DX LISTENING DIGEST 8-038, March 26, 2008 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 2008 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1401 Thu 0530 WRMI 9955 Thu 1430 WRMI 7385 [9955 from April] Thu 2200 WRMI 9955 Thu 2330 WBCQ 7415 Fri 0800 WRMI 9955 Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Fri 2230 WBCQ 5110-CUSB Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 1630 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1515 WRMI 9955 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB [irregular] Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1130 WRMI 9955 Wed 2300 WBCQ 15420-CUSB [NEW] 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: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Radio Sohl vs "Firedrake". "Firedrake" jamming of Radio Taiwan International Mandarin (1300-1400 UT) (presumed) on 15265 at 1345 UT tune in on Tuesday, March 25 was interfering strongly with Radio Sohl. Off at 1400. Radio Sohl was now in the clear with very good signal strength and with the same catchy music as usual. It was off at 1500. I haven't noticed this interference before on 15265 at this time. Propagation must have been just right in this direction (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also CHINA We are enjoying last few days of reliable R. Solh reception, as they are expected to go back to 17700 via Rampisham 12-18 UT for A-08 as in A-07, and the MUF will not be so cooperative for us, tho apparently it is supposed to work better in Afghanistan. What did I say? Hardly any reception on 15265 before 1500 March 26 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALGERIA. 1 kHz het on WLS 890, March 25 at 0530, surely Algeria as often heard before, but this time on my new Sony SRF-59 ultralight barefoot, given by Kraig Krist. However, people may relax. No doubt I will make good use of this radio, but as soon as a fad develops, I run in the other direxion, and am not about to join the ultralight craze, dropping everything else, giving up my bigger radios, which has overtaken once serious DX groups. BTW, axually pulling identifiable audio from Algeria 891 is quite another matter on any radio this far inland (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. Olá amigos. Fiz algumas boas escutas em OT e OC. Uma escuta interessante foi a da Rádio Nacional da Argentina, na freqüência de 5835 kHz. Na ocasião ela levava ao ar o sorteio da loteria e transmissão de jogo. Creio que ela usa essa freqüência para levar ao ar principalmente jogos de futebol para os argentinos que trabalham na Base Esperanza (na Antártida). ARGENTINA, 5835, 0056 22/03, R. Nacional da Argentina, General Pacheco? OM com sortéio da loto, depois tx de jogo Rafting X Estudiantes, SS 45333 (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso; Bandeirantes - Paraná - Brasil, Receptor: Degen DE1103, Antena: Sony AN71, dxclubepr yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DXLD) ** BELGIUM [non]. TDP A08 PROGRAM AND FREQUENCY SCHEDULE A08 [with transmitter sites, power and azimuth added by Wolfgang Bueschel] PROGRAM TIME (UTC)FREQ DAYS LANG Tgt TX kW deg ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TDPradio 0000-0100 9790d mtwtfss English Am SAC 70 227 Moj Them Radio 0100-0130 15260 m.w.f.. Hmong As TWN 100 250 Haiv Hmoob Radio 0100-0130 15260 .t..... Hmong As Hmong Lao Radio 0100-0200 15260 ...t..s Hmong As Hmong W.Christian R. 0100-0130 15260 .....s. Hmong As Denge Mezopotamya 0400-1800 11530 mtwtfss Kurdish ME UKR 500 129 Denge Mezopotamya 1800-2000 7540 mtwtfss Kurdish ME UKR 300 129 TDPradio 0800-0900 6015d m...... English Eu ISS 35 60 TDPradio 0900-1000 6015d .t..... English Eu TDPradio 1000-1100 6015d ..w.... English Eu TDPradio 1100-1200 6015d ...t... English Eu TDPradio 1200-1300 6015d ....f.. English Eu TDPradio 1300-1400 6015d .....s. English Eu TDPradio 1400-1500 6015d ......s English Eu TDPradio 1500-1600 6015d mtwtfss English Eu Que Huong R. 1200-1300 15680 mtwtfs. Vietnam As TJK 100 117 R. Xoriyo Ogadenia 1400-1430 17875 .t...s. Somali Af JUL 100 140 EOTC Holy Synod R. 1600-1700 17875 m...... Amharic Af JUL 100 140 R. Democracy Shorayee1700-1800 12120 .t.tf.s Farsi ME SAM 250 188 Suab Xaa Moo Zoo 2330-2400 11655 mtwtfss Hmong As TWN 100 205 Reports to: TDP, c/o Ludo Maes P.O.Box 1, 2310 Rijkevorsel, BELGIUM Fax : +32 33 14 12 12 E-mail : info @ transmitter.org Web: http://www.broadcast.be (via Alokesh Gupta, India, dxld Mar 23 via BC-DX March 27 via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4699.36, R. San Miguel, Riberalta, 26/3 0200 Full ID "San Miguel" la capital de Bolivia, 33333. All the best and 73, (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. IBOC no DOU --- Amigos, Diário Oficial da União de hoje publica o seguinte. Refere-se às emissoras Bandeirantes (840) e Globo (1100), ambas de São Paulo. [sic, all in caps] O SUPERINTENDENTE DE SERVIÇOS DE COMUNICAÇÃO DE MASSA DA AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DE TELECOMUNICAÇÕES - ANATEL RESOLVE ART. 1 - AUTORIZAR A EMISSORA A EXECUTAR O SERVIÇO ESPECIAL PARA FINS CIENTÍFICOS OU EXPERIMENTAIS, NA REFERIDA LOCALIDADE, COM O OBJETIVO DE REALIZAR, SEM FINS LUCRATIVOS, TESTES DO SISTEMA DE RADIODIFUSÃO SONORA DIGITAL IBOC, COM O SINAL DIGITAL TRANSMITIDO SIMULTANEAMENTE COM O SINAL ANALÓGICO NA MESMA FREQÜÊNCIA EM OPERAÇÃO PELA EMISSORA, NOS PERÍODOS DIURNO E NOTURNO, OBSERVADAS AS ORIENTAÇÕES DISPOSTAS NO GUIA PARA AVALIAÇÃO DO SISTEMA DE RÁDIO DIGITAL AM IBOC, DISPONÍVEL NA PÁGINA DA AGÊNCIA, DE FORMA A CONTEMPLAR AS SEGUINTES AVALIAÇÕES: A) DESEMPENHO DO SISTEMA DE RÁDIO DIGITAL, CONSIDERANDO OS SEGUINTES QUESITOS: A1) QUALIDADE DO ÁUDIO. A2) ÁREA DE COBERTURA. A3) ROBUSTEZ COM RELAÇÃO A RUÍDOS, INTERFERÊNCIAS E EFEITOS DOS MÚLTIPLOS PERCURSOS. B) COMPATIBILIDADE DO SINAL DIGITAL COM OS SINAIS ANALÓGICOS EXISTENTES, ESPECIFICANDO: B1) IMPACTO DO SINAL DIGITAL NA RECEPÇÃO DO SINAL ANALÓGICO TRANSMITIDO SIMULTANEAMENTE. B2) IMPACTO DO SINAL DIGITAL NA RECEPÇÃO DE SINAIS ANALÓGICOS NO MESMO CANAL E EM CANAIS ADJACENTES. B3) COMPATIBILIDADE DA ÁREA DE COBERTURA. ART. 2 ESTABELECER QUE OS TESTES OBJETO DA PRESENTE AUTORIZAÇÃO PARA EXECUÇÃO DO SERVIÇO ESPECIAL PARA FINS CIENTÍFICOS OU EXPERIMENTAIS SE REALIZEM SEM EXCEDER OS LIMITES PARA ESPÚRIOS DA PORTADORA E DE ALTA FREQÜÊNCIA ESTABELECIDOS NO REGULAMENTO TÉCNICO PARA A PRESTAÇÃO DO SERVIÇO DE RADIODIFUSÃO SONORA EM ONDA MÉDIA E EM ONDA TROPICAL, APROVADO PELA RESOLUÇÃO 116/1999 Era isso (via Lúcio Haeser, Brasília, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. Re 8-037, Re: Another 50 kW CBC AM station to bite the dust At present there is no plans to shut down any 50 kW CBC stations on the prairies, where these stations can cover vast areas. FM relays of CBC Radio One have been put into place already in larger urban settings such as Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg. Vancouver, on the other hand, might see their AM station on 690 close as its coverage can be hampered by mountainous terrain. There is a vast FM Network throughout BC to serve smaller communities. As for eastern Canada, I'm sure the same FM relays exist is many smaller communities. BTW, CBA was a semi-regular catch here and as a DXer they will be missed. No other NB stations have been heard by our DX group in Edmonton. 73 (Mick Delmage, AB, ODXA yg via DXLD) CBA was also regarded as the easiest North American station to receive in Europe, and a good indicator of whether it was worth staying up into the small hours. It was usually the first North American to fade in - I seem to recall that in good years for MWDX, it could be heard as early as 2130 UT. Conversely, if the signal was very weak or even nonexistent, it was a sign that an early night might be more beneficial :-) (Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, ibid.) Perhaps I am the exception, rather than the rule, but most of my non- local listening these days is via internet streaming. And the CBC, like most other broadcasters, sounds far better streaming than they ever did via AM or SW. Perhaps DXers will miss the AM, but hardly anyone else will (Mike Pietruk, ibid.) The CBC English AM outlet in Windsor (CBE 1550, 10 kW) is soon to be joined by a low power FM relay from a 250' tower immediately behind their studios in downtown Windsor. As there are no full power FM channels left, I'd suggest that the CBC AM transmitter will be on the air for the long haul here in south western Ontario. The same site is adding a similarly low powered FM signal for the CBC French station (CBEF 540) in Windsor and already has the French language music channel at the same site on 103.9 MHz. The tower (or what is left of it after the CBC cut it down from 650' to 250') had nothing on it for a few years other than a STL to the new site in McGregor to the SE of Windsor. A small rebuild of the tower resulted in it being now used for one and possibly three FM signals depending on the CRTC who has the CBC applications for these transmitters on their desk, so to speak (Bill Leal, Windsor, Ontario, ibid.) CBA used to be handy on election nights here in Canada. Results from Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces were embargoed in the Eastern Time Zone until the polls closed here. It used to be fun to get around this by tuning CBA after the polls closed in New Brunswick. I would imagine a network of low power FMs will be introduced; even when CBL (Toronto) was on 740 AM, there was an extensive network of these in "cottage country". I recall experiencing a sense of schadenfreude while on vacation up in Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in 1986. I was surrounded by trees, birds, sky and nature, yet was listening to a relay of CBL, with traffic reports about the typical rush hour road snarls. Then again, New Brunswick isn't all that big. Perhaps, CBC stations in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John would be sufficient to cover the province. There probably would also be spill over from CBC stations in Nova Scotia and the Eastern Townships of Quebec (Fred Waterer, St Catharines Ont., ibid.) Ah, what a wonderful term to describe listening to traffic reports from other congested places when one is either DXing or listening to streaming audio from elsewhere. I used to enjoy CFRX's (CFRB's) traffic reports lamenting the 401 because I could visualize exactly where there were highlighting, given my visits to the area (thankfully not frequently at rush hour). Speaking of CFRX...someone at the Fest mentioned that the station had purchased the necessary parts (or perhaps an entire transmitter. ..I forget...) to get back on SW. Is there a timetable for getting CFRX back on the air? Or is this just a hopeful rumo(u)r? (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) I probably missed it, but I have read on a couple of places that CFRB is buying a new transmitter for CFRX. Anybody have the details? Make? Power? Wonder what the maximum power allowed for this allocation is? 1 kW is probably nice enough but any chance for a higher power transmitter? 5 or 10 kW would make for better listening down here in the sunny south (Bill Leal, Windsor, ibid.) Bill, From a message Dec 31, from Steve Canney, in the CFRX yahoo group: Hi folks. In a recent phone chat with the engineer, a new solid state transmitter is on order for CFRX. Its made by a U.S. company. Go to http://www.armstrongtx.com to see details. It`s a rebuild of their medium-wave transmitter, model X1000B. I assume after the work is done it would be called the X1000B/SW. This thing should be light years ahead of the old Elcom Bauer transmitter. I'll also pop into the transmitter site and take a few photos of the new installation when things are completed. Its my understanding that delivery of the tx will be in early January, I'll keep you posted. There's some final work to be done on the antenna (antenna tuning unit needs tuning and the antenna guy wires need some final adjustments) . Its all slow but sure. The important thing is CFRX will be back on the air soon. From the e-mail and web buzz, a lot of people are anxiously waiting for its return. 