DX LISTENING DIGEST 9-005, January 12, 2009 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2008 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1442 Tue 1200 WRMI 9955 Tue 1630 WRMI 9955 Wed 0630 WRMI 9955 [or new 1443] Wed 1230 WRMI 9955 [or new 1443] WBCQ is also airing new or archive editions of WOR M-F 2000 on 7415 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html or http://schedule.worldofradio.org or http://sked.worldofradio.org For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://podcast.worldofradio.org or http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ALBANIA. Radio fshati" per FM 99.5 MHz - Station in Dajt mountain Subject: Wishes on 70 years Radio Tirana on 28 November 2008 collected by Eng. Drita Cico - Head of Radio Tirana Monitoring since 1981 & HF Manager of Radio Tirana since 2005 With order of Radio Tirana Director, Ms Zamira Koleci, the programs of Radio Tirana in the week starting from 24 November 2008 were fulfilled with wishes of Radio Tirana workers and listeners on the occasion of 70 years Radio Tirana on 28 November 2008. An old listener of Radio Tirana (female) from Korca, south-east Albania, heard home (in Tirana) by Drita Cico, said on Radio Tirana 1st Channel on FM 99.5 MHz, Dajt Station, before midnight 24 November 2008: In Albanian: "Radio Tirana eshte si nje nene e mencur qe nuk thinjet kurre". In English / translator Eng. Drita Cico - Head of Radio Tirana Monitoring: "Radio Tirana is like a wise MOTHER that never becomes with grey hairs". -- Congratulations on the 70th Anniversary of Radio Tirana! I listened to your program for the first time perhaps in 1988 when I stayed in Paris, France as a student in the graduate school at the University of Paris III. Longtime has passed since then. It is rather difficult to listen to you in my country Japan, but I make it a rule to listen to you whenever I go to Europe. I visit Paris almost every summer, when I never forget to be tuned in to your station. 70 years: far longer than my life. I'm still 46 years old. It is really a history. I hope I will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Radio Tirana with you in 30 years!! Pr. Motofumi KAI, Professor at Konan Women's University Kobe, JAPAN (via Drita Çiço, R. Tirana, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALGERIA [non]. FRANCIA, 7455, Radio Algerienne, Issoudun, 1930- 1937, escuchada el 11 de enero en árabe a locutor con comentarios; observo sin señal las frecuencias de 9390 y 9825, anunciadas para esta hora, cuña de ID, emisión musical, comentarios y canto del Cor`án, SINPO 44444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. 1350 kHz, 1/1 2130, Deutsche Welle, Gavar, Armenia. Programa em árabe da DW e depois das 2200 da Voice of Rússia em ruso. Sinal cobrindo as locais durante mais de meia hora. Não resistí e liguei para a Cultura Poços de Caldas, MG que normalmente domina aqui, para saber se estava fora do ar. Engraçada a resposta: "aqui tudo certo, você não está conseguindo escutar a posse ao vivo do nosso prefeito?" (Rocco Cotroneo, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brasil, AOR 7030 + 2 "KAZ" loop unidirecionais de 18-20 metros no teto, @tividade DX Jan 11 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 15560, RA in English Jan 11 at 2318 in news interview. This is new for B-08, 70 degrees from Shepparton to Pacific; that means it is also aimed toward NAm, same as 9580 at 08-14, which has barely been making it lately (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM. Tonight I notice that Belgium 927 kHz is still broadcasting at 0030 UT well after its usual closure. Although EMWG says that VRT operates 24 hours a day in winter I have not noticed this until today. A temporary or permanent change? 73 (Steve Whitt, England, Jan 10, MWC via DXLD) There were noticed problems with the transmitter in the morning hours the last few days. This was probably caused by the extreme cold temperatures up to minus 20 C we are suffering in the region. Maybe, they are running the transmitter overnight now to keep things at operation temperature. 73, (Guido Schotmans, Belgium, ibid.) ** BOLIVIA. 2315 to 2325 noted in Southeast Florida Jan 12: 4451.2v, Radio Santa Ana, Santa Ana de Yacuma 4555, R. Virgen de Remedios, Tupiza 5996.227, Radio Loyola, Sucre (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, Florida, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also PERU ** BRAZIL. Lista das emissoras inativas de OC e OT no Brasil [N.B.: some frequencies have more than one station, so you may still hear a Brasilian on them, e.g. 6160 Rio Mar --- gh] 3205, Ribeirão Preto 3235, Globo Santista inativa há cerca de 6 meses 3365, Cultura Araraquara 4755, Imaculada Conceição (Campo Grande) inativa há algumas semanas 4785, Brasil (Campinas) 4845, Meteorologia Paulista (Ibitinga) 4895, Novo Tempo (Campo Grande) inativa há algumas semanas 4905, Anhanguera 4945, Difusora (Poços de Caldas) problema de troca de válvula para a mesma retornar 5015, Pioneira (Teresina) Problema com transformador para retornar 5015, Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro) 5045, Globo Santista (Guarujá) 5055, Difusora (Cáceres) 5870, Vóz Missionária (Florianópolis) clandestina? 5940, Globo Santista 6020, Gaúcha (Porto Alegre) recentemente inativa e periódicamente fora do ar 6030, Globo (Rio de janeiro) inativa há 4 anos 6050, Guarani (Belo Horizonte) inativa há cerca de 7 anos 6070, Capital (Rio de janeiro) inativa há mais de 2 anos 6160, Super Boa Vontade (Porto Alegre) inativa há mais de 3 anos 6170, Cultura do Brasil (São Paulo) Inativa há 1 mês 9600, MEC (Rio de Janeiro) arrendada pela Rádio China Internacional [leased by CRI??? Must be thinking of 9665 RNBrasília --- gh] 9615, Cultura do Brasil (São Paulo) problemas no transmissor 9715, Globo Santista (Guarujá) 9725, Clube Eldorado (Curitiba) inativa há 3 anos 11750, Vóz Missionária inativa há alguns meses 11785, Guaíba (Porto Alegre) sem sinal 11895, Super Boa Vontade (Porto Alegre) sem sinal 11915, Gaúcha (Porto Alegre) sem sinal 11935, Clube Eldorado (Curitiba) inativa há 3 anos 11965, Record (São Paulo) inativa há mais de 3 anos 15190, Inconfidência (Belo Horizonte) inativa há mais de 6 anos Peço aos colegas radioescutas e dxistas do Brasil e exterior que ajudem a atualizar esta lista, caso alguma destas retornará ou que não esteja fora do ar (QRT) 73s (Édison Bocorny Jr, Novo Hamburgo- RS, Jan 12, radioescutas yg via DXLD) A Radio Clube de Varginha operava em 3245 kHz e tal como você disse está inativa. Um abraço, (Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, Barbacena - MG - Brasil, ibid.) As duas emissoras de Campo Grande (MS), reapareceram nos 60 metros. Rádio Imaculada Conceição 4755 e Rádio Novo Tempo 4895 (Édison Bocorny, Jr., ibid.) ** BRAZIL. 10000, 11/01 0018, BRASIL, Observatório Nacional, time signal, leve QRM de um radioamador assobiando, leve ruído tipo mau contato junto com a tx, 44433 (Jorge Freitas - Feira de Santana BA - Brasil, HCDX via DXLD) A real licensed ham would certainly not be on 10000 (gh, DXLD) On 10 MHz I have no sign of WWV or WWVH ... but have LOL Buenos Aires in all alone with constant time announcements in Spanish. This on the Wellbrook loop (William R. Hepburn, Grimsby, ON, CAN, Jan 11, Web Site: http://www.dxinfocentre.com WTFDA-AM via DXLD) Bill, What time was this? Last info we had was that LOL operates only at 14-15 UT. Sure it was not the new station in Rio, Brasil, Observatorio Nacional, with constant time announcements in Portuguese? At first it was reported as every minute, but lately as every 10 seconds. 73, (Glenn Hauser to Bill, via DXLD) Actually the time announcement was every 10 seconds (When I last heard LOL, their announcement was every 5 minutes). It was female with what I thought was "Observatorio Nacional Buenos Aires", but the Buenos Aires must be something else. It also sounded Spanish, but could easily have been Portuguese, I guess. Not in tonight. Has anyone had any position confirmation of the Brazil station? Are they only on 10, or some other standard freqs as well? (Bill to Glenn, via DXLD) Bill, OK, that format sounds like Rio, as reported, tho I have not heard it myself. Not sure what you mean by `position confirmation`. All the reports I have seen have been for 10 MHz. (or 9999 kHz initially). Still wondering when you heard it. 0622 UT if the date stamp is correct and I convert it correctly. 73, (Glenn to Bill, ibid.) Hi Glenn, I meant has the station been officially confirmed as Rio? I did first hear it around 0545Z. Didn't log it as new so don't know the exact time (Bill, ibid.) Yes, Rio. Lots of discussion about it on Brazilian DX groups, which I put in DX Listening Digest; in Portuguese. 73, (Glenn, ibid.) I just went to their website and see that there is a page under construction for Rádio-Difusão de Sinais Horários Thanks! I'll log it. Anyone know the call sign yet? (Bill, ibid.) Never anything about a callsign, strangely. i.e.: http://pcdsh01.on.br/RadioDifusaoSinaisHorarios.html (Glenn Hauser, to Bill, and DX LISTENING DIGEST) An ITU list of time signal stations from 1992 shows the call of the former Observatório Nacional station on 8721 kHz as PPEI. wrh (Bill Hepburn, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ontem, depois das 18:00 local [2000 UT] a propagação abriu entre meu QTH de 7Lagoas MG para o Rio! Surpresa ! agora o ON está em 10010 kHz, e continua roncando! Sinal de S9+20 dB numa W3DZZ 80-/40 m. No espectro anexo, levantado com o SDRZero+IC725+SDRadio, podemos ver muito bem ver que a transmissão é em AM-USB, ou H3E (antigo A3H), (ou USB com portadora total), pois fiz a captura durante a presença da voz: http://www.qslnet.de/member/py4zbz/ON10010kHz.JPG Estão precisando de um bom cristal de 10 MHz, ou será que ouviram o meu apelo de não interferir em WWV? Seria ÓTIMO ficarem nesta nova frequencia! 73 de (Roland Zurmely, Jan 12, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 10000, 12/01 1745-1800, UNID (Brasil), Sinal Horário do Observatório Nacional do Rio de Janeiro com anúncios da hora oficial de Brasília (horário de verão = UTC - 2) por voz feminina em português. As transmissões ocorriam ora em 10000, ora em 10010 kHz, 55355 10000, 12/01 1941-1945, UNID (Brasil), "Observatório Nacional Rio de Janeiro", Time Signal (UTC-2), ID and talked hour by YL every 10 seconds, Portuguese. 55355 /JRMO/ (J Ricardo, Receiver DEGEN 1103, Antenna: walf wave 75 mb, HCDX via DXLD) Escutado entre 19:00 e 19:10 local, [2100-2110 UT] em 10000 kHz, mas com um ronco HORRIVEL e um audio totalmente distorcido! Não sei porque deixam uma coisa dessas no ar! Será possível que eles não monitoram??? É um assunto importante, pois se trata de referência de frequência, que é muito util para aferição de receptores, frequencimetros, analizadores de espectro, clock de placas de som, etc... Tomara que fiquem em 10010 kHz !!! Pois em 10000 kHz, já temos a WWV dos EUA, WWVH no Hawai, ATA na India, BPM na China e que chega muito bem aqui, LOL 1 na Argentina e RWM na Russia mas em 9996 kHz! Mas pelo menos são transmissões com uma alta precisão em frequência. O ON até agora, e desde novembro 2008, provou ser uma lástima em termos de frequência, pois já andou passeando entre 9999 e 10010 kHz!!! Será que o ON tem licença da ANATEL? Gostaria muito de saber, e para qual frequência! Além do mais, será que não sabem que 300 W, dependendo da propagação, atinge o mundo inteiro, e poderá interferir em transmisões citadas acima, de alto padrão, fora do Brasil? E nos privar aqui no Brasil, da ótima referência que é WWV? É o que eu acho! Que me provem o contrário! (Roland Zurmely, PY4ZBZ, Jan 12, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Olá Ronald, Também acho o mesmo. É uma vergonha para a imagem nacional o Observatório Nacional manter no ar já por tanto tempo uma transmissão com esses problemas. O pessoal do ON tem que lembrar que é a imagem da engenharia e da técnica dessa organização que está em jogo. Eles deixam passar que não têm competência para resolver o problema, eu sinceramente começo a pensar que esse é o problema. Desculpem o desabafo, já tinha comentado sobre isso com colegas e agora não deu para segurar. 73 (Jorge Freitas, SWL1023B, Feira de Santana Bahia, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. 11765, Rádio Tupi (Súper Rádio Deus é Amor), Curitiba, 1026-1115, 11-01, locutor, portugués, programa religioso, predicaciones: "Igreja Deus é Amor". Locutor, locutora, en paralelo con 11804.8, Radio Globo. 34333 (Méndez) 11804.8, Rádio Globo, Rio de Janeiro (Súper Rádio Deus é Amor), 1026- 1115, 11-01, programa "Igreja Deus é Amor``, predicaciones, locutor, locutora, identificación en la que anuncian cadena de emisoras: "Súper Rádio Deus é Amor, 1300 kHz, 24 horas, Falando do amor de Deus". En paralelo con 11765. Parece que Rádio Globo también pasó a integrarse en la cadena de emisora "Súper Rádio Deus é Amor", al igual que Rádio Tupi. http://www.superradiodeuseamor.com.br 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, escuchas realizadas en Friol, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL – Em Novo Hamburgo (RS), Édison Bocorny Júnior tem notado que, faz alguns meses, as três emissoras de Porto Alegre (RS) que transmitem na faixa de 25 metros não são mais ouvidas em suas freqüências. A Rádio Guaíba sumiu dos 11785 kHz, a Super Rede Boa Vontade desapareceu dos 11895 kHz, enquanto que a Gaúcha está muda em 11915 kHz. Inativas? BRASIL – Algo interessante tem ocorrido com quem sintoniza a Rádio Clube Paranaense, de Curitiba (PR), em 6040 kHz: a emissora está anunciando que transmite, além desta freqüência, em 9725 e 11935 kHz. A constatação é do Dirceu Fioravante, de Piraí do Sul (PR). Acontece que, as duas últimas freqüências não estão ativas há pelo menos três anos. BRASIL – Nas edições dos segmentos Açores sem Fronteiras, Ilha da Madeira em Destaque e Heróis do Mar que foram ao ar no domingo, 11, entre 8h e 12h, na Rádio 9 de Julho, de São Paulo (SP), o comunicador Martins Araújo participou diretamente de Lisboa, em Portugal, onde curte férias com uma temperatura abaixo de zero. O sinal da emissora é excelente em 9820 kHz, em 31 metros (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Jan 11 via DXLD) ** CANADA. Sackville transmitter site at dusk http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/13151301.jpg Also another distant image available from GE. Regards (Ian Baxter, AUSTRALIA, shortwave sites yg via DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. After checking out Cuban jamming against VOA 9885, I noticed RCI fairly good on 9880, UT Mon Jan 12 at 0024 with music, then Maple Leaf Mailbag and RCI ID. This should have been // but 5 minutes ahead of 9755, which is Sackville to NAm with same program, but instead 9755 checked at 0028 was in Brazilian Portuguese! And had a warble on the carrier, not sure if Sackville-caused or from interference. Anyhow, 9880 was better here in CNAm even tho it`s via Kunming, China, beamed 175 degrees, nowhere near our direxion and from much further away! Others have reported for months that 9755 is in Portuguese (UT Sun and Mon) one hour earlier than the schedule shown at http://www.rciviva.ca/rci/PDF/2008Fall/RCI-TECH-B08-ENG.pdf and this still hasn`t been corrected. By 0105, when 9755 may have really been in English, signal had just about vanished. Because azimuth changed? No, same 268 degrees is supposedly in use for both English and Portuguese, not for Brasil, but for all the Portuguese- speaking immigrants in northern USA and western Canada, one of a few extreme-minority language groups who are so fortunate to have SW broadcasts especially for them; but how many of them are axually aware of and listen to Radio Canada Internal, if they can even get it? Something is terribly wrong with RCI frequency management when a broadcast to SE Asia via China is better heard here than one direct from Sackville; but those who really want to hear it should try 9880 at 0000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CHU, 7850, 2348 UT Jan 11, noticed that has finally eliminated the futurely QSY announcements which were running at :15 past every minute for many days following the Dec 31 transition. While I was there, with BFO on, compared frequency to 6850 Radio Cairo and found they matched nicely. I wonder if CHU makes any claims for tight frequency accuracy on this or the others, like WWV does on its (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also EGYPT ** CHINA. 