DX LISTENING DIGEST 10-28, July 14, 2010 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2010 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1521 HEADLINES: *DX and station news from Australia, China, Cuba, Diego Garcia, France, Guinea, Indonesia, Kuwait *Many new frequencies from Libya, including English *Malaysia, Myanmar, Oklahoma, Peru *Spain cuts newscasts on weekends *Sweden opening MW to community and commercial radio *Ukraine`s English schedule *BBC Proms start July 16 on Radio 3 *`PsyOps`` terminology is out SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1521, July 14-20, 2010 Wed 1530 WRMI 9955 Wed 1900 WBCQ 7415 Thu 1500 WRMI 9955 Thu 1900 WBCQ 7415 Thu 2100 WRMI 9955 Fri 0330 WWRB 3185 Fri 1430 WRMI 9955 Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Sat 0800 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 9515 [second, fourth, fifth Saturdays, maybe] Sat 1630 WWCR2 12160 Sat 1730 WRMI 9955 Sat 1800 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 7290 Sun 0230 WWCR3 4840 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1515 WRMI 9955 Sun 1730 WRMI 9955 Sun 2330 WWCR4 9980 Tue 1530 WRMI 9955 Tue 1900 WBCQ 7415 Tue 2230 WRMI 9955 Wed 0030 WRMI 9955 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://193.42.152.193/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/wrn-listeners/world-of-radio/ http://www.wrn.org/listeners/world-of-radio/rss/08:00:00UTC/English/541 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ALASKA. Nice to hear KNLS back at very strong strength, in English, Chinese and Russian. 7355, 1201-, KNLS, Jul 8, Finally back! Excellent reception with English. Overview of upcoming hour, and then into Lady Gaga and Beoncé. 9920, 1344-, KNLS, Jul 8. Excellent reception in Chinese, but with a frequent click noted. I don't think this is coming from my end as all my antennae are affected by this clicking. Apparently a story about Canada's abortion laws. At 1358 gave a URL as http://www.smzg.org and then 'Bye, Bye'. I could hear FEBC Manila underneath [FEBC is supposed to be finished with 9920 at 1300 --- gh]. Retuned to 7355 [at 1400-] to hear them again at excellent level, and this time without any apparent clicking, with their IS and into Chinese again. Same www given as last hour. 11765, 1700-, KNLS (not), Jul 7. Despite information from the station, I heard neither the English broadcast at 1200 nor the Russian broadcast at 1700, so I guess they're still having issues to work out before the newer transmitter returns to the air. 11870, 1148-, KNLS, Jul 9. Chinese here at excellent strength. Sign- off announcements at 1154. Transmitter cut just before 1200, and switched to 7355 a few seconds later with IS and 'This is Alaska calling, The United States of America'. Also excellent. Lucy Grant host for this Friday edition. Broadcasting from the top of the world - -- Rob Scobey is the cohost. Coast guard station from Kodiak and DX Corner to be presented (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Walt Salmaniw found out from KNLS that both transmitters were off the air as of July 6, but one of them was supposed to resume on July 7. He heard nothing that date, tho. Don`t know about July 8, but July 9 at 1240, 7355 is weakly audible with typical KNLS programming, pop music probably gospel rock; 1243 YL in English mentions Norway, then OM interviewing YL but too poor to copy in QRN, QSB. Anyhow, KNLS` only surviving English broadcast at 12-13 is back, tho admittedly reruns thru July. 7355, KNLS English much better than the day before; July 10 at 1255 ID, ``The New Life Station`` and Rob Scobey giving schedule of four English broadcasts including 1400 on 11765, gospel rock filling out the hour. Not only are the July shows repeats on same day of week as originally, but unmodified to include full English schedule which is currently imaginary. BTW, WYFR is ``The Sound of the New Life``; someone should trademark ``New Life`` to avoid confusion and stymie the competition. 9920, July 10 at 1355, disco-beat rocker YL, resembling Lady Ga Ga, but surely not, since at 1357 Mandarin announcement, something-GBT ID, then 1358 giveaway KNLS theme ditty, OC until 1359:33* and KNLS is scheduled 13-14 in Chinese on 9920, so that`s where the one funxional transmitter goes after 7355 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, I did hear Lady Ga Ga (announced as such) from KNLS, so they play even this type of music there, so your ears were likely not deceiving you! 73s, (Walt Salmaniw, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, I now see you reported her July 8; is she bona fide Christian? Are her lyrix pure? (gh) ** ANTARCTICA. 15476, 1349-, LRA36, Jul 8. Good/very good reception this morning again with lively Spanish music. Usual deep fades. 15476, 1318-, LRA36, Jul 9. No sign of them this morning (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Alguém tem sintonizado essa emissora? No informativo do Glenn há diversos reportes de recepção entre as 13 e 14 UT. Por aqui tenho tentado sem sucesso. Eu gostaria de tentar um QSL pois só ouvi uma única oportunidade junto com o Renato Uliana em SP no ano passado. 73s (Sarmento Campos, Brasil, July 12, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 15476, no trace of a carrier Monday July 12 at 1338 or 1413; wonder if anyone else had LRA36 or if they were truly missing (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No trace on the Perseus here this morning when checked c. 1215. I have yet to hear LRA36 this season despite diligent listening and throwing some fairly HD hardware at the problem. So far the days I see the trace exactly matches your detections and receptions, Glenn. One skip further North though and the signal is just not making it. Historically they used to fade up to quite good on better days, but not till after 1900Z, and that of course, is not an option at the moment (Tony (VE3NO) Ward, 60 km NE of Toronto ON, July 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15476, LRA36, at 1409 checked on July 14, with no carrier heard. About average reception conditions (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nor here (gh) ** ARGENTINA [and non]. El popular locutor y animador Hugo Guerrero Marthineitz, conocido en algún momento como "el peruano parlanchín", se encuentra internado desde la noche del jueves en un neuropsiquiátrico de la zona de Belgrano R. Hasta allí llegó en delicado estado de salud, con muy poco peso, motivo por el cual desde su llegada los profesionales de la institución están dedicados a la recuperación de su débil estado físico. Hace algunos años, a partir de algunos reportajes que concedió, se supo que Guerrero Marthineitz no tenía trabajo, que vivía en un pequeño departamento, luego en una pensión y, en los ultimos meses, en más de una oportunidad dormía en un sofá, ubicado en un pasillo de Radio Rivadavia. A esa emisora había llegado el año pasado (tras conocerse la noticia de que había sido desalojado de su departamento) para realizar una columna en el programa de Mauro Viale. Pero, según algunos trascendidos que circularon en estas semanas, no le habrían pagado por sus participaciones en el micrófono e incluso se hablaba de que había sido maltratado. Lo real es que el profesional del micrófono, peruano de nacimiento, que impuso los silencios en radio, el de la risa tan particular y el que acuñó el eslogan: "otro más que clavó la sintonía en este dial" y que en la televisión estableció el ciclo A solas, está atravesando un duro momento de salud (La Nacion via condiglist yg via DXLD) Noticia muy penosa. Marthineitz creó un estilo en locución, ha sido uno de los referentes en las décadas de los años '70 y '80 y hoy cuesta creer que haya terminado así. Nunca olvidaré su programa "El Show del Minuto" por Radio Belgrano, subido en la azotea de mi edificio debajo del tanque de agua, con la Sony ICF-5900 W mientras tomaba sol... Fue el pionero de las charlas con los oyentes al aire, con él la radio comenzó a ser la voz de la audiencia!. ¿Quieren saber anécdotas increíbles de Don Hugo? Entren a http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:s0fYbGf_pTIJ:www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp%3Fnota_id%3D213225+hugo+guerrero+marthineitz+biografia&cd=1&hl=es&ct=clnk&gl=ar Ojalá se reponga el querido negro peruano y pueda seguir hablándonos a través de los micrófonos (Rubén G. Margenet, Argentina, ibid.) Recuerdo su pasaje por la radio uruguaya cuando vino un tiempo haciendo un programa de su clase en la CX44. No olvido más su análisis sobre el nombre de un conocido auspiciante, Tienda Angenscheidt, una de las primeras tiendas por secciones en Uruguay. ("department stores" le llaman en EE.UU.). Los uruguayos le llamamos a la tienda, --que ya no existe más (se fue con el declinar comercial de la Av. 18 de Julio - principal de la ciudad de Montevideo - devorada por los enclaves de Shoppings extramuros)- - sin respetar ninguna pronunciación de la lengua germana, 'an gen shei'. Don Hugo, decía que la pronunciación correcta debiera ser An-gen jaidt'. Y que su apellido debería leerse 'mar-tin jaitz'. Por cierto que en todos lados le llamaron 'Mar-tin eiz' (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, condiglist yg via DXLD) Recuerdo que hace unos 10 ó 12 años atrás, lo conocí en un programa de TV a través del cable, no recuerdo el canal. Era un gran conversador, con un estilo único, acompañado de una radio cassette, donde reproducía los saludos y comentarios de sus televidentes. Siempre acompañado de algún libro del cual leía algunos pasajes y hacía sus apreciaciones. Recuerdo que en uno de los programas mencionó su paso por Chile donde conoció a grandes personajes del teatro y la radio de aquellos años, creo que eran los años 50. Qué lástima que un personaje como él esté en esta situación, Dios quiera que se recupere pronto (Rubén González, ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. 2368.5, 1253-, Radio Symban, Sydney, Jul 9. Very good reception this morning compared to the past few days. Radio Fly, on the other hand still weaker than late June. 2368.5, 1319-, Radio Symban, Sydney, Jul 10. MW conditions this morning were totally DU, so it stands to reason that Radio Symban would be a good performer this morning, and it was! Good to very good reception with the usual great Greek music (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2368.5, Radio Symban, Peats Ridge, NSW at 1132, listening in USB heard weak audio, including Greek-style flute music. Various re-checks and at 1203 it was a bit stronger, with singing, but still barely audible. Very poor, July 13 (Sellers-BC) 2485, ABC Katherine at 1125, woman DJ, pop music, time check, ID, 1130 news. Fair, 2310 was fair, 2325 apparently off the air, July 13 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Eton E1, Sony AN1 active antenna, listening mobile by the lake, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. VIDEO: A CHAT WITH PETER HOMFRAY Jonathan Marks has just finished producing a superb video interviewing Peter Homfrey, former Managing Director of Radio Australia. In the interview, which occurred in 2004, Peter initially talks about his early military life. The second half of the video is devoted to his working involvement with Radio Australia & discusses such topics as the Christmas Island SW relay station that never was & the snubbing by former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Jonathan includes some imagery of the areas discussed & incorporates usage of Google Earth indicating areas of Peter’s travels. Peter is revealed as a fascinating gentleman & I found the entire video engrossing & enjoyable. I highly recommend it to all members. Video length is around 35 minutes from memory. You can find the video here: http://www.vimeo.com/13249732 (Ian Baxter, Shortwavesites Yahoo Group Owner, via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 7140, RA, 1359, July 10. Occasionally still hearing what must be a spur. Waltzing Matilda; weak; // 7240 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RA on new 9500 for English and Chinese, ex-9475. I wonder if they finally had enough of the 4-kHz het from WTWW 9479? (Tho missing for hours on July 8, 9479 was back on at 2217 check.) WTWW said it had surprisingly good reports from E Asia during its test phase. July 9 at 1251 Late Nite Live discussion of technology on 9500, weaker than // 9560, 9580, 9590, but nothing detectable on 9475 aside WTWW. At 1304, 9500 had switched to Chinese, which was what used to happen on 9475, vacant. 1402, 9500 RA Chinese still audible in the clear. Per Aoki, 9500 was already in use by RA Shepparton but only at 19-22. Tho RA was on 9500 instead of 9475 as I reported July 9, on July 10 it was back on 9475: at 1259, telltale het of 4 kHz against superstrong WTWW 9479, nothing on 9500, and could make out Chinese at 1300 on 9475. 1404 still nothing on 9500, something on 9475. So was 9500 a mistake or a test? Another check to see what RA is doing with 9500 and 9475, July 11: at 1241, nothing on 9500, and too much WTWW 9479 splash to detect RA on 9475, but presumably still back there (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15240, 0519-, Radio Australia, Jul 12. Excellent reception with 100 kW beamed 30 degrees in English with Australian politics. Parallel 15160, also from Shepparton, but at 65 degree beam with 100 kW, only fair level. 13690 at excellent level from Shepparton at 353 deg beam and 100 kW. Another very strong channel is 13630 again from Shepparton with 100 kW beamed 50 degrees. Finally, there's 17750 at fair level from Shepparton at 100 kW, 329 deg beam (this one at 0535). A lot of frequencies! Australia obviously takes SW seriously (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AZERBAIJAN. CAUCASUS: No re-timed broadcast of Voice of Justice from ex 1500 to now 1300 UT as in WRTH Update. Please see Passport TWBR 2006 blue pages on 9677 kHz - there is 1400-1430 Winter and 1300- 1330 Summer (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BENIN. 1566, 0525-, TWR, Jul 9. Nick Hall-Patch mentioned hearing a carrier on 1566 during the summer that must be TWR Benin. Sure enough, I see the carrier and hear it weakly, but way too weak for any audio. Only seen on my QDFA which is aimed towards Europe and Africa. At the same time, my South Pacific aimed Wellbrook array sees a weak carrier on RFO Tahiti on 738. Nothing else noted (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 6134.8, 13/7 0000, R. Santa Cruz, Bolivia, commercials, songs, fair (better in LSB) (Giampiero Bernardini, RX: AOR 7030 -Ant. T2FD (folded dipole) 15 m. long, QTH Milano, Italia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 5990, R. Senado, Parque do Rodeador DF, 0912-..., 04 Jul'10, songs; 25432. I looked for this one later in the evening, but all I could get was some noise as if indicating some transmitter malfunction, and it went on during the following days. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Many more Brazilian and other logs from Carlos in dxldyg 5990, Radio Senado, Brasília, 2120-2200*, 06-07, locutora, comentarios: "Senado Federal", "Em Brasilia, 6 horas 26 minutos", locutor, a las 2200 despedida y cierre emisiones: "A Rádio Senado finaliza agora as suas transmissões em ondas curtas". 44444 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Escuchas realizadas en Reinante, costa del Mar Cantábrico, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, antena de cable, 10 metros, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Manuel`s full log reports appear in the dxldyg ** BRAZIL. 6059.90v, Súper Rádio Deus é Amor/R. Tupi (presumed), 0208, July 9. Cuba off the air (nice!); religious programming; ID and frequency given at 0256, but unable to make it out; after 0300 had wailing David Miranda with his shouting IPDA programming and began to be // 6019.2 (R. Victoria); even without Cuba reception was poor and noted a slight drift in frequency (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Alguns ouvintes tem confundindo nossa estação com a outra de nome Yellow Radio por transmitir próximo dos 8005 kHz da Radio Yellow; nós não somos a mesma radio. Agradecemos a todos os escutas Brasil a fora mesmo com a propagação muito ruim estamos firme e forte em prol das ondas curtas e vamos dizer não ao PLC e outras fontes de ruido um forte 73 a todos (CidadeOldies SW Radio, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 9645.343, 0339-, Radio Bandeirantes, São Paulo, Jul 6. Good reception on this off-frequency channel in Portuguese. Bandeirantes heard. Can also hear them weakly under Dr. Gene Scott on 6090 (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. 17735, 1816-, RCI, July 11, Good reception in English to Africa. Noted UK (Skelton) relays on 11765 and 17810 at poor level in //. Maple Leaf Mailbag. Don't recognize the host, as it's been a few years since I regularly listened to RCI. Unfortunately, I suspect their audience has dropped 90% since all the ill thought-of changes were made. Nothing terribly interesting to listen to anymore. Sad! (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. 7220, R. Centrafrique, Bimbo, 1022-1315, 03 Jul'10, Vernacular, folk music, ..., French, news at 1300 when their signal was already very poor; 25432. They were noted on at 1915. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 6185, China Huayi BC, 1225-1300*, July 12. In the recent past this had a rigid format: 1200-1230 all talk; 1230-1300* non-stop music. Now is a mixture of both; traditional Chinese music and some talking; almost fair; pips and off the air with no sign off announcement (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. 7270. PBS Nei Menggu continues to be absent, giving Wai FM (Malaysia) a chance for some decent reception (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, July 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7270. PBS Nei Menggu, 1208, July 14. Has returned again with a good signal; // 6040 and 9750; QRM from very faint Wai FM underneath. Was great fun to be able to clearly hear Wai FM/Limbang FM (Sarawak) during their absence. Aoki’s list confirms my observation that PBS Nei Menggu went off the air here on July 8 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Firedrake July 9: 8400, poor at 1241 9040, fair-good at 1248; poor at 1318; JBA at 1428; ex-9000? 9380, good at 1249 vs WWRB BSplatter from 9385; poor at 1318 None higher in scans to 19 MHz by 1318; CNR1 jammers on 15285 and 15265 with het weaker than usual. Generally poor propagation on higher bands, no Antarctica. Firedrake July 10: 9380, good at 1245 before WWRB 9385 was problematic. Nothing on 9040, 9000 or 8400 at 1245. 14970, good at 1314. None others found up to 19 MHz. CNR1 jamming: 15430, July 10 at 1346 CNR1 alone, M&W conversation with some laughs, // 15265. V. of Tibet frequency at 1330-1400 via UAE, per Aoki. 15530, July 10 at 1345 poor with motorboating but V. of Tibet target via Uzbekistan inaudible; 15530 audio // 15285 under BBC, and 15265 with het. Firedrake July 11: 9380, good at 1242 before WWRB was on 9385 10500, fair at 1324 13970, fair at 1252; gone at 1320 15140, very poor at 1254 no others heard up to 18 MHz by 1257 17515, CNR1 hard-sell Chinese talk, July 11 at 1309. What do you know, not scheduled here per HFCC, just BBC Uzbek, 250 kW, 57 degrees from Cyprus. CNR1 is of course really a jammer, ChiCom interfering in the internal affairs of Uzbekistan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9380, Firedrake, 1030-1045 July 12. Noted the typical Chinese music used to jam [un]friendly radio stations that China is in fear of. If not, why else would they do that? Regardless, I like the music (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston FL, NRD545 & WinRadio G305e/pd, 26.37N 081.05W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake July 12: 9040, poor at 1314 10500, poor-fair at 1316, JBA at 1421 14700, JBA at 1321, tho CNR1 jammers good on 15265, 15285, 15330 plus motorboating noise; 14700 very poor at 1415 14960, JBA at 1322; gone at 1415 15555, JBA at 1414 vs WJHR SSB slop and not certain it was FD 17920, fair at 1328, 1410 CNR1 jammer, besides as above: 15520, at 1339 // 15285, but with het on 15521 or so. Had also noticed the het against V. of Turkey 15520 as it was closing at 1324* after IS. Both this and 15555 are probably inspired by V. of Tibet, which jumps all over the place in this region; Aoki July 11 had them on 15530 and 15547 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake July 13: 8400, just barely audible at 1254 14700, JBA at 1258 No others heard 8-18 MHz by 1300 Firedrake July 14: 14700, VP at 1235; poor at 1315 15570, poor at 1316 --- against what? V. of Tibet via Tajikistan is here at 1330-1430 per Aoki. No others found 8-18 MHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ask and ye shall receive. Re: ``I notice that most editors find these Firedrake observations of little or no interest: by-frequency log reports omit them, making the info difficult to reference later. Someone should at least maintain a master list of every Firedrake frequency ever monitored (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Crash & Bang Chinese Opera Music Jammer, a.k.a. Firedrake From 2010 posted logs (various sources). All broadcasts originate from East Jammerstan. 6280 22, 23 7105 22, 23 7280 11, 12 7310 22, 23 7520 23 7525 20, 22, 23 7560 14 7585 14 8400 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23 9000 13, 16, 20, 23 9040 13 9150 11, 12 9345 13, 15 9355 12, 15, 17, 18, 19 9365 12, 13 9380 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 9450 14, 15 9495 16 9540 17, 18 9635 22 9685 16 9830 10 9905 15, 16, 17 10240 13 10300 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19 10400 12, 13, 14 10410 13 10420 12, 13, 14 10440 13 10500 12, 13, 14 10970 11, 12 11100 12, 13, 14 11400 23 11420 11 11460 13 11500 09, 11, 12, 13, 14 11540 13 11575 16, 17 11605 13 11635 12 11700 18, 19 11720 16 11750 09 11760 09 11765 16 11795 16 11840 12 11945 16 12590 01 12600 01, 03, 13 12620 13 12680 12 12730 13 12950 12, 13 12960 12, 13, 14, 15 12970 03, 12 12980 13, 14 12990 13 13000 13 13100 11, 13 13300 01, 12, 13, 14, 18, 22 13320 12, 13, 15 13340 12, 13 13500 12, 13 13625 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 13680 12 13710 13 13950 04, 05 13970 00, 01, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 14600 07, 11, 23 14700 12, 13 14900 12, 13 14920 12, 13 14940 13 14960 13 14970 00, 13, 14 14980 13 15140 01, 09, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 23 15150 04, 05, 06, 07, 12, 13, 14 15200 15 15255 12 15265 05, 13 15430 13 15435 13 15490 05 15515 08, 09 15530 13 15540 13 15545 12 15550 13 15560 13, 14 15570 13 15580 14 15720 16 15730 13 15735 15 15760 15 15970 00, 01, 13 16100 01, 12, 13, 15 16700 00, 12 17300 01, 12, 15 17560 13 17645 00 17920 13, 14, 15 17970 00, 23 18100 00, 14 21550 09 Updates 12-July-10 (Harold Frodge, MI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx! ** CROATIA [non]. GERMANY, 9925, 0203-, Voice of Croatia, Jul 6. Very good reception with Croatian news in English (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 980, COCO, Sapo, Ciudad de la Habana. 1914+ July 5, 2010. Per Paul Zecchino tip, easily audible with 970 WFLA's IBOC turned off today (Paul notes that their IBOC is often off on observed holidays, for some odd reason). Cuban vocals, female announcer, COCO ID. But see below. 980, Radio Ciudad de la Habana, Sapo, Ciudad de la Habana. 0433-0511 July 11, 2010. Audio relayed via COCO with Spanish techo-ish and rock vocals, several Radio Ciudad de la Habana ID's by man and woman hosts. Obviously the same transmitter that normally carries COCO (a/k/a El Periódico del Aire), as the two stations are in the same province. Also, Radio Ciudad de la Habana was heard here while in the Florida Keys, September 11 and 13, 2008 with post-Hurricane Ike coverage (at times relaying Ciudad, other times with COCO or special joint networking). 670, Radio Rebelde, Arroyo Arenas, Ciudad de la Habana. 1724-1740 July 11, 2010. Conclusion of Noticiero Nacional de Radio feed, Rebelde theme and ID 1729:54, into FIFA final soccer game coverage (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, July 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. On 6060, 0000-0400 many days in June and July // 11760 (here with motor-boating jammer) in Spanish (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Certainly no one deliberately jamming RHC tho god knows they deserve it. Per Aoki, only CNR1 Shijiazhuang 723 site is scheduled on 11760 during those hours, tho elsewhen both RFA and SOH show on it (gh) 9600, RHC, July 9 at 1257 Coro with a science segment in Spanish, but cut him off at 1257:30 to brief open carrier and off the air as it`s time to switch this ``Chicago`` frequency to 13680. 9600 was squealing like 5040 at night, same transmitter? And so was 13680 when checked at 1311. Schedules do not overlap. Of course, more than one of their rickety transmitters could suffer from this, but can`t say I have noticed squeals on two non-spuriously-related units at once. As for cutting off poor Arnie, this is par for the course at RHC. They are in Spanish 24 hours, or nearly so, but do not build in pauses for frequency changes, like a seriously professional station would. That would require unthinkable coördination between studio and transmitters. 12030, July 9 at 1308, RHC now not only outputting spurs on 12000 and 12060 but filling the gaps between them with frying-sound buzz; at 1425 axually detectable to 11995 and 12080, but fluxuating. WORLD OF RADIO 1521, 9565, July 9 at 1401, tonal pulsing from the DentroCuban Jamming Command against nothing. Apparently does not start until CRI relay is finished with 9570 at 1400, altho R. Martí does not bring up 9565 until 1700! Standard remark about hungry Cubans not being fed because of this waste. 