73 Steve Canney (via Dan Ferguson, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. Re 8-037, CJEU 1670: No sign of them here, and I've been checking periodically. If they were on, I'd be hearing them, big time (less than 15 km away). (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, March 26, IRCA via DXLD) ** CANADA. SOUND ADVICE TO SIGN OFF AT END OF MARCH The changes to CBC Radio continue. CBC will remove Sound Advice from the schedule and replace it with a second hour of Inside the Music, starting April 5. As part of that change, Sound Advice host Rick Phillips will be leaving the CBC, after 30 years with us. His last day will be March 29. Rick Phillips began his career as a freelance music program producer at CBC Montreal in the late 1970s. That first gig led to subsequent assignments in Edmonton, Calgary and finally Toronto with such programs as RSVP, A Little Night Music, Stereo Morning and Arts National. As the area executive producer in Toronto, Phillips was intimately involved in the planning and design of the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, including Glenn Gould Studio. Since 1994, he has been the host and producer of the popular Sound Advice. Phillips plans to become more involved in teaching, writing, webcasts and hosting tours in the growing field of adult and continuing education. . . [+96+ comments, mostly negative; further reduxion in classical music on CBC Radio 2] http://www.insidethecbc.com/soundadvice#comments (Inside the CBC blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DXLD) ** CANADA. CBDS-690 Pukatawagan MB has applied to the CRTC to move to FM (102.5 MHz, 0.2 kW, 24.6 metres). Get this 40 watt relay of CBWK-FM (carries CBC Radio 1 network) before it is too late :) Manitoba is on Central time so CBC network programming on CBDS-690 will be generally two hours ahead of CBU-690. I wonder what the CBDS transmitter site is contaminated with? PCBs from an ancient leaking oil capacitor in the transmitter? http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2008/pb2008-25.htm#4 4. Pukatawagan, Manitoba Application No. 2008-0320-7 Application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to amend the licence of the English-language radio programming undertaking CBWK-FM Thompson, Manitoba. The CBC proposes to convert its AM transmitter CBDS Pukatawagan, Manitoba to the FM band to broadcast the programming of its Radio One service originating from CBWK-FM Thompson, in order to serve the population of Pukatawagan. The transmitter would operate on frequency 102.5 MHz (channel 273A1) with an effective radiated power of 200 watts (non-directional antenna /effective antenna height of 24.6 metres). The CBC advises that the FM transmitter is intended to replace its existing AM transmitter CBDS and that recently the Mathias Colomb Cree National Chief and Council advised the CBC that the CBDS site is contaminated and they will proceed to decontaminate it by June 2008. The CBC indicates that the FM transmitter needs to be operational by this date. The CBC is also requesting to amend the licence of CBWK-FM Thompson by deleting the AM transmitter CBDS Pukatawagan. 73, (via Deane McIntyre VE6BPO, March 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Probably diesel fuel or heating oil from the tank farm or the under ground oil distribution system in the late 70s. Limited electrical power was provided by diesel generators until the community was connected to the Manitoba Hydro grid about 25 years ago. Apparently one major leak was discovered when a visitor walking from the school to a nearby teacher`s residence and found himself walking through puddles of fuel. It ran overland to one or more sewer inlets resulting in inches of fuel on the sewage lagoon some of which was pumped off and filtered for reuse. Some of the contaminated fuel collected was also spread on the roads to help control dust (George McLachlan, Winnipeg, IRCA via DXLD) ** CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. 6030, 0458 3 Feb, R. ICDI, OM comment mx nx, vernacular, 25432 (Michael L. Ford, Staffordshire, UK, NRD515, NCM525, 20m wire running E/W, March World DX Club Contact via DXLD) This could be the first non-African log of ICDI; but was he aware of R. Oromiya, Ethiopia, which had appeared on the same frequency at the same time? Feb 3 was a Sunday, not a UT Monday when Cuban jamming and Martí would have been silent. Unfortunately, UK members of WDXC logs are limited to one line and a few abbr`d words of program info as above. With rare logs, as much info about them as possible should be given! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHILE. CVC A-08: see U S A [non] ** CHINA. 4830, "China Huayi Broadcast Co.", blue E-QSL, full data, in one day, v/s Qiao Xiaoli (2883752 [at] 163.com), who is the CHBC QSL Manager. Happy with this, as the station had not responded to my 2005 reception report (Ron Howard, CA, March 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 9810, CNR-2/China Business Radio, 1100-1135, March 26, Chinese talk. English ID at 1125. Fair to good signal. // 7375-mixing with Costa Rica`s University Network. // 7335-mixing with a weak CHU. Also heard on // 7130, 7245, 9820, 6090 - all weak (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. BBC website 'unblocked in China' People in China are able to access English language stories on the BBC News website in full, after years of strict control by Beijing. The Communist authorities often block news sites such as the BBC in a policy dubbed the "great firewall of China". But BBC staff working in China now say they are able to access news stories that would have been blocked before. However, the firewall remains in place for Chinese language services on the website and for any links in Chinese. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7312240.stm (via Sergei Sosedkin, IL, dxldyg via DXLD) ** CHINA. Today the Firedrake loop has been used as the only jamming signal on all audible frequencies. For a couple of weeks some provincial channels (Neimenggu Mongolian, Xinjiang Uighur and Mongolian and Xizang Tibetan) were heard in addition to the usual CNR-1 and Firedrake audio (Olle Alm, Sweden, 25 March, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also AFGHANISTAN JAMMERS: 7105 Crash & Bang CC Music Jammer; 2242, 24-Mar; No audio 7160 Crash & Bang CC Music Jammer; 2241, 24-Mar; under/Chinese audio 7180 Crash & Bang CC Music Jammer; 2240, 24-Mar; No audio. 11900 Crash & Bang CC Music Jammer; 2051, 26-Mar; + audio 11950 Crash & Bang CC Music Jammer; 2050, 26-Mar; + audio (Harold Frodge, MI, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CUBA. Re 8-036: Just viewed the Youtube video on Radio Habana Cuba. Re: >> There were two concrete studios (again -- royal blue paint-top bottom and sides) each containing an old wooden table with two old wooden chairs and an old microphone. The control room for each identical studio contained some very old reel-to-reel tape recording equipment, probably made in the USSR. << Mics are Shure SM58, actually designed as stage vocal mics and ubiquitous on rock concerts. Another Shure model can be seen in the snippets of Radio Martí, SM7, this one indeed meant for broadcast purposes. The tape recorders are Mechlabor STM-210. I added a photo of one to the Miscellaneous photo album of the Yahoo group, or see http://www.audiostereo.pl/forum_wpisy.html?temat=25751&p=49 Mechlabor is a Hungarian company (nowadays Videoton-Mechlabor), also known for defence equipment. Their tape recorders were in widespread use in Comecon countries (Kai Ludwig, Germany, March 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DENMARK. DRM tests on Kalundborg 243 kHz --- See forwarded message below. Right now I can't spot any signal on 243. 13 kbps? Wow, then why not just sticking with AM for the same audio quality, with the slight difference that it can be pulled in with any ordinary radio that includes longwave (Kai Ludwig, Germany, March 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: -----Original Message----- Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:49:45 +0100 Subject: [A-DX] DRM aus Kalundborg ? From: Michael Wlochinski To: AD-X-Liste Hallo Leute, ich kann zwar kein DRM hören, aber folgende Mail aus der Mailingliste des Medium Wave Circles könnte Euch vielleicht interessieren: A surprise move the long wave transmitter in Kalundborg on 243 kHz - which ceased operation more than a year ago on Feb 15 2007 - is now on the air again. I first noted it back yesterday afternoon. It is broadcasting a 1 kHz tone in DRM (with 13 kbps compression) and ID'ing as 'DR DENMARK'. Signal strength here (in Jutland) is lower than when they used AM. Best 73s Stig Hartvig Nielsen" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Kann das hier jemand nachvollziehen ? -- Vy 73+55, Michael Wlochinski QTH: Mönchengladbach, Deutschland RX: Thieking DE1103 modifiziert Ant: Active Loop D01HWG http://radio.wlochinski.net (via Kai Ludwig, ibid.) The power of the DRM test is currently only 35 watts, but it may be increased to 100 watts. The antenna will soon be shortened, and the test is to compare the signal strength before and after. I have not been able to decode the signal here in Copenhagen. As said, the "program" is a 1 kHz tone and the ID 'DR Radio Denmark'. 73, (Erik Køie, Denmark, March 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Hey Glenn, conditions are good this night: 5009.76, R. Cristal, Santo Domingo, 25/3 2330 UT. Nice music. Stronger than 24/3 but poor audio 32222. All the best and 73, (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5009.78, Radio Cristal Internacional, 2300-0003*, March 25-26, heard here again but with a weaker signal and more noisy conditions. Spanish talk. Spanish romantic ballads. ID at 0001. Weak/poor at tune-in. Signal improved in strength by sign off but an overall poor signal due to noisy conditions. Still with low modulation (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. For the English broadcast at 1900-2030 to W&CAf, in A-08, R. Cairo now plans to use 9300 instead of 9380, 100 kW, 250 degrees from ABZ site (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. 7100, Voice of the Broad Masses 1 (Asmara), 0413-0425, 3/26/2008, Tigrinya. Talk by man. A few bars of Horn of Africa style music at 0422 followed by talk by different man. Good signal (SINPO 33333). VOBM 2 was noted at the same time on 7175 with slightly weaker signal and the same program format, but not in parallel (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, TenTec RX-340, RF Space SDR-14 90' Random Wire, 60' PAR EF-SWL, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 7110, Radio Ethiopia (Gedja), 0356-0410, 3/26/2008, Amharic. Man and woman talking. IS / theme at 0400 followed by apparent news. Talk by man at 0403 with an occasional few bars of Horn of Africa style music. Good signal (SINPO 33333). (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, TenTec RX-340, RF Space SDR-14 90' Random Wire, 60' PAR EF-SWL, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** GERMANY. ALEMANHA - Com o início do novo período de transmissões, no próximo dia 30, a DW irá adotar um novo design. Todas as vinhetas da programação em português serão mudadas, conforme informações de Leônidas dos Santos Nascimento, de São João Evangelista (MG). (Célio Romais website, March 26 via DXLD) ** GREECE. ERT S.A.: THE VOICE OF GREECE A08 SHORT WAVE TRANSMISSION SCHEDULE Effective from 30/03/08 to 26/10/08 Time(UTC) mb Freq mb Frq mb Freq Lang ----------------------------------------- EUROPE 0000 0300 31 9420 41 7475 Gr 0300 0400 31 9420 41 7475 Gr 0400 0500 31 9420 41 *7475 19 15630 Gr 0500 0800 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 0800 1000 31 9420 19 15630 Gr, Eng [on Sunday??] 1100 1200 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 1200 1300 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 1300 1400 31 9420 19 15630 Gr, Eng [on Saturday?? Not B-07] 1400 1500 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 1500 1600 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 1600 1800 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 1800 1900 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 1900 2000 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 2000 2100 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 2100 2200 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 2200 2300 31 9420 19 *15630 Gr 2300 2400 31 9420 41 7475 Gr Foreign Language Transmissions [Radio Filia] 0500 0600 25 11645 Al 0600 0700 25 11645 Eng [BBCWS relay?] 0700 0800 25 11645 F 0800 0900 25 11645 E 0900 0930 25 11645 D 0930 1000 25 11645 Rus TASKEND [sic] 1200 1300 31 9420 Gr M. EAST, INDIAN OCEAN, AUSTRALIA 2300 2400 19 15650 Gr 0000 0100 19 15650 Gr 0100 0200 19 15650 Gr 0200 0300 19 15650 Gr 0300 0400 19 *15650 Gr AMERICA & ATLANTIC OCEAN 0000 0100 31 9420 41 7475 Gr 0100 0300 31 9420 41 7475 Gr 0300 0500 31 9420 Gr 1900 2000 31 9420 19 15630 Gr 2000 2300 31 9420 19 *15630 Gr 2300 2400 31 9420 41 7475 Gr SOUTH AMERICA, PANAMA ZONE & SW AFRICA [NW Africa?] 1900 2000 19 15630 Gr 2000 2100 19 15630 Gr 2100 2200 19 15630 Gr 2200 2300 19 *15630 Gr ERT S.A. MACEDONIA STATION EUROPE 1100 1650 31 9935 Gr EUROPE 1700 2250 41 7450 Gr (*) Transmission ends 10 min earlier Gr = Greek Eng = English Al = Albanian Ar = Arabian Bg = Bulgarian F = French E = Spanish I = Italian Pl = Polish P = Portuguese R = Romanian Rus = Russian S = Swedish Sc = Serbo-Croatian Tr = Turkish D = German LIVE AUDIO URL: http://www.ert.gr Reports via e-mail: era5 @ ert.gr ERA 5 'THE VOICE OF GREECE' Messogion [sic] 432, 15342, Ag. Paraskevi Attikis, Tel +301 6066308, 6066297, Fax +301 6066309 Macedonia Radio Station: Angelaki Str 2, 54621 Tel: +303 1 244979, Fax: +303 1 236370 General Direction of E.RA (Engineering Div.) Messogeion [sic] 432, 15342, Ag. Paraskevi Attikis Tel 301 606 6257 Fax +301 606 6243 (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, via Rachel Baughn, MT, tidied up by Glenn Hauser for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREENLAND. 