4900, Voice of Strait, Jan 11; 1416-1430 not // 4940; 1430- 1500 was // 4940; after 1500 not // 4940; had hoped they might continue parallel for "Focus on China" English program, but no such luck. 4940, Voice of Strait, 1500-1525, Jan 11 (Sun.); pips; program "Focus on China" in English; news about China (items on winter storms, attempts to boost the housing market and government housing subsidies, review of major news stories of 2008, etc.) with music bridges between items; today only had woman announcer (Gary on vacation?); reception reports can be sent to: Box 187, Voice of Strait, Fuzhou, Fujian, "zip code 350012", P.R.C. or on-line via their website http://www.vos.com.cn/ --- this program is only broadcast on Sunday; light QRM from AIR Guwahati. At 1525 into Chinese and pop songs (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Firedrake is usually on 8400 or 9000 but not both. However, Jan 12 at 1457 it was on both, perhaps to cover two bases even if Sound of Hope was on only one of them at a time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. Instead of Deutsche Welle in German, on 17630, January 11, 2009, 1315-1357, I heard China Radio International in French. OM and YL talk, songs, presumed news on 1345, followed by Learn Chinese up to 1355, station info ended by CRI signature tune on 1356 (Tony Ashar, Depok – Java, Indonesia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) MALI Probably the Chinese technician at Bamako relay site switched to the wrong frequency - instead of 17880 kHz, an hour too early. 1300-1357 UT French 17880bko, 13710kas, 13685bko ... 1400-1457 UT English 17630bko, 15230sac, 13740hab, 13685bko ... wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) And we no longer have to worry about collision with Africa Number One, since GABON abandoned 17630, and 15475 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Re 9-004, Radio Juventud, Pasto: "It was mentioned in WRTH 2007 and 2008 (but not in WRTH 2009) on 5585, HJV44 with 300 watts. Irregular Sun 0100-0500. Address: Cra. 1 Nº 21-36, Pasto, Nariño (Anker Petersen, Ed., DSWCI DX Window) So: licensed, unless they made up the callsign (gh)" In an old document (undated) from the Colombian "Ministerio de Comunicaciones" the callsign HJV44 appears assigned to Alcaldía de Yaguará (Huila) for a Public Interest station on 1580 MW 250w. From the 30SEP2003 revision of the 2001 AM Plan the same station appears with the callsign HKV44 and there is not a HJV44 callsign registered anymore. So it seems it was by error to connect the Pasto unlicensed station with the HJV44 callsign in the WRTH2007 edition (in the 2008 ed. the callsign field is empty). The actual Colombian MW plan can be downloaded from here (updated 19JUN2008): http://www.mincomunicaciones.gov.co/mincom/src/user_docs/espectro/ There are several documents including FM plans. The actual AM one is the "PlanTecnicoAM.pdf". Saludos! (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5555.00, 2305-0157* 5/6+9/10+11. 01, R. Juventud, Pasto (presumed) Spanish talks, reactivated, report from event with Brass Band, maybe "Festival negro y blanca", mentioned Colombia, various songs 25232, fading out (Anker Petersen, heard on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Hi Anker! YES IN PASTO is RUNNING THE FESTIVAL OF "NEGROS y BLANCOS". It is looklike a CARNAVAL SHOW. ``Carnaval de Negros y Blancos en Pasto: La representación de razas más grande de Colombia --- La ciudad de Pasto se ha conocido históricamente como el punto de encuentro y cruce de caminos de diferentes pueblos y colonias. Es por esta razón, que las celebraciones del Carnaval constituyen una muestra cultural autóctona que expresa una fusión perfecta de todas las influencias culturales que se encontraban a lo largo de los siglos en esta región: rituales indígenas, expresiones culturales de los españoles y de la cultura africana`` GREAT CATCH, ANKER !!!!!! 73's (Dario Monferini, ibid.) ** CROATIA [non]. Some changes of Media Broadcast: Voice of Croatia, cancelled transmission from Jan. 8 0500-0800 on 9470 WER 100 kW / 240 deg to NZ Croatian/English (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) replaced by Singapore 15360 ** CUBA [and non]. Another late run beyond scheduled 0700* for RHC in English: UT Sunday Jan 11, still going at 0718 check on 6000, but not 6060. Oops, that`s when weekly Esperanto service is supposed to be on. RHC Esperanto service, weekly on Sundays at 1500-1530 on 11760, monitored Jan 11 at 1527, with what sounded like a long-path echo, audible periodically as the main signal faded a bit. Trouble is, propagation was crummy and nothing much incoming on 25m from the other worldside. I also noticed that 11760 had a SAH of 100 beats per minute, = 1.67 Hz, but no other audio to account for it. Could RHC be running TWO transmitters with the same program here? BINGO. The stronger one cut off at 1529 before the program outro finished, uncovering the much weaker one which continued RHC announcements, into Spanish with frequency list including 9600 which quits at 1300 UT. I think this was the automatic replay of the morning service starting at 1100, but it too cut off at 1533* So if you hear an echo on an RHC frequency, this may explain it rather than long/short path, as they have two or three transmitter sites and we already know there are different delays in getting the program feed to them, which is normally obvious by comparing two different frequencies on two receivers. We are grateful to Arnie Coro for never discussing such interesting details of his own station, even when queried, ceding to us the thrill of discovery. As an outlaw nation, Cuba does not even tell HFCC what it is doing, but Aoki lists this transmission as of B-07 on a 20- degree beam, only. Many RHC broadcasts as listed on http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/frecuencia/frecuencias-espanol.htm which one can never depend on being currently accurate, whatever the effective dates at the top, are for North, Central and South America on a single frequency, including this one and the 1930 repeat. We had assumed they were either non-direxional or using bi-direxional antennas, but in this case it`s two separate transmitters and two separate antennas. So the same deal may apply to many other transmissions, including our previous log of 9550, Dec 19 at 2306 in English which had the same echo during fades, so we assumed that was long/shortpath. Of course, depending on circumstances, the latter could really be the case, and/or two unsynchronized co-channel transmitters. Re previous report Jan 11 of echo on 11760 during 1500 Sunday Esperanto broadcast, and before that, echo on 9550 during the 2300 English: it happened again, Jan 11 at 2324 check, more obvious echo during brief fades of stronger signal. This time I looked for a SAH as further proof that two transmitters are in use. There were fades amounting to about 36 times per minute, i.e. 0.6 Hz, but it was hard to be sure they were not just propagational fading. RHC with weekly Esperanto broadcast, Sunday Jan 11 at 2339 with ID in passing on 6180. This is now on the schedule at http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/frecuencia/frecuencias-espanol.htm as 2330 for CAm, // 9600 for SAm, but in fact 9600 was not //, and was in Spanish when checked a few minutes later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reconfirming whether the DentroCubans are still jamming not only R. Martí but also Voice of America in Spanish: UT Mon Jan 12 at 0008 found VOA with innocuous pop music program ``De Capital a Capital`` on 5890, 5940 and 9885, all from Greenville. 5940 was slightly stronger than 5890 while 9885 was much weaker, fighting the dropping MUF. Jamming could be heard underneath 5890 and 5940, was at roughly equal level to VOA on 9885; and at 0022 recheck, jamming was way on top of VOA 9885. Have also noticed jamming against nothing on 9885 at many other times of day. According to http://www.voanews.com/spanish/programas_de_radio.cfm Ventana al Caribe is at 0000 UT Tue, Thu, Fri and Sat, but that is not necessarily up-to-date, and does not make clear what is on SW and what is only on satellite. VaC is the program which might include info about Cuba since the cancellation of the previous Ventana a Cuba show, which got the DentroCubans started jamming VOA; but changing the name has not mollified them. BTW, don`t you believe PWBR `2009` which misses 5890 and 5940, and shows 9885 at the wrong time, 0030-0200, and furthermore without the jamming wavylines, tho VOA Spanish has been jammed for a long time by the Cubans who don`t give a damn whether they also impede non-Cubans from hearing it. Meanwhile RHC broadcasts without any fear of payback from the USA, too principled to jam, even in retaliation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also VENEZUELA [non] Another example of Glenn knowing more about the radio station in the building where I work than I do. Yes, VOA Spanish is jammed by Cuba. Listen to this audio example from the IBB RMS in San Jose, 9 January 2009, 0040 UTC, 5890 kHz. http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/voa_spanish_090109_0040_5890.mp3 12 Jan 2009 (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** CZECHIA. 3333.273, 31.12 1550, Radio Bila Hora, Tjeckisk pirat med sändningar bara på nyårsafton. Mest schlagers och ballader på tjeskiska. Bra modulation och frekvensstabil. 2-3 SA 3333.273, 31.12 1550, Radio Bila Hora, Czech pirate only transmitting on New Year's Eve. Mostly popular songs and ballads in Czech. Good modulation and also very accurate and stable frequency. 2-3 SA (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 11, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DJIBOUTI. DJIBUTI – Localizado na região conhecida como Chifre da África, o Djibuti possui forte influência da religião islâmica: mais de 90% de sua população segue os ensinamentos do Profeta Maomé. Tanto é assim que grande parte da transmissão da sua emissora estatal, a RTV Dijibouti, é dedicada à leitura do Alcorão. Em alguns momentos, no entanto, a estação pode ser captada transmitindo músicas típicas do Chifre da África, com destaque para a guitarra. Assim ocorreu, em 27 de dezembro, às 0418, no Tempo Universal, aqui em Porto Alegre (RS). O sinal, em 4780 kHz era regular (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Jan 11 via DXLD) ** EGYPT. R. Cairo, Jan 11 at 2340 on 6290 in Arabic, extremely overmodulated and distorted as YL was reading news. 2344 was just as bad when mixed with music. Meanwhile, 6850 was as usual undermodulated, slightly better during music than talk segments, which unseemed English tho scheduled 2300-2430 to NAm. 6290 is supposed to change transmitter site at 0000, from ABZ to ABS, but at next check 0006 Jan 12, sounded exactly the same with distortion, so no change any longer. When they did change as monitored several months ago, the two overlapped with SAH, and the improvement in audio quality was painfully obvious (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. QSL-related info/pre-QSLs --- RADIO CAIRO: Received an e- mail from the overseas English service of Radio Cairo: “Dear Andrew, Thank you for your message, I'll follow up the QSL cards' staff in the Egyptian Overseas Radio and their work to send your QSL card. And I'll do it again till you tell me that you received it, even if I had to visit USA myself :). Your friend, Marwan Khattab or MIRO” (Andrew Yoder, PA, Jan 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ERITREA/ETHIOPIA [nons]. Some changes of Media Broadcast: Voice of Democratic Eritrea-Ethiopians For Democracy: 1700-1800 11835 NAU 250 kW / 145 deg We/Su EAf in Amharic, ex We/Fr/Su UNIDentified new station from Jan. 10: 1700-1800 11835 NAU 500 kW / 145 deg Sat to EAf in Amharic or Tigrinya (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 6250, Radio Nacional, Malabo, *0517-0605, Jan 11, abrupt sign on with Afro-pop music. Lite instrumental music. Spanish ballads. Spanish announcements. Radio Malabo IDs and Radio Nacional IDs. Very weak at sign on but improved to a good level by 0555 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 15190, Radio Africa, 1045-11130 [sic], 11-01, inglés, locutor, religioso, identificación: "Radio Africa". 34333 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, escuchas realizadas en Friol, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. ETIÓPIA – A partir das 0400, no Tempo Universal, o sinal da Rádio Ethiópia tem chegado ao Brasil, nos últimos dias, em duas freqüências: 5990 e 7110 kHz. É uma boa oportunidade para quem deseja acompanhar a música típica da região conhecida como Chifre da África e que somente as ondas curtas proporcionam! (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Jan 11 via DXLD) 7165, Radio Ethiopia, *0659-0725, Jan 11, sign on with IS on electronic keyboard followed by Amharic talk. Horn of Africa music. Weak but readable. Some occasional HAM QRM. Weak on // 9560.18v - drifting up to 9560.37 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. BELGIUM (non) New TDP station - Radio Bilal in Amharic from Jan. 11: 1700-1800 on 9610 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Sun (DX Mix News, Bulgaria Jan 11 via DXLD) Saludos Glenn, estoy a la escucha en 9610 esperando comience emisión de Radio Bilal; son las 1705 y no se aprecia que haya emisión alguna. JMR (José Miguel Romero2, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) And blocked here anyway of course by RCI (gh, OK, DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. 9695, Voice of Oromiyan Liberation Front, Juelich, 1610-1615, escuchada el 11 de enero en idioma oromo a locutor con comentarios; se aprecia colisión con el servicio en tajico de Radio Liberty, SINPO 33442 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also ERITREA [non] ** EUROPE. So many pirates in the 48m band as well. I love shortwave. http://www.shortwavedx.blogspot.com/ (Gary Drew, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See UK for his ** GERMANY. Sunday 11 Jan: Blue Star via EMR on 6140, 1325 heard with good signal S9+10. There was a sign off 1330 but on retune 1355 was again there with S9. That time with old rock possibly Elvis Presley. At 1358.45 was again off!! (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. Frequency change of Deutsche Welle DRM from Jan. 10: 0700-0800 NF 3995 SKN 100 kW / 121 deg to WeEu, ex 5990 SKN 100 kW / 150 deg (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) ** GREENLAND. 