DX LISTENING DIGEST 17-33, August 15, 2017 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 2017 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html [also linx to previous years] NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1891 contents: Australia, Bangladesh, Chile, Cuba, Eritrea non?, Faeroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Kashmir, Korea North non, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mongolia, Oklahoma, Perú, Romania, South Carolina, Spain, Tibet non, UK, USA, Vanuatu, Vatican, unIDentified 1710 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS of WORLD OF RADIO 1891, August 15-21, 2017 [now starting first airings on Tuesdays] Tue 2130 WRMI 9455 15770 [confirmed] Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 9455 Wed 1315 WRMI 9955 [confirmed] Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v [confirmed] Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v-AM Area 51 Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: Tnx to Dr Harald Gabler and the Rhein-Main Radio Club. http://www.rmrc.de/index.php/rmrc-audio-plattform/podcast/glenn-hauser-wor ALTERNATIVE PODCASTS, tnx Stephen Cooper: http://shortwave.am/wor.xml ANOTHER PODCAST ALTERNATIVE, tnx to Keith Weston: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GlennHausersWorldOfRadio NOW tnx to Keith Weston, also Podcasts via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glenn-hausers-world-of-radio/id1123369861 AND via Google Play Music: http://bit.ly/worldofradio OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DAY-BY-DAY ARCHIVE OF GLENN HAUSER`S LOG REPORTS: Unedited, uncondensed, unchanged from original version, many of them too complex, minutely researched, multi-frequency, opinionated, inconsequential, off-topic, or lengthy for some log editors to manage; and also ahead of their availability in these weekly issues: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser NOTE: I have *resolved* to make DXLD leaner, more selective, as I seriously need to reduce my workload, much of which has been merely editing gobs of material into presentable form. This makes it even more important to be a member of the DXLD yg for additional material which may not make it into weekly issues (gh) DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location, and say something about why you want to join. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN. Weak to fair signal of R Afghanistan External Service, August 10 1550 & 1601 6100 YAK 100 kW / 125 deg SoAs English/Urdu & off at 1620: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/weak-to-fair-signal-of-radio.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFRICA. This is a good time of year for African DX, which comes in best following a hike in the K index, and that is a likely event in the next day or two; see http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/3-day-geomagnetic-forecast Over the past month conditions have been good on 4, 7 and 9 August --- the following have been heard here recently: 917.022, R Gotel, Yola, Nigeria between 2100 and 2300 - easy to spot from its carrier because it`s the only station on the channel, more difficult to catch audio. 1440.006, ABC Yola, Nigeria at 2100, usually signing off with pledge and easily recognisable National Anthem, leaving Saudi Arabia on the channel. 1530, VOA Săo Tomé heard at various times between 2100 and 0400, mixing or over Pulse 2. 1566, TWR Benin --- quite difficult here due to BBC Radio Somerset and Premier Christian Radio, though audible underneath at various times overnight. There are of course others worth looking out for, as reported in previous years, I just haven?t looked for them this year (yet). If you live in the south of the UK you might find it productive to listen a little earlier than I`ve done. 73, (Martin A Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. Perseus SDR with Jaguar software, RPA-1 preamp, beverage: 289m at 187 , terminated. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/ Aug 15, MWCircle yg via DXLD) ** ALASKA. Hi Glenn, Referencing DXLD 1732 and the KNLS Interval Signal source. Interval Signals On Line http://www.intervalsignals.net indicates it is "Chariots on Fire" (Bill Matthews, Columbus, Ohio, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx, Bill. Ha, that`s Chariots OF Fire, a movie about running, great theme by Vangelis. Yes, but the 8-note interval signal is not the same as the COF motiv, which repeats over and over thru the 3+ minute piece, as can be found all over the web. Conceivably the IS could be considered a variation on the COF theme. The longer opening theme music of KNLS never gets to the COF motiv either. Subplot is one competitor overcoming anti-Semitism, and another who wants to be a missionary and won`t run on Sunday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well OK, when I was there in the early 1980s. I don't know of a 8-note interval. We had looped the Vangelis piece and played it until we can't stand the thought of it. http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=chariout+of+fire+song&qpvt=chariout+of+fire+song&FORM=VDRE The person that would really know is Rob Scobey [at WCBC], Rob? (Stephen S. Lockwood, P.E., PMP, President, Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers, 9500 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103, cc to Scobey, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No reply from him Maybe the 8 notes are from somewhere else in the movie soundtrack (gh) ** ANGOLA. 4949.72, RN de Angola, 1908, news or similar, weak modulation. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, 1920-1931, 10-08, carrier and some comments by female detected. Very weak, barely audible. 15321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante and Friol, Tecsun PL-880, cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ANTARCTICA, 15476, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, received e-mail from the station with a Thank you letter and a card, in a PFD file, for a reception report sent via e-mail to the Station on 01 March 2017, address: lra36@hotmail.com "Estimado Seńor/ra: MANUEL MÉNDEZ – LUGO - ESPAŃA Nos dirigimos a Usted para mostrarle nuestro más sentido agradecimiento por su atención y tiempo que ha dedicado a la escucha de nuestra Emisora Radial “LRA 36 Arcángel San Gabriel. Desde el Continente Blanco “ANTÁRTIDA ARGENTINA” le damos un cordial saludo. Atte: Jefe de Base Esperanza/Director de LRA 36: Mayor Noel ALBIERO Conductora - de “ESPERANZA AL MUNDO”: Sra Carla FASSIO Co-conductora - de “ESPERANZA AL MUNDO”: Sarg Ay Adriana MARTÍNEZ Encargado de la Emisora LRA 36/Operador Técnico.: Subof Pr Guillermo MAMANI-" And a card of the Station with its name, frequency address and picture of Base Esperanza. V/S Mayor Noel Albierto, Jefe de la Base Antártida Esperanza (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, August 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA [and non]. Checking homepage of RAE Argentina al Mundo http://www.radionacional.com.ar/rae-argentina-al-mundo/ We see that it now exhibits a WRMI program grid of its relays, but still overlooks the Mon-Sat 14-15 Spanish on 11580, which is *far* more audible thisway anyway, than the 22-23 on 5950. Also a few audio linx including the DX program in Spanish #44; not sure whether that`s recent. English program schedule: MONDAY Our Football >> Argentine Tango >> TUESDAY Argentinians Sans [sic] Frontiers >> (In Touch with) The Folklore Reality >> WEDNESDAY The Talk >> Argentine Routes >> THURSDAY Welcome >> Science & Technology >> FRIDAY Actualidad DX.COM.AR >> Shared Stories > (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. 4809.97, Armenian Radio, 1819, noted in passing with Arabic vocals, fair. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** ARMENIA. GERMANY/ARMENIA, 11845, Radio Mi Amigo via Yerevan/Gavar, received full data QSL-card via snail mail for a reception report send via e-mail to the station about a special transmission on 30-07 at 1700 UTC. In 15 days. email: info@radiomiamigo.es (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Aug 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA? 6000, 1927, fair with Brother Scare relay. Fair-good. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** ASIA [non]. New Radio Free Asia QSL --- A.J. Janitschek, Director, Program & Operations Support for Radio Free Asia announces a new QSL design: RADIO FREE ASIA COMMEMORATES 21 YEARS WITH NEW QSL, SEPTEMBER 2017 Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces its 21st anniversary QSL. Bringing free press to closed societies, RFA’s first broadcast was in Mandarin on September 29, 1996 at 2100 UT. This redefines our QSL designs incorporating one graphic into four separate QSL cards and giving listeners options submitting reception reports. You will receive Ľ of the design for one reception report, or get the full sheet when sending us at least four reception reports. This is RFA’s 65th QSL design and is used to confirm all valid RFA reception reports from September to December 2017. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin (including the Wu dialect), Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a ‘surrogate’ broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest. More information about RadioFree Asia, including our current broadcast frequency schedule, is available at http://www.rfa.org RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at http://techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX’ers, but also from its general listening audience. Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org and by [p]mail to: Reception Reports Radio Free Asia 2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300 Washington DC 20036 United States of America (via Rich D`Angelo, PA, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 585-2WEB Confirms S9 Reception --- David Sharp, programming director of 585-2WEB in Bourke, Australia ("Outback Radio") has confirmed the blowtorch reception of the station yesterday morning at the Rockwork 4 cliff, calling it "the strongest level I've ever heard for TP reception." https://app.box.com/s/46t2trpbuqw90na4zdrl97v1p9ijuq5l David is an ex-U.S. DXer and member of our Ultralight Radio Yahoo group. My first contact with him was in 2010, when I was complaining on the Ultralight list about "the dumb Australian station on 585 that plays rock music but never ID's." He listened to a song in my MP3 and sent me a QSL out of the blue, after checking the station's music log. I promptly "took back" what I had said about the station :-) (Gary DeBock (in Nehalem, OR, USA), IRCA via DXLD) <<< I checked our music log. Definitely 2WEB at the strongest level I've ever heard for TP reception. Gary - you already have two QSL letters and this is your fourth reception of the station (also a record for a single DXer), let me know if you want another QSL. 2WEB gets almost no reports these days! 73s David >>> (via Gary DeBock, IRCA via DXLD) 585-2WEB -- Knocking on Science Fiction's Door Just as South Pacific propagation was collapsing in bright daylight at 1335 UT on August 8th I made a final band check to see if any New Zealand or Australian stations had escaped my notice at the Rockwork 4 ocean cliff (near Manzanita, Oregon). Most of the DU's had already bailed, but there was a very strong station playing rock music on 585 kHz. I knew from experience that this could be either of two Australian 10 kW stations -- 7RN in Hobart, Tasmania (part of the ABC RN network) or David Sharp's independent "Outback Radio" station, 2WEB in Bourke. Apart from an ID, the only was to make sure of the station's identity was to check for parallel programming with another station in the ABC RN network. Parallel programming would indicate that the station was 7RN, while clearly different programming would mean that the station was 2WEB. In the MP3 linked below the 585 Australian station's powerful rock music signal continues for an awesome 3 minutes and 20 seconds, during which time several parallel checks were made (Ultralight radios can only tune one frequency at a time). The first parallel check for 576- 2RN (in Sydney) occurs from 1:02 to 1:13 into the recording, but 2RN has already faded out, so the 585 station's identity is still unknown. The second parallel check (again for 576-2RN) occurs from 2:03-2:15, but it is still dead. Finally, at 2:15 a parallel check is made for the 25 kW Brisbane RN network station 792-4RN (generating the 2 kHz het), which has just enough of a signal left to confirm that its RN network programming is speech, and not the music playing on 585 kHz. As such, the powerful station playing "Knocking on Heaven's Door" had been narrowed down to David Sharp's 2WEB in Bourke, transmitting far and away the most powerful signal it has even managed in 9 years of these ocean coast DXpeditions. The reception was made on a 7.5 inch C. Crane Skywave Ultralight boosted by a 17 inch (43 cm) diameter FSL antenna, as in the Rockwork 4 DXing setup photo attached with this post. Thanks again to David for his outstanding support to the DXing community! 585-2WEB MP3 (3 minutes 20 seconds) https://app.box.com/s/dqaag49l6uboqcfboq4b7fn5fy9dsr1f Thanks again to David for his outstanding support to the DXing community! 585-2WEB MP3 (3 minutes 20 seconds) https://app.box.com/s/u64u4pvx2u1ofb5u87ze10p0ynqire1u 73 and Good DX, (Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA), Aug 14, IRCA via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 9685, Wed August 9 at 1233, same OM is alternately speaking English with heavy accent and some other language, rising intonations at ends of words or phrases, Burmesish? Sermon or Bible translating, S9. It`s Reach Beyond, Australia. At 1242 says ``Amen``; 1243 Englishish schedule closing as Wed & Sat 5:45 pm IST, 6:45 pm BST = start time of 1215 UT. Then RBA full Oz English sign-off until tomorrow at 1115 UT, and off 1245*. Aoki list, usually updated daily, still shows July 28 as latest, so I guess he`s on vacation: http://ndxc.16mb.com/bi/nxa17.txt It shows 9685 is 100 kW, 315 degrees from Kununurra daily at 1115-1245 in a complex schedule of Burmese, English and five other languages, this one being: 1215-1245 1..4..7 Nagamese [sic], i.e. also on Sundays. Via our Hitlist, we quickly reach RBA`s own A17 schedule: http://www.reachbeyond.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/publications/A17%20Schedule_Listener%20Edition.pdf showing this sesquihour block is for Myanmar and northeast India, and the three transmissions in question are called ``From Darkness to Light`` in ``nag`` = Nagamese, yes, not Naganese. EiBi`s language list shows ``NAP Naga Pidgin / Bodo / Nagamese: India-Nagaland (30,000) [nag]``. Nagaland is already 90% Christian making it the state religion, and more Baptist than Mississippi, per Wikipedia. Capital Kohima, where AIR used to be on 4850 & 6065, gone for about a sesquiyear; nearest somewhat active AIR is 5050 Aizawl (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. ABC SW UPDATE! NO SURPRISE HERE: Bill to restore shortwave rejected by Senate Committee | radioinfo.com.au A Senate Committee inquiring into the possibility of restoring ABC Shortwave services has rejected proposed legislation . . . [behind paywall] https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/bill-restore-shortwave-rejected-senate-committee (also via Tim Gaynor, Australia, Artie Bigley, OH, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Mare Tom Doerr passes along word that the Australian Senate attempt to require Radio Australia to return to broadcasting on SW has failed with the committee rejecting the bid because, if said, (without cogent explanation) that the measure did not address the concerns of those raising it. One wonders what WOULD address the concerns, but alas, this is not really a surprise for anyone who has paid attention. They even note that since 2012 the number of listeners to Radio Australia on SW reduced in half before the shut-down. Of course that time frame also is when Radio Australia severely cut back on their use of SW, proving once again that if you don't transmit, people won't listen. Hello chicken, have you met egg? Read the whole story here: http://tinyurl.com/Australian-Senate (MARE Tipsheet Aug 11 via DXLD) Same story behind paywall (gh) AUSTRALIAN SENATE REJECTS BILL TO RESTORE ABC SHORTWAVE Radio NZ 11 August 2017 http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/336975/australian-senate-rejects-bill-to-restore-abc-shortwave Australia's senate has rejected proposed legislation to restore the international radio service of the country's public broadcaster. Many remote communities in Pacific island countries rely on shortwave radio. Photo: RNZI [caption] The bill would have required the ABC to restore its shortwave transmission services which the broadcaster ended in January this year. This move was described in the bill as having deprived communities in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and other parts of the Pacific of access to reliable emergency broadcasting. Submitters of the bill questioned the ABC's assertions that very few listeners accessed Radio Australia's shortwave service. Concerns of the submitters included perceived neglect of remote communities in the Pacific, and the loss of capacity for emergency warning broadcasts. They also appealed to Australia's own regional interests, warning of the potential loss of an avenue for diplomacy and "soft power" in the Pacific. But the senate committee concluded that the measures proposed in the bill were not an appropriate way to address the concerns raised about the end of the shortwave services. However the committee's decision came with some dissenting reports. In one of them, Senator Nick Xenophon described the decision to shut down ABC shortwave as a significant foreign policy failure. "The board cannot really be blamed for this oversight; foreign policy is a responsibility of the whole of government," he said. "In allowing the ABC Board to shut down ABC shortwave, the government has failed." (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD; via Tim Gaynor, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Summary: Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 to: require the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to maintain three domestic shortwave transmission services for the Northern Territory that were operating up until 31 January 2017; and maintain an international shortwave radio transmission service for Papua New Guinea and parts of the Pacific. http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_LEGislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s1055 (both via Artie Bigley, DXLD) >>> The committee recommends that the Senate not pass the bill. <<< http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Shortwaveradio/Report The full report is worth a read also as a general example for how the supporters of shortwave broadcasting can not convince with their arguments anymore. At least not with many of the filed submissions, of which I consider a certain one as plain trolling (Kai Ludwig, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) Thanks Kai & members, I've just finished reading the majority of the report. When reading several submissions & watching the whole of the 4 hours of the video hearing & now reading the majority of the report dated August 9th I can't help but be appalled at the concluding comments on pages 17 & 18 by Senator Linda Reynolds CSC Chair (fed gov Liberal Senator). Several comments in the concluding paragraphs ignore several important points made by Senator Nick Xenophon & some National & Labor Senators additional comments & those very knowledgeable contributors of the likes of Graeme Dobell, Nigel Holmes & many more. I've included the concluding Chair comments below for your reactions:- Committee view 2.50 The committee is of the view that the measures proposed in this bill are not an appropriate way to address the concerns raised by some submitters about the cessation of the ABC's shortwave services. 2.51 In relation to the cessation of domestic shortwave services, the committee considers that the recommendations made in its report on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Rural and Regional Advocacy) Bill 2015 will address many of the concerns raised by those living in rural and regional communities. The committee also notes the ABC's commitment to the delivery of improved services through the allocation of funding for up to 80 new content roles in regional Australia.74 2.52 Regarding concerns about the cessation of the international shortwave service, the committee notes that the ABC is working to ensure its continued presence in international broadcasting by developing a new international strategy across all its.. *71 ABC, Submission 39, p. 9.* *72 ABC, Submission 39, p. 10.* *73 ABC, Submission 39, p. 11.* *74 Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, Australian Broadcasting* *Corporation Amendment (Rural and Regional Advocacy) Bill 2015, April 2017.* ...content divisions. The ABC is also expanding the provision of broadcasts through an array of technologies and investing in more FM transmitters in Papua New Guinea. The new strategy will enable the ABC to align its services to the way in which audiences access news, current affairs and other programs. The committee supports the ABC's approach to ensuring that it remains a recognisable source of independent, high quality broadcasting in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. 2.53 The committee acknowledges the concerns expressed by some submitters that emergency broadcasts will no longer be received by certain domestic and overseas audiences. However, it is not the sole responsibility of the ABC to ensure that communities, especially communities outside Australia, are briefed on weather warnings. Rather, this responsibility lies with government authorities with ABC broadcasts serving as an alternative source of emergency information. 2.54 The committee is also concerned that the measures in the bill would, if enacted, impinge on the independence of the ABC and could lead to increased costs. While the committee notes that the proposed amendments do not affect the ABC's editorial independence, the committee is not convinced that dictating the broadcaster's choice of technology is in line with the established tradition and understanding of independence that has been fostered over many decades. The ABC has made the decision to terminate its shortwave broadcasts, and is seeking a modern and efficient way forward for the dissemination of content, which are legitimate activities for the broadcaster to undertake. 2.55 The committee therefore does not support the bill. However, the committee emphasises that it will continue to monitor developments in this area. In particular, the committee's Senate estimates hearings will facilitate ongoing scrutiny of the ABC's commitment to the delivery of improved services to regional Australia and the effectiveness of the ABC's new international strategy. Recommendation 1 2.56 The committee recommends that the Senate not pass the bill. Senator Linda Reynolds CSC Chair ------ I suspect the majority of the ignorant (or don't care) federal government senate members will accept the committee's recommendations, if so that's the end of ABC/RA on SW from Australia (Ian, NSW, ibid.) > I can't help but be appalled at the concluding comments Reminds me of the heading Jonathan used some years ago for a blog post about developments in Dutch public broadcasting: "Weak arguments just won't work." Honestly: I fear that only Nigel Holmes made good points, also by suggesting a realistic scenario (other than, as an example, talking about local radio and demanding all three NT transmitters to be kept - -- how about gold-plated tube sockets, too?). The other submissions just had no chance against the fancy, nimble, buzzword-loaden stuff from the ABC, now led by a Murdoch-proven lady. Most important could be this: > 2.54 The committee is also concerned that the measures in the bill would, if enacted, impinge on the independence of the ABC and could lead to increased costs. Probably the legal situation in Australia is not completely unlike to Germany: Here it would be considered unconstitutional if authorities require someone to deliver a service at his own cost. It is possible to impose certain services, but then authorities have to pay for it, to compensate for all the costs. As well known the funding of Australia Network stopped in 2014 by way of terminating the contract altogether. How likely is it in light of this that now new funding would be provided for keeping shortwave transmitters on air? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** BANGLADESH. 15505, Aug 10 at 1355, JBA carrier already on, presumed BB prior to 1400 Urdu. I strain to hear any audio by 1400, but just too weak for the IS; can almost imagine a timesignal circa 1359. Would those who hear it well (not via web receivers) please provide the precise time the pips end. 15505, August 12 at 1359, enough JBA signal from Bangladesh Betar to detect IS or opening music to Urdu service, and talk by 1359.5, but no timesignal audible by 1401. Perhaps they have prudently dispensed with it, since they could never get it right? 15505, August 14 at 1356, open carrier from Bangladesh Betar prior to 1400 Urdu service is on already, and S2, better than JBA so maybe today I can finally catch the mis-timesignal. Recognizable IS starts circa 1358:20, and yes! 5+1 pips end with a higher prolonged one at 1358:48.5* so they are *way* fast now. 15505, August 15 at 1358:48.5 again like yesterday BB mis-timesignal ends more than a minute early on VP signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13580. Sun, Aug 13 at 1744-1810, Bangladesh Betar, Dhaka, in English. IS; 1745 Start programming: ID, man announcer talks; Woman talks; A song by baritone man; 1755 Man announcer talks News. Poor transmission, 35332 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier. Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103 & Sony ICF-SW100S, Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** BHUTAN. 6035, BBS. Aug 9, a very good day here! Heard PBS Yunnan cut off at 1205*, leaving BBS 1205-1248*; various amounts of adjacent QRM; 1205-1221 with the usual monologue in vernacular; at 1214, 1216 & 1218 normal brief break for indigenous instrumental music; 1221-1230 indigenous singing and music; 1230-1248* with two announcers chatting in vernacular. My audio at http://goo.gl/SoeM1J My local sunrise today was at 1320 UT, while sunset at Thimphu, was at 1244 UT (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 5952.46, Radio Pio Doce, 1147, talk by Spanish man, tight filter needed to escape QRM. 5 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD- 535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 6025. RED PATRIA NUEVA. Agosto 13. 0300-0310 UT. Música y algunos avisos de identificación de la emisora. SINPO: 43443 (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tecsun PL- 660; ANT: Mini Loop;; QTH: Barraza Bajo, IV Región, Chile, HCDX via DXLD) ** BOUGAINVILLE. 3325, NBC Bougainville, Aug 9, with normal format of DJ in Pidgin playing pop songs till suddenly off at 1146*, at which time had only a faint open carrier below threshold level from RRI Palangkaraya. 3325, NBC Bougainville, Aug 10, with normal format of DJ in Pidgin playing pop songs till suddenly off at 1149*. Now that the election and resulting coverage is over, no longer with any extended 1200+ broadcasts. 3325, NBC Bougainville, on Aug 11, at 1201*; RRI Palangkaraya also on frequency. PNG - NBC Madang (3260), on Aug 11, with 1206* (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. SRDA 6059.8: see CUBA [and non] ** BRAZIL [non]. 6180, Aug 10 at 0045, nothing here; by 0130 a JJBBA carrier, surely CRI East Turkistan. I`m trying to confirm Anker Petersen`s reports of RNA on the air at this hour. What I am getting on 6180 is even weaker than the JBA carrier on the low side of 6025, i.e. Bolivia. Nothing on 11780 either, of course (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 11735. Sun, Aug 13 at 1925-1935, Rádio Transmundial, Santa Maria-RS, in Portuguese. A DX Program "Amigos do Radio" and a Ulysses Galletti participation; ID, POBox to Săo Paulo studios; 1932 RTM announcements. Station with fair signal and modulation, 35433 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier. Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103 & Sony ICF- SW100S, Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11855, ZYE954 Rádio Aparecida; 2323 lively music with accordion and vocals to 2325 when a Portuguese ID my man for "Rádio Nacional," so presumably the required "Voz do Brasil" relay; poor-fair with fading; 7 August (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Icom R-75 with active mini-whip; Tecsun PL-880 and PL-660 with 45' PAR EF-SWL end-fed wire or 25' Sangean reel, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) Voz do Brasil should be at 22-23 UT during standard time, so this station delays it an hour? (gh, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 15190. Sun, Aug 13 at 1537-1548, Radio Inconfidęncia, Contagem-MG, in Portuguese. Man announcer talks and comments about football game between Cruzeiro 2x2 Săo Paulo, live from Morumbi Stadium; 1541 Penalty and goal: now, 2x3 score; Woman announcer comments, too. Fair signal and modulation, 35433. Note: Rádio Inconfidęncia returns signal to my location after many times: Last log ** 15190. June 5 at 2036, Rádio Inconfidencia, Contagem-MG, in Portuguese. A musical program - Música Caipira; Male announcer talks; 2042 Woman talks, in coversation. Awful broadcasting (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier. Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103 & Sony ICF-SW100S, Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** BURUNDI [non]. 15420, MADAGASCAR, Radio Itahuka at 1817 in Kirundi with a man with talk with a monotone delivery then talking to an impassioned man at 1820 --- Fair with fading Aug 12 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. CANADIAN RADIO NEWS – by Dan Sys For July - August 1 2017 PROPOSED TECHNICAL CHANGES 690, BC, Vancouver, CBU, Reduce fulltime power from 50,000 to 25,000 watts. Replace the 4 tower antenna array with a 2 tower system (IRCA DX Monitor August 19, published Aug 15, via DXLD) Why bother? (gh) ** CHILE. 6925. RCW. Agosto 13. 1652-1800 UT. ID, música, especial sobre “La Voz de Chile”, “Radio Nacional de Chile” y “Voz Cristiana” en voz de Luis Valderas, archivos de programas humorísticos antiguos, música de los ańos 60’s y 70’s, contactos telefónicos. SINPO: 55454. [Audio-]Video de la captación: https://youtu.be/RZETp-oQa3c (Claudio Galaz, RX: Tivdio V-111; Ant: Mini Loop; QTH: Barraza Bajo, IV Región, Chile, HCDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. 11785, CNR1 at 1249 // 15265 in Mandarin jamming the VOA in Mandarin via Thailand with a man and woman with excited talk - Poor to Fair Aug 12 15040, Firedrake at 1310 with the usual mix of percussion and woodwind instrumentals jamming AIR in Mandarin and off in step with AIR`s sign off at 1315 -- Good Aug 12. I guess CNR1 wasn`t available for them or did they decide to change up the jammer programming? 15110, Firedrake at 1318 with the usual mix of percussion and woodwind instrumentals jamming the VOA via Thailand --- Good mixing with the VOA via Thailand Aug 12 15110, THAILAND, VOA at 1318 in Mandarin with a man and woman with news and commentary about Asia -- Fair under Firedrake Aug 12. Using Firedrake in lieu of CNR1 gives us a fighting chance to listen to the desired broadcast. Thanks, Chinese jamming morons! 15265, CNR1 at 1243 in Mandarin jamming RFA in Tibetan via Tajikistan with a man and woman with excited talk. Weak but audible Aug 12 15275, CNR1 at 1306 // 11785 in Mandarin jamming RFA in Tibetan via Tajikistan with a fanfare and ID and a man and woman with gentle banter over string instrumentals. Good Aug 12 11705, CNR1 at 0205 // 11745 in Mandarin jamming RFA in Tibetan via Kuwait with a man and woman with excited talk – Weak Aug 13 11745, CNR1 at 0203 // 11705 in Mandarin jamming RFA in Tibetan via Kuwait with a man and woman with excited talk – Weak Aug 13 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA yg via DXLD) 15525, Aug 9 at 1251, S5-S3 Chinese from CNR1 like 11825, whose only reason to be here is to jam Voice of Tibet on 15527, per Aoki at 1236- 1305 via Tajikistan, but no trace of that audible, not even a het. Not much else from Asia on 19m band (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9745. Sun, Aug 13 at 1915-1925, China National Radio 1, in Mandarin. Chinese instrumental music, mainly with "nervous violins" - "Firedragon"; On backgrounds, the barely audible modulation by RFA man announcer - "Jamming" by CNR1. CNR1 with a good transmission, 44544 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier. Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103 & Sony ICF-SW100S, Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 5910.37, Alcaraván Radio, 0847, traditional vocals, decent level, first time heard in ages. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. The #2 network in Colombia began national operations in the early 1970s as Cadena 2 (Network 2), complementing the initial network "Network 1" (today's Canal Uno). For the 20th century and into the 21st, Colombian television primarily ran on an unusual and unique model known as the mixed system. In this model, Inravisión, the Colombian state broadcaster, performed all technical functions, while commercial production companies bid for timeslots and produced / selected a number of hours each week to air on the two networks. (These companies had their own idents...which means Colombia could be said to have been TV continuity heaven in a way. So many 80s slides and 90s bad 3D animations!) With the 1991 bidding series, which took effect in January 1992, the system was given some definition. Two groups of 12 broadcasters were created, given more latitude, and encouraged to compete against each other. Not wanting to be merely number two, the Cadena 2 broadcasters opted to call themselves Canal A (with that awesomely 90s lion logo). Both broadcaster groups had 12-year contracts, which allowed for larger and longer-term investments in things like news studios and programming. It was in 1995/96 that the storm clouds began to gather for the mixed system. The primary catalyst was the Colombian Constitution of 1991, which essentially forced the government to open an auction for two new national commercial networks. Another decision was political —*the end of the 12-year contracts after six years and the decision to rebid everything out, which seemed tailor made to get some pesky newscasts off the air. When Caracol and RCN won the auction in 1997 and came to air in 1998 (Producciones Punch, the dean of the programadoras or production companies, lost out), a triple whammy effect soon began. 1. Caracol and RCN were commercial broadcasters with popular programs. Their loss from the mixed system and their striking it out alone caused ratings drops. 