DX LISTENING DIGEST 18-37, September 10, 2018 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 2018 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 1947 contents: Australia non, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cuba and non, Indonesia, Kiritimati, Madagascar, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Sudan non, Taiwan non, UK and non, USA [from DXLD 18-36]; Australia, Brasil, China, Cuba and non, Germany, Korea South, Maldives, North America, Saar, UK and non, USA, Vatican, Europirate 5005; and the propagation outlook [to be in DXLD 18-37] SHORTWAVE AIRINGS of WORLD OF RADIO 1947, September 11-18, 2018 Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 [confirmed] Tue 2030 WRMI 5950 7780 [confirmed on 7780; 5950 unknown] Tue 2130 WRMI 5950 7780 [not aired on either] Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v [not aired] Wed 1030 WRMI 5950 [confirmed] Wed 2100 WRMI 9955 [confirmed from 2100.5] Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v [confirmed] Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v [not aired] Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v [not aired] Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 1230 WINB 9265 via Unique Radio Sat 1431 HLR 6190-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM Sat 2130 WBCQ 9330v [maybe, or 2330?] Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sun 2130 WRMI 7780 Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v [maybe] Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v-AM Area 51 Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 Mon 0400 WRMI webcast only Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v [maybe] Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 [or #1948?] Tue 2030 WRMI 5950, 7780 [or #1948?] 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 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: Tnx to Dr Harald Gabler and the Rhein-Main Radio Club. http://www.rmrc.de/index.php/rmrc-audio-plattform/podcast/glenn-hauser-wor ALTERNATIVE PODCASTS, tnx Stephen Cooper: http://shortwave.am/wor.xml ANOTHER PODCAST ALTERNATIVE, tnx to Keith Weston: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GlennHausersWorldOfRadio NOW tnx to Keith Weston, also Podcasts via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glenn-hausers-world-of-radio/id1123369861 AND via Google Play Music: http://bit.ly/worldofradio 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 IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!! WOR IO GROUP: Effective Feb 4, 2018, DXLD yg archive and members have been migrated to this group: https://groups.io/g/WOR [there was already an unrelated group at io named dxld!, so new name] From now on, the io group is primary, where all posts should go. One may apply for membership, subscribe via the above site. DXLD yahoogroup: remains in existence, and members are free to COPY same info to it, as backup, but no posts should go to it only. They may want to change delivery settings to no e-mail, and/or no digest. The change was necessary due to increasing outages, long delays in posts appearing, and search failures at the yg. Why wait for DXLD issues? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our io group without delay. NEWISH! DX LISTENING DIGEST IN PDF, HTML VERSIONS Jacques Champagne in Ville-Marie, Québec, has developed programs to convert DXLD .txt into PDF and HTML versions for his own use, and now has made them available to the rest of us. Starting with 18-24, they have been posted as attachments to the WOR iog. He says it takes about an hour to do this, once each issue is published. Merci, Jacques! (gh) Thanks also to Jacques for assisting with formatting of .txt original ** ANGOLA. 4949.8, RNA-Canal "A", Mulenvos, 2126-2139, 05/9. Prgr. acerca de tráfico de estupefacientes; 35342 (Carlos L R de Assunção Gonçalves, 30Aug-08Sep SW coast of Portugal obs., DX LISTENING DIGEST) My Langenscheidt PP/EE dixionary (Word processor changes this to visionary!!!) translates it only literally as ``stupefiers`` while Google gets it better : narcotix (gh, DXLD) ** ANGUILLA. 11775, Caribbean Beacon at 1827 with pop Christian vocals and into Pastor Melissa Scott preaching at 1833 – Fair to Good mixing with CRI Sept 9 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA iog via DXLD) 11775, University Network (presumed); 2122, 9/9; Rev. Barbie waxing about understanding the flesh Biblically. R.B. said that the flesh has not departed her. Some of Barbie’s parts are well-fleshed. S10+ w/xmtr hum & slight 11780 splash (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time & without the aid of a computer! -----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Ozy Radio, on 4835, Sept 4, at 1016. Even with OTH radar, CODAR QRM and QRN (static), was able to have no problem hearing the very distinctive "Waltzing Matilda," otherwise unusable (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 5005 [sic, must mean 5055, altho in 5005 frequency order] 4KZ – Innisfall [Queensland; my MS Word Processor program tried to ``correct`` this name to Uninstall!!! -- gh](Presumed), 1149, 9/3/18, in English. Program of U.S. pop music with male announcer (Australian accent). Poor. First catch of this for me (Mark Taylor, Lake Farm County Park near Madison, WI, 1100–1500, 9/3/18 for our 3rd annual Labor Day mini DXpedition with Carlie Forsythe. Thanks to Carlie for her alert ears, NASWA Flashsheet Sept 9 via DXLD) 5055, Radio 4KZ, on Sept 6, heard with above threshold level audio as early as 0750; at 1057 played Tom Jones with "Green, Green Grass of Home"; into the news, sports, weather; not quite readable today; 1106 ID mentioning on AM, FM and SW. Recently 4KZ has become a regular station that I enjoy, as they play many songs I haven't heard in a long time. Sept 5, from 0948, pleasant listening to Celine Dion - "How Do I Live Without You," The Alan Parsons Project - "Eye In The Sky," Lionel Richie - "All Night Long," The Mamas & The Papas - "Creeque Alley," Oak Ridge Boys - "Elvira," Enya - "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)"; Elton John & Kiki Dee - "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," etc. September 7th update: AUSTRALIA. Radio 4KZ, on Sept 7, noted 1154:31* cut off; conditions today not as good as recently heard.(Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. Re: [WOR] Unique Radio adding another 30 minutes onto WINB Saturdays --- As I was travelling when the program went on air this past Saturday, I just finished listening to the podcast. Last half hour was essentially a jazz show including the jazzy version of Star Wars sound-track music at the end. Very nice. We need more jazz on SW. ;-) (-- Richard Langley, NB, Sept 6, WOR iog via DXLD) Unique Radio on air via WINB 9265 kHz --- Here in NB using my JRC NRD-535D with an indoor W6LVP antenna, reception to begin with today (8 September) at 1100 UT was very poor with the signal hardly audible. Either propagation was extremely poor initially or the transmitter hadn't been properly or fully tuned up yet. I think perhaps the latter was the case as more or less suddenly at about 1125, reception remarkably improved with a very good if not excellent signal. As I was recording the broadcast unattended, I don't know what the before and after S-readings might have been. Very little fading and what there was shallow but occasionally selective fading resulted in a bit of distortion as I was operating the radio in AM mode rather than ECSS. The programming was as advertised including WoR #1946 special edition (-- Richard Langley, UT Sept 9, WOR iog via DXLD) ** BELGIUM. RTBF is to shut down the transmitter on 621 kHz before the end of this year. As soon as the DAB+ Network is complete the MW transmissions will stop and the the site at Wavre will be dismantled. (Info from ON3MEE, via ondescourtes@yahoogroupes.fr) 73, (Rémy Friess, France, Sept 9, MWCircle yg via DXLD) ** BHUTAN. 6035, BBS. Sept 3, till 1157*, mixing with China (FM99 relay via Yunnan) (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 5952.5, CP60, Radio Pio XII - Siglo Veinte, 8 September 2018, from 0200 to 0230 sign-off, their typical program of music and announcements until the famous "Colonel Bogey March" theme and long and complete ID by man; fair level but USB needed to tone down WRMI-5950. I had not been hearing this one recently but obviously reactivated (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan USA. Equipment: Airspy HF+ with SDR Console v.3 and a 45' PAR EF-SWL end-fed wire at 20', NASWA Flashsheet Sept 9 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Dial onde medie di Rio de Janeiro - Radio Globo 1220 Off BRASIL --- Il DXer brasiliano Felipe Candido ha pubblicado sul gruppo Facebook Rodada dos Radioescutas il dial onde medie di Rio de Janeiro. Molto interessante! In particolare purtroppo emerge la chiusura (il 3 settembre scorso) di Radio Globo 1220 AM che era un appuntamento frequente per noi ascoltatori europei in onde medie. Dial AM da Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro para os amigos tentarem um DX. 540 - Rádio Feliz (antiga Fluminense) 560 - Rádio Costa do Sol (TX local em Araruama, porém já ouvi aqui no Rio) 580 - Rádio Relógio // OC 4905 680 - Rádio Copacabana (IURD) 710 - Rádio Sucesso (antiga Carioca) 760 - Rádio Manchete 800 - Rádio MEC (antiga Sociedade - primeira rádio do Brasil) 830 - Rádio Tropical (Cidade vizinha de Nova Iguaçu) *860 - Já saudosa Rádio CBN (antiga lendária Mundial) 900 - Rádio Tamoio (Sistema Verdes Mares-CE) 940 - Super Rádio Brasil LBV (antiga Jornal do Brasil AM) 990 - Rádio Contemporânea (IURD) - antiga rádio Ipanema e antiga Mauá (RádioBrás) 1030 - Rádio Capital //6.070 khz (Igreja Deus é Amor) 1060 - Rádio Canção Nova (que não pega em lugar nenhum) 1090 - Rádio Metropolitana 1130 - Rádio Nacional 1180 - Rádio Mundial (Apóstolo Waldemiro Santiago - antiga Eldorado do SGR) *1220- Rádio Globo (Extinta) 1280 - Super Rádio Tupi 1320 - Rádio Boas Novas (transmissor em Petrópolis, sinal bem fraco aqui no Rio) 1340 - Rádio Jornal de Rio Bonito (TX local em Rio Bonito, mas já ouvi aqui no Rio) 1360 - Rádio Bandeirantes (TX horroroso) 1390 - Rádio Sul Fluminense (Barra Mansa) 1400 - Rádio Rio de Janeiro 1440 - Rádio Livre (fora do ar) 1450 - Rádio Comércio (TX local em Barra Mansa, mas já ouvi aqui no Rio) *1480- Rádio Solimões (Nova Iguaçu há muitos anos fora) 1520 - Rádio Continental 1530 - Rádio Cabo Frio (TX local em Cabo Frio) 1550 - Rádio Imperial (TX local em Petrópolis) 1560 - Rádio Grande Rio (TX local na cidade de Itaguaí 80 km da capital) *1590- Rádio Difusora Duque de Caxias. Há muitos anos fora do ar Curiosidade: Tirando as emissoras assinaladas com o TX local, as mesmas tem seus transmissores/antenas nas suas próprias cidades, todas as outras tem seus transmissores/antenas em Itaóca/Pontal no município de São Gonçalo/RJ. Exceto a Rádio Metropolitana que tem estúdio / antena / transmissor no bairro de Inhaúma, zona norte do Rio. Pubblicato da Giampiero Bernardini a settembre 08, 2018 (via playdx blog via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL, 4845, R. Cultura do Amazonas, Manaus AM, 2125-2135, 06/9. Canções; 35342, áudio muito fraco. 4862.2, R. Alvorada, Londrina PR, 2128-2137, 06/9. Texto; 15331. 4875.2, R. Roraima, Boa Vista RR, 2134-2144, 01/9. Propag. relig.; 35343. 4885, R. Club do Pará, Belém PA, 2114-2124, 31/8. Prgr. Jornada Desportiva, canções, anúncios comerc.; 34332, QRM do B e da KOR. 4905, Nova R Relógio, São Gonçalo RJ, 2125-2133, 30/8. Texto, música; 22341, QRM da CHN. 4905 idem, 2116-2123, 05/9. Texto, música; 22341, QRM da CHN. 4925, R. Educação Rural, Tefé AM, 2124-2134, 30/8. Propag. relig.; 25331. 4985, R. Brasil Central, Goiânia GO, 2133-2143, 01/9. Prgr. musical; 35332. 4985 idem, 2033-..., 07/9. Prgr. Brasil Sertanejo; 45343. 5035, R. Educação Rural, Coari AM, 2101-2110, 03/9. Texto; 15231. 5035, R. Aparecida, Aparecida SP, 2130-2140, 06/9. Missa; 33331, QRM da R. Educação Rural de Coari. 5035 idem, 2035-..., 07/9. Prgr. musical; 35332. 6010, R. Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte MG, 2112-2124, 05/9. Prgr. A Hora do Fazendeiro; 25332 [also see 15190, final entries below] 6080, R. Marumby, Curitiba PR, 2132-2142, 01/9. Propag. relig.; 25331. 9515, R. Marumby, Curitiba PR, 2122-2132, 01/9. Campanha polít., propag. relig.; 35343. 9550.1, R. Boa Vontade, Pt.º Alegre RS, 2120-2130, 02/9. Canções; 25331. SINPO 25342 em 04/9, 2045. 9630.6, R. Aparecida, Aparecida SP, 1431-1441, 04/9. Texto, música; 14341, QRM adjacente. 9630.6, idem, 2056-2109, 04/9. Anúncios vários, missa, às 2100; 45444. 9630.6, idem, 1143-desvan. total 1230, 08/9. Canções; 15341 9664.9, R. Voz Missionária, Camboriú SC, 1913-1924, 01/9. Propag. relig., canções; 35343. 9664.9, idem, 1426-..., 04/9. Propag. relig.; 15341. 9664.9, idem, 2101-2112, 04/9. Propag. relig.; 45444. 9664.9, idem, 0917-desvan. total 1050, 06/9. Prgr. musical Alvorada Sertaneja, anúncios comerc.; 25342. 9725.2, R. Evangelizar, Curitiba PR, 2123-2133, 01/9. Propag. relig., canções; 35343. 9725.3, idem, 1422-..., 04/9. Texto; 15341. 9725.4, idem, 0914-desvan. total 1025, 06/9. Canções, noticiário, anúncios comerc.; 25342. 9819.1, R. 9 de Julho, São Paulo SP, 2124-2134, 01/9. oração, campanha polít.; 34342. 9819.2, idem, 1424-..., 04/9. Texto, canções; 15341. 9819.2, idem, 2038-..., 07/9. Missa, prgr. A Missa Continua; 45444 (!). 11815. R. Brasil Central, Goiânia GO, 1502-..., 02/9. Prgr. musical; 15341. 11815, idem, 2122-2132, 02/9. Canções, texto. 25342, áudio fraco. 11855.8, R. Aparecida, Aparecida SP, 1213-1304, 04/9, propag. relig., canções; 14341, QRM adj.; SINPO de 24442, às 1500. 11895.1, R. Boa Vontade, Pt.º Alegre RS, 2103-2113, 03/9. Propag. relig.; 24442, QRM adjacente. 11895.2, idem, 2049-..., 07/9. Propag. relig., canções; 35443; // 9550.1 com SINPO de 34433, QRM adjacente. 11934.9, R. Evangelizar, Curitiba PR, 1509-1520, 02/9. Canções, texto, anúncios comerc., rubrica Graças e Louvores; 24432, bloqueada pela R. Vaticano, à 1528. 11935, idem, 1215-1305, 04/9. Texto, anúncios comerc., canções; 24442. SINPO de 35443, às 1400. 15190.1, R. Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte MG, 1805-..., 07/9. Prgr. Revista Tarde; 35433 (!). 15190.2, idem, 1411-1720, 04/9. rubrica desportiva, anúncios comerc., ..., noticiário, Revista da Tarde; 23341, QRM adj.; SINPO de 25342, às 1700. 15190.2, idem, 2113-2126, 05/9. Prgr. A Hora do Fazendeiro, incl. segmentos da campanha eleitoral e Noticiário Rural; 35433. 15190.2, idem, 1146-..., 08/9. Canções do passado, texto, informações, anúncio de programação; 15341 (Carlos L R de Assunção Gonçalves, 30Aug-08Sep SW coast of Portugal obs., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 15190, 07set 1416, BRASIL, via Belo Horizonte, Rádio Inconfidência em português. Às 1419 uma transmissão de futebol, parece ser trechos de melhores momentos de uma partida, sim é pela quantidade de gols narrados, América 2 X Vasco 1. Que bela surpresa! depois de muitos anos eu a ouço nos 19 metros. Sinal fraco, mas áudio contante sobre moderado fading e parece está melhorando. (Jorge Freitas-B) https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sVfvlut_WBsZW_KHoWMDFqtGxqb6eEMg (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 12°14´S 38°58´W - Brasil, Tecsun PL-310ET, Antenna dipole of 25 meters-direction northeast-southwest, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. IRRS 7290 kHz 1800-1900 UT Fri/Sat/Sun Hi Ivo, please excuse my insistence - but today, I managed to get a KiwiSDR TDoA result for the 1800-1900 UT Fri/Sat/Sun IRRS transmission on 7290 kHz, pointing to ... Kostinbrod (Bulgaria)! https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/04/spl-secretbrod-relays.html I see that the following transmissions are scheduled as "Secretbrod relays" during this period of time: # 1815-1830 on 5900 SCB 050 kW / 126 deg BVB to N/ME Arabic Dardasha 7 # 1800-1830 & 1845-1900 on 9400 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg ETC to WeEu English & 050 kW / 126 deg BVB to NoAf Arabic Dardasha 7 # 1750-1810 & 1810-1830 on 9545 SCB 100 kW / 195 deg BBC to EaAf Afan Oromo Mon-Fri & Tigrinya Mon-Fri # 1800-1900 on 15110 SCB 050 kW / 195 deg RNH to WeAf Hausa How many transmitters can operate simultaneously from the "Secretbrod" site? Thanks and 73, (Alexander Busneag, Germany, Sept 7, WOR iog via DXLD WRTH says NURTS has 5 x 50, 4 of which can be doubled up to = 2 x 100; and a DRM one at 70 kW (gh, DXLD) Normally, IRRS 7290 kHz stayed on air until 1901 UT (a minute of open carrier after the transmission); but today, it suddenly went off at 1855 UT! But why? Well - at 1856 UT, an open carrier appeared on 5900 kHz, preparing for the Radio Taiwan International test transmission in German (1900-2000 UT, not // 6185 kHz via WOF) via Kostinbrod! So IRRS 7290 kHz really seems to come from Bulgaria (Busneag, 1907 UT, ibid.) ** CANADA. Why CBC Comedy has grown stale -- and that's no laughing matter Opinion: The CBC -- once the home of world-class comedy -- now struggles to land its jokes. And with more competition than ever before, it's losing its place in the cultural firmament by Mark Hill Sep 6, 2018 A photograph of the CBC building in Toronto on April 4, 2012. (Nathan Denette/CP) [caption] It wasn't so long ago that the CBC was known as the Canadian home of strong satire and sketch. Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, dubbed by Time as the "king of comedy," got his start in the early `70s on the CBC's Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour. In a retrospective on the world's greatest sketch comedy shows, Rolling Stone called SCTV, which ran from 1976 to 1984, "nothing short of genius." They also called Kids in the Hall's CBC run from 1988 to 1995 a surreal and complicated comedy, while Vulture dubbed it as "a platform for lasting genius" in a flattering look-back, decades later. Even as late as 2007, the debut of Little Mosque on the Prairie attracted international attention, strong ratings, and praise from the L.A. Times. The CBC helped launch the careers of iconic comedians like Dan Aykroyd, Andrea Martin, John Candy, and Martin Short. But now, when Canada needs a compelling comedic voice more than ever, the CBC's output has largely grown stale and irrelevant. Their official YouTube channel, full of old, lazy jokes like "one cat and you're a crazy cat lady" and an insipid Guy Fieri parody that's just a lot of yelling and gesturing, has just over 67,000 subscribers. Those two videos each have fewer than 1,200 views (for comparison, a random user's nine-second video of their child playing with a toy horse managed 21,000). CBC Comedy's Twitter account has around 5,300 followers, and many tweets linking to their written comedy, like "Big reveal at gender reveal party is that no one wants to be there whatsoever," lack a single reply or like. It's the Internet equivalent of a tumbleweed. There have even been campaigns to kill CBC Comedy, suggesting it's a poor use of taxpayer money. . . [much more] https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/why-cbc-comedy-has-grown-stale-and-thats-no-laughing-matter/ (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Shaun Majumder leaving This Hour Has 22 Minutes, saying decision was not his Victoria Ahearn TORONTO The Canadian Press Published August 27, 2018 Updated August 27, 2018 Open this photo in gallery Canadian actor-comedian Shaun Majumder says he's not angry or upset over his departure from the CBC-TV comedy series "This Hour Has 22 Minutes," but he was shocked by it. . . https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article-shaun-majumder-not-returning-to-this-hour-has-22-minutes/ (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CANARY ISLANDS [non]. PIRATA: 6230, Coast FM (emissão das Ilhas Canárias), via pirata irlandesa? 2130-..., 08/9. Inglês, música pop'. 35343. Muito melhor em 10/9, 2030 (Carlos L R de Assunção Gonçalves, 30Aug-08Sep, Lisboa, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Voice of Strait, on Sept 6. Heard 4900, with *0942 and on 4940, with *0941, so a new 4940 sign on time. 6035, FM99 (Voice of Shangri-la) relay via PBS Yunnan, from 1200 to 1308, on Sept 6. Had positive reception of FM99 relay per singing "Radio" jingle that is regularly heard one minute after the hour (1201 & 1301) and followed shortly by the station's slogan in English, which sounds to me like "traveling with the sound of Shangri-la." Today's anomaly, first time ever heard, was hearing two different audio feeds, both mixing very badly together; by 1300 felt confident that the UNID audio sounded like Chinese, so strongly suspect Yunnan with this double audio feed (each different and one being FM99). From 1200+, BBS (Bhutan), when they run past that time, always has a completely different format than I heard today. Interesting development. Thanks very much to Mauno Ritola, for his feedback today: "Hi Ron, yes, duplicate feed still at 1400" (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) 6035, FM99 (Voice of Shangri-la) relay via PBS Yunnan, on Sept 7, at 1201, heard today with the normal single audio feed, unlike yesterday's anomaly of double audio feed. Singing "Radio" jingle that is regularly heard one minute after the top-of-the-hour, followed by the station's slogan in English, which seems like "traveling with the sound of Shangri-la," audio of which is posted at http://goo.gl/pt8MuP (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** CHINA. 7200, CNR1, checking at 1016 & 1040, on Sept 7. Heard fair signal from what was probably a spur; // 6125. Also reported via "Now On The Radio" website by Hiroyuki Komatsubara (Japan) - "Aug 26, at 1250: 7200kHz CHINA CNR-1, // 4750 kHz etc.., spur ??" (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** CHINA. 7210, PBS Yunnan, Sept 7, started at *1035, with the usual musical loop IS, till 1100; mixing with VOV1 (Vietnam); both decent signals. Yunnan starting times here vary (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. 15800, 1050, CNR 1, Chinese mixing with Sound of Hope or RFA? 252, 02/08 RP 15800, 1100, Sound of Hope. ID in Chinese // 14980, 16100 & others not jammed, 252, 02/08 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF2001D & VEF201, Ant Folded Marconi 16m, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 16300, 0830, CNR 1, ID, news, jamming for Sound of Hope // 14500, 343 14/08 (Franck Baste, St Bonnet de Rochefort, France, Perseus + Loop ALA1530LNP, ibid.) 16770, 1041, Sound of Hope via Taiwan. YL with Chinese talk, 242, 08/08 (Michael L Ford, Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffs, England, UK, NRD515, NCM515, NRD545, 85' lw, Wellbrook 330ALA loop, ibid.) ** CHINA. 7810, Sept 7 at 1251, JBA carrier, maybe trace of Chinese? As suspected, a CNR1 jammer against a 24-hour Sound of Hope frequency, 7810.04 per Aoki/NDXC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. 11640, CNR1 at 1103 in Mandarin jamming RTI in Mandarin with a man with a promo and a man and woman with possible news then more promos at 1105 – Good Sept 8 Coady-ON 11640, TAIWAN, RTI at 1105 in Mandarin with a man and woman with talk – Poor under CNR1 jammer Sept 8 Coady-ON 11785, CNR1 at 1111 // 11640 in Mandarin jamming the VOA in Mandarin via the Philippines with a man and woman with talk – Very Good Sept 8 Coady-ON 11785, PHILIPPINES, VOA at 1113 in Mandarin with a woman with talk – Weak under CNR1 jammer Sept 8 Coady-ON 11825, CNR1 at 1115 // 11640 and 11785 in Mandarin jamming the VOA in Thailand via the Philippines with a man and woman with talk – Good Sept 8 Coady-ON 11825, THAILAND, VOA at 1115 // 11785 in Mandarin with a woman with talk – Weak under CNR1 jammer Sept 8 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA iog via DXLD) 11705, CNR1 at 0124 in Mandarin jamming RFA in Tibetan via Kuwait with a man and woman with excited talk and into a string of promos with music to 1+1 time pips at 0130 and a fanfare and a man and woman with news – Weak to Fair Sept Coady-ON 13675, TAJIKISTAN, RFA at 1624 in Mandarin with a man with talk then brief instrumentals at 1626 and a woman with a telephone interview of a man – Poor to Fair with heavy fading Sept 9 Coady-ON – No sign of any Chinese jammers. 