DX LISTENING DIGEST 16-33, August 17, 2016 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 2016 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html [also linx to previous years] NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1839 CONTENTS: *DX and station news about: Alaska, Armenia, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Guinea, International Internet, Korea North & South, Madagascar, Perú, Russia, Solomon Islands, Turkey, Uganda non, USA, Vanuatu, Vatican, Vietnam non SHORTWAVE AIRINGS of WORLD OF RADIO 1839, August 18-24, 2016 Thu 1130 WRMI 9955 Thu 2100 WRMI 13695 [confirmed] Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Fri 0830 Unique 3210 Fri 2130 WRMI 13695 [confirmed] Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio Sat 0700 Unique 3210 Sat 1400 Unique 3210 Sat 1430 HLR 7265-CUSB Hamburger Lokalradio [not audible UTwente] Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB [confirmed] Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM [confirmed from 0304] Sun 0830 Unique 3210 Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Mon 0030 WRMI 7730 Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v-AM Area 51 Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Wed 1315 WRMI 9955 Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: Tnx to Dr Harald Gabler and the Rhein-Main Radio Club. http://www.rmrc.de/index.php/rmrc-audio-plattform/podcast/glenn-hauser-wor ALTERNATIVE PODCASTS, tnx Stephen Cooper: http://shortwave.am/wor.xml ANOTHER PODCAST ALTERNATIVE, tnx to Keith Weston: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GlennHausersWorldOfRadio NOW tnx to Keith Weston, also Podcasts via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glenn-hausers-world-of-radio/id1123369861 AND via Google Play Music: http://bit.ly/worldofradio OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org DAY-BY-DAY ARCHIVE OF GLENN HAUSER`S LOG REPORTS: Unedited, uncondensed, unchanged from original version, many of them too complex, minutely researched, multi-frequency, opinionated, inconsequential, off-topic, or lengthy for some log editors to manage; and also ahead of their availability in these weekly issues: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser NOTE: I have *resolved* to make DXLD leaner, more selective, as I seriously need to reduce my workload, much of which has been merely editing gobs of material into presentable form. This makes it even more important to be a member of the DXLD yg for additional material which may not make it into weekly issues (gh) DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg without delay. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location, and say something about why you want to join. Those who do not, unless I recognize them, will be prompted once to do so and no action will be taken otherwise. Here`s where to sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** ALASKA. HAARP FACILITY TO REOPEN IN 2017 UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP ARRL article in Radio World August 10 "Let the conspiracy theories resume! Alaska’s High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility will reopen in 2017. The sprawling facility now is under the ownership of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and the UAF Geophysical Institute is preparing HAARP for a new sponsored research campaign" Full article: http://www.radioworld.com/article/haarp-facility-to-reopen-in-2017-under-new-ownership/279394 Posted by: (Mike Barraclough, Aug 12, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) See also PLASMA BOMBS story far below ** ALBANIA. 9855-, Aug 11 at 2353, R. Tirana is S3 with some music under humroar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9855, Radio Tirana, Shijak, at 0133, on 12 Aug, in English. A male announcer is talking but there is a loud hum coming through at this time interfering with the audio. He did mention Radio Tirana and friendship. Next there was talk about Albania and Bucharest was mentioned with economic news presented. A song played next with a Hip Hop beat and a female singer. Fair-Poor (John Cooper, PA, ODXA YRX via DXLD) 9855, R. Tiranë, 0128 16 Aug - Tune in to interval signal followed by YL with usual opening announcements. Signal is at good levels, S8/9, but the massive buzz is still there nearly completely obliterating any audio (Stephen Wood, Harwich, Mass., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9854.968, Radio Tirana Albanian service to NW Europe and Northern America, on Aug 16 at 23-24 UT via Shijak shortwave center. Observed at 2310-2325 UT on Aug 16-UT, in Germany western Europe skip zone not bad tonight S=9+20dB or -51dBm signal. AUDIO SIGNAL - is STILL NOT CLEAN! TERRIBLE BUZZY ROAR modulation signal. Weak and tiny MA/NJ-USA S=6-7 or -83dBm fluttery. Some garden fence like - strings visible, 7 x 100 Hertz mainpower apart distance buzz 'visible' and heard, also some 50 Hertz apart distance peaks, listen to enclosed recording of tonight. [selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz] (Wolfgang Büschel, df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Elsewhere, perhaps Radio Tirana is trying something similar [to Radio Australia]. Instead of being completely off the air, they instead transmit nothing but unintelligible noise to see if there is any reaction (only half-joking on that one.) (Stephen Luce, Houston, Texas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Comment: nonsense . . . (Wolfy, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, the real concern here is that the failure to repair the transmitter could eventually kill the whole service. Not just the AM transmission, also the production side. I understand that all online availability of Radio Tirana foreign service programming exists only due to the help provided by German hobbyists free of charge (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9854.98, Aug 17 at 0132, R. Tirana is stronger than usual, S9+20, which makes the awful humroar even worse (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good morning, From 1 Aug. Henri Muca (c-ch) is the new General Technical Director-RTSH. His background is digital, coming from Top Channel - national private station. In the new RTSH structure, all RTSH technical staff will be under his responsibility. I have not met him, yet, due to his engagements - said his Secretary (Drita Çiço, R. Tirana Monitoring, Sent from my iPad, Aug 17, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENINIG DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. 15345.14, Sat Aug 13 at 1929, very poor S1 signal, maybe sports coverage, presumed R. Nacional --- this LRA transmitter had been below 15345 for weeks, in fact closer to 15344. Aoki shows on Saturdays it not starting until 2000. Are they still running RAExterior earlier on Sats? 17-18 German, 18-19 English? How about 19- 20 Italian? (Cairo also varies around 15345 but supposed to be only at 16-18) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LILSTENING DIGEST) 15345.1, Radio Nacional, General Pacheco, 1953-2050, 14-08, Spanish, Olympic Games comments, live tennis match Del Potro vs Murray. 34433 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Lugo and Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, Sony ICF SW7600G, Cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15344.340v, Aug 17 at 1321, RAE with weak wobbling carrier, back below 15345 after an excursion above (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. Although the actual broadcast of "Voice of the Report of the Week" from 1600 to 1700 UT on 12075 kHz via Gavar, Armenia is beamed to India, it is well audible here in Central Europe. Reception is sometimes disturbed my moderate to severe fading. Signal strength: S9~S9+20. 73, (Manfred Reiff, Germany, 1622 UT Aug 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12075, VORW via Short Wave Service Gavar/Yerevean, *1600-1636, 11-08, tuning music, English, identification: "Short Wave Service...", "VORW..." "...transmission to South East Asia...", comments, pop songs in English, "Black or White" Michael Jackson song, " e-mail address: vorwinfo@gmail.com", song, "Revolution" by Rolling Stones, at 1630 time signals identification and frequencies. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Log in Lugo, Sangean ATS 909X, cable antenna, 8 meters, ibid.) Any fast food reviews therein?? (gh) ** ARMENIA. Re: SM Radio from Gavar this weekend --- Many thanks, Alan for keeping us updated on the continuing changes of programming via Shortwave Service. It's much appreciated! (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, Aug 11, BDXC-UK yg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Alan, You're most welcome, these relay services are certainly trying to keep me busy; I just noticed another new late addition on Channel 292 this evening: 6070, 2000, Irgendwas mit Medien (roughly translates as 'Something with Media') This is on right after Radio Ohne Nahmen, and before Radiostar, and also follows Radio Ohne Nahmen again on Sunday at 1400 UT, so I assume both will be repeats of tonight's programmes (Alan Gale, Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: Gleich ab 18 UTC auf 11845 SM Radio International Am 13.08.2016 um 20:07 schrieb Herbert Meixner: > 1805 UC und die Rolling Stones mit "Paint It Black". > S=9+20 > O=4 > AM, 10 kHz > Fading Hier im Süden von Sachsen-Anhalt O=5+, der Skip funktioniert prächtig! laut EIBI: kHz: 11845 UTC/PSN: 1800-2000 Days/PI: 6 (Sa) Language: English Station: SM Radio Int. Country: ARM (Armenia) Transmitter: Gavar Latitude: 40.4167 Longitude: 45.2000 Modulation: Power (kW): Target: Eu (Europe) Distance: 2825 Bearing: 103 Notes: 13Aug Org: XUU/Unknown Details: 25 m from Armenia to Europe QTH locator: LN20ok30xa ====================================================================== https://www.facebook.com/smradiointernational/ ".....On Saturday we are broadcasting Ron O'Quinns Rock 'N Roll Rewind with 100 kW on 11845 kHz from 1800 to 2000 UT (20.00-22.00 CET / MESZ) to Europe. This is a transmitter test. Please send us your reception reports to: info@shortwavecommunity.com " https://www.facebook.com/ron.oquinn.10 "...ROCK 'N ROLL REWIND is on right now until 22.00 hrs CET and is making the 2000 mile trip from Armenia to The Netherlands really well. The frequency is 11845 and if you do not have a SW radio in Europe, Africa, the Mid East, or Asia, I certainly hope you will try this SDR receiver at Twente University in Holland. Scroll down the page and type in 11845 in the FREQUENCY space and then scroll to the right and click AM. Email me and let me know you are listening. rewindron@gmail.com `` (roger, Aug 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hallo Christian, das Sado Macho SM px ist überwiegend in ganz Westeuropa remotes mit gleichem Signal einfallend: S=9+10dB oder - 66dBm, also Holland, Belgium, Oberpfalz, Schweiz, Riviera, nur in Italien an der Adria remote S=9+20 oder -56dBm etwas stärker (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reception of SM Radio International on August 13, Ron O'Quinns Rock'N Roll Rewind - this is a transmitter test: 1800-2000 on 11845 ERV 100 kW / 305 deg to WeEu German/Eng. Sorry for very bad strong electricity noise, on all bands!! http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2016/08/reception-of-sm-radio-international-on.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ASIA [non]. RFA ANNOUNCES 20TH ANNIVERSARY QSL ``Dear friends, Attached is the information about our new QSL card; this design commemorates RFA's 20th anniversary. We hope you enjoy this new QSL card and we look forward to receiving you reception reports through our automated reception report system at http://techweb.rfa.org by email to qslrfa.org, or by snail mail. Please see the attached PDF press release for more details. Best wishes. 73s. AJ Andrew "A.J." Janitschek, Radio Free Asia`` Best regards, Adam. http://dxadam.blogspot.com/ (via Adam Grzenia, Poland, Aug 16, dxldyg via DXLD; also via Juan Franco Crespo, DXLD) PDF attachment shows the design, grafix only, not particularly notable. Not yet on the website QSL gallery. They should put a little more effort into their QSL art (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Thanks for the link. I sent off my response to Radio Australia and also alerted Tom Witherspoon to see if he will blog about this issue. I hope Rich puts a notice about this in the NASWA Flashsheet. Hopefully, if enough people contact Radio Australia about this issue, the bureaucrats in the Australian government will realize this station provides an essential service to a worldwide audience. The reply today (Aug 11) from reception.advice@abc.net.au: "Thank you for your recent correspondence with regards to the Radio Australia Broadcasts on Shortwave Radio in the SW Pacific. We are currently working with our transmission provider on a number of shut downs over the past week and again over the next week to investigate a range of technical and commercial issues for the service. In the meantime the services are still on air via our satellite services on Intelsat IS18 and IS22 as well as our FM network across the targeted markets in the SW Pacific (for detailed information please see http://goo.gl/2Y7xS3 ) and of course Radio Australia is online at http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/listen Thank you also for your audio clip of ABC Alice Springs NT! Kind Regards, ABC Reception Advice (Communications Networks)" (Mike Nikolich, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) 17840 & 15240, Aug 11 at 2355 check, R. Australia is STILL MISSING. A couple more inquiries appeared meanwhile on their Facebook: ``Richard Cook Yesterday at 12:56pm --- Your shortwave service fir radio australia isnt on the usual frequencies for 2days now any idea why?`` ``Rick Barton Yesterday at 6:04pm --- can anyone there tell us if there is an outage at Shepparton, or has SW broadcasting from RA / ABC ceased? I have been a regular listener here in USA.`` ``Kandee Storrs --- I am guessing that weather problems in the Shepparton area may be to blame. I have not received any definite answers yet. 11 hours ago`` ``Rick Barton --- I am wondering also --- can anybody at RA/ABC tell us what is going on? about an hour ago``. Now Ron Howard reports to the DXLD yg as of 0215 UT August 12:: ``Hi Glenn, Sent an inquiry to RA about what is happening to their SW service. Told them how much I missed hearing RA this week via SW. Also informed them how well ABC Alice Springs NT was recently coming in, via 4835 kHz. and attached an audio clip for them to listen to. The reply today (Aug 11) from reception.advice @ abc.net.au : "Thank you for your recent correspondence with regards to the Radio Australia Broadcasts on Shortwave Radio in the SW Pacific. We are currently working with our transmission provider on a number of shut downs over the past week and again over the next week to investigate a range of technical and commercial issues for the service. In the meantime the services are still on air via our satellite services on Intelsat IS18 and IS22 as well as our FM network across the targeted markets in the SW Pacific. For detailed information please see http://goo.gl/2Y7xS3 and of course Radio Australia is online at http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/listen Thank you also for your audio clip of ABC Alice Springs NT! Kind Regards, ABC Reception Advice (Communications Networks)" Ron, California`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I also checked the big [only] 3 (12065, 12085 and the usually VERY reliable 9580) at 1030 and 1145 this morning local with no joy. At 2300 (4 OM local here), 17840 still blank. Didn't check 15240 at that time. Very concerning at this point (Rick Barton, AZ, Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also, R. Australia was absent again this morning (~1300z-1530z) on all three of their frequencies. The longest time they've been off the air in memory. I truly hope this isn't the end of an era for them (if so, it deserves more pomp and circumstance; is nobody at ABC old enough to realize this?) Here's a Link to send them feedback... http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/contact-us/question/?radCategory=26 I let them know that they have been off the air on shortwave for the last week, that I have been listening to them for almost 4 decades, and that their news service is invaluable to get the Asia/Pacific perspective. I also included a link to all of my RA entries in my online log (a couple of years worth). Let's let them know we are listening and we care about the shortwave service continuing (Rodney Johnson, NV, Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Still silence from Radio Australia on 9580 / 12065 / 12085 kHz. If you want to check signals coming from Australasia, Reach Beyond Australia on 15340 putting in good signal from tune in at 1305 UT with according to schedule programming in Asian language, Dzongkha to 1315 and then Marathi to 1330 UT. Some nice ethnic music interludes. http://www.reachbeyond.org.au/programming/broadcast-schedule 73's (John, Faversham Kent UK, Hoad, Sangean ATS-909X / 10mtr Longwire, 1340 UT Aug 12, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) RBA is no substitute for RA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENIING DIGEST) [and non]. 9580, Aug 12 at 1320, tnx to the absence of R. Australia, I can finally hear the noise field around this frequency emanating from the 9570 CUBA relay of CRI; which Andy Reid in Ontario has found such a QRM problem to RA. Also some on 9560 but not as much. 17840 & 15240, Aug 13 at 0021, RA is STILL OFF. Meanwhile, more discussion of this in the DXLD yg, from Keith Perron: ``I suspect people have short memories. Every 12 or 18 months, depending on the schedule. Last year it was in June. Transmissions out of Shepparton stop anywhere from 3 to 5 days. In 2010 it was 11 days. Every 12 to 18 months Broadcast Australia does maintenance at the site. There was also a 6 day period in 2013 when all transmissions were gone. Those that now reply to messages concerning Radio Australia’s broadcasts are no longer people from Radio Australia. This is now handled by ABC people, who really don’t have a clue what Radio Australia is doing or even care. Their main job is replying for domestic radio and television services K``. I, gh, replied: ``Keith, We hope you`re right, but the possibility remains that a decision could be taken to dispense with SW as has happened with so many other services. We`ll not rest easy until it come back. And this does give us the opportunity to reaffirm our desire for SW to continue, should it by some chance reach a decision- maker. Glenn`` Keith: ``It's not the right time of year. Now, while it is true that ABC International would like to do away with RA, getting emails and letters outside their target does not help. ABC International, which is the parent of Radio Australia and Australia Plus, have a very specific target, which is the Pacific and Asia`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yep, Nothing again here in Nevada this morning (~1300-1530z). Longest I've ever seen them off the air. I hope this isn't the end of an era. 73s (Rodney Johnson, 1621 UT Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9580, 12085, 12065, Aug 13 at 1335 check, RADIO AUSTRALIA IS STILL MISSING. 6170, RNZI is still audible but weakening (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15415. August 13, 2016. 2145-2200, Radio Australia, Shepparton, in English, off; also off 15240 and 17840 kHz, all Shepparton (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil (UTC-3), RX (s): Degen DE1103 + Sony ICF-SW100S, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard- Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 9580, 12085, 12065, Aug 14 at 1236 check, RADIO AUSTRALIA IS STILL MISSING. 7245, RNZI is audible, poorly. Aug 7 was the last date I or anyone heard Radio Australia, and before that not all frequencies were active, so it`s now been gone for a week (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Australia has had maintenance intervals in years passed -- some lasting 10-12 days. Hopefully this is one of them (Colin Newell - CoffeeCrew.com - VA7WWV - Victoria - BC, DXer.ca, dxldyg via DXLD) 17840 & 15240, Aug 15 at 0135 check, RADIO AUSTRALIA IS STILL MISSING. RNZI is OK on 15720. 9580 & 12065 & 12085, Aug 15 at 1357 check, no signals from Radio Australia. 17840 & 15240, Aug 16 at 0329, no signals from RA (tho I may have a birdie around 15240). 9580 & 12065 & 12085, Aug 16 at 1220 still no signals from RA, now the ninth day in a row of silence, without any specific explanation from ABC or promise to return. At least we still have the VL8s, 2310 & 2485 barely audible, and 4835 fair, but no substitute for RA inbooming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn: Below is my question to Radio Australia about missing shortwave transmissions and their response: Your question or comment was about Radio reception ``I have not been able to hear Radio Australia for the last several days via shortwave. I understand you may be doing maintenance (which is necessary and understandable) but I miss hearing news about Australia and the Pacific region when I am tuning my shortwave receiver. Also, I understand you have broadcasting available through the internet but I listen to radio programs on my radio (shortwave radio). Please restore shortwave service ASAP. Thank you.`` Your Answer ``Hi Charles, Thank you for your recent correspondence with regards to the Radio Australia Broadcasts on Shortwave Radio in the SW Pacific. We are currently working with our transmission provider on a number of shut downs over the past week and again during this week to investigate a range of technical and commercial issues for the service. In the meantime the services are still on air via our satellite services on Intelsat IS18 and IS20 as well as our FM network across the targeted markets in the SW Pacific (for detailed information please see http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/waystolisten and of course Radio Australia is streamed online at; http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/listen Kind Regards, Radio Australia Would you like to reply or ask another question? YES (Charlie Harlich, Aug 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today - Tuesday - I found RNZI 11725 strong enough to listen to; it's been hardly detectable, let alone listenable for some time now. But still nothing from Australia. 15415 is usually the best one to hear around 0630 UT+, but I couldn't trace it today. A shame if they've pulled the plug. 73 from (Noel Green, UK, Aug 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Thomas Witherspoon posted this on the SWLing Post today explaining the RA outage: ``Thank you for your recent correspondence with regards to the Radio Australia Broadcasts on Shortwave Radio in the SW Pacific. We are currently working with our transmission provider on a number of shut downs over the past week and again over the next week to investigate a range of technical and commercial issues for the service. In the meantime the services are still on air via our satellite services on Intelsat IS18 and IS20 as well as our FM network across the targeted markets in the SW Pacific (for detailed information please see http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/waystolisten and of course Radio Australia is online at http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/listen Kind Regards, ABC Reception Advice`` Best regards, (Ed McCorry (KI4QDE), North Carolina USA, Aug 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ed, Tnx, yes I have seen that form reply several times, but I do not consider it a ``specific explanation`` -- 73, (Glenn to Ed, ibid.) My reply from Radio Australia - "Dear Mr Newell, Thank you for your recent correspondence with regards to the Radio Australia Broadcasts on Shortwave Radio in the SW Pacific. We are currently working with our transmission provider on a number of shut downs over the past week and again over the next week to investigate a range of technical and commercial issues for the service. In the meantime the services are still on air via our satellite services on Intelsat IS18 and IS20 as well as our FM network across the targeted markets in the SW Pacific (for detailed information please see http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/waystolisten and of course Radio Australia is online at http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/listen Kind Regards," Either a.) It is a maintenance interview or b.) They are testing the waters for a complete shutdown of the SW service. When you think about it - if they turn off the SW transmitters and they only get 12 letters of complaint, they will realize that there is no economic model for continuing the service (Colin Newell, BC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) R Australia shortwave to return 19 or 20 August? Mauno Ritola asked Radio Australia on Facebook: "Have shortwave transmissions stopped altogether?" and Radio Australia responded today: "Hi there, the ABC is running a technical outage of the Radio Australia service until Friday the 19th of August to test reception in the region. Sorry for any inconvenience caused." (Facebook 16th August) [unsure if by "test reception in the region" they mean gauge reaction (or lack of it) to the switch off. Seems similar to the BBC local radio ploy of switching off MW channels to see if anyone notices or complains - Alan] (Alan Pennington, 1601 UT Aug 16, BDXC-UK yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) Aha, they finally admitted it --- Of course this is the established approach of running a shut-down test to determine if an AM service is still used to such an extent that the operational costs can be justified. In the case of Radio Bremen [GERMANY], the outcome was judged negative not because of the absolute number of reactions, but because way too much of them came from hobbyists. In other words, sending comments is no doubt counterproductive. Now it is also clear that the non-responses sent out from Sydney were not the result of people there not knowing what's going on. Much to the contrary: They are carefully worded, designed to obfuscate things as much as is it possible without telling lies. Considering this I find the "working with our transmission provider" surprising in as far as Broadcast Australia cooperates here in a potential step towards killing the Shepparton facility. But perhaps that's just their goal, too (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This morning RA said: ``Thank you for your recent correspondence with regards to the Radio Australia Broadcasts on Shortwave Radio in the SW Pacific. We are currently working with our transmission provider on a number of shut downs over the past week and again over the next week to investigate a range of technical and commercial issues for the service`` So, this next week will end on the 19th August (Sudipta Ghose, India, ibid.) Wouldn't many of the listeners in the target area have limited access to internet and email and therefore not be in position to contact ABC to complain about the service not being on air though? (Stephen Cooper, ibid.) Listeners can use a form of international communication, even older than shortwave, known as the postal service. The Powers That Be at Australia's ABC might be waiting for any reaction that shows up in the mailbox. I agree with the earlier comment that complaints or questions from outside the Pacific target areas will be counterproductive (Stephen Luce, Houston, Texas, ibid.) Thus the apparent plan to switch transmitters back on on Friday --- for now. To be more precise: Not necessarily if they make a real point of regularly using the shortwave signal for actually listening to the program (out in the garden, maybe even in the car, whatever). But all stuff about what a nice hobby you have, how nicely you had recently the Alice Springs transmitter in, that hereby you send another reception report etc., all this is prone to accelerate the decline of the distribution platform (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) Well, I told them, that I listen from Finland and received some further questions: "Are you normally receiving the Radio Australia transmissions from there on shortwave? Are there particular times you listen? How much time would you spend listening to radio Australia?" (Mauno Ritola, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGESET) 17840 & 15240, Aug 17 at 0142, R. Australia is still OFF for the tenth day in a row (15720 RNZI is OK at 0158). 