15330, as I tune by at 2009 July 9, there is DCJC pulse jamming against nothing, but soon cut off. Just keeping warmed up for late October when R. Martí should resume this frequency for B-10 season. 13580, RHC leapfrog mixing at equal level with VOA Somali via MADAGASCAR, July 10 at 1313, while not audible on 13880. Normally the upper leapfrog of 13680 over 13780 is much stronger. 13680 with squeal as usual. RHC again with English instead of Spanish on 6150, July 11 at 0520, // 5970 and 6060; while biggest signal on 6010 has not English but Spanish // 6120, 5040. Feed wires crossed, or some arcane deliberate change without notice? 12030, July 11 at 1248 still with big buzz extending somewhat past the satellite spurs on 12000, 12060. Not the place to listen to ``Cuba Campesina`` music. For the third night in a row, RHC in English instead of Spanish on 6150, at 0542 mailbag with Ed and a Cuban YL sidekick, // 6060, 5970 and this time 6010 is also in English instead of Spanish instead of English. Spanish on 6120 only, since 5040 was absent, while 5025 Rebelde was on as usual. Has the schedule at http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/c_frecuencia/frecuencias.htm been changed to show English on 6150, let alone the outdated http://www.radiohc.cu/ingles/c_frecuencia/frecuencias.htm ? of course not! I guess the lazy person in charge of routing program feeds sticks patch cords into wrong holes. RHC anomaly check July 13: at 0556, once again in English service instead of Spanish on 6150, // 6060,, 6010, 5970. At the moment it was music, but these were all //, while Spanish talk was on 6120 // 5040 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 15595, clip of Fidel Castro, who recently came out of the woodwork (or the coffin?), on of all places, VOA Spanish, July 13 at 1233. I would love to have heard DentroCuban jamming atop Fidel, as it does jam VOA, but too strong here. Quickly switched to 9885 and could hear some jamming under, but nowhere near as loud as vs Martí on 9805. Other VOA // is 13715 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS [and non]. 13755-13770, weak OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, July 12 at 1417 vs KOREA NORTH on 13760. Would also bother Vatican which starts 13765 at 1410, not audible (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DIEGO GARCIA. 4319, 1446-, AFN, Jul 9. Just above the noise floor. Haven't seen this one reported in a while. Unable to tell whether // to other AFN feeders (5765U Guam very good was the only one I could find). 4319, 1301-, AFN, Jul 12. Fair reception with news. Nothing heard on 12 MHz channel (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. Re 10-27: 4780, RADIO ORIENTAL, Certificado de Sintonía Demoro: 120 dias. Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá D.C. - COLOMBIA Muy buenas verificaciones, Rafael! Sabes que creía que Radio Oriental estaba fuera del aire.....? Qué buena noticia saber que está "vivita y coleando". Sería la única emisora que quedó en 60 metros desde el Ecuador verdad? 73 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, condiglist yg via DXLD) Hola Arnaldo, Pues estuvo activa durante marzo y parte de abril, en los últimos meses no la he escuchado, se me olvidó informar que tiene correo electrónico en radioriental@ hotmail.com Por ahí de pronto se puede hacer algo con reportes anteriores, o por lo menos animar a que mantenga la onda corta. Buen Dx (Rafael Rodríguez, Colombia, ibid.) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 6250, weak Spanish at 0555 July 13, poor in noise level. Presumably the quite irregular RNGE, as the Bonaire mixing product quits 6250 at 0527 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. via Samara, Russia, 15350, Radio Bilal, *1800- 1830+, July 11, sign on with opening ID announcements and Amharic talk. Variety of local chants, some Mid-East style music and local tribal music. Fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** FRANCE. The following concerns the digital mode QRM we often hear on the high side of WEWN 7555 around 0500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ITU/ARMENIA/FRANCE, 7555/7560, ITU monitoring URL Adresse ? Die ITU hat wohl mal wieder ihre URL's durcheinander gewirbelt? wrong URL, doesn't work anymore. geht nicht mehr. Wer hat andere ITU-R Adressen kuerzlich genutzt? Help (wb, A-DX / wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 3) Sorry, ich haette den vollstaendigen Link angeben sollen, - hier kommt er: Zitat: The ITU-R web structure changes. This page has been relocated to /ITU-R/go/terrestrial-monitoring/en Sorry for the inconvenience (Dr. Anton Kuchelmeister-D DK5TL, A-DX / wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 3) ITU Data Processing ist schon seit Friedewald's Zeiten ein chaotischer Haufen mit vielen Aenderungen ueber die letzten 3 Jahrzehnte hinweg. Ja, danke Anton das bringt es, ITU Resumen #326 PDF File. Ich suche einen digitalen Stoerer (UTE military digital buzz, Stanag?) zwischen 7553.2 und 7558.6 kHz. Dieser stoert [- wobei 7560 gar kein Rundfunkband ist -] eine Testaussendung von YFR aus Armenien auf 7560 kHz um 1700-1900 UT. S=9+20dB. ITU Monitoringstation Hungary at TARNOK 7556.50 kHz 19.04 0000-2359 UT 39.1dB Field strength measured in dB UNIDENTIFIED 3K00M D7D DIGITAL TRANSMISSION riecht mir sehr nach franzoes. Marine oder NATO Digitalverkehr aus FUG Le Regine, 43 23 19.35 N 02 06 04.04 E von dort auch manchmal RTTY 62.6 kHz Langwellenaussendungen. Meist durch die Heckenbepflanzung an der Landstrasse versteckt. Le Regine in France, French Marine. (Wolfgang Büschel, July 3, A-DX / wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jul 10 via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) ** FRANCE. 13680, 0528-, RFI, Jul 12. English broadcast with short / long path echoes at good level. 500 kW at 135 degree beam. News headlines, then end of the program and off exactly at 0530 revealing a very weak station. Nothing listed, although I'm suspecting that I'm hearing Chinese (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GAMBIA [non]. 15225, Save Gambia Project at 1815, 1817 July 10, NOT AVAILABLE. Did they stop transmitting, or there was no propagation? (Zacharias Liangas, in our other country house in Fourka, Greece, used again my DE 1102 with reel antenna from Tecsun for doing some 'easy' DXing, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Must have been bad propagation, Glenn (Jeff White, RMI, July 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. ALEMANIA, 6005, Radio R700, Kall-Krekel, Euskirchen, 0700- 0720, 11-07, alemán, locutor, noticias y comentarios, canciones en alemán, locutora, comentarios. 13221. (Méndez) 6190, Deutschlandfunk, Berlin, 0559-9640, 11-07, identificación por locutor: "Deutschlandfunk", Señales horarias a las 0600, noticias, alemán, música clásica. A las 0630 señales horarias e identificación, locutora. 34333. (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. ISMANING: Some preliminary information from an open house day that took place yesterday, perhaps not accurate in all details yet: Some rooms at Ismaning will be used for IT equipment, to provide back- up for München-Freimann (BR TV). Of course this space has to be cleared from transmission equipment first. The Nautel transmitter for 801 kHz will thus be moved into the old transmitter rooms, where likewise space will have to be cleared. The old 10 kW shortwave transmitter is already gone, and the 1939 vintage mediumwave transmitter* ) will be dismantled very soon, perhaps already next week. It is a bit unclear so far if 801 kHz will be off during the transmitter move. Some hints could be interpreted in such a way that reduced power operation will be kept during the work. Not mentioned yet has been the Continental transmitter, acting as aux for 801 since AFN transmissions from Ismaning ceased. Perhaps it is already gone, too. And visitors have been told that 6085 kHz will be shut down for good in October. For 801 kHz a possible closure within two or three years have been hinted, too. *) http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=321251&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=295486116966&aid=-1&oid=295486116966&id=100000484637470 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 11, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. 7430, July 11 at 0528 DW with German lesson for English listeners, but chopped off incomplete at 0529:30* by VTC Rampisham UK relay scheduled due south at 0500-0530. English continues for the rest of the hour only via Sri Lanka DRM on 17520-17525-17530, per EiBi, so DW obviously cares nothing about its poor AM listeners on this and other semi-frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. 10/7, Using De1102 and about 4 meters from the reel antenna: 6210 (mixing product), V of Greece 0643 OM with ID fair (Zacharias Liangas, in our other country house in Fourka, Greece, used again my DE 1102 with reel antenna from Tecsun for doing some 'easy' DXing, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15630 minus 9420 = 6210, not Kahuzi (gh) ** GUINEA-Conakry. 4900, Familia FM, Timbi Madina, 2140-2220, 05 Jul'10, vernacular, African songs, French for newscast at 2210 as usual; 35432. (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, July 9, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUINEA. R Conakry --- Durante o último fim de semana, em um período de folga – estava fazendo poda de árvores à volta do terreno em meu shack na lagoa – quando acessei meu email e recebi a dica de Renato Uliana que acabara de postar mensagem na lista dx_log_brasil@ de que a faixa de 31 metros estava aberta para a África e que a Radio Conakry podia ser captada em 7125 kHz. Rapidamente, liguei meu rádio que já estava posicionado no suporte acrílico no shack provisório, e com um fio bem esticado, sintonizei 7125 kHz por volta das 1855 UT, quando pude ouvir a identificação completa em francês. A emissora se identificou como Radio Conakry, porém, fez referência a RTG que significa Radiodiffusion Télévision Guinéenne. Esta emissora é estatal, e apesar do idioma oficial ser Francês, outrora já transmitiu até em português localmente. A Guiné é um país localizado na costa atlântica da África, e sua história conturbada remonta ao colonialismo europeu passando pela experiência Marxista. Tendo conquistado sua independência da França em 1958, se aliou a então União Soviética, aplicando uma política até então considerada socialista. E com a morte do então fundador dessa política em 1984, a Guiné mudou sua política, mas não conseguiu até hoje reverter o seu quadro de pobreza. Com uma população estimada pela ONU de 7.9 milhões de habitantes, incluem refugiados que fugiram de conflitos da Libéria e de Serra Leone. A população é predominantemente mulçumana, e sua economia é essencialmente agrícola. E desde constituição estabelecida em 1991, se aplica censura governamental a todos os meios de comunicação, sendo que a radiodifusão e televisão são controladas diretamente pelo Estado através de participação acionária na Société des Télécommunications de Guinée. A Radiodiffusion Télévision Guinéenne, ou Radio Conakry, já emitiu em diversos idiomas, como atualmente o Francês, Inglês, Árabe, dialetos nativos e até o Português. Uma curiosidade a respeito deste país foi uma experiência ocorrida em 1998 quando foi tentado utilizar o rádio como forma de "educação interativa" nas salas de aula da Guiné. Durante esta época eram estimados em torno de 390 mil receptores de rádio no país o que mostra inclusive a baixa penetração desta mídia. Mais informações podem ser encontradas na página do governo deste país em http://www.guinee.gov.gn/ Um pequeno vídeo desta captação pode ser acessado no Youtube no seguinte endereço: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjaWMR3PMfQ A filmagem apesar da qualidade ruim pode-se ter uma idéia das condições de recepção dessa emissora. Diversos relatos postados na Web informam que esta emissora não costuma responder a informes de recepção, nem com o envio de IRCs. O trecho que pude acompanhar era um programa musical de boa qualidade apresentado por um locutor muito falante, e que parecia estar gerando o sinal a partir de broadcast em FM. 73s (Sarmento Campos, Maricá, RJ, 7 July, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 7125, R. Guinée, Sonfonya, 2146-2212, 05 Jul'10, French & vernacular, obituary, African songs, ID in French at 2201 followed by the Journal de la Nation; 55444. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7125, Guinea, R. Conakry, Conakry-Sofon. July, 09 0752 Hilife music, 0756 abrupt sign off. 25532, (lob-B). July, 09 2229-2241 Afropop with lyrics in French and Vernacular, 2235 abrupt music break returning some 10 seconds later with same kind of music. 34433, 73's (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - Dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7125, Radio Guineé, 2220-2323*, July 11, Afro-pop music. French announcements. Abrupt sign off. Fair, but occasional HAM QRM (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** HUNGARY. Jaszberény - Jászágó SW TX site Panoramio image http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/36754817.jpg (Ian Baxter, Australia, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) Nice towers shot ** INDIA. Last night (10 July 2010) AIR Delhi with Urdu External service was noted on 4880 instead of 4860 from tune in around 1745 UT (11.15 PM) parallel to usual 702 KHz MW & 6045. Must be punching error! 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India, dx_india yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. 4895, 1339-, AIR Kurseong, Jul 10. Best of the Indians this morning at very strong levels, but a little echoey, making the language difficult to follow (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENIG DIGEST) ** INDIA. 4820.72, AIR Kolkata (presumed), 1242 + 1302, July 11. Again off frequency; best in USB to get away from PBS Xizang (Tibet) on 4820.0; reception had improved by 1302 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR LOOKS TO BUY OR UPGRADE 248 TRANSMITTERS FOR DRM Radio World 12 July 2010 Indian public-service broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) issued a global tender notice for new transmitters to support its network upgrade to DRM30 and DRM+ operation. The tender notice, available via the AIR website, covers 40 new medium-wave transmitters and five new shortwave transmitters, the upgrade of 36 medium-wave transmitters to support DRM30, and associated site and equipment upgrades. An additional 500 W shortwave transmitter is being purchased for trials of local services on the 26 MHz band. Specifically, AIR is seeking eleven 100 kW, ten 200 kW, one 1 kW, eleven 20 kW, one 50 kW and six 300 kW medium-wave DRM transmitters; and two 100 kW, two 250 kW and one 500 kW shortwave DRM transmitters; as well as the one 500 W 26 MHz band DRM transmitter. The transmitters needing to be upgraded to support DRM30 are eight 300 kW/200 kW Thales S7HP units, nine 100 kW/200 Kw Thales M2W units, and nineteen 20 kW Harris DX-20 units. Also in the tender notice is a call for supply, erection, testing and commissioning of 171 DRM+-compatible transmitters, including a hundred 100 W units, thirteen 1 kW units, twelve 5 kW units, twenty-seven 6 kW units and nineteen 10 kW units. The tender notice includes a few additional interesting item, including 34 AM and 140 FM broadcast audio processors, and an 8-meter- tall crossed-field medium-wave antenna and associated antenna-tuning unit. Earlier in the year, AIR purchased two 1 MW DRM-capable transmitters from Thomson Broadcast & Multimedia for wide area coverage, as well as six 10 kW mobile DRM transmitters from RIZ Transmitter Co. for disaster response situations. The tender bids will be opened during August and September 2010. http://www.rwonline.com/article/103262 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 3325, RRI Palangkaraya, 1208-1228, July 10. In BI with relay of the Jakarta news; after news and ID played choral National Anthem (Indonesia Raya) which ended at 1228; // 3344.96 (RRI Ternate), 4749.94 (RRI Makassar) and 9680 (RRI Jakarta). After 1228 no longer // (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3325, RRI, Palangkaraya, 2215-2228, 06 Jul'10, Indonesian, songs, talks; 25331. 3995, RRI, Kendari, 2213-2227, 06 Jul'10, Indonesian, music, talks, chatter; 25342. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4789.96, RRI Fak Fak, 1208-1228, July 10. Another Saturday (same thing noted on July 3) of not carrying the Jakarta news relay, whereas most days they do. Is it only on Saturday that they don’t? Played pop Indonesian songs. Nice to see that Atsunori Ishida’s blog (Indonesian Radio Stations) has been updated to reflect no JN at 1200 for July 3. Thank you Atsunori! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA [and non]. 9525.9, Voice of Indonesia 1307-1340 Jul 9. Live coverage of some sort of Islamic commemoration live from the presidential palace; Koran recitations and talks; English interpretations by VoI announcer; occasional breaks for pop music from the studio (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 60-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list, via DXLD) Viz.: 9680, RRI, July 9 at 1258 Indonesian announcement, Song of the Coconut Islands IS atop the channel. Not sure if Taiwan and Chicom jamming are still here; hope not. 1259 ``Inilah Radio Republik Indonesia ---`` by YL, pause, no timesignal, pause, a few more words and music sounds like a national anthem. 1302 a public speech starts in Arabic with reverb from PA, then voice-over by YL, translating to Indonesian? At 1302, I check 9525.9 for VOI, and it is //! Must be a very important event to blow away normal English programming. 9525.9 signal is much better, VG but with some hum. 1305 Qur`an recitation. 1320 recheck the two are not // as 9525.9 is playing pop song. Continued to monitor and compare: this turned out to be the pattern: VOI would dip in and out of the live event which kept going unobstructed on 9680. 1325, VOI English announcers periodically explain what is going on, not a pure translation but summarizing and commenting. Apparently they can`t or won`t keep it up, so throw in music breaks every few minutes, which don`t seem to be in keeping with the solemnity of the situation! It`s a [something] commemoration program in the presidential palace, speech by the imam of the Islamic University of Indonesia; about Mohammed in Baghdad when he had no confidence, not trusted by society, Seventh Heaven, etc. 1328, 9525.9 break for another song, while speech continues on 9680. 1331, back to celebration of Ishra Morash, it sounded like. Googling on holidays in Indonesia we get instead: ``Lailat al Miraj, Ascension of the Prophet, Thursday [sic], 9 July 2010``. 1336, says it is a joint broadcast of VOI and Pro 3 of RRI Jakarta, and cutaway again to music on VOI. Neither Aoki nor WRTH say which Pro is on 9680, but Ishida http://www.max.hi-ho.ne.jp/a-ishida/ins/ says it`s Pro 4! ``9680 kHz RRI-Jakarta, Siaran Pro 4``. 1337, on 9680, speech continues, poor but atop QRM level. 1340, 9525.9, VOI ID mentioning streaming and three SW frequencies, 9525, 15150, 11785! Apparently the announcers axually believe they are on all three frequencies at once, none of which are correct. Ongoing now, ``advice to the communal [sic] by the imam of National Islamic University`` --- ``better to have spiritual treasures than higher education`` --- yeah, right. And he heads a ``university``??? That explains why Islamic countries are no longer at the cutting edge of science and technology, but tnx for past work. 1343, back to music break. 1348 mentions that several cabinet ministers are attending. 1349 switch to another speaker, the Indonesian Religion Minister (obviously, Separation of Mosque and State is unthinkable here). He too introduces his remarx with something in Arabic. Addresses the president, first lady, honorable vice president, ambassadors of friendly countries. 1354, VOI announcer refers to the parking area in front of the RRI building, stick around. 1355 music. 1355, 9680 now has QRM from Russian tune-up tones atop RRI, but at 1400 it`s still open carrier, cannot make out any modulation. The day before, Ron Howard discovered that VOR in English had appeared on 9680 at 1400-1600. Wolfgang Büschel says this apparently started July 1, via Pet/Kam, 265 degrees to S Asia. What a wonderful frequency choice. 1359, 9525.9 has the expected het from CRI Russian 9525.0 which starts at 1357, but VOI stays on and is stronger; 1402 it`s still in English, trying to reach reporter at the event while Qur`an is being recited. Then reporter is on the line, but cellphone breaking up, as always happens. Aren`t stations glad they abandoned their own dedicated two- way radio communication systems for the convenience of cellphones? 1404, 9680 Qur`an vs. open carrier, SAH. 1421, 9525.9 still on with speech in Indonesian interrupted for comments by announcers in English, CRI het too annoying, so I quit (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9680, Is it Pro 4? RRI website http://www.rri.co.id/ “Pro 3” FM 88.8, AM 999 and SW 11860 “Pro 4” FM 92.8, AM 1332 and SW 9680 Alan Davies website http://www.asiawaves.net/indonesia/jakarta-radio.htm “Pro 3” FM 88.8 and AM 999, but with SW of 9680 “Pro 4” FM 92.8 and AM 1332, but with SW of 11860 (inactive) Best regards, (Ron Howard, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9525.88v, Voice of Indonesia, 1338, July 10. Their signal strength/ modulation was so strong that the traditional hum was hardly noticeable. Glenn also reported this very good reception today. BTW – I really enjoyed reading the nice breakdown of the RRI Jakarta/VOI special coverage that Glenn gave for yesterday`s reception. An entertaining log! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9525.9, VOI VG at 1302 July 10 with news in English, halting announcer struggling with heavy accent, unfamiliar words. Top story about the president vs the attorney general; census shows Indopop exceeds 238 megapeople, up from 205M in Y2K. VG modulation and signal S9+22, only slight fading. Furthermore, at 1403 in Indonesian, no het from China 9525.0 audible! After a spate of good modulation and signals on 9525.9, VOI strong as ever but lacking any modulation except hum, July 12 at 1310, still 1337 during the English hour. Stayed on past 1357 with het from CRI Russian, and now there is modulation at 1422 check, Indo talk and music equal to, then stronger than CRI, but unusable without a notch. 9525.9, VOI resumed modulating during English hour July 13 at 1305 check, after nothing but carrier and hum on July 12 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [and non]. 13800, 1319-, VOIRI, Jul 12. Arabic programming clearly heard under WYFR Okeechobee, FL at otherwise good level. Entire band is otherwise occupied by Chinese and Cuban transmitters! (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. 5006, 1350-, JG2XA, Jul 11. Haven't seen this one reported in a while with occasional CW IDs. Although 8006 has been heard here recently, couldn't hear them today. Fair level (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Propagation research ** JAPAN [non]. 11655, NHKWNRJ via Sackville, CANADA, Friday July 9 at 1427 no American music this week but Japanese dialog, tho did not have a chance to check rest of hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KASHMIR. Rs 100cr package to boost DD, AIR in J&K Himanshi Dhawan, TNN, Jul 9, 2010, 03.07am IST NEW DELHI: In a bid to disseminate and strengthen information along border areas in Jammu & Kashmir, the Centre on Thursday cleared a Rs 100-crore proposal to broaden its radio and television coverage. The move – of immense strategic importance - is expected to counter Pakistan's sustained misinformation campaign in this sensitive area. The decision comes at a time when the Army has been called in to conduct flag marches in Srinagar. The proposal -- cleared by the I&B ministry's expenditure finance committee on Thursday -- is expected to bolster the existing infrastructure with the addition of three high power transmitters (HPT) for both TV and radio. These include one each in Srinagar, Leh and Jammu region. The project also includes reinforcing existing stations like the addition of a 10-kW FM high power transmitter at the existing TV site at Naushera, an HPT at the AIR site at Rajouri and low power 100 watt FM transmitters at Kargil, Drass, Tiesuru and Padum. The project aims to ensure coverage in the higher reaches of the Valley and is expected to be completed by 2012. . . http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Rs-100cr-package-to-boost-DD-AIR-in-JK-/articleshow/6144365.cms (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dx_india yg via DXLD) Unclear whether any of this concerns SW, not mentioned explicitly (gh) ** KAZAKHSTAN. 9950, 1432-, Golos Pravoslavya, Jul 6 [Tue]. I can just make out this twice weekly religious program through a huge ute smack on the channel. Otherwise, I suspect the signal would be just fine. LSB seems to only way to hear anything. 9950, 1439-, Voice of Orthodoxy, Jul 9. No sign of them today [Fri]. Scheduled Tuesday/Fridays (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. JAPAN, 5910, 1404-, Shiokaze, Sea Breeze, Jul 9. Excellent reception, but seems to be jammed by a grinding sound. News about the investigation of the sinking of the South Korean warship last month. Grinding jammer (if that's what it is) remained on the air past 1430. JAPAN, 5910, 1404-, Shiokaze, Jul 11. Japanese programming, armchair copy (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [and non]. PALAU, 9960, 1430-, Furusato no Kaze, Jul 9. Strongly jammed but audible otherwise at good level in Japanese (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. TAJIKISTAN, 11560, 1513-, Radio Free Chosun, Jul 9. Tentative on this one and difficult to copy due to utility (or perhaps a jammer). Best on LSB. Listed in Korean, and previously from Armenia. Fair at best (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. 