3815-USB, 2105 22 February, KNR, tk mx link tk [sic], Danish, 22322 (Arthur Miller, Llandrindod Wells, UK, NRD-525, 40m longwire G5RV, March World DX Club Contact via DXLD) This is very seldom reported, and was believed to have closed down last year. However, it still appears in WRTH 2008 as active, 200 watts. Unfortunately, UK members of WDXC logs are limited to one line and a few abbr`d words of program info as above. With rare logs, as much info about them as possible should be given! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONDURAS. 3340.03, HRMI R. MI, Comayagüela, 26/3 0215 UT. Nice music and female talks; after this ID as radio MI, weak but fair 22222. All the best and 73, (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR Itanagar is absent again --- Today i.e. on March 25, 2008 I didn't find signal of AIR Itanagar on 4990 kHz in the morning during my monitoring period from 0100 UT onwards. And also AIR- Shillong on 4970 is absent. 73 & 55 (Gautam Kr Sharma, Assam, via Alokesh Gupta, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 11784.87, Voice of Indonesia, 1650-1802+, March 26, tune-in to Arabic programming with talk and local music. English ID at 1700 and Spanish programming at 1701 with news, talk & local music. English ID at 1800 and into German programming. In the clear with a fair to good signal. Was on 9525.98 at 1130 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. PLANETARY SOCIETY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO SIR ARTHUR C. CLARKE The Planetary Society will pay tribute to Sir Arthur C. Clarke, its long time friend, Advisor and supporter, in a special Planetary Radio show airing Monday, March 24, 2008, and throughout the following week. Planetary Radio is carried on more than 120 independent stations, XM Public Radio, and on the Society’s website. A supporter of The Planetary Society since its inception, Clarke has been involved in many of its projects, including the Visions of Mars DVD currently en route to Mars aboard the Phoenix spacecraft. Attached to the deck of the Phoenix lander, this first library on Mars includes a collection of 19th and 20th century stories, essays and art inspired by the Red Planet - including Clarke’s novel The Sands of Mars - as well as the names of more than a quarter million inhabitants of Earth. . . http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/planetary-society-to-pay-tribute-to-sir-arthur-c-clarke (March 23rd, 2008 - 10:50 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via DXLD) We should have noted the passing of Arthur C. Clarke, but the news was all over the Internet. One of the greatest. Here`s more: http://criticaldistance.blogspot.com/2008/03/memories-of-arthur-c-clarke.html (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) OBIT ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. WORLDSPACE CONSIDERING SALE & LEASEBACK Chris Forrester, RapidTVNews, 24 March 2008 WorldSpace is still scratching around for cash to stay afloat, and one option now under consideration is the sale and leaseback of its pair of satellites. It has also abandoned plans for the time being to launch its back-up satellite for Europe. WorldSpace is out of money. Its Q4/2007 revenue numbers are pitiful, earning just $3.8m in subscriber and miscellaneous income. The end result was that it had cash (and cash equivalents) in its bank of just $3.59m, plus another $6.3m in securities ($27m and $143.7m same period 2006) as at Dec 31, and yet it is spending cash at a rate of almost $40m per quarter. Q4 saw an overall loss of $46m. In January this year it negotiated an emergency “bridging loan” of $40m from Yenura Pte, a company controlled by WorldSpace’s CEO (and Chairman and President) Noah Samara. However, $10m of whatever cash Samara actually doled out to WorldSpace had to be paid to preferential debt-holders, who are expecting another $17.5m to be paid this coming May (and another $17.5m in 2010). The balance of this fresh $40m amount has not been fully “paid” over to the broadcaster. Samara, in a conference call on March 20 said “about half” had been paid across to WorldSpace, and the balance would be made available “in the next few weeks”. WorldSpace’s cash position and lack of progress in securing fresh funding means that the company’s accountants (Grant Thornton) will this week be qualifying their overall end-of-year accounts for WorldSpace and “expressing doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern based on its current financial resources”. Full article: http://rapidtvnews.com/index.php/worldspace-considering-sale-&-leaseback.html (via Mike Barraclough, UK, DXLD) ** IRAN. IRIB Tehran in Arabic at 0830-1027 UT varies on two frequencies today March 22nd: 9885.26 from Sirjan 500 kW 198 degr; 13801.58 from Zahedan 500 kW 289 degr. \\ 15545.00 even. 13790 (previously 13789.89 KAM) missed totally today (Wolfgang Büschel, March 22, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Mar 27 via DXLD) ** IRELAND. Glenn, RTÉ Radio 1's special programme on medium wave "Medium Wave Goodbye" aired 24/3/08 on all wavelengths (1330-1500 European UTI [sic]) was an excellent programme which made the events even more distressing. Included was an archived piece of an introduction to a shortwave broadcast in the 1940s and Prime Minister Eamonn deValera's famous 1945 radio response to Winston Churchill's criticism of Ireland's neutrality during WWII (Churchill later conceded that this broadcast was deValera's "finest hour"). A real social history of Ireland since independence to the present day. The playing of RTÉ's call sign, "O'Donnell Abú" brought back great memories. Currently only a short one bar modern version is played each morning at 0630 UTI. I listened on 567 kHz and found the silence after the 1500 time check deeply upsetting. The presenter of the programme was one of RTÉ's famous DJs, Brendan Baalfe. RTÉ 1TV's main news (2100 UTI) featured the closing with interviews, pictures of the Tullamore mast and both the Tullamore and old Athlone transmitters. RTÉ Radio 1 Tullamore 567 KHz and RTÉ Radio 1 Cork 729 KHz RIP! (Paul Guckian, Ennis, Co Clare, Ireland, March 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The 90-minute special broadcast yesterday to mark the end of broadcasting on 567 kHz is now archived on the RTE-Ireland site. Interesting program; the page also has some photographs. http://www.rte.ie/radio1/specials/1193939.html (Fred Waterer, Ont., March 25, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I just uploaded a recording of the "retune" loop that right now airs on 567 (and makes me wonder whom they had grabbed to read out this message?) to the Station Sounds folder of the Yahoo group (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re this from Kai Ludwig: Can anybody tell what's up with the Cork transmitter on 729? Already off or carrying the same loop, perhaps shifted against 567 Cork 729 was still on air today (March 26), and heard around 0730 UT with exactly the same re-tune announcement as is still being heard same time on 567 (Noel R. Green (NW England), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) There was a 2 minute 15' report on the closedown on RTE Nine News last night including the reporter visiting Tullamore; it can be viewed online at: http://www.rte.ie/news/9news/ It will be available for 7 days (Mike Barraclough, England, ibid.) Final moments and loop message. Hi all, for those who missed it I've put the final moments of RTE on Medium Wave on youtube. Sign off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGfYH8cWxBA Later service announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mljF0OShYEw (Paul Logan, Lisnaskea, N. Ireland, MWC, via Barry Davies, UK, ABDX via DXLD) 567 | RTE 1, Tullamore, MAR 26 0047 - repeating announcement by man about RTE Radio 1 going to FM only (Mark Connelly, Billerica, MA, USA (GC= 42.5332 N / 71.2205 W) (home) 24 km (15 miles) northwest of Boston, Drake R8A, Quantum Phaser, SuperLoop, peak northeast / null southwest, 10 m vertical by 16 m horizontal, base height 1.5 m, southwest termination 1000 ohms + Delta, peak southeast / null northwest, 10 m base center to apex vertical distance by 20 m horizontal, base height 1.5 m, northwest termination 1000 ohms, NRC-AM via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DXLD) ** IRELAND [non!]. Re closure of RTE Radio 1 on 567 kHz, Tullamore. During World War II (when the Republic of Ireland remained neutral) there was a problem with the Radio Eireann transmission from Athlone on 530m. This 100 kW signal was providing an excellent directional beacon to German bombers. The BBC had overcome this problem by transmitting a synchronised network using many transmitters on just two (or later three) frequencies, closing down transmitters as required when enemy planes were nearby. But Athlone stood out like a sore thumb. The solution was ingenious: the BBC picked up Radio Eireann on a dedicated receiver on the western coast of Wales, then fed the signal over landlines to Aberdeen in north-eastern Scotland, where it was rebroadcast at high power. The result – confusion for aircraft. (And puzzled Irish listeners in Aberdeen who couldn’t understand how reception of their Irish station had improved so dramatically! (TONY CURRIE, Radio Six International, Glasgow, Scotland, March 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. FOREIGN BROADCASTING SHOULD BE INCREASED, NOT CUT The Jerusalem Post has published an editorial in which it argues that Israeli foreign broadcasting should be increased, not cut. As the IBA prepares to drop all shortwave services except Farsi, the newspaper says that “The systemic lack of a foreign media strategy is a form of gross negligence with profound implications for our national security and interests.” Read the editorial --- http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420767422&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull (March 25th, 2008 - 14:30 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Israel's B-net: final goodbye? It will be interesting to listen on March 31 when Israel finally turns off their shortwave transmitters for all broadcasts (with the exception of the broadcasts to Iran). This may be the case if the Hebrew home service (known as Reshet Bet/Network B) ends their round-the-clock service at around 2100; before the service went to a 24/7 schedule some years ago it was heard from 04-2215 summer/05-2215 winter on several channels. So when 2100 (or later) arrives, will the B-net sign off SW for good? If so that's another casualty of the end of shortwave from Israel--it's reaching its own citizens in Europe and North America, no matter how many of them still depend on this medium (Joe Hanlon, NJ, March 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. A-08 Israel Radio on shortwave. --- [...] It says that they are seeking funding for Farsi language broadcasts to remain on shortwave. Probably like this: 9985 1500-1630 ISR 300 90 PERS 11605 1400-1630 ISR 300 90 PERS 13850 1400-1630 ISR 300 90 PERS 15640 1400-1630 ISR 300 90 PERS 17535 1500-1630 ISR 300 90 PERS (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX March 27 via DXLD) Also has re-registered much of the old schedule for A-08 just in case, e.g. English 0330-0345 on 7530; Hebrew 1900-2300 9400 17585 (gh, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. 9665 surprisingly noted today with very good audio after months of heavy buzz. Still off channel to the higher side (Olle Alm, Sweden, 25 March, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Time? Runs very long hours ** KOSOVO [and non]. CQ NEWS. Richard Moseson, W2VU, Editor for CQ Amateur Radio, sent out the following press release on March 21st (2008): "Kosovo Added to CQ DX Awards Country List Effective 2/17/08 - - Kosovo is being added to the list of countries and territories recognized for CQ DX awards, effective immediately, CQ DX Awards Manager Billy Williams, N4UF, announced today. Verifications for contacts made on or after February 17, 2008 are acceptable for CQ DX Award credit. CQ DX Honor Roll members with 335 or more credits should update by May 31st for highest placement in Honor Roll listings. The new 339 entity maximum will appear on CQ DX Honor Rolls to be prepared in early June. CQ DX Honor Roll listings prepared in early April will be based on a 338 maximum count. All Kosovo contacts will count for field KN on applications for the CQ DX Field Award. Kosovo's status has been the subject of some controversy in the amateur radio community as well as the world community, as the ARRL declared that special operations from there on February 17 will count as Serbia, not Kosovo, in terms of DXCC credit. The United States and many European countries immediately recognized Kosovo's independence. However, Russia and China are opposed to it and Russia has threatened to veto any U.N. action to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation. 