DX LISTENING DIGEST 8-122, November 26, 2008 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2008 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1436 Wed 2200 WBCQ 15420-CUSB Thu 0630 WRMI 9955 Thu 1530 WRMI 9955 Fri 0030 WBCQ 7415 Fri 0200 WRMI 9955 Fri 0900 WRMI 9955 Fri 2030 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 7290 Fri 2130 WWCR1 15825 Sat 0000 WBCQ 5110-CUSB Area 51 Sat 0900 WRMI 9955 Sat 1730 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0330 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0730 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0900 WRMI 9955 Sun 1615 WRMI 9955 Mon 2300 WBCQ 7415 [reconfirmed Nov 24] Tue 1200 WRMI 9955 Tue 1630 WRMI 9955 Wed 0630 WRMI 9955 [or new 1437] Wed 1230 WRMI 9955 [or new 1437] WBCQ is also airing thru November, repeats of recent WOR editions, M-F at 2030 on 7415 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ALASKA. Residents blocking the build of an AM radio tower! I saw this on AllAccess: http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9409554 Sincerely, (Paul B. Walker, Jr., Ord NE, IRCA via DXLD) WTFK??? 1430, Wasilla! FCC records: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=161023 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALBANIA. Radio Tirana is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary, and invites greetings from listeners to dcico @ abcom-al.com My congratulations, and hopes for a good future not only on shortwave but with webcasts. Christian Milling, Germany, of Radio 700, is currently in Tirana and has set up a stream of R. Tirana taken from the MW 1458 transmission, mainly for German at 1900, but already going in French when I brought it up at 1840 UT, talking about the anniversary. I did not think French was on the MW frequency. I don`t know if there will be any English later, but check at 1945 and 2100. I also don`t know if this will continue or is just on a few days for the anniversary. http://radiotirana.funkhaus.info:8000 or http://radiotirana.funkhaus.info:8000/listen.pls (Glenn Hauser, Nov 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The broadcast will continue as a regular service. The German service of Radio Tirana will also be available as a podcast on our platform http://www.radio700.info (Markus Weidner, Im Ziegelacker 20 - D-63599 Biebergemünd, Telefon: 06050-901505 - mobil: 0171-5300078, Fax: 0700- 36333333 - eMail: mail @ markusweidner.de ibid.) I've just tried the new stream, it is MP3/54 kbps/32 kHz/ mono. Currently the GERMAN program of Radio Tirana, at 1927z: Server Status: Server is currently up and public. Stream Status: Stream is up at 54 kbps with 12 of 250 listeners (12 unique) Stream Title: Radio Tirana Content Type: audio/mpeg Stream Genre: Foreign Service Stream URL: http://www.rtsh.al At 1941z on stream is just "open carrier", also with only 3 listeners (2 + me): Stream Status: Stream is up at 54 kbps with 3 of 250 listeners (3 unique) At 1956z Radio Tirana in ENGLISH: Stream Status: Stream is up at 54 kbps with 3 of 250 listeners (3 unique) At 2004z RADIO TIRANA in FRENCH: Stream Status: Stream is up at 54 kbps with 3 of 250 listeners (3 unique) So. in the conclusion, I may say this webstream is not from 1458 kHz, because at this time on 1458 kHz is China R Intl in Hungarian. Regards! (Dragan Lekic from Serbia, ibid.) Hi Glenn and best regards from Tirana, I saw your mail concerning the new webcasts of Radio Tirana. The internetbroadcasts will last on after the anniversary. Additionally we will start broadcasting the German shows of Radio Tirana as Podcast on our platform http://www.radio700.info Thank you and best regards, (Christian Milling, Radio 700, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Tirana, 6110 in Albanian checked Nov 27 at 0029, and fair signal, no jamming audible. Radio Tirana webcasting started Nov 26, apparently carrying all the languages as on SW and MW. http://radiotirana.funkhaus.info:8000/listen.pls I was out during the afternoon, but checked the webcast at 0120 UT Nov 27, and it was still going in Albanian music, 0130 opening the English broadcast. Audio levels still vary greatly, but now one can easily turn it up without fighting the SW noise and QRM levels. I believe the stream kept running silently after 0145, as there is no programming until the next English broadcast at 0330. Rechecked at 0430 and the final English repeat was starting, much better than on // 6100 which still suffers from DentroCuban jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7465, Radio Tirana; *1945-1950+, 24-Nov; IS from at least 1942 to This is Tirana s/on; W in English with sked to 1947 news. SIO=352; // 11645 barely audible, but can tell // on peaks (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 2310, VL8A Alice Springs, 1315, 11/25/08, English. Noted in passing with some sort of apparent phone-in program, running // to 2325 VL8T, 2485 VL8K. 2310 was the strongest, then 2325, then 2485, which is exactly the opposite of how it usually is at home. Fair/ fair/ poor (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, Eton E1, ~1000' east-west beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Radio Australia frequencies off/moved? As of November 20 Radio Australia has not been noted on the following frequencies, 9475, 11660 and 11945; previous to this they were putting in a good signal during the day on these frequencies. Only noted on 9560 9710 and 5995. (Edwin Southwell, Basingstoke, UK, World DX Club, November 24 via Barraclough, DXLD) Checked 9475 and 11660 both here and via Chris Mackerell's online receiver in New Zealand 1430-1445 November 26 and nothing heard, transmitter off? (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) It`s been a while since RA was making it here at night on 15 MHz in English, but Nov 26 at 0655, 15515 was inbooming, stronger than // 15240, 15160; after 0700, 15515 was off. That matches the hard-to-find RA B-08 schedule as in Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, also in on 13630, only station on band (gh) Radio Australia, 13630 kHz at 0705 GMT 26 Nov --- Very good and unusual 22m reception at 2:05 AM Local Time. // and also readable on 15240, 15160, 12080 and 9660: http://www.mediafire.com/?dmrjnndqczk (Terry Wilson, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. HCJB Australia Newsletter, Dec 2008 issue is now available for download from this link: http://www.hcjb.org.au/docs/131_Aus_Dec08.pdf (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Excerpt: Construction has continued at a good pace on the new International Broadcast Facility. Most of the towers for four of the new antennas are in place and it’s starting to look like a real antenna farm. Over 250 cubic meters of concrete have been poured for the tower bases and guy wire anchors. God willing we will build and erect these four big antennas between April and July 2009 (Kununurra Update by David Maindonald, Dec HCJB News via DXLD) HCJB News also reports that Dale Stagg has been appointed HCJB Australia’s Director designate, and will commence on 2 February 2009. Dale has spent the past eleven years at [the notorious] Focus on the Family Australia where he holds the senior role of National Manager of Programs and development (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. 7135, Radio Belarus; 2110-2116+, 25-Nov; English news to net spot at 2114, then LL [unknown language] vocal music. LSB SIO=2+32+ with QRN. // 7360-poor, // 7390 very poor. 09 Passport missed all (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center- fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 5990, Rádio Senado, 11/25/08 0900-0930, OM talking in Portuguese with frequent mentions of Brazil and Brasília. 0914 into back-to-back vocals. 0920 OM reads letters from listeners. Tuned out 0930 (Bruce Barker, Broomall, PA, NRD535-D with an Alpha Delta DX Sloper, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL, 6105 19/11 1346, Rádio Cultura Filadélfia de Foz do Iguassu, Pr, px música evangélica, slogan "Falando para o mundo" sinal 33333(FRANCISCO AP. MORATO, CORNÉLIO PROCÓPIO-PR, BRASIL, KENWOOLD TS 570D, @tividade DX via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Re: Observatorio Nacional --- Sarmento, Grosseiramente o que diz o texto está certo, mas no contexto apenas da WWV referente aos Estados Unidos. A radio relógio do Rio de Janeiro sempre gerou os sinais de 580 e 4905 kHz como radiodifusão normal, e nos últimos anos, o seus serviços em OC estiveram fora do ar por diversos motivos. No ano passado inclusive, quando trocamos e-mails e eu estive aí no RJ, comentamos o assunto da minha estadia lá no Observatório Nacional. Por sinal, vc comentou que não conhece o local, mesmo morando na região. A Rádio do Observatório já transmitiu sim seus sinais em outras freqüências, inclusive em VHF e Ondas Longas, mas por falta literal de verba, o serviço saiu do ar por diversas vezes até se silenciar. Este serviço tem uma função diferente do que as pessoas imaginam. A função não é apenas de acertar a hora do relógio, mas gerar o padrão de sincronismo Geodésico, cuja função está na aferição de equipamentos de precisão astronômica. É por isso que todas estas estações são operadas por astrônomos e físicos de institutos de pesquisa, porque nós usamos esta referencia para controlar os limites de desaceleração planetária. Sim, o Planeta gira ao redor da Terra numa cadência tal, que a cada 4 anos, 23 horas “sobram” no acúmulo de tempo, e gera-se uma nova – data calendário, que precisa ser incluída no ano. Parece bobagem, mas este sincronismo geodésico é o responsável por exemplo, para aferição do posicionamento de cada um dos satélites que orbitam o Planeta, já que eles a priori, tem que justificar a aceleração e deslocamento do espaço, porque giram na mesma velocidade proporcional da superfície do Planeta para que o seu campo visual pareça ser sempre constante. Os demais serviços gerados pelo CNPq são comuns e de fato, foram inicialmente monopolizados pela então Embratel, mas hoje em dia estão compatibilizados em diversos sistemas justamente porque entende-se que um único canal de comunicação, pode ser falho. Falei hoje cedo com o Setor da Divisão de Hora Legal do ON e a informação, confirma o que já está constatado: o serviço nos 10 MHz é recente, já que o ON não dispunha de estrutura e nem estava habilitado para transmitir neste canal, e um atual investimento de recursos de modernização dos equipamentos está sendo estudado. O nosso interesse agora seria pedir a confirmação desta escuta, já que o sinal pode sair do ar. Até o final da semana eu devo ter uma resposta sobre a viabilidade deste atendimento e reporto aqui nas listas. Correção ---- Os serviços que efetivamente saíram do ar, operavam em 160.230 e 166.530 MHz e o serviço de 8721 kHz em Ondas Curtas, Este por sinal,m quando eu comecei no dexismo, estava no ar a noite todos os dias, mas nunca pagaram um único QSL. 73, Grande abraço, (Denis Zoqbi, dxclube pr yg via DXLD) Re: DXLD 8-121, and the discussion of the new time signal broadcast from the National Observatory in Brazil: So is it on 10000 kHz, or 9999? Running the discussion in DXLD through Google Translate, I come up with a lot of logs reporting 10000 and one stating that it's actually on 9999 kHz. I've been able to separate out a carrier on 9999 underneath WWV the past few evenings, but I wasn't sure if this had to do with the new Brazilian or not. Reading through the dxclube logs, I'm still not sure, and the ON website's page on "Rádio-Difusão de Sinais Horários" is under construction (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, Nov 25, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1436, DXLD) 10000 BRASIL: Observatório Nacional, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, PP, 23/11 1639. Time pips, no minuto completo, YL: ‘Observatório Nacional, 14 horas, 39 minutos, 0 segundo...’, novamente time pips. A voz feminina é a mesma que ultimamente transmitia (ou ainda transmite) pelos 580 kHz, Radio Relógio Rio de Janeiro, ao fundo da programação religiosa, 45544 (RUDOLF W. GRIMM, SÃO BERNARDO DO CAMPO-SP, BRASIL, RX: KENWOOD R-1000, ANT.: HORIZ 20 M CORDOALHA, ACC.: TUNER TEB STA-1, PRÉ-AMP MFJ1040C, @tividade DX Nov 23 via DXLD) Is everybody else assuming it`s on 10000 rather than 9999 without bothering to measure it? See also INTERNATIONAL for more timesigs (gh) I think it's 9999 kHz. But there are still some discussions (Marcelo Bedene, DX Clube do PR, http://www.dxclube.com.br Nov 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Subject: [SDR-BR] SDRZero e o Observatorio Nacional e 9999 kHz A frequencia exata é 9999,0 kHz! A modulação é AM-USB! Ou seja, é AM, mas apenas com a banda lateral superior mais a portadora. Na verdade, há um pouco da banda inferior, mas bem atenuada. Chega S9+30 dB em Sete Lagoas GH70UN às 2200 UTC! Uma pena que o bip de 1 kHz interfere em WWV, pois cai exatamente em cima de 10000 kHz! Poderiam ter escolhido AM-LSB! Vejam o espectro aqui, recebido com o SDRZero: http://www.qslnet.de/member/py4zbz/ON9999kHz.JPG O bip de segundos do ON é o "morrinho" em cima do qual aparece a portadora de WWV em 10 MHz. É possível ver perfeitamente a sub- portadora de 100 Hz de WWV (os dois picos pequenos a mais e menos 100 Hz da portadora de WWV em 10 MHz). Esta subportadora é modulada pelo codigo em BCD da hora. 73 de (Roland M. Zurmely, Nov 25, SDR-BR yg via Bedene, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. RNA, 11780, very strong Nov 26 at 0716 UT, when the Brasilians, if not the Amazonians pretend it is already wake-up time past 5 am, so how about those spurs? Yes, there they are, weak but detectable, a bit further from the primary than previously, distorted modulation spikes centered approximately 11715 and 11845, plus and minus 65 kHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. 7400, Radio Bulgaria (presumed); 2036, 23-Nov; Music & W in German. SIO=4+33; QRM is a new one -- strong, wavering pitch & speed warbler in USB (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s not QRM, that`s R. Bulgaria itself malfunxioning as we have been discussing in the last few DXLDs, and now supposedly fixed (gh, Nov 26, DXLD) R. Bulgaria, 7400, still warbling at 0715 check Nov 26. At 1332 found nothing on 15700, but 1439 recheck it was on and OK, no warble! 1454 good with classical music. Then I get word from Ivo Ivanov, frequency manager, that the problem had been fixed as of 1100 UT Nov 26 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Dear Glenn Hauser and Wolfgang Bueschel, During the last 6 days we had a technical problem with one of the transmitters of Radio Bulgaria in Plovdiv/Padarsko, 300 kW. The bubble jamming which started a discussion was because of this. The problem was successfully resolved and as of today 1100 UT, Radio Bulgaria continues to broadcast normally. Thank you for the monitoring you did for me and thanks to which the problem was so quickly solved. Please check frequencies: 15700 1100-1500 UT 7200 1600-1700 UT 7400 1730-1900, 2000-2300, 0000-0400, 0530-0600, 0630-0800 UT. Best regards, (Ivo Ivanov, Frequency Manager, Radio Bulgaria, Nov 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SUDAN [non] Ivo, clean audio on 15700 at 1215 UT, Nov 26. But poor signal strength from Plovdiv Padarsko site. 11700 R BUL S=7-8 (at same time ROU 11940 S=9+20dB, RRS 12075 S=9+20dB) 15700 R BUL S=6-7 (at same time GRC 15650 S=9+30dB, Galei Zahal ISR 15785 S=7-8) 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, to Ivo, via DXLD) Ivo, Glad to know it is fixed. In fact, I noticed 15700 was OK just before 1500 today Nov 26, while around 0715, 7400 was still warbling. But I don`t think the problem as heard for several days on 7400, 15700 had anything to do with jamming. 73, (Glenn to Ivo, via DXLD) I tuned to 7200 at about 1548 to hear R. Bulgaria in Russian. Signal strong but with a loud "echo" effect - I don't hear this echo via 7400. There was a weak unidentified co-channel, and at 1551 another sender came on frequency causing rapid fading effect. Unable to hear/ID the language clearly. The same interference continues past 1600 - Bulgaria now in Bulgarian - and same echo. There was no break in transmission through the hour. But there is NO bubble jamming effects audible as heard yesterday. And BTW - 1224 is also audible at my location mixing with others. Best 73 from Noel Green, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Bulgaria, 7400 in English Nov 27 at 0030 was OK again without that awful warble that lasted about a week. // 5900 had a big warble, but that`s believed to be from the still malfunxioning Russian Transmitter. Even if it were healthy, there would still be a collision (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Señal en los 5810 kHz --- Saludos cordiales, queridos amigos diexistas. Espero se encuentren muy bien. Les envío este correo para informarles que hoy martes entre las 1000 y las 1110 UT estuve escuchando una señal en español con programación religiosa en la frecuencia 5810 kHz; por un momento pensé que se trataba de WEWN pero al monitorear 7555 que es donde transmite a esa hora pude comprobar que eran transmisiones distintas. Debo decir igualmente que por la forma de hablar me parecen que fueran colombianos, ya que tenían ese acento típico del país hermano, pero también podría ser de los andes venezolanos, ya que igualmente tienen el mismo acento. Otra cosa, en las pausas solo pude escuchar música típica llanera religiosa parecida a la música de los llanos colombianos y venezolanos. Pensé que tenía grabado parte de ese audio y cuando estoy revisando las grabaciones solo hay espacios en blanco motivado a que conecté a mi mp3 el cable equivocado, que lástima. Lo que queda ahora es monitorear de nuevo esta frecuencia en horas de la tarde a ver si entra algo por allí. Ahora bien he buscado señales en español a esa hora en las listas y en esa frecuencia, no encuentro nada. Quien de los colegas tiene algo en esa frecuencia??? Un abrazo para todos Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Barcelona, Venezuela, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hola José, Debe tratarse de la señal espúrea que se forma por la cercanía de las antenas de emisión de la frecuencias 5910 y 6010 kHz desde Puerto Lleras; es algo que se ha tratado de evitar pero parece que la única solución sería separar una gran distancia los sistemas de transmisión (antena, transmisor) de cada emisora. (6010-5910 =100 KHz) se escucha en 5710, 5810, 6110 y 6210 kHz) la recuneica [?] que señalas parece ser la que mayor fuerza alcanza ya que ha sido reportada en USA y otros lugares. Un saludo y Buen DX (Rafael Rodriguez R, Bogotá, ibid.) The pervasive Puerto Lleras mixing products have been reported long ago in DXLD and elsewhere. They should be listed in online and print references for people who keep forgetting about them (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CUBA. Re 8-121: ``Is this still the schedule for DXers Unlimited? Tuesday and Saturday Europe 2110 GMT Caribbean 2310 GMT North America 0140 GMT 0340 GMT 0540 GMT`` Heard here Tuesday November 25 while bandscanning starting at 2340 on 9550 (Mike Barraclough, England, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) O yeah, in second half of hour broadcast (gh) ** CUBA. Radio Havana Cuba, 6140 kHz at 0542 GMT 26 Nov --- DXers Unlimited verified earlier at 2340 (not 2310) and 0140. Did not check at 0340. Arnie discusses Linear Amplifiers, keeping Hams on the air during hurricanes, the coming CQ Magazine Worldwide CW Contest, and why you shouldn't leave batteries in a seldom-used receiver (complete program): http://www.mediafire.com/?f2og4uxmxmz (Terry Wilson, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. 9990, 19/11 1346, Radio Cairo, em arabe, 32322 (FRANCISCO AP. MORATO, CORNÉLIO PROCÓPIO-PR, BRASIL, KENWOOLD TS 570D, @tividade DX via DXLD) ?? Per 8-121, R. Cairo is scheduled on 9990 only: 1800-2100 on 9990 ABS 250 kW / 241 deg Hausa WeAf See U S A [non] for what he really heard on 9990 at 1346 (gh, DXLD) ** EGYPT. 9310, Radio Cairo (presumed); 1933-1945+, 2000-2004+, 26- Nov; M&W in English alternating. SIO=3+52, tough copy at QRN level. Same SIO, but better after 2000. Not // 6290 in Arabic (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. A new FM station in Cairo? sounds like the FM scale in Cairo is going to have something new. I can hear a station playing nonstop new Arabic songs - not the classic ones - R. Sawa type from 1500 UT till almost 1630, I noticed as well that they have nonstop English hits, mainly pop music from 0900 till 1000 UT, no ID whatsoever. I wonder who's the newcomer? Did either BBC or R. Sawa convince the Egyptian Government to let them use their airwaves just like most of the Arabic countries already did longtime ago? Will keep you posted. All the best (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, Nov 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WTFK? ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 6250, Radio Nacional, Malabo, *0501-0530, Nov 26, sign on with National Anthem followed by Afro-pop music. Spanish announcements. Weak at sign on but improved to a fair to good level by 0527 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, Radio Africa (presumed); 2041-2051+, 25- Nov; English Bible thumpage; at 2044 sed that there was an established civilization on Earth before Adam & Eve, then got cut off abruptly; back after about 30 seconds with religious music, apparently different program -- have heard this kind of abrupt transition before with these folks. QRM WYFR via Ascension on 15195 with Bro. Harold C. pontificating in English. AM SIO=322+; LSB SIO=2+43 (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. 7219.98, VOBME, 0358-0405, Nov 26, ex-7100 for today at least. Tune-in to IS. Talk at 0400 & some Horn of Africa music. Fair at sign on but QRM from unidentified station at 0401 on 7220. 