DX LISTENING DIGEST 13-50, December 11, 2013 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 2013 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html [also linx to previous years] 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 1699: *DX and station news about: Bahrain, Brazil, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea and non, Eritrea non, Ethiopia non, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Rwanda non, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tannu Tuva, Ukraine, USA, Yemen, Zanzibar SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1699, December 12-18, 2013 Thu 0430 WRMI 9955 [replayed 1698] Thu 2201 WTWW 9475 [confirmed] Fri 0429v WWRB 3195 [confirmed] Sat 0300v WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Area 51 [confirmed at 0303] Sat 0730 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 1530 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sun 0030 WTWW 5085 Sun 0501 WTWW 5830 Tue 1200 WRMI 9955 [now better via Okeechobee] Wed 0730 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Wed 1530 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Thu 0430 WRMI 9955 [or 1700 if ready in time] 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://www.wrn.org/listeners/#world-of-radio WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/customize-panel/addToPlaylist/98/10:00:00UTC/English OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DAY-BY-DAY ARCHIVE OF GLENN HAUSER`S LOG REPORTS: Unedited, uncondensed, unchanged from original version, many of them too complex, minutely researched, multi-frequency, opinionated, inconsequential, off-topic, or lengthy for some log editors to manage; and also ahead of their availability in these weekly issues: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser 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 [non]. CLANDESTINE, 9400, R. Sadaye Zindagi via Armenia, Dec 08 1459-1510, 35433, Dari, IS, Opening announce and ID, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALBANIA. On the subject of Cold War Broadcasting: http://www.network54.com/Forum/393207/thread/1241968095/British+Section! Has a group of British Communists discussing their favourite stations, including Radio Tirana and its legendary announcer, June Taylor. Finally, if you want to hear the full version of Tirana's "With Pickaxe and Rifle" interval signal, look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWuA72oQjuE Goodbye, Dear Listeners! (Mark Palmer, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) 1967 Labour Day, 9-minute film; if this IS is in there, it`s hard to spot among all the march music (gh, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15345.20, R. Nacional Argentina, Dec 08 0157-0230*, 35333, Spanish, Music, ID at 0201 and 0206 and 0211, 0230 sign off (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD- 345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. RNA, 09/12 0112 UT. Resultados deportivos del fútbol argentino con música de fondo. Señal con SINPO: 54454 con leve siseo de RHC (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) WTFK? Must be 15345v (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. Aussie Graveyard (Narrow band HPON) Scraping the barrel: more from the Aussie HPON graveyard. Low-power AM running 100-400 W: 1701, Voice of Charity, 8/12 1505, http://voc.org.au Sydney in Arabic 1692, Station X Gold Coast, 8/12 1505–1620, 100 W, Music mix, Station X - P.O. Box 1921 Southport, Queensland 4215 Australia 1683, Greek Radio, Sydney, 8/12 1500 in Greek 1674, United Christian Broadcasters Australia, Gympie, QLD. 8/12 1500, http://vision.org.au 1665, 2MM, Dullwich Hill, Sydney, NSW. 8/12 1500 1656, Voice of Chinese Australians, QLD, 8/12 1400 In Chinese. http://vacradio.com.au 1656, Greek – but which one? [see below] 1638, 2ME, Arabic Radio, Sydney, 8/12 http://www.2me.com.au 1629, Rete Italia, Adelaide SA 8/12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rete_Italia 1593, Radio Italia Melbourne, 3RG, HPON 1593, 2KY, Murwillumbah NSW, Racing Radio, HPON 73 (Nick VK2DX Hacko, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) If there were ever a misnomer, this is it: HPON stands for High Power Open Narrowcast, per WRTH (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sunday, December 8, 2013 WEAK SIGNAL, STRONG MESSAGE: HPONS GRAVEYARD http://nickvk2dx.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/weak-signal-strong-message-hpon.html Small guys who want to make the difference: low power broadcasters with a strong message! Also known as HPON transmitters, these small radio stations are located at the very edge of the AM band. These broadcaster produce program for ethnic communities, or of religious nature - or like in case of Station X from Gold Coast - they just play great music. Stuff you won't hear on the big radio. It goes without saying that HPONS transmitters are very difficult to catch. With intended coverage under 100 Km (and with many transmitters sharing one frequency) hearing them well over 1,000km distance is nothing but a miracle. Look for broadcasts in Italian, Arabic, Greek and of course English, at the edge of the medium wave band, around 1600-1700 KHz. Here is the recording of a 100W broadcaster Station X Gold Coast on 1692 KHz as heard in Sydney last night. Update: Below is the information to listeners, posted on Station X website in relation to expected coverage. I am sure the station owner would be pleased to hear how well the signal is received in Sydney, 700 Km south :-) "1692 kHz Frequency Up & Running On 100 watts --- Northern Gold Coast suburbs should have satisfactory coverage on AM 1692 kHz. The signal should be OK for anyone with a good radio and good aerial. Satisfactory coverage starts near the Strawberry Farm on the M1 and extends down to Miami High. This is a radius of about 19-20 km from the transmission site at Bailey Crescent. There are areas outside this where reception is still OK and tolerable (as far as 35 km radius). The opposite is also true as within this area there are some very electrically noisy areas! Always remember AM radio works totally different to FM. The current power level is 100 watts. Strong (above satisfactory) coverage is within 3-5 km of Bailey Crescent and depends on the electrical noise around you. While transmission comes from Bailey Crescent low power will always be used due to limitations where the transmitter is located." (via Nick, dxldyg via DXLD) Nick, Your 1656 Greek will be Rythmos1656 in Melbourne http://www.rythmos1656.com.au/ 73 (Tony VK2IC Magon, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 4364, apparently on wrong dialed up frequency in English with news at 1700, gone at 1732 retune (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4 using my version of diversity reception (both receivers tuned to same frequency at same volume level). Brian said he had never done that before; I really hadn't either and don't know what made me think of doing it, but it makes a world of difference on weaker fading signals. Many thanks to the Clarks; their hospitality, and Lucy the DX Dog who sleeps in the radio shack, cannot possibly be repaid. A lifetime of memories from that trip, both DXing and the following week hiking on the South Island. I managed to raise my HIC on the NASWA country list from 189 to 200; NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) So, WHAT station? ** AUSTRALIA. 13630, Dec 5 at 2107, R. Australia news, poor signal, a reverb apart from // 21740 which is much better. Propagation paths must differ considerably. I`m accustomed to hearing 13630 well on its other Pacific transmission at 05-08, but not this one at 21-23 with a 15-degree difference in azimuths. 5995, Dec 7 at 1405, `Saturday Night Country` is focusing on music from Texas, as Katherine reads a laudatory script about how great it is, with passing reference to Oklahoma too. Sufficient signal now, much better than // 5940. 9580 always best, of course. After it`s off at 1504, we still get RA on 7240, good except for QRhaM, talk about Helen Gurley Brown. That`s 40 degrees from Shepparton at 15-17, per Aoki. Still nothing from SHP in HFCC, only RA relays registered by someone else, such as BaBcoCk for Palau at 1300- 1430 on 9965, where English replaced the defunct Chinese sesquihour. We`re fortunate that Radio Australia spends so much time on American affairs, music and culture, better-rounded than we get from US SW stations, including even the VOA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 15489.970, HCJB, Englsih sermon, "mystery of the CROSS, Jesus, Jesaja 53, under God's arrangement..." S=9 at 0802 UT, Dec 7 (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. ANALOG TV - THE END OF AN ERA December 10, 2013 11:51AM http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/computers/blogs/gadgets-on-the-go/analog-tv--the-end-of-an-era-20131210-2z2os.html Almost 60 years after black and white television first came to Australia for the Melbourne Olympics, broadcasters have pulled the plug on analog television to end the digital switchover. Just before 9 o'clock this morning Channel Seven cut away from regular programming on its analog channel and signed off with a great montage of television highlights from over the years. If you're under 30 you might not have recognised much apart from Neighbours, but if you're older you probably spotted something from your youth, whether it be Happy Hammond, Fat Cat or Shirl's Neighbourhood. "It was a surprisingly powerful moment when the static burst onto the screen, hitting you with a wall of white noise like days of old." Most Australian homes have only switched across to digital in the last few years, but I think you need to be of a certain age to have an emotional attachment to analog television. Digital brought with it clearer pictures and a wealth of new channels, but it also turned television watching into a more sterile experience – something brought home by the abrupt finality of the burst of static which replaced the old HSV7 logo for the very last time. It was a surprisingly powerful moment when the static burst onto the screen, hitting you with a wall of white noise like days of old. It was at that moment I realised how integral static has always been to the experience of watching television. With the picture ripped away from the screen I suddenly felt like I'd lost something, like a childhood reminiscence of a person or place which no longer exists and only lives on in your memory. Static isn't something you see on television any more, but growing up with analog television static was an integral part of the experience. Static was something you strove to avoid, but it was always lurking in the background. It served as a reminder that television was a handful of precious signals coming from far away to reach your home, rather than the dozens of disposable channels we flick through today. Static was there when you turned the dial between stations --- back in the days when televisions actually had dials and someone had to get off the couch to turn them. Static was there at the midnight hour, after the late night movie when the stations signed off rather than launch into hours of mind-numbing infomercials. Static was there when broadcasts were interrupted, alluding to the eternal void which surrounded every fleeting signal. No-one will mourn static, but the passing of analog television is another step towards a digital-only world where everything is intangible and thus often assigned no value. Like the demise of vinyl records and the move away from the printed page, we may eventually look back at analog television and realise that something was lost in the move to digital (via Blaine Thompson, Dec 9, ABDX via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. 5910, TWR via ORS Moosbrunn center, Mon-Fri only in Polish, heard at 0645 UT Dec 6. "Nowo testamenton, biblia ...". At same time ORF Vienna 6155 kHz 300 kW unit non-dir antenna, little stronger S=9+35dBm. TWR Polish heard also on 7300 kHz at S=9+10dB signal strength (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AZERBAIJAN. 3 Dec, 9677 Talish 0905 and 0814 with a very terrible modulation 0921, Qur'an (as I could listen to this garbled stuff), S5 max (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, Dec 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BAHREIN. (or non): UNID with non stop pop songs in Arabic without any ID in time 0600-0800 with tiny signal on Dec 1 and Dec 5 on 9745 AM. No signal was at 0000-0100 on 3 & 4 December here. Most likely re- activated transmitter of Bahrein (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Aoki also has Bahrain at 03-21 in English on 6010, but I don`t think it`s active (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BANGLADESH. In the info delivered by Mr. T. Ashar in the DX publications there is not the program in English of BDB Radio daily 1530-1545 (Sundays till 1559) on 4750. It is now well heard here in Bulgaria. Earlier Bangladesh Betar had news in English irregularly but already the news in English are daily on the air 1530-1545 and also observed on Sundays 1530-1600 again in English with weekly survey of events. Daily with good signal till around 1615 when China and/or Dunamys -[UGANDA] also are heard on 4750 (Rumen Pankov, Dec 11 & 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BANGLADESH. 7250, Bangladesh Betar, Dec 09 *1313-1319, 23432, Nepali, 1313 sign on with IS, Opening music, News. 15105, Bangladesh Betar, Dec 09 1241-1250, 25442, English, News, ID at 1247, Bangladesh music (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD- 525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. 7255, Belarus Radio RESOLVED their twice x SPURIOUS signal TX problem. Noted Dec 6 at 0700 UT with clean audio signal on Perseus screen. Scheduled 04-07 UT towards big brother Russia target. Noted S=9+45dBm powerhouse strength at Moscow remote unit (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 3310 - R. Mosoj Chaski - Cochabamba - Recebido PPC assinado e carimbado, carta de agradecimento e folhetos da emissora. 49 dias. V/S: Victor Campos (Director). QTH: Abaroá 254, entre Gral. Achá y Santivañez, Cochabamba, Bolívia. As imagens das confirmações estarão disponíveis em breve em meu blog. http://ivandias.wordpress.com 73 (Ivan Dias Jr. - Sorocaba/SP, Dec 7, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 6134.820, Nov 30, 0925, R. Santa Cruz. Heard on 11/30 from 0925 tune via Perseus site near Detroit with armchairlike signal, S4. Man in seemingly vernacular (Quechua/Aymara) and indigenous vocals - different music than what I typically hear in the 0000+ time frame. ID by man and commercials in Spanish 0934-0936, then back to vernacular with discussion between announcer and a remote caller to 0939. Indigenous vocal and another remote caller at 0942.5. More ID, announcements & commercials in Spanish at 0954.5 to 1000, then back to indigenous program with a vocal and man announcer. Tuned out at 1010 during another vocal and YL caller, but signal was down to S3 - and no longer armchair. Started slow fade after 0950 when the gray line passed Santa Cruz. Listed s/on is 1100 but have heard last two nights at just after 0900. Overall SINPO from this site was 45344 during the peak. On 11/29 around 0900, the signal from the VE6JY Perseus site near Edmonton was even better at S5, like a local (Bruce Churchill, CA, via DXPlorer via SW Bulletin Dec 8 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4865.35, Nov 28 0022, Tentative R Alvorada now here. Unstable carrier, see picture below. Codar QRM. R Verdes Florestas on 4865.028 noted at the same time (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via DXLD) N.B. the two exact frequencies ** BRAZIL. 4875, Rádio Difusora Roraima at 0348 in Portuguese with female disco vocals and a man with talk over bird calls with frequencies then national anthem and off - Poor Dec 7 (Robert Gauvin, DXing in Bouctouche, NB, Kenwood TS-570D, ODXA YRX via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. [Re 13-49:] "5035.03, R. Educação Rural, Coari AM, 2242- 2254, 28/11, retransmissão da R. Aparecida, propaganda religiosa; 34331, atraso no áudio relativo à R. Aparecida. [?? Not separate stations??? R. Aparecida is listed with its own transmitter on 5035 in Aparecida, but as irregular in WRTH 2013. This could be quite confusing if the same frequency bears both it and a station relaying it. He says there was an audio delay compared to R. Aparecida, meaning on the same frequency or compared to some other frequency?? --- gh]" Glenn, Yes, I caught both with the same program, meaning R. Educação Rural was actually relaying R. Aparecida, with the former station being, what, less than a second behind Aparecida also on 5035. I don't recall having caught this Amazon station with non-Catholic stuff, so a relay like that makes sense. Due to the location of R. Educ. Rural, it's best received with the 200 m long, 270º Beverage whereas eastern Brazilians are always via the 300 m long, 225º Beverage. Brazilian states like AC Acre, AM Amazónia, RO Rondónia, RR Roraima are best via the 270º azimuth. Thanks to that, I can sometimes separate the signal of two stations sharing the same frequency. A typical example concerns 4915. In my view, the WRTH should correct a "few" things, among which the irregularity of Aparecida on 5035. Yes, they may be off on occasions, or very poorly heard some days, but I'd not say they're irregular on 60 m. A few others are a lot more erratic. As far as modulation is concerned, their 5035 transmitter was usually better than those used for 9630v and 11855v. Their other frequency, 6135, was usually good, but gets too much QRM for quite some time, and on top of that, we have a Bolivian on approx. the same channel. 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. I am assuming this is the site, which Ivo feels necessary to play a little game with naming (gh, DXLD) SECRETBROD Winter B-13 secret shortwave schedule from Secretbrod: Bible Voice Broadcasting: 1515-1530 on 13740 SCB 100 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Tamil Fri, cancelled 1515-1530 on 13740 SCB 100 kW / 090 deg to SoAs English Sat, cancelled 1530-1600 on 13740 SCB 100 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Urdu Fri, cancelled 1630-1830 on 9990 SCB 100 kW / 126 deg to WeAs Persian 1930-2015 on 9925 SCB 100 kW / 090 deg to N/ME English Sun Radio Shorouq/Radio Sunrise: 1600-1700 on 11610 SCB 050 kW / 195 deg to EaAf Arabic Mon-Wed Brother Stair TOM 1600-1800 on 5895 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to CeEu English DRM 1600-1800 on 6000 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg to CeEu English 2000-2200 on 5895 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg to CeEu English Dimtse Radio Erena 1700-1730 on 11560 SCB 070 kW / 195 deg to EaAf Oromo KBS World Radio 1900-2000 on 5875 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to CeEu German DRM 1900-2000 on 5885 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg to CeEu German (Ivo Ivanov, DX RE MIX NEWS #822 December 8, 2013 via DXLD) ** BULGARIA. 5895 Overcomer wo her ? hat sich das geklärt, 20-21 UT 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURMA [non]. CLANDESTINE, 6225, Dem. V. of Burma via Tajikistan, Dec 08 1430-1437, 34333, Burmese, Opening music, ID, Opening announce, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CAMBODIA. Members, Excellent news from The Cambodian Daily relayed to DXLD by Alan Pennington. The old 200 kW transmitter at Steung Meanchey on 918 (last running at 80 kW) has been switched off. A new site (either Wolfie or Alan Davies hopefully can check maps on this one) with a new 600 kW transmitter and a new mast will be built "about 25 km outside the city". At least in that country they recognise the usefulness of MW to reach a mass audience. 73's and 88's (Dan Goldfarb, Dec 11, mwmasts yg via DXLD) ** CAMBODIA [non]. Clandestine: 9960, KPPM Radio, Palau. 8/12 1215 in Khmer. Under the heavy RTTY qrm! Poor choice of frequency. Audible on USB only. s/off at 1300 73 (Nick VK2DX Hacko, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) IRRC the RTTY is from Hawaii (gh) ** CANADA [and non]. 650, Dec 11 at 0659 UT I am investigating what`s here with WSM nulled from the east: right away, CKOM ID from Saskatoon, news from Canadian Press. So despite alleged direxional pattern northward, it surpasses KGAB Wyoming, not unusual either despite its alleged night pattern northwestward. Just before, there was some Spanish making a faster SAH with WSM, characteristic of XETNT Los Mochis, but now it`s faded down; 0701 back up with Mexican NA in progress, fitting for midnight in the UT -7 zone. 0702 CBS News Update is gaining, from WSM itself; geez, remember when WSM and WSM-TV were nothing but NBC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 6160, CKZU in Vancouver heard with ID on Nov 9 at 0759 as "This is CBC Radio One, 690 AM in Vancouver." Later ID's during news as "Radio One." Been trying 45 years to hear this, and heard the first night in NZ! (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) ** CHINA. Dec 7: very good opening to north, with extremely low static / QRN level for a summer! CNR 6 was loud for hours (with typical QSB) and checked against 6165. Have heard China on MF before, but never so loud! Antenna: 15m vertical tuned to 700 kHz with high-Q loading coil at the base, 12 x 20m radials. 909, CNR6, 7/12 1015 in Chinese. YL+OM presenters. Verified against CNR6 6165 kHz. Initially weak but on clear channel. At from 1356 to 1407 peaked at S8! Very loud and clear. Slow Chinese-westernized music. Off 1605. Recordings uploaded on the blog. I would appreciate comment on CNR 6 - I still find hard to believe that such signal is possible over the distance of almost 9,000 km http://nickvk2dx.blogspot.com.au/ (Nick VK2DX Hacko, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 909 CNR6 is 100 kW at Quangzhou, FJ - WRTH (gh, DXLD) Hi Nick, CNR on 909 can be quite regular, and there is another one on 684, which can be heard under ABC from time to time. The real challenge is to try and hear Fu Hsing Taiwan on 909 after CNR goes off at 1800. 73 (Tony VK2IC Magon, ibid.) [miscellaneous jamming logs follow, approx. chrono order:] ** CHINA [and non]. 9455, Firedrake, 2254, 12.3.13. Chinese traditional music jamming loop. Brief pause at 2100 before starting next round. Vs. R. Free Asia in Mandarin via Saipan, MRA – not heard. Usually CNR 1 jammers in band like this. Good. Also Firedrake on 12.7.13. Armchair. Noted in passing on the same frequency and date about 2145 also vs RFA while tuning around at Gerry Dexter’s in Lake Geneva (Mark Taylor, Madison WI, Perseus, WinRadio g313e, Eton e1, Grundig G5, Tecsun PL 660; EWE, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) 11430, Dec 5 at 1227, harmonious choral music, fair signal and // 11640 with CCI, soon Chinese announcement, then also found on weaker // 10960, but none in the 8s, 12s or 13s. Aoki has both 11430 and 10960 as 100-watt Sound of Hope nuisance frequencies from Taiwan, successfully tying up CNR1 jammers. See also TANNU TUVA [and non]! 10960, Dec 7 at 1350, CNR1 jammer with good signal, but no // on 11430 this time. No other such OOB jammers found in the 8s, 9s, 12s or 13s. 9250, however, bears a suspicious open carrier, F-G with flutter at 1351-1352*. Nothing scheduled here until Cairo at 1700. See also UNIDENTIFIED 8300. 6075, Dec 7 at 1507, Firedrake jamming roughly equal to Chinese talk, which could either be more jamming with CNR1, or victim RTI; more FD on 6145 against same. 7445, Dec 8 at 1226, Firedrake mixing with other music, i.e. ChiCom jamming vs RTI. 11640, Dec 8 at 1445, open carrier/dead air good with flutter. Presumably the ChiCom jammer transmitter is just left on the air at 14-15, a break between RTI in Chinese and RFA in Tibetan via Kuwait, when CNR1 modulation will be reimposed; but not rechecked today. 11775, Dec 10 at 1503, Firedrake in the clear as ANGUILLA is missing. Strangely, Aoki does not show any jamming or target of jamming at this hour; something new moved in? Only radio-war hours listed on 11775, also in EiBi, are 1215-1330 AIR Tibetan, and 2300-2400 RFA Chinese. 6145, Dec 10 at 1504, usual Firedrake here is still JBA this late (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 6100, Dec 8 at 1235, ``I Love You, Baby`` song in English, fair signal and // 7410, confirming it`s nevertheless the CRI Russian service, not Kyzyl (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. EL PRESIDENTE DE UCRANIA VIKTOR YANUKOVICH REALIZÓ UNA VISITA A RADIO INTERNACIONAL DE CHINA (CRI) by gruporadioescuchaargentino El presidente de Ucrania Viktor Yanukovich realizó una visita a Radio Internacional de China (CRI) con sede en Beijing, donde participó en una ceremonia para conmemorar el V aniversario de la puesta en funcionamiento de la página web en ucraniano creada por la emisora china, inaugurando también la aplicación en Internet de los programas radiofónicos en ucraniano de CRI. A su vez, el presidente de CRI, Wang Gengnian, expresó una calurosa bienvenida a Yanukovich y su comitiva a la emisora en coincidencia con el 72 Aniversario de la fundación de CRI. Asimismo, el viceministro chino dijo que la página en ucraniano de CRI se ha convertido en una importante plataforma para aumentar la comprensión mutua y estrechar los vínculos amistosos entre ambas naciones. Wang espera que con el apoyo del gobierno del presidente Yanukovich y todos los sectores sociales de Ucrania, la emisora pueda hacer más aportes al desarrollo de la cooperación sino-ucraniana. CRI, la única emisora oficial china de radiodifusión al exterior, tiene una web, "CRI Online", que presenta las páginas principales en 65 dialectos chinos e idiomas extranjeros, atrayendo a millones de cibernautas provenientes de unos 160 países y regiones del mundo (GRA blog Dec 9 via DXLD) But, but, the complete CRI B-13 schedule in 13-49 does not show anything on SW in Ukrainian (gh, DXLD) ** CHRISTMAS ISLAND. See KIRIBATI EAST ** COLOMBIA [and non]. 5910, ALCARAVAN RADIO, 09/12 0057 UT. Avisos de la emisora con ID de la misma, la hora local, presentación de música llanera y música latinoamericana con SINPO: 45554. Aunque a las 0102 se escucha un QRM de Radio Rumania Internacional, siendo el SINPO: 43343 (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. 5066.34, Dec 3 1900, R. Télé Candip, Bunia also noted here for a few days with weak signals (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via DXLD) ** CUBA. New AM 530 Radio Enciclopedia Theme http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?8609-New-AM-530-Radio-Enciclopedia-Theme Here is the latest theme (most tops-of-the-hour) from Radio Enciclopedia. Personally, I don't like it, because the musical theme is much shorter than before, which won't help DXers like it used to. Sounds outer-spacey; but at least the instrumental format is still intact. http://forums.wtfda.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=14997&d=1386475856 I recorded this from the FL Keys this afternoon 12/07/2013. You will hear a faint Radio Rebelde in the background (Chris Dunne, Pembrokoe Pines FL, Dec 7, WTFDA-AM Forum via DXLD) Update. I have been told by someone in Miami that this RE sounder is used only in somber times --- he said that it was for mourning of Nelson Mandela, and it was used before that when Chávez passed away. He told me that RE's more-musical ID is back now. Makes sense now. cd (Dunne, Dec 10, ibid.) ** CUBA. 5025, yes Rebelde ist on air also 07-09 UT slot Dec 5. Each strong S=9+30dB here in Germany, Cuba wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5025, Dec 5 at 0704, R. Rebelde is still off the air. But at 1207 it`s back on, with squeal. Maybe they were trying to eradicate that in the meantime? Ha. 5745, Dec 5 at 1208, pulse jamming is still here, despite being long- abandoned by Radio Martí. [non]. 5025, Dec 6 at 0055, R. Rebelde is off again uncovering a JBA carrier, possibly Perú, R. Quillabamba. 6000, Dec 6 at 0635, RHC is in Spanish, `Estampas de Cuba` about Antonio Maceo, instead of proper English (Spanish is supposed to be off all frequencies by 0600). VG signal, like English on 6165 and 5040, but the other English frequencies, 6060 and 6100, are very undermodulated. It`s *always* something wrong at RHC. Next: 11760, Dec 6 at 1355, RHC Spanish here is just broken up modulation, totally unreadable, and with CCCCI, while 11750 and 11860 are OK; however 11860 as I tune in is cutting off and on the air at 1357. 