DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-086, July 22, 2007
Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING
edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com
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NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1367: ** tentative
Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies]
Mon 0530 WRMI 9955**
Mon 0930 WRMI 9955**
Tue 1030 WRMI 9955**
Wed 0730 WRMI 9955**
WORLD OF RADIO, CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL SCHEDULE:
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
For updates see our Anomaly Alert page:
http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html
WRN ON DEMAND:
http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24
WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE:
http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php
OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]
http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html
or http://wor.worldofradio.org
MUNDO RADIAL, Julio-Agosto:
(corriente) http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0707.ram
(descargar) http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0707.rm
(texto) http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0707.html
** ALASKA. 6890, KNLS, 1011-1025, July 17, English. Testimonials
between pop music. Several KNLS promos and IDs. Poor (Scott R.
Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, SP2, MBL1, 200'
Beverages, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ALBANIA. Re 7-085, TWR: Wonder if Radio Bulgaria will receive a
denial from TWR Europe at Vienna as well, stating that they have "at
present" no plans to abandon the Albanian transmitters? (Kai Ludwig,
Germany, July 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
TWR Aenderungen: Veraenderungen sind auch demnaechst bei den
Kurzwellen-Aussendungen zu erwarten. Viele Dienste laufen dann ueber
MCR-MCO oder DTK Anlagen in Juelich und Wertachtal, sowie Moosbrunn
bleibt auch. TWR Sendungen ueber albanische Anlagen werden beendet
(Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX July 22 via DXLD)
** ARGENTINA. R.A.E. Buenos Aires, op 15345.31, very strong, best in
USB, DX program in German, 2130 UT full ID Gr (Maurits Van Driessche,
Belgium, July 20, rx nrd545 -Ala1530, BDX via DXLD) Best in USB, to
avoid Morocco & Spain on 15345.0? (gh, DXLD)
15345.35, R.A.E. Buenos Aires, 21/7 2217 ID and info, poor 22222
(Maurits van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
15345.36v, R. Nacional, 2238-2317, July 21, in Spanish, seemed to be
several long phone interviews, guitar music, ToH 5+1 pips, IDs "Radio
Nacional", poor-fair (Ron Howard-CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** AUSTRALIA. Radio Australia --- A comprehensive strategy to address
the development and security needs of our region has many elements.
One critical element is how we represent ourselves to our neighbours.
Labor [sic] believes that Radio Australia has an important role to
play, particularly through its regional language programs in getting
the message out about what Australia now wishes to do in partnership
with the region. For a small investment we can have a great impact –
exposing people in neighbouring nations to quality independent
broadcasting and to an Australian voice.
It is well documented that Radio Australia’s broadcast footprint for
its shortwave services have been emasculated by the current government
– in large part because of its decision to offload the powerful Cox
Peninsula transmitters – and to lease them to an organisation called
“Christian Vision”.
Radio Australia has also been further emasculated through the slash
and burn of its regional language programs. For example the number of
Indonesian language specialists working for Radio Australia has been
cut in half.
As part of Australia’s reëngagement with our immediate region, a
Federal Labor Government will rebuild Radio Australia. There is so
much good that Australia is doing (and more that it could be doing) in
the region but we are not getting the message across to local
communities. With the downgrading of Radio Australia we have cut off
our nose to spite our face. . .
http://www.alp.org.au/media/0707/speloo050.php
(from Fresh Ideas for Future Challenges: A New Approach to Australia's
Arc of Instability, by Kevin Rudd, Speech to the Lowy Institute, July
5, Australian Labor Party via DXLD)
** BOLIVIA. 5952.50, Emisora Pio XII, Siglo Veinte, 21/7 2348 IDs and
nice music. Good 33333 Gr. en veel plezier met de hobby (Maurits van
Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. Voz do Brasil --- Amigos, O ministro das Comunicações,
Hélio Costa, assinou portaria nesta semana determinando que as
emissoras de rádio transmitam a Voz do Brasil às 19h do horário local,
e não mais na hora de Brasília. As emissoras dos estados no Centro-
Oeste e Norte que têm uma ou duas horas a menos que Brasília deverão
gravar a Voz e transmiti-la às 19h locais.
Com isso, o início da Voz, que diz "sete da noite em Brasília", acho
que deverá ser mudado.
Recorde-se que diversas emissoras em vários estados já tem liminares
para transmitir a Voz em outros horários ou - até - não transmitem. No
RS, por exemplo, o programa é transmitido às 4h da madrugada pelas
principais emissoras (Gaúcha, por exemplo). Acho que nesse horário é
possível que tenha mais audiência, pois quando foi criado, na década
de 30, o horário nobre do rádio era à noite. Hoje isso mudou e a
principal faixa horária de audiência do veículo fica entre 5h e 9h.
Sei que a Voz do Brasil é rejeitada nos grandes centros urbanos. Mas
ela é valorizada principalmente no interior do Nordeste e Centro-
Oeste. Abraços (Lucio Haeser, Brasília, July 20, radioescutas yg via
DXLD)
Lúcio, valeu pela informação! A VB é o melhor noticiário sobre os
assuntos da União. Essas liminares só estimulam exceções, muitas vêzes
descabidas. Rádio e Tv, ao contrário de jornais e revista, é serviço
concessionado. O éter é público, tal qual uma rodovia ou ferrovia
concessionada. Nos contratos de concessão, há geralmente as contra-
partidas. No caso das emissoras de rádio, a VB é uma delas. Quem se
lembra do 'projeto minerva' que durava uns 20 minutos e era produzido
pelo MEC? Salvo engano, ele vinha logo depois da VB e tinha também
caráter obrigatório. Abs, (EDSON S. Castro, PU2LHG, ibid.)
Novo Hamburgo, 20 de julho de 2007. Pessoal, Aqui no Rio Grande do Sul
a maior parte das emissoras jogaram "A Voz do Brasil" pra madrugada
seguinte. Poucas ainda mantêm às 19h (Alexandre Schöler, ibid.)
** BRAZIL. 11780, R. Nac. do Amazônia, Brasília, 20/7 2221. ID and
talks about the Nacional in Portuguese. 34444
11784.92, R. Guaíba, Porto Alegre, 20/7 2235, two Males in discussion
about Brazil, local news, 23333
11815, R. Brasil Central, Goiânia, 20/7 2249, ID and talks the
president in Brazil, 34444
Rx: NRD545, Dif. antennes GRrrrrr (Maurits Van Driessche from Belgium,
July 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. Hands on the Tardis --- I must confess, I’m a bit of a
Doctor Who nerd. I started watching back in the days of the long scarf
- I’d visit my grandma in England and watch the show on BBC, then have
nightmares about Cybermen as I slept on the sofa.
So I was pretty excited (and surprised - shouldn’t I know these
things?) to learn on Friday that our own CBC.ca Dr. Who site now
offers complete episodes online. You can watch the first three
episodes now, and presumably tonight’s episode will go online after it
goes to air. (Of course, I only learned this the day after borrowing a
crummy VHS copy of episode three from a coworker.)
The interface is very pretty and nicely morphs to a big, widescreen
version, with the only impediments being a short pre-roll ad pimping
the Series 1 & 2 DVDs via the CBC Shop, and the occasional bit of
stutter.
Actually, there are a few more impediments, as outlined recently by
Cory Doctorow in BoingBoing - you can’t download, and it’s geofenced
to Canadian I.P.s only. I like Cory, but as usual he does bang a
little hard on the copyright drum - a problem he suggests could be
solved if only CBC and BBC would pool all their content (who’d get the
better end of that deal?) But he does note that the terms are actually
better than Britons get through BBC.
So, Cory says “Boo”, but I say “Yay!” Even if it’s not perfect, I
think this is quite a step forward - the amount of radio and TV
content available on CBC.ca this year compared to last is staggering.
We’re getting there….
(Now, if only we could convince promo guy to stop saying “Hands off
the Tardis, Doctor Who will be back in a moment”… that worked in the
“Hosted Prime” era, when Christopher Eccleston said it in the role of
the Doctor. Now it just sounds silly.) -PG This entry was posted on
Monday, July 16th, 2007 at 12:05 pm PDT (inside the CBC blog via DXLD)
Anonymous Says: July 17th, 2007 at 9:45 am PDT
Further, what Doctorow doesn’t seem to understand is that free access
across borders to this material violates other rights holder’s
licenses. Illegal uploading of Dr Who eps on the net have caused lost
and or reduced license fees for the program. I have heard a rumor that
the BBC employs four people fulltime chasing Dr. Who on the net. FYI,
many of CBC’s programs are blacked out in Windsor, so they don’t bleed
LEGALLY over the border. All major studios/distributors insist on this
in almost every case. PS. It’s not legal to record programs from the
tv either. Although everyone does it, no broadcaster gives
“permission”, and it can’t be disseminated in a split second like it
can on the net (ibid.)
?? I bet they don`t black out any CBC shows in Toronto, despite being
visible in Buffalo. Maybe the Windsor blackout applies only to OTA,
CBET-9 whilst cable which most Canux use anyway carries it all south
of the border (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [and non]. SOUND OF HOPE & FIREDRAKE
Dear OM, The SOH 24-hour service has begun to use new frequency of
16500 kHz (ex 18180) at 1011 UT on July 22. Until 1011 on 16480 kHz.
I was not able to receive on 18180 kHz on July 21.
Firedrake is not transmitted on 15000 kHz on July 22. I presume,
monitoring station of Chicom cannot receive SOH by QRM of BPM.
Now operating:
Network 1 on 7300, 9200, 10300, 13970
Network 2 on 15000, 16500
Satellite on sub carrier on Eutelsat W5.
cf. http://www.lyngsat.com/ew5.html
de S. Aoki and S. Hasegawa (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CROATIA. 6165, 9.7 1400, Radio Rijeka (Radio Fiume in Italian) with
news in Italian via Hrvatski Radio. At 1430 a transmission from Radio
Herzeg-Bosne [= Bosnia-Herzegovina?] was heard. S 4. QSL: Radio
Rijeka, Croatia-6165. Short e-mail reply from the editorial staff from
when I heard their Italian program via Hrvatski Radio. I saw a small
sign on a house with the name of the station in the little town of
Opatija and this was commented in the reply: ”That house is place
where we started our life story in the 1954”. BEFF (Björn Fransson,
Sweden, SW Bulletin July 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for
DX LI9STENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Just turned on the SDR-14 at 0350 and immediately noticed
Cuba is missing on 5025 and 6000 kHz. Not checked other SW freq's or
MW yet. Also no sign of DGS [Costa Rica] on 5030 kHz. Too bad static
levels are so high here this evening. [Later:] Oh well, Rebelde-5025
back at 0430 re-check, but RHC-6000 still missing (Brandon Jordan,
Memphis TN, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Around 9:51 pm Central [0251 UT July 21] I tuned to 950 and,
amid the goop on the channel, distinctly heard time pips like those
transmitted by WWV and CHU. "Aha!" I thought, "it must be them." But a
few seconds later I heard "didahdit, didahdit" and realized it was
just Radio Reloj from Cuba ---- good DX on that frequency, but not our
spyboys' new toys. So if you're also chasing these tests on 950, be
alert for this "gotcha!" station (Harry Helms W5HLH Smithville, TX
EL19 http://topsecrettourism.com July 20 ABDX via DXLD)
Ah, they fooled you with their stealth, just-like-RR signal. They're
really sending secret messages encoded in tiny differences between the
time pips. ;-) Sadly, Radio Reloj is an all-too-regular visitor here
in central Florida. I can hear them on what seems like every frequency
at night (Jay Heyl, July 20, ABDX via DXLD)
I have noticed some bizarre, very weak signal on 960 with time pips.