7175, VOBME, 0358-0400, Nov 26, tune-in to IS. Covered by noise jammer at 0359 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. Re 8-121, my unID HOA 6889.3 --- 25 Nov at 1500 they gave ID as Radio Fana. A weak parallel was noted on 6110 under Brother Scare. I wonder if R Fana has moved again to out-of-band frequency or is this ETH jammer against something and using Fana audio. ERI/ETH on 8000 has been off for some time (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1436, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6889.94 was received with decent signal at 1655 on Nov. 25. Parallel 6110 was actually stronger underneath Radio Nederland and in the clear just before 1700 when it was completely obliterated by the BBC (according to schedule). (Alexander Koutamanis, The Netherlands, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 6889.89 NF, Radio Fana, *0256-0310, Nov 26, ex-7210. IS. Horn of Africa style instrumentals at 0259. Threshold signal at sign on. Weak but readable at 0407 check. Much better on // 6110 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. FRENCH PUBLIC MEDIA ON STRIKE AGAINST REFORM PLANS RNW’s Rob Kievit writes: Staff at France’s public broadcasters have gone on a 24-hour strike, protesting at planned reforms. The unions have issued a strike call to 10,000 radio and television employees. The interruption of radio and TV programmes on Tuesday coincides with a session of parliament where the proposed changes will be discussed. President Nicolas Sarkozy announced in January that he wanted a major shake-up of France’s public broadcasting system. The disputed proposal includes a plan for the five TV channels, including France 2 and France 3, to become part of a single comglomerate whose president will be appointed by the government. The plan also envisages a gradual abolition of TV advertising on the public channels, which should be completely free of commercials by 2011. The loss of advertising revenue could deprive French television of an estimated 450 billion euro income per annum. Mr Sarkozy is planning to fully compensate this loss with money raised from a 3% tax increase on the income of the commercial TV channels. MPs have expressed concerns over the public media’s independence. Centrist leader François Bayrou says that in a democracy that wants to enable its people to be well-informed, public media should be financially independent. French television management says that some 900 jobs will be lost if the plans go through, most of which they expect to be ‘voluntary departures’. (Sources: Le Monde; AFP) (November 25th, 2008 - 12:50 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) 3 comments so far 1 ruud November 25th, 2008 - 14:11 UTC Excellent plan by Sarkozy. Should be applied in this country as well. There is now no single commercial free TV station, the public networks play as much commercials as their rivals dependent on advertising revenues. Public broadcasting funding should not depend on advertisers. Commercial stations are not in a level play situation with the pubcasters who can compete with the help of tax payers money. For radio this is even more dramatic since the pubcasters have more and free access to terrestrial frequencies, commercial stations must pay to the government for the use of channels. 2 Steven Allan November 25th, 2008 - 17:34 UTC Unusually, I disagree with Ruud. In England, the absence of advertising on the BBC gives them an unfair advantage over the commercial stations. One example is the half hour news programmes broadcast simultaneously by the BBC and ITV at 22.00. BBC gets between two and three times as many viewers as ITV and I presume that adverts have something to do with it. I know, myself, that if I start off watching the ITN news, I switch over to BBC when the adverts come on and then probably forget to switch back. In years gone past, people did not seem to mind ads on TV, but things have changed; these days, they do mind. The advertisers are looking at how they are going to have to rethink in view of changing times, the internet and remote controls which allow one to switch over so easily to avoid the ads, so Mr Sarkozy may be a little late in the day with his plan. In any case, governments should mind their own business as they do in the USA. I am not sure that we need public broadcasting but if we must have it, then it should not be given an advantage over other broadcasters. The French plan is worrying. A president appointed by the government is the sort of thing that one would expect in a dictatorship. It suggests even more government control than in the Netherlands. For once, it looks like England is best off here. A new Conservative government is likely to go the other way, removing advantages that the BBC has always had. Quite right too. Public broadcasting may be best consigned to the annals of history. Its role in a democracy is dubious. 3 ruud November 25th, 2008 - 18:31 UTC In this country it is strictly forbidden to have ads during the news; the newsprogramme may even not be sponsored. This goes also for commercial broadcasters, so there is no difference in watching the news on a public or commercial broadcaster. So it is up to ITN itself, if I was their boss I would never allow ads during the news. Certainly not if the main rival has no commercials. Ads get more and more annoying. There are several reasons for this: first of all, the ads are getting longer every day. I am not aware of your age Steve, but in the early days of radio and TV advertising some spots hardly were 10 seconds long. Now the minimum is 30 seconds, the blocks are endless, even over 5 minutes. Certainly on TV. Commercials are also more noisy and tasteless then in the old days, when they were prize winning and often quite humorous. My feeling is that there are too many TV stations and that their price for ad time is too low. And it is the pubcaster here (STER) that starts the dumping process. (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. TESTS COMMENCE FOR NEW DW/BBC DRM SERVICE DUE TO LAUNCH NEXT YEAR Media Network contributor Christopher Lewis reported this morning “0858 UT. I am currently listening to BBC and DW Test (the text as appeared on the display) on 9610 kHz DRM. I am not sure where the transmission is being relayed from, but signal is steady, with stereo audio. Programming is featuring reports about the environment, agriculture, sciences etc. Test continues at 0900 on 9610 kHz, opening with a bulletin of DW news in English.” In fact, the transmission on 9610 was from Sines, Portugal. In the DRM Software Radio Forums, the complete schedule is given for the tests which will continue at 0500-2300 UT today, tomorrow and Thursday. There are also tests scheduled on mediumwave 1296 kHz at 0500-0700 and 1700-2300 UT. Visit this page for the full schedule. http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2033 Related story: DW and BBCWS to jointly launch DRM news and current affairs stream http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/dw-and-bbcws-to-jointly-launch-news-and-current-affairs-stream-in-drm (November 25th, 2008 - 15:24 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** INDIA. Hi Glenn, Imagine we should look for AIR to carry special programming to cover the events in Mumbai. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/26_November_2008_Mumbai_attacks (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. Annual Report of All India Radio for the year 2007 is now available for download from this link (9.66 MB): http://allindiaradio.gov.in/reports/AIRComp2007.pdf Annual Report for Prasar Bharati for the year 2007 can be downloaded using this link (20.6 MB): http://allindiaradio.gov.in/reports/PBAR2007.pdf (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Alokesh also sent pertinent excerpts of the AIR A.R.; hardly anything about SW, except the DRM tests we already know about (gh, DXLD) ** INDIA. All India Radio printed Frequency Schedule (B08) Home Services Frequency Schedule External Services Frequency Schedule All India Radio now start to send the new programme schedule to their listeners. If you not yet received, contact the following address: Mr. S. C. Pachuri, Asst. Director Engg Spectrum Management & Synergy, All India Radio, Room No. 204, Akashvani Bhawan, Parliament street, New Delhi-110001 (India). Tel: 91-11-23421006. E-mail: spectrum-manager @ air.org.in (Jaisakthivel, ADXC, Chennai, Nov 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Almost daily check of VOI, Nov 26 at 1317 did not find it on 9526, but recheck at 1400, it was in well outroing English hour, which the YL announcer still claims is ``daily at 0200, 0800 and 2000 hours UTC``. After all these months, she still doesn`t know she is on the air at 1300 when we can conveniently hear her in North America! Then into Bahasa Malaysia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. In light of new Brazilian timesignals on 10 MHz, I check PWBR 2009 and find the only stations listed there are WWV and WWVH. Of course, Brasil came as a surprise to everyone, well after PWBR was printed, but what about all the other timesignal stations in the world on 10 MHz? Besides the US stations, EiBi shows: 9996 0000-2400 RUS RWM Moscow -TS RUS 10000 1400-1500 Mo-Fr ARG LOL Buenos Aires -TS ARG 10000 0000-2400 CHN BPM Xian -TS CHN WRTH 2008 agrees that these are the active ones. Aoki does not deal with timesignal stations on any frequency. Bill Hepburn`s list at http://www.dxinfocentre.com/time.htm for 10 MHz, which has not been updated since 2006-10-29: H + 09, 39 RWM RUS Moskva 55 44 N 38 12 E Cont on 9996 H + 14, 29, 44, 59 ATA IND New Delhi 28 34 N 77 19 E Cont H + 29, 59, CC BPM CHN Xian 35 00 N 109 31 E H + 45-10, 15-40 BSF TWN Taipei 24 56 N 121 09 E Inactive Freq H + 04, 09, SS+ every 5 min LOL 1 ARG Buenos Aires 34 37 S 58 21 W 1100-1200, 1400-1500, 1700-1800, 2000-2100, 2300-2400Z Irregular So is LOL still being heard during certain hours? Have not seen it reported for a long time. And is the Brazilian on 24 hours? We are still waiting to find out its callsign, which is not announced (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 10000, CHINA: BPM, estação chinesa de sinal horário, 22/11 2358. Time pips, às 0000 identificação da emissora por várias vezes em CW (Morse), e por se tratar de hora cheia, a tradicional identificação por YL por várias vezes: ‘Bee, Pee, Em... Bee, Pee, Em,..., em seguida sinal desativado, subindo o sinal da WWV. Surpreendente a força do sinal da BPM em 10000 kHz, 34553 (RUDOLF W. GRIMM, SÃO BERNARDO DO CAMPO-SP, BRASIL, RX: KENWOOD R-1000, ANT.: HORIZ 20 M CORDOALHA, ACC.: TUNER TEB STA-1, PRÉ-AMP MFJ1040C, @tividade DX Nov 23 via DXLD) 9996, RUSSIA. RWM time station, 1348, 11/25/08. Various segments of time pips, silence, continuous tones, and warbling, with a minute of "R-W-M" CW IDs. Mixing with a weak WWV and nearly inaudible WWVH, still there (though weaker) at 1509 recheck. Fair (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, Eton E1, ~1000' east- west beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. SATELLITE RADIO IS DEAD By Mike Elgan November 19, 2008 http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/features/article.php/3786146 I hate to say it, but somebody has to: Satellite radio will come crashing down to Earth within the next two years. The newly merged Sirius XM Radio is already living on borrowed time -- and borrowed money -- and simply will not and cannot survive. First of all, I'm not an anti-satellite guy. I don't want satellite radio to end (partly because I have a lifetime subscription). My family has two subscriptions in all, and I listen to satellite all the time. But reality is working against both the Sirius XM Radio company, and the idea of radio delivered by satellite. As a competitor to radio, satellite rules. It has most of the advantages as radio, namely that it's easy to use, it's in the car and it has content you can't get elsewhere (Howard Stern, for example). Plus, it has qualities regular radio doesn't have: better sound quality, far more content and focused channels, like the Elvis Channel. Satellite radio isn't remaining static, either. It's evolving into something better than what it used to be. The devices are becoming better and smaller, and gaining great features, such as the ability to "TiVo" programs. Unfortunately, however, the rest of the world is evolving, too. Six trends will kill satellite radio: 1.) The rise of MP3 phones. Cell phones in general, and the iPhone in particular, are mainstreaming the idea of listening to music on a cell phone. Because people carry cell phones everywhere, including in the car and other places where current subscribers listen to satellite radio, every phone is now a direct competitor to satellite radio. 