13870, CHINA, CRI (Kashi [EAST TURKISTAN]) at 1640 in Hausa with a woman interviewing a man – Fair with a noise jammer Sept 9 – The noise jammer is probably aimed at SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng (The Sound of Hope) from Taiwan which transmits on 13870.2 so the Chinese authorities are jamming their competition and themselves at the same time. Sounds about right to me (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA iog via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. Shortwave Loggings for September 10, 2018 Interesting East Asian propagation conditions this morning as many Chinese stations, both legitimate and the CNR1 jammers, were quite evident today on 25 and 31 meters. It was also nice to see the VOA via the Philippines and RTI rising above the noise to confound the jammers. All loggings in English unless otherwise specified. All times and dates in UT. 9660, CNR1 at 1110 in Mandarin jamming RTI in Mandarin with a man and woman with excited talk – Fair Sept 10 Coady-ON 9680, CNR1 at 1117 // 9660 in Mandarin jamming RTI in Mandarin with a man and woman with excited talk – Fair Sept 10 Coady-ON 9845, CNR1 at 1121 // 9660 and 9680 in Mandarin jamming the VOA in Mandarin via the Philippines with a man and woman with excited talk – Fair Sept 10 Coady-ON 11640, CNR1 at 1121 // 9660, 9680, 11785, and 11825 in Mandarin jamming RTI in Mandarin with a woman with excited talk – Fair Sept 10 Coady-ON 11640, TAIWAN, RTI at 1123 in Mandarin with a man with talk with occasional English sound bytes – Poor rising to Fair in peaks under CNR1 jammer Sept 10 Coady-ON 11785, CNR1 at 1135 // 9660 and 9680 in Mandarin jamming the VOA in Mandarin via the Philippines with a man and woman with excited talk – Very Good Sept 10 Coady-ON 11785, PHILIPPINES, VOA at 1136 in Mandarin with a woman interviewing a man – Weak but audible under CNR1 jammer Sept 10 Coady-ON 11825, CNR1 at 1137 // 9660, 9680, and 11785 in Mandarin jamming the VOA in Mandarin via the Philippines with a man and woman with excited talk – Poor and noisy Sept 10 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA iog via DXLD) Jamming logs like the above are rather tiresome, but I`m glad someone keeps reporting them, lest we forget what the ChiCom are doing to ruin our shortwave bands (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CHINA. 15265, 10/09/2018 1108 UT - CNR1 Jammer/Firedrake China, (CHN), em Mandarin para o extremo Oriente. Locução masculina e feminina. Presumi que estavam transmitindo notícias. SINPO: 33433 FJS (FRANCISCO JACSON, PY1PDF/PY1346SWL, RX YAESU FRG-7, Antena: LonWire, Iguaba Grande, Região dos Lagos, RJ, GG87VD, radioescutas yg via DXLD) So there was both CNR1 programming and Firedragon instrumental-music-only jamming? That sometimes happens. 15265 this hour only is RFA Tibetan via Tinian (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA. This damn Word program I am now using keeps ``auto- correcting`` my coinages, such as S U P T O R T E D, not ``supported`` as now fixed: ``11840, Sept 5 at 2216, this RHC Spanish frequency with suptorted modulation == suppressed/distorted. Something`s always wrong at RHC``. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. 11860, Sept 6 at 2040, only Radio Marti and jamming to be heard, no RHC, 3 weeks after the collision started. RHC was normally starting own programming at 1930, so merely an outage, or have they moved? Search of 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 MHz bands does not find any replacement. 12000 was not on the air during that search, but it is on at 2052, in Portuguese, S9 with squeal, rough modulation, the usual situation after 2100 in Spanish. Previous 11860 schedule for Europe, per https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/04/radio-habana-cubaradio-rebelderadio.html showed 2000-2030 Portuguese, 2030-2100 Arabic! So was 12000 merely turned on early with wrong language, or becoming the earlier replacement for 11860 with languages jumbled? Further chex needed. Something`s always wrong at RHC. Well2, what do you know? RHC has *finally* updated its web frequency schedule for current Abril-Octubre 2018 season, instead of 2016! http://www.radiohc.cu/interesantes/frecuencias But this embedded PDF page 1 of 2 is only for Spanish. Clicking on Next Page arrow for presumed other languages, goes nowhere. How about starting with the Portuguese page, then under Interessantes the drop-down lead to Frequencias? Here too, page 2 below page 1 never loads. Something`s always wrong at RHC. 5040, Sept 8 at 0648, RHC is still on with dead air at S9+10, having failed to turn off transmitter at scheduled 0600, leaving English repeats to continue one more hour on the other four of The Cuban Five, on 49m. Something`s always wrong at RHC. 6000, Sept 10 at 0603, RHC English is somewhat suptorted asserting that ``The US is the threat to humankind`` --- which with acting president Drumpf is no longer so far-fetched. // 6100 has lowest mod level but not distorted; 6165 = 6060 both very good. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11860, Friday Sept 7 at 1950, RHC is still here, colliding with Radio Marti, making that medium SAH from slightly different frequencies. At 2005 I can tell that RHC is in proper language Portuguese; at 2036 choking Arabic; 12000, which came up well before 2100 yesterday, is not on today at 2038. 11860, Sept 7 at 2128, now Radio Marti with a silly ballgame, and still SAH from RHC. 11860, Sat Sept 8 at 2010, Radio Marti is off again for the weekend, audiblizing RHC in Portuguese without CCI; not sure if some of the background noise is still jamming against self (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DENMARK. DINAMARCA, 5840, World Music R, Karup, 2131-2141, 01/9. Música; 25341 (Carlos L R de Assunção Gonçalves, 30Aug-08Sep SW coast of Portugal obs., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. 9799.60, Radio Cairo; 2132-2137+, 9/9; M in English wit Arab world news; ID at 2136+ & news continued. S9 with xmtr hum & some distortion, but copiable (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time & without the aid of a computer! -----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. Radio 319 currently on 5030 kHz with King Crimson track and English ID with email. Fair signal with moderate fading. 73, (Alan, Caversham, UK, Pennington, AOR 7030+, longwire. 1923 Sept 6, bdxc-news iog via DXLD) ** EUROPE. Radio Spaceshuttle updates! From: "Dj Spacewalker" Please read latest Radio Spaceshuttle news and look at our photos from our webpages: http://spaceshuttleradio.freeservers.com Best regards, (Radio Spaceshuttle, P.O.Box 2702, NL-6049 ZG Herten, The Netherlands, Sept 7, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) Viz., year-by-year history, illustrated: SPACESHUTTLE ACTIVITIES, YEAR 2018: Actions on 2017 and new plans for autumn 2018: (Friday 7th September 2018): Hi, Radio Spaceshuttle has lived quite silent times during the year 2017. Anyway we have had a few very low power transmissions on 31 and 48 mb frequencies. And have also listeners on whole Europe. That was promising! During this year we have made repairs to out big gun, and wish everything is soon ready for return of Radio Spaceshuttle Stronger Power. So wait and see. Radio Spaceshuttle might have tests during late September until November 2018. And great 16 years of Action Birthday Party on October or early November will happens! Let's tune your radios to 9290 (/9270) and 12265 kHz. Could be we're also on 48 and good 19 mb as well :) Best greetings from Radio Spaceshuttle Finland, Dick (via DXLD) ** FRANCE. Good signal of Radio France International, Sept 5 0600-0700 on 11830 ISS 500 kW / 170 deg to WCAf English http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/good-signal-of-radio-france.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept.4-6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Evidently staying here rather than making an S-18 QSY (gh) ** GERMANY. The antenna masts of Heusweiler (ex 1422 kHz) to be dismantled on September 21st, 2018. The masts are located near motorway A8 with heavy traffic and is a challenge (Saarbrücker Zeitung 5.9.2018 via Wolfgang Büschel via ARC Information Desk, mv-eko 10 Sept via DXLD) See also SAAR ** GERMANY. 6190, Aug 18, 0930, Hamburger Lokalradio with older popular music. This local Hamburg station has studios in Bergedorf, a suburb of Hamburg, and uses a transmitter in Göhren by Schwerin. The operation is run by Michael Kittner, a broadcasting enthusiast. I visited the studios a few years ago. They are located in the LOLA Culture Centre. This is where the shortwave broadcasts are assembled for the weekly broadcasts on Saturdays and Sundays. The station provides best reception the USB-mode. [O of SIO:] 3-4. Enclosed a photo of Kittner in the studio in Bergedorf (Christer Brunström, Halmstad, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 9 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. ShortwaveRadio on 3975 kHz publishes their detailed weekly schedule online at http://shortwaveradio.de/schedule/ Currently daily, UT: 1600-1700 Media Network (vintage tapes); 1700-2000 Stafford’s World & 2000-2200 Shaun Geraghty’s The Prog Mill (// 6160 kHz). Until next month, 73s and Good DX! (Alan Pennington, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** GERMANY. DWD Deutscher Wetterdienst ONLY on 6180 kHz on Sept 10: 0600-0630 on 6180 PIN 010 kW / non-dir to CeEu German, fair/good 0600-0630 on 5905 PIN 010 kW / non-dir to CeEu German, no signal http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/reception-of-dwd-deutscher-wetterdienst.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept 9-10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Schedule updates on Channel 292 on 6070 kHz Die Schleichfahrt is a new talk format programme alt Mondays at 2000 UT from 20 Aug Chris is vrij is a new live broadcast on Saturday nights at 2200-2300 Radio Collado is a new broadcast on the 1st and 2nd Saturdays of the month at 1900-2000 UT SuperClan Radio will be carried all day on 26 September. Radio Silvia have two more hours on the first Saturdays starting on 6 October at 1600-1800 and 2000-2200 UT (Channel 292 website, Alan Gale, Allen Dean, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Channel 292 --- Hi Harald, Thanks a lot for the update, they just posted the following on their Twitter feed, looks like we have to wait a while yet. Good to know that both channels will be active, I wonder if they'll be different programmes or just the same one on both channels? "Due to work on our antenna systems, for our new (2nd) 7440 broadcasting frequency, we might be off air for some times during the coming weeks. We hope to start broadcasting on 7 4 4 0, at the end of October!" 73 for now, (Alan Gale, UK, Sept 6, bdxc-news iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) Hi All, The Channel 292 schedule shows a new programme this evening at 2000 UTC on 6070 kHz; this is a 60 minute programme called 'Piet en Chris'. I'm not sure if this is the same Chris who is doing the 'Chris is Vrij' show in Dutch on Saturday evenings or a different one? Another interesting item I found on the C292 website says that there will be a number of special 100 kW programmes on the 26th of December (Boxing Day in the UK and Canada) :[] 73 for now, (Alan Gale, England, Sept 6, WOR iog via DXLD) Re: [WOR] {WOR} Die Schleichfahrt on C292 Friday, September 7, 2018 6:37 PM Am 05.09.2018 um 00:05 schrieb Alan Gale: ``It sounded like an interesting programme, and it would be interesting to know if any of our German speaking members heard it, and what their impressions of it were?`` My impression is that it is pseudo-intellectual gibberish, as it can be read on their website. https://schleichfahrt.net/sf/show ("...Pseudointellektuelles Geschwafel.....") These are two guys who like to hear themselves talking. Pure waste of time. Given the late-time transmission for a 49m band frequency from DL and a correspondingly large dead zone also a waste of electrical energy. Maybe their sayings are funny for peers. But which of the millenials owns a shortwave radio? (Roger Thayer, Germany, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, ibid.) Hi Roger, Thanks a lot for the review. I do often wonder if the idea behind many of these types of broadcast is just to promote the Podcasts on the internet, I guess with so much stuff on the web these days is very hard to promote such things, or at least make them stand out from all the many similar podcasts that appear on Google. I do like that word 'Geschwafel', I'll remember that one! :-D (Alan, ibid.) ** GREECE. Reception of Voice of Greece on 9420 kHz, Sept 5: 0651&0655 on 9420 AVL 150 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek*tx#03 Same time on 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg via tx#1, no signal *Arabic/Serbian news & the transmitter switches off at 0702 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/reception-of-voice-of-greece-on-9420_6.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept.4-6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUINEA. 9650, Radio Nationale; 2059-2106+, 9/5; Commentary past ToH by M in very heavy accented French to 2104+ R. Nationale promos; brief Afro=pop at 2105:20 to different M clearly in French. SIO=3+43 with minor 9655 splash; barely audible yesterday about this time (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 9445, All India Radio; 2120-2130+, 9/4; LL [unknown language] chanting with drums; 2122 brief weather by W in English & back to chanting & drumming; 2128+ music program close, described as “classical vocal rendition” to IDs & program notes; 2129+ into English feature on the Indian Festival of Light. SIO=3+53 (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. All India Radio has a long-running series called Wisdom of India, and for a few months now the programme has been devoted to a series called Yoga on Radio. I’ve been meaning to catch this for some time, but I always seemed to miss it, until 20 August at 1920 UT on 9445 kHz. Today’s episode featured the Ardha Chakrasana Asana (or half-wheel pose) which: “increases the suppleness and strength of the muscles in and around the lower back; thus it helps in back pain, slipped disc and sciatica pain. It also gives strength and suppleness to the neck, back and waist”. The programme then gives some cautions about when to stop performing the asana before going on to describe in clear detail how to perform it, all to the background of soothing music and bird calls. A fascinating programme, in its own way – although whilst listening I did wonder how many people will actually follow along and attempt the poses described. A quick internet search revealed a UN report suggesting that 2 billion people practice yoga (with other estimates ranging upwards of 20 million people). Either way, that’s a lot of people, so maybe more listeners follow along than I might otherwise have thought. Will I listen again? Probably not – but if you practice yoga, then this programme may be for you. Yoga on Radio is aired most weeks on Mondays at 1445, 1920 and 2210, and Tuesdays at 0005 UT (All times are subject to change, and it has been scheduled over recent weeks, for example, at 1925, 2110, 2220 and 0035), so it is worth checking the daily programme schedule each Monday for current times at http://airworldservice.org/cuesheet/cuesheet.pdf (Alan Roe, Listening Post, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** INDIA. All India Radio #DRM test from Kingsway, Delhi on 6th & 7th September on 11620 kHz at 0400-0600 UT to E India (Via Alok Dasgupta via Alokesh Gupta via "Jose Jacob, VU2JOS", dxindia yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. (4970/7315 kHz): I am currently doing a listening project on the North Eastern Service of All India Radio Shillong (Meghalaya), listening to as many hours of the station as possible. (The Californian DX expert Ron Howard might not like it, but there is an easier way to listen to the station than short wave :) The NE service has been available as a web stream at http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Default.aspx since 2017. The character of the service differs very much from other web streams available there, including the FM services Gold and Rainbow. The relay is exactly in parallel with the official short wave schedule. 0025-0400: 4970 („morning transmission“ „6“-„9:30“ a. m. IST) 0656-0931: 7315 („afternoon transmission“ „12:30“-„3“ p. m. IST) 1056-1741: 4970 („evening transmission“ „4:30“-„11:10“ p. m. IST) In between there is only a test tone. A typical frequency announcement would be „This is the North Eastern Service of All India Radio broadcasting from Shillong on short wave - 41 m corresponding to 7315 (I think I also heard 7135) kHz - 60.36 m corresponding to 4990 kHz and on additional FM 100.1 MHz“. This makes me wonder about the actual number of NE services. The website http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Station/SHILLONG/Pages/default.aspx mentions only the medium wave frequency 864 kHz and FM frequency 103.6 MHz. Does this suggest that the shortwave/web service is a separate service not carried on the other frequencies mentioned? (WRTH 2018, pg. lists Shillong 864 kHz with “00” kW, which will probably be more a misprint, than a reference to the station being off the air.) Being unable to listen on weekends, when the service might have more specialist/indigenous programmes, I find it surprising that the service is dominated by English and Hindi/Hinglish music programmes and central news from Delhi. There is less reference to Meghalaya and the North Eastern states than I expected. The website http://www.airshillong.org is not available any more. So any information from more informed listeners will be appreciated (Dr Hansjoerg Biener, 7 September 2018, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 3325, 2000, V of Indonesia, Palangkaraya - end of German service, multilingual ID's and into French (# Jakarta) 444 05/08 TR#* (Tony Rogers, Birmingham, remote receiver, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Television: 101°W SES-1; 3.820-H/29724 Msps, Newsy news network with “Newsy at Night” show with lots of brief news headlines. It is pretty clear they are trying to be more ‘objective’ and are focusing on non-political news (which is rather refreshingly unusual these days!) but their hosts have an appearance of an average age of about 14. Don’t get me wrong, they appear talented, and intelligent and can speak without tripping all over themselves, but MAN do I feel old looking at them! 61% steady -- One of five streams on this tp. (Service ID 26) 720p/8psk h.264 0600-0630 1/Sept (Ken Zichi, Pt Hope MI2, MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) ** IRAN. From the German HOERZU radio program guide for Sept 1-7: RUNDFUNK international --- Das deutschsprachige Programm von IRIB ist von 17.20 Uhr bis 18.20 Uhr auf Satellit, Kurzwelle (7300 kHz und 9850 kHz) und ueber das Internet zu hoeren. Weitere Informationen unter http://parstoday.com/de/radio (via Mike Cooper, GA, Sep 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [and non] vs SAUDI ARABIA, VIRI IRIB vs BSKSA Radio Riyadh on 9650 kHz, Sept 5 from 0858 9650 RIY 100 kW / non-dir N/ME Holy Quran R. Riyadh, co-ch from 1430 9650 ZAH 500 kW / 289 deg NEAf Arabic VIRI IRIB PARS TODAY http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/reception-of-viri-irib-bsksa-radio.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept.4-6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is thought to be intentional for jamming purposes (gh, DXLD) ** IRELAND. 6300.7, Charity R (rádio internet do Éire) via pirata irlandesa? 2109-..., 05/9. Inglês; canções e música irlandesa, texto; 35332. "Canções e música irlandesas"... em inglês. É notório e conhecido o apego dos irlandeses à sua cultura, mas fazê-lo, expressando-se numa língua estrangeira, não na sua, é estranho e triste. Segundo fontes, a língua polaca é, mercê da imigração, a segunda mais falada no Éire, depois da inglesa; o gaélico irlandês está relegado p/ as escolas primárias, alguns falantes em franjas do oeste e sudoeste e, é verdade, p/ as tabuletas toponímicas, que estão em gaélico e inglês, como que a afirmar, com soberba, a identidade irlandesa na sua própria língua. Verdadeiramente estranho, triste e vergonhoso. Certamente, nem será difícil encontrar muitos irlandeses que nem sequer conseguem reconhecer a língua que deveria ser a sua; não será raro tomá-la como alguma qq. língua estrangeira do continente (Carlos L R de Assunção Gonçalves, 30Aug-08Sep SW coast of Portugal obs., DX LISTENING DIGEST) Carlos laments that the Irish are abandoning their native language Gaelic for a foreign language, English; in fact more people in Ireland speak the #2 language, Polish than Gaelic! (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** ISRAEL. On the air of the "Voice of Music" radio station (specializing mainly in classical music) of the State Broadcasting Corporation "Kan", a whole act from Richard Wagner's opera The Death of the Gods [sic; known in English as Twilight of the Gods! And since the original name is -dämmerung which means dusk or twilight, how did it get changed via Russian to Death? gh] sounded. The broadcast took place on the last Friday, August 31, 2018. The sounded version (the third act) was recorded at the festival in Bayreuth in 1991, the orchestra was conducted by Daniel Barenboim. The work was sounded in the program "According to your applications" together with the works of Debussy and Mozart. The host of the program, who presented the work, noted that "in 1849, after Wagner left Germany and moved to Zurich because of his political anarchist activity, he began to develop revolutionary principles in opera that combined other arts - singing, drama, the setting of light and acting, which are combined together into one monumental work. These principles Wagner embodied in the "Ring of the Niebelungen". Let's listen to the third act of the opera The Death of the Gods. However, a few minutes later the translation of the opera was interrupted without any warning. The air was silent, which lasted about forty seconds. Then the presenter listed the performers of the work, mentioning the name of the conductor, after which the translation of the opera was resumed and sounded to the end. Apparently, the editorial office of the radio station received several complaints complaining about the broadcast of Wagner's music. Wagner's music is not broadcast in Israel on radio and television, as this composer was very anti-Semitic. Wagner died in 1883 long before the Nazis came to power in Germany, but his music was beloved in the Nazi elite and became a symbol of Nazism. Hitler was a big fan of Wagner, whose music was often performed at the Nazi Party congresses. The boycott of Wagner and his works began even before the creation of the State of Israel. In 1938, the Eretz-Israel Symphony Orchestra performed the overture to the opera The Nuremberg Meistersinger, and in the same year planned to perform another piece of the composer, but this concert was canceled due to the events of Kristallnacht in Germany. Since then, attempts have been made to break the boycott, but they were immediately stopped by the pressure of the state and public opinion, causing a flurry of outraged responses. The Israeli symphony orchestra tried to perform Wagner's works in 1981, but faced a popular protest. In 2001, Daniel Barenboim performed Wagner's work during a concert closing the Israeli festival, in violation of the ban of the festival's organizers. As a result, the Knesset Committee on Education and Culture declared Barenboim a persona non grata. At one time in the Public Commission of the State Television and Radio it was decided not to perform Wagner's music. Fragments of his works from time to time seeped into the air, mostly as part of the soundtracks for feature films, such as "The [sic] Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola and "Melancholy" by Lars Von Trier. But Wagner's works did not sound in their pure form in musical programs. Jonathan Livni, chairman of the NGO for the rehabilitation of Wagner in Israel, welcomed the broadcast of a fragment from the opera. "We are talking about a composer who completely changed the approach to the performance of musical works. We listened not to retelling his political views, but to his magnificent music. My deceased father survived the Holocaust, and it was from him that I first heard of Wagner. He told me: "Wagner was a disgusting person who wrote divine music." Anyone who is not ready to listen to it can always turn off the radio. But you can not deprive listeners of the right to choose because of an order from above, which in fact is nothing more than censorship." From the corporation "Kan" reported that "the position of the broadcasting corporation remains unchanged - Wagner's works are not broadcast on a music radio channel. This decision was made out of respect for some of our listeners who survived the Holocaust. The editor of the program made a mistake in choosing a work, it was a wrong decision from a public point of view. During the translation of the fragment there was a technical overlay, which, perhaps, should be viewed as a hint from above. It was this overlay that led to a break in the broadcast. Any conspiracy theory that tries to give other explanations does not have any ground." Itay Stern, Hagai Khitron, Haaretz IM, http://detaly.co.il http://onair.ru/main/enews/view_msg/NMID__70390/ (via Rus-DX Sept 9 via DXLD) ** ITALY. 