gente", "Inconfidência, Trem Caipira, agora 6 horas 36 minutos", "Onda média, 880 kHz, ondas curtas de 49 metros 6010 kHz, ondas curtas de 19 metros, 15190 kHz, Rede Inconfidência de Rádio, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil". At 1000 "Jornal Integração". "Jornal Integração, as sete da manhã". At 1000 interference from China Radio International on the same frequency. 34433 (Manuel Méndez, Logs in Friol, 27 Km. W of Lugo, Spain, Grundig Satellit 500 and Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Cable antenna, 10 meters, faced WSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) AUDIOCLIP: RADIO INCONFIDENCIA Ascoltata il 25 luglio alle 20.30 utc sui 15190 La clip audio è disponibile qui: http://blog.libero.it/radioascolto/10466809.html 73's (Francesco Cecconi, Italy, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Grande ascolto, Francesco, congratulazioni! Inconfidência è conosciuta in Brasile come "La radio gigante". Indirizzo web è: http://www.inconfidencia.com.br/ 73, (Rodrigo de Araujo, SWARL PY4004SWL, http://www.ondasderadio.wordpress.com Belo Horizonte --- Minas Gerais --- Brasil, ibid.) V EQUATORIAL GUINEA ** BURMA [non]. 11595, Democratic Voice of Burma via Yerevan. Pilot tone 2325, on with fanfare and announcements. 2330. Very strong indeed, 18/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** BURMA [non]. This year's annual BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures will be delivered by two speakers – Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former Director-General of MI5, Baroness Manningham-Buller. They will be broadcast on Radio 4 in June and September, respectively. The 2011 Reith Lectures, entitled Securing Freedom, arise out of an extraordinary period of global convulsion. Aung San Suu Kyi's lectures from Burma will focus on the struggle for democracy inside an authoritarian regime. Back in the UK, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Eliza Manningham-Buller discusses how, once secured, a country maintains its freedom. Gwyneth Williams, Controller, BBC Radio 4 says: "This Reith Lecture series engages with some of the currents arising from a period of exceptional international political and economic turmoil. I am thrilled to have as our 2011 Reith lecturers Aung San Suu Kyi addressing the themes of dissent and liberty and Eliza Manningham- Buller who, on the 10th anniversary, will reflect on 9/11 and intelligence and foreign policy since. These are two very different sides of a familiar story – the struggle for liberty and its defence." Aung San Suu Kyi's two lectures have been recorded in Burma and will be played to public audiences later this month. Eliza Manningham- Buller will give three lectures – two from London and one from Leeds. In her first lecture, Aung San Suu Kyi examines the idea of dissent, in the context of Burma. In the second, she explores how freedom can be won and what it really means, with reference to events in the Middle East. Of the Reith Lectures she said: "To be speaking to you through the BBC has a very special meaning for me. It means that once again I am officially a free person. "When I was officially 'unfree', that is to say when I was under house arrest, it was the BBC that spoke to me – I listened. But that listening also gave me a kind of freedom, the freedom of reaching out to other human minds, of course it was not the same as a personal exchange but it was a form of human contact. "The freedom to make contact with other human beings with whom you may wish to share your thoughts and your hopes, your laughter and at times even your anger and indignation, is a right that should never be violated. "Even though I cannot be with you in person, I am so grateful for this opportunity to exercise my right to human contact by sharing with you my thoughts on what freedom means to me and others across the world who are still in the sad state of what I would call ‘unfreedom'." In the 1990 Burmese election, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a landslide victory, but she then spent nearly 15 of the next 20 years under house arrest. On 13 November 2010, she was released. Aung San Suu Kyi received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. To mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Eliza Manningham-Buller offers a unique perspective on the event, its impact on the world and the repercussions from it. She considers the role of security intelligence and reflects more broadly on the threats to freedom and the means of countering them. Eliza Manningham-Buller was Director General of MI5, the British Security Service, from October 2002 until her retirement in April 2007. She led the organisation through substantial change in the wake of 9/11 and the growing threat from Al-Qaeda. Under her leadership MI5 doubled in size and altered its approach to the professional development of staff with the establishment of a training academy. Baroness Manningham-Buller said: "I am honoured to share this year's Reith Lecture series with Aung San Suu Kyi whose selfless courage on behalf of Burma's freedom should remind us not to take our own freedoms for granted." Earlier in her career, Eliza Manningham-Buller headed up the service's investigation into the Lockerbie bombing. She served in Washington during the first Gulf war before returning to MI5 to establish its intelligence effort against the Provisional IRA in mainland Britain. She joined the board and assumed lead responsibility for work on Irish terrorism, surveillance, technical collection, finance and IT before becoming Deputy Director General in charge of intelligence operations. To sign up for the podcast go to: bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/reith Follow @BBC_Reith on Twitter to find out more about this year's lectures and share thoughts by using "#Reith". Aung San Suu Kyi's lectures were recorded in Burma this week and will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 9am on 28 June and 5 July, chaired by Sue Lawley. They will be played to audiences at two events and the public can apply for tickets on the website http://bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tickets/ Eliza Manningham-Buller's Reith Lectures will be broadcast at 9am on 6, 13 and 20 September, chaired by Sue Lawley. The Reith Lectures will broadcast on BBC World Service on Tuesday 28 June at 1100-1200 GMT and 5 July 11-12.00 GMT. John Reith, the BBC's first Director-General, maintained that broadcasting should be a public service which enriches the intellectual and cultural life of the nation. It is in this spirit that the BBC each year invites a leading figure to deliver a series of lectures on radio. The aim is to advance public understanding and debate about significant issues of contemporary interest. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/06_june/10/reith.shtml (via Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, July ODXA Listening In via DXLD) I suppose still retrievable? (gh) ** CANADA. Calgary, CFVP-CKMX, 6030 kHz, 0.1 kW, Alberta, Canada. I took these photos during my last trip to Calgary, Alberta, Western Canada, in the spring of 2010. The CFVP- SW station runs automatically on 6030 kHz with power just 0,1 kW, but it could be clearly heard 400 km away and even farther than that. It relays the CKMX MW station (1060 kHz, 50 kW ). The tall antennas in the pictures are theirs, a small one is for the CFVP. No one was around to ask for permission to come closer to them. And there were just lots - but no, swarms of mosquitoes around. [Calgary, CFVP-CKMX, AB, Canada. 4] [Calgary, CFVP-CKMX, AB, Canada. 5] [Calgary, CFVP-CKMX, AB, Canada. 8] (Lev Lytovchenko, Canada, July 31, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. 17735, August 2 at 2030, RCI`s prime English hour left on Sackville, discussion of Pakistan, Kashmir, with a Waterloo professor, hit by OTH radar pulses, then detected 17715-17740, presumed from CYPRUS. Not enough to overcome RCI, which is also far enough from TDP QRDRM on 17750-17760. RCI is // 15330 and 15235. August 3 at 1335 it was interesting to check Sackville frequencies during SW fadeout: inaudible was 9650 CRI relay, and JBA carrier on 11655 from normally strong NHK relay. Also knocked out 9330 WBCQ, 9370 WTJC (or maybe really off?) while other US signals remained: weakened 9385 WWRB, still strong 9479 WTWW. 7490 WWCR-2, normally a powerhouse, was also incredibly JBA. We had been warned that a coronal mass ejexion was on the way to hit Earth early August 3. At 1200, WWV e-mailed: ``Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be minor. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are likely.`` Its 1500 notice had not shown up an hour later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Radio-Canada on ch 3 --- Radio-Canada relayer on ch 3 with French-language ads, promos at 2028-30 CDT, now something in English with full screen 4x3 (instead of Radio-Canada's letterboxing) at 2032 CDT August 2. Glad to see E's open up after the end of July, but this is the tail end of the season and many of these stations won't be seen again by DX'ers. Manitoba pest CKNDTV-2 Minnedosa booming in during Global programming and ads at 2033-2038 CDT. Strong peaks at times almost "local" quality (if only for a few seconds). VCR's RDS like feature flashes up "CKND" which is a dead giveaway for the CKND/Global Winnipeg relay station on ch 2. And so is CTV (unid) on ch 4 --- Strong reception of CTV on unid 4 with CTV Promo "CTV Two", and a couple of ads including for Dairy Queen but fading fast before 2043, then rebounding -- -- (Fritze H Prentice Jr, KC5KBV, Star City, AR, WTFDA via DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. 2, August 3 at 0126 UT, brief fade-in of a drama in English from the NNE, likely an Ontarian analog TVDX; no other significant Es lately. Following sporadic E opening from Denver to the NW on 11m, see USA, I turn on TV and see the MUF is up to channel 4 from further in the same direxion, August 4, UT: 2031 [not 2037 typo in original report] on 3, `Doctor Phil` --- signal is so steady and weak that at first I fear it`s cable or VCR radiation. It`s // KOCO-7 OKC, but not synchro and without the big KOCO-5 bug in the LR. Fades are gradually down and up, unlike the rapid fading and heavy CCI earlier in the summer season. Mostly no audio with inadequate MUF above video carrier, but surges at 2035 during local break to hear a promo for a ceremony to honor ``fallen heroes in Saskatoon``. At 2038 back to Dr Phil, but KOCO has cut away for ``Sky 5 Live`` above a wildfire near OKC. Anyhow this 3 is surely CFQC-TV-1 in Stranraer, full-power relay of CFQC channel 8 in Saskatoon, as received a number of times in past years. At 2108 it`s Oprah on 3, and still // but not synchro with KOCO-7, interviewing supermodels. (If I were one, I would be embarrassed to be called that; no chance, tho; and by ``embarrassed`` I do not mean pregnant.) Plugging in a Saskatoon postal code to zap2it, S7M 5V7 found for a radio station in the WRTH, another of its multitude of uses, gets the schedules for CFQC et al., confirming Phil and Oprah at 2 and 3 pm CST. 2039 on 2, cooking show. Maybe segment in same show as next on 4? 2045 on 4, talk show about sex when audio briefly infades, think I see a CBC pizza on the set wall. Sex one of the topics listed for today`s `Steven and Chris` show on CBC at 2-3 pm CST. However, ``about`` was pronounced à l`américaine, not canadienne, so is this an import? Never heard of it in the US. Probably CBKT-1, 100 kW in Moose Jaw (né CHAB-TV), but there is also a 17 kW CBC relay in Greenwater Lake, CBKST-11. At 2100 now a cooking show and I can see a CBC bug in LR. Steady signal, but mostly not reaching audio. Fits nicely with scheduled `Best Recipes Ever` on CBK stations; too bad this was gone by 2138 when ``22 minutes`` airs, the news parody show. 2107 saw some rabbit ears, probably a DTV-conversion warning PSA. 2209 on 2, Rogers Cup promo from CBC. If we are still in Saskatchewan, there are two medium-power CBC relays; perhaps more likely CKSA-TV on the border with Alberta at Lloydminster, which despite being private is a CBC affiliate, and overpowered at 116 kW. No, CKSA is offset zero while I was seeing offset plus or minus, and both the SK stations are +. So per W9WI.com it is either: Cypress Hills SK CBCP-TV-2 6.750 274.60 +dH 49-39-25.00N 109-30-48.00W R-OP CBKT (9 CBC) via CBCP-1 (7) or Spiritwood SK CBKST-13 21.100 163.60 +dH 53-12- 5.00N 107-30-53.00W R-OP CBKST (11 CBC) via CBKST-9 (5) 2227 on 5, MUF briefly shoots up to video here sufficient to spot CBC bug in LR. As usual, too many options, four in SK and two in AB. 2257 on 2, mostly gone with occasional signs of signals. During most of this period same antenna was also feeding DTV converter on channel 2, but as usual, no sign of anything from the USA (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re 11-30: I e-mailed this report to MBC, heard July 27 on CJLR3, 88.1 Prince Albert: MBC heard directly in Oklahoma ``Harry and Abel, On July 27 at 1:12-1:25 pm CST I heard your show on Prince Albert 88.1, 1220 miles away in Enid, Oklahoma, via sporadic-E ionospheric propagation. I thought you might like to know you were getting out this far without benefit of the internet, altho I brought up your stream later to match to the content. Of course I don`t speak Cree, but I found what you were talking about interesting, with English words here and there. Recording of parts of my reception for 7 minutes is at: http://www.w4uvh.net/CJLR3.rm You can tell by the fading and imperfect reception that it came off the radio, not the internet. This was on a portable DX-398 AM/FM/SW receiver, using only the built- in whip antenna. Not bad for 250 watts, right? I also pick up lots of Canadian TV stations. Channels 2-6 from Sask, Alta and Manitoba were coming in before this, leading me to check the low end of the FM band. I have also posted a full report of this event in my DX Listening Digest, under CANADA at http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1130.txt If you are familiar with QSLing, verification, I would appreciate a reply confirming that I heard MBC via CJLR-FM-3, either by e-mail or postal, to P O Box 1684, Enid OK, 73702 USA. Thanks, Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO`` And got these replies from the two Cree hosts: Wow, this is harry of mbc, that is cool. Not familiar QSLing, but I will notify. Thank u Glen[n]. Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld (Harry Opikokew, July 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks Glen[n], we get a few people that come from Oklahoma to fish in northern Saskatchewan, I have had the chance to guide some of them. It's my understanding that we are currently doing some testing with our Prince Albert transmitter. I believe the watts have been increased so our signal can go out further. (The technical is not my area of expertise). In my younger days when I used to live out on the trapline around the 70's, we would put up an Ariel for our transistor radio, and we could reach stations from the states on the AM band, including Baton Rouge Louisiana, good country stations some of them (Abel Charles, July 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nice to get a third reply from MBC Radio = CJLR-FM-3 in Prince Albert, Sask., altho my miles-per-watt calculation is now very incorrect: (Glenn Hauser, August 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Your reception of MBC Radio 88.1FM in Oklahoma --- Hi Glenn: Very cool that you picked up our rebroadcast of MBC in Oklahoma. We actually just increased the power of that site to 49000 watts on a new tower. Still – very impressive that you picked us up 1220 miles away. I know in the past we’ve gotten letters from folks in Norway and Sweden that also take part in DXing. I am a sales guy at the radio station, and have been involved in radio most of my life. I’ve always been intrigued at how FM signals can skip like that. On a couple of occasions driving from Prince Albert to Regina (4 hours south of here) I have picked up stations from the US on my cars’ FM receiver. Once I picked up 4 or 5 stations from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. Another time I picked up 3 stations from the Tulsa area. I found it interesting that it was several different stations from the same geographic area that would skip, so obviously something atmospheric was allowing that to happen. Nice touch on being able to post what you heard / recorded online. Much easier to do that than to start mailing cassettes around. Have a great day!! (James Young, MBC Sales and Marketing, August 3, via DXLD) Hi James, Many thanks for a third reply from MBC. Glad to have the updated info on power. I wonder if any other low-power relays of MBC around the province are being upgraded like that? How about CJLR itself in La Ronge? (Glenn to James, via DXLD) Hi Glenn: Regina 90.3FM, North Battleford 95.5FM and now Prince Albert 88.1FM are the three full power re-broadcasts that we have. La Ronge (like a lot of our northern retransmitters) are low power because of their remoteness. By that I mean, once you get more than 10 miles out of the community there is little or no possible audience. No agricultural farms / small surrounding communities and the like. Just trees, fresh water and wildlife. Not that I’m in management to make that kind of decision, but there would be little benefit as far as increased ears that could tune in, so likely no increase in power I would say. Whereas Regina, North Battleford and Prince Albert had the investment made as there were many First Nations People (Aboriginal / Indians) that lived near those cities but could not pick us up because we are a LPFM. Hence the investment was made and the approval sought from the CRTC to go full power. And as I type this – we had another email received from London Ontario Canada that picked up MBC Radio at 11:57am EDT this morning. Same 88.1FM frequency. The power increase just happened about a month ago, so maybe we’re exceeding our contours. Anyways, Glennm have a great Wednesday. Take care (James Young, ibid.) James, Yes, Bob Ross in Ontario is well-known here as another FM `DX` enthusiast. Don`t worry about `exceeding your contours` with the power increase. Tho it certainly helps when such openings occur, they are just a normal thing in the summers, sporadic E skip. It happens from the lower frequencies first, so 88.1 is ideal to skip out more than transmitters on higher frequencies. It would have been possible to get even with 250 watts under excellent very temporary conditions. Sporadic E will be dying out as August goes on, and probably not much after that until next May. Tnx for the info on other power increases. (Glenn to James, ibid.) Glenn: Didn’t realize that lower FM frequencies are more likely to skip than higher ones. (That’s the one new thing I learned today). Every once in a while we will get complaints that our signal at 88.1FM will bleed over to the audio on CKBI (CBC) TV in Prince Albert’s off air signal on Channel 5. Which makes sense when you mentioned that those two bands are closer together. About a year ago we did get a report from someone in Michigan picking up MBC Radio’s Creighton/Denare Beach re-transmitter at 91.9FM and that one is 250 watts so for sure it is possible. All the best to you… (James Young, MBC Sales and Marketing, August 3, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHILE [and non]. 16750, August 2 at 1409, strong FM-distorted spur in Spanish spreading 20 kHz; certainly was not there previous hour as I scanned several times for Firedrakes. Now soon found // 17680 CVC La Voz at 1410, and matching but weaker spur circa 18600. Recheck lower one at 1415, worst around 16760, so the offset is plus and minus approx. 920 kHz. Fundamental 17680 was also audibly splattering between 17630 and 17710 but 16750-16760 much worse. I also looked for other appearances between the major spurs but did not find any for sure. 16755, August 2 at 1957, dirty spur from CVC La Voz 17680, still audible, roughly covering 16730-16760. Also at 2040, the weaker distorted blob on the other side around 18600 // 17680. See previous report earlier August 2. Aug 3 I was waiting for 17680 to sign on at 1200, and so it did without fanfare, but initially quite weak, so no spurs to be heard. By 1306 signals had built up greatly, audiblizing awful dirty distorted music spur circa 16755, and today at 1309 the match around 18605 was stronger. However, a SW fadeout hit a few minutes later, and by 1330, only traces of the spurs remained on 16755 and slightly more on 18605. Now most of the 16m signals had faded down or out, with CVC 17680 noticeably weaker but holding up best along with Rwanda 17800. By 1340, 17680 had become JBA! While 17800 remained good (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Spurs not heard Aug 4 ** CHINA. 5770-5840, OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, August 4 at 1131, fortunately missing GUAM, q.v., but not MYANMAR. 6780 and 6870, peaks of rather wideband OTH radar pulses, Aug 4 at 1142 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. 21580, July 29 at 0545, pays to check 13m even in the nightmiddle: Chinese here peaking at S9+8 along with SAH from a second signal. Altho R. Free Asia from Pacific islands sometimes makes it, this time the CNR1 jamming is dominant. Victim is via TINIAN at 03-06. Same thing // on 17855 where RFA via SAIPAN at 03-07 normally is atop, and here RFA has more of a signal under CNR1. The CNR1 hype- style is pretty easy to recognize now. 21580, August 4 at 0536 CCI between two stations in Chinese, producing SAH, poor signals but at least propagating into the nightmiddle, i.e. R. Free Asia via TINIAN, and CNR1 jamming from who knows where dentro- China (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. 15070, Sound of Hope. Seems to be escaping jamming, Chinese talks 2354, 18/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) Wonder what site is for this one? Aoki says Taiwan at 20-17, no powers, but hi or lo? Never hear it in our mornings (gh, DXLD) ** CHINA. Today July 25 heard Firedrake jamming again on RFA Mandarin channels, for example 7355 RFA Tainan-TWN 18-22 UT at 1850 UT, S=9+30dB. And also against RFA from Saipan-MRA 9455 kHz 15-22 UT also S=9+20dB, 1904 UT July 25 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) July 29 Firedrake broadcasts 1150-1300 10300, JBA 1155, 1223, 1241 11500, Weak 1158, Fair 1224, 1242 12900, Fair 1159, Good 1228, 1242 13920, Strong 1228, 1243 14950, Good 1229, 1243 15545, Weak-JBA 1244 15670, Weak 1159 16100, Fair 1159. S/on heard 1213 Fair. 1245 Fair. 16980, JBA 1246 Good DX, (Steve Handler, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake July 29, after 1200: 10300, good at 1217 11500, not on at 1219, but fair at 1249 12900, good at 1221 13920, good at 1221 14950, good at 1221 15670 and 15795, at 1225 CNR1 jamming, but can`t make out any FD mix 16100, poor at 1229 16980, poor at 1229 After 1300: 11500, good at 1333, none in the 10`s 12025, very poor at 1332 mixing with CNR1(?) 12900, good at 1333 14700, good at 1330 with flutter, slightly better than 14950 14950, good at 1330 15445, no show today 1304-1325 vs Turkey 15450; good! 16100, fair at 1330 16980, fair at 1330, slightly better than 16100 Firedrake July 30; poor propagation at first, but came up with some `new` frequencies, prompted by choices of jamming victims, as SARFT is totally reaxionary: Before 1200: 16100, JBA at 1150. NO others found 10-19 MHz, altho CNR1 and CRI had some signals on 13590, 13720, 15250, 15480, 15670. Only poor signals from anywhere at this hour above 15 MHz Before 1230: 11500, fluttery carrier at 1221, but no music. NO others found up to 18 MHz by 1225 Before 1330: 15280, fair with flutter at 1327 [see 15290 below] 15425, poor at 1327. Yes, not 15430 as previously; had to make sure on YB-400 rather than parallax on the FRG-7; no others below 16 MHz. July 30 Aoki has V. of Tibet on 15427 at 1300-1306 via Tajikistan; 15430 at 1330-1400 via UAE. Close enough. Probably was same target when on 15445 Before 1400: 16100, very good with flutter at 1335 15525, very poor at 1345 15290, poor at 1347; was 15280 20 minutes earlier, above. July 30 Aoki almost accounts for these in reverse with V. of Tibet via Tajikistan at 1330-1401 on 15292, 1401-1430 on 15283; no such hets audible here 12900, very good with flutter at 1337; same site as 16100? 12025, poor at 1337 mixing with Chinese, CNR1 jammer 11500, good at 1338; no others 10-19 MHz Before 1430: 17560, poor at 1421. Unusual spot: Nothing in July 30 Aoki to account for this but HFCC has: V. of Tibet, 250 kW, 45 degrees via Madagascar at 1400-1430 15790, poor at 1421 // 17560. Nothing in HFCC to explain it but Aoki July 30 has Sound of Hope via Tajikistan on 15795 at 1400-1430 14950, good at 1427; no others 10-19 MHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Got a late start looking for Firedrake this morning [July 30]. At 1358-1400 too little time to check all frequencies. I heard 11500 fair at 1358, 15285 weak and also 16100 strong at 1358. At 1406 while tuning around I found 15285 in use. Kind of early to be back if they did their normal shutdown. So I am not sure if it signed off at 1400 or was operating without a break at the top of the hour. Found 17560 at 1411 good. Also 15970 fair at. 1415, but no other frequencies found in two full checks of about 200 known frequencies. At 1456 only found 14700 weak and 14950 strong. I have been trying to figure out how many different transmitter sites are being used for Firedrake. I have looked at differences of signal strength for Firedrake broadcasts heard on close frequencies. Disallowing for different antenna beams when the apparent jamming target is the same, I believe at least two sites if not more are being used. That might also account for why some frequencies have been out of sync with the main group. An interesting development is that since the publication on my first article mentioning the out of sync broadcasts, their occurrence has significantly declined. Perhaps coincidence, perhaps Firedrake`s staff read the article and were not aware of the situation. Who knows. Trends - Beside Sound of Hope, Radio Free Asia, Voice of Tibet and VOA, BBC's Mandarin service is also being targeted by Firedrake. On a slightly different note (no pun intended), All India Radio's Mandarin program has joined the list of those stations apparently are being targeted for jamming by the use of CNR-1's Mandarin broadcast. Good DX, (Steve Handler, IL, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) AIR Chinese service has been jammed for a long time. See my previous reports (gh, DXLD) Firedrake July 31; poor propagation and not as many audible as usual; before 1230: 11500, fair at 1221 12900, fair at 1223; none in the 13s 14700, fair at 1225, none higher Before 1330: 10300, very good at 1317 11500, missing at 1317 12900, good at 1318 13850, very poor at 1321 // 12900; WWCR not making it on 13845; none higher. Firedrake August 1, before 1300: 8400, JBA at 1252. Had not been able to detect this at all for weeks 10300, very good at 1254 12900, good at 1256 14700, very good at 1257; no others up to 19 MHz before 1300 After 1300: 14700, poor at 1314 15425, fair at 1315 After 1330: 13920, fair at 1339 12900, very good at 1339 12025, JBA at 1339; 11500 and 10300 absent at 1341 After 1400, some signals back earlier than usual: 15900, tune in 1409 to very good open carrier, one note of music, OC again, and restart to stay at 1410 14700, fair at 1412 10300, fair at 1410; still no 11500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Here are my Firedrake loggings from July 30-August 1st 10300, Firedrake musical jammer 1151, 1224 and 1235. Fair. 8/1/11 11500, Firedrake musical jammer 1136 presumed target Sound of Hope. Good. Tried early at 1130 but only carrier heard. 7/31/11. Carrier sign on at 1211 followed by audio s/on about thirty seconds later at 1212. Strong. Also heard 1233 Strong. 7/31/11. Heard also 1358 on 7/30/11 12500, Firedrake musical jammer 1154 Good. Slight one second audio gap during jamming with carrier but no audio. 8/1/11 12900, Firedrake musical jammer 1139 presumed target Sound of Hope. Good. Also heard carrier at 1214 followed by Firedrake audio s/on shortly thereafter. Strong. This frequency signed on about four minutes after 11500 had signed on. Also heard 1239 and 1354-1400 audio s/off carrier sign off at 1401. Good. At 1354 it was the only Firedrake frequency heard in use. 7/31/11. Heard also 1227 Strong and 1253, 1318 and 1336 Good. 8/1/11 13130, Firedrake musical jammer 1140 presumed target Sound of Hope. Good. 7/31/11 13920, Firedrake musical jammer 1141 presumed target Sound of Hope. Weak. 7/31/1. Also heard 1150 and 1228 Strong, 1257 Good, 1322 Fair, and 1337 Weak. 8/1/11 14700, Firedrake musical jammer 1456 presumed target Sound of Hope. Weak. 7/30/11 Also heard 1142 Weak, 1216 Fair, 1240 Strong. 7/31/11. Heard also at 1156 and 1229 Strong, 1258 Good, 1323 and 1338 Fair. 8/1/11 14950, Firedrake musical jammer 1456 presumed target Sound of Hope. Strong. 7/30/11 15285, Firedrake musical jammer 1358. Weak. When I checked back at 1406 still heard but stronger (Fair). Very unusual for Firedrake to be heard this early after top of the hour. No other Firedrake frequencies found in use at this time. Usual shutdown from top of the hour until after +12 after the hour. Not sure if this was an earlier sign on than normal or whether they never signed off at the top of the hour. 7/31/11 15425, Firedrake musical jammer 1316-1320. Presumed target is Voice of Tibet. This may be the first time I have heard this frequency. Gone at 1330 when I re-checked. Fair-Good. 15525, Firedrake musical jammer 1339. Presumed target is Voice of Tibet. Good signal. 8/1/11 15545, Firedrake musical jammer 1229 Weak. When re-checked at 1230 gone. Back 1259 JBA. 8/1/11 15670, Firedrake musical jammer 1158-1204 presumed target RFA’s Tibetan frequency. Fair. At 1200 the transmitter broadcasting the Firedrake musical jammer switched audio to broadcasting CNR-1’s Mandarin program. When re-checked at 1231 CNR-1’s echo jamming was in use against RFA. CNR-1 // to CNR-1 on 11990 used to jam the VOA. 8/1/11 15800, Firedrake musical jammer 1158 presumed target Sound of Hope. Fair. At 1200 s/off. At 1202 carrier back on with no audio. At 1203 carrier ceased. 8/1.11 15900, Firedrake musical jammer 1159 presumed target Sound of Hope. Strong. 8/1/11 15970, Firedrake musical jammer 1415 presumed target Sound of Hope. Fair. 7/31/11 16100, Firedrake 1358 with musical jamming presumably targeting Sound of Hope. Strong 7/31/11. 1159 Weak 8/1/11 16980, Firedrake musical jammer 1328 presumed target Sound of Hope. Weak. 1341 JBA. 8/1/11 17560, Firedrake musical jammer 1411 presumably targeting Sound of Hope. Good. 7/31/11 (S. Handler-IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No, this last one is vs V. of Tibet via MADAGASCAR (gh) Firedrake, August 2; before 1300: 8400, JBA at 1240 10300, good at 1255 12270, good at 1257 14700, fair at 1257 15545, poor at 1258 16480, very good at 1259-1300*, Unusual new frequency; kept a receiver on it past 1318 but did not resume. Not in today`s Aoki. 16480 was last reported in July 2007 when Aoki was listing it as low-power SOH Taiwan and S. Hasegawa was hearing it: see DXLD 7-093, 7-088, 7-086 Before 1330: 15425, good at 1320; off at 1358 check, probably by 1330 15280, fair at 1320 Before 1400: 15515, good at 1351, 1358 with het from 15517 or 15518 15295, fair at 1352; was 15280 during previous and following semihour 12025, poor at 1353 mixing with CNR1 Chinese; none lower to 10 MHz Before 1430: 17560, fair at 1422, atop but mixing with V. of Tibet via MADAGASCAR 15790, good at 1423-1430+ 15280, poor at 1425; was 15295 during previous semihour 12900, fair at 1427; not there in earlier semihours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, August 3, 2011 Firedrake Loggings 10300, 1026 Weak, 1127 JBA, 1155 Weak 12900, 1028 Weak, 1128 and 1154 Good 13130, 1128 and 1154 Good 13920, 1028 Fair, 1129 and 1153 Good 15670, 1130 and 1153 Fair 15900, 1130 Fair-Good and 1152 Good -strong 16100, 1130 and 1152 Fair 16980, 1131 Weak 1152 JBA Good DX (Steve Handler, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake, August 3; before 0500 in local noon hour: none found 0445-0453 from 19 to 12 MHz Before 1200: 10300, very good at 1148 12900, very good at 1152 13130, good at 1152 13920, fair at 1153 15900, good at 1158 16100, poor at 1158 Before & after 1230: 10300, very good at 1229 12900, very good at 1232 13920, very good at 1232, no 13130 now, nor any 14`s 15545, fair at 1238 15900, very good at 1234 Before & after 1330: 15900, very good at 1320; only fair at 1340 after SW fadeout 15425, poor-fair at 1317, het on 15427 15285, fair at 1329 14950, good at 1332 13130, fair at 1332 12025, very poor at 1332; could not detect CNR1 too or anything else 10300, very poor at 1336; none in the 11`s Firedrake August 4, before 1200: 13920, poor at 1150; none higher 13130, poor at 1150 12600, fair at 1151 12270, fair at 1151 10300, good at 1153 Before 1230: 14720, very good at 1230, not 14700; none up to 18 MHz 12900, very good at 1224; none in the 13`s 12500, very good at 1224 12270, very good at 1224 Before 1300: 15545, fair at 1252 // 14720 good 16160, poor at 1254, rather than usual 16100 (note: I make complete bandscans, so I will not miss any new frequencies like this, rather than just check previously logged channels) 18180, very poor at 1256; none in the 17`s After 1330: 10300, poor at 1345 14720, good at 1341 14950, good at 1341 15970, fair with flutter at 1335; 15670 no FD but CNR1 jam flutter 16100, good with flutter at 1337, ex-16160 above before 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very poor band conditions this morning [Aug 4]. Not sure if this is a local issue or not. Checked at 1015 and no Firedrake broadcasts on any frequencies. Only four frequencies could be heard later when I checked at 1250-1300 and 1325-1330. 12270 1253 Weak, nothing lower' 12900 1254 Weak 14720 1255 and 1325 Fair. Nothing higher at 1255 14950 1326 Weak-Fair, nothing higher (S. Handler, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 11900, August 2 at 1428, song in Chinese, but not // CNR1 jammers on 11990, 12040; then announcements in non-Chinese. I thought I heard `warta berita` mentioned, so tentatively Indonesian but HFCC and Aoki agree it`s CRI in Sinhala at 14-15, 500 kW, 258 degrees from Jinhua-Youb site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. FROM BEIJING TO VILLUPURAM, A RADIO STATION SPREADS ITS REACH --- CRI's Tamil programmes, which enjoy a cult following, are set to grow bigger S. Pandiyarajan was fiddling around with his shortwave radio set one hot summer evening at Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, when he stumbled upon a strange station. At first listen, it was a language he couldn't identify. It sounded like Tamil, but spoken in an accent he could not recognise. He listened on, straining his ears. To his surprise, he discovered that the voices were coming from faraway China. “I could hear two Chinese people speaking in perfect Tamil!” he said. “And this was Sentamizh [classical Tamil], which you never hear anywhere, anymore, even in Tamil Nadu.” That evening, Mr. Pandiyarajan became the latest member of China Radio International's fast-growing overseas fan base. . . SOURCE http://bit.ly/pZZ3J7 (via Yimber Gaviría, Colombia, DXLD) ** CHINA. IN BARING TRAIN CRASH FACTS, BLOGS ERODE CHINA CENSORSHIP - Hi folks - I know there has been much discussion over the years regarding censorship in China. Here's an interesting article about how some new technologies have been able to bypass government restrictions on information availability following the train crash in China. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/world/asia/29china.html?_r=1&hp (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. CHINA RADIO INTERNATIONAL IN BOSTON: "HINT OF TRIUMPHALISM," BUT ALSO "RIDICULING GOVERNMENT SPOKESMEN" ABOUT THE RAIL DISASTER. Posted: 03 Aug 2011 Boston Globe, 2 Aug 2011, Alex Beam: "Not enough people know that WILD-AM (1090) [Boston] has stopped broadcasting the loony rants of the Rev. Al Sharpton and is now airing a variety of loony, semi- normal, and just plain odd shows emanating from China Radio International in Beijing. The locution is dodgy - John Boehner is often 'Boner' or 'Bonner' - and the politics are occasionally suspect. Yes, I was listening when the State Council Information Office released its Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China. 'Thirty-five percent of the binding targets and over 50 percent of the targets concerning the people’s livelihood had been met ahead of time or exceeded,' I learned. Pip, pip! Yes, they have been savoring America’s embarrassing flirtation with default, but let’s be truthful - who hasn’t? And yes, the world’s next superpower can’t be blamed if a hint of triumphalism permeates its broadcasts. China refits an aircraft carrier, China launches its own network of GPS satellites, China’s growth rate 'slows' to 9.5 percent. It ain’t bragging if they done it. Did I detect some schadenfreude in CRI’s announcement that disgraced US Representative-sexual miscreant David Wu - the first Chinese-American to serve in the House - was born in the renegade republic of Taiwan? Chinese agitprop, you say? Sure. But what is propaganda, really? The United States spends $200 million a year blasting the Voice of America all over the world. So is the VOA desperately needed enlightenment for a world floundering for truth, or US propaganda? Have you ever read a corporate annual report, where the white guys in suits explain that their bonuses were necessary for the betterment of mankind? The State Council Information Office has nothing on them. CRI, intended for foreign audiences, plays it, well, almost straight in reporting on events in China. For a while, they were my only source of information about the July 23 bullet train crash that killed at least 39 people. CRI has returned to the story again and again, ridiculing government spokesmen and questioning the ultramodern technology of the country’s high-speed rail system. 'You don’t hear about bullet trains in Europe getting stopped by lightning and thunder,' announcer Brandon Blackburn-Dwyer said on 'Beijing Today,' alluding to the reported cause of the deadly crash (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) -- OK, I "excerpted" more of this than I should have, but it was all astute commentary. See previous post about same subject (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** CHINA [non]. A-11 of China Radio International from Cërrik, ALBANIA 0000-0157 6020 CER 300 kW / 305 deg NoAm English >>2x150 kW in // 0000-0157 9570 CER 300 kW / 305 deg NoAm English >>2x150 kW in // 0200-0257 6020 CER 300 kW / 305 deg NoAm Chinese >>2x150 kW in // 0200-0257 9570 CER 300 kW / 305 deg NoAm Chinese >>2x150 kW in // 0500-0657 9515 CER 150 kW / 240 deg NWAf Arabic 0500-0657 9590 CER 150 kW / 140 deg N/ME Arabic 0500-0657 11710 CER 150 kW / 140 deg N/ME English 0500-0657 11775 CER 150 kW / 240 deg NWAf Arabic 0700-0857 11785 CER 150 kW / 310 deg WeEu Chinese 0700-0857 13710 CER 150 kW / 310 deg WeEu English 0900-0957 7285 CER 150 kW / non-dir SEEu Romanian 0900-0957 9440 CER 150 kW / non-dir SEEu Romanian 1100-1157 7220 CER 150 kW / non-dir SEEu Bulgarian 1100-1257 13650 CER 150 kW / 310 deg WeEu English 1200-1257 7345 CER 150 kW / non-dir SEEu Serbian 1400-1557 11920 CER 150 kW / 240 deg NWAf French 1400-1557 13670 CER 150 kW / 240 deg NWAf French 1500-1557 7345 CER 150 kW / non-dir N/ME Turkish 1500-1557 9565 CER 150 kW / non-dir N/ME Turkish 1600-1757 5970 CER 150 kW / 330 deg WeEu German 1600-1757 7380 CER 150 kW / 330 deg WeEu German 1600-1757 9555 CER 150 kW / 140 deg N/ME Arabic 1600-1757 11725 CER 150 kW / 240 deg NWAf Arabic 1800-1957 5970 CER 150 kW / 310 deg WeEu French 1800-1957 6055 CER 150 kW / 240 deg NWAf French 1800-1957 9480 CER 150 kW / 310 deg WeEu French 1800-1957 11695 CER 150 kW / 240 deg NWAf French 2000-2157 5960 CER 150 kW / 310 deg WeEu English 2000-2157 7285 CER 150 kW / 310 deg WeEu English 2000-2157 6185 CER 150 kW / 193 deg EaAf Arabic 2000-2157 7235 CER 150 kW / 140 deg N/ME Arabic 2200-2357 6175 CER 150 kW / 280 deg SoEu Portuguese/Spanish 2200-2357 7210 CER 150 kW / 280 deg SoEu Spanish (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, August 1 via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 970, COLOMBIA, SUPER, 3/07 1005/1030, 22222, px Súper ballenato noticia… en todos los hogares colombianos, ads, el tónico se vende en Bogotá. telf. 3344170 perfume libre ole?, carretera A oficina 43 Bogotá…. Nota: la señal se perdió, prevaleciendo R. Líder 1340, COLOMBIA, R. Fiesta, la alegría de Bogotá, Bogotá, 0540/0600, 22222, música tropical, ID "Con Alegría, buena compañía…", mx, aviso ``En Centro deportivo lo tenemos claro.. Seguro Bolívar.