9580 & 12085 & 12065, Aug 17 at 1300, still no RA. 17840 & 15240, Aug 18 at 0335, still no RA for the eleventh day. There has been a lot of discussion about this on DXLD yg and other fora. May I say that I resent being classified as a mere DXer demanding a QSL --- Along with countless others, we listen to RA because of its excellent programming, and affexion for Australia. Any broadcaster should be delighted to have as many listeners as possible, including those beyond a designated target area (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Quite a spirited discussion by Keith Perron et al., 38 comments appended so far to another copy of the form reply: http://swling.com/blog/2016/08/radio-australia-off-the-air-this-week/ (via George Thurman, DXLD) RA DID RESUME (mostly) as of 2258 UT August 18; details already in the DXLD yg, and next DXLD (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. Second Edition of Unique Radio's Shortwave Magazine over WINB: Unlistenable in NB --- Even well away from house- generated RFI, the signal from WINB on 9265 kHz last night here in NB was too weak to listen to the Unique Radio show [0300-0400 UT Friday Aug 12]. Could tell WINB was there (barely) but that was about it. On the other hand, in the bottom part of the 31-metre band, WRMI on 9395 kHz, Greece on 9420 kHz, and Radio República on 9490 kHz all had strong signals. Although I'm in the direction of the back lobe of WINB's antenna, we often get good WINB reception. Signal was also very weak and unusable on the U. Twente receiver. So, how was reception of WINB elsewhere in North America last night? (Richard Langley, NB, Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Missed it here (gh) 9265, USA, Unique Radio via WINB - Red Lion, PA, 0310-0336, Aug 12 [UT Fri only]. Heard station ID and website address but most of the talk by the male announcer was difficult to understand, however, the music was at acceptable listening levels. Heard Rolling Stones, Olivia Newton John and a few others that I recognized. Poor to fair but it seemed the voice modulation from nearby Red Lion skipped right over my shack (Rich D'Angelo, 2216 Burkey Drive, Wyomissing, PA 19610, U.S.A., Equipment: Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini-Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet Aug 14 via DXLD) ** AZERBAIJIAN. Glenn, Do you know much about this station from the mid 60s to mid 70s?? What frequency was it on?? Is this a rare QSL??? Here is the QSL I just purchased!!!! 1966 RADIO BAKU'S BROADCAST SERVICE FOR ARAKIAN COUNTRIES QSL CARD http://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-RADIO-BAKUS-BROADCAST-SERVICE-FOR-ARAKIAN-COUNTRIES-QSL-CARD-/122086629858 Estimated delivery Wed, Aug 17 - Wed, Aug 24 ITEM PRICE: US $3.00 (Artie Bigley, OH, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Artie, Not much. I was thinking 49m band, but other side gives ``frequency`` as 30.49 m which = 9840 kHz or so (not sure about the other number on that line). I think that should be ``Arabian``. How long do these Ebay pages survive after a sale is finished, for those who just want to look at the images? (Glenn to Artie, via DXLD) Glenn, After an auction is sold or is completed, items are posted for an additional 90 days on ebay for viewing (ARTIE, ibid.) ** BANGLADESH. 4750 kHz Bangladesh Betar, Shavar | Bangladesh (Tropical band 60 meters) YL CX and Music regional, SINPO 34333, Day 14 August 2016 in 0014 UT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF4_m8GJ_QA&feature=youtu.be RX: Tecsun S-2000, Antenna: Beverage simples NSSEA-21 (Daniel Wyllyans, Nova Xavantina MT, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** BIAFRA [non]. Re 16-32: Radio Biafra carrier on 11700, but merely side-tuning on 11701 kHz (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX). Cabedelo- PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 11700, BULGARIA, Radio Biafra at 2018 in English with commentary about Nigeria, 2027 lengthy song supporting Biafra, 2035 song interrupted as man began hosting telephone calls, continued until 2058:50 when off after brief closing announcement. - Good Aug. 11 (Harold Sellers, Vernon, British Columbia, listening with CommRadio CR-1a and Sony AN-1 active antenna with 30 ft wire attached, Editor of World English Survey and Target Listening, available at http://www.odxa.on.ca dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Re: Emissoras em 5035. Glenn e demais membros do Radioescutas: Há já uns 15 dias que contactei a R. Educação Rural de Coari (ainda em 5035?), e, antes, deixara um pedido, aqui no fórum. Até ao momento, não houve qq. resposta, nem da estação, nem de algum colega. 73 (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, 14 agosto, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 6180, Aug 13 at 0039 as I tune across RNA with BFO and note the carrier is wobbling, right away it goes off, not back in the next few minutes, still off at 0050. 11780 is also wobbling but less so, and stays on, sounds OK and no spurs found in the plus/minus 90-100 kHz range or multiples (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 10000, Time Signal Station Observatório Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 0228-0235, 13-08, time signals, female time announcements in Portuguese. 13321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Lugo and Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, Sony ICF SW7600G, Cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 10000. August 16, 2016. 0917-0923, Observatório Nacional, Rio de Janeiro-RJ. Female announcer says, in Portuguese, an ID and correct time, each 10 seconds, with pips. This Time Signal has a fair signal and modulation, 35533 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX). Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11780, August 16, 2016. 0935-1000, Rádio Nacional da Amazônia, Brasília-DF. Male announcer presents a program "Bom-Dia Amazônia". Broadcasting with poor signal and barely audible audio, 25331 (rare moments, 25332). On 6180 kHz, regional songs, news and station announces, 45433. Note: A parallel investigation log on 11866-11870 kHz, only Radio Católica Mundial, in Spanish, with music and religious themes (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX). Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 11934.67, Aug 12 at 0005, Rádio RB2 with music is S3, probably originating with Aparecida. Weeks ago it was steadily drifting down below 11935, and I thought it might keep going, but it halted around here. 11925+ Bandeirantes and 11855- Aparecida also audible (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. SECRETLAND, Some changes of SPL Secretbrod End Times Coming ETC Radio Ex-Catholics For Christ, missing on Aug.12 1802-1832 on 12075 SCB 100 kW / 090 deg to WeAs English, zero signal! Brother HySTAIRical 1300-1600 on 11700*SCB 050 kW / 195 deg to EaAf English, ex 1300-1700 1900-2100 on 9800#SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to WeEu English, ex 1800-2100 * to avoid TWR Africa in various from 1630 UT # to avoid Radio Cairo in Turkish from 1800 UT http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/some-changes-of-spl-secretbrod.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) Didn`t SPL know they would face such conflicts before starting? (gh) ** BURUNDI [non]. 15480, Aug 13 at 1803, very poor talk, which would be R. Publique Africaine, via FRANCE, still scheduled daily 18-19 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENINIG DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. CKSL 1410 London, ONTARIO Update. Well, it's Adiós Amoeba for CKSL --- They are no more!! Last night about 2330 EDT I fired up the Sony SRF-T615 Ultralight and tuned in to 1410 to hear their spectacular sign-off!! They were playing the Comedy feed with no LIVE talk at all. I figured just before midnight someone would come on the air and say something like? "Thank You, London, for tuning into CKSL for the past 60 years; we're sorry we have to leave the air and hope you have enjoyed listening to us over the Years". Instead the sign-off was: "Live comedy skits up to midnight; then precisely at midnight somebody pulled the power cord and they were Gone!! No carrier, no goodbye, no nothin'"!!!! Pretty sad exit for a 60-year-old station. I'm 60, too, and I hope I go out with a bigger bang than that when it's time!! HHAHAHHAHA. Anyways, once the power cord was yanked, I noticed that there actually was life UNDER CKSL!!! I logged 1 NEW STATION on 1410 before cashing in for the night. I'll do some more listening and see what I can dig out. I don't have the Wellbrook loop back out on the deck yet and probably won't hook it back up til I get home from Alaska around the 11th of Sept? I heard several stations on 1400 as well, so I should be able to dig a few out of that, especially with the ULR as I have heard exactly ZERO stations on 1400 with the ULR. We'll see what I can find when I'm not so tired, and can also check sunset/sunrise times; even daytime might yield something?? 73 ROB VA3SW 1410, CKSL, London, ONTARIO, Aug/14/16, 2345 EDT, English, excellent. Comedy programming in progress with comedy skits. IDs as "FUNNY 1410". At exactly 0000 EDT they went OFF THE AIR forever!! No Sign-Off, No ID and cut the power in mid sentence of a comedy skit! This opens up 1410 kHz as well as 1400 graveyard channel and 1420 for future DX for me!! RELOG 10 kW. Here's the NEW ONE??. 1410, CJWI, Montreal, QUEBEC, Aug/15/16, 0020 EDT, CREOLE/FRENCH, VG, French/Creole pop music and vocals, -0024 EDT. Male DJ with Creole French talk at 0024 EDT. More Creole pop music and French talk between songs. In/out, swapping with WING [Dayton OH] with ESPN Programming. Mention of Montreal on Hour. Heard after my Local - AM 1410 London went SILENT forever at Midnight!! NEW STN ULR # 1107 Heard 10 kW (Robert S. Ross, London, Ontario CANADA, RECEIVER SONY SRF-T615 Ultralight BAREFOOT, IRCA via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) Seems like you should be able to get quite a few new ones: Fredonia NY, Watertown NY. Several in PA and Dayton OH come to mind. And WPOP in CT (JIM RENFREW, NY, ibid.) Glad I was able to nab them a couple of years ago (Todd Skaine, Bloomington MN, ibid.) Apparently the tower array would cost many hundreds of thousands to fix and they said it`s not worth it, to which I agree. WJMP 1520 Kent, OH has turned in its license, a multi-tower daytimer, and I understand that decision too (Paul Walker, AK, ibid.) Another one bites the dust. I am glad to have this one QSL'd, as with so many Canadians that are now gone (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) Patrick, if 1410 is still rather clear for you on your ENE Bev you may have a chance for Montreal's Haitian station which was peaking at almost entertainment level here in IL the other night. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, ibid.) ** CANADA. 1610, Aug 17 at 0202 UT, comedy in unknown language, 0203 UT sounds like S Asian music. Rather this is the Tagalog hour on CHHA Toronto, M-F at 10-11 pm ET, per http://chha1610am.ca/programming/ That`s stretching the ``Voces Latinas`` licenced format as far as possible, tho the Filipinas and its main language do have heavy Spanish colonial influence (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 2748.99-USB, Aug 17 at 0159, YL with marine weather in French. Canadian CG website shows: ``MCTS Halifax / VCS - Broadcasts 0140 Chebogue 2749J3E Radiotelephony (English followed by French) -- Technical marine forecasts synopsis, forecasts and wave height forecasts for marine areas: 201 to 214. U.S. weather forecasts for Coastal Waters – Eastport to Schoodic Point, Maine and Offshore Waters – Gulf of Maine to the Hague Line. Notices to Shipping in areas Bay of Fundy, South and West Coast Nova Scotia`` Chebogue is the site near Yarmouth, not Halifax (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHILE. == South American Logs == Radio Compañía Worldwide (Chile) 6925 AM, August 12 at 2330 UT. Music. SINPO: 45444 (Claudio Galaz, Chile, Free Radio Weekly via DXLD) Had not been reported longtime ** CHINA [and non]. 15564.92, Aug 12 at 0017, CNR1 echo jamming atop weaker 15565 signal, which is presumably IBB Mandarin via Thailand, this hour only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Dear friends! We have for you an important announcement: from 19 to 28 August from 0100 to 0500 and from 1400 to 1600 UT is stopped broadcasting for Central Asia at a frequency of 5905 kHz. In addition, from 1200 to 1400 UT also stopped broadcasting on frequency 7400 kHz. It is not necessary worry, it's temporary and compulsory measures for repair work. Please pardon for the inconvenience! If you suddenly notice some problems on a different frequency - Required let us know! We once again thank you for your understanding and support! http://russian.cri.cn/3075/2016/08/09/1s587753.htm (Dmitry Kutuzov, Ryazan, Russia/ "deneb-radio-dx" via RusDX Aug 14 via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. Los científicos chinos preparan el lanzamiento del primer satélite del mundo con capacidad para comunicación cuántica, que tendrá lugar a finales de este mes, según publica la Radio Internacional de China. En su página web, el medio asegura que los científicos del país asiático "están listos" para llevar a cabo experimentos en comunicación cuántica una vez el satélite sea lanzado. El satélite colocará a China en un puesto de liderazgo en esta tecnología puntera, que permite encriptar de forma segura las comunicaciones en el actual contexto de espionaje mundial, en medio de acusaciones recíprocas entre Pekín y Washington. Las comunicaciones a través de partículas cuánticas, unidades indivisibles de transmisión de energía, hacen que resulte imposible intervenir, interceptar o filtrar la información que se transmite a través de ellas. Éste será el primer satélite de su tipo, e incluye la construcción de cuatro estaciones en la Tierra para las transmisiones de comunicaciones y una estación en el espacio para completar el experimento. Se prevé que una red de comunicación cuántica de 2.000 kilómetros esté operativa entre Pekín y Shanghái en la segunda mitad de 2016, la cual podrá ser utilizada por agencias gubernamentales y bancos, según han publicado medios oficiales chinos (via GRA blog via DXLD) Somehow I missed heareading about this in English, but search on satellite quantum communication leads to lots of stories, like this: http://www.space.com/33760-china-launches-quantum-communications-satellite.html CHINA LAUNCHES PIONEERING 'HACK-PROOF' QUANTUM-COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | August 16, 2016 06:13pm ET China launched the first-ever quantum-communication satellite, known as QUESS, atop a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Aug. 15, 2016 (Aug. 15 local time). Credit: Xinhua/Jin Liwang [caption] China launched the first-ever quantum satellite Monday (Aug. 15) in an effort to help develop an unhackable communications system. The nation's Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) spacecraft lifted off atop a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert Monday at 1:40 p.m. EDT (1740 GMT; 1:40 a.m. local time Tuesday, Aug. 16), according to media reports. "In its two-year mission, QUESS is designed to establish 'hack-proof' quantum communications by transmitting uncrackable keys from space to the ground, and provide insights into the strangest phenomenon in quantum physics — quantum entanglement," China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. "Entangled" particles are intimately and curiously linked to each other; even if they're separated by billions of miles of space; a change in one somehow affects the others. QUESS will send messages to ground stations using entangled photons, Xinhua reported. Such a system is theoretically impossible to hack. In addition, any attempts to eavesdrop would be picked up via an induced change in the photons' state. Many nations are working to make quantum communication a reality, but China is the first to launch a satellite dedicated to developing the technology. The 1,320-lb. (600 kilograms) QUESS satellite is designed to circle Earth at an altitude of about 310 miles (500 kilometers), completing one lap every 90 minutes, Xinhua reported. QUESS will also test out "quantum teleportation," beaming precise information about the states of particles from the satellite to a ground station in Tibet, according to the news agency. The satellite is nicknamed "Micius," after a Chinese scientist who conducted groundbreaking optical experiments in the 5th century B.C. "Just like [NASA's] Galileo [Jupiter probe] and Kepler [space] telescope, we used the name of a famous scholar for our first quantum satellite," said QUESS project chief scientist Pan Jianwei, according to Xinhua. "We hope this will promote and boost confidence in Chinese culture." (via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 5910v & 6010v, Aug 17 at 0152, still nothing from the HJDH stations (facilitating some ``running water`` uteburst around 5910). I`ve not heard either for several weeks. I`ve asked QSL manager Rafael Rodríguez for an update on their status and of their patrón Martín Stendal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGST) ** CONGO. 6115, Radio Congo, Brazzaville, 1805-1901, 14-08, now on air with live sports, French. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENNG DIGEST) Radio Congo?, 6115, Brazzaville, Aug 14, 2016 Sunday. 1820-1826. No ID heard. OM with very excited sports commentary in French. At one point it sounded like the excitement got the better of him and he switched to the local African language for half a minute or so. Ran right through BOH. Fair, would have been easily readable to a fluent French speaker. Jo'burg sunset 1548 (Bill Bingham, Johannesburg RSA. Drake R8E, Sony ICF2001D. dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CRIMEA. Republic of Crimea. Radio stations in Simferopol` 87.50 Radio Vesti FM 88.00 Radio Dacha 88.60 Radio Vanya 89.30 Radio Vera 89.70 Radio Europa Plus 90.10 Radio Retro FM 90.60 Avtoradio 91.10 Nashe Radio 91.50 Dorozhnoe Radio 91.90 Radio Maximum 98.30 Radio Zvezda 99.50 Radio Vetan Sedasy 100.10 Radio Crimea 100.60 Radio More 101.20 Radio 7 101.70 Humor FM Radio 102.30 Radio Sputnik in Crimea 103.10 Lyubimoe radio radio Crimea 104.80 Radio Record 105.40 Radio Chanson 106.10 Russkoe Radio 107.30 Radio Relax FM 107.80 Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda (Andrew Lozeykin, TV and radio broadcasting in the Crimea. Simferopol. "VKontakte" group, via RusDX Aug 14 via DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. 5015, Aug 1, 1018, Radio Miami International, some audio getting through but very effectively being jammed by Cuban jammer. presumed anti-Cuban clandestine type broadcast (XM, Cedar Key FL, via Bob Wilkner, via SW Bulletin Aug 14 via DXLD) ?? I have never heard the least hint of jamming on 5015, which from WRMI has always been 100% Brother Scare in English. But I`m not listening at such an hour (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CUBA. 9530, Aug 15 at 0145, S3 music // 4765 R. Progreso of which this is the second harmonic, and 9530 is stronger than the pulse jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 5990, Aug 12 at 0015, CRI Spanish relay is missing here and also not on 15120. Various RHC frequencies also AWOL: 15230 at 0015; 9535 at 0021 (but was on before 0000); 9710 at 0022, but uncovering weak CRI Portuguese via Kashgar; 11840 at 0022, while 11670 splatterer and 11760 are on; no 17730; no 6060 but was on earlier. At 0045, 9535 and much stronger 9710 are back on. 5990 & 15120, Aug 13 at 0052, CRI Spanish relays are back on, having been AWOL last night. 11980.4, Aug 13 before 2000, a weak open carrier here, and by 2005 I am also hearing some weak pulse jamming. I suspected the carrier was a local device or birdie; stray jamming has been heard before around this frequency, no reason for it. Maybe Arnie figured they should jam my birdie, for good measure. The jamming itself does not normally come with a specific carrier of its own (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [non]. 5920, GERMANY, HCJB, 0355 to 0358. A tentative ID via the Internet, Russian, SINFO= 5,5,5,5,5, I heard mellow Christian rock music, the signal was cut in the middle of a song, that’s rude, the PL-660 and its telescoping antenna. 8/12. (John Davis: Our listening post is located northeast of Columbus, Ohio in the USA. One inside antenna is a 42’ long Windom. The other is an end fed antenna 16’ long. The name of my large outside antenna is the “687’ horizontal array.” I also use my wife’s HVU-8 amateur radio vertical antenna, because it works moderately well on the shortwave broadcast bands. Our receivers include, but are not limited to a number of R-390As, R-391s, a Mackay 5050A, and a Racal 6790. Our portable receivers include a Kaito 1103, a Radio Shack 440, and a Sangean 803A. I got a brand new Tecsun PL-660 just in time for a short vacation at one of Ohio’s state parks. Surprisingly enough the warranty card belongs to Kaito! NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) WHRI-2 is on 5920 until 0400! certain days, convoluted schedule. EiBi: 5920 0355-2305 Tests EQA HCJB Voice of Andes D CEu /D-we 5920 0300-0400 Mo-Sa USA World Harvest Radio 2 E ENA c Same #2 transmitter supposed to be on 7520 UT Sundays only in Russian: 7520 0330-0400 Su USA World Harvest Radio 2 R Eu c And his log was on a UT Friday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. 9325. August 13, 2016. 1910-1920, Radio Cairo, Abis, Hausa service. Open carrier and a strong "aeroplane audio" (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil (UTC-3), RX (s): Degen DE1103 + Sony ICF-SW100S, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard- Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 12085.058, Aug 14 at 0430, S9+10 R. Cairo is extremely distorted and overmodulated Arabic, also wobbling slightly. 9279, 9283-9293 peaking about 9290, and 9315-9321, Aug 17 at 0133, approx. ever-fluxuating ranges of humroarious spurs out of totally dysfunxional R. Cairo 9315 transmitter to North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reasonably good signal considering the state of the Radio Cairo transmitters on nominal 9965 kHz in Arabic, monitored from around 0200 to 0300 UT. Not much hum or other disturbances. Would be nice if the English broadcasts were this listenable (Richard Langley, NB, Aug 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) English that sesquihour is on useless 9315. But same 9965 transmitter also has English at 2300-2430, which I rarely check; how is it then? (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) I'll try to give a listen either via Twente or at home (Richard Langley, Aug 17, ibid.) Radio Cairo at 2310 UT on Aug 17-UT, 9964.894 kHz S=9+25dB or -49dBm signal, here in southern Germany. Only little audio distortion. No spurs. Were listenable tonight. Rather small band MUSIC part signal, 2 x 1.8 kHz = 3.8 kHz, in peaks up to 2 x 2.6 kHz = or 5.2 kHz wide. But, when started news read at odd - when checked against German DCF- 77 standard time signal at 2316:09 UT TIME PIPS ended! Spoken part bandwidth was much BROADBAND at 2 x 10 kHz wide = 20 kHz wide both sidebands. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) Sounds pretty good here in upstate NY. At least the music program I just tuned into is free of distortion. Can hear the hum in the transmitter, though. S9+ signal (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, 0012 UT Aug 18, ibid.) 9965 usually provides a decent signal here just about every evening. Audio varies but more often than not is at fairly clear levels. (Stephen Wood, Harwich, Mass., ibid.) Couldn't tune in from home this evening (out to dinner with the XYL) but I set up my automated procedure to record the signal using the U. Twente receiver. Very good strength (almost full quieting when the carrier came on the air). No IS or perhaps they don't use one anymore at least for the English service although there was a tiny bit of music before the announcer introduced the transmission. Audio seems a little muffled at times -- could be "brighter" but not too bad. Yes, the time signal at 2316:09 UT was weird. Cut and paste of recorded audio? Time signal ending the English broadcast at nominal 0030:00 UT was close (Richard Langley, 0237 UT Aug 18, ibid.) [Later:] Listened to the whole 1-1/2 hour recording. Music sounds better than spoken word except for the recorded "Arabic by Radio," which was quite clear. So they can transmit decent audio when they want to. The "Arabic by Radio" was lesson 94! I wonder if anyone in the world follows it and has learned Arabic that way? ;-) (Richard Langley, ibid.) see also UNIDENTITIED ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, 1930, 14-08, now on air, Spanish, comments. Very weak, best on LSB. 14321 ((Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5005.01, 2040-2050 14.8, R Nacional Guinea Ecuatorial, Bata. Spanish ann, Afropop, best in LSB because of CWQRM in USB, 22232 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, my latest loggings heard in Skovlunde on the AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, WBradio yg via DXLD) Radio Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial, 5005 kHz (Banda Tropical 60 metros) programa con músicas de Guinea Ecuatorial, SINPO 24332, Día 14 de Agosto 2016 en 2345 UT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGmq9YR8QA&feature=youtu.be RX: Tecsun S-2000, Antenna: Beverage simples NSSEA-21 (Daniel Wyllyans, Nova Xavantina MT Brazil, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) [and non] Thank you, Manuel, for your log and to David Kernick, for the holiday alert [WORLD OF HOROLOGY]. Aug 15, with extended schedule for their holiday (Constitution Day); heard on 5005 at 0211 tune in and subsequent checking; last heard at 0305, but was off the air by 0317; poor to very poor. Not a good day for African reception, as Zanzibar (6015) and Angola (4949.75) were exceptionally poor (Ron Howard, California, ibid.) ** ERITREA [non]. FRANCE, From Aug 8 no signal of R Assenna and Eritrean Forum via TDF Issoudun: Radio Assenna 1700-1800 on 15245 ISS 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Tigrinya Thu/Sat Eritrean Forum Medrek 1700-1800 on 15245 ISS 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Tigrinya Sun-Tue/Fri 1700-1800 on 15245 ISS 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Arabic Wed 1800-1900 on 15245 ISS 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Arabic Sat Was heard on 15245 KUJ 200 kW / 325 deg to WeEu French/Korean Voice of Korea Good signal of Radio Xoriyo via TDF Issoudun on August 12: 1600-1630 on 17870 ISS 500 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Somali Mon/Fri Transmissions are jammed by Ethiopia with white noise digital jamming http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/from-aug8-no-signal-of-rassenna-and.html FRANCE, Radio Assenna was back on air via TDF Issoudun on Aug 13 1700-1800 on 15245 ISS 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Tigrinya Sat BUT AGAIN NO SIGNAL of Eritrean Forum Medrek on Aug.13, as of Aug.6 1800-1900 on 15245 ISS 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Arabic Sat, TX IS OFF! http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2016/08/radio-assenna-was-back-on-air-via-tdf.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS [and non]. Radio Amateur history 30 years ago on the day of 15th anniversary of the RTRS [??]. August 13, 1986 in Leningrad region my first and last time managed to take the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station on 2380 kHz, as I remember, morning, P-250M2 receiver on the porch of the house, and in the early hours, checking the range of 120 m, discover on 2380 kHz with a good reception quality music program without any speaker announcements, and the songs are slow and entirely English-language, i.e., format is clearly not normally received at this frequency the Brazilian Rádio Educadora (running at that frequency until now!). In general, having waited an hour later, the ad YL and realizing that this is really the Falklands, I almost fell off the chair --- of course, were sent to several reports (including repeated), but, alas, the answer from the station have not been received. It took more than 20 years, and here in one of the directories WRTH my eye catches an article on FIBS, which, of course, no longer broadcasts on HF, and is running an all-female team (servicing SW and FM-transmitters and AFD help them British military signalers with the nearest base of the Royal Navy). In general, the writing on the station, already on an email, stating the above-described history and ask whether it is possible to receive the QSL for receiving more than twenty years ago? And, almost fantastic, getting response from Corinne Bishop (station manager), if briefly - "happy to send a report." End of story? Unfortunately no. Corina QSL sent to a postcard "lost" on the way, perhaps, drowned in the waters of the Atlantic, well not in our main post office as her "disappear". Re-connects with Corina and she kindly send the card again, but already in the envelope. The End (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg, Russia, Publication in the group of "VKontakte" - "TSETV St.