1305 kHz: A new licenced station started on September 5th, 2018 from Coltano in Tuscany. Its name is Radio Coltano Marconi. Coltano is the historical site from where Marconi sent the first wireless message in 1910. Patrick Robic in Austria has heard the station on the starting date. Website: https://www.radiocoltanomarconi.it (Patrick Robic, A-DX 5.9.2018, via ARC Information Desk, mv-eko 10 Sept via DXLD) ** JAPAN [and non]. Haiku is as Japanese as sushi and karaoke, and Radio Japan has a monthly feature called Japan Through Haiku, which is always a pleasure to listen to. A haiku is a poem which follows a strictly defined form. Roughly speaking, the poem should contain 17 syllables (known as on) in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 syllables and contain a specified seasonal or topical reference (known as kigo). The August edition of Japan Through Haiku (heard 2 August at 0500 UT on 5975 kHz via Austria) presented examples of haiku with a kigo of “Atomic Bombing Anniversary” commemorating the detonation of two nuclear weapons over Hiroshima on 6 August and Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. Here are the English translations of three of the haiku poems in today’s programme: Atomic Bombing Anniversary I wonder how many bones vanished Without even leaving shadows ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Atomic Bombing Anniversary Tens of thousands of citizens attend the ceremony Their Shadows are short ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Breaking silence Sharing experiences Atomic Bombing Anniversary The programme also included explanations and background information to the haikus, although I think largely un-needed in these examples above. A rather more sombre, but fitting, programme than is normal, but it made for compelling listening. The programme ended with a song called August Song (written by the son of an atomic bomb survivor). By the way, the December edition of the programme will feature haikus sent in by listeners (up to three per listener, with a deadline of 20 October). Listeners can, if they wish, make up their own kigo, and should send an explanation of the haiku with their submission. Japan Through Haiku is aired on the first Thursday of the month at 0515, 1115 and 1415 UT (Alan Roe, Listening Post, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 3920 KCBS (Hyesan) 1234-1300+ 7 Sept. KCBS' apparently irregularly scheduled 75M broadcast popped in this morning // much more regular 2850 (Pyongyang) with mostly non-martial tunes & occasional Korean chat (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA, PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. 5919.99, 2002, V of Freedom, Hwaseong, S Korea. “Beautiful Country”, 453, 10/08 5919.99, 2002, V of Freedom, Hwaseong, S Korea. Theme song, still no jamming, 353 17/08 (Tomoaki Wagai, Wakayama, Japan, Icom IC-7300, ant: Diamond BB2M+AOR LA400 (jamming noted to have returned by 24 August by TW), Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) And QSY later back to 6045 as Ron Howard has reported, escaping jamming for a while: (gh, DXLD) First day back to alternate frequency 6045, Voice of Freedom, ex: 5920; Sept 6; Closing at 0805* (a few seconds before 06) with the very nice song "aleumdaun nala" (Beautiful Country); carrier remained on till *0858, with music "Frontier"; then singing station jingle; ToH time pips; fair, with no N. Korea jamming here yet, so for the next few days this can be enjoyed without jamming. My edited audio of one minute of the closing song, spliced together with the start of next segment, at http://goo.gl/cs2ext (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) 6045, V Of Freedom (Hwaseong), 1300+ 6 Sept., 1232-1300+ 7 Sept. Ex-5920 as of the 6th [& thanks to Ron Howard via the radio.chobi site for the updated info] with K-Pop, chat; nice & clear with the NK jammer still rumbling away on 5920 (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA, PL380/6m X wire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6045, Voice of Freedom, Sept 7. Second day here, so no N. Korea yet (which was still very strong down on ex: 5920); the usual good reception. 1000: "Bodo gwangjang" program ("News plaza"). My audio at http://goo.gl/p57aPw 1100: "Hanminjog tong-illo milaelo" program ("Korean people, to unity, to the future"). My audio starting at 1059, with one minute of music before the program, at http://goo.gl/9gY1R4 (Ron, California, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [and non]. Re: [WOR] Glenn Hauser logs September 3-4-5, 2018 about Marine bands, lack of CW ID markers, VVV or CQ, DE I've occasionally scanned the marine bands, too. CW is mostly gone. Some coastal stations still run their CW call-signs during rtty markers (such as TAH, Turkey and XSG and others of PRC). The last remaining "real CW marker" of maritime coastal station seems to be Seoul Radio, at least on 8, 12 and 16 MHz. They run continuous CW-markers on various frequencies with different HL-starting call-signs. Never heard any shore-to-ship traffic from them for years, anyway. 73, (Jari Savolainen, Finland, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) WTFK? Dxinfocentre.com does not list such stations extra-Canadian, but linx to ITU search, which finds Seoul Radio, excerpting without chaff the A1A (CW) frequencies with kW power and hours of operation: HLF 8484 5 1800-0900 HLF 12916.5 10 H24 HLF 22611.6 10 HI+00 0900-1800 HLG 12935 15 Hi+00 H24 HLJ 16910 10 0900-1800 HLO 12843 10 H24 HLO 16990 15 1800-0900 HLW 8636 5 1800-0900 HLW 17130 15 0900-1800 HLW2 12923 10 H24 (via Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, PRIDNESTROVIE Dengê Welat at 2023 in Kurdish with a man with talk with many mentions of “Iraq” and “America” - Good Sept 10 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA iog via DXLD) ** KUWAIT. 15529.7, 0715, R Kuwait. Lots of English pop in English program, 343 04/08 (Michael L Ford, Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffs, England, UK, NRD515, NCM515, NRD545, 85' lw, Wellbrook 330ALA loop, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 15529.75, 0635, R Kuwait (presumed). English, pop, muffled signal, 454 08/08 (David Morris, Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, England, UK, CommRadio CR1 SDR, Yaesu FRG100 / 100' LW, ibid.) Recent transmission and programme schedule received from Radio Kuwait gives English to Europe 0500-0800 on 15530 kHz and to South and Southeast Asia on 11970 kHz and at 1800-2100 on 15540 kHz. Evening transmission has not been heard here, possibly due to present propagation, but the morning broadcast in English is fair to good here with programmes on Islam, news and western non-stop music on 15530 kHz, the 11970 kHz channel barely audible. Radio Kuwait rarely QSLs but sends it calendar and schedules regularly. I got a QSL some years ago and will try again (Ullmar Qvick, Sweden, SW Bulletin Sept 9 via DXLD) 15540/DRM, R Kuwait with English programming in only marginally, 8.5 minutes of audio decoding during the half hour I listened. English News read by YL including an item on the forum of China-Africa Co-operation Conference to be held in China this year, and Russian Rallies to protest the increase of retirement ages held throughout that country. Then into weather report and music and “This Day in History” but none of these things were really listenable as it started to skip pretty badly. 6-15 dB s/n radio and barely decoding. 1833-1903 2/Sep SDRplay +SDRuno +DReaM +randomwire (Ken Zichi, Pt Hope MI2, MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) 15535-15540-15545, Sept 8 at 1841, DRM noise averaging S8, so R. Kuwait may have been semi-decodable in English; most of the time, so little signal that it`s hard to tell if DRM or mere band noise (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15540, Radio Kuwait at 1649 in Urdu with male and female folk vocals and a woman with brief talk at 1650 and into male vocals – Fair Sept 9 – Of course they were in analogue mode for this transmission but will use DRM (should stand for Doesn't Really Modulate) for their English service from 1800 to 2100. What a waste of bandwidth! (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA iog via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. Re: http://www.twr.org/project/silk-road-transmitter Although TWR does not disclose the location of the proposed transmitter for the "Silk Road Project" (neither did they for the TWR PANI project for "security reasons"), it is likely that it will be at Krasnaya Rechka, near Bishkek (also the site of the TWR PANI transmitter on 1467 kHz), using the frequency of 1287 kHz vacated by Kyrgyz Radio (Tony Rogers, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. BBC World Service News in English are aired as follows: BBC Sport News from Mondays to Fridays at 1005-1009, Saturdays & Sundays at 1000-1004 BBC News daily at 1600-1606 (confirmed this from 1600 UT on 7th, but on 8 September 2018 began from 1800 because of the special event – a common aired by TV & Birinchi Radio) (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sept 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WTFK???? ** MADAGASCAR. MADAGÁSCAR, 5010, R. TV Madagasikara, Ambohidrano, 1811-1849, 31/8. Texto (em malgaxe?), canções; 25241, QRM esporádico de sinal de ponto a ponto (Carlos L R de Assunção Gonçalves, 30Aug-08Sep SW coast of Portugal obs., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALDIVES. AM transmissions of the Voice of Maldives, 1449 kHz [10 kW] is now off the air. The station is currently in the process of relocating the antennas of its MW transmitter from the eastern edge of Male to Thilafushi, about 7 km from the Maldivian capital. 1449 kHz is expected to resume broadcasts from 15 September, once the antennas are installed at Thilafushi, an artificial island built on reclaimed coral reefs used by Male Municipal to dump garbage. The MW antennas of Voice of Maldives were operating at an open space in Henveiru area, east of Male island, very close to the sea front. The newly constructed 1.39 km long China - Maldives bridge across the sea, connecting Male and Hulumale acquiring a part of land mass near the antenna block in Henveiru for road access to connect to the bridge may have compelled Voice of Maldives to seek a new location in Thilafushi to fix the antennas. The coverage of Voice of Maldives is about 90% of the Maldives via MW (Medium Wave transmission) on 1449 kHz; the remaining 10% is covered using small FM transmitters via a radio uplink/downlink from satellites. Following are the radio stations on MW and FM Voice of Maldives - 1449 AM Male Raajje FM - 91.0 FM Male Radio 1 (Radio Eke) - 103.8 FM Male Radio 2 - 89.0 FM Male Radio Atoll - 96.0 FM Male Capital Radio - 93.6 FM Male Dhi FM - 95.2 FM Male Far Away FM - 96.6 FM Male HFM - 92.6 FM Male Sun FM - 94.6 FM Male (Sarath Weerakoon, Ceylon, 4S5SL, Sept 7, Union of Asian Dxers, Mt Lavinia, Sri Lanka, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews via Wolfgang Bueschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 700, XEGD, La Poderosa, Hidalgo del Parral, Chih. AUG 30 1200 - National anthem in progress; ID at 1202 for AM and XHGB 90.3 FM, with address, phone number, and "La Poderosa" slogan; into talk after a couple minutes of opening music. No sign lately of XEETCH. 739.95, XEQN, R. Fórmula, Torreón, Coah. AUG 30 1155 - Usual R. Fórmula network programming; no local ID heard. A bit off-frequency, as they have been for years. Fair at best. 780, XEWGR, Exa FM, Monclova, Coah. AUG 17 1120 - Local talk show "Buenos Dias Coahuila" in progress; full ID for FM only at 1133: "XHWGR 101.1 transmitiendo con diez mil wats de potencia desde Calle Ecuador numero 300 (or 600) Colonia Guadalupe..."; the slogan "Exa FM 101.1" noted occasionally. Heard often lately, sometimes all alone on the frequency when using LSB (nearby KCEG transmits virtually all of its signal on USB). 940, XERLA, R. Sur California, Santa Rosalia, BCS, AUG 13 1200 - Long multi-verse choral anthem lasting nearly five minutes, then usual "Radio Sur California" ID, never giving any call letters; music followed. Generally fair, mixing with KIXZ [Amarillo]. Has been fairly regular lately. 970, XESW, R. Madera, Cd. Madera, Chih. AUG 21 1207 - Choral anthem, a bit late today, followed by a flowery prayer at 1209; ID's for XESW and XHESW were followed by music. Fair/poor with interference on this day but noted on other occasions in late August alone on the frequency, although not strong. 980, unID, AUG 19 1201 - Mexican choral anthem, at least 3 verses, followed by rooster crows and music afterward. Rough copy. Probably XEFQ in Sonora with a 5:00 a.m. anthem, per Tim Hall info. Noted on a couple of other occasions, never with much readability in the interference (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge CO; Drake R8, 4-foot box loop. NRC IDXD Sept 7 via DXLD) ** MEXICO [and non]. Asunto: [Radioescucha] DX La radio de Televisa... SANTANDER VENDE Televisa, de Emilio Azcárraga, ya seleccionó al agente financiero para vender sus estaciones de radio. Se trata de Santander, que dirige Héctor Grisi y preside Marcos Martínez. Sin embargo, el proceso está detenido porque su socio español, Prisa, sigue buscando un aliado que quiera quedarse con el 50% de la televisora. Las huestes de Manuel Mirat invitaron a tres socios mexicanos que le han acompañado en su capitalización, pero todos rechazaron entrar al negocio radiofónico. Considere a Carlos Fernández, exaccionista de Grupo Modelo; a Roberto Alcántara, del Grupo IAMSA, y Francisco González, de Multimedios. No obstante, los hispanos siguen sondeando otros. Santander sólo está a la espera del banderazo. Ya se han acercado 25 interesados. Los más visibles son Radio Fórmula, de Rogerio Azcárraga; Acir, de Francisco Ibarra; Radiorama, de Javier Pérez de Anda y Adrián Pereda, y El Financiero, de Manuel Arroyo. Enviado por: Carlos J. V. (via Juan Franco Crespo, Spain, Sept 7, DXLD) ** MEXICO. RAYMIE`S MEXICO BEAT this week --- including DTV = TDT Coverage Spotlight: XHL and XHQCZ, and the VHF Shadows of UHF Stations I don't pair TV stations often, but XHL and XHQCZ come to mind with a few oddities. Last month, XHL moved from virtual 23 to 9. However, its shadow atop Cerro Culiacán, serving Irapuato and Celaya, remained on virtual 23. Shadows don't normally get to have separate virtual channels. This might be a called-for exception, however. The reason is because XHQCZ, also virtual 9 now, has a shadow on the same tower. (Of course, they're co-owned.) Both stations have subchannels, too. http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?9113-OPMA-is-changing&p=46715#post46715 XHL (left) and XHQCZ (right) XHQCZ, which just moved to channel 19 for repacking purposes from its original 40, also has a shadow at channel variance, unknown until now. The Querétaro (C. El Cimatario) shadow is on channel 8 — the first known case of a VHF shadow for a UHF television station. This is probably necessary because, midway between the primary transmitter atop C. El Zamorano (190 kW / 1309 m HAAT) and C. Culiacán (10 kW / 1020 m HAAT), interference could be a problem. XHQCZ/Querétaro broadcasts with 20,017 watts on channel 8 and makes Querétaro the first Mexican locality with multiple VHF television stations (XHPBQR came to air less than a year ago). In fact, shadow XEZ and XHZ broadcast on channels 10 and 9, respectively. Other shadows are now on VHF. TV Azteca changed the channels of its shadows for Guadalupe, Nuevo León, to 11 (XHFN) and 12 (XHWX), probably because the interim solution of using the repacking channel was no longer possible when it came time to repack the main stations. (Raymie Humbert, Phoenix AZ, Sept 7, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) A couple of scraps of some interest... A missing piece to the XHPBA puzzle? With the station still on its slow way out of Exa-land but no announcement made yet of anything firm, there was this piece from July 24 that adds a dimension that hasn't yet been touched: a good old ownership squabble. https://www.diariocambio.com.mx/2018/zoon-politikon/item/21590-disputa-entre-los-montero-y-garcia-calderon-pone-en-vilo-destino-de-la-98-7-fm You see, Tribuna Comunicación is owned by the Montero family and by Jaime García Calderón. The Montero family, according to the report, would just have XEZT (no wonder they keep saying it's going to migrate!) while García Calderón would keep XHPBA. There is some more current news this week. Finally, the Facebook URL for XHPBA changed from ExaPuebla987 to Puebla987, but "Exa" is still in the page name. (No change occurred for XEZT.) Oaxaca social FMs on the radar: An Oaxaca state government agency https://iluminandotusdias.com/reconoce-sinfra-aportacion-de-las-radios-comunitarias-e-indigenas-de-oaxaca/ recognized several social and community stations belonging to an organization on which I can find very little info, "Frecuencias Mexicanas de Radios Sociales" (FM Radios). Apparently the IFT participated in the event as well. This must be a fairly new association. The FM Radios members are at Oaxaca, Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, Ejutla de Crespo, Santa María Huatulco, Chalcatongo de Hidalgo, Santiago Juxtlahuaca and Santa María Asunción Tlaxiaco. My guess is that these are XHEDI, XHDCA, XHEJU, XHHDH, XHÑUC, XHVMT and XHTRO. Worth noting: I have had no confirmation that any of XHEDI, XHÑUC, XHHDH or XHVMT are operating, and XHTRO has still to move to its assigned 94.1 frequency. The Coverage Viewer lacks all information on FM stations in Oaxaca (though it's been hard down this weekend, so perhaps it is getting an update to fix that and other issues), so I can't tell if any of them are a step closer. There are a couple of other associations of community stations whose members are primarily in Oaxaca. The Red de Radiodifusoras Comunitarias Independientes (RRCI) includes some newly legalized stations, such as Fundación Guish Bac and Somos Uno Radio in Tlacolula, but it mostly includes pirates. There's one called AIRE, as well. A couple of stations in the state are ORC members. Radio Educación gets ready for its 50th: With a series of ten roundtable discussions and other events, Radio Educación is gearing up to celebrate fifty years since it was refounded in 1968. http://homozapping.com.mx/2018/09/anuncia-radio-educacion-conmemoracion-de-los-50-anos-de-su-emisora-emblematica/ The article also mentions that XHEP-FM is apparently scheduled to debut next month. Additionally, another internal letter reveals that technical support, including donated equipment, has come from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. https://www.radioeducacion.edu.mx/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/COMUNICADO_132_2018.pdf The equipment includes IP link equipment, an RDS generator, a UPS, and a wattmeter. A clearer future for XHMY: It's been on auto-pilot for months, but XHMY is now in Grupo Siete's hands and carrying its Crystal format. Together with XHPCA 106.1, Grupo Siete now has a duopoly in Pachuca. Once upon a time, XHPCA actually carried the format, too (Raymie, Sept 9, ibid.) Two more new stations with information available: Soley Sin Barreras, A.C., goes on XHSCAP-FM 107.7 at Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, Oax. http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/conocenos/pleno/sesiones/acuerdoliga/plft230518389.pdf Soley has operated a pirate before (93.5) and does work with disabled people in the region. It's the second community station for Miahuatlán (XHDCA-FM). Radio Juchari Iretarhu Anapu, A.C., will serve Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán, on 105.9 XHSCAM-FM. http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/conocenos/pleno/sesiones/acuerdoliga/plft230518391.pdf The station is one town over from Uruapan (Raymie, Sept 10, ibid.) ** MEXICO. 6185, Radio Educación, Ciudad de México, 0455-0502*, 07-09, songs. 15321. Also 0430-0503*, 09-09, music and songs, ID: "Señal Cultural de México, onda corta, 6185 kHz, 10000 watts de potencia, una emisora de Radio Educación". Interference on 6180 till 0457. 12321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante and Lugo, Tecsun S-8800, cable antenna, 8 meters, WOR iog via DXLD) ** MONACO. 13146, 1005, Monaco R. OM with English weather reports, ID & off at 1005 242 11/08 (Michael L Ford, Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffs, England, UK, NRD515, NCM515, NRD545, 85' lw, Wellbrook 330ALA loop, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) AM mode, u.o.s.? (gh, DXLD) ** MONACO [non]. RadioMediaset takes over Radio Monte Carlo Adventure continues says Pier Silvio Berlusconi http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2018/09/05/radiomediaset-takes-over-radio-monte-carlo_22a91e5f-c5c3-4265-8f0d-34e9298c60a7.html (ANSA) - Milan, September 5 - RadioMediaset, a unit of Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset, on Wednesday bought 100% of RMC Italia which broadcasts Radio Monte Carlo, adding it to a portfolio that includes 105, Virgin, R101 and Subasio. Mediaset CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi said "Mediaset's investments in the new radio adventure are continuing: starting from scratch, in a little more than three years we have set up the top national group, RadioMediaset". The Berlusconi company already had a strategic partnership in Radio Monte Carlo (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 5960, UT Sun Sept 9 at 0020, The Mighty KBC on reactivated Sept-May frequency, after a summer on 9925, via Nauen, GERMANY. Classic rock, of course, S9+10/20, no QRM. Will be much less subject to propagation disturbances than 9925; however, this week, 9925 should have been good like 9420 Greece (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. 