DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-222, December 10, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser IMPORTANT NOTE: our hotmail accounts are being phased out. Please do not use them any further, but instead woradio at yahoo.com or wghauser at yahoo.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 HTML version of this issue will be posted later at http://www.w4uvh.net/dxldtd3k.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 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 AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1211: Thu 2130 on WWCR 9475 Sat 0900 on WRN to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia Sat 1130 on WWCR 5070 Sat 1930 on WPKN 89.5 Sun 0130 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB [NEW] Sun 0330 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0530 on WRN to Europe only Sun 0730 on WWCR 3210 WRN ONDEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1211 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1211h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1211h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1211.html [not yet] WORLD OF RADIO 1211 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1211.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1211.rm WORLD OF RADIO ON WBCQ. Thanks To Allan Weiner, who has given us an additional airtime to compensate for several we have lost on other stations: UT Sun 0130 on 9330-CLSB; also, like last week, the UT Mon 0515 outsending should be on both 7415 and 5105 from now on ** AUSTRALIA. R. Australia changes It would be great if this summer-Southern-hemisphere season of R. Australia program changes and vacations that Richard Cuff described in DXLD 3-220 could be used to get some of the RA programs that John Figliozzi describes, and which are sadly always aired at the wrong time for North American listeners, repeated during our morning times, when RA comes in well here. I've long wished to be able to hear Lingua Franca, Ockham's Razor, Innovations, All In The Mind, and In Conversation. The program descriptions John posts are fascinating. I do get to hear The Science Show, which is currently on each week at 1405 UT Sundays. But I'd love to hear repeats of previous broadcasts of all these other programs I cited aired at that time other days of the week, or a little earlier, when RA is good and clear on 9580 and recently 9590 kHz. For some odd reason, RA (or the source at Radio National) seems to put their least- interesting programming on when we can best hear the transmissions. The programs I mentioned don't seem to be at all time-sensitive; they 0could be re-broadcast months after their initial airings and still be well worth hearing. What could be better summer-fill-in programming? Can anyone suggest an address to e-mail to lobby for such programming scheduling? Since RA explicitly is intentionally ignoring its North American audience, I hesitate to just write them generically. 73, (Will Martin (St. Louis, MO), Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. RADIO NATIONAL STAFF ON 24 HOUR STRIKE | Text of report by Radio Australia web site on 10 December Radio National staff across Australia are on strike for 24 hours, claiming massive mismanagement of the ABC network. A spokesman says the staff are concerned that the specialist nature of Radio National is being eroded by budget cuts. Staff say attempts to meet managing director Russell Baulding to discuss their concerns have been unsuccessful. Source: Radio Australia web site, Melbourne, in English 10 Dec 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) Glenn, This comes from the Sydney Morning Herald website in Australia. Based on the report, the strike ends at 2200 UT. Wednesday. This has probably impacted RA programming which draws heavily on the RN schedule, although I've not listened in myself to check. Cheers (Matt Francis, DC, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) STRIKE HITS RADIO NATIONAL December 10, 2003 - 3:21PM ABC's Radio National was shut down today as staff went on strike for 24 hours, claiming mismanagement of the station. Program presenters, producers, researchers and technical staff walked out just before 9 am (AEDT) after unsuccessful attempts to discuss concerns with management last week. The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) ABC secretary Graeme Thomson said three people in the station's specialist program-making unit had been made redundant recently. "Management are using that as a Trojan horse," Mr Thomson said. "They're trying to break down the specialist production unit and are seeking to introduce pools of people with no specialist background and knowledge, who can make anything. "The heart of Radio National has been its specialist output and that's being fundamentally attacked by short-sighted and mediocre managers interested only in exercising managerial control." The move was "an extraordinary show of disrespect to ABC audiences", he added. A spokesman for Radio National confirmed the strike was on but said management and staff were "continuing negotiations" this week. He refused to comment on the allegation of mismanagement. Radio National staff today called for an urgent meeting with ABC managing director Russell Balding to discuss their concerns. "They're now saying if the managing director isn't prepared to meet they will consider further industrial action," Mr Thomson said. "I've never seen such a deep sense of frustration - this isn't about money, it's about them trying to protect excellence in programming because that's what fires these people up." Those tuning into Radio National during the 24-hour strike period will hear only classical music being played on a loop. Programming is expected to return to normal from 9am (AEDT) tomorrow (via Matt Francis, DC, Dec 10, WORLD OF RADIO 1211, DXLD) http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/10/1070732269159.html (via Bill Westenhaver, WORLD OF RADIO 1211, DXLD) 24 hour industrial action at ABC Radio National, whose staff passed a motion of no confidence in the network's manager, has forced some changes in the Radio Australia schedule for UT Wed. These are set out below: UT 0318 Lingua Franca ) 0333 Jazz Notes ) both replacing Life Matters 0910 The National Interest ) replacing Australia Talks Back 1130 Bush Telegraph ) repeat program 1205 Late Night Live ) repeat program 1305 The Planet ) repeat program 1605 Margaret Throsby ) repeat of 0410 broadcast 1705 Late Night Live ) repeat of 1205 broadcast PS: Can you even imagine this happening in the U.S.? Non-confidence in managers is legion here and there ain't a thing you can do about it. When was the last time there was a really big strike here? And they say that this is the land of the free, eh? (Just thinking out loud...) (John Figliozzi, Dec 10, swprograms via WORLD OF RADIO 1211, DXLD) ** AZERBAIJAN. RADIO LIBERTY'S EX-EDITOR ALLEGEDLY TO LAUNCH RADIO STATION IN AZERBAIJAN | Excerpt from report by R. Orucov in Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 10 December entitled "Has the head of state employed Mirza Xazar?" and subheaded "The committee to protect his rights reports that a new radio Voice of Mirza Xazar will go on the air in Baku soon" "We reported already two months ago that the former editor-in-chief of Radio Liberty's Azerbaijani service, Mirza Xazar, was preparing to implement a new media project and was not going to stop his journalistic activities," the head of the committee to protect Mirza Xazar's rights and well-known journalist, Eynulla Fatullayev, told Ekho yesterday [8 December]. He said that many world news agencies (including (?Free Agency) of Germany) had reported that a new radio station, Voice of Mirza Xazar, would start its activity in Baku on 21 January. "[Azerbaijani] President Ilham Aliyev endorsed the project of establishing the radio station during his recent meeting with Mirza Xazar," Fatullayev said. The radio station will be on the air 12 hours seven days a week on AM and FM frequencies. The radio station will be based in Baku and Mirza Xazar himself will head it. "He will visit Azerbaijan in the nearest future with this aim," Fatullayev said. [Passage omitted: details of Mirza Xazar's dismissal from Radio Liberty] Asked what policy the new radio station would conduct, Fatullayev expressed confidence that it would be "an independent and private radio channel". "Nothing has yet been reported about financial sources of the project, I talked to Mirza Xazar yesterday (the day before yesterday - author) about this. On the whole, it will be a public and political channel. Mirza Xazar is planning to implement his concept of an independent and unbiased media outlet." Up till now Mirza Xazar has been known for his criticism of the Azerbaijani ruling circles. His talks with President Aliyev however demonstrate that the new "Voice" will have a different stance. Fatullayev disagrees with this: "I cannot say that Mirza Xazar is an opposition journalist. He has always been an independent specialist who criticized equally the authorities and the opposition," he said. "It is no coincidence" that the radio station will start its activity on 21 January, which is "symbolic". "Our society will never forget Mirza Xazar's contribution - it was precisely him who first told the world the truth about Azerbaijan after the bloody events of 20 January [1990 when Soviet troops killed nearly 200 people in Baku]," Fatullayev said. Fatullayev said that 12 US Senators had protested against the Radio Liberty management's discriminatory attitude towards Mirza Xazar "because this was persecution for ethnicity". Mirza Xazar is a Jew and native of Azerbaijan's Goycay District [central Azerbaijan]. [Passage omitted: details of Mirza Xazar's biography; US Senate to discuss the issue] Interestingly, the chairman of the Azerbaijani National TV and Radio Council on Broadcasting, Nusiravan Maharramov, knows nothing about the aforesaid project. "A new radio station cannot go on the air without the legal permission of the National Council. We have not received an application regarding Voice of Mirza Xazar. I can only add that we are now planning to issue licences to other radio and TV channels. Many regional TV and radio companies have been on the air without our licences up till now," he said. Source: Ekho, Baku, in Russian 10 Dec 03, p 2 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** BELARUS. Rimantas Pleikys, project coordinator of Radio Baltic Waves in Vilnius, Lithuania, and a DXer himself, explains the SSB transmissions in the 3-5 MHz range in neighbouring Belarus as follows: ``These stations are terrestrial (fixed or mobile), military, point- to-multipoint or point-to-point. The estimated power in USB mode is within 1...5 kW. The purpose of these stations is "shtabnaya svyaz" - voice radio link between regional army staffs and military units. The low frequencies (3...5 MHz) is an indication that the communications correspondents are located within 300-500 km. The most suitable antennas for this type of communications are low-hanged, high radiation angle dipoles or vertical whips. A local radio program for the receiving operators is less annoying than any other channel markers, such as "buzzer" or "pip". The audibility in Vilnius is usually good: "S" = 3...5.