`` 5910, COLOMBIA, Alcaraván Radio, Loma linda, 1/07 2320/0012 UT, 44444, programa religioso, música cumbia, ID "1530 AM y 5910 kHz en onda corta, Alcaraván radio"; música bolero (Yo Soy el Rey), ID "Continuemos con nuestra música folklórica por Alcaraván``. La recepción lo he efectuado del 1/07 al 29/07 con mi Sony ICF-SW7600G en compañía del Mizuho KX-3. Muchos 128´s PFA (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Perú, UT Aug 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5910, July 29 at 0530, typical HJDH music with poor signal. I don`t always hear this and wonder if it`s irregular or just depends on favorable propagation. The other HJDH on 6010 was presumably part of the weak mix with XEOI in the absence of CUBA, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO. 6115, R. Congo, Brazzaville. Assumed to be the one, very weak here 1735 with talks, but modulation not great. Stronger at re- check 1805, clearly French, 21/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. 5066.3, R Télé Candip, Bunia, 0325, Jul 13, male singer up-tempo Afropop then into rural marimba music, fair. Also heard at 1620, Jul 11, male speaker in vernacular in interview, fair (Graham Bell, Cape Town, South Africa, DSWCI DX Window July 27 via DXLD) Heard again at 1844-1907*, Jul 17 and 20, song, jolly chatting between speakers in vernacular, callers, music clip then abrupt s/off, 15331 (Bell, and Bernard Mille, Bailleul, France, ibid.) ** COSTA RICA. 11880, Aug 3 at 1209, REE relay missing tho audible mixing equally with NHK on 11815. 11880 on at next check 1229 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. 5954, R. República via Costa Rica. Very good in Spanish, no jammer tonight at 0719 on 6/7 (John Adams, Beech Forest Vic, (JRC NRD-535 Ewe and Folded Dipole), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. 5055.14, 0030-0040 30.07, R Habana Cuba, Bauta, Spanish ID: R Habana Cuba", talk and music - mixing product: 5040 - 5025 = 15. 5040 + 15 = 5055; 25232 (Anker Petersen on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) I notice this when both are strong; nice to see the leapfrog reaches Europe as I don`t find it reported from elsewhere in NAm (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) 6010, July 29 at 0532, no RHC English; at 0534 found on 11760 instead, failed to make change at 0500. Only fair signal there squeezed between BBC 11755 and wacky wailing gospel huxter from Brasil on 11765 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More missing transmissions: 17560, July 29 at 2003, 2019, RHC to Europe absent (allowing unimpeded splash-free reception of ME music on R. Kuwait 17550 Arabic to C&W NAm). 17560 back on next day July 30 at 1936 in French. 13740, July 30 at 1428, CRI relay in English is missing. It had been on 9570 in the 12-13 hour. Now RHC itself on 13680, 13780 as usual {and of course, all the relays of VENEZUELA checked are still missing; if anyone hear them again, do report} 13740, July 31 at 1435, CRI relay mixing Chinese and English is back; was missing 24 hours earlier. 11760, RHC Esperanto reconfirmed Sunday July 31 at 1521 in YL announcement after music: only the first word did it, ``Saluton``. See also VENEZUELA [non] RHC SNAFU log: 17560, July 31 at 1938 in English instead of French! And much stronger here than on // 11760 despite 17560 for Europe, 11760 for America. Next check at 1952 had corrected to French. Meanwhile 15290 Venezuela relay during this hour still missing. For the record, at least three RHC transmitters suffer from squealing: 13680, 13780, and CRI relay on 13740 all doing it at 1402 August 2; 13740 worst since it`s also undermodulated. Copied RHC frequency announcement for the record: 19m: from 1100, 15120, 15360, 15230 [always failing to specify that 15120 goes off already circa 1400] 22m: from 1300, 13680, 13780 25m: from 1100, 11690, 1760, 11830, 12040; from 1300, 11730 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6050, RHC, 0448, “DXers Unlimited” with Arnie Coro. Serious transmitter problems, low audio, hum. // 6000 also low audio but no hum. 6050, RHC, 0547 Aug 3. “DXers Unlimited” with Arnie Coro [UT Wed]. Transmitter problems as noted an hour earlier. Weak audio, hum, here. 6010 good audio; 6060 low audio but no hum; 6150 the worst, weak, buzz (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car, parked by the lake, using Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Anomaly, SNAFU roundup August 3: 11760, just as I tune in at 0456, sign-off in Spanish is cut off, as after 50 years, RHC has never learned to coordinate transmissions with programming. I immediately retune to 5040, and succeed in hearing once again long-outdated morning frequencies announced to frustrate listeners awakening already at 1100 UT, i.e. including 12000, 9600, 6180. 12020 at 0458 is also still on past 0500, now plugging internet listening overnight; off at next check 0509. 9570, at 1224, CRI relay absent; hope Andy O`Brien in Ontario was rejoicing over temporary lack of QRM to Australia 9580. Some weak Asian signal became audible on 9570: Aoki says KBS in Indonesian. 15230, missing at 1315, no Chinese audible either, while 15120 and 15360 were nominal; RHC back on 15230 at 1330 check. 15330, Aug 3 at 1236 lite pulse jamming against nothing, as R. Martí is not using 15330 at all in the A-seasons! Then it stops; did they read my mind that I was about to deride the DentroCuban Jamming Command yet again for its incompetence? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. ?? Radio Habana?? 6195, Habana?? 2011/08/03 Wednesday 0405- 0429* Spanish. Aoki, EiBi and HFCC tell me it`s NHK Radio Japan in Spanish, but programming suggests otherwise. YL talking, sounds like news; mentions of America, BBC, and (twice) "Radio Trinidad". Several other mentions of "Trinidad", then "Syria" and "Damascus". At 0414 mention of "La Revolucion". Change of tempo at 0415 and an ID at 0429* that sounded like "Radio Habana". Not mentioned in any of the A11 DXLD's. Am I imagining it? Fair at first. After 0420 gradually increasing QRM from BBC WS on 6190 via Meyerton. Jo'burg sunrise 0447 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Don`t see how 6195 could be anything but NHK via Bonaire. RHC would not be closing down any frequency at 0429 sharp, unless by coincidental failure. Also the `change of tempo` at 0415 smax of NHK style. Would not be a mixing product on 49m since all RHC frequencies end in -0. There are no // from NHK at 0400, but see if you hear the same content on the repeat after 0500 on 6080, also Bonaire. ``Radio Japón`` could sound rather like Radio Habana, and RHC itself says ``Radio Habana Cuba``, not just Radio Habana (Glenn to Bill, via DXLD) Mornin' Glenn. 0515 UT here right now, and from about 0250 to 0400 I've been trying to get the mystery stations again. Nothing at all on 6195 (my questionable Cuba). (Bill Bingham, Aug 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. 7210-LSB, Aug 4 at 1215, Nelson, N1NR in Pennsylvania discussing Columbus` voyages and hurricanes, with another SS in Georgia who must not be a totally native speaker from the way he pronounces Bermuda. For once, not anti-Castro rants! Tho still related to Cuba. Weak broadcast carrier was not enough; had to engage own BFO (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. 14880-14915, August 3 at 0449, OTH radar pulses, presumed from here altho spreading 35 rather than usual 25 kHz. 13945-13970, OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, August 4 at 0532; 17640-17660 at 1310, bothering mainly 17650, which I should have paid more attention to, as nothing is scheduled there during this semihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CANADA ** CZECHIA [non]. R. Prague relay in Russian: see SPAIN ** DENMARK. Re 11-30: Yes, a lot of WMR QSL cards arrived here in central Europe recently, and reported by DXer hobbyists in Austrian A- DX ng too. Former TX location on the farm house at Ilskov was DEN WMR Karup Ilskov in 2003-2004, 5815 15810 kHz: 56 15 26.78 N 09 04 12.44 E (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX 1 August via DXLD) ** DJIBOUTI. 4780, Radio Djibouti, *0313-0340, July 31, open carrier at 0300 but no programming until 0313. Sign on at 0313 with National Anthem. Rustic local flute music at 0314. Qur`an at 0314:20. Arabic talk at 0317. Local rustic music after 0335. Fair to good at sign on, but started to deteriorate to a weak level after 0330. (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) See also RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM: stations gone? ** EAST TURKISTAN. 11885, People's Broadcasting Service Xinjiang, Urumqi. 2011/07/24 Sunday 1439-1445. Uighur. Lots of talk, sounded like some of it was recorded inside a prop-driven aeroplane? Fair - poor. Jo'burg sunset 1538 (Bill Bingham, South Africa, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EASTER ISLAND. QSL: Confirmação recebida. Caros amigos, Seguem os dados da última confirmação recebida: 6787 - Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior - Ilha de Páscoa - PAQ - Recebido carta QSL com dados técnicos da referida estação bem como a de Valparaíso. 10 dias. V/S: Vladimir Maturana. Informe enviado para vmaturana @ onemi.gov.cl QTH: Beauchef 1637/1671, Santiago, Chile. Este é meu 104º país confirmado. Considero a referida estação mais um trunfo para a confirmação de países que para nós são raros de se obter. A imagem da confirmação estará disponível em breve em meu blog: http://ivandias.wordpress.com 73 (Ivan Dias Jr. - Sorocaba/SP, http://twitter.com/ivandiasjr 30 July, radioescutas yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. 6050, HCJB, Quito, 23/07 1240/1310, 44444, música religiosa en español, ID, mv "Desde Quito, HCJB, la Voz de los Andes; son las 8:00 en el territorio continental ecuatoriano". La recepción lo he efectuado del 1/07 al 29/07 con mi Sony ICF-SW7600G en compañía del Mizuho KX-3. Muchos 128´s PFA (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Peru, UT Aug 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also MALAYSIA ** EGYPT. V of Arabs on FM band in Cairo --- Hello DXer, As the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, ERTU decided to start broadcasting on the FM band in Cairo. The frequency used is 106.3 MHz. I noticed also two frequencies are testing at the moment, 90.9 and 95.0 MHz. All the best (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, Aug 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, July 3 at 1011, R. Africa, ``Hope to rediscover`` in English, SIO 232 (Richard Thurlow, Suffolk, HF Logbook, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ?? Only report I have seen of this since May, not even at formerly regular hours of 20-23v UT. Must be extremely irregular, OR: 10-11 happens to be the one hour that CRI is using 15190, and in English. Could one mistake CRI for American gospel huxters?? R. Africa never in HFCC, but does show this otherwise current usage of 15190: 1000-1100, 100 kW, 173 degrees, CRI English via Kashgar, E TURKISTAN 1200-1300, 500 kW, 64 degrees, VIRI Chinese via Kamalabad, IRAN 1730-1930, 250 kW, 283 degrees, PBS English [mostly Tagalog], Tinang 2200-0100, 100 kW, 142 degrees, WYFR Portuguese [really -0045] Except HFCC does not cover Brazilians either: R. Inconfidência, maybe 24 h or at least long hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BRASIL, 15190, Radio Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte, MG, 1600-1610!!! Jul 29, talk in Portuguese, very fair (Leonardo Bolli - Italy, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ERITREA. 7130, One of the frequencies used to avoid the Ethiopian DRM Jammers. Noted at 1628 on 25/7 on 7130 // 7185 and ETHIOPIAN jammer on 7140 which shifted at 1630 on 7140 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF-2001, 16m Marconi antenna), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) See also SOMALILAND 7145 ** ERITREA. 7184.988, Ginbot Dimts Radio in tentative Amharic noted at 1720 UT July 28, S=9+15dB. Was the only ERI program heard in 7.1 to 7.2 MHz range. A different program from Asmara heard probably on 7205 kHz, but covered by some co-channel broadcast mess (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) ** ERITREA. 9830.03, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea, 0319-0335, July 30, vernacular talk. Horn of Africa music. Weak but readable. // 7174.99 - poor to fair with occasional HAM QRM (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 7110.03, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea, *0256-0315, July 31, sign on with IS. Horn of Africa music and vernacular talk at 0259. Strong carrier but very weak modulation. // 7174.99 - fair to good. // 9830.03 - poor to fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** ETHIOPIA. 6030, Radio Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. 2011/07/24 Sunday 1806-1825. Oromo? with distinctive northeast African music. EiBi says it`s Radio Oromiya, Aoki says its Radio Ethiopia / Radio Amhra. HFCC is mute, so presumably it’s a clandestine? No ID heard. Poor, by 1825 had faded out completely. Jo'burg sunset 1538 (Bill Bingham, South Africa, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) HFCC is mute about everything from Ethiopia, one of several countries which simply do not participate, like Cuba. Should be R. Oromiya, not clandestine, in terms of sponsored by central government for domestic consumption (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) 6030, R Oromiya, Adama, via Geja Jewe, Addis Ababa, heard at 1825, Jul 17, extraordinary horn music mixed with whistling and song, ID at 1830 and into news programme in vernacular, good (Graham Bell, Cape Town, South Africa, DSWCI DX Window July 27 via DXLD) 6110, R Fana, Addia Ababa, heard at 1838, Jul 17, Horn of Africa style song, male speaker in vernacular, callers, ID, good (Graham Bell, Cape Town, South Africa, DSWCI DX Window July 27 via DXLD) And at 2046-2051, Jul 15, vernacular talk, folk song, 34333. Xizang PBS started from *2050 (Tomoaki Wagai, Wakayama, Japan, ibid.) ** EUROPE. Laser Hot Hits have adjusted their 43 metre band frequency down to 6940 (ex 6945). Reception in Kiev on 6940 is better as 6945 suffered interference from CIS RDARA aviation network according to Alexandr on the LHH guestbook 2 July, http://www.laserhothits.co.uk -- - the station had also adjusted its 75 mb channel down to 4015 (ex- 4026) in mid-June. Website also mentions FM 95.0 (or 95.1?) in NE Somerset? Any members heard LHH on FM in the West Country? (Alan Pennington, Alternative Airwaves, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** FINLAND. Scandinavian Weekend Radio, 11720 – received QSL card for special 2010 SDXL Summer Meeting 6-Aug-10, in 330 days. Sent US$2 return postage. I was also awarded the prize for the most distant report --- 1900 km from the transmitter site at Virrat (Alan Pennington, Caversham, Berkshire, England, UK, QSL Report, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) And a reminder that another monthly SWR broadcast is nigh, on the first UT Saturday of August for 24 hours, starting at 2100 UT Friday August 5 into 6: http://www.swradio.net/schedule.htm (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. 25000, 1316 8 July, Centre for Meteorological Accreditation, time signals, SIO 222 (Martin Cowin, Cumbria, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** FRANCE [and non]. 17610, July 30 at 1152, blues song in English, poor with fades, then reggae until abrupt 1200* without any announcement; how rude! Scheduled here is RFI, 500 kW due west from Issoudun in French at 11-12 to CIRAF 7S, 8S, 10E, 11 and 12N, i.e. Enid and vicinity southward! The 270 degree bearing heads more toward Mexico/Central America. This may be another frequency for the Météo Marine weather broadcasts at 1133, more easily heard via GUF on 13640, and always filled out with RFI musique. 15515, July 30 at 1202, RFI via GUIANA FRENCH, good with clip of Pres. Obama, voice-over translation to Spanish with heavy gringo accent. Wonder who did that, the White House? Surely RFI could do better, as then followed by more news announced in proper Spanish: YL refers to US debt as ``14 billones de dólares`` --- oh oh, are they using the confusing alternate million/billion notation instead of trillion? Everybody, abandon that for unequivocal metric ``terabux``. 15300, July 30 at 1650, RFI weak in French. Mike Cooper and I are wondering what the current hours on this frequency are: is it really all the way from 04 to 20 TU as HFCC-registered, and also in Aoki, EiBi? Plus with overlapping transmissions, apparently more than one transmitter/antenna at times. 17850, July 30 at 1701, about equal collision between RFI in French direct and REE in Spanish via COSTA RICA; meanwhile, 17855, 17860, 17865, 17870, 17875, 17880, 17885, 17890 are all vacant plus many more on the lower side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11995, Radio France Int’l, 0444 Aug 3. English, man with news from France. Good, //9805 fair. (Sellers-BC) 11615, RFI, 0610 Aug 3. English, woman with news. Fair, // 17800 poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car, parked by the lake, using Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. bit eXpress - 15896 kHz DRM - Tennenlohe (D) - QSL Recibida QSL de esta pequeña emisora experimental del modo DRM. En algo más de dos horas de escucha, sólo pude recibír unos 20 segundos de audio repartidos a lo largo de todo el tiempo. El fragmento más largo duró seis o siete segundos... eso sí ¡en estéreo! ¡Todo un avance para la comunicación mundial! "DRM: Desastre de Radio Mundial" o "DRM: La Radio Intermitente" podrían ser dos eslóganes para la promoción de este engendro que nos quieren meter como sea y por donde sea. Envié mi informe de recepción correo de contacto info @bitexpress.de En un día me contestó Thomas Bauernschmitt anunciándome que la tarjeta QSL venía de camino, llegó en 6 días (Publicado por M. Molano, Spain, lunes 18 de julio de 2011, http://moladx.blogspot.com/ via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY [and non]. Re 11-30: "There was an unID on 3990 in DRM, heard by the same guys, in DXLD 11-29; unrelated? (gh, DXLD)" --- If I recall correctly, the Krasnodar branch of RTRS (the organization operating the broadcasting transmitters in Russia) used to do some tests from its Tbilisskaya site in this frequency range, keeping a low profile to such an extent that circles around the DRM consortium declared the origin of these DRM signals confidential. So far I have not seen any relations between DRM and the German movement of Bundesnetzagentur and enthusiasts to keep shortwave broadcasting in a symbolical way alive (and the question appears to be not *if* but only *by whom* the next low power transmitter will be fired up on 6075 after DW will be gone in three months). By the way, Wolfy recently found an interesting fact in Deutscher Bundestag material: It mentioned as "special problem" for Deutsche Welle how they have kept the former GDR site Nauen and made a transmission contract until 2016 under which the four new transmission units have been installed. Cancelling already in 2007 had to be negotiated with Media Broadcast, which allowed DW to leave for a compensation payment of 14.5 million Euros. So the situation was a bit different than reported by a UK newspaper at the time (that the contract simply expired), and I have my doubts that the whole move out of Nauen was economical. Of course it can also be asked if it was reasonable at all to build the new Nauen facilities. This was to a considerable degree a political symbol, just to keep one of the East German shortwave sites. On the other hand I do not even want to have a closer look at all the other investments into shortwave transmission facilities during the last 15 years. Re: "17755, July 25 at 1328, rock music on defective transmitter, pumping as carrier level also seems to shift, in very deep fades not correlating with modulation peaks. [...] Lampertheim" (gh) --- Probably caused by a newly installed system for dynamic carrier control a.k.a. DAM? The latest BBG budget request mentioned such a project (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. 15410, UNITED KINGDOM, Deutsche Welle at 1600 with Wilhelmina Lafitte reading the news, then “Soundscape 100” from 1605, Good Jul 16 – while the pdf of Deutsche Welle's program schedule shows no change, Soundscape 100 has replaced Inbox as Margot Forbes has retired. Inbox will be missed! Happy Retirement, Margot! (Mark Coady, Chemung Lake, ON, Alinco DX-R8T Eton E-1 and loaded inverted vee dipole, Your Report, August ODXA Listening In via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) ** GERMANY [and non]. Summer A-11 of Media Broadcast. [234 entries!] Radio Netherlands World Service 0500-0600 9895 WER 500 kW / 120 deg Daily SEEu Dutch 0600-0700 9895 NAU 500 kW / 220 deg Daily SWEu Dutch 0600-0800 5955 NAU 500 kW / 210 deg Daily WCEu Dutch 0700-0800 9740 WER 250 kW / 300 deg Daily U.K. Dutch till Sep 4 0800-1000 5955 WER 500 kW / 210 deg Mon-Fri WCEu Dutch 0800-1000 5955 NAU 500 kW / 210 deg Sat/Sun WCEu Dutch 0800-1000 6120 WER 500 kW / 255 deg Mon-Fri SoEu Dutch 0800-1000 9895 NAU 500 kW / 220 deg Sat/Sun SWEu Dutch 1000-1500 5955 NAU 500 kW / 210 deg Mon-Sat WCEu Dutch 1500-1600 9895 NAU 500 kW / 220 deg Daily SWEu Dutch 1500-1600 13700 WER 500 kW / 120 deg Daily SEEu Dutch 1500-1700 5955 NAU 500 kW / 210 deg Daily WCEu Dutch 1500-1700 13700 WER 500 kW / 240 deg Daily SWEu Dutch till Sep 4 1700-1730 15710 WER 500 kW / 180 deg Daily CeAf Dutch 1700-1730 15720 NAU 500 kW / 155 deg Daily EaAf Dutch 1800-2000 15495 WER 500 kW / 150 deg Daily EaAf English 2000-2200 6125 NAU 500 kW / 225 deg Daily SWEu Dutch till Sep 4 2100-2130 9895 NAU 250 kW / 320 deg Daily NoEu Dutch Trans World Radio (TWR): 0645-0820 6105 NAU 100 kW / 285 deg Sun NoEu English 0715-0750 6105 NAU 100 kW / 285 deg Sat NoEu English 0700-0750 6105 NAU 100 kW / 285 deg Mon-Fri NoEu English 1400-1430 7215 WER 100 kW / 060 deg Mon EaEu Belarussian 1400-1430 7215 WER 100 kW / 060 deg Tue-Fri EaEu Russian 1400-1500 7215 WER 100 kW / 060 deg Sat/Sun EaEu Russian 1530-1600 9440 WER 100 kW / 105 deg Sat EaEu Romanian 1530-1600 9440 WER 100 kW / 090 deg Mon-Fri CeAs Armenian Hamburger Lokalradio 0900-1000 6045 WER 100 kW / non-dir 1st Sun CeEu German MV Baltic Radio: 0900-1000 6140 WER 100 kW / non-dir 1st Sun CeEu Music European Music Radio: 0900-1000 6140 WER 100 kW / non-dir 3rd Sun CeEu Music Evangelische Missions Gemeiden: 1030-1100 6055 WER 125 kW / non-dir Sat/Sun CeEu German 1100-1130 13710 NAU 250 kW / 030 deg Sat FE Russian 1500-1530 11695 WER 250 kW / 060 deg Sat EaEu Russian Missionswerke Arche Stimme des Trostes 1100-1115 5945 WER 250 kW / non-dir Sun CeEu German RTR Radio Europe, cancelled from June 26 1300-1400 5945 WER 100 kW / non-dir Sun CeEu German Radio Gloria International: 1300-1400 6140 NAU 100 kW / 126 deg 4th Sun CeEu Music Voice of Oromiyan Liberation Front: 1600-1630 11995 WER 500 kW / 135 deg Sun EaAf Oromo ex Sun/Thu Radiyo Y'Abadanga Ababaka 1700-1715 15410 ISS 250 kW / 140 deg Sat EaAf Swahili Ethiopian Liberation Front-Voice of Democratic Eritrea 1700-1730 13820 NAU 100 kW / 145 deg Thu EaAf Tigrinya 1730-1800 13820 NAU 100 kW / 145 deg Thu EaAf Arabic Voice of Oromo Liberation (Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo): 1700-1800 13830 ISS 100 kW / 126 deg Wed EaAf Oromo/Amharic 1730-1800 13830 ISS 100 kW / 126 deg Sun EaAf Oromo Christliche Wissenschaft/Christian Science 1800-1900 9585 NAU 100 kW / 090 deg Sat EaEu Russian Pan American Broadcasting (PAB) 1930-2015 9515 NAU 250 kW / 150 deg Sun NoAf English 1930-2030 9515 NAU 250 kW / 150 deg Sat NoAf English 1400-1415 15205 NAU 100 kW / 095 deg Sun SoAs English, ex WER 1415-1430 15205 NAU 100 kW / 095 deg Daily SoAs English, ex WER 1430-1445 15205 ISS 250 kW / 083 deg Sun SoAs English Voice of Russia 0000-0200 9810 GUF 250 kW / 195 deg SoAm Spanish 0200-0500 9735 GUF 250 kW / 320 deg NoAm Spanish 2200-2400 11605 GUF 250 kW / 180 deg BRA Portuguese Radio Free Asia (RFA): 0100-0300 9885 WER 250 kW / 075 deg SoAs Tibetan Radio Farda 0030-0230 5940 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Persian 0230-0400 7280 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Persian 1530-1600 15110 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Persian 1630-1800 9760 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Persian Radio Dardasha 7 0300-0330 7310 WER 125 kW / 120 deg N/ME Arabic 0500-0530 11810 NAU 125 kW / 185 deg WeAf Arabic 1700-1730 13600 NAU 125 kW / 130 deg N/ME Arabic 1900-1930 13740 WER 125 kW / 180 deg WeAf Arabic Hamada Radio International: 0530-0600 9610 WER 100 kW / 180 deg WeAf Hausa 1930-2000 11945 WER 100 kW / 180 deg WeAf Hausa Adventist World Radio (AWR): 0400-0430 6065 WER 100 kW / 120 deg EaEu Bulgarian 1600-1630 9830 WER 100 kW / 120 deg EaEu Bulgarian 0900-1000 9790 NAU 100 kW / 180 deg SoEu Italian Sun 0700-0800 11980 WER 100 kW / 210 deg NoAf Arabic 0800-0830 11980 WER 100 kW / 210 deg NoAf Kabyle 0800-0900 12010 WER 100 kW / 210 deg NoAf French/Tachelhit 1900-2000 9765 WER 100 kW / 210 deg NoAf Arabic/Tachelhit 2000-2030 9765 WER 100 kW / 210 deg NoAf French 1730-1800 11670 WER 100 kW / 210 deg NoAf Kabyle 1900-2000 15260 NAU 100 kW / 215 deg NoAf Arabic 1900-1930 15205 NAU 100 kW / 200 deg CeAf Fulfulde 1930-2000 15205 WER 250 kW / 180 deg CeAf Ibo 2000-2030 9830 WER 100 kW / 180 deg CeAf French 2030-2100 11755 WER 250 kW / 180 deg CeAf Youruba 0300-0330 6065 WER 250 kW / 135 deg EaAf Tigrigna 0330-0400 9815 WER 250 kW / 135 deg EaAf Amharic 0300-0330 9505 WER 250 kW / 135 deg EaAf Oromo 1730-1800 15155 NAU 250 kW / 140 deg EaAf Oromo 1630-1700 17575 WER 250 kW / 135 deg EaAf Somali 0400-0600 12050 WER 250 kW / 120 deg N/ME Arabic, new additional 1900-2100 9470 WER 250 kW / 120 deg N/ME Arabic, new additional 1200-1300 17535 WER 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs English/Bangla 1500-1530 15360 NAU 250 kW / 085 deg SoAs Nepali 1530-1600 15360 ISS 250 kW / 080 deg SoAs Hindi 1500-1530 15255 WER 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs Punjabi 1530-1600 15255 WER 250 kW / 075 deg SoAs English 1300-1330 15320 WER 250 kW / 075 deg EaAs Chinese Mon-Fri 1300-1330 15320 WER 250 kW / 075 deg EaAs Uighur Sat/Sun 1330-1500 15320 WER 250 kW / 075 deg EaAs Chinese Radio Dabanga 0500-0600 13730 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Arabic 0530-0600 13620 NAU 500 kW / 155 deg EaAf Arabic 1530-1630 15720 WER 500 kW / 150 deg EaAf Arabic Radio Mashaal 0400-0900 15715 WER 250 kW / 090 deg WeAs Pashto Radio Free Afghanistan 1230-1330 15680 WER 250 kW / 090 deg WeAs Dari Radio Ashna 1430-1530 15380 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Pashto 1530-1630 15380 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Dari Radio Liberty 1500-1700 6060 WER 250 kW / 060 deg EaEu Belorussian 1700-1800 6105 WER 250 kW / 060 deg EaEu Belorussian 1700-1900 5930 WER 250 kW / 045 deg EaEu Belorussian 1600-1700 9740 WER 250 kW / 060 deg EaEu Russian 1400-1700 15650 WER 250 kW / 075 deg CeAs Turkmen 1400-1500 13615 WER 250 kW / 075 deg CeAs Uzbek 1500-1600 11810 WER 250 kW / 090 deg CeAs Avari/Chechen/Cherkassi 1500-1600 15565 WER 250 kW / 090 deg CeAs Azeri 1900-2000 9805 WER 250 kW / 060 deg CeAs Tatar Voice of America 1600-1630 6040 WER 250 kW / 135 deg SEEu Albanian 1730-1800 11905 WER 250 kW / 135 deg EaAf Afan Oromo Mon-Fri 1730-1800 13870 NAU 250 kW / 140 deg EaAf Afan Oromo Mon-Fri 1800-1900 11925 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Amharic 1900-1930 11925 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Tigrigna Mon-Fri 1800-1900 13870 NAU 250 kW / 140 deg EaAf Amharic 1900-1930 13870 NAU 250 kW / 140 deg EaAf Tigrigna Mon-Fri 1630-1700 9675 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Sudanese English "Focus" M-F 1630-1700 12015 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Sudanese English "Focus" M-F 1630-1700 13830 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Sudanese English "Focus" M-F 0300-0330 9815 NAU 250 kW / 160 deg EaAf Arabic "Hello Darfur" 1800-1830 9815 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Arabic "Hello Darfur" 1900-1930 9600 WER 250 kW / 150 deg EaAf Arabic "Hello Darfur" 2030-2100 9810 NAU 250 kW / 190 deg CeAf Hausa Mon-Fri 1400-1500 11640 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Kurdish, ex 11645, NEW 1400-1500 17750 WER 250 kW / 120 deg WeAs Kurdish 1700-1800 15380 NAU 250 kW / 113 deg WeAs Kurdish 0230-0330 6095 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Persian 1630-1930 6040 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Persian 1400-1500 13570 WER 250 kW / 095 deg WeAs English 1500-1530 11940 WER 250 kW / 075 deg CeAs Uzbek 1600-1700 13745 NAU 250 kW / 095 deg CeAs Georgian Deewa Radio 1700-1800 9780 WER 250 kW / 090 deg SoAs Pashto Radio Japan NHK World 1700-1900 15445 WER 250 kW / 135 deg N/ME Japanese 2200-2300 9620 WER 500 kW / 135 deg N/ME Japanese Voice of Croatia: 2200-0300 9925 WER 100 kW / 240 deg SoAm Croatian/En/Sp till Sep. 6 2300-0100 9925 NAU 100 kW / 300 deg NEAm Croatian/En/Sp till Sep. 6 0100-0300 9925 WER 100 kW / 315 deg NEAm Croatian/En/Sp till Sep. 6 0300-0500 9925 NAU 100 kW / 325 deg NWAm Croatian/En/Sp till Sep. 6 2200-0300 7375 WER 100 kW / 240 deg SoAm Croatian/En/Sp from Sep. 7 2300-0100 7375 NAU 100 kW / 300 deg NEAm Croatian/En/Sp from Sep. 7 0100-0300 7375 WER 100 kW / 315 deg NEAm Croatian/En/Sp from Sep. 7 0300-0500 7375 NAU 100 kW / 325 deg NWAm Croatian/En/Sp from Sep. 7 Bible Voice Broadcasting Network (BVBN): 0700-0745 5945 WER 100 kW / 300 deg Sat WeEu English 0700-0730 5945 WER 100 kW / 300 deg Sun WeEu English 1800-1830 6130 NAU 100 kW / 069 deg Tue EaEu Russian 1800-1815 6130 NAU 100 kW / 069 deg Fri EaEu Russian 1800-1815 6130 NAU 100 kW / 069 deg Thu EaEu Ukrainian 1815-1845 6130 NAU 100 kW / 069 deg Sat EaEu English 1800-1900 6130 NAU 100 kW / 069 deg Sun EaEu English 0900-1000 17535 WER 100 kW / 135 deg Fri NoAf Arabic 1930-1945 11830 NAU 100 kW / 187 deg Sat WeAf French cancelled 1945-2000 11830 NAU 100 kW / 187 deg Sat WeAf Adja, cancelled 1830-1845 11830 WER 100 kW / 150 deg Sun CeAf Swahili 1630-1730 13720 WER 100 kW / 150 deg Daily CEAf Nuer/Dinka 1600-1630 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Mon/Thu EaAf Oromo 1630-1700 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Mon/Fri EaAf Amharic 1700-1730 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Mon/Tue/Fri EaAf Tigrinya 1730-1830 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Mon/Tue/Fri EaAf Amharic 1630-1700 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Tue EaAf Amharic 1630-1800 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Wed EaAf Amharic 1630-1830 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Thu/Sat/Sun EaAf Amharic 1600-1630 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Fri/Sun EaAf Oromo 1800-1830 13810 ISS 100 kW / 131 deg Fri-Sun EaAf Somali 1700-1800 15235 ISS 500 kW / 141 deg Sat(Ngoma R)to EaAf Luganda 1900-2000 11750 ISS 500 kW / 141 deg Sat(Ngoma R)to EaAf Luganda 1800-1900 9430 WER 250 kW / 120 deg Sat N/ME English 1815-1845 9430 WER 250 kW / 120 deg Sun N/ME English 1730-1800 11960 WER 100 kW / 120 deg Sat/Sun N/ME English ex 17-18 1700-1720 13580 ISS 250 kW / 115 deg Mo/Tu/Th/Fr N/ME Arabic 1700-1735 13580 ISS 250 kW / 115 deg Wed N/ME Arabic 1545-1600 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Mon/Wed N/ME English 1545-1620 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Tue N/ME English 1700-1715 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Tue N/ME English 1715-1800 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Tue N/ME Hebrew 1545-1645 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Thu N/ME English 1545-1615 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Fri N/ME English 1545-1700 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Sat N/ME English 1530-1815 13590 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Sun N/ME English 1615-1630 13600 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg Mon/Wed/Fri N/ME Arabic 1530-1545 13630 ISS 250 kW / 091 deg Sun WeAs Persian 0430-0500 9735 WER 250 kW / 105 deg Tue-Thu WeAs Arabic cancelled 0500-0515 9735 WER 250 kW / 105 deg Fri WeAs Arabic 1800-1830 11855 NAU 100 kW / 105 deg Mon/Wed/Fri WeAs Persian 1800-1900 11855 NAU 100 kW / 105 deg Tue/Thu WeAs Persian 1830-1900 11855 NAU 100 kW / 105 deg Sun WeAs Persian 1800-1815 11855 NAU 100 kW / 105 deg Sat WeAs Persian 1530-1730 12140 WER 100 kW / 105 deg Daily WeAs Persian 0030-0100 7405 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Mon-Thu SoAs Hindi 0030-0100 7405 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Fri-Sun SoAs English 1530-1600 15275 ISS 100 kW / 090 deg Wed/Fri SoAs Urdu 1530-1600 15275 ISS 100 kW / 090 deg Thu SoAs English 1515-1530 15275 ISS 100 kW / 090 deg Sat SoAs English 1430-1500 17495 NAU 250 kW / 095 deg Sat SoAs English 1345-1415 17495 NAU 250 kW / 095 deg 1st Sun SoAs English, ex ISS 1415-1500 17495 NAU 250 kW / 095 deg Sun SoAs English, ex ISS 1500-1515 13740 WER 250 kW / 090 deg Sun SEAs English Gospel For Asia (GFA): 0030-0130 9445 WER 250 kW / 090 deg SEAs South East Asian langs 1230-1500 15350 WER 250 kW / 090 deg SEAs South East Asian langs 1330-1530 15390 WER 250 kW / 090 deg SEAs South East Asian langs 1530-1630 15215 ISS 250 kW / 086 deg SEAs South East Asian langs 2330-0030 9520 WER 250 kW / 075 deg SEAs South East Asian langs Brother Stair/The Overcomer Ministries 1400-1500 9655 MOS 100 kW / 275 deg WeEu English, ex 1400-1600 1500-1600 13810 NAU 100 kW / 130 deg N/ME English, ex 1400-1600 1500-1600 17485 WER 100 kW / 165 deg NoAf English, ex 1400-1600 Lutheran World Federation Voice of Gospel 1830-1900 11975 ISS 500 kW / 167 deg WCAf Fulani FEBA Radio 1900-1930 7230 WER 250 kW / 105 deg WeAs Arabic WYFR (Family Radio): 1900-2000 11840 NAU 500 kW / 205 deg WeAf French 2000-2200 6115 WER 250 kW / 210 deg WeAf Arabic 2200-2300 7420 WER 250 kW / 210 deg WeAf Arabic 1800-1900 13750 WER 500 kW / 180 deg WCAf English 1800-1900 13790 ISS 500 kW / 170 deg WCAf Hausa 1900-2200 9610 WER 500 kW / 180 deg WCAf English 2100-2200 7425 WER 500 kW / 180 deg WCAf English 2000-2100 9595 NAU 500 kW / 180 deg WCAf French 2100-2200 9715 NAU 500 kW / 180 deg WCAf French 1700-1800 13840 WER 100 kW / 180 deg NEAf Arabic 1800-1900 11955 WER 250 kW / 150 deg NEAf Arabic 1900-2000 9590 WER 250 kW / 150 deg NEAf Arabic 1600-1700 15160 NAU 500 kW / 140 deg EaAf Oromo 1600-1700 15750 WER 500 kW / 150 deg EaAf Amharic, del. Swahili 17-18 1800-1900 9925 WER 500 kW / 165 deg SoAf English 1600-1700 13645 NAU 250 kW / 130 deg N/ME Arabic 1700-1800 11885 ISS 250 kW / 110 deg N/ME Arabic 1600-1700 13615 NAU 500 kW / 095 deg WeAs Persian 1700-1800 13740 NAU 500 kW / 090 deg WeAs Persian 1400-1500 13730 WER 250 kW / 075 deg CeAs Uzbek 1300-1500 17580 WER 500 kW / 090 deg SoAs Bengali 1400-1500 15565 NAU 500 kW / 090 deg SoAs Oriya Mon-Fri 1400-1500 15565 ISS 500 kW / 083 deg SoAs Oriya Sat/Sun 1400-1600 17800 WER 500 kW / 090 deg SoAs Sindhi/Kannada 1400-1600 15670 NAU 500 kW / 095 deg SoAs Hindi 1500-1600 15495 ISS 500 kW / 085 deg SoAs Gujarati 1500-1600 13790 ISS 500 kW / 085 deg SoAs Tamil 1400-1500 15690 ISS 500 kW / 090 deg SoAs Malayalam 2200-2400 9935 GUF 500 kW / 215 deg SoAm Spanish 2200-2400 7360 GUF 500 kW / 170 deg SoAm Portuguese 0000-0100 7360 GUF 500 kW / 170 deg SoAm English 0000-0100 5930 GUF 500 kW / 215 deg SoAm English, not Spanish (DX Mix News August 1-3, Bulgaria, August 2 via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. And on 30 October another one will bite the dust --- (for many in Europe it had already done so some years ago when it closed its fine English service on 6140 kHz); with the beginning of the B11 season, Deutsche Welle will close every SW operation to Europe. Who said DRM? Of course no one is going to speak of it any longer: as a top BBC man said some years ago, DRM simply came too late. It looks as if today few are interested in international news and music, unless coming out of a (touch)screen. And so it seems highly unlikely that DW tho one of the leading forces behind DRM, will one day resume SW --- even digital --- broadcasts (Stefano Valianti, Southern European Report, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** GREECE. 11645, R Filia new schedule since Jul 15 seems to be: *0500 Bulgarian, 0530 Albanian, 0600 Spanish, 0630 German, 0700 Russian, 0730 French, 0800 Turkish, 0830 Polish, 0900 Serbian, 0930 Arabic, 1000-1030* Romanian, but no English! Schedule varies from day to day (Erik Køie, København, Danmark, DSWCI DX Window July 27 via DXLD) And their schedule should be changed on Aug 31 for "technical reasons" according to the directeur of the transmissions in foreign languages (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, July 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11645, Radio Filia, Avlis. New order in its programmes valid till Aug 28th. On 22/7 [Fri] in Albanian at 0545 and on 23/7 [Sat] in German at 0545 for example. Nor any program in English was mentioned (maybe only on Saturdays for 15 minutes there is?) (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF-2001, 16m Marconi antenna), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD). VOG AVLIS 1 WENT FROM 7450 TO 15630 BY MISTAKE AGAIN Kalimera Demetri: Voice of Greece was supposed to switch from 7450 to 15650 kHz. at 2300 UT August 2. The engineer missed it for the third time in a month and put it mistakenly on 15630. At the same time, 15630 went to 7475 which is where it is supposed to be. 9420 has nowhere to go but on the same frequency with the usual Iran Radio interference. Regards, (John Babbis, Maryland, to Demetri Vafeas, ERT, cc to DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. NOE PARLAVANTZAS, JOURNALIST ON THE VOICE OF GREECE, PASSED AWAY, on 22 July 2011 Noe Parlavantzas, journalist on ERT Voice of Greece group passed away on Friday, July, 22 after a long battle with cancer. Noe Parlavantzas was born in Athens, in December, 1957. He had a bachelor in political science and became known from his daily program "Network Without Borders," an information program concerning Greeks abroad (omogeneia). Noe Parlavantzas, the unselfish, tireless journalist, our friend and colleague, the teacher will always live in our memory and our heart. (via John Babbis, MD, DXLD) obit ** GRENADA. Harbour Light 1400 QSL --- Passato un po' di tempo, qualche mese, dall'invio del rapporti d'ascolto successivo al DX- pedition in Svezia, è ora di cominciare ad inviare i cosiddetti "follow-up" (solleciti), alle emittenti che non hanno risposto. Il primo, via mail all'inidirizzo nel loro sito, l'ho spedito all'emittente religiosa Harbour Light of the Windwards che opera da Carriacou, Grenada sui 1400. http://www.harbourlightradio.org/ harbourlight @ spiceisle.com Questa la rapidissima risposta di Randy Cornelius, Manager: ``Good evening, Alessandro. Greetings from Carriacou! Thanks for your email. Yes, I did receive your letter and it has gotten buried on my desk, sorry! Our engineer has resigned and I have taken over his responsibilities in addition to managing the station. (I was engineer before taking over as manager). I will do my utmost to get a response out to you this week. You did indeed hear the Harbour Light! Have a good week, Randy Cornelius, Harbour Light`` Non resta che attendere la QSL, ma intanto posso annotare il 180 Paese EDXC verificato! (Alessandro Groppazzi, http://gropdx.blogspot.com/ via Dario Monferini, 28 July, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GUAM. 5765 USB at 1045z, Wed Aug 3, AFN Guam, MSNBC political program, "The Last Word" with Lawrence O'Donnell (J Lenamon, Waco Texas, Drake R8B, sloper, cumbredx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) Hmm, I wonder if they carry the full hour, delayed 10 hours, at 1000? (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) 5765-USB, Aug 4 at 1131, AFN with several minutes on Casey Anthony attributed to NBC; not // MSNBC, and can`t check NBC as local KFOR-27 is in own news until 1200. However, at 1137, handover to Al Roker working the crowd prior to too-brief national weather summary, so it must be soundtrack of the `Today` show, new for AFN at this time? What about NPR `Morning Edition` which I think used to be aired at 10-12? (At 1045 Aug 3, Jerry Lenamon in TX was hearing MSNBC`s `The Last Word` on 5765-USB, apparently on 10-hour delay.) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA for more AFN Hi Glenn, AFN Guam routinely now has TV audio feeds (delayed or live?): NBC TV show “Today” up till 1300, then they change over to CNN TV Robin Meade’s morning show. Last checked on July 27 from 1351 to 1356 with Robin chatting away and segment with Clark Howard. Instead of CNN’s ads, they insert AFN segments (military PSAs, items about military history, IDs, etc.). So compared to AFN Diego Garcia (4319-USB), it is Guam that is carrying this newer format and is no longer // (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. TESTIMONIO --- La siguiente es una copia fiel del correo remitido hoy por Édgar Amílcar Madrid, que dirige Radio Verdad (4055 kHz) desde Chiquimula, Guatemala y con quien mantengo un ameno intercambio de informaciones y opiniones. El amigo Édgar me había comunicado con alegría el informe de recepción recibido de un diexista japonés que captó a Radio Verdad, hecho que mereció una emotiva respuesta de mi parte reivindicando la importancia de la onda corta aún en estos tiempos de ultra-tecnología. Con la autorización de Édgar, comparto con ustedes su interesante respuesta. Gracias, amigo y hermano Rubén Guillermo Marganet, de Argentina, por su correo. Ciertamente, lamento mucho el abandono de la onda corta por parte de Europa. La radio por Internet y Satélite, no le llegan ni a los dedos de los pies de la onda corta. Nosotros transmitimos también por Internet, pero, eso es un juguetío. Nuestra grandísima cantidad de oyentes, nos llega de la onda corta. Con Internet, nos escuchan en muchos países y en forma muy clara, pero, es una cantidad pequeña de oyentes, si la comparamos con la onda corta. Yo, desde niño, soy creyente de la onda corta y, mientras pueda conseguir los transmisores, continuaré en el aire de la onda corta. Le autorizo para que publique estas mis palabras. Que Dios le bendiga y guarde. Dr. Édgar Amílcar Madrid, Radio Verdad, Chiquimula, Guatemala (via Margenet, July 28, condiglist yg via DXLD) 4055, Radio Verdad, 0455 Aug 3. Spanish, hymns through 0500, occasional announcements. 0513 re-check and American preacher in English. And at 0553 ending American gospel program in English, then many repetitions of announcements, IDs, address in Spanish mostly, but also heard English and Japanese, 0559 national anthem to 0604 close- down. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car, parked by the lake, using Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) No signal around 1130 UT Aug 3; another late sign-on? 4055, Aug 4 at 1123, not even a carrier yet from R. Verdad, but one detectable in high noise level at 1138. For better DX results in maximum darkness, RV really ought to sign on at the scheduled time of 1100. We are now in a perfect grayline situation, Enid sunrise at 1141, Chiquimula at 1142 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUINEA. 7125, Rdif Nationale, 2235-2353*, July 28, local Afro-pop music. French and vernacular talk. Abrupt sign off. Fair to good. On the air about 1 hour later than usual (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) I never hear this any more in morning, not on before I retire by 0530 or 0600 (gh) ** INDIA. 4965, *0023-0035 fade out, 26+28.07, AIR Shimla, AIR IS, Hindi ann, "Vande Mataram" hymn, local song with sitar music, 0030 Hindi news, 34333, QRM Lusaka (Anker Petersen on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. 5050, AIR Aizawl. From Mizoram, another which appears to be off, hope not for good. One of the nicest stations with soft music. It appears that the 60mb, SW transmitters of AIR are nearing their life span! 28/7 (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR VBS simulcast now on 6100 + 6110 --- Per C. K. Raman, VU3DJQ, AIR VBS simulcast noted on 6100 DRM + 6110 Analog during a check on 29th July 2010. They were earlier on 6090 Analog + 6100 DRM. Power output in DRM mode is 10 kW. ---- (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, July 29, dx_india yg via DXLD) AIR VBS back on DRM mode only (no simulcast) wef 30th July with power output of 57 kHz [sic]. Mr C. K. Raman, VU3DJQ had a demo/presentation on DRM today at a ham meet organised by Vigyan Prasar, Dept of Science & Technology, Govt of India. --- (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, July 31, ibid.) ** INDIA. 6155 at 0110z, Wed Aug 3, AIR via Bangalore in Urdu, 500 kW at 325º, somewhat overshooting the target in Pakistan. Strictly speaking, an all daylight path, about 9300 miles, 20 minutes before sundown in Waco, about 45 minutes after sunrise in Bangalore but apparently close enough to the gray line that it worked. Audible as late as 0130 (J Lenamon, Waco Texas, Drake R8B, sloper, cumbredx yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. 9425, AIR Bengaluru - National Channel, 1443-1500, August 1; “Vividha” program in English; believe English schedule is Monday- Wednesday-Friday (1434-1500); heard Monday with “Earth Beat”; jointly produced by AIR and RNW; items about plastic; many AIR reports about plastics; at 1500 into Hindi and subcontinent songs; fair. Think “Earth Beat” is carried every "fortnight" (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Hi Walt, Hope all is well up in B.C. Was nice to see all your fine logs recently in DXLD. Regarding your RRI Ternate, 3344.970 at 1318, July 10 (Sunday) reception in English. This perhaps is the former ex-Thursday English program from 1300 to 1400 that was heard in April and May. Sounds like the same type of programming, as back then they prominently promoted North Maluku as a tourist spot and also had on air phone calls (although most of the calls were unsuccessfully connected due to some technical difficulties!). Was unable to confirm this last Sunday (July 24), as they were off the air. Needs more monitoring. Thanks Walt for your posting! I did write a letter to the English Department of UMMU (University of Muhammadiyah in North Maluku, a.k.a. Universitas Muhammadiyah Maluku Utara), thanking them for co-sponsoring the program. My audio files of the English programs: http://www.box.net/shared/mkuhyypd8b May 12, 2011 - Thursday http://www.box.net/shared/43l12tum1h March 31, 2011 - Thursday (Ron Howard, California, USA to Walt Salmaniw, via DXLD) July 31 program preempted by Ramadan programming! We may need to wait another month to check again? (Ron Howard, DX LISTENNG DIGEST) 3344.97, RRI Ternate, 1246, July 31 (Sunday). Checking on the DXLD 11- 29 report by Walt Salmaniw of a program in English; was preempted by Ramadan programming of reciting from the Qur’an; assume Walt’s show must be the ex-Thursday program that was heard back in April and May from 1300 to 1400; as it sounds like the same type of programming, as back then they prominently promoted North Maluku as a tourist spot and also had on air phone calls. Was unable to confirm Sunday - July 24, as they were off the air. Needs more monitoring. Thanks to Walt for the pointer to this unique English program! We may need to wait till after Ramadan to hear it again (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Is already on Ramadan. [tentative], 4749.96 kHz unID. Am 31.07.2011, schrieb Wolf-Dieter Behnke: 1845 UT mit phone-in, SINPO 35232. Es bleibt zu vermuten, dass es sich um R. Dunamis aus Uganda handelt. [later] Vermutung scheint falsch gewesen zu sein, denn um 1930 UT ist die Station immer [noch] hoerbar. Habe momentan keine Idee bis auf: Koennte RRI Makassar frueheren Sendebeginn haben? [later] 3344.98 kHz, RRI Ternate at 2010 UT. SINPO 25342. Identifiziert am Stream auf and Palangkaraya-INS noted too on 3325 kHz - probably. (Wolf-Dieter Behnke-D, A-DX July 31 via BC-DX 1 August via DXLD) Re 4749.96 kHz unid. Yes could be true. Ramadan starts according to phase of the moon ? !!! (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) 4749.95, RRI Makassar, 1219-1241 Jul 25. Jak program in progress, ending at 1223; into local program then with man & woman chatting to 1230, then vocal music. Fair, competing with band noise (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Aug 3, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) I`m getting something on 4750 from about 2000. I wonder if Makassar has come back on; it`s very weak. All the best (Mark Davies, Wales, 1717 UT Aug 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Two years ago there were three RRI stations on 75m, but now there are none. As of Aug 4, Atsunori Ishida`s excellent site http://rri.jpn.org/ shows: Silent stations on Short Wave July 2011 4790 kHz RRI-Fak Fak March 2011 3995 kHz RRI-Kendari August 2010 4605 kHz RRI-Serui 4925 kHz RRI-Jambi April 2010 3976 kHz RRI-Pontianak October 2009 3987 kHz RRI-Manokwari May 2009 2960 kHz RPDT2-Manggarai 3579 kHz RSPK-Ngada April 2009 3960 kHz RRI-Palu February 2009 6125 kHz RRI-Naibe January 2009 9744 kHz RRI-Sorong And the only current frequencies are: 3325, 3345, 4750, 4870, 7290, 9526, 9680 See site for details of exact times logged, early sign-ons for Ramadan, etc. (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 9526-, August 2 at 1250-1255, VOI with Special Japanese announcement, ``Cielito Lindo`` on marimba (or a very close-sounding Indoclone). Fair signal at best. 1312 recheck during English hour, YL in continuous talk, but unreadable. Despite S9+20 on meter, is too weak and undermodulated vs noise level. It`s Tuesday, so is there another hookup with RRI Banjarmasin? Apparently so, as at 1333 I could barely make out the tones of the Banj announcer, declined to very poor signal. As we approach a sesquimonth past Solstice, we may hope for gradually improving reception. Earlier today at 1110, Chuck Bolland in FL measured VOI 40 Hz below 9526 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. 15530, July 29 at 0539, fair signal with YL in Spanish news about Irán, strange accent but comprehensible. This is VIRI, 500 kW, 289 degrees from Kamalabad to Spain and N Africa at 0530-0630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. More photos of the Yavne-Tel Aviv transmitter site. [Yavne-Tel Aviv, Israel. 6] [Yavne-Tel Aviv, Israel. 7] [Yavne-Tel Aviv, Israel. 2] (Lev Lytovchenko, Canada, July 31, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Galei Zahal in Hebrew noted at 1745 UT with jazz music program on July 22nd on 9235 \\ 15850 kHz and not on 6977 kHz. Heard on the next days almost 24hrs on 9235 and 15850 kHz. For example on July 23rd at 0030 UT on 9235 \\ 15850 kHz, also with old hits in English at 0540 UT like 'Hold On' by Electric Light Orchestra (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, July 30, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) 9235, 0030-0040 28.07, Galei Tzahal, Lod, Hebrew ann, pop songs, new frequency replacing 6973, 45444 (Anker Petersen on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ITALY [non]. 9510, Special Arctic R Club programme, via IRRS, via Tiganeshti, Romania, 1130 IRRS ID and Milano address, 1130 songs, Ronny Forslund telling about Arctic R Club, Christer Brunström gave SW news, 1145 IRRS ID and Milano address; 45344. I sent Christer a reception report by e-mail and the next day I received a nice QSL via e-mail (Anker Petersen, Skovlunde, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window July 27 via DXLD) NB: The same programme will be repeated Sat Jul 30 at 0845 and Sun Jul 31 at 1130 on 9510! (Christer Brunström, Sweden, ibid.) 15610, August 2 at 1359-1400* very familiar operatic choral excerpt. Presumably IRRS via ROMANIA, tail of Brother Scare relay, now certainly not // WWRB 9385. IRRS plays bits of ``Aïda`` elsewhen as filler or signature. However, I did not notice BS earlier in the hour in tunebies. 15610, August 3 at 1319, IRRS via ROMANIA, but NOT with Brother Scare! Instead a YL with long report on US drone attacks on Waziristan, including interview clips; must be from a major broadcaster. Initially poor signal losing out to noise level at 1325; 1327 possibly mentioned UN Radio (which IRRS is known to carry) and a bit of music before becoming JBA at 1328 as all signals were hit by SW fadeout. I see the IRRS schedule at http://www.nexus.org/schedules/wed.htm has still not been updated since 10 June, so doesn`t show Brother Scare at this time, nor any other specific programming even on stream, altho the SW transmission schedule effective July 18 at http://www.nexus.org/NEXUS-IBA/Schedules/IRRS-SW_A11.html does show 13-14 on 15610. So is BS supposed to be on this hour, or not? Could well be another mistake by the downlink site tuning in the wrong satellite channel, and who cares? The Overcomer Ministry homepage still thinks it`s on 15610 at 1800 UTC! 15610, IRRS via Tiganeshti, ROMANIA, Aug 4 at 1308 very poor but heard a bit of music unlike anything from The Overcomer Ministry; however, by 1322 the dulcet hoarseness of Brother Scare could be recognized, altho not // or at least not synchro with 9385 WWRB. 24 hours earlier on 15610, it was not BS but UN Radio or something. 1334 check, not even a carrier audible despite scheduled 13-14 UT. Unlikely another SW fadeout as Bulgaria was still in fairly well on 15700 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non non]. Medium Wave 1368 kHz and 1566 kHz improvements Hello There from IRRS-Shortwave & Mediumwave in Milano, Italy, Just a short note to inform our European listeners that our technicians just made a couple of improvements to the stations in Padova on 1368 kHz and in Rome on 1566 kHz. Transmitter power in Padova was slightly raised to 10 kW while we wait for the power company to deliver a new electricity line to be able to connect a 50 kW transmitter that is in standby. In Rome, we installed a new antenna and transmitter yesterday that double the signal strength as received into the city area and immediate vicinity. After the new installation, a DX report of our broadcasts on 1566 kHz has been received yesterday from Austria (580+ km or 360+ miles), despite of the low power (1 kW) of this station. We welcome your reception reports on all of our frequencies. We are on the air daily on 1368 and 1566 kHz from 20:00 to 20:30 CET in Italian and from 20:30 to 02:00 CET in English. I also remind you our high power broadcast daily on 15610 kHz from 1300 to 1400 UT to Middle East, Asia and Australia and Japan. Daily we are also on the air on 7290 to Europe and Africa from 1800 to 2000 UT. Your reception reports and comments on our programming are very much appreciated, and also help us to stay on the air. Please email any correspondence to: reports (at) nexus (dot) org. Thank you & stay tuned! 73s, (Ron Norton, August 3, NEXUS-Int'l Broadcasting Association, email: ron @ nexus.org http://www.nexus.org ph: +39-02-266 6971 - Toll free: 1-888-612-0039 fax: +39-02-706 38151, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY [non]. Italia: QSL ESPECIAL de Play DX --- El Proximo 19 de agosto de 2011 en ocasion de la visita a la RAE (Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior) en Calle Maipú, donde harán una histórica entrevista a los colegas italianos Dario Monferini y Roberto Pavanello difundido en directo en la onda corta, frecuencia de 15345 kHz a las 1900-1955 horario UT y también en internet, en: http://www.mediums.es/radios/argentina/rae-radiodifusion-argentina-al-exterior.php Recuerden que los que envíen un informe de recepción de esa emisión recibirán una QSL ESPECIAL; pueden enviarla al correo electrónico: info arroba playdx.com (Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, Aug 2, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) With QRMorocco as always on 15345 (gh, DXLD) ** JAPAN [non]. 6250, August 1 at 0523, R. Japón in Spanish, leapfrog of 6080 Bonaire over 6165, with item during language lesson about ascensor/elevator etiquette; one minute later heard same thing in English on 6110 via Sackville! Basically, don`t block the door, lowest ranking passenger operates the buttons, and keep silent during trip lest reveal business secrets to unknown riders (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) France. NHK Radio Japan. 11945 Issoudun. 2011/07/30 Saturday, 1755- 1801, YL talking Japanese, lots of bird calls, sounded like long periods of sea or wind noises but difficult to tell on shortwave; what were the programme-makers thinking of? ID at 1759 "NHK", "Radio Nippon". Time pips at 1800 to "NHK News". Fair. Jo'burg sunset 1541 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JORDAN. 11960, Aug 3 at 0455 nice ME music, 0500 ID in Arabic mentions Amman, Urdaniya, Hashemiya, a bit more of music and good signal cut off the air, in truncated legacy SW service, our best chance to hear this country, for only one hour daily (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KASHMIR. RADIO KASHMIR SPECIAL RAMZAN BROADCAST Coinciding the first day of Ramzan fasting, Radio Kashmir Srinagar was noted with special broadcast sign on at 2145 UT on 4950 & 1116 kHz on 1 August 2011. The 1 hour program consists of prayers, songs and advertisements. These special programs will continue for a month. In the previous years sign on timings were keeping on changing as the days went on. AIR Kupwara in Jammu & Kashmir on 1350 kHz was also noted with relay of same programs in previous years. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India, dx_india yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. KOREA D.P.R., 2850.014, KCBS Pyongyang from Sariwon, S=8 signal on remote receiver in Tokyo, flute music at 1640 UT July 24. Korean female singer at 1644 UT. // 3959.013 weak signal at S=4 level. 3250.033, Pyongyang BS program, S=6 on Tokyo remote receiver. // 3320.603, S=4 poor modulation (Wolfgang Büschel, July 27, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) 6100, KCBS Pyongyang, 1527-1533, August 1. Korean song and instrumental music; poor; // 9665.3 (fair-good). Unable to hear anything from Radio Afghanistan; probably not strong enough to make it through the Korean QRM (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 12015, July 31 at 1314 nothing but a het, the stronger signal on the lo side, about 12014.8. Aoki shows both VOK Kujang and VOR via Samara during this hour. I`ll bet I know which one is off-frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MOLDOVA/MONGOLIA/RUSSIA, Voice of Mongolia in Russian was heard from 1547 to 1558 on MW 621 kHz Grigoriopol via V of Russia in Russian on July 27th. Also on \\ 12015 kHz where there are three stations: VOR in Russian (at this time relayed via V of Mongolia [sic]) plus Voice of Mongolia from Mongolia in English plus Voice of Korea in Russian {latter few lower Hertz odd channel}. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, July 30, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) 15180, Aug 3 at 1239, VG signal from VOK, mezzo and that quasi- electronic instrument accompaniment with beautiful harmonies, one can enjoy as long as one cannot understand it`s 99% likely she is extolling great/dear leaders and the paradise that is the DPRK. In fact, I preferred this to Martha Garvin`s Musical Memories I could have understood on WWCR 15825, equally good signal but less fading and less harmonious (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTNEING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. UnID Korean Clandestine station QSY --- For North Korea which does not announce a station name of Clandestine station = QSY and adds time from July 27. The current schedule: 0700-0740 6135 kHz (ex 6230) 1000-1040 6135 kHz addition 1200-1240 6230 kHz (Heavy jam from N Korea) 6135 kHz does not yet receive interference of the jamming from North Korea (S. Hasegawa, Japan, July 29, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The jamming is still present on 6230 and is identical to that on 6015/6003, 6348, 6518 and 6600 (Robin VK7RH Harwood, Tasmania, 0507 UT July 30, ibid.) 6230, July 30 at 1134, noise jamming here, presumably against unnamed S. Korean clandestine, which however, S. Hasegawa says is not on until 1200-1240 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. Hi Everyone, 9975, Nippon no Kaze up sign off at 1530 UT 30/7/11, Palau to N Korea in Korean. YL giving Web address including that of the station http://www.rachi and I imagine talk about the abduction of Japanese in North Korea. Not knowing much about this station, is it jammed as Shiokaze is usually and is there any relationship between the two stations? This is what I heard (3 mins) to sign off http://www.box.net/shared/0rdfiyonhkluuxhnspmb (Mark Davies, Anglesey, Wales, July 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Mark, Nippon no Kaze (in Korean) and Furusato no Kaze (in Japanese) are both programs provided by the Japanese government, dealing with abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea. The same issues are also dealt with via the broadcasts of Shiokaze, with one major difference. Shiokaze is provided for by a private organization (Investigating Committee on Missing Japanese Probably Related to North Korea - COMJAN). This difference must explain why Shiokaze is aggressively jammed, no matter how many times they change frequencies attempting to avoid the North Korean jamming. Whereas Nippon no Kaze and Furusato no Kaze are not jammed, probably because the North Korean government does not want to incur any repercussions from the Japanese government, but has no such concerns with Shiokaze. Presently I am hearing Shiokaze on 5985 kHz; still routinely being jammed. Shiokaze often has a "This is a message from the Japanese government" segment in their Friday English programs; mentioning a radio program "with a frequency band of 9000 kHz", a veiled reference to Nippon no Kaze and Furusato no Kaze. Also note http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/abduction/index.html (Ron Howard, California, USA, ibid.) Moderator: Bit about the station in English at http://www.rachi.go.jp/en/shisei/radio/index.html (BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. 9650 via CANADA, Aug 3 at 1243, KBS World Radio ending Let`s Learn Korean segment concluding `Seoul Calling`, so I am finally prepared to hear their Wednesday traditional music show from the beginning, `Sounds of Korea`: starts with flute and drum playing peasant love song; narratress explains and names the instruments, but I really can`t understand the details. CCI from KOREA NORTH direct not too bad today and minimised by listening on the insensitive DX-390 breakfast table radio using whip/rod antenna only. I feared transmission would cut off conclusion as program kept going past 1258, but wrapped up just in time for 1259* with two notes of RCI IS, without any time for formal KBS sign-off. During semiminute break before Sackville back on different beam, 268 to 240 degrees, for 9650 CRI relay, the RNW IS via Tinang could be heard even on the DX-390 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Greetings! KBS World Radio, a multi-language international radio broadcaster representing the Republic of Korea, conducts the 2011 Listeners Survey to collect opinions of listeners and to provide them with better service. Your opinions about our programs and your reception medium will prove valuable for creating better and more useful programs. Anonymity is guaranteed for your answers, which will be used solely for statistical purposes. The Survey will be conducted both offline and online from August 1 to September 30, 2011. You can participate in the survey using either method. Participants will qualify for the prize lottery, and winners of the drawing may receive various prizes, including a premium DSLR and digital camera. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you. KBS World Radio Pueden participar via online en el siguiente enlace: En Español http://world.kbs.co.kr/spanish/pop_poll2011.htm En Ingles http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/pop_poll2011.htm En Frances http://world.kbs.co.kr/french/pop_poll2011.htm En Aleman http://world.kbs.co.kr/german/pop_poll2011.htm En Indonesio http://world.kbs.co.kr/indonesian/pop_poll2011.htm En Ruso http://world.kbs.co.kr/russian/pop_poll2011.htm En Vietnamita http://world.kbs.co.kr/vietnamese/pop_poll2011.htm En Coreano http://world.kbs.co.kr/korean/pop_poll2011.htm En Japones [missing; non Roman?] En Chino http://world.kbs.co.kr/chinese/ En Arabe http://world.kbs.co.kr/arabic/pop_poll2011.htm (Via Yimber Gaviria, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, Colombia, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [and non]. KOREA Rep of, 3480, Voice of People, Korean noted at 1650 UT July 27, S=8 in Tokyo. 1650 Hertz tone interference on 3481.650 kHz, endless speech by man. 4450, Voice of People Kyonggi-do observed at 1705 UT July 27, heavily jammed by some " whistle buoy" audio tone jammer (Wolfgang Büschel, July 27, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH and NORTH. 4450, Voice of the People, 1358-1404, August 2. Fair in Korean with non-stop monologue; QRM from a weaker Korean Nat. Dem. Front (50 vs 15 kW), which was playing music till 1400 Anthem and then 1403* (conforms to their schedule). Once they went off the air the North Korean jamming immediately started against VOP; so it seems the Korean Nat. Dem. Front broadcast is a form of jamming, e.g. CNR1 echo jamming (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) It's a kind of 'chicken or egg' fq: AINDF was using it long before V of the People started on the same fq, was it last year. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, cumbredx via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. via Ukraine, 11530, Denge Mezopotamya, *0400- 0435, July 31, sign on with National Anthem followed by local Kurdish music. Indigenous vocals. Kurdish talk. Poor to fair but occasional QRM from WEWN spur on 11529 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** KUWAIT. 15540, Monday August 1 at 2019 after music, ``Radio Kuwait, in coöperation with Radio Bahrain, presents `Bahrain [something]`, which turned out to be a talk on pearl-diving and the pearl industry there; outro as ``A Radio Bahrain production, presented by Radio Kuwait``, 2025 back to rock music. May we rely on this as a regular relay every week, or day during these 6 minutes? Doubt it. 2048, RK plugs Ramadan, then romantic music, cut short at 2050 for news headlines, this time lasting only one sesquiminute. If the world were ending, still no more than two minutes could ever be spared for this. Topix: congratulatory cables sent to the H. H. the Emir on the start of the holy month of Ramadan [?? as if the emir had something to do with that??]; new Japanese military [attaché?] to Kuwait; US default averted. Got to get right back to more rock music before closing at 2100 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also BAHRAIN [non] ** KYRGYZSTAN. KYRGYZ REP, 4009.974, Kyrgyz Radio 1, Bishkek, very weak signal S=2-3 at 1700 UT July 27. 4050.091, Radio Rossii from Bishkek, S=3-4 weak at 1702 UT July 27 (Wolfgang Büschel, July 27, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non non]. A very few of my many logs are picked up in DSWCI SW News log list, which removes all details and explanations. It also adds inaccurate info: ``17725,0 1356- F 12.6 Voice of Africa, Issoudun English GH-USA`` (Shortwave Tips, edited by Klaus Dieter-Scholz, DSWCI SW News July- August 2011 via DXLD) I did NOT report this as Issoudun or France! While there had been some cooperation between Libya and France in the past, there is NO evidence that current transmissions, even before 2011, were from France rather than direct from Libya! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Government radio is still on the air, monitored on SW in July as follows: 8500, Libyan Radio LJBC domestic service heard during daytime with weak signal 17725, Voice of Africa, 1200-1400 Swahili, 1400-1500[sic] English, 1600-1800 French 15215, Voice of Africa, 1800-2000 Hausa (new, ex-11805) (Dave Kenny, DX News, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 8500, at 1150 24 July, Libyan Radio, Arabic songs, weak, SIO 223. Heard on global tuners in Italy; only trace of a carrier in UK at this time (Dave Kenny, England, HF Logbook, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** LIBYA. A few weeks ago Dr Adrian Peterson published an interesting report about radio in Libya. The North-African country is ravaged by a war involving local and international forces. Radio is playing a major role there as it did shortly after World War 2 when British forces formed the bases of Libyan broadcasting. What Adrian didn’t consider is that until 1942 Italian state broadcaster EIAR had a station in Tripoli, then an Italian colony. Italy did occupy Libya, a part of the Turkish Empire, in 1911. In the 1930’s thousand of Italian colonists found their way to North Africa while the government tried to attract local populations to fascism. Italians have brought wireless to Tripoli by 1911-12 but it was only for military purposes. Only by 1938 EIAR did build and operated a Medium Wave station broadcasting in Italian and Arabic from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on 1104 kHz and was powered with 50 KW (two big tubes were operating there and were cooled by water). The station antennas were held by two huge masts. Travelling by train from Tripoli to the west, the station was visible shortly after El-Ghiran in the direction of Zanzur about 12 km from Tripoli. When the Italian colony ended by 1943 the station had been destroyed and a new history began, also for radio, in Libya (Luigi Cobisi, Firenze, Italia, AWR Wavescan July 31 via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. ¿alguna clandestina Libia? --- Estimados, ¿saben si con todo este revuelo en Libia hay alguna clandestina en la vuelta? Yo estoy un poco alejado de ese tema pero me pregunto si habrá aparecido alguna (o si habrá revivido alguna, tipo Sawt-al-Amal) 73, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, Aug 1, condiglist yg via DXLD) En onda corta seguro que no. Sí sé que hay mucha actividad radiofónica. Le vamos a dedicar un programa de La Rosa de Tokio. Estamos laborando para eso (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, ibid.) ** LIBYA FREE. Radio Free Libya news in English --- Last week we, Guido Schotmans (Belgium) and myself, have been monitoring Radio Free Libya from Misurata on 1449 kHz. Every evening at 2030 UT or just after 2030 they have a short newsprogramme in English. Reception quality in Belgium and The Netherlands differs from day to day, it's mostly moderate, sometimes quite good. All depends on the interference from Rai Italy on the same frequency (Max van Arnhem, The Netherlands, Aug 3, MWCircle yg via DXLD) ** LUXEMBOURG. Re 11-30: "Beidweiler [...] replacing an old tube-type transmitter." --- So the Thomson TRE 2175 MES was still a tube-based model? http://www.bce.lu/BCE_LW_station_beidweiler.htm Some other chronicle mentioned that these transmitters had been installed in 1994. Note also the wording "Maximum transmit power: 2000 kW", it can be interpreted in such a way that no full 2000 kW have usually been run. Maybe it was anyway not more than 1500 kW, the capability of the new 2 x 750 kW system. I also wonder if BCE will still keep Junglinster as complete aux site for 234 kHz, considering the reported hints that shortwave operations there have ceased for good. By the way, if you look at the PDF file and note the advertisement praising the "low footprint" of the new DHD 52/SX console: One can just put in on the table. When someone praised this circumstance it triggered a response if we have meanwhile reached the point where it is too much trouble even to just saw a hole into a tabletop when setting up a facility called a studio (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR. 5010, Radio Madagasikara, 0222-0240, July 31, carrier + LSB. Yes, carrier + LSB. Tune-in to local Afro-pop music. 30 second IS at 0228 followed by choral National Anthem. Opening announcements at 0231 in listed Malagasy. Local Afro-pop music at 0232 and talk. Lively vocals. At 0303 check heard religious talk and local religious choral music. Poor in noisy conditions (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 6135.29, RTV Malagasy, Antananarivo. Quite OK 1302 in presumed Malagasy, news bulletin, in the clear on 18/7 (Craig Seager, DX- Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** MALAWI. ? Malawi Broadcasting Corporation? 1404 kHz, Chitipa? 2011/07/31 Sunday 1845-1906, Afro music. Sounded like Chichewa, but too poor to be sure. No ID heard. Very poor; but it is after all a local medium wave station of just 10 kW in the far north of Malawi! Jo'burg sunset 1542 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA [and non]. 6050.0, July 30 at 1130, RTM apparently back here from spate on 6049.6, as no audible het, just a subaudible one on HCJB 6050.0 with automatic 3+1 timesignal and Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6049.62, Asyik FM (presumed), 1241-1313+ Aug 3. English/Malay pops to 1250, then man & woman chat to 1257; another block of songs followed from 1257-1313, then more chat; not sure of language Fair signal. Has been somewhat irregular in the past couple of weeks. (Wilkins-CO) 6050.03, Asyik FM(presumed), Jul 25 and other days around 1200 UT noted fair/poor when Asyik FM 6049.63 was off with mix of music and talk. "Sounded" Malaysian but no definite clues. Ron Howard says this was Asyik FM using a different transmitter for a short time. Considerably weaker than 6049.63, which now seems to be back on a regular basis (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100- foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Yes, on Aug 3 before 1200 I was hearing the het on HCJB, and maybe a second one too near 6050. 6049.6, Aug 4 at 1140, music and talk stronger than het from HCJB 6050.0, presumed Asyik FM on its off- frequency today. Usually HCJB dominates (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also SARAWAK ** MALI. What I assume to be Mali was audible on 9635.00 (as exact as I could make it) on [July] the 26th at around 0630 UT+ with fair signal playing indigenous music, and speech at low level which might have been in accented French - difficult to tell in the local noise level. But, it hasn't been heard at this time since then. I note that the WRTH 2011 says it should be on air from 0555 UT (I haven't checked to see if this time has since been changed). I don't normally hear it until after 0800, so it might have been a tuning error. (Noel R. Green (NW England), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA [and non]. 7245, July 29 at 0550 I start monitoring whether I can catch IGIM coming on the air. At 0554, carrier cuts on and off about three times, no modulation. Back on for good and stays on from 0556.5 in Arabic, unseems chanting yet. 7245, August 2 at 0523, IGIM is on a semi-hour earlier than usual, and already chanting. Presumably schedule change for Ramadan; in fact R. Mauritanie used to run all-night for Ramadan, so are they redoing that and sticking to 7245 rather than 4845? 7245, Aug 3/Ram 3 at 0447 UT, weak carrier squeezed between 7240 DW English via Rwanda, and 7250 Vatican French; could IGIM be on this early? After Rwanda closed, at 0504 Mauritania definitely on 7245 with usual chanting, early for Ramadan. Still need to look for it in the deep-night 01-04 UT period; however Aoki shows the competition: 7245 0210-0400 RUS Novosibirsk R. Sakha Yak Yakutsk 23456 = M-F 7245 0200-0600 TJK VOICE OF TAJIK Tajik, Persian Dushanbe-Orza daily. Powers? HFCC shows only 5 kW for Sakha, 100 for Dush, both non- direxional (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX WORLD OF RADIO 1576, LISTENING DIGEST) 7245, Radio Mauritanie, 0529 Aug 3. Already on because of Ramadan, man with Islamic chant, sounded like a vernacular language. Very good (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car, parked by the lake, using Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7245, checking earlier in the night whether IGIM is expanded to 24h for Ramadan: Aug 4 at 0251 there is a poor signal, man talking continuously in Arabish, but can`t be sure it`s not Tajikistan as also scheduled, which would be in Tajik at 02-04, then Farsi at 04-06. Next check at 0416, sounds the same but weaker. Propagationally, Mauritania would have the advantage if on. By 0519, Nouakchott is certainly active with its characteristic monotonous chanting --- no, at least bitonous if not tritonous (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Some Es analog TVDX UT July 29: 0240 on 2, with antenna south, fades in Toyota ad in English, so is it XHRIO or Canada? Rotate to N and don`t get it but may have faded during those few sex. Back to south and now I hear something else in Spanish. 0359 on 2, signals come back with much more strength, CCI 0359 on 5, novela from net-5 0403 on 5, 10 kHz CCI with above; 0404 Bancómer ad; these peak SSW 0407 on 2, net-13 news mentions Juárez, but probably not XEPM 0410 on 4, different national news than on 2, CCI 0419 on 2, ``aquí en Chihuahua``, meaning state or city? XEPM or XHCH 0430 on 2, still some CCI 0432 on 2, net-13 bug; opening gone by 0445 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MICRONESIA. 4755.44, PMA-The Cross Radio, random checking from 1320 to 1413, July 31. They did not turn off the SW transmitter as they usually do. Fair reception with Christian songs; 1330 “Hi. My name is Norse(?). I listen to the Cross Radio”. Email response from station manager: “Hello Ron! You are absolutely correct! We forgot to turn the SW off on Sunday night hence your reception of us. Thanks once again for the good report. Sylvia Kalau.” August 1 the transmitter was turned off as usual much earlier; not on the air at my first check at 1155 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe should not remind ** MONGOLIA. 12015, V of Mongolia. English 1530-1555 14/7 but severe R. Rossii co-channel making reception even poor in Japan on the online Perseus receiver. I have requested them to use 12085 instead, but yet to hear from them. 32222 (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) 12085, V of Mongolia. 1030-1055 22/7 English fussy modulation making a fair to good strength signal difficult to understand, 33333 (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) QSL: Voice of Mongolia, 12085 kHz, 0930, 09/01/11, 44 dias. Encaminhado para o email mr @ mongol.net Recebido Cartão QSL, fotografia em P&B de corrida de cavalos típica do país, V/S Densmaa Z., "mail Editor", bonito envelope com belos selos. 73's (Arthur Antonio Raimundo, Goiânia GO Brasil, 16º40'50.91"S, 49º16'15.29"W, GH53IH76, July 30, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** MOROCCO. 15345+, now that it`s Ramadan, August 1, will IMM via Nador stay on an hour later with DST also concluded? I am listening at 2055 to undermodulated Arabic music, het on lo side from Argentina, 2059 Qur`an briefly, 2100 sounder and Arabic talk presumed news, still on air at 2107. Unfortunately, I was out of earshot of the alarm I set for 2157 and missed rechecking it then; but there will be another day. If now staying on until 2200, again impedes RAE`s M-F German service to Europe, as the two stations doggedly stick to (almost) the same frequency to the detriment of both, and their would-be listeners, despite plenty of alternatives nearby. This is the usual pattern, altho some Islamic-dominated stations extend their schedules far into the night for Ramadan, regardless of any local clock changes. BTW, is fasting and gorging every day good for the body? Ask any physician or nutritionist. 15345+, August 2 at 2132, IMM is still on, Arabic atop usual het from weaker Argentina on lo side, so post-DST schedule has indeed shifted one UT hour later as expected. 2156 Arabic music vs het; now both are stronger. 2200 no timesignal, YL in Arabic, sounder, presumed news starts until modulation stops after 2202 and carrier cut at 2202:39* uncovering ARGENTINA, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOZAMBIQUE. 1008, Rádio Moçambique Emissora Interprovincial Maputo e Gaza, Maputo. 2011/07/23 Saturday 1909-1911. Afro music, almost inaudible. Very poor. 1206, Rádio Moçambique Emissora Nacional, Inhambane. 2011/07/23 Saturday 1849-1852. Portuguese, but unreadable. Severe QRM from Radio Botswana on 1215. 810, Rádio Moçambique Emissora Provincial Gaza, Xai-Xai. 2011/07/23 Saturday 1912-1917. Portuguese, OM's talking. Afro music at 1917. Fair. 1026, Rádio Moçambique Emissora Provincial Manica, Chimoio. 2011/07/23 Saturday 1905-1907. Portuguese, with afro music. Very poor. 1179, Rádio Moçambique Emissora Provincial Zambézia, Quelimane. 2011/07/23 Saturday 1854-1901. Portuguese, OM's talking. No ID heard. Poor. Faded out completely at TOH. Jo'burg sunset 1538 (Bill Bingham, South Africa, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Rádio Moçambique, Delegação de Beira. 873, Sofala (Beira). 