DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-015, January 23, 2006 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 2006 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html For restrixions and searchable 2005 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid5.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 For latest updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html NEXT SW AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1301: Days, times strictly UT Wed 0030 on WBCQ 7415 Wed 1030 on WWCR 9985 Full schedule, including AM, FM, satellite and internet, with hotlinks to station sites and audio: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL] http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS JANUARY 24: http://worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html ** ALGERIA. Liebe Hobbyfreunde, kann mir jemand sagen wer um 12-14 UT auf 17840 kHz in Französisch sendet? Kann dies LJB / Voice of Afrika sein? (Ralf Ladusch, via Eike Bierwirth, 04317 Leipzig, DL, DXLD) Falls nicht eh schon geloestes Raetsel und damit (sofort) keines mehr ;-) 17840 kHz, MO, 23.01, 1200..1320 UT, Algerien, Chaîne 3 // 252 kHz Aber Programm auf 252 kHz war/ist um 6 Sekunden frueher an der Reihe als das Programm auf 17840 :-o Von wo ausgestrahlt weiss ich auch nicht. Mit Gruss, (Herbert Meixner, Jan 23, A-DX via Bierwirth, DXLD) Hi, OM H. Meixner from Austria just reported on A-DX list that Algeria is back on SW. He heard it on Jan 23, 1200-1320 UT, on 17840 in // to 252 Chaine-3, but delayed by 6 seconds. First reported by R. Ladusch on Jan 22 in French, 1200-1400 UT. Check this out; I won't have the time at noon during the next days. Algeria used to be on 41m and 16m back in the 90s, on 17745 as far as I recall, and used to send nice QSLs. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Suspect it`s a relay from somewhere else; France? Strangely, the ONLY use of 17840 currently shown at any time by EiBi, and same in PWBR is: 17840 1600-1700 LBY LJB Voice of Africa A NAf via France (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) I have in my records that they abandoned shortwave in 2003 after transmissions were quite irregular for some time. So what's up now? Old transmitters (Tesla KRV120, same model and age as the Litomysl and Leszczynka transmitters) reactivated with new audio routing, new shortwave facilities inaugurated, airtime leased abroad? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. Dos emisoras argentinas de AM se siguen escuchando en su segunda frecuencia armónica, hoy 22 de enero LRJ241 Radio Dimensión de San Luis a las 0849 UT en 1880 kHz (940 x 2) con música sin parar SINFO=35333 y LS11 Radio Provincia de Buenos Aires, La Plata a las 0855 UT en 2540 kHz (1270 x 2) en conexión con un periodista en Córdoba refiriéndose al turismo en la zona serrana, SINFO=45333 (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, Argentina, Jan 22, condig list via DXLD) ** BHUTAN. 6035, *0100-0115, 15-01, BBS, Thimpu. Dzongkha talks after transmitter warm-up tone and a Gong, Buddhist choir, deep fades, 12211; severe QRM from R Japan in English on 6030 and R Romania Int on 6040 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, @tividade DX Jan 23 via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. RADIO LOGOS, New station in Santa Cruz, Bolivia on 6165 I am not sure if SWL's are aware yet of a new SW station in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. On Dec. 18, 2005, Ray Rising (CP6RR), Julio Andino and myself put Radio Logos on 6165 kHz. Antenna is an NVIP [near vertical incidence] antenna using four half wave dipoles and is presently fed with a 5 kW AM transmitter. They also have a 1 kW transmitter but technical problems keep it off the air for now. The transmitter/ antenna is on the same plot of land as RCN [Radio Centenario La Nueva] which has been broadcasting on 4865 kHz for a number of years. When I returned to Canada on Dec 23, the crew of Radio Logos were still building a control studio at the transmitter site so initial programming is mostly a satellite feed from ALAS in Spanish with hours of transmit the same as RCN on 4865. However the eventual plan is to produce more local programming including indigenous language programming. I have attached a couple pictures of the antenna system, which was my responsibility. Sincerely, (Wayne Borthwick, VA7GF, Grand Forks, BC, Canada, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx, Wayne, news to us! Pix posted in the dxldyg photo files, STATION SCENES. The 4865 hours per WRTH 2006 are: M-F 09-01, Sat & Sun 11-23 UT. RN - Bonaire will be the major obstacle here, on 6165 from 2300 straight thru until 0700, but maybe would be audible before 2300 if Croatia & Chad permit; there does not seem to be much scheduled on 6165 on the darkside from 0900 until RN comes back on at 1100-1130. Who will be first do DX and ID it? The antenna, of course, is designed to minimize long-range propagation. Bonaire probably bothers it in Bolivia in the 23-01 period (Glenn Hauser, UT Jan 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See VIETNAM Glenn, You are correct in the problem with RN. Before the station went on the air I monitored 6165 one evening in Sta. Cruz and RN was quite strong. On a short trip I made to Cochabamba Dec. 19-21 I monitored Radio Logos at the Mosoj Chaski transmitter site and found it strong all day with signal strength equal to the 49M station Radio Santa Cruz. Will query Ray to get the station call sign and contact info for you (Wayne Borthwick, Jan 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 7842, BRASIL, Rádio Diário da Manhã (emissora pirata do Brasil), local de transmissão desconhecido, PP, programa `Sertanejo Apaixonado`, locução e sinal de qualidade a desejar. Oferecimentos musicais para `caminhoneiros que rodam pelas estradas do Brasil`. 35543 RWG Rx: Kenwood R-1000, ant.: Vertical 3 m (indoor) + circuito passivo (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo, SP, BRASIL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [non]. UNITED KINGDOM. According to Jean Grenier, of Église du Christ, their broadcasts are aired on Thursdays 6:00-6:30 PM (UT) on 11950 kHz. In French directed to Africa. BUT, according to Merlin Communications schedule, the actual airing is on Thursday, 7260 kHz, 1900-1930 UT, via Woofferton, 300 kW directed to Africa ( which is when I heard them). It wasn't till I sent him a recording of the actual broadcast, he was surprised to hear that this when they are scheduled. Apparently, he has received numerous reports on this time slot. 7260, Église du Christ via Woofferton/Merlin Communications. received back a confirmation letter that indeed their broadcast is being aired on the date and times, as others are reporting. Reply in 24 days, after sending a cassette tape recording to this address: Église du Christ, C.P. 2026, Jonquière, QC, G7X 7XC. E-mail: egliseduchrist @ videotron.ca v/s Jean Grenier (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. Canadian Elections & Press Freedom I tuned to various Candian media outlets this morning to get the latest on the Canadian elections. I was surprised the news was rather bland but then learned, via a comment on Global TV, that the Canadian media is restricted from publishing polls during the last few days of an election campaign, and apparently even talking about who is likely to win. While the motive for this is probably well intended, am I the only one who finds the restrictions to be "odd" and a potential violation of the concept of press freedom? Watching the evening news on Canadian TV tonight was laughable; they mentioned there was an election but avoided any commentary or analysis. That Canadians are not allowed to hear such speculation is taking the concept of fair elections way too far. Has any media outlet challenged this law ? I know Jon Stewart in the US ("The Daily Show") poked fun at the restriction and played video of the recent debates despite a ban on the use of debate tapes for comedy/parody purposes (Andrew O`Brien, Fredonia, NY, Jan 23, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) While the polls restriction may be true, there's certainly no lack of commentary, predictions, etc., in our media right up until the last minute before the polls close. I've read today's Toronto Star and watched the CTV evening news and there was lots of coverage --- with much commentary. I did listen to one CBC Radio One local Toronto newscast this afternoon and it was pretty bland, however, but I think that's typical, not specific to this being election day (Harold Sellers, Newmarket, Ontario, ibid.) Tonight on World At Six (CBC Radio) they reported on expected turnout but carefully avoided any predictions. In fact they said that they could not give any predictions. When doing street interviews with passers-by, they interviewed about voter turnout and again carefully avoided any comments about who the interviewees voted for or who they wanted to win. It seems to me that a free press should be able to report facts. Thus an opinion poll's outcome would be a fact. In might be an inaccurate poll, but reporting it would be factual (If you get my drift). Peter Mannsbridge (I almost typed K. Nash) should be free to report that it looks like the Conservatives will win, but everything I have heard on radio and TV today has avoided the topic. Maybe I have not been listening at the best time. Likewise the restriction on using video of the leaders` debate. I can UNDERSTAND the interest in restricting how it can be used, but to actually forbid a news organisation (versus voluntary restraint) smacks of all the Radio Tirana stuff we SWLers used to complain about. And, just to make this law even stranger -- one media analyst just said, ``If I told you what I know (from the Maritimes) I would go to jail --- but I can tell you I am surprised``. All of the above not withstanding (I had to get a not withstanding clause in there somewhere), I'll take the Canadian electoral system over the USA any day! (Andrew O`Brien, Fredonia, New York, ibid.) ** CANADA. CBA 1070 has been stronger than usual, showing up here by 2300 and fading out by 1345 while CKZN has been showing up around 2130 with an unknown station underneath. CKZN is normally gone by 1400. CJTK-1 North Bay, ON "Today's Christian Radio" has moved from 89.5 to 103.5 and asking for inputs on how the new frequency is getting out - IDs as 'K-95" or "K-95.5" (which is Sudbury). Makes me wonder why the CBC still has CBON-12 1090/CBLO 1240 on the air when North Bay's CBC stations on 95.1/96.1 reaches Mattawa, ON 40 miles away with a great signal. Both LPRTs are heard here in North Bay during the daytime hours with CBON-12 holding up quite well against CKKW (Anthony Markewicz in NE Ontario, Jan 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Re 6-014, China Business Radio: Noted 6065 // 6155 // 7140 // 7245, on Jan 22, 1310-1355 M & W (Evan & Joy?) mostly in English, with Joy talking a little in Chinese, about how women were perceived in the 1950's, played 50's song "Life Can be a Dream," same format as yesterday, fair-poor (Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Re Victor Gooonetilleke`s comments: On what published research is the assertion made that China Radio International's audience is "expanding like hell". Just because they are on a lot of frequencies does not mean anyone is listening to them. It is indeed true they are expanding shortwave, much of this expansion consists of jamming and they are exporting their techniques to Zimbabwe. How has their programming improved considerably when it is still subject to so many restrictions as discussed in DXLD some months back? How can it be compared to the BBC whose Governors have recently set up a study on maintaining impartiality in the digital age? I can't see the Chinese Communist Party propaganda department doing that. On what basis is it claimed that "the western world" is losing audiences when research shows that by cutting shortwave to certain areas and by moving resources onto other radio platforms, the internet and television, audiences are being preserved and increased in those areas? Which "pragmatic down to earth policies" are causing China to "forge ahead" and is the way we judge a society to be solely based on "economic power"? Do these policies include allowing private entrepreneurs to run