DX LISTENING DIGEST 11-07, February 16, 2011 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 2011 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html Searchable 2010 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid0.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1552 HEADLINES: DX and station news on: Antarctica, Australia, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Central African Republic, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Guinea, Italy, Japan, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Micronesia, Myanmar, North American pirate, Philippines, Russia, Slovakia [non], Somalia [non], Sri Lanka, UK, USA SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1552, February 17-23, 2011 Thu 1600 WRMI 9955 [confirmed, some jamming] Thu 2000 WBCQ 7415 Thu 2200 WRMI 9955 [heavily jammed] Fri 0430 WWRB 5050 [NEW ex-3185] [confirmed] Fri 1530 WRMI 9955 Fri 2130 WWCR1 7465 Sat 0900 WRMI 9955 Sat 1500 WRMI 9955 Sat 1700 WWCR2 12160 Sat 1830 WRMI 9955 Sat 1900 IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS/IBA 6090 1566 1368 [NEW on MW, from ITALY] Sun 0730 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0900 WRMI 9955 Sun 1630 WRMI 9955 Sun 1830 WRMI 9955 Mon 1230 WRMI 9955 Mon 2230 WRMI 9955 Tue 1630 WRMI 9955 Tue 2000 WBCQ 7415 Wed 0200 WRMI 9955 Wed 1630 WRMI 9955 Wed 2000 WBCQ 7415 Thu 0430 WRMI 9955 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://193.42.152.193/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN: http://www.wrn.org/wrn-listeners/world-of-radio/ http://www.wrn.org/listeners/world-of-radio/rss/09:00:00UTC/English/541 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location, and say something about why you want to join. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. 6125/9400, R Sadaye Zindagi confirmed my reception in a personal e-mail from Mark Anderson, Pamir Productions after a couple of hours. Reports can be sent via http://www.AfghanRadio.org or to info @ afghanradio.org Frequencies now are 6125 at 0230 and 9400 at 1500. The programs in Dari are designed for Afghanistan and the signal is optimized for that region. There is a "Streaming Dari Radio" on the web site and also a "shoutcast web site" on http://www.shoutcast.com/Internet-Radio/sadaye%20zindagi (Björn Fransson, Västerhejde, Gotland, Sweden, DSWCI DX Window Feb 9 via DXLD) ** ALASKA. A question from a Martinez, CA listener --- Hi Glenn, I have a question I was thinking you might be able to answer. In the 2011 WRTH under "United States of America" in the International section, why is it that KNLS (Anchor Point Alaska) is not listed? I appreciate your time, Sincerely, (Kevin Molander, Feb 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Kevin, Alaska has its own entry on page 428. It`s sort of traditional in radio to separate AK and HI from the rest of the US, for geographical reasons; certainly no political basis for it (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) 9655, KNLS (Anchor Point), 1508-1513, 2/13/2011, English. Religious talk by man and woman. Weak signal with minor fading. Cochannel Romania in Arabic stayed on top through the period monitored (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, IC-R75, RX-340, E1, ICF-SW7600G, G6, Random Wire, ALA100M Loops, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** ALBANIA. 6100, R. Tirana, Shijak, 0430-0438 Jan 4 in English with IS, schedule, news. Strapping 100 dB signal, good audio in synchronous USB, excellent (Richard W Parker, Pennsburg PA, Miltronix/Signal Corps R-390A, Sherwood SE-MI III Deluxe synchronous detector, Collins 51S-1 preselector, Yaesu FT-840, MFJ-901B antenna tuner, 25m dipole, Alpha- Delta DX Sloper, 160 ft inverted L with Yaesu FC-800 auto-tuner, 75m balanced doublet, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) He habitually cites signals in terms of dB, but compared to what? First time I recall seeing one reported in the three-digits, and also this month for WTWW USA, q.v. I suppose with all that equipment he gooses the signal meter readings, but does this mean anything in absolute terms? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. 15476, RN San Gabriel. 2/11 at 1420 and 1903, no signal from Antarctica (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15476, Feb 11 at 1450 check, still nothing from LRA36. However, Roberto Scaglione of bclnews.it tells us: ``Our contributor Marcelo Caneva in Eldorado called Base Esperanza some days ago; broadcasting will be resumed on February 25``, i.e. another Friday, which seems odd instead of a Monday, assuming they will resume being M-F only at 12- 15. More on anticipated reactivation of LRA36, 15476: The staff will be at Base Esperanza that week; they hope to resume broadcasting as soon as possible, most probably on February 25 (Roberto Scaglione, http://www.bclnews.it http://www.siciliamedia.it WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15476, I resume more-or-less weekdaily chex for LRA36, as they are reported to be coming back by end of next week. Feb 16 at 1355 and 1424, still nothing audible. Do we know for sure the resumption will be on the same schedule as before, M-F 12-15? Before that it was 18-21 UT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. 14/02/2011 2031 13363.5 Argentina Armed Forces LSB ARG px relay mx -Suff. 73 e buoni DX!!! (- Mauro - Giroletti, -Swl 1510- - IK2GFT-, bclnews.ir yg via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15344.8, Radio al Exterior; 2054-2101+, 7-Feb; EZL music to brief announcement at 2056+, then repeated 8-note IS; heard "Rae" twice before ToH during IS segment. Back on at 2100 after pips into German program. SIO=353. I don't recall ever hearing an IS before (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I featured it on WOR a few weeks ago, a rare sound clip (gh) 15344.7, approx. frequency for R. Nacional with sports coverage, Feb 12 at 2248, VP with fading; checked this for comparison after hearing 15190 Brazil [q.v.] and they were about the same. Could not uncover anything on 13363 tnx to bubble jamming from a cable DTV box. Later in the next hour 15344.7 had improved a bit. [and non]. 15344.7v, Feb 13 at 2201 wavering het between R. Nacional and Morocco, which had not yet closed down. Kept listening until it did at 2204.5*. General Pacheco improved a bit by 2215, play-by-play SBG, with flutter. Traces of the 13363 feeder; see GUAM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15344.73, R. Nacional, randomly from 2255 to 0154, Feb 13-14. Same sports format Glenn heard yesterday; excited coverage of fútbol game with Puerto Rico; fair to good, but for the first time noticed a slight hum; slogan: “fútbol, pasión nacional”. Due to the extended coverage of the game, did not hear the normal Monday (UT) relay of “Radio Nacional Santa Fe”. 15344.73, RAE, 1341-1355, Feb 14. In English; giving information about a rock band and playing their music; poor-fair with QRM; later at 1409 was fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, Etón E1, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA [and non]. Not observed on air since Jan 1st 2011: Armenia on MW 1395 kHz. Abkhazia on 9535 (but is on MW 1350 kHz) and Kabardino-Balkarian Radio on 6005 kHz (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Feb 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Feb 10 via DXLD) 1395 drifting, Radio-2 and VoArmenia via Yerevan suburb site? 6005 1800-2000 Krasnodar Armavir-RUS. 9535 Sukhumi? Georgia (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** ASCENSION. 9410, BBCWS in English, Feb 16 at 0644, the only signal of any significance making it, as rest of 31m is dead, and everything above 10 MHz. 9410 is via ASC during this hour only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 2368.5, Radio Symban, 1158-1210, 08-February-2011, in Greek. Female and male vocal music in Greek, male announcer at 1204 with station ID, poor signal. [+] 1148-1205, 11-February-2011, in Greek. Live concert music with male singer, commercial at 1158, followed by station ID and then additional music, good signal this morning (Ed Wlodarski, N2ED, New Jersey, Ten Tec RX340 & 100 Ft Long Wire, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) Week in Review: Hi Glenn, Not anything new. Radio Symban, 2368.5 khz, heard on 2/11 and 2/15 at 1130 UT with the usual Greek music; No P/NG stations noted; Aussies on 120M are getting weaker, a sign of the oncoming Spring I hope (Bill, W1OW, Smith, MA, Feb 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 9710, R. Australia, Shepparton. February 10 0859-0910, Tok Pisin (listed) instrumental music sounding like an I.S., male and female talks, “R. Australia”, old English Pop music of 90’s. 34433 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 6020, RA in Tok Pisin, Feb 15 at 1033, mentioning Manus, helicopter, ``people have been looking``. Here`s the story in plain English, about the crash, piloted by a missing Aussie, who may have swum ashore: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/14/3138083.htm Good signal, no het, so Perú must have been off; as Bolivia [q.v.] further east was still arriving well on 6134.8. 9710 also in Tok-Pisin // 6020 at 1048 Feb 15 interviewing someone speaking English about protecting Aussie tuna. 6140, nostalgic to hear Oz accent here on ancient VLW/VLX Perth frequency, Feb 15, 2011 at 1121, but now it`s only RA relayed via SINGAPORE, 11-13, 100 kW, 13 degrees USward, talking about Myanmar where the temp is around 31 degrees; running slightly behind // 6020 Shepparton (back to English after Tok Pisin hour). Would have been blocked until Feb by all-night RHC; now only problem is local cable DTV box bubble-jamming with RHC not starting until 1200 tho carrier probably on somewhat earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. PALAU/AUSTRALIA, 9965, Correction to Radio Australia Language. Just an up-date; per: Dx Mix News #663 Feb 2, 2011 Posted this to Roger Broadbent asking for clarification: 1) Radio Australia has broadcast at 1600-1630 hours on 9965 kHz. This broadcast is apparently relayed via T8WH Koror Palau (part of WHRI Lea Sea Broadcasting) Now I have seen different listings on what is the language, one is Standard Chinese and the other (the latest) is that it's Burmese. So what is the language at 1600 on 9965 kHz? "The language scheduled between 1600-1630 UT on 9965 kHz is Standard Chinese." I have been hearing this and wanted a definite confirmation of what language is being used. Roger replied to my inquiry within six hours of posting it to him. Hope this helps (Edward Kusalik, Canada, VE6EFK, Feb 2, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Feb 10 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 6676-USB, Sydney VOLMET. 1133-1134* February 13, 2011. Very good with female concluding weather, "Australia VOLMET out" and off (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 15525, Feb 12 at 2352, fair signal with violin/piano music, quite like that on NHK 17605 (see JAPAN [non]) but not //. 2356 Chinese announcement. Uplooked later, 15525 is HCJB Australia, 100 kW, 340 degrees, HFCC registered as 2200-2230 English, 2230-2430 Chinese, except Japanese 2230-2300 Sat & Sun [meaning UT Fri & Sat??]. So HCJB gives NHK some competition in the Sunday-mornings-are-for-classical- music tradition. 15525, HCJB, as noted in last report is supposed to be in English at 2200-2230 --- Feb 13 at 2206, sort of, YL spelling English words contract, covenant, then explaining them in Chinese; 2207 ``welcome, our listener friends`` as OM starts preaching in English, but alternates with consecutive translation. Somewhat better signal than RA on 15515. That English block is according to HFCC, where language details are often inaccurate, but who puts them in? Own schedule at http://www.hcjb.org.au/docs/B10_Schedule_HCJB_Australia_20101031-20110326.pdf shows 2200-2230 is in Mandarin 7 days a week, but on Sat & Sun, presumably meaning UT Fri & Sat, it comes from CVC! Maybe that was part of the deal to inherit some equipment from Cox Peninsula (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. 6155, Radio Ö1 International, 0709 Feb 14. Switching from German to English for brief newscast. Heavy splatter from Cuba 6150. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car, beside Kalamalka Lake, with Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) O o, Cuba is supposed to be finished at 0700 now (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. QSL: 9460, Polish Radio External service via Moosbrunn. Full data (with site) Polskie Radio Buildings card, with cover letter thanking for my reports and to listen in the future. Reply in 77 days for a postal report. v/s: Slawek Szefs, English Service (Edward Kusalik, Daysland, Alberta, CANADA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. 11775, Feb 14 at 1506 exotic music overriding PMS ANGUILLA; it`s AWR Turkish via Moosbrunn during this semihour only. Soon into talk which was at a more equal level. One splinter Christian faxion vs another (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. BR is carried on SW as follows: BR1 0300-2000 on 6010, 6040, 6070, 6190, 7235 and 7280 kHz & 1600-2200 on 6080 and 6115 kHz. BR2 Kanal Kultura is 1600-2200 on 7265 kHz (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) Domestic relay, so not including this one: ** BELARUS. 6155, R. Belarus, in English: 2 Jan 2140, SIO 323, news program 3 Jan 2040, SIO 555, talk 4 Jan 2030, SIO 434, on a conference 5 Jan 2100, SIO 555, sign-on, news 6 Jan 2140, SIO 433, famous person 7 Jan 2105, SIO 555, news (John Sadler, Bishops Stortford, Herts., UK, Feb BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 6155, 31 Sec 2230, SIO 543, station announcements, YL on Belarus history, // 7390 7390, 31 Dec at 2232, SIO 433, YL on first book in Belarussian // 6155 (David Gascoyne, Staplehurst, Kent, ibid.) I pick these out of hundreds of logs because this station is relatively rare over here in deep NAm (gh, DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4796, Bolivia, R. Lípez, Uyuni. February 09, 0843-0852 local Pop, Bolero style music selections, many canned ID by female on music “stay [sic] escuchando R. Lípez”. Strong, 34333 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 6134.84, R Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, my favorite morning visitor with an absolutely booming signal on 2/15 at 1015 check, local ballads by YL and orchestra. No QRM but slight het, easy to notch. 1017 huayno-influenced modern music. 1035, clear ID and frequency by OM (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) And I pick up as he leaves off: 6134.8, Feb 15 at 1034 Andean music, to 6:34 timecheck in Spanish, DJ talking about the conjunto, S9+13, nice signal and modulation with some fading; 1038 TC as 6:37, ``en su compañía, Radio Santa Cruz``, YL vocal music in Spanish. No het or other QRM to this lucky station despite being off-frequency. Can also be heard in evenings when nothing is on 6135. Nice to have this, as it`s tough to pull any 60m Bolivians here thru the noise (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOSNIA. 612 MW, Sarajevo. One of our club members of CSDXC, Mr. Bielik, got an interesting message today: “Mr. Nebojsa Hasanbasic, director of BHRT Technical Section, just announced that BHRT still did not obtain any financial means from state institutions to provide a new 300 kW transmitter (Solid State) and antenna system for 612 kHz. Therefore the term of reactivation of the frequency 612 kHz is not known yet.” (Jaroslav Bohac, Usti nad Laben, Czech Republic, Jan 31, DSWCI DX Window Feb 9 via DXLD) Sarajevo site, Donje Mostre 612 kHz 600/300 kW, SW 7102.5 USB, 44 01 12.42 N 18 08 24.87 E and tall mast 170 meters eastwards. (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX 10 Feb via DXLD) 7102.5? When was that on? Was a SW broadcast from this site in early 90ties after break apart of Yugoslavia. From 1993-1999y on USB mode + carrier, noted on various SW channels, like 6220, 6890, 7102.5, 7105, 7108.1 kHz. Appeared to be late in WRTH's 2000-2002 but was an error entry at this time. 73 wolfy (Büschel, Feb 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. UNID 3355 -- more on the mystery as in 11-06: Dear friends, sorry for using English. Could you please check which Brazilian station has started using 3355 kHz? It fades in around 2230 UT here in Europe. Thanks, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, 9 Feb, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 3365!?!? R. Cultura Araraquara-SP, 73, (Diego Braga, PY1002SWL, ibid.) Não, a 3355 kHz (Mauno, ibid.) Nova emissora brasileira em 90 m? O nosso Colega Mauno Ritola, da Finlândia, já contactou aqui o fórum, mas ainda não há resposta, e entretanto chegou-me esta gravação da parte do DXista sueco Thomas Nilsson: http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/YA5TTTjqwoAVGsxCqqAYSR4_Lcu1v-oxxDGOLMzGSoM-MqKhC5ogyTIzJB2_aqh2vtmUAwjv8j5RFIyYAC_u76jFsmKhVRqQ/3355%2BAM.mp3 que já coloquei no Arquivo deste grupo, Já escutei, mas só deu p/ compreender umas poucas palavras, e mal. O Thomas observou a emissora no período 2245-0000. Algum dos colegas aí do Brasil tem resposta p/ esta questão? 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, 9 Feb, ibid.) Olá amigo, respondí mais cedo ao colega, que poderia ser a R. Cultura de Araraquara. 73, (PY1002SWL, ibid.) He also reaffirmed it was on 3355, not 3365; and BTW, already discussed in DXLD! (gh, DXLD) Carlos e demais amigos, O link que você aponta não está funcionando. O Mauno já havia me enviado este audio e realmente dá para entender pouca coisa, a Rádio Difusora de Xapuri AC chegou a transmitir nesta frequencia, mas do audio do Thomas Nilsson eu separei um trecho onde parece existir uma identificação, mas não consigo entender o nome que fala o locutor, ele fala " Neste Sábado na Rádio ....", coloquei este trecho em http://www.ipernity.com/doc/76129/home?t=79181&c=1&s=uploaded Se os amigos puderem ouvir, seria interessante, é o único ponto deste áudio que pode ter algum esclarecimento. Deve ser uma emissora do Norte do Brasil, tentei a escuta por aqui mas a propagação está ruim para o Norte todos estes dias. Um abraço, (Samuel Cássio Martins, São Carlos SP, 10 Feb, radioescutas yg via DXLD) "Neste sábado na Rádio Educadora... " ?? Pode ser também outra coisa. Escrevei ao diretor da Educadora, Raimari Cardoso, quem possui um blog e tem uma conta de hotmail.com: não responde. Escrevei ao colega Aragão, quem ouviria o Acre nas manhãs se for uma emissora dessa região: não responde (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, ibid.) Caros Diego Braga e Samuel Cásssio: Assim foi, depois de inserir nos ficheiros aqui do grupo o áudio (que pude escutar) enviado pelo Thomas Nilsson, tão-pouco consegui ouvir, mas depreendi que fosse algo relacionado apenas c/ o m/ computador. Não entendo por que motivo isso aconteceu. Bom, ontem, pese embora as m/ muito piores condições em termos de antena e localização, mormente esta última, diria, consegui detectar uma portadora nos 3355, e deu p/ perceber que seria uma radiodifusora. Há dias, numa outra localização, onde possuo antenas Beverages, nem me apercebi de tal sinal, mas creio que não esteve sequer presente, porque passei por lá, pelos 3355, e nada detectei. Aguardemos que algum outro colega melhor posicionado, aí pelo Brasil, consiga algo de concreto sobre esta (nova?) estação. 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, ibid.) No Plano Básico do Ministério não consta nenhum emissora outorgada na frequencia de 3355. Existem 6 canais disponíveis.. Entidade Latitude Longitude Freq. (KHz) Pot (kW) Antena Azimute Horário [all 00:00-00:00, i.e. available 24h] Localidades: Xapuri - AC 10S390000 68W300000 3355 5 TRO 0 Santa Isabel do Rio Negro - AM 00S270000 65W020000 3355 5 TRO 0 Amapá - AP 02N030000 50W480000 3355 5 TRO 0 Juiz de Fora - MG 21S460000 43W210000 3355 2,5 TRO 0 Bela Vista - MS 22S060000 56W220000 3355 2,5 TRO 0 Floriano - PI 06S460000 43W010000 3355 2,5 TRO 0 Usuário: - Data: 10/02/2011. Hora: 09:39:08 Registro *1* até *6 *de *6* registros Página: [1] *[Ir]* * [Reg]* *Já a Rádio de Araraquara transmite em 3365* 73 (Clóvis PY2KG Sobrinho, SP, ibid.) Henrik – korriger meg dersom jeg tar feil – det er frekvensen 3355. Det jeg vet er at Raimari Cardoso i 2007 var ved R.Educadora – Xapuri på 3255 (ToreB Vik, Norway, ibid.) Henrik - correct me if I'm wrong - it is the frequency 3355. What I know is that Raimari Cardoso in 2007 by R. Educadora - Xapuri on 3255. ToreB (Google translation, via DXLD) Everybody keeps trying to change the frequency of the 3355 unID! (gh) Henrik e amigos, Ouvindo mais uma vêz este trecho do áudio me parece que o locutor diz Rádio Liberal; acho que é isto que ele fala, dê uma ouvida novamente, assim como os amigos brasileiros, o bom seria alguem ouvir a estação com clareza , mas enquanto isto não acontece fica este verdadeiro DX em aberto e as suposições em cima deste audio. Um abraço a todos, (Samuel Cássio, ibid.) Samuel e amigos, Obrigado pela escuta; Samuel, é possível que seja a Liberal como vc bem indica. Seria a emissora que estava antes nos 4775? Sds. (Henrik, ibid.) Aqui em Brasília, por volta das 0120 UT eu consegui monitorar, porém somente uma portadora muito fraca. Cheguei a ouvir um pouco de áudio, mas impossível de identificar. No entanto, pude confirmar a existência dessa emissão. 73's! (Thiago P. Machado, http://bsbdx.blogspot.com Brasília-DF, Brasil [GH54XC], ibid.) Aqui em Tubarão - SC, às 2350 UT, também: uma portadora extremamente fraca, quase no limiar do imperceptível. Não tenho nem certeza se isso não se trata da Rádio Cultura 3365 Khz, cujo sinal, de fato, dá uma espalhada pelas frequências vizinhas, chegando perto dos 3355 Khz ... alguém já cogitou essa possibilidade? Forte 73, (Fabrício Andrade Silva, Tubarão - SC, Brasil, Sony ICF sw 7600 GR, Antena Loop Magnetica, ibid.) Olá Fabrício, na primeira resposta que dei a este tópico eu pensei nessa possibilidade. 73, (Diego Braga, ibid.) Diego e Fabrício, Felizmente não é interferência de 3365. Verifiquei pelo waterfall do Spectravue, onde dá pra notar a portadora em 3355 e o sinal de 3365, que pelo menos aqui em Brasília, não chega tão forte a ponto de invadir os canais adjacentes. Então, cabe ao pessoal, principalmente do Norte, nos ajudar a desvendar esse mistério. :) 73's!! (Thiago P. Machado, http://bsbdx.blogspot.com Brasília-DF, Brasil [GH54XC], ibid.) Caros amigos diexistas brasileiros, Em uma gravação do colega sueco Thomas Nilsson pode-se ouvir o início de "A Voz do Brasil" às 23 horas e alguns minutos UT. Isso provávelmente significa que eles estão em um fuso horário diferente do leste do Brasil. Nosso colega norueguês Tore B Vik recebeu ontem uma mensagem (email) escrita em um inglês tão pobre como o meu português de seu amigo de longa data Raimari Cardoso, diretor da Rádio Educadora. Nela sente-se que ele é dizendo que a estação mudou de 3255 para 3355 há 6 meses, mas os que podem explicar são os técnicos, escreve ele. Isso significa que estamos de volta ao ponto de partida. Inicialmente eu pensei que esta era a Rádio Educadora. Afinal, em 2004, ainda escutada a emissora em 3255, eles foram ouvidos anunciando 3355, disse o colega sueco Gert Nilsson. Mudaram-se para 3255 a partir de 3401 em Abril de 1995. Isso eu observei de meu QTH temporária em Bogotá. O informe está no Dateline Bogotá Library do ano 1995 http://www.hard-core-dx.com/swb/Dline95.htm Sds. (Henrik Klemetz, Suécia, ibid.) Olá amigo Diego, Eu interpretei aquela sua resposta ("3365!?!? R. Cultura Araraquara-SP"), como se o amigo estivesse sugerindo ao finlandês que ele se enganou ao notificar a interferência. Na hipótese que levantei, não seria bem isso; realmente nos 3355 seria possível de se ouvir a Cultura dos 3365 porque o sinal poderia ter se espalhado pelas frequências vizinhas (e isso acontece aqui pelo sul do Brasil). Felizmente o amigo Thiago tirou essa dúvida de maneira categórica, pois o waterfall revela que são duas portadoras diferentes. Seguirei monitorando por aqui. Forte 73 (Fabrício Andrade Silva, Tubarão - SC, ibid.) 3355, BRAZIL. Unidentified - Tentative, 1000-1040, 08-February-2011. For the last week there has been a station on 3355 that typically fades out around 1040 and I believe the language is Portuguese. The signal is very light and have not had any success in getting an ID. I have one Unidentified Station logged on 3355 kHz [see above]. I have been hearing every morning from 1000 to 1040 UT when the station fades out here (consistent with Brazilian stations). I believe the language is Portuguese but I have been unable to pick up and ID. I exchanged e mails with Robert Wilkner, he has been hearing it also but also no success in getting an ID. Any help in getting an ID would be appreciated (Ed Wlodarski, N2ED, New Jersey, Ten Tec RX340 & 100 Ft Long Wire, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) Propagation permitting, I hope to be able to solve this on some evening on 24-25-26 or 27 Feb, but also hope it's cleared by someone else until then. Our colleagues at Radioescutas are working on it. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 4754.85, R Imaculada Conceição, Campo Grande, 0950 good signal on 2/15 with OM in Portuguese, echoing over orchestral background music. Live studio announcer followed, mentioning several times "Santa Maria" (3 times in 5 minutess). 1005 tune out (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) BRASIL: 4754.85, ZYF904, Rádio Imaculada Conceição; 0700-0707+, 8-Feb; ID -- sounded like single word Imaculada; religious message and ad string; all in Portuguese. SIO=352, no hint of 4755.45 Micronesia het (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 4885, R. Clube do Pará, best signal in the band 0935 on 2/12, booming in at 0935 with OM in Portuguese giving ID ("Rádio Clube do Pará, muito bom dia! . . . na faixa de 60 metros . . ." and frequency quote over musical backdrop. Same day, at 0940 on 4915 Anhanguera presumed, OM Portuguese talk and music, but lower sig. Also an unID Brazilian on 4865 at 1015 (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. A couple of LA's from the last day or so: 4885, R. Clube do Pará, Belém 14/2 http://www.box.net/shared/viu6kg6zc1 4915, R. Daqui, Goiânia 10/2 http://www.box.net/shared/km5no6nhej Times etc on recording (Mark Davies, Anglesey UK, dxldyg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 5054.85, R. Difusora, Cáceres, 0550-0610 Jan 6 in Portuguese with slow romantic music, jingle and ID at ToH, brief spot with fast-talking OM with reverb, Red Hot Chili Peppers ``Under the Bridge`` at 0607, 50 dB signal, clear in synchronous LSB and really booming in at times (Richard W Parker, Pennsburg PA, Miltronix/Signal Corps R-390A, Sherwood SE-MI III Deluxe synchronous detector, Collins 51S-1 preselector, Yaesu FT-840, MFJ-901B antenna tuner, 25m dipole, Alpha-Delta DX Sloper, 160 ft inverted L with Yaesu FC-800 auto-tuner, 75m balanced doublet, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) However!: BRASIL, 5055, R. Difusora, Cáceres - MT, 2205, 10/02, OM, nxs 35333 (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso. Bandeirantes - PR. Receptores: Tecsun PL310 e Degen DE1103. Antena: RC3-FM, 12 Feb, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Time may be BST = UT -2, mentioned in his intro to logs (gh) Rubens, Na frequência 5055, a alguns dias atrás escutei a Radio A Crítica de Manaus por volta das 04h [06 UT?], sem nenhum sinal dessa de Cáceres. Na sua escuta foi possível fazer a identificação? 73's!! (Thiago P. Machado, http://bsbdx.blogspot.com Brasília-DF, Brasil [GH54XC], ibid.) Olá amigo. Na realidade não pude ouvir a identificação. Deduzi que seria a Difusora de Cáceres por estar mais perto do que a emissora de Manaus. Devo ter ouvido a emissora de Manaus mesmo. Grato pela ajuda. É por aqui a propagação não é só boa em FM (caribenhas), mas também em OT e em outras faixas. A emissora brasileira ouvida em 5055 kHz, deve ser a de Manaus (Jornal A Crítica) e não a de Cáceres (R. Difusora), Sarmento e amigos da lista. Hoje vou dar uma checada de novo na faixa de OT e em FM também, pois, ainda ouço caribenhas por aqui. 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso. Bandeirantes/ PR., ibid.) ** BRAZIL. 5939.85, Rádio Voz Missionária; 2316, 8-Feb; Exhortive, screaming preacher (presumed) in Portuguese. SIO=432+; // 9665.13, SIO=4+43; // 11750, SIO=342 (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I`ve heard the het, anyway, upon 5940 (gh, DXLD) 5939.85, Radio Voz Missionária, 0440-0525, Feb 13, Portuguese religious talk. Portuguese ballads. Ads. Weak. Poor with adjacent channel splatter. Better on // 9665.10 - weak but readable (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** BRAZIL. Rio Mar, Manaus, 9695, captada no RS --- Depois de muito tempo, mais de 2 anos, a emissora de Manaus voltou a ser escutada aqui na grande Porto Alegre (Novo Hamburgo). O sinal estava muito fraco mas audível, transmitindo jornada esportiva às 19:00 hrs de Brasilia [2100 UT] na faixa dos 31 metros em 9695 kHz. A propagação melhorou com discretamente, junto com a atividade solar, onde o fluxo encontra-se em 91 (Edison Bocorny Jr., Novo Hamburgo- RS, Feb 12, radioescutas yg via DXLD) off-frequency to hi side, not so rare here (gh, OK, DXLD) 9695.8, Rádio Rio Mar, Manaus, 1015-1025, 09-02, male, Portuguese, news and comments, relays program news: "Jornal Primeira Hora" from Rádio Bandeirantes. 23432. Also *1000-1007, 11-02, signing on at 1000: "6 horas em Manaus, Radio Rio Mar", male, comments and advertisements (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Logs in Lugo, Grundig Satellit 500 and Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 10000, 12/2 2300, Observatório Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Portuguese ID e pip pip, buono (Roberto Pavanello, Vercelli / Italia, via Roberto Scaglione, shortwave yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11815, Rádio Brasil Central, Goiânia, 0924-0925, 09-02, male, Portuguese, news program: "O Mundo Em Sua Casa", with world and Brazilian news, sports. Identification: "Rádio Brasil Central, Goiânia". 34433. (Méndez) 11925, Rádio Bandeirantes, São Paulo, 0938-0950, 09-02 Portuguese, news program: "Jornal Primeira Hora", news and comments from Brazil and the World. ID "Radio Bandeirantes". 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Logs in Lugo, Grundig Satellit 500 and Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 15190, Rádio Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte, 0910-9033, 09- 02, male, Portuguese, news: "7 horas 12 minutos, Jornal Integração", "Estamos a presentar Jornal Integração, cultura, cidadania, Jornal Integração". 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Logs in Lugo, Grundig Satellit 500 and Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190.02, Radio Inconfidência, 2218-2300+, Feb 12, ID at 2220. Portuguese pop ballads. Portuguese announcements. Fair. Weak // 6010 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, R. Africa apparently off Feb 12 at 2245, leaving channel to R. Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte, with announcement in Brazilian, but very poor and fading; then played a version of ``Elephant Walk`` including some vocal. By 2354 signal was better peaking S9+10, and guess what, ``Elephant Walk`` again – program theme, or commercial? Then played rock song in English ``Yellow River`` = Rio Amarelo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15190, R. Inconfidência, randomly from 2301 to 0055, Feb 13-14. One of their better receptions; in Portuguese; poor to almost fair. 2301-2356 program of classical music; 0000 to tune out at 0055 EZL pop songs and ballads in English (the Beatles, etc.) and in Portuguese; many IDs. Enjoyable programming! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Também escuto a Inconfidência em OM (880 KHz) e OC. Para mim, uma das melhores se não for a melhor Rádio do Brasil, não só pela programação eclética, atendendo a todos os gostos, como também pela qualidade técnica das transmissões, que a gente como radioescuta percebe nas recepções. 73!!!! (José Antonio Adario, Juiz de Fora - MG, Feb 14, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. ANATEL: Ondas Curtas --- Anatel aprova consulta pública sobre canais de radiodifusão em onda curta O Conselho Diretor da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicaçõ es (Anatel) decidiu hoje, em sua 596ª reunião, submeter a consulta pública proposta de Plano Básico de Distribuição de Canais de Radiodifusão Sonora em Onda Curta (PBOC), nas faixas de 49 metros, 31 metros, 25 metros, 19 metros e 16 metros. A proposta tem como finalidades agrupar, em um único plano, todas as faixas de radiofrequências utilizadas pela radiodifusão sonora em ondas curtas, e propiciar condições para a revitalização do serviço por meio da tecnologia de rádio digital. O Serviço de Radiodifusão Sonora em Onda Curta tem suas faixas de radiofrequências identificadas conforme o comprimento de onda médio das frequências contidas na faixa: * Faixa de 49 metros: frequências de 5950 a 6200 kHz; * Faixa de 31 metros: frequências de 9500 a 9775 kHz; * Faixa de 25 metros: frequências de 11700 a 11975 kHz; * Faixa de 19 metros: frequências de 15100 a 15450 kHz; * Faixa de 16 metros: frequências de 17700 a 17900 kHz. Atualmente, apenas as faixas de 49 metros e 31 metros estão agrupadas em planos básicos. Com a aprovação da proposta da Anatel, serão substituídas as Portarias MC nº 73 e nº 74, de 17 de setembro de 1990, que aprovam os planos básicos para as faixas de 49 metros e 31 metros. O prazo da consulta pública será de 30 dias a partir de sua publicação no Diário Oficial da União. (via Flávio PY2ZX Arcangelo, Brasil, 11 Feb, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BULGARIA. 5900. Two signals - not synchronized! - of same Bulgarian service, like an echo heard of Radio Bulgaria in 0530-0558 UT. Scheduled both two transmitters Plovdiv 300 kW 306 degrees and also Kostinbrod 100 kW 30 degrees. Female announcer about Bulgarian problems at 0549 UT (remote SDR, Jan 31, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 10 Feb via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) ** BULGARIA. 11900, 14/2 1000, BNR, Bulgaria, DRM "BNR Digital", news, excellent (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italia, Perseus, T2FD, My SW Blog: http://radiodxsw.blogspot.com/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURMA [non]. DEMOCRATIC VOICE OF BURMA FACING FUNDING CRUNCH Burma’s media in exile, long a thorn in the side of the ruling generals, are being squeezed by funding cuts that some blame on a change in policy by Western donors in a shifting political landscape. Overseas-based media such as the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) are seen as an important source of news in the impoverished nation, where an authoritarian government keeps a stranglehold on domestic reporting. As a new political system emerges in Burma (called Myanmar by the regime), with a new parliament, some believe donors have been tempted to divert funding into the country, despite evidence it is still dominated by the military hierarchy. Within weeks of the first elections in 20 years, DVB - an Oslo-based television, radio and online news provider that is banned in Burma - cancelled several programmes after suffering big losses in subsidies. DVB deputy manager Khin Maung Win said the cuts amounted to about $1 million in 2011, partly because the group had received roughly $500,000 in extra funding last year to cover the November election. He said it would result in job cuts among some of the group’s 150 journalists based in Norway, Thailand or Burma. “As of now, we cannot conclude it is a policy change from the donors’ side, but it has a painful effect on us,” he said. Burma’s exiled media derives most of its financial support from European governments, mainly Scandinavian, and from public and private donations from the United States. The DVB did not say which donors were behind the cuts, but it is believed to be mainly European governments. Reporters working inside Myanmar for banned exile media organisations risk long jail sentences. Earlier this month DVB video reporter Maung Maung Zeya, 58, was handed 13 years in prison after being caught filming at the scene of a bomb blast in April 2010. His son Sithu Zeya has been given an 18-year jail term on similar charges, according to Aung Thein, a legal adviser for political prisoners. DVB TV is watched almost as much as the state-funded channels in Myanmar, despite a ban on the sale of satellite dishes, according to Reporters Without Borders. The website www.dvb.no is also a respected source of news for those outside the country. Other established independent media sources covering the country include Radio Free Asia (RFA), financed by the United States, and the BBC’s Burmese service, which recently escaped being axed in severe cuts by the broadcaster. Many Burmese rely on such radio broadcasts from outside Myanmar to keep up with world news. While access to exiled media websites in Myanmar is restricted by the authorities, some people use proxy servers to bypass the blocks. “We think the more sources for accurate, objective information in Burma, the better and the declining trends are troubling,” said RFA spokesman John Estrella (Source: AFP)(February 14th, 2011 - 12:05 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** CAMEROON. 6005, CRTV, 1450 Jan 10, regional trade, announcement in English, 23323 (Dzever Ishenge, Benue State, Nigeria, YB400, Kchibo KK-979 Built [?], rod + extended wire, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) So it was still active, rarely DXed beyond him (gh) ** CANADA. ANOTHER LOCAL BITES THE DUST. VILLAGE 900 TO LEAVE THE AIR Per local DXer Brian Chapel, who heard it on CBC: Village 900 from Victoria BC to leave the air, March 2012, will continue on internet. Can't afford to run the transmitter. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfaJRrhQscM Best wishes, (Nick Hall-Patch, Victoria, BC, Feb 11, IRCA via DXLD) CKMO. I QSLed 900 Victoria long before as CJVI (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. Re 11-06: On air staff are saying that CKLN has been granted a stay. Listening at 2215 UT. Globe article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/campus-radio-station-remains-on-the-air/article1904822/ (Andy Reid, Ont., Feb 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 6070, CFRX, Feb 15 at 1026 UT with Letterman`s Top Ten of last night, this time presented by a dizaine of the SISSI gals; however, they were not wearing swimsuits for this appearance! On radio did not matter much. LTT is often heard as a radio clip, I suppose availablized by CBS in coöperation with Worldwide Pants; is this its regular spot on Newstalk 10-10? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re 11-06, CBU/CKZU transmitter site photos: The CKZU-CBU 6160 + 690 kHz Tx site. the 6160 kHz antenna at 49 08'20.91"N 123 11'44.58" W also four tall separate MW masts, how many different MW bcasting services there ? 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) There is only one BC service at the CBU site at Steveston, Lulu I., i.e. CBC Radio 1, using a directional pattern from four 200 ft towers. The CBC has closed many of its MW stations, so this station may also close in the near future, switching to FM (Colin Miller, ibid.) ** CANADA. 9610, Feb 11 at 1440, RCI IS & ID loop in French and English, instead of scheduled absurd Chinese to USA; so lost feed from Montréal? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [non]. 