DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-126, August 22, 2004 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2004 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 1242: Mon 0230 on WRMI 6870 Mon 0330 on WSUI 910, webcast http://wsui.uiowa.edu [previous 1241] Mon 0430 on WBCQ 7415, webcast http://wbcq.us Mon 0900 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Mon 1600 on WBCQ after-hours http://wbcq.com repeated weekdaily Wed 0930 on WWCR 9475 WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: WORLD OF RADIO 1242 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1242h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1242h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1242.html WORLD OF RADIO 1242 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1242.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1242.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1242 in the true SW sound of 5070: (stream) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_08-21-04.m3u (d`load) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_08-21-04.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO ON WWCR: Confirmed that the Sat 2030 on 12160 is canceled. RFPI: Again something else was on when the QT stream was checked after 2000 UT Sun Aug 22 (gh, DXLD) DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS: New revision Aug 22: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html ** ALASKA. Re: Strange case of KICY 850 Nome --- This was my best logging from North America in the mid-1960s. Heard, taped and verified from Pampa, Texas. It was noted on a Monday morning in KOA silent period, briefly, but enough to send them a tape of a clear ID and some programming. Uruguay was also logged on 850, but the latter did not QSL for me. Has anyone else from east of the Rockies been able to hear KICY? Possibilities today would seem nil (John Callarman, KA9SPA, Family Genealogist, Krum TX, NRC-AM via DXLD) They ran a DX test in '02, and I believe that DXers in Washington and British Columbia had no luck hearing them (Steve Francis, Alcoa, Tennessee, ibid.) The problem with DX tests from Alaska is that if Northern conditions aren't right, you aren't going to hear the station. Many stations in Alaska that have run DX tests, I rarely have heard the DX Test. But I have heard that same station the night before or a few nights after. KICY is a toughie even here, but I hear KNOM several times a year as 780 is a better frequency these days. 73s, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) How are the 650 and 750 Anchorage stations there? Is either consistently better? (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, ibid.) 750 is better than 650, as the QRM is worse on 650. The most common AK is KTKN-Ketchikan-930, but they are only 750 miles to the North. 890 KBBI is fairly common along with KYUK-640 in the Fall/Winter/Spring. 73s, (Patrick Martin, Seaside, OR, ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. R. Australia SPECIAL ATHENS OLYMPICS COVERAGE: 0500-0800 15240 kHz 0800-2000 9590 kHz 2000-2100 11650 kHz which will only be use for the Opening & Closing Ceremonies Coverage schedule: (directed to the Pacific region) Monday 23 to Friday 27 August 0500 to 2000 UT Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 August 0800 to 2100 UT - including Games in Review & the Closing Ceremony. (RA or ABC News every hour on the hour) (John Figliozzi, dxldyg via DXLD ** AUSTRALIA. New Croatian transmitters for RA: RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM ** AUSTRALIA. [Cf 4-125]. DX Partyline gave a slightly different version of the HCJB schedule effective Aug 29. The 11750 service to SPac remains at 0700-1000, shifting to 0800-1100 from 3 Oct when NZ goes on DST [why not one UT hour earlier instead of later? This will make it seem to start two hours later by local time!]. For the time being DXPL remains Sat 0730 [so 0830 from Oct??] SEAs on 15425 retimed 1100-1230, with DXPL Sat 1200 on 15425. SEAs, 2nd transmission, 15405, 1230-1330. SAs, retimed to 0100-0300, still on 15560. SAs, 1330-1430 on 15405, and 1430-1600 15390, with DXPL Sat 1500. EAs, 2230-0100 on 15525, unchanged DXPL has been: Sat 1100 SEAs 15425, Sat 1230 EAs 15435 --- these apparently merge into the 1200 on 15425; and until suspended at Mayend, Sat 1430 SAs 15390, which will now be at 1500 instead, but since the new sked starts on Sun Aug 29, all this on Sat will not be in effect until Sept 4 --- I think. The distinxion between E Asia and SE Asia is not clear, as in 4-125 there were only two azimuths given besides 120 on 11750: 340 on 15525, all others 307. So according to that, everything except 15525 is for South Asia on 307 degrees. To aim at East Asia (such as Japan), a beam of at least 360 = 0 degrees would be appropriate. Furthermore, Allan Graham did not mention languages, but presumably not all of these hours are in English, as indicated in the last issue, 1230-1430 is Other, and 0230-0300 is Urdu (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Radio Bruce heard here on 11412 kHz. 0700 S/on with Piano Man. Heard up until 0730 UTC. ID's and mixture of pop & oldies. ID as "This is the Asia Pacific service of Radio Bruce broadcasting on the 26 metre band." Also heard at strong levels in Queensland at ARDXC AGM DXpedition. At 0730 Tower radio was broadcasting on 11412 kHz before switching to 6270. Only a trace of the signal here (Dave Onley, Australia, Aug 22, ARDXC via DXLD) Just heard Stairway to Heaven followed by a piece of instrumental music sounding suspiciously like some instrumental music played on Tower Radio when it broadcast on 1692 kHz earlier this year. This was just after 0903 UT but I'm now getting some bad SSB interference covering the frequency so I guess I'll never know. Did you have some inside info on 6270, Dave or was it announced on 11412? (Wayne Bastow, ibid.) Tower Radio was heard okay in Queensland but not down here. Appears to have skipped over the top of me. Bit surprising because given it was a lower frequency I would have thought it would have propagated well. Depends on the antenna I suppose & where it was beamed to (Dave Onley, ibid.) I think I may have heard Tower on 6270 (I heard the end of Stairway to Heaven and some instrumental music which I think was on the 1692 kHz incarnation of Tower) but can't be sure (Bastow, ibid.) ** AUSTRIA [non]. Does anybody know what's up with the RÖI broadcast from 1500-1600 UT on 13775 kHz via the Sackville relay? For the past week, it hasn't aired; instead, the hour has been filled with an endless repeating loop of some irritating string-and-synthesizer elevator music. RÖI's broadcasts to the Americas from 2300-0200 UTC on 9870 kHz have not been affected by this (Ted Schuerzinger, Aug 22, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) Not the first time the feed was somehow interrupted and nothing done about it. Tuned in at 1554 and heard what you mean (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BANGLADESH. 9550, Bangladesh Betar at 1815 in English, man gave time check for local time and UTC followed by complete English schedule then the National and International News. News commentary at 1829 UT. Local songs at 1833 UT. Signal suffered from rapid over the pole flutter making it hard to copy at times. Sign off at 18:59 with ID and address, and at 1900 buried by China Radio International IS. Nice to see CRI did a "crash start" to avoid interference before Bangladesh did their s/off (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Aug 21, Rx: Collins HF-2050, Ant: 7-30 MHz Log Periodic, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. See MALDIVE ISLANDS [non] ** CANADA. For B-04, CRI registered 7190 in hamband of Reg 2, at 0400- 0600 for Ams via Sackville. This is prohibited as 7100-7300 is exclusively ham (Bob Padula, Radio EDXP, HCJB DX Partyline Aug 21, notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe a typo for 6190, where they have been at those hours, via Sackville? Or a wooden registration. Can`t imagine RCI allowing this to happen (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [non]. WJRN-11 Hamilton ON - No Such Station! http://www.upn11tv.com --- I happened upon this Web site this morning while looking for something entirely unrelated. However, there is no such station. It's only a fan site. The DX hook? (1) If anyone gets a UPN station on channel 11, or a station with calls "WJRN", it's not this one, and (2) Canadian stations don't have "W" call letters! (But everyone on this list should already know that.) I hope whoever did this Web site has found a way to make money from this kind of skill! (And I'd love to know what software, if any, they used. It's not apparent from the source code.) This is a very nice site (David Austin, Columbia SC, Aug 21, WTFDA via DXLD) Could it exist as such on the local cable system? But Hamilton has its own channel 11 (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. CBDN-FM Dawson YT move to AM (560 kHz, 400 watts) approved CFWH Whitehorse --- New transmitter in Dawson From today`s CRTC releases http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/db2004-358.htm 1. The Commission approves the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to amend the broadcasting licence for the radio programming undertaking CFWH Whitehorse, in order to add an AM transmitter in Dawson to broadcast the programming of CFWH. 2. The new transmitter will replace the transmitter CBDN-FM Dawson, which operates on the FM band. The new AM transmitter will operate at 560 kHz, Class C, with a transmitter power of 400 watts, day-time and night-time. 3. The Commission did not receive any interventions in connection with this application. 4. The CBC is authorized, by condition of licence, to simulcast the programming of CFWH on the FM band for a period of three months following the commencement of operation of the new AM transmitter. The CBC will then cease operation of its FM transmitter CBDN-FM Dawson. (via Deane McIntyre, Calgary AB, http://deane.bio.ucalgary.ca Aug 18 NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. IBOC -- Canadian objections? from the always useful Northwest broadcasters site is this item http://members.shaw.ca/nwbroadcasters/recentnews.htm The Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation are pressing Industry Canada to notify the FCC that authorization of AM IBOC transmissions, especially at night, will very likely result in harmful interference to Canadian signals and that such transmissions are not in accordance with current international and bi-lateral agreements. (the item has a link to Broadcaster Magazine -ef) (via Eric Flodén, Aug 16, NRC-AM via DXLD) This was always going to be an issue. And I have to wonder if the high-power return of XERF wasn't something of a warning shot from the other direction (Gerry Bishop, Niceville, FL, ibid.) I think a lot of the recent Mexican power/frequency issues we've noted are directly related -- sort of like 'you break the treaty your way, we'll break it our way'. (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA (15 mi NNW Philadelphia), ibid.) I think the 99-325 Reply Comment period has been over for a few weeks now. I truthfully haven't even looked. Any thoughts from those on the list as to how this has gone, so far? The Canadian move may be a bit late? I don't know how much more input to this process can be handled. On a related subject Peter Coffee in eWeek magazine came out swinging against BPL a couple of weeks ago. In an IT magazine, no less (Bob Foxworth, FL, ibid.) I guess Canada can change the rules and allow stations to boost above 50 kW. I don't think the FCC would like that, but you can't expect Canada & Mexico to put up with all of the QRN. It will be interesting to see how this all goes. Yes, I agree. Why all of the power boosts along the XE border. XERF is a good example. This IBOC thing might end of being something the FCC wished they did not OKed. I hope Canada will raise the roof on this too. Go CANADA!!!! (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, KAVT Reception Manager, ibid.) That should be OK basically, for all those Canadian stations that have serious nulls against the US on non-Canadian Clear Channels, I'd