`` He first observed these transmissions around 1996. These broadcasts appear to be "regular" military communication operations, rather than "training" exercises (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 4716.74, Radio Yura, Yura, continues to be heard with poor signal 1000 and 2300 on 7, 9 December. With return to frequency the signal is a shadow of its former self (Bob Wilkner, Icom R-75 ~ NRD 535D ~ Drake R 7, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Satellite radio: see INTERNATIONAL VACUUM ** CANADA [non]. CANADA-CALLING LAKEFIELD, Ont. (CP) - Canada Calling, the radio show that keeps snowbirds in Florida up to date on news from back home, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on the air. It was on Dec. 10, 1953, that broadcaster Dave Price began to provide newscasts to Canadians in the American sunbelt and the tradition has been carried on for the last 27 years by Prior Smith. Smith says it all began when Price himself was vacationing in Florida and concluded there was a market. "He and some buddies were on a beach in Fort Lauderdale and he got into a hell of a mess trying to get results of the previous night's Stanley Cup hockey game." Unlike his predecessor, Smith stays at home, using satellite technology to transmit his daily feeds to a network of stations mostly in Florida, but also to affiliates in parts of Texas, Georgia, Arizona and the Bahamas. The 5 and 1/2-minute broadcasts are sent direct from his home studio near Lakefield, Ont., northeast of Toronto. Smith estimates his audience of vacationers and retirees at around two million. Besides the usual news and sports information, he likes to provide stories about blizzards and other winter woes back in Canada. He says he has never missed a broadcast. On the web: http://www.canadacalling.com (via Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ont., WORLD OF RADIO 1211, DXLD) ** CANADA. Quirks & Quarks December 13 --- This week on Quirks & Quarks our feature item is: ``Cold Fusion Heats Up.`` It was almost a sesquidecade ago that 2 American scientists made an historic announcement: a new form of power had been discovered. One that had the potential to produce almost unlimited quantities of cheap, clean electricity. The new power source was cold fusion. But within months, 'cold fusion' became synonymous with 'scientific hoax', as researchers found themselves unable to replicate the first experiments. But while it might have fallen out of favour and out of view, cold fusion refused to die. Today, hundreds of researchers all around the world are exploring the phenomenon. We'll find out how close it is to reality and respectability. Plus - bombadier beetles teach jet engines how to burn. All this and more on Quirks & Quarks, Saturday right after the noon news, on Radio One (Bob McDonald, Host, Q&Q mailing list via DXLD) ** CANADA. RADIO-CANADA CLAIMS SUPREMACY IN MONTREAL MORNING RADIO ((Brief English translation: Radio-Canada is proud to announce that the Première Chaîne is Montreal`s number one station seven mornings out of seven. The weekday morning show, "C`est bien meilleur le matin", with host René Homier- Roy, recorded an 18 per cent market share. Weekend shows, hosted by Joël Le Bigot, enjoy a 27 percent market share on Saturday and 29 per cent on Sunday. Mid-morning, lunch-time and arfernoon-drive programs recorded increases in listenership. Radio-Canada`s cultural network (Chaîne culturelle) also posted gains for its jazz and Radio- Concert programs in the last ratings sweeps.)) ===== Resultats des sondages BBM d`automne 2003 : La Première Chaîne de Radio-Canada, numéro 1 à Montreal 7 matins sur 7 MONTREAL, le 10 dec. /CNW Telbec/ - La radio de Radio-Canada est fière d`annoncer que la Première Chaîne (95,1 FM à Montréal) est première dans le marche montréalais francophone tous les matins de la semaine, du lundi au dimanche. EN TETE LE MATIN L`émission "C`est bien meilleur le matin", animée par René Homier-Roy pour une 7e saison consecutive, est la première émission écoutée par les auditeurs montréalais, avec 18% de part de marche francophone entre 6 h et 9 h du lundi au vendredi. Le public est également plus fidèle que jamais à une des personnalités les plus aimées de la radio publique : Joël Le Bigot. En effet, les émissions matinales du week-end, "Samedi et rien d`autre" et "Pourquoi pas dimanche?", sont également premiéres dans le marche montréalais francophone avec des parts de 27% le samedi et de 29% le dimanche entre 7 h et 11 h. CROISSANCE MARQUEE MATIN, MIDI ET SOIR Marie-France Bazzo, animatrice du magazine national quotidien "Indicatif présent", continue également sa progression rejoignant cette saison 454 000 auditeurs d`un océan a l`autre. Nouvelle personnalité à la radio publique cet automne, mais grande personnalité de l`information, Pierre Maisonneuve anime depuis la fin d`août le rendez-vous québecois d`information du midi. Il affiche pour cette première saison d`excellents resultats, touchant 393 000 auditeurs. Le retour à la maison se demarque également dans ces resultats d`automne puisque le nouveau rendez-vous d`information animé par Michel Desautels a également connu une excellente croissance d`auditoire. De 16 h a 18 h, "Desautels" suivi de "Sans frontières" occupent la 4e position dans le marche central de Montréal avec 10 % de part de marche. LA CHAINE CULTURELLE Consolidant ses résultats des derniers sondages, la Chaîne culturelle connait des hausses notables dans ses rendez-vous musicaux de fin de journée: "L`Air d`aller" avec Claude Saucier a 16 h, "Escale jazz" avec André Vigeant a 18 h et les "Radio-concerts" a 20h. Sylvain Lafrance, vice-president de la Radio française de Radio- Canada, souligne que "la croissance soutenue d`’ecoute pour la radio publique demontre l`importance qu`accordent les auditeurs a une radio de qualité qui informe, qui analyse, qui explique et qui divertit". Il conclut ainsi: "Notre radio est plus que jamais près des gens, de leurs préoccupations et de leur besoin croissant de savoir et de comprendre. C`est une radio ouverte sur le monde, sur les gens d`ici et d`ailleurs." (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ** CUBA. It seems to me that some of the comments made about RHC in your recent issues may be unfair. Cuba has suffered from a US-led embargo for many years with the result that it's difficult to obtain certain products. Has it not occurred to your anti-RHC correspondents that this might be the cause of its current difficulties? Perhaps you should blame Uncle Sam rather than Arnie Coro! (Roger Tidy, UK, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s the Cuban Party Line, and no doubt Arnie Coro would agree. But I`m not so sure. Seems the Cubans can get whatever they need from China or via China, for example. Plus every other country in the world besides the US with its embargo. If they had any self-respect, they`d close down the squealing transmitters, etc., until they could be fixed. If it really is because of a bad STL, that should not be such a huge task to rectify! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [non]. HCJB Wertachtal --- I am not sure how widespread it was reported so far, so once again: 5970 first used for HCJB German 1800-1900 via T-Systems Wertachtal is already occupied by CRI (apparently the elder transmitter in Beijing area in past days operated on 6950). Postings in the German A-DX list indicate that this mistake happened by using only a single database as reference in the frequency selection process, and in this product the Chinese occupation of 5970 was missing. [why didn`t they turn on a *radio* just to be sure? --- gh] Now it was intended to solve the problem by moving to 5810, effective from Dec 9. First the German telcom regulation authority agreed to use this OOB channel, but later they cancelled this approval, arguing that too much military use of this frequency would be made outside Europe. This left only 5925 and 6015, both (yes...) established T-Systems frequencies, as possible alternatives. HCJB decided to try 6015 despite co-channel RFI via Al-Dhabbaya, believing that the 125 kW from the Wertachtal site should fight it out at least outside the skip zone. Enclosed a regarding message from HCJB. I checked today at 1830: Al-Dhabbaya was the only thing that could be heard on 6015. To make sure, no trace of Wertachtal on 5925 or 5970 either. Well, I think the primary problem is that the skip zone for a Wertachtal transmitter on 49 metres three hours after sunset in winter includes most of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 75 metres from Jülich would be the solution (not considering other transmission providers of course), but without further looking it appears that this 50 kHz spectrum fragment is already stuffed at this time. 3945 would be a good choice --- but was verboten already years ago (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Warum? Viz.: ------ Liebe Freunde (oder Sympatisanten) der deutschsprachigen Sendungen von HCJB, Leider bekamen wir heute Überraschend folgende Absage vom T-Systems Management: ... Leider hat die RegTP wider Erwarten Ihre Zustimmung für die Nutzung der "out of band" Frequenz 5810 kHz wieder zurückgezogen. Als Grund wurde ein zu starke militärische Nutzung dieser Frequenz außerhalb Europas angegeben. Aus diesem Grund wurde uns leider untersagt, die 5810 kHz ab 09.12.2003 für HCJB zu nutzen, so dass nur noch entweder die 5925 kHz oder 6015 kHz eingesetzt werden kann. ... Nun habe ich vorhin den T-Systems Manager Walter Brodowsky angerufen und folgenden Entschluss gefasst: Obwohl bereichsweise RFI vom Mittleren Osten die Frequenz stören könnte (besonders in der Umgebung Wertachtal durch die Skip-Zone), sollten die 125 kW in Westeuropa die Frequenz reinwischen. Bis vor einigen Wochen hatte T-Systems diese Frequenz noch in Betrieb. Wir hoffen, das die RegTP (Regulierungsbehörde) morgen im Schnellverfahren die Änderung genehmigt und wir morgen Abend auf 6015 kHz auf Sendung gehen dürfen. Danke für euer/Ihr Verständnis! Herzlichst aus Quito, Horst (aus http://www.hcjb.org/deutsch/index.php on Dec 8, still there Dec 10 via Ludwig, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. 4772.66, Radio Centinela del Sur, Loja, 2300 to 2330 music and one Radio Centinela Identification, 7 December (Tnx Bjorn Malm, 4 Dic log) (Bob Wilkner, Icom R-75 ~ NRD 535D ~ Drake R 7, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR/GUATEMALA. 4782.34 1020 presume Radio Oriental, Tena drift on 5 December 4781.34 1010 normal frequency of Radio Oriental, Tena 7 December 4780.89 1010 het from second station on 7 December 4780.00 1012 Radio Coatan with numerous ID's as such by gentleman 7 December. 73's de (Bob Wilkner, Icom R-75 ~ NRD 535D ~ Drake R 7, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) + GUATEMALA ** GERMANY. On Dec 1 the former RBB programs Radio Kultur (ex-SFB) and Radio 3 (ex-ORB) were merged to a new program called Kulturradio. At Berlin Kulturradio is at present carried via both 92.4 and 96.3, the latter one being the former Radio 3 frequency, but by Dec 31 Kulturradio will leave 96.3 (no decision was being made yet about the future use of this frequency). So an announcement inviting listeners to retune "from this frequency" to 92.4 is inserted on 96.3 time and again. And now the gag: The former Radio 3 frequencies on the FM sites in Brandenburg are supposed to stay with Kulturradio, but obviously nobody bothered to switch them to another feed than the one going out on 96.3 so far, since the mentioned announcement goes out at least via Calau 104.4, too! Continue with my recent DVB-T ./. "Berlin- Brandenburg" rant. Kind regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 10,DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. It's usually too noisy in my midwestern 'hood to get much out of the tropical bands, but just before I called it quits tonight, I happened on a reportable, as far as I can tell, anyhoo. Tonight, as in 12/10/03, that is: 0545 on 4053 on my Sangean-type dial, R. Verdad, Guatemala. Soprano solo angelically singing some religious song, at the end of which she sang, in English, a lengthy rendition of "O Holy Night". An OM then ID'd, at 0550, in both Spanish and English, with a description of next evening's programs. This was followed by a lengthy rendition of the national anthem, after which carrier was dropped, 0558 (Clara Listensprechen, shortwavebasics yahoogroup via WORLD OF RADIO 1211, DXLD) See also ECUADOR/GUATEMALA ** INDONESIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3355: Simbu or Jambi? Re: DXLD 3-221 ~ ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3355, R. Simbu (presumed), 1110- 1200*, Dec. 9... Presumption based on PNG sign-off times listed in WRTH 2003. Can anyone in the Western US, S. Pacific/Asia verify this? I don't recall ever hearing anything at this time/frequency (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) My log indicates reception of R. Simbu -- 3355 -- on a very good early morning with better than usual propagation in the trop. bands: on 10.07-03 at 1044, with pidgin. On that morning, 8 other PNG stations were logged; several Indonesian ones, and ABC stations at 2325 and 2310, usually not heard here due to noise levels being too high. Looking back over my log, I see that on 6.31.03 [sic] at 1019, I recorded what I believed to be reception of RRI Jambi at 3355, based on the music being played: sounded Indonesian. A much lower powered station than R. Simbu (1 kW vs. 10 kW), I concluded that I hadn't mistaken it for Simbu because of the music and language, which seemed quite different. Earlier on 6.27.03, I recorded a tentative reception of R. Simbu at 3355 -- at 0959 -- playing music. On 6.24.03, R. Simbu was more-or- less confirmed on 3355 at 0857; despite the weak signal some words of English were heard, indicating that it was probably not RRI Jambi. Despite checking the trop. bands at least 5 nights out of 7 each week, nothing but noise has been received around 3355 since my log of 10.07.03: a sad state of affairs, considering how regularly the signals from that region were in the autumn. Sorry I hadn't stayed up late enough to listen after 1100. If I got Jambi, rather than Simbu (my assumption; not confirmed with IDs) then perhaps Simbu was off the air or propagation favored them. My lists show that their broadcast times overlap; wonder why they don't interfere in the region? Assuming I did receive, at one time or another, both stations, then not impossible for Scott despite the greater distance. (My rx also an Icom R-75, using 350-ft dipole.) [later:] When I wrote you a few minutes ago, I had turned off my radio and disconnected antennas due to a few random lightning crashes in the area. Too bad I could not check 3355 while composing my letter. At 0926, there's definitely an intelligible signal, which seems to be two people talking. Frequency seems perfectly centered on 3355.0. Unfortunately, reception is much poorer than when I logged signals at this frequency in June and October. At 0929 a new voice came on, a female, following a few seconds of musical bridge. Perhaps a "regular" who knows PNG stations better than I might be able to opine if it's more likely that this is Simbu than Jambi. My impression is that the language heard at the moment is English but not a single word is intelligible: the cadences simply sound like English to me. (I won't say "EE", Glenn!) Signal is right at the noise level but occasional syllables fade in suddenly; it's frustrating not to have more consistency. At 0933, music came on that could almost sound like an old American country music style, with what might be doubled female voices in close harmony: very different from what I heard when I believed I had picked up Jambi. Then, at 0936, something with a driving rocky beat. This tends to suggest that it is Simbu, and that the vernacular program ended at 0930, replaced by something more influenced by Australian or American music. I checked some of the other PNG frequencies listed in Gale Van Horn's October MT article, and believe that I can hear R. Manus under heavy QRM at 3315; a trace of R. West New Britain at 3235; a few faint syllables of R. New Ireland at 3905, competing with a HAM in SSB, off frequency; much better reception of R. Central from Port Moresby in English with music; and probably a few others. Too bad that I will be unable to stay up as late as 4 AM local time to check reception after 1200 UT to verify what Scott heard. I haven't made it that late in two years! So, a very slight opening to SE Asia but not good enough from San José to confirm much more than there *is* electromagnetic radiation coming my way, amplitude-modulated, from PNG (Steve Waldee, San José CA, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. UK AMATEUR COPIES SIGNAL FROM MARS EXPRESS SPACECRAFT Using what he described as ``just a quick throw-together`` system, Charlie Suckling, G3WDG, has received a signal in the UK from the European Space Agency`s Mars Express spacecraft http://www.esrin.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/ Now in deep space, Mars Express is expected to reach the Red Planet on Christmas Day and deploy its Beagle 2 lander for six months of exploration. G3WDG reports he heard the Mars Express signal on X band (8.4 GHz) December 9 using a 3-meter dish. In a message to James Miller, G3RUH --- who had provided him with advice on setting up his equipment --- Suckling said his system noise factor was about 1 dB, and he used Miller`s S-Band 2.25-turn helix scaled to 8.4 GHz as the feed (LHCP). ``Signals seemed very consistent for about two hours,`` he said. The signal level was ``very approximately`` 0 dB S/N in 2.5 kHz. G3WDG said it was not too hard to locate the signal --- about 10 minutes of searching plus or minus 100 kHz and tweaking his azimuth and elevation settings. In mid-November, a team of German amateurs were able to copy the Mars Express signal from a far more sophisticated setup in Bochum, Germany, that`s equipped with a 20 meter parabolic antenna. Reception of the Mars Express signal provided a test run for the facility, which will serve as the ground control station for AMSAT-DL`s Phase P5-A Mars orbital mission planned for 2007. AMSAT-DL President Peter Gülzow, DB2OS, says it was the first time ever that a signal of an interplanetary deep-space probe was received in Germany. ``It was probably also the first time ever that such a signal was received by Amateur Radio operators,`` he added. There`s a complete report on the AMSAT-DL Web site, http://www.amsat-dl.org/p5a/p5a-bochum-eng.htm (ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. CBC/RADIO-CANADA AND SIRIUS ANNOUNCE VENTURE TO BRING SATELLITE RADIO TO CANADIANS CBC/Radio-Canada and SIRIUS to File License Application with CRTC OTTAWA, NEW YORK, Dec. 10 /CNW/ - CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s national public broadcaster, and SIRIUS (NASDAQ: SIRI), known for delivering the very best in commercial-free music and premium broadcast entertainment to cars and homes throughout the continental United States, today announced that they will form a joint venture to bring satellite radio to Canada. CBC/Radio-Canada and SIRIUS also announced today that the venture will soon file an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a license to provide satellite radio in Canada. "CBC/Radio-Canada is excited about the opportunity to partner with SIRIUS to bring satellite radio to Canada," said Robert Rabinovitch, CBC/Radio-Canada`s President and CEO. "By expanding the choices available to Canadians, this new service will enable the national public broadcaster to better fulfill its mandate by extending its reach and enhancing its services to Canadians." This new, subscription-based, national service will give Canadians access to a wide range of programming and Canadian content. CBC/Radio- Canada was able to secure the distribution of two of its main channels, namely Radio One and La Première Chaîne. As a result of CBC/Radio-Canada`s involvement, the new venture will also provide significant opportunities for existing and emerging Canadian artists to showcase their talent and be heard not only across Canada, but throughout North America as well. "Our agreement with CBC/Radio-Canada is an exceptional example of a time-honored brand joining with SIRIUS to bring an innovative national service to Canadians." said Joseph P. Clayton, President and CEO of SIRIUS. "60 of our 100 premier channels are commercial-free, and this makes SIRIUS an ideal match for Canada’s public broadcaster and its unparalleled Canadian programming content. Also, we have exclusive agreements with DaimlerChrysler, Ford and BMW car manufacturers, who sell nearly 40% of all vehicles sold in Canada, which adds to our reach as well." The CBC/Radio-Canada and SIRIUS venture will ensure that Canadians have the greatest possible access to a wide array of commercial-free music, information and entertainment services, as well as their national public broadcaster. When licensed by the CRTC, this new subscription-based service will be available to Canadians across the entire country, from urban centers to even the most remote regions. "Fueled by the digital revolution, radio services are changing dramatically," added Mr. Rabinovitch. "We are forging ahead to ensure that CBC/Radio-Canada has an expanded reach and presence for the benefit of Canadians. We are also encouraged to know that the CRTC wants to deal with the matter of satellite radio expeditiously." SIRIUS and CBC/Radio-Canada are holding talks with, and may add, other Canadian financial or broadcasting investors to the venture. About CBC/Radio-Canada ———————- CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada`s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada reaches Canadians through eight national radio and television networks, its full-service Web sites, local/regional stations and affiliates, the digital television channel Country Canada, and the continuous music network Galaxie. In addition, CBC/Radio-Canada has forged partnerships with other broadcasters and is a partner in the specialty television services ARTV and The Documentary Channel. Through this array of activities, CBC/Radio-Canada brings diverse regional and cultural perspectives into the daily lives of Canadians in English, French and eight aboriginal languages. CBC/Radio-Canada was included this year in Canada`s Top 100 Employers. About SIRIUS ———— SIRIUS is the only satellite radio service bringing listeners more than 100 streams of the best music and entertainment coast-to-coast in the United States. SIRIUS offers 60 music streams with no commercials, along with over 40 world-class sports, news and entertainment streams for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95, with greater savings for upfront payments of multiple months or a year or more. Stream Jockeys create and deliver uncompromised music in virtually every genre to our listeners 24 hours a day. Satellite radio products bringing SIRIUS to listeners in the car, truck, home, RV and boat are manufactured by Kenwood, Panasonic, Clarion and Audiovox, and are available at major retailers in the United States including Circuit City, Best Buy, Car Toys, Good Guys, Tweeter, Ultimate Electronics, Sears and Crutchfield. SIRIUS is the leading United States OEM satellite radio provider, with exclusive partnerships with DaimlerChrysler, Ford and BMW. Automotive brands currently offering SIRIUS radios in select new car models in the United States include BMW, MINI, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep(R), Nissan, Infiniti, Mazda, Audi, Ford and Lincoln-Mercury. Automotive brands that have announced plans to offer SIRIUS in select models in the United Sates include Mercedes- Benz, Jaguar, Volvo, Volkswagen, Land Rover and Aston Martin. Genmar Holdings, the world`s largest manufacturer of recreational boats, Formula Boats and Winnebago, the leading supplier of recreational vehicles and motor homes, also offer SIRIUS. Click on http://www.SIRIUS.com to listen to SIRIUS live (via Ricky Leong, QC, and John Figliozzi, NY, DXLD) This raises a lot of unanswered questions! Will the Canadian service be totally separate, from different satellites/transponders than the US service? That takes care of two audio channels. How about the other 98 or so? Why does CBC get only two, the English and French first networks? CBC Radio Two is in far greater need of nationwide coverage than Radio One! Will Unitedstatesians not be able to get CBC via Sirius?? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGST) ** IRAQ. AFN Stars & Stripes article (also via Blair W. Thompson, WORLD OF RADIO 1211, DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. CTC link to page With link to Kyrgyz TV http://www.ctc.kg/eng/news.html whose link leads one to the page http://www.tv.ctc.kg/ which is clearly another CTC page. Re: a program they run on Kyrgyz TV (Clara Listensprechen, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. FAREWELL TO KOOTWIJK Dutch telecommunications concern KPN has almost completed dismantling the former transmitting station of Scheveningen Radio at Kootwijk. The 400 hectare site will shortly be sold to a governmental organisation that manages the natural heritage in the Netherlands, producing millions of euros of revenue for KPN, which has been maintaining the site since the closure of Scheveningen Radio. KPN had originally hoped to sell it to the group behind Delta 171, an ill-fated attempt to build a high power longwave station that would broadcast music programmes to the UK. It would have had a 2 Megawatt transmitter and four 300 metre high masts. But objections to the plan at local and national level prevented the sale from going ahead. It’s thought that the buildings may be turned into a museum. More on this story: Kootwijk Scrapbook http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/scrapbook/html/kootwijk.html # posted by Andy @ 12:12 UT Dec 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** NORWAY. Hi Glenn, the Sonnet Radio press release [CYPRUS [non]] just fits to the report a while ago about Norkring declaring itself unable to install the proposed 1200 kW longwave transmitter for Northern Star at Sveiø, citing bleak prospects for this site as reason. Now one could really get an impression that Sveio will go off and silent on New Years Eve. Kvitsøy would be another story, however, since the 1314 transmitter will remain in service, and so it would merely be a matter of the maintenance of the actual shortwave transmitters and antennas there. Anyway these mentions of "brokerage problems" and "anticipated closures" are quite interesting (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. See INDONESIA ** PERU. 4461, Radio Norandina, Celendin, 1000-1050, "flauta andina linda", gentleman with IDs at R. N. Ute interference usb, 7 and 10 December (Bob Wilkner, Icom R-75 ~ NRD 535D ~ Drake R 7, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. SINGULAR TV DIET ON ELECTION DAY http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/12/08/012.html Monday, Dec. 8, 2003. Page 03 By Anna Dolgov Special to The Moscow Times If state-run television channels weren't aiming to make voters forget that any political parties other than Kremlin-backed United Russia were competing in parliamentary elections, they did little to dispel that impression Sunday. While ballots for the State Duma offer Russians a choice of 23 parties, broadcasts on the main channels featured only one for a large part of the day. Newscasts on state-controlled Channel One and Rossia were awash with footage of United Russia leaders casting ballots and urging citizens to vote. They didn't say for whom, but the message was clear. President Vladimir Putin, who has said repeatedly that United Russia had his full support, told reporters Sunday he could not disclose who got his vote, as that might be interpreted as illegal campaigning on election day. "But I think my preferences are already known," he added with a grin. In footage aired on Rossia, Emergency Situations Minister and United Russia co-leader Sergei Shoigu expressed hope that Russians would wake up in a better country on Monday. Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov, who heads United Russia's party list, urged fellow citizens to "wake up and vote." The party's No. 3 man, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, was also shown casting his ballot and extolling the "extraordinary" day. Rossia added a brief mention of United Russia's main competitor, the Communist Party, saying that its leader, Gennady Zyuganov, also had voted. Judging by the two channels' coverage, a viewer unfamiliar with Russian politics might not even be aware that other parties, such as liberal opposition Yabloko and the pro-reform Union of Right Forces, or SPS, were running in the election. Only in the evening, when, according to the Central Elections Commission, more than 36 percent of Russians had already voted, did Rossia air footage of Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky and SPS co- leader Boris Nemtsov casting ballots. "The current campaign is certainly not an equal-opportunity campaign," said Alexei Melnikov, a Duma deputy from Yabloko. "Representatives of United Russia are doing what effectively amounts to violating the law and putting pressure on the voters," Melnikov said in a telephone interview. Sunday's coverage comes after months of heavy bias in favor of United Russia by all main television channels since the last privately owned national network, TVS, was shut down last summer. "This is 'managed democracy' in the country. All decisions are made by the presidential administration," SPS Deputy Boris Nadezhdin said by telephone, referring to the Kremlin's term for tightening its grip on power. "I hope that voters will turn out to be more intelligent than those who are staging this show." In advertisements reminiscent of the 1996 presidential campaign, some Russian web sites urged their visitors to go vote -- or risk being ruled by an authoritarian regime. In the summer of 1996, then-President Boris Yeltsin was running a tight race against Communist challenger Gennady Zyuganov, and pro- Yeltsin media painted a doomsday picture of what a Communist victory might entail. This Sunday, popular e-mail portal mail.ru posted flashing red-on- black ads that read: "Accustomed to e-mail? Vote Sunday! Or on Monday you will be searching for envelopes." Another ad read: "Downloading pictures? Vote Sunday! Or on Monday you will be unloading rail cars." A third said: "Following Chelsea games? Vote Sunday! Or after Monday you will be charged with espionage." The mostly younger constituency of Internet users is considered to have generally above-average education or income. But while the demographic group is often expected by pollsters to favor liberal parties, it is often politically inactive. See also Election Special 2003 http://www.themoscowtimes.com/indexes/189.html (via Fred Waterer, DXLD) ** SOMALIA. PUNTLAND MINISTER APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR FOR RADIO GAALKACYO | Text of report by Somali pro-Puntland regional government radio from Gaalkacyo on 9 December Puntland regional administration's information minister, Abdikarim Ali Mahdi Sultan, today appointed a new director for Radio Gaalkacyo. The new director, Mr Hasan Muhammad Jama, will take over from Mr Muhammad Jama Uthman who was holding the post in an acting capacity. Source: Radio Gaalkacyo, Gaalkacyo in Somali 1615 gmt 9 Dec 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U K. Byford out of Bush House BBCWS BBC REVAMPS COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE AHEAD OF HUTTON REPORT http://media.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4816006-105236,00.html Owen Gibson Wednesday December 10, 2003 The Guardian (London, UK) The BBC today announced its first major shake-up ahead of the Hutton report with a root and branch review of its complaints procedure and the promotion of World Service boss Mark Byford to deputy director general. Mr Byford, 45, a veteran BBC manager and former journalist, has been charged with overseeing the overhaul of the corporation's complaints system, which has long been criticised as opaque and ineffective. Widely seen as a "safe pair of hands" who has acted as de facto deputy director general, Mr Byford's appointment will be seen as the BBC's best attempt to ensure the unprecedented row between the BBC and the government - the most damaging in its history - will never happen again. He is the first deputy director general since Bob Phillis, who worked under John Birt but left in 1997. And in a move that will be seen as a masterly pre-emptive strike prior to the publication next month of Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of government scientist David Kelly, the corporation is launching a three-pronged attack on the current system of complaints. The BBC will create a new complaints department to deal with criticism more transparently and efficiently. It is also creating a new senior position - "controller of complaints" - to address concerns that the existing system takes too long and acted to protect programme-makers rather than the licence fee payers. In a third development the BBC is also giving its complaints unit a higher priority within the corporation's hierarchy. Under the old system, the head of editorial policy and head of programme complaints unit reported to the director of policy but now the head of complaints will report directly to Mr Byford, who sits on the BBC's executive board - the highest management layer in the corporation. Mr Dyke said: "We have decided to make a number of internal changes to modernise the complaints system and strengthen our post broadcast compliance procedures. The most important of these is the appointment of a deputy director general who will take overall responsibility for this area. "This means the second most important person in the management structure will now have a particular responsibility for compliance and complaints." The decision to create the new position was taken two weeks ago at a meeting of the BBC governors in Cardiff, where they discussed the best way to head off any potential criticism in the Hutton report, due to be published in mid-January. The corporation's complaints procedure was one of the central issues debated in the Hutton inquiry following the death of Dr Kelly. Alastair Campbell and other Labour spin doctors regularly bypassed the complaints procedure because they felt it was ineffective and, during the Hutton inquiry, the corporation admitted it should have taken No 10's complaint more seriously. BBC insiders claim they had been looking at a full review of the complaints process before Hutton because of the arrival of super-regulator Ofcom. However, they admit the process was given added impetus by the Hutton inquiry and the BBC did not want to wait till January to get its house in order. "We are ready to go. We felt there was no point waiting until the Hutton report is out," said one source. Today's move will also be seen as an attempt to head off calls for Ofcom to take over from the BBC governors, who have also been criticised for the speed with which they backed the claims made on the Today programme. The new complaints and compliance system follows a review led by the BBC director of policy and legal, Caroline Thomson, which was started earlier this year in anticipation of the new Ofcom regime. "Anyone who knows Mark understands he is passionate about public service broadcasting and the BBC's role in the UK and around the world. He has deputised for me many times and I am delighted that the governors have agreed to his appointment," said Mr Dyke. The BBC director general decided not to appoint a deputy when he arrived in 2000 because he felt he didn't need one. Mr Byford, the son of Sir Lawrence Byford, a former chief inspector of constabulary, has spent 24 years at the BBC, starting as a producer in Yorkshire and rose to become head of regional broadcasting under John Birt. He said today he felt "proud and privileged" to get the job. "As a beacon of public service broadcasting around the world, the BBC must aim to provide brilliant, stretching and ambitious programmes. I will strive to promote high standards, quality and the upholding of the BBC's values in everything we do," he added. The BBC chairman, Gavyn Davies, who could also face criticism from Lord Hutton for rushing to back Today programme reporter Andrew Gilligan without an independent investigation into Mr Campbell's complaint, also welcomed the move. "It is clear that Britain's most important public service broadcaster must have the highest standards of editorial compliance. The governors believe that the appointment of Mark Byford, along with the strengthened post broadcast procedures, will ensure that this is the case," he said. As a result of the changes the existing editorial policy department, headed by Stephen