2011/08/01 Monday 1911-1923, Portuguese, YL talking. Much stronger signal than usual, but very rapid pulse-type fading and an intermittent het from unknown source. Eliminated the pulsing by switching AGC on Drake to "slow", reduced the het with notch filter but its frequency was varying so it could not be eliminated; it was switching on and off like a piece of faulty equipment. Rádio Moçambique, Emissora Provincial de Cabo Delgado. 1224, Pemba. 2011/08/01 Monday 1937-1942, Portuguese talk and music. Fair - poor; great opening into Mozambique tonight. Never logged this one before! Rádio Moçambique, Emissora Provincial Tete. 963 Tete. 2011/08/01 Monday 1925-1927, Portuguese, OM's talking. Much stronger than usual, but bothered by the same interference as 873 KHz (Beira). Rádio Moçambique Emissora Provincial Zambézia. 1179 Quelimane. 2011/08/01 Monday 1929-1933, Portuguese songs. Much stronger than usual, and interference-free unlike 873 (Beira) and 963 (Tete). Quite good. Jo'burg sunset 1542 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. Strong signal on 5986 kHz, but no traces on 7186 or 7201 kHz were at 2320 UT on July 24 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, July 30, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) 7185.75, Myanmar Radio. Minority service 0030-0330, 1130-1220 (some days 1330). MW 729 is in //. 28/7. 9730.85, Myanmar R., 0230 s/on into English, good reception goes on till about 1030, including English 0700 (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 648 from ORF[ordness] --- Hi All, UK and continental dxers may be interested to keep an ear open on this freq for a resumption of txms on 648 kHz / 500 kW in the next few days. I understand a new service has been brokered. 73 (Dave G4OYX Porter, Woofferton, Aug 1, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Dave, yes I just read about it on the Media Network blog http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/dutch-radio-1-to-move-temporarily-to-648-khz (Chris, G3XVL, McCarthy, ibid.) Viz.: Dutch Radio 1 to move temporarily to 648 kHz. 6 comments All the necessary approval has now been received from the UK, and we can officially announce that Dutch public news/information network Radio 1 will shortly begin broadcasting on 648 kHz via the former BBC World Service transmitter at Orfordness. This will enable Radio 5 to return to its regular frequency of 747 kHz where it has been supplanted by Radio 1 following the fires at two Dutch FM transmitter sites on 15 July. Arrangements for the temporary broadcast via the UK are being handled by my colleagues in the RNW Programme Distribution Department. The exact time when broadcasts will start on 648 kHz is not yet known, as the transmitter has to be tested, but we expect it to be on the air in the course of tomorrow (2 August). The mediumwave transmission of Radio 1 will remain on the air 24/7 until all areas of the Netherlands can receive strong signals on FM. There are still some areas where FM reception is poor, and this is expected to last for a number of weeks (August 1st, 2011 - 13:17 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) 12 Comments on “Dutch Radio 1 to move temporarily to 648 kHz” #1 ruud on Aug 1st, 2011 at 15:32 Typical Dutch question. Who is going to pay for this? The tax payer. Novec (mast owner of Lopik) preventing Broadcast Partners to use the facility as before, coming up with unrealistic demands for BP. Some insurance company. 648 must cost over 100,000 Euro/month. Maybe some TV-spots -how to move my receiver to AM- would be handsome as well. #2 Andy Foad on Aug 1st, 2011 at 18:25 I had the same thoughts ;-) http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/political-fury-at-dutch-broadcasting-chaos#comments #3 Theo Bakker on Aug 1st, 2011 at 19:28 What is so difficult removing your receiver to AM? A MW frequency has a lot of advantages to FM. With one transmitter you can reach a whole country. I love AM. #4 Kees on Aug 1st, 2011 at 19:39 Deze informatie kan ook wel in gewoon Nederlands. De wereldomroep is toch ook Nederlands of spelen ze graag BBC’tje. #5 David on Aug 1st, 2011 at 19:49 Will they be using the same power that the BBC used? #6 William on Aug 1st, 2011 at 21:04 http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/dutch-radio-1-to-move-temporarily-to-648-khz#comment-2403350 Ze willen zich waarschijnlijk graag interessant over doen laten komen, aangezien dit geen nieuws is waar je in het buitenland wat aan hebt aangezien dit specifiek bedoeld is voor de problemen in Nederland. #7 Nigel Holmes on Aug 2nd, 2011 at 02:41 MF is reliable for wide-area coverage. In south-east Australia during the bushfire & flood seasons all residents in affected areas are advised to have a battery-powered portable mf radio in their emergency kit. In Victoria in February 2009 when 30 fires destroyed > 350,000 hectares & 170 people perished we lost numerous vhf/uhf (read: hill- top) broadcast sites. > 40 cell phone base-stations were lost across one fire region alone. Two 50 kW OD stations (3WV 594 kHz & 3LO 774 kHz) covered 3/4 of the state (the size of England). With their own emergency power plants and located away from fire-prone areas, on cleared sites, these mf services were crucial in providing continuity in the flow of information to hundreds of thousands of Victorians. Cell phone & internet infrastructure failed under the demand. A perfect example of the army priciple: KISS #8 ruud on Aug 2nd, 2011 at 13:49 The information is also interesting for non Dutch speakers. Since 648 has a much larger coverage then Holland. Even if you cannot understand what is being said. Information on Chinese radio in this forum is not just in Chinese. Indeed AM is important in creating emergency situations for its coverage. That is why I have the strongest of feeling that AM should not be switched off, even when digital radio become a success. #9 Andy Sennitt on Aug 2nd, 2011 at 13:59 Thank you, Ruud. I got a lot of Dutch visitors last night because the information about 648 was apparently still subject to an embargo, which I was unaware of, so it was not on the other public broadcasting sites, and Dutch-language sites linked to this one. Hence the confusion by people who still think the Wereldomroep should only be for Dutch people #10 haweeha on Aug 2nd, 2011 at 16:43 I guess that will be 250 kW in the directional aerial so that would be considerably more in effective output? #11 Andy Sennitt on Aug 2nd, 2011 at 16:50 As far as I know, it’s the same antenna that the BBC used, but at half the power because it doesn’t have to reach so far. But it’s still ten times the power that Big L used on 1395, with a much better antenna. #12 Kai Ludwig on Aug 2nd, 2011 at 23:11 If there was an embargo then NOS broke it already last Thursday: http://nos.nl/artikel/259963-fmsignaal-in-noorden-wordt-beter.html And 648 kHz is still not on air. I waited until 1 AM with this comment, to see if they perhaps switch it on at midnight sharp for costing reasons, but not so. What’s the problem? (MN blog comments via DXLD) 648 kHz --- I'm hearing a rather weak signal on 648 with talk in Dutch. Presume in Orfordness? This seems to be a lower power signal than I expected. Is this really the BBC WS transmitter? 73 (Steve Whitt, Near York, MWN editor, Aug 3, MWCircle yg via DXLD) Steve, It is Orfordness, I took a bearing to confirm. They are currently on a much lower power; in fact it`s 30 dB down on what they were on 2/10/2010. Radio Albatross (with Caroline relay) have now moved to 576 kHz (Chris McCarthy, Ipswich, Suffolk, ibid.) Dutch Radio 1 from Orfordness now +30 dB on yesterday, and same level as I recorded in October 2010. (-40 dBm) Chris, G3XVL, Ipswich, Suffolk, (Perseus SDR, inverted L antenna), 1012 UT Aug 4, ibid.) Hello from Hilversum, If you live within the coverage area of the former BBC World Service transmitter at Orfordness on 648 kHz, you may have noticed that it's back on the air, but in Dutch! That's because RNW's Programme Distribution Department has helped our colleagues at Netherlands Public Broadcasting (NPO) by arranging a temporary signal of the domestic news/information network Radio 1 that can cover the whole country. Terrestrial FM reception in some areas of the Netherlands is poor following the fires at two main transmitting stations on 15 July. Radio 1 has been using 747 kHz, but this has meant that Radio 5 has had no terrestrial coverage. By moving Radio 1 to 648 kHz, Radio 5 has been able to return to its normal frequency. We don't know how long this transmitter will be needed. Restoration of normal services from Lopik has been delayed until the cause of the fire there has been definitively established. Transmitters are on the air, but on very low power. In the north of the country, a temporary site at Assen is operating, but doesn't have the wide coverage of Hoogersmilde, whose mast collapsed. A new one will be built, but this will take some months. We will keep updating the situation in the Media Network Weblog (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter Aug 4 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9795, Aug 4 at 1156, RNW closing hour in Indonesian with satellite info, website, good signal here despite aiming 200 degrees from Tinang, PHILIPPINES (opposite = 20 degrees, close); 1157 to open carrier featuring crackles for a couple minutes, instead of English filler (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEWFOUNDLAND. CKGA 650 Gander, NL e-QSL --- Grazie a Richard King, Direttore dei programmi, posso annoverare un'altra conferma canadese, questa volta della stazione CKGA 650, da Gander, NL, affiliata al gruppo VOCM Steele Communications 391 Kenmount Road P.O. Box 8-590 St. John's, NL A1B 3P5 ed ascoltata durante la spedizione DX a Parkalompolo (S) lo scorso gennaio, http://www.furuogrund.se/pax/PAX/pax91.rtf (Alessandro Groppazzi, http://gropdx.blogspot.com/ via Dario Monferini, 28 July, playdx yg via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. Re: wrong frequency again, ``6170, July 24 at 1229, RNZI is on in program about the première of Verdi`s Aïda in Egypt in 1871y; nothing on 9655 where RNZI is supposed to be at this hour. 1231 on to interview with a film director and more cultural items. 6170 is supposed to resume at 1300, so I monitored closely before then: amid old movie music, 1257:30 cut to dead air for a minute; unaware of reality in the studio, automation at 1258:30 ran QSY announcement from ``this frequency`` to 6170! ``This is New Zealand``, bell bird IS, no carrier breaks, and 1300 news. Must be another case of misprogrammed automation. Some other monitors noted that 6170 did not change to 9655 at 1100 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Hi Glen[n], Re the report of July 27 - I checked out the transmitter schedules which run on a 7 day rotate and all OK there. We are at a loss to explain why that on that one occasion that week the switch to 9655 kHz failed to occur. Regards (Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI, Aug 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NICARAGUA. 1400 kHz, **R. María. Highlight of the trip!!! Sat on this a while and was rewarded with a nice ID at 0749 22/7. Shame I had not set the laptop correctly and all recordings were unusable. Signal was quite good at times and propagation was also good for Mexicans this evening (John Schache, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, NRD 525 Antennas: Dual Phased Flag Array, Phased active loop and random wire, MFJ 1026 phaser, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. 15120, Voice of Nigeria; 1803, 1-Aug; English news re Africa plus the U.S. debt "deal". (Got debts? Borrow more money!) ID at 1805 as VoN-Lagos, then thumb harp bumper into English feature, but audio dropped down. SIO=323- with hum QRM (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) QRhuM ** NORTH AMERICA. Glenn, I see I'm mentioned here: http://whisperinyourfear.blogspot.com/2011_04_17_archive.html Any thoughts on this? (Artie Bigley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Discussion of pirates and researching their origins, etc. (gh) ** OKLAHOMA. 87.9, approx., July 28 at 1810, a distorted signal here with gospel-rock music, seemingly mixed with another one, first heard on caradio and perhaps coming from some other car`s RF feeder? Except it`s constant as I drive away from other cars on the main drag, and also audible on portable around home QTH. Could not make it // to any local station. Manoeuvering whip antenna got best signal from N/S, horizontal. Never heard this before in frequent DX searches including 87.7, 87.9. Finally at 2201 UT made out ID as KYLV, 88.9 in Oklahoma City. That station is not normally audible due to ACI from 88.7 and 89.1 local translator. Apparently KYLV is putting out a spur or mixing product. I was lucky to get a local ID as it`s on the excessive ``K-love`` network. Might also come from some translator relaying KYLV (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) {Later: oops, KYLV is more or less audible on 88.9, at least on caradio with adequate selectivity. Of course, due to its format, I avoid listening to it like the plague. Spur mostly not heard since, or just traces} ** OKLAHOMA. Pirate at 102.3 (NW OKC) I think there may be a pirate on the air at 102.3 FM. I can get it in fairly well near I-44 and NW 23rd Street. It has been airing Alex Jones every time I've turned over to it. I have heard it in the past at 107.1, though it has been over a year since I've caught it on air. I can't find anything in the FCC database that makes it appear legitimate (Scooby214, July 27, radio- info.com Oklahoma board via DXLD) It's on the SE side of town off of Sooner Rd. (Ryan Beam, ibid.) That's pretty good coverage. Is it a legitimate station or translator? (Scooby214, ibid.) Try 6215 SE 89th. Been there, DF'ed that. Tinfoil hat not included. LOL! (OKCRadioGuy, ibid.) It's not a FCC licensed station, well, at least the BROADCAST station..... (ibid.) I'm surprised this hasn't hit the alt.conspiracy.black.helicopters Usenet group (milton77, ibid.) Must look for that next time in OKC. As for the similar far-right GCN pirate we tracked down in Enid on 99.9, it has not been heard for some months, presumably gone; or if moved to another frequency not yet run across (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. New developments in the OKC TV chopper pilot story: Channel 27 guy will be moving to Channel 39; and vice versa?? http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=26034&p=453055#post453055 (via Glenn Hauser, Enid, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [non]. METV test pattern on 67.3 replaced with actual programming. 67.1 now has METV instead of THIS-TV. Despite WNGS-DT ID, I see on the sidebars of 67.1 "Buffalo's Buzz www.WBBZ.TV". Looks like a possible call change. http://wbbz.tv/ WBBZ Station ID : http://dxinfocentre.com/pix/7-1-Springville.JPG wrh (Bill Hepburn, Grimsby Ont, Aug 1, WTFDA via DXLD) Ahem, WBBZ call is already taken by the erstwhile 1230 AM station in Ponca City. Yes, I know, it`s possible, if parties agree, to assign same call to TV somewhere else, another bad idea of the FCC. Or is it an imaginary `call`? FCC TV Query has no WBBZ-TV, but still has WBBZ (AM 1230) in Ponca (Glenn Hauser, OK, August 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Buffalo station is WBBZ-TV. It takes a day or two for these changes to populate to the TV Query, but it's already listed as such in the FCC callsign reservation system. Presumably there was an arrangement with the Ponca City station, which remains WBBZ. s (Scott Fybush, Rochester, ibid.) The calls WBBZ-TV were reserved today by ITV of Buffalo (Doug Smith, TN, Aug 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio and TV stations in different markets can have the same call - as in WPXN-FM Paxton, Illinois and WPXN-TV NYC (Curtis Sadowski, Paxton, ibid.) ** OMAN. 15355, R. Oman. At 0340 ID “Radio Sultanate of Oman Morning Show” and many disco songs, jingle “Radio Oman ……FM” on 28/7 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF-2001, 16m Marconi antenna), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD). ** PAKISTAN. 3975/11590/15265, With IDs "Radio Pakistan" at 1700 and at 1710 UT was heard the news bulletin in English from 1700 to 1710 UT featuring headlines at 1701 and at 1709 UT on 3975 kHz on July 24th. On July 26th also heard with news in English 1700-1710 UT but already on 3975 and 11590 kHz. No on 9350 kHz {latter now on 15265 instead - since June, wb} (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, July 30, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3290, Radio Gadona 95.5 FM relay via NBC Central, 1240, August 1. Almost fair reception; island songs; OM DJ in Tok Pisin; many IDs; even a “Radio Central” ID (rare – normally is “N-B-C Central”); singing “Radio Gadona 95.5 FM”; 1302 PNG birdcall and “News Roundup” in English; news and weather forecast // 3275 and 3365; 1311 several pop songs in English (Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time”, etc.) and more island pop songs till 1337 tune out. 3385, NBC East New Britain, 1224*, August 1 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3205, NBC Sandaun (West Sepik) - Certainly seems they are really gone; continues to be off the air through August 1. 3205, NBC Sandaun (West Sepik) had been off the air for about one month, so was very pleased on August 2 to hear them again. At 1147 OM DJ in Tok Pisin playing pop island songs; 1202 filler music till 1204 PNG birdcall and start of the NBC National News in English (new prime minister for PNG, etc.); news // 3385-NBC East New Britain; 1209 back to pop island songs; missed their early sign off, but was between 1213 and 1219; poor, but fading up (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3204.97, R. Sandaun (presumed), 1157-1210* Aug 3. Vocal music; NBC news relay at 1202, // 3385; into music at 1207. Tuned out at 1207; when I checked back at 1215 they had left the air. Reactivated after several weeks of silence in this time period - last logged here on June 25 (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) Sampling of August 3 monitoring from 1200 to 1345. Currently all NBC stations are having a lot of news coverage regarding the removal of the acting prime minister and replacing him with a new one. Seems to have contributed to some instability in the government, so look for more extensive coverage via NBC. 3205, NBC Sandaun (West Sepik), 1200 filler music till PNG birdcall; NBC National News in English; news // 3365-NBC Milne Bay and 3385-NBC East New Britain; after news not // and playing pop island music till suddenly off at 1212*. Nice to have them back again for a second consecutive day, even if they are now going off earlier than when last heard in late June. [WORLD OF RADIO 1576] 3275, NBC Southern Highlands (presumed), 1251-1255 with YL interviewing OM about the new prime minister and elections; in Tok Pisin; 1319 program of C&W songs (Johnny Lee “Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places”, etc.); DJ probably in English; tuned out 1345 at which time had faded down to very poor. 3290, NBC Central, 1256 pop island songs; 1301 PNG birdcall; NBC “News Roundup” in English (rubella outbreak and gives symptoms to watch for, etc.); news // 3275 and 3365; into commentary about the new prime minister in Tok Pisin; 1312 “N-B-C Central” ID; 1326 montage of songs for the “N-B-C Central” promo; today believe they did not relay Radio Gadona 95.5 FM, as I caught none of their usually frequent IDs, but had only NBC Central IDs. 3365, NBC Milne Bay (presumed), 1315 island pop songs; 1317 speech given via loudspeaker (political?); 1328 OM DJ in English with dedications for pop island songs. The audio here is never very distinct, so have never been able to catch a definite clear ID. 3385, NBC East New Britain, 1213, "provincial" news in Tok Pisin; 1216 ID “N-B-C East New Britain”; into non-stop island songs (not pop, but sounded religious with slow tempo); the normal sudden 1224* (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3385, NBC East New Britain, 1150-1224* Aug 3. Talk to 1159, then a couple of ads, one to the tune of "When the Saints Come Marching In"; filler music to 1202, then NBC news relay (English) // 3204.97; back to local programming at 1207 (no longer // 3204.97), with "NBC East New Britain, bringing you local and international news...;" followed by YL with same; seemed to be a mix of English and Tok Pisin; island choral music (anthem?) 1217-1224, then off. Fair/good, with a nice peak around 1200; best signal on 90 m.b. (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Re 11-31: Couple of days ago (after several months) I exchanged again few words with James. He said R Fly has received 44 reports. QSL's were in the envelopes and will be mailed this week. 73, (Jari Savolainen, Finland, August 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. RADIO NACIONAL SERA LA DE MAYOR POTENCIA EN LA REPUBLICA, DICE LA SICOM 1 FotoAmpliar Imagen === Fachada del local de Radio Nacional del Paraguay. Fuente: ABC Color - Jorge Rolón Radio Nacional del Paraguay contará con un nuevo transmisor de Amplitud Modulada y esto la convertirá en el medio con más potencia en el país, afirma un comunicado de la Secretaría de Información y Comunicación para el Desarrollo (Sicom). El transmisor ya se encuentra en Paraguay y el ministro de la Sicom, Augusto Dos Santos, anunció que la acción se ejecuta en el marco de la política de fundación de nuevos medios públicos, mejora y renovación de los ya existentes. “Con el mencionado transmisor, la antigua Radio Nacional del Paraguay pasará de emitir a menos de 20 kW, como lo hace hoy a una potencia de 100 kW, convirtiéndose en la radio con mayor fuerza de transmisión en la República”, señala el comunicado dado a conocer este lunes. Dos Santos señaló que estas políticas de fortalecimiento de los medios públicos forma parte del proyecto del Gobierno de Fernando Lugo, que plantea que los medios del Estado deben ser "emprendimientos de construcción ciudadana". Durante la gestión en Sicom del Augusto Dos Santos se fundó la Agencia Informativa Nacional IP Paraguay, se renovaron los equipos transmisores de Radio Carlos Antonio López de Pilar, y se renovaron los transmisores de FM y ahora AM en Radio Nacional del Paraguay. Asimismo, se funda el primer canal público en el Paraguay y surgen otras formas de comunicación, como el Semanario Red Pública. Dos Santos anunció que, tras la habilitación del nuevo transmisor de Radio Nacional del Paraguay, el próximo paso será la fundación de dos nuevas radios públicas en el norte y en el sur del Paraguay, que se sumarán en el interior del país a la cobertura que las radios públicas del interior están brindando, como es el caso de la Radio Carlos Antonio López (ZP 12), que cuenta con una amplia programación en la zona de Ñeembucú desde sus estudios en la ciudad fronteriza de Pilar, llegando incluso a los departamentos de Misiones y Paraguarí, concluye diciendo la nota. FUENTE: http://bit.ly/oYzVLq (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) WTFK? ZP1 on 920 kHz. WRTH 2011 says 100/10 kW, strange hours of 08- 24, i.e. not on into the night (gh, DXLD) Muy interesante información. Considerando que 920 kHz constituye un Canal libre Internacional, estimo que con esa QRP [sic] la emisora podrá recepcionarse habitualmente y con buena señal aún en Buenos Aires (Arnaldo Slaen, condiglist yg via DXLD) De la onda corta no habla ni jota (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, Argentina, ibid.) was 9737v ** PERU. 970, R. Líder, Cajamarca, 3/07 1005/1100 22222, hoy se realizarán las elecciones complementarias en los distritos de Chota, Cutervo, Bellavista.. mxf [música folclórica] en español. ID "Radio Líder para el campo y la ciudad", mx, ID "Radio Líder informará sobre las elecciones complementarias." Nota: Por momentos ambas estaciones se montaban y/o se escuchaban en forma individual; después dejé de escuchar a la colombiana. 3330, PERU, R. Ondas del Huallaga, Huánuco, 6/07 2255/2330, 33333, mxf, huayno en español, ID "Radio Ondas del Huallaga", mxf, ads y avisos, ID "Está en sintonía de Radio Ondas del Huallaga para toda la república.." Ads, ``amigo ganadero registre el traslado de su ganado en SENASA y evítese problema… Amigo ganadero visite a Veterinaria Quispe en esta ciudad de Huánuco.`` 4850, PERU, R. Génesis, Ayacucho, Huanta, 29/07 1155/1200, 44444, mx religiosa, ID mv [voz masculina] "Hasta aquí Radio Génesis en su primera parte" s/off. NOTA: no indican horario de s/on de la segunda parte. TAMBIEN: 29/07 2200/2345, 44444, no hay señal, recién a las 2245 sin previa anuncio salen al aire con mx religiosa a ritmo de huayno en español… ads en quechua, Iglesia evangélica quechua del Perú, ID fv [voz femenina] "Radio Génesis de Huanta"; continúan con la música religiosa y las 2345 se perdió la señal. 4955, PERU, R. Cultural Amauta, Huanta, Ayacucho, 1/07 2235/2310 UT, 55555, programa religioso en quechua, ID "Radio Cultural Amauta sirviendo a Dios y la Patria en los 99.9 desde la ciudad de Huanta, Ayacucho.`` 5039, PERU, R. Libertad, Junín, 2/07 0203/0302, 44444, programa Noticiero Libertad… ``La liga deportiva de Junín, le invita a los partidos a realizarse en el estadio municipal de Junín. El simulacro de sismo realizado por INDECI realizado el día de ayer….`` ID "En su Radio Libertad..", restaurante el Tambo. La recepción lo he efectuado del 1/07 al 29/07 con mi Sony ICF-SW7600G en compañía del Mizuho KX-3. Muchos 128´s PFA (Pedro F. Arrunátegui, Lima, Peru, UT Aug 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 3360, Radio JPJ --- This new station has been off the air for a few weeks due to transmitter repair works. According to info in my QSL they should be back again on July 25. But it seems the repair took longer time than expected so nothing heard on the frequency until this morning, July 31, when I noticed them at 0126 UT. 73 (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. Onda curta RDP --- Media Media :: Noticias Rádio: Trabalhadores da RTP querem reposição imediata de emissões em onda curta A comissão de trabalhadores da RTP pediu à administração da empresa para repor de imediato as emissões em onda curta, argumentando que a decisão impede o acesso à informação e à língua portuguesa de milhares de portugueses. O pedido foi anunciado esta quarta-feira na sequência de uma reunião com o conselho de administração realizado na terça- feira, na qual o presidente da estação confirmou aos trabalhadores ter recebido autorização para suspender a onda curta pelo anterior ministro dos Assuntos Parlamentares, Jorge Lacão. Considerando tratar-se de uma “atitude inconstitucional, ilegítima, extemporânea e irresponsável”, a comissão de trabalhadores defende, em comunicado, que a onda curta é uma “opção estratégica da difusão da língua portuguesa”. A RTP anunciou em Maio ter decidido suspender provisoriamente, a partir de 1 de Junho, as emissões da RDP Internacional em onda curta, alegando o reduzido do número de ouvintes e a necessidade de diminuir custos. Justificações que não convencem a comissão de trabalhadores que lembra que a RTP investiu “quase 6 milhões de euros na onda curta entre 2003 e 2006” e defende ser possível reduzir a despesa “sem pôr em causa o cumprimento do serviço público de rádio e televisão”. “Nalguns casos, como ocorre com quem trabalha no mar, quem está em regiões mais inacessíveis ou anda na estrada, essa decisão terá um impacto evidente e criará maior isolamento”, alerta a comissão, referindo que “a administração da RTP sabe que pode reduzir na despesa sem pôr em causa o cumprimento do serviço público”. Para a entidade representativa dos trabalhadores da estação, a redução de despesas pode passar “por exemplo, por retirar as 66 viaturas (com combustível e manutenção) atribuídas aos cargos superiores da empresa que custam mais de 600 mil euros por ano” ou na “aplicação de tectos salariais nas novas contratações” e “renegociação imediata de salários avultados”.O pedido de reposição das emissões em onda curta foi enviado hoje ao Governo e aos grupos parlamentares. (Lusa) Best regards (Manuel Jesus, visite: http://www.sitesmaisuteis.pt July 28, condiglist yg via DXLD) RDPi pode retomar emissões em Onda Curta As emissões da RDPi em Ondas Curtas (a partir do CEOC) foram suspensas a 01 de Junho, cinco dias antes das eleições legislativas que ditaram uma mudança de Governo. Segundo a agência Lusa, anteontem, "A Comissão para a Ética, Cidadania e Comunicação aprovou (...) a audição do ministro dos Assuntos Parlamentares, Miguel Relvas, sobre a suspensão das emissões da RDP Internacional na onda curta, decidida pelo Governo anterior. O presidente da comissão, Mendes Bota (PSD), disse à Lusa que a audição do ministro, requerida pelo PCP, foi "aprovada condicionalmente". Mendes Botas explicou que na reunião de hoje foi decido que a comissão vai "tentar antecipar a audição regimental do ministro dos Assuntos Parlamentares, que está prevista para o final de setembro, para o final de agosto....". Sugiro a todos os ouvintes da RDPi que escrevam cartas de protesto para: Administração da RTP, Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa, nº 37 1849-030 Lisboa Portugal e para Ex.mo. Sr. Presidente da comissão parlamentar de ética, cidadania e comunicação, Dr. Mendes Bota, Palácio de S. Bento 1249-068 LISBOA Portugal Ainda há uma boa possibilidade de a RDPi retomar as emissões em ondas curtas! (Bruno Smarado, Portugal, 28 July, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. 11733.26, R. Romania Int., Tiganeshti. English pop song 1747, “Listeners Letterbox”, strong & nominally 11735, 21/7. 11953.2, R. Romania International. Another off-frequency channel from the faulty Tiganeshti transmitter, Spanish here 2320, good on 19/7. 17597.38, RRI, Tiganeshti. Chinese 1306, fair, off-frequency, nominally 17600, 18/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) Since fixed (gh) 7238.907, RRI Bucharest via odd outlet from Tiganeshti, German at dream peak signal S=9+45dB, news 1800 til 1812 UT, then pop music (Wolfgang Büschel, July 25, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) 15138v, More on their transmitter on 23 July at 1348 UT the program called "Club DX" in Russian was on approx. 15138, instead of usual 15140 kHz (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, July 30, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) As in 11-30, off-frequencies fixed in meantime (gh) 15310, July 30 at 1706, hard rock with screaming, typically eclectic music of RRI, as soon IDed in passing at 1708, in Romanian, 300 kW, 285 degrees via Galbeni for France at 17-20. 17510, sufficient Aug 4 at 1144, RRI with `Living Romania` program, nevertheless starting with item about Denmark border controls, // weaker 17670, azimuths 307 and 165 resp. I was expecting to rehear the great folk music show `Skylark` which was on the previous Thursday at 1145-1152; shux. Not squeezed in later, as 1154 Enescu competition promo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also ITALY [non] ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia in July moved to a new format for broadcast - at a single frequency broadcast two audio programs and each program has passed multimedia applications News Service Journaline - a text version of the newscast, he is always duplicated in the text messages of each service, the texts are translated into all languages of broadcast that are able to adopt. 17 July 9715 kHz frequency broadcast package for Asia, the name of the DRM RUVR 2A for the first channel and, accordingly, DRM RUVR 2B for the second. From the Asian package was adopted exotic for our broadcast services in Hindi and Urdu, and Hindi had to install extra languages for the operating system. For Windows XP - in the language settings Supplemental language support / mention Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages. This week, the 9715 kHz configured to send the first packet in which the only European languages - failed to adopt a Russian, English, German, French, Serbian. Those who listen to digital radio using the Dream recommend upgrade to the latest version to correctly decode and display a green SDC CRC. In western Latvia, the best reception for the Voice of Russia is now 9715 kHz, but after 9 pm local time reception deteriorates, and at this frequency. For I am almost Bolshakovo in the dead zone, very bad, no audio ignala [sic] see only the frequency 6065 kHz and 6155. At 15545 kHz is Taldom worse than 9715, it is very unstable method and the second part broadcast from 10 to 12 hours on Saturday July 23 is not seen and not heard at all. I did not notice that the quality of the audio signal in different channels 1 and 2, despite the difference in bit rate - 13.12 and 12.40 kbps, respectively. In the audio frequency spectrum is not 12 kHz, fully cut for other purposes, and the maximum rate audio signal for both channels reaches 14.5 kHz. On hearing the worst thing in question, sometimes bearable, sometimes really bad, do not save the new, fancy coding techniques, with the music easier to guess what would the quality of sound professionals, who feel the difference from the tube transistor amplifiers. Recently dalos listen to alternative - DAB, where classical music to send the rich countries of Western Europe can afford to spend 192 kbps, the difference that produces Voice of Russia now, it is impossible not to notice. Why do the Russian authorities to impose a budget quality Russian radio? For what ever Somalia, Kenya and Eritrea, of course, it will come bundled with portable receivers without batteries and a handle at the side for charging the battery, but in my opinion, for a country that still runs the spacecraft, is an irreducible acceptability. On the other hand, can not but rejoice that changes the radio station did occur, by and large, such large-scale - for the first 8 years of my observation that running multimedia applications on the text language broadcasting, tested various options for the transfer. At a general negative background dying shortwave radio in Europe and digital broadcasting, in particular, these experiments of Russian engineers on high-priced western equipment in total absence of the target audience and normal radios on sale for large, only a handful of enthusiasts for pitiful in Europe, look impressive (Vladimir Kazgunov, Latvia, open_dx via RusDX 31 July via DXLD) We lament publishing anything in such poor English, but it seems no one has the time to do a proper human translation, so better than nothing (gh, DXLD) DRM on 3990: see GERMANY ** RUSSIA. Re 11-30: MR. ANATOLY TITOV PASSED AWAY. He was real "Mr. Radio Moscow Frequency Manager" even on long extended time in USSR era, at least since the seventies (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX Aug 1 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [and non]. Voice of Russia - frequency changes in July and August --- On August 1, Voice of Russia canceled following broadcasts: Freq Tx site Language UTC Target area 1026 Novosibirsk Russian 16-19 Central Asia 1026 Novosibirsk Russian 23-02 Central Asia 1080 Irkutsk Chinese 11-12 China 1089 Krasnodar Russian 15-19 Caucasus 1143 Kaliningrad Russian 12-15 Baltic countries 1215 Kaliningrad German 16-19 Europe 1494 St. Petersburg Russian 15-19 Baltic countries 9800 Krasnodar English 22-02 North and Central America 12015 Samara Russian 13-14 Central Asia 12040 Moscow English 15-17 Europe 12050 St. Petersburg French 18-20 Europe, Africa 15465 Moscow French 17-20 Europe, Africa On July 1, the station stopped following transmissions: 7440 Lviv (Ukraine) English 02-03 North America 11655 Lviv (Ukraine) German 09-10 Europe Source: Vadim Alekseyev, Club DX # 1057, VOR Russian Service (via Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, Aug 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7440 Ukraine relay gone for over a month, and nobody noticed? I myself am seldom monitoring at that hour, but it would be nice if some others were attentive to disappearances and sent non-logs. I guess that correlate with closure of all Ukrainian SW services of RUI (gh, DXLD) VoR in French still on 15465 and 12050 on Aug. 3 1945 UT (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe Englishes too? ** RWANDA [and non]. 6055, CRI and Rwanda. Both in French at 1825, Rwanda at 1831 with jingle and news in English till 1846 on 25/7 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF-2001, 16m Marconi antenna), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD). ** SAIPAN. ODD VoA Saipan. Last night when I looked out for unusual Ramadan outlets, I came across Special English via VoA Saipan, which was a little odd frequency like 15205.031 kHz at 0046 UT Aug 1st. Much fluttery signal on odd frequency (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SARAWAK. 5030, RTM Kuching, Malaysia, not heard 1300, Jul 13, has gone off the air. Very sad, hope it comes back; usually heard till 1600* (Victor Goonetilleke / UADX http://www.dxasia.info Kolamunne, Piliyandala, Sri Lanka, DSWCI DX Window July 27 via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) 5030, Malaysia. 13/7, Sarawak has gone off the air. Very sad, hope it comes back; usually fair from around 1200-1600* so they go off one by one! (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 17660.031, Odd frequency broadcast from BSKSA Riyadh in French, about Grand Mosque, S=7 signal, light BUZZ tone at 1500 UT July 25 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) 17785, June 28 at 0751, BSKSA carrier, at 0754:32 mid-programme English, then French, SIO 544 (David Morris, Dorset, HF Logbook, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 17785, 0751 3 July, review of newspaper headlines, English, SIO 433 (Alan Roe, Middx, ibid.) Accidental English before scheduled French ** SLOVAKIA. R. Slovakia is asking Spanish listeners for letters in English to new boss, at the vincent. address urging resumption of SW: Colaboración con Radio Eslovaquia Estimados amigos: Radio Eslovaquia continúa necesitando de nuestra colaboración y nos solicita que mandemos cartas escritas en inglés y redactadas cortesmente al nuevo director Vincent Stofanik vincent.stofanik @ rozhlas.sk solicitando que Radio Slovaquia vuelva de nuevo a las emisiones en onda corta. Es muy importante señalar que las cartas han de ser redactadas en inglés, pues si no el director no lo entenderá y lo más problable es que no le llegue el mensaje. Con cualquier traductor en línea de web podemos facilmente hacer una traducción de las cartas que tengamos a bien redactar para intentar conseguir que nuesta querida Radio Slovaquia vuelva a estar presente en el dial de nuestro receptor. Tenemos que animarnos todos y escribir cartas, aunque lo tenemos difícil si una vez Radio Slovaquia volvió al eter, otra vez lo podemos conseguir. Buenas escuchas y 73 (Julio Martínez, 28 July, noticiasdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) Adjunto os remitimos el correo recibido de Laya: Hola Emilio, Hoy, durante la busqueda de cartas para el próximo domingo, encontré el nuevo boletín del Club 500... por primero me quito el sombrero delante vuestro trabajo y delante la cantidad de articulos interesantes! Complimenti! Qué lastima que no se lo puedo pasar a nuestros jefes para que lo lean y para que puedan enterarse un poco del tema de la OC. He pasado la carta a la Sra. Mikusova, el comentario suyo lo voy a contar en mi programa dominical - en la lectura de las cartas. A partir del 1.6.2011 pertenecemos bajo la unidad organizativa de Radio Slovensko, Radio Regina y RSI, dirigida por el director Vincent Stofanik. (Senora Mikusova sigue siendo la dramaturgo-jefe.) Como que el otoño es el tiempo de los presupuestos, quizás sería justo dirigirse directamente a él - posiblemente en idioma inglés. Por el momento me despido agradeciéndote de corazón toda la atención dedicada a RSI. Cordiales saludos Mgr. Ladislava Hudzovic(ová redaktor Španielska sekcia Radio Slovakia International Rozhlas a televízia Slovenska RSI Mýtna 1, P.O. Box 55 817 55 Bratislava 15 Slovenská republika (via Martínez, ibid.) ** SOMALILAND. SOMALIA, 7145, 1835 3 July, R. Hargeisa? In vernacular, talks for Somalia, Mogadishu, SIO 353 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, HF Logbook, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Or a hoparound frequency from Eritrea? Wish we could nail this for sure (gh, DXLD) ** SOMALIA [non]. UK, 11740, Radio Damal (V of Somali People) 11740 kHz bestaetigte meinen e-mail Empfangsbericht innerhalb von 4 Tagen mit einer netten undet. e-mail von Fatih Kwamboka, Station Manager. 