I've picked them up a lot lately with the new LF Engineering antenna,
which I still really, really love. Never got them with the old 70 foot
wire or the Quantum QX pro. I figure it must be some LA station or
Cuban station. CKNB owns 950 here, even though they are only 1KW at
night and some 200+ miles away as the crow flies. But, much of those
miles is over salt water (Phil Refuse, PEI, July 20, ABDX via DXLD)
R. Reloj has 10 kW in Guantánamo and 1 kW in Cienfuegos on 960, per
WRTH, so was that it? Reloj is extremely formatted and distinctive and
recognizable, with its ``RR`` code IDs every minute besides the time
checks (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Probably CMDJ from Guantánamo, CUBA, which has been noted with Radio
Reloj. I caught that once a couple of years back while local WWJ-950
was off the air for maintenance (Eric Berger, ABDX via DXLD)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. MALABO, 15190, R. Africa, 1055-1120, July 17,
English. OM with religious talk and Bible readings. Fair, fading out
at tuneout (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10, SP2,
MBL1, 200' Beverages, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Hi Scott. Per Pan American Broadcasting, this site is actually Bata
even though the mailing address is listed as Malabo, and they also
advised that they have never broadcast from Malabo. I had this one
incorrectly listed as Malabo (Fernando Po) in my logs since the mid-
90s. Now that I have found out it is actually Bata (Rio Muni), getting
an elusive QSL from Radio Bata is not quite as important. 73, Brandon
Jordan, TN, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This matter was examined
not too long ago in DXLD (gh)
** FRANCE. Radio France International, 17605, in English, directed to
East Africa, coming in reasonably well today at 1600. Generally has
good news coverage of Africa. Broadcast in English scheduled 1600-1700
(Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY. Re 7-085: Berlin 6005 knocked off by fire
The failure indeed occurred on Monday, so there is little doubt that
these scripts are documents of the fatal moments. Reminds me of the
trolley extinguishers in the Wertachtal transmitter halls.
Other news: Deutschlandradio has been ordered to close down its
additional DAB channel D-Plus by the end of July. VPRT, the lobbying
group of commercial broadcasters in Germany, had requested to check if
D-Plus is compatible with the Deutschlandradio treaty of the German
states which stipulates that Deutschlandradio produces two programs.
The states now declared D-Plus as illegal third program which has to
be discontinued. Deutschlandradio had tried to circumvent this problem
by limiting the airtime of D-Plus to the 9 AM to 1 PM period, but to
no avail. D-Plus carried repeats and relayed the special broadcasts
(parliament coverage etc.) which Deutschlandradio anyway transmits on
MW/LW and a separate satellite channel.
It should be added that ARD is forbidden to launch any additional
radio services as well. Hence new digital channels from the public
broadcasters like the ones offered by Cesky Rozhlas, Danmarks Radio,
NRK, Sveriges Radio or YLE are impossible in Germany, and the case of
D-Plus demonstrates that the German states are indeed willing to
prevent any such offerings (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 21, dxldyg via
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY. 6045 kHz Relay this weekend
Sunday 22nd of July, 12 UT, 6045 kHz
Radio Gloria International in teamwork with MV Baltic Radio
The postal address of Radio Gloria International is:
Radio Gloria International
(c/o Coloradio.org)
Jordanstraße 5
D- 01099 Dresden/ Germany
Email: radiogloria @ aol.com
Good listening (Tom Taylor, July 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST; and in
advance in dxldyg)
** GREECE. The Divine Liturgy and prayers can be heard weekly on the
Voice of Greece. All of this is in Ancient Greek, which is quite
different than modern Greek. It's a bit tricky to hear in NA, but well
worth the effort. 0500-0715 9420 11645 15630 Sunday (Liz Cameron, MI,
Liz`s Shortwave Obsession via DXLD)
** INDIA. 11620 kHz, All India Radio, Delhi, in Asian language, from
2345 to 0030* UT, July 19-20. With program of sub continental music,
occasional talk, IDs, SINPO 33333. Reception was better than it
usually is in the fall / winter on same frequency at roughly 2200 when
it is perhaps most reliably heard. Heard on Grundig S350 with whip
antenna on battery power (Roger Chambers, Utica NY, ODXA yg via DXLD)
** INDONESIA. 9524.95, VOI, 0755-0900, July 21, music & ID loop ("You
are listening to the Voice of Indonesia"), one hour English segment
with news, sports news, program "Getting to Know Indonesia", "Weekly
Review", "News in Brief", gives frequencies of 9525, 11785 & 15150,
fair-poor. July 22 noted *0743, mixing with CTN (Ron Howard-CA, dxldyg
via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Hi Ron, maybe 1400 on Sunday is still early for you to be awaken to
notice the good signal VOI 9525 was putting this July 22. Got to tell
you this really surprised me as they usually go off by 1300. Today
they kept the best signal coming from the Pacific, even better than
Radio Australia 9580. Popular local songs with extensive talk before
TOH. ID in English at 1402. Next, frequencies mentioned in Indonesian.
RRI 9680 was barely audible. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.)
As per my recent reports, they are now scheduled to stay on 9525 until
1500, with Japanese at 12, Korean at 13 and Indonesian at 14, but the
final hour collides with China (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
viz.:
VOI, 9525, was back in business the next day, July 21 at 1245, mostly
music, canned English ID and back to Japanese at 1255; and in Korean
after 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRELAND. Irish Church Broadcasts
Irish Radio Transmitters Society, Radio News Bulletin July 22 2007
Last week we carried an item telling you that we had been notified by
the national coordinator for the IARU Intruder Watch for the German
National Society DARC that transmission of church services which seem
to be coming from Ireland have been taking place in the 28 MHz amateur
band. WAV files have been provided of such transmissions on 28105 kHz
FM. It has now been established that a Church broadcast is being
transmitted on 28.105 MHz FM in the Dublin area. Some further work is
required to identify the Church concerned. Mass is transmitted at
0900, 1000 and 1100 local on Sundays and at 1000 on weekdays. We would
ask stations in the greater Dublin area to listen on this frequency at
these times to see if the location can be positively identified. The
local Church notices can be of assistance here. If you cannot identify
the station and you have a beam antenna you could take a bearing on
the peak signal, which in conjunction with similar bearings taken by
other stations could help identify the general area from which the
transmission originates.
Stations located outside Dublin should listen on the lower end of the
28 MHz band generally to see if any unauthorised activity is taking
place in the band in their areas. If you hear anything worth reporting
you should send a report to Thos Caffrey EI2JD the IRTS Intruder Watch
coordinator at QTHR or to "thoscaffrey at hotmail dot com" with a copy
to Sean Nolan EI7CD at QTHR or to ei7cd at "gofree dot indigo dot ie".
The report should include date, time, frequency, possible location of
station if identified, beam heading in degrees from true north and
other relevant information. If the station is identified from an
announcement of local events, details should be given. Should you hear
anything, no action should be taken other than forwarding a report as
requested.
It is in our own interests to identify any unauthorised activity so as
to preserve the exclusive nature of the 28 MHz allocation. The matter
has already been reported to ComReg who will act on the matter if we
can provide appropriate information (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD)
** ISRAEL. Re 7-085: Regarding the updated REKA schedule I sent out. I
was given two separate schedules which don't match in multiple areas.
I'll try to clarify this ASAP and send out an update (Doni Rosenzweig,
July 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I've been reading that since DXLD started here and even heard Glenn
with the same before. Honestly, I'll believe it till it happens. 73s
(Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.)
Liz Cameron wrote: ``At least KOL QSLs. Mine has a note of apology on
it for being late.``
I thought KOL [sic] still had a no QSL policy? Thanks for posting
this. 73, (Brandon Jordan, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
My QSL is from 1999, so it's a bit dated. I caught the 1900 broadcast
today --- thanks, Andy, for correcting the big mistake that started
this thread. I have trouble reading and writing so my notes are often
messed up. Thankfully, this is temporary. Having said this, it still
would help if KOL [sic] would announce programs in UT and WWCR order
their skeds in UT. Wishful thinking... Very 73, Liz (Liz Cameron, MI,
ibid.)
** JAMAICA. http://www.nationwidenewsnetwork.com/ seems to indicate
that digital AM is operating in Jamaica on 550, 580, 700, 720, 770 and
it provides streamed audio but no other information about programming
or operations. Are these transmitters really on air? If so what sort
of digital AM is in use? Surely there aren't any digital AM receivers
in Jamaica?
http://www.pnpjamaica.org/content/view/212/113/ This site indicates
station is operating, but is it conventional AM. digital AM or FM?
Also indicates that there could be political friction in the air over
next few months in run up to General Election. 73 (Steve Whitt, July
19, MWC via DXLD)
** JOHNSTON ISLAND. KH3 - Susan/W7KFI expected to depart aboard her
yacht "Dahrma" for Johnston Island (OC-023) next week, but now it
seems that she will have to remain in Honolulu until the end of
hurricane season in November. It took her seven months to get
permission from the USAF to stop there, and she has been told that
hers will be the last official operation, as the U.S. Air Force and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have declared the island closed.
[TNX The Daily DX] (425 DX News 21 July via Dave Raycroft, ODXA yg via
DXLD) She had quite an itinerary of other Pacific islands to visit
(gh, DXLD)
** KOREA NORTH. KOREA (DPR), 11680.3, KCBS-Kanggye, 0947-1003, July
17, Korean. Martial music and OM talks. Pips and presumed ID at ToH.
Poor with fades (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8, R75, NIR10,
SP2, MBL1, 200' Beverages, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. KOREA CLANDESTINE (No. Korea). 6003.0, Echo of
Hope, at 1059-1140 UT on July 7. Instrumental music to 1100 UT, sound
of bell and IDs. Then into talk program, mentioned about 2014 Winter
Olympic venue etc. Another talk program at 1117 UT. Music from 1122, 3
pop songs with YL talk. Good signal (Takeshi Sejimo, Japan, DXplorer
July 15 via BC-DX July 22 via DXLD)
Ex-6348? Had been its reliable frequency. Aoki July 21 update still
has it on 6348 at 03-05 and 11-19, nothing on 6003 (gh, DXLD)
** LATVIA. Relays this weekend via 9290 kHz
Sat July 21st
Latvia Today 1000-1100 UT
Radio Casablanca 1100-1200 UT
Sun July 22nd
Latvia Today 1900-2000 UT
Good Listening (Tom Taylor, July 21, DX LISTENING DIGST) Also in
advance on the dxldyg
** LATVIA. Re 7-085: ``Radio Waves International will emit a special
program on 9280 kHz from a transmitter in Latvia on July 27 from 21 to
22 hours, repeated on July 28 at 7 hours and on July 29 at 6 hours.