Whittle, which deals with complaints about programmes before they are broadcast, will report directly to Mr Byford. And the existing programme complaints unit, to which all complaints are referred, will be rolled into a new department to be headed by a new controller of complaints. Ms Thomson is to be handed the key role of overseeing the crucial charter review process, which is due for renewal in 2006. Mr Byford will retain his responsibilities for BBC World Service and global television news channel BBC World but the corporation will appoint a new director of the World Service. He will be expected to act as a buffer between Mr Dyke and complaints from political parties and the public. Mr Dyke and BBC chairman Gavyn Davies have both been criticised in the past for failing to take complaints seriously and for fostering an arrogant and aggressive approach to criticism of the corporation. The BBC's critics will point to today's reorganisation as an admission from Mr Dyke that he was wrong to believe that he didn't need a number two. Throughout the BBC's row with the government, sparked by Gilligan's claim on Radio 4's Today programme that No 10 had "sexed up" an intelligence dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, critics have pointed to the fact that Mr Dyke came out fighting rather than launching an internal inquiry. Mr Dyke recently said he regretted not taking a step back before sanctioning an angry response to a series of allegations from then Mr Campbell. "When I look back, I wish - on the day that Alastair Campbell launched that attack and demanded answers to a host of questions within a few hours that we'd said: 'No, stop, we'll have a full internal inquiry and the answers to those questions can wait'. That would have been better," he said in an interview. MediaGuardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 (via Dan Say, WORLD OF RADIO 1211, DXLD) ** U S A. WBCQ, 17495, 2310 GMT, EE, 433, Dec 10th. Glenn Hauser's World of Radio with comments about New Guinea, Sweden and Laos plus listeners radio logs, such as Ron Trotto of Illinois. At 2320 a press release via Danmark. By 2325 the program faded into the high noise levels and was gone (WDX6AA, Stewart MacKenzie, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I`ve been intending to point out that this frequency usually joins WOR in progress, compared to 7415; the previous program always seems to be running over a couple of minutes; but then we sometimes manage to start a bit late too (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FINE FOR 'FILTH' -- By DAVID GOODMAN Associated Press Writer DETROIT (AP) The Federal Communications Commission said it has fined the owners of radio station WKRK-FM the legal maximum of $27,500 for broadcasting indecent material. The FCC issued the fine against Infinity Broadcasting Operations Inc. for material that the suburban Detroit station broadcast on the "Deminski & Doyle" show between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2002. On the show, two hosts took calls from nine listeners who described sexual positions in explicit detail. Several callers also joked about acts of violence against women. "I was saying no children are to be listening to this next segment or so and ladies you probably don't wanna hear this ... either "cause this is really foul," one of the hosts warned as the segment began, according to an FCC transcript. "The blatant broadcasting of filth of this extreme nature has no place on our nation's airwaves," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said Monday in a statement. "Broadcasters should take this latest action as yet another sign that the commission will continue to rigorously enforce our indecency regulations." A call to the Southfield station for comment was referred to programming manager Craig Schwalb, who was unavailable Monday night. The FCC first proposed the fine in April but finalized it Monday. "We're studying the document and evaluating our options," Infinity spokeswoman Karen Mateo told The Detroit News for a story Tuesday. The FCC said Infinity did not dispute that the material was indecent but argued the commission's definition of indecency was unconstitutional. "The commission found that the broadcast included explicit and graphic sexual and excretory references, that this material was extremely lewd and vulgar, and that it appeared to have been used to pander, titillate and shock," the FCC said in a news release. "I am disappointed that the licensee in this case continues to challenge this sanction rather than accept responsibility for such an extreme violation of our rules," said FCC member Jonathan Adelstein. He said the FCC now has given notice that it is willing to take tougher action, including moving to revoke broadcast licenses, in future cases of this kind. On the Net: Federal Communications Commission, http://www.fcc.gov WKRK-FM, http://www.wkrk.com Infinity Broadcasting, http://www.infinityradio.com (via Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ont., DXLD) ** U S A. ANOTHER PROUD CLEAR CHANNEL MOMENT --- The dangers of automation and voice-tracking came into earshot on MONDAY (12/8), as CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WKSC (KISS 103.5)/CHICAGO's overnight show became a festival of jingles, spots, and promos. The station's computer system malfunctioned and spewed out the music-free set beginning at midnight (allaccess.com via Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** U S A. Aeronautical mobile special event to mark 100 years of flight: Special event station K1F will be on the air until December 20 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of ``heavier-than-air`` powered flight. ``I will only be using this call sign while operating aeronautical mobile,`` said Ken Eckel Jr, AB5A, of Santa Fe, Texas --- a professional pilot. Eckel says he`s indebted to the pioneers of aviation for making the dream of flight a reality. Listen for K1F on 40, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters (SSB) as well as on 6 meters/VHF/ UHF. Eckel says he`ll try to be on the air for at least an hour a day, and on December 17 will be airborne at 10:30 AM EST (1530 UTC), the actual time of the first flight, on or about 14.325 MHz. QSL requests go to AB5A, 2020 Cemetery Rd, Santa Fe, TX 77517-3755. There`s more information on his web site http://www.clarc.org/~ab5a/AB5A%20Aeromobile.html (ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FCC enforcement funding will not decrease in new fiscal year: The omnibus budget bill that the US House of Representatives approved this week directs the FCC to maintain next fiscal year`s funding for enforcement activities at least at its current level. The Congressional Record reports that a House-Senate conference agreement includes nearly $274 million for the FCC, with all but $1 million to be offset by fee collections. ``The conferees direct the FCC to expend for enforcement in fiscal year 2004 an amount equal to or greater than the amount expended for enforcement in fiscal year 2003,`` the House Conference Report on HR 2673, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 states. The US Senate will consider the budget measure in January after it returns from the holiday break. (ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Historic shore station to be on the air for ARRL Straight Key Night: West Coast shore station KPH and companion amateur station K6KPH will be on the air for ARRL Straight Key Night New Year`s Eve and Day http://www.arrl.org/ contests/rules/2004/skn.html KPH will be active on MF on 500 and 426 kHz running approximately 5 kW into a Marconi ``T`` antenna. Announcements will be made on 500 kHz, and most traffic will be on 426 kHz. K6KPH will be active on or about 3545, 7050 and 14,050 kHz running 1.5 kW on all frequencies using vintage RCA transmitters and classic antenna designs. Operators will be at the receiving site in Pt Reyes, California, and plans call for activating several operating positions. A two-person transmitter crew will be on duty at the transmitting site in Bolinas, California, and the transmitters will be remotely controlled from the receiving site. Send QSLs and reception reports to D. A. Stoops, PO Box 381, Bolinas CA, 94924-0381 USA. Further information about KPH and the Station restoration project are on the Maritime Radio Historical Society Web site. http://www.radiomarine.org/ (Richard ``RD`` Dillman, W6AWO via ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U S A. Idaho RACES sponsoring ``Talk to Santa Claus Workshop Net``: Idaho Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) again will sponsor its ``Talk to Santa Claus Workshop Net`` on 40 meters. Idaho ARRL Section Manager Doug Rich, W7DVR, says the net offers children a chance to talk to Santa Claus or one of his helpers at the North Pole workshop via HF radio. ``Because Santa knows all children, he has a very personal conversation with them and usually finds out what they might want for Christmas,`` Rich said. ``All who are involved have fun and enjoy that very special Christmas spirit.`` The net in the past has provided some holiday spirit for youngsters hospitalized during the Christmas season. Rich invites those who would like to provide a family member with that same special opportunity to talk to Santa at the North Pole workshop to apply via the Santa`s Worship Web site form. http://www.the-one.com/id/SantasWorkshop.php The net convenes Monday, December 15, 5 PM MST (December 16, 0000 UTC), on or about 7.284 MHz. Make a QSO with Santa`s Workshop by calling WC7BDS. Santa`s Workshop will make contacts starting with stations in the Eastern Time zone and working across the US. ``Everyone is welcome!`` Rich said, but he encouraged all who want to participate to fill out the Web site form as soon as possible. ``It will be sent directly to Santa`s Workshop and must be received before Santa will make contact with you,`` he added. Contact Rich at w7dvr@arrl.org or visit the ARRL Idaho Section Web site for more information. http://www.arrl.org/ sections/ID.html (ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Santa Claus Net set: Clyde McAfee, KG4BVR, of Eightmile, Alabama, will conduct a Santa Claus net on 14.287 MHz from December 21 through December 24, 1900 to 0200 UTC. (Ed Petzolt, K1LNC via ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Julian Hirsch, W2KFB, SK: Julian Hirsch, W2KFB, of New Rochelle, New York, died December 3. He was 81. An ARRL member, Hirsch was well known as an electrical engineer and writer who guided an early generation of audiophiles. Starting in the 1950s and continuing through his retirement in 1998, Hirsch tracked the ``high- fi`` industry as it matured into a billion-dollar business. Hirsch wrote thousands of laboratory test reports on audio equipment, many of them for Stereo Review (now merged with Sound and Vision), which published his monthly ``Technical Talk`` column. According to his obituary in the New York Times, ``Hirsch warmed to the technology at 14 with Amateur Radio.`` A graduate of Cooper Union, Hirsch spent World War II in the US Army Signal Corps and later worked in the Electronics industry on spectrum analyzing equipment. In the 1950s, Hirsch and Gladden Houck teamed up to form Hirsch-Houck Laboratories, which tested audio equipment. In 1960 Ziff-Davis Publishing recruited him to test equipment for it exclusively, and his first ``Technical Talk`` appeared in 1961 in Hi-Fi/Stereo. Survivors include his wife, Ruth, a son and a daughter. (New York Times via ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Maritime Mobile Service Network handles ``Mayday`` call: The Maritime Mobile Service Network http://mmsn.org/ on September 26 received a Mayday call on the net`s frequency, 14.300 MHz, from a sailing vessel in distress off the Honduran coast. A member of the sailboat`s crew reported it was taking on water. Although no one aboard the sailboat was an Amateur Radio operator, Assistant Net Manager Tom Job, VE3II, says the MMSN is well known throughout the sailing community as a good place to turn to when you need assistance. The vessel had three people onboard. Net members contacted the US Coast Guard in Miami, and a radiotelephone patch from the USCG to the stricken vessel was established and maintained throughout the incident. Passenger Tammy Tonti, who acted as the stricken vessel`s radio operator, advised that those on board the vessel --- Endless Journey --- had deployed a life raft and were preparing to ditch the vessel, which they ultimately did when the situation became untenable. The MMSN station involved was Rick Jones, WB6LNH. The US Coast Guard later advised that the crew of Endless Journey had been rescued, but the vessel was lost. (ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. ``Toys, Trains, Dolls!