13635, Feb 12 at 1438, North-American accented screaming gospel huxter in English, not noticed here before. Per Aoki, that`s because this semihour is Saturdays only, Bible Voice via Issoudun, FRANCE, 250 kW, 83 degrees; also maybe on Sundays at 1345- 1430; Aoki says 1345-1415 first Sunday, and 1415-1430 as of Nov 7 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. Re 11-06, ``5035.00, R Centrafricaine, Bangui, 1745-1800, Feb 07, vernaculars and Afro music, French news at 1800. Quite strong (Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka, DSWCI DX Window Feb 9 via DXLD) Have not seen other reports of this yet; anyone? (gh, DXLD)`` Dear Glenn, Some Japanese DXer received unID French station on 5035 kHz at early morning in Japan, approx. 1830-2130 UT on Feb. 4-Feb. 9, but ID is not copied. I received at 1930 UT on Feb.6 was not able to copy the ID. Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/2010DFS#p/u/7/Kix6R66m0DA on Feb. 6 at 2015 UT by T.W. Izumo, Shimane-pref. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 20 minutes – I listened to first half, and spot checked the rest --- apparently nothing but a speech by a single person, poor. Maybe a native French Fpeaker could extract a clew relating it to CAF (gh, DXLD) Hi Glenn, Nothing at my location over the past couple of days. In the past, I have always been able to hear C.A.R. (Will keep trying for this.) 73s (David Sharp, NSW Australia, Feb 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) As a reminder, this 5035 is supposedly a 1 kW transmitter as in WRTH, part of the ICDI deal, not the former hi-power transmitter. Yet Victor found it `quite strong` (gh, ibid.) Weak audio here on Anglesey at 2110, too weak to tell language. But conditions not good; will keep an eye on this (Mark Davies, Anglesey UK, Feb 14, ibid.) [slightly later:] 5035 at 2110 --- Weak audio here sounds French; anyone else? (Mark Davies, Anglesey, BDXC-UK via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD ** CHAD. 6165, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne, N'djamena, good signal 2150-2215 2/7, pleasant African rhythms to 2200 news and commentary show in French by OM, with remote feeds by YL and others. Gone at 2245 recheck. Slated to s/off daily 2230* except weekends when it runs to 2300* (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) 6165, RNT, *0427-0440, Feb 13, sign on with Balafon IS. National Anthem at 0429. French announcements at 0430 and into Afro-pop music. Poor. Weak with co-channel QRM. 6165, RNT, 2220-2231:40*, Feb 13, French talk. Afro-pop music. Sign off with National Anthem. Weak. Poor with adjacent channel splatter (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) ** CHINA. CNR1 has stopped using 4460 kHz and is on 6000 kHz instead. New schedules for CNR5: 2055-1705 (ex 0005-0615, 0955-0005) and CNR6: 2155-1605 (ex 2055-0105, 0355-1805). New schedule for CNR8: 2100-2300 Korean, 2300-0100 Mongolian, 0100- 0300 Kazakh, 0300-0400 Mongolian, 0400-0500 Korean, 0500-0600 Kazakh, 0600-0700 Korean, 0700-0900 Mongolian, 0900-1000 Kazakh, 1000-1200 Korean, 1200-1400 Mongolian, 1400-1700 Kazakh. Uyghur language service has been separated as own network (CNR13) and carried between 0000-1800 on FM via 11 transmitterss and on MW Aksu/Gulja/Kashgar 720 kHz, Artux/Keriya/Pishan 855 kHz and Akqi/Kuqa/ Yarkant 945 kHz. On SW as follows: 9420 1100-1805, 9655 2355-0100, 9890 2355-0200 & 1100-1805, 13700 0200-1100 and 15390 0100-1100. Heilongjiang PBS operates via multiple sites on 1476 kHz in parallel with 873 kHz. Schedule: 2100-2400 & 1300-1500 Korean Service and 0000- 1300 Story [sic] Service in Chinese (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) ** CHINA. 6030, China National Radio 1, fine signal 1305 2/12 with what sounded a lot like a Lion Dance performance with clanging symbols [sic], drumming. Into local folk music by small band with local kazoo- like horns, drumming, etc. Seemed live performance. Wonderful listening, nice to play in the background while typing, etc. (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) Hi Ralph, Interesting logs as always. Thought I would pass on a few thoughts about some things that might be of interest to you. Please let me know if you have any comments about these items. Thanks. Please keep your logs coming, as I enjoy learning what you are hearing. Best regards. Several things are happening on 6030. Before 1300 there is a solo CNR1, but from 1300 to 1400 it becomes CNR1 echo jamming (they are operating more than one jamming transmitter and out of sync, causing echo) against Ming Hui Radio (“clear wisdom”), which is a Falun Gong station. Glenn Hauser recently found that they also use Firedrake jamming (non- stop loud Chinese music; like Chinese opera, but never with any singing). It sounds as if perhaps you were hearing the Firedrake jamming. They really do not want anyone to hear the Ming Hui Radio station and they are very successful at it. Jamming audio: http://www.mediafire.com/?k6hxcz9rfqwbxu2 (Ron Howard, cc to gh, via DXLD) ** CHINA. 4220, PBS Qinghai, 1407 + 1502, Feb 9. Noted their normal fair signal strength, but was only an open carrier; no audio at all. An unusual occurrence for them. 4220, PBS Qinghai, 1319 and subsequent checks, Feb 10 again only found with open carrier; no audio (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 6035, PBS Yunnan/Voice of Shangri-La, 1410-1500, Feb 9. All in Vietnamese (no Chinese); some music; pips and off; adjacent QRM. I check here daily, only to usually find them at threshold level, but today was about the best ever heard, due to propagation. No hint of Bhutan. 6035, PBS Yunnan/Voice of Shangri-La, 1400, Feb 10. Conditions poorer today, but still able to make out “This is the Voice of Shangri-La” and tentatively followed by the usual “brought to you by Yunnan Radio" (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 11540, 1315 28 Dec, Chinese Firedrake jamming, SIO 454 (Edwin Southwell, England, Feb BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Only thing current at that time on 11540 per Aoki is not its target but: 11540 CNR 1 Jamming 1100-1400 1234567 Chinese 500 161 Jinhua 831 CHN 11939E 2807N CNR1 Jamming b10 And EiBi too. However Aoki also shows SOH varies up from 11525: 11525 SOH Xi Wang Zhi Sheng 1330-1400 1234567 Chinese 100 131 Dushanbe-Yangiyul TJK 06848E 3829N SOH b10 11500-11590 Firedrake is the usual jamming against SOH, but sometimes CNR1, and sometimes Firedrake against something else. HFCC has something from IBB via Dushanbe: 11540 1100 1400 42-44 DB 200 125 1234567 311010 260311 D TJK IBB GFC (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Chinese broadcasts on 13970 --- I am picking this station up on 13970 kHz; signals are extremely strong and similar to the one I heard on 14 MHz 2 days ago. Heard on Icom 706mk2 at 0400 UT. Not listed in WRTH or passport 2009. 73 de Larry, du1/n6hpx Fields, Feb 12, n6hpx/du1: Philippine islands, swl at qth.net via DXLD) So was it music only, i.e. Firedrake? Wish people would not be so vague. Certainly a longtime SOH/FD channel (gh, DXLD) Firedrake??? 14700, 0734 with crash and bang music, S0. ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, Feb 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake. As usual the Sound of Hope puts more emphasis on their morning broadcasts. Feb 14 scan from 0129 to 0152. 10970 (weak) // 13970 (fair), which were not // to the following: 13130 (fair; not listed by Aoki, nor in dxldyg) // 14720 (fair; not listed by Aoki, nor in dxldyg) // 15900 (fair-good) // 16100 (good) // 16970 (fair) // 17170 (fair) (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, Etón E1, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2/14, Government Censorship "Firedragon Music" stations, putting out mighty crash-boom-bangs on 9905 and 11945 at 1730 and 1800 rechecks. no other frequencies heard (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, Hammarlund SP- 600, Drake R-8, outdoor lw, outdoor slinky, ABDX via DXLD) *** Firedrake alert *** Hi Glenn, Not sure if these will make over to OK, but they were VERY strong here in CA. All against RFA; scanned 1912 to 1926, Feb 14; all //: 9355, 9455, 9905 and 11945. Just back from the beach (my second trip today). Will write up my logs later (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, 1956 Feb 14, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake in progress, 2/14/11, on 11945 at 1915, somewhat weak by 1928, fast flutter. Hope you're well, Glenn (Chuck Ermatinger, St Louis MO, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake. All against RFA during a scan from 1912 to 1926, Feb 14; all //: 9355, 9455, 9905 and 11945. Feb 15 at 1350, Firedrake (FD) on 8400 // 10300; both fair. Also FD and CNR1 echo jamming on 6030 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 8400, Firedrake very poor Feb 15 at 1042. Following Ron Howard`s report of Firedrake after 19 UT on 9355, 9455, 9905 and 11945, all against R. Free Asia, I looked for these Feb 17 at 1907. I could hear some Chinese talk on 11945 and 9355, both poor, and traces of signals on 9455 and 9905, none of which sounded like Firedrake music. Either the jamming switched to CNR1 today, or I was really hearing RFA without either jamming, blotted out by the higher- latitude paths from China thru the auroral zone. RFA sites: 9355 and 9455 Saipan, 9905 Tinian, 11945 Tajikistan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. 15230, CANADA & CUBA, China Radio International, 1442- 1459 (signoff) GMT and RHC 1442-1510 GMT, Feb 10. Slugfest! Both with strong signals. CRI's China Drive program of news and features mostly in English but with some bi-lingual portions in Chinese. CRI was engaged in a dogfight for the frequency with Radio Habana Cuba's Spanish language program. CRI was mostly on top of of RHC's with only a few brief periods of time when RHC bested them. Both stations identified several times so there was no question of their identity. Although Sackville is listed for the CRI relay site for this broadcast, I wondered if CRI changed from Sackville to Habana and that I was listing to intermod from RHC. However at 1459 GMT when CRI signed off, RHC was left broadcasting in the clear. Interesting that CRI and RHC were competing for a frequency while CRI is RHC's client for a number of broadcasts relayed via RHC facilities in Cuba? (Steven Handler, Illinois, Sony ICF-7600GR with a whip antenna and a Yaesu FT- 897D with a horizontal wire dipole antenna, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) It has been thus since the second week of November, a marvelous example of Arnie`s frequency management (gh, DXLD) More on CRI unreliable relays: see CUBA; MALI ** CONGO. 6115, Rdiff. TV. Congolaise, Feb 06 1800-1820, 24332, French, talk and news, the sound of the xylophone and drums at 1802, ID at 1805 and 1810 (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. Picking UP Radio Havana on Medium Wave --- Glenn, I am new to short and medium wave monitoring. I have listened to your very informative program on the shortwave and hope you can answer this question for me. I have a very modest setup but have been picking up Radio Havana on 1717 kHz on Medium Wave after midnight. I am based in New York and this signal is coming in loud and clear at night. They are clearly saying that they are broadcasting on shortwave frequencies. What am I listening to? Thanks, (Greg Ciullag, Feb 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Greg, Since your equipment is `very modest`, I will say that this is another instance of very poor image rejection. Strong signals from the 6 MHz band show up around that area, by a formula something like this: 3 x 1717 = 5151 kHz. 5150 + 900 kHz = 6050, a RHC frequency or 5151 + 910 kHz = 6060, another RHC frequency The significance of 900 or 910 is that it is twice the intermediate frequency of the receiver, either 450 or 455 kHz. Others have reported similar things from Cuba around 1.7 MHz. It`s all happening inside your receiver. A quirk of the circuit design. Beyond that I couldn`t explain exactly why it happens. You might find some other very strong 6 MHz signals on different MW frequencies in this area by the same computation (Glenn to Greg, via DXLD) Glenn, Thanks so much, especially for your quick reply. That explains a lot. I also received German broadcast and some religious talk (that sounded like WWCR) which I couldn't identify and I just thought it was some local programming that I never heard of. Your answer makes sense to all those situations (Greg, ibid.) ** CUBA [and non]. 6010, RHC English missing from this scheduled frequency, Feb 12 at 0650, but still going on 6050, 6060 and 6150, which are plenty, leaving 6010 to the Mexicans and Colombians. At 0700 check, 6050 and 6060 are already off, but 6150 has switched to Spanish for RHC ID and IS, starting some music but then cut off at 0701:20* leaving 49m blissfully free of CubaRM!! Except for the DentroCuban Jamming Command, of course, circa 5955, 5980, 6030. And those super- signal spy numbers below 5900. 13740, CRI English relay via Cuba is missing, Feb 12 at 1446. It was on a few minutes before as I tuned across. Next visit at 1519, is back on. RHC`s new reduced schedule in Spanish continues to be only a rough guide to what the RadioCuba transmitter operators really do: 15120 scheduled until 1500 is often off long before then, as Feb 12; 13680, scheduled until 1600, was gone at 1525 check Feb 12, allowing R. Farda music via Wertachtal to come thru clearly // weaker 15410 via Skelton, while Cuba continued on 13780. 5954.2, Feb 13 at 0005, R. República has enough signal for its Spanish via COSTA RICA to be readable vs noise from the DentroCuban Jamming Command; even could make out some audio on the 5936+ spur hetting 5940 as WWCR 5935 was not yet on; match on 5972 overwhelmed by REE 5970 in English. RHC anomalies Feb 13: at 0637, English back on 6010, missing 24 hours earlier, // 6050, 6060, 6150. At 1403, 13750 in Spanish is on, // 13780, with feature about the Holguín Book Fair in March. What nerve, where freedom of the press and freedom of thought are banned! At least they have a [censored] book store in that city, unlike Laredo. 13750 is the Sunday-only frequency supposedly for `Aló, Presidente`, but two others, 15370 and 17750 still haven`t shown up by 1436. Except at 1414 I heard an open carrier on 15370 but soon cutting off. Maybe they aborted an attempt to fire up. 13680 was wisely off, vs QRM from Farda. But all on later: see VENEZUELA [non]. At 1435, `En Contacto` RHC DX program features RAE and then interviews a visitor from Argentina; tho he`s allegedly in Cuba, talk is via phone with dogs barking behind him. 17865, Feb 13 at 2118, bubble jamming against nothing here, since it`s the third harmonic of 5955 against R. República, stronger here at this early hour than on 5955; not audible on x 2 = 11910, and the other third harmonic 18090 against 6030 not yet on. 9955, Dentro-Cuban Jamming Command, Feb 15 at 1050, wall of noise obliterating any possible signal from WRMI, which before and after 1100 weekdays is nothing but WRN relays in English. Tnx a lot, Arnie! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also AUSTRALIA; VENEZUELA ** CUBA. Quivicán, Cuba, RHC. These four photos I took in April 2010 just a few miles from La Concepción (Quivicán transmitter site). As for the last photo, taken from the GE ("Campo de Antenas" by Rayos), I can confirm that a year ago I didn't see there these configurations of masts and towers even from a close distance. Either they were newly- built or...??? [DSC02431] [DSC02433] [DSC02438] [DSC02437] [Quivican, Cuba, RHC, 16.] (Lev Lytovchenko, Canada, Feb 13, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) Hi Lev, Thanks so much for sharing the images - terrific. Regarding the last image taken by Rayos. I share your confusion & intrigue. I'm inclined to think that the image taken is not of the present day 'Quivicán - San Felipe' SW site or least how it was a year ago! I wonder which site it is & when? We are eagerly waiting for fresh GE images of the Bauta - Corralillo site to see what this looks like from satellite images. Though from a couple of Panoramio images I see of Bauta site, not sure if the last photo fits the Rayos image either. Mmm (Ian Baxter, NSW, ibid.) ** CUBA. Radio Rebelde, 5025 kHz in Spanish S=8, and RHC on 6010 S=9+10dB, 6050 S=9+5dB, 6060 S=9, 6150 S=8 kHz, all in English around 0600-0710 UT, Feb 15. ALL 49 MB TXs VERY STRONG 60 Hertz BUZZ covered audio quality. At 0634 UT Book Fair report from La Habana. At 0638 UT Hobby program tip about "CQ" on the right hand corner of RHC's website. But the 60 mb frequency 5040 kHz is OFF air this morning. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, remote SDR morning log (rx in GRC, FIN, SUI, D, GB, IRL, USA), Feb 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5040 closes at 0600 along with the other Spanish transmitters (gh, DXLD) 5025, R. Rebelde, normally VG signal and modulation, but Feb 16 at 0649 the audio is in an undermodulated, pulsing loop while carrier remains VG (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. CUBA FIGHTS US ‘INVASION’ ON THE INTERNET [for linx see:] http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/cuba-fights-us-invasion-on-the-internet Cuba’s communist leaders believe a US invastion has begun in the virtual world of the Internet. Cuba fears that “cyberdissidents” could use Twitter, Facebook and other online social networks to undermine the government. Its concern has taken on added significance since the same communication tools were used by protesters in Egypt to help topple long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak last week. A leaked video recently posted on the web shows a Cuban intelligence Internet expert telling interior ministry officials that the new cyber opposition is a more serious threat than the island’s traditional dissidents. The authorities are worried about people like Claudia Cadelo, a frail-looking 27-year teacher of French who created Octavo Cerco, one of about 30 blogs critical of the government written inside Cuba. “Social networks have become a new weapon for civil society,” she told Reuters in an interview. “They don’t want the social networks to spread because they are aware of the danger that poses to a totalitarian government which hides the truth from its people.” Given Cuba’s low rate of Internet connectivity, the tweets Cadelo types into her mobile phone don’t reach many Cubans. But that could change as Cuba gains access to broadband Internet and mulls the pros and cons of granting wider access. After initially blocking public access to some critical websites, the Cuban government has switched strategy and unleashed an anti-dissident counter-attack by a legion of some 1,000 pro-government “revolutionary” bloggers. From his office in the headquarters of Cuba’s state telephone company ETECSA, journalist and blogger Manuel Henríquez is on the front lines of that official offensive. “There is evidently an intention to attack Cuba through the Internet. And of course Cuba has the right to defend itself,” said the 47-year-old author of the blog Cambios en Cuba. “It is an old war and this is its latest expression. What these (opposition) bloggers are looking for is to demonize the country, create an image of a repression that doesn’t exist and later on allows justifying laws and blockades.” Bloggers like Henríquez take aim at Cuba’s cyberdissidents, led by prominent critic Yoani Sánchez and her Generación Y blog. They accuse the critics of being financed by the US government, Cuba’s ideological foe, and often post damaging rumours about their personal lives. Experts say the Internet is offering Cuban dissidents unprecedented room for political debate, but that the transforming potential of Twitter and other social networks depends heavily on connectivity levels. In Tunisia, the cradle of recent protests that have rocked the Arab world, 19 percent of the population was on Facebook, but Internet access in Cuba is restricted by the government. Wilfredo Cancio, a Cuban exile journalist who publishes a Cuban affairs website Cafe Fuerte in Miami sees a “Cold War” mentality in the Cuban government’s declared digital offensive against cyber opponents. “I think the government is betting on winning this battle, above all from the control perspective,” he said. Cuba has a population of 11 million, and last reported 1.6 million people online, but they mostly only have access to a government- sanctioned intranet that does not permit links to Twitter or Facebook. Mobile telephony has grown dramatically since it was legalized three years ago, but costs are high for ordinary Cubans. Ms Cadelo says she pays the equivalent of $1 every time she tweets by sending a text message to a number in Britain. A fiber-optic submarine cable hooking Cuba to its socialist ally Venezuela could soon increase the island’s data transfer speed by 3,000 times. Cuba’s government says the long-standing US embargo has been the main obstacle to Internet penetration and that there are no “political obstacles” to opening up the Internet to the broader public. But they say for the time being they cannot afford to install the needed wider infrastructure. Ted Henken, a Cuba analyst at City University of New York, thinks Cuban authorities may try to emulate the Chinese model of opening up the Internet while controlling information flow. “Using these technologies to spark anti-government protests is impossible now given the low penetration, access and use … But this is likely to change in the future as the government tries to benefit economically from broadband,” he said. On the leaked government video, the Cuban Internet expert said the United States was smuggling satellite phones into Cuba to provide dissidents with unrestricted access to the web. Alan Gross, a US government subcontractor held in Havana and accused of introducing such devices into Cuba, is awaiting trial and faces up to 20 years in jail on charges of “crimes against the security of the state.” In the video, the Cuban official called Gross a “mercenary”, comparing him to the CIA-backed Cuban exiles who invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961. Henríquez, the pro-government blogger, says the United States is trying to export a cyber rebellion model promoted in places like Iran. “But it isn’t going to work whether there is Internet or not. A Twitter message isn’t itself a reason to mobilize,” he said. Mr Cadelo, however, says it is just a matter of time. “The Internet is going to get to the people. They can’t avoid that. A war against the Internet is a lost war,” she said. (Source: Reuters) (February 16th, 2011 - 16:45 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** CYPRUS. 13855-13880, OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, Feb 11 at 1512, barely bothering broadcasters at each edge. 15840-15865, OTH radar pulsing, presumed from here, Feb 12 at 1532, safely outside the extended to 15825 SWBC band. 17525-17550, OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, Feb 16 at 1415 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS [non]. GERMANY, 9440, R. Dardasha 7 via Germany, Feb 06 *1700-1710 35333 Arabic, 1700 sign on with SJ, Opening announce, Opening music, talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) ** CZECHIA. Czech Republic: Radio Prague is looking for PRODUCER / EDITOR of the English Section http://www.radio.cz Job requirements: perfect English - applicants' English should be good enough for them to write their own broadcast-standard reports and features a good knowledge of Czech a university education an in-depth knowledge of Czech current affairs - priority will be given to people with journalistic experience - experience working with electronic media is an advantage What we offer: a chance to work with a prestigious media organisation interesting assignments international team commencement date: April 2011 Applicants should send a CV and covering letter to michaela.curinova @ rozhlas.cz no later than February 18th. Please clearly state the position you are applying for in your application. SOURCE: Radio Prague http://bit.ly/gVaX2T (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 2280.05, HIRA Radio Anacaona, 2349-2457+, 9/10- Feb; M in Spanish with tropical music. Talk segment began at 2402 and included a long stretch where M seemed to repeat the same thing over and over (stuck recording & operator in the toilet?) Back to music at 2413. Finally caught an ID at 2456. Mainly buried with copyable peaks, but much better after about 2420. HI MW #7. Tnx Tim Tromp (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2 x 1140! (gh) 2280+, 2 x 1140, Feb 15 at 1054, S9+15 signal well above the noise level in romantic music; 1055 ``Radio Anacaona, [via?] la reina del sur`` canned ID, loud and clear but was not taping. Then I rolled tape and caught identical ID at next break 1100, right back to music. Here`s a 24-second clip with sample of the music [also on WOR 1552]: http://www.w4uvh.net/anacaona.rm Trouble is, its town, San Juan de la Maguana is not on the south coast but in west-central RD, not far from Haiti. Googling on it gets a number of hits in French too (or could there be a Haitian station by the same name? None in WRTH, but FM is incomplete). Maybe they help Haiti out, post-earthquake. Here`s a photo of their building: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/10828907 See my previous report for research on the name Anacaona (accent on the o). My original log of it around 0000-0030 had higher noise/signal ratio, but modulation seemed somewhat distorted. Now I am more sure of that, in music and as lively DJ starts talking around 1102; carrier is also slightly unstable. I then compared it to 1280 and 3280 [see ECUADOR], and found 2280 to be slightly on the hi side. 1106 talk, too bassy, overmodulated/distorted, ad with siren SFX. Talk still audible at 1123. Sunrise there today was 1113 UT. It will become an hour earlier by summer solstice. BTW, nothing from 120m Australia (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Previous report of 2280 with another ID clip, presumably discoverer Tim Tromp: 01-31-2011, 07:47 PM, kilokat7, Location: West Michigan: http://forums.radioreference.com/hf-mw-lw-general-discussion/202763-medium-wave-harmonics-one-right-now.html ``Medium wave harmonics - one right now --- For the last couple of nights I've been picking up a strong second harmonic on 2280 kHz from mediumwaver Radio Anacaona (2 x 1140) coming out of the Dominican Republic. Get 'em while you can! Strong signal tonight with Latin music at 0035 UT. Audio from last night with ID: 2280 khz Radio Anacaona 31JA11 0210 UTC.mp3`` http://amdxer.com/download/DX_Audio_Clips_Other/2280%20khz%20Radio%20Anacaona%2031JA11%200210%20UTC.mp3 (via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 6025.06, R Amanecer Internacional, 1125-1154 2/13, seguéd mix of schlocky religious vocals and Christian pops. Occasionally a bonafide hymn by choir and piano. 1139 MB [muy buenos] días by announcer and 1148 into taped ad string. Also noted 1015 on 2/15 with stupendous signal, evidently got transmitter all tuned up! YL at 1020, "Radio Amanecer Internacional . . . programación sistemática [sic] . . . de la mañana . . ." Into hymns (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. 3280, La Voz del Napo, 1000-1020, 10-February-2011, in Spanish. Female announcer with religious talk, rooster crowing at 1008 followed by local music, good signal (Ed Wlodarski, N2ED, New Jersey, Ten Tec RX340 & 100 Ft Long Wire, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) 3280-, Feb 15 at 1112, weak music slightly on the lo side compared to 1280 and 2280 [see DR], no doubt LV del Napo, measured on 3279.93 Jan 20 when David Sharp, NSW heard presumably this. Asians on 105 and 90m were not making it, with aurora threatening (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 4814.98, R. El Buen Pastor, 1050-1110, decent signal and in the clear on 2/5 (ute missing) but noisy. Upbeat nondescript music to 1052 when quick theme burst and OM on top, "Radio El Buen Pastor, nuestro programa esta mañana . . ." time/check and frequency quote. Into what sounded like brief religious talk, mentioning "El Señor . . . Dios . . ." and then MOR orchestrals at 1102 with another ID over (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) ** ECUADOR [and non]. Glenn: I used to be regular listener of HCJB from Quito, on 9845, before they dropped English altogether. Do you know if they have started doing any English broadcasting again?? In Canada, 6050 is ALWAYS dominated by RHC!!! THX RW (Rick Wald, primetimeshortwave yg via DXLD) Rick, The HCJB regional service in Spanish, Quichua on 6050 used to include an English-learning+ religion show, Spotlight, UT Tue-Sat at 0330-0345, but have not checked for it lately, blocked anyway by RHC. Nothing overtly English from Ecuador. Their old frequency was 9745. DX Partyline of course is still produced by Allen Graham but not broadcast on HCJB itself from Ecuador, just via WRMI, Australia, IRRS (Glenn, ibid.) On February 4th the German Service of HCJB (Asociación Vozandes Media) got the permission of the Ecuadorian environmental authority to build a transmitting station on Mount Pichincha. They plan to use 3 transmitters and 4 antennas for this transmitting station, mainly for the coverage of the Amazonas area (Iris Rauscher, HCJB German Section, Feb 11, WWDXC DX News via DXLD) ** EGYPT. 9280, 1758 27 Dec, R. Cairo, music timesignal at hourtop, NA, IDs, news, terrible audio, Turkish, SIO 231. 9305, 2133 16 Jan, R. Cairo, play in Arabic, awful audio distortion, SIO 441 (David Gascoyne, Staplehurst, Kent, Feb BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 9305, 1915-2300 10.02, R Cairo, Abis, Arabic, excited phone-in's, Arabic music and songs, 2046-2102 President Hosni Mubarak gave another Speech to the Nation where he said, he will stay in power till September and only transferred some power to his Vice President, ID, comments about the speech, 2134-2140 Speech to the Nation by Vice President Omar Suleiman, 2148-2204 repeat of President Mubarak's Speech. Still heard in Arabic at recheck 0355, 11.02 55344 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030plus with 28 metres of longwire which survived our latest heavy storm, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) The security problem at Abu Zabaal shortwave site is still evident, noted R Cairo in past hour on only two channels, like 9280 S=7-8 9305 S=9+10dB probably via Alexandria Abis tx site. (maybe was on air also on 9855 to SoEaASia and 11540 towards South America? but azimuth doesn't favour us here in Europe) 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, 2209 UT Feb 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn! Stayed up late (early Friday morning) to catch Radio Cairo's English broadcast on 6270 at 0215, with news bulletin about Mubarak's speech. The broadcast was business as usual, with music, features and a brief letter box program. Above all, the transmission was clear SIO 433. What caught my attention, however, was the unbiased reporting about the events in Egypt. No fiery radio here. The newscast seemed neither pro- nor anti-Mubarak. News items included his speech, transfers of powers to his vice president and the protesters camped outside the palace. It also had an item on Obama's reaction to the situation. 73s. (Marty Delfín (Madrid, Spain) Sony ICF-77 with telescopic antenna, Feb 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Scheduled R. Cairo English broadcasts: 1215-1330 17870 1600-1800 12170 1900-2030 11510 2115-2245 6270 2300-2430 11590 0200-0330 6270 Plus portions of them are webcast as previously reported; and the 2115 is available on demand via WRN (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. EGYPTIAN TV BUILDING LOCKED-DOWN The morning presenter on Egyptian State TV has just now apologised for the lack of guests on their program today saying "no one is able to enter or leave the building". It looks like today may be very eventful day to monitor the state radio and TV. For DXers like me in Asia and the west pacific you will want to stick close to Asiasat 5 (3660 Vertical 27500 3/4) where the ERTU outlets: Egyptian Main General Radio Program (El-Bernameg Al-Aam), Al-Quraan Al-Kareem Radio and State TV News Channel are all to be found. Cheers, (Mark (Sydney, Australia) Fahey, 0825 UT Feb 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Cairo: http://91.143.94.10:80/radiocairo also broadcasts only silence at the moment (Christian, Radio 700, 0907 UT, ibid.) NO NEED TO WORRY. That audio feed (R Cairo European feed on HotBird satellite) is regularly with open carrier till 1030 UT. 73 (DrAgan Lekic, Serbia, 0914 UT, ibid.) And `the file cannot be found` when I check at 1745 UT Feb 14 (gh) Feb 11 still limited SW schedule of R Cairo, noted at 2125 UT on three channels on air. 9280 scheduled til 2230 UT, much distorted Ar signal S=5 9305 scheduled til 0700 UT, S=6-7 9855 scheduled til 2200 UT, to SoEAsia, S=3 Nothing heard also on allAF channel 11540. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11590 was heard this evening at 2357 Feb 11 UT, seemingly back with normal programming. However, the modulation on the woman speaker was so low that I couldn't be sure it was English, but I think it was. My S-meter was reading S9+10, but unfortunately I couldn't understand any of the content. When they played Arabic music the modulation was much better. Half an hour later at 0029 Feb 12 UT there was a man in Arabic, then brief music and silence. At several subsequent checks I thought I sometimes heard traces of audio. At 0101 there was a man in Arabic at a fair level, with mentions of Mubarak. 9305 was in with a solid signal, in Arabic, all evening (Harold Sellers, Vernon, BC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11590, Radio Cairo at 2357 Feb 11. Seemingly back with normal programming after resignation of President Mubarak. However, the modulation on the woman speaker was so low that I couldn't be sure it was English, but I think it was. My S-meter was reading S9+10, but unfortunately I couldn't understand any of the content. When they played Arabic music the modulation was much better. Half an hour later at 0029 Feb 12 UT there was a man in Arabic, then brief music and silence. At several subsequent checks I thought I sometimes heard traces of audio. At 0101 there was a man in Arabic at a fair level, with mentions of Mubarak. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, BC, Listening in my car with an Eton E1 and AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6270, Radio Cairo (list log); 0056-0108, 0137-0201, 0313-0325:24*, 12-Feb; Poor throughout with strong hum/buzz QRM. Definitely in Spanish at 0056 tune-in. Vox too poor to copy after that. Arabic chats with music 0101-03 & from 0137 tune-in. Brief announcements at 0200 & music continued. Better at 0313 tune-in with Arabic music, but hum/buzz still there. Anthem at 0324 & off without announcement. Nothing on 9315 (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9305, Radio Cairo, 2200 GMT. News broadcast that included Vice President Omar Suleiman's announcement telling that Mubarak has stepped down from the presidency. Many times the studio went out to what sounded like correspondents (in the crowds?) then selections of Arabic music. Same type of programming as the last few weeks during the crisis (Stephen J. Price, Johnstown, PA February 11, 2011, ODXA yg via DXLD) Radio Cairo: nothing but music for the english broadcast on 6270 at 0215 (Steve Price, Johnstown, PA 02-12-11 (gmt date), ibid.) ** EGYPT. Radio Cairo's Modulation --- I recently read a post in the past day or so where someone was asking about Radio Cairo's audio/modulation quality since the 1980's. I can remember listening to their North American service as a kid on what I believe to be 9475 and 9675 at 0200 and or 0300 gmt. As I do recall, the audio/modulation was decent in volume level and un- distorted for the most part. 9475 was the better of the two in signal strength. My INexperienced SWL ears at age ten in 1980 would have passed them on by if it were of poor quality back then. However, their European broadcast which I believed to be on 9900 (9990 ?) in the 80's was very distorted during both afternoon and evening broadcasts. It was, though, at a decent volume level but highly distorted. I can remember it actually sounded like someone "growling". Voice of the Arabs on 12050 was always powerful and the audio was good for the most part. A few summers back I used to listen to their local evening NA EE broadcast on something like 7470 and the modulation volume level was strong and the audio was good. I just verified this and listened to a clip from 2009. 6270 here in the North American evenings carries quite the powerful +30 dB signal, but the audio volume and audio quality is very poor to nonexistent. The modulation is a mere whisper and when it is heard in its peaks, it is highly distorted. The Arabic service on 9305 these past weeks has been quite powerful here and the audio has been decent in modulation level and a tiny bit distorted, however, easily understandable. I have always enjoyed the North American service of Radio Cairo with their cultural programs and wonderful Arabic music selections between programs when the audio was good. I just CAN NOT understand why the engineers and technical department do not fix this inconsistent problem which has plagued Radio Cairo more often than not since I have been (making an attempt of) listening to them over the past 30 years. At my QTH, the signal strength has never been the problem. Most of their frequencies pound in here pegging the needle. The audio can be quite the issue. The audio problem is quite a shame -- transmitting that powerhouse signal and nothing to go with it. 6270 tonight absolutely fits the description. It has a killer +30 dB signal that sounds like an open carrier unless you really, I mean really, listen. It is too bad because I would be a regular listener as I am trying to get my son interested in WHAT IS LEFT OF SHORTWAVE. In my experience Radio Cairo's audio quality has been both good and bad since my hobby began in 1980 (Steve Price, Johnstown, PA, Feb 12, ODXA yg via DXLD) Greetings, I hold in my hand a QSL card from Radio Cairo dated March 2 1968. I was 13 years old at the time but I positively recall trying to explain in my reception report how I could hear their radio station very good but could not hear the announcers when they were speaking. I hadn't yet learned the technical jargon for "crank up the audio". Similarly to what Steve said in the previous post. How could an international broadcasting system successfully produce and transmit quality progamming and forget to properly adjust the modulation? And do this same thing for decades. It would be like repeatedly launching a submarine and forgetting to close the door (Jerry Coatsworth, Merlin Ontario, ibid.) Hello Jerry, Glad to read your reply to my post. I can remember 9475 in the very early 80's was just OK. My ten-year-old very inexperienced ears would not have stayed on the frequency. They would have went to spain on their close by frequency. I also definitely remember Cairo on 9900 in the local afternoons and local evenings around 1984-86'ish. That was the real ear opener. The modulation was very good but it was so garbled it sounded like a chainsaw and or someone growling. I just can not understand for the sake of it all how Radio Cairo can transmit a killer signal with NO MODULATION and/or GARBLED MODULATION for 30 years that I can account for -- add another 12 years from your experience. I have always had a keen interest in the Arab world radio stations. I thought the language was interesting to hear and the music was quite wonderful too. Everyone has their area of interest in SW, mine was the Arab world along with the domestic Africans on tropical bands. Radio Cairo's English and Arabic service was one of my favorites along with Kuwait, Iraq, and Qatar. It is just too bad the audio has to be so unlistenable. I would like to get my 3 year old son interested and Radio Cairo's signal is quite an easy catch here in the evenings --- just the signal, not the audio, as we well know. Simply put, I will never understand the whole issue. It is sort of like having all that perfection in a Kenwood, Icom, WJ, or any other high end radio but only using a coat hanger as the antenna (Steve Price, ibid.) I too remember listening to R. Cairo back in the 60's and 70's. Looking back at my logbook from then I note the very low modulation which made it almost impossible at times to hear what they were saying. This low modulation problem has been going on for a "very" long time. Go figure (John Hudak, ibid.) In the 60s Radio Cairo dominated the shortwave here in the UK and I think I recall then it was over modulated (Mike Terry, ibid.) Over modulated, under modulated --- how about a happy medium? Did anyone ever hear their mediumwave frequencies? Do they have the same audio problems as well? (Steve Price, ibid.) An hour ago only two of the four transmitters received here: 9280 and 9305 kHz as previous days. And on remote in Switzerland from 2215, 9900 in western style program. At same time remote in Greek Island, only China on 9900 kHz heard instead. Still on limited schedule of four txs in Abis-Alexandria. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, 2215 UT Feb 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15080, Feb 13 at 1423 ME music, 1424 distorted YL talk, apparently Arabic, undermodulated as usual. Is R. Cairo, scheduled 13-16, 250 kW, 241 degrees from Abis site near Alexandria. We may only hope that the post-Mubarak era will see R. Cairo`s perpetual modulation problems repaired. Wolfgang Büschel observes that the other Abu Zabaal site near Cairo is still off the air (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. First English since Revolution; N American Service back on 6270 last evening, 2 UTC Feb 14/11 Koran, news. Later program about Life in Egypt, announcer corrected title to “New Egypt”. Unsure if this is genuine conversion or if RC is just regime jumping on Revolution bandwagon for effect. Strong hum and poor modulation. Best Radio Cairo in Arabic now is MW 819 kHz after 7 pm Irish. Found old article in Al Ahram weekly where a Tanzanian diplomat claimed Radio Cairo was ahead of VOA/R Moscow/BBC with Swahili. Wonder if that’s true (Dr Derek Lynch, Ireland, Feb 14, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. 4770.00, 0355-0425 11.02, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea-2, Asmara Arabic talk in a local dialect, 0400 news about Mubarak, Egypt, talk and Horn of Africa music 25232 // 7175 AP-DNK 5060.00, 0405-0440 11.02, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea-1, Asmara, Tigrinya talk, Horn of Africa songs, 0430 Tigre news about Mubarak, Egypt, Horn of Africa music, 25222 // 7205 AP-DNK 7175, 0355-0440 11.02, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea-2, Asmara, Arabic talk in a local dialect, 0400 news about Mubarak, Egypt, talk and Horn of Africa music, 0430 Amharic news and Ethiopian noise jamming started with a few breaks 45/2444/2 // 4770, but not // 7205 7205, 0405-0440 11.02, Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea-1, Asmara, Tigrinya talk, Horn of Africa songs, 0430 Tigre news about Mubarak, Egypt, Horn of Africa music 35233 // 5060 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030plus with 28 metres of longwire which survived our latest heavy storm, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 7195, supposedly V of Broad masses 2? 1618 11 Feb with HoA music and talks in Amharic or Eritrean [sic]. New tune in 1727 with S7 signal and HoA songs (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Voice of the Broad Masses 1st program has moved from 7210 to 7205 kHz. First program has been reported sometimes on 5060. Second program uses 7175 kHz and between 1600-1900v up to five additional frequencies among the following: 4760, 4770, 5060, 5980, 7120, 7150, 7165, 7185, 9700 and 9710 kHz (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. I've been hearing Ethiopian regional Radio Orimiya regularly this past week around 1800 UT on 6030 kHz, probably helped by the fact Radio Ukraine is no longer on 6030. Last Saturday (5 Feb) heard with sign-off at 1902. Distinctive local music and announcements in Oromo - 6030 is clear though there's some splatter from adjacent channels. An email QSL received in reply to an MP3 recording sent to the station gave this schedule: Mon-Fri 0330-0600 GMT 0900-1100 1530-1900 Sat+Sun 0330-1900 GMT (differs slightly from WRTH 2011 page 186) (Alan Pennington, Caversham, UK, Feb 11, AOR 7030+ / longwire, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) 6030.00, 0425-0435 11.02, R Oromiya, Adama, via Geja Jewe, Oromo talk and interludes of Horn of Africa music 35333 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030plus with 28 metres of longwire which survived our latest heavy storm, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Oromiya Radio & TV organisation (ORTO) has the web page http://www.orto.gov.et (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non?]. 9705, the channel is flooded this time, 0526 Feb 9 with strong white noise!!! S8 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [and non]. ERITREA - accompanied by broadband Ethiopian white noise jamming on 7175 kHz at 0530 UT. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, remote SDR morning log (rx in GRC, FIN, SUI, D, GB, IRL, USA), Feb 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 9705, Radio Ethiopia, 2010-2100:25*, Feb 12, local Horn of Africa music. Amharic talk. Sign off with National Anthem at 2059. Fair. Weak QRM from a weak Niger 9704.99 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. Cupid is going DX again towards the east now !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hello radio friends, Doing the good propagation, I have decided to switch the transmitter on. Freq is 15070. Beam is aimed at 80 degrees from the Netherlands towards Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, and further. Power is 200 watts. 13 Feb time UT 0900 till 1030 or longer if the propagation is that good (Rinus, regards from Holland, 0906 UT Sunday Feb 13, HCDX via DXLD) 15070, Cupid Radio back here at 1027 13-2 with ID (but: that was Cupid radio) and rave music. A pop song. Self advert or IS clip with address in hotmail, 25433 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, Standard rig: ICOM R75 / 2x16 V / m@h40 heads Sennheiser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. FINAL ANNIVERSARY BROADCAST FEB. 27TH --- Dear FRS Friend, At long last Sunday February 27th 2011 the final & 3rd FRS 30th Anniversary broadcast will take place. We will then complete the FRS Anthology! In two weeks time on the 27th February we will feature the period 1998- 2010. Mind you: we will kick off at already 0752 UT = 08.52 CET. Here's the schedule: 0752-1400 UT 7600//5800 kHz 0752-1100 UT 48 mb frequency (unknown) 1100-1400 UT 6085 kHz Of course we have special QSLs for this broadcast. With the ones issued for the previous two broadcasts, it will form the FRS 30th Anniversary QSL Series. Hope to have your company on the 27th. It will be great fun: 30 Years of FRS-Holland on SW! 73s, on behalf of the FRS staff (Peter V., Jan van Dijk, Paul Graham, Dave Scott, Brian & Bobby Speed) A Balance between Music & Information joint to one Format.... FRS-Holland P O Box 2702 6049 ZG Herten The Netherlands e-mail: e-mail: (via Roberto Scaglione, Feb 12, shortwave yg via DXLD) also: IRELAND ** FRANCE. 17850, Feb 14 at 1610, RFI in French, frenetic African music, good signal but wobble on carrier presumably caused by Doppler. Is 500 kW, 170 degrees from Issoudun. I see in HFCC that REE via COSTA RICA is also on 17850 this early on Sat and Sun, really colliding? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. QSL: 12055, Radio Taiwan International via Issoudun. Full data (with site) Tainan Confucius Temple QSL Card in 34 days for a postal report. Also included a number of 'goodies' such as report form, schedule, paper coasters, New Years cards, and Taipei wave brochures. V/S: nil (Edward Kusalik, Daysland, Alberta, CANADA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GEORGIA [and non]. Not observed on air since Jan 1st 2011: Armenia on MW 1395 kHz. Abkhazia on 9535 (but is on MW 1350 kHz) and Kabardino-Balkarian Radio on 6005 kHz (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Feb 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Feb 10 via DXLD) 1395 drifting, Radio-2 and VoArmenia via Yerevan suburb site? 6005 1800-2000 Krasnodar Armavir-RUS. 9535 Sukhumi? Georgia (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** GERMANY. QSL: 11785, Radio Sadaye Zindagi via Wertachtal. Full data (with site, power and azimuth) .pdf Verification letter with graphics. Response in 88 days, after posting my comments and details on their website. In the e-mail response, they apologized for the delay in replying to me. v/s: nil (Edward Kusalik, Daysland, Alberta, CANADA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. 11605, Sat Feb 12 at 2255 I am pleased to hear some orchestral classical music; 2259 a fast SAH hits from the next station, and before 2300 all we hear from this one is some audience applause, no announcement, DW jingle and then open carrier despite the other station trying to start. Kudos to DW as another rare SW station not afraid to play classical music, even on its Indonesian service, 22-23, 250 kW, 85 degrees via Madagascar. Its weaker 11605 successor ought to have a much better signal here, being Guiana French, 250 kW USward at 318 degrees for VOR in Spanish at 23-24, then switching due south for Portuguese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DW jammed: see INTERNATIONAL VACUUM ** GIBRALTAR. 1458, R. Gibraltar, Maida Vale, 2233-2248, 11 Feb, English, songs; 33432, QRM de Sunrise R [UK], Good. This rating reflects the average quality of evening reception up here in Lisbon, about 100 km further than just up to the coastal place where I get their evening signals immensely disturbed too, it's a fact, but at least enjoy a quiet, strong and steady daytime signal. Getting this station during daytime up here isn't impossible at all even with the sort of antennae I use, an elevated K9AY and/or a Ewe, but the results just can't compare with what I manage in the south. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. 5765 USB, AFN, 1342 + later checks, Feb 9. Still with normal AFN SW format (non-music); // AFN Diego Garcia; fair (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 13362-USB, Feb 13 at 2219 headlines during NPR All Things Considered, seven sex ahead of much closer KOSU-91.7; slight QRM from other sideband audio, which must be LTA Argentina on 13663.5-LSB, tho I could never get it tuned in under the Guam signal. 2225 story on ATC was about Gbagbo`s control of the media in Ivory Coast; 5-minute clip and transcript: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/13/133734907/in-ivory-coast-dispute-media-key-to-message (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. 4052.5-, kept hoping to catch R. Verdad signing on, Feb 15 checked several times between 1100 and 1143, but it never appeared, while I was hearing KWMO 4050, see U S A. Dr Madrid had said that the transmitter has to warm up for a sesquihour before it will work, so unless someone comes in and turns it on at 0930-1000, its opening will be late (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. TGCT - R. Cultural Coatán (GTM) - 4780 kHz QSL --- Les escuché en diciembre del 2007, antes de entrar en la era SDR. Después cerraron la OC y ya sólo emiten en FM. Como no respondieron en su día, lo he intentado por la vía del correo-e y al segundo intento he obtenido respuesta del Sr. Domingo Hernández. Muchas Gracias!. Email : radiocoatan @ live.com (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, ESPANA - SPAIN, RX site: Aldea del Cano, Cáceres, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GUINEA. 7125, Radio Guinea, Conakry, 0705-0725, 10-02, male and female with news and comments in French about Guinea, African music. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) SW - R. Conakry 7125 kHz, Ascolti AM (orari UTC) Legenda segnale IN - Insufficiente/ Poor SF - Sufficiente/ Fair BN - Buono/Good MB - Molto buono/Very good Giovedì 10 febbraio 2011 0656 - 7125 kHz R. CONAKRY (Guinea) French, reportage telefonico OM. Segnale buono-sufficiente. Mi sembra che per un po' di tempo è stata inattiva (Luca Botto Fiora, SITO RICEVENTE G.C. 09E13 - 44N21, Rapallo (Genova), Italia; RICEVITORI: R7 Drake, VR5000DSP Yaesu, ATS909 Sangean. ANTENNE: Loop ferrite ACA 75 cm modificata (@70 kHz-2 MHz), Loop 1 spira da finestra 150x100 cm (@2-6 MHz), Dipolo aperto 21 m (@6-30 MHz). VARIE: Ampli RF K0LR per loop ACA modificato (WA1ION); Ampli RF LX1456 Nuova Elettronica per loop SW e dipolo; Balun a choke coassiali 1:1 di RG174 per dipolo (IZ7ATH); Eliminatore di QRM MFJ 1026 modificato (W8JI); Software demo Multimode 5.9.2 Black Cat Systems; Splitter coassiale 2 antenne-3 ricevitori autocostruito http://www.meteotigullio.it playdx yg via DXLD) 7125, Radio Guinea, Conakry, 0705-0725, 10-02, male an female with news and comments in French about Guinea, African music. 24322. Also 0710-0740, 11-02, African songs and comments y French by male. 34333 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Logs in Lugo, Grundig Satellit 500 and Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7125, RTG, Feb 11 at 0656 French news, of Cairo, 0700 music. 7125, RTG reactivated a few days ago after a semiyear, gone again Feb 12 at 0653, 0702 chex. 7125, RTG still missing the evening of Feb 12, checked at 2303. Will logs of last few days prove to have been its last gasp? Or first signs of a sporadic revival? (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7125, Radio Guinée, 0740-0758, Feb 13, Afro-pop music. French and vernacular talk. French announcements with “Ici Conakry” ID at 0752. Gone at 0814 check. Good signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 7125, 13/2 1818-1822* Radio Conakry, Guinea, talks, weak, abrupt signal off at 1822. RX: Perseus. ANT: T2FD. QTH: Milano, Italia. My SW Blog: http://radiodxsw.blogspot.com/ (Giampiero Bernardini, playdx yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) 7125, further checking for RTG, Feb 15 at 0626: nothing there. However, at next check 0637, there it is in French, 0640 talking about Le Président, with music. ACI on the USB of 7125 from the LSB of a ham. So this transmitter continues on air sporadically, now amid a hamband (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7125, Remote SDR's in England delivered a nice tiny Conakry Sofonya S=4 signal today noted at 0655-0730 UT, Feb 15 (Wolfgang Büschel, remote SDR morning log Feb 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7125, RTG absent again Feb 16 at 0645 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUYANA. NCN is operating on 560 kHz with 7 kW and 3290 kHz with 5 kW from Vreed en Hoop, a few km west of Georgetown. 700, 760 and 5950 kHz are inactive (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) 3290, Voice of Guyana, 0635 Feb 14. BBC World Service programming with an interview, news at 0700. Poor, QRM from facsimile station (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car, beside Kalamalka Lake, with Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAITI. CONATEL, transmitter list --- National telecommunications administration and management authority (regulatory authority) CONATEL, Conseil National des Télécommunications, is fully back on- line on web after a year of reduced web presence due to the impact of January 12th 2010 earthquake. The web site URL is http://www.conatel.gouv.ht/ Right now, directly from the main site a selection "Liste Televisions et Radios" leads to an updated list of all TV and radio (FM/AM) stations in the various Départments of the country. The direct link to this list is http://www.conatel.gouv.ht/downloads/Liste%20des%20stations%20par%20departement.pdf No information is given in-there if the transmitting stations are active or not (Dr. Anton J. Kuchelmeister, Germany, Feb 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 4970, AIR Shillong, 1503-1512, Feb 10. In English; DJ with “Golden Classics” show; played pop songs (Chuck Berry with “Roll Over Beethoven”, etc.); 1511 local ID; 1512 switched over to the audio feed from Delhi (chime/tone; into Hindi with ads); almost fair, but still noticeable hum. 5015, AIR Delhi (Kingsway), Feb 10 finally able to hear some faint audio through their terribly strong hum, at 1344 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR Regional (South) 5010, Thiru'puram --- Hi Everyone, 5010 AIR Thiru'puram good tonight into English news at 1730 http://www.box.net/shared/31gmpex19q (Mark Davies, Anglesey UK, Feb 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 5050, AIR Aizawl, 1307-1335, Feb 8-9. Mixing with a strong BBR; holding up much better than normal against BBR and in a non-Hindi language; all of which confused me into thinking it was a new station here. Asked for help from both Mauno Ritola (who suggested perhaps was in the Mizo language) and Sei-ichi Hasegawa (who was able to dig out an ID from my recording: “All India Radio, Aizawl”); so positively it was them. Unusually good propagation recently, with several stations I normally do not hear well coming in with decent reception. Thanks guys for straightening me out on what had been a mystery station to me! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 6155, Bangalore, noting this 2/10 and 2/11 with good signal and in the clear, early local evenings. A bit unusual to hear the subcontinent in Illinois at this time, although a darkness short path exists. On 2/11, frequency clear when carrier switched on 0012 and 0015 YL abruptly speaking. Believe this is the Urdu domestic service. 0015.30, chanting by OM, sound like Islamic call to prayer (interesting to hear this on an India transmitter, but a reminder that about 15% of Bangalore population is indeed Muslim). 0021 OM in Urdu and then into subcontinental music. YL singer with subcontinental combo featuring sitar, tabla, etc. Seguéd to 0029 tune/out. Same pattern programming heard prior day, when noting call to prayer already in progress at 0018, the 0021 announcement and then into Hindi music. Nice signal and just a lot of fun to hear this. Armchair level signal at the top of fade-ins (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) Technically there are only five Muslim call to prayer times during a 24 hour period. Given at dawn, at the midday, about the middle of the afternoon, just after sunset, and at night fall about two hours after sunset. On shortwave I have on numerous occasions heard these and they always last for about three minutes. Is common for me to hear them from Malaysian stations for the Maghrib prayer (just after sunset). Is now very easy to find out what these prayer times are for any country by checking online http://www.qibla.org/ This is very different from the majority of what we hear, which is the reciting from the Qur’an, which usually lasts for much longer than the three minutes call to prayer (Ron Howard, to Ralph, cc to DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4749.95, RRI-Makassar, 1514-1600*, Feb 8. In Bahasa Indonesia; end of the Jakarta new relay; pop songs; Love Ambon and sign off announcement; off just at the CNR1 pips. Before 1500, too much QRM from Bangladesh Betar, so I have to wait till they sign off; then almost fair signal with light QRM from CNR1 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9525.96, VOI, ex: 9524.96. I tuned in at the exact same time Glenn did (1340 on Feb 9) and also heard the start of their language lesson. So they had yet again switched transmitters; good signal, but with IADs. With my E1, I daily manually scan through its memory. I always listen in SSB, so whenever there is even a slight change of frequency from what I have entered into the memory, it is very noticeable, as it was here today (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9526-, VOI in Indonesian, Feb 12 at 1430, VG with hum, few IADs, ``dari Suara Indonesia di Jakarta`` ID in passing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. DEUTSCHE WELLE SATELLITE TRANSMISSIONS JAMMED Deutsche Welle has experienced jamming of its signals from the Hotbird 8 satellite. The source of the jamming has not been confirmed. Engineers at Deutsche Welle detected interference of transmissions coming from the Hotbird 8 satellite beginning Monday at 1307 UT. It is believed the DW transmissions are being "jammed" by foreign signals, though the source of the signals can not be confirmed. Deutsche Welle last experienced jamming in February 2010, which was believed to have emanated in Iran. The disturbances are affecting DW-TV Europe, DW-TV Arabia, as well as very high frequency (VHF) and shortwave signals in regions including Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. [how affecting SW? Disrupting program feeds? ---gh] TV live streaming on Deutsche Welle's multi-language news website is also affected by the disturbances. To ensure the transfer of Deutsche Welle content, alternate transmission services have been arranged for Internet and satellite broadcasting. Partner stations that rebroadcast DW have been informed. Author: Birgit Görtz / dfm Editor: Martin Kuebler http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14843697,00.html (via Artie Bigley, and Alokesh Gupta, dxldyg via DXLD) http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/deutsche-welle-satellite-transmissions-jammed (via Artie Bigley, Feb 16, DXLD) BBC also says Iran jamming their satellite transmissions ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/02_february/11/persian.shtml (via Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi, Feb 15, dxldyg via DXLD) ** IRAN. BTW, also good AM/MW reception from Iran last night 00-02 UT Feb 14 11: 1071 Qom, 1080 Arabic //SW Abadan, 1467 (Isfahan?), 1188 Tehran, 1503 Bushehr. Quite unusual, especially Qom (Dr Derek Lynch, Ireland, Feb 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. CLANDESTINE, 7480, R. Payam-e Doost, Feb 06 *1800-1810, 35433, Farsi, 1800 sign on with opening music, ID, talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) Baha`i station (gh) ** IRELAND. Pirate: 6959.6, Atlantic R, 1556-, 12 Feb, English, music, slogans like "The Best Country Music of All Times"; 35433. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6960, 13/2 0955, Atlantic R. - Ireland, atlanticradio1251 @ gmail.com English ID e music, suff (Roberto Pavanello, Italy, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ITALY. Winter daytime Mediumwave occupancy here in Stuttgart Germany suburb, monitored by Roland Schulze mostly at 0900-1430 UT, used Drake R8 and Icom IC-R70 tx units, ALA1530 ssb+ loop antenna. Rating in S=strength +dB. [including:] 1368, Challenger Radio Padova, Villa Estense 7-9 noted broadcast of Roberto Scaglione's "Studio DX" at 1700 UT, also scheduled 0500, 1100, and 2300 UT in AM mode. But not on MW 1566 kHz (Roland Schulze, Germany, dswci member #1418, Jan 26 / Feb 7, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 10 Feb via DXLD)) Where is the full schedule? (gh, DXLD) 1584, Radio Studio X is inactive. Most likely Radio Verona (Patrick Robic, Austria, Jan 31, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews, 10 Feb via DXLD) Radio Studio X is regularly active, half power daytime, full power nightime (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WOR via Challenger Radio 1368 kHz --- Hi Glenn! Heard World of Radio 1551 via Challenger Radio from Italy today at 1915 UT on 1368 kHz. They are relaying IRRS // 6090 kHz (1368 kHz is about 2 seconds ahead of 6090 kHz). 73, (Patrick Robic, Austria, 1932 UT Saturday Feb 12, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Glenn, I have just listened to your World of Radio via Challenger Radio in Padova, Italy on 1368 kHz mediumwave. They are testing a new folded dipole antenna and a back-up transmitter. Signal was partly quite good, but UK-stations on the frequency interfered a bit. The time was 1905-1929 UT! Best regards/ (Bengt Ericson, Växjö, Sweden, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I asked Bengt and Patrick for more details (gh, DXLD) Dear Glenn, Challenger Radio is relaying several programs. VOA English during the afternoon. In the evening they start their own programs with mostly Italian nice music, news at ToH and some relays of religious programs. I think they have some cooperation with Studio X in northern Italy. Webpage is: http://challengerradio.it Please, see my copy of mail from the Manager. Best regards/ (Bengt Ericson, ibid.) Dear Bengt, thanks a lot for you e-mail that very appreciate. We are testing our new folded dipole antenna and back-up transmitter that is an Harris solid state 5.5 kW rated at the moment at 2.5 kW. In the next month, we'll put on air our main transmitter that is a Siemens 25 kW. At the moment I do not have official QSL but once we do them I will provide to ship to your address. In the meanwhile I attach our antenna picture. Have a nice day! Maurizio Anselmo (via Bengt Ericson, Sweden, Feb 15, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Glenn, A webpage of their own isn’t yet published, but if you go to http://www.challengerradio.it you will find some info and you tube clips from tests on 1566 kHz earlier last year. See included file with QSL from the station to my friend Hasse Mattisson in Växjö. VOA English seems to be relayed 1100-1700 UTC then they switch to their own programming and some retransmissions. Power 2.5 kW gives an astonishing signal in Sweden. Still lot of nice Italian music. Best regards/ (Bengt, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Maurizio Anselmo, I was surprised and pleased to hear from listeners in Austria and Sweden that your 1368 kHz transmitter was broadcasting my World of Radio last Saturday at 1900 UT. Thanks very much. May I expect this to continue every week, and advise my listeners to tune in? Do you have a complete program schedule available? I have looked at your website but only see info about satellites, etc. Regards, (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO, to Challenger, via DXLD) Dear Glenn, thanks for e-mail, for this schedule you just talk about with Mr. Alfredo Cotroneo, that he's reading in copy. Normally we should rebroadcast several radio contents from 19 to 24 UT included WOR. Regards (Anselmo, ibid.) Hi Glenn, WOR program was aired as part of IRRS Medium Wave schedule on 1368 kHz to NE Italy and 1566 kHz AM/Medium Wave in Rome. We are currently testing daily from 20:00-01:00 CET [1900-2400 UT] on both AM/Medium Wave frequencies, and may be extending times of operation later on. Please consider these as tests, with no explicit guarantee for rebroadcast of WOR at any specific time, for at least several weeks, until we complete testing all equipment and configure our schedule for our local audience. Program on Medium Wave are currently a simulcast of our internet stream at http://mp3.nexus.org:8000/irn.mp3.m3u - Also available at http://mp3.nexus.org Take care and best 73s, (Alfredo Cotroneo, Feb 15, IRRS, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. 3945, R. Nikkei 2, Chiba-Nagara. February 12, 0828-0839 English Pop music selections. Sometimes in a battle against Vanuatu, 22332. 3945, R. Nikkei 2, Chiba-Nagara. February 13, 0831-0840 soft Pop music in Japanese selections. Sometimes in a battle against Vanuatu, 22322 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [non]. 17605, NHK`s western classical music Sunday-morning ghetto continues relayed via BONAIRE, 270 kW, 170 degrees but quite good here nowhere near that azimuth, UT Sat Feb 12 at 2342 with final movement of Chaikofsky`s Violin Concerto until 2348, Japanese announcement, and a violin/piano piece. Something similar on 15525: see AUSTRALIA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [non]. 6120, NHK World Radio in Spanish, Feb 15 at 1028, VG via Sackville, CANADA, 250 kW, 227 degrees to targets where it`s mostly 4 am, cut off at 1029*, while // 6195, much weaker via BONAIRE stayed on a minute longer until 1030* allowing a program outro to be heard, ``hasta nuestro próximo`` but no ID or formal sign-off; and a snippet in English ``of Japan`` before carrier cut. Bonaire is aimed 210 degrees, i.e. to NW S America where it is now 5:30 am. Must be a lot of early-risers down there, even earlier in Mexico and Central America; or the scheduling is for the convenience of Tokyo and the relayers, not the listeners (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. Shiokaze QSY from 5910 to 5985: from DXLD 11-06, WORLD OF RADIO 1552. See also KOREA NORTH [non] just below ** JAPAN [non]. 9780, Feb 14 at 1605, good with children`s song, 1607 Japanese talk, from Furusato no Kaze, 250 kW, 45 degrees via Tainan, TAIWAN, so also USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [and non]. The OETA OKLA .2 channel carries NHK Newsline M-F at 1700-1730 UT. Feb 11, one hour after Mubarak`s resignation was announced everywhere else, NHK is running stale barely-comprehensible mangled English analysis by `experts` in studio of what happened yesterday, blissfully unaware of what happened 60 minutes before. I had always thought this was a live feed. OETA told me it is coming over from NHK at the time they air it (unlike BBC at 2230 UT, delayed one sesquihour, also painfully obvious during breaking news from Egypt lately). Then it turns out that NHK has only 10 minutes of news, the rest documentary filler, so it must be another holiday for them, with the `news` hole pre-recorded, at least today, before momentous events in Egypt. So much for NHK`s commitment to world news. OTOH, it`s 2 am in Tokyo, so who`s watching? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 5985.0 (ex: 5910), Shiokaze/Sea Breeze via Yamata, 1403 + 1430*, Feb 10. Changed once again to avoid the N. Korean jamming; best in LSB to get away from Myanmar QRM on 5985.83. Glenn and I both noted them yesterday on their last day on 5910, in English (well their last day at least for 2-3 weeks till they will probably return again) (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5985, Shiokaze, 1425-1430* Feb 11. Caught last few minutes of usual Friday English program. Very strong today, S9+25 dB. Back on 5985 again, ex-5910. Clobbered Myanmar on 5985.88, which was largely unreadable anyway beneath local band noise (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 7590, North Korean Reform Radio via Tashkent. Feb. 10. Noted from 1526 to 1549 with interview with woman, who was detained, musical breaks and additional commentaries. Signal quite good at times peaking at s7 or better. On the 11th noted at 1500 sign-on with 800 hertz tones just prior to sign-on with orchestra selection, Female announcer with opening announcements and details, then into a news commentary. Again signal quite good with peaks of over s5 to s7 levels (Edward Kusalik, VE6EFK, Daysland, Alberta, Canada, Drake R8A Digital Communications Receiver, Antenna that was used: 125 foot long wire, pointed due east, with 4:1 Balun Match, with Pi-type Antenna Tuner. () Trap-sloper, cut for 6955 kHz, pointed due south, 1:1 Matching Balun top feed, with 41-meter long wire, top feed for radial effect, with Heathkit HFT-9 Antenna Tuner. 135 foot Window T- antenna with MFJ – 941 B Antenna Tuner, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6240, V. of Martyrs, 1615 11 Feb, YL mentioning Jesus Christ, a gong, OM with talk in a very serious style, another OM with talk in a dramatized way. Some background music and people from crowd, S10, 445x4 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 16-17, 100 kW, 65 degrees from Tashkent, UBEKISTAN (Aoki via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6518, KOREA, SOUTH (CLANDESTINE) Voice of the People. 1137 February 13, 2011. Fair with Korean female talk. Parallel slightly better 6600 and very poor 4450 (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN. IRAQ/IRAN, Dengi Kurdistana 1 observed s/on at Jan 29 at 0140 UT on 3929 kHz (later on 3931 kHz) and s/on at 1358 UT on 3930 kHz on Jan 28. Dengi Kurdistana 2 with close/down at 1429 UT on 3971 and 4880 kHz on Jan 28. All 3 transmitters are on the air 1400-1430 UT. On 3929-3932 kHz the signal is strong but on 3971-3982 kHz and 4870-4885 kHz is weak level (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Feb 3, wwdxc BC- DX TopNews 10 Feb via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. via UKRAINE. 11530, Denge Mezopotamya, 1425- 1459:30*, Feb 12, local Kurdish music. Local vocals. Kurdish talk. Abrupt sign off during a speech. Fair to good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. 7250, R Kuwait's Persian program, not heard remotely in England, but S=9 on Greece island unit. S=9 at 08-10 UT slot. Nice and smooth Persian language song at 0855 UT (remote SDR in Greece, Jan 31, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 10 Feb via DXLD) 21540, R. Kuwait at 1419 Feb 13 in Qur`an atop REE with SAH; unusually, also propagating on 13m was SAUDI ARABIA, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LAOS, 6130, LNR, 1416, Feb 15 (Tuesday). Language lesson; "Hello. I am Elizabeth Moore. Welcome to Functioning in Business"; "Functioning in Business is an intermediate level business English course with a focus on American business practices and culture"; business dialogues (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA. Hi all, Voice of Africa is booming in this morning on 21695 KHz, 1510 UT February 16th, in English. With solar flux over 100, signals on higher frequencies have been good in the past 2 - 3 days and also today! (Gilles Letourneau, Montreal, Canada, Kenwood R-5000, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here in British Columbia 17725 was by far the better frequency (Harold Sellers, Listening in Castlegar, BC, ibid.) ** LUXEMBOURG. Luxembourg use by Allied Forces in WW2, video, article Alan Bailey, on Digital Spy, has posted a link to a fascinating video showing Radio Luxembourg operated by the Allied Forces' Psychological Warfare Division to break down German morale and induce Nazi troops to surrender during World War II [01:20]: http://www.videosurf.com/video/allied-soldiers-prepare-material-for-especially-prepared-german-broadcasts-at-radio-luxembourg-during-world-war-ii-1218233041 There's an article in the Life Magazine archive about this http://bit.ly/gEm60T (Mike Barraclough, England, Feb 9, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** LUXEMBOURG. 6090-6095-6100, 0724 21 Jan, KBS World Radio via Junglinster, YL in German (Richard Thurlow, Ipswich, Suffolk, Feb BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) See also PROPAGATION: Lux effect Aoki shows this is 50 kW, 60 degrees, flanked by R. Luxembourg`s own DRM in German at 0645-0700, 0730-0740; what is the program? (gh, DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. Don, Glenn, If you listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQjND65b8Nc They have some intervals signals from the very early 70s. They mention that Madagascar has an International service in English back in around 1970 or so. Is this correct? I don't recall any but I do recall the English International service of Mali back in the day on 16 meters? (Artie Bigley, Feb 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) From a forum with David Goren at Winter SWLFest They had an International Service in 1965, 1600-1700 UT, 15265, English and French. In 1964 they were sometimes heard at 2100-2200 on 15270 (Jerry Berg, via Bigley, DXLD) Jerry, But he said the recording was from 1970-1971 and from the 60 meters band. And the English service (Artie Bigley, ibid.) ** MADAGASCAR. MAGAGASCAR WORLD VOICE, UPDATE, illustrated: Newly-finished large building awaiting the arrival of the transmitters 2011 will be an eventful year as we will complete 28 years of broadcasting to half the world from Station KNLS in Anchor Point, Alaska, and also endeavor to complete Station MWV in Madagascar. When the new station begins broadcasting to the other half of the world, every day a total of 60 hours from five antennas will blanket the globe with the gospel. English, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and from the African website, several languages spoken in Africa, will introduce literally millions of people to Jesus Christ. In addition to the daily broadcasts, websites in all of the broadcast languages will continue to share valuable information about Christ Jesus. In 2010, over 4 million hits occurred on these websites: African English – africanpathways.org Arabic – yas3na.com Chinese – smzg.org English – knls.org Spanish – theopenbible.com Russian – knls.net Spanish programming into Cuba, Mexico, and Central and South America has already begun from Radio Miami. Wherever you live, you can listen every Monday night at 9 PM EST on WRMI.net On our website, http://www.worldchristian.org our daily broadcasts can be heard. House Construction is almost finished on the Madagascar World Voice station. Antennas #1, #2 and #3 have been erected and tensioned on the towers. The transmitter building is now completed and ready to receive the three 100,000 watt transmitters once the last payment is made. New audio equipment has been installed in our studio in Franklin that will enable us to send and receive programming from all over the world. All the buildings that are needed in Madagascar have been finished except a small guest house for visitors from America. We are focused on raising the necessary funds to operate our Alaska station, KNLS. We are also working hard to raise $688,137 that is needed for the final payment to Continental Electronics for the transmitters they have built. The total cost of those three transmitters is $2,969,837. We have paid $2,281,700 so far and we must make the last payment so they can be released for shipment to Madagascar. All three have built, tested and packed in three 40 foot containers ready for shipment. When these are shipped and after a few weeks of connecting wires, we can then begin broadcasting to the entire world. Taking the gospel into places in the world where our missionaries are not welcomed or where we do not have enough is the direction we have followed thru the years. Through the means of shortwave radio, God is making it possible to reach people in the remotest areas of the world. Soon, more people than at any time in history will have daily access to the gospel. Please include Kevin and Nancy Chambers and the team of workers in Madagascar in your daily prayers. Be prayerful that the hearts in the Middle East, Africa, South America, China, Russia, India, Indonesia and Europe will be open to the teachings of Jesus. God has brought us so far. Andy Baker (World Christian Broadcasting Latest Updates, January via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) ** MALAYSIA/SARAWAK. 5030.02, Sarawak FM via Kuching 1332-1409 Feb 9. Vocal music hosted by male announcer; long jingle at 1359, followed by pips (1+1) at ToH and berita (news); back to music at 1407. Pretty good today, topping the S-8 band noise (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. 9835, Sarawak FM via Kajang(?) 