2. Caracol and RCN had ties to economic groups that were major advertisers, particularly RCN which was part of the Organización Ardila Lulle. (This conglomerate owns companies in the beverage and agricultural industries, among others.) This caused advertising revenue to fall. 3. Colombia entered into its first recession since the 1930s as a result of the Asian financial crisis. Within two years, Caracol and RCN had 70% of the audience, far outpacing growth predictions. Not even a snazzy new lion logo with a flaming mane could save them. It was a situation that began to show signs of mass failure in 2000. Among the departures of that year were Cenpro, whose recent productions had included Perro Amor (which was later adapted by Telemundo); Producciones JES, another of the old-line greats; 24 Horas, the country's most senior newscast which had aired since 1972; and PUNCH. The programadoras began to seek bankruptcy production and wither away. Ironically, this really took form during the presidency of Andrés Pastrana, who founded Datos y Mensajes (a newscast producer). In 2003, RTI was left alone on Canal A after further collapses. They were moved to Canal Uno. That left Canal A with no program source other than Audiovisuales, a state-run company that had become the program filler when everyone else dropped. Inravisión and Audiovisuales were liquidated the next year due to massive pension liabilities, creating today's RTVC, and Canal/Seńal Institucional was launched in its place. This year, most of the remaining broadcasters in the mixed system banded together and picked up operation of Canal Uno as one company, Plural Comunicaciones, S.A. Also, Canal A didn't have a slogan until the 1999 relaunch, when they introduced the tagline "Es Televisión". Yes, their slogan was "It's Television". I don't know who thought that one up (Raymie Humbert, AZ, Aug 4, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) ** CUBA. A festival of `frogs on the 25m band tnx to RHC`s piling up high-power transmitters here, Aug 8 at 2307-2320 as I unravel these leapfrog mixing products: 11810, noted first with Spanish // 6000, the `Mesa Redonda` TV simulcast which this hour only is separate from the other RHC Spanish frequencies. 11810 is S5-S2 and quite readable, mixing with English underneath, i.e. 11950, the other M.R. channel, leaping over 11880 another 70 kHz lower. 11950 is S9+40, 11880 is S9+45 and somewhat distorted. Subject of M.R. is climate change, loss of species. 11810 is quite stronger than the 11840 parasites on 11830 & 11850. 12000, has a very poor weak mix of two programs. It might have been 2 x 6000 but not in this case, rather 11760 Spanish leaping over 11880 English another 120 kHz beyond. I should have checked for the reverse on 11640. 12019.95, at 2318 mainly English audio S3-S1 from 11880, leaping over 11950 to 70 kHz beyond, or almost. 11950 is axually a bit on the low side about 11949.97. There`s always something wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. 6230, Aug 10 at 0608, very poor mixture of something in English and intermittent 2-way on this maritime comms channel – i.e., leapfrog mixing product of RHC 6060 over 6145 another 85 kHz above. 6230 is also the home of VMW Wiluna, the Western Australia marine weather station, but not until 1000 per EiBi; and Sound of Hope, Taiwan at many hours plus ChiCom jamming; and like every frequency above 6200, Europirates (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 11820, August 13 at 0058, JBA carrier which I think matches 11830, now a quite audible spur out of 11840 RHC Spanish. So 11820 would be a leapfrog mixing product of 11840 over its 11830 spur another 10 kHz lower (besides Saudi until 2257 on 11820+, only listee on 11820 in Aoki is CRI Cantonese via Xian until 0057). The JBA carrier on opposite 11860, however, could instead be Yemen [non] 7435, August 13 at 0526-0528+, considerable jamming against no Radio Martí at this hour (while 7365 is VG with music and barely jammed); on 7435 joined by those CW tones at variety of pitches, sending either C -.-. or just half of it, N -. as if replying to each other. Or maybe two N`s with no pause. C and N could stand for Cuba, Números, hi. [and non]. 6230, August 15 at 0149, no signal, so I expect on my downward bandscan I will find 6145 and/or 6060 missing from RHC, the co-conspirators producing the leapfrog mixing product on 6230. Yes, 6145 is on in English, but 6060 is off in Spanish at 0150 --- uncovering a JBA carrier on 6059.82, presumably SRDA BRAZIL, which EiBi has on 6059.8 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) re Brazil 6059.8 kHz --- S=7 lower signal from Brazil measured on 6059.845 kHz exact). 13 July 2017. 73 wolfie (Wolfgang Büschel, Aug 15, DX LISTENNG DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [non]. 9530, Sunday August 13 at 2211, declamatory speech = sermon in unknown language, maybe sorta Arabish, S8-S3. Aoki shows it`s Pulaar from HCJB Radio Akhbar Mufriha, 250 kW, 27 degrees from ASCENSION daily except Wednesdays at 2145-2215. What is this? Easily overlooked in the WRTH is a ``Religious Broadcasters Cross Reference Table`` which in 2017 edition is on page 518 after the clandestine sexion and before the LW & MW frequency lists --- but not including this one, under A, H, M or R. EiBi readme.txt language list shows Pulaar is spoken by ten times as many people in Sénégal as in Gambia totalling 3.3 mega. And why do they skip Wednesdays; a holy day for them? Or because they daren`t skip Sundays and need some day of rest (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, *0522-0533, 11-08, open with carrier and some comments detected, very weak, barely audible. 15321. Also 0528-0536, 12-08, song. Very weak, barely audible and best on LSB. 15321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante and Friol, Tecsun PL-880, cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA [and non]. Morning log 0440z to 0515z August 11, in Doha Qatar Middle East remote Perseus SDR unit, morning fade-out time: 5940even, new ERI R Asmara sce S=5-6 signal, weak at 0450 and 0511 UT. [WORLD OF RADIO 1891; see UNIDENTIFIED 5940 where this thread starts] 5949.999, ETH, Voice of Tigre Revol, Tigre, Gedja S=7 level, fade-out time 6030.003, ETH, Radio Oromiya Gedja, probably Afar lang sce, S=7 signal 6089.996, ETH, Radio Amhara, at 0446 UT Aug 11, S=7 signal. 6109.999, ETH, Radio Fana Gedja, Amharic, S=7 at 0444 UT on Aug 11. 7119.999, Somalia Radio Hargeysa S=8 signal. 7140.028, Eritrea R Asmara, played Horn of Africa typical music at 0455 UT S=8-9 signal strength. Plus another AM carrier on 7140.021 kHz of S=6-7 strength, latter low modulated or even audio not existent. JAMMING WHITE NOISE digital noise type from Ethiopia secret service in 7171 to 7189 kHz block range, meant against: 7181.555, center frequency of Eritrea Radio Asmara service, S=8-9 signal strength in Doha Qatar. 0504 + 0512 UT. 7205.002, Sudan Radio Omdurman local music at S=9 signal level. 0515 UT on Aug 11. 73 wolfgang df5sx [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 11, dxldyg via DXLD) 7140.028, Eritrea, R Asmara, wandered downwards, noted now 7140.020 kHz frequency at 0550 UT Aug 11, still S=7 signal in Doha Qatar. 7181.555, still on that frequency, S=8 - a little stronger signal than 7140.020, also Eritrea R Asmara. NO WHITE NOISE JAMMING BLOCK from Ethiopia anymore at this time. 7205.002, much low modulation of S=7 signal strength during daytime path, from R Omdurman Sudan at 0554 UT. 73 wolfgang df5sx (Büschel, 0600 UT Aug 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) AFS ERI ETH NIG SOM SDN - early evening log, 1745-1825 UT on Aug 11 Africa outlets on Aug 11. 3 outlets of Eritrea, Asmara Selea Duro, on air after 1800 UT Aug 11. Early UT evening log, 1745-1825 UT August 11, in Doha Qatar Middle East remote Perseus SDR unit: 5940even, new ERI R Asmara sce - not before 1800 UT when checked, but 5940even ERI Radio Asmara, Selea Duro, S=9+10dB powerful in Doha Qatar, at 1819 UT HoA local music. 5949.999, ETH, Voice of Tigre Revol, Tigre, Gedja S=9+15dB at 17.50 UT 6030, no log - ETH Radio Oromiya Gedja, Afar not on air 17-19 UT. 6089.996, no log - ETH Radio Amhara, not on air 17-19 UT. 6110even, ETH Radio Fana Gedja, Amharic, S=9+15dB at 1801 UT on Aug 11 7119.9985, SOM Radio Hargeysa S=9+15dB signal, 1804 UT local music 7140.019, ERI VoBM1 Radio Asmara, at 18.06 UT S=9+15dB signal strength no JAMMING WHITE NOISE digital from Ethiopia secret service on air 41mb 7181.555, ERI center frequency of ERI VoBM2 Radio Asmara service, S=9+15dB signal strength in Doha Qatar. 1809 UT. 7234.880, ETH VoDemTigre from Gedja site, not fq stable, wandered approx 20 Hertz up and down, S=9+20dB signal, x.870 ... x.890 kHz. 18.11 UT. 73 wolfgang df5sx [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 11, dxldyg via DXLD) ETHIOPIA When checked 49 mb again at 19.53 UT, both S=9+15dB in Qatar remote SDR ETH Radio Oromiya Gedja 6030 and ETH Radio Amhara 6090 kHz were BOTH ON AIR, but 7234.880 kHz ETH has been left. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) > > 5940even ERI Radio Asmara, Selea Duro > ``WRTH spells Asmara`s transmitter site: Selai Dairo`` [gh] Google Maps calls it "Saladaro" and disagrees with Open Street Map on a specific settlement called Dbarwa: Is it the one close to the transmitter site or another one closer to Asmara? Yet another variant is being offered by swcountry.be: Selea Daro. And Bing thinks that this is Gala Nefhi and the passing street is no. 3 rather than 4. Perhaps the confusion has even been spread deliberately. Would not surprise me at all from a country that Reporters Without Borders considered for some time even worse than North Korea. Whatever the place may be called, it appears to be a rather reliable information that the transmission facility there has been built in the mid-nineties by what was back then Thomcast, with two 100 kW transmitters each for shortwave and mediumwave. Other shortwave facilities elsewhere presumably existed at least until 2009, used for Radio Bana (which then was raided and closed) on 5100 kHz. This is the question behind a possible third shortwave outlet from Eritrea appearing again (Kai Ludwig, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) There were certainly about eight or nine transmitters active from Eritrea in 2011 and some of them up to early 2012. At least four of them however seemed to be very weak ones, maybe ham or military transceivers, placed on variable channels around 7175 // to the main transmitter, or on 49m. The other strong transmitter was on 7205/7210, but at least two more had a decent signal pointing to maybe 5 or 10 kW output. One of them was irregularly around 5060 for a short period after the closedown of Radio Bana, carrying clandestines, and later, in 2011, 5670 with VoBME was also audible quite well. Another common frequency used around 2009+ was 7999.4 with VoBME1, and in 2011 a transmitter hopping around on 9700/9705/9720 et al. was also audible quite well with VoBME2. After this period of high activity first the small transmitters went silent and the stronger ones not much later. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, ibid.) Meanwhile a discussion of this took place in the German-language A-DX list. A short review: It is understood that this is the old Asmara transmitter site: https://www.google.de/maps/@15.3290096,38.8955397,982m/data=!3m1!1e3 But shortwave antennas there disappeared after 2009. An opinion has been voiced that this could be yet another "target" station. Considered by others as quite unlikely, because this kind of stuff is usually confined to a duration of one hour, with clearly defined start and end, usually screaming a lot of station IDs at the listener. But the programming on 5940 kHz just goes on and on, at times with just music for half a hour (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FAEROE ISLANDS. -- "Fake news"?? The 531 kHz outlet is being reported pretty much everywhere as "inactive" -- yet a midday listen to the same frequency on a Danish SDR unit matched up audio to the station's webstream: male chatter in Nordic tongue, then "On Our Way Home" by the Beatles. This all on August 14 around 1214 UT. Hmmm... (- - GREG HARDISON, CA, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Might seem a stretch for daytime propagation but to Křbenhavn it`s almost all sea-path, grazing Norway and Scotisland, 1311 km = 815 statute miles, 708 nautical miles with low-end advantage too (gh, DXLD) ** FIJI. 558, Radio Fiji One (presumed), 1245-1315, Aug 12. Mostly non-stop religious singing and music; weak, but fairly clear. My audio http://goo.gl/oUfrk3 My local sunrise was at 1322 UT (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Recording all music, heavy splash from 560, must be KSFO (gh) August 12: Fijians in all maritime islands can now tune in to the recently installed and clearer Amplitude Modulated (AM) Signal that will be broadcasted on two main radio stations. The new medium wave radio transmission $15 million facility is managed by Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and funded by the government of Japan will air programmes on both Radio Fiji One and Gold stations. Officiating at the launch in Naulu, Nakasi on Friday, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said Fijians living in Vanuabalavu, Lakeba or Ovalau could now tune on to the radio and join listeners around the country through a range of AM programming. Mr Bainimarama said through this upgrade Fiji had now achieved a 100 per cent coverage for all outer islands. (article did not state frequencies - - 558 kHz perhaps) More details: Mr Bainimarama said this was in their effort to expand Fiji's AM radio network covering 100 per cent of the country. "That means Radio Fiji One, Radio Fiji Two and Gold stations will be transmitted at all hours of the day on AM frequencies to the Lau Group - bringing regular programs, information on Government services and initiatives, and critical emergency information in times of crises," he said. "The big benefit is that AM radio infrastructure is far more resilient to severe weather than the FM system. "So if - God, forbid - another severe weather system strikes in the Lau Group, we will have a better chance of relaying disaster-related information that can ready your communities and, ultimately, save lives." Seems as if that means 24 hours a day on 3 MW channels. 73 (Steve Whitt, MWN Editor, August 12, MWCircle yg via DXLD) Source?? Glenn, I think the source is "Fiji Sun Online" and http://mediumwave.info I mentioned it there yesterday. 73s Ydun Ritz, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) An item on the MW Circle website led to the following: https://fijisun.com.fj/2017/08/12/15-million-am-radio-facility-better-covers-maritime-islands/ Two AM transmitters are mentioned, though whether there are two stations on the air seems unclear (Nick Hall-Patch, Victoria, BC, Canada, IRCA via DXLD) Ah, the mention of Gold suggests 990 in addition to 558 for RF1. That appeared elsewhere in an earlier FBC release, but contradicts the tests a year or three back when 990 was used by RF2. But this is a recent report (11 Aug) so --- Time for someone else to go on a cruise to check! (Theo Donnelly, BC, ibid.) According to news reports, the deal was for two new transmitters with antenna and transmitter building. Frequencies 558 and 990. Transmitters seem to be 10 kW NEC MBT-9010A as seen in the very end of this opening ceremony video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOza_Ov7f48 I guess 990 is relaying Gold FM. 73, (Jari Savolainen, Finland, Aug 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) New Fiji transmitters on 558 & 990 --- Radio Fiji has posted an interesting documentary about its new transmitters on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTLKeW-TmoQ&feature=share There's also a Youtube video of the Prime Minister inaugurating the new transmitters on August 11 [same as first one above] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOza_Ov7f48 Posted by: (Bruce Portzer, UT August 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. EDXC 9290/9270 Finland tests imminent EDXC Radio 2017 on air today Wednesday 9th August 2017 with few short 15 minute tests on 9290 and/or 9270 kHz starting 1600 UT and lasting until 2300! Direct transmission will be transmit from Finland. All correct reception reports came to e-mailaddresses spaceshuttleradio@yahoo.com or radiospaceshuttle@hotmail.com will be verified via Special Printed QSLs for those who will partisipate meeting in Tampere 18-20th August 2017. (QSLs will be left there to infotable and can be picked from there by anyone reported us! QSL- letter will include also more informative material of EDXC Radio). More info of the conference can be found from web http://sdxl.fi/edxc/index.html Please take part and join with! Others not taking part will got their QSL via e-mail! Best regards, EDXC Radio 2017 P.O.Box 2702 NL-6049 ZG Herten The Netherlands Hard-Core-DX mailing list (via gh, 1511 UT Aug 9, DXLD; also via Manuel Méndez, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) nothing at 1630 on 9270/9290 -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire dxldyg via DXLD) I heard a very weak signal today on 9290 kHz around 1700 UT, too weak for an ID. 73 (Harald Kuhl, Germany, Aug 9, BDXC_UK yg via DXLD) Hi all, now (1740 UT) on 9289.6 KHz (SIO: 242) Best 73 (Franck Baste, F4LKC, France, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGESET) Special EDXC Radio 2017 on air today August 9 1600-2300 on 9270 or 9290 unknown tx / unknown to WeEu Very, very weak signal on 9289.7 kHz at 1855 UT. Direct transmission will be from Finland. All correct reception reports sent to the following e-mail ; http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/special-edxc-radio-2017-on-air-today.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. ALL 60S ON CHANNEL 292 --- Hi All, A new broadcast is listed on Channel 292's schedule for Monday 14th of August. This is called 'All 60s', and is shown as operating on 6070 kHz from 1200 to 1500 UT. I have no idea who is behind the station, and I don't recall seeing it on there previously. For German listeners there is another of the occasional 'Frequenzfieber' broadcasts with Christian this evening (Saturday 12th) at 1900 to 2000 UT. It was noticeable last Sunday that the 'Paranoia' podcast from 2000 to 2100 was in the clear for the entire hour now that the Vatican no longer comes on and flattens it at 2040 UT. Excellent reception of Hitmix Radio on 5955 kHz with their 100 kW signal here in north west England this afternoon from 1200 to 1500 UT, and a lot of familiar voices were noted in various time slots. 73 for now, (Alan Gale, Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Site? HFCC shows only CRI English from Beijing site then (gh, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Hi All, I just saw the following message on the Shortwaveradio.de website: Breaking News August 13 2017: First antenna tests have taken place on 6160 kHz and the fitting of the appliances to the transmitting room is well under way. Thank you for the all the encouraging reports received for our tests on this channel. We will keep you posted on further developments on this website. Remember: We are on a test phase at the moment, 3975 kHz will be switched on soon (via Alan Gale, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. Deutsche Welle via MBR Issoudun, August 10 1600-1700 on 15290 ISS 500 kW / 135 deg to EaAf English 1600-1700 on 15315 ISS 500 kW / 170 deg to WeAf English http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2017/08/reception-of-deutsche-welle-via-mbr_10.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) FRANCE. 15315. Sun, Aug 13 at 1633-1643, Deutsche Welle, Issoudun- FRANCE, in English. Woman and man announcers talk with backgrounds: A Radio Theater - children, laugs [?], chickens; A short song; Man talks. DW with very good signal and modulation relay Issoudun, 45544 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier. Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103 & Sony ICF-SW100S, Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 21780, Aug 11 at 1646, weak English talk at S3, SSOB on 13m, compared to only other one, JBA 21525 WRMI Radio Africa. Might be taken for BBC, but it`s really Deutsche Welle`s only remaining English hour, from 1600, and probably our best frequency for it, 250 kW at 65 degrees from ASCENSION per Aoki; by comparison //s per EiBi: to east Africa, 9670 from South Africa, 15290 from France, 17800 from UAE; and to west Africa, 15315 from France (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. Reception of Voice of Greece on 9935 kHz, August 9 0600-0830 on 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg to WeEu Greek*tx#1 & off NO SIGNAL on 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek tx#3 * news in Arabic 0652, Serbian 0656, Spanish 0806 UT http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/reception-of-voice-of-greece-on-9935.html Voice of Greece at new time in Arabic on 9420 kHz, August 10: 0650-0710 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek*tx#3, and off air NO SIGNAL 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg to WeEu Greek tx#1 or alt.11645 * including news bulletin in Serbian 0657, in Arabic 0707 UT(new time) http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/voice-of-greece-at-new-time-in-arabic.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9420.007, ERT Hellinki Radiophonia from Avlis Greece, noted at 1053- 1056 UT on S=9+15dB signal level in southern Germany. Newscast in Polish language heard. August 10th. Not on 9935 nor 11645 kHz on air. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Reception of Voice of Greece on 9420 kHz & 9935 kHz, August 12-13 1900-0606 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek*tx#3 and off the air 2000-0556 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg to WeEu Greek*tx#1 and off the air *from 0505 ERT Voice of Greece relay traditional Sunday Orthodox Liturgy http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/reception-of-voice-of-greece-on-9420_13.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9420, August 15 at 0143, ERT is playing song in English, ``Moon River``, not positive if original by Andy Williams, but nice, S9 to S9+20, 0145 Greek announcement and instrumental theme from a Western movie. No // 9935. IIRC, 24 hours earlier, 9420 was off; you never know when or whether it will be operational (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. 9610, August 10 at 1216, ``Onward Christian Soldiers`` hymn in Korean by YL soprano with piano, more than one verse, S9-S9 with flutter; 1218 announcement in Korean by OM. So it`s KSDA as scheduled this hour at 330 degrees. Sure to heighten tensions around North Korea and make Guam even more of a nuclear target, hi (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUANTANAMO BAY [non]. DE/CU: Aktenfunde: Stasi-Funker auf Guantanamo Deutschland (DDR) - Die Entwicklung von Abhör- und Überwachungstechnik war ein Spezialgebiet der DDR-Staatssicherheit, auch zum Auskundschaften militärischer Einrichtungen im Kalten Krieg. 1985 wurde gemeinsam mit kubanischen Spezialkräften ein solcher Abhör- "Komplex" nahe der US-Basis Guantanamo auf Kuba installiert. Mehrere Hundert Seiten in den Stasi-Akten geben detailliert Auskunft über Planung und Verlauf dieser Geheimoperation mit dem Tarnnamen "Königspalme". Mit Links zu den PDFs der Stasi-Akten berichtet Holger Kulick in "Stasi-Funker auf Guantanamo" bei http://www.bpb.de/geschichte/deutsche-geschichte/stasi/253323/aktenfunde-stasi-funker-auf-guantanamo (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung 27. Juli 2017 via Dr. Hansjörg Biener, Aug 9, DXLD) Guantanamo Spy matter 1985 year of GDR STASI security service matter RADIO Communication SPY HELP to Cubans Germany (GDR) - The development of monitoring and monitoring technology was a special area of the GDR's state security, also for scouting military installations in the Cold War. 1985 became jointly with Cuban special forces such a listening "complex" near the US base Guantánamo installed in Cuba. Several hundred pages in the Stasi files provide detailed information on the planning and course of this secret operation with the camouflage name "Königspalme". With links to the PDFs of the Stasi files, Holger Kulick reports in "Stasi radio operator on Guantánamo" http://www.bpb.de/geschichte/deutsche-geschichte/stasi/253323/aktenfunde-stasi-funker-auf-guantanamo (Federal Center for Civic Education July 27, 2017 via Prof. Dr. Hansjörg Biener via Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) ** HONG KONG. Hong Kong dumping most of BBCWS --- in favor a CNR Mandarin service tailored to Hong Kong (tailored other than with the language, that is): Radio silence: 24-hour broadcast of BBC World Service dropped in Hong Kong After four decades in the former British colony, BBC World Service is to be mostly replaced with China’s state radio channel https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/aug/13/radio-silence-24-hour-broadcast-of-bbc-world-service-dropped-in-hong-kong But not to worry; you can always access the World Service over the Interwebs, so what could go wrong? (Chuck Albertson, Seattle, Wash., August 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: BBC World Service in Hong Kong is being reduced from 24 hours a day to eight hours overnight. Photograph: BBC/BBC World Service Benjamin Haas in Hong Kong Saturday 12 August 2017 21.39 EDT Last modified on Sunday 13 August 2017 17.00 EDT After nearly 40 years of continuous broadcast in Hong Kong, a 24-hour transmission of the BBC World Service will go silent in the former British colony, replaced with programming from China’s state radio channel. The move by Radio Television Hong Kong, owned by the local government, was meant to “enhance the cultural exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong”, a spokesman said. The BBC has been broadcast continuously since 1978 on the same channel in Hong Kong. The change is highly symbolic, replacing one of the most respected news sources in the world with a media outlet replete with censorship and a mission to push the Communist party line. The UK handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of colonial rule, but the territory maintains a semi-autonomous local government. Joshua Wong, the student who risked the wrath of Beijing: ‘It’s about turning the impossible into the possible’ [caption?] The swap comes after the Hong Kong government announced it would stop digital audio broadcasting (DAB) in early September due to a lack of demand and the fast development of the internet. Eight hours of the BBC World Service will still be played overnight from 11pm to 7am local time, RTHK said. “We’re always disappointed when a service our listeners are used to changes,” said Helen Deller, a senior publicist at the BBC, encouraging listers to tune in to the internet stream. The programming replacing the BBC will come from state-broadcaster China National Radio, known as Central People’s Radio in Chinese, and will broadcast almost entirely in Mandarin, as opposed to the local language of Cantonese. The China National Radio station will include news, finance, arts and culture, and lifestyle programmes. Some in Hong Kong saw a more sinister side to the change, denying citizens a reliable source of information on world affairs. “This just proves how political consideration and Chinese forces are eroding press freedom [in Hong Kong],” said pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong. Wong said there was a certain nostalgic sadness in the 24-hour broadcast going dark. “It is the channel that I listened to since high school because our teacher always told us to learn English from the BBC,” he said. But RTHK argued it had to keep the Chinese broadcast since it was made especially for the city. “This channel is tailor made for RTHK when we first introduced DAB, and it can enhance the cultural exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong,” said Amen Ng, head of corporate communications at RTHK (via DXLD) ** HONG KONG [non]. Hong Kong / Philippines --- Received QSL from LiangYou radio. Reception July 12, 1500, frequency 9345. This is a religious broadcaster, a division of FEBC for broadcasting to China. Accordingly, FEBC transmitters are used in the Philippines. In Moscow they are audible well. For collectors of paper QSL, to which I belong and myself, is an excellent opportunity to replenish the collection. I received a card with antennas against the sky (the image can be found on the network). Confirms Peter Tong deputy station manager. E-mail of the station: febc (@) febchk.org. Website: 729ly.net. But you can use the on-line translator (Vasily Kuznetsov, Moscow, Russia / "open_dx", via QSL WORLD via Rus-DX August 13, published August 12, via DXLD) ** INDIA. 4810, AIR Bhopal (Mumbai); carrier but no test tone 0015; AIR is 0022 to "Vande Mataran"; brief Hindi announcements by woman into subcontinental music; Hindi ID by woman, "Yeh Akashvani hey"; massive S9+20db signal via KiwiSDR Muscat, Oman; 10 August (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Icom R-75 with active mini-whip; Tecsun PL-880 and PL-660 with 45' PAR EF-SWL end-fed wire or 25' Sangean reel, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** INDIA. 4970, AIR Shillong, 1306, Aug 9. Noted a surprising bad rap (or hip hop?) song, filled with very strong language of mostly swear words. Surely they could have picked a better song! DJ in English; 1315 promo in Hindi for "headline"; usual local ID in English and into a discussion in English. My audio at http://goo.gl/kiWzwK without the rap song! (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 4895, possibly AIR Kurseong? At 1246, Aug 10, heard an open carrier with decent signal strength, but no modulation/audio; still here at 1308. This frequency had been silent for some time. Later Dave Valko commented this might be Mongolia on 4895. He may be right! He also noted a station here with weak audio, while visiting in Alaska. Needs more monitoring (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RE: My "4895, possibly AIR Kurseong? At 1246, Aug 10" log, I guessed wrong - please see MONGOLIA (Ron Howard, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. SPECIAL BROADCASTS BY ALL INDIA RADIO ON INDEPENDENCE DAY (14 & 15 August) India is celebrating its 70th Independence Day on 15 August 2017. Details of special programs by All India Radio for the occasion is as follows: 14th August 2017 (Monday) 1330 UT (7.00 pm IST) onwards: Honble President's “Address to the Nation” on the eve of Independence Day in Hindi and English at 1330 UT (7.00 pm IST) onwards. All stations of All India Radio will relay this on MW, SW & FM. Look out on the following Home Service SW frequencies: 4760 Leh 4760 Port Blair 4800 Hyderabad 4810 Bhopal 4835 Gangtok (Irregular) 4895 Kurseong ? 4910 Jaipur 4920 Chennai 4950 Srinagar (Irregular) 4970 Shillong 5010 Thiruvananthapuram (Irregular) 5040 Jeypore 9380 Aligarh 9865 Bangalore ? = Off air lately 15 August 2017 (Tuesday) 0135-0240 UT (0705-0810 hrs IST) All India Radio will broadcast the running commentary in English and Hindi on the Flag Hoisting and Prime Minster's speech to be held at Red Fort, New Delhi between 0135-0240 UT (0705-0810 hrs IST) on 15th August, 2017 on the following SW frequencies. English: 11740, 15040 (additional frequencies) Hindi: 7520 Delhi 250 kW 9380 Aligarh 250 kW 11620 Bengaluru 500 kW (Note : External Services in Urdu on 7340, 7520, 11620 are replaced by running commentary at this time) The Regional SW Stations will start using their day time frequencies about 1 hour or more earlier than usual on 15th August as follows to relay the Commentary. This may provide enhanced reception of stations than on normal days. The sign on schedule for that day is as follows with normal sign on timings in brackets. 1. Bhopal - 0130 UT (Ex 0225) 7430 2. Chennai - 0130 UT (Ex 0300) 7380 3. Hyderabad - 0130 UT (Ex 0225) 7420 4. Port Blair - 0130 UT (Ex 0315) 7390 5. Srinagar - 0130 UT (ex 0225) 6110 (Irregular) 6. Thiruvanathapuram - 0130 UT (Ex 0230) 7290 (Irregular) Other frequencies operating as usual at that time but carrying the commentary is as follows: 4760 Leh 4835 Gangtok (Irregular) 4910 Jaipur 4970 Shillong 5040 Jeypore 7270 Chennai Check also 13695 & 15120 via Bangalore All stations of AIR will relay the running commentary. LIVE STREAMING ON AIR: http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Default.aspx Reception Reports to : spectrum-manager@air.org.in or Director (Spectrum Management & Synergy) All India Radio, Room No. 204 Akashvani Bhawan, Parliament Street New Delhi 110001, India Or in http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Information/ListenersCorner/Pages/default.aspx Watch the events live on Doordarshan TV on all their channels. Try the following links: DD National: http://www.ddindia.gov.in/Pages/Home.aspx http://hellotv.in/play/livetv/DD-National_1893 DD News: http://webcast.gov.in/live/ DD Sports: http://hellotv.in/play/livetv/DD-Sports_1894 etc. ----- (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, Aug 14, dx_india yg via DXLD) 4760 Leh [Have been unable to hear this one - Ron] 4760 Port Blair [Can be heard if conditions are right - Ron] 4800 Hyderabad [CNR1 QRM - Ron] 4810 Bhopal 4835 Gangtok (Irregular) [Believe fairly regular now - Ron] 4895 Kurseong ? [Mongolia off the air Aug 13. Will they be back on the 14th? - Ron] 4910 Jaipur 4920 Chennai [Tibet QRM - Ron] 4950 Srinagar (Irregular) [Often heard now - Ron] 4970 Shillong [Fairly strong - Ron] 5010 Thiruvananthapuram (Irregular) [Have not had audio here recently - Ron] 5040 Jeypore [Fairly strong - Ron] [5050 Aizawl - not heard for some time now - Ron] 9380 Aligarh 9865 Bangalore ? = Off air lately [Yes - Ron] (Ron Howard, California, as anticipated, 0530 UT August 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) List of AIR // stations heard on the eve of Independence Day; Aug 14, from 1330+; intro in English and Hindi; National Anthem, which is rarely heard on SW, except for these special occasions; president of India addressed the nation; first in Hindi and then repeated again in English, which started at 1351; longer than usual speech; for the past five years was first given in English, then followed again in Hindi. The last time in Hindi, then English was in 2011. Independence Day is tomorrow, the 15th. 4760 AIR Leh - not heard. 4760 AIR Port Blair - only an open carrier; no audio. 4800 AIR Hyderabad - only CNR1 heard. 4810 AIR Bhopal - heard. 4835 AIR Gangtok - heard with definite audio. 4895 AIR Kurseong - not on the air, nor was Mongolia present. 4910 AIR Jaipur - mostly open carrier and maybe faint audio? 4920 AIR Chennai - heard, but unusually weak underneath Tibet. 4950 AIR Radio Kashmir, Srinagar - heard with definite audio. 4970 AIR Shillong - heard. 5010 AIR Thiruvananthapuram - heard, but very weak audio. 5040 AIR Jeypore - heard; note audio link below. 5050 AIR Aizawl - not heard; only Beibu Bay Radio (China) present. 9380 AIR, via Aligarh - only an open carrier. AIR? 9865 AIR, via Bangalore - well heard. My AIR Jeypore audio of NA - http://goo.gl/7h9Vjd So for me, this year's highlight was hearing definite audio from both AIR Gangtok and AIR Radio Kashmir, Srinagar! (Ron Howard, California, ibid.) at Delhi India remote SDR heard 1630-1645 UT, Aug 14. 4835 Gangtok low modulated, S=6-7 -83dBm 4809.997 Bhopal S=9+25dB 4910.003 Jaipur S=9+30dB, low modulated. 4920.001 Chennai S=9+15dB 4950.011 Srinagar, S=9+20dB low modulated. 