'We are aware that the ARRL has not yet added Kosovo to the DXCC list,' explained CQ magazine Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU. 'The League says it is waiting for Kosovo to become a member state of the United Nations or be issued a callsign block by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a U.N. agency. However, because of geopolitical issues far beyond the realm of amateur radio, it is unlikely that the United Nations or the ITU will act on Kosovo in the near future, even though the United States and many other countries have granted it recognition.' 'Because it is CQ's policy to grant credit for contacts with 'new' entities as of the date that their status changes,' Moseson continued, 'we have decided not to wait for U.N. action, but to follow the lead of the United States and other countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence, and to grant credit for contacts made with stations in Kosovo as of its independence day, February 17, 2008.' (NOTE: This action does not affect the country list for the CQ WW DX Contest. CQWW rules state that its country list is composed of those entities on the DXCC list and the WAE (Worked All Europe) award list. If the WAE Committee decides to add Kosovo to its list, it will automatically be added to the CQWW list.)" (The Ohio/Penn DX PacketCluster, DX Bulletin No. 851, March 24, 2008, Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio), via Dave Raycroft, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** LITHUANIA. The Mighty KBC Summertime schedule from March 30: Europe: 2130-2229 UT on 6055 kHz America: 0200-0259 UT on 6110 kHz (via Ydun Ritz, March 26, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The America broadcast has been and presumably will continue to be UT Sundays only! That frequency-hour, however, is available 7 days. Note that it is one UT hour later rather than earlier (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 5964.97, Klasik Nasional FM via RTM, 1633-1709, March 26, in vernacular, ballads, commentary (mentions of "RTM" and "Malaysia"), several distinctive "Klasik Nasional FM" singing jingles, ToH 5 minutes of news (Iraq, Basra, Sadr City, etc.), back to pop songs, weak, clearly parallel with audio streaming http://www.rtm.net.my/radio/html_bi/index.html Only able to hear this after China signs off at 1557, on 5965.0 (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MARION ISLAND. Rhynhardt, ZS6DXB, reports: "Following the fairy tale of 3Y0E Bouvet Island, Petrus Kritzinger, ZS6GCM, sets out to yet another unique amateur radio venture that many DX'ers around the world can only dream about. Petrus will be QRV from Marion Island - #6 on the 'DX Magazine 2007 Most Wanted List' as ZS8T. He is expected to be QRV by May 2008 depending on his work load. . . http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2008/marion_islands.htm [sic --- if you axually read about it, there is only ONE island named Marion, part of the Prince Edward group, not to be confused with Canada --- gh] (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. 783 | R. Mauritanie, Nouakchott, MAR 26 0037 - // 4845 with talk by man, short a cappella chant, then shrieky tribal female vocal with "pots and pans" type percussion; fair. Actually better on southeast-beamed delta instead of northeast-aimed SuperLoop because of less CFDR slop and not as much Syria-782 het (Mark Connelly, Billerica, MA, USA (GC= 42.5332 N / 71.2205 W) (home) 24 km (15 miles) northwest of Boston, Drake R8A, Quantum Phaser, SuperLoop, peak northeast / null southwest, 10 m vertical by 16 m horizontal, base height 1.5 m, southwest termination 1000 ohms + Delta, peak southeast / null northwest, 10 m base center to apex vertical distance by 20 m horizontal, base height 1.5 m, northwest termination 1000 ohms, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. 7245, Radio Mauritania, *0840-0850, March 26, abruptly on after signing off on 4845 at 0830. Arabic talk. Noted Middle-East type music at 0904 check. Good (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. Just a quick heads up on a programme of interest: "Border Blasters: In Search of the Wolf". BBC Radio 4, last Saturday, 22nd March: Nick Barraclough tells the story of the first pirate radio stations that sprung up across the Río Grande in Mexico in the 1950s and pave the way that the extraordinary career of maverick DJ and wild man, Wolfman Jack. Here's a link to the page on the BBC News website, which itself contains some of the links for audio and other material connected to this two-part programme, which is some thing of a follow-up to the one done on the good doctor Brinkley in 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7307738.stm And here's a link to the Listen Again -- the programme will be available until this Friday night (March 28) with the second part of the ex-on Saturday, March 29, 1030-1100 GMT, and then of course as a Listen Again for the next six days. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/borderblaster/pip/61vfg/ Enjoy -- I know I did! (Richard Rudin, Radio Studies via David Goren, swprograms via DXLD) Is this a rerun? Sounds familiar (gh, DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. Voice of Mongolia heard with poor strength in English on 12085 at 1532 March 25, lady with news followed by some local music, clear channel. Also fair via Chris Mackerell's online receiver in New Zealand. This broadcast was listed in a WRTH update file February 4 and announced at the end of the 0930 broadcast but not heard here February 24 and 26; on the 26 I also checked the New Zealand receiver and heard nothing (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12085, Mar 25, 1515-1540, Voice of Mongolia. At 1515 UT VOM in Japanese; 1529 ID and IS; 1530 English (ehard, the netherlands, HCDX online logs via DXLD) Goddijn? I will be warned not to make wild guesses about people who refuse to sign their full name (gh, DXLD) ** MYANMAR. JUNTA APPROVES FM STATION FOR MANDALAY Solomon & Than Htike Oo, Mizzima News, March 20, 2008 Burma's ruling junta has granted a rare permission to operate a Mandalay-based radio program to Forever Group, a business consortium thought to be closely aligned with Burma's generals. Forever Group, one of Burma's few multi-media companies and widely believed to have close connections with the junta's Information Minister Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan, will commence production on April 3, a staff from the company said. . . http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2008/Mar/68-Mar-2008.html (via Jaisakthivel, Chennai-600106, India, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. RE: RNW A08 --- I exchanged e-mails with Jan Peter today, and he confirmed that there are still several things to be sorted out with IBB before the weekend. Don't ask me what thay are, because I don't know. Jan Peter will not be back in the office till Thursday, and I anticipate it will be late Friday before I can get the complete final schedule online on our main website (Andy Sennitt, RNW, March 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also LITHUANIA ** OKLAHOMA. Thread on the Tulsa radio market, and how great it is for its size: http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,94899.0.html (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND [non]. An A08 schedule was published but still showed Esperanto, etc., so we questioned it (gh, DXLD) [derived from] http://www.polskieradio.pl/zagranica/ (wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Mar 24 via Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) I don`t find the A-08 schedule at above website; none of course, from Poland, but mostly via GERMANY; no more via Guiana French? And didn`t PR abolish Esperanto, replaced with Ukrainian? It`s not listed here: http://www.addx.de/cgi-bin/hfp.cgi (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Yes, Glenn. I can confirm - there is not Esperanto service in Polish Radio External Service. They provide services in Polish, English, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Hebrew. I can also confirm the schedule for service in Polish. I have no info about other services (so far). (Michal, PL, ibid.) Ohh yes, very seldom Polskie Radio external service total schedules appeared in DX press in past years. Even Polish DXers don't contribute real material to the international DX scene. Yesterday I did update an older Radio Poland schedule of 2006 like a puzzle, and was not aware that Esperanto never appeared on Radio Poland's service then. 1500 UT outlet carries now Ukrainian, and 1800 UT frequency is used for Russian service. Hebrew service moves from 9760 to 9695 kHz. DTK TX sites in use will be once more Juelich, Nauen, and Wertachtal all in Germany, as well as 9670 kHz via Monaco-Fontbonne in France. Fr-Guiana relay may appear once again in next northern winter season B-08. Hopefully these frequencies will appear on the various complicated websites of Polskie Radio, i.e. click on the second item on the left side [Hebrew on right side] to see frequency and time schedule. http://www.polskieradio.pl/zagranica/ click to language like English Section Belaryskaja Deutsche Redaktion Redakcja Polska Rysskaya Ukrainskaya Hebrew click to the 2nd red-wine coloured navigation bar from above. so A08 schedule should read tentatively like this: GERMANY/FRANCE[MONACO] {POLAND non} Polskie Radio A08 BC schedule - 30 Mar to 26 Oct 2008 [corrected] ENGLISH 1200-1259 9525 11850 1700-1759 7140 7265 POLISH 1030-1059 11915 11995 1530-1630 9670 2100-2200 5975 7135 GERMAN 1130-1159 5965 5975 1530-1555 5975 1930-1955 6110 6135 RUSSIAN 1100-1125 13745 13840 1300-1329 11835 13800 1430-1455 11955 1800-1829 6140 1900-1955 6050 BELARUSSIAN 1330-1430 7180 9440 1630-1659 9670 UKRAINIAN 1430-1459 11755 1500-1525 9440 11800 1830-1859 6145 6175 HEBREW 1800-1830 9695 (wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Mar 24) (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The first version has been picked up on other lists, where I have yet to see corrected version. Forwarders have an obligation to do that (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** PORTUGAL. A partir do dia 30, as emissões da RDP - Rádio Portugal irão ao ar, de segundas a sextas-feiras, das 0500 às 0800, em 7240 kHz; das 0645 às 0800, em 11850 kHz; das 0800 às 1200, em 12020 kHz; das 1600 às 1900, em 11905 kHz; das 1900 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 9820 kHz; todos horários para a Europa; Para o Médio Oriente e Índia: das 1300 às 1500, em 15770 kHz; Para a África: das 1000 às 1200, em 15180 kHz; das 1600 às 1900, em 15195 kHz; das 1900 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 11945 kHz; Para os Estados Unidos e Canadá: das 1200 às 2000, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 15560 kHz; das 2000 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 13755 kHz; Para o Brasil: das 1000 às 1200, em 15575 kHz; das 1600 às 1900, em 21655 kHz; das 1900 às 2000, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 21655 kHz; das 2000 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 15295 kHz. Já as emissões de terças a sábados ocorrem como segue: para os Estados Unidos e Canadá; das 2300 às 0200, em 9715 kHz; para a Venezuela, das 2300 às 0200, em 11630 kHz; para o Brasil, das 2300 às 0200, em 15295 kHz. Nos sábados e domingos, as emissões ocorrem como segue: para o Brasil, entre 0700 e 1355, em 12020 kHz; das 0830 às 1000, em 11995 kHz; das 1400 às 2000, em 11905 kHz; das 1900 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 11945 kHz; para a África, das 0700 às 1000, em 15160 kHz; das 1000 às 1400, em 15180 kHz; das 1400 às 1600, em 15680 kHz; das 1600 às 2000, em 15195 kHz; das 1900 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 11945 kHz; para os os Estados Unidos e Canadá, das 1200 às 2000, em 15560 kHz; das 2000 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 13755 kHz; para Brasil, Cabo Verde e Guiné Bissau, das 0700 às 1000, em 12000 kHz; das 1000 às 2000, em 21655 kHz, das 2000 às 2300, poderão ocorrer emissões extraordinárias, em 15295 kHz. Como emissões extraordinárias, leia-se transmissões de partidas de futebol que a RDP geralmente acompanha (Célio Romais website, March 26 via DXLD) This would be a lot easier to refer to if it were in tabular form (gh, DXLD) ** QATAR [and non]. "HIGH PROFILE DEFECTIONS" AT ALJAZEERA ENGLISH "Al-Jazeera English, the global news channel launched as a sibling to the Arab-language service, has suffered its most high profile defections yet amid growing unease among staff about its future. Steve Clark, a former senior executive at ITN and Sky News and a driving force behind the launch of al-Jazeera English, resigned at the end of last week while David Marash, a former CBS Nightline presenter who was the senior anchor in Washington, has also quit. ... Facing competition from the new BBC World Service Arab language channel and other rivals, [Aljazeera management