1428-1435 Feb 10. Poor with music, YL announcer. Was // to 5030.02, which was good but starting to fade (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100- foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. Re DRM broadcasts starting soon --- Another 'money burn up' story. At least the transmitter producer firms to stand to benefit from the deal (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX 10 Feb via DXLD) Viz.: ** MALAYSIA. DRM BROADCASTS STARTING SOON IN MALAYSIA Digital Radio Mondiale 9 February 2011 DRM Members Continental Electronics have recently completed the installation of three HF transmitters in Malaysia and following a series of successful trial broadcasts last month, plans to begin regular DRM broadcasts are now being finalised by the Minister. There has also been an undertaking to purchase a large order of DRM receivers. http://www.drm.org/news_item&uid=244 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) I suspect two of the new transmitters are the ones recently appearing on 9835 and 11665, so far in analog only (gh, DXLD) The DRM test broadcast of RTV Malaysia received in Japan at 1000-1127* UT and *1130-1150* UT on Nov. 4 2010 on 7235 and 11885 kHz (S. Hasegawa, Japan, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is interesting news, in light of the fact I know two people, who travel to Malaysia regularly. Both tell me there is little or no "DRM penetration" in the country. Would be interested if someone from Malaysia could comment further on this. Of course, I also realize that both DRM and Continental have an agenda in pushing the technology. I doubt DRM will ever have a worldwide market penetration. Some stations have even stopped digital broadcasting. 73s (David Sharp, NSW Australia, Feb 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 17630, Feb 11 at 1502, poor carrier with regular `pumping` sound clocked at 220 times per minute, and with BFO can also tell the frequency is shifting slightly along with it. Not much modulation, but is English, and // but not synchro with CRI via CUBA 13740. Still doing it at 1528. Therefore this is the CRI relay in Bamako, clearly with serious problems, scheduled 1400-1557 in English, 100 kW, 85 degrees. Same thing may be happening at other dayparts on other frequencies from same unit; please check. 17630, Feb 12 at 1445, CRI relay, weak carrier, but I can tell it is not pumping or shifting like it was 24 hours earlier. By 1536 is strong enough to // 13740 via Cuba in English, and a couple words ahead of 13740. 15505, Feb 12 at 2250, weak signal in Chinese, figured it was China as some W Pacific signals were audible on band, such as VG KSDA 15320, but 15505 is really an unusual half-hour Chinese broadcast at 2230 of CRI via Bamako, HFCC and Aoki agree, 100 kW at 85 degrees. Aoki refers to CRI relays as Bamako II, distinct from Bamako I = Mali`s own service on 5995, 7286 (?) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, ORTM, *0555-0615, Feb 13, sign on with guitar IS. National Anthem at 0558. Flute IS at 0559 and opening French ID announcements. Local rustic music at 0600. Weak but readable. 9635, ORTM, *0759-0830, Feb 13, sign on with flute IS and opening French ID announcements, Vernacular talk at 0800. Rustic tribal music. Weak with low modulation but improved in strength by 0825 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX Listening Digest) 9635, R. Mali, Bamako. February 13, 0842-0851, Tribal music (string and percussion), later more African music (with choral and string). 33333 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 7245 missed this morning Jan 31 (remote SDR, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 10 Feb via DXLD) 7245, R. Mauritanie, Feb 06 0801-0818, 34433-35333, Arabic, talk, ID at 0811 (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) [and non]. 7245 has been missing lately; definitely absent Feb 15 at 0626 check, and not on 4845 either at 0628. Is anybody hearing it anymore, anywhen? GUINEA q.v. was propagating; Tunisia best on 7335. Meanwhile, Vatican incoming better on 7250, English until 0630, then Latin (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not on air today Feb 15, 4845 / 7245 kHz. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, remote SDR morning log (rx in GRC, FIN, SUI, D, GB, IRL, USA), Feb 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7245, ORTM still missing, Feb 16 at 0645 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. QSL: XEEP, R. EDUCACION, 1060 kHz. Sent Email-f/up. Received f/d Email in 1 hour !!!!!! V/s: Ramsés Márquez G. (Subdirección de Desarrollo Técnico). Email: rmarquez @ radioeducacion.edu.mx (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, ESPANA - SPAIN, RX site: Aldea del Cano, Cáceres, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Most of the time, 1700 XEPE and 1090 XEPRS simulcast each other, except for a few hours in the middle of the day when each runs their own programming. Overnight, both have been running ESPN radio, with XEPE devoting more of its program schedule to ESPN than XEPRS. XEPRS has some local sports programming (Scott & BR, Lee Hamilton, maybe a couple others I can't remember at the moment) through much of the day, and XEPE has some financial programming, including Ray Lucia, if I remember correctly, around the middle of the day. Both stations are near-locals for me, receivable 24/7 with a good signal strength on my barefoot PL-606. Interestingly, XEPE usually has a better sounding signal, in spite of being a couple dBu or so weaker than XEPRS. I think this is probably due to the proximity of strong locals near 1090, whereas the area around 1700 is relatively clean. 73, (Stephen Airy, Feb 14, IRCA via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 6010, R. Mil, Feb 15 at 1117, ad for hotel, S9+20, nice signal much better than after sunrise, and no QRM at first, then lite het with pitch increasing slowly: HJDH came on? 6185, R. Educación certainly on the air at 1030 UT Feb 15, as I was checking adjacent RNV 6180; contrary to a report from IL that thought it was signing on just before 1100 with NA; axually goes off around 1230v after all-night broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MICRONESIA. [Re 11-06]: Pacific Missionary Aviation has reactivated its 1 kW transmitter on 4755.44v kHz. Testing irregularly up to 24h; planned regular schedule is 1900-1100, but can be reduced to 2100-1100 due to power shortage (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) 4755.44, Cross R., Feb 06 0728-0801, 24332-34443, English, Ralk and music, ID at 0758 (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) UNKNOWN: 4755.45, 1239-1300+, 6-Feb; Mix of talk and music. Poor; steadily improved toward 1300 but never enough to copy anything. Probably Cross Radio, Micronesia. Not the slightest hint of a het during a couple of 12Z & 13Z checks on 7-Feb. Back at 1126, 8-Feb, but too weak. Nothing detectable at 1129, 9-Feb. Recent info says that Cross Radio will be signing off at 0930Z (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BRAZIL, on 4755- 4755, The Cross Radio, 1215-1230, 08-February-2011, in English. 1222, song "Lean on Me", male announcer with station ID at 1226. Fair signal (Ed Wlodarski, N2ED, New Jersey, Ten Tec RX340 & 100 Ft Long Wire, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) Now s/off earlier (gh) 4755.45, The Cross Radio, 2/8, 1430 with pop, Christian programming. ID just before BOH with "tweener" sounding F announcer. Had heard station for a week or so, not able to catch good ID until this session (Rick Barton, EL Mirage, AZ, R-8, SP-600/JX-14, HQ-120x, HQ-140X, HQ- 200; outdoor wires, slinky, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) Now s/off much earlier (gh, DXLD) It is no surprise why we are hearing 4755 so much better now. Here is the reply, I received from the technician that traveled to Pohnpei to fix their antenna: ”Hi George, Great to hear from you. The station is primarily targeted on the Micronesian islands. The problem we have had is not much real estate and a 300 watt FM in the same equipment rack. This time we have changed the antenna to a horizontal one wavelength loop. This is getting a much better signal into the islands. We have also improved the modulation. We have a great match to the antenna and have a Radio Design Labs compressor Limiter from their Stick On series fed into an Inovonics 222 process to handle the modulation. We are maintaining a high level of modulation now. Around 80 to 90% negative and 80 to 100 positive. This should make an improvement and it seems that what you hear is that. Thank you for taking the time to write. May the Lord Bless! David Casement, Broadcast Technician, Galcom International.” (George Maroti, Mount Kisco, NY, U.S.A., Dxplorer Feb 3 via DSWCI DX Window Feb 9 via DXLD) 4755.44, PMA-The Cross Radio, 1345 and subsequent checks on Feb 9 found them off the air. 4755.44, PMA-The Cross Radio, 1315 and subsequent checks on Feb 10 found them off the air (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another factor for us to consider when they are off the air is this very recent response from Sylvia Kalau (station manager) to Jim Young (CA): “Our island is having power problems. We were off the air for 3 hours due to load shedding. 11 am to 1:30 pm PNI [Pohnpei] time to be exact. No generator backup.” 0000 UT – 0230 UT. Some background information per this Dec 1, 2010 news story: “Pohnpei, FSM—The recent power crisis that made it necessary for Pohnpei Utilities Company to ration electrical power to its customers is over for the time being according to PUC General Manager Feliciano Perman but his declaration comes with a caveat. Perman, who spoke to the press only after the short term power crisis was over cautioned Pohnpei residents against over optimism, “I want to be sure that people in Pohnpei know that anything could happen (with the power) at any time because our generators are very old.” Pohnpei’s seven generators need to be completely rebuilt or replaced entirely. Generators four through six are Caterpillars. Seven through ten are Daihatsus. During the recent power crisis in Pohnpei generators five and nine began to experience problems at about the same time. PUC required its mechanics to take one of two 12 hours shifts per day each day of the week until the problem was fixed. Mechanics solved the problem on the number nine generator but only by stripping recently installed parts and installing them on the number eight generator. PUC mechanics were also able to repair the number five Caterpillar generator. Perman said that next month the crucial part needed to fix the number six Caterpillar will arrive and that generator will then also come on line. That generator has not been working for a long time. Perman said that earlier in the year the Japanese government gave PUC notice on a Friday that technicians were coming on the next Sunday flight in order to completely overhaul the number nine generator they had donated. He was told that PUC needed to shut that generator down. Perman told them that it could not be shut down because the remaining generators would not supply the minimum power needs for Pohnpei. Japanese officials postponed the trip.” Certainly does not sound good! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This morning they left 4755.4 around 1125 or so. 11 February (Steve Lare, MI, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ID heard at 0958 and pulled the plug around 1045. 12 February (Steve Lare, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, ibid.) Finally halfway decent reception: MICRONESIA, 4755.4, The Cross, 2-12 1010-1050* Christian program and contemporary Christian vocals, possible ID 1042, seemed to go off at 1050. Signal improved with time. Tried on NRD-525 but better on Grundig. Thought I would have VIC 220 if this comes thru but only 219 :( (Sheryl Paszkiewicz, Manitowoc WI, Grundig Sat 800 & Eavesdropper, John 10:7-10, NASWA yg via DXLD) Got email QSL just a little while ago. VIC 219. Not an even number but who cares. I'm celebrating anyway. Thanks Glenn for email address (Sheryl Paszkiewicz, Manitowoc WI, John 10:7-10, Feb 13, ibid.) 4755.4, The Cross Radio, 0738 Feb 14. Becoming audible, lots of contemporary Christian music. 0815 re-check, preacher to 0822. Announcer and then more music. Very poor to poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, Listening from my car, beside Kalamalka Lake, with Eton E1 and Sony AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4755.4, barely detectable carrier, presumably PMA The Cross on its characteristic off-frequency, Feb 15 at 1012 and also another carrier equally weak closer to 4755.0, presumably Brasil`s Immaculate Conception, with which one must be careful not to confuse this, even earlier. PMA has said it is now closing down much earlier than 1200, but the exact time appears to vary a lot (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Cross Radio, V6MP, 4755 kHz, Pohnpei, Micronesia. Email QSL received in a few hours for report sent on Feb 7. Full data QSL card received via airmail received 8 days! (Brandon Jordan, TN, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Cross, 4755.4, observed closing down at 1104. 16 February (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONACO [non]. 8728, Jan 17 at 1154, R. Monaco in scheduled English, ID, IS, announcement, French news, SINPO 45433 (Arthur Miller, Llandrindrod Wells, UK, JRC NR-545, 49m longwire, G5RV, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) In USB, right? (gh) ** MONGOLIA. MONGOLIAN RADIO - 4895 kHz - Moron - QSL sent Registered mail in 80 days from English Service of Voice of Mongolia, P. O. Box 365, Ulaanbaatar 13, Mongolia (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, ESPANA - SPAIN, RX site: Aldea del Cano, Cáceres, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. 12085 at 1000-1028 UT poor in Chinese Mandarin, 1028 close/down and from 1029 UT better signal, 1030 UT IS, male in Mongolian and lady in English ID "This is the Voice of Mongolia" and [that] they were in English twice from 1030 and from 1530 UT on 12085 kHz (and really 1530 UT is on 9665 kHz where is covered by V of Turkey in Arabic and DPRK HS on 9666 kHz) on Jan 27. Home Service heard under V of Russia on 7260 kHz at 1358 UT on Jan 28 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Feb 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Feb 10 via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA [non]. 6085, Deutsches R Ulaanbaatar via Kall [GERMANY], *0858-1001*, Jan 29, German, national anthem of Mongolia, ID "Sie hören eine Sendung des Deutschen Radio Ulaanbaatar", news relay of Deutsche Welle, ads for Paneuropa Transport, science news, 34333 (Patrick Robic, Leibnitz, Austria, DSWCI DX Window Feb 9 via DXLD) ** MOROCCO [and non]. 15345.15, RTV Maroc (tentative), 1602-1705+, 4- Feb; Series of reports in Arabic mentioning Mubarak; into Arabic music at 1618. Commentaries resumed at 1628 by 2M, one in Arabic, one in French; mentioned Maroc many times, but not as IDs; Arabic music at 1651. Very tentative RTVdM ID before ToH, into Arabic news. SIO=253. Egypt sked for English here and 12170 at 1600; nothing on 12170 or on any of the other Egypt frequencies sked for 1600. Argentina not in EiBi at 1600; Morocco is, but lately heard on 15341 (nothing there). 1924-1933, 1955-2002+, 6-Feb, 15345.16; Arabic chant to 1925; M+2W discussion in Arabic; M has French accent. Arabic news at 2000+; no detectable ID. SIO=3+43+ with weak co-channel QRM (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Egypt sked on 15345?? Where?? (gh) 15341v, Feb 12 at 1533, RTM has still not shifted up to 15345, nominally happening at 1500. If only they would stay on 15341 all day, away from Argentina, which is incapable of anything beyond minor variations. Let`s hope their new transmitter will be frequency-agile and enjoy smart management (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR/BURMA. 5985.0, Myanma Radio, 1530, Feb 9. What is happening here? Earlier when scanning I thought they were on their normal 5985.83, but by the time they started their English segment were clearly via Naypyidaw (exact frequency). Noted same thing Feb 5. Starts with news of the activities of the various generals, listing their rank and names; 1540 “The weather”, giving present conditions (including for the Bay of Bengal), plus outlook for the next two days; repeats headlines; ID; 1543 “Now we begin our evening music”, playing EZL pop songs; adjacent QRM. Needs more checking to see if they are actually switching transmitters during their evening broadcast. 5985.83 and also 5985.0, Myanma Radio, Feb 10. I can confirm that they are in fact switching transmitter sites during their evening broadcast. 1321 +1347 + 1431 found them via the Yangon site, off frequency. Next check at 1438 heard them via the Naypyidaw site, exact frequency. So sometime between 1431 and 1438 they switched sites. Naypyidaw transmitter (assume much newer than the old Yangon one) had much better reception; 1438-1456 non-stop indigenous music and singing. http://www.mediafire.com/?mwyu3j5f11qsq0k contains a 2½ minute audio clip with a selection of their unique indigenous music and singing. 5985.83, Myanma Radio via Yangon, 1331-1451*, Feb 11. In vernacular; Shiokaze (5985.0) QRM 1400-1430; 1442-1443 had the regular anti-VOA, BBC, RFA and DVB slogan. Seems the switch over of transmitter sites does not happen at exactly the same time every day. 5985.0, Myanma Radio via Naypyidaw, *1451, Feb 11. Much better reception than via Yangon; indigenous music and singing. Wonder why they need to switch sites like this? 5985.83, Myanma Radio via Yangon, 1432*, Feb 14 5985.0, Myanma Radio via Naypyidaw, *1432, Feb 14 5985.0, Myanma Radio via Naypyidaw. Found them already here at 1323 on Feb 16. Clearly in a state of flux as to which transmitter site they are going to use. Noted at 1354, a new and stronger jamming here, waiting for the sign on of Shiokaze (*1400). This is a more effective jamming noise than heard in the past. First heard it yesterday, so N. Korea is getting serious about blocking out Shiokaze's message (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 15280, Feb 12 at 2251, spirited discussion in Indonesian, VG signal but with squeal, and audio feed is at lofi bitrate with artifacts. This is RNW at 2200-2257, 100 kW, 225 degrees via IBB SAIPAN, where by the way there are issues about the rent IBB is paying on the land for the transmitters; see DXLD 11-06, NMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DGIEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI, 9765, 1701-1757* (not as per their schedule), 13 Feb, news, weather forecast, religious propaganda program including American hymns, interviews, frequency announcement & IS prior to frequency change; 44433, improved after 1730 despite the continued adjacent QRM. 11725 ditto, *1758 (wrong s/on time according to their B10), 13 Feb, IS, news at 1800; 43432, deteriorating fast under adjacent & co- channel QRM. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGER. 9705, Voix du Sahel, Niamey observed in Vernaculars, S=4 at 0535 UT Jan 31. Monotonous flute music and male spoken words from studio at behind/underneath. Increased signal to S=8 at 0745 UT in England (remote SDR, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 10 Feb via DXLD) 9704.99, LV du Sahel, 2100-2259:40*, Feb 12, weak but in the clear after Ethiopia signed off. Some occasional adjacent channel splatter. French talk. Variety of Euro-pop and Afro-pop music. Qur`an at 2255. Short flute IS at 2258 followed by National Anthem to sign off (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. FRCN Kaduna is reported inactive on 4770 kHz. FRCN Abuja is reported back on 7275 kHz from 7350 kHz and operating only between 0530-1200 (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. 7275, after not hearing Guinea on 7125, tuned up to here at 0654 Feb 12, and found S9+13 carrier, but just barely modulated with vocal music, presumably R. Nigeria, Abuja, as TUNISIA`s clock- timer turns off 7275 at 0626* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [7275] Abuja regional Nigeria under threshold only, no program content detected today. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, remote SDR morning log (rx in GRC, FIN, SUI, D, GB, IRL, USA), Feb 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 9690, Voice of Nigeria, 0903-0930, Feb 13, tune-in to English news. ID. Program about the history of the Nigerian slave market. Fair to good strenght but audio a little muffled (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6930, PIRATE. Northern Relay Service, 0135 Feb 12. Show about preparing and cooking a rabbit. 0139 song, which was ended abruptly at 0143 for IDs. Song in Elmer Fudd voice about “kill the wabbit!” 0146 possibly a replay of the show (from YouTube?) about butchering a rabbit. Continued until 0153 when more IDs, “The Northern Relay Service broadcasting from the top of the world...”, northernrelayservice @ gmail.com address, invitation for submission of items for broadcast. Initially signal was fair but with deep fades. Gradually improved until very good. 6940, PIRATE. tentatively WEAK Radio, 2346 Feb 11. Pop music, including “Love Shack”, 2354 theme music for “Ponderosa” TV show, man with ID then off suddenly. “Didn’t catch first word of “...Radio”, but WEAK Radio has been reported on this frequency. Poor (Harold Sellers, Vernon, BC, Listening in my car with an Eton E1 and AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. 6940, USA (PIRATE), Wolverine Radio. 0245-0259* February 13, 2011. Thanks D. Crawford online tip. Swing and Jump Jive- era vocals, ID, then the song "Too Drunk To --ck" which was not the classic Dead Kennedys composition -- this being a completely different one, and not punk -- I think it's the title by Buckcherry via reviewing the lyrics on the wonderful Internet. Digital fax video data senT (as Wolverine seems to close with), short '30's-style vocal and off. Very good signal (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. Pirate: WPUP: 6930/USB, 2243-2318+, 12-Feb; Pirate Pupper/Dr. Pupito; We're Puppies Using Pot/We're Pot-Using Puppies. ads for Dog Bone doggie condoms, Bong World, Bob Dylan's nasal spray, Pussy Lickin's; adventures of Ralph & Herb; Dog Jeopardy. QSL via Belfast. Announcer sounds a lot like the Maharishi. I logged & QSLed WPUP in 1997-98. Is this a Resurrection? Can I get pills for resurrection? What should I do if I get a resurrection lasting more than 4 hours? SIO=3+33 with local? buzz QRM (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6930-USB, one pirate active this evening Feb 12: at 2304 comedy bit, ``prick up your ears and listen to this``, calypso song. 2309 parody dog food ad ``Pussy-Lickins`` with five dead cats in each bag, from WPUP, ``right here on 43 meters, my name is Dr. Puppy ---; this puppy has to QRT now``, mentioned Yoder, Belfast maildrop, United States of Puppies; ``WPUP Shortwave Worldwide,`` but kept going with ``Puppy Love `` song; 2313 barking and howling, and yet another song. At this point I tuned away to Turkey, but back at 2321, sounded like same announcer with a new identity, suggesting we ``hang garter belts, panties, and other unmentionables outside your DX window for my unholiness to silently collect``. 2326, ``Happy Valentine`s Day``; ``here I come in with my longue tongue ... 43 meters … I`m coming down on you, can you handle me, baby?``. 2332 ``Voice of the Runaway Maharishi, Valentine`s Day Special``; QSL instruxions with 3 units of postage to Providence RI or Wellsville NY maildrops, and you may include ``delicious-smelling panty-hose`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. TCS Back from Hibernation! Greetings! It's been damn cold, but today is 45 degrees. I have awakened. TCS going on air on about 6876 kHz AM at about 2225 UT. Be there, or be reported to the committee for non-compliance! -- John Poet, The Crystal Ship The TCS Blog http://tcsshortwave.blogspot.com/ The Free Radio Weekly: A weekly Email publication with the most current pirate loggings and information now being published anywhere! Send your free subscription requests to freeradioweekly@gmail.com and tell 'em that we sent ya! Free Radio Network. Message Boards: http://www.frn.net/vines/ Pirates Week Podcast: http://www.piratesweek.info H.F. Underground Forum: http://www.hfunderground.com/board/ (TCS mailing list, 2219 UT Feb 13 via dxldyg 2317 UT via DXLD) Oh oh, all we need is to check the 45 degree isotherm and there will be TCS (gh, DXLD) ** NORWAY. 1692-USB, 2320 13 Jan, Rogaland R., Vigre, weather reports, ``icing``, ``gales``, English to 2323, ID, SIO 344 (Alan Pennington, Longton, Lancs, Feb BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. 640, WWLS, Moore-Norman-OKC, whose IBOC comes and goes, had gone Feb 11 at 2142 UT, but that allowed excessive analog splatter instead at least plus/minus 10 kHz. 640, WWLS has some serious transmitter problem. Again today Feb 12 at 2111 UT, splattering badly, on caradio I now think it reaches up to 670; hard to be sure whether splatter on 680 is coming from it or KGGF-690, both with ESPN Radio tho out of synch. Listening on 650, I can hear some distorted modulation as well as IBOC-like noise, so maybe it`s a mixture with the IBOC portion out of order. Furthermore, like yesterday there is crackling on 640 itself. Is anybody paying attention at the studio? That should be obvious on the off-air monitor, if any (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A couple days later, back to good ol` pure IBOC noise (gh) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Three Tulsa MW frequencies are still simulcasting ``La Qué Buena`` hyper-promoted mostly music format: original 1530 KXTD Wagoner, recently purchased 1270 KRVT Claremore, and bonus 1570 KZLI Catoosa, when checked Feb 11 at 2139 UT. Of course, 1530 is a daytimer, and 1570 daytimer + PSRA, so who cares about them? 1120, KEOR Sperry-Tulsa-Catoosa still off the air Feb 11 at 2141 UT, but a weak talk signal from presumed KMOX beginning to show. 780, KSPI Stillwater still has its perpetual plus and minus 4 kHz parasitic spurs obvious from hets on caradio stepping 770-780-790. Feb 11 at 2140 UT and anytime (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. OK Enid K271BQ *102.1 (from K268CA 101.5), 100 watts vertical (from 100 watts h,v), retains KGOU 106.3 Norman as primary (Bruce Elving, FMAtlas, Feb 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Brucey, This one is a surprise to me, as I was not aware KGOU ever had a translator here. This evening neither 101.5 nor 102.1 appears to be on the air. FCC FM Query has no hit on K271BQ, but maybe you are ahead of them on the new call. The map for K268CA CP to move to 102.1 shows a new location, near Garber, east of Enid, tho COL still as Enid, which does not make sense. It does not make sense either to be adjacent to big signal from OKC on 101.9, altho possibly legal. What is your source for KGOU having anything to do with this? (Glenn to Bruce, via DXLD) Well, here`s the connexion with KGOU, but what`s Seminole got to do with Enid? http://cdbs.recnet.net:8080/fmq.php?facid=77231 Is that erroneous? A search on Magpie Communications shows it as a pet store, etc., in Seminole. KGOU has a translator in Seminole on 103.1 (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Hi Glenn, I'm sorry to say I don't know anything about this. The FCC record shows, I think, that Facility ID is the Enid translator, was transferred in April 2010, and the other records show this Magpie Comm in Seminole. And Radio-Locator.com shows that we are on K268CA but we don't know about it. I would have no idea how they are getting a signal (Karen Holp, KGOU GM, to gh via DXLD) Yeah, I show the Seminole 103.1 station, but I am not using CBDS, only the FCC FM Query. Sometimes CBDS is quicker, but very shortly they should coincide. I think the source was Friday's (or possibly Thursday's) Daily Digest. Or go to "FM Query" on the FCC website and type in the old call numbers, K268CA, and info should come up using the detailed listing. K271BQ will be the new letters for 102.1, even if they don't show on FM Query. 73, (Bruce Elving, Feb 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I got the answer. A friend of Patrick`s is moving that translator out of Enid, and without asking us, listed us as the principle signal. It is not on the air, and I guess, moving soon. So I think that designation will be going away sometime, soon. Sigh. Well, at least we have an answer (Karen Holp, KGOU to gh via DXLD) So listing KGOU as the primary was just a place-holder, apparently never reality. Such is the private translator business. Or, a non- commercial station may really be put on a translator while looking for a real paying commercial client (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. 19, KUOT-CA, GCN analog low-power in OKC, which was absent during Feb 10 tropo enhancement, again visible Feb 11 at 0623 UT along with 21-HSN and 48-Univisión. Perhaps it was really off the air the day before, or duct not coöperating from its site, but anyhow has still not cut to DTV (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Warmup here gets the tropo going, morning of Feb 16, Lawton-Wichita Falls TV stations incoming, times UT: DTV: 11, KSWO Lawton: at 1604, DTV 7.1 as KSWO-DT, ABC; DTV 7.2 as TELEMUN; DTV 7.3 as 24/7, i.e. weather and ads grafix, also cams showing scenes of Lawton, Altus, Wichita Falls, etc. 22, KAUZ Wichita Falls: DTV 6.1 with CBS; 6.2 as KAUZ-CW and program guide says Cosby Show, but axually running NewsChannel 6 at 1612; at 1617 it really was Cosby, so maybe the news was just a drop-in. 28, KFDX Wichita Falls: DTV 3.1 with NBC; 3.2 with KJBO-DT, program guide says My Network TV, but it`s a religious discussion, Life Today at the moment, 1614. (KJBO is an LP on ch 35 itself.) 36-2, KCHM-CA, OKC, still running audio of KTUZ, 106.7 La Zeta, and now with slideshow of DJs, conjuntos, other unID people, Feb 16 at 1603; including legal audio ID as ``Okarche-Oklahoma Ceety``, by hyper voice actor applying extreme Spanish accent to English wording. Analog: 17, weak signal at 1654 UT but locks in from OKC direxion rather than Lawton/WF; court show, lots of ads with 866-numbers, no help. A bit of audio confirms it`s English, not Spanish; 1659 ad for Cox. Could not // it to KSBI or KOCB before 1700; nor to KOKH after 1700, tho the latter has court shows in both hours. We know that KLHO-LP in OKC has already switched to DTV on 31, and anyway that was in Spanish. A few LPs and translators around OK on 17, but no obvious hits, and one can never be sure which ones are still really in analog. 21, KTOU-LP OKC with HSN good at 1603, always weaker than 48, and 21 is invisible without tropo help. 48, KWDW-LP OKC with KUOK Univisión very good at 1603, building up to snow-free by 1653. Meanwhile at 1633 with the antenna toward Wichita Falls, lite 10-kHz offset CCI on 48. W9WI shows K48HU in W.F. as 15 kW digital CP with A1 network, but is it really still analog? Can`t be sure of the direxion of the CCI, but maybe misled me into logs last fall of a second Univisión on 48 from the NE (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. 7099, 1600 UT 12 Jan, R. Pakistan, news in English, SIO 454; no signals on 7570 or 11575 (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Feb BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. NBC Karai Network shortwave frequencies 4890 and 9675 kHz have not been reported active for some time and their current status remains unclear (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) ** PERU. 4789.92, R Visión, Chiclayo, tentatively the one here 1106 tune-in on 2/16 till 1125 tune-out due to horrendous noise on the bands. Fair signal, news program by OM in Spanish with lots of remote phone-ins by YL, GMT-5 time/checks matching Perú. 1120 OM "...las seis de la mañana . . . programa de noticias . . .". Widely reported in Europe on this precise off-frequency (Ralph Perry, Wheaton, Illinois, Drake R8B; Eton E1; Hallicrafters SX100; Knightkit Star Roamer, Dentron Super Tuner + Ameco PLF-2, Longwire, HCDX via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. 9570, RVA Radio Blagovest still missing Feb 12 at 1516, while VOA 9760 was VG. 9570, R. Blagovest via RVA still absent, Feb 14 at 1502. Wonder what the story is, if this service for Catholic Russians has been terminated. 9570, Feb 15 at 1519 check, still missing is R. Veritas Asia, no R. Blagovest in Russian (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) What of R. Blagovest`s other broadcast? (gh) 17830, R. Blagovest via R. Veritas Asia, Feb 06 *0200-0207, 55544 Russian, 0200 sign on with IS, ID, Opening music, Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) But since Feb 6? Another non-log: 9570, Feb 16 at 1512, no R. Blagovest, via RVA. I see that its other transmission, 0200 on 17830 was reported as recently as Feb 6 by Kouji Hashimoto, Japan Premium, but since, or is it gone too? (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. 11730, Radyo Pilipinas 2/12, 1800-1900. Absolutely best reception I ever had of the Rep. of Philippines, heard with nice pop music, break to M/F announcers, and heard woman repeat Salamat ("sah-LAH-mat") X3, which is "thank you" in the only two Filipino dialects I am familiar with. M/F announcers spoke in "Taglish" (what locals call this odd mixture of Tagalog and English), then into solo Tagalog to 1817, with more pop vocal music. Some S-meter peaks at S-9 (Rick Barton, EL Mirage, AZ, R-8, SP-600/JX-14, HQ-120x, HQ-140X, HQ- 200; outdoor wires, slinky, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) 11890, Radyo ng Bayan (DZRB 738 kHz.) simulcast via R. Pilipinas, 1810-1840 + 1856-1906, Feb 14. In Tagalog (many words in English); several IDs for R. Pilipinas, the Voice of the Philippines, but many more for “Radyo ng Bayan”; 1810-1830 news with reporters from both Pilipinas and ng Bayan; 1832-1900 R. ng Bayan's “Turning Point” program with conversation about overseas Filipino workers; ToH pip; listed the many stations that PBS has; “P-B-S” singing jingle; mostly fair; // 11730 (fair) and 15190 (fair-poor), where no other station was heard. Wikipedia shows R. ng Bayan simulcast from 1730 to 2000, from Monday to Saturday, but my observations are that at least on Wednesday they carry R. Magasin, not ng Bayan. Also Aoki lists from 1730 to 1930, in English, whereas it’s really in Tagalog (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Everyone, 11890, 1805 15/2/11, Radyo ng Bayan, also R Pilipinas IDs, good strength: http://www.box.net/shared/qcd229skgj (Mark Davies, Anglesey UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Alokesh and Mark, My reception the following day at 1900 was almost identical to yours Alokesh, in both format and quality of reception, but 11890 was slightly better for me than 11730. Mark, your recording today was far superior to my reception yesterday. Was about as strong as my Dec 9, 2010 reception. Audio of that reception is available at: http://www.box.net/shared/b9v5qu271c http://www.box.net/shared/i33ldxclnv Thank you, Mark, for sharing the box.net website with us. It is better than the Mediafire site I had previously been using to post my recordings. Some people in the past had problems accessing the audio files through all the ads and pop-ups/banners. Should be fine now. Thanks gentlemen for sharing these with us! (Ron Howard, California, ibid.) Hi Everyone, 11890 at 1730 16/2/11, R. Pilipinas intro, then silence, then into relay giving IDs R Magasin and frequencies: http://www.box.net/shared/fvny3almgg (Mark Davies, Anglesey UK, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) ** PORTUGAL. 11665, RDPI (presumed); 2123-2200+, 9-Feb; M in Portuguese with game coverage, mentioning Argentina many times. Covered by WYFR till they went off at 2145, then SIO=3+53, at 2159+ WYFR came up again, covering them (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Lisboa is 144 degrees toward Africa (gh, DXLD) [and non]. With only a sesquimonth to go in the B-10 season, RDPI has done nothing to resolve the 12040 collision with Cuba they were informed about early on. Feb 12 at 2253, RDPI sports is atop, but it`s messy with RHC Spanish cochannel, a SAH apart; RDPI has much weaker // 11960; and at 2319 also came across // RDPI on 7285 which is scheduled for this hour only, aimed northeast across Europe. Of its own volition, RHC doesn`t start 12040 until 2200 now, but there will be a collision when extraordinary emissions of silly Lusitanian ballgames extend past 2200. Meanwhile RHC is also on 12010 in the clear but with some hum self-inflicted (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. 6060-6065-6070, 13/2 1838, Radio Romania Int, DRM "SNR Tiganesti E1", English, QRM from DW 6075 with some audio stop (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italia, Perseus, T2FD, My SW Blog: http://radiodxsw.blogspot.com/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 6035-6040-6045, 13/2 1842, Voice of Russia, DRM in Italian, "Il club dei letterati" no written ID, only "Label Service 0", excellent (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italia, Perseus, T2FD, My SW Blog: http://radiodxsw.blogspot.com/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Re: [BDXC-UK] Russian on 5001 kHz - transmitter spurii --- Dave, when 'digit' 1 or 9 is involved, then always check Armavir- Krasnodar site matter. Was also a complaint matter by German Frequency Control Authority station already in July/August 2010: and in A-11 season from March 27 - 2011, the usual formula will be then again 7009 kHz / 4831 kHz [fundamentals 5920 / 1089 kHz] at 1950- 2100 UT. WARM-UP on 5920 kHz approx. starts 1950. fundamentals 1089 kHz and SW 5920 2000-2200 37 ARM 200 kW 280 degr in Spanish 2703-291011 RUS VOR see also WRTH PDF Update in A-10, May 2010: YEVANGELSKIYE CHTENIYA (Rlg) kHz: 612, 1089 Summer Schedule 2010 Russian Days Area kHz 1500-1600 mt.t..s RUS 612msk 2000-2100 daily RUS 612msk 2000-2100 daily ME 1089arm vy73 de (Wolfy Büschel, harmonics yg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [Re 11-06]. VOR-Golos Rossii on 7200 kHz on the ham band from Feb. 1, QSY to 7265 kHz from Feb. 9. 7265 0800-1500 VOR (Golos Rossii) ex 7200 de Hiroshi (S. Hasegawa, Feb 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This has really become a tempest in a teapot, with the St. Pete guy objecting to being overruled by the Moscow frequency manager, influenced by `nobody` listeners in Germany. Quite a pity, as Timofeyev is quite an accomplished DXer himself; we have published many of his items, and he really ought to understand these things. Turf battle provoked by IARUMS! Or rather by the decision to broadcast below 7200 kHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Moscow / Sankt-Petersburg, February 9, 2011. Dear Colleagues, Indeed, since today we are already using 7265 kHz. I took something else: HF broadcasting in our branch office (as well as across the country) in accordance with authorizations to use radio frequencies (REACH) Rossviaz from 2007, issued pursuant to the relevant expert opinion FSUE GRCHTS "about the use of radio-electronic means. Finally, in Rich, is the outline of frequency-spatial distribution of the RECs, including: call transmitter coordinate the installation point, the power of the radiation symbol (16K0A3E) and, most importantly, the specific radio frequency (not the band!) In kHz, for example: 7100 , 7105 ... 7345, 7350 kHz. In accordance with the decisions of the ITU, with the end of March 2009 the plan for the 41- meter band was transformed into a 7200, 7205 ... 