7425, Sept 7 at 1249, RNZI is S7-S9, but poor and not -solid, presumably back on the NNW antenna only since 1100. At 1257, QSY announcement to 5980 and off; 5980 comes on a few seconds before *1259, now much better S9+10/20 with bellbird chirps. Still audible at 1346 faded to fair S9/S9+10. Checking today since I got this about yesterday Sept 6: ``Hi Glenn, I made a mental note this morning of RNZ Pacific remaining on the overnight frequency 7425 after the frequency shift cart fired. I heard the announcement saying to retune to 5.9__ ??? and the Bell Bird sang a complete cycle of refrains only to go back into time pips and news, Dateline Pacific on 7425. It was well past 9:00 am CDT [1400 UT] when I tuned out due to fading and time constraints. Today's (Sept. 6th) glitch was lucky for us in North America. As the days get shorter perhaps the other lower frequency might be useful in a few more weeks until the winter frequencies kick in. All this with a Realistic DX-160. Best Regards, David Tymoshchuk, Winnipeg, Manitoba`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also UNIDENTIFIED 9760 ** NEW ZEALAND. UNIDENTIFIED. 9755-9760-9765, Sept 6 at 0542, S9+20 of DRM noise, in fact the SSOB! But it cuts off at 0545* leaving a JBA AM carrier. What`s this? HFCC has nothing in any mode at this hour (except JIC Japan wooden). Would you believe that both Romania and NZ are HFCC registered in DRM on 9760 elsewhen and overlapping? RRI at 1700-1800, and RNZ at 1745- 2000. Propagation-wise, 31m is almost dead, but 10000 WWVH is audible; I suspect NZ with a test, as AM on 11725 is still VG and the OSOB at S9+10. RNZI had been limping along with one transmitter for several weeks, as its newer DRM-capable one was awaiting replacement part, so there was no DRM at all from it. The current RNZI websked does show DRM on 9760 but only at 1951-2050 Sunday-Friday. https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/listen (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI, replied Sept 7 to my unID 9760 DRM, and 7425 running past 1300 as detailed in my last report: ``Hello Glenn, September 6 is the first Wednesday/Thursday in the month and the day for RNZI transmitter maintenance. 2230 (Wed)-0600 (Thu) UT. It is routine to check all the frequencies in current use and some due for future use. The transmission past 1300 on 7425 was an operational error. The transmitter was left not connected to the PC which drives the frequency schedule. Regards Adrian`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND [and non]. NZ gives $10 million for Pacific Broadcasting --- Wednesday 05 September, 2018 Winston Peters in Nauru https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/nz-gives-10-million-pacific-broadcasting While Australia's ABC is cutting shortwave Radio Australia broadcasts to the Pacific, the New Zealand government has just announced a NZ$10 million grant for an enhanced free-to-air Pasifika TV service across the region. NZ foreign minister Winston Peters announced the plans at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru, with the money to be spent over the next three years to improve both quality and access for free-to-air broadcasters. The expansion of the Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Ltd service will also include a comprehensive training programme to support broadcasting and journalism across the Pacific, including equipment, internships and cross-regional training. Peters says "While the existing service has demonstrated its ability to lift broadcasting and journalism in the region, it is the natural next step to promote the production of more Pacific content, including news and current affairs." Meanwhile radio services across the region continue to suffer with stations like PNG's NBC Western forced to reinstate short wave services on Daru Island following the failure of their FM service (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Radio Kwara workers insist on sack of Sole Administrator By Olayinka Owolewa http://www.nan.ng/news/radio-kwara-workers-insist-on-sack-of-sole-administrator/ Workers of Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Kwara, on Thursday continued their strike, insisting that government must sack their Sole Administrator, Dr Muideen Akorede. The workers had embarked on the strike on Wednesday over lack of operational equipment and poor staff welfare. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited the radio station on Thursday, reports that the premises located on Police Road in Ilorin metropolis were still under lock and key. NAN also reports that the workers used their vehicles to block the main entrance of the station, completely preventing access to the premises. The workers also denied the General Manager of the station, Alhaji Adedeji Adebowale, entrance into the premises as he remained inside his official vehicle when NAN visited the radio station. Speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman of Radio Kwara chapel [sic] of Radio Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), Rasaq Aremu, said the strike would continue as long as Akorede remained in office. "Our main agitation, for now, is for the Sole Administrator to be removed. If he is removed right now as I speak with you, we will resume and continue further deliberations with the government. His removal will bring peace and sanity back to the station because he is running his administration all alone without consultation with our management and staff. "He knows little about broadcasting, what is the point if we are not being carried along? There has been no improvement since he came. Anyone can just come and see our premises, we want Akorede to go," Aremu said. He further said that the agitation was not about salary alone, insisting that the workers were also protesting the lack of operational equipment in the media outfit. Aremu questioned the propriety of workers collecting salaries without justifying it due to no fault of theirs. He urged the workers to remain resolute until Akorede, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, was removed. But Akorede had in a statement on Wednesday confirmed the release of N5million as part of the subvention for the radio station. He said that he had always engaged the management of the station and its union leaders on issues regarding their operational expenses. Akorede added that the delay in releasing funds to the station was due to the economic challenges the country was facing. He said the monthly allocation to the state was received on Monday while salaries and overheads of parastatal agencies, including Radio Kwara, were expected to be paid before the end of the week. Akorede stressed that like other parastatal agencies, subventions to media houses were being paid regularly. Subvention, he said, was always released directly to the station and disbursed based on the budget and operational needs as approved. He said the state government had prioritised payment of salaries as first line charge followed by operational expenses of parastatal agencies (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) WTFK? Not easy to search eyebally WRTH listings, but I spot a federal station in Kwara on 103.5; different one? (gh, DXLD) ** NIGERIA. The DRM service of Voice of Nigeria is back on air after being missing for some months. The schedule is 1800-1930 UT on 15120 kHz, although it is rather erratic, either missing completely on some days or starting half-hour, or more, late. Never-the-less it is providing a welcome opportunity to listen to some of their programmes and when on air, the DRM transmission is providing a reliable signal with a good lock and few drop-outs. [lately // AM on 9689.9v --- gh] On 5 August at 1820 UT (15120 kHz) I enjoyed Weekend Magazine. This is a relaxed, magazine programme presented by Glory Ohago (Glory, pronounced Glo-o-ory) consisting of informal chat, reports and Nigerian music, and this edition starts off with a Nigerian proverb, which goes along the lines of “take things slow and steady no matter the challenges you face in life” – which just about sums up the programme. Next was an enjoyable modern Nigerian pop song (about the singer’s expressing confidence for getting the girl he loves) which leads to a reminder “to stay focused and positive to your life’s goals and dreams no matter what the lemons are that life throws at you.” This was followed by a very short drama/sketch about keeping positive, focused, optimistic and relaxed, which led into a feature report about a form of relaxation at a fish spa, where fish remove the dead skin from your feet. It’s: “a form of relaxation where fishes nibble and tickle your feet. Can I ask ‘May you stand fish nibbling and tickling from fish?!’” Not for me, although I have seen this on one of my holidays somewhere. Next, another Nigerian pop song which led into a short, but interesting, discussion on whether women should be brought up different to men. The conclusion was that all should be brought up the same. Everyone should remember: “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it [&] everyone should be able up to keep a home irrespective of gender and must have the ability to cook because hunger is gender neutral, even though in Africa cooking is seen as a pride of a woman.” After a (very nice sounding!) fish recipe, the programme ended with a final Nigerian pop song. A very entertaining and informative programme – I was sorry that it was only 25 minutes long. The V of Nigeria programming doesn’t seem to have changed much, if at all, since I last wrote about it in 2015, so here is a quick re-cap of the 1800-1930 UT transmission. Monday-Friday 1800 Sixty Minutes Monday 1900 Financial Monitor 1915 World of Arts Tuesday 1900 Diplomatic Suite 1915 Beyond Poverty Line Wednesday 1900 In the News Thursday 1900 West Africa Today 1915 From the National Assembly Friday 1900 Theatre on the Air Saturday 1800 Africa Hour 1900 Impressions 1915 Politics Today Sunday 1800 News 1815 Reflections 1820 Weekend Magazine 1845 The Villa 1900 Sports Round-up 1915 World of Arts (Alan Roe, Listening Post, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 9689.9, Voice of Nigeria, Ikorodu, 1800-1934, 06-09, English, ID "Voice of Nigeria", news, "The President of Nigeria, the Nigerian Government", comments, "This is the English Service of Voice of Nigeria", at 1928 tuning music, Vernacular program. 34433 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante and Lugo, Tecsun S-8800, cable antenna, 8 meters, WOR iog via DXLD) 9689.92, Sept 6 at 2048, African language at S3-S6, as VON has reactivated here, first reported Sept 2 by Mark Coady, Ontario, and since then by several others, some putting it on 9689.91. Watch out for France in Hausa at 2000-2030 on 9690.0. 9689.91 has also been carrying VON English until 1930, then Fulfulde, then from 2000 its own Hausa (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9689.93, Voice of Nigeria – Ikorudu, 8 September 2018, 1915. tune-in to unlisted English transmission: an extended interview with two women visiting the country, asked about their impressions of Nigeria, etc; English ID by woman at 1928 as "Voice of Nigeria" with mailing address. The transmission continued in a different language from 1930 (Fulfulde listed). VON is not scheduled on this frequency in any language between 1730 and 1930; something new? F-G level (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan USA. Equipment: Airspy HF+ with SDR Console v.3 and a 45' PAR EF-SWL end-fed wire at 20', NASWA Flashsheet Sept 9 via DXLD) ** NORTH AMERICA. YHWH: 7470/AM, 0222, 9/1; Familiar voice at QRN level (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7470, USA (religious pirate), Radio YHWH at 0220. It is Yahweh or the highway for the second night in a row, with Josiah. At 0245, the whole recycled 10 Commandments of Yahweh routine, but went into a deep fade at 0250. Nothing heard after that, so the fadeout may have been tx [transmission? Transmitter?] problems. - Very Good (until fadeout) Sept 5 Barton-AZ For Sep. 5. SW Logs, listed most recent first. Listening from Arizona. Hopefully useful information for someone can be picked out of here. Times/Dates in UT. English used unless otherwise stated. Grundig Satellit 205(T.5000) & 750; RS SW-2000629, & ATS-909X. with various outdoor wires. Use of portables noted where relevant for perspective on signal strength comments. 73 and Good Listening..! : D ! (Rick Barton, WOR iog via DXLD) Pirate: YHWH: 7470/AM, 0207, 9/8; Familiar voice of Josiah huckstering away. Poor at QRN level, but noticeably better than lately (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time & without the aid of a computer! -----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. I.M.H.O. The occasional rantings and ravings of your somewhat Opinionated Editor. The opinions expressed are mine only, and do not reflect the position of CIDX. The letters TDoA caused an uproar in the pirate community in mid-July. What exactly does TDoA stand for and why were pirate ops upset you ask? Well, it is an abbreviation for Time Difference Of Arrival. This is a software program that works with the Kiwi brand of SDRs, which are online throughout the USA and around the world. It is a direction-finding program, which enables one to locate the transmitter site of the station being heard. A simple explanation of how the system works is this. You need to be able to receive the station you want to DF on three different Kiwi/TDoA SDRs. The program will analyze the signal, find something in it that it can match on all three receivers, then calculate the difference in time it arrived at each receiver, do its magic and plot on a map the location of the transmitter. The program is far from perfect and even when accurate, only can locate a signal within 50-75 miles of the transmitter location. We are not yet at the point where it will give you the street address of Wolverine Radio, but in 10 years, who knows? Why, pray tell, is this bothersome to pirates, since the FCC has a much more accurate system? They use TDoA and other things to locate you. If they wanted they could locate the majority of pirates on the air. Well, for one thing, back in July, a DXer using TDoA posted his DF/map showing the location of pirate on the hfunderground. Pirate Ops were not too happy, to put it mildly. The whole thing about SW pirate radio is to be in a secret location and when TDoA pirates are taking this away are none too happy. One pirate op said he’s retiring from the hobby; others are staying off the air for now. Activity, on the pirate bands, since the map posting has decreased. The good news is the hfunderground will no longer post TDoA info. I asked pirate expert and head honcho of the hfunderground, Chris Smolinski about TDoA. He was nice enough to give me this info. Chris says, it does not always work and instead of being within 50 miles you can be off by 200 miles. You can run the program using the same receivers and get markedly different results. Chris says the FCC system is a lot more accurate! How will TDoA affect pirate radio in the future? Right now it has ops scared. In my opinion should they be? No. The FCC isn’t going to use this info. It’s a mindset, pirate ops don’t like the idea that you know where they are, but I’m afraid they are going to have to get used to it or go mobile, like Radio USA and Undercover Radio. The hfunderground.com has a nice discussion of TDoA in the General Category with a posting dated July 13th. Also here is more info on TDoA https://www.rtl-sdr.com/kiwisdr-tdoa-direction-finding-now-freely-available-for-public-use/ It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, time will tell. (Chris Lobdell, Free Radio Scene, Sept CIDX Messenger via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Application for STA filed: 800, KQCV, OK, Oklahoma City – Applies for STA, parameters at variance and/or reduced power; problems in pattern. 1520, KOKC, OK, Oklahoma City – Granted STA extension, U1 10000/10000, temporary tower at 35-20-01/97-30-18 (AM switch, NRC DX News Sept 17 via DXLD) 1640, KZLS, OK, Enid – Networks to USA/SRN/P/CMP/DR/RER (Charles Reh, NRC AM Log update, NRC DX News Sept 17 via DXLD) Re: ``1210, KGYN, OK, Guymon – 8/19 2214 [converted to EDT] – Talk show, obviously not nulled toward Philadelphia; in fact it`s stronger than WOAI-1200 before fading a bit. KGYN is supposed to be U4 10/10 kW; and still has a CP for U7 50/39/10 (GH-OK``, NRC DX News Sept 17 via DXLD) KGYN is licensed for U2 10/10 kW (DA nights only) with the stated CP – Bill Hale, ed., ibid.] ?? Yes; not sure where I got U4 (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. ``DEAR KOMA, OKLAHOMA CITY ----`` 1963 Vintage KOMA Radio Station 50,000 Watts Oklahoma City Listeners Letters U. S. ( 302862186176 ) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-KOMA-Radio-Station-50-000-Watts-Oklahoma-City-Listeners-Letters-U-S/302862186176?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 (via Artie Bigley, OH, DXLD) Multi-page typed booklet with testimonials about how effective KOMA was for advertisers thruout the West, with cartoon drawings. Get it on full screen and page thru. How long does eBay leave up stuff like this after it has been sold? (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. RF 17, Sept 7 at 1444 and still 1748 UT check, Enid`s only local DTV station, 3ABN`s K17JN-D, is on the air with very strong signal, but all six sub channels are black and silent. Again. With big storms between here and OKC, several signals from there are degraded to the point of invisibility around 1445 UT: RF 50, 46, 33, 29; nothing on 23; while others like 39, 27 are nominal; even the low -power on 42 is showing some signal. OKC metro has suffered several days of flooding now. RF 17, Sept 9 at 1546 UT, Enid`s only local TV signal, but with no local origination whatsoever, K17JN-D, the 3ABN Adventist network, has semi-recovered after several days of black screens and silence on all six subchannels: now only 2, 4 and 6, while usual programming has resumed on 1, 3, and 5. Still the same at 0315 UT Sept 11 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. FCC DTV news: Elk City 17, K17MK, Moved from K49KK 26 K26NC K47LR Enid 9 KBZC-LD From 42, 3kw; granted [on 42 the transmitter site was axually OKC! Rarely seen in Enid with tropo boost; presumably will continue to be that far away, but harder to get here on VHF; long live long gone KWTV] Oklahoma City 18 KOPX-TV From 50, 200kw/467m, 35-34-07/97-29-21; granted Oklahoma City 25 KWTV-DT Granted new post-repack auxiliary facility, 1000kw/331m Seiling 18, K18LY, Moved from K47LB & K19GZ 23 K23NH Tulsa 27 K27OB From K40KC, 2kw; granted Tulsa 34 KMYT-TV Granted STA to use KTUL tower for interim facility on post repack channel, 875kw/381m, 35-58-08/95-36-56. Will return to existing tower when new antenna is installed. Woodward 14 K14QP Moved from K38KH (September WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. FCC FM News: Hennessey 97.7 KHEO ‘Calls assigned to new station’ Hobart 102.1 K271CZ ‘Calls assigned to new station; will be Classic Country: ‘Great Plains Country’ // KTJS-1420' Waukomis 106.3 KWEO ‘Calls assigned to new station’ (September WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3260, NBC Madang (Maus Blong Garamut), 1220+, on Sept 7. Running much later than normal; poor and unreadable (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. Radio Romania International in English. Exact schedules confirmed by listening to on short waves – observed between 24 August and 8 September 2018: Listener’s Letterbox (duration 14 minutes): Sun & Mon from 1139, from 1739 & from 2239; Mon & Tue from 0039 & from 0339; DX Mailbag 1 (duration 5 minutes): Tue & Wed from 1139, from 1739 & from 2239; Wed & Thu from 0039 & from 0339; DX Mailbag 2 (duration 5 minutes): Thu & Sat from 1139, from 1739 & from 2239; Fri & Sun from 0039 & from 0339 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sept 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. Radio Test Romania? Today at 1144 UT in 15200. Follows audio recording through Twente SDR websdr_recording_start_2018-09-09T11_44_39Z_15200.0kHz.wav (Jorge Freitas, Feira de Santana Bahia, 12°14´S 38°58´W - Brasil, Tecsun PL-310ET, Antenna dipole of 25 meters-direction northeast-southwest On 09-Sep-2018, RADIOCOM Galbeni transmitters inadvertently remained on the frequencies of RRI French broadcast 1000-1100 UT during RRI English broadcast 1100-1200 UT (GAL_TX1: 15200 kHz, GAL_TX2: 11650 kHz). Radio Romania International SW schedule: http://ab27.bplaced.net/rri.pdf 73, (Alexander Busneag, Germany, Sept 9, WOR iog via DXLD) ** SAAR. Sendemast in Heusweiler wird gesprengt. Am Abend des 21. Septembers wird der Mittelwellensender in Heusweiler gesprengt. Fuer die Sprengung erfolgt eine grossraeumige Absperrung des Areals rund um den Sender sowie Teilen der A8. Die Sprengung uebertraegt der aktuelle bericht live. Bereits am 31. Dezember 2015 ist die Mittelwellen-Senderanlage abgeschaltet worden. Seither hat sich kein Interessent gefunden, der die Senderanlage nutzen will. Daher wird der Sender durch Sprengung seiner Halteseile zurueckgebaut. Da nicht der Mast selbst, sondern nur die Seile gesprengt werden, ist keine groessere Druckwelle zu erwarten. Fuer Zuschauer ist der Rueckbau aber trotzdem nicht ungefaehrlich. Wer nah und live dabei sein will, kann die Sprengung des Senders live im aktuellen bericht und der Facebookseite der Nachrichtensendung verfolgen. Autobahn von Freitag bis Sonntag gesperrt. Um fuer die Sicherheit der Oeffentlichkeit zu sorgen, werden 250 Meter rund um den Sendemast Sperrzonen eingerichtet. Zudem wird der am Sendergelaende vorbeilaufende Autobahnabschnitt zwischen der Anschlussstelle Heusweiler und Schwarzenholz gesperrt. Die Sperrung beginnt am Freitagabend um 17.00 Uhr und dauert bis Sonntagabend. In dieser Zeit wird das Abschirmnetz ueber die Autobahn entfernt. Zuschauer, die die Sprengung direkt in Heusweiler sehen moechten, wird geraten, den Ortskern zu meiden und sich einen Aussichtspunkt rund um Heusweiler zu suchen. Durch die Sperrungen rechnen die Verantwortlichen mit einer angespannten Verkehrssituation im Grossraum Heusweiler. Zeitweise staerkster Radiosender Deutschlands Am 31.12.2015 wurde der Mittelwellensender in Heusweiler nach 80 Jahren abgeschaltet. Mit einer Leistung von zeitweise sagenhaften 1.200 Kilowatt war er der staerkste Radiosender Deutschlands, der zeitweise in ganz Europa emfpangen werden konnte. In den sechziger Jahren wurde die Europawelle Saar fuer viele DDR-Buerger zu einer wichtigen Informationsquelle, da sie ueber den eisernen Vorhang hinaus mit Neuigkeiten versorgt wurden. Fuer das kleine Heusweiler wurden die grossen Antennenmasten so etwas wie ein Wahrzeichen. Die starke Sendeleistung hatte fuer die Anwohner aber auch kuriose Folgen: Teilweise erklang das Programm aus Dachrinnen, Kuehlschraenken und Topfdeckeln (via Paul Reinersch-D, A-DX Sept 7) (via BC-DX 7 Sept via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) Gesprengt means blown up, not merely dismantled as in the version at GERMANY. Cf also previous issue (gh, DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. Army Radio in the Red Sea Army Radio in the Red Sea! That phrase almost reminds us of the Exodus of the Jewish people in ancient times from Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula; except of course for the fact that there was no radio back some three and a half thousand years ago. Then too, this story today takes place near the southern end of the Red Sea and not towards the northern end where the Exodus took place. In an article in the American radio journal, Radio World, for June 6, 2018, Hans Johnson informs us about a new radio program service for Saudi Arabian military personnel on duty in the cross border conflict with Yemen. This radio programming is heard on shortwave, mediumwave and FM, and it was inaugurated last September. The title of this relatively new program service when translated from Arabic into English, would indicate Determination Radio, and it is on the air from radio broadcasting stations that were already in existence. The shortwave transmitters are located at both Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; the two mediumwave transmitters are located close to the border with Yemen; and likewise, the FM transmitters are also located near the same border region. Interestingly, one of the FM transmitters, according to the Johnson document, is located on Farasan Island. Apparently this FM station is a slave relay carrying a program feed from the Saudi Arabian mainland, and it is heard on 107 MHz FM. The Farasan Islands are a cluster of islands towards the southern end of the Red Sea, numbering anywhere up to around 180, depending on whose statistics you recognize, and on exactly what constitutes an island. This island cluster lies about 30 miles off the southwest coast of Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen; and in fact, some of the southern Farasan islands might even lie south of the border with Yemen and they may actually belong to the country of Yemen. The Farasan Islands were known to ancient travelers, and they were occupied by the Sabeans, and then Roman garrisons, followed by Egyptian soldiers. German personnel occupied them during World War 1 and World War 2, and the British also. Saudi Arabia took over these islands in the 1920s. Archaeological ruins their attest to these consecutive occupations, including even inscriptions in ancient Sabean, Southern Arabic, and Roman Latin. The ruins of Christian churches tell of the arrival of Christianity in the early years. Also the Farasans are home to the only wild population of Arabian Gazelles anywhere in the world. The Farasan Islands are low, almost totally barren coral islands, though there are several natural freshwater wells on the main islands. Just three of these islands are inhabited, and the total population these days stands at around 4,500. The main island in the Farasan group of Islands is 35 mile long Farasan with an area of 140 square miles, and the only town is also known as Farasan. There is a twice daily ferry service each way for the hour long journey with the mainland at the southern seaside town of Jazan and ticketing is free. There is a road bridge between Farasan Island and the neighboring island Segid. The programming for Determination Radio was on the air originally 12 hours daily, though it is on the air now 24 hours daily. This specialized programming includes such titles as Southern Pulse, and Peaceful Kingdom. The Farasan Islands radio station is located in Farasan town and it is heard on 107 MHz FM. We extend our appreciation for the research and information in this feature item to Hans Johnson, and also to the American magazine Radio World. It will be remembered that Hans Johnson is the Frequency Co-ordinator for shortwave station WINB at Red Lion in Pennsylvania USA (Adrian Peterson, IN, script for AWR Wavescan 2 September via DXLD) And before that founded Jihad-DX, later toned down to Cumbre DX (gh) ** SEYCHELLES. BBC WS - former Indian Ocean Relay Station Peter Jones writes: My wife and I just returned from a holiday in the Seychelles and we came across the old BBC World Service Indian Ocean Relay station on the main island of Mahé. It's located on the West coast near Grand Anse. The relay station sadly closed in March 2014 as these news items detail: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/seychelles-relay.html http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/1792 Even though the site had been closed for over four years, the gates were open and the communications towers looked as though they had not been touched. According to an article from the Seychelles news agency at the time (link above), the Ministry of Natural Resources were due to take occupation of the main station building for use as the new Veterinary and Livestock Services centre. There was however no sign of any of the buildings being used (Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** SIKKIM. 