The QSL address is: R.W.I., B.P. 130, 92504 Rueil Cedex, France (Rumen
Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX Program July 20 via DXLD)`` Surely should be
9290 as usual (gh, DXLD)
** LITHUANIA. 6255, KBC, 0140-0200*, July 22, English. Music by Motley
Crue, Blues Traveler and other artists. Numerous IDs as "The Mighty
KBC", ad for Kaito products. Sign-off announcement at 0158, filler
music until 0200*. Fair (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R8,
R75, NIR10, SP2, MBL1, 200' Beverages, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MARKET REEF. Pictures and videoclips from the recent activity from
Market Reef by SM0BSO, SM0LQB, SM1TDE, SM0EPO and OH0RJ can be found
at http://www.sm0lqb.se/OJ0/ [TNX SM1TDE] (425 DX News 21 July via
Dave Raycroft, ODXA yg via DXLD)
** MEXICO. 6185 kHz, Radio Educación, 1045 UT, with program of Bizet's
Carmen, Spanish ID, fair reception, moderate, then QRM from Radio
Nacional de Venezuela IS (Cuba relay) IS on 6180 kHz at 1058 and poor
by 1102 as RHC program began in Spanish. July 21, on Grundig YB 400PE
with long wire (Roger Chambers, Utica NY, ODXA yg via DXLD)
Summer sign-off of XEPPM is supposed to be 1100, but seems it often
runs past. They surely might as well sign off due to YV/CM (gh, DXLD)
** MEXICO. 9599.25, R. UNAM, Mexico City, 21/7 2256, Male talks in
Spanish; at 2300 time signal, piano classical music. 2312 QRM Vatican
on 9600. Note: I believe this is the best time to receive R. Unam in
Western Europe (Maurits van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
9599.24, XEYU - Radio UNAM (presumed), 0348-0450, July 22, mostly non-
stop classical music (Ravel's Boléro, etc.), OM identified selections
played and mentioned República Mexicana, RHC carrier on at 0353, so
best in LSB, mostly fair (Ron Howard-CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
9599.3a, XEYU, R. Universidad, 0320-0806, July 22, seguéd classical
music with M IDing selections at 0403 "R.-----, las 2303, desde la
capital de la República de México… una transmisora ("emisora"? didn't
sound like it..) de...", rechecks at 0530, 0628, 0659 (rewarded with
"R. Universidad" ID, too), 0723, 0806 solid even with Nikkei-9595, tho
USB/PBT helped keep the signal clear; fairly steady S7 with peaks to
S9 on the R75 with the newly erected Par EF-10/20/40(N/S at 25-35')
(Dan Sheedy, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO [and non]. Here’s the official press release from Broadcast
Company of the Americas:
Broadcast Company of the Americas’ CEO John Lynch announced Wednesday
the launch of “San Diego 1700”, a live and local news talk station for
San Diego about San Diego. San Diego 1700, formerly CASH 1700AM, will
debut on August 1 and feature Mark Larson mornings between 5 a.m. and
9 a.m. BCA is the owner and operator of XX Sports Radio 1090AM and
105.7FM and home of the San Diego Padres. Larson announced the new
venture on XX Sports Radio’s Scott and BR Show this morning. Larson
will also have regular afternoon commentaries on XX Sports’ Too Much
Show, afternoons with Darren Smith and Philly Billy Werndl.
The Mark Larson Show was heard for the past three years on AM 600
KOGO. In June 2007 he chose to opt out of his KOGO contract to expand
his business interests, consider a possible run for U.S. Congress, and
focus on his national radio platform. “A funny thing happened on my
way to Capitol Hill,” noted Larson. “John gave me an offer I couldn’t
refuse, and it’s a four year deal. He also understands the call of
community service and knows there may be a point in the future where I
decide to run for office.” Larson will also serve as Program Director
for the new station. “
The time has come for San Diego to have more local programming. With
San Diego 1700, San Diegans will have a venue to discuss politics and
all that is San Diego. Mark Larson brings over 30 years of San Diego
programming leadership and a significant San Diego following,” said
John Lynch, BCA’s President and CEO.
In addition to Mark Larson in the morning, San Diego 1700 will launch
with local programming such as Ray Lucia, Bill Holland and others. The
station will be adding new shows and features in coming weeks. San
Diego 1700 will continue to carry the Lake Elsinore Storm and LA
Galaxy play-by-play.
“This is like coming home for me. John and I worked together at KFMB
in the 1970s, and I programmed that station for many years, including
adding Padres baseball. So being back with the Padres and the BCA team
is very exciting for me,“ Larson said.
BCA is a San Diego LLC and was formed in 2003 to purchase 1090AM;
105.7FM and 1700AM were purchased in 2005 (SDRadio.net July 19 via
DXLD)
1700 = XEPE tho you`d never know it from above. More about this the
day before and further linx to a blog, etc.:
http://sdradio.net/2007/07/18/am-1700-marks-the-spot/
(Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Re: Spooky experiments: I checked both the
Oklahoma and New Mexico AM frequencies last night at various times,
and heard nothing except. . . . . . . . . around 9:51 pm Central I
tuned to 950 and, amid the goop on the channel, distinctly heard time
pips like those transmitted by WWV and CHU. "Aha!" I thought, "it must
be them." But a few seconds later I heard "didahdit, didahdit" and
realized it was just Radio Reloj from Cuba ---- good DX on that
frequency, but not our spyboys' new toys. So if you're also chasing
these tests on 950, be alert for this "gotcha!" station (Harry Helms
W5HLH Smithville, TX EL19 http://topsecrettourism.com July 20 ABDX via
DXLD)
I'm really interested on these OK and NM test stations - both way too
far from PEI. But, ya never know! (Phil VY2PR Rafuse, ibid.)
I hope both use 1680 a lot because that channel will be the best
chance most of us will have for them. The shortwave frequencies also
look very intriguing (Harry Helms, W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19,
http://topsecrettourism.com ibid.)
When will they begin transmitting? Or have they already started? I
logged the other tone station on 2 of it's AM frequencies. Now I want
to try for this one!! How long are the off air periods going to be?
Let us know when the station starts transmitting on SW! Oh yes I'm
interested!!!! (Robert M. Bratcher Jr, TX, July 20, ABDX via DXLD)
I have no specific info on when they will be operational. Catching
their brief tests will be a matter of pure luck unless we can get them
to tip us off (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
Nothing heard in these parts, Glenn. 530 is a TIS frequency so there
is the Albuquerque TIS on 24/7 there. 540 is a local Spanish station,
rest of AM band stations (830, 950, 1680) had AM stations on them.
Heard a Navy Mars net on 4015, nothing on others. Will keep listening
(Bob Combs, New Mexico, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Another military experimental broadcast station
http://americanbandscan.blogspot.com/2007/07/another-military-experimental-broadcast.html
(Doug Smith`s blog, quoting DXLD)
** PERU. Excepts from ``EL TIEMPO HECHICERO`` DX NEWS No. 31 Julio
2007 by Tetsuya HIRAHARA/RNM
(6020/9720) 780 Radio Victoria, Lima. The station can be heard on-
line at the website of Iglesia Pentecostal Dios es Amor:
http://www.ipda.com.pe/index.htm
First I thought they played different programs on-line and radio, but
soon I noticed that they were the same, but with the on-line signal
being 1 minute 25 seconds behind, according to my monitor on July 5,
2007. Original news program of Radio Victoria, ``Radioperiódico
Nuevo Mundo``, which seems to have reduced to twice a day (0720-0800
and 1900-2000) is also relayed on-line.
(3205) Radio MIVIA (Ministerio Internacional Visión Amazónica),
Iquitos.
Walking up the Avenida Arica to the Plaza de Armas, I found a wall
painting of Radio MIVIA showing MW channel of 1310 kHz, at Av. Arica
359. It was a cyber café ``Snack Shalom``, operated by MIVIA, rather
than a radio station. Inside the café, another wall painting
mentioning ``una voz de esperanza para un mundo necesitado`` and a
shortwave frequency of 3205 kHz. I asked the café employee if the
station was active? Her vague answer was that the radio was under
rearrangement, after thinking a little.
(4790) 106.5 Radio ``Nueva`` Atlántida, Iquitos. According to the
station visit, I was informed that there was a change in ownership.
The station is owned and operated by Producciones ``Gózala`` E.I.R.L.
They are now refurbishing the shortwave transmitter, and hope to
resume transmission on 4790 kHz in July. The power would be 2 kW. News
pgm ``Sin Rodeos`` at 1045. Administrador: Jorge Gonzales; Jefe de
Programación: Edwin Meza Júnior. QTH: Av. Mariscal Cáceres 1037,
Iquitos; tel: +51-65-23-4886, 22-2575.
Anmt – ``Continuamos premiando tu sintonía ahora le toca al mes rojo
y blanco, julio, color de (import). La Casa de las Máquinas de Coser
de Bermúdez 845 te regala una máquina zapatera y muchos premios más
para tí para ganar los premios. Deposite tus sobres con nombre y
dirección y la respuesta ganadora: Yo escucho la Nueva Atlántida,
Gózala! El sorteo será el sábado 28 de julio al mediodía en los
estudios de la radio: Cáceres 1037. Felices fiestas patrias con la
nueva Atlántida, Gózala (Tetsuya Hirahara, THDXN via DXLD)
** ROMANIA. While listening to Tunisia on 7190 I noted a het on the
frequency just prior to 2200. Found a station on about 7187.27, which
turned out to be Radio Romania International in English. Listed
frequency is 7185 // 9790. 2200-2300. 21 July 2007 (Steve Lare,
Holland, MI USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. Re 7-085, Ufa: The reference to Komintern denotes the
earliest stage of Soviet broadcasting. The site in question is subject
of this item: http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/?p=8366
Radio Rossii was on 693, Mayak on 198. Another transmitter site exists
at Yazykovo, 40 km north of Ufa. It used to relay GTRK Bashkortostan
programming on 162, but according to an item in DXLD 7-057 this
transmitter is off as well. The Yazykovo site has also a modest power
(about 15 kW) shortwave transmitter which used to relay GTRK
Bashkortostan and later a plain Radio Rossii feed on 4485. This
shortwave transmitter has been closed down a few years ago if I'm
correct (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAINT HELENA. To the person who was asking if anyone else is
waiting for a QSL from 2006, yes, I am too waiting.