11740 kHz 1830-1930 UT. 48,52NE,53NW Woofferton 250 kW 122 degr in Somali. Dazu gab's noch das folgende kurze Stationsportraet: RADIO DAMAL - OVERVIEW As the World knows, Somalia is a country which has seen a great deal of conflict over the last thirty plus years. Firstly, an internecine civil was and subsequently a polarized political and religious climate has seen one of Africa's oldest and greatest trading nations reduced to a fragmented and poverty ridden state. Even now, leadership of the nation remains fragmented with multiple local conflicts continuing to repress its people's aspirations for their futures. Radio Damal is a Somali vernacular radio station. Its core purpose is to reflect the independent voice of the nation, promoting values derived from the Somali people themselves. In particular, it seeks to foster the basic human rights of freedom, security, economic, social and community development and peace. It also promotes the concept of tolerance, a quality for which traditionally Somalis are renowned for. It aims to drive these values amongst Somali speaking people globally. Radio Damal does this through a broad content map which includes; music, arts & culture, political commentary, news and features programming such as that targeting women, working people and the youth. In music, it promotes musicians who share the values of the station. This includes the acquisition and promotion of the latest hits coupled with content which reflects the range of depth of Somali culture such as music classics and spoken word. In audience specific programming, it aims to deliver edutainment features which empowers its listeners and gives them the information they need to better their own lives. Much of this programming is driven by the audience themselves with regular contributions from listeners through SMS, live call ins and interview inserts as well as being guests on the station shows. It currently broadcasts from Nairobi, Kenya, six hours per day - three in the morning, three in the evening, all on short wave frequencies. Its coverage reaches across Europe, through the Middle East and right across Africa. The signal has, however, been picked up as far afield as Australia. Radio Damal is the media channel which drives Somali Peace and Unity. E-mail: < Radiodamal @ gmail.com > (via Patrick Robic, Austria, A-DX Aug 2 via BC-DX Aug 5 via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 1485, Radio Today, Marks Park, Johannesburg. 2011/07/24 Sunday 1834-1920. Whilst tuning through found just a carrier with only slight hum modulation. Normally a 24/7 station so presumably a breakdown, it was far too early for a mistake in switching over to relay the usual overnight BBC WS. Programme came back at 1911 with no apology but "Welcome to 'Heart and Soul' " (a BBC WS production routinely rebroadcast by 1485). This was suddenly cut off two minutes later at 1913, and into "Keep it Country", a locally produced country music programme. Jo'burg sunset 1538 (Bill Bingham, South Africa, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Umhlobo Wenene (SABC). 846, Komga. 2011/08/01 Monday 1901-1910, Zulu. ID in English at 1906 "SABC Education - enrich your life". Fair, much better than usual. Can hear what they are saying for a change. Jo'burg sunset 1542 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. BS sporadic appearances on 15610: ITALY [non] ** SPAIN. R. Praha (via Radio Exterior de España), 15325 – QSL card ``Pernstejn-South Moravia Gothic castle from the middle of the XIII century`` received in 18 days. Report sent to ruski @ radio.cz (Sergei Rogov, London N4, QSL Report, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ?? When was R. Praha ever relayed by Spain; and in Russian? A one-off? 15325 is the current frequency for REE Russian at 1700-1730 in AM, 1730-1800 in DRM (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SPAIN [and non]. 11880, Sunday July 31 at 1240, REE with `Amigos de la Onda Corta` via COSTA RICA, news about R. Taiwan International. I quickly check // 11910 via CHINA, and can barely hear it there. So the PRC axually transmitted a non-hostile mention of the enemy. REE is in bed with the ChiCom for relay exchanges, presumably protecting it from jamming; is that explicitly in the contract? One might ask the same about Canada and China. 17850, REE via COSTA RICA, Sunday July 31 at 2026 with very strong signal, but music goes into distortion. Still very good on // 15110 direct, ``Breakfast in Belfast``, Basque music on accordion in `Mundofonías` show. 11880, August 2 at 1430, REE quadrilingual news headlines via COSTA RICA // much weaker 11815 also via CR, starting in French. Exact timing of English segment: 1433:34 to 1436:53. Frank Smith the caster today of these items: Concerns about Spain`s debt; Italy`s fiscal crisis; US Senate about to vote on debt limit; police expel remaining `indignant ones` of the 15 de Mayo movement from a square in Spain; Syrian government offensive against Hama, 140 killed since Sunday; UN Security Council to resume discussions; Norwegian killer`s lawyer says client presents list of unrealistic demands. We need to treasure this brief bit of M-F English, since REE deleted two thirds of its English hours to North America a few years ago, and retains only one other hour of English to Europe/Africa, clearly inadequate for a major world language. However, since there are so many other sources for world news, these precious 3+ minutes should be devoted to news only about Spain we are not getting elsewhere! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Exterior de España --- One station that I don't listen to as often as perhaps I should is REE, Spain. On Tuesday 6 July 2011, I dropped in at 1935 on their English programme (aired 1900-2000 [9665, 11610 --- EiBi]) just as a feature item was starting about the Pamplona "Running of the Bulls" festival. It was largely a factual report of the opening ceremony by the Mayor lighting the fuse of the rocket signalling the start of the week long fiestas, with audio of the event and Spanish music. The actual Running of the Bulls starts on 7 July with another rocket, and description of how the Bulls and steers charge out of the corral where they have been kept overnight ... "down to the central bull-ring where they will be fought that afternoon by three matadors. Ahead of the bulls run hundreds of people [..] these days not just young men but also young women. [...] running the bulls is not without its risks, apart from the bruises, scrapes, sprains and broken bones [...] there is the risk of being gored by the bulls [...] 15 dead in the annual festivities since 1922." The programme then talked about Ernest Hemingway and his visit to the town in 1923 which inspired his novel "The Sun Also Rises". Thousands of people today still follow the Hemingway Trail of bars, cafes and restaurants where he enjoyed the Navarra region's distinctive cuisine. I realise that bull-fighting is a tradition in Spain, but I have to say that it's not something that I can ever fully understand or really accept. If people want to run with the bulls and risk injury or worse - well then that's their choice, but there is no choice for the bulls. The bullfights, as part of the Pamplona fiestas, was mentioned very briefly, but I thought rather glossed over concentrating instead on the tourism aspects of the fiestas. Anyway, an interesting item (LISTENING POST by Alan Roe, Middlesex, August World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 7189.75, SLBC, Ekala. Fair only, local music, occasional announcements. 1213, listed as Tamil, // 11905, 20/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) 11750, SLBC. To Middle east 1630-1830 12/7 via DW Trinco. with Sinhala, till 1700 CRI co-channel. Then OK till 1830* but some days 1805*. In November according to the agreement with SLBC, DW will have to hand over the station to SLBC if they close down before 2020 when anyhow it would have gone to the Sri Lankan government. 11905, SLBC Ekala. "Namasthe India" 1530-1630 in English/Hindi, two announcers playing music to India. SIO 444, this is again via Trincomalee DW at 200 kW (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka (Perseus, Icom R71A, R8A, Low band loop, 10:1 balun, 80/40 dipoles and Cushcraft LP for higher bands), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) HFCC shows Ekala site instead, rather 11910 now replaced by 11905 kHz? 11750 1500-1900 zone 39, EKA 300kW 310deg 11910 1400 1630 zone 41, EKA 300 350 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, BC-DX Aug 5 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 11800, Sudan Radio Service via Rampisham. Very strong 0441 with ID, Arabic, over CNR 21/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) 11800, Aug 3 at 0455, good signal with vocal music, percussion and string instrument. HFCC coyly lists as ``non-specific`` Babcock at 04- 05, 250 kW, 125 degrees from Rampisham to CIRAF 47E and 48NW --- a roundabout way of referring to Sudan. Aoki is more explicit as Sudan Radio Service to Darfur in Arabic, daily except Fridays. This is a much better option for us now than mornings on 16m, but apparently disincludes any English (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. Vatican City. Afia Darfur/Hello Darfur. 5945, Santa Maria. 2011/08/03 Wednesday 0312-0329*, Arabic or Sudanese? mentions of Sudan. At 0323 mentioned Mauritania, 0324 Ramadan, 0326 Israel, 0327 Somalia; sounds like news and current affairs, with OM and YL. Brief music at 0328 then at 0329* mentioned "Khartoum". Immediately followed by VOA jingle and YL saying "Voice of America". Fair but fadey. Jo'burg sunrise 0447 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9815, EAST GERMANY, Afia Darfur (via Nauen) at 0321 in Arabic with a woman interviewing a man then an "Afia Darfur" ID at 0323 then brief music and a man conducting a telephone interview of a man then brief local vocals and a change to AWR programming at 0329 (Very Good Jul 28 MAC) – this is from the US-based BBG. AWR comes on so fast you can be fooled about who it is (Mark Coady, Chemung Lake, ON, Alinco DX-R8T Eton E-1 and loaded inverted vee dipole, Your Report, August ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 15550, R. Dabanga via Dhabayya. OK at 0449 but well under co/channel China. // 13620, 13730 much better, 20/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) Radio Dabanga and RNW on 11555 --- Hi all, 1630-1725 on 11555 MDC 250 kW / 000 deg on July 25 Radio Dabanga in Arabic and July 26, 27, 28 RNW in English. No transmissions on July 29 and maybe today July 30. 73! Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13730, July 31 at 0455, R. Dabanga best heard yet on this frequency, synchronized // 13620 via MADAGASCAR which has the usual tone jamming, but no jam audible on 13730. Scatterbrain Dabanga is over-produced with echo-chamber, cutting every few sex between talk and music clips. At 0457 the signal on 13730 abruptly drops to much weaker without any break. This contradicts the expanded schedule as of July 18 in DXLD 11-29 which showed 13730 not starting until 0500 via Wertachtal. However, latest HFCC info on 13730 since 18 July does show 13730 at 0430-0459 [sic] as 250 kW, 340 degrees from Madagascar, 0500[sic]-0557 as 250 kW, 150 degrees from Wertachtal; no longer UAE site on this frequency at all. BOTH 13620 and 13730 via MDC during the first semi- hour correlates with equal reception now and synchronization. As for 13620, HFCC shows 0430-0527, 250 kW, 330 degrees [10 away from 13730 bearing] from Madagascar, 0530[sic]-0557, 500 kW, 156 degrees from Nauen, GERMANY. This one also really starts 3 minutes earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13730 comes from Madagascar at 0430-0459[sic] UT, followed by Wertachtal Germany outlet of S=9+30dB at 0500[sic]-0557 UT. Station identification sung by man at 0511 UT. This broadcast channel suffer by some klanking "metal drum audio" like noise, July 27 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 1 August via DXLD) ** SUDAN SOUTH. ST0, SOUTH SUDAN (Update). The world's newest country and DXCC entity continues to be active on the air until August 10th, as ST0R. Updates from their Web page indicate that they now have five stations running and the 6 meters beacon (on 50.105 MHz). As this was being typed, activity has been on all bands (except 160m) on CW. SSB operations have been on 40/20/17/15/ 12/10/6 meters, while RTTY operations have been on 30/17/15 meters. Totals as of 1318z, July 29th, are 47011/QSOs with 14235/Unique callsigns. The breakdown is: 24364/CW, 16417/SSB and 6230/RTTY. Currently, there are 10 operators there: Paul/N6PSE, Dmitri/RA9USU, Valery/RG8K, Jun/JH4RHF, Andreas/DH8WR, Fabrizio/IN3ZNR, Manuel/EA7AJR, Jose/EA7KW, and Antonio/EA5RM. Hrane/YT1AD return home on June 27th, and was replaced by David/AH6HY. Other U.S. team members will arrive there around August 2nd. They report that the pile-ups are very heavy and they have to work by numbers to handle the pile-ups. They state, "Main target still is to give the new country to as many people as possible and we'll start to work others bands during upcoming days." For more details and updates watch: http://www.dxfriends.com/SouthernSudan2011 QSL via EA5RM direct. Their OQRS will be activated after the DXpedition. Online log is available on the Web page at: http://www.dxfriends.com/SouthernSudan2011/log.php ADDED NOTE: To see which actual operator you worked, hover your cursor over the green check mark and their picture and callsign comes up. Cool! (Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1021, August 1, 2011, Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio), via Dave Raycroft, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** SURINAME. 4990, R. Apintie, Paramaribo. Contemporary music 0710 with announcements in Hindustani, 20/7 (Phil Ireland, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) Quite good 0706 with sub-continental sounding music, occasional announcements in apparent Hindustani, 20/7 (Craig Seager, ibid.) ** SWAZILAND [and non]. Questions on TWR Africa schedule ... some updates by wb. Work day sort sequence of Manzini is different as always, starts with Monday .... RWANDA/SOUTH AFRICA/SWAZILAND/UAE TRANS WORLD RADIO via JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA BROADCAST SCHEDULE A- 11, 28th March 2011 - 29th October 2011 TIME/UTC DAY LANGUAGE FREQU TX PWR AZI TARGET AREA SMTWTFS 0330-0345 34 Sidamo 7215 2 250 5 Ethiopia 0330-0345 1 567 Amharic 7215 2 250 5 Ethiopia 0330-0345 2 Oromo 7215 2 250 5 Ethiopia 0600-0645 12345 English 11640 6 500 320 Nigeria entry is wrong? 0600-0615 67 English 11640 6 500 320 Nigeria entry is wrong? 1557-1627 12345 KiRundi 9675 2 250 19 Burundi 1625-1655 12345 Somali 9660 6 500 20 Somali 1625-1640 7 Somali 9660 6 500 20 Somali 1718-1733 1234567 Yawo 7265 4 250 19 Mozambique TRANS WORLD RADIO TWR Africa via Rwanda / UAE SW Broadcasts A-11 28th March 2011 to 27th October 2011 TIME/UTC DAY LANGUAGE FREQU TX PWR AZI Reception Area SMTWTFS 1300-1315 1 567 Afar 13660 KIG 250 30 Ethiopia 1730-1800 5 Amharic 9865 UAE 250 230 Ethiopia ex9775 1800-1830 7 Kunama 6120 UAE 250 225 Eritrea not 5965 1800-1830 6 Tigre 6120 UAE 250 225 Eritrea not 5965 1800-1815 12345 Tingrinya 6120 UAE 250 225 Eritrea not 5965 1815-1845 12345 Tingrinya 6120 UAE 250 225 Eritrea not 5965 1830-1845 7 Amharic 6120 UAE 250 225 Ethiopia not 5965 TRANS WORLD RADIO MANZINI, SWAZILAND BROADCAST SCHEDULE A-11 28th March 2011 to 29th October 2011 TIME/UTC DAY LANGUAGE FREQ PWR ANT AZI Target Zone MTWTFSS 0255-0325 12345 Ndebele 3200 50 8 3 Zimbabwe 0255-0310 6 Ndebele 3200 50 8 3 Zimbabwe 0255-0325 7 English 3200 50 8 3 Zimbabwe 0255-0325 1234567 Shona 3240 50 6 3 Zimbabwe 0325-0340 1234567 Ndau 3240 50 6 3 Zimbabwe 0342-0357 1234567 Lomwe 4775 50 8 3 Mozambique 0400-0430 12345 German 3200 50 9 233 South Africa 0400-0500 67 German 3200 50 9 233 South Africa 0400-0430 12345 German 4775 50 4 233 South Africa 0400-0500 67 German 4775 50 4 233 South Africa 0400-0430 1234567 Chewa 5995 100 11 5 Malawi 0430-0500 67 Chewa 5995 100 11 5 Malawi 0430-0600 12345 English 3200 50 9 233 South Africa 0430-0800 12345 English 4775 50 4 233 Southern Africa 0500-0800 67 English 4775 50 4 233 Southern Africa 0602-0800 1234567 English 6120 50 4 233 Southern Africa 0500-0800 1234567 English 9500 100 11 5 Central Africa 1400-1415 1234567 Urdu 15360 100 103 43 Pakistan 1355-1425 6 Makhuwa 7315 50 11 5 Mozambique 1355-1425 7 Portuguese 7315 50 11 5 Mozambique 1425-1455 1234567 Portuguese 7315 50 11 5 Mozambique 1455-1510 1234567 Makua 7315 50 11 5 N Mozambique 1510-1555 1234567 Lomwe 7315 50 11 5 N Mozambique 1455-1525 12345 7 Malagasy 9635 100 3 64 Madagascar 1440-1525 6 French 9635 100 3 64 Madagascar 1425-1455 1234567 English 4760 100 6 3 Zimbabwe 1455-1525 1234567 Ndebele 4760 100 6 3 Zimbabwe 1525-1555 12345 Ndebele 4760 100 6 3 Zimbabwe 1525-1555 67 English 4760 100 6 3 Zimbabwe 1555-1625 1234567 Shona 4760 100 6 3 Zimbabwe 1630-1700 1234567 Zulu 1170 50 MW ND Swaziland 1700-2105 1234567 English 1170 50 MW ND Southern Africa 1545-1615 7 Shangaan 3200 25 8 3 S Mozambique 1600-1630 12345 Tshwa 3200 25 8 3 S Mozambique 1600-1630 6 Ndau 3200 25 8 3 S Mozambique 1615-1645 7 Ndau 3200 25 8 3 S Mozambique 1630-1645 1 4 Portuguese 3200 25 8 3 S Mozambique 1630-1645 23 56 Shangaan 3200 25 8 3 S Mozambique 1645-1700 1234567 Ndau 3200 25 8 3 S Mozambique 1600-1615 12345 ChiChewa 6130 50 11 5 Malawi/Zambia 1615-1630 1 7 ChiChewa 6130 50 11 5 Malawi/Zambia 1615-1630 2 Bemba 6130 100 11 5 Zambia 1630-1700 34 Oromo 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1645-1700 12 7 Oromo 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1630-1645 56 Kambaata 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1645-1700 56 Hadiya 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1700-1730 123456 Amharic 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1700-1715 7 Amharic 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1715-1745 7 Oromo 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1730-1800 12345 Oromo 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1730-1800 6 Amharic 9500 100 10.2 13 Ethiopia 1800-1900 1234567 English 9500 100 10.2 13 East Africa 1700-1745 1234567 Swahili 9475 100 11 5 East Africa 1745-1815 67 Swahili 9475 100 11 5 East Africa 1700-2000 1234567 English 3200 50 9 233 South Africa 1700-2030 6 English 3200 50 9 233 South Africa 1750-1820 12345 Umbunbu 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1820-1835 1234567 Chokwe 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1835-1850 1234567 Umbundu 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1850-1905 1 Luvale 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1850-1905 2345 7 KiKongo 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1850-1905 6 Portuguese 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1905-1920 12 Portuguese 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1905-1920 3 Luchazi 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1905-1920 4 Luvale 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1905-1920 5 Fiote 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1905-1920 6 Lunyaneka 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1905-1920 7 Kuanyama 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1920-1950 1234567 Portuguese 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1950-2005 1234567 Kimbundu 6130 100 1 312 Angola 2005-2020 7 Portuguese 6130 100 1 312 Angola 1905-1935 1234567 Lingala 9525 100 101 343 D R Congo 1935-1950 1234567 French 9525 100 101 343 D R Congo 1950-2020 6 French 9525 100 101 343 D R Congo Explanation: DAY is the day of the broadcast 1 is Monday etc., & 7 is Sunday FREQ is the frequency in kiloHertz PWR is the power of the transmitter in kilowatts AZI is the direction of the antenna Local times are: Kenya UTC+3 Ethiopia UTC+3 Somalia UTC+3 Tanzania UTC+3 Sudan UTC+2 Mozambique UTC+2 Angola UTC+1 Zimbabwe UTC+2 DRC UTC+1 Notes: We will have the following changes on our schedule; 1. The morning English will change from 3200 to 6120 @ 05h00 instead of 06h00 UT. 2. The Zimbabwe broadcast from 1423 till 1525 will change to 6025 kHz from 4775 kHz. 3. The southern Mozambique broadcast from 14h55 to 15h25 will change to 4760 kHz from 3200 kHz (via RUSmidxb, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 3 via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) ** SWEDEN. EXTRA --- GRIMETON RADIO/SAQ TRANSMISSION --- There will be a special transmission with the Alexanderson alternator on 17.2 kHz on Friday, August 5th, 2011 at 0900 UT. Start up and tuning from about 0830. This time we do not require any QSL-reports and will not verify. Regards. SM6NM/Lars (via Steve Whitt, MWCircle yg via DXLD) QSL de SAQ [illustrated] --- Good things come for those who wait. So, no matter if it required quite five years of chasing, here I am with my QSL from SAQ, found in the mailbox today. It's related to the broadcast held on 3rd July 2011, twenty-six days ago (my previous blog entry here). I'd remember everyone that, for a radio aficionado, Grimeton Radio marks the last chance of a signal in the clear in VLF (17.2 kHz). The station ended its commercial mission years ago, but the Alexander Generator and the huge towers used to broadcast the signal from Sweden are too much of radio-architectural interest to be lost, so it's now a foundation which takes care of the station, with some special broadcasts scheduled every year. Receiving 17.2 kHz succesfully requires a set-up not really at entry level, but you have a challenginng option: SAQ frequency falls in the range of a personal computer soundcard, so plug the antenna to the "line-in", and run a spectrum visualization software like "Argo". Propagation should do the magic. Personally, as you know, I'm old fashioned, so I did run with an NRD-525 coupled to the PA0RDT "Mini- whip", and I'm proud of the confirmation. Long live to SAQ, and the Grimeton Heritage! 73, (Chris Diemoz, Italy, July 29, From DX to Daylight blog http://fromdctodaylight.splinder.com/post/25285343/qsl-de-saq via DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. Re 11-30: demolition -- "Small tower" at Beromünster and "WTFK?": Presumably 1566 kHz when run from here and not the Sarnen site, in particular during the mediumwave guest performance of Radio Evviva. And it appears that it could substitute for the "large tower" on 531 kHz as well (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SYRIA. Radio Damasco e-QSL --- Dopo anni di "inseguimento" , iniziato ancora prima che Radio Damasco trasmettesse in onda corta, finalmente è arrivata la sospirata conferma, grazie ad Amelia Puga. Nemmeno 24 ore dopo l'invio del rapporto, la stazione è stata ascoltata sabato 23/7 alle 2200 [9330, or 12085?], dalla Redazione Spagnola via mail radiodamasco @ yahoo.es ricevo: ``Hola Alessandro. Como estas amigo. Te damos las gracias por este correcto informe de recepción que si Dios quiere en la brevedad posible te será verificado con una bonita QSl, junto con un pequeño recuerdo de nuestra emisora. Tu castellano está muy bien. Muchas gracias por el esfuerzo. Recibe un caluroso saludo de tus amigos de Radio Damasco. Atte. Amelia Puga`` (Alessandro Groppazzi, http://gropdx.blogspot.com/ via Dario Monferini, 28 July, playdx yg via DXLD) Syria is still very much in the news and you are not alone if you have been tuning to state broadcaster Radio Damascus to follow developments. Radio Damascus is keen to hear from its listeners. You can write to them at Radio Damascus, P.O. Box 4702, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic or send your comments by e-mail to radiodamascusenglish @ yahoo.com Before you can write you’ll need to be able to hear them. Their English schedule is currently a one hour evening broadcast to Europe on 9330 kHz and the irregularly used 12085 kHz to North America. Programmes start with a lively Syrian song and a full schedule check with some technical details not given by other stations. There is a surprisingly friendly feel about the station, with the announcers introducing themselves and the technicians on duty, and jovial programme handovers that are more akin to the BBC World Service hour long newscasts. Once the music finishes the evening proper commences in the form of a news bulletin, complete with a military signature tune. News, as you would expect is from the regime’s point of view and includes sentences such as “The victims and martyrs defending the homeland.”, “the imprisonment of rioters.” and “attacks by arms smuggling groups terrorising the locals and forcing the army to intervene.” Current day news from Palestine as well as historical features on the neighbouring country certainly pull no punches about the Syrian regime’s support of Palestine in their struggle with Israel. However, I must say I greatly enjoy the music on Radio Damascus - to my British ears it has a very exotic sound, with Middle Eastern instruments and vocals. Musical instruments you will hear coming together to form hypnotic pieces include the oud, rabab, nev, violin and the tableh, or goblet drum. The weekly “From Our Literature” programme with its strange echoes and western classical music background rounds off an interesting hour of programmes (Chrissy Brand, UK, July 29, http://dxinternational.blogspot.com/ via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. 6220, July 30 at 1134, weak signal sounds like kids singing. Per Aoki, only here at 11-12 is YFR via Hu Wei, in Burmese. 6240, July 30 at 1134, weak signal with music, maybe Korean? No, Aoki says this one is YFR in Chinese via BauJong at 11-16 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also KOREA NORTH 6230 ** TAIWAN. 9725, fair Aug 4 at 1207, YL tonal 8-digit Chinese syllables, presumed numbers, from Star-Star (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. 15225, August 2 at 1300, very distorted spur peaking around here, FMy without specific carrier, bothering RHC 15230, tsk2, Chinese talk, but not // CNR1 on 15670 et al. jammers. Then matched it to 15265, and an equivalent but much weaker spur 40 kHz on the hi side around 15305. 15265 also has a het jammer during this hour: victim and spurrer is RTI, Chinese via Tanshui site, at 13-14 only per Aoki. ** TAIWAN. 15225 & 15305, looking for the RTI 15265 spurs heard 24 hours earlier, not today Aug 3 1315, tho fundamental was still audible with het, and Firedrake from CHINA, e.g. 15900 was VG before the SW fadeout (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RTI LAUNCHES NEW ENGLISH WEB SITE Radio Taiwan International (RTI) launched a new English web site on Monday, which is also the station's 83rd anniversary. At a reception Monday, Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Philip Yang urged the national broadcaster to continue its role of promoting Taiwan in the international community. "RTI has introduced Taiwan's voice and its beauty to the international community. It has played a crucial role in seeking more international support. In this regard, RTI is the government's main supporter and a channel of communication," said Yang. In a congratulatory message, President Ma Ying-jeou called on RTI to continue to emphasize innovation. He said it should also promote Taiwan's multiculturalism at the same time. Meanwhile, RTI Chairman Chang Jung-kung said RTI is a window on the Republic of China on Taiwan. "The new English web site launched today is RTI's way of promoting the Republic of China. The website is a bridge that connects RTI and the Republic of China to the rest of the world," said Chang. Check out the website at : http://english.rti.org.tw/ --- (via Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, August 1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) Thanks for the reminder, Alokesh. and RTI is running a Treasure Hunt on the new site at http://english.rti.org.tw/ with some nice prizes: First Prize: 10 Tales of Dutch Formosa Book/CD sets Second Prize: 20 cell phone accessories Third Prize: 30 RTI pennants (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The new site still gives frequencies from last winter. df (Dan Ferguson, SC, ibid.) ** TAJIKISTAN. 4765, Tajik R 1, Dushanbe, 1912-1914, Jul 20, talk, 35343 (Bernard Mille, Bailleul, France, DSWCI DX Window July 27 via DXLD) Also heard with morning programme at 2305-2335, Jul 24, nice local folk music, Tajik talks and ann’s, strong signal, 45444 (Kaj Bredahl Jorgensen, Greve, Denmark, ibid.) ** TATARSTAN [non]. 15110, Aug 3 at 0445, lo-fi talk in language, seems some Russian influence, fading S6 to S9+5. Presumed R. Tatarstan via Samara, RUSSIA at 0410-0500 with carrier on up to 20 minutes earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET. 6025, July 14 at 2234, Xizang PBS, Lhasa, ``Holy Tibet`` English program ``from China Tibet Radio`` // 4905 4920 6140 6200 7255 7385; 6025 replaced 5240. SIO 343 (Alan Pennington, HF Logbook, August BDXC-UK Communication via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) 4905, Xizang PBS, Lhasa. Holy Tibet Radio in English, 2238, pretty good despite some splash from ABC on 4910, 20/7. 4920, Xizang PBS, Lhasa. Holy Tibet Radio in English with news 2240, good on 20/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) 6025, Lhasa. Tibet program “Holy Tibet” in English from 1530 under R. Romania International in Serbian. Better on // 6130 and 7385 on 25/7 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF-2001, 16m Marconi antenna), Aug Australian DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) 6025, “Holy Tibet Radio” service in English, good at 2235, documentary type programming, 18/7. 6130, Xizang PBS, Lhasa. Holy Tibet Radio with program about the railways, 2252, good on 20/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** TURKEY. 15450, July 31 at 1227, altho most signals on 19m are very poor or absent, even CUBA, VOT is surprisingly good with IS; 1230 sign-on by live OM, who still hasn`t engaged brain, and continues to read outdated script claiming the time is 1330 and the frequencies are 15520 and 15450. Following news dominated by mass resignation of Turkish military leadership. Delivery is hesitant, almost off-the- cuff, as if he might be translating on the fly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA. 4976, UBC, Kampala. Very poor in English on 27/7 at 2047 (John Adams, Beech Forest Vic, (JRC NRD-535 Ewe and Folded Dipole), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) 4976, Whistling with V of Russia in English on 4975, 1830-1900. Uganda was with DJ in English, at 1848 a song from the group Roxette, and at 1900 news in English on 27/7 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF- 2001, 16m Marconi antenna), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) ** U K. BBC FACES NEW 24-HOUR NEWS STRIKE ON MONDAY --- Stoppage over redundancies will be followed by 'indefinite' NUJ work to rule John Plunkett, guardian.co.uk, Sunday 31 July 2011 16.24 BST BBC Journalists Strike Over Pensions The BBC is facing another day of disruption to its news programmes on Monday with many of its journalists due to go on a 24-hour strike before beginning an "indefinite" work to rule. . . http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/31/bbc-news-strike-Monday (via Richard Cuff, swprograms via DXLD) Article refers to ``chapels up and down the BBC`` ??? CHAPEL --- [British English] ``a branch of a trade/labor union in a newspaper office or printing house; the members of the branch`` (OED advanced learners definition #5 via DXLD) BBC JOURNALISTS STRIKE OVER JOB LOSSES BBC journalists are conducting a second 24-hour strike today in a row over job losses, threatening disruption to some of the BBC’s flagship programmes. Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) are angry at around 100 compulsory job losses at the World Service and Monitoring division, which monitors mass media worldwide, as the broadcaster seeks to make huge savings. NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said she expected the strike, which began at midnight, to be “very solidly supported” by the organisation’s 3,000 union members. The World Service announced in January it was cutting 650 jobs as the government withdrew funding as part of an austerity drive, under which the BBC is seeking to cut its budget by 16 percent in the next few years. Talks between the two sides broke down last week and they will meet again on August 11. “There has been absolutely no meaningful movement from the BBC to address the cases of individual journalists losing their jobs now,” claimed Ms Stanistreet. A BBC spokesman responded: “We are disappointed that the NUJ is intending to strike and apologise to our audience for any disruption to services this may cause. We will continue with our efforts to reduce the need for compulsory redundancies. However, the number of posts that we are having to close means that unfortunately it is likely to be impossible for us to avoid some compulsory redundancies. (Source: AFP)(August 1st, 2011 - 14:13 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) Latest details of programme changes can be found on the BBC Press Office website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/08_august/01/industrial_action.shtml It does not mention the fact that BBC World News, on TV, was replaced by an evergreen-filler, Our World on providing internet access to a remote Nigerian village, whilst taking it away for a few days from a really wired-in South Korean family. Looks familiar; think I have seen it before. NO News of the day. This is the one anchored in Washington, so even there the BBC journalists must be astrike. BTW, Since OETA moved it from OKLA to main channel and from 2130 to 2200 UT M-F, some breaking news previously has proven that it is really live rather than on sesqui-hour delay as before. Yes, it was back Tuesday August 2 at 2200, with an anchor I hadn`t seen before : you never know who is going to anchor the show as BBC downplays personalities, not necessarily a bad thing. He made no explanation or apology about why it was missing August 1, a rather big day in US and world news (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBC ARABIC JOURNALISTS CONTINUE LONDON STRIKE Journalists at the BBC’s Arabic Service are continuing strike action against unfair working conditions. Management plans to introduce a new rota system which would add 26 days to the working year. The unprecedented six-day strike at the service is due to end tomorrow night, Thursday 4 August. The impact of the strike has been clear on the content of the BBC Arabic Service, which is dominated by documentaries. Main presenters in television and radio were replaced by freelances and unqualified journalists while some flagship programs were taken off air or replaced. A senior BBC Arabic manager has decided to leave the newsroom and join his NUJ colleagues on the picket line in a move welcomed by the journalists. The journalists will decide on further action after strike ends. The strikers have expressed their regret to the Arab audience for the failure of the service to cover developments in the Arab world during the stoppage, including the trial of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Support for the strike and the First day of Ramadan were marked by the journalists and their families by gathering together to have a Ramadan Iftar [the evening meal when Muslims break their fast] in front of Broadcasting House in London. Muslim and non-Muslim journalists participated in this social gathering. The strikers will end their stoppage by holding a second social gathering and having dinner together on the picket line at 8.00 pm tomorrow (Source: National Union of Journalists)(August 3rd, 2011 - 11:58 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) BBCWS AFRICA EDITOR "FURIOUS TO BE ON STRIKE." BBC WS ARABIC STAFF END SIX-DAY STRIKE TODAY. Posted: 04 Aug 2011 The Guardian, 1 Aug 2011, John Plunkett and Josh Halliday: During the BBC journalists' strike on Monday: "Picket lines were lightly staffed, with six people outside White City, the home of BBC Television, at lunchtime, and three at Broadcasting House, where the radio stations transmit from. However, the mood outside the World Service's Bush House HQ – where the dispute is centred - was more defiant. A 20- strong picket line held a giant sheet with the words, 'BBC kills World Service'. Martin Plaut, Africa editor at the World Service, said: 'I'm furious to be on strike today. I'm really not happy at all. In all my time at the BBC – I joined in 1984 – I've never seen the BBC in this state.'" The Guardian, 1 Aug 2011, Josh Halliday: "Outside Bush House, the home of the World Service, ... [t]wenty strikers held aloft a white sheet emblazoned 'BBC kills World Service' in huge capital letters, with 'kills' written in blood red." National Union of Journalists, 3 Aug 2011: "Journalists on strike at the BBC’s Arabic Service have produced their own news bulletin 'Strike This Evening' to cover their story. The strikers explain to viewers the background to their action against unfair working conditions. Management plans to introduce a new rota system which would add 26 days to the working year. The unprecedented six-day strike at the service is due to end ... August 4. The impact of the strike has been clear on the content of the BBC Arabic Service, which is dominated by documentaries. Main presenters in television and radio were replaced by freelances and unqualified journalists while some flagship programs were taken off air or replaced. A senior BBC Arabic manager has decided to leave the newsroom and join his NUJ colleagues on the picket line in a move welcomed by the journalists." With video. (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U K. Re 11-30, From Our Own Correspondent: And for listeners in western Europe who are now deprived of WS via 648 - they can usually hear "From our own correspondent" every Saturday morning at 1030 UT via Radio 4 on 198 LW - but not this week, as 198 has test match cricket, and the programme is only on FM. But there's always the R4 internet site too I guess. Well worth a listen (Noel R. Green, England, July 29, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. Ascension. BBC WS relay. 6005, English Bay. 2011/08/03 Wednesday. 0335-0344. Mentions of Kenya, Ethiopia and UNICEF. Good. Jo'burg sunrise 0447. Country ?? BBC WS relay. 5980, Location?? // 6005 Ascension. 2011/08/03 Wednesday 0334-0336, YL interviewing OM about Malawi, mentions of the British government, health workers and trade unions. BBC on this frequency is not listed by Aoki, EiBi or HFCC, they suggest it is Channel Africa. But it SOUNDS like the BBC and the // 6005 BBC from Ascension is listed. Channel Africa is not listed for 6005. Fair. Jo'burg sunrise 0447. Country ?? BBC WS relay. 6510, Location?? 2011/08/03 Wednesday 0432- 0437, News in english, sounds very BBC. ID at 0436 "BBC Network Africa". Not listed on this frequency at any time in Aoki, EiBi or HFCC, or any of the post Cyprus explosion DXLD's. Very poor and fadey. Jo'burg sunrise 0447 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Have not researched 5980 yet, but 6510 = 2 x 3255 SENTECH (Glenn to Bill, via DXLD) [Later:] If BBC programming was on 5980, it looks like SENTECH put the wrong feed on the frequency instead of ChAf at 03-04 (gh, DXLD) Mornin' Glenn. 0515 UT here right now, and from about 0250 to 0400 I've been trying to get the mystery stations again. Nothing at all on 6510 (BBC), but also nothing at all on 3255, although 3255 is coming in nicely now. 5980 was southern African regional news, went off with no audible ID at 0355, so almost certainly Channel Africa as listed. Very poor and weak signal; living in South Africa and trying to receive Channel Africa is a bit like you guys in the USA trying to get the Voice of America. Although unstated, it seems we are not meant to do so. 5980 this morning was definitely NOT // 6005 BBC via Ascension. Clearly I could be mistaken but I still believe yesterday's was //. If I am not mistaken, then it could have been finger trouble at Meyerton as noted before (Bill Bingham, August 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Bill, I guess you meant to say some other frequency than 3255 twice here? (Glenn to Bill, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, No, I meant that 3255 was not there whilst I was trying to find 6510 before 0400 (since you suggest that 6510 was probably 2 x 3255). However, by the time I was writing the email at 0515, 3255 was coming in nicely. At 0515 there was still no sign of anything on 6510, using the same receiver as yesterday (Sony ICF2001). (Bill Bingham, ibid.) ** U K [non]. Seychelles. 