-Petersburg and Leningrad region. St. Petersburg", August 13, 2016 via RusDX August 14 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Radio Ohne Namen is on air tonight from 1900 to 2100 UT on 6070 with their regular "Jetzt geht's los!" programme at 1900 UT of non-stop Oldtime German 30/40's music, followed by "Irgendwas mit Medien" at 2000 UT presented by Ron. Here is the playlist for the first hour (1900 UT) tonight: Jetzt gehts los! "Radio announcement-Radioansage" - Peter Kreuder Sektlaune - Otto Dobrindt Man darf bei den Mädels nicht schüchtern sein - Theo Lingen Bezaubernde Melodien 2. Teil - Frank Fux, Oskar Sala am Trautonium St. Louis Blues - Bar Trio Mein Sonntagsvergnügen - Maria von Schmedes Elefant und Mücke - Kurt Widmann Erwin Hartung Hoppla Hoppla - Ludwig Rüth Rendezvous in Lausanne "Date in Louisiana" - Jean Omer Es hat keinen Zweck mit der Liebe - Evelyn Künneke, Michael Jary Spaziergang im Park - Erhard Bauschke You "Du, du bist so wundervoll" - Heinz Wehner Lachen ist gesund - Udo Vietz Darf ich bitten - Heinz Wehner, Peter Igelhoff So schön wie heut, so müsst es bleiben - UFA Tanzorchester, Wilhelm Greiss Hör mal zu, wir sagen du, All I Do Is Dream Of You - Emil Roosz Kurt Mühlhardt Das Karussell - Teddy Kleindin, Horst Winter Columbus - Schuricke Terzett Ich hab dich und du hast mich - Ilse Werner Mir geht's gut - Peter Igelhoff (Alan Roe, Teddington, UK, Fri Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Welle 370 on 6005 this week --- Hi All, The Shortwave Service Facebook page is showing that 'Welle 370', which usually just appears on the 3rd Sunday of each month will be on 6005 on all of the weekdays this week, and also on Saturday as well: 6005 1100-1130 wave 370 Deutsch 16.08.2016-19.08.2016 6005 1800-1830 wave 370 Deutsch 15.08.2016-19.08.2016 6005 1200-1230 wave 370 Deutsch His 8/20/2016 6005 1800-1830 wave 370 Deutsch His 8/20/2016 Posted by: (Alan Gale, Aug 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Atlantic 2000 will be on the air this Sunday 14th of August from 0700 to 0800 UTC and from 19:00 to 20:00 UTC on 6070 kHz, streaming at the same time on our website http://radioatlantic2000.free.fr Reports to : atlantic2000international@gmail.com Good listening (via Manuel Méndez, dxldyg via DXLD) Asunto: on the air in a few minutes 0700 UTC on 6070 kHz + stream -- Visit our website: http://radioatlantic2000.free.fr (via Méndez, Aug 14, ibid.) 0715z: foF2 ~ 5 MHz http://www.rhci-online.net/files/D-06193_Petersberg_150km_mapping+foF2.png http://www.rhci-online.net/html/calendar.html Posted by: (Roger, Germany, ibid.) Subject: on the air again, 1900 UT on 6070 kHz + stream -- Visit our website: http://radioatlantic2000.free.fr (via Méndez, ibid.) ** GERMANY. Weak signal of Radio MiAmigo via Shortwave Sce Kall, Aug 6 0800-1200 on 9560 KLL 020 kW / non-dir to CeEu German Sat/Sun http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/weak-signal-of-radio-miamigo-via.html Fair signal of DP07 Seewetter via Shortwave Sce Kall, Aug 6 1200-1230 on 9560 KLL 020 kW / non-dir to CeEu German Daily http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/fair-signal-of-dp07-seewetter-via.html Reception of Radio Slovakia Int via Shortwave Sce Kall, Aug 6 1230-1330 on 9560 KLL 020 kW / non-dir to CeEu French/English * plus co-ch 9560 PHT 250 kW / 331 deg to EaAs Chinese Vatican Radio till 1315 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/reception-of-radio-slovakia-int-via.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #962 from Georgi Bancov & Ivo Ivanov, August 12, 2016 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Reception of Deutscher Wetterdienst on Aug 12-13: 2004-2030 on 6180 PIN 010 kW / non-dir to CeEu German CUSB 0604-0630 on 6180 PIN 010 kW / non-dir to CeEu German CUSB http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/reception-of-deutscher-wetterdienst-on.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. 6180.00, *1204-1210 14.8, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Pinneberg. German ann, frequency change from 5905 and schedule, Wetterlage, Wettervorhersage für Nordsee, Skagerak, Belten und Ostsee, only in AM and USB, 35344. No broadcast audible at 1604-1630 or 2004- 2030! (Anker Petersen, Denmark, my latest loggings heard in Skovlunde on the AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, WBradio yg via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. Transmitter changes of Deutsche Welle on Aug 5 1300-1400 on 17800 DHA 250 kW / 260 deg to WeAf Hausa, ex ASC 1300-1400 on 21780 ASC 250 kW / 055 deg to WeAf Hausa, ex DHA parallel freq 9830 SAO 100 kW / 020 deg to WeAf, QRM 9840 TRT And additional 2 frequencies of Deutsche Welle, registered on Aug 5 1325-1530 on 17570 ISS 500 kW / 162 deg to WeAf Hausa Sat Football* 1325-1530 on 17840 ISS 500 kW / 170 deg to WeAf Hausa Sat Football* * Bundesliga on August 27, September 10/17/24 & October 15/22, 2016 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/transmitter-changes-of-deutsche-welle.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #962 from Georgi Bancov & Ivo Ivanov, August 12, 2016 via DXLD) So there is worthy audience for German football in Hausa?? 17720, Aug 17 at 1403, news in unknown language, S9+10 but heavy flutter, revealed by 1405 DW jingle and ID. Listed as Pashto: Aoki says UAE site at 45 degrees, EiBi says Sri Lanka, HFCC says Sri Lanka at 335. The latter would be more likely propagationally. All agree that the previous semihour at 1330 in Dari is via SL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SAAR ** GREECE. Greek Mediumwave Pirate on Shortwave, Aug 13 0900-1000 on 9719v kHz or 6th harmonic of 1620v kHz: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/greek-mediumwave-pirate-on-shortwave.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** GREECE [and non]. Voice of Greece on 9420, 9935 & 11645, Aug 12-13: Aug 12: from 1900 on 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek tx#3 from 2000 on 9935 AVL 100 kW / 285 deg to WeEu Greek tx#1 Aug 13: till 0355 on 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to ENAm Greek tx#3 till 0355 on 9935 AVL 100 kW / 323 deg to ENAm Greek tx#1 from 0400 on 9420 AVL 170 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek tx#3 from 0400 on 11645#AVL 100 kW / 182 deg to NoAf Greek tx#1 #0430-0557UT strong co-channel Radio Dabanga in Arabic via SMG. V of Greece on 9420 & 11645 continues after 0900 UT on Aug 13! http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/voice-of-greece-on-9420-9935-11645.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) 9420, Aug 14 at at 0540, Greek Orthodox chanting on this Sunday morning, but only S5. 9420, Aug 17 at 0541, VOG music is S7-S9, and // 9935 is also on at S6-S9. Don`t usually hear them both this late; sometimes on 11645 instead (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. Frequency changes of Adventist World Radio KSDA from Aug 11: 0000-0030 NF 17870 SDA 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Thai, ex 11925 TRM 1300-1330 NF 11695 SDA 250 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Khmer, ex 15150 TRM 1530-1600 NF 15215 SDA 100 kW / 285 deg to SoAs Hindi, ex 11990 TRM 2300-2400 NF 15215 SDA 100 kW / 330 deg to EaAs Chinese,x 15625 TRM http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/frequency-changes-of-adventist-world.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) Why all this evacuation from SRI LANKA? There were still a lot more via there in WRTH 2016 pages 491-492 under THAILAND (gh, DXLD) ** GUAM. 9975, Aug 14 at 1243, good signal with music but gone at 1246. Aoki shows it`s KTWR, since this is Sunday, the weekly Japanese broadcast at 1215-1245, and supposed to resume at 1332 in Chinese, per the convoluted schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUINEA. 9650, R. Guinea, Conakry, 2257-2310 tune out. Tuned in to see if this re-activated station was audible and heard OM talking in French, then ID at 2259. Followed by African music with vocals. Some deep fades, but surprising nice signal level on 8/08. Hope they will QSL newbie SWLs as I QSLed them 50 years ago in Feb 1966 on the same frequency. Tuned back in a 2359 and African music still going strong till sudden sign-off at 0002 without any announcement (Don Hosmer, MI, MARE Tispheet Aug 12 via DXLD) Radio Guinea, August 10, 2016, 9650 kHz from 2236 until abruptly off at 2350:47 UT. Songs and French talk. Several nice IDs by male in French "Radio Guinea". Overall poor to fair with someone in the upper sideband causing a het. Thanks to DXLD for alerting me of the opportunity of hearing Radio Guinea. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Manassas, VA, UT Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) OR 2359:47*? (gh, DXLD) 9680 [sic], Radio Guinée – Conakry, 0008-0025*, Aug 10. Some sort of discussion program with conversation by several men and woman announcers in the French language until carrier was terminated mid- sentence. Fair signal (Rich D'Angelo, 2216 Burkey Drive, Wyomissing, PA 19610, U.S.A., Equipment: Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini-Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet Aug 14 via DXLD) Typo? Should be 9650, and Conakry normally closes within a couple of minutes of 0000. If really on 9680, nothing listed. North Korea in Japanese is also on 9650 until 0020, so beware (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9650, Radio Guinea, Conakry, 0650-0730, Aug 11. Finally heard this reactivated station for the first time. Interested to note Conakry sunrise was at 0646 UT today; at 0650 heard French, with the signal rapidly improving up to mostly fair; 0700 pips and nice series of IDs; 0700-0730 with non-stop African pop singing (repetitive), except for one very brief announcer at 0718; briefly after 0700 had some very light QRM, assume R. Sonder Grense (South Africa) underneath; 0728 strong open carrier from Voice of Korea, which started very strong audio at 0730 with IS. My audio - https://goo.gl/Q97eNo (Ron Howard, Calif., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9650 kHz: RTV Guinea sintonizada em São Bernardo SP --- 9650 kHz: RTV Guinea, Conakry, French, 11/08 1805 UT. Notícias, menções a Guinea, ID, talk por OM, música instrumental africana. 34543. QRM: Leve QRM de 9645 kHz R. Bandeirantes SP. Em USB, um sinal adequado. Rx: Kenwood R- 1000, ant.: PA0RDT MiniWhip 73, (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo SP, GG66rg http://dxways-br.blogspot.com radioescutas yg via DXLD) 9650, Aug 11 at 2350, R. Guinée is still going for the seventh day in a row, so maybe here to stay. Poor S2 but ECSS helps. In French; 2357 mentions Côte d`Ivoire for some reason, instrumental and vocal music bits, 2358, ``Amis auditeurs``, probably saying good-night to listeners; 2359 short anthem(?) by band, 2359:35 repetitive drumming, interval signal? runs past 0000 this time until 0000:40 Aug 12 dead air, off at 0001* sharp (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9650. August 12, 2016. 1010-1035, Radio Guinea, Conakry, in vernacular language. Male announcers talks, conversation; female announcer talks, ID. Station with good signal, very slight interference by Voice of Korea on 9650 (at 1030, IS, national anthem), and fair to poor modulation, 44332. 9650. August 12, 2016. 1550-1615, Radio Guinea, Conakry, in French and vernaculars. Announcers talk in French, ID; 1610 in French and vernacular languages. Station with fair signal and poor modulation, 35432. 9650. August 12, 2016. 1731-1745, Radio Guinea, Conakry, in vernacular. A musical program with local songs; Male announcer talks, ID and music. Station with fair signal and modulation, 35433 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) Reception of Radio Guinea Conakry, Aug 12-13: 1605-1740 on 9650 CON 050 kW / non-dir to WeAf French from 0630 on 9650 CON 050 kW / non-dir to WeAf French Probably shortwave schedule of Radio Guinea is 06-24UT http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/reception-of-radio-guinea-conakry-aug12.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) 9650, Aug 13 at 0000, R. Guinée is still on, very poor S4, so I just monitor when the carrier cuts: 0001:42.5* (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 9650. August 13, 2016. 0915-0935, Radio Guinea, Conakry, in French. Male announcer talks; local songs. Station with fair signal, interference by Voice of Korea (start at 1030: VOK: IS, ID, National Anthem, talks in Japanese), and fair modulation, 33443 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil (UTC-3), RX (s): Degen DE1103 + Sony ICF-SW100S, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard- Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 9650, Radio Guinea Conakry, 1832-1850, 11-08, French, news and comments, identification: "Radio Guinée", African songs. 33433. Also 1853-1910, 13-08, African songs, French, comments, at 1900 news, identification: "Radio Guinée". 34433. Heard all days at several hours with fair to good signal, even outside home with a small Tecsun PL- 310ET and telescopic antenna. Also heard signing on *0602-0705, 15-08, French and Vernacular comments, African songs. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Logs in Lugo and Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, Sangean ATS-909X, Sony ICF SW7600G, Cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Extraño programa, o eso me parece a mí, escuchado en Radio Guinea Conakry entre las 0730 y las 0803 del 15 de agosto, programa religioso católico con motivo de la Ascensión de la Virgen María, teniendo en cuenta que la religíon católica es una pequeña minoría en Guinea Conakry (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, Escucha en Reinante, Tecsun PL- 880, cable antena, 8 metros, condiglista yg via DXLD) Radio Guinea Conakry Catholic religious program 15 August --- Strange, for me, religious catholic program about The Assumption of the Virgin, 15 August, in Radio Guinea Conakry, because Catholic Religion in that country is a small minority. GUINEA CONAKRY, 9650, Radio Guinea Conakry, 0730-0803, 15-08, French, religious catholic program commemorating today 15 August holiday of the Assumption of the Virgin, "Bonjour, nous célébrons aujourd'hui l`Assomption de Marie", "La parole du Seigneur", "La voix de Marie, Marie est présent", "Jean Baptiste", "Programme spécial de la Vierge Marie dans la cathédrale...", at 0800: "Sept heures, programme spécial de l'Assomption de la Vierge Marie", identification: "Vous écoutez Radio National de Guinée éméttant de Conakry", "Radio Guinée". 24322. (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Log in Reinante, Tecsun PL-880, cable antenna, 8 meters, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 9650. August 16, 2016. 0925-0934, Radio Guinea, Conakry, in French. Male announcer makes an interview with a man, about several Guinean themes; Female announcer talks, ID. At 0930 start IS of Voice of Korea and National Anthem, with very slight interference. In this morning (06:25 AM in Cabedelo), R. Guinea has a fair signal and modulation, 35433 (before 0930) or 34433 (after 0930 UT). (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX). Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) Cabedelo and Conakry are less than 3 megameters apart, facing each other right across the Atlantic narrows (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. Special broadcasts by All India Radio on Independence Day - -- India is celebrating its 70th Independence Day on 15 August 2016. The details of special programs by AIR for the occasion is as follows: 14 August 2016 (Sunday) 1330 UT (7.00 pm IST): Honble President Pranab Mukherjee’s “Address to the Nation” on the eve of Independence Day in Hindi and English at 1330 UT (7.00 pm IST). All stations of AIR will relay this on MW, SW & FM. Look out on the following Home Service SW frequencies 4760 Leh 4760 Port Blair 4775 Imphal ? 4800 Hyderabad 4810 Bhopal 4835 Gangtok 4895 Kurseong 4910 Jaipur 4920 Chennai 4950 Srinagar 4970 Shillong 5010 Thiruvananthapuram 5040 Jeypore 5050 Aizawl 9380 Aligarh 9870 Bangalore ? = Off air lately LIVE STREAMING ON AIR: http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Default.aspx Watch the events live on Doordarshan TV on all their channels. Try the following links: DD National: http://www.ddindia.gov.in/Pages/Home.aspx http://hellotv.in/play/livetv/DD-National_1893 DD News: http://webcast.gov.in/live/ DD Sports: http://hellotv.in/play/livetv/DD-Sports_1894 Etc. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 15 August 2016 (Monday) 0135-0240 UT (0705-0810 hrs IST) All India Radio will broadcast the running commentary in English and Hindi on the Flag Hoisting and Prime Minster's speech to be held at Red Fort, New Delhi between 0135-0240 UT (0705-0810 hrs IST) on 15th August, 2016 on the following SW frequencies. English: 11740, 15050 (additional frequencies) Hindi: 6145 Aligarh 250 kW 7340 Mumbai 100 kW 7520 Delhi 250 kW 11620 Bengaluru 500 kW (Note: External Services in Urdu on 6145, 7340, 7520, 11620 are replaced by running commentary at this time) The Regional SW Stations will start using their day time frequencies about 1 hour or more earlier than usual on 15th August as follows to relay the Commentary. This may provide enhanced reception of stations than on normal days. The sign on schedule for that day is as follows with normal sign on timings in brackets. 1. Bhopal - 0130 UT (Ex 0225) 7430 2. Chennai - 0130 UT (Ex 0300) 7380 3. Hyderabad - 0130 UT (Ex 0225) 7420 4. Imphal - 0130 UT (Ex 0225) 7335 ? 5. Port Blair - 0130 UT (Ex 0315) 7390 6. Srinagar - 0130 UT (ex 0225) 6110 7. Thiruvanathapuram - 0130 UT (Ex 0230) 7290 Other frequencies operating as usual at that time but carrying the commentary is as follows: 4760 Leh 4835 Gangtok 4840 Mumbai 4895 Kurseong 4910 Jaipur 4970 Shillong 5040 Jeypore 5050 Aizawl 7270 Chennai Check also 13695 & 15120 via Bangalore All stations of AIR will relay the running commentary. LIVE STREAMING ON AIR: http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Default.aspx Reception Reports to: spectrum-manager@air.org.in or Director ( Spectrum Management & Synergy) All India Radio, Room No. 204 Akashvani Bhawan, Parliament Street New Delhi110001, India Or in http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Information/ListenersCorner/Pages/default.aspx Watch the events live on Doordarshan TV on all their channels [above] Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad, India, Mobile : +91 94416 96043, http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos August 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Aug 14, on the eve of India’s Independence Day, the President of India addresses the nation; 1330 ID in English followed by National Anthem; President's address in English. Rather disappointing results this year, as some AIR regional stations have ended their SW service. My results: 4760 Leh - not heard 4760 Port Blair - JBA open carrier (no audio heard) 4775 Imphal - off the air 4800 Hyderabad - not heard due to strong CNR1 4810 Bhopal - JBA 4820 Kolkata - off the air (now only PBS Xizang) 4835 Gangtok - not heard; only ABC Alice Springs NT 4840 Mumbai - off the air 4850 Kohima - off the air 4860 Shimla - off the air 4880 Lucknow - off the air 4895 Kurseong - JBA 4910 Jaipur - JBA 4920 Chennai - heard through the Tibet QRM 4970 Shillong - JBA (not as strong as normally heard) 4990 Itanagar - off the air (now only PBS Hunan [China]) 5010 Thiruvananthapuram - JBA 5040 Jeypore - JBA 5050 Aizawl - not heard; this was a surprise, as just as recently as Aug 12, had very decent reception at 1330, but nothing today. 6030 Delhi - not heard due to strong CNR1 9425 Delhi - not heard 9380 Aligarh - JBA 9870 Bangalore - good signal, but mixing with strong QRM (CRI English) One addition: 4950 Srinagar - not heard; this also was a surprise, as on many days recently I have been hearing a decent open carrier here which I believe to be from AIR Radio Kashmir and seemed close to having audio, but clearly completely off the air today. Highlights of speech - http://goo.gl/vVF3ZW (Ron Howard, Calif., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear DX-friends, Thanks to info from Jose Jacob I heard this in Denmark: 9870.00, AIR Bangalore, 1350-1425, Su Aug 14, Hindi and English report after President Pranab Mukherjee’s "Address to the Nation" on the eve of Independence Day, 35242 // Chennai 7270.00 (25232) and Kurseong 7230.00 (25333). It was mid afternoon in Denmark, so the 60 and 49 mb's had not yet faded in. Best 73, (Anker Petersen, dx_india yg via DXLD) 9870.00, 1350-1425 Sunday 14.8, AIR Bangalore, Hindi and English report after President Pranab Mukherjee`s "Address to the Nation" on the eve of Independence Day, 35242 // Chennai 7270.00 (25232) and Kurseong 7230.00 (25333) (Anker Petersen, Denmark, my latest loggings heard in Skovlunde on the AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire, WBradio yg via DXLD) 11740, Aug 15 at 0123, AIR is only S1 here but with tone of ~1 kHz, tuning up for the annual Independence Day special; 0130 open carrier. This one is to be in English, along with 15050 where there is only a JBA carrier. 11620, Aug 15 at 0124, AIR with music, poor signal S5, but normally the best here at this hour with Urdu service, preëmpted today. At 0133 YL Hindi talk is underway, and by 0146 some music can be heard mixing with the commentry, also occasional OM; 0157 more competition from loudspeakers vs the anchors. Jose Jacob had reminded us: ``All India Radio will broadcast the running commentary in English and Hindi on the Flag Hoisting and Prime Minster's speech to be held at Red Fort, New Delhi between 0135-0240 UTC (0705-0810 hrs IST) on 15th August, 2016`` with frequency info. I don`t expect to hear much from the daytime domestic channels, which signed on early for this, but checked: 7430 occupied by that pervasive but pointless Cuban pulse jamming; JBA carriers on 6145, 7270, 7290, 7340. Other 40m frequencies are totally blocked by Euro-American co- or adjacent channels. No point in checking 60m in summer noise level, even less propagable transpolarly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 3384.864 [sic] Aug 12, 2133, RRI Ternate, weak. Noted a few times lately. Much stronger on Aug 5 at 2200 (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletn via DXLD) must have meant 3344.864 as below (gh) 3344.864, Aug 2, 1305, Yes! RRI Ternate on air. VERY TINY signal noted in Brisbane Queensland unit at 1305 UT. In peaks at -98dBm tiny signal some music fragments could be heard. [and non] 3319.996 also thunderstorm scratches 'on air' disturbs also Pyongyang BS 3319.996 Korean. and similar S=8 or -76dBm signal on 3325 even frequency RRI Palangkaraya. Listen to the recording at 1312 UT. Some thunderstorm noise also included. And song played sung by female. Seems of Turk Muslim folk origin family? (73 wb) (Wolfgang Büschel, SW Bulletin Aug 14 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. World Radio Network MIA? Glenn: I can't seem to bring the World Radio Network website up on my computer or hear their streams using Tunein. Is WRN out of business? Thanks. Charlie. [later:] Glenn: I am now hearing the WRN North America stream via Tunein but still cannot bring up their webpage (Charlie, Sent from my iPhone, Harlich, August 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) We are not able to bring up the WRN websites. WRN.org is unfound, and wrnbroadcast.com forwards to babcockinternational site where WRN is unfound. Has there been a reorganisation, just website problems, or what? (Glenn, Aug 16, to WRN Master Control, via DXLD) Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Hi Glenn, Apologies, we are currently experiencing a loss of the WRN.ORG website which is being looked into by our engineering department. At present we are unable to provide an expected date or time of when this will be resolved however are aware of the issue and hope to have this restored as soon as possible. I have little information available to me at present regarding this and therefore it may prove best top contact your account manager if you require any further information. I have CC'd them in this email so that they are aware. Kind regards (Steve, MCR Operations | Master Control Room | Babcock International Group PLC, Wyvil Court | Wyvil Road | Vauxhall | London | SW8 2T, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn: Thank you for doing a follow-up to the WRN MIA issue. It looks like (and I certainly could be wrong!) someone has not paid their bills. The hopeful note is that you actually received a response to your inquiry. I always felt that they were not effectively monetizing (what an awful word) their enterprise. I liked the website for its simplicity. I join you in hoping for a speedy return of the WRN website. Best (Charlie Harlich, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRN Websites still missing Aug 17 (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. ``Quantum`` comsat launched by CHINA: q.v. ** IRAN [non]. Reception of Radio Rainbow via BaBcoCk Grigoriopol on August 12: 1600-1630 on 7575 KCH 500 kW / 116 deg to WeAs Farsi Mon/Fri Radio Ranginkaman http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/reception-of-radio-rainbow-via-babcock.html Reception of Voice of Spring via BaBcoCk Grigoriopol, August 12 1730-1800 on 7495 KCH 500 kW / 116 deg to WeAs Farsi Thu/Fri Sedoye Bahar: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/reception-of-voice-of-spring-via.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ITALY. Special Ferragosto Broadcast - On August 15, 2016 MRI celebrates the first anniversary since it returned back on the air On August 15, let's celebrate one year since MRI returned back on the air on the occasion of Ferragosto national holiday! Tune in to MRI Thank you for your participation! Every year many Italians observe Assumption Day, also known as Ferragosto, on August 15. This year the national holiday of Ferragosto (which celebrates the Catholic belief that God assumed the Virgin Mary into Heaven at her death) coincides with the first anniversary since MRI, after 15 years of dormancy, returned back to the airwaves on 15 August 2015. Although most of Italians go to the beach (or mountains) for Ferragosto, MRI will be on the air with a special broadcast as follows: from 0800 to 1000 UT on 7700 kHz USB and from 1030 to 1530 on 15025 kHz. To mark this anniversary, we’ll air “Ferragosto Show”, with music, interviews and listener’s feedbacks. But that is not all. In addition to our weekly DX shows "Italian Shortwave Panorama" (in English) and "Panorama Onde Corte" (in Italian), we'll be airing a repeat of our special programme in Italian produced, in cooperation with Radio Europe and IBC – Italian Broadcasting Corporation, to celebrate the role of free shortwave radio on the occasion of 2016 World Radio Day. We take this opportunity to invite shortwave listeners and DXers, in conjunction with this Special Ferragosto broadcasts on August 15, 2016, to send your greetings in a form of audio clip (mp3-file) or text to marconiradiointernational@gmail.com We'll air and include your greetings in our next MRI Newsletter. As usual MRI encourages reception reports from listeners. Audio clips (mp3-file) of our broadcasts are welcome! We QSL 100% and of course a Special Ferragosto QSL verification will be sent to acknowledge reports about reception of above mentioned broadcasts. Our e-mail address is: marconiradiointernational@gmail.com but please don’t forget to include your postal address as some lucky listeners will also receive a printed QSL card. Last but not least, we need your help! If you use social networks, please post an announcement on Facebook or send out a tweet the day before the broadcasts. You can also forward this message to a friend. This should help increase our potential audience. We hope to hear from a lot of shortwave listeners about our special Ferragosto broadcasts. Best 73's (Marconi Radio International, Aug 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY. Concerning IBC: This week they sent (inter alia) two antique QSL-cards via "IBC-radiogram" http://www.rhci-online.net/radiogram/VoA_Radiogram_2016-08-06.htm#IBC (roger, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. Re: North Korea resumes coded broadcasts after 16 years --- Martyn Williams of North Korea Tech confirms that these are on the Pyongyang Broadcasting Station external service (i.e. not on the domestic service or on the Voice of Korea external service). COLD WAR COMMUNICATIONS: THE TWO KOREAS RESUME CODED RADIO BROADCASTS | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea http://38north.org/2016/08/mwilliams08092016/ (Chris Greenway, UK, Aug 12, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also points out that S Korea resumed numbers broadcasts last Feb (gh) ** KOREA NORTH. 15245. August 13, 2016. 2000-2015, Voice of Korea, Kujang, in Spanish. Male announcer presents a musical program with variety North Korean melodies; ID and comments about the 1st patriotic song of Northern Korea: "Avante Coreanos, Viva la Patria, Viva la Democracia, Viva el Grande Líder"; other patriotic song "A la Victoria nos Conduce", etc. Broadcasting with fair signal and modulation, 35433 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil (UTC- 3), RX (s): Degen DE1103 + Sony ICF-SW100S, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 7325, Furusato no Kaze (via Yamata). 1407-1435* 12 August. Thanks to Ron Howard's tip, found F-n-K programming instead of usual Shiokaze/Sea Breeze with some J-pop, a few IDs, closing with web info/frequencies and a quick "Shiokaze deh.." at 1434, so perhaps not a complete change of programming. CCI from CRI (Beijing) in Filipino at *1430 makes the close-down information a bit tough to dig out (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire [v.2.0]), Aug 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH & SOUTH. Over weeks I was able to use a South Korean remote receiver located in the Seoul area. I intended to update my recordings from (North and South) Korean stations made in the 1980s and 1990s and to add some new entries. I made monitoring over a period of six weeks from April till June, during our local afternoon and evening hours (CEST). My experience: all of the North Korean mediumwave frequencies were/are severely jammed by South Korean authorities including (or: especially) the Pyongyang Broadcasting Station's MW frequencies mentioned in the report on 38north.org. Jamming at least in the Seoul region made/makes it impossible to listen to the programmes. 639 kHz mentioned in the report isn't listed in the WRTH 2016. I didn't find any third party report - a frequency change from 1053 kHz (listed as Haeju with 1000 kW) that wasn't mentioned in the report? I haven't monitored that frequency. The shortwave frequencies weren't jammed but signals on 3320, 6250 and 6400 kHz were poor. That corresponds with the report on 38north.org. Often South Korean MW jamming continued/continues during North Korean silence times. On the other hand, North Korean authorities jam South Korean stations. But North Korean jamming seems to be less effective as many of the MW frequencies audible in the Seoul region were/are still intelligible. Surprisingly the South Korean KBS powerhouse Global Korean Network operating on 972 kHz (listed with 1500 kW) wasn't suffering from jamming (or jamming wasn't audible). North Korean jamming seems to be ineffective: not on a daily basis or only for a few hours (not the whole broadcast[s] were/are jammed). And --- many of the South Korean programmes I monitored via Seoul were intelligible but with noise (= jamming?) in the background. 