`` special event set: The Schenectady (New York) Museum Amateur Radio Association (SMARA) will operate Special Event Station W2S Sunday, December 14, 1700-2100 UTC, to commemorate the ``Toys, Trains, Dolls!`` exhibit at the Schenectady Museum and Planetarium. The exhibit runs through January 4. W2S operate in the General class phone segments on 80, 40 and 20 as well as on the W2IR 146.79 MHz repeater. QSL via W2IR or Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association, W2IR, PO Box 6143, Schenectady, NY 12306-0143. (Gerald Murray, WA2IWW via ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA. Finally, the QSL card has arrived for my report of 24/02/2002, on 6265 kHz. Verie signer was Patrick Nkula, for Director of engineering, email= pnkula @ yahoo.com The name of the game is patience! (Emmanuel Ezeani, Sokoto, Nigeria, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Does anyone know the location (country) of the transmitter for the VT Merlin test transmission on 9875 kHz? It has signed off on two mornings now at 1345 UT, and I'm guessing it may be in the Asia/Pacific area since it's received reasonably well here in the south-central US just after dawn local time. The VT Merlin website mentioned in the test transmission doesn't have a clue as to where the transmission originates (halpc, Dec 9, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ ANALYSIS: WORLD'S BROADCASTERS STRUGGLE TO DEFINE MEDIA FREEDOM | Text of editorial analysis by Peter Feuilherade of BBC Monitoring Media Services at the World Electronic Media Forum in Geneva on 10 December Radio and TV broadcasters from over 100 countries are meeting in Geneva this week at the World Electronic Media Forum (WEMF), a parallel event to the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). TV and radio journalists from 250 broadcasters are debating the issues raised by the new global media environment with NGOs and activist groups. Speakers at the opening session agreed that freedom of the media is essential to efforts to build an open and inclusive information society, and to peace and development in general. In his opening address, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed concern that although the electronic media were among the world's most important vehicles for peace, progress and solidarity, many millions of people were still outside their reach. "The goal is not more information in more places, but an information society open and inclusive in which knowledge empowers all people, and serves the cause of improving the human condition. "The media are fellow stakeholders in that effort. And freedom of the press is essential if you are to fulfill your vital role. It is one thing for governments to establish regulatory and policy frameworks. But when they go further, down the slope towards censorship and harassment, all of us and potentially all our rights are imperilled. The Summit must reaffirm this fundamental freedom," Kofi Annan said. But it was clear from the outset that what represents media freedom for some broadcasters is viewed by others at the Geneva forum as a licence to attack the legitimacy of elected governments. A speaker from the Iranian state broadcaster, for example, took exception to the programming of US-based Iranian opposition TV stations being held up as a positive example of free _expression. He argued that these stations were fomenting unrest against Iran's democratically elected government, with funding and political support from the United States. Media fear being sidelined The World Electronic Media Forum sees its role as tackling some of the issues directly relevant to the media that are at risk of being marginalised at the main Information Society summit. Arguments over the role of the media almost prevented consensus being reached on a draft declaration to be considered by heads of government in Geneva. Guillaume Chenevière, executive director of the WEMF, complained that official WSIS delegations were unable to see further than the Internet, and had neglected traditional media platforms. "The forum will provide the opportunity to send a clear signal to governments and other summit delegations: radio and television have an inevitable role to play in the development of society, in particular to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots when it comes to access to new communication tools," Chenevière said. According to the Swiss NGO platform comunica-ch, the WSIS summit "is kow-towing to big business and doesn't cater adequately for civil society", and could therefore not contribute towards its goal of bridging the digital divide between developed and developing nations. And in the view of some NGOs, authoritarian countries are trying to legitimize their control over the media, old and new. China, for instance, takes the view that since the WSIS meeting is about the Information Society, it is purely a technical gathering, and the media should not be granted a special role. Countries like China and Vietnam which maintain tight controls on the media had been anxious to restrict references to media freedom in the summit declaration, whereas the US and the EU considered free speech as a fundamental principle of the Internet. Rich and poor countries have settled most of the key disputes that had threatened to derail this week's digital divide summit. After two days of talks in Geneva, negotiators reached deals on human rights and managing the Internet. But they remained at odds over how to help expand net access for the poor. Back at the WEMF, meanwhile, all participants are adamant that greater media freedom worldwide is their prime objective. The stumbling block now is for them to agree on a definition of this goal that is politically acceptable to all. Web links World Electronic Media Forum - http://www.wemfmedia.org UN World Summit on the Information Society - http://www.itu.int/wsis British Council web blog from WSIS - http://www.dailysummit.net Source: BBC Monitoring research in English 10 Dec 03 INTERNATIONAL MORSE CODE GETS A NEW ITU HOME, NEW CHARACTER NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 10, 2003 --- The 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-03) may have eliminated the treaty requirement for prospective amateurs to demonstrate Morse code proficiency to gain HF access, but the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) hasn`t forgotten Morse code altogether. In Geneva on December 5, the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Study Group 8 agreed on the wording of a Draft New Recommendation ITU-R M.[MORSE] that specifies the international Morse code character set and transmission procedures. It also includes a new Morse code character to cover the ``@`` symbol used in e-mail addresses. Once it`s made available in English, French and Spanish, the draft new recommendation will go out to ITU member-states using a new procedure for simultaneous adoption and approval. On December 3, the draft new recommendation won the approval of Working Party 8A, which is responsible for the Land Mobile and Amateur services. Within the ITU, the international Morse code has been defined by the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), which is responsible for the public telephone and telegraph network --- mostly landline. A couple of years ago, the ARRL pointed out to the US delegation to the ITU Radiocommunication Advisory Group that Morse code`s role more properly resides in the radiocommunication realm, not wire, and should be the responsibility of ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). The transfer was agreed to, and International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) President Larry Price, W4RA, proposed the draft new recommendation at the November-December Working Group 8A meeting. The draft new recommendation is almost unchanged from its ITU-T text. ``No one wanted to disturb something with more than 150 years of history,`` said ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI. To keep up with the times, however, the IARU proposed adding a new character --- the commercial ``at`` or @ symbol --- to permit sending e-mail addresses in Morse code. The draft new recommendation proposes using the letters A and C run together (. --- .-. [sic – that should be .--.-. – gh]) to represent the @ symbol. While the draft new recommendation is still a working document, it`s expected to become a Recommendation within six months or so, pending approval by member-states (ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DXLD) MUSEA +++++ FCC HISTORY EXHIBIT AND WEB SITE FOCUS ON RADIO HISTORY, PIONEERS: The FCC has unveiled the second phase of an ongoing history project that includes Web pages focusing on a few pioneers of radio`s core technologies. http://www.fcc.gov/omd/history ``The particular focus of the exhibits is mobile radio and its applications for safety, business, and personal uses,`` an FCC announcement said. The project`s first phase looked at television. The FCC said its new radio Web pages cover the ideas that made radio possible, the power that made radio realistic, and the quality that made radio popular. The site touches upon the work of Hertz, Marconi, Fessenden, Tesla, Alexanderson, DeForest and Armstrong. Also depicted are the exhibits and displays at FCC Headquarters in Washington. ``The exhibits, displays, and Web site of the FCC`s history project are designed to highlight the rich technological heritage that underlies today`s vibrant communications marketplace,`` the FCC said. (FCC via ARRL December 10 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ Re 3-221: PWBR LOSING IT? Oh man -- I missed that -- Leave it to Larry to pick up on the good stuff. Now who the heck is Mother Sill.... :o Marie Lamb will be offended, Liz might like it tho.... and what ever happened to Evelyn Wood? (was that her name -- from Chicago....?) (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hampton As a woman, I must insist that ice is not the cause but rather old age (Liz Cameron, MI, ibid.) Gravity, That`s the culprit. At least here in Canada (Jerry Coatsworth, ibid.) So that's what they mean by heavy ice chesting!? (Richard Line, ibid.) OK, you got me wondering on that one, so I did a Google search. It brought back a lot of genealogy pages and few more entertaining links that are low-brow enough to entertain this crowd (maybe even fodder for Radio Azteca?).... At the following site, the author describes joining the Coast Guard in 1945 and getting seasick to the point where he gave a pair of soiled skivvies a burial at sea. Soon after he docked in Sitka, Alaska where a local lady took him to a pharmacy for --- a bottle of Mother Sill's Sea Sick Pills! The scary thing is that this guy says he still has the partially used box. http://www.jacksjoint.com/burial_at_sea.htm Attention Ken Zichi: These seasickness pills have even figured in legal proceedings, as attested by the following document on the official website of the New York State District Attorneys Association (see what neat stuff you miss by practicing law in the sticks?) http://www.nysdaa.org/detail.cfm?page=57 More about the originator of Mother Sill's Sea Sick Remedy at.... http://www.hras.org/wtobird/muscoot.html Apparently Mother Sill later expanded her product line - the following page mentions Mother Sill's Airsick