is] believed to want to see resources concentrated on consolidating popularity among its heartland audience." The Guardian, 26 March 2008. Posted: 25 Mar 2008 http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=3648 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Perhaps by the time you read this the link to the Guardian will have been fixed. Geez, Marash was such a cheerleader, enthusiastic about AlJ; tsk2 (gh) ** ROMANIA. R ROMANIA INTL A08 FREQUENCY SCHEDULE ARABIC 0630-0700 9685 9700 11730 11790 1400-1500 11945 15160 AROMANIAN 1430-1500 7170 1630-1700 7135 1830-1900 7130 -Sept 6, 5955 fr Sept 7 CHINESE 0400-0430 11790 15215 1300-1330 11795 15435 ENGLISH 0000-0100 N.Am. 9775 11790 0300-0400 N.Am. 6150 9645 SEAs. 9735 11895 0530-0600 W.Eu. 9655 11830 Pac. 15435 17770 1200-1300 W.Eu. 11875 15220 1700-1800 W.Eu. 9535 11735 2030-2100 W.Eu. 9515 11810 N.Am. 11940 15465 2200-2300 W.Eu. 7185 9675 N.Am. 9790 11940 FRENCH 0100-0200 Canada 6130 9515 0500-0530 Eu. 7180 9655 Sun.1000-1100 Eu. 11830 1000-1100 Eu. 15250 Maghreb 15380 17785 1600-1700 Eu. 9680 11950 2000-2030 Eu. 7215 9655 GERMAN 0600-0630 7125 9740 1100-1200 9525 11775 1800-1900 7160 9775 ITALIAN 1400-1430 7170 1600-1630 9620 1800-1830 7130 -Sept 6, 5955 fr Sept 7 ROMANIAN 0000-0100 N.Am. 9525 11960 0100-0200 N.Am. 9525 11960 Sun.0700-0800 9700 11970 15260 17720 Sun.0800-0900 9700 11875 11970 15450 Sun.0900-1000 11830 11925 15250 15380 1200-1300 Eu. 7165 11920 15195 1400-1500 Eu. 9760 11965 1600-1700 Israel 7205 9690 1700-1800 Eu. 9625 11865 1800-1900 Eu. 9625 11945 RUSSIAN 0430-0500 7190 9555 1330-1400 9790 11855 1500-1600 7325 9760 SERBIAN 1530-1600 6135 1730-1800 6105 1930-2000 6065 7140 SPANISH 0200-0300 Argentina 9520 11945 Mexico 5975 9645 1900-2000 Spain 9775 11715 2100-2200 Argentina 9755 11965 2300-2400 Argentina 9745 11935 Mexico 9655 11880 UKRAINIAN 1500-1530 7210 1700-1730 6135 1900-1930 5910 7210 (Dragan Lekic-Subotica-SER in A-07, updated by wb in A-08, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Mar 24 via Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DXLD) RRI Radio Romania International SW schedule in A-08 5910 1900-1930 29SW TIG 250 22 UKRAINEAN 5955 1800-1830 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN fr Sept 7 5955 1830-1900 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN fr Sept 7 5975 0200-0300 10 TIG 250 307 SPANISH 6065 1930-2000 28S TIG 50 282 SERBIAN 6105 1730-1800 28S TIG 50 282 SERBIAN 6130 0100-0200 4,8 TIG 250 307 FRENCH 6135 1530-1600 28S TIG 50 282 SERBIAN 6135 1700-1730 29SW TIG 50 25 UKRAINEAN 6150 0300-0400 6 TIG 250 337 ENGLISH 7125 0600-0630 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 7130 1800-1830 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN -Sept 6 7130 1830-1900 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN -Sept 6 7135 1630-1700 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN 7140 1930-2000 28S TIG 250 277 SERBIAN 7160 1800-1900 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 7165 1200-1300 28NW TIG 50 300 ROMANIAN 7170 1400-1430 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN 7170 1430-1500 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN 7180 0500-0530 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 7185 2200-2300 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 7190 0430-0500 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 7205 1600-1700 39NW GAL 250 135 ROMANIAN 7205 1900-1930 29SW TIG 50 25 UKRAINEAN 7210 1500-1530 29SW TIG 50 25 UKRAINEAN 7215 2000-2030 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 7325 1500-1600 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 9515 0100-0200 4,8 TIG 250 307 FRENCH 9515 2030-2100 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 9520 0200-0300 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 9525 0000-0100 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 9525 0100-0200 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 9525 1100-1200 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 9535 1700-1800 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 9555 0430-0500 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 9620 1600-1630 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN 9625 1700-1800 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 9625 1800-1900 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 9645 0200-0300 10 TIG 250 307 SPANISH 9645 0300-0400 6 TIG 250 337 ENGLISH 9655 0500-0530 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 9655 0530-0600 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 9655 2000-2030 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 9655 2300-2400 12N GAL 250 280 SPANISH 9675 2200-2300 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 9680 1600-1700 27SE TIG 250 292 FRENCH 9685 0630-0700 37 TIG 250 247 ARABIAN 9690 1600-1700 39NW GAL 250 135 ROMANIAN 9700 0630-0700 39NW TIG 250 142 ARABIAN 9700 0700-0800 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 9700 0800-0900 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 9735 0300-0400 41 GAL 250 100 ENGLISH 9740 0600-0630 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 9745 2300-2400 14 TIG 250 247 SPANISH 9755 2100-2200 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 9760 1400-1500 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 9760 1500-1600 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 9775 0000-0100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 9775 1800-1900 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 9775 1900-2000 37N GAL 250 270 SPANISH 9790 1330-1400 31S TIG 250 52 RUSSIAN 9790 2200-2300 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11715 1900-2000 37N GAL 250 270 SPANISH 11730 0630-0700 37 GAL 250 245 ARABIAN 11735 1700-1800 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11775 1100-1200 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 11790 0000-0100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11790 0400-0430 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 11790 0630-0700 39NW GAL 250 140 ARABIAN 11795 1300-1330 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 11810 2030-2100 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 11830 0530-0600 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 11830 0900-1000 27SE GAL 250 285 VARIOUS Sun 11830 1000-1100 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH Sun 11855 1330-1400 31S TIG 250 52 RUSSIAN 11865 1700-1800 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11875 0800-0900 38E GAL 250 175 VARIOUS Sun 11875 1200-1300 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11880 2300-2400 12N GAL 250 280 SPANISH 11895 0300-0400 41 GAL 250 100 ENGLISH 11920 1200-1300 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11925 0900-1000 37 TIG 250 247 VARIOUS Sun 11935 2300-2400 14 TIG 250 247 SPANISH 11940 2030-2100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11940 2200-2300 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11945 0200-0300 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 11945 1400-1500 39NW TIG 250 142 ARABIAN 11945 1800-1900 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11950 1600-1700 27SE TIG 250 292 FRENCH 11960 0000-0100 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 11960 0100-0200 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 11965 1400-1500 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11965 2100-2200 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 11970 0700-0800 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 11970 0800-0900 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 15160 1400-1500 37 TIG 250 247 ARABIAN 15195 1200-1300 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 15215 0400-0430 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 15220 1200-1300 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 15250 0900-1000 27SE GAL 250 285 VARIOUS Sun 15250 1000-1100 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 15260 0700-0800 39NW GAL 250 110 VARIOUS Sun 15380 0900-1000 37 TIG 250 247 VARIOUS Sun 15380 1000-1100 37 TIG 250 247 FRENCH 15435 0530-0600 55,58,59TIG 250 97 ENGLISH 15435 1300-1330 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 15450 0800-0900 38E GAL 250 175 VARIOUS Sun 15465 2030-2100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 17720 0700-0800 39NW GAL 250 110 VARIOUS Sun 17770 0530-0600 55,58,59TIG 250 97 ENGLISH 17785 1000-1100 37 TIG 250 247 FRENCH (RRI, Mar 24) 9685 0630-0700 37 TIG 250 247 ARABIAN 9700 0630-0700 39NW TIG 250 142 ARABIAN 11730 0630-0700 37 GAL 250 245 ARABIAN 11790 0630-0700 39NW GAL 250 140 ARABIAN 11945 1400-1500 39NW TIG 250 142 ARABIAN 15160 1400-1500 37 TIG 250 247 ARABIAN 7135 1630-1700 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN 7170 1430-1500 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN 5955 1830-1900 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN fr Sept 7 7130 1830-1900 28SW TIG 50 235 AROMANIAN -Sept 6 11790 0400-0430 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 11795 1300-1330 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 15215 0400-0430 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 15435 1300-1330 43,44 TIG 250 67 CHINESE 6150 0300-0400 6 TIG 250 337 ENGLISH 7185 2200-2300 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 9515 2030-2100 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 9535 1700-1800 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 9645 0300-0400 6 TIG 250 337 ENGLISH 9655 0530-0600 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 9675 2200-2300 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 9735 0300-0400 41 GAL 250 100 ENGLISH 9775 0000-0100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 9790 2200-2300 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11735 1700-1800 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11790 0000-0100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11810 2030-2100 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 11830 0530-0600 27N GAL 250 300 ENGLISH 11875 1200-1300 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11895 0300-0400 41 GAL 250 100 ENGLISH 11940 2030-2100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 11940 2200-2300 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 15220 1200-1300 27N TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 15435 0530-0600 55,58,59TIG 250 97 ENGLISH 15465 2030-2100 8 TIG 250 307 ENGLISH 17770 0530-0600 55,58,59TIG 250 97 ENGLISH 6130 0100-0200 4,8 TIG 250 307 FRENCH 7180 0500-0530 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 7215 2000-2030 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 9515 0100-0200 4,8 TIG 250 307 FRENCH 9655 0500-0530 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 9655 2000-2030 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 9680 1600-1700 27SE TIG 250 292 FRENCH 11950 1600-1700 27SE TIG 250 292 FRENCH 15250 1000-1100 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH 15380 1000-1100 37 TIG 250 247 FRENCH 17785 1000-1100 37 TIG 250 247 FRENCH 11830 1000-1100 27SE GAL 250 285 FRENCH Sun 7125 0600-0630 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 7160 1800-1900 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 9525 1100-1200 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 9740 0600-0630 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 9775 1800-1900 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 11775 1100-1200 28NW TIG 250 307 GERMAN 7170 1400-1430 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN 9620 1600-1630 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN 5955 1800-1830 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN fr Sept 7 7130 1800-1830 28SW TIG 50 260 ITALIAN -Sept 6 7165 1200-1300 28NW TIG 50 300 ROMANIAN 7205 1600-1700 39NW GAL 250 135 ROMANIAN 9525 0000-0100 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 9525 0100-0200 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 9625 1700-1800 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 9625 1800-1900 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 9690 1600-1700 39NW GAL 250 135 ROMANIAN 9760 1400-1500 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11865 1700-1800 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11920 1200-1300 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11945 1800-1900 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 11960 0000-0100 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 11960 0100-0200 8 GAL 250 310 ROMANIAN 11965 1400-1500 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 15195 1200-1300 27SE GAL 250 285 ROMANIAN 7190 0430-0500 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 7325 1500-1600 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 9555 0430-0500 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 9760 1500-1600 29 TIG 250 37 RUSSIAN 9790 1330-1400 31S TIG 250 52 RUSSIAN 11855 1330-1400 31S TIG 250 52 RUSSIAN 6065 1930-2000 28S TIG 50 282 SERBIAN 6105 1730-1800 28S TIG 50 282 SERBIAN 6135 1530-1600 28S