11860, BBC WS relay, Mahé. 2011/07/24 Sunday 1424-1439. In English, but listed as Somali by HFCC, EiBi and Aoki. Possibly collateral damage, changes resulting from the Cyprus explosion? Programme is "Hard Talk". ID at 1429 "BBC", and at 1430 "You're listening to the BBC World Service". Fair. Jo'burg sunset 1538 (Bill Bingham, South Africa, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15370, July 30 at 1332, 168.5 hours after last log of this weekly Saturday BBC transmission: vocal music, uncertain language but could be Somali. It`s mostly music, break at 1352 for brief announcement could have been in French; 1400 accurate 5+1 timesignal, and talk, also sounds like French intonation but can`t be sure, and signal keeps fading until just about gone by 1420. Last week at the outset I was hearing bits of French and English, but this is scheduled at 13-16 via South Africa in Somali (HFCC); via South Africa in English (Aoki); via Cyprus in Somali (EiBi and WRTH May update). I wish those who could receive it better would resolve the language/site question, next Saturday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re previous report, what is BBC doing on 15370, Saturdays only 13-16? Hi Glenn, Regarding your query in logs July 29/30, I've looked at the Sentech website and they show no A11 BBC WS transmissions on 15370 Saturdays; in fact they show no transmissions on 15370 for anyone at any time. http://www.sentech.co.za/products/signal-distribution/frequencies/radio/shortwave/bbc Be aware that this website is not entirely reliable; for example they still show 702 Talk Radio on mediumwave, although it moved to 92.7 FM some 3 or 4 years ago, and is shown as such on their own Gauteng region FM section of the webpage! So it is not conclusive that they have nothing on 15370 (Bill Bingham, Johannesburg RSA, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In fact: Hi all, BBC in French, not Somali 1300-1600 on 15370 MEY 250 kW / 020 deg Sat only BBC in English, not Somali 1300-1400 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only BBC in Somali 1400-1500 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only // 11860 & 15420 both SEY BBC in English, not Somali 1500-1600 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, July 30, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ivo also attaches clips of these frequencies from remote monitoring archives for July 30: 7-30 1305, 15370 BBC French, not Somali 7-30 1406, 15370 BBC French, not Somali 7-30 1508, 15370 BBC French, not Somali 7-30 1302, 17680 BBC English, not Somali 7-30 1407, 17680 BBC Somali 7-30 1506, 17680 BBC English, not Somali So it appears the 3-hour Saturday Somali broadcast has been cut to one hour in the middle, on a different frequency via a different site, while the South Africa relay on 15370 has been changed to French; why? (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9740, August 1 at 1301 via SINGAPORE, BBCWS news continues despite 24- hour strike by journalists: no obvious effect here, but maybe read by a manager. Usual poor reception, but the best we can manage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15470, August 2 at 1405, surprised to hear BBCWS in English --- or rather, played twice, ``no program on this channel at present; details of all our services are at bbcworldservice.com``. And 1406 into S Asian language; 1407 cut off briefly, then continued. HFCC shows Hindi via SINGAPORE at 14-15, 250 kW, 315 degrees. Still audible at 1424, peaks S9+10 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7881.0-USB, Aug 4 at 0523, I run across a broadcast, not a 2-way, soon obviously AFN instead of on 7811! Somebody`s finger at Saddlebunch slipped on the frequency pad, but if it`s 24/7, why would they ever be punching in a frequency? Series of typical short features and PSAs, including Dave Ross(?) on CBS Radio Network; 0524 `Soundbite`, 0525 Dan --- with `Today, August 4, in Rock History`, etc. Some het from a weak carrier on 7880, which must be wondering, what the ---? Next check at 1226, still not corrected and on 7881, not NPR `Morning Edition`, but // 12133.5 with more short features, 1228 PSA on UCMJ, 1229 `Air Force Report` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Back on 7811 at 0141 Aug 5. See also GUAM ** U S A [non]. Vatican City, Voice of America relay, 12015, Santa Maria. 2011/07/30 Saturday 1736-1745, "Encounter" talking about radical Islam, unemployment in Europe. Poor, but better than Vatican Radio for Africa on 13765. Jo'burg sunset 1541 (Bill Bingham, RSA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 1800, 12015 continues via São Tomé site. There are a few other IBB via CVA relays, to Sudan and Somalia, but this is the only one in English; see also SUDAN [non] (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. SILVER TELLY AWARD FOR DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE OLD VOA BETHANY, OHIO, SHORTWAVE TRANSMITTING STATION. Posted: 01 Aug 2011 Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 July 2011: "The video documentary 'America’s Voice,' produced for the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting by Murray Multimedia Resources in West Chester, has won a Silver Telly Award for 2011. The award is the highest award given by the Telly Awards, which honors outstanding local, regional and national commercials, programs, video and film production." See the documentary at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting website. [17+ minutes] http://www.voamuseum.org/ (www.kimandrewelliott.com via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) ** U S A. AMENDMENT TO CREATE VOA SINDHI SERVICE APPROVED BY HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. Posted: 30 Jul 2011 Pakistan Observer, 28 July 2011, Hashim Abro: "Sindhi writers, intellectuals and broadcasters across Pakistan and around the globe thank the US Congressmen for their unanimous consent to the Amendment to Foreign Affairs bill for Sindhi language Programing. It is apt to to mention here that the US Congress’ Foreign Affairs Committee has approved the funds to the tune of $1.5 million (on annual basis) for the Voice of America ( VOA) to be used only for Sindhi language programming. The Sindhis in Sindh, Balochistan, and in other parts of the Pakistan and the globe regard Brad Sherman and other Congressmen not only as their well-wishers and promoters of Sindhi language but also 'Messiah’ for their language. For this noble move, the people of Sindh and Sindhi diaspora will always remain indebted to them throughout the ages. However, on behalf of the Sindhi I can say only a big 'Thank You' to US Congressman for this landmark amendment." Associated Press of Pakistan, 27 July 2011: "Sindhi are born sufis and moderate. These are global citizens and treat humanity as 'One Family' and who keep the humanity above all religions because they believe that to love an to be loved, to respect and to be respected is the key concern of all religions. ... Around two hundred writers, intellectuals, broadcasters, social and human rights activists, lawyers and others attended the meeting [House Foreign Affairs authorization markup] and all of them were all appreciative of this noble gesture of US Congressman." (kimandrewelliott.com via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) See also final language of the amendment. But did this amendment get past the House Appropriations Committee? If it did, the Senate would have to go along. Adding language services without increasing an international broadcaster's overall budget reduces the resources available for each service. See previous post about a proposed VOA Balochi service (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. LAWMAKERS SCRAMBLE TO KEEP VOICE OF AMERICA ON AIR IN CHINA By Judson Berger Published August 04, 2011 | FoxNews.com flags_china_070111.jpg Reuters People wave flags of China's Communist Party at a celebration of the Communist Party's 90th anniversary in Chongqing municipality July 1. Congressional lawmakers are scrambling to prevent America's international media arm from going off-air in China, arguing that a plan to shift much of its reporting to the Internet won't do much good in a country notorious for its web censors. The group at the heart of the dispute is Voice of America -- part of the network of U.S. government-backed broadcasters that together reach more than 100 countries -- the American institution that has beamed news around the world since the '40s. Reflecting a broader shift from radio to digital media, a plan unveiled earlier this year called for overhauling Voice of America's China services to bring most of its media off air and online. The Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees Voice of America, argues that it only makes sense to go digital in a country with the largest Internet-using population in the world. Board officials claim the existing shortwave radio broadcasts don't have the audience they used to and that the Chinese government is jamming them anyway. In changing platforms, the board projects it will save $8 million and eliminate about 45 positions. But critics of the move, including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., say the United States is setting itself up to cede vital territory in the battle of information abroad. "We've used Voice of America to pump in Democratic messages for years," Rohrabacher spokeswoman Tara Setmayer said. "Now it's another area where it looks like we're succumbing to the wants of the communist Chinese." A House panel moved last month to try and save those radio and TV broadcasts. The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted unanimously for a bill containing a provision that would allocate nearly $14 million exclusively for Voice of America's Mandarin and Cantonese radio and satellite TV stations. "Such funds may not be used for any other purpose," the provision says. The language, if approved, may not compel Voice of America to sustain its China broadcasts, but the thinking is that $14 million will be hard to turn down. Lawmakers are racing against the clock to get the language included in the complementary appropriations bill, given that the changes in China are scheduled to take place in October. In a bipartisan letter to the House Appropriations Committee in May, Rohrabacher and several House colleagues urged the panel to follow suit as it crafts the funding bill. They argued that the radio and satellite broadcasts remain "one of the best ways to communicate directly" with the Chinese people. "We believe the administration's proposal will hinder indigenous democracy movements in China and damage the long-term security of our own country," they wrote. "Sacrificing U.S. broadcasting abilities while China's authoritarian regime expands its broadcasting and public diplomacy efforts in the United States is the wrong answer." The debate comes as the United States fights to be heard overseas. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned earlier this year in congressional testimony: "We are in an information war and we are losing that war." A Rohrabacher aide said the restructuring only hurts the United States in that war. "It's very penny wise and pound foolish," the aide said. BBG spokeswoman Letitia King declined to comment on the implications of the budget process, noting it is still in the works. But she disputed critics' claims, saying the underlying goal is to reach "new and bigger audiences in China, where government-controlled media don't provide full and accurate information." Under the plan, VOA Mandarin would move from radio and television to a "web-only platform," where some audio and video programs would continue to be posted. Funding would also increase for mobile device content. Separately, the affiliated Radio Free Asia would continue to broadcast in Mandarin. In addition, the board would eliminate VOA's Cantonese Service. According to the board's proposal, Radio Free Asia would continue to broadcast in Cantonese. Justifying the changes, King said shortwave radio listening has become "almost nonexistent" in China. The BBG cited a survey showing one- tenth of 1 percent of Chinese listen to VOA in Mandarin, with radio ownership on the decline. Another survey showed computer and Internet usage on a steep upswing. Though expanding on the Internet raises concerns about censors, King said the Chinese can use proxy servers to access their websites already and noted that the BBG has been developing anti-censorship technology to evade Chinese filters. "Using mobile proxies under development now, VOA expects its reach in China to increase," King said. Indeed, the Broadcasting Board of Governors has been testing technology in order to bust through Chinese web censors to deliver news. A round of recent testing demonstrated how certain technology can get around those filters via email, as well as transmit proxy web addresses which users can access to browse an uncensored version of the Internet. But Ted Lipien, a former VOA executive who now runs Free Media Online, complained in an op-ed earlier this year that aside from the threat of censorship, two-thirds of China's population does not even have Internet access. He accused the BBG of turning its back on human rights activists who rely on radio for information. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/04/lawmakers-scramble-to-keep-voice-america-on-air-in-china/#ixzz1U7ViDgp8 (Fox News [Murdochy] via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. BBG OFFICIAL TALKS OF “CHAOS AND CONFUSION” - REPORT Cuts in official US radio broadcasting to Russia and the Middle East since 2001 and plans to end Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts to China in October have sown “chaos and confusion” in the agency, one (unnamed) senior agency official is quoted as saying by the Washington Times. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is shifting broadcasts from radio to the Internet and social media. Critics say the move will make programmes more vulnerable to disruption by governments that oppose US efforts to promote democracy and freedom (August 1st, 2011 - 12:22 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) Read the story [Viz.] VOA OVERSEER CREATES STATIC WITH SWITCH TO INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA [note to headline writers: PLEASE spare us from `static`; not clever] 11 Comments and 41 Reactions|ShareTweet|Email|Print| By Bill Gertz The Washington Times [Moony] 7:36 p.m., Sunday, July 31, 2011 The Obama administration is sharply restructuring the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the agency in charge of all U.S. government broadcasting, while being urged to increase the spread of unfettered news and information around the world. Cuts in official U.S. radio broadcasting to Russia and the Middle East since 2001 and plans to end Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts to China in October have sown “chaos and confusion” in the agency, one senior agency official said. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is shifting broadcasts from radio to the Internet and social media. Critics say the move will make programs more vulnerable to disruption by governments that oppose U.S. efforts to promote democracy and freedom. The cuts are being made after a popular democratic uprising in Iran, the “Arab Spring” anti-government movement in the Middle East and mounting pressure inside China for democratic change. “I have serious reservations about the direction of U.S. international broadcasting,” said Blanquita Cullum, a former board governor. “I believe the intended outcome of the BBG’s strategic plan will leave many people in nondemocratic countries without access to critical news and information from our direct radio broadcasts.” Current and former officials involved in U.S. government broadcasting for several networks, including the flagship VOA, said in interviews and emails that cutting costs and the shift to online broadcasting are devastating the organization at a time when promotion of key U.S. values is urgently needed in places such as China and the Middle East. New leadership The nine-member BBG, an independent federal agency that includes Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as a board member, directs five major networks: VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio and TV Marti, and Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) called Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television. Its stated mission is to “promote freedom and democracy” through multimedia communication using “accurate, objective and balanced news, information, and other programming” about the United States around the world. The agency has about 760 employees, and its budget request for fiscal 2012 is $767 million. The changes began in April when Richard M. Lobo - head of the support staff working under the BBG, called the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) - was appointed BBG executive director. An internal BBG document from June stated that the board had delegated broad power to Mr. Lobo, including day-to-day management of all agencies and authority to make decisions about “trade-offs and conflicts” for the broadcasters. Mr. Lobo, a former public broadcasting station president in southwestern Florida, stated in a July 22 email to employees that “given today’s budgetary climate, we are focused on ways to centralize leadership direction, streamline management and support functions, and eliminate duplication.” ‘Strategic vision’ Mr. Lobo has what he calls a “strategic vision” that is leading to major consolidations, officials said. The vision is expected to produce sharp cuts in funding and staff at the networks. Mr. Lobo also is bringing in outside consultants to join what called a “daunting effort” to draw up and implement the strategy over the coming months. “We firmly believe that a new strategic road map and the organizational changes we are discussing will help to sharpen our mission and our focus, as U.S. international broadcasting takes on the increasingly complex challenges of a global, multiplatform media landscape in the years ahead,” he said. A BBG official said in an email that the reorganization has created “a lot of chaos and confusion.” New board members were appointed last summer, Mr. Lobo joined in March, and a new VOA director will be appointed next month. “Big changes [are] coming, but nobody knows for sure what they’ll be,” the official said. “The key word is ‘consolidation’ with the ‘radios’ [RFE/RL, MBN, RFA, Marti], but nobody knows for sure how that will happen.” A former BBG official said U.S. international broadcasting is in serious trouble because of a lack of focus and mismanagement - problems that have plagued the agency for several years. The shift to Internet and social media services is rife with problems, the former official said. Hacking “The whole Internet strategy is bogus,” this former official said, noting that Iranian hackers shut down some 40 VOA Internet broadcast sites for five hours in February. “It demonstrated the vulnerability of relying on Internet broadcasting. One can only imagine what the Chinese can do.” The Iranian VOA hacking followed by two weeks the disclosure that VOA is ending all radio broadcasts to China this year in favor of Internet broadcasting and some radio through the heavily jammed Radio Free Asia. The decision was made after China refused to permit VOA to use China- based ground stations to transmit its programs, even though the Obama administration provided China with broad access to U.S. airwaves for its state-run media. BBG spokeswoman Letitia King said the strategic review has been under way for a year and has not been completed. The plan is looking for ways to make international broadcasting more efficient and to reduce duplication and overlap, she said. On the cutbacks in radio, Ms. King said: “The board has made clear that they recognize the value of radio and television as really important media worldwide.” New media are an extension of news and information outlets, but are “by no means the central boulevard for broadcasting,” she said. ‘Painful’ but ‘necessary’ A BBG report outlining the “realignment strategy” for shortwave and medium-wave radio broadcasts stated that “the process and transition will be as painful as they are necessary.” According to the report, the radio outlets face tight budgets, an “onerous” federal labor structure and aging technology. The draft strategy calls for using more joint facilities, overturning legislative obstacles and “de-federalizing” the workforce - shifting from federal workers to contractors, a process likely to involve large-scale layoffs. Plans to cut short- and medium-wave radio broadcasts are projected to save $75 million annually and be carried out in phases by closing VOA stations in the Philippines, on the Pacific island of Saipan, in Germany and in North Carolina, and scaling back Kuwait-based stations. The goal is to cut $82 million by 2014, the report said. Under a section on “higher-profile eliminations,” the report revealed plans to cut broadcasts to Cuba, China, Iran and Pakistan. Yet broadcasting uncensored news and information to those regions is more critical than ever, current and former BBG officials said. Some shortwave outlets to be kept under the plan include radio beamed into North Korea, Burma, Tibet, Pakistan’s tribal areas, Afghanistan, Africa and in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Risk of losing audience However, the report stated that BBG’s new focus is on creating a “global newsroom” using “inter-entity connectivity, content sharing and virtual studies.” New media, such as Facebook and Twitter, will be expanded through “robust Internet connectivity.” The former official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the board has failed to properly analyze the risks of the Internet strategy. For example, targeting audiences in China with Internet access fails to address the fact that China’s security services use 50,000 Internet police to monitor electronic traffic. The Chinese are unlikely to tune in to U.S. broadcasting and risk losing Internet access or even being arrested for listening to banned news on the Internet, the former official said. The lessons of Russia and the Middle East also appear to have been ignored in the reorganization. Internal VOA surveys have shown that the BBG’s decision in 2008 to end all direct radio broadcasts to Russia was a disaster because most of VOA’s audience was lost after listeners declined to listen to the radio on the Internet. U.S. broadcasts to the Middle East also are lacking. Mrs. Clinton recently suggested that the United States has lost the “information war” against terrorism in that region. Media gap Critics traced the problems to a decision in 2002 to give up VOA broadcasting and launch the U.S.-funded radio and television. “We have not really kept up with the times,” Mrs. Clinton said in March. “We are in an information war, and we cannot assume that this youth bulge that exists not just in the Middle East, but in so many parts of the world really knows much about us.” The current and former officials said the Arabic-language stations have failed to garner wide audiences in the Arab world, where Al Jazeera, often sympathetic to Islamic terrorists, has flourished. “We’ve had this intense media effort for the last 10 years, and we don’t have a lot to show for it,” the former official said. Another part of the proposed reorganization is to move BBG operations out of the large headquarters building in Southwest Washington, the Wilbur J. Cohen Building, and relocate employees to the Dulles Town Center area in Northern Virginia. To counter the cut in Chinese broadcasting, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican, helped pass an amendment last month to a House bill that would add $13.7 million to VOA’s budget for Chinese broadcasting. Ms. Cullum said large numbers of people around the world do not have access to the Internet. In China, she said, access is limited to large cities and to the affluent population. “There is an audience throughout the world who do not have access to the Internet, which is the intended foundation under the BBG strategic plan,” she said. “Where will they go when we are not there? We know the Internet has vulnerabilities. If VOA relies largely on this method of distribution, it is setting itself up for failure” (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Although there are some inaccuracies, credit to Mr. Gertz for providing an overview of a complicated reorganization in what is already a complicated bureaucratic structure. As recently as a quarter century ago, US international broadcasting would face media environments in target countries that would consist of a moribund state-controlled broadcasting monopoly, plus external broadcasts from VOA and/RFE/RL, BBC, and perhaps one or more other foreign shortwave stations. It was a time of information scarcity. Now, even in unfree societies, the websites and social media of US international broadcasting must compete with hundreds of domestic websites, tens of thousands of social media participants, and dozens of television channels. It is the present day overabundance of information and entertainment that is causing the "chaos and confusion" in US international broadcasting. Competing in this environment will be difficult. The necessary first step is to transform US international broadcasting from its present feudal collection of entities that compete among themselves, to a single-branded multimedia entity that can cope with the real competition. Mr. Gertz is incorrect in writing that "the Obama administration provided China with broad access to U.S. airwaves for its state-run media." China Radio International and CCTV were on US radio stations and cable channels during the George W. Bush administration and probably before that. It is the outcome of US press freedom, and the desire of some private US radio stations and cable channels, that might not otherwise have opportunities for profit, to make money by brokering time to international media (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A. VOICE OF AMERICA - AFRICAN BEAT --- This is an excellent programme to just chill-out listening to great African sounds. The host is David Vandy. The following description on the voanews website fully sums up the programme, so I'll just share it with you here: "African Beat is Voice of America’s hottest African music show which showcases the best in African music from the continent. From Benga to Juju, Hip Life to Bongo Flava, Afro Beat to Ndombolo, Bubu to Soukous and Makossa to Kwaito, African Beat has it all -- from across the continent. "Join Host David Vandy and Executive Producer Matthew LaVoie as they crisscross the African continent bringing you the best African music on the African Beat – the show that brings happiness into your homes and smiles on your faces. "David Vandy was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and has hosted and produced news and music shows at several radio stations. David loves dancing and wants to keep you dancing every Monday through Friday at 0900 and 2000 UTC/GMT with the best African music from our greatest musicians from the continent." http://www.voanews.com/english/programs/radio/65173007.html African Beat is a great programme to have as background whilst you do other things - whilst compiling this I have been listening to music coming from: Mali, S Africa, Togo, Kenya, Sudan, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Dem Rep of Congo, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ethiopia. From time to time, there are also studio guests talking about their music or African musical influences on their life. The 2000 UT programme is currently being heard here in the UK with a very strong signal on 4940 via São Tomé until 2030 (when the frequency changes to VoA programming in Hausa). The programme is also streamed via the voanews website, or you can download the latest edition as an MP3, and listen anytime. Highly recommended (LISTENING POST by Alan Roe, Middlesex, August World DX Club Contact via DXLD) see also ANGOLA [non] A SOMEWHAT CLUMSY BUT INTERESTING DISCUSSION ABOUT ALHURRA Posted: 03 Aug 2011 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=11770 WBEZ (Chicago), "Worldview," 27 July 2011, Jerome McDonald: Since the "U.S. government’s most expensive foreign broadcasting effort: the Arabic-language news channel Alhurra ... was founded in 2004, the U.S. has sunk close to a billion dollars into it. Alhurra, based in Springfield, Virginia, has garnered sharp criticism and allegations of mismanagement. But the station's also had some recent successes to point to during the Arab Spring uprisings. We speak with Philip Seib, lead researcher for a 2008 report on Alhurra and director of the Center on Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California, about the news channel and public diplomacy efforts around the world." With link to audio (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) (hint: I had to download the audio, because listening online did not work on my browser). Recommended listening. The interviewer, however, equates international broadcasting with public diplomacy, even to the point that he seems to think that public diplomacy consists only of international broadcasting. In his introduction, he said "[t]he Broadcasting Board of Governors oversees all US public diplomacy." Some of us prefer to categorize international broadcasting and public diplomacy as separate, complementary, and sometimes adversarial activities. Professor Seib kept bringing the conversation back to the need for reliable news. Listen to this audio excerpt (mp3 1:45), including: "If you want an audience in the Middle East, the only way you're going to be able to capture and maintain that audience is if you report honestly and recognize what the audience is interested in. ... If the United States wants to do journalism it will have to do journalism. If it wants to do politics, it can do politics. And I think that is a decision that the policy makers need to make." In this second audio excerpt (mp3 2:20), Professor Seib suggested Alhurra could complement Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, perhaps by using more content from American domestic television. "There is tremendous interest in the United States. That's the great asset that American public diplomacy officials have." By my reckoning, there are at least three possibilities for an Alhurra format: 1) STAY AS A MOSTLY NEWS CHANNEL. Alhurra has enjoyed some success with its present format, achieving an audience that is a respectable fraction of that of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, and larger than that BBC Arabic and all the other Arabic news channels from non-Arab countries. 2) BECOME AN "AMERICANA" CHANNEL. This is what Prof. Seib thinks Alhurra should have been from the beginning. Indeed, an Americana channel could use centrally produced video and be versioned by USIB into several languages. The problem is that, from the many surveys that I am familiar with, audiences in most countries do not "have a tremendous interest in the United States." In fact, their interest in the United States is much less than we American would like to think that it is. An Americana channel would therefore have a niche audience, but perhaps large enough to be worthwhile. 3) TIE UP WITH A US COMMERCIAL CHANNEL. Alhurra could perhaps reduce expenses by tying in with a general-purpose US international commercial channel, such as Hallmark or Bravo, or with a sports network. At various times during the broadcast day would be Alhurra's own flagship news programs. The WBEZ interview would have benefited from more specific audience data. In fact, Alhurra spokesperson Deirdre Kline added a comment to the WBEZ web page linked above with some of that audience data. Unless the BBG provides ready access to its audience research findings -- the taxpayers who fund USIB deserve to see it -- Alhurra will continue to suffer from, and might even be done in by, misinformation about its ability to attract audiences (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A [and non]. There was a good signal today the 28th from WWV at 0645 UT on 10000 - a man's voice, so I think Boulder. The same voice has been audible at this time all week, but not as strongly as today. A check on 15000 revealed a woman`s voice, so this must have been WWVH. This one was not as strong as 10 but the TC's were clearly audible together with the well known tone/ticks. There was no trace of CHU on 14670, but it was audible on 7850 at fair strength. 3330 not yet audible at this time (Noel R. Green (NW England), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 25910/FM, WQGY434 Fort Worth TX, WBAP studio feeder; 1559- 1607+, 26-July; News-Talk AM 8-20, 96.7 FM WBAP; ToH WBAP News Time, 24-7 News Room, 103 today & 105 tomorrow; Brian Dodge program promo; Rush Limbaugh at 1607. Fair+, scratchy. Still there at 2007 with Hannity. Gone at 2152. Found at 1431, 27-July. 25950/FM, KOA Denver CO, studio feeder; 1430, 27-July; Colorado promo into Fox News. 25990/FM, KSCS Arlington TX; 1426, 27-July; 96-3 Country KSCS; C&W music. Good. 26410/FM, UNID; 1955-2013+, 27-July; Presume a studio link. Poor, in/out, mainly out. Can't tell for sure, but might be a baseball game. Only thing I can find on any list is WLIO-TV in Lima OH. Their web page says the televise Little League games. Never heard before if them. Not heard during 1430 pass (Harold Frodge, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** U S A. 20000 had WWV short-skipping in by sporadic-E, so a good time to tune up to 31 MHz. Nothing much on 15 or 12 m hambands, a bit on 10m including on 28430-USB a W-zero working W3s, and: On 25950 at 1923 August 4 I come to an NBFM signal copiable by slope detexion with adstring, fading up from nothing to S9+5 peaks. I bet it`s the KOA remote unit in Denver, commonly heard further away at more favorable skip distances than mine, less than 500 miles. Includes ``your Bronco station, 850KOA.com``, ``Colorado, the hail capital`` from a roofer, and several others. I bet it`s during Rush Limbaugh: yes, back he came at 1926, so I quickly tune on to avoid puking. I should have logged all the advertisers in order to boycott them the next time I am in CO. Quick check again at 1941, but signal is gone by now. I can`t find any previous log by me of this, certainly not in the last biyear. Wasted a lot of time searching DX and official sources for the proper callsign of this unit without any luck. Probably is three or four letters plus three numbers. The ham at KOA who QSLed some others did not even mention what it really is. [unlike the Ft Worth ones, above, which are too close for me to expect any skip from, otherwise too far for direct/groundwave] Next check at 2127, it`s back in ad break of some other far-right show by now. Meanwhile I was getting Saskatchewan on TV; see CANADA (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 25950/FM, KOA, Denver CO, studio link; 1717, 4-Aug; Mike Rosen Show local call-in at 713-8585; Rush Limbaugh promo; ad for James Hardy Siding Center. VGood. Still on at 2109 & good (Harold Frodge, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1575 monitoring: Thursday July 28 at 21-22 UT: Confirmed at 2100 on WTWW 9479, and the WTWW-1 webcast is also working now; JBA on 9955 WRMI even tho no jamming; JBA on 7415 WBCQ at 2155. [The Wed 2130 on WBCQ 7415 was replaced July 27 by an unknown amateur hymn-singing show, apparently]. 0331 UT Friday on WWRB 5051 and webcast; 5051 is rather weak and hetted. Next airings on WRMI 9955: Fri 1430, Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730. On WTWW 5755: UT Sun 0400. On WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830. 9955, July 30 at 1139, WRMI preacher in English clear of jamming, unlike wall of noise on 9965 vs República. Now if only WRMI were free of jamming Mondays at 1130. After 1200 the jamming is back. WORLD OF RADIO 1575 monitoring: reconfirmed on WTWW-1, 5755, good signal UT Sunday July 31 after 0400, preceded by the usual automated announcement from SFAW about sorcery on the streets of Washington DC. Standard disclaimer. Remaining SW broadcasts this week: UT Monday 0300v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB; on WRMI 9955: Sunday 1530, 1730; Monday 1130, 1530, 2130; Tuesday & Wednesday 1530. WORLD OF RADIO 1576 monitoring. First airing on WRMI 9955 webcast confirmed at 0330 UT Thursday August 4. Further WRMI times: Thu 1500, 2100, Fri 0500, 1430, Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730. A day before the 0500 airing, Aug 4 at 0528, 9955 had Jeff & Thaïs in Spanish, ergo `Viva Miami` with no jamming audible. More WOR times: WTWW: Thu 2100 9479, UT Sun 0400 5755 WBCQ: Thu 2130 7415, UT Mon 0300v 5110v-CUSB WWRB: UT Fri 0330v 5051 WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830 All also with webcasts. Full schedule including many other webcasts: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WORLD OF RADIO 1576 monitoring: confirmed on WTWW 9479, Thursday August 4 at 2100, VG signal. Confirmed on WRMI webcast after 1500 and 2100 Aug 4; inaudible on 9955 at 2127 check tho no jamming. WBCQ 7415 not audible either, but confirmed on webcast after 2130. Next chance: UT Friday 0330v on WWRB 5051. Also on ACB Radio Mainstream webcasts 2- hourly from 0100 UT Friday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 12100, July 29 at 1252, WTWW-3 is on in Arabic, but only fair signal with degraded propagation, not up to usual daytime level. 12100, July 30 at 1709, WTWW-3 is on and still in Arabic. Originally was to be in 3-hour language blox, but is always in Arabic already when cuts on circa 1300. Guess their exact schedule is still flexible. ** U S A. 9370, July 30 at 1143, no signal from WTJC, tho e.g. WBCQ was quite strong on 9330. Last few days, WTJC has been weakish and spurfree. Did it quit working because Jesus came to them already; a breakdown; or deliberately off for repair? Probably the middle one (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Back subsequently, no spurs ** U S A [and non]. 4840, *0000 UT 23 July, WWCR sign on and QRMing Mumbai who signed on 5 minutes earlier, SIO 222. AIR dominant at first (Alan Pennington, Tropical Bands Logbook, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 4840, 0005-0015, INDIA, 30.07, AIR Mumbai Marathi (presumed) ann, Indian songs 45434 AP-DNK 4845.25, 0020-0140, BRAZIL, 29+30.07, R Cultura Ondas Tropicais, Manaus, AM, Portuguese talk mentioning Manaus, 0136 ID, 44343, QRM [de?] WWCR 4840 (Anker Petersen on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Let it not be said that US ISWBC stations can invade tropical bands without consequence. Wonder how WWCR picked this particular channel; after trying 4775, etc. (gh, DXLD) 12160, July 30 at 1615, `Ask WWCR` new edition #344 says: major schedule change coming August 1: Brother Scare time will be halved instead of 24/7 on WWCR-4, retaining 05-11 on 5890, 14-20 on 9980. [It was BS, no doubt, who decided to cut time on WWCR in half.] Instead of filling with other programming, most of that time will be off the air for a while, allowing for more convenient maintenance not only of #4 transmitter, but the others by swapping them around, while continuing to operate on scheduled frequencies. Pastor Butch somebody will take one of the remaining hours at 0100 UT [9980 is currently running until 0200]. Recently found a bunch of (modulator) cards in a nail (mail?) bin needing to be rebuilt. This discovery was worth $16K, as they cost $600 each. They have now all been checked, repaired, tested and ready to use. [Unspoken of course, but my frequent complaints about WWCR-1 `squealing` have finally had an effect: It`s defective modulator cards which cause this. We`ll see if that stop. And how about the spurs?] The 11 hours per day of down-time also provide an opportunity to test a new frequency, 17580, in the 20-22 UT period. Tests will be without any frequency-change announcements and without advance notice. They haven`t even tuned up the transmitter yet for that frequency. 17580, a rare inband channel for WWCR, has been cleared by Tom Lucey at FCC, who however thinks according to VOACAP theory, it probably won`t be effective. Neither host can remember WWCR ever operating on 17 MHz, but maybe some listeners can: Yes, in the early years WWCR was somewhere in the 17.5s for a while, I recall, 17535? Then preferred 15 MHz. If they decide to keep it, as yet unknown whether 17580 will be OK for the B- season. [Current HFCC A-11 shows no ACI or CCI to 17580 during those hours] (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7449.43, 7480.57, WWCR Spurs, 0050-0058*, July 30, weak but readable WWCR spurs from 7465. Spurs +/- 15.57 kHz away from 7465. 