I did E-Mail Laura Lawrence at Radio St Helena and ask her ``what's
up" with my QSL. For starters I E-Mailed her and added that I was TOM
MESSER in MEQUON WISCONSIN. She promptly wrote back and asked me where
in what country is Wisconsin? I guess I am GLOBALCENTRIC and assumed
somebody would think that Wisconsin was in the USA? And I'm sure that
when I write out a verification that I use my rubber stamp that prints
as MEQUON WISCONSIN, and does not mention USA. So maybe that's what
the problem was for not getting the darned QSL yet? Well anyways, she
knows now where WISCONSIN is :- ) I then asked her if she was gonna
send me a QSL from 2006, but alas she has not responded to me. And
sadly I tried and tried but could not raise their signal this past
Tuesday! Good thing I have several QSL's from previous years (Tom
Messer, MEQUON WISCONSIN, USA !!!!!!!! July 21, swl at qth.net via
DXLD)
Tom, Patience. It took me 5.5 years! They do not have mail like we do
here in the USA. A boat stops every three to five months, picks up and
drops off. It is also quite costly to get postage from there to
Wisconsin, where ever that is, so I hope you sent them about $5 in
green stamps, Tom. Additionally, they have almost no staff, much is
volunteer and probably received a thousand card requests. Be polite
and patient. No other way OM. I know it is not easy, been there, done
that (Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO, ibid.)
I believe they only requested $3. That's what I sent, and have already
received the card for the 2006 test (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, ibid.)
** SLOVAKIA. Re 7-085: Slovakia gone from shortwave --- not!
The DX programme in question, if indeed "broadcast by Deutsche Welle
and afterwards by Radio Slovakia International", was probably a
production by DW's Tina Krasnopolskaya, presumably in Russian. Earlier
she made also a German programme for Radio Slovakia International,
later phased out and replaced by the production from Markus
Weidner mentioned in the German version of the Radio Bulgaria item.
Re. closing down mediumwave in Slovakia: This is so far only a plan,
pending further decisions what will happen with the minority language
programs carried on the remaining mediumwave outlets (Kai Ludwig,
Germany, July 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN. Program notes. “American Chronicles” hosted by Justin Coe
and heard during Thursday’s transmission, and repeated, I believe on
Saturdays, remains a very fine, though brief, program on various
topics of mostly Latin American news. On the 20th features included
the drug war in Mexico, Cuba and the Catholic bishops, and Canada PM
Harper on a recent visit to Chile, praising Chile’s economic and
social advancement of recent years, with special praise for their
health and social services programs.
This program often covers various Latin American political and social
topics not usually heard elsewhere. The week before it took a look at
Cuba’s health care system based upon the interest in the same in the
US stimulated by Michael Moore’s recent documentary “Sicko” noting
that some of Moore’s information was not totally accurate.
REE did not make the switch this year to usual summer frequency of
15385 kHz for its 0000-0100 UT broadcast, remaining on its winter
frequency of 6055 kHz. This has been much more reliable here in the
east than the 19 m frequency, though I doubt if it propagates very
well to Central or Western North America. It still would be nice if
they used one of their 31 m band frequencies for their English
broadcasts (perhaps 9535 kHz) which is very reliable here local
evenings with Spanish programming.
REE’s programs, though done with minimal staff, continues to provide a
very interesting mix of news, press review, and features on Spanish
culture, music, history, and society, This remains some of the more
interesting and entertaining broadcasts available on short wave and
deserves to be more widely heard (Roger Chambers, Utica NY, ODXA yg
via DXLD)
** SPAIN. Spanish AM/DRM simulcast trial
Cadena SER is doing a DRM trial from Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), the
site where its operated the MW transmitter on 810 kHz, operating on
AM. The 6 month long DRM trials are an AM/DRM simulcast on 1260 kHz
(which is a frequency where SER Algeciras and SER Murcia operate AM
transmitters), and the lower next frequency of 1251 (where de DRM
signal is), using a 10 kW transmitter.
The trials have been allowed by the Authorities. When they will finish
them, a report will be done according the measures and data achived
and that report would be used by the Spanish Administration and
international organizations.
(Taken from : http://www.guiadelaradio.com/noticia15640.html via Juan
Carlos Ara, July 21,
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=16490690&postcount=263
via Mike Barraclough, DXLD)
** TAIWAN. Dear Sir, re DXLD 7-083, RTI address; I heard OM Carlson
Wong in "Jade Bells and Bamboo Pipes" program July 18, 2007 - 15515,
on closing 1657 I heard "123-199" (one nine nine) (Tony Ashar, Depok,
Indonesia, shortwave yg via DXLD)
** UKRAINE. Re Salmaniw`s report: Does this imply that other Ukrainian
stations listed in EMWG are silent? What's happened to high power
stations on 549, 648, 711 kHz and so on? 73 (Steve Whitt, UK, MWC via
DXLD)
** U K. What makes a symphony ``mighty``? There are some mighty good
ones on this year`s Prom Concerts, but I would have a hard time
quantifying this. That is no obstacle to the BBCR3 presenters, or
whomever writes their scripts. So far, Bruckner`s Seventh and Gliere`s
Third have both been dubbed ``mighty``. They are both over an hour
long; is that it? Now, are any of Bruckner`s symphonies not mighty???
My inquiring mind wants to know (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST) Also submitted this to the Prom 8 review discussion board, but
no show yet (gh)
** U K. Re 7-085: For the last hour or so at least, 198 LW has been on
reduced power, with an interruption of about two minutes’ duration
ending at approximately 1650. The carrier still seemed to be present
during the interruption. 73 (Andrew Brade, UK, 1659 UT July 20, MWC
via DXLD)
Problems at Droitwich, may well be off and you are hearing the
Scottish transmitters:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=622987
http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/transmitters/index.shtml
(Mike Barraclough, ibid.)
Dear Glenn, Andy Sennitt is correct re: failure of BBCR4 LF 198 kHz
and the colocated 5LIVE MF - but seems to be unaware of the flooding
likely to explain it (it's difficult to blame the Beeb for the
severely unseasonal weather!):
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=622987
and: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6910086.stm
I suspect others have already e-mailed you about this (Mike Larvin BSc
MA MD FRCS FRCPS, Professor of Surgery, University of Nottingham
Medical School, July 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
But didn't you see what the weather was like in that area on Friday?
There was torrential rain over a long period as well as much flooding
in that area blocking roads and railways and driving people out of
their homes. Maybe the failure was due to that - or could there have
been a lightning strike?
Perhaps the owners of the site (whoever they are currently) would have
cause for embarrassment for not being able to provide service rather
than the BBC? And what about Talk Sport and Virgin - were they on air?
The 198 transmitter is in service this Saturday morning.
Here in NW England I could continue to listen to the cricket
commentary on 198 as the signal from - I assume - Westerglen is
sufficiently strong. I didn't notice that 693 was also off, but maybe
the Barrow transmitter was what I could hear?
And BTW - in the BBC promos for the Test Match cricket commentary I
have yet to hear mention that listeners still have 198 (and the MW
relays which are top secret anyway - I assume they stayed on air)
available to them. Only Five Live sports extra and other digital
platforms are announced (Noel R. Green - UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
Yes, 198 kHz appeared to be back to normal when I checked at 2100 UT
[July 20]. But it had been off for some hours, which is quite unusual
- and seemingly not on the air for the shipping forecast at 1654 UT or
thereabouts --- though of course there are other sources of this
information.
It's impossible to tell from here whether a particular transmitter in
a synchronised network is on or off, apart from 198 since it's
normally very strong here. In fact the signal from (I presume)
Burghead would have been 100% readable were it not for the static.
Yes, there are still nine mediumwave relays of Radio 4 listed on the
BBC website. I assume AM listeners in those areas know about them, but
it's true you never hear them mentioned. I think the LW/MW relays of
test cricket continue for contractual reasons. Obviously the BBC wants
people to upgrade to digital, so it isn't advertising the availability
of these commentaries on analogue, but again I assume that their
regular listeners know about them (Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, ibid.)
Talk Sport is off the air due to technical problems. That includes MF
VHF DAB and internet. Dave (David Towers, G8SZX Glenfield Leicester
IO92jp, homepage http://www.g8szx.mediumwaveradio.org 1003 UT July 20,
MWC via DXLD)
Not sure if this is related or not, as I have no idea of the geography
or transmitters involved or if it just affects the website listeners,
but this was in the BBC 4 Newsletter released yesterday: "You may have
already realised this morning that we're experiencing very big
technical problems because of the severe weather. A lot of engineering
staff and servers are based at Maidenhead – where the building has
been flooded. We've also had problems with the Listen Again feature
recently. We will resume normal service as soon as we can and
apologise that the service we're providing isn't as it should be."
(Fred Waterer, Ont., July 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Thanks for the information - Fred. The Droitwich LW transmitter is
located near the city of Worcester (SW of Birmingham), while
Maidenhead is in the Thames valley, just to the west of London. Andy
Sennitt (and I) were writing about a total off-air failure of the
transmitter using 198 kHz, not just the feed. The only connection I
can think of is the weather that affected both areas on Friday - hours
of torrential rain that caused severe flooding. It could have been the
River Thames itself causing the floods in Maidenhead, but the exact
cause of the failure at Droitwich isn't known (Noel R. Green (NW
England), ibid.)
I just took a look at the forums on Digital Spy (which despite its
name also covers analogue). According to James Vertigan at 0204
Saturday: "Jim Lee (Radio 4 continuity) has just said after the
shipping forecast that Droitwich R4 LW is back on air now albeit on
reduced power thanks to the hard working engineers. He explained it
was down to flooding and they hoped to be back up to normal power
tomorrow." Other transmitters at Droitwich were also knocked off the
air, but came back on reduced power, apparently.
Someone made the point that "Aren't there lots of electricity meters
which use a signal transmitted on 198 kHz to change over to night
rate?", to which the answer is "yes" and apparently they still did :-)
Noel is quite correct, Worcestershire - where the Drotwich transmitter
site is located - was the worst-hit county, and I see that the County
Council has also called for military assistance! Yesterday, the RAF
said they had carried out the largest number of helicopter evacuations
in peace time! (Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, July 22, ibid.)
** U S A. SENATE APPROPRIATORS BEND TO BBG
Dateline: WASHINGTON, 07/17/07: Senate Appropriators approved a
budget for the Voice of America that was approximately $7 million less
than what was approved by the House. The Senate version of the bill is
still an increase of almost $9 million over the BBG's request.
The Senate version did specify that it was in favor of continuing
broadcasts in many of those areas the BBG plans to cut. The House
version did not mention Russian but the Senate version did mention
Russian as one area that should not be eliminated. Both the Senate and
House versions left out any mention of VOA's broadcasts of Portuguese
to Africa. Curiously the Senate made no mention of the VOA's Hindi
Service.