73, (Manfred Reiff, Germany, Aug 12, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. RADIO MERKURS. RIGA --- Hej! Jag tycker Raimonds som driver Radio Merkurs på 1485 kHz i Riga behöver uppmuntran. Detta kan förmodar jag publiceras i MV-eko eller SWB och det går bra att lägga ut texten mer eller att översätta den. Bilderna är pinfärska från tisdag denna veckan. 73 /CES (Karl-Erik Stridh, SW Bulletin Aug 14 via DXLD) The basic information: Raimonds used to operate the Ulbroka relay station on 9210 kHz with 100 kW. From the same site he also ran Radio Nord with 2.7 kW on 945 kHz. The site was later closed and developed for housing. Only an FM antenna mast remains there. It is by other local stations. The studio is on the 5th floor of an old building in the South part of Riga. Next to the building is the old TV tower from the early 50's. originally used on channel R3. Radio Merkurs originally had an antenna connected to that mast but received complaints from neighbors. Today the mast is used by FM stations. Radio Merkurs feed their transmitting site via Internet with a dedicated signal. As a backup also the streaming on their public site can be fed to the transmitter. Transmitter site is 15 kilometers outside the city. It is on an island in a river and sometimes the antenna field is flooded. It is close to the Riga bay. a lighthouse and the cranes of the port are visible. The site is located below the approach route to Riga international airport (RIX). The antenna is a T-antenna with a 25 meter vertical part and a 90 meter horizontal part. Each part consist of two wires making the antenna broadband. There is an extensive ground network below the feed point and the towers. There is only about 10 watts of reflected power from the antenna system. This is read on the New Zealand made Blythe AMBT 253 AM broadcast transmitter. It has three final modules and capable of a maximum of 2.7 kW. Radio Merkurs is running 1 kW and keep one module as a spare. There is a transmitter engineer living at the site which is shared with a ham radio club station. The site was originally used for communications with submarines in the North Sea. Radio Merkurs plays mainly non stop oldies. often German ones. There are also some discussion programmes. In the evenings there are a number of relays of different oldie programmes. Rohnny B Goode presents rock music. Radio City and Radio Mi Amigo International offer international oldies. There have also been relays of Radio Nord Revival celebrating former Swedish offshore station Radio Nord and also DX-programes from the Swedish DX federation. If you are interested in Latvian radio you can sample all stations in the country at http://www.eradio.lv Radio Merkurs is found at http://www.radionord.lv/ (SW Bulletin Aug 14 via DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. 11770, Aug 12 at 2252, MWV is VG in Arabic, music. How about the other transmitter scheduled during the same hour in Chinese? On 9455, JBA algo with similar sounding music. HFCC shows nothing else on 9455 during this hour (weak WRMI southward runs 13-20 UT only). IIRC, Chinese service at 55 degrees was weak here as to be expected. For months, MWV has been on only one transmitter, causing some broadcasts on the original A-16 schedule to be suspended. But Sunday August 7, Larry Will in Maryland found the English at 1800 back on the 17640 air; during that hour they had been running only the Russian on 9570 (not likely to be heard here, but easily reported from Europe). I haven`t checked 17640 yet, but maybe both are now operational; or they have swapped suspended services. 18-19 and 22-23 were the only doubled-up hours on the schedule. 17640, Aug 13 at 1757, I`m standing by for MWV to come on, which it does at *1759:25 carrier, 1800:08 ``Welcome to African Pathways Radio, 9480 at 4 am UTC, 17680 [sic] at 6 pm UTC`` by the African guy, also introducing unAfrican guy Henry, who refers us to http://www.africanpathways.org VG signal averaging about 40 dBu on the PL-880 with 15 dBu S/N. However there are some very brief and irregular ICDs (intermittent carrier dropoffs, as opposed to IADs = intermittent audio dropouts), so presumably second Continental transmitter, tho reactivated about a week ago, still has some problems. Another check at 1858 is too late, already off. Is the other transmitter in Russian on 9570 still being heard during the same hour? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11770. August 13, 2016. 2207-2215, MWV Radio Feda, Mahajanga, in Arabic. Female announcer talks in very fast Arabic; says: Oh my God! in English. Male announcer talks. Poor broadcasting, 25432 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil (UTC-3), RX (s): Degen DE1103 + Sony ICF-SW100S, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard- Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 9480, Aug 14 at 0402, African Pathways Radio is playing an American anti-war protest song of the past, ``Turn, Turn, Turn``; 0406 reaffirming that you get a wide variety of topix during this magazine hour, on to discouraging the dowry tradition. Good signal, one of the best on 31m (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. China Radio International via Bamako on very odd frequency, Aug 12: 1600-1657 on 15124 BKO 100 kW / 085 deg to CEAf Arabic, instead of nominal 15125 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/china-radio-international-via-bamako-on.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** MEXICO. RAYMIE`S MEXICO BEAT this week --- Re: ``I always found it odd that XERCN gave up that call for 50 kW 1110 kHz in México DF, now XERED. RCN as in Radio Cadena Nacional. And Red means Cadena = network (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1838, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` I'll explain this one. Radio Cadena Nacional was founded by a guy named Rafael Cutberto Navarro. Thus, RCN was a double acronym — for the network and for its owner. When Cutberto Navarro sold XERCN in 1973 to Radio Programas de México, he probably wanted to take his initials with him. 1110 Mexico City became XERED the very next year (Raymie Humbert, AZ, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) The UNAM held one of the strangest permits in history. A digital station nominally assigned a -TV suffix, XHUNAM broadcast with 200 watts from the university campus and was mostly used as an experimental station. Well, forget all of that now, because they've been awarded a shiny permit transfer. http://www.ift.org.mx/comunicacion-y-medios/comunicados-ift/es/el-ift-otorga-la-unam-una-concesion-para-prestar-el-servicio-de-television-digital-de-uso-publico Hopefully this means they'll become a full-power station. There were also two radio permit transfers, for XHRCV-FM San Antonio Castillo Velasco (Radio Calenda la Voz del Valle, A.C.), to social- community, and Comunidad Mazateca en Mazatlán Villa de Flores, Teotitlan de Flores Magón, Oaxaca. The latter is a social-indigenous and I believe it to be a permit transfer for XHTFM. Like XHJP, stations held by civil associations must be transferred to ownership by an indigenous community to qualify for social-indigenous concessions (Raymie Humbert, Phœnix AZ, Aug 14, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) Do you make digital television equipment? Are you ready and willing to help out a desperate state government? Then the Secretary of Administration of Nuevo León has just the thing for you, if you act now: a call for bids http://secop.nl.gob.mx/docs/licitaciones/LP-BS_DGASG-DC-001-2016.pdf to furnish the digital equipment to convert the rest of the Nuevo León state network. (Another document) http://secop.nl.gob.mx/docs/licitaciones/LP-FT_DGASG-DC-001-2016.pdf They want 14 stations on by the end of September and the rest by November 15. All seem to be planned with 200-watt transmitters; there's a mention of an "SFN mode" in the transmitter request, which is also interesting. (Also, 1,000 posts? Oh my! Thanks to all of those who have commented in here these last two years. It's amazing!) (Raymie, Aug 16, ibid.) There are headlines, and there are HEADLINES. This is one of the latter. Grupo Radio Centro's president apparently says that news just doesn't make enough money these days. http://www.forbes.com.mx/la-noticia-ya-no-negocio-pancho-aguirre In an interview with Forbes México (which is not online yet, apparently), GRC's president said that it will focus on its bigger money makers — entertainment and music — while being "cautious" in news. Here's the problem. GRC has a lot of news that it makes, and getting out of the news business, or even cutting it down or outsourcing it, would shrink their footprint considerably. Their two primary news services are Radio Red, which even if it leaves FM could remain on AM, and Formato 21, the news wheel service. There's also XEN "La 69", whose sole purpose it seems is to rebroadcast select Radio Red programs. The easiest way to shrink their news footprint would be to give up XHFO; Radio Red FM is a bit of a ratings dog, as it was reported around the time of the 88.1/92.1 format swap. But what of the rest of Radio Centro's massive news wing? (Raymie, Aug 17, ibid.) A lot of concessionaires are interested in a station in Mexico City, even if it's an AM one, and GRC has a lot of under-used stations like XEN and XEINFO (Gargadon, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Aug 18, ibid.) Did they even renew XEINFO's concession? I could see some interest, even if it stinks to own a Mexico City AM. Selling one of the lesser used AMs (say, XEN, XEINFO, or even XEEST, if Radio Centro ends its deal with Grupo Siete) could probably generate a bit of cash (Raymie, ibid.) It wouldn't hurt to see a "new Radio VIP" in Mexico City, would it? Oh forget it.... cd (Chris Dunne, Pembroke Pines FL, Aug 18, ibid.) We have the agenda from the IFT's August 10 Pleno meeting, at which it was transfers, transfers, and more permit transfers. http://www.ift.org.mx/conocenos/pleno/sesiones/xxiv-ordinaria-del-pleno-10-de-agosto-de-2016 The IFT has been motoring through these at a breakneck pace. There were 44 public AMs and FMs, 12 public TVs, and 6 social FMs transferred, plus extension-transfers for XHRCV, XHTFM, XHMBM FM, and XHUNAM TV. They also handled a sale of shares in the concessionaire of XHOD and XHPM, in San Luis Potosí (Raymie, Aug 18, ibid.) DTV ** MONGOLIA. 12035. August 12, 2016. 1000-1010, Voice of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, in Chinese. IS, Announcers (female and male) talks; short music; male talks. Broadcasting with fair signal and poor modulation, 35332 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** NEPAL [non]. /CHINA, 9575, AIR (Bengaluru)/CNR1 (jammer) 1320-1330* 15 August. AIR's Nepali broadcast doing about 50/50 with CNR1's jammer this morning. AIR had some English translations of a speech (presumably by the Indian PM, if the translation was heard correctly) along with Nepali chat, 1+1 pips at 1330 followed by "namaskar" and both stations off (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire [v.2.0]), Aug 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Are the ChiCom really intending to jam India in Nepali, guilt by association, or runover from the preceding Tibetan service? (gh, DXLD) ** NICARAGUA. 8989-USB, "El Pescador Preacher" 2337 to 2350 back on the air with impassioned preacher in Spanish, some ute interference, 12 August (Robert Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, Florida, 746Pro, Drake R8 NRD 525, DX South Florida 1981 to 2016, Mosquito Coast DX News, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. 7255-, Aug 11 at 0601, no signal from VON Hausa. When on, this is the biggest signal by far on the 41 mb (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7255. August 13, 2016. 1855-1910, Voice of Nigeria, Abuja, in English. Female and male announcers presents News; 1900 ID, female announcer talks. Good signal and fair modulation till 1900, 45433. After 1900, a collision with China Radio International, in Turkish, and VON awful transmission (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Location: Cabedelo-PB, Brazil (UTC-3), RX (s): Degen DE1103 + Sony ICF-SW100S, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard-Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) 7254.924, Aug 16 at 0553, VON is on with S9+20 open carrier; 0555 bit of a song undermodulated, 0557 announcement and dead air; 0558:20 drumming & chanting; 0559 more DA, bits of drumming; 0600 announcement, dead air, sign-on in Hausa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. UNIDENTIFIED, 6930-USB, Aug 12 at 0010 tune-in, yelling and screaming about crime with background music, S8 but heavy noise level; stops at 0011, nothing further. Also logged as unID here: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,29450.0.html and another/same 6930 pirate also reported the last few evenings (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. UNIDENTIFIED. 6925.0-LSB, yes, not USB, Aug 15 at 0126, only pirate signal on band with some rock music, VP at S6. Closest match on board, apparently not close enough as to frequency and mode and time, Captain Morgan Shortwave: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,29497.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. UNIDENTIFIED. 8040/AM, 2134-2148+, 6-Aug; Tune-in to Blues Bros. theme, into 70s pop tunes; 2145 uncopyable talk over music then Star Wars theme plus Stevie Wonder’s Superstition already running. I’m doubting two separate ops, but you never know. Good peaks but very fady to zilch. Presume this is the same op recently reported on 7900, 8060 & 8070. This one has been on 8040 most mornings lately, but too weak to copy. +++ [same], 2002-2017+, 11-Aug; Rock music. SIO=353 till about 2015 then dropped into the QRN (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' & 125' bow-tie, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! -----, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1120, Aug 13 at 2000 UT, as I tune by KETU, Catoosa / Sperry / Tulsa, ID as ``Veinte, la Diferente``. Maybe I missed an ``Once`` to start with. After lots of irregularity, it always seems to be on now, but its SR/SS scheduling not regular. BTW, the 2015-2016 NRC AM Log put Tulsa in TX {for the address, not the listing}. 2016- 2017 edition will be out shortly {not corrected, as I noticed too late for going to press} (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. 1390-, KCRC Enid, my strongest local, continues to pollute the upper MW band with spurs at plus & minus 30 and 60 kHz, but not exactly. First noted as hets at midday Sat Aug 13, 1946 UT: on 1450, higher pitch than 1420; on 1330, lower pitch than 1450. At 1949- 1953 UT, during Cards baseball on KCRC, I carefully track and measure them on the NRD-545 with ALA-330S antenna: 1330.25, making het upon KNSS Wichita KS, the outer ones weaker 1360.14, hetting EWTN, i.e. KPHN El Dorado KS; EWTN ID also heard 1389.99, KCRC itself is a bit off; RF gain turned almost all way down 1419.85, blocking KTJS Hobart OK: KCRC audio clearly dominant here 1449.72, hetting KSIW Woodward/KGFF Shawnee OK mix; see separate log These are approximations, amounting to plus 29.86, minus 29.85; plus 59.73, minus 59.74, each measured independently. No doubt another digit to the Hz would make for exact matches. I also attempted to hear any hets from spurious carriers ~90 kHz out, around 1300 & 1480 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1450, Aug 13 at 1946 UT, usual daytime groundwave mixture of KSIW Woodward and KGFF Shawnee, roughly equidistant from here, but KSIW is stronger with sports talk. It has a het from a second-order spur out of local 1390 KCRC; see separate log. 1949 UT ID only as ``WWLS, *the* Sports Animal``, and is // but 14 seconds *ahead* of originating 98.1 WWLS OKC, and not // KWPN 640 nor of course 1390 KCRC (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1560, Aug 13 at 1945 UT as I tune across, in case anybody care, immediate weak ID still as ``KEBC, Del City, 1560 AM, The Franchise 2`` (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1580, UT Fri Aug 12 at 0036 UT, KOKB Blackwell is playing music again instead of stupid sports talk (I previously heard some music on Sunday evening). Soon found to be // its Triple-Play siblings, 1020 KOKP Perry, and 105.1 KOSB Stillwater, but 1580 is running about one word behind the other two which are synchronized. Glib DJ is doing a weekly Thursday ``regional chart countdown``, but mumbles the show name, ``Red Dirt --- ---``. Finally about the fifth time I can tell he is saying ``Red Dirt`s Most Wanted``. (Red Dirt is a proud Okie music genre, or sub-genre, rather like country.) Laments that their phone is out since an electrical storm. Looks forward to all the OSU students about to come back. 0057 UT outroing the show as having been ``recorded in the heart of the Red Dirt scene, Stillwater, Oklahoma``. 0100 UT rejoining Fox Sports Radio. Maybe they have a strip of different music shows each evening? The Sunday one had started two hours earlier. 1580, UT Sat Aug 13 at 0024 UT, KOKB Blackwell is in sportstalk // 1020 KOKP and 105.1 KOSB --- so no breaking format for music tonight, like last night and Sunday into UT Monday. Apparently off the air or cut to night power early as not heard by 0054 UT, when I`m getting WVOK off-frequency again, see U S A (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PALAU. Weak to fair reception of WHR T8WH Angel 3,5,4 on August 6: 1000-1400 9930 HBN 100 kW / 318 deg to EaAs English Sat/Sun Angel 3 1300-1400 9965 HBN 100 kW / 345 deg to NEAs English Sat/Sun Angel 5 1430-1500 11805 HBN 100 kW / 270 deg to SEAs English Sat/Sun Angel 4 http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/weak-to-fair-reception-of-whri-t8wh.html Very weak signal of Brother HySTAIRical via WHR T8WH Angel 5: 1200-1300 on 9965 HBN 100 kW / 345 deg to NEAs English http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/very-weak-signal-of-brother-hystairical.html (DX RE MIX NEWS #962 from Georgi Bancov & Ivo Ivanov, August 12, 2016 via DXLD) ** PERU. A quick scan between 1140-1220 UT on 13 August 4747.58, Huanta 2000 with huaynos. 4774.92, R. Tarma, fair with M mensajes. 4824.48, LV de la Selva, fair, huaynos. 4955, R. Cultural Amauta fair with huaynos. 5025, R. Quillabamba, mix with Rebelde, 6173.92, R. Tawantinsuyo, best in LSB with tight filter, huaynos (David Sharp, NSW, FT-950, NRD-535D, R8, R30A, Timewave 599ZX, various Palstar and MFJ accessories, Quantum Phaser, various Sangean and Tecsun portables, EWE aerials, via Bob Wilkner, NASWA yg via DXLD) ** PERU. 5980.0, Aug 12 at 0023, R. Chaski JBA carrier, recheck at 0102 to track its autocutoff, which has slid to 0103:50*, which is 58.5 seconds later than last check, August 3 until 0102:51.5*, keeping up the average of 6.5 seconds later per noctem (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 6046.9, R. Santa Rosa (very tentative), 0216-0253, Aug 15 (Monday). Seemed to be them with non-stop OM & YL chatting on the phone; very weak; 0253 brief music; reception blocked at 0256 by the sign on of DW (IS & in Swahili) on 6045. Extremely rare for me to catch anything here. I last heard R. Santa Rosa back in late 2011 (Ron Howard, Calif., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6046.9, Aug 17 at 0150, no carrier audible here, but checking since Ron Howard had a very tentative on R. Santa Rosa, reactivated after 5 years, Aug 15 at 0216-0253 (blocked after 0256 by DW 6045). To be monitored further! (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES [non]. 9750, UNITED ARAB EMMIRATES, FEBC Manila- Dhabbaya, at 0205, on 14 Aug, in Urdu. A slow song with a male singer is playing. A male announcer came on next talking, followed by a techno instrumental song that didn’t play all the way through before the male announcer spoke again. Fair (John Cooper, Lebanon, PA, Winradio-G33DDC, CommRadio CR-1a, SDR-IQ, Sangean ATS-909X w/Clear Mod, Wellbrook ALA1530S+, Wellbrook ALA1530LNPro, Pars SWL Sloper, GAP-Hear It-In Line Module, Timewave ANC-4, NASWA Flashsheet Aug 14 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [and non]. Several times took some pirate (no ads) on the 3895-3897 kHz with translations Vysotsky's songs. He took a different time, but the best reception in the region of 1500 UT. Yesterday there was no reception (Alexander Golovihin, Tolyatti, Russia / "deneb- radio-dx" via RusDX Aug 14 via DXLD) "Pirates" in the range of 3 MHz in the evening and at night a lot. Sometimes they are collected and higher in frequency. There was a time when this was done by military signalers, but it seems that those days are gone. Basically ping, but more often drunk mat and bawdy songs. In the negotiations it is clear that they are located in the south of Russia, the Northern Caucasus and Ukraine. In recent years, were essential fights on Russia - Ukraine. They are far from evropiratov who follow the rules: no politics, insults, only music, greetings and reviews reports (Pavel Ivanov, Belgorod, Russia / "deneb-radio-dx" via RusDX Aug 14 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [and non]. SECRETLAND vs RUSSIA, SPL Brother HySTAIRical vs Adygeyan Radio on Aug 12: 1800-1900 6000*ARM 100 kW / 188 deg CeAs Ad/Ar/Tu Mon Adygeyan Radio 1800-1900 6000*ARM 100 kW / 188 deg CeAs Adygeyan Fri Adygeyan Radio 1900-2000 6000*ARM 100 kW / 188 deg CeAs Adygeyan Sun Adygeyan Radio *strong co-ch SCB 050 kW / 015 deg EaEu English Brother HySTAIRical http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/spl-brother-hystairical-vs-adygeyan.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) So, Adygeyan is on air only 3 hours a week, much less than The Overcomer on 6000 via BULGARIA (gh, ibid.) ** SAAR. [Re 16-32:] Re: Felsberg --- For the chronicle: The old Felsberg transmitters had been turned off for good on 19 Oct 2015 at 08:21 (local time), as quoted from the station log in http://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/saarland/saarlouis/ueberherrn/berus/Berus-Architektur-Baukunst-Gebaeude-Juwelen;art446680,6213342 The imagery that appears at present at https://goo.gl/maps/nSNVvXsyHLo is from 30 Sep 2015 and shows them ("them" means, at least partly, the Junglinster maintenance crew) still working on the feed lines at the new transmitter building which looks like a dwarf, compared to the 86 x 46 x 16 metres monster where palm trees had been grown. http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-1.jpg.jpg/img.jpg Transformer cells include special 20 kV / 210 V transformers for two transmitters. This points at Transradio, unless it happens that other manufacturers use the very same special current as well. My guess are 2 x 750 kW as installed at Beidweiler, too, unless some wild speculation is true and these are the former Donebach and Aholming rigs. http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-2.jpg.jpg/img.jpg Back side with feed outputs to the former aux antenna to the left and the former main antenna to the right: http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-3.jpg.jpg/img.jpg From a distance: http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-8.jpg.jpg/img.jpg On the other side the old transmitter hall had a direct output, out of the glass wall, to the former aux antenna. Now only the carriers of this feed line remain. http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-4.jpg.jpg/img.jpg This feed line is now used to connect the new transmitter to one of the old masts. It seems that all power distribution / phasing gear for the directional main antenna was in the attachment at the northern side of the hall, seen in the background here, so the only kind of aux arrangement that is still possible is a use of one of the remaining main masts as simple ND radiator. http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-5.jpg.jpg/img.jpg The most southwestern mast of the former main antenna, no longer connected to the outside world and presumably detuned/grounded now: http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-6.jpg.jpg/img.jpg Former main entrance of the old Felsberg station and remains of the mast they had removed in 2013: http://www.radioeins.de/content/dam/rbb/rad/programm/medienmagazin/f/Felsberg-7.jpg.jpg/img.jpg Btw, the SR TV report is no longer available, it has been deleted after seven days in accordance with the German Rundfunkstaatsvertrag nonsense (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Aug 11, mwmasts yg via DXLD) On the principle of former distinct radio countries still being recognised as such here, SAAR gets its own entry. In BC-DX, under GERMANY, Wolfgang Büschel gives the dates it existed: ``[former SAAR 17 Dec 1947 till 31 Dec 1956]`` (gh, DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 11820.06, Aug 17 at 2051, BSKSA is mostly Qur`aning to lull my nap; fair signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA [and non]. Members, I have slightly late worked my way through the July WRTH Domestic updates. I was surprised and saddened to see that all of the remaining MW stations in Serbia are now silent. This is due to economic constraints. I have made the necessary changes to the spreadsheets. The Active Europe section is now down to 545 entries. What is most worrying is that the pace of reductions has not dropped much over the years. Fortunately, all of the details on the growing Europe section of the Inactive or Closed spreadsheet ensures that records persist for the many silent stations. 73 and 88 (Dan Goldfarb, Aug 17, mwmasts yg via DXLD) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 9545, Aug 11 at 0556, JBA signal with music, no doubt SIBC again extending transmission on day frequency beyond 0500; as also heard Aug 9 at 0614 by Walt Salmaniw. 9545, Aug 17 at 0538, weak music at S4, presumed SIBC day frequency on late again (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5020, SIBC, 1158-1201, Aug 17. Usual "Evening devotional" in English; full ID and National Anthem; poor to almost fair; audio ended 1200 and transmitter off a minute later (Ron Howard, Calif., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 15440, Aug 11 at 1909, WRMI Brother Scare sounds familiar: I think I just missed another stale replay of his April? May? Attack on yours truly as he goes on to talk about how `ven-zoo-eee-lah`` is going down the tubes, soon to be followed by the Good Old USA. Not concerned with ``mockers and scoffers``, only the ``few`` who will follow him. What about his grand tour of the northeast this? weekend?? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SECRETLAND, Updated schedule of SPL Brother HySTAIRical, Aug 13 1300-1650 on 9400#SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to WeEu English Mon-Fri 1300-1450 on 9400#SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to WeEu English Sat* 1300-1420 on 9400#SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to WeEu English Sun^ 1300-1600 on 11700#SCB 050 kW / 195 deg to EaAf English 1300-1655 on 11810#SCB 100 kW / 126 deg to N/ME English 1805-2100 on 6000 SCB 050 kW / 015 deg to EaEu English 1900-2100 on 9800 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to WeEu English 1900-2100 on 12075 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg to ENAm English # LIVE Sabbath Service every Saturday after 1400 UT or 1000 AM ET * change of frequency to 15515 at 1500UT Radio Warra Wangeelaa-ti ^ change of frequency to 15205 at 1430UT Pan American Broadcasting http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/updated-schedule-of-spl-brother.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SPAIN. Radio Exterior de Espana Olympics broadcasts --- Still hearing REE after scheduled 2200 closedown time at 2234 on 17855, 17715, 15550, 15390 with live Olympics coverage in Spanish. Seems to be switching between different sports, regular mentions of Badminton over the last few minutes. At 2303 still on air (Stephen Cooper, Sat Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ¿Cómo se dice ``badminton`` en castellano? Según mi palibro = diccionario, ``el juego del volante`` (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 11905, Aug 15 at 0116, SLBC with S Asian song and announcement, at S4, a lot better than it has been, JBA, and surely would have had no problem clocking the mis-timesignal had I tuned in a minute earlier. Bodes well for the AIR special coming up shortly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [and non]. 11645, Aug 14 at 0439, R. Dabanga via VATICAN is still here, despite Aoki still showing it on 11650, where it started the season until shifting to escape the jammers. The jammers must believe Aoki, or not even turn on a radio to check, since a whole bunch of carriers are clustered harmlessly mostly above 11650. Difficult to sort them out to exact frequencies as they beat against each other, but approx.: 11648.8, 11650, 11651.25, 11652.7, 11654 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. SAQ 16 agosto EXTRA Transmission, August 16th, 2016 An extra transmission from the Unesco World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station (SAQ) will be made on Tuesday, August 16th, 2016, on the occasion of the 11th nordic shortwave conference HF 16 with the attached longwave symposium LW 16, a venue held on the small island of faaroe north of Gotland in the baltic sea. Start up and tune in of the transmitter will begin at at around 09.15 UTC (11.15 local time), and the transmission of a message on the frequency 17.2 kHz CW, will start at 09.40 UTC (11.40 local time). No QSL-cards will be given this time and no List of Reports will be constructed but we accept shorter Listeners Report to e-mail info@alexander.n.se (via Mauro Giroletti, Aug 14, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. [re 16-32:] Hallo Kai, die Nutzungs der Sender und Antennen in Hörby, Karlsborg u. Varberg hatte viel mehr Facetten, Variationen und Flexibilität. Ich habe mal nur die 500 kW Tabelleneinträge von PeaceWood / ILG - COPYRIGHT - heraus gezogen. Die 350 kW Einträge habe ich mir erspart, zu kopieren. Vor allem in den europäischen Wintermonaten Nov/Dec/Jan wurde 'volle Kanne' 500 kW nach NoAM, SoAM, EaAS, AUS/PAC eingesetzt. Hörby Erst zum Ende von R Sweden auf Kurzwelle ab 1993 und 2000dern waren in Hörby 3 x 500 kW Sender im Einsatz. Vorher 1972 bis 1993 gab es 2 x 500 kW H1 und H2. Mit den 6 Curtains in Hörby wurden 500 kW oder auch ökonomisch reduziert 250 kW eingesetzt. HRS/4/4/0.5 in direction 70, 250, 290, +/- 30degr slewed, gain 19-23dBi, beam width 20-40degr, - je nach curtain type/meterband. Die 2 x rotatable log-periodics konnten nur mit maximal 350 kW gefahren werden, wegen Strom-Überschläge current flashover lightning - strong corona discharge - nicht mit 500 kW Leistung nutzbar. Manchmal reduziert ökonomisch 250 kW im Einsatz. 