DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-153, October 14, 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 NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1332: Sun 0230 WOR WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WOR WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WOR WRMI 9955 Sun 1530 WOR WRMI 7385 Mon 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0415 WOR WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Wed 0930 WOR WWCR1 9985 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 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 ** ALBANIA. Re-launch of historical R Tirana QSL cards of German service broadcast, issued/donated by Radio Tirana Listener Club c/o Werner Schubert, Poststr. 8/I, 85567 Grafing, Germany Tel./Fax 08092/5784 or via e-mail tirana-hk @ finkhaus.de QSL theme series "Albanian musical instruments", black and white, 10 motives. Send your RRs on/to Radio Tirana German service broadcast ONLY! Direct to Tirana Albania address (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 11 via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. I ended up with the impression these Argentinian feeders supposedly for Antarctica are used basically for fútbol, as I tuned last night, while this UT Friday Oct. 13 was beginning. 13363 SSB, Radio Rivadavia around 0200, Nacional (from Paraguay?) was one of the contenders. Signal was poor but still was on the air in Argentinian wee hours, when I rechecked around 0500, too fady by then. 15820 used to be heard too when there is fútbol, specially on Sunday afternoons. (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, Oct 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So that clinches it: R. Rivadavia is on 13363, despite the fact that AFN Guam is also on 13363.5 USB. Spanish = Argentina, English = Guam (gh, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA [and non]. RNV FIRMA CONVENIO DE INTEGRACIÓN CON EMISORA ARGENTINA AM 530 LA VOZ DE LAS MADRES Via: http://www.rnv.gov.ve/noticias/?act=ST&f=22&t=38940 La directora del Circuito Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Helena Salcedo, firmó en nombre de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela y por órgano del Ministerio de Comunicación e Información, un convenio de Integración Comunicacional Argentina – Venezuela, con La Voz de las Madres de Plaza de Mayo. La emisora AM 530 La Voz de las Madres, propiedad de la fundación Madres Plaza de Mayo, estuvo representada en el acto por su apoderado, Sergio Schoklender. De este modo, ambas partes se comprometen a suministrarse mutuamente informaciones, noticias o programas que consideren, a los fines de que sean difundidos en Venezuela, a través del Circuito Radio Nacional o en Argentina, por medio de AM 520 [sic] La Voz de las Madres. Este convenio constituye un gran paso en la constitución de Radio Sur, proyecto que impulsa Venezuela para Latinoamérica (via José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DXLD) A good political fit, I suppose, but isn`t the 530 station a pirate? Or does that matter? (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Saludos Glenn, según listado de las emisoras Argentinas del GRA sí que está: http://www.conexiongra.com.ar/Files/LISTADO%20AM%20(CXN).pdf AM 530 La Radio de Las Madres http://www.madres.org/radio/radio.asp Por internet: http://www.madres.org/estas%20escuchando.jpg Desconozco su situación legal. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) You get a stream by clicking on the Escucha en Vivo jpg at http://www.madres.org but what is its axual streaming URL? mms://radio.madres.org.ar/madres (gh, DXLD) ** BENIN. 