The Senate and House versions will now have to be reconciled in a
conference committee made up of Senate and House Appropriators. There
is no word yet on when those meetings will begin (AFGE Local 1812 via
DXLD)
** U S A. American Public Media Group, parent of Minnesota Public
Radio, is negotiating to buy WGTS-FM,
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/07/18/wgts/
a noncommercial station in the Washington, D.C., area, MPR's newsroom
reported yesterday. APMG would launch a station focusing on "global
government issues," said President Bill Kling, noting that APMG had a
good track record from its stewardship of KPCC, a Los Angeles-area
station it has managed for several years.
The Washington Times [Moony], citing unnamed sources,
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070718/BUSINESS/107180017/0/EDITORIAL
said the price could be around $25 million. The station, which now
airs Christian contemporary music, is owned by a small, financially
pinched Seventh-day Adventist school, Columbia Union College, here in
leafy Takoma Park, Md. A group fighting to keep the station's format,
Save WGTS, http://www.savewgts.net/ says the college rejected a
proposal by the station's board. posted at 10:40 AM EST 7.19.2007
(Current via DXLD)
** U S A. Something other than WORLD OF RADIO was on WBCQ 9330-CLSB,
UT Monday July 23 at 0310 check; this transmission comes and goes
without notice (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Broadcast station on Highway 380 --- There's an older
installation on the south side of highway 380 just west of highway 289
(Preston Rd.) From the antenna array, I think there may even be a
rhombic, I take it that it is a HF broadcast station. Years ago when
flying over it in a light plane it would wipe out the radio in the
plane with static. Is/was it one of those HF christian broadcast
stations? Thanks! (firstimelongtime, July 16, radio-info.com TX board
via DXLD)
That's right. It's the transmitter site for shortwave station KAIJ,
about 3 1/2 miles west of Preston. Coordinates, in case you want the
aerial view, are: 33 13' 05" N 96 51' 48" W. (jd, ibid.)
Last I remember, KAIJ was owned by Dr Gene Scott in CA; with his death
and his ex-pornstar wife, Mellissa taking over, I wonder if it`s been
sold? (CW, ibid.)
Scott never owned it, but leased the entire broadcast day. After his
death in 2005, the station began running different programming. You
can find out more about KAIJ at http://kaij.us/
Longtime shortwave listeners will remember that this station was
originally KCBI, co-owned with local KCBI (FM.) That was in the early
80's; was only on for a few hours during local afternoons then.
I've been wondering how long this facility can keep operating, as the
Collin County urban sprawl is rapidly overtaking it (Mediafrog+,
ibid.)
When I was at KPLX I worked with the late David Briggs, who put KCBI
Shortwave on the air. Even then I wondered whether it was a wise move
to do a start-up of a shortwave station, and I really wonder how
profitable it is now. You're right about the location of the
transmitter; that land has got to be worth a bundle (jd, ibid.)
** U S A. I listened a little on 1700 and once again KVNS in
Brownsville totally dominates KKLF in Sherman. A year ago they were
always co-equal, but since last fall KVNS has owned the channel.
There's no way you're going to convince me KVNS is now running more
than 1 KW at night; they sound like they're using their daytime 10 kW
(Harry Helms W5HLH Smithville, TX EL19 http://topsecrettourism.com
July 20 ABDX via DXLD) Just so you don`t call it ``cheating`` (gh,
DXLD)
I've noted the same on my travels, and I don't think it's a new
phenomenon. KVNS was soundly on top of the channel when I was in
Alaska in 2003... 73, (Tim Hall (miserably close to the newer 1700
blowtorch, XEPE), CA, ibid.)
I believe you, but when I moved here a couple of years ago KVNS and
KKLF were co-equal at night; I could easily separate the two merely by
turning the loop or the Sony ICF-2001/C Crane radio. But ever since
KVNS dropped sports talk for Spanish last year, it has been dominant
over KKLF and almost impossible to null. Maybe it was running 10 KW at
night back in 2003 and reverted to its old ways last fall. But it sure
ain't 1 KW at night! (Harry Helms, W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, ibid.)
KVNS 1700 is pretty regular here in PEI [which is one heck of a
distance from southern TX even for 10KW], although mosts nights it
takes an R-390A to get them. Some times the internal noise of my Drake
R8 is just too much, although on a good night it can break through
pretty nice on the Ohio Canoe Anchor R8. No such problem with the
ultra quiet Iowa Boat Anchor R-390A. My Stromberg Carlson for Collins
R-392, although not quite as sensitive as my 1955 R-390A, shares its
super low noise delights. I guess that's what you get for watching all
11 hours [not all together!!!] of the R-390A DVD! And, 1/8 can of
deoxit. A bunch of new caps too. The Y2K R-390A manual. And, some
hocus pocus involving recitations from a book on Art Collins. Will I
do it again, probably, one module at a time on Brent T's Stewart
Warner. Gotta get my little workbench set up (Phil Refuse, ibid.)
Yes, but don`t forget, the top end of the MW band is quasi-SW in
propagation characteristics (gh, DXLD)
** U S A. Some new summer series on cable TV look worth outchecking;
might have overlooked them if I had not spotted them in The Week in
Sloth, from Albuquerque Alibi. Maybe I`m drawn to them as a Glen[n]:
http://www.alibi.com/index.php?story=19813
Thursday 19
“Mad Men” (AMC 8 p.m.) Set in 1960 New York, this new weekly drama
takes viewers into the high-powered and glamorous world of the “golden
age” of advertising—the days when men in suits drank and smoked while
trying to come up with ways to sell cigarettes and booze. Think
Glengarry Glen Ross on Madison Avenue.
http://media.amctv.com/originals/madmen/
Tuesday 24
“Damages” (FX 11 p.m.) Glenn Close, yet another high-profile actor
currently wrapped up in cable, stars as a pitiless corporate litigator
who pisses off a vengeful CEO (Ted Danson). Rose Byrne (``28 Weeks
Later``) and Tate Donovan (“The O.C.”) round out the cast of this
weekly legal thriller. http://fxnetwork.com/shows/originals/damages/
Wednesday 18
“Back to the Grind” (TV Land 8:30 p.m.) I’m forced to admit slight
interest in this almost-reality series in which actors are asked to
actually perform the jobs they pretended to do for years on TV.
Tonight, Loni Anderson tries her hand at being a receptionist, while
Erik Estrada attempts police work.
http://www.tvland.com/originals/backtothegrind/
Loni Anderson as a radio station receptionist and DJ in LA comes up as
a video teaser. Show site linked above says:
Premières WEDNESDAY, JULY 18 at 10:30PM/9:30C
This half-hour series takes iconic TV performers from Loni Anderson to
Harry Anderson and other actors not named "Anderson" and has them
perform the real-life version of the jobs their characters held on
Classic TV shows like WKRP in Cincinnati and Night Court. Other
performers featured include Erik Estrada, Marla Gibbs, Sherman
Hemsley, Betty White, Mark Curry, Bea Arthur, Ed Begley Jr. and Jimmie
"J.J." Walker.
Times are MDT except immediately above, so check listings where you
be. Mad Men has several repeats still pending of Episode 101,
including Sunday morning & evening. Says it is visible on-demand.
Back to the Grind repeats are 3 hours later on UT Fridays, and
Saturday mornings. On the show website there is a link for viewing
full episodes, but no workee yet.
Add to these, Saving Grace on TNT UT Tuesdays 0200 from July 24, as
previously covered under OKLAHOMA. All have been added to MONITORING
REMINDERS CALENDAR among its few TV entries (Glenn Hauser, OK, July
21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Looking for the pipe organ show on the fourth Sunday at 0200
UT Monday July 23, I found that KFCF Fresno has been scared away from
streaming as of July 15; see http://www.kfcf.org/kfcfheadlines.htm ---
but its related station KPFA continues (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** VANUATU [and non]. Re: reports on 3945: OK, I would like to ask
you, why at report of Hawaiian, haven’t “doubt” about their
informations, and at my log, have. He have eventually, same reasons to
listen and make doubt. I have to agree that the audio that I recorded
of this report is very poor, but I have some experience with R.
Vanuatu, like you can see at: http://br.geocities.com/eefibra/
I have more than one hour of recordings of that station. I think that
have many differences between R. Vanuatu and R. Nikkei to make doubt,
even with bad conditions of reception. Perhaps, this must have some
technical reasons for your comments. Only one more thing: at this
report, I have absolute certainty what I heard because the female
voice said: Radio Vanu-átu and later, I heard their music, always
repeated at this hour. Sincerely Yours (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec,
Brasil, July 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Lúcio, I was not doubting your logging. As I said, when you heard it,
Nikkei is already off the air according to the schedule. I just
pointed out Nikkei because others with less experience might hear that
earlier, or on a day of the week they stay on later, and assume they
had Vanuatu. Thanks for the follow-up (Glenn to Lúcio, via DXLD)
Glen[n] Thanks for your attention. Unfortunately I can't hear R.
Vanuatu many times this year, except that report and maybe some other,
but not many times. From Pacific, by now, only R. New Ireland from
PNG. Sincerely Yours (Lúcio, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VENEZUELA. RCTV: CRÓNICA DE UN REGRESO ANUNCIADO
El día lunes 16 de julio, a las 6 am, aconteció lo que ya se sabía en
Venezuela desde hace mucho tiempo: el regreso al aire de RCTV a través
de los sistemas de televisión por suscripción. En DIRECTV es el 103 y
en Intercable, el 13, justo al lado de Globoterror. ¿Casualidad? Para
nada.
El 27 de mayo de los corrientes, a las 11.59 pm, RCTV se había quedado
sin la concesión para explotar el canal 2, en la zona metropolitana de
Caracas, y el resto de sus estaciones repetidoras a escala nacional.
Se vencía el período de 20 años de la última renovación, la cual tuvo
lugar el 27 de mayo de 1987, en pleno gobierno del nefasto Jaime
Lusinchi.
El 20 de septiembre de 1952, el Estado ya había autorizado a Radio
Caracas Televisión para establecer una estación de televisión en el
canal 7, con una potencia de 10.000 vatios de video y 5.000 vatios de
sonido. El estándar de frecuencia era de 625 líneas, 25 cuadros y 50
ciclos. Efectivamente, RCTV ya estaba en capacidad, para finales de
1952, de transmitir su señal en la ciudad de Caracas, sólo que la
férrea dictadura de turno – la de Marcos Pérez Jiménez - no lo
permitió, ya que la estatal TVN (Televisora Nacional) debía ser la que
pasara a la historia como la primera estación de televisión de
Venezuela, y así fue. El 22 de noviembre de 1952, TVN inaugura la era
de la televisión en nuestro país; un año después, RCTV establece
emisiones regulares en el Valle de Caracas.
Dato curioso es que antes de estar en el canal 2, RCTV estuvo ocupando
la frecuencia del canal 7 en la zona metropolitana; esta última
frecuencia sería asignada a la citada empresa para operar estaciones
repetidoras en varias zonas del interior de Venezuela.
