DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-140, November 21, 2007 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 2007 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1383 [first two or three may be repeats of 1382] [WRMI weekday times between 07 and 13 are flexible, unconfirmed] Thu 0700 WRMI 9955 Thu 1530 WRMI 7385 Thu 1600 KAIJ 9480 Fri 0030 WBCQ 7415 Fri 0730 WRMI 9955 Fri 1200 KAIJ 5755 Fri 1200 WRMI 9955 Fri 2130 WWCR1 15825 Sat 0900 WRMI 9955 Sat 2230 WRMI 9955 Sun 0330 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0730 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0900 WRMI 9955 Sun 1615 WRMI 7385 Mon 0400 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0515 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Mon 0930 WRMI 9955 Tue 1130 WRMI 9955 Tue 1630 WRMI 7385 Wed 0830 WRMI 9955 WORLD OF RADIO, CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL SCHEDULE: Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL] http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD, which seems to be coming out less frequently? 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. 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/ ** ANGOLA. 4950, RNA-Canal "A", Mulenvos, 0035-0055, 17 Nov, Portuguese, pops & chat, "Jornal da Hora" at 0100; 45333 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. 15345, RAE, 1830-1845 UT, English, with IDs and dull talk about Argentine agriculture or something equally thrilling. The Argentine music bridges were more interesting. Poor audio made copy difficult (reminded me of listening to Radio Moscow during their salad days), plus annoying het and flutter, but good signal, especially on my cheapo Radio Shack DX-375 with just the whip antenna (John Cereghin, Smyrna DE, Nov 21, ABDX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Re 7-139, 2310 et al.: I heard these stations with different programming (Katherine had one and the two others another) and asked ABC Darwin about it. This was the reply from Theresa Regan: "The reason for the differences in play time (same programme) is there is only localisation on the Katherine feed. Alice Springs and Tennant Creek are fed separately on dedicated lines". 73 from (Björn Fransson, Sweden, Nov 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx to the VL8s for keeping 60m band interesting and unpredictable. Nov 20 at 1329 I found R. Rebelde, Cuba, 5025, with heavy co-channel QRM in English, the two at about equal levels and nearly zero-beat --- could not tell whether fading was propagational or a slight SAH, maybe both. Soon IDed as 105.7 ABC Darwin, 1330 news theme and news at the top of their wacky hour. This signal was much stronger than the several Indos audible on 60m, and would have been quite listenable if in the clear like 4910 sometimes is when it fails to shift to 120m at 0830. By 1455, VL8K Katherine was atop Cuba, which by now is fading down anyway. Final check at 1511 found ABC still good with little Cuba left, mentioning a Pavarotti CD, 1512 ID again as 105.7 ABC Darwin. Why do they keep IDing only for this little FM station with very limited range around one city, when they have worldwide coverage on SW? Isn`t that at least worth a mention on the air? Surely back in Darwin they are not unaware of the NT SW relays. Think small! Checked 24 hours later, no sign of VL8K on 5025 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5025, VL8K ABC Katherine, 1512-1520, Nov 20, running late (scheduled for 0830*), OM with Aussie accent, about the only thing I clearly heard was the ID: "ABC Local Radio", poor, this could not compete with splatter from a strong CNR-1 on 5030 (Ron Howard, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5025, VL8K, Katherine, NT 1154-1235 20 Nov. Running late with ABC NT news // 2310, 2325. TC at 1157 for "27 past 9", into new Aussie music program. ABC NT MW ID at 1202 and "on 738 ABC Alice Springs." At 1228 into ABC news. Signal improving against Rebelde as time progressed and was weak but readable at 1640 recheck (with QRM from CNR1-5030 which puts in a consistently big signal every AM) (Dan Sheedy, CA, Nov 21, R75/PAR EF 102040, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. I do not entirely agree with the list posted by Eike on Nov 16. The Darwin 317 degree 2200-2400 transmission is one of the few reliable ones to regularly reach Europe. It is not on 11840. I agree with the HFCC. I heard RA with a weak signal on 18 Nov on 12010. Last night (19th) was a washout on any signal above 10 MHz. I will try again tonight - but if anyone else?!! 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, Nov 20, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 4865, R. Logos via R. Centenario, Stª Cruz de la Sierra, 2233-2239, 17 Nov, Spanish, poorly readable talks; 34332, QRM de Brasil + utility station (Gonçalves) 5952.4, R. Pío XX, Siglo XX, 2230-2241, 17 Nov, Quechua, talks, Indian songs; 33442, severe adjacent QRM (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CBC`s website is malfunxioning; Tue Nov 20 at 1532 I bring up Goose Bay for first feed of C`est la Vie on CBC Radio 1, but instead there is ``Canada Writes``, some kind of competition including Terry O`Reilly as one of the judges. No explanation, no mention of what became of CLV, but CW may be a temporary preëmptive series. Apparently it continues the next day at the same time, bumping yet another regular program. Yes, hotsheet says it`s a ``three-day fest``. The huge CBC list of all radio and TV programs in alfabetical order does not include it! And when I go to today`s schedule, I get Oct 29! Finally reached this website all about it: http://www.cbc.ca/canadawrites/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, Nov 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CBC DAYS TO REMEMBER --- A Monday in 1959 Beatniks and teenagers, drug addicts and "night people," Errol Flynn and other manly men — in 1959 they all came to audiences on the CBC airwaves. And so did a tour of a potato-chip factory. The radio and television schedules below are a composite day of programming on a weekday in 1959. Television programs were on the national CBC network, while the radio programs listed here were on both the Trans-Canada and Dominion radio networks. Use the Radio Schedule and Television Schedule tabs below to see the schedule for each medium. http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-111-1288/1950s/1959/ (via Dan Say, BC, alt.radio.networks.cbc via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CHAD. 6165, RD Nationale Tchadienne, N'Djaména, 1135-1215, 17 Nov, French, newscast, Arabic, news too; 34432, QRM de HRV, with RNW in Spanish via ATN audible when switching to the C American Beverage. Later observed 1900-1914, same day, French, announcements prior to news at 1901; 53432, QRM de 2 stations (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 9750, PBS Nei Menggu, 2259-2320+, 11/19/07, listed Mongolian. Theme music to time pips and possible ID by M/F announcers in unison, then a long presumed newscast w/alternating presenters and a few tentative mentions of Hohhot. Some brief QRM from HCJB on 9745 till signoff at 2301, otherwise in the clear and surprisingly strong/ readable. Fair/good (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Just as I tuned in Firedrake on 7300, Nov 20 at 0700, it went off in usual top of hour break for monitoring of Sound of Hope -- - I could not hear it; maybe FD did. Also had Chinese on 4900, Nov 20 at 1407 while I was getting Indonesia elsewhere on band; presumably V. of Strait (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As Poland [non; q.v.] left 9450 kHz at 1359 UT, heard likely Firedrake music, but then with no apparent break in transmission at 1400, CRI bells and fanfare, s/on in Chinese. SINPO 22212. November 19th. Heard on Grundig YB 400PE with long wire (Roger Chambers, Utica, New York, Nov 19, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 5910, R. Marfil Estéreo via LV de tu Conciencia, Lomalinda, 2206-2224, 17 Nov, Spanish, advertisements, lively songs; 43443, adjacent QRM (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. On R. Rebelde, 11655, Nov 20 at 1345 heard part of a promo for that evening`s Mesa Redonda, which they said would include Dan Rather. This usually airs at 2330 UT via RHC on 6000, 9820 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Did anyone hear this? Did Dan speak Spanish? BTW, Ricardo Alarcón did a call-in on C-SPAN this week, but I missed most of it; look out for replays. Many calls from gusanos in Miami, of course (gh, DXLD) See also AUSTRALIA for QRM on 5025 ** CUBA. Sat with BFO on 5955 from 2255 UT Nov 21 to see what would happen with Radio República and the DentroCuban Jamming Command. At about 2257:30 the first signs of jamming were heard and built up steadily to full level at 2300 as more transmitters were added, but never any sign of RR carrier on 5954 by 2302 when I quit. Well, at least this ties up some jammers which might be doing more damage elsewhere (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Re: ENCUENTRO CLUB DX CUBA "AMIGOS DE LA ONDA CORTA" No se los vaya a cargar la arbitraria policía como recientemente ocurrió con dueños de receptores. Debí ser más preciso, en el sentido que esto se celebró el pasado domingo, la pregunta es si este encuentro habrá terminado con la detención de colegas y confiscación de receptores por parte del (dudosamente) ignorante régimen, que según leímos hace pocos días atrás, detuvo a un par de radio escuchas por poseer receptores de onda corta, en el sentido de que esto significa subversión y tonterías por el estilo. Con mucha más razón en este Encuentro Cuba DX, ya que se trataba de un evento al aire libre (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yandys already `explained` that the detainees were known subversives, and possession of SW was merely further evidence against them. However --- (gh, DXLD) Saludos Raúl, le recuerdo que son cuatro los detenidos en Cuba por poseer receptores de Onda Corta de la marca Kaito, entre ellos un niño de 13 años, creo que ya publiqué una segunda noticia al respecto: Roberto de Jesús Guerra Pérez http://www.bitacoracubana.com/desdecuba/portada2.php?id=5761 9 de noviembre de 2007 La Habana – Fueron citados el pasado día 5 de noviembre los promotores de la Corriente Martiana Ángel Guerra Anaya y Leguis Miguel Guerra Tamayo para la unidad de la Policía Nacional Revolucionaria (PNR) del municipio Media Luna, en la provincia Granma. Consuelo Pérez García, esposa de Ángel Guerra Anaya, dijo por vía telefónica que la citación vino firmada por el agente de la policía política llamado "Rafael", quien en días anteriores había arrestado a dos promotores luego de hacerles un registro en su domicilio sin orden judicial. El motivo del arresto del pasado 19 de octubre fue portar radios de onda corta marca Kaito, que el agente que los detuvo calificó de propaganda subversiva. En aquel momento los detenidos fueron Arián Guerra Pérez y Ángel Guerra Anaya; en este caso fueron Ángel y Leguis Miguel, este último de 13 años de edad. La citación enviada el día 5 de noviembre por el agente Rafael fue para las 8 la mañana de ese día y hasta el 6 de noviembre a las 9 de la mañana no habían sido liberados. Centro de información de la Corriente Martiana (via José Miguel Romero2, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. RADIO MORÓN: 58 AÑOS EN EL AIRE Cuando apenas la Radio Cubana cumplía 27 años, nacía el 19 de noviembre de 1949 la emisora Radio Morón con un minúsculo colectivo de sólo siete trabajadores, quienes tuvieron la misión de inyectar en el éter una nueva señal radiofónica con el sello distintivo de la ciudad de Morón, identificada por el cantío de un gallo, símbolo del territorio. A una distancia de 58 años, aquella señal se mantiene latente en el dial, para formar parte del espacio de cada moronense en sus hogares, en centros de trabajo, en la calle, en la campiña, plazas y en cada rincón del territorio, devenida en otro importante símbolo de Morón. . . http://www.radiomoron.cu/2007/11/19/radio_moron.asp (via Ing. Yandys Cervantes Rodríguez, Buey Arriba. Granma, Nov 19, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) ** CZECHIA [non]. Re 7-139, new relay at 0200: Then, signal from Sackville on 5995 is terrible (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Haven't tried to listen on 5995 at 0200 yet (if not for the RHC QRM, 49 meters from Sackville should work well at that time), but I've noticed that -- unless my limited monitoring has been unlucky -- R. Prague's signal doesn't seem as strong as before even allowing for current conditions. I used to enjoy their CZ broadcast at 2200 (2100 in summer), but now it's real tough copy on 9435 while R. Bulgaria booms in on 9400. Aging transmitters? Sure, we have Internet streaming but that's not nearly as much fun :-). 