17730, Dec 6 at 1408, RHC remains reactivated here, better than QRMed // 17580, now with homage to Mandela (what?? He represented freedom rather than repression); anyhow an improvement over hoary old Fidel speeches usually heard in this segment on `Voces de la Revolución` --- no, a bit later today at 1421 when I`m on 15230, it`s Maduro & Chávez stuff from Venezuela. 5025, Dec 6 at 1343, R. Rebelde is back on the air altho mostly missing in the evenings; only fair signal this late on day path, something about Venezuela. 5025, Dec 7 at 0636, R. Rebelde is off again. The other two 5025 stations which benefit by unblockage are: VL8K, Katherine NT, Australia, 50 kW at 2130-0830; should be fading into North America before the 0830 sign-off/switch to 2485; and R. Quillabamba, Perú, 500 watts at 1000-0200 per Aoki; is that correct? Latin American SW schedules are notoriously variable (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, didn't log RHC past few days, but reports widely in German A-DX ng of German/Austrian listener to nice music from Cuba origin: RHC 5040 switches off at 0700 UT Dec 5 / 6 / 7 , and R Rebelde opens around 0703 kHz on 5025 kHz ... so my guess, looks like Bauta antenna is off - at present, and Rebelde uses also the NVIS ant at Quivican Titan site then? 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5040, 6000, 6060, 6100, 6165, Dec 7 at 0636 check, all five overkill RHC English frequencies are working well for a change; only 6100 has somewhat lower modulation. 11760, Sat Dec 7 at 1347, RHC with roaring noise surging and dropping. If this were evening, could blame it on Cairo, but now it must be self-inflicted; while neighboring // 11750 is totally clear tho always weaker signal and modulation. BTW, NO sign of VOA Philippines on 11750, despite Aoki and HFCC listings as adding this 13-14 hour to 12- 13 on Saturdays and Sundays only (for `Jazz America`). See USA [non] 12150. 11760, Dec 7 at 1434, RHC still with that pulsing noisy QRM, while its own modulation seems to be OK. 11760, Dec 7 at 2020, first RHC English hour of the day is AWOL, off the air completely; 13680 in Brazilian to Portugal is on at 2022 check. 11760, Dec 8 at 0059, RHC is back on with rumble/roar on the modulation, and with BFO the carrier is rapidly wobbling. Not QahiraRM this time, probably not propagating. 5025, Dec 8 at 0052, R. Rebelde is off again. Wolfgang Büschel has been hearing it back on after 0700, when RHC 5040 (and all the other frequencies) have finished, so maybe it`s having to share antenna and/or transmitter with RHC while something is down. 5990, Dec 8 at 0103, CRI English modulation finally stops its overrun after scheduled Spanish relay hour, and then off. 9825 & 9885, Dec 8 at 0123, pulse jamming against nothing, ex-Martí & VOA-Spanish frequencies; can`t be too careful (or paranoid) (or incompetent) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Rebelde on Dec. 8 at 1020 UT on new 5050, instead of 5025. Used remote receivers in Canada, USA and Spain. -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [SW BCB TX Site Archive] CUBA: Bauta Freq/Service 5025 / 5040: It seems now after the storm, Bauta NVIS antenne has been damaged. RHC heard 2200-0700 UT on Dec 5 / 6 / 7 , and tx switched - SEEMINGLY - to 5025 kHz, and heard on remote SDR unit in Florida-USA at 0703 til 2200 UT. At 2046 UT Dec 7 5025 kHz Rebelde, on Football soccer World Cup Brasil plan, ``nuestro país, del mundo del deportes, CampionatTo del Mundo,`` commentary. S=9+15dB in Florida remote receiver unit of N9JY. Now, probably in use, only Quivican TITAN installation is some kilometers south easterly. See Google Maps http://goo.gl/maps/A4aum http://www.panoramio.com/photo/48627080 NVIS Near Vertical Incidence Skywave antenna 5025/5040 Keyboard slip ? - or I guess - has something to do with NVIS antenna MATCHING at Quivican San Felipe TITAN station? Matches better to RHC 5040 kHz frequency, but rather NOT on 5025 kHz?, so they selected 5050 kHz. 73 wolfy df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5050-, Dec 8 at 1245, something new with song in Spanish, good signal; first I check 6000 for // RHC and it is not. Still no 5025 Rebelde, so ex-that? Yes! 1248 quotation from rev-hero Antonio Maceo. More music, 1254 quick capsule about palabras such as ``abracadabra``, in `Revista Rebelde`, then something about Mandela, 1255 more music; 1300 no formal ID but `Las Noticias` with typical sounders; 1302 brief ``running-water`` ute QRM, but otherwise totally in the clear. What was wrong with 5025? Escaping all that QuillabambaRM? Then another quote from ``El Titán de Bronce``, Antonio Maceo; are we around his anniversary, or something? 1303 already back to music; 1328 still audible but weakening past sunrise. If Rebelde also uses 5050 in the evening, it will collide with WWRB, which is on irregularly in USB. Perhaps Arnie thought it was clear by monitoring on an occasion when WWRB was absent. WWRB is entitled by FCC and HFCC to run 5050 anytime between 2200 and 1300, but never does so past 0500. This is good news for Solomons-seekers on 5020-, but which goes off circa 1200. Yes, 5050 is also very slightly on the lo side compared to 1050 signals on the FRG-7. Ivo Ivanov was hearing 5050 as early as 1020 on remote receivers. Wolfgang Büschel got this from Arnie Coro on Dec 3: ``The Radio Rebelde 5025 kiloHertz frequency is on 24 hours with 50 kW and its omnidirectional NVIS high vertical departure angle antenna. It normally shows a high reliability, but it may have been off the air during the recent storm that was very strong in the La Habana and Artemisa provinces. The Radio Rebelde transmitter is located at the Bauta transmitting station that is now part of the new Artemisa province Radio Havana Cuba's Tropical Band present frequency is on 5040 kiloHertz and it is registered at the ITU to start at this time of the year at 2200 UTC and be on the air up to 0700 UT. The 100 kW transmitter uses also an NVIS antenna. In the near future, as solar cycle 24 moves into a period of much lower activity, we may perhaps begin to use the 90 meters band, following a past experience by Radio Rebelde on registered frequency of 3365 kiloHertz that proved to work very well for the NVIS service during the last years of solar cycle 22.`` Maybe he will say more about this on today`s DXUL. Wolfgang adds on Dec 7: [as above] And adds on Dec 8: ``Keyboard slip ? - or I guess - has something to do with NVIS antenna MATCHING at Quivicán San Felipe TITAN station? Matches better to RHC 5040 kHz frequency, but rather NOT on 5025 kHz?, so they selected 5050 kHz. 73 wolfy df5sx`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13780, Dec 8 at 1406, RHC is open carrier/dead air; and 11760 is *still* very out of order, rumble audible and severe wobble with BFO engaged; still such during `En Contacto` at 1446 check, when at least, 11750, 11860, 15340, 17580 and 17730 are funxional. 6165, Dec 9 at 0212, not a word from Arnie on `DXers Unlimited` about frequency changes, including the strange appearance of Radio Rebelde Sunday morning on 5050 instead of 5025 --- just about propagation, including VHF research by Pat, WA5IYX, our old friend from San Antonio, and some ham contest. Recheck circa 0220 finds Rebelde on neither 5025 nor 5050, but RHC on 5040. WWRB is not on 5050 either now. 5025, Dec 9 at 1335, as I awaken late, JBA signal here from something, presumably Rebelde reactivated, and nothing on 5050. Propagation is degraded today, but it`s close to post sunrise fadeout time anyway. 11760, Dec 9 at 1454, RHC is now buried under CCCCCCI, also making a fast SAH, commies vs commies! Between 13 and 15, CNR1 has to jam a 300-kW Sound of Hope transmitter from Taiwan; none of which you would know existed in HFCC, only Aoki and EiBi (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5040, RHC, 09/12 0422 UT. Homenaje a “los cinco cubanos” con lectura de cartas y de personas que los recuerdan en su vida en Cuba. SINPO: 55444 // 6060 con SINPO: 53343 con QRM de otras emisoras // ¿9810 fuera del aire? Sólo se escucha IRIB en árabe // 11670 con SINPO: 55454 // 11760 con SINPO: 44444 // 11840 con SINPO: 55555 // 13740 con SINPO: 55454 // 15230 con SINPO: 55555 (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL- 660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) 5025, Dec 10 at 0626, R. Rebelde is still off the air. But it is on with VG signal in Spanish at 1157, no longer on 5050 which is looking more and more like a one-time mistake. However, as Wolfgang Buschel has also noted, Karel Honzik in Czechia replies to a previous report of mine on HCDX at a time when my eyes & ears are usually shut: ``Hi, it seems that Cuba has only one transmitter [and/or antenna] available for 5025 + 5040 kHz at the moment. On Dec 9 there was RHC in English on 5040 until 0700 (UT), then retuned to 5025 and continued with Radio Rebelde. Today Dec 10 the same schedule: RHC in English on 5040 until 0705, then retuned to 5025, the English modulation remains until 0707, then the modulation changes seamlessly into Rebelde`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5025, Dec 11 at 0703, R. Rebelde has just come on the air, with undermodulated music, then turning it up, once RHC is finished with 5040 on this now shared NVIS antenna. Evidently Rebelde can use it until 2200 when RHC resumes on 5040. Also 5025 Rebelde audible at 1252 Dec 12, `Haciendo Radio` morning show (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Cuban Numbers Station 12/6/2013 --- The transmitted numbers for today in this order are (drum roll, please): 22574 // 15441 // 50182 // 08444 // 51835 // 83381 Notes from first broadcast at Midnight Eastern (05 UT at 5855 or so)-- dual transmissions going on (delayed by approximately 20 seconds or so): in other words, tones still going on while first round of numbers begin, then tones stop while numbers repeated on delay (from second tape loop?) At ~ 0510, transmission cut off for a few minutes, so I went elsewhere. I picked it up around 0530. By then, the (second) tape loop was off air -- only one transmission at this time. (Is this station transmitting TWICE these numbers at 05-06 on what are supposed to be two different frequencies? If so, then we may have been getting the transmission for BOTH frequencies on 5855 [as well as on the unknown frequency?]). At 0558 transmission cut off in middle of 51835 sequence (after '51' ) -- as if to change frequencies for their 06 UT broadcast (which are apparently off band). Second broadcast at 07 UT on 9330 or so -- began with additional dual transmissions in the beginning sequence of 22574 15441 50182 08444 51835 83881 with repeats. By 0724 UT problem eliminated and I went to SLEEP (even DXers need some shuteye!) OTHER NOTES: the number "tres" (3) was of lower volume (due to a problem with the machine that generates the voice?) than any of the other numbers used in sequences (0 - 2, 4 - 5, and 7 - 8; there were no sixes or nines to check on the volume on those numbers on SW). Does this mean anything special or not? Also, on the 9330 transmission, noticed signal fading quite often (can't be sure if frequency was changing to 9331, or some other number close to 9330 -- frequencies mentioned are being ASSUMED as correct per well-known frequency chart on Internet). Equipment Used: Hamilton 12 Band World Radio (cheap -- bought from Publishers Clearing House) with attached antenna. Volume turned up to the max to hear the numbers (and translate from Spanish as I go). No ability to record or translate tones to data, etc. Sorry! After not hearing from 'the Cuban Lady' for a few days, we'll see if anything changes over this weekend beginning at midnight Eastern Time on the usual spot on the dial between Pastor Peters (5830- WTWW) and Brother Stair (5890- WWCR). Perhaps we can figure out what all these numbers and data bursts mean someday -- as the Gallagher Girls (and Ally Carter) would say: "United We Spy". 73s and a merry DXMAS to all (Shawn Fahrer, Dec 6, ptswyg via DXLD) Update for 12/8/13 (unheard on 12/7/13): 5855 missing but 9330 on time (07 UTC) with new numbers: 56801 (replacing 83381 and moving to first position of the sequence) // 22574 // 15441 // 50182 // 08444 // 51835. Last five numbers moved down one position from 12/6/13 broadcast (but no change). Signal fading in and out as if transmitter was being rotated in a circle rather rapidly. Left around 0730 UT (for sleep!) Final thoughts (as posted to HF Underground): could the 5 digit numbers have something to do with 2 to the 5th power = 32 = 32 bit system being used for transmission? 32 bit led me to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Metafile (which is a graphics file). My wild idea is this: Can each sequence be a bit or a PIXEL of a graphics file? Should the .txt file as at http://www.qsl.net/py4zbz/eni.htm#d be converted a jpg or other picture file (or a Windows Metafile) in order to be read 'properly` (or be 'deencrypted`)? (Shawn, ssfahrer, Dec 8, ptsw yg via DXLD) More from/about the Cuban Numbers Station 12/9/2013 Attempts to hear Cuban Lady on 5855 at 05 UT unsuccessful to apparent jamming (was it Cuban jamming practice?) When the signal was off by 0555 UT, so was the jamming. Did anyone else pick up this transmission (or even try to, considering the conditions)??? Anyhow, 9330 at 07 UT was a bit more successful -- leading to transcribing the following numbers (as accurately as possible, under the static conditions at the time): 28332 // 02635 // 07684 // 73662 //05664 // 77332. Also heard an attempt at a bubble jamming at approx. 0719 UT for at most a few seconds. (Was that an aborted practice session?) Left around 0725 UT for sleep. Let's see if we can do better in just under five hours from now (Shawn, ibid.) ** DIEGO GARCIA [and non]. AFRTS/AFN --- I know over the years, some folks have logged Armed Forces Network radio stations via AM/SW. I know near zilch about AFN radio frequencies and Shortwave in general. Would I stand any chance of hearing any AFN radio frequencies from my location in Northwestern PA? What frequencies/locations? Thanks in advance for any opinions/advice! (Paul Walker, http://www.onairdj.com http://www.houndcountry.com QSL/Verification signer for: WDDH 97.5, WKBI 93.9, W233BS 94.5 and WKBI 1400 Saint Marys, PA IRCA via DXLD) The last AFN I heard on MW was in Germany on 873, but I believe it is gone now. I heard it many times in Newfoundland, and also once at home in western NY. There used to be some of them in Newfoundland, Puerto Rico, Guantánamo, Iceland, Azores, and even temporarily in Bosnia (during the recent conflict). Those that still exist are probably on FM at various US bases. I'm not up to date on the shortwave scene but AFN has been on the air from Hawaii, Key West, Diego Garcia, Guam in recent years. One of my most distant QSLs is from Diego Garcia. It's hard to get further from here than that. The 2013 WRTH lists them as active (Jim Renfrew, Holley NY, ibid.) There are periodic SSB feeders on SW. I don't remember the frequencies offhand. I've heard them at my Virginia location with my trusty sony2010 (Dave Marthouse, ibid.) Paul, I think your chances of getting any AFN stations any more are just about nil. As far as I know, they have all closed down except for a few low power stations in Germany [per recent DXpeditions]. There were once a lot of them wherever our Armed Forces were stationed but the remaining ones have all switched to FM. In years past I could get good signals from such as AFN-873 and 1107 in Germany but 873 closed down and any still on 1107 are the low power ones (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA, NRC-AM via DXLD) Ben, I remember all of the AFN outlets on MW Alaska had when I lived up there in the 50s & 60s. 960 Kodiak ran 250 watts and got out well. A regular in Seward. Also a bunch of others all over the state. I guess the few that may be left are all on FM. A big one a lot of us heard was 890 Adak with 250 watts. The good ol' days. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/Shortwave.aspx (Dept of Defense media site) The only two shortwave sites carrying AFRTS programming are on Guam and Diego Garcia -- both are single-sideband transmissions, low power, and not easily audible in North America (Glenn Hauser could fill in more details). The Key West transmitter was of course easy to hear, but it went off air within the past year or so. Like Ben suggested, their mediumwave sites around the world were difficult DX catches here in the States. 20 or more years ago AFRTS had a thriving worldwide SW schedule via Voice of America facilities (Randy Stewart, Battlefield MO, ibid.) As covered extensively in DX Listening Digest, There were only two sites left on SW with AFN on USB, Guam and Diego Garcia. Guam closed a few months ago. Diego Garcia is still on and a tough catch but possible, on 4319-USB (their night frequency), and 12759-USB (their day frequency). The switchover happens around 0100 UT. I`ve heard the higher one a few times in Oklahoma after that hour. QRM starts on 4319 at 0000. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) 12759, at 0930 11/11 barely audible under sweeper. Not heard several days prior. 4319, in USB with 45344 signal on Nov 12, again not heard several prior days. Canned program ID'ing as "You're listening to Gravity, the Party Station." (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) I.e. AFNs ** EAST TURKISTAN. [Re 13-48:] ``4980, Nov 25 at 0057, very poor signal with talk, non-Chinese. Presumed the only station listed, which I last heard many months ago, PBS Xinjiang, Uighur service, 100 kW, 230 degrees from Urumqi at 2310-0300 per Aoki. Ron Howard recently noted that another PBSX frequency, 4850 had resumed. Was 4980 off the air too? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Hi Glenn, Yes, the usual PBSX frequencies of 4980, 5060, et al. were all off during the summer. On Nov 12, I only noted 4850 returning, but in fact the others also returned that same day, per Hiroshi in Japan. (Ron Howard, San Francisco, Dec 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Re 13-49:] Hi Glenn, Have always found PBS Xinjiang on just 4850.00. Currently with not too bad a reception; Dec 6 with CNR8 at 1400 with 5+1 pips and March of the Volunteers (China's Anthem). Audio - https://app.box.com/s/v87ov9q8kdyl7ikybx9j Have not heard AIR Kohima so far this December, as of the 9th. In the past when AIR Kohima was on the air, they were on 4850.00. 4850.048 is a mystery to me. Do not know who would be off frequency. He did not hear QRM from 4850.00? (Ron Howard, San Francisco, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 6050, HCJB, 09/12 0235 UT. Música cristiana en idioma quechua y lectura del antiguo testamento, nombrando en español la palabra: “filisteo”, y las palabras Belén e Isaí, para citar 1 Samuel, capitulo 17 y otras, intercalada con música hasta las 03, cuando comienza el servicio en español. Señal con SINPO: 55555. 6050, HCJB, 10/12 0413 UT. Programa “El camino” con pequeños comentarios y lecturas de la Biblia, intercalada con música cristiana contemporánea en español hasta las 0457 cuando hay avisos de la emisora, el programa como despedida, el himno de Ecuador, lectura de todas las frecuencias de la emisora y el sonido horario. SINPO: 55454 (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 25 metros, QTH: Sector sur de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, Dec 7 2050, R Bata with much weaker signal than a month ago. S7 signal today. Some days very weak (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, WRMI Radio Miami Int'l (presumed); 2133-2230+, 2-Dec; Very low-key English huxter Dr. Albert Chambers of World Vision for Christ ending at 2154+, right into new English huxter. At tune-in signal was well over another, more exuberant English huxter, "Hallelujah"; presume Radio Africa, Eq. Guinea. From tune-in to end of Chambers program, weaker huxter was not //. From there to 2200, they were // but not after 2200. At 2200 weaker one was then English huxter & WRMI (presumably) switched to music, repeating the same tune over & over (about a good girl that made a bad choice). There was no ToH or BoH ID or break. S10 peaks with occasional fades to about equal R. Africa (presumed) (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, 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) 15190.0, at 0823 UT R Africa from Bata, English sermon, poor at S=6, and accompanied BUZZ interference, likely from Inconfidência Brasil 15189.872 kHz lower side (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, R Africa (the religious one), Bata. 5/12 0836 Male preacher in English. S5 noisy Long path (Nick Hacko, VK2DX, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, Radio Africa. Dec 5 (Thursday) at 1604 with Tony Alamo with his Thursday show; almost fair. Have not noted him on any other day at this time period, so perhaps is only on Thurs.? (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, Dec 5 at 1959, R. Africa direct is still here but JBA today. 17790, Dec 5 at 1959, R. Africa via WRMI has good signal, making QSY at 2000 announcement also to 15190, and off 17790 at 2000:15*. 15190, then back to here as Bata continues, overridden at *2002:40 by WRMI open carrier producing SAH of several Hz. 2003:20 it adds modulation of gospel music. So it`s the fifth day in a row that the two Radios Africas, each run by a Jeff, are colliding with each other. 15190, Dec 6 at 2045, both Radios Africas are still colliding for the sixth day in a row, making SAH of about 5 Hz, and this time they are about equal level, huxter vs huxter via WRMI, coincidentally aimed right at Bata, and from Bata (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, Radio Africa presumed the one at 1731 Dec 7 with man preaching about “spirit of slumber”. No sign of Radyo Pilipinas at this time, however see logging at 1831. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia. Listening in my car, parked by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN-1 active antenna. Temperature outside the car was -13C / 8F. Brrrr! dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, Dec 7 at 2002 is not too late to tune in and hear R. Africa, Bata by itself: a very poor signal today, until *2002:47 R. Africa, Okeechobee cuts on over it, making the usual SAH of several Hz, at first dead air so Bata can be heard under; by 2007 modulation grows a bit, not clear from which but probably WRMI. 2101 recheck, now WRMI is definitely atop, but still SAH from the other, program ending off-hour, 2102.5 ID as ``Radio Africa Network on WRMI, Okeechobee``, into some music, while the Bata CCI is talking. The seventh day in a row that Radio Africa has been colliding with itself from these two sites on same frequency. How much longer until Pan American Broadcasting gets its act together (or rather, acts apart)? 15190, Dec 8 at 2033, for the eighth day in a row, Radio Africa Network is colliding with itself, same frequency, same time, both from WRMI and Bata: usual SAH of 4 Hz and two signals audible, one with gospel music at the moment, and the other with the fill-music loop heard before, ``Thank you for the sunshine, thank you for the rain``. But NO clear frequency for which to be thankful! 17790, Dec 9 at 1402, WRMI carrier is on but only dead air. I keep listening for programming to start, still not at 1407 past 1500. Leave a receiver on 17790 as I am busy elsewhere, and it seems that modulation does not finally kick in until noticed about 1640. See also USA: WRMI. 17790, Dec 9 at 1959, very poor signal from RAN via WRMI here, degraded propagation. 15190, Dec 9 at 1959, JBA carrier, maybe Bata still on. From 2002, WRMI has come up, with `Time for Truth`, fair signal and no CCI audible; but at 2047 it`s weakened and/or Bata has strengthened to produce the usual SAH of some 4 Hz, so this makes the ninth day in a row that Radio Africa is colliding with itself! I bet their customers are not savvy enough to notice this and demand a refund, so no hurry to fix it. 15190, Dec 10 at 2043, R. Africa Network via WRMI is mainly heard, but trace of the other RAN via Bata underneath, for the tenth day in a row; by 2101 the lite SAH between them is evident; 2102.6 RAN on WRMI ID, somewhat undermodulated. (Seems late IDs are often the case here, much better than no IDs from Bata.) 15190, Dec 11 at 2114, eleventh day in a row of RAN colliding with itself, making CCI and SAH; 2210 now the two signals are about equal making a really heavy SAH, one with Jesus song, other talking (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See USA: WRMI ** ERITREA [non]. 15245, R. Assenna (via Kostinbrod-Sofia) *1700-1706+ 29 Nov. Opening chat in (presumed) Tigrinya with ID/frequency/website info --- http://assenna.com will get you there, nice HOA songs and chat (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA G5/PL380/6m X wire, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15245, Voice of the Forum of the Eritreans (via Kostinbrod-Sofia), *1700-1720 5 Dec. Orchestral theme to open then echoey ID/freq/sked in (presumed) Tigrinya, news/reports 'til 1706, then nice local song, more chat until 1719 and into another local song (HOA with a C&W flavor). Decent signal for this Su-Tu-Th-Sa broadcast, but the R. Assenna ID on the M-W-F programs are 'way easier to understand (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA PL380 "barefoot", WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. 13810 Voice of Oromo Liberation (via Issoudun) *1700+ 4 Dec. HOA song to open, couple of IDs + frequency, instrumental bridge, HOA martial tune and into M/W chat in (presumed) Afar-Oromo -- poor signal after 1703 due to AACI from jammer on 13820 (DCJC v. R. Martí, perhaps) (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA G5/6m X wire, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15380, R. ESAT (via Kostinbrod-Sofia) *1700-1711+ 2 Dec. Opening theme, echoey "ESAT-iya" ID, M/W chat in (presumed) Amharic over music bed, nice local fiddle tune with warbling-yodelling singer (Ethiopian bluegrass?), interview followed by 5-6 minutes of what seemed to be music sounders with announcer chat mixed in (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA G5/PL380/6m X wire, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Frequency jumps around area depending on day of week (gh) 17870, R. Xoriyo Ogaden (via Kostinbrod-Sofia), *1600-1615, 1625-1629* 2 Dec. Nice HOA tune to start things up, ID in (presumed) Somali as "Radyo [sho] riyo" (the "Xo/sho" sound seems to be elided somewhat during the IDs), brief qira'ut followed by a few more IDs with sounders somewhat similar to those heard on R. Dabanga. Re-tune at 1625 to speech/crowd noises/commentary then M/W chat/ID and off mid- word (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA G5/6m X wire, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. New clandestine program Oromo Voice will be on air: 1600-1630 on 17850 secret / hidden site to EaAf Oromo Mon/Wed/Sat. I tried on Saturday Dec. 7 & Monday Dec. 9, but still no broadcasts (Ivo Ivanov, DX RE MIX NEWS #822 December 8, 2013 via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) ** EUROPE. Re Free Radio Service Holland 7310 test imminent: Excellent signals into Holycross, Bruff, Ireland on a Sony SW-11 with built in antenna. Huge signals on the Eddystone and FCD+ and a long wire. Synthesized “Close Encounters” theme ident signal into English sign on. Reception report information. “I Can’t Explain” by the Who at 1010 UT. 8 December (Brock Whaley, 1013 UT Dec 8, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good signal from FRS Holland since tune-in at 1000 with their test on 7310 kHz via Kall (1000-1200 today). Also via Kall on 9480 is Atlantic 2000 with similarly good reception (scheduled from 1000 to 1100). 73s (Dave Kenny, England, 1054 UT Dec 8, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Good signals also here in Germany. But 9480 kHz is not from Kall; it`s from Goehren/Schwerin. 73 (Harald Kuhl, Germany, 1102 UT Dec 8, ibid.) ** FRANCE. 15395, Dec 10 at 1429, surprised to hear good signal in French, promo for later RFI program and ID, but 1430 into Farsi or Dari, opening with ``injo``. This is listed in HFCC for one hour later, in Pst = Pashto?? at 1530-1630, 500 kW, 85 degrees from Issoudun to CIRAF 40, and has not been corrected there; it`s one of the transmissions shifted one UT hour earlier than registered, due to some confusion about local timezone changes. Aoki correctly has it at 1430-1530, and in Persian (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY EAST. An interesting blog for fans of the old RBI. http://radioberlininternational.blog.co.uk/ (Mark Palmer, Dec 5, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** GREECE. 15630, V of Greece, Avlis. 