think. XERF --- being a 1570 kinda guy, sure I don't like it but from what I'm hearing here, it's not that big of a problem with 100 kW. Ah, maybe I'll feel differently in winter. It sounds like they have an antenna that's at or near a half wave tall. I think the 1050 XE that has 100 kW does better reaching Jacksonville, FL [XEG, King Mountain, New Lion]. (Ron Gitschier, Palm Coast, FL, ibid.) I'd suppose Canada can lodge its objections any time it wants regardless of what the FCC approves for a domestic system. Why would Canadian objections that are based on signed international agreements have to be limited to the internal-to-the-USA window for FCC comments and approval? As for how it went, I'd say there was a fair bit of IBOC criticism but not a whole lot. I expect iBiquity and the FCC to plow right through the opposition with just a little tightening up about specifications for interference and the procedure for resolving it. Nothing too serious. Better catch Nibi-Nibi soon. Now that's a step forward. I figured that IBOC's Achilles heel would be legal challenges based on interference and this is one that could prove a major problem to IBOC. Now what does iBiquity say to THAT? (Chuck Hutton, WA, ibid.) This could be just what might stop nighttime IBOC. It could also stop all IBOC transmissions on stations both AM and FM from cities that are near the Canadian border or whose signal goes into Canada. Seattle, Detroit and Buffalo could all be affected to a large degree. Also cities like Erie and Cleveland come to mind that have stations that easily cross Lake Erie into Canada. Buffalo and Toronto/Hamiltion have FM stations that are first- adjacent. With the relatively short distance between the those cities in air miles, the Buffalo stations could easily cause QRM to the stations in those cities. The AM band could be a real problem where you have a 1220 in St. Catharines and a 1230 in Buffalo and the cities can't be more than 30 air miles in distance. The band from 1220 to 1540 is pretty crowded and when you add in the Rochester stations that easily make it across Lake Ontario to those cities and you have many 1st and 2nd adjacents on AM. Canada does truly use AM for long distance reception to rural areas. The cost of having FM translators in every small village is not cost effective. The "clear channel" stations will cause major problems to these stations. My aunt lived about 60 miles west of Buffalo in Canada during the summer on Lake Erie. The town had no local radio service and residents depended on broadcasts from the Toronto corridor and Buffalo or Erie. She did not live within the protected contour of any of these stations. Under a plan that only the protected City Grade contour signal of a station, she would have very little that would be listenable on the AM band, if all the US stations were IBOC. I wonder how WJR, WLS, WGN, WSCR, WABC, WNBC, WCBS, WBZ, etc. feel about going with directional arrays at night to protect Canada? Stations like KIRO, KOMO and KYCW would have to go to a much more restrictive pattern than they have at this time. In order to be in compliance with the International and Bi-lateral agreements, these and many more stations would have to do that. It should be interesting to see how this plays out between the FCC and the CRTC and Industry Canada. Especially since Canada has chosen a different format for digital broadcasts (Mike Oswald /Houston, ibid.) Mike, I was thinking the same thing. I do know Vancouver/Victoria stations are heard quite well in the Seattle area. Plus you have a situation where a fair number of Canadian stations do put signals back into the US, as with CKMX-1060, CBR-1010, & CBU-690. Since the US/Canada do have restrictions not to QRM each other, why does the the US think IBOC would not be an issue? QRM is QRM. It would be very difficult for stations like KIRO, KOMO, KJR, etc. to restrict their signals not to go into Canada. KJR and KBOI put most of their signal that way. I hope the CRTC really presses the FCC on this issue and does not give in. This might put a stop to at least AM IBOC (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) AFAIK, these disputes were not connected with IBOC. The central issue was the Mexican claim that they were not properly notified about several hundred AM operations in the US. That led them to give the okay to several stations that caused massive interference on the US side of the border. I believe this was all smoothed over in an agreement that was signed a few months ago. See: http://beradio.com/currents/radio_currents_062804/ (scroll down to the bottom of the page). It remains to be seen whether the Mexicans make any fuss about interference from IBOC... I'm not holding my breath on that one (Barry McLarnon VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, ibid.) Being the cynic that I am, frankly I'm a bit surprised by this. Here all this time I thought Canada had pretty much given up on the AM band anyway, what with seemingly every Canadian AM station in existence moving en masse to FM. I didn't think they'd even CARE about QRM from U.S. IBOC, since there soon won't be any Canadian AMs left to suffer QRM!! (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, Aug 18, ibid.) Randy, There will always be a fair number of Canadian AMs still on according to the CBC in Vancouver. I was talking to to CE there sometime ago and as someone else stated that there are areas of Canada they don't have the FM coverage, so high power AMs do the job. The CE told me that he thinks the CBC mother stations like CBU, CBR, CBK, etc. will be around for a long time to come. I don't see any AMs in Vancouver with apps or CPs to move to FM. I don't think Canada is going to vacate the AM band too soon. The US still has to protect Canadian stations, if they are operating or not, as in the case of 1570. The two stations here in the West vacated the channel sometime ago, but yet US stations still have to protect the frequency. Canada does have the right to put another station on 1570 if they want to. (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) I wouldn't say they've given up on AM. It simply went from being the #1 way to provide service to #2 or #3 or ?? Canada - like the USA - is not one population model but many. Most of the population lives within 100 miles of the US border (or so I'm told) in a relatively dense manner. FM works fine for that and AM is going away there and in large cities. But how does the other 90% of Canadian land area get radio reception? That is mostly going to be the province of AM or satellites. And of course the same thing exists in the US - how does the wide open west or rural south or midwestern prairies get radio service? iBiquity believes those groups don't matter since they have little commercial impact. It doesn't matter whether they NEED service - it only matters that they have fewer dollars to contribute to the economic picture. Welcome to American capitalism (Chuck Hutton, Wa, ibid.) Of course iBiquity is really backed mostly by the larger broadcast groups - the same folks who dominate the NAB. And we already know that that crowd has convinced the folks at the FCC that the only people who matter are within the primary contours of the most highly-rated stations, so what else would you expect? (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) When Di and I made our escape from Las Vegas to the outskirts of Austin, we listened to XM the entire trip and NEVER once listened to AM or FM in any of the areas we drove through. And we had a better selection of music, news, talk, sports, etc., than was ever available in the sticks during the golden age of AM clear channel radio. I'm surprised Canada doesn't go the satellite route for serving their rural populations; it would offer more choice to listeners and be far more reliable than skywave propagation. Yes, welcome to American capitalism and the innovations it nurtures (Harry Helms W7HLH/5, Wimberley, TX EL09, ibid.) No pockets deep enough to finance a "made in Canada" satellite radio system. However, there is an application now before the CRTC to allow the Sirius system to come into Canada. This is being driven by the CBC, who have a mandate to serve every nook and cranny of the country. I'm not sure how Sirius would squeeze those extra services in, though. I don't have any statistics to back this up, but I think the number of Canadian AMs is starting to stabilize now. The exodus to FM is slowing down, and there have been a few new AMs popping up. A fairly high proportion of Canada's remaining AMs are 10 kW or higher, and they are unlikely to go away anytime soon (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.) Couldn't the Canadian government finance such a system/service? After all, both XM and Sirius were funded by private capital, and there is a reason why so much telephone, etc., traffic goes by satellite these days instead of landline systems --- it is usually considerably cheaper. Sirius probably already has an "unofficial" audience in Canada. I know XM has some listeners in Canada (and as far south as Costa Rica) from the callers to their request shows. Even though XM isn't "permitted" outside the U.S., as long as you can "see" one of their birds you can listen to XM. Both the XM and Sirius satellites have channel capacity that's not being utilized. Given how spotty MW propagation can be in the far north, satellite would seem like a far more reliable way to reach the NWT, Yukon, etc., than MW (Harry Helms W7HLH/5, Wimberley, TX, ibid.) Especially since the Sirius satellite footprint is directly over western Canada. These are not geosynchronous satellites. XM may be, but Sirius is not (Allan Dunn, K1UCY, ibid.) Isn't there a requirement that a certain percentage of music aired be from Canadian artists? If so, how would Sirius overcome this, or would they be exempt? (Mike Hardester, NC, ibid.) Dunno... this is one of the issues the CRTC will have to come to grips with. There is also an application to bring XM into Canada. Hearings are scheduled for November. More info at: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Hearings/2004/n2004-6.htm (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.) Subject: IBOC violates international agreements A friend of mine sent me an email and information from an IDEA bank mailing list. I do not have permission to quote everything. It seems that an August 4th letter to Deputy Minister Suzanne Hurtubise, signed by CAB president and CEO Gelnn O' Farrell and CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch, notes that the FCC nas authorized AM and FM IBOC. Quoting an important part.... Moreover, "it is our opinion that the transmission of IBOC signals, either on the AM or FM band is currently not permitted by the international bi-lateral agreements that both Canada and the United States have both ratified." VERY interesting (Powell E. Way III, W4OPW, ibid.) One does have to wonder what CHTN 720 would think of WOR with nite IBOC, for example (Neil Kazaross, ibid.) There are worse examples --- consider, for instance, CINF-690 taking it on the chin from WRKO-680 and WLW-700, or CFRB-1010 getting mauled by WMVP-1000 and KDKA-1020. But it's all for the "greater good", dontcha know (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.) I don't think Canadian taxpayers would be too enthused about their government funding an enterprise like that. Yep, there is a "grey market" for XM/Sirius here. Probably works fine in the boonies up here, but of course there are no terrestrial repeaters for the cities. There is plenty of distribution of radio/TV/Internet/telecom by satellite in Canada already --- what we don't have is a satellite radio system suitable for mobile reception. It was originally intended that the L-Band DAB system include satellite as well as terrestrial transmitters, but economic realities have put that dream on hold (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.) Powell, This is why the fiction of the NRSC mask is so important. Once that breaks down, as it does with the "space combined" FM's, or AM's that overshoot "the mask" - IOW regrowth, then Canada and Mexico CAN get in the picture and slow things down. I expect the US answer to this - if Canada's foreign ministry formally complains to the State Department - is going to be that the FCC has taken great care to assure the IBOC sidebands are within the agreed limits. Not that that helps the interference, but I expect that's what will be said, and by the time letters are exchanged and meetings held, IBOC will be on the air, or so Ibiquity hopes (Phil Alexander, CSRE, Indianapolis, ibid.) ** CANADA [non]. HEY, YOU NEED A LICENSE TO WATCH THAT! http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-canada19aug19,1,1266269,print.