1566, TWR Benin. Trans World Radio logged on 1566 kHz on October 6 at 1856-past 2015 UT with good signals in Sweden. Programmes in a Sahel language and French (Karl-Erik Stridh, Skovde, Sweden, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 9 via DXLD) Are you sure of this? Any ID? Last report we had was that TWR 1566 will not axually go on the air until next spring. There have been other reports of something here mistakenly assumed to be Benin (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In my QTH: HLAZ KOR and Radio Asia UAE only with heavy splatter of 1575 kHz Farda (Vlad Titarev, Ukraine, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 9 via DXLD) I tried that frequency, but as Vlad Titarev said, all I could hear was Radio Asia but I noticed a heavy bubble jamming on the same frequency, around 1830 UT and stayed on after 1900. I wonder what is there to jam? And is the jamming coming from Iran as usual in this part of the world? (Tarek Zeidan, Egypt, SU1TZ, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 12 via DXLD) It may be 1573 kHz which you hear (it's evidently anti-Farda 1575 kHz). I can see it on WiNRADiO spectrum scope but sound of it is barely audible when tuned to 1566 kHz even with 9 kHz bandwidth (Vlad Titarev, Ukraine, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 12 via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Radio Panamericana (6105 kHz) verified my reception report in Spanish with $1.00 after 25 days by a printed full data QSL card. QSL signer was Sr. Daniel Sánchez Rocha, director. Their transmitters are located in 8 cities in Bolivia. La Paz station is using 580, 6105 kHz, 96.1MHz, other 7 stations are using 106.3 MHz. Schedule 1000-0300 [UT it seems --- gh]. Address: Edificio 16 de Julio, Piso 9, Oficina 902 (El Prado), La Paz, Bolivia --- or Casilla Postal 503, La Paz, Bolivia E-mail: pana @ panamericana.bo URL: http://www.panamericana-bolivia.com or http://www.panamericana.bo Telephone: +591 2 233 4271 / 231 3980 / 231 2644 / 231 1383 (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. [Background to the R. Nacional de Huanuni story; was bombed off air Oct 5; but heard again on SW Oct 12, as in 6-152] ALISTAN UN PLAN PARA RECONSTRUIR HUANUNI Bolivia, Martes, 10 de octubre del 106 [sic] http://www.hoybolivia.com/news.php?seccion=3&d3=40762 El Ministro de Defensa, Walker San Miguel señaló que en el trascurso de los próximos días se reunirá con el alcalde municipal de Huanuni, Policarpio Calani y funcionarios del viceministerio de vivienda y urbanismo para trabajar en un "plan de reconstrucción" en el distrito minero de Huanuni. El equipo tendrá como primera misión una evaluación y cuantificación de los daños materiales en la localidad, una vez que se tenga una cifra recién el gobierno podrá articular el apoyo gubernamental. Las viviendas colindantes al cerro Posokoni, fueron severamente dañadas por la onda expansiva de los detonantes, principalmente dinamita; también se dañaron varios inmuebles públicos como el coliseo cerrado. La radio Nacional "Huanuni" fue víctima de la dinamita al igual que infraestructura y equipos de la estatal empresa minera Huanuni. San Miguel dijo que se quiere cooperar para lo cual se organizara una brigada de asistencia humanitaria; la autoridad señaló que se reconstruirá completamente la infraestructura pública en Huanuni y se trabajará conjuntamente en los daños a inmuebles privados buscando disminuir los perjuicios económicos que causó el enfrentamiento entre mineros de la Corporación Minera de Bolivia y los trabajadores cooperativistas. (Penti-Jatha).- 2006-10-07 (via Nicolás Eramo, Argentina, DXLD) GOBIERNO PROMETE REESTABLECER LAS EMISIONES DE RADIO NACIONAL DE HUANUNI ABI A0306 16:59:12 07-10-2006 1-N ABI: RADIO HUANUNI - GOBIERNO http://abi.bo/index.php?i=noticias_texto&j=20061007165912 - "No es razonable que un medio de comunicación de esta naturaleza cancele su voz y este sumergida en el silencio", lamentó el ministro Juan Ramón Quintana. Durante los enfrentamientos del jueves y del viernes los cooperativistas y asalariados destruyeron su propia capacidad productiva. La Paz, 07 oct (ABI).