DX LISTENING DIGEST 8-126, December 7, 2008
Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING
edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com
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NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1437
Mon 2300 WBCQ 7415 [confirmed December 1]
Tue 1200 WRMI 9955
Tue 1630 WRMI 9955
Wed 0630 WRMI 9955 [or new 1438]
Wed 1230 WRMI 9955 [or new 1438]
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. 936 kHz, R. Zabol, Zabol Province, heard at 1220 on 06
Dec with interview. Fair to good signal, supposedly 10 kW. About 350-
360 km to the southwest of me. Thanks to Mauno Ritola for the tip and
prompting! Best 73 de (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio G303e,
200m Longwire/Randomwire, Palstar MW-550P Mediumwave Preselector, HCDX
via DXLD)
** AFGHANISTAN. 6700, R Solh, Bagram (presumed), 26.11 2135,
vernacular, traditional and modern Afghan music; O=3 (Michael
Schnitzer, DX Camp, 45 km northeast of Nuremberg, Germany, Antennas:
seven Beverages, 200-500m length; Receivers: 2 ICOM R-75, ICOM R-70,
NRD-525, NRD-535, SDR, Perseus, HCDX via DXLD)
** AFGHANISTAN [non]. 5925, 0235-0358* CLANDESTINE, 01.12, R. Sohl,
via Dhabbaya. Pashto and Dari talks, Afghan songs, 0316 "Strangers in
the Night", ex 5995, 35333; not yet faded in on // 11675 (Anker
Petersen, Denmark, AOR AR7030 with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario
Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) When was it ever on 5995? (gh, DXLD)
** ALGERIA [non]. 5865, ALGERIA, R. Algerienne, heard at 2240 on 5 Dec
in Arabic with readings from the Kor`an, quite nice koranic singing by
a choir (in harmony!) up until 2300 s/off with a long station ID and
frequencies/times by YL over an instrumental music bed. Fair to good
sigs with no QRM (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio G303e, 200m
Longwire/Randomwire, HCDX via DXLD) via FRANCE; no SW direct de
ALGERIA (gh)
7455, Arabic talk at 2150 Dec 6, 2155 into Qur`an; figured it was RTA
via Issoudun, FRANCE, quickly confirmed by // weaker 5865 just as
scheduled. But 7455 closed abruptly at 2200* while 5865 continued,
contrary to sked via DX Mix News claiming that 7455 finishes at 2157.
Just as well, as RTTY QRM was building on 7455 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** ANDORRA. One of the most amusing examples of programmes being
played at the transmitter site was the old World Music Radio via Radio
Andorra. We used to send the programmes on C-60, so it had to be
turned over half way through. The programme was played at the
shortwave site, often by M. Marquet, the boss of Radio Andorra,
himself. One day when I lived in Denmark, I got a phone call from the
Manager of AWR Europe who was at the transmitter site with M. Marquet,
and they were trying to zero-beat the transmitter onto something that
was causing a heterdodyne. AWR's regular programmes were going out at
the time.
Unfortunately, I did not have a phone in my apartment, and had to use
the one downstairs in my landlord's front room, which was too noisy.
So I told them to call back in half an hour and went to the WRTH
office where I could sit by the phone with a shortwave radio. I was
telling the guy from AWR "up a bit, down a bit...." which he passed on
to M. Marquet, until the transmission was as zero beat as we could
manage. They thanked me for my assistance, and I went back to my
apartment - turned on the radio - and the heterdodyne was back! One of
the transmitters, either Radio Andorra's or the other one, was clearly
drifting. I never did find out what was causing the heterodyne. I
think that was probably the most bizarre evening I have ever had.
High-tech it was not :-) (Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36, RN [Arcángel] San Gabriel, 2046, 12/1/08
[Monday]. At 2046 tune-in pop ballad occasionally poking through
noise. Flute music heard at 2053. YL made Spanish announcements at
2054 to 2056. More flute music, followed by another ballad. Signal
best in USB. Sign-off announcements by YL started 2059:45 to 2100:35
audio out. Transmitter off at 2101. Signal reached fair on peaks by
2100. Always an exciting reception here (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines,
IA, Dec 7, AOR AR7030 Plus, Wellbrook ALA-100 Loop, Cumbre DX via
DXLD)
** ARGENTINA. 5945v, RNA. December 5, Spanish, 0832-0843 news program
"en la cámara, medidas económicas anti-crisis", weather report (temp.
13 oC), sports. Distorted, sounded better mainly on 5945 but moved
till around 5950, 43433. 73 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil -
Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ARGENTINA. Re 8-122: ``So is LOL [10000 kHz] still being heard
during certain hours? Have not seen it reported for a long time. And
is the Brazilian on 24 hours? We are still waiting to find out its
callsign, which is not announced (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)``
Glenn, I have heard LOL when in Buenos Aires back in August 2008.
Their schedule is only 14-15 UT now, which is also on their website
along with a description of the signal format.
http://www.hidro.gov.ar/Observatorio/QueHoraUtiliza.asp
Their signal originates directly from the premises of the Observatorio
Naval at 34 37 19 S, 58 21 18 W (went there with the radio and heard
the last 15 minutes just in front of their gate, and there the
strength of the signal and the appearance of the harmonic at 20 MHz
made it quite clear). Not a strong signal at other locations. Cheers,
(Eike Bierwirth, CO, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ASIA [non]. RADIO FREE ASIA: 26TH QSL CARD COMMEMORATING THE
HOLIDAY SEASON --- Radio Free Asia (“RFA”) is happy to announce its
26th QSL card commemorating the holiday season. RFA recently announced
its new QSL card which promotes world peace. The design is from one of
the many holiday cards RFA has used in the past. Besides the dove as
the card’s center piece, there are eight different renditions of the
word ‘peace’ on the right margin. The eight versions represent each of
our broadcast languages: Burmese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese),
Khmer, Korean, Lao, Tibetan, Uyghur and Vietnamese.
The card will be used to confirm all valid reception reports for
December 1, 2008 – January 31, 2009. RFA encourages listeners to
submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as
they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our
transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing
a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report
submissions at http://www.techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS
link) not only from DX’ers, but also from its general listening
audience. Reception reports are also accepted by emails to qsl @
rfa.org and for anyone without Internet access, reception reports can
be mailed to: Reception Reports, Radio Free Asia, 2025 M. Street NW,
Suite 300, Washington DC 20036, United States of America. Upon
request, RFA will also send a copy of the current broadcast schedule
and a station sticker (From A J Janitschek via Rich D`Angelo, NASWA yg
via DXLD)
** AUSTRALIA. 4835, VL8A Alice Springs, 25.11., 2130, news, ID; O=3-4
4835, VL8A Alice Springs, 30.11., 0735, talk, pop music, reception via
long path (!); O=2 // 4910 (Michael Schnitzer, DX Camp, 45 km north
east of Nuremberg, Germany, Antennas: seven Beverages, 200-500m
length; Receivers: 2 ICOM R-75, ICOM R-70, NRD-525, NRD-535, SDR,
Perseus, HCDX via DXLD)
** AUSTRALIA [and non]. 6230-SSB, VMW, announcing its schedule at
1355-1357* Dec 5, but under stronger SSB net involving various cap`ns,
which I at first assumed was WHX672 Brownsville, but that`s on 6224,
so some other US coastal station blocking it on 6230 (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** AUSTRIA. ORF weekend English programming is not appearing as
scheduled to Europe 1300-1358 on 6155 and 13730, frequencies carry
German; it's been like this for several weeks. In the December BDXC-UK
Communication, Darren Rozier reported that he had advised them of this
and they replied that his observations had been forwarded to their
technicians. But still no English weekend programming to Europe
November 29 and 30 (Mike Barraclough, England, Dec World DX Club
Contact via DXLD)
** AUSTRIA [and non]. ORF domestic service relay, 6155, Dec 5 with
all-too-brief English news segment, and not much about Austria itself,
0709-0712, then into French. This M-F morning news update may be all
that`s left of English from Austria on SW after Dec 31, and maybe it
will be gone too. It`s conveniently scheduled just after an equally
brief English newscast from Croatia at 0700-0704 on 6165, which
concludes by listing all their other English times, unlike Austria
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** AUSTRIA. ORF Radio 1476 will close down at yearend --- Harald Süss
of the ADXB-OE listeners club has been told by ORS (the Austrian
transmitter operator, outsourced by ORF a few years ago) that ORF's
Radio 1476 on mediumwave will be closed down at yearend. Radio Afrika
International already confirmed that hereby their terrestrial radio
service will end. A remarkable case are ORF's broadcasts in Czech,
Slovak, Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian and Romanes: here the options
are to either continue online or phase them out altogether.
ORS plans to remove the former 585 kHz mast at the Bisamberg MW site
in the next year because it would have to be reconstructed and is no
longer needed. This does not affect the availability of 1476 kHz, ORS
emphasizes that it could still be used by another broadcaster.
Concerning ORF's shortwave service ORS said that it is planned to keep
five hours a days in the long term. Here it remains unclear if this
information is still valid after the recent escalation. Something else
could just be heard from somebody at ORF, but these remarks were off
the record and the person did not bother to enquire for such an
irrelevant detail.
Anyway the airtime at Moosbrunn no longer used by ORF will be offered
to other customers; ORS does not intend to close the site (Kai Ludwig,
Germany, Dec 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BULGARIA!
** AZERBAIJAN. 1296, Azerbaijan TV & R. Broadcasting, heard at 0023 on
06 Dec with Azeri programming of talk show. Nice clear sigs, but
squashed completely when local R. Free Afghanistan sign-on early at
0027 with VoA English programming. This transmitter went up/down
several times before they finally got the feed right and sigh-on with
R. Free Afghanistan at 0030. Hopefully I got enough details for a QSL,
but there's always tomorrow. Azerbaijan is listed at 125 kW; in
Russian after 0030. Best 73 de (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio
G303e, 200m Longwire/Randomwire, Palstar MW-550P Mediumwave
Preselector, HCDX via DXLD)
** BANGLADESH. 7250, Bangladesh Betar, 1228 IS or subcontinental
music, 1230 time pips with the last the highest. OM in English brief
news, 1232 music bridge back to om.1236 YL with news items "...in the
performance of the authorities... thirty one thousand ...", 1242 clear
"...Bangladesh Betar..." ID by OM with percussion music emphasis. OM
talk to fadeout 1255. 7 December. Note: Drake R8 returned from Drake
after tune up and repair held in AM Synchro with 4.0 kHz filter well.
Using the Russ Scotka-built noise reducing antenna. 73s (Bob Wilkner,
Pompano Beach, Florida, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD)
** BELGIUM [non]. RUSIA, 5960, Radio Vlaaderen Int., St. Peterburg-
Popovka, 1809-1813, escuchada el 6 de diciembre a locutora con
invitada en conversación, emisión musical, SINPO 44554 (José Miguel
Romero, Burjasot (Valencia). España, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BHUTAN. Bhutan Broadcasting Service being heard regularly here on
6035 fading in around 1345, weak but audible; English service starts
1400, signal fades up but still quite weak to 1430 when Polish Radio
signs on in Belarussian. Prior to that usually a pop music and phone
in programme with a lady announcer (Mike Barraclough, England, Dec
World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
Bhutan B.S., 6035, E-QSL in 1 day for an old report sent to sherubt @
bbs.com.bt v/s Sherub Tharchen (Artur Fernández Llorella, Dec 4,
Catalonia, Spain, HCDX via DXLD)
** BOLIVIA. 4699.3, R San Miguel, Riberalta, 25.11., 2205, ad, ID:
"Radio San Miguel desde la provincia de Pando"; O=3 (Michael
Schnitzer, DX Camp, 45 km northeast of Nuremberg, Germany, Antennas:
seven Beverages, 200-500m length; Receivers: 2 ICOM R-75, ICOM R-70,
NRD-525, NRD-535, SDR, Perseus, HCDX via DXLD)
** BOLIVIA. Logged in southeast Florida 2300 to 2345 0n 3 December:
3309.98, R Mosoj Chaski, Cochabamba
3390.11, Emisoras Camargo Camargo
4409.86, Radio Eco, Reyes
4451.143, Radio Santa Ana, S. Ana de Yacuma
4781.35, Radio Tacana, Tumupasa Iturralde
5580.2, Radio San José. San José de Chiquitos
5952.43, Radio Pío XII Siglo XX
73s (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BOLIVIA. 6134.8, Radio Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz), 2315-2340,
12/2/2008, Spanish. Talk by man and woman with local pop music. Clear
identification by man at 2330 followed by more talk, music, and IDs.
Initially mixing with Portuguese station, no doubt R. Aparecida [see
BRAZIL]. Signal improved after 2330. SINPO 33333 (Jim Evans,
Germantown, TN, TenTec RX-340, Drake R8B, RF Space SDR-14, Random
Wires (90' and 200'), Eavesdropper Dipole, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BOLIVIA. 6155.28, Radio Fides, La Paz, 1040-1100, Dec 5, Spanish
talk. Short breaks of Bolivian music. Presumed. No ID heard. Weak but
readable. Lost in noise by 1100 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. 4885, ZYG362, Rádio Clube do Pará; 0629, 3-Dec; M in
Portuguese with extensive ID into lite vocal. SIO=3+53.
4915, ZYF360, Rdf Macapá; 0631-0636+, 3-Dec; Peppy vocals with ID
between. SIO=33-3-, swiper QRM.
5035, ZYG853, Rádio Aparecida; 2225-2229+, 3-Dec; EZL vocals; M
mentioned R. Nacional, then W with RP [?] ID; All in Portuguese.
SIO=332, QRM is 5025 Rebelde (presumably) in Spanish; not much there
less than a half hour before. [see 11855 below]
6000, ZYE852, Rádio Guaíba (presumed); 0015-0031+, 1-Dec; Sports with
futebol highlights (way too many gooooooooooals for a game call) with
many mentions of Brasil. SIO=2+32 with weak co-channel audio; Cuba
obviously not on.
6039.6, ZYE725, Rádio Clube Paranense (tentative); 0008-0012+, 1-Dec;
M&W alternating in Portuguese; tentative ID at 0011. Tough copy due to
CRI (presumed) in Chinese via Canada on 6040; need LSB. (Harold
Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed
RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. R. Senado, 5990, QSL finally arrived from v/s Alexandre
Campos. Address on the envelope: Rádio Senado Ondas Curtas, Praça dos
Três Poderes s/n, Brasília DF 70165-900. Report sent to radio @
senado.gov.br (Artur Fernández Llorella, Dec 4, Catalonia, Spain, HCDX
via DXLD)
** BRAZIL [and non]. 11855, Dec 3 at 2207, WYFR Spanish with co-
channel QRM which I could make out was in Portuguese, and close enough
to the same frequency to make a SAH, unlike most Brazilians. Must be
Rádio Aparecida, Catholix vs Protestants! Aparecida is listed as only
1 kW, and Aoki says azimuth is 30 degrees, i.e. up the coast from São
Paulo. I often hear QRM to WYFR here, so it speaks well for how well
Aparecida gets out; if only they had a clear frequency.
The big guns just ignore it, as besides WYFR there are transmissions
at various times on 11855 from VOA/Thailand, BBC/Ascension,
CRI/Albania, and BSKSA/Saudi Arabia. This WYFR transmission in
question is at 222 degrees for CIRAF 11, Central America and
Caribbean, so they can pretend it`s not going into South America, or
North America, but it still dominates the frequency here (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. Dec 6 at 0658, weak and very distorted Brazilian on
approximately 11960, seemed to be preacher until 0701, then
tentatively heard Globo mentioned and into music. No detectable
carrier. This is probably R. Globo, Rio, which has been reported for
months by Brazilian DXers way off nominal frequency 11805 with such
distorted spurious emissions. Brazilians on 11780, 11815, 11925 were
also audible, but Globo`s nominal frequency has been hijacked by CVC
Chile at 0000-0800, so one can hardly blame Globo for moving
elsewhere, except this is presumably unintentional. Previous reports
have found it way above 12000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
São 0233 UT de 07/12 e sintonizo um forte sinal espúrio da Rádio Globo
do Rio transmitindo um programa da IPDA em 11960 com S=4. Esse sinal
já foi sintonizado pelo Glenn Hauser nos USA. Coisa que degrime ainda
mais a nossa imagem lá fora, mas a ANATEL está mesmo é preocupada com
a implantação do PLC, para dá o golpe final e de misericordia nas
ondas curtas. 73, (Jorge Freitas, SWL1023B, Feira de Santana Bahia,
12º 15' 1.57" S 38º 58' 40.30" W, dxclubepr yg via DXLD) IPDA =
Pentecostal Church God Is Love
** BULGARIA [and non]. ORS BOUGHT BULGARIAN SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION
BUSINESS UNIT FROM BULGARIAN TELECOM Saturday, December 6, 2008 5:13
BULGARIA/AUSTRIA --- Bulgarian Telecom sold the Bulgarian Broadcast
transmitter net [signal distribution] to Austrian ORS organization
(former ORF transmitter unit. ORS - Oesterreichische Rundfunksender
GmbH, the signal distribution business of the Austrian broadcasting
corporation).
Apart from distributing the TV and radio signals for state and private
stations in Austria [and now Bulgaria too], ORS also operates its own
satellite uplink facilities and applied to operate the first multiplex
for digital terrestrial television in Austria.
ORS kauft Bulgariens Sendernetz. Die Sendertochter von ORF und
Raiffeisen erhielt Mittwoch den Zuschlag fuer die kompletten
Rundfunksender des Balkanstaates - Kostenpunkt laut Aufsichtsrat des
ORF: 80 Millionen Euro. (fid/DER STANDARD via
Herbert Meixner-AUT, Dec 4)
BTC: http://www.btc.bg/en/business/about_us/company_information/
(Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
BULGARIAN NEWSPAPER SAYS SALE OF TRANSMITTERS TO ORF IS ’SCANDALOUS’
The Bulgarian newspaper Standart says the formerly state-owned
Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) has sold its transmitter
network to the Austrian ORF for ‘peanut money’ and calls it a
’scandalous deal’. It says the Radio and Television Systems National
Directorate (RTSND) is the only broadcaster of radio and TV signals in
Bulgaria, and claims the deal has caused concern not only in media
circles but nationwide as RTSND also provides services to the army and
NATO. Read the report
http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2008-12-05&article=26006
Related story:
ORF subsidiary buys Bulgarian transmitter network
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/orf-subsidiary-buys-bulgarian-transmitter-network
1 comment so far 1 John December 6th, 2008 - 11:23 UTC
If it has been sold cheap, then that indicates a large amount of
investment is needed. But then BBC Transmission was sold for £250
million to a bunch of Texans who sold it a few years ago for well over
a Billion pounds (December 6th, 2008 - 11:15 UTC by Andy Sennitt,
Media Network blog via DXLD)
ORS has issued a press release about this purchase:
http://www.ors.at/view08/ors.php?mid=131
(Kai Ludwig December 7th, 2008 - 13:20 UTC, ibid.)
** CANADA [and non]. 7335, at 2152 Dec 6, station in Russian under
CHU, 2154 ID in passing as R. Svoboda (Note: NOT ``Sloboda`` as some
would have it!), i.e. R. Liberty. This is 250 kW, 30 degrees from
Thailand to eastern Russia at 21-22 only. Yet more incentive for CHU
to hurry up and QSY to 7850 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. 6070, CFRX, Toronto ON; 1703, 3-Dec; No hint of them and
nothing heard for a few weeks. Did get a very weak het on 6070 and a
stronger one on 6073.4 (no audio). They'd be booming in here if on. I
think they're kaput again (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B +
210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. Re 8-125: Glenn: Very interesting account in the last DXLD
regarding the two Ted Rogers, Sr and Jr, in response to the recent
death of Ted Rogers Jr.
Want to correct that statement that CHFI-FM 98.1 Toronto was the first
FM radio station in Canada - this so-called fact has been repeated
forever here in Canada, was even included in the article on the death
of Rogers Jr. on the CBC website. I remember in the 70's, when I lived
in the Toronto area, CFHI promoting itself as Canada's first FM
station.
In fact they were hardly the first FM station in Canada when they came
on the air in 1957 (the station was brought by Ted Rogers Jr. in
1960). In fact they were the fourth FM station in Toronto alone - CBL-
FM, CJRT and CFRB-FM (now CKFM) all started in the 1946-1949
timeframe, and by 1957 there were many FM stations operating across
Canada (three in Edmonton AB for example). Several were owned by the
CBC.
CHFI-FM as the first Canadian FM station is just shameless self
promotion by the Rogers company along the lines of the stories spread
by Westinghouse for decades claiming that their station KDKA
Pittsburgh was the first broadcasting station in the world. 73, (Deane
McIntyre VE6BPO, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA [and non]. Radio Canada International broadcast from 1800 to
1900 UT at 11805 kHz --- Received a Radio Canada International
transmission in English from 1800-1900 UT at 11805 kHz on Dec 4, 2008.
This particular broadcast frequency is not currently listed on the
Aoki, EiBi, Prime Time Shortwave, BCLNEWS.IT, or HFCC Public Data
websites. It is also not currently listed on RCI's website. The 11805
kHz RCI broadcast was the same as the listed 13650, 15365, and 17790
kHz RCI broadcasts which were simultaneously transmitted from 1800 to
1900 UT and targeted to Sub-Saharan Africa. It was interesting to note
that immediately following the RCI broadcast, 11805 is used from 1900
to 2000 by Radio Netherlands for an English language broadcast to
Africa (Bill Hodges, Atlanta, GA; Kenwood R-2000, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
And was RCI English via SMG on 11875 kHz too, tonight? 1800-1859 UTC 7
DAYS SMG 11875 250kW 210degr HR 2/3/0.5 to zones 38,47,48. Maybe
punching error 11805 instead of 11875? (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.)
Wolfgang, I attempted to pick up 11875 kHz (and 7185 kHz) tonight from
1800 to 1900, but no signal was received here. I will attempt to
monitor the situation again tomorrow to see if it repeats. Your
suggestion of a punching error appears to be the likely cause. Thanks
for your feedback! (Bill Hodges, Dec 4, ibid.)
No signal on 11875? If so this should be Santa Maria di Galeria (i.e.
the Radio Vatican transmitters near Rome), either moved from this
scheduled frequency or just running the transmitter on 11805 by
mistake (Kai Ludwig, ibid.)
Here is the latest on RCI's 1800-1900 UT English language broadcast
at 11805 as of Dec 5, 2008. This unlisted transmission continued
today (Dec. 5, 2008) with an interesting twist. From 1800 to 1811,
11805, 13650, 15365, and 17790, RCI simultaneously transmitted
(without a sign-on announcement or other introduction) three popular
songs by Shania Twain, Sarah McLachlan, and Alanis Morissette. Then
abruptly at 1811 deadair, followed at 1812 until 1859 with
conventional RCI programming. Incidentally, 11875 (via SMG) was
transmitting conventional RCI programming from 1800 to 1812. When I
monitored 11875 kHz from 1826 to 1859, I picked up no signal. Perhaps
RCI is planning to replace 11875 with 11805 kHz. Stay tuned! (Bill
Hodges, Atlanta, GA; Kenwood R-2000)
This observation indicates that 11805 is a fourth Sackville
transmitter, on air besides 13650, 15365 and 17790.
Interesting that Sackville lost the program feed but 11875 (i.e. Radio
Vatican) did not. Can Sackville play out this music fill locally
although they are otherwise not supposed to do anything else than
putting a certain feed circuit from Montreal on air, no matter what
audio comes in? Perhaps this even happens automatically by way of
silence detection? If so it must have been a problem with the STL. If
not it must have been some switching error at Montreal.
I checked all four frequencies after 1830: Just nothing, about four
hours after sunset here in Germany (Kai Ludwig, ibid.)
Checked RCI at 1845-1857 UT in southern Germany: Nothing on 11875SMG-
Vatican due of dead zone nearby; and Sackville 15365 + 17790 kHz too.
11805 kHz RCI English S=6-7 also ID; at 1855 UT VTC Meyerton CELLO
pause signal ahead of RCI. 13650 kHz RCI English S=6. 73 (Wolfgang
Büschel, Dec 6, ibid.)