6215, Spy? 1337, July 12. Woman announcer reading numbers in Korean; fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. 13650, July 9 at 1951 ME music, Arabic M&W vocals plus orchestra, good but fluttery. 1957 Arabic announcement and a bit more music until 1959:53*. Did not catch ID but it`s R. Kuwait as scheduled via Kabd site. Presumably this is the transmitter which switches to 17550 [correxion! Not 17750 as in original report] at 2000 for a semihour of collision with VOA French via Bonaire, then clear until 2400 or earlier fadeout. Like it, 13650 at 13-16 and 17-20 is 500 kW, 350 degrees from site a.k.a. Sulaibiyah to CIRAF zones 6-7 which are C&W USA! (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15540, 1812-, Radio Kuwait, Jul 11. Biography of the Holy Prophet in English, a Radio Kuwait production at good/very good level, then into a modern English rap music (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LAOS [non]. 11785, WHRI, Saturday July 10 at 1329 concluding Hmong semihour with website www.hwm.us and St. Paul, Hminnesota address. I was sure of that URL announced with letters in English, but it`s not correct, forwarding to an unrelated advertising site from China, so don`t click on it. Hmong World Christian Radio is really still at http://www.hwcr.us where they do refer to HWM as abbreviation for their Hmong World Ministries, so cited site lapsed? Even stranger, per the linx page http://www.hwcr.us/links.html some of their ``affiliates`` run Dairy Queen franchises (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBERIA. 4024.985, 0528-, Star Radio, Jul 9. Too much summer static for any content, but at threshold audio level just slightly under 4025 (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4025, Star Radio. July, 09 0636-0646 male and female in English talks “Liberia”, short African music. Static noise, unreadable 25332 (lob- B). July, 10 0638-0649 male and female in English talks, “Liberia, economic condition”, male in studio talking with male outside. At tune in 35333 but quickly deteriorating (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - Dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA. 17725, V. of Africa from the Great Jamahiriyah, July 10 at 1408 poor with African music, vocal plus mbira; 1411 ID and presenting a special program on the occasion of some revolution. So it`s still there, altho inaudible on // 21695. Had not heard it for some time with poor propagation during 14-16 English broadcast. However, two days later, massive changes: 17735, July 12 at 1329, poor signal with folk song until 1332 YL announcement, sounds like Swahili by non-native speaker, mentions Africa, percussive music, more talk mentioning habara (news?), Afrika, Zimbabwe, 1335 Gamal Abdul Nasser. All the lists show this hour is YFR in Kannada, a S Asian language, via UAE, but this sure sounds like Swahili, V. of Africa, Libya to me, which is scheduled instead on 17725 with Swahili, where nothing was audible. Nothing audible on 21695 either, supposedly // Libya; only weak signals from Spain 21610, 21570, 21540 detectable on 13m. 17735 went off around 1356, also matching Libya 17725 schedule. After 1400 could not hear it in English on either channel. It looks like Libya has just made some rare frequency changes! Then I got this (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15240 kHz, Voice of Africa. Jul 12. V of Africa was on 15240 kHz at 1500 UT instead of 17725 kHz (I confirmed the frequency on my Grundig G4000A to make sure it wasn't some spurious signal caused by the Roadstar). Moderate signal strength at first with no interference with some shallow fading (SIO: 333) with fading increasing around 1520 (SIO: 222), only to improve around 1530 UT (SIO: 333). Programs about "The African woman's continued success" and another about cities in Africa. IDs („This is Voice of Africa from the Great Jamahiriya") at 1510, 1519 and 1531. During this time, I checked 17725 several times but there was no signal. Had to quit listening around 1535 due to a local thunderstorm. Hope this is of some use, KH Schmitter, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (48 N, 7.8 E), Receiver: Roadstar TRA-2350P, Antenna: Sony AN-LP1 active indoor, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9880 too [WRTH updated:] >> Hausa Days Area kHz >> 1800-1900 daily WAf 15215sab [new 9880] >> 1800-2000 daily WAf 11995sab [new 11850] 9880 Voice of Africa in Hausa from 1800 UT, (ex 15215). Suffers ahead of Bolshakovo DRM signal. 11850 Voice of Africa in Hausa from 1800 UT, (ex 11995). Suffers hefty by BBC Somali from Zyyi, Cyprus 1800-1830 UT. Thanks to Thorsten and KH Schmitter from Germany. Log: Libyen in Französisch, 11850, 1630 UTC SIO=444 FYI - seemingly lower bands, due of winter downunder (Wolfgang Büschel, July 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I don`t think they are broadcasting into the south temperate zone. CIRAF targets for 21695 and 17725, no further than Zimbabwe (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 9870 and 9880 // Arabic YL singer with orchestra, July 11 at 0525. Pause at 0529:55-0530:25 as if closing or something were about to happen, but then resuming music. Could be Umm Kalthoum, great singer. VG signals on both. But nothing such is scheduled on either per EiBi, Aoki, HFCC or WRTH Update. My guess is VTC, DTK or TDF testing on behalf of Algeria. However, VOA is scheduled on 9880 M-F at 0530-0600 in French via South Africa, and I heard no sign of that; so IBB may be in on this, if only to QRX. Saudi Arabia uses 9870 at other times. At 0540 checked 7275 Tunisia, 7295 Algeria via France, but they were not parallel. That music has also been involved with spy transmissions (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Had a quick check July 13 around 0535. Both channels strong. They had a familiar sounding female announcement around 0535 with background melody and "Koran al Karim" mentioned. I'd guess it's Algerian Radio Koran-programming (Jari in Finland Savolainen, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) No, checked 7295 again and not // ( gh, DXLD) RE: 9880 / 9870 Arabic, could be the engineers in Sabrata checked the new channels on their antenna farm this morning? (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) LIBYA 9880 Voice of Africa Sabrata in Hausa from 1900-2000 UT, S=9+20dB, (ex11600). Suffers by adjacent 9875 channel signals, Chinese Firedrake[!] music, and RFA Tinian in Mandarin Chinese, both also S=9+20dB. 11850 Voice of Africa Sabrata in Hausa from 1900-2000 UT, S=9+25dB, (ex11995). Adjacent 11845 is free, 11855 signal from Ascension YFR in Yoruba, S=6 fair signal. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) The // unIDs in Arabic of yesterday are on again today July 13 from before 0500 UT on 9880 and somewhat weaker 9870, or at least more local interference on the lower. 0457, reverent-sounding talk, but not Qur`an recitation. 0458, music bit, talk with enhanced reverb, mentioning Allah 0459, oud strumming past 0500, no timesignal 0500+, no ID detectable, but resumes talking, mentions sharia 0503, traditional vocal music I hope Arabic speakers will identify this. Probably on at least until 0600; was past 0530 yesterday (Glenn Hauser, OK, circa 0515 UT July 13, dxldyg and HCDX via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Next check was at 0545, when M Arabic talk was underway. This time I can hear CCI on 9880 from VOA in French, causing a rippling subaudible heterodyne, so the two are a dekahertz or two apart. 9870 had hashy QRM from the hi side unlike 24 hours earlier, but may have been locally generated. At *0558, 9880 overridden by VOA Greenville open carrier, about to take over VOA French from South Africa. So I now listen only to 9870: 0559, Big-Ben clone chimes for hourtop but no timesignal; fade during ID but giveaway ``jamahiriyah`` heard, so these are Libya! Continued in Arabic now with reverb added; 0602 brief march/fanfare and switch to YL in Arabic, perhaps news. My inquiries led to further confirmation, as part of V. of Africa`s frequency shifts involving many other broadcasts, e.g. 17735 ex-17725 for Swahili until 1400 as I previously logged. ``From DX Mix Bulgaria, Ivo writes (via Wolfgang Büschel): v0500-0700v on 9870 // 9880 kHz. Good reception here in BUL on both freqs. Co-ch on 9880 kHz from 0600-0630 [sic] UT Voice of America in French According to monitoring, which took place at the time it is 100% Libya "Idhaat Jamahiriya al Ovma" or "The Great Jamahiriya". Other frequency changes will check this afternoon and tonight. 0500 [sic]-0657 on 9870 // 9880 0700-0857 on 11630 // 11650`` Wolfy also notes that the English broadcast at 14-16 is not only on 15240 but adjacent 15235. I haven`t had a chance to log that one yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15240, Voice of Africa, 1530-1600 July 13. At tune in, noted a female in English language comments with ID, followed with the news until 1535. At that time a male continues in English with commentary. At about 1552 a male gives ID as, "you are listening to the Voice of Africa ..." Signal was fair (Chuck Bolland, FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [new frequencies observed, old ones from WRTH update deleted:] Arabic 1000-1156 new 17735. 1200 UT 1000 Hz tone til 1201:40 UT. English 1400-1556 15235, 15240 kHz. Both S=9 in Germany, adjacent QRM 15245 kHz by DPRK in French at 1400 UT, S=9+10dB French 1600-1756 11850 I checked only the 2nd hour 1700-1756 9880 [S=8-9 due of DRM Bolshakovo-RUS] 11850 S=9+25 to 30dB Hausa 1800-1956 9880 11850 Swahili 1200-1356 17735 Tentatively there maybe also new Voice of Africa MORNING Arabic schedule on shortwave. Rivalry with morning program of RTA Algeria via Issoudun facilities in 49, 41, and 31 m band (Wolfgang Büschel, July 13, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOICE OF AFRICA (Gov) [latest update by wb] kHz: 1251, 9870, 9880, 11630, 11650, 11850, 15235, 15240, 17735, 17740 Summer Schedule 2010 Arabic 0400-0700 9870sab 9880sab 0700-1000 11630sab 11650sab 1000-1200 17735sab 17740sab 1700-0300 1251tri 2000-2200 9880sab 11850sab English 1400-1600 15235sab 15240sab French 1600-1800 9880sab 11850sab Hausa 1800-2000 9880sab 11850sab Swahili 1200-1400 17735sab 17740sab ------- Arabic 0400-0657 9870 S=9+10dB little stronger than 9880 kHz outlet, some weak QRM of co-channel AIR Bangalore program underneath. 180degr? 9880 S=9, 130degr? 0700-0957 11630 S=9+20dB at 0700, S=9+10dB at 0800 UT, S=7 fade down at 0820 UT. Little stronger than 11650 kHz. 180degr? 11650 S=9 at 0700, S=7 at 0800, S=4 fade down at 0820 UT. 130degr? Underneath co-channel Slovak Radio at 0700 UT, and adjacent 11645 kHz ERA5 ERT Voice of Greece Avlis. 1000-1157 17735 At 1200 UT 1000 Hz tone til 12.01:40 UT, July 13. 17735 S=8-9 at 0920 UT, July 14, 130degr? a n d 17740 S=9+5dB, little bit stronger than 17735. 180degr? Time pips exact at 11.02:00 UT. See also Swahili program start below. 2000-2157 9880 S=9+10dB, much weaker than 11850 kHz. 230degr? 11850 S=9+25dB at 2128 UT, July 13. 180degr? English July 13 1400-1557 15235 a n d 15240 kHz. Both S=9 in Germany, adjacent QRM 15245 kHz by DPRK in French at 1400 UT, S=9+10dB. 15240 130degr?, and 15235 180 degr? July 14 1400-1406 17735 S=7 still at 1406 UT, 130degr? a n d 17740 little stronger S=8 at 1406 UT, 180degr? Swahili program lasted late til 1400 UT, announcement in French by lady "La Voix de Africa", and later ID in English 1400-1557 UT service too, both still on 17735 and 17740 kHz til 1405:30 UT. Changed txs very late around 1406 to 15235 and 15240 kHz. 1406-1557 15235 S=7-8, probably 130degr? Underneath co-channel poor Vatican Radio to India at 1505 UT. 15240 S=8-9, probably 180degr? July 14 ID at 1600 UT, and TX off at 16.00:13 UT. French July 13 1700-1757 9880 S=8-9 due of co-channel DRM Bolshakovo-RUS. 230degr? 11850 S=9+25 to 30dB, 180 degr? July 14 TX off at 1600:13 UT on 15 MHz, and TX on at 1604:02 UT on 9880 and 11850 kHz. 1605 ID and frequencies announced in English 1600-1757 9880 S=7 due of co-channel DRM Bolshakovo-RUS. 230degr? 11850 S=9+10dB, 180 degr? Underneath at 1601 UT YFR hymn, co-channel YFR En via Al Dhabbaya UAE to Asia. Hausa 1800-1900 9880 Voice of Africa in Hausa from 1800 UT. Suffers ahead of Bolshakovo DRM signal. 230degr ? 11850 Voice of Africa in Hausa from 1800 UT. 180degr? Suffers hefty by BBC Somali from Zyyi, Cyprus at 1800-1830 UT. 1900-1957 9880 Voice of Africa Sabrata in Hausa from 1900-2000 UT, S=9+20dB. 230degr? Suffers by adjacent 9875 channel signals, Chinese Firedrake[!] music, and RFA Tinian in Mandarin Chinese, both also S=9+20dB. 11850 Voice of Africa Sabrata in Hausa from 1900-2000 UT, S=9+25dB. 180degr? Adjacent 11845 is free, 11855 signal from Ascension YFR program in Yoruba, S=6 fair signal. Swahili Sabrata carried only HEAT AIR on July 14 at 12-14 UT: 1200-1357 17735 S=7 at 1355 UT, 130degr? a n d 17740 little stronger S=8 at 1355 UT, 180degr? At 1200 UT 1000 Hz tone til 1201:40 UT, July 13. July 14 Only tx carrier noted at 1200 UT on both channels, Swahili program missed. Programmes start never exact on the hour, rather 1-4 minutes later. At 1211:56 only two seconds long program feed modulated, than program break again til now 1321 UT, July 14. Co-channel QRM 17735 by YFR UAE Al Dhabbaya relay. Female announcer of Voice of Africa Sabrata in Swahili now on air, started very late from 1321:40 UT. Break from 1200 to 1321 UT, only pure TX carrier on air. Swahili program lasted late til 1400 UT, announcement in French by lady "La Voix de Africa", and later ID in English 1400-1557 UT service too, both on 17735 and 17740 kHz til 1405:30 UT. Changed txs very late around 1406 UT to 15235 and 15240 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, July 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR [non]. 7105 (USB + carrier mode), RTVM. July 12 was not heard at 1322 + 1339. What is the fate of this now that the World Cup is over? (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 5964.91v, Klasik Nasional via RTM, 1308, July 11. In vernacular with the news followed by PSA; many ads for a “Super Store”; “Radio Malaysia Klasik Nasional” IDs. Another day of exceptional receptions from Malaysia and also Sarawak! Klasik Nasional does very well up till 1400, when covered by a strong CRI sign on (5965.0). July 12 clearly noted Kuala Lumpur news relay in vernacular from 1303 to 1310; ALL // on 5030 (Sarawak FM), 5964.91v (Klasik Nasional) and 7270 (Wai FM). After 1310 not //. 6049.60v, Asyik FM via RTM, 1245-1308, July 10. Another Saturday listening to great Indian movie songs via their “Bollywood” program; many Asyik FM IDs; fair to almost good. Malaysian stations with reception well above normal levels. MALAYSIA/SARAWAK. 7270.0, Wai FM via RTM. Randomly from 1213 to 1350, July 9. PBS Nei Menggu continues to be off the air! In vernacular; pop songs; segment of indigenous chanting/singing; news; no Limbang FM relay today, instead from 1317 to 1350 a report from “studio Wai FM” about World Cup football; series of singing “Wai FM” jingles; mostly fair. AIR IS via Chennai again heard at 1258. 7295, Traxx FM via RTM, randomly 1239 to 1436, July 9. In English with pop songs; PSA; IDs; DJ Shaz on phone with DJ Otto at the Sarawak Cultural Village with an update from the 13th Rainforest World Music Festival (audio attachment of Otto’s reporting); coverage will continue tomorrow. Very entertaining and outstanding Malaysian reception today! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 4845, R. Mauritanie, Nouakchott, 1802-1840, 06 Jul'10, French, newscast, Arabic after that, interviews & talks; very good; \\ 783 rated 44444, QRM de España. At least as far as my obs. are concerned, it's not common to listen to some French from this station. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 1250 mile Mauritanian tropo in Portugal. Receiving Mauritania at the moment on FM via tropo from Nouadhibou. 2 clips on the forum here. [BBC relay 102.4; other 98[.0?] MHz] http://www.wtfda.info/showthread.php?p=14172#post14172 They used to also be on highband/Band 3 ch E10 210.25 MHz vision carrier, 215.75 MHz audio but seem to have left, unfortunately. Doubt whether they gone to DTV yet (Hugh Hoover, Portugal, 1003 UT 9 July, WTFDA via DXLD) See also SENEGAL ** MEXICO. RADIO INAH: 20 YEARS OF DIVULGATION OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE Languages, music, legends and festivities are some of the intangible heritage material broadcasted to the general public. MEXICO CITY.- Radio INAH celebrates 20 years of divulgating cultural heritage through the air waves and celebrates it with the opening of an Internet space, the first step in the construction of a National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) virtual radio broadcast system. Languages, music, legends and festivities are some of the intangible heritage material broadcasted to the general public, as “sounds are also culture”, declared Gabriela Marentes Garza, founder of Radio INAH. The communicator recalled that at the beginning of Radio INAH, in the mid 1980’s decade, broadcast was conducted in governmental times, and spots were recorded in Radio Educación booth, “institution that has always supported Radio INAH”. “Our first radio booth became a reality in June 26th 1990 thanks to the director of the Institute, Roberto Garcia Moll, and Jaime Bali West, national coordinator of Divulgation at the time, who announced me that the resource to begin the construction of the booth in Cordoba 45 was ready. “They envisioned that radio was an ideal communication media to promote in Mexican territory messages of knowledge, conservation and defense of historical heritage”, explained Marentes. A series of interviews to INAH personalities inaugurated the booth; “this material has become a heap of sound documents of great historical value that enrich the culture in Mexico”. The Archivo Testimonial Sonoro de Personalidades (Personalities Testimonial Sound Archive) is integrated with the voices of important archaeologists and historians, some of them already deceased, like Guillermo Bonfil Batalla, Jaime Litvak, Julio César Orive Negrete, Irene Velázquez and Alfonso Muñoz. “Having a broadcasting system is a dream come true thanks to the Internet, through the support of Alfonso de Maria, general director of INAH, and Julio Castrejon, director of INAH Communication Media; this year we started our blog http://radioinah.blogspot.com with a menu that includes interviews, news and capsules about the heritage found in museums and archaeological sites”, commented Gabriela Marentes. Among Radio INAH productions are the INAHgotable Series, a weekly newscast, and the program Lo Nuestro that transmitted live for the first time in May 20th 2010, designed to promote the INAH Fonoteca Nacional (National Audio Library) heaps, where traditional music collection is guarded. The emission is available in the INAH Web Page http://www.inah.gob.mx Source: Radio INAH: 20 Years of Divulgation of the Cultural Heritage http://bit.ly/d7vQ7i (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) Webcast, not on air radio. Note to translators, human or otherwise: ``divulgation`` is not really an English word, at least not in common use (gh) ** MYANMAR. 7200.0, Myanma Radio. Had not heard this at all this month, but returned again July 9; noted at 1301 with singing and into vernacular; had signed off by 1328 check (an early sign off) (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. PHILIPPINES, 5935, 1700-, Radio Nederland, Jul 11. Dutch language special broadcast for the FIFA world cup final between Holland and Spain. Fair level on this 250 kW transmitter aimed 200 deg to Indonesia/Australia/ and the Indian Ocean. Parallels noted include 15310 via Bonaire (250 kW 320 deg to Caribbean and Florida) at excellent level, and 17535 also Bonaire (250 kW 080 deg to Atlantic Ocean and West Africa) at fair/good level. Not heard were 5950 and 9895 via Germany. I rechecked at 1800 and noted the following: 5915 MDG (not heard), 5935 PHL: there was nothing there, then a few seconds after 18:00, they were definitely there at fair/good level, so either I was mistaken that they came on initially at 17:00, or they were off, and then returned. 5950 WER very poor, 9895 NAU weak carrier only noted, 11670 WER very poor, 11905 SAC fair/good, 13640 SAC excellent, 13685 NAU good except for an audible hum, but hum gone when rechecked at 1810, 15310 BON excellent, 15475 GUF poor, 17535 BON fair/good. Lots to choose from! (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SOUTH AFRICA RNW`s all-out coverage only in Dutch of the World Cup finale, July 11: at 1918 on 15310 via Bonaire, listing all the frequencies including this one for Carib and FL. It`s running about 1 second behind Sackville on 13640, 11905. I suppose the game was about to start. Since nothing much else was going on Sunday afternoon, I condescended to watch the second half of the game on ABC/Univisión with occasional chex of SW RN and REE which was also covering it with exhausting enthusiasm on 17850, 17595, 15110, 11815, etc. I was trying to figure out why this stupid ballgame enthralls millions (billions?), some of them even dying because of watching it in a vulnerable public group. Due to a 0-0 tie, the game went on and on, until Spain finally won at 2102 UT. I have a modest suggestion for improving football, and enabling scores a bit higher than 0-1 after two hours of effort: get rid of the goalies. Since both sides would lack them, the teams would still be evenly matched, but there would be a lot more goals, and less likelihood of ties. If this overdid it, then the goal nets could be smallerized. You`re welcome. [see below] Congratulations to The Netherlands, which will not have to bear the onus of being known as champs in stupid ballgames, but can redirect efforts toward worthwhile endeavors such as arts and science. Remember Rembrandt? Leeuwenhoek? Conquering the East Indies? Not only does RNW put most of its effort into Dutch rather than English, spoken by countless millions more, and most Dutch understand English anyway, but it even broadcasts two separate Dutch programs at once: July 12 at 0526 I am hearing non // Dutch on 9865 and 9895, but 9865 is about to sign off with national anthem. 9895 stays on talking about, what else, World Cup, which is all over. 9865 is via Bonaire to NZ; 9895 via Wertachtal to SE Europe until 0557 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So in a sense combine the limitless scoring of basketball and the brute force defence of (again) basketball and American football. I like your idea, Glenn. To take this a little further, what about the referee? In football, the ref blows the whistle for anything ranging from offsides to penalties, free kicks and substitutions. This adds further delays and slows down the pace of the match. How about giving the ref less freedom to call everything and instead rely on a specific set of rules or instant replay? (Jon Pukila, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. According to Radio Netherlands, their special broadcasts in Dutch from Tour de France till July 25th are: 1200-1600 on 5955, 7235, 9595, 9620, 9895 and 13700 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) How concise; cf 10-27 Weaker reception today, compared to July 3 5955 NAU 500 210 S=9+40dB 7235 ISS 250 040 and 7235 ISS 250 065 S=9+15dB 9595 WER 250 300 S=9 9620 NAU 500 011 S=6-7 9895 NAU 500 230 S=8-9 13700 WER 500 120 and 13700 WER 500 240 S=7 (Wolfgang Büschel, July 11, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews via dxldyg via DXLD) Combined live reports noted from Silverstone England formula-1 race car series, as well as Andre Haas' ORANJE hymn sung by crowd from Museums place in Holland, as well as bycicle racing tour report from France mountains. Typical dead zone reception on 31 and 22 mband today, and much deep fluttery fades. 5955 NAU RNW S=9+40dB. {compare DWL 6075 kHz only noon suffered S=6-7, rather poor, not that power of JUL/WER/NAU/MOS/ISS. DLF Berlin S=9+15dB, at 1300 UT} 7235 ISS RNW, two 250 kW units, Vuvuzela blast even on Amsterdam museum plain fan mile. 1310 UT, July 11. 13700 RNW, S=7 signal only. Suffers by co-channel Lingshi-CHN national radio at 1325 UT. wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. 