- El Ministro de la Presidencia, Juan Ramón Quintana, se comprometió hoy a restablecer las emisiones de Radio Nacional Huanuni, vocero de los trabajadores asalariados de Huanuni, cuya antena e instalaciones fueron dañadas por las dinamitas lanzadas por cooperativistas en su enfrentamiento con los mineros asalariados este jueves y viernes en ese centro minero. "Se ha destruido la Radio Nacional de Huanuni, han existido destrozos en el propio hospital, eso se va ha evaluar (.). Trataremos de ver desde el Gobierno la reconstrucción inmediata de la Radio", anunció el ministro Quintana. Radio Nacional de Huanuni formó parte de la Red Nacional de Emisoras Mineras durante el apogeo de la Comibol y su labor periodística siempre estuvo orientada a la defensa de los sectores más desposeídos que fueron víctimas de las dictaduras militares y ayudó a sepultar a estos regímenes. La última vez que fue silenciada, antes de este jueves, fue en julio de 1980 con la destrucción de sus equipos y la persecución de su personal, hecho protagonizado por la dictadura del ex general, Luís García Meza, quien rinde cuentas hoy a la justicia boliviana en el penal de San Pedro de Chonchocoro, donde cumple una condena de 30 años de presidio sin derecho a indulto. "Es importante que se reconstituya este medio para reincorporarse a los medios nacionales, no es razonable que un medio de esta naturaleza cancele su voz y este sumergida en el silencio", puntualizó el ministro Quintana. A decir de la autoridad, el Gobierno instruirá la realización de una auditoria pormenorizada de todos los bienes materiales que se perdieron en el centro minero, pues hasta el Hospital fue deteriorado con el impacto de los cachorros de dinamita. Los daños en Huanuni se asemejan a los de una guerra, toda vez que los propios trabajadores del subsuelo, de ambos bandos dañaron su capacidad productiva como ser maquinaria, compresoras, instalaciones, radioemisoras entre otras. "Tenemos que ofrecer a las regiones mineras políticas dirigidas a generar empleo y redistribución de la riqueza, necesitamos ajustar impuestos, discutir el tema de la redistribución de áreas productivas. hay un conjunto de temas", lamentó la autoridad. JUEVES, EL DIA FATIDICO La cotidiana y tranquila jornada que iniciaron los pobladores de Huanuni fue alterada a las 10.10 horas del jueves cuando cientos de trabajadores mineros cooperativistas cercaron el cerro Posokoni, con el propósito de controlarla. No hubo provocaciones o amagos ya que desde un inicio se escucharon en la ciudad los disparos de armas de fuego y la detonación de los cachorros de dinamita alarmando a los habitantes y obligando a los profesores a suspender las clases para precautelar la seguridad de los niños. Los mercados y tiendas de comercio se cerraron "en menos que canta un gallo" alarmados por lo que sucedía y sin comprender todavía entre quienes se realizaba la pelea. Ya las mujeres hacían la señal de la cruz mirando al cielo --- tal vez recordando las épocas de las dictaduras --- donde las incursiones militares a los centros mineros dejaban muchas muertes, viudas y huérfanos. La Radio Nacional de Huanuni informaba sobre la incursión de los trabajadores cooperativistas para asumir el control del cerro Posokoni y llamó a la inmediata defensa de sus fuentes de trabajo por parte de los mineros asalariados, quienes a través de ese medio convocaban a la población a defender el "patrimonio nacional". Esa habría sido la equivocación de la histórica radio, que sobrevivió y jugó un rol importante para la defensa y preservación de la democracia en Bolivia junto a otras radios mineras en épocas de dictadura. Por ello, este jueves 5 de octubre fue nuevamente acallada, esta vez por un grupo de mineros cooperativistas que al parecer se olvidaron que esa emisora también es su patrimonio y lanzaron un cachorro de dinamita cuya explosión silenció sus emisiones. Las radioemisoras de la ciudad sede de gobierno que hacían contacto ese jueves con ese medio expresaron su extrañeza por su silencio repentino. Horas más tarde se confirmó la destrucción de sus equipos. El director de la Radio Nacional, Rafael Lino, denunció que la explosión ocurrió a las 14:30 horas afectando a casi todas las viviendas del centro de Huanuni así como a