5/12 0826 In Greek. Very loud, YL+OM discussing Cyprus situation (Nick Hacko, VK2DX, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 7475, Dec 7 at 0646, lite music, F-G signal but undermodulated, presumed ERT, yet no signal on 9420, while Turkey is very poorly audible on 9700, and BBC sufficient on 9410 and 9460, but both those are Ascension at this hour, no clue at all to Europrop (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mostly mornings also \\ 11645 on air, but n o t 15630 / 15650 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Last time observed here on SW on December 3 via only 1 transmitter on 9420 at 0000-0050 with program ERP (Eliniki Radio Phonia) in Greek // MWs 1260, 1404, 1512. 15 minutes earlier on Dec 2 were heard 4 different programs in Greek: ERP on above 3 MWs; another with non stop folk songs on 9420; third on MW 729 with program called Eliniki Demostos Radio Phonia (but on Dec 1 their ID was Eliniki Demokratya Radio Phonia); and fourth with non stop western hits songs in English (like Donna Summer's I Will Survive) on MW 1044; plus Fifth with strong carrier on MW 666 kHz. On 1044 are irregularly morning and evening such of concerts. Another Greek speaking or playing Greek music stations are rather private or pirate, like these on 792, 1188, 1368, 1386, 1566, etc. and many others in the X-band. On Dec 1st at 0400 on 9420 // 1260, 1404 and 1512 the ID was "Radiophonikos stathmos Macedonia" (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, December 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7450, Dec 8 at 0110, poor signal with Greek music, ERT here rather than 7475 tonight, and not on 9420 where I only hear JBA talk, presumably CRI. 7450, Dec 8 at 0620, undermodulated music, presumed ERT again and not on 7475 or 9420 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Monday, Dec 9 at 0345z presumed ERT with music on 7475. No ID or fanfare at 0400 as was customary (Jerry Lenamon, Waco TX, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) GREECE 18-19 UT Dec 9 on both 7450 and 15650 kHz, but ONLY ONE THIRD of previous TX signal power, spoken part is better read, but all music copied LOW MODULATED instead. 15650 heard only on remote Brisbane rx unit. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, 1832 UT Dec 9, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGERST) Hi, Glenn, I'm curious if you've seen any loggings for the Voice of Greece as of late. I had been recording them on 9420 many evenings since September, expecting that they could go off the air anytime. On December 3, 2013 at 0307 UT, I heard the signal die in the middle of a musical selection. Since then, I have not heard them (on 9420, at least). Do you have any insight or other details? Curious if anyone has logged them after this date. Cheers, (Thomas Witherspoon, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thomas, I have not heard 9420 for several days/nights nor seen other reports of it, but I don`t have the info together to figure out the last time. 7450 or 7475 however have been heard in the evenings here. Last night I had 7450 at 0645 (presumed) with undermodulated music. 15 MHz channels also not reported much nor heard here, but John Babbis in Maryland who files monitoring reports every day covering only 19-02 UT, did have 15650 after 22, Dec 9 at SINPO 15241, and 7450 no better for him (Glenn to Thomas, via DXLD) This is my reception report for Monday and Tuesday, December 10, 2013 MONDAY 12/9 | TUESDAY 12/10 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 |0000 0100 0200 kHz Az kW Stn ER++ 00000 00000 15241 15241 15241|25242 15241 15241 7450 323 100 AVL1 T3 00000 00000 00000 15241 15241|15241 15241 15241 15650 285 100 AVL2 T5 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000|00000 00000 00000 9420 323 170 AVL3 A5 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX|XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX 15650 226 100 AVL1 A5 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX|XXXXX ZXXXX XXXXX 7475 285 100 AVL2 A5 (John Babbis, MD, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ERT, Dec 10, 7450 at 0230z, better audio than last night on 7475. Off at 0301 after fanfare & ID. JL (Jerry Lenamon, TX, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7450, Dec 11 at 0645, pop music, fair signal, undermodulated, presumed V. of Greece. Not now and not lately heard on 9420 which was normally best when propagating. 7450, Dec 12 at 0059, fair signal with undermodulated music, 0100 yelling in Greek and another song. Recheck 0633, still on 7450, fair signal with undermodulated music, no 9420 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. TELECOMUNICACIONES DE GUATEMALA AUTORIZA VEINTE AÑOS MÁS EL FUNCIONAMIENTO DE RADIO VERDAD [with jpg copy of TITULO DE USUFRUCTO DE FRECUENCIA with pertinent data: 4.04750-4.05750 MHz, 24 horas, 55.0 dBm max ERP, 08/08/2013 to 18/06 2033] (via Juan Franco Crespo, Spain, Dec 6, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) Initially TGAV was on 4052.5, which is exactly in the middle of this ``band`` --- but then moved to 4055.0. We heard previously that a license renewal was gained, after some doubt, and now it`s for TWENTY years (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO VERDAD EN FACEBOOK --- Les informo que YA ESTAMOS EN FACEBOOK y Tweeter CON RADIO VERDAD. Por favor divulguen la noticia. Esta noche sólo estamos haciendo pruebas, pero ya mañana lo haremos en forma permanente. Después les daremos instrucciones. Pronto después pensamos agregar televisión asistemática. May I inform you that WE ARE ON FACEBOOK and Tweeter WITH RADIO TRUTH already. Please spread out the news. It is just a test tonight, but we plan to do it permanently tomorrow. We'll provide you with the instructions farther on. We plan to add non systematic television afterwards (Édgar Madrid, Radio Verdad = Radio Truth, via Ruben Guillermo Margenet, Dec 7, condiglista yg via DXLD) 4055, Radio Verdad at 1130 in Spanish with a woman with religious talk with mentions of “Dios” and “La Voz del Señor” a banjo version of “Life's Railway to Heaven” at 1135 – Fair to good signal but overdriven audio Dec 5 (Mark Coady Selwyn, ON, Alinco DX-70, Drake SPR-4, delta loop or long wire, ODXA YRX via DXLD) I used to hear ``Workin` on the Railroad`` on banjo around that time (gh, DXLD) ** INDIA. 4970, AIR-Shillong, Dec 08 1413-1433, 45444-45433, Hindi, India music, ID at 1429. 4990, AIR-Itanagar, Dec 09 1413-1422, 44443, Hindi, India music and talk, ID at 1414 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 3344.85, RRI Ternate (presumed), 0931-1018, Dec 11. Thanks to Atsunori Ishida (Japan) for confirming their reactivation on Dec 8. Today was my first day noticing a station off frequency, which is RRI Ternate's frequency when last heard; reception hovering around threshold level, with only some audio. Overall propagation seemed rather poor today, as SIBC on 6080 from 0801 to 0900 was unusable (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks to Victor and Mauno for their confirmation: "Thanks. Also here in Finland weak music at 1430 on measured 3344.865v kHz, drifting slightly. Only on LSB due to strong carrier on 3346 kHz with 800 Hz tone. Mauno" "Nothing to presume Ron. Beautiful level for a dxer..what more. Many IDS but voice is low compared to the mx. Thanks Ron for the tip. Victor" (Ron Howard, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 4870, Irian Jaya [sic], Wamena only Indo heard this trip 0930 past 0945 in Indonesian with ads interspersed (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) Date? Evidently circa Nov 10 (gh) ** INDONESIA. 7289.95, RRI-Nabire (presumed), Dec 07 0821-0834*, 25222-25332, Indonesian, Music and talk, ID at 0829 as "Radio Republik Indonesia ...", 0834 sign off (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. 9800, Dec 6 at 1422, VOA Philippines [q.v.] is messed up, so I can hear the IRIB IS and 1423 NA. It`s start of the Hindi hour via Kamalabad (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. 13800, Dec 7 at 1425, ME music, fair-poor, 1430 two-pip timesignal and talk in Farsi. Now it`s R. Farda via Lampertheim, GERMANY, altho in A-13, VIRI itself was on 13800 at this hour, in Russian; a fine example of seasonal swapping, from two stations which do not avoid HFCC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. We missed Galei Zahal on air, at least for one past week. No signal trace logged on either 6885 or 15850 kHz. But today I read in Austrian Net / A-DX newsgroup the media play URL's. Thanks to roger, all player streams work fine. 73 wolfy Am 08.12.2013 16:55, schrieb Andreas Tschauder: ``Guten Abend! Weiß jemand wo mein israelischer Lieblingssender Galei Zahal auf 6885 und 15850 geblieben ist? "Gone with the wind"...?`` Player/Stream of Galei Zahal http://player.glz.co.il/Player.aspx?ClipID=glz-a-zixief&Type=live&Width=300&Height=200&FixedPoster=true&FixedPosterName=GLZ.jpg Galgalatz (Youth radio) http://player.glz.co.il/Player.aspx?ClipID=glgltz-a-zixief&Type=live&Width=320&Height=250&FixedPoster=true&FixedPosterName=GLGLTZ.jpg http://glz.co.il/1439-he/Galatz.aspx turquoise Pink: Galei Zahal; Yellow: Galgalatz (roger, Germany, A-DX, Dec 8 via Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) ** JAPAN. Shiokaze: see KOREA NORTH [non] ** KIRIBATI EAST. CHRISTMAS ISLAND, T32RC, 24935. Readability 5, didn't move my meter. Had there been any noise I would never have heard him. He gave me a 5/8 (Des Preston, KB8UYJ, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 0008 UT Dec 7, Sent from my iPhone, DX LISTENING DIGEST) T32RC, 24935, 0010 7 Dec. DXpedition to Kiritimati / Christmas Island doing well and working the crew up 10-15 kHz (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA G5/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 3219.947, Nov 24 1330: At first, this station had me puzzled: Thought it might be PNG, but music played there was not PNG-style. After correspondence with Ron Howard and TN, and further listening, the problem was solved. Comparing the signal to N Korean stations on 3250 and 3320 showed that it was the same program. They had exactly the same time signal at TOTH and at the same time. So this is: KCBS, Hamhung, KRE. Not really PNG but still not a bad catch. Thanks Ron and TN! (Arne Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via DXLD) Viz.: 3219.47, Nov 24 1400, Reply to AN: Almost daily I check that frequency and normally hear just KCBS slightly below 3220. The "march music" you mention during your Nov 24 reception would be consistent with KCBS playing patriotic music. Suggest if possible please check for other // KCBS frequencies and see if you are hearing the same thing. Question - Were you hearing just one station or two mixing together? If just one station, then I suggest probably KCBS, as it is normally on at that time. If you were in fact hearing. What I find interesting is that you had 1415 with end of transmission. That is about the same time that some of the long running PNG NBC stations sign off too (NBC New Ireland on 3905 often signs off just after 1400; also 3365 signs off PNG-NBC, then I suggest the two would be mixing together, after 1400). BUT your "but heard one piece of march music and a lady singing in a very high pitch (opera?) after 1400z" sounds to me very much like KCBS programming and not like PNG NBC. Keep checking. You may be able to find a positive // that will solve the mystery! (Ron Howard, CA, ibid.) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6140 (ex-5910), Shiokaze/Sea Breeze via Yamata, *1330, Dec 5. Thanks to John Wilkins alert yesterday that they were not on their former 5910; so I looked for their new alternate frequency; fair for first half of program, but after 1400 severely QRMed by Firedrake (music jamming from China) on 6145. 5910 (ex-5975), Shiokaze/Sea Breeze via Yamata, *1600, Dec 5. As Glenn mentioned in WOR 1698, this is their new frequency at this time, as of yesterday; fair (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6140, Dec 6 at 1342, Shiokaze/Sea Breeze fair on new frequency, Friday in English about North Korea. Tnx Ron Howard tip that they switched the 1330-1430 broadcast from 5910 on Dec 4, found Dec 5 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) JAPAN [and non]. 6140, Dec 8 at 1330, Shiokaze opening in Japanese this Sunday, with SSB QRM exactly on same frequency from Spanish 2-way intruder (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another frequency change of Shiokaze Sea Breeze: 1330-1430 NF 6140#YAM 100 kW / 280 deg KRE various languages*, ex 5910 #co-ch Vatican Radio in Russian till 1400 *Japanese/Korean Sun; Japanese Mon/Wed/Thu; Chinese/Korean Tue; English Fri Korean/Japanese Sat (Ivo Ivanov, DX RE MIX NEWS #822 December 8, 2013 via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. CLANDESTINES: 9300, R. Free Choson [sic], Dec 09 *1300-1310, 44444, Korean, 1300 sign on with IS, Opening music, ID and opening announce, Talk. 9380, Free North Reform R., Dec 09 *1300-1310, 45444-45433, Korean, 1300 sign on with IS, ID, Opening announce, Talk. 9910, Open R. for North Korea, Dec 09 1230-1241, 35333, Korean, Opening music, ID, Opening announce, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 9775, Dec 6 at 1423, R. Free Chosun with good steady and loud signal in Korean, better than 9800 VOA Korean from Philippines [q.v.] which has severe problems today. One more time: no way this is transpolar from Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, rather than via Philippines or vicinity. Aoki still claims Tajikistan, Eibi Uzbekistan, and remains missing completely from HFCC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Re true site for R. Free Chosun, 9775 at 14-16] --- In HFCC October conference table I see also Philippines[!] entry via WRN London FMO Frequency Organization. PUG Palauig Radio Veritas Asia relay in PHL entry in HFCC: ``9775 1400-1600 44NE PUG 100 20 30 216 1234567 271013-290314 kor PHL WRN WRN 13050`` (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX 6 Dec via DXLD) Subsequently deleted from list when really started using it? (gh) ** KOREAS NORTH & SOUTH. On 6250 kHz, S. Korean and N. Korean clandestine stations are in a fight. Echo of Hope (VOH) in Korean to N. Korea from S. Korea 0555-2400 Echo of Unification in Korean to S. Korea from N. Korea 0400-0605 1200-1405 2200-0005 Jamming 0358-0600 from S. Korea 0550-2400 from N. Korea (irregular) de Hiroshi (S. Hasegawa, Japan, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6003, V of Hope (Hwaseong, KOREA, SOUTH) 1450- 1530+ 4/5 Dec. Nice to find them beating the NK jammer for a couple of days (// 3985 was doing well on the 5th as well). M/W Korean chat over music bed, "V-O-H" spelled out at :16 on the 5th and (presumed) website info at 1458 on the 4th after chimes. Some ACI from CNR1-6000 (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. Beethoven and numbers on Korean shortwave Dec 9 (Reuters) - As a scratchy rendition of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 8 fades into a sea of shortwave radio static, a robotic female voice starts speaking in Korean. "Number 1913, number 1913, incoming message," the voice says, before reading out seemingly random sets of numbers. Read the Reuters story at : http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/08/korea-north-spies-idUSL4N0JK0GM20131208 (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, cumbredx via DXLD) Altho korea-north is in the URL, story says these are from south of the DMZ. But -- WTFK??? Who cares? Altho monitor Token in the Mojave is quoted (gh, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. 9955, Dec 5 at 1300 I am awake to catch the beginning of the new relay via WRMI of KBS World Radio, since hearing the last few minutes of it before 1400 on Dec 3 and 4. But: NO signal; 1305 recheck now it`s on, not with KBS but as previously scheduled Radio Prague! Even tho it starts at 1305 after a dispensable 5-minute filler, it`s already wrapping up at 1326, but announcer adds here`s some more music ``for our satellite listeners`` (huh?). After an ID by Andy Sennitt in Hilversum, 1330 switch not to R. Slovakia International as still on the schedule, but instead joining KBS World Radio in progress, during `Seoul Calling`, a W&M conversation show discussing such things as who are the most influential women in the world. 1337 into `Korean Folk Tales` about an ugly woman. So KBS had not replaced both Prague and Bratislava during the full hour, but only RSI during the second half. That`s a bit awkward, but still allows us to hear the KBS features after `Seoul Calling`. I wonder if RSI suddenly pulled out of WRMI, or what? It`s also on the schedule, now needing to be reconfirmed on 9955: Mon-Sat 1130-1200 in Spanish Tue-Sat 0130-0159 in English 9955, Dec 6 at 1330, one more(?) day of the unintended relay of KBS World Radio via WRMI, once again joining `Seoul Calling` in progress amid the one-hour broadcast, instead of R. Slovakia International. Before, at 1328 there was Czech fill music, 1329 Andy Sennitt ID. S.C. this Friday is about kimchi having achieved ``World Cultural Heritage`` status by UNESCO, along with kimjung, the process of preparing the buried fermented cabbage dish (I lunched at Enid`s only Korean restaurant, Sula, yesterday, but skipped the kimchi; if only I had known). 1340 on to `Current Affairs in Focus`, discussion of China`s expanded ADIZ. I assume this will not be appearing Sat or Sun when RSI was not scheduled anyway, but hearing KBSWR again has been nice while it lasted. Now if they only had the sense to buy a dedicated broadcast hour on WRMI! 9955, Dec 9 at 1329, Czech fill music, Zanotti WRMI ID, and 1330 again joining KBS World Radio misrelay in progress, about naming trends, whether to perpetuate father`s surname, etc., then sports news about FIFA lineup including South Korea team, so time to tune out. So WRMI is still picking up this WRN feed instead of the Radio Slovakia International one that`s intended and scheduled (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [non]. CLANDESTINE, 11510, V. of Kurdistan, Dec 08 1158- 1208, 35433, Kurdish, Music and talk, ID at 1200 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11510, Dec 8 at 1410, Denge Kurdistan in music hour, ululating, better than usual, presumably via PRIDNESTROVYE, but as always, with IADs --- intermittent audio dropouts. Why don`t they fix that??? Does BRB not care? 11510+, Dec 9 at 1356, Denge Kurdistan with music. This time I pay attention to the frequency offset. It is very slightly on the hi side compared to 1510 carriers and other 25m signals, but nowhere near 105 Hz high. Wolfgang Büschel on Nov 27 put it on 11510.105, Nov 27 at 0650 and 1130, but at 1320 it was on 11510.000, implying a transmitter site change in the meantime, and also assuming the one off-frequency would be Pridnestrovye, with France on-frequency, contrary to the usual assumptions about sites for this. BRB is not going to reveal such details (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT [and non]. 21505, Dec 5 at 1407-1417+, the Buzzing Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is worse than usual, but the ME music here, and then the Arabic talk, bear a striking similarity to what I am hearing on 21540 Kuwait --- by golly, they are the same, except 21540 is about 4 seconds ahead of 21505. 21540 has the usual CCI and SAH from Spain. Very strange. Must be some joint produxion, possibly to do with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which used to do some exchange programming in the region. 21505 is // 17705 and synchronized, both much weaker than the other Saudi service on 17615, Qur`an (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Next day back to separatism (gh) ** LAOS. 6130, Lao National R., Vientiane: Dec 07 1149-1203, 33433-32432, Laotian, Talk, Theme music and seven gongs at 1159, News. Dec 09 1157-1207, 33433-32432, Laotian, Talk, Theme music and seven gongs at 1159, ID at 1200, News (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 9635.0, Only 1000 Hz pause tone heard on RTM Bamako unit throughout continuously at 0850 to last check at 0925 UT Dec 7 (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [re 13-49:] Be it on 5995 or on 9635, yes, I confirm what was reported, they seem to be burning kW for nothing as it's not rare to find an empty carrier. Sometimes, the audio is, well, more or less fair or enough to get a copy, then they change the programme and the audio may be a lot better or simply very faint, if not almost nil. I don't think the problem is with the transmitter(s); I'd say it's poor audio level adjustment within the station, so if it is inadequately delivered to the site, then there is no remedy. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 660, Dec 5 at 0711 as I tune in, ID amid banda music as ``La Kaliente 102.9``; dominant signal at the moment vs IBOC noise from 670 WSCR. Let`s see, which one uses that slogan, which I naturally assume must be misspelt with a K instead of a C, in an effort to appear ``kool``, just like with Ke Buena instead of Q? Cantú reveals immediately: 660 XEEY La Kaliente + FM 102.9 Aguascalientes, Ags. 50,000 10,000 It`s running ten times the night power of any other XE on 660 if the listings can be believed, tho one other has a 50 kW daytime transmitter, XEDTL in the DF (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 730, Dec 5 at 1254 UT, VG dominant signal with Xmas songs in Spanish, ``La Ke Buena 107.1`` ID, i.e. XEHB in Chihuahua. IRCA Log 2012 had this as only 1000/300 watts from San Francisco del Oro; while Cantú is much more like it: 730 XEHB Ke buena + FM 107.1 Hidalgo del Parral, Chih. 50,000 1,000 730, Dec 11 at 0704 UT, Chihuahua state song, 0705 Ke Buena full ID starting with XEHB-FM, Grupo RadioRama, Hidalgo del Parral (really XHEHB is the FM 107.1 call per Cantú) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CANADA [and non] 650 ** MEXICO. 1570, Dec 5 at 1249 UT, XERF is still playing ``Mañanitas`` at this hour, heartfelt song, a tradition to gently awaken a child at sunrise on its birthday; and still following at 1251 with ``servicio social`` segment as frequently repeated, missing persons as far away as California, with phone numbers to call, and lost-and-found items such as documents (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 1650 18.11 0652 XEARZ ZER Radio, México DF körde lugna låtar och idade mellan låtarna "Zer Radio 16-50", låg lite lågt ca 10Hz, 1649.99, även 21.11 Sim 1650 21.11 0644 XEARZ ZER Radio, México, DF med Abbas Chiquitita (tnx JE) instrumentalt och id ”ZER Radio 16-50” Snudd på QSA4!! Följande mornar betydligt svagare, men igenkänd och id mellan varje låt – tycks spela mest instrumentalt i varje fall då jag varit med. HM 1650 21.11 0645 XEARZ ZER Radio, México, DF spelade Chicuitita och anropade "ZER Radio 16-50.” (Hade inspelning med LA antenn och hade inte en tanke på att det kunde vara denna innan vännen HM tipsade mig.) GNH /Trevligt! –tl/ (ARC mv-eko 25 Nov via DXLD) Viz.: 1650, 18.11 0652, XEARZ, ZER, soft music and ID between the songs "Zer Radio 16-50", a little low circa 1649.99, also heard Nov 21 Sim 1650, 21.11 0644, XEARZ, ZER Radio, México, DF with Abba's Chiquitita (tnx JE) instrumental and ID ”ZER Radio 16-50” Nearly QSA4!! The following mornings a lot weaker. But recognized and ID between each song – seems to play mostly instrumental at least when I have listened. HM 1650, 21.11 0645, XEARZ ZER Radio, México, DF played Chiquitita and ID'ed as "ZER Radio 16-50.” (Had a recording with my LA antenna and had no idea it could be this one until my friend HM gave me a hint.) GNH /Nice –tl/ (ARC mv-eko 25 Nov, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) They credit only with initials. I pull these logs out because this station continues to elude most of us in North America, including me. Need to go to Scandinavia to hear it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 2910, Dec 5 at 1215 UT, JBA talk, 1217 music probably part of ad, back to talk. Surely the oft-heard but always-weak third harmonic of XEVT, 970, Villahermosa, Tabasco (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MICRONESIA. 4755.7, Pohnpei also on Nov 9 heard with segments of "Focus on the Family Magazine" at 0858 clear ID as "It is 8 o'clock and this is the Cross, 88.5 FM" (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) 4755.51, Nov 29 0941, A carrier here with very weak audio indicates traces of The Cross for the first time here this season. Good conditions this day (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via DXLD) 4755.53, Nov 29 1000, The Cross, FSM, was heard just fine almost all morning this day. Always nice to hear! On Dec 6 they were even stronger: Up to S5! Amazing: They have almost been a regular for the past two weeks (Arne Nilsson, Sweden, ibid.) ** MONGOLIA. 12085, 0900 s/on in English with full ID by YL, tremendously overmodulated to the point of being hard to understand despite booming signal, carrier off at 0927.45 (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) date? Circa 10 Nov ** MOROCCO. 9575, Dec 5 at 0656, pop music, French announcement about a Festival Internationale, poor signal but Médi-1 is in the clear, and welcome back to SW. Not in HFCC, of course, but B13 sked there shows the only co-channel competition is NHK at 1530-1600 from Yamata in Chinese. For one more non-HFCC broadcaster on 9575 we must consult EiBi & Aoki: AIR Bengaluru in Tibetan at 1215-1330 + ChiCom jamming, of course. Aoki has added Médi at 0500-2400, but we did hear the 9579.12 carrier/het at 0216 before the frequency was fixed. Presumably running 24 hours as before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9575, Radio Medi Un, 2220 Dec 5, French, popular music, male DJ, music continued through the half hour at 2230. Fair-good. And at 0453, Dec 6, with Arabic vocals and instrumental music, man in French at 0500 with possible news. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia Listening in my car, by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna. Editor of World English Survey and Target Listening, available at http://www.odxa.on.ca dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9575.0 kHz at 0810 UT on S=9+35dB here in Germany, central Europe. Was odd frequency 19 Sept 2012 till late Aug 2013 (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9575, Dec 6 at 0057, fair signal with ME music from R. Médi 1, better heard on 9576, away from 9570 CRI Albania, since 9580 CRI Cuba is not modulating yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9575.00, R. Medi Un, Dec 06 0623-0648, 35333-35433, Arabic and French, Talk and news, ID at 0629 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD- 525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9575.01, 1735-1745 07.12, R Medi Int., Nador Back on normal frequency, Arabic talk about world economy, S9+40 dB, 55444 (Anker Petersen, heard on my AOR AR 7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) [non]. Christian Ghibaudo informs (via the Radio-Club du Perche mailing-list) that Médi 1 is also available now on FM in Nice and Monaco on 90.6 MHz. 73s, (Rémy Friess, Dec 5, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 9730. Dec 5 1000, Almost certainly Burma on 9730.00 is heard from around 1000 (actual sign-on/fade in not yet determined) by myself and also by Mauno Ritola who hears it close down at 1130 UT when the signal has faded down considerably at my location. Today - the 5th Dec. - the signal was the best yet here, but still in the local noise floor which is preventing a positive ID, or even identifying the language for certain. Mauno has heard some English around 1015, but it was tentatively Burmese at 1030 after playing pop music from when I tuned in at 1020. 