7504.44, 7535.56, WWCR Spurs, *0059-0115, July 30, weak but readable WWCR spurs from 7520. Spurs +/- 15.56 kHz away from 7520 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4840, August 1 at 0527, dead air from WWCR-3. Did not hang around to find how long it would last. 9980, absent around 1300 August 1, as WWCR-4 has reduced schedule to 13 hours per day starting at 1400 with Brother Scare. Until then, WWV listeners no longer have to cope with that overload. Neither WWCR nor The Overcomer Ministry have yet updated their schedules to show this. 15825, August 1 at 1405, WWCR-1 with gospel huxteress has built up to S9+15, and listening carefully, no squeal audible. Seems after years of squealing, they have finally replaced defective modulator cards. But the plus/minus 15+ kHz spurs are still there, so unrelated problem, carriers barely detectable just below 15810 and above 15840. By 1412, 15825 has attained S9+22, still asquealous. WWCR has already contradicted what was said on `Ask WWCR`: 9980 was to carry Brother Scare only at 14-20, then go off the air until 0100. But Monday August 1 at 2057 it`s still on with some other program, certainly not // WWRB 9385 --- phone-talk show concluding with comments about zombies, ``back on Wednesday`` [how about Tuesday?], phone 1-800-375-4188, which immediately Googles to ``Located in Central Pennsylvania, Discount Gold and Silver Trading Co. may be contacted by telephone at 1-800-375-4188``. Then at 2059, ``WWCR must now leave the air --- until later today`` twice, and off. As of Aug 2, WWCR still has not posted a new PDF program schedule, just 1 July`s still showing Brother Scare 24/7 on WWCR-4. Nor the transmitter schedule, still dated June 27-August 31 with WWCR-4 as 24 h on 5890, 9980, switching at 02 and 12 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13845, WWCR Nashville TN; 1943-2001+, 2-Aug; Inquisition Update program; English huxter ragging on Masons, Jesuits, Catholics, Papal Anti-Christ, Vatican-Jesuit New World Order, etc. (left out the Jews, Vikings & Girl Scouts!). "We don't fear Christ, we fear running out of money; we fear running out of beer..." (Duh!). ToH WWCR spot, into University Network with Dead Dr. Gene (nothing on 11775 or 6090). SIO=444- with splash from 13850. 13850 was in French -- Voice of Russia in French from Moldova listed in 8/2 Aoki, but sure sounded like "Voix de Chine" at ToH (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15825, August 4 at 1915, WWCR is extremely strong with sporadic-E enhancement, S9+22 estimated on FRG-7 meter, which is about the most any non-local signal can register --- and the squeal is again being heard, not too bad but certainly audible under kid with poor dixion singing an old song reminding us of a ``Little Orphan Annie`` poem, ``[something] will get you if you don`t watch out``, ``control that lower lip``, evidently a morality lesson. July program schedule still posted shows at 1915-1930 M-F, `Daily Story Time`. Also splattering plus/minus 45 kHz, and the spurs just below 15810 and just above 15840 are clearly audible with // modulation. Of course, all these get worse, the stronger the fundamental signal, but previous strong signals did not audiblize the squeal. Instead of fixing WWCR-1, they might have swapped another transmitter, now back to the original. The -1, -2, -3, -4 designations don`t necessarily apply to specific transmitters, but instead program/frequency/antenna/transmission services which really could be routed thru any of the transmitters (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 11511, 11529, WEWN Spurs, 0400-0430, July 31, strong, ugly, noisy, distorted spurs from 11520. (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 12050, Aug 4 at 1945, tune across WEWN in Spanish to hear ``por su dolorosa pasión`` repeated over and over by unxuous announcer, alternating with caller repeating over and over ``ten misercordia de nosotros del mundo entero``. After more than a minute announcer finally put an end to this nonsense with ``Amen.`` Tuning across WEWN 7555/11870 in the nightmiddle, chances are at least 50-50 that you will hear the very same phrases, in the `Paz a la luz de la luna en vivo desde Miami` program UT Tue-Sat at 04-06. There are at least three different Spanish schedules, but this one appears only on the SW one at http://www.ewtn.com/radio/sp_radio_sched.asp While another live call-in program M-F at 19-20 is ``Jesús en ti confío EN VIVO``, apparently from the same source, same host (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Thoughts on US stations reception here --- Hi folks, some considerations about receiving signals from the US at my QTH: http://fromdctodaylight.splinder.com/post/25367492/crossing-the-pond Ciao (Chris Diemoz, Italy, Aug 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz: [. . .] There are everyday ones, like WWCR, or WYFR, followed by less regulars WEWN, WHRI, WINB or WJTC. Others, simply, I'm yet trying to succesfully tune them. It's the case of KJES on 7555 kHz and WJHR on 15550 kHz. WBCQ "The Planet", from Monticello, Maine - that has to be awarded a gold star, being the only US one not following the rigid Bible Belt format - situates itself somewhere between the second and third category. Not impossible, but you won't log it more than three-four times a year. Last week, on 28th July, it was almost strong on 9330 kHz: an entry to be underlined in the log! (Diemoz blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. 9330-CUSB, July 29 at 1217, WBCQ is dead air, or maybe just barely modulated? Still silent carrier at 1259, no ID inserted either. At 1300 flanked by VOK IS on both 9325 and 9335 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15420.05, WBCQ Monticello ME (presumed); 1740-1801+, 1-Aug; English, Bible huxteress with sing-song cadence; no ToH ID. Mixing with co- channel BBC-Seychelles to 1800, then BBC-Great Britain. USB helped till BBC switched to G.B. transmitter (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7415 not, but checking WBCQ stream, Wednesday August 3 at 2129 I am hearing two audios mixing: Amos `n` Andy, `n` somethin` in Spanish for a few sex, sounds like Dino Bloise with `Frecuencia al Día`. Presumably the same happened on 7415. Both audios stop at the same time, 2130 into unnamed show of amateur lo-fi singing of pop oldies. I`ve heard it before elsewhen on WBCQ, but what show is it? O, it must be: `Goddess Irina 1 Music Show`, which per still outdated 7415 schedule is supposed to be at 2330 on Tuesdays: http://schedule.wbcq.com/main.php?fn=show_program&id=20 Her website in Western [sic] Samoa? including her portrait and spacey art also implies Tuesdays 2330: http://www.goddessirena1.ws/ Her ``Sunshine and Blue Skies`` CD playlist includes as second item, ``Bridge Over Troubled Water [sic]``, which I heard at 2135. WBCQ program may very well have just been playing that CD, which would explain lack of title, announcements. The 7415 schedule still shows WORLD OF RADIO Wednesdays at 2130 as well as the true time, Thursdays 2130. As for `Frecuencia al Día`, it was regularly on WBCQ for a while, then apparently got lost in the shuffle of schedule changes. It`s still not listed at any time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9264.963, Loud hysterical prayer on WINB Red Lion noted at 2250 UT July 31, this program ended at 2259 UT. S=9+10dB. I grow fearful of this very loud YELL. I think this prayer is possibly very crazy and fit for the nuthouse. Never heard such behaviour from a priest before. Sundays 2230-2256 UT on 9264.963 kHz. Terry Blalock also Sun 1630...Terry Blalock Sun 2230...Terry Blalock Sat 2230...Terry Blalock Sun 0100...Terry Blalock (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, BC-DX via DXLD) ** U S A. 15385, August 4 at 1914, KJES NM with ``Santa María`` praise music, by pros instead of kids, VG S9+20 with Es help. Modulation a bit rough and then fade music to tell a Jesus story in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 9815, EAST GERMANY, AWR (via Nauen) at 0329 with “This is Adventist World Radio. The next program is in Amharic”, Very Good Jul 28 (Mark Coady, Chemung Lake, ON, Alinco DX-R8T Eton E-1 and loaded inverted vee dipole, Your Report, August ODXA Listening In via DXLD) 17575, July 30 at 1644, poor signal with singing and drumming; one particular drum pitch came thru best every few sex. 1656 still similar music, 1659.6 music stops, and off at 1700* without any announcements; how rude! Uplooked later, it`s AWR in Somali via Wertachtal, GERMANY, 250 kW, 135 degrees at 1630-1700 daily (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non non]. SLOVAKIA. I sent a couple of reports earlier this year to TWR Europe's Slovakia address; however QSL's have been received from the following address: Kalman Dobos, c/o TWR, P. O. Box 8700, Cary, North Carolina 27512, USA (Allen Dean, Lancashire, DX News, August World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 11-30: TCS IS DEAD; UNUSUAL BUST INDICATES INFORMANT; CMDR. BUNNY PRIME SUSPECT Dear Radio Friends, Nearly twenty-nine years after its first transmission, The Crystal Ship has been forced to leave the air due to an FCC "Notice of Unlicensed Operation" which was delivered to the site of their last transmissions at Lansing, Michigan in late May 2011. Unusual circumstances of the bust suggest the FCC had an informant. Because of the feuding that took place between the operator known as "Commander Bunny" and TCS' John Poet during April-May of 2011, over Poet's outing of the Bunny's use of "sock-puppets" to control the 'Free Radio Network' website, support his opinions and attack and bully dissenters, we believe that "Commander Bunny" was responsible for making a complaint against The Crystal Ship to the Federal Communications Commission, and providing them with specific details which made for an "easy bust". Read about it here: http://www.tcsshortwave.com/2011/07/shortwave-pirate-crystal-ship-is-dead.html And more here: http://whisperinyourfear.blogspot.com/2011/07/irony-of-anonymity.html -- 73's John Poet The Crystal Ship The TCS Blog http://www.tcsshortwave.com The Free Radio Cafe forums http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/ H.F. Underground: Pirate & Shortwave Forums http://www.hfunderground.com/board/ Pirates Week Podcast: http://www.piratesweek.info The Free Radio Weekly: A weekly Email publication with the most current pirate loggings and information now being published anywhere! Send your free subscription requests to freeradioweekly @ gmail.com and tell 'em that we sent ya! (TCS mailing list July 29 via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD; also via Steve Lare, Artie Bigley) The International Radio Report program, on CKUT talks about the TCS bust, during the last ten minutes of the thirty minute show: http://archives.ckut.ca/128/20110731.10.30-11.00.mp3 (Artie Bigley, July 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also NORTH AMERICA ** U S A. Even with all the RFI from power lines I've had recently and 25 days of 100+ degree highs in July, I still managed to log 3 new ones in the past 10 days, thanks mostly to overnite recordings: 1370, WGIV-NC, 20JUL11 0100 CDT [UT -5], ad giving phone number and address in Ft. Mill, SC, matches Google search results. Anything is possible with the propagation vagaries but I suspect this one on day power of 16 kW rather than 45 watts. NC #3 and new #804. 1290, KWFS-TX, 26JUL11 2233 CDT, ad for Nissan dealership in Wichita Falls, "NewsTalk 12-90" slogan into talk show, mixing with KIVY. Way too strong for 73 watts night power. Local 1550-KYAL was having problems with its automation last nite. First noted "putt-putt-putt..." 30JUL 2245 CDT, decided to record overnite 1550 and found: WPFC-LA, 31JUL11, 0105 CDT, promo for insurance program "Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 - 2:30 right here on WPFC 1550" into black gospel music. Another one likely on 5kw day power, way too strong for 42 watts. Noted on all TOH recordings overnight. New #806. 73 from toasty Tulsa (Bruce Winkelman AA5CO, Drake R8, EndFedz SWL sloper, July 31, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. NOW on with NEWS Chicago 101.1 http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/1807-fm-news-1011-launches FM NEWS 101.1 on the air as of 4:00 PM CST http://www.facebook.com/FMNewsChicago (Artie Bigley, OH, July 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Chicago now has two all-news FMs --- Chicago's FM News 101.1 (former Q101) went on the air this weekend one day before WBBM goes on the air on 105.9 this Monday. Sometimes the antics of the radio business are a bit child-like --- like "Ha ha!! We got on the air before you did!!!!" --- only to change formats a year later. But either way, Chicago now has two FM news stations. Merlin Media's Randy Michaels at 101.1 had this to say to the Tribune: "I can tell you that we won't be going all news on August 1st." Clever. They did go all-news. On July 31st. You can read the Tribune story here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-merlin-media-launches-20110731,0,341609.story It makes me wonder --- does stunting really serve any purpose in the world of radio? The average listener probably doesn't care the slightest bit about it. Heck, I'm a DXer and I don't care. People tune into their favourite stations and if one station stunts by playing every song every made by a single artist for a full week... do people really listen or ponder to themselves "hmm... I wonder what they're gonna do?" In all honesty, how many non-radio-folks even know what "stunting" is though? (-Chris Kadlec, Fremont, Mich., 1 August, WTFDA via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) I recorded 45 minutes of it, on their first day. A private e-mail to me will get you that MP3 file. Actually, FM News 101.1 launched on Friday 29 July (Blaine Thompson, IN, ibid.) Thanks for the correction, Blaine. Being over here in Asia, I can't easily confirm these details happening back home. The article said that 105.9 was launching on Monday, and that 101.1 launched one day ahead of the competition on Sunday. However, of course, being unable to listen myself, I took the article as being correct. Apparently it's not. Even though it clearly states they "officially" began on Sunday, maybe they were unofficially going before that. :) (Chris Kadlec, ibid.) I tried to listen to FM News 101.1 this morning and quickly became bored with too many commercials, no network news on the hour, and newscasters that don't seem as good as those on WBBM. I'll take Q101 and their rock mx back any day. As for 105.9, who needs it? WBBM is listenable with the truck radio even during the day for at least 250 miles in all directions. Both 101.1 and 105.9 weren't stable this morning due to heavy tropo interference. 780 AM is all that is needed for news here near Chicago, and would sound better (as co-owned WSCR does since dropping IBOC) if they'd get rid of IBOC. 73 KAZ Barrington IL (Neil Kazaross, Aug 2, ibid.) ** U S A. WUOT LOOKS FORWARD TO CALMER WEATHER August is always an interesting month at WUOT. Staff members have vacations behind them, the station has finished another fiscal year "in the black" and we're carefully navigating the barricades as workers complete maintenance projects all over campus before thousands of students return to school. It's truly hard to believe that summer is quickly coming to an end. While many of us may not be ready to say goodbye to the neighborhood pool or outings on the lake with friends and family, there is one thing the WUOT staff IS ready to embrace: calmer weather! At least, we hope the wind, hail, lightning and power outages are BEHIND us! It's been a tough spring and summer for WUOT. The station has had multiple technical difficulties resulting from bad weather. WUOT Chief Engineer Mike Murrell and Program/Operations Director Greg Hill have had their hands full, dealing with transmitters without power, automation system reboots, a satellite system gone haywire and new Emergency Assistance System equipment that doesn't work. We truly appreciated your patience and understanding as we dealt with first one, then myriad technical problems! We're hopeful that the problems have now been resolved and we can all enjoy a beautiful (and peaceful!) East Tennessee autumn (WUOT 91.9 Knoxville TN E-Notes, August via DXLD) ** VANUATU. 3945, R. Vanuatu, 1203-1218:42*, August 1. Above the norm reception, but still with ham QRM; OM in vernacular (many words in English) with religious sermon; 1217 YL with ID and program information; National Anthem. In the past they consistently turned off the transmitter at 1224; whereas now they are leaving it on for many more hours with just the open carrier being heard; August 1 noted past 1443. Wonder why the sudden change? Reminds me of how the Solomon Islands used to do the same thing several years ago (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Ian, Hope all is well with you. For the past week or so have noted that Radio Vanuatu on 3945 no longer turns off their transmitter at 1224 as they had been doing for some time now. It's now heard still on with an open carrier for several hours past their usual cut off time. Reminds me of how the Solomon Islands use to keep their transmitter on long after they ended their audio broadcasting, something they no longer do. Wonder why the sudden change with Radio Vanuatu? (Ron Howard, California, CA, July 30, to Ian Baxter, NSW, via DXLD) ** VATICAN. 15570, July 30 at 1608, fair signal in Swahili, 1611 hilife music. 1656 still going, mentions Somalia. I was wondering about this one until 1659 the VR IS played. VR A-11 schedule folder shows Kiswahili at 1600-1615, 1615 Somali on Saturday only; 1630 Amharic, Tigrino [sic] daily. HFCC says 250 kW, 139 degrees from SMG. [During the 16-17 UT hour I was on inside antenna due to much-needed T-storm dropping a semiinch of rain upon us] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Re 11-30, Calabazo new SW site: No antennas visible yet next to the transmitter house in Google Earth / Maps (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX 1 August via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. 6060, RNV via Habana. ID 1111, Spanish news, good level on 21/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) One of the last logs of this before vanished? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) While I was reconfirming RHC Esperanto, July 31, also checked the `Aló, Presidente` frequencies, at 1520, and all were silent: 11690, 13680, 13750, 15370, 17750. Altho El Hugazo has returned to Caracas and made some public appearances, it`s unclear whether he will resume the program, and if he does, whether RHC will resume SW broadcasting it. Show website http://www.alopresidente.gob.ve/ still has not been updated since June 12 announcement that it would not appear that day due to emergency surgery; and the last one archived is #375, tho finding its original date is difficult. So far, all the daily RNV relays via Cuba checked have continued absent. If anyone does hear one, make sure to report it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM. Voice of Vietnam --- I received the following printed programme schedule in July from Voice of Vietnam. (Actually, mostly the programme themes for each day rather than programme titles). Monday Current Affairs Land People Tuesday Current Affairs Society Business Wednesday Current Affairs Letter Box Thursday Current Affairs Economy Discovery Vietnam Friday Current Affairs Rural Vietnam Culture Saturday Current Affairs Weekly review Weekend music Sunday Current Affairs Sunday Show (LISTENING POST by Alan Roe, Middlesex, August World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** VIETNAM [non]. 9930, R. Hmong, Koro. Fair level signal with considerable whine which could be cut out using USB. Speakers in assumed Hmong. Off at 2300. 2240 10/7 (Charles Jones, Castle Hill NSW (Sony 2001D with 7m. vertical antenna), Aug Australian DX News via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) WHR schedule for Angel 3, Koror, PALAU, only has this when searched on Hmong: ``2200 - 2230 UT, 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM EDT, Fr,Sa, Hmong World Ministries, Gia Tou Lee, 9.930 Mhz`` and July 10 was a Sunday; but Aoki shows: ``9930 2200-2300 PLW x Radio Hmong Hmo Koror 1`` with 1 meaning Sunday, and what means the x? Not jammed, which is * (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. Re DXLD 11-30, 28JUL'11. ``ALGERIAS [sic], Polisario Front on 6297.15 at 1550 UTC in Arabic, heard parallel on 1550 AM kHz (Gayle Van Horn, July NZ DX Times via DXLD) ??? Neither frequency possibly audible in North Carolina at that hour. Such a log would most likely have originated with Carlos Gonçalves in Portugal, DXLD (gh, DXLD) Glenn, It was not me who reported this above where date is missing; maybe it comes from some DXer in this region as 1550 kHz wouldn't be audible at a bigger distance. 6300v is audible up here in Lisbon till they s/off 1300, but not the parallel 1550 which would fade out much earlier than, say, noon. However, both are audible throughout their first daily broadcast at my SW coast place, except in days of bad propagation when there may trouble receiving the MW outlet till very late in the early afternoon: " 1550 Polisario Front, Rabouni, ALG, 0946-f/out 1130, 20/6, Arabic, songs, talks; 25443; \\ 6297.15 off. 1550 ditto, 2301-2332*, 20/6, start of prgr in Castilian, songs, talks, closed with their "anthem"; 55444. Announced they'd be back the next day at "one thirty"; at 1200+ today, 21/6, they were still airing an Arabic prgr [on 6297.15]. " This below was my latest report on them: " 1550 Polisario Front, Rabouni, ALG, 1252-1300*, 08/7, Arabic, songs; 25443; silent on \\ 6297.15 not only that day but also for quite a number of days now, even for their 1st b/cast of the day. Their evening sched. reads 1700-2300 in Arabic, 2300-2330 in Castilian. E.g.: 2306-2330*, 10/7, 55444. " I keep an almost daily observation on this station, and can tell 6300v is still off; only 1550 is being used. I suspect they have a transmitter fault or then they are simply saving on electricity. In the course of this week, I spotted them [on 1550] with a sudden short bulletin in Castilian, at 1805 UT; then the program continued in Arabic. The Castilian program is aired 2300-2330*. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA. 5915, ZNBC - Radio 1, *0241-0250, July 31, sign on with Fish Eagle IS. Choral National Anthem at 0246. Very weak. Lost in noise by 0250. (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** ZANZIBAR. Tanzania. Radio Tanzania Zanzibar. 6015 Dole. 2011/08/03 Wednesday 0255-0307, 1 kHz sinewave till 0253, then repetition of brief tune on marimba? Followed by anthem? At 0300 ID "Radio Zanzibar". At 0302 verse from koran, then OM talking. At later re-visit, 0340, ID "Radio Tanzania Zanzibar". Fair. Better at brief re-visit, 0338. Jo'burg sunrise 0447 (Bill Bingham, RSA, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. There was a small flurry of logs of the Voice of Zimbabwe on 4828 in July. I`m not sure if they`ve increased power or just improved modulation or maybe are just on air more regularly --- the WRTH lists them as irregular on both 4828 and their daytime frequency 5975. When I`ve heard them occasionally since their launch in July 2010, their signal`s been very weak and/or under-modulated. But in July their signal seemed at a more listenable level. The VOZ Facebook page says they broadcast only ``9hrs a day`` on MW (585 kHz) and SW (4828 and 5975) but gives no schedule, but I heard what could have been their sign-off on 14 July at 2214 on 4828 with an anthem followed by dead air. Checking via receiver in Johannesburg, 23 July on Global Tuners, there was a strong carrier on 4828 well before and past 1530 UT, but no programming, so unsure of the sign-on time on this frequency (Alan Pennington, Tropical Bands Logbook, August BDXC- UK Communication via DXLD) Logs of 4828, VOZ, Gweru: 1941 13 July, kora music, VOZ ID, also ID as ``Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation``, speech, 2000 English news, SIO 242 (Alan Pennington) 1955 15 July, presumed, African music and OM talk in vernacular, SIO 121 (Alan Roe, ibid.) 2032 21 July, man in unID language, pop music, SIO 222 (Kevin O`Daly, Herts., ibid.) 2101 19 July, African music, 2103 YL ID, some English talk, fair (Giampiero Bernardini, Tuscany, ibid.) 2212 14 July, choir with anthem to 2214 then silence. Not sure if this was sign-off as carrier still seemed present, SIO 343 (Pennington, ibid.) Could also be winter bump in propagational headstart (gh, DXLD) 4828, V of Zimbabwe, Gweru. Weak with poor audio, English heard through static at 2043 on 27/7 (John Adams, Beech Forest Vic, (JRC NRD-535 Ewe and Folded Dipole), Aug Australian DX News via DXLD) 4828, Nice rhythmic music 2138, good on 18/7 (Craig Seager, DX- Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. 7330, V. of People of Democracy [sic] via Talata. Strong with opening announcements. In Ndebele, ID, sked. In English 1800 21/7 (Craig Seager, DX-Pedition at Mullimburra Point, Near Moruya NSW, August Australian DX News via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Classical music on 1440 --- Tonight, I'm hearing classical music on 1440, mixing with KODL (oldies), CKJR (oldies), and an unID talk station (very probably KMED). It's quite good and sometimes dominant when it peaks, but sometimes it disappears in the jumble for a while. I didn't hear an ID at 0200 EDT [0600 UT]. I'm not sure who it could be, except possibly KPTO Pocatello if it's actually on the air (maybe getting in some air time to keep its license alive). (Bruce in Seattle Portzer, UT Aug 3, IRCA via DXLD) Bruce, I think the station is Idaho. I have heard it several times here, without any IDs, but it is always off my Eastern Beverage. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) Bruce, Yes, as Patrick said, I'm sure this would be the Pocatello station (KPTO if memory serves me correctly). I haven't logged it in recent months, but have heard it quite often, with classical (or sometimes jazz) music, with a simple ID near the hour, but no other announcements. 73, (Nigel Pimblett, Dunmore, Alberta, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 1710 in Victoria --- At about 0530 UT, I was picking up Spanish on measured 1709.924 on the Perseus SDR. Has faded down now a few minutes later, but was at fair level. I could also see weaker carriers on 1709.992 and 1710.015 too. Not sure who the SS might be, and from where (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, Aug 4, IRCA via DXLD) Walt, This is probably the same SS Pirate I heard a couple of times and also Larry Godwin in Montana. I don't hear it often as the Russian is too strong. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) Walt, I hear this station fairly often here in Livermore. I checked it after reading your post and found them on the same 1709.924 kHz. Their signal seems to be coming from the northeast (Albert Lehr, Livermore, CA, ibid) UNIDENTIFIED. VOA 4935 kHz, SINPO 34433 --- Voice of America in 60m band 4935 kHz, English program, news. Iemand idee welke zender van VOA dit is? Op 4930 zit / of zat VOA Botswana die hoor ik nu niet; is deze zender 5 khz up gegaan? (Marc van Gerwen, Ede Gld., Neherlands, -- Blog: http://radiospotting.blogspot.com/ 1911 UT July 18, BDX via DXLD) Looks that way (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4940, straining for signals other than Cuba, WWCR, WWV on 60m, August 4 at 1128 the best I can find is a weak carrier and bits of modulation here, slightly on hi side compared to Russia 5940. Most likely V. of Strait, CHINA, rather than AIR Guwahati, which per Aoki does not start until 1200 and where per gaisma.com the sun does not set until 1238 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9770, Aug 4 at 1158, 1000 Hz mystery tonetest, poor. Recheck an hour later at 1257, still audible, very poor, but as I try to confirm it`s DSB rather than a het, the center frequency is around 9773, off by 1300. See 17800 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 12100, 1630 UT 6 July, non-stop songs in Serbian heard until 1826*, SIO 555 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, HF Logbook, August BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Watch out, WTWW! Or Croatian? Another of the mystery carrier/tone test frequencies (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 13635, July 30 at 1631, surprised to find S9+20 open carrier, strong and steady, must be from North America, then tone test on and off; 1633 Elvis song, and talk about his ``black blues``, apparently a documentary, but 1634.5 cut that off for some other music until 1635*. Left a receiver on 13635, but never came back by 1656. Such behavior likely from IBB Greenville as a test-only frequency. Nothing is scheduled on 13635 now or later from anywhere. By 1645, a similar big carrier had come up on 17820 prior to 1700 VOA Portuguese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15790, August 2, tune-in at 1321, and heard a couple words of Dutch before cut off the air, has to be RNW source. Back on at 1325, very good signal with ``Merlin music`` loop to 1327.6* and not back by 1333 or a few later chex. Some Babcock site is playing around; HFCC lists only BBC via Woofferton on 15790 at other hours. Also had Firedrake here later; see CHINA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17520, August 1 at 1321, open carrier until 1322*, back on at *1323; 1324 a few sex of praise music, back to OC and off at 1324.5* not to return. Probably WHRI testing, registered 16-20 on 17520 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17800, Aug 4 at 1305, mystery 1000 Hz tone, underneath much stronger DW Hausa via RWANDA at 310 degrees USward. Still going at 1338; at least Hausa-listeners had the alternative of 17820 via PORTUGAL. Usually the tones find a clear frequency, but also clashed with DW 17800 on June 23 as in DXLD 11-25; see also 9770 from which I suspect the same transmitter had just upmoved (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17900, the unexplained 1000 Hz tone tests are still going on after more than a month: August 1 at 1318, fading S4 to S9 peaks, stronger than Saudi on 17895. Did not notice any breaks, and still going past 1400. Recheck at 1414, now it`s only open carrier until off at 1418:42*. Then cuts on briefly twice, off, and back on at *1419:28. Tone resumes at 1419:52, then open carrier again; still S9 peaks. After 1430 open carrier, still at 1435 and at final check 1455. Meanwhile, other 16m signals were generally poor. At 1323, Saudi audible on 17615, stronger 17705; Libya poor on 17725. Seems they never play Croatian music any more. Benelux club members were reporting that July 4-5 at various earlier, same and later hours, on 18900, 19000, 19020, 18966.70. I continue to check the 18-19 MHz band too, where HFCC currently has nothing at all scheduled. 17900, mystery 1000 Hz tone test heard yesterday is again here today August 2 at 1304, now weaker than Saudi 17895; still on but very poor at 1356, 1410, 1421, chex. 17900, unlike last few days, no mystery 1000 Hz tone test audible Aug 3 at 1308 or later. Nor did I find it on any other 13, 15, 17 or 18 MHz channel (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Heren, Op 18900 kHz zit een sterk station wat alleen maar muziek uitzend. Lijkt Grieks o.i.d. Ik kan in geen enkele lijst wat ontdekken. SINPO 45454. Geen aan, of afkondigingen, helemaal niets. Wie weet raad. EOT om 1045 in 1 keer zonder afkondiging. Groetjes (Jan, Netherlands, 1050 UT July 4, BDX via DXLD) Guido Schotmans then refers to previous DXLD reports on 18900, 19000, etc. (gh) Guido en de anderen. Guido bedank voor je antwoord. Het station zat de hele tijd op 19000 kHz, en nu (1348 UT) opeens verspringd het naar 19020 kHz. Kijk dat gaat leuk zo. Zo te horen Grieks achtig nog steeds. Dit moet een test zijn! Jammer dat je dan niet kan reageren. Spijtig voor mijn Ala en Pereus maar het station komt ook bikkelhard binnen op de Tecsun PL310 van een paar euro uit Hong Kong (incl verzend kosten!). Groetjes (Jan, 1357 UT July 4, ibid.) Heren, Daar ben ik weer voor de verandering. Op 18966.700 is de zender vanavond weer terug. Zelfde kenmerken geen presentator wel grieks achtige (Balkan toch misschien?) muziek. Gewoon S9 +10db geen fading geen noise. Het lijkt nu wel een beetje rommelen, want hij staat niet in het 5 kHz raster. Groetjes (Jan, 1816 UT July 5, ibid.) Geen Griekse muziek, zeer waarschijnlijk Servisch. Shazam kan in ieder geval de liedjes niet herkennen (Alexander K., Netherlands, 1838 UT July 5, ibid.) Probably Koutamanis, who should know Greek (gh, DXLD) Ja nu heb ik hem ook. Het is geen Grieks, maar een Slavische taal en in de patriottische song die ze nu spelen hoor ik namen vallen als Yugoslavia, Hrvatski enz. 73, (Guido Schotmans, Belgium, 1847 UT July 5, ibid.) Eerste succes met Shazam: Zlatne godine door Zrinko Tutic. Volgens Wikipedia en IMDB heeft Tutic de soundtrack verzorgd voor de gelijknamige film http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105899/ Vermoedelijk een Kroatisch of Bosnisch station, dus. (Alexander K., 1859 UT July 5, ibid.) Waw ... en wat een signaal zeg...9+20 db. Egenaardig wat die frequency betreft: 18966.70 kHz! Hoedanook t'is leuke muziek! 73 (Hugo Matten, Belgum, 1922 UT July 5, ibid.) Heren, Ik was even weg gelopen maar nu om ca 2012 UT is het station net uit de lucht gegaan. Zo even de opname´s afluisteren. Morgen verder. Bedankt voor jullie reacties. Groetjes (Jan, 2019 UT July 5, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 30/07/2011 1738, 27890, UNID IRL/UK? messa in inglese in FM Buono; 30/07/2011 1730, 27930, UNID IRL/UK? Messa in Inglese in FM Buono !!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!Ciao e 73 BUONE VACANZE!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !! [sic] (Mauro - Giroletti, Italy, -Swl 1510-, -IK2GFT-, playdx yg via DXLD) That was Saturday evening, not Sunday morning (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. UnID "Roses @ 100.1 on your dial." Pirate? LP? Part 15? Tropo? Last night, I was DX'ing the big red blob and ran across an oddity. I had strong tropo up to 350 miles out (Sony XDR-F1HD + dollar store rabbit ears) but something was on 100.1. It did fade once in a while to make me think that it may not be a local (part 15'er, pirate or iPod blaster) but I'm just not sure. I was hearing Western Kentucky, Eastern Missouri and Central and Southern Illinois at that time. Just after 1 AM ET, I tuned to 100.1 and heard an eclectic mix of classic country including what sounded like instrumentals (country MUZAK?) but then they also played ABBA, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson and so on. No talking or ads so I thought that it must be an iPod blaster but then at 0125 this was announced by a female: "Roses at one hundred point one on your dial." Would an iPod blaster have their own jingle? Stayed with it well past 0200 and no TOH ID. NOT there at 0715. Maybe a nursing home or something similar that airs something at night? You may recall in 2006 that I heard a "Nature Sounds" radio station that just played "babbling brook" sounds. That was on 101.1, however. Mike Glass hunted that one down to a retirement village on E 21st Street, near I-465. I will try to listen again tonight for "Roses." (Dave Hascall, Indianapolis IN, Aug 2, WTFDA via DXLD) Dave, That sounds more appealing than the station on 89.5 from Ellsworth, Illinois - they play storm sounds AND laughing babies on a loop. Those laughing babies made my girlfriend snap and she turned the set off - normally my DX noise doesn't bother her (Curtis Sadowski, Paxton IL, ibid.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ [Tvfmdx] [Fwd: [BC] DR. BRUCE ELVING PASSES Just getting word of this now; deepest condolences to Carol and the family. Bruce will be deeply, deeply missed. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [BC] Dr. Bruce Elving passes Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2011 11:49:39 -0700 From: Alan Freed Sad news to share about FM's friend, Dr. Bruce Elving. He and wife Carol had been in Loma Linda, California for a few weeks for treatment of his prostate cancer. They were planning to return home to Minnesota this month. The little information I have says he passed following a heart attack en route to a hospital. Bruce was probably best-known for his "FMAtlas" directories and until recent years, his "FMedia!" newsletters, along with his service of modifying of FM radios to receive SCA broadcasts. He was among the founders of the University of Minnesota's KUMD 103.3 Duluth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Elving http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KUMD-FM From Bruce's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002321108701&sk=wall [with photo of Bruce & Carol] posted Monday evening: We are very sad to inform all of Bruce's friends that he passed away in California on July 24, 2011. His memorial service will be on Monday, August 8, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. in Duluth, Minnesota. To express condolences or for more information about the service, you are welcome to call Carol Elving at 218-879-7676 (Broadcast E-list via Scott Fybush, Aug 3, WTFDA via DXLD) Someone emailed me last week and asked if there would be an FM Atlas #22. I said I thought not. Little did I know. Very sad news. Bruce leaves a void that will probably not be filled. I hope God embraces Bruce as much as Bruce embraced FM Stereo (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT, ibid.) ``embrace`` was one of Bruce`s favorite terms (gh) I have known Bruce Elving since my days at Syracuse University in the mid-1960's, where he taught a couple of broadcasting classes I took. Our DX'ing bond became quite evident even then, when FM was still quite young. His interests at that time were FM and TV, mine mostly AM and some FM. We've corresponded sporadically over the years but I had not had any subsequent opportunity to see him face to face after 1968. I have always considered him as a friend, and I am saddened to hear of his passing. Our hobby owes him a great deal (Russ Edmunds, WB2BJH, 15 mi NW of Philadelphia, ibid.) That's a Real Shame --- an FM DX Legend and true Innovator in the Field of FM DXing!!! Exchanged many emails with Bruce over the years. He will be deeply missed. RIP Bruce!! 73...ROB VA3SW EN92 (Robert S. Ross, London, Ontario CANADA, ibid.) Very sad news. I started DXing 30 years ago when I was 13, and I always had a copy of the FM Atlas. It was an invaluable resource. I hope someone will continue to publish the book (Robert Timmerman, ibid.) This is really sad news. It will be hard to pick up an FM Atlas, now, without thinking about Bruce. We e-mailed back and forth on occasion - he'd read a logging of mine and want to know more about the station, or I'd have a question about formats or a listing in the Atlas. In recent years I bought two books, as I have tended to ruin them through overuse. Pages are already falling out of the latest one, but now I think I'll avoid the better copy so it can remain as intact as possible. We met a couple of times at WTFDA and ODXA conventions. At one of them, I purchased a radio he outfitted with an SCA adapter. Really, Bruce is among a handful of DXers whose roots truly lie deep and who played a role in developing the hobby. He will be seriously missed (Saul Chernos, Ont., ibid.) Sad to hear this news about Bruce. I met him at least once that I can recall, maybe at WTFDA in Syracuse. But his FM Atlas has been a constant companion since I found one for sale in an electronics shop around 1970, 2nd edition I think. The FMA was a LOT thinner then! In fact, I just sent Bruce a typo that I spotted in the most recent edition, so I was obviously eagerly awaiting a new edition. Thanks to the man who put Adolph on the map! Bruce will be missed (Jim Renfrew, NY, ibid.) I had the pleasure of visiting his ``publishing estate`` in Minnesota a number of years ago upon his invitation. A true gentleman and DXer. What would be his final item in DXLD was in 11-23 as he surveyed the broadcasting scene in southern California (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dr. Bruce Elving R.I.P. This was posted on Scott Fybush's facebook (fb) page: Just getting word that Dr. Bruce Elving, creator of the "FM Atlas" station directory, has died. A huge loss to the DX and broadcast community. It's on his own FB wall, sadly, posted by his daughter, Kristine Stuart: We are very sad to inform all of Bruce's friends that he passed away in California on July 24, 2011. His memorial service will be on Monday, August 8, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. in Duluth, Minnesota. I added: Brock Whaley. A great loss. He brought such great passion to the hobby, and was the best promoter, next to Armstrong, that FM ever had (Brock Whaley, HI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) From the August 3, 2011 Duluth News Tribune newspaper. Bruce F. Elving, Ph.d, 76, of Esko, died Sunday, July 24,2011, in Loma Linda, California. Bruce was born in Two Harbors, April 19 1935, to Fred and Mildred Elving. He graduated from Duluth Central High School in 1953, earned his M.A. from Iowa State University in 1957, and earned his Ph.D from Syracuse University in 1970. He was a college professor, FM radio enthusiast, and publisher of FM Atlas since 1971.... (via Mike Peraaho, DXLD) I am stunned by this news. I was very privileged to know Bruce. I admired him for his knowledge and passion for FM DXing and SCA. He was talented in so many ways. A true gentleman, he was always willing to help with questions. We had some great conversations. I had a long interview with him during my tenure as editor of Monitoring Times' American Bandscan. I will miss him greatly. He was old-school and a fine, fine friend. My saddest condolences to Carol and Kristine. I will always remember his kindness and warmth. God bless Bruce. (Karl Zuk, N2KZ, WTFDA via DXLD) http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2011/08/rip-dr-bruce-elving-fmatlas-publisher.