3815, ibl., 1500, Tasillaq på USB med relä av KNR, Nuuk. Eftersom man saknar bärvåg kan jag inte mäta QRG:n men de verkar ligga omkring 3814,98. Har hörts ofta med emsändningarna. 1-2 SA 3815, sometimes, 1500, Tasillaq in USB relaying KNR, Nuuk. Because of lack of the carrier I can't measure the QRG but it seems to be about 3814.98 kHz. Heard quite often with the afternoon services. 1-2 (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 11, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM [and non]. USA (non) B-08 AWR DX program "Wavescan" Sundays: 1130-1200 on 15260 SDA 100 kW / 255 deg to SEAs 1200-1230 on 15495 WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs 1500-1530 on 12105 SDA 100 kW / 285 deg to SoAs 1530-1600 on 11675 WER 250 kW / 075 deg to SoAs 1600-1630 on 9585 SDA 100 kW / 285 deg to SoAs 1600-1630 on 11690 SDA 100 kW / 285 deg to SoAs 1630-1700 on 11980 SDA 100 kW / 300 deg to SoAs 2130-2200 on 9625 SDA 100 kW / 315 deg to EaAs 2230-2300 on 15320 SDA 100 kW / 255 deg to SEAs (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. Radio Verdad, Chiquimula, 1935 UT, 12-01, la página web de esta emisora http://www.radioverdad.org/ que había estado fuera de servicio y fue restablecida hace unos días, vuelve a fallar. Al tratar de acceder a ella aparece este mensaje: "Account for domain radioverdad.org has been suspended" (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. 4799.8, Radio Buenas Nuevas – San Sebastián, 0352, 1/8/09, in Spanish. Man with preaching cadanced talk. Music from XERTA was below, and slowly rose and buried Buenas Nuevas by 0355. Fair deteriorating to poor (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, R-75, Winradio g313e, Eton E1, Satllit 800, Kaito 1103; 110’ random wire, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) See also MEXICO ** GUINEA. 7125, Guinea, R. Conakry. January-11 0847-0901 tribal music, 0852 short male talks returning African music. Low modulation, around 0900 very deteriorated, at tune-in 24322 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONDURAS. 3339.98, HRMI-Radio Misiones Internacionales, 0850-0900, Jan 11, Spanish ID at 0851 as “Radio Misiones Internacionales”. Spanish religious music. Fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR 7 MHz frequencies to be changed --- The frequencies of AIR stations operating between 7105 and 7195 are proposed to be shifted to frequencies on the higher side of the 41 meter band (above 7200 kHz) from the A 2009 broadcasting period. More details later. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad 500082, India, dx_india via DXLD) See also INDONESIA Something like this in A09 (tentatively) : KKT 0230-1215 RSW - KKT 7210 50 180 KSG 0415-1045 RSW - KSG 7230 50 150 DEL 0200-0400 Internal-N 7235 50 162 MUM 0415-1215 RSW - MUM 7240 50 90 PAN 0115-0230 Nepali 7250 250 25 GKP 0645-1145 Nep/Urdu 7250 50 15 PAN 1600-1830 Pers/Mal. 7250 250 300 (x7115) ALG 1300-1545 Dar/Pus/En 7255 250 282 CNI 0645-1215 FM Gold 7270 100 0 CNI 1230-1600 FM Gold 7270 100 0 CNI 0015-0430 FM Gold 7275 100 0 GUW 0415-1145 RSW - GUW 7280 50 130 TVD 0215-1045 RSW - TVD 7290 50 160 AIZ 0415-1115 RSW - AIZ 7295 10 36 DEL 1230-1730 FM Gold 7295 50 162 SHG 0415-1045 RSW - SHG 7315 50 76 (x7130) JAI 0415-1115 RSW - JAI 7325 50 90 (x7120) MUM 1230-1730 FM Gold 7325 100 10 IMP 0215-0945 RSW - IMP 7335 50 160 (x7150) MUM 0015-0430 FM Gold 7340 100 10 (x7195?) MUM 0615-1200 FM Gold 7340 100 10 (x7195?) MUM 1230-1730 FM Gold 7340 100 10 (x7195?) MUM 0015-0430 FM Gold 7345 100 10 MUM 0615-1200 FM Gold 7345 100 10 DEL 0015-0430 FM Gold 7360 50 162 DEL 0615-1200 FM Gold 7360 50 162 (x7170?) DEL 1230-1730 FM Gold 7360 50 162 DEL 0015-0045 H/E News 7370 50 162 (x7150) DEL 0045-0200 Sindhi 7370 100 282 (x7125) DEL 1545-1830 Internal-N 7370 100 154 (x7140) CNI 0245-1145 RSW - CNI 7380 50 0 (x7160) CNI 0045-0430 FM Gold 7385 100 0 CNI 0645-1130 FM Gold 7385 100 0 CNI 1230-1730 FM Gold 7385 100 0 PBL 0300-1045 RSW - PBL 7390 10 147 (x7115) DEL 1300-1530 Dari/Push 7410 250 334 ALG 1600-1730 Hindi 7410 250 282 DEL 1730-2230 GOIV/H/GOV 7410 250 312 GUW 0015-0430 FM Gold 7420 50 130 (x7190?) HYD 0215-1145 RSW - HYD 7420 50 125 (x7140) GUW 0615-1200 FM Gold 7420 50 130 (x7190?) GUW 1230-1730 FM Gold 7420 50 130 BHO 0215-1115 RSW - BHO 7430 50 102 (x7180) LKW 0415-1045 RSW - LKW 7440 50 72 (x7105) ALG 0045-0200 Burmese 9950 250 102 (x7165) (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. Photo of All India Radio FM Studio/Transmitter - Aizwal http://www.misual.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/1556636_m.jpg (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dx_india yg via DXLD) Really, really bluish ** INDONESIA. Re 8-128: 7235 14/12 0000 INDONESIA, RRI Palu, indonesian, desde Palu, com 1 kW, sinal de ID, ID as 0000 e YL talk, mx indonésia, 0007 YL talk, gravado, 22332. As escutas podem ser ouvidas em http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006/home?t=74925&c=6&s=uploaded- (Jorge Freitas, SWL1023B, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil, 12º 15' 1.57" S, 38º 58' 40.30" W, Degen 1103, Antena encurtada para OT com 12 metros, dxclube pr yg via DXLD) RRI Palu, Sulawesi Tengah, 1 kW is on 7235v at 0000-0800 per WRTH 2009. PWBR `2009` shows 7234v instead. What else could it be? PWBR also has Belarus 5 kW until 0200. HFCC but no one else has TWR Novosibirsk on 7235 at 2325-0045 for India. WRTH 2009 India section for TWR shows Bengali before and after 0000, but on 7345 Novosibirsk, and not daily (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) and follow-ups::: INDONESIA. Re 8-130: 7235.00, RRI Palu (tentative), *0000-0045 fade out, Dec 21, local songs, talks in UNID language, choir singing, 0030 metallic IS, native songs and instrumental music, 24232 adjacent QRM on both sides 24232 (Anker Petersen, Skovlunde, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Dec 24 via DXLD) INDIA [non]. 7235, TWR Novosibirsk, 2330-0010, Dec 31, unID Indian language opening after Russian warm-up tones, definite ID as "TWR India" noted 2344. Am quite sure that what was being reported as "RRI Palu" in DXLD 8-128 & 8-131 is in fact them. Glenn's suggestion about NVS in HFCC listing was correct! (Martien Groot, Schoorl, Netherlands, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I listened to Jorge`s recording again, http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006/3631806/ and the opening tones are certainly typical of Russian transmitter sites warming up. A bit of the music does remind me of Indonesia, but I hear nothing identifiable either as RRI Palu or TWR India (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Caro amigo Jorge e demais amigos da lista, Ainda pesquisando sobre a tua escuta na frequência de 7235 kHz, baixei o Hino da Indonésia, versão instrumental em MP3, no link http://www.national-anthems.net/music/ID fiz uma comparação bem parcimoniosa com a música que consta na tua gravação. Tive alguma dificuldade inicial, pois a tua gravação, no formato .wma, não abriu no meu Windows Media Player (deve ser pela falta de algum Plug-In que eu não quiz pesquisar qual na hora), mas como tenho o Sound Forger 7.0, abri todas as duas gravações; a tua em .wma e a versão baixada do Hino da Indonésia em MP3. Notei até uma particularidade na tua gravação em wma, que está aproximadamente no minuto 1:28, onde aparece uma interferência, que pelo som me parece ser do acendimento automático de fogão ou um daqueles magik-Clic de cristal de quartzo, são duas "chispadas" claras de acendimento de fogão. A melodia do Hino é uma marcha, de andamento bem marcial, mas na segunda parte, quando entram os bombardinos, trombones e tubas, a comparação fica ainda mais clara, mostrando que é realmente a mesma melodia que você gravou na sua escuta. Agora, posso afirmar, sem sombra de dúvida, que se trata mesmo do Hino da Indonésia, que aparece na tua gravação e assim a possibilidade da tua escuta aponta no sentido da RRI Palu, em 7235 kHz, pois as emissoras costumam iniciar e terminar suas emissões com o Hino Nacional do país. Um abraço a todos, (Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, Barbacena - MG - Brasil, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Compared some music on the recording to a download of the Indonesian NA and says it matches; despite the Russian tune-up tones at the outset, so apparently both were incoming (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 7289.85, RRI-Nabire, Jan 3, 0755-0805, 35433, Indonesian, Music, ID at 0801, 0801 Jakarta news relay (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Jan 10 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. Re 9-004: Re: Angervating CBC Tweet about new tentative agreement --- Well, I'm a "follower" of a number of news outlets on Twitter and I can attest to there being, as a rule, some individual in charge of putting out Tweet feeds. Huffington Post actually has two people and they oft-times duplicate each other, except for the time just one of them decides he/she wants to throw in a personal editorial about Twitter spammers. I'm just as certain that they're not about to devote the whole staff to a Twitter project, hi. Still, considering the number of media people who are on Twitter, it's become a prefered method for a media personality to hear back from viewers/listeners (Clara Listensprechen, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET/VACUUM. Mobile Internet radio streaming Glenn, I was reading with interest the texts in your latest DXLD regarding using cellphone technology to enable mobile Internet streaming. One major roadblock to making this work in Canada is the relatively expensive data packages mobile users would be required to purchase. Rogers and Fido, the two carriers that offer the iPhone 3G, charge the following for data services (all figures in Canadian funds): No plan: 5 cents/kb 2 MB/mo: $15* 500 MB/mo: $25** 1 GB/mo: $30** 3 GB/mo: $60** 8 GB/mo: $80** *Additional data transmission rate for 2 MB option; $5 per MB up to 5 MB and 3¢ per MB thereafter **Additional data transmission rate 3¢ per MB. International data roaming rate of 3¢ per kb. To get an idea of file size, a 700 MB CD can hold about 12 hours of MP3 music encoded at 128kbps. That's the same data rate as many decent-sounding Internet stereo stations, although many stream at lower bit rates. It would conceivably only take several days of listening to blow through the 500 MB monthly data plan shown above. These rates also apply to phones that use slower EDGE and GPRS mobile technology -- like my Fido-branded Nokia phone -- that also allow for listening to streaming audio, albeit at lower data rates only. I downloaded an application that allows me to use my phone to do just that. Little did I know, I was signed up for the wrong data plan and managed to accidentally spend $25 after listening to just a few minutes of low-quality streaming audio. In contrast, for $15 a month or less, I could get a subscription to Sirius, which has seamless coverage across Canada's vast territory, unlike cellphone service, which covers many urban centres and highway corridors but still had very large gaps in rural regions. Anyway, just thought I'd share my two cents on mobile streaming audio with other DXLD readers. End of rant! 73, (Ricky Leong, Calgary, Jan 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non non]. La cancellazione di tutte le trasmissioni dal relay lituano di Sitkunai influiscono anche sulla programmazione in lingua italiana, la trasmissione mattutina della VOIRI è diffusa solo dalle due frequenze iraniane di Kamalabad, 13620 e 15085 khz. Queste le trasmissioni cancellate: VOIRI 0630-0728 9770 Italian . . . (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, Jan 11, bclnews.it yg via DXLD) see also LITHUANIA ** IRELAND. Frnews: Raid !! Het Ierse station Premier Radio, elke zondag op 6265 kHz, is deze morgen in volle uitzending opgepakt. Dat werd zopas via verschillende (piraat) e-maillists bekendgemaakt.73, (Hugo Matten, Belgium, Jan 11, BDX via DXLD) ** ITALY [non]. SLOVAKIA, RSO site, Some changes of NEXUS-IBA IRRS Shortwave from Jan. 1/3/5/11: 0900-1000 9510 150 kW / non-dir Eu/ME/NAf JOY German/Music 1st Sat 0900-1000 9510 150 kW / non-dir Eu/ME/NAf WOR/DXPL 2nd/3rd/4th Sat 0530-0630 5990 150 kW / non-dir Eu/ME/NAf EGR English Mo-Th, deleted 1400-1430 15725 150 kW / 095 deg India/SAs EGR English Sun, deleted DXPL=DX Party Line EGR=European Gospel Radio JOY=Radio Joystick WOR=World of Radio (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. 7540.00, *1500-1600, Clandestine, 08.01, Voice of Mesopotamia, via Ukraine. Kurdish IDs: "Dengê Mezopotamya" and "Radyoya Dengê Mezopotamya", news, 1520 Kurdish song, interview mentioning Ankara, America and NATO, phone report. New s/on time, ex *1400. 11530 continued till 1500*. On 7540 carrier was on already at 1435. 55555, S9+30 dB! (Anker Petersen, heard on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire here in Skovlunde, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. UAE, 7115, Suab Xaa Moo Zoo via UAE, Jan 3, *2329-2340, 44443-44444, Hmong, 2329 sign on with opening music, Opening announce, Talk and music. 7115, Suab Xaa Moo Zoo via UAE, Jan 5, *2329-2341, 35433-34433, Hmong, 2329 sign on with opening music, Opening announce, Music and talk (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium Jan 10 via DXLD) 250 kW, 90 deg ** LITHUANIA. All transmissions from Sitkunai are cancelled 1430-1528 3960 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to EaEu VOIROI/IRIB Russian 1530-1728 3960 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to EaEu R Racja Belarussian 1730-1828 6180 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB German 1830-2028 6115 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB French/English 2030-2128 6055 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB Spanish 2130-2228 6055*SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu Mighty KBC English 2300-2358 7325 SIT 100 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Radio Vilnius Lith/English 0000-0058 9875 SIT 100 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Radio Vilnius Lith/English 0100-0158 9480 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to CeAs Radio Free Asia Uyghur 0200-0258 6110*SIT 100 kW / 310 deg to NoAm Mighty KBC English Sun 0630-0728 9770 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB Italian 0900-0958 9710 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu Radio Vilnius Lith/English *but really Mighty KBC Radio is on air!!! (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) ** LITHUANIA. Re 9-004: Saludos Wolfi, veremos que pasa los próximos días con las emisiones de VOIRI vía Lituania, es probable que se trate de un retraso en los pagos, pero también podría tratarse de una desviación de fondos por parte de VOIRI hacia la causa palestina; no me extrañaría nada que VOIRI haya decidido destinar los fondos que empleaba para las emisiones a través de Lituania y estuviera detrás de Al Aqsa, ya que Irán es uno de los pocos países de ámbito musulmán mas involucrado con la causa palestina. Es curioso que a pesar de que Israel haya destruido completamente las instalaciones de Al Aqsa TV en Gaza, esta emisora siga emitiendo por satélite y desde hace unos días por Onda Corta, el único país en que se a notado cambios en sus emisiones por Onda Corta ha sido Irán con la cancelación de sus emisiones a través de Lituania, casualidad? Sin lugar a dudas es una teoría con poco fundamento, pero tiene cierta lógica (José Miguel Romero, Spain, Jan 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 9750, Voice of Malaysia, 1155-1245 Jan 12, Prior to the hour, noted interval signal repeatedly. On the hour, ID by female - followed with NA and more comments from female. At approx. 