Chinese factories in Dickensian conditions exploiting rural migrant workers? This was recently prominently featured in a feature in The Independent including the story about the woman factory worker who died after being forced to work for 24 hours: http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/en/web/article.php?article_id=50318 As Victor uses his made in China Apple Mac, what responsibility does he take for ensuring that the company makes sure that the workers used to make it are not exploited? It is not clear from this page whether the company has signed up to the code of conduct for working conditions: http://www.cafod.org.uk/get_involved/campaigning/clean_up_your_computer and it is indeed clear from this page that workers making Apple Mac's are badly treated in some Chinese factories: http://www.cafod.org.uk/get_involved/campaigning/clean_up_your_computer/labour_rights_in_china My opinion is we should be judging governments by how much they respect and protect their citizens` basic human rights, the principles of which can be applied worldwide. This includes access to free media (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, it`s really disheartening to observe how many are too willing to give China a pass on all this (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA. The Cuban wobbler on 1100, as has been widely reported, was EXTREMELY strong and obnoxious here in southern Missouri last night, and it's back at it again tonight. Easily audible in full double- sideband AM, LSB, USB, sync-detector LSB or USB, you name it. Something interesting: the wobbling noise is twice as fast (i.e. seems to oscillate at twice the rate) in double-sideband AM as it does in either single-sideband mode, USB or LSB. The wobbles in upper- and lower-sideband also are at *different* rates/frequencies of oscillation etc., which can be easily confirmed by rapidly switching back'n'forth from LSB to USB (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, Yaesu FRG-100B/Quantum QX Pro ferrite loop; barefoot Sony ICF-7600GR, Jan 22, IRCA via DXLD) If the carrier is sweeping +/- from 1100, then listening to either sideband alone would only give half the story. When in AM, you hear both sidebands, and therefore the heterodyne of both plus and minus which would appear to be twice the USB or LSB rate by itself. What that proves is the carrier sweeps above and below the nominal 1100. That makes sense if the transmitter oscillator is faulty. There's no reason why it would sweep only higher or only lower (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, ibid.) Was being reported as far away as Oregon, Alberta (gh) The reach is truly amazing of the 1100 kHz Radio Cadena Habana, Havana, Cuba, Wobbler. I'll have to check all the reports I saw to determine if a new distance record has been established. Rather than a massive signal as it might seem, as far as I know the power of the station producing the 1100 kHz Wobbler is only moderate. WRTH reports it as 1 kW. That may be low, but based on my daytime reception of R. Cadena Habana on 1100 kHz -- which includes the same Wobbler as at night -- the signal is barely detectable and consistent with a moderately powered station near Havana, Cuba, as heard on ground wave from my location on the opposite, east coast of Florida. The ability of the Wobbler to reach such distances is the magic of sky wave propagation and a carrier that is wildly swinging across other stations on 1100, producing a siren-like beat note. The Wobbler is effective just as is a CW signal. Those people who report TA and TP carriers with no audio are hearing the same thing as the Wobbler, but without the added affect of the fluctuating carrier frequency. Sweep tones during DX tests can be heard when nothing else is, and they are just sweeping audio, not the underlying carrier. The issue of DFing was thought relevant when the Wobbler was first heard. I and others have DFed the Wobbler, but when dealing with the extreme carrier fluctuation and nighttime sky wave propagation, it produces less than optimal results. Daytime results point squarely at Cuba, even at specific transmitter locations. However, after a year of hearing it every single day, during the day, on a number of easily identified Cuban stations -- a daily log appears on the Wobbler web site -- there is no longer a need to DF, at least not to narrow down the origin as Cuba. There is no doubt it is coming from Cuba. The precise location of some Cuban MW transmitters may not be well established, but that they are in Cuba is certain. Florida DXers frequently DF Cuban MW stations -- including on ocean excursions and trips to locations like the Bahamas -- to determine their likely locations, especially when it seems a different station is coming up on a particular channel. From where most Cuba signals originate are fairly well known, and that those same stations produce the Wobblers is also a matter of frequent observation. What produces the Wobbler and what the cause is, are still open to considerable conjecture. Some suggested possibilities have been investigated or considered -- such as jamming, for example -- and been eliminated, at least to my satisfaction. Based on what information is available about Cuban transmitters and the country's beleaguered power system as reported in the press, and after eliminating those less likely possibilities, I have satisfied myself the Wobbler is probably the result of malfunctioning old and poorly maintained transmitters suffering the added burden of an unreliable power source. Just how this all comes together to result in a Wobbler is yet a technical mystery to be unraveled. More on all this can be read about on the Wobbler web site, link in my signature, below. Again today at just before noon-time here in Florida, the Wobbler on 1100 kHz Radio Cadena Habana, was being heard. Just as vigorous as the past three days, but as I say, of such a weak signal with just ground wave, that it was only with considerable effort that I could detect it at all. As the evening comes, so too I suspect, will the howling banshee from the Caribbean. Unless, of course, they fix it or it breaks entirely (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Ratón, (southeast) FL, Jan 23, http://ScooterHound.com/WWWR/wobbler IRCA via DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. Big 530 --- No, no trace of Air Martí, but Rebelde going strong right now on 530 kHz, under Radio Visión Cristiana, 2245+ 21 January. Rebelde (as well as RHC, 6000 kHz etc.) airing (presumed) live Fidel-hosted round table discussion. Fido know something that something we don't, like a certain someone is resuming broadcasts in a few days/weeks? (Terry Krueger, 2255 UT Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No wait, it's Martí !!!!! 2259: the Martí sounder came up, very clear ID, news. Doing pretty darned good. Did it sign on 2300, or just bubbled up? Dominating with a very good signal now. So, Fidel's monitors are doing a good job, bringing Rebelde up at full or near full power to QRM (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saturday only still, I assume (gh) ** CUBA [non]. A MAN LOOKS FOR ANSWERS FIVE STORIES IN THE SKY A man's risky act of civil disobedience brings attention to the unsolved death of his brother more than 44 years ago. By NOAH BIERMAN, CHARLES RABIN, AMY DRISCOLL AND PHIL LONG Posted on Fri, Jan. 20, 2006 MIAMI --- A desperate man, trying to solve the 44-year-old mystery of his brother's death, climbed a radio tower behind The Miami Herald on Thursday morning. He left with no answers. . . http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13667530.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) WQAM 560 backup, not in use (gh) This was the WQAM 560 tower. I believe WQAM is now using an "inland" tower for some reason. On my trips to Florida, their groundwave signal has diminished with the move (Brock Whaley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 2279.96 usb, R. Anacaona, 0100+ Jan 20, per John Sgrulletta tip, heard here consecutive nights this week with program of continuous music, slight pause between songs and very few announcements. Canned ID by man at 0109 which did sound like "Radio Anacaona, la reina del sur" as previously reported by Jay Novello but tough copy due to heavy echo effects and distorted audio (John Herkimer, Caledonia NY, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) 2280 usb, Radio Anacaona, 0023-0210+ Jan 18 and 0250-0304* Jan 21, thanks to John Sgrulletta's tip noted with ID at 0026 followed by a program of continuous vocals. Fair. On Jan 21 noted with music until ID at 0302 followed by orchestra national anthem (Rich D'Angelo, PA, ibid.) ?? Neither explains why they are reporting this as USB; I would be very surprised if it were transmitted in USB (meaning, no LSB and no carrier either), which would imply the fundamental is too; if one employs USB tuning to diminish interference, that is something quite different and should not be put after the frequency implying that is they way it is transmitted. Also may I reiterate my recommended policy on harmonics: except in the case of life-or-death QRM situations, do not try to QSL them, or even notify the station about them, as that is likely to lead to their suppression, which is, to say the least, counter-productive for DXing, selfishly ruining the opportunity for everyone else (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1440 station: see UNIDENTIFIED ** GAMBIA [non]. CLANDESTINE, 9405, Save the Gambia Democracy Project/Voice of the Diaspora via Jülich. Jan. 14. *2000-2030*. Heard at sign-on with African Drum/instrumental Music, followed by sign-on with ID, reference to the Gambia Democracy Project. Followed with a live speech, (heard the microphone effects) by guest speaker, with reference to restoration of democracy and the raising tide of freedom. Interspersed with short selections of local music. Noted with closing remarks, mention of their web site and this final comment, ``reform will come soon, no matter the time...`` Off with African instrumental music. Signal was just marginal to peaks where it was quite good (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saturdays only ** GERMANY. Frequency changes for Deutsche Welle from Jan. 16/18: 1500-1600 NF 17610 WER 500 kW / 165 deg to EaAf Swahili, ex 21840 1800-2000 NF 7280 WER 500 kW / 120 deg to ME Arabic, ex 7230 2000-2200 NF 5905 NAU 500 kW / 135 deg to ME Arabic, ex 6130 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) ** GREENLAND. 3815, 14.1 2058, Grönlands Radio with music. News in Danish at 2200. 2 CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3815U, 11.1 2100, Grönland mostly talk, always heavy disturbed by various traffic. 2 LRH (Leif Råhäll, ibid.) ** GUAM. Frequency change for KTWR Agana in Kokborok: 1230-1300 NF 9385 100 kW / 285 deg SoAs Mon-Fri, ex 11730, re 11660 1230-1245 NF 9385 100 kW / 285 deg SoAs Sat-Sun, ex 11730, re 11660 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) see also SINGAPORE [non] ** ICELAND. Gufuskalar 189 is in western Iceland, Eidar 207 in the east; therefore most favorable conditions for both groundwave and skywave (if any!) should be toward NA on 189, EU on 207. Both antennas are non-DA, so no directive effect other than topography/conductivity is present (Ben Dawson, WA, Jan 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) O yes, you explained essentially the same thing in DXLD 4-172 (gh, DXLD) AFRTS 9340 and 7590: see USA [and non] ** INDONESIA. 3578.731, 14.1 1315, Radio Suara Pemerintah, Ngada with and more talk. Closedown at 1328. 2 SA (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. NASA-TV: see OKLAHOMA ** ISRAEL. 6973, Galei Zahal, Tel-Aviv, Hebraico, 22/01 0200, YL: boletim noticioso, menção a `Tel-Aviv`, breve intervalo musical e uma comunicação por OM. Canção `Bridge over trouble waters`, com Simon & Garfunkel, e outras canções internacionalmente conhecidas. 