Ya para 1998, RCTV era una de las dos estaciones de televisión más
poderosas del país, con ingresos multimillonarios en publicidad y
venta de contenidos en el exterior. Durante ese año electoral, el
grupo 1BC (casa matriz de RCTV) decide respaldar abiertamente al
candidato derechista contendor de Chávez (Salas Römer) y es cuando se
desata el principio del fin de la planta de Quinta Crespo. La División
de Información y Opinión de RCTV se consagró en descalificar y atacar
la figura de Hugo Chávez; la mayoría de sus reporteros y redactores
tomó partido en la lucha política y luego de ser elegido Chávez
presidente – en 1998 - la campaña sucia continuó.
El Golpe de Estado del 11 de abril de 2002 desalojó a Chávez por 47
horas de la Presidencia y para nadie es un secreto el activo papel
jugado por RCTV en ese atentado contra la Constitución y las leyes.
Públicos y notorios son los registros en videos y fotografías, de la
presencia física de Marcel Granier – alto directivo de RCTV - en los
pasillos de la sede del Poder Ejecutivo, Miraflores, el día 12 de
abril de 2002. ¿Qué hacía el señor Granier visitando a los líderes del
Golpe de Estado y posando con ellos para las cámaras de los
corresponsales extranjeros? ¿No convalidaba Granier con sus abrazos y
sonrisas la acción criminal de un grupo de traidores a la Patria? Sin
embargo, hasta nuestros días, el descarado señor Granier niega que
haya estado en Miraflores esa funesta jornada.
El sabotaje petrolero de finales de 2002 y principios de 2003, dejó
aún más en evidencia la actuación de elementos foráneos – en
colaboración con agentes nacionales - en los planes de
desestabilización en contra de la República. Una vez más, RCTV llevó
la batuta dirigente junto con otros medios privados de comunicación.
En 63 días de abierta y abyecta guerra económica, RCTV no transmitió
ni una sola pauta publicitaria, sólo PROPAGANDA DE GUERRA. Dicha
propaganda - 17.600 mensajes políticos durante 63 días - incitaba a
los ciudadanos a quebrantar las leyes y el Estado de Derecho.
Además, cualquier dueño de un medio de comunicación privado, en
cualquier lugar del orbe, sabría que sería un “suicidio económico” el
no transmitir publicidad tan sólo por UN DÍA, ya que ello generaría
pérdidas multimillonarias a la empresa. Con base en la anterior tesis,
planteamos: ¿cómo pudo RCTV estar al aire por casi tres meses sin el
sustento económico de la industria publicitaria? ¿Si el dinero no
provenía de la publicidad, de dónde venía? ¿Quién pagaba los costos
operativos de RCTV? ¿National Endowment for Democracy? ¿Estados
Unidos? Estimados contribuyentes estadounidenses, al parecer su dinero
está siendo destinado a financiar actividades nada transparentes ni
democráticas, fuera de Estados Unidos. ¿Qué tal?
El 28 de diciembre de 2006, Hugo Chávez anuncia en una alocución que
no le renovará la concesión a RCTV. Una de las razones de peso tomadas
en cuenta por el Estado para no darle continuidad a la figura
administrativa de la concesión, en el caso RCTV, es la flagrante
violación de los artículos 50, 57, 58, 108 y 133, de la Constitución
Nacional; 15, 171 (Literal sexto) y 208, de la Ley Orgánica de
Telecomunicaciones (2000); y 32, 35, 38, 63, 65, 68, 71, 74 y 79, de
la Ley Orgánica de Protección al Niño, Niña y Adolescente. El señor
Marcel Granier, quien tanto se jacta de ser “intachable” y respetuoso
de las leyes, posee un “prontuario comunicacional” nada envidiable;
desde luego, eso jamás lo reconocerán organismos internacionales como
la Federación Intergaláctica de Periodistas, la Sociedad
Interplanetaria de Prensa o Reporteros Sin Vergüenza. Está de moda
descalificar a Venezuela, no importa el pretexto.
Casi dos meses después de la consumación del cacareado “cierre”, RCTV
vuelve al aire a través de los sistemas de televisión por suscripción
y se cae la leyenda urbano-mediática del “ataque a la libertad de
expresión”. Marcel Granier y la directiva de la estación de Bárcenas
pensaban que, al estar RCTV fuera del aire por al menos unas semanas,
el gobierno de Chávez no tardaría en caer debido a las
“multitudinarias” manifestaciones de calle reclamando el regreso del
canal de Quinta Crespo. De verdad se lo creyeron. Se creyeron la
fulana encuesta – publicada también en World of Radio - del supuesto
apoyo del 80% hacia RCTV y cayeron en su propia trampa. Esperaban
matar dos pájaros de un tiro – salir de Chávez y recuperar la
concesión - y les salió la DETONACIÓN POR LA CULATA. Sencillamente, la
cúpula de la empresa comunicacional retardó de forma intencional su
salida por cable y satélite, con fines politiqueros y golpistas.
Pertinente sería formular una nueva interrogante a Marcel Granier: ¿De
dónde ha sacado el financiamiento RCTV para sufragar los altos costos
operativos de la planta, si no ha estado al aire desde el 28 de mayo
y, por consiguiente, ha estado imposibilitada de emitir publicidad? El
olor a billetes verdes se vuelve a asomar por el horizonte.
Ahora Granier acusa al Gobierno de “robarle” sus equipos de
transmisión y afirma que eso ha demorado el regreso del canal. Una
cobarde y vil mentira. El Estado más bien se ha servido de una acción
judicial cautelar para tomar en custodia los transmisores y
repetidores de RCTV; así se facilita la cobertura a TVes (Televisora
Venezolana Social) y se cumple con el artículo 108 de la Constitución,
que exige garantizar a la ciudadanía “(…) los servicios públicos de
radio, televisión (…), con el fin de permitir el acceso universal a la
información”. Tales equipos ya no le sirven de nada a RCTV, porque son
transmisores de VHF y, como recordarán, la estación de marras perdió
su habilitación administrativa para explotar ese espectro de
frecuencia, desde el pasado 27 de mayo a las 11.59 pm.
Lo mínimo que deberían hacer Marcel Granier y la alta directiva de
RCTV, sería poner sus cargos a la orden de los accionistas de la
empresa. Su incompetencia gerencial y ética degradó al nivel más
vergonzoso al otrora “invencible” RCTV de señal abierta y nacional;
la tragicomedia barata del “cierre” ha sido la última infamia que los
ha sepultado PARA SIEMPRE.
Adán González, Certificado de Locución #26950, Catia La Mar, Estado
Vargas, VENEZUELA
*Artículo basado en información recabada de la publicación “Libro
Blanco sobre RCTV”, editada por el Ministerio del Poder Popular para
la Información y la Comunicación, de la República Bolivariana de
Venezuela. Marzo 2007, 1era Edición.
ANEXO SOBRE LA IRRESPONSABILIDAD LABORAL DE RCTV
Inspectoría del Trabajo Pedro Ortega Díaz --- Sala de Reclamos
EXPEDIENTE 079-2006-03-03302, trabajadora Noris Beatriz Mercedes
contra RCTV por diferencia de prestaciones sociales.
EXPEDIENTE 079-2006-03-00775, trabajadora Yenitza Careliz Piñango
contra RCTV por RETENCIÓN ILEGAL de salarios y vacaciones vencidas. Se
encuentra en vía judicial.
EXPEDIENTE 079-2006-03-01359, trabajador Hedor Ramírez contra RCTV por
prestaciones sociales. Se encuentra en vía judicial.
Sala de Fueros
EXPEDIENTE 079-2006-01-01030, trabajador Jesús Evencio Sanoja contra
RCTV por DESPIDO INJUSTIFICADO. Se decidió el reenganche del
trabajador y pago de salarios caídos.
EXPEDIENTE 079-2006-01-01773, trabajadora Isabel Aloi Domínguez contra
RCTV por DESPIDO INJUSTIFICADO. Se decidió el reenganche de la
trabajadora.
Sala de Sanciones
EXPEDIENTE 079-2006-06-01475, caso originado por causa de que RCTV SE
NIEGA A COMPARECER para dar respuesta al reclamo del trabajador.
EXPEDIENTE 079-2006-01-01134, es otro caso originado por causa de que
RCTV SE NIEGA A COMPARECER para dar respuesta al reclamo del
trabajador.
Inspectoría del Distrito Capital. Sala de Fueros
EXPEDIENTE 023-05-01-05460, trabajadora Sujeidi Oropeza Rodríguez
contra RCTV, por DESPIDO INJUSTIFICADO. Se decidió el reenganche del
trabajador.
¿Y después de todo esto quieren seguir hablando de libertad de
expresión y Derechos Humanos? ¡Por favor! (Adán González, Venezuela,
July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ZIMBABWE. 4828, at 0130 UT on July 15, ZBC (presumed), generally
poor under CODAR with non-stop Afro dance music. Listened closely for
announcements but seemed to segué from one lengthy song to another and
signal never improved enough for ID. I checked 3396 kHz and that one
was surprisingly strong with different program (John Herkimer, NY,
DXplorer July 15 via BC-DX July 22 via DXLD)
4828, Zimbabwe Broadcasting, (presumed), 2330-2345 July 21. Can't hear
too much since it's still 45 minutes before sunset, but under the
noise I can hear hilife type music with singing, etc. at threshold.
Never heard any comments due to the wild noise level (Chuck Bolland,
CLEWISTON, FLORIDA, NRD535D, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS
++++++++++++++++++++++++
I greatly enjoy reading the newsletter each week - although I've been
pretty much out of the hobby for many years due to work commitments
it's great to keep up with DXing in this way. Keep up the great work!
Best regards (Mike Larvin BSc MA MD FRCS FRCPS, Professor of Surgery,
University of Nottingham Medical School, July 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
PUBLICATIONS
++++++++++++
EDXC RADIO LANDLIST 2007
Dear DX --- Friends all over the World ! I enclose the latest updated
EDXC Radio Landlist 2007. The Landlist is coming from Mr. Olle Alm in
Hudiksvall, Sweden, who updated this all the time in the past. I
received this List today --- on Friday , July 20 , 2007 --- from
Mr. Torre Ekblom, Assistant Secretary General at the EDXC.
With best wishes and greetings from Sweden,
T i b o r S z i l a g y i
EDXC Secretary General
Written in Sweden on Friday, July 20, 2007.
direct link: http://www.dswci.org/news/2007/0707/edxc_landlist.pdf
Best 73 (Rolf Wernli, DSWCI webmaster, July 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Olle, I have been looking at the EDXC country list, very good work and
useful with all the annotations, but one thing is not clear to me ---
what is its scope? I see some countries where I do not recall there
ever being a broadcast station, e.g. Navassa, yet it is not as
comprehensive as DXCC for the hams.