60 m and 20 m height, gain 12 - 14 dBi. Beam width 60degr. Für die Europaversorgung gab es mit 250 kW Nutzung ein spezielle bi-directional Antenne, mittig jeweils auf 140 und 240 degr, mit ihrer +/- 30 degr Streuung deckte sie praktisch Europa und Nord Afrika bis zu den Canary Isl, von 110 bis 270 degr ab. Sogar wurden für die Seeleute noch die NorthSea und der östliche NordAtlantik erreicht. Karlsborg 1 x 500 kW TX, ab 1972 im Einsatz, gleicher Typ wie H1 und H2 tx. 1 x rotatable log-periodic konnte nur mit maximal 350 kW gefahren werden. Height 30 m, gain 12 - 14 dBi. Beam width 60degr. Varberg 1 x 100 kW, in SSB Mode im Einsatz. 1 x rotatable log-periodic. Height 40 m, gain 13dBi. Beam width 60degr. Radio Sweden P1 program home sce only. 0200-0300 17840 000degr true north! 0500-0700 21550 80 0700-0900 21550 110 0900-1100 21555 110 1100-1700 21555 170 1700-1800 15435 250 Canary Isl sce 1800-2030 15420 250 2330-2400 17840 000degr true north! (Wolfgang Büschel, Aug 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Kai and the Group [😊], As I said, these were my recollections of what George Wood said a VERY long time ago. (I was actually quite proud of myself for recalling such minutiae from so long ago!) We actually need George to see if he recalls what he said [ðŸ˜]. I know power adjustment is not really that difficult a task to achieve. Dave Porter amply demonstrates that on the circa 1961 vintage Marconi BD262 transmitters in his video presentations. It looked like those units had about a 6db adjustment range by changing the output coupling. I don't have anywhere near enough knowledge of the Thomson CSF 2350 units however to know if they had readily adjustable carrier output level or not (Calvin, swsites yg via DXLD) Hello! In Hörby they had de-ice equipment by disconnecting the transmitters and put on high voltage out in the antenna system. You also had SW-transmissions from Varberg/Grimeton on SSB until early 1990`s. I think the transmission ceased at the same time as from Karlsborg. (/Chris, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) Hi Chris. Had never considered de-ice of feeders and antennas, but I suppose it would be an issue in an Arctic climate. What did they feed out onto transmission lines? Adjustable mains frequency AC I presume, and using the "ohmic" heating effects to warm the lines and antenna elements to encourage the ice to "drop off"? (Calvin Melen, ibid.) Hi All, In BBC times at the UK sites we used to refer to the schedule and for the daytime services on the higher frequencies we would in the 0400-0600 period look at what was required and run some power tests. The VSWR would no doubt be up from the norm but a period of low power would thaw the hoar frost and normal VSWR would result. The antenna would then be ready for instant full power service as required later in the day. If the transmitters were unused in the early hours we would run them on say 17 MHz for an hour or two to warm them up. It would not propagate at all but that did not matter. It was possible at the start of day shift to look across the antenna field and see exactly which antennas had been in use during the night as they were the usual dark wire colour with the unused antennas icy white! 73 (Dave Porter, Ex Daventry and Woofferton, ibid.) Hi Dave, I was going to ask if the ice caused impedance shift problems and whether running a transmitter into it for a while would "resolve" the issue. Beat me to it!! (Calvin, ibid.) In this case I think they would simply feed RF into the line. It will heat the lines quite a lot. A proper deicing system as might be used for TV or FM would use separate heating elements fed by mains power but I don't think they would feed mains power into the antennas or feed lines (Jlenamon, Waco, Texas, ibid.) ** TIBET. 5935, PBS Xizang (Lhasa-Baiding) 1320-1400+ 11 & 12 August. XPBS's Chinese service doing fairly well // a much weaker 4820 with quiet DJ chat, Chinese MOR, and a very distinct piano fill between DJ, music, ads/promos (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach, CA PL380/6m X wire [v.2.0]), Aug 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. Re: Withdrawal of Radio and TV licences in Turkey --- Withdrawal haven't affected Radio Haber on the mediumwave frequency of 891 kHz. I heard it today (12 Aug, 2016) at 0300 UT with weak audio and its signal before 0300 (Tibor Gaal, Budapest, Hungary, Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tibor, 891 is state-owned TRT 1 Radyo Bir and has nothing to do with revoked licenses. If you heard "Haber" or "Radio Haber" on air, there is a simple explanation: The word "Haber" means "News". 73, (Günter Lorenz, Aug 12, ibid.) ** TURKEY. 11980.040, Aug 14 at 0412, great Turkish music, mostly vocal on TRT with S9+20 signal but fluttery, only adding to the mystique. By 0435 it`s mostly Turkish talk; more music at 0515 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. 9735, Aug 15 at 0141, ME music at S8, TRT Turkish, at least detectable aside much stronger ROMANIA 9730 in French at S9+40; the other TRT channels this hour in Spanish, 9770 and 9870 are also much stronger than 9735 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. AFTER TURKEY'S FAILED COUP, A STATE-OWNED TV STATION TILTS http://www.wsj.com/articles/after-turkeys-failed-coup-a-state-owned-tv-station-tilts-1471019093 Amid Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's purge, unhappy staffers say TRT World has muted criticism of the government while blasting the opposition Gulen movement Natasha Exelby, an anchor for TRT World, during a newscast in the station's Istanbul studio, July 29. Photo: Dion Nissenbaum/The Wall Street Journal [caption] By Dion Nissenbaum The Wall Street Journal Aug. 12, 2016 12:24 p.m. ET 2 COMMENTS Top editors and producers at Turkey's government-owned, English-language television station gathered at their Istanbul office two weeks after the failed coup to discuss the day's news. Across the country, Turkish police were arresting scores of journalists, and the military was purging thousands accused of taking part in the abortive July 15 putsch. But inside the station, editors were more focused on the U.S. presidential race and the war in Syria. They decided to cover the military shake-up but didn't even discuss the roundup of Turkish journalists. "There's not much moving, really, as far as I can see" regarding the government crackdown, said Nick Morgan, a former BBC journalist who is now an executive producer at TRT World, to two dozen staff members. None of them spoke up to disagree. TRT World launched last fall with ambitions to become an internationally recognized news leader in league with the British Broadcasting Corp. But in the past four weeks, at least seven foreigners on the 220-person editorial staff have resigned amid concerns about the station's direction. Staff members say that critical views of the government's post-coup crackdown have been muted, that reports have been subtly tilted in favor of the government and that journalists have passed around talking points provided by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office. "I no longer hold out any hope that this channel will become what I wanted it to become," said one of those who resigned. "After the coup, it became very apparent that the channel had no intention of actually covering it properly, in a professional, international broadcast standard." Resul Serdar Atas, TRT World's managing editor, denies that the Erdogan government directly influences the station's content. The station --- with an audience of around 40 million households, mostly in the Middle East and Europe --- has as much editorial freedom as other state-owned broadcasters, he says. "As managing editor, I have never, never gotten a single call from Ankara trying to frame our broadcast or trying to give us talking points," he said. Press freedom has been under attack in Turkey for years, but the post-coup crackdown is unprecedented, according to Western leaders. Under the state of emergency announced on July 20, Mr. Erdogan has forced the closure of 131 media outlets, including 16 TV stations and 45 newspapers. Prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 89 Turkish journalists. On the night of the failed putsch, Turkish troops closed Istanbul's Bosporus Bridge and forced the nearby TRT World off the air. When broadcasts resumed the morning after, the network ran extensive stories about the civilians who helped thwart the coup. They also focused critical coverage on Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric whom Mr. Erdogan says directed the plot. Mr. Gulen calls such allegations baseless and part of a political vendetta against him and his supporters. Turks working at TRT World say the coup was a national trauma akin to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in America. Key editors see Mr. Gulen as a terrorist on par with the leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. "There is no difference between Baghdadi and Gulen to me," said Fatih Er, the station's head of newsgathering. "I don't think Turkey is arresting people because they are journalists; they are arresting them because they think they have something to do with the coup and the Gulen movement." Some TRT World employees say they were pressured to rejigger their coverage to better align with the government's loathing of Mr. Gulen. Staff members in a WhatsApp group shared talking points provided by the president's office, and others received private calls from supervisors about the on-air tone toward Mr. Gulen, employees said. Some coverage after the coup was held up or re-edited to reflect more of the government perspective, employees added. One disillusioned TRT World employee said the newsroom leaders are fighting for the newsroom's independence. "It's walking a tightrope at the moment, but hasn't fully jumped over to the side," the employee said. "Even under the current pressure, you can't compare it to Russia Today. It isn't outright propaganda." Mr. Morgan said the newsroom is working to retain its editorial integrity while operating within the inherent limitations of a state-owned broadcaster. "The state is wounded, is hurting at the moment," he said. "It is a constant debate, especially with the guys from above...I'm not going to say, yes, it's free and independent, but what media organization is?" (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** UGANDA [non]. 15239.970, Aug 13 at 1655, WWRB`s weekend-only African service is on again at S9, with music --- but modulation cutting off and on two times per second, a bad internet feed, I suppose. No ToH ID break. 1701 the R. Munansi program is opening with usual brief anthem(?) followed by that lighter vocal piece of theme music, and the IADs continue, making it totally useless. 1706 some talk gets this treatment, and the fragments sound like D. Duck, so it seems the quarter-second silent segments are compensated for by the quarter-second audible segments being at double-speed and double- pitch, which was less obvious with the unfamiliar music. Then mostly music; 1725 talk and still screwed up like this, having listened to it for a semihour! I quit for lunch until recheck at 1757, when it`s been fixed (for now) during talk in presumed Luganda. At 1803 I`ve switched to the PL-880 on the porch with wire under the eaves, and note the strength readout shows 52 dBu, and the S/N at 25 dBu, during shrill speech about (who else?) Muséveni. Another check on the R75 at 1859 gets a measurement of 15239.974 until cutoff at 1901* without any perceptible closing, let alone a WWRB ID (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) USA, Audio problem of WWRB Global 2 with African music & Radio Munansi, Aug 13 1600-1700 on 15240 WRB 115 kW / 045 deg to ENAm African Music Sat/Sun 1700-1900 on 15240 WRB 115 kW / 045 deg to ENAm Luganda/English Sat/Sun http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/audio-problem-of-wwrb-global-2-with.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. 13564-CW, Aug 15 at 1355, GNK beacon from Madison WI is JBA, last heard in May. Any HIFER beacons on this band have been very sparse lately (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 25910/FM, WQGY434, Eldorado TX (Dallas xmtr?), KLDE 104.9 FM studio relay; 1437, 5-Aug; “David Bowie on KLDE”. Good peaks but scratchy & fady. Still up at 1907 & 2142. +++ [same] 1522, 7-Aug; Mentioned “Top 20 Countdown” into religious music (Sunday morning) in/out +++ [same same] 1440, 9-Aug; “I’m Kilgore (DJ) on KLDE right inside your radio” (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, USA, Drake R8B + 185' & 125' bow-tie, ----- All logged by my ears, on my receiver, in real time! -- ---, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. For the first time in years, as best as I can tell, the VOA web site now includes a daily program schedule. It can be found at http://www.voanews.com/schedule/radio/60.html The page also has tabs for VOA Africa, VOA1 and VOA newscast schedules and different dates can be selected (Mike Cooper, Aug 11, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) But it seems many hours` content are unaccounted for other than news on the hour (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Glenn: Those are the many hours where there is no VOA programming – only an hourly newscast (Mike Cooper, ibid.) Even if incapable of a full 24-hour service even online, the least VOA could do would be to repeat the programming they do have to fill it up (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) You might notice that the weekly "Science World" program, hosted by Rick Pantaleo, is not on the schedule. It used to air on Saturdays at 0300 UT amongst other times. I had the pleasure to be interviewed for one of the shows last year: http://shortwavearchive.com/archive/voice-of-america-science-world-march-14-2015?rq=science%20world The program was axed last year but Rick still does an occasional Science Edition of the weekly Press Conference USA program. A podcast of the last one can be found here: http://www.voanews.com/a/3390038.html He also manages the Science World blog on the VOA website: http://blogs.voanews.com/science-world/ Rick told me recently "the powers [that] be ended the radio edition of Science World last June (2015). Carol Castiel, the head of VOA's English Current Affairs programs, has me produce one Science Edition about once a month." And Kim Andrew Elliott told me "VOA and BBG management are moving away from radio to 'digital.' If it's digital, it's good. The audience research I see does show a drop in radio listening. But for a science show like Rick's, the enthusiasts are still on shortwave." (Richard Langley, NB, Aug 12, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. 17655. August 12, 2016. 1746-1755, Voice of America, Santa Maria di Galeria, CVA, in Portuguese. Male announcer talks and comments about USA elections; ID, news of The African Union. Very good signal and modulation, 45544 (DXer: José Ronaldo Xavier (JRX), Cabedelo-PB, Brazil, Degen DE1103, Antenna: Portable Telescopic, Hard- Core-DX mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Digital modes via analog shortwave, Aug 13-17 A busy few days of digital text and images via analog shortwave will ensue. WRMI Digital Special: http://voaradiogram.net/post/148784430842/wrmi-will-showcase-digital-modes-via-analog-radio VOA Radiogram: http://voaradiogram.net/post/148839425652/voa-radiogram-13-14-august-2016-radio-that A chronological schedule of all the digital-via-analog broadcasts, 13- 17 August, including KBC and IBC: http://voaradiogram.net/post/148850810842/digital-text-and-images-via-analog-shortwave-aug (Kim Elliott, Aug 12, dxldyg via DXLD) [same:] http://65.media.tumblr.com/32adf52943b91210be3064ca2078ce60/tumblr_inline_obtdwzRFBj1rg4tvt_500.jpg I had put the events in my calendar. Thereby I have not forgotten the interesting 1-hour block on 7730 kHz @ 00.00-01.00z The timed recording worked. Now I can hear and decode what Walter reported: =====> http://www.rhci-online.net/html/calendar.html (roger, Germany, ibid.) 7730 WRMI: And immediately after the special [CDXA, VENEZUELA] broadcast was the DigiDX special, heard at very good level in Victoria, and fully decoded the various modes transmitted, along with the images. For some reason, though, my Fldigi didn't automatically change the center frequency from the usual 1500 to 2200, so I had to do it manually. Everything else worked as advertised. Nice image of the antenna farm at WRMI towards the end of the half-hour show at 0056 UT (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, UT Sat Aug 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) "Fldigi didn't automatically change the center frequency from the usual 1500 to 2200, so I had to do it manually." Neither for me. And not to the Olivia mode centred back on 1500 Hz. Reception was noisy here in NB on 7730 kHz as it was for the "Ecos del Torbes" broadcast in the previous half hour as already reported; a weakish signal with QRN. Nevertheless, all the text was decoded almost 100% however, while recognizable, the images were somewhat noisy. Perhaps I'll have better luck with the Sunday evening broadcasts (Richard Langley, Aug 13, ibid.) Richard, I didn't mention that it did not back to 1500 either. I find that I miss a few seconds while manually moving the center frequency back to 1500, or changing modes, if necessary. Too bad Fldigi didn't have an A/B button to pre-program this. Reception was pretty darn good, and now I understand why with a beam favouring us, despite the daylight. The images were pretty good, too, but with some noise. 73, (Walt (WCNA), ibid.) Hi Richard, I also had this problem recently, but Kim Andrew Elliot informed me that on the newer versions of Fldigi, the 'RxID' setting has changed, and whereas it used to show green when it was activated, now you have to right-click on it and check the 'passband' box as well. When this is selected, the button now shows a brown colour rather than the previous green, and, touch wood, I haven't had any problems with it not changing frequency since then. If your button is already showing brown, then it was probably just the noise that masked the changeover signal and not much we can do about that (Alan Gale, UK, ibid.) Thanks, Alan. I didn't know about that option in Fldigi. Turned it on and now the button is showing brown. There was then no trouble playing back last night's program repeats on 15770 and 11580 kHz and having Fldigi follow the audio centre-frequency shifts (Richard Langley, ibid.) 15770 Seems to be off the air at the moment (2025 UT on 14 August 2016). So no TIVAR broadcast at 2130 UT as previously scheduled? (Richard Langley, ibid.) ** U S A. VOICE OF AMERICA LAUNCHES 'EXTREMISM WATCH' WEBPAGE http://www.insidevoa.com/a/voice-of-america-launches-extremism-watch-webpage/3460578.html WASHINGTON D.C., August 12, 2016 -- The Voice of America boosted its coverage of extremism and terrorism this week with the hard launch of a new webpage on its Central News website, voanews.com. VOA's Extremism Watch desk http://www.voanews.com/p/6090.html monitors news related to extremism around the world. It takes an in- depth look at the stories behind the headlines to give audiences what most Western media do not report. "VOA's Extremism Watch is on the frontlines of investigative reporting," said VOA Director Amanda Bennett. "It enhances our coverage of violent extremism and terrorism. The desk shares information with other U.S. government civilian broadcasters -- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks -- to provide audiences around the world in-depth analysis, while adhering strictly to the VOA Charter, which mandates accurate, balanced and comprehensive reporting." The Extremism Watch desk works closely with all of the Voice of America's 44 language services to tell the full story as it translates and pursues reports in Urdu, Pashto, Turkish, Kurdish and other VOA broadcast languages for worldwide radio, television and social media distribution in English. View this video for more on VOA's Extremism Watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0f64FRKFu4 (VOA PR Aug 12 via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) Even VOA must use youtube?? But not the Belgian version (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1838 monitoring: confirmed Thursday August 11 at 2100 on WRMI 13695, S9+20. I suggest this is a good reliable time to catch WOR when it`s fresh. Also confirmed Thu Aug 11 at 2330 on WBCQ, 9330.790-CUSB, S9+10, the first airing of the weekly cycles here. Next: Fri 2130.5 WRMI 13695 to NW Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to SW Sat 0700 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sat 1400 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sat 1430 HLR 7265-CUSB to SW Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 0830 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE [to be pre-empted] Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW WORLD OF RADIO 1838 monitoring: confirmed Friday August 12 at 2130.5 on WRMI, 13695, S9+30. Next broadcast, Fri 2330 on WBCQ 9330: tune-in at 2328 I think I hear the IS/ID again circa 9330.8, but then it`s off, and no WOR heard at 2330. They must have decided to reset the frequency then, as by recheck 2355, end of WOR is running on 9330.06- CUSB. I don`t know when it came back. On the other receiver at 0015 Aug 13 I make it 9330.05 --- somewhere in there. Next: Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to SW Sat 0700 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sat 1400 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sat 1430 HLR 7265-CUSB to SW Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 0830 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE [to be pre-empted] Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW WORLD OF RADIO 1838 monitoring: confirmed Saturday August 13 at 2230 on WBCQ, 9330.118-CUSB, poor. Next: Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 0830 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE [to be pre-empted] Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW WORLD OF RADIO 1838 monitoring: confirmed on WA0RCR, 1860-AM, UT Sunday August 14 at 0312, already at Australia item so started circa 0310. Good S9+20 reception tonight, not too much storm noise, and I measure it on 1860.09. Next: Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE [to be pre-empted] Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW WORLD OF RADIO 1838 monitoring: NOT confirmed Sunday August 14 at 2330 on WBCQ, since 9330 is not on the air, nor at 2355. YES confirmed an hour later, UT Monday August 15 at 0030 on WRMI 7730. Also confirmed on Area 51 webcast, UT Monday August 15 from 0302, and fair before 0331 on WBCQ 5129.868. Also confirmed UT Monday August 15 at 0330 on WRMI, 9955, VG S9+10. Next: Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE [to be pre-empted] Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The broadcast at 2100 on 9.8 on 15770 has faded out in Denmark. AP-DNK Best 73, (Anker Petersen, wbradio yg via DXLD) Not about WOR, but that means when we are on 15770 at 2130 it may not reach Europe either, when not pre-empted (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) WORLD OF RADIO 1838 monitoring: Tuesday August 16 at 2130, confirmed NOT on WRMI 15770, pre-empted as expected for beeping, but should be back next week on the only WOR/WRMI beam toward Europe and the Maritimes. Not confirmed either, Tue Aug 16 at 2330 on WBCQ 9330 because it is off the air (but see separate WBCQ log). Confirmed Wed Aug 17 from 1315.5 on WRMI 9955, S9+10 and no jamming; confirmed Wed Aug 17 at 2113 check on WBCQ, 7490.003-AM, beginning to penetrate daytime absorption/noise at S8. Also confirmed Wed Aug 17 at 2330 on WBCQ, 9330.04-CUSB, S9 (also less audible on LSB). WORLD OF RADIO 1839 ready for first airings August 18: Thu 1130 WRMI 9955 to SSE Thu 2100 WRMI 13695 to NW Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Fri 0830 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Fri 2130.5 WRMI 13695 to NW Fri 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to SW Sat 0700 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sat 1400 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sat 1430 HLR 7265-CUSB to SW Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND Sun 0830 Unique Radio NSW 3210 ND Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Mon 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW Wed 1315.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7490, UT Sat Aug 13 at 0005, WBCQ with long monolog from Allan Weiner about his early pirate radio adventures, especially on 1620 kHz before there were any commercial stations on it, and the Falling Star Network. How he got busted tnx to a couple of over- zealous radio hams, but he doesn`t blame ham radio for that today. I`m trying to listen to him with one ear while listening to the CDXA special from WRMI 7730 into the other. Finally starts taking calls around 0030. WBCQ is also on 5130 but too weak in the noise level to copy other than to tell it`s not synchronized with 7490. Closest carrier to 3250 is something weak wobbling a bit around 3254.0, so quite possibly something else (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9330.245v-AM, UT Wed Aug 17 at 0135, WBCQ unexpectedly on here at S5 with ham discussion. It`s `Amateur Radio Roundtable`, ex-5130v where it`s been all summer, and should have been on 9 MHz for less noise, better propagation. At 0155 I put it on 9330.34, 0158 up to 9330.35 discussing a hamusic group and MFJ`s Martin Jue. May be the same transmitter which had been used on 5130 as it`s DSB/AM rather than CUSB as usually heard from a stronger 9330v. W5KUB.com website confirms the QSY as of today, UT Wednesdays from 0100. 5130 is now off (and so is 5085 WTWW-2 where Ted had been repeating his QSO ham show deliberately to confuse/compete). (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 11580, Aug 11 at 1906, this WRMI frequency is missing, while others including 11565 remain. 11580 still off at 0009 and 0104 chex Aug 12. This is one of two transmitters hooked up to a 44 degree antenna toward Europe, but supposedly also good at lesser angles up the east coast of North America. The other one is 15770/7780. Among the programs/stations missing out today on 11580 were Ukraine and Slovakia. 11580, Aug 12 at 1350, this WRMI frequency is still missing (scheduled as transmitter #1, 24 hours at 44 degrees). By 0016 check Aug 13, 11580 is back on, in Slovak. But at 0047 I find another frequency missing: 7780 which is also 44 degrees, Overcomer toward Europe, paired with 15770 in the daytime. See also VENEZUELA [non] 7730, Aug 13 at 0030, right after the Ecos del Torbes tribute, WRMI has another special, Jeff White introducing fldigi beeptests to be presented at the imminent HFCC B-16 conference in Miami. At 0047 I notice that some music is playing in the background, I suppose deliberately to find how such QRM affect decoding. Details: http://voaradiogram.net/post/148784430842/wrmi-will-showcase-digital-modes-via-analog-radio It`s notable that WRMI nor any US SW station is willing to go whole- hog into DRM. More about beeptests above in VOA sexion 7780, Aug 13 at 0547, this WRMIBS is still off. 15770, Aug 13 at 1937, now this WRMI frequency is missing, while 15440, 17790, 21675, 11580, et al., are on. Missing ones lately all seem to be on the 44 degree antenna(s), so maybe there`s the problem. 11580, Aug 13 at 2007, the Holy Qur`an Service of Radio Miami International at S5, just to be fair vis-à-vis all the contrary antagonistic Abrahamists WRMI broadcasts, but hardly equivalent to their overwhelming transmitter time. Really, the Qur`an-singing here forms part of the `World Music` tunes repeatedly rotating during an hour. Could someone who understands Arabic translate exactly what this passage is about? 7780, Aug 15 at 0148, at least one WRMI transmitter continues to be down; maintenance rotation? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 17775, Aug 11 at 1913, KVOH is still on past nominal 1900*, with ID, addresses, monomaniacal praise music in Spanish for that self-centered deity they project, and his assistant. Good signal and modulation. Appears to be open-ended; maybe they let it run a bit longer on Friday since they know they will take the weekend off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 12105, Aug 12 at 0003, WTWW-3 is S9 of dead air, vs lite CODAR, still so at 0020, 0047 chex. A waste of 100+ kWh, so what else is new? 12105, Aug 13 at 0041, WTWW-3 is S8 with dead air. Was today`s entire transmission from 1800 Aug 12 thus? Could well be, but I wasn`t checking. 