instalaciones de la Empresa Minera Huanuni. "Nuestros compañeros Dominga Quilo y Humberto Salazar, ambos trabajadores de Radio Nacional, tienen heridas por esquirlas que se incrustaron en diferentes partes de sus cuerpos", señaló Lino. POSOKONI En Huanuni se encuentra el cerro Posokoni, el yacimiento de estaño más rico del mundo y cuya explotación se convirtió en el motivo de la disputa entre los trabajadores de la estatal Comibol y los cooperativistas mineros. El año 2001, Posokoni fue objeto de un contrato de riesgo compartido con la empresa Allied Deals (luego RBG) mediante un procedimiento viciado de nulidad, como lo demostró una investigación realizada por el entonces diputado orureño Pedro Rubín de Celis, ex director de Radio Nacional de Huanuni. Según Rubín de Celis, los responsables de este hecho resultaron ser Carlos Saavedra Bruno, ex ministro de Comercio Exterior (gestión Banzer-Quiroga), y Álvaro Rejas (ex presidente de Comibol), entre otros. "Lo que debiera ser una bendición para el país por esa riqueza natural, el día de hoy (jueves) se ha convertido en una maldición que genera muerte y luto entre los bolivianos", manifestó ese fatídico día el vicepresidente Álvaro García Linera. Tqz/Lcr/Dgav ABI (via Nicolás Eramo, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4895, Radio Novo Tempo, Campo Grande, MS, 0358-0401, October 08, Portuguese, many identifications: "Você acompanha a Novo Tempo"; "24 horas no Novo Tempo"; "Radio Novo Tempo, fone 0300889811", "emissoras Novo Tempo", 24332 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. R. Guarujá Paulista, 5940.23, Guarujá SP, 0550-0610+ Oct 8, Brazilian pops, ballads, Portuguese announcements. Weak; // 5045 also weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Another wrong frequency from Sackville. Sat Oct 14 at 2053- 2057* I found R. Netherlands in English on 17760, instead of scheduled 17660. Unfortunately, this was right next to RCI/CBC itself on 17765, and there was a big het between them. I hope the respective transmitters and associated equipment were not damaged by the unintended proximity. RN via Bonaire was // on 17735, 15315 and to Africa weaker 17810, but slightly out of synch with Sackville, just a reverb apart. Close of transmission did not mention any frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See CHINA; CZECH REPUBLIC ** CANADA. Listening to further episodes of The Debaters, on CBCR1, such as Sat Oct 14 at 2330-2400 UT via Winnipeg, I am no longer hearing them call it ``Master Debaters``; must have been a temporary joke, or it got quashed (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re 6-154: Hi Glenn, here in Montreal, CHU comes in very well on 3330 that I just checked October 14th UT, 0000 UT and is weak on 7335. 14670 is very rarely heard here; being so close, it probably skips over me. I have sent an email to CHU for some more info and also to explain that it should be kept on. Being one of the easiest sources for time keeping especially in a big territory like Canada (Gilles Létourneau, Montréal, Canada, Oct 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here is a link to software that will synchronize time on a Linux based PC to the time signals transmitted via CHU Canada. The audio output from your radio goes to the input of your soundcard, and the software does the rest. For more, see the following URL: http://www.rossi.com/chu/ The author of this free program claims that it will keep your PC clock to within 1 millisecond of UTC, assuming good 24 hour coverage from CHU. Noisier reception or gaps will reduce the error rate to as high as 50ms, which still is not shabby at all (Dan Srebnick, NJ, ibid.) Way down here in Houston, TX, sometimes CHU is the ONLY time and frequency station I can hear. Signal strengths from the WWV outlets have been faint or nil, whereas CHU comes in quite well. I, too, have noticed the 90 Metre Band CHU being absent. Hope they haven't already started to pull the plug! 73 & GREAT DX! -- (Stephen Ponder N5WBI Southeast TX DXer