4835, AIR Gangtok (tentative), at 1227, on Sept 7. Very prominent hum, which probably was the AIR transmitter having similar problems as they have had in past; very much blocking Ozy Radio reception (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** SOMALIA. 7750, 1440, Warsan R, Baydhabo (presumed). Relay of BBC Somali // 12095, weak but audible on USB (# Qatar) 232 19/08 (Tony Rogers, remote receiver in Qatar, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** SOMALILAND. 7120, 0900, R Hargeisa, Sign-on with anthem, opening anns in Somali, Qur`an reading, presumed news (# Qatar) 333 15/08 TR#* 7120, 1320, R Hargeisa, Somaliland. Start of English segment, ID, anns, anthem, news, music, into presumed Amharic at 1340, off at 1400 with NA (# Qatar) 343 20/08 (Tony Rogers, remote receiver in Qatar, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. I also have been getting Channel Africa, 6145, S8-S9 and unusually easy to copy the last few nights at 11pm CDT (0400 UT), "Africa Rise and Shine". All this with a Realistic DX-160. Best Regards, (David Tymoshchuk, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sept 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. 11904.9, Sept 9 at *0031:17, SLBC offset carrier as usual cuts on late, S4-S5 with some music JBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. 9410-USB+carrier, Fu Hsing BS, off the air Sept 4, at 1223 check; however Sept 3, heard 1209-1301*; in Chinese; various songs in Chinese, as well as from "The Sound Of Music," the children reprise - "My favorite things"; heavy QRN (static). As usual I find this is on much less than daily! My audio of closing, with "My Favorite Things," at http://goo.gl/TNNDhA Taiwan's other frequency (9774) remains with long standing silence (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, WOR iog via DXLD) ** TAIWAN [non]. Re: [WOR] RTI Testsendungen September 5900 kHz (Test transmissions from RTI on 5900 kHz) --- Strong signal 7 September at 1900UT here in Teddington, UK (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, 1907 UT Fri Sept 7, WOR iog via DXLD) See also BULGARIA Not the same programming than on 6185 kHz where they after 1920 made very longwinded announcements of all their current tests and DX specials, also explicitly stating that the purpose of the current 5900 kHz test is to evaluate the offer. Well, the signal is about 10 dB weaker, the modulation less punchy with slight distortion and (which could be corrected for a regular service) the frequency not as clean. If someone would ask me for advice: Could be accepted if the offer is at least 35 percent cheaper (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) ** TURKEY. Another very odd frequency 11675.7 kHz of TRT Voice of Turkey on Sept 6, EMR 500 kW: 0600-1155 11675.7 / 150 deg to WeAs Turkish, instead of 11675 Sept 5 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/very-odd-frequency-116757-khz-of-trt.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept 4-6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15450, Sept 7 at 1310, VOT English best heard in months on frequent morning chex, S7 to S9+10; maybe a hint of equinoxial conditions, tho little else on 19m now: much weaker than 15230 Cuba, much stronger than 15380 Saudi. In `Letterbox` reading reception reports, several from India; also Japan, Sharjah, France, Allan Wyllie in Newfoundland, Canada; maybe one USA. Everyone wants a QSL card, and everyone is promised one. 1317 outro, back in two weeks (tho has been reported every week, repeat?), and ``Good-bye!!``, into program intro=outro theme, a bit more music. 1322 headlines, 1323 IS, 1324 Turkish or Turkic language IDs interspersed, off at 1326*. Was on 15450.00, not offset as so many TRT frequencies have been. [non] 15450 at 1434, JBA carrier. After 1400 that would be R Liberty in Tajik via Lampertheim, Germany per HFCC, missing from Aoki/NDXC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) TRT Voice of Turkey on very odd frequency 9855.7 on Sept 9 1000-1025 9855.7 EMR 500 kW / 032 deg CeAs Tatar, instead of 9855.0 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/trt-voice-of-turkey-on-very-odd.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept 8-9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) TRT Voice of Turkey on very odd frequency 9655.7 kHz, Sept.10 1000-1055 on 9655.7 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Georgian, instead of 1000-1025 on 9855.7 EMR 500 kW / 032 deg to CeAs Tatar on September 9 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/trt-voice-of-turkey-on-very-odd_10.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept 9-10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. 54% is the volume of songs in the Ukrainian language on national radio stations, and on average 84% of the speakers say the state language. Such monitoring data for the first half of 2018 was unveiled today during a press conference on September 5 by a member of the National Council, Sergei Kostinsky. All this year the volume of songs in the Ukrainian language, which were broadcast in the radio of national as well as local and regional FM stations, increased by 5 percentage points. This figure corresponds to the growth of the quota to 30%, which occurred in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Television and Radio Broadcasting" in November 2017. Thus, the overfulfillment of the quota of Ukrainian-language songs from the minimum legal value is 24 percentage points. "Despite the fact that the number of songs is already high enough, radio stations have increased this share for a year, the quotas pushed to the development of the industry, we have more songwriters, more famous singers ... There is something to broadcast on the air of radio stations," - said Sergey Kostinsky. He conditionally divided radio stations into three groups. The first is where the overwhelming majority of Ukrainian-language songs are. These are three radio stations of the public broadcaster - "UA: Radio Luch", "UA: Ukrainian Radio", "RU: Radio Culture" and "Country FM", in which the Ukrainian song sounded in 91% of cases (growth was 6% compared with the first half of last year). The second - seven radio stations with riznoformatnym [sic] music content, where the average share of Ukrainian-language songs in the first half of 2018 was 40%, which is 7.p. more than last year. The third is four radio stations, on the air of which the share of songs by the official languages ??of the EU under the terms of the license is at least 60% of the total volume, so for them the quota for songs in the Ukrainian language is 25% according to the law. On average, these radio stations broadcast 30% of Ukrainian-language songs, which coincides with last year's indicator. Most of the songs in the state language in the first half of 2018 sounded on such radio stations: "Country FM" - 100%, "UA: Radio Ray" - 99%, "UA: Ukrainian Radio" - 92%, "UA: Radio Culture" - 76%, "Radio NV" - 61%. Of course, a high percentage of Ukrainian-language songs on these radio stations affects the average of all national radio stations, Sergei Kostinsky noted. On some radio stations, there was a significant increase in the number of Ukrainian-language songs compared to last year. This: "Radio NV" - by 23 percentage points, "UA: Ukrainian Radio" - on 14.p., "RU: Radio Culture" on 13.p., "Our Radio" on 9.p., " Pepper FM "- on 6.p. The average indicator of the volume of transmission in the Ukrainian language on air of national radio stations this year increased by 3.p. and is 84%. Compared with the requirements that are provided for by law, this figure is greater by 31.p. That is, the radio stations overfulfill the norm on keeping the state language broadcast. More Ukrainian language was on the air of the following radio stations: Country FM - 100%, UA: Radio Ray - 100%, RU: Radio Culture 99%, Ukrainian Radio 97%, Retro 94 %. Individual radio stations improved this indicator compared to last year. Increasingly, their transmission sounded in Ukrainian. This growth trend was observed on: "Our radio" - on 16.p., "Russian radio - Ukraine" - on 14.p., "Pepper FM" - on 8.p., "Melody" - on 7.p. , "Chanson" - on 5.p. "We see that all radio stations are increasing the share of the Ukrainian language on air, the share of songs in Ukrainian, so it's obvious that quotas encourage radio stations to increase the volumes of the state language on their air every year," Sergei Kostinsky summed up. Also in the first half of this year, the largest penalty was paid for the entire period of the radio quota. GP "New Horizon", Kiev ("Radio Friday"), paid 327 842.2 UAH. In general for the first 6 months of this year, the National Council conducted 6 waves of monitoring of 15 national radio stations (Source: National Council website). http://proradio.org.ua/news/2018sept.php (via Rus-DX Sept 9 via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. From the German HOERZU radio program guide for Sept 1-7: RUNDFUNK international --- Radio Ukraine International ist mit Nachrichten in deutscher Sprache aus dem politischen, wirtschaftlichen und kulturellen Leben der Ukraine taeglich im Internet abrufbar: http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/de/ (via Mike Cooper, GA, Sep 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U A E. NHK World Radio Japan via BaBcoCk Al-Dhabayya, Sept 10: 1515-1600 on 11775.2 DHA 250 kW / 060 deg to SoAs Urdu, fair signal http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/reception-of-nhk-world-radio-japan-via_10.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept 9-10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. BBCWS successor to Lillibulero begins tomorrow (10 Sept) "For 70 years, far-flung listeners knew they had found the BBC on their radio dial when they heard the jaunty notes of the Irish jig Lillibulero. [22 seconds: unseems exactly version we heard on SW -gh] https://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2012/aug/20/bbc-world-service Its brassy, old-fashioned sound spoke of men in dinner jackets and vintage radio microphones, and there was a minor public outcry when it was formally dropped more than a decade ago. "Since then the World Service, which has an audience of 79 million, has used a musical motif which, according to controller Mary Hockaday 'changed every now and then in rather an ad hoc way'. "But from tomorrow morning, the English-language station will have a new jingle, letting listeners across the world know unquestionably that London is calling. The signature tune is a nod to the station’s long traditions, with even a beat or two of the BBC’s famous pips to send a message about values in an age of 'fake news'. ... " Full text ... https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/sep/09/bbc-world-service-new-theme-tune (via Eric Floden, DXLD; via Kim Elliott, VA, Sept 9, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) "to be played on the hour, every hour" from 10 September (Chris Greenway, bdxc-news iog via DXLD) Letting listeners across the world know unquestionably that the BBC ("London" rather implies Ms. May) is calling? Here's what to play nowadays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2xBTzMQZDM (Kai Ludwig, Germany, WOR iog via DXLD) Perhaps the new theme tune for the WS will be somewhat different from that used for BBC TV but we'll have to just wait until tomorrow. ;-) I think the BBC is still independent of the government and doesn't just parrot the government line (-- Richard Langley, ibid.) Pity about the demise of Lillibulero IMO: I didn't know they were getting rid of it (Dave Harries, ibid.) It was dropped some years ago already, in part, I understand, because of the association of the tune with Britain’s misadventures in Ireland (— Richard Langley, ibid.) The “good old days” of the BBC: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/05/decline-and-fall-of-the-bbc (— Richard Langley, ibid.) I just listened today (10 Sept) to BBC WS on 12095 kHz from 2058 to 2101 UT, but sadly there was no sign of the new theme tune (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, WOR iog via DXLD) Hmm, on second thoughts after listening to my recording ... maybe there was a few bars (mostly lost in a transmitter or antenna change at Ascension) leading up to the pips on the hour. Will try again tomorrow on some other frequency (Alan Roe, 2114 UT, ibid.) I just listened online on the hour, but it was very brief and muted, hardly noticed it! (Ian Kelly, Reading, UK, 2202 UT, bdxc-news iog via DXLD) BBC World Service overhauls sound of the network with new music Date: 09.09.2018 Last updated: 10.09.2018 at 14.00 Category: World Service https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/bbc-world-service-sound-of-the-network BBC World Service is refreshing the sound of the network, introducing a new signature tune and complementary music for key programmes across the Service. Beginning on 10 September a new specially composed signature tune will be played at the top of the hour, every hour, and new theme tunes for individual programmes will then be rolled out across the Service over the coming weeks. The music has been composed by Mcasso, one of the UK's leading music and sound companies. It was recorded at Mcasso Studios in London's Carnaby St, with the string section of the BBC Concert Orchestra added at Angel Recording Studios in Islington, London. Mary Hockaday, Controller, BBC World Service English, says: "We are absolutely thrilled to introduce audiences across the globe to the brand new sound of the BBC World Service. The dynamic music will set a fresh, contemporary and distinctive tone for the network, providing the perfect backdrop to support our news and other programmes. "Even on a speech network, careful use of music can help create an identity for the station and build a closer relationship with our listeners. Our composers have done a wonderful job, with a spirit of curiosity, quality and warmth which I hope our audiences will come to love.” The main theme features synths and percussion, embellished by a live orchestra, giving a rich, warm sound. It begins and ends with a sound design audio motif, inspired by and echoing the sound of the ‘pips’ - the series of six short tones broadcast at one-second intervals and recognisable around the world for being synonymous with BBC Radio [sic: as if no one else uses time pips ---gh]. The main musical theme also appears in the music for other individual programmes, arranged in different styles. Individual programmes debuting new music will be Newsday, World Update, OS, Business Matters, Business Daily, Weekend Tech Tent and Sportsworld. Mcasso's CEO Mike Connaris says: "Collaborating with the iconic BBC World Service on such an extensive, exciting branding project has been a pleasure and a privilege. We can't wait to hear the new sound on air." (9 September 2018 via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. 9410, UZBEKISTAN, BBC at 0142 with the “Discovery” feature “In Their Element” about the elements fluorine, iron, and sodium – Weak Sept 9 Coady-ON 9410, ENGLAND, BBC at 2003 with a woman with “World News from the BBC” and into “Newshour” dealing with Swedish election results – Fair Sept 9 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) Originally 9410 was only from England; now from HFCC here are the multitude of sites used by BBCWS in English on 9410. Also on frequency in between are some other languages and other stations (gh) 01-02 Tashkent 02-03 Oman 05-06 Madagascar 07-08 Woofferton 10-12 Singapore 16-18 Meyerton 18-20 UAE 20-22 Woofferton (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Mike Barraclough recommends some research undertaken by Professor David Hendy on BBC Caribbean Voices. Broadcasting to the Caribbean has long been a part of the BBC’s international activity --- small in scale, but enormous in its cultural impact. It also drew on the talents of some remarkable individuals. (Photo from BBC 1950s' publicity) http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/peopleempire/caribbean-voices (Webwatch, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U S A. Storm noise level has abated enough to worthwhilize tuning for ND beacons, IDs per dxinfocentre.com: 281 kHz, Sept 10 at 0621 UT, DMO, best heard tuned to 280 or 282; is 25 watts from SeDalia MO, rather than my first guess Des Moines; 314 kHz, Sept 10 at 0625 UT, CVY, but tuned to 312, 25 watts from Fort Riley-Cavalry KS; neither name appears in the most detailed large scale road atlas. It is a real military reservation, not a regular town, between Manhattan and Junxion City. Specializing in horses? 326 kHz, Sept 10 at 0627 UT, MA, tuned to 324, 400 watts from Midland TX (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 475 kHz, Hifer [sic] beacon sending WA4SZE/BEACON; 0239, 0425, 9/8 & 0307 9/9; WA4SZE is assigned to David Frantz in Manchester TN; Do you suppose the same David Frantz that owns WWRB? WWRB’s e-mail address has been shut down; due to excessive spam; so they say (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time & without the aid of a computer! -----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Certainly, as I reported a few weeks ago. This is in the new experimental hamband (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. 