12105, Aug 13 at 1804, WTWW-3 is on at 59 dBu strength / 25 dBu S/N, presumably 100 kW of it, but dead air (or JBM, maybe trace of talk, could be bleed from WTWW-1). Looks like #3 is in another protracted period of transmitting nothing for hours & hours. How much $$ wastage does that add up to hourly? 12105, Aug 15 at 0117, WTWW-3 is still dead air, at S3 12105, Aug 17 at 0138, WTWW-3 is open carrier/dead air at S6 instead of bonus SFAW hour from PPPP. WTWW-2 is off both 9930 and 5085, leaving only WTWW-1 9475 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7505v, Aug 15 at 0116 check, WRNO is still OFF. 7505.00, Aug 16 at 0112, WRNO is back on after missing for at least ten days. VG signal and modulation now on the BST-1 caradio, interview later in the hour with a Scotta-Norwegian who laments Christians are hard to find in Norway which is nevertheless a beautiful country. Later at 0327 on the R75, I find gospel rock right on frequency! within a few Hz, and not varying during my brief check (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Aug 16, WRNO back on the air with a good signal on 7505.0v. Yes, noted some drifting after I tuned in at 0208, through subsequent checking till 0330 (Ron Howard, California, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7505.0, Aug 17 at 0146, WRNO is on with joyandcompany.org promoting an event in Arlington TX coming up June 26-27, then interviewing Dr Mawire, who is the Joe Costello of today`s `RNO (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) On 17 August 2016 WRNO New Orleans (Louisiana) was found on the air. As usually, the frequency was slightly lower than its nominal 7505 kHz. When monitored the station had 0157 contemporary Christian music, 0159 Station ID, 0200 Ray Bentley preaching on Romans 1:2-4: „Jesus is our reality“, 0215 tune out. There was no interference noted (and this should not be taken as implying that I say AIR Nepali was not on the air). (Dr Hansjoerg Biener, Germany, 17 August 2016, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Aug 18th-UT, WRNO English sermon prayer, 7504.939 kHz, not stable frequency, wanders some 5 - 10 Hertz upwards in 0220-0230 UT time slot, S=9+20dB or -53dBm signal, noted on remote SDR unit in east coast area in MA/NJ-USA wb df5sx (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. 3215, UT Sunday August 14 at 0348, something axually worth listening to on WWCR: classical guitar music, and then some classical piano. Unseems sacred at all, but at 0355 a YL sings an ``Anglican hymn`` for about a minute and then preaches until, without any program identification, 0359 cut to WWCR ID, and 0400 `Classic Radio Theater` from the USA network, opening with Dragnet theme, but then introducing the Aug 5, 1948 episode of `Suspense`. Before 0400, this is contrary to WWCR-1`s own schedule, which on Saturday nights is supposed to be two hours of `Golden Age of Radio` from USA network at 03-05. Note also the contradixion in that program title. 4840, Aug 15 at 0539, WWCR is S9+30 of dead air (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Fair signal of WINB Red Lion, Aug 13: 0300-0400 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/usa-fair-signal-of-winb-red-lion-aug13.html Updated shortwave schedule WINB Red Lion effective Aug 14: 1100-1200 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Sun# 1200-2000 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Sat/Sun 1700-1900 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Mon-Fri* 1900-1945 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Mon-Fri 1945-2000 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm Eng/Spa Mon-Thu 1945-2000 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Fri 2000-2230 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Daily 2230-2300 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm Spanish Mon 2230-2300 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Tue-Sun 2300-2400 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Daily 0000-0300 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Daily 0300-0400 on 9265 INB 050 kW / 242 deg to CeAm English Wed-Mon# # changes; * relay Brother HySTAIRical The Overcomer Ministries http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2016/08/updated-shortwave-schedule-winb-red.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. Stations with transmitters outside City of License state: 550 KTRS St. Louis MO (xmtr near Cloverleaf IL) 550 WKRC Cincinnati OH (xmtr near Cold Spring KY) 560 WIND Chicago IL (Gary IN xmtr) 610 KCSP Kansas City MO (Leawood KS xmtr) 630 WMAL Washington DC (North Bethesda MD xmtr) 710 WOR New York NY (Rutherford NJ xmtr) 770 WABC New York NY (Lodi NJ xmtr) 820 WNYC New York NY (Kearney NJ xmtr) 980 WTEM Washington DC (Hyattsville MD xmtr) 990 KWAM Memphis TN (West Memphis AR xmtr) 1050 WEPN New York NY (Seacaucus NJ xmtr) 1120 KMOX St. Louis MO (Pontoon Beach IL xmtr) 1170 WWVA Wheeling WV (Barton OH xmtr) 1190 WLIB New York NY (near Lyndhurst NJ xmtr) 1210 WPHT Philadelphia PA (Cinnaminson NJ xmtr) 1260 WWRC Washington DC (Silver Spring MD xmtr) 1430 KZQZ St. Louis MO (Dupo IL xmtr) 1530 WCKY Cincinnati OH (Villa Hills KY xmtr) 1600 KATZ St. Louis MO (Washington Park IL xmtr) 1660 KQWB West Fargo ND (Moorhead MN xmtr) (Harold Frodge, MARE Tipsheet Aug 12 via DXLD) Harold, Very interesting list, but surely there must be some more. What is your source for that? Here`s one to add: 1650, KFSW, Fort Smith AR (Sallisaw OK xmtr) 73, (Glenn to Harold, via DXLD) These are the ones logged by MAREs. Source is Radio Locator (Harold Frodge, ibid.) Some other ones to check out, if one has plenty of time, besides other stations in the borderline cities above: Rock Island IL/Moline IL/Bettendorf IA/Davenport IA Louisville KY/IN Phenix City AL/Columbus GA Bristol TN/VA Texarkana TX/AR Portland OR/Vancouver WA or other suburbs Raton NM/Trinidad CO Omaha NE/Council Bluffs IA Sioux Falls SD/Sioux City IA area Pensacola FL/AL Providence RI/MA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FORMAT, SLOGAN AND SILENT STATUS CHANGES FREQ CALL CITY OF LICENSE NEW INFORMATION 570, KWML, Las Cruces, NM, was sports, now oldies, old slogan: “AM 570 The Ticket”, new: “Kool Oldies 104.5” (IRCA DX Monitor Aug 20 via DXLD ** U S A. 850, Aug 13 at 0107 UT, interesting mix of Rosary in Spanish and choral/organ music, i.e. KJON Carrollton TX, and KFUO Clayton MO - -- Catholix vs Lutherans! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENINGN DIGEST) ** U S A. LA RADIOEMISORA WQBN SÚPER Q 1300 AM SEGUIRÍA EN EL AIRE El personal y los oyentes de la radioemisora WQBN Súper Q 1300 AM estuvieron en “ascuas” por el anuncio de la posible venta de ese medio de comunicación que fue el primero en transmitir en español en el área de la Bahía de Tampa. Al aire anunciaron el cierre de Súper Q y el inicio de un nuevo espacio. Durante todo un mes, los locutores hicieron una serie de programas recordando los 65 años de la emisora y efectuando controles remotos desde diferentes locales comerciales que les habían sido fieles a la Súper Q, y hasta rifaron $650 entre sus oyentes. Centro Tampa estuvo presente en una de las que serían sus últimas transmisiones desde Tampa Bay Community Center, de la cubana Mabel González González recordó que, por siete años, los de la emisora habían realizado controles remotos desde su establecimiento. “La Súper Q es la única estación, de verdad, que quedaba para personas mayores. Tenía la música que le gusta a las personas mayores”, afirmó González. “Las otras no atraen a las personas mayores que son las que más necesitan ayuda”. González anticipó que la desaparición de la emisora sería un golpe “fuerte” para la comunidad. Al negocio de González asisten cubanos, dominicanos, puertorriqueños y mexicanos. Yeni Consuegra, quien hace parte del show matutino de la emisora, contó que lleva nueve años trabajando para la radioemisora y para un programa que hace llamado ‘Tecnología al día’. Según Rivera, la radioemisora siempre ha sido de la comunidad y cuando estaban las cabinas de grabación en Armenia Avenue la gente llegaba a los estudios “porque sentía que esa era su casa”. Pedro Valdés, quien trabaja hace 40 años en radioemisoras locales, de esos 28 en Súper Q, opinó que, aunque desapareciera la emisora eso sería algo que tendría que “aceptar pues es algo de los dueños”. Valdés trabaja los fines de semana en la radioemisora desde que la estación se mudó a Riverview. “Yo trabajaría hasta que me boten, llegué en 1966 a Tampa… La mayor satisfacción de trabajar en Súper Q es que no he tenido problemas con nadie”, aseguró Valdés, de 79 años. Al preguntarle al dueño, quien vive en Puerto Rico, el por qué vender una estación que tenía su familia por tantos años, respondió: “Es un poco de todo, en Puerto Rico tengo dos emisoras, más… y no tengo tiempo para administrar todos los quehaceres”. “Fue una decisión difícil, los empleados son como una familia extendida”, indicó Archilla, quien reconoció que en Puerto Rico hay una crisis lo que sería en parte otra de las razones para la posible venta. “Ahora mismo estamos en proceso de venta, en la etapa final, se supone que pronto se firmen una serie de acuerdos, pero nunca se sabe”, dijo Archilla, quien agregó que la nueva administración del espacio radial no era necesariamente religiosa, sino con enfoques ‘positivos’. El rumor que había era que la radioemisora sería comprada por Tony Calatayud, un empresario cuyo padre está investigado por fraude según El Nuevo Herald. Tras escuchar que la emisora seguía al aire y bajo el mismo formato, CENTRO Tampa contacto de nuevo a Archilla quien contestó “que la negociación no se efectuó por falta de confiabilidad en la misma y la emisora continuaba”. “Por supuesto la comunidad ganó”, dijo un oyente al aire la semana pasado al preguntar por el destino de Súper Q (tomada de Centro Tampa via GRA blog via DXLD) Indeed, they are still on air with the same format and slogan. Just checked. Though I doubt they can afford it, a translator in NW Hillsborough County/NW Tampa might benefit them, especially augmenting their lesser 1300 kHz night pattern that direction. They used to air and anti-Castro Bros. program Saturday afternoons, but that appears to be long gone. And in 2013, there was a report that they were airing Radio Marti in the afternoons. That was a bogus report as verified by me. Surprised that, between the two, Arnie never put several Rebelde transmitters on the channel to mess with the station (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater FL, Aug 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. [1410, Pittsburgh] KQV has been common here in IL this summer after previously being very rare. I think their pattern is out of whack and that they may be running just one stick omni. Perhaps they have a variance? 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, Aug 16, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. 1480, Aug 11 at 0640 UT, S Asian vocal music, It`s KBXD Dallas, which newsmark reported to radioinsight (via Artie Bigley) had reactivated Aug 8 with this new stunting format, ex-C&W music; had been off the air for about a sesquimonth. Now dominating frequency, no way I could listen to KQAM Wichita if I wanted to, so KBXD on 50 kW day power? 0700 UT ToH canned ID as ``This is KBXD, 1480, Dallas``, same slightly Spanish(?) accent as was heard before the latest music flip. 1480, Aug 12 at 0029 UT, S Asian songs as KBXD Dallas is already propagating, atop/mixing with KQAM et al. It`s still an hour before our sunset at 0126 UT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1579.58, Aug 12 0036 UT, off-frequency carrier is hetting KOKB 1580.0. Tnx to Terry Krueger in FL and Tim Tromp in MI, this was already IDed Aug 9 as WVOK, Oxford AL, 2500/22 watts U1. Official FCC sunset is 0030 UT in August (2345 UT in Sept), and the other guys were hearing it definitely at night, so also running day power? Still not enough to detect anything but the carrier here under KOKB. One way to pinpoint the frequency indirectly: note the pitch of the het when tuned to 1580 in AM. Then with BFO, tune down until hearing the same pitch as reverse het from 1580, and read the readout. Oxford ``1580`` has been WVOK since Sept. 3, 2002, but I remember when a much bigger station was WVOK: 50 kW 690 in Birmingham until 1992 (now WJOX). [and non]. 1579.58, Aug 13 at 0054 UT, off-frequency carrier from WVOK Oxford AL is easily audible hetting 1580.0, but nearby KOKB Blackwell seems to have gone off early in the past semihour, facilitating WVOK monitoring vs weaker 1580 signals. With narrow bandwidth, LSB and passband tuning I am able to pull a little audio, talk until 0100 UT music, but no ID copied. Just in case, I confirm this is not // 1390 KCRC, a spur-producer, nor remnant of KOKB, not // 105.1 KOSB. Splash from 1570 XERF is really a bigger problem: one of their frequent trans-frontera missing-person notices at 0101 UT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1590 WRXB status --- I called their office number yesterday. The receptionist answered on the second ring. I asked if they are still on the air. She: "Of course we are!" Me: "I can't hear you." She: "Where are you?" Me: "Largo -- you're 5000 watts daytime, there's no reason not to be able to hear you." She: "Uh... we're having technical issues. Keep listening, we'll have it fixed any day. God bless, bye." Recall that I had them for a fleeting moment on I-275 close to the transmitter when traveling to south Florida a few weeks ago. My guess is they are running anywhere from a dummy load to a watt or two, or simply not on the air at all and the receptionist is told to lie. I'm confident there's nothing, or not enough of anything here, to be producing spurious blobs like the old days. At least until/if they get the transmitter fixed so it can blow up again. Old radio boards state their primary blew up, and almost immediately after firing up the back-up, it too fried. And look at the translator status in the FCC dB. Licensed and silent. Callsign: W243AK Status: LICENSED AND SILENT Facility ID: 83547 Community of License: BRADENTON, FL Service: FX Fac Type: FT Licensee: POLNET COMMUNICATIONS, LTD. City: CHICAGO IL Facility Status Date:02/15/2016 Expiration: 02/01/2020 **************************************** Florida Low Power Radio Stations: https://sites.google.com/site/floridadxn/florida-low-power-radio-stations (Terry Krueger, Clearwater, Aug 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1680, Aug 17 at 0200 UT, KRJO Monroe LA with ID as ``99.7 FM KRJO, Monroe, My FM`` ! No ID for 1680, and wrong call for 99.7 which is 250-watt translator K259CU, wagging this dog. Owners who degrade their AM stations this way should have their licenses revoked (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. TACOMA-BASED PUBLIC RADIO KPLU WILL BE CALLED KNKX http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WA_KPLU_NEW_LETTERS_WAOL-?SITE=RIPRJ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-08-15-11-09-05 (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** VANUATU. 3944.2, R. Vanuatu (presumed). Sunday, Aug 14, as usual on the weekend, I checked this frequency to see if I can hear the normal open carrier of RV that they leave on after usually ending their audio programming about 1015* or so. On the weekend Japan ("RN2") signs off at 0900*, leaving the frequency clear for RV. Very surprised today when I tuned in at 1232 and heard definite audio; YL announcer playing EZL music till 1300, when most likely news till 1311. Later checked at 1342 and had possible religious program and religious music(?), but too weak to be sure; 1401-1407 seemed to be news again. The whole time was not strong enough to make out the language, but assume is RV based upon unique frequency and clearly I was not hearing Japan. Extremely rare that I hear audio here during this time period! My local sunrise was at 1325 UT (Ron Howard, Calif., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Something new is happening with Radio Vanuatu. Seems like a new schedule is now in place. Aug 15, on 7260, heard them long after they recently had been ending their normal programs, with audio stopping at about 1015. Second day of their new extended schedule. Today from 1326 to 1329, with C&W type songs; faint, but clear ID for "Radio Vanuatu" at 1331. Brief audio clip - https://goo.gl/kv1LBh 1335 to past 1400 seemed like an OM being interviewed by YL, with him speaking at length; poor, but positive is RV; QRM from China (PBS Xinjiang). Still needs more monitoring to confirm just what the new schedule is (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks to Mauno Ritola for his input via WRTH Facebook. Ron "Yes, both fqs heard also today [Aug 16] at 1200 via Brisbane remote rx." Thanks to Mauno (WRTH Facebook) for this follow up: "... and still going on at 1450, on both fq's. Is there some bad weather situation?" http://goo.gl/VbhLXn shows no unusual weather activity for Vanuatu. The programming I have heard recently seemed to just be their normal programming (non- cyclone/tropical storm weather warnings), which is why it seems to me to be an actual schedule change (Ron Howard, ibid.) 7260-, Aug 17 at 1301, JBA carrier definitely on the lo side beating against another one, and with LSB QRhaM. R. Vanuatu is always reported off-frequency like this, and Ron Howard says its programming has been extended lately. 3945 also has a JBA carrier at 1303, but this is probably Japan on a weekday (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7260, R. Vanuatu (presumed), 1237-1302, Aug 17. Looks like their extended broadcasting of programming is continuing; non-stop EZL pop hit songs in English ("All by Myself" by Eric Carmen, Phil Collins with "One More Night," etc.); mixing with China (Ron Howard, Calif., dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [and non]. 6070, Monday August 15 at 0547, VR is back on here, with Gregorian chant atop CFRX during what was the Latin mass broadcast; very poor on 7250 and JBA carrier on 3975. Latest schedule change was for this to be active only on Sundays and Holy Days. I assume this is the latter, Assumption. 24+ hours later, Aug 16 at 0553, VR is off 6070 again, CFRX unscathed (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA [non]. CDXA special imminent --- If there is no mixup about UT days this time, the CDXA anniversary special (in Spanish) should be appearing on WRMI 7730 Friday evening = UT Saturday at 0000, and again Sunday evening = UT Monday at 0000 (Glenn Hauser, 2306 UT Aug 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks, Glenn, for the reminder! Surprisingly, reception is pretty good even on the west coast where it's only 5:00 PM, many hours away from our LSS. All in Spanish, of course. Mentions of Europa and Americas. English at 0002 with greetings. QSL information and WRMI mentions. Huge global audience, etc. All this on 7730. What's the beam again? Nice English ID for Ecos del Torbes (oldie, as they mention the 60 m band). At 0006 UT. 73 (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria BC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7730, Ecos del Torbes (via WRMI), 0001-0015 13 August. Thanks to the info in SWB #1855, I got to enjoy EdT's special anniversary broadcast with cooperation from "América en Antena". Station history, AM/SW IDs ("su emisora predilecta"), eQSL info (in English briefly as well as Spanish) and a very nice singing jingle at 0003 (Dan Sheedy, Encinitas, CA, PL380/6m X wire [v.2.0]), Aug 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7730, UT Sat Aug 13 at 0000, the WRMI-13 transmitter at 285 degrees with special booking `América en Antena`, provided by the Club Diexistas de la Amistad, VG signal. It`s all about the history of Ecos del Torbes, emblematic tropical/SW station which as I recall was one of the last if not the very last YV station to quit shortwave, 4980 and 9660 (other than Radio Nacional). It seems that August 9 was Ecos del Torbes` birthday in 1947. The show also marks the 26th anniversary of América en Antena, and the 40th of the C.DX.A. So 2017 will be an ``even`` 70th anniversary of the station. Mainly in Spanish, but introduction includes some English at 0002; Ecos del Torbes IDs in Spanish, English (mispronouncing Táchira), and even French. First part about EDT has annoying vocal music in the background, later a Sousa march, more tolerable. I know mixing music with talk is considered to be professional radio produxion, but I respect music too much to treat it that way (exception of course: the WOR theme & billboard). These days EDT is on MW 780 (only), but some of the IDs in the program mentioned both SW and internet, which I thought did not overlap chronologically; see http://ecosdeltorbes.net And its history page: http://ecosdeltorbes.net/2015/12/04/historia/ which says its original SW frequency was 3550 (before my time!). Does not mention 4980 or when that was closed. There are several other AM & FM stations in the group. I believe 3550 was mentioned on the program, which may well have been based on this website. Outro gives contact info, offers special QSL and concludes with singing ID. Then at 0030, WRMI goes right into its beepy radiogrammy special to impress the HFCCers. Another final repeat of the Torbes show is scheduled 48 hours later, UT Monday Aug 15 at 0000 on 7730. What is Torbes, anyway, and why does it echo? Torbes is a short 82-km river upon whose left bank is established San Cristóbal in Táchira state. {otherwise unexplained masculine place-names in Spanish are likely to derive from an understood ``rio``, or ``departamento``, ``estado``, etc.} The Friendly DX Club alludes to being inclusive with neighboring Colombia, long before the hostile MaduroChávez regime and the current economic crisis in Venezuela. I`m pleased to hear news just today that an agreement at the presidential level has been reached with Colombia to facilitate border crossings, as desperate droves of Venezuelans seek to shop in Colombia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) There was no day mix-up for the scheduled 2100 UT broadcast on 15770 kHz yesterday, but there was a time mix-up instead! The broadcast started at 2130 UT rather than 2100. Excellent reception here in New Brunswick as it should be as the 44 beam directed at Europe is also directed at New Brunswick. Will archive the recording later. Also recorded the 0000 broadcast on 7730 kHz but reception was not quite as good. The antenna beam for that frequency is 285 , favouring central and western North America. I fondly recall listening to Ecos del Torbes on 4980 kHz in the 80's and 90's. Always had a strong signal into New Brunswick. Back then UNB had a strong research connection with Venezuela as we were using GPS among other techniques to monitor subsidence due to oil extraction in and around Lake Maracaibo. We had several Venezuelan grad students and they enjoyed listening to Ecos del Torbes when we had student nights at our house. Back then, there was no Internet streaming of radio stations so it was shortwave or nothing. When did Ecos del Torbes quit shortwave? (Richard Langley, Sat Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) Ecos del Torbes left shortwave in March 2003. Since then they are only audible on mediumwave 780 kHz via a transmitter located in San Cristóbal, capital of Táchira state, in the south-west of Venezuela not far away from the border with Colombia. 73, (Manfred Reiff, ibid.) Archived here: https://archive.org/details/AmericaEnAntenaEcosDelTorbesSpecialViaWRMI15.770MHz12August20162130UTC and here: http://shortwavearchive.com/archive/international-day-ecos-del-torbes-via-wrmi-august-12-2016 (Richard Langley, NB, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [non]. 12005, Aug 12 at *0100:08, S6-S8 carrier on from Woofferton UK, 4 notes of music amid dead air, fade-up sign-on of ``Voice of Vietnam, from Hanoi, capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam``, 0101 more dead air, 0101:30 a bit of talk, more dead air; 0102 finally join news in English already in progress, and this time keeps modulating. So nothing has changed! Despite the VOV schedule which was circulating showing 6175 had replaced 12005 and times changed from 0100 & 0230 to 0000 & 0100 via WHRI. I already explained why those two broadcasts would not be WHRI if and when implemented, but absolutely nothing was on 6175 at 0000 or 0100 August 12. Anyhow, tonight was a good one for propagation from Woofferton on 12005 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12005, UNITED KINGDOM. VOV-Woofferton, at 0105, on 13 Aug, in English. A female announcer is talking about news of Vietnam’s Human Rights advances followed by news about bombings in Thailand which was another lead story. Talk about South Korean’s concerns with NK ballistic missile launches was presented. A VOV Station ID was given by a new female speaker. The audio keeps cutting out on this station for about 20 seconds every 2-3 minutes. Good (John Cooper, PA, ODXA YRX via DXLD) 12005, Aug 15 at 0118, VOV is still here with English to N America via Woofferton, S9+20, and nothing on 6175, contrary to the false-alarm schedule last week. Has everyone who published that now corrected it? Running voice-over translation of something, the underspeaker being nothing but QRM. Especially on SW, stations should fade the original language completely down once it`s established (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Glenn this a comment from VOV Staff: ``Dear Mr. Richard Lemke, Thank you for your question about the frequency list. Due to some listeners' feedback stating that they cannot hear our programs, we have adjusted the frequency list. The adjustments start from August 2016. So we have sent you the "August 2016" or the "Summer updated" frequency list, which are exactly the same thing. We hope to receive feedback on the signal quality from you. In the future, if there is a winter frequency list or any further adjustment on the current one, we will surely let you know through email and letter. Thank you for your cooperation! Best regards, VOV Staff`` Still hearing VOV on 12005 at 0100 UT yesterday with the Sunday Show, nothing at 0230 UT, dead signal August 15 UT but very weak, checked later then gave up. Received yesterday e-mail. Best regards, (Richard Lemke, August 15, 2016, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ??? VOV staff obviously don`t know what they are talking about. Still on 12005, not 6175. They could turn on a receiver (remote probably necessary) and verify for themselves what is really happening, but Commie masters may not allow them to, and/or they simply don`t care or don`t know how, as is the case with far too many people working at `shortwave` stations (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [and non]. Discussion of the Russian-language shortwave broadcasts --- On September 1, 2016 Radio "Voice of Vietnam" will suspend broadcasting on frequency 9890 kHz from 1900 to 1930 hours and on frequencies 7280 kHz and 9730 from 2000 to 2030 hours GMT. We apologize for the inconvenience. I'll meet you again after a specified time or on our official website: http://vovworld.vn/ Yesterday passed the news on the air http://dxing.ru/forum.html?func=view&catid=32&id=15147&limit=8&start=96#35342 Thus, the broadcasting station cuts in Russian shortwave 40 percent. Schedule after the broadcast cuts: 1130-1157 UT (Far East) 7220, 9550 kHz 1230-1257 UT (Far East) 7220, 9550 kHz 1630-1657 UT (on Europe) 7280, 9730 kHz Schedule a site station for the summer period. Some schedules online frequency 9550 kHz is changed to 12000 kHz, therefore necessary to check the air (editor Anatoly Klepov, RusDX Aug 14 via DXLD) ** YEMEN [non]. 11860, Aug 12 at 1422, Rep. of Yemen Radio, Sana`a reception is improving, now S9 to S9+10 during triumphal, chanting music; presumed via SAUDI ARABIA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Greetings from Nevada! Conditions here have been fair with the Solar Flux staying in the low-mid 90s and the Geomagnetic Field oscillating from active to quiet. This morning (~1300) the 25m band was dead save for RHC coming in strong in spanish on 11760 kHz. But about an hour later (after BBC Thailand signed off on 5875 kHz at 1400z) I returned to the 25m band where I usually tune up on 11860kHz, just in case I could hear Rep. Yemen Radio Sanaa and this morning I did! At first a faint, noisy carrier just above the noise floor with little hints of modulation from time to time and by 1424z I could hear middle eastern music with a male microtonally singing (sounded better in headphones, but speaker recordings linked in log). I spot checked again ~1520z and the signal was weaker again with barely discernible modulation only occasionally. Heard here over the last several days: Rep. Yemen Radio Sanaa (Saudi Arabia Relay?) 11860, 1410 12 AUG - in ARABIC from RIYADH. SINPO = 15111. ?Arabic?, male? announcer, music. QSB = rapid-to-ff rate, only occasionally discernible traces of modulation on noisy carrier (zero beat right on frequency in SSB mode). 1424z music with microtonal male vocals was heard. Signal seemed to improve over time. sf93.0, a9, k2, geomag: quiet. 50kw?, Omni?, bearing 17 ?. Sangean ATS505 w/MFJ-1020C active antenna and MFJ-901B tuner used to preselect Magic Wand Antenna hanging indoors on west wall. Received at Las Vegas, United States, 13039KM? from transmitter at Riyadh?. Local time: 0710. Videos of speaker output (Better one first): https://youtu.be/wDH5ykaI5RM https://youtu.be/RsOJOLQGSSg (Rodney Johnson, NV, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Fair signal of Republic of Yemen Radio, Aug 13 0600-0900 on 11860 JED 050 kW / non-dir to N/ME Arabic http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/fair-signal-of-republic-of-yemen-radio.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) Country??? Rep. Of Yemen Radio / Sana'a, 11860, Location??? Aug 14, 2016 Sunday. 