1202, news presented. Following that a program of music. On the halfhour, news again. Signal was fair (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, NRD545, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Scheduled in Indonesian at 1000-1400 // 6175, per WRTH 2009, so strange they were running IS at 1155 as if it were start of transmission (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 4800, XERTA Radio Transcontinental – Mexico City, 0354, 1/8/09, in Spanish. Initially well under Radio Buenas Nuevas [see GUATEMALA], at 0352 tune in, but clearly above BN by 0355 and dominated with only weak QRM under thereafter. Man announcer with contemporary Mexican ballads and campo style music. Poor increasing to good. This is the first time I have heard both Buenas Nuevas and XERTA at the same time (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, R-75, Winradio g313e, Eton E1, Satllit 800, Kaito 1103; 110’ random wire, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 6044.93, XEXQ (presumed); 0056-0100*, Jan 11; in Spanish. They sign-off early on the weekend? (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOROCCO. Nador, Radio Medi 1, 171 LW, Mon Jan 2 [sic] 2009, 0536 UT, fair with OM in French, perhaps news. Followed with dance music. 0545 ID and Arabic language change. YL with news TOH. Signal fading to poor at this time. After noticing excellent copy of NDBs below 530, and following Bogdan Chiochiu’s reports on LW, thought I’d check-and-heard faint-poor 162- France, the only signal I’ve ever heard here. Caught my attention, and perhaps at the right time, was increasing signal strength on 171. Usually see listed 162-France and 189-Iceland reports, but can’t recall Radio Medi. Very pleased to record this one; my first LW good enough for a report. I’m excited: There’s still hope after all for owners of low-end receivers, i.e. DX-440 and 100 ft wire indoors, tangled on floor albeit (Konnie Rychalsky, SW CT, HCDX v ia DXLD) I guess he means UT Monday January 12, the date this was posted (gh) ** MOROCCO. MARROCOS – Até que enfim a propagação tem ajudado quem gosta da programação musical da Rádio Medi Un, cujo transmissor está localizado em Nador, mas tem seus estúdios em Tanger. O sinal da emissora tem regular sintonia, nos últimos dias, no Sul do Brasil, a partir das 18h, na hora brasileira de verão. Na madrugada de domingo, 11, por volta de 2h, transmitia seleção musical com o melhor da música árabe e do pop dos anos 80 (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Jan 11 via DXLD) WTFK? Presumably 9575 if not 171 (gh, DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 5985.0, Myanma R., 1532-1539, Jan 11; in English with news and weather for Myanmar and Myanmar waters (mostly cloudy); political pep talk about national solidarity and national policies; into program of pop songs ("More Than I Can Say", etc.); strong signal, but with adjacent QRM splatter (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORWAY [and non]. Northern Star International Broadcasters AS PO Box 100 N5331 RONG NORWAY Email: 1000@northernstar.no PRESS RELEASES ================================= Dated 31st of December, 2008 For Immediate release Open future for Northern Star International Broadcasters AS. On its General Meeting December 8th, in Bergen, Norway, the shareholders of Northern Star International Broadcasters AS (66,48 % of the issued shares represented) voted to be open for different future scenarios for Northern Star International Broadcasters AS, the company still holding a provisional license for the AM frequency Longwave 216 kHz, power 1.2 Million Watts, offered by Norway's Mass Media Authority. The founder and chairman Svenn Martinsen comments in the form of this editorial: "Early in 2008 our company invited its shareholders to an internal debate as to the future of our radio project. On the background of the received inputs the board in the fall has attempted to formulate a strategy for the way forward. This was voted over in the recent GM. For the public, we'd like to offer the following honest evaluation as to where we stand as of January 1st, 2009: --- see details at http://northernstar.no/ (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) What's this 153 kHz plan, with a coverage map that pretends there is no 500 kW transmitter in Germany on this frequency? Did the Norwegian authorities in spring 1998 seriously consider to allow a 1200 kW transmitter on 153 kHz at a location near Stavanger? Would have become a nice row with Germany I think, since certainly Deutschlandradio would not have been willing to gave up this frequency without a fight. (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) I love Mike Terry's postings. Don`t think they are meant to be funny, but a few of them give a good laugh. (I know Mike, you only report what you find). There are so many questions with this press release, I don`t know where to start: Oh yes --- how many radios exist that can pick up DRM on LONG WAVE? Planned for eight years? Monaco will need to reduce its power (once 2000 kW, and now 1400 kW) considerably, for anything else to be heard on this channel in NW England - its in "near local" quality! (Manstaruk, ibid.) Re: For the public, we'd like to offer the following honest evaluation as to where we stand as of January 1st, 2009: see details at http://northernstar.no/ Or in particular http://northernstar.no/press.htm What's this 153 kHz plan, with a coverage map that pretends there is no 500 kW transmitter in Germany on this frequency? Did the Norwegian authorities in spring 1998 seriously consider to allow a 1200 kW transmitter on 153 kHz at a location near Stavanger? Would have become a nice row with Germany I think, since certainly Deutschlandradio would not have been willing to gave up this frequency without fight (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) ``Monaco will need to reduce its power (once 2000 kw, and now 1400 kw) considerably, for anything else to be heard on this channel in NW England - its in "near local" quality!`` Well, at least one of the 216 kHz sketches shows that there is something else on this frequency, too, although not at the correct location (the Roumoules transmitters are not less than 120 km away from Monaco). But the other way round RMC would certainly not have willingly accepted that its coverage of northern France gets ruined. Did Ofcom really consider it as possible to run 300 kW on 216 kHz from Daventry? But on the other hand the Delta 171 project apparently enjoyed the support of the Dutch authorities. In 1995 Deutschlandradio was already aware of the possibility that Deutsche Telekom could be forced to leave 177 kHz and run the Zehlendorf transmitter on 180 kHz instead. It was understood that in this case Felsberg would have moved to 180 kHz instead. But the expected official letter never arrived, and so both transmitters still churn away on 177 and 183 kHz, respectively, with their offsets of 3 kHz each that had been introduced in December 1980, cf. http://pagesperso-orange.fr/tvignaud/am/e1/fr-e1.htm Btw, here are some quotations from reports about Felsberg first trying one frequency after another: http://forum.mysnip.de/read.php?8773,655848 Translation of the Funkschau magazine report from February 1955: New interferences on longwave The new advertisement station in Sarre, called "Europe I", caused quite some confusion already with its first test transmissions, run with 400 kW. First Oslo on 216 kHz was disturbed, soon afterwards "Europe I" went to 245 kHz, the frequency of Kalundborg. Protests from Danmark prompted a frequency change to 239.5 kHz and soon afterwards again to 238.5 kHz. Thus the Sarre transmitter can now be heard between Kalundborg and Luxembourg. It appears that the antenna on the Felsberg near Saarbrücken is not completed yet and a provisional antenna in use. But despite this the "Europe I" transmitter produces already now around Hamburg during daytime a fieldstrength of about 700 µV/m. Another reason for the frequency changes of the "Europe I" transmitter were protests from the power supply companies, their internal phone connections (current carrier distribution along the high voltage lines) were first disturbed, too (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) History of January 2001 year: NORWAY This on the MW Circle list, refers to allocation of a Norwegian LW freq. Mike Only two companies have applied for a private radiolicence to operate on 216 kHz with up to 1200 kW of power. Northern Star International Broadcasters and an organisation of Tamils in Norway. NSIB started its work many years ago, and is responsible for the licence being advertised at all, through their intensive lobbying activities towards the govt. The Tamils, organized in "Det Tamilske Samordningsutvalget i Norge" already operate a FM-station in Oslo (R Tamil Murasam 105.8 MHz) on a frequency shared with different organisations. They intend to put their proposed transmitter somewhere in the Oslo-area, airing programs aimed at the Tamil residents all over Norway, while NSIB is working to establish their facilities somewhere in the southwestern coast area of Norway, aiming at a more international audience. The licencing body will now hold meeting with the two groups, hoping to issue a licence "in the near future". I would assume around this summer. The licence will be issued for 7 years only, and may not be prolonged should the govt at that stage want to use the freq for "other purposes", e.g. digital txions (Bernt Efjord-NOR, MWC via Mike Barraclough-UK, Jan 11, 2001 year, DXLD) Looking at my WRTH it shows Oslo using this channel until after 1995 with 200 kW. I believe they closed it as they maintained that nobody was bothering to listen to LW. I presume now they realise they can make some money out of leasing it to another enterprise (Andy Cadier- UK, via Richard Buckby G3VGW, Jan 12, 2001 year) Andy, you are partly right. NRK didn't want to continue paying for the running of Oslo 216 kHz. The contract for the leasing of land was ending, and they didn't want to renew it. And the transmitter was dating back to 1954, so it really couldn't last too much longer without major investments. Originally according to the 1978 Geneva-plan Norway was issued an allocation for 1.2 Megawatts on 216 from a new location south of Oslo, actually on an island in the Oslo Fjord. (Plus similar high power transmitters at Kvitsoey, Vigra and Tromsoe). Only Kvitsoey (1314) was built, and NRK decided to not continue with the rest. Tromsoe was eventually closed and not replace (until this year when 153 was again made operational, if only with 100 kW, not the allocated 1.2 MW). Vigra remains at 100 kW, and Oslo/Klofta was closed Jan 2nd 1995. (Bernt Efjord, Norway, BDXC-UK / DXLD Jan 12, 2001 year) NORWAY This from the Medium Wave Circle list via Mike Barraclough-UK: From: Svenn M Open letter from Northern Star. Very shortly Northern Star International Broadcasters AS(Norway) will be awarded the 216 kHz 1200 kW Norwegian license. We are planning a commercial International English sce on the channel. We have struggled for this for 7 years through various offices, Depts, Parliament and licensing authority, so you will understand it is quite a feat! We have done much research already re. the signal potential of the Norway allocation and are confident in view of the results. At this moment we are interested addressing the radio listener community for volunteers who may be able to assist us. Thus we hope to start a meaningful interactive relationship with our audience not only in feedback to programming, but also re. technical aspects. We are now interested in researching the groundwave and skywave signals of some LW stations from locations in the British Isles, Northern France, The Benelux, Germany, and the Baltic coast. Cooperators have to be experienced DXers/radio listeners who know what they are doing. The stns are: 216 kHz R Monte Carlo, Roumoules, France, 1400 kW emrp (effective measured radiated power), 207 kHz DLR Aholming, Germany, 500 kW emrp, 207 kHz RUV Eidar, Iceland, 100 kW emrp, and 225 kHz PR Solec Kujawski, Poland, 1000 kW emrp. On 216, there will be a fluxuating transmission zone between the Northern Star and RMC signals. This zone will move back and forth all the time, and can be several hundred kilometres wide. We are especially interested in estimating in which areas Northern Star will be interference-free of our co-channel neighbour. Professional equipment should be used so that the readings could be as accurate as possible. What we really need are precise signal strength levels in exact milliVolts/m figures, however measurements made on domestic equipment will also be helpful. Please tune each station in turn for maximum signal strength rotating loops (note bearing) / optimizing antennas and record the signal reading on each frequency. We would propose ground wave reading between 1000-1400 UTC and skywave between 2000-2400 UTC. Listeners have to keep receiver settings of RF gain etc. constant whilst doing the tests. Uncalibrated readings, such as S9+? or SINPO 55555 are better than nothing. We also need NGR and/or Latitude and Longitude at the reception site for the exercise to be meaningful. The data will be collated in MS Excel and the results added to a map in numerical form. The results will be shared with those participating. Additionally, we are seeking listeners having data of how the former Norwegian stn on 216/218, LKA Oslo Kringkaster, Kloefta, 200 kW did versus R Monte Carlo. LKA closed down on Jan 2, 1995 at 1348 UTC. We look forward to replace that stn with a GREAT signal, and GREAT progrming from a GREAT country! sincerely for The "AMazing AM", Svenn Martinsen General Manager/Chairman (C)NSIBC AS "mailto: " - we estimate that the first portion of our new webpages at will be up during this autumn. - a permanent e-mail address will then be announced. - but suggestions, comments and greetings are welcomed to address above as from now. - Have you read the story of Norway's other new Longwave allocation. It is already on the air! Look up (Sep 8, 2001 year) (all via Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 12, dxldyg via DXLD) First, Thanks to Wolfgang for providing that material. However, it`s all 8 years old, and but fleshes out the background for the project as it then was (and is vaguely reminiscent of a project I was involved in nearly 35 years ago, in Eire!) I think the market it intended to serve may have all but disappeared now. I will wait until someone reports it on the air before any further comment (Keith, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Conditions not particularly good, but a few less common stations noted. 