73 from (Noel R Green, NW England, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) What is almost certain to be Burma is being heard on 9730.00 from around 1000 until off air at 1130, and also by Mauno Ritola in Finland, who has heard some English at around 1015. Today (Dec. 5) there was uninterrupted pop music when I tuned in at 1020, a musical type of fanfare at 1030 (+ a few seconds) and then talk by a female and male voice. Local noise prevented a positive ID of the language, but my guess was Burmese from intonation. The actual sign-on or fade in is not yet known, but I could not hear it at 0900+ UT. At my location in NW England the signal had faded down considerably before 1130 (Noel R. Green, Dec 5, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Used to be off-frequency, so now must be using new transmitter instead of old one, also from a different capital city? (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Seems they are currently in a state of flux regarding their scheduling. Anomalies noted Dec 5. Not heard were 5985.00 nor 5985.78v, frequencies of Myanmar Radio. Believe the off-frequency transmitter is still down with problems, as the 5985.00 transmitter is still occasionally in use, but recently has been off more than on. 7200.08, Myanmar Radio with rather strange happenings. First checked at 1248, expecting to hear the normal 1250 sign off, but did not happen; instead off at much later 1336*. Certainly did not expect to hear them again today on this frequency, so surprised to indeed find them from 1409 to 1453*. At 1430, when they went into their Distance Learning Service lectures in vernacular, I remembered to check for // 5915 and yes was in fact clearly //. After 1453 the 5915 frequency continued on. Perhaps a one day anomaly? (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dec 6 - Fun stuff following Myanmar! Had them on 7200.1v at 1250* (their normal [or should I say semi-normal!] sign off time) and did not hear them return after that today. 5985.00 back on the air today with decent reception (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 7375, Dec 8 at 0056, The Mighty KBC, via Nauen, GERMANY, is very poor, much weaker than neighbors 7365 Martí/jamming, and 7385 WHRI. Winter-night syndrome; until now it`s been sufficient even adequate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7375, THE MIGHTY KBC, 08/12 0103 UT. Vía Nauen, Alemania. Música rock, especialmente punk de los años 70’s con SINPO: 33333 (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) Due to a weak signal and a terrible het in the lower sideband, from Cuban jamming of Radio Marti on/around 7365 kHz, the Mighty KBC broadcast 0000-0200 UT, 7375 kHz via Nauen, Germany was, at least for me, a bust. The "Forgotten Song" featured Ringo Starr's "A Dose of Rock 'N Roll" featuring Peter Frampton on guitar and Melissa Manchester providing backing vocals from October of 1976. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas VA, Dec 8, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. 1386, Radio Tarana, Auckland, 7/12 1450 to 1510 with its all-night Indian music mix. Heavy QSB. Peaked at 1640 [sic], S5. 1458, R New Zealand, 7/12 1300, “Radio New Zealand, news at 3, I am Vickie McKay”. OK copy but noisy (Nick VK2DX Hacko, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. 6170, Dec 6 at 1346, for the sixth Friday in a row, RNZI reverts to its A-13 frequency for the 1300 segment, instead of B- 13`s 5950, which is still heard other days. At least it makes no difference here as far as QRM, good and quite in the clear. Discussion of the Maori Language Commission trying to maintain and improve language skills, on `Morning Report` which is closing at 1349, into music. I assume this show is long-delayed from the RNZ National network. RNZI`s Saturday program schedule shows ``2:30 AM Blue Smoke - - An audio history of popular music recorded in New Zealand in the 1950s and early 1960s`` which this certainly was not. Presumably axually relaying RNZ National, with ``2:05 NZ Live (RNZ)``. Steadily weakens after 1400, and not heard at 1502 check. What`s the next scheduled frequency in AM? 5950 is supposed to continue until switch to 9765 at 1551, but it`s still not audible on 5950 either. 5950, Dec 9 at 1339, this being Monday, RNZI is on correct frequency during `Mailbox`, ending Kevin Hand contribution on utility DXing, with some hum on his recording; next time, in a biweek for the last show of the year, John Durham. 1340 over to Mike Bird in Australia with IPS propagation info. 1343 letters starting with a report from Steven Handler in Buffalo Grove, IL who reported slight QRM on 5950 (but none here). Closing, and theme finishes at 1346.6, on to other music. Hard to believe show was only 16.6 minutes long, so probably started two or three minutes early before 1330 as usual --- No, as I write the rest of this report, I find the file is only 16:55 long, as I listen to Hand`s first part via http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mailbox/mailbox-20131209-2030-mailbox_for_9_december_2013-048.mp3 The current archive goes back to 29 April 2013, with some of them duplicated and/or out of order: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/mailbox (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 9689.893, Voice of Nigeria in Hausa heard on Saturday morning service with phone in service and some young lady girls singer chorus. Via older Ikorodu site towards 248 degrees, not really Europe target though. Aoki Nagoya list show schedule of 0800-2128 UT. Young lady said "Salem Maleikum ...". Hit by CNR Beijing 5th program on next door 9685 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15120, V of Nigeria, 5/12 0800 News in English, YL presenter. Strong signal with poor modulation quality. Long path (Nick Hacko, VK2DX, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 13890 AM, PIRATE, Radio Free Whatever, 1752-1826*, 12-1-13. SIO: 222/454. Dick Weed and his assistant Stephen were playing rock tunes, talking in between. Signal fair poor on this high frequency except for a short peak near the end of show which lasted about 5 minutes (Chris Lobdell, Box 80146, Stoneham MA 02180, Eton E1/NRD-545, Aerials: G5RV/40 Meter Dipole, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) ** NORWAY. Received a very welcome QSL for reception from 5895 LLE-3 with a test program using 50 watts into an inverted V antenna, in USB mode at 0615 to 0900 UTC. I'm apparently the first to have received this test transmission in North America, and was heard while I was at the Murray Harbour North DXpedition last month in PEI. Needless to say, this one will be treasured! [illustrations attached in the dxldyg] LKB LLE Bergen Norway 5895 6Nov2013 PEI side 1.jpg LKB LLE Bergen Norway 5895 6Nov2013 PEI side2.jpg 73, (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5895, Bergen Broadcasting Service LLE-3, 0702-0720, Dec 03, test transmission [heard] via Iceland Perseus site, and at 0723-0756, Dec 03, from up - state NY Rochester Perseus site. Iceland was obviously best with both CW and Norwegian/English anns. CW and voice transmission contained the following: "VVVVVVVVV DE LKB/LLE LKB/LLE LKB/LLE". LKB LLE (CW then voice) "You are listening to LKB LLE Bergen Broadcasting Service. We are broadcasting on 1314 kHz, 228 metres, on the Medium Wave broadcast band. And then information on reception reports (not all heard due to fading). Then another announcement as follows: "You are listening to a test transmission from Bergen Broadcasting Service LKB LLE from position ___ N and ____ E (not all heard due to fading again)". Per Svenn Martinsen, next week will have “normal” programming as part of their schedule including male/female announcers and jingles. On Dec 04 heard weak CW on the Perseus site in Alberta (but voice not audible) so the 50 watt signal has made it that far! (Bruce Churchill in DXplorer via DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) 5895, Ofta, 0620 LKB/LLE Bergen Kringkaster brukar jag kolla varje gång de annonserar om testsändning. Hörs i princip varje gång med sina morsesignaler och korta meddelanden. Bara USB! MV-frekvensen 1314 täcks effektivt av rumänerna. Nu ska visst Radio Northern Star få sända sina program via LKB/LLE, men vem tror de att lyssnarkretsen är? Finns det några, utöver DX-arna, som använder kortvågen nu för tiden? BEFF 5895, Often, 0620, LKB/LLE Bergen Kringkaster. I use to check this one each time a test transmission is announced. Basically heard each time with the Morse signals and short messages. Only in USB! The MW- frequency is effectively blocked by the Romanian stations. Now it said that Radio Northern Star will broadcast their programs via LKB/LLE, but who do they think the listeners are? Are there any, except for the DX-ers, who use SW nowadays? BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Svenn Martinsen posted in MediumWave Circle Facebook group: LKB/LLE is on the air with new test broadcasts this week from LLE-2 (1314 kHz) and LLE-3 (5895 kHz), Morning Broadcasts Wednesday and Thursday at 0600-0930 UT. We are carrying IDs and jingles from Radio Northern Star http://www.northernstar.no/ leasing the transmitters. Note: Broadcasts are not in parallel with the web radio output. The picture is of the station's Android App, for mobiles and tablets from Samsung Galaxy, Sony, Huawei, HTC, Motorola, LG and others. MW running at at 100 watts now. Our QSL card has arrived, and are being sent out, but still reports are welcome! Address: Box 100, N5331 RONG, NORWAY, report @ bergenkringkaster.no or 1000 @ northernstar.no (via Mike Terry, Dec 11, dxldyg via DXLD) The QSL card is excellent - a full detail double postcard - one of the best I've received in ages! (Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. 530, Dec 5, ``K530AM`` Vance AFB never came back after crashing around Thanksgiving. There does seem to be a very weak carrier still on the frequency, which I need to check by approaching Vance closer, beyond my usual routes around Enid. 530, December 5 circa 1900 UT, approached Vance AFB south of Enid, to confirm that the ``K530AM`` transmitter is still on the air with weakened carrier. From due north of the main gate it only puts a few bars on the DX-398 and DF is exactly south inside the base. Its frequency is still up in lights on a nearby sign by the approach street, Southgate, preceded by 5 other messages about gate hours. You may just want to look at the last one or two: http://www.w4uvh.net/VanceSign-01.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/VanceSign-02.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/VanceSign-03.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/VanceSign-04.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/VanceSign-05.jpg http://www.w4uvh.net/VanceSign-06.jpg Diffusing gate hours and any variations may be the basic purpose of the transmitter, like the sign, but most of the time it was running an incredibly boring and repetitive loop of PSAs about safety, some of them completely inapplicable here, such as preparing for hurricane evacuations. Anyhow, maybe it will be revived to full 10-watt power and modulation. Meanwhile, 530 is a little more open for DX to me (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 89.5-FM, Dec 10 at 0210 UT, visited the ``singing Xmas trees` oil-well lot after dark, NE corner of West Oak and North Oakwood in Enid, and the light-and-sound show is underway again. Seems less extensive than last year, and with some different music, including Mel Blanc`s multi-voice Xmas, such as Sylvester The Cat. Part 15 transmitter unfortunately has some distortion on it even when parked at full-quieting limited range, so with glittering snow on the ground at 16 degrees F, did not hang around for the whole thing (and down to 5 degrees here the next morning). Now to seek out the private residence with its own FM and light show further west (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 91.7, Dec 6 at 0112 UT, checking KOSU, I am reminded to point out that during `The Spy` night music programming, as well as during all the public radio talk programming in the daytime, KOSU seems always to be in mono. Have they abandoned stereo completely, with no classical music to bother with? Obviously the music they do play could originate in and benefit from, stereo. Its IBOC noise can barely be heard on adjacent frequencies, but 91.5 Kansan gospel huxter often intrudes (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. 15140, Dec 6 at 1415, RSO is kindly playing some Cuban music while RHC is busy propagandizing verbally, or maybe it`s just Santana, but still odd to be coming from the Sultanate`s English hour; 1420 segué to something else; sufficient signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3365, NBC Milne Bay with relay of NBC National Radio programming, heard as late as 1542 on Dec 5; so seemed to be heading for another 24 hours of broadcasting. Have not heard the other NBC stations doing this! (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3905, New Ireland, Nov 11, 25242 signal difficult to understand, mostly in Tok Pisin with community calendar of upcoming events for the next few weeks at 0842 (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) ** PERU. 4955, R. CULTURAL AMAUTA, 08/12 0047 UT. Avisos de la emisora y de programas producidos por HCJB y canciones cristianas contemporáneas con SINPO: 44343 (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** PERU. 5024.91, Dec 2, 2316, R. Quillabamba with decent strength all alone. R Rebelde has been off several nights now. On Dec 3 Rebelde was away all night but back at 0900 with strong signal. Quillabamba also good on Dec 7 when Rebelde wasn’t there. Sign off somewhere between 0204 and 0256 (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) 5025, R. QUILLABAMBA, 07/12 0107 UT. Noticias sobre proyectos de obras civiles en el sur peruano, especialmente de gaseoductos. SINPO: 54554. Hay una transmisión de datos de fondo. Así como no hay ninguna interferencia por parte de Rebelde (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) 5024.91, Dec 7, 2305, R Quillabamba nun mit S7. Ich höre die Station zum ersten Mal ohne jede Störung hier in Salzburg. Ein wirklich schöner Empfang. /73 (Christoph Ratzer, Austria, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) Interessante Geschichte hier auf Seite 9 der PDF: http://www.selvasamazonicas.org/kit_upload/PDF/selvas/boletines/2013/Boletin241baja.pdf (in 1985 gab es 3 Bombenattentate auf die Station. Außerdem: ...wegen Anforderungen des neuen Kommunikationsgesetzes müssen Sender und Antennen zur Vermeidung von Interferenzen in elektronische Geräten außerhalb der Stadt verbracht werden... etc.) auch sehr erschreckend: http://www2.congreso.gob.pe/sicr/cendocbib/con4_uibd.nsf/30916C5DAA8A179105257BEB005CC5DE/$FILE/254_pdfsam_desco00003.pdf Eine Auflistung von politischer Gewalt in den 80er Jahren in Peru. Man suche nur nach dem Begriff "Radio". Dynamit, Molotowcocktails, Überfälle. Da sind dann wohl auch einige Empfangsberichte mit in die Luft geflogen (/roger, A-DX, ibid.) ** PERU. 5039.18, Nov 30, *0936-, Most likely R Libertad de Junín with sign on at 0936. Schedule according to WRTH is only 1100-1400. This was the first time I have managed to get this station. The conditions this day were extremely good this late towards LA. Also noted R Tarma, R Visión and R Logos at about the same time. At 0926 also noted Mosoj Chaski (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) 5039.173, Nov 30, 1000, Tentative R Libertad de Junín, Had it on the wrong antenna (Pacific) but despite that, audible. TN alerted me and I had it on a recording. No ID (Arne Nilsson, Sweden, ibid.) ** PERU [and non]. 5980, Dec 6 at 0051, VOA Tibetan and Cuban pulse jamming are mainly audible here; just after 0100 the weak CCI diminishes a little as the CNR1 jammer goes off, this time leaving R. Chaski still on, unlike absence last night, and this cuts off at 0104:11* which is 16.5 seconds later than last heard three nights ago = usual average slippage of 5.5 per 24 hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA [non] 5980, R. CHASKI. 07/12 0044 UT. Programa “El amor que vale” con Adrian Rogers hablando sobre la elección y el propósito de Dios. Sin embargo, no nombra el tema de la Predestinación. Señal con SINPO: 54454 con un leve siseo desde la mixtura CNR-1 Jammer vs VOA que desaparece a las 0059:35. Luego de ello, el SINPO: 55454, con anuncios sobre la emisora y que el próximo fin de semana tendrán una programación especial para recaudar fondos misioneros en Red Radio Integridad. En 700 de Onda Media, desde Lima con SINFO: 53453 con leve siseo de LV3 de Argentina (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) 5980, Dec 7 the R. Chaski carrier with some modulation lasts until abrupt cutoff at 0104:17*, which is six seconds later than yesterday (Glenn Hauser, OK, FRG-7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5980, R. CHASKI, 08/12 0030 UT. Programa “Los grandes temas” con el tema de los verdaderos discípulos de Cristo, tomando el ejemplo de los aciertos y fallas del apóstol Pedro. Señal con SINPO: 55454 con algo de sobremodulación y sin la mixtura VOA/CNR-1 JAMMER (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 5 metros, QTH: Poblado de Barraza Bajo, Comuna de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) 5980, Dec 8 at 0053, very poor carrier(s) from R. Chaski and/or VOA Sri Lanka and/or CNR1 jamming, but the one signal left at 0100 is obviously Chaski as it cuts off at nearly-anticipated time of 0104:23*, which is six seconds later than yesterday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5980, R. CHASKI, 09/12 0032 UT. Programa “Los grandes temas” con la repetición del tema del día sábado del verdadero discípulo de Cristo. Señal con SINPO: 54554 con poca sobremodulación y pequeño siseo de la mixtura VOA/CNR-1 JAMMER, pero no es determinante. 5980, R. CHASKI, 10/12 0027 UT. Música instrumental, coral e identificación de la emisora, así como de avisos. Señal con SINPO: 53454 con un marcado siseo de la mixtura VOA/CNR-1 JAMMER, pero no determinante (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 25 metros, QTH: Sector sur de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. 9800, Dec 6 at 1422, VOA Korean modulation is severely suppressed, distortion audible only at peaks while signal level is still fairly good. Wiggle that patchcord! Isn`t anyone at Tinang paying attention to what is really going on the air? This facilitates Iran q.v. being audible, opening Hindi at same hour. 9800, Dec 8 at 1336, VOA Korean via Tinang modulation is more or less OK today, but now with ICDs --- intermittent carrier dropouts, marring the music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. 15190, Radyo Pilipinas, 1831 Dec 7, Tagalog, female announcer, mentions of Philippines, definite “Radyo Pilipinas” ID by man at 1831:40. If Radio Africa from Equatorial Guinea was still on, it wasn’t audible. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia. Listening in my car, parked by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN- 1 active antenna. Temperature outside the car was -13C / 8F. Brrrr! dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. 11620, Dec 8 at 1458, RRI IS, fair with flutter, 1500 opening Arabic as scheduled, 140 degrees from Galbeni. Per Aoki this conflicts with India in Gujarati from 1515; and also English until 1500, unheard and maybe already closed when I intuned (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 5930, 1755-1811, 01.12, R Rossii, Monchegorsk. Russian talk about Ukraine, adv, pop music by Andy Williams: "Blue [sic] River", 1800 time signal, news and comments, 1810 ID, address and Russian songs, 35333 (Anker Petersen, heard on my AOR AR 7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [non]. 12075, Dec 5 at 1229, VOR in English, excuse me, ``VR`` so no longer suggesting ``thief`` to Russians, amid discussion of Washington/Beijing relations, fair with flutter, and one pip about 5 seconds before 1230 but no break on the half-hour. Annoying frequent music stingers lasting a few seconds each. Aoki shows 12075 as 12-15 UT, 155 degrees from TAJIKISTAN, hardly ideal for here, but take what we can, while we can, as it now seems certain that VOR will stop all SW broadcasting Dec 29, according to this: http://english.news.mn/content/164178.shtml (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Total confusion tonight. First reports said RIA gone, replaced by Sevodnya Rossia. But that means Russia Today - same as TV service. Also, VOR abolished. So did that mean VOR off immediately, including online VOR? Apparently not - still online in English now 0115 UT). I also heard Asia broadcasts via Uzbekistan in European afternoons 5885 (Eng, Hindi). No change. Voice of Russia web report saw these activities folded into Sevodnya Rossia. So maybe even VOR would continue under SR? Now - new frequencies for VOR - on Shortwave - after Jan 1. The plot thickens (Dr Derek Lynch, Ireland, Dec 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WITH NO NOTICE, PUTIN SCRAPS KREMLIN NEWS AGENCIES http://nyti.ms/1iPPcQO The decision to dissolve Ria Novosti, along with its international radio broadcaster, came as a complete surprise and signaled a major state media reorganization in Russia (NY Times via John Figliozzi, Dec 9, NY, Sent from my iPad, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) Viz.: WITH NO NOTICE, PUTIN SCRAPS KREMLIN NEWS AGENCIES By STEVEN LEE MYERS Published: December 9, 2013 MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin dissolved one of Russia’s official news agencies, RIA Novosti, along with its international radio broadcaster on Monday, signaling a significant reorganization in state media at a time when Russia’s international reputation has faced criticism over political and human rights and Russian influence in neighboring countries like Ukraine. The two agencies will be absorbed into a new state organization known as Rossiya Sevodnya, or Russia Today, to be led by a television executive and host, Dmitry K. Kiselyov, who has provoked controversy with starkly homophobic remarks and virulent commentary about foreign conspiracies against Russia. Mr. Putin’s presidential chief of staff, Sergei B. Ivanov, said the decision was part of an effort to reduce costs and make the country’s state media more efficient, but RIA Novosti’s report on its own demise said the changes “appear to point toward a tightening of state control in the already heavily regulated media sector.” Mr. Putin’s decision appeared to catch the agencies’ employees, even their executives, by surprise. Mr. Putin made the changes by decree without prior notice or public debate, as is often the case here. The decree said that the new agency would focus on providing news about Russia to an international audience; the agency’s directors will be directly appointed by the president’s office. The reasons behind the timing were also unclear and, to many, puzzling. RIA Novosti is one of the official sponsors of the Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi in February, and its employees have been deeply involved in organizing preparations for media coverage there. Russia’s policies, including a new law prohibiting advocacy of nontraditional sexual relationships, have prompted harsh criticism from rights organizations and even some calls for a boycott of the Olympics. “Russia has its own independent politics and strongly defends its national interests,” Mr. Ivanov, a close ally of Mr. Putin, said in remarks to reporters, according to RIA Novosti. “It’s difficult to explain this to the world, but we can do this and we must do this.” He suggested that Russia had had some difficulties with the effort to successfully explain its views abroad. “We must tell the truth, make it accessible to the most people possible and use modern language and the best available technologies in doing so,” he added. RIA Novosti’s roots extend to World War II, when it was founded as the Soviet Information Bureau two days after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. According to the agency, it has correspondents in 45 countries and provides reports in Russian and 13 other languages. It was renamed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and while it continued to serve as an official news agency, its reporting has earned greater respect for balance and a diversity of viewpoints. That troubled at least some here. Maxim L. Shevchenko, a prominent television personality, called the reorganization “a sensible step” in a post on Twitter. “The nest of anti-Russian media forces has been destroyed,” he wrote. That an official news agency could be considered hostile to its own government reflected some deep divisions within Russia’s political elite. The new agency’s name, Rossiya Sevodnya, is the Russian translation of the original name of the Kremlin’s international television network, now re-branded simply as RT and known for its jaundiced view of the failings of the United States and other Western countries. The decree, which takes effect immediately, did not link the two organizations. Aleksei A. Navalny, the anti-corruption blogger and opposition leader, lamented the demise of a “strong Soviet brand” in his own posting on Twitter and said “Russia Today,” as a brand, was “something repulsive.” Andrei Miroshnicheko, an independent media critic here, said that RIA Novosti and the other state news agency, Itar-Tass, had effectively competed for resources and influence. He said RIA Novosti had become the most respected news agency in the former Soviet Union, one he associated closely with the presidency of Dmitri A. Medvedev, who has served as prime minister since Mr. Putin returned to the presidency last year. The new agency, he said, would now revert to its mission before the dawn of “the post-Soviet era,” as an arm of “foreign propaganda,” while Itar-Tass would focus on domestic news. The most pointed criticism of Mr. Putin’s decree focused on the choice of Mr. Kiselyov as its new director. He is known for pointed commentaries in defense of Mr. Putin’s Russia and often reflects his view of foreign conspiracies, which he says are aimed at weakening the nation. He described the recent protests in Ukraine as a provocation by a coalition of Sweden, Poland and Lithuania like the one that Peter the Great defeated in the Battle of Poltava in 1709 in what is now modern Ukraine. “This week the coalition has shown its full strength,” he said on his weekly talk show, “Vesti Nedeli,” or “News of the Week,” on the state television network, Rossiya. “It looked like a thirst for revenge for Poltava.” Remarks he made last year resurfaced during this year’s debate over the new prohibitions on “propaganda” of nontraditional sexual relationships. “I think it is too little to fine gays for homosexual propaganda,” he said. “They should be forbidden from donating blood, sperm. And in the case of an automobile accident, their hearts should be buried in the ground or burned.” There were calls for a criminal investigation for his remarks, but none were undertaken. Mr. Kiselyov denied that he or the remarks had been homophobic. His views on journalism, he acknowledged in a recent interview with the online news organization Lenta.ru, had evolved significantly, particularly after he worked in Ukraine during the previous political protests there that became known as the Orange Revolution. “I understood that objective journalism, distilled, is absolutely not in demand,” he said in the interview. “The basic difference between post-Soviet and Western journalism is that for us it is necessary to create values and not to renew them, to produce values and not to reproduce them, as is basically done in the West.” Andrew Roth and Patrick Reevell contributed reporting (NYT via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. The Voice of Russia is Over? The official website of the Russian government just published an act "On some measures to increase effectiveness of the state media." It stipulates that the Voice of Russia and RIA Novosti are being dissolved with all external information functions being transferred to the newly created International Information Agency Russia Today. The agency's main address is that of RT (Russia Today TV). The decree is already signed by Vladimir Putin http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/19805 73! (Sergei S., Dec 9, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [note: the g in Segodnya is pronounced like a v, which is how I would transliterate it from Cyrillic --- gh] RIA NOVOSTI TO BE LIQUIDATED IN STATE-OWNED MEDIA OVERHAUL RIA Novosti has reporters in over 45 countries providing news in 14 languages. (c) RIA Novosti. Mikhail Fomichev 13:25 09/12/2013 Tags: mass media, RIA Novosti, Rossiya Segodnya, Russia MOSCOW, December 9 (RIA Novosti) - The Kremlin announced Monday the dissolution of RIA Novosti, the country's major state-run news agency, amid a significant reorganization of state-owned media assets. News agency RIA Novosti and the state-owned Voice of Russia radio will be scrapped and absorbed into a new media conglomerate called Rossiya Segodnya, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. The move is the latest in a series of shifts in Russia's news landscape, which appear to point toward a tightening of state control in the already heavily regulated media sector. In a separate decree published Monday, the Kremlin appointed Dmitry Kiselyov, a prominent Russian television presenter and media manager recently embroiled