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business A sports fan is viewing the Games on Canadian satellite TV. FCC says he failed to go through the proper channels. By David Colker LA Times Staff Writer August 19, 2004 Sitting in front of the TV to watch the Olympics in his Playa del Rey condo, Elliott Chang looks innocent enough. But don't be fooled. His TV is tuned to Canada's CBC network, and that makes Chang an outlaw. The mild-mannered 48-year-old publicist is one of a stalwart group of U.S. sports fans who subscribe to a Canadian satellite TV service to get what Chang says is less jingoistic, more event-oriented coverage of the Athens games than is offered up by NBC. Chang put out about $300 for the necessary equipment and pays $26 a month to the Bell ExpressVu satellite TV service in Toronto. "I'm not pirating anything," he said this week. Still, according to the Federal Communications Commission, he's in violation of a law that prevents couch potatoes in the U.S. from receiving programs from foreign satellite providers unless they have a special license to do so. The process of getting TV from our neighbor to the north is a tad shady. People have to acquire specially tuned dishes and receivers. They're available for $100 to $400 each from numerous Internet suppliers, including Mike Kohl in the innocuous-sounding Plain, Wis. "I fill niche markets," Kohl said. The next step is to sign up for service with Bell ExpressVu or competitor Star Choice. But to do that, a customer must show a valid address in Canada. "I don't get involved with that," Kohl said. "But I can refer them." Several "address brokers" on the Web will provide an address for $25 to $50 a year. It's not likely that sports purists like Chang will make it onto "America's Most Wanted" anytime soon. Neither the FCC nor executives at the biggest U.S. satellite TV providers -- DirecTV Group Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp.'s Dish Network -- could recall anyone ever getting cited. Chang believes his only crime is wanting better TV. "You get a much more balanced perspective on the world, without all the flag-waving." Tell it to the judge. Copyright 2004 Los Angeles Times (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CANTON ISLAND. Main Script for Wavescan, Edition number 503 for airing on Sunday 8/21/2004 [sic] I guess most people would ask the question: Where in the world is Canton Island? And maybe another equally important follow-up question: Why Is Canton Island important in the story of radio broadcasting? Hopefully, Steve Hamstra is here with the answers. Canton Island is part of the recently independent nation of Kiribati (Keer-ee-BAHS) out there in the Central Pacific and it is the most northerly in the Phoenix islands. It is a low flat sandy island with little vegetation and almost no trees and it is surrounded by a coral reef with a large enclosed lagoon. Canton was discovered by American and English whalers in the 1800s and it was named ``Canton`` by the American Commander Meade in honor of a British whaling ship that ran aground on the reef in 1854. Both the United States and England claimed Canton Island and several notices identifying these claims were posted on the island, beginning in 1936. Soon afterwards, personnel from both nations were placed on the island to substantiate the claims of possession. However, in 1939, both countries signed a 50 year agreement for joint administration. Now, to answer the second question. It was in 1939 that the United States airline, PanAm established a re-fueling facility on Canton Island for the benefit of the seaplanes in their trans-Pacific Clipper Service. The famous American aviator, Eddie Rickenbacker, flew out from California in 1942 via Canton to meet General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea. However, the navigation systems in the plane were damaged on take-off and he had to ditch the plane when he inadvertently overshot Canton Island. The crew were finally rescued. Rickenbacker was already famous for his part in establishing the Indy 500 motor car race track in Indianapolis. It was in 1937 that the British established the first radio station, a communication facility, on the island called Canton. A few months later, the Americans also brought radio equipment onto the island and established their own shortwave communication station, which was later allocated the callsign NSN. The airline company, PanAm, established their own radio communication station on Canton in 1939 and it was noted on air with two different callsigns, KABS and KVZC, one for each channel. Over the years, there have also been several DXpeditions to the island conducted by amateur radio groups and most of these were on the air under American callsigns. However, an expedition in 1956 under Danny Weil on the ship ``Yasme`` went on the air with a very different callsign, VR1B. Over the years, both AFRS, the American Forces Radio Service, and PanAm have established entertainment radio stations on Canton for the benefit of personnel stationed on this small and lonely island. The first station was launched in 1944 with the callsign WXLF, the same callsign that was in use by another station on Tarawa Island. This original station WXLF was closed 18 months later. However, in 1971, the station on Eniwetok Island, WXLE, was transferred to Canton where it went on the air under the same callsign. This station was subsequently rebuilt into a 250 watt facility which was heard regularly in New Zealand. It finally left the air in 1979. In the 1950s and 1960s, PanAM also established an entertainment radio station and this was noted on the air, first as KIBE, and later as KIBS. The most recent entertainment radio station on Canton was heard in 1994 by Arthur Cushen in Invercargill, South New Zealand. In addition to amateur radio QSL cards, there have been a few QSLs issued to verify the reception of the entertainment radio stations on Canton Island. It is noted that several QSLs were issued to listeners located in California, Hawaii and New Zealand on behalf of the AFRS station WXLE during the era when it was operating on mediumwave with 250 watts. In addition, Arthur Cushen also received a letter verifying his reception of the airways station in 1949. see http://english.awr.org/wavescan/scripts/ws503.htm for references: Radio Broadcasting on Canton Island Historical Information Radio Broadcasting on Canton Island References Amateur Stations American Entertainment Station - Eniwetok American Entertainment Station - Tarawa American Entertainment Stations - Canton World Radio TV Handbook Entries Radio Broadcasting on Canton Island QSLs (AWR Wavescan Aug 22 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. CRI plans to use 7190 via Sackville, B-04! See CANADA ** CHINA. Heard CRI in English on another channel, 13600, first noted UT Aug. 22 at 0050 to ending at 0056, then into that new smooth-jazz musical break with info about CRI's English website, then into another English hour at 0100; later check found this channel closes at 0157. Reception was SIO 444, audibility suggests this comes direct -- maybe one of those recently-installed transmitters? I called Bruce MacGibbon while monitoring this frequency and he can't hear it in Oregon because he's in sunlight and 22m was unusable at that time, but Chris Hambly in Australia heard it at fair level when I asked him to check on his ICOM R75 (without DSP) which he has been using since May. [Later:] UT-Aug. 23: checked again at *0000 and heard CRI-13600 again in English with poorer results than last night, SIO 232. Interestingly this broadcast is listed in Eike Bierwirth's site (updated Aug. 11) in Mandarin at this time, while the 02 airing on 13600 in English is correct (Joe Hanlon in New Jersey, Aug 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. China Radio International: What do you think? --- As someone who works in CRI, I'm interested in what listeners and DXers think of the station, in particular the English service! I don't want to make a general political issue of this; let's talk about CRI! I work at CRI but I'm interested in what people think about it, outside the regular listeners letters and email channel. In particular, I'd like to know what you think of my work, i.e. Voices From Other Lands, Reports from Developing Countries and CRI Roundup. Thanks! (Connor Walsh, China, Aug 21, dxing.info via DXLD) ** CUBA? Warble jammer on 1090 kHz. MW DX conditions were fairly good here in Illinois last night. At 1:10 A.M. [CDT? = 0610 UT] I had something pop up I hadn't heard before --- jamming on medium wave, in the form of a warble jammer on 1090 over a Spanish language music broadcast. Both stations faded at different rates, so they must be a fairly good distance from each other. Abruptly at 1:30 the jammer cut out, leaving the music station playing weakly. I suppose the Cubans are doing this, but the jammer has a different sound than the ones they use on HF against Radio Martí (Curtis Sadowski, Paxton, Illinois, Aug 21, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) ?? Nothing in Spanish on 1090 in Florida, the only station in Pensacola per 2004-2005 NRC AM Log; can`t imagine why Cubans would jam this frequency (unless OCB has come up with a new relay in Caribbean we don`t know about). Nothing likely in the WRTH, but there are three low-power Cubans on 1090. Maybe a fluke, or not really deliberate jamming (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Glenn, That is, if it indeed was a Cuban transmission. I just know that it exhibited fading and that it cut off exactly at 1:30 A.M. Central Time. Maybe my description of it as a warbler was a bit off; it didn't sound like the warblers I've heard from Cuba previously --- it had a higher pitch and more of a sweeping sound to it. I've heard similar jammers on the HF bands when China and Taiwan get into it hot and heavy, it could be that Fidel has purchased some Chinese jamming gear. I'm sure that it'll turn up again, once it does it won't be too hard to work out the transmission point and just what is being jammed (Curtis Sadowski, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. Martí testing on AM 530 and Canal 13 2330 UT this Saturday evening said Radio Martí on 6030 kHz they had started test transmissions on AM 530 kHz and Canal 13. I checked but Radio Iris, Quito of course is dominating. Listen to my recording of Radio Martí I made just a moment ago. Comments and Recordings at: http://www.malm-ecuador.com 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Long-awaited Commando Solo airborne? or via RVC on 530? Tried 530 after 0500 UT Aug 22, and heard Spanish, but not // 6030, so presumably usual RVC, Turks & Caicos. If Martí was on the air at this time, probably relatively low powered and direxional aimed right at Cuba from the Florida Straits (gh) COMIENZA TELEVISIÓN MARTÍ TRANSMISIONES HACIA CUBA DESDE SU NUEVA PLATAFORMA DE TRANSMISIÓN... 