Bill, I remember that music fill was used at Sackville if there was a
problem with the incoming feed. Last time I heard this was in 2006
during Radio Prague's morning relays from Sackville. It suddenly came
on about ten minutes into the broadcast after a few seconds of
silence. The music went on for ten minutes (same tracks too) before
the hourtop news bulletin was played with only minutes to spare! I
didn't stick around for what happened after tho.
And there is more than just the three songs you mentioned in that
fill. Another instance featured a whole hour of music, all by Canadian
artists btw, when a snafu happened with ORF's feed (Jon Pukila,
Thunder Bay, Ont., ibid.)
Sackville has the facility to play out CD's direct from the
transmitter site. When we ran those extra RNW broadcasts to North
America 7 years ago, the BBC refused to allow Merlin (now VT) to play
the RNW stream through the Bush House control room, and Jonathan Marks
produced a special CD which was sent to Sackville and played for
several days until we could get a satellite feed in place (Andy
Sennitt, Netherlands, ibid.)
Aaah, so *this* was the reason for "All Jonathan, all the time"...
I seem to recall that somebody from the BBC, perhaps even an official
spokesperson, commented on these transmissions, dismissing them as "a
mere PR stunt". And somehow the whole thing appears to be a memory
from a distant past, although just seven years have passed by since.
So you got to know for sure that the CD has been played out at
Sackville itself and not at Montreal? I think it has been said that
anything for transmission via Sackville is routed via Montreal (just
as VTC does, now no longer at Bush House), and observations like RCI
IS/ID audio before and after transmissions for foreign customers
appear to support this claim. Perhaps an insider can shed some light
on this?
This also reminds me of what would have happened if Nauen (and
presumably it was no different for Wertachtal) would have lost the DW
feed completely, in particular due to a big failure at DW: They were
provided with a CD that contained an announcement like "we're sorry
but our programmes are not on air at present" in various languages,
with the IS in between, and this CD would have been played until the
DW signal resumed (no transmitter would have been taken off air in
such a situation). Unfortunately it was not possible to get a copy of
it (Kai Ludwig, ibid.)
Yes, in this case the CD was played at Sackville, not in Montreal. I
remember that our Programm Distribution Department had direct contact
with colleagues at Sackville. Remember this was a last-minute idea,
conceived and executed within 5 days. It was indeed a PR "stunt",
though we thought it was a good one. It produced an enormous volume of
mail and publicity, but that was seven years ago and, as you say, it's
like a memory from a distant past.
We were told that when the BBC management found out about these
broadcasts they were "incandescent with rage" which is why they
prohibited our programme feed from going via Bush House. Happy Days
:-) I cannot comment on normal procedures at RCI as I don't work for
them (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) More under ANDORRA
I was unable to monitor the RCI 1800-1900 UT transmissions today
(Dec. 6) since this was my day to assist relatives. However I do plan
to monitor the transmissions tomorrow (Dec. 7) and will report back
then. Typically the 11805, 13650, 15365, and 17790 kHz transmissions
via SAC are quite strong here at that time, while the 11875 kHz
transmission via SMG is audible but typically weak. Thanks for the
signal reports Wolfgang! Thanks for the CD music fill background info
Jon, Kai, and Andy! Best regards, (Bill Hodges, Atlanta, GA, ibid.)
Checked 11805 at 1815 Dec 7, yes, RCI // 13650, certainly typical
reception of Sackville. I think I had noticed 11805 quite some time
ago but assumed it was already on the schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
Monitoring RCI's 1800-1900 UT English language broadcasts today (Dec.
7) revealed the 11805, 13650, 15365, and 17790 kHz transmissions via
SAC were all quite strong; the 11875 transmission via SMG was weak
(very noisy and fading near the end of the broadcast). Conventional
RCI programming was monitored on all 5 frequencies, which included
news from 1800 to 1803, the Maple Leaf Mailbag from 1803 to 1858, ID &
signoff at 1859. Note it is assumed that 11805 kHz is via SAC, since
it appears to have the characteristics of the other 3 SAC 1800-1900 UT
transmissions. I did not perform any directional experiments with the
11805 kHz transmission. My antenna orientation was fixed throughout
this monitoring (Bill Hodges, Atlanta, GA, ibid.)
** CANADA. Various applications to the CRTC that are of a more minor
or housekeeping nature are handled behind the scenes, with the
decisions being made public in bulk every three months.
Today was such a day:
AM related decisions:
B-4 Application by CKPC-1380 Brantford ON to change pattern approved-
will eliminate null to the east, which was made possible by the move
of CKLC-1380 Kingston ON to FM. Thus will now to able to serve
Hamilton with a good signal. Remains 25 kW-U
B-9 Application of CHVO-560 Carbonear NL (Spaniard's Bay NL in
Industry Canada database) which moved to FM to continue to simulcast
on AM - approved with new deadline to discontinue simulcast Oct 7,
2008
B-11 Application of CKST-1040 Vancouver BC to move transmitter site
about a half mile south of its present location (to colocate with
CFUN-1410) - approved. No change to pattern or power (50 kW-U) 73,
(Deane McIntyre VE6BPO, Dec 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. Application of CKKY-830 Wainwright AB to move to FM DENIED
by CRTC
The application of CKKY-830 Wainwright AB to move to FM has been
DENIED by the CRTC as the owner, Newcap, owns two FM stations in
Lloydminster AB. As the FM transmitter for CKKY would be located
between Wainwright and Lloydminster it would provide a good signal
into the Lloydminster market, giving, according to the CRTC, three
Newcap owned FM signals in that market which is not allowed by the
CRTC regulations.
This will also mean that 50 kW CFCW-790 Camrose AB will not be able
to move to 840 as Camrose and Wainwright are too close to permit
the use of adjacent frequencies.
CKKY Wainwright – Conversion to FM band
The Commission denies the application by 3937844 Canada Inc., a
subsidiary of Newcap Inc., for a broadcasting licence to operate a new
FM radio station in Wainwright, Alberta, to replace its AM station
CKKY.
Introduction
1. The Commission received an application by 3937844 Canada Inc.
(3937844 Canada), a subsidiary of Newcap Inc. (Newcap), for a
broadcasting licence to operate a new English-language FM radio
programming undertaking in Wainwright, Alberta, to replace its AM
station CKKY. The new radio station would operate on frequency 101.9
MHz (channel 270C1) with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts.
14. The Commission notes that the coverage area of the proposed FM
station would extend the station’s signal into the Lloydminster radio
market and considers that this could potentially make it a competitor
for listeners and advertisers in that market. Given that the reasoning
behind Newcap’s proposal was to provide a high quality FM stereo
service to Wainwright and the surrounding areas, the Commission is of
the view that an FM station designed to replace CKKY should have a
coverage area that more closely replicates that of the AM station’s
existing coverage and as such continues to provide service to the same
localities and the same population size.
Conclusion
15. Since approval of the present application would be inconsistent
with the Commission’s Common Ownership Policy; since the applicant has
not provided justification for an exemption to that policy; and given
that the proposed FM radio station for Wainwright could potentially
compete for listeners and advertisers in the Lloydminster radio
market, the Commission denies the application by 3937844 Canada Inc.,
a subsidiary of Newcap Inc., for a broadcasting licence to operate a
new English-language FM radio programming undertaking in Wainwright,
Alberta, to replace its AM station CKKY.
73, (Deane McIntyre VE6BPO, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Interesting. This nixes the whole plan it seems now. I wonder if
Athabasca 850 will even bother moving from 850 to FM now? Could CFCW
move to 850 rather than 840? But the CFCW pattern would then have to
protect KOA. 860 SK may be an issue then. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR,
ibid.)
It might be too early to regard the whole plan as over. Note that the
decision suggests an FM conversion would be approved if a different
set of FM parameters (that didn't cover Lloydminster) were requested.
So if CKKY's business plan doesn't require serving Lloydminster, they
might refile the FM plan at lower power or from a different site and
be likely to be approved. It's been a LONG time since I was in
Lloydminster, don't recall whether CKKY's AM signal is "non-DXer
quality" there.
I don't think CFCW would get bent out of shape if they had to protect
KOA and the Saskatoon station. I think they're only interested their
signal to the north -- over Edmonton. -- (Doug Smith W9WI. Pleasant
View, TN EM66, NRC-AM via DXLD)
Doug, Thanks for clarifying. Wainwright to Lloydminster is only 50
miles. Then it looks like there may be another app making a few
changes and trying again. If by some chance, CFCW 790 did get the ok
to move to 850, it would be one "Very" tight pattern as KOA in U1. But
CFCW may end up getting 840 in time. 73 (Patrick Martin, OR, IRCA via
DXLD)
You may wonder why MW threads like this come from a variety of
different lists, yet hold together. Cross-posting. I just copy each
reply I come to first in ploughing thru the mail (gh, DXLD)
** CHINA. 4950, 1535-1600* 03.12, Voice of Pujiang, Shanghai. Chinese
announcement, songs, closed with time signal 23222 QRM R Kashmir +
CWQRM // 3280 (15121) and 5075 (13221 utility QRM) (Anker Petersen,
Denmark, AOR AR7030 with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini,
playdx yg via DXLD)
4950, V. of Pujiang, Shanghai, not often audible here, but when it
was, Dec 5 at 1424 in Chinese talk and music, I found it to be
overmodulated and distorted (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [and non]. 5030, definite Chinese at 2146 Dec 6, in the
sidebands of Cuba 5025. Commies vs Commies at an unusual time for
reception from Beijing on 60m, and not heard after 2200 altho that`s
still only 6 am in China. BTW, at 2146, Mauritania was also audible on
4845 with ute QRM, so that made three separate continents at once on
60m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 3303 USB, Zhoushan Maritime Meteorological Radio, *1400-
1412*, Dec 5, IS (Kenny G instrumental music - "Forever in Love"),
woman in Chinese with assume the maritime weather conditions,
poor/QRN. After hearing them on Sept 29 and 30, I never heard them
again until today. Their current website is ,
where I find no schedule or reference to SW. The reference at
(their former website) is: SSB to
receive high-powered radio (frequency 3303). Audio clip posted
at "Station Sounds".
4830, China Huayi BC, 1551-1600*, Dec 4, in Chinese with call-in
program (answered calls with traditional greeting: "Ni Hao"
[pronounced: Nee HaOW]), 5+1 pips, man started talking and quickly
signed off, fair, heard every day with decent signal, on from *1200.
9530, Firedrake, 1516, Dec 4, strong signal, // 6105 and 9000 (Ron
Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 4330, presumed Xinjiang PBS, Urumqi, 0103-0133, Dec 6,
listed Kazakh. M & W in Russian-sounding language, between musical
selections; weak but in the clear.
4500, presumed Xinjiang PBS, Urumqi, 0134-0202 Dec 6, listed
Mongolian. M & W with talk & listener phone-calls between musical
selections; sounded like a music request program; presumed ID at 0200;
right back to music; poor-fair (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 7220, CRI Xi'an, in Vietnamese, 2305-2315, 6 Dec. Woman
announcer with news or commentary. Lots of mentions of China (chung
kuo) and Viet Nam. Similar music breaks as other CRI/CNR programs.
Choppy fade, but very strong. 12/6.
7290, CNR1 Beijing, in Chinese, 2301-2305, 6 Dec. Fast-paced news by
man and woman announcers. Quite strong, choppy fade. Program and site
per Aoki list which was the only place I could find a matching
listing, but the ID heard sounded different than usual. It sounded
like "Zhongguo hongshu..." rather than normal "Zhongguo guangbo
diantai, zhongguo zhi sheng."
7470, CNR1, site unknown, in CH, 2233-2238, 6 Dec. Man and woman in
Chinese talk, definite ID "Zhongguo guangbo diantai...", but this
frequency not listed for them. It is listed for RFA at this time, whom
I suspect they are trying to jam with this program (Paul Brouillette,
Geneva, IL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CONGO DR. Radio Kahuzi heard in French on 6210 from 1905 tune in
November 14, political talk with several mentions of President Bush
and Barack Obama and fewer references to Congo and Kinshasa. After a
time check there was a discussion, clear identification at 1935, SINPO
22332 with splash from 6205 (Arthur Miller, Wales, Dec World DX Club
Contact via DXLD)
** CONGO DR. 5066.3, COD, RT Candip, 28.11, 1638, French/vernacular,
ID, Afro pop, closing down, 1638 s/off; O=3 (Michael Schnitzer, DX
Camp, 45 km northeast of Nuremberg, Germany, Antennas: seven
Beverages, 200-500m length; Receivers: 2 ICOM R-75, ICOM R-70, NRD-
525, NRD-535, SDR, Perseus, HCDX via DXLD)
** CROATIA [non]. From Jan 1, V. of Croatia plans to broadcast via
Singapore at 0600-1000 on 17655, 100 kW, 135 degrees to Australia and
New Zealand. Perhaps this will replace the long-path relay via
Wertachtal, Germany on 11690 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Re 8-125, radios to Cuba: Glenn, I took shortwave radios to
Cuba several times, starting in 1996, when we first went to Santiago
de Cuba. We made several trips, and did not have an issue at various
Cuban airports (Santiago de Cuba, Varadero, Holguín, Habana).
Unfortunately, Cuban Customs was difficult when we arrived in Cayo
Largo. Cuban Customs x-rays luggage going into the country and coming
out. We were held up for about 20 minutes in Cayo Largo while I filled
in the paperwork on a six year old Grundig radio worth perhaps $200
new in 1997 and worth virtually nothing at the time. When we last went
to Varadero in 2007, we had no issues with cell phones despite
warnings to the contrary. It seems to depend on the mood of the local
bureaucracy. P.S. Cuba remains a popular destination for Canadians: I
like the factory outlet shopping. We keep our eyes open outside the
resort areas and see what is going on. All the best, (Michael Bolitho,
Canada, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. VIGENCIA DE RADIO MARTÍ --- JOSÉ DANIEL FERRER GARCÍA,
PRISIONERO DE CONCIENCIA
http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y08/dic08/04_N_6.html
PRISIÓN PROVINCIAL DE LAS TUNAS, Cuba, diciembre (www.cubanet.org) -
Según el tribunal que nos condenó a pasar décadas en prisión por
defender pacíficamente los derechos humanos y las libertades públicas
en nuestro país, uno de los delitos más graves que cometimos fue
hablar a través de Radio Martí.
Es harto conocido que en nuestra patria no hay libertad de expresión y
de prensa. Los medios de comunicación responden a los intereses del
régimen, que viola persistentemente los derechos civiles de los
ciudadanos.
La desinformación es el aliado principal del gobierno. De ahí su temor
a Radio y Televisión Martí. Por eso su empeño en interferir sus
transmisiones y las acciones represivas para que la población no los
sintonice.
Radio Martí, durante 23 años, ha dado voz a quienes no la tenemos en
nuestra tierra. Muchos cubanos supimos de la Declaración Universal de
Derechos Humanos por esta emisora, que transmite gracias a la
generosidad del pueblo norteamericano.
Esta estación ha sido escuela y tribuna de democracia. Por esta vía
conocí del valiente y altruista trabajo de la oposición pacífica y los
defensores de los derechos humanos. También supe de la patriótica
labor del Movimiento Cristiano Liberación y del Proyecto Varela; del
importante trabajo de los periodistas independientes, la autonomía
universitaria, los campesinos y las bibliotecas independientes. En
fin, de la naciente sociedad civil cubana.
Además, tuve noticias de nuestros entrañables hermanos que desde el
exilio trabajan por la transición pacífica hacia la democracia.
Hasta el día en que me encarcelaron, en marzo de 2003, fui un fiel
oyente de la programación de esta emisora, que cuenta con magníficos
profesionales de mucha estima en Cuba. Radio Martí es para nosotros lo
que fue Radio Europa Libre para los pueblos de Europa Oriental. Hoy
adquiere mayor relevancia cuando la libertad de expresión está más
amenazada que nunca en América Latina.
Mientras en nuestra patria no haya democracia, no tengamos un Estado
de Derecho y nuestro pueblo no disfrute de libertad de expresión y
prensa, y no se permita “pensar y hablar sin hipocresía”, como
escribiera el Apóstol, Radio Martí seguirá siendo imprescindible para
nosotros, y debe mantener abiertos sus micrófonos a quienes en
condiciones extremadamente difíciles, luchan por un futuro mejor para
todos los cubanos.
La información es tan necesaria como el alimento para quien muere
lentamente de hambre. Hablo a título personal, pero estoy seguro que
es la opinión de muchas personas.
José Daniel Ferrer García pertenece al Grupo de los 75, juzgado y
encarcelado durante la Primavera Negra de 2003. Es activista del
Movimiento Cristiano Liberación y gestor del Proyecto Varela. El texto
fue grabado y transcrito por el Centro de Información del Consejo de
Relatores de Derechos Humanos de Cuba (via Oscar de Céspedes, FL,
condiglist yg via DXLD)
** CUBA [non]. TV MARTÍ LOOKING FOR NEW PARTNER IN MIAMI MARKET
The International Broadcasting Bureau (BBG/IBB) in Washington, DC is
looking for a broadcast provider who has excess time available on a
Miami market DirecTV channel. The Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) in
Miami will provide signal delivery of the following:
26 minutes of uninterrupted live news between the hours of 6:00 and
6:30 pm Mon–Fri
26 minutes of uninterrupted pre-recorded programming between 6:30 and
7:00 pm Mon – Fri
26 minutes of uninterrupted pre-recorded programming between 11:30 pm
and midnight Mon–Fri
26 minutes of uninterrupted pre-recorded programming for each half
hour between midnight and 2:00 am daily
The contract states that the Source may broadcast its own station
announcements before or after OCB programs, but not during OCB
programs. The OCB programming shall be run uninterrupted for 26
minutes during each half hour segment. Station announcements shall be
limited to commercials and features of local interest and must be
clearly distinguished from the OCB and the United States Government
and shall be done with the highest degree of integrity and business
ethics. Also, there shall be no political advertising immediately
before or after the OCB provided programming.
The contract terms will begin with service beginning on or about 19
December 19, 2008, through 18 December, 2009, with four subsequent 1-
year option periods beginning on December 19 of each option period, if
exercised. More information here
http://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=0f7afd6f0e348c3e84a3989f6374093b&tab=core&_cview=1&cck=1&au=&ck=
(Dec 5, 2008 - 9:36 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD)
** CUBA. Radio Encyclopedia, http://www.racioenciclopedia.cu features
piano rhumbas, snappy 70s renditions and Spanish female announcer.
Replaced R. Cadena Habana and a couple others on 530, appx. DEC '07 on
530. Developing quite a following here, many locals enjoy format, some
aware it's coming outa Cuba, some not. z (pv zecchino, manasota key,
fl, IRCA via DXLD)
** CUBA. 11690, RHC at 0134 in Spanish with IS fanfare and a man with
apparent news // 6060, Very Good Nov 9 – I wonder if this was a
mistake, or forgetfulness of their part, as it is not listed in the
2009 Passport and not mentioned in the HFCC B08 files. RHC claims that
they file their frequencies but they also have a habit of not
admitting to their mistakes (Mark Coady, ye editor at the Shadow Lake
Radio Camp, Ont., Kenwood R-2000 and 200 foot wire, G5RV antenna, and
mini-slinky loop, Dec ODXA Listening In via DXLD)
No, as I have observed in DXLD, 11690 is a replacement for 11680 which
collided with Spain for several months. So from RHC`s point of view it
is not a mistake. By now 11690 does appear in the RHC schedule at
http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/frecuencia/frecuencias-espanol.htm as
0000-0500, even tho it is dated as expiring in October 2008! Missing
from Passport is nothing unusual. They miss lots of stuff. Missing
from HFCC is also to be expected, since RHC does not register ANY of
its frequencies with HFCC, forcing the HFCC group to beware of RHC`s
real usage when they think a frequency may be available according to
the incomplete info available to them, if they do not pay attention to
DX publications. CRI relays via Habana, however, are duly listed in
HFCC. Arnie claims that notifying ITU of RHC frequency usage is
sufficient, but it certainly not in the practical world of real-time
frequency coordination. I should add that as a result, RHC also
collides with DW via Rwanda on 11690 to South America until 0200.
Another anomaly from RHC: UT Sat Dec 6 at 0706 I was surprised to find
English still running on 11760, past nominal 0700 closing. Quickly
checked other frequencies and found it // but an echo apart on 6000,
6060, 9550, not on 6140. Recheck at 0716, still running on 6000 only.
With RHC you never know whether they are just being sloppy,
experimenting or deliberate. I suspect the program feed automatically
restarts the English recording every two hours, and if the transmitter
operator is dozing, out it goes again until he upwaxe (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [non]. Checking WRMI webcast, Dec 5 at 2240, heard R.
República instead of WRN – or rather in addition to WRN, as there was
something in English mixing underneath. Not enough clear signal on
9955 to tell if they same thing was happening there, but probably so.
Strangely enough, program outro until 2257 was Amanecer, i.e. the
wake-up show for the mornings, presumably repeating the one at 11-12
on 6100 via Sackville. By now the WRN clash was gone. Then announced
schedule on 11835, which I missed, and Sat and Sun 7-9 pm [0000-0200
UT Sun & Mon; used to be 7 days] on 9785. This may be outdated since
R.R. is back on WRMI directly, 9955. Probably at least M-F 22-01 UT,
time which had been filled with WRN programming, so the following lose
their WRMI relays again, probably without even knowing they were on in
the first place: 2200 Ireland, 2230 Romania, 2300 Netherlands, 0000
Russia, 0030 Israel. Break for WRMI`s own ID around hourtop 2300, and
then at 2302 Patos a la Libertad, I thought they said at first, but
it`s Pasos a la Libertad.
R. República, 11835 via Sackville, Dec 6 at 2204, good with no jamming
audible; tho on weekdays when sign-on is not until *2300, I have been
hearing lite jamming in standby(?) mode as early as 2200. Programming
may or may not be // WRMI 9955 which just resumed R.R. during same
time period (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNKNOWN, Radio República, 9785, 0013, Spanish, 444, Dec 5, YL with ID
and comments. OM with ID 0017 as Radio República, then vocal music
0018 (Stewart MacKenzie, WDX6AA, Huntington Beach, California, Dec 7,
DX LISTENING DIGEST) Via Sackville as mentioned several times (gh)
** CZECHIA. Radio Prague --- In many ways, Radio Prague can be called
your “Christmas Station” of the international bands. Of all the
stations on the world band, our friends in the Czech Republic bring
you stories of Christmas in Prague, contests and spirited renditions
of carols sung by the staff. I could probably do without the
traditional Czech Christmas dinner of fried carp and potatoes, but
that’s just my bias. Radio Prague seems to embrace the season like no
other station. If anyone could entice me to eat carp, it’s the people
at Radio Prague http://www.radio.cz/en/article/86580
Through Radio Prague you can send your friends and relatives a
Christmas greeting via the internet. Choose a picture to accompany
your greeting. http://www.radio.cz/en/html/christmas_greeting.html
(Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, Dec ODXA Listening In via DXLD)
** CZECHIA [non]. Hola: Según anuncio escuchado en R. Praga emisión de
las 15 UT del 05/12: La emisora cambiará a partir de las 00 UT del 9
de diciembre la frecuencia a través de la repetidora de Ascensión, se
utilizará la frecuencia de 7420 kHz en vez de 7275. Este cambio es
debido a los problemas reportados con la mencionada frecuencia
anterior.