73 and Happy (American) Tnxgiving de (Anne Fanelli in unseasonably-mild Elma NY, Nov 20, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. Checked R. Cairo`s European frequency 6250, Nov 21 at 2237 to see whether reactivated Equatorial Guinea is colliding with it. No sign of the latter, so maybe confined to local mornings if still on the air as reported recently. Cairo was playing Arab music, pausing at 2237 for the YL announcer to close the English service until 2115 the next day; her modulation on mic was more distorted than the music before and after. No further announcements were made, as music kept playing until 2245 brief tone and off. Surely a better signal even here than the so-called North American service from 2300 on 9465, often inaudible with low MUFs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, RNGE, Bata, 1809-1818, 17 Nov, Vernacular, news (?); 55333 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [and non]. Nov 20 check for jamming against DW Amharic: at 1408, 15660 was audible with DW but also with continuous noise, same as on 15640 where nothing else was heard; nothing audible on 11645. DW`s Amharic service is a bit strange; the news actualities leading to voice-overs all seem to be in English, not German, and at 1410 the news was about Myanmar, not Ethiopia. 1412 ID as ``Yih Deutsche Welle Radio`` and theme. At 1415 I thought I detected some other jamming modes under the noise on 15660 via Rwanda. By 1449 the noise jamming was gaining here over DW. As for Ethiopia also jamming VOA Amharic, BBC Monitoring says three of the five frequencies at 1800-1900 are jammed, and also Oromo weekdays at 1730 on same (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DWL Amharic jammed again by ETH today Tue Nov 20th. 1400-1457 UT 11645 KIG, 15640 IRA, 15660 KIG all three suffer WHITE noise, crunch, rasp scratches. No bubble, motorboat, pips, and whistle buoy howl jamming noted today (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ETHIOPIAN JAMMING HITS VOICE OF AMERICA, DEUTSCHE WELLE BBC Monitoring (BBCM) can confirm that two major Western broadcasters are suffering consistent jamming of their transmissions to Ethiopia. Jamming is deliberate interference aimed at preventing the target broadcast from being heard. The standard technique is to transmit an irritating noise or continuous music on the same channel as the target. In the latest media development to hit the Horn of Africa, the scene of numerous “radio wars” over the past quarter-century, shortwave broadcasts from Washington-based Voice of America (VOA) and Germany’s Deutsche Welle (DW) are now being jammed. In both cases, the target of the jamming is radio programmes in Amharic, the lingua franca and main official language of Ethiopia. VOA is also suffering jamming of another of its regional language services. The deliberate interference appears to have started in the first half of this month, possibly on or around 12 November. VOA and Cologne-based DW are funded by the US and German governments to broadcast radio and TV programmes to foreign audiences. The moves against the VOA and DW follow intensification by Ethiopia of its jamming of broadcasts from neighbouring Eritrea. The jamming of Eritrean state radio, the latest episode of which began in summer 2007, was stepped up in late September and early October, BBCM observed at the time. Details of the jammed broadcasts The VOA’s daily one-hour (1800-1900 gmt) service in Amharic is now being jammed. According to the opposition website Ethiopian Review - http://www.ethiopianreview.com - the jamming of VOA began on 12 November. BBCM observations have confirmed the presence of jamming signals on at least three of the five frequencies used by the VOA. The direction whence the jamming originates (established by the use of directional aerials) is consistent with the signals being transmitted from within Ethiopia. VOA currently uses 9320, 9860, 11675, 11905 and 13870 kHz for its Amharic service. The service is not streamed on the Internet, but audio of recent broadcasts is available at http://www.voanews.com/horn On 19 November, VOA’s service in another major Ethiopian language, Oromo, was also observed to be jammed. VOA’s Oromo service broadcasts at 1730-1800 gmt, immediately before the Amharic transmission and on the same frequencies. DW’s daily one-hour (1400-1500 gmt) service in Amharic is also being jammed. Noise interference has been observed on two of DW’s shortwave frequencies (11645 and 15640 kHz). DW recently added a third frequency (15660 kHz). At the start of its Amharic programme on 19 November it announced that this had been done in response to the jamming. The lead item in the news bulletin that followed was that the Ethiopian government had conducted air raids on villages in the Ogaden region in the southeast of the country. DW maintains a multimedia website for its Amharic service at http://www2.dw-world.de/amharic Opposition broadcasts Ethiopia has also jammed various private opposition radio broadcasts. The country has been targeted for many years by such operators, which hire airtime (generally an hour a day or on certain days of the week) from commercial shortwave transmission facilities, including those based in Germany and the former Soviet Union. The number and identity of such broadcasts, and their schedules, often varies, depending on the availability of funds to hire shortwave airtime. Eritrea is also targeted by private opposition shortwave stations. (Source: BBC Monitoring research 16-19 Nov 07)(November 20th, 2007 - 11:07 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DXLD) teddy Says: November 21st, 2007 at 5:29 pm wow, “BBC monitoring” actually used the infamous http://www.ethiopianreview.com as a credible source?? that is FUNNY!!!!! http://www.africanpath.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=704 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Nov 21 check of jamming against DW Amharic: earlier in the 1400 UT hour, just noise on 15645 and 15660, but at 1452 around 15645 there were oscillating tones, and less so but detectable on 15660. Already at 1456 the jamming went off 15645. As usual, DW itself was audible only on 15660 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Update: From the IBB Monitoring remote monitoring system http://monitor.ibb.gov/ here is an mp3 recording of two examples of VOA Amharic being jammed, as received in Nairobi. The first is 14 November 2007 at 1817 UTC on 9320 kHz. The second is 18 November on 11675. Jamming was not heard on at least two other VOA Amharic frequencies. The jamming signals may be less audible in Ethiopia, given the nature of shortwave signals not to propagate well over short distances. http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/Ethiopia_jamming_VOA.mp3 Posted: 21 Nov 2007 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** FRANCE. RFI STRIKE ---- An announcement at the beginning of the English-language hour at 1500 UT Nov 20 said programming would not be available because of a labor dispute (part of a nationwide strike by many labor unions). World Radio Network cut away a few minutes later - - to run an evergreen feature culled from an RFI English broadcast at an earlier date. It's bad enough that WRN undermines the effect of the strike action by RFI employees by replacing it with other programming, but even more offensive that it should run old programming produced by those who chose not to work in protest of French government policy (Mike Cooper, GA, Nov 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) English at 1500? Maybe means 1600 (gh) ** FRANCE. The new program schedules for RFI have been posted at: http://www.rfi.fr/radiofr/statiques/grille_programmes.asp but these .pdf files, unlike previous seasons, contain no shortwave frequency information or schedules. There appears to be a new page http://www.rfi.fr/radiofr/statiques/capterrfi.asp where you can "click on the map to find the frequency in your town." But this requires Macromedia Flash. Talk about wasting bandwidth and making it difficult to get simple frequency information. Sheesh! (Mike Cooper, GA, Nov 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I did not find any SW frequencies via the map route, just various AM & FM stations which may carry a few unspecified programs from RFI. This page is about the English services: http://www.rfi.fr/langues/statiques/rfi_anglais.asp The SW frequencies on the right edge appear to be more or less current, but those at the bottom are long out of date. Doesn`t Barbara Giudice ever look at this page and think of that? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. DW in German, so of course it can`t be from Germany: Nov 20 at 1450 on 15335 via Sines, running about a second ahead of 15275 Kigali when rechecked at 1510 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also ETHIOPIA [and non] ** GERMANY [and non]. IBB ISMANING - A SILENT TRIBUTE (video) After more than 50+ years of post WWII broadcasting service, the old Voice of America station at Munich (Ismaning), Germany closed in August. The satellite earth station there has been demolished and the equipment is shipping to our station in Kuwait. A staff engineer at Ismaning video taped portions of the dismantling work and sent it to me last week to make a brief visual documentation of the work. This was a real challenge. He sent me at least an hour's worth of very short MPEG clips, all hand-held, covering a time-span of many days. Since there is nothing more boring to non-engineers than watching satellite dishes and control rooms being taken apart, in real time, I had to find a presentation formula that could hold an audience. Besides making the short feature interesting and compressing a lot of time, I had to do it in a way that would give due respect to the station's employees, but do it using a little tongue-in-cheek humour that I know they would appreciate. Feedback will be appreciated. This is the first time I've worked with someone else's video footage and their camera techniques or input into the content: Ismaning: A Silent Tribute 4:21 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7KQ1FoT2Iw (Taken from http://www.videoforums.co.uk/user-videos/15599-ismaning-silent-tribute.html via Dragan Lekic, Serbia, dxldyg via DXLD) SILENT? It has a music and SFX track; nicely done, except for the phony monochrome during most of it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. 4845 kHz, Radio K'ekchí (tentative), 0115 UT, with light male vocal music, poor, with strong sweeper QRN at times, 1x per second. November 19. SONY ICF 2010 with long wire (Roger Chambers, Utica, NY, Nov 21, ODXA yg via DXLD) Roger, R. K`ekchí has not been heard for 2.5 years according to http://home.tele2.it/MCDXT/LASWLOGS.htm If you were consulting Aoki, you would never know this, one of its drawbacks in including such inactive stations. More likely 4845 is R. Cultura, Manáus, Brasil, currently active per recent reports and the MCDXT reference. See if you can determine if it`s in Portuguese. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** GUINEA. 