1520, KOKC Oklahoma City OK; “15-20 K-OKC, K-OKC Talk Radio 15-20 K-OKC” IDs; xf WWKB; tnx Steve Whitt tip; personal first. Good peaks, 0933 6/1 mah (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. Perseus SDR, NRD-545, RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverages: 490m at 233 degrees, unterminated; 500m at 279 degrees, terminated; 545m at 338 degrees, terminated; 50m at 321 degrees, unterminated. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/ MWC via DXLD) Martin is a top MW DXer with a prime location on the Scottish coast, and look at his antennas, equipment, with hundreds of lower-powered North American MW stations to his credit on crowded channels --- yet this is the first time he has logged 50 kW KOKC. There have been other reports of it from Europe lately, and we strongly suspect KOKC has not been running direxional, which normally at night has an elliptical pattern, with OKC at one edge, i.e. nothing going northward, eastward, or southward; aimed WNW, despite Portland OR which in turn beams away from OKC into the Pacific. Nevertheless, KOKC is commonly heard in Hawaii and New Zealand, even on portable and caradios (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Can you help to solve the 3235 and 3905 Papua mystery. As it seems either WRTH or the DX community are wrong. As I can remember 3905 has always been logged as R New Ireland, but WRTH tells another story. Regards (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin editor, Jan 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: 3234.999, ibl., 1350, Radio New Ireland har glimtat till några gånger. Vanligen stillsam mjuk musik. Cd A14 men ligger kvar med bärvåg flera minuter. 2 som bäst. SA 3234.999, sometimes, 1350, Radio New Ireland up a few times. Usually quiet soft music. Closedown at A14 but the carrier is present several minutes. O=2 at best. SA (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 11, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3235, 31.12 1440, Tent. Papua. Svag station här med mx, troligen Papua som körde på övertid, vilket tydligen flera av Papuastationerna gjorde denna dag. Störningsnivån med Flag-antennen på 90 mb var denna dag otroligt låg, vilken kan ha bidragit till att även de allra svagaste signalerna gick igenom. TN 3235, 31.12 1440, Tentative. Papua. Weak station here with music, probably Papua on overtime, which obviously several Papua stations did this day. The noise level with the Flag-antenna was very low this day on 90 mb which contributed to the presence of the weakest stations. TN (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin translated for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ((Enl WRTH och NBC hemsida är det R New Ireland som ligger här, men se kommentar under 3905 där R New Ireland tipsats av flera, vilket i så fall innebär att 3235 borde vara R West New Britain?? Vilket är rätt??? /TN) (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin via DXLD) (According to WRTH and NBC web site it is R New Ireland on this frequency, but note the comment for 3905 where R New Ireland is logged by some, which means that 3235 ought to be R West New Britain?? What is correct??? TN (Thomas Nilsson, SWB-editor, translated for DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3905, 26.12 1402, Tentativ Papua med mx, men väldigt svag. Även 31/12 kl 1445 hördes en svag station här. TN. 3905, 26.12 1402, Tentative Papua with music, but very weak. Also 31/12 at 1445 a weak station was heard here. TN (Thomas Nilsson, ibid.) (Enl WRTH och NBC hemsida är det R West New Britain som ligger här men i DXLD 9-001 tipsas 3905 av en amerikansk DX-are som R New Ireland, hörbar där till 1525 denna dag. Även i DXLD 9-004 tipsas denna av en österrikisk DX-are som R New Ireland. Enligt Martin Elbes QSL från dessa båda stationer, så har man qsl:at 3905 som R New Ireland och 3235 som R West New Britain, men detta var i mitten på 90-talet. Vad gäller egentligen? /TN (Thomas Nilsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin via DXLD) (According to WRTH and NBC website it is R West New Britain on this frequency but in DXLD 9-001 3905 is heard as R New Ireland until 1525 this day by an American DX-er. Also in DXLD 9-004 is logged as R New Ireland by an Austrian Dx-er. According to QSL received by Martin Elbe, from both these stations, 3905 is QSL-ed as R New Ireland and 3235 as R West New Britain, but this was in 1994-1995 or so. What is correct? Please also note that the entry for 3235 is missing in the SW frequency table in WRTH. TN (Thomas Nilsson, SWB-editor, ibid.) Logs in DXLD 9-001 and 9-004 say 3905 is R. New Ireland, but did anyone get a definite local ID? WRTH 2009 has exchanged the two stations compared to 2008; in 2009 showing 3905 as station 2) Radio West New Britain. An editorial mixup, or have the two stations really swapped frequencies? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, My logs of DXLD 9-001 represent a random survey of the PNG stations that I heard that morning and I cannot claim any positive IDs. 3905 was certainly the best reception, but was clearly in Tok Pisin and I did not make out any reference to a geographic location during the dedications or anything like an ID, but then again I was switching frequencies a lot to see what was happening overall. Someone who has monitored Oceanian and Asian stations extensively is "Peace J". His website http://www.peace-j.net/ has an excellent selection of audio clips (right column on his website), many with IDs and they are fairly current. Is it possible that WRTH is now reflecting the station information provided at the NBC website http://www.nbc.com.pg/tunein.htm ? But if so, I think it is questionable as to how up-to-date or accurate it is. Believe it still corresponds to the same information in DXLD 8-021 (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, Jan 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Glen[n], WRTH is wrong. The last weeks the signal from 3905 is audible here in Salzburg - but the signal strength is lower than last year - only poor conditions the last time? You can easy identify New Ireland. I enclose two mp3 Files, one beautiful from last year, one from last week. In every file you can listen to an old German folksong by a choir, which I *never* heard from another station like New Ireland. New Ireland plays every day from around 1918-1925 (s/on) some pop or orchestra music and shortly after 1930 *every* day this special song, than drums, a local ID, frequency and so on. On last year`s recording you hear a clear ID, this year I made many recordings the last weeks but no clear ID till today. But conditions hopefully improve the next weeks like last year. 73 (Christoph Ratzer, Austria, -- http://www.a-dx.at DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx, Christoph. Yes, as Ron points out, the NBC website station list, not in frequency order, has Kimbe and Kavieng right next to each other, reversed as in WRTH 2009. A reminder that one cannot trust even ``official`` info and everything must be cross-checked and confirmed if possible. From 1885 until Aussies took over in WWI, New Ireland was a German colony, a.k.a. part of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland along the northern coast of PNG. I guess the song reminisces about that era. Sounds somewhat familiar; does anyone recognize it and whether they are singing it in German? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4790.0, Radio Visión – Chiclayo, 0348, 1/8/09, in Spanish. Usual preacher with lively preaching. ID and frequency list at 0350. The station was right on frequency and not the usual + .1 or so kHz high. I might have had ideas of R. Atlántida, if I had not recognized the voice and preaching style. Fair (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, R-75, Winradio g313e, Eton E1, Satllit 800, Kaito 1103; 110’ random wire, Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** PERU. Radio Cultural Amauta do Peru. Uma emissora que está aparecendo muito, ultimamente em nossos diais, é a Rádio Cultural Amauta, é uma emissora Peruana, que foi fundada pela missionária presbiteriana, Nicklas Cochran [female??? --- gh] em 7 de novembro de 1960, sendo que a primeiro sinal emitido foi a transmissão de "O Messiah", de Handel. É uma emissora, que emite em espanhol, mas também no idioma quéchua e se identifica como: "transmite desde Huanta en Perú, Radio Amauta", sendo que o nome "Amauta", é um vocábulo quechua que significa "Master" em espanhol. É uma emissora que sofreu muita mudanças institucionais, porém sempre se manteve no ar, até a presente data. Mesmo quando lutava contra a violência policial da década de 80, onde sofreu muita intimidação da polícia militar do país. Atualmente é gerida por uma associação plesbiteriana e transmite uma programação variada, com muita música local e folclórica andina. Ela está localizada em Huanta – Ayacucho e além da emissão em Ondas Tropicais em 4955 kHz, também emite em paralelo por FM em 99,9 MHz. O responsável pela emissora é Vicente Mamani Palomino, seu endereço postal é Jr. Cahuide 278, Apartado 24, Huanta, Ayacucho – Peru e seus endereços de E-Mail são arca @ terra.com.pe e radioamauta @ hotmail.com anteriormente utilizava o endereço de E-mail cpdayni@hys.com mas este, me parece, ter sido desativado (Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, Barbacena - MG, “Navegando Ondas Tropicais”, @titivade DX Jan 11 via DXLD) ** PERU. 2315 to 2325 noted in Southeast Florida Jan 12: 4824.49, La Voz de la Selva, Iquitos 4826.45, Radio Sicuani, Sicuani 4835.6, Radio Marañón, Jaen 4857.39, Radio La Hora, Cusco 5059.354, La Voz de las Huarinjas, Huancabamba 6173.8, Radio Tawantinsuyo, Cusco (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, Florida, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BOLIVIA ** PERU. 6195.84, Radio Cusco, 1040-1100 Jan 11, Not much activity this morning except Huaynos selections. Periodically a male will comment between the tunes. At 1057 a canned ID is heard with partial copy as, "... Radio Cusco ... mundo ... Radio Cusco...". Too much QRN and weak signal to glean anything more. Signal was poor (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, NRD545, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So it remains off frequency almost 1 kHz high instead of logh (gh) ** PERU. 6536, RADIO NUEVA SUPER SENSACION. Huancabamba Ex-Radio Comercial, LV del Rondero. Captada ayer entre las 2230 a 0100 horas presentado música folclórica, con alguna interferencia de comunicaciones aéreas. A las 2245 comunicación telefónica preguntado al oyente "...Cuéntanos dónde estás escuchando a Radio Súper Nueva Sensación por AM, FM u onda corta??..." Continuó más música y saludos, "somos la radio internacional, Nueva Súper Sensación de Huancabamba y con Federico Ibáñez, el internacional... cruzando fronteras, Nueva Súper Sensaciónm transmitiendo desde Huancabamba, Calle Pueblo Nuevo No. 303, Huancabamba, Piura..." Mencionan No Tel (51+74) 473707 y cel 969017147. En 1998, a través de los 6618.2 kHz operó una emisora con la misma denominación y desde la misma ciudad, pero manejada por el señor Justo Emilio Carrasco Moreno; ya para 1999 funcionaba a través de los 6675v kHz y luego pasó a llamarse Radio Andina durante los años 2000 y 2001. En el 2002 reaparece nuevamente con el nombre de Radio Sensación y operando por los 6673v. En recientes años no tengo referencia de actividad por parte de esta emisora. Para ahora el nombre será utilizado por Federico Ibáñez M., personaje que ha operado varias estaciones desde Huancabamba como: RD Huancabamba, Radio San Miguel, Radio La Poderosa, Radio Estación 2, Radio Comercial Huancabamba, Radio Comercial LV del Rondero. Este personaje ha sido candidato a la alcadía de Huancabamba en varias ocasiones y ha perdido siempre; para luego utilizar los micrófonos de las emisoras en contra de los que ganaron. A todas las emisoras que ha operado les he escrito pero nunca ha contestado y no tengo referencia que algún colega haya recibido confirmación por parte de él. Los números telefónicos y dirección que mencionaron ya los había escuchado para LV del Rondero. Así es posible que en un par de meses o un año quizá vuelva a cambiar de nombre a esta emisora. Adjunto una archivo de audio .mp3 para que se den una mejor idea de la emisora. Buen DX (Rafael Rodriguez R., Bogota D.C., Jan 11, condiglist yg via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. Re 9-004, PBS on 6170 heard in Japan: PBS registers it as 2300-1600 daily with 10 kW at 15 degrees, ex-155 degrees from MAR site, for CIRAF Zone 50 = Philippines. And also 11950 at 1000-1200 daily with 50 kW at 212 degrees to zone 54 = Indonesia and Malaysia, instead of 44 and 45 = eastern China, Japan. Is anyone hearing 11950? MAR = Marulas, 14N41 120E59 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND [non]. Radio Polonia [sic] heard with surprisingly good signal on 9450 from 1340 tune in to 1400*. English mailbag program with a couple of listeners asking for schedules who did not include return addresses. Grundig G5 with 30' outdoor antenna, east/west (Greg Neide, Euclid, OH (suburban Cleveland), Jan 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) via GERMANY ** QATAR. Re 9-004, Re: Al Jazeera TV on MW in the Middle East And some photos of the studio area, mainly of Al Jazeera: http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=25.314003&ln=51.500902&z=0&k=1&a=1&tab=2 Also online is a photo in which the big microwave tower and parts of the transmission antennas of the 954 kHz site appear: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11865266 Somebody could check 954 against Al Jazeera on satellite for delays as well. QBS could have Al Jazeera on the switch boards anyway, since they share one multiplex on Badr 4 and Arabsat 2B (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) AL JAZEERA ARABIC CURRENTLY USING MEDIUMWAVE Tarek Zeidan in Cairo reported yesterday to DX Listening Digest: I noticed a note on Al Jazeera TV today 10/1/09 a note stating that they are transmitting on the MW freq of 954. I picked them up yesterday around 2215 UT. Andy Sennitt adds: This is presumably because of the current situation in Gaza. The state-owned Qatar Broadcasting Service uses 954 kHz at 0245-2130 for its main Arabic service wIth a high-power transmitter. Presumably this has been made available to Al Jazeera for overnight use. We have so far seen no reports about this in the (English- language) Qatari media (January 11th, 2009 - 12:52 UTC by Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) Re 9-004: Glenn, The original 954 Qatar antenna is the 6 element in- line "half-Yagi" on the north side of the transmitter buildings. It has 1 driven element (the easterly penultimate one), a "reflector" to the east and 4 "directors" to the west. This design is not a very satisfactory one, as it has poor bandwidth and a set of scalloped minor maxima "sidelobes." It is/was fed by the diplexed pair of Marconi 750's although it's not clear if it ever actually ran full power consistently. This type of antenna