21 de agosto del 2004 Televisión Martí está transmitiendo en este momento, por primera vez desde un avión de los Estados Unidos de América que ya está en vuelo, enviando la señal de Televisión Martí hacia Cuba por el Canal 13, en cumplimiento de una iniciativa adoptada por el Presidente George W. Bush para acelerar la transición democrática en Cuba. También nuestros oyentes de Radio Martí pueden sintonizar nuestras nuevas trasmisiones de prueba por onda media en los 530 AM (TOMADO DE LA PAGINA OCB DE Martí Noticias via Oscar de Céspedes, FL, Aug 21, Conexión Digital via DXLD) U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT TRANSMIT RADIO AND TV MARTÍ TO CUBA http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/9463711.htm?1c Cuban-American lawmakers cheered Saturday as U.S. military aircraft transmitted Radio and TV Martí to Cuban audiences -- one of the Bush administration's new tactics to undermine the Castro regime. ''For the people of Cuba to get an unfiltered transmission of information is a great thing,'' said U.S. Senate candidate Mel Martínez, who co-chaired the presidential commission that recommended the flights. Martínez said White House staffers called to deliver the news that C- 130 cargo planes had managed to override jamming efforts by the island's communist government. [sic, just like that?? --- gh] President Bush allocated $18 million in May to pay for the flights, though lawmakers said the frequency and timing of future broadcasts would remain classified. ''It's a wonderful day for the enslaved Cuban people, and I'm sure Castro is enraged and finding new and devious ways to block the transmissions,'' said U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami (via Mike Terry, Aug 22, dxldyg via DXLD) COMIENZA TRASMISION AEREA DE TV MARTI | El Nuevo Herald | 08/22/2004 | Posted on Sun, Aug. 22, 2004 JOSE GOITIA / AP --- CON LA nueva trasmisión de TV Martí, se espera romper el monopolio informativo de la televisión cubana. [capción] RUI FERREIRA, El Nuevo Herald Las señales de Radio y Televisión Martí llegaron ayer a La Habana durante cuatro horas a través de un avión C-130 estadounidense, pero fueron difíciles de captar por la perenne falta de electricidad en la capital cubana. ''Se está viendo en una parte de La Habana, como el Vedado. Hay zonas donde [la trasmisión] tiene audio pero no se ve, como en Centro Habana. Tengo informaciones de que en Guanabo se ve sin problemas'', indicó a El Nuevo Herald, el periodista independiente de la agencia NotiCuba, Ángel Pablo Polanco. Sin embargo, ''en otras áreas están quitando la electricidad y, por lo tanto, no se ve nada. Es el caso de Lawton o la barriada de Los Pinos'', añadió Polanco. Otras fuentes indicaron que en partes de las barriadas de Miramar y Kohly tampoco hubo electricidad durante las trasmisiones que duraron unas cuatro horas y comenzaron a las 6 p.m. La Oficina de Trasmisiones hacia Cuba (OCB) informó de las emisiones en un escueto comunicado colocado en su página en internet. ''Televisión Martí está transmitiendo en este momento, por primera vez desde un avión de los Estados Unidos de América que ya está en vuelo, enviando la señal de Televisión Martí hacia Cuba por el Canal 13, en cumplimiento de una iniciativa adoptada por el presidente George W. Bush para acelerar la transición democrática en Cuba'', indicó la nota. Ayer por la tarde ni OCB ni el Departamento de Estado comentaron las emisiones a través del avión, que son una de las recomendaciones hechas hace tres meses a la Casa blanca por la Comisión de Asistencia a una Cuba Libre, presidida por el secretario de Estado, Colin Powell, y el ex secretario de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano Mel Martínez. Martínez saludó ayer las trasmisiones. ''Tengo la placentera misión de anunciarle [a los cubanos] que un C-130 ha volado por aguas cerca de Cuba, pudiendo penetrar el bloqueo de información que ha levantado Castro'', afirmó el candidato a la nominación republicana al Senado en las primarias de fin de mes. Martínez añadió que los vuelos van a seguir ``con frecuencia en los próximos días''. La viabilidad de las trasmisiones estuvo en duda después de que abogados estadounidenses cuestionaron la legalidad de hacerlo desde aguas internacionales, afirmaron a El Nuevo Herald fuentes familiarizadas con el tema. Sin embargo, los especialistas de OCB terminaron aprobando los vuelos después de que concluyeron que eran factibles desde aguas estadounidenses. Cuando los vuelos fueron anunciados, el gobierno cubano alertó sobre lo que consideró ``la peligrosidad de esos vuelos, próximos de nuestro territorio nacional''. Según la directora del Consejo por la Libertad de Cuba (CLC), Ninoska Pérez Castellón, las emisiones son ``parte de las medidas que tomó el Presidente y, por supuesto, van dirigidas a abrir esa ventana que necesita el pueblo cubano hacia el exterior''. (via Óscar de Céspedes, FL, Aug 22, Conexión Digital via DXLD) RADIO REBELDE IS ON 530 KHZ In checking the reports of Radio Martí on 530, I found that the Cubans have apparently already responded: I have been hearing Radio Rebelde since 11:30 a.m.+ EDT (GMT 1530+, August 22) and continuing at recheck as I type at 3 p.m.+ (GMT 1900+) on 530 kHz (using the NRD-535 and longwires). It is NOT parallel to 1180 kHz, et al. Taped? Or could it be the sometimes-breakaway Rebelde FM programming? Sports or some such, the usual Rebelde nine flute note sounders occasionally, mentions of Rebelde, though on a couple of top-of-hour checks, no formal ID meshing as is the case with the Rebelde network normally. Also, no relay of "Noticiero Nacional de la Radio" at 1-1:30 p.m. on 530 (but it was relayed on 1180, et. al. as usual). Fair at best but steady and alone. So, I called Gerry Bishop in Niceville, Florida (the panhandle) around 2:30 p.m. to see if he could hear this. Indeed, he's getting a weak signal with some audio, which would confirm this is from the western half of the island. Well, at least we know why it's here. Or could it be an airborne EC-130 playing games with the ICRT (if so, can't you just see them scrambling on the phones to various transmitter site engineers, saying "Hey, El Gordo hasn't given the OK to fire up here yet, if it's you then STOP IT!"). Not really related to the Rebelde on 530, but just worth mentioning that Radio Visión Cristiana from the Turks & Caicos barely puts in a weak het local daytime at my QTH in coastal central western Florida, and threshold audio at Ft. DeSoto daytime. Of course, none of this right now is parallel Martí on 13820 (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, Aug 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DENMARK. WMR still missing from 5815, except for a carrier, at 1940 UT Aug 22 (Chris Hambly, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Off for several hours Aug 21, but then back with about 6 kW of power. Stig Hartvig Nielsen visited me and told me that the reason was a faulty transmitter tube which had to be replaced. He further indicated that 15810 is not going to be reactivated from the Ilskov site due to local mutual interference and poor reception abroad (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DX-plorer via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 1640, Aug 15, 0100-, Radio Juventus Don Bosco. with "transmisión [de] prueba" with canned ID every 10 minutes. "Una Voz para la civilización del amor". (Gert_N, location unknown, HCDX logbook via DXLD) ** EGYPT. 11725, Radio Cairo, Aug 21 at 2300: Six times pips, ID, short musical interlude and then Sign-on announcements and program lineup, which the female announcer stumbled through and kept apologizing for her foulups. Went into a local instrumental tune. Woman came back and stumbled through some more dialog about Tourism. 2313 featured Mailbag where they gave their address and played one tune; that's it. News at 2316. Usual low modulation. SIO 333 (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. 12120, 09/08 1700-1720, VOICE OF OROMO LIBERATION, Samara, Russia, Oromo, IDs, Horn of Africa music, African news, only on Monday, postal QTH in Canada, open carrier even from 1630! Very good (S500) 12120, 09/08 1728-1748, SAGALEE OROMIYAA, Samara, Russia, Oromo, IDs, Horn of Africa music, African news, mention of studios in Atlanta, only on Monday, Very good (S500) (LUCA BOTTO FIORA, QTH: Rapallo (Genova), Italy. RXs: R7 Drake - Satellit 500 Grundig; ANTs: Ferrite 85cm amplified LW-MW - Dipole 49m - Longwire 20m - MFJ1026, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. Hello from Malmö Sweden, We are now leasing out our licence to Swedish broadcasters. Even relays of commercial broadcasters of Sweden, internet, satellite, etc. In SWEDISH, only!!!! 24/7 in 3, 6, or 12 months, even more. Discount on financiating transmitters and antenna. 1. First plans is a 5 kW transmitter and a 29m glassfibre antenna. 2. Radius, daytime 200-300 km 3 Future plans; a 137m mast and 25-100 kW. 4. More info coming up at our site in a week. 5. Are you intrested???? Mail to our consultant, radio603 @ malmo2.net or fax to our USA fax. 6. Planned start before 1/1 -05. Roy Sandgren, Radio Scandinavia 603 AM, http://www.amradio.se (via Jouko Huuskonen, Finland, Aug 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUYANA. 3291.13, GBC, Georgetown, 0915-0930, subcontinental music followed quickly by western pop rock. 18 August (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, Florida, NRD 535D - Icom R75 - Drake R 7 - Sony 2010, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3291.168, 18.8 0323, GBC has slipped down a little in frequency and is closer to the interfering signal. Disturbed with QSA 2-3 SA (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Aug 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 9525, Voice of Indonesia at 2050 tune in with local music. 2056 nice ID and the News in Brief. At 2059 the schedule was given for the English service and announced they were signing off. Killer signal. I wish I have tuned in sooner. 73 (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Aug 21, Rx: Collins HF-2050, Ant: 7-30 MHz Log Periodic, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. BOB EDWARDS AND SATELLITE RADIO --- EDWARDS’ JUMP TO XM RENEWS SATELLITE DEBATE ALREADY ALOFT: MANY OTHER MAINSTAYS OF PUBLIC RADIO Originally published in Current, Aug. 9, 2004 By Jeremy Egner With Bob Edwards’ decision to leave NPR for a satellite radio company, public radio is debating again a highly ponderable question: Should it embrace satellite as a distributor for its programs or fear it as a competitor for listeners and revenue? Edwards` new weekday morning gig, The Bob Edwards Show, will start the morning for a new channel, XM Public Radio. The one-hour show will originate weekdays at 8 a.m. Eastern time and will repeat at 9 a.m.. The channel launches Sept. 1 [2004]; Edwards’ show debuts Oct. 4. . . http://www.current.org/npr/npr0414satellite.shtml (Current via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. UBICACION DESCONOCIDA/GOLFO PERSICO. 15500 kHz - Coalition Marine Forces radio broadcast. Recebida carta confirmatória, 18 days. V/S Kenneth Gazzaway. QTH: MARLO, P.O. Box 116 (NSA-MARLO) Manama, Bahrain Tel: +973-17-85-3925 Fax: +973-17-85-3930 E-Mail: MARLO @ NSA.BAHRAIN.NAVY.MIL EMERGENCY AFTER HOURS (MOBILE): Tel: +973-3-940-1395 WORKING HOURS: Sunday - Thursday 0800 - 1630 No envelope de resposta... Department of Navy Officer in Charge PSC 451 BOX MARLO FPO AE 09834-2800 USA (Flávio Archângelo, Jundiaí, SP, Brasil, Conexión Digital Aug 21 via DXLD) 15500, 2.8 1720, Information Radio from somewhere in Bahrain with nice ID: "Radio Maulumati". Among other Afghan languages also a contribution in "broken English" about "Human Rights". Close down a little while before 1800. S 2-3 BEFF (Bjorn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Aug 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. TOM DANAHER - OFFSHORE RADIO PIONEER "A flight of fancy" - Tom Danaher's trip across the Atlantic is just one of his many unbelievable tales (including pioneering Radio London in 1964 - see 6th paragraph below). By Lee B. Weaver/Times Record News, August 22, 2004 For 60 years, the story of Tom Danaher's life has been written across the skies above this world. He flew fighters in World War II and the Korean War, logged more than 20,000 hours in the cockpit and completed more solo transatlantic crossings than he can count. He runs an airport with his name on it in Archer County, where the multipurpose hangar is a shelter for his vintage aircraft, an accidental museum for decades of flight memorabilia and the world's largest kennel for a pair of shop cats named Harold and Casper. For 35 years, a loft apartment inside the hangar has been Danaher's home. A mini-Winnebago camper is parked "downstairs" for overnight visitors. By age 21, Danaher had recorded three kills from the cockpit of his F- 6 Hellcat, including the last Japanese bomber of World War II. During America's post-war occupation of Japan, he tried to take a Japanese fighter plane for