1385.9, R. Rurale, Labé, 1914-1932, 17 Nov, Vernacular, tribal songs, talks, references to régions militaires"; 54444 (Gonçalves) 7125, R. Guinée/R. Conakry, Sonfonya, was undetected between Sat. 18 & Sun. 20 Nov, so probably inactive again (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR, DD EMPLOYEES TO OBSERVE NATIONWIDE STRIKE TODAY http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200711200322.htm New Delhi (PTI): About 6,500 administration employees of All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) will be on a countrywide strike from on Tuesday against pay disparities. The employees at different AIR and DD kendras will observe a "pen down"strike" while their representatives will assemble at AIR station in the capital and start a relay hunger strike for four days. "If our demands are still not met, we will convert this agitation to fast-unto-death," said Sangam Thakur, General Secretary, Akashvani and Doordarshan Administrative Staff Association. The strike is unlikely to affect the daily broadcast of AIR and DD as the engineering and programming employees are not the part of the agitation. The employees' grievance is their pay scales are much less than compared to engineering and programme employees. Latter are enjoying higher pay scale for working in Prasar Bharati on the ground that they have been completely absorbed with the broadcaster. But administrative employees continue to on "deemed deputation" and their services have not been completely absorbed, as required by the Prasar Bharati Act 1990. They demanded while converting the government departments of AIR and DD into and "autonomous" media corporation called Prasar Bharati, a uniform policy should be followed in the matter of wages. "The Act should be implemented in toto," Thakur said. (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, dx_india via DXLD) ** INDIA. RADIO DUNIYA MAGAZINE LAUNCHED --- Dear Friends, It is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of Radio Duniya, a magazine that aims to deliver a total coverage and analysis of all the news, developments and events of the radio industry. The radio revolution has begun in India, with the coming in of a plethora of FM channels, including the satellite radio broadcasting, and the governmental nod for community radio. The need of the hour is to develop a knowledge sharing platform that will allow an interface between the industry players, governmental agencies and the audiences. It is with this vision that we have launched Radio Duniya, a magazine that presents all the relevant information from the radio industry and facilitates a dialogue between all the stakeholders. Our portal http://www.radioduniya.in provides an insight into the happenings of the radio industry on daily basis, the policies affecting the radio scenario, and all the recent developments relating to the community radio movement. The PDF of Radio Duniya November 2007 issue is available on our site. Do send us your suggestions and comments on talk2us @ radioduniya.in Warm regards, Sanjana Sharma, Editorial Team, Radio Duniya http://www.radioduniya.in (Via creative-radio e-group via Alokesh Gupta, dx_india via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4605, RRI-Serui (presumed), 1250-1332 20 Nov. Tune-in to "warta berita" mentioning Serui, drums/flutes at 1256 sounding African / Peruvian, no ToH ID break and seguéd Indonesian c&w and more traditional music to tune-out. Signal not so good as Makassar-4750 but decent. Pity about the lack of ID, tho (Dan Sheedy, CA, Nov 21, R75/PAR EF 102040, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nov 20 an above average day for 60m Indonesians. 4605 RRI Serui was by far the best signal. What power does PWBR ``2008`` assign to this now? Last year it was only 500 watts, but since then has been widely well- heard and has got to be much more than that. All I ever heard on 4605 today was ``island`` music as I tuned back and forth, starting at 1333, with CODAR adding to the beat; a very long pause between cuts at 1340; and music again at 1405; maybe I missed some news on the hour. Others also heard with non // programming, mostly music: at 1333 4750 (mix China?) and 4870; 1405, 4750 and 4790; listening to 4790 at 1457 when it went off abruptly amid music; that frequency was a tad high (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Geophysical Alert Message # Solar-terrestrial indices for 19 November follow. Solar flux 70 and mid-latitude A-index 4. The mid-latitude K- index at 1200 UTC on 20 November was 4 (66 nT). The mid-latitude K- index at 1500 UTC on 20 November was 6 (132 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be moderate. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level are expected (SWPC via DXLD) In reference to Glenn's query about RRI Serui, Passport 2008 still lists .5 kW. Yes, their signal reliability is surprising. Perhaps they have an ideal transmitter site. WRTH shows Serui lying on the north shore of New Guinea. Maybe it's like retail. Location, location, location (Jerry Lenamon, TX, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nov 21 not so good a day for 60m Indos, but RRI Serui was still audible, unlike the others, just music at 1415. I have seen reports of this as 4606, so I measured it to 4604.9 or so (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also LIBERIA [non] Solar-terrestrial indices for 20 November follow. Solar flux 70 and mid-latitude A-index 24. The mid-latitude K-index at 1200 UTC on 21 November was 4 (59 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level occurred. No space weather storms are expected for the next 24 hours (SWPC via DXLD) ** IRAN. 5945.90, odd 900 Hertz at 1730-1828 UT, IRIB Kamalabad in Bosnian hetting BBC Cyprus Persian heavily (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Nov 21, harmonics yg via DXLD) see also LITHUANIA ** JAPAN [and non]. Not jamming per se, but CRI just happens to have a Russian broadcast on 5965 at the very same time that RCI Mandarin is relayed via Yamata, 1500 UT. As noted Nov 20 at 1459, NHK multi- lingual IDs including English, overridden by CRI ID in Chinese, IS, opening Russian, which is at 55 degrees to E Sibir. At 1514 one of them was playing El Condor Pasa, in either case, incongruously (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JORDAN. 11690 kHz, from 1405 UT with Mideast news in French, then into lively Mideast pops; noisy, SINPO 33222+. A bit clearer with French talk at 1435 UT, into easier music at 1440. (Thanks to Glenn Hauser who has noted this several times lately). November 19th. Heard on Grundig YB 400PE with long wire (Roger Chambers, Utica, New York, Nov 19, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. Re 7-139, 9665 noise transmission: Hi Glenn, Identical situation on 3350. Heard Nov 20, in parallel with 9665, from 0955- 1033, both with the same strong noise dominating the Korean programming and music. Sounded like jamming! (Ron Howard, CA, WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Regarding the noise associated with both 3350 and 9665, did you notice that it seems that they maybe are from two different locations in North Korea, therefore two different transmitters? What do you think? Ron Per: http://www.geocities.jp/binewsjp/bis07.txt FREQ . STATION UTC Su-W-Sa Language Pow Azi Location 3350 KCBS Pyongyang 2000-1800 1234567 Korean 50 ND Pyongyang 9665 KCBS Pyongyang 2000-1800 1234567 Korean 50 ND Kanggye (Ron Howard, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Considering the enmity with the South, I suppose it could be jamming by them --- they do jam MW from NK --- but has always seemed to me to be defective transmitter. I guess the answer would be if these frequencies are ever heard with normal modulation. And is this sound heard on any other NK HS frequencies? (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** KOREA NORTH. 6185.0, VOK, 1020-1031, Nov 20, programming in English, // 6228.52 (quickly drifting up to .66) and 6284.75 (steady), all fair-good (Ron Howard, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. 6398.8, PBS, Kanggye, 2216-..., 17 Nov, Korean, exalted speech; 34432, adjacent QRM de utility and pirate station Weekend Music R, Scotland, on new 6400 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. TEST BROADCASTS FOR NORTH KOREA Dear OM, I received test broadcast for North Korea on 9950 kHz from Nov. 13. 1200-1300 R Free North Korea (Nov. 13-14) Open Radio for North Korea (Nov. 15-16) R Free Chosun (Nov. 17-) 1300-1327 Open Radio for North Korea (Nov. 15-) 1400-1500 R Free North Korea (Nov. 15-16 and Nov. 18-) 1400-1420 VOR-Urdu, 1420-1500 VOR-Russian was mistransmitted Nov. 17. It is estimated that the test broadcast is transmitted from the Russian Far East area (Novosibirsk?). At 1330-1400 are regular broadcast of R Free Chosun via Tainan [Taiwan] de S. Aoki NDXC-HQ (S. Hasegawa, Nov 20, WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Novosibirsk isn`t very far east, only 83 degrees E long., west of Mongolia (gh, DXLD) Dear OM, thank you for the tip, I also listened to it today. I attach a clip of test tones (980 Hz) recorded at 1158; they sound different than I have got used to. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ibid.) Dear OM, The test broadcast of 9950 kHz, it was broadcasted addition of Radio Free Chosun at 1200-1300 UT. de (S. Aoki NDXC via S. Hasegawa, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBERIA [non]. Star Radio, via Ascension, 9525, Nov 21 at 0703 with YL reading news about Liberia; modulation was somewhat muffled, not what I would expect from VTC/Merlin. Also weak het from 9526, but not really a problem, presumably Indonesian carrier already on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. Re 7-139: During winter, Radio Vilnius usually uses 9875 at 0000-0100 (with English at 0030). Is this still the case or has this now been replaced by 0100-0200 on 7325? May need checking as B07 HFCC lists both (Dave Kenny UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nov 21 quick chex: after 0030 could hear something weak unID on 7325, nothing on 9875; after 0130, nothing on either. But propagation is disturbed. Surely those further east can resolve this (gh, DXLD) Dave, But time is too late for listeners in Germany... http://www.lrt.lt/prenumerata/podcast.php?chid=234933&secid=2&flt=7345 shows still 9875 kHz. Main lobe 310 degrees is much northerly like southern Stockholm, central Norway, Iceland, Chicago, Texas. ``To Europe at 9:30 am UTC on 9710 kHz. To North America at 23.30 pm UTC on 7325 kHz and at 00.30 am UTC on 9875 kHz.`` [says:] http://www.lrt.lt/en/static.php?strid=170282& (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sitkunai registrations >>> 9555 0600-1600 SIT 100 079 registered entry, but never used It was on air for some time after the Continental transmitter had been installed in 1999 but had been cancelled soon, cf. http://www.worldofradio.com/dxld4025.txt >>> 9710 0900-1500 SIT 100 259 registered entry, but never used After the inauguration of the Continental transmitter word was that the old ex-Zeesen transmitter will be kept in operational condition and still available for lease, but only on 9710 (no regular retuning of this transmitter anymore, effectively turning it into a fixed- frequency unit). But is it still operational now, eight years later? >>> 6225 1430-1528 SIT 100 079 IRIB Russian \\ 7165 9735 >>> 5815 1530-1728 SIT 100 079 Radio Racja in Belarussian If really 79 degrees some investments into the antenna facilities must have been made recently. The new HR 4/2/0.5 antenna, built in conjunction with the Continental transmitter, was originally not reversible. Only the last remaining old shortwave antenna is (or was), but at the same time it can be run only in the 7.7-11.3 MHz range (classical two-band antenna for 31/25 m), and only with 50 kW. http://www.zilionis.lt/rtv/qth/sit/index.php?e http://www.zilionis.lt/rtv/qth/sit/sit-sw.php http://www.zilionis.lt/rtv/qth/sit/RNW_lithuania020204.htm (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Sitkunai replaced IRIB English 6265 by 6225 kHz now, heard yesterday for the first time. LITHUANIA/IRAN Hopefully this is the actual Sitkunai B-07 schedule. 