11670-11675-11680 with DRM noise July 11 at 0515, but no AM signal on 11725, so one RNZI transmitter must be down. Next check at 1347 when there is no DRM scheduled, 6170 was still audible with music. Nothing found on website about maintenance downtime (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15120, V. of Nigeria, Lagos, 1752-1805, July 6, Arabic / English. M announcer with talk and music bits; Talking Drums and off at 1758; back at 1759 with Talking Drums; ID announcement of English service; local Nigerian news followed by "[Lime?]Light" prg at 1805; fair (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200" Beverages, 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. The CP for 1210 in Bixby (near Tulsa) now has a callsign, KBXO, and FCC AM Query shows its day pattern with 7.5 kW http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1350290-110108.pdf has a null between 240 and 245 degrees, NOT toward KGYN Guymon, which is slightly north of due west. It looks like there will be significant signal toward Enid and 10 kW Guymon, altho not the major lobe. What`s it protecting at 242? Only likely looks to be 1220 in Midwest City, but isn`t it to be closed? Certainly nothing on 1210 or 1200. Same for critical hours, reduced slightly to 7.2 kW. KGYN currently enjoys a weak but QRM-free signal as far as Enid in the daytime by groundwave, with its 10 kW non-direxional, when up to snuff. But that is likely to be terminated with the advent of KBXO, which will have more power, be much closer but almost collinear and impossible to null without a LSCA (unidirexional) antenna, which it is safe to say no one outside the DX community possesses, nor do many within it, such as myself. The KBXO night pattern does have a null toward KGYN, 280 degrees, and five others including a major one toward Philadelphia, as to be expected, tho night power is only 250 watts (Glenn Hauser, Enid, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1580, KOKB Blackwell managed to maintain overmodulation distortion this weekend, July 10-11, preventing any chance of beneath- the-carrier DXing, but: 1640, KFXY Enid has taken over the open carrier format, with occasional interruptions. Their automation must really be screwed up, and there is no human to intervene. Would any listener clue them in? Not me. First noted July 11 at 1811-1916+ UT, OC whenever checked. I then left a receiver on frequency for hours, altho not always close enough to hear if anything came on. At 2247, the carrier dumped off for a moment as a storm blew thru the east-of-Hennessey transmitter site. At 2309, came to life with severe weather alert, probably automatically overriding ``programming`` on this and sister stations 1390, 107.1. Right back to OC on 1640. Another one at 2323, and this time I confirm it`s // KCRC 1390 and KNID 107.1; altho synchronized with 107.1, the 1640 audio is a reverb apart from 1390. IDs are only for ``Chisholm Trail Broadcasting``. NOT including 96.9 which has been spun off to OKC tho Enid is still COL and within prime coverage area from transmitter near Crescent. Who cares if its listeners get hit by a tornado? More OC until 2336 when a truck ad and others cut on; 2339 back to OC; 2340 weather, OC. Well, ads and weather are what really matter. UT July 12 at 0011 gospel music on for a few sex; wiggle that patchcord? 0013, Faith 1640 ID, no music. 0023, ``Your favorite southern gospel music on the new Faith 16-40``, followed by NO music. 0235 still OC but bits of fitful audio here and there. 1323 UT next morning, STILL OC only and at 1426, 1618. Now a new business week has started and yet no human at CTB has noticed the problem. BTW, altho my initial observation weeks ago that KFXY had switched to southern gospel music, ``Faith 1640``, has made it to the MW clubs` listings of format changes, my significant follow-up has not, i.e. that live sports such as ML baseball still pre-empts the music, and during the games it reverts to previous slogan, ``The Score``. Will anyone pick this up now? 1640, KFXY Enid, continued mostly open carrier, July 12 at UT chex: 2103; 2126 southern gospel music cut on for 5 seconds; 2129:30 for 10 sex; 2135 fragment of an ad for 10 sex. UT July 13 still not fixed; OCs noted at 0035, 0455. Finally at 1230 it`s modulating, but instead of SG music, it`s sports talk, // KCRC 1390, apparently the only substitute programming they could come up with, and synchronized. 1255 ESPN promo and ID only for ``13-90 KCRC``. 1259 again on 1640, ID only for KCRC, then ``Huckaby Report`` including ad in his own voice pushing gold, to 1304. At strange time of 1305:30, started ABC News, still // 1390; 1309:30 joined ESPN sports talk in progress, but shortly superimposed (finally!) a legal ID for ``KFXY, Enid-Oklahoma City, The New Faith 16-40`` as sports talk continued! What a mess. Not so strange: sports is a religion around here closely allied with Christianity (Glenn Hauser, Enid, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1640, KFXY back to usual southern gospel music, July 14 at 1241 check, after mostly open carrier for two days and substituting // KCRC 1390 sports talk another day (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Enid`s only local D/TV station, KXOK, is DX as far as DTV on channel 31. Must still be only 40 watts. I barely get decode, only when aimed at North Enid, not downtown whence it supposedly transmits from the Broadway Tower. July 9 at 1508 UT during old Richard Greene Robin Hood B&W show. // NTSC on 32. PSIP ID on 31 just says KXOK 31-1. You do not get it as virtual 32; since analog 32 is still on the air too? Robin Hood continued past 1530, another episode since it was only a semi-hour show as I recall? Odd time of 1551 UT ID, and 1552 into Laurel & Hardy, poor resolution film of their adventures in the French Foreign Legion, more public-domain stuff, cheapTV, which continued past 1600; 1630 singing and dancing ``Shine On, Harvest Moon``. RH apparently ran short because of no commercials to play. Nor were L&H interrupted for ads, just digital breakups. KXOK does have neat animated ID inspired by Vance AFB of T-something jet trainer zooming with callsign on tail, swoops past building with antenna tower atop, recognizable to us as the Broadway Tower, then 3-D KXOK letters from various angles floating in space. Concludes by showing channels 32 and 18, even tho has been on cable 15 instead for a month, and only we cognoscenti know about DTV 31, which is hardly necessary to show hoary old B&W films. Later, a Hercules movie which was colorized. At 1700 UT another play of the animated ID, and into another L&H film from Hal Roach Productions, ``March of the Wooden Soldiers``. I think I`ll watch Descontrol on Telemundo instead, RF-29. Unlike zap2it, TV Guide quickly got the Suddenlink channel changes made, correctly showing KXOK on C15, but totally incorrect listings for 10 am-past noon Saturday, probably really RTV while KXOK is axually playing RH and L&H locally. Zap2it has a totally different schedule for KXOK, and it`s wrong too! Who is to blame? Let`s start with KXOK itself. Re previous report of KXOK-32/DT 31 running old movies instead of scheduled minor-network programming: later July 10 this was replaced by black screen with ``No Signal!`` in the middle, below a blue button-like circular thingie but the audio hum is maintained. And this time no excuse by a storm blowing through. Still thus at 1630 UT July 11. What a mickey-mouse operation, no one minding the store at least on weekends (Glenn Hauser, Enid, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As of July 14 had some RetroTV shows back on (gh) ** OKLAHOMA. ENID PUBLIC RADIO ASSOCIATION. Issued a $10,000 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for Station KEIF-LP, Enid, Oklahoma, for operating at greater than authorized antenna height and violation of enhanced underwriting rules. Granted the application for renewal, as conditioned. Action by: Chief, Audio Division, Media Bureau. Adopted: 07/12/2010 by NALF. (DA No. 10-1293). MB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-10-1293A1.doc http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-10-1293A1.pdf http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-10-1293A1.txt (via Bruce Elving, Ben Dawson, Benn Kobb, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) This has been a shady operation from the outset, and I am surprised that the FCC renewed them anyway, for one more year. Blowing the whistle on them was not me, but Chisholm Trail Broadcasting, legitimate commercial broadcast group which had advertising business taken away by The Rocket (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Enid Radio in the News!!! http://www.radioworld.com/article/103350 [briefer summaries:] http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=1874452&spid=24698 http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/77978/fcc-proposes-fine-issues-6-year-renewal-to-oklahom?ref=sitemap VIA the FCC [same pdf as above]: http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=19984 (via Artie Bigley, July 13, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3385, Radio East New Britain, 1214-1226*, July 11. Another Sunday (also noted same format on July 4 with identical sign off time) of religious program in English; seemed to be produced in USA; never heard any program ID; played a few minutes of religious music before suddenly going off with no sign off announcement; poor (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3905, R. New Ireland, 1200-1220+ Jul 6. YL announcer speaking briefly, then, interestingly, an acoustic/semi- classical guitar version of "Dixie" lasting until 1205; five minutes of a male announcer (news?) was followed by assorted vocal music, including a selection by Men at Work. Fair but deteriorating. Not sure of language (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 60-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list, via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3915, 1319-, Radio Fly, Jul 9. About the best I've heard them since last week. Good level, but lowish modulation, it seems. Non-stop music. Later when rechecked at 1354, 5960 is better, but still suffers from a lot of adjacent splatter. 5960, 1348-, Radio Fly, Jul 10. Not a bad morning for this one. Initially 3915 was dominant, but mostly because it had less splatter than 5960, although the former does battle with 3912. By this check, 5960 clearly dominant, although there is a cochannel Chinese station. Still audible at 1430 weakly on 3915. 5960 is blasted by adjacent splatter. 5960, 1343-, Radio Fly, Jul 11. The best I've heard them in well over a week, but without a single announcement during the past 20 to 30 minutes. Non-stop older western music. Much better this morning than // 3915. A very good opening on MW to Australia, and especially New Zealand this morning! (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Has anyone noticed whether 5960 and 3915 are exactly synchronized? If not, that would lend credence to the different-site story (gh, DXLD) [non]. July 12, no chance of hearing Radio Fly on 5960, as PBS Xinjiang much stronger than usual. Checked after 1300 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4826, R. Sicuani, Sicuani. July 10 0958-1010 male on music in Spanish, time announcements, messages to listeners, outside talks, ads of a medical center “cirurgias, implantes!”. 34432, 73's (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - Dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Re 10-27: Here's a recent report from DXer Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão in Bolivia via "Radioescutas" YG. There is a logging dated Jun 30 as UNID and also a link to a pdf with the facsimile of the Government official resolution (RESOLUCIÓN VICEMINISTERIAL _ 276-2010- MTC/03) issued in Lima on Mar 29, 2010, which autorizes Señor Abilio Ephrain González Ludeña to operate on 4850 with call OAW-5E (Radiodifusión Sonora en Oct.) and 1 KW nominal power (Horacio Nigro via DXPlorer, via SW Bulletin July 11 via DXLD) We already had this info in DXLD; not including the ``(Radiodifusión Sonora en Oct.)`` bit, which SWB put in bold italix as if important. Because that is NOT the name of the station, lest anyone be misled: just means classification of the station as ``sound broadcasting on tropical shortwave``! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4988v, 09/Jul 0055 UT, R. UnID (Manantial?), Huancavelica?, Spanish, programa religioso, ads (Huancayo), S-3 (Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão, Quillacollo - Bolivia, 17º 23' 00. 65" S, 66º 15' 49. 60" W raragaodx @ yahoo.com.br Sony ICF-2001D / Lowe HF-225E, LW 26m - RGP1, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dando alcance a la información proporcionada por el colega Rogildo F. Aragão, confirmo que se trata de la reactivación de Radio Manantial desde Huancayo ajustando la señal a su frecuencia nominal autorizada 4985 kHz. La medí ayer en la noche y hoy en la mañana a través de los 4987. "... Radio Manantial llevando informaciones de la salvación a todas la naciones del mundo..." Por momentos bastante interferida por Radio Brasil Central 4985. Buen DX (Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá D.C.- COLOMBIA, July 11, condiglist yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) Rafael, Muchas gracias por el complemento. No era posible medir bien, por la interferencia de Brasil Central que entra con buen señal aquí. Abrazos (Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão, Quillacollo, Bolivia, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Hola Colegas, Ayer le envié un informe a la emisora Radio Manantial, reportándoles la escucha en la frecuencia 4987 kHz, como ya en un tiempo atrás había tenido contacto con el Pastor Leoncio Paco. Hoy tuvo la gentileza de enviarme algunas fotos de la planta transmisora. Están dentro de un archivo .doc el cual adjunto; si no pueden verlas directamente, más tarde la subo a mi blog. Buen DX (Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá D.C. - COLOMBIA, July 12, condiglist yg via DXLD) De: Leoncio Paco Conce Asunto: RE: Reporte desde Colombia A: "RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ" Fecha: lunes, 12 de julio de 2010, 12:13 pm MUCHAS GRACIAS POR SU COMUNICADO LE AGRADEZCO MUCHO ESTAS SON LAS FOTOS DE LA RADIO MANANTIAL ONDA CORTA QUE DIOS LO BENDIGA. PASTOR. LEONCIO PACO. http://www.somosmanantial.com (via Rodríguez, ibid.) Captions to photos indicate: transmitter site is 3800 m above sea level; 1 kW tube transmitter; 30 x 60 (meter?) `H` antenna. Vista Alegre site is 18 km from studio in Huancayo, and uses UHF STL (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1521,) ** PERU. 5323.6, emisora no identificada captada hoy desde las 1106 a 1200 UT emitiendo música folclórica, con baja señal. Mencionan programa Vaso de Leche (programa de alimentacion del gobierno peruano). Hacen referencia a la ciudad de Acobamba. A través de la lista elaborada por el amigo y colega Henrik Klemetz, encuentro que hacia 1998 operó la emisora La Voz de Anta en esta frecuencia y desde la ciudad mencionada; así que puede tratarse de una reactivación o talvez nueva estacion. Buen DX (Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá DC - COLOMBIA, July 12, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, ibid.) ** PERU. Had a Peruvian on 5486.567 at 1154. Reina de la Selva? Don't remember seeing logs for this recently but I haven't had time to do much research. Was just wondering if you knew off the top of your head, of any logs? Take care, (David Sharp, NSW, July 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Last hit on 5486 searching DXLD was 9-023, March 2009: ``5486.62, Radio Reyna de la Selva, Chachapoyas, 1100 to 1120 the first time noted in over a month at this QTH. 10 March but not 11 March same time (Robert LC Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, Florida, Drake R8 NRD 535D, WORLD OF RADIO 1451, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Of course, he doesn`t cite a definite ID, and it seems to me the transmitter acquired a new station or name, but may have been on a slightly different frequency. Or was that another Andean one? (Glenn to David, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, Thanks for the info. I did not have an ID but it certainly "sounded" Peruvian, plus, there was a big opening last night and many OA's were making it through. Have also sent an email to Robert, as he and I have known each other for years and routinely exchange info. Thanks for your help (David Sharp, ibid.) ** PHILIPPINES. 15285, R. Pilipinas/VOP, *0200-0251, July 12. In English with segments of “Dateline Malacañang", "Mindanao Update", "From the News Center of Radio Pilipinas, this is the P-B-S news", “Philippines Trivia” and “The Philippines Today” (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. 17600, July 11 at 1309 YL in Chinese, unusually stronger than neighbor REE 17595. She`s low-key, obviously not CNR1 like 17515. Clinched by a bit of Romanian folk music; yes, RRI is scheduled 1300- 1330 on 17600 via Tiganeshti, 300 kW, 67 degrees in Chinese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Re 10-27: 9680, VOR (site?), 1437-1454, July 8. When did this start? In English; program VOR Treasure Store with dramatization of “The Signal” by Vsevolod Garshim; celebration of his 155 birth year anniversary; RRI buried underneath. Noted VOR going off at 1600 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9680 kHz, 1400-1600 UT to zone 41, P.K., 250 kW, 265 degrees, RUS VOR GFC from Kamchatskiye to Indian subcontinent, from July 1st? (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Appreciate Wolfy’s assistance! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 15735 [DRM 15730-15735-15740], 0202-, Golos Rossii, Jul 9. Actually able to demodulate perhaps 2/3 of the stream with ID and into news in Russian. The other evenings, I've only been able to get the occasional snippett of audio. Tonight, they're almost as strong as RNZI just 15 kHz below on 15720. Interesting pattern on the spectrum display on Perseus. The RNZI signal is much more stable, though (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 1400-1555 French on 17660 and not till 1800 as in WRTH Update (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15285, 0516-, BSKSA, Jul 12. 500 kW puts out pretty well with good reception of their Swahili service from Riyadh. Too bad they didn't put the same effort into a decent English service! (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SENEGAL. Re MAURITANIA --- Tentative 1650 Mile Dakar Senegal Tropo. Had unconfirmed signal from Dakar, Senegal a little earlier, running a promo for the city of Dakar, though not actually mentioned-It's in Arabic, French and the African language is Mandinka apparently. http://www.wtfda.info/showthread.php?p=14173#post14173 (Hugh Hoover, Portugal, July 9, WTFDA via DXLD) Viz.: Earlier tentatively had Radio Senegal Info on 98 MHz with information on Dakar in French, Arabic and Mandinka(Thanks to Mike Fallon for identifying the language heard at the beginning and around 1:00 into the clip). http://www.ukdx.org.uk/fm/Senegal/Senegal_index.htm. It was battling with and briefly overpowered Mauritania on the same frequency http://www.wtfda.info/attachment.php?attachmentid=8890&d=1278673202 (Hugh Hoover, Portugal, WTFDA forum via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA [non]. CHINA [and non] A big puzzle for me are the following observations on directly reportages from Soccer/Football WCS in South Africa as follows: June 27th 1400-1430 Germany-England 11665, 11710, 11925, 11975, 15285, 15330 & 17560. June 28th 1500-1530 Netherlands-Slovakia 11585, 11665, 15285, 15495 (not on 11975, 15330, 17560) June 29th 1830-1900 Spain-Portugal 7435, 11785 and 1900-1915 also 13625. July 2nd 1830-1900 Uruguay-Ghana 9355, 9540, 11540, 11700 etc. At all times and on all frequencies the commentaries were in Chinese language plus Echo jamming from Beijing. Some of the frequencies are of Radio Free Asia in Mandarin. So the radiostations on SW which had live broadcasts from Championship were: Netherlands; UK (BBC); RFI; DWL; REE; RFA and Gabon (Rumen Pankov-BUL, July 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 10 via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) Or was it the CNR1 jamming carrying the WC/vuvuzelas? (gh, DXLD) Live coverage World Cup from South Africa, Ghana vv Uruguay, 1930 UT, July 2nd --- Surprisingly, narrow 3 kHz wide audio of CNR Chinese live stream as jamming against US IBB/RFA outlets 13625 against IBB TIN S=9+30dB 11700 same S=9+40dB 11785 same S=9+30dB 9455 same S=7-8 against IBB Saipan DWL 17610 WOF S=9+20dB 15275 KIG S=9+10dB, fluttery in Germany. 13780 SIN S=9+40dB 9545 WOF S=9+30dB 9735 WOF S=9+40dB 6075 WOF S=9+45dB Africa No. One, Gabon in French 9580 S=9+20dB BBCWS English 15400 ASC S=9+10dB 12095 CYP S=9 11810 ASC S=9+10dB ERT V of Greece Greek 15630 AVL S=9+30dB 9420 AVL S=9+30dB RFI French 13695 S=8 (Wolfgang Büschel, July 2, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 10 via DXLD) Frequencies for Netherlands vs Spain World Cup final on July 11, 2010: 1200-2200 1296 MOS 300 kW / 096 deg Benelux [NO, it`s Orfordness UK] 1800-2200 5915 MDC 250 kW / 255 deg South Africa 1700-2200 5935 PHL 250 kW / 200 deg Indonesia, AUS and Indian Ocean 1700-2200 5950 WER 500 kW / 210 deg Europe and Scandinavia 1700-2200 9895 NAU 500 kW / 230 deg SW Europe 1800-2200 11670 WER 500 kW / 120 deg SE Europe and Middle East 1800-2200 11905 SAC 250 kW / 240 deg US East Coast 1800-2200 13640 SAC 250 kW / 272 deg US and Canada 1800-2200 13685 NAU 500 kW / 165 deg Central and East Africa 1700-2200 15310 BON 250 kW / 320 deg Caribbean and Florida 1800-2200 15475 GUF 500 kW / 196 deg South America 1700-2200 17535 BON 250 kW / 080 deg Atlantic Ocean and West Africa 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, July 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Special transmission consisting of Running Commentary alternately in Hindi and English of FIFA World Cup Football Final is scheduled tonight 11 July 2010 at 1825 to 2015 UT or till end of play by the following SW Stations of All India Radio. 4760, AIR Port Blair sign on at 1825 UT 4775, AIR Imphal sign on at 1030 UT 4810, AIR Bhopal sign on at 1130 UT 4837.3, AIR Gangtok sign on at 1800 UT (or 4835) 4910, AIR Jaipur sign on at 1130 UT 5050, AIR Aizawal sign on at 1825 UT 9425, AIR Bangalore sign on at 1320 UT 9470, AIR Aligarh sign on at 1320 UT Also several MW stations of AIR on following frequencies will relay the same. 540, 549, 576, 603, 612, 621, 666, 684, 747, 774, 864, 972, 981, 990, 1008, 1017, 1044, 1143, 1161, 1269, 1287, 1377, 1404, 1566, 1594. It will provide interesting long distance reception as at this time (local midnight) normally these stations are off (except National Channel on 9425, 9470, 1566). Reports on only SW transmissions may be sent to: spectrum-manager @ air.org.in 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India. Telefax: 91-40-2331 0287 Cell: 94416 96043 http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos http://www.niar.org DX LISTENING DIGEST) FIFA World Cup Football Final Commentary logs --- Running commentary of FIFA World Cup Football Final noted on foll freq's : AIR SW 4810 Bhopal 4837.3 Gangtok 4910 Jaipur 5050 Aizawal 9425 Bangalore 9470 Aligarh AIR MW 531, 576, 603, 612, 621, 630, 639, 648, 666, 747, 774, 864, 972(co- channel QRM VOA Urdu), 981, 990, 1008, 1017(co-ch qrm), 1026, 1044, 1143, 1206, 1215, 1224, 1287, 1377, 1404, 1476, 1566, 1593. AIR FM 102.6 Also on : RNW : 5915, 9895, 11670, 13685 RFI : 15300 REE : 12015, 15110 RRI : 11970 [Romania`s first play-by-play broadcast, in Romanian??] (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dx_india yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) Here are the frequencies I heard for the FIFA final. BONAIRE: RNW, 15310, at 1723 with interview in Dutch. Fair to moderate. (Cameron 11 July) SPAIN: REE, 17850, at 1742 in Spanish with talk. Good signal. Improved by 1936 tune in for game. (Cameron 11 July) [via COSTA RICA --- gh] CANADA: RNW, 11905, at 1803 in Dutch. Good at S5. // 13640 solid S9. (Cameron 11 July) Tnx to Wolfy for the RNW sked. 73/ (Liz Cameron, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) A emissora que melhor chegava para mim aqui durante a Copa foi a Radio France International, mas quando a Espanha conseguiu chegar nas quartas de final, os narradores da REE vibraram como se estivessem na final. Tão engraçado, que no programa Castor Mesajero que ouvi na Radio Canada International em espanhol, eles reproduziram o trecho final da partida. Alguns participantes no estúdio comentavam que era cedo demais para tanta emoção e outros diziam que era melhor comemorarem antecipadamente, pois caso não chegassem na final, não haveria mais o que comemorar. Tinha o hábito de acompanhar futebol assim, ouvindo pela Itatiaia e vendo na televisão sem volume. Pelas ondas curtas foi a primeira vez. 73, (Rodrigo de Araujo, http://www.ondasderadio.wordpress.com.br SWARL PY4-004SWL • Grid Locator: GH80AD Belo Horizonte • Minas Gerais, Brasil, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** SOUTH AMERICA. South America Pirate Up-date: Radio Cochiguaz, from somewhere in South America, sent me a up-date. Cachito, the operator stated: "From some time that we have not SW transmissions, but we are waiting for a new transmitter. Radio Cochiguaz is alive. The tubes are 100 watts, for AM a new transmitter with the only frequency of 11420 kHz, and the old transmitter that is out, is 150 watts, but with problems for to solve, and with two tubes for USB or LSB only". Greetings from Chile, in South America, Cachito, radio_cochiguaz @ yahoo.com (via Ed Kusalik, AB, Free Radio Weekly July 10 via DXLD) ** SPAIN. DESAPARECEN LOS INFORMATIVOS DE FIN DE SEMANA DE RADIO EXTERIOR (RNE) --- 09/07/10 18:11 CCOO y UGT han denunciado esta tarde que RNE ha cancelado los informativos de REE - Fin de semana. El argumento es la falta de dinero para seguir con el proyecto. Los sindicatos han denunciado además la inminente extinción de esta emisora. Como cuentan los representantes de los trabajadores Radio Exterior de España (REE) ha decidido eliminar definitivamente la producción y emisión de los informativos de Fin de Semana. 'La excusa es la falta de medios humanos y técnicos. No hay dinero para contratar a los trabajadores mínimos necesarios para que la puesta en antena tenga la exigible calidad de un Servicio Público como es Radio Exterior', dicen. Critican además que el departamento de Recursos Humanos lleve mucho tiempo sin asignar ningún tipo de personal a REE, aunque esté por debajo de los mínimos de Peñascales. 'Un ejemplo bien sabido es el de la Emisión en Ruso, que ha sido sustituida, durante meses, por música, al no haber sido cubierta la baja prolongada de la persona que se ocupaba de la emisión, dejando absolutamente de lado este servicio y poniendo en evidencia la poca valía que se le daba al trabajo de la persona que normalmente lo atendía'. 