What qualifies a country to be in this list? NASWA of course deals
only with SWBC countries. Surely EDXC also encompasses MW, but how
about FM and TV and utility and ham? 73, (Glenn to Olle Alm, via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
LANGUAGE LESSONS
++++++++++++++++
YIDDISH & DUTCH & GERMAN
The German Wikipedia article http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiddisch
describes it quite well: "German speakers are often very surprised how
well they can follow talks in Yiddish. Speakers of High German can
understand Yiddish much better than Dutch."
My most impressive experience with Dutch was a talk on Radio 10 Gold
shortly after they had left 675. It was about a Mahlstrom (so a flood
is called a grinding stream in Dutch?) of faxes, and "Wir haben nur
ein Problem, das ist: Papier ist gleich alle. Ja! Wir haben noch eine
Packung." Ooops, but this wasn't German at all??? Understanding
Yiddish works the same way, it's just even easier.
Concerning Yiddish from Kol Israel on WRN Deutsch: What's actually the
target audience, what's the rationale behind putting it into a context
which is explicitly German-language? Any background about this would
be really interesting (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 21, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
MAELSTROM --- A tad off-topic, but to note that English has
"maelstrom", so we Anglos must have borrowed that from Dutch rather
than German, as you thought that "mahlstrom" looked odd.
Slightly more on-topic, I remember many year ago hearing on Kol
Israel's mailbag program a letter from someone saying that they
enjoyed listening to the station's "German" service - and it being
pointed out that they had been listening to the Yiddish service.
And of course English has borrowed a number of Yiddish words (separate
from all the German ones we also use). (Chris Greenway, UK, ibid.)
Since the original whirlpool was off the coast of Norway, I always
thought the word came from Norwegian, but Merriam-Webster confirms
it`s Dutch (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I don't know what Kol Israel has in mind, or what the motives of WRN
Deutsch are, but perhaps they are targetting what comparatively few
Yiddish speakers remain in post-Holocaust Europe (I believe there
still must be many Yiddish speakers in the former USSR), Yiddish
speakers in North America (mostly older people; Yiddish is dying out
here, though there are attempts to revive it or keep it alive), or
perhaps Yiddish speakers in Israel itself (who would mostly speak
Hebrew now, but who may be interested in hearing their mother-tongue
which they spoke when they immigrated).
In all of the above cases, nearly all the Yiddish speakers would also
speak English, Russian, Hebrew, whatever...depending on their present
country of residence... but Yiddish broadcasts would provide them with
great feelings of nostalgia and a connection with the once-vibrant
Ashkenazic (northern European Jewish) culture of which they were a
part (Saul Broudy, Philadelphia, PA USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
TAGALOG COMES BACK FOR CHOLLIE
Re: 1610, unIDed Tagalog-speaking station noted at 2205 7/19
I suppose this is indeed CHHA. It has all the earmarks EXCEPT being
off frequency.
The whole thing is surreal. I was hunting Reloj, as is my wont (more
about that later) and decided to see what was coming in from up north.
Tuned 1610 and here was an announcer speaking Tagalog (Filipino to
all you flat-landers). ?What the ?????!? thunk I! And off frequency to
boot. Where am I? Isn't this North Carolina that I'm in? What's a
Filipino doing on 1610 and propagating in at that strength.
Reminds me of my ship's first port call (USS Hancock CV-19 aircraft
carrier) of this tour of duty off Vietnam since overhaul its. Night
before, we stood off and circled until morning and pulling into Subic
Bay Naval Station, Philippines.
I was all ears on an R-390A and recording a quick bandscan. Strongest
station was DZYZ-540 Olongapo City. I recorded about 120 seconds of
it. I was totally baffled by the language because I thought it should
be SPANISH, but instead it was TAGALOG.
Stowed the tape away and lost track of it until looking through my old
Navy stuff in 1976 (Got out of the Navy in 1972). There was the tape,
and I hardly remembered having cut it.
Played it back, and there was DZYZ-540 again. But this time I
understood it!! (I had since studied Tagalog and married a Filipina).
WOW, what an experience. Like getting into a time machine and going
back in time to that date and understanding the very same words I
didn't understand then. Surreal, weird! (Charles A Taylor, WD4INP,
Greenville, North Carolina, IRCA via DXLD)
MUSEA
+++++
LOCAL STATION CELEBRATES VINTAGE RADIO BROADCASTS --- By Don Sánchez
BERKELEY, Calif., Jul. 20, 2007 - KGO - The Bay Area has a rich
history in radio broadcasting, and now one group is trying to preserve
great past broadcasts and vintage radio. They're celebrating radio
tomorrow at the old KRE Studios; that's the white building next to I-
80 near Ashby. Watch video of the full report below.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=entertainment&id=5497425
(via Tom McNiff, VA, DXLD)
RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
+++++++++++++++++++++
NRD-630 NOW ON SALE
Onderwerp: [NRD-545] Just an FYI. Just to let the group know, the new
NRD-630, is on the Universal web site. Special order. Selling at
$8900.00, I guess this receiver is at least 4 to 5 times better than
my 545! I believe I'll be keeping my 545 for some time to come. GOOD
DX! (Drifter, July 20, NRD-545 yg via Pim Ripken, BDX via DXLD)
IC-R9500 Receptor Profissional 5 kHz a 3.3 GHz
Fabricante: Icom Preço: R$ 29.990,00
Seria o radio mais caro do mundo???
http://www.radiohaus.com.br/detalhes.asp?produto=24
(Marcelo Bedene, Curitiba-PR, radioescutas yg via DXLD)
Marcelo, Se é o mais caro não sei mas, é um belissimo equipamento. Só
de olhar molhei o teclado (Ulysses Albuquerque Galletti, ibid.)
Drooled on his keyboard over it (gh)
DIGITAL BROADCASTING
++++++++++++++++++++
How to Save the HD Radio Industry
http://www.audiographics.com/agd/072007-1.htm
It was stupid of me. I should have seen it coming when first putting
out a prediction that internet radio would be rebroadcast on small and
medium market stations in the not-too-distant future. At the time it
made sense, but that was in 2002. Please, let me reword that earlier
prediction: Internet radio stations will be showing up as rebroadcasts
on HD Radio side channels. What's that? WOXY already has signed to do
this? Next, you'll be telling me that Soma.fm is leasing out one of
its sub- channels as additional programming for NPR. Oh. It does? Not
that a trend can be made using two stations, but do you see one
forming? WOXY.com is the phoenix, a widely acclaimed station that
crashed due to cost. Then, it resurfaced with backing from La La
Media. Now, it's going to be an HD channel for Cincinnati Public Radio
and WVXU.
Like I said, it was stupid of me not to see this coming. Or, that two
industries could be so well suited to help each other out of problems.
Internet radio stations are what's going to save HD Radio! There is a
dire need for good HD Radio programming, and an uplift in its cool-
factor. Millions of people are turning to independent internet radio
stations, and many would like to hear them in their cars. The
broadcast radio industry wins cool-factor. Webcasters earn deserved
respect and expanded distribution. HD Radio's White Knight could very
well be the closest thing to 'cool' that either radio industry has
today - being an independent station on the internet (via Kevin
Redding, AZ, July 20, ABDX via DXLD)
How is IBOC destroying AM DX?
I would like to know if someone actually has documented findings that
HD radio interferes with adjacent frequencies. I would think that the
HD technology would make the 50,000 clear channel stations even
stronger at night but I am not a physics expert (louisNatl, July 16,
radio-info.com DX board via DXLD)
Happy to oblige! Since AM is still not authorized for nighttime
operation, daytime is the only example of interference except for
those occasions when it was being tested at night, or somebody got
careless.
Case 1: KKLF 1700 interferes with local TIS station on 1680 from DFW
airport, making it difficult for airport travellers to get gate
information.
Case 2: KLIF 570 interferes with KLBJ 590 Austin in the Dallas / Ft.
Worth area. KLBJ is a blowtorch, giving local signal quality in the
DFW area.
Case 3: WOAI 1200 interferes with KFXR 1190 Dallas near sunrise and
sunset - producing an audible increase in noise.
Case 4: KLIF 570 sidebands produce noticable noise on KLVI 560 in
Houston. KLVI, although licensed to Beaumont, is listed as a Houston
local and shows up in their ratings. KLIF noise is especially strong
in northern suburban areas of the Woodlands and Conroe.
In spite of reduced power on the sidebands, the nature of the
modulation makes them much more robust than the analog signal. Just as
the carrier is much more robust than modulation (transatlantic
heterodynes are relatively common, while actual reception rare). In
careful DX tests I have performed, I have received digital sideband
pairs from stations so distant that the analog modulation is not even
detectable. Sidebands from stations like KOA, KMKI, WOAI are clearly
audible 300 miles from the station, obliterating semi-locals even 300
miles away (a 630 in Lovington, NM is no longer receivable in Lubbock,
an 860 from Hereford is no longer audible in Dumas to Amarillo on US
87.)
All in all, I would say that the situation before was one where the
first adjacent is difficult to listen to when a station runs 10 kHz
bandwidth audio. But that would make the effective bandwidth only +/-
30 kHz under worst case circumstances. And - outside of the city grade
signal contours, the extended frequency response seldom caused any
problems, because most musical and speech energy is below 5 khz
anyway. When a station goes IBOC, the 5 to 10 kHz sidebands are equal
in amplitude and translated down to 0 to 5 kHz on the first adjacent
frequency. On the second adjacent frequency, they mix with the 10 to
15 kHz sidebands to create primarily high frequency hiss from 5 to 15
kHz. First and second adjacents are VERY unpleasant to listen to!!!
Much, but not all, of the second adjacent hiss can be mitigated with
an extremely narrow IF - the type that used to be common in AM radios
before the advent of single IC / single ceramic filter designs.
More recent AM radio designs use a single, really cheap ceramic filter
which does not have much stop band rejection. Therefore, the radio is
wideband by its nature and the 10 to 15 kHz sidebands are clearly
audible even if the radio is tuned carefully to center frequency.
Even a little off frequency, that the phase modulated 5 to 10 kHz
sidebands become amplitude modulation and their contribution to the
audio is considerable. Given poor mechanical design and poor
mechanical lash of most tuning mechanisms, the average listener will
be subjected to this noise (RBruceCarter5, July 16 radio-info.com DX
board via DXLD) Thread ensues including David Eduardo Gleason at
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,76398.0.html
"SHORTWAVE AWAITS DRM IN THE UNITED STATES" [DRM: see also SPAIN MW]
From Radio World: http://www.radioworld.com/pages/s.0049/t.7242.html
The link above contains this dispatch from the Twilight Zone:
"There is also a great deal of interest in the United States and other
countries in using DRM on the 26 MHz band for low-powered local FM-
quality broadcasting."
That's written by Jeff White, a good guy and usually reasonable
person, but I have to ask: WTF?? Show me just one person outside the
tiny DRM community who's even heard of this notion, much less has "a
great deal of interest" in it.