9875 0000-0100 SIT 100 310 R Vilnius Lit/En 7545 0630-0728 SIT 100 259 IRIB Italian \\ 13620 15085 9555 0600-1600 SIT 100 079 registered entry, but never used 9710 0900-1000 SIT 100 259 R Vilnius Lit/En 9710 1000-1500 SIT 100 259 registered entry, but never used 12060 0900-1200 SIT 100 259 registered entry, but never used 6225 1430-1528 SIT 100 079 IRIB Russian \\ 7165 9735 5815 1530-1728 SIT 100 079 Radio Racja in Belarussian 6265 1730-1828 SIT 100 259 IRIB German \\ 6205 7380 6265 1830-1928 SIT 100 259 IRIB French \\ 6180 7380 6225 1930-2028 SIT 100 259 IRIB English \\ 6010 7320 <<<< 6225 2030-2128 SIT 100 259 IRIB Spanish \\ 7130 7350 7325 2300-2400 SIT 100 310 R Vilnius Lit/En (Wolfgang Büschel, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) & updating WOR 1383 ** MADAGASCAR [and non]. Malagasy Republic: RTV Malagasy, opening just before 0300z on 5010. It looks like sunrise on Madagascar would have been around 0200z, maybe accounting for the higher noise level than the other southern African stations heard at the same time. Barely audible by 0330z. Botswana: VOA English, 4930 @ 0310z. Zambia: CVC Africa, 4965 @ 0345z. As reported yesterday, Djibouti, Angola, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland. Most of these stations are in southern Africa (except Djibouti) but the paths can be quite different. The bearing from Central Texas to Madagascar is about 77º, the bearing to Meyerton is about 111º, Angola is about 87º and Djibouti is about 48º (about the same as to western Europe). (Jerry Lenamon, Waco Texas, Drake R8B, T2FD, UT Nov 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 7295, Traxx FM via RTM, 1533-1603, Nov 20, in English, DJ Maya and OM with their Tuesday "Jazz Selecta" program, played jazz vocals ("Route 66", etc.) and jazz instrumentals, ToH pips, YL with the news, fair-poor, QRM from 7290 and hams (Ron Howard, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 7245, R. Mauritanie, Nouakchott, 1151-..., 17 Nov, Arabic, folk songs; was off at 1133; 55444 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. San Diego's 1700 XEKTT in with "Dennis Miller Show" at 1:48 PM PST. Never heard daytime DX this good before. Wow, that's over 932 miles to San Diego and the transmitter is in Tijuana, Mexico (Dennis Vroomski, Vancouver, WA, R-390 A Ewe NW (wire laying on the ground), Nov 22, IRCA via DXLD) Dennis, What is the basis for calling this XEKTT? Didn`t they change to XEPE quite a while ago? Or have they changed back? What call do they announce now? Not that that would be conclusive either with that group`s track record. Perhaps Tim Hall can enlighten us. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) They're XEPE. They ID more often now than they used to when they were XEKTT. 73 and Happy Thanksgiving, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista, ibid.) ** MOROCCO. 1637a, RTM-"B" (& other), site?, 1402-..., 17 Nov, Spanish, newscast till 1405, Rabat ID, Sp. songs; 35444 but still the weird, FM-like modulation causing the audio to be unreadable until one switches from the AM to the FM mode. I could not find this on any in- band channel airing this in regular AM modulation and at the same signal level, which is frankly good (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So this one is not a second harmonic? (gh, DXLD) ** MOROCCO. Correction, Re: unID on 5980, from 0400 UT --- 5980 like Radio Cairo music and songs; 0400-0500* UT close-down. S=8. But not VoTR - Voice of the Tigray Revolution. But RTM Morocco Arabic relay via IBB Briech site at 0000-0500 UT. 250 kW at 83 degrees to Algeria, Tunis, Malta, Cyprus, Tel Aviv, Kuwait. Other RTM Briech relays 15335 1100-1500 UT, 7135 2200-2400 UT, but different target at Toulouse, Luxembourg, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm. Thanks dear Tarek in Cairo, see mail below. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldydg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Hello Wolfy, Re, UNIDENTIFIED. 5980, like Radio Cairo music and songs; 0400-0500* UT c-down. S=8. VoTR - Voice of the Tigray Revolution, in parallel with 6030? (Wolfgang Büschel, Stuttgart, Germany, Nov 17, Eton E1 rx, and \\ check AOR 7030 and Sony ICF 2010, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I did check that frequency around 0415 UT today Nov 19 and there was an OM with religious talk about prophet Mohamad till 0428 UT followed by Sahara music, then an ID at 0430 UT it turned out to be RTM Morocco, local network from a place called Sakiya Al Hamra, - I think that's located in Laayoune --- the Western Sahara region. Another ID around 0435 UT with religious programs as well till 0440 UT, 0443 another Sahara music about prophet Mohamad. The ID in Arabic, "Idhaat almamlaka almaghrebiya - min o'moom AlSakiya Al Hamra". All the best my friend, yours (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt (Nov 19), via Büschel, ibid.) see also WESTERN SAHARA ** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI WINS PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING AWARD Radio New Zealand International has been voted International Radio Station of the Year [beating out BBC World Service and Radio Sawa] and also winner of the Most Innovative Partnership award [beating out Radio Australia, Radio Canada and Zonemedia Romantica]. Full details are in the media release at http://www.rnz.co.nz The Radio Heritage Foundation http://www.radioheritage.net produces regular radio heritage documentaries for broadcast over RNZI and congratulates RNZI's team and its partner stations throughout the Pacific for achieving these awards against tough international competition. RNZI celebrates 60 years of shortwave broadcasting from New Zealand to the Pacific in September 1948, supports the shortwave listening hobby, and broadcasts in both analog and digital DRM as well as online via http://www.rnzi.com (David Ricquish, Radio Heritage Foundation, 'Sharing the stories of Pacific radio' http://www.radioheritage.net DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. Hi, Glenn! Here are the latest two Crystal Ship pirate e-mail announcements: (Will Martin, MO, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz, from John Poet: Saturday Morning TCS *1400-þ --- Sent: Sat 11/17/07 2:16 PM Good morning, friends. Wake up, ya lazy swabs! The Crystal Ship be going on the air this morning just after 1400 UT, on about 6904 kHz and on 7575 kHz. All in Glorious AM mode, naturally. 6904 is running the Viking II with our (old) horizontal V dipole and 100 watts carrier. 7575 is running the Valiant and our new inverted L doublet at 150 watts carrier. This should be your preferred frequency, unless its skipping over you as it may well this morning for those around the Great Lakes. We'd be particularly interested in any reports on this frequency's transmission. Pirate on, Wayne! Pirate on, Garth! Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:34:59 -0500 Subject: Sunday Night: The Crystal Ship *2330- Good evening, fellow pirate radio criminal types! The Crystal Ship is coming on air this evening, commencing roughly after 2330 UT, on about 3420 // 6854 kHz. Tonight, both Johnson Valiants are in service. 6854 should be limited to the Gulf Coast, Southwest and Western US by this hour. 3420 is intended for the Northeastern United States. 73s and FIGHT for FREE RADIO! The Poet The Crystal Ship (via Will Martin, DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. Hi Glenn, The details of Radio Pakistan broadcasts in English language in its external and domestic broadcasts are as follows: Time (UTC) Frequency Target Comments 0045-0115 7445 kHz South Asia The program is in English but don't know why it is called Assamese service. Perhaps the target area is Assam, India. API-3 100 kW is used. Poor reception. 0300-0400 4835 kHz South Asia English News and Discussion. Good reception within and outside Pakistan. API-4 100 kW is used. 0730-0830 15100 kHz Europe Composite English Program. News at 17835 kHz 0800 UT. Transmitters are 250 kW. Often give good signals. 1100-1104 15100 kHz Europe English News Bulletin. 17835 kHz 1300-1400 585 kHz Pakistan, English News Bulletin followed by Radio Pakistan Islamabad English Program. 1600-1615 6240 kHz Middle East, English News Bulletin and Comment. 7520 kHz Middle East 11570 kHz East Africa 1600-1700 4835 kHz South Asia, English News followed by discussion programs. Good reception within and outside Pakistan. API-4 is used (Aslam Javaid, Lahore, Pakistan, Nov 20, WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3235, Radio West New Britain, 1241-1325+, 11/20/07. M announcer with brief commentary between light pop/island songs. Longer talk at 1259, but stayed on afterward and was still going strong by fadeout around 1325. Numerous other presumed PNGs also heard on a quick bandscan this morning in good conditions, some seemingly // to each other (but I can't read my notes as to which): 3205, 3315, 3325, 3335, 3365, 3905. Fair/poor (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND [non] 9450 kHz, (Wertachtal) from about 1339 UT, External Service holding up pretty well, ending their hour broadcast with some nice vibraphone jazz. SINPO 33333, off after ID and in middle of more jazz. While not great reception, they have proved to be more reliable here and better heard now on 9450 than they ever were on 9525 or 11815. Heard on Grundig YB 400PE with long wire (Roger Chambers, Utica, New York, Nov 19, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. It`s so recognizable, the Tiganeshti transmitter which puts out as much roaring noise as it does RRI modulation. Nov 20 at 1349, there it was again on 15105, as scheduled in English at 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAIPAN. "The KYOI Story" on the web: http://www.kyoi.zcm.com.au Includes station history, notable moments, the transfer to Herald Broadcasting (KHBI), etc., and there's lots of recordings of the station included, in Real format (Joe Hanlon, NJ, Nov 20, WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA. Estimados colegas diexistas: Así como hace algún tiempo ya Radio Yugoslavia abandonó esta denominación por la de Radio Serbia Internacional, ahora también abandonó su antiguo sitio http://www.radioyu.org Al entrar a esta dirección nos desvía de inmediato al nuevo sitio de la emisora: http://www.glassrbije.org que es un sitio con muchas mejoras y diseño más atractivo que el anterior. Para acceder directamente al sitio en español la dirección es http://www.glassrbije.org/S Javier, José Miguel, Glenn, ustedes que viven en el Hemisferio Norte, ¿logran captar esta emisora? P.S.: No está de más señalar que "Glas Srbije" quiere decir "Voz de Serbia". Sin embargo al menos en el sitio web y en el noticiero en internet se identifican como "Radio Serbia Internacional" Saludos, (Eduardo Peñailillo, Chile, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Eduardo, Casi imposible en América Norte, en realidad con baja potencia en 7240, y también muy difícil aún en Europa, ¿no? También con interferencia. Talvez con 250 kW a partir de diciembre, como han prometido, pero no dirigida a AmN en horas diurnas. 73, (Glenn Hauser, Oklahoma, ibid.) Saludos Glenn, desde Valencia sigue sin captarse a Radio Serbia en 7240; esperamos a ver cómo funcionan los nuevos transmisores. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) ** SRI LANKA. 7595 with something in Central Asian language, Nov 21 at 1447, and giving a www at 1451; RTTY QRM on high side. EiBi and HFCC say it`s R. Liberty in Tajik via Iranawila, 348 degrees, so also favoring NAm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non?]. Ellende brengt nieuwe kortegolf zender --- Tot op heden kan ik nog geen frequenties vinden. Jullie? (Ary Boender, BDX via DXLD) Re: 112 Teletekst vr 09 nov *************************************** SPECIALE RADIOZENDER VOOR DARFUR *************************************** In Amsterdam is een radiozender gelanceerd die zich gaat richten op de Sudanese provincie Darfur. Radio Darfur is een kortegolfzender die humanitaire programma's en onafhankelijk nieuws gaat uitzenden. De lancering van Radio Darfur gebeurde tijdens een speciale televisieuitzending. In Darfur woedt sinds 2003 een etnisch conflict waarbij al 200.000 mensen zijn omgekomen. Er zijn 2,5 miljoen mensen op de vlucht geslagen. Tot nu toe ontbreekt onafhankelijke berichtgeving voor de bewoners van Darfur. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat er veel behoefte bestaat aan dat nieuws (via Ary Boender, Nov 19, BDX via DXLD) Kijk hier eens: http://www.radiodarfur.fm en hier: http://www.radiovisie.eu/nl/nieuws.rvsp?art=00071694 Het gaat om lokale FM-uitzendingen (Herman Boel, ibid.) Looking for 10-Euro donations; launches brief videos in Dutch with disturbing content; but the original story says it`s on shortwave! Yet another confusion between SW and ``ultra`` SW? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. QSL: 9825, Miraya FM Sudan (reported to be via Cërrik). Sent an e-mail report to hersh @ un.org for a report of their broadcast heard on the 12th [Nov] from *1500 to 1536. Reply from Nanci Hersh with an MS Document e-mail reception report with my details filled in with Miraya FM Logo. I wrote back and asked for a clarification of a confirmation. The reply from Nanci Hersh was the fact they do not have a QSL card and confirmations are via e-mail only. Initially reply on a confirmation was within a 24 hour period. v/s: Nanci Hersh (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx for the report. Miraya (and other IRRS broadcasts) have been established as coming from Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia, definitely not Albania. Guess you need to catch up on reading DXLD. I am still waiting to see any report of Miraya after 1600 UT. Have they ever changed from 1300-1600 to the originally publicized 1500- 1800 period??? (Glenn Hauser, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. Re KCPW 1010 Salt Lake with BBCWS 24 hours, 7-139: Sergei Says: November 20th, 2007 at 2:42 pm Great news! But you forgot to mention the most important part - about a “fabulous trip” to London: Help us raise the $33,000 in start-up costs for this new service, and you could win a trip to London to tour the BBC studios. One lucky KCPW listener and a guest will head to London next year for a fabulous trip to go behind the scenes of the BBC. Make a pledge now or donate during our short, on-air drive December 6 and 7. Once we raise the amount we need, we’ll stop fundraising. loujosephs Says: November 20th, 2007 at 4:38 pm Kim is correct; this station has no night time signal. It has to protect another 50 kW in nearby Phoenix, AZ. Glenn Hauser Says: November 20th, 2007 at 5:49 pm But NRCAM Log 2007 says it has 44 kW during “critical hours“, whatever that mean in this case. loujosephs Says: November 20th, 2007 at 7:27 pm Critical hours are an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset. WFED on 1050 in Washington DC metro has critical hour authority and you cant here them at all 6 miles from the transmitter. Not worth having. Pieter Says: November 20th, 2007 at 7:36 pm $33,000! Is it really so expensive to relay the BBC news programs? Kai Ludwig Says: November 20th, 2007 at 10:23 pm These are the Pre-Sunrise Authority and Post-Sunset Authority, respectively. Critical hours are another matter: These are “the two hours after local sunrise and the two hours before local sunset”, cf. http://sujan.hallikainen.org/FCC/FccRules/2007/73/187/ This means that the transmitter in question is allowed to run 50 kW from two hours after sunrise until two hours before sunset only. After sunrise and before sunset they have to reduce their power to 44 kW (WRTH says 42 kW instead), and from sunset until sunrise on the next morning all they can run are a whooping 0.2 kW. Presumably they were originally a daytime-only station and later asked at which power they could operate at night, with this outcome. In other cases the resulting night powers were as low as 0.004 kW, and Europeans will never cease to be amazed about such “transmissions” (although I read somewhere that they are not entirely useless if putting such a flea transmitter inmidst a housing estate). Glenn Hauser Says: November 22nd, 2007 at 3:44 am I believe that “critical hours“ can also depend on sunrise/sunset times at some other priority station on same frequency, which is why we need to have a timetable for KCPW to know exactly when the only slightly reduced power really be in effect. Also, it is not uncommon in the US for stations with reduced night power (or even no nighttime authorization at all) to “forget“ and operate with day power into the night. Not that KCPW would ever do that (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Two R. Free Asia frequencies from Tinian were coming in well, Nov 20 at 1502, 5810 in Mandarin mixed with Firedrake, and 5860 in Korean free of jamming, so should be good for the northerners listening secretly undercover, after midnight. Also on 6140 central Asian language at 1504 with VOA theme, news of Pakistan. Scheduled as Uzbek via Tinian at 1500-1530. That`s a pretty long haul and I wonder why they don`t use a closer site such as Iranawila (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOA Amharic jammed: see ETHIOPIA [and non]. See also SRI LANKA ** U S A [non]. Glenn, QSL's that came in the last week --- MOLDOVA REP. 7430, Family Radio English to Europe via Grigoriopol transmitter. Full data (with site) 'Three Decades of Faithful Service' QSL Card in 39 days. E-mail report to: intl @ familyradio.com ENGLAND, 13720, Family Radio Arabic to Middle East via Skelton. Full data (with site) 'Three Decades of Faithful Service' QSL Card in 37 days. E-mail report to: intl @ familyradio.com (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn, Wolfgang and others: Here is a partial list of DX program days and times on WRMI during the B07 season. In addition to this list, there are "miscellaneous" airings of DX programs during the time blocks from 0600-1000 and 1100-1300 UT Monday-Friday. All of the programs listed below are re-broadcast during those miscellaneous blocks, but these times are subject to frequent change and I have not listed them here. UT Day Program kHz 0800 Saturday Frecuencia al Día 9955 0830 Saturday Wavescan 9955 0900 Saturday World of Radio 9955 1130 Saturday DX Party Line 9955 1145 Saturday Aventura DXista 9955 2230 Saturday World of Radio 9955 0500 Sunday DX Party Line 9955 0515 Sunday Aventura DXista 9955 0800 Sunday La Rosa de Tokio 9955 0900 Sunday World of Radio 9955 0930 Sunday Wavescan 9955 1130 Sunday Mundo Radial 9955 1200 Sunday Wavescan 9955 1230 Sunday Frecuencia al Día 9955 1615 Sunday World of Radio 7385 1645 Sunday DX Party Line 7385 0500 Monday Frecuencia al Día 9955 1600 Monday DX Party Line 7385 1615 Monday Aventura DXista 7385 2300 Monday La Rosa de Tokio 9955 1530 Tuesday Frecuencia al Día 7385 1600 Tuesday DX Party Line 7385 1615 Tuesday Aventura DXista 7385 1630 Tuesday World of Radio 7385 1630 Wednesday DX Party Line 7385 1645 Wednesday Aventura DXista 7385 1530 Thursday World of Radio 7385 2315 Thursday Mundo Radial 9955 [should be 0015 Fri?] 2330 Thursday Frecuencia al Día 9955 [should be 0030 Fri?] 1630 Friday DX Party Line 7385 1645 Friday Aventura DXista 7385 (Jeff White, WRMI, Nov 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have left some of the last-known but time-shifted ``miscellaneous`` times for these, with a caveat, in http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html http://www.worldofradio.com/calendar.html (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. DX w/C checks --- Hi, Glenn! In response to your note in a recent DXLD about checking for DXing With Cumbre air times, I can verify these from your list: Sat 1030 UT on 5835: This was actually great reception, but, since it was the 4 AM hour here, I only heard parts of the program, falling asleep & waking up at odd intervals. (I only tried for it because I awoke around 4 on my own... I'm not crazy enough to set an alarm for this. :-) Interestingly, WHR were sensible enough to air a "Radio Weather" program at 1000 UT, making this a "radio hour". I had suggested to them that they do this years ago, back when "Radio Weather" had some currency & relevance. Now, the one that was on 11/17/07 was quite old and oft-heard. Mon 0230 UT on 5850 Mon 0330 UT on 7315 Both of these were detectable and partially understandable on UT 11/19/07, but reception was wretched here in St. Louis. That's sad -- these evening airings used to be pretty reliable. All of these airings were show number 563, as of 11/15/07. Usual content of Marie's blog readings and Chris Lobdell's pirate reports and sample. Conflicts & forgetfulness prevented me from verifying any of the other DXw/C airings on your list -- we'll see what I manage to do this coming weekend. 73, (Will Martin, MO, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WHRA, 7520, Nov 21 at 2219 had some weaker CW on 7519 needing no BFO other than WHRA carrier. Cadence sounded like cut numbers, groups of 5, but did not make sure of this. I did hear AR run together which I don`t think is part of usual spy letters messages. WHRA used to be on 11765 at the same time, but now it`s WHRI scheduled, Nov 21 at 2226, 315 degree azimuth close to usward, and huge signal accompanied by noisy sidebands, especially during music. By tuning to 11760 or 11770 one hears a continuous noise much like DRM, as if there were separate carriers; wonder what it looks like on a scope. Later at 2253 some speech was little better, since even during pauses there was background modulation keeping the sideband hash going (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WBOH, 5920, distorted as usual, Nov 20 at 1501, also with buzzy spur around 5927; I can`t be positive this buzz was from WBOH, but they have previously had such problems with identifiable audio (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re WTJC 9370 playing Star Spangled Banner at 2318 UT: Glenn, I think FBN plays the Star Spangled Banner on their domestic network at noon eastern time daily, which I assume would be repeated on 5920 and 9370 at 1700 UT. But seeing how much emphasis FBN places on patriotism and Americanism, I'm not surprised that the Star Spangled Banner would make an appearance several times a day, especially on patriotic holidays (John Cereghin, Smyrna DE, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. "Off The Hook"'s Response --- Glenn, I had written the "Off The Hook" people about the WBCQ-relay loss, as you included in DXLD 7- 138. Here's their response: William, sorry you could not hear Off The Hook on shortwave this week. I found out about this right after the show, and spent the better part of an hour talking to someone at WBCQ about it. They had an inexperienced and untrained person there who failed to follow the written instructions on what to do to get an audio feed (you probably gathered that when you called.) They called my cellphone during the show, but my ringer was off because I was on the air. But if they followed their written procedures they would have gotten the audio out on the air. There are several backup procedures they did not follow, apparently because some newbie there couldn't find the notes on what to do. WBCQ is very disorganized at times, but you probably gathered that when you called. Most nights I monitor the live signal from home on a Sony ICF-2010, but this week I had to work late and could not do that. The POTS feedpoint is located at a friend's house on Long Island because I cannot receive WBAI-FM in Philadelphia. The phone patch there almost never has a problem, unless we forget to change the daylight savings time on the timer relay. Even then there's other ways for WBCQ to get the audio, and they did not follow their instructions. Again, I'll be working with WBCQ's owner, Allan Weiner, to get this situation resolved. Thanks for listening to Off The Hook, -bernieS (via Will Martin, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A reminder that the rescheduled WCXH 780 test from WBCQ`s AM station is coming up early Sat Nov 24 at 09-10 UT (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. WEGP 1390 [Maine, a regular TA catch in UK] to increase power --- From the WEGP website: "We are continuing our preparation for broadcast at our full 25,000 watts of daytime power 10,000 watts night time power. We anticipate completion of the power up project by the week of December 3rd. We will keep you posted about our progress." It's currently 5kW/5kW (Paul Crankshaw, UK, MWC via DXLD) WEGP has been boasting on air in its slogan about being "the 25000watt Talk of the County" for some time now. On air they don't give the impression that it's coming soon, rather that they ARE 25000W already. I'm not sure whether website or slogans are more accurate. 