in a scandal over anti-gay remarks, to head Rossiya Segodnya. Head of the presidential administration Sergei Ivanov said the changes were about saving money and making state media more effective. "Russia has its own independent politics and strongly defends its national interests: it's difficult to explain this to the world but we can do this, and we must do this," Ivanov told reporters. The direct translation of Rossiya Segodnya is Russia Today, but the new body will apparently be separate from RT, the Kremlin-funded English-language television channel originally known as Russia Today. RT head Margarita Simonyan told Russian news website Lenta.ru on Monday that she only found out about the decree from news reports. The changes, including legislative amendments, must be carried out by the government within three months, according to the Kremlin. Rossiya Segodnya will be located in the current RIA Novosti building in downtown Moscow, the decree said. RIA Novosti was set up in 1941, two days after Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, as the Soviet Information Bureau, and now has reporters in over 45 countries providing news in 14 languages. Last month Gazprom-Media, which is closely linked to state-run gas giant Gazprom, bought control of Russian media company Profmedia from Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin. In October, Mikhail Lesin, a former Kremlin advisor, was appointed to head Gazprom-Media. (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) VOICE OF RUSSIA MERGED INTO NEW ROSSIA SEVODNYA NEWS SERVICE from Voice of Russia website: 9 December 2013, 12:21 Voice of Russia absorbed by nascent Rossia Segodnya newswire As of today, The Voice of Russia radio company has officially ceased to exist in its previous capacity and will merge with several other state-run news agencies to emerge as Rossia Segodnya, a Russia-based international news service. Putin 'liquidates' RIA Novosti to replace it with global news agency Rossia Segodnya (Russia Today) Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree abolishing RIA Novosti, one of the largest news agencies in Russia. RIA will be reborn into its second life as a global agency called Rossia Segodnya (Russia Today). Rossia Segodnya will be headed by Dmitry Kiselyov, the Kremlin says. The headquarters of the newly-born agency will stay at the RIA office. According to the official statement, Rossia Segodnya will also include the state-run Voice of Russia radio station. President Putin has also given the Cabinet of Ministers a month to plan all events necessary to help the International News Agency "Rossia Segodnya" into existence and add it to the list of state-run strategic entities. The fledgling agency will focus on informing foreign audiences about Russia's policies and the way of life. The President's decree today reformed and did away with an entire bulk of state media. It abolished the State Fund of Television and Radio Programs, placing it under control of All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. The same order has passed over the Russian Book Chamber, a federal scientific center, to the ITAR-TASS news agency. The decree comes into force starting today, December 9. Voice of Russia, TASS Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_09/Voice-of-Russia-absorbed-by-nascent-Rossia-Segodnya-state-agency-5588/ see also: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_09/President-Vladimir-Putin-issues-decree-to-reorgonize-Voice-of-Russia-RIA-Novosti-to-Rossia-Segodnya-news-wire-1689/ (via Alan Pennington, Dec 9, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Since it seems that no one took a closer look at the nice ukas No. 894, http://kremlin.ru/acts/19805 I understand that essentially Russia Today swallows both Voice of Russia and RIA Novosti. Same location, same name, Russia Today not mentioned as to be eliminated in favour of a new organization, does it need even more proof? Video killed the radio star, once more. And then take a look at the ukas No. 895: Dmitri Kiselev will be the boss. Do they think that crude propaganda well promotes the interests of Russia? That's what I expect when considering this: http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2034062 http://www.unian.net/news/610437-dmitriy-kiselev-navral-rossiyanam-chto-razgon-evromaydana-byil-posle-shturma-bankovoy.html http://lenta.ru/news/2013/12/08/oscar/ Meanwhile the German service of RIA Novosti appears to be confident that they can continue. And at Voice of Russia: Not much more than "today Voice of Russia officially ceased to exist" (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Kai, Well, having worked for Radio Moscow world service for 11 years, as well as having spent some 6 years living in the Ukraine (working for an independent TVchannel) he MAY know what its all about, as far as radio broadcasts and Ukranian realities are. I can remember him in the late 80s - early 90s when he was an eager promoter of independent journalism. What made him change that much ever since? As he once said, it was his multi-year stay in the Ukraine. Whatever it is, a curious metamorphosis. Russia Today (TV channel is meant) has also been considered controversial or even 'odious', yet it became somewhat popular, didn`t it? As for the Swedish TV show; Well, at least he seems to know Swedish well to understand the essence and draw conclusions. Don`t YOU find this scenery a WEE (pun intended) bit bizarre, or eccentric (to say the least) for a TV show aimed at children, let alone the very idea of it - 'Children's toilet TV show'l?? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-25198264 In the long run, why don`t we just leave it to Russians to decide for themselves what's good or bad and what the values are? Just my 2 cents in (Leo (of Chisinau), Moldova, Dec 10, ibid.) As for Ukraine, you are confusing him with Yevgeny Kiselyov (Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, ibid.) (Hello Aleksandr). Am I? http://www.day.kiev.ua/ru/article/akciya-dnya/dmitriy-kiselev-lichnaya-otvetstvennost-sostoit-v-tom-chtoby-ne-podvergat Best regards, (Leo, ibid.) OK, that was my fault (Aleks, ibid.) For an example of the type of thing that Kiselev likes to air on his TV show, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-25198264 (Chris Greenway, UK, Dec 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) And this is the fellow who is taking over the new Russian media conglomerate. Scary! I have to wonder whether the days of From Moscow with Love on VOR are numbered. 73 (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, ibid.) V. OF RUSSIA DISAPPEARS; ABSORBED INTO NEW "RUSSIA TODAY" AGENCY --- http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_09/President-Vladimir-Putin-issues-decree-to-reorgonize-Voice-of-Russia-RIA-Novosti-to-Rossia-Segodnya-news-wire-1689/ Quoting from the formal announcement, "The core business of "Rossia Segodnya" will be "the coverage of Russian state policy and public life in the Russian Federation" for foreign audiences, the decree says." No mention of specific intentions regarding the use of shortwave or tweaks to the list of languages offered by VoR or whatever it will be named. Thanks to Thomas Witherspoon of the Ears To Our World charity for the info (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, Dec 10, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. RT LAUNCHES SOCHI’S FIRST ENGLISH RADIO 21.11.2013 17:55 http://rt.com/about-us/press-releases/rt-launches-sochis-first-english/ Radio station Sochi Today, launched in advance of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, began broadcasting in Sochi (101.5 FM) and Krasnaya Polyana (105.8 FM). MOSCOW, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 – Radio station Sochi Today, launched in advance of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, began broadcasting in Sochi (101.5 FM) and Krasnaya Polyana (105.8 FM). Sochi Today – RT’s latest project – is the first radio station in Sochi to broadcast entirely in English. The round-the-clock station is available on the 101.5 FM in Sochi and 105.8 FM frequencies in Krasnaya Polyana – part of the Sochi metropolitan area, which will host several Olympic events, – respectively. The station’s content consists of a current, international music mix, as well as news updates prepared by RT journalists and airing every half hour. The news block covers the most urgent stories from around the world. Sochi Today’s reach is expected to exceed 3 million people over the course of the 2014 Olympic Games, according to preliminary estimates. This audience will be made up of athletes, government officials, journalists and fans that will travel to Sochi from every corner of the world. "Thanks to Sochi Today, millions of foreign visitors to the Olympics will be on top of the most important and interesting events within the Olympic Sochi, as well as around the globe,” – said Margarita Simonyan, RT’s editor in chief. “I am certain that Sochi Today will carry all the successes that RT has achieved in television broadcasting, online, and on social media platforms into the radio sphere." RT is an international news network that broadcasts 24/7 in English, Arabic and Spanish from its studios in Moscow and Washington, DC, and is available to 644 million viewers worldwide. RT is the first TV news channel in history to cross the one billion views mark on YouTube. It is the winner of the Monte Carlo TV Festival Awards for best 24-hr broadcast, and the only Russian TV channel to garner two nominations for the prestigious International Emmy Award for news reporting. Since 2012, RT has been broadcasting English-language news content on Moscow’s radio station Moscow FM (105.2). (via Hansjoerg Biener, Dec 11, DXLD) What I find quite remarkable now: An English-language radio station is on air at Sochi since 21 Nov. One could think that Voice of Russia would be predestinated for such a project, with their English service being hip and cool now anyway. Not so: http://rt.com/about-us/press-releases/rt-launches-sochis-first-english/ And this is not even the first radio activity of Russia Today, they already produce the news for an English-language "Moscow FM", launched (on 105.2) in November 2012, at least according to: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/broadcaster-rt-to-start-english-radio-station-for-sochi-olympics/490046.html (note their indirect way to dismiss Russia Today; I really love this cowardly approach to sneak in a comment as "quotation") What I also find remarkable is how all analysis I have seen so far focuses on RIA Novosti only, just barely mentioning Voice of Russia in a half sentence. It really appears to be "the forgotten voice of Russia", as the title of a German radio feature went years ago. It also appears that Voice of Russia is widely believed to be already off air. Not so, and I think they will use up the already cancelled transmission contracts (ukas No. 894 is to be implemented within one month anyway). The question is what will remain of Voice of Russia as of New Years Day. Maybe an "RT Radio" in English on the non-AM distribution platforms? Concerning the existing Russia Today: To the German-speaking countries it simply does not exist for lack of any German content. From the German point of view there is Voice of Russia, since last January essentially covering only the greater Berlin area with traditional radio and having a less than appealing web presence, and then there's de.ria.ru which offers a pretty good service. As a German one has to wonder what will become of both these editorial teams (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [non]. 9395, Dec 9 at 2257, very poor signal from the closest thing to a N American service left from VOR, in English, difficult copy but something about the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony which just took place yesterday (but TV broadcast will be delayed until monthend). 2300 ID explicitly as ``Voice of Russia``, not VR or RUVR! And more news. Too poor to keep struggling to understand it. This is 500 kW, 305 degrees via ARMENIA at 22-24 UT to CIRAF 10-12 = south of the USA, followed by Spanish for another few hours. I am checking this because news just broke today of Putin decreeing a total reorganization of Russian news media, and it`s unclear what will become of VOR. From a RIA Novosti report Dec 9 via Derek Lynch: ``News agency RIA Novosti and the state-owned Voice of Russia radio will be scrapped and absorbed into a new media conglomerate called Rossiya Sevodnya, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. The move is the latest in a series of shifts in Russia's news landscape, which appear to point toward a tightening of state control in the already heavily regulated media sector.`` VOR was already expected to cease SW broadcasting before the end of the year, and this may speed up the process, but still on the air for the time being. Frankly, since VOR already abandoned its North American SW audience, we really don`t care, beyond general sadness at the continuing demise of ISWBC. 6115, Dec 10 at 1158, I run across another VOR transmission with ``Great Gate of Kiev`` IS, 1200 ``Chariots of Fire`` theme and (re)opening in Chinese, which in HFCC is 11-14, 250 kW, 152 degrees from Irkutsk (and followed by an hour in English from Vladivostok). Something strange: this Chinese has an echo at 1203, like ChiCom echo jamming, but not the same audio as on 6125, 6180, which is really CNR1 non-jamming, and jamming, respectively. This echo is too delayed to be long/short path; maybe double audio from one transmitter? Or two transmitters? (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [non]. RADIO VOZ DA RUSSIA, RETRANSMISSÕES NO BRASIL De uns tempos para cá, comunicadores com sotaque russo se misturam com vozes brasileiras em vários horários do dia de segunda a sexta-feira, nas transmissões habituais da Radio ABC 1570 kHz, Santo André SP. Trata-se de um arrojado projeto da Rádio Voz da Rússia, ao criar um canal de comunicação no idioma do país onde é transmitido. São blocos de uma hora de duração levados ao ar por dezenas de países, que enfoca a vida e o cotidiano do povo russo para outras regiões do planeta. Uma estrutura de produção bem elaborada e uma comunicação contemporânea da equipe de apresentadores permitem o aumento gradativo do seu leque de ouvintes. Fatos do dia, a política internacional, ciência, tecnologia, esportes, artes e tantos outros assuntos referentes à Rússia e suas relações com outros povos integram os 60 minutos de cada bloco, que vale à pena ser acompanhado. Outras emissoras brasileiras também retransmitem este serviço, e a lista destas e seus horários de programação podem ser facilmente pesquisados no Google. Um serviço semelhante também pode ser ouvido em português pela Rádio 'Diário da Rússia', acessando-se o link: (clicar em 'Rádio 24 horas, Diário da Rússia, ao vivo'). (Rudolf Grimm, Brasil, 8 Dez, radioescugtas yg via DXLD) A radio Metropolitana AM 1090 RJ e uma das afiliadas da Voz da Russia. Todos os dias a noite, sao transmitidos a Voz da Russia. Estes programas sao apresentados por locutores e ex-locuores da JB, como Osiel Monteiro e Romilson Luis, ex-Radio Cidade. Fica a Dica (Leonardo Ivo Neves da Silva, 8 Dec, ibid.) Uma das coisas que estragam a Voz da Rússia é a braso-lusofonizaçã o do Departamento Português. A emissora é, atualmente, uma visão de brasileiros sobre a União Soviética e não um programa que retrata a visão russa sobre o world. Já a Rádio Pequim Internacional consegue manter um Departamento com brasileiros, mas com todas as características noticiosas, interpretativas e culturais chinesas (Acir Camargo, ibid.) ** RUSSIA. 25900, Dec 6 at 1406 and later chex to 1455 find *no* trace of the Moscow student station, Radio Green Eyes, which is reported to broadcast only at 12-15 UT Fridays. I reminded the ~700 members of the DXLD yg about this a few hours earlier and hope someone could hear it, possibly beyond Europe. Before 1500, 12m was starting to open with SSB hams from somewhere, but not 10m. Need a better F2-propagation Friday to have a chance at this. Nick Sharpe in the BDXC-UK yg did report at 1215 UT today: Radio MTUCI 25900 kHz, 1200, Sinpo 35333 --- Very reasonable reception right now of this Friday lunchtime/afternoon station in the Russian language being heard west of London on a longwire antenna. I understand that their mailing address is Radio MTUCI, Moscow Technical University of Communication and Informatics, P. O. Box 19, Moscow 127055, Russia I have heard some western music on the station and also electronic music but has anyone had a reply from them?`` Harald Kuhl, Germany, replied: ``A while ago I received a reply from the man behind this station, but this wasn´t for a reception report. This was all in (google-)Russian, no luck when writing in English`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RWANDA [non]. 17870, R. Inyabutatu (via Kostinbrod-Sofia) *1700- 1715+ 7 Dec. Lute/vocal to start their Sat.-only program, then Kinyarwanda opening with "Inyabutatu" + frequency/sked, W with long phone report to 1709, then M chatting (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA PL380 "barefoot", WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) later changed to 15310 17540, R. Mara (via Talata-Volondry) *1700-1713+ 3 Dec. Guitar "IS" into instrumental jazz intro to group song, ID/frequency at 1705, reggae/hi-life style tunes & cheery DJ chat; always a good signal from this station and the music is a treat (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SARAWAK [non]. 3 Dec, 15420, R Free Sarawak, 1105 is received with a very poor carrier on SSB (Zacharias Liangs, Greece, Dec 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CLANDESTINE, 15420, R. Free Sarawak via Taiwan, Dec 07 1203-1215, 35333-35433, Iban, Talk, ID at 1205 and 1208 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. The new name is used in the French program, 1400-1555 on 17660 "Radio Saudi International" instead of previous Radio Riyadh and whether this broadcast will be in the future on ex // MW frequencies in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman? Renamed since December 1st or earlier. It is the only broadcast from previous in English and French from Riyadh and Jeddah: 0751-0955 on 17785, 1000-1227 on 15250 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA [and non]. See KUWAIT [and non]! 21505, Dec 6 at 1358, Buzzing Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is back to Arabic programming separately from 21540 Kuwait, unlike yesterday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA [and non]. B-13 schedule of International Radio Serbia: 1830-1900 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Italian 1900-1930 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Russian 1930-2000 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu English 2000-2030 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Spanish 2030-2100 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Serbian Sun-Fri 2030-2130 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Serbian Sat 2100-2130 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu German Sun-Fri 2130-2200 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu French 2200-2230 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu English 2230-2300 on 6100*BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Serbian Fri * totally blocked by China Radio International in En/Ru/Ar/Ch/Sp [with 250 kW, don`t see how IRS could be *totally* blocked --- gh] Inactive transmissions: 0100-0130 on 6190 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Serbian Mon-Sat 0100-0200 on 6190 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Serbian Sun 0130-0200 on 6190 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm English Tue-Sat 0130-0230 on 6190 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Serbian Mon 0200-0230 on 6190 BIJ 250 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Serbian Tue-Sat 1400-1430 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu English 1430-1500 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Serbian 1500-1530 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Spanish 1530-1600 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Arabic 1600-1630 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Russian 1630-1700 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu French 1700-1730 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu German 1730-1745 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Chinese 1745-1800 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Albahian 1800-1815 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Hungarian 1815-1830 on 9635 BEO 010 kW / 310/130 to WeEu Greek (Ivo Ivanov, DX RE MIX NEWS #822 December 8, 2013 via DXLD) ** SEYCHELLES. 15420.105, BBC WS English, S=9+20dB on sidelobe in Europe, takes not care of frequency ACCURACY just before switch-off for ever. A lot of interview comments on Nairobi student on Nelson Mandela decease (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Time? Later: maybe switched to UAE, more likely to be off-frequency ** SEYCHELLES [non]. U.K.(non) Frequency change of FEBA Radio: 1730-1800 NF 9540 KIG 250 kW / 030 deg to EaAf Tigrinya, ex 9595 (Ivo Ivanov, DX RE MIX NEWS #822 December 8, 2013 via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA [non]. See KOREA SOUTH [non] ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. SIBC, 6080 (tentative), 0802-0817 30 Nov. Thanks to Nick & Ron's tips, got a (tentative) log on SIBC with SI news items in English/Pijin, a couple of canned announcements, and English pop with C&W tinge. Poor signal at best here and heard JBA a few other nights (being 1/2 asleep during the logging doesn't help, either) (Dan Sheedy, Encinitas, CA G5/PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6080, SIBC, Dec 07 0758-0808, 35443-34443, Pidgin, Music, IS and ID at 0801, News, ID at 0805 and 0807 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [non]. 3 Dec, 17680, ERGO, 0974 with ID and talks in Somali at 0929 with freqs and addresses in Nairobi, then songs (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, Dec 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALILAND. 7120-, Dec 6 at 1351, very poor longpath signal but can make out some music from R. Hargeisa, slightly on lo side as usual, and with CW QRhaM from a K4- on the hi side. 7120-, Dec 7 at 1359-1400:39* carrier from presumed R. Hargesia, long- path, as usual slightly on the lo side; should have been strong enough for audible modulation, apparently already stopped. At 1504 much weaker JBA carrier is again detectable, after the one-hour break; always with some CW or even LSB QRhaM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. SOUTH AFRICAN COVERAGE OF MANDELA'S PASSING SAfm is the SABC's (South African Broadcasting Corporation) national English language network. On the occasion of Nelson Mandela's passing, one would expect that it would be a source for a particularly unique, domestic assessment of Mr. Mandela's life by South Africans and coverage of the associated events and memorials. SAfm streams its audio from its web site, as well as through various content amalgamators such as TuneIn. http://www.sabc.co.za/safm Talk 702 is a prominent Johannesburg commercial talk radio station that also is providing continuous coverage from a domestic standpoint. http://www.702.co.za Channel Africa is the SABC's external service that broadcasts to Africa on shortwave and worldwide via the Internet. For North American shortwave listeners, the broadcasts--especially those targeting West Africa--are available periodically depending on propagation conditions. Here is the schedule: 0300-0355 on 6155 kHz 0400-0655 on 7230 kHz 0600-0655 on 15255 kHz 1700-1755 on 15235 kHz Channel Africa also streams its audio for a worldwide audience from: http://www.channelafrica.co.za (John Figliozzi, NY, Dec 6, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15235, Channel Africa, 1736 Dec 7 [Sat], English, special Nelson Mandela coverage with clips of interview with family members. Normally this would be 1700-1800 Mon-Fri broadcast. Gone at check at 1807. Very good (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia. Listening in my car, parked by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN-1 active antenna. Temperature outside the car was -13C / 8F. Brrrr! dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Normally M-F only; look for more from ChAf during funeral on Sunday Dec 15 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Ralph Gordon Stair gibt an, fuer seine kuenftig rund um die Uhr im Volumen von taeglich 48 Senderbetriebsstunden laufenden Ausstrahlungen aus Okeechobee pro Monat 40.000 US-Dollar (29.500 Euro) zu zahlen. Umgerechnet auf Senderbetriebsstunden entspricht dies nur knapp 28 US- Dollar (unter 21 Euro). Derartige Dumpingpreise werden R. G. Stair von den privaten Kurzwellenstationen in den USA regelmaessig angeboten, da er stets gleich groessere Volumen an Sendezeit bucht. Zum Gegenstand religioeser Verklaerung macht Stair dabei die Signalzufuehrung nach Okeechobee und zu den anderen von ihm in den USA genutzten Sendeanlagen. Als Sendedienstleister beauftragt Stair hier das israelische Unternehmen RRSat und deutet dies als "Uplink aus Jerusalem", der jedoch technisch unmoeglich ist, da der betreffende Satellit Galaxy 23 dort unter dem Horizont steht. Tatsaechlich aus Israel abgestrahlt werden lediglich die Uebertragungen auf Satelliten zwischen den Positionen 4 degr West und 78,5 degr Ost, darunter auch Hotbird 13D (Glenn Hauser 23 Nov 2013 dxld; [translated] via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D ntt, Dec 2, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 6 via DXLD) 15190, WRMI, FL, 2254 Dec 1, English, Good, AM, Brother Stair with a commentator / interpreter! Same time as 9690 // 11730, but not identical program. Sign-off 2301 (Jack Amelar, Lowell MI, MARE Tipsheet Dec 6 via DXLD) Maybe switching error/filler on WRMI. Or it could have been a brief BS segment via Equatorial Guinea, occasionally reported, tho I`ve not heard him ever mention Radio Africa (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See below 9355, Dec 5 at 0657, good signal from WRMI, but open carrier/dead air instead of Brother Scare. 0659 comes to life for Zanotti ID (hey Bob, you forgot to say ``dot`` after www --- just try to get anywhere without it), 0700 BS resumes, as well as on 9955, which had been playing fill music before 0700. 9495, Dec 5 at 1222, another log for the record of The Overcomer via WRMI, seems regular pentecostal service during this semihour (is there any such thing as a ``program schedule`` from Walterboro?) Praying and muttering with unrelated music background which could be confused with CCI; this has ACI de Cuban pulse jamming on 9490 against Radio República which is really on the air (still via FRANCE) only at 0100- 0300, but take that, you nasty, counter-revolutionary frequency! BS is much stronger on // 9690 at 1222 and still at 1303 while 9955 is in a break (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: WRMI Overcomer heard - sidelobe in EUR - with poor S=6, and accompanied SCRATCHY audio signal - from Cuba ? jamming - on small band 9953 to 9957 kHz. 0817 UT. vy73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Brother Stair/TOM, instead of R. Africa on Dec. 5 1400-1500 on 17790 YFR 100 kW / 087 deg to NCAf not // on other Brother Stair / TOM frequencies 1400-1500 on 9370 WRB 100 kW / 045 deg to NEAm 1400-1500 on 9460 NAU 100 kW / 270 deg to WeEu 1400-1500 on 9690 YFR 100 kW / 285 deg to MEXI 1400-1500 on 9930 TWW 100 kW / 180 deg to SoAm 1400-1500 on 9980 WCR 100 kW / 090 deg to NEAm 1400-1500 on 13810 ISS 100 kW / 120 deg to N/ME -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, New email: ivo.observer@gmail.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15440, Dec 5 at 2004:50, open carrier from WRMI now adds Brother Scare modulation in progress for this less than 2-hour transmission toward Europe (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9955, WRMI Radio Miami Int'l; 1554-1605+, 5-Dec; B.S. huxterizing, abruptly cut himself off at 1556:30 for an Overcomer spot; WRMI Okeechobee spots in Spanish & English at at 1559:40. At 1600 ran dual feeds with calm B.S. and shouting B.S. till 1603:52 when shouting B.S. was cut off. S30 peaks with hint of co-channel QRM before 1600 — more dual feed problems? Only other HFCC WYFR sked post at this time is 21565 [sic], which I have not herd WRMI use yet. No jamming heard (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, 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) 9930 & 9955, Dec 6 at 1505, Brother Scare is right in synch via WTWW and WRMI, respectively, probably coincidentally, while 9980 WWCR is 4 seconds ahead. Congrats to WWCR which wins the competition today to get him on first, making the other two duplicates totally redundant. 