35433 RWG Rx: Kenwood R-1000, ant.: Vertical 3 m (indoor) + circuito passivo 73, (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo, SP, BRASIL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. Hi Glenn, the Israel schedule is very complex now; differs also on Fri/Sat/Sun as usual. I think, also the transmitter operators are on very lazy careless duty. Sometimes you can monitor a crash start with the previous language section on air, sometimes you notice an empty carrier. Sometimes they use two transmitters only in parallel, the other day on full scale using all three. IBA / KOL uses now four transmitters. One on 5915 kHz Arabic the whole day. The other three on Hebrew and remaining foreign language services. To: mosheor @ bezeq.com Subject: IBA - KOL schedule January 2006 Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 22:11:51 Dear Moshe Oren, maybe you can send me your latest IBA schedule of late January 2006? Many thanks in beforehand. kind regards de Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany DF5SX, Jan 21 - - - - - - - - - - - - ISRAEL Winter B-05 schedule of Kol Israel (checked by wb on Jan 21/22/23, 2006; but 'not' in uncomfortable time slot 0000-0600 UT): ARABIC 0345-2215 5915 1015-1030 15640 AMHARIC 1900-1930 9345 11590 ENGLISH 0430-0445 6280 7545 15640 1030-1045 15640 1830-1845 7545 9345 11590 2000-2025 7545 11590 15640? FRENCH 0445-0500 6280 7545 1100-1115 15640 1630-1645 11605 13855 1800-1815 7545 9345 11590 2030-2045 7545 11590 15640? HEBREW 0000-0555 7545 0600-0755 15760 0800-1455 17535 1900-2000 7545 2100-2215 15640 2100-2355 7545 [on Sun 2100-2236 only an empty carrier, at 2237 UT Hebrew starts] HUNGARIAN 1745-1800 [9345Sat] 11590 13855 [also 7545 1755-1800] 1945-2000 9345 11590 LADINO 1045-1100 15640 1600-1625 Sat 7420 9985 13855 1645-1655 11605 13855 PERSIAN 1500-1600 Sun-Thu 7420 13855 [also 9985 except Sun] 1600-1625 Sun-Thu 7420 9985 13855 1500-1600 Fri/Sat 7420 13855 ROMANIAN 1730-1745 9345 Sat] 11590 13855 1845-1900 7545 9345 11590 RUSSIAN 1500-1600 Sun 9985 1600-1630 Fri 7420 9985 13855 1700-1850 Sun 9345 2100-2200 7520 [but heard Hebrew instead at 2107 UT on Sat] 2100-2200 Sun 7520 7545 SPANISH 1815-1830 7545 9345 11590 2045-2100 7545 11590[-2055] 15640? [also 7520 at 2055- on Sun] TIGRINA 1930-1945 9345 11590 YIDDISH 1700-1725 11590 13855 (from Daniel Rosenzweig-USA, dxld Oct 11, 2005; monitored by wb on Jan 21/22/23, 2006) Ladino - (Judeo-Spanish) a mixed Spanish and Sefardi in my ears? 13 and 15 MHz fade-out around 1615 UT, so - somebody in South- or North-America should check these channels: 13855, 15640, and 15760 kHz then (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX Jan 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY [non]. Brother Stair /TOM/ in English via IRRS-Shortwave from Jan. 23: see SOUTH CAROLINA [non] ** IVORY COAST. SIEGE OF STATE BROADCASTER ENDS The siege of the state broadcaster RadioTélévision Ivoirienne (RTI) by was lifted last night and normal programming resumed today, Reporters Without Borders has learned. Most employees were able to return to their posts and talks are under way to "identify the lessons to be drawn" from the events of the past few days, a source close to the management said. Full details at http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16197 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD; and via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) ** KUWAIT. 6235, IBB Kuwait Transmitting Station. Full data verification letter, direct from Kuwait. Address for reports: Kuwait Transmitting Station, c/o American Embassy-Bayan, P. O. Box 77, Safat, 13001- Kuwait. Reply in 44 days. v/s George Miller, Transmitter Plant Supervisor (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not any more: moved to 7405; see U S A ** LATVIA. KREBS TV, which controls Ulbroka shortwave transmitting site, verified my reception reports with $1 on RWI and Radio Six International after 50 days by QSL letter. QSL signer was Mr. Raimonds Kreicbergs, Director. Address: KREBS TV a/k371, Riga, LV-1010, Latvia E-mail: tesug @ parks.lv (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan, Jan 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS [non]. MINIVAN RADIO TO RESUME SHORT-WAVE BROADCASTS FOR ONE WEEK --- By Minivan News January 22, 2006 Minivan Radio is to restart short-wave broadcasts for a week from Monday 23 January. Special broadcasts will focus on protests planned across the country on Tuesday. Minivan Radio, which can also be listened to online from the front page of this website, will be broadcast between 9-10 pm on the usual frequency of SW 11800 kHz, 25 meter band, starting from Monday evening. http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=1708 (via Kevin Redding, AZ, ABDX via DXLD) I.e. same as before 1600-1700 UT, via GERMANY (gh, DXLD) MALDIVE ISLANDS [non]. GERMANY Some DTK T-Systems changes: Minivan (Independent) Radio in Dhivehi again on short waves from Jan. 23: 1600-1700 on 11800 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg to SoAs (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) A mass protest demonstration is being organised for Tuesday; details at http://www.minivannews.com (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Here is a QSL certificate from XEUT-1630, for a Japanese DXer living in San Diego: http://home.san.rr.com/mhorie/top.htm (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. CASH1700 has been exceptionally well heard on MW 1700 kHz in Japan around 09 and 14 hours in recent days. Is this station really located in Mexico? Or the station is using megawatt transmitter? (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan, Jan 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, of course, in Tijuana; well, 1700 is ``almost shortwave``, and they may be using more power than authorized 10 kW, which WRTH shows day and night, unlike US X-band stations which are supposed to cut to 1 kW at night (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO. XESS-620 and XESDD-1030 switch formats The knucklehead is at it again. ESPN Deportes Spanish sports-talk format moves from XESDD-1030 to XESS-620. "La Tremenda" banda format moves from XESS-620 to XESDD-1030. I heard an XESDD ID on 1030 today so the calls did not swap places. This is kind of a strange move in terms of signal quality. The noisy banda format on 620 could hold its own against the IBOC slop of KOGO- 600. The sports talk format is getting beat up by the IBOC hash. On 1030, the slop from the banda music will pose more of a problem for co-managed KURS-1040 than the sports talk did. I see from Martin Foltz' Ensenada loggings that the old XESS (i.e., the real XESS) is still on the air in Ensenada on 1450 kHz. I suspected as much, but it doesn't get out well so I wasn't sure. So both of these stations are leading double lives --- the real XESDD is on 920 in Ensenada. The 1030 and 620 mutations of XESDD and XESS would more correctly be called Tijuana market stations. At no time have the Ensenada stations been parallel to their Tijuana namesakes. I wish I had the sign concession for this knucklehead's studio building. He seems to spend a fortune re-signing the place every few months as he juggles his formats around. 73, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista, CA, Jan 21, ABDX via DXLD) [non] He could get smart like Saul Levine of Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters did --- you know, Mister "One-Format-Every-Other-Month"? He installed a big LED billboard on his studio building in West L.A. by the 405 Freeway. It currently reads "105.1 K-Mozart" and then 3 seconds later changes to "Oldies 1260", and then "Oldies 540", and so on. So next month (when) he puts on a new format, he can just reprogram the billboard over his morning cup of Joe the day of the change and he's good to go (Darwin Long, Thousand Oaks, CA, ibid.) ** MEXICO. 5999.96, 2052-2153 Jan 20, "onda corta . . . radio . . . Insurgente" at 2053 by YL, with major co-channel interference. At 2010 [sic] "programa de ... Insurgente," "... esta canción de Mexico ..," 2150 carrier from Havana, YL continued talk under the carrier. Noticed pips in the background during the entire broadcast (Robert Wilkner, FL, DX-plorer via DXLD) Nothing heard c. 2100 Jan 20 (Jerry Berg, MA, ibid.) Wonder how long before 2100 Fri they axually start? (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 94.1 desde la Ciudad de México --- Hola amigos, Ayer escudriñando el cuadrante de la FM, me encontré en la noche como a las 0500 UT con una transmisión en la frecuencia de 94.1 MHz con música continua de todo tipo. La única identificación que da una voz femenina es "94.1 en defensa del patrimonio cultural desde la ciudad de México"; los estuve escuchando hasta las 0600 UT (00:00 HCM). En la madrugada me desperté y me dió tentación ver si estaban transmitiendo; serían como las 0800 UT estaba terminando la transmisión. Dieron la identificación, y luego escuché otra identificacion con otra voz femenina; esta vez decía "92.3 Radio Libertad desde algún lugar de la selva lacandona" y luego una mujer dice "Buenas tardes, son las 12:00, comenzamos con la hora de música grupera,`` dieron algunos teléfonos y correo electrónico a donde se pueden comunicar con ellos. (Entonces entendi que era una grabación de la transmisión de esa emisora pirata en el estado de Chiapas, de las regiones donde está el Ejército Zapatista). Esta mañana a las 1300 UT estaba la transmisión con música continua y esa identificación de "94.1 en defensa del ..." Estuve monitoreando esta emisora rumbo al trabajo y viajando hacia al centro de la ciudad (direccion de sur a norte) fui perdiendo la señal. Por lo que la emisora estará al sur de la ciudad. Alguien más lo ha podido sintonizar? Bueno, les envío saludos (Hector Garcia Bojorge, DF, Jan 23, condig list via DXLD) Is XEP 1300 50 kW or not? See PUBLICATIONS ** NETHERLANDS [non]. MOLDOVA(non), Radio Netherlands in Dutch from Jan. 16: 2100-2300 on 6015 KCH 500 kW / 265 degrees to WeEu, ex DHA 250 kW / 315 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. QSL: 9745, CRI Spanish via Bonaire. Full data 'Junggang Mountains, Jiangxi' Tarjeta QSL with schedule, book marker, postcards of Jiangxi, and a nice Chinese paper cut, for a Spanish report, in 40 days (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. 3935.07, 12.1 0740, Radio Reading Service (tentative) weak with mostly talk, even at evenings at 1630 just as weak LRH (Leif Råhäll, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. VON must be the station on 15120, Jan 23 at 2011 in English, horrible audio in actualities with squeals, feedback, and sub-telco-quality sound as we used to say; slightly less horrible from the intermittent narrator in studio. Fairly good strength, but squeezed in between others, 15115=WYFR English to Africa, and a bit weaker than 15120; 15125=REE via Costa Rica, roughly equal; and 15130=WYFR Spanish to CAm, much stronger. VON would not dream of ever moving out of this clogged-up area to a clearer spot on 19m, or of cleaning up its modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. THE LATEST (LAST?) KIPM BROADCAST? This morning Alan Maxwell was on for an hour with what sounded very much like a swan song last broadcast. He said that he loves to get mail, and that he gets plenty of it. But, his disciples have been sending him in lengthy cassettes, long written screeds, etc. and he is embarrassed that he does not have the time to reply in detail to all of them, and he has no plans to air any of it on the radio as some of the disciples ask him to do. He further said that his programming was a bunch of drivel, and that he does not know why the listeners don't understand that. He advised the listeners to turn off the radio. He has switched maildrops, to Lula, c/o RBCN. Whether this turns out to be the last broadcast of KIPM remains to be seen. But, it was noteworthy and maybe a little bizarre. It seems to me that this is big enough news that I am sending this heads up around (George Zeller, OH, Free Radio Weekly Jan 21 via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. 