Remedy from the Mother Sill Company. It also has a picture of an authentic bottle of Sperm Sewing Machine oil... (I see a pirate QSL here!) http://www.bottlebooks.com/questions/December%201999/december_question s.htm Another link brought back the following interesting snippet of text in Google ... Todd whispered. "He got a letter from Stefan. He's been grinning like a loon since he read it." "I'll buy you some Mother Sill's. ... The link was to a Gay sex site, so I decided I didn't want to know just why he was buying a Mother Sill's product... Finally (and sinking to a new low), I find the PWBR comment ironic after hearing someone at work today wonder why implants are made with silicone and not helium. (Harold, you used to work for Dow. Want to handle that one?) (Don Moore, IA, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ THE NRC IBOC DEBATE CONTINUES Dave: While I don't dispute the "attached to the set" figures, I often wonder what people are getting out of radio today. I've noticed that there seems to be a transition from a true listener to someone that uses the media for background music. Case in point, you look at the ratio of people listening to a talk station vs. a music station. Both may mention that school is closed due to excessive snow, and yet the music station always gets the barrage of calls asking, "is school closed", moments after it's read on the air. I guess the fault can be pointed toward the individual listener, the majority on pop music stations, that use the radio just for their Muzak. News/talk stations tend to get a person that is more likely interested in what is being said and pays attention. However, (geezer_mode /on), I don't recall in my days of programming radio that the ratio was so lopsided. Either people in the 70s and 80s listened to radio and paid more attention, or folks today are too involved in other things and use radio as simply a noise or a diversion from reality. I personally believe that it's because our lives are too stressful and hectic, and radio in some cases is our Valium. However, as was pointed out to me by another member, if there is something on the radio of interest, people will listen. Perhaps this thought points out the mediocrity of some formats while entertaining the audience, causes them to tune out of the message. (Gawd, wouldn`t the ad agency people have a field day with that!) (Fred Vobbe, OH, NRC-AM via DXLD) Anyone who really believes that any significant amount of music programming will miraculously migrate back to AM on account of IBOC isn`t dealing with realistic probability. The only reasons my 20- something sons know that AM radio exists is because of my DX hobby. Most of their friends have only this dim awareness of another band on the radio that`s full of talk and static and electrical noise. And the generations which have historically driven music over the past decades have been mostly under-30. If they`re listening to radio at all, it's FM. And if they happen to be surveyed, many of them would not distinguish a question about listening to radio between over the air and over the web (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) I don't believe that the final production will be that cheap. Watch Ibiquity be greedy. And remember their financial condition is shaky. Tom Ray's continuing tests at WOR showed the digital to fall apart at HALF the analog. And you think the cheapo sloppily made Chinese IBOC radio is going to perform better than the analog. Yeah, RIGHT |VERY BIG ECHO| when they almost can't pick up the analog? FM won't be an awful lot better on these marvels of goo (Powell E. Way, ibid.) Having talked with Tom Ray, I got a different impression. I feel he told me that the digital signal was usable "nearly to Philadelphia" while the analog signal got lost in noise and RFI before that. Keep in mid that very few AMs get any diaries outside the 5 mv/m contour. FMs get more than 85%, on average, of shares, inside the 60 dbu contour. Nearly no station cares about any market outside the home market. If the digital signal is solid inside the usable contour of the analog, no one is going to care if the digital gets out to the 40 dbu on FM or the 1 mv/m on AM as those are nearly useless contours for generation of audience. I have heard no indication that Ibiquity is in bad shape; in fact, a large group of the owners are broadcasters, nearly all of which have invested. Among the radios used was a sub-10 dollar portable from Target. KTNQ sounded no different with IBOC on and off; the point is not whether radios are crappy, but whether IBOC makes the analog receivers any crappier. In our test, it did not. Yes, lots of old, high-Q directionals will take work. The cost will be far less than the European idea of moving to a different band; just the marketing cost would be huge. Finally, my impression is that Clear Channel has very high standard of engineering. The consistently upgrade the facilities at stations they buy and spend more than most on good plants. BTW, as to ears: the only way to test audio subjectively is having a group of people, including women, listen. Depending on any one person's ears is dangerous (David Gleason, CA, ibid.) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ KN4LF DAILY HF/MF RADIO PROPAGATION OUTLOOK #2003-20 http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf5.htm Date Format is MM/DD/YY Published Tuesday 12/11/03 At 0400 UTC PAST 72 HOUR SOLAR, SPACE WEATHER AND GEOMAGNETIC INDICES- Sunspot Groups- No sunspot groups currently contain a twisted magnetic field capable of producing large M class solar flares or huge X class solar flares. Solar Flux Readings- 94 to 88. The daily solar flux reading of 88 that occurred on the 12/10/03 was the lowest since 03/98, which was on the rising side of solar cycle 23. SEC Sunspot Number- 49 to 23. X-Ray Solar Flares- C-0 M-0 X-0 X-Ray Solar flare activity continues quiet but activity will increase as sunspot group #10501 rotates around the east limb of the Sun shortly. Averaged Background X-Ray Flux- B1.2 to A8.7. Energetic Protons >10 MeV (10+o)- None. Geo-effective (Earth Facing) Coronal Mass Ejections- None. Recurrent Coronal Hole #071 became geoeffective beginning on 12/5/03. As #066 on 11/9-14/03 it produced a Kp of 6 (moderate geomagnetic storm). I expect a Kp of 5 (minor geomagnetic storming) to a Kp-6 (moderate geomagnetic storming to continue for another 72 hours. The Ap index has been at quiet to major storm levels, with a range of 7 to 69. The Kp index has been at quiet to moderate storm levels, with a range of 2 to 6. The solar wind speed has ranged between 352 and 800. Here are some "general" guidelines concerning correlation of propagation indices to actual expected HF/MF propagation conditions. 1.) Dropping indices numbers are better, except solar flux for HF. 2.) For medium frequencies a solar flux under 150, under 100 better, 70 is best for E layer multi hop. 2a.) For high frequencies a solar flux of 100 is okay, 150 better, above 200 best for F layer multi hop. Keep in mind though that the 10.7 cm (2800 mhz) solar flux index is not a "reliable" gauge of ionization in our atmosphere, as the energy of photons at this frequency is to low on the order of one million times. However most are used to solar flux and sunspot number and it's a hard habit to break. A better indicator is the background x-ray flux. See #7 3.) Solar flux of at least 100 for E valley-F layer ducting mechanism. 4.) Previous 24 hour Ap index under 10, under 7 for several days consecutively is best. 5.) Previous 3 hour Kp index under 3 for mid latitude paths, under 2 for high latitude paths, 0-1 for several days consecutively is best. 6.) Energetic protons no greater then 10 MeV (10+0) for 160/120 meters and no greater then (10-1) on MF broadcast band. 7.) Background x-ray flux levels less than C1 for several days consecutively for 160/120 meters and less then B9 for MF broadcast band. 8.) No current STRATWARM alert. 9.) IMF Bz with a (+) sign, indicates a lesser chance of high latitude path auroral absorption/unpredictable refraction or scattering of MF RF signals, when the Kp is above 3. TODAY'S PROPAGATION LESSON #1- 1.) HF/MF Propagation Overview- a.) Medium frequencies encompass 300 to 3000 kc. The simplest way to look at medium frequencies with respect to propagation issues from a layman's point of view, is to accept the fact propagation is poor the majority of the time. (See definition #6. Electron Gyro Frequency Absorption), especially past approximately 1250 miles (one refraction off of the E-layer), with occasional short-lived good periods as far as 3200 miles. Medium frequency radio waves possess elliptical polarization, with the signal splitting into ordinary and extra-ordinary rays. These rays can propagate in or out of phase, mainly out of phase. The out of phase extra-ordinary ray represents a 50% power loss on the receive end of a path. b.) Why? D-layer absorption! At daytime the D-layer, which is at an approximate height of 30-60 miles in the mesosphere, totally absorbs medium frequency RF signals most of the time. I say most of the time because at high latitudes, during the winter season and especially at the low part of a sunspot cycle, penetration of RF signals through the weakened D-layer and then refraction via the E-layer does occur. However a fly-in-the-ointment is the fact that the D-layer does not totally disappear at night. Many books that deal with wave propagation erroneously state that the D and E-layers disappear after sunset, totally incorrect thanks to Galactic Cosmic Rays. c.) Background electromagnetic radiation in the 1 to 10 Angstrom range (Hard X-Rays) is the main source of ionization of the day time D- layer, with our Sun as the source of Cosmic Rays, also playing a role. The following paragraph was contributed by Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA. A couple years ago I was playing with Proplab Pro on a one-hop 936km path on 160m during daylight. I plotted absorption versus sunspot number. I expected a nice monotonic increase as the sunspot number increased. But the plot showed that absorption started at about 60dB at zero sunspots and was constant out to a sunspot number of about 50. Then it started climbing, reaching 100dB at a sunspot number of 150. This suggested that there was something other than hard x-rays and cosmic rays as the source of daytime D region absorption. So I dug into Davies 1990 (page 61), Hunsucker and Hargreaves (page 31), and Brekke (page 233). They all seem to point to the Lyman-alpha line of the solar spectrum at 1215 Angstroms ionizing NO as the main source of the quiet daytime D region. So in terms of my absorption versus sunspot number plot, the flat portion up to a sunspot number of 50 is probably due to the Lyman-alpha line ionizing NO. Then above a sunspot number of 50 the hard x-rays start contributing as the Sun becomes more active. d.) While I'm visiting the subject of electromagnetic radiation, our Sun emits electromagnetic radiation and matter, as a result of the nuclear fusion process. Electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths of 100 to 1000 Angstroms (Ultraviolet) ionizes the F region, radiation at 10 to 100 Angstroms (Soft X-rays), as well as Cosmic Rays ionize the E region. Galactic Cosmic Rays are the reason that the E-layer is "always" present at night time, the D-layer also. Cosmic rays are not rays at all, but particles. They are ionized atoms, atoms with missing electrons ranging from a single proton up to an iron nucleus and beyond but typically protons and alpha particles, which have 2 protons and 2 neutrons. They originate from deep space, being produced by a number of different sources, such as other stars, and more exotic objects, such as supernova, which are exploding stars and their remnants, neutron stars, black holes, and distant galaxies. Cosmic Ray particles travel very close to the speed of light, and are highly energetic. e.) Recently I saw a post on the Topband Reflector E-List, lamenting the seemingly unexplainable differences in 160 propagation on certain paths from