4970.016 Shillong low like Gangtok at 1643 UT S=8 or -79dBm. 4884.998 KOR S=7 or -82dBm China in Chinese 4800 and 4820 kHz. China in English 4905 kHz S=9+15dB, 16-17 UT 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hearing the Independence Day special program via multiple AIR transmitters in the 60-meter band via the KiwiSDR at Muscat, Oman. At tune-in 1345 UTC signals were present on 4760, 4810, 4835, 4870, 4910, 4920, 4950, 4970, 5010, and 5040 kHz. There was extremely weak modulation on 4760 kHz (Leh or Port Blair?) but it seemed parallel to the others. AIR Bhopal (Mumbai) 4810 was by far the strongest of the lot. I think 4800 Hyderabad was there too but it was totally buried under the Chinese station. From tune-in 1345 the address in Hindi by the President of India. This was immediately followed by him delivering the same in English from 1351: (Paraphrased summary of the English version): "The government is promoting transparency and fight corruption..." We are cutting taxes and using those that remain to build the nation and help the less fortunate. A house for every family, better railway network, are among future goals for "New India." We want a compassionate society. Embrace minorities as brothers and sisters. No discrimination based on gender or religious background. World class education and health care are all part of the "New India." Use technology to eliminate poverty in a single generation. Meet challenges of climate change, terrorism, and other problems. Praised soldiers guarding borders, police, farmers, and others who are not just doing a job but displaying selflessness. Praised families that gave up their government fuel subsidies to help the less fortunate. Encouraged Indians to "leave not one child behind" by buying books and paying tuition for poor kids not your own. We must set the bar higher. If we do this, our nation will change before our eyes. 1409 national anthem, brief English and Hindi announcements, and to a vocal music selection, still going 1414. 73, (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Andy, Pretty sure 4760 is AIR Leh based on music styles hrd, weak signal and sign-off time of 1630. Port Blair has been off for some time. 73's, (Bruce Churchill, CA, ibid.) ** INDIA [and non]. 11620, August 15 at 0133, S Asian music at S1-S3, as special independence day broadcast from AIR is imminent. Of the frequency info provided by Alokesh Gupta, I expected this one would be best here. 0135 AIR English ID by YL, talk continues but unreadable, and this frequency is supposed to be in Hindi. 15040 & 11740 have JBA carriers, but nothing audible on 7520, 9380, 13695, 15120. We should not forget that India`s independence also meant partition into Pakistan, which was a huge upheaval killing lots of people: http://www.npr.org/2017/08/15/543583474/millions-of-lives-were-changed-immediately-with-the-partition-of-india (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 9945, Aug 10, 2017 at 1210 rapid CW; no sign of a DE or ID in the next few minutes. 9945 happens to be a frequency currently unoccupied by broadcasters and this may be why. Searching the UDXF io group on frequency gets ONE hit from 8.5 years ago when it was a yg: ``9945, 7CJ: Navy Belawan INDONESIA, 1420z CW Morse plain txt in Indonesian, QSA 1, 6.Feb (FN) 2/6/09``. Wouldn`t it be nice if VOI could achieve such a signal level on 9525v- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [and non]. All info about the Total Solar Eclipse, whether involving radio monitoring or not, is filed under PROPAGATION, abottom (gh) ** IRAN [and non]. BBC SAYS IRAN FREEZES LOCAL ASSETS OF FARSI SERVICE STAFF DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The BBC says an Iranian court order has frozen the local assets of over 150 people associated with its Farsi-language service. A statement from the British broadcaster on Tuesday says those named in the court order, issued from Tehran's Evin prison, include current and former staff, as well as contributors. . . http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_BBC?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-08-15-07-52-22 (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** IRELAND. 6205, Coast FM; 0326 pop/rock music playing hide-and-seek with my atrocious noise floor; its fairly rare to pull in Europirates here on the "Third Coast"; very poor; 9 August. (Robins MI) 6205, Coast FM (Euro-pirate relays Coast FM in Tenerife, Canary Islands) 2044 English pop music program; fair/good via KwiSDR Hooksiel, Germany; was heard fairly well a week before at a DXpedition in central Ohio around 0000; August 6 (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Icom R-75 with active mini-whip; Tecsun PL-880 and PL-660 with 45' PAR EF-SWL end-fed wire or 25' Sangean reel, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. Caroline North continues via Manx Radio [1368 kHz] and online; many listeners have have told the station that they have found Caroline again after a very long time! Great programming (Mike Terry, 0919 UT Aug 15, MWCircle yg via DXLD) Seems to be the same programme as "Radio Caroline Flashback" --- Confirmation, it is. So if you're listening online, better go to the RC Flashback stream http://sc2.radiocaroline.net:10558/ (128 kbs - stereo) than to the Manx stream (64 kbs -mono) They're playing Fleetwood Mac, _Albatross_ right now... Sounds Great !!! Regards, (Rémy Friess, ibid.) Includes main stream from 10:00 am [BST = 0900 UT] (Mike Terry, 1055 UT, ibid.) ** JAPAN. 3945, Saturday August 12 at 1140, no signal from R. Nikkei 2, while 3925, R. Nikkei 1 is OK. (No Vanuatu trace either on 3945-). That`s because JOZ 3945 signs off early on weekends, but neither appears in HFCC! Yet Nikkei 6 and 9 MHz frequencies are there from NAG site, courtesy registered by NHK. Aoki shows JOZ5 on 3945 closes Sat & Sun at 0900* instead of 1400* on M-F (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KASHMIR. 4950, AIR Radio Kashmir, Srinagar (presumed), 1341, Aug 11. Nice surprise to actually catch some audio above threshold level; clearly in Hindi. Rather a rare event for me, as most days only hear their open carrier! (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KIRIBATI. 1440, Radio Kiribati, 0930, weak in null of SBS with local music and woman announcer. Doesn't sound like 10 kW. 5 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. 9435, Voice of Korea at 1530. IS and opening in English. Had hoped to hear "the latest" from DPRK. However, due to that persistent annoying warbling background hum, muddy audio, and heavily accented W announcer, I didn't get much out of it. August 12. 73 and Good Listening....! (Rick Barton, AZ, Various battery portables, indoor antennas due to local weather, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11735, Aug 15 at 0614, paradisical harmonies from VOK`s music, 0615 Spanish announcement, more song, mixed with self-jamming noise. With no NZ any more on 11725, VOK is the SSOB, S4-S7. The 0530 hour is for Latin America, rather late for them (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. No signal of Voice of Martyrs via BaBcoCk Tashkent, August 10 1530-1700 7525 TAC 100 kW / 076 deg to NEAs Korean, nothing, and also no signal on alternative frequencies: 7505, 7510, 7515, 7520 and 7530 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/no-signal-of-voice-of-martyrs-via.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. 6150, Echo of Hope, 1914-1921, 11-08, Korean, comments. Background jamming. 23422 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante and Friol, Tecsun PL-880, cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ?? typo? Not known to be on 6150, not in Aoki; maybe 6250 or 6350 as below? (gh, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH. What with all the current news stories about North Korea (DPRK), was interesting to note that on Aug 10, there was a MAJOR ANOMALY, with about one hour of no jamming at all from DPRK. A very rare treat to hear ROK stations without the normally strong interference from the north. Echo of Hope - VOH: 6350, with their third program, not // to other VOH frequencies; 1219-1228 and subsequently till jamming started up between 1241-1248; heard with QRM from some type of pulsating noise (believe not DPRK jamming). 3985 // 5995 // 6250 // 9100, heard in the clear 1211-1216 and subsequently till jamming started up between 1241-1248. See below for later 6250 UNID. 4885, with the regular "Radio Broadcasting Guide" program in Korean; quick check at 1217 and subsequently till jamming started up between 1241-1248. Program being out of sync on the 8th proved to be a one day only anomaly. Now back to program starting and ending at ToH. This frequency is always free of jamming. Voice of the People: 3910 // 3930 // 4450 // 6520 // 6600, at 1230, all free from jamming till it started up between 1241-1248, but 4450 did have strong QRM. KBS Hanminjok Bangsong 1 (6015). Free of jamming 1203-1210 and subsequently till jamming started up between 1241-1248; news in Korean; ending each item with "K B S News" in English; some brief sound bites in English; fair-good. Voice of Freedom (6135). No jamming 1151-1200 and subsequently till jamming started up between 1241-1248; fair-good. UNID. 6250, perhaps Echo of Unification (via DPRK); at 1241; two equally strong stations here; one clearly being VOH (// 3985, et al.). UNID not noted earlier, so *1230 per Aoki? No DPRK jamming here till sometime between 1241-1248. My unique audio today: 3930 kHz. (VOP) at http://goo.gl/hQZq8n 5995 kHz. (VOH) at http://goo.gl/ypgFD9 6015 kHz. (KBS) at http://goo.gl/Gw48Nz 6135 kHz. (VOF) at http://goo.gl/vdfbb5 (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. 12843-CW, Aug 9 at 1256, CQ marker from HLO, which is Seoul Radio. Not many of these left. Kept fading during the ID, but repetition soon allowed full copy. Not in EiBi. If only KBS could do this well in broadcasting to us (Glenn Hauser, oK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. Reception of MOI Radio Kuwait in AM mode on August 10: 1600-1800 on 15540 KBD 250 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Urdu, fair/weak http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/reception-of-moi-radio-kuwait-in-am.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is Radio Kuwait's 13650 DRM service in Arabic. No matter what way I point my antenna or fiddle with my antenna tuner, I don't get a good lock at all. In fact, this is the best lock I've had in 2 weeks. Most times "DRM Service A" text" shows up the display, but audio never plays and goes back to "Tuning" then it repeats this cycle over and over (Paul Walker, PA, 2045 UT Aug 14, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. 4010.21, KGR1, 1800, noted with news or similar. Warbly and drifty transmitter. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. 5009.93, Radio Malagasy, 1853, nice vocals getting thru but difficult copy with soft-spoken announcer. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, NASWA yg via DXLD) Not reported for long time in N America circa *0230; not active in mornings? (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. 11870, World Christian Broadcasting (KNLS) at 2101 in Mandarin // 11610 with a man with talk with ulr and into pop female vocals – Poor to Fair Aug 10 – Is this a mistake or a new transmission? World Christian Broadcasting does use this frequency, but via KNLS Alaska, from 0800 to 1300 in English and Russian (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) 11610, World Christian Broadcasting (KNLS) at 2105 in Mandarin with a male preacher with mentions of “Jesus” – Very Good Aug 15 -- The // on 11875 [sic] that I noted on several occasions last week was not heard. (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ibid.) 17640, August 11 at 2004, pop song at S7-S3, back-announced as ``Beautiful`` by Cristina Aguilera, which I assume is secular; African Pathways Radio ID, with sked 11825 at 4-5 am, 17640 at 6-7 and 8-9 pm UTC. Co-hosts, one with African accent, the other not, bear story by the latter, Franklin, Tennessee address, further program summary for first semihour. Best I`ve heard this in a long time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 11665, Wai FM, via RTM, from Kajang, 1404, Aug 11. Unique singing ID in vernacular (one of my favorites!), just after the news. Brief audio clip attached (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, Radio Mali, 0717, French, local flute (Sahel) music, fair. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 610, August 12 at 1129 choral NA, loops about SW, fade for ID at 1130. More and more XE`s are playing anthem at hourbottoms for some reason. Most likely XEBX Sabinas, Coahuila, but would welcome further XESAC Saltillo, or XEEL Zacatecas. Also often heard is XEGS Guasave, Sinaloa, which is partly // 650 XETNT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 650, August 12 at 1131, full IDs, maybe sign-ons for Radio 65, XETNT, and XHTNT, 106.5, Los Mochis, Sinaloa; 1133 into `Rincón Norteńa` music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 660, August 12 at 1105, after choral NA, XEDTL sign-on, Radio Cuidadana of IMER, Ciudad de México, also on an HD2 of some FM frequency. XEEY Ags2 was already on and QRMing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6185, August 13 at 2217, very weak S5-S3 music, got to be XEPPM on the air earlier than nominal 23-05 UT schedule during DST, as in Aoki, 1 kW. Nothing else listed on 6185 at this hour, including major broadcasters. (CRI Arabic via Albania, however at 20-22). Under quiet conditions I have also detected the 6185 carrier close to midday, but never around sunrise, so when do they really turn it on and when do they start programming, probably only // MW 1060? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. RAYMIE`S MEXICO BEAT this sesquiweek --- [including DTV] Time to take a look at who ponied up and who didn't in the second round of IFT-4. http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/estado_de_pagos_1ago2017_vf_a_0.pdf Eight stations were not paid for and the fate of a ninth is uncertain. Calvillo 99.7 - Transmisiones Mik decided not to go forward on this station. In its place, Arturo Emilio Zorrilla Ibarra with a 4th- place bid of 2.85 million pesos will get the opportunity. La Paz 91.9 - Mario Óscar Beteta Vallejo decided not to go through with this one. There's no replacement bidder. San José del Cabo 89.9 - But since the Carlos Aguirre consortium decided not to pay here, Beteta as the 6th-place bidder could pick up this station. (I kind of doubt it, though.) He'd have to pay 19.3 million pesos for the privilege. CJAguirre did indeed swoop in for the Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen stations. Comitán de Domínguez 100.7 - Promotora de Comercio y Servicios does not want to promote commerce or services in this town, and there is no replacement. Ciudad Cuauhtémoc 104.9 - No José Gerardo López de la Rocha here. Ricardo Alan Boone Salmon (from a family of broadcasters, such as GRD and MegaRadio) had the third-place bid at 1.6 million pesos. San Miguel el Alto (Jal.) 88.5 - Rodrigo Rodríguez Reyes didn't want it (he picked up some other stations instead). No replacement. Chignahuapan-Zacatlán 88.3 - Corporación Sonitel, S.A, de C.V. passed on this station. Sak Telecom, S.A. de C.V., is next in line with a third-place of 8.25 million pesos. Chetumal 92.1 - Mario Óscar Beteta Vallejo decided not to go through with this one. There's no replacement bidder. The state of Lázaro Cárdenas 91.7 (Media FM) was not available when the report was compiled. What's interesting is that Óscar Beteta opted not to go through in La Paz and Chetumal. He might still want San José del Cabo. La Paz and Chetumal aren't as heavy tourist destinations as Los Cabos (they're state capitals in otherwise tourist-heavy states). (Raymie Humbert, Phśnix AZ, Aug 3, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) The Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro is now using its new 80-meter tower and 3,000-watt transmitter. https://www.diariodequeretaro.com.mx/local/radio-uaq-llegara-a-otros-estados/ XHUAQ-FM 89.5 now broadcasts from the UAQ's Airport Campus (a campus on what once was Querétaro's main airport). The goal is to expand coverage to areas like San Juan del Río and improve reception in Querétaro itself; the station, as you might expect, also puts a signal into Celaya. These facilities were documented in RPC filing #010801, authorized August 27, 2015. http://rpc.ift.org.mx/rpc/pdfs/270815TECNICA010801.pdf (Raymie, Aug 6, ibid.) You can't spell pirate without PRI, but the party's deputies are proposing a penal code amendment that would stiffen penalties on operators of pirate radio stations. The reforms to the Federal Penal Code http://www.mediatelecom.com.mx/~mediacom/index.php/telecomunicaciones/regulacion/item/143472-diputados-del-pri-impulsan-reforma-contra-radios-pirata would make those guilty of the offense of running an unlicensed radio station subject to two to six years in prison and a fine of 100 to 300 days' minimum wage, along with the seizure of the station's assets, as well as be unable to obtain a radio station concession for five years. ——— You can't revive what's dead, but if you recall the saga of the Tabasco indigenous radio station that's never had a permit/concession and has been sitting idle for 10 years, now a federal deputy wants action taken to "rescue" the station. The station is "XHNAC-FM" La Voz de los Chontales, in Nacajuca (the spiritual successor to the long-dead XENAC). Araceli Madrigal Sánchez https://www.elheraldodetabasco.com.mx/local/pide-araceli-madrigal-rescate-de-radio-la-voz-de-la-chontalpa (PRD) wants the station to get back on track after suffering damage, loss of equipment, and of course, getting the correct concessions. ——— IFT-6 continues to be a bust, as with the dropping out of two more bidders, just 14 interested parties will vie for 31 stations. ——— With a month left in IFT president Gabriel Contreras's term and the Senate yet to name a successor, it appears the future of the post is getting pretty political. http://www.dineroenimagen.com/2017-08-07/89530 Yesterday, David Páramo for Excélsior warned that forces attempting to "recapture the regulator" are in play, and so too is one name in particular: Adolfo Cuevas Teja. Known to dedicated IFT meeting notes readers as the guy who thinks there should be a bazillion concesiones únicas, Commissioner Cuevas Teja elicits mixed reactions. One person called him an "aviator" who left Cofetel once to try to enter politics for the PRI in his home state of Hidalgo. His record includes a vote against the audience guidelines still awaiting a hearing at the Supreme Court and against the resolution declaring Televisa preponderant in the pay TV business. Páramo believes naming Cuevas Teja the commissioner would result in a return to the bad old days of Cofetel. ——— Concession renewals make you ask all sorts of questions, and for Nicolás Lucas of El Economista, http://eleconomista.com.mx/industrias/2017/08/08/que-ift-hizo-rebajas-radio-centro-permisos-red-fm the question was this: why did GRC pay so little for some of its Mexico City concession renewals? The IFT apparently set a concession payment of 7,359,374 pesos for the renewal of XEINFO-AM, when it should have been 10,722,149 pesos. For 88.1 XHRED-FM, it assessed a payment of 25,769,707 pesos, but between the market size and population covered by this Mexico City station, it should have been 71,025,104 pesos. ——— Speaking of renewals, or failure to renew, the Nuevo León state network has finally admitted what we knew all along. They lost 5 stations for good. http://www.milenio.com/region/concesiones-radio-fm-estado-milenio-noticias-monterrey_0_1003699928.html XHBER, XHBUS, XHGBN, XHMYN, and XHZAR had their permits end in 2010. The applications to renew the stations were filed 10 months late, apparently as an omission. If the Nuevo León state network wanted to end the permit discontinuity, it could take a year or more to get the stations back, and the IFT may not make stations in the areas available in 2018 PABF because new stations in much of Nuevo León require FCC coordination and the agency has been reticent to make stations available in the border region by way of the annual PABF. ——— TV Azteca was assessed a fine in 2015 for broadcasting with lower than authorized power in Saltillo. Now their legal challenge to that ruling will be heard by the Supreme Court. http://www.mediatelecom.com.mx/index.php/radiodifusion/television/item/143412-tv-azteca-se-ampara-corte-discute-sanciones The network believes that two portions of the LFTR are unconstitutional. Article 298, Section B, Subsection IV stipulates that concessionaires can be fined 1 to 3 percent of their annual revenues for "other violations to this Law, guidelines, administrative rulings, fundamental technical plans and other guidelines issued by the IFT, as well as violations of concessions or authorizations that are not expressly considered in this law". Article 299 relates to the determination of annual revenues. Azteca believes that determining the fines based on revenue, not income or profit, makes the fines excessive. Last edited by Raymie; 08-09-2017 at 12:16 AM (Raymie, originally Aug 8, ibid.) The Great Breakup of Televisa Radio and Radiorama appears to be spreading. Several days ago, Los 40 disappeared from León, https://twitter.com/radiofmslp/status/895497617878245376 apparently. The social media accounts have not been active since July 28. The Radiorama Bajío Twitter account runs down their stations: "León: Tu Recuerdo 101.5 FM, Estéreo Vida 90.3FM, @ FM Leon 99.3 FM, 93.1 FM, Éxtasis Digital 95.9 FM, Fiesta Mexicana 102.3 FM". As that indicates, this is a large cluster making a new format hard to figure out. The @FM format would be logical but is already airing on XHSD. XHY Celaya, from the same cluster, appears to have said goodbye to the format for a different reason. Nearly six months ago, it exited Radiorama orbit and went to Corporación Bajío Comunicaciones as 96.7 Radio Lobo, which appears to be running the same format, not necessarily //, to its XESAG-AM 1040. XESAG will probably not be migrating to FM as one station was made available for second wave migration and XEZH likely took priority. Culiacán XHWS went La Bestia Grupera last month, though more due to changes in Sinaloa radio than anything. It competes with a Ke Buena, too. ——— AM listeners in Ciudad Juárez will want to take note of a format change on 1560 AM. XEJPV is now sports "Radio Deportiva". http://www.juarezadiario.com/juarez/inaugura-presidente-municipal-radio-deportiva-1560/ (Raymie, Aug 10, ibid.) Seeing ROJo So the RPC has some new documents, and this one today is a total headscratcher. It is so baffling and out of line with what's actually happening that I currently do not suggest it be added to databases until I have an idea of what the heck is happening. To understand why, I'm going to point to an entry I did in November 2015. It is a history of social wolf XHROJ-FM 104.3 Cancún. http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?9113-OPMA-is-changing&p=38468#post38468 XHROJ, to summarize, was founded as XHFMC-FM. Within a month, the original applicant's legal representative had the callsign changed to reflect his own last name, and the station came on air as a permit wolf being operated by, of all companies, Grupo ACIR. It was known as Yaakun FM (Mayan for "Caring") and had an adult contemporary format. ACIR's connection was initially evident in the website being used by the station and the fact that ACIR owned the trademarks covering its name and logo. Then, suddenly, in January 2013, XHROJ began a new era. Today, it's QFM, under the auspices of newspaper publisher Quequi and with a format type that I call English classic hits (or ECH) — which, in Mexico, is kinda popular among social wolves. Note that the permit never changed hands, and the Fundación Maya Cancún, A.C. is still on the books. So this document really needs to be explained. http://rpc.ift.org.mx/rpc/pdfs/37450_170802011746_220.pdf It describes a frequency change for XHROJ from 104.3 to 103.5 MHz. The station is mounted 65 meters up on a tower in Cancún and broadcasts with 2.84 kW ERP. It was requested in June 2013 and approved in July 2014 but did not hit the RPC until now. The tower described is the XHYI-FM tower. There's that Grupo ACIR again! I correctly predicted XHROJ had been here at some point http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?9113-OPMA-is-changing&p=40646#post40646 given how many bays that tower has and the existing ACIR connection. I also find it odd that Rojano Sahab was still on the books in 2014. Weeks before the formal inauguration of QFM, Quequi ran a full-page story declaring Rojano "an abuser of telecommunications", https://issuu.com/quequi2/docs/que20dic2012/10 which described him as a "terrible" scammer who tricks concessionaires of cable systems in. There is some sort of FM stick at the Quequi offices, which I have as the location for Mexican FM Station Coordinates (a foundational document for the WTFDA DB). As if that wasn't enough, attempting to find Yaakun on its new 103.5 turned up some chatter on Facebook. Start reading the comments here. https://www.facebook.com/FortaleceOSC/posts/132063513538766 Mentions of Yaakun "returning" in December 2014 on 103.5. Of it being on the Mérida-Puerto Juárez highway (which matches the description in the document of the XHYI-XHROJ tower). Of it being on the air in 2016: "En cancun se escucha muy bien solo que no tienen mucha variedad serán a lo mucho 30 canciones del repertorio y las repiten todo el tiempo. Pero muy buena. 103.5 fm" (You can hear it well in Cancún, they just don't have a lot of variety...the same 30 songs over and over. But very good. 103.5 FM) And a Facebook review as early as this week! This! Week! https://www.facebook.com/100014834883271/activity/257612961409865 The questions are these: -Yaakun might be on 103.5, with zero web presence and a format of who knows. It's probably on the XHYI tower if so. -What of QFM 104.3? Have they been swindled by Rojano Sahab? They were on XHROJ's frequency at the same time as XHROJ was between 2013 and 2014. Are they now a pirate? -If 103.5 and 104.3 are both on the air in Cancún, only one can be the real XHROJ. Now what? (Raymie, Aug 10, ibid.) The National Electoral Institute http://www.milenio.com/politica/inspecciona-ine-programacion-radio-libertad-milenio-noticias-monterrey_0_1009099456.html unexpectedly dove into the radio programming controversy of the year so far, the movement at Radio y Televisión de Nuevo León. The INE has requested monitoring of XHQI-FM's new programming to determine if it contains governmental propaganda and comment from Governor Jaime Rodríguez Calderón to see if he authorized the change in format at the station (Raymie, Aug 11, ibid.) They're off and running in IFT-6, the rather disappointing TV auction. Bids begin this morning, and in a bid to improve transparency, we may know the bidders as soon as today. http://www.especialistas.com.mx/saiweb/viewer.aspx?file=4ejBjxeato5yStCGOR9vKq8YYWUkkvu84kqW1wMuLNKdbF245AujLgLqf0hZBov0SdVcPCaWE1JLLsgpqPx4BQ==&opcion=0&encrip=1 The big surprise is that some of the markets still in are small, while Monterrey and Tijuana already are on the chopping block. Surprises like Acaponeta-Tecuala, Agualeguas, Cuencamé and Champotón are still in play. http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/tabla_final_de_participacion_por_localidad.pdf The big prize is Mexico City, of course (Raymie, Aug 14, ibid.) I don't have a lot of time, but we got the winning bidders for most of the IFT-4 stations. http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/reporte_ronda_inicial_a.pdf Tele Saltillo took the Saltillo station, leaving Chetumal, Puerto Vallarta, Chihuahua and Delicias as the last four stations being fought over: http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/reporte_primera_ronda_subsecuente.pdf Note the presence of some familiar IFT-4 names as well as Radio Comunicación Gamar - Grupo Garza Limón Multimedios Televisión and Televisión Digital - Hoo boy. Francisco de Jesús Aguirre Gómez - As soon as I saw a folio with AF in front, I knew this had to be it. He'll get the Mexico City U. Telsusa Televisión México - I believe this is Albavisión, which in Mexico operates Televisa partners in the southeast. You'll want to read this: https://t.co/RvDa2yj0Fi Comunicación 2000 - XHSLV is expanding into Matehuala. (Raymie, Aug 14, ibid.) Analysis: IFT-6, Familiar Faces in New Places 28 of the 32 TV stations from IFT-4 have been awarded. Let's take a look at the winning bidders: Telsusa Televisión México - 10 stations (Campeche, Cd. del Carmen, León-Lagos del Moreno, Agualeguas NL, Puebla, Cancún, Xalapa, Veracruz Puerto, Mérida, Tizimín) The Chetumal and central Q. Roo (Tulúm-Cozumel-Playa del Carmen) stations are still out, and there's no doubt that Telsusa is fighting for that station here. Telsusa is Albavisión in Mexico, with clear connections to Tele-Emisoras del Sureste/Comunicación del Sureste. This package combined with the existing cluster of Coatzacoalcos, Villahermosa, Tenosique, San Cristóbal-Tuxtla, and Tapachula is set to give Albavisión a near-total regional network in the south. Televisa should start being worried that they're about to lose some markets. For more on Albavisión and its owner, read the article I linked above. Agualeguas makes no sense. Monterrey rimshot attempt? Multimedios Televisión + Televisión Digital - 6 stations (Cd. Juárez, Monclova, Durango, Mexico City V, Guadalajara U, Puebla- Tlaxcala) MM is one of the two biggest winners in this auction, and judging by the fact that the Chihuahua-Delicias lot is still open, they've got to be fighting there in one of their most important radio markets. MM will pay just shy of US$24 million just for the Mexico City V. Their regional network becomes a lot more national with this package. Mexico City, Puebla, and Durango are new markets for MM in any capacity, while they have one Guadalajara FM, one Monclova FM, and one Juárez AM and an American-side LPTV. Compańía Periodística Sudcaliforniana - 2 stations (La Paz, Los Cabos) The Tribuna papers are rapidly turning into a multimedia force. With their paper-FM-TV combos in two markets, they will hold a dominant position in local media in BCS. Oh yeah, and Puerto Vallarta is still out. Radio Comunicación Gamar - 2 stations (Cuencamé and Santiago Papasquiaro, both Dgo.) This is Grupo Garza Limón, the number one regional broadcaster in Durango. They probably did not like losing in Durango proper to Multimedios, but their consolation prize includes Cuencamé, which at 483,000 pesos is the cheapest station sold in this auction. They will further consolidate their dominance in Papasquiaro, where they own the lone radio station. Radio Televisión de Nayarit - 2 stations (Tepic-Santiago Ixcuintla and Acaponeta-Tecuala, both Nay.) It's not clear who this is exactly, but a state network is definitely the intent here. Doesn't take much to cover this small state. These bidders picked up one station apiece: Tele Saltillo - Saltillo Quiero Media - Guadalajara V. This is the trade name of Ocho TV Guadalajara. José Guadalupe Manuel Trejo García - Uruapan. Apparently his son is Mauricio Trejo Pureco who had recently been the municipal president of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. http://www.codigosnews.com/mx/viewnote.php?nota=2314 Apparently Trejo Pureco was not a great municipal president. The Green Party nominated him despite his love of...hunting (another example of the world's worst Green Party) and he was also remembered for threats to journalists in SMA. Our concessionaire was Uruapan's interim municipal president for a time at the end of the 80s. Francisco de Jesús Aguirre Gómez - Mexico City U. The big question: will he pay that $24 million price? Comunicación 2000 - Matehuala, San Luis Potosí. XHSLV is taking its talents to Matehuala. Radio Operadora Pegasso - San Luis Potosí V. Is GlobalMedia entering the television business in its home market? We all know the family ties that back this company... The stations in Chetumal, Tulúm-Cozumel-Solidaridad/Playa del Carmen (Q. Roo), Chihuahua-Delicias, and Puerto Vallarta are still being bid on. ——— Some IFT meeting minutes are up from early July, and here are some of the highlights: Televisa Radio sells XEBA-AM to TV Zac (NTR). You read that right. This is not Zacatecas, but a station in Guadalajara. What is NTR up to? Technical modifications to XHACA, XHCMR and XHDD. XHDD has also been authorized for a shadow, the first FM shadow in Nuevo León. Concession transfer of XHYRE to the Secretaría de Cultura —*a pro forma application tailing the establishment of this new secretariat which picked up responsibility for Radio Educación. Repacking authorizations for XHCNL (48 to 34) and XHMOY (44 to 32). All those second wave migration items (for which I will eagerly await further documents). Concession renewals were also on the docket (Raymie, Aug 14, ibid.) One of the more interesting reads on the Mexico forum has been a user Ray.Networks who has a unique beat: anything and everything Grupo Radio Centro. And he's got the latest on those silent AM stations... http://www.network54.com/Forum/176899/thread/1502755076/last-1502755076/Radio+Centro+desmantela+plantas+transmisoras+AM "As could be seen coming as early as May 15, when GRC took four AM stations in Mexico City silent for "technical reasons", today it's been learned that Radio Centro has already ordered the dismantling of the transmitter sites of those stations. The parcels used for the XERC/XEJP site, in Col. La Pradera, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero, and the XEQR/XEEST site, in Col. Ramos Millán, Iztacalco, have already been sold to Grupo Inmobiliario Gigante for the construction of commercial centers, according to sources close to the situation. The only AM transmitters that remain for GRC are located in San Jeronimo Tepetlacalco (Tlalnepantla), home to XERED-AM 1110 and XEINFO-AM 1560, and Barrio San Miguel, Delegación Iztapalapa, which transmits XEN-AM 690. I have solicited information from the IFT by way of the INAI [National Transparency Institute] about the concessions for these stations, but the IFT has not replied, making me suspect favoritism toward Grupo Radio Centro given their lack of compliance with auction obligations." (Raymie, Aug 14, ibid.) Time for a quick IFT-6 update...which is that two bidders apiece are still fighting for the last four stations in the auction. http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/industria/espectro-radioelectrico/television/2016/6/reportequintarondasubsecuente.pdf ——— Monday marked the end of an era in Mexico City radio. The bulldog of La Más Perrona, a name in use at XEBS 1410 AM for 13 years, has been put down. It's been replaced by a new station in the same grupera format, "Bandolera 14-10 AM". https://radionotas.com/2017/08/14/nrm-comunicaciones-lanza-bandolera-14-10-am/ (Raymie, Aug 15, ibid.) It's time to catch up on what happened in IFT-6. After fighting all day yesterday... -The Quintana Roo stations were the first to break to a bidder. That bidder was Telsusa Televisión México, S.A. de C.V., who will pay 8.5 million and 10.5 million pesos to set up shop in Chetumal and central Quintana Roo. These stations complete their total coverage network of southern Mexico and bring their haul to 12 stations. -Central Chihuahua broke in the next round to Intermedia de Chihuahua, S.A. de C.V. for 53.5 million pesos. http://lavozdejuarez.com/archivos/3319 This is a surprise new winner and viewers in Chihuahua Capital can look forward to a sister to XHIJ and XHILA. -Puerto Vallarta still hasn't gone to a bidder. Still (Raymie, Aug 16, ibid.) ** MONGOLIA. reactivated 4895, Mongolian Radio 2 (presumed), 1246, Aug 10 and again Aug 11, at 1131, through subsequent checking till 1350; heard only an open carrier; unable to detect any modulation/audio at my QTH. Thanks to feedback from Dave Valko and Hiroyuki Komatsubara, who were also hearing this, but they had faint audio that indicated Mongolia and not India. Mongolia not on their other frequency of 4830; while 7260 is now being reported with a het from a third station, which might also be Mongolia (plus China & Vanuatu). Needs more monitoring! Website - http://www.mnb.mn/ (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONTSERRAT [and non]. THE RADIO SCENE ON A SMALL ISLAND WITH A LARGE VOLCANO - 1 The Radio Scene on a Small Island with a Large Volcano! That’s our opening topic here in Wavescan today. The small island with a large volcano is Montserrat in the Caribbean, but that’s not where we begin our radio story today. Instead, let’s begin this radio story in El Salvador in Central America rather than on Montserrat in the Caribbean. Early in the year 1967, Deutsche Welle in Cologne Germany, announced that they planned to erect a shortwave relay station in the small Central American country of El Salvador. This information about a new Deutsche Welle relay station, their first in the Western Hemisphere, was copied and recopied quite widely throughout the international radio world at that time. Original planning for the El Salvador relay station called for four high powered transmitters: 1 @ 100 kW mediumwave; and on shortwave, 1 @ 150 kW and 2 @ 250 kW. Two years later (1969), and still with no real sign of progress, international news media re-iterated the Deutsche Welle intent to erect a shortwave relay station in El Salvador. In anticipation of a completed project, Deutsche Welle went ahead and bought the transmitters for installation in El Salvador. However, at that stage, the government of El Salvador disallowed the installation of the projected Deutsche Welle relay station in their country. According to Jerome Berg of suburban Boston in his outstanding volume, Broadcasting on the Shortwaves 1945 - Today, the shortwave transmitters originally planned for installation in El Salvador were instead diverted and installed in another new Deutsche Welle relay station, Radio Trans Europe in Sines Portugal in 1970. However, at the same time, Deutsche Welle continued looking for a new host country in the Central American-Caribbean region, and two years later again (1972), they announced that they had become a shareholder in Radio Antilles, on the island of Montserrat. In fact, over a period of time, Germany provided funding into Montserrat to the value of many millions of Deutschmark. Back in the times of ancient antiquity, Montserrat, a small island almost in the middle of the chain of small islands that separate the Caribbean from the Atlantic, was inhabited by Amerindians who had migrated from the American mainland and other islandic areas. At the time when the famous Christopher Columbus discovered Montserrat in 1493, the island was uninhabited he declared, due to local tribal fighting. The local citizens on Montserrat describe their island as in the shape of a pear (fruit), perhaps we might say, a crooked pear. It is eleven miles long, and seven miles wide at its widest point. It is a quite hilly tropical island, very verdant, with what had been in earlier times a couple of quiescent volcanoes. We are told that the island is home to 1,241 different species of small animals, and 718 species of beetles. Two hundred years after Columbus, a batch of Irish migrants was taken onto Montserrat, and in fact over a period of time, so many Irish migrants settled onto the island that the Irish Gaelic language was at one stage quite dominant in all of its communities. During the year 1666, which incidentally happened to be the year of the Great Fire in London, the Irish migrant communities on Montserrat invited France to claim the island, but instead, England invaded and captured it. However in 1782, during the still raging American Revolutionary War, the War of Independence, France did actually invade and capture Montserrat. During the following year though, the island was ceded back again to England by the Treaty of Paris (1783). Hurricane Hugo on September 17, 1989 with its sustained wind force at more than 185 mph wrought horrendous damage to the island and this wide spread 90% devastation was compounded half a dozen years later with the onset of almost continuous volcanic activity beginning on July 18, 1995. So powerful was the total devastation from the explosive eruptions of Mt Soufriere that the large bottom half of the pear shaped island is declared an exclusion zone, for which everybody has to obtain a police permit to enter. It is claimed that Mt Soufriere has been the subject of scientific study more than any other volcano anywhere else upon planet Earth. The small capital city of New Plymouth was so overwhelmed with millions of tons of mud, volcanic ash and lava that the entire city has been abandoned. At one stage, the town clock on top of its ornamental tower could be seen just above the level of the accumulated and solidified debris. Some 8,000 citizens fled Montserrat and they were settled on other nearby islands, in England and elsewhere. A new capital city Brades is under construction on the northern half of the island, and a totally new infrastructure is underway. In 1994 the total population of the entire island was 13,000, but today their population numbers just 5,000. The well known European radio entrepreneur Jacques Tremoulet provided two mediumwave transmitters (20 kW and 200 kW) and two shortwave transmitters (15 kW each) for a new radio broadcasting station on Montserrat, Radio Antilles in 1959. This equipment had been previously in use as a commercial broadcasting station, Radio Africa in Tangier. These units, together with additional ancilliary equipment were installed in a new transmitter building located close to the Caribbean shore at the southern edge of the island. Soon after Deutsche Welle entered the radio scene on Montserrat, it is stated, they installed a 200 kW mediumwave transmitter that had been procured previously for their El Salvador project. In addition, Deutsche Welle subsequently installed a new 50 kW Continental shortwave from the United States. Thus, Radio Antilles, with its transferred equipment from the old Radio Africa in Tangier and also from the El Salvador project, together with the new 50 kW Continental, formed the electronic equipment that would be used as as a joint relay station on behalf of Deutsche Welle in Cologne Germany and the BBC in London England. More about the Deutsche Welle - BBC relay station on Montserrat Island next time (Adrian M Peterson, Indianapolis IN, script for AWR Wavescan August 6 via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 5985, Myanmar Radio, 1211-1259, Aug 11. Special live coverage of the Myanmar U18 vs Inter Milan U18, with friendly soccer match held at YTC Thuwunna Stadium (Yangon); 1221 noted half time break with filler music, till coverage started up again; seemed to perhaps be a TV audio feed, as less than full spoken coverage; usual background sounds of the fans. Highlights at Youtube - http://goo.gl/JDwjtn (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9925, August 13 at 0037, The Mighty KBC via Nauen, GERMANY, doing better this week than last, S8 to S9+10, but by 0130 Radiogram down to poor level of S6-S9 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. 7425, August 9 at 1220, RNZI is S9 to S7, not as solid as usual, so maybe the 325-azimuth antenna is back in service during the 11-13 bihour only when the 35 is off instead of both? Meanwhile, Barry Hartley answers my latest question: ``So during the 325 degree antenna downtime, are all the frequencies on the 35 antenna getting the full 100 kW instead of just 50, improving reception thisaway overall?`` ``Hi Glenn, Yes, the 35 degrees antenna is receiving the full 100 kW. That should provide good reception in North America``. 7425, Aug 10 at 1201, RNZI back to poor signal, must really be on the 325 degree antenna only. This also means that except at 11-13 UT, all the AM frequencies are back to only 50 kW ourway instead of 100 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 7255 [sic], Voice of Nigeria, 0720, French, hilife, talk by a woman, fair. 5 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) Surprised he does not report this to two decimal places like other logs, always on low side (gh, DXLD) Viz.: Early UT evening log, 1745-1825 on Aug 11 in Doha Qatar Middle East remote Perseus SDR unit: 7254.922, V of Nigeria, Ikorodu, English service S=9+5dB in Qatar at 1814 UT [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 11, dxldyg via DXLD) 7255-, Aug 15 at 0610, no signal from VON which is usually reliable for Hausa hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA [non]. Transmitter change of Radio Dandal Kura Int via BaBcoCk from August 8 0700-0800 on 13810 DHA 250 kW / 255 deg to WeAf Kanuri, very weak 0700-0800 on 13810 WOF 250 kW / 165 deg to WeAf Kanuri, cancelled http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2017/08/transmitter-change-of-radio-dandal-kura.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ? following contradicts the above: R. Dandal Kura via BaBcoCk Ascension & Woofferton, August 9 0500-0600 on 5960 ASC 250 kW / 070 deg to WeAf Kanuri, weak signal 0600-0700 on 7415 ASC 250 kW / 070 deg to WeAf Kanuri, poor signal 0700-0800 on 13810 WOF 250 kW / 165 deg to WeAf Kanuri, weak signal http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/radio-dandal-kura-intvia-babcock.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7415, Aug 15 at 0608, very poor music at S5-S7, repetitive strumming, vs ute bursts. Must be Dandal Kura, this hour via ASCENSION, usually better heard (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 5200, PIRATE UnID; 0037 USB relay of an English conspiracy Youtube call-in show; host "Mike" discussed the solar eclipse of August 21, among other topics with the callers; bogus "chem-trail" theories featured prominently; one caller asked why the "media" ignored recent instances when, he claimed, the sun set in the east as well as the west (probably because it didn't happen); "Mike" never mentioned being on the air, so may not have known he was on shortwave; poor-fair with local noise; August 8. 6770, NORTH AMERICAN PIRATE UnID; 0104 relay of conspiratorial Youtube call-in program hosted by "Mike"; same program source as heard on 5200 kHz on 8 August except that was in USB and this was in full AM with quite good audio quality; fair-good with fades via KiwiSDR Fair Hill, Maryland; Fair S5-7 signal in Kalamazoo on the R75 and active whip; 10 August (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Icom R-75 with active mini- whip; Tecsun PL-880 and PL-660 with 45' PAR EF-SWL end-fed wire or 25' Sangean reel, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6955-USB, Aug 13 at 0118, rock music at S9+10, but off when I recheck at 0120 after finding the 6935 one. Here`s only one other log of this 6955, also unID: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,36668.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6935-USB, Aug 13 at 0109, rockmusic at S9+10 to 20, 0127 Wolverine Radio ID. Was not on at first bandscan circa 0045. But first reported at 0048 here followed by numerous logs leading to Last Supper SSTV image, with keyword ``last`` in song titles: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,36666.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6965-USB, August 14 at 0046, rock music at S8 about equal to storm noise level from SW OK/NW TX, making copy very difficult. 0049 DJ announcement sounds like Dick Weed of Radio Free What-ever, 0050 mentions HF Underground; recheck 0109 seems off. Yes, RFW confirmed by many logs here between 2302 and 0053*: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,36692.0.html If you see no link to HFU after ``here``, it`s because some editor doesn`t want you to go there. Started on 6955 but jumped to 6965 to avoid ute on 6947. Seems to me pirates seldom ascend as high as 6965 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORWAY. NORWEGIANS EMBRACE NEW DIGITAL RADIO STATIONS Media.info Posted By: Endre Lundgren August 9, 2017 https://media.info/radio/news/norwegians-embrace-new-digital-radio-stations Norway: The new radio stations that came about as a result of the Norwegian FM switch-off have received significantly more listening over the last year. The number of listeners to these stations increased by over 30 per cent in May and June 2017, year-on-year. ________________________________ Norwegians have more radio stations than ever before – the increase is six fold! It is due to the FM switch-off process that has seen radio going completely digital. Local radio stations outside of metropolitan regions are still on FM for at least another five years and the the region around the capital Oslo and the far north will only switch off later this year. Stations that had little or no FM-distribution sees a steady growth. In May, 1,174,000 Norwegians listened to the new digital offerings daily, compared to 885,000 last year. In June, daily listening increased to 1,228,000, up on 940,000 the previous year. The increase represents a growth of 32.6 per cent and 30.6 per cent per month respectively. The figures do not include listening to national stations NRK P1, NRK P2, NRK P3, P4 and Radio Norge, which are now fully digital in more than half of the country. – These are very good numbers. The main purpose of the switch-over is to give the audience more choice. When the new stations have an increase of over 30 percent, we can conclude that the broadcasters are offering content that the listeners find relevant, says Ole Jřrgen Torvmark, CEO of Digital Radio Norway. Figures are from the weekly Kantar TNS PPM survey. (via Mike Terry, Aug 9, dxldyg via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Looking thru long pdf by frequency of TIS & HAR stations: http://www.ircaonline.org/TIS_2016.pdf I search on OK and don`t find much in this state, but some odd ones on split frequencies in the X-band, all with same callsign KD8618: 1614, 1628, 1652, 1676, 1700 kHz, licensed until 12/07/24 to: ``Conoco-Philips Communications Inc., Bartlesville, (Industrial Business Pool)``. Four of those should really stand out if they are ever active. Will have to seek them the next time I`m at OK Mozart. Callsign format of two letters plus four numbers implies they are mobile/portable units (Glenn Hauser, Enid, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 8880, Aug 10 at 1223, MyPillow ad, fading up and down like a real signal, but this is an R75 receiver overload mixture of 7490 WWCR plus local 1390 KCRC, unheard since they are currently transmitting dead air instead of stupid sports talk! Goes away if I switch to Preamp 1 or Preamp off. I also get 1390 + mixtures with other bigsigs on 7 MHz such as 7570, 7730 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. CAP HOLDS OLD TRADITION WHILE MEETING NEEDS OF CURRENT MEMBERS --- Brigette Waltermire | Enid News & Eagle Jul 30, 2017 Local News editor's pick topical featured top story ENID, Okla. — Founded six days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Civil Air Patrol was America’s shoreline defense against invading German U-boats. Now, CAP is a total force partner and auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Its modern mission still is indicative of its beginnings — that of vigilant citizen airmen committed to service to America. Its organizational structure is reminiscent of CAP’s military-based roots, but it easily is accessible to nearly anyone who wants to join. Anyone ages 12 and up can be a part of this service. There is no military service or future military service expected from members of CAP. However, it can help those who plan on joining the military in the future. . . http://www.enidnews.com/news/local_news/cap-holds-old-tradition-while-meeting-needs-of-current-members/article_2938c5c6-bc9f-5ad8-8865-f8b08f9735f8.html (Enid News via gh, DXLD) Nothing about radio or communications in this feature story, but an idea of what CAP is all about for paramilitary indoctrination of teens (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. RF 17 DTV, August 11 at 1435 UT and the following two sesquihours at least, K17JN-D, Enid`s only local TV station unknown to most inhabitants, had been six subchannels headed by 3ABN, but now, nothing but 17-6 with a total green screen and silence, PSIP now reading ``test``. About to switch to other inputs?? ``No signal`` says my Sanyo screen except when directly tuned to 17-6, but the Zenith box confirms the usual signal level for -1 thru -6 even tho ``no signal`` too and all PSIPs 1-5 blank, not even the callsign on 17-1 as originally. I believe K17JN-D had suffered some breakup during recent storms so maybe they got hit, or their satellite downlink reception interrupted. RF 17, Aug 11 at 2320 UT recheck, K17JN-D Enid is almost back to normal with 5 different 3ABN subchannels on 17-1 thru 17-5, but 17-6 remains greenscreen only as ``test``. Ditto Aug 12 at 1458. Aug 12 at 1814 UT check, my Sanyo only gets 17-6, even when I enter 17 or 17-1, but the Zenith STB gets all six, strange. Current PSIPs (not necessarily valid 24/7 with this network): 17-1, K17JN-D, bug LR: 3ABN (classical orchestral concert! But only an interlude during a 2016 sermon referencing Oscar Wilde) 17-2, 3ABN-PR, bug LR: Proclaim! 17-3, AmFacts, bug LR: AFTV 17-4, 3ABN-ES, bug LR: 3ABN + illegible [Spanish] 17-5, Hope201, bug LR: illegible triangular logo [since not on HD screen] 17-6, test, green (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Tropo is up from Tulsa area, morning of August 15: Tulsa DTV RF channels decoding are 20, 22 and 28, with bad signals from most of the others. More interesting are the OKC channels which are *not* decoding due to DX QRM: 33, maybe due to KNWA, 820 kW in Rogers AR; and 29, maybe due to KTZT-CD, 10 kW in Tulsa. More low-powers on both inhabit OK, AR, KS, MO (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. https://www.thelostogle.com/category/oklahoma-city-media/ Oklahoma City News, Entertainment and Occasional Humor, established 2007 WHAT DOES THE SINCLAIR ACQUISITION OF TRIBUNE MEAN FOR OKC MEDIA? May 16, 2017 20 Comments by Peter https://www.thelostogle.com/2017/05/16/what-does-the-sinclair-acquisition-of-tribune-mean-for-okc-media/#comments Last week, national media conglomerate Sinclair Broadcast Group announced it will buy another national media conglomerate in Tribune Media. In Oklahoma City, that means the corporation behind Fox 25 somehow could take ownership of NewsChannel 4. Here’s the dish via NPR: Sinclair Broadcast Group, based outside Baltimore, announced Monday it had struck a $3.9 billion deal to obtain dozens of local television stations by acquiring Tribune Media. The move, seen as likely to win approval of federal regulators with only modest concessions, would further propel consolidation in the industry. It would also offer a greater reach for one of the nation’s most conservative media companies. Though little known in major media centers, Sinclair’s holdings are vast. It owns or operates more than 170 local television stations; Tribune Media owns 42 television stations in 33 markets, including the nation’s top three: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. With its new holdings, Sinclair would hold stations in seven of the biggest 10 markets. That summarizes the national angle, but what does this mean for Oklahoma City and our TV news? Here are four things to think about… 1. Sinclair will control more than half of OKC TV news shows. Sinclair will get editorial control of more than half of Oklahoma City’s live TV news if the deal goes through. Right now, Fox 25 produces about a quarter of our local news shows. Add in Channel 4, and it becomes more than 54%. It could almost function like a local cable news channel—on air 4 a.m.-1 p.m. with one hour off at 10 a.m. and then back 4-7 p.m. and 9-10:35 p.m. As a bonus, they’ll have CW 34 and KAUT 43. Four TV stations and two newsrooms under the control of one out-of-state company has a lot of potential problems. Losing local perspective and character is just the beginning. A lot of people think TV news doesn’t matter anymore because they don’t watch it. But it’s the reason your grandmother in Edmond is convinced gypsies could kick down her door at any moment and steal her tiny dog. And it’s a big part of why we have our current president. As long as it’s one of the main drivers of politics, TV news affects everyone. It’s worth paying attention to who’s holding the reins. 2. Have you seen Fox 25? Even with more than half of the TV news in OKC, at least no one will see it. Did you know 25 has news at 11 a.m. and 5:30 pm.? Probably not because it’s Fox 25. Who even are their current anchors? Is Meg Alexander still there? The thing is Fox 25 has some good reporters who often produce informative stories. But they get fired or run off before they get a chance to build a following. A lot of that has to fall on Sinclair. They recently ditched their entire morning show crew for a set of anchors that I don’t think even have names — the type of corporate, data-only decision-making that companies like Sinclair use to suck the life out of their newsrooms. If the instability in on-air talent doesn’t run you off, then the production value will. All Sinclair stations use some variation of the same graphics and music. From the tinny trumpets to the burnt orange everything to the nightly computer glitches and camera miscues, it’s like watching a sad college newscast from 2007. 3. Oklahoma’s NewsChannel 4 may be too Oklahoman for Sinclair. Channel 4 seems like a particularly weird fit for Sinclair since it’s the touchy-feely church of Oklahoma news. They rely more than anyone on their long-lived personalities. Mike Morgan is the elder meteorologist of Oklahoma City now. Lance West is on the young anchor team. Along with News 9, they’re the station for true Okies. What happens, though, if Sinclair gets control? Will they manage it the same way they’ve managed 25? Will they ditch the legacy anchors and swap out Great State for whatever the latest national recurring series is? Could Channel 4 survive that? 4. Sinclair has a clear political agenda. Speaking of national Sinclair features, get ready for more of that, I guess. Politico has covered how Sinclair cut a deal to push out positive news coverage of Trump during the 2016 campaign. They also have some Bill O’Reilly wannabe who records conservative party-line editorials to air on their affiliates, and there’s a feature called “Terrorism Alert Desk” that airs constantly—terrorist attack or not. Honestly, it seems like the local reporters at 25 aren’t too heavily influenced by Sinclair’s politics. They do some solid, independent reporting. But it doesn’t exactly lend credibility when those stories are sandwiched between agenda-driven, geographically disconnected packages from corporate. Maybe Sinclair will sell Channel 4 immediately to stay under a cap on national station ownership, which would bring its own set of new questions for KFOR. Whatever happens, it could make some notable changes to TV here, and it begs a lot of questions about the shrinking number of local voices in local news. I’ve heard a few horror stories about how Sinclair has treated its Oklahoma employees through the years, and I’m always looking for more. Feel free to share! (The Lost Ogle blog via DXLD) Note the date on above item from three months ago, prescient. Now Pai`s FCC is close to allowing Sinclair dominance. Discussion: (gh) SINCLAIR'S LOCAL TV TAKEOVER August 16, 2017 With guest host Tom Gjelten. The fiery conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group is taking over local TV across the country. The FCC just gave them a bigger green light... http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/08/16/sinclairs-local-tv-takeover ``audio available soon`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. 15140, August 9 at 1421, Radio Sultanate (note spelling) of Oman with Arabic music and 1427 Arabic talk. RSO has attracted a lot of attention further east by jumbling its English and Arabic times. This hour was originally English, but lately has been an hour later and sometimes prolonged for hours and hours after that. Signal has been barely audible here most of time, but now S6 fading to S2. Recheck at 1735: Arabic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Oman 15140 --- Still in English at 1607 UT, past the 1600 switch back to Arabic (Paul Walker, PA, Aug 12, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) Getting clobbered by AIR Sign ON at 1612 UTC here in Central Alberta. 73 (Mick Delmage, ibid.) They have a loud tone and slight whine then they sign on; there's a good chance English will be on 15140 all day, if they forget to switch at 1600 UT, they often don`t switch till much later in the day (Paul Walker, PA, HCDX via DXLD) 15140. Sat, Aug 12 at 1810-1830, Radio Sultanate of Oman, Thumrait- OMAN, in Arabic. Man announcer talks & talks. RSO and RHC, both in arabic, in collision this time, with fades. After 1830-1900, RHC in Creole, much better than RSO. 1900-1932, RHC in english and RSO with arabic music, both with very poor transmission and collision continues. Total log observation: 1810-1932 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier, Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, RX: Degen DE1103, Antenna: Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** OMAN [and non]. R. Sultanate of Oman, good audio in Arabic, distorted in English on August 13: 1400-1500 on 15140 THU 100 kW / 315 deg to WeEu Arabic, good audio & good modulation 1500-1600 on 15140 THU 100 kW / 315 deg to WeEu English, bad audio & weak modulation 1600-2200 on 15140*THU 100 kW / 315 deg to WeEu Arabic, good audio & good modulation * NO SIGNAL 15140 DEL 250 kW / 312 deg to EaEu Russian All India Radio 1615-1715UT: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/radio-sultanate-of-oman-good-in-arabic.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15140 Oman was 13 minutes late in switching from Arabic to English, didn't go till 1513 and as of 1605, still english, instead of a switch to Arabic at 1600. And at 1606, a tone from AIR popped up but quickly disappeared (Paul Walker, PA, Aug 15, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** PERU. Peruvian Frequency Lists --- the link to the Peruvian station listings from DXing.info is no longer valid. Current PDF files of broadcast radio and TV stations can be found here: http://www.mtc.gob.pe/comunicaciones/autorizaciones/radiodifusion/estaciones_autorizadas.html Also interesting is the by-frequency-range search page at http://comunicaciones.mtc.gob.pe/frecuencias/Radiodifusion.aspx In that page select Onda Corta Tropical and then a department, e.g. Amazonas. The first resulting chart shows that there are nine channels available, one has been authorized, and eight are available (not assigned). The bottom chart lists the frequencies and, if authorized, who operates there. The menu bar on the same page has tabs for Privados and Publicos. The Publicos page has a long list of PDF files of authorizations for frequencies above 300 MHz. The Privados page allows you to search by type of station and frequency range. For example, selecting "Radionavegación Aeronáutica" and entering .1 to .5 will bring back a list of authorized air beacons. Categories of interest for SW utility DX are Fijo Aeronáutico, Fijo Terrestre, Móvil Aeronáutico, Móvil Marítimo, Móvil Terrestre. However, note that the two Terrestre categories are very large so it is best to query those by 1 MHz ranges (e.g. 5 to 6) or even less. For example, 5.09 MHz has several thousand listings for the Ministerio de Salud. Just how active these utility frequencies are is unknown. For example under Móvil Aeronáutico there are listings for airports on 8.8965 (8896.5 kHz). In the 1990s I logged around 20 Peruvian airports on that frequency (and QSLed Pucallpa and Tingo Maria airports). But I haven't heard a thing monitoring the frequency in recent years. I will be in Peru for several months in the next year and will be able to monitor these frequencies locally. I will report back on what I hear. Life is just a leap of faith. Spread your arms and hold your breath Always trust your cape. - Guy Clark (Don Moore, http://www.donmooredxer.com Aug 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4747.19, Perú, Huanta 2000, 1129, noted as big het against nominal, copy in LSB. Very sporadic, not heard day prior. 5 August 4774.92, Perú, Radio Tarma? 1135, JBA with talk by man, couldn't pull an ID. 5 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ** PERU. 4955, Perú, Radio Cultural Amauta, 1140, noted with huaynos, weak. 5 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** PERU. As a DX editor who fixes up and comments on other people`s logs, I realize that my own logs are subject to similar treatment. However, I must object to this, copied exactly as it appeared in the NASWA Flashsheet as substitute-edited by Rich D`Angelo: ``5980 PERU. Radio Chaski (very tentative), 2330- August 6, JJJBBBA carrier. Best audible if tuned to 5979.65-USB. I stay on it amid the summer storm noise level until auto cutoff at 2341:08.5* give or take. So, they’ve let it slip more than 11 minutes past the nominal closing. Last timing here was July 20 until 2339:15*, which is 113.5 seconds over a 17-day period, or averaging 6.68 seconds per! Right on "schedule" within a few hundredths of a second. As usual I don’t compute this until afterwards, so am not aware of exactly when the carrier is going to drop. I love this precision in such an unintentional display from an otherwise boring gospel huxter station. (Glenn Hauser, OK)`` My original report which appeared everywhere else did NOT say ``(very tentative)`` --- that is Rich`s opinion, and he is entitled to remark that, but not make it look like I was saying that. I have been tracking this station for years, and there is nothing tentative about it. In this case, even with a JJJBBBA carrier, there is no doubt whatsoever about its identity. I do not need to hear a ``definite ID`` every time I log it. I would accept ``presumed``. Experience and circumstantial evidence count for a lot. The rest of the details about the slipping autotimer, in the context of countless previous logs of it including on rare occasions, Spanish talk; logs mainly by Claudio Galaz, Chile, confirming it`s active, and the lack of any other 5980 stations at this time, should have made it obvious (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. Rules of the RRI 2017 'George Enescu' International Festival Contest [for small cultural prizes; runs thru Sept 30, answer questions posed on air and on line] http://www.rri.ro/en_gb/rules_of_the_2017_george_enescu_international_festival_contest-2567407 (via Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ** RUSSIA [non]. RFE/RL’S RADIO SVOBODA CELEBRATES 20 YEARS ONLINE (August 11, 2017) --- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Radio Svoboda multimedia website is a far cry from its humble origins in August, 1997, when the Russian Service first began publishing online. https://pressroom.rferl.org/a/rferls-radio-svoboda-celebrates-20-years-online/28671630.html (via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 4996, RWM, good with pips at 1955. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 1991 & 2006. ----------------------- (Continuation: The beginning of last issue) '' CLUB DX '' (No. 775), Ether: January 29, 2006 Author and presenter: Vadim Alekseev Editor of the Internet version: Pavel Mikhailov --- DX-HISTORY ... Continuation. The beginning of last issue. '' CLUB DX '' (No. 775) Air: 29 JANUARY 2006 Author and presenter: Vadim Alekseyev Editor of the Internet version: Pavel Mikhailov Let's move again 15 years ago and see what was written about in the first issue, then "Moscow Presents" ... The bulletin opened an article about the BBC's monitoring service, telling about the activities of this organization, which, by the way, was and still is the source of many messages that are of interest to DXists. Then came the section "On the broadcasting ranges". The name speaks directly about its content. By the way, this section lasted throughout the history of the existence of the printed bulletin, although the structure of the publication underwent some changes. Among other things, in the section it was reported, for example, about the broadcasting of '' BRT '' from Belgium in English, when on Saturday it was possible Listen to the program for radio amateurs "Radio World" ... There was also a note about the possibility of accepting programs from Kabul, Afghanistan, at a frequency of 9635 kHz. In addition, the frequencies of the International Swiss Radio were reported, which were well audible in the European part of the USSR. You noticed - after all All this in today's broadcast no longer exists? The next was the section "Broadcasting in the USSR" with a story about Radio stations "Atlantic" and "Peace and Progress". Both stations worked on short waves and both of them, like the name of the section, could not survive the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Section was renamed, and the radio stations remained in the memories of listeners. Section ''Unconventional DXing'' opened with a small introductory article, the author of the section in which, in particular, wrote: ''... To my deep regret, in the Soviet Union there was a somewhat one- sided view of DXing. It is generally accepted that DXing is a reception of exclusively broadcasting Stations. However, it is not. In all civilized world there are dozens of DX-clubs specializing in reception and service broadcasting. For Soviet DXists reception of service Broadcasting [utility] is still a ''white spot in the ocean of radio waves''. In order to eliminate this injustice, it was decided to organize the rubric "Unconventional DXing ..." (end of the quote). In the News of World Radiological Feasibility, it was told, in particular, that on a Tuesday night, on the air of the First Program of the then All-Union Radio, the religious program "Hour of Revelation" prepared by the international broadcasting corporation "Telesi '(Texas, USA) and the radio station KNLS (Alaska, USA). The heading ''Tropical Survey'' offered an overview of stations operating in the so-called ''tropical'' range, some of which could be heard at higher frequencies. The penultimate section of the first issue was the ''Information Sheet'', where "all sorts of things" were published. For example, a report stating that the management of the Russian edition of Swedish radio decided to resume the DX-program, but the regularity of the output of these programs is not yet known. And he completed the first issue of the Bulletin "Technical Department", in which at that time the scheme of the regenerative preselector improving the sensitivity of the radio receiver and the selectivity of its input circuit was described. This is how the first issue of the the beginning of the history of the Moscow Information DX Bulletin. 73! (Rus-DX August 13, published August 12, via DXLD) ** SIKKIM. 4835, AIR Gangtok, 1336, Aug 10. Audio above threshold level, with nice subcontinent music and singing; poor. My local sunrise was at 1321 UT, while Gangtok sunset was at 1246 UT (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 5020, SIBC, after being silent for 2-3 days, heard again Aug 10, at 1142, in Pijin. [non-log]. 5020 & 9545, SIBC. Aug 11, at 1132, found both frequencies silent (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Radio Today, Johannesburg --- The BBCWS relay on 1485 used to go off air at 0400 (6 am local). Recently it has operated to a reduced schedule, going off at 0300 (5 am local). This morning I noticed it stayed on air till 0459 (6:59 am local). Not sure yet when this latter change occurred or if it is permanent, but I see their website now shows a BBC WS relay daily from 0100 to 0700 (local), i.e, 2300-0500 UT. 1485, Radio Today 1485, Marks Park (Jo'burg). Aug 14, 2017 Monday. 