'Ahora toca el recorte de los informativos de REE en fin de semana, que están siendo sustituidos, de forma absurda, por la programación nacional, que no responde bajo ningún concepto a las necesidades del oyente de REE. Buen ejemplo es la evidencia de que a este oyente no le importa el atasco de tráfico de turno en la carretera de que se trate en cada momento', señalan. UGT y Comisiones Obreras critican que el dinero que no se utiliza en proyectos como Radio Exterior se desvíe al pago de productoras externas que realizan espacios en RNE y sus diferentes cadenas: 'no vamos a consentir bajo ningún concepto que esos recursos sean empleados en el enriquecimiento de una persona o cualquier otra de las estrellas invitadas', concluyeron. http://www.prnoticias.com/index.php/home/184-rne-/10058267-desaparecen-los-informativos-de-fin-de-semana-de-radio-exterior-rne (via José Bueno, Córdoba, España, July 9, condiglist yg WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 15745, 0146-, SLBC, Jul 9. American religious programming at good level. Back to local programming with news at 0200. 15745, 0154-, SLBC, Jul 6. Good reception except for some deep fades with American English religious segment (gave a Colombo address). Interesting, but best on the Wellbrook array (basically a 2 MHz and below antenna) (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. Preliminary Report of Grimeton Radio/SAQ transmission July 4 2010 [VLF spark gap] --- July 13 2010 --- According to received reports this transmission was one of the best ever, so far. Three reports with good readability came from the USA. New countries were Belarus and Hungary. Germany had, as usual, one third of the reports. The Final Summary Report will be showed on our website: http://www.alexander.n.se later on. For the Grimeton Radio/SAQ. Lars Kalland SM6NM (via Mike Terry, July 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. MEDIUMWAVE OPEN TO PRIVATE RADIO IN SWEDEN. The new law of radio was voted this week in Sweden. Means that even the AM-band is open to community radio, commercial radio etc. in all bands below 30 MHz. Even the L-band is open to dab+ broadcasting without any criteria at all. Areas it's open to dab+ and a licence from PTT only. The new law active from 1 of August. New FM/AM/DAB+ coming up this year (Roy Sandgren, Medium Wave News 56/03 July/August 2010, via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) ** TAIWAN. 15290, 0512-, Radio Taiwan International, Jul 12. Chinese broadcast, but marred by another transmitter on 15290.191 with an open carrier. My suspicion is that this is China using one of their many spare transmitters for no good! (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, an additional jamming technique (gh) ** TAJIKISTAN. 15500, Bible Voice BCN via Dushanbe-TJK 100 kW at 71 degrees, in Japanese 1230-1300, Suns only. Followed by Voice of Wilderness in Korean 1300-1330 UT Suns only, - according to Aoki entries (July 4) (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX July 10 via DXLD) ** TATARSTAN [non]. RUSSIA, 15110 at 0410- UT, Tatarstan Wave July 7. Transmitter already on at 0400 check with test tones, and at 0410 ID in Tatar, then Russian for the program Tatarstan Wave. Good reception, although with pretty deep fades/flutter. Haven't heard this one for some time. Wasn't there some talk of the Samara site being closed down a year or two ago? (Walt Salmaniw, Massett BC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Opens often around 0352 UT. Rather refurbished their faulty units some two years ago. Samara site now in regular service for various programmes, also TDP towards East Africa (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX July 10 via DXLD) ** TIBET [non]. TAJIKISTAN, 15572, odd channel, V of Tibet via Dushanbe-TJK, and accompanied CHINA Firedrake music on even 15570 kHz 1300-1400 UT, July 11. Both signals equal level S=6-7 here in Europe. July 11 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA. 4976, UBC Kampala, 0347-0403, July 9, English. Ad string at tune/in; M & W announcers with banter; passing mentions of Uganda; another ad string at 0401 into news; poor-fair at best (Scott R. Barbour Jr. Intervale, N.H. USA, NRD-545, MLB-1, 200" Beverages, 60m dipole, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA [non]. 10/7, 15410 Abaganda ? 1731 with just open carrier (program ended ?) Good signal (Zacharias Liangas, in our other country house in Fourka, Greece, used again my DE 1102 with reel antenna from Tecsun for doing some 'easy' DXing, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. Ukrainian radio today kHz / Station / Tx / kW / UTC 207 / UR-1 / Brovary / 500 / 02.30-22.00 657 / RUI / Chernovtsy / 25 / * 657 / UR-3 / Chernovtsy / 25 / ** 711 / UR-1 / Dokuchaevsk / 50 / 02.30-22.00 765 / Radio Mayak / Petrovka / 40 / 04.00-17.00 837 / Radio Bukovina / Chernovtsy / 30 / 03.00-21.00 837 / UR-1 / Taranovka / 150 / 02.30-21.00 873 / Oblastnoe Radio -2 / Dnepropetrovsk / 10 / 05.00-17.00 873 / Radio Khvylya / Zarvantsy / 7 / 04.00-18.00 936 / UR-1 / Krasnoe / 600 / 17.00-21.00 936 / UR-1 / Starobelsk / 2.7 / 02.30-22.00 972 / UR-1 / Luch / 500 / 02.30-21.00 1359 / Radio Tsentr / Dokuchaevsk / 40 / 00.00-24.00 1377 / Radio Nikolaev / Nikolaev / 5 / 04.00-18.30 1377 / UR-1 / Chernovtsy / 50 / 02.30-21.00 1431 / UR-3 / Luch / 1000 / 16.00-21.00 6145 / RUI / Taranovka / 100 / 20.00-00.00 7440 / RUI / Krasnoe / 600 / *** 7440 / RUI / Taranovka / 100 / 17.00-20.00 9840 / RUI / Taranovka / 100 / 05.00-07.00 11620 / RUI / Luch / 250 / 07.00-10.00 11980 / Dneprovskaya Khvylya / Zaporozhje / 0.3 / **** * - 17.00-17.30, 19.30-20.00, 21.00-21.30 ** - 16.00-17.00, 17.30-19.30, 20.00-21.00, 21.30-22.00 *** - 23.00-01:00, 02.00-04.00 **** - 05.00-07.00, 08.00-10.00 (Sat / Sun) (Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine / “open_dx”, via RusDX July 11 via DXLD) 7440, 0148-, Radio Ukraine International, Jul 6. I'm hearing RUI weakly in Ukrainian at this time. Normally in Masset, reception is far better than in Victoria, so I sure find it hard to believe that it's actually 500 or 600 kW. Sounds to be more like 100 kW from Kharkiv, but I guess the experts suggest that it's back to the Lviv-Krasne center. Strange, but they went into English at 0200 after the IS. This is different than normal, which used to always have English at 00 and 03 or 01 and 04 depending on the season. Now that's strange. I was certain that it was RUI initially at 0200 but now rechecking at 0209, it's VORWS with News and Views (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe late switchover (gh) ** UKRAINE. Re 10-27: > 2300-0100 on 7440 LV 500 kW / 303 deg to NoAm Ukr/En > 0100-0200 on 7440 LV 500 kW / 303 deg to NoAm relay > Voice of Russia En Just checked it out again: RUI English wrapped up shortly before 0100, reception reports and music requests always welcome etc., fill music, then faded down and about ten seconds of silence or, rather, of just the hum typical for this transmitter. Then no VOR but two strokes of RUI interval signal, followed by program opening, mentioning 7440 for North America and Sirius satellite for Europe and Russia, which reflects the actual situation (i.e. 7420 to western Siberia has not been revived). Remarkable the production music used for the opening: It's the same composition than used by Deutscher Fernsehfunk (Berlin-Adlershof) for some on-air design in its last year, here in a considerable differing arrangement, but it is the same melody (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 7, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 10-27: According to this schedule [DX Mix News], Ukrainian seems to be at 2200 on 6145. But, as Harry pointed out, English is really at 2200 on 6145 // 7440 (JM Aubier, France, July 9, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UKRAINE Yes Harry and Jean-Michel are right. http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=162 details are totally wrong and shows not the RUI presence on shortwave now in detail. [remark: This means RUI was off the SW air completely since April 12, til June 30, 2010; in A-10 season. Domestic SW relay 5970 cancelled Febr 22 already] Noted English on 7440 Lviv Krasne at 2200 UT already, since July 2nd every night, also tonight July 9th in \\ to 6145. Someone in NAm should monitor the 0000-0400 UT slot; it's most uncomfortable time here in CeEUR (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Monitored schedule on 7440 LV 500 kW / 303 deg to NoAm 2300-0200 RUI in Ukrainian/English/Ukrainian 0200-0300 VOR in English 0300-0400 RUI in Ukrainian 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST via dxldyg) I wonder why Ivo left out the 2200-2300 UT slot. Should read instead 7440 2200-0200 RUI in English/Ukrainian/English/Ukrainian wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Ukraine heard on 11620 with a very good signal at 0937 on 10 July 2010 presumably in Ukrainian. It's a pity they never used 250kw when they broadcast in English at this time and at 1100-1200 because 100kw was never ever good enough even on a good day (Harry Brooks, North East England, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) re RUI 11620 7-10 UT --- Distance Mykolaiv Luch-UKR to NE England is about 2600 kilometers, like 12060 Moscow and 11655 Lviv at same time slot 9-10 UT, but latter have both stronger signals. Maybe the Mykolaiv ant #206 type in 25 m band is not much effective towards Europe. 73 (wb, ibid.) 11620 206 AHR(S)4/2/0.5 11655 298 AHR(S)8/8/1.0 oder 288 AHR(S)8/4/1.0 12060 158 AHR(S)2/4/1.0 Curtain antenna, half-wave dipole array, multi-band, centre-fed, aperiodic screen reflector Designated: AHR(S) m/n/h m = number of half-wave dipoles in each horizontal row n = number of rows spaced half a wavelength apart one above the other h = height above the ground in wavelengths of the bottom row of dipoles Possible slew and the design frequency are entered in separate requirement fields.` (Büschel, DXLD) Harry Brooks is correct about Ukraine's signals from KHR. They were very poor if 100 kW was really being used. But he may have been referring to when their transmissions were beaming east. 9840 is much better now, but I haven't tried 6145 and 7440 later. All the best and 73 from (Noel Green, England, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Ukraine in English at 0900 and 1100 in previous A seasons was KHR 100 kW at 277 degrees, slightly North of West, which should have been absolutely fine for reception here and in Blackpool for Noel Green but as Wolfgang Bueschel ponts out it may have been the antenna at fault. The Mykolaiv Luch-UKR site north of Crimea is obviously much better because of more power and/or better antenna. I don't know why Radio Ukraine never bothered using it for the 0900 and 1100 English broadcasts. Hopefully the current 3 hours of Ukrainian at 0700-1000 will be changed to include an hour of English which will provide decent reception here for the first time in years or maybe some other English broadcast between 0600 and 1900 may be revived. Also I'm not sure where DX Mix News 632 gets this information from, UKRAINE Summer A-10 schedule Radio Ukraine International from July 1 0700-1000 on 11620#SMF 250 kW 312 deg WeEu Ukr, x KHR 100 kW 290 deg since Radio Ukraine, before April 12, was still KHR 277 degrees at 100 kW for English at 0900 and 1100 and not 290 degrees. Regards (Harry Brooks, North East England, UK, July 11, ibid.) UKRAINE, 7440, 0233-, Voice of Russia World Service, Jul 10. Just wanted to confirm for myself that it was VOR on between 02 and 03 and sure enough, it's them in English at fair level today (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Monitored schedule of Radio Ukraine International Jul 9-12: 0300-0500 7440 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS Ukr, new, noted July 12 0500-0700 9840 KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WEu En/Ukr 0700-1000 11620#SMF 250 kW / 312 deg to WEu Ukr 1700-2000 7440^KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WEu Ge/Ukr/En 2000-2400 6145*KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WEu Ge/Ukr/En/Ge, ex Ge/En/Ukr/Ge 2200-0200 7440 LV 500 kW / 303 deg to NAm En/Ukr/En/Ukr, ex 23-01 0300-0400 7440 LV 500 kW / 303 deg to NAm Ukr, cancelled #co-ch 0800-1000 CRI in English ^co-ch 1900-2000 CRI in Hungarian/Romanian *co-ch 2000-2200 CRI Polish/Albanian/Hungarian, 2200-2300 VOR Russian Voice of Russia relay 0200-0300 on 7440 LV 500 kW / 303 deg to NoAm En, ex 0100-0200 0900-1000 on 11655 LV 500 kW / 303 deg to WeEu Ge (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, 13 July via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) ** U K. The two-month Promenade Concert season starts July 16, all webcast on BBC Radio 3 thru Sept 11. Main site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/ Season overview: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/whatson/season/overview/summary.shtml Day-by-day schedule in UT+1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/whatson/season/ Many of the concerts are repeated a few days later in the afternoon, and some more around Xmas. And each is available OD for one week. Individual concert pages should lead to program notes which are not put up ahead of time; all this based on previous years (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC WS Programme and for all regional streams --- Maybe I'm just late noticing this, but I've just come across this page of printable six-monthly programme schedules for each of the BBC WS regional streams for the current broadcast period: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2010/03/000000_summer_schedules.shtml Hopefully, it'll be of interest to some (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, July 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Today's "Feedback" show on BBC R4 includes, in the second half, a segment on BBCWS (Mike Cooper, July 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006slnx After BBCR6, 13:30+ into the file, available until July 15 (gh, DXLD) ** U K. BBC World Service Documentary: "Caribbean Voices" I have just come across this series on the BBC World Service about the BBC WS broadcasts called "Caribbean Voices" which began in the 1950's. The series is currently being repeated in "The Wednesday Documentary" slot - part two this week. Part one is still available on Listen Again at: or go to The Wednesday Documentary web pages where parts one and two can both be downloaded on-demand, at: (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, July 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) =========================================== The Wednesday Documentary: Caribbean Voices What is the Caribbean voice? In the 1950s, the BBC World Service conjured it up. Through its weekly programme, Caribbean voices were revealed to be haunting and melodious, salty, pungent, sun-drenched, wry, amusing, earnest and unique. If a good newspaper acts as a nation talking to itself, then Caribbean Voices distinguished itself as a sounding board for the British colonies in Caribbean. Poets, playwrights and prose writers (amateur and professional) sent forth their contributions from the Antilles and those stories, selected, edited and fastidiously recorded washed back over the airwaves as the BBC called the Caribbean. In this two-part series the radio producer and independent historian Colin Grant, examines how Caribbean Voices served to kick start a literary tradition in the Caribbean. The door of the freelancers' room at the Langham Hotel, with its ochre walls and pea-green dado, was always wide open and a host of soon-to- be famous names walked through: Sam Selvon, Derek Walcott, Andrew Salkey, V.S. Naipaul and many others. The series will travel back to the anxious beginnings of these impoverished fledgling writers who tapped out their stories, on the smooth non-rustle paper, to the sound of their bellies knocking on their backbones. In part one, Colin Grant talks to some of the original contributors, including the Noble Laureate, Derek Walcott and George Lamming about the remarkable beginnings of Caribbean Voices, drawing listeners back to the 1940s where in the midst of war an indomitable Jamaican, Una Marson caught the attention of BBC bosses, and was given the job of reflecting life in Britain to people in the Caribbean and vice-versa. On one level this might simply be Caribbean servicemen and women stationed in England reading letters home; later there would be meditations on the nature of prejudice that the immigrants found on their arrival, and still later Caribbean Voices became a show-case for burgeoning literary endeavour. In part two, Colin asks writers who they think they are, who are their readers and whether they strive for recognition at home or abroad. He also looks at the impact the populist Jamaican poet, Louise Bennett had on the country's most popular art form, pantomime and how the film 'The Harder The Come', brought Jamaican patois and music to mainstream audiences. He speaks to the organiser of the literary festival Calabash who feels that present Caribbean authors are not being pigeon holed by history and writing about slavery and colonialism but writing about everything and anything. Colin also finds out why local bookshops are maybe to blame for the lack of Caribbean literature in the region themselves (via DXLD) ** U K [and non]. CYPRUS, 12025, 0502-, BBC, Jul 9, Russian service at good level with sports news. 250 kW listed from Limassol. Also heard at good/very good level on // 9680 (Rampisham), 11845 poor (Woofferton), 12025 very good, except for slight CODAR (also Limassol), 13820 very good (also Limassol) (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9680, supersignal from WYFR normally has no competition, but July 12 at 0537 there is equal-level CCI in Russian. This is BBC via Rampisham, 04-06, 500 kW at 47 degrees. Solar flux hit 83 on July 11, and K-index at 06 July 12 was 0. Lots of other good signals from Europe at this time on 31m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC MONITORING THREATENED -- see RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM ** U K. UK GOVERNMENT SPEECH ON DIGITAL RADIO 8 July 2010 Southgate Amateur Radio Club Communications Minister Ed Vaizey has said the future of radio is digital, but listeners will determine the pace of change. He pledged that FM will not be turned off until two key targets are met: - the vast majority of listeners have voluntarily adopted digital radio over analogue. - digital coverage matches FM. He gave an assurance that FM will remain a platform for small local and community radio for as long as these services want it. In his speech Ed Vaizey said: "But we can't impose this on an unwilling public, no matter how persuasive the business case, or how clearly we know that analogue is already providing a barrier to growth and creativity. So listeners need to be persuaded that the content on offer is compelling, that the quality is high and that digital radios, at home or in the car, are affordable and have listening quality that is at least as good as FM." Listeners to lead the way to radio's digital future http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/media_releases/7225.aspx Speech to Intellect Consumer Electronics Conference http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/ministers_speeches/7226.aspx FM radio is safe, minister promises http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jul/08/fm-radio-safe-minister-promises BBC - Fine tuning the 'senior service' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/10559350.stm BBC Radio 4 - FM switch-off date 'not set in stone' http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8799000/8799719.stm Letter to Telegraph by Practical Wireless editor Rob Mannion, G3XFD http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2010/ed_vaizey_dab_statement.htm (via Mike Terry, July 9, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. ARMY DITCHES NAME OF PSYCH WARFARE The US Army has dropped the Vietnam-era name "psychological operations" for its branch in charge of trying to change minds behind enemy lines, acknowledging the term can sound ominous. The Defense Department picked "Military Information Support Operations," or MISO. US Special Operations Command spokesman Ken McGraw said Thursday the new name, adopted last month, more accurately reflects the unit's job of producing leaflets, radio broadcasts and loudspeaker messages to influence enemy soldiers and civilians. The term "psychological operations" often led to a misunderstanding, he said (St Petersburg Times (uncredited wire source), July 3, 2010, via Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, July 13, WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. RADIO FREE OF BUREAUCRACY By KIM ANDREW ELLIOTT Published: July 12, 2010 Arlington, Va. BBG-Broadcasting Board of Governors [caption] AFTER seven months of politicking, the new Broadcasting Board of Governors was confirmed by the Senate at the very end of last month. The bipartisan board, now headed by the former CNN chairman Walter Isaacson, supervises the government-financed programs Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Arabic- language Radio Sawa and Al Hurra TV, and Radio and TV Martí, which broadcast to Cuba. The board faces an increasingly competitive global media environment. The benchmark is the British Broadcasting Corporation’s World Service, which produces radio programs in 32 languages, plus television in Arabic and Persian, and has a global weekly radio audience of 180 million people — about 10 million more than the combined audiences of the American international stations. Can the B.B.G. catch up with its cousins at the BBC? It might seem difficult, given that President Obama has just asked all federal agencies to plan for a 5 percent reduction in spending. A budget cut, however, might be just the thing. After all, the BBC World Service keeps its audience listening on an annual budget of $420 million. The United States spends close to twice as much on international broadcasting — $757 million per year. A common explanation for this discrepancy — that the BBC World Service gets free support from its parent agency, the domestic BBC — doesn’t really hold up. A World Service spokesman tells me (and provides documentation to back this up) that the BBC “does not allow for any cross-subsidy between the various funding streams.” The real reason the United States spends so much more is that, instead of having one entity that produces all broadcasts, American international broadcasting is a collection of often redundant agencies working under the banner of the Board of Governors. In more than 20 of the languages covered by American broadcasting, both Voice of America and Radio Free “surrogate” stations transmit programs. The theory behind this is that the Radio Free station provides news about the target country, while Voice of America presents United States and general world news. If that were true, the audience would have to tune into two American stations at different times and different frequencies to get complete news coverage. In reality, V.O.A. also extensively covers its target countries. If it didn’t, no one would listen. As a result, there is much duplication of effort. The new Broadcasting Board of Governors has a chance to change this. It should propose to Congress and the Obama administration a merger of the separate broadcasting entities into one corporation under the board’s supervision, similar to the BBC World Service. This would eliminate the duplication and reduce overhead, compensating for the 5 percent budget cut and then some. It would also free up money to invest in television, an expensive medium that is necessary to attract audiences in many target countries. The present mixture of broadcasting bureaucracies, created over the decades by this and that legislation, must be replaced by a consolidated structure that can increase audience reach without reaching for taxpayers’ wallets. Kim Andrew Elliott, an audience research analyst for the United States International Broadcasting Bureau, has taught communications at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and blogs on international broadcasting. Source: Radio Free of Bureaucracy http://nyti.ms/9f6Zie (NY Times Op-Ed, via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/opinion/13elliott.html (via Benn Kobb, Mike Cooper, DXLD) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/opinion/13elliott.html?emc=eta1 (via David Cole, TX, DXLD) [Earlier:] A major East Coast newspaper almost published today an op- ed of mine, calling for reform of U.S. international broadcasting. Said newspaper has promised a slot for said op-ed since January. If/when it is published, it will guarantee that I will never be named a Great Federal Employee. Great Federal Employees always argue for budget increases for their agencies (Kim Andrew Elliott, July 10, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) BBG PUBLISHES PROFILES OF NEW MEMBERS http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/bbg-publishes-profiles-of-new-members (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. 9945, July 10 at 1401, mix of Indonesian and English, ID as ``VOA Direct Connexion``, jingle in English, DJ in Indonesian, American music. This is the Fri-Sat-Sun only broadcast at 14-15, via Tinang, PHILIPPINES. They do not even bother with token news on the hour. Much better than Prague via Miami on 9955 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15730, July 11 at 2023 open carrier S9+18 but weak audio underneath causing SAH. 2029 ``VOA, Washington DC, signing on`` and into French at 2030. This is another case of Americans vs Americans, VOA interfering with itself due to unnecessary site changes, frequency overlaps. Here`s what happens: VOA French at 2000-2030 is daily on 15730 via São Tomé. On Sat and Sun only there is an additional semihour at 2030- 2100, but it`s via Greenville. So GB should crash-start on 15730 and tune up on some other open channel before 2030 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Frequency change of Radio Liberty in Avari/Chechen/Chercassian: 0300-0400 NF 9480 LAM 100 kW / 092 deg, ex 5955//7290 LAM 100 kW / 108 deg (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, 13 July via DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO FREE ASIA TO GET PERMANENT U.S. LICENSE The U.S. Congress has passed a bill to renew the license for Radio Free Asia, a private, non-profit radio station, on a permanent basis. RFA has brought news and information chiefly about North Korea to listeners in nine Asian countries where full, accurate, and timely news reports are unavailable. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed the bill to delete a clause whereby RFA's license expires in September. RFA began broadcasting in 1996 based on the International Broadcasting Act passed by Congress in 1994. It broadcasts programs on radio and the Internet in nine languages, including Korean, Burmese, and Vietnamese. The budget allocated for RFA was US$37 million in the fiscal year of 2010. Republican Rep. Ed Royce of California, who introduced the bill, stressed the need to support RFA, saying that according to a survey of defectors, more than half of refugees who fled the North since 2006 regularly listened to foreign broadcasts. The annual upkeep for RFA is equivalent to the cost for the fuel cap of a single B-52 bomber, he added, but its effect is much more powerful (Chosun.com via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) I question whether ``license expires`` is the correct terminology (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1520 monitoring chex: Confirmed on ACB Radio webcast after 0100 UT Friday July 9, to be repeated every two hours thru 2330. Confirmed on WRMI 9955 via webcast during the 1430 semihour Friday July 9. (However, Jeff says the UT Friday 0030 is being replaced with something else from next week.) The July WWCR program guide now shows our airings as: Fri 2030 15825 (should be 2029 really) Sat 1630 12160 Sun 0230 4840 Sun 0630 3215 Sun 2330 9980 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Another WORLD OF RADIO broadcast on WRMI 9955 has been replaced by a preacher: business must be picking up. 1330+ Sunday July 11. We are awaiting a complete updated schedule. On July 8, Jeff White informed us that the 0030 UT Friday timeslot formerly occupied by WOR, beginning next week, will be a Cuban program called "Célula Secreta." Also, ``As of next week, Radio República is dropping the morning broadcast from 0900 to 1200 UT Monday-Friday and the evening broadcast from 0200 to 0400 Tuesday-Saturday. They will still be on weekdays 2300 to 0200 on 9490 [Sackville], and 0200-0400 UT Sunday and Monday on 9955.`` That opens a lot of time, 25 hours per week, for WRMI to fill with something else (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As of today, we're running WRN at 1600-2000 UT Sat & Sun, which of course includes WOR (Jeff White, WRMI, July 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So WOR at 1730 UT but no longer non-via-WRN at 1900 Sat & Sun (gh) So from the July 12 WRMI xls program schedule grid, we extract: WORLD OF RADIO: Wed 1530; Thu 1500, 2100; Fri 1430; Sat 0800, 1730; Sun 0800, 1515, 1730; Tue 1530, 2230; Wed 0030 AWR WAVESCAN: Thu 1430; Fri 1530; Sat 0730; Sun 0830; Mon 1500, 2100 HCJB DX PARTYLINE: Sat 0000, 1000, 1500, 2015; Sun 0115, 0400, 0600, 1030, 1430; Mon 1545; Tue 0030, 1500; Wed 1430 STUDIO DX [Italian]: Mon 1430; Wed 0000; Thu 2130 ENCONTRO DX [Portuguese]: Thu 2200; Sun 0500 FRECUENCIA AL DIA: Tue 1430; Fri 2230; Sat 0700, 2300 VIVA MIAMI: Tue 0045; Fri 2200; Sat 1545; Sun 0015, 2330 LA ROSA DE TOKIO: Wed 2200; Sat 0500; Sun 0700 HISTORIAS DE RADIO: Tue 2100; Sat 0030 AIRES ANDINOS [music]: Tue 0015; Fri 2100; Sat 1100; Sun 0430, 0630 MEXICO DE LEYENDA [music]: Thu 0000; Fri 2130 TROVA LIBRE [music]: Tue 2130 WORLD RADIO NETWORK: M-F 0500-0830, 0900-1100, 1600-2100; Tue-Sat 0200-0400; Sat & Sun 1600-2000 RADIO PRAGUE [English]: Daily 1400; Sat 0600; Sat & Sun 0900 RADIO PRAGA: M-F 0830; Sat 0630; Sat & Sun 0930 RADIO PRAGUE [français]: M-F 1330; exc Tue 1345- ACONTECER VENEZOLANO: Thu 0045; Sun 0145, 1130 Major Cuban exile shows: LA VOZ DEL CONSEJO POR LA LIBERTAD DE CUBA: M-F 1100-1200; Tue-Sat 0100-0200 RADIO LIBERTAD: M-F 2300-2400; Tue-Sat 0400-0500; daily 1200-1300 RADIO REPUBLICA: Sun & Mon 0200-0400 FORO REVOLUCIONARIO: Sun 2030-2130; Mon 2200-2300; Wed 2100-2200 CDHD BRIGADE 2506 [Cuban, English]: Tue 1515; Fri 0015, 2215; Sat 1045; Sun 1115, 1500 The full schedule is available as an attachment July 14 to a DXLD yg post (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. George McClintock explains the downtime for WTWW on July 7- 8: the plate blocker failed. It keeps voltage from going into the antenna, just RF. That happens rarely, and cost $20K to replace. Luckily, Continental had one handy destined for a new transmitter, and they shipped it overnight. George enjoys the SW engineering, such as learning how to install this item in the 418-E, which he had never had to do before. Some other modules were damaged, but able to get back on the air anyway awaiting replacements, with reduced power of 60 kW, then 80 and hoped to be back up to 95-100 kW today July 10. How is second transmitter coming? Painfully slowly, but he`s in no big hurry. It`s a Continental 418-D which came from Seychelles. It will be refurbished with all-new parts, to become a 418-F, which is more advanced than the -E now in use, and should be more reliable once the bugs are out. Old announcements still mentioning ``program tests`` have been removed, and expects to get more continuity including PSAs. PPP is being urged to fix long periods of dead air on his program feed. One lasting 35-40 minutes was filled by music from WTWW. George regrets that he has not had time to do more with the website (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WEWN missing from 12050, July 12 at 1419, tho Spanish VG on 11550 with Taiwan het; and English audible on 13835. So one transmitter is down. Previous summers, has been off for weeks of maintenance. 12050, one WEWN frequency missing again July 13 at 1304, still in Spanish on 11550, English on 13835. At 1837 check, 12050 is back on in Spanish but a different frequency is missing, 13830, while 15610 English is on as normal. Then at 1838 I notice a weak carrier cutting on and off 13830, amid DentroCuban jamming bleed from 13820. WEWN back with three transmitters going, July 13 at 2021: 13830 and 12050 Spanish, 15610 plus spurs in English. July 14 at 1312: 11550 and 12050 Spanish, 13835 English plus mushspurs above and below (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 15385, KJES, July 14 at 1904 check, S9+12 carrier by JBA kidmod (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 15550, 1910-, WJHR, Milton FL, Jul 7. Fair to good reception on an otherwise pretty dead SW band with old canned preaching. 15550, 1708-, WJHR, Jul 11. Good to very good reception with same canned preacher with tinny audio. Best I've heard them during the past two weeks (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 17580, July 10 at 1407, S Asian language stronger than adjacent VOA Greenville 17585 which had news interview instead of Music Mix since it`s Saturday. Per Aoki, 17580 is YFR Bengali, due east from Wertachtal, GERMANY. As a result, how many Bengalis will be astounded when, on May 22, 2011, nothing has changed and we are all still here --- except Family Radio has collapsed of its own ``judgment day`` nonsense: http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/judgment/judgment.html BTW, schedule at http://www.familyradio.com/international/schedules/B01/bengali_b01.html claims Bengali is at 13-15, only on 15255, more nonsense from Mr Camping; 17580 apparently replaced it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also ALASKA Additional txion of WYFR Family Radio in English: 1300-1400 on 12155 A-A 200 kW / 132 deg to SEAs via TRW 1700-1800 on 11810 RMP 500 kW / 160 deg to WCAf via VTC 2000-2100 on 9510 RMP 500 kW / 160 deg to WCAf via VTC (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, 13 July via DXLD) ** U S A. NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO IS CHANGING ITS NAME TO NPR Thursday, July 8, 2010 (Susan Walsh - AP) No need for formalities here: National Public Radio now says it wants to be known simply as NPR. So the Washington-based organization has quietly changed its name to its familiar initials. Much like the corporate names KFC or AT&T, the initials now stand for the initials. NPR says it's abbreviating the name it has used since its debut in 1971 because it's more than radio these days. Its news, music and informational programming is heard over a variety of digital devices that aren't radios; it also operates news and music Web sites. Hence: "NPR is more modern, streamlined," says Vivian Schiller, NPR's chief executive. She points to other "re-brandings" by media organizations, such as Cable News Network, which has been plain old CNN for years. NPR hasn't formally announced the change. But it has told its staff and some 900 affiliated stations in recent months to use only the initials on the air or online. There's a little bit of tension in those three initials. NPR's affiliates, which contribute about 40 percent of NPR's $154 million operating budget, are still primarily in the radio business. Some station managers have grumbled that NPR has invested in digital operations at the expense of more and better radio programs. The Public Broadcasting Service, NPR's public TV counterpart, still officially refers to itself by its full name, according to a PBS spokeswoman - Paul Farhi Source: Susan Walsh - AP http://bit.ly/aAQWEE (Washington Post via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) Only we oldtimers know what NCR originally stood for. In years to come, people will no longer know R stood for radio, and NPR will have diversified into cash registers, etc. 73, (Glenn Hauser, swprograms via DXLD) Here, when the article title was first mentioned, I thought it was the word "National" that was the troublesome piece, such as in trying to distance themselves from conservative critics or the CPB. But if it is "radio," then it is sad the content providers feel they must avoid that word because it is old school or lacks pizazz in the so-called digital age. Sad, because I am very proud of something being provided by radio, as to me that is enduring (Kevin Anderson, Dubuque IA USA, K9IUA, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. WGN: see LANGUAGE LESSONS ** U S A. Florida pirate fined: http://www.insideradio.com/ The FCC is keeping the Fed Ex carriers in Florida busy delivering letters demanding fines be paid. The latest goes to Lauderhill resident Christopher Myers, who the FCC says was operating an illegal FM (95.9) from his condominium. That warrants a $10,000 fine. He was fined before for operating a pirate station at 91.7 FM. (via Mike Terry, UK, July 13, dxldyg via DXLD) See also OKLAHOMA ** VATICAN. Hi Glenn, I was listening to the evening news on CHML 900 AM – Hamilton, Ontario on 10 July 2010 at 11:00 PM EDT, when mention was made of financial losses reported by the Vatican. I proceeded to check their website, as well as that of Radio Vaticana and also came across the Dallas-Fort Worth Catholic Newspaper: Vatican in the red for 3rd straight year with $5.2 million loss; donations up (Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press) VATICAN CITY - The Vatican said Saturday it had posted its third straight financial loss, registering a €4.1 million (US$5.2 million) deficit for 2009. The financial report released by the Holy See's press office listed revenues of €250.18 million against expenses of €254.28 million. Most of the expenses went to support Pope Benedict XVI's activities and the Holy See's offices, especially Vatican Radio, the voice of the pope that is broadcast on five continents in 40 different languages and produced by 200 journalists. In 2008, the Vatican was €900,000 in the red; a year earlier it posted a €9.06 million deficit. The report said the separate administration of the Vatican City state was particularly hit by the economic crisis as well as by high costs to improve the Vatican 's telecommunications system and restore its cultural treasures and ensure security. However cost-cutting allowed the tiny state to record a loss of only €7.81 million, less than half the €15.3 million it lost in 2008. The Vatican stressed that such losses were not unique considering other governments were running deficits as a result of the economic meltdown. That said, the Vatican said in January that it saw signs of improvement in its financial outlook for 2010, particularly concerning the administration of the Vatican City state. The Vatican said annual donations from churches worldwide, the so-called Peter's Pence, were up in 2009, with Catholics donating $82.52 million last year. In 2008, the faithful gave $75.8 million and $79.8 million in 2007. Leading donors were from the U.S., Italy and France. The Pope uses the fund to help churches in poor countries and other charitable causes. In addition, the Vatican 's bank, the Institute for Religious Works, gave the pope an additional €50 million in 2009 for his charitable works. The Vatican has published the annual report since 1981, when Pope John Paul II ordered financial disclosure as part of his efforts to debunk the idea that the Vatican is rich. Up until two years ago, the report was released on the same day a senior Vatican cardinal held a news conference to explain the financial picture. Asked why such briefings are no longer scheduled, a Vatican official said they had been stopped because journalists asked "uncomfortable" questions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with the media. http://www.900chml.com Vatican 2009 Financial Report Released (10 July 2010) posted on Radio Vaticana website: (12 Jul 10 – RV) On Saturday the Vatican published its consolidated financial report for the year closing 2009. The Holy See posted a €4.1 million deficit for 2009. It was the third straight year to close with a deficit. A report issued to press Saturday explains that the Vatican had revenues of €250.18 million against expenses of €254.28 million, most of which went to cover operating costs of the various curial Dicasteries and organisms of the Holy See, including the Holy See’s communications outfits, particularly Vatican Radio. Major expenses for the Governatorate of Vatican City State included maintenance and restoration projects on the Holy See’s artistic and architectural patrimony, including major renovations of the Vatican Library, and security as well. The report also noted an increase in Peter’s Pence donations, which come from dioceses, religious communities and lay faithful throughout the world. Calculated in US Dollars, Catholics in 2009 donated $82.52 million, an increase with respect to both 2008 and 2007. Leading donors were the U.S. , Italy and France , through the report also noted the significant donations from Korea and Japan , which were very large if considered in comparison to the number of Catholic faithful. The report concludes with a note of gratitude to all those who contributed generously and often anonymously to the support of the Holy Father’s Apostolic and charitable ministry in the service of the universal Church. http://www.radiovaticana.org 12 July 2010 - Vatican City (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, president of the prefecture and incidentally named the Pontifical delegate to the Legion of Christ on Friday, reported a nearly $5.2 million deficit for 2009 in the Holy See’s balance sheet, which contained over $321 million in expenses. On a positive note, the Holy See’s statement explained that the “negative fluctuations” which had been “suspended” in 2008 were “absorbed” this year. Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi told journalists that these “fluctuations” amounted to between eight and ten million Euro ($10.1- 12.6 million). Expenses largely result from the activities of Vatican dicasteries and other bodies, including Vatican Radio, that “participate in the pastoral care of the Pontiff of the Universal Church .” http://www.dfwcatholic.org One can only wonder at this point in time if the financial losses will impact the outreach and operation of Radio Vaticana. 73’s, (Ed Insinger, Summit NJ, July 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VATICAN RADIO - VATICAN COUNTS THE COST BBC News 11 July 2010 The Vatican has seen its third consecutive financial loss, with a 4.1m euros (£3.4m; $5.2m) deficit in 2009. It saw revenues of 250.2m euros against expenses of 254.3m euros. But annual donations from churches worldwide - known as Peter's Pence - were up by about 9% in 2009 at $82.52m. Most of the Vatican's outlay was to cover the activities of Pope Benedict XVI, and services such as Vatican Radio which is broadcast on five continents in 40 different languages. It said it also faced costly improvements to its telecommunication system while restoring cultural treasures and ensuring security added to the bill. The Vatican began publishing annual financial reports in 1981 when Pope John Paul II set out to challenge perceptions that the Vatican was rich. In 2008, the Vatican lost 900,000 euros but in 2007 saw a 9.1m euro deficit. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10590214.stm (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) The RCC may bookkeep so that it shows a deficit, but it *is* rich in assets, such as fine art, property all over the world, depleted somewhat by payouts to victims of its sexual abuse (gh, DXLD) ** VATICAN. 11625, July 13 at 0550, Brazilian more than Luso Portuguese, but with Italian accent, from VR, scheduled 0530-0600 to W Africa; fair (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. CYPRUS: 6195, BBC WS, English, eclectic mix of talks including segments about the World Cup and Ghana, Brazil, same sex domestic benefits packages for employees in San Francisco, etc. ID at :59, and (NOT // 6145 from S Africa). WRTH lists this as Cyprus and Skelton -- I'm presuming this was the former as it went into Spanish at :00 any ideas? SIO 343+ 0345-0400 2/Jul (Kenneth Vito Zichi, Williamston MI, MARE Tipsheeet via DXLD) BBC could be both Skelton and Cyprus synchronized. But Spanish at 0400 on 6195 has nothing to do with BBC, which only has one token SW broadcast in Spanish in the mornings at 1200-1215 M-F on 9410 via WHRI: 6195 at 0400 is NHK via BONAIRE (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 7174.1, 2150-2159*, 05 Jul'10, English, news; 25321. External mixing spur? 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, July 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. UNKNOWN, 9680, 1245-, Jul 7. A difficult channel. I was searching for the return of KNLS. Nothing on listed English on 7355. On this frequency are two cochannels. RRI Jakarta is here with their 4th program on 9680.053 at strong level. There's another on 9680.003 playing 'What a friend we have in Jesus'. I see that Radio Taiwan International is also scheduled at this time in Mandarin, but I wouldn't expect them to be broadcasting any religious music, unless for WYFR. By 1255 spoiled by the splatter from 9675, CRI in Russian at monstrous levels (Walter Salmaniw, Masset, B.C., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also RUSSIA UNIDENTIFIED. 9715, First noted on June 28th after Iran in Kurdish at 0429 UT on 9715 kHz with talks in ?Amharic? and Horn music songs. Most likely Eritrea (which was at this time on their new 7177 kHz) - the program continued around 0620 UT, when the signal was almost =0. Also heard on June 28th and 30th (but no on June 29th). Jammed with typical noise (as DRM like) since July 1st. Saudi Arabia Holy Quran in Arabic is not on 9715 kHz already two weeks. Maybe Oromya from 6030 kHz? The jammers in range 7100-7200 kHz are already with noise similar like DRM mode with around 14-15 kHz width (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, July 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 10 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 12115 kHz at 2133. This is an unidentified for me; hopefully someone has heard it before or has a listing some place. Very pleasant Chinese music, not usual marching. Fair signal too. any ideas? 73 (Steve Calver, UK, July 8, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) No broadcaster listed on this frequency at all. Was it Firedrake or not? I would not call Firedrake ``marching``, so don`t know what you mean by ``usual marching``. Everyone ought to listen to a known Firedrake transmission for an hour, or at least a considerable fraxion, to become familiar with it, for it is always the same, every hour. In my daily bandscans for it, it does not take more than a few seconds for me to recognize it. Since target Sound of Hope can appear just about anywhere, so can ChiCom Firedrake traditional-music-only jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Query: Had a station using Hindu-type singing, etc on 15260 between 1600 and 1620 UT. Can't find any references on this except that AIR uses 15260 earlier in the day to broadcast English. Anyone have an ID on this station? Thanks. NRD545 26.37N 081.05W (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) AWR in Urdu via Austria, 1600-1630 on 15260 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 15750, July 11 at 1312, S9+15 but fluttery signal with sweep tone tests, as if proofing a new transmitter. Ranges from inaudibly low-pitched to inaudibly high-pitched. Stopped at 1315, just open carrier, 1318 resumed sweeping; next check 1347, off. Nothing on the online skeds to account for this during a time 15750 is not attributed to any station, except for a wooden Bulgarian DRM in HFCC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hello Glenn, Here's my way of belatedly congratulating you on WOR #1500. Best wishes (Martin Gallas, Jacksonville IL, with a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com WORLD OF RADIO 1521) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ AXIS SALLY: THE AMERICAN VOICE OF NAZI GERMANY Axis Sally biography - October 19 Mr. Hauser, I have completed a biography of the World War II broadcaster Axis Sally and it is being published in October 2010 by Casemate Publishers. Following are links to several sites that will carry it. I have listened to World of Radio for many years and, if you find time, I would really love to hear it mentioned on the program. When I was a teenager, I was a member of NASWA, SPEEDX, etc. and my years on an old Hallicrafters led me to write this book. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/AXIS-SALLY-American-Voice-Germany/dp/1935149431/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278941830&sr=8-2 Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Axis-Sally/Richard-Lucas/e/9781935149439/?itm=1&USRI=Axis+Sally Tescos in the UK: http://www.