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) 1 comments: [to the above] TedFleischaker said... Bruce was a longtime friend and back in my radio DJ days we'd talk several times a month. He also spent a couple days at my and my parents home in Louisville whenever his travels took him south from his long-time home in Minnesota. He was truly a kind, gentle soul and aside from his love of and my hate of metrics we agreed on most everything; he will surely be missed at our house where we had a standing order for two FM Atlases (one for the stereo cabinet and one for the car glove box) for as long as I can remember. August 4, 2011 5:06 PM (Media Confidential blog comment via DXLD) If you were into FM DX, he was the man, I used the FM Atlas for years. DXing has lost a father of the hobby. He was a great man (Kevin Redding, ABDX, via DXLD) Shocked to see Bruce Elving untimely passing. He came by my home to talk DX upon moving to Syracuse back in 1969, and we have corresponded many times on FM DX matters, & bought most of his FM Atlas books over the years. Yes he will be sorely missed! (Fred Nordquist, Moncks Corner, SC, WTFDA via DXLD) So sorry to hear we have lost one of DXing's pioneers. I heard of Bruce's FM exploits around 1956 when I started TV DXing. I got a chance to meet him for the first time at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee in the late 60s. Bruce had worked there and I worked there for a while after he left and he returned to meet with a group of us who were trying to expand WTFDA into a better club. Dave Janowiak, Morrie Goldman and a few others were involved. I communicated with Bruce from time to time over the intervening decades, always marveling what he had done with an idea he had for what became the FM Guide he produced for so many years. Yes, another one of us "old guys" is gone but fortunately the hobby lives on! (Gary Olson, ibid.) While I never met him personally, I had the pleasure to talk to him many times on the phone. A true DX pioneer. May he rest in peace (Ken Simon/Lake Worth FL, ibid.) Sad news indeed. I started DX'ing as a high schooler in the 70's. We exchanged tips and such via the mail. IIRC he was famous for cramming lots of info on postcards. I just updated my FM logbook through use if one of his FM Atlas (orange cover) editions from the late 70's. The day that he passed, the binding finally gave up and pages are ready to fall out. A coincidence? I think not. Russ Edmunds gave me his pristine copy of the 19th edition of it. Thanks Russ. Not only was he FM's friend, he was the DX'ers friend and in turn our friend. RIP and 73, (Dave in Indy Hascall, WTFDA via DXLD) I think I met Bruce back in the 70s at an AIPA meeting in Buffalo. I have had correspondence with him off and on over the years and always enjoyed hearing from him. I am saddened by his passing, but glad that I met him and that he was a part of my DXing (Dave Pomeroy, Topeka, Kansas, ibid.) Brucey (as he liked to be called) was kind enough to let me visit him and Carol for 3 days a few years ago. I enjoyed looking at all his old FM veries plus the "famous" typewriter. He will be sorely missed (Jeff Kadet, Macomb, IL, ibid.) I was deeply saddened to hear of Bruce's untimely passing. I met him several years ago when he and his wife were here in Winnipeg. His work producing the FM Atlas was legendary and I have over the years bought several editions to help with my FM DX'ing. He will be deeply missed by the DX community. 73 Best of DX (Shawn Axelrod, VE4DX1SMA, Winnipeg MB, REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER, NRC-AM via DXLD) Oh no, how sad. A great DXer and his FM Atlas was top-notch. He will be greatly missed. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) I am deeply saddened to hear of Bruce's passing. George Sherman and I visited Bruce's home back in the early 90's to get and FM Atlas. I found Bruce to be humble, intelligent and personable. His love of the FM showed to all that he was creative, knowledgeable and a visionary. (FTS, IRCA via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Via LA Daily News: RADIO SHACK DROPS IBOC RADIOS http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18568112?source=rss (my commentary) A radio column linked from a Yahoo Group via the "LA Daily News". Two thirds of the way down the article is a mention of Radio Shack discontinuing the sale of so-called "HD Radios" (IBOC). The column makes a couple of comments about the state of IBOC pertaining to programming and marketing. If nothing else, the IBOC fiasco at least allowed a few good modern receivers to be put on the market, at least for FM (Fritze H Prentice Jr, KC5KBV, Star City, AR, Aug 1, WTFDA via DXLD) HD radio gone from Rad Shack >From daily radio E-mail blast "RAMP": Radio Shack Tuning Away From HD? Is one of HD Radio's longtime supporters and allies bailing out of this remarkable, world-changing technology? Quite possibly, which would come as a huge surprise, since we're frequently being sold on HD Radio's wonders and health-enhancing benefits. However, it appears that Radio Shack is getting out of the HD Radio business, as The Los Angeles Daily News claims that all of the company's HD Radio receivers are on clearance or completely out of stock. A quick search of the Shack's online inventory doesn't even bring up any results of HD Radios under its in-house Accurian or Auvio brands, and the only HD Radios we can find on Radio Shack's website are the dongles made for iPods and some in-dash car stereos with built-in HD. "It doesn't mean that the technology is dead, but it certainly isn't flourishing," says The Daily News. "What went wrong? Two things: content and marketing. HD Radio -- a system of sending digital audio via traditional airwaves that promises improved fidelity and more listening choices -- still rarely offers much in the way of content," the article complains. "And the marketing was even worse than the content. Can you remember even one commercial? They have been running for more than five years." Sadly, we can remember the various marketing campaigns, and that moronic "hidden stations between the stations" slogan will be stuck in our heads all day... and now, yours too. [Insert evil laughter here.] Check out the whole article: https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:1401332.7153061952/rid:330bc20d823ecbd04edeb97495948a01 (Steve Solomon, Cape Cod, Aug 3, WTFDA via DXLD) No more HD Radios at Radio Shack --- Digital update Radio Shack has every one of its house-brand HD Radio units on clearance, if they are still in stock. This includes iPod Touch/iPhone dongles and the Auvio tuner (which, if you can still find one at the clearance price of $30, is a steal). This means Radio Shack is essentially out of the HD Radio business. A shame, since the Shack was one of the early supporters. It doesn't mean that the technology is dead, but it certainly isn't flourishing. You can still buy car stereos with HD Radio at various retail stores and at online stores as www.crutchfield.com. Best Buy still carries a few portable products in its stores and online as well. What went wrong? Two things: content and marketing. HD Radio -- a system of sending digital audio via traditional airwaves that promises improved fidelity and more listening choices -- still rarely offers much in the way of content. Locally, Saul Levine provides music you can't hear elsewhere -- classical and adult standards -- via HD Radio secondary channels tied to Go Country 105. But he is the exception. All too often the secondary channels are essentially the same as the main channel. And the marketing was even worse than the content. Can you remember even one commercial? They have been running for more than five years. Richard Wagoner is a freelance writer based in San Pedro. Send questions to him via email at rwagoner@cox.net. http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18568112?source=rss (via Kevin Redding, Aug 2, ABDX via DXLD) I guess Radio Shack is trying to dis-encourage the upgrade to a proprietary technology called HD radio. I still think that Radio Shack wants everyone to hear analog FM and AM radio. That would be a wrong move if a station decides to go all digital. I have not been shopping at their store for month due to the high inflated prices at Radio Shack (Adam Ebel, Virginia Beach, VA, ABDX via DXLD) Does that Radio Shack AM/FM tuner need an audio amp ?? A local store is sitting on 4 of them. I'd guess a bargain at $29.99. (Yep; I need radios?) How is the performance? I think it has a jack for external FM antenna and AM? As to HD I'd guess it is not flying. Even prior to Radio Shack, who carries HD Radios but an Internet order? I'd think the FM'ers would like the HD but ?????????? Does it cause co-channel problems? (FM) (terribly wet, ibid.) Yes, the tuners need an amp or computer speakers with a amplifier but you will need patch cords and adapters. All tuners have got is a line level output that is all and some have digital output which is for Digital to Analog converters. Digital output is nothing but a PCM signal like your CD player or minidisc. You can use computer speakers if you want with the tuner but you will need a amplifier. You will need a good antenna with a preamp for HD radio since the signals are 10 dB (Adam Ebel, Virginia Beach, VA, ibid.) HD Radios for sale? I didn't want to hijack the thread on Radio Shack's decision to not sell HD radios any more. I still have my original Accurian that decodes HD AND C-Quam AM Stereo. Bought it when they first came out. Last I was at Wal-Mart I was able to find in their car stereo section, a Pioneer (I believe) that receives HD. Still thinking about buying it for the wife since the stock GM radio in her 07 Grand Prix is a piece of crap. As long as I am replacing, may as well go HD, right? Not that we have any HD here in Evanston; we don't. We may soon, however. The University of Wyoming is pretty gung-ho on HD and were the first ones to put HD anywhere in Wyoming. They just put a new station on the air here in Evanston, KUWE at 89.7. Since it's a full station and not a translator, I expect they'll add HD before too long. My guess would be the translator picked up KUWZ's signal from Rock Springs and rebroadcasted it. Not sure what they are using to feed the transmitter now but it may be the same receiver, which is probably only analog. In any case, I may email them and see if they plan to add HD to the new KUWE signal here. Anyways; I know I am digressing as usual. My point is that even here in a small town I can actually go out and buy an HD radio. It's a car radio, but it's an HD radio. Might have had 2 places to buy one if our Radio Shack hadn't closed a couple years ago. I am a little iffy about buying the one at Wal-Mart. Don't recall the exact model number so I don't know how well it performs and if the HD is able to be disabled if need be. Here in the mountain west it can get VERY annoying with the HD kicking in and out. I experienced this one time when I brought my Accurian along for the ride in the car; plugged it into an inverter and used a cassette adaptor to feed it into the radio. When I was in the Salt Lake City metro it was okay but even being right there in the metro there were areas where the HD would drop. Some of them aren't synced as well as others and some have quite a difference in the sound in HD and in analog. I sure don't want to give her something she is going to be annoyed with. This may be a little different now that HD power is higher than what it was back then (3 years ago?). Anyways; just some random thoughts (Michael n Wyo Richard, ABDX via DXLD) I just made my statement due to going around to local retail stores some months ago. Best Buy. No HD radios in the store. (HD Ready but---) Nothing in Wal-Mart. Target. Pep Boys/AutoZone and ?? no HD car radios. There is a NorthEast electronics store (PC Richards) like BestBuy. No HD. The Sony web site no longer sold their HD radio. Yes. Sometimes maybe an internet order would find one. It would seem that on FM it would be desired. AM, all I know is the problems people complain about. Semi Locally, WELI 960 AM BCB listen in New Haven?? They must wipe out the band several channels up and down. Get closer to New York City. What mayhem (terribly wet, ibid.) Personally I think it's a waste of money if you can get a better radio without HD. We switched cars around a few months ago, and I am now driving the Windstar that has the JVC radio with HD. On AM it's just annoying - the HD constantly switches in and out, and while the HD signal does not get the static that analog does, most of the stations here have their HD audio set up to sound very harsh and raspy. FM HD is OK, but there is little worth listening to, and only a couple of stations are strong enough that they don't cut out constantly. This situation is probably worse for me than the average LA listener, because I work near Burbank, which is close to the mountains, which block signals from Mt. Wilson (and probably contribute to multipath from other transmitter locations as well). (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA, ibid.) I actually found (last week) HD radios at BOTH Walmart and Best Buy -- - but the funny thing is that you had to look at the FACEPLATE of the car radio to see the HD symbol to know if it had HD - the price tags said NOTHING ABOUT HD in the feature bulletpoints. It's there, but not mentioned. Best Buy also has a portable HD Radio that I tested out in-store; but it's only FM (no AM - very useless to have only HALF a radio!). The reception on that tuner was so bad on FM that I got NO HD from a 70 kW HD station that I could stand and look UP at the elements on the tower at the store (in Gretna, LA). If manufacturers won't make a radio that is AM *AND* FM HD, and further, one that is DEAF on the only band it can receive in HD, no one is going to want to buy one if they can't hear all HD stations available on the air even locally, and is partly why HD is dying - it is being presented to consumers in a half- hearted, and incomplete manner, coupled with a bad (month-to-month license fee) business model for broadcasters. No wonder few broadcasters want to adopt it anymore, and others are pulling out (again, leaving the CONSUMER / LISTENER out in the cold holding the bag of worthless goods). (Darwin Long, -Empire, LA, ibid.) Radio Shack wants to make money. If a product sells, Radio Shack will continue to stock that SKU. If a product doesn't sell, Radio Shack will discontinue that SKU. The HD Radio products that are on clearance are among thousands of SKUs being discontinued because they weren't selling well enough. There's really nothing much else to read in there. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) > And the marketing was even worse than the content. > Can you remember even one commercial? They have > been running for more than five years. Yes, I certainly can; I even have a few choice off-air HD commercials as MP3's from WBBM and KNX that are just priceless, like the analog radio leaving a message on an owner's answering machine. "... Hey, it's your radio, how's it goin. Hey, have you heard of all these HD Radio stations people have been discovering with their HD Radio receivers - Sounds like just another fad to me like the Internet or... Pockets - We know those aren't going to last... Yeah, I'm more of a same'ole-same'ole guy myself... you are too, right?... phfff... pockets!" "100% Free HD Radio... Discover It" (Darwin Long, Empire, LA, ibid.) One thing you'll find about RadioShack is that they're one of the first to ADOPT a new technology, and then are the first to DUMP it. I worked as a sales manager at RadioShack for a number of years through the 1990s. When I went to Fort Worth for a face-to-face managers` meeting with the buyers and R&D directors of radio receiver and home/automotive entertainment gear, I openly critiqued and questioned them during my time at the podium as to why they no longer include C-QuAM AM stereo decoding in any of their RadioShack branded receivers, while I was able to sell out all SRF-42 Sony AM Stereo radios throughout our entire southwest REGION (not just our District) because people wanted to hear the large number of AM stereo stations that were on-air in southern California at that time. The directors of the purchasing and R&D said that they would "if people showed interest". However, they had NO REPLY when I asked how selling out and backordering a huge volume of the SRF-42 that RadioShack did carry at the time did not constitute "consumer interest". My last line was "Money Talks - Selling out all Sony SRF-42 AM Stereo Radio inventory from all stores in the southwest USA, and having to await another shipment of them from Asia while people paid on backorder for them certainly proves clear and blatant consumer interest to me. I don't understand what you don't 'get' about that". Marketplace decisions to adopt technological standards will NEVER lead to successful availability, penetration, or advancement of them. A consumer will always be faced with pros and cons of a zillion technologies that will frequently go obsolete after they pay their hard-earned money to build the rest of their home/car/portable entertainment systems (or computer, mobile devices, etc) around it. The consumer (and broadcast listener / viewer) is the ultimate loser ALL the time (-Darwin Long, Empire, LA, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OTA TV editorial --- OVER THE AIR TV BROADCASTING UNDER THREAT Over the air broadcast of television signals is a great free service that Americans have enjoyed for over 60 years. A huge improvement was made recently with the roll out of digital television (DTV) which offers the best quality HD picture available. Broadcasting a DTV signal also allows a television station to broadcast more than one program service on the same signal which means there are more programming choices available over the air than ever before. All this is free and requires no recurring monthly bill or having to deal with unfortunate companies like Time Warner. In our current horrible economy free over the air television service is available to those who can no longer afford cable or satellite TV services. This great free television service is currently under threat!! When our over the air TV service was analog we had channels 2-83 at one time. Channels 70-83 were taken away for other services. That was fine because there was still more than plenty of spectrum available for television broadcasts. When the transition to digital television occurred on June 12, 2009, more channels were taken away leaving 2-51. Currently there is just barely enough spectrum for digital television broadcast. Everything barely fits on channels 2-51 without there being too much interference between stations on the same channels. Parts of the existing spectrum channels 2-6 (54-88 MHz) and 7-13 (174-216 MHz) are VHF channels that suffer from interference from electronic devices and lightning strikes. Something simple like flicking a light switch can cause pixelation and drop outs in audio. When a storm is close enough every lightning strike causes interruption. Channels 14-51 (470-698 MHz) are UHF and are ideal for DTV broadcast. Unfortunately these frequencies are also highly desired for other wireless and broadband service. Wireless and broadband companies have been sold one part of the TV broadcast spectrum and are now hungry for more even if it means killing over the air TV broadcasting completely. Now they want channels 32-51 (578-698 MHz). Many TV stations would be once again forced to change channels due to the ever changing whims of the FCC. Changing channels may require new expensive transmitters and antennas. FCC approval will also be needed to ensure that the moving TV signals do not interfere with others currently existing on the same channels. In some instances the only channels available may be on VHF which is not ideal for DTV broadcast. Some stations may stop broadcasting completely because they will not be able to find any open channels to move to or they will not be able to afford the cost of moving to another channel. In the large TV market of Detroit, Michigan, there are DTV signals on channels 39, 41 (ABC), 43 (PBS), 44 (CBS), and 45 (NBC). Three major networks and PBS!! All these may be in jeopardy if channels 32-51 are reallocated to non DTV broadcast services. The current available TV broadcast spectrum (channels 2-51) must be protected and be for TV broadcast only. Changing the TV broadcast spectrum to channels 2-31 will be a travesty. Only 14-31 will be truly good for DTV service. If this theft of public airwaves is allowed to occur then it will only confirm what I have thought for years. The FCC and the US Congress do not give a damn about the citizens they serve and only listen to the demands of greedy corporations (Michael Procop, OH, July 29, amfmtvdx at qth.het via DXLD) Not taking a side on the debt ceiling fiasco but! "...(one part of the) debt ceiling bill could damage TV" "It gives the FCC authority to repack the television band at its discretion in the public interest" http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/harry-reid-debt-ceiling-bill-could-damage-tv.htm (Bill Frahm, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DAB ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ALL DIGITAL RADIO LOOKING VERY DOUBTFUL FOR UK The digital rebellion: Radio revolution threatened as analogue sets outsell DABs three to one === By Paul Revoir 29th July 2011 Digital radio switchover plans are facing a new crisis after it was revealed that three analogue sets are still being sold for every one which has the new technology. With millions continuing to buy traditional sets the 'aspirational' target of 2015 to move all major stations off FM and AM and on to digital looks even more unlikely. The true scale of public apathy emerged in a report from communications regulator Ofcom which revealed that only 1.9million digital radios were sold in the year to the end of March 2011. This compares with 6.6million analogue sets. --- Daily Mail (via Steve Whitt, MWCircle yg via Barry Davies, UK, ABDX via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See AUSTRALIA; BELGIUM non; CANADA; ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ERITREA; GERMANY; INDIA; RUSSIA; SPAIN RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS I know that they can make an AM signal directional by using a multiple-tower array, but how do they make an FM signal directional? I`ve noticed that some FM signals seem to have nulls in them - (Dick W., WTFDA via DXLD) The most common directional FM antennas use "parasitic elements" - small pieces of metal that work much like the elements in our rooftop Yagi antennas to concentrate the signal in the desired direction and null it in other directions. The dirty little secret of FM engineering is that *all* FM antennas are at least somewhat directional, especially when mounted on the side of a tower. A good engineer can make a "non-directional" facility perform significantly better in a desired direction, all while appearing perfectly non-directional on paper; and it's completely legal. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) They can also introduce directionality in FM signals by utilizing beam tilt. The best example I know of is WPOZ Orlando, whose weak signal would fly right over Orlando if the signal was not tilted downward from the tower. This considerably weakens the back side of the signal, as it effectively goes up into the air. Not an issue for WPOZ, because that is over the water. As a side benefit - the relatively weak signal gives Lakeland a stronger signal on WPOZ than Orlando had on the old WCIE, even though WCIE used considerably more power, but off of a shorter tower (Bruce Carter, ibid.) FM stations usually have multiple elements, but they are vertically placed. The more elements, the flatter the donut shaped signal is. By slightly delaying the signal sent to the upper elements, it points the donut downward a bit all the way around. Doesn't matter what direction it is. If the antennas were not mounted vertically on the tower, that could point the signal upward off the back side. Can't say as I've ever seen something like that, at least intentionally. The downward aim of the FM signal is fairly common. A 12 element antenna system has a very flat donut shape, so it could be aimed down maybe 5 degrees (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, ibid.) There is a major difference between AM directional and FM directional that is worth noting. Unlike many AM stations that have a strong lobe in their pattern that can greatly enhance their signal in one direction, FM directional systems cannot have lobes, only nulls. Think of it this way. If the coverage area of an AM non-directional is considered, the lobe(s) created by a directional antenna system may far exceed that coverage area, which would result in the signal reaching farther in that direction than it would if the station was non-directional. FM stations cannot produce such lobes with a directional antenna. They are only permitted to have nulls to protect other stations. Therefore, the pattern of a directional FM station cannot exceed the coverage area it would have if it was non-directional. The pattern for a directional FM would be pretty much a perfect circle, the same as it would be if it was non-directional, except that nulls will be present. 73, (Kit Sage, W5KAT, ibid.) Re: Directional Signals http://www.arrl.org/vhf-and-uhf (terribly wet, Aug 2, ibid.) MORE ON NOISE SUPPRESSION Here's a paper that Fair-Rite publishes on core materials. It's pretty much agreed that their Material # 31 is overall best for MW/SW noise suppression. The recommended toroid rings are Fair-Rite # 2631803802. An effective noise choke can be realized with 9 to 14 turns of the lead-in (coax or Cat 5) wound around 5 of these toroid rings. http://www.fair-rite.com/newfair/pdf/CUP%20Paper.pdf Regards, (Mark Durenberger, July 30, IRCA via DXLD) FREQUENCY INVERTER CAUSES LW/MW NOISE Onderwerp: [mwcircle] QRM-Interference --- This evening I discovered an awful noise from longwave into mediumwave and decreasing up to 3 MHz. As far as I can hear SW is not affected. Enclosed is a mp3 recording (dialing LW up to 1000 kHz). Can anybody recognize this? PLC? (Max Van Arnhem, Netherlands, July 30, MWC yg via DXLD) I was busy today with the search of the source of the interference. I found the source, being a frequency inverter. Frequency Inverters support energy-saving operation of facilities and machines with fine speed control. This frequency inverter is used in connection with a water pump by somebody about 200/250 meters from my house. The owner of this device told me that it was installed yesterday and he was also complaining about a strange noise he hears, and which originates from the frequency inverter. Anybody knows more about these devices in connection with strong interference? Many thanks in advance, (Max Van Arnhem, July 31, ibid.) TALL TOWERS AND TELEVISION'S EARLY DAYS IN DIXON TV SPELLED THE DEMISE OF DIXON'S MOVIE THEATER Dixon Then & Now, By Bil Paul, July 27, 2011, Arts http://dixon.patch.com/articles/dixon-then-and-now-tall-towers-and-televisions-early-days-in-dixon Story about early TV viewing in Dixon, CA, mentions VOA site (via Kim Andrew Elliott, DC, dxldyg via DXLD) TRENDS IN TROPICAL BANDS BROADCASTING 2011 As editor of the Domestic Broadcasting Survey (DBS) my task is, throughout the year until the next publication, to check the bands myself and follow the loggings from our members and other DX-ers around the world. For each frequency on the list, a note is taken of the months when it has been heard. If a station has not been heard by any DX-er during the past 12 months, it is deleted. By this measure, the DBS contains only the active domestic broadcasting stations. With this systematic registration of broadcasting stations on the Tropical Bands each year, it is possible to make some statistics, on how many frequencies were active in each tropical region of the world and compare these numbers. Clandestine and Pirate stations are not included in these statistics. Active broadcasting transmitters on 2200 – 5800 kHz Region 1973 1985 1997 2009 2011 Central Africa 102 76 40 18 15 Southern Africa 57 39 33 20 20 Middle East 9 4 1 0 0 {What about Djibouti on 4780, really no longer on air? --- Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST}{I was going to say, it would be in Africa, but as above not central or southern, default ME --- gh} {Maybe listed under Central Africa, as not in Middle East? --- Mauno Ritola, Finland} Indian Subcontinent 62 45 45 29 29 South East Asia 40 29 21 4 2 Indonesia 171 105 65 13 10 China, Taiwan, Mongolia 119 110 75 32 28 CIS (former USSR) 61 59 47 7 8 Far East 38 28 28 9 15 Papua New Guinea 17 20 20 15 14 Australia and other Pacific 10 4 13 8 13 Central America, Mexico 21 23 24 5 5 Caribbean 29 3 3 2 2 Northwestern South America 98 41 19 3 2 Ecuador 47 33 22 5 3 Peru 78 69 78 28 22 Bolivia 35 42 25 14 10 Brazil 107 87 67 35 35 Southern South America 5 2 1 0 0 Total 1106 819 627 247 233 During the past year the previous trend, that Tropical stations slowly disappear, continued throughout the world. The reason is, that other media get higher priority, than keeping elderly Shortwave transmitters alive. The only exception is the Pacific where a few private, low- powered stations have been added. These stations on the Tropical Bands have closed down during year 2010 (plus stations on 3815, 4739,6 and 4740), including International stations: kHz kW Station Country Last log 3220 10 R Morobe, Lae Papua New Guinea MAR10 3815 0.2 KNR, Tasiilaq (USB) Greenland FEB11 3950 - Voice of China, CNR-1 China FEB10 3975 250 Magyar R, via Wertachtal Germany JUN10 [75m band in Eurasia is not really a `tropical` band --- gh] {And Magyar Rádió never used Wertachtal. Such registrations appeared, and I assume the situation was such that Antenna Hungária, like Media Broadcast owned by TDF now, wanted to close the Jászberény transmitters and redirect MR to its sister company in Germany. Instead MR simply pulled the plug on shortwave altogether (calling it a "suspension", but it should be save to assume that it's "suspended" for good). – Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 30, dxldyg via DXLD} 4450 100 KCBS, Pyongyang Korea, North MAR10 {What about these "Pyongyang branch of the anti-imperialist national democratic front" transmissions at all? They replaced offensive clannie programming and had first been reported to be merely one of the existing Pyongyang programs (other sources mention Pyongyang Pangsong instead), put on these frequencies? So 4450 is no longer on air? What about 3480 and 4557 and, not to forget, 1080 from the four- tower directional antenna at Haeju, with a listed power of 1500 kW? -- - Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST} { So 4450 is no longer on air? It is, with Voice of the People on the same frequency. > What about 3480 and 4557 Also on. > and, not to forget, 1080 from the four-tower directional antenna at Haeju, with a listed power of 1500 kW? On, but that's KCBS. PB of AINDF is on 1053 kHz and also on, at least when I checked a couple of months ago. 73, Mauno Ritola, ibid.} 4460 100 Voice of China, CNR-1, Beijing, China NOV10 4739.6 - Son La R & TV, Son La Vietnam SEP09 4740 1 R Peace, Nuba Mountains Sudan SEP09 4775 100 WWCR, Nashville, TN USA FEB10 [It`s not really ``closed down``, WWCR just moved to 4840 --- gh] 4781.5 - R Tacana, Tumupasa, La Paz Bolivia MAR10 4781.6 3 R Oriental, Tena, Napo Ecuador MAR10 4850 50 AIR Kohima, Nagaland India MAR10 4865 5 R Missões da Amazônia Obidos, Brazil FEB10 4930 50 Türkmen R, Asgabat Turkmenistan FEB10 5005 5 R Nepal, Khumaltar Nepal APR10 5009.8 1 R Cristal Int, Santo Domingo Dominican Republic FEB10 5030 100 Rdiff. du Burkina, Ouagadougou Burkina Faso JAN10 5030 100 Voice of China, CNR-1, Beijing, China JAN10 5050 50 Voice of Taiwan Strait, Fuzhou, China NOV10 5080 100 WTWW, Lebanon, Tennessee USA MAR10 [not really ``closed down``, tested and then moved to 5755 --- gh] 5586.8 0.3 R Juventud, Pasto, Nariño Dept. Colombia MAR10 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window July 27, tidied up by gh for DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ GEOMAGNETIC SUMMARY JUNE 1 2011 THROUGH JUNE 30 2011 Tabulated from email status daily. Date Flux A K Space Wx 1 114 10 2 no storms 2 112 9 1 no storms 3 107 3 1 no storms 4 103 11 5 minor 5 103 26 2 moderate 6 100 6 1 no storms 7 96 8 4 minor 8 90 11 2 minor 9 88 12 4 no storms 10 87 9 3 no storms 11 85 12 2 no storms 12 85 10 1 no storms 13 87 8 2 no storms 14 99 8 2 minor 15 102 7 2 no storms 16 103 5 1 no storms 17 104 11 2 no storms 18 99 6 1 no storms 19 99 5 2 no storms 20 96 7 2 no storms 21 95 8 2 no storms 22 93 10 3 no storms 23 96 17 3 no storms 24 96 13 3 no storms 25 94 6 2 no storms 26 90 7 1 no storms 27 89 6 2 no storms 28 87 5 1 no storms 29 87 3 1 no storms 30 89 3 1 no storms (via Phil Bytheway, IRCA DX Monitor July 30 via DXLD) Three Sunspots (End of July 2011) I've been learning how to compose video content using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (AIA, HMI), and other resources, and am finally starting to get the hang of things. I just compiled a video featuring the three rather large sunspots that have been dominating the solar disc since the last week in July. This movie covers July 25 through July 31, 2011. It is a movie from SDO HMI Intensitygram (IGR) and SDO AIA 171-Angstrom filtering. I'm posting movies on an on-going basis on my YouTube channel... -- 73 de NW7US (Tomas David Hood, Hamilton, Montana Contributing editor, Propagation Columns: CQ Magazine, CQ VHF, Popular Communications Facebook: Twitter Space WX : @hfradiospacewx Twitter NW7US : @NW7US Linux User #32405 - Since 1996 August 3, SWL mailing list via DXLD) Spectacular, second half (gh) PROPAGATION OUTLOOK FROM PRAGUE ONDREJOV : Weekly Forecasts Bulletin ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _ Solar-activity forecast for the period Jul 29 - Aug 4, 2011 Activity level: low to moderate Radio flux (10.7 cm): a fluctuation in the range 95-120 f.u. Flares: weak (numerous), middle (1-5/period) Relative sunspot number: in the range 80-120 Astronomical Institute, Solar Dept., Ondrejov, Czech Republic e-mail: sunwatch(at) asu.cas.cz (RWC Prague) ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _ Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period Jul 29 to Aug 4, 2011 quiet: Jul 29, Aug 3 and 4 quiet to unsettled: Jul 30 and Aug 2 unsettled: Jul 31 and Aug 1 active: 0 minor storm: 0 major storm: 0 severe storm: 0 Geomagnetic activity summary: geomagnetic field was quiet on Jul 24, 26 and 27, quiet to unsettled on Jul 23, unsettled on Jul 21, 22 and 25. RWC Prague, Geophysical Institute Prague, Geomagnetic Dept, Czech Republic e-mail: geom(at)ig.cas. cz ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _ Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period of one solar rotation Geomagnetic field during the following solar rotation should be: mostly quiet: Aug 11 - 13, 22 - 23 quiet to unsettled: Aug 14 - 15, 19 - 21, 24 mostly unsettled: Aug 2 - 4, 8 - 10 unsettled to active: July 29 - 31, Aug 1, 5 - 7, 16 - 18 Survey: mostly quiet: July 24, 26 - 27 mostly unsettled: July 21 - 23, 25 Notices: High probability of changes in solar wind which may caused changes in magnetosphere and ionosphere is expected about July 29 - 31, Aug 1, 10 - 12, 16 - 18 Petr Kolman OK1MGW, Czech Propagation Interested Group [sic] e-mail: kolmanp(at)razdva.cz (via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) INCOMING CME COULD SPARK POLAR GEOMAGNETIC STORMS Space Weather News for August 3, 2011 http://spaceweather.com MINOR STORM WARNING: On August 2nd, the sun hurled a cloud of plasma (CME) toward Earth when magnetic fields above sunspot 1261 erupted. Analysts expect the CME to arrive during the early hours of August 5th, possibly sparking geomagnetic storms around the poles. This is not a big event; the eruption that propelled the cloud in our direction registered only "M1" (for medium) on the Richter Scale of Flares. Nevertheless, sky watchers at high latitudes should be alert for auroras. Movies of the eruption and 3D models of the incoming cloud are featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com (Mark Coady , Peterborough, ON K9J 6X3, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to minor storm levels during the period. Activity began the period at quiet to unsettled levels, with isolated active to minor storm levels at high latitudes on 25 July, due to a coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). Activity decreased to mostly quiet to unsettled levels on 26 July. Activity decreased to mostly quiet levels during 27 - 29 July. Activity increased to quiet to active levels with an isolated minor storm period at high latitudes during 30 July. Mostly unsettled conditions were observed on 31 July. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 03 AUGUST - 29 AUGUST 2011 Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels during 03 - 08 August, with a chance for M-class flares greater than M5 from Region 1261. Activity is expected to decrease to very low to low levels during the rest of the period as Region 1261 departs. A chance for M-class activity increases on 20 August when Region 1261 rotates back around the east limb. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at moderate to high levels on 03 - 04 August. Normal to moderate levels are expected during 05 - 07 August. Moderate to high levels are expected during 08 - 13 August due to effects from a recurrent CH HSS. Normal to moderate levels are expected on 14 - 15 August followed by moderate to high levels from 16 - 25 August due to a second CH HSS. Normal to moderate levels are expected for the remainder of the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be predominantly quiet during 03 - 04 August. A CME observed at approximately 02/0706 UTC on LASCO C3 imagery is expected to arrive late on 04 August and increase activity to unsettled to active levels with a chance for minor storm conditions through the first few periods of 06 August. Major storm periods are possible at high latitudes during this time. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected for the rest of 06 August through 11 August due to effects from a recurrent CH HSS. Activity is expected to decrease to mostly quiet levels from 12 - 13 August as the CH HSS effects subside. Activity is expected to increase to quiet to unsettled levels from 14 - 22 August, with a chance for active levels on 15 - 17 August due to another recurrent CH HSS. Conditions are expected to decrease to quiet levels until the arrival of a third CH HSS anticipated to become geoeffective on 26 August. Quiet to unsettled conditions with a chance for isolated active periods are expected to prevail for the remainder of the forecast period. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2011 Aug 02 2058 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2011-08-02 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2011 Aug 03 130 5 2 2011 Aug 04 125 15 3 2011 Aug 05 125 20 5 2011 Aug 06 120 18 4 2011 Aug 07 120 12 3 2011 Aug 08 110 8 3 2011 Aug 09 110 8 3 2011 Aug 10 100 8 3 2011 Aug 11 100 8 3 2011 Aug 12 95 5 2 2011 Aug 13 95 5 2 2011 Aug 14 95 8 3 2011 Aug 15 95 12 3 2011 Aug 16 95 15 3 2011 Aug 17 95 12 3 2011 Aug 18 98 10 3 2011 Aug 19 98 8 3 2011 Aug 20 98 5 2 2011 Aug 21 100 12 3 2011 Aug 22 105 8 3 2011 Aug 23 105 5 2 2011 Aug 24 105 5 2 2011 Aug 25 105 5 2 2011 Aug 26 105 15 3 2011 Aug 27 105 10 3 2011 Aug 28 105 8 3 2011 Aug 29 105 8 3 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1576, DXLD) ###