1835-1842. Arabic talk by OM and YL. Sounds like Sana'a is making a comeback now our southern hemisphere winter is on the way out and summer approaching. Reasonable signal but lots of atmospheric QRN. Jo'burg sunset 1548 (Bill Bingham, Johannesburg RSA. Drake R8E, Sony ICF2001D, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 5050-DSB, Aug 15 at 0533, almost continuous talk in Spanish, very weak, almost like a broadcast but not // 5025 Rebelde (nor 5040 RHC which is in English now). Strange thing is, I hear it on both USB and LSB but no carrier. I suppose it`s a utility 2-way. No LA broadcasters known on 5050 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. EGYPT, station with Egyptian music on air, Aug 13 1010-1025 on 9400 unknown transmitter site, fair signal today: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.bg/2016/08/unidentified-station-with-egyptian_13.html 73! (Ivo Ivanov, Sofia, Bulgaria, Equipment: Sony ICF-2001D 30 m. long wire, Web: http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/ Aug 13, dxldyg via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. I had a station on 9770 kHz at 0858 UT on August 15, 2016 with a fairly strong steady signal today playing back to back contemporary sounding music. It faded out right near top of hour, one song starts, quickly stops and another one starts. No liners or station ID. Nothing was scheduled at the time. The closest, schedule- wise, was KBS World Radio but they don't play back to back music like this. It sounded like it could've also been CRI but they would've had to be WAY off schedule. Here is a recording of what I heard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaP0cP3CYn4 (Paul Walker, Galena, Alaska, Tecsun PL880, 225 foot long wire and EmTech ZM2 Antenna Tuner NASWA yg via DXLD) Paul, I wonder if this is another one of those mysterious tests conducts by Babcock that appears on the shortwave bands from time-to- time? 73, (Rich D`Angelo, ibid.) I don't think so, Babcock usually tests SW from wooferton [sic] and this was way too strong, plus Babcock only plays music that's in the public domain (Paul Walker, ibid.) It's Woofferton, not 'wooferton'. If Babcock wants to test equipment at, or a transmission path from, Woofferton, they will test from Woofferton. If they want to test equipment at, or a transmission path from another site, they will use the other site. df (Dan Ferguson, ibid.) Hey Dan, I imagine they will. Just a heads up, on spelling. Auto Spell on my I-pad shows Woofferton as a mistake when I type it in, and auto corrects to Wooferton. Like Babcock, it does it because it can, unless I override it. Normally for me on such a short message I don't check it, I just let it ride, because I know you know what I was getting at as do most folk anyway. Catch my drift? (John Cooper, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 10050-USB, Aug 17 at 0543, 2-way in unknown language is QRMing 10051-USB New York Radio VOLMET. Pirate? Unlikely so close a frequency would be allocated for aero comms (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Masssive splatter 14075-14100 --- A distorted voice in (SSB splatter) awful noise, S9+ is this some broadcast station gone wrong? 0905Z Sunday (Lou, VK5EEE, Aug 14, intruderalert mailing list of IARU via Wolfgang Büschel, via Tim Bucknall, harmonics yg via DXLD) In Brisbane an OTHR and accompanied flank signal heard and visible in remote SDR unit in range 14070 to 14285 kHz (China? origin?) wb df5sx, (Wolfgang Büschel, 1021 UT Aug 14, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 15810, 1446 to 1501. No ID, SINFO=2,5,2,4,2, one man preached while another played a piano, not found on the Internet or in the WRTH, the 1000A and 687’ horizontal array. 7/24 (John Davis: Our listening post is located northeast of Columbus, Ohio in the USA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) How could you tell the pianist was a man? (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 17505-17510-17515-DRM, Aug 13 at 1933, DRM noise at S5. Nothing in any of the schedules to explain this, and no hits ever on 17510 in the virtually dormant drmna yg or the DRM Software Forum. Nor is anything even on the DRM Consortium`s own sked: http://www.drm.org/?page_id=151 when configured to show all entries, and sorted by frequency: but many of the entries (e.g. NZ) are obviously outdated. Nor is any other broadcast mode scheduled on these frequencies at this hour. Perhaps some secret test leading up to HFCC B-16 conference in Zika- threatened Miami, Aug 22-26; details: http://hfcc.org/B16/ and partly restricted to members only: http://www.hfcc.miami/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. NTSC channel A2, 55.25 MHz video, Aug 14 at 1551 UT, sporadic E propagates some signs of video, in and out for some time but never quite enough to lock in; another peak at 1721. 6-meter DX map indicates Ontario more likely than Cuba this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACKNOWLEDGED ON WORLD OF RADIO 1839: Glenn: Here's a few bucks to help pay the electric bill. Though I haven't been seriously active since Germany was two countries and Yugoslavia one, I do follow the hobby a bit. Take care and best regards, The person formerly known as Kap (John Kapinos, with a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com) One may also contributed by check or MO in US funds on a US bank to World of Radio, P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702 TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED FUTURELY: Tnx to Chuck Ermatinger for a contribution via PayPal to woradio at yahoo.com Hope mid-August is treating you well & thanks for all the DXLD expertise (Dan Sheedy, Moonlight Beach & Encinitas CA) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ MW-LIST - SUCHFUNKTION Für alle Mittelwellenspezialisten gibt es jetzt eine schöne neue Suchfunktion bei der MW-List: Es lassen sich so für jede Frequenz die "Offsets" der einzelnen Stationen aus der umfangreichen und aktuellen MW-List anzeigen. Danke an Günter Lorenz für die Umsetzung! Beispiel: http://www.mwlist.org/mwoffset.php?khz=1190 (73 Christoph Ratzer via A-DX via SW Bulletin Aug 14 via DXLD) NEIL FRENCH BLAKE: FROM RADIO 210 TO PSYOP RADIO TO THE FALKLANDS AND CAMBODIA Neil French Blake is a former BBC producer and journalist who launched and was Managing Director of Radio 210 broadcasting to the Thames Valley, first station Mike Read and Steve Wright worked at. He was also involved in psychological warfare radio stations broadcasting to Aden, Afghanistan and managed ones to the Falkland Islands and Cambodia. The Kindle book The Pol Pot Conspiracy, a work of fiction but solidly based on autobiographical fact, covers in one of its chapters his work on Radio Atlantico del Sur, run during the Falklands War using requisitioned BBC transmitters on Ascension and aimed at Argentinian conscripts and for the majority of the book Voice of the Khmer, on the air from 1985 to 1992, and operated by members of the two non- communist factions who were in alliance with the Khmer Rouge and opposing the government set up following the Russian backed Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978. Radio Atlántico del Sur met opposition in Whitehall, particularly from the Foreign Office and from Douglas Muggeridge at the BBC World Service, though behind the scenes, he says the BBC could not have been more co-operative. This resulted in stories fed to the press about amateur broadcasters speaking the wrong kind of Spanish which Neil asserts are not true. Voice of the Khmer received covert funding from the CIA, some of which was siphoned off by the corrupt Thai military. It was received worldwide on 6325. Transmitters were in Thailand or just over the Thai-Cambodian border in areas not controlled by the Vietnamese. Details of the background to the book from Professor Stuart Purvis and link to it on Amazon below. It's long and perhaps overly detailed in parts but written in a very readable style. ONE MAN’S JOURNEY FROM THE BBC AND RADIO 210 BERKSHIRE TO MI6, THE CIA AND POL POT, Professor Stuart Purvis https://profpurvis.com/2015/07/27/one-mans-journey-from-the-bbc-and-radio-210-berkshire-to-mi6the-cia-and-pol-pot/ Radio Atlántico del Sur, summary of programmes May 20 1982 https://www.psywar.org/content/rads02 Radio Atlántico del Sur, Programming, Interim Assessment https://www.psywar.org/content/radsplanning Posted by: (Mike Barraclough, Aug 17, dxldyg via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES HFCC B-16: see UNIDENTIFIED 17505- above +++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ Public holiday 15 August - Guinea & Equatorial Guinea There's a public holiday tomorrow in Guinea Republic, Equatorial Guinea and many other countries, so expect unusual radio behaviour. here's a handy guide to public and national holidays worldwide, listed by country or date: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/ (David Kernick, Interval Signals Online, Aug 14, dxldyg via DXLD) MUSEA +++++ BBC World Service Christmas tape 1960's - Transdiffusion on Soundcloud "From the 1960s comes a Bush House Christmas tape of off-cuts, outtakes and re-edits." https://soundcloud.com/transdiffusion/bbc-world-service-christmas-tape-1960s Posted by: (Mike Barraclough, Aug 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DRM See USA WRMI; UNIDENTIFIED 17505- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DIGITAL BROADCASTING --- DTV See MEXICO; PROPAGATION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ MARCONI: THE MAN WHO NETWORKED THE WORLD Here’s an interesting segment heard recently on ABC Radio National’s and Radio Australia's “Late Night Live”: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/marconi:-the-man-who-networked-the-world/7720368 "Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World" is a new biography of Guglielmo Marconi: Nobel Laureate, entrepreneur, inventor and Fascist. Marconi, the inventor of wireless technology was constantly self inventing and reinventing his life story. One thing is certain, Marconi helped create our modern world of communications and media (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY (USA), dxldyg via DX LISTTENING DIGEST) NEMA LIGHTING MEMBERS CALL FOR U.S. NOISE STUDY by Susan Ashworth on 08.15.2016 http://www.radioworld.com/article/nema-calls-for-us-noise-study/279425 Text has been updated to clarify that the comments were submitted on behalf of NEMA Lighting Systems division member companies, not necessarily those that make electric motors or other industrial products. NEMA included diagrams such as this one detailing natural and man-made noise emissions. This is from a 2003 study “Man Made Noise Measurement Program” published through Ofcom, the communications regulations agency for the United Kingdom. U.S. broadcasters often complain about noise on the dial from lighting fixtures, electric motors, and various consumer and industrial products. But what do people who make some of those devices say? Lighting system member companies of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association don’t think the noise issue is so clear-cut. They want to see a careful study of the question. NEMA represents about 400 electrical and medical imaging manufacturers, including members that make industrial lighting systems. It filed comments to the Federal Communications Commission advisory group in the technical inquiry about spectrum noise that we’ve been telling you about. Its position can be summarized in its opening paragraph: “Is there a noise problem? This is a controversial question.” The association acknowledged that the level of man-made noise from consumer electronics is unprecedented. Yet it also said interference is a regular design consideration for manufacturers, and that digital electronic devices use less energy and tend to be covered under federal EMI regulation as digital devices. “The digitalization of consumer electronics, the transformation of the TV broadcasting from analog to digital, and United Sates Department of Energy minimum energy conservation standards imposing significantly lower power consumption limits on consumer electronic goods may have resulted in lower man-made noise levels for some products,” it told the advisory group. “This seems supported by … findings from several researchers indicating that consumer electrical environment noise has been reduced.” It pointed to a 2001 report published by the United States Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, reporting a decreased noise floor level in residential environments and no change in the noise floor level for the commercial environment over 25 years. It analyzed man-made noise power measurements at VHF and UHF frequencies. NEMA also said questions about interference and proximity can be hard to answer because of the many possible scenarios. A consumer might place a small TV set on the top of a microwave oven and experience harmful interference, “but the problem may be quickly solved by placing the TV set a few feet away from the microwave oven, rather than through more stringent emissions standards. Similarly, AM radio reception will always have additional noise for a consumer living close to a power distribution line.” Further, older reports often referenced interference from analog TV services that don’t exist anymore. And some studies are from outside the United States, where electrical and construction codes differ, so it’s unclear how findings may relate to the U.S. electromagnetic environment. But, NEMA continued, “We cannot ignore concerns from other professional interest groups. Whereas average noise figures describes noise present at least half of the time in half of the examined locations, it is unclear if this figure addresses the concerns of a specific location and a specific time of day. Additionally, digital consumer electronic devices produce limited emissions; thus frequencies that were silent in the 1960s or 1970s may not be silent anymore.” It feels that because data are contradictory and there’s a lack of relevant U.S.-based research, “It is important that a research study be implemented to identify if a noise floor increase has occurred and, if so, what the magnitude is for different environments and frequency ranges.” The association said the frequencies of most interest are probably 450 kHz to 1 GHz to start, but that the FCC should extend the survey up to 1 THz to “include all modern communications.” It also laid out thoughts on whether to rely on traditional metrics such as White Gaussian Noise (WGN) and Impulsive Noise (IN). What does NEMA think about the possibility of stricter emission standards for products? Its filing didn’t explore that, but the opinion of its members might be guessed from another answer. If incidental radiators are indeed found to be a concern, NEMA wrote, government can contribute through research to understand the phenomena and address specific industry sector concerns. “Industry and civil society could engage in training and education for consumers to better understand what man-made noise is, how specific consumer devices mitigate noise, and to further spread best installation practices concurrent with the National Electrical Code.” Broadcasters though would likely be unsatisfied with more research and consumer education alone. The National Association of Broadcasters wants the commission at least to conduct a “comprehensive review” of current limits, to set emission limits for devices operating on the AM band and to clarify the kinds of good engineering practices that should be followed by makers of electronics that cause so much noise. NAB said failure to take aggressive action “risks devaluing licensed spectrum and drowning licensed users in a sea of noise.” (via Dennis Gibson, IRCA via DXLD) Makes one wonder what kind of mushrooms these people have been eating! (John Sampson, ibid.) A GIFT FOR MUSIC LOVERS WHO HAVE IT ALL --- A PERSONAL UTILITY POLE From a mention by AA7JV on the Topband list, there is a recent Wall Street Journal article on a Japanese audiophile who installed his own separate utility service to get away from electrical noise from the neighbors. The article is paywalled http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-gift-for-music-lovers-who-have-it-all-a-personal-utility-pole-1471189463 but there is a precis here: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/audiophiles-in-japan-are-installing-their-own-power-poles-to-improve-sound.578080/ along with suitable eye-rolling comments. Best wishes, (Nick Hall- Patch, BC, IRCA via DXLD) Sad to say but AM is done. Lots of stations are still in the FCC database, but are all shut down. No one wants to listen to the noisy AM band. The noise on some things is so bad that it even gets into FM. The FCC does not care about spectral pollution because large corporations that make electronic devices have made enough political contributions to election campaigns that they get their way. This is not political towards any party, it just is what it is (Kevin Redding, Crump, TN, ABDX via DXLD) I have to agree with you Kevin. I'm a Child of Radio, a 53 year old child of radio. Any more so and I would have been born in a radio station. It pains me, but AM is dead. Its not AM's fault. Unregulated noise, receiver manufacturers who far too long gave us 3 KHz audio, and greedy broadcasters who put cost cutting before public service, revenues and large audiences. There are a few exceptions out there for sure, but they are few and far between. The AM band is almost completely shut down in Canada, and now the hideous dragon of RFI is chomping into the FM band as well. Most people just don't care. They listen to low-fi digital audio beset with digital artifacts on their mobile devices. My rant for the night. (Phil Rafuse, VY2PR, Stratford PE Canada, ibid.) FCC ADVISORS TACKLE NOISE FLOOR ISSUES http://www.radioworld.com/article/fcc-advisors-tackle-noise-floor-issues/279077 STAKEHOLDERS WEIGH IN ON RADIO SPECTRUM NOISE http://www.radioworld.com/article/stakeholders-weigh-in-on-radio-spectrum-noise/279435 Sent from my iPhone (Dennis Gibson, Aug 16, IRCA via DXLD) The FCC does have a proceeding open gathering information about electrical noise and the interference it causes. I'm sure they'll collect plenty of data. I will be ASTONISHED if they do anything about it (Doug Smith, W9WI, WTFDA Forum via DXLD) It's like anything else in government right now. You have complaints that the IRS has terrible customer service, and then Republicans slash its budget, making customer service worse, etc. In my part of the building at the FCC, we desperately need another RF safety person, but there's no money to hire new people to replace the ones who leave as the Republicans have slashed our budget, and so inquiries about potential RF safety problems are handled by the one guy we do have as best he can. Huzzah, the beast is starving! It's what everyone wanted, right? (Note the sarcasm.) Enforcing standards on a disparate batch of equipment covering all manner of objects, many of which come from overseas and can't be fined by the FCC, is much harder and more expensive than handing out FM translator licenses. Without money and direction from Congress, the FCC will do its best, but it may not amount to much (Trip Ericson, Come visit RabbitEars for all your digital TV subchannel informational needs. http://www.rabbitears.info/ ibid.) I do have a definite partisan preference but I really don't think this one is a right-vs.-left issue. We've had four decades to clear this up. Each party has had control for enough of that 40 years that they could have done something if they wanted to. Broadcasting is small potatoes. In 2014 the total revenue of all broadcasting companies was about 1/3 that of a single retail firm. (Wal-Mart) No FCC is going to impose expenses on Wal-Mart to protect a company less than 10% its size. Imagine the ads: "The FCC wants to drive up your electric bill to subsidize big radio. Fight back. Call 1-800-NOP-ART15 NOW!" (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, http://www.w9wi.com ibid.) It's only a hobby anyway. I made a point on the FMTVDXLog the other day about how I am surprised that ANY kind of radio is expanding, given the fact that the young'uns today download all their favorite music/programs --- and I was corrected ("downloading is SOOOO 2013!") to where streaming is the big thing now. Radio is still important as to weather alerts, latest news / traffic / sports / preaching / teaching, etc. But MUSIC on radio in 2016? With all the alternatives out there? Blows my mind. I'd think the number of radio stations to go down, not up. Add HD to the mix, and you got me! cd (Chris Dunne, Pembroke Pines FL, ibid.) Christopher, I agree totally with you. I was just thinking the same thing before I read your response. Why the heck is the FM broadcast band becoming so cluttered anyways? We have so many other sources of music and information than we've ever had before... endless internet options and satellite radio, yet FM just keeps getting more and more clogged than it was 30 years ago before we even had these alternative options. It's no wonder many radio stations are doing poorly... there are too many options and not enough listeners. I can't imagine that many of these new FM LPs even have many listeners (Andrew, Crazy Monkey, Akron OH, My TV and FM DX Photos from Akron, Ohio... https://www.flickr.com/photos/133179000@N04/albums ibid.) THE U.S. AIR FORCE WANTS TO DETONATE PLASMA BOMBS IN THE SKY By Kelly Hodgkins — August 12, 2016 3:43 AM http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/air-force-plasma-bomb-radio-communications/ The Air Force will use tiny cube satellites to detonate plasma bombs, releasing ions into the ionosphere. Radio communication is a weak point for most military operations — it is often not long enough or strong enough to adequately meet soldiers’ needs. The U.S. Air Force’s “go big or go home” solution to improve their long-distance calls? Supercharge the atmosphere by detonating aerial plasma bombs attached to tiny satellites, reports New Scientist. The Air Force is asking for help in developing plasma bombs, which would be delivered to the atmosphere by tiny cube satellites and then detonated to release ions upon arrival. The Air Force is working with several research teams, each of which is tasked with coming up with their own design for the plasma bombs. The first stage of the project is theoretical, requiring researchers to come up with an atmospheric plasma delivery method. Selected researchers then will be invited to test their proposal in a vacuum chamber simulator and eventually on exploratory flights. One team, comprised of researchers from Drexel University and General Sciences, is developing a controlled bomb that uses a chemical reaction to heat a piece of metal beyond its boiling point. Once vaporized, the metal will react with atmospheric oxygen to create the ionized plasma. Another proposal under development by researchers from the University of Maryland and Enig Associates also uses vaporized metals to supercharge the atmosphere. This proposal is much more explosive, though, using mini-detonations to heat pieces of metal rapidly, causing them to vaporize. The amount of plasma produced in this latter reaction can be controlled by changing the intensity and form of the explosion. Related: The FCC is trying to figure out how much trouble unwanted radio waves really cause Though using plasma bombs may be unconventional and even controversial, the science behind the Air Force’s plan is sound. By releasing plasma bombs into the atmosphere, the Air Force would increase the quantity of ions in the layer of the atmosphere known as the ionosphere, which starts at an altitude of approximately 60 kilometers. Radio waves interact with this layer when they travel, so modifying it can have a significant effect on radio communications. Radio signals released by a ground source travel upward until they hit the ionosphere and bounce back to earth in a zigzag pattern. Radio waves that bounce between the ionosphere and ground are able to travel longer distances. This bounce-back effect is influenced by the number of ions in the ionosphere. By using plasma bombs to increase the number of charged particles in the atmosphere, the Air Force expects to improve this bounce-back effect and boost communications. As a side effect, the Air Force also notes that this dense ion layer also will neutralize incoming solar storms, protecting sensitive networks such as GPS from disruption. The idea of artificially ionizing the atmosphere to improve radio communications is nothing new and is already being used in Alaska. The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program uses ground-based antennas to bombard the ionosphere with radiation. This radiation produces radio-reflecting plasma that, in turn, improves radio communication. The plasma bomb idea builds upon the HFAARP program by modifying the ionosphere directly instead of relying on ground-based technology. Despite its promise, though, it is not known whether these plasma bombs will be powerful enough to make any significant changes in atmospheric ionization. Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/air-force-plasma-bomb-radio-communications (via George Thurman, WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) Same story widely reported: search on exact headline (gh) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ LOGGING QUESTION: TROPO VS. GROUNDWAVE I’m curious about how other TV/FM DX’ers keep their logs when it comes to the reception of stations via “enhanced ground wave vs. tropospheric propagation.” In my log, I classify stations that are receivable most of the time under “dead band” conditions as locals—and log the propagation mode as “GW” for ground wave. Stations that are logged under unusual or enhanced conditions that is obviously not Sporadic E or Meteor Scatter are logged as “tropo.” The gray area comes with stations that are receivable often (several times a month) during the enhanced conditions that are generally experienced early in the morning just before or after dawn. Lacking the scientific name, I call these conditions—“enhanced ground wave.” Some of these loggings can be quite distant, 160-200 miles. Should this be logged as “Tropo” or “GW?” When does ground wave stop being ground wave and become tropo? Is there some sort of agree-upon standard for these things? 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, 121 Mayfair Park, Maylene, AL EM63nf, Member WTFDA, IRCA, NRC. Former CPC Chairman for NRC & IRCA. Elad FDM-S2 SDR, AirSpy SDR, Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop, Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active Whip, Aug 12, WTFDA gg via DXLD) I tried separating GW from TR (and even had GW/TR for a while), but gave up and lumped it all into TR - tropospheric. I did this after noticing that even low power 30 mile-away stations could be enhanced. It's also had to tell the difference between TrS [tropo scatter] and GW (Bill Hepburn, Ont., ibid.) Hi Les, Ground wave isn't a propagation mode on VHF/UHF like it is on the broadcast band and below. LOS [line-of-sight] sky wave propagation and tropo scatter are the primary propagation modes with meteor scatter, E-skip, aurora reflection, FAI, and transequatorial other modes that are sometimes encountered at VHF or more rarely, UHF frequencies. When DXers and experimenters ventured to the higher HF and VHF frequencies decades ago, they continued to use the old vocabulary, and thus "ground wave" has been used inaccurately as a sort of short hand phrase for LOS sky wave and strong tropo scatter at VHF for decades. A quick study or RF propagation will differentiate between the different propagation modes that occur at different frequencies. I think maybe a breakdown of VHF/UHF stations based on 1) regular 2) tropo enhanced and 3) other mode reception might meet your goals? (Doug Allen, Inman, SC, ibid.) Same here, guys; I call GW, Tropo as well. Too fine a line on certain stations, so for simplicity's sake, call it all Tropo. 73 ROB VA3SW (Robert S. Ross, London, Ontario CANADA, ibid.) Interesting topic. My understanding is that there are two kinds of Tropo: Scatter - signals deflective off of moisture in the troposphere and returning to earth as far as several hundred miles. These signals are very weak and unstable, but can be there most days. May not be useful for DTV. Ducting - signals getting trapped in the troposphere in a duct and traveling long distances before coming back to the ground. A good indicator is reception well beyond the radio horizon with few or no stations in between. Signals can suddenly pop in and out. Then there is: Enhanced Groundwave - moisture in the air causing radio waves to bend and extending the radio horizon. Signals are usually quite stable over long periods of time, gradually fading out. That is my 2 cents on this topic (Mike G, Sent from my iPad, ibid.) If “Mr. Tropo” says it, that’s good enough for me! :-) Thanks for the input, Bill. I thought I was the only one who was going a little crazy over trying to distinguish between these types of propagation. My observations match up well with yours. There is an LP station that operates a local high school here — only about 25 miles from me. Most of the time, it cannot be received at all here—but under periods of enhancement can come in quite well. 