La lista de emisiones en español de la Asociación DX Barcelona (ADXB)
http://www.mundodx.net ya está actualizada con este cambio, (esta
última información por parte del equipo de redacción de ADXB)
Cordialmente, (Tomás Méndez, El Prat de Llobregat-Barcelona España,
logsderadio yg via DXLD)
So my hearing them a month ago already on 7420 must have been just an
initial test (gh, Dec 7, DXLD)
** DESECHEO. DESECHEO 2009 ---> The Documentary Archive Radio
Communication provides on its website http://www.dokufunk.org a
special coverage of the forthcoming DXpedition to Desecheo: a first
exclusive interview with Co-Team Leader Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, and
extensive background information on this and all previous KP5
expeditions. Further interviews before, during, and after the February
2009 DXpedition are scheduled. [TNX OE1WHC] (425 DX News via Dave
Raycroft, ODXA yg via DXLD)
** DIEGO GARCIA. 4319 USB, AFRTS, 1436-1449, Dec 4, Dr. Joy Browne
call-in program, Department of Defense sponsored announcement by
McGruff the Crime Dog about the dangers of online chat rooms, many
PSAs, ABC news, "This is AFN", somewhat surprised to hear this just
about every day with a nice steady signal. RE: DXLD 8-124: was indeed
my typo, was CBS Radio Network News, thanks Glenn (Ron Howard,
Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DJIBOUTI. 4780, Radio Djibouti, *0316-0325, Dec 5, abrupt late
sign on with Arabic talk. Horn of Africa music at 0325. Sign on
usually at 0300. Poor to fair with CODAR QRM (Brian Alexander, PA, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** ECUADOR. Christmas at HCJB. The radio station itself is a group of
buildings on a city block in Quito. No one actually lives there, so
it’s not like there’s a single big dinner or anything on Christmas
Day. There are department Christmas parties in the weeks and days
ahead, though. Now that I think of it, HCJB did/does have a big annual
celebration during the weeks before Christmas. It’s the Quito Day
concert. (Quito Day is December 6). It is a major event with a large
choir (Rich McVicar, ex-HCJB, Programming Matters, Dec ODXA Listening
In via DXLD) So I wonder if and when the Quito Day concert is
broadcast on SW? (gh)
** EGYPT. EGIPTO, 9250, Radio Wadi El Nil, Abu Zaabal, 1804-1807,
escuchada el 6 de diciembre en árabe a locutora con comentarios
acompañada por música infantil, locutor con comentarios, SINPO 24322
(José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia). España, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. INDICTMENT AGAINST EVANGELIST ALAMO
UNSEALED
TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) -- A judge in Arkansas has unsealed a federal
indictment that includes eight new charges against evangelist Tony
Alamo.
The 74-year-old Alamo, who remains jailed while awaiting trial,
originally faced two charges that accused him of taking children
across state lines for sex. The eight new counts are similar, but
involve four new victims. The alleged victims, all girls, are unnamed
but described as under the age of 18.
Alamo has pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts.
Arkansas child welfare officials have seized 26 children associated
with the Alamo ministries since September, citing stories of alleged
beatings and sexual abuse.
Alamo once had a clothing store in Nashville, Tenn., as well as a
church and a downtown mission there (AP Dec 2 via Mike Cooper, DXLD)
12/4/08 - FBI: GIRLS TOLD AGENT ALAMO ABUSED THEM
Associated Press December 4, 2008 By PEGGY HARRIS
http://www.tonyalamonews.com/778/12408-fbi-girls-told-agent-evangelist-alamo-abused-them.php
[or as the Enid Eagle rewrote the headline:]
FBI: EVANGELIST MARRIED, THEN RAPED YOUNG GIRLS
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Before evangelist Tony Alamo’s arrest on
federal sex charges, three girls who lived at his Arkansas compound
told an FBI agent that he had sexually abused them, and one said he
had threatened to have “someone take care of you” if she talked,
according to a newly unsealed FBI affidavit.
Two of the girls said Alamo married them, one at age 9 and the other
at age 11, according to the affidavit unsealed Tuesday. One also
allegedly said she saw photos Alamo had taken of naked girls.
Alamo, 74, who heads Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, has pleaded not
guilty to 10 federal counts that accuse him of violating the Mann Act,
a federal law that bans carrying women or girls across state lines for
“prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.” The
minister has maintained that “consent is puberty” when it involves sex
with young girls.
Thirty-two juveniles associated with Alamo have been taken into
protective custody since a Sept. 20 raid on his compound in Fouke.
Alamo was arrested in Arizona five days after the raid.
Before the raid, FBI agent M. Randall Harris filed an affidavit
describing information he said he received in interviews with three
girls who had lived at the compound and from a confidential informant.
One girl, now 17, said Alamo molested her when she was 8 and she and
the minister “exchanged wedding vows” May 17, 2000, when she was 9.
She said Alamo told her he was “trying to not make her a virgin any
longer,” the affidavit said. Alamo raped the girl then told her to
“clean herself up,” according to the document.
The girl also said Alamo took pictures of her naked and she saw
similar photos of other girls that Alamo had taken. She said he made
her watch pornographic movies in his bedroom to show her how to
perform oral sex, the affidavit said.
Alamo’s lawyer, John Wesley Hall Jr., did not immediately return a
call seeking comment Thursday.
Another girl, also now 17, told the agent Alamo chose her to marry him
March 27, 2003, when she was 11. She said Alamo later raped her on
many occasions over the course of several months.
In January or February of 2006, when she was 14, she said, Alamo took
her in his bus to California, had sex with her during the trip and
when they returned to Arkansas.
A third girl, now 14, told the FBI agent Alamo touched her sexually
when she was about 12, sometime around August 2007. He came into a
bathroom where she was taking a shower and got into the shower with
her, the affidavit said. She said she was afraid he would beat her if
she screamed, and he also kept one hand over her mouth while rubbing
her. She said he threatened to have “someone take care of you” if she
told anyone, the affidavit said.
A confidential informant said she saw Alamo go into his bedroom with
young girls and heard him tell them that he had candy bars in his
room. The informant said Alamo also kept a Barbie doll collection and
at least nine computers in his house.
The unsealed documents listed two Polaroid cameras as items taken by
FBI agents in the Sept. 20 raid. Six children were taken into custody
at the time.
On Nov. 18, state officials took 20 children from the ministries, most
of them found in two vans that were stopped on a state highway near
the Texas border. Tuesday, another six children associated with Alamo
were taken into custody in Indiana, bringing the total to 32. Arkansas
child welfare officials have indicated they are looking for dozens
more. Tony Alamo remains jailed in Arkansas, awaiting trial in
February. (via DXLD)
Ahem, how much longer will this [alleged?] monster get to broadcast on
R. Africa and a couple US SW stations?? Well, I`m sure he needs to
rake in from diehard fans as much more dough as possible for his
defense (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, Radio Nacional Bata (presumed); 2219-
2225+, 3-Dec; Afro music; no announcements heard. SIO=332 with ute
bursts; tough catch so far this year (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA,
Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, 2145-2258*, Dec 5, Spanish talk. Wide
variety of Afro-pop, Euro-pop & US pop music. Sign off with National
Anthem at 2255. Fair signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ETHIOPIA. R. Fana, 6889.9: much weaker in the past evenings
compared to // 6110, may be old 10 kW-transmitter. 7210 is empty at
some hours, so maybe moved away from there.
9560v: 1800-1833, today Dec 3. + yesterday definitely Voice of Peace
and Democracy of Eritrea. But maybe other program on other days, the
"Dimtsi Ertran" type known from 8000 kHz which is silent (Thorsten
Hallmann, Münster, Germany, http://www.africalist.de.ms Dec 3, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** ETHIOPIA [non]. Unidentified strange signal on 11760 kHz, possibly
religious, in extensive discussions with African language and music
typical of equatorial Africa, abrupt end in 1659. Not listed on Aoki
and Eibi, any ideas? Cordialmente, (Tomás Méndez, QTH: El Prat de
Llobregat-Barcelona España, Coordenadas 41º 19' 26" N- 02º05'25" E,
RX: GRUNDIG Satellit 700, SONY ICF-SW7600GR,ICOM IC-R2. ANT: L.W.
exterior 10 mts. y telescópicas. Visite mi sitio Web en:
http://www.amarantadx.net dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I think you heard Voice of the Oromo Liberation Front (not to be
confused with Voice of Oromo Liberation) via Wertachtal that operates
Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday 1600-1700 UT. Since Thursday 4 December
they have added an additional frequency, 11760 kHz, in parallel with
9695 kHz. Broadcasts are in Oromo. Both transmitters are 100 kW from
Wertachtal, Germany (Andy Sennitt, ibid.)
Now 100 kW, 130 degrees from DTK Jülich, an RMI transmission (Wolfgang
Büschel, ibid.)
** FINLAND. SWR - Independence Day transmission 6th of December
Dear listeners, Scandinavian Weekend Radio is transmitting whole
Saturday day 6th December until 22 hours UTC on 1602, 6170/5980 and
11720/11690 kHz. Check our time and frequencytables from
http://www.swradio.net Lot of more information there as well.
+358 400 995559 call or send your SMS's info(at)swradio.net send your
e-mails here. Letters and reports for QSL's (add 2 euros/2 IRC's)
write to:
SWR reports
P. O. Box 99
FI-34801 VIRRAT
FINLAND
Aikataulu - Schedule 06.12.2008
Local Time Frequency - Taajuudet Program details - Ohjelmatietoja UTC
LOCAL 48 25 MW Program Details UT
00-01 6170 11720 1602 Opening show 22-23
01-02 6170 11690 1602 Opening show cont. 23-24
02-03 6170 11690 1602 SWR jukebox 00-01
03-04 6170 11690 1602 SWR jukebox 01-02
04-05 6170 11690 1602 SWR jukebox 02-03
05-06 6170 11690 1602 SWR jukebox 03-04
06-07 6170 11690 1602 SWR jukebox 04-05
07-08 6170 11690 1602 SWR jukebox 05-06
08-09 5980 11690 1602 Huomenta - Good Morning Virrat by Dj Häkä 06-07
09-10 5980 11690 1602 Itsenäisyyspäivän aamuiloittelua Dj Madmanin
seurassa 07-08
10-11 5980 11720 1602 Lauantailuotaimessa vieraana elokuvaohjaaja Åke
Lindman 08-09
11-12 5980 11720 1602 Lauantailuotain jatkuu 09-10
12-13 5980 11720 1602 12.00 Hukala.net News
12.05 Studiossa Dj Miki 10-11
13-14 5980 11720 1602 Radiolehti- ja harrastekatsaus by SWR crew 11-12
14-15 5980 11720 1602 14.00 Hukala.net News
14.05 Joulupaneeli by Peeveli, J-tonttu ja T-
tonttu. Asiapitoista puhetta joulusta rennolla
meiningillä 12-13
15-16 5980 11720 1602 Joulupaneeli jatkuu 13-14
16-17 5980 11690 1602 Virrat Tänään - Itsenäisyyspäivän tapahtumia
Virroilla. Virrat Today - Finland Independence
Day Happenings at Virrat by dj Häkä 14-15
17-18 6170 11690 1602 Rock'n'roll evening of Finland, Dj Madman 15-16
18-19 6170 11690 1602 Studiossa Dj Miki 16-17
19-20 5980 11720 1602 Progressive rock and other strange things by Dj
Esa 17-18
20-21 5980 11720 1602 Studiossa Dj Miki 18-19
21-22 6170 11690 1602 SWR open studio 19-20
22-23 6170 11690 1602 SWR open studio 20-21
23-24 6170 11690 1602 Closing ceremony by SWR crew 21-22
Best regards, (Alpo Heinonen, Scandinavian Weekend Radio, UT Dec 6, DX
LISTENING DIGEST) Before finding this msg, I was hunting all thru
their website and could find nothing about a Dec 6 broadcast. This was
posted on the dxldyg well before it expired (gh, DXLD)
** FRANCE. 162 kHz, Radio France-Inter, 0255-0320+, 12/05/08. Wrapup
of the previous program, then time pips and into a brief newscast at
0300, followed by an assortment of classic pop/rock, some familiar
songs and some less so. Definitively //'ed to the live webstream.
Barely moving the S-meter on the radio, but fairly clear and getting a
little stronger, with some intermittent local QRN. Poor but building
(Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Evidently not on his
rural 1000-foot Beverage. See PROPAGATION
Yup. Got it here closer to the coast in upstate NY on four different
radios -- Drake R8B, Grundig YB400, Tandberg TP41 and Sony 2010. Not
surprisingly, it's best on the vintage TP41. Hats off to you (and/or
the conditions) for being able to hear this in Missouri (John
Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, NASWA yg via DXLD)
Excellent --- I accidentally posted it here by mistake - I figured
longwave is bit outside the scope of NASWA! But I'm glad it helped
someone else catch it. I could probably count on one hand the number
of times I've bothered to do a bandscan below 500 kHz..I always
assumed the only thing one would find there (at least in this part of
the country) is a handful of navigational beacons (Mark Schiefelbein,
ibid.)
Nice LW evening.
162 +3dB
183 +5dB
(Steve Price, Johnstown, PA, ibid.)
Good tip; 183 also coming through here in MO at 0420, better signal
than 162. Actually moving the S-meter to S3 or S4. It's very strange -
I have two antennas and on one of them 162 is comes with not a peep on
183, on the other it's the exact opposite. 183 is also French, I
presume this is Radio 1. Sounds like it matches their webstream, at
least (Mark Schiefelbein, ibid.)
** GERMANY. MV Baltic Radio is on this Sunday at 1300. On 7th December
2008 at 1300 UT on 6140 kHz, MV Baltic Radio is on the air from the
transmitting station in Wertachtal. We will be using a non-directional
antenna system (Quadrant antenna). Good Listening 73s (Tom Taylor, Dec
4, HCDX via DXLD) Was it for 1 hour? (gh)
** GERMANY. Re: Berlin: Radio Multikulti closure
I wrote on May 29: ``Another news from public broadcasting in Germany:
RBB (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg) will close down its Radio Multikulti
station on 31 Dec 2008. As of 1 Jan 2009 the FM frequencies, at least
96.3 at Berlin (there are two low power outlets at Frankfurt/Oder and
Cottbus as well), will relay Funkhaus Europa of WDR instead.``
Close-down, i.e. switch-over to Funkhaus Europa, will be on New Year's
Eve at 10 PM (2100 UT). WDR will continue to produce in RBB's Berlin
studios some former Radio Multikulti programmes, at present broadcast
by both stations under an already existing cooperation. Foreign-
language programmes in Polish, Russian and Arabic will still be
produced at Berlin, too. The complete arrangement has so far been
agreed for one year and will be reviewed next summer (Kai Ludwig,
Germany, Dec 6, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY. GERMAN RADIO BROADCASTER DEUTSCHE WELLE (DW) HAS REJECTED
CLAIMS THAT ITS CHINESE-LANGUAGE PROGRAMMES WERE PRO-BEIJING, Monsters
and Critics.com reports.
Before this year's summer Olympic Games in Beijing, controversy
erupted over allegations by German critics that DW was not neutral.
But it said a detailed analysis had shown the claims were baseless and
the result of poor translations. The claims were directed at radio
transmissions in Chinese and the Chinese-language part of DW's
website, with critics attacking its Deputy Editor Zhang Dan-Hong. They
claimed she used words of support for Chinese policies.
DW's chairman of the board, Valentin Schmidt, said that there was "no
evidence whatsoever" of systematic bias. He said an outside translator
had made fresh translations of the Chinese transcripts into German and
the board was unanimously of the view that the Chinese staff had not
broken any journalistic rules. Its Chief Executive, Erik Bettermann,
criticised the ambiguity of meaning in some of the earlier
translations which were used by the critics, saying they did not
reflect what the people meant in the interviews.
Monday 01 Dec 2008 fuente: ABU Pacific Bc Union
http://www.abu.org.my/public/dsp_page.cfm?articleid=4110&urlsectionid=715&specialsection=ART_FULL&pageid=247&PSID=2807
(via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia http://yimber.blogspot.com DXLD)
Another interview with DW director Erik Bettermann, published Nov 19:
http://www.faz.net/s/Rub475F682E3FC24868A8A5276D4FB916D7/Doc~ECBE36E2A1CC447BEA7EE79B560E77912~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html
Herein he says that DW Chinese gets jammed "since 14 days", i.e. since
early November. As reported no jamming could be found on RMS recorings
around Dec 1. But certainly it would not hurt to keep an eye on it.
Another noteworthy (not made elsewhere, too) remark from this
interview: "In all language services I use people with a western-
Christian background."
About 100 DW staff members have set up a "Pro Deutsche Welle" action
group, as earlier reported. The Journalist magazine published their
position paper:
http://www.journalist.de/downloads/pdf/dokumentationen/Doku_Pro_Deutsche_Welle.pdf
Condensed translation:
DW TV has just been relaunched in 2007, now the management announces a
complete reorientation for 2009 that on the radio side has already
started. The changes are drastic: Abandoning German as primary
language in favour of English; radically changing the target audience,
away from German-speaking people abroad to English-speaking audiences;
concentrating on the internet at the expense of mass distribution
platforms like shortwave (radio) or cable (TV).
More than 100 stafff members from all departments came together in the
"Pro Deutsche Welle" initiative because they are deeply worried about
the future of DW as far-reaching German voice for freedom, democracy
and human rights, ready to fight for DW, its service obligations, its
quality and its audiences, hoping that they can count on council
members and politicians as allies.
About the language: Law defines the primary language of DW as German,
anything else would require to change the law. Our culture, the
resulting points of view, values and actions can be fully imparted
only with the German language as part of this culture. Everywhere else
in Europe the foreign TV services stick with the cultivation of their
own language, but DW management has apparently decided to consider our
station as part of the English-speaking domain. While politicians are
fighting to establish German in the institutions of the European Union
the station that gives the picture of the Germans abroad sends out the
signal that the own language has no priority.
BBC World and CNN are considered as competitors. These are stations
with a budget and a network of correspondents completely out of reach
for DW. Competing with them would be possible only by dramatically
increasing the DW budget. It's quite easy: Who speaks English and
wants to get informed about the world tends to rely on the BBC or CNN.
And this will be the case in future, too.
Director Bettermann mentioned as a model for DW amongst others France
24. A bit surprising because France 24 for its part mentions DW TV as
model. Another model he mentioned is Russia Today, a station that has
not succeeded in becoming a primary source of information for
English-speaking "information elites" and lacks journalistic distance
to its own government.
Management says that empirical evidence is the foundation for the
intended reorientation of DW. But so far no such data has been
presented. Allegedly it says that there is hardly a need for German-
language programming abroad. So far we have not seen even the weakest
proof for this claim. Instead we got over the years an abundance of
feedback from politicians, embassies and consulates, universities and
institutes, companies, businessmen, artists, journalists, students and
other people all over the world. They all say that it is good and
important to have German-language programming.
About the target audience: So far it is officially defined as
multiplicators abroad, people outside free media markets and in
regions of crisis (i.e. beyond the multiplicators also a broad
audience), people learning German, Germans abroad, either on travel or
permanently. Apparently this definition is now considered obsolete:
Changing the preference from German to English neglects German-
learning people and Germans abroad. This way DW not only loses
faithful viewers but also important messengers and its identity.
The management only wants to get more viewers. It is planned to
achieve this by expanding English-language programming because on a
global scale more people speak English. But that's a wrong strategy.
DW TV already broadcasts 12 hours a day in English. It is highly
doubtful if even more English can attract more English-speaking
viewers, but in any case German-speaking audiences will get lost.
The globalized world requires something else: Focusing on a neglected
group, the Germans acting worldwide. The number of travellers
continues to rise. German architects work in Shanghai and Dubai,
German companies invest in Russia, Brazil and India, German managers
live for years abroad, German students are matriculated worldwide.
They all form a growing, intensively networked and interested target
audience. During the last years DW failed to position itself in this
group. It is startling how many people do not know that DW exists at
all. DW should finally work harder on attracting these people instead
of writing off millions interested as well as interesting viewers.
Beyond that it should be hard to explain to the citizens of Germany
that the station they pay for with their taxes explicitly does not
want them as audience.
About the distribution: Reducing the German-language TV programming is
part of a strategy that has already progressed far on the radio side.
Here both the programming and the distribution on shortwave have been
much reduced during the last years. In part of the world DW radio is
already no longer audible. Even in Europe the German program of China
Radio International can be received much better than DW's one. It is
planned to drastically cut back the coverage of current events in
autumn.
Beyond that it is planned to greatly reduce the shortwave distribution
of the German program in next year. Most of the money saved this way
will be used for the online offerings. However, it is well-known that
all German websites can be accessed worldwide. But those without
access to the internet have to rely on DW for information about
Germany in German language, and these people will be let down.
The strategy to distribute audio and in the next step also video
content online instead as radio and TV transmissions does not consider
the circumstance that independent journalistic web platforms have
hardly a chance worldwide. Established media like CNN, BBC or Der
Spiegel share the market among themselves. Without recognizable TV and
radio offerings, DW will disappear in the cyberspace.
The concentration on the online offerings is also problematic in
regard to the again increasing number of censored media markets. The
head of Radio Vatican's German service has said that "they can switch
off the internet but not radio waves". Many staff members from former
East Block countries know that it was even with intense jamming not
possible to block western stations completely.
About the orientation on the audiences: Typical for DW TV are
newscasts at least every two hours. Now it is planned, apparently as a
cost-saving measure, to abandon this concept and weaken the market
position of DW TV. BBC World, Russia Today or France 24 are explicit
news channels, but the planned English program of DW TV at times
provides for news only every four hours. This way the clear and
successful program structure, achieved by hard work, will be abandoned
for clearly not journalistic motivations. So far it is simple and easy
to remember: One hour German, the other hour English, news at the
hour, documentary and magazines at the half hour, fixed slots for
program windows in other languages. CNN or France 24 have different
channels for different languages, but DW TV has only one channel at
its disposal. Under this situation the hourly language change is the
easiest method. Breaking up this established structure irritates the
viewers and drives them away.
About the internal situation: The approach of the management has
already dramatic consequences for the internal state of DW. The
expensive relaunch from 2007 had been plagued by a considerable lack
of internal communication from the start. It was possible to implement
it timely and successful only due to the great engagement of the
staff.
Now all the mistakes will not only be repeated but even worsened. A
just established structure will immediately be scrapped again. Facts
are being made without involving the staff, something that is for such
far-reaching steps definitely standard even in commercial media
ventures. This lets it become a demotivation program for the whole
station (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
IBB Monitoring has a server which keeps a 30 day archive, online at:
http://amp.ibbmonitor.com/rmsweb/ui/sound_query.phpRight
Now it has data from Nov. 06 till Dec. 05. If someone have time to
check DW CHINese audio at the beginning of November (Dragan Lekic,
Serbia, ibid.)
No, n o t h i n g like CHN mainland jamming noted on the RMS
recordings of DW Chinesisch of earliest server files, i.e. of Nov 9th,
2008.
All three outlets of DWL Chinese service like 12010 Kranji-SNG, and
both Trincomalee 13680 and 15640 kHz are jamming FREE at 1030-1150 UT.
Despite at 2 to 3 US embassies the local noise level is very high, on
various other US monitoring posts the signal is SUPERB.
Today on Dec 5th, I checked the three channels at 1030-1150 UT slot
here in Germany. Nothing like jamming noted so far. So, I'll now start
to check the 1300 UT and 2300 UT recordings of RMS monitoring slots of
DWL Chinese services.
---
Comparison: But at the same time slot 10-12 UT, the VOA Chinese
services are object of HEAVY jamming by some Chinese music jammers,
noted both on various RMS recordings of Nov 6 to 11, as well as on air
also live today Dec 5th. 9530PHT, 9680PHT, 9805PHT, 11920UDO,
12040PHT, 15515UDO, - all are jammed heavily by the Chinese mainland
jammers.
No jamming on DWL Chinese 1300-1330 and 2300-2350 UT, too. Checked RMS
Nov 9th to 12th. But if you like to listen to Lao National Radio co-
channel, you may check RMS DW CHIN 1300-1330 all monitoring. Then
select two CBG and LAO files in MP4 format. There is a 20 seconds
recording of LNR Vientinane co-channel each, via Phnom Penh-CBG and
Vientiane-Laos RMS posts.
1300-1330 DWL Ch 6130 Novosibirsk, only of use in northern, western
part of China and in Mongolia. But heavy disturbed in southern China,
KRE, KOR, JPN, PHL, HKG, TAI, INS, due of LNR Vientiane co-ch.
9650SNG (disturbed in PAK of Kashi 9655); 11945TRM, and 13735 TRM.