an unauthorized spin - with only English translations taped to the foreign cockpit controls to guide him. He prospected for uranium in Utah, sold the first Mazda automobiles in Texas and operated a pirate radio station from international waters off the coast of England. He made movies with Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson. . . http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/local_news/article/0,1891,TRN_5784_3128107,00.html (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non non]. MV Communicator sets sail 21st August 2004 http://www.mvcommunicator.com/index2.html "After a couple of weeks of speculation the radio ship MV Communicator finally left Lowestoft today bound for the Orkney isles where she is due to start broadcasting on 1st September. The ship an Ex Lowestoft survey ship arrived in Lowestoft from Holland in December 2003 and after much work mostly on the interior and on the engines and radio equipment, and after a recent successful trial broadcast she is ready to start broadcasting for real." (some photos) See http://www.suffolkcam.co.uk/latest.htm (but be quick!!) to see all the photos of the MV Communicator leaving Lowestoft harbour and starting her journey north to the Orkney Islands. To hear the station http://www.mvcommunicator.com/4555.html (but the stream is quiet as I write this early on Sunday morning). (Mike Terry, Aug 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have just received this from Paul Rusling: "I just had word that the Communicator is now off Whitby at 12 noon and all is well on her. ETA in the Orkneys is now Tuesday, minus any sheltering from weather." I suggest keeping watch on the local paper web site for daily news http://www.orcadian.co.uk/ (Mike Terry, UK, Aug 22 dxldyg via DXLD) ** JAPAN [non]. R. Japan via UK, presumably at 0513 in English on 6240, much better on \\ 6110. I have to wonder if 6240 isn`t a mixing product of some sort (Paul Ormandy, S Pacific DX Report on HCJB DX Partyline Aug 21, notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, but it`s Canada, not UK: 6110 mixing with 6175 (Vietnam relay), 65 kHz apart leapfrogging to 6240 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN. Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan on new 6340 kHz --- Today 21/8 I logged ME/ Central Asian sounding station with phone in and music programme, at 1600 there was some kind of commercial spot and finally before the news at 1700 the station identified as "Dengi Iraqi Kurdistan", is this daytime frequency of ex 4085 or complete change (Jarmo Patala, Finland, dxing.info via DXLD) As I reported on this forum on 24 May this year, V. of Iraqi Kurdistan was noted on 6285, on 30 May on 6320 and since then they have gradually moved to higher frequency on this band. I guess this is a permanent move to 6 MHz as I recall they haven't been logged recently on their 4 MHz frequency. 73 (Jari Savolainen, ibid.) ** KUWAIT. 11935, VOA relay, 2312-2323, August 18, English, Report re Taiwan and China, protester/police plans and GOP convention in NYC, ID at 2321 followed by Olympic news. Poor/fair (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LAOS [non]. New 9515 Hmong Lao Radio --- CLAND-LAOS / TAIWAN --- On http://www.hmonglaoradio.org/ Hmong Lao Radio mentions that it will change its frequency from 11725 to 9515 kHz due to wide area coverage and the signal was not receivable in some area. This change is scheduled to take effect on August 27, 2004. HLR apology for your inconvenience. The site also gives these contact details: Hmong Lao Radio, P.O.Box 6426, St. Paul, MN 55106, USA. Phone 651-292-0774 Fax 651-292-0795 Email: info @ hmonglaoradio.org (Finn Krone-DEN, DXplorer Aug 21 via Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ...w.f. 0100-0200 9515 (x11725, x15260) Hmong Lao Radio TWN Taipei La. That means Wed and Fri in the target. 8:00 pm CDT on Tue and Thu in NAm. (wb) "that means tshooj SW2 ntawm 11.725 kHz txhua txhua hnub Tuesday thiab Thursday sij hawm 9:00 - 10:00 teev tsaus ntuj (Eastern Time Zone), 8:00 - 9:00 teev tsaus ntuj (Central Time Zone), 7:00 - 8:00 teev tsaus ntuj (Mountain Time Zone), thiab 6:00 - 7:00 teev tsaus ntuj (Pacific Time Zone)." (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Aug 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS [non]. Times other than 2100/2230 local for Minivan Radio are out due to prayers, unfortunate but a deciding factor (Dave Hardingham, FOM, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: Minivan means ``Independent`` --- Certainly interesting that such a disparate language would come up with an important word that so coincided with a completely unrelated English neologism. Reminds me of something else: you recall hearing some time ago a discussion on the BBC regarding some African cultures that adopted ordinary English words as common first names, something that sounds odd to Western ears? When I first heard of the then-new-to-me Indonesian politician with the name "Megawati", I wondered if it was just a coincidence with the word "megawatt" or if the sound of that English word had just grabbed the parents' attention and appealed to them... Never did hear any mention of the etymology of her name that referred to this. 73, (Will Martin, MO, Aug 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: ``That overlap which several noticed makes me think that not only were the powers different in the two halves, but that two different sites were tested!`` --- No doubt, since Kostinbrod is not capable to run more than 100 kW. One would assume that no other transmission provider was involved, so the site for the 250 kW sequence would be Plovdiv-Padarsko, equipped with 250 and 500 kW rigs and today doing most if not all Radio Bulgaria transmissions. Kostinbrod has only old 50/100 kW transmitters, apparently in a sorry shape since such a poor transmission quality as noted during the 100 kW sequence (but not the second half at 250 kW I understand) is typical for this site. And with a certain precedent in mind I have really to wonder why WRN tried to hide the origin of the 11525 tests. Have a nice Sunday, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Probably Bulgaria`s requirement; have they ever acknowledged running any such outside services? Kai, I just looked at the TDP website listing for Bulgaria http://www.tdp.info/bul.html and it does show a 250 kW there as well as [three] 100 kWs (for what that`s worth) [and four 50 kW, all dating from 1979 to 1982]. Any further comments? 73, (Glenn to Kai, via DXLD) Whoops! These details must have been added not too long ago, so far I was aware only of older entries without details about the manufacturer (although at least for Padarsko the Soviet origin of the equipment was hardly a mystery) and without a mention of this single 250 kW at Kostinbrod, unknown so far I think. Herewith it would be of course possible that all tests originated from Kostinbrod, without a need to involve Padarsko as well. And this could be an important circumstance (Kai Ludwig, ibid.) ** MEXICO. Repercussions of IBOC: see CANADA [and non] ** MONGOLIA. 12014.74, 16.8 2000, Voice of Mongolia with "Mailbag" where a letter from Henrik Klemetz was read. Rather strong signal but muddy audio. CB (Christer Brunström) 12014.82, 8.8 2010, Voice of Mongolia with "Music from Mongolia" - 2-3 but bad audio. CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin Aug 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOROCCO. MARRUECOS: Radio Méditerranée Internationale (Radio Médi 1), transmite las 24 horas en idioma árabe y francés, por la frecuencia de 9575 KHz con 250 Kw de potencia, siendo facilmente audible en Sudamérica, en especial a partir de las 2100 UT en adelante. QTH: 35 Rue Emsallah, B.P. 2055, Tanger, Marruecos. E-mail: med1 @ medi1.com Web: http://www.medi1.com (Marcelo Cornachioni, Argentina, Conexión Digital Aug 21 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. From August 16th 0500 UT till August 31st 1600 UT, the "Stichting Norderney" will transmit old programs of Radio Veronica (1959-1974) on mediumwave 828. The slogan of these transmissions is : "Radio Veronica 1959 - 1974, The never ending story". The transmissions are possible because Quality Radio and Broadcast Partners renting out the AM transmitter on 828 kHz. On Saturday 21st of August live transmissions start at 1000 UT from Hotel Lapershoek in Hilversum. More information: http;//www.norderney.nl (Max van Arnhem, The Netherlands, Aug 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Het neer halen van de 165 meter hoge AM zendmast was live te zien. Er staat nog een opname online. 73, (Guido Schotmans, Aug 21, BDXC via DXLD) Direct link to 37-second video of it falling over: http://www.nozema.nl/data/nozema165am.wmv (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saturday, August 21, 2004 --- "There are not many Saturdays when you can watch an explosion. Not many when the explosion involves the symbolic demolition of a mediumwave transmitter tower. I got up at 6 am to make the short trip down the road to Lopik, on the South side of Utrecht..." Full story, video and photographs of this dramatic event at http://medianetwork.blogspot.com/ (Jonathan Marks, Media Network, via Mike Terry, MWDXyg via DXLD) Later JM says he is working on a video docu of this, with 7 MB file to view (gh) ** NEW ZEALAND [and non]. Paul, Sorry to hear you will be leaving the Mailbox show. Just wondering, if you will be continuing your DX report on the other stations? BTW, I checked the schedule for those on the radiodx.com site a few days ago and it looked very much in need of updating (Glenn to Paul Ormandy) Hi Glenn, Sorry, am quitting them all... however, other members of the League will be filling the gaps! Have been bitten by ham radio these days and spend most of my time on HF. Have worked 3000 QSOs and 186 entities in 11 months. You're dead right... we have changed servers and having a hassle getting access to upload the many complete pages sitting on my hard drive! Just clearing some room in the shack... have listed 5 issues of [Fine Tuning] "Proceedings" on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2264693284 Cheers, (Paul Ormandy, ZL4PW. Host of The South Pacific DX Report http://radiodx.com Aug 19 DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. It is almost sad to me that Muskogee has lost virtually both of their AM stations considering that KBIX in now simulcasting with The Sports Animal. I can remember even just fifteen years ago when KMUS and KBIX were pretty good competitors. I worked at a station in Arkansas that had been a sister station to KMUS in the late 80's/early 90's and found some old promos on a reel. The production was very professional and it made me long for the days when radio was truly committed to local service. [cf previous: KMUS to Tulsa, Disney] I would have to take my hat off to Mr. Bill Payne who is doing a great job with KTFX in it's current state. The imaging on Country 102.1 is very good and it really sounds nice. I was driving up Highway 64 the other night listening to "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma" at Sunset on that station and it made me really proud to be from the Sooner state and proud to have a station that still cares. Bill also runs a lot of programming geared toward Muskogee. I'd give anything if he could buy the 97.1 signal from the Stephens family and put what he is doing on there because KMMY in it's current state sucks badly (MediaMogul, Aug 17, Radio-Info Oklahoma board via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [non]. SUPPORT FOR KBKH-FM SHAMROCK, TEXAS --- I've created a site to support a licensed, community minded radio station who`s facing extreme hardships due to corrupt town government. It should be going "live" sometime between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon. To check out the site, just go to (you can click it): http://www.shamrocktexas.net Check it out!! (Paul B. Walker, Jr., Aug 11, Radio-Info Oklahoma board via DXLD) ** PERU. 4856.15v, R. La Hora, 1008-1015, Nice OA campo music, M announcer at 1010 21 August with short announcement including ID at end "...R. La Hora, la radio cuidad [sic]", and back to Huayno music. 