73s (Steve Whitt, ibid.) This station may also be operating under the following Construction Permit: Status Construction Permit for a Class B AM Station Area of Coverage View Daytime Coverage Map, View Nighttime Coverage Hours of Operation Unlimited Antenna Mode Directional - Nighttime Only Daytime Transmitter Power 25,000 Watts Nighttime Transmitter Power 10,000 Watts (Barry Davies, ibid.) ** U S A. Per station announcements & Robert Feder in the Chicago Sun- Times, WCPT will switch from 2500 watt am850 to 5000 watt am820 on Mon morn 26 Nov 2007. The religious programming and the WAIT letters from am820 will move to am850 (William Hassig, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Some years back, around 2004 I kept hearing WEAL 1510 Greensboro pounding in well after local sunset. WEAL is a daytime in Greensboro, NC. I contacted Mike Gideon who was over the Nashville region. He surmised that someone there thought they could get away with staying on, and contacted them. Brian Goodrich will deliver the RRRRRREST of the story as he was there --- and still is (Powell E. Way III W4OPW, Nov 20, ABDX via DXLD) Searching online, I recently found written by Powell in a discussion about WLAC, wrote him back and thus, this post. I'm Operations Manager for Entercom in Greensboro, NC. They own 4 FMs and 2 AMs here, including daytimer (and I do mean daytimer) WEAL, 1510. Sometime back in the late 1990s, we had a Chief Engineer who'd worked in some major markets, at big stations. I don't recall his name and would probably have to leave it out if I did. Previously, we'd had a few discussions about WEAL's signal limitations, possible frequency flips, etc. One day, he casually told me that he had good news. WEAL now had PSSA! I was greatly surprised, as WEAL's tower is just less than 390 miles from Nashville, in one of WLAC's main lobes. He told me he'd been chasing this, had made a call to the FCC and had a document that seemed to indicate authority to operate post-sunset with 250 watts (WEAL's Critical Hours authorized power), with hours for each month, etc. and had already talked to someone at corporate, the GM and the PD. All were very pleased! I expressed my surprise and disbelief, but I'm not an engineer; plus, I have seen the FCC grant some absolutely insane authorizations from time to time. Immediately, WEAL invaded the early evening airways with 250 watts. Years later, after we'd been bought by Entercom, our Corporate CE called, asking about WEAL's operating hours. After a brief discussion, WEAL disappeared permanently from the early evening airwaves. Of course, the FCC had issued no authorization for WEAL to operate post- sunset. By this time, the CE who'd delivered the good news about the PSSA had been gone for years. You might guess that he just made it up --- created a semi-official document and "granted" the station PSSA! I still have no idea why he'd do something like that, but we had the paperwork. Now, I finally have the answer to how our friends at Clear Channel found out about this encroachment on WLAC's airspace. I'd figured it was probably a DXer. Today, for the first time, I learned the answer: the stand up guy who got 'er done was our very own guardian of the airwaves, Powell Way! (Brian Goodrich, Greensboro, NC, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. TACOMA - 1700 kHz - PART 15 --- Driving around the western part of Federal Way this morning I noted spotty rock music on 1700 so naturally pursued it as it got louder as I headed home in NE Tacoma. From home it seemed to have a due East orientation. At 11am local it identified itself as Browns Point Radio. The voice was very professional and the audio quality appears to be well audio processed. They have a web site http://brownspointradio.com and the program is streamed ("Reaching every corner of the globe, brownspointradio.com"). It is operating under Part 15. Browns Point is an unincorporated residential area of NE Tacoma. I'll check it out tonight to see how well it holds up against XEPE [& see MEXICO]. (Pete Taylor Tacoma, WA 12225w 4719n ICF2010 + Kiwa air core loop DX398; Palomar loop, Nov 21, IRCA via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA. RTM-711 --- Laâyoune? Dakhla? Definitively solved (I hope!!) Hi all! Sometime ago I posted: ---- "From some months ago I have been reading dx reports placing this Saharan station in Dakhla (Villa Cisneros when it was part of Spain) instead Laâyoune (El Aaiún in its Spanish times). I think this is not correct. Laâyoune-El Aaiún is/was the main city of the territory. RNE placed there the main radio station with a second station (mainly a relay) in Dakhla-Villa Cisneros. For the record, the ITU "International Frequency List", 4th edition Volume I, 1-Feb. 1967 only shows the Laâyoune-El Aaiún station: AOE EAJ203 651'5 kHz 100 kW. So the EAJ202 station in Dakhla-Villa Cisneros had to be registered later. Morocco invaded the western Sahara in 1975 taking the control of RTVE stations. Historically these stations have maintained their respective frequencies (with minor changes to agree with the ITU plans). But always Laâyoune around 700 and Dakhla around 1000. Laâyoune powerful (it is the Capital)and Dakhla lower (it is a smaller city). Then, why it seems that they have interchanged now? I have found some references to a RTM web site giving that information. But I have not found that site! Anyway I think (really: I´m sure) that info is not correct. A simple typing error probably. You can check the official RTM-Radio Laâyoune site to discover that nothing has changed. They announce its traditional MW frequency: 711 kHz and 91'1 FM. You can find the schedule for its programs in Spanish too. http://www.radiolaayoune.ma/carte.htm `` A little bit more researching made me discover the decisive proof to demonstrate that 711 is (as ever was!) the Laâyoune station placed (as ever was!) in Laâyoune. And, as collateral damage, the discovering of no MW transmitter actually in Dakhla, listed erroneously as Laâyoune (864, 7.5 kW). I have found this information in the own Radio Dakhla web pages, hidden in the most unexpected place --- inside the Radio Laayoune site! In this place you can read: "Les programmes de la radiodiffusion régionale de Dakhla peuvent être captés sur l'antenne émettrice de la radiodiffusion régionale de Laayoune établie à Foum-El Oued sous la fréquence 711 AM et à partir de Dakhla sous la fréquence 91.80 FM.". In English (my own translation): "The programs of the Radiodif. Regionale de Dakhla can be caught from the transmitting antenna of the Radiodif. Regionale de Laayoune placed at Foum-El Oued in the frequency of 711 AM and from Dakhla in the frequency of 91.8 FM". I have not written this but Mr. Ahmed Haiba Ouaiah, "le Directeur de Radio Dakhla". So, Radio Laâyoune gives some antenna time to Radio Dakhla probably because its lack of MW transmitter to cover its whole area and the FM covering only Dakhla city. http://www.radiolaayoune.ma/Radiodakhla/index.html "...établie à Foum-El Oued..." but, where is this place?... Google search: --"...La commune de Foum El Oued, située à 20 km au Sud de Laâyoune." --"...Foum el oued, à 22kms de Laâyoune ..." --"...La policía procedió en Foum el-Oued (playa de El Aaiún) a varias detenciones más..." --"...Foum el Oued is the best place to go swimming if you live in Laayoune..." I hope that this will be sufficient to demonstrate that the SNRT transmitter on 711 kHz is the one of Radio Laâyoune located where it was always, in Laâyoune or its environs. (in 1967: AOE EAJ203 13W12, 27N10, according ITU "Int. Freq. List"). Map: http://www.afriblog.com/personnes%5C0_999%5C666%5C200746224827.jpg Saludos (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See two masts of 711 kHz antenna at Google Earth MRC Laayoune 711 / 864 kHz (El Aaiun) 27 10 21.58 N 13 21 40.93 W Google Maps: http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=27.173493&lon=-13.362011&z=18.5&r=0&src=ggl and Dakhla MW 999 kHz seemingly at 23 41 35.72 N 15 56 05.41 W http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=23.693256&lon=-15.934836&z=18.8&r=0&src=ggl # # # UN Dakhla at http://www.fallingrain.com/world/WI/0/Ad_Dakhla.html 23 39 11.99 N 15 58 51.56 W Dhakla Communications compound in downtown at 23 41 35.72 N 15 56 05.41 W http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=23.693256&lon=-15.934836&z=18.8&r=0&src=ggl Dakhla Airport radio masts, or military radio compound ? 23 42 48.66 N 15 55 18.19 W near Airport http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=23.713517&lon=-15.921719&z=17.9&r=0&src=ggl http://www.panoramio.com/photo/63347 Few Dhakla photos, also from Spanish colonial era before 1974: http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=23.738526&ln=-15.932922&z=5&k=2&tab=2 http://www.panoramio.com/photo/63290 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. Re 7-139: During my stay in Spain 3 weeks ago, I also missed 6300 outlet a single day of the week, but can't remember the exact day of the week. But as Carlos in Portugal reported earlier, the 1550 kHz outlet is regular on air, when 6300 failed. 73 wolfie (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Nov 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. 3396, ZBC, Guineafowl, Gweru, 1650-1658, 18 Nov, vernacular, talks; 35322 but 2nd best 90 m band Afr outlet at this time after 3215 kHz AWR (tentative) via Talata Volonondry (?), MDG, 1655*, 45333 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. SWRA wins media award --- We are very pleased to announce that SW Radio Africa - the independent voice of Zimbabwe - has won the 2007 award for Most Creative Radio Marketing Concept, from the Association for International Broadcasters. This Media Excellence Award was given to us for our sms campaign, where we send news headlines into Zimbabwe on a daily basis via mobile phone text messages. The AIB is the industry association for all sectors of international broadcasting. It's membership is global and includes television and radio broadcasters, satellite operators, transmission companies, technology providers and consultants. Judges for the 2007 awards were drawn from media companies around the world. We would like to thank our supporters and friends and to share this award with all of them (Gerry Jackson, Station Manager, http://www.swradioafrica.com via David Pringle-Wood, Zimbabwe, DXLD) Similar: SW Radio wins international award http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=3207&cat=1 By a Correspondent . . . (via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Results of some random tuning. . . . 1181, The Het was noted Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in casual "drive by" tuning as loud, if not louder, as back in September/October. It really tears up 1180 here (Harry Helms, W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/ Nov 20, ABDX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 3230, 11/19 UT (11/18 Central). Alerted by the report of The Crystal Ship pirate on 3240 in Glenn Hauser's latest DXLD, I checked last night from about 0215 to 0250 UT. Nothing was on 3240, but "something" was on this frequency. Very weak signal, but definitely AM although too weak to hold a lock with synchro detection. Seemed to be random talk between two men and had a "pirate radio" feel to it. Around 0235 the signal faded up enough to clearly hear "hello. . . . hello, hello. . . . . h-h-h-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-o-o-o-o" by a man, as if they were testing their transmitter modulation using a 'scope. Signal faded to flutter a few times before being totally lost by 0240. I suspect this was a pirate station testing, although an AM military transmitter (are there any still around?) could be a possibility (Harry Helms, W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/ ABDX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Another UNID for me was BBC log on 19 November at 2123 UT. 6110 kHz, BBC World Service in English, about solar energy, and ID. SINPO 33333 suffering from DRM nearby. Not listed anywhere. Any clues where this might be coming from? 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Mainz Germany Rx: JRC-NRD525, wire antenna (10m), HCDX via DXLD) Skelton, 21-23 180 degrees, apparently a recent change (gh) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Escucha NO ID --- 6280 kHz, NO ID, 1345-1355 UT, escuchada hoy 18 de Noviembre en inglés; me parece ser una emisión pirata, musica de los años 80, (SINPO 32222). 