7520, Dec 11 at 2259, Brother Scare heard for a few seconds before transmitter cuts off the air. Which station is this? It had been very strong. The current WWCR schedule has 7520 only at 0000-0300; altho during the Week of Confusion is started at 2300; WWCR still confused? The Dec program schedule for WWCR-4 shows BS on 9980 until 2400 weekdays, then something else on 7520. Maybe they put this BS back on 9980 for another hour, having realized the mistake (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN [and non]. 9690, Dec 8 at 0107, strong open carrier, off in less than a minute, uncovering very poor Brother Scare via WRMI, who has some equally poor CCI. Presume the strong carrier was REE, as previously heard testing well prior to China relays at 0200. 21630, Monday Dec 9 at 1408, REE has reverted to colliding with BBC Hausa via Ascension, after shifting to 21640 on Sat & Sun. Also colliding as always with Kuwait on 21540 making a fast SAH, unlike 21630. 21540, Dec 10 at 1500, REE is still on here in Castilian, colliding with KUWAIT in Arabic, and now about equal levels producing a heavy SAH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN. 9505, Voice of Africa Radio. BBC here went off just before 1800 Dec 7 revealing Sudan in English with man talking about the work of a committee. At 1800 TWR Swaziland s/on in English [9500] caused QRM but Sudan still listenable, although difficult. 1802:30 “Voice of Africa” ID and promo for streaming audio, into Sudanese music. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia. Listening in my car, parked by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN-1 active antenna. Temperature outside the car was -13C / 8F. Brrrr! Editor of World English Survey and Target Listening, available at http://www.odxa.on.ca dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. CLANDESTINE, 15550.10, R. Tamazuj via UAE, Dec 08 0425-0430*, 33443, Arabic, Talk, ID at 0426 and 0427 and 0429, 0430 sign off. 15550.10, R. Dabanga via UAE, Dec 08 *0430-0436, 33443, Arabic, 0430 sign on with IS, IS and SJ and ID, Opening announce, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD-9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWAZILAND, 9500, Trans World Radio, 1800 Dec 7, s/on as noted in Sudan 9505 logging. At 1804 tuned over to TWR as announcer was introducing a song by Michael W Smith. Good (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia. Listening in my car, parked by the lake, with the Eton E1 and Sony AN-1 active antenna. Temperature outside the car was -13C / 8F. Brrrr! dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) HFCC shows exact time for this via Manzini as 1802-1902, too exact to be correct? (gh, DXLD) ** TAIWAN. 13480, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0843 In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Clear. 73 (Nick VK2DX Hacko, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. re 13480 log: Greetings, Nick, from San Francisco! Do not know how familiar you are with SOH (Taiwan) reception, as opposed to CNR1 program jamming? Is always interesting for Glenn and myself to see logs of SOH, as it does take some basis understanding of what is happening with SOH and CNR1 program jamming. In a nutshell - The format of the CNR1 program jamming I would call upbeat and contemporary sounding with many varied segments. Easy to observe this after listening a while to one of the many known CNR1 frequencies. Whereas it should be remembered that SOH is a religious station promoting and dealing with Falun Gong, so their format is more subdued and refined; often with long segments of monologues, not the variety of CNR1. Also I have found it helps to pay attention to the signal strength of what is being heard on a SOH frequency. If it has good to very good reception, then there is a strong possibility that it is CNR1 jamming, so look for a known CNR1 // frequency. This is especially true for us here in North America, but do not know how the difference would be down under at your location. For myself, I find SOH audio a little muffled compared to the sharp and crisp audio of CNR1. Another strong tip off for identification is that SOH does not have time pips at the top-of-the-hour and of course CNR1 programming does. Have found that with regular monitoring of the SOH frequencies it is indeed possible to catch SOH clear of any CNR1 program jamming. Hope this is of some help. BTW - all of this is not to say you did not hear SOH, but wondered how positive you where? Please keep your interesting logs coming (Ron to Nick, cc to gh, DXLD) Hi Ron - thank you for your comment. When it comes to SOH, yes I would say that I have too noticed the difference in style between two stations. Actually on that day, I was scanning the band between 13 and 16 MHz and I was surprised that SOH operates on so many frequencies. The level of jamming varied from freq to freq, see notes. But the content was same on all frequencies which lead me to believe that I am hearing SOH. Of course I will pay closer attention in future, and as always, thank you for your guidance. On another note - just got my second SWL QSL! (Only few weeks ago I would not imagine that I would get excited about a QSL card after so many years of QSLing. I probably have over 30,000 amateur cards already, but that pile now does not count !) Anyway, I love the excitement of chasing something new. And on MW/SW there is so much to chase! BTW, last night again I could see dozen or more US/Hawaii carriers, but our best propagation to North America is March and September. 15900, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0800, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Good until 0814 powerhouse Chinese jumped on freq. Male speaker 15870, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0800, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Jammed +/- 250 Hz from carrier. 15775, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0800, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Weak to moderate. Clear freq. 14370, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0840, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Jammed USB only 0-2 kHz from carrier, white noise. 13920, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0843, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Jammed heavily on both side of carrier, white noise. Then at 0844 with vy strong carrier. 13775, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0843, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Jammed heavily on both side of carrier. 13480, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0843, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Jammed heavily on both side of carrier. 13480, SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, Taiwan. 5/12 0843, In Chinese. Listed as 100W? Clear. 73 (Nick VK2DX Hacko, NSW, http://nickvk2dx.blogspot.com.au/ Time signals, NDB's, NAVTEX, DGPS etc http://genesisradio.com.au/VK2DX/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very nice, Nick. For myself, I never had that much luck with SOH being //; instead found different programs. If you find them all //, do a quick check to see if they are // to a known CNR1 frequency. During my listening times I do a quick check with 6125 kHz, which is a known CNR1 frequency. Then you will know for sure what you have and can confirm they are not the CNR1 jamming. At about 1212 UT, I have been lucky to often hear their ID in English - spelling out “w-w-w-s-o-u-n-d-o-f-h-o-p-e-o-r-g” with letters in English followed by “Sound of Hope” also in English; IDed while religious song playing in the background; usually given during their news segment which ends at 1215. Again, is great to be seeing what can be heard down under! (Ron Howard, ibid.) ** TAIWAN. 7445, Dec 7 at 1506, fair signal in Thai: it`s RTI via Paochung, per Aoki, as the ChiCom stop jamming it at 1500 after three hours of Chinese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11605.102, RTI Japanese from Paochung site, S=8 at 0818 UT Dec 7. Endless male reader in Japanese on fast spoken speed (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [non]. Radio Taiwan International will be testing an additional frequency of 6130 for their French Service from 1900-2000 UT on December 14 and 15th. No indication given of the transmitter site (I have now e-mailed RTI and asked). Below is what I received from R Taiwan International French Service (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, Dec 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Cher ami auditeur, En vue d’améliorer les conditions d’écoute de notre programme, Radio Taiwan International étudie différentes options concernant la diffusion en ondes courtes. Dans ce cadre, nous souhaitons tester une *nouvelle fréquence de diffusion vers l’Europe*, à titre d’essai, en vue d’évaluer et mesurer les résultats obtenus. Durant le *weekend du 14-15 décembre* *2013*, le programme du service français sera donc également diffusé sur la fréquence *6130 kHz (19H00-20H00 UTC)*. Nous avons besoin de vos impressions et points de vue le plus vite possible après ces deux essais, en vue de vous offrir les meilleures condition d’écoute possible! Merci de votre contribution en nous faisant part de vos rapports sur la qualité de diffusion /via/ cette fréquence, *à titre d’essai*. Ce test de diffusion ne remplace pas la diffusion habituelle de notre programme. Nous vous remercions de votre compréhension et tenons à vous redire notre amitié. Service Français *R*adio *T*aiwan *I*nternational [*sic*] (via Alan Roe, ibid.) [normal schedule:] 7325 1900-2000 1234567 French 300 140 Woofferton G RTI b13 BAB 9895 1900-2000 1234567 French 250 315 Dhabbaya UAE RTI b13 BAB Maybe 7325 kHz frequency is too high for nearby SW Europe target in mid winter period? 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ATENCIÓN, EL CARTERO DE RADIO TAIWAN VUELVE A PARTIR DE LA PRÓXIMA SEMANA Y ADEMÁS DOBLE (SÁBADO Y DOMINGO) AHORA TOCA COMPROMETERNOS, O SEA: LO DE SIEMPRE, ESCRIBIR, ESCRIBIR Y ESCRIBIR. DE ESA MANERA NO TENDRÁN LA TENTACIÓN DE ELIMINAR DE LA PARRILLA ESE ESPACIO, O CUALQUIER OTRO. CORDIALES SALUDOS / GOOD LUCK / (JUAN FRANCO CRESPO, Spain, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [non]. 9335, Dec 8 at 1348, JBA carrier presumed PCJ Radio via SRI LANKA; besides lack of signal, main problem is ACI from WBCQ 9330-USB preaching about Kant. Not changed frequency again? Harald Kuhl in Germany confirms to BDXC-UK that again this Sunday it`s still on 9335. Any ChiCom jamming this week? When will the new relay via WRMI start? PCJ is still scheduled UT Saturdays 0200-0300 on 9955, but I always miss it on Friday nights, and not sure if it`s the same program (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Readable signal coming from PCJ Radio International on 9335 kHz into Germany from s/on at 1330 UT. Starting with IS & ID, into reports on a conflict region & short pieces of music. I am using a portable Tecsun PL-880 and an external magnetic loop antenna. 73 (Harald Kuhl, Dec 8, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) Re: PCJ International 9335 --- In the UK at 1400 I could see there was a signal there but had minimal modulation and could hear nothing. Here I am using an AR5000 with ALA1530 active loop. 73 (Mike German, Hayfield in High Peak, Dec 8, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** TANNU TUVA [and non]. 6100, Dec 5 at 1200 I am checking out more than one report in the NASWA Flashsheet claiming to have heard R. Rossii, Kyzyl, in Russian and Chinese, such as this: ``6100 RUSSIA. Radio Kyzyl heard at sign-on at 1200 GMT on 11/27/13. IS, ID first in Chinese, then in Russian ("Govorit Radio Kyzyl"), then talks in Russian. Fair but clear (Bob Brossell Pewaukee, WI. Equipment: JRC NRD-545; Eton E1; Sony ICF SW77)``. He also had previous logs like this on May 10 and April 13, 2013. Sorry, no: it`s NOT R. Kyzyl but China Radio International, opening its Russian hour, which is 500 kW beamed 55 degrees, favorable for us beyond FE Russia. It always opens with obvious CRI theme, ID in Chinese, then in Russian. Please explain how you could hear 500 or 5000-watt Kyzyl (sources conflict) despite CRI with 500,000 watts --- - unless this CRI transmission is missing, which it certainly is not, today. The opening CRI ID goes ``Govorit, Mezhdunarodnoye Radio Kitaya``. If you can`t recognize CRI in Russian by itself, try // to the other frequencies scheduled at 1200, but not necessarily synchronized: 5905, 7215, 7410, 9590, 9685, propagation permitting; I think 7410 would be most likely. That can easily rule out ``Kyzyl`` on 6100. However: CRI open carrier was on 6100 from 1155 tune-in Dec 5. I could hear a trace of modulation under it, which *possibly* was Kyzyl, and was in the middle of a timesignal when CRI modulation started with theme, dual language IDs, into news about Ukraine. A slightly late timesignal would not be unusual for R. Rossii. Here`s a previous log of Kyzyl, which would seem to be certain by matching to 5930; but still, what about CRI in Russian on 6100?? ``RUSSIA. 6100, Radio Rossii – Kyzyl, 1230, 10/17/13, in Russian. Light music to 1230, man talking for about 3 minutes then back into light music. Fair. // 5930 – Petropavlovsk, also Fair (Mark Taylor, Madison WI, Perseus, WinRadio g313e, Eton e1, Grundig G5, Tecsun PL 660; EWE, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet Oct 20 via DXLD)`` At 1235 Dec 5, 6100 is still nothing but CRI in Russian; at 1257 it`s ceased but there is a weaker open carrier, with SAH, 1300 something starting in Korean, which per Aoki is now KCBS Pyongyang (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TATARSTAN [non]. 3 Dec, 12095, Tatarstan Awazy, 0833 talks by OM s9 QSB 2 (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, Dec 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12095, R Tatarstan, Krasnodar, Russia (Asiatic) In Tatar. 5/12 0852 Male + Female speakers, good signal, some noise. Long path. 0857 song, male singer 0859 S/off female mentioning ‘Tatarstan’ (Nick Hacko, VK2DX, Sydney NSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 5875, Dec 6 at 1503, open carrier, dead air, good signal, S9+20 just about the SSOB in fact, but no programming other than a brief tone and then off. Per Aoki, supposed to be at 1500-1530 is VOA Uzbek via Udon Thani, immediately after BBC English via Nakhon Sawan, both jammed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 9390, Radio Thailand, 1230 GMT, sign on with station ID by a male announcer “This is Radio Thailand English language service” followed by music and then he announced the news hour program followed at 1231 GMT with a female presenter giving the news headlines and then the news details followed by commercials for Bangkok Airways, the Ministry of Tourism, Mega Wish 2013 and others and then a special from His Majesty the King's 86th Birthday candle lighting ceremony. Abrupt off at 1259 GMT. Good signal 12/5/13 (Steve Handler, Buffalo Grove IL, Icom IC-7200, Tecsun PL-660, wire antennas, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) ** TIBET. 4905, "Holy Tibet" program in English booming on this frequency // not as good 4920 which has co-channel QRM. Nov 10 (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) ** TIBET [and non]. 15515, Dec 6 at 1411 very poor signal, presumed V. of Tibet via MADAGASCAR, and another weak signal on 15520. From Aoki, presume this is the current cat-and-mouse setup: VOT jumps from 15520 to 15515 circa 1408, leaving the CNR1 jammer behind. In A-13 the same was happening from 15525 to 15520 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY [and non]. /CHINA [EAST TURKISTAN]. Annoying co-channel heterodyne whistle tone of odd TRT Emirler Turkish 07-14 UT on 15350.042 kHz, S=9+20dB, and co-channel even 15350 kHz CRI Kashi China English service underneath (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Winter B-13 SW schedule for Voice of Turkey: 0100-0255 on 6000 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Turkish 0200-0255 on 9410 EMR 500 kW / 252 deg to SoAm Spanish 0200-0255 on 9650 EMR 500 kW / 290 deg to CeAm Spanish 0300-0355 on 9460 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Uyghur 0400-0455 on 7240 EMR 500 kW / 138 deg to N/ME English 0400-0455 on 9655 EMR 500 kW / 335 deg to NoAm English 0500-0655 on 9700 EMR 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Turkish 0500-0655 on 9820 EMR 250 kW / 138 deg to N/ME Turkish 0700-0955 on 11925 EMR 500 kW / 097 deg to WeAs Turkish 0700-0955 on 15350 EMR 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Turkish 0700-0955 on 15480 EMR 500 kW / 120 deg to WeAs Turkish 0800-0855 on 11835 EMR 250 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Azeri 0930-1055 on 11795 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg to WeAs Persian 1000-1055 on 11955 EMR 500 kW / 210 deg to NEAf Arabic 1000-1255 on 15350 EMR 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Turkish 1000-1255 on 15480 EMR 500 kW / 120 deg to WeAs Turkish 1100-1125 on 15360 EMR 500 kW / 032 deg to EaEu Tatar 1100-1155 on 9840 EMR 250 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Georgian 1130-1155 on 13625 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Uzbek 1200-1225 on 7245 EMR 250 kW / 290 deg to SEEu Bulgarian 1200-1255 on 11805 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg to EaAs Chinese 1230-1325 on 17755 EMR 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu German 1300-1325 on 11965 EMR 250 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Turkmen 1300-1355 on 11985 EMR 500 kW / 092 deg to SoAs Urdu 1300-1355 on 15350 EMR 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Turkish 1330-1425 on 12035 EMR 500 kW / 310 deg to WeEu English 1330-1425 on 13685 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Uyghur 1400-1455 on 9410 EMR 250 kW / 020 deg to EaEu Russian 1400-1655 on 11815 EMR 250 kW / 300 deg to WeEu Turkish 1430-1455 on 9785 EMR 500 kW / 062 deg to CeAs Kazakh 1500-1525 on 6185 EMR 500 kW / 290 deg to SEEu Italian 1500-1555 on 9665 EMR 250 kW / 150 deg to N/ME Arabic 1500-1555 on 15200 EMR 500 kW / 252 deg to NWAf Arabic 1600-1625 on 11680 EMR 250 kW / 092 deg to WeAs Dari 1600-1655 on 9530 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg to WeAs Persian 1630-1725 on 5965 EMR 500 kW / 090 deg to WeAs Azeri 1630-1655 on 11680 EMR 250 kW / 092 deg to WeAs Pashto 1700-1725 on 11680 EMR 250 kW / 092 deg to WeAs Uzbek 1700-2155 on 5980 EMR 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu Turkish 1700-2155 on 6120 EMR 500 kW / 150 deg to N/ME Turkish 1730-1825 on 9495 EMR 250 kW / 270 deg to SoEu Spanish 1730-1825 on 11730 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg to SoAs English 1830-1925 on 7205 EMR 250 kW / 310 deg to WeEu German 1830-1925 on 9620 EMR 500 kW / 180 deg to CEAf French, new 1930-2025 on 6050 EMR 250 kW / 290 deg to WeEu English 2030-2125 on 5970 EMR 500 kW / 290 deg to WeEu French 2030-2125 on 6050 EMR 500 kW / 247 deg to NWAf French 2130-2225 on 9610 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg to SEAs English 2300-2355 on 5960 EMR 500 kW / 310 deg to NoAm English (Ivo Ivanov, DX RE MIX NEWS #822 December 8, 2013 via DXLD) ** UGANDA. 4976, UBC Radio at 0304 with a man and woman with small talk about how many days are left in the year asking if they are ready for Christmas and 2014 and into an African High Life version of “Little Drummer Boy” then more small talk of a similar nature at 0307 and talking to another man - Good Dec 5 (Mark Coady Selwyn, ON, Alinco DX-70, Drake SPR-4, delta loop or long wire, ODXA YRX via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. Concerning the Ukraine: I must admit that I have long given up to even remotely understand what's going on there. Right now German tabloid media run headlines not really in favour of Kiev: "Ukraine blackmailing us, wanting 20 billion Euros!" (Is "billion" instead of "thousand millions" unambiguous when proceeding from a British style of English, too?) (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Kai. In British English, billion has for many years meant "thousand million", as it does elsewhere. The previous usage to mean "million million" is now very outdated indeed - many/most Brits now wouldn't even know that it once existed. Similarly, milliard which was once used in Britain (as in France) to mean "thousand million", is now defunct here (Chris Greenway, ibid.) ** UKRAINE. 11980.1, 0833-0903 01.12, Dniprovska Khvylia, Zaporizhia, Ukrainian discussion between a woman and two men about Ukraine, 0847 Orchestra and flute music, 0900 IS, TS and news. Only in USB + AM, 25232 (Anker Petersen, heard on my AOR AR 7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) December 1 0800-0930 UT, took "Dniprovskaya Volna" of Zaporozhye on frequency 11980 kHz. Broadcast the first program of the Ukrainian radio. SINPO: 25332. (Receiver: Degen 1103, Antenna: telescopic) (Dmitry Kutuzov, Ryazan, Russia / "deneb-radio-dx" via RusDX Dec 8 via DXLD)) In Belgorod similar reception (Pavel, Belgorod, Russia / ibid.) December 1 at 0840 and adopted in Kiev on 2-3. Modulation of a carrier with USB. Obviously carrying limited, since the AM mode signal distorted. In SSB sound normal. Interference from other stations do not. About 0907 passage lost and recovered to 0915. Recorded the end of transmission. Took on a homemade receiver EAC with electromechanical filter in the IF. Outdoor antenna 35 m on the north side 16-storey building (on the reverse side of Zaporozhye). http://webfile.ru/ee98b1f03010712b0542251ac6822b27 (Alexander Yegorov, Kiev, Ukraine / "deneb-radio-dx" via RusDX 8 Dec via DXLD) ** U K [non]. 21630, Dec 7 at 1414, BBCWS, ``no programmmes on this channel at present`` loop with jingles, advising to consult bbcworldservice.com. Geez, REE manages to avoid colliding on Saturdays and Sundays only, shifting to 21640 instead, and then, this! Furthermore, 17640, Dec 7 at 1417, same BBC ``no programmmes`` loop but not synchronised with 21630. I`m NOT bothering to consult bbcworldservice.com because I`m certain there will be nothing there to explain this outage, if I can even find the supposed schedule. Well, this beats open carriers/dead air favoured by so many other dysfunxional SW stations, but what`s wrong at BBC? 21630 is supposed to be Hausa via ASCENSION, and 17640 is supposed to be Hausa via RWANDA. Maybe same satellite feed to both sites is down. 15420, however, BBC Somali via doomed IORS SEYCHELLES is uninterrupted around 1415 Dec 7; before WBCQRM starts with BS at 1500 Saturdays. 21630, Dec 8 at 1402, BBC succeeds in broadcasting Hausa via ASCENSION today, as well as on 17640 via RWANDA, instead of ``no programming`` loop in English yesterday. SPAIN remains on 21640 Sunday, but no doubt will resume its stupid collision on 21630 Monday thru Friday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. BBC in English to Africa Extended Looking at http://www.hfcc.org/data/schedbybrc.php?seas=B13&broadc=BBC several new registrations have been added from the 6th December for BBC in English during the day and until midnight for BBC frequencies for Africa. For example 15400 to West Africa now runs from 0800 to 2000 non stop instead of only from 1700 previously. 12095 also now runs until 0000 instead of 2200. Checked on 15400 now and BBC is now on air. Could this be for Mandela coverage or an admission that the cuts to the service to Africa were wrong? (Stephen Cooper, Dec 11, dxdlyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) For reference, the changes are (all in English unless otherwise noted): kHz, UTC, Site, Target zones - Starting 5 Dec 2013: 12095 1500-2000 WOF (ex SEY) 48SW,53NW 15420 1400-1500 WOF (ex SEY) 48 - Starting 6 Dec 2013: 12095 2200-2400 ASC 46 12095 2200-2400 ASC 47SW,52 15400 1100-1700 ASC 46 15420 0400-0800 DHA (ex SEY) 48SW,53NW 15420 2000-2100 SEY 48SW,53NW 17830 1100-1600 ASC 47SW,52 21470 1130-1400 SEY 48SW,53NW - Starting 7 Dec 2013: 11810 2100-2200 ASC 47SW,52 Daily (ex Mo-Fr) 12095 2100-2200 ASC 46 Daily (ex Mo-Fr) 17640 0800-1100 SEY 48SW,53NW 17640 1100-1130 DHA 48SW,53NW 17830 0800-1100 ASC 47SW,52 - Starting 10 Dec 2013 (day of Mandela memorial in Jo'burg), marked "3"=Tuesday, presumably only that day although registered until the end of B13: 6195 SNG 0900-1100 SNG 46 [sic - Singapore for West Africa?? more likely extension of East Asia service] 6195 0900-1100 SNG 51W,54 9740 0900-1100 SNG 43SE,44SW,49E 9740 0900-1100 SNG 51W,54 11895 0900-1100 NAK 43E,44 15285 0900-1100 SNG 43E,44 [following marked daily, but presumably only 10 Dec, time will tell:] 15400 ASC 0800-1100 46 - Deletion as of 13 Dec 2013: 9560 0230-0300 DHA Hindi (Eike Bierwirth, ibid.) ** U S A. 7588.5-USB, Tue Dec 10 at 1508-1518+, MARS net discussing methods for scanning documents, with abbr`d callsigns 6VF, 6IS, 6TV and 6GE, who seems to be in charge. Per my previous log Nov 5 at 1353 on 5202-USB, when I also heard 6TV, these are Texas US Army MARS with calls really starting AAR6- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 13927-USB, the main AF MARS frequency near 20 meters, Dec 7 at 2010 has ``Wolf Bait`` (or ``Wolfbait``?), picturesque tactical callsign, evidently a mobile unit (airborne?), ``out west`` compared to the base station being contacted, AFA5TW, apparently discussing a USENET phone patch; is there such a thing? One roster puts AFA5TW in Michigan. It seems that Wolf/Bait, one or two words, is unknown to the UDXF yg search (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. VOA in French was heard with rap and disco music program on [Sat] Nov 30 on 15225 [Greenville] and on [Sun] Dec 1st with program Hits of Tamla Motown on new 11840 kHz [BOTSWANA] - both at 1905-1930 and 1935-2000 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, December 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11750, Dec 5 at 1225, VOA news outro after report on the Great Barrier Reef; it`s `Crossroads Asia`. Good signal! And not surprising since it`s on the 21-degree beam also USward from Tinang, PHILIPPINES this hour only (extended to 1400 on Sat & Sun for `Jazz America`). Still seems strange to hear VOA here instead of BBC for which 11750 was once a major traditional frequency. 15580, Dec 5 at 2015, VOA African Beat is playing a ``Jingle Bells`` version from Cameroun; as I am dozing into my half-sesquihour nap, I am trying hard to dream of a one-horse open-sleigh there. 2100 site change from Greenville to Botswana, as news on the hour starts, is much less noticeable than before, with the latter coming in almost as well, just somewhat more fading. 15580, Dec 9 at 1959, I`m checking the expected VOA handover from Botswana to Greenville for `African Beat`. At this moment there is a SAH between the two carriers, then GB bumps up stronger, but music still audible underneath. It seems that GB fails to start modulating at 2000; at 2002 bits of Mandela clips as modulation goes on and off and on and off. However, I`m not really sure which site this is, as it`s notably weaker than VOA French on 15225, which is definitely Greenville, altho both it and 15580 are HFCC-listed as 250 kW at 94 degrees, but with different antennas, an 883 on 15580, an 896 on 15225. The ITU antenna reference table along with schedule in the HFCC zip file shows: 883 RH 80/70/20 896 RH140/70/30 without explaining what that really means, but surely RHombix anyway. I guess: lengths of the legs, and/or interior angles, and the last one height above ground (meters?). 