0250-0459. BBCWS overnight relay. Jo'burg sunrise 0437 (Bill Bingham, Johannesburg RSA. Drake R8E, Sony ICF2001D. dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Weak signal of Channel Africa, August 10 1700-1755 on 15235 MEY 250 kW / 328 deg to WeAf English Mon-Fri http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/weak-signal-of-channel-africa-august-10.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15235, Aug 11 at 1654, undermodulated percussion at S5, 1655 dead air, 1658 African language, 1659 drumming and ``Africa``, 1700 pleasantly into English from Channel Africa without specific ID but ``This is Africa Digest``, from Johannesburg on 15235 to west Africa, into news about Zuma`s elexion. Aoki shows only French weekdays until 1655 at 250 kW, and English M-F from 1700 with 500 kW, both 328 degrees from Meyerton. I could not tell that power had doubled; latest HFCC of today shows both only 250. And WRTH shows only ChAf African languages are Nyanja, Lozi and Swahili earlier on other frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENKING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 9370 & 3185, August 13 at 0043, neither WWRBS is on; yet 9370 is active all day and 3185 all night, but evidently with considerable breaks between them rather than a quick switch (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Fed up with hearing Brother HyStairical trying to draw psychophants into his cult compound for the Eclipse? A much more enlightening convention happens to occur nearby in North Charleston starting August 19 culminating with an eclipse viewing party: https://www.atheists.org/convention2017/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN. REE con dos frecuencias fuera del aire en este momento ESPAŃA, Radio Exterior de Espańa, sin seńal hoy 09 agosto en las frecuencias de 17715 y 17855 kHz, la primera para Sudamérica y la segunda para Norteamérica. Sí hay seńal en 15390 y 15520. Últimamente es raro el día en que emitan por las cuatro frecuencias, fallando normalmente la de 17715 o la de 17855 y a veces, como ahora, ambas a la vez. No sé a qué se puede deber esto pero en mi opinión, no augura nada bueno, y como los oyentes no reporten estos fallos, alegarán que nadie los escucha y tendrán una buena escusa para intentar dejar de nuevo, la onda corta. Saludos (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Espańa, 1905 UT Aug 9, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sometime on Aug 9, I did notice 17855, very weak and first thought it missing as I tuned across (gh, DXLD) Open carrier, dead air, probably from REE, August 10: 0945-1005 on 17715 NOB 200 kW / 230 deg to SoAm and test tone http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/open-carrier-dead-air-probably-from-ree.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Manuel: żSabes cómo contactarte con la emisora? żSería bueno hacerles llegar una carta a la redacción acerca de ello, firmada por radioescuchas, informando de la temática? Saludos (Claudio Galaz, Chile, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) Me pregunta Claudio Galaz, desde Chile, la dirección de REE para poder participarles las anomalías que están teniendo con las frecuencias de onda corta. Hace tiempo se puso aquí una dirección de correo electrónico para enviar informes de recepción a la emisora. żAlguien puede facilitar esta dirección?. Tal vez Pedro Sedano pueda ayudarnos. Un saludo (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Espańa, ibid.) Esta es la dirección de correo que me facilita Pedro Sedano que es la que se utiliza para enviar informes de recepción. secretariatecnica.ree@rtve.es Yo acabo de enviar mi queja a REE por los contínuos fallos en las frecuencias, especialmente en 17715 y 17855 kHz, a través del correo: secretariatecnica.ree@rtve.es Si queremos que REE siga en el aire, todos deberíamos hacer lo mismo, que vean que tienen oyentes, y que estos se preocupan por las emisiones. Y se agradece que se comente aqui en el grupo lo que opina cada uno, o que informen de si han escrito a la emisora, pues parece que solo somos dos o tres y que ya no quedan aficionados a la onda corta. Un saludo a todos. Un saludo (Manuel Méndez, Aug 10, ibid.) Correcto, Manuel y amigos, hay que dejar constancia de nuestras escuchas y sobretodo por los continuos desperfectos. Esta tarde veré que pasa con la frecuencia hacia Sudamérica (17715) Atte (ce3BBC, Hugo López C., Santiago de Chile, ibid.) Re: Queja a REE Hola, Los problemas de REE vienen como consecuencia de los recortes en sus medios técnicos y humanos. Por un lado, tienen unos cuantos transmisores averiados, alguno lo usan como fuente de repuestos. Por otro, el equipo técnico es volante, lo que sumado a la forma de emitir, hace más evidente los fallos. Hay que tener en cuenta que REE emite simultáneamente en 4 frecuencias, 4+2 cuando dobla los findes... cuando antes hacía diversas emisiones por múltiples frecuencias... entraban y salían frecuencias, casi de manera incomprensible; por lo que los fallos no eran tan detectables. Ahora está claro cuando fallan los transmisores. No todo es malo; ahora la programación no se repite, mucha de ella es de otras emisoras del grupo, por lo que gana en frescura aunque ello le impide poner el acento geográfico, ya que no hay distinción de zona geográfica, todas las frecuencias emiten lo mismo. Todo este asunto de emitir 4 horas por 4 fxs a la vez, le supone un ahorro de personal. Han automatizado parte del proceso, pero, claro está, surgen las averías, porque los equipos ya empiezan a ser viejos, debido a la falta de repuestos y de personal de mantenimiento en exclusiva. Por otro lado, la secretaría técnica de REE recibe automáticamente los informes de recepción desde la web de la AER ree.aer.org.es y tienen el compromiso de mandar QSL a los correctos, pero *nadie *nos ha reportado que hayan cumplido con su palabra. Es curioso, pero en una de las reuniones con directores de REE y RNE, el de REE - ante mi afirmación de que ya no se cuidaba al oyente, que ya no se mandaban QSL - me cortó diciendo que no era verdad --- pero, todos sabemos que es así. De hecho, la secretaría técnica de REE nos informó que "iban con retraso en el envío de las QSL". En todo caso, debemos hacer lo posible por que REE siga en el aire de la mejor manera posible, por lo que la colaboración es importantísima. Un saludo cordial ------------------------------ (Pedro Sedano, Madrid, Espańa COORDINADOR GENERAL coordinador@aer.org.es ------------------------------ *ASOCIACIÓN ESPAŃOLA DE RADIOESCUCHA (AER)* http://aer.org.es/ general@aer.org.es twitter @aer_dx ------------------------------ La ASOCIACIÓN ESPAŃOLA DE RADIOESCUCHA (AER) es miembro de pleno derecho del Consejo Europeo de Diexismo, EDXC; además de miembro fundador de la 'Plataforma en Defensa de la Onda Corta en Radio Exterior de Espańa'; está inscrita en el Registro Nacional de Asociaciones, Sección Primera, con el número 53.079 y su N.I.F. es G79558557. Dirección postal: Apartado 10014, 50080 ZARAGOZA, Espańa, Noticiasdx yg via DXLD) Translation is below in my report (gh) Gracias, Pedro por tu comentario. Hasta el momento, no he recibido QSL de mis informes que despaché vía AER ya hace un buen tiempo. Cualquier novedades la haré saber como ha sido mi compromiso. Atte. (ce3BBC, Hugo López C., Santiago de Chile, ibid.) Pues han sido diligentes y en media hora han respondido: "Buenos días Manuel. Efectivamente hemos tenido problemas en esas frecuencias debido a averías. Hoy se han terminado las reparaciones y esperamos que la recepción se optima. Un saludo. Juan Luis Fraile" Esperemos que sea verdad y que no vuelvan a fallar los transmisores. De todos modos, no está de más dar la queja. Que vean que nos preocupamos, Radio Exterior, hoy, a la apertura, todas las frecuencias se reciben fuerte y claro por aqui. Saludos (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Aug 10, ibid.) Manuel y amigos, acabo de llegar a mi sala de Radio y puedo compartir la aceptable recepción en los 17715, siendo las 1950 UT. 45544. Hay mejores días de recepción, pero las condiciones están muy delicadas. Amigos, siendo las 2129 UT, lamentablemente los 17715 para Sudamérica está fuera del aire nuevamente. Atte (ce3BBC, Hugo López C., Santiago de Chile, Aug 11, ibid.) 17855, Aug 11 at 2003, REE is on the air, but very poor S1, AND about the same level as 17715. Normally 17855 is MUCH stronger on N American antenna than 17715 on S American. Also yesterday I noticed 17855 was unusually weak, at first almost missed it in bandscan, but no comparison made to 17715. Now, also 15390 & 15520 are no better. Therefore I conclude that 17855 is not really on the NAm antenna at 290 degrees, and/or greatly reduced power so reception is the same as 17715 at 230 degrees. On Saturday August 12, when they open four hours earlier at 1400, I observe the same situation, both 17s only S3 max. Spanish DXers are very concerned about missing frequencies, suspecting as I have, that REE is turning them off deliberately to see whether anyone notices or cares. On the noticiasdx yg, Pedro Sedano, chief coordinator of AER replies (in Google translation enhanced by gh): ``The problems of REE come as a result of the cuts in their technical and human resources. On the one hand, they have a few damaged transmitters, some used as a source of spare parts. On the other hand, the technical team is restless, which in addition to the method of broadcasting makes failures more obvious. Failures were not so detectable before. Now it's clear when transmitters fail. Not everything is bad; now the programming is not repeated, much of it is from other stations in the group, so it gains in freshness even if there is no distinction geographically. All the frequencies emit the same thing. This whole matter of broadcasting 4 hours on 4 frequencies at a time, means a saving of personnel, having automated part of the process, but, of course, the breakdowns --- because the equipment is already starting to be old, due to the lack of spare parts and exclusive maintenance personnel. On the other hand, REE's technical secretariat automatically receives the reception reports from the AER website http://ree.aer.org.es and have the commitment to send QSLs to the correct ones, but *nobody* has reported to us that they have kept their word. In any case, we must make it possible for REE to continue on the air in the best possible way, so collaboration is very important`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hola Hugo y amigos, entre las 1800 y las 1930, estuvo emitiendo por las cuatro frecuencias, seńal moderada en 17715, 17855 y 15520 y debil en 15390. Más tarde ya comprobé. Saludos. [luego] Hola Hugo y amigos, efectivamente, hoy y en este momento, 1745 UTC, la frecuencia de 17715 está fuera del aire, Está emitiendo por 17855, 15520 y 15380 [sic], pero no por 17715, así que siguen los problemas (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Espańa, August 12, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) Radio Exterior de Espańa /RNE/ on 3 of 4 frequencies Aug 12 1355-1400 on 3 of 4 frequencies Interval Signal/frequency announcement 1400-1800 15520 NOB 200 kW / 110 deg N/ME Spanish Sat/Sun, weak/fair 1400-1800 17715 NOB 200 kW / 230 deg SoAm Spanish Sat/Sun, very poor 1400-1800 17855 NOB 200 kW / 290 deg ENAm Spanish Sat/Sun, very poor 1400-1800 21620 NOB 200 kW / 161 deg WCAf Spanish Sat/Sun, no signal http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/radio-exterior-de-espana-rne-on-3-of-4_12.html (Ivo Ivanov, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17855, August 13 at 1401, REE just on at S9 fading to S5, while // 17715 is S7 to S5, so now the former is noticeably stronger as it should be to NAm vis-ŕ-vis SAm, antennas back in whack? 17855, August 13 at 2201, REE is S9, very good with satellite info, in sign-off routine, then playing 9-note IS many times over --- while undeniably a nice tune (provenance?), it`s the kind of thing that can worm its way into the brain and be hard to expel. In fact, this is the OSOB, as // 17715 is missing and I think others reported it absent earlier, altho I did hear both 17s at 1401. So you never know which combo of the four frequencies will be on or not. // 15520 is now S8 to S4, and // 15390 is S4 to S3 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN SOUTH [non]. VATICAN, VOA "South Sudan in Focus" via SM di Galeria on August 9 1630-1700 15180 SMG 250 kW / 146 deg to SDN English Mon-Fri, strong http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/voa-south-sudan-in-focus-via-sm-di.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. Fill out the survey for a chance to win a souvenir. Hello listeners! In order to improve our program quality and to get a better understanding of our reception conditions, RTI invites listeners to fill out this survey. Fill out the survey, leave your contact information, and you will have a chance to win a souvenir. >>Fill out https://goo.gl/gaEuzm Event schedule: (Taipei Time) 1. Event runs until: 8/28/2017 2. Announcement of winners tentatively scheduled for September 2017. If you have any questions, please contact: rtisurvey@rti.org.tw Good luck and best wishes Radio Taiwan International Posted by: (Adam Grzenia, Poland, dxldyg via DXLD) I received the same email from RTI. Clicking the link brought me to a site in Chinese. Sorry don't read Chinese. Didn't see ability to translate the content. Maybe that's the survey. "Do you read Chinese?" 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, VA, ibid.) At http://english.rti.org.tw if you click on the survey link, it doesn`t work, but this is the real URL the above goo.gl leads to: https://survey.ixpanel.com/survey/action/RunSurvey?id=330611 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** TAJIKISTAN. 4765.02, Tajik Radio, 1747, talk by a man, Middle East- type vocals, fair. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** TIBET [non]. 15528, August 10 at 1357, JBA carrier, surely V of Tibet via TAJIKISTAN as scheduled 1230-1300 & 1330-1400 in EiBi; and an equally weak JBAC on 15525, the ChiCom jammer, which I was getting 25 hours ago in Chinese. 15555 & 15565, August 12 at 1405, no trace of any signals from WJHR, Voice of Tibet via Madagascar, or jamming, unlike 24 hours earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) TAJIKISTAN, Frequency changes of Voice of Tibet, August 13: 1300-1305 NF 11507 DB 100 kW / 095 deg to EaAs Chinese, ex 11512 1305-1315 NF 11512 DB 100 kW / 095 deg to EaAs Chinese, ex 11517 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/frequency-changes-of-voice-of-tibet-in.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, B`lgariya, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKMENISTAN. TURKMENISTAN EXPANDS RADIO BROADCASTING NETWORK Specialists of the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan have completed setting-up and installation of several radio transmitters in suburban areas of Turkmenbashi city on the coast of the Caspian Sea with the aim of establishing conditions for quality reception of programs of national radio channels. The work has been done under the direct order of president of state Saparmurat Niyazov. As the Ashgabat correspondent was told in the republic’s Ministry of Communications, two USW (ultra-short waves) – FM (euro standard) radio transmitters operating on 103.2 MHz and 104.4 MHz frequencies have made it possible to start the broadcasting of Watan, Miras and Char Tarapdan radio channels. One more SRV-7 radio transmitter with a capacity of 10 kW has started broadcasting programs of Watan radio channel on 1476 kHz frequency. Besides, Miras and Char Tarapdan radio channels are broadcast on 675 kHz via SRV-5 radio transmitter with a capacity of 9 kW. Work related to the further expansion of national radio broadcasting and installation of similar radio transmitters is continuing in other regions of Turkmenistan as well. © TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2017 Source: http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/node/3141 Laszlo Tringer HNG (7/8-2017) (via http://www.mediumwave.info/news.html via Rus-DX August 13, published August 12, via DXLD) ** U K. MSF 60 KHZ MAINTENANCE OUTAGES Annual maintenance: 14 - 31 August 2017 The annual maintenance shutdown of the MSF service to allow safe maintenance of the masts and antennas, including greasing of the stays, will take place between 14 August and 31 August 2017. The service will be off-air from 08:00 to 19:00 BST [07-18 UT] each day, including weekends. If the weather is unsuitable for work to be carried out, then the service will not be turned off. If the work is completed sooner than 19:00 BST on any day, the service will be restored as soon as possible. http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequency/products-and-services/time/msf-outages (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ** U K. MUSLIM NEIGHBOURHOOD RADIO IN TROUBLE [Re 17-32, Iman FM, Sheffield (103.1) has been has been taken off air for broadcasting more than 25 hours of lectures by radical American Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki]. Those who would like to read the 18 page Ofcom statement will find it: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/105269/Iman-FM-Revocation-Notice.pdf In its regular "Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin Issue number 334" at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/105611/Issue-334-of-Ofcoms-Broadcast-and-On-Demand-Bulletin.pdf (page 13-20) you will find yet another Muslim community radio station in breach with the radio law because it broadcast a song containing "hate speech" (Dr Hansjoerg Biener 11 August 2017, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. CLOSURE OF 13 LOCAL MEDIUM WAVES SERVICES OF THE BBC "Changes to some BBC local radio MW services Date: 11.08.2017 Last updated: 11.08.2017 at 15.25 http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/news/item82 In January 2018, a small number of local radio MW transmitters will be turned off. As a result of detailed coverage assessments and a number of medium wave switch-off trials, we have decided to turn off 13 local medium wave transmitters. This will result in BBC Radio Sussex, Surrey, Humberside, Wiltshire, Nottingham, Kent, and Lincolnshire no longer being accessible on medium wave and reduced medium-wave coverage for BBC Devon, Lancashire and Essex. More information on why we are doing this can be found in the BBC blog. These changes will not take place until January 2018 and we will be giving out more detailed information over the next few months. Listeners can also use the interactive transmitter tool to see how they can receive their local radio service on other radio and television platforms or use iPlayer Radio to access their local radio service." 11 August 2017 (via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, 15 August, DXLD) BBC TO SWITCH OFF SOME LOCAL RADIO MW TRANSMITTERS FROM JANUARY 2018 http://www.a516digital.com/2017/08/bbc-starts-medium-wave-switch-off.html A number of BBC local radio stations will cease broadcasting on Medium Wave. Following a number of trials over the past few years, the BBC has confirmed that from January 2018, Medium Wave transmissions of a number of BBC Local Radio stations will either cease or be reduced. The plans will result in BBC Radio Sussex, Surrey, Humberside, Wiltshire, Nottingham, Kent, and Lincolnshire no longer being broadcast on Medium Wave and reduced MW coverage for BBC Devon, Lancashire and Essex. The reduction of Medium Wave services was first considered as part of the BBC's 2011 "Delivering Quality First" programme. Trial switch-offs in subsequent years provided the BBC the chance to find out how many listeners were listening on AM. Most switch-offs took place without much public reaction, although a trial affecting BBC Radio Merseyside's signal provoked a strong reaction from listeners and national newspaper headlines. BBC Radio Merseyside's Medium Wave signal has been left off the current closure list. BBC Radio Bristol was the first BBC Local Radio station in recent years to leave Medium Wave. However its closure in 2016 was the result of a redevelopment on the site of the transmitter. The BBC stations that are affected from 2018 have a wide reach on FM, as well as recently enhanced reception via DAB digital radio and Freeview. The number of users accessing radio via DAB, mobile and internet services has also been steadily increasing in recent years, as the share of analogue radio listening, including Medium Wave stations, has dropped to around 50%. Could be good news for Manx Radio which will find itself with a clear frequency on 1368 kHz from January (via Dave Kenny, Aug 12, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** U S A. 15016-USB, August 12 at 1409, US military cypher message totally in fonetix, ID as ``Cockfight``, background noise surges between alfanumeric characters; ``JM53CN`` heard several times --- almost looks like a grid square which one lookup http://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php leads to Tunisia; later same group just as start of a longer sequence. Interruptions with ``more to follow``, ``All stations, all stations, this is Cockfight, this is Cockfight``; ``no response``. Recheck 1444 still going with this stuff (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. PLAGIARISM – ANOTHER SYMPTOM We at AFGE Local 1812 have heard anecdotal reports from bargaining unit employees that plagiarism seems rife in some language services. We have also heard from credible sources that several language services are becoming lax with sourcing, airing stories that are single-sourced, but not always attributed. Some broadcasters have even complained about being given news items to air that have no sources whatsoever. More recently, we heard of a staffer getting in trouble for copying part of a Russia Today report in his/her own story to be aired by Voice of America. But such plagiarism does not happen in a vacuum. For it to happen, and persist, it has to be tolerated, or even encouraged, by management and this is what bothers us. It used to be that news aired by the VOA was not only based on two or three reliable sources, checked by Central Newsroom editors, but were distributed to language services for translation where they went through another layer of fact-checking. That's how the VOA spoke with one voice. With the decision several years ago to delegate news writing to language services, creating an unbelievable and unworkable concept of 42 language services, VOA became a veritable Tower of Babel. Almost all central control over news content was taken from the VOA Central Newsroom. It soon became apparent that not all language services are equipped to write news items. First, you need properly trained news writers, they also have to have the time to do their jobs, plus have editorial controls in place. For years, more than a few language services have struggled to comply with the multiple missions inflicted on them by management: news writing, broadcasting, editing, reporting, interviews, TV, Web, Facebook, Twitter, Podcasts, YouTube, etc. As a result, the content suffered. Instead of writing original news items, overwhelmed staffers copy and paste from wire services or Internet web sites to meet deadlines. Crediting of sources may or may not happen. Editing can become perfunctory: an editor will not check a story against original sources, or just open a news item and print for broadcast after quickly perusing the text, without really registering its content or fixing its mistakes. Again, deadlines imposed by an unrealistic management must be met. So that’s the sad story of how the Voice of America, which used to be a most reliable international broadcasting medium, is losing its reputation for accuracy around the globe. While management hypocritically claims that the staff “has been trained” and/or “knows the rules,” in truth, when management demands unrealistic output from the staff, hires less competent contractors because they are cheaper, or shrugs at instances of plagiarism, something will inevitably give. Blaming staffers for simply trying to cope does not help anyone. It is time for the leadership to rethink its modus operandi (AFGE Local 1812, as usual undated, via DXLD) ** U S A. 17530, August 11 at 1404, open carrier at tune-in, cuts off in a few seconds. Presumed VOA Greenville-B in day-shift test to be sure it will work when needed a few hours later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. VATICAN. 17655. Sun, Aug 13 at 1700-1743, Voice of America, SM di Galeria-CVA, in Portuguese. Woman talks, ID from Washington-DC studio; Joăo Santa Rita presents a Newsletter; Angolan song; 1736 Program "Saúde", with Ana Guedes announcer and an interview with Dra. Graça about arterial hypertension. VOA with good signal and modulation, relay Santa Maria di Galeria transmitter, 45444 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier. Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103 & Sony ICF- SW100S, Longwire, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. 11580, WRMI with Glenn Hauser’s World of Radio. “Cow goes Moo” bumper music to ID at BoH and into Hobart Radio International with Australian ‘flavoured’ English News, 4+4+4+4+4+ with a HF Het sneaking in despite the strong signal -- not sure what was causing it. 2305-2335 5/Aug [Sat], Eton Field +randomwire (Kenneth Vito Zichi, Port Hope MI2, MARE Tipsheet Aug 11 via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1890 monitoring: confirmed Wednesday August 9 after 1315 on WRMI 9955, fair. Next: Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW [maintenance break until Aug 19] Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW [maintenance break until Aug 19] Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0315v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW WORLD OF RADIO 1890 monitoring: confirmed Wednesday August 9 at 2100 on WBCQ 7490v-AM, very poor S5 to S3. Also confirmed Wed Aug 9 after 2330 on WBCQ 9331.487v-CUSB, fair (at this time I also measure 7489.917 during `Radio Alexandria`; usually it`s been on the plus side). Next: Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW [maintenance break until Aug 19] Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW [maintenance break until Aug 19] Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0315v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW WORLD OF RADIO 1890 monitoring: confirmed Thursday August 10 at 2330 on WBCQ, still off-frequency at 9331.50-CUSB, S5-S7, poor. Nothing ever on 9335, so a sesquikHz here or there is not really a problem. Next: Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW [maintenance break until Aug 19] Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW [maintenance break until Aug 19] Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0315v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW WORLD OF RADIO 1890 monitoring: confirmed Friday August 11 at 2330 on WBCQ, 9331.400v-CUSB, fair. Next: Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0315v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW WORLD OF RADIO 1890 monitoring: confirmed Sat Aug 12 at 2230 on WBCQ, 9331.40v-CUSB, fair. Also confirmed UT Sunday August 13 at 0327 on WA0RCR, 1860-AM, MO, poor in storm noise, at item about Germany 6160/3975, 12 minutes into, so started circa nominal 0315 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1890 monitoring: 11580, WRMI at 0208 with Glenn Hauser’s "World of Radio" - Excellent Aug 13 (Mark Coady, Selwyn, Ontario, Kenwood TS440S or Ten-Tec Argonaut II and 40 and 80 meter off centre-fed dipoles, ODXA yg via DXLD) Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Reinante and Friol, Tecsun PL-880, cable antenna, 8 meters, reports: ``9485, Hamburger LokalRadio, Göhren, 1020-1106, [Sunday] 13-08, English, comments, ID "Hamburger LokalRadio short wave service on 7265 kHz" [sic], at 1030 Glenn Hauser’s program World of Radio nş 1890, at 1100 Spanish, "Radio Tropical", program "Mundofonía". 34433`` Next: Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Confirmed Sunday August 13 at 2330, on WBCQ 9331.510v-CUSB, fair. Also confirmed UT Monday August 14 at 0300 on Area 51 webcast; also detectable in OK/TX storm noise level at 0327 on WBCQ 5129.83-AM. Also confirmed UT Monday August 14 at 0330 on WRMI 9955, poor S9 also with storm noise. Next: Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW WORLD OF RADIO 1890 monitoring: confirmed Monday August 14 at 2330 on WBCQ 9331.50v-CUSB, good. Remains a sesquikHz high after a week. Also confirmed UT Tuesday August 15 at 0030 on WRMI, 7730, VG S9+30 to 10. WORLD OF RADIO 1891 should be ready for first airings August 15: Tue 2130 WRMI 9455 to WNW, 15770 to NE Tue 2330 WBCQ 9331v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455 to WNW Wed 1315 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0315v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Note that after a maintenance break earlier in August, Hamburger Lokalradio is supposed to be back on the air from August 13, including WORLD OF RADIO at the three times as above (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO 1891 contents: Australia, Bangladesh, Chile, Cuba, Eritrea non?, Faeroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Kashmir, Korea North non, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mongolia, Oklahoma, Perú, Romania, South Carolina, Spain, Tibet non, UK, USA, Vanuatu, Vatican, unIDentified 1710 WORLD OF RADIO 1891 monitoring: confirmed first SW airing less than an hour after completed, Tuesday August 15 at 2130 on WRMI, very good on 9455, good on 15770. Also confirmed Tue Aug 15 at 2330 on WBCQ 9331.5v-CUSB, good. Also confirmed Wed Aug 16 at 1315 on WRMI 9955, good S9 but some deep fades to S6; no jamming. Next: Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW [lately 9331.5v] Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW Sat 1431 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 to NE Sun 0315v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, I tuned in to WOR this afternoon, 15 August, from 2130 to 2159 UT on 15770 kHz via WRMI. Enjoyed this edition and will be following up on your report of Thunderbird Radio and the Buffalo River Church. I'm going to try to listen on the shortwaves during the solar eclipse. It is so brief that the window of opportunity will be very limited, but worth a try indeed. 73's, (Ed Insinger, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9455, Wed Aug 9 at 2000, WRMI-5 cuts off Biermann canned ID before it finishes to join `Creciendo en Gracia` already in progress as on // WRMI-9 11580. It would be more alliterative in English, `Growing in Grace`. This hour only has 9455 // 11580, whatever the programming. At 21-22, 9455 duplicates 15770 instead. 15770, Aug 11 at 2009 no signal from WRMI which is normally very weak but detectable; while 15760 WHRI blasts. 21525 missing too. At 2013, 11825 is off, on a split second, back off. At 2014, 11580 is on during `Wavescan`, and as soon as I tune back to 11825, it`s back with BS. Also now on and detectable: 9955, 15770, 21525. Must have been a power failure. Later storm maps showed nothing over FL. 9955, August 13 at 0038, WRMI unjammed with low strumming ŕ la ME oud. Surely this is not the scheduled program at 0015-0045 UT Sundays, `Buscando la Verdad` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11580, Sunday August 13 at 2208, pleased to hear one of my favorite tunes from the World Music loop on WRMI; it`s swing with a saxophone solo, but, as ever, not identified. WRMI skedgrid shows 22-23 M-F is RAE in Italian, but these weekend hours on 11580 are blank (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi Glenn, After my previous e-mail concerning Radio Alexandria [via WBCQ], today I received a letter from Allen Hundley, Project Manager of Radio Alexandria, 448 N. Houghton Avenue, Manistique, MI 49854. He states: "We welcome comments and suggestions for our programs, so feel free to send them anytime. If there are topics you would like to see covered, please don't hesitate to share that feedback. Also don't forget to spread the word about Radio Alexandria to your friends. In this era of extreme partisanship we strive to be a voice for accuracy, fairness, and balance on all the topics we cover. For us it is not the size of the audience that matters but rather the thoughtfulness and discrimination of our listeners." 73's, (Ed Insinger, NJ, Aug 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tonight's AWWW [WBCQ 7490, UT Sat Aug 12 from 0000] --- Show started on time this evening but was being broadcast from WHVW studios with JP as co-host. Allan and JP will be going down to Florida for a few days then travel to South Carolina to view the eclipse with Brother Scare. Early conversation was about the summer of love and the original broadcasts of both JP and Allan's pirate stations. Mention was also made of the anniversary tomorrow of the British anti pirate ship law. Then a long discussion of the politics at that time and why they started their stations. Short break and one email read then back to talk of Allan's and JP's pirate stations at that time. This would be another good episode to track down in the archives and listen to in depth as it's full of all sorts of tales and anecdotes about the early days. Reading of the emails started after a musical interlude at 0119. Phone number was announced at the same time. No phone calls at all this evening and very few emails because the email address was different. More eclipse talk. Show was off the air at 0150 (John H Carver Jr, Mid-North Indiana, UT Sat August 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. 2NG back on Shortwave --- Hi All, Rick Ainley of Atlantic Oldies 2NG reports via their newsletter that the station will be back on Shortwave this weekend via Channel 292 and WBCQ, details below. Alan Gale. Atlantic Oldies 2NG Newsletter Hi, First let me thank all of you for the kind words and replies recently after the closure of the 2NG streams. I will reply, there are just a lot! I wanted to quickly tell you that we will be on ShortWave this weekend. It's a three hour block as follows. Hour 1 - All Sixties with Rick Ainley Hour 2 & 3 - Bill Rollins Teatime Pirate Radio Special. The shows can be heard as follows. Saturday 12th August WBCQ 7490 kHz (N. America) 1700-2000 EDT (2100-0000 UT) Sunday 13th August Channel 292 6070 kHz (Europe) 1100-1400 UT (1200-1500 BST) A common question received if it's available online. 