73 (Antonio Schuler Recife PE Brasil, Grundig Yacht Boy 80, Antena de Hilo Largo, logsderadio yg via DXLD) Hola: Según la información de Achims Free Radio Disaster : RMI Radio Merlin International is still on 6280 kHz at 1355 UT with SINPO 34433. Puts out a strong signal most of the day. Plays some pop- music of the 80th. Para más información sobre el tema de Radios piratas visitar : http://www.achimbrueckner.de/freeradio/ Cordialmente (Tomás Méndez Losa, Spain, ibid.) If it`s really in Europe, quite a catch across the noon meridian and across the Equator (gh, DXLD) Hola Tomás, muchas gracias. Es la primera vez que escucho esta emisora Radio Merlin International. Voy a enviarle un informe de recepción. Espero que ellos puedan enviarme su tarjeta QSL, ya que no es todo día que podemos captar tan difícil emisión. 73 (Antonio Schuler, ibid.) 6280, possibly German pirate, 1336-..., 18 Nov, music; 25332 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Time and date match above UNIDENTIFIED. 11965: an unlisted Arabic station was heard yesterday, 20 November 2007, on 11965 kHz at 2039 UT. It was still on at 2236. Arabic music, chat, and programme jingles, but I didn't get an ID. No "event" at TOH at 2100, except for 2-3 tones mixed into the studio chat to mark the hour. SINPO 33322. Maybe an additional Voice of Africa broadcast? Any ideas? 73, (Eike Bierwirth, 55128 Mainz, Germany, Rx: JRC-NRD525, wire antenna (10m), HCDX via DXLD) Well, Libya is on there at 17-20 (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. I came across 29260 at 0830, fairly strong signal in unknown language PWBR doesn't go that far. Any ideas? (Philip van de Paverd, New Zealand, Nov 20, ptswyg via DXLD) Could be harmonic, 4 x 7315. Check if it matches anything there (gh, ibid.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ ITU WORLD RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE CONCLUDES AFTER FOUR WEEKS http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/36.html International treaty sets future course for wireless Geneva, 16 November 2007 The World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07) concluded its deliberations with the adoption of an international treaty to meet the global demand for radio-frequency spectrum. Over 2800 delegates representing 164 Member States and 104 Observers attended the four-week Conference, marked by intense negotiations on the future of wireless communications. Rapid technological developments and growth in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector have fuelled the demand for spectrum. The international treaty, known as Radio Regulations governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits were revised and updated by WRC-07 to achieve the global connectivity goals of the 21st Century. Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of ITU, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the Conference. "WRC-07 represents a major landmark for the future growth of the ICT industry, and everyone will benefit from the digital dividend that will emerge as a result of this Conference," he said. "There is a convergence of the needs of developing countries and developed countries to reduce the digital divide and this is the main success of this WRC-07 conference," said Mr François Rancy, Chairman of WRC-07. "The Regional Groups fully collaborated to produce the spectrum identification for IMT - the concept that embraces advanced broadband mobile technology for use on a global basis." WRC-07 addressed some 30 agenda items related to almost all terrestrial and space radio services and applications. These included future generations of mobile telephony, aeronautical telemetry and telecommand systems, satellite services including meteorological applications, maritime distress and safety signals, digital broadcasting, and the use of radio in the prediction and detection of natural disasters. Key WRC-07 highlights: International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) Globally harmonized spectrum identified for use by International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) represents an important step in the worldwide development of IMT systems: 450-470 MHz band 698-862 MHz band in Region 2 and nine countries of Region 3 790-862 MHz band in Regions 1 and 3 2.3-2.4 GHz band 3.4-3.6 GHz band (no global allocation, but accepted by many countries) Maritime procedures WRC-07 successfully reviewed international regulations related to the maritime mobile service, bringing them in line with current maritime communications technology, including distress and safety transmissions within the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Aeronautical services Aimed at aeronautical security and modernization of civil aviation telecommunication systems: Upgrade radiolocation service to primary allocation status in the bands 9000-9200 MHz and 9300-9500 MHz allocate additional spectrum for aeronautical telecommand and high bit-rate aeronautical telemetry add new allocations for the aeronautical mobile (R) service Earth-exploration satellite service (EESS) WRC-07 extended existing primary frequency allocations for EESS, facilitating research and exploration of Earth resources and environmental elements. This was linked to furthering the development of science services. EESS are global assets that provide key services to monitor the planet as well as to predict and monitor natural disasters, meteorology and climate change. WRC-07 also approved proposals concerning the use and further development of satellite systems using highly inclined orbits, high altitude platforms, as well as the compatibility and sharing between different space and terrestrial services. Worldwide Plan for fixed-satellite service (FSS) WRC-07 revised the technical and regulatory provisions for fixed- satellite service in the 800 MHz bandwidth used in different regions under varying climatic conditions for applications such as communications, TV, internet, etc. The revised Plan, based on the latest technological achievements, improves effectiveness of the Plan and facilitates access to the spectrum for FSS systems. Emergency and disaster relief WRC-07 advocated the development of spectrum management guidelines for radiocommunication in emergency and disaster relief as well as the identification and maintenance of available frequencies for use in the very early stages of humanitarian assistance intervention in the aftermath of disaster. ITU will develop a database for frequency management in disaster situations. WRC-07 calls for enhancement of radio services Enhancement of the international spectrum regulatory framework Spectrum harmonization for use by terrestrial electronic news gathering (ENG) Short Range Radio Devices, including devices using ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies, radio-frequency identification devices (RFID), and other similar applications that generate and use radio frequencies locally. WRC-07 produced the agenda for the next conference WRC-11. Here are a few of the items on that agenda http://www.southgatearc.org/news/november2007/wrc11_agenda_items.htm (Southgate ARC, UK, via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ RADIO CLOX Hi, Glenn! Re your note about VLF antennae and atomic clocks in DXLD 7-139: The first one of those kinds of toys I bought was a little desktop model from (I think) Oregon Scientific many years ago. I recall that I wrote a mini-review of it for DXLD back then. The reason I mention it was that it differed from the current crop of these things in that it has a separate ferrite-rod VLF antenna, connected by a wire about a meter long, allowing you to put the antenna in a place away from the clock (at least somewhat) and orient the antenna for best reception. The antenna unit is about 6 inches long -- not much for VLF, but far bigger than whatever could be crammed into a little clock or even a wall-clock. That model works far better than newer ones which have no visible antennae; it always changes at DST switchover perfectly. Sometimes I have to move other models to a window and let them sit overnight. I don't know if anybody makes one now with such a separate antenna; if so, it'd be worth paying more for that. The old one I described was only $20 or so back when I got it mailorder, though. 73, (Will Martin, MO, Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ COAXIAL INVERTED L Recently I put up a coaxial inverted L for 160 meters. It's a special transmit antenna that is very quiet concerning local noise field, very broad banded and is made up of coaxial cable. It also resonates on odd harmonics to include 60 meters, actually it covers all of the 60 meter band easily. You can read more about it at http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf3.htm 73, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Retired Space Plasma Physicist, Lakeland, FL, USA kn4lf @ arrl.net Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CODAR, AGAIN Partly stimulated by the recent post on the dearth of African stations heard, I tried this afternoon to see what was still around. There was a lot of urban noise, combined with the “sweeper” that often seems to plague most of 60 meters, unable to calculate exact frequency, but virtually everything between 4800-4975 (approximate and it varies) is affected much of the time with one second spaced “sweeps.” In today’s political climate, it is unlikely that anyone could explain just what this is?? (Roger Chambers, Utica NY, Nov 21, ODXA yg via DXLD) The ``sweeps`` are CODAR, ocean wave radar. As I said earlier this month in the DX Clube Parana yg, when someone else was inquiring about it, Como disse, isto é CODAR, radar HF para ondas no oceano. Interferência muito desagradável sempre em diversas faixas em 4, 12, 13 MHz, bem conhecido em América Norte. Inclusive 4790. Falamos dos pulsos, que não são russos, e não de SSB. Muitas vezes em DXLD falamos do QRM CODAR. Confira: http://www.norcalcurrents.org/COCMP/Home.html http://www.bcdx.org/?p=9 http://www.codaros.com/ 73, (Glenn Hauser, DX Clube PR yg via DXLD) Not a bad signal except for the CODAR. Is CODAR licensed? Will a complaint to the FCC do any good? (Jerry Lenamon, Waco Texas, Drake R8B, T2FD, Nov 20, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Jerry, I believe CODAR is licensed, tho finding it in the depths of the FCC website would be a challenge. And complaining would do no good as they are operating in utility bands, the broadcasters from elsewhere being the `intruders`. 73, (Glenn, ibid.) But, but Glenn, since when is CODAR licensed, and they are occupying a wide part of 60m? I can't recall of this bothering from a couple of years back till now. And one more thing, can you explain to me what exactly is CODAR. May sound strange I'm not aware of this. Good point that Jerry put the nail on what I was about to ask you. 73 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) Hi Jerry, Raúl and Glenn, CODAR (Coastal Ocean Dynamics Application Radar) --- Coastal radar systems operating in the short-wave frequency band, designed to determine the parameters of wind fields over the sea surface, as well as those of waves and currents. A transmitter sends out a radio frequency that scatters off the ocean surface and back to a receive antenna. Using this information and the principles of the Doppler shift, CODAR is able to calculate the speed and direction of the surface current. These are especially prevalent locally, along the Monterey and Santa Cruz County (CA) coastline. Occasionally there are FCC notices, such as mentioned in DXLD 6-055 (March 31, 2006). (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here's their reply to me: Thank you for your comments on and interest in the HF signals of the CODARs operating within the national network. The intention here is to inform you of the background, nature, and purpose of these systems. 1. These radio sensors are sited along the coasts and emit 40 watts of power. They are used to map ocean surface currents and monitor waves out to 200 km. Their outputs are made available to the public via websites in real time. Among the users are the Coast Guard (for search and rescue); fishermen; environmental groups and agencies who are concerned about protection and cleanup of coastal waters; storm and hurricane operations; maritime ocean and weather forecasting based on their input into numerical models; oceanographic researchers who advance our understanding of biological and climatic processes and changes; and recreational users. 