2300-2350 DWL Ch 9865SNG; and 11830 from Petropavlovsk Kamchatka.
Latter suffers sideband splatter in northern China and MNG, due of VOA
En Tinang 11840 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 5, ibid.)
Dear Wolfgang, Since you just finished extraordinary research about
DWelle's Chinese programs NOT BEING JAMMED, if you could somehow
forward this research to Mr. Betterman, the director of Deutsche Welle
--- Because he was so wrong about Chinese jamming. Regards, (Dragan
Lekic, Serbia, ibid.)
Has somebody contact to DW's technical monitoring at Bockhagen? I
think it is quite safe to assume that Erik Bettermann made his
statement about DW Chinese being jammed (it appeared in at least one
radio and two newspaper interviews, i.e. it was not just a minor
remark in passing) on the foundation of Bockhagen reports (Kai Ludwig,
ibid.)
No Chinese jamming noted today Dec 7 at 1300-1330 UT slot on 6130NVS,
9650SNG, 11945TRM, and 13735TRM. Only 6130 kHz channel had usual QRM
by CNR8 Lhasa outlet, which is registered co-channel (Wolfgang
Büschel, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY [non]. DWL German service main frequency towards Europe
6075 kHz is now used again by Sines Portugal site at 1700-2400 UT
[instead of poor reception from Al Dhabbaya UAE 20-23 UT], also in \\
co-channel to Balkan, NE & ME via Woofferton England at 1800-2000 UT
too (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Is Sines really in use between 2000 and 2300? I listened before and
after 2100 tonight, and I'm quite sure that Woofferton was running
alone. There was no trace of the somewhat hollow sound that is always
typical for the Woofferton/Sines synchro operation, even when it's
perfectly synchronized (carriers locked to same reference, Hotbird
signal picked up by identical receivers with identical software on
them, audio processing with analogue, delay-free units or again
identical set-ups, perhaps even more things must be considered to
avoid bad echos).
Anyway it's considerably better than Al-Dhabbaya. Wonder who will be
the next customer to which VTC tries to sell this clever but, alas,
not working solution? And better enjoy it while it lasts, in light of
the talk about the shortwave service of DW German being subject of
heavy cuts in next year.
Btw, Glenn was wondering about the BBC/DW DRM tests. This may help,
especially with site info:
http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2033
It also reveals that the output originates from the BBC, i.e. they are
relaying DW content rather than vice versa (Kai Ludwig, ibid.)
6075 in southern Germany, at 2140 UT S=9+40dB, that's undoubtedly
Sines relay outlet, in comparison to former weaker UAE relay S=9. wb
(Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.)
** GREENLAND. 3815, 2050-2113* 03.12, KNR, Tasiilaq (USB). Greenlandic
announcement, local pop songs, talk, not heard every evening, 14221;
occasional utility QRM from two Russian women (Anker Petersen,
Denmark, AOR AR7030 with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini,
playdx yg via DXLD)
** GUINEA. 7125, R. Conakry, Conakry-Sofon. December 5, 0728 OM talks,
0730 African Hi-Life music returning talks at 0732 with music Hi-Life
at 0734, abrupt s/off at 0737. Music playing with significant stronger
audio level than when studio talks, 24422 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec,
Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** HONG KONG. En om 1545 hoorde ik Hong Kong Volmet op 6679 kHz (Johan
PE9DX, Dec 7, BDX via DXLD)
** INDIA. 4970, AIR Shillong, 1601-1613, Dec 4, program of Johnny
Mathis Christmas songs, ID for the Northeast Service of AIR, ad in
vernacular, fair. Yesterday they also played a lot of Christmas music
(Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** INDIA. 9425, AIR-Bangalore, 1448, 12/03/08. Noted in passing with a
radio drama, but stopped when I realized it was in English. (This
frequency listed by most sources as Hindi-only, except for brief
English news bulletins.) Despite pretty good signal, was difficult to
follow the characters with their unabashedly thick (to a N. American
ear) accents. Had all the good Bollywood ingredients: a master /
servant, a wedding, a baby being smuggled somewhere, etc. Was not //
to 9870. Fair/good (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D' Arc Conservation Area,
Bois D'Arc, MO, USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W beverage at ground level,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 3976.1, RRI Pontianak, 27.11., 1516, BI, ID, gamelan
music with singing; O=3 3995, RRI Kendari (presumed), 27.11 1550, BI,
pops; O=2 (Michael Schnitzer, DX Camp, 45 km northeast of Nuremberg,
Germany, Antennas: seven Beverages, 200-500m length; Receivers: 2 ICOM
R-75, ICOM R-70, NRD-525, NRD-535, SDR, Perseus, HCDX via DXLD)
** INDONESIA. 9525.90, Voice of Indonesia, *0958-1015+, Dec 5, on with
a Stevie Wonder tune. At 1001 announced this was the end of their
Korean broadcast & was beginning their English broadcast. Theme music,
IDs, and into English news at 1003. Talk about migrant workers Local
music. Fair signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
VOI, 9525.9, Dec 6 at 1502 re-opening an English broadcast and soon
cut off the air at 1502:30. This is SOP for such an uncoördinated
station (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. Trailer for the forthcoming movie set around
60's pirate radio is now on YouTube:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XnQc3lO4JDs&fmt=18
(Mike Barraclough, WDXC yg via DXLD)
‘The Boat That Rocked’, the new comedy movie written and directed by
Richard Curtis, will be released in the Netherlands on 30 April, and
in the UK the following day, according to details published on the
Internet Movie Database (IMD), which offers this description:
The Boat That Rocked” is an ensemble comedy in which the romance takes
place between the young people of the ’60s and pop music. It’s about a
band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that
defined a generation and standing up to a government that,
incomprehensibly, preferred jazz. The Count, a big, brash, American
god of the airwaves; Quentin, the boss of Radio Rock - a pirate radio
station in the middle of the North Sea that’s populated by an eclectic
crew of rock and roll DJs; Gavin, the greatest DJ in Britain who has
just returned from his drug tour of America to reclaim his rightful
position; Dave, an ironic, intelligent and cruelly funny co-
broadcaster; and a fearsome British government official out for blood
against the drug takers and lawbreakers of a once-great nation.
Based loosely around the real-life offshore stations of the 1960’s,
and featuring equipment rented from Radio Caroline, the movie is sure
to be popular with those of us who have fond memories of listening to
the offshore stations. The movie is now in post-production (December
5th, 2008 - 17:35 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD)
** JAPAN, 774, JOUB Akita (NHK-2), 1440-1455, Dec 5, Mark
Schiefelbein's recent postings inspired me to give a listen here;
caught the start of an "NHK English lesson" (short segments in
Japanese), man and woman each read a short passage and it was
repeated several times, segment "Let's Review", poor-fair, fading in
& out (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN [and non]. Since I had tuned in too late for the monthly
haiku segment on NHKWNRJ`s World Interactive, on the 1400 UT Saturday
Dec 6 broadcast, I wanted to catch it on the next play at 2200, but
the only frequency, 13640 was weak and mixed with VOA Cambodian via
Tinian! Making a SAH of approximately 8 Hz. If the collision is bad
here, it must be awful in SE Asia. It looks like R. Japan just tacked
the 20-minute English broadcast onto the preceding hour in Japanese,
what the hell if it collides with VOA after Japanese is over.
BTW, PWBR `2009` shows it more like 15 minutes long, as the bar
between 2200 and 2300 obviously extends less than one third of the
way. So while compiling this report, I listened to the show ondemand,
no SAH or anything to make it shortwavey, via
http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/radio/program/index.html
Full name of the haiku guru sounds like Shokan Tadashi Kondo as
pronounced both by himself and his co-host; axually about renku this
time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KALININGRAD. 9435, Voice of Russia, 1403, 12/03/08, Russian. Female
presenter reading short items with "newsy" music stingers between
them, then ID that sounded like "Radio... Golos Rossii" amid echo
effects. Believe this is a relay of one of the Russian domestic /
regional networks, but uncertain which. Fair (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois
D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W
beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. CLANDESTINE. 9690, Nihon no Kaze (via Darwin),
1514-1530*, 12/03/08, Korean. Male and female announcers, including
one segment where they gave running translation of a couple of
Japanese-speakers into Korean. Gave a variety of info at program
closing, including email address spelled out with English letters.
Good (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc,
MO, USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. Shiokaze via Yamata, Japan, is still sticking to
5910, for the 1400-1430 broadcast, and still sticking to English on
Fridays, as noted with no jamming, Dec 5 at 1408 with ID in clear
American English, then several brief Kyodo news stories about North
Korea, read by someone with an extremely heavy accent and could barely
understand a word to be sure it was really in English (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. 9365, North Korea Reform R., Nov 30 *1330-1340,
45433, Korean, 1330 sign on with opening music, ID, Opening announce,
Talk.
11560, R. Free Chosun, Dec 01 *1200-1210, 45444, Korean, 1200 sign on
with opening music, ID, Opening announce, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto,
Japan, Japan Premium Dec 6 via DXLD)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. [Op-Ed] Radio Free North Korea
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2008120617298
DECEMBER 06, 2008 10:04
Joy and sorrow crossed the minds of North Korean defectors and anti-
North Korea activists struggling to let the North Korean people know
about their leader Kim Jong Il´s totalitarianism. The Paris-based
Reporters without Borders (Reporters sans Frontières) has awarded its
media prize this year to Kim Sung-min of Radio Free North Korea, the
founder of the Stalinist country´s first dissident radio station,
along with 2,500 euros (3,194 U.S. dollars).
Park Sang-hak, head of the Fighters for a Free North Korea that
disseminates anti-North Korea leaflets to the North, pledged to stop
the practice for the time being. Kim received his award in Paris to
global fanfare, while Park made his decision at the headquarters of
the ruling Grand National Party in Seoul.
The French group said its jury chose Radio Free North Korea to pay
tribute to its courage to broadcast news and information in North
Korea, along with other winners such as a Cuban journalist and two
Burmese bloggers. The media advocacy group apparently considers Kim
Sung-min´s activities despite North Korea´s threat to kill him as
fighting for freedom of the press.
This is in stark contrast to ruling party leader Park Hee-tae, who
asked Fighters for a Free North Korea to stop sending anti-communist
leaflets to the North for the time being. So Reporters without Borders
encouraged North Korean defectors to alert the North Korean people of
their situation, while the ruling party chief did the exact opposite.
Both leaders of the two anti-North Korea groups, who are also
defectors from the North, have received more encouragement and support
from abroad than at home. U.S. President George W. Bush invited them
to the White House to praise their commitment. The U.S. government and
civic groups have also offered significant financial support,
especially to Radio Free North Korea. The radio station´s award should
make people think about progressive forces in South Korean society,
which have ignored anti-North Korea activists and defectors who try to
tell the truth to those in the North.
Progressive or left-wing groups who physically confronted members of
the Fighters for a Free North Korea and the Family Assembly of those
Abducted to North Korea four days ago welcomed the measure to stop
sending the leaflets. The People´s Solidarity for Social Progress
praised the ruling party´s measure, and urged a complete suspension of
sending the leaflets.
The group probably knows that Radio Free North Korea won the award.
Though different in form, broadcasts and leaflets have the same
purpose of telling North Korans the truth about the Stalinist state.
So one cannot help but ask if the progressive groups criticize the
award by Reporters without Borders as a hostile activity against the
North. Editorial Writer Bhang Hyeong-nam (via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD)
** KYRGYZSTAN. PROTESTERS DEMAND DISMISSAL OF KYRGYZ STATE TV, RADIO
CHIEF December 04, 2008
BISHKEK -- Dozens of employees at the Kyrgyz National TV and Radio
Broadcasting Corporation (UTRK) have begun a protest against the
company's director.
The protesters, who began demonstrating in downtown Bishkek on
December 3, are demanding the dismissal of UTRK Director Melis
Eshimkanov for failing to transform the state company into a public
television and radio station and for his "poor management."
Prominent TV producer Assol Moldakhmatova, an organizer of the picket,
told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service that protesters may begin a hunger strike
if Eshimkanov is not fired.
Four of the protesting staffers are meeting on December 4 with Kyrgyz
State Secretary Dosbol Nur-uulu, who deals with cultural issues.
Eshimkanov, a former opposition lawmaker, was appointed UTRK director
by President Kurmanbek Bakiev in October 2007. He has been criticized
by media watchdog groups for failing to carry out promised reforms.
(RFE/RL via Dale Park, HI, DXLD) Hmm, any relation to following? (gh)
BBC RADIO AND RFE/RL PUT OFF THE AIR IN KYRGYZSTAN
Fri Dec 05 15:31:34 UTC 2008
BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan has taken the BBC's local radio service
and U.S-funded Radio Liberty off the air after accusing them of
violating their obligations, the Kyrgyz state broadcaster said on
Friday.
The state television and radio company KNTR said it had switched off
the British Broadcasting Corporation's local radio service because it
failed to install required radio equipment. "When they meet their
obligations, the contract will be prolonged," Melis Eshimkanov, head
of KNTR, told Reuters.
He said the local service of Prague-based RFE/RL had also been taken
off the air because it owed his company $57,000 (38,924 pounds) in
service fees. RFE/RL could not be reached for comment.
The BBC said in a statement it was aware of the problem. "The BBC is
working to find out why our programmes have been put off the air," it
said in a statement.
Kyrgyzstan has positioned itself as an island of liberalism in the
otherwise authoritarian Central Asian region, allowing journalists and
the opposition to operate freely.
But the opposition has stepped up its criticism of President Kurmanbek
Bakiyev this year, accusing him of tightening his grip on power and
putting pressure on independent journalists.
Public criticism of his rule has also been on the rise due to a sharp
increase in food prices and electricity shortages in the former Soviet
republic, home to a U.S. and a Russian military base. (Reporting by
Olga Dzyubenko; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov) (via Dale Park, HI, DXLD)
KYRGYZ STATE RADIO SUSPENDS BBC BROADCASTS
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gDvUn4d1bW-TIEdv6CGRlflqIz2wD94SJPMO0
By LEILA SARALAYEVA - 1 day ago
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) - Kyrgyzstan's state radio station has taken
BBC programming off the airwaves, days after withdrawing broadcasting
rights from U.S.-funded Radio Liberty's Kyrgyz Service.
The British broadcaster said Friday on its Web site that no
explanation was given for the suspension, but negotiations are ongoing
with the head of the Kyrgyz National Television Corporation in hopes
of resolving the situation.
Melis Eshimkanov, who heads the state broadcaster, cited unspecified
technical reasons for the suspension of BBC programs.
Government pressure on the media in Kyrgyzstan has increased in recent
years amid growing economic uncertainty in the impoverished Central
Asian country. Most Kyrgyz people rely on state-controlled
broadcasters as their main source of news.
The BBC has broadcast news programs three hours daily on the state
radio station in Russian and Kyrgyz. It has been operating in the
former Soviet nation since the mid-1990s.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Kyrgyz Service, Radio Azattyk, also
has had its radio frequencies withdrawn, which Eshimkanov said was due
to shortcomings in contractual obligations. Radio Azattyk has declined
to comment.
Ata-Meken opposition party leader Omurbek Tekebayev said the move to
shut down Radio Azattyk's broadcasts is part of a broader effort to
clamp down on independent media in the country.
"Radio Azattyk's news coverage has made it one of the most influential
media concerns in Kyrgyzstan, as people in the regions always tune it
to learn about the latest and most objective news on developments in
the country," Tekebayev said.
All Central Asian countries - which also include Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - are ranked by international
rights groups as the worst offenders for absence of free expression.
Journalists have suffered the most severe harassment in Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan, where they are routinely subjected to intimidation and
arrest.
The BBC was forced to close its World Service operation in Uzbekistan
by a campaign of official harassment after its coverage of the
government's violent suppression of a protest in the eastern town of
Andijan in May 2005.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America are also banned
from broadcasting from within Uzbekistan (via Zacharias Liangas, Dec
7, DXLD)
** LAOS. 6130, Laotian Radio, Vientiane, 1130-1202, Dec 6, listed
Laotian. M & W with talk between musical selections; distinct 7 gongs
at ToH; music bit into presumed news; weak copy at tune-in; signal
never got above poor but was in the clear (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg
via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also GERMANY [non]
** LATVIA. R. Waves International, 9290, 4 different and beautiful
QSLs, CD, sked, info, for reports to rwaves@free.fr (Artur Fernández
Llorella, Dec 4, Catalonia, Spain, HCDX via DXLD)
** LATVIA. Relays this weekend via 9290 kHz
Sat December 6th
Radio Joystick 0900-1000 UT
Latvia Today 1000-1100 UT
RWI 1100-1200 UT
Radio Casablanca 1200-1300 UT
Sun December 7th
Latvia Today 1300-1400 UT
Good listening 73s (Tom Taylor, Dec 4, HCDX via DXLD)
9290, UNIDENTIFIED, Ulbroka, 1204-1217, Dec 6, presumed German. Folksy
pop music selections by same artist; M at 1213 mentioned "Maria..."
which I presumed was the singers name; couldn't stick around long
enough for ID & I missed the usual "Latvia relays" DX tip for this
weekend; fair (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
LETONIA, 9290, Radio Casablanca, Riga-Ulbroka, 1245-1300, escuchada el
6 de diciembre [sábado] en alemán a locutor con comentarios, emisión
musical, música pop melódica, ID “Radio Casablanca”, SINPO 45433 (José
Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia). España, ibid.)
** LIBERIA. Re 8-125: ``4760 ELWA (?), Monrovia, 1654-1700*, 29 Nov,
Vernacular, talks; 24432, QRM de INDIA (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX
LISTENING DIGEST) No, TWR Manzini, SWAZILAND is on 4760 at 1545-1700
only, in vernax. 4760 seems to be inactive, just 6090 for ELWA (gh,
DXLD)``
It may well be TWR via SWAZILAND instead, but yesterday 02 Dec I saw
some reports on ELWA 4760 observed some 10 days before I did (Carlos
Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I wonder where
those were? May have also made wrong assumption (gh, DXLD)
** LITHUANIA. New 3960, 1520-1529* 03.12, VOIRI, Tehran, via Sitkunai.
Russian ID, news summary, musical interlude, closing with addresses.
New frequency scheduled from *1430 55555 // 9575 and 9735. Transmitter
continues with clandestine R Racja (Anker Petersen, Denmark, AOR
AR7030 with 28 metres of longwire, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via
DXLD)
** MALAYSIA. QSL from TRAXX FM Malaysia --- Dear DXers, Last week
received a feedback from Malaysia's Traxx FM. They sent the programme
guide, car sticker, pen with Traxx FM logo, note pad and wonderful
travel bag with their logo and lots more. I put the sticker and
programme guide on my blog http://www.dxersguide.blogspot.com and some
times you also listen them on 7295 kHz. CONTACT THEM AT
MaTiC
109, Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur
or
TRAXXfm
2nd Floor, Wisma Radio
Angkasapuri
50740 Kuala Lumpur
Email: djtheshaz @ gmail.com Call : 03- 2288 7663 / 7285 / 7284
Fax: 03- 2284 5750 SMS: TX (message) and send to 32776 (Jaisakthivel,
ADXC, Chennai, India, Dec 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MALI. 5995, RTVM, 2330-0059+, Dec 5-6, French talk. Rustic African
tribal music. Covered by Radio France Int at their 0059 sign on. On
late tonight. Mali usually signs off at 2400. Fair signal.
5995, RTVM, 0750-0800*, Dec 6, French talk. Local string music. Rustic
tribal music. Sign off with flute IS. Fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
RTM, 2nd daytime frequency back to 7284.5, quite strong at 0800, and
already fading in before 1500 in Europe. Often louder modulation
compared to // 9635 (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany,
http://www.africalist.de.ms Dec 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
9635, RTV du Mali, 12/05/08 0820-0830, First time heard this QTH. Nice
tribal music, lots of drums and singing in vernaculars. ID at 0829.
Then off. Listed until 1800 so I don't know if the band noise
swallowed the signal or they just pulled the plug, which seems
unlikely since they supposedly just signed on at 0800 (Bruce Barker,
Broomall, PA, NRD535-D Alpha Delta DX Sloper, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
9635, RTVM, *0800-0845, Dec 6, sign on with flute IS and opening
French announcements at 0801 followed by local music. Mostly
continuous local African tribal music & local guitar music. Occasional
French ID announcements. French talk at 0830. Poor to fair. Weak //
7284.58 - on at approximately 0755 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA. 4845, RTV Mauritaine (Nouakchott), 2315-2410,
12/5/2008, Arabic. Program of talk, music, and drama with very strong
signal. One of the best signals on 60 meters this afternoon. SINPO
43333 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, TenTec RX-340, Drake R8B, RF Space
SDR-14, Random Wires (90' and 200'), Eavesdropper Dipole, DX LISTENING
DIGEST) Signal yes, but I always find the modulation quite deficient,
don`t you? (gh, DXLD)
7245, Radio Mauritania, *0830-0845, Dec 6, abrupt sign on with local
chants. Local string music. Arabic talk. Good (Brian Alexander, PA, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Re: 6105: The ``some kind of anthem-like thing`` may very
well have been THE Mexican national anthem, which all stations are
required to play at local midnight; one should become quite familiar
with it. 73, Glenn Hauser
Perhaps if the handful of active Mexican SW stations weren't regularly
inaudible or blown out by adjacent/co-channel broadcasters, more of us
would be (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., NASWA yg via DXLD)
Or if more of us also DXed mediumwave (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) See also
PHILIPPINES [and non]
CANDELA FM YA NO ESTÁ EN LA ONDA CORTA. Saludos cordiales queridos
amigos diexistas. Espero se encuentren muy bien.
Hace dos semanas aproximadamente estuve escuchando a Candela FM (XEQM)
a través de la onda corta en la frecuencia 6105 kHz entre las 23 y las
00 UT con muy buena música norteña, estilo Tigres del Norte y
tecnocumbias mexicanas muy buenas; inmediatamente les he enviado el
informe de recepción y hoy he recibido un correo donde se me informa
que mi tarjeta QSL viene en camino, pero lo que me ha desconcertado es
que ya no vamos a escuchar más a Candela a través de la onda corta. En
este correo que me ha enviado el Sr Bernardo Laris Rodríguez se
explica lo que ha pasado.
Estimado José Elías: Muy amable, como siempre, por su palabras. Pero
permítame comentarle que desde hace una semana, la XEQM transmite la
programación de XEMQ:
1. Radio Yóol iik’ (Radio en lengua maya) de 05:00 a 19:00 hora de la
Ciudad de México. [1100-0100 UT]
2. Radio 6.20 (XENK desde la ciudad de México) de 19:00 a 05:00 hora
de la Ciudad de México. [0100-1100 UT]
Para seguir escuchando Candela, puede hacerlo por la Web a través de
http://candela.fm o http://sistemarasa.com.mx
Reciba un afectuoso saludo, atentamente: Bernardo Laris Rodríguez.
(via José Elías Díaz Gómez, Apartado Postal 488, Código Postal 6001-A,
Barcelona, Venezuela, http://sintoniadx.spaces.live.com/ Dec 3, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
They have made it clear from the outset that this was their intention,
and the Candela FM programming was just filling in until they could
get the feeds arranged to transmit the Maya service in the daytime and
relay XENK at night. So the 6105v transmitter is still supposed to be
on the air, but seems to be irregular anyway; could not hear it around
1230 Dec 3 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Desde el pasado viernes 28 de noviembre XEQM 6105 kHz está
transmitiendo la señal de 810 kHz que transmite en lengua maya de las
1100 a las 0100 UT. Sin embargo, la señal es poco audible, por lo que
el Ing. Balam de RASA Yucatán realizará una revisión para obtener una
mejor señal tal y como se escuchaba a "Candela" hasta hace una semana.