TIG 50 282 SERBIAN 7140 1930-2000 28S TIG 250 277 SERBIAN 5975 0200-0300 10 TIG 250 307 SPANISH 9520 0200-0300 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 9645 0200-0300 10 TIG 250 307 SPANISH 9655 2300-2400 12N GAL 250 280 SPANISH 9745 2300-2400 14 TIG 250 247 SPANISH 9755 2100-2200 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 9775 1900-2000 37N GAL 250 270 SPANISH 11715 1900-2000 37N GAL 250 270 SPANISH 11880 2300-2400 12N GAL 250 280 SPANISH 11935 2300-2400 14 TIG 250 247 SPANISH 11945 0200-0300 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 11965 2100-2200 14 GAL 250 245 SPANISH 5910 1900-1930 29SW TIG 250 22 UKRAINEAN 6135 1700-1730 29SW TIG 50 25 UKRAINEAN 7205 1900-1930 29SW TIG 50 25 UKRAINEAN 7210 1500-1530 29SW TIG 50 25 UKRAINEAN 9700 0700-0800 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 9700 0800-0900 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 11830 0900-1000 27SE GAL 250 285 VARIOUS Sun 11875 0800-0900 38E GAL 250 175 VARIOUS Sun 11925 0900-1000 37 TIG 250 247 VARIOUS Sun 11970 0700-0800 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 11970 0800-0900 39NW TIG 250 142 VARIOUS Sun 15250 0900-1000 27SE GAL 250 285 VARIOUS Sun 15260 0700-0800 39NW GAL 250 110 VARIOUS Sun 15380 0900-1000 37 TIG 250 247 VARIOUS Sun 15450 0800-0900 38E GAL 250 175 VARIOUS Sun 17720 0700-0800 39NW GAL 250 110 VARIOUS Sun (RRI, Mar 24) (all from Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 7200, R. Rossii via Yakutsk, 0755-0812, March 25, they are back on the air again after seemingly being off for about 3-4 weeks; in Russian, interview, 5+1 pips, news, numerous R. Rossii IDs, mostly fair. Parallel with 5935 via Magadan (usual QRM), 7320 also via Magadan (fair) and 6075 via Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka (fair – which at 0810 cut away for their local "programa Kamchatka Radio") (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SCOTLAND [non]. Radio Six International will be ending its shortwave transmissions on 7415 kHz (from WBCQ) on Sunday, March 30th. The last broadcast will run from 2200 to 2300 UT. We are not abandoning shortwave altogether, but the response has been poor via this transmitter and we are reconsidering our relay options. Any resumption is likely to be in September (TONY CURRIE, Radio Six International, March 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SIERRA LEONE [non]. ASCENSION ISLAND --- Cotton Tree News, Sierra Leone, 9525, f/d cd, 10 weeks. Addr.: Fourah Bay College, Mont Aureol, P.O. Box 766, Freetown, Sierra Leone; card was sent by registered mail directly from Freetown (Norbert Reiner, Karlsruhe, Germany, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. A08 Transmissions from Meyerton UT kHz kW Days Target Language ---------------------------------------------------- AWR 1700 1800 9600 250 1234567 East Africa Swahili/Masai 1800 1830 3215 100 1234567 Namibia English 1800 1830 3345 100 1234567 Zimbabwe English 1800 1830 9610 250 1234567 East Africa English 2000 2030 9655 250 1234567 Central Africa English BBC 0300 0400 6005 500 1234567 West Africa English 0300 0330 6050 500 1234567 East Africa Swahili 0300 0600 3255 100 1234567 Southern Africa English 0300 0600 6190 100 1234567 Southern Africa English 0400 0600 7120 250 1234567 West Africa English 0400 0430 9835 250 1234567 East Africa Swahili 0430 0530 3380 100 12345 Mozambique Portuguese 0430 0530 6145 250 12345 N.Mozambique Portuguese 0430 0530 7290 500 12345 Angola Portuguese 0500 0600 15400 250 6 East Africa Kirundi 0530 0600 15400 250 7 East Africa Kirundi 0600 0700 11765 250 1234567 West Africa English 0600 1600 6190 100 1234567 Southern Africa English 0600 1600 9860 100 1234567 Southern Africa English 0700 0730 17695 500 1234567 West Africa French 0700 0800 17830 500 1234567 West Africa English 1330 1530 11705 500 6 East Africa Swahili 1500 1700 7380 500 1234567 East Africa English/Swahili/Kirundi 1600 2200 3255 100 1234567 Southern Africa English 1600 2200 6190 100 1234567 Southern Africa English 1700 1900 7380 250 1234567 East Africa English 1745 1800 7230 500 1234567 East Africa Swahili 1800 1830 5985 250 1234567 Indian Oc Isles French 1800 1830 7345 100 1234567 Central Africa French 2030 2100 3380 100 12345 Mozambique Portuguese 2030 2100 6135 250 12345 N.Mozambique Portuguese 2030 2100 7380 500 12345 Angola Portuguese 2100 2200 7120 100 1234567 West Africa English 2200 2300 6005 100 1234567 West Africa English CHANNEL AFRICA 0300 0500 3345 100 1234567 Southern Afr English 0300 0400 6105 500 1234567 East Africa English 0300 0400 6120 250 1234567 East Africa Swahili 0400 0500 7390 500 1234567 Central Africa French 0500 0800 7230 100 1234567 Southern Afr English 0500 0600 9735 500 1234567 West Afica English 0600 0700 15255 250 1234567 West Afica English 0800 1600 9625 100 1234567 Southern Afr English/Nyanja/Lozi 1500 1600 15215 500 1234567 East Africa English 1500 1600 15360 250 1234567 East Africa Swahili 1600 1700 15235 500 1234567 West Afica French 1700 1800 15235 500 1234567 West Afica English 1900 2200 3345 100 1234567 Southern Afr Portuguese/English CRI 1500 1900 6100 100 1234567 Southern Afr English/Chinese DW 0500 0530 9825 500 1234567 East Africa English 1400 1500 15410 250 1234567 East Africa Amharic EDC 0630 0700 15660 250 1 3 5 East Africa Various 1205 1235 15140 250 12 6 East Africa Various 1300 1330 15325 250 1 3 5 East Africa Various WYFR 1900 2100 3230 100 1234567 Southern Afr English 1900 2000 5930 250 1234567 East Africa Swahili FEBA RADIO 1530 1700 12125 250 1234567 East Africa Amharic 1830 1900 7255 100 1234567 Central Africa French HIRONDELLE FOUNDATION 0400 0600 11690 100 1234567 Central Africa Various [R. Okapi] 1600 1700 11890 100 1234567 West Africa French [R. Okapi] IRIN RADIO [see comments below] 1730 1745 9665 100 1234567 Somalia Unknown 0600 0700 11830 250 1234567 West Africa Portuguese 0700 0800 15170 250 1234567 West Africa French 1100 1200 17525 250 1234567 Central Africa French 2000 2200 7160 250 1234567 Central Africa French RADIO SONDER GRENSE 0000 0530 3320 100 1234567 N.Cape Afrikaans 0530 0800 7185 100 1234567 N.Cape Afrikaans 0800 1600 9650 100 1234567 N.Cape Afrikaans 1600 2400 3320 100 1234567 N.Cape Afrikaans SA RADIO LEAGUE 0800 0900 7205 100 7 Southern Afr English 0800 0900 17570 250 7 East Africa English 1900 2000 3215 100 1 Southern Afr English TWR 0330 0345 7215 250 1234567 Ethiopia Amharic 0600 0645 11640 500 12345 Nigeria English 0600 0615 11640 500 67 Nigeria English 1557 1627 9675 250 12345 Burundi Kirundi 1625 1655 9660 500 123457 Somalia Somali 1630 1800 9920 250 1234 Ethiopia Various 1645 1800 9920 250 5 Ethiopia Various 1645 1730 9920 250 6 Ethiopia Various 1645 1745 9920 250 7 Ethiopia Various 1657 1712 9660 500 12345 Sudan Juba 1718 1733 7265 250 1 34 6 Mozambique Yao 1718 1748 7265 250 2 5 7 Mozambique Yao 1830 1900 9510 500 12 4567 West Africa Fulfulde 1840 1925 9720 250 7 West Africa French 1840 1940 9720 250 12 4 West Africa French/Moore 1910 1940 9720 250 3 West Africa French/Moore 1925 1940 9720 250 5 West Africa Moore VOA [new site for IBB, ex-Morocco, etc. --- WORLD OF RADIO 1401, gh] 1600 1630 11905 100 1234567 East Africa Kirundi 1700 1800 11760 100 1234567 Middle East Kurdish 1700 1730 11835 100 1234567 West Africa English 1800 2000 7150 100 1234567 West Africa Portuguese/French 1830 2000 9885 500 1234567 West Africa English 1900 2000 9695 250 1234567 Middle East Kurdish 2000 2030 7150 500 1234567 West Africa French 2030 2100 7150 250 1234567 West Africa Hausa Day 1 = Monday, Day 2 = Tuesday etc. (Via Kathy Otto, SENTECH via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, March 20, dxldyg via Glenn Hauser, tidied up for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Interesting to see IRIN Radio in this list. This is the UN's Integrated Regional Information Network, based in Nairobi. They have had a radio production service for quite a while, but as far as I know this just produced programmes and relied on other stations to broadcast them. I think that this may be the first time they have hired SW transmiter airtime themselves. See http://www.irinnews.org/radio.aspx (Chris Greenway, March 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7160, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, IRIN Radio tentatively the one here via SENTECH on with good signal here in French at 2145 with program change in French at 2145 (a very casual chatty program all in French), change at 2200 with RFI ID from Paris, then transmitter off or antenna redirected, with CRI from Urumqi heard weakly on the frequency. Good readable signal on the AOR7030 until transmitter off the air or realigning the antenna. JB mentioned not having seen this one before; I was in the same boat. Very readable signal here on Mar 23. SINPO 34334. Thanks JB for this tip. Appears to be listed under a Radio France International entry in the Aoki data base, broadcasting from Meyerton (Dan Henderson, MD, DXplorer Mar 23 via BC-DX via DXLD) TDF-RFI Paris registered. wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) For B-07 maybe but see above via SENTECH still on 7160 for A-08 (gh, DXLD) ** SPAIN. ESPANHA - No novo período de emissões em ondas curtas, o programa O Espanhol no Brasil, da Rádio Exterior da Espanha, será levado ao ar em dois horários, ou seja, haverá a abertura de um novo horário. Ele será transmitido entre 1800 e 1900, em 17595 kHz. Depois, será reprisado, entre 2100 e 2200, pela mesma freqüência, sempre de segundas a sextas-feiras. O Espanhol no Brasil é um programa bilíngüe da REE. A jornalista brasileira Cyntia Floriani não é mais a apresentadora do programa. Em seu lugar, fazem o segmento Víctor Guerrero e Estela Viana (Célio Romais website, March 26 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. New QSL received here: Miraya FM, 9825, received full detailed e-mail confirmation from Katalin Mester in two weeks after a couple of f/ups. E-mail: mesterk @ un.org Report was sent to mirayasudan @ mirayafm.org Greetings! (Artur Fernández Llorella, Catalonia, Spain, March 25, HCDX via DXLD) Did they specify transmitter site, Slovakia? If not, it`s hardly ``full-detailed``! AFAIK, that`s top-secret (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SYRIA. 782 | R. Syria 1, Tartus, MAR 26 0040 - bits of audio and fat het against 783 Mauritania [q.v.]. Stronger on northeast-aimed SuperLoop (despite more CFDR slop); Mauritania more in the clear on southeast-aimed delta (Mark Connelly, Billerica, MA, USA (GC= 42.5332 N / 71.2205 W) (home) 24 km (15 miles) northwest of Boston, Drake R8A, Quantum Phaser, SuperLoop, peak northeast / null southwest, 10 m vertical by 16 m horizontal, base height 1.5 m, southwest termination 1000 ohms + Delta, peak southeast / null northwest, 10 m base center to apex vertical distance by 20 m horizontal, base height 1.5 m, northwest termination 1000 ohms, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** TURKEY. V. of Turkey announced their 2008y contest during Live from Turkey on March 25, as heard on webcast [6050 broadcast at 1950]: this essay writing contest is titled ``Why the Voice of Turkey?`` Tell us about ourselves ---- are you pleased with our programming? Suggestions to make it better? Satisfied? Maximum two pages [undefined]. Deadline 7/31/08 [postmark or receipt?]. There will be 8 winners of a 12-day holiday in Turkey beginning this October. Send to VOT, P O Box 333, 06443 Yeneshehir, Ankara, Turkey, or englishdesk at trt.net.tr That`s a paraphrase of the announcement which no doubt will be heard many more times. IIRC, no one writing in English won last year (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. Re: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/newsid_7304000/7304552.stm (via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ¿Nueva frecuencia o últimos pataleos? La cosa es que BBC Mundo ha estado durante una hora, entre 1200 y 1300 UT con tremenda señal por 9410, lo que hace suponer desde Guyana Francesa o Cypress Creek. Después de la media hora estaban tocando "Baby Love" de The Supremes y de inmediato, sin mantenimiento de por medio se remitieron el resto de la hora a tocar música clásica sin presentación, como cosa de relleno hasta cortar abruptamente a las 1300. De inmediato, a las 1300 paso a la banda de 25m y encuentro BBC Mundo en 11860 con señal algo disminuida pero sólo con tres minutos de noticias. Entre 1303 y 1310 una constante advertencia en inglés de "Esta es la BBC. No hay actualmente un servicio regular en este canal, pero usted puede escuchar la BBC en inlgés y árabe durante 24 horas vía satélite...etc. Ni me asomé al web site de la BBC porque siempre esta desactualizado como para verificar estos servicios. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, March 26, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I already pointed out that BBC would be on 9410; it`s WHRI, 182 degrees. Also listed for 12-13 only on 11860 via GUF, 305 degrees, both M-F. As we know, no news happens on weekends. We need to discover the SW frequencies BBC Mundo may be using for the other 3-minute Spanish transmissions. Not exactly the most efficient use of resources, to have to fill out the hour with music and loop announcements that they have nothing to offer. 