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9781935149439 Borders: http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1935149431 (Richard Lucas 23 Meadowbrook Road Short Hills, NJ 07078 Phone: (973) 376-4474 Cell: (862) 754-5509 Email: rlucas122561 @ yahoo.com WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Richard, Congratulations. Of course I`ll be glad to mention it, and in DX Listening Digest for more accessible permanent reference. Just wondering, which Axis Sally? (Glenn to Richard, via DXLD) Mr Hauser; Thank you so much. The book covers (mostly) the life of Mildred Gillars but also goes into detail about Rita Zucca and her life. I have a lot of documents from the National Archives on both women and it was fascinating how Gillars went to prison while Zucca was prescient enough to take Italian citizenship in 1940 and couldn’t be tried in a US court). I wrote an article in World War II magazine about both women in the Dec\Jan 2010 issue. The link to the article is at http://www.historynet.com/axis-sally.htm Thanks again. I really appreciate it (Richard Lucas, ibid.) SHORTWAVE MUSIC +++++++++++++++ COUNTDOWN TO BULGARIA! Hello my friends: As many of you know, I'm leaving for Bulgaria in three weeks for an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit and record some of the country's most legendary folkloric and musical groups. I will be there for two weeks and will be traveling by private coach with a small group of musicologists, some of whom have been studying in the country for over thirty years. I will also be continuing my ShortWaveMusic project of documenting world music and culture as heard by shortwave radio. Here's more info on the project: http://www.indiegogo.com/ShortWaveMusic-Bulgaria (Myke Weiskopf, July 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Myke Weiskopf, who runs the Shortwave Music website, is raising funds for a recording expedition to Bulgaria, and needs a bit more soon (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) TINY TRAP +++++++++ Judy Woodruff on PBS Newshour July 8 at :37 into the program: ``tiny microscopic bacteria`` to eat oil spill --- yeah, but if microscopic, they are by definition tiny already, you redundantiste (gh) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ MEMO PUTS WGN NEWS STAFFERS AT A LOSS FOR WORDS Sure, you’d think the chief executive officer of a company struggling to emerge from bankruptcy and desperate to salvage an $8 billion buyout-gone-bad would have better things to do than pester his underlings with crazy proclamations. But in the case of Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels, you’d be wrong. The man at the top of the troubled media empire took time out of his real job this week to issue a list of words and phrases — 119 of them, to be exact — that must never, ever be uttered by anchors or reporters on WGN-AM (720), the news/talk radio station located five floors below his office in Tribune Tower. Believe me, I’m not making this up. . . http://blogs.vocalo.org./feder/2010/03/memo-puts-wgn-news-staffers-at-a-loss-for-words/17374 (Robert Feder blog via Bert New, GA, ABDX via DXLD) USA: CALL LETTERS SIGNIFY CITY OF LICENSE In DXLD 10-27, you ask, "Wonder if any other instances of AM/FM splitting towname". [like WBUT and WLER in PA] While not AM/FM, WTUP-1490 and WELO-580 in Tupelo, MS split the city of license name. And don't forget WACO-FM 99.9, Waco, TX and WARE- 1250, Ware, MA, who each spell their respective City of License without help from a 2nd set of calls (Earl Higgins, St. Louis, MO, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ ALINCO DX-R8 "HYBRID" RECEIVER Alinco Co. Ltd (Osaka, Japan) announced the new table-top communications receiver DX-R8. The new receiver is expected to be on sale in July. The specifications are: coverage 150 kHz-35 MHz double super-heterodyne 1st IF 71.75 MHz, 2nd IF 455 kHz, selectivity SSB/CW 1.0 kHz/6dB; AM 2.4 kHz/6 dB, FM 8 kHz/6 dB, 500 kHz audio-filter for CW, dual VFO, 600 frequency memories, built-in 2W speaker, size 240 x 94 x 255 mm, weight 4.1 kg, power 13.8 V, 1A (not supplied). The feature is "IQ signal output" to turn this receiver into SDR using WINRAD and DREAM on PC. Price 59,800 yen in Japan. See http://www.alinco.co.jp/denshi/04.html (in Japanese). The panel outlook seems to be the same as DX-SR8T/E transceiver sold in USA (Takahito Akabayashi, Japan, July 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIWAVE DI-WAVE IN LIMBO Here's my e-mail to and some more info, or lack of, from Universal Radio: "Your online catalogue no longer refers to the Uniwave Di-Wave as a future product. In fact it is not mentioned at all. I have e- mailed the company for more information, especially considering the fact their website mentions the radio would be available in September of 2009, but have had no response. Can you enlighten me on what is happening with this receiver?" "I wish we could shed some light on the situation, but we are in the dark over this as well. All of our attempts to email regarding our orders have gone unanswered. Without any product to sell and the uncertainty of when we might receive more of these radios, we made the decision to pull it from the website. Thank you, Rick" (Mark Coady, Peterborough, ON K9J 6X3, July 9, NASWA yg via DXLD) SUGGESTIONS ON BEST PORTABLE FOR OUTINGS I'm kinda of throwing this out to the membership on any of their observations on what type of portable would be adequate for general listening but some capabilities of DXing, as well. Recently, I had the opportunity of purchasing a Eton E1/XM. But the receiver came as a defect problem; the display did not work. There was no way that this defect could be repaired. What a disappointment. My opinion is to wait for a 'used' Eton E1/XM with no problems, or possibly look at another product such as Grundig Satellit 750? Has any one had a opportunity of using one of these portables ?? Recently, I've had the opportunity of going out on outdoor camping experience with the family. The areas are away from the general 'noise' conditions from what I have presently. Any observations, comments or suggestions would be very appreciative. to either on this web site or directly to me. Thank you (Edward Kusalik, VE6EFK, July 11, ODXA yg via DXLD) I'm not sure there is such a creature as an E1/XM, used or new, with no problems. I've had two of them. The first was defective out of the box - a loud S9 noise across all the shortwave bands when it was set to use the built-in whip antenna. I exchanged this for another one that worked fine, except that it eventually developed the all-too- common problem of the front panel buttons quitting working. This one has been in the Grundig authorized repair depot here in Toronto now for over two months awaiting repair. The E1 has a great design and performs amazingly, but the quality control is so bad I'd never buy another one unless I got it very, very cheaply. If you're looking for a portable for general listening and occasional DXing, I'd recommend any of the following, all of which I've used and been happy with: * Kaito KA-1103/Degen 1103, which has a rather strange set of user controls but which is a very good receiver (it's actually my favorite portable - the one I usually take when I go travelling). * Grundig G5 / Eton E5, which is basically the same radio as the Kaito KA-1103 but with a nicer set of user controls. * Grundig Yacht Boy 400 (or it's more current version the G4000A, although the new ones seem a bit cheaply made), * Sony ICF-2010, if you can find one. * Realistic DX-440. I can't really comment on this one as the one I own I bought only yesterday at a hamfest for $25. But based on my extensive experience of owning it for about 34 hours I'd have to say it seems to work pretty well. The new Grundig G3 also looks good. It appears to be an updated version of the E5/G5, with the air band added. But I haven't tried it so I can't vouch for its performance. Best, (Greg Shoom, ibid.) I think Greg provided a pretty good breakdown of the best portables, but since I collect them, let me add a few more: -The Sony ICF-7600GR is probably the cream of the crop of subcompact portables. The selectable sync works pretty well. Some users (myself included) report some warbling when attempting to fine-tune USB. (To be honest, I actually prefer it's imediate predecessor, the 7600G, which can be purchased at reasonable used prices on eBay.) -The Sangean ATS 818 (aka, Radio Shack DX 390) might be the best bargain on eBay. It mutes when bandscanning, but has a very low noise floor and excellent sensitivity. They go very cheaply on eBay. -The Redsun RP2100 (aka, Kaito KA2100) is also impressive. No keypad, and SSB reception requires purchase of an outboard BFO unit. Still, a lot of folks (like Plimmer in South Africa) thinks this might be the best portable available, particularly for MW DX. I also have the Grundig G3, and will give it a strong endorsement, ranking it right up there with the Sony 7600G/R. Of course. none of these radios can compare to a fully functional Eton E1 or a Sony ICF-2010 (which is even better w/ KIWA filters). On the other hand, I think you'll be disappointed with a Sat750 (Mike Bryant, Louisville, KY, ibid.) Don't get too down on the E1. I know many, many people who have had very good success (and good listening) with them. The QC hiccups appeared to be particularly significant in earlier models. The only one I would add is the Kaito KA1102. That also has decent sensitivity but so-so audio. That isn't in the same class as the Sony SW-7600 however. There's also the Grundig (Eton) Yacht Boy 400 which can still occasionally be found out there, and can be a particularly good value under $100 (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) I've had a Sangean ATS 803A for years, thought I had lost it a couple of years ago but found it in my latest unpacking. I'm glad to have it back because it's a great radio with good sound and I've heard some good DX with it in the past. You can get one on ebay for less than $50 (Dan Murray, Brampton Ont, ibid.) If you want a pocket portable, Ed, I just spent the weekend at Bon Echo Provincial Park and took along my Tecsun PL-310. It and its latest model the PL-380 are only available on E-Bay. On mediumwave it is great and I find it rivals some bigger receivers I have used on shortwave (Mark Coady, Ont., ibid.) Radio Shack brand may disappear in 2011??? Radio Shack is listed in a Yahoo story on 10 BRANDS THAT MAY DISAPPEAR IN 2011 "RadioShack is one of the oldest retailers in the U.S. It was founded in 1921 and in the early 1960s was purchased by Tandy Corp. The Tandy name was used for some of Radio Shack's retail stores. RadioShack is currently a takeover target. There have been rumors that the company may be taken private via a leveraged buyout or purchased by Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News), probably for its locations. Best Buy would certainly not keep the RadioShack brand because it is considered downscale and does not have the reputation for quality products and service that Best Buy enjoys. RadioShack has already begun to rebrand itself as "The Shack," an indication that it knows the older brand is a burden." LINK: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110018/10-brands-that-may-disappear-in-2011 (Curt Phillips, July 9, NASWA yg via DXLD) Hopefully they will also change their garbage cheap-o brand of connectors, plugs, switches, jacks, wires, adapters, etc, from the poor quality junk they have now. Ever since around 1993 to 1995, their quality of all that stuff for us electronic hobby buffs went down the tubes and the price went higher. I do everything I can to avoid that garbage place even in a pinch since there is Digikey and Mouser (Steve O, ibid.) BBC MONITORING FACES 'GRIM' CUTS - REPORT Sunday, July 11, 2010 9:10 AM According to a report in Media Guardian, BBC Monitoring (BBCM) faces budget cuts and significant job losses as part of the coalition government's austerity measures. Chris Westcott, director of BBCM, told employees in a briefing on Monday that the "situation is grim" and the organisation is at a "tipping point". It could even be closed down, he warned. BBCM employs about 450 people in the UK and overseas, with a main base at Caversham Park in Reading. It tracks and translates press, TV and radio reports from 150 countries in more than 100 languages. The organisation's role and funding is being examined by the government as part of its strategic defence and security review, the first for 12 years. Full report in Media Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jul/09/bbc-monitoring-faces-grim-cuts (Media Network blog via Mike Barraclough, dxldyg via DXLD) AFTER 70 YEARS MONITORING THE AIRWAVES, BBC LISTENING POST COULD BE CUT OFF The Independent, By Cahal Milmo, Chief Reporter, 13 July 2010 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/after-70-years-monitoring-the-airwaves-bbc-listening-post-could-be-cut-off-2025090.html BBC Monitoring, a little-known section of the corporation which listens in on 3,000 media sources from around the world, is facing swingeing budget cuts as a result of a drop in its government funding which could lead to its closure. For nearly 70 years, workers at the former stately home in Caversham, near Reading, have monitored publicly available material in more than 100 languages to provide a running digest of global journalism for senior civil servants, ministers and commercial clients. It uses a "United Nations" of 400 staff based in a Victorian mansion in Berkshire, and the organisation's work has given it a front-row seat at a series of global events, including providing the translation of an obscure radio broadcast by Nikita Khrushchev which ended the Cuban missile crisis when it was rushed to the White House. It also broke the news to British audiences of the death of President John F Kennedy. But BBC Monitoring now faces an uncertain future after it emerged that the £25m annual government grant from the Cabinet Office, which provides the vast majority of the unit's funding, is set to be slashed in this autumn's spending review, potentially tipping it into insolvency unless it makes extensive cuts in its services. At a briefing to all staff last week, Chris Westcott, the director of BBC Monitoring, told employees that the "situation is grim" and confirmed that failure to accommodate the government's cuts could lead to closure. Managers are likely to be asked to find savings of £3.2m during the next two years, making the trimming of key services inevitable, according to managers. The monitoring operation, which does not receive any licence-fee funding, has been the subject of a financial squeeze for the best part of a decade, making efficiency savings of 7 per cent a year since 2001. Last year, it made a profit of £2.5m on its total income of £28.8m, supplemented by deals with commercial customers and foreign governments. A BBC insider said: "We have got two options: either we cut some of the core operational services and devalue the business, or we try to stick together and look for a way through this. But we are already cut to the bone and if we have to cut more, we are in deep trouble. There is a risk of closure if the cuts go too far. The situation is quite dire." The current five-year funding settlement for BBC Monitoring is due to come to an end this year and with its main customers - the Cabinet Office, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence - facing 25 per cent cuts in their budgets, the prospects of maintaining funding at its current level are understood to be negligible. The role of the unit is also being considered as part of the Strategic Defence Review. Part of the work undertaken by Caversham, whose regional units include a central-Asian listening station in Uzbekistan, is transcribing broadcasts by Afghan radio stations sympathetic to the Taliban, offering an insight into the thinking of the militant Islamists. It was a similar need to gain insight into the mindset of implacable enemies and uncertain allies which led to the founding of the BBC's monitoring operations during the Second World War. A colourful team of sound engineers and linguists, including the Austrian-born art historian Ernst Gombrich, was assembled in camouflaged huts in the ground of a stately home in Worcestershire to listen to German, French, Italian and Russian radio broadcasts. Gombrich later recalled that the rudimentary wax cylinder recording technology made it difficult to discern whether the reedy, faint voice of a foreign broadcaster was saying "send reinforcements, am going to advance" or "send three and four pence, am going to a dance". The operation moved to Caversham Park, the one-time home of Elizabeth I's treasurer, in 1942 with a remit dedicating its staff to "reporting foreign news media comprehensively and accurately, without bias or comment". It is a global burden shared with the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, which was once part of the CIA, but is now transferred to the US government's Open Source Center. It keeps a number of staff in the slightly idiosyncratic surroundings of Caversham Park, where gardens partly landscaped by Capability Brown host a dozen satellite dishes. The staff canteen is housed in the old orangery. Over the years, BBC Monitoring's staff - currently standing at about 450 worldwide and recruited from diverse backgrounds, ranging from university graduates to former asylum seekers - has maintained a constant vigil, listening at any one time to 37 television stations and 100 radio services. Since the 1990s, it has also sifted through newspapers and websites, with the internet now accounting for about a third of its activities. Such is BBC Monitoring's reputation for absolute accuracy, President Kennedy accepted at face value a translation of a radio address by Khrushchev in 1962 to a domestic audience announcing the withdrawal of Soviet vessels carrying nuclear missiles to Cuba. Without waiting for confirmation from US intelligence sources, Kennedy responded to the Kremlin's overtures immediately. The Cabinet Office, which oversees government funding of BBC Monitoring, said: "We are involved in regular discussions with the BBC over expenditure in this area and nothing has been put to ministers to decide. No decision has been taken [on future funding]." In a statement, the BBC said it would be approaching the funding discussions with "vigour and confidence" but added it was "acutely aware that the prevailing economic climate will bring huge challenges and tough choices" (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD; also via Dale Rothert, DXLD) In praise of ... Caversham Park http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/14/in-praise-of-caversham-park (via Chris Greenway, DXLD) THE SPIES NEXT DOOR, BURSTING WITH DATA ERIC O'NEILL: Chapman had a laptop that was specially configured to connect to one other laptop... Instead of a router, instead of the Internet, it connects directly to radio in a separate laptop that's held by the intelligence officer who's servicing her. She's the asset and he or she is trying to get the information. DENNIS MURPHY: So she, in the coffee shop, hits send, and what happens? ERIC O'NEILL: She hits send, it’s what's called a burst communication. The communication goes directly to the opposite laptop in an encrypted format that doesn't allow someone else to intercept. DENNIS MURPHY: And the beauty of that, it leaves no legible fingerprints on the Internet. ERIC O'NEILL: Exactly. It's machine-to-machine with no way to penetrate that communication. What our surveillance people can do, and what they did, was monitor that the communication was active. DENNIS MURPHY: The FBI surveillance team didn't know what information Anna was zapping to the Russian waiting in the van, but they stayed on her and they got a major break, one that led to the demise of the ring. Every Wednesday like clockwork they tailed Anna around Manhattan and watched her fire her laptop up. And every time they observed that same Russian official lingering nearby. Now, the FBI software was telling them that Anna's computer was talking to another one. Digital Anna had been ensnared by her laptop. By now it was late June 2010. The investigation was almost a decade old. FBI agents had been following Anna Chapman for six months and were prepared now to close in on her. She had become the weak link... (from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38208688/ns/dateline_nbc/ transcript of Dateline July 11, which will not be visible online, via DXLD) WTFK? CIII-2 HAS MINUS - AUDIO, PLUS + VIDEO I've never come across this before. CIII-2 Bancroft [Ont.] right now has 2+ video (55.26), but 2- audio (59.74). How is that possible? I thought the difference was fixed at 4.500 MHz ???? (Wm R Hepburn, Grimsby ON, July 6, WTFDA via DXLD) To some degree it depends on the age of the transmitter and its design. Older transmitters had separate oscillators for the aural and visual sides; the frequency tolerance would be the same for each side, and if they were off in different directions you could see something like this. For MANY years though, the aural frequency has been determined from the visual, and really shouldn't be able to drift that far off. FCC regulations required that the difference between the aural and visual frequencies be 4.5 MHz +/-1 kHz. I don't know the Canadian rules but would strongly suspect they're identical. Most TV sets would see CIII as being 20 kHz off-frequency, which is pretty substantial when the design peak deviation is 25 kHz. It'd be like an FM station being 60 kHz off -- like CHUM-FM being on 104.44 instead of 104.50 (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) ALL ABOUT OFFSET FREQUENCIES, STARTING WITH ANALOG TELEVISION OK, so I don't know a thing about offsets. I don't have equipment, I know nothing about electronics other than the fact they break way too often. Can someone explain the purpose of offsets, what they are, why they have them, and what tools you're using to figure them out and how these tools work (like, what you connect it to, etc)? (Chris Kadlec, MI, WTFDA via DXLD) Offsets apply only to *analog* TV; they are irrelevant to digital.[0] ====================================================================== When you have two (or more) signals on the same channel, their carrier signals "beat", or "heterodyne". A third signal is formed, (inside your receiver) at a frequency equal to the difference between the two. If you have one station on 55.250 MHz, and another on 55.249, your receiver will form a third signal on 55.250-55.249=0.001. This third signal will be sent to the screen and superimposed on the video of the two stations. The "beat" appears as a series of horizontal lines on the screen. The number of lines (and thus their size) depends on the difference between the frequencies of the two stations. The greater the difference, the more beat lines, and the smaller they are. Tests were run in the late 1940s. RCA installed a receiving station in New Jersey, which monitored both WNBT-4 New York (now WNBC) and WRC-4 Washington. It fed an audio signal proportional to the difference between the two stations' frequencies down a phone line to Washington, where it was used to control WRC's frequency. They were thus able to maintain the frequency difference between WRC and WNBT at any particular desired value. Keeping the two stations on precisely the *same* frequency would have led to the least-objectionable interference (when the beat frequency is reduced to zero, there is only one interference line & it covers the entire screen). But with the technology available at the time, it would have been impossible to maintain every station on a channel on precisely the same frequency. There was no way to reliably and economically keep a station much closer than about 250 Hz of the right frequency. The frequency control station system devised by RCA worked for two stations, but RCA was probably the only company that could afford to do it! -- and it wouldn't "scale" very well. Looking only at the Northeast, stations in Boston, Schenectady, Lancaster PA, and Norfolk all would have needed to be added to the frequency control network. [1] The testing also showed that if there must be a difference in frequency between stations, the interference is least objectionable to viewers if the difference is roughly 10 kHz, 0.01 MHz. The annoyance factor doesn't change much as the offset between stations changes. (Imagine that you're taking a hearing test, listening to audio tones. The audiologist changes the frequency from 190 Hz to 440 Hz. You'll have no trouble noticing the frequency has changed. Now, the audiologist changes the frequency from 3,000 Hz to 3,250 Hz. I'd bet most of us can't tell the difference, even though that difference is 250 Hz in both cases.) In a nutshell, a difference in frequency of 250 Hz leads to objectionable interference in the picture. A difference of 10,250 Hz is far less objectionable. So, the FCC established a table of channel assignments, specifying offsets for many stations. WOOD-8 and WZZM-13 Grand Rapids were both assigned to plus offset. Other stations on the same channels were assigned different offsets. On channel 8 in your region: Sault Ste. Marie zero Moline, Illinois zero Wingham, Ontario minus Indianapolis minus Iron Mountain minus See http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/octqtr/47cfr73.606.htm FCC regulation 73.606(a), the analog Table of Allotments. Stations operating on allotments with a - are expected to operate 10KHz below the "nominal" channel frequency -- in the case of CKNX Wingham, 181.24MHz instead of 181.25. [2] For what it's worth, at the end of analog, regulation 73.1545(c) required that TV stations be within 1 kHz (0.001 MHz) of the assigned frequency, taking into account any assigned offset. So WISH Indianapolis, assigned to minus offset, nominally 181.240 MHz, was required to be between 181.239 and 181.241. ====================================================================== You can guess an offset just by looking at the co-channel interference pattern and knowing the offset of one of the stations. There are three possible differences in frequency: - Zero - both stations involved in the interference are on the same offset - 10 kHz - one station is on zero offset and the other is either plus or minus - 20 kHz - one station is on minus offset and the other one is on plus The greater the difference the finer the interference lines. You know WOOD-8 is on plus offset. So if you see CCI to WOOD, you know: - If there are no interference lines, the interfering station is also on plus offset. Maybe it's WKBT La Crosse? - If there are "medium" interference lines, the interfering station is on zero offset. Probably WGTQ Sault Ste. Marie. - If there are fine interference lines, the interfering station is on minus offset. CKNX or WISH, most likely. You (as a DXer) can measure it with a VHF/UHF receiver with "beat frequency oscillator" (like an Icom R-7000. A number of ham rigs will also tune part or all of this range). A "BFO" is a local "source of interference" on a predictable frequency. You connect it in such a way that you can *hear* the interference beat, and you adjust the frequency of the BFO until the frequency of the interference beat is zero. You then know the BFO and the station are on the same frequency. You read out the frequency of the BFO to know the frequency of the station. [3] ====================================================================== European countries have worked out a more complex offset scheme. More than two offsets are available, and they seem to be related to the horizontal sweep frequency. If I'm not mistaken, "8M" (eight minus) is *roughly* equivalent to minus offset in North America - would be roughly 10 kHz low. "4M" would be roughly 5 kHz low. "6P" would be roughly 7.5 kHz high. Hopefully someone can correct me on this. ====================================================================== The same thing happens on AM radio. If you're hearing two AM stations on the same frequency, their carriers will "beat". For that reason the same regulation 73.1545 that required analog TV stations to be within 1 kHz of the right frequency requires AM stations to be within 20 Hz. Europe uses a 9 kHz channel plan -- AM stations are 9 kHz apart. A powerful Saudi station on 1521 kHz frequently makes it "across the pond" in winter - where it "beats" against American stations on 1520, causing a loud 1 kHz tone. It's not unusual for me to hear that beat here in Nashville. Actually, it also happens intentionally inside your