2NG will not be streaming; however, we believe WBCQ has a stream of the 7490 kHz service. Check out http://www.wbcq.com There is a web radio in the Netherlands which tends to work well with the Channel 292 service. That can be found at http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ We planned this weekend on SW before the whole royalty thing blew up. It's remembering the 50th anniversary of the Marine Broadcasting Offence Act in 1967 that silenced the ships. All but one. If you get a chance, try and listen. Best Regards, Richard Posted by: (Alan Gale, Aug 11, dxldyg via DXLD) This will make the perfect lead[-in] for The Mighty KBC here in the States (Mike Bott, BDXC_UK yg via DXLD) I.e. following at 00-02 on 9925 (gh, DXLD) 7490, Sat Aug 12 from 2100, WBCQ with 3-hour special about British pirates, from Atlantic Oldies 2NG, but barely audible on SW, so I listen from time to time on webcast. Tho British DJ host, he admits that originates in Atlanta studio. I continue to marvel at such a craving for getting American rock music into British radios a semi-century ago via pirate ships --- What`s the big deal? At that age, I should have been quite happy with much more thrilling classical music provided by the BBC, which even today is relatively endangered on American radio (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So far no 5130 this evening. Should have started at 2300 (John Carver, mid-north IN, 2328 UT August 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5130-, Aug 13 at 0042, no signal from WBCQ. John Carver also noted it absent when should have started at 2300 Saturday. Nothing on 3250 either; Allan has said that once 3250 is on the air, 5130 will be off since it`s one or the other to the available antenna (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5130 never did come up last night. I turned the volume down some on the radio and worked on the computer. Monitored till near sign off time and it was never there. Haven't heard anything from anyone about it (John Carver, Mid-North Indiana, 1850 UT Aug 13, ibid.) Glenn. Nothing on 5130 this evening but static again. Have sent messages but no response. I know Allan is down South now but surely someone is around somewhere (John Carver, 2346 UT Aug 13, ibid.) 5130 up at 0013 with music (John, 0014 UT Aug 14, ibid.) From whatever time I told you it signed on was nonstop music, no commentary at all until 0300 when WOR played as scheduled and followed by Hobart Radio International (John, 0331 UT Aug 14, ibid.) 7489.932-AM, UT Monday August 14 at 0604, rock music, very poor, so replacing `The Other Side of Midnight`? No, talk from that resumes at 0606. They must leave a ToH news hole, but there was none. WBCQ program guide *still* fails to include TOSOM which started months ago, 04-07 UT Sun & Mon only. Until recently, 7490 had been slightly on the plus side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. -alleged. I just Googled my way into a 5-minute You Tube piece featuring Terry Blalock, hearing him for the first time, allegedly recorded off of WWCR. We used to get some wild-ass fire & brimstone types on Sunday mornings, on 250-watt daytimers in the Deep South 50+ years ago, but this guy makes those sound like Orson Welles! Terry's living proof that the Dollar Gets The Holler, in broadcasting. I can't imagine how any station can air his ravings with a straight face. Then again, Glenn, you should be honoured to be the lead-in for Terry's dazzling show. I wonder what "Saturday Night Live" would do with a send-up of Terry Blalock, hmmm? 73z – (GREG HARDISON, CA, August 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 00-01 Mon-Sat on WBCQ 9331v-CUSB (gh) ** U S A [and non]. Changes and Updates for VORW Radio International - Newsletter 5 --- Dear VORW Radio Listeners, Since the last newsletter, there are several changes and updates to announce for VORW Radio International. Broadcasts directed to Europe have now fully resumed after multiple requests from listeners in the region. Transmissions to Europe take place every Sunday at 1600 UT - that's 12 PM Eastern, 5 PM BST. The frequency to listen on is 9400 kHz which is transmitted with 150 kW of power from Bulgaria. This transmission may also be audible in North Africa, the Middle East and portions of Central Asia. Reception reports for broadcasts on 9400 kHz are greatly encouraged! Here is the Transmission Schedule: Thursdays: 6 PM Eastern - 11 PM BST - 9955 kHz to South America [WRMI] 8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 7490 kHz to North America [WBCQ] 8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 9395 kHz to North America [WRMI] 8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 7730 kHz to Western North America [WRMI] 8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 9455 kHz to Central America [WRMI] Sundays: 12 PM Eastern - 5 PM BST - 9400 kHz to Europe [B`lgariya] 4 PM Eastern - 9 PM BST - 9395 kHz to Eastern North America [WRMI] 6 PM Eastern - 11 PM BST - 7490 kHz to Eastern North America [WBCQ] You may also be able to hear VORW Radio International on Tunein Radio at 8 PM every Thursday and 6 PM every Sunday at: https://beta.tunein.com/radio/The-Planet-7490-s24829/ For more information on ways to listen without a shortwave radio, please reply to this email with inquiries. If you are interested in obtaining VORW Radio International merchandise (T-Shirts, Hoodies, Stickers or Coffee Mugs) you may now obtain them from our Teespring store, https://teespring.com/stores/thereportoftheweek VORW Radio International is a light entertainment program featuring a mixture of commentary and listener-requested music of all genres. (VORW Info [undated] via Rus-DX August 13, published August 12, via DXLD) Also via Manuel Méndez, dxldyg --- it was dated August 12 (gh) ** U S A. 5830, August 9 at 1218, WTWW-1 modulation is breaking up badly. 9475, August 9 at 1424, S9+40 but severe modulation breakup. So Ted was awake enough to make the QSY, but not enough to notice there was a bit of a problem with the mod. STILL that way at 1735. That`s OK: reduces the listenership for SFAW racist programming from insignificant to nil (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WTWW 9475 kHz problem --- Something is wrong with WTWW 9745 tonight. It sounds like distorted muddy garbage. Can't understand a word being said and it sounds like it's breaking up constantly like a webstream; and now modulation is starting to suffer too and go down. Here's a short recording of it at my location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A29tC-aT4nM I guess since "The Caribbean Beacon" 6090/11775 sounded like unlistenable garbage for months, it's someone else's turn now (Paul Walker, Warren PA, 2332 UT Aug 9, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) Did you contact them & let them know? Orlando FL (Mark Schoonover, KA6WKE, Aug 10, ibid.) Twice; an email around 720 pm eastern, and when the problem was still going on two hours later, another email. No reply as of this morning (Paul Walker, ibid.) 9475, August 10 at 0042 check, WTWW-1 modulation is *still* totally broken up; see previous report. Includes brief bits of dead air. And WTWW-2 is already on 5085 with open carrier prior to 0100 ham show. By 0611 UT Aug 9, night frequency 5830 is back in whack, i.e. merely abnormal, suptorted but PPPP readable with some hum (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2 hours later, it still sounds like distorted muddy broken up unlistenable garbage (Paul, 0138 UT August 10, HCDX via DXLD) 9930, August 11 at 2015 check, WTWW-2 is still AWOL, no Dave Ramsey. Haven`t heard it in some weeks, altho #2 is funxional some evenings on 5085. 9930, Sat Aug 12 at 1800, still off, so no `Theater Organ in the Ozarx` today either; however, 9475 WTWW-1 is on but just barely modulated, enough to tell the QSO ham show is already underway, since when? mentioning ``repeaters`` rather than SFAW white supremacy nonsense. 9475-, Aug 13 at 0040, WTWW-1 is S9 to S9+10 but very undermodulated, with SFAW music, call-in from listener. Are they really doing any live programming? 5085, UT Sunday Aug 13 at 0102, WTWW-2 starting `Theater Organ in the Ozarx` while its airing 7 hours earlier on 9930 continues to be AWOL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7505v, WRNO, 0256-0354, Aug 10. One hour program in Chinese, called "Praise for Today"; intro and exit briefly in English; for some reason, never seems to start at ToH, but always before; noted station going off at 0404*; poor (Ron Howard, oceanside at Pacific Grove, CA, Etón E1, antenna: 100' long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn, Just happened to turn the radio on this morning a little after 1400. Radio came up on 7490 [WWCR] and Beth Ann with the Common Sense Coalition was on. Don't know if this was an accident or this is where program is now. Previously was on 12160 an hour later (John H Carver Jr, Mid-North Indiana, Fri Aug 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15825, August 11 at 2008, WWCR gospel huxter, amid squeals out of defective transmitter, which surge during brief pauses (so obviously modulation related, not from an external source QRM); at S9-S6 with sporadic E enhancement from one megameter distance. Maybe it`s ever so, only noticeable when we get a bigsig. 9350, Friday August 11 at 2100, happen to tune across this WWCR as ``Thunderbird Radio, the only American Indian program on shortwave`` is opening --- soon obviously merely by Baptist converts. Must be something new, as NOT on the program schedule for WWCR-2 at 4- 5 pm CT: with Golden Age of Radio on Wed/Fri except Faith Defenders on first Friday (and this is the second). PDF sked now dated August 1 *still* shows wrong UTC time conversion as if Central Time were still standard at 6 hours behind instead of daylight at -5 hours! Searching entire sked gets no hits on Thunderbird, but discounting USAF Thunderbirds, Google search leads to WWCR program roster link: http://www.thunderbirdradio.org/ with Pastor Jack Neima, contact info to Waco TX. About current show: ``Today 1823 Arikara warriors attack an American expedition. A force of 500 Sioux warriors finds the Arikaras and a battle takes place. Col. Henry Leavenworth soon arrives with a force of 200 soldiers. The US Cavalry claim 50 Arikara dead and the Sioux take 9. Sioux (Lakota) Moon when the geese shed their feathers Call to Worship: Steve Rose: THE PURE JOY OF WORK Todays Message: A REVOLUTION IS NEEDED TODAY Scripture: EPHESIANS 6:4`` Previous entries claim strange schedule on WWCR: ``August 9, 2017 Radio Program admin August 11, 2017 at 7:19 am 0 Comment(s) We have uploaded the Radio program that was recorded for August 9, 2017, 2017 [sic]. To listen live, tune in to WWCR Nashville every Wednesday at 3:30PM CST & Sundays at 2:00PM CST [sic, and no frequencies]. So I go back to the August sked grid and check all four transmitters at those CDT(!) times. Aha! WWCR-1 15825 AND WWCR-2 9350, Wed at 3:30 is `Buffalo River Church`, with the same Jack Neima. No entries under that name at 2:00 pm Sunday or anywhen (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 17777.0-AM! August 11 at 1650, KVOH is here with Spanish preacher, S3-S4 but with heavy modulation just below the distortion level, and carrier remains wobbly. Still 17777 at 1728 check. Must be a punch-up error, but why would there be any frequency-re-entering? This old transmitter is used only on ``17775``. 17777, Aug 11 at 2001, KVOH still off-frequency, now with hymn amid weekly English bihour extension. Never on air weekends, so next chance to check will be 1400 Monday Aug 14. 17775.0, Aug 15 at 1359, KVOH guitar IS, English ID and sign-on as ``17775``, 1401 into Spanish. Aug 11 it was on 17777, but did not get around to checking which was in use on next broadcast August 14 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9275 remains off the air following fire a few months ago at WMLK. I check their FB for any updates and only find these paltry entries accompanying some photos: WMLK Radio https://m.facebook.com/www.wmlkradio.net/ Progress! Yesterday, 7/10/2017, the Assemblies of Yahweh Administration signed the contract to purchase the new WMLK Radio transmitter building! Praise Almighty Yahweh for His goodness! July 11 at 3:36pm Public WMLK Radio added 4 new photos. Progress! Batter boards installed for measurements. Digging of the building footers will begin shortly! Image may contain: one or more people, tree, plant, grass, sky, outdoor and nature Image may contain: one or more people, tree, grass, outdoor and nature Image may contain: tree, plant, sky, grass, outdoor and nature Image may contain: tree, plant, grass, outdoor and nature July 26 at 3:22pm Public 1 Comment Full Story WMLK Radio added 7 new photos. Lines for digging the new building footers. Image may contain: tree, plant, grass, sky, outdoor and nature Image may contain: sky, tree, plant and outdoor Image may contain: tree, sky, plant, outdoor and nature Image may contain: tree, sky, plant, outdoor and nature July 27 at 12:57pm Public Full Story (via Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KGEI: A FORGOTTEN WWII RADIO STORY By Jim Clifford Aug 14, 2017 Updated 15 hrs ago KGEI --- This two-story building on Radio Road in Redwood Shores has a long and storied past. Jim Clifford/ Daily Journal [caption] Sometimes history is hidden in plain sight or site — as is the case of a blockhouse-shaped building located, appropriately, on Radio Road in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City. There is no plaque to remind the few visitors to the area that the two-story building played an important role in World War II: It housed the transmitter for shortwave radio station KGEI, which was the only voice from home for GIs fighting from island to island in the Pacific. Among other accomplishments, the station broadcast Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s “I have returned” speech that fulfilled his promise to return with victorious American troops to the Philippines, occupied by Japanese forces since 1942. Today, the building of about 7,000 square feet is owned by Silicon Valley Clean Water, the wastewater plant operated jointly by Redwood City, San Carlos and Belmont. The plant is adjacent to the KGEI building, which itself is right next to a much larger transmitter building used by KNBR. Ground was broken in late 1940 for the KGEI structure made of reinforced 3-foot thick concrete walls designed to withstand bombing. “We are now using it for our construction management activities,” said Dan Child, the manager of Silicon Valley Clean Water, which bought the building from the Fully Alive Church. The church remodeled the structure to seat a congregation of up to 70 people. One report said a wooden plank was used to camouflage the original bas-relief KGEI, the call letters for General Electric International. In 1942, The New York Times wrote a story headlined “KGEI Tells Them.” Nothing, the newspaper reported, stirs the hearts of soldiers and sailors as much as hearing the introduction to the station’s programs: “This is the United States of America.” The listening soldiers included Army Capt. Steve Mellnik who was captured in the fall of Corregidor, an island fortress in Manila Bay. He recalled in his book, “Philippine Diary,” that he depended on KGEI for war news, learning with “dismay as Japanese forces spread across the Pacific.” Mellnik escaped and survived to become a general. “News of friendly troop movement puzzled us,” Mellnik recalled in the book published in 1969. “A commentator boasted that hundreds of ships were en route to the Far East. We cheered. But almost casually the commentator added that the armada’s destination was Australia.” The cheers turned to groans. Australia became MacArthur’s rallying point. He eventually made three speeches there in which he vowed to return. The general’s famous “I have returned” speech came in October of 1944 when he fulfilled his promise. The words were first broadcast from a Navy ship off the Philippines and later spread by KGEI throughout Asia. After the war, General Electric sold the station to the Far East Broadcasting Company which then sold it to the church in 2001. Former Far East Broadcasting Company president Jim Bowman said he often visited Manila and would come across Filipinos “who listened to KGEI to keep their hopes alive during the Japanese occupation.” The building still stands, not far from a section of the Bay Trail used by hikers and bike riders who pass by an almost unknown part of the past. The transmitter, however, is no more. Far East Broadcasting gave the transmitter to a radio ministry in Liberia where it was destroyed by rebel forces in the late 1990s. The Rear View Mirror by history columnist Jim Clifford appears in the Daily Journal every other Monday. Objects in The Mirror are closer than they appear. KGEI: A forgotten WWII radio story http://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/kgei-a-forgotten-wwii-radio-story/article_4f8f263e-8062-11e7-bf9e-fbf338cf40e3.html (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) SM = San Mateo I visited KGEI in the summer of 1980 just after attending the ANARC convention in Irvine, California. KGEI was still using their original 50 kW transmitter, which by then was not in good shape. The whole casing seemed to buzz in tune with the modulation! But another article on the station's history says the transmitter "performed flawlessly" until the 1990s! http://bayarearadio.org/schneider/kgei/kgei.shtml (Chris Greenway, England, ibid.) ** U S A. Policing the AM BCB --- About a week ago I noticed that WCPT 820 [Chiago] had a horrible echo effect in their audio. I don't know when it started as I don't check this frequency that often. This echo went on for a few more days until I finally notified the station by e- mail. And, a day and a half later their audio problem is corrected. The question I have is; Don't station owners, and staff, check their night signal every day? All it would take is a few minutes to tune in and if everything is fine tune out. Why do they wait for some listener to complain before checking their own signal? Over the past 25 years, at least once a year, I have contacted a station somewhere in the mid-west about a problem with their signal. And I have gotten mixed feedback. One local station, after a phone call (before e-mail existed), actually thanked me for calling. Another station when called actually told me in so many words to mind my own business. The guy said "Who the hell are you to tell me that WE have a problem!" (Tom Jasinski, Joliet, IL, 10 August, IRCA via DXLD) Speaking as a DX'er and a broadcaster of 14 years: I've had listeners call me and tell me one of my stations had a problem. For instance, I answered the phone at WKBI/WDDH once and had a listener tell me "The music on classy 1400 is playing under the news" I said "thanks, let me run and look what happened" hung up and fixed it. If I know a station is automated/unattended, I would check on it several times a day while in the building, and at least once or twice at home, usually right before bed. I also check over the weekend when not in the office. BUT, and this is a BIG BUTT, that is just what *I* do. It is not meant to be a reflection on other broadcasters, my OCD doesn't allow me not to deal with things like this. I've NEVER EVER knowingly had a problem occur with a station I was in charge of for more then 6 hours. In most cases, it was fixed in an hour or less, if not mere minutes. As a DX'er, I have regularly called up or emailed stations when something has gone wonky. When living in Connecticut, the local AM was dead air when it should've had talk programming going. I called up the sister country station down the hall and said "Uhh, your AM across the hall is dead air" Jock: "Thanks, I'll go check" click. That was said in the hurried, let me go fix it fashion, not rudeness. I emailed a station just this week after noticing them on well past sunset 3 days in the last week. Owner replied and thanked me for alerting him to the problem. When a chief engineer friend of mine had his 10 kW day/3 tower, 1 kW night/6 tower station get stuck on day power and pattern well after dark, I called him up right away to let him know, so he could log in from home and fix it. What I do find ironic, or rather interesting is, if a station is cheating whether on purpose or on accident for a few days, many DX'ers are known to look the other way if it's a much needed item in the log books. However, once it becomes a pest, they want to burn that station at the stake. You can't have it both ways. I am a broadcaster first and foremost, it pays my bills. My responsibility is to protect the license and reputation of the stations I work for, and to a much smaller extent, the licenses of the stations that some of my best friends work for. You won't be able to convince me otherwise, really (Paul Walker, PA, ibid.) I agree with both of you. Not everybody - in any field - is going to go the extra mile for their employer. Some people are there just for the check. I've unfortunately worked with some of those. The main reason I opted out of management 15 years ago was that only maybe half of the people who worked for me cared enough to do their best on a regular basis. And of course again in any field you'll find people like the one who questioned the call (Russ Edmunds, WB2BJH, Blue Bell, PA, Grid FN20id, ibid.) WTEL 610 Philadelphia was overmodulating by 200-300% for a good year or two before they finally fixed it. I complained - never got any response. Using 110+ kHz bandwidth on peaks. Now they finally stopped and stopped using IBOC so I'm very happy. I'm guessing lots of automated stations make mistakes all the time. What they need is an automatic error checking system (ex. if your audio modulation is below 10% for more than 2 minutes or if your frequency drifts by more than 100 Hz, it could trigger a text message). Though from my experience as a software developer, even with error checking it is hard to maintain 100% up time (Aaron Kreider, ibid.) ** U S A. MARE Larry Russell reports, and several of us have confirmed that 1200, WCHB is off, according to MI buzzboard, and may be off for a while. The sole 'black owned' talker in Detroit, has apparently been sold to the ultra-conservative right wing 'Crawford Broadcasting'. More details can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/WCHB-Buzzboard http://tinyurl.com/WCHB-inside-radio http://tinyurl.com/minority-sale Be sure to check 1190, 1200 and 1210 for 'stuff' now that Detroit is temporarily off the air! I haven't heard WOWO so well in a dog's age (since 1200 has been using IBOCzzzz at least!) –kvz (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MARE Tipsheet Aug 11 via DXLD) ** U S A. 1370, August 9 at 1158 UT, ad for Coyote Tractors on highway 290, 1159 UT ID as Fox 1370, but 1200 UT into CBS News bong. This doesn`t quite compute, so my research finds: Google is smart enough to correct Coyote to Kioti! US 290 connects San Antonio to Austin to Houston TX. The only 1370 along this route is KJCE Rollingwood = Austin market, and it`s Talk 1370, not Fox 1370. Wikipedia and NRC AM Log of last year confirm it carries CBS news; and the find-a-Kioti- dealer website goes to this: Paige Tractors, 4409 Highway 290 East, Paige, TX, 78659, Distance: 46 miles from KJCE`s Austin zipcode of 78746. Wiki also informs that call derives from a previous branding ``K-Juice``. It`s 5/0.5 kW U4 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1480, August 12 at 1123 UT, open carrier/dead air, at first suspected KBXD Dallas until I hear that in Spanish gospel underneath, so now presumed KQAM Wichita, and making usual slow SAH together (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 91.7, August 9 at 1354, KOSU with NPR Morning Edition report about a girls` metal band in Indonesia, what a thing, but detracted by correspondent Ashley Westerman saying their native language is ``Sudanese``, rather than Sundanese (it`s a long way from Sudan), duh! Here`s the story with transcript http://www.npr.org/2017/08/09/542238928/meet-voice-of-baceprot-the-all-girl-metal-band-making-waves-in-indonesia which correctly spells Sundanese in first graf (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Friday August 11 was the final day for John Hockenberry as host of `The Takeaway` on PRI and many public radio stations. John Hockenberry: My Takeaway For nearly 10 years, John Hockenberry has been the voice of The Takeaway. On his last day as host of the program, John looks back on his tenure with the show. Aug 11, 2017 [9 minutes] http://www.wnyc.org/story/john-hockenberry-my-takeaway/ More: The Best of John Hockenberry John Hockenberry has crafted a number of moving stories over the last decade. As he prepares for his next adventure, The Takeaway looks back at his most memorable interviews. Aug 12, 2017 http://www.wnyc.org/story/best-john-hockenberry/ The Golden Hour of Satire, The Sound of The Takeaway, Exploring The Nature of Hope --- On today's show: A look at comedy and satire in the Trump era; John Hockenberry reflects on The Takeaway's unique sound on his final day hosting; exploring hope through photography. Aug 11, 2017 http://www.wnyc.org/story/the-takeaway-2017-08-11/ (via gh, DXLD) See also PROPAGATION: item about Eclipse ** U S A. FCC HIGHLIGHTS NUOS IN PIRATE ENFORCEMENT --- Combating unlicensed broadcasts is a priority for Chairman Pai, the FCC says August 15, 2017 By Susan Ashworth http://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/0002/fcc-highlights-nuos-in-pirate-enforcement/340221 The FCC has fewer field offices these days. But it’s trying to do a better job of informing the public about enforcement activities it has been doing and that it continues to carry out. Users of the commission’s popular Daily Digest email report have noticed a flood of items in recent days about efforts against illegal radio activities. The FCC decided to include “notices of unlicensed operations,” issued by field offices, in the digest. Until recently, these were public but usually only on the commission website. More advanced enforcement actions have been listed in the digest, typically notices of apparent liability for forfeiture. The goal, said an FCC spokesperson, is to ensure that the public is better informed about efforts of the field offices. “Combating unlicensed broadcasts is an enforcement priority for Chairman [Ajit] Pai.” This year, there have been 71 Notices of Violation or Notices of Unlicensed Operation issued by field offices through Aug. 11, according to an FCC summary page. Notices recently have been handed out in locales ranging from mid-size towns to populous cities. Each was issued by agents of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau for the alleged operation on a radio frequency at a certain field strength without a license. Each has been given 10 days from the date of the notice to respond with evidence that they have authority to operate, or watch out for monetary fines and — theoretically, at least — potential imprisonment. [Read an FCC Enforcement Primer] How are they found? “In general, the commission looks to the field work of FCC agents, consumer complaints, notice from broadcasters, cooperation with law enforcement partners and public resources as key tools in locating and addressing pirate radio,” the spokesperson said. Of 10 notices over a recent two-day period, eight were from the field office in Miami. For example, Jean Carries from Oakland Park, Fla., is identified as the owner of a residential property where an unlicensed FM station was operating on 90.1 MHz. Michael Palache of West Palm Beach, Fla., told enforcement agents that he was operating a station on 94.7 MHz, according to another notice. Similar notices were sent to Ernest J. Nardi of Brooklyn after agents from the New York office confirmed with Nardi that he had no authorization to operate a radio station that was emanating from his residence on 103.1 MHz. All the way across the country in San Jose, Calif., Stewart Kantor was notified of apparently illegal operation after a complaint was lodged by Verizon Wireless. The company stated that an unknown signal was causing interference to their C Block Upper MHz band service, which interfered with more than 200 Verizon sites in the area, according to the San Francisco enforcement office. Using direction-finding techniques, the commission said, agents confirmed that a wideband radio signal was emanating from a residence and that Kantor was identified as the owner of the device. In addition to needing authority to operate a device such as this one, users must also have a station license (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** VANUATU. 7260, Radio Vanuatu, Port Vila; 2217 talk by M about preparing for natural disasters in Pisin-like vernacular including frequent use of English technical or bureaucratic terms (e.g., "action plan,"), often mentioned Port Vila and Efate; very strong via KiwiSDR at Bay of Islands, New Zealand; August 6 (Andy Robins, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Icom R-75 with active mini-whip; Tecsun PL-880 and PL-660 with 45' PAR EF-SWL end-fed wire or 25' Sangean reel, NASWA Flashsheet via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) [and non]. Apologies if this is old news but I've just noticed that the live web stream of Radio Vanuatu is now up and running. They can be found on their web page with decent audio at https://www.vbtc.vu/radio-vanuatu Other South Pacific public broadcasters that I've also noticed today with live audio are Radio Cook Islands, Radio Fiji (with their new medium wave frequency of 990 kHz for their English "Gold" service), Radio Tonga, and the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation. Unfortunately there seems no sign of Papua New Guinea appearing online which would be very interesting to listen to. Does anyone know of a good up to date list or webpage of Public broadcasters worldwide? Most pages I've seen are way out of date. Regards, (Rob, Glasgow, Scotland, Aug 15, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) http://www.publicradiofan.com should be the most comprehensive, or do you already find much of it out of date? (Glenn, ibid.) ** VATICAN. Reception of Vatican Radio, Liturgy on August 11: 1130-1200 on 15595 SMG 100 kW / 107 deg to N/ME English Fri 1130-1200 on 17590 SMG 100 kW / 112 deg to N/ME English Fri Drastic cuts of Vatican Radio via SM di Galeria from August 1 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/drastic-cuts-of-vatican-radio-via-sm-di.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN. >> Drastic cuts of Vatican Radio via SM di Galeria from August 1 All transmissions to Central/Western Europe, last on 3975/6070/7250 kHz, are gone now. There used to be a late night edition in Arabic (for immigrants, apparently) which is gone now, and Latin liturgy, which a year ago had already been cut back to Sundays/holidays only, now goes out on other frequencies to ME/Af instead. It should also be considered that mid-season changes are not so feasible in complex airtime exchange arrangements. So it remains to be seen how much of the transmissions via third party facilities, which remained untouched now, will still be there after Oct 29 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 11, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Every time I am in contact with Sergio Salvatori at Vatican Radio, more is mentioned about cutbacks, which you alluded to as well [as above]. My listening comes from their English broadcasts to Africa, which can be received here quite well -- depending on propagation conditions on any given day. 73's (Ed Insinger, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA [and non]. LA VOZ EN EL EXILIO: RADIO EUZKADI EN IPARRALDE Y VENEZUELA La historia de la actual Radio Euskadi comenzó el 31 de marzo de 1983. Pero el proyecto de crear una emisora vasca nació mucho antes... Durante la guerra civil los dos bandos enfrentados valoraron la radio como un arma indispensable para informar y hacer propaganda. Tras diversas experiencias con emisoras locales, en el momento en el que se preveía la caída del territorio guipuzcoano debido al avance franquista, el Gobierno Vasco instaló una emisora en un caserio de Itziar llamado Getari. Desde allí, durante una docena de días, se emitió utilizando por primera vez el nombre de Radio Euzkadi. Corría el mes de septiembre de 1937. Para que el germen de Getari diera fruto y naciera una Radio Euzkadi oficial creada por el Gobierno Vasco hubo que esperar 10 ańos. El 21 de diciembre de 1946 tuvieron lugar las primeras emisiones de Radio Euskadi: La voz de la resistencia vasca desde Iparralde. El 24 de febrero se emitió el primer programa oficial. Fue aquella una radio de resistencia, nacida para atacar al régimen franquista y dar a conocer los atropellos que estaba llevando a cabo. Así fue hasta 1954, cuando las autoridades francesas cedieron a las exigencias del Gobierno espańol y cerraron la emisora. La aventura venezolana duró de 1965 hasta 1977. Allí la colonia vasca había crecido y había adquirido posición social. El grupo de jóvenes de EGI de Caracas era muy activo y allí estuvo el germen de esta nueva etapa de Radio Euzkadi. En la selva venezolana nació Macuto, al emisora clandestina que consiguió una calidad de programación destacable. Tras la muerte de Franco las perspectivas cambiaron e instaurada la democracia se sentaron las bases para crear en 1982 Euskadi Irratia y Euskal Telebista. En 1983 llegaría Radio Euskadi (via Conexion Digital 13 agosto via DXLD) WTFK? Seems like circa 15080? ** VIETNAM. 9636.04, Son Tay, 0715, very good with conversation, local music. 5 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) Not a typo, I think as this one is normally way off-frequency making a tell-tale het against any real 9635; altho for one brief period it did get back on 9635 (gh, DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. 4965, Voice of Hope, 1812, very good with contemporary Christian vocals. 4 August (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Robert Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Trans-Pacific JBA MW carrier search, August 11 at 1053- 1055: 774 and 882 from WSW, presumably Australia/New Zealand. Another on 1098 has no null, so likely local birdie rather than Marshalls (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 774, Aug 12 at 1109, JBA carrier looping WSW, likely 3LO Melbourne. This so weak that I don`t bother with a complete 9-kHz bandscan, but instead search for 10-kHz Mexicans at SRS (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1020-, Aug 12 at 1113 UT, annoying low het to KOKP Perry OK, slightly on low side; in addition to a much closer SAH to KOKP. Also heard previous mornings; can`t get a reliable bearing on it or enough signal to separate it. BTW, 740 KRMG Tulsa still suffers from a horrible rumbling low het around sunrise from XEQN, Torreón, Coahuila, as previously IDed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1710 kHz: 0150 EDT, AUG 12 2017, In the mix of Hudson NJ, Springfield MA and probably Flight 93 PA I heard Chuck Berry with "Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll" at 0150. Faded quickly, but it had come on to start the song like someone had pushed the "on" button. At 0155 the music is gone (Jim Renfrew, Clarendon NY, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) Back again tonight, 0240 UT, oldies with no announcements between songs. Same playlist of oldies, songs generally heard in the same order. I've been hearing it for several weeks now on 1710 between 0100 and 0300 UT. Often, when the playlist completes, it will stay on with an open carrier well into the night. Very odd! Signal level is good here right now, up to S8 at times. 73, (Tim Tromp, West Michigan, UT Aug 13, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, ibid.) Maybe the JBA carrier I`ve heard (gh) Tim, Did you hear Hail Hail Rock and Roll in the repeated list of songs? (Jim Renfrew, Clarendon NY, IRCA via DXLD) Jim, Yes, that song is on the playlist. Here's my log of this station from July 22 where I documented the playlist (it hasn't changed). Times shown below are UT: 0123z: The Danleers - One Summer Night 0131z: Question Mark and the Mysterians - 96 Tears 0135z: Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River 0139z: Freddy Cannon - Palisades Park 0142z: Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman 0145z: Sue Thompson - Sad Movies 0148z: Tommy James and the Shondells - Hanky Panky 0151z: The Gories - Let Me Show You Where It's At 0156z: Smokey Robinson - I Second That Emotion 0159z: Faron Young - Hello Walls 0201z: Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made for Walking 0206z: Burl Ives - Call Me Mr In-Between 0215z: Dion - The Wanderer 0219z: Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again 0224z: Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking 0226z: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs - Wooly Bully 0229z: The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing 0232z: Johnny Taylor - Who's Making Love 0241z: Beach Boys - Surfin USA 0244z: Otis Redding - Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay 0246z: James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag 0252z: Elvis - Little Sister 0255z: Chuck Berry ? Hail, Hail, Rock And Roll 0258z: S8 open carrier 73, (-Tim Tromp, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, ibid.) [more about the above on his blog: http://blog.amdxer.com/oldies-take-over-1710-this-week/ Thanks for the song confirmation, Tim. We still don't know what it is though, right? (Jim Renfrew, NY, ibid.) I've heard this station countless times now since the signal is quite good here, but I've never heard any announcements between songs, station ID, etc. It remains a mystery (-Tim, ibid.) So why don`t you guys DF - triangulate it? For starters, what is its bearing from Tim, from where exactly in West Michigan? I`ve also had a JBA carrier on 1710. 