9410 does not appear yet on the online WHR frequency schedule. A search on ``BBC`` of the WHR program schedule now gets 1200 - 1300 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Su,Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa BBC World Service BBC World Service 9.660 Mhz For Angel 2, language not specified, but that is old info presumably substituting for what is really on 9410 now (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. ACCUSATIONS AGAINST U.S. BROADCASTS TO IRAN HOLD UP GLASSMAN CONFIRMATION? "Radio Farda and its official U.S. counterpart, the Voice of America’s Persian Service, have reportedly engaged in recent years in practices that have raised questions about whose side they were on. Whistle- blowers and independent monitors have repeatedly warned that these agencies broadcast into Iran programming that actually advances not the cause of freedom, but the agenda of the Iranian regime that President Bush has correctly decried. Improvements have been made at Radio Farda by Jeff Gedmin, the new and highly regarded head of RFE/RL, but concerns about program content persist. Such concerns have outraged Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security subcommittee charged with overseeing U.S. international broadcasts. ... Sen. Coburn has put a hold on the nomination of James Glassman, the current BBG chairman, to become what amounts to America’s combatant commander in the War of Ideas." Frank J. Gaffney Jr., Townhall.com, 24 March 2008 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Mr. Glassman was nominated to succeed Karen Hughes as under secretary of State for public diplomacy. Posted: 26 Mar 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.) ** U S A. U.S. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NEEDS THE "CORRECT MEDIA MIX" Vince Nowicki, director of engineering at the International Broadcasting Bureau, responds to the 21 February Radio World article by Jack Quinn and Nick Olguin decrying the closing of IBB shortwave sites at Kavala, Playa de Pals, etc. http://oregonguythinks.blogspot.com/2008/02/save-kavala.html [It`s not clear when this was originally written, titled ``Save Kavala``, rather than ``Save Briech`` --- gh] He writes that their commentary "is out of step with the realities of today’s sophisticated audience and the strategic media markets for U.S. international broadcasting. ... Nostalgia for Cold War methods does not get the job done in the new millennium. ... Using the correct media mix — be it Internet, TV, AM, FM or shortwave radio — preferred by the audience, and not simply grasping on to old approaches, is the only way we can reach today’s worldwide audience." Radio World, 26 March 2008. http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.12101.html Also in the same issue of Radio World, but not available online, is a letter from VOA union president Tim Shamble disagreeing with Quinn and Olguin's suggestion that IBB shortwave sites be privatized. Also, a feature about Jeff White, co-founder and general manager of WRMI, Radio Miami International, a private shortwave station. Posted: 26 Mar 2008 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A. KTBN closedown plans --- Dear Mr Miller, I understand that your shortwave station KTBN will be closing down permanently Saturday night at 7 pm (MDT). Can you confirm? We wonder if there will be any special announcements or programming mentioning the closure, and if so, when? You will probably be getting more QSL requests than usual as people realize that time is running out. Hope you will still fulfill those which arrive afterwards. Also wonder what will become of the Salt Lake facility. Do you plan to keep it in working order for sale to some other broadcaster? Thanks, (Glenn Hauser, World of Radio to Ben Miller, TBN, March 25, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, The final day of transmission will be March 31 and we will sign off at midnight [PDT? MDT? March 31 = Monday, so at the end of local Monday? ---gh]. No special announcements will be made. The equipment will be given to an undesignated party and the property where the station is located is currently on the market. Sincerely, (Ben Miller, Vice President, Engineering Trinity Broadcasting Network, Inc. 2442 Michelle Dr. Tustin, CA 92780 Tel (714) 665-2145 Fax (714) 730-0661 E-mail: bmiller @ tbn.org Website: http://www.tbn.org March 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi Tom, I wonder if you can update us on the status of the KTMI shortwave CP in Oregon. They have been registering schedules for several years now without any sign of activity, and I wonder if they are really making any progress in building the facility? Thanks, (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO, to Tom Lucey, FCC, via DXLD) Hi Glen[n], KTMI's Construction Permit expires October 3, 2008. It is our understanding that they have been examining the upcoming seasonal schedule for additional suitable frequencies. We are waiting to hear from them by October 3 concerning the completion of the construction. Best regards, (Tom Lucey, FCC, March 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: Allan says Brother Scare will be at those hours [0430- 0730 UT] EXCEPT for Tom & Darryl and World of Radio. The switch from 17495 to 15420 is still scheduled for April 1. Glenn Well, as of last Saturday night (UT Sunday AM) B.S. was on *instead* of Tom & Darryl when I tuned in. Not much of a loss, tho -- T&D have been so completely uninteresting and poorly done in recent months that they weren't worth listening to. When they had someone reading news items that might have been worthwhile, the reader mis-pronounced so many words and had such poor delivery that it was more irritating than informative. What always infuriated me about that program was that, as it just started being aired on WBCQ, you could hear the tail end of a much- better-produced and much-more-interesting program that preceded it. Why on Earth didn't these people air THAT program over WBCQ, instead of the rambling babble of T&D? What was the purpose of the T&D program in the first place, and why was it thought to be worthy of a SW relay? I gathered that this was part of some sort of satellite-relay talk network, aimed at people who had the big old-style satellite dishes. That's a pretty limited audience, and I'd think it would be constantly dwindling. Maybe it would be far more worthwhile if some of the SW pirates would use that as their audio source, instead of the junk music and babble they seem to waste their signals on. 73, (Will Martin, MO, March 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SCOTLAND ** U S A. Dear Glenn, Just a note: on April 1st we are switching to 15420 and dropping 17495. May take a few days to tune up the array. We have 6 feet of snow up here, the most I've seen in 37 years of living in northern Maine. Very hard winter. Global warming-bah! (Allan Weiner, WBCQ, March 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Allan, And will World of Radio then be aired on 15420, Wednesdays at 7 pm? 17495 has not been holding up long enough for me to hear it there. Will 15420 also be C/USB or C/LSB? I certainly don`t envy your snow. In fact any snow here is too much (Glenn to Allan, via DXLD) Yes, schedule is the same. CUSB is the same also. Cheers, (Allan Weiner, WBCQ, March 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) You mean CLSB? (gh) 5110, WBCQ Monticello ME (presumed); 2231-2239+, 24-Mar; 70s rock tunes. SIO= 4+54+ Actually on 5110.0! Per a posting on the Free Radio Net, the station recently replaced a "bad xtal" (Harold Frodge, MI, Cumbre DX via DXLD) had varied up to 5111, even 5112 (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. CVC New frequencies A-08 from Calera de Tango, Chile: México 0100-0400 11970 N/SAm 0100-0800 11665, 0800-1200 5960, 1200-0100 17680 Brazil 0000-0400 11745, 0400-1100 6110, 1100-2400 15410 S Cone 2300-1300 6070, 1300-2300 9635 Bz DRM 1800-2000 17635-17640-17645 (via Célio Romais, RS, March 26, rearranged from a spreadsheet by Glenn Hauser for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not new enough --- all night on 6070 to mess up CFRX when it returns. At least they are off 6185, XEPPM`s frequency (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FCC RULES "DEAD AIR" DOESN'T REQUIRE STATION ID The FCC today ruled that stations broadcasting "dead air" - with the transmitter on but "nobody talking" - are not required to run station identification announcements. The decision involves WMCU-89.7 (now WKCP) in Miami. For many years WMCU was a religious station. Last fall, WMCU's owners decided to sell the station to American Public Media; the latter group flipped WMCU to a classical-music outlet. (replacing commercial station WTMI-93.1 which had switched to dance music, then rock, a few years back) Fans of the Christian music on WMCU filed objections to the sale of the station. The relevant objection involved FCC regulation 73.1201, which requires stations to identify themselves with call letters and city-of-license once an hour. The complaints stated that for three weeks last October, (before Public Media acquired it) WMCU broadcast "dead air" - silence - with no identification announcements - in violation of 73.1201. The station admitted to the broadcasts. However, they argued that the station was silent - was not on the air - and that nothing in the regulations required a silent station to identify itself. Usually, the term "silent" has meant the station is off the air entirely - the transmitter is turned off, no signal at all is being broadcast. WMCU argues otherwise - that if no program is being broadcast, the station is silent. The FCC bought it. They agreed that WMCU was officially off the air (even though the carrier was still being transmitted at 100,000 watts - for the purpose of carrying a subcarrier signal) and thus didn't need to ID. Strange. Original FCC document: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-556A1.pdf (Doug Smith, American Bandscan blog March 12 via DXLD) ** U S A. THE POINT OF FAILURE CAUSING THE KFI TOWER TO COLLAPSE According to preliminary information, one need look no further than the slant bar with the turnbuckle that ran between ground level and the one-and-only elevated guy wire anchor station at KFI's transmitter site to find the point of failure that caused the latest KFI tower to topple. The slant bar is designed to take virtually all the tension of the guy wires at that location, and if the slant bar fails, the tower topples. Simple as that. To see the slant bar before it failed, click on http://www.k6rix.com/ then click on the second photo. Wait while a giant set of "before the failure" photos is downloaded. Once downloaded, watch the center column of pictures and scroll down half way through the thumbnails until you spot the elevated guy station: a pole perhaps 20 feet tall with an extension ladder leaning up against it. Note the slant bar running down and to the right. The three photos in the next row show the slant bar detail and the turnbuckle installed in the middle of the bar. The failure occurred at the low end of the turnbuckle, but the turnbuckle itself wasn't necessarily at fault. Now return to http://www.k6rix.com/ and click on the first picture. Wait while a giant set of "after the failure" pictures is downloaded. The first picture shows the KFI tower in the act of falling over, while the next two photos show the top portion of the slant bar and the turnbuckle where -- hey -- the bottom slant bar is missing. (Click on any of the thumbnails for an enlargement.) It appears that the threads in the turnbuckle and the threads on the lower slant bar stripped when the third level of guy wires were being tensioned. So, the upper slant bar assembly (with the turnbuckle in tow) was yanked toward the tower by the guy wire tension, ripping the elevated guy station pole off its foundation. Then all of those components were drug [sic] across the parking lot by the guy wires connected to the falling tower. Anything that got in the way got swept up or knocked over. Note the bunched-up chain link fence in the photo. That was probably the fence that had surrounded the elevated guy station. We don't yet know what caused the lower slant bar and turnbuckle to separate. Was the steel too soft in one or both components? Were the thread sizes off, like fitting an 8-32 machine screw in a 10-32 nut? Many thanks to Dino, K6RIX, for posting these fascinating photos and helping us understand the mechanisms in this disaster (THE CGC COMMUNICATOR #833, March 26, 2008, Robert F. Gonsett, W6VR, Editor, via Mike Terry, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Finally managed to hear the YVTO spur on 5100, March 26 at 0617-0620, definite time pips; Spanish announcements hard to make out but just before 0620, heard