7445, 7450 kHz. Question: On what grounds Officer GRCHTS Alexey Vesnin decided to replace the frequency 7200 kHz 7265 kHz at the request of an unknown amateur group Intruder him from Germany? I can accept that this issue could be considered, but only in case of a real interference with amateur radio with the provision of "aggrieved party" on the nature of interference, the date, time, frequency, mode, callsign amateur radio, excerpts from journals of hardware, audio and etc., ie in fact. By the way, in our REACH (on the HF band) have a separate paragraph to read: "The forced change frequencies or frequency channels user of spectrum is allowed only in order to prevent danger to life or health and safety of the state, as well as to meet the obligations arising from international treaties of the Russian Federation." The latter could still relate to this case, but again, no additional clarification in policy documents of ITU on the "status" 7100 kHz (up to March 2009) or 7200 kHz (after) not available. To all the ills of our Russian foreign broadcasting is now added one more - "juggling" frequencies "Voice of Russia" in the performance of individual employees GRCHTS ... (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg / "open_dx") via RusDX Feb 13 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [and non]. 7220, Feb 13 at 0009 in Russian with motorboating, not too severe yet, but there should not be any --- listed as Golos Rossii, 500 kW, 295 degrees via Pridnestrovye for Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, NW South America. Some QRhaM, which becomes less and less likely toward the upper edge, tho entitled to go right up to 7299. So I compared with VOR in English up the band: 7290, also via Pridnestrovye, was best, being 300 kW at 310 degrees for USA; // 7250 a lot weaker, despite being 500 kW, 315 degrees for same CIRAF zones, via ``Armavir``. At 0010, W&M were discussing arms limitations and suspicions about NATO. They were trying to sound spontaneous but I think it was scripted. Both had rather heavy Russian accents, as VOR seems to be making less effort to employ announcers with North American or British accents. Their best ones have died (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia World Service --- Programmes now completely re-vamped and announcements made in more convincing manner. This includes 24/7 Digital for London Area (or so it says, I heard somewhere, maybe on BDXC-News that this had been delayed). STILL not announcing Webcast [despite being available since August 2010, at least] which is mostly available 24/7, I believe. 'kbps' is now stated to be 96 (instead of 64) on Both Real Player and Windows Media Player. {If you are having any difficulties accessing WMP, try 'Easy MP3' instead} (Ken Fletcher, CH43, 11 Feb, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. From DXLD 11-06: "WRTH 2011 agrees that these are the *only* SW transmissions of MRR = Russian International Radio, plus a number on mediumwave. Meanwhile, regular Golos Rossii transmissions also in Russian are ongoing at same time on many different SW frequencies. Could someone remind us of what the point is, having this separate but limited external service in Russian?" Mezhdunarodnoye Russkoye Radio (International Russian Radio) is a joint project of the "Voice of Russia" and Russian musical station "Russkoye Radio". MRR mainly broadcasts music (pop/rock in Russian language only). Unlike main Russian service of the VOR, this service is aimed at younger audience. It is rebroadcasted by a number of FM stations in the CIS countries of Caucasus and Central Asia. Few days ago MRR schedule on MW/SW was shortened to 0600-0900 UT only (Aleksandr Diadischev, Ukraine, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 9680, This morning noted new Golos Rossii service in Russian language from Samara site daily 5-8 UT, since Feb 1. S=8 on Feb 15. But audio quality like brouillage/sauce, not compared as good as Taldom site outlet 9840 kHz. Similar audio feed problems at Samara always also with R Tatartstan Kazan relays from same tx site. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, remote SDR morning log (rx in GRC, FIN, SUI, D, GB, IRL, USA), Feb 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [and non]. Not observed on air since Jan 1st 2011: Armenia on MW 1395 kHz. Abkhazia on 9535 (but is on MW 1350 kHz) and Kabardino-Balkarian Radio on 6005 kHz (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Feb 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Feb 10 via DXLD) 1395 drifting, Radio-2 and VoArmenia via Yerevan suburb site? 6005 1800-2000 Krasnodar Armavir-RUS. 9535 Sukhumi? Georgia (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** RUSSIA. The local Adygeya Radio from Maykop was heard 28 January at 1800 starting its emission with the National Anthem of Adygeya Republic on 6005 kHz. On the same frequency were also Radio “700” from Germany and Radio BBC (Compiled by Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX 11 Feb via Yimber Gaviria, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Russia will stop using summer time: clocks will not be turned back one hour next October and that time will remain unchanged throughout the year. Yakutsk is reported inactive on 6150, 7140 and 7200 kHz with only 7230 in operation (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) ** SARAWAK. 7270.45, Wai FM via RTM. 1343, Feb 8. In vernacular; on air phone calls; pop songs; 1400 local news; by 1441 able to clearly hear // 11665 and by about 1520 both about equal with fair reception. Very nice to have them off frequency, to get away from the pileup on 7270.0 (PBS Nei Menggu, et al.). Feb 9 back to normal on 7270.0. Nice while it lasted! (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also MALAYSIA ** SARAWAK [non]. 6205, R. Free Sarawak via Tajikistan, Feb 06 *1200- 1214, 43433-43443 Iban, 1200 sign on with ID, Opening announce, talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) 6205, R. Free Sarawak, 1211-1300* Feb 10. Very good signal with usual Bahasa Malaysia phone talk(s); music interlude at 1221; close-down routine at 1254, with several ID's accompanied by theme music on string instrument; ended with M announcer saying "Bye-bye" (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 15680, R Free Sarawak confirmed my reception of the station/program with a very simple QSL-card and a letter from Erwin Zbinden, Documentation, Bruno Manser Fonds, Socinstrasse 37, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland. The station started on Nov 16, 2010. Website: http://www.freesarawakreport.org (Björn Fransson, Västerhejde, Gotland, Sweden, DSWCI DX Window Feb 9 via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. Observed 17660 kHz s/on 1353-1554 UT close/down as follows: On Jan 27 & 28 a program in English with rhythm & blues songs from 40s from Radio Riyadh and a program in French from 1400 UT and 3 frequencies on MW in Riyadh, in Jeddah and in Damman, SW, FMs, program parade - all from Riyadh and from 1500 UT a program called "Panorama" from Radio Jeddah - till 1554 UT. On Jan 26 & Feb 3 at 1353-1400 UT a program in Urdu \\ 13775 kHz and from 1400 UT in French. On Jan 27 from 1223 UT on 15250 kHz began a program in English called "Arabika" from Radio Jeddah with songs in Arabic interrupted at 1227 UT for the close down. The broadcasts of BSKSA are starting around 5 minutes before the exact hour with IS (string instrument sound) and choir singing a part of their National Anthem (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Feb 3, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews 10 Feb via DXLD) Interesting to note how different frequencies from same site provide markedly different reception: 17705, BSKSA Arabic at 1448 Feb 12 is good with no flutter, while 17660 in French is fair with heavy flutter. 17895 Arabic is poor with flutter. Per HFCC, all are 500 kW from Riyadh; azimuths: 17660 270 17705 310 17895 295 310 is closest to USward, so naturally is best here. One might think 17660 was aimed more northerly to get disrupted by the auroral zone, but something else is causing this, aimed westward, apparently bothered by equatorial ionospheric bumpiness. 15435, later at 1520 is still buzzless, VG with lite flutter, Qur`an sung and spoken, // 17615. 21505, Feb 13 at 1416 talk in Arabic and music bits, poor. Must be BSKSA, which I haven`t heard on 13m for months; yes, a bit later made it // 17705. Meanwhile, Spain, Libya, and Portugal had better 21 MHz signals. Also making it, KUWAIT, q.v. HFCC and/or EiBi show several BSKSA 13m channels on air past 1400: 21460 until 16, 21505, 21530 and 21640 until 15, but only 21505 audible here. Aoki, however lists ONLY 21505, until 1457, and that matches what I am hearing, and not. 21505, Arabic from BSKSA, Feb 16 at 1417; no signals on 21460, 21600 or 21640 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. Radio Slovakia Intlernational`s Vintage QSL Party Hora: Lunes, 28 de febrero 15:00 - 18:00 Lugar: Online Creado por: Radio Slovakia International Más información: Send us your "inputs" related to Slovakia (visits, relatives, roots etc.) or your experience listening to RSI and you can get a "vintage" QSL card. Link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128156300586048 Evento QSL Clasica de Radio Eslovaquia Internacional ¡Hola a todos! Radio Eslovaquia Internacional para el dia 28 de febrero (2011) va a realizar a traves de su pagina en Facebook en el siguiente enlace: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128156300586048 el evento " QSL Clasica de Radio Eslovaquia Internacional " en vivo entre las 1500 a 1800 horas UT. Envien sus preguntas relacionadas sobre Eslovaquia (visitas, familiares, raices, etc) o de su experiencia escuchando a RSI y puede conseguir una Tarjeta clasica de Radio Eslovaquia Internacional. Aunque no mencionan nada en español, hice mi pregunta que si iban a incluir español, y la respuesta vino de... Anca Monica Dragu Not necessarily:) Send us whatever you have (in Spanish I guess:)) and we can forward it to other sections:) NO hay problema, hagan sus preguntas!! (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, Feb 9, Noticias DX yg via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. RADIO SLOVAKIA INTERNATIONAL "MAY" RETURN TO SHORTWAVE In today's "Listeners' Tribune" programme, RSI said it was negotiating with other radio stations about the possibility of returning to shortwave, including in Europe. However, it was stressed that nothing has been decided and it was by no means certain that this would happen (Roger Tidy, UK, Feb 13, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Following unmentions SW, but may bear on it (gh, ibid.) NEW DIRECTOR REPORTS ON SLOVAK PUBLIC BROADCASTER'S "CRITICAL" SITUATION, PLANS | Text of report in English by privately-owned Slovak SITA news agency website ["RTVS in Critical Situation, Will Need State Aid, Says Zemkova" - SITA headline] Bratislava, February 11, (SITA) - The situation in Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) is critical and it will not be possible to resolve it without a helping hand of the state, said the newly elected RTVS head Miloslava Zemkova at a briefing on Friday [ 11 February]. "The situation is really critical, a threat of execution due to the Omega Plus case is imminent [...] and the threat is very acute," said Zemkova, adding that this could hamper production of programmes or even everyday operation of the institution. It is not only a problem of the television now, but of the radio as well. "We will need to act very, very quickly," stated Zemkova. She informed last month that they face court ordered debt collection arising from a dispute with Omega Plus in the volume of EUR 5.918 million. The RTVS management is therefore preparing meetings with Finance Minister Ivan Miklos and the Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer. The management also has to meet with the RTVS Council as soon as possible and arrange some further actions. Zemkova believes that Speaker of Parliament Richard Sulik will call the first Council meeting soon. "We weren't created on the green field. We inherited many good things, but a vast amount of bad ones. Up to the date, the debt is 18 million euro. The losses that are reflected in technological, technical and human-resources insufficiency amount to some 43 million euro, excluding the losses of subsidiaries," Zemkova commented on the current financial situation of the RTVS. The first RTVS head announced that she would submit the budget to the RTVS Council immediately after it is finished. Until the Council approves it, RTVS will run with a provisional budget. The budget won't be balanced at the beginning; it will be a crisis budget, considering the RTVS heritage after the former organizations. "I presume it should be perfectly clear within half a year, whether the state will help this institution with resolving its debt service and losses, or the institution will struggle with it for twenty years," said Zemkova. She thinks that it is impossible to resolve the RTVS situation without help of the state, as both its losses and debt are too high. She also added that the staff should to be slimmed down to approximately 1,200 after two years of revitalizing and restructuring processes. RTVS currently has 1,600 employees on its payroll. Zemkova said it is not clear yet, how RTVS will be financed. She does not know whether concessions will be abolished, or not. "Now we work with the alternative that we will be funded from the state budget. In such case, the institution needs to be managed in a completely different way and budget creation has to be adjusted," said Zemkova, who considers the present model of financing from concessions, state coffers and ads to be a standard model in Europe. She is however ready to adapt to another alternative, but said that financing from the state budget has both its negatives and positives. Although she is getting ready for a discussion on removing ads from STV programme, she believes that RTVS should be able to advertise its own programmes and activities or charity and non-profit projects. The new RTVS head also said that broadcasting of the STV third sports channel Trojka will be brought to a halt after the World Ice Hockey Championship for maybe two or three years due to bad financial situation. Later the broadcasting should be restored. Source: SITA website, Bratislava, in English 1530 gmt 11 Feb 11 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 5020, Solomon Islands BC, Honiara. February 10, 0838-0848 non stop female in an uncertain language (English or Tok Pisin?) talks. 23422 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [non]. 15750, R. Bar-Kulan via Dhabbaya, Feb 06 *0500-0510, 35433 Somali, 0500 sign on with music, ID, Opening announce, Koran, SJ, talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) 9960, Feb 10 at 1558, VTC/Babcock music IS loop, much stronger than WRMI 9955; 1600 changes to ululations and jingle, then 6-pip timesignal ending at 1600:50! ID and singing ID as Radio Bar-Kulan. This 1600-1700 broadcast in Somali is 500 kW (HFCC) or 250 kW (Aoki), 20 degrees from Meyerton, SOUTH AFRICA, another US-backed EDC effort meaning ``Meeting Place`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9960, Bar Kulan, 1602 11 Feb, OM with ID, a short Qur`anic verse then OM with talks in Somali and Arabic 'uork bar kulan' then YL with talks, some mentioned 'rresha, mreka', S8, 435x3 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [non]. 15700, R. Damal via Dhabbaya, Feb 06 0520-0530, 35333, Somali, Somali pops and talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) Via Dhabbaya, UAE. 11970, Radio Damal, *1930-1940, Feb 12, s/on with Somali talk. Horn of Africa music. Weak. Via Woofferton, 11740, Radio Damal, 1908-1929:30*, Feb 12, Somali talk. Horn of Africa music. Abrupt sign off. Fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. QSL Utility: ZSC/Cape Town Radio - 8414.5 kHz - GMDSS - QSL. Report sent by Email reply immediately with QSL, info attached digitales. V/s: Jeff Tylee (Operations Specialist). Thank you very much!. Email: tyleeje @ telkom.co.za (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, ESPANA - SPAIN, RX site: Aldea del Cano, Cáceres, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 13810, via GERMANY, Feb 12 at 1441, Brother Scare is talking about some of his frequencies and remarx that ``next week, will be on 3185 all night long``. See U S A, WWRB for more (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. SLBC tests noted on 1125 kHz in Tamil from tune in at 1530 to 1630 UT sign off yesterday 10 Feb 2011. 1530 to 1615 BBC in Tamil followed by SLBC Home service. SIO 343 -- Thanking you, Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India, http://www.niar.org dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. 11905, S.L.B.C. at 0018 Feb 12. Carrier, 0020 drums then singing of national anthem, 0023 indigenous instrumental music, 0025 woman in possible listed Hindi, 0026 two men with religious recitation followed by religious singing, 0030 upbeat instrumental music, 0035 woman with ID, heard “broadcasting”, into song in Hindi. Fair (Harold Sellers, Vernon, BC, Listening in my car with an Eton E1 and AN1 active antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11905, Radio Sri Lanka-Radio Ceylon, *1530-1550, Feb 12, opening English “Radio Sri Lanka” ID announcements and announcement as “This is Radio Ceylon calling out to India”. English news at 1531. Local music at 1533. English and Hindi talk. Some oldies US pop music. Poor, mixing with Polish Radio (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15745, SLBC, Feb 06 *0126-0136, 35332, English, IS and national anthem, 0130 ID, Opening announce, Music (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 15209.3v, still hearing het on WYFR 15210, Feb 12 around 1450 when WYFR is in Portuguese, 1503 in English. This has finally been identified as YFR testing via the Ekala transmitter, so it`s Camping vs Camping! Wolfgang Büschel forwards another inquiry about this from Nils Schiffhauer, DK8OK on the A-DX list, who was getting 15209.36 in Hindi at 1525 Feb 12. Now the answer is in Aoki, unlike my previous chex: 15210 FAMILY RADIO 1330-1430 1234567 Marathi 300 350 Colombo-Ekala CLN 15210 FAMILY RADIO 1430-1530 1234567 Hindi 300 350 Colombo-Ekala CLN 15210 FAMILY RADIO 1530-1630 1234567 English 300 350 Colombo-Ekala CLN 07954E 0706N WYFR b10 Jan. 30 Altho this really started long before Jan 30. See DXLD 11-03: ```UNIDENTIFIED. 15210-, Jan 17 at 1430, het on the lo side of WYFR Portuguese. Previously reported by Eike Bierwirth, DXLD 11-02: ``9 Jan 2011, weak station, with some Asian language, religious? on approx. 15209.35 kHz, apparently fading out, first heard at 1455 UT, the sermon or whatever it is was not interrupted for the top of the hour. Doesn't sound like WYFR Portuguese/Spanish to me, that might be the carrier on 15210.0. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Leipzig, Germany)`` A long shot, but I wonder if it could be this as in DXLD 11-01, on a scrambled frequency? ``Victor Goonetilleke says Family Radio is testing in English on 15120 via 35 kW Ekala, SRI LANKA at 1330-1630``. Since FR on 15120 has yet to be heard by me, or anyone? on 15120, just Saudi and Cuba before 15, Nigeria after (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST 11-03)``` Since then I have kept hearing the het caused by 15209.3v vs 15210. So my `long shot` almost a month ago turns out to be correct. Wolfgang suggests maybe it really is on 15120, with 15209.33 being a spur from that; but I have yet to see any reports of YFR on 15120, and have never heard anything but Nigeria there after 1500. I`m sure South Asians could easily confirm whether anything from Sri Lanka is on 15120 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: [A-DX] Wer ist denn das auf 15209,360 kHz in Hindi o.ä., um 15:25 UTC? AIR ist doch sonst immer stramm auf Frequenz? Religiöser? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nils Schiffhauer" 12, 2011 4:25 PM Subject: [A-DX] Wer ist denn das auf 15209.360 kHz in Hindi o.ä., um 1525 UT? AIR ist doch sonst immer stramm auf Frequenz? Religiöser? 73, (Nils DK8OK, Excalibur, SDR-IP/GPS, Perseus, 2 x 20 m active quad loop (90 ), 42 m windom, DX-One prof, Feb 12, A-DX via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) Glenn Hauser drängelt schon eine Woche, sich mal die Frequenz anzuhören.... Da bleiben eher mehr Fragen als Antworten. In SDR remote soeben nur dünne Bindfäden gesehen, eine auf even, die andere minus 670 Hertz in der Schweiz und Engeland. Also circa 15209.330 Das sind die alten NHK Sender in Ekala, die den Ceylonesen letztes Jahr von NHK geschenkt wurden, als letztere sich nach Singapur verabschiedeten. Um 1557 UTC war's dann aus, Riyadh begann nebendran auf 15205 knüppeldicke. 73 Wolfgang Büschel (via DXLD) I see Aoki has that now [as above]. Weeks ago I suggested it could be Ekala, which Victor G. said was testing on 15120, but never heard there, so numbers must have been transposed. I'll check it coming days, (cc an Nils too). The 15209.33 signal was very weak for a former 300 kW unit at 350 degrees direct towards us in Germany, today, when checked on remote SDR radios. MAYBE Victor is right, the YFR service from Ekala sounds regular fundamental on 15120 kHz ??? And this is only a spurious signal of +89.330 kHz?? Who knows? And why not, Japanese AOKI maybe monitored a spurious signal on 15210v - and put it as "regular" on the frequency list. Who knows? From 1547 UT Riyadh 15205 covers adjacent totally. And 15120 R. RIYADH 1200-1455 Bengali 500 70 Riyadh also covers 15120 all over Asia too ... 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi, Glenn - nice to be honored in you DX information of nearly papal authority! I stumbled over a het, pinned the station at 15209.360 kHz (give plusminus 20 Hz or so for I used my Perseus) in Hindi up to 1530 UT, followed by WYFR's interval signal (but no ID), into a English program by a "Father Ray". Ekala and 35 kW doesn't interfere generally will DX conditions (Nils, DK8OK, Schiffhauer, Germany, Feb 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN. 7200, V of Sudan [sic]. 0241-0310 09 Feb Arabic. Arabic chants heard at tune in. Male with long talks in monotone voice. Then birds heard at 0246. Heard while talking. Then to more Arabic chants. Interesting to listen to. S7 with fades (Bob Montgomery, PA, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 17745, Sudan Radio Service via Sines. Feb 9 1627-1658* Noted with news clips talks in Sudanese, Horn of Africa orchestra selections by groups in vernaculars, Signal cut in mid-programming. Feb 11 1644-1657* Noted with talks in Sudanese, then balance of program featured musical selections by groups. Again signal was cut in mid-programming. Have been trying for some time to get some sort of reception on this frequency from this station but it seems that propagation is starting to improve on the higher frequencies (Edward Kusalik, VE6EFK, Daysland, Alberta, Canada, Drake R8A Digital Communications Receiver, Antenna that was used: 125 foot long wire, pointed due east, with 4:1 Balun Match, with Pi-type Antenna Tuner. () Trap-sloper, cut for 6955 kHz, pointed due south, 1:1 Matching Balun top feed, with 41-meter long wire, top feed for radial effect, with Heathkit HFT-9 Antenna Tuner. 135 foot Window T- antenna with MFJ – 941 B Antenna Tuner, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Via Sines, PORTUGAL. 17745, Sudan Radio Service, 1501-1530, Feb 12, tune-in to local string music. English IDs and into “Lets Talk” program at 1502 with discussion about Southern Sudan politics. Only an open carrier at approximately 1526. Into Arabic at 1530. Good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17745, Sudan Radio Service via Sines, PORTUGAL, Feb 16 at 1514, G signal with usual annoying studio reverb applied to the colloquial Arabic talk. 1542 a few words of English were promptly voice-over translated. No QRM; see UNIDENTIFIED (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17775 [sic - must have meant 17745 -- gh] CLANDESTINE OPPOSITION. Sudan Radio Service, 1515 to 1601 GMT, Feb 10. Typical SRS broadcast with both talk and music. During the first part of the broadcast there was severe noise on the frequency. I am not sure if it was atmospheric noise or intentional man made noise (jamming). The noise was not present on any other frequency on the 16 meter band. The noise affected the intelligibility of SRS's signals. Later in the broadcast either the noise changed character or SRS's signals became stronger as SRS's signals rose higher above the noise to improve their intelligibility (Steven Handler, Illinois, Sony ICF-7600GR with a whip antenna and a Yaesu FT-897D with a horizontal wire dipole antenna, NASWA Flashsheet Feb 13 via DXLD) See my Feb 16 log comments (gh) ** SUDAN [non]. 15710, 1412 13 Jan, R. Miraya via Slovakia, OM in French, SIO 232 (Richard Thurlow, Ipswich, Suffolk, Feb BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) French would be an odd language for this station. I sometimes hear traces of it, but that`s all (gh, DXLD) ESLOVAQUIA, 15710 kHz, Radio Miraya FM, Rimavska Sobota, 13-02-11, 1431-1454. Música, identificació n emisora y comentarios locutores, en árabe. SINPO 55444 (Javier Robledillo, Elche (Alicante), EA5-1028, Spain, Sangean ATS909, Ant: Telescópica, http://cuadernodebitacoradx.blogspot.com/ bclnews.it yg via DXLD) ** SUDAN SOUTHERN. SOUTHERN SUDAN TO RETURN TO COUNTRY STATUS. Over the last few months many have been waiting for the final outcome of the referendum vote for the separation of the Sudan and Southern Sudan, and now the great outcome is here. With the overwhelming majority of 90% of the people voting for another independent state, the Southern Sudan will once again become independent. With the Republic of Sudan agreeing to honor the referendum, and the United States pledging to recognize the new country status in July, it would seem that the DXCC Entity List would be going up one. Currently, reports indicate that the Southern Sudan will declare its independence on July 9th. There is even talk that this new country may even change its name, possibly without the name Sudan in it. Anyway, with this separation taking place, there were two major announcements this past week (possibly more in the coming weeks) of DXpeditions to take place in the middle of 2011 to activate this one (once the DXCC makes its ruling). Here are the two press releases: 1] Excerpts from "The Daily DX" states (edited): "...a working group has been established to enable Amateur Radio to enter the scene with a professional, supportive role in the context of introducing the new country to the world of Amateur Radio. It should be noted that this potential new country is emerging with a limited administrative structure, and the first Amateur Radio activation should - prior to the operation - be accompanied with a well-thought- out plan prepared in partnership with Southern Sudan's relevant authorities, such as telecommunications, security and education. The group of Alex/5Z4DZ/PA3DZN, Robert/S53R and Martti/OH2BH has organized such an effort in discussions with Southern Sudan's insti- tutions and other related parties in the region. Many of Southern Sudan's current institutions are represented in Nairobi, the home base of 5Z4DZ. Nairobi makes a practical hub for the project, facilitating the conduct of negotiations and travel to Juba, the region's future capital. S53R and his team, with several well-known hams, are based in the region and maintain the telecommunications structure for UNWFP with related professional contacts. Their regional offices are in Southern Sudan with all needed facilities and equipment. The plan is to use OH2BH's past work and material for the establish- ment of Amateur Radio in evolving societies as a foundation for assisting the newborn nation to draft and utilize Amateur Radio to its full potential in a professional setting when Southern Sudan joins the international family of nations. As public interest in Southern Sudan will run high over the next several months, this group has invited Bernie, W3UR, to be its spokes- man in dealings with the Amateur Radio community. The group will also be holding discussions about the provision of potential help to South- ern Sudan's prospective Amateur Radio Service with several entities, such as NCDXF, in addition to obtaining resources from Japan. The group wants to encourage the DX community to closely follow the rather complicated process unfolding around the emerging new nation, and hopes for a peaceful continuation of the process as the official referendum results are announced, leading up to the ultimate decla- ration of independence by the new country. Updates will be released from time to time between now and July, and it is predicted that prospects for a new DXCC counter are some months away with preparations well underway." 2] Paul, N6PSE, reports (edited): "The 'Intrepid-DX Group' and the 'DX Friends' have combined efforts to announce our next DXpedition, to the newly created country of Southern Sudan, to take place after July 9th, 2011. The Intrepid-DX Group is the group which brought you the 2010 YI9PSE, IRAQ DXpedition. The DX Friends have brought you the 2006 S01R DX- pedition to Western Sahara, the 2008 DXpedition to Rwanda as 9X0R, the 2009 DXpedition to Western Sahara as S04R, the 2010 DXpedition to Palestine as E4X and the 2010 DXpedition to San Marino as T70A. Once again, ICOM America has agreed to be Global Radio Sponsor, while ACOM-K1LZ has agreed to provide the venerable ACOM amplifiers for this operation. It is hoped that the callsign ST0DX will be issued this next week following our meeting with the Government of Southern Sudan Mission in America. As with previous DXpeditions, this will be a major effort with a target of more than 150,000 QSOs. There will be up to ten stations on the air, using amplifiers along with high performance beams and vertical dipole arrays, 24 hours a day, for almost three weeks. Our primary objective is to activate Southern Sudan with a view to giving as many DXers as possible a first contact with this new DXCC entity and, as a secondary objective, to give as many band-slots as possible. We will soon be seeking contributions from sponsors to help defray the very significant logistics costs of this DXpedition. For example, there is limited electricity in Southern Sudan so generators will have to be shipped. Details of how to donate will appear on our website which will be live very soon. PayPal donations may be made directly via the site. All donations of 10 USDs or more will be acknowledged. The logos of all DX clubs etc which have helped to sponsor the DXpedition will be shown on the QSL card, as will the names and callsigns of those who make an individual contribution of 100 USDs or more. This first Press Release is intended mainly to alert you to our upcoming DXpedition. More information will be available soon via our website. Thank you, The Intrepid-DX Group and The DX Friends." The group`s Web page are: http://www.intrepid-dx.com http://www.dxfriends.com (The Ohio/Penn DX PacketCluster, DX Bulletin No. 998, February 14, 2011, Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio), via Dave Raycroft, ODXA yg via DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. Re: V of Russia to use Swiss 558 kHz transmitter from 1st March --- so it was not "electrosmog"? to stop MW transmissions in Switzerland, just shortsightedness (Stefano Valianti, Italy, Feb 10, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. Radio Taiwan International test to South Asia Frequency: 9435 kHz (replacing 11550 kHz) Time: 1600 to 1700 UTC Dates: February 13 to 16, 2011 Language: English Reception reports to : paula at rti.org.tw (Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE, New Delhi. Feb 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Guess what: CRI English via Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN is already scheduled on 9435 at 16-17; altho toward Europe, is this a bit of a problem in S Asia? What was wrong with 11550? WEWN blox it here, but there? (Glenn, ibid.) Yes Glen[n]. Tried for this RTI 9435 test on 13th but heavily blocked by CRI here in New Zealand (Ian Cattermole, Feb 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CRI Eng via Kashgar is not strong everywhere in the eastern part of India. Slightly audible. But RTI is loud during the test. 11550 kHz was never audible in eastern part in B10. Thanks (Swopan Chakroborty, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. CRACKDOWN WIPED OUT ALMOST ALL PIRATE RADIO STATIONS: NCC Taipei Times By Shelley Shan / Staff Reporter Feb 10, 2011 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/02/10/2003495531 Fewer than 10 illegal radio stations remain after the National Communications Commission (NCC) launched a comprehensive effort to clamp down on the operators three years ago, according to an NCC official yesterday. NCC spokesperson Chen Jeng-chang said the number of illegal radio stations dropped from approximately 190 in the third quarter of 2008 to less than 10 last month, adding that the number varies from six to eight. Despite the success, Chen said the NCC hoped that an amendment to the Radio and Television Act would be passed at the legislature during at the coming legislative session so that the underused radio frequencies can be assigned to new operators, which is the real solution to the issue of illegal radio stations. The amendment passed the first reading at the Transportation Committee during the previous legislative session. It has yet to be passed at the third reading.Cheng Chuan-ping, director of the commission’s Northern Regulatory Department, said that underground radio operators often install the radio transmitters in remote areas. Some even tried to intimidate the NCC inspectors by setting up animal traps or putting up a sign claiming that the machine rooms would explode after 15 minutes, he said. “Sometimes, our staff have to carry confiscated electronic equipment weighing more than 10kg down winding mountain trails,” Cheng said. “On some occasions, they needed to climb 20m tall iron towers to dismantle the equipment.”Cheng said the inspectors must strictly adhere to legal procedures when raiding the illegal radio stations, adding that they must collect evidence first and apply for search warrants from the prosecutors (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) And Keith Perron will say it`s all a sham; they`ll be back soon (gh) ** TAJIKISTAN. 4765.07, Tajik R., Feb 06 1300-1305, 35443, Tajik, News, ID at 1300 (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Feb 11 via DXLD) ** TURKEY. Contrary to HFCC, WRTH and DX Mix News, V. of Turkey English to NAm is still on 5960, Feb 12 at 2304 JBA; 2315 with VOT jingle, English ID, `DX Corner` theme, but too poor to try to copy; while imaginary frequency 7335 is occupied on Saturdays by huge WHRI signal predicating in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA [non]. via FRANCE. 17725, Radio Y’Abaganda, *1700-1715*, Feb 12, sign on with local choral music. Talk at 1704 in local language with mentions of Baganda and Uganda. Abrupt sign off. Sat only. Good signal but began mixing with an unidentified station at 1714 at equal level with lite instrumental music and Afro-pop music past 1730 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA, Icom IC-7600, two 100 foot longwires, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17725 Khz - Rediyo Y'Abaganda, Issoudun/França, Recebido: e-mail confirmatório, 36 dias (incluindo 1 follow-up), V/S: Alex Kalazani Kigongo, IR enviado por e-mail: ababaka.com@ gmail.com Em breve a imagem desta confirmação (print screen) estará disponível no http://pqslfabricio.blogspot.com/ Forte 73 (Fabrício Andrade Silva, PP5002SWL, Tubarão - SC Feb 14, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** U K. BBC QRT: ``And all short- and medium-wave transmissions will cease by 2014, except for "lifeline" services such as Burmese and Somali.`` (ECONOMIST 29 JAN p 31 via Joerg Klingenfuss, via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) ** U K. Now it's official: http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/bbc-officially-announces-closure-of-648-khz (via Sergei S, Feb 12, dxldyg via DXLD) Dates for closures of BBC WS services --- Peter Horrocks, head of the BBC Global News Division, today announced the following closure dates: 1. BBC Portuguese for Africa and BBC Serbian will cease broadcasting on Friday 25 February. 2. BBC Albanian will cease broadcasting on Monday 28 February. 3. BBC Macedonian will deliver its final broadcast on Friday 4 March. 4. BBC Caribbean will cease broadcasting on Friday 25 March. 5. BBC Mundo radio will cease broadcasting on Friday 25 February. 6. BBC Russian radio and BBC Chinese radio will end on Friday 25 March. 7. BBC Vietnamese radio will cease broadcasting on Saturday 26 March. 8. BBC Azeri radio will end broadcasting on the weekend of 26/27 March. 9. It is proposed that SW distribution will cease for the following services on the weekend of 26/27 March: Indonesian, Kyrgyz, Nepali, Swahili, Great Lakes and Hindi. 10. The cessation of English on 648 MW and SW and the cessation of MW to Russia and the FSU are also proposed for the weekend of 26/27 March (Chris Greenway, UK, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) #4, BBC Caribbean, is as we have pointed out several times before, just the English WS filler for the rest of the 12-13 UT hour, following Spanish BBC Mundo which is only 15 minutes M-F. Yet they are to close a month apart, so turn off 9410 at 1215*? We figured the only reason it lasted an hour was time being sold in one-hour block (gh) ** U K. A report about the BBC received from a friend --- The British government says the foreign secretary, William Hague, is reviewing some of the recently announced cuts to the BBC World Service. A senior foreign policy official told the British parliament Mr Hague had said additional funding might be possible and options were being discussed. Last month it announced that five of its 32 language services would close. As many as 650 people could lose their jobs. That's not all. In the next few years all short-wave transmissions will end for good. The changes have been controversial, British law makers from all the major parties in parliament have criticised the cuts and the influential Commons Foreign Affairs Committee is carrying out an inquiry into the impact on the World Service. Now there's been a hint that things might change. At the end of a day long debate about recent events in the Middle East and North Africa in the House of Lords -- when the budget cuts were described as "misconceived" -- a Minister revealed that the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has mentioned the possibility of additional funding and the Government is discussing options with the World Service (SOURCE? via Ron Trotto-WDX4-KWI, Feb 13, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) One of the reasons given by the BBC for terminating their service to various parts of the world was that internet access was ubiquitous in those areas so people could listen that way. It probably came as a real wake-up call when Egypt cut off internet access for the whole country. Add in the loss of cell phone service and the only way left to reach lots of people at once is radio or television. Television, being almost exclusively local without rather specialized equipment, is also subject to being cut off. That leaves shortwave radio as the only avenue remaining (Jay Heyl, ABDX via DXLD) BBC update: http://www.medianewsline.com/news/119/ARTICLE/7341/2011-02-16.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U K. 16 February 2011 Last updated at 14:25 ET Call to save BBC Hindi broadcasts http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12489022 Picture shows Roshan, Shirin and Khurshid Vajifdar (foreground), three sisters who gave a song recital in the BBC Hindi Service to India; with them are (l-r) Sushil Das Gupta (flute), Krishna Kutty, S. Khanna, compere of the programme and Krishna Pennikar (tabla). 