2.) The rise of MP3-compatible cars. When satellite radio first hit, it was very difficult to listen to an iPod in a car. Now, it's becoming very easy, with dashboards either containing MP3 players or supporting them with jacks. 3.) The coming wave of mobile broadband dashboards. Cars are increasingly getting cell phone wireless connectivity built in to the dash, starting with the same high-end automobile categories that are most likely to offer satellite radios -- and targeting the same kinds of car buyers: audiophiles with money. Once your car is on the Internet all the time, iTunes (or something like it) becomes the Mother of All replacements for satellite radio. 4.) The rise of podcasting. This "talk radio" delivery system has been very slow to take off, but it has been growing and will continue to grow unabated. The difference between the growth of satellite radio and the growth of podcasting is that podcasting doesn't depend on the marketing of one company, or an expensive delivery system. It's free. 5.) The rise of live podcasting. Most podcasts are better served asynchronously. But for news and games, live is superior. And that was a huge advantage of radio -- satellite or otherwise -- over podcasts. But sites like BlogTalkRadio are changing all that, and podcasting is quickly turning into a medium where shows are broadcast live, then made available as a download forever. 6.) The economy is "cratering." The stake in the heart of satellite radio, the looming recession, will finish off the Sirius XM Radio company -- and the concept of satellite radio -- forever. How bad is the economy for Sirius XM? Let me count the ways. First, understand that Sirius XM has $3.4 billion in long-term debt, $1 billion of which is due next year -- $300 million of that due by February. The company racked up this debt during an economic boom. We are now entering a bust. How will Sirius XM get out of this fix? The current plan appears to be little more than creative debt refinancing -- this in the most hostile credit market ever -- to buy time for some unspecified future miracle. Satellite radio depends almost entirely on subscription revenue. The biggest source of new subscribers has been new-car buyers. Unfortunately, the downturn has not only radically cut car sales, but is reducing the percentage of new cars that have the fancy satellite radio upgrade (compared with pre-recession projections). The biggest channel for satellite radio is -- or was -- GM, which has recently suffered a 45% reduction in new-car sales. Other car companies are looking at reductions of between 20% and 30%. And that's now, before the recession has really even begun. Sirius XM Radio hasn't released recent sales figures, but it's likely that lucrative new-car subscriptions have decreased by at least 40% in the past couple of months. One advantage Sirius has is Howard Stern. But Stern is also a disadvantage because he gets paid $100 million per year. As the Sirius ship starts to sink, and the board starts looking for cargo to throw overboard, Stern and his giant salary will be the first to go. As the King of All Media, and with a fiercely loyal following, Stern will probably go on to mainstream the concept of subscription-based podcasting. Why? Because Stern is tired of being jerked around first by the FCC, then by the old-and-busted radio industry, and now by the financial unsustainability of satellite radio. A subscription podcast would finally put Stern in complete control of his show. The ugly truth is that satellite is simply an obsolete way to deliver sound. It's nothing more than an insanely expensive, limited, proprietary content delivery system that increasingly competes head- to-head against the Internet itself. The monopoly that provides satellite radio is billions in debt, with no way to pay off that debt and a looming recession characterized by dramatic slowdowns in consumer spending. It's over. Satellite radio is dead. (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) The satellites, though, won't come crashing to earth, and the spectrum will still be there. After the bankruptcy - I predict that somebody will program something, perhaps a new ad based instead of subscription based system. I would prefer that anyway, since the subscription follows the radio instead of the subscriber. I have to have one radio I carry from car to car, into the house, etc. BIG hassle, I'd prefer to enter a code into ANY satellite radio, and boom the sound comes out. I had to forego the nice plug in that comes with my car radio and do the old radio on the seat, wire to antenna, and FM modulator trick. BLEAH on that business model - DIE evil satellite providers. (Bruce Carter, TX, ABDX via DXLD) You're a wise man, Bruce. To judge from the media hysteria over the auto bailout, some people think assets evaporate and disappear during a bankruptcy. But what happens is those assets become available for pennies on the dollar and new, viable businesses grow from the wreckage. I suspect XM Sirius is going to be a lot like the Iridium story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_(satellite) (Harry Helms W5HLH, Corpus Christi, TX EL17, IBID.) You guys are right. Bankruptcy will be good thing. It will give the buyer a chance to re-organize and change the business model. Too bad they didn't take a page out of the radio manufacturer's playbook of the 1920s and get as many receivers in the field as possible. Get the audience first, the dollars will follow. Both XM and Sirius overpaid for talent. $50 Million for Oprah was crazy and now that deal appears to be folding. They should have charged Oprah for a channel and let Harpo sell the advertising. Sirius paid 3 million for an out of work sports talk guy who never made anything near that. Mel should turn on all the receivers that are now sitting idle in cars. Give the service away to as many people as will listen. He is a brilliant salesman. But he needs to get the product to ears in order to generate revenue. The original owners thought that satellite had to create all the content. They should have thought of it as a huge pipeline that others could pay to create and run programming. Imagine CBS making WINS the national all news brand. K-Earth the national oldies station. Or someone else who bids for the rights to program oldies, rock or all news. It could be very cool and would crush local radio with the right business plan. Funny how terrestrial radio never figured out how to use HD and the Satellite guys missed how to use all the channels on the bird. So much pipeline, so little content. Maybe the next owners will have a better plan. Now back to your DXing. af (Alan Furst, TX, ibid.) ** IRAN. 6010, Voice of the Islamic Rep. of Iran; 2013-2029:37*, 23- Nov; Listener's Special letters program; news 2023-25 then VoIRI ID/sked. All in English. SIO=433, USB helps (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Kamalabad, 304 degrees (gh) ** KUWAIT. Radio Kuwait, 9855 kHz at 1940 GMT 24 Nov --- Music program only mildly hampered by noise and fading distortion: http://www.mediafire.com/?jzy1ntmr4lz (Terry Wilson, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6045, XEXQ (presumed), 1307, 11/25/08. Could just weakly make out an announcer and bits of light music through the noise and adjacent-channel QRM, presumably was XEXQ. If this is all they could manage compared even to Candela FM, seems as though either they're running at extremely low power or having equipment problems. Poor (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, Eton E1, ~1000' east-west beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6105. XEQM/Candela FM, 1219, 11/25/08, Spanish. A male DJ talking to callers on the phone and playing pop and ranchera music, with mentions of Candela and Yucatán. From 1230 was "En Contacto", a news-style program anchored by a female announcer with frequent commercial/promo breaks, and a phone number given frequently amid canned correspondent-type reports. Signal was marred by rumbling from a near-co-channel signal (Taiwan?) that initially made it difficult to copy but improved suddenly at 1231, which roughly matches Taiwan signoff per EiBi. Starting to fade at 1247 tuneout, but still audible at 1340 recheck. Fair/good. Note: On googling for information, I came across this webpage with a Youtube video of the Candela studio during an En Contacto broadcast. I believe the announcer is the same one I heard: (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, Eton E1, ~1000' east-west beverage at ground level, WORLD OF RADIO 1436, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RASA Mérida, 6105, Nov 26 at 1308 somewhat distorted Spanish programming including 1311 PSA for something the Gobierno Federal does; some CubaRM from 6100 residual jamming pulses against R. República which is only on the air for one hour at 1100 weekdays! XEQM has deep fades, which seems odd for a station so close. I again compared the frequency to RRI 15105 on the FRG-7 and seemed very close to 6105.0, not 6104.9 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. TVT is not a network. TVT stands for TV Tapatía, which is the name used by XEWO-2 Guadalajara. Most independent TV stations in Mexico have names. Televisa operates a number of these non-network stations (in addition to their three national networks), but Televisa does provide live national sporting events for the stations. In addition, some independents relay a few hours of programs daily from Televisa's XHTV-4 (4TV). BTW, Televisa's XHG-4 ("GDL") is the main independent in Guadalajara. XHG has local newscasts and a local morning program. Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city (Danny Oglethorpe, Shreveport, LA, Nov 25, WTFDA via DXLD) ** MOROCCO. 9575, Medi 1, 11/26/08 0845-0915, French and Arabic, knocking Radio Australia right off its block on 9580. Solid and strong signal without the usual fading. OM talking in French until 0900 when switched to Arabic. At 0903 YL came on with Arabic music. 0915 played several ads in a row in both French and Arabic (Bruce Barker, Broomall, PA, NRD535-D with an Alpha Delta DX Sloper, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Re 8-121, LANGUAGE LESSONS: Glenn, Did not R. Nederland formerly have broadcasts in Frisian? It is the closest language to English, and is very interesting for an English speaker to listen to - one can understand certain simple expressions - but it is, in my experience, utterly unreadable for English speakers. I visited Friesland's capital, Leeuwarden, and the coastal town of Harlingen one year after IBC just to experience the language (Ben Dawson, WA, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST I don`t think so, unless they were unpublicized segments in Dutch service I wasn`t paying much attention to (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I am not aware of any RNW broadcasts in Frisian. It has certainly never been listed as one of the languages we use, but as Glenn says there may have been the odd segment in Frisian. I will ask colleagues when I return to the office next week. As matter of fact, I have several times suggested that we might consider doing a deal with the regional public broadcaster in Friesland to produce a weekly 30 minute programme in Frisian, with news and cultural items. Something like REE does with its minority languages. Then again, the BBC doesn't have programmes in Welsh or Gaelic for British expats who speak those languages. I will also ask my colleague Martien Sleutjes, who is building our online audio archive, to let me know if he comes across any material in Frisian. 