8137-USB, Sept 7 at 1304, WCY Lakeland FL, advising a client about weather off the Caribbean coast of Colombia, also on weaker // 12350-USB, both VP (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 13565-CW, Sept 7 at 1437, K6FRC beacon is VP but 100% copiable, with CODAR QRM; even so it`s better than fellow Californian 17775 KVOH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Some research into NIST and WWV / WWVH / WWVB funding Folks here may know that the NIST budgetary request for FY 2019 contemplates the shutdown of WWV, WWVH, and WWVB. A couple of items: First, conversations with others who have experience working with NIST and the time & frequency stations mentioned that this same thing happened last year -- the NIST budget for Fiscal 2017-18 as submitted did not include funding for the stations. Once the NIST budget was approved, funds were shuffled around and the stations remained on the air. All of this happened "under the radar" last year -- apparently no one in the hobby noticed. It's important to note that there are plenty of industrial and scientific users of the time & frequency stations other than us hobbyists and those who own "atomic watches" and "atomic clocks", and the loss of the stations would significantly affect these other users. Outside the hobby community, the general feeling now in 2018 is that the same thing will happen this time -- funds will be shifted as needed to keep WWV / WWVH / WWVB on the air. But, one can never be sure, and it would still make sense to send letters / faxes / phone calls of support to members of Congress, NIST leadership, and other relevant agencies. Second, I did some more digging into the budgetary process for FY 2018 (enacted last fall) and FY 2019 (the current cycle). Turns out that House & Senate Appropriations committees have already gone through the NIST budget and unwound NIST's proposed cuts. While the House and Senate Appropriations have not yet been reconciled, the funding levels for NIST match up in both versions. I found out this information through the American Academy of Science (AAAS) and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) websites, two lobbying organizations. First, note that WWV etc. reside in the Scientific and Technical Research Services (STRS) budgetary line item within NIST. From the AAAS: FY 2017 actual, NIST STRS: $621 Million FY 2018 budget, NIST STRS: $536 Million FY 2018 omnibus (as passed by House / Senate), NIST STRS: $647 Million, reflecting a 20.8% increase over the requested budget. Overall, the FY 2018 omnibus for NIST was $1,055 Million, fully 61.8% higher than the budget of $652 Million. From the AIP: FY 2018 enacted, NIST STRS: $725 Million FY 2019 budget, NIST STRS: $573 Million FY 2019 Congressional Appropriations, as of June 2018: $720 Million (house) $725 Million (senate) (Why these numbers differ from the $647 Million number I haven't checked yet). While the two versions of Appropriations haven't yet been reconciled, it's worth noting that the NIST STRS line item is about the same in both. So --- my observation that this process has happened before, with the WWVx stations left intact, is indeed supported by the numbers. Might not be a bad idea to send letters of support for WWV et. al. to the AAAS and AIP as they are lobbying organizations that are well versed in these processes. Of course, all this doesn't guarantee a thing, especially given the tumultuous atmosphere in the US Government. Relevant websites: AAAS https://www.aaas.org/news/nist-fy-2018-omnibus-manufacturing-and-labs-funding-safeguarded AIP https://www.aip.org/fyi/federal-science-budget-tracker#tabs-section-nist (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, Sept 7, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Another "highly qualified" Trump pick http://publicdiplomacypressandblogreview.blogspot.com/2018/09/pompeo-eyes-fox-news-reporter-to-head.html?m=1 Sent from Blue (Dan Robinson, Sept 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review Sunday, September 9, 2018 Pompeo Eyes Fox News Reporter to Head Counterpropaganda Office Robbie Gramer, Elias Groll, Foreign Policy, September 6, 2018; original article contains links; Image result for Lea Gabrielle --- Gabrielle image (not from article) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is eyeing a Fox News correspondent and former U.S. Navy pilot to head the State Department’s struggling anti-propaganda office as Washington grapples with how to push back against Russian disinformation and election interference in the run-up to the U.S. midterm elections in November. Lea Gabrielle is the leading contender to become the new chief of the Global Engagement Center, five officials and sources familiar with internal deliberations confirmed to Foreign Policy. The news was first reported by CNN. [. . .] Several U.S. officials said they thought Gabrielle lacked sufficient experience in diplomacy, management, and technology. “I am so sick of this administration putting unqualified people into important roles because they are on Fox News,” one U.S. official vented. The Trump administration has made a habit of hiring Fox News reporters or contributors to important positions, including Heather Nauert, the State Department spokesperson and acting under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs and Kiron Skinner, the new director of policy planning at the State Department. Gabrielle, a reporter for Fox News’s Shepard Smith Reporting, is a veteran of the network, as well as NBC News. Before going into journalism, Gabrielle served in the U.S. Navy for more than a decade, including as an F/A-18 fighter pilot and intelligence operations officer. [.. .] (via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. I always enjoy Heather Maxwell’s Music Time in Africa on the VOA. During August, Heather has been in Africa visiting Nigeria and Ghana “co-hosting on popular radio shows, meeting artists and producers and DJs”. MTIA on 19 August featured the highlights of the mid-morning show which she co-presented live with regular presenter Don K. on ATL FM 100.5 from Cape Coast in Ghana. It was good to hear the on-air discussions between the two presenters, along with interviews in the studio with singer/songwriter eShun, and of course the great African music. I was also very pleased that the MTIA highlights show included some of the ATL FM jingles. It really gave a good feel for the original live broadcast. Music Time in Africa is broadcast Fridays at 2100, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 1500 and 2000 UT (Alan Roe, Listening Post, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1946 monitoring: 9955, WRMI Radio Miami Int’l; 2114-2130+, 9/5 [Wed]; Glenn Hauser with “World of Radio Special Edition” (I think that’s what he said) with features about working at a station to 2120 into a feature about Chinese ownership of stations in the U.S. & Mexico. SIO=353- & fady at tune-in to 2121:26 suddenly better to 3+53+ but still fady. 2129:35 ID into religihuxter program at BoH -- not B.S. (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1946 monitoring: confirmed Friday September 7 after 2330 on WBCQ 9330.1v; unfortunately, I was drowned out by the cacophony of the Brother Scare vesper service which normally occupies this hour --- WBCQ finally put me on, but neglected to suppress the BS audio! This has happened before. I e-mailed boardops and AW ASAP, but it continued until 2400 when AWWW took over 9330 without the self-QRM. I could not be sure it had been latest 1946 instead of 1945, until 2347 when I could detect the reading about KYND [WORLD OF RADIO 1947] Also confirmed Sat Sept 8 after 1230 on Unique Radio, Australia, via WINB, Pennsylvania on 9265V, S7 with deep fading to S2 impairing readability, and due to wobble one can`t even it out with SSB tuning. Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, reports: ``GERMANY, Reception of World of Radio via HLR on 6190 CUSB, Sept. 8: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/reception-of-world-of-radio-via-hlr-on_8.html 0631-0700 6190 GOH 001 kW / 230 deg to CeEu English Sat, fair signal Wrong frequency announcement:"...HLR SWSce on 7265", instead of 6190`` And Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante and Lugo, Tecsun S-8800, cable antenna, 8 meters: 6190, Hamburger LokalRadio, Goehren 0614-0700, 08-09, English, program “Media Network Club [sic; Plus]”, at 0630 Glenn Hauser’s program “World of Radio”. Very weak. 15311 Sat Sept 8 from 1431 on Hamburger Lokalradio, 6190-USB via Utwente SDR, WOR inaudible, until a trace at 1456 recheck. Alan Gale, England, reports: ``Hi Glenn, Very poor reception on 6190 today, HLR was audible around 1300 UT, but then faded out completely and didn't reappear again until around 1445 UT, when I could just about make out that World of Radio was on. Even on CUSB it was just only just about audible here. Alan`` --- Next: Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2130 WRMI 7780 to NE Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v to WSW [maybe] Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 0400 WRMI webcast only, non-direxional Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v to WSW [maybe] Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Tue 2030 WRMI 7780 to NE, 5950 to WNW [or #1947?] Tue 2130 WRMI 5950 to WNW [or #1947?] WORLD OF RADIO 1946 monitoring: confirmed on WA0RCR, Wentzville MO, 1860-AM, UT Sunday Sept 9 at 0329 about 6 minutes into show so started circa 0323, S9+20/30, quite good for under 1 kW. Try this around central and eastern North America, especially as the storm noise season diminishes. Before and after WOR there is lots and lots of ham info (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) GERMANY, Reception of World of Radio via HLR on 9485-CUSB, Sept 9 1031-1100 on 9485 GOH 001 kW / 230 deg to CeEu English Sun, fair/good Wrong frequency announcement: "HLR SWSce on 7265 kHz", instead of 9485! http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/reception-of-world-of-radio-via-hlr-on_9.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept 8-9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WOR 1946 confirmed Sunday Sept 9 at 2150 the new 2130 WRMI broadcast on 7780, gh voice JBA. The UT Monday 0130.5 on WRMI 5850 & 7780, which had been one of our best-coverage broadcasts, confirmed replaced by something else from Sept 10 as shown on skedgrid. WOR 1946 confirmed UT Monday Sept 10 at 0300 on Area 51 via WBCQ 5129.8, poor. The following 0330 UT Monday on WRMI 9955 not checked, but confirmed on webcast; before 0430 could not reconnect to webcast to reconfirm the 0400 web-only repeat. John Carver, mid-north Indiana reported at 0400 UT Sept 10: ``5130 worked well but I checked 9955 again this evening and again there was nothing there. No sign of a signal. Adjusted the pre-selector and the antenna tuner.`` Since WOR 1946 was a pre-produxion, this week I move ahead recording of new 1947 to Monday afternoon instead of Tuesday, as I need to catch up with almost two weeks of material to cram in. This also takes better advantage of the remaining good WRMI broadcast across North America, UT Tuesday at 0030 on 7730, which had been toward the tail end of the repeat cycle. Now it`s the first SW airing. WORLD OF RADIO 1947 contents: Australia non, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cuba and non, Indonesia, Kiritimati, Madagascar, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Sudan non, Taiwan non, UK and non, USA [from DXLD 18-36]; Australia, Brasil, China, Cuba and non, Germany, Korea South, Maldives, North America, Saar, UK and non, USA, Vatican, Europirate 5005; and the propagation outlook [to be in DXLD 18-37] Confirmed UT Tue Sept 11 at 0030 on WRMI 7730, VG. Playback seems fine altho I have had one complaint about sexions repeating within the program, apparently on an audio link. Is anyone else having this problem, or confirming not having it? Next: 2030 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780 5950 [scheduled/not confirmed last week] 2130 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780 5950 [scheduled/not confirmed last week] 2330 UT Tuesday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 1030 UT Wednesday WRMI 5950 2100 UT Wednesday WRMI 9955 2100 UT Wednesday WBCQ 7490v 2330 UT Wednesday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 2330 UT Thursday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 2330 UT Friday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 0629 UT Saturday HLR 6190-CUSB Germany 1230 UT Saturday WINB 9265 via Unique Radio 1431 UT Saturday HLR 6190-CUSB Germany 1930vUT Saturday WA0RCR 1860-AM 2130 UT Saturday WBCQ 9330v [maybe, or 2330?] 0310vUT Sunday WA0RCR 1860-AM 1030 UT Sunday HLR 9485-CUSB Germany 2130 UT Sunday WRMI 7780 2330 UT Sunday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 0300vUT Monday WBCQ 5130v Area 51 0330 UT Monday WRMI 9955 0400 UT Monday WRMI webcast only 2330 UT Monday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 0030 UT Tuesday WRMI 7730 [or 1948?] 2030 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780 5950 [or 1948?] WORLD OF RADIO 1947 monitoring: confirmed Tuesday September 11 at 2040, the 2030 on WRMI 7780, tho JBA on the PL-880 portable. Supposedly also on 5950, but inaudible. Supposedly also on both an hour later at 2130 Tuesday, but straining to hear on the home rig vs. high local noise level, definitely on neither: 7780 with talk in language, maybe German, which would be RAE relay; JBA 5950 also talk but unseems //, maybe Spanish, not WOR. The WRMI frequency grid shows #1 7780 indeed in RAE German at 21-22 (really M-F only) from System F, while the same hour on #5 5950 as with System D. Consulting the System D program sked below: it still shows two hours of variety programming 20-22 daily on both 5950 and 7780, NOT including any RAE, and, yes, including WOR at both 2030 and 2130 Tue. The System F program schedule directly contradicts this with RAE German at 21-22 on 7780, as we were hearing. With 14 transmitters (tho not all of them in use) and 12(?) Systems, the operation must be just too complex to manage 100% accurately. WOR NOT confirmed Tuesday Sept 11 at 2330 on WBCQ 9330.1, just BS, altho new WOR has been available and notified some 23 hours earlier. Next: 1030 UT Wednesday WRMI 5950 2100 UT Wednesday WRMI 9955 2100 UT Wednesday WBCQ 7490v 2330 UT Wednesday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 2330 UT Thursday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 2330 UT Friday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 0629 UT Saturday HLR 6190-CUSB Germany 1230 UT Saturday WINB 9265 via Unique Radio 1431 UT Saturday HLR 6190-CUSB Germany 1930vUT Saturday WA0RCR 1860-AM 2130 UT Saturday WBCQ 9330v [maybe, or 2330?] 0310vUT Sunday WA0RCR 1860-AM 1030 UT Sunday HLR 9485-CUSB Germany 2130 UT Sunday WRMI 7780 2330 UT Sunday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 0300vUT Monday WBCQ 5130v Area 51 0330 UT Monday WRMI 9955 0400 UT Monday WRMI webcast only 2330 UT Monday WBCQ 9330v [maybe] 0030 UT Tuesday WRMI 7730 [or 1948?] 2030 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780 5950 [or 1948?] Full schedule including AM, FM, webcasts, satellite: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI WRMI: ** U S A. 5850, WRMI, Radio Miami Int’l (presumed); 0336, 9/2; Bro. HyStairical proclaiming his prophethoodness; sed that everything he sez is true, because it was revealed to him. S30 peaks (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5850, WRMI, FL, Okeechobee with s/on with IS and ID, and into “Broad Spectrum Radio #17 for September with Rosh Hashanah music and preaching including one ‘song’ with the ‘autotuned’ sound NPR has used to make Mr Rogers ‘sing’ in some videos. Most odd.... Then into BSR Radiogram with text of webpages, and images of depression era murals from US Post Offices. Kind of nice images, but I didn’t bother to load the text into a web browser yet. Seems silly when plain text works better, and is WAY easier. Then at 0800 into SW Radiogram with stories and photos About studies showing low dose aspirin’s risks outweigh the benefits for many people; Ships abandoned in Nigerian waters, Where the Hayabusa2 will land on asteroid target; [illustration] near-Earth asteroid Ryugu as seen on June 26; Lithium-oxygen batteries are getting an energy boost, an item in German about Deutschlandradio-Funkhaus and photos of auroras seen in Northern Michigan (*I* didn’t see any!) last week, and former President Carter and wife Rosalyn work on a Habitat for Humanity house in Indiana [illustration]: Business Growth Radio was next at BoH and he’s STILL announcing WMRI as the call, and only listing 7730 kHz. Do any business owners find this actually useful? 4+554+4+ 0658-0930* 3/Sep SDRplay +SDRuno +FLDigi for the digital bits +random wire (Ken Zichi, Pt Hope MI2, MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) 9395, WRMI, FL, Okeechobee with a variety of stuff, all booming in. Started with Argentina: news with music theme in background throughout the newscast including items re unions/labor ministry, etc. RAE ID in English/Spanish at 0116 and then into 'Argentina Celebrates' with talx re a Tango festival. Then ID and mention of WRMI at BoH and into oldies: 'Every step you take' (our dogs have been known to sing this song but they change the lyric to say "every bite you take, every snack you make, I'll be watching you...." :) ) and Tom Jones 'She's a Lady', etc. Then VoA news at 0203: Trump warns Syria not to use chemical weapons and Japan aimed at by typhoon and Gordon to hit the US Gulf Coast. Item re new Woodward book being criticized by Trump spokespeople, and Amazon is now the second $1 trillion company in history. News ended at 0208 with Bob Bierman[n] 'your weekend show' promo/ad and then into more oldies and ads including a recurring one for a 'photo' combination lock that uses images instead of numbers. Oldies included "How can you mend a broken heart" and other good stuff. Then at 0230 into Radio Tirana which inaccurately suggested that 'From now on you can hear us only on internet'. Into R Tirana news, press review, etc. Then Albanian music and an interview with Portuguese guy living in Albania. R Albania IS to ToH. (So, rhetorical question time: Why is there no SW direct from Albania any more? Their CRI relays are still well heard here! They COULD do the same for themselves but...??? --kvz) SS ID at ToH and into R Prague English at 0300 news including an item about IKEA to open a store in Prague, "Signal festival" plans for 2018, etc. Weather at 0303 and then into features, including AirBnB controversy in Prague. and a talx by an Oklahoma descendant of Czech immigrants who settled in OK right after it was opened to settlement by non-native Americans. 554+4+4+ with only very occasional fades, but pretty much perfect other than that the entire time I listened! 0105-0315 5/Sep SDRplay +SDRuno +random wire (Ken Zichi, Williamston MI, MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) 9395, September 8 at 0629 on WRMI, I listen to the self-absorbed Bob Biermann for a few minutes during his `Your Weekend Show`, saying he is ``finishing up the last bit of my secular work``, to concentrate on ministry as an Anglican, in which he got a promotion 5 years ago. One of his agenda is getting back to Nevis to help expand that gospel FM station he talked about before, (since 820 AM Radio Paradise of fake-news TruNews Rick Wiles is going nowhere). Also setting up churches in needy communities. Another is a non-radio station, http://ancientwordradio.org where we learn who he really is: ``Welcome to Ancient Word Radio. We are here to help you in your daily Christian walk, with music and programs designed to uplift, encourage and edify the Body of Christ. Ancient Word Radio is for those that are looking for an alternative to much of what is found in the Internet today, with an emphasis on traditional and liturgical faith backgrounds. Ancient Faith [sic] Radio was founded by the Rt. Rev. Robert S. Biermann. Bishop Biermann has been a broadcaster since the early 1970’s, and has extensive experience in On-Air, Programming, Marketing and Engineering. He has built a number of stations in his 46+ year career. Ancient Word Radio is a free online service that features a live stream and a number of programs “on demand.” The station caters to Traditional Anglicans, Lutherans and other traditional church backgrounds. Though “mainline” in much of its content, Ancient Word Radio has a heart for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and is very much “evangelical” in nature.`` Altho I`ve never listened to a full `YWS` hour, I`ve yet to hear him refer on the air to himself as a Right Reverend or as a Bishop. Too off-putting for his neighborly demeanor? I click on the Listen Live button at 2241 UT September 8 and instead I hear, as labeled, First Movement, Allegro of Bach`s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3! In full stereo; great! We`ll never hear that on YWS nor probably anywhen on WRMI. Guess what: the BB Concerti are among the most ``secular`` of Bach`s oeuvre. http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics2/brandenburg.html But by 2246 it`s over for a BBB announcement, and then somehymn. The question is, what he means by ``finishing up secular work`` --- quitting YWS; or even closing the WRMI Oldies channel which seems to have been his idea from the outset? and its only DJ, who never IDs the tunes. Altho extensive, it`s often interrupted for other programming. 9395, Sept 8 at 2018, WRMI with VOA News relay, which means this hour is designated Oldies, as per sked Mon-Sat at 20-21, and a few minutes earlier there was a Paul Simon tune (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5950, Sunday Sept 9 at 2332, WRMI 5950 has faded in enough to tell it is in Spanish, but not // 7335 Radio Martí. Supposedly WRMI is relaying RM during September Sundays at 2000-2400 on 5950 to carry baseball games of interest to Cubans, but there is no BB on 7335, rather music and IDs; whatever is on 5950 is not play-by-play either. I suppose exact hours of games will vary depending on time zone of venues. Per Jeff White at EDXC Bratislava, another RM relay on 5950 is Tue/Wed at 2300-0200, presumably one 3-hour span rather than two. For these WRMI employs #3 at 160 degrees, while the rest of the time 5950 is #5 transmitter at 285 degrees. Putting any exile or Martí programming on a frequency other than 9955 runs the risk of drawing jamming, which we certainly do not need on 5950, as it would no doubt expand beyond the RM hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7780 & 5950, Sept 10 at 2053, I am trying to figure out what`s going out from these JBA WRMIs, as Brother Scare was on them last week, contrary to skedgrid showing variety of programming on both at 2000-2200. Now I am hearing some music on both, but not //; one of them Oldies? Neither // 9330 WBCQ BS, even allowing for asynchrony (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ WBCQ: ** U S A. 9330.1, UT Sat Sept 8 from 0000, WBCQ switches from gh/WOR vs. BS/TOM mixture to one audio, Allan Weiner Worldwide. Over to John H Carver, Jr, to tell us about it: ``Listening on 7490 again. Allan, Angela and Tom in the studio this evening. Celebrating the twenty year anniversary of WBCQ which actually occurs tomorrow. Lots of nostalgia about events leading up to the opening of the station. Allan stated that they built the entire station for about fifty thousand dollars. First program on the air was AWWW and shortly after that LeShow appeared and then Bill Cooper's Hour of the Time. Started with one transmitter and one antenna and Allan put up the tower for the antenna himself. First phone call at 0020 with congratulations. As a result of the phone call it came out that Dead Frog Radio will be returning to the radio in the near future. Next phone call at 0030 from a caller with memories of traveling to the station and sitting in with TimTron for one of his shows. Phone call at 0037 with congratulations to Allan and support for John Lightning who started on WBCQ two days after the first AWWW. Some talk about the superstation and the future of shortwave. Reading of emails began at 0055 followed by a longer prayer this evening and show was off the air at 0101. The promised clips from the first AWWW did not make an appearance. John, mid-North Indiana`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) OTHERSW OTHERSW OTHERSW OTHERSW OTHERSW OTHERSW OTHERSW OTHERSW OTHER: ** U S A. 5830, WTWW Lebanon TN (presumed); 0338, 9/2l [sic; means 9/2, or 9/1?]; Patently Perverse, Petunia-Pushing, Palaverer of Perdition Pastor Pete Peters Purveying Pointless Puffery; ragging on his detractors. S20 peaks + xmtr hum (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5085, UT Sunday Sept 9 at 0623, WTWW-2 again with classic rock rather than Southern Talk in the Midnight. You never know how late this will stay on or whether it will be on (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 15555, WJHR Milton FL; 1934, 9/6; Religihuxter on marriage; sed the Bible shuns mixed-race marriages. Good peaks with QSB to near zilch. A tornado passed near Milton 9/4 (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surely still in USB only (gh) ** U S A. 5055 [sic; surely 5050] WWRB (presumed) English talx re the electric grid, Obama’s connection to the Catholic Church, and rambling on about conspiracy theories, how Obama had people killed, (not Hillary, but Obama -- that is a new one by me!) and how Donald Trump is great because he’s putting coal miners back to work, etc. MOST odd, audio from a phone line, and things just ended at 0105 with a busy signal and then carrier dropped. No ID of either a programme name or of the station, but this is what is listed, apparently now only on weekends, and at least today, not to the scheduled s/off of 0200! 4+54+4+4 -- restricted audio from the phone line, but well modulated and as good as could be expected. 