1952 BBC Hindi has been heard for seven decades * BBC confirms World Service cuts Well-known writers and other public figures in India have urged the British government to re-think funding cuts which will end BBC Hindi broadcasts. The signatories include Arundhati Roy, broadcaster Sir Mark Tully, historian Ram Guha and the author Vikram Seth. They say the BBC Hindi broadcasts, to end on 31 March, have 10 million listeners, particularly in rural areas. The BBC announced the cuts last month, saying it had no choice as the government was reducing its funding. Wednesday's appeal was entitled "Don't silence BBC Hindi radio". "For nearly seven decades BBC Hindi radio has been a credible source of unbiased and accurate information, especially in times of crises," the signatories said (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U K [non]. 15360, Feb 12 at 2357 poor signal with Bow Bells, so BBCWS is warming up for two-hour relay via THAILAND, 250 kW, 25 degrees, also USward. 2359:30 quick ID with website bbc.co.uk, less Lilliburlero than we used to hear, timesignal, 0000 Feb 13 midnight GMT timecheck, news headlines for a minute before the real news. This would have been a good bet for full strike of Big Ben on New Year`s Eve, propagation permitting (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FY 2012 BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS --- Monday, 14 February, 2011 The President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2012, sent to the Congress today, includes $767 million for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an increase of 2.5 percent from the FY 2011 full year Continuing Resolution level. The proposed funding reflects the importance of ongoing U.S. international broadcasting to critical audiences as well as technical infrastructure to support modern multimedia operations. “The BBG is continuing to modernize across a range of communications platforms to be effective in the 21st century media environment,” said Walter Isaacson, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. “As we continue our strategic review of U.S. international broadcasting, we will be seeking to introduce greater innovations and improvements in order to meet the challenges of our mission.” The FY 2012 budget request continues to fund the operations of the BBG networks of the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio and TV Marti, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), which distribute programming via radio, TV, the Internet, and an increasing array of new media to over 100 countries. Through its global transmission network, the BBG delivers news to countries without independent media, engages audiences and promotes dialogue through interactive programs, reaches people in conflict and crisis, and combats Internet censorship. The FY 2012 budget request supports ongoing programming as well as funding to: * enhance the Agency’s global satellite transmission infrastructure, * initiate a global news-sharing network, * roll out new media technologies across the Agency, * ensure broadcast disaster recovery capabilities, and * expand efforts to move VOA to an all-digital broadcast platform The FY 2012 budget request proposes a number of reductions. They include: restructuring broadcasting to China by realigning resources to implement a cost-effective and market-specific strategy; eliminating VOA broadcasts to Croatia; optimizing the BBG’s worldwide transmission network; and finding efficiencies within current operations. Further detail on the requested BBG budget is available here [154 pp]: http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=357&c=2492339&l=4774&ctl=352A2B5:BF6AE9FCB50C3952DFB24E6B99A3FB103C9D590B43FC028B& (via Clara Listensprechen, DXLD) Here is the part about Chinese, on page 13 (pdf page 11): ``LANGUAGE SERVICE REDUCTIONS RESTRUCTURE BROADCASTING TO CHINA POSITIONS: 45 ($8.0 MILLION) The Agency has identified a significant cost saving strategy by realigning its transmission network and resources for broadcasts to China. Research indicates that China has the second largest number of Internet users in the world—trailing only the United States — and, despite blocking by the Chinese government, many survey respondents access BBG websites through proxy servers. The BBG’s customized strategy for broadcasting to China, will allow the Agency to achieve significant cost savings by optimizing TSI broadcast operations and ensuring that audiences in China will still receive unbiased news and information through their preferred media. The restructuring of broadcasting to China will capitalize on the growing market for content via the Internet but will continue to employ traditional distribution methods like shortwave radio broadcasting. The Agency will shift VOA Mandarin from traditional radio and television broadcasting to a web-only platform utilizing new media technologies. This strategy recognizes the growing importance of new media in China, and targets niche audiences for VOA Mandarin content. VOA will concurrently increase funding for content for mobile devices and technical support for censorship circumvention initiatives. VOA will continue to produce audio and video programs which will be distributed on web and mobile platforms. As VOA shifts delivery of Mandarin content to the web and other new media, the BBG will strategically consolidate the network’s shortwave transmissions to ensure availability of peak listening hours for RFA Mandarin. RFA will continue its radio broadcasting in Mandarin and exchange some of its off-peak hours for VOA’s preferred broadcast hours, while realizing a significant reduction in its overall transmission expenses. This will be accomplished by decreasing the number of frequencies utilized simultaneously and minimizing the power levels used for each transmission. Further, the BBG proposes to eliminate VOA’s Cantonese Service, which has struggled to reach its target audience in China’s Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Hainan Province and parts of the Guangxi Autonomous Region. Cantonese audiences would still be served by RFA Cantonese radio broadcasts and VOA Mandarin’s website since Cantonese and Mandarin have a common written language.`` Also on pdf page 126 budgets for GREENVILLE compared in kilodollars: 2010 2011 2012 Increase or Actuals Estimate Request Decrease (-) Greenville 4,031 3,950 4,492 542 I.e., increasing from 4 to 4.5 megagucks, which would seem to indicate it is not going to be closed down. This is the ONLY mention of Greenville, searching the entire document (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This part got big play in press: ** U S A. US TO CUT VOA BROADCASTS IN CHINESE ‘DOWNPAYMENT’: Voice of America plans to lay off 45 Chinese-language staff as part of the US government’s goal to cut US$1.1 trillion from its deficit over the next decade By William Lowther / Staff reporter in Washington Voice of America (VOA) plans to end all radio and TV broadcasts in Mandarin and Cantonese starting in October amid a budget cut plan announced by US President Barack Obama, reports said yesterday. The decision is highly controversial and has already engendered some strong reactions among China watchers. “Shocking and idiotic,” said Arthur Waldron, professor of international relations at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on China. “Information is our strong point. As true news about China comes out, it will be easier for us to deal with them. Radios are very effective indeed at shaping public opinion,” he said. “I would think this was bad satire, but I fear it is true. It shows a complete lack of understanding of the world situation and correlation of forces,” Waldron said. The decision is sure to have an impact on VOA facilities in Taiwan and the many Taiwanese journalists who work for the agency. . . http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/02/16/2003495998 (Taipei Times via Artie Bigley, DXLD) OBAMA [sic] TO CLOSE SHORTWAVE TO CHINA FROM THE VOA http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/15/obama-admin-to-cancel-voice-of-america-china-broad/ (Washington Times [Moony] via Keith Perron, dxldyg via DXLD) This is the Washington Times, well known for its right wing viewpoints--sort of a Fox News in print. Odd that U.S. conservatives are all for slashing the budget until their pet projects come under the axe. Notice the article finally gets around to Radio Free Asia more than halfway through. Perhaps future American shortwave efforts should be focused there, particularly broadcasts to Tibet or Xinjiang. I think we are all familiar with the arguments for shortwave, but with a colossal federal budget deficit (financed in part by guess which country) VOA is going to have to make cuts. One group's "essential service" is another group's "government waste." Also, how many times can you work the word "propaganda" into a single article? The Chinese government almost certainly thinks of VOA as just that. Depends on your perspective. Notice the Chinese seem to be rethinking their own shortwave output in favor of more rebroadcasts on local AM/FM stations (we have TWO such outlets here in Houston) as well as a higher profile on satellite/cable TV and the Internet. (Steve Luce, Houston, TX, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) No more VOA to China: http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2011/02/voa-radio-broadcasts-to-china-signing.html http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20110216000152&cid=1104 http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/02/obama_cuts_off_voa_funding_for.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/china/voice-of-america-voa-china-service-to-go-silent-51362.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. 17895, Feb 15 at 1525, VOA, `Border Crossings` with Larry London, quite good signal I had not heard on this frequency before, which is 100 kW, 100 degrees from São Tomé; meanwhile, not audible on other listed African channel, Botswana 17715. Perhaps abnormal propagation today following solar flare. Larry was taking calls from two Pakistani YLs, Shahana and then Tina (at first he thought she said ``peanut``, ha ha, make that her nickname), both of whom speak excellent English and have US connexions. Shahana was prompted to greet a friend in New York in Urdu. They were both listening to –something FM 99 locally; it was Shahana`s first time, and she really had to call in. Finally back to music at 1535, a song enhanced by Autotune effects, how tiresome. Weakening at 1556 and apparently off a bit before 1600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. AMERICA’S VOICE MAY NEED MORE SPEECH THERAPY By Trey Hicks February 14, 2011, 1:44 pm http://blog.american.com/?p=26954 Voice of America recently hired Ramin Asgard to direct its Persian Service. His selection is curious, given his track record. Asgard has worked in the State Department and, for a time, directed its “Iran Regional Presence Office” in Dubai. More recently, he served as a political advisor on Iran at CENTCOM. The problem is that it appears that he used both positions to undermine American policy toward Iran. • According to emails recently shared with me, while managing the “Iran Regional Presence Office,” Asgard suggested a scheme to support the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) with tax dollars. In emails to Trita Parsi, president of the George Soros-funded NIAC, Asgard floated a scheme that would have allowed the anti-sanctions lobbying organization to handpick Iranian-Americans to staff the State Department’s primary field office on Iran. It was around this time that NIAC began its efforts to eviscerate democracy promotion funds meant to support civil society and radio broadcasts into Iran. • While serving as a political adviser to CENTCOM last spring, Asgard penned an article for a Tufts University journal in which he professed moral equivalency between Iran and the United States, blaming both equally for a lack of “dialogue” and “cultural diplomacy.” Asgard continues to minimize the real issues the United States has with Iran, such as the regime’s sponsorship of terrorism and its underwriting of attacks against U.S. troops and allies, by saying the friction between the United States and Iran is merely a “political difference.” • Those who have met with Asgard question his Persian fluency. This begs the question: how can Asgard manage U.S. broadcasts to Iran if he can’t understand what is being discussed? Over the last several years, U.S. international broadcasting has had serious management and content problems (for a small taste, see here, here, here, here, and here). Things will worsen if the Broadcasting Board of Governors fails to start hiring serious public diplomacy experts who can speak the language of their broadcasts and offer a “clear and effective presentation of the policies of the United States Government and responsible discussion and opinion on those policies” (22 USC Chapter 71 sec. 6202). (American Enterprise Institute [far- right] blog via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. DEATH OF JOSÉ PEPE DEL RÍO, LEGENDARY MC OF VOA'S BUENOS DÍAS AMÉRICA. José Pepe del Río, a veteran VOA broadcaster who charmed audiences for 25 years as the host of the Spanish Branch program Buenos Días América, died in his sleep February 12, 2011 at his home in Temple Hills, Maryland following a long struggle with a blood disorder. He was 86. Born in Tampico, Mexico, Pepe was the anchor of Buenos Dias America from 1961 until 1986. He also did field reporting for the Spanish Branch in Vietnam in the 1960s, and from Cape Kennedy at the launching of the Apollo mission to the moon in 1969 and the Columbia space shuttle in 1981. Pepe entertained audiences from the Rio Grande to Cape Horn with his unique conversational banter over coffee and live interviews with newsmakers. He became so well known in Central and South America that presidents and prime ministers hosted him during trips to the region. After his retirement from VOA he worked for a decade as a broadcaster for the Mexican station, CRC. See also http://www.voanews.com/spanish/news/usa/rio-memoria-fallecimiento-pepe-116157294.html (via Kim Elliott, DC, Feb 14, DXLD) Which is he in the photo?? (gh) Also sad news received today from VOA --- Heard today of the loss of another great man at VOA: Luis Daniel Uncal (1927-2011) (see: http://eltiempolatino.com/deportes/murio.html also in Spanish) I remember Luis Daniel Uncal's reports heard in local station (CX14 El Espectador) news bulletins as correspondent of VOA -as he was for various radio stations in Latam. He was one of the first sounds of shortwaves I heard. I was a child and have clear memory of his daily closing sentence "Desde Washington y para CX 14 El Espectador de Montevideo, Uruguay, les habló Luis Daniel Uncal". During late 60s and early 70s stations in Latin America could pick and record from a VOA special segment before regular service and for later rebroadcast, short correpondent reports (personalised with the station's name). These broadcasts were received with superb signals emanating from the Greenville relay station (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. EE.UU: A partir del 10 de febrero la página en Facebook de la VOA se mudó a..... Voz de América Hora: jueves, 10 de febrero 19:30 - 22:30 Lugar: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Voz-de-America/128071033870721 Creado por Voz de América Más información: A partir de hoy esta página dejará de estar disponible. Pueden seguirnos aquí: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Voz-de-America/128071033870721 Disculpen las molestias (via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, Feb 10, DXLD) But both are the new page, identical (gh) ** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1551 monitoring: confirmed after 2000 UT Thursday Feb 10 on WBCQ 7415 webcast; confirmed at 2200 UT Thursday on WRMI webcast; confirmed after 0430 UT Friday on WWRB 3185; confirmed after 0600 UT Friday on ACB Radio Mainstream webcast, repeated 2- hourly. WWCR airings: Friday 2130 7465, Saturday 1700 12160, Sunday 0730 3215. WORLD OF RADIO 1551 monitoring: Sat Feb 12 from 1501 confirmed on WRMI 9955, weak with SAH from Taiwan and squeezed by adjacents such as 9960 VOA Uzbek via Tinian, but no jamming; however, at 1515 check, lite pulse jamming had attacked, but plenty considering weakness of WRMI. If WRMI ever gets its NW antenna back in service, that should be enough to overcome less than wall-of-noise jamming. Next WRMI airings are: Sat 1830, Sun 0900, 1630, 1830; Mon 1230, 2230; Tue 1630, Wed 0200, 1630. WOR 1551 also confirmed on 12160 WWCR, Sat Feb 12 at 1706. Final airing is Sunday 0730 on 3215. Will Martin heard WWRB announce just before the 0430 UT Friday airing of WORLD OF RADIO on 3185 that ``effective 14 Feb 2011, all WWRB programming on 3185 will be moved to 5050 kHz.`` So that nice-and- clear airing of WoR on Thursday nights (UT Friday) will henceforth be on 5050 instead, Will says. Greater skip zone on 5 MHz will not be good for close areas like St Louis, but we hope will reach further areas better than 3185 did (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SOUTH CAROLINA [non] ** U S A. 7465, WWCR Nashville TN (presumed); 2310, 8-Feb; M in English on Christians in Egypt. S40. // long time spur on 7480.6, poor in AM, good in SSBs (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saturday mornings bring a double-dose on WWCR of Martha Garvin`s Musical Memories, mostly hymns with her own piano accompaniment: Feb 12 after 1400 on 7490 with its heavily distorted audio processing; and after 1530 on 15825 with much better audio but weaker signal here, lacking any sporadic-E enhancement. At least OTH radar pulsing did not start until 15840, up to 15865. Current program schedule shows five more times for her (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12160, USA/TN, WWCR, on 2/12 [Sat], 1700-1730, World of Radio with a sort of choppiness to the sound, but not backed up by what I saw on SP-600's S-meter. Must have been some sort of influence from co- channel CODAR. Already strong signal got stronger over time and effect was no longer noticeable (Rick Barton, El Mirage, AZ, Hammarlund SP- 600, Drake R-8, outdoor lw, outdoor slinky, ABDX via DXLD) I am disappointed to hear that not only WINB, but also WWCR treats our national anthem as produxion music, to be excerpted and talked over in canned ID, heard Feb 13 at 0658 on 3215 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9405, Feb 15 at 1043, gospel rock, no doubt Radio 2:11 via WINB with usual wobbly carrier, very good signal now while four hours earlier 31m was virtually dead following solar flare at 0156; but it is often dead anyway with plummeting MUF in nightmiddle as far as WINB is concerned (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 11715-, KJES, Feb 15 at 1520, adult with Jesus story about Golgotha, etc., choral music background. Fairly good modulation level this time. Had not heard any sign of this 14-17 UT broadcast for more than a week. 11715, Feb 16 at 1427, OM with religiously-inspired platitudes, such as ``may the joyous chorus of virgins surround you``, and with Catholic-choral reverby background music. Switched to YL with more of same, interrupted at 1430 sharp by kid ID for KJES, Lord`s Ranch, zipcode, ``let me know if you can hear me.`` 1511 same stuff back to OM reciting. Aside from the ID, not hearing the robokids much any more. VG signal and fair modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 17775, KVOH with predicador in Spanish, Feb 15 at 1557, usual unstable carrier, VG level at S9+22 but no 17921v spur audible yet. No sign of 17775 the last few days. This correlates with the WRTH Update schedule showing Tue-Fri only, but also irregular. Anyhow, they still haven`t unloaded their ailing multi-ton transmitter to some gullible evangelist. 17775, KVOH again on the air, Wednesday Feb 16 at 1542, VG signal with preacher, and trace of the 17920 spur (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 15550-USB, WJHR surprisingly strong Feb 13 at 1427, peaking S9+18, but audio is continually breaking up badly, like a CD playback problem; preacher plugging Fundamental Voices, Galax, VA. Still breaking up in music from next(?) show at 1431. Slight QRM from Iran AM co-channel. Recheck at 1456, WJHR is gone. Maybe got a boost from unexpected HF sporadic E, no sign of which later anywhere near VHF. And there was nothing from WEWN on 15610, only usual very poor signal from WWCR on 15825, at similar distances which would likely be affected too by any Es enhancement (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 5775 [sic, means 5755], WTWW, Lebanon TN, 0543-0545 Jan 6 with Pete Peters, 100 dB signal, excellent (Richard W Parker, Pennsburg PA, Miltronix/Signal Corps R-390A, Sherwood SE-MI III Deluxe synchronous detector, Collins 51S-1 preselector, Yaesu FT-840, MFJ- 901B antenna tuner, 25m dipole, Alpha-Delta DX Sloper, 160 ft inverted L with Yaesu FC-800 auto-tuner, 75m balanced doublet, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) 100 dB? See ALBANIA ** U S A. 3145 WWRB been missing the last couple of nights. It's not like many people will miss Brother Stair but any idea why 3145 has been off the air the last couple of nights?? (gpsblake Feb 9, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Scare is now on 5050 which had been carrying "The Bible on Shortwave" per WWRB's outdated website. Seems that 3145 has been dropped per Overcomer's website. http://www.wwrb.org http://www.overcomerministry.org (Travers, ibid.) Yes, no 3145 shown (BTW, NEVER listed by FCC or HFCC), but try to figure out what The Overcomer means by this: WWRB 5050 Feb 6-14 All Night Sun-Sat WWRB 3185 6Pm-9Am Sun-Sat (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yea, I hear the Overcomer on 5050 now. I guess that means most low-end analog shortwaves will be able to hear the "profit". Speaking of Stair, I will be within a few miles of his compound tomorrow. I know he won't let me but I would love to get a picture of his radio room and antenna/satellite set-up (gpsblake, ibid.) WWRB Moving 3185 to 5050 --- I just heard last night, prior to the airing of WoR #1551 on WWRB on 3185 kHz, an announcement that, effective 14 Feb 2011, all WWRB programming on 3185 will be moved to 5050 kHz. So that nice-and-clear airing of WoR on Thursday nights (UT Friday) will henceforth be on 5050 instead. I saw the recent discussion here about formerly-3145 kHz programs already moved to 5050; don't know if that causes a conflict or not. Also, this wasn't explained, just announced, so I don't know if this is a frequency change due to seasonal propagation adjustment, or if the FCC ordered the change the way WWCR reports that they had to suddenly make frequency changes due to previously-uncomplained-about frequency choices being pre-empted by military or other-government uses (as on "Ask WWCR"). I find it hard to explain as a non-forced change, because I get far better reception on the 3 MHz frequencies here in St. Louis than on any of the higher ones. 73, (Will Martin, MO, Feb 11, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) But azimuth is different: 5050 4,5,9 WRB 100kW 45degr USA WRB FCC winter 2100-0500 / 2200-0400 from March 13 instead summer 2200-1300. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) OK, I'm confused. When I tune 3185 kHz, at least on the 14th and last night on the 15th, I'm *still* getting Bro Stair and other programming that I thought was coming from WWRB. So was that announcement I heard a mistake or what? I'm not getting much if anything on 5050 kHz. 73, (Will Martin, MO, Feb 16, ibid.) After Feb 14 the deal is that Stair is on 3185 all night after having been temporarily on 5050 all night; and non-Stair programming is on 5050, perhaps lasting only until 0500. UT Feb 17 it was on past 0400 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 11665 WYFR Family Radio, Okeechobee FL; 2142-2145*, 9-Feb; EZL music at tune-in; W in Arabic with close mentioning QSL, WYFR & Okeechobee. SIO=444 over Portugal. Why issue QSLs when they're just going to burn to a crisp on 5/21/11? 11665, WYFR Family Radio, Okeechobee FL; *2200, 9-Feb; IS came up at 2159+ into Spanish, covering co-channel Portugal. SIO=443 till about 2201 when RNd Venezuela via Cuba came up on 11670, strongly QRMing WYFR. Via Okeechobee per http://www.short-wave.info Definitely less strong than the 21Z broadcast. Socialists vs huxters vs silly ball game (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 2980, WMPX Midland MI; 2330, 9-Feb; Northwood U. Timber Wolves vs Saginaw Valley State U. Cardinals bkb, 2 x 1490. Nothing on 3 x = 4470. This is not heard consistently, despite the transmitter being about 3 miles from me. (Frodge-MI) 2 x 1490! (gh) Also had weak audio on 2730 (3 x 910 WSBA York PA logged before) and on 2400, during 23Z, 9-Feb (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 125 ft. bow-tie; 85 ft. RW & 180 ft. center-fed RW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Week in Review: WSBA still very readable on 3rd harmonic at 2730 khz (Bill, W1OW, Smith, MA, Feb 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 4050-, Feb 15 at 1018, JBA ads in English with 800 numbers; 1052 country music, still audible at 1115, and carrier at 1132; 1137 fade-up for ad about tax return preparation vs IRS, 1138 electronic cigarette for addicts to pretend to smoke. Certainly the oft-heard third harmonic of KWMO, 1350, Washington MO. I was also looking for GUATEMALA, q.v. on 4052.5- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 4045-USB, Marine Weather Center, Lakeland FL, Feb 15 at 1138 listening for emergency traffic, none heard, so onward with Caribbean weather summary from radar and satellite images; 1139 about Turks & Caicos; some bonker QRM on lo side. Is Mon-Sat net at *1130 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 3843-LSB, Feb 12 until 0639* UT a net is wrapping up with NCS K5TRM, until next Friday night. Mentions a website quickly but I can`t copy it. About Old Miss? K5TRM is Tandy R. Martin, per QRZ.com. Apparently something to do with Mississippi? NO, Searching on him led to: Old Man International Sideband Society http://www.omiss.net/Facelift/index.php I guess YLs are not welcome here? Tell the EEOC. Details: ``OMISS OPERATES ON THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCIES AND TIMES, PLUS OR MINUS QRM AND PROPAGATION: Band Freq Day UT Net Coordinator 160M 1.865 MHz Sat & Sun ** * 0400 KA8MMI , Neil #4538 80M 3.942 MHz Daily 0200 KR2C , Kurt #5916 80M Late 3.942 MHz Sat & Sun ** * 0500 KR2C , Kurt #5916 40M 7.185 MHz Daily 0100 N4JTE , Bob #1440 40M Late 7.185 MHz Sat & Sun * 0300 N4JTE , Bob #1440 20M 14.290 MHz Daily 1830 KT7E , Joe, #6282 17M 18.165 MHz Sat & Sun * 1900 KA8III , Jim #5952 15M 21.360 MHz Sat & Sun * 1700 N7FUD , Ron #1914 10M 28.665 MHz Sat & Sun * 1800 ND8F , Homer # 774 * And Monday if it is a Legal Holiday, plus New Years Day, 4th of July, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. ** The Winter schedule will begin the last week-end in October and complete the 1st week-end in April. Days and times are in UTC. Nets that are Friday night local are displayed as Sat UTC. Net Control Stations Needed! Please contact K5TRM if you can help out once in a while or regularly.`` So they had shifted one kHz from nominal 3942 when I heard them. K5TRM`s photo is apparently in the lower right corner of this: http://www.omiss.net/Facelift/PhotoGallery/GenPhotoPage.php?Page=60 John Norfolk`s final Nets to You of four years ago had lots of OMISS entries but some on different frequencies then, and identified it as: OMISS: OM International Sideband Society. A Worked All States awards group. http://www.omiss.net/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. In case you haven`t heard, the three MW DX tests from Illinois scheduled for Saturday mornings Feb 12 and 19 have been canceled. Before this word came, I had publicized them toward the end of WORLD OF RADIO 1551; never mind (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Two DX tests in March --- Georgia's on Jim Pogue's mind. He brings word of two scheduled DX tests. I will reconfirm this with him in the next couple days as I get reorganized after (hopefully) resolving some serious computer birdies. But I want word out immediately, so here we go. Please forward far and wide: WKVQ, 1540 kHz, 10 KW, Eatonton, GA will test on March 12, 2011 from 2:00-2:30 AM Eastern Standard Time [0700-0730 UT]. Test will include Morse code IDs, voice IDs, special music, and sweep tones. Reception reports may be sent to starstation @ bellsouth.net which will be acknowledged with an eQSL or snail mail reports to WKVQ Radio, Attn: DX Test, P.O. Box 3965, Eatonton, GA 31024-3965 which will be acknowledged with a traditional QSL card. During the test, phone calls will also be accepted at 706-485-8792. Special thanks to Chief Engineer Craig Baker, for making this test possible. WYTH, 1250 kHz, 1 KW, Madison, GA will test on March 19, 2011 from 2:00-2:30 AM Eastern Daylight Saving [sic] Time [0600-0630 UT]. Test will include Morse code IDs, voice IDs, special music, and sweep tones. Reception reports may be sent to starstation @ bellsouth.net which will be acknowledged with an eQSL or snail mail reports to WYTH Radio, Attn: DX Test, P.O. Box 3965, Eatonton, GA 31024-3965 which will be acknowledged with a traditional QSL card. During the test, phone calls will also be accepted at 706-485-8792. Special thanks to Chief Engineer Craig Baker, for making this test possible. Thanks to Jim and to Craig! (Saul Chernos, for the IRCA-NRC DX Test Committee, Feb 11, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) This is awesome news... from Jim Pogue! Subject: Additional DX Test block for Europe At the request of Barry Davies and our DXing brethren across the pond, Craig Nelson has agreed to add an additional test segment from WKVQ that will hopefully provide a pre-sunrise window for European listeners. Note, this is in addition to the previous test block that was announced and does NOT replace it. The details of this additional test block are as follows: WKVQ, 1540 kHz, 10 KW, Eatonton, GA will test on March 12, 2011 from 1:00-1:30 AM Eastern Standard Time (0600-0630 UTC). Test will include Morse code IDs, voice IDs, special music, and sweep tones. Reception reports may be sent to starstation @ bellsouth.net which will be acknowledged with an eQSL or snail mail reports to WKVQ Radio, Attn: DX Test, P.O. Box 3965, Eatonton, GA 31024-3965 which will be acknowledged with a traditional QSL card. During the test, phone calls will also be accepted at 706-485-8792. Special thanks to Chief Engineer Craig Baker, for making this test possible. Something to look forward to! (Saul Chernos, IRCA-NRC DX TEST Committee, ibid.) Another DX test in March --- From Ron Musco: "1440 WFNY Gloversville, NY will Test Sunday morning March 6th between 0100 and 0200 EST. Morse Code, tones and old rock and roll. Power will be with their 5,000 watt non-directional signal. Address as in the Domestic Log and WFNY@Logical.NET for reports with return postage. Verie guy is my buddy Mike Sleezer, Owner, G.M." Thanks, Ron, and Mike! I'll repost more formally in a day or so. Just wanted to get word out ASAP (Saul Chernos, IRCA-NRC DX Test Committee, Feb 11, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. 600, TEXAS, KTBB, Tyler. 1207 February 13, 2011. Certainly the one, very briefly in with conclusion of a commercial break, into the syndicated Gun Talk Show with host Tom Gresham ("Welcome back to the Gun Talk Show... on FOX Radio... 866-TALK-GUNS..."). Looked the show up at guntalk.com, and indeed this is the only station listed on 600, and the time matches, as does the propagation path to west central Florida. Fair, and quickly lost to Cuba and unidentified Mexican. Also, local WDAE on 620 kicked in their IBOC at 1212, forcing me to go to LSB mode (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1110, the frequency hijacked from the original KEOR in Atoka, SE OK near TX, so that The Metroplex could squeeze in yet another unneeded AM station, now KVTT, but is it really on the air with 50 kW? Feb 11 at 2139 I hear nothing but KFAB Omaha groundwave with that lunatic Glenn Beck as per schedule on delay. FCC shows KVTT 5-tower array does have a deep null at about 355 degrees almost toward us, but a minor lobe at 320, a bit of which might be audible http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1390900-111898.pdf 1110, cf. yesterday`s report of nothing but KFAB Omaha audible here in daytime; is KVTT The Metroplex really on with 50 kW? It does have a null almost usward, and from another location on the west edge of Enid, and thus a little closer to its 320 degree minor lobe, I am hearing a barely audible SAH between KFAB and something else, Feb 12 at 2115 UT, clocked at 36 per minute = 0.6 Hz. Has anyone else measured the separation between these two stations? Such info is hard to come by, even on the MW Offset listing. BTW, at this time, 1440 Spanish from The Metroplex was in well, i.e. skywave at the higher end of the band already working, as KTNO does not make it here on groundwave (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1350, WLMA Greenwood, SC - 0331 UT 2/5/2011 (auroral conditions) - Caught a local ad from the station itself giving out advertising information with two mentions of the station's ID. Interesting side note: WLMA's license was canceled by the FCC in '04 but continues to operate despite shaky relations with the FCC and failure to pay FCC fines (Tim TROMP, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD)) ** U S A. All times UT: 1510, FLORIDA (MIS), City of Lakeland, WPZW713 at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. 1400 February 12, 2011. Yes, 1510 (not 1610). Surprised to hear this one with a brief but very good signal on I-4 on my drive to Orlando, peaking around the US-92 exit, which is nearly due north of the airport. Running a loop with segments by male and female voices, including a promo for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and their website aopa.org; the annual Sun 'N Fun Fly-In event; and a segment touting Lakeland and all the fun you can have in and around Lake Parker, Lake Hollingsworth, etc. Not only is the signal way stronger than it's been in ages, it's the first definite log in quite a long time for me, even when passing closer to the airport a year or so ago. Also, it remains one of the few in-band active TIS/MIS stations in Florida. 1620, FLORIDA (PIRATE), Radio Keenanm, Orlando. 1435 February 12, 2011. The usual Haitian Kreyol talk and konpa music format, already at fair level on I-4 heading to Orlando just past Walt Disney World, and throughout the day on sporadic checks around metro Orlando. 1620 Harmonic, FLORIDA, WFLF, Pine Hills. 2240 February 12, 2011. This one -- 3 x 540 fundamental -- popped up while heading south on FL-429 west of Orlando and held up for 3-4 miles (the transmitter is roughly east of where this signal appeared). Completely overrode Kreyol pirate Radio Keenanm. News/Talk format, branding as "WFLA" when not giving legal ID's, as always. The Hyundai has a fairly poor radio, so this probably gets out way better, though doubt much beyond the western side of metro Orlando. 1640, FLORIDA (TIS), Florida's Turnpike/DoT, near Orlando at I-4 (MP 259). 1440 February 12, 2011. Very strong west of the I-4 Turnpike exit, as always, and with a brief loop by female regarding no current accidents or construction updates. 1640, FLORIDA (TIS), Florida's Turnpike/DoT (FL-417 near Red Bug Lake Road exit), Slavia. 1445 February 12, 2011. This one started to co- channel the Turnpike MP 259 TIS on I-4 near the International Drive exits, peaking around I-4 at Anderson Street. Much longer loop than MP 259's, with male and female mentions of conditions updates and phone number. Never very strong though, this far west of the transmitter site. 96.7 MHz, FLORIDA, WZPH-LP, Dade City. 2257-2301 February 12, 2011. Popping up briefly with early The Who track into early Elvis Presley, then male canned ID at precisely 2300. This while on I-4 heading back to Clearwater, peaking west of Lakeland (Alexandria Road and Thonotosassa exits). (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Florida Low Power Radio Stations: http://sites.google.com/site/floridadxn/ dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Looking at my previous report that the website of KRVA-1600, The Metroplex was blank, I click on it again Feb 12 at 0505 UT: now it`s not blank, shows Mortensen Broadcasting, and antique logo for ``KRVA / AM 1600 / La Radio Viva`` plus ``Uploading content... Thank You.`` which I take to be a hollow promise, but will still check it again sometime. No linx on the homepage to anything else about KRVA, not a letter of Vietnamese. Kirk Allen says while in Houston he heard KRVA only in Vietnamese, except some English late at night (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Hi Glenn, I just concluded reading your posting that mentions 1600 KRVA programming. I've not really listened to them very much lately (just tuned by them), but while living in the Houston area, I noted only two languages from the station, Vietnamese and English. The latter was heard only late at night. One other item of interest noted here recently is a station I first heard on 2/9 from 1430 to 1510 UT with Spanish programming. At various brief intervals before 1500, the signal was quite good here with "Nuestras Noticias" which was all talk naturally. They played ranchera music post TOH and soon faded completely into the ether. The problem was no ID could be copied. After conferring with Richard Allen, we suspect only two possibilities, either KXYZ, Houston or KRDD, Roswell, NM. Judging by the bearings I was hearing them best, my guess would be the NM station. While in Houston I did hear some Spanish from KXYZ, but again, the vast majority of their programmnig was in the Vietnamese language with some English heard only during the night. That's about all from here for now. If the weather-guessers are correct, and we can actually reach temps in the 70's within the next week, that would be a 95 degree warm-up from PC's low temp of -25 F a few mornings ago! 73, (Kirk Allen, Ponca City OK, Feb 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Defunding public broadcasting: IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, the House of Representatives will take action on a bill that provides continued funding for government operations. Under this measure, large funding cuts have been proposed, **including the likely elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting**. This is on an extremely fast timeline and it's critical that your representative hear from you. The House switchboard is (202) 224-3121 or (202) 225-3121 and it is operational 24/7, so truly, you can call ANYTIME and it won't take but a minute of your time!! Additional information is available at http://www.170millionamericans.org We appreciate your continuing interest in and support of WUOT Public Radio (WUOT mailing list Feb 12 via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) More about this from the manager of KGOU: http://kgou.org/index.php?manager-rsquo-s-desk (KGOU mailing list Feb 12 via DXLD) This is off the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Web Site http://www.mpbonline.org/support/Action.htm ``Dear Friend of Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Congress will take a critical vote in the next few days on a bill to eliminate all federal support for local public television and radio stations. Federal funds make up an important share of MPB’s funding. These funds help us provide educational programs for childhood through adulthood – trusted news and public affairs programs, exceptional documentaries, and outstanding music, theater, dance and arts programs – programming that’s commercial-free and accessible to all. . . * Public broadcasting is not “a luxury we can’t afford” but an essential service regularly depended on and enjoyed by 170 million Americans in all 50 States. o Public broadcasters reach over 98% of American households with free services. o The same series of Roper Polls finds public broadcasting placing second, just behind national defense, as the most appropriate expenditure of public funds. o 170 million Americans regularly rely on public broadcasting each month for its educational and information resources and the window on the world stage that it opens to urban and rural communities nationwide. * Cutting or eliminating federal funding for public broadcasting will have a severe negative impact on local services and economies in all 50 states. o Public broadcasting stations are some of the last locally owned and operated media outlets in the country. MPB provides local, relevant content to towns and communities across Mississippi. o At an annual cost of about $1.35 per year for each American, public broadcasting is a smart investment. For every federal dollar invested in public broadcasting, local stations raise $6 on their own, creating important economic activity as well as educational and cultural service. o Public broadcasting directly supports 21,000 jobs, and almost all of them are in local public television and radio stations in hundreds of communities across America. o Eliminating the $445 million investment in CPB would only reduce the $1.5 trillion federal budget deficit by less than 3 ten- thousandths of one percent, but it would have a devastating impact on local communities nationwide. MPB: * MPB is an indispensable asset to Mississippi in times of emergencies. During Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, MPB provided life- saving information to residents and drivers from the Gulf Coast. * MPB has long been recognized as a trustworthy source for children's programming and is noted for its educational outreach, which is making a positive impact in the lives of children and adults statewide. MPB provides continuing education resources to teachers and offers GED preparation courses to help adults who never graduated from high school. In addition, MPB works with schools to enhance instruction and teacher professional development by integrating technology-based instructional curriculum into classrooms. * MPB is a winner! From its Emmy® award-winning children's program, Between the Lions, and the educational materials developed as a companion to the show, to the national Edward R. Murrow Awards for news, to the Governor's Arts Award (to our own Grassroots host Bill Ellison), to the numerous regional and national awards for The Gulf Islands: Mississippi’s Wilderness Shore, MPB is recognized both locally and nationally for its work. The future of MPB and public broadcasting is at stake, so please let your elected representatives hear directly from you. We thank you...