12150, Sat Dec 7 at 1348, `Jazz America` from VOA with sufficient signal, from THAILAND as on weekends only, but NO signal on 11750, as also listed in HFCC and Aoki via Philippines, leaving Cuba in the clear, q.v. 5875, Dec 7 at 1508, again open carrier/dead air with good signal, while VOA Uzbek via THAILAND is supposed to be aired. Are they aware back in Washington that this service is failing to appear? Why burn 250 kW if there is no modulation? Cost for that is coming out of our taxpayer pockets (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA Radiogram, Dec 7-8, features MFSK32 and 64 VOA Radiogram for the weekend of 7-8 December will make more use of the robust MFSK32 mode to compensate for difficult trans-Atlantic propagation on our 15670 kHz frequency. There will be several MFSK images, including one of the Capitol Christmas tree. And we will conduct one more experiment with audio harmonics (Kim Andrew Elliott, Dec 7, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The frequency 17860 kHz around 1600z continues to supply Central Europe with a good signal. Also MFSK-128 here would probably not have been a problem: http://www.rhci-online.de/VoA_Radiogram_2013-12-07.htm The best choice is certainly pure LSB or USB; the worst choice is pure AM with all the distortions because of a fluctuating carrier (roger, Germany, ibid.) ** U S A. 26110/FM, KMK282, KOVR-TV Sacramento CA, studio relay; 1730- 1740+, 1-Dec; Good Day Sacramento with area news/weather/features; said they have a sister station in Bismarck ND, but never mentioned the call. Break 1737-1740 with open mike for few seconds, OC for several seconds, then off. Very good peaks (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, 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) ** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1698 monitoring: WWRB is on 3195-AM, but not 5050-USB any more; UT Friday Dec 6 the assertive preacher preceding us keeps going past 0430, until, until, finally stops but seemingly not finished so WOR starts late at 0435.6. Fortunately, 3195 stays on the air until our (almost) conclusion at 0504.5, altho the websteam cuts us off at 0500 as usual for the Bible readings. Next: UT Saturday 0300v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Saturday 0730 & 1530 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB UT Sunday 0030 on WTWW-2 5085 UT Sunday 0501 on WTWW-1 5830 WORLD OF RADIO 1698 monitoring: Area 51 webcast, UT Saturday Dec 7 at 0300 with some music; 0302 montage of clips starting with a very old WOR recorded off SW, gh talking about United Patriot Radio`s Steve Anderson freaking out and no longer heard on 6900; remember that? Also, Oxycontin Radio, and Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh; after pause, WOR 1698 playback starts at 0303. Presumably also on WBCQ 5110v-CUSB, which I could barely detect on the air after WOR at 0334. Next: UT Sunday 0029v on WTWW-2, 5085; UT Sunday 0501 on WTWW-1, 5830 WORLD OF RADIO 1698 monitoring: confirmed on WTWW-2, 5085, UT Sunday Dec 8 from 0028, very good signal, and thank you, Ted; followed at 0100 by his ham-radio programming. Next: UT Sunday 0501 on WTWW-1, 5830. WORLD OF RADIO 1698 monitoring: confirmed UT Sunday Dec 8 starting at 0501:23 on WTWW-1, 5830. Still good signal with some fading, despite K-index of 6 reported by WWV at 0300: ``Solar-terrestrial indices for 07 December follow. Solar flux 157 and estimated planetary A-index 6. The estimated planetary K-index at 0300 UTC on 08 December was 6. Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level occurred. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be moderate. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level are likely.`` At 0600 same info except K had declined to 5. WORLD OF RADIO 1699: not completed in time for first airing on WRMI at 0430 UT Thursday Dec 12 --- but not audible anyway; the winter night MUF is just too low; confirmed on webcast replay of 1698. So first airing of 1699 will be Thursday 2201 on WTWW-1, 9475. Then: UT Fri 0427v on WWRB 3195 (maybe also 5050-USB, but not lately on) UT Sat 0300v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Sat 0730 & 1530 on HLR 7265-CUSB (last week came on late with damage) UT Sun 0028v on WTWW-2, 5085 UT Sun 0501v on WTWW-1, 5830 Tue 1200 on WRMI, 9955 Wed 0730 & 1530 on HLR 7265-CUSB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. 9690, WRMI, FL, 0150 Dec 2, English, Good, AM, Brother Stair. 0200 Chinese program, China Radio I Beijing Hour. 0300 English program, China Radio I Beijing Hour. Not the same program you would expect from CRI world broadcasts (Jack Amelar, Lowell MI, MARE Tipsheet Dec 6 via DXLD) Must have been a very smooth transition, since China stuff after 0200 is via SPAIN, as always, not WRMI (gh) 9955, Dec 5 at 0653, WRMI with recognizable fill-music loop heard before, during Greek segment; the beat almost matches the pulse jamming! Segué into song in German. At least WRMI is audible now which it was not during WORLD OF RADIO a bihour earlier. This is when Brother Scare is scheduled, but once again with music loop substituting. They appear to have a lot of trouble switching this programming around to the proper transmitter at the appointed time. 9955, Thu Dec 5 at 1224, ``Frecuencia al Día con Dino Bloise`` sufficient but with pulse jamming and weaker than 9690 BS. I think FAD first airs on Fridays so this is probably from last week. 9955, the switch from SSE to NW antenna (and also different transmitters) still occurs Dec 5 at 1359, this time during the `Scoreboard` minute, followed by another Zanotti ID, 1400 gospel huxter. `Viva Miami` gets another repeat until 1430. Altho still dated effective Dec 1, I see on Dec 5 that the WRMI program grid has been tweaked again to show that 9955 carries Family Radio only at 23-24 M-F, while the 22-23 prehour remains blank. See also KOREA SOUTH [non]; SOUTH CAROLINA [non] WRMI Observations: the 9955 program grid has a blank at 22-23 UT M-F, not 22-24 as typoed in last report. Family Radio now shows not only at 23-24 M-F but also at 03-04 UT daily. However, on the frequency schedule, it`s at 02-03 UT. On the latter, details such as day of week variations and languages are not shown. Usual wall-of-noise jamming infests 9955 before 0100 Dec 6 for Radio Libertad, abating to lighter pulsing after 0100, with another repeat of `Viva Miami` interviewing Jeff Bernald. At 0133 on 9955, I am hearing R. Slovakia International in English, so that 0130 airing has not changed --- but still with pulse jamming. Jeff White explains December 5 my hearing KBS World Radio in the 1330-1400 UT period: ``There will continue to be many program changes on 9955 kHz over the next few weeks as we make adjustments. KBS will not stay on. RSI continues, but WRN switched their former time to KBS; thus the KBS on WRMI, as we were picking up the English from WRN. The transmitter used for 9955 kHz going south was repaired this morning, so we're up to full power now on that. Jeff`` I also check 9955 at 0327 Dec 6, now with preaching in Spanish past 0330, so I suppose that is really the new Family Radio hour. The frequency grid now shows only one frequency for FR at 23-24, 13695 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9955, Dec 6 at 1358 following KBS World Radio [see KOREA SOUTH [non]], WRMI starts its one-minute sports `Scoreboard` about 1358:30; 1359 signal and loudness level jump amid it as they now smoothly switch transmitters and antennas from 160 to 315 degrees, in time for Bob Zanotti ID before 1400`s `Voice of Life Radio Ministry` from Georgia. Rechex during this Friday hour only find more gospel huxters as in the program grid, which shows the first one as `Words of Life` instead. 9955, Dec 6 at 2202, this WRMI frequency is off the air. Maybe taking a one-hour break, as there`s still also a gap in the program schedule grid at 22-23. At 2330 check it`s back on amid a Fámily Radio hour with Spanish ID, plus: pulse jamming! A first for the former WYFR now that it`s on this WRMI frequency well-known for counter-revolutionary broadcasts. 9955, Sat Dec 7 at 1354, Jeff is talking about all his transmitters and antennas at Okeechobee, explaining the azimuths and target areas of each around the compass. Must be a new `Viva Miami` I need to catch from the beginning on one of the numerous repeats: UT Sunday 0130, 0245, but no more Sunday or UT Monday until 1230-1245. It serves as a filler among 15-minute religious shows, but preferably more time to be sold. 9955, Sat Dec 7 at 1432, now it`s that Japanese-Mississippian YL trying to convince us that evorution is nonsense, i.e. `Living the Bible` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non] 9955, WRMI, Dec 08 1246-1309, 35333-32332-33333, English, Talk and music, ID at 1259 (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, RX, IC-R75, NRD-525+RD- 9830, NRD-515, NRD-345, Satellite 750, DE-1121, ANT, 70m Sloper Wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9955, Dec 8 at 1335, WRMI with Andy Sennitt ID at odd time, into fado- music fill. We hear the fill music so much, it`s becoming quite familiar, wide mix of world music styles. Scheduled Sunday at 1305- 1345 is `Family of Christ`, and 1345-1400 `Campbell Ministries`. Probably there`s a built-in gap at 1335-1345 unless FOC is really a 40-minute show. Listened online Dec 8 to this week`s `Viva Miami` from WRMI, wherein Jeff White gave more details about the Okeechobee setup: Attention, Florida SWLs [or those further who might travel, I assume]. You`re welcome to attend the Grand Opening of WRMI Okeechobee, for the inauguration, open house and reception, this Thursday Dec 12 at 1-5 pm local (EST = 18-22 UT). (Jeff also told Terry Krueger earlier that SWLs are welcome to visit any time, but call ahead to arrange when Jeff will be there, 3 or 4 days a week). Address is 10400 NW 240th St, Okeechobee FL 34972, which is 2.5 hours north of Miami (I wonder if Jeff commutes from Miami on the Turnpike, or I-95, or US 27/412, the more direct route.) [WORLD OF RADIO 1699] Then Jeff reads another pre-history of WRMI, from Boston/Scituate onwards, and more detail toward the Okeechobee end. It`s the largest SWBC transmitter site in the western hemisphere in terms of transmitters and antennas. Transmitter building has 16,000 square feet. Entire site is slightly more than one square mile, 660 acres. Transmitter info: some are entirely air-cooled, some water, some vapor phase. There are 12 x 100 kW, and 1 x 50 kW. All are high-level plate- modulated. 2 x 100 kW Continentals 8 x 100 kw composites based on Continental, but built by WYFR engineers, 1 [of which I assume] is retrofitted with solid-state modulator and could be converted to DRM fairly easily 3 older Gates and Harris: 1 x 50 kW and 2 x 100 kW [we still wonder if any of these now date back to Scituate, which?] 23 antennas, consisting of: 4 sizes of double-rhomboids, cousin to the rhombic 3 types of log-periodics 1 dipole curtain with passive reflecting screen Looking at the plot-plan of the area, the azimuths clockwise around the compass, types of antennas and target areas: 355 - two LPs, for eastern N America 44 - curtain for Europe 44 - two double rhomboids for Europe 87 - two double rhomboids for Africa centered on Lagos [and Bata!] 140 - long-range LP for Brasil and northern S America 142 - two double rhomboids for Brasil and northern S America 151 - LP for S Caribbean, northern S America 160 - two double rhomboids for NW and western South America 160 - log periodic for NW and western South America 181 - short-range log-periodic for Cuba, plus Central America, NW SAm 222 - two log-periodics for CAm / southern Mexico 285 - two LPs, for northern Mexico, western USA 315 - two LPs, for western North America [that makes 21; must have left out a pair somewhere?? Also, each antenna should only cover a certain set of adjacent bands, not all, not explained -- gh] (Viva Miami notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Long hours of open carrier/dead air the morning of Dec 9: 9955 was OK, still with KBS World Radio instead of Slovakia at 1330, but at 1410 recheck, no modulation, nor any heard past 1500. I left a receiver on 9955 and another on also-silent 17790, and nothing was noted until finally around 1640, tho I was not paying attention every minute. The BS frequency before 1500, however, 9690, did not lose modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non] ** U S A. This time instead of filing them separately under EQUATORIAL GUINEA [non], KOREA SOUTH [non], SLOVAKIA [non], SOUTH CAROLINA [non], and USA, here are all the WRMI items together: 9955, Dec 10 at 1152, R. Eslovaquia Internacional is still on here in Spanish, over pulse jamming. After 1200, the first and probably only airing of last week`s WORLD OF RADIO 1698, and the jamming has increased with two-tone pulsing. It`s still completely readable unlike it had been from Hialeah, if you want to put up with the noise. Now that I`ve confirmed that, back to sleep for a sesquihour plus. At 1352, now there is no jamming on 9955 and it`s still KBS World Radio instead of Slovakia, in English, starting the second week of this error, something about test readings of plays. I hope it lasts at least another day so I can hear `Sounds of Korea` traditional music Wednesday after 1335. Today it`s overridden for less than a minute at 1352 by a stronger carrier, which must have been WRMI-11 tuning up to take over from WRMI-3 along with the beam switch at 1400 from 160 to 315 degrees. KBS is cut off before 1359 for `Scoreboard`, amid which the transmitter/antenna swap occurs and signal strength increases altho it was already sufficient before. Just before 1400, combo Spanish/English ID (whose voice, before Jeff?), and into English preacher. 17790, Dec 10 at 1420, instead of preaching, Radio Africa Network via WRMI is playing music, ``Games People Play`` at the moment, original version, by Joe South, written as a criticism of religionists! ``People walking up to you Singing glory hallelulia [sic] And they're tryin to sock it to you In the name of the Lord`` From the complete lyrix at http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/joe_south/games_people_play.html 1423 segué to a soul song, 1426 segué to a cowboy hymn with fiddle, banjo, guitar, something about Moses and the Red Sea; 1434 recheck finally a screaming gospel huxter but modulation suppressed with hum, probably that way on the original recording, but for RAN it`s still of broadcast quality (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9955, Dec 11 at 1358:45, cut from KBS [see SOUTH KOREA [non]] to `WRMI Scoreboard`, 1359:10 switch from SSE to NW antenna and also switching transmitters as smoothly as possible during the scores, with signal jump; 1359:45 canned ID by a voice I don`t recognize; Wed at 1400, `Wavescan` this week starting with history of broadcasting in Albania on its 75th anniversary; BBC Seychelles relay to close; 1316 Pilipinas DX report by Henry, recorded Nov 20 for Dec 8+ broadcast, which was 8 days after the typhoon; he`s OK and thanks people for their concerns, then his routine logs with SIO ratings; 1422 more logs from some downunderite delayed from last week. 9955, Dec 11 at 2211, check of WRMI finds Brother Scare audio cutting on and off and on, not // to neighbors 9930 WTWW and 9980 WWCR, probably further out of synch than usual, but I`m not taking time to compute the relative delays. Anyhow, the formerly blank 22-23 hour on the WRMI program schedule is now labeled Overcomer Ministry, extension of all-day at 15-22 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9955, WRMI, 09/12 0330 UT. Programación de WYFR con la lectura del libro de Harold Camping: “El fenómeno de hablar en lenguas” acerca de la blasfemia en contra del Espíritu Santo. Señal con SINPO: 55454 9955, WRMI, 10/12 0355 UT. Transmisión de WYFR en español con el microprograma: “Momento de la creación” con el tema del abejorro como ejemplo de la antievolución y de argumento procreacionista, para después pasar a un canto de despedida y pasar a un programa en inglés a las 04 con himnos interpretados por Elvis. Señal con SINPO: 55454 (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL-660, ANTENA: hilo largo de 25 metros, QTH: Sector sur de Ovalle, IV Región, Chile, condiglista yg via DXLD) ** U S A. 5050, WWRB, TN, 0122 Nov 25, English, G, DSB, No AM carrier, identical programming on both sidebands. Religious program, telephone hum on audio. 0130 telephone ring signal, then off hook signal. Resumption of programming without hum. According to the speaker, "I'm the remnant" as a person listening to the broadcast (whatever that means!). Announce switching to 3195. Sign-off at 0200 (Jack Amelar, Lowell MI, MARE Tipsheet Dec 6 via DXLD) I never caught WWRB in that mode, either full AM or USB only (gh) 5050-USB, Dec 8 at 0052, WWRB has resumed USB here as well as AM on 3215. 3185, Dec 10 at 1155, the BS transmitter of WWRB is missing, and also missing from day frequency 9370, Dec 10 at 1402 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KVOH, Voice of Peace, Los Angeles re-launched on November 1st, and for the past 5 weeks has been broadcasting during North American evening hours on 9975 kHz, from 0200 to 0500 UT. On Sunday 8th December, KVOH will also be running a test on 17775 kHz, from 1400 to 1700 UT. The programming will be a repeat of our Saturday night programs on 9975 kHz. The first two hours will be in Spanish, and the third hour, from 1600-1700, will be our jazz and swing show in English. KVOH previously tested its 16 meter band transmitter back in July and August; this test is designed to gauge the effectiveness of 16 meter band winter propagation to our Central America & Caribbean target area, during the pre-dawn and early daylight hours at our transmitter site. If you happen to be able to tune the 16 meter band at that time, reception reports would be appreciated to qsl @ kvoh.net or by mail to KVOH, P. O. Box 102, Los Angeles, CA 90078, USA (Ray Robinson, KVOH - Voice of Hope, Los Angeles, http://www.kvoh.net DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17775, Dec 8 at 1401, JBA carrier from KVOH, which Ray Robinson warned us would be testing its other frequency and transmitter this Sunday morning by repeating last night`s 9975 trihour. Convenient to compare it to 17790 WRMI which has also just signed on. Initially, KVOH is much weaker than WRMI, even tho WRMI is never a bigsig here, aimed eastward toward Equatorial Guinea. But KVOH builds up rapidly. Today`s Simi Valley sunrise is 1449, but the first reflexion point eastward should already be insolated. By 1415, 17775 is at fair listenable level with praise music in Spanish, and stronger than 17790; At 1444, now VG signal, during repeat of `Frecuencia al Día`, originally 0230 UT Sunday, and thus competing with another DX program, `En Contacto` on RHC; at the moment, item about TV digital. Audio is rather rough, apparently lo-bit internet feed of the program, or of the segment? The final test hour at 16-17 is the ``jazz and swing show``, in well at 1608 check; mostly secular, until 1633 clips of Billy Graham(?) et al. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) KVOH test: Hobby program on digital standards. QSL confirming list read, ID in Spanish. "Frecuencia al Día" esta emisora informativo en onda corta. In NY and Toronto Canada remote posts S=9+5dB up to +10dBm. Im summer A-13, 17775 kHz 1400-0200 UT to zones 10-12 VOH, 50 kW 100deg ant ITU#805 USA VOH FCC. 73 wb In Europe rather very poor TINY signal, at 100 degree azimuth from LA [not] towards Germany. At 1440 UT in Los Angeles on 17775.012 kHz, some S=8-9, rather S=9 on remote LA SDR unit. Greyline between LA and Vancouver island. 73 wb df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 12050, Dec 6 at 1353, WEWN Spanish is missing, while VG on the other frequency 11550 with an Ave Maria song. 1507 check, now 12050 is on and squealing as usual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: Confirmações recebidas - Broadcasting [someone reported a QSL after more than a year delay from WHR] Eu enviei um IR para a WHRI no inicio de janeiro deste ano e recebi a confirmação em 26 de novembro (há pouco mais de uma semana)! Algumas demoram mesmo a responder (Rudolf Grimm, Brasil, 8 Dec, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Eu também recebi o QSL de WHR para o meu IR há alguns dias - depois de quase exatamente um ano. Essa foi para T8WH Palau, um novo para mim :) Houve vários relatos sobre QSL de WHR nos últimos dias. Alguém limpou a sua mesa? 73 (Eike Bierwirth, Alemanha, 9 Dez, radioescuts yg via DXLD) Hallo Eike (EiBi), Ja, es sieht so aus dass WHR als Organisation die QSL-Karten nur ein mal im Jahr sendet! Sim, está parecendo que a WHR enquanto Organização envia os cartões QSL apenas uma vez por ano para todos! 3, (Rudolf Grimm, ibid.) They only issue QSLs once a year? (gh) ** U S A. 24940-USB, Dec 7 at 2027, W7ORC says he is a special event station, commemorating the pouring of the first concrete at Grand Coulee Dam in 1935(?). Wikipedia however says construxion began on July 16, 1933. Temp there is 17 degrees, windchill minus 15. Leisurely contact with unheard W9EEE. ARRL/FCC lookup shows: OKANOGAN COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, W7ORC (Club) PO Box: 464 OKANOGAN, WA 98840 Trustee: Gadd, Steven H, KF7LSA Previous call sign: KD7JGR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn, The airport TIS that probably was the most like a normal broadcasting station was the one at LAX, which sadly was turned off and the license turned in not that long ago. WNHV296 operated with 100 watts on 530 kHz, using a Valcom antenna. There was also a 4 or 5 watt "tunnel repeater" in the Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel. The station was programmed much like a broadcasting station but with TIS-type information by City News Service of Los Angeles. I will send you some information about sectionalized antennas, including what are often described as "Franklin" antennas later when I have an hour to track down some references. The material in the most recent DXLD contained a lot of foolishness and downright BS (Ben Dawson, WA, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 1500 & 1530 KSTP & KFBK ** U S A. 770, Dec 10 at 1404 UT, KKOB Albuquerque, good steady signal with local news; 1414 plugging Rush later and Huckabee at 7:30, reminding us of the station`s anti-American agenda under the guise of news-talk. If it weren`t for that, I would be pleased to hear the #1 AM station in my ex-city. {Fortunately I can and do listen online to the real #1 ABQ station, KUNM.} BTW, Huckabee`s 3-hour show opposite Rush is about to end as of Dec 12: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/mike-huckabee-radio-show-over_n_4350962.html But he will continue his brief extreme-right commentaries in the mornings (really three times daily), which are a lot easier for 500 stations to accommodate than the long show on 200: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/mike-huckabee-radio-show-ends-100437.html At 1418, KKOB is starting to fade. Official sunrise in Dec & Feb is 1400 so that`s when it should cut on to the east; January, 1415 UT. BTW2, I often hear a weak signal from KKOB at various nighttime hours, and can never be sure whether it`s the ND 230-watt Santa Fe fill-in relay, or bleed around the null toward New York of the main North Valley, ABQ, 50 kW transmitter. Thought I might get KTNN 660 too, another 50 kW NM/AZ station protecting New York, but all I am hearing is KSKY The Metroplex. Need to check after 1415, its December sunrise (Jan 1430, Feb 1400). In null of 880 KRVN, Nebraska to the north, I am not hearing its Navajo neighbor KHAC either (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Last minute DX TEST: WCIT 940, Lima OH will be conducting a DX test at 250 watts directional, Monday morning, December 16, from 01:59 to 02:59 EASTERN standard time [0659-0759 UT]. The test will consist of CW ID's, sweep tones, march music, and other audio novelties. Reception reports with pre-paid return postage can be sent to Mark D. Gierhart (W8MDG), Engineering & IT, Childers Media Group, 57 Town Square Lima, OH 45801. E-mail reports to mark [at] cmgroup [dot] co. (Note, there is NO "m" on the end of the e-mail address). No phone calls before, during, or after the test. This test was arranged by the DX Audio Service magazine for members of the National Radio Club and DX community. Station can not operate ND (Wayne Heinen, NRC-AM via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) ** U S A. 1150, Dec 7 at 0600-0612 UT, no sign of the WNDB DX test; mostly KSAL with C2CAM from the north, but could be nullable here to favor Daytona. Numerous other DXers further east could not hear it either and conclude it was a no-show. However, NRC`s Wayne Heinen, contact for the test, said, ``Just received from tonight's presenter: "I'm ready to go. I will have a ton of Morse code on at a very slow pace. I will probably crack the mic also. Bobby"``. So, what happened? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WRJM 1270 AM in Charleston IL to shut down Found this story on a message board, then at the station's website: http://www.wrjmdailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=26&id=103283#.UqJET-IwJkY This station was WEIC for a long time, Charleston is the home of Eastern Illinois University. Take care, (Eric Loy, Sports Director, Neuhoff Media Danville, 1501 North Washington Ave., Danville, IL 61832, Dec 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Closedown date depends on when a certain ballgame be completed, either Jan 1 or 4. Site will be turned into farmland (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. 1570, Dec 8 at 0117 UT, dominant signal is preacher in English; this is on the FRG-7 with east-west longwire, which doesn`t favor XERF to the SSW. Probably nearest 1570 to the east, KBCV, Hollister (Springfield market) MO, 5/3 kW U4, which is a 24-hour Botthuxter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1860-AM, UT Sunday Dec 8 at 0119 at first no signal, then WA0RCR appears with some technical discussion, amid CW QRM. Had it taken a break? ARRL/FCC lookup shows: Jackson, Vernon C, WA0RCR 2109 Ebert Ln Wentzville, MO 63385-4607 But this individual is allowed to funxion as a broadcaster on weekends. As per QRZ.com lookup: ``Founded the "Gateway 160 Meter Net" on 1,860 KHz in May of 1979. The Gateway 160 Meter Radio Newsletter began during the net in July of 1979. It emphasizes 160 Meter activities and general concerns and news of interest to the Amateur Radio community. The service is aired on Saturdays from 10:00 am Central until 3:30 am Central, Sunday morning.`` So it`s about time I updated the times for this in my DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS list, http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html When on at night, the signal exhibits very little fading, since there is no CCI unlike broadcast MW to cause subaudible heterodyning. I wonder how much power he runs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) He claims 375 watts from a home-made transmitter. There's a photo of his antenna on http://www.wa0rcr.com/images/tower.jpg -- unfortunately it doesn't say how tall this tower is nor what kind of ground system is used. At 0119z on Sunday UT, the ARRL 160-Meter contest would have been in progress, which would explain the Morse interference. Amateurs generally don't use Morse above 1840 kHz or so, but during major competitions it is common for no lower frequencies to be available. 1860 is not assigned for WA0RCR's exclusive use, so it is very possible there was existing Morse activity on the frequency when the scheduled WA0RCR transmissions began. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=336ab7469b61ecbfa15086dbf1bf2c59&rgn=div5&view=text&node=47:5.0.1.1.6&idno=47#47:5.0.1.1.6.2.159.1 From the FCC amateur regulations, 97.113: > (b) An amateur station shall not engage in any form of broadcasting, > nor may an amateur station transmit one-way communications except as > specifically provided in these rules; nor shall an amateur station > engage in any activity related to program production or news > gathering for broadcasting purposes, except that communications > directly related to the immediate safety of human life or the > protection of property may be provided by amateur stations to > broadcasters for dissemination to the public where no other means of > communication is reasonably available before or at the time of the > event. And from 97.111: > (b) In addition to one-way transmissions specifically authorized > elsewhere in this part, an amateur station may transmit the > following types of one-way communications: > > (1) Brief transmissions necessary to make adjustments to the > station; > > (2) Brief transmissions necessary to establishing two-way > communications with other stations; > > (3) Telecommand; > > (4) Transmissions necessary to providing emergency communications; > > (5) Transmissions necessary to assisting persons learning, or > improving proficiency in, the international Morse code; and > > (6) Transmissions necessary to disseminate information bulletins. > > (7) Transmissions of telemetry. I believe the operator of WA0RCR believes his transmissions are authorized by 97.111(b)(6), as information bulletins. == (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FMBC / TV: Channel 6 (88.75 MHz WFM), WNYZ-LP, Long Island City NY, with "Wee Radio" non-IDs and mention of NYC Caribbean Radio as well as as the station's advertising department's phone number [(718) 705-4454], and other identifying information, and a discussion of a Georgetown, Guyana event that they went into great detail to discuss things like the traffic congestion it was causing but they NEVER said what the event was! :) Ads for MGN Funding for Caribbean mortgages with NY Direct number (718 area code) and many "Number 1 Caribbean station" slogans. Heard well 1908-1925 [UT?], but no video seen at all despite the fact their web page mentions that you can 'watch them on Roku' – apparently the requirement that channel 6 actually broadcast something in video is no longer enforced! JFK is within their 'primary service contour' and they came in with full quieting. 