Reading these stories from DRM supporters is like watching one of
those Mexican lucha libre films starring El Santo or Mil Máscaras;
it's a look into an utterly foreign, surreal world I can't even begin
to comprehend (Harry Helms W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, ABDX via DXLD)
When Is a TV Not a TV? --- Todd Spangler, July 18, 2007
http://www.multichannel.com/blog/100000410/post/320012032.html
[see original for several linx]
On Feb. 17, 2009, your old analog TV set will cease to be a
"television receiver" under federal law, according to the cable
industry. The FCC suggests otherwise.
Why would this semantic debate interest anyone besides policy wonks?
It goes to the heart of the next battle royale between cable operators
and broadcasters.
The issue, once again, is "dual must-carry," an idea cable has fought
tooth and nail for years. It's come up again: Come February 2009, when
TV broadcasters must stop sending out their analog channels over the
airwaves, the FCC has proposed two options for cable: either go "all-
digital" (which presumably means all subscribers are outfitted with
digital set-tops) or be required to simulcast analog and digital feeds
from local broadcasters.
Actually, those aren't real options at all, the National Cable &
Telecommunications Assocation said this week in blasting the FCC's
proposal. Providing digital set-tops for the estimated 126 million
analog sets would be insanely expensive--$6.3 billion, by the NCTA's
calculations. That would make the pointless CableCARD exercise look
like pocket change.
As for the other "option" -- the FCC's proposed dual must-carry rule -
- the NCTA called it "a perpetual violation of the Constitution." In
effect, the NCTA says, it would be an unlawful seizure of private
property.
Now, back to the TV-that's-not-a-TV question. Must-carry provisions
require that broadcast channels "shall be viewable via cable on all
television receivers of a subscriber which are connected to a cable
system."
So if there aren't any analog TV signals for an analog set to tune to,
is the thing still a TV receiver? (If a tree falls in a forest and no
one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?) The FCC says yes,
that's an "eminently reasonable conclusion."
Cable says: No way! "There is nothing in the statute -- or in logic --
that suggests a device that is no longer capable of receiving an over-
the-air broadcast signal should continue to be treated as a television
receiver," Comcast argued to the FCC. NCTA made the same comment. The
position is that analog TVs, after February 2009, are not covered
under must-carry rules.
The point to keep in mind is that cable actually wants to continue
offering analog signals, in some cases. But operators don't want to be
forced to provide dual transmission (or triple-cast, if you include
HD). They want the latitude to be able to negotiate carriage of
anything apart from the primary digital signal from a broadcaster.
Analog, in fact, is today and will continue to be a competitive
advantage: Satellite and telco can't offer analog video channels (or
in Verizon's case, it does but will stop--a step it's taking only to
get a waiver to the FCC's integrated set-top ban).
Only cable will have a video service you can use with your decades-old
TV set without an extra converter or set-top box. Or, you could always
use the TV as a doorstop.
Posted by Todd Spangler on July 18, 2007 | Comments (2)
(via Curtis Sadowski, WTFDA via DXLD)
NO LOW BAND TV FOR 300 KM AROUND
Looking at Doug Smith`s table of final channel assignments from Feb
2009, http://www.w9wi.com/tvdb/dtvfinal/dtvindex.htm
We see that there will not be a single lowband (ch 2-6) DTV station in
OK, and only one in KS, ch 6 (as analog now) in Dodge City. None in
MO, and only one in the entire state of TX, channel 5 Fredericksburg,
certainly DX itself from here. I am beginning to salivate over the
prospect of unimpeded analog TV DX from Canada, Mexico and beyond
where there may still be such stations. Of course, something will
probably screw up this vision, such as new 2-way stuff occupying that
part of the spectrum, but maybe not right away? (Glenn Hauser, Enid,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
An interesting sideline to this table is a table of lowband digital
stations which was put together by Bill Hepburn from Doug’s list. What
we find is that low band VHF will be almost completely open. As of
today there are only about forty (4-0) digital stations who will be
using channels two through six and only four stations will be using
channel 4! Of course there could be one or two corrections to the list
as we approach zero-hour, but for the most part, the list is very
accurate (Mike Bugaj, CT, August VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD)
THE DEATH OF TV DX? [exerpts from a WTFDA list thread]
Canada has an official deadline of Aug 31, 2011 for all analogues to
shutdown (except in remote areas) and switch to DTV or go dark.
So we'll have 3 skip seasons, 2009, 2010 & 2011, with wide-open
Canadian analogue Es. Then starting in 2012 it's a brave new world.
Don't forget, folks: the new solar cycle will be upon us by then. F2
skip on ch 2 will really stand out on a empty channel! (anon., ibid.)
Don't nail the coffin lid down yet - the real fun will be the season
in 2009 and for at least a dozen years thereafter. Band I will be
nearly vacant in the United States allowing multiplehop Es to be
received from Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Latin America, even further afield
from South America, Europe and Africa at times. The glory days of the
craft are ahead of us to enjoy (Curtis Sadowski, IL, ibid.)
I agree with Curtis. We are in for interesting times. It appears there
will be analog low powered stations for who knows how long. 2009 will
be historic for TV DXing, almost like the original days of TV (Mike
Glass, ibid.)
I agree with Curtis I have no plans to take down my E skip antenna as
I have had Cuba/Mexico and Canada here via Es. With most low band VHF
gone in the US there are many possibilities for DX especially for
those who live in markets where the low band VHF is now crowded. I
live about 60 miles to the coast both east and south so Central
America and Europe will be my new targets. DTV skip will be around and
will be much easier to get. I have logged WTWC DT 2 a total of 5 times
in the past year with all the analogs still on air (Jeff Rostron,
ibid.)
The Death of the TV DX hobby has been greatly exaggerated. This is why
I'm looking forward to 2009 --- Logging stations on channels other
than Ch 3 (and 6) mainly. Seeing real DX instead of the constant
relogging of WEDU, KTVK, etc. When something is in English, you will
pretty well suspect it will be North of the US Border (Fritze
Prentice, AR, ibid.)
PROPAGATION
+++++++++++
LONG DELAYED ECHOES
Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU wrote recently in his Surfin' feature on the
ARRL web site about Long Delayed Echoes. You can find the LDE
stories listed under L in this index, at
http://horzepa.com/blog/?page_id=116
In the latest piece, he mentions one of those baffling,
''unexplainable' ' stories about a television signal received several
years after the original transmission, which is a tale that I heard as
a child. In this case, the ''ghost'' transmission was from a station
off the air for several years, with the signal supposedly wafting
around the universe at a velocity much slower than the speed of light.
Often this kind of thing, like many UFO stories, becomes much less
mysterious yet more interesting if you can find additional facts,
and perhaps another perspective. I offer two of those, here:
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/klee.asp and here:
http://www.bvws.org.uk/405alive/history/eyes_of_texas.html
(Propagation Forecast Bulletin 30 ARLP030 From Tad Cook, K7RA,
Seattle, WA July 20, 2007, To all radio amateurs, ARRL via Dave
Raycroft, ODXA yg via DXLD)
The KLEE story resurfaces every so often. But there are certain
inconsistencies, a hoax (gh, DXLD)
ARNIE CORO'S DXERS UNLIMITED'S HF PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST
Item one: More days with an absolutely spotless solar disk are
expected soon... not a single sunspot will be seen during a several
days period according to solar forecasters, something that tells us a
lot about the way solar cycle 23 is decaying.
Several days in a row without a single sunspot are now not an uncommon
happening !!! Some newcomers to solar observations might have wondered
if this was normal or not, but long time observers, like my good
friend Ángel González Coroas, are not shocked by the spotless Sun. If
you want to run your own propagation forecasting software, feed the
program with a solar flux figure of 70 and you will be hitting
ballpark figures during the last 10 days of July !!!
CQ magazine's VHF contest is in progress as you are hearing this show,
and there are good chances of Sporadic E openings for the participants
to enjoy. Solar flux at rock bottom levels near 70 and no sunspots in
sight on either side of the Sun...Few chances if any of maximum
useable frequencies going above 20 megaHertz, except perhaps via Trans
Equatorial Propagation (Arnie Coro, CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited July
21, ODXA via DXLD)
SOLAR-ACTIVITY FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD JUL 20 - 26, 2007
Activity level: mostly very low
Radio flux (10.7 cm): a fluctuation in the range 65-75 f.u.
Flares: weak (0-6/day)
Relative sunspot number: in the range 0-35
Astronomical Institute, Solar Dept., Ondrejov, Czech Republic
e-mail: sunwatch(at)asu.cas.cz
(RWC Prague)
_________________________________________________________________
Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period Jul 20 to Jul 26, 2007
quiet: Jul 23, 24 and 25
quiet to unsettled: Jul 22
unsettled: Jul 21 and 26
unsettled to active: Jul 20
active: 0
minor storm: 0
major storm: 0
severe storm: 0
Geomagnetic activity summary: geomagnetic field was quiet on
Jul 12, 13, 16, 17 and 18, quiet to unsettled on Jul 15, unsettled
to active on Jul 14.
RWC Prague, Geophysical Institute Prague, Geomagnetic Dept,
Czech Republic e-mail: geom(at)ig.cas.cz
_________________________________________________________________
Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period of one solar rotation
unsettled to active: Jul 21, (25,) Aug (1-2)
active to disturbed: Jul (20), (26, 30,) 31, Aug 7, 10
quiet: Jul 22-24, 27-29, Aug (3,) 4-5, (6,) 8-9, 11-14
Survey: quiet on: Jul 16-18
mostly quiet on: Jul 12-13
quiet to disturbed on: Jul 14
mostly unsettled on: Jul 15
unsettled to disturbed on: Jul 11
Notice: Days in brackets refer to a lower probability of possible
solar activity enhancements depending on previous developments
on the sun.
F. K. Janda, OK1HH, Czech Propagation Interested Group
e-mail: franta.janda(at)quick.cz (via DXLD)
TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING
++++++++++++++++++++++++
A MODESTY PROPOSAL
I`ve got it! A compromise solution for the issue of head-scarves in
Turkey, Europe, Mideast, anywhere that hard-core Islam clashes with
The West.
See-thru scarves. They both cover up and reveal!
Taking this a step further, the onus should be upon the males who do
not want to be tempted by being forced to gaze upon female bodies, or
portions thereof.
See-thru helmets instead of scarves. Polarized vertically. Men who
genuinely do not want to see women`s faces (1 %?) must wear
horizontally polarized goggles (prescription if necessary combined
with spectacles). Or vice versa. Those cool with the idea may wear
non-polarized, or the same polarization as the helmets. Or none at
all.
The same idea can be extended to the burka, covering but not covering
the entire body! BTW, are there rules about what can or must be worn
under the burka? Nothing at all would seem to be an adequate option,
depending on the temperature. Who`s to know? Until my proposal be
implemented (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###