73, (Andy Sennitt, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI, 11725 kHz at 0646 GMT 26 Nov --- Rare and excellent Local Late Night 25m reception of some tongue-in-cheek movie-roundup review show. Especially notable if their transmitters are still at 50% power. Unceremoniously ended with an announcement to retune to 9765, leading to excellent 31m reception as well, with ID and news: http://www.mediafire.com/?djjn2khq3me and http://www.mediafire.com/?jvoiwny4zna (Terry Wilson, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. When AUSTRALIA [q.v.] was inbooming on 19m, I tuned around to see if anything else was making it, Nov 26 at 0657; all I found was weak and fadey English on 15120, and 0700 into French. No ID heard despite my efforts, but this has to be VON, as scheduled, per Aoki, not HFCC. I wonder if it was long-path (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. KEOR, 1120, Sperry, still doing the same thing as when first heard 3+ weeks ago: same old oldies, but many of our sing-along favorites, with long pauses; and legal ID at 1430 UT Nov 26 as ``AM 1120, KEOR, Catoosa``. Radio-info.com thread on this indicates it`s just on the air to keep from losing its license, and/or until someone buys this daytimer. Programming comes from a box at the transmitter site. When first tuned in, was dominating over KMOX SAH of some 15 Hz, but KMOX soon overtook it by 1435, reluctant to give up its skywave even tho the Sun was inching higher in the pre-winter sky. Around this time of year would not be surprised if some signal from KMOX holds up thru high noon (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PALAU. Monitored T8WH [re sked in 8-121]: T8WH - Angel 3 0700-0800 off the air 0800-1200 9930 daily(Sa.Su. 0800-0930/Tu.Th. 1000-1100 Japanese) 1200-1500 9930 Sa.Su 1200-1500 9930 Mo-Fr (Sound of Hope in Chinese) 1500-1800 9905 (Radio Free Asia in Chinese) 1800-1900 9955 off the air 1900-2200 9875 (Radio Free Asia in Chinese) T8WH - Angel 4 0100-0400 15680 off the air 0400-0500 15680 daily 0500-0800 15680 Sa.Su.(Sa. 0500-0530/Su. 0500-0600 Japanese) 0800-1000 15680 off the air 1000-1200 12130 off the air 1200-1300 12130 Tu.Th.Sa.(1200-1230 Hao Mai R. in Vietnamese) 1300-1400 11880 Democratic Voice of Burma 1400-1500 9965 BVBCN Voice of Wilderness(CMI) in Korean (new Nov 24?) http://ndxc.org/aoki/binews/ai/cmi-20081124-1400_9965.mp3 1500-2200 9930 off the air 1500-1600 9965 (1530-1600 JCIC-Nippon no Kaze in Korean) de Hiroshi (S. Hasegawa, NDXC, Nov 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PALAU [non?]. Radio Free Asia, via Koror, Palau, 9875 kHz at 2014 GMT 24 Nov --- Isn't this one of the stations where usually I hear only raucous jamming from China and no station? No jamming discernible today, instead there's a music program followed by a mixed bag of fairly madcap-sounding announcements, probably PSAs: http://www.mediafire.com/?mjmjzn1jueo and http://www.mediafire.com/?w35dkkyjihy (Terry Wilson, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Terry, Tnx for all your trouble with the recordings. Without understanding much Chinese, I think this one sounds like CNR1, which is now used to jam RFA rather than Firedrake. which I guess is what you call raucous. I don`t think RFA plays so much music or ``madcap announcements``. I`m sure a Chinese speaker could soon tell the difference. 73, Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3385, R East New Britain, 1319, 11/25/08, Tok Pisin. A female DJ playing easy-listening/oldies type music with a country song thrown in the mix as well. Signal apparently faded up quite rapidly, as NBC IS was just barely audible at 1259 check (and thus assume this programming was also from them as well, as opposed to local). Listed as 1300 signoff, but still going till the plug was pulled abruptly at 1338. Fair (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, Eton E1, ~1000' east-west beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND. DX program: THURSDAY missed, see website. 1330 Polish R "Multimedia": 7325nau 9450wer SAT is really on air, under different headline ? http://www.polskieradio.pl/zagranica/ramowka/?id=10 See also Fri 0830 UT Satellite; First airing Wed 1825 shortwave / 2055 satellite wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wolfy, On the program schedule, Multimedia now appears on SW only at the end of the Wednesday 1800 broadcast. Some other times on the non- SW broadcasts. There is also an archive of the shows at http://www.polskieradio.pl/zagranica/news/archiwum.aspx?s=0&k=149 I guess we can only assume Wed 1825/1830 without monitoring the other days (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** PORTUGAL. Found extremely distorted talk on about 15858, Tue Nov 25 at 1524, maybe in Russian? Intonation seemed like that, but no, 1526 RDP Internacional ID in Portuguese! Therefore this must be a spur of 15690 which had a loud and clear signal, and likely accompanied by another spur 168 kHz lower --- and yes, there it is around 15522, tho not as strong as the upper one. 1530 into Caixa Postal DX program, continuing an interview with Miguel Andrade. The last I knew, this was scheduled Mondays at 1418. According to the daily online program schedules at http://tv1.rtp.pt/EPG/radio/epg-dia.php?canal=5&ac=d&sem=e 1530 Tue has replaced 1418 Mon, at least this week, but the other broadcast remains UT Tue 0030 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1436, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. Re 8-121: Glenn, If you would like to see a panorama of Lisbon go to Astronomy Picture of the Day: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081122.html (Wells Perkins in N.J., Nov 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very nice; some antenna towers toward sunset. Maybe Carlos Gonçalves can identify them (gh, DXLD) ------------------------------ If you look at the right side of the picture you will see some antennas; this location is called "Monsanto", where national and local VHF-FM stations have their antennas; but also two TV towers carrying national TV channels, and others towers carrying other communications services. A bit "off-topic" but an additional information, specially useful to FM Dxers (perhaps next Sporadic E season, who knows?), or to radio-enthusiasts who may travel to Portugal, would be the VHF-FM frequencies from Monsanto: MHz - ID - kW 89.5 MHz - TSF - 5 kW 90.4 MHz - Rádio Europa Lisboa - 5 kW 91.6 MHz - Cidade FM - 5 kW 92.4 MHz - Mega FM - 5 kW 93.2 MHz - RFM - 36 kW 94.4 MHz - RDP Antena 2 - 100 kW 95.7 MHz - RDP Antena 1 - 100 kW 96.6 MHz - M80 - 5 kW 97.4 MHz - Rádio Comercial - 44 kW 100.3 MHz - RDP Antena 3 - 100 kW 101.5 MHz - RDP África - 5kW 103.4 MHz - Rádio Renascença - 50 kW 104.3 MHz - Rádio Clube (Português) - 50 kW In particular for those who use to explore the radio spectrum below 30 MHz, there's no medium or shortwave broadcasting antennas in Monsanto, except those destinated to military (and perhaps other private services) communications. Remember that RDPi's HF centre is located a few dozens of kilometers east of Lisboa. Also the mediumwave transmitters, carrying RDP, Rádio Renascença and "R. Club Português" are located outside Lisboa. Unfortunately the picture lacks definition, but one of the towers appears in the photo with its elements (almost surely VHF-FM, but i'm not sure)... Perhaps Carlos Gonçalves may supply a few details, as I don't live in Lisboa and, to be frank, I don't know either much about Monsanto antennas, I mean, matching every single tower to its broadcasting services. Best regards & good DX! (Luís Carvalho, Portugal, Nov 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Subject: Portugal - Lisbon panorama photo (antennas) Under normal circumstances, I would not insert a message about these topics, but now I feel some correction is in order. Desculpar-me-á, Luís Carvalho, mas onde está o Monsanto?! Ao longe, no extremo dtº da foto, e à dtª do pôr do Sol, o que vê são as duas torres lá p/ os lados da Trafaria: os retransmissores tv que cobrem a Costa da Caparica e imediações. So, where is Monsanto Hill on the picture? "The photo was taken from the balcony of the "Cristo Rei" monument on the south bank of the Tagus, and it overlooks the Salazar Bridge, not visible in this wide photograph. As to the antennae: to the left and in the distance, some are for local TV coverage whereas those 3 on the right are for some local FM stations and RD(T)P." Not visible [at all], is the Monsanto Hill in Lisboa where the main TV towers and major Lisboa FM stns + military stns are located." ___________ As Luís Carvalho explained, no MF or HF broadcast stations at Monsanto Hill, but there are military facilities (MF & HF), and one of them, a naval radio station, even houses at least the RD(T)P VHF-FM towers; plus R. Renascença's tower too, if I remember it correctly. Other private FM stations at Monsanto have towers around all the facilities, which include a prison (roundish building visible in GoogleEarth by the way). The TV stations have their towers a bit to the south of all that: the main one [concrete with steel extension] is ex-RTP [TV only] but became Portugal Telecom property, and distributes TV signals from RTP and private station SIC whereas a steel tower to the west of that is owned by the other private TV station, TVI. The old Emissora Nacional site close to Lisboa, at Barcarena, where the "Centro Emissor Imperial" was established in the 30's, is not far. It houses the radio authority http://www.anacom.pt laboratory and southern receiving station. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Caro Carlos Gonçalves, Tem toda a razão! Peço desculpa pela confusão! Julgava que a foto foi tirada de outro ângulo, mas agora, ao vê-la de novo, dou a "mão à palmatória". De facto, estava a "estranhar" a paisagem, mas agora, sim, tudo faz sentido! Onde tinha eu a cabeça?! Actually Carlos is right. I wrongly assumed that the picture was taken from another angle, so I made a silly mistake!!! In fact,the "25 de Abril" Bridge (formely "Ponte Salazar") is overlooked on the photo, and Monsanto is located on the left (not shown on this panoramic photo)! I must confess that this landscape looked me somewhat strange, but now, with Carlos' correction, all does make sense. I should apologize for this confusion! Actually, whether I paid more attention to the left/center of the picture, I wouldn't screw up! Sorry for this terrible mistake! Best regards & good DX! (Luís Carvalho, Portugal, ibid.) The picture is very nice, but it does not show Lisbon proper. Instead, it shows the southern surroundings of the Portuguese capital: Almada, Barreiro, Seixal (where is a MW transmitter from the Rádio Renascença group, broadcasting Rádio Sim) and other nearby towns. Lisbon lies on the northern bank of the river Tagus, while the picture shows the southern bank facing the city. I suppose that the antenna towers that are seen toward sunset are TV and FM repeaters from Portugal Telecom and RTP, among others. They are intended to cover the coastal town of Costa de Caparica (not seen in the picture) which lies in the shadow relatively to the main transmitters, located on the top of a hill called Monsanto, inside Lisbon. Best wishes (Fernando de Sousa Ribeiro, Porto, Portugal, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PRIDNESTROVYE. 