night-to-night. A reasonable explanation? Yes, unfortunately small increases in the density of the night time D-layer over short periods of time, caused by smaller solar flares and also the general variability of the solar background X-Ray flux level, can have a profound negative impact on propagation in the form of increased absorption of high and even mid-latitude medium-frequency signal paths, both on the MF broadcast band, 160 and 120 meters. Why? It only takes 10 electron volts (ev) of energy to ionize the atmosphere and 1-10 Angstrom X-ray photons energize the atmosphere at a factor of 100. This translates into D layer absorption of medium frequency signals. The lower half of the MF broadcast is always affected first followed by the upper half of the AM broadcast band, then 160 and 120 meters. If you learn nothing else on this website, remember this simple explanation and pass the word. f.) After much personal observational research over a 30 year period, I've come to the conclusion that high and mid latitude TA and TP propagation paths tend to open up only after a significant period of time passes with an energetic proton event of no greater then (10+0) on 160 meters and no greater then (10-1) on the medium frequency broadcast band. Openings also occur when the average solar background X-ray level falls back to or below C1 for 160 meters and B9 for the AM broadcast band. g.) Remember though that there are daily extremes of the Background X-ray flux level. So even though the daily average might have been good at say B2.2, the daily "extreme" maximum could have been C1.5, which would have been bad and have cause a short period of increased D layer absorption. h.) Though high latitude paths on the day light side of the Earth are primarily effected, night time high latitude paths can also be impacted by higher intensity energetic proton events. This fact is still stubbornly opposed by some otherwise very knowledgeable space weather physicists hung up on high latitude threshold Riometer data tied to Polar Cap Absorption (PCA). i.) Another wrench in the gears preventing consistent good propagation on medium frequencies is related to Sporadic-D (Ds) absorption. Sporadic-D (Ds) occurrences have an inter-relationship with brief but intense Sun based and Galactic Cosmic Rays, huge positive cloud to ground lightning strokes and interrelated Sprites and Elves. Very large bursts of Gamma Rays have also been observed to occur in conjunction with Sprites. j.) Also there is another unavoidable problem, Magneto Ionic Power Coupling. Antenna polarization plays a large role in the success of a long haul DX contact. As a medium frequency RF signal traverses our planet`s magnetic lines of force in a perpendicular manner on high and mid latitude paths say between W3 land and SM, higher angle horizontally polarized signals are more readily absorbed then lower angle vertically polarized signals. On other propagation paths on the globe opposite results can be found, i.e. horizontally polarized signals suffer less absorption on a background propagation path between VK6 and W4. Magneto Ionic Power Coupling expert Bob Brown NM7M has a good educational thread on this bugaboo on the May 2002 Topband Reflector. The thread can read in its entirety by going to my main radio website page at http://www.kn4lf.com and clicking on the "Topband Reflector Archive" link in the left-hand column. k.) Meteorological effects such as troposphere originating Internal Buoyancy/Gravity Waves (IBGW), stratospheric level Quasi-Biennial Oscillations (QBO) and stratospheric warming have a negative effect on MF RF signals in the form of small to medium increased absorption variations of MF RF signals via the D layer. Also temperature and moisture discontinuities (frontal inversions) can refract/scatter MF radio signals in unpredictable ways, most notably on high transmitted RF power levels. l.) The Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) is a wind shift in the equatorial stratosphere, an oscillation from easterly to westerly and back on the time scale of approximately two years (26 months) and is a source of Internal Buoyancy/Gravity Waves (IBGW's) which create absorptive perturbations in the D and E layers and even in the F-1&2 layers. m.) The HAARP Ionospheric program, Thunderstorms, lightning (especially positive cloud to ground strokes), sprites, tornadoes, hurricanes and even man made activities such as rocket launches including the space shuttle, are all sources of (IBGW's). Many times I've heard ham's lament that propagation was going to go to crap due to another space shuttle launch, in a sense they are correct. 72 HOUR PROPAGATION OUTLOOK- We will see continued minor storm Kp-5 to moderate storm Kp-6, with occasional active Kp-4 geomagnetic conditions through the next 72 hours, thanks to recurring Coronal Hole #071. GLOBAL LF UNDER 300 KC PROPAGATION CONDITIONS EXPECTED- Daytime- Good, Nighttime- Poor GLOBAL HF 3000-30000 KC PROPAGATION CONDITIONS EXPECTED- Low Latitude- Good Mid Latitude- Good to Fair High Latitude- Fair To Poor GLOBAL MF 300-3000 KC PROPAGATION CONDITIONS EXPECTED- Expect fair to poor "Northern Hemisphere" domestic propagation conditions on east-west paths. *Expect poor domestic conditions on north "TO" south paths in the "Northern Hemisphere" out to approximately 1100 miles. +Expect good domestic conditions on south "TO" north paths in the "Northern Hemisphere" out to approximately 1100 miles. Expect fair to poor "Southern Hemisphere" domestic propagation conditions on east-west paths. +Expect good domestic conditions on north "TO" south paths in the "Southern Hemisphere" out to approximately 1100 miles. *Expect poor conditions on south "TO" north paths in the "Southern Hemisphere" out to approximately 1100 miles. "High latitude" Northern Hemisphere (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific and cross equatorial propagation conditions in excess of approximately 3200 miles should be poor. "High latitude" Southern Hemisphere (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific and cross equatorial propagation conditions in excess of approximately 3200 miles should be poor. "Mid latitude" Northern Hemisphere (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific and cross equatorial propagation conditions in excess of approximately 3200 miles should be fair to good. "Mid latitude" Southern Hemisphere (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific and cross equatorial propagation conditions in excess of approximately 3200 miles should be fair to good. "Low latitude" Northern Hemisphere (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific propagation conditions in excess of approximately 3200 miles should be good. "Low latitude" Southern Hemisphere (TA) Trans Atlantic, (TI) Trans Indian, (TP) Trans Pacific propagation conditions in excess of approximately 3200 miles should be good. Propagation Forecast Scales- Excellent- +1 db Over S9 Or better Good- S7-9 Fair- S4-6 Poor- S1-3 NOISE (QRN) OUTLOOK- GLOBAL SATELLITE DERIVED LIGHTNING STRIKE DATA (See Where Your QRN Is Coming From) http://www.lightningstorm.com/tux/jsp/gpg/lex1/mapdisplay_free.jsp;jsessionid=70301187101071113657379 During the 72 hour outlook period there will be "high" lightning induced QRN levels in low latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere due to the proximity of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and tropical cyclones. Northern hemisphere mid latitude regions can expect "moderate" lightning induced QRN tied to winter season thunderstorms, cold/warm/occluded fronts and associated extra-tropical cold core low pressure systems. Northern hemisphere high latitude regions can expect "low" lightning induced QRN tied to winter season thunderstorms, cold/warm/occluded fronts and associated extra-tropical cold core low pressure systems. During the outlook period there will be "high" lightning induced QRN levels in low latitude areas of the Southern Hemisphere due to the proximity of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and tropical cyclones. Southern hemisphere mid latitude regions can expect "high" lightning induced QRN, tied to summer season thunderstorms and tropical cyclones. Southern hemisphere high latitude regions can expect "moderate" lightning induced QRN tied to summer season thunderstorms, cold/warm/occluded fronts and associated extra-tropical cold core low pressure systems. Space Weather Scales- Kp Indices- G5 = Extreme Storm - Kp = 9 G4 = Severe Storm - Kp = 8 G3 = Strong Storm - Kp = 7 G2 = Moderate Storm - Kp = 6 G1 = Minor Storm - Kp = 5 Active - Kp = 4 Unsettled - Kp = 3 Ap Indices- Ap 100-400 Severe Storm Ap 50-99 Major Storm Ap 30-49 Minor Storm Ap 16-29 Active Ap 8-15 Unsettled Ap 0-7 Quiet Correlation Of Kp To Ap Indices- K- 0= A- 0 K- 1= A- 3 K- 2= A- 7 K- 3= A- 15 K- 4= A- 27 K- 5= A- 48 K- 6= A- 80 K- 7= A- 140 K- 8= A- 240 K- 9= A- 400 Standard Disclaimer- Note! I use "RAW" public domain data from the NOAA Space Environment Center, as well as other U.S. government organizations, to produce my "not for profit" propagation forecast outlooks. This data is gathered and made public by the U.S. Government using taxpayer $$$. However the forecast outlooks that I produce from the "RAW" public domain data, is my personal intellectual property. Therefore the propagation outlooks contained herein is copyrighted © 1988-2003 by Thomas F. Giella and the Florida Space And Atmospheric Weather Institute, all rights reserved. Reproduction of information herein is allowed as long as proper credit is given. Also space weather forecasting is still an inexact science. The discussions, forecasts and outlooks are not official but for educational purposes only and are subject to human error and acts of God, therefore no guarantee or warranty implied Yaesu FT-840 & PSK31 Digital Mode E Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yaesu_ft840 160 Meter Amateur Radio Resources & More http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf.htm Daily Solar Space Weather & Geomagnetic Data Archive http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf5.htm HF/MF Radio Propagation Theory Notes http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf8.htm Florida Space & Atmospheric Weather Institute http://www.kn4lf.com/fsawi.htm Florida Daily Weather Discussion http://www.kn4lf.com/sub/fmci17.htm Friend Website Design Studio http://www.kn4lf.com (73 & GUD DX, Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Plant City, FL, USA, EL87WX, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to severe storm levels. The period began with slightly elevated solar wind speeds, which produced isolated active conditions at all latitudes. Quiet to unsettled periods prevailed from 02 – 04 December. A combined high speed stream and transient impact on 05 December produced unsettled to major storm periods with occasional severe storm levels observed at high latitudes. Predominantly quiet to minor storm periods were observed on the 6th and 7th, with occasional major storm periods at high latitudes. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 10 DECEMBER 2003 - 05 JANUARY 2004 Solar activity is expected to range from very low to moderate levels. Activity is expected to be at low levels early in the period. Active longitudes are due to return to the visible disk by mid December and may produce moderate levels. Expect mostly low activity levels by early January. There is a small chance for a greater than 10 MeV proton event from mid to late December. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 10 – 15 December, 19 – 23 December, and again on 03 – 05 January. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to major storm levels. A large trans-equatorial coronal hole has moved into a geoeffective position and is expected to produce active to major storming through 14 December. Unsettled to minor storm periods are expected on 18 - 22 December, and again on 01 - 05 January due to high speed coronal hole streams (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio Dec 10 via DXLD) ###