73, (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, ibid.) Tim, as I recall, you're hearing this only or clearly best on your North DKAZ? I don't currently have any antennas that direction so I haven't heard it. 73 KAZ 55 km NW of Chicago (Neil Kazaross, ibid.) Glenn, I only heard the one song, not much time to work out bearings! (Jim Renfrew, NY, ibid.) Yes, using the DKAZ, the signal is clearly better towards the north. I have no good way to loop the bearing as it becomes challenging to pull it in without using the DKAZ. Maybe I'll dust off my Quantum Loop the next time I hear it and give it a go (-Tim Tromp, ibid.) On again right now (0001 UTC 8/14/2017) with oldies. 73, (-Tim, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. UNKNOWN, 5940, 1452-1500, Modern African-like music with vocals (electronic based), SINPO 33333 (with QRM from underlying station on same frequency). (ED SYLVESTER, 7Z1ES, RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, Aug 4, Rig: WJ-8711/Drake R8B; Ant: Pixel Magnetic Loop with rotor, Up 30', dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) One of them should be V of Freedom, Korea South to North, which uses this frequency sporadically (gh, DXLD) UNIDentified. Station with modern African music and talks on August 9 1855-2000 on 5940*unknown tx / unknown to Af?? unknown language, weak signal. First observed by Ed Sylvester 14-15 UT, August 4 & by me too 18-20 UT, August 7 * QRM from unmodulated carrier on 5938 kHz, morse on 5939 kHz and traditional very strong: 1823-1920 on 5950 SIR 500 kW / 298 deg to SEEu Albanian VIRI/IRIB 1923-1950 on 5945 SIR 500 kW / 295 deg to SEEu Italian VIRI/IRIB http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/unidentified-station-with-modern.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi all, 5940.0 kHz UNID, 1855-, African music, just before the news: "Salam Aleykoum" SIO: 333, Perhaps Eritrea? (10/08) Best 73 (Franck Baste, F4LKC, Perseus + Loop ALA 1530, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today starting around 1830 UT, but very weak signal. Videos will be uploaded later, after the end at 2000. -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, QTH: Sofia, Bulgaria, 1942 UT Aug 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDentified station with modern African music and talk, August 10 1845&1900 5940 unknown tx / unknown to Af? unknown language, very weak 1925-2010 5940 unknown tx / unknown to Af? open carrier/dead air&off! http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/unidentified-station-with-modern_10.html -- 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No more audio heard from 1925, but carrier still there at 1950. Talk before, presumed East African. VoTR [Tigre Revolution] is active on 5950 and did not seem to be in // (as it used to be sporadically in the past). Eritrean transmitters were on 7140 + 7181.5 today. Regular programming always ends at 1830, so if ERI, a clandestine broadcast to Ethiopia would be likely. A frequency close to VoTR would then of course be a rational choice. BTW.: an UnID 5940 was reported in A-DX a few months ago, I remember. Don't think it was identified then. OK, just see Ivo reporting it starting at 1830. That would of course also point to ERI. Though Glenn [sic] had it already at 1452, I checked ERIs via SDRs at 1330 and found them on the above frequencies, also 1600+. An interesting one. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, 1956 UT, ibid.) Yet another catch of this one via SDRs in the Arab region: Sat 12, --- -1350-1448*, mostly Horn of Africa music, some talk in the beginning, but no announcement before sign-off. 73 (Thorsten, ibid.) MORE about this, speculating on Eritrean transmitter sites, at ERITREA. Still being heard August 17, and still unID UNIDENTIFIED. 6947, Aug 13 at 0044, open carrier, pirate? No, by 0533, bonker centered here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9780.23-USB, August 9 at 0611, 2-way INTRUDERS very poor in tonal language, Chinese? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15555-AM, August 11 at 1404, JBA S1 signal not WJHR, M&W talking and some music. Nothing but WJHR is listed on 15555 in latest HFCC, Aoki and Eibi. Next check at 1426, it`s gone, and now WJHR is audible on USB only. Checking the neighborhood, most likely this is Voice of Tibet, via Madagascar, which has a history of jumping frequencies to thwart ChiCom jamming. It`s supposed to be on 15565 at 1400-1430, per EiBi: 15565 1400-1430 CLA Voice of Tibet TB Tib /MDG But suppressed from HFCC: no such MDG = MDC anywhere near in HFCC! Aoki shows [sic]: 15565*VOICE OF TIBET 1400-1405 1234567 Tibetan 15565*VOICE OF TIBET 1400-1407 1234567 Tibetan 15565*VOICE OF TIBET 1410-1428 1234567 Tibetan all: 250 45 Talata-Volonondry 2 MDG 1843S 04737E VOTi a17 As I tuned up to 15575 to check KBS, did not notice any signal on 15565, but did not know at the time that was where VOT should have been. I did notice nothing on 15525/15528 where VOT via Tajikistan and CNR1 jamming were heard yesterday, before 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. NUMBERS STATION/USA, E11 Oblique vs WWCR-1 on 15825 kHz, August 12: 1345-1348 on 15825*unknown secret tx site to Eu English USB, good *co-ch WWCR-1 15825 WCR 100 kW / 046 deg to WeEu English AM, weak http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2017/08/numbers-station-e11-oblique-vswwcr-1-on.html (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, dxldyg via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Acknowledged on WORLD OF RADIO 1891: Tnx to Chuck Ermatinger, St Louis MO, for another contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com Via PayPal not necessarily in US funds, as PP will do the conversion. One may also contribute by check or MO in US funds on a US bank to Glenn Hauser, P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702 Comments like "Stupid sports talk" are pointless, childish and pretty damn annoying. Others logs are useful in helping to monitor stations you might be interested in, but just the facts, maam (Paul OCD Walker, ABDX via DXLD) Thank you Glenn for your hard work and dedicated service. I always appreciate your sense of humor (Todd Skaine, Bloomington MN) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ TIS LIST There used to be a TIS list. Does anyone know where it is located? Thanks, (Jim Renfrew, Clarendon NY, IRCA mailing list via DXLD) There's a searchable online database here: https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/travelers-information-stations-search (Paul Walker, ibid.) http://www.ircaonline.org/TIS_2016.pdf 73, (Kraig Krist, NRC-AM via DXLD) e.g. see OKLAHOMA! WELCOME TO INTERVAL SIGNALS COLLECTION! On this site you will find signature tunes, interval signals, jingles, and identification announcements from radio stations of Russian Federation and other countries around the world. http://radiolistener7.narod.ru/ (Rus-DX August 13, published August 12, via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE B17 HFCC/ASBU COORDINATION CONFERENCE will be held from 21 to 25 August 2017 in South Africa. Visit the Page of the Meeting in the restricted area for more information (from http://hfcc.org/B17/ via DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ ARTIFICIAL LANGUAGES ON RADIO It is very evident for the international traveler and for the avid shortwave enthusiast, that there is a multitude of different languages still in use around our world to this day. Several authorities suggest that the current total number of spoken languages upon our planet stands at about 7,000, a few of which have still not yet been reduced into a system of writing. I (Ray Robinson KVOH) remember the 1960 TV series Star Trek and the universal translator devices used by the characters. These devices enabled two way translation of spoken languages in real time, and they were supposed to operate by using standing brainwave frequencies, and processing the results to create a basis for translation. If only that were possible! Well, we [are] leaving science fiction aside. The matter of intercommunication between peoples who speak different languages has always been a cause of national and international difficulty, and many have been the attempts to alleviate this problem. One suggested approach to solve this problem has been the development of an artificial language which could be easily learned with the intent of implementing it as a second language around the world. According to internet sources, there have been many hundreds of attempts at developing artificial or constructed languages during the past 500 years, with varying degrees of success. One of the very earliest attempts at an international artificial language was the use of a different symbol for each separate meaning, somewhat similar to the ideographic symbols used in the Chinese and Japanese languages. Interestingly, this old and original concept is again under consideration these days for use by computers in translating from one language to another. It was in 1879 that a German priest, Johann Martin Schleyer, began to develop an international artificial language, that he called Volapuk. During the 1880s, three international Volapuk conventions were staged in Germany and France, wherein the usage of this new artificial auxiliary language was promoted. Within ten years, it was claimed that nearly one million people were involved in the Volapuk language movement. However, this artificial language is virtually extinct these days, due to its complicated grammar and difficult vocabulary. Perhaps the most unusual artificial language was named Solresol, which was developed by a French musician, Jean François Sudre in 1827. This language was based upon the Italian musical scale that was made so famous in more recent time by Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music; do re mi fa so la ti do. In the 200 year old artificial language, the musical notes were strung together in various combinations to form words that conveyed a specific meaning. Obviously, this strange musical form of artificial language, which was really a code language rather than a spoken language, achieved very little success. However, nearly one hundred years later, Professor Carlo Spatari in New York City modified the Solresol language and he reintroduced it as Sirela for use in the international radio world. The new Sirela radio language was in vogue for only a short period of time immediately prior to the commencement of World War 2. In the Sirela code language, the single syllable words in the Italian musical scale were strung together to form a compound word that expressed a concept that was understood in the monitoring of international radio signals. A few shortwave stations printed QSL cards which contained code terminology in the Sirela language, and there were also some international shortwave stations that gave brief announcements over the air in Sirela terminology. According to the informative radio historian Jerome Berg in his first very readable volume, On the Short Waves, there were some international radio monitors in the United States who sent their reception reports to foreign radio stations in Sirela terminology. During the intervening years, there have been numerous attempts at creating an artificial language for various purposes. In recent time, most notably there has been an emphasis on the usage of the Klingon language, more as a communication novelty rather than for international communication. The Klingon language was invented for the Star Wars series of movie films, and so well has this artificial language developed that some young people actually converse with each other in Klingonese. In addition, some of the works of the English playwright, William Shakespeare have been translated into the Klingon language, as have parts of the Christian Bible. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Klingon language is the world's most popular fictional language as measured by number of speakers. Now, as far as an artificial auxiliary international language is concerned, by far the most widely used has been the Esperanto language, together with its various offshoots and descendants. Some time soon, we will take an indepth look at the Esperanto language, and its use in radio broadcast programming (Adrian M Peterson, Indianapolis IN, script for AWR Wavescan July 30 via DXLD) ARTIFICIAL LANGUAGES ON RADIO: ESPERANTO By far, the most popular artificial language that has ever been created is the language known under the title Esperanto. The very name, Esperanto, means one who hopes. It was Dr. Ludwig Zamenhof, a Polish eye doctor, who developed the Esperanto language and he released it to the world in his book, Unua Libro, that was printed in the year 1887. His intent was that Esperanto should become the world’s major second language, and thus multitudes of people with a myriad of primary languages would be able to intercommunicate with comfort and ease. The Esperanto language is said to be very easy to learn, and in fact linguists state that it can be mastered in the shortest amount of time for any language upon the Earth. Esperanto is totally regular in all of its grammatical forms, and it is very flexible in its build up of terminology. The entire grammar structure can be learned in one lesson. According to Wikipedia: There are some two million people who have varying degrees of proficiency in the language, including up to two thousand people for whom Esperanto is their mother tongue, having learned it in their childhood home. Esperantists are found in some 120 countries and its highest volume of usage is found in Europe, Eastern Asia and South America. The first international congress of Esperanto speakers was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer in France in 1905, and since then there has been an international Esperanto Congress somewhere every year, except during the years of World War 1 and World War 2. These major annual events attract many participants from throughout the world, usually around 2,000, though on one occasion the attendance reached as high as 6,000. Interestingly, three different micronations have considered the usage of Esperanto as their national language. The territory of Neutral Moresnet is a slice of territory at 1˝ square miles lying between Belgium and Germany. Due to anomalies in political history, Moresnet retained some form of neutral independence for more a century, running from 1816 to 1920. As part of its move for continued independence back in the early 1900s, Moresnet considered adopting Esperanto as its national language. (Much of the territory of Moresnet has subsequently been incorporated into neighboring Belgium.) Two other micronations, far less real than Moresnet, considered adopting Esperanto as the national language. These micronations were Rose Island off the east coast of Italy, and Molossia in the American state of Nevada. Rose Island was a manmade platform in the Adriatic Sea back half a century ago and it supported tourist enterprises, such as a restaurant, a post office and apparently also a radio station. Molossia was a small farm of 1˝ acres near Dayton in Nevada which together with the farm house, was declared independent as a micronation, also half a century ago. The supposedly national language for both of these tourist ventures, Rose Island and Molossia, was Esperanto. According to statistics recently released by Duolingo, currently a million people are studying Esperanto on their language instruction website. The Google translation site has also added Esperanto to their list of translation capabilities. Another report states that more than 75 universities in more than 25 countries have at some time given instruction in Esperanto. Esperanto is currently the language of instruction at the International Academy of Sciences in San Marino, Italy; Vatican Radio uses Esperanto on its website; the United States army published a phrase book for its soldiers in Esperanto in the 1950s; in the summer of 1924, the American Radio Relay League adopted Esperanto as its official international auxiliary language; and over the years, several shortwave stations have inserted Esperanto programming into their scheduling. Back in the early days of radio, a week long series of International Radio Broadcast Tests was conducted with the participation of many prominent stations in North America and Europe. These international test broadcasts began on November 24, 1924, when ten stations in the United States and Canada presented programming in Esperanto. In 1934, the radio station VN at La Doua-Lyons in France with 1˝ kW on 644 kHz conducted a listener contest with seven people from different national backgrounds, all speaking in Esperanto in the same radio program. The 1949 edition of the World Radio Handbook gave a list of some of the radio stations in Europe with programming in Esperanto. A quick search on the internet reveals that several international shortwave stations are these days on the air in the Esperanto language. These stations include: Radio Polonia in Warsaw Poland, China Radio International, Radio Havana Cuba, Vatican Radio, and RAI in Rome Italy. Radio Polonia, in the country where Esperanto as an international second language was launched (Poland), states that over the years they have broadcast more than 25,000 programs in Esperanto. On the radio scene, Muzaiko is a 24 hour internet radio stream in Esperanto, with some English inserts. Their website is muzaiko.info. QOTW163 QSL of the Week: QSL Card printed in the Esperanto Language - Back a decade or so ago, there was an amateur DXpedition to the North African exclave of Melilla, a small Spanish settlement measuring less than five square miles, at the Mediterranean edge of North Africa. This territory has been allotted the amateur callsign prefix EA9. Their QSL card shows a photograph in color of old historic buildings, and the language on the card is the international auxiliary language Esperanto (Adrian Peterson, IN, script for AWR Wavescan Aug 13, via DXLD) DX-PEDITIONS ++++++++++++ OREGON CLIFF (ROCKWORK 4) ULTRALIGHT DU`S FOR 8-9 [concluded de 17-32] The ninth and final session of the Rockwork 4 DXpedition (yesterday morning) featured more exciting DU propagation, with another monster signal from 558-Fiji, a new Oz 558 co-channel with a rock format, the best signal ever from the 1 kW 936-Chinese Voice and the first FSL logging of the 2 kW 927-Newstalk ZB. The ocean cliff session opened in the predawn darkness at 1150 with the unpleasant sight of a huge RV parked in my usual antenna setup spot. After setting up FSL's in the north end of the turnoff I made my final DXpedition attempt to received Longwave NDB's from the South Pacific, which were again comatose. 531 was full of signals, though, with PI and a presumed 2PM fighting it out at decent levels. The rejuvenated 558-Fiji started making serious waves around 1247 but was troubled by an UnID Australian rock station,,which managed to force it off the frequency at times from 1259-1304. Fiji recovered in fine form, through, finishing up with its island choral music at a huge level by 1329. Since this was the last day of the DXpedition a deliberate effort was made to go after unheard but marginal DU stations, resulting in a fair to good logging of 846-2RN around 1255, a new logging of a modest- level 927-Newstalk ZB (with an Oz music-format co-channel) at 1306, fair-level 963-Star //657 at 1319, 738-2NR //774 at 1328 (but sliced up by SF splatter), 855-Oz //774 at 1311 (but sliced up by Tacoma splatter) and in one of the most convoluted, back-and-forth parallel checks in ocean cliff history, 837-RNZ //756 at 1345 (which, oddly enough, was the only RNZ parallel audible at that extremely late time, even though the 50 kW Portland mega-pest 750-KXTG is only 70 miles and 6 kHz away). As if to prove the point, I made an recording of 756-RNZ all by itself at 1338, during which the solid rock cliff shut down the Portland splatter to a negligible degree, providing very solid reception of the last surviving Kiwi signal of the session. Wow! Overall this August 2017 DXpedition has been far and away the most productive Rockwork 4 trip ever, with two Western Australians (531-6DL and 558-6WA) received at decent levels, five stations received on 531 kHz alone (PI, More FM, 2PM, 4KZ and 6DL), 558-Fiji completely restored and reaching S9 levels, an S9 recording of 585-2WEB (confirmed by David Sharp), the best-ever signals from the Kiwis on 531 (More FM), 603, 657, 765, 936 and 1503, monster signals from 585- 7RN and 639-5CK, multiple receptions of 1017-Tonga, etc. Even when we needed to dodge the "sleeping squatters" it was a lot of fun to share the cliff with my DXpedition partners Tom and Chuck, especially during the phenomenal August 4th session (when Tom and I both made out like bandits). I'm sure that both of us will remember that wild and wacky session for years to come! 531 PI Auckland, NZ, 5 kW Female Samoan speech at good level at 1229 https://app.box.com/s/iifum3lablh8wxwt87toehpuwzo8e9yd 531 2PM Kempsey, Australia, 5 kw (Presumed) The likely one with an ad string in a "talker" format at 1232 with no apparent oldies music transmission for 15 minutes https://app.box.com/s/uf6hkk32rw5k6llyi1xo08suvk9iegxe 558 Radio Fiji One Suva, Fiji, 10 kW After shaking off the pesky UnID Oz rock station around 1305 this rejuvenated wonder once again pounded in with island choral music at 1329 https://app.box.com/s/lrsxo24dkqaozmzn8zf5it13c1zfu6f5 558 UnID-Oz Mystery Australian rock station in a snarl with Fiji from 1259-1304, and silencing it during the two recordings linked below. Fast-paced rock music at 1304 https://app.box.com/s/fyync8y821ua6qx4js7rhrcmn3hcqipt Female and male-voiced DU English ads at 1259 https://app.box.com/s/ittyjnuupwt4kdbkj26ui3xv2o1hpctn 756 RNZ Auckland, NZ, 10 kW The solid rock cliff acts as a "splatter eliminator" to filter out 750-KXTG in Portland (50 kW and only 70 miles away), providing easy reception of this Kiwi RNZ relay (the last surviving DU very late in the session).at 1338 https://app.box.com/s/anomc4qcr64ezmoe8aykin4podyah1w7 927 Newstalk ZB Palmerston North, NZ, 2 kW Low-powered Kiwi relay (in a mix with an UnID Oz music station) was tracked //1035 at 1308 to provide an all-new logging https://app.box.com/s/vdhttgri1d1r0uf69rt4jtgr6y7gyno7 936 Chinese Voice Auckland, NZ, 1 kW Best signal ever from this amazing 1 kW Kiwi wonder with male Chinese speech at a very good level at 1304 https://app.box.com/s/z8jbfnptywt446a66kmpqqwzyuq0upsu 963 Star Christchurch, NZ, 10 kW Tracked down at a good level //657 at 1319, apparently with its Oz co-channel at times https://app.box.com/s/329ztas72h18f3vgyha2l1i0d03t21za 73 and Good DX, (Gary DeBock (DXing at the Rockwork 4 ocean cliff near Manzanita, OR, USA), 7.5 inch loopstick CC Skywave and Tecsun PL380 Ultralights + 17 inch and 15 inch "Airport Unfriendly" FSL antennas, IRCA via DXLD) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ BRITAIN'S BIG BEN TO FALL SILENT FOR FOUR YEARS https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/britains-big-ben-fall-silent-four-years 14 Aug 2017[INLINE] AFP/File / Justin TALLIS The Elizabeth Tower, which houses the bell known as Big Ben, is the most photographed building in Britain [caption] Britain's much-loved Big Ben will fall silent for four years from next week as conservation work is carried out on the famous 19th century bell in a clock tower next to the Houses of Parliament. "Big Ben falling silent is a significant milestone in this crucial conservation project," Steve Jaggs, whose official title is "Keeper of the Great Clock", said in a parliament statement on Monday. "This essential programme of works will safeguard the clock on a long term basis, as well as protecting and preserving its home -- the Elizabeth Tower," he said. It will be the longest period that Big Ben, whose bongs are familiar to many people around the world because of their use in BBC radio and television broadcasts, has been silent in its 157-year history. The Great Bell, popularly called Big Ben, weighs 13.7 tonnes and strikes every hour to the note of E. Four smaller bells also chime every 15 minutes. The last bong before the refurbishment will be at 12 pm (1100 GMT) on August 21, the statement said. The clock will still tell the time silently until 2021 and the chimes will continue to be rung on important occasions such as New Year's Eve. The Elizabeth Tower, which is 96 metres (315 feet) high, is the most photographed building in Britain. The tower itself is commonly referred to as Big Ben even though the name applies only to the bell. The clock's cogs and hands as well as the four dials will be removed, cleaned up and repaired as part of the work. The project's cost was estimated last year at -L-29 million (31.9 million euros, $37.7 million). Because the clock mechanism will be temporarily out of action, a modern electric motor will drive the clock hands until the clock is reinstated. Parliament also said that the clock's faces would have to be covered up while they are being repaired. "However, to ensure that the public are still able to set their watches by this most important of time pieces, one working clock face will remain visible at all times throughout the works," it said (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See KUWAIT ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DAB See HONG KONG; UK ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC See USA 1020/610, 1200 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV See MEXICO; OKLAHOMA ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ This story nails it down for AM radio http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-lundgren/what-happened-to-am-radio_b_13876742.html What Happened To AM Radio (that's NOT a question) Follow Fred Lundgren on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CeoLundgren On Christmas Eve morning, the electricity went off at our house and panic quickly spread among our younger guests. http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2016-12-29-1482990400-4033061-sELECTRICITYOUTLETsmall.jpg First, the TV sets went dark. Then, the desktop computers began to die as UPS back up batteries failed. For a while, we were reassured by the sound of familiar alarms, but then suddenly, total silence. Could this be the end times? Is this the onslaught of the apocalypse? Smart phones were quickly deployed and guests began calling each other from room to room. The panic began to subside when several millennials volunteered communal usage of their wireless data plans. The kingdom would be saved...crisis abated. My wife and I reassured everyone that our electric bill was paid, while we quietly looked up a receipt to confirm it. To be more certain, I asked my son-in-law to go on a neighborhood reconnaissance mission and call the electric company. A few moments later, he returned with a full report. The power was off for 3,000 homes in Katy, Texas. Thank you Center Point Energy. As the younger generation huddled around the smart phones with data plans, I began to think of the outage as an opportunity to listen to AM Radio, so I went to my office and dusted off my old RCA SuperRadio III. http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2016-12-29-1482989160-860742-superdownload.jpg I couldn’t remember the last time I replaced the batteries but to my surprise, it came to life with its signature popcorn sound when I pushed its big silver button. “IT’S ALIVE” WOW...the AM band was extraordinarily quiet and responsive. I scanned across the dial from 610 AM to 1590 AM. All the stations were as clear as a bell. Then, I decided to press my luck. I tuned to KTSA 550 AM in San Antonio and then I moved the dial slightly to the right and heard KLVI 560 AM in Beaumont, Texas. Every station was booming in loud and clear. I felt like a child with a new toy. I dialed up and down the band, experiencing the clear booming sound of AM Radio without any noise or interference. It was a feast for the senses. It was beautiful. After a few minutes, one of my daughters walked in and asked about the source of my entertainment. I pointed to my SuperRadio and said joyfully, “listen”. She looked at the big black box and asked “How can you listen with the internet and electricity off?” I responded, “It’s my portable SuperRadio III.” Before I could explain further, she shrugged her shoulders, closed the door and went back upstairs, convinced that her Dad was conducting some sort of high tech experiment. In a manner of speaking, her assumption was correct. I was listening to AM Radio in a big city without the interference of computers, wireless modems and an overloaded electrical grid. For the first time in my recent memory, the “Senior Radio Band” sounded beautiful. Sadly, my experiment ended with preordained results when the electric power was restored. Instantly, the noise on the AM band was so bad inside my home that it even interfered with KTRH 740 AM, the legacy 50 kW blowtorch of Houston. Other powerful stations like KGOW 1560 AM and KSEV 700 AM couldn’t override the noise so obviously, the lower powered stations didn’t have a chance. My impromptu experiment reaffirmed that noise injection is literally destroying AM Radio, which is the most efficient form of point to multi point communications ever created in the history of the world. As a class, AM Radio licensees and AM listeners have been severely damaged. The “Good Will Value” of many AM Stations has evaporated. I think it can be successfully argued in a federal courtroom that AM Station licensees and AM listeners have not received “due process”. The FCC, by its failure to regulate interference, has aided and abetted those who are causing the interference. Their inaction has allowed every POS imaginable to take a steaming crap on the sound of AM Radio. The damage is real and probably totals tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars. As the CEO of KCAA http://www.kcaaradio.com 1050 AM Radio, it’s a source of constant frustration. The manufacturers, distributors and retailers who market AM noise makers have recklessly caused irreparable harm to AM Radio and it’s time for us to fight back as a class and make them pay (via Kevin Redding, Crump TN, ABDX via DXLD) WORKING AT A NUMBERS STATION, A STORY FROM A NUMBERS STATIONS OPERATOR [re 17-32] [altho anonymyzed, this story has all the earmarx of being written by an American --- I can easily imagine it was the Numbers Station site on the west fringe of Miami FL --- gh] Our site has various articles and documents showing the use of numbers stations. Yet, never before have we had an account from a person who has “worked at the numbers stations”. This person whose name we will not disclose has shared his story in working in foreign radio transmission base six decades ago. While his story carefully conceals what was the station and to whom it broadcasted, it tells us the basics of numbers stations operation. Much of it has not changed, only the technological level has improved, although some of the stations use similar techniques even now. This original account from the person who has made his service is believable and is source in numbers stations history by its own kind. We hope this account will help to understand the numbers stations better and shows the reality behind the complex intelligence service that involves larger numbers of men and women and our hero of the story. Here is the story of being a numbers stations operator: Working at a numbers station 6 decades ago was not much different than working at an AM broadcast station. Located on a WWII old Naval Base it consisted of one building surrounded by a double chain link fence inside which older local men drove pickup trucks around for security. Inside the building there was a workshop, two 20,000-watt AM shortwave transmitters, crystal controlled oscillators, and a soundproof booth with a record player and records of well-known music in a language and culture common to the target. Outside the compound was an antenna farm with a log periodic antenna, a rhombic, and a couple dipoles. No “domes” as this was long before satellite commo. I lived, with my wife, about a mile from the site and would drive through a back road to the location, be admitted by security through each gate, and park, and relieve the other op who, after briefing me, was free to go home. My job was to follow a schedule, select the proper frequency at the proper time, tune the transmitter, hit the plate voltage, play the record the schedule told me to, and then recite the messages arranged in five-number groups of numbers in the appropriate language into the microphone in the recording booth. This was all done live and, as far as I know, no recordings were kept. The purpose of all this was to send messages to spies implanted in an enemy (or target) country. However not all – or even not many – of the broadcasts were actually messages. Usually they were simply the numbers from a one-time-pad. Agents knew that a particular music selection would tell them whether they needed to actually copy the message (that it was, in other words, “real”). Wrong music, they turned off their receivers and ignored it. Right music they’d copy it, decode it from their copy of a one-time- pad and follow the instructions. Working at a numbers station requires no more skill than working at an AM broadcast station as far as technical ability goes. Everyone who worked inside the compound was cleared for top secret as well as clearances specific to the job at hand. We were all fairly high skilled people (I went on to a career in engineering afterwards) capable of far more complex tasks but this was the job assignment. The security guards were “unwitting” (as far as I know) of the true nature of the installation although I suspect rumors abounded. There was no “fraternization” between the guards and the tech staff and I did not ever learn their names. My wife knew nothing about what I did although she did know the basics of who I worked for. The biggest excitement of that job involved snakes. One night a guard shot two of the biggest poisonous snakes I’ve ever seen. They later hung them up on the inner 12 chain link fence and they had to be six or seven feet long. I think that the guard who shot the snakes almost had a heart attack! The other story involved a snake which had somehow gotten into the building and then into one of the big xmtrs and wrapped itself around one of the final amplifier tubes to stay warm. When a tech hit the plate power switch it cooked itself. It didn’t smell like chicken, either. Other than that it’s just a job. The messages were all prepared somewhere else by someone else and delivered to us along with the schedule. We all had high level clearances but we never knew who we sent these to or what the real ones might have said. This sort of compartmentalization was (and is) common. I often thought of those for whom the messages were intended… how they felt, where they were --- whether they were in an attic or shed or stranded somewhere copying down a message that was a threat to their very lives on a radio that was a death penalty to simply be in possession of. I was very careful to do it right. I have to say that it is nice to have had jobs they make movies about; however inaccurately. I once showed my son a documentary about another one of my jobs, which is nice. Although I am not entirely sure he believed me. Obviously what I wrote above is true but no classified information was included. It was all many decades ago, anyway, and nothing remains of that numbers station today. People at a numbers station – and at other jobs involving intelligence – are neither heroes nor villains. Mostly we do our jobs as well as we can. The times I write about were a period of war – however hot or cold it was – and we were caught up in it. It’s a difficult and sometimes dangerous career with our families often in danger, too. Lots of stress and long periods of time living in a culture different from one’s home. While you might be able, even now, to copy numbers stations, the agents to whom their transmissions are directed to, will not be using any methods you can intercept today (or even back then). The technology of that has changed enormously. But numbers stations remain one of the easiest ways to get a covert message to an agent in a restricted area even today. This account is direct unedited copy of the text the person telling this story has sent us. The accuracy and legitimacy of this account is on the good will of the person who had by our request shared his story. We believe memories are to be displayed in their raw text as they were told by this person. The authenticity of written or oral memories are always under professional review and to be confirmed by using archive documents or other accounts. We have responsibility for this account, should the person requests to remove or there is other reason, we reserve right to remove it. http://www.numbers-stations.com/articles/working-at-a-numbers-station (via SW Bulletin Aug 13 via DXLD) USA NUCLEAR PREPARATION, EMP AND SHORTWAVE An article in The Orange County (Calif.) Register today says fears of a nuclear attack are boosting business at survival stores, with items such as gas masks, freeze-dried food and chemical suits going quickly. Discussing the possibility of a bomb being dropped on Los Angeles, Thomas Coyne, lead instructor and founder of Thomas Coyne Survival Schools in Irvine, said: â??One of the most problematic issues is the electromagnetic interference created by an explosion like that.