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, ibid.) Doug Allen is correct though --- GW should properly be called LOS, though the convention has been to use the abbreviation or code "GW" in reports. /wrh/ (Hepburn, ibid.) Mike G suggests an interesting question about DTV tropo scatter? And tropo ducting. Most of the mass of the atmosphere occurs in the troposphere where VHF/UHF/microwave scatter occurs 24/7. Powerful wide band signals like 100 kW 88-108 FM or much less powerful narrow band signals like 500 watt 144 MHz CW is propagated and can be received out to about 450 miles, given sufficient antenna gain. There are many good articles explaining it like this one DTV requires such a large bandwidth and large S/N [ratio] that tropo scatter signal strength may be below the receive threshhold of many antenna systems and require enhancement? I receive Columbia, SC DTV 99% of the time at 100 miles. My horizon in that direction is perhaps 30-40 miles. I think this may be an example of DTV tropo scatter. Several stations at 140 miles in High Point, NC, occasionally fade in during the day (tropo scatter?), but are almost always 99% reliable at night (tropo enhancement?). Other stations at greater distances are decoded only irregularly (tropo enhancement or ducting?). When I receive a DX station over a regular and much closer station on the same channel and azimuth, I think of this as tropospheric ducting. Bill, is there a meteorological difference between tropo enhancement and ducting or is it more like a continuum. Do you have any good sources for the study of temperature inversions, lapse rates, and tropo enhancemen/ducting? (Doug Allen, ibid.) Les, First I would say, how you log your DX is very much up to your preferences. Also I would echo what others have said in that "groundwave" doesn't apply to VHF (including FM) or UHF. However, some DXers use it, and everyone seems to understand what they mean. "Line- of-sight" is the more accurate term. I never used to categorize my DX by propagation mode and still don't for DTV. When reporting, I indicate the mode "Es, Ms, or Tr" as best I can determine. Lately, I have added three columns to my FM DX Log database: Sporadic E (Es), Meteor Scatter (Ms), and "Tropo/Local" for everything else --- everything that doesn't involve the signal traveling above the troposphere. I consider trying to further break down the "tropo/local" category serves no purpose (for me), and is not worth the effort. By the way, with over 2000 FM Logs, I don't have any heard by all three modes, while DXers in areas with a lot of 500 mile + tropo may have many. I have two Es/Tropo logs (WWKI-100.5 and CHNS-89.9) and one Ms/Tropo log (WMMQ-94.9). By the way, your "enhanced ground wave" is a form of tropo. I see no need to give it a separate category. I hope this helps (Chris Lucas - Poughkeepsie, NY - FN31bs, Insignia NS-DXA1-APT DTV Converter Antennas Direct 91-XG UHF antenna @ 25', w/ CPA19 pre-amp Antennacraft MXV-5100 VHF antenna @ 20', w/Channel Master 7778 pre-amp Winegard YA-6260 VHF-Lo antenna @ 14', w/Chromstar 2000 pre-amp, ibid.) I call anything that is normally received during dead band conditions "normal". I can't recall that I have any loggings which were made via troposcatter mode only, therefore I list troposcatter and tropo ducting as "tropo" (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA ( 15 mi NW of Philadelphia ), Grid FN20id, Yamaha T-80 & T-85, each w/ Conrad RDS Decoder; Onkyo T-450RDS; Tecsun PL-310 ( 4); Sony ICF2010 (2); all w/APS9B @ 15'; 2) Grundig G8 w/whip, ibid.) Tropo scatter is a very interesting subject. What Doug said agrees with what I have read about it. Back in the analog days I could get ch 33 out of Springfield, MO, (400+ mi) quite often even though nothing else was going on. It was an open channel all the way to Springfield. Now my best during normal conditions is 200+ miles with decode. However, my SDR spectrum analyzer reveals pilot signals on seemingly open channels. Too bad the pilots aren't encoded with TSID! (Mike G., Sent from my iPad, ibid.) Enhancement is when the waves begin to bend groundward - and thus the range is extended - but eventually the wave does go off into outer space. The term is refraction. When the wave gets bent so far down that it runs PARALLEL to the Earth's surface - then we have ducting and the range becomes limitless (or at least until we come to the end of the path where this becomes unsustainable - or the signal runs out of strength (dissipates) due to attenuation). This is termed super-refraction. So there are 3 tropo DX modes - scatter, refraction, and super- refraction. TrS TrE TrD (Bill Hepburn, ibid.) Great explanation, Bill. So the majority of enhanced propagation that occurs on a regular basis is “Scatter” or TrS — while the long range propagation that we associate with troop-events is actually either refraction or ducting, is that correct? BTW, I’m changing my log to reflect LOS instead of ground wave. Thanks for the clarification! 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, Maylene, AL EM63nf, ibid.) Correct, Les. And thank Doug for the LOS clarification. Just to clarify, since you used the term 'long-range'. Scatter can be short or long range - 50, 200, 300+ miles depending on how good your setup is. Enhancement can be short or long range - 25 miles+. So TrS and TrE overlap. The difference is the characteristic. TrS fades up & down while TrE is more steady. Enhancement / ducting boundary is a grey zone. What you could say is most DX <400 miles is enhancement while most dx >400 is ducting, although both occur on either side of this boundary. I'm tempted to use 350 instead of 400; we need a study to determine where the 50% crossover is. To separate them by characteristic: ducting is usually narrow paths that seem to skip over nearby DX. To complicate things, mechanisms causing both enhancement & ducting can occur simultaneously (from inversions at two different levels - TrE via the lower, TrD via the higher). Thus why lumping it all together as 'Tr' is the best idea. I think the more we study Es, the more Es sub-categories and characteristics we could come up with as well (Bill Hepburn, ibid.) For the sake of my logs, I don't differentiate between tropo scatter, tropo enhancement, etc. It's all tropo. But in my logs I do differentiate with my local signals vs. tropo signals. The only differentiation I have between that rare tropo duct signal that came in maybe twice in the last decade and local, everyday signal in my log is that the local stations have a yellow background in their Excel row, while the other tropo signals have green. I only consider locals to be the strongest signals that would not, under normal circumstances, succumb to distant DX on the same frequencies. Everything else is just regular tropo. I have nothing against others differentiating between groundwave, enhanced tropo, tropo ducting, etc. in their logs depending on how the station was logged, but I find it easier to just lump everything in general categories, i.e. Es, Tr, Ms, Au, etc. But if I was writing a blog post or was talking about tropo enhancement, I would make the differentiation between tropo scatter or a tropo duct, if that makes sense. It’s just different in my logs (David Pierce, Woodbridge, VA FM18, https://fmradiodx.wordpress.com/ ibid.) I go along with Chris Lucas as DX is very much a preference as to how we log it. In the analog days, 14, WFDC, VA would come in most days as scatter. It seems with DTV I find less of this and lump it as just tropo. During the DX season I may use the term semi-locale meaning stations up to 200 miles seen most days. 14 WPTZ would be one of them. I put the mode, ES-Ms-Tr, before each station. So far I have 4 home runs. 2 WUND, 3 WWAY, 3 WTKR, and 5 WRAL. These 4 stations have been received via the 4 modes, ES, Ms, Tr, and DTV. I know DTV is not a mode. How about what I call Super Tropo, when the High Pressure system stalls along the whole East Coast and stations may come in over 1,000 miles and linger for a day or more (Roy Barstow, Cape Cod, ibid.) Technically, if I can't see the tower, isn't it all tropo? (unless it's an ionospheric mode like Es or Ms) WSM-FM is only 25 miles away, but the curvature of the earth is such that I don't have a straight line to the antenna. If it weren't for the troposphere bending the signal back towards earth, I wouldn't get WSM. What we call a "tropo opening" is when the bending works better than normal, and brings in stations at a greater distance than is normally possible. Is that a reasonable way of putting it? == (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) Hi Doug, How high is WSM-FM's tower? This is our view of Toronto at a distance of 33 miles from a height of 345' above the lake: http://www.weatherandsky.com/p130710801/h19ff9727#h19ff9727 You can see many shorter buildings. Surely your antenna could see WSM- FM if it had a bright enough light on top (??) (Bill Hepburn, ibid.) So, is enhancement actually a duct at ground level? Sent from my iPad (Mike G, Aug 13, ibid.) I guess I'd suggest it's the other way around -- a duct is a special case of enhancement, a case that is limited in geographic reach in either the horizontal or vertical planes. (or both) (Doug Smith, ibid.) My understanding is that a duct can occur near ground level but also higher up. The altitude becomes a factor for the receiver location when it is elevated because the duct flows over top unless you happen to be at a higher sea level. Typically, ducting involves distances which exceed those at the outer edge of what I call normal or unenhanced reception. That said, I've also experienced tropo much more frequently where there is (usually) directional enhancement within roughly 200 miles. Unfortunately this tends to create a situation where you can hear a non-local station blocking the frequency with a local like signal. There's a goof [sic; good?] discussion of propagation on Girard Westerberg's site http://www.dxfm.com (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia), ibid.) Russ Edmunds wrote: > (usually) directional enhancement within roughly 200 miles. Unfortunately this tends to create a situation where you can hear a non-local station blocking the frequency with a local like signal. In my experience as an old cable guy, ducting can indeed occur near ground level, and that the temperature and humidity of the near-ground layers of the atmosphere have a lot to do with it. Ducting raises havoc with OTA signals when an undesired distant signal interferes with a not-so-distant desired signal. A couple examples that come to mind: -- Warner Cable, Oshkosh Wisconsin, 1985. We received a couple Milwaukee stations (4 and 6 if my memory is correct) from a tower of unknown height. Normal reception was acceptable, but on hot humid summer days we'd get interference from distant stations far south of Milwaukee. Sometimes it would go on for several day at a time. Numerous complaints from subscribers. Oshkosh-Milwaukee distance ~121 miles Azimuth 154 deg. -- TCI, Madison, Wisconsin, 1982. We received Milwaukee Channel 10 from a 100-foot tower. Normal reception was acceptable, but on one particularly hot humid summer day we got interference all the way from from Onondega, Michigan. Madison-Milwaukee distance ~121 miles Azimuth 91 deg (Neal McLain, Aug 13, ibid.) Interesting discussion with Neal about cable systems before satellite feeds from distant stations. Does anyone have a story to relate about long distant analog reception by cable companies? I am particularly interested in UHF reception beyond 50 miles (Mike, Sent from my iPad, ibid.) Mike: I think you're right, but I don't have any specific examples to cite. I don't think I ever tried to get a distant UHF station from either Oshkosh or Madison. You might be interested in a page I wrote for The Old CATV Equipment Museum: http://theoldcatvequipmentmuseum.org/120/121/1214/ And you might like this one: http://theoldcatvequipmentmuseum.org/130/139/ (Neal McLain, ibid.) I remember when we had cable and certain stations would shut down for the night and in came 46 NS (Roy Barstow, Falmouth MA, Aug 13, ibid.) Not a cable story, but I remember back in the late 1970's when I lived in Northern NJ, I was a control operator for an amateur repeater on 2 meters ( in this case roughly 147 mHz). During one particular tropo event, we found that a repeater in Indiana which utilized the reverse set of frequencies (their input frequency was our output frequency ), was hanging up ours. Each repeater's output captured the others' input until each one timed out (Repeaters usually had timeout timers whether to keep users short or for other reasons). Once the timers had reset, the repeaters would come back up and the cycle would continue - it went on for over two hours! Another time, I recall being able to work a repeater in Southern NJ using our same frequencies, again due to tropo. Another tropo story - this time on FM. An FM in Trenton NJ had multiple "satellite" stations (a forerunner to translators) to spread their signal over a larger area. These secondary stations all were on different frequencies, and all received their programming over the air from the primary frequency. Tropo came in and I ended up hearing four different stations on the same channel as the Trenton primary, bur coming through on one of their secondary frequencies (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) Mike, I have the TV channel listing from The Journal and Courier, Lafayette, IN from the late '60s or early '70s and it lists WGN 9, WTTW 11 and WFLD 32, Chicago which would be 100+ miles plus WNDU 16, South Bend, IN which is around 90 miles or so. At that time, I'm sure all of these stations were received via OTA. In the mid '60s I had relatives living in Attica, IN, WSW of Lafayette. The cable TV service there offered WGN 9 via an antenna on its tower on the south edge of town which would be roughly 110 miles. I do remember times when it was a little snowy and/or had CCI but it always seemed to be very watchable. The worst reception on the Attica cable was WTWO 2, Terre Haute (transmitter/tower south of Terre Haute in Farmersburg, IN) at around 72 miles, mostly due to various CCI and electrical interference on channel 2 (Steve Rich, Indianapolis, IN, ibid.) http://www.weatherandsky.com/p130710801/h19ff9727#h19ff9727 You can see many shorter buildings. Surely your antenna could see WSM- FM if it had a bright enough light on top (??) (William Hepburn, ibid.) 344 meters. I can't see it, nor the closer Sinclair, ATC, or Scripps towers -- although I'm sure at least part of that is due to foliage. (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, ibid.) I lived in Bethel, CT when I was a kid from 1986 to 2000 and our cable system (originally Group W, later Comcast) received all the NYC and Hartford stations OTA. How do I know? Channels 2, 3, 4 and 5 frequently had CCI from Es every summer! I remember WPBT and WESH from Florida, in particular, always interfered with WCBS when I was trying to watch "The Price is Right." WFSB was usually a little better during Es events, perhaps because there were fewer channel 3s in that direction. Coastal tropo events, usually in August and September, brought in WUND-2, WITN-7 and WNCT-9 from NC under the NYC stations, plus WVEC-13 from VA which made a mess of WNET. I believe the Comcast headend was (maybe still is) a 200' or so tower off Shelter Rock Road in Danbury, up the hill from their local office. That height tower on the hill has LOS to both NYC and Hartford towers, both around 50 miles away. Everyone I knew in the area had cable - OTA reception at home, even in the analog days was very unreliable in the Bethel/Danbury area because of all the hills. I wonder how Comcast Danbury receives the broadcast networks today. DTV OTA is probably not reliable enough at 50 miles to carry on cable, especially with WCBS and WFSB both on 33 and Bethel/Danbury smack dab in the middle of NYC and Hartford. I also know Comcast carried WNET-DT and its subchannels before the 2009 transition; they shared channel 61 with analog WTIC which would have also been problematic. This "DX on cable" phenomenon was in fact how I first discovered TV and FM DX. When I saw Florida commercials on channel 2 under WCBS as a kid (summer of 1991, IIRC) I was hooked! (Rory Franisco in Richmond, VA, ibid.) I think a lot of us "discovered" DX as kids by seeing the unexpected on our TVs. My first DX experience was discovering WEAR 3 from Pensacola on my family's BW TV in Kokomo, IN in 1965. I was into it after that! (Mike Glass, Lebanon, IN, Sent from my iPad, ibid.) WEAR-3 (transmitter in Alabama) was one of my early regulars in Santa Rosa NM, summer 1953/54 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGESET) Useful tropo scatter TV DX distances - Here on Windmill Hill where I live there are two cell phone towers, one 190' on top of the hill and the other 300' tower part way up the hill. The tops of both towers about the same height. Some years ago, I'm told, one of them was used by a cable TV company for their OTA TV channels, I don't know which ones. That tower has some newer TV antennas pointed north toward Asheville. The local metro area considered Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson/Asheville, but there are 3200' mountains between Asheville and the other cities. A few of the local TV stations are on those mountains, but others are near each of the 4 cities. I also have two 66' towers near the top of Windmill Hill and using 2 x91XGs at 70' and a VHF antenna on the chimney at 25'. I can decode the following Columbia, SC, stations, most at 101 miles 24/7 (TV Fool, shown from Columbia)- WZRB 47 (47.1) CW 3.7 LOS 69.9 WLTX-DT 17 (19.1) CBS 16.9 LOS 64.3 WRLK-DT 32 (35.1) PBS 9.9 LOS 63.0 WIS-DT 10 (10.1) NBC 18.1 LOS 60.7 WOLO-TV 8 ABC 17.5 LOS 60.5 WKTC-DT 39 (63.1) MyN 17.5 LOS 60.2 WACH-DT 48 (57.1) Fox 17.5 LOS 58.9 Surely a cable TV company could do even better with a higher tower. WRDW-12 and WJBF-42, 115 miles from Augusta GA get out very well. They are not quite 24/7 here, but might be from the higher tower. Same with the High Point NC, antenna farm at 140 miles. They are in and out during the day and 99% solid every night. I think if there were no local TV stations, a cable company could probably receive them with single channel yagis from the big towers here on the hill- The High Point channels (TV Fool, shown from High Point)- WCWG-DT 19 (20.1) CW 11.9 LOS 67.8 WXLV-TV 29 (45.1) ABC 11.9 LOS 67.5 WMYV 33 (48.1) MyN 11.9 LOS 65.4 WLXI-DT 43 (61.1) Ind 11.9 LOS 57.5 WFMY-DT 51 (2.1) CBS 11.0 1Edge 57.5 So, if I'm correct, reliable DTV OTA service as far away as 140 miles might be possible for cable companies with big towers and almost that far with favorable hilltop locations (Doug Allen Inman, SC, ibid.) Thanks to MikeG, Rory Francisco, goldrich3, and Roy Barstow for your comments on my post about how ducting affected reception of Milwaukee stations at CATV systems in Oshkosh and Madison. Let me point out that not all CATV signals were picked up off the air. CATV systems have been using microwave links to import distant signals since the earliest days of the industry. The FCC even has a section of its rules for CATV use, called the Cable Television Relay Service (CARS). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/part-78 One of the earliest CATV systems to incorporate microwave signal importation was Service Electric Cable TV of Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. Service Electric constructed a microwave network to import four independent stations from New York City to its CATV headend. WABD (Channel 5, now WNYW) WOR-TV (Channel 9, now WWOR-TV) WPIX-TV (Channel 11, still WPIX-TV) and occasionally WATV (Channel 13, now WNET) Service Electric also added HBO (then known as Home Box Office) in 1972, when it was still being distributed over HBO's own private microwave network in New York and New Jersey. In 1976, HBO launched its signal by satellite, the first video service to use satellite. A more complete version of this story is here: http://theoldcatvequipmentmuseum.org/220/226/2262/index.html Scroll down to "John Walson". Commercial microwave companies also distributed broadcast stations to CATV headends. One such company, Midwestern Relay Company of Milwaukee, distributed Chicago's WGN-TV to CATVs all over Wisconsin and northern Minnesota. Another company, United Video, distributed WGN-TV throughout downstate Illinois and neighboring states. I happened to have played a small role in this story. As a big fan of classical music I led an effort to get microwave companies to carry Chicago FM station WFMT by satellite to CATVs who provided Cable TV service. Here's my story: http://tinyurl.com/gvm95db (Neal McLain, ibid.) Neal, Thanks for your informative comments and information, too. Several items you brought up had escaped me over the years, like CATV importing FM stations. I had little experience with that feature but do remember hearing comments from others. Also, I enjoyed reading about the early use of microwave links by CATV and TV stations. I do remember a number of microwave towers going up as relays in the '70s. In my previous post relating to two different cable services in Indiana, I know that all stations on the Attica, IN cable service in the mid '60s were brought in OTA. As for the Lafayette, IN cable service bringing in Chicago and South Bend TV stations in the late '60s/early '70s (not sure of the exact date of the newspaper listing I have) I have no idea if those were received via microwave or OTA, or maybe a combination of the two. Relating to microwave setups linking feeds to TV stations and CATVs, I remember a few times how intense Es would interfere with those transmissions and make a thumping sound in the audio feed. In fact, over the weekend while it was raining, I listened to some of my old cassette tapes with various cuts of TV/radio IDs, I came across a short clip of the thumping sound I'm referring to. Some of you may remember hearing this, too. Audio clip here http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?10947-Microwave-Network-Interference-from-Intense-Es&p=41040#post41040 Very interesting piece on WFMT. Thanks (Steve Rich, Indianapolis, Aug 15, ibid.) Steve: Thanks for your comments. I'm familiar with Lafayette. My parents lived there for several years when my dad was on the Purdue nuclear-engineering faculty. They lived on South 9th street in Lafayette. Like most other homes in the Lafayette area there was a big TV tower in the back yard with an antenna aimed at Indianapolis. They signed up for cable when they moved there so they never used the tower. My dad was a classical-music fan (which is probably why I am too) and he had a large collection of vinyl LPs that he played endlessly. In one of my less intelligent maneuvers I decided that he needed an FM antenna so he could hear WFMT. So I climbed that tower and installed an FM antenna aimed at Chicago. It didn't work. Just too far from Chicago. My mom died in 1980 and my dad sold the house and moved to Florida. That tower, compete with non-functioning FM antenna, was still there when he sold it. I don't remember when they first moved to Lafayette but I remember one thing clearly: the main phone number for Purdue University was 90. When GenTel finally converted the phone system to standard 317-NXX- XXXX numbering, my dad was convinced that Purdue would be able to keep its two-digit phone number, with the area code attached: 317-90. No way, Pop. Thanks again for your comments! (Neal McLain, Brazoria, Texas, ibid.) GEOMAGNETIC INDICES – Compiled by: Phil Bytheway E-mail: phil_tekno@yahoo.com Geomagnetic Summary July 1 2016 through July 31 2016 Tabulated from email status daily (K @ 0000 UTC.) Flux A K Space Wx 1 72 7 1 no storms 2 71 9 4 no storms 3 72 8 3 no storms 4 74 7 2 no storms 5 72 4 1 no storms 6 77 5 3 no storms 7 83 23 4 minor, G1 8 87 23 2 minor, G1 9 92 14 2 no storms 10 94 10 2 no storms 11 95 11 3 no storms 12 92 21 3 minor, G1 13 97 8 2 no storms 14 95 12 2 no storms 15 102 11 3 no storms 16 107 8 2 no storms 17 105 6 2 no storms 18 107 4 1 no storms 19 101 10 5 minor, G1 20 108 23 1 minor, G1 21 100 5 2 no storms 22 90 8 2 no storms 23 86 8 2 moderate, R2 24 82 14 4 minor, G1, R1 25 74 18 2 no storms 26 74 5 1 no storms 27 72 4 2 no storms 28 70 15 3 no storms 29 71 14 1 no storms 30 71 6 1 no storms 31 72 3 0 no storms Gx – Geomagnetic Storm Level Rx – Radio Blackouts Level Sx – Solar Radiation Storm Level (IRCA DX Monitor Aug 20 via DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2016 Aug 15 0115 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 08 - 14 August 2016 Solar activity was at very low to low levels with C-class activity observed on 08, 09, 11 and 14 Aug. Region 2574 (N05, L=173, class/area Dho/290 on 09 Aug) was the most active region recording six C-class flares. The largest of these was a C8/Sf observed at 09/0042 UTC. Regions 2571 (N13, L=268, class/area Dac/200 on 08 Aug) and 2572 (N13, L=320, class/area Dao/110 on 07 Aug) each produced weak C-class flares on 08 Aug. The period ended with a C1 flare observed at 14/1936 UTC from an unnumbered region on the NE limb. A few CMEs were observed during the period, but none had an Earth-directed component. No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at high levels throughout the summary period. A maximum of 12,032 pfu was observed at 13/1745 UTC. Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet to active levels on 08 Aug through early on 12 Aug due to effects from a positive polarity CH HSS. Quiet levels were observed for the remainder of the period. Solar wind speeds reached a maximum speed of about 675 km/s at 10/0830 UTC. Bt ranged between 3-8 nT while the Bz component varied between +7 to -5 nT early in the period. The phi angle was in a predominately positive sector throughout the period. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 15 AUGUST-10 SEPTEMBER 2016 Solar activity is expected to be very low with a chance for C-class activity through the outlook period. 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 on 15, 19-23, 26-28, 31 Aug and 01-10 Sep. Normal to moderate levels are expected for the remainder of the outlook period. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at G1 (Minor) storm levels on 16 and 30-31 Aug due to recurrent CH HSS activity. Unsettled to active levels are expected on 15, 17-19, 24-25 Aug and 01-08 Sep, all due to recurrent CH HSS activity. Mostly quiet conditions are expected for the remainder of the outlook period. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2016 Aug 15 0115 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 2016-08-15 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2016 Aug 15 90 12 4 2016 Aug 16 90 18 5 2016 Aug 17 90 10 4 2016 Aug 18 90 8 3 2016 Aug 19 85 8 3 2016 Aug 20 80 5 2 2016 Aug 21 80 5 2 2016 Aug 22 75 5 2 2016 Aug 23 75 5 2 2016 Aug 24 75 15 4 2016 Aug 25 75 15 4 2016 Aug 26 75 5 2 2016 Aug 27 75 5 2 2016 Aug 28 75 5 2 2016 Aug 29 75 15 4 2016 Aug 30 75 25 5 2016 Aug 31 75 18 5 2016 Sep 01 75 15 4 2016 Sep 02 80 15 4 2016 Sep 03 85 12 4 2016 Sep 04 90 12 4 2016 Sep 05 90 15 4 2016 Sep 06 90 15 4 2016 Sep 07 90 8 3 2016 Sep 08 90 10 3 2016 Sep 09 90 5 2 2016 Sep 10 90 5 2 (SWPC via WORLD OF RADIO 1839, DXLD) GLENN`S PROPAGATION OUTLOOK FOR MEDIA NETWORK PLUS AS OF AUG 18, 2016 From IPS in Australia, the global HF propagation forecast: normal at all latitudes on August 19, normal to fair on August 20. From Spaceweather South Africa, thru August 20: magnetic conditions unsettled; shortwave fadeouts unlikely; MUF unstable. From Met Office UK, thru August 21: Solar activity low or very low. Geomagnetic field, possible active spells August 20 and 21. OK1MGW of the Czech Propagation Interested Group says the Geomagnetic field will be: quiet to unsettled on August 19, 23, 31, September 1 - 3, 6 quiet to active on August 20 - 21, 24 - 25, 28 - 30, September 4 - 5 mostly quiet on August 22 quiet on August 26 - 27 active to disturbed on August (29 - 30) From Spaceweather Canada, the long term magnetic activity forecast: in the auroral and polar zones, high DRX readings August 24-25 and even higher on August 30. From the Spaceweather Predixion Center in Boulder: Geomagnetic field expected to be at G1 (minor) storm levels Aug 30-31 with A and K indices peaking at 25 and 5. Unsettled to active levels are expected August 24-25 and September 1-8, reaching 15 and 4. Lowest As and Ks of 5 and 2 on August 21-23, and 26-28, not again until September 9 and 10. Solar flux dropping from 90 August 18, to 75 from August 22 to September 1, up to 90 again by September 4. William Hepburn`s VHF-UHF-microwave DX maps show extreme tropospheric ducting all week off southern California and Baja California Norte. Along the north coasts of the Greater Antilles all week moving westward into Cuba by August 23. All week off the northwest coast of Africa. All week across the eastern Mediterranean and part of the week over central and western Mediterranean. All week across the Red Sea, southern Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea along the coasts of Iran and Pakistan. Off the coast of Angola thru August 21 (via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 11725, Aug 14 at 0520, RNZI is VG with discussion of Spinoza --- now there`s a philosopher with an excellent outlook on religion. 0537 outro as having been `Heart & Soul` from BBCWS. Finally found the original episode from last week at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p043318k ``BENEDICT SPINOZA - A PHILOSOPHER FOR OUR TIME --- HEART AND SOUL We live in fearful times. All over the world renewed wars of religion are being fought. Politicians exploit our fears of one another in order to win power. 350 years ago, the philosopher Benedict Spinoza put his very, big brain to work on the problem of religion in politics. His theories led to the Enlightenment and its ideas of democracy and the separation of Church and State in the role of government. To do this he had to argue that God was not the God of the Bible. Spinoza’s reward: excommunication. But no threat could stop him imagining a new kind of liberty. Michael Goldfarb tells the story of Spinoza with the help of philosophers and musicians in a programme that will make listeners think and reflect on the big questions of life, the universe and our place in it`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###