Saludos, (Julián Santiago, DF, Dec 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
6105, Candela FM apparently off air with only a very weak UNID signal
here at 1240 on 12/03/08, in contrast to good reception last week at
this time (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois
D'Arc, MO, USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W beverage at ground level, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
6104.82, Candela FM [sic], Mérida, 1230 to 1310 much weaker signal
than before. 6 December (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, Florida, Cumbredx
mailing list via DXLD) See also PHILIPPINES, the het I hear? (gh)
** MONGOLIA. PUBLIC RADIO AND TV STREAMS LIVE ON THE WEB
Dave Kernick of Interval Signals Online writes: Mongolia’s public
broadcaster, Mongolian National Broadcasting (MNB), now provides live
audio and video streaming of its main radio and television services
from its website at http://www.mnb.mn
The recently revamped website is mainly in Mongolian, but the stream
link for MNB Television is clearly indicated with a television icon,
whilst the Mongolian Radio 1st and 2nd Programme streams are
designated in English as “FM 106.0? and “FM 100.9? respectively. The
2nd Programme was noted occasionally identifying in English simply as
“Public Radio”.
There is also a link for MNB’s external radio service, Voice of
Mongolia, with a dropdown menu listing its five language services.
However, these links currently lead only to MP3 music files. MNB
broadcasts its radio First and Second Programmes on shortwave,
mediumwave, longwave and FM throughout the country, while Voice of
Mongolia is available on shortwave and mediumwave for audiences
abroad.
The TV channel is broadcast terrestrially and on the Telstar 18
satellite at 138 degrees east, frequency 12690 MHz, horizontal
polarization, symbol rate 43200, FEC 3/4. The organization has another
website, devoted to digital broadcasting, at http://www.mnbc.tv
(December 5th, 2008 - 10:57 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog
via DXLD)
For years and years, VOM only had one old generic English program
audible on demand from an unofficial(?) website (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
** MONGOLIA. 7260, Mongolian Radio, 27.11., 0739, Mongolian, ID,
reports and nice music; O=3 (Michael Schnitzer, DX Camp, 45 km north
east of Nuremberg, Germany, Antennas: seven Beverages, 200-500m
length; Receivers: 2 ICOM R-75, ICOM R-70, NRD-525, NRD-535, SDR,
Perseus, HCDX via DXLD)
** MYANMAR. 5770, BRM, Defence Forces BC, 26.11, 1525, local language,
closing down; O=3-4 (Michael Schnitzer, DX Camp, 45 km north east of
Nuremberg, Germany, Antennas: seven Beverages, 200-500m length;
Receivers: 2 ICOM R-75, ICOM R-70, NRD-525, NRD-535, SDR, Perseus,
HCDX via DXLD)
5770, Myanmar Defense Forces BS via Taunggyi, 1526-1528*, Dec 4, in
vernacular, pop songs, indigenous instrumental music at sign-off, poor
to fair, the spoken audio is typically lower that the level of the
music they play. Audio clip posted at "Station Sounds" (Ron Howard,
Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW CALEDONIA. Fantastic New Caledonia opening!!
by Geoff Wolfe on Mon Dec 08, 2008 0040 U --- FM log 8 Dec 08 (so far
today) from 09:34 to 11:33 AEDST [UT Dec 7 2234-0033 UT Dec 8]
New Caledonia - nice strong opening. 101.0 can be heard clearly next
to high powered local 100.9 using the Sony XDR-F1HD.
88.0 RFO - RDS "RFO RNC" strong over local 88.0 vision FM !!!!!
89.0 RFO - RDS "RFO RNC"
90.0 RFO - RDS "RFO RNC"
93.0 R. France Int. - RDS "INTER"
93.5 Energy FM - RDS "N R J"
95.0 Oceane-FM - RDS "Oceane"
96.0 R. Djiido - RDS "DJIIDO"
97.0 R. Djiido - RDS "DJIIDO"
98.0 R. Rythum Blue
99.0 R. Rythum Blue - RDS "R R B"
100.0 R. Rythum Blue
100.4 R. Rythum Blue - RDS "R R B"
101.0 R. Rythum Blue - RDS "R R B"
102.0 R. Djiido
103.0 R. Djiido - RDS "DJIIDO"
(Geoff Wolfe, somewhere in Australia, NSW? Dxing.info via DXLD)
** NIGERIA. 6089.8, R. Kaduna, Hausa, today Dec. 3rd and several other
days recently: coming in with quite distinctive loud and dirty
modulation and het to 6090 almost every day from 1700, later
dominating over other channels on the frequency (Thorsten Hallmann,
Münster, Germany, http://www.africalist.de.ms Dec 3, DX LISTENING
DIGEST) I didn`t see this log until after posting my own: (gh)
6089.9, no sign of Anguilla at 2247 Dec 3, but instead a strong and
very distorted signal with singing/chanting, unseems Arabic, probably
Hausa. Also unseems Qur`an, but 2256 followed by brief no-nonsense
talk in Arabic, probably sermon. 2257 cut to another announcer, 2259
anthem and off. Already had open carrier 6085 on side from WYFR, and
at 2257 QRM from its IS. Also heard DRM noise on 6090, but nothing
scheduled co or adjacently, per DRMDX, closest being 6080-6085-6090 10
kW from Ismaning, but closing at 2200. Anyhow, this must have been
Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, which WRTH says is 50 kW, Aoki says is 250 kW,
PWBR says is 50 kW. I guess we should go with the mode instead of the
mean. When Anguilla is on during overlap times, Kaduna furnishes the
annoying het (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
6089.83, presumed R. Nigeria, Kaduna, 2102-2112, Dec 4, listed Hausa.
Announcer with news & field reports; wildly fluxuating audio levels;
fair in USB to avoid DRM hash; I was hoping to stick around for an ID
but our baby woke up! (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** NIGERIA [and non]. 7255, Dec 6 at 2149, heard N6HK asking if anyone
is using the frequency? Well, yes! V. of Nigeria in French which was
perfectly demodulating your SSB, but I guess you can`t hear them a
couple megameters further west: Berman, Stephen D, N6HK (Extra), 24031
Sage Ave, Tehachapi, CA 93561 per ARRL lookup (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 9690, Voice of Nigeria, 1015-1035, Dec 5, English talk
about agriculture in Nigeria. Afro-pop music. Strong but somewhat
distorted audio (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
9690, Voice of Nigeria, Ikorodu, 1308-1312, escuchada el 6 de
diciembre en inglés a locutora con comentarios, emisión de música
afro-pop, SINPO 34322 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia).
España, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Observations from caradio in Oklahoma City &
vicinity, Dec 4:
1000, KTOK apparently not running IBOC at night, at least not when I
was getting CBW well on 990, UT Dec 5 at 0405 with frigid Manitoba
weather.
99.7, still no sign of KZLS Mustang, hijacked from Enid/Alva market;
instead ``The House FM`` is still running on translator K259AM, which
is 75 watts from a centrally located transmitter site in downtown OKC,
per Tiger maps, and covering the entire Metro, but of course not
audible back in Enid. It will be knocked off the air when Mustang is
ready to go. At 1720 UT slogan ID and Xmas music from this gospel
huxter, // 89.7 also audible, from 100 kW Ponca City KJTH, site
axually halfway to Enid, and studios just west of Ponca on US 60
toward Tonkawa.
101.1, at 2050 UT, Stillwater ads including Thai Café, which I thought
was out of business, and ``The New KVRO 101.1``, ex-98.1. Somewhat
marginal signal in OKC, as is only 6 kW ERP from site halfway between
Stillwater and Perry to its NW. There used to be OKC pirates on this
frequency. I suppose KVRO wanted to get off 98.1 due to OKC on 97.9,
which started out on 97.7 many years ago; and KVRO started off as a
student but commercial station at OSU on 105.5. FCC FM Query is still
confused about whether KVRO is on 98.1 or 101.1.
107.1, the long-running OKC pirate is still/again active from site
presumably just NW of the state capitol building, with far-right talk
programming, such as RBN via Radio Free Austin (Texas), another long-
running FM pirate, specializing in apocalyptic views of the Obama
administration, in order to sell survivalist products (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OMAN. 9410, BBC, 1411, 12/03/08, English. News and regional
correspondent reports for Evening Report, a news program that appears
to be targeted in particular at South Asian listeners. Fair/good
(Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO,
USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** OMAN. 15140, R Sultanate of Oman (presumed), 1442, 12/03/08. Check
at 1442 found only a fairly big open carrier here, no audio. Recheck
at 1510 found the same carrier with a low hum and some faint, barely-
modulated speech, far too low to make out details. Not sure if this is
Oman, but not sure what else it would be. Fair (Mark Schiefelbein,
Bois D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft
E-W beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PALAU. 9930, T8WH Palau WHRI, Koror, 1315-1318, escuchada el 6 de
diciembre en inglés a locutor con comentarios, probablemente en
programa religioso, se aprecia fuerte interferencia de Radio
Makedonias en 9935, hay que templar a 9929 para evitar colisión, SINPO
33443 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia). España, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
12130, T8WH World Harvest R., heard at 1026 on 06 Dec in English with
Christian light pop music. Fair to good sigs but beat to death by R.
Free Afghanistan on 12140 which was splattering a lot Best 73 de (Al
Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio G303e, 200m Longwire/ Randomwire,
Palstar MW-550P Mediumwave Preselector, HCDX via DXLD)
** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. En omdat het toch zo lekker liep nog even iets
verder geluisterd : 3905 kHz, R. New Ireland (PNG) pop muziek, Pidgin
aankondigingen. 2001 UT: IS, Nieuws in het Engels (O=2). Bovendien ook
nog een spoor van een signaal op 3365 (R. Milne Bay ?). Maar niks op
3335 kHz (R. East Sepik) Groeten, (Aart Rouw, Bühl, Duitsland, AR7030
+ ALA1530 (PNG kwam net zo goed op Grahn GS2), bdx mailing list via
DXLD) No date in report, and I didn`t catch it on the msg (gh)
** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3290, R Central, 1256, 12/03/08, English /
vernacular. Threshhold signal for closing comments, then NBC IS at
1259 and into national program with news, apparently in English, and
pop tunes. Signal much improved at 1328 recheck with some sort of
public service announcement, and distinct ID as "NBC National Radio,
the Voice of Papua New Guinea", as also noted by Dave Valko recently.
Still going at 1345 tuneout, though fading by then. It's nice that
some of these stations are staying on past their listed 1300 signoff,
since right now the local peak for PNG reception is later than that.
Fair at best (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois
D'Arc, MO, USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W beverage at ground level, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. Consulta al foro --- Hola!! Buenos dias!! Alguno de ustedes
escuchó o escucha en la onda corta a Radio Atlántida, de Iquitos, está
actualmente en la onda corta? Yo tengo dos blogs que mantengo casi
diariamente hasta tanto reactivemos con mi socio la web El Mundo de la
Radio. Y varios lectores, en estos últimos dias, todos ellos desde
Perú y uno desde Colombia, han comentado entre sí que la escuchan por
su frecuencia de onda corta. Gracias desde ya! 73 (Arnaldo Slaen,
Argentina, Dec 6, condiglist yg via DXLD)
Not reported from abroad for many months, just the other Peruvian on
almost the same frequency 4790, R Visión, and it has been irregular
(gh, DXLD) Viz.:
** PERU. 4790.1, R. Visión, 2320-2345, 6 Dec, nice local huayños with
occasional short canned ID's like "Transmite Radio Visión" or "R.
Visión de Chiclayo." Fair, with heavy CODAR (tracking all those "ocean
currents.") (Paul Brouillette, Geneva, IL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES. RADIO BROADCASTERS ARE NO LONGER SAFE IN THE
PHILIPPINES --- By The Guardian.
The killing of radio commentator Leo Mila is conclusive proof that the
Philippines is the most dangerous country in the the world for radio
broadcasters. Mila, a commentator for Radyo Natin, was shot dead
outside the radio station in San Roque town, Northern Samar. Last
month another Radyo Natin journalist, Arecio Padrigao, was shot dead
in Misamis Oriental.
Known for his hard-hitting political commentaries, Mila was the
seventh journalist killed in 2008, and the 62nd to be murdered since
Gloria Arroyo became president seven years ago. . .
http://www.mediachannel.org/wordpress/2008/12/04/radio-broadcasters-are-no-longer-safe-in-the-philippines/
(via Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DXLD)
** PHILIPPINES [and non]. Checking 6105 for signs of Yucatán, I was
getting a weak het on a much stronger signal, Dec 5 at 1359, so the
het may be all that`s making it from Mérida. But I was quite surprised
to hear Radio Netherlands introducing its 1400 English broadcast, with
frequencies 5825, 9345, 11520, 12080, 15595, plus IS briefly, before
cutting to VOA Chinese, which is what is supposed to be on 6105 at
1400. A feed/switching mixup at IBB somehow put the RN opening on
6105; I don`t know what appeared on 12080, the only correct Tinang
frequency for RN at this time.
Checked 24 hours later, exactly the same thing happened again, so it
must be misprogrammed that way into the automation: Dec 6 at 1359 on
6105, R. Netherlands opening English broadcast, even tho followed at
1400 by VOA Chinese via Tinang. And once again a weak het, maybe
Mérida. So until fixed, RNW needs to add to its schedule a one-minute
English broadcast at 1359 on 6105.
But checked another 24 hours later, Dec 7, 6105 was late coming up,
not joining VOA until after 1400:00 so no RNW heard (Glenn Hauser, OK,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** POLAND [non]. As of December 15th Polish Radio External Service's
1800 transmission in English will be in DRM mode while its // 7345
will remain in analogue (Mark Coady, Ont., ODXA yg via DXLD)
WTFK? Has been on 6015 AM via Wertachtal, while 7345 is Issoudun. You
can`t just change 6015 from AM to DRM without consequences to
neighbors, and yourself if the QRM is too heavy, in this case CRI
which is broadcasting to Europe during this hour on both 6010 and
6020, tsk2. But that is exactly what they are doing. I found the
source of this info, the latest Multimedia program:
``As of December 15th one of the evening SW transmissions in English
and German will be available in digital format. Presented by Slawek
Szefs. The 18 hours UTC broadcast in English on 6015 kHz will be
changed to DRM. 7345 kHz shall remain analogue.``
One may listen to the entire program at
http://www.polskieradio.pl/zagranica/news/artykul97462.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL [and non]. RDP Internacional, 11885, Dec 6 at 1438 with
Portuguese music, soon IDed by // 15560, but 11885 much weaker. Had
not noticed it before, but it`s scheduled weekends only at 45 degrees.
RDPI collision with HCJB, 12040, Sat Dec 6 at 2249 making fast SAH.
This starts at 2230 when HCJB comes on in German, but at recheck 2302
HCJB was alone (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL. R. Sim, 594, QSL, sked, in 2 w. Address: Rua Ivens 14,
1249-108 Lisboa (Artur Fernández Llorella, Dec 4, Catalonia, Spain,
HCDX via DXLD)
** ROMANIA. Radio Romania International heard in English on new 11970
kHz (ex-17745) at 1300-1400 UT on 6 December 2008, very good
reception, parallel with 15105.
11970 kHz also used for French 1100-1200 and German 1200-1300 (RRI
French Service website says this frequency became effective 5 December
2008) (Tony Rogers, Birmingham, UK, AOR 7030+, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD)
15105 and often 17745 were good in North America too; 11940 in
Romanian at same time. First shortwave schedule you get on their
website is outdated A-08, all wrong times and frequencies, until you
find a link to the B-08:
http://www.rri.ro/art.shtml?lang=1&sec=20&art=15758
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. 4996, RWM time station, 1219, 12/03/08. Time pips, tones,
etc., under WWV and WWVH but clearly audible. Confirmed it was them
with R-W-M CW IDs at 1239 recheck. Apparently propagating via
greyline, with Moscow sunset and local sunrise at about the same time,
but still an unexpected surprise. Nothing heard on 9996. Fair/poor
(Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO,
USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** SAINT HELENA. Radio St. Helena Day 2008 : a short review ( 05.
Dec. 2008 ) and new info --- During Radio St. Helena Day 2008, RSH
received 295 emails. There were two successful telephone calls: -- Mr.
Shamim in Southern India -- Mr. Chris Wood in Tennessee, USA.
The "new postal route" works. Note that it is better to < omit > the
words "South Atlantic Ocean" in this "new postal route", so as not to
confuse your local post office. Make certain that your letter reaches
the United Kingdom. The P.O. in the UK then knows very well what to do
with the letters. Be certain to include sufficient return postage
inside your letter: (3+ IRC's or 3+ USDollars, or 5 Euro or 5
GBPounds (smallest banknote)).
Be sure to put sufficient postage < on > your letter. You need airmail
postage to the most remote country in the world (even if you are in
the UK). From Germany, Euro 1.70; from USA, 94 cents; from UK, 81
Pence. This is for a standard, airmail, "world"-letter of (max.) 20
grams (USA: 1 ounce) weight.
The first two reception reports have reached Ascension Island. --
Christian Ghibaudo, France, sent his report on 18. November -- Richard
Mitchell , Raleigh, NC, USA, also sent a report. Both of these letters
arrived on Ascension on 26. November.
In the mean time, several other reports have arrived. The Royal Mail
Ship RMS St. Helena will pick these letters up at Ascension on 07.
December and deliver the letters to St. Helena on 09. December 2008.
Do < NOT > expect any RSD 2008 QSL cards to be posted before about
July of 2009. The RSD 2008 QSL is, as of December, 2008, still being
designed. The cards will, probably, be printed in January of 2009. It
will then take about two months to ship the cards to St. Helena. From
about April or May of 2009, RSH will be able to actually fill in the
details and sign the QSL cards. That may take a month or two.
Therefore, the RSD 2008 QSL cards will, probably not be sent to SWL's
before about July of 2009. This is the usual procedure and has been
the approximate time table of events in the past years.
Unfortunately, the SUN did not help at all with the propagation of
radio waves via the ionosphere this year, and we are still at the
bottom of the old sun-spot cycle. Reception around the world was,
generally, not good. Japan, however, had some phases of wonderful
reception, but many areas of Europe and USA heard almost nothing.
Lucky were those DXers who have big antenna systems in the right
direction. Among others, Anker Petersen (DSWCI), Glenn Hauser, and
Jerry Berg have published excellent and detailed summaries of the
reception conditions in many parts of the world. Simply put, that is
the way things are on the shortwaves. The shortwaves are like a box of
candy; you never know what you are going to get.
The RSD 2008 Team at Radio St. Helena sends their thanks to all SWL's
everywhere and sincere best wishes to everyone for current Holiday
Season and for the New Year 2009. Gary Walters, Station Manager, Radio
St. Helena (Robert Kipp, Dec 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 9541.53, SIBC, Nov 30 0713-0802, 34443-34433,
English, Talk and music, ID at 0715, Thanks for tip from peace J via
Kageyama BBS.
9541.53, SIBC, Dec 01 0651-0713, 45333-45433, English, Talk and music
and news, ID at 0659 and 0700 and 0707.
9541.52, SIBC, Dec 04 0658-0711, 35333-35433, English, Music and news,
IS at 0700, ID at 0708 (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Dec 6
via DXLD)
New 9541.54, 0650-0840 02.12, VERY TENTATIVE, Solomon Islands
Broadcasting Corp., Honiara (very tentative) No audio, but a clear,
weak carrier on this new frequency slowly fading out while Deutsche
Welle, via UK on 9545 increased signal strength 13111.
New 9541.55 0720-0730 03.12, SIBC, Honiara (tentative) weak carrier,
but no audio, QRM Deutsche Welle 9545.
New 9541.55, 1005-1059 02+04.12, SIBC, Honiara (tentative) Tok Pisin
(tentative) talk, 15121. No QRM until CRI started on 9540 *1059. Best
73, (Anker Petersen, Denmark, AOR AR7030 with 28 metres of longwire,
via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD)
Beste mensen, Bij al het middengolfgeweld dat hier elke dag over ons
wordt uitgestort (ja, de frustratie zit diep…), de aloude kortegolf
niet vergeten:
Op de Duitse A-DX lijst veel aandacht voor SIBC (Solomons Islands) die
sinds enige dagen op 9541.5 kHz (of daaromtrent) te horen is. Piek
schijnt rond 1000-1200 UT te zijn.
Maar ook ’s avonds is er nog een dun signaaltje waarneembaar. Daarnet
(1945 UT) met ongeveer O=2. Pop muziek en aankondiging in het Engels
(ben van de taal niet geheel zeker). Geen ID gehoord, dus “tentative“.
Ik heb zelf nog geen tijd gehad om ’s morgens te proberen – dat is een
oefening voor het weekend. Deze frekwentie schijnt de aloude 5019.9 te
vervangen. Ronde frekwenties schijnen ook nu bij SIBC niet hoog te
scoren. Groeten, (Aart Rouw, Bühl, Duitsland, AR7030 + ALA1530 (PNG
kwam net zo goed op Grahn GS2), bdx mailing list via DXLD) date? (gh)
Heeft er iemand dit weekend nog intensief zitten luisteren op 9541.55
kHz daar waar Solomon Isl. zou moeten opduiken. Ik heb diverse keren
geprobeerd maar absoluut niks opgevangen het hele weekend niet. Zo af
en toe zijn de grote jongens rustig op die freq. en dan zou het toch
moeten lukken. Heb 's nachts, 's morgens en 's avonds geprobeerd zowel
tijdens sunrise als sunset maar tot nu toe helemaal niks Groeten
(Johan PE9DX, Dec 7, BDX via DXLD)
Johan, zaterdag voormiddag gehoord. Maar wel aan de zachte kant. Gr
(Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, ibid.)
Hallo Johan, Vorige maandag waren ze ongestoord tussen 10 en 11 UTC.
Deze morgen heb ik ook nog even geprobeerd maar CNR bleef in
uitzending op 9540 kHz. 73, (Guido Schotmans, Belgium, ibid.)
Johan / Maurits, Ook vanmiddag rond 1130 UTC zeer zwak te horen – geen
kans op ID. Na 1200 UTC in het 31m geweld ondergegaan. Schijnt ’s
avonds niet meer aktief te zijn – in elk geval de laatste dagen niet
meer gehoord. Schijnt 1000-1200 UT het beste te gaan (zeggen mijn
Duitse mede DX-ers) Groeten, (Aart Rouw, Germany, ibid.)
Ik heb ergenes gelezen dat het test uitzendingen waren om de zender te
testen; Het vermogen zou nu teruggedraaid zijn wardoor ontvangst vrij
moeilijk is. Tijdens de testen waren ze storingsvrij te horen tussen
1000 en 1100 UT (als de freq 9545 niet bezet is). (Max Van Arnhem,
Netherlands, Dec 7, ibid.)
9541, Solomon Islands, SIBC Honiara. December 4 0640 Pacific music
selections (sounded like some Papuan music, like a slow reggae) and OM
talks, canned announcements, 0647 OM talks "Solomon", 0655 English pop
music, 0700-0702 seems news. Degrading 33433 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec,
Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
7 Dec 08, SIBS Honiara, Guadalcanal, 9541.51 very weak at tune in at
about 0550z, slowly improving. Annoying splash from R Habana Cuba on
9550 but no QRM on the lower side. Good quality audio even though just
above the noise floor. BBC News at 0601z into BBC program about events
of 1968 presented by John Tusa (former director of BBC?). Reception
continued until past 0700, mention of news on the hour in Pidgin and
English (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, Eton E1 with T2FD, dxldyg via DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
Regarding SIBC Honiara and their transmitters on 5020 and 9545 kHz, I
got the following reply below. Quoting: Hi, Our short waves have been
down for few weeks now. One should be back and I think you can get it
on 9545. The other, 5020 should be back this week. Cheers, Walter
Nalangu, SIBC Honiara (Alf Aardal, HCDX Nov 30 via DXLD)
** SPAIN. Surprised to hear news about Spain in Castilian, good signal
on 9690, Dec 3 at 2303, but the audio cut off for several seconds at a
time, came back, off and on again. Finally cut carrier off abruptly at
2306* REE not scheduled here at this time. Per
http://telefonica.net/web2/radioescuchadx/reeb08.pdf
the URL of which somehow carries with it the Netscape logo, it`s only
for the Sephardic broadcast to NAm UT Tuesdays 0415-0445. Tho 9690 is
also used for CRI relays in Chinese and English at 0200-0400.