2. These remote sensing systems are not owned by CODAR (the company); they have been purchased and are operating based on funding from Federal, State, and local governments. Nearly all of them fall under NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) IOOS umbrella (Integrated Ocean Observing System). 3. The CODAR SeaSondes output a unique product that cannot be obtained by any other means: i.e., pictures of space/time continuous ocean surface circulation extending beyond the horizon of visible and microwave radars. They operate in a "surface wave" mode, rather than skywave. At the lower frequencies (4 - 5 MHz), most other use of the HF spectrum is skywave (i.e., signals reflected from the ionosphere), for radio communications and broadcasting. At these low frequencies (4 - 5 MHz), this is most advantageous only at nighttime. 4. All of these systems (numbering over 100 in the U.S. alone) have frequencies that are authorized and approved by the FCC or the government counterpart IRAC. Frequency assignments within the U.S. and most other countries for CODAR are made within what is called the "Mobile" and "Fixed Mobile" bands, which are the bands designated for such purposes. 5. Nonetheless, even with the very low radiated CODAR powers (40 watts), signals in the lowest bands can sometimes be heard hundreds and thousands of miles away, due to the same ionospheric reflection mechanism that short-wave broadcasters and listeners enjoy. 6. The HF (and all radio) spectrums are a crowded environment. There is no single 3 kHz channel anywhere in the HF spectrum that does not have at least one user assigned somewhere in the world. The U.S. approval authorities go to great lengths to find assignments for CODAR usage that are as far as possible away from other known broadcasters, always thousands of miles. That cannot guarantee that a listener thousands of miles away from that radio transmitter -- but closer to the CODAR emitter -- may not hear the CODAR signal. 7. The CODAR community has gone to great lengths to minimize impact to other listeners. This includes: a. Minimizing the number of frequencies requested. b. Devising a GPS time-controlled synchronization scheme so that many systems can operate simultaneously on the same frequency, rather than each sensor requesting its own separate frequency. And, working out complex but mutually compatible synchronization schemes among the CODAR radiators. c. Being sensitive and adapting to short-wave user feedback. For example about six years ago, a group of listeners on the East coast complained. Both we and they clearly understood that the systems are legal would be operating somewhere (i.e., this national network of sensors is not going to disappear from the spectrum). But we asked the group what frequency region they would prefer that CODARs stay out of. The response we received was: except for the long-standing frequency precisely at 4.8 MHz (which had been used for this purpose for over 30 years), stay out of the band from 4.7 to 5.0 MHz. So with the exception above, nearly all CODAR SeaSondes operate between 4.4 and 4.7 MHz (still, a crowded region). Thus, the CODAR community did it's best to comply with short-wave users. As such, we receive very few complaints. We hope this information has been helpful and informative. Regards, Don Barrick Dr. Donald E. Barrick, President CODAR Ocean Sensors Ltd. 1914 Plymouth Street, Mountain View, California 94043 USA 408-773-8240 408-773-0514(fax) URL: http://www.codar.com (via Nick, WPE2BSW, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) CODAR certainly operates just below 5.0 MHz and in the 4.7-4.8 MHz area as any frustrated 60mb listener can tell you. How can he say otherwise? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Now, Jerry, the right thing with CODAR management is that, as they explain, a survey was made among "some" listeners. The wrong thing is that those SW listeners seemed not to be interested in that segment of the 60mb that is the delight of many other DXers. Something nearly identical happens with the DRM transmissions, and here is where I rise up my voice: Isn't enough space for these transmissions in the vast spectrum of short wave? Now that short wave has been downgrading from many international and domestic broadcasters, we have to deal with these new threatens upon our hobby. In this latter issue I only can blame the lack of respect of the ITU or the HFCC for granting permissions where analog SW broadcasters have been for ages. What else can I say --- Heaven help us all! 73s (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC Two interesting links at the Radio World web site. A look at AM skywave post-night IBOC: http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.9810.html Rational discussion or Luddite rants: http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.9816.html One thing is missing from Radio World, however, that we've seen about this time the past few years: a rosy prediction of how IBOC/HD receivers were going to fly off the shelves during the holiday season. Could it be that the awful truth --- namely, ordinary listeners have completely rejected HD radio --- is finally sinking in? (Harry Helms W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19 http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/ ABDX via DXLD) AM IBOC --- Some interesting conversations recently... First is with a salesman at the Best Buy auto radio department. I asked if there was any call for HD Radios. Took him a minute to figure what I meant, but after he understood his answer was no. It seems this specific Best Buy has not sold even one of them. None were on display. It's a very busy store in the corridor between Boston and Providence. Similar conversation at two local Radio Shacks. No interest, didn't remember any sold. Chatting with a guy who works in a local sandwich shop. Early 20's and would like to work in radio. He was well aware of what HD Radio was and called it a scam. Bear in mind that he would like to ba an announcer and has no technical interest at all. His quote was pretty much that radio sounds fine now and why would he spend the money for something that will give no improvement. My question to him was what he thought about HD Radio. Nothing that would lead him in one direction or another. He was much more negative about HD Radio than I would have expected, and also differentiated it from HDTV for which he had praise. There has been a fairly big deal made about the fact that Ford now offers a dealer installed HD Radio. What they have ignored is the Ford Sync that is standard in some Focus models, among others. This offers voice-controlled iPod and other audio choices, but *no* HD Radio. This is a factory-equipped option and not something the dealer has to do. Seems like Ford isn't really behind HD Radio after all. Just tossing iBiquity a very small bone. Local WPRO-630 has had the IBOC turned off for quite a while. And a couple other local IBOC stations don't decode well at all, even in the city grade coverage. I don't see any big interest in IBOC developing for this holiday season. Maybe even less than last year, if that's possible. The Fat Lady is warming up in the wings, and she's in analog (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, Nov 21, IRCA via DXLD) DTV GERMAN ANALOG CLOSEDOWN VIDEO If I remember it right, Germany is closing down analog TV region by region. Here's a link to a Youtube video of one of the closedowns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNvDrxATCHw I hope when we close down our analog transmitters, we do it with a bit more ceremony than the Europeans (Curtis Sadowski, IL, WTFDA via DXLD) My local channel 13, WHAM-TV (ex-WOKR) still has its original 1962 RCA TT-11 transmitter in place and operating (albeit as a backup) in the original transmitter building. I'm trying to talk them into firing it up again on 2/17/09 so they can sign off from the very same transmitter they signed on with. The fly in that ointment may be the transition itself - because WHAM- DT is on 59, it will migrate back to 13 on cutover day, and I rather suspect that at some point between now and then the TT-11 will be removed and a new digital channel 13 transmitter will take (a small portion of) its floor space in the building, to be switched into the transmission line come that fateful night. Maybe my bosses at WXXI will at least let me come up to the hill to hit "plate off" for the last time on our analog channel 21 Harris transmitter when the time comes. I suspect there won't be a huge ceremony on the air; something close to 90% of the viewership in this market is already via cable/ satellite, and if the coupon program works as designed (stop snickering!), most of the remaining 10% will be switched over to the DTV signals by then anyway. s (Scott Fybush, Rochester NY, ibid.) DRM [see also NEW ZEALAND; USA WHRI; UNIDENTIFIED 6110; REF CODAR YOUTUBE: GADGET SHOW - DRM TEST IN PLYMOUTH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQO9MF6gziM (Mike Barraclough, England, dxldyg, and BDXC-UK via DXLD) An excellent and honest review. Originally broadcast on (Channel) five (Mark Savage, moderator, ibid.) DX-PEDITIONS ++++++++++++ GRAYLAND ACRES FOR TP DXER Glenn, Regarding the item on Grayland Acres for sale, 7-139: But what if you don`t want to build on or develop it but just use it as an occasional beverage DXpedition site, BYO everything. Worth 48K? (Glenn Hauser, landlocked OK, DXLD), It's worth the $48K until Mother Nature reclaims the beach as she has been doing yearly along the North Carolina Coastline. That, or an earthquake makes your property an island. Very 73 de (Mike Hardester, Jacksonville NC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ PROPAGATION FORECASTS NEW PRICING In September 2007 I announced my new LF/MF/HF radiowave propagation forecast service. I would now like to announce new lower pricing. You can get more information by going to KN4LF Daily LF/MF/HF Frequency Radiowave Propagation Forecast Subscription Site: http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf6.htm 73, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Retired Space Plasma Physicist, Lakeland, FL, USA kn4lf @ arrl.net Nov 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The geomagnetic field was quiet during most of the period. However, ACE solar wind measurements indicated a recurrent co-rotating interaction region (CIR) and coronal hole wind stream commenced on 13 November. Interplanetary Magnetic Field changes associated with the CIR included increased Bt (peak 15.4 nT at 13/0156 UTC) and variable Bz (range +9.3 nT to -11.8 nT). Velocities gradually increased to a peak of about 690 km/sec at 14/1051 UTC, then gradually decreased during the remainder of the period. ACE proton densities associated with the CIR increased to a peak of 23.1 p/cc at 13/0224 UTC. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 21 NOV - 17 DEC 2007 Solar activity is expected to be very low. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during 21 November - 01 December and again on 16 December. Activity is expected to be at unsettled to minor storm levels during 21 - 22 November as a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream disturbs the field. Activity is expected to decrease to quiet to unsettled levels during 23 - 26 November as coronal hole effects subside. Activity is expected to decrease to mostly quiet levels for the balance of the period. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2007 Nov 20 2324 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 2007 Nov 20 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2007 Nov 21 70 20 5 2007 Nov 22 70 15 4 2007 Nov 23 69 10 3 2007 Nov 24 68 8 3 2007 Nov 25 67 15 4 2007 Nov 26 67 10 3 2007 Nov 27 67 5 2 2007 Nov 28 67 5 2 2007 Nov 29 67 5 2 2007 Nov 30 67 5 2 2007 Dec 01 67 5 2 2007 Dec 02 67 5 2 2007 Dec 03 68 5 2 2007 Dec 04 68 5 2 2007 Dec 05 69 5 2 2007 Dec 06 69 5 2 2007 Dec 07 69 5 2 2007 Dec 08 70 5 2 2007 Dec 09 70 5 2 2007 Dec 10 70 5 2 2007 Dec 11 70 10 3 2007 Dec 12 70 10 3 2007 Dec 13 70 10 3 2007 Dec 14 70 5 2 2007 Dec 15 70 5 2 2007 Dec 16 70 5 2 2007 Dec 17 70 10 3 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1383, DXLD)###