â?ť "Because the region likely would lose electricity, Coyne recommends residents keep electronics intrinsically safe to protect them from the electromagnetic pulse the bomb would trigger. It also would be wise to keep a shortwave radio and ham radio in the protective case to communicate with people outside the blackout zone." Full article at: http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20170811/how-nuclear-attack-fears-are-boosting-business-at-survival-st ores (Mike Cooper, GA, Aug 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SHORTWAVE BAND INTERFERENCE Hi all, Here in the shack my AM band is very clear of any interference and I have no issues picking out weak stations, but the shortwave bands are covered in a kind of hash interference and only strong signals are being heard. Over the weekend, I turned off all the circuit breakers in the house and one by one turned them on until I found the device(s) causing the interference. It turns out the spectrum cable modem is the issue along with the two boxes on top of the TV's for the cable connection. These devices are powered by the external power pack. I am wondering if anyone has had any experience in tackling such noise or will the MFJ-1026 unit be affective enough to reduce or remove the noise I am experiencing. Unfortunately, turning off the cable modem is out of the question as it's the Internet/TV and Phone services to the house, plus my wife uses the internet as well. Any suggestions are welcomed. Regards, (James Niven, Austin, Texas, IRCA via DXLD) A) common mode chokes for the antenna - B) choke kit for the D.C. Supply for the cable modem. (Colin Newell - CoffeeCrew.com - VA7WWV - Victoria - BC, ibid.) Yes, Common Mode chokes work wonders. You might be able to knock some of it back with ferrite snap ons for the power supply and the Cable TV coax. For the cokes, check out http://myantennas.com/wp/product-category/cmc-2/ (Robert LaFore, ibid.) Our Review of the Airspy HF+: Compared against ColibriNANO, Airspy Mini, RSP2 --- August 12, 2017 Over the last few months we’ve been posting and getting excited about the Airspy HF+, an upcoming high dynamic range HF/VHF receiver designed for DXing. The Airspy team were kind enough to supply us with an early pre-production unit for review. Long story short, the Airspy HF+ is probably one of the best low cost SDRs we’ve seen for DXing or weak signal reception out there. So far few details on the availability of the HF+ have been released, but we’re aware that preorders are due to start soon, and the target price is expected to be $149 USD from iTead Studio in China. What follows is the full review and comparisons against other similarly priced SDRs. . . http://www.rtl-sdr.com/our-review-of-the-airspy-hf-compared-against-colibrinano-airspy-mini-rsp2-rtl-sdr/ (via Giampiero Bernardini, playdx blog via BDXC_UK yg via DXLD) Lengthy with grafix, unsigned, not written by Giampiero Bernardini?? More than half of this page consists of rather contentious Comments (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) WONDROUS THINGS. NATURE AND TECHNOLOGY. INTERESTING PHOTO - Photo by Dino Bloise from the publication "Frecuencia Al Día". Curiosidades. Naturaleza vs. Tecnología. Posted by https://www.facebook.com/groups/140003342701545/1456820714353128/ You can view the photo here - http://rusdx.blogspot.ru/2017/08/blog-post_9.html (Rus-DX August 13, published August 12, via DXLD) Multi-birds roosting on VHF/UHF antennas (gh) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BROADCASTS VIA INTERNET AND SATELLITE 8/21 Dear Glenn, Regularly listener and supporter of your program here. Am writing in my work capacity to share info about the Exploratorium's upcoming live broadcasts covering the total solar eclipse on 8/21. Supported by NASA, we're embarking on our expedition to transmit live telescopic images of the sun during the eclipse, along with live coverage in english and in spanish, from two locations along the path of totality: Madras, Oregon and Casper, Wyoming. We capture images with high dynamic range and transmit to satellite with video frame rate of 59.94 frames per second. Our telescopes are equipped with multiple filters which allow us to capture a variety of images of the sun in real time. We've been doing this since 1998, traveling all around the world to bring high quality images of solar eclipses to internet and broadcast audiences. I'm particularly excited because, while I've worked on the transmission of six solar eclipse events since 2004, I have never seen a total solar eclipse with my own eyes. This time, I'll be in Casper with our crew and will get to see it personally. I direct our stream transmission from satellite downlink point to encoding for internet distribution on our website, on our mobile app, and to NASA. They'll be including our streams on their 'megacast' eclipse coverage page at https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive I'm also the creator/developer of our free Total Solar Eclipse mobile app for Android and iOS which allows live viewing of our video streams of the eclipse. We will transmit from our two remote sites via domestic satellite with production downlink in LA and digital fiber transmission to our encoding partner. From there, our streams will go to the Exploratorium's website, mobile app, NASA's website, YouTube, and FaceBook. We allow websites and bloggers to embed our live streams for free in their own sites. We usually announce our domestic satellite downlink info to broadcast media only but this year we're making this info available publicly in case anybody with satellite downlink capability would like to receive our programs that way. Would it be possible for you to share info about our internet and satellite broadcasts on your WOR program next week? I'm offering a digital QSL card for satellite viewers. Complete info about satellite downlink is at: https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/satellite And complete info about our internet transmission via web and the free Total Solar Eclipse mobile app is at: https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse Please let me know if you have any questions and thanks again for your program. As a relatively new shortwave DXer, I really appreciate the resource and info you share. best regards, -Rob (Rob Rothfarb, Project Director, Online Media Group (415) 528-4844 e x p l O r a t o r i u m / San Francisco http://www.exploratorium.edu Aug 10, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Rob, Of course, I`ll be glad to. As well as spread your complete comments in DX Listening Digest (Glenn to Rob, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, Thanks so much for sharing the info. I know, there'll be some excellent live coverage -- CNN is even doing a 360 degree video live, though am not sure from where, probably Carbondale, IL I suppose. I'm interested to see how that comes out. But, getting a chance to experience it with your own eyes is an amazing opportunity. And, everybody's live video, including ours, will be available for replay. I'm busy working to make sure our replays will be available very shortly after the eclipse is over in Casper. I've been told that during totality, the illumination of the sun's corona (in relation to its magnetosphere) produces beautiful effects that each person sees slightly differently. So, potentially a totally unique experience for each of us. How wonderful. NASA Goddard scientific viz studio has created some excellent maps showing totality period in different states with data about the moon's shape from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4552 The National Weather Service has a nice page with locality maps and weather forecasting for different locations along the path [Cheyenne]: http://www.weather.gov/cys/eclipse Hope you get to see it in person. Best, (Rob Rothfarb, ibid.) SCIENCE FRIDAY'S GUIDE TO VIEWING THE GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE women wearing safety glasses [caption] SciFri has resources to learn everything you don't know yet about the coming Great American Eclipse. Whether you're traveling to the "totality zone" or hoping for a partial view and getting your safety equipment in place, SciFri has it covered. Educational resources and more available at this link: [linx to many sound segments, transcripts and some articles] Eclipse spotlight https://www.sciencefriday.com/spotlights/the-great-american-eclipse/ (KGOU Newsletter via DXLD) THE ECLIPSE FOR HAMS AND DXERS Hi everyone, The PropNET Project that I have participated in off and on for 14 years will also participate in this research. We will be operating on 80, 30 and 10 Meters. (3.5892, 10.1389, & 28.1188 MHz). Best stated by the Website PropNET http://propnet.org is an ad-hoc 2-way (and potentially, "more-way") RF-based digital communication network whose activity is reported on the Internet. As participating stations periodically ID and exchange data, they report their activity to an Internet data-collection hub for presentation through this web site. We use PSK31 and special software (ACDS^31) to send, decode and pass our captures to a database for retrieval. Most of my published and blogged propagation research (10-Meter Es) is based on PropNET data. You can see our captures on a Real-time map for all bands or a single band, and for any hourly range. Map link: http://propnet.org/catch3.php?band=&last=1&call=˘er=US I suspect that most of the activity will be on 30 and 10 Meters. I would like to do 80 Meters but because I use the same antenna for 80 and 30, I will do 30 Meters. Come watch the propagation as the eclipse moves across the U.S.A. 73 (Art Jackson KA5DWI DM34un Dewey Arizona, Aug 10, ABDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) Eclipse Monitoring --- Hi Everybody, I haven't seen much discussion regarding monitoring during the August 21 Solar Eclipse here. I'm planning on using an SDR Play RSP 1 connected to a 100 ft. vertical antenna. I should be able to capture the whole AM BCB for the full 90 minutes with less than 50 GB of hard drive space. I am in the 82 percent of full eclipse path. I'm curious as to what folks here might be planning, as well as looking for suggestions. Thanks! (Mike Gorniak, NM7X, Braham, MN, Aug 15, ABDX via DXLD) CITIZEN SCIENTISTS AIM TO COLLECT DATA DURING ECLIPSE --- Aug 14, 2017 The solar eclipse is quickly approaching. Thousands of people will make the trek to a spot along the "path of totality" to observe this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, which is set to take place on Monday, August 21, 2017. If you haven’t planned in advance, be prepared — in many places along the path, hotels have been booked up for years as space enthusiasts have made preparations for the big day. Citizen scientists involved in a project called EclipseMob have been preparing for an experiment, measuring changes in radio signals as they pass through the Ionosphere. K.C. Kerby-Patel is an assistant professor in the engineering department at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She’s also the hardware team director for EclipseMob, she explains how the project will work and what makes it so special. This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich. .. [with 4 minute audio] http://www.wnyc.org/story/citizen-scientists-seek-data-during-eclipse Mentions radio monitoring including WWVB (via gh, DXLD) SKY & TELESCOPE ARTICLE ON MW DXING DURING THE ECLIPSE This is an old article, published June 29, on the Sky & Telescope webpage. But if anybody missed it (I did, for one!)... http://www.skyandtelescope.com/2017-total-solar-eclipse/how-to-hear-the-solar-eclipse/ (Randy Stewart, Arts Producer, KSMU, 901 S. National, Springfield MO 65897, Aug 15, NRC-AM via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) Viz.: “OBSERVE” AUGUST’S ECLIPSE WITH YOUR AM RADIO By: Joe Rao | June 29, 2017 When the Moon's shadow glides across the U.S. on August 21st, you'll have have a chance to hear the eclipse as it happens. Solar eclipses are more than remarkable visual astronomical phenomena; they’re pretty interesting from a radio viewpoint too. Should overcast skies prevail over your location on eclipse day, you can still make some interesting observations using an AM radio. Dramatic changes can take place in radio reception when day changes into night and vice versa. Perhaps you’ve had the experience of driving in your car at night, listening to some program on the AM dial, when the announcer will identify the station as WBBM in Chicago. This might seem odd if you are listening from Albany, New York, more than 700 miles (1,100 km) from the Windy City. Yet, cases like this happen every night. A total solar eclipse produces a broad, round area of darkness and greatly reduced sunlight that travels across Earth’s surface in a relatively narrow path during the daytime. Its effect on sunlight’s local intensity is remarkably similar to what happens at sunrise and sunset. Distant radio stations along and near to the path of totality might briefly experience enhanced propagation, thus making long- distance reception possible during a solar eclipse unlike any other time. Electron profile in ionosphere The density of electrons in the ionosphere varies dramatically between day and night. Note that, at altitudes below about 170 km, the count essentially drops to zero. Dieter Bilitza et al / Journal of Geodesy (2011) [caption] We can thank Earth’s ionosphere for natural long-distance radio reception at night. The ionosphere is composed of a set of tenuous, electrically conductive layers that consist of both neutral and charged particles, extending from altitudes of approximately 30 miles (50 km) to more than 250 miles (400 km). The ions present in the ionosphere interact with radio waves in two ways. They can either absorb the waves, thus reducing their intensity and reducing signal strength, or they can refract the waves, changing their direction; conceptually this is akin to a radio-wave "mirror". The ionosphere’s main refraction layer in the ionosphere, called the F2 layer, is about 180 miles (290 km) above Earth’s surface and is present both day and night. But at a height of some 30 to 60 miles is the D layer, whose impact on radio propagation, especially at lower frequencies, is essentially negative: it absorbs energy from radio signals passing through it to the F2 layer and weakens them. But as sunset approaches the D layer rapidly loses ionization and essentially vanishes; radio waves are therefore absorbed (depleted) only during the day. So at night, radio waves easily reach the F2 layer, where they are refracted back toward the ground. Likewise, on the way back down, the D layer’s usual obstructions are gone, so the waves reach the ground in a well-preserved state — often many hundreds of miles from the transmitting station. Radio propagation in ionosphere At night, electrons in the ionosphere's F2 layer can refract radio waves broadcast by AM stations, allowing them to be picked up by receivers many hundreds of miles away. This schematic shows the ionosphere reflecting the waves, though actually they refract along curved arcs when passing through the ionosphere. Adapted from Wikipedia Commons Amplitude modulation (“AM”) is the oldest system of commercial broadcast transmission. The pioneer AM broadcast service started operation on the low frequencies it still uses, 540 to 1600 kilohertz (kHz). In 1993, the bandpass expanded to include frequencies up to 1700 kHz. AM broadcast stations use powers of 250 watts to 50 kilowatts (50,000 watts) — the maximum power permitted in the U.S. Listening to distant radio signals is a most interesting hobby and is referred to by amateur radio enthusiasts as “DX’ing.” As already pointed out, radio signals in the commercial 540–1700 kHz AM radio band can be heard for hundreds — sometimes even thousands — of miles under the cover of darkness. This is especially true of the so-called “clear channel” (Class A) radio stations. “Clear channels” are frequencies set apart by international agreement for use primarily by high-powered stations designed to cover wide areas with line-of sight “groundwave” service and, at night, “skywave” service, particularly for remote rural areas. SCENARIOS FOR AUGUST 21ST’S ECLIPSE "Hear" August's eclipse with your AM radio Sky & Telescope / Leah Tiscione When the Moon’s shadow sweeps across the U.S. on August 21st, some of the best receptions should occur for people within about 400 to 800 miles (600 to 1,300 km) of the narrow totality path of AM stations that are likewise near or within that path. As maximum darkness approaches a station’s transmitter, the D layer should weaken and the F2 layer more able to refract the signal and support long-distance reception. Listeners within a few hundred miles of such a location might hear a distant station begin to fade in. The broadcast will build in strength until the area of maximum darkness passes over the station, at which time signal strength should be at its peak. Then, as the area of maximum darkness moves away from the station, its signal will begin to fade away. According to Nathaniel Frissell (Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology), similar radio studies done at previous solar eclipses suggest that it’s more important for the shadow to pass close to the transmitter, rather than in the midpoint of the propagation path from the transmitter to the listener. “I suspect,” he notes, “that this process is less symmetric than we think it should be. Maybe it is more important to have the D-region hole near the transmitter so that less signal gets absorbed right away.” Moon's shadow from space --- Here's how the Moon's shadow looked as it crossed Europe on August 11, 1999, from the unique vantage of the Mir space station. CNES [caption] As an example, on March 7, 1970, a total solar eclipse swept northeastward from northern Florida, up the Atlantic coast, to just off of Cape Cod. An amateur astronomer stationed at Greenville, North Carolina, was able to hear WABC in New York (broadcasting at 770 kHz) for about 20 minutes, centered on the time that 96% of the Sun was eclipsed as seen from the Big Apple. During the total solar eclipse of August 11, 1999, British radio enthusiasts undertook a nationwide program for monitoring enhanced propagation over a wide range of radio frequencies, including shortwave transmissions. More than 1,700 people participated, and the project found that the eclipse definitely had an effect. Here’s What to Do Listed below, are 13 clear channel AM radio stations that lie either within the August’s eclipse path (bold type) or close enough to have at least 95% of the Sun’s disk obscured by the passing Moon. Four of these are Class B stations, which direct their signal diametrically away from another station at night which occupies the same frequency, so that it will not interfere. Case in point: KPNW does this to protect KMOX. 50-kw "Clear Channel" AM Radio Stations In/Near Path of August 2017's Total Solar Eclipse (kHz) Call Location Mid-Eclipse (UT) (local) 650 WSM Nashville, TN 18:28 1:28 p.m. CDT 670 KBOI (B) Boise, ID 17:27 11:27 a.m. MDT 750 WSB Atlanta, GA 18:36 2:36 p.m. EDT 840 WHAS Louisville, KY 18:27 2:27 p.m. EDT 880 KRVN (B) Lexington, NE 17:57 12:57 p.m. CDT 1030 KTWO (B) Casper, WY 17:43 11:43 a.m. MDT 1040 WHO Des Moines, IA 18:08 1:08 p.m. CDT 1110 KFAB Omaha, NE 18:04 1:04 p.m. CDT 1110 WBT Charlotte, NC 18:41 2:41 p.m. EDT 1120 KPNW (B) Eugene, OR 17:17 10:17 a.m. PDT 1120 KMOX St. Louis, MO 18:18 1:18 p.m. CDT 1190 KEX Portland, OR 17:19 10:19 a.m. PDT 1510 WLAC Nashville, TN 18:28 1:28 p.m. CDT Generally speaking, if you are listening for a particular station that is within 800 miles (1,300 km) away, you might be able to hear it near the time that maximum eclipse is occurring over that station’s transmitter. The map below shows the distribution of the stations in the table. Clear channel stations along eclipse path Black dots mark the locations of the "clear channel" AM radio stations listed in the table above. Eclipse map: Xavier Jubier [caption] The equipment needed couldn’t be simpler. Any AM receiver can be pressed into service. If the calibration of your radio isn’t too accurate, try tuning in a particular distant station some night before the eclipse (ideally, August 20th). And sweep through the AM band to determine what reception conditions are like. If your receiver has multiple memory channels with a scanning feature, you’re in luck; such a receiver is ideal for checking a lot of frequencies in a hurry. I invite you to tune around the AM dial during the eclipse. Send your results — the station you heard and the time that you heard it, along with your location — to me at skywayinc@aol.com. I’ll compile all the results and report the results of this experiment at a later date. (And if you are a Ham radio operator, consider participating in an eclipse-related citizen-science project sponsored by HamSCI and American Radio Relay League.) CATEGORIES The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse About Joe Rao --- Joe Rao is a eight-time Emmy-nominated meteorologist for Verizon FiOS1 News (serving New York's Lower Hudson Valley) and a lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. 4 thoughts on ““Observe” August’s Eclipse with Your AM Radio” Rusty July 4, 2017 at 3:44 am Hi Joe, This sounds like any easy exercise if clouded out. Also after totality in my location I can listen for stations to the east of me. The two within 800 miles of my Oregon location are Boise, ID and Casper, WY. For ease of use I made a spreadsheet of the table in the above article with stations re-ordered by time of mid-eclipse for that radio station. Then I know when to tune that particular frequency. Should be fun. Best Regards, Russ Frank-ReedNavigation.com July 4, 2017 at 3:14 pm Joe Rao, in the article writes: ”or they can refract the waves, changing their direction; conceptually this is akin to a radio-wave ‘mirror’.” And indeed, this is how the process of ionospheric ‘skip’ is almost always described: the waves are REFRACTED downward as if from a radio MIRROR. But wait just a minute, mirrors don’t refract – they reflect. We’re clearly looking at some sort of reflection, in practical outcome, yet of course the ionosphere is a diffuse medium which should only be capable of refraction. And given that it’s really refraction, how does it happen that the radio waves bend downward?? If you’ve studied basic physics, you know that refraction is caused by a change in wave speed, and that’s the case here, too. The speed of the radio waves is higher in the ionospheric layer, and that causes them to bend downward. Counter-intuitively, it’s refraction acting like reflection. But it gets worse (or better, if you like fascinating physics-y puzzles). The speed of light INCREASES in the ionospheric layer, and is actually higher than the vacuum speed of light. We have broken the light speed barrier!! But not to worry… it’s only the “phase velocity” that climbs above c, not that all-important “group velocity”. Just something to think about…. A little reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennelly%E2%80%93Heaviside_layer#History Mickwilson20 July 7, 2017 at 7:10 pm Thanks! You saved me from having to pick this own nit myself, and far more diplomatically than I’d have done! John Schnupp July 10, 2017 at 12:19 pm As a ham radio operator (N3CNL, extra class) the effects of the Sun on radio propagation is a familiar subject. There is a ham radio event planned for the solar eclipse where ham radio operators will contact each other (called a QSO party or contest). The signals from this event will be monitored but the Reverse Beacon Network (a network of receivers that listens to signals and determines station location). The data from the RBN will be analyzed and the effects of the eclipse on the ionosphere and radio propagation will be studied. Additional information here: http://hamsci.org/projects/2017-total-solar-eclipse/2017-eclipse-experiment-description The home page lists additional scientific projects using ham radio (via DXLD) LOL, no mention of the E-layer for AM. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaaross, IL, NRC-AM via DXLD) I am heading to Mt. Juliet, TN with cameras and telescopes, and will also be doing SDR spectrum recordings there with a 4' x 33' ALA100 while also recording from my home QTH (east of Memphis) which is outside of totality. Hopefully should be some very interesting recordings to dig through. 73, (Brandon Jordan, Sent from my iPhone, ibid.) GEOMAGNETIC INDICES – Compiled by: Phil Bytheway E-mail: phil_tekno@yahoo.com Geomagnetic Summary July 1 2017 through July 31 2017 Tabulated from email status daily (K @ 0000 UTC). Flux A K Space Wx 1 71 11 2 no storms 2 71 18 4 minor, G1 3 72 5 1 minor, R1 4 72 4 2 no storms 5 73 3 1 no storms 6 76 7 3 no storms 7 80 5 2 no storms 8 87 3 1 no storms 9 91 28 4 minor, G1, R1 10 95 9 2 no storms 11 91 8 2 no storms 12 90 4 1 no storms 13 92 4 2 no storms 14 94 4 1 minor, R1, S1 15 92 4 1 minor, S1 16 87 41 5 moderate, G2 17 86 27 2 moderate, G2 18 78 7 1 no storms 19 73 4 1 no storms 20 70 7 3 no storms 21 69 14 3 no storms 22 70 16 3 minor, G1 23 71 14 4 no storms 24 70 12 4 no storms 25 70 9 3 no storms 26 69 11 1 no storms 27 68 6 3 no storms 28 70 7 2 no storms 29 70 4 1 no storms 30 70 4 0 no storms 31 72 3 1 no storms Gx – Geomagnetic Storm Level Rx – Radio Blackouts Level Sx – Solar Radiation Storm Level (IRCA DX Monitor August 19, published Aug 15, via DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2017 Aug 14 0316 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 07 - 13 August 2017 Solar activity was very low. Region 2670 (S05, L=119, class/area Cso/160 on 02 Aug) continued it transit across the visible disk during the period as a simple Hsx/alpha spot group with no flaring activity observed. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections were observed. No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels from 07-11 Aug with a peak flux of 11,301 pfu observed at 07/1440 UTC. Electron flux values decreased to normal to moderate levels on 12-13 Aug due to the arrival of a negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS). Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to unsettled levels during the period. Solar wind speed was in decline at the beginning of the period from a waning positive polarity CH HSS. Solar wind speeds declined from near 570 km/s early in the period to nominal levels by late on 08 Aug. Total field ranged from 2-6 nT through 10 Aug. On 11 Aug, total field and solar wind began to increase as a negative polarity CH HSS became geoeffective. Total field increased to a maximum of 12 nT at 12/0135 UTC while solar wind increased to around 650 km/s by 13/1750 UTC. The geomagnetic field responded with quiet levels from 07-10 Aug and quiet to unsettled levels from 11-12 Aug. Geomagnetic activity decreased to quiet levels again on 13 Aug. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 14 AUGUST-09 SEPTEMBER 2017 Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels. A chance for C-class flare activity is possible from 14-28 Aug as a new active region rotates across the visible 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 from 14-16, 18-30 Aug and again from 01-07 Sep due to CH HSS influence. Normal to moderate levels are expected on 17, 31 Aug and again on 08-09 Sep. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be reach unsettled to active levels on 14, 16-22, 30-31 Aug and from 01-02 and 08-09 Sep with G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels are likely on 17-18 and 31 Aug due to recurrent CH HSS activity. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2017 Aug 14 0316 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 2017-08-14 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2017 Aug 14 68 8 3 2017 Aug 15 68 5 2 2017 Aug 16 68 10 3 2017 Aug 17 68 20 5 2017 Aug 18 68 25 5 2017 Aug 19 68 15 4 2017 Aug 20 68 12 4 2017 Aug 21 68 10 3 2017 Aug 22 68 8 3 2017 Aug 23 68 6 2 2017 Aug 24 68 5 2 2017 Aug 25 68 5 2 2017 Aug 26 68 5 2 2017 Aug 27 68 5 2 2017 Aug 28 68 5 2 2017 Aug 29 70 5 2 2017 Aug 30 72 12 4 2017 Aug 31 72 24 5 2017 Sep 01 72 18 4 2017 Sep 02 72 14 4 2017 Sep 03 72 5 2 2017 Sep 04 72 5 2 2017 Sep 05 72 5 2 2017 Sep 06 72 5 2 2017 Sep 07 72 5 2 2017 Sep 08 72 10 3 2017 Sep 09 70 8 3 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) GLENN`S PROPAGATION OUTLOOK FOR MEDIA NETWORK PLUS AS OF AUG 17, 2017 Keith, the total solar eclipse across the USA August 21 should temporarily enable night-like mediumwave propagation; if you are near or along the path of totality, tune around. From Space Weather Services Australia thru August 19, the global HF propagation forecast: normal at low latitudes, normal to fair at middle and high latitudes. From Space Weather Predixion Center, China: the planetary A index ascending to 14 on August 18, and to 20 on September 1. K index declining from 77 August 20 to 72 August 26 to 30. [again quite contradicted by SWPC as below] From Spaceweather South Africa thru August 19: magnetic conditions active to unsettled; shortwave fadeouts unlikely, MUF unstable. From Met Office UK, thru August 20: an active sunspot region has a slight 20% chance of producing an isolated Moderate-class flare for an R1 radio blackout. Geomagnetic activity: mostly quiet to unsettled with a chance of active periods, K index of 4 on the 19th and 20th. From F K Janda in Prague of the Czech Propagation Interested Group , the Geomagnetic field will be: quiet to active on August 18 - 23, 31 quiet to unsettled August 21, 24, September 3 - 4 quiet on August 25 - 27, 29 mostly quiet on August 28, 30, September 5 - 6 active to disturbed on September 1 - 2 From SWPC in Boulder, G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels likely August 18 with A and K indices of 25 and 5; also August 31 at 25 and 4. Lowest A`s and K`s of 5 and 2 on August 24-29 and September 3 to 7. Solar flux 68 thru August 28, then creeping up to a peak of 72 August 30 to September 8. On William Hepburn`s VHF UHF Microwave DX maps, extreme tropospheric ducting is rarely predicted within the USA, but it is for a small region across the Mississippi River between Arkansas and Mississippi the morning of August 19. Also: around the Bahamas August 19 to 21; off west Florida August 22; off Baja California Norte from August 18; along the northwest coast of Africa all week; off the coast of Angola August 20; across the western and central Mediterranean until August 20; across the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea all week at least until the 22nd (via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ HOW AMERICA WENT HAYWIRE How America Lost Its Mind The nation’s current post-truth moment is the ultimate expression of mind-sets that have made America exceptional throughout its history. Listen and subscribe to The Atlantic’s podcast, Radio Atlantic. This week: Kurt Andersen on How America Lost Its Mind. Click here for more. “You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” — Daniel Patrick Moynihan “We risk being the first people in history to have been able to make their illusions so vivid, so persuasive, so ‘realistic’ that they can live in them.” — Daniel J. Boorstin, The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America (1961) When did America become untethered from reality? I first noticed our national lurch toward fantasy in 2004, after President George W. Bush’s political mastermind, Karl Rove, came up with the remarkable phrase reality-based community. People in “the reality-based community,” he told a reporter, “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality … That’s not the way the world really works anymore.” A year later, The Colbert Report went on the air. In the first few minutes of the first episode, Stephen Colbert, playing his right-wing-populist commentator character, performed a feature called “The Word.” His first selection: truthiness. “Now, I’m sure some of the ‘word police,’ the ‘wordinistas’ over at Webster’s, are gonna say, ‘Hey, that’s not a word!’ Well, anybody who knows me knows that I’m no fan of dictionaries or reference books. They’re elitist. Constantly telling us what is or isn’t true. Or what did or didn’t happen. Who’s Britannica to tell me the Panama Canal was finished in 1914? If I wanna say it happened in 1941, that’s my right. I don’t trust books— they’re all fact, no heart … Face it, folks, we are a divided nation … divided between those who think with their head and those who know with their heart … Because that’s where the truth comes from, ladies and gentlemen — the gut.” . . . [MUCH MORE --- recommended! --- gh] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/how-america-lost-its-mind/534231/ (TheAtlantic.com Copyright (c) 2017 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All Rights Reserved. via Gerald T Pollard, WORLD OF RADIO 1891, DXLD) ###