As soon as I heard 9690 I also checked 9640, 9630 and 9620, but no
sign of REE there, nor during the following few minutes. According to
same schedule, REE is supposed to switch from 9640 to 9620 at 2300,
also switching antenna from N to S America. So I suspect that 9690 was
punched up by mistake instead of 9640. Did find REE on scheduled 9535
at 2310 but much weaker than 9690 had been, and still nothing on 9620.
REE, which is supposed to be on 9640 at 2200, and which was on 9690
past 2300 Dec 3 as in previous report, was instead on 9630 when
checked Sat Dec 6 at 2205 with sports, // 11940. Per Aoki and EiBi,
REE is not using 9630 at all this season, but in HFCC it`s a duplicate
registration with 9640, identical parameters at 19-23, so they can
take their pick any given day. Or possibly it`s one of numerous
weekend variations which make more sense to REE than to anyone else
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [non]. La Pirenaica - RADIO ESPAÑA INDEPENDIENTE
Sobrevivió a Franco - de quien quiso ser Némesis - casi dos años.
Había nacido en Moscú en 1941, apadrinada por la Komintern, cuando la
"Patria del Socialismo" parecía derrumbarse bajo el empuje de los
tanques alemanes de la Operación Barbarroja. Oficialmente se llamó
Radio España Independiente (REI), pero fue conocida con el nombre de
guerra de La Pirenaica, porque sus responsables deseaban sugerir la
máxima cercanía a la España amordazada.
Ése fue uno de los primeros mitos construidos en torno a la legendaria
emisora de radio, pronto convertida en la "voz" más conspicua de la
resistencia antifranquista. Nunca estuvo allí, ni fija, ni móvil,
aunque hubo quien estaba convencido de que la emisora era trasladada
casi a diario de un lugar a otro de la cordillera para burlar a sus
enemigos. No estuvo afincada en otros lugares que en la capital
soviética -salvo unos meses en Ufa, cuando Moscú estuvo en peligro- o
en Bucarest, desde donde emitió a partir de 1955, cuando la "guerra
fría" entraba en su fase gélida. . .
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/Pirenaica/elpepucul/20081203elpepicul_4/Tes
(MANUEL RODRÍGUEZ RIVERO, El País, via José Miguel Romero2, Spain,
dxldyg via DXLD)
** SUDAN [non]. 13800, Dabanga with signal S5 in parallel to 7315 with
signal S9!! With horn of Africa songs ID at 0511 then with news mixed
with short tune in-between news feeds. Mention of Omdurman and Sudan.
Language: local. On 3rd Dec, 7315 had a delay of ca 0.7 sec. On 3rd
with signals S7 (33323) for 13800 // S5 (35334 ) for 7315 but now
13800 had the delay! On 4th with S5, 35343 for 13800 delayed over //
7315 on S9 SINPO 43534 with 1 kHz tone (Zacharias Liangas, 2 3 and 4
Dec, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13800 = Madagascar,
7315 = Germany
** SWEDEN. Is Radio Sweden becoming the new RCI? I noticed this
description of the weekly "Inside Sweden" feature from Radio Sweden:
"Inside Sweden, carried on the national P2 network Fridays as well as
on shortwave, connects Sweden to the world and new immigrants to
Sweden."
Gee, sounds just like the remit of RCI today! (Richard Cuff /
Allentown, PA, Dec 4, International broadcasting / shortwave blog:
http://www.intlradio.blogspot.com Swprograms mailing list via DXLD)
** SYRIA, R. Damasco, 9330, QSL, pennant, sticker, vc, map of Syria,
24 w. for e-report to radiodamasco@yahoo.com v/s Amalia Puga (Artur
Fernández Llorella, Dec 4, Catalonia, Spain, HCDX via DXLD)
** TATARSTAN [non]. Re 8-125: ``15105. V. of Tatarstan, Samara. News
in Russian 0710-0835 (seems it is only on Tuesdays - other times in
Tatar?) on 11/11 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001,
Marconi, Dec Australian DX News via DXLD)``
Did not sign-off at the usual 0800? Probably typo for 0735. Also for
clarification, the Nov 11 log was before the B-08 schedule change
(DXLD 8-118: 0510-0600 on 15105; 0710-0800 on 9860 and 0910-1000 on
11915). Aoki listed Tatar daily for the first 10 minutes of each
broadcast, followed by Russian for the remaining time. Dan Sheedy in
So. Calif. has confirmed reception of the *0710 on 9860, on Nov 23
(Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Dec 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** THAILAND. 9810, R. Thailand, Udon Thani, 1243-1256, Dec 2, English.
News items re Thai king; 14th ..?.. Charter with "10 nations, 1
people" zinger; world news; local TCs & several promos re Thai
tourism. Interestingly, no mention of Thai political unrest; fair
(Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TIBET. 6200, Xizang PBS - Lhasa, 1630-1700, Dec 3, "Holy Tibet"
English program, news (tells number of students attending school,
government money being spent to remodel the monasteries, etc.),
segment "Tourism of Tibet", finally heard with decent audio at their
sign-off: "Okay, that's all for today's program. Hope you had a good
time listening to Holy Tibet program. Also if you have anything to
tell us, you can contact us at: China Tibet People's Broadcasting
Station, No. 41 Beijing [sounded like "Zhonglu"?], zip code 8850
Thank you for joining me", "This is China Tibet Broadcast Company
calling Tibet. Holy Tibet will take you to visit the roof of the
world. Holy Tibet is the window into the world of Tibet". Have updated
the audio file in "Station Sounds" (under Holy Tibet) with today's
sign-off announcement (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg
via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TIBET. 4905, CHINA TIBET. PBS Xizang (Lhasa), 2340-2350, 12/5/2008,
Tibetan. Man talking. Short bridge of oriental music at 2342. Moderate
signal, peaking 2340 - 2345, then declining slowly. Parallel 4920 had
slightly weaker signal bothered by heavy CODAR interference. SINPO
33323 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, TenTec RX-340, Drake R8B, RF Space
SDR-14, Random Wires (90' and 200'), Eavesdropper Dipole, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** TURKEY. Major MW&LW Changes in TRT --- Dear Mr Glenn Hauser, TRT
have been changed since October 13 2008 Medium and Long wave
transmitters as below:
1) Istanbul-Mudanya (MW 1071 kHz) and Erzurum (LW 243 kHz Regional
Programme) have been closed forever.
2) Istanbul-Catalca (MW 702), Izmir (MW 927), Antalya (MW 891) and
Gaziantep (765 kHz) will be on the air between 0400-0800 UT which are
carried Radio 1 Programme.
3) Ankara (LW 180), Denizli (MW 558), Malatya (MW 594), Van (LW 225)
will be on the air 1100-1300 UT which carried are Radio 1 Programme.
4) Cukurova (MW 600), Diyarbakir (MW 1062) and Trabzon (MW 954) will
be on the air 0400-0800 UT which are carried Regional Programme. Kind
regards (Mustafa CANKURT, Dec 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Dear Mr Mustafa Cankurt, Thanks for the info, but I don`t quite
understand. Do you mean that 2, 3, and 4 groups of stations are on the
air ONLY at the times given, or just that the programming carried at
those hours has changed? Thanks, Glenn (to Mustafa Cankurt, via DXLD)
Dear Mr. Glenn Hauser, Thank you for your reply. As you know, before
TRT has used 14 stations, both in MW & LW Bands. Four of them long
wave and ten of medium wave. Those stations have been on the air Radio
1, Radio 4 and some of Regional Programmes between in 0400-2300 UT.
I have new transmission schedules as below. As you see, Mudanya
(Istanbul) on 1017 kHz and Erzurum on 243 kHz transmitters have been
definitely closed. Other stations have been changed transmission times
as are below:
kW kHz UT
RADYO-1
Antalya Aksu 600 MW 891 0400-0800
Gaziantep Ibrahimli 600 MW 765
Istanbul Izzettin - Catalca 1200 MW 702
Izmir Cumaovasi 200 LW 927
Agri Ozanlar 1000 LW 162 1100-1300
Ankara Temelli -Polatli 1200 LW 180
Denizli Asagisamli 600 MW 558
Malatya Yaka 600 MW 594
Van Bardakci 600 LW 225
Cukurova Radio Çukurova Kazanli 300 MW 630 0400-0800
GAP (South East Antolian Project)-
Diyarbakir Radio Diyarbakir Cinar 300 MW 1062 0400-0800
Trabzon Radio Trabzon 300 MW 954 0400-0800
As a summary, two stations have closed, others have shortened their
transmission times and only carried Radio 1 Programme, Cukurova,
Diyarbakir and Trabzon Stations have been carried regional programmes
in shortening transmission times. Hope that I can say what happening.
Sincerely (Mustafa CANKURT, Turkey, Dec 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. TURKEY'S TRT CLAIMS TO BE "ONE OF THE WORLD’S FIVE LARGEST
BROADCAST CORPORATIONS."
"The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), which has
multilingual television programming in the works, has become one of
the world’s five largest broadcast corporations with the introduction
of Internet and radio broadcasts in 30 languages. ... One of the most
interesting languages is Uygur. The language has had no radio
broadcasts in the past, and special permission was obtained from the
Chinese authorities. An overwhelmingly positive response has been
received for the first radio station in Uygur and the accompanying
Internet programming by Uygur Turks. ...
The top four broadcast corporations in terms of multilingual content
are: Voice of America (47 languages), China Radio [International] (45
languages), Voice of Russia (33 languages) and BBC World Service (32
languages). [TRT languages are] Arabic, Albanian, Azeri Turkish,
Bosnian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Dari, English, Farsi, French,
Georgian, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz,
Macedonian, Pashto, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Tatar,
Turkish, Turkmen, Urdu, Uygur and Uzbek." (kimandrewelliott.com via
DXLD)
International broadcasters are more often compared by their number of
broadcast hours per week, rather than their number of languages.
Deutsche Welle also claims 30 languages, and some religious
international broadcasters would claim more. Also, Radio Free Asia has
broadcast for a few years in Uyghur. And RFA certainly did not seek
Chinese permission for those broadcasts. See previous post about same
subject. Posted: 06 Dec 2008 (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.)
** UGANDA. Dunamis Shortwave on 4750 was heard from 1800 to 1904
closedown November 14. Programme consisted of hymns with little
speech, short excerpt from a "hot gospeller" with a congregation.
English announcement prior to 1900, listeners were referred to as
"friends", followed by a short music segments and then closing
announcements in a local language which were gabbled so fast I doubt
even native speakers could follow them. SINPO at 1845 was 23222 and
improving, as was Radio Uganda on 4976 (Arthur Miller, Llandrindod
Wells, Wales, Dec World DX Clube Contact via DXLD)
** UKRAINE. THE BEGINNING OF BROADCASTING IN UKRAINE
Each year, on November 16th, Ukraine marks the Day of the Ukrainian
Radio, Television and Communication. Our listeners are interested in
the history of the Ukrainian Radio. So here is a story about how it
began. We took it from Kharkiv radio amateur’s website.
On that day in 1924, for the first time in Ukraine a radio broadcast
was made – it was a concert. It took place in Kharkiv. Only 70 radio
amateurs heard it. Of course, the staff of the first radio station was
limited. There were no hosts then. So the transmission was started by
a radio technician who opened the program with a usual “Hello”, and
then added three times “This is Kharkiv calling”. With these simple
words radio broadcasting started in Ukraine. Generally, the first
radio concert was sort of a bait for listeners, because it was
followed by propaganda radio news magazines.
The radio station of Kharkiv, the then capital of the Ukrainian
Socialist Republic, was launched practically by a military order and
was placed in the Central Club of the Bolsheviks – now the
Philharmonic Society.
But let’s go back to the events that took place in the 19th century.
Professor of Kharkiv Technological Institute Mykola Pilchikov was a
world’s known scientist who invented distant control of machines by
radio. He created a device that could be tuned to a certain radio
wave. Unfortunately, the results of his experiments and the devices
created by him were lost. But the prominent scientist continued his
research, offering the Chief Engineering Board of the military
department to start a new program of protection of wireless telegraph
devices from the influence of electrical waves of outside origin.
At the Institute’s laboratory Pilchikov equipped an experimental radio
station with a 25 metre antenna and, in 1904, with his own money he
bought a car, on which he mounted necessary equipment. This car became
the first mobile radio station in Russia.
With the advent of Soviet power in Ukraine an order was issued by the
Chairman of All-Ukraine Central Executive Committee Hrihoriy
Petrovskiy and the Head of the Ukrainian government Vlas Chuban to
build a radio station so powerful that its signal could reach other
countries. And it was built. The station started to transmit and
receive messages on the 17-th of January 1921.
However, the most talented Kharkiv’s radio engineers tried hard to
launch Ukraine’s own broadcasting. A special room for mounting a radio
station was given to them at the building of the All-Ukraine Central
Executive Committee. So the first transmission was a meeting of the
committee. A couple of loudspeakers were installed in the street for
people to hear it. On December 1922 the first radio link Kharkiv-
Moscow was arranged.
Although that “applied” radio station amused the pride of the leaders
of the Soviet Ukraine, but it could not serve the major purpose of the
Bolsheviks – that is the carrying out of a countrywide propaganda
campaign. So, the Party began the work on mounting such a radio
station for a wide broadcasting. It was mounted in the two rooms of
the Central Club of the Bolsheviks Party.
The equipment was brought there, and the work started, but the echo of
voices impeded broadcasting. The technicians tried everything to get
rid of the echo. They tried a lot of different methods, but nothing
helped. And finally the pioneers of Ukrainian radio broadcasting found
the right solution. Perhaps, the location of the radio station – on
the grounds of the former racecourse did the trick. They asked the
army commander of Ukraine and Crimea Yegorov permission to take some
horse cloths with which they covered the walls of the radio studio. Of
course, the pungent smell of horses’ sweat was in the room, but, as
good, there was now no echo of voices and musical cords.
Such were the first steps of Ukrainian radio broadcasting. Since then
the 16th of November has been celebrated as the day of the birth of
Ukrainian Radio (Olex Yegorov, RUI Whole World on the Radio Dial Nov
29 via DXLD)
** U A E. 1269 kHz, R. Asia heard at 0039 on 06 Dec with Malayalam
programming and music. Fair sigs here with 200 kW but some seriously
deep fades. This is a station serving the servants in the UAE. Best 73
de (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio G303e, 200m Longwire/
Randomwire, Palstar MW-550P Mediumwave Preselector, HCDX via DXLD)
** U K [non]. 7445, at 2152 Dec 6, as tuned across, heard station in
English mentioning bbcworldservice.com so presumably BBCWS. Yes, this
is another of their fragmented 1-hour transmissions, 21-22, 100 kW
from Meyerton, South Africa, at 330 degrees to W Africa, and also
favoring North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. VOA CALENDAR FEATURES INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTERS
Order or download today --- Washington, D.C., December 5, 2008 - The
Voice of Americas (VOA) 2009 calendar features individual stories and
pictures of international broadcasters who reach millions of people
around the world with news and information.
"Many of VOA's broadcasters have fascinating personal stories, and we
are proud to be able to tell them in our new calendar," said VOA
Director Danforth Austin.
The calendar features broadcasters who are natives of Burma, Haiti,
Afghanistan, Rwanda, Tunisia, Indonesia, Iran, Tibet, Ukraine,
Uzbekistan and Pakistan. [hmm, that makes only 11 --- gh]
Among those profiled is Lina Rozbih, who fled Afghanistan at an early
age after Russia invaded the country. She lived in refugee camps in
Iran before moving to Canada and, eventually, the United States. Today
she anchors VOA's Dari-language TV Ashna broadcast to Afghanistan.
Lwin Htun Than was a student leader in the 1988 uprising against
Burma's ruling government. He fled to neighboring Thailand, and then
to Britain and the United States. Lwin is the head of VOA's Burmese
service.
To request a copy of the 2009 VOA Calendar, please e-mail
lettersuser@voanews.com.
The VOA website also offers a downloadable PDF version
http://www.voanews.com/english/About/2008-11-21-2009-calendar.cfm
Directly:
http://www.voanews.com/english/About/upload/VOA_2009_Calendar_Final_11_08_Layout-1.pdf
Good B&W portraits of 12 VOA broadcasters, and most of them have faces
made for TV, not just radio. O yeah, VOA is TV now as much as
possible. In past, VOA has been stingy about sending paper calendars
to Americans who are paying the bills (gh, DXLD)
** U S A. SMITH-MUNDT WILL BE DISCUSSED ON 13 JANUARY. The Smith-Mundt
Act of 1948: A Discourse to Shape America's Discourse will take place
January 13, 2009 at The Reserve Officer's Association in Washington,
D.C., at the intersection of First Street and Constitution Avenue, NE.
"The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 ... was distorted into a barrier of
engagement. From its propaganda and counter-propaganda intentions, it
transformed into an anti-propaganda law for reasons that had little to
nothing to do with concerns over domestic influence and far removed
from the original intent of the law. The resulting firewall has never
been extensively explored or debated, the effects of which are broad
and deep. The Smith-Mundt Act is believed by some to cover the
activities of the State Department, the Broadcasting Board of
Governors, the Defense Department, the Agency for International
Development, and more. It is time to put the law into its proper
context, especially in today's global information environment." Smith-
Mundt Symposium website http://mountainrunner.us/symposium/about.html
See also mountainrunner.us 07 Dec 2008 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD)
** U S A. Voice of America (VOA): http://www.voanews.com/
The VOA website now offers news in 45 languages and language-variants
(as compared to 53 languages last year). We’ll stick with the main
page, as it’s already in English. The layout of the page has changed
since last year, but remains quite simple. At the top of the page,
beside a VOA logo, is a search box and links to About VOA and Contact
Us; below these is a scrolling Today at VOA news feed. On the left
side are direct links to news in each of the 45 languages, followed by
selectors for five Web Services (Podcasts, RSS News Feeds, Mobile,
Webcasts, and Subscribe E-mail Newsletter).
The main body of the page has tabs to the VOANews.com Home (where we
already are), News, TV & Radio Programs, Learning English, and About
Us. Below these are links to the five Web Services (as above), a drop-
down selector to select from the 45 languages (again, as above), and
tabs that change the language of the subsequent news headlines box
(five headlines, five language choices) but leave the rest of the page
in English.
The next box down features links to Video & Audio: video is in Windows
Media format or via VOA’s YouTube channel, while audio is streamed
live in Real Media and Windows Media formats, with the news also
presented in MP3. Below these are boxes for Special Features, In
Depth, Learning English, and TV/Radio Programs. Finally, at the bottom
of the page you’ll find more VOANews links, many of which simply
repeat what has come above (such as a third set of Web Services
links).
My greatest surprise with this year’s version of the VOA website was
the discovery that beyond the glossy new homepage, everything else
appears unchanged. There’s still some fantastic content, but you have
to dig to find it, and there are numerous examples of duplication of
effort (such as several distinct text-only versions). Hopefully the
VOA site will continue to progress in the coming months/years into
something truly world-class (Paul E Guise, MB, Click!, Dec ODXA
Listening In via DXLD)
** U S A [non]. CVC Miami via Chile, A Sua Voz in Brazilian Portuguese
on 15410, Sat Dec 6 at 2224 in Sem Limites hour of classical music.
Axually there certainly are limits, like 4 minutes max for any single
selexion! I listened to most of the rest of the hour, deeply offended
by the cavalier treatment given the greatest music. Only excerpts are
played, the most recognizable portions. Almost always the DJ talks
over the music at open and close, a sign of gross disrespect, and of
course fades it in and out since degraded attention spans of their
perceived audience must be served and observed. Name of DJ sounds like
José António Sesquim, but axually spelt Ceschin as found on website.
Music included Tchaikovsky`s Capriccio Italien which got a full four
(4!) minutes at 2224-2228 before a 3-minute commercial break. 2241
Dança dos Marineros by Rimsky-Korsakov, marred further by a semiminute
break in transmission; 2245 Assim Falava Zarathustra by R. Strauss got
only 2 minutes, and it was the jazzed-up with drumming version, only
of the opening, godforbid anyone should hear the entire tone poem.
2248 March of the Siamese Children, by Rogers & Hammerstein II. 2256
wrapping up saying would be back tomorrow, so it`s on Sundays too?
(Glenn Hauser, OK, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING via DXLD)
** U S A [and non]. Sometimes the first airing of WORLD OF RADIO on
WRMI, 9955 is UT Wednesday at 0630, but that depends on getting it
ready and downloaded in time. Not so for #1437 Dec 3, but the new
edition did appear at the next opportunity 1230, as checked in
progress at 1240; at first no DentroCuban jamming audible, but then
could hear it building up.
Excuse me if I am a bit peeved at my fellow DX program colleague
Arnaldo Coro Antich who gets no such treatment from the USA; in fact a
DXLD contributor has even been recording his shows and availablizing
them so anyone can listen at their convenience.
WRMI, 9955, again with unscheduled airing of QSO with Ted Randall, UT
Fri Dec 5 at 0734 with antenna commercial, music vamping, and
eventually 0739 resuming interview with Nelson Cosby(?), Michigan ham.
Not sure when this starts or ends or if it`s the entire two hours.
Many nights the MUF is way below 10 MHz, but this date good signal and
no jamming audible. Several other 9 MHz signals also making it.
A bit surprised to hear a DX program in Portuguese on WRMI 9955, UT
Sat Dec 6 at 0634, but after a few minutes there was Jaime Báguena
speaking his usual Castilian; I guess these were segments in the
scheduled La Rosa de Tokio; no jamming at the moment (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA [non]
** U S A. WTJC SPLATTER --- Hi Glenn, Though you and many others have
experienced the audible effects of this, a picture tells a thousand
words. Today I decided to take a look for myself on a spectrum
analyzer. The green trace is WTJC during a period of no modulation;
yellow captures the occupied bandwidth of the peak splatter. It was
really bad today prior to 1900 UT during some music material with a
lot of high frequency content. At 1910 the speech audio from the
programming on the air (Brother Maze) had VERY LITTLE high frequency
energy and the resulting signal wasn't bad at all - I could easily
hear Issoudun in French on 9365 until 1930 when the music came back.
Compare with the excessive sibilance in the speech at 2000 and
concurrent splatter. A little audio low pass filtering ahead of the
transmitter could do wonders. 73, (Rob Peebles, W8LX, Dublin, Ohio,
Dec 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WBCQ is drifting further off 15420, worsening the het with
BBC RSA collision on 15420.0; Dec 5 at 1820 I put WBCQ on about
15420.2-CUSB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 2730 Harmonic, WSBA, York, PA, 1100-1115+, Dec 5, 3rd
harmonic of 910. Located about 25 miles from my location. FOX news at
1100. Local York County news. “News Radio 910 WSBA” IDs. Traffic &
weather reports. Weak in noisy conditions & audio somewhat distorted.
No distortion on fundamental 910. 2nd harmonic not heard (Brian
Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 4517-SSB, Air Force MARS net from Wisconsin, Fri Dec 5 at
1420 apparently starting at 7 am (1300 UT) per mentions, NCS AFF3C the
only call copied for certain, saying he would be missing the morning
and evening nets until Monday night due to family activities.
According to http://usafmars.tripod.com/officials.htm AFF3C is Frank
Miller, Region 3 director a.k.a. AFA3PQ, and here he is:
http://usafmars.tripod.com/PictureGallery/AFA3PQ.htm
But watch out for a Zwinky popup from Tripod. He has pictures on the
wall of his shack showing train and horses; another of a motorcycle
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 1710 kHz, UNITED STATES [French Caribbean Pirate] R. Soleil
Inter, Brockton, MA, 02Dec08 1814 - We Wish You a merry Xmas' bumper,
ID "Radio Soleil International ... [French]…" 'We Wish You a merry
Xmas' bumper. - Recorded - Fair-Good. Additional information provided
by Jeff Lehmann: TIS type antenna located on an old furniture store
building at the corner of Center and Main Streets in Brockton. They
used to be on 1620 until the city of Brockton put a legal TIS station
on that frequency. http://www.radiosoleilinternational.com/
1710, [Spanish Pirate] R. Celestial, Boston area, MA 03Dec08 0026 -
Man in SS preaching with ID "Radio Celestial" - Recorded - Good. Best
de (Chris Black, Cape Cod, N1CP, NRD-515 circa 1982, ABDX via DXLD)
Saul Chernos called to alert me to two strong stations on 1710 kHz
this evening, one a high tone Spanish preacher, and the other a low
tone speaker, language as yet unID. One of the stations is off channel
slightly (Jim Renfrew, NY, 0013 UT Dec 6, IRCA via DXLD)
At 7:30 PM using the ALA Loop toward Boston picking up a woman ranting
and raving about something and man came on and then into Spanish
music. Now at 7:44 PM that station under the other one with a man
talking in unknown language. The first station I got a clip of the
audio (Roy Barstow, Cape Cod MA, ibid.)