`` Mississippi Public Broadcasting does more than just TV. They are the only stations in most parts of Mississippi that has HD radio (FM) on their channels. The main thing they are emphasizing is Public TV since this is the main thing that people relate to in Mississippi. They are the only station in Mississippi that does kid programs and does a lot of local public affairs programming. This speaks about Mississippi alone. I bet that in your neck of the woods if you live in the US you have a public TV or Radio outlet close to you. Don't let this die. The number of the capital switchboard is (202) 225-3121 and make your voice heard (Rich Lewis, MS, Feb 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Many public stations have edited their websites to mention this. There have been threats before, I believe Newt Gingrich led the last unsuccessful defunding attempt in the second half of President Clinton's first term. Speaking as a fan of Public Radio (and a longtime member of WHYY in Philadelphia) I am also hopeful this effort will see a similar fate, since, given the variety of the USA's public radio segment now broadly enjoyable via the Internet, Public Radio remains an important component of my own listening. I have already contacted my congressman's office. I would also suggest personalizing any message or communication, stating how important the public radio station in *your* district is. Positioning your member of Congress as an enemy of station XXXX, I believe, helps to bring the threat to a very visible local level. (Richard Cuff, Feb 12, SWprograms via DXLD) As one who has worked as a volunteer for over 10 years at NPR- affiliated stations in Maryland and Florida, I have been able to see first hand how important the Federal $$$ are to capital improvements. But the Federal $$$s make up only about 15% of the operating budgets of the stations I have been associated with. It will not be the end of the world if the legislation passes. It might even be beneficial to have public broadcasting stop sucking on the federal teet. The government can use their puppet-master power to put pressure on NPR to conform to the party line. When the network deviates off the track, the threat of federal fund withdrawal causes the network to do a mid-course correction. Pacifica does a good, albeit biased, job of public broadcasting with no federal support. Their financial supporters contribute to their operations because they believe the message is worthy of their support. Many folks refuse to contribute to their NPR-affiliated station because they claim that their tax dollars already pay for public radio and they do not feel obligated to pay twice. It is a reasonable argument that will be blunted if this legislation passes. So it might even be beneficial to the long-term health of public broadcasting to make the system more efficient and responsive to the public by cutting out government funding (Joe Buch, ibid.) All true, buy let's not kid ourselves that defunding public radio and TV is part of some noble effort to bring the federal budget to heel. It's an ideological attack pure and simple. We could close the budget gap far more quickly by ending tax breaks for religious institutions or ending sacred cow military projects that address dangers we no longer face or which have proven themselves infeasible, but I see none of that in the legislation proposed by the new House majority. In saying this, I'm not the one injecting politics into the discussion because it's already in there by virtue of the defund CPR proposal (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) A voice of reason [Buch] (Scott Royall, Conch Republic, ibid.) Here's another voice of reason from Kim Elliott, his comments in italics, who predicts that the hardest hit stations would be rural, and would open the band to more religious broadcasting. Will US noncommercial FM frequencies cast out BBC World Service and bring in the gloryland chorus? Posted: 13 Feb 2011 City Beat (Cincinnati), 31 Jan 2011, Ben L. Kaufman: "NPR and our local public news station, WVXU (91.7 FM), get a small but important part of their annual budgets from Congress. Rightwingers want to cut or end federal funding because politically neutral NPR isn’t the GOP’s Fox News. It’s another reason to support WVXU and other public radio stations with cash and supportive messages to House members, senators and the White House. Meanwhile, Brits offer a timely lesson of what happens when a conservative government pleads poverty and decides to slash its most famous and reliable modern export, the BBC World Service (heard here at night on WVXU). Unlike its domestic services, BBC’s World Service is funded by the Foreign Office. Despite taking the Queen’s shilling, it rarely danced the Queen’s tune; BBC has a sterling reputation for neutrality and accuracy, especially where uncensored news media do not exist. So far, cuts haven’t targeted English-language broadcasts to North America. Rather, BBC’s decision to close some foreign language broadcasts and fire of hundreds of linguists will impoverish the information available to listeners everywhere." (kimandfrewelliott.com via David Goren, ibid.) Mr. Kaufman mentioned both NPR and BBC World Service, but did not completely make the connection between the two. (BBCWS is actually distributed by Public Radio International, but to stations that are mostly NPR affiliates.) If the Republicans who want to "zero out" the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting succeed, public radio stations in non-urban areas will lose a large part of their funding. Not only will they no longer be able to purchase the rights to relay BBC World Service, they might have to go off the air. Because their frequencies are between 88 and 92 MHz, their licenses must be sold or transferred to other non-commercial entities. They would likely become religious radio stations, which almost certainly will not carry BBC. In addition to their theology, or as part of it, these stations would advocate for socially conservative causes. This gives Congressional Republicans another incentive to eliminate funding for public broadcasting (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid. via David Goren, ibid.) It's always been an ideological attack -- 'twas so in Mr. Gingrich's attack in the 1990s. Some additional observations: 1) For the most part, the public radio vs. religious radio battle tends to happen at the time of station licensing by the FCC when interests from both camps compete for new licenses. I cannot recall any instances where existing public radio licenses were sold to religious broadcasters due to a funding challenge, though I suppose that could happen. 2) Joe Buch is correct in that direct CPB funding is a comparatively small portion of most radio stations' budgets. However, CPB does have a bigger funding stake in syndicated public radio programming; I know of several syndicated classical music programs that receive a good- sized chunk of funding from the CPB; the programs then get other revenue from syndication fees from the stations. Loss of CPB funding could more quickly jeopardize individual programs than stations themselves. One would hope that the capital that's been available for recent commercial-to-public conversions such as KUSC-KDFC (San Francisco), KING (Seattle), WQXR (NYC) and WCRB (Boston) would be available for these stations at risk as well. Another thought... Non-profit religious stations do have to be circumspect in political advocacy, particularly when it comes to promoting individual candidates. Federal courts have found that churches that advocate individual political candidates running for office could lose their non-profit status (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) I think you missed Joe's whole point. Churches do not pay FIT. Can we please get off politics before I lose control and go "Spartacus*" on this vipers' nest of liberals? *I refer to the 2009-2010 Starz TV series. It made "300" pale in comparison (Scott Royall, swprograms via DXLD) Correct -- churches don't pay FIT as long as they "behave". Keep in mind that there are for-profit "Christian" radio stations and non- profit Christian stations as well. There are differences in what these two types can say on-air (Cuff, ibid.) PUBLIC BROADCASTING ZEROED OUT IN HOUSE BUDGET BILL --- CONTINUING RESOLUTION ELIMINATES THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING http://capwiz.com/170ma/issues/alert/?alertid=26970501&type=CO The House Appropriations Committee has the full list of recommended spending cuts which includes the elimination of funding for public broadcasting. The House leadership said that debate on the measure (H.R. 1) will begin Tuesday 02/15. Please contact your representatives in Congress now and urge them to stand up for public broadcasting funding. It is going to take hundreds of thousands of Americans calling and writing Congress to get this critical funding back into the budget proposal. Visit http://www.170MillionAmericans.org for more information (170 Million Americans UT Feb 16 via DXLD) ** U S A. NEW YORK BROADCASTERS DEBATE A NEW STATE ANTI-PIRATE LAW RADIO JOURNAL FEBRUARY 9, 2011 http://www.TheRadioJournal.com New York broadcasters debate a new state anti-pirate law. New Jersey and Florida already have laws in place that allow state and local law enforcement to go after unlicensed broadcasters directly, bypassing the often-lengthy process of waiting for an overburdened FCC to take action through the federal courts. Now lawmakers in Albany are considering a bill that would make it a class D felony (minimum $10,000 fine or up to three years in prison) to broadcast “without first having obtained a license or an exemption from licensure” or to “cause an unauthorized radio transmission to, or interference with, a public or commercial radio station... or to enable the radio transmission or interference to occur.” The bill is currently in committees in both the state assembly and legislature, but it’s drawing plenty of support — and some opposition, too — in New York’s broadcast community... + Support from the state broadcasters’ association. The New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA) was the prime mover behind the bill, spurred on by complaints from licensed broadcasters in and around New York City who’ve been plagued for years by pirates interfering with their signals. William O’Shaughnessy’s WVIP, New Rochelle (93.5) leases airtime to ethnic broadcasters who have to compete with what O’Shaughnessy calls “fly- by-night operators broadcasting from rooftops,” who threaten FCC inspectors with violence when they try to shut them down. In the Bronx, engineers at Fordham University’s WFUV (90.7) say the plethora of high-powered pirates sometimes cause so much interference that they can’t receive incoming EAS activations from New York City’s primary EAS signals. But from other corners of the broadcast world, there’s opposition to the state’s getting involved. The Society of Broadcast Engineers has been an outspoken critic of state-level involvement in broadcast regulation, and the New York law is no exception. In a letter to New York SBE members, executive director John Poray warns than no matter how well-intentioned state lawmakers might be, the proposed law “could open the door for states to regulate all kinds of other broadcasting matters including tower and facility construction or modifications, power increases or even licensing itself.” SBE general counsel Chris Imlay says “the bill as New York has configured it is preempted on its face by the Communications Act of 1934.” And even if the bill does pass, and it turns out to pass legal muster, many New York broadcasters wonder how their cash-strapped state could afford to enforce the new law - and whether there are more important things for the state to be worrying about (via Mike Terry, UK, Feb 9, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. Memphis "FrankenFM"/LP-6 Format Change in a Week --- The Memphis LPTV on Channel 6 will be conservative talk next Monday. It will also be // on 1210 AM. The new website: http://www.wmpsthepoint.com/ These guys seem to think the FCC will "grandfather" them in, not requiring a flash-cut to DTV. I think they're wrong. So does the NAB. But, I digress. Obviously, this will be an Es target as we get to Summer. Peter, N4LI (Peter Baskind, J.D., LL.M., Germantown, TN, 901- 624-5295, Feb 14, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. This doesn't exactly pass the smell test --- The FCC today released the broadcast station "census" as of the end of 2010. It lists 6,131 FM translators -- which is 24 *fewer* than at the end of 2009. The total number of broadcast stations increased by 125 to 30,630. That's roughly equal to the number of people living in the town where I grew up. The number of UHF LPTVs has declined by roughly 12% -- while the number of VHF LPTVs is unchanged -- and the number of translators is up several %. Sounds to me as if many digital LPTVs are being reclassified as translators for some reason (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, Feb 11, WTFDA via DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. 7585, Vatican Radio via Tashkent. Feb 11. 1525-1540 with closing program in Malayalam, then sign-on (1529) interval signal, into English with opening ID, schedule and announcements by both a male and female announcers. Noted till 1540 lost the signal due to noise floor (Edward Kusalik, VE6EFK, Daysland, Alberta, Canada, Drake R8A Digital Communications Receiver, Antenna that was used: 125 foot long wire, pointed due east, with 4:1 Balun Match, with Pi-type Antenna Tuner. () Trap-sloper, cut for 6955 kHz, pointed due south, 1:1 Matching Balun top feed, with 41-meter long wire, top feed for radial effect, with Heathkit HFT-9 Antenna Tuner. 135 foot Window T- antenna with MFJ – 941 B Antenna Tuner, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. 7260, R. Vanuatu, Port Vila. February 09, 0830-0839 studio female and male in English discussion with male outside; // 3945, 23332. February, 12 0839-0853 female in an uncertain language talks, local music. // 3945, 34333 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See JAPAN 7260, R. Vanuatu, Port Vila. February 13, 0820-0830 pop music, female in an uncertain language, Reggae music, male and female talks segment. // 3945, 23322 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. R. Vanuatu operates with 5 kW on both 3945 7260. Schedule is variable between 1830-1230, but 7260 kHz is sometimes on overnight (WRTH National Section update Feb 11 via DXLD) ** VATICAN. 13765, VR in English about UNESCO, Feb 16 at 1547, but already into IS at 1548. Aoki shows English at 1530 lasts until 1550 daily except Sundays until 1558, 500 kW due east, but reliably heard here, as another example of the broad direxionality of SMG (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN. VATICAN RADIO FETES 80 YEARS --- This is the sound of the first transmission in Vatican Radio's history. With words spoken in Latin, Pope Pius XI greeted listeners all over the world on February 12, 1931, 80 years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO7hU5kQFRg At the Pope's request, the inventor of the radio, the Italian Guglielmo Marconi, set up a radio station in Vatican City. And he did it for a very important reason (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD; and Artie Bigley, DXLD) VATICAN RADIO MARKS 80 YEARS, LOOKS TO NEW MEDIA (AP) http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hEEzzkas4ZOkQvCg3SPY0UA8J5mw?docId=472b4d1c162648a685a1ba819f6de4fb (via Hansjoerg Biener, Germany, DXLD) Same? = VATICAN RADIO LOOKING AHEAD TO FUTURE IN SOCIAL MEDIA AS IT MARKS 80TH ANNIVERSARY --- February 10, 2011 Associated Press Vatican City http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-vatican-radio,0,3210629.story Vatican Radio, which broadcasts the pope's message in 45 languages around the globe, is looking ahead to a future in new media as it celebrates its 80th birthday. A top Vatican official said Thursday the broadcaster must embrace new media - "from the podcast to the iPad, from social networks like Facebook to micro-blogging platforms like Twitter" - to take advantage of the opportunities offered for evangelizing. Monsignor Peter Wells of the Vatican's secretariat of state spoke at a ceremony launching the broadcaster's anniversary, which is being marked by a small exhibit inside the entrance to the Vatican Museums. The exhibit showcases among other things the microphone used by Pope Pius XI when he inaugurated the broadcaster on Feb. 12, 1931 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) see also PHILIPPINES; UZBEKISTAN ** VENEZUELA [and non]. Altho RHC fired up only 13750 of the five `Aló, Presidente` frequencies as early as 1400 UT Sunday Feb 13 with its own programming, see CUBA, at next check 1640, all five were on the air with El Hugazo, in decreasing order of strength here: 13750, 17750, 15370, 11690, 13680. 11690 was barely audible beside the RTTY, and 13680 just plain very weak. Unlike previous Sundays, NO other RHC frequencies were on the air, now that the 24-hour Spanish service has been halved, breaking from 1600 to 2200. In case anybody cares, RNV relays via CUBA remain unchanged, including the years-out-of-date transmission schedule it is still announcing at 1031 Feb 15 on 6180, not including this one, nor the next one reconfirmed on 6060 with El Hugazo at 1122, both long before RHC itself fires up now at 1200 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CHÁVEZ SPEECHES AMOUNT TO 1300 HOURS IN 1999-2010 From 1999 until January 2010, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez delivered nearly 2,000 speeches, accounting for more than 1,300 broadcast hours, or the equivalent of 54 full days, in mandatory broadcasts on all free-to-air TV and radio channels (cadenas). The number of mandatory broadcasts of speeches made by the Venezuelan president is included in the report “Attacks on the Press in 2010? released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), according to a research conducted by AGB Nielsen. According to CPJ’s report, “Chávez has regularly used “cadenas” to attack the private media and amplify the government’s voice.” The CPJ said that the Venezuelan president “using all the tools of power, continued his aggressive campaign to silence critical news media.” It recalled that “in the waning days of a lame-duck National Assembly, the Chávez administration pushed through measures to restrict Internet content and tighten control over broadcast licences.” (Source: El Universal) (February 16th, 2011 - 16:56 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. CLANDESTINE, 6297.15, Polisario Front, Rabouni, ALGERIA, 1214-, 13 Feb, Castilian, talks, interviews, western music; I missed their s/off time, which was 1300 when there was an Arabic only program in the morning; 35433. In the evening, the 2300- 2330 segment in Castilian closes the broadcast. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZANZIBAR. 6015, RTZ (presumed), *0257-0400, Feb 16. Stronger signal and the unid station causing QRM in the past was not heard; 0256 open carrier/test tone; quickly went to xylophone sounding IS; for the first time was able to hear singing at 0259 (choral Anthem?); pips (5+1); 0301-0305 reciting from the Qur'an; monologue; 0329 very brief pop song; another talk; 0340 brief chanting; segment of woman talking on the phone to various people (seemed related to sports); 0359 drums till ToH. Audio of IS at http://www.box.net/shared/r9451xl1pd Thanks to Jim Young (CA) for his comments: "Wow, that's is really neat, but even more so when I went to my very old cassette tape of Zanzibar made on November 25, 1976 on 3339 kHz from 0256-0303. The very same xylophone IS played several times!" (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. 4828, Voice of Zimbabwe, Gweru. February 08, 2154-2217 African music ( xylophone-like and voice), male in an uncertain language, back same kind of music, female in English talks segment, N. A., at 2217 audio off. Progressive enhancement, 23322 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil, SW40 - Dipoles and Longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4828.00, 0125-0140 10.02, Voice of Zimbabwe, Guineafowl, Gweru, vernacular announcement, native singing by choir 25332 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, on my AOR AR7030plus with 28 metres of longwire which survived our latest heavy storm, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) 4828, ZBC (Gweru), 0406-0430, 2/10/2011, English. News in English by a man with an African accent. A few seconds of local pop music at 0408, then an interview with a second man. Flat audio made the subject difficult to understand. Moderate signal strength at tune-in, declining over time, with CODAR interference. Fading down into the noise much of the time by 0430 (Jim Evans, Germantown, TN, IC-R75, RX- 340, E1, ICF-SW7600G, G6, Random Wire, ALA100M Loops UNIDENTIFIED. 3270 Unid, 0012, 12/02, OM, px relg??, EE?? 45333 RFP -- - Amigos, ontem e nessa madrugada encontrei uma propagação relativamente boa em ondas tropicais. Uma escuta interessante foi em 3270 kHz. Escutei um locutor aparentemente em inglês e parecia ser um programa religioso. Não sei se tratava de alguma emissora realmente transmitindo nessa frequência ou se seria o efeito imagem ou espelho que alguns receptores tem. 73! (Rubens Ferraz Pedroso. Bandeirantes - Paraná - Brasil, Feb 13, radioescutas yg via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 7510, Gunaz Radio? 1431-1441 Feb 11. Middle-eastern music, man announcer; sounded like opening routine; into talks at 1434 in language (Azeri listed). Fair at 1431 tune-in but went downhill (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Not much chance here with WWCR 7490 splatter UNIDENTIFIED [non]. 9593, 0625-0634 Jan 13 in Portuguese, very passionate OM speaker, most likely religious, followed by OM singing inspirational-type sx [sic; meaning songs, apparently]. New Brazilian religious? Sigs to 40 dB with a bit of QSB, but still good-excellent (Richard W Parker, Pennsburg PA, Miltronix/Signal Corps R-390A, Sherwood SE-MI III Deluxe synchronous detector, Collins 51S-1 preselector, Yaesu FT-840, MFJ-901B antenna tuner, 25m dipole, Alpha- Delta DX Sloper, 160 ft inverted L with Yaesu FC-800 auto-tuner, 75m balanced doublet, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) I already identified this, but he doesn`t consult my logs, apparently is not even online: ``BRAZIL. 9592.3, surprised to hear the unmistakable wailpreaching of David Miranda here, Jan 10 at 0620, // 9565 but slightly out of synch with it. Can only assume that ZYE969, R. Globo, São Paulo, nominal 9585, but recently on 9587v, has varied even further. BTW, it`s missing completely from WRTH 2011! Above info is from Aoki. WRTH 2010 had same calls on 9585 as Radio CBN(Globo), SP. 9565 is Súper Rádio Deus é Amor, Curitiba (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` UNIDENTIFIED [non]. 15209v, Feb 11 at 1455 het against WYFR Portuguese 15210, and the carrier shifts between two slightly different frequencies changing the pitch from time to time. Strong enough to make some modulation audible, but always too much WYFR to copy anything. What is this?? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See SRI LANKA! UNIDENTIFIED. 15254.5-SSB, INTRUDERS, Feb 13 at 1410, 2-way in slurred colloquial Spanish; about all I could understand was ``cambio``; het from 15255 broadcast carrier, all weak (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 15805-USB, Feb 13 at 2123, 2-way in Spanish, the stronger signal also with engine noise background. I was looking for Argentine feeder possibly on 15820 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Hello Every One and Namaskar! Heard Hindi songs at 1200 UT on 17708 kHz. Can anybody help me out to identify this station? I need suggestion from all of you, so that I can nourish my DXing more technically. Thanking you all. Regards, (Prithwiraj Purkayastha, Jorhat, Assam, Feb 6, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) All India Radio`s Chinese service is on 17705 at 1145-1315, 500 kW, 58 degrees from Bengaluru and should be aimed across Assam. And it is also jammed by the ChiCom. Is your frequency readout accurate? AIR would not normally vary that much, but the jamming could be offset (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17750, Feb 16 at 1407-1412* motorboating-like noise, no intelligible modulation from possibly malfunxioning transmitter, also bleeding down to 17745. Not DRM-sounding, and nothing needing jamming here. However, Saudi Arabia`s Bengali service is scheduled on 17745 at 12-15, 500 kW, 70 degrees from Riyadh, and we know how messed up their transmitters can get. Maybe correlates with Steve Handler`s report in the NASWA Flashsheet of some kind of noise QRMing Sudan Radio Service, Feb 10 at 1515 on 17775, which must have been a typo for 17745. However, no QRM to SRS when I checked it later today, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. All too weak for useful audio 14620, 2 x 7310, 1358 UT 16/2/11 14720, 2 x 7360, 1400 UT 16/2/11 18525, dropping carrier at 1403 UT 16/2/11 Bands in good shape. 21 MHz ham band wide open to the States via F2 and 10 metres open to E Europe via E skip. Heard my neighbour`s nuisance of a baby Alarm on 40.666 MHz despite being 3 miles from home (Tim Bucknall, Mobile at Mow Cop, on the Cheshire/Staffordshire Border Icom IC-7000 + Modulator cb whip harmonics yg via DXLD 18525 = 3 x 6175. RFI is registered there, straight thru 12-17 (gh) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks to Chuck Ermatinger in St Louis, for a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com (acknowledged on WORLD OF RADIO 1552) [Re: 15209+ SRI LANKA] As speaking for the DX community: we all are very happy on the tremendous work you (and Wolfy) are investing in precise information about the broadcasting scene, putting small pieces to some pictures together, and maintaining heavy links to monitors worldwide. Thanks a lot: (Nils, DK8OK, Schiffhauer, Germany, Feb 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK UPDATES WRTH has revised the Feb update to the International section, as of Feb 14 is already on Version 3 dated 9 Feb (I missed Version 2). This incorporates in red many of our previous correxions and comments, but still does not acknowledge that SWEDEN remains on SW via WRMI. It does include the revised RHC Spanish schedule. WRTH has also now posted an update to the National section dated Feb 11, several items of which are included in this DXLD. Both accessible via http://www.wrth.com/updates_new.asp (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Congratulations on the jubilee edition BC-DX 1000. You have put a lot of work into this newsletter over the years and it is very much appreciated. Well done! I have been scanning a lot of my QSL cards the last couple of weeks to add to my Facebook page. I have also opened a Flickr page and am adding card pictures to that as well. If you would like to see what is there already (some of my African cards), the link is On looking through my QSLs and postcards I came across this attachment, on a DLF - Deutschlandfunk postcard [of April 1978], which I think you will find interesting! We have come a long way since then! 73 (Colin, VE3CMT Miller, Feb 6, BC-DX 10 Feb via DXLD) BROOKER`s QSLs I have an album of some of my QSLs on Facebook.. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256888&id=532448524&l=723ec9dc64 73 (Mike Brooker, Toronto, ON, NRC-AM via DXLD) HOW TO ID SW STATIONS? This past Sunday evening (Feb. 13, 2011), I listened to SW between 2300 & 0000 UTC. I picked up 16 clear, listenable stations, but I've so far been unable to identify most of them. I got: RCI (China), in English, at 13.650, and 11.970. WWV on 15.000. RNV (Venezuela), in Spanish, on 13.680 and 15.250. WYFR in Spanish on 11.855. Radio Spain, in Spanish, on 12.050 Some of those I had to listen close, and just figure out who they were. I looked for some sort of listing for the other station frequencies I noted, but can't find these listed anywhere. The ones I couldn't ID are: 15.640 in German 15.230 in Spanish 13.650 some Asian sounding language 11.865 in German, sounds like a soccer broadcast 11.885 in Spanish; does RCI broadcast in Spanish? 11.960 in something that sounds like Russian 11.990 in Spanish 12.010 in Spanish 12.025 in German (same broadcast as 11.865) So, when you other listeners log a foreign language station, and you don't speak that language, how do you know what station you are listening to? Is there a master list of broadcasters somewhere? I realize SW stations broadcast erratically at times, but is there a list of who is supposed to be where at certain times? My thanks in advance! (Allen McBroom, dxldyg via DXLD) Allen, Yes! There are several excellent online references. I have them linked on my homepage http://www.worldofadio.com The main ones are HFCC, Aoki and EiBi. Each has a different approach. Some guys make combinations of them, but I prefer to consult the latest version of each one independently. Look down the list for links mentioning B-10 (the current SW broadcasting season). I could identify from memory and familiarity most of your unknowns, but you should get familiar with the resources by looking them up yourself. This should be done with all logs before reporting them. If there are still any unknowns, then we can deal with them. In many cases, the transmissions you hear are NOT coming from the originating country but a relay site, which these sources also reveal. There is also the annual print book WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK, which has just published a pdf update available to all, and there will be a major new-seasonal update in April (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Try these lists http://eibispace.de/dx/freq-b10.txt http://eibispace.de/dx/bc-b10.txt http://www.geocities.jp/binewsjp/bib10.txt Regards (Harry Brooks, North East England, UK, ibid.) Sir, Same as Allen, I have some similar confusion regarding station identification and reporting too. For last few days I got many new unidentified stations. My big problem is that many times I tuned to many stations the language of which really unknown to me. Then to identify that station I refer to WRTH's frequency list. And again got confused there as many stations listed against one frequency. Then how to identify a station the language of which is totally unknown? Again during DX logging I usually do not listen a station for more than 5 minutes for unknown language stations. So, if a reception report is sent by writing only "local music was playing" or "News heard read by a male reader" or "May be a feature program was on in which a male and female voices heard", etc will it work? Do stations accept this type of program detailing? Please advise how to report these understandable language stations? Thanking you in advance. Regards, (Prithwiraj Purkayastha, India, ibid.) Part of the process of becoming an experienced DX listener is to learn to identify different languages, even if you don`t understand them. You could start by checking known broadcasts easily heard in listed languages. I would discourage sending reception reports to international broadcasters in a language you don`t understand. What use is that to a station? They want to hear from listeners who can appreciate the programming. Of course, there is also music, the international language you could report and comment on. If it`s a `rare` small DX station broadcasting only in the national language, and you desire to QSL it, then by all means you can try and see if they will reply. The WRTH frequency list does not show any times or other details, but the online references I mentioned do, so you can narrow down the possibilities a great deal by researching them. Usually there will be no more than two or three stations on a SW frequency at any time, and often only one. Also WRTH`s new graphical display CD (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Glenn, Well, thank you, Glenn! This will clear up a lot of confusion for me, as well as the other gentleman who posted a reply with similar concerns. My sincere thanks, again. (Allen McBroom, ibid.) ¡¡HA SALIDO EL BOLETIN DX DEL CLUB S500!! PARA LOS QUE NO LO TENGAN AHÍ VA UNO DE LOS MEJORES BOLETINES ELECTRÓNICOS QUE EN ESTOS MOMENTOS SE HACEN EN ESPAÑA. ¡HALA: A DISFRUTARLO! CORDIALES SALUDOS / GOOD LUCK / (JUAN FRANCO CRESPO, STAMP JOURNALIST (AIPET), SÀLVIA 8 (MAS CLARIANA) E-43800 VALLS-TARRAGONA (ESPAÑA-SPAIN-ESPAGNE-SPANIEN), Feb 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Por fin hemos podido sacar un número más del boletín Club S500 a pesar de las dificultades que hemos pasado para luchar contra el tiempo. En este número 20 de enero-febrero 2011 podéis encontrar una gran cantidad de artículos en sus 48 páginas, todos ellos ilustrados con infinidad de imágenes que complementan la información más variada que hemos tratado. A las habituales secciones de "Escuchas", "Historietas de la radio", "Notas de interés", "Radionoticias"," La radio en Internet", etc. hemos de sumar esta vez el comentario invitado de nuestra querida Ladia de Radio Eslovaquia Internacional, un artículo sobre las emisoras de números y la codificación indescifrable Vernam, Radio Transmundial y su paso de las ondas cortas a las ondas medias en 1993, La conferencia del Club S500 en la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (España) así como la reunión mantenida con la Unión de Radioaficionados de Valencia, la meteorología y la codificación morse, la compra de un receptor de la década de 1980, el adiós en las ondas de Radio Eslovaquia y Radio Praga, un artículo sobre la contrarradio de la Voz de América, una entrevista a Pedro Pérez Roque, el inicio de Radio Bielorrusia en el éter, los 20 años de Hugo Longhi en el diexismo, el viaje de Álvaro López Osuna a Vitoria, y a todo esto (que no es poco) hemos de añadir un anexo sobre la transmisión de datos vía radio (RTTY) y la respuesta del Club a un socio-colaborador sobre los contenidos y edición del boletín. Pero aún está lleno de más contenidos que no podemos seguir enumerando porque evidentemente nos extenderíamos en exceso. Para descargar el boletín del Club S500 de forma gratuita basta con entrar en la dirección siguiente: http://www.upv.es/~csahuqui/julio/s500/ o bien poner en cualquier buscador del tipo Google las palabras "Club" y "S500", saliendo enseguida el enlace a la web que nos interesa. Tiene un peso de 8 Mbytes aproximadamente y está en el habitual formato PDF de Acrobat. Esperando que sea del agrado de todos no dudéis en transmitirnos vuestras sugerencias, opiniones, críticas. Un saludo y felices escuchas. CLUB S500 (via Crespo, DXLD) 48 pdf pages, lotsa illos (gh) HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO RADIO book and website http://www.sanantonioradiomemories.com/ (via Artie Bigle, ex-TX, DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ DX AND SHORTWAVE MEETINGS OF 2011 Preliminary list of SW meetings 2011 - updates are very welcome!! (EDXC 2011 not announced yet). 