check ending in ``50 minutos`` so has to be Venezuela. There was also intermittent RTTY interfering. Not heard on 5000 or 4900 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [non]. Änderung der Frequenz von VOV From: phong tieng duc ban doi ngoai Liebe Hörerinnen und Hörer, Wir, die deutsche Redaktion von VOV, hätten gern Ihnen mitteilen. Unser deutsch-sprachiges Programm wird ab 30. März von 19 Uhr 30 bis 20 Uhr 30 UTC auf der Frequenz 9430 kHz gesendet wird. Wir bedanken uns für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit und hoffen auf Ihre neue Empfangsberichte. Mit freundlichen Grüßen aus Hanoi, Deutsche Redaktion (via Helmut Joeres, WWDXC Mar 26, via Michael Bethge via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) Viz.: VOV relays --- Sackville, Skelton, Moosbrunn 6175 0100 0430 6,10N SAC 250 212 G VOV MER EnVnSpEnSp 6175 0430 0530 2,6 SAC 250 240 G VOV MER Vn 9430 1930 2030 27,28 SKN 300 90 G VOV MER German 9725 1700 1900 27,28W MOS 100 300 AUT VOV MER EnVnFr 9725 1900 1930 29 SKN 300 70 G VOV MER Ru 11840 2030 2130 28S SKN 300 110 G VOV MER Vn (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA [and non]. The Voice Africa, which never did anything with its original website, http://www.voiceafrica.org/ based in RSA, has decided it needs a new one: http://www.1africa.tv/ and it seems is renamed 1-Africa. But still no program schedule, no live streaming; everything is ``coming soon``. Would someone please explain also, why a radio station, CVC, would go out of its way to have a domain in .tv? (Glenn Hauser, March 26, WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. New QSL received here: Voice of the People, 11610, received non detailed e-mail confirmation from John Masuku in 3 days. E-mail: voxpopzim @ yahoo.co.uk Website: http://www.radiovop.com Greetings! (Artur Fernández Llorella, Catalonia, Spain, March 25, HCDX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Checked 2980 as reported by the Albertans, March 25 around 0550, and occasionally traces of music surfaced above the high local noise level; that`s all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COMMENTARY ++++++++++ THOUGHTS ABOUT SHORTWAVE RADIO I have trouble sleeping through the night these days (it’s normal for late Stage IV cancer patients). I often find myself awake two or three times during the night, sometimes for more than an hour. Until I get sleepy again, I grab the Eton E5 portable shortwave radio I keep on my nightstand, put on headphones so I won’t disturb Di, and tune around to see what I can hear. Why do I do that instead of, for example, listening to my iPod? Since 1963, I’ve been obsessed with snagging all manner of “non- standard” radio signals. Those include AM and FM broadcast stations from hundreds and thousands of miles away, shortwave broadcasts from foreign countries, communications from ships and airplanes traveling around the globe, military transmissions, ham radio operators --- if it can be tuned on a shortwave radio receiver, I want to hear it. . . http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/thoughts-about-shortwave-radio.html (Harry Helms blog via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see BELGIUM [non]; DENMARK LW; USA [non] CVC ++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC: see BRAZIL PROPAGATION +++++++++++ ARNIE CORO´S EXCLUSIVE AND NOT COPYRIGHTED HF PLUS LOW BAND VHF PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST Two new sunspot groups formed on the east limb of the Sun. The solar flux has moved up to near 80 and will go past the 80 magic solar flux number very soon. Therefore we could see a moderate boost in the MUF of the F2 layer and some short term improvement of propagation conditions on ham radio bands 20, 17, 15 and 12 meters and shortwave broadcast bands 22, 17, 13 and 11 meters. DX openings on the 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters amateur bands (Arnie Coro, CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited March 25, DXLD) The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels on 17 March as a coronal hole high speed stream rotated out of geoeffective position. Throughout the remainder of the summary period activity levels were at mostly quiet levels, although there were several intervals of unsettled to active conditions due to sustained southward IMF Bz over several hours. ACE solar wind speeds reached a maximum of 576 km/s on 20 March at 1447 UTC, and a minimum of 405 km/s on 22 March at 0759 UTC. The IMF Bz varied between + 6 nT during the period. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 26 MARCH - 21 APRIL 2008 Solar activity is expected to be low to moderate. At the time of writing there was a low-level M-class flare in progress from Region 989. This region remains capable of producing M-class activity. Regions 987 and 988 are also capable of producing C-class flares, and perhaps an isolated M-class flare. On 08 April when Region 989 departs the visible solar disk activity levels should decline to very low levels. Activity levels are expected to increase again to very low to low levels when Region 987 rotates back onto the visible solar disk on 19 April. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during most of the period. However, the flux may drop to normal levels on 26 March, 02, 05, and 17 - 20 April. The geomagnetic field is expected to be at unsettled to minor storm levels on 26 - 28 March due to a favorably positioned coronal hole high speed stream. Activity levels should decline to quiet to unsettled levels on 29 - 31 March as the high speed stream rotates out of a geoeffective position. 01 - 03 April a mostly quiet geomagnetic field is expected. On 04 - 11 April a coronal hole high speed stream is expected to influence the geomagnetic field bringing mostly unsettled to active conditions. For the remainder of the period predominately quiet conditions are expected. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2008 Mar 25 2354 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 2008 Mar 25 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2008 Mar 26 85 20 4 2008 Mar 27 90 25 5 2008 Mar 28 90 15 3 2008 Mar 29 90 10 3 2008 Mar 30 90 10 3 2008 Mar 31 90 10 3 2008 Apr 01 90 8 3 2008 Apr 02 90 5 2 2008 Apr 03 90 5 2 2008 Apr 04 85 15 3 2008 Apr 05 85 25 5 2008 Apr 06 80 15 3 2008 Apr 07 80 10 3 2008 Apr 08 75 15 3 2008 Apr 09 70 15 3 2008 Apr 10 70 12 3 2008 Apr 11 70 10 3 2008 Apr 12 70 5 2 2008 Apr 13 70 5 2 2008 Apr 14 70 8 3 2008 Apr 15 70 5 2 2008 Apr 16 70 5 2 2008 Apr 17 70 5 2 2008 Apr 18 70 5 2 2008 Apr 19 75 5 2 2008 Apr 20 80 5 2 2008 Apr 21 85 5 2 (SWPC March 25 via WORLD OF RADIO 1401, DXLD) Geophysical Alert Message # Solar-terrestrial indices for 25 March follow. Solar flux 89 and mid-latitude A-index 4. The mid-latitude K- index at 1200 UTC on 26 March was 4 (59 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are expected. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are expected Solar-terrestrial indices for 25 March follow. Solar flux 89 and mid- latitude A-index 4. The mid-latitude K-index at 1500 UTC on 26 March was 5 (100 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are expected. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are expected. Solar-terrestrial indices for 25 March follow. Solar flux 89 and mid- latitude A-index 4. The mid-latitude K-index at 1800 UTC on 26 March was 4 (57 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are expected. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are expected. Solar-terrestrial indices for 26 March follow. Solar flux 82 and estimated mid-latitude A-Index 24. The mid-latitude K-index at 2100 UTC on 26 March was 4 (51 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are expected. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are expected. Solar-terrestrial indices for 26 March follow. Solar flux 82 and mid- latitude A-index 26. The mid-latitude K-index at 0000 UTC on 27 March was 4 (41 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be minor. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are expected. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are expected (SWPC via DXLD) "THE SUN AWAKENS IN THE EARLY DAWN OF SUNSPOT CYCLE 24" Bulletin from Tomas Hood, NW7US: During the week of March 24, the Sun became quite active. This, after many months of long stretches of quiet, sunspot-less days. March 25 images of the sun revealed a train of sunspots, NOAA AR 0987 (a beta configuration), 0988 (a beta configuration), and 0989 (an alpha configuration). For many months prior, there would be an occasional sunspot, if any at all. These three sunspots indicate a sun that is waking up; there was even a strong M1-class solar flare on March 25, the first such strong flare in a long period of quiet (the last such flare was mid-2007). The M1.7 magnitude flare originated in sunspot 0989, which was on the very edge of the sun, not facing us. As this sunspot group rotates into what is known as "geo-effective" position, it may well cause intense radio blackouts and storms, while also strengthening the ionosphere, in turn creating great DX opportunities on higher HF frequencies during non-radio blackout periods. Radio blackouts occur during solar flares. On the same day, March 25, the solar flux (10.7-cm flux index) rose from the low 70's to the high of 89 (as of the time this is being written), and the flare caused minor storming and a radio blackout on HF. This is a great trend for those interested in using the high frequencies for radio communications. As we now move away from sunspot cycle minimum to the peak of cycle 24, sometime in the next three to five years, activity will increase. With this increase in activity will come better HF propagation on the higher portions of HF, while also bringing an increase in radio blackouts and geomagnetic storminess that is part of an active cycle. We're in for the exciting start of a new solar cycle! Some forecasters speculate that this solar cycle will not be too active. I still hold to one early forecast that speculates that the cycle may be a very active and exciting one. Time will tell! (c) Tomas Hood, NW7US. Contributing editor: CQ Magazine, CQ VHF, Popular Communications (Hood, swl at qth.net via DXLD) Re New Sunspot Cycle 24: The Sun Awakens [later:] A point of clarification: While these three sunspots "are cycle 23 spots based on their polarities", never-the-less, my bulletin does not state that these sunspots are actually cycle 24 spots. Rather, I am pointing to the new level of activity as a possible "waking up" of the sun after a long period of quiet. And, that this could signal the gradual increase of solar activity expected of a newly starting cycle. Experts are not yet totally agreeing on the statistical end of cycle 23 - but are speculating that February 2008 was the statistical end. Whether or not these sunspots are oriented correctly to belong to a new cycle is not, in my opinion, as "important" to a radio operator as is the actual 10.7-cm flux levels, and the occurrence of space weather (flares, sunspots, and so forth). No one knows, yet, the certain end and start points. We'll know when we can look back at the data. Anyhow - some people are purists. I'm being nudged in my discussions about the orientation of these spots. They are not reversed. So, they must not be cycle 24's. However, that was not my point, and I still hold that, in terms of the statistical end point (probably in Feb 2008), this new level is part of the sun's waking moments. Take a look at the forecasted Flux levels for the next few days. 95!!! That's great for a radio operator on HF. Regardless of the orientation of the sunspots. And yes, we probably will see some very quiet points again. I'll venture, though, that they will be shorter and shorter as we move farther into 2008 (NW7US, Tomas Hood, March 26, HCDX via DXLD) About the New Sunspots: My point of view. Sure, they are most welcome!!! And YES, they are too close to the solar equator to ¨belong¨ to cycle 24, and I think that one must remember that NOT ALL sunspots of a cycle have the same magnetic polarity, and also that new cycle spots typically appear at higher solar latitudes. But let´s leave those subtle details to the helioscientists, as the gurus that study our nearest star like to be called, and proceed like good radio enthusiasts to start tuning all of our HF equipment, remove the poor contacts from the higher frequency antennas and start talking on at least 17 and 15 meters more often, although the nice combination of spring equinox and solar flux of more than 90 units may certainly bring up nice openings on the little used 12 meters band and the much more popular 10 meters, 1.7 megaHertz wide ITU assignment to the amateur radio service and the satellite amateur radio service. Just forget about the polarity of the three sunspot active regions and move away from the debate regarding if they belong to one cycle or the other, and look for CO2KK on 10 meters, amigos !!! (Arnie Coro, March 26, ODXA yg via DXLD) ###