1013 M again over song with announcement and several IDs. 1014 TC and continued announcement. Distorted signal but strong and readable. Frequency drifting down quickly at 1012, and down to 4855.90 by tune- out. It did seem to stabilize on 4855.9 as it was there on a later recheck (Dave Valko, Dunlo, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) This is the one also putting out spurs in the 4.9+ and 5.0+ range; should look for them when the fundamental is in (gh, DXLD) ** SAO TOME. VOA special Athens Olympic broadcast for Africa on 4940 Last night there was special coverage of Athens Olympics for African listeners, including African medalist and special greetings for listeners in Gabon, Sierra Leone etc. No trace of VOA São Tomé on 4950 (only weak Angola) so I guess this is change from their former frequency (Jarmo Patala, Finland, Aug 22, dxing.info via DXLD) Time?? ** SOMALIA. 6960, 08/08 1817-1847, presumed R. SHABELE, Mogadishu, Debate and interviews on the road, brief vocal chants; it seems to me that the modulation be at reduced carrier because the signal is very low but in USB the audio is very clear (too many statics only perceived below to 7 MHz), Poor-Fair (R7) (LUCA BOTTO FIORA, QTH: Rapallo (Genova), Italy. RXs: R7 Drake - Satellit 500 Grundig; ANTs: Ferrite 85cm amplified LW-MW - Dipole 49m - Longwire 20m - MFJ1026, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN. 27440 kHz, 1007 20/8/04, REE, Noblejas, 2 x 13720, poor, brief peak via E skip, Olympic program (Tim Bucknall, Congleton, NW England, Icom R75 + Wellbrooke ala 1530 (below 30 MHz), harmonics yg via DXLD) ** SPAIN. REE in English, UT Aug 22 at 0030 not only on 15385 but also on 12035; the latter cut off at 0038 (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Quickly tuned in and found 12035 much weaker than 15385 but perfectly in sync, so same Noblejas site likely. Could be a mistake, or a test of a possible replacement frequency. 15385 is still holding up nicely here, but should deteriorate with autumn and declining sunspots. It`s always seemed to me that 15 to 6 MHz is a bigger seasonal jump than necessary for this service. REE normally opens 12035 at 0500 on Sundays, so maybe they were just checking it out early. TWR is supposedly using 12035 at this time from Uzbekistan to S Asia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. 15747.9, SLBC, 0103-0128, August 20, English, Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" at tune-in, other assorted oldies, pops and country music with OM between selections acknowledging requests; listeners by name and birthday greetings. "All Asia Service" ID, in passing, at 0124. Starting to fade around 0120 while // 9770 going strong until wiped out by 9775-VOA at 0130 re-check (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH-USA, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Greetings! I just wanted to let you know that I heard "World of Radio" 1241 on WRMI's new frequency of 6870 in the A M mode. The broadcast was on Monday at 0300 to 0330 UT. During this broadcast I tuned down to the old frequency of 7385 and heard nothing other than the usual jamming, so what are they jamming now? SINPO of 6870 was all 3's. WRMI signed off at 0330 with station I.D. announcing their new frequency. Maybe this was just a test transmission? Good DX (Matt Kickbush kb9wvu, Washington Island, WI, Aug 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Matt, Tnx for the report, which just appeared in my mailbox Friday night! Yes, I noticed they had WOR on at the wrong time, but not that they signed off at 0330. Since then I think they have been running all night on 6870. We really don`t think 7385 is jamming, but some kind of utility transmission (which apparently was not bothered by WRMI). 73, (Glenn to Matt, via DXLD) ** U S A. Annotated WBCQ Program Guide Anomalies and Recent Observations - Saturday, August 21, 2004 The RMF Show noted 7-7:30 PM ET [2330 UT] on Friday evening, followed by a very cool episode of the radio drama show Dimension X. The Dimension X show was "There will come soft rain - Zero Hour," a post- apocalyptic story and a Martian invasion story written by Ray Bradbury. The end of the world in the story was stated to be April 29, 1985. At 7 PM Friday, The RMF Show started up on 5105 and Radio Six International started on 9330! A couple of minutes later, the operator noticed the snafu and switched the shows back to their proper frequencies. Verified Jim Cedarstrom's Patriot Trading Group rebroadcast at 6PM on Friday on 5105 // 9330 // 17495. Good signal on all. Very surprised to get 17495 here at all, let alone with such a clean and strong signal (via Larry Will, dxldyahoogroups and the WBCQ Program Guide via DXLD) And World of Radio could not be heard at 2030 UT Sat Aug 21 on either station: 17495-CUSB WBCQ off the air or not propagating; WWCR 12160 had some other program on, later confirmed as a permanent change (gh) WBCQ Schedule Updates --- A couple notes regarding the new Aug 21 WBCQ schedule at zappahead.net: From monitoring last night -- Saturday 5105 kHz 0100 UT Sun, 9 PM Eastern: No "Firesign Theatre", instead "The Pirate's Cove" was on. Maybe live talk with Allan? Or previously taped... Saturday 5105 kHz 0200 UT Sun, 10 PM Eastern: No "Tesla's Ear", instead I heard TimTron and music. I tuned in late so I don't know if this was "Radio TimTron Worldwide" or just him filling in with no show name. (I've never actually heard "Tesla's Ear" -- what is it anyway? Anything really about Tesla? No show description on the schedule that I could find.) Reception of 5105 kHz had deteriorated so badly here by 0300 UT that I couldn't tell if "The Pirate's Cove" scheduled at that time was really on again or if something else was on then. The other Saturday-evening programming that I checked was as listed in the schedule. Also, every weeknight between 7 PM and 9 PM Eastern there is nothing listed for 9330 kHz. "Allan Weiner World Wide" *was* on 9330 Friday night in parallel with 5105 and 7415 so is 9330 just on simulcasting 7415 during this period or what? 73, (Will Martin (St. Louis, MO), Aug 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U. S. A. Annotated WBCQ Program Guide Anomalies and Recent Observations - Sunday, August 22, 2004 Caught the first broadcast of The Country Music Show Sunday at 2100 on 7415. Good show, widely varying mix of music ranging from classic Hank Williams, Sr. and Grandpa Jones' "Mountain Dew" to more contemporary tunes. Birthday tribute to Buck Owens, who turned 75 earlier this month. Has it been that long since "Hee Haw" was on? Tim's first show in the 0200 Sunday slot featured some classic "old buzzard radio" in addition to the normal (?) Timtron music and entertainment. 5105 bothered badly and unlistenable here in Maryland after 0200 or so. This from Will Martin in St. Louis: Pirate's Cove heard instead of Firesign Theatre, Saturday on 5105 at 0100 Sunday 8/22. Radio Timtron Worldwide on 5105 at 0200, // 7415, instead of Tesla's Ear. 5105 poor after 0300. Also, Allan Weiner Worldwide was running on 9330 on Saturday 8/21 at 0000 in addition to 7415//5105 (via Larry Will, dxldyahoogroups and the WBCQ Program Guide via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WBCQ audible on 7415 around 2215 UT Aug 22, first time I`ve heard it. About half an hour later, 9330 was coming in much better (Chris Hambly, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Must be long-path, at least on 7415 (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. 11730, 15.8 0900, WHRA with the DX-programme Radio Weather. Not that bad as hinted by Glenn Hauser. 3 CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin Aug 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, of course Christer would like it ** U S A. Which reminds me, haven`t noticed WJIE lately, maybe for at least a week on 13595 or 7490. Same old story. BTW, I never got a reply about when they were supposedly running WOR, like Sun 1600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. RADIO DAYS: NOW THE DIAL TOUCHES BACK --- STATION HELPS TO KEEP BATTERED AREA TOGETHER By Manuel Roig-Franzia Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, August 18, 2004; Page A03 PUNTA GORDA, Fla., Aug. 17 -- Listen closely in the oozing traffic jams and the won't-this-ever-end ice line, and flinty voices can be heard. Disembodied, but somehow incredibly intimate, they have talked and talked for days now, crackling out of car radios and ancient transistors. "There's bottled water at the corner of Harbor and 41." "Ice across from Taco Bell." "Does anyone have a porta-potty?" The voices radiate from a tiny radio station -- broadcasting over five frequencies -- planted on the edge of a mangrove bog in the shredded-aluminum core of Hurricane Charley's path. The round-the- clock broadcasts have been like a step back in time, a time when radio was king. There is no power in Punta Gorda. No television. Spotty phone service. In other words, radio rules. But the reign of Seaview-104.9 and its sister stations has been all the more remarkable because the radio station itself is a victim. Charley ripped the roof off the tiny wooden station and shattered its windows last week but somehow spared the announcer's booth. Within four hours after the storm passed, the station was back on the air... http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A9566-2004Aug17?language=printer (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. Hi, Glenn! I realize this isn't SW, but figured you may know about this or have access to some reference that would tell you the answer: There's an annoyingly-powerful local St. Louis AM station, KJSL, on 630 kHz. It's a religious broadcaster, and thus difficult to listen to (& something I normally just tune past). But in recent days I discovered that their signal is also being broadcast on 750 kHz! It is an exact simulcast, and I've never heard any separate ID or any other info identifying the 750 transmitter at the top of the hour or upon the cessation of transmission, which I last night determined to be at 8 PM CDT local (0100 UT). The 750 signal just cut off. At the time, it was weak enough that I could easily listen to either it or another station on 750 simply by rotating the radio 90 degrees. (I was using a DX-398 at the time.) I know that it is NOT a receiver artifact of some kind; I've verified the separate 750 kHz transmission on five different radios of different brands (GE Superradios II and III, Sony 2010, DX-398, DX- 370). I only noticed it because I've been enjoying some days' great nighttime reception of CHWO 740 Toronto, which has had wonderful big- band and other music of the 30's and 40's. It's been coming in well enough some evenings that I've turned on a couple of the local senior- citizen groups to the concept of MW DXing in order for them to hear it! Anyway, what is going on here with the parallel 630/750 transmissions? 750 is NOT listed in the local newspaper radio-station listing as a local station, so it's not one of those simulcasting-during- acquisition things you hear about at times. If it is some sort of relay that KJSL is using to increase its coverage area, doesn't the FCC require some separate ID on that transmitter at least hourly and especially at signoff? I cannot believe that a pirate would waste time and money relaying an already-powerful local either. This mystifies me. 73, (Will Martin, St Louis MO, Aug 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Will, The closest 750 stations to you (not very close) are in Lebanon MO and Brookport IL (across Paducah KY), so neither of those seems a likely explanation. Since you get this on several radios, I think most likely it is an external mixing product (i.e. coming from the transmitter and/or some metal stuff in the vicinity), and that furthermore it is mixing with the 690 station. I vaguely recall these two came under common ownership some time ago? Yes -- NRC AM Log has them both (offices) at 1215 Fern Ridge Pkwy, #220. If you weren`t hearing this until recently, it could be that some change was just made in the transmitter site(s), perhaps even diplexing off the same tower, which would certainly make such a mix more likely. There could also be one on the other side, 570. They need to clean up their act. I`ll bet the 8 pm cutoff coincides exactly with when KSTL 690 goes from day power of 1000 to night power of 18 watts and 630 goes from day to night pattern (at same power 5000), even tho you don`t hear the 690 audio on the mix. I`m copying this to Eric Bueneman, who probably has some ideas on this. 73, (Glenn to Will, via DXLD) And thanks for the info and forwarding on of the 750/630 MW query. What an interesting situation... 