receiver (AM, FM, TV, or cellphone). It's the basis of Edwin Armstrong's "superheterodyne" circuit, used in virtually all radio receivers today. ====================================================================== [0] During the transition, many digital stations *were* assigned offsets. This was done to reduce interference *to analog stations* resulting from heterodynes between the analog signals and the digital "pilot carrier". [1] WGAL-8, WRGB-6, and WTAR (now WTKR)-3 were all on channel 4 at the time. [2] By treaty, Canada and Mexico agreed to offset operation as well, and appropriate offsets were assigned to their allotments. [3] The normal configuration of these receivers allows you to hear the interference beat. This concept is necessary to copy Morse Code signals and to decode the suppressed-carrier voice transmissions generally used by hams (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, July 6, WTFDA via DXLD) Chris, I just like to add to Doug's excellent synopsis of offsets. The video CCI method of figuring out offsets worked out in the past when most of us had local or semi-local analogs. It's tough now with no locals in places like yours. Other methods are that more definitive are listening to a scanner (like many of us have during the past 20 or 30 years). A newer method I use now is to view a "waterfall" of the signals on a digital SDR receiver like Perseus. In the scanner method, you first need a scanner that covers 54-88 MHz. The five audio frequencies for ch 2-6 are 59.75, 65.75, 71.75, 81.75 and 87.75 MHz. If you listen in WFM (wide FM mode), you will hear what you hear on a TV (except it is more sensitive). So if there was a 3- (65.74) and a 3+ (65.76) both coming in, you would probably only hear the stronger one, or if they were closer in strength, perhaps both. The trick for determining offsets is to use NFM (narrow FM mode) --- in narrow FM mode, you should be able to separate the 65.74, 65.75 and 65.76 signals. They will sound distorted, especially with music, but talk should be understandable in most cases. This is the easiest method to figure out offsets. (To further complicate the WFM/NFM issue, many new scanners now have WFM/FM/NFM - with NFM being an even narrower FM, and "FM" being the same as the old "NFM". In a new scanner, you would listen in FM mode as NFM would be too distorted. The method I now use is the "waterfall" method. I to tune my Icom radio to 55.25 MHz (for example - channel 2 video), feed the IF output from the back of the radio into my Perseus SDR receiver, and tune the Perseus to 10.7 MHz, the IF frequency. On my computer, I can then view a "waterfall" of all the signals. Here is an example... http://dxinfocentre.com/pix/temp/Perseus.jpg (in this case I am also using the "downconverter" option so that the frequencies are correct, rather than being in the 10 MHz shortwave range). On my example, you can see 2- CKCO Wiarton at 55240.6, 2z CBFT Montreal around 55250, and 2+ CIII Bancroft around 55260. Also seen is a very faint 2- CHBX Sault Ste Marie at 55240 (to the left of CKCO), a video harmonic of CIII around 55244.3 (there are harmonics spaced 15.7 kHz apart - the horizontal sweep frequency - these are ignored), and some semi- permanent weak RFI interference in the 55256-55258 range (those white sparklies you sometimes see on the low VHF channels). The waterfall method is awesome, because now I can split even finer - for instance I can see CKCO and CHBX that are both 2-, but CKCO is off frequency by ~600 Hz. [later: I messed up with my CKCO measurement. Normally it's about +660 Hz, but it's a drifter that "wiggles" around. It was more like 300 Hz off in my pix. I hope that didn't confuse the issue.] Also, since I'm looking at video rather than listening to audio, the strongest signal on the waterfall matches the video that I see. See this example http://dxinfocentre.com/pix/temp/Perseus2.jpg When the video sigs get stronger, you will see a pattern around the carrier rather than just a line. In this case, the 2+ (CIII) is the strongest signal and thus the one I am seeing on the TV. (You can also see a CKCO 2- harmonic around 55256. So Chris, if you want to ID your skip stations with more certainty, I would definitely suggest acquiring a scanner to help out. Just make sure it covers 54-88 MHz. Hope this helps, (Bill Hepburn, ibid.) Hi Bill, in the short time I've been reading the mails on here I've been amazed that so few DXers over there use carriers to help ID the DX or monitor them for impending conditions. Offset measurement using waterfall software like Spectrum Lab or Digipan is commonly used by nearly all TVDXers around the world except NA and I know it would help with some of the 2x Es signals that are regularly appearing from the Caribbean and S Am. It seems slightly ironic and a little daft that some of us over here have a better idea of what's being heard coming up from the south than DXers in the US just by spending a few minutes on the Florida globaltuner. With the multitude of stations that existed in the US until DSO a concise offsets database prepared and maintained by the group would have made a huge difference to the amount of signals that could have been quickly ID'd with a large amount of certainty. I use an Icom 8500 with the high stability oscillator but also have the added luxury of an MSF referenced 6m beacon within groundwave range. A few years ago I wrote a simple webpage to show how to use software for accurate carrier measurements and also some pages showing a few of the more 'interesting' and bizarre traces I've heard. It's a little out of date with many of the signals now off air but the methodology is still the same. http://www.ukdx.org.uk/tv/waterfall.htm (Paul Logan, Northern Ireland, http://www.ukdx.org.uk http://www.youtube.com/Aceblaggard ibid.) Yes Paul, the precise frequency definitely helps IDs (and wigglers, warblers, sirens and just plain too high/too low signals are easier to spot). I guess because the signal conditions can change over time (like my CIII example + audio yesterday, - audio today). It seems overall that North Americans still tend to require more evidence before claiming a station. I can see using the precise freqs for "tentatives" and as beacons for openings, but personally I would never count a station solely by a frequency measurement. For example, I'm pretty sure I've seen CBLT8 Kearns ON on my traces lots of times, WRGB-DT 6 Schenectady is probably in 24/7, and countless other DTV's within 300 miles come and go constantly. Personally, I won't count any of them until I at least hear audio, see a picture, or capture a PSIP. Otherwise, they will always just be tentatives. In reality, I don't even consider my countless unknown DTV pilots as tentatives, though I suspect I know who some are. I just ignore them. I guess North Americans are most conservative DXers. wrh (Bill Hepburn, ibid.) Yes, but carrier measuring is an incredibly useful tool to see propagation come up which you just won't see staring at a snowy TV screen. Last week with the 25-kHz-low A2 signal I heard a frying noise type A2 zero offset carrier, never heard before and had Brazilian TV sound. --- Next time hear this, know to check immediately the audio channel to try and get an ID. Similar with the +10 kHz Caribbean signal I had in May, zero offset was a gurgling carrier, on my "watch list" now. Then there's the A3 Venezuelan siren, A2 Dominican warbler. I'm not interested in "claiming" them just because I hear a carrier (had them before in sound and vision) but very useful propagation indicator. Beginnings of TEP/Es to Africa are very useful to see on speclab from Cameroon on E2. You ain't gonna to see that on a telly !! RTP is the only thing on 48.242 - Had that on the Quebec and Florida global tuners now. There's more to analogue DXing than staring in front of a flickering TV with Wideband IF screen full of snow, technology has moved on a bit (Mr Hugh Hoover, Portugal, ibid.) I think also that many of the now defunct American stations were close to right on frequency - .000 MHz. I've sort of started to keep track of some stations. I don't claim 1 Hz accuracy, 10 Hz is about is about the best I can do. The values for my regular stations are averages. I would be interested to compare with other DXers, such as Mike B... 2dtv 54.309.43 KNOP North Platte, NE 2- 55.239.92 CBGAT-14 Carleton, QC 55.239.98 CMBA Havana, CUB 55.240.00 CHBX Sault Ste Marie, ON 55.240.66v CKCO-2 Wiarton, ON 2z 55.250.0 CMJF Santiago de Cuba, CUB 55.250.0 ? HJBJ Santa Marta, CLM 55.250.00 HJHN Magangué, CLM 55.250.00 WUVF-LP Naples, FL 55.250.0 ? YVVG Maracaibo, VEN 55.250.02 CBFT Montréal, QC 2+ 55.260.00 CIII-2 Bancroft, ON 3dtv 60.309.52 ? 3- 61.240.03 CKRN-3 Bearn, QC 3+ 61.260.00 CKVR Barrie, ON 4- 67.240.01 CMBR Havana, CUB 4z 67.247.71- ? slow warbler 67.249.54 67.250.00 HJBH Cerro Kennedy, CLM (ex-67.249.2) 67.250.6 CMFG Camagüey, CUB 67.250.61 HIRTVD Santo Domingo, DOM 5z 77.250.02 CBLT Toronto, ON 6dtv 82.309.29 unID (west) 82.309.53 WRGB Schenectady, NY 6- 83.240.02 CJOH-6 Deseronto, ON 6+ 83.259.99 CIII Paris, ON wrh (William R Hepburn (VEM3ONT22), Grimsby ON CAN 43 10 59.4 -79 33 34.5, http://dxinfocentre.com/hepburn/ ibid.) Thanks for the Canadian offsets. One of the possible Venezuelans is only just above 55.249 with a stable carrier. What about the Cubans? They are very rare this side of the Atlantic (Hugh Hoover, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See also GERMANY; INDIA; LIBYA; NEW ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ZEALAND; RUSSIA; UNIDENTIFIED 9715, 15750 Schedule of DRM broadcasts short waves: 0000-0200 9630 CRI 030 kW / 340 deg CeAm REE in Spanish 0100-0200 6080 SAC 070 kW / 288 deg NoAm CRI in English 0100-0500 15735 K/A 090 kW / 213 deg SEAs VOR in Russian/English 0400-0430 11700 TIG 090 kW / 067 deg EaAs RRI in Chinese 0400-0500 3995 SIN 090 kW / 040 deg WeEu BBC/DWL in English 0400-0700 9400 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg WeEu BNR HS-1 Horizont Fri 0430-0500 7390 TIG 090 kW / 037 deg EaEu RRI in Russian 0500-0700 11675 RAN 025 kW / 000 deg Pacif RNZI in English 0500-0530 7215 GAL 090 kW / 285 deg WeEu RRI in French 0500-0600 17525 TRM 090 kW / 045 deg EaAs DWL in English 0500-0700 3995 SKN 100 kW / 121 deg WeEu BBC/DWL in English 0500-0900 9780 NOB 100 kW / 050 deg WeEu REE in Spanish 0500-2300 6085 ISM 050 kW / non-dir WeEu BR-B5akt in German 0530-0600 7305 GAL 090 kW / 300 deg WeEu RRI in English 0600-0630 7230 TIG 090 kW / 307 deg WeEu RRI in German 0600-0700 6130 SIN 090 kW / 030 deg WeEu BBC/DWL in English 0600-0900 11900 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg WeEu BNR HS-1 Horizont Sat/Sun 0700-1200 7440 RAN 025 kW / 000 deg Pacif RNZI in English 0700-0800 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu TDPRadio in English+mx Mon 0700-0800 5790 WOF 100 kW / 114 deg WeEu BBC/DWL in English 0700-1000 9545 SIN 090 kW / 030 deg WeEu BBC/DWL in English 0800-0900 6095 JUN 050 kW / 060 deg WeEu RTL Radio German 0800-0900 12095 TRM 090 kW / 345 deg SoAs DWL English 0800-0900 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu TDPRadio in English+mx Tue 0800-1000 12060 MSK 035 kW / 265 deg WeEu VOR in English 0800-1300 9850 KLG 015 kW / 220 deg WeEu VOR in Ru/Ru/Ge/Ge/Ru 0800-1400 13810 SIN 090 kW / 040 deg WeEu BBC/DWL in English 0830-1000 11995 SIN 090 kW / 052 deg WeEu RDP in Portuguese Sat/Sun 0845-1200 6100 DEL 050 kW / 134 deg India AIR in various langs 0900-0930 6095 JUN 050 kW / 060 deg WeEu KBS World in German 0900-0930 11900 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg WeEu BNREuranet English Sat/Sun 0900-1000 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu TDPRadio in English+mx Wed 0900-1200 11900 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg WeEu BNR HS-1 Horizont Mon-Thu 0930-1100 6095 JUN 050 kW / 060 deg WeEu RTL Radio German 1000-1400 9545 MOS 040 kW / 300 deg WeEu BBC/DWL in English 1000-1100 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu TDPRadio in English+mx Thu 1100-1130 9760 WOF 060 kW / 102 deg WeEu KBS World in English Sat 1100-1200 12080 BRN 005 kW / 080 deg SWPac Radio Australia in English 1100-1200 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu TDPRadio in English+mx Fri 1200-1300 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu TDPRadio in English+mx Sat 1200-1400 5995 BRN 005 kW / 010 deg PNG Radio Australia in English 1200-1600 9445 IRK 030 kW / 235 deg SoAs VOR in Ru/Hi/En/Hi 1300-1400 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu TDPRadio in English+mx Sun 1300-1800 9750 MSK 035 kW / 265 deg WeEu VOR in Ru/En/Ge/Fr/Ge 1400-1430 7320 SMG 125 kW / 350 deg CeEu Vatican Radio in Ge/Polish 1400-1500 6015 ISS 060 kW / 060 deg WeEu The Disco Palace English 1400-1700 5790 WOF 100 kW / 114 deg WeEu BBC/DW in English 1400-1900 15640 SIN 090 kW / 040 deg WeEu BBC/DW in English 1500-1600 7380 TIG 090 kW / 037 deg EaEu RRI in Russian 1505-1905 9800 SAC 070 kW / 268 deg NEAm RCI in English/French 1530-1600 9400 SOF 050 kW / 030 deg EaEu Radio Bulgaria in Russian 1550-1850 6170 RAN 025 kW / 035 deg Pacif RNZI in English 1600-1630 7460 KVI 035 kW / 160 deg WeEu RRI in German 1600-2100 9880 KLG 015 kW / 220 deg WeEu VOR in Fr/It/Fr/Fr/Fr 1630-1800 9400 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg WeEu Radio Bulgaria in Ge/Fr/En 1700-1730 7350 KVI 035 kW / 220 deg WeEu RRI in English 1700-1800 5790 SKN 100 kW / 150 deg WeEu BBC/DW in English 1700-1800 7265 KVI 100 kW / 220 deg WeEu Polskie Radio in English 1700-1800 9535 GAL 090 kW / 300 deg WeEu RRI in English 1745-2230 9950 DEL 050 kW / 312 deg WeEu AIR in various langs 1800-1830 5955 TIG 090 kW / 270 deg SoEu RRI in Italian 1800-1900 9400 SOF 050 kW / 306 deg WeEu Radio Bulgaria Bulgarian 1800-1900 9705 TIG 090 kW / 307 deg WeEu RRI in German 1800-2000 17640 SGO 015 kW / 045 deg BrasilCVC in Portuguese 1850-2050 9890 RAN 025 kW / 000 deg Pacif RNZI in English 1900-2100 5875 MOS 040 kW / 300 deg WeEu BBC/DW in English 1900-2000 15755 BON 100 kW / 320 deg NoAm TDPRadio in English+mx 1900-2100 3995 SKN 100 kW / 121 deg WeEu BBC/DW in English 1930-2000 6135 SKN 100 kW / 120 deg WeEu Polskie Radio in German 1945-2030 9800 SAC 070 kW / 268 deg NEAm Vatican Radio in English 2000-2030 7295 GAL 090 kW / 285 deg WeEu RRI in French 2000-2100 15755 BON 100 kW / 320 deg NoAm The Disco Palace English 2050-2150 11675 RAN 025 kW / 000 deg Pacif RNZI in English 2100-2200 9800 SAC 070 kW / 268 deg NEAm RCI in English 2100-2200 3995 SIN 090 kW / 040 deg WeEu BBC/DW in English 2100-2200 5790 SKN 100 kW / 105 deg WeEu BBC/DW in English 2150-0500 15720 RAN 025 kW / 000 deg Pacif RNZI in English 2300-2330 9755 SMG 060 kW / 300 deg NoAm Vatican Radio in English 2200-2000 3965 ISS 001 kW / 065 deg local RFI in French (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, 13 July via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DAB See U K ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ AVOIDING IBOC ON MEDIUMWAVE I've found that the primary IBOC sideband is worst at about +/- 14 kHz, e.g. KMOX 1120 IBOC ruins Croatia 1134 here in IL unless I phase it down. Similarly, WSCR 670 means that I can forget about Spain 684. As for 15 kHz away, there's still plenty of IBOC, but not as bad and often USB or PBT can get away from much of it. As for 6 kHz away, this is the secondary sideband and that is significantly weaker and unless the IBOC station is very strong, not usually an issue. I often DX domestics next to IBOC stations using a decent portable like the E-1. I find that tuning 1 or two kHz away from the nasty main IBOC carrier can help; e.g., assume the IBOC carrier is really bad on 1134, it still is bad on 1131, and bothers 1130, so I tune to 1129 or 1128. Alternately I could use LSB, but unlike many DXers, I basically don't use sideband much at all for AM since it seems my ears don't work that way. I've tried sideband on many sets and I find it often reduces intelligibility for me, sometimes by lots. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL/WI, IRCA via DXLD) Unlike Neil, I use the side bands to get away from the IBOC hash. It's very easy to spot on the Perseus waterfall screen as 2 wide bands on each side of the carrier. One usually can eliminate or reduce greatly the hash by tuning either USB or LSB depending on which side it's on, but I agree, using AM and tuning away a few kHz probably works just as well (Walt Salmaniw, BC, ibid.) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ MIRAGE DX Please accept my apologies for the off topic-ness but it does mirror (no pun intended) Tropospheric ducting in DX'ing. I have searched Flickr and came back disappointed. Chris said that he had some pix, or so that is how I read his post about 6 weeks ago. Maybe the email has been funky, I don't know. I would certainly love to see some photos, too. Here are two web articles on L. Michigan mirages: http://www.sandhillcity.com/mirage_articles.htm http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/028/mwr-028-12-0544c.pdf and one on a mirage in China: http://www.moillusions.com/2006/05/mirage-over-east-china-shore.html 73, (Dave in Indy Hascall, July 9, WTFDA via DXLD) Sure, there are photos of mirages from here. Some of them I've saved on my computer. I have a set of photos taken recently from Muskegon. Give me a day or two and I'll post them on the forum when I resize them for upload. I wasn't motivated to keep a log of FM stations heard during the mirage (a mirage here basically takes place entirely within the duct, so it becomes a visible duct, so an FM log inside and outside of it, whether further inland or *above* the duct, if possible, is always nice for comparison with a duct you can photograph and inspect later). I was headed to Mexico the following day and had things to do. I'm not keeping a lake inversion log this season. The first article that Dave has a link to was written by Bob Beaton. The restaurant I worked at on the beach in Grand Haven is across the street from Bob's house. His house is about 50 feet from my beach DX location. I've talked to him before and he helped me out with some weather details on my Grand Haven lake inversion logs in the past. He also runs the http://www.surfgrandhaven.com surfing/weather site, which is linked to on my personal DX site. You can see his webcam(s) of the beach on that site from his house on the dune. Locally, it's very popular for the folks like me who live inland and want to know the (always variable) conditions on the beach to decide whether or not to go. In my case, I used it many days in the summer to decide on whether a trip to the beach for DXing was worthwhile or not, as well as how bad the crowds/parking would be, which when you use a car radio for your DXing, parking in the right spots is extremely important when you're using sand dunes as blocking devices to dull your locals! I didn't know he had an article. The link is a compilation from around the time Hannah Rickards came over from London to interview people. She called me up as well. Thanks for that link. We could see the lights from Port Washington, Wisc. (about 80 miles to the west) right after my Es opening closed on July 1st in Muskegon. If I see a mirage, I know ducting is strong, and it's straight to the FM dial!!! If mirages are your thing or the weather-related aspect to DXing and propagation and the science behind the bending of signals (which is directly related to the bending of light, i.e. mirages), I would suggest you go to this page: http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/ This is the site of SDSU astronomer Andrew Young, who taught me pretty much everything I know about mirages and the weather-related side to ducting and propagation, all out of my personal interest as it related to understanding my Lake Michigan inversion tropo. The site is about green flashes, but it goes very much into mirages (which cause them in part), ducting, bending of light, etc. It is an extensive site you can easily get lost in (Chris Kadlec, Fremont, Mich. (105 mi. ene of Milwaukee), July 9, WTFDA via DXLD) I've posted photos of mirages here in Muskegon on the forum for those who are interested: http://wtfda.info/showthread.php?t=4774 For those who aren't into weather stuff, keep in mind that what you see in these photos is a duct. The mirage is completely within the duct, which is, as it always is here along Lake Michigan, a marine layer - a duct from the water level up a few hundred or so feet typically, sometimes a thousand or more on super days. And they're especially stable and strong, surviving off the lake breeze. These are a bit different from the typical ducts that long-haul tropo pipes through, but hey, it's pretty much all we have to work with around here in July and August! A non-mirage photo of a duct after sunset is included as well (Chris Kadlec, Fremont, Mich., WTFDA via DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2010 Jul 13 2151 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html # # Weekly Highlights and Forecasts # Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 05 - 11 July 2010 Solar activity was at very low to low levels during the period. Activity was very low during 05 - 07 July due to isolated to occasional low-level B-class flares. Activity increased to low levels during 08 - 09 July due to isolated C-class flares from Region 1087 (N19, L =334, class/area Ero/120 on 11 July), the largest of which was a C3/Sf at 09/2002 UTC. Activity decreased to very low levels on 10 - 11 July with only isolated B-class flares from Region 1087. No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels during 05 July - 11 July. Geomagnetic field activity was predominantly at quiet levels from 05 - 11 July. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 14 JULY - 09 AUGUST 2010 Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels during 14 - 21 July with a chance for isolated C-class flares and a slight chance for an M-class flare from Region 1087. Activity is expected to decrease to very low levels on 22 July as Region 1087 departs the visible disk. Activity is expected to increase once again to very low to low levels during 04 - 09 Aug with a chance for isolated C-class flares and a slight chance for an M-class flare as Old Region 1087 rotates back onto the disk. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during 14 - 19 July, and 26 July – 08 Aug. Normal to moderate flux levels are expected during the remainder of the period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels during 14 - 15 July, with a chance for active levels on 14 July, due to recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) effects. Quiet conditions are expected during 16 - 22 July as the CH HSS rotates out of a geoeffective position. A second round of recurrent CH HSS effects are forecast for 23 - 29 July with unsettled to minor storm levels expected on 23 July, quiet to active levels expected on 24 July, and predominately quiet to unsettled levels expected during 25 - 29 July. Quiet conditions are expected during 30 July - 08 Aug as the effects from the CH HSS subside. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to increase once again to quiet to unsettled due to effects from a third recurrent CH HSS. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2010 Jul 13 2151 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2010 Jul 13 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2010 Jul 14 80 12 3 2010 Jul 15 80 8 3 2010 Jul 16 80 5 2 2010 Jul 17 80 5 2 2010 Jul 18 80 5 2 2010 Jul 19 80 5 2 2010 Jul 20 80 5 2 2010 Jul 21 80 5 2 2010 Jul 22 78 5 2 2010 Jul 23 76 18 5 2010 Jul 24 74 12 3 2010 Jul 25 74 10 3 2010 Jul 26 74 8 3 2010 Jul 27 74 15 3 2010 Jul 28 73 10 3 2010 Jul 29 73 8 3 2010 Jul 30 72 5 2 2010 Jul 31 72 5 2 2010 Aug 01 72 5 2 2010 Aug 02 72 5 2 2010 Aug 03 74 5 2 2010 Aug 04 76 5 2 2010 Aug 05 78 5 2 2010 Aug 06 80 5 2 2010 Aug 07 80 5 2 2010 Aug 08 80 5 2 2010 Aug 09 80 6 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1521, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE CHRISTIAN FASCISTS ARE GROWING STRONGER Posted on Jun 7, 2010 By Chris Hedges Tens of millions of Americans, lumped into a diffuse and fractious movement known as the Christian right, have begun to dismantle the intellectual and scientific rigor of the Enlightenment. They are creating a theocratic state based on “biblical law,” and shutting out all those they define as the enemy. This movement, veering closer and closer to traditional fascism, seeks to force a recalcitrant world to submit before an imperial America. It champions the eradication of social deviants, beginning with homosexuals, and moving on to immigrants, secular humanists, feminists, Jews, Muslims and those they dismiss as “nominal Christians” — meaning Christians who do not embrace their perverted and heretical interpretation of the Bible. Those who defy the mass movement are condemned as posing a threat to the health and hygiene of the country and the family. All will be purged. The followers of deviant faiths, from Judaism to Islam, must be converted or repressed. The deviant media, the deviant public schools, the deviant entertainment industry, the deviant secular humanist government and judiciary and the deviant churches will be reformed or closed. There will be a relentless promotion of Christian “values,” already under way on Christian radio and television and in Christian schools, as information and facts are replaced with overt forms of indoctrination. The march toward this terrifying dystopia has begun. It is taking place on the streets of Arizona, on cable news channels, at tea party rallies, in the Texas public schools, among militia members and within a Republican Party that is being hijacked by this lunatic fringe. . . [much more] http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_christian_fascists_are_growing_stronger_20100607/ (via Oklahoma Observer June 25, via DXLD) ###