930, Calls are still WKY, although not heard here in over an hour of monitoring. Like most other Spanish-language stations, WKY uses the slogan throughout the hour and not the call letters (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge CO, NRC E-DXN Jan 30 via DXLD) But, they have to! ** OKLAHOMA. Ed Schultz on KUSH-1600 Cushing: see U S A ** OKLAHOMA. KCSC began broadcasting this new nationally syndicated program January 2, 2006. Hosted and produced by Barbara Hendrickson, Filmscapes Intermission is a daily five-minute show focusing on movie music. It airs Monday-Friday at 10:55 a.m. and 6:06 p.m. [1655 & 2406 UT --- elsewhere it says 2407]. This program is made possible by the support of the Kirkpatrick Foundation. Click for program details http://kcscfm.ucok.edu/programming/fsi.htm Airing weekdays at 5:06 p.m., [2306 UT] Poem for Today is a four- minute program hosted by Gordon McDougall. Poems are linked to events which happened on the given date, demonstrating the relevance of poetry to today's society. This program is made possible by the support of the Kirkpatrick Foundation. Click for program details http://www.poem-for-today.com/ (KCSC website via DXLD; webcasts) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Re NASA-TV: CNN has been hyping direct links to stories they're following --- for a fee. Something called Pipeline available for a monthly or yearly fee. I don't know that they carried the Pluto launch, but considering the significance of the launch, I would think that they would have been carrying the feed. A link I found to check on the service is http://www.cnn.com/pipeline/ (Mike Hardester, NC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 6-014, lack of launch coverage on NASA TV via Pegasys in Enid: NASA has four different feeds. We carry the Educational feed. NASA opted not to cover the launch on this feed. We receive no indication from them as to what they intend to cover. We do not play tapes (Wendy Quarles, Pegasys director, to gh, via DXLD) Wendy, Thanks for the explanation. Well, when there is a pending launch, or first signals coming in from some probe, how about switching to the live feed covering such. That`s what it`s all about (Glenn to Wendy, via DXLD) There is a free NASA-TV feed here, but I am not sure which one: http://www.unitedspacealliance.com/live/nasatv.htm And there was a feature on Pluto when I just checked at 2248 UT Jan 23; and NASA`s own video streaming links are here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. 15140, Radio Oman, 1430-1435, escuchada el 23 de enero en inglés a locutora con comentarios y programa de música occidental, "Michel [sic] Jackson", SINPO 44443 (Jose Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena RADIO MASTER A- 108, dxldyg via DXLD) I was looking for it around the same date and time, but could not detect anything beside WYFR 15130 (gh, OK, DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. RADIO PAKISTAN TO BENEFIT FROM NEW HIGH-POWER TRANSMISSION | Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency Lahore, 20 January: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shaykh Rashid Ahmed will formally inaugurate the country's first-ever highest frequency High Power Transmission (HPT) here on Saturday, 21 January, bringing radical changes and development in news and current affairs programmes of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC). The new HPT, having frequency level of 1332 KHZ, has been installed by the engineering team of the PBC while German engineers representing Telefunken company helped in initial stage in the installation of solid state (digital) technology, with an estimated amount of 30.5m rupees [500,000 dollars] approximately. The landmark project, completed in a record period of six months, will help the state-controlled media in joining mainstream of advanced news network and current affairs to keep the listeners informed of global development occurring round-the-clock. Credit for embarking on induction of high-level frequency for various HPT is yet another feather in the cap of the present government that firmly believes in the freedom of expression and access to information, the Information Minister Shaykh Rashid said while talking to APP here Friday [20 January]. He said frequency of HPT Peshawar had already been improved while same was in offing for Quetta centre. The improved frequency of HPT Lahore will benefit listeners within the radius of 100 miles in day time while 280 miles at night, PBC engineers told APP giving final touch to the inauguration ceremony scheduled for tomorrow morning. Source: Associated Press of Pakistan news agency, Islamabad, in English 1514 gmt 20 Jan 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) So how powerful is it?? Geez! There is no Pakistani listed on 1332 in the WRTH 2006 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA [non]. 7120, 9.1 1045. Don't be fooled by the radio amateurs on this frequency. One day I was ``convinced`` that it was a PNG with a ``phone-in``-program, but no! It was a Belfast person talking with his pal in Germany – in a language I interpreted as ``Aussie-EE``! S 2-3. BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. Frequency changes for FEBC in various SE As languages: 1030-1100 NF 11910 BOC 100 kW / 308 deg, ex 12095 1100-1200 NF 12065 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg, ex 12095 1200-1300 NF 12010 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg, ex 12095 1130-1200 NF 9520 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg, ex 9460 1200-1230 NF 9830 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg, ex 9455 1230-1300 NF 9920 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg, ex 9465 1300-1400 NF 11880 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg, ex 12095 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Frequency change for VOR in Russian WS and English WS in DRM from Jan. 13: 1400-1600 NF 5820 MSK 035 kW / 240 deg to WeEu, ex 5810 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) See also UK ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia What`s New http://www.vor.ru/English/Exclusives/what_new.html THIS IS RUSSIA (on the air as of Monday, January 23rd). In the upcoming edition of our weekly feature THIS IS RUSSIA we will be speaking about the demographic situation in Russia. You will also hear an interview with the famous Russian modern day traveler Fyodor Konyukhov. This and more on THIS IS RUSSIA, first on the air on Monday, January 23rd. You will also hear the program on Tuesday 0600, Wednesday 0800 and 1800, Thursday 2100, Friday 0700 and 1800, Saturday 0500 and 1600 and Sunday 0600 and 1600 UT [add 11 minutes to all times]. MUSICAL TALES (on the air as of Tuesday, January 24th). There are names in human history that are shining symbols of High Art. Including, of course, that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart --- His life reads almost like a detective story and his music is still a mystery waiting to be solved. In the next edition of the program we`ll be talking about books about the great Austrian composer penned at various times by amateur students of Mozart`s legacy. Tune in to MUSICAL TALES on Tuesday at 0400, Wednesday 0330 and 2130, Thursday 0230 and 1830, Saturday 0700 and 1700, Sunday 0500 and 1900 and Monday at 0500 UT [add 11 minutes to times on the hour, a sesquiminute to times on the half hour]. (via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SCOTLAND [non]. radio six international confirmed now via WBCQ 7415 at 0415 check UT Monday Jan 23 with all-talk about Scottish matters; then at 0421 I tuned up to 9330-CLSB and heard some guy talking about rsi being on WBCQ now, UT Mons 0300-0500! Pleased that the higher frequency is propagating again during WOR, in fact better here than 7415 on this occasion; ended by 0428 so must have started at 0359. Then heard WOR starting again at 0431 by mistake, cut into sign-off announcement (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See U S A Solar flux 93 and mid-latitude A-index 8. The mid-latitude K-index at 0300 UTC on 23 January was 1 (09 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) ** SINGAPORE [non]. Trying to hear another edition of Wavescan, the reception situation this week was the opposite of last Sunday: Jan 22 at 1600, poor but audible on 12065 via Guam; at 2230 inaudible on 11655 via Guam (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Checked DX program AWR Wavescan at 1130 and 1200 UT today: 11915 (ex- 15260 registered) KSDA Guam, English, 100 kW 255 degrees, 1130-1200 UT, tiny signal. Tremendous digital BUZZ signal which covers 11914 ... 11918 kHz. SINPO 11131. 255 degree path towards Indonesia, Diego Garcia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia doesn't fit for European audience. 15110, AWR via Al Dhabbaya-UAE, English, 250 kW 085degrees, 1200-1230 UT, poor signal, only noted on fade peaks, underneath of powerhouse CRI Urumchi 500 kW at 270 degrees in Mandarin Chinese, Jan 22 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. GERMANY Some DTK T-Systems changes: Brother Stair /TOM/ in English from Jan. 20: 0200-0300 on 6130 WER 125 kW / 300 deg NoAm, cancelled 1400-1600 on 13810 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg WeAs, additional, ex 1500-1600 1900-2000 on 9495 NAU 125 kW / 185 deg WeAf, additional 1900-2000 on 9495 JUL 100 kW / 160 deg SoAf, cancelled USA Frequency changes for Brother Stair /TOM/ in English via WWRB from Jan. 15: 1300-2300 NF 9385*WRB 100 kW / 340 deg to NoAm, ex 9320 2300-0500 NF 3270 WRB 100 kW / 045 deg to NoAm, ex 6890 *co-channel 1300-1500 Voice of America in Korean 1330-1530 Radio Pakistan in Urdu WS 1600-1615 Radio Pakistan in English 2100-2300 Radio Free Asia in Korean ITALY [non] Brother Stair /TOM/ via IRRS-Shortwave from Jan. 23: 0530-0655 on 5775 ??? 030 kW / non-dir Daily Eu/ME/NoAf 0700-1730 on 13840*??? 030 kW / non-dir Mon-Fri to Eu/ME/NoAf 2000-2300 on 5785 ??? 100 kW / non-dir Mon-Fri to Eu/ME/NoAf *1600-1657 co-channel RNW in Dutch via MDC 250 kW / non-dir (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) Only the WWRB changes show yet on the Overcomer blog: http://www.overcomerministry.org/content/blogcategory/22/42 (Glenn Hauser, UT Jan 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. Sudan, 7120 kHz, 0335-0345 UT 1/23/06, Sudan National Radio, South African music into segment on land mines, 2 IDs "this is Sudan National Radio", SIO 333 (Enrico Oliva, East Northport, NY, Sangean ATS-808A w/75 ft. longwire sloper, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Enrico, Are you sure they said ``National``? This is a scheduled frequency for Sudan Radio Service, which broadcasts from outside the country, US-sponsored, UK-transmitter site. See: http://www.sudanradio.org/schedule.htm Regards, (Glenn to Enrico, via DXLD) What`s more: ** SUDAN [non]. UK: BBC WORLD SERVICE TRUST LAUNCHES RADIO PROJECT FOR DARFUR | Text of press release by the BBC World Service on 23 January BBC World Service Trust has launched Darfur Salaam, a humanitarian radio programme for Darfur in Sudan. The 15-minute programme, to be broadcast at 8.00 am local time on the new BBC frequency of 11820 kHz and repeated at 8.00 pm on 9640 kHz, includes five minutes of news from the BBC Arabic Service. [would you mind using gmt? Local in Khartoum, and presumably also way westward in Darfur, is UT +3 currently per timeanddate.com --- however, WRTH 2006 timezone map shows this area on UT +2, whilst Sudan in the listing is given as UT +3 summer and winter (unlike Egypt, +2 winter, +3 summer); so presumably means 0500-0515 UT on 11820, 1700- 1715 UT on 9640. Now, what are the sites? And is the rest of the show in a local Arabic dialect? --- gh] One displaced person, currently living in a Darfur camp, said: "I like the idea of this programme and can't wait to hear my voice and my story on the radio." BBC World Service Trust has obtained funding from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and the Ford Foundation to manage the programmes for six months. A team of Arabic journalists based in Darfur, Khartoum and at the BBC Arabic bureau in Cairo has been recruited and trained by the Trust, the international development NGO of the BBC. Working closely with the BBC World Service Arabic team in London, Cairo and Khartoum, the Trust will manage this ambitious project and work at raising money to keep it going beyond the initial six months. Nearly two million displaced people live in camps in Darfur, unable to return home because of local conflict. Radio is often the only way to deliver vital information. Darfur Salaam will dispense vital, life-saving information and advice. The project is modelled on previous BBC World Service Trust lifeline projects in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Rwanda and Burundi. The programme will feature personal testimonies, humanitarian news - including up-to-the-minute practical information about food distribution, shelter and medical help - and an educational element offering advice on security, health and social issues. Hosam