was employed in a number of other locations, in Saudi Arabia among other places, but so far as I am aware all of these installations were 25 or 30 or more years ago. The southerly antenna is a 4 element trapezoid, with two driven towers in front and two parasitics in the rear, and has a pattern shaped rather like a symmetrical shoe. It has a single feed from the Harris DX-2000, which splits halfway between the driven towers, so each is fed in phase with 1 MW. It has very nice bandwidth. (Ron Rackley and I designed and commissioned it for Harris.) (Ben Dawson, Hatfield-Dawson consulting engineers, WA, Jan 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. Where have these 750 kW mediumwave transmitters from Marconi been installed, too? The only other reference a web search reveals is the former Masirah site, with two ones of them for 702 and 1413 kHz, respectively. Power levels of 750/1500 kW alone are no reliable indicator, many of these sites had been equipped by Tesla instead. I guess this book page shows such a Marconi transmitter. It is described as shortwave, but if really 750 kW it should be for mediumwave: http://books.google.de/books?id=u3XBfkaTQcwC&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=marconi+%22750+kW%22+transmitter&source=bl&ots=d2i_j-Jjb4&sig=qLl_UwcgJH0qnqp5FT_D2A0nAf0&hl=de&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result Any info about the contractor of the similar installations in Saudi Arabia, in particular Duba (594/1521 kHz)? I suspect Thomson, because the modulation sounds exactly like on the shortwave frequencies of BSKSA. But of course this could also merely indicate an identical audio processing, not necessarily transmitters from the same manufacturer (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Kai, I have not seen the Macaroni MW 750's elsewhere, but then I haven't been everywhere, just to the places I have inspected or worked on as part of my professional duties. But the "sideways Yagi" antennas were promoted by various companies. Marconi installed some, Eubank-Preece (which is now part of the mega- size international consulting "engineering" firm Mott-McDonald) appear to have specified the ones in Saudi Arabia, which were installed with Continental transmitters (there is an article in the 1989 IEEE BTS Proceedings special edition on MF about the transmitters, at least), and I have been told there was one in Swaziland at one time. TCI had them in their catalogue, but I don't know if they actually ever sold/implemented any (Ben Dawson, WA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No shortwave from Qatar anymore, the transmitters have been shut down years ago and aerial images suggest that probably the antennas are already dismantled. Concerning 954 kHz: WRTH 2009 says that it’s on air around the clock now, so it would be not just a regular overnight break that gets filled with Al Jazeera TV audio. And the beam heading is rather “just north of west”, reaching from Egypt to Syria or thereabouts (Kai Ludwig January 11th, 2009 - 21:22 UT, Media Network blog via DXLD) Re: QBS transmission facilities: MW Al Arish 954 kHz installation, 4 mast array southerly, non-dir daytime? But I guess 954 kHz directional installation located northerly the transmitter house in use on nighttime? 6 masts, from right 1 reflector, 1 driven mast, and 4 directors towards my goniometer shows 280 degrees, which means signal in direction of Eilat and Cairo. 26 03 49.62 N 51 05 05.74 E (wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Nov 5, 2008) MW QAT Doha Al Keesha/Khaisah 675 kHz 100 kW 25 24'19.26"N 51 28'43.67"E 999 kHz 50 kW 2-masts 25 24'07.15"N 51 28'45.67"E 1233 kHz 100 kW 2-masts 25 24'17.29"N 51 28'57.23"E QBS Doha Al Keesha/Khaisah shortwave masts around the tramsmitter house, looks like scrap. Combined the image shots of Google Earth, MS Virtual Earth, and Yahoo Maps. So the remains of the shortwave mast locations - possibly - looks like: 49/41 mb 25 24 14.48 N 51 28 31.89 E 25 24 11.92 N 51 28 29.04 E 19/25 mb 25 24 11.92 N 51 28 29.04 E 25 24 10.47 N 51 28 27.45 E 13/16 mb 25 24 12.78 N 51 28 34.05 E 30 mb 25 24 12.71 N 51 28 35.85 E From MW transmitter house, feed is visible to QBS 6 masts at [maybe some 1 kW low-power MW Urdu and other SoAsian services on 1485 and 1602 kHz]: 25 24 06.78 N 51 28 25.59 E and tentatively also MW low power masts 25 24 09.21 N 51 28 36.98 E 25 24 07.15 N 51 28 38.24 E 25 24 05.04 N 51 28 39.79 E Never seen an 49 mb frequency entry in WRTH or DXpress for QBS Doha. History: Til 1981 only a single 100 kW SW tx in use. New 250 kW unit started in 1981 on 15185 and 15505 kHz. 1985: 9905 11820 15110 15265 17830 17910 kHz. Later frequencies 7210 9570 9585 9665 9750 11750 11785 11820 15345 15395 17705 17800 17830 17895 17910 21460, and 21555 kHz used. From 1994 my special notes show odd frequencies from QBS Doha service 7126.6 kHz 0245-0705. 11749.6 kHz 1307-1705, 11748.6 kHz 1707-2125 UT. Item of March 1995: QBS Doha in Arabic 1707-2128 UTC on usual odd 9585.2 kHz. Missed QBS Doha on 11785 in September 1997. Qatar-BS Al Khaisah drifted down from nominal 17895 kHz to precise 17891.00 kHz at 0707- 1306 UT. Closed down just during news at 1306:50 UT (WB Mar 1, 1998) I guess Qatar shortwave ceased in October 2002. The last QBS item in my archive appears by Rich D'Angelo: 17755.2, Qatar Broadcasting Service, 0240-0305, open carrier noted but no audio until 0258 when music heard. This was followed by a man with Arabic talk, ID and announcements at 0300. Poor. (Rich D'Angelo-PA- USA, DXplorer Aug 1, 2002) wb, Jan 11, 2009 (all via Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) ** RWANDA. QSL-related info/pre-QSLs --- RADIO RWANDA: The station e- mailed “Happy New year, Andrew.Yes, we received your email and we`re glad you listen to Radio Rwanda. Hoping you will spare some tym to visit this beautiful country called a land of a thousand hills. Keep in touch! Happy New 2009”. I e-mailed back, explaining that I collect verification letters & cards, stated that I sent a hardcopy report with postage, and asked if it would be possible for a QSL to be sent my way. We’ll see (Andrew Yoder, PA, Jan 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Mille Collines --- sorta got a bad rep a while ago (gh, DXLD) ** SERBIA. Saludos, captada anoche desde Italia con mi SANGEAN ATS 909 y antena telescópica RADIO SERBIA EN ESPANOL, en la frecuencia de 7100 kHz!!! con un sinpo de 4/5, Nueva frecuencia visto que emite en lengua serbia en los 7240 kHz y en onda media para Europa en 1107 kHz; por lo tanto es de probar a escucharla en 7100 kHz. El programa consistía en música y comentarios, una locutora femenina con óptimo español. 73!! Marino Pace (via Santiago San Gil, Venezuela, DXLD) Time?? El horario es de las 2000 UT, frecuencia 7100 kHz del día sábado 10 de enero, con un sinpo de 4/5. Receptor Sangean ATS 909 y antena telescópica, desde Abruzzo, Italia, Locator JN62WB. Condiciones del tiempo parcialmente nublado, humedad del 93%, temperatura de 5 c (Marino Pace, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Either they made a mistake or you did; supposed to be on 6100- high power via Bijeljina, and 7200- low power via Stubline. Hard to imagine why they would go on 7100 as it is already disallowed, being on the boundary with the hamband, and everything up to 7200 will be off- limits from A-09. Nor is IRS supposed to be on 7240, nor 1107 which is in Vojvodina relaying Belgrade-1 domestic service (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saludos Glenn, desde Valencia en España a las 2010 capto a R. Serbia en su servicio en español por 6100, nada en 7100 ni tampoco en 7240. 73 JMR (José Miguel Romero, Spain, Jan 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) How about 7200? ** SLOVAKIA. Greetings everyone, QSL report: RSI, 13715, f/d Banska Stiavnica - Trojcne Square card, in 66d for email report. No V/s or actual QSL statement, just handwritten date/time/frequency on the Slovak Radio postcard. Still, I love going over to Pressburg (Bratislava) when I'm in Wien. It's quite the party town, and is extremely beautiful to boot! 73s de (Al Muick, Kabul, Afghanistan, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 9541, Solomon Islands, R. SIBC, Honiara. January- 11 EE 0734-0747 OM talks, orchestral music bridge, ad sound-like, 0740 "you're listening SIBC", female choral music. 33333 (Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Embu SP Brasil - Sony ICF SW40 - dipole 18m, 32m, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. BOSTWANA, 9380, Affia Darfur, Selebi-Phikwe, 1920- 1930, escuchada el 11 de enero en árabe a locutora con comentarios, referencias a Darfur y Sudán, cuña de ID “Affia Darfur”, locutor en dialecto sin identificar con comentarios; apenas un minuto, nueva cuña, SINPO 45554 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWITZERLAND. Beromünster, 531 kHz: see DIGITAL BROADCASTING below ** SYRIA. On 12 Jan at 1757 noted an Arabic station on 3406 lsb. I first thought they gave the BSKSA ID, but later it was noted // 918 and the ID was in fact Syria. 918 audio is a few seconds late of that on SW. Still on at 2125 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) aero band, so using aero transmitter? (gh) ** SYRIA. RADIO & ARCHEOLOGICAL PICS FROM SYRIA --- Two pictures of radio antennas near the archaeological site of Palmyra (Syria) available here: http://blog.libero.it/radioascolto/6277012.html (Francesco Cecconi, noticiasdx yg via DXLD) Self-supporting; WTFK? ** TAIWAN. RTI Minhsiung Streaming Video --- Hi folks, For a brief look at the historical, but current RTI Minhsiung transmitter site and more about Radio Taiwan International please go to the following webpage: http://rti.im.tv/english/VideoList.asp?FID=4581617&PAGE=3&next5=0 Unfortunately the entire video is in Mandarin (and my limited Mandarin isn't enough for translation), but it should be of interest to our group members. Perhaps some of our Mandarin speaking members can translate some of the some interesting & relevant parts of the video. Enjoy. Regards (Ian Baxter, AUSTRALIA, Jan 8, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** TURKEY. Re 9-004: I agree that correct attribution of items used in DX programmes is important. First, it's good manners and, second, it means that the broadcaster will not be blamed for any mistakes in the original item. Concerning mailbag programmes, I agree that much of the correspondence quoted by some stations is not very interesting, especially SINPO details and other technical information. This is especially the case now that many people listen to international stations via the internet and satellites. Stuff about SINPO ratings, etc., must be meaningless to such listeners. Perhaps part of the problem is that too few listeners bother to comment about programme content, which is the only reason that international broadcasting exists. Perhaps if more people took the trouble to say what they liked and disliked and to make sensible suggestions, as well as comment on the news and views that are broadcast, there would be more useful material to quote from and discuss (Roger Tidy, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. Radio Ukraine is back in English at 0400 UT Jan 12: Reading the news now. I haven't heard them in English for a while now. Nice to see them back, at least until they run out of money again (Blake, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Where are you? Has 7440 really been off or is it just propagation? There was no word that this frequency would be suspended, unlike the temporary ones below. However, in 9-002, Walt Salmaniw in BC said he was not hearing it before 0400 UT Dec 31; but in 9-001, the next evening, UT Jan 1, I was hearing it after 0000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. Cancelled transmissions of Radio Ukraine International: 0300-0600 on 7285 SMF 100 kW / 004 deg to RUS in Ukrainian 0600-1400 on 15635 LV 600 kW / 096 deg to AUS in Ukrainian# 1500-1800 on 6020 SMF 100 kW / 004 deg to RUS in Ukrainian 1900-0300 on 9785 SMF 250 kW / 245 deg to SAm in Ukrainian* #except English 0600-0700; 1000-1100; 1200-1300 *except English 2000-2100; 2200-2300; 0100-0200, German 2100-2200 Cancelled transmissions of Second National Channel of Ukrainian Radio: 0600-1300 on 7285 SMF 100 kW / 004 deg to RUS in Ukrainian 1800-0200 on 6020 SMF 100 kW / 004 deg to RUS in Ukrainian (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) SMF = [sic] ** U K [and non]. Hello Glen[n], I would like to say I really enjoy your fantastic programme World of Radio which I podcast in itunes. I like it so much I have added it to my website as a feature on my own radio station. http://www.southhertsradio.com The programme World of Radio will be available to stream live or download or even replay on demand from the various features on my website. Best wishes and good luck, (Gary Drew, Station Manager and webmaster. www.southhertsradio Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks, Gary. Schedule here http://www.southhertsradio.com/progs.html shows WOR Sundays at 1230, repeated Wednesdays at 2000. Probably makes DST shift one UT hour earlier. I don`t recall ever hearing this or hearing about this on SW, but the website also says: ``Frequencies --- SHR International Across Europe --- We occasionally rent airtime from transmitters across Europe to beam SHR around the world on following frequencies. Short Wave: 5110, 6055, 6140, 6255, 9290, 9330 & 9770 kHz. Medium Wave: 666, 999, 1350, 1386 & 1566 KHz. Other stations may sometimes relay us as part of a sharing agreement. SHR International World Service Our own network of low power transmitters provide limited shortwave coverage to the UK daily at the following times. 6115 kHz (49M Band) 1800-0600 UT 9405 kHz (31M Band) 0600-1800 UT SHR Local --- SHR can be heard daily at selected times via our micropower FM transmitter network in "pockets" of South Hertfordshire alternating between four frequencies. 90.9, 97.9, 101.3 & 107.9 MHz (stereo).