0050-0105* 2/Sep SDRplay +SDRuno +randomwire (Ken Zichi, Pt Hope MI2, MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) ** U S A. Reception of World Harvest Radio International Angel 2, Sep 10 0430-0500 on 9825 HRI 250 kW / 047 deg to WeEu wrong freq. ANN: 12015 0500-0600 on 9825 HRI 250 kW / 047 deg to WeEu English, good signal: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2018/09/reception-of-world-harvest-radio_10.html (Ivo Ivanov, SWLDXBulgaria News, Sept 9-10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Historic KDKA Experimental Shortwave Station KDPM in Cleveland Ohio It was back during the early 1920s, soon after the end of World War 1, that the Westinghouse company in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in the United States began to experiment with the usage of shortwave transmissions. It was soon discovered that shortwave signals have several advantages over mediumwave, including long distances with lower power, less atmospheric static at higher frequencies, and physically smaller equipment. As an experimental concept, Westinghouse gave consideration to the possibility of using a shortwave relay as a program feed for a distant mediumwave station, rather than renting expensive telephone lines to cover the intervening distance. Perhaps one shortwave signal at a central location could feed numerous mediumwave stations throughout the country as an economical radio network. For their first practical experiment with a shortwave program feed, Westinghouse chose a shadow location where the KDKA mediumwave signal gave poor reception. In addition, they needed a location where Westinghouse already owned a suitable property. The city of Cleveland in Ohio was chosen as their first experimental location. Cleveland is a hundred air miles (northwest) from Pittsburgh; the mediumwave signal from KDKA was never heard well in Cleveland, and Westinghouse owned a sizable property in that city. In February 1921 Westinghouse in Cleveland received government approval to operate a non-broadcast radio station for the purpose of inland communication with other scattered Westinghouse facilities. This new radio station received a sequential callsign KDPM and it was permitted to use Morse Code on any of four specific channels in what are today the standard mediumwave and longwave bands. The new KDPM was installed in one of the two storey industrial buildings on the Westinghouse property at the Lake End of West 58th Street in Cleveland. Test transmissions from this new radio station were noted on 600 kHz in May (1921). In June of the following year (1922), preliminary plans were laid for the experimental usage of the new KDPM in Cleveland as a radio broadcasting station that received most of its programming on shortwave from KDKA in Pittsburgh. The government license was received during the following month, July. The first test transmissions from KDKA mediumwave in Pittsburgh were sent from their shortwave transmitter 8XS with 1 kW in the 3 MHz band in September 1922. The receiving antenna in Cleveland was a single strand 8 feet square loop and the signal from the output of the small two tube receiver was fed straight into the mediumwave transmitter. The transmitting antenna at KDPM was a copy of the one for the KDKA mediumwave transmitter, at 105 feet high and 200 feet long. Thus the new mediumwave KDPM was on the air as a remote slave transmitter with 250 watts on initially 833 kHz. It was installed in a second floor wooden attic of the Westinghouse foundry, and we would suggest, that it was operating in what we could call building number 5, right against the taller eight storey building at the northern edge of their property. The series of shortwave test transmissions from KDKA-8XS in Pittsburgh with the relays on mediumwave via KDPM in Cleveland came to an end in January 1923. Regular daily programming began on March 4, 1923 and by this time KDPM was operating on 1110 kHz. Because radio station KDPM was simply an experimental venture, the whole project simply faded away into nothingness after a while; and in fact, it was superseded by another similar project elsewhere, though on a much larger scale. The Westinghouse repeater broadcasting station, KFKX in Hastings Nebraska, was officially opened later in the same year (1923), on November 22. Station KDPM was then relegated back to its original purpose, for use as a company communication station, and it continued in this role for the next half dozen years. However, even though the low power shortwave signal from Pittsburgh was not always reliable in Cleveland and it was sometimes a bit noisy, yet nevertheless, the experiment was considered a success, and so the new similar project at Hastings proceeded into fruition. Alice Brannigan (Editor Tom Kneitel) in the August 1992 issue of the American monthly radio magazine Popular Communications, stated that the programming from KDKA-8XS-KDPM was at times broadcast on shortwave from another transmitter in Cleveland, with the callsign 8XG. According to entries in the government issued Radio Service Bulletins for that era, station 8XG was an experimental Land Station owned and operated by the Willard Storage Battery Company at 12651 Taft Street in Cleveland. The shortwave callsign for Westinghouse in Cleveland was 8XO. Was that a typo in Popular Communications, and 8XG was typed instead of 8XO? On the other hand, yes, it is possible that 8XO did indeed relay the Westinghouse radio programming, maybe on an experimental basis. The KDKA booklet, It Started Here, printed in 1970, states that the second KDKA shortwave transmitter was installed at KDPM in Cleveland; 8XS Pittsburgh was their first. Maybe then perhaps both of these shortwave transmitters in Cleveland, Westinghouse 8XO and Willard Battery 8XG did indeed carry the KDKA shortwave programming at times. The Westinghouse property on West 58th street in Cleveland, the home of mediumwave KDPM and its novel shortwave experiment, has lain abandoned for the past many years. There is a For Sale notice that was recently attached to the front facade of one of the two storey red industrial buildings. Coming some time soon, the story of the follow on Westinghouse radio station, KFKX in Hastings Nebraska (Adrian Peterson, IN, script for AWR Wavescan 2 September via DXLD) ** U S A. MARE Paul Dobosz passes along his latest activity saying: "For the past 4 months I've been doing consulting engineering work for Information Stations Specialists, a small local company that supplies most of the AM Band Traveler's Information Station equipment here in the United States. They purchased the inventory and manufacturing rights to the transmitters they were previously buying when their supplier exited the business but are now at a juncture where they need to refresh the designs due to part obsolescence. "I've been helping them find design work-arounds for their legacy transmitter designs to buy time while they pursue a new design and in some cases coming up with alternative designs for portions of their existing product. "In the process I've learned a lot about TIS licensing, equipment, and regulations. It has been a fun assignment fifty years after my last stint in the broadcast world. Paul concludes: "ISS publishes a monthly newsletter and part of it covers new and changed TIS stations along with human interest tidbits ... http://www.theradiosource.com/articles/ will get you there (MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) ** U S A. DTV: WKAR First PBS Station to Gain FCC Authorization for ATSC 3.0 Broadcasts --- Michigan State University Next Gen TV station expected to launch test broadcasts in September Written for TV Technology by GV Staff [Jun 26, 2018] Source: https://www.tvtechnology.com/atsc3/fcc-grants-new-experimental-license-to-wkar EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Federal Communications Commission has granted a new experimental license to Michigan State University and public TV station WKAR, who plan to launch a next-generation TV broadcasting station and a new media lab driven by the next-gen ATSC 3.0 standard. The announcement was made by FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly during a visit to WKAR Public Media studios. “We have authorized a new broadcast standard and it’s going to open up the doors to what television may be in the future,” O’Rielly said. “WKAR is now authorized to test out ATSC 3.0 in their new lab and work with public broadcasting stations covering 200 million Americans.” WKAR is the first public broadcasting station in the United States to receive FCC authorization to begin experimental ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, the station said, and expects to begin ATSC 3.0 experimental broadcasting in September. The license is good for six months and then WKAR will be required to petition for an extension to continue the broadcasts. “Next Gen TV has great potential to enhance our media experience by merging the best of broadcasting and broadband,” said Prabu David, dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, which houses WKAR. “The experimental license offers MSU and WKAR a test bed to explore new media innovations in education, information and even autonomous vehicles in depth and in the field.” WKAR’s experimental ATSC 3.0 station will broadcast in Michigan on digital frequency [sic] 35 with a broadcast reach of approximately 40 miles. The technology allows for features such as 4K ultra high definition video and multichannel immersive audio. With the ATSC 3.0 station as a test bed, the university also plans to open a new research facility within WKAR and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences called the NextGen Media Innovation Lab. The lab will focus on the creation of education and public media content including early childhood education, telehealth and distance education, connected and autonomous vehicles, agriculture and emergency response. One of the first projects planned for the NextGen Media Innovation Lab will be how to use ATSC 3.0 to improve early childhood education, said Susi Elkins, director of broadcasting and general manager of WKAR. “We intend to focus on ATSC 3.0 applications that are central to the core values of noncommercial television licensees — education and the betterment of our communities.” In partnership with the Public Media Venture Group and in collaboration with other noncommercial educational television stations, the NextGen MI Lab will provide an opportunity to test ATSC 3.0 applications and share findings. The capabilities of ATSC 3.0 continue to be front and center at events like the May Advanced Television Systems Committee Annual Meeting where representatives from the likes of Pearl TV, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Capitol Broadcasting discussed just how far Next Gen TV has come over the past few years. Consumer labs are being set up to gather feedback from viewers while field tests continue to roll out at stations around the country. It was at that event that Michigan State’s David revealed that the university would be focusing on exploring opportunities for creating interactive content via ATSC 3.0 (September WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) ** VATICAN. 9700, Sept 9 at 0024, praise music harmonies in unknown Asian language, Chinese? 0027 switch to rustic music tonal language announcement and off 0028*. Something new; what`s this? Nothing listed anywhere near this time in latest HFCC or EiBi. But Aoki/NDXC of Sept 5 shows: 9700 0000-0027 PHL R. VERITAS ASIA Kac Palauig-Zam 1-7 We all know that RVA closed down on June 30, don`t we?? Not SE Asia, but Europe is inbooming now on 31m as exemplified by 9420 Greece. I conclude this is very likely another of RVA`s languages which has switched without notice to SMG VATICAN site, amazingly adept at reaching North America when supposedly broadcasting eastward toward Asia. This is in the Kachin language. Sound familiar? Yes, as in DXLD 18-33, on Aug 10 & 11 we came to the same conclusion about a broadcast heard on 9645, which had been the B -17 frequency for Kachin from RVA at 0000. How is 9645 listed now? Not in Aoki. Not in EiBi. HFCC still has it as RVA PUG thru 28 October (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [and non]. One of several programmes that I regularly enjoy on Voice of Vietnam is their Monday programme Colourful Vietnam: Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic Groups. The episode on 13 August (1900 UT on 7280 kHz) featured the marriage and wedding ceremony of the Cao Lan ethnic people in Bac Giang province. Here’s a short extract from the programme: “To prepare for a wedding, the male’s family hires a matchmaker, who takes care of everything from making the wedding proposal to organize the wedding ceremony and taking the bride to the groom’s family home. [&] “The groom’s family then finds a man to lead the procession to the bride’s house. The bride’s relatives use bamboo poles to block the way. The bride’s relatives ask riddles and the groom’s relatives have to answer correctly to get through the bamboo barriers. [&] The procession leader represents the group in answering the questions. If he fails to answer quickly and correctly, the groom’s delegation must wait. [&] “At the groom’s house, a shaman performs a ritual to chase away evil spirits. He ties red threads on the couple’s wrists to wish them happiness forever.” An enjoyable talk about the traditions of this ethnic group. Colourful Vietnam: Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic Groups is broadcast in all Monday transmissions (Alan Roe, Listening Post, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** ZANZIBAR. 11735, 1457, Zanzibar BC, Tanzania. Sign-on with drum IS, 5 + 1 time pips at 1500, ID "ZBC", opening music & anns in Swahili (# Qatar) 444 19/08 (Tony Rogers, remote receiver in Qatar, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Not much listening this week but it sure is nice to have strong signals from Zanzibar as we approach fall. It appears the station that is relayed is more of a pop music station than that of traditional African music from the "Spice FM" days of the past. 11735, ZBC at 1645 UT Sept 9 with African pop music and talk in presumed Swahili. News at 1700, then at 1710 a promo for "Connecting Your Business on ZBC". Back to pop music to 1715, then what perhaps was a sports/news magazine program. English newscast at 1800, then back to pop music at 1810+ including the tune by Tanzanian pop artist Kilio by Lava Lava (You have to love the Shazam app). Into a religious program at 1845. Very Good to Excellent. Perseus SDR, Wellbrook ALA100 loop. 73 (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, WOR iog via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 780.64 carrier in Central Ontario. Does anyone happen to have an idea who that might be. Helping a DXer out. He wrote: I have had a het on 780 here in Central Ontario for over a week after 10 pm local. This started around a week ago. I listen to WBBM at night for the 9 pm news and usually leave it on for an hour. The het comes up at around 1010 pm edt. [0210 UT] (Todd Skaine, MN, ABDX yg via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Also station on 5004.97 kHz at 1940 UT with US political comedy. No idea what this is, but it's definitely not Equatorial Guinea! Also with fair signal like 5030. 73, (Alan, Caversham, UK, Pennington, AOR 7030+, longwire. 1953 UT Sept 6, bdxc-news iog via DXLD) Strong dance music station on 5005 from 1837 UT tune-in this evening with IDs as "?? Wave" - presumably "Dance Wave". Exact frequency is 5004.97, same as station carrying US political satire last night which suggests it is the same transmitter and/or station (Alan, Sept. 7, ibid.) Hi Harald. I've heard a European pirate called Dance Wave Radio a couple of times in the last few weeks on 5005 kHz, listening via the South West UK Kiwi SDR receiver. In fact, I see I logged it at 1738 UT on 1/9, playing dance music. Hope this helps (Ian Kelly, Reading, UK Sept 6, bdxc-news iog via DXLD) Ian Kelly and Axel Roese (in September 'Communication') identified a music station on 5005 back on 12 August as Dance Wave Radio. But the fairly strong station on 5005 tonight (6 Sept) is carrying US political comedy, with no music at all. Same transmitter but relaying a different station maybe?? Still audible here in Caversham at 2040 UT (whereas 5030 Radio 319 (from Belgium?) has faded out or closed). 73, (Alan, AOR 7030+, longwire, Pennington, Sept 6, ibid., WORLD OF RADIO 1947) Radio Nepal also has reactivated 5005, very weak (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. Otherness === 6815, Duck quacking; 0017, 9/3; I usually hear this on 6900; Sounds like ducks in USB, less fowl in LSB/AM (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9450-USB, Sept 10 at 0612, very poor 2-way in Arabish, Intruders (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9892-USB, Sept 10 at 1440, poor 2-way in unID language, perhaps Brazuguese, intruders (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 10000/USB, Weak 2-way under WWV; 2111, 9/5; I’ve heard this here before (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' RW, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver in real time ----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1947: Hi Glen[n], I`m a returning SWL and ham radio operator N8XD, now in my 50's; I used to listen to your DX show when I was a teenager. When heard your show last night it was like hearing an old friend --- nice job, keep up the great work! (Keith DeLong, Freeland MI, joining the WOR iog and then a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED FUTURELY: Thanks to Chuck Ermatinger for another PayPal contribution. One may also contribute by MO or check in US funds on a US bank to: Glenn Hauser, P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702 PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ PATTERN MAPS FOR NORTH AMERICAN MW STATIONS Here is an interesting link I ran across which provides patterns for MW stations in North America. It’s not 100% up to date (for example 700 in Calgary is not included), but pretty good, and very interesting. That’s it for this time around, and we’ll get together again in October. http://www.nf8m.com/patternmaps_night.html (Nigel Pimblett, Sept CIDX Messenger via DXLD) HOLLOW STATE NEWSLETTERS Fellow radio enthusiastic, Going through the library, I found the Issues of the Hollow State Newsletter, which focused on the Age of the Vacuum Tube Radio receivers... In this library, it consisted of HSN Index Volume 1 to 30 and Volume 1 to 35. Issues begin with No. 9, skips to #12 to #32. The Issue #33 complete to the last issue is Issue #51 Fall 2000 (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, Sept 9, ODXA et al. via DXLD) He was offering to give away his collexion, but not to the WOR iog (gh) Nice. For those who don't get the paper (Jerry Berg, ODXA iog via DXLD) NRC AM Radio Log 39th Edition is now available The National Radio Club, the world’s oldest and largest broadcast band DX club, is proud to announce the publication of the 39th edition of the AM Radio Log. The AM Radio Log is a source for information on AM radio stations in the United States and Canada. It contains 302 pages of data and cross references and 12 pages of instructions in 8 1/2" x 11" size, 3-hole punched, U.S. loose leaf format. It fits nicely into a 1" three-ring binder. 10,000+ updates since last year's 38th edition of the Log! New for this year is a cross reference by State/Province in frequency order - ideal for targeting needed areas. Additional reference lists include call letters of FM simulcasts, listings of regional groups of stations, a cross reference of those stations that are licensed to use IBOC digital audio, and a comprehensive list of FM translators that are simulcasting with AM broadcasters. To the United States (Priority Mail): NRC members $26.95, non-members $32.95 To Canada (Global Priority Mail): members/non-members US$40.25 Outside US/Canada (Global Priority Mail): members/non-members US$51.25 Order by snail mail by check or money order in US funds to National Radio Club, PO Box 473251, Aurora, CO 80047-3251, USA or order by using your PayPal account at http://www.nationalradioclub.org/ (Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) SHORTWAVE BULLETIN BACK TO FORTNIGHTLY I have got a few mails from some of our members. In their opinion SWB should continue with the former biweekly publication. Those members seems to favor a smoking fresh SWB. Of course it is possible to go back to publish SWB every fortnight. I will revert back to publishing SWB every second week for a while to see if you think this is better. Next stopdate is Sept 23! To be able to compile a bulletin not only with a huge log I urge you to contribute with other information as well so we can produce something of interest also for those not so active on the bands. A question for you: Do you think we should have the pirate stations in a separate log? Please let me know you what you think about that. Maybe the logs will be easier to read. Keep on …. ============= R e d a k t i o n: (Thomas Nilsson, SW Bulletin Sept 9 via DXLD) MUSEA +++++ History --- The Attack On Democracy In The 1930s And Today 7:20 Download Transcript September 12, 2018 5:11 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition As fascism spread globally in the 1930s, the U.S. responded with a series of radio programs informing the public about American democracy. Jill Lepore, author of These Truths, talks to Steve Inskeep. . . https://www.npr.org/2018/09/12/646968847/the-attack-on-democracy-in-the-1930s-and-today (via Glenn Hauser, DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS See IRELAND; UKRAINE, re Russian vs Ukrainian songs ++++++++++++++++ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Breve diario della EDXC Conference 2018 Bratislava 31 agosto - 3 settembre 2018 --- di Dario Monferini e Christian Ghibaudo [illustrated] https://playdxblog.blogspot.com/2018/09/breve-diario-della-edxc-conference-2018.html Quest'anno siamo andati a Bratislava per l'incontro EDXC al Hotel West su una collina vicino alla Torre Kamzik. Il primo giorno, venerdì, abbiamo avuto un incontro presso la sede di Radio Slovacchia, quindi abbiamo fatto un tour della Piramide, un edificio simbolo a Bratislava. La conferenza è iniziata nel primo pomeriggio, con una presentazione di Jarmo Salmi su piccole antenne in un ambiente urbano. Poi un indiano Dxer CK Raman ci ha parlato dell'ascolto in India. Verso le 17:00 siamo andati alla torre televisiva Kamzik di fronte all'hotel per un drink al bar in cima a questa torre. Splendida vista su Bratislava e persino sull'Austria. Sabato siamo andati a visitare Bratislava, nonostante la pioggia. Poi vai in Ungheria, esattamente a Mosonmagyarovar, a pranzo e vedi anche l'antenna a onde medie Danko Radio a 1116 kHz. Dopo questa passeggiata rientro in hotel per ulteriori discussioni. Harald Süss ha presentato la situazione della radio in Austria. Poi un eccellente discorso di Jukka Kotorvita alla reception FM questa estate in Finlandia Jeff White e sua moglie Thais hanno presentato i progetti WRMI. C'è stata una piccola lotteria per ricevere alcuni regali da Radio Miami International. La sera c'era il banchetto annuale in un'atmosfera festosa al ristorante Shoppa dell'hotel. Domenica mattina, dopo una proiezione cinematografica su KNLS, Kari Kivekäs ha presentato i progetti EDXC e ha chiesto delle proposte per la riunione del 2019. Nel primo pomeriggio, partenza per Vienna per una visita molto veloce, interrotta a causa della pioggia. Lunedì mattina, visita con Harald Süss della radio nazionale austriaca, ORF e FM4. Poi i saluti. Fine del meeting 2018 dell'EDXC. Pubblicato da Giampiero Bernardini a settembre 05, 2018 (via playdx yg via DXLD) CIDX BARBECUE We thank CIDXer Gilles Letourneaux for hosting a live two-hour and 20 minute show from the barbecue on his YouTube channel, OfficialSWLchannel. The video can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyyRDP-aNRI&t=3123s A great time was had by all with the following CIDXers in attendance: Mickey Delmage, John Fisher, Eric Cottrell, Mike Brooker, Gilles Letourneau, Gilles Michaud, Janice Laws, Jim Hay, Beta Wayne, David Asselin, Alan Roberts, Alain Pepin (and Sheldon Harvey, Sept CIDX Messenger via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC See PUBLICATIONS: NRC AM Log +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See BULGARIA; INDIA; KUWAIT; NEW ZEALAND; ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NIGERIA DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DAB See BELGIUM ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV See MEXICO; OKLAHOMA; USA: WKAR ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ Small Loops A to Z, Using passive loop antennas http://www.dxing.info/equipment/passive_loop_antennas_schanilec.pdf posting Link as Text is long with Graphs and Photos . (Thanx, 73 de Jordan Dobrikin, ve7jjd, [ShortwaveRadios] via SW Bulletin Sept 9 via DXLD) An interesting article with lots of information. /TN (Thomas Nilsson, ed., ibid.) Supercharging the XHDATA D-808 Portable -- Complete Article For those who are looking for a hot performing SSB-equipped travel portable, a "Heathkit-like" full construction article has been prepared for a 7.5" MW loopstick XHDATA D-808 model-- a "Supercharged" version of the highly popular new portable from China. The 7.5" loopstick D-808 version was a thrilling performer all by itself at the Rockwork ocean cliff near Manzanita, Oregon last month, receiving not only this fine signal from 1017-A3Z in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, but the 5 kW Australian horse racing station 2KY in Sydney as a weak co-channel in the middle of the recording https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/tp3i89vky6p7hbylgkk1bp4pa5nvnuku The 14-page full construction article for the Medium Wave version is now complete, and is posted at http://www.mediafire.com/file/vi10rpi974jzlm7/Supercharging_the_XHDATA_D_-808-FinalMW.doc/file The 7.5" Longwave loopstick version of the full construction article is also almost completed, and should be wrapped up within a couple of days. For all of those looking for an exciting new challenge this DXing season, this model should exceed your expectations! 