1/Dec (Kenneth Vito Zichi, visiting NYC, MARE Tipsheet Dec 6 via DXLD) ** U S A. Yo Ho Ho --- Glenn: -- A dental appointment, and a stop by the superb El Chaparral Mexican Lunch Buffet ( ) necessitated another journey into the NE San Fernando Valley, previous home of FM Spanish- religious pirates on 95.1 and 99.1 MHz. These were believed to originate in the Pacoima district; a drive through on the 118 Freeway revealed no such operations remaining, just white noise on the two frequencies. I do think both operations shared the same point of origin, as described in an earlier DXLD. Meanwhile, the FCC site reveals a single LPFM application in nearby San Fernando on 99.1, crafted by the "Peace and Dignity Project". Applicants propose to share the KBUA/94.3 transmitter site in Granada Hills, several miles away from the suspected Pacoima site of the ex- pirates. No other info was divulged in the empty FCC Correspondence Folder pertaining to the application. Surprisingly, no one has sprung for the equally-empty 95.1 slot in the SFV, home to well over a million people. Very 73z (GREG HARDISON, CA, Dec 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. 3945 heard from 0830 to sign off way past listed time at 1126 with National Anthem. Had some English religious programming, but mostly in Bislama. Best tuned slightly off at 3946.5, also Nov 10 (Hank Michalenka [still from Rhode Island?], at Brian and Sandra Clarks’s home in Mangawhai, North Island, NZ, Using AOR-7030 and Drake SPR-4, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) Due to ACI from algo? (gh) ** VIETNAM. {re 13-49] VOV streaming: From looking at the page source, it would seem to be rtmp://123.30.50.59/live (swlistener, dxldyg via DXLD) 9635.72, Voice of Vietnam-1, 1352-1401, Dec 5. Seems they have reassigned their transmitters (formerly 7435 was off frequency); fair- good; // 5975.0 (fair) // 7210.0 (poor). The QRM was so strong on 7435.0, cannot say with confidence if // or not. Needs more work. Yesterday (Dec 4) a long segment of the highway adjacent to Ocean Beach, here in San Francisco, was closed to traffic due to blowing sand covering portions of the road. Therefore was unable to get to my favorite spot for SWLing. Glad to report that today the Great Highway was open again and I am back in business! (Ron Howard, San Francisco at Ocean Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Besides MALI 9635.0] Also heard around 0930 UT Son Toy Vietnam on odd 9635.735 kHz frequency in Vietnamese, fade-in to Europe at S=8 and later peaks at S=9+10dB level; such strength happens here only in Dec/Jan mid winter propagation (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** YEMEN. Re: ``Dec 2, am even more certain that I am hearing Yemen on 6135.0. Noted at 1441 with conversation in Arabi (Ron Howard`` I'm currently following it via Web SDR in Holland, I just had a positive Yemeniyha jumahiriya ID on 1445. Also crosschecked it against stream on http://www.sanaaradio.net I expect it to be fair also here in Milan, but I don't have access to a "real" radio. 73 (Andy Lawendel, Dec 6, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Andy, Thank you so much for the positive confirmation of the ID. Did you happen to catch the sign off? 1500? Thanks again (Ron Howard, San Francisco, ibid.) Hi Ron, Audio went off abruptly mid-music, around 1459; carrier must have also been switched off for weak English news was suddenly audible (VOA Thailand listed). Have to try it on air locally too, ID was 100%. A nice comeback, considering what's happening to the majority of domestic services (Andy, Milan/Twente, ibid.) Thanks again, Andy. The strong VOA sign on kills any chance for me to confirm Yemen sign off, so your observations confirm what I thought might be the case (Ron Howard, ibid.) Hello guys, Also monitored here at sign off. Very strong signal from Yemen and English news from VOA coming up. 73 (Thomas in Ängelholm, Nilsson, Sweden, ibid.) In the past 6135 kHz Yemen Radio outlet came from Al Hiswah/Aden site (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX 6 Dec via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) Altho known as R. Sana`a ** YEMEN. 6135.0, Yemen Radio, Aden transmitter, noted with Arabic typical singer at 1450 UT Dec 7, S=9+15dB here in Europe, but scratchy noise covered signal channel, spoken announcement was low modulated, compared to the music and singer (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 7, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R Sana’a can be heard on 6135 before sign off at 1500. This QSL was found in T R Rajeesh blog: http://rajeeshdxer.blogspot.se/2012/01/qsl-radio-sanayemen.html (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Dec 8 via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. ZNBC1, 5915, *0240-0243+ 1 Dec. Zambian fish eagle IS finally snuck thru the ACI from WHRI-5920's loud Christian pop-rock. IS followed by "NA" and (presumed) Lunyaneka pgmming (Aoki has this language on Monday UT at 0240-0500) (Dan Sheedy, Encinitas, CA PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZANZIBAR. RTZ, 11735, 1550-1600, 1640-1700 3/4 Dec. Nice zippy Arabic/Swahili songs, hyper DJ with promo for something big in Dar-es- Salaam, drums & 5+1 pips at 1600 & 1700 both days. Signal poor/fair and happy to find them on 2 days in a row -- not a trace of carrier / audio since, tho (Dan Sheedy, Swami's Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire, WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DX LISTENING DIGEST) TANZANIA: 11735, Zanzibar B.C.; 1855-1906+, 4-Dec; High-Life tune to 1900 Studio Zed-B-C spot; pips/tone at 1900:22 into uninown language [Swahili?] news with many mentions of Zanzibar; Zed-B-C spot at 1905. SIO=3+53 (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, 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) 11735, TANZANIA-ZANZIBAR, ZBC Radio at 1806 in Swahili with the usual fare of excellent East African vocals to 1840 and suddenly off – Very Good Dec 8 – still off as of a 1940 re-check. I hope their transmitter hasn't gone kaput (Mark Coady Selwyn, ON, Alinco DX-70, Drake SPR-4, delta loop or long wire, ODXA YRX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. RE: ``Trans-Atlantic MW carrier search, Nov 29 at 0115- 0120 UT: as usual start with 1521 and there it is, no doubt Saudi. Then stepping downward thru entire band: 1503, 1215, 909, 882, 693. Also thru longwave broadcast band with no results (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` 1215, 909, 882, 693 are all most likely the UK stations. 1503 is more interesting. SER Spain and AFN Azores are propagationally best situated (low latitude) but there is also Iran on the channel - that would certainly be a good catch from the midwest (Mark Connelly, WA1ION, South Yarmouth, MA, IRCA via DXLD) As Iran-1503 has been heard a couple of times on the west coast of Canada (not just a carrier, identifiable audio, using webstreams), I wouldn't discount it as a possibility. In one case, it was heard with an unamplified Flag antenna, the other with an ALA100 phased array, so we're not talking mile-long Beverages. Best wishes, (Nick Hall-Patch, BC, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. TP carrier search Dec 5 at 1238-1242: JBA on 594, 693, 774, 882. I was wondering why we haven`t had any Trans-Pacific logs lately from my neighbor Richard Allen near Perry OK: ``Hi to all the TP DXers. It's going to be some time before I can rejoin you. I had reconstructive surgery on my right ankle last and am still in hospital. Will be in recovery and out of action until the end of the year. Best wishes for good DX (Richard Allen, Nov 22, IRCA)`` Get well, Richard! (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. TP carrier search Dec 6 at 1323-1327: JBA carriers on 774, 882, 972, 1053 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 770, Dec 8 at 1316 UT, mentions ``La T Norteña``, loops SW. Could have been some other rhyming letter, not necessarily a slogan ID, and none such listed. Tnx to KKOB, only northern XEs on 770 are XEACH Monterrey, and XEREV Los Mochis, which are Fórmula and 40 Principales respectively. Google search finds no such slogan on 770, but helpfully suggests ``La Fe Norteña``, apparently a musical reference (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 860, Dec 8 at 1313 UT, Spanish song looping WSW, no problem from KKOW KS in opposite direxion. There are six possibilities in NW Mexico, closest being XEZOL in Juárez, but per 2012 IRCA Log, its format is news (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1220, Dec 5 at 1246 UT, unfamiliar Xmas song, roughly north/south, ID sounds like KLCD. But that leads to two possibilities in the 2013 NRC AM Log: KLDC, Denver CO, but it`s UC:GOS/REL format with 660/11/35 watts; OR KLBB, Stillwater MN, NOS format with 5000/254/422 watts It`s pre-sunrise for both as it is here; still with het from the off- frequency Texan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn - Your 1220 unID on December 5 with Christmas music at 1246 UT is in the current DX News. Could it be CJBB Boissevain MB? Has been reported in DX News with Christmas music around that time in past years. Just a thought. 73, (David Yocis, Dec 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) David, Tnx for the idea; I hadn`t thought of that, but I`m pretty sure it was a K- call. Need to sit on 1220 some more. Of course more and more stations will be playing Xmas mx whatever the nominal format. 73, (Glenn to David, via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1220, Dec 8 at 1305 UT another try to ID the northerly station here: detectable in the QRM is the ``Beer Barrel Polka``, which points to the nostalgia format of Stillwater, Minnesota`s KLBB, rather than the other music or talk formats of the 1220s in IA, ND and CO. Furthermore, this polca is unlikely to emanate from Mexico (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 8300, Dec 7 at 1359-1400*, open carrier with lite fades, found in search for CNR1/Firedrake; this was once a regular SOH/FD frequency, but no longer in Aoki; instead: XingXing guangbo diantai 3 and 4, the Chinese numbers station, 10 kW ND from Kuanyin, Taiwan for one semihour at 05, 06, 12 and 13 UT, H3E mode (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9990, 1635-1647, 12.7/13 in uncertain language. What sounded like Christmas music by a choir, man announcer briefly, contemporary Christmas song I recognized but could not identify the language (or remember the name of the song in English), long talk by a man – perhaps a sermon. Faded into the static floor. The only thing I can find listed at this time on this frequency is Radio Cairo in Hausa – not likely to have Christmas music! Sounded like a religious broadcaster. Mistake, new, or one off? (Mark Taylor, Madison WI, Perseus, WinRadio g313e, Eton e1, Grundig G5, Tecsun PL 660; EWE, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet Dec 8 via DXLD) 9990, At 16-17 UT Dec 8 noted an UNID Persian outlet on 9990 (in previous seasons KOL on 9985 though) but could be BVB Farsi outlet instead of sugg. 15750 kHz??? IRAN 2 - veiled broadcast?, - not in MBR / HFCC table. 15750 kHz, 19 mb: 100 kW, 126 degr: Kostinbrod, Bulgaria. Day Time Language Sunday 1600-1800 Farsi Monday 1600-1800 Farsi Tuesday 1600-1800 Farsi Wednesday 1600-1800 Farsi Thursday 1600-1800 Farsi Friday 1600-1800 Farsi Saturday 1600-1800 Farsi (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See: DX RE MIX NEWS # 818 November 28, 2013 ``CANADA(non) Frequency change of Bible Voice Broadcasting from Nov. 21: 1630-1830 NF 9990 SOF 100 kW / 126 deg to WeAs Persian, ex 12150`` (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) BULGARIA, 9990, website ID and address given at 1659 UT Dec 8: seems veiled ... Radio Ibrahim ... P O Box 40991, Larnaca, Cyprus. seems ex 12150 kHz Kostinbrod, summer ex 15750 kHz 1630-1830 12150 SOF 100 kW 090 deg to WeAS Persian. Seems BVB Persian of Bible Voice Broadcasting, and IBRA Stockholm ties too? Like mentioned TWR Persian in Febr 2011: HISTORY CYPRUS/GERMANY Full schedule of Radio Dardasha 7 on website Dardasha 7 from Arabic=Chat, Chatting. "Radio Dardasha 7 (Chat from Arabic), new station from Jan. 17" might rather be regarded as new on shortwave. It turns out to be a programme of "Back to God Ministries" a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. If the google translation of the is correct, it seems, that the programme its medium wave slot on TWR Cyprus (Cape Greco 1233 kHz). (Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D, Feb 2, 2011) (via Büschel, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 15480, Dec 5 at 2005 still something odd going on here: besides AWR in Arabic via MADAGASCAR there is again a second signal not in the schedules. It`s making a SAH of about 6 Hz with no modulation until 2006 when I hear BBCWS ID briefly before dead air again. At 2007 the SAH has reduced to less than 1 Hz, I think, unless that`s now just lite propagational fading and the BBCWS carrier has gone off. Nothing but AWR Arabic past 2015 when they ID. Yes, when in this neighborhood I also check 15476 for Antarctica, but not a peep (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 29000, Dec 7 at 2042 an isolated AM ham catches my ear in a long contact, other side not heard, and he doesn`t like to ID, in several exchanges. Says is near Bangor and the coast of Maine; 2051 finally mumbles a call I can`t catch, W1-something, and then sounded like K1GS, but he`s in Rhode Island, an unlikely contact on 29 MHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1699: Many thanks to Will Martin, St Louis, for a check in the mail to P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702. One may also contribute, not necessarily in US funds, via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK 2014 Published 5 December 2013 - Order your copy today! We are delighted to announce the publication of the 2014 edition of WRTH. For full details and to order a copy please visit our website at http://www.wrth.com/ where you can also order the B13 WRTH Bargraph Frequency Guide on CD and as a download. I hope you enjoy using this new edition of WRTH and the new CD. Best regards, Nicholas Hardyman, Publisher (via Mike Terry, Dec 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) DRIVE-INS.COM Welcome to Drive-ins.com, a comprehensive and continuously updated web site dedicated to drive-in movie theaters and their history. The site features an online searchable database of almost 5000 drive-ins. http://www.drive-ins.com/database.htm The search page lets you locate by state, name or ZIP Code for active, closed or both. Most entries list the sound source such as "FM" which most are. Some list the frequencies (Terry L Krueger, Dec 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: RADIO DISCUSSIONS GOES DARK ---- People are moving over to Radio Insight's resurrected forum. It's still slow over there but some topics and areas are starting to take off (Justin Nielsen, Dec 9, ABDX via DXLD) MUSEA +++++ THE WORLD`S BEST PHOTOS OF DIAL AND RADIO http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/dial,radio/Interesting (MARE Tipsheet Dec 6 via DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS see also UKRAINE ++++++++++++++++ GULLAH [snip from 13-49]: ``Oceanic pidgins/creoles are easily recognized by repeated use of the word "blong" meaning "belong" or "of". For instance "Indonesian President" is "President blong Indonesia". A Creole is a Pidgin that has acquired street creds: It's become a first language for a generation or two of people whose ancestors originally spoke it as a Pidgin.`` This made me wonder if any radio station in coastal SC or GA broadcasts programming in Gullah. Seemingly not, at least in my Google search, but there is this online stream: http://www.gullah-radio-network.com/ However, my listen mid-morning today had a lot of Urban, Urban rap and Classic Soul vocals in English, not quite what I was hoping for. Marvin Gaye's "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)" being the only worthy thing to subject the ears to. A male canned "ID" top-of-hour in perfect Wonder Bread English appended with "Beaufort, South Carolina" it was. So where's the Gullah? I had the pleasure of experiencing Gullah being spoken on a couple of occasions a few years ago when car touring the coastal islands from the Outer Banks of NC to Amelia Island, FL. Both encounters were on Fripp Island, SC. By the way, Beaufort in SC is pronounced more like "BE-U-fort" while the Beaufort in NC is closer to BOW-fort (Terry L Kruger, Clearwater FL, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See BULGARIA; USA: WRMI ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV See AUSTRALIA ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DAB ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL RADIO – AUDIO QUALITY, REALITY OR MYTH Trevor Brook from Surrey Electronics writes, “An important new study has been published in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society: Perceived Audio Quality of Realistic FM and DAB+ Radio Broadcasting Systems. Many different music and speech samples were used in listening tests with the conclusion that a bit rate "close to 300 kbit/s" is required to avoid falling below FM quality. Neither UK-type DAB (from 1985) nor DAB+ (from 2007) are capable of offering this. This research is significant for two reasons. • For the first time, comparisons are made between digital radio and realistic FM radio. • Processed audio was used, rather than unprocessed sounds. • Processed audio (e.g. 'Optimod') is universal in radio. Previous work, with unprocessed sounds, had suggested the necessity of 320 kbit/s to pass the perceptual transparency and statistical undetectability point. This was adopted by the BBC in 2010 for HD SOund in iPlayer. These results with processed audio dispel the notion that the sound quality presently possible via digital radio is found inferior by only a tiny minority of audiophiles. This new evidence, specifically examining everyday radio audio, supports the view that DAB has a role as a supplementary platform but could never prove satisfactory as the sole outlet over the airwaves. Reference: Berg et al, Perceived Audio Quality of Realistic FM and DAB+ Radio Broadcasting Systems; Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, JAES Volume 61 Issue 10 pp. 755-777; October 2013; Article available here http://www.radiojackie.com/im/paq.pdf and other websites. COMMERCIAL RADIO NEWS Owners of 80 stations want DAB switch halt --- 11 November, 2013 The owners of 80 commercial radio stations in the UK have released a joint statement calling for the digital radio switchover timetable to be set by consumers, not by the government. The group includes UTV Media, UKRD, Celador, Quidem, Media Sound Holdings, Q Radio Network, CN Radio and Anglian Radio as well as a number of independent stations. The stations they represent cover an area from Shetland to Brighton and Norwich to Plymouth. The government is due to make an announcement next month on the proposed timetable for migrating stations from FM and AM to DAB-only. There are no plans to ‘switch-off’ analogue radio, despite many areas of the popular press still reporting the switchover as a switch-off with scaremongering stories about FM radios being obsolete within a couple of years. Today’s statement from 13 local radio operators highlights that only 23% of radio listening is via DAB and says that local commercial stations are ‘severely disadvantaged’ by the switchover plans, as only 15% of local radio listening is on DAB, according to data in the latest RAJAR release (Q3 2013). The group says ‘as many as 100 important local commercial radio stations’ would either be ‘left stranded on FM’ at switchover or would have to cut local programming to be able to afford DAB transmission costs. It also says publicly- funding more DAB transmitters will benefit larger local and regional services rather than the ones covering small-scale communities across the country. The consortium says it’s not against DAB as a platform but says consumers rather than government should determine if and when there should be a switchover – and adds that broadcast companies should be able to decide which platforms they invest in. The Community Media Association told Radio Today that it welcomed progress on digital migration for national and large regional stations, adding that freeing up FM spectrum would create new opportunities for community stations and small independents. Director Jaqui Devereux said: “The possibility of low cost DAB, as demonstrated in a research project for Ofcom earlier this year, provides a potential solution for those community stations and other small broadcasters which want to go onto DAB in the future. In the meantime FM broadcasting remains healthy for the foreseeable future and provides listeners with an ideal complement to digital radio in terms of increasing choice.” (both: Dec MW News via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ NEW RECEIVER: YAESU TFDX 1200 TRANSCEIVER Hi Glen[n], Just wanted to pass along some info on the new Yaesu FTDX 1200 transceiver. With the end of the NRD line of shortwave receivers, the NRD- 545 in particular, there hasn't been a dedicated receiver with I.F. DSP in the same price class. ($1500). Of course there is the Ten Tec Rx-340 for about $4200, but thats a little too much for me. And there is WinRadio, Perseus and other SDR units using computers, but no dedicated receivers, that I know of. Yaesu also has pretty much left the shortwave receiver market. However they continue to make some fine Transceivers that give full coverage of all the bands. Choosing a transceiver over just a receiving unit has many advantages especially for those wanting to get into amateur radio someday. Use it as a receiver until you get your license then just add a microphone or keyer and you`re good to go. I must admit that I'm a sucker for looks, and this unit is loaded with eye candy, with lots of knobs, switches and a magnificent color TFT screen that displays frequency, signal meter, filter settings and Spectrum Scope. With the DSP settings, just about any type of interference, het, or other noise can be dealt with effectively. It is the digital equivalent of a variable I.F. filter and includes a notch setting. Another interesting feature is the FFT-1 add-on device, with this, RTTY, PSK31 and CW can be decoded and displayed directly on the screen. Anyhow, there are many other features and it is worth a look if anyone that is interested in listening to shortwave, amateur radio or wishing to be a ham is interested. Universal Radio has them for $1449. Thanks, (Larry Beth, Bryant, AR, Dec 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ GEOMAGNETIC INDICES Compiled by: Phil Bytheway E-mail: phil_tekno @ yahoo.com Geomagnetic Summary November 1 2013 through November 30 2013 Tabulated from email status daily (K @ 0000 UTC.) Flux A K Space Wx 1 145 5 0 moderate, R2 2 142 3 1 minor, R1 3 144 6 1 moderate, R2 4 147 5 2 no storms 5 149 5 2 strong, R3 6 154 4 1 minor, R1 7 148 11 1 minor, R1 8 146 4 0 strong, R3 9 148 16 1 no storms 10 154 10 3 strong, R3 11 164 16 1 minor, R1 12 168 3 0 no storms 13 171 3 0 minor, R1 14 176 2 1 no storms 15 178 8 4 minor, R1 16 175 9 2 minor, R1 17 177 6 1 minor, R1 18 163 3 1 no storms 19 153 3 1 strong, R3 20 147 4 0 no storms 21 141 3 1 minor, R1 22 143 3 2 no storms 23 136 8 0 minor, R1 24 127 2 0 no storms 25 119 2 0 no storms 26 116 2 1 no storms 27 129 2 0 no storms 28 133 2 1 no storms 29 129 8 2 no storms 30 131 9 4 no storms Sx – Solar Radiation Storm Level Gx – Geomagnetic Storm Level Rx – Radio Blackouts Level (IRCA DX Monitor Dec 7 via DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2013 Dec 09 0428 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/weekly.html # # Weekly Highlights and Forecasts # Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 02 - 08 December 2013 Solar activity reached moderate levels this period due to an M1/1n flare on 07 Dec at 0729 UTC from Region 1909 (S18, L=205 class/area Dkc/350 on 01 Dec), which was the largest event of the period. A Tenflare (220 sfu) and a Type-II radio sweep (691 km/s) accompanied this event. A subsequent coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed in SOHO/LASCO C2 coronagraph imagery beginning on 07 Dec at 0748 UTC. The bulk of the ejecta associated with this CME appeared to be directed to the west of Earth, but forecaster analysis and WSA-ENLIL model output indicate that Earth will likely see a flanking portion of this CME midday on 10 Dec (See space weather outlook for expected impacts). While Region 1909 was the most productive region of the period, contributing several mid-level C-class flares in addition to the M-class flare, Regions 1913 (S14, L=268 class/area Dao/130 on 04 Dec) and 1916 (S13, L=169 class/area Eai/240 on 08 Dec) also contributed many low-level C-class flares throughout the period. No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at predominately normal levels with moderate levels observed briefly on 06 Dec from 1020 - 1915 UTC and on 07 Dec from 1555 - 2000 UTC, reaching a maximum flux value of 159 pfu on 06 Dec at 1215 UTC. Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet levels on 02 Dec and 04 - 06 Dec. Unsettled conditions were observed on 03 Dec due to a prolonged period of southward Bz and on 07 Dec with initial onset of a strong positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS). An isolated period of G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm conditions was observed on 08 Dec at 0000 - 0300 UTC due to a strong co-rotating interaction region (CIR) followed by the CH HSS. An isolated period of G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm conditions followed for the 0300 - 0600 UTC synoptic period. CH HSS influence began to subside midday on 08 Dec and active to quiet conditions were observed for the remained of the day. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 09 DEC 2013-04 JAN 2014 Solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for M-class flare activity (NOAA Scale R1-R2 / Minor-Moderate radio blackouts) throughout the outlook period. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels throughout the outlook period with a chance for high levels on 10 - 11 Dec due to coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) effects. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at unsettled to active levels on 09 - 10 Dec with quiet to unsettled levels on 11 Dec due to combined positive polarity CH HSS effects and the arrival of the 07 Dec CME midday on 10 Dec. Predominately quiet conditions are expected for 12 - 25 Dec. An increase to unsettled to active levels is expected for 26 - 27 Dec with quiet to unsettled levels on 28 Dec due to a positive polarity CH HSS. Quiet conditions are expected for 29 Dec - 02 Jan. An increase to unsettled to active levels is expected for 03 Jan with active to G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm conditions for 04 Jan with the return of a strong positive polarity CH HSS. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2013 Dec 09 0428 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 2013-12-09 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2013 Dec 09 168 15 4 2013 Dec 10 170 10 4 2013 Dec 11 172 8 3 2013 Dec 12 172 5 2 2013 Dec 13 170 5 2 2013 Dec 14 168 5 2 2013 Dec 15 165 5 2 2013 Dec 16 168 5 2 2013 Dec 17 170 5 2 2013 Dec 18 170 5 2 2013 Dec 19 170 5 2 2013 Dec 20 170 5 2 2013 Dec 21 172 5 2 2013 Dec 22 172 5 2 2013 Dec 23 175 5 2 2013 Dec 24 175 5 2 2013 Dec 25 175 5 2 2013 Dec 26 172 12 4 2013 Dec 27 170 10 4 2013 Dec 28 170 8 3 2013 Dec 29 170 5 2 2013 Dec 30 165 5 2 2013 Dec 31 160 5 2 2014 Jan 01 160 5 2 2014 Jan 02 160 5 2 2014 Jan 03 155 10 4 2014 Jan 04 150 20 5 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1699, DXLD) ###