I'm now online, and organized after arriving at Burnt River at sunset
and hauling my three wires from underneath crusty ice and snow. One of
the first things I noticed was a Spanish male preacher on 1710, with
frequent words like Hallelujah. I also heard the woman Roy describes
below. The language Jim is not sure about is Radio Soleil, in French.
It's best on 1710.02 and I'm working in USB.
Got a few nice IDs from them on tape and when I get back to Toronto
where I have ethernet I will make this available to anyone who wants
to hear. I have two subsequent tapes of the Spanish preacher,
including content where there may be clues as to its identity. I will
continue to listen as I also tune around the band looking for DX. The
signals are pretty strong, and tonight is the Jewish Sabbath, so
Lubavitcher pirate is off. Tonight - FRIDAY night - is the optimum
time to get these two. And to my knowledge no one has IDed the
Spanish-language station besides noting it is likely in the U.S.
northeast (Saul Chernos, Burnt River ON, 0102 UT Dec 6, IRCA via DXLD)
This is likely the one that Chris Black recently reported, using an ID
of Radio Celestial. And, with a bit of help from Mr. Google, I found
this (mind the wrap, if any):
http://www.inspiracioncelestial.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1022
They're putting in a good signal here tonight... and, although there
is a station about 20 Hz high, I believe this one is about 34 Hz
high. It's a bit hard to sort out who's who, though (Barry McLarnon,
VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.)
Yes, a booming Radio Soleil International ID. I sent a message to this
station a year or so ago and got an e-confirmation. I think I found it
from their web page. They are a legit program that buys time on legal
stations, aside from the 1710 operation (Jim Renfrew, NY, NRC-AM via
DXLD)
1710 - earlier ID by Radio Soleil (later better ID as R. Soleil
Internationale) makes this my second of the two Boston-area Haitian-
French stations, as I've previously IDed Radio Top Inter there.) I
have previously heard a Radio Soleil on 1620, one of two "Haitians"
I've had on 1620). For those of you listening there but further away -
Soleil has been playing Christmas carols and such.
1700 has something there I suspect is one of the Boston-area stations.
I've had one on 1700 awhile ago so not spending much time there (Saul
Chernos, Burnt River ON, UT Dec 6, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD)
If Radio Celestial is from the Bronx, how does it coexist with the
Lubavicher station in Brooklyn? (Neil Kazaross, IL/WI, Dec 5, IRCA via
DXLD)
Good question. Of course, we don't know where the actual transmitter
sites are. Also, keep in mind that groundwave range at that end of
the band isn't very good, and these stations are probably running
only a few hundred Watts or so into inefficient antennas with poor
ground systems. So, at night they launch a pretty good skywave
signal, but probably don't get all that far locally, in the urban
jungle with its high noise levels (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON,
ibid.)
Both of these were into Grafton WI a week ago. I am told that the
Spanish preacher is from the Boston area, 73 KAZ in Calif for a few
days (Neil Kazaross, NRC-AM via DXLD)
Wasn't the Lubavitch station on 1710? Haven't heard them in awhile
here. If Radio Celestial's transmitter is located in the Bronx, they
would be heard easily at my QTH. At least I would think so. 73- Good
DX (Gary Wilt- W2GJW, NRC Webmaster, Wood Ridge, NJ FN20wu, ibid.)
** U S A. WQIZ298 1640 Bedford MA --- I heard it for the first time
this afternoon. I don't know my exact distance from Bedford, but I'd
guess ~15 miles. Signal was weak and often drowned out by QRM, but
when the QRM subsided, the messages were easily copied. This is NOT a
typical TIS because I heard no travel info. The IDs say that it is an
EMERGENCY information station and that it is licensed by the FCC.
There is no emergency at this time, yet the tape loop says that the
station operates 24 hours/day. Some of the announcements are in the
same female robotic voice as you hear on the USWS VHF service. The
content is mostly PSAs about goings on in Bedford and many
announcements give the phone number of the Bedford Public Library,
781-275-9440.
It would be interesting to know what kind of antenna and how much
power this station uses. Also its exact location. I think that if the
station were using a 100' vertical antenna (highly doubtful) with a
standard AM ground (120 1/4 wavelength copper radials), it would
need to run a minimum of 20W on 1640 to get in here as well as it did;
the soil conductivity around here is nothing to write home about. Any
additional info about this station would be welcome (Dan Strassberg,
Dec 4, dan.strassberg @ att.net eFax 1-707-215-6367, NRC-AM via DXLD)
WQIZ298 on 1640 kHz is using a 3 meter whip antenna on a utility pole
at 12 Mudge Way in Bedford running 10 Watts a few hundred feet east of
a baseball field at the corner of Mudge Way and School Way (Paul
Walker, http://www.onairdj.com http://www.realradiousa.com ibid.)
Dan, Looks like this is what you heard. This from the FCC database.
Callsign: WQIZ298 Licensee: Town of Bedford City: Bedford, MA Status:
Active Grant Date: 06/26/2008 Expiration: 06/26/2018. Site: 1 Address:
Town Center 12 Mudge Way. City: Bedford, MA. County: MIDDLESEX
A lot of local jurisdictions use these TIS frequencies for promoting
their local attractions and events (Plymouth MA Chamber of Commerce on
1620 comes to mind), road construction info, and other announcements
to keep the frequencies open for the infrequent actual emergencies.
The Steamship Authority here on the Cape uses 1610 to give directions
and parking information for tourists. Best de (Chris Black, Cape Cod,
ibid.)
** U S A. WWVB READABILITY ON THE US WEST COAST --- Hello Glenn: Your
discussion in WOR 1437 about time/frequency stations prompts me to
forward this e-mail exchange I had recently with NIST staff regarding
WWVB. Some interesting background on the method of signal monitoring.
The rather unscientific "zero beat" of 60 kHz was just a comment on
the signals heard here in Portland; never thought of JJY or MSF as
perhaps receivable here? (KB7WOX, Dec 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Tnx; Would contributors who are also hams please sign messages with
their real full name and real location? I had to look up KB7WOX at
ARRL and find: Zigoy, Edward A, KB7WOX (General), 2960 NW Parkview Ln,
Portland, OR 97229, yet he is addressed as Robert? (gh, DXLD) Viz.:
Michael: Thanks for the update on WWVB's status. I've been monitoring
the readability of the signal to various RCC sites based on this web
page: http://tf.nist.gov/tf-cgi/wwvbmonitor_e.cgi
I noticed the RCC in my Atomix clock paralleled the Santa Clara,
California performance, so I've been using that location as a guide to
current conditions. Since Boulder and Santa Clara are about equal
distance as between Portland OR and Boulder (1500 km). And the
coverage areas for both CA & OR are on the west side of the antenna
pattern.
As an aside, I don't how accurate this may be, but in the past I can
tune my Japan Radio NRD-525 receiver down to 60 kHz and "zero beat"
using USB mode the carrier signal tone to an exact frequency; however
lately I can only "zero beat" the carrier to about 59 to 59.5 kHz. The
NRD 525 has excellent performance down to 100 kHz, so I'm confident on
what I hear is correct. However the radio is 20 years old and so the
circuits are likely ageing and maybe giving me a false reading. Anyway
thanks for considering my input. The WWV stations are a great service
to the nation (KB7WOX to NIST)
Hi Robert, The web site that shows the status is generally helpful,
but there are a few things I should mention. We measure field strength
with relatively simple boxes that contain inexpensive electronics like
you would find in a typical VB alarm clock or wall clock. These boxes
indicate relative field strength, and they also break out the time
code. We derive the readability index from looking at that code. The
boxes have a ferrite bar antenna, about four inches long and highly
directional, that is placed somewhere inside the building. Moving the
antenna can drastically change the results we get.
You'll notice that the readability from Gaithersburg is much stronger
than it is in Santa Clara, even though the system in Gaithersburg is
further away from Colorado. This could be based entirely on the
antenna placement. We sent one of the guys from the WWVB transmitter
site to Gaithersburg, Maryland to find the optimal antenna placement,
but we had someone at the California facility do that for us, so
perhaps the antenna there is in a bad spot or near interference. In
other words, the difference in signal readability between the two
coasts might not be as large as the web site indicates.
There is some potential interference on both coasts from other time
signal stations. MSF transmits on 60 kHz from the UK, and JJY
transmits on 60 kHz from Japan. Our calculations show a small amount
of potential interference from those broadcasts, but it shouldn't
present a large problem.
The NRD is a great radio, but there is probably a problem with your
zero beat test. The frequency as transmitted is controlled very
tightly. It should be within +/- 1E-13 of 60 kHz at all times. Thanks
for writing. Sincerely, (Michael Lombardi, NIST Time and Frequency
Division, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, lombardi @ nist.gov
http://tf.nist.gov via KB7WOX, DXLD)
** U S A. BANNED IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
CBS's broadcast of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, will likely not
be broadcast in Little Rock (and for cable/sat viewers in the Little
Rock DMA) since KTHV will preempt the show for a "taped telethon" for
St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis (show title is "Fighting for Life"
according to my Dish channel guide, and Titan TV). A poster to the
local AVS Forum thread mentioned this, and I confirmed via KTHV's web
site. KTHV had a small "programming notice" that the VSFS would not be
shown, but available on demand via the CBS website.
If the program guides are correct and barring a last minute
programming change, then KASN/KASN-DT won't be picking up the show. A
CW affiliate and previously a UPN affiliate, KASN aired the VSFS in
previous years when KTHV preempted it. This will be the first time
that VSFS won't be broadcast at all in Central Arkansas. However the
following stations in and surrounding Arkansas will carry the
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (tonight, December 3rd at 9pm Central)
WREG 3/DT 28 (3.1) Memphis TN
KOLR 10/DT 52 (10.1) Springfield MO
KFSM 5/DT 18 (5.1) Fort Smith AR
KSLA 12/DT 17 (12.1) Shreveport LA
KNOE 8/DT 7 (8.1--moderate power) Monroe LA
WXVT 15/DT 17 (15.1--no HD, low power) Greenville MS
Once again, central Arkansas gets yet another black eye. How often
must the people of this state have to put up with such paternalistic
nannyism. Why should responsible adults have to suffer because a few
religious right pressure groups catterwall, bitch and moan?
Every CBS affiliate surrounding Little Rock including in mostly
conservative Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville and Eureka Springs being
liberal islands) is airing the show. Even in the Mississippi River
Delta, WXVT is airing the VSFS. Its not like there isn't objectionable
programming in the Little Rock TV market. What about Jerry Springer,
Maury on other stations and even some of the infomericals that KTHV
itself airs? Is the public interest served by KTHV airing infomericals
for dubious products late nights and on weekends?
The author of this blog and many readers will certainly agree that
responsible parents should not let children watch age inappropriate
shows broadcast on TV be it OTA, cable, satellite. Yet, the attitude
is that scantly clad women is somehow evil, but the violence on many
shows gets a pass is a byproduct of the religious right influence in
the South/Midwest.
Or that no one says a damn thing about daytime television (save for
the moaning about The View --- there's actual dialog there instead of
screaming). I don't see the American Family Association ranting about
Jerry Springer or Maury and their sheep sending in cut 'n paste
"Action Alerts" to station managers about the way that Jerry's and
Maury's guests conduct themselves in manners more akin to professional
wrestling and a dive-bar brawl than an actual talk show.
KTHV is conducting censorship, its not "capital C" censorship as there
isn't a State Censorship Board approving content for broadcast in
Arkansas, but the fact that KTHV's management has by fiat decided that
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is somehow some sort of "pornography".
Argue the point that its a business decision, but if it walks like a
duck, and quacks likes a duck its still a duck. A rose by any other
name...
A "business decision" is KATV bumping ABC programming for Razorback
Basketball, censorship is KTHV preempting the VSFS due to content.
Therefore, until further notice I will no longer watch local newscasts
produced by KTHV. Only CBS network programming that KTHV chooses to
broadcast will be watched here. I have no desire to watch Dr Phil.
Ellen, if I choose to watch is also available via KTVE-DT. Posted by
FHP-DXer at 3:40 AM (via -- Fritze H. Prentice Jr, KC5KBV, Star City,
AR, Grid: EM43aw, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I kept an eye on this controversial show; I find it rather amusing the
way the models strut and pout, as if that were attractive (gh, DXLD)
** U S A. 1370, North Carolina logging --- Good evening. WGIV, 1370,
Pineville, NC, 12/2/08, 6:45 pm EST. Locals ads in the 704 area code,
frequent mentions of Charlotte, and finally a stn ID "WGIV the best in
talk and inspiration" Heard on my Honda car radio and my first logging
since they were formerly WLTC (Joe Miller, KJ8O, Troy, MI -- Grid
EN82, NRC-AM via DXLD)
Hmm, methinks they didn't drop power. Powell, what say ye? (Paul B.
Walker, Jr., Ord NE, NRC-AM via DXLD)
As I said over on the other list, this station got a "serious" fine
for not cutting power. It took my friend with a NE Georgia 1370 almost
a year of SCREAMING at the FCC to get Norfolk VA FCC office to do
anything. They got fined, and still afterwards a lot of nights either
didn't power down, or were many hours late. If the FCC would actually
do something about compliance, including stations being off frequency,
which still happens, though not common, the band would be better.
Also, the FCC no longer does anything about audio quality, as long as
it's not splattering all over. They ought to go back to requiring
audio proofs and being correct from studio to transmitter (Powell E.
Way III, W4OPW, ibid.)
Tnx Powell, Paul and Willis, How much ammunition the FCC could have if
they read the postings in this list, hi, hi. I didn't mention the
signal strength in my posting but how does "armchair copy" sound???
Even though it was 4 years ago, I then entered WLTC as a tentative
logging, and now I feel quite comfortable changing it to a definite
logging. 73 de (Joe, KJ8O, Miller, ibid.)
Absolutely no ammunition. They need solid, concrete evidence --- as in
Field Strength readings before they'll investigate over power
violations (Paul Walker, ibid.)
I agree that they need good solid evidence, but they also have to know
where to look (JBM, ibid.)
** VATICAN CITY STATE. Vatican Radio: http://www.vaticanradio.org/ or
http://www.radiovaticana.org/
The Vatican Radio website is now offered in 38 languages, an increase
of four since last year. There haven’t been many other changes in the
past year. We’ll begin by selecting English. The next page has options
for English World, English India, and English Africa, each featuring
more localized content – we’ll stick to the main English page. The
page layout is quite simple, with a Vatican Radio banner logo across
the top, links on the left and right sides, a few items about Vatican
Radio in the centre, and technical links (Webmaster, Credits, Legal
Conditions) at the bottom. Simple and effective.
On the left side, you’ll find several links About Vatican Radio,
including About Us, Schedules, Our programmes, Contact us, Links, RSS
and Podcast, Video live, and Video on demand. Live audio is in Real
Audio or Windows Media format, with five different streams of each.
Audio On Demand is delivered in Real Audio and MP3 formats, while
Features are MP3 only.
Video Live comes in three Quicktime formats: MPEG4, H.264 (each
optimized for three different connection speeds), and Multicast IPv4,
while Video on demand is in an unknown (yet Quicktime compatible)
format that is very slow to load – the most recent content dates from
2005. There’s even an email link to the Vatican Television Centre
(CTV) to order DVDs.
Still on the left, and below these links, are further links to Other
Languages, Other programmes, Help Vatican Radio, and the various
components of the Vatican Web Site.
On the right side of the page, there are numerous media links (some
already mentioned, such as Live and Features), including Professional
Services and my favourite, Radio for Radios. Good to know that’s still
an option.
Further down is a heading for The Pope’s Voice; last year’s links to
Special Services, Music, and Liturgical Programmes appear to have been
removed – that’s a shame, as the music was good. All in all, there’s
an immense amount of material to be found on the Vatican Radio
website. If Roman Catholic content is of interest to you, it’s well
worth a visit (Paul E Guise, MB, Click!, Dec ODXA Listening In via
DXLD)
** VENEZUELA [non]. 6060, R. Nacional 1105-1158* 12/07/08 Via Havana
with interference from unID station on frequency. YL in English gave
election returns and translated another long Chávez speech. OM in
Spanish gave AM frequencies for various cities. S/off ID at 1158
(Bruce Barker, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Still no sign of revived Aló, Presidente via CUBA Sunday morning Dec 7
on usual frequencies after 1400, 1530. His plans for this are probably
well-known in Venezuela, if someone has time to search the press (gh,
DXLD)
** VIETNAM. Voice of Vietnam International (VOV6):
http://www.vov.org.vn/ or http://www.vovnews.vn/
The site loads in Vietnamese, so we’ll begin by clicking on English,
located near the top left, just below the VOVNews graphic. The layout
is typical, with a logo (and advertisement, currently “Advertising
with VOVNEWS”) at the top, links on the left side, news-type items in
the middle, and links to the online streams VOV1, VOV2, VOV3, and VOV6
(in Windows Media format, with an option for Real Media) on the right.
All of these link to a page labeled VOV1 Online, where you must again
select the stream you want before your player will launch;
complicating this, only three of the VOV streams are listed at any
one time, but with enough clicking, you’ll be able to make all four
appear as choices. Below these, still on the right, is News In Brief.
Back on the left side of the main page, there are links to Current
Affairs, Politics, Economics, Society, Culture, Sports, Mailbag, and
Commentary. These same categories are presented in the middle of the
page, each with three stories; the first of each includes a picture
and brief annotation. Each link leads to a page of the same name, and
typically presents about ten stories in detail. Below the links on the
left side are graphic links to feature items, such as Electricity
Conservation and Minority Culture, all of which led back to the main
Vietnamese-language VOV homepage, not to the stories indicated by the
graphic links.
Finally, the top of the centre column features a slim grey menu bar
with links to the Vietnamese version of the site, the VOV main site,
the Homepage, and Media. This last item didn’t appear to work last
year, but now you’ll find a page that’s packed full of colourful icons
linking to a treasure trove of audio and video material. Not all of
the content is in English, but that’s half the fun, right? (Paul E
Guise, MB, Click!, Dec ODXA Listening In via DXLD)
** ZANZIBAR. 11735, RTZ Dole, 1802-1816, Dec 2 [Tue], English/listed
Swahili. Announcer with English news re Thai political crisis; Hillary
& Obama; Chemical Ali sentencing; quick "Spice FM" ID at 1811 followed
by announcer in Swahili with Afropops & Hindi-like music; fair-poor
(Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ZANZIBAR. RTZ, 11735, Friday Dec 5 at 1805, sounds like English as
scheduled, with heavy accent, a few words recognizable, but also
distracted by definite warble on unstable carrier, audible in AM mode
and certainly with BFO on. Off-frequency Brasilian may also have been
in the mix helping to audiblize the warble (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
TANZANIA, 11735, Voice of Tanzania Zanzíbar, Dole, 2008-2012,
escuchada el 5 de diciembre en suahili con emisión de música
folklórica local, se aprecia mala modulación, SINPO 45333 (José Miguel
Romero, Burjasot (Valencia). España, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I`m glad someone else has noticed the bad modulation (gh)
** ZIMBABWE. LISTENING LICENCES IN ZIMBABWE --- ZBH CALLS IN COPS
Wednesday, 03 December 2008
Zimbabwe's cash-strapped state broadcaster has roped in the police to
force listeners and viewers to renew their licences, writes our
correspondent.
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has been running adverts
warning the public that police would launch a door-to-door visit
accompanied by ZBH licence inspectors as it seeks to raise cash.
ZBC spokesman, Sivhukile Simango, said: "There is nothing sinister
about our campaign to have the public renew their licences. We are
quickening the process by involving police.
"Previously, we collected our fees through the post office and later
the police in situations where viewers were penalised for having not
renewed their licences on time." He refused to comment on whether
police will mount roadblocks to force private motorists and commuter
omnibuses to pay for their car radios.
Previously, the ZBC collected their fees from roadblocks but were
later forced off the road after a public outcry. Millions of
Zimbabweans have not renewed their licences in the past as a way of
protesting against poor programming and services by the state
broadcaster.
Television programming is dominated by Chinese content and liberation
struggle films.
Meanwhile, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights' (ACHPR)
legal secretariat has completed its draft decision in the case brought
against the Zimbabwean government challenging provisions of the
draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).
ACHPR Chief Legal Officer, Dr Robert Eno said that a draft decision
had been arrived at on the merits of the case brought against the
government by MISA-Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
and the Independent Journalists Association of Zimbabwe (IJAZ)
challenging a number of sections of AIPPA.
He said the draft decision will now be submitted to the African
Commission for its consideration pending a final decision in the
matter. Details will only be known when the Commission makes its final
decision (via David Pringle-Wood, Dec 4, DXLD)
UNIDENTIFIED. 930 kHz, heard in Arabic with Kor`an talks and singing
at 0110 on 06 Dec. OK signals but a lot of noise and this is where no
station should be in this region of 9 kHz spacing. Wondering if this
is Saudi Holy Koran program shifted down from normal 936 or Pakistan
shifted up from 927? Station still there after daylight here at 0214
but declining rapidly. Any help would be appreciated! Not there when I
checked this evening at 1755. Not there at 0050 on 07 Dec either.
Possibly they found and corrected their error?
An interesting day for DX all around! The 930 kHz log is interesting.
Definitely not a spur, so I presume someone punched up the wrong freqs
on the tx'er, but you would think they would have seen some serious
reflected power by being off-freq. Perhaps that is how they caught
their error. I sure hope thing continue to be quiet job-wise, so I can
continue to DX for the rest of this government-inspired holiday. Best
73 de (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, WinRadio G303e, 200m Longwire/
Randomwire, Palstar MW-550P Mediumwave Preselector, HCDX via DXLD)
UNIDENTIFIED. Announcing the 950 DX Challenge --- Niel Wolfish in
Toronto has been trying to pin down a station on 950 he has heard just
prior to 0600 EST every morning where a woman sings the SSB starting
around 0558 EST and then the station fades into the mud by the time
an ID might happen. I thought I heard a wee bit of this here at Burnt
River ON this morning. Saturday morning it was solid WWJ MI and WIBX
NY so I am tentatively ruling them out. This morning I had WROC NY
separately (with ESPN) and am tentatively ruling them out. Possible
candidates include stations in OH (Niel deems this most likely) and
WV. But who knows...
And that's the basis of this little DX game. For those of you who like
a good mystery, or have reliable 950s to listen to, why not sit on the
channel from 0555 to 0601 EST, [1100 UT], log what you can, and report
it. Who knows. Barry McLarnon in Ottawa did this a week or so ago and
logged a new station - one in MN, nice and far away! Funny enough,
this one doesn't appear to be our candidate, either. So set your
alarms, pour some coffee, and join us as we take on this DX Challenge!
(Saul Chernos, Ont., Dec 7, IRCA via DXLD)
UNIDENTIFIED. 4865.03, 1120-1130 Noted a female talking joined by a
male at 1123 Dec 4. Signal was barely audible over the noise. The
nuance of the speech sounds like Spanish, but can't be sure? Could
this be that elusive shadowy radio station called Logos [BOLIVIA] that
hasn't been heard here in Florida yet? Signal is audibly gone by 1130,
but I can still see it on the scope (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida
USA, WinRadio G305/pd, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. I am receiving AIR Lucknow on 4880 with subcontinent
music; tune-in at 1240z 12/3, with 43344 signals. News at ToH. I'm
really curious about the bubble jammer I'm hearing just below it. I
see that R. Voice of Kurdistan is listed here. Perhaps someone is
jamming RVoK, or someone else? The jammer either faded out quickly, or
it went off at 1300z (Steven Zimmerman, Ulsan, South Korea, Yaesu FT-
817, and a 49m dipole, on roof with twisted-pair feeder and balun,
dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Steven, So this jammer must be the same I heard when received AIR as
per my 02 Dec post, viz.: "4880 Lucknow, 1635-1639, cf. \\ 4910;
23431, QRM de jammer (ZWE against SW R. Africa? If so, it was
unusually strong)."