El Sokkari, Head of the BBC's Arabic Service, says: "It will be the survival guide for our listeners in the area. We view it as a continuation of our commitment to the region." The programmes will also provide entertainment, using music, drama and storytelling to reflect and debate issues important to the audience. The journalists will work with existing drama and music groups which receive support from NGOs and UN agencies in Darfur. Two programmes each week will be made especially for children with contributions from Zeinab Mobarak, the well-known Egyptian children's writer. For the last two years the Trust has been running a comprehensive journalism training programme in six regions of Sudan (including Darfur) to strengthen the skills of the Sudanese media. Workshops held in Khartoum, Nyala, El Fasher, El Obeid, Juba, Wad Madani and Port Sudan were designed to enable local journalists to produce quality programmes that are accurate, fair, relevant, educational and participatory. Project Director Maria Frauenrath said: "The journalists were eager to boost their skills. For many it was the first time they had undertaken specific journalism training. I found it very rewarding to work with people so keen to improve their knowledge and provide life-saving information for their communities." For further information visit the BBC World Service Trust website: http://www.bbcworldservicetrust.org Source: BBC World Service press release, London, in English 23 Jan 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. According to Mr. Shigenori Aoki, Fu Hsing Broadcasting Corporation, Taipei has changed the SW frequency to 5995 and 9410 kHz from former 15250 since January 1. The recent schedule is 2300-0100, 0400-0600, 0800-1000, 1100-1500. Good reception here in Japan, but 5995 is blocked by VOR Japanese service after 1200. BTW their web site http://www.fhbs.co.tw does not work in recent days. According to Mr. Shigenori Aoki, Kan Sheng Broadcasting Station’s shortwave service for Chinese mainland, scheduled in WRTH 2006 as 0655-0105 on 9745 kHz, has been recently heard also at 0105-0655. I also confirmed. Seems they broadcast 24 hours. QRM with HCJB-Quito. The contents are the same as the internet broadcast (``Program for Mainland China``) supplied at http://www.voh.com.tw/ENGLISH/MAIN-E.HTM There is no mention about 9745 kHz in their homepage (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan, Jan 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 8743 kHz, 1445 UT, Bangkok Meteorological, weather, strength was 57 and also heard on 6765 kHz --- it was slightly weaker at 53. Note: some have asked if my ship was involved in the shooting off Somalia; ,we`re not that close yet. Thanks for the concern. 73's from (Larry Fields, n6hpx/mm enroute to Somalia, Jan 22, swl at qth.net via DXLD) I guess the are Readability & Strength readings (gh) ** UGANDA [non]. GERMANY Some DTK T-Systems changes: Radio Rhino International Africa in English from Jan. 9: 1500-1530 on 17870 JUL 100 kW / 145 deg Mon-Fri to EaAf, ex Wed/Fri (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) ** U K [and non]. BBCM/FBIS --- BBC Monitoring, the Caversham-based service that scrutinizes thousands of foreign radio broadcasts on behalf of the BBC, the Ministry of Defence, British intelligence services and the CIA, has had its funding reviewed by its new master, the Cabinet Office. Formerly run by the Foreign Office, Caversham provided "open source intelligence" in the war against terror- information that was highly prized for its rawness and lack of Downing Street spin. Despite howls of protest from desk officers and analysts at the FO and MI6, Caversham's budget has now been cut by £2m, losing 80 posts and ending the monitoring of radio broadcasts from boring places where nothing of interest ever happens - such as the former Soviet Union and the whole of Africa. Monitoring's partner, the CIA's Foreign Broadcast Information Service, with an office in Caversham, is also under financial review. The CIA's secrecy requirements make it impossible for it to admit that the FBIS is also facing cuts, but staff at Caversham have told the Eye that they are no longer able to have access to FBIS translations because they are no longer being made (Private Eye, 20/1 via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) ** U K [non]. RUSSIA(non), Frequency change for BBC WS English from Jan. 19: 1400-1500 NF 11760 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg Mon-Sat to ME, ex 15575 SMF/UKR (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) see also SUDAN non ** U K. RADIO 4'S UK THEME MAKES WAY FOR SHIPPING AND NEWS By Sherna Noah, PA Media Correspondent Radio 4 is to axe the UK Theme - the opening music that has been familiar to early risers and insomniacs for more than 30 years. The UK Theme is a medley of tunes from the British Isles and includes Danny Boy, What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?, Scotland the Brave, Men of Harlech and Rule Britannia. The tunes were arranged by Fritz Spiegl, an Austrian-born composer who fled the annexation of Austria into Germany during the 1930s. The UK Theme has won an army of devoted fans since it was first thought to have been performed by the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra in 1973. It has been broadcast at 5.30 am to signal the switchover from the World Service to BBC Radio 4. The UK Theme will now make way for a news briefing and extended shipping forecast. The decision was announced as part of changes to Radio 4's early morning schedule. Instead of the five-minute medley representing England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, Radio 4 will kick- off at 5.20 am with the extended shipping and in-shores waters forecast. A news briefing will follow at 5.30am, with a newspaper review and a look ahead to the stories of the day. Farming Today and Prayer for the Day are not affected by the changes, which begin in April. BBC Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer predicted that there would be some protest at the decision to axe the medley, which also includes Greensleeves, Londonderry Air and Early One Morning. He said: "I know there are some people who will regret the passing of the UK Theme but I believe the bulk of the audience will be better served by a pacy news briefing, read by one of Radio 4's team of news readers." ends 231707 JAN 06MX01-23-2006 17:07 UT (via David Alpert, DXLD) This is such a sad story - please complain to the BBC to stop it happening... please, please, please!! "UK Theme to be dropped by Radio 4" The UK Theme has been broadcast daily at 0530 GMT BBC Radio 4 is to axe the UK Theme, the opening music it has played for 33 years, in changes to its schedule. The theme is a five-minute medley of tunes including Danny Boy, What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?, Scotland the Brave and Rule Britannia. It will be replaced by a news briefing and extended shipping forecast. Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer predicted there would be some protest at the decision to lose the medley, which will take effect in April. (You bet there will be much more than "some protest"!!... Mike) "I know there are some people who will regret the passing of the UK Theme," he said. (Definitely!!... Mike) "But I believe the bulk of the audience will be better served by a pacy news briefing, read by one of Radio 4's team of news readers." (what absolute tosh!!"(IMHO)...Mike) Written by Austrian composer Fritz Spiegl, the UK Theme also includes popular tunes Men of Harlech, Greensleeves, Londonderry Air and Early One Morning. It has been broadcast daily at 0530 GMT to signal the switchover from the World Service to BBC Radio 4. Farming Today and Prayer for the Day will not be affected by the changes. (RECORD IT WHILE YOU CAN, its stood the test of 33 YEARS - it`s WONDERFUL and so quintessentially British, why do things have to change?? PLEASE email "Feedback" and the BBC DG and whoever you can find at the BBC. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN...thanks...Mike) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4640990.stm (Mike Terry, dxld via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I never knew it existed, not happening to be listening to R4 at that time, and you would not know it either from the BBC WhatsOn listings: ``05:30 Radio 4 Open Up Includes a News Summary, latest Shipping and Inshore Waters forecasts, and Coastal Reports`` (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Frequency changes for IBB: 0000-0100 NF 9810 PHT 250 kW / 315 deg CeAs, ex 11975 RL Kyrgyz 1730-1800 9860 UDO 250 kW / 276 deg EaAf, add freq VOA Afan/Oromo M-F 1730-1800 15260 MOR 250 kW / 099 deg EaAf, add freq VOA Afan/Oromo M-F 1800-1900 9860 UDO 250 kW / 276 deg EaAf, add freq VOA Amharic Daily 1800-1900 15260 MOR 250 kW / 099 deg EaAf, add freq VOA Amharic Daily 1900-1930 9860 UDO 250 kW / 276 deg EaAf, add freq VOA Tigrigna M-F 1900-1930 15260 MOR 250 kW / 099 deg EaAf, add freq VOA Tigrigna M-F 2130-0030 NF 7405 KWT 250 kW / 070 deg to WeAs, ex 6235 VOA English (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. AFRTS on 9340 USB --- Iceland (presumed) AFRTS --- Acting on a tip in DXLD 6-012 I tuned in to AFRTS on 9340 USB Thursday Jan. 19 from about 1900 UT to 2200. Intelligible most of that time and parallel to the Florida frequencies. Today, Sunday Jan. 22 listening in around 2200 UT it was parallel to 7590 USB (Iceland) but not parallel to the three Florida frequencies where there was a football game in progress. The same game was also on 4319 USB (Diego Garcia). Good reception on all the frequencies although the Iceland frequencies were very weak by 2230 (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, Jan 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Heard Ed Schultz show on AFRTS 12133.5-USB, Mon Jan 23 at 2023, taking a call from OKC. What station is he on there, and when is the live broadcast? We find only this for OK at his website http://www.bigeddieradio.com/stations/stations.asp?state=OK&Submit=search --- Listen online from 3 pm to 6 pm ET [2007-2259 UT] Listen to XM Satellite Radio Channel 165 Weekdays at 3 pm Listen to Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 146 Weekdays at 3 pm and Weekends at 5 pm [sic --- how about giving CT here for OK usage??] Stations in: OK on KUSH 1600 AM at 4:00 - 7:00 pm CT [2206-2459 UT] broadcasting out of Cushing, OK coverage includes: Stillwater, Tulsa and Oklahoma City So does KUSH carry the last hour live and the rest delayed, or delay all three of them? Or was the time conversion in the wrong direxion? In any event, claiming KUSH covers Tulsa and OKC is really pushing it with 1 kW day at topend of band, and only 70 watts at night, which this time of year starts around 5 pm! We expect Liberals to be honest and not so weaselly! I checked 1600 Jan 23 at 2207 and may have heard Ed Schultz mixed in with lots of skywave QRM already bouncing in, including that 1600.2 off-frequency station I have been trying to get identified. I expect the OKC caller, who I think said he was driving, was listening to satellite, not KUSH (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: DXLD 6-012 and this week's WOR, KJES was there today, January 22, on 11715 with usual responsive Bible reading in Spanish in the 1600-1700 hour (David Yocis, Harper's Ferry WV, USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe Sundays only? Am not likely to check then. No, I did check Monday Jan 23 at 2010, and there it was on 15385, fair signal but very low modulation; Spanish recitation mixed with simultaneous singing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn: What happened to KTBN in Utah? Nothing today on 7505 or 15590 so far (John Babbis, Silver Spring MD, 1702 UT Jan 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) John chex them every day for signal comparisons to ERA. Yup, no sign of 15590 at 2009 UT check Jan 23; this has happened before, missing for days at a time for no known reason, then comes back (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Frequency changes for WINB from Jan. 22: 1100-1300 and 2300-0400 NF 9265 INB 050 kW / 042 deg to CeAm, ex 9320 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 23 via DXLD) ** U S A. 9840, United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans/WWL, via WHRI, Cypress Creek transmitter. Full data Special QSL Card #23 in 15 days. v/s Joe Polett, C.E., WWL Radio. 