7370, PRIDNESTROVIE. Radio PMR, 1430, 11/25/08, English. A summary of local financial measures being taken in response to the global economic crisis, including talk of bartering(!), delivered in the usual hasty style. Seemed to be running a bit ahead of schedule as English program wrapped up at 1442 and French was already underway at 1443. Good (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, Eton E1, ~1000' east-west beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. Radio Romania International, via Galbeni or Tiganesti, 7125 kHz at 1923 GMT 22 Nov. Noisy but quite good early Local Afternoon reception of a music program from Romania: http://www.mediafire.com/?fdyfzykjzfk and http://www.mediafire.com/?wd4hnn5yzq2 The vagaries of SW reception will never cease to surprise me. This is the time of day I can't hear anything broadcast on SW in North America TO North America, but do regularly hear Arabia (Terry Wilson, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Besides the usual good signal in Romanian on 11940, RRI also heard on 11905, Nov 25 at 1445 with Russian ID as ``Inter-radio Rumania``, then sport; 1454 closing with Russian transmission schedule, and IDs again as above. Never heard the word ``mezhdunarodnaya`` mentioned, the usual rendering of ``International``, but ``Inter`` is certainly a lot less of a mouthful, and the Romanians do have that Romance influence. This service is via Tiganesti, 52 degrees at 1430-1500. RRI in Romanian usually collides head-on with REE Costa Rica on 15170, but Nov 26 at 1337 I could hear only REE, even during pauses. RRI was audible as usual on // 11940, and also in English on 15105, not as strong as usual, talking about Gypsies [sic]. At 1442 recheck RRI collision on 15170 had resumed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 6115, Nov 26 at 1445 Russian choral music, 1447 announcement in Chinese. That`s VOR via Khabarovsk, per Aoki and EiBi; don`t you believe PWBR `2009` that it`s WYFR in English via Irkutsk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAO TOME. 11985 with African chants, Hausa announcements, Nov 26 at 0712, good signal. This is VOA at 0700-0730 aimed due north (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA: 7345 Radio Slovakia Int'l; 1925-1933+, 26-Nov; Close of German program at 1927, then IS/ID/sked in English before formal English program start at 1930; ID & headlines in English. SIO=3+43; // 5915 with severe QRM (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 210' center-fed RW, 85' end-fed RW, 125' bow-tie, DX LISTENING DIGEST) cf 8-121 ---- so that broadcast intended for Europe may axually come in better in ENAm than the intended 0100 on 7230 (gh, DXLD) ** SPAIN. REE Basque news segment, Nov 26 at 1350-1355 on 17595, was totally in Castilian, even the axualities, except for brief open and close. Preceded as usual by Catalan at 1340, Galician at 1345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. It looks like IRRS is not going to do anything about the collision with Greece at 1500-1550 on 15650 for the Miraya FM service; already at 1455 Nov 26 the Slovakia open carrier was on, producing a SAH on Greek music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. via Madagascar, 13800, Radio Dabanga, 0433-0527*, Nov 26, local music. Many ID announcements. Short talks in Arabic. Fair to good reception but better on // 7315 - via Germany. 7315 was one or two seconds ahead of 13800 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. Hi to all, Listen to my new audioclip of Radio Dabanga, via Germany http://www.hb9gce.ch/Radio%20Dabanga_20081124_045644_7315.mp3 73 de HB9GCE, Andy (Stumpf Carl Andreas, Switzerland, 24 Nov, playdx yg via DXLD) ** SUDAN [and non]. Jamming 7200? Hello DXers, while checking Radio Om Durman - Known as Sudan radio - on 7200 kHz around 1630 UT I noticed a jammer on the frequency. I wonder who's jamming what on that frequency? I can hear only Sudan and Serbia on that frequency and later on CRI. It's a new BJ to my ears not the usual BJ I hear from Iran. Any ideas? (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, Nov 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tarek, re 7200. maybe one of the Bulgarian warbling defective transmitters, at other times of the day on 15700 or 7400 kHz. 7200 R.BULGARIA 1600-1700 Bulgarian 300 115 Plovdiv BUL BNR b08 7200 R.BULGARIA 1600-1700 Bulgarian 100 30 Kostinbrod BUL BNR b08 (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Or Yakutsk acting up again (gh) Hello Wolfie, Well, I'll try to record that noise that I hear and will send it to you. Maybe you can get something out of it. As it sounds very strange to my ears.(BJ likewise). All the best my friend (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, ibid.) Hi dear Tarek, see recording attachment of Stuttgart Germany. Bubble jammer started 1557:40 UT today November 25. Like a 100 / 250 kW unit R Bulgaria Bulgarian service underneath, Sofia started 1559:57 ID and interval signal melody. Target? Comes from Ethiopia / Eritrea? Two peaks like USB/LSB 7200.50 and 7201.50 in 7199.73 to 7202.20 range in AM receiving mode. Bubble jamming ended at 1659:45 UT, Nov 25. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, DF5SX, ibid.) I also heard the noise on 7200 on the 25th around 1600, and it sounds very much like the faulty Yakutsk transmitter used to sound on this same frequency (Yakutsk, though, is NOT faulty currently). So could it be a problem with one of the Bulgarian transmitters rather than jamming? (Noel Green, England, Nov 26, ibid.) No dear Noel, that's maybe coming from the Ethiopian new TX ones, which erected in past year, Made in China. That was never a faulty transmitter on air, it's rather deliberate start time 15.57:40 UT and end time sharp stop at 16.59:45 UT suggest as a real programmed jamming against ?ERITREA?. Which service they broadcast underneath?? I hear only Bulgarian Radio .. and maybe tiny Serbia or latter on 7199.94. The signal strength at 16-17 UT slot to correspond with propagation from NE/NeEaAF at this time span. 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) ** SWAZILAND. HCJB GLOBAL TRANSMITTER INSTALLED AT TWR’S SITE IN SWAZILAND --- Nov. 25, 2008 For Immediate Release A new 100,000-watt shortwave transmitter built at the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Ind., is on the air at the Trans World Radio (TWR) site in Swaziland, broadcasting a message of hope across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Through a cooperative effort between the two organizations, the HC100 transmitter began broadcasting about 12 hours a day on Oct. 23, replacing an outdated Continental unit and joining two other HC100s, also from Elkhart. “The results of the broadcasts from this transmitter are that people come to Christ and they are encouraged in their faith,” said Ray Alary, TWR’s director of operations in Africa . “For those with HIV/AIDS, we can encourage them in what seems a hopeless situation. Through Jesus we all have hope. The primary target areas are eastern and southern Africa, but our transmitters in Swaziland reach locations as far away as Pakistan. We broadcast in approximately 30 languages with our three HC100 transmitters.” Alary added that TWR’s partnership with HCJB Global “goes back a long way and has taken many different forms over the years . . . it is a model of a well-functioning partnership where each party gains from our ability to work together.” The partnership includes having a number of TWR missionaries serving at the Technology Center in Elkhart . Among those is veteran engineer Larry McGuire who lived in Swaziland for 16 years before moving to Elkhart in 1990. He helped build and install all three HC100s at the Swaziland site, spending 2½ weeks in Swaziland in October to put the new transmitter on the air. “The new transmitter is much more efficient and has a clearer, more understandable signal than the one it replaced,” McGuire said. “The HC100 is also easier to maintain because it was designed by missionary engineers for that purpose.” Alary said that having “three identical transmitters at the same site makes our operation in Swaziland very efficient. In addition, we have purchased more than 20 suitcase transmitters through HCJB.” Tom Lowell, chairman of TWR’s board of directors, said the new transmitter has many economic advantages. “For example, parts needed to keep the old equipment on the air were expensive. The Continental transmitter uses three large tubes, at $13,000 each, compared to the HC100’s single tube. That’s an immediate savings of $26,000 on parts alone! The HC100 also operates much more efficiently, saving us $12,000 per year on our electric bill in Swaziland.” McGuire added that the installation of the HC100 in Swaziland culminates years of work and planning dating back to about 2000. Construction of this transmitter, the ninth of its type, was completed in 2005. After TWR agreed to purchase the unit, it was modified to, and tested for, Swaziland requirements, then packed and loaded onto a truck in Elkhart on July 31. It then traveled across the Atlantic Ocean by ship, arriving in Durban, South Africa , on Sept. 9. From there it went by train to Matsapha, Swaziland , where it cleared customs “almost immediately,” he said. Finally it went by truck to TWR’s transmitter site on a ranch 20 miles from Manzini along the White Mbuluzi River, arriving on Sept. 18. “The day it arrived, there ‘happened’ to be a work crew from a church in Elkhart that had been renovating the building,” McGuire continued. “They were way ahead of schedule, so they helped unload the transmitter from the container, got it in position and started putting up the heavy parts and then built the fascia—all before I started working on the installation on Oct. 6. I was very amazed. That’s never happened before!” When McGuire said the entire installation process went smoothly. “The cooperation was great—very beneficial for both.” David Russell, director of the HCJB Global Technology Center , calls it a “privilege to work closely with engineers of TWR Africa. During just the past year we have cooperated with TWR on projects in Benin , Kenya and Swaziland . We are presently refurbishing a used 50,000-watt AM transmitter that will be used at TWR’s Swaziland broadcast facilities. “It gives us a great sense of fulfillment to be able to support our fellow kingdom workers at TWR through the provision of technical consulting, equipment, installations and maintenance,” Russell added. “By pooling our strengths we are able to be more effective in the Lord’s harvest fields.” - 30 - For more information, contact: Jon Hirst, Communications Director David McCreary, Communications HCJB Global Trans World Radio 1065 Garden of the Gods Rd. P. O. Box 8700 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Cary, NC 27512 719.590.9800 919.460.3700 http://hcjbglobal.org http://www.twr.org (Harold Goerzen, HCJB press release, also via Rachel Baughn, Alokesh Gupta, DXLD) ** SWEDEN. Whilst checking out VOI 9526, I noticed R. Sweden theme music on 9530, Nov 26 at 1400, opening Russian. Poor, 350 kW at 55 degrees from Hörby (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SYRIA. Hello radio friends, Radio Damascus English program is now also on the internet. After a few weeks of having the daily German language program online, it is great to know that from this week on, you can also download the daily recording of the English program. The direct link to the daily recordings is: http://www.rtv.gov.sy/index.php?m=541 Soon there will also be a link on the homepage of Syrian Radio & Television, http://www.rtv.gov.sy to the international foreign language services of Radio Damascus. A nice tip: although the recording is in the Windows Media format, you can convert it with a simple converter program to a MP3 file and put it on your Ipod or other MP3 player to