73's Risto Vahakainu, Finnish DX Association Shortwave Radio Meetings - 2011 Date: February 26 (1430-1700 BST) Location: Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC), 35-39 London Street, Reading RG1 4PS, England Organization: Reading International Radio Group Expected attendance: 20 More info: http://www.bdxc.org.uk Note: these Reading DX meetings are held with 1-2 months interval. Dates: March 4-5 Location: Plymouth Meeting (near Philadelphia), PA, USA Description: Winter SWL Fest More info: http://www.swlfest.com Expected attendance: 150 Dates: March 16-20 Location : Holzerbachtal in Solingen-Wald, Germany Description: DX-Camp Organization: Kurzwellenfreunde Rhein/Ruhr More info: dx-camp@kwfr.de Dates: May 13-16 [see below] Location: Miami, FL, USA (cruise to Bahamas and back) Description: Annual NASB Conference Oganisation: National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters+DRM Consortium, USA More info: http://www.shortwave.org Dates: May 20-22 Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA Organization: Dayton Hamvention Expected attendance: 20,000 More info: http://www.hamvention.org Dates: May 20-22 Location: Vejers Beach, Jutland, Denmark Description: The annual general meeting of DSWCI and listening camp Organization: Danish Short Wave Club International Expected attendance: 30 More info: http://www.dswci.org kaj.bredahl @ mail.dk Dates: June 23-26 Location: Colorado Springs, CO, USA Description: 2011 IRCA Convention More info: http://www.ircaonline.org Dates: June 24-26 Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany Description: Ham Radio, biggest annual hamfest in Europe Expected attendance: 20000 Dates: July 9-24 Location: Döbriach, Austria Description: DX-Camp More info: http://www.dxcamp.org Dates: August 5-7 Location: Korpilahti (Jyvaskyla), Central Finland Description: The Annual Summer Meeting Organization: The Finnish DX Association Expected attendance: 70 More info: http://www.sdxl.org Dates: August 27-28 Location: Tokyo, Japan Organization: Tokyo Ham Fair Expected attendance: 30000 Dates: September 2-7 Location: Berlin, Germany Name: IFA Internationale Funkausstellung Description: Consumer Electronics Fair - Including Radios Dates: September 14-18 Location: Germany Description: DX-Camp of the Oldenburger Kurzwellenfreunde More info: Karl-J.Conrads@t-online.de Dates: September 21-25 Location: Holzerbachtal in Solingen-Wald, Germany Description: DX-Camp Organzation: Kurzwellenfreunde Rhein/Ruhr More info: dx-camp@kwfr.de Date: November 5 Location: Hannover, Germany Description: Interradio in the hall 20 of the Hannover Messe (with ADDX stand) (Risto Vähäkainu, tietotekniikka-asiantuntija, Helsingin yliopisto Tietohallinto, Feb 11, HCDX via DXLD) THE SHIP IS SET TO SAIL FOR THE NASB 2011 ANNUAL MEETING Shortwave broadcasters and listeners from throughout the U.S. and as far away as Finland and Japan will take part in the 2011 NASB/DRM USA Annual Meeting May 13-16. For the first time in NASB history, the meeting will take place on a cruise ship – Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas, sailing from Miami to the Bahamas. The NASB has always invited shortwave listeners and anyone with an interest in shortwave radio to take part in its annual meetings. This year, Risto Vahakainu and Arto Mujunen of the Finnish DX Club will join us, as well as Toshimichi Ohtake of the Japan DX Club and Michael Murray, former secretary general of the European DX Council. Representatives from NASB members WEWN, WWCR, Trans World Radio and WRMI will be onboard, as well as representatives from associate members HCJB Global and the International Broadcasting Bureau. The NASB's webmaster and former president Doug Garlinger will also take part. Seminars at the annual meeting, which will take place in the ship's conference center, will deal with topics such as Latin American shortwave broadcasting, Florida's shortwave stations, shortwave listening in the Arctic, and a DRM update. The results from the NASB's year-long shortwave listener survey will be announced for the first time. Many participants are bringing their spouses to this NASB meeting/cruise. There will be plenty for family members to do if they don't want to sit in on the meetings and seminars. The Majesty of the Seas features a wide variety of entertainment and activities for people of all ages, and the ship will make stops in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas; and Great Stirrup Cay, with its pristine beach and snorkeling opportunities. The cost for the three-night cruise is $299.00 plus $66.41 tax per person, based on double occupancy of an inside cabin. Oceanview cabins are also available, as are single, triple and quad occupancy options. The price of the cruise includes all meals, certain drinks, most entertainment and meeting costs. There is no separate meeting fee. For more information and to make a reservation for the meeting, go to www.shortwave.org. Click on "Annual Meeting." Information for Participants in the 2011 NASB/USA DRM Annual Meeting Itinerary: May 13, 2011 - Majesty of the Seas leaves the Port of Miami at 4:30 pm (Eastern Time) May 14, 2011 - Arrival in CocoCay, Bahamas at 8:00 am; departure at 5:00 pm May 15, 2011 - Arrival in Nassau, Bahamas at 8:00 am; departure at 5:00 pm May 16, 2011 - Return to Port of Miami at 7:00 am Please note that you may board the ship on Friday, May 13 from 11:30 am-3:00 pm. Due to government security regulations, everyone must be on board by 3:00 pm. Please make any connecting airline reservations with sufficient time to get from the airport to the Port of Miami (a distance of about 20 minutes). If you miss the departure, you would not be able to catch up with the ship by air flight until Sunday when it gets to Nassau (i.e. there is no airport in CocoCay). To be sure, you may even want to get to Miami on Thursday. We can help you with hotel reservations in Miami if necessary. You will want to board the ship as early as possible on Friday in order to take advantage of the buffet lunch (which is included in your cruise fare) and various talks and activities which will take place on the ship on Friday afternoon, including talks about the ports, excursions and shopping. At around 4:15 pm, there will be a mandatory safety drill which will take about 15 or 20 minutes. If you are flying out of Miami on Monday, be sure to make flight reservations for the afternoon or evening. Because of sea conditions, the 7:00 am arrival time in Miami is approximate, and it will likely take at least 1-2 hours to disembark, go through immigration, pick up luggage and pass through customs. You do not have to leave the ship at 7:00 am, but you will have to leave your cabin by around 8:00, and leave the ship by around 9:00 am. You will have time to eat breakfast on Monday morning (included in your cruise fare). Luggage: Cruise lines are not as strict about luggage as airlines. You can basically take as much as you can carry. However, the cabins are relatively small, so you won't want to bring a lot of luggage. You can carry on a small bag, which you will have to keep with you until your cabin is ready at around 1:00 pm. Checked luggage will be delivered to your cabin, but it could take until 7:00 pm to arrive. Security: Before you board the ship in the Port of Miami, you will have to go through an x-ray procedure much like when you get on an airplane. When you check-in, you will get a SeaPass card, which doubles as a cabin key and an ID/charge card. You will be asked for a credit or debit card guarantee to pay for any items that you charge onboard with your SeaPass, or you can leave a cash deposit. When you leave the ship in CocoCay, you must take your SeaPass card with you and show it to get back on. When you leave the ship in Nassau, you must take your SeaPass card and a photo ID with you which you will have to show when getting back on the ship. Shore Excursions: Royal Caribbean offers a large number of optional shore excursions in both CocoCay and Nassau. There is a shore excursion desk on Deck 4 where you can purchase tickets for these excursions, and you will also find information about them in your cabin and on the in-cabin television. You can also find excursion information on the Royal Caribbean website (www.royalcaribbean.com). You do not have to take any excursions; you can always wander around on your own in the ports or take tours or local transportation on your own. CocoCay: This is Royal Caribbean's private island. You will have to take a tender (a small boat) just a few minutes from the ship to the shore. There is a nice beach, snorkeling opportunities, an aqua park (extra charge) and a free barbecue lunch on the beach. Nassau: This is the capital of the Bahamas. There are plenty of historical and tourist attractions which you can visit on your own or take tours from Royal Caribbean or private operators in the port area. You can walk from the ship to a terminal area with shops, tourist information, etc. Leaving the terminal you can easily walk to the main shopping streets and the Straw Market, where you will find tons of souvenirs and local handicrafts. Excursions are offered for water sports and trips to nearby Paradise Island, where the world-famous Atlantis resort is located. (Atlantis has a nice aquarium which can be visited; there is an entrance fee.) Money: The Bahamian dollar is on a par with the U.S. dollar, and U.S. dollars can be used anywhere. Many if not most places also accept credit cards. There are many ATM's in Nassau (but not in CocoCay), where you can use your credit or debit card to get cash in Bahamian or U.S. dollars. On the ship, you will only use your SeaPass to purchase anything, including casino chips and tokens. Tips: Royal Caribbean suggests a total of $9.75 per person per day for tips, which are distributed among the cabin and restaurant staffs. This amount can be charged to your SeaPass, or they will leave envelopes in your cabin in which you can put cash and give them to the appropriate personnel. In addition, tips will be automatically added to certain services on board such as drink tabs. Swimming Pools: There are swimming pools and jacuzzis on Deck 11. The water is salt water. Towels are available on the pool deck; do not take towels from your cabin. Customer Service, Questions on Board: If you have any problems or questions while on board, see the Royal Caribbean Guest Relations desk on Deck 4. If you have a question about the NASB meeting itself, come to the NASB registration desk in the Conference Center. Drinks: Your cruise fare includes certain drinks such as (non-bottled) water, hot and cold tea, coffee, milk and juice for breakfast. There is an extra charge for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, which can be charged to your SeaPass. You will find "packages" offered for soft drinks and wine, or you can purchase them separately. Prices are typical hotel-type rates. The tap water in your cabin is safe to drink. Your cabin steward will bring you ice upon request. Technically, you are not allowed to bring water, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages onto the ship. They do inspect your bags when you get back onto the ship in a port, and they will hold any bottles for you until the end of the cruise. Conference Center: The NASB and DRMUSA meetings will take place in the ship's Conference Center on Deck 7. There will also be an NASB registration desk there that will be manned during meeting hours and certain other times. After you board the ship on Friday, please pick up your meeting registration packets at the NASB desk in the Conference Center on Friday afternoon or evening. Meeting Times: We will set exact times for the NASB and DRMUSA meetings as we get closer to the event. We will do our best to schedule the meetings so that you will also have ample time to take part in other activities on the ship and to explore the ports of call. We have scheduled a group dinner each night at 8:30 pm in the main restaurant. Several talks and presentations have already been tentatively scheduled. We will have computer projectors, other audiovisual equipment, screens, podiums, etc. in the Conference Center. Attire: Generally casual. Whatever you feel comfortable with is OK. The weather will likely be hot and humid. During the daytime and for breakfast and lunch, shorts and t-shirts are fine, especially in the pool area. For dinner, you should wear long pants in the main restaurant. (Shorts are fine in the buffet.) There is an optional formal night on the second night of the cruise. (You don't have to have formal wear; smart casual is fine.) Food: The main restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on an a la carte basis. There is open seating for breakfast and lunch. There are two main dinner seatings. Our group is booked for the late seating at 8:30 pm each night in the main restaurant. We will be able to all sit together in the same area. However, you are welcome to eat by yourself at other times if you prefer. You can also eat in the buffet restaurant anytime. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Exact times are in the daily Cruise Compass newsletter that you will receive in your cabin. In addition there is a pizzeria open until the early morning hours, and a deli as well. All of these restaurants are included in your cruise fare, as well as free room service from 5 am till midnight. (There is a flat $3.95 charge for room service from midnight till 5 am.) There is a fast-food restaurant, Johnny Rockets, which has hamburgers, fries, milk shakes, etc. Johnny Rockets charges a flat $4.95 for whatever food you want, plus they charge for drinks and shakes. The ship also has a specialty coffee shop and an ice cream parlor which have a la carte charges. Stores: There are a few stores on the ship selling items such as jewelry, clothes, perfumes, souvenirs, liquor, photo accessories, etc. Most of these shops are open only when the ship is in international waters. Of course there is a lot of shopping available in the ports. U.S. citizens are allowed to bring back up to $800 in merchandise duty-free (no Cuban cigars). Telephones: Each cabin has a telephone. Calls from one cabin to another are free, but if you call outside the ship there is a $7.95 per minute charge. Cell phones will work on board if you have international roaming activated on your account; check with your cell phone provider about this. Charges depend on your provider. For example, AT&T charges about $2.50 per minute; T-Mobile charges about $5.00 per minute. On CocoCay, there is no cell phone service (except the service on board the ship). In Nassau, most cell phones will work; again, charges vary by provider. For example, T-Mobile's rate for international calls from the Bahamas is about $3.00 per minute. Of course messaging rates are much lower. Internet: There is an Internet Cafe on the Majesty of the Seas, and you can also use your own laptop and connect to WiFi Internet in various hot spots on the ship, including the Conference Center. The charges are the same for the Internet Cafe or WiFi connections. The base rate is US 65 cents per minute, or you can buy "packages" of 60 minutes or more for lower rates per minute. In downtown Nassau, a short distance from the ship, there are Internet Cafes with much lower rates per minute. Please note that Internet service on cruise ships is generally much slower than what you are used to on land, and it varies depending on location, amount of traffic and other conditions. Port of Miami Location: The Miami cruise port is located downtown, about 20 minutes from the airport. The exact address is 1015 North American Way, Miami, Florida 33132. Royal Caribbean offers transportation from the airport to the cruise port for about $30 per person. But you can also take a taxi for about $24 for one to five persons. If you are driving, there is a parking lot in the port which charges $20 per day. Hotel Option: We have had a few inquiries about hotels in Miami from people who plan to spend a night or more here before and/or after the NASB 2011 cruise. Some people may want to stay on Miami Beach or in downtown Miami near the cruise port. But if you are looking for a hotel near the airport, we might suggest the Red Roof Inn Miami International Airport, located right across the street from the airport on LeJeune Road. This is a very nice Red Roof which offers a free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel, a free shuttle from the hotel to the cruise port and free continental breakfast. The least expensive rate we found on their website for May 12, for example, is $95.00 plus tax. But we have arranged for a special rate of only $55.00 plus tax for NASB 2011 attendees for any night in May. You will not find this discount on the Red Roof website. But you can call them (+1-305-871-4221) and give them the corporate code CP 609133 for the $55.00 rate. Or simply send us an e-mail (info@wrmi.net) and we'll be glad to make the reservation for you and we'll send you a confirmation number (Feb NASB Newsletter via DXLD) THREE MONTHS LEFT FOR NASB SHORTWAVE LISTENER SURVEY Those who have not yet taken the NASB shortwave listener survey still have time to take part. Several hundred people from around the world have answered the survey since mid-2010, when it went online. The survey asks about shortwave listening habits, listener demographics, equipment used, etc. Results will be announced by the survey coordinator, Dr. Jerry Plummer of WWCR, at the NASB annual meeting onboard the Majesty of the Seas May 13-16. They will later be printed in the NASB Newsletter and made available to other shortwave media. The survey can be found on the NASB's website http://www.shortwave.org (Feb NASB Newsletter via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ SMARTPHONES OUTSELLING PERSONAL COMPUTERS I've mentioned before that, in many ways, smartphones represent useful Internet radio ("iRadio") devices: They're portable, which means they're battery operated (duh!) and they use WiFi and other protocols for Internet connectivity. The high technology market research firm IDC is out with a report that indicates smartphones outsold PCs in the fourth quarter of 2010. That's nearly double what sold in the fourth quarter of 2009. I wager that many folks that find a PC an inconvenient platform for Internet radio listening probably have a more favorable opinion of smartphones as listening platforms. Of course, it still doesn't match the radio experience, but for many folks (specifically those under age 40), they spend a lot more time with their smartphones than with radios. Smartphones obviously don't have robust audio, but one can easily add headphones or hook them into a home audio system. One has to believe that one of the reasons international broadcasters are eager to jump on the webcasting bandwagon is the increasing popularity of these devices. Nearly 101 million smartphones were sold globally, the research says. Sadly, I doubt shortwave radios were anywhere near that level, which is why broadcasters looking at "First World" audiences continue to cut back on services. Lest you think this is strictly a phenomenon for the developed world, consider that portions of Kenya (for instance) already have 3G cellular service, and additional providers are rolling out 3G networks in Kenya this year. Link to the article: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/08/idc-says-100-9m-smartphones-sold-in-fourth-quarter-pcs-outsold/ (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, Feb 9, ODXA yg via DXLD) RADIO WAVES CREATING MORE STORMS [gist: proliferating cell towers may be ugly, but not harmful] http://www.nsnews.com/news/Radio+waves+creating+more+storms/4273454/story.html#ixzz1DqRXTCIV (North Shore News By Benjamin Alldritt, North Vancouver, BC, Canada February 13, 2011, via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) GROUP OFFERS SHORTWAVE RADIOS TO POOR COMMUNITIES VOA Special English 13 February 2011 http://www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/learningenglish/dalet/se-tech-ears-to-our-world-14feb11.Mp3 This is the VOA Special English Technology Report. A shortwave radio might seem like ancient technology these days. But for some people, it remains their only link to the wider world. Ears to Our World is an organization based in the United States. It provides shortwave radios to schools and communities in some of the poorest areas of the world. The radio is small, about the size of a book, and self-powered. Users turn a crank. Winding it for two minutes provides about forty minutes of listening time. Ears to Our World is supported by private donations and partners including Eton, the company that makes the Eton Grundig radios. Thomas Witherspoon started Ears to Our World in two thousand eight... http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/Group-Offers-Shortwave-Radios-to-Poor-Communities--116112444.html (via Dragan Lekic, Serbia, dxldyg via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING -- DRM See also BULGARIA; LUXEMBOURG; MALAYSIA; +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ROMANIA; RUSSIA; CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES NEW DRM NORTH AMERICA WEBSITE Benn Kobb informs us that Christopher Rumbaugh has started a companion website to the DRM North America group on Yahoo. Please visit: http://drmna.info (Feb NASB Newsletter via DXLD) DRM NEWSLETTER 2/11 Main stories : - DRM Workshop at Radio Asia on Feb. 21st - DRM Message for Radio Asia - DRM Webinar draws in large numbers - DRM Broadcasts starting soon in Malaysia - DRM Steering Board meeting - DRM on the Web – India http://newsletters.lavishcreative.com/t/ViewEmailArchive/r/553759AB3CE0581E/C67FD2F38AC4859C/ (via Alokesh Gupta, dxldyg via DXLD) Only thing of interest: MALAYSIA DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV See OKLAHOMA [and non] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- IBOC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC DELAYS Re GUAM, NPR ahead of KOSU: I'm guessing the 7-second delay on KOSU is due to its IBOC signal. I've noticed, when listening to sports coverage on WEEU / AM 830 Reading, PA -- which doesn't have IBOC audio -- and WPEN-FM 97.5 Philadelphia – which does offer IBOC -- that WEEU is easily 7-10 seconds ahead of WPEN-FM. While I've never investigated this, I assume the IBOC delay is to enable a radio that is decoding the digital signal -- and internally buffering the data -- to drop back to analog without any gap or overlap in audio. And this leads to the interesting paradox that an analog signal from halfway around the world arrives "earlier" than a signal from next door (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, NASWA yg via DXLD) Richard, Glenn, Yep there is a 6-7 second delay built into the analog side of IBOC digital FM signals. Delays the analog enough to "allow" the digital processing, or at least that what I've been told at broadcasters conferences (John Chapman, ibid.) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ LUXEMBOURG EFFECT LUX effect, surely. For some time now, 279 Sasnovy BLR has a weak signal of Solec Kujawski POL 225 underneath. It's best identified when Polish R airs the chimes on the hour. Are there any EuroDXers noticing this too? The other nuisance on 279 is a weak carrier on the upper side causing an [avoidable] heterodyne with BLR: TKM sightly off ch.? If so, no audio is detected. Askabad used to be audible too, even before BLR s/off, and when the parallel 5015 was used, it was easy to compare. (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL. Feb 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Known since 1933. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Luxembourg+Effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxemburg-Gorky_effect in German, see under Junglinster Luxembourg http://members.aon.at/wabweb/radio/rtl.htm Bei dieser Sendeanlage trat das erste Mal ein Phänomen auf, das nach dem Sender benannt wurde. Beim Luxemburg-Effekt kommt es auf Grund der hohen Feldstärke zu einer gegenseitigen Beeinflussung elektromagnetischer Wellen infolge der Nichtlinearität des ionosphärischen Plasmas. Bei dieser ionosphärischen Kreuzmodulation hört man Signale eines ganz anderen Senders im Hintergrund des eingestellten Programms. Dieser Effekt kann bei allen leistungsstarken Sendern in Sendepausen beobachtet werden. machine translation: Near Luxemburg-Effekt it comes on grounds of the high field strength to a mutual influencing of electromagnetic waves as a result of the non-linearity of the ionospheric plasma. With this ionospheric cross modulation one hears signals of quite an other transmitter in the background of the opposed programme. This effect can be observed at all highly competitive transmitters in transmission breaks. Lisbon - Solec Kujawski 44 degr 2623 km Lisbon - Sosnovy Lapichy 47 degr 3280 km in nearly same direction. Latter is very important. During communist era in 1968 til 1990, we had a very strong effect here in Germany too: between DLF Mainflingen 1539 750 kW and VoGDR Burg 783 kHz 1000 kW programs or DLF Heusweiler 1422 600 kW and CR Liblice-CZE 639 1500 kW. Strongest on the area between the two tx sites, and 800 kms on front and back side, as well as on left and right side direction. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Not just 279-225. At my location, 153 contains ALG-D-ROU... and MRC [171] on occasions, so the same rule applies here too. Yesterday [15 Feb] for instance, I observed DLF 153 Donebach 2232- 2254, and one the main sources of interference was MRC [171] just second to ROU which was really strong the past evening. It's often ALGERIA that causes the strongest QRM over DLF &/or R. România, but this Béchar signal leaves somewhat to be desired. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, ibid.) VHF DX SEASON COMING I'm getting ready for the 50 MHz DX season and also getting ready for a try at FM DXing into Southern Europe. I have a 10 element FM yagi ready to go up and also a Tennadyne 31 element log periodic which covers 50 to 1300 MHz. The Tennadyne needs some work. I have worked a lot of stations in the Azores, Canaries, western Portugal on 50 MHz in the past so FM reception might be a possibility. I have a Yaesu FRG- 9600 for receiving. It all depends on the Spring weather. Anyway, I would appreciate any help from your readers on potential DX targets in those areas. Finally, there has been some snow melting although it's still a long way to bare ground (Bill, W1OW, Smith, MA, Feb 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If you have no locals on 87.75 or 87.9 MHz, there are a number of regular European FM stations starting at 87.5 (gh) PREDICTED MAXIMUM SMOOTHED SUNSPOTS REDUCED AGAIN http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/predict.shtml (Dan Ferguson, Feb 10, NASWA yg via DXLD) excerpts: Current prediction for the next sunspot cycle maximum gives a smoothed sunspot number maximum of about 58 in July of 2013. We are currently two years into Cycle 24 and the predicted size continues to fall. . . Note: These predictions are for "smoothed" International Sunspot Numbers. The smoothing is usually over time periods of about a year or more so both the daily and the monthly values for the International Sunspot Number should fluctuate about our predicted numbers. The dotted lines on the prediction plots indicate the expected range of the monthly sunspot numbers. Also note that the "Boulder" numbers reported daily at http://www.spaceweather.com are typically about 35% higher than the International sunspot number (via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) Solar flux exceeds 100, but blackouts (gh, dxldyg via DXLD): :Product: Geophysical Alert Message wwv.txt :Issued: 2011 Feb 14 0300 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # # Geophysical Alert Message # Solar-terrestrial indices for 13 February follow. Solar flux 107 and mid-latitude A-index 2. The mid-latitude K-index at 0300 UTC on 14 February was 0 (3 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate. Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be minor. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are expected. (SWPC via DXLD) SUNDAY SOLAR FLARE MOST POWERFUL OF YEAR SO FAR Posted: Feb 14, 2011 12:11 PM AST Updated: Feb 14, 2011 12:16 PM AST Source: NASA Source: NASA Click image to enlarge Posted by Erin Jordan - bio | email | Facebook | Twitter http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=14023861 The following is a news release from SpaceWeather.com. (SPACEWEATHER.COM) - On Feb. 13th at 1738 UT (10:38 AM Arizona time), sunspot 1158 unleashed the strongest solar flare of the year so far, an M6.6-category blast. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded an intense flash of extreme ultraviolet radiation, circled below: The eruption produced a loud blast of radio waves heard in shortwave receivers around the dayside of our planet. In New Mexico, amateur radio astronomer Thomas Ashcraft recorded these sounds at 19 to 21 MHz. "This was some of the strongest radio bursting of the new solar cycle," he says. "What a great solar day." http://spaceweather.com/swpod2011/13feb11/ashcraft.mp3 (via Artie Bigley, WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) Space Weather News for Feb. 15, 2011 http://spaceweather.com MAJOR FLARE: Earth-orbiting satellites have detected the strongest solar flare in more than four years. At 0156 UT on Feb. 15th, giant sunspot 1158 unleashed an X2-class eruption. X-flares are the strongest type of x-ray flare, and this is the first such eruption of new Solar Cycle 24. The explosion that produced the flare also sent a solar tsunami rippling through the sun's atmosphere and, more importantly, hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth. This raises the possibility of geomagnetic storms in the days ahead. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and updates (via DXLD) Spaceweather.com February 15, 2011 Sunspot 1158 has unleashed the strongest solar flare in more than four years. The eruption, which peaked at 0156 UT on Feb. 15th, registered X2 on the Richter scale of solar flares. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded an intense flash of extreme ultraviolet radiation, circled below: (see website for movie) X-flares are the strongest type of solar flare, and this is the first such eruption of new Solar Cycle 24. In addition to flashing Earth with UV radiation, the explosion also hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) in our direction. The expanding cloud may be seen in this movie from NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft. Geomagnetic storms are possible when the CME arrives 36 to 48 hours hence. Stay tuned for updates. http://spaceweather.com/ (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) : X-Ray Event exceeded X1 Space Weather Message Code: SUMX01 Serial Number: 66 Issue Time: 2011 Feb 15 0233 UTC SUMMARY: X-ray Event exceeded X1 Begin Time: 2011 Feb 14 0144 UTC Maximum Time: 2011 Feb 14 0156 UTC End Time: 2011 Feb 14 0206 UTC X-ray Class: X2.2 Location: S20W15 NOAA Scale: R3 - Strong NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales (NOAA, 0237 UT Feb 15 via DXLD) X-Flare! Message-ID: <255146.96205.qm@web37005.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Just before 0200 UTC, impressive Sunspot 1158 sent up the first X- class flare of Cycle 24. We haven't seen an X-flare in years. Following the flare, HF blacked out. Expect mid-latitude aurora in the next couple of days. So, it now looks as if Cycle 24 is ramping up. 10 meters was active this afternoon BEFORE the X-flare, feeding off a recent M-class event, among other things. The band should be in nice shape this weekend. It will be quite some time before F2 on 6m, however. SFI is still just above 100. Don't expect 50 MHz F2 until we approach 200. It may soon be time to put a 10m radiator on the car (Peter, N4LI, Baskind, J.D., LL.M., Germantown, TN, 901-624-5295, Feb 14, WTFDA via DXLD) The Southern States could look for TEP on 6 metres, though. CT1HZE near me was into S. America last night and the Ascension Island beacon was making it into Puerto Rico (Mr Hugh Hoover, Portugal, ibid.) I just found the graph for the flare: http://blogs.woodtv.com/files/2011/02/Xray_1m.gif (Curtis Sadowski, IL, ibid.) X-class flare --- Conditions seemed very auroral here last night. I used my Perseus receiver and Spectrum Laboratory software to plot transatlantic carriers overnight on 1400 kHz and there was plenty of evidence of Doppler shift on their carriers: http://paulc.fileave.com/1400.jpg The carrier on 1400.009 is CBG St John's Newfoundland and is the most common station received here. Whereas I normally get a thin straight line there was all sorts of distortion on it and on many other carriers too. It all seemed to switch off as if by magic at local sunrise here - 0745 (Paul Crankshaw, Troon, Scotland, Feb 15, IRCA via DXLD) I left my Perseus and Spectrum Laboratory on 1400 kHz overnight, having noticed the 'fuzz' around the CBG carrier last night. Here is what it came up with: 1399.985 to 1400.025 http://paulc.fileave.com/1400.jpg a close up of CBG http://paulc.fileave.com/14003.jpg a signal strength and frequency plot of CBG (left hand scale signal strength - red noise, green CBG. Right hand scale - yellow frequency) http://paulc.fileave.com/14002.jpg First thing to note is the fuzz around many carriers, especially CBG and how it 'switches off' at more or less local sunrise 0745. Secondly the drift downward of frequencies (nothing to do with Perseus warm up) presumably associated with some kind of Doppler shift. As the fuzz goes at sunrise the frequencies appear to 'level off''. It seems to have been a pretty active night: http://www.spaceweather.com/ (Paul Crankshaw, Troon, Scotland, Feb 15, MWCircle yg via DXLD) SOLAR RADIATION STORMS THRU 21 FEBRUARY Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY OUTLOOK #11- 7 2011 February 15 at 9:38 a.m. MST (2011 February 15 1638 UTC) **** SPACE WEATHER OUTLOOK **** Summary For February 7-13 R2 (Moderate) Solar Radiation Storms were observed on 13 February. Outlook For February 16-22 R1 (Minor) and R2 (Moderate), along with possible R3 (Strong) Solar Radiation Storms are expected through 21 February. Data used to provide space weather services are contributed by NOAA, USAF, NASA, NSF, USGS, the International Space Environment Services and other observatories, universities, and institutions. More information is available at SWPC's Web site http://swpc.noaa.gov (via DXLD) Artie: The attached looks to be the last X-flare (also about the last time that the SFX was over 100) - Dec 14, 2006. 73, (Pat - WA5IYX, Dyer, TX, via Artie Bigley, OH, 14 Feb, DXLD) Solar Flares in the news!!! NBC News Pat, This article says you are correct!!! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41604785/ns/technology_and_science-space/ (Artie, via DXLD) More articles on solar flare: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12485104 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12488224 http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/16/the-sun-erupts-largest-solar-flare-in-four-years-to-light-up-the-sky/ http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/16/solar-flare-4-potential-hazards-of-the-suns-spectacular-show/ http://www.thejournal.ie/massive-solar-flare-sends-particles-towards-earth-2011-02/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/16/solar_flare/ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2380425,00.asp (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) BTW, the spot group has reached an area (over 500 millionths of a solar hemipshere) where it is (with the proper filtering for eye protection) visible to the naked eye. (No media news outlet is going to even mention that for fear of litigation from folks getting eye damage from trying to see it!) Cycle 24 is lagging (spots and flares) far behind the upslope of all the cycles that I've been "involved" with. It's going to take a sustained surge for it "to catch up" by its forecasted 2013 peak. 73, (Pat - WA5IYX Dyer via Artie Bigley, DXLD) Solar flux is 96. What's the maximum recorded number? 344 in 1958? (Bill Hepburn, Ont., Feb 12, WTFDA via DXLD) Look at the peak of the last cycle, back in 2001 (note all of the other values, too??sunspot number and area, X-ray flux and flare count): http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/old_indices/2001_DSD.txt and compare with the current year's, http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/old_indices/2011Q1_DSD.txt which *should* be into high gear by now, but is (so far this cycle) a dud, as the SWPC's "Predicted Sunspot Number And Radio Flux Values" listing shows: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/Predict.txt (~Kaimbridge~ M GoldChild, WTFDA via DXLD) http://www.solarcycle24.com/ I know there are a thousand sites for this data, but I really like this one (It's fast and to the point) and today we're finishing up an X-class flare. So the graphs you can click on and the pictures are more interesting than they have been for some time. The GOES X-ray plot is pretty cool. Couple orders of magnitude, and the K-index. of course. Wish I was near a radio. I just remember than 1958 was a slow starter sunspot wise, but turned out to be a very very good cycle (Baumgartner, via Mark Durenberger, NRC-AM via DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2011 Feb 15 1953 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # Product description and SWPC contact on the Web # http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html # # Weekly Highlights and Forecasts # Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 07 - 13 February 2011 [complete, unlike our usual practice to skip the first part --- gh] Solar activity ranged from very low to high levels during the period. Activity was at very low levels on 07 February. Activity increased to low levels on 08 February when Region 1153 (N15, L=175, class/area Dso/180 on 09 February) produced two C-class flares. The largest of these was a C1/Sf at 08/2112 UTC. Activity increased to moderate levels on 09 February when Region 1153 produced an M1/Sf flare at 09/0131 UTC. Activity decreased to low levels on 10 February, with four C-class flares observed from Region 1153. The largest of these was a C4 flare at 10/1234 UTC. Activity decreased to very low on 11 February. Activity increased to low levels on 12 February when Region 1159 (N19, L=034, class/area Cso/020 on 13 February) produced a C2 flare. A Type II radio sweep, was observed at 12/2036 UTC. Two CMEs, both lifting off the east limb, were observed on LASCO C3 imagery at 11/1642 UTC and at 11/2318 UTC. The later CME was associated with the Type II radio sweep. Activity reached high levels on 13 February when Region 1158 (S20, L=034, class/area Eac/120 on 13 February) emerged on the disk and produced an M6/1N flare at 13/1738 UTC. Associated with this event was a 130 sfu Tenflare and a Type II Radio Sweep (estimated velocity 1119 km/s). (NOTE: An X2 x-ray event was observed from Region 1158 at 15/0156 UTC; more details will be reported next week.) No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at high levels from 07 - 11 February. Normal to moderate levels were observed on 12 - 13 February. Geomagnetic field activity was mostly quiet during the forecast period. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 16 FEBRUARY - 14 MARCH 2011 Solar activity is expected to be low to moderate with a slight chance for high activity from 16 - 20 February. Activity is expected to decrease to low levels by 21 February as Regions 1158 and 1159 rotate off the visible disk. An increase in activity is expected on 05 March when old Region 1158 (S20, L=14) rotates back onto the disk. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels for 14 - 15 February. Normal to moderate levels are expected from 16 February - 04 March. High levels are expected from 05 - 10 March followed by a return to low to moderate levels for the remainder of the period (11 - 14 March). Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at unsettled to active levels with a chance for isolated minor storm periods from 16 - 19 February. The increase in activity is due to the combination of a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) and a CME associated with an X2 x-ray event observed on 15 February. Predominantly quiet levels are expected for 20 - 28 February. Activity is expected to be quiet to unsettled with a chance for isolated active periods from 01 - 03 March due to a recurrent CH HSS. Mostly quiet conditions are expected for the remainder of the period (04 - 14 March). :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2011 Feb 15 1953 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 2011-02-15 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2011 Feb 16 100 8 3 2011 Feb 17 100 18 4 2011 Feb 18 100 25 5 2011 Feb 19 98 10 3 2011 Feb 20 98 5 2 2011 Feb 21 95 5 2 2011 Feb 22 90 5 2 2011 Feb 23 84 5 2 2011 Feb 24 80 5 2 2011 Feb 25 80 5 2 2011 Feb 26 80 5 2 2011 Feb 27 80 5 2 2011 Feb 28 80 5 2 2011 Mar 01 80 8 3 2011 Mar 02 80 10 3 2011 Mar 03 82 10 3 2011 Mar 04 82 8 3 2011 Mar 05 84 5 2 2011 Mar 06 84 5 2 2011 Mar 07 88 5 2 2011 Mar 08 88 5 2 2011 Mar 09 88 5 2 2011 Mar 10 90 5 2 2011 Mar 11 90 5 2 2011 Mar 12 95 5 2 2011 Mar 13 95 5 2 2011 Mar 14 95 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1552, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ RADIO FOR NON-BELIEVERS It's a podcast for the Atheists and Agnostics. 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