7415/9330, Hour of the Time broadcast via WBCQ-The Planet. Full data verification statement letter, with information, schedule and tape purchases, from the USA Address. v/s John Doyel Shamley (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WBCQ PROGRAM GUIDE AS OF JANUARY 20 2006 ARRANGED IN STRICT UT TIME/DAYS UT SATURDAY 0000-0100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 5110 0000-0100 THE OXYGEN HOUR 7415 0100-0200 ALLAN WEINER WORLDWIDE 7415 0100-0200 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0100-0300 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0200-0300 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 7415 0300-0400 THE LOST DISC RADIO SHOW 7415 5110 0300-0500 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0400-0500 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 7415 0400-1100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0500-0515 AMOS AND ANDY 7415 0515-0530 HERALD OF TRUTH 7415 1800-2200 GLOBAL SPIRIT PROCLAMATION 18910 2000-2100 THE POLITICS OF RELIGION 7415 2100-2200 THIS WEEK IN AMATEUR RADIO INTERNATIONAL 7415 2100-2400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 2200-2300 THE FULL GOSPEL HOUR 18910 2200-2300 A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS 7415 2300-2400 THE LUMPY GRAVY RADIO SHOW 7415 UT SUNDAY 0000-0100 RADIO TIMTRON WORLDWIDE 0000-0400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 5110 0100-0200 CHURCH OF THE SUBGENIUS HOUR OF SLACK 7415 0200-0300 MARION`S ATTIC 7415 0300-0400 OFF THE WALL 7415 0400-0430 WORLD OF RADIO 9330 0400-0500 THE MICHAEL KETTER SHOW 7415 0400-1100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0430-0500 TOM`S LOST CLASSICS 9330 0500-0600 TOM AND DARRYL 7415 1800-2200 GLOBAL SPIRIT PROCLAMATION 18910 2000-2100 INSIDE VIEW ON HEALTH 7415 2100-2200 THE ALL NEW HANK AND JIM SHOW 7415 2100-2400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 2200-2300 THE FULL GOSPEL HOUR 18910 2200-2300 THIS WEEK IN AMATEUR RADIO INTERNATIONAL 7415 2300-2400 ALLAN WEINER WORLDWIDE 7415 UT MONDAY 0000-0100 LE SHOW WITH HARRY SHEARER 7415 0000-0400 THE VOICE OF REASON 9330 0000-1100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0100-0500 RADIO NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL 7415 [however, 0300-0500 radio six international from now on] 7415 0400-0430 WORLD OF RADIO 9330 0500-0515 AMOS AND ANDY 7415 0515-0545 WORLD OF RADIO 7415 0545-0615 TOM`S LOST CLASSICS 7415 1700-2000 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 1800-2200 GLOBAL SPIRIT PROCLAMATION 18910 1900-2000 MONEY TALK 7415 2000-2100 MONEY TALK 9330 7415 2100-2200 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 9330 7415 2200-2300 THE JEAN SHEPHERD SHOW 7415 2200-2300 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9330 2300-2330 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9330 7415 2330-2400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9330 2330-2400 FAITH HOLINESS CHURCH 7415 2300-2400 MONEY TALK 5110 UT TUESDAY 0000-0100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 5110 0000-0100 THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH 7415 0100-0200 EVM JEWISH RADIO NETWORK 7415 0100-0500 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0100-1100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0200-0300 THE SECULAR BIBLE STUDY 7415 0300-0400 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 7415 0400-0500 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 7415 0500-0515 AMOS AND ANDY 7415 0515-0530 HERALD OF TRUTH 7415 1700-2000 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 1800-2200 GLOBAL SPIRIT PROCLAMATION 18910 1900-2000 MONEY TALK 7415 2000-2100 MONEY TALK 9330 7415 2100-2200 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 9330 7415 2200-2300 THE LAST ROUNDUP 7415 2200-2400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9330 2300-2430 A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS 7415 2300-2400 MONEY TALK 5110 UT WEDNESDAY 0000-0100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 5110 0030-0100 WORLD OF RADIO 7415 0100-0200 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0100-0200 CUT THE CRAP WITH A.J. 7415 0100-1100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0200-0300 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 7415 0300-0400 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 7415 0400-0500 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 7415 0500-0515 AMOS AND ANDY 7415 0515-0530 HERALD OF TRUTH 7415 1700-2000 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 1800-2200 GLOBAL SPIRIT PROCLAMATION 18910 1900-2000 MONEY TALK 7415 2000-2100 MONEY TALK 9330 7415 2100-2200 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 9330 7415 2200-2300 FORBIDDEN HISTORY AND OTHER LOST WRITINGS 7415 2200-2400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9330 2300-2330 WORLD OF RADIO 7415 2300-2400 MONEY TALK 5110 2330-2400 CREATION NATION 7415 UT THURSDAY 0000-0030 WORLD OF RADIO 18910 0000-0100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 5110 0000-0100 OFF THE HOOK 7415 0100-0200 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0100-0200 EVM JEWISH RADIO NETWORK 7415 0100-1100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0200-0400 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 7415 0400-0500 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0400-0500 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 7415 0500-0515 AMOS AND ANDY 7415 0515-0530 HERALD OF TRUTH 7415 1700-2000 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 1800-2200 GLOBAL SPIRIT PROCLAMATION 18910 1900-2000 MONEY TALK 7415 2000-2100 MONEY TALK 9330 7415 2100-2200 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 9330 7415 2200-2300 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9930 7415 2300-2400 EVM JEWISH RADIO NETWORK 7415 2300-2400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9330 2300-2400 MONEY TALK 5110 UT FRIDAY 0000-0030 GODDESS IRENA 1 MUSIC SHOW 7415 0000-0100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 5110 0030-0100 JESUS GLOBAL OUTREACH 7415 0100-1100 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 5110 0100-0200 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0100-0200 ODIN LIVES 7415 0200-0400 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 76415 0400-0500 CHRISTIAN MEDIA NETWORK 9330 0400-0500 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 7415 0500-0515 AMOS AND ANDY 7415 0515-0530 HERALD OF TRUTH 7415 1700-2000 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 9330 1800-2200 GLOBAL SPIRIT PROCLAMATION 18910 1900-2000 MONEY TALK 7415 2000-2100 MONEY TALK 9330 7415 2100-2200 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL 2000 9330 7415 2200-2230 THE REAL AMATEUR RADIO SHOW\PISS AND MOAN NET 7415 2200-2400 GOOD FRIENDS RADIO NETWORK 18910 9330 2230-2330 THE PAB SUNGENIS PROJECT 7415 2300-2400 MONEY TALK 5110 2330-2400 WDCD - A WANTON DISPLAY OF CONTROL & DISRUPTION 7415 (via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. DDXD-West contributor Gary Houdek, Munden KS, sends along this observation: ``On January 8 I was listening to 1080 KRLD Dallas at 6:35 PM. Station ID was followed by the CBS TV program `60 Minutes.` That same evening at 7:35 PM [presumably both CST = UT -6] I was listening to KSL 1160 Salt Lake. Again, station identification was followed by the CBS TV program `60 Minutes.` The same program I heard an hour earlier on KRLD! I do not need a TV for the program `60 Minutes!``` Other TV programs carried on radio are CBS` `Face the Nation` and NBC`s `Meet the Press.` Likewise, some radio shows are carried on TV: WFAN`s ``Imus in the Morning`` [on MSNBC] and ESPN`s ``Mike and Mike,`` to name two. Have I missed any? Please drop me a line with other current examples (DDXD-West, NRC E-DX News Jan 30 via DXLD) ** U S A. "La Voz Cristiana 1550" KXTO Reno, NV has been and will be broadcasting the "60 second inventory inserts" every morning at approximately 1 am and 4 am Pacific time [0859 & 1159 UT]. This will continue for an undetermined amount of time. KXTO is utilizing its 94 Watts of Non Directional Night Power now but a test will be forthcoming in the next 2 months where the station will operate at it's full day power of 2, 500 Watts. Good luck! Paul B. Walker, Jr. (via Wayne Heinen, E-DX News via DXLD) Awaiting confirmation ** U S A [and non]. Re 1710, 6-014: Saul, I've tentatively logged Lubavitcher-1710 here in Jacksonville on several occasions, along with another station (very infrequently) hetting about 100 Hz high. It would be interesting to see a concerted effort of logging/reporting stations around 1710, even if unID (Mike Hardester, Jacksonville, NC, 34.47 N — 77.23 W +/- a couple of nanoseconds, ICOM R-70 - 2 x 75 foot (23 meter) random wires; Orientation: E/W and N/S Quantum Phaser and Patience, ibid.) Bodo Radio 1710 from Norway is one, perhaps, with occasional maritime weather forecasts. Heard in Newfoundland around 2308z (Jim Renfrew, NRC-AM via DXLD) Lubavitcher (or whatever the NYC station calls themself now) is very strong here tonight, at 2230 EST. They are on 1709.9742. There is another station on 1709.9777 that occasionally fades up enough to produce traces of audio. And there are two additional carriers, on 1710.0004 and 1710.0499 (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, Jan 21, IRCA via DXLD) Isn't it odd that all of these stations around 1710 are slightly off frequency at a different spot? Or is this to be expected? (Patrick Griffith, Westminster, CO, ibid.) Since none of these stations are licensed, I would be surprised if they were all on 1710.00 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Given that we're talking mostly about pirates, I'd expect this. These transmitters are less stable to begin with, often operated without adequate temperature or even electrical power controls and by usually untrained or inexperienced people (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, IRCA via DXLD) True, and I think it also often applies to licenced transmitters that are low budget and/or poorly maintained operations, and to TIS installations that are not in locations with good environmental control. It is fascinating to look at a spectrum display of the carriers around 1610 - there are dozens of them, spread across hundreds of Hz. Amongst regular stations, there are at least two in ex-band that are off by more than the 1710 pirates: CHHA Toronto is currently on 1610.0586, and KRND in WY is on 1629.8812 (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.) Re. 1610 kHz: The primary reason why it is so little used in the U. S. is not adjacency and consequent protection to 1580-1600.., Although FCC licensed TIS's are secondary service, and not protected, TIS operations on 1610 by Federal agencies (NPS, Forest Service, COE, and perhaps others) are not secondary, and FCC has no authority to require them to be modified to accommodate part 73 broadcast authorizations as they are authorized pursuant to procedures of IRAC (Ben Dawson, WA, Jan 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I've always thought that the plan was to have TIS's on 1710 ? 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, NRC-AM via DXLD) Not according to the FCC: http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi- bin/ws.exe/genmen/uls/frequency_res.hts?db_id=19&rows=999&radio_serv=&freq=1.71 (while the TIS search page does allow you to select 1710 kHz, if you do so you don't get any hits...) – (Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, ibid.) I realize there aren't many, if any TIS on 1710 now, but I recall hearing the reason for 1710 on car receivers was for intended TIS's, and that many on 1610 (where US stations were expected to be, and more than KALT if I recall) would move to 1710. Perhaps, my aging memory is fading, and if not, then the FCC changed their plan. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, ibid.) ** U S A. Storm Stories, on The Weather Channel, UT Sun Jan 22 at 0430-0500 was about the Smoky Bear balloon colliding with the KKOB 770 tower in Albuquerque a couple years ago. Contained some footage I don`t recall seeing at the time. No repeats found scheduled at this time on online listings, but probably will show up again some time, so look out for it. Not that this had anything to do with storms! Just a bit too breezy in the wrong direxion (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. TO RESTART NEGOTIATIONS, UNION TARGETS STATIONS Originally published in Current, Jan. 17, 2006 By Karen Everhart The Communications Workers of America unit representing technicians at PBS and NPR plans to push local stations across the country for help improving the networks’ final contract offers. ``The only alternative for us is to go after the member stations,`` said Mark Peach, president of the National Association of Broadcast Technicians/CWA Local 31. CWA has 700,000 members nationwide and is aligned with the AFL-CIO. ``We`ll be asking our union brothers and sisters not to patronize local stations,`` he said. After extended negotiations, PBS and NPR technicians have rejected contracts their respective networks had put forward as their last, best offers. NPR technicians rejected management’s proposed contract in late December. Last week, NPR upped the ante by declaring a legal impasse in contract talks, an action that allows it to begin implementing provisions in the rejected contract. NABET’s previous contract with NPR expired in October. . . http://www.current.org/tech/tech0601nabet.shtml (Current via DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. WHERE HAS RADIO TASHKENT INTERNATIONAL DISAPPEARED? http://ino.uzpak.uz/eng/letters_eng/letters_eng.htm January 20, 2006 This is first Net-club program of Radio Tashkent International this year. We'd like to start with expressing gratitude for nice Christmas and New Year cards and greetings our permanent listeners from Cosmos Club of India, Mr. Swopan Chakroborty from India, Mr. Mitul Kansal from India, Secretary of Foreign Radio Listeners Club from India Mr. Prasenjit Bhakat, President of Azeemi International Listeners and Linkers Club of Pakistan Mr. Riaz Hussain Malik and many others. Besides, we received letters and reception reports from USA, France, England, Germany, Latvia, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Indonesia, Brasil. Here is congratulation letter from Mr. Davi Lucas, Brasil: "Hello dear friends!!! I'm Davi Lucas, from Belo Horizonte, Brasil. I want to send my greetings to you and I hope that the next year be very good for all you in all of your lives, and that you have peace and health and a happy new year of 2006!!! Strong embrace for all you!!! And that your waves from your radio station always be on the air!!!73's!!" Thank you, dear Mr. Davi Lucas, for nice words! May the year 2006 be most successful for you and your family, dear friend. Stay with us in 2006! Most of the listeners have been worried greatly by the fact that RTI stopped its short-wave broadcasting and all broadcasts are available now only on the web-site of RTI. For example, here is the letter of our American listener Mr. Hans Johnson from Florida, who addressed our director: "Dear Director Guliamov: I am trying to hear your English service, which I first heard in 1977, on shortwave. I can no longer hear this service on shortwave, are you still using shortwave? If you are, can you please provide me with your schedule. If you are off shortwave, can you let me know why and how I can hear you now?" Dear friend Mr. Hans Johnson and all other listeners. We inform all those, who are trying to tune to RTI, that our broadcasts are available now only on our web-site http://ino.uzpak.uz on the left side navigation. The time of broadcasting has remained the same as it is in the broadcasting bands section of the web-site. Meanwhile, it is a pleasure to note that some of our listeners have already adapted to the change in broadcasting of RTI. The letter of our French listener Mr. Jean-Michel Aubier is the proof of that: "Hello from France. Today I picked up your broadcast in English at 1330 UTC on your web site. The reception was excellent. It's a good idea to broadcast on the Internet. It's better than short waves. I recorded the programme, but I didn't listen to it. It will be done in the following days. I would be glad to hear Radio Tashkent International in French, but I suppose there are no plans for this idea! I couldn't catch the German program. Did you stop these transmissions? I wish you all the best for 2006". Thank you very much, Mr. Jean-Michel Aubier, for your letter. You're right that we are now not planning to start service in French language. But our German transmissions have remained online at the same time: 1930 and 2030 UT. We hope to hear from you soon, Mr. Jean- Michel Aubier, and have a nice listening! Similar letter came from our English listener Mr. Christopher Lewis. He writes as follows: "I can hear RTI very clearly now, although I will miss the shortwave broadcasts. It is very important that Uzbekistan has its international voice. I am interested in your country, and learn much through your transmissions". Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Christopher Lewis. As a token the interest you take in Uzbekistan we broadcasted song of the Uzbek people singer Yulduz Usmanova. We continue the main topic of present time - online broadcasting of RTI. In the beginning of January we received several letters of our listeners who told that they still had been listening to us on short- waves. Here is one of them, which we had received on January 6. Our permanent listener Mr. Alex Torbeni from Indonesia wrote as follows: "Hello and greeting from Bali again. First of all, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year 2006! Let me tell you that I still listen to RTI and as a proof, I send you a reception report. Would you please kindly verify this reception report with any QSL. Many thanks for your QSL card for verifying my reception report of November 2005. It's a nice QSL card with the panorama of Tashkent. By seeing it, I may know that Tashkent is also a nice and clean city. I have a question for you. Do the people in Uzbekistan, especially the Moslems, also celebrate Eid ul Ad'ha? Is Eid ul Ad'ha a public holiday in Uzbekistan? Eid ul Adha is a public holiday in Indonesia. Many people in Indonesia went a Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca during this season. Do the Moslems in Uzbekistan also have the same tradition?" Thank you, Mr. Alex Torbeni, for your devotion and interest to our station and country. Concerning QSL cards. By now we don't have any QSL card available because of changes in our structure. Our correspondence section will forward a letter with some stamps to you a little bit later. However, we gladly answer your question about Eid ul Adha. Yes, it is a public holiday in Uzbekistan and it is a day off. This year about 5000 Moslems from Uzbekistan successfully participated in Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. They were brought there by the national air company "Uzbekistan Havo Yullari" and were accompanied by doctors, cookers and interpreters. It should be noted that we received a lot of congratulation letters from our listeners on the occasion of Moslem holyday Eid ul Ad'ha. We thank Ashik Eqbal Tokon from Bangladesh and Malik Ameer Bakhsh from Pakistan for their good wishes on this occasion. RTI also expresses gratitude to the permanent Japanese listener Mizuno Mitsuaki and Yuri Dimbovsky from Latvia for their reception reports. Besides, we thank our Pakistani listeners Syed Mubashir Hussain, Abid Hussain Sajid, Imran Haidar for their letters. With this we bring our Net-Club program to an end. We remind you, dear listeners our web-site address: http://ino.uzpak.uz We're looking forward to your letters with questions, share with us stories about your life and family, and your thoughts about the programs of RTI (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. R. Nacional de Venezuela, Canal Internacional [via Cuba, never acknowledged], Mon Jan 23 around 2040 check, VG on 13820 and on 9550, with Efemérides = this day in history, covering a couple weeks in January; and blaming all the ills of the post-WWII world on the imperialism and capitalism of the USA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM. Cf BOLIVIA. 6165, Voice of Vietnam, 1055-1230 Jan 23. Sitting on 6165 waiting for the new Bolivian, but the VOV rather strong here and at 1100 Radio Nederland checks in. The Voice of Vietnam continues with music and Vietnamese comments from a woman. Signal was fair when RN and AIR not on the air (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, NRD545, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Should look for R. Logos much earlier at *0900, weekdays. Five different schedules I consulted show Vietnam not opening on 6165 until 1130 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) But was on before 1100 (Bolland, ibid.) ** VIETNAM [non]. CLANDESTINE (Vietnamese), QSL: 7380, Little Saigon Radio (via Taiwan transmitters). Full data multi-colored card with list of AM Stations carrying this program, Short wave listed too. Reply address: 15781 Brookhurst Street, Suite 101, Westminster, California, 92683 Web site: http://www.littlesaigonradio.com Reply in 63 days. v/s Joe D. Dinh (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. CLANDESTINE (Zimbabwe). 11706.2, Voice of the People (via Madagascar), 1704 Jan 21, various male voices in vernacular interspersed with bits of local vocals; clear ID at 1718. Fair level (Bob Hill, MA, DX-plorer via DXLD) Note frequency offset UNIDENTIFIED. Radio Impactante, 1440 kHz --- Ayer en la noche pude escuchar en la frecuencia 1440 kHz una señal que se identificó como Radio Impactante "La emisora que te habla y te escucha"; su programación era religiosa evangélica con música é identificación. Revisé el WRTH 2004 y no aparece nada con ese nombre; hay algo en el WRTH 2006, de dónde será esta radio, será de Colombia o ??????. Espero comentarios, un fuerte abrazo para todos. La grabación está a la orden para quien la necesite (José Elías, Venezuela, Jan 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ni en WRTH 2006. Sólo hay en 1440 una argentina, Radio Impacto, Tapiales, BA, sin siglas ni potencia citadas. Entonces escuchaba su audiofichero. Es muy claro el teléfono anunciado de la emisora, 809- 476-7140 (o talvez -6140). Así es que emana desde Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. La emisora en 1440 alistada allí es HIAK, 5 kW, Radio Cristocéntrico, aunque existen dos emisoras más en 1440 en lugares distintos de la República. Cabe anotar que en un informe por Tetsuya Hirahara, ``Por las Rutas de Quisqueya``, disponible en el sitio web Patapluma de Don Moore, no se escuchaba a la misma durante su visita en 1999. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Then I listened to his 35-second clip, in which the station phone number is clearly given as 809-476-7140 (or maybe 6140). This puts it in Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. The 1440 station listed there in 2006 WRTH is HIAK, 5 kW, Radio Cristocéntrico, but there are two other 1440s elsewhere in the DR (area code 809). A Tetsuya Hirara report, Por Las Rutas de Quisqueya on Don Moore`s Patapluma website has a bandscan mentioning that R. Cristocéntrico was not heard during his 1999 visit (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Hola José Elías y Glenn, encontré en Google una dirección rota de una emisora religiosa con este nombre y frecuencia. http://www.cristoteo.com :: View topic - Gente, bendecidos! No he estado ... Programas de radio-ya estamos los martes de 10AM-12 PM en un panel pastoral en radio Impactante 1440 am aca en RD, y ahora desde Septiembre, ... Saludos y buenos DX's 73 (José Bueno - Córdoba - España, condig list via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Any idea who this could be on 1620? Heard on 16 Jan 06 at 0615 - a continuous tape with a male repeating "CBS Radio Network Channel 42" until I tuned out at 0635. The signal was very strong. Suspected IN but they were heard on 22 Jan at 0100 with ABC News (Anthony Markewicz in NE Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If WHLY South Bend is the station normally dominant for you on 1620, and it is very likely to be at your location, I would not assume the unID was something else just because the networks don`t match. All it takes is a slight misprogramming of the automation for this to happen, bringing up the wrong satellite feed channel, and obviously no one is at the station minding the store. This happens again and again to neglected MW stations (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1750 kHz (Correct) --- Station noted here 1/20 at 0412- 0430 [presumably EST] (yawn - |-O) initially with 2 men talking, and later a woman. Poor, but seemed to have fading characteristics. Clear mention of "65 Bridge," "264 East," "64 East," and "64 West." My first thought was Virginia / Portsmouth area. Image from 1650 (WHKT?)