`` (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** U K. THE DAY THE BBC'S SHIP CAME IN The Guardian, By Martin Kelner, 12 January 2009 The offshore pirate radio stations of the 1960s have been attracting a good deal of interest lately, with the imminent release of The Boat That Rocked, a film set on a radio ship. Having not seen the complete film, I am unable to say to what degree it will infuriate radio pedants - radio buffs' green ballpoints are no doubt already primed to complain about the wrong type of headphones or tape machines appearing in the movie - but my suspicion is that a more faithful picture of this period in our radio history was provided in a fine documentary, The Other Radio Caroline, broadcast on BBC local radio over the New Year. It was about Radio Caroline North, by coincidence the station I listened to as a youngster growing up in Manchester. The ship was anchored in the Irish Sea near the Isle of Man, while the two other most popular stations, Radio Caroline South and Radio London, broadcast from just off the Essex coast. They were on air from 1964 to 1967, until scuppered by the government's Marine Broadcasting Offences Act - whose hasty introduction is still seen as a black day for democracy by those of us wishing at the time to do nothing more subversive than listen to Shotgun Wedding by Roy C. What happened next has arguably been the cause of some of the BBC's continuing problems, notably the arguments against Radios 1, 2 and local radio being publicly funded, which have raged on and off for more than 40 years and will certainly re-emerge in the current bleak financial midwinter. The government claimed it was closing down the pirates because they interfered with foreign broadcasts, distress signals, and so on; but instead of satisfying public demand for a legal land-based commercial pop station, it connived instead with the BBC to create an imitation commercial station in Radio 1. The suspicion remains that distress signals did not come into it. This was a dogmatic Labour government which simply did not like commercial radio. And where had the BBC's sudden enthusiasm for pop come from anyway? . . . [more] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/12/radio-bbc-pirate-stations (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Also heard VOA country music program in English on 9480 (site not known)at 1420. Anyone know the site? Grundig G5 with 30' outdoor antenna, east/west. Greg Neide, Euclid, OH (suburban Cleveland), Jan 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Greg, per the available skeds, this is VOA via Lampertheim, Germany (Bill Harms, Elkridge, Maryland, ibid.) Found W`s final press conference in progress on 9480, Jan 12 at 1440; VOA preëmpting normal programming. Kept an ear on it while firing up TV and finding it also on ABC, CBS, NBC plus the usual cable news channels and C-SPAN 2. Figured that if he ran past 1500, which he did by a few minutes, VOA would chop even the POTUS off at scheduled closing time for that transmission, 14-15 only via Lampertheim, GERMANY. But it was already missing at 1458 check. Since FEBC Manila comes in so well on 9430, one might have assumed this VOA relay was coming TP rather than TA, but Germany is listed. However, Poland still does well via Germany 9450 during the previous hour. The only other SW frequency found with live coverage of this was AFN 12133.5-USB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Radio Liberty in Azerbaijani again on SW: 1600-1700 9485 NAU 125 kW / 103 deg CeAs. Very good reception in BUL SW transmissions of VOA R. Aap ki Dunyaa in Urdu ended Dec. 31, 2008: 0100-0200 on 9520 IRA 250 kW / 340 deg and 9820 UDO 250 kW / 300 deg 1400-1500 on 7440 UDO 250 kW / 300 deg and 9390 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Jan 11, via DXLD) ** U S A. WWCR-1, 3215, absent UT Sunday Jan 11 at 0717 check, while the other frequencies, 5070, 5890, 5935 were inbooming. I hope they got it back on by 0730 in time for WORLD OF RADIO. Next check for that transmitter, at 1658 found 15825 weakly audible (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi Glenn, Going to be running the "Pirates Cove" series on Tuesdays 8-9 pm Eastern on 7415 starting tomorrow the 13th [UT Wednesdays 0100-0200 from Jan 14]. Pirates Cove is a special radio series I did back in `03-`04. It features clips and stories of the pirate radio scene in the late 60's into the 70's. I also talk about our offshore radio days. Cheers, (Allan Weiner, WBCQ, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Since another WOR weekly broadcast on WBCQ has been canceled, Wed 2200 on 15420, I`ve asked Allan to run the latest edition more than archive editions as long as he has WOR scheduled M-F at 2000-2030 on 7415 --- even if it is also appearing later the same evening on 7415 or 5110 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A . WINB on 9265 at 1530 UT --- Looks like they could be coming back. They were on the air playing Ralph Stair followed by WINB identification, the American National Anthem, and sign off at 1600 UT. No mention of this time period broadcast on winb.com or anywhere else. (Blake, Jan 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) They have never been away. In fact, the changeover times from the morning frequency 9265 to the daytime frequency 13570 vary widely. Did they talk over the anthem this time? The various time changes merely reflect DST shifts, theoretically. As I said in my previous answer, WINB does not follow the exact schedule, but switches from 9265 to 13570 at varying times according to wishes of clients, primarily Brother Scare (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Thanks much, I thought I read somewhere WINB out of Red Lion was off the air and like I said, the UTC time didn't match up to anything. They didn't talk over the National Anthem. It wasn't coming in all that good here in central South Carolina. Ralph Stair/Scare didn't even have this frequency listed for this time on his website when I went to look it up (Blake, ibid.) Any resemblance between his website and where he is axually on the air is purely coincidental (gh) Various time changes, but not til 1600 UT: 9265 1000 1400 10,11 INB 50 242 261008 011108 9265 1000 1400 10,11 INB 50 242 080309 280309 9265 1100 1500 10,11 INB 50 242 021108 070309 9265 2100 0300 10,11 INB 50 242 080309 280309 9265 2100 0300 10,11 INB 50 242 261008 011108 9265 2200 0400 10,11 INB 50 242 021108 070309 There is a gap 15-16 UT. 1600-2100 UT WMLK 125 kW 53 degrees; WMLK (9265 kHz) is a radio station in Bethel, Pennsylvania owned by the Assemblies of Yahweh (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) And WMLK has been SILENT (off the air) for years (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** U S A. Nova M radio, the progressive network originating in Phoenix, has moved from 1480 to 1190 in that market, as mentioned on SunSounds of Arizona radio reading service, probably quoting Phoenix New Times, during the 05-06 UT Sunday hour. Said a lot of listeners had not kept up with the change which had been promoted, and assumed Nova was kaput. Also mentioned what programming had replaced Nova M on 1480, but did not catch it. Unsure if legal calls have changed, but NRC AM Log 2008-2009 showed: 1480 KPHX Phoenix 5000/500 U2 1190 KNUV Tolleson 5000/250 U4; CP 5000/400 U4, but Silent 7/2008 FCC AM query shows 1190 as KNUV, licensee New Radio Venture, DA-2; in daytime with major lobe to NE, lesser lobe to SW; nighttime, major lobe to NE, more of a lobe to SW, but quite different patterns. The night CP looks like the same pattern as before, only slightly bigger as the power increase would imply. Nulls appear to be toward Portland, and Guadalajara. Transmitter site is axually close to Tolleson, on the SW side of Phoenix. 1190 must have been back on the air already, as it is not on the NRC silent stations list updated 11/17: http://www.nrcdxas.org/SilentStations/index.html Strangely enough, the Nova M affiliate list page http://www.novamradio.com/live/affiliate_list.php still shows KPHX-1480 in Phoenix, no 1190! But if you click on the link to that you axually get: http://www.1190novam.com/ FCC AM Query shows 1480 still KPHX, licensee Continental Broadcasting Corp. of Arizona, Inc. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I do not know the situation now, but can say that for some time Nova M was on BOTH 1480 AND 1190. I do know who to ask. [Later:] Just heard from a friend in Phoenix and Nova M is only on 1190 (Kevin Redding, TN, ex-AZ, Jan 11, ABDX via DXLD) As of last Monday, 1480 outlet was still using KPHX call. The 1190 outlet just IDed as KNUV (John Sampson, AZ? ibid.) 1480 is now running programming 24/7 from MartiniInTheMorning.com MITM is a standards based music form that, as I understand it, delivers the programming over the internet. And while the format is called Martini In The Morning, it does run 24/7 and MITM is programmed by former network personality and programmer Brad Chambers http://www.martiniinthemorning.com/ With regards to silent lists, I would use the FCC's own list http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/status/silent.html and trust it over the NRC list; even if the NRC list is updated, the FCC`s silent list is the only one that matters (Paul Walker, Ord NE, http://www.onairdj.com ibid.) Tnx for the info. Well, the FCC list shows KEOR 1120 Catoosa OK as silent since 11/13/2007, while we know it was NOT silent in Nov and Dec 2008, tho as I have been observing, it is silent again (and still, just checked at 1845 UT Jan 11). So much for the FCC being up to date. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Glenn et al., 1190 was reported on the air back in October in DX News. At that time they were listed as being // to 1480. They have since split with 1190 keeping the progressive talk and 1480 has switched to a Nostalgia music Format within the last week or so. 73 (Wayne Heinen, NRC AM Radio Log Editor, CO, ibid.) This move has been underway for a while now, since I first noticed they have been simulcasting on both frequencies until the first of the year when they went exclusively to 1190 kHz. 1190 puts out a much stronger signal and is heard much better over much of the "valley". I guessed that was one reason why they did it. Heck, I sometimes DXed MW on 1480 at night, even tho the frequency had KPHX (local) there; but, often, they were no factor in keeping me from hearing DX! They still have most of the old programming in national syndication, but some local programming as well, notably, the bare-knuckle punching left/liberal "Dr. Mike" (Mike Newcomb, M.D.). Dr. Newcomb has been on and off PHX airwaves for a number of years on various stations. In spite of his abrasive style, those who have known him personally say he's a very mellow guy in person; one radio personality told me "but when that red light turns on, look out !" NOVA-M is what used to be "progressive talk" locally. I apologize for my tardiness in reporting in; tho there are times I am not as up on locals as I am on stuff floating in on the DX-wave. Haha! The content of local radio and the low sunspot number (for SW-DXing) is what got me into MW DXing in the first place. Btw, good news for tube audio devotees. 1480 (Still IDing with KPHX) is playing 40s-50s vocal stuff with big-band accompaniment, like Dean Martin, Bobby Caldwell, Keeley Smith, etc., from a network called "Martini in the Morning" (haven't got a recording of the ID, but I think that is correct). I have heard a female announcer with a promo for "martiniinthemorning.com" at +20 after the hour too. The current programming is similar to Tucson's KCEE on 1030. I'm going to check this one out on one my my vintage "broadcast recievers" (Rick Barton, AZ, Jan 12, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. Maine Public Broadcasting dumps analog TV today --- http://www.mpbn.net/ If you go to this website you will see that apparently today was the last day for analog TV Public Broadcasting in Maine (Kevin Redding, TN, Jan 11, ABDX via DXLD) Indeed it was. There will be a picture of the button being pressed just after 1 AM to turn off the original MPBN station - WMEB 12 in Orono - in tomorrow's issue of NorthEast Radio Watch, http://www.fybush.com (It is, remarkably, the 15th anniversary issue of NERW, which scares me for some reason...) s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) And Scott continues his rant about CBS terminating live-local overnight broadcasting at WBZ, et al., to start the Jan 12 NERW (gh) More analogs bite the dust --- http://www.mpbn.net/ which indicates the PBS analogs in Maine either went off the air this morning or will do so late tonight (the third article on the page acknowledges the possibility of the DTV transition being delayed - but apparently MPBN is going to go ahead with it anyway). -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, Jan 11, WTFDA via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. ``Aló, Presidente`` is finally back after hiatus of about two sesquimonths. Have been checking listed frequencies for this almost every Sunday morning; as reported Jan 4, 13750 was on until 1810* but with RHC repeat programming. This Sunday, Jan 11 at 1525 found 11875 on the air with RHC (I think) programming as warm-up, which is standard procedure, and // 13750 with strongest signal. At 1545 overheard Hugo Chávez Frías himself mention that this was A,P number 324, then conversing with audience, extolling socialism as solution to all problems and saying the North American empire is itching to get rid of him by any means possible. Then looked for other frequencies: nothing on 11670 or 11680 and did not notice it on 11690 either, aside RTTY, altho I had forgotten that is now the listed channel; something on 17750 but very weak and unseemed //, maybe out of synch, as nothing else is scheduled there. At 1606 also found // 13680 but very poor, much weaker than 13750 and under skirts of Sackville 13675. Recheck 13750 at 1658, still running. Recheck at 1728, 13750 was still on with someone other than HCF speaking about Venezuelan matters, but the other frequencies had vanished. In the past, A,P via Cuba had been heard beyond 1800, even 1900 UT and RHC sked does not show any concluding time. Except for the RNV daily relay at 1900, plenty of transmitters remain available until RHC`s own programming revs up at 2000. From press reports, I gather that originally on Venezuelan TV, A,P often goes on for many more hours beyond that, at the whim of the would-be president-for-life (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** YEMEN. 6135, R. Yemen, 1415+ 11 Jan, with talk and Arabic songs mix. Mentions of Arabic names, S8 35443 (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Re 9-004: CLANDESTINE (Iran? Syria? France?). Al Aqsa TV audio; Noted 5815.05 and 5835.05 from 2052 on January 10, clear and fair with the former slightly better and drifting ever so slightly downward. Arabic male talk, several clear mentions of Hamas. Audio was parallel, though I was only using one receiver so I didn't confirm any audio delay as some have reported. I am currently out of the office, traveling through time. I will return last week (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Listened Jan 11 to Radio Al Aqsa and had 5835 better today than 5815. Noted that 5835 went off about 2131 and 5815 followed at about 2135 (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I can hear separate programmes on 5815 and 5835 kHz. Here in Hull at 1642 UT Jan 11. Both at reasonable strength (Russ Cummings, AOR 7030+, 60 ft long wire, BDXC-UK yg via DXLD) 5835/5815 silent!? Hello DXers, around 1600 UT Jan 12 both 5815 and 5835 carrying the audio of al Aqsa TV went on the air with QRM from Radio Deewa on 5835, but as I'm writing this e mail it's 1750 UT and I can't hear anything on both frequencies. Is anyone picking them up?? All the best [Later at 1822 UT:] Hello again, they are just back on the air, around 1755 UT but they have been silent for a while, while Mr. Khaled Mashaal, leader of Hamas, was giving a speech to the people in Gaza (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, http://www.tarekzeidan.tk dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also LITHUANIA Hello Tarek. Hoy 12 de enero se ha captado a Radio Al Aqsa a las 2005 tanto 5815 cómo 5835; cuando son las 2105 la capto en 5815 y 5835, señal pobre y acompañada de muscho ruido, Música y locutor con comentarios. Quisiera agradacerte tu labor de identificación de esta emisora, sin su trabajo habría sido bastante complicado. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Still unknown whence these be (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. Estación de números espías con problemas --- Saludos, amigos diexistas. Pongan rapidito la frecuencia 6854.9 en usb para que escuchen como se le pegó la grabación a esta emisora de numeros. Atte (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Apartado Postal 488, Código Postal 6001- A, Barcelona, Venezuela. http://sintoniadx.spaces.live.com/ 0324 UT Jan 12, condiglist yg via DXLD) Did not get msg until 0357, but the YL was still stuck at ``uno, uno, uno, uno, uno, . . .`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. 7205, 0540-0547. 7 Jan 09. Vernacular/English. This was an interesting log. I heard several different announcers in what sounded like Arabic or Swahili. There were also clear passages in English and another unID language. All were coming in at the same quality. Any ideas? Fair (Joe Wood, Greenback TN, E1, DX 390; Flextenna, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) A look at Aoki finds the answer: 7205 BBC 0530-0600 1234567 Hausa 250 55 Ascension ASC 01423W 0754S b08 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Colegas, Estou sintonizando em 7550 kHz agora as 2157 UT, uma emissora tocando música clássica e não encontrei ela na lista nagoya e EIBI. Alguém a pode identificar? A emissora saiu do ar as 2200 UTC, parou a mx e tocou apenas uns bips e saiu da frequência. Vou monitorar amanhã mais cedo para ver se a identifico. Muito obrigado, Grato, (Jorge Freitas, SWL1023B Skype jorge.freitas.fsa Feira de Santana Bahia, 12º 15' 1.57" S 38º 58' 40.30" W, Degen 1103, Antena fio longo com 20 metros e balum 9:1, dxclube pr yg via DXLD) Someone suggested it was Kuwait, but: IBB Kuwait sòmente às 23-24 TU. Não tem nada das 18 às 23. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) OK Glenn, Sei que não tem nada nesse horário nas listas e em pesquisas adicionais que fiz, mas que captei uma emissora transmitindo música classica nessa freq e com bom sinal nesse dia pode ter a certeza que sim. O degenzinho não está com problema de imagens não, álias até hoje não observei nenhuma, fora em OL onde não faço dx. 73 (Jorge Freitas, SWL1023B, Feira de Santana Bahia, 12º 15' 1.57" S 38º 58' 40.30" W, Degen 1103, Antena fio longo com 20 metros e balum 9:1, radioescutas yg via DXLD) So we have something brand-new, to check further (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. Presumed OTH radar pulsing, Jan 12 at 1433 covering 9315 to 9345, and badly bothering VOK in French on 9335. Next check 1456 found it on 8955-8985 instead. Why don`t they find a clear 30 kHz segment somewhere and stick to it? Is there any operational or funxional necessity to keep shifting around? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ FAREWELL --- Hi Bill, The Vast Westland won`t be the same without you. Altho seldom a contributor, I was a constant reader and appreciator of your fine editing. 73, (Glenn Hauser, to Bill Dvorak, Madison WI, retiring editor of Domestic DX Digest West, National Radio Club DX News) Hi, Glenn! Thank you very much for the nice note! It is greatly appreciated. I had a lot of fun with the column, but other considerations deserve more attention at present. My interest in doing DDXD-West (or similar) began back in the '80s when I became a contributor to "World of Radio." Also, it was from this experience that I learned proper acknowledgment of sources and attention to detail. These rules served me well in editing DDXD-West. So, here is a big "Thank You" to you. 73 and Good DX (Bill Dvorak, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ Some easy-to-remember URLs for you I have set up http://podcast.worldofradio.org to forward to http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php and set up http://schedule.worldofradio.org to forward to http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html I also set up http://sked.worldofradio.org to point to http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html Perhaps that could makes things easier for some listeners. 73s (-- Franklin Seiberling, Iowa City, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see GERMANY [non]; NORWAY ++++++++++++++++++++ DELAYING THE DTV TRANSITION? It's hard to say whether the Obama proposal to delay the transition at this late date will fly. But if he is behind it, with a strong Democratic majority in both houses, it could well happen. I could see perhaps a 6-to-12 month delay as being advantageous; those who say that everyone should be aware of it by now need to understand that the PR for the transition has been handled poorly, and there is still a lot of misinformation out there. Some of the PSAs are downright misleading -- there is still one running that makes it sound like the CECB program is yet to start at some future date. Thing is, another delay now could have a "boy who cried wolf" effect: geez, you've been harping about this for a couple of years, and now you say it's not happening after all; what's to make me think that the new date you start proclaiming is any more likely? It could engender more complacence and "transition fatigue." Don't forget that the original plan was for the transition to be accomplished not via force or coercion, but through market forces and gradual obsolescence. The idea was that as older TVs failed, consumers would start buying newer sets that were already ATSC-equipped, and eventually there would be few-to-no analog sets left operating. But the various predictions of that happening on its own ran from 2012 to 2020 and beyond, and too many big-money forces were itching to auction of the abandoned portion of the UHF-TV spectrum as soon as possible. But they erred big-time by allowing analog-only sets to be sold for so long -- there should have been a much earlier mandatory date for including ATSC tuners. As it stands now, there are probably millions of sets out there, particularly cheaper ones, that are only 2 or 3 years old, yet are analog-only. The CECB program was. in part, a band- aid intended to remedy some of these shortcomings, but as I said, it has been woefully mishandled. One of the chief gaffes was putting an expiration date on the cards; millions have expired and gone unredeemed. (Never underestimate the power of the American public to procrastinate...) There is a strong sentiment, especially among younger people, that OTA TV is something very quaint and old-fashioned and that anyone still lacking cable or satellite is either an old fogy or just plain ignorant and not worth worrying about. The fact is, a large proportion of OTA-only viewers are such because they simply cannot afford skyrocketing monthly cable or satellite bills. (I know that in our household, our cable bill is a major burden. But for my 80-year old invalid mother, TV is her only source of entertainment and information and, alas, most of what still stimulates her are cable-only channels and programs -- she's a TruTV junkie, among other things...) Free OTA TV is the only source of video entertainment and information for, yes, a minority, but a significant minority. And with the economy tanking, and no quick recovery on the horizon, there are likely more and more folks ditching their cable or satellite connection not by choice, but out of necessity. And these viewers in many cases may have heretofore ignored the DTV transition as being irrelevant to them, so they are coming into this with even less awareness. It doesn't surprise that Obama and the Dems are more attuned to these facts as they traditionally have been more sympathetic towards the plight of the poor and lower middle classes, whereas the GOP tends to regard them as nuisances at best, slackers who simply won't pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. There are drawbacks to a delay as regards the broadcasters. A handful of stations have already killed their analog signals, sometimes by choice, but in other cases due to technical, weather, or financial factors. (And quite a few have already reduced power to their analog signals temporarily as they "split" the transmitter and prepare to switch over to digital on their current channels.) Most recently, Maine's PBS network has just switched off its analogs; the entire state of Hawaii will go all-digital in a few days. These stations will now be at a competitive disadvantage much longer if the transition is delayed. And there are likely many other stations that have delayed repairs or costly replacements for aging analog equipment, figuring that it would be throwing good money after bad with the demise of analog just around the corner. If they now have to keep the analog transmitters going another 6, 12 months or longer, many will have no choice but to sink more money into upkeep, not to mention continuing to have the financial burden of power bills for two parallel transmitting facilities. All in all, it will be very interesting to see what happens on this front in the next few weeks (Stan Jones, Orlando FL, Jan 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Do you really think the people who this will catch unaware will remember this in four years? Now is probably the perfect time for it, right at the beginning of his term. In four years everyone will either have forgotten or become so PO'd about something else this will pale in comparison. Wrestling isn't on broadcast TV, is it? (Jay Heyl, FL, ABDX via DXLD) I am really pissed, since if there is a delay and all the stations around here adhere to it, I will still not be able to get the second OETA channel, which is blocked by local QRM until the transition be complete! (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DTV "REPLACEMENT TRANSLATORS" The first application has been filed, by KRMA-6 Denver for channel 47 in Fort Collins. Although the FCC has not yet acted on this application, they have assigned the call letters K47LY-D (though in many places the station is listed with the same KRMA-DT call letters as the main station it's to translate). Again, "Replacement translators" are those used to extend a DTV station's coverage into areas where its analog facility reached, but where the digital doesn't. They receive priority processing - they don't have to wait for the next LPTV window. -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View, TN EM66, Jan 12, WTFDA via DXLD) AS AM SIGNAL FADES, EUROPE MOVES HESITANTLY TO DIGITAL RADIO International Herald Tribune, By Eric Pfanner, January 11, 2009 During World War II, when Nazi propaganda ruled the airwaves in the Third Reich, the 215-meter radio tower near Beromünster in Switzerland was a beacon of independent information to German speakers in Switzerland and beyond. But Radio Beromünster, the AM signal broadcast from the transmitter, may have defied the Nazis, but it was unable to resist the march of technology. Last month, the Swiss public broadcasting organization shut down the station [531 kHz] and moved its last remaining program, a Swiss folk music show, to a new channel on digital radio. "We think it's an old technology," said Ernst Werder, digital project manager at the broadcaster, SRG SSR idée suisse, referring to AM radio. "It is time for radio to be digital." Radio has lagged behind television and even newspapers in making the jump from analog to digital distribution. Now, in small steps like the one in Switzerland, the transition is gaining momentum. But it has not always gone smoothly, and some analysts are questioning whether it is even necessary. . . http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/11/business/radio.php?page=2 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Hi Mike, mixed feelings these days. I heard MW Beromuenster and SW Schwarzenburg transmissions {independent news worldwide} from my childhood in communism Soviet Zone Germany, when I was chatting with Grandma in their kitchen room in 1948y. Now here in Stuttgart MW Beromuenster was my daily guest, noted the early morning news from Switzerland at 8 or 9 a.m. local time. And that everywhere in our house, even on bed when listened to the various Sony sets, which used here since 1972 - on past 37 years. Now I lost another MW broadcaster, let remain 7 MW stations which can be heard locally with handheld receivers all over the house at daytime. The Swiss digital DAB+ radio CAN'T be heard here, some 80 miles from the Swiss border line. And to listen to Internet radio or Satellite radio I've accordingly to switch on the set or PC in the living room, but can't take around to bath or kitchen room as done with a handheld set. Regards de Wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Alas, gone with AM is the ability to inspire a young mind toward radio technology through the construction of a simple crystal set receiver. 73, de (Nate Bargmann, KS, ibid.) But then, where is it really gone? I think Finland and Sweden are the only European countries with significant areas having no groundwave signals anymore. And in the case of Ireland the IHT fell victim to the understanding AM = mediumwave. However, it is just confined to longwave there now. Remarkable in as far as longwave was widely considered obsolete already more than fifty years ago and presumably survived only because of the severe overcrowding on mediumwave, making it impossible to reproduce the coverage of the longwave facilities there. In general: How many people do really believe that a dedicated system for digital radio distribution has any chance to ever take off? Others just laugh at such sweet considerations like this one and see that riding on the coat tails of TV (by way of DVB technology) plus IP technology are realistic options, already on the scene after coming up without big fanfare, thus not so widely noticed (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ PILOTS SLOW TO BUY NEW DIGITAL EMERGENCY BEACONS Debris is spread out in a marsh after a helicopter crash near Bayou Penchant, La., on Sunday. U.S. Coast Guard via AP [caption] By Alan Levin, USA TODAY The helicopter's twisted wreckage lay in a Louisiana bayou, its crew severely injured and unable to call for help. But a small radio beacon was automatically notifying rescuers. Within minutes after the crash Sunday, a satellite deep in space alerted rescuers to a possible crash, identified the helicopter's owner and helped pinpoint its location, according to the Air Force. A Coast Guard helicopter arrived at the remote site within two hours, in time to airlift the lone survivor to a hospital. New digital distress beacons like the one on the PHI helicopter are revolutionizing rescues of boaters, hikers and pilots across the globe. But the chopper that crashed on the way to an offshore oil rig was one of only a small minority of U.S.-registered aircraft with the new beacons. More than 85% of private planes do not carry the improved beacons even as the government prepares to stop listening Feb. 1 for distress calls from the older, outdated beacons installed on most aircraft. The newer beacons cost roughly $2,000 to $4,000, although prices are dropping. "It's pretty scary," says Lt. Col. Clifton Hicks, who directs Air Force rescue operations in the continental United States . . . http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-07-beacon_N.htm?POE=click-refer (via Benn Kobb, DC, Jan 12, DXLD) ###