73, (Will Martin, ibid.) ** U S A. Repercussions of IBOC: see CANADA [and non] ** U S A. MEGA PUBLIC RADIO SNAPS UP LITTLE WCAL Doug Grow, Star Tribune August 15, 2004 GROW0815 Those old, familiar Minnesota Public Radio voices will be back soon, filling the airwaves with their pleas for pledges. As always, listeners will be left with the feeling that if they don't dig a little deeper, public radio will fade away. But how long can MPR make these plaintive pitches? At some point, won't Minnesotans come to believe that giving money to MPR is a little like making a charitable contribution to the New York Yankees or Wal- Mart? MPR showed its economic clout and its insatiable appetite again a few days ago with word that it will plunk down $10.1 million to buy WCAL- FM, the classical musical station at St. Olaf College. Word of the purchase stunned the 20-member staff of WCAL. Those staffers, rightfully, were feeling pretty good about themselves and their station. WCAL, which gets praise from classical music lovers because of the warmth of its hosts and the breadth of its music selections, had just completed its most successful fundraising year. The station was operating in the black. Then came the news: The monster was chewing up another competitor. "There was sadness, disappointment, shock, all the things you would expect," said John Gaddo, station manager. . . http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4927189.html (via Current via DXLD) ** U S A. Interesting MW history site: http://www.earlyradiohistory.us (via Curtis Sadowsky, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) Agreed. Run by Thomas H. White (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. The San Diego Union newspaper reported today that KPOP-1360 is switching to liberal talk, mostly Air America but also Ed Schultz of Jones Radio, and local host Stacy Taylor in AM drive. They are reportedly changing calls from KPOP to KLSD, which seems strangely appropriate. Several previous attempts by KPOP to gradually switch from NOS to TLK have met with sharp criticism from listeners who haven't discovered KCEO-100 or XESDD-1030 yet (XESDD is just WW1 NOS; KCEO is pitiful snake-oil salesmen by day and wonderful local BBD/NOS all night). "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right..." 73, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista, CA, Aug 22, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. PBS ADDS INSULT TO INJURY The far right's decades-long campaign to falsely brand PBS a leftist conspiracy -- one that apparently included giving shows to such commies as William F. Buckley, Louis Rukeyser, Ben Wattenberg and Fortune magazine -- has really hit pay dirt this year, first in creating a show around CNN's conservative talking head Tucker Carlson, and now, far more egregiously, in creating a program for the extremist editorial board of the Wall Street Journal. . . http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi=20040830&s=alterman (via Current via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Saludos cordiales, querido amigo Glenn. Hoy el pueblo hípico venezolano se llevó la gran sorpresa, yo entre ellos, cuando las diferentes emisoras que transmiten las carreras de caballos informaron que había prohibición de hacer las transmisiones hípicas que por más de cuarenta años se han realizado en Venezuela. Cuando los diferentes trabajadores de estos programas llegaron al hipódromo, se encontraron con que todas las casetas estaban cerradas y aseguradas con candados. Querido amigo, este es el archivo sonoro que contiene el comunicado de las diferentes emisoras que transmiten las carreras de caballos en Venezuela. Hasta cuando será esta medida, no lo sé. Recibe un fuerte abrazo (José Elías, Venezuela, Aug 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) La orden salió de la directiva del Instituto Nacional de Hipódromos. (José Elías, Venezuela, Aug 22, Noticias DX via DXLD) [Summary Translation:] Horse racing coverage cancelled after more than 40 years. The 2-minute sound file was from Radio Sensación apologizing for not carrying horse-racing, due to a direct order of the leadership of the INH; negotiations were underway, and a means of resolving the situation was being sought in order to continue broadcasting widely these democratic... [file cut off] (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9990, TIME SIGNAL STATION. Hi All. This very night I heard the following unID station: from 01:45z up to 02:15z : time signals as follows : from 01:45z up to 01:50z : normal time signals every second from 01:50z up to 02:00z : quick time signals from 02:00z up to 02:09z : silence - carrier only from 02:09z up to 02:10z : cw id : DE I I DE I I DE I I ... repeated (slow) from 02:10z on : regular time signals. I've checked on http://longwave.de without results. Any idea? Many thanks b'hand and 73s, Ciao, (Walter Capozza - I3-65709, Mestre Venezia, Italy, Loc. JN 65 BH, Aug 20, BDXC via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 11180-USB, Arab heard again from tune-in 2130 to sign- off 2156. Many mentions of Iraq during program. An ID at 2130 absolutely not readable while at 2150 better, but I didn't understand a thing. Sounded like 'Idha'at Jumhuriyah ..... Othmar" believe it or not. Anybody know whether this is indeed Libya with an Iraqi service (and what the program is called). I checked 9745 // but found another Arabic speaker very weak under QRM. Nothing at all on 11660 kHz. Off 2156*. At 2203 (amateur) traffic on same channel, but weak indeed. (Aug 21) (73's Finn Krone, Denmark, HCDX via SW-Bulletin via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUDIBLE ATROCITIES ++++++++++++++++++ A segment on BBC Radio 4`s A World in Your Ear, Aug 22, 2004 at 1920 UT, was about a Coca-Cola plant in southern India using up all the groundwater. The correspondent, who was not outroduced, a lamentable BBC habit, but maybe from the CBC, identified Kerala as ``one of the only Communist states in India``. This is only the latest of countless examples of this usage atrocity, by people born with no innate sense of logic, no understanding of language roots, and/or who run their mouth before their brain is in gear. I hope you`ve got it before I continue: It is either THE ONLY, or ONE OF THE FEW. Only means ONE. It cannot possibly be ``One of the Only``. Ironically, this show is followed by one about language, ``Word of Mouth`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DRM +++ A major thrust for facilitating the implementation of DRM is ensuring that reasonably priced receivers are available. This is presently a bigger concern to DRM promoters than is the making of monetary profit from DRM royalties and transmissions. Revenues for broadcasters and receiver manufacturers will follow the successful development and distribution of affordable DRM-capable receivers. Projections call for 1,500,000 DRM-capable receivers in the European market by 2005; 3,000,000 by 2006; 5,000,000 by 2007 and 8,000,000 by 2008. Advertisers are expected to use the DRM transmissions in various ways as a good way to promote their products. Russia is actively investigating DRM mode broadcasts, as is China. Russia expects to have 1,000,000 DRM-capable receivers by 2007 and over 3,000,000 by 2008. China projects to have around 5,000,000 DRM-capable receivers by 2006; 10,000,000 by 2007 and around 20,000,000 by 2008. Michel expects the actual number to be much higher than this. He expects the price of digital receivers to drop rapidly, to around $50.00 in China. (Analog shortwave radios are now down to about $10.00 in China.) They are presently testing DRM on sixty transmitters in China (medium wave and shortwave). Preferably, the new generation of receivers will be called ``Digital`` receivers, not ``DRM`` receivers, as they will be capable of several modes of reception. The users of these receivers need not usually be concerned about whether they are listening to medium wave or shortwave, or what the specific frequency is. Data incorporated in the DRM transmissions will simplify accessing desired broadcasts and in selecting the one giving best reception at the moment (in the event of the same program being available simultaneously in different bands). These new receivers will give full coverage of the appropriate frequency range (in contrast to many current receivers which give fragmented coverage). (Michel Penneroux, DRM Commercial Committee and TDF, Reports from the 2004 NASB Annual Meeting, Aug NASB Newsletter via DXLD) T-Systems DRM Services In a recent edition of the NASB Newsletter, we reported on the various options available for broadcasters who want to purchase DRM airtime on existing transmitter facilities, rather than establishing their own DRM facilities at this time. We mentioned the possibility of purchasing airtme from Radio Canada International in Sackville, Radio Netherlands in Bonaire, VT Merlin in Rampisham, and possibly in the near future TDF from French Guiana. Walter Brodowsky of T-Systems/Deutsche Telekom has reminded us that they too have DRM airtime available from Germany. He writes: "We would like to inform you that T-Systems International also is able to deliver DRM-transmissions to several parts of the world and possible test transmissions to any location could be organized by using our modified DRM-transmitters. The following DRM-powers are available at present: "At Wertachtal: Spare air time on a completely new Telefunken-Riz 500 kW transmitter with 200 kW True RMS DRM power (which is hired most of the time on DRM by Deutsche Welle already) or on a modified Telefunken PDM transmitter which creates 500 kW AM power or 70 kW True RMS DRM power (operated in linear mode). "At Juelich: Spare air time on a modified Telefunken PDM 100 kW transmitter with 40 kW True RMS DRM power (operated in linear mode)." The price for DRM airtime from the Wertachtal facilities is 255 euros per hour, and the price for DRM airtime from the Juelich transmitter is 80 euros per hour. Those who would like more information are welcome to contact Walter Brodowsky, Account Manager for Shortwave Broadcasts at T-Systems. His contact information is as follows: Phone ++49 2461 697 350 Fax ++49 2461 697 371 Mobil ++49 171 563 9738 E-mail: Walter.Brodowsky @ t-systems.com Internet: http://www.t-systems.com (August NASB Newsletter via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ RIZ TRANSMITTER COMPANY, CROATIA I looked thru the pdf that Jari Savolainen forwarded, listing all (?) RIZ broadcast customers over the years. Several interesting things: Many transmitters went to third-world countries, some of which are lacking in democratic credentials, but who cares? In the entire list, only once does the USA appear: in 1996, a mobile 300 kW MW Solid State unit was sold to the US Government. Now where would that be now?? I wonder why, apparently, no US MW station ever purchased one of their 10 or 50 kW transmitters, for instance? Not type-accepted by FCC? There are only a few entries for 2004 (so far), some of which may not yet be on the air: AUSTRALIA: 3 x 50 kW and 2 x 20 kW SW PSM stationary transmitters to Broadcast Australia. Presumably for R. Australia use. 20 kW is an odd power, perhaps to replace the 10 kW units at Brandon? ETHIOPIA: 200 kW (2 x 100 kW) MW solid state, stationary to Ethiopian Radio and TV Agency. SAUDI ARABIA: Two 50 kW MW solid state, stationary, for Ministry of Information (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FM AND TV RADIATION HARMFUL? High powered FM and TV are not harmful as the antenna is on the top of a tall tower and radiated RF from the antenna UNDER or very close to the tower is rather negligible as the beam is not aimed downward. That would be most counterproductive to reception (Powell E. Way, III, NRC- AM via DXLD) That's not always true. Here in the Denver area many of the TV and FM stations are located on mountaintop sites in the foothills just west of the metro area. The cities of Golden and Lakewood are almost directly below them. Many of the antennas incorporate beam tilt to direct part of the signal downward at a very steep angle to fill these areas. There are also many places on Lookout Mountain where the homes and roadways are at equal level with the TV and FM antennas. The most popular tourist attraction on the mountain places every visitor at the same level as a high power VHF 'batwing' TV antenna only a few hundred feet away (Patrick Griffith, NØNNK, Westminster, CO, ibid.) Perhaps the most harmful aspect of commercial radio and television in the US today is the programming, most of which is extremely harmful to the brain (John Sampson, ibid.) ELECTRONICS ROBBERIES SPARK PROBE A terrorism team joins the inquiry into a series of Radio Shack heists, the latest in Laguna Niguel by a man with a sawed-off shotgun. By David Haldane, LA Times Staff Writer, August 20, 2004 A joint task force on terrorism has joined the investigation of a series of robberies at Southland electronics stores, including one this week in Laguna Niguel. In the Wednesday robbery, a man spent 25 minutes asking employees about global positioning systems and talking on a cellphone, then pulled a sawed-off shotgun out of his duffel bag and made off with a TV and walkie-talkies. Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said the incident at the Radio Shack in the 27000 block of Alicia Parkway began about 9 a.m. when a man called asking for directions to the store from Garden Grove. Even after being told that there were other, closer Radio Shack stores, Amormino said, the man insisted on making the trip. Three hours later, a man -- described as 30 to 40 years old, 5 foot 8 to 6 feet tall, 200 to 230 pounds, of "Middle Eastern descent" and "very well-dressed" in a suit and tie with medium-length dark hair --- walked into the store carrying a duffel bag. He picked out a TV set and asked employees to wrap it. As they were doing so, Amormino said, the man "kept pacing through the store checking out the merchandise," asking questions and receiving or making as many as six calls on his cellphone. The man, employees later told investigators, seemed particularly interested in global positioning systems, but there were none at the store. The man then opened the duffel bag and took out a sawed-off shotgun. He threatened employees and left with the TV set, cash from the register and six walkie-talkies with a range of five miles, as well as batteries and chargers. "During the actual commission of the crime he did receive a phone call and was discussing some aspects of the robbery, which is very unusual," Amormino said. The total value of the stolen items -- including the cash -- is about $1,000, said Sgt. Mike Gavin, a sheriff's detective assigned to the case. He said investigators have since learned that the robbery closely resembles four other recent Radio Shack heists in Long Beach, Anaheim, Rowland Heights and Pomona. Some of the other incidents, he said, also began with phone calls asking directions from Garden Grove. While investigators don't believe there are any terrorist links, Amormino said the terrorism task force -- operated by the Sheriff's Department and the FBI -- was called in because of the nation's "heightened state of vigilance." Among other things, he said, task force members have been given copies of the store's surveillance videos. "They're looking into it because of the potential," Gavin said, but "we don't see any tie-in. We're looking at it as a guy who's going from Radio Shack to Radio Shack trying to make a quick buck." Copyright 2004 Los Angeles Times (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Another version: http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204~21474~2348839,00.html (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Another2 version: Terrorism link in robbery probed http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/9450699.htm?temp late=contentModules/printstory.jsp (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) The robbers surrendered to police, saying they were tired of being asked their zip code and whether they owned a cell phone. "I had to look too darned hard to find a radio in there anyway," one man said. "I don't know why they call it 'Radio Shack.'" A store manager was unable to compile a list of stolen equipment because he did not have the catalog numbers. "The robbers said they were only looking for things of value in our store," the manager said. They left empty-handed. "I hope he'll be back next month. He still has two more punches on his battery-of-the-month card." One of the other alleged robbers was heard complaining that his Patrolman police-band radio offered such poor audio quality that it was impossible to tell if authorities had been alerted to the crimes. "If this had been a Lafayette or Allied store, we would have had proper equipment for monitoring," he said. "But those Radio Shack radios drift like a WeatherCube (TM) with a cheap 9-volt battery." etc., etc... (Mike Cooper [not VIA Mike Cooper], DX LISTENING DIGEST) But in the Radio Shack robberies, not a single Realistic outdoor FM or UHF antenna was taken. "I'm not saying the thieves are geniuses by any means" Said Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Hugh Duffy, "But even a dumb criminal with little or no electronics training knows that when it comes to antennas, the claims by Radio Shack for their quality are a crime unto themselves." "There has never been a case where a Tandy outdoor UHF antenna has been stolen," Duffy continued, "Why risk 20 years hard time for an antenna that won't even work out to twenty miles?" (Brock Whaley, GA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MUSEA +++++ DecalcoMania HELPS KEEP RADIO HERITAGE SAFE - AND IT'S FUN! Two decades of collecting radio memorabilia We've all received car decals, badges, pennants, Top 40 charts and other items of a station promotional nature. For almost 20 years now, a group of enthusiasts have explored this niche of radio, issuing a monthly newsletter, publishing several guides to station decals and related memorablia, producing well researched articles on a variety of subjects, and running a popular trading post for items such as decals and airchecks. Airchecks and jingles bring the past alive In fact, airchecks are a big deal. When you think about it, all that's left of some stations are airchecks - some of specific DJ's, or specific programs, or just collections of ID jingles - and DecalcoMania members have some valuable and unique items in their personal collections. Passion preserves old memories When it comes to radio heritage, it's the passion and love for some eclectic area of radio by an individual radio fan that gives everyone else an opportunity to relive old memories, rediscover old favorites and have a wonderful resource that helps bring together the real 'sound' of radio. These days,so much old material is being lost, destroyed and forgotten, and so much of today's radio memorabilia seems irrelevant (but wait until 25 years from now) so such fans are a beacon of joy and inspiration to everyone.. DecalcoMania can help It's a pleasure for me to help spread the message for these guys and encourage radio listeners everywhere to think of ways to protect and preserve your own examples of airchecks, decals and so much more radio memorabilia. Visit their two websites for more information: http://www.anarc.org/decal or http://members.aol.com/decalcomania and email Phil Blytheway pfalz_d3 @ yahoo.com to get a sample copy of their magazine, and learn more about 'the Club for Fans of Radio' in Seattle, WA. Warm regards (David Ricquish, Chairman, Radio Heritage Foundation, PO Box 14339, Wellington, New Zealand, Aug 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ 15 METER BAND SPARSELY USED 15mb, 18900-19020 now very sparsely populated; only transmissions current for A-04 season: 18930 WYFR 1545-2245, 18960 R. Sweden 1030-1100, 18980 WYFR 1545-2145, 19010 IBB, R. Free Afghanistan, Iranawila, Sri Lanka 0230-1330 B-04 from Oct 31: proposed: 18930 WYFR 1600-1845, 18960 R. Sweden 1200-1230, 1300-1600, 19010 IBB 1330-1630 Tentative B-04 sent to ITU: 7,120 frequency requirements for international and regional broadcasts combined, all bands. None 11m (Bob Padula, Radio EDXP, HCJB DX Partyline Aug 21, notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) METEOR SCATTER Some questions for the group relating to meteor scatter: Is there a better peak? Is this really all that predictable? What about latitude? May one assume these Earthgrazer meteors are our best chances? (Matthew C. Sittel, NE, WTFDA via DXLD) There's been some pretty good predictions of Leonid showers and outbursts by Asher & McNaught http://www.arm.ac.uk/leonid/ which offers insights to these questions. Here's how I understand it: Random meteor observing (and MS) is always slightly better in the mornings, when your location on the Earth is facing "forward" in its orbit rather than in the evenings. The analogy of driving with rain drops hitting the windshield vs. the rear window -- numbers and velocities (ionization trails) of meteors are generally greater in the mornings. Of course, if you are outside watching for them, all you see are the trails within your local horizon at their altitude. I doubt latitude matters, given the random distribution of meteors. Earth-grazer meteors travel more or less parallel to the earth's surface, leaving a longer horizontal visual and ionization trail, as opposed to the more vertical ones. The geometry of a radio signal being scattered or reflected from an ionization trail (horizontal vs vertical, broadside vs along-the-axis of the trail) is something I haven't thought through, but earth-grazers are generally rare in comparison to the random distribution of all incoming meteors. A meteor shower occurs when the Earth, in its orbit, passes through a region of space where there is a higher than random concentration of dust and debris due to recurring comet paths -- but the only way one can predict when the shower (or, in the case of the Leonids, a highly concentrated "outburst") occurs is based roughly on previous annual meteor observations, and predictions are extremely difficult without knowing exactly where in space these higher concentrations of debris are, if the Earth's path will even intersect them, and exactly when. That's why the Asher-McNaught Leonid maps are so fascinating. The radiant, or point in the sky these shower meteors are generally coming from, is associated with these varied dust concentrations, but so far my attitude has been that MS happens randomly all the time, sometimes more frequently, and occasionally much more frequently. Given that conclusion, my daily DX strategy would be to choose my frequency and antenna azimuth, record audio and RDS hits, and make sure I'm also doing that during any of the predicted "shower" periods (Leslie J. Prus, Alexandria, VA (15 mi S of DC - Grid FM18), Aug 14, WTFDA via DXLD) As I have mentioned here before (after doing over five years of extensive meteor scatter research courtesy ARRL research/articles), your directional antenna can increase the dB of you meteor scatter signals, but one has to REMEMBER the particular meteor shower being discussed and its relationship in the sky and the time of the year (season). In other words, the position the meteor shower is in the sky, with relationship to your QTH. Example: Russ in Pennsylvania may be getting MS dx from AL, MS, and GA via the Perseids, where here in Colorado, i'm getting MS dx from MO, IL, IN, OH and towards the Great Lakes states. If you recall, I have mentioned before that each meteor shower has a footprint in the sky. A DXer has to do a little research for EACH meteor shower to determine the footprint in relationship to their QTH. If any dxers have questions about meteor showers, i'll be happy to answer them, IF 'they're not OVER MY HEAD' :-) (Jim Thomas, wdx0fbu, Milliken, Colorado, 40 mi N of Denver, 40.19.230'N 104.51.510'W, FM dxing extraordinaire with a Pioneer TX- 9500/APS 13 @ 20'/RDS mgr., WTFDA via DXLD) ###