? Ideas? (Mike Hardester, Jacksonville, NC, NRC-AM via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. RE 6878 in 6-014: In Jan 2006 I've noted couple of times a station with western (in English) pop music during UT afternoons on 6878 AM. Non stop music, sometimes there is a jingle that sounds like "Power FM". That doesn't help much to identify the station :-). It was audible also today 22 Jan at 1600. Maybe the same station Jouko heard (Jari in Finland Savolainen, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) a pirate, I suppose, harmonic or not (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 9270.15, 13.1 1550, unID with talk and short parts of Asian music. Sounded like a distant Asian far away in the East, the language sounded like Kyrgyz. Faded away after about 15 min. 2 LRH (Leif Råhäll, Sweden, SW Bulletin Jan 22, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) As previously suggested, could be Tajikistan, 2 x 4635+ (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Re 9745, 6-012: 1900 11 Dec, R. Elowa --- Guess that is Libya`s Iraq service in Arabic, scheduled 18-19; if not Bahrain (gh) I thought so too when I heard this at 1900 on Jan. 15, but kept listening and got a "Trans World Radio" ID in English at 1915 followed by sign-off. Per Meyerton schedule in DXLD 5-197, this is in Hausa from 1830-1900 and Kanuri from 1900-1915 (David Yocis, Harper's Ferry WV, USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. For the first time Rock the Universe was coming this Saturday morning, 1300 UT, from WWCR 3 on 9985 without distorted audio, but noticed there was an unIDed station splattering from adjacent 9900 [sic – I guess you mean 9990 --- gh], which fortunately went off by 1330. What this could've been? No info in Eibi for this time slot (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, Jan 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dunno what UNIDENTIFIED. Dear Mr. Hauser; I was sitting here listening to the IS of Italy a few minutes ago on 11675 with the standard birds chirping, followed by the tolling of the bells, etc. Then it went seamlessly (NOT overlapping stations) into a Muslim call to prayer. What the hell am I listening to? It's now 1640 GMT, and the station is clearly in Arabic, but there was no break in continuity between the Italian IS and what I'm hearing now. Perplexed in Portland, (Bruce Lindner, Jan 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Per EiBi`s listings, it looks like this was just the Rai Arabic service. I vaguely recall having heard them running muezzins, strange as it may seem; what œcumenism! Kuwait does use 11675 at other times, however. 11675 1630-1655 I RAI International A ME Regards, (Glenn to Bruce, via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ My wife gave me an IPod for Christmas, and I've been enjoying listening to the World Of Radio podcast. I'm looking for any other DXing or radio-related podcasts (J. D. Stephens, Hampton Cove, AL, U.S.A., IRCA) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ Announcing: THE NRC AM ANTENNA PATTERN BOOK The all-new Pattern Book now includes daytime and ``Graveyard`` frequency patterns for the first time. Daytime patterns are depicted by a dashed line as opposed to the nighttime pattern which is defined by a solid line. Each pattern is a reproduction of pattern plots generated by a computer program written by NRC member Neil Adams. Sizes are proportional but do not reflect the actual coverage areas. For those stations which operate with 50 kW (and higher in Mexico) nondirectional (designated U1 in the AM Log), the day `pattern` is shown to approximately the predicted 0.5 m V 1M coverage limits, while the night pattern is illustrated approximately 1.5 times larger. Stations in Alaska and Hawaii are listed on separate pages at the end of the book. The basic list of U.S. and Canadian stations comes from the 26th Edition of the National Radio Club’s AM Radio Log. Mexican stations in the states bordering the United States, plus those stations elsewhere which are easily heard in the U.S. and Canada are also included. The source of the Mexican stations was compiled by NRC member John Callarman. All data is up-to-date as of November 1, 2005. Prices: $16.95 to USA/Canada members, $22.95 USA nonmember, $25.95, Canada non-members/all overseas orders. Order from NRC Publications - P. O. Box 164 - Mannsville, NY 13661. NY residents, please add sales tax (NRC E-DX News Jan 30 via DXLD) I had a look at a review copy of this, and am most impressed. It explains visually why you hear this station, and not that station, on a particular frequency --- or gives you an idea of stations you might be able to hear if you listen at just the right time (such as just before or after a pattern switch around sunrise/sunset). I spotted a few mistakes, which were quickly and easily corrected for future orders, since the pages are loose-leaf. Supply your own three-ring binder, and lying flat, the key to each map is on the top, and the map itself on the bottom = facing page. Maps including Mexico City stations (not all of them) are slightly offset southwards, showing a little less of unpopulated Canada on the northern edge. Note that this book does not show call-letters, which change frequently, but the cities for each frequency, which seldom change. Each city is identified by a numerical key. Each frequency has a separate map, except in the sparsely-populated X-band, where adjacent frequencies are doubled up, and the one 530 station in with 540. OTOH, the heavily-populated graveyard frequencies, where it takes two pages to list all the cities, have the maps duplicated so you don`t have to be flipping back and forth. Including some Mexican info is a big help, despite the difficulty of obtaining full data from that country. I noticed that 1300 in Ciudad Juárez is shown as a low-power station, tho it is widely heard at night, and WRTH thinks XEP is running 50 kW day and night; however, there is no official confirmation of this. I refer to this book frequently and recommend it highly. Kudos to Bill Hale for all his work in compiling it (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) According to this, XEP, nominally 1000 watts, announces it runs 50,000 watts; exaggeration? http://dxwiki.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/1300 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MEDIANETWORK IS NOT MEDIA NETWORK Re: Lou Josephs blog, From DXLD-6-014 "(his Media Network blog via DXLD)" --- If you look closely you will note that Lou's blog is called Medianetwork (all one word) so that search engines can differentiate between the two. I would be grateful if DX editors would do the same. Lou started his blog some time before the official Media Network blog started, and there was some discussion about whether he should change the title, but as a very loyal member of the Media Network team over many years I decided he could keep using the title provided it was clear that it was a personal weblog and had nothing to do with Radio Netherlands (Andy Sennitt, RN Media Network, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ ETÓN EXPLAINS E1 RECALL January 17, 2006 - An Etón representative today explained to PASSPORT that the cause of battery problems with certain E1 portables is a missing trace on the circuit board. . . http://www.passband.com/pages/receivernews.htm (via RadioIntel.com via DXLD) POWER SOCKET REMOTE CONTROL UNITS: 433.920 MHz in DENMARK Hi Glenn - Some time ago we discussed the frequency for remote control of e.g. car locks. Today I saw an advertisement for remote controlled (power) sockets, and the fq. was mentioned! See attached. The price of these items is DKK 99 = US $ 15,60. Kind Regards, (Erik Køie, DK-2840 Holte, Denmark, Jan 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Says range is 25 meters and max power 1000 watts! That`s an awful lot: means milliwatts? (gh) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ Letter to HRT Technical director Nikola Percin 9A5W Hi Glenn, I copied the letter of Ullmar Qvick (dxld) to the Technical Departement of HRT Radio Zagreb at Deanovec. Nikola Percin HRT n.percin @ hrt.hr 73 de Wolfy - - - - Dear Mr. Nikola Percin 9A5W of HRT, the following letter circulates in interested European and North American Medium Wave Internet circles. The disturbing signal of your TEST DRM digital radio transmitter HRT Deanovec on medium wave 594 kHz is so tremendous all over Europe, since it started on December 15th, 2005. Even 140 km away of co-channel Hessischer Rundfunk Frankfurt Germany transmitter location, I can't hear HR program anymore. Your DRM signal from Deanovec is too strong and broadband of 14 kHz wide at nighttime til 0830 UT at present winter time. This is a silly action, because there is really no availability of DRM consumer receivers at affordable costs at present worldwide. Therefore I will ask Hessischer Rundfunk Frankfurt Germany, - Technical Department - next week, -- to increase their final stage power to once ITU Geneve registered 900 KiloWatt again, in pure AM mode on the 594 kHz channel. All DRM mode tests on European should move to the 1611/1620 kHz out of band range. Inband usage of different mode should be strictly forbidden. As Ham Radio operator you should be aware, that audio modes should be strictly separated in different band ranges !!!! Kind regards (Wolfgang Bueschel, DF5SX, Germany, via DXLD) DRM LOGGINGS 3965D, FRANCE, TDF 1/19 0235 S/N ratio hovering around 7-8 dB for 11 kbps broadcast, no audio, but ID plate is "TDF Issoudun3965"; brief snippets of audio at 0306, again at 0353; 1 kW according to http://www.drm-dx.de; switched to analog at 0400. 7145D, GERMANY, Radio Luxembourg 1/19 1623 S/N ratio about 10 dB, so no audio from this 21 kbps stream, but the ID plate came through, rising to 15 dB by 1645 with occasional audio. 7240D, NETHERLANDS, Radio Nederland 1/20 0740 S/N ratio hovering around 10 dB for this 17 kbps broadcast, not enough for sustained audio, but a couple of brief snippets at 0750 (all: Ralph Brandi, Middletown, NJ, AOR AR-730 Plus + DRM Drake R8, 300' Mini-Beverage, T2FD, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ LONG-HAUL TRANS-EQUATORIAL FM-DX, CARIBBEAN TO SOUTHERN BRASIL [usual annotations: in time order, presumably UT – should the last one be 18/01? Even tho frequencies are shown first, and not explained why only even MHz are displayed to two decimal places; ITU country abbrs. – Guadeloupe, Antigua, Martinique, St Lucia; SINPO ratings] 97.00, 17/01 2338 GDL RFO, Basse-Terre, OM, nxs, FF 45344 91.1, 17/01 2343 ATG Observer FM, St. John`s, OM/OM, talks, EE 33333 91.9, 17/01 2344 ATG Hitz FM, QTH??, mx caribenha, EE 44344 92.5, 17/01 2346 ATG R. Faro de Caribe, QTH??, OM/OM, talks, SS 34333 [surely an Antigua station would not be in Spanish! No, Faro del Caribe, Costa Rica is not on 92.5] 94.00, 17/01 2348 MRT RFO, Trinité, mx caribenha, FF 44333 94.3, 17/01 2349 MRT RFO, Morne-Rouge, mx caribenha, FF 92.00, 17/01 2351 MRT RFO, Macouba, mx caribenha, FF 33333 97.3, 17/01 0003 LCA R. Santa Lúcia, Castries, mx caribenha, OM, EE 43343 (RUBENS FERRAZ PEDROSO, BANDEIRANTES-PR, BRASIL, @tividade DX Jan 23 via DXLD) ARNIE CORO`S DXERS UNLIMITED`S HF PLUS LOW BAND VHF PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST Solar activity will continue to be very low as cycle 23 continues its downward trend. A solar coronal mass ejection high speed wind stream may hit the Earth’s magnetosphere Tuesday UT day, and that will increase the background noise levels on frequencies from 100 kiloHertz to 5 megaHertz. Due to the very low solar activity, expect also very low maximum useable frequencies, so concentrate your listening time or your amateur radio operating time on frequencies between 500 kiloHertz and 8 megaHertz (Arnie Coro, Radio Havana Cuba, Havana, Cuba DXers Unlimited Jan 21-22 via ODXA via DXLD) Nonsense: frequencies above 8 MHz are still very much propagating, at least up to 22 (gh, DXLD) ###