take Radio Damascus on the road. I am using "Switch" for this purpose on a Mac OSX system. http://www.nch.com.au/switch/plus.html They have a free version and a paid version with some extras. It is very nice to listen to Radio Damascus, when driving to work, in digital audio quality on my car radio through my connected Iphone (or Ipod). Radio Damascus Listeners Club: http://www.radio-damascus-listeners-club.tk or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/radio_damascus Greetings (Kris Janssen, Belgium, Nov 25, WORLD OF RADIO 1436, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. Re 8-121, BBCWS relays resume; Correction: As Alok das Gupta pointed out, Udorn Thani is the VOA site, and I should have written Nakhon Sawan. Just be glad I am not still working for WRTH :-) (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. I was on my way to download the 1930 UT Tue Nov 25 VOT broadcast from their fancy new website, in order to hear the Live from Turkey portion, later that day at 2322 or so, but clicked on the live feed first, and there it was. This time they were repeating LFT on the 2300 edition anyway (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. The director of the BBC World Service, Nigel Chapman, is to step down after four years to become chief executive of a children's charity. Chapman, who became BBC World Service director in 2004 after four years as deputy, has overseen a big growth in the Foreign Office- funded operation's audience during his time at the top. He also chairs the BBC World Service Trust, its charitable arm. He will leave the BBC in April next year to head charity Plan International, which works with children and their families to combat poverty in almost 50 countries, after being a UK trustee for six years. Full article [with portrait]: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/25/bbc-radio (via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) One of my friends at BBC passed on this link : http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=42525&c=1 (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz., illustrated: NIGEL CHAPMAN STEPS DOWN AS WORLD SERVICE DIRECTOR 25 November 2008 By Dominic Ponsford Director of the BBC World Service Nigel Chapman is leaving the corporation after 31 years to become chief executive of children’s charity Plan International. He has been director of the World Service since 2004 and has previously been director of BBC Online and controller of English Regions. Chapman has also worked as a producer and editor on a number of news and current affairs programmes. BBC director of global news Richard Sambrook said today in a message to staff: “I'd like to pay tribute to the huge contribution Nigel has made to the BBC - and in particular to the World Service over the last eight years. "He has overseen the biggest restructuring of the service since it was launched and the move into language television and the strengthening of our internet presence. The World Service today is stronger than when he joined it and enjoys the largest audience it has ever had - a fitting tribute to his hard work and commitment.” He said the BBC is to advertise for a successor. In a separate note to staff, Chapman said: “There is never a perfect time to leave something as fascinating and all-consuming as the World Service. There is always more to do: new audience demands to meet, new services to launch and existing ones to improve. "We will soon launch our Persian Television service and extend our Arabic TV to a full 24/7 schedule. There is, I know, a huge amount of work going on to modernise the look and feel of our websites, and keep our outstanding radio programmes fresh and attractive to our record- breaking audiences." Explaining his decision to leave, he said: "Our programmes about the developing world in particular have kindled a growing personal interest in international development issues. Visits to Africa and South Asia have brought these issues to life. "The work of the World Service Trust has also been very instrumental in fuelling these interests. I have seen first hand the wonderful impact of its work as well as the enormous influence the World Service as a whole has in the world’s poorest countries. "Hence my decision to leave the BBC after more than thirty years and move full time into the charity sector as the CEO of Plan International, one of the world’s biggest and oldest charities working directly with children and their families to combat poverty in almost 50 countries." The World Service currently claims to have 182m listeners a week, compared to 146m in 2004 (via Gupta, DXLD) ** U K [non]. 11915, BBCWS with good signal I had not noticed before, Tue Nov 25 at 1443 amid Digital Planet, item on tantalum. This is yet another example of the fragmentation of international broadcasting on the part of some major players, i.e. instead of establishing one frequency and running it for several hours, it`s on the air for only one hour, in this case plus one more from a different transmitter site. 14-15 it`s Singapore, 100 kW at 315 degrees, then 15-16 Oman, 250 kW at 63 degrees, both for S Asia. BBC English lessons on 11895, Nov 25 at 1448, heavy interference at about equal level from echoing CNR-1 jammer. The Chicom won`t even let the English teach English to the Chinese! This transmission runs 1300- 1530 via Singapore, 100 kW at 13 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. 17780. BBC (via Rampisham), 1344, 11/25/08, Hausa. Familiar three-note B-B-C IS, followed by male announcer with a booming "Lonnndonnnn [callllinnng]!" in Hausa, a burst of African woodwind- and-drum music, and a quick upbeat ID mentioning London, BBC, Hausa, Ghana, and Nigeria, then into programming. A nice bit of audio. Good (Mark Schiefelbein, Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, Bois D'Arc, MO, Eton E1, ~1000' east-west beverage at ground level, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 9990, Nov 26 at 1320, bits of music mixed with declamatory talk, Farsi? This was before WWCR 9980 faded up to full blasting and desensitizing strength. Only thing listed in PWBR `2009` is RFE/RL via Kuwait in unID language, but EiBi and Aoki say it`s really R. Free Afghanistan, via Sri Lanka, in Pashto this hour until 1330 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA Spanish, 5940, Nov 27 at 0025 check was loud and clear, no jamming audible; // 5890 also strong, but lite jamming audible underneath. VOA programming now includes shows for the Caribbean, not Cuba in particular (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 8-121: Hi Glenn: Thanks for the signal report: Wow --- ONLY a 'whopping' 5 dB difference between WWRB and the other station! Hmmmm???? Must be because WWRB is using the 340 degree rhombic antenna that is 140 feet high on 3215, placing you in a NULL off the side: Just imagine if we were using our 140 foot high 270 degree rhombic antenna pointing right at you! We would smoke your front end, LOL! OR if we were using our 090 degree Azimuth Antenna. Your QTH is in the back lobe of that antenna. 5 dB difference --- BUSTED, forever. Regards, WWRB shortwave http://www.wwrb.org (Dave Frantz, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe, maybe not. Just demonstrates that such sweeping generalizations are meaningless, without a side-by-side comparison; plums and grapefruits. The WWCR 3215 signal is not aimed at me either, but way off at 46 degrees from Nashville. Besides, no one in his right mind would actually LISTEN to your wacky Brother Scare broadcasts under any conditions (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 3105, 3225, WWRB leapfrogging spurs, 0345-0425, Nov 26, 3105 leapfrogging spur of 3185. 3225 leapfrogging spur of 3145. 40 kHz separation between each frequency. Spurs at very weak to threshold levels (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 3230.58, WWCR spur, 0555-0605, Nov 26, weak spur of 3215. Matching spur on 3199.42 at threshold level. +/- 15.58 kHz from 3215 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3215, WWCR Nashville, TN, 11/26/08 0830-0840, usual claptrap including phone conversation with 'Janice' about the U-S government making people undergo brain implants. At 0838 launched into prerecorded speech by Congressman and one-time Presidential candidate Ron Paul in Houston. Tuned out at 0840 after two minutes (Bruce Barker, Broomall, PA, NRD535-D with an Alpha Delta DX Sloper, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 13820, Nov 26 at 1327 with hymn in unID S Asian language, lite jamming from Cuba prior to full bore against Martí from 1400; 1329 ``Know Redeemer Liveth`` theme, heard YL mention Bible Voice, I thought, but Eibi says this is YFR via Nauen, Germany, language missing, and Aoki says it`s Family Radio in Bengali. I wonder if any of the radio war in the Western Hemisphere bleeds over into Bengal as this service overlaps DCJC/Martí until 1500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. RADIO MARTI, 6300 at 2202 to 2205, November 24. Excellent signal with women reading news in Spanish, one ending her segment with “. . . Radio Martí.” Included a few words in English mentioning Wall Street from a speech by a man. Off suddenly at 2205 — before I had a chance to check parallel frequencies. 6030 was on when I checked a few seconds later, but signal was only good, and jamming was present. Punch-up error for 6030? At 2357 recheck, a weak Radio Nacional de la RASD was on 6300 (Wendel Craighead, Prairie Village, Kansas, USA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Second recent instance of RM on wrong frequency, after 15530 instead of 15330. Is there a lysdexic at Greenville? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Re: When is DXing with Cumbre really on the air? - -- New information, as announced on DXing w/Cumbre #608, recorded 11/19/08 and heard 11/22/08: Marie Lamb listed the WHR times and frequencies for the new season as follows (Note - she used a by-transmitter sequence which is somewhat confusing, but actually largely duplicates what gh had posted here earlier -- there was one difference, noted below, in which gh was right and she mis-spoke): Freq. UT Time & Day 7315 0130 Sat 7315 0330 Sat 7315 0430 Mon thru Fri 11565 0500 Sun 9495 1930 Sat 7385 0200 Sun 9955 1400 Sat & Sun 9930 1930 Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri (note: NO Thursday) 5850 0200 Sat & Sun (Note: this is the error -- it is really 0230 UT, as gh listed and I heard) 15665 1230 Sat 7385 1000 Sun 7385 1130 Sun 11785 1530 Sat 11785 1830 Sat (Those latter two seem to be the current best in the central US; the 5850 seems to vary from week to week.) I have NOT monitored many of these times & freqs -- I keep forgetting to check (hey, I'm an old guy! :-) but if the during-the-week airings are receivable, that eliminates many of the former difficulties in catching this program each week. Now, if we can get some stations to air WoR this often, it'd be great! 73, (Will Martin, MO, Nov 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But, but, as I pointed out by axual monitoring, many of those times are imaginary. For example, I just checked 7315 again UT Thursday at 0430, and nothing there --- plenty of other signals on 7 MHz band including WBCQ 7415. What does Marie know? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. Nothing remarkable on the X-band, on the caradio the afternoon of Nov 26, but at 2025 UT, KXEL-1540 Waterloo IA was coming in well, with local PSAs, weather, Newstalk 1540 ID and back to Sean Hannity (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. RADIO INDUSTRY HEADS FOR A SHAKEOUT --- By J. Scott Trubey Atlanta Business Chronicle updated 6:00 p.m. CT, Sun., Nov. 23, 2008 The faltering economy is hitting the radio industry on all fronts and a dean of the Atlanta radio market says it`s the most challenging time broadcasters have faced in more than 20 years. Lew Dickey Jr., CEO of Atlanta-based Cumulus Media Inc., said sputtering advertising plus the upheaval in the stock market will cause a major shakeup in the landscape of broadcast radio over the next several years. ``I think there`s going to be a pretty big shakeout and I think that half the companies in business today will be gone within 36 months,`` Dickey said. Cumulus is the nation`s second-largest broadcaster with 344 stations owned and operated. . . URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27885407/ (via Kevin Redding, Nov 25, ABDX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 15180, Nov 26 at 1334, BBCWS loop announcement with musical theme, long pause starting over every 29 seconds, that there is ``no programming on this channel at present. Details of all our services are at bbcworldservice.com``; some splatter from big Costa Rican signal on 15170. BBC gone by 1355 recheck. It was very nice of BBCWS to go to the trouble and expense to tell me that there was nothing to be heard on 15180, but not really needed. Why pick this channel, instead of countless others to fire up a transmitter and tell us they have nothing to say?? No clues in online listings about where this could be coming from; earlier in day, 15180 used by BBC from Oman, Cyprus. I know better than to waste my time searching for info about 15180 at bbcworldservice.com At least this loop said nothing about satellite, which would be even more irrelevant (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK - 2009 NOW AVAILABLE WRTH are proud to present the 63rd edition of the bestselling directory of global broadcasting on LW, MW, SW and FM. The Features section this year includes an exploration of FM DXing, a tour of local All India Radio stations, our Digital Update, and completely updated SW transmitter site maps. The remaining pages are, as usual, full of information on: Features - This section is in full colour and contains reviews of receivers and ancillary equipment, articles on topical issues such as digital radio, interviews with broadcasters, reception conditions, colour maps showing the location of SW transmitters, and other topics of interest to Listeners and DXers. National Radio - This section covers the world's domestic radio services. The listings are by country and include all stations broadcasting on LW, MW and SW, and most stations broadcasting on FM, together with contact details.. International Radio - Full details of all broadcasters transmitting internationally are given in this section and are listed by country. The schedules shown are the 'B' or 'winter' SW frequencies as supplied by the broadcasters and confirmed by monitoring, together with any LW or MW frequencies used.. It also contains a sub-section showing Clandestine and Other Target Broadcasters arranged by target country. The 'A' or 'summer' schedules, along with updates to broadcaster details, are available as a pdf download from this website in May each year. Frequency Lists - This section contains MW frequency lists grouped by frequency within regions, lists of all international and domestic SW broadcasts in frequency order, and international SW broadcasts in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish shown by UTC. Television - The TV section has details of the main terrestrial national broadcasters, large regional networks, and some local stations, arranged alphabetically by country. Reference - This section has tables and listings of: International and Domestic Transmitter sites, Standard Time and Frequency Transmissions, DX Club information, International Organisations, and other essential information. More details on http://www.wrth.com (via Jaisakthivel, ADXC, Chennai, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: GERMANY; INDIA ++++++++++++++++++++ KEEPING LOCAL TV AVAILABLE o Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) is about to introduce legislation that would require cable operators to provide local TV signals at a reduced cost indefinitely to people who lose over-the-air TV service as a result of the digital transition next February: http://www.multichannel.com/CA6615734.html (CGC communicator Nov 24 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ THE ULTIMATE TROPO DX LOCATION? In the "VHF Plus" column of the November issue of CQ Magazine, there is a report by Dave Pederson, N7BHC, on attempts to set tropo DX records on 144 MHz from South Africa across the south Atlantic and Indian oceans. Hams were queried on VHF reception from Ascension Island in the south Atlantic, and here's an interesting passage: "I tracked down Ian Coverdale, ZD8I, and Stedson (Sted) Stroud, ZD8S, on Ascension Islnd and asked them the same question could they listen for signals from Africa or South America, or had they heard anything in the past? Ian reported that there is a maritime monitoring station at the top of Green Mountain. It sometimes receives Cape Town Harbor Radio ZSC on 156.8 MHz, a range of 2750 miles. Sted said that it is quite common to hear Brazilian FM stations using indoor FM radios. Recife at 1400 miles and Salvador at 1700 miles are the most likely sources." Zowie! I'd guess a well-equipped FM DXer upland on Ascension would have reasonable shots at tropo from both Africa and South America. Is there a better place for long-haul tropo DX? Are there any active DXers in Bermuda? That would seem to be a good location for both FM/TV tropo from North America as well as MW DX from Europe and Africa (Harry Helms W5HLH, Corpus Christi, TX EL17 http://harryhelmsblog.blogspot.com/ Nov 26, ABDX via DXLD) Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet levels during the period. ACE solar wind measurements indicated no significant disturbances during the period. Solar wind velocities ranged from 259 to 457 km/sec during the period. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 26 NOV - 22 DEC 2008 Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels. 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 26 November - 03 December and 06 - 12 December. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at mostly unsettled levels during 26 - 27 November due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). Quiet levels are expected during 28 November - 03 December followed by an increase to unsettled to active levels during 04 - 06 December due to a recurrent CH HSS. Activity is expected to decrease to quiet levels during 07 - 21 December. Activity is expected to increase to unsettled levels on 22 December due to another recurrent CH HSS. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2008 Nov 25 2222 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2008 Nov 25 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2008 Nov 26 69 12 4 2008 Nov 27 69 8 3 2008 Nov 28 69 5 2 2008 Nov 29 69 5 2 2008 Nov 30 69 5 2 2008 Dec 01 69 5 2 2008 Dec 02 69 5 2 2008 Dec 03 69 5 2 2008 Dec 04 68 8 3 2008 Dec 05 68 15 4 2008 Dec 06 68 10 3 2008 Dec 07 69 5 2 2008 Dec 08 70 5 2 2008 Dec 09 70 5 2 2008 Dec 10 69 5 2 2008 Dec 11 68 5 2 2008 Dec 12 68 5 2 2008 Dec 13 68 5 2 2008 Dec 14 68 5 2 2008 Dec 15 69 5 2 2008 Dec 16 69 5 2 2008 Dec 17 69 5 2 2008 Dec 18 69 5 2 2008 Dec 19 69 5 2 2008 Dec 20 69 5 2 2008 Dec 21 69 5 2 2008 Dec 22 69 10 3 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1436, DXLD) MAGNETIC PORTALS CONNECT SUN AND EARTH 10.30.2008 + Play Audio | + Download Audio Oct. 30, 2008: During the time it takes you to read this article, something will happen high overhead that until recently many scientists didn't believe in. A magnetic portal will open, linking Earth to the sun 93 million miles away. Tons of high-energy particles may flow through the opening before it closes again, around the time you reach the end of the page. "It's called a flux transfer event or 'FTE,'" says space physicist David Sibeck of the Goddard Space Flight Center. "Ten years ago I was pretty sure they didn't exist, but now the evidence is incontrovertible." . . . http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30oct_ftes.htm (via Ted Randall, DXLD) Every 8 minutes? You may want to check out the flow charts at the bottom. How many other things like remain unknown to us? What about other unknown portals that may open and close? (Ted Randall, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ It is Thanksgiving in the United States. When we take time out of the busy, need it yesterday, gotta have it, hectic life, to give thanks and spend time with family and friends. I am thankful for everyone in DXLD. We are a worldwide community of diverse people with diverse backgrounds sharing, cooperating, enjoying and benefiting from each others input. We are a close knit family as when someone is not heard from in awhile, others ask about their well being. However, we readily accept new people into our cooperative community of sharing listening tips and DX news. So, in addition to my children, my great friend Mary Jo (whom is becoming more dear to me each day), I give thanks for all the wonderful people of DXLD. May the cooperative spirit of radio, of this hobby, break through any political boundaries and limitations that man may create. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, Manassas, Virginia USA, Nov 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hey Craig, thanks for sharing those beautiful feelings. You sounded like Christmas wishes in advance and I have been thinking (hope this isn't offensive) gringos take Thanksgiving as a prelude (or training) for the Holidays. Bet that for most of the Worldwide DX community this kind of an invitation to a strange celebration, but let me tell you, not for us ticos lately, who in more recent years due many gringo- residents here, have been tranferring this culture to us . And what we got finally, many familias ticas celebrating Thanksgiving as their own, just as well as Xmas. You have inspired me to share there lines with the same kindness you wrote yours. So for everyone around here, in this "mundial barrio global", best wishes and rich blessings from High above, despite some people sadly reject them. 73 and good listening (while possible) (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) Raúl, My friend. Thank you for the comments and allowing me to realize I am not alone in my feelings of appreciation. I do hope friends of the world realize not everyone from the US is an SOB. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, ibid.) And thanks to you both. Just remember that one may be thankful without directing it toward a deity (gh) PROFOUND STATEMENT --- This is from an email a lifelong friend sent to me. He put words in an email that could not be improved upon! I can’t think of anything that could say more! Nothing can be said about radio today this holds any more truth! “We are into a couple of generations that radio is a commodity, unlike when we were growing up when it was an event, a connection, a touching point, a friend and the DJ linked the listener with the music and 1000's of other listeners. And the sad thing, radio listeners of today don’t even SUSPECT what they have missed.” Cliff Crippen I guess this is why I love shortwave… this is where we can! Happy Thanksgiving!! (Ted Randall, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###