It certainly didn't sound like as the Zimbabwean one, and the way you
put things, it can't be ZWE. Most likely the target you mentioned.
73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, ibid.)
This 4880 bubble jammer most probably is related to the "numbers lady"
spy station operating at times also on this frequency on USB. ZIM
jammer against SW R Africa used to be totally different kind of sound,
not heard recently anymore. Kurdish clandestine uses portion around
4830-4900 and is jammed by Iranian bubble jammer shifting the
frequency along with its target. I recall SW R Africa is on 4880 only
1700-1900.
[later:] Have to correct myself. The Iranian jammer against V of
Kurdistan in the 60 mb isn't actually "bubble-jammer" but the sound
(hard to describe) like rtty running "empty" rapidly. Hope you get
what I mean. 73 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, ibid.)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6074, Dec 6 at 1400-1401, V/CQ marker de 8GAL lasting a
few sex past 1401, so must have started a few sex past the closing R.
Rossii timesignal. A bit earlier on Dec 7 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6090: Martien Groot "Was wondering if this might
possibly be Oromiya on NF ex 6030" DXLD 8-123. Interesting question. I
think it's too early for them at 0345, but I won't get up earlier to
find it out. But: until not long after 1700 there is a station playing
HOA music there (heard best today, Dec. 3rd, but also traces of that
on previous evenings, definitely off before 1730. At 1800 there is
another station sounding more traditional Arabic than East African,
this one off at 1900. No idea, but don't think either is R. Oromia.
Think I caught "Ertran" during short announcement at 1700. 73 de
(Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, http://www.africalist.de.ms Dec
3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also NIGERIA: Kaduna
UNIDENTIFIED. 6400 kHz - 04/12 2249 UT - Mx folclórica ou hino (não
consegui identificar o idioma), depois anúncio por Om em EE " This is
Country Four, the buddy company in my radio". 33333. Gostaria de saber
se alguém da lista já ouviu, ou pode tentar ouvir para identificar.
73s (Roberto Landolpho, Sony 7600DS, Antena loop coaxial blindada,
dxclube pr yg via DXLD) Presumably he is in Brasil, even Paraná (gh)
UNIDENTIFIED [non]. 7505, 1444, 12/03/08, Vietnamese. Weak, fluttery
talk by a woman in what sounded like Vietnamese. Probably not WRNO,
but then what? EiBi/Aoki show the only other station on this frequency
as being RFA-Burmese, but not till 1630. Poor (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois
D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, USA, Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W
beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I guess: MOLDOVA 7505 YFR at 1400-1600 UT via Grigoriopol site 300kW
116 degrees, Target: 40 Iran, Afghanistan, 41 Pakistan, India,
Bangladesh, 49 SE Asia. Check this: \\ ?? 9585 YFR 1400-1500
Vietnamese 100 kW 225 degrees, Paochung-TWN (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.)
UNIDENTIFIED. 9153, cut numbers in MCW, i.e. spy code on A3/regular AM
mode, with tones like on DXers Unlimited closing, rather than on-and-
off carrier, Dec 5 at 0734, so strong and overloading that first
noticed it in background of WRMI 9955 as receiver-produced cross-
modulation; since it was QSO with Ted Randall, ham show, at first
thought it was deliberate SFX on that. By 0735, just open carrier on
9153. Presumably Cuba (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 9600, weak Dec 3 at 2312 had a tone, which I figured
would be Vatican about to open its Vietnamese service, instead of
running 2.5 minutes of English as they used to do --- but no, the tone
kept on going past 2315, 2321, and no VR IS was heard altho there was
a weaker signal underneath, despite nothing else on schedules. Another
idea: could it be a revival of XEYU, which was always offset around
9599.2 or 9599.3? Hard to tell on my FRG-7, but I think the tone was
on both sides of the carrier, rather than a het from one side. No RHC
yet, nominally from 0000, but has been known to open an hour earlier.
Needs more checking (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Looking for the Observatório Nacional, Rio de Janeiro
timesignals on 9999 --- Dec 3 at 2155 WWVH was dominating 10000, tho
not very strong; it did seem there was a third signal producing
additional tones, but could not pull any voice, which of course
coincides with the WWV announcements just before minute-top. Great
coordination! Not to mention QRMing WWV and WWVH, a much bigger
problem in S America, when a further offset frequency could have been
chosen deliberately, such as 10004.
{Oops, ON is reported to give timechex every 10 seconds, not every
minute, so it shouldn`t take long to ID it when it is not conflicting
with WWV, or WWVH voice announcements; best when neither is intoning
either or running various other service announcements}
10000, zero-beating my BFO on WWV, Dec 5 at 1815, noticed that there
were unusual timesignal tones from something else, and they were a
semi-second off falling between the WWV tix. Could it be the new
Brazilian? Then some of the off-pips missed, came back for a couple at
a time, then gone before I could determine if they were originating on
9999.
15000 had Spanish SSB 2-way at 1445 Dec 2; no timesignals audible at
all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS
++++++++++++++++++++++++
I've not had opportunity to mention this, but I'm always quite
impressed that you pronounce my name correctly on World of Radio. I'd
hazard that maybe 1% of the general population gets it right on the
first try, generally either German-speakers or people who had some
German in school. Best, (Mark Schiefelbein, MO)
I have studied some German, and also the phonetic schemes of many
other languages. I used to be a classical music announcer and wanted
to get the pronunciations right. So naturally I go to the language
origin in question unless otherwise informed, and of course a lot of
people have anglicized their name pronunciations. Glad to know yours
matches. Now I am wondering what your name means. I know Bein, but
neither Google nor I know Schiefel. 73, (Glenn to Mark, via DXLD)
PUBLICATIONS
++++++++++++
ICONS OF TALK: THE MEDIA MOUTHS THAT CHANGED AMERICA
Just wanted to let everyone know about my new book; It's a history of
the talk show genre, with rare photos and individual profiles of 20
influential talkers. It includes both righties and lefties, radio as
well as TV talkers, famous talkers from days gone by and some from the
present. I've long been fascinated by the enduring popularity of talk
shows, whether the "call-in and discuss the outrage of the day" type
or the "comedy monologue and interviews with famous guests" type. The
book contains a very thorough examination of the format from day 1 to
the present. (It took me about 2+ years of research, but it was a
labour of love!) For more information, go here:
http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR4381.aspx
(Btw, since Greenwood Press deals mainly with academia and libraries,
the quoted price is rather high, but I am told they will soon option
the paperback rights and that edition will cost less.) Please
encourage your local or college library to order it, and of course it
makes a wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah gift!!! Donna L. Halper, Asst.
Professor of Communication, Lesley University, Cambridge MA (via
Kittrell Rushing, UTC, DXLD) Viz.:
Icons of Talk --- The Media Mouths That Changed America
Series: Greenwood Icons
Donna L. Halper, 0-313-34381-0/978-0-313-34381-0
Description: Americans love talk shows. In a typical week, more than
13 million Americans listen to Rush Limbaugh, whose syndicated radio
show is carried by about 600 stations. On television, Oprah Winfrey's
syndicated talk show is seen by an estimated 30 million viewers each
week. Talk show hosts like Winfrey and Limbaugh have become iconic
figures, frequently quoted and capable of inspiring intense opinions.
What they say on the air is discussed around the water cooler at work,
or commented about on blogs and fan web sites. Talk show hosts have
helped to make or break political candidates, and their larger-than-
life personalities have earned them millions of fans (as well as more
than a few enemies). Icons of Talk highlights the most groundbreaking
exemplars of the talk show genre, a genre that has had a profound
influence on American life for over 70 years.
Author Information: DONNA L. HALPER is a well-known media historian
with expertise in broadcasting and social history. She has been a
guest on the History Channel, PBS and NPR, and her research has been
quoted in numerous publications. She has spent over 25 years as an
educator and over 30 years as a broadcaster and is the author of three
books, including Invisible Stars: A Social History of Women in
American Broadcasting (2001). List Price: $75.00 Pages: 392
Publication: 11/30/2008. To order, visit http://www.greenwood.com
call 1-800-225-5800, or use this order form:
http://www.greenwood.com/books/printFlyer.aspx?sku=GR4381
(via Halper, ABDX via DXLD)
DX-PEDITIONS
++++++++++++
WINTER HARBOUR DX REPORT NOW AVAILABLE
For those interested, head over to http://www.dxer.ca and locate the
Download section. Under "Manuals and Instructions" there's a
travelogue/DXpedition report that I wrote outlining my trip there last
weekend with Chuck and Lynne Hutton. Lots of interesting pictures to
see, as well as comments on DX possibilities and results. Enjoy! (Walt
Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, Dec 3, IRCA via DXLD)
Report is now in "Field Reports" on DXer.ca
http://tinyurl.com/dxer-field-reports
Yet another wonderful read from Doctor Walter Salmaniw (Colin Newell,
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, ibid.) Scenic but not good for DX
CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
NATIONAL RADIO CLUB CONVENTION REPORT
John Malicky's summary about the 2008 NRC/DXAS 75th anniversary
convention in Pittsburgh in August is now available to read online at
http://www.nrcdxas.org/
I am not an NRC member but am a subscriber to the monthly e-DXN and
its great value for online access at $15 a year. Last month contained
some interesting audio from the convention including the highly
professional AM/FM special event radio station. Old editions of e-DXN
can also be accessed at no extra cost (Mike Terry, England, dxldyg via
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
SITIO EN INGLÉS DEL 15 ENCUENTRO DX
Te esperamos!!!! Glenn Hauser:
http://cuernavaca2009.mi-website.es/15dxmeeting.htm
(Magdiel Cruz Rodríguez, México, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
FEMALE PIONEERS IN AMATEUR RADIO
I just published a long article about Female Pioneers in Amateur
Radio. I have got a number of positive reactions from readers of QTC
(Swedish Radio amateur monthly) where it was published. In my article
the main figure was Barbara Dunn, G6YL, who learnt Braille around 1920
and worked with texts for the blind (she was not blind herself). My
article is in Swedish but there is a lot of interesting material
published on the web about Barbara. 73 and all the best (Ullmar Qvick,
Sweden, Dec 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
+++++++++++++++++++++
HOW TO DX LONGWAVE BEACONS
All EST. All new loggings. 12/3
2021 UFX 260 Lourdes de Joliette QC
2024 YGK 263 Kingston ON
2025 ZMM 266 Montreal QC
2027 YQA 272 Muskuko ON
2028 YHR 276 Harrington Hbr QC
2031 QX 280 Gander NL
2033 UWP 323 Argentia NL
2035 YHN 329 Hornepayne ON
2036 ZOW 344 Ottawa ON
2037 YNT 344 Millinocket ME
2038 YKQ 351 Fort Rupert QC
2242 YTF 253 Alma QC
2255 YLD 336 Chapleau ON
2301 GR 370 Magdeline Islands QC
2306 3B 391 Brockville ON
2309 CBC 415 Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
And at work today I was driving around with the radio off trying to ID
the morse code I was still hearing in my head. Will beacons be the
things that finally drive me crazy? (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT USA, R75,
WTFDA-AM via DXLD)
It's best if you put on big earphones, close your eyes, turn off the
lights, and slowly work your way up the band. Eventually, your entire
brain function will be reduced to dots and dashes. At that point,
imagine that each of the beeps is an alien microlaser targetting your
head, you reach the red zone when a sheer cacaphony of beeps
overwhelms your ability to sort them out. Then your head will explode.
Just don't let that last beep get through and you'll be okay (Jim
Renfrew, NY, ibid.)
Poor Jim. I think we've lost him (Saul Chernos, Ont., ibid.)
Yes, last week after 2 hours of beacon hunting I was losing it. Had to
use the magnifying glass to read the calls and the last 2 stations
could not find on the list or simply didn't exist and nodding off and
on I had to call it a night (Roy Barstow, Cape Cod, ibid.)
RADIO RESTRUCTURING: GROUP PROPOSES MOVING THE AM BROADCAST BAND
Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1634 - December 5, 2008
Here in the USA, a group calling itself the Broadcast Maximization
Committee, has recommended the conversion of all AM stations to
digital broadcasting and their migration to a new spectrum allocation
over an extended period of time. It also proposes relocating the Low
Power FM service to a portion of this spectrum.
In a nutshell, the Broadcast Maximization Committee plan would extend
the current FM band downward to include frequencies 76.1 to 87.7 MHz
with a 100 kHz channel spacing. This would create 117 new channels.
The first eight channels from 87.0 to 87.7 MHz would be reserved for
non commercial use as they would be contiguous to the current non
commercial broadcasting allocation.
The next 100 channels from 77.0 to 86.9 MHz would be used to migrate
AM stations to the proposed FM new extended band channels, where they
would operate in digital mode. One channel at 76.9 MHz would be set
aside for NOAA and other government use nationwide. The last eight
channels from 76.1 to 76.8 MHz would be for Low Power FM use. Lastly,
the vacated AM band from 540 to 1700 kHz) would open up for multiple
uses including an improved AM broadcast service.
While the policies, standards and priorities for an AM migration would
need to be developed, the Broadcast Maximization Committee has offered
a technical plan to show that its proposal is possible and to
encourage further discussions. What the group has not addressed is
what to do about the tens of millions of people who want to listen to
AM radio the way it is on a $5 radio that anyone can afford to own
(RW, BE, others via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD)
MicroDXpedition logs
One last decent morning before the weather turns cold for a while, so
I made time for a short trip out to the country.
Location: Bois D' Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, USA
Equipment: Eton E1, ~1000 ft E-W beverage at ground level
(Mark Schiefelbein, Dec 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Mark, Tnx for the good logs. I am a bit intrigued by your using a
kilofoot beverage for these, as such an antenna would be most
desirable for MW. Are you also DXing MW with it? Do you find that it
really helps on SW to have an antenna that long? Maybe on 90m, but the
higher frequencies? Of course, if you have it permanently installed,
may as well use it, but if not, is it worth it to reel out that much
for a few hours of SW monitoring? 73, (Glenn to Mark, via DXLD)
Glenn -- I have to admit I'm not much of an expert when it comes to
beverage/antenna theory. I came into a length of insulated wire
several hundred yards long through a good friend, and rather than cut
it down I decided to start by leaving it as is. I reel it out onto a
mowed grass boundary path, and when it's time to go I can walk out and
crank it up in about 15 minutes. So the long length isn't much extra
hassle.
My one concern with using that much wire was that reception might be
more directional than I would want, but so far that doesn't seem to be
the case, as I've pulled in signals from weaker stations on azimuths
both roughly parallel (e.g., R Central) and perpendicular (RWM) to the
antenna. I've scoped out a site where I could run the antenna N-S
instead of E-W, and I may try that on one of my visits and compare
notes. I should note that unlike a "true" beverage, it's unterminated.
From what I gather that mostly helps increase directivity, when I want
the opposite.
The biggest benefit I've noticed, aside from the gain on weak signals,
is the big reduction in fading compared to my antennas at home. Except
for transpolar flutter, shortwave signals are usually quite stable.
Could I get that same benefit with a wire half as long? One-third? I
can't say.
I was aware also that beverages are considered a "low-band" antenna,
but I've been pleasantly surprised how well it does on higher
frequencies. Galei Zahal on 15785 seems to be a pretty regular visitor
in the mornings, and a lot of the European stations on 16/13m can be
heard well if propagation is open. I don't know if that much wire
helps on the higher frequencies, but certainly doesn't seem to hurt.
SW is my main interest, so that's been my focus on visits so far. One
of these times I'm going to try a MW bandscan, but so far there's been
too much interesting stuff on the shortwave spectrum to keep me busy.
I've tried a couple times to check for 774 JOUB and gotten a carrier,
but never any audio. Whether that's because I'm checking at the wrong
time, or poor conditions, or because my antenna actually isn't that
great for trans-Pacific DX, I'm not sure (Mark Schiefelbein, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
So you are using the same approach, so to speak, as I do, Mark. Just
compare it against an inverted L of, say, 20 m or even longer, and
you'll quickly find out you should keep the Beverage, terminated or
unterminated! I don't understand why many think Beverages cannot be
used, or are useless on HF. I'm pretty happy with mine, and would be
l o s t without them!
I too use my unterminated Beverages for HF up to 12/13 MHz, and
sometimes even 15 or 17 MHz (R. Cultura in Brasil 17815 is a pretty
good example)!
My 2nd longest one is nearly the size of yours, 270 m, beamed 144º/
CeAfr-SoAfrica. The others are 300 m/225º ESAm, 200 m/Central Am. The
4th one is what I call mini-Beverage as it's just around 80 m, beamed
300º/NAm. This Summer, I erected another wire, an experimental one,
possibly 30-40 m long/180º; this is particularly useful for those
tiny UK stations.
Of course, being unterminated, they work "over the shoulder", but this
concept is not entirely true. My experience tells me they can pull a
little more signal from the opposite end of the transformer. But,
yes, my Central American Beverage can be used for instance for those
VL8A, T & K stations.
In some circumstances, depending on the angle of arrival, best
reception is via the roughly N~S aligned 45 m inverted V, which seems
to work best for Asian signals (along with the on the ground K9AY),
not Central America. Besides, it's far too noisier than any of the
Beverages, from the mini versions to the longer ones.
On MW, particularly during daytime, both the Bevs. & the K9AY are
used. After dark, my TA DXing is, believe it not, 90% via the K9AY,
one of the reasons being this is a quiet antenna; the other is related
to the fact that the Bevs. are not terminated, so they get too much
junk from the back.
One last detail: you should raise the antenna at least to 1.5 m above
ground. This will reduce the impedance and enhance signal pick up,
and reduce hiss noise when it rains. You don't say whether you're
using a transformer for your 300 m Beverage: are you? If not the case,
then allow me to say you should. Do install others, if you can! You
won't regret it 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, ibid.)
DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: GERMANY; NIGERIA; POLAND
++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC: see also OKLAHOMA
DETROIT FULL OF IBOC
Here are some loggings from a recent visit to Dearborn, MI. IBOC crud
is everywhere. WRDT-560, WJR-760, WWJ-950, WFDF-910, WDFN-1130, WXYT-
1270, and even a graveyarder WEXL-1340. If I'm not mistaken Detroit
has the most IBOC stations of any market as they try to push this
failed technology in the auto industry. Will the suits at Ibiquity go
to Congress to ask for a bailout? (Mike Brooker, Toronto, Ont., Dec 6,
IRCA via DXLD)
DTV QUESTIONS
Long informative thread on how remapping worx, basic understanding:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ABDX/messages/34327?threaded=1&m=e&var=1&tidx=1
(ABDX via gh, DXLD)
PROPAGATION
+++++++++++
Daytime MW DX --- WHAS 840 Louisville KY and XEN 690 Mexico City, both
at about 1:30 pm to central Texas (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, 1930 UT Dec 3,
ABDX via DXLD)
December 3, 2008 noontime (Central) bandscan. Location: Star City AR
at home. Equipment: Yaesu FT 897D with 75m/20m fan inverted vee, apex
at 30 ft. Times given are UTC/GMT [local time: UT-6 (during winter)]
1748, WBAP 820 Fort Worth, very weak fading in and out
1752, unid 570 likely KLIF Dallas with talk, too weak to understand,
fading.
1753, WWL 870 New Orleans, carrier audible just above the noise level.
1756, unid 940 weak talk
1758, unid 980 mixture of two stations: one talk, and the other an ad
1759, WDIA 1070 Memphis, S8 signal level. Usually inaudible during the
summer.
1800, unid 1120 religious programming, certainly not St Louis's KMOX
1801, KVCE 1160 Highland Park, TX (suburban Dallas)FOX News radio
news, with local news break
1808, KFAQ (ex KVOO) 1170 Tulsa with Bill O'Reilly
1809, unid 1180 talk
1809, unid 1190 talk
1810, WOAI 1200 San Antonio, its certainly close to winter when those
guys are heard at noon this far north. "Rush Limbaugh" with sub
host.
1812, unid 1240 (NOT KWAK) with "Jim Rome Show"
1814, unid 1290 with southern gospel
1816, KFFA 1360 Helena, AR -- WEAK GROUNDWAVE with King Biscuit Flour
Time (local blues show aired for decades). Pre recorded show has
low audio level and barely gets out from all the noise [seems to
me the King Biscuit Flour Hour is/was widely syndicated – gh]
1822, KXTR 1660 Kansas City, KS. Opera movement, and S9 signal level.
Very listenable with the DSP and wide AM filter selected,
stronger than some neighboring "locals".
Noise levels with the computers, heat pump etc make hearing the weak
ones hard (Fritze H. Prentice Jr, KC5KBV, Star City, AR, Grid: EM43aw,
http://tvdxseark.blogspot.com WTFDA-AM via DXLD)
LONGWAVE DX IN MID-AMERICA
Hello Glenn -- Coming across 162 France [q.v.] by accident set me to
wondering. Is there normally the possibility of trans-Atlantic (or
trans-Pacific) longwave reception from this part of the country, or is
this pretty freak occurrence? Really, I'd almost never done a bandscan
below 500kHz before tonight. I always assumed that unless one lived on
a North American coast, there wasn't going to be much there other than
some beacons. I figured if anyone was aware of inland transcontinental
longwave DX in the past, it would be you (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
Hi Mark, There has been quite a lot of LWBC DX reported from inland
lately. Conditions have been very good, but I think that there is
usually something to be heard. I guess you are not in contact with
Randy Stewart in Springfield who does a lot of MW, and I think LW
DXing. (Works at KSMU). The FE LW BC stations make it to the west
coast quite reliably, tho I don`t see reports of them much this far
east. But trans-Atlantics, yes (Glenn to Mark, via DXLD) See also
RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
LONG HAUL TRANS-EQUATORIAL FM DX, CARIBBEAN TO SOUTHERN BRASIL
[tho frequency comes first, these are in date and time order, by UT;
with ITU country codes, SINPOs]
96.7, 1/12 2348 VCT Nice FM, Kingstown, mx caribenha, EE 45333
107.5, 1/12 0018 VCT NBC, Kingstown, mx caribenha, EE 25332
92.7, 1/12 0024 JMC Fame FM, Coopers Hill, mx pop EE, OM, EE 35333
92.7, 2/12 0154 JMC Fame FM, Coopers Hill, mx pop EE, EE 35333
97.0, 5/12 2352 GDL RFO, Basse-Terre, OM, nxs, FF 33343
97.1, 5/12 2353 ATG ZDK - Liberty Radio International, Saint John's,
mx caribenha, EE 45344
97.3, 5/12 2356 LCA Radio Saint Lucia, Castries, mx country, EE
43333
98.1, 5/12 2357 BRB Liberty FM, Bridgetwon, OM/OM, talks, EE, melhor
sinal em 97.97 MHz, devido interferência 43343
99.9, 5/12 0001 VCT WE FM, Kingstown, OM, mx caribenha, id YL, EE
44333
102.7, 5/12 0003 ?? Unid (ZJF Radio - ATG??), mx pop EE, EE 45344
103.7, 5/12 0011 VCT Hitz FM, Kingstown, mx caribenha, OM, EE 45333
105.7, 5/12 0014 VCT Praise FM, Kingstown, mx gospel c/ coral, relg,
EE // 95.7 MHz 44333
95.7, 5/12 0015 VCT Praise FM, Kingstown, mx gospel c/ coral, relg,
OM, EE 35333
95.5, 5/12 0034 ?? Unid, mx caribenha, EE 33333
(Rubens Ferraz Pedroso, Bandeirantes/PR, dxclubepr yg via DXLD) ###