73 and Good DX, (Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA), Sep 6, nrc-am gg via DXLD) 7.5" Longwave Loopstick XHDATA D-808 Portable Back in 2011 a newly minted NDB-DXer had the chance to design what no commercial manufacturer would ever dream of building -- a portable with a Longwave-optimized loopstick. Even if a radio has Longwave band coverage, all commercial portables have Medium Wave optimized loopsticks -- typically resulting in clunker Longwave reception. In an all-out effort (described at http://www.mediafire.com/file/38gon1pdmomrsgs/7.5inLWLS-1.doc/file five different Longwave test loopsticks were constructed and tested at various frequencies, until the overall "winner" was chosen. The new Longwave-optimized loopstick was a game changer when installed in Ultralight radios, providing reception of Longwave TA's in Oklahoma, South American NDB's in Canada and Hawaiian NDB's on our west coast. The new XHDATA D-808 model does have Longwave coverage, but you had better be right next door to an airport if you want to receive any NDB's with the stock model. The 7.5" Longwave loopstick described above transforms the model completely -- making it a serious LW-DXing contender, not a pretender. With SSB capability and great portability, it can provide sensitive reception of NDB's both day and night, as well as a lot of travel DXing fun. DXers well inland will have reasonable chances for Longwave TA's in season, and the model includes excellent FM, SW and AIR band reception as well. The full 16-page article for "Supercharging" the model with this 7.5" Longwave loopstick is posted at http://www.mediafire.com/file/t2989hg61vbkb5h/Supercharging_the_XHDATA_D_-808-FinalMWLW.doc/file which includes full information for the construction and operation of both the Longwave and Medium Wave loopstick versions. Good luck to all who take the plunge! "Supercharged" Longwave D-808 model photo is posted at https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9g0g5lq1vaqs1jt2ls4u6ik7wv7x6fg7 (Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA), Sept 7, nrc-am gg via DXLD) InnovAntennas for FM DXing I’m considering the purchase of an 11 element FM antenna from InnovAntenna. This antenna would be dedicated for meteor scatter dxing, and be mounted low to the ground, perhaps only about two meters above my back yard. This manufacturers products get rave reviews from hams on VHF/UHF and I’m aware of a handful of DX’ers who also use them on FM. Comments usually center on how well constructed they are, and their ability to survive high winds. But I’m heard very few comments about their performance, especially in metro areas where a tight pattern and high F/B ratios are important. Brian Beezley, K6STI modeled two of these antennas on his site. You can read his comments about two different models here: The F/B ratios are decent, but not when you compare them to something like the Korner 9.2, where F/B ratios average nearly 30db across the band. In most locations (especially mine) pure gain is no longer the best measure of an FM antenna—a tight pattern and F/B ratio are king in the modern world of translators, LPFM, and full power blowtorches. Any FM DX’ers using these antennas? Impressions? Is there anywhere that I could obtain another Korner 9.2 commercially now? Should have bought three of them when we were importing them from Germany! :-) 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, 121 Mayfair Park, Maylene, AL 35114, EM63nf, Sept 7, WTFDA gg via DXLD) High performance antennas still exist - Innov’s aren’t cheap and the 9 element is a complete PITA to assemble but the 8 element I just saw listed by Mr. Ross, the 11 is somewhere between the Probe 9 and an APS-13 for reception and the 14 is a monster about equal to the APS-13. The 17 element I can’t imagine. They are built to last and can even be easily repaired so for the price they are worth it IMHO. Viva las antennas!!! (Bill, CT, ibid.) TV Technology: Rabbit Ears No More Very interesting reading about how Over the Air (OTA) viewership continues to grow as more people “cut the cord” on cable and satellite TV. One area the article covers in detail is how this is impacting the sale of TV antennas. With any luck, this might result in the design of improved antennas, and more “fringe” antenna options that also work well for DXing. I’d love to see something similar happen on the FM band, where high performance antennas have all but disappeared. 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, 121 Mayfair Park, Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf, WTFDA gg via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ ANOTHER CARRINGTON EVENT WOULD BE A TECHNOLOGICAL ARMAGEDDON Technical Topics welcomes any input in the form of technical articles, equipment reviews, technology updates, or your technical questions. Information on equipment modifications, antenna designs or projects is also appreciated. Welcome to the September 2018 column. September 2nd, 2018 was the 159th anniversary of a major event --- something that we probably never want to see happen again. It is known as “The Carrington Event”. What does this have to do with radio? Read all about it here this month (Don Moman, ed., AB, Technical Topics, Sept CIDX Messenger via DXLD) Viz.: 159th Anniversary of “The Carrington Event” On September 2nd, 1859, campers in the Rocky Mountains woke up in the middle of the night, thinking that the glow they saw was sunrise. No, it's the Northern Lights. People in Cuba read their morning paper by the red illumination of aurora borealis. Earth was peppered by particles so energetic they altered the chemistry of polar ice. As the day unfolded, the gathering storm electrified telegraph lines, shocking technicians and setting their telegraph papers on fire. The "Victorian Internet" was knocked offline. Magnetometers around the world recorded strong disturbances in the planetary magnetic field for more than a week. The cause of all this was an extraordinary solar flare witnessed the day before by British astronomer Richard Carrington. His sighting on Sept. 1, 1859, marked the discovery of solar flares and foreshadowed a new field of study: Space Weather. According to a NASA-funded study, if a similar storm occurred today, it could cause a trillion dollars in damage to society's high-tech infrastructure and require years for complete recovery. Here is a March 2014 article on the Carrington Event written by Michael Snyder: Experts Warn That the Next Carrington Event Will Plunge Us Back Into the Dark Ages --- By Michael Snyder - March 21, 2014 Most people have absolutely no idea that the Earth barely missed being fried by a massive EMP burst from the sun in 2012, in 2013 and just last month. If any of those storms would have directly hit us, the result would have been catastrophic. Electrical transformers would have burst into flames, power grids would have gone down and much of our technology would have been fried. In essence, life as we know it would have ceased to exist – at least for a time. These kinds of solar storms have hit the Earth many times before, and experts tell us that it is inevitable that it will happen again. The most famous one happened in 1859, and was known as the Carrington Event. But other than the telegraph, humanity had very little dependence on technology at the time. If another Carrington Event happened today, it would be a complete and utter nightmare. A study by Lloyd’s of London has concluded that it would have taken a $2.6 trillion chunk out of the global economy, and it would take up to a decade to repair the damage. Unfortunately, scientists insist that it is going to happen at some point. The only question is when. Just this week, the near miss of 2012 is suddenly making headlines all over the globe. The following is from a recent Reuters report… Fierce solar blasts that could have badly damaged electrical grids and disabled satellites in space narrowly missed Earth in 2012, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. The bursts would have wreaked havoc on the Earth’s magnetic field, matching the severity of the 1859 Carrington event, the largest solar magnetic storm ever reported on the planet. That blast knocked out the telegraph system across the United States, according to University of California, Berkeley research physicist Janet Luhmann. The two bursts that the Reuters article is referring to happened very closely to one another, and the scientists that study these things say that it could have taken a decade to recover from such a catastrophe… “Had [the latest storm] hit Earth, it probably would have been like the big one in 1859, but the effect today, with our modern technologies, would have been tremendous,” said Janet Luhmann, who is part of the STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Observatory) team and based at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory. Luhmann and physicist Ying Liu of China’s State Key Laboratory of Space Weather led a team in analysing the magnetic storm, which was detected by NASA’s STEREO A spacecraft and published their results in Nature Communications. “An extreme space weather storm – a solar superstorm – is a low-probability, high-consequence event that poses severe threats to critical infrastructures of the modern society,” warned Liu. “The cost of an extreme space weather event, if it hits Earth, could reach trillions of dollars with a potential recovery time of 4-10 years. Therefore, it is paramount to the security and economic interest of the modern society to understand solar superstorms.” But this is not the only near miss that we have had in recent years. In fact, there was another harrowing near miss in 2013… The earth barely missed taking a massive solar punch in the teeth two weeks ago, an “electromagnetic pulse” so big that it could have knocked out power, cars and iPhones throughout the United States. Two EMP experts told Secrets that the EMP flashed through earth’s typical orbit around the sun about two weeks before the planet got there. “The world escaped an EMP catastrophe,” said Henry Cooper, who led strategic arms negotiations with the Soviet Union under President Reagan, and who now heads High Frontier, a group pushing for missile defense. “There had been a near miss about two weeks ago, a Carrington-class coronal mass ejection crossed the orbit of the Earth and basically just missed us,” said Peter Vincent Pry, who served on the Congressional EMP Threat Commission from 2001-2008. And very few people have heard of it, but we had another one just last month… A huge magnetic filament shot out of the sun Monday, sending shockwaves racing at 1.7 million miles per hour and a brief roar of static through shortwave radios across the planet. And with a geomagnetic storm causing Northern Lights to dance across the Canadian border and into North America, the sun is clearly acting up. According to a report on Spaceweather.com, Monday’s massive blast shot off the sun and into space, away from our planet, so it didn’t have the same effect on radio signals, power grids and communication satellites that an Earth-facing eruption would have. So what is going to happen when one of these things finally hits us? Well, basically it will be a technological Armageddon. The following is a brief excerpt from one of my previous articles… An electromagnetic pulse can range from a minor inconvenience to a civilization-killing event. It just depends on how powerful it is. But in the worst case scenario, we could be facing a situation where our electrical grids have been fried, there is no heat for our homes, our computers don’t work, the Internet does not work, our cell phones do not work, there are no more banking records, nobody can use credit cards anymore, hospitals are unable to function, nobody can pump gas, and supermarkets cannot operate because there is no power and no refrigeration. Basically, we would witness the complete and total collapse of the economy. According to a government commission that looked into these things, approximately two-thirds of the U.S. population would die from starvation, disease and societal chaos within one year of a massive EMP attack. It would be a disaster unlike anything we have ever seen before in U.S. history. Without any electrical power, our society would descend into a state of chaos very rapidly. The following is an excerpt from an article by Mac Slavo that explains some of the things that we would be likely to see in the immediate aftermath of such an event… The first 24 – 48 hours after such an occurrence will lead to confusion among the general population as traditional news acquisition sources like television, radio and cell phone networks will be non-functional. Within a matter of days, once people realize the power might not be coming back on and grocery store shelves start emptying, the entire system will begin to delve into chaos. Within 30 days a mass die off will have begun as food supplies dwindle, looters and gangs turn to violent extremes, medicine can’t be restocked and water pump stations fail. Today, our lives have been made very comfortable by technology. But that technology could be stripped away from us in a single moment. We should be thankful for the good things that we have, and we should not take for granted that we will always have them. All it would take is one giant burst from the sun, and everything would change (Sept CIDX Messenger via DXLD) The Parker Solar Probe. On 11 August, the Parker Solar Probe was launched. The project is to study how Solar winds occur and to achieve more accurate prediction of their affect on the earth’s Ionosphere and terrestrial weather etc. More information at: http://bit.ly/2Mv2RSH RECORD LOW SOLAR FLUX Arnie Coro of Radio Havana Cuba wrote on 21 August: Solar activity in the past few days brought another record low solar flux figure of 65.6 units, not seen since the long tail end of solar cycle 23. This present cycle 24 is the weakest one of the past 5 solar cycles. Now you understand why short wave propagation conditions are so poor! (both: Propagation Report With James Welsh, Sept BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Geomagnetic Indices --- Geomagnetic Summary August 2018 Via Phil Bytheway – Tabulated from online status daily (K = 0000 UTC). Flux A K Space Weather 1 70 6 3 no storms 2 70 6 1 no storms 3 70 6 1 no storms 4 70 6 2 no storms 5 69 4 1 no storms 6 69 4 1 no storms 7 79 10 2 no storms 8 70 5 1 no storms 9 70 4 1 no storms 10 70 4 1 no storms 11 67 10 4 no storms 12 68 5 2 no storms 13 68 5 1 no storms 14 69 4 2 no storms 15 69 14 4 no storms 16 68 11 3 no storms 17 67 13 3 no storms 18 67 12 2 no storms 19 67 8 2 no storms 20 68 14 2 no storms 21 68 7 2 no storms 22 67 6 2 no storms 23 70 5 1 no storms 24 72 5 1 no storms 25 72 11 4 no storms 26 70 76 3 strong, G3 27 70 26 3 moderate, G2 28 70 10 1 no storms 29 71 6 2 no storms 30 68 4 2 no storms 31 68 5 1 no storms Sx – Solar Radiation Storm Level / Gx – Geomagnetic Storm Level / Rx – Radio Blackouts Level (NRC DX News Sept 17 published Sept 9! Via DXLD) SOLAR CYCLE 25 STARTING? MARE Joel Ashby passes along the good news that some scientists are looking are recent solar activity and suggesting we're seeing the beginning of Cycle 25. Here is an article from the Universe Today website, talking about that: https://tinyurl.com/solarcycle25 It looks as if we're on track to match the prediction with the deep low of cycle 24 being in January or February of 2019, but as usual, the first spots of the next cycle appear to be happening before the end of the last one (MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) As noted last time, the Sun has been quiet, but these new spots are both reversed in polarity and at a much lower latitude implying they are the first of Cycle 25 rather than the end of 24. I've not yet seen predictions for Cycle 25 anywhere -- does anyone else have data and/or has the committee even made a prediction yet? --kvz (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MARE Tipsheet Sept 7 via DXLD) Rather: Reverse-Polarity Sunspot Group Does NOT Belong to Cycle 25, Observatory Says --- ARRL 09/05/2018 The Royal Observatory of Belgium’s Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE) has asserted that the reverse polarity sunspot group 2720 observed in late August belongs to the current solar cycle — Cycle 24 — and does not represent the start of Cycle 25. “Because of its reversed polarity, some websites claimed sunspot group 2720 was possibly one of the first groups of new solar Cycle 25,” the Centre said. “This is simply not true, in view of its very low 8° latitude. The next solar Cycle 25 sunspot group should have both reversed magnetic polarity and much higher heliographic latitude, typically 20° to 40° from the equator. Only two tiny, short-lived numbered sunspot groups are currently assigned to new solar Cycle 25, sunspot group 2620 in December 2016 and 2694 in January 2018.” STCE said that while both of those small sunspots have been assigned to Cycle 25, some uncertainty exists as to just which sunspot cycle they actually belong to. STCE said some additional sunspot groups that belong to Cycle 25 were so tiny and short lived that they were not assigned a sunspot number. “During each solar cycle, about 3% of all active regions have reversed polarity but do not belong to the previous or next solar cycle,” the Centre said. “With 2,000 to 3,000 sunspot groups per solar cycle, this means that every solar cycle has a few dozen reverse-polarity sunspots that belong to the ongoing sunspot cycle despite their reverse polarity.” After examining magnetograms of the sun’s surface, well-known Amateur Radio solar observer and propagation authority Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, agreed that AR2720 is reversed in polarity from other sunspots in the northern solar hemisphere. What confuses the issue, he said, it its low latitude, as a Cycle 25 sunspot area should be at a much higher latitude. The same weekend of sunspot group 2720, a radio blackout lasting about a day took place, affecting the HF amateur bands as well as GPS systems. Solar watcher Tamitha Skov, in her YouTube report, called the G3-level geomagnetic storm “one of the top five storms of the solar cycle.” As ARRL Propagation Reporter Tad Cook, K7RA, noted in his August 31 edition of The K7RA Solar Update, “For HF operations, we want to see high solar flux and sunspot numbers and low A index, a measure of geomagnetic instability. On Sunday, August 26, we saw high A index numbers from an unexpected crack, opening in Earth’s magnetic field. Solar wind spewed forth, and the planetary A index rose to 76. During this period the planetary K index — a component of the A index — rose to 7 over a 6-hour period. Seven is a big K index number.” Cook went on to note that Alaska felt the full force of the geomagnetic storm, with an A index in Fairbanks of 90 — a very high number (via Mike Terry, WOR iog via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2018 Sep 10 0413 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 03 - 09 September 2018 Solar activity was at very low levels this period. Region 2721 (N10, L=286 class/area Bxo/010 on 09 Sep) emerged near center disk on 08 Sep. This small region exhibited slight growth early on 09 Sep, but was showing signs of decay as of this report and remained inactive. On 09 Sep, a prominence eruption was observed off the SW limb, beginning at 09/0815 UTC in SDO/AIA 304 imagery and at 09/0824 UTC in 171 imagery. While this event appears to be directed well south and west of the Sun-Earth line, significant gaps in SOHO coronagraph imagery data made analysis nearly impossible. No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reach high levels on 03 - 08 Sep, then decreased to moderate levels on 09 Sep. A peak flux of 12,435 pfu was observed on 03/2035 UTC. Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet to unsettled levels from 03 - 09 Sep, with an isolated period of active conditions on 05 Sep, likely due to a negative polarity coronal hole. Solar wind speeds began the period near 325 km/s, increased to over 500 km/s on 05 Sep and 07 Sep, and ended the period near 400 km/s. Total field strength averaged near 5 nT, and saw a peak of 11 nT on 07 Sep. The Bz component was variable through the period and saw a maximum southward deflection of -6 nT. Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 10 September-6 October 2018 Solar activity is expected to be at low levels throughout the outlook period, with a slight chance for C-class flare activity. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at moderate to high levels through period. Moderate levels are expected from 10 - 12 Sep and again from 29 Sep - 06 Oct. High levels are expected from 13 - 28 Sep. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to active levels on 10 Sep. Conditions are then likely reach G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels on 11 Sep due to a positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS). G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels are also likely on 12 Sep as CH HSS effects persist. Active levels are expected on 13, 14, and 22 Sep from the influence of recurrent CH HSSs. Field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels throughout the remainder of the outlook period. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2018 Sep 10 0413 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 2018-09-10 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2018 Sep 10 70 12 4 2018 Sep 11 70 35 6 2018 Sep 12 70 15 5 2018 Sep 13 68 12 4 2018 Sep 14 68 12 4 2018 Sep 15 68 8 3 2018 Sep 16 68 5 2 2018 Sep 17 68 10 4 2018 Sep 18 68 8 3 2018 Sep 19 68 5 2 2018 Sep 20 68 5 2 2018 Sep 21 68 5 2 2018 Sep 22 68 12 4 2018 Sep 23 67 8 3 2018 Sep 24 67 5 2 2018 Sep 25 68 5 2 2018 Sep 26 68 5 2 2018 Sep 27 68 5 2 2018 Sep 28 68 5 2 2018 Sep 29 68 5 2 2018 Sep 30 68 5 2 2018 Oct 01 68 8 3 2018 Oct 02 68 10 4 2018 Oct 03 68 5 2 2018 Oct 04 68 5 2 2018 Oct 05 68 5 2 2018 Oct 06 68 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1947, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Church's Apathy to the Earth Exposes the Gap in Discipleship I wondered out loud why people in the church don’t seem to care about climate justice. An interesting question considering the climate summit unearths all the reasons people should care. A green economy is a means for achieving sustainable development and can serve as an engine for eradicating poverty. Faith leaders working with the public and private sector can participate in efforts that generate good jobs, spur global development, and leave no one left behind. These views are widely accepted, but even with this information there is a group within the church that remains uninspired and disinterested . . . https://sojo.net/articles/churchs-apathy-earth-exposes-gap-discipleship (via gh, DXLD) ###