http://setxdxer.blogspot.com/ ODXA via DXLD) I just sent a letter to CHU lending my support. The present federal government is looking for programs to cut, even though it enjoys a healthy surplus and the economy is strong. I think this is a plea for support and an appeal against apathy. Please ABDXers email them and lend your support. get the word out to the larger DX community too. I would do the same for WWV too. Thanks Glenn for posting this (Phil Rafuse, PEI, ABDX via DXLD) CHU can be tuned regularly, in the 90 meter band, here in São Paulo, Brazil. Their signal is usually very good in 14670. In 3330 the signal many times is too weak, but tuning is quite easy. I hope this service is not contained. 73, (Denis Zoqbi, São Paulo, Brazil, ODXA via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. CRI relay via Sackville schedule in B06: 5960 0500-0600 6SE,7,8,10 SAC 250 253 CAN CRI RTC 5960 1100-1200 7E,8,11NW SAC 250 240 CAN CRI RTC 6005 0000-0200 7,8N,8SW SAC 250 277 CAN CRI RTC 6040 2300-0100 7E,8,11NW SAC 250 240 CAN CRI RTC 6080 0100-0200 7E,8,11NW SAC 250 240 CAN CRI RTC 6115 0600-0700 7,8N,8SW SAC 250 277 CAN CRI RTC 6190 0300-0600 7,8N,8SW SAC 250 277 CAN CRI RTC 9560 1200-1300 7,8,11NW SAC 250 240 CAN CRI RTC 11885 1300-1400 6,7,10NW SAC 250 272 CAN CRI RTC 11970 2300-2400 6,7N,8NW,10NW SAC 250 285 CAN CRI RTC 13675 1400-1500 6,7,8NW,10NW SAC 250 272 CAN CRI RTC 13675 1500-1600 6,7,8N,10NW SAC 250 272 CAN CRI RTC 13700 2200-2300 11,12E,13W,14,15W,16 SAC 250 176 CAN CRI RTC 15230 1300-1500 7SE,8,10 SAC 250 240 CAN CRI RTC 17735 1600-1700 6,7N,8N,10NW SAC 250 285 CAN CRI RTC (BCDX Oct 13 via DXLD) Unfortunately, no languages given ** CUBA. Re 6-152, historical Cuba Libre article: CORRECTION: BAYAMERA to BAYAMESA by Bayamo (Oscar de Céspedes, FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC [non]. Re 6-152, R. Prague relay Oct 13: I tuned it myself same time and heard a "crash" start at 1400 with the last few notes of their musical tune (I know it well but the title still escapes me!) then straight into ID and programme. The signal was fair level on a clear channel here in NW England. I assume I was hearing back radiation from the Sackville antenna (Noel R. Green, UK, Oct 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Prague via Sackville, *1400 Oct 14 on 15350 with very good signal; newscast included details on Prague's starting DRM transmissions via Rampisham UK site this weekend (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I checked out the closing of the 1400 broadcast Saturday October 14 on 15350 via Sackville; the final item was about Bollywood in Prague, and then they said goodbye until the weekend. Wait a minute! This is Saturday. It IS the weekend, already. Could this have been a stale Friday broadcast? Yes! Checking the audio archive at http://www.radio.cz/en/listen this was the one labeled Friday October 13 at 1300. So the 1400 programs are running a day late; why? BTW, two daily English broadcasts, one at 1300 and one at 1600 are in the audio archives, so I assume that means there are two separate semihours each day with different content. Do they alternate thruout the SW broadcast day, or what? Why don`t they make this clear? No, the program schedule does not show two sets for each day: http://www.radio.cz/en/programme altho ICE apparently pre-empts other programs on certain Saturday broadcasts, which ones, not shown on this page. Too many shows to fit into one semi-hour? Some of them are monthly or fortnightly, but they don`t say exactly WHICH weeks they are on. Why don`t they make all this clear? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. RADIO PRAGA INICIA TRANSMISIONES DIGITALES SONIDO 16 ~ 32 KB/S Hoy, viernes 13 de octubre de 2006, Radio Praga, Emisiones para el Exterior de la Radiodifusión Checa, inicia las transmisiones digitales en el sistema DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale). Las emisiones podrán ser captadas en las zonas occidental, central y sudoriental de Europa, siendo transmitidas en alemán y en inglés. En alemán los viernes de 13:30 a 14:00 horas UTC y el sábado de 13:00 a 13:30 horas UTC. En inglés se transmitirá los viernes de 14:00 a 14:30 horas UTC y los sábados de 13:30 a 14:00 horas UTC en la frecuencia de 9 mil 505 kHz. La emisora se encuentra en Rampisham, en el sur de Inglaterra y tiene una potencia de 35 kW. "Las ondas cortas utilizadas por Radio Praga tienen una calidad inferior", dice Miroslav Krupicka, director de las Emisiones para el Exterior. "Con ayuda de las emisiones digitales queremos demostrar que los programas radiales es posible transmitirlos también a larga distancia en calidad FM y cubriendo un amplio territorio. En el DRM transmiten ya todas las grandes estaciones internacionales y estoy contento de que en el año en que Radio Praga celebra el 70 aniversario de su surgimiento, nos adherimos a ellas también nosotros", apunta Miroslav Krupicka. Las emisiones DRM tendrán un carácter de prueba, debido a que el mercado no ofrece todavía en grandes series radiorreceptores para ese tipo de emisiones, sino sólo prototipos. Las transmisiones DRM es posible captarlas también por medio de un ordenador con un software especial --- véase en http://www.drm.org - [13-10-2006] Miroslav Krupicka - Radio Praga - (via José Alba Z., Oct 13, condig list via DXLD) Sez its SW transmissions are presently of inferior quality, buying in to DRM hype, so DRM is running at 16 or 32 kbps. Geez, Sackville relays sound just fine to me on analog. It ain`t broke (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. RADIO FREE EUROPE FOUNDATION STONE LAID IN PRAGUE The foundation stone of a new headquarters for Prague-based US-funded radio station, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was laid in the Czech capital on Friday. The broadcaster's current headquarters is in the centre of Prague and the station together with the city authorities have been discussing its moving since the September 11 attacks on the US. The Congress-funded radio station broadcasts in 28 languages to some 20 countries in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia. Founded in the 1950s at the height of the Cold War, the broadcaster moved to Prague from Munich, Germany, in 1995 to take advantage of an offer to house it in the former Czechoslovak parliament building in the city centre (R. Prague news website Oct 14 via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. R. Nacional, Bata, 5005, *0512-0535+ Oct 7, abrupt sign-on with Afro-pop music, Spanish talk; fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. I keep expecting to hear RFI 6120 at 1400 via Japan back in Vietnamese as originally scheduled, but so far English has continued, Oct 14 at 1400 with timesignal 5 and a half seconds late (I had just synchronized my watch with WWV), indicating a rather circuitous program feed routing, ID and David Page with news. SAH of about 6 Hz from Singapore(?) [not Malaysia as I said in initial yg post] carrier continued until 1401* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [this is a good time to point out that altho I have been releasing my own logs before DXLD publication on the dxld and certain other lists, there are often adjustments, amplification and even correxions in the `final` versions appearing here, so better to check here before quoting. And if you`ve read the initial version, you can`t afford to skip past the final version, which may be different --- gh] ** GABON. The harmonic on 19160 is getting to be a regular catch, but it seems so remarkable that I am going to keep looking for it and reporting it. Keep in mind that of all the much stronger and closer signals on 31m, only 9580 ANO is audible on a second harmonic. Oct 14 at 1853, fair signal, and at 2055 with hilife music, good signal peaking at the usual 15 over S9 on the FRG-7 meter, but undermodulated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. DW PROGRAM ON NORTH AMERICAN SHORTWAVE SHUT-DOWN Deutsche Welle radio in German will cover the abolition of shortwave for North America in the Hörerforum programme on Sunday, cf. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/episode/0,2144,2133059,00.html Paul Gager reports about earlier statements from listeners who were surprised about a lack of critical comments, with the answer by the host being that many calls could not be broadcast for technical reasons. Now they offered interested listeners to call them back and record their statements (indeed a proper hybrid can deliver considerably better results than voicebox systems). The programme will also cover the murder of two freelancers who reported for DW from Afghanistan. For English reports about this cf. http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/index.php?id=502 In case you have seen statements from DW that they were killed on a private trip: Meanwhile it turned out that they apparently did some research for a piece they had not sold to DW yet. So they indeed did not act on behalf of DW here, technically. Some critics commented that they consider it irresponsible to let freelancers report from such dangerous places (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 15, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Subject: [A-DX] Einladung der DW zum Dampfablassen Dass in den letzten Hörerforum-Sendungen der DW fast keine Kritik an der KW- Abschaltung für NA veröffentlicht wurde, stattdessen wurde der Radio-Internet-Verbreitungsweg über den grünen Klee gelobt, machte einige Hörer stutzig so das sie nachbohrten wo den die kritischen Einwendungen der DW- Hörer abgeblieben wären? Nun leider, verkündete die DW, gab es in letzter Zeit techn. Schwierigkeiten so das viele kritische(?) Anrufe unbrauchbar waren. Als Ausgleich wird dafür das nächste Hörerforum der DW am SO den 15.10. mit Schwerpunkt "KW-Abschaltung für NA" produziert. Für die Aufzeichnung der Anrufe werden, laut Sprecher, "Schellack Rollen" verwendet. #### Natürlich gibt es wie jeden ersten Sonntag im Monat auch diesmal wieder unsere Sendung "Hörerforum Spezial" zu einem Thema Ihrer Wahl. Diesmal begrüßt Sie im Studio Peter Kuttler. Rufen Sie uns unter Tel. 0049/228-429 2222 bitte an oder mailen Sie uns: radio @ dw-world.de Wir rufen Sie zurück, um Ihnen Kosten zu sparen und zeichnen Ihre Meinung auf, um sie dann am Sendetag auszustrahlen. 73, (via Paul Gager, A-DX via Kai Ludwig, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ITALY. RAI B-06 Schedule Albanian 1335-1355 eEU 6045 9670 Amharic 0435-0455 eAF/ME 11985 Arabic 0600-0620 eAF/ME 11985 1330-1355 neAF 11800 1430-1455 nwAF 9675 11825 1630-1655 eAF/ME 5960 11675 2025-2045 nwAF 6085 7175 2135-2155 neAF 6045 7290 Bulgarian 1540-1600 eEU 5970 9800 Croatian 1435-1455 eEU 6065 Czech 1810-1825 eEU 5965 2135-2155 eEU 6055 Danish 2000-2020 EU (tu/th/su) 6045 9760 English 0055-0115 NAM 11800 0445-0500 nAF 5965 6120 7170 1935-1955 EU 6035 9760 2025-2045 eAF/ME 6010 2205-2230 FE/AU 6090 Esperanto 2000-2020 EU 6045 9760 Sat French 0115-0130 NAM 11800 1530-1555 EU 9780 11860 1630-1655 nwAF 6015 7195 9675 German 1415-1435 eEU 6065 1805-1825 EU 6110 9760 Greek 1520-1540 eEU 5970 9800 Hungarian 1935-1955 eEU 6125 Italian 0130-0230C+SAM 6110 9840 11765 0130-0315 NAM 11800 0230-0315 C+SAM 9840 0435-0445 nAF 5965 6120 7170 0455-0530 eAF/ME 11985 0630-0800 eEU 5965 0800-1300 eEU 6195 1000-1100 FE/AU 11920 1250-1630 EU (su) 9670 17570 21520 21550 "Domenica sport" 1400-1425 NAM 17780 21520 1500-1525 nAF 9675 11800 11825 1555-1625 EU 9780 11860 1700-1800 AF 15250 15320 11875 5965 9845 6010 5960 1830-1905 NAM 11830 15230 2200-0400 Med 657 900 6060 "Notturno dall'Italia" 2240-0055 AM 11800 9840 Lithuanian 0505-0525 eEU 5965 Polish 1840-1900 eEU 5965 2210-2225 eEU 6055 Portuguese 0115-0130 C+SAM 9840 2050-2110 AF 11880 15250 6010 7290 Romanian 0530-0550 eEU 5965 2115-2135 eEU 6055 Russian 0345-0405 Rus 5965 7165 11830 0600-0620 Rus 9600 11800 1605-1625 Rus 5965 9655 11970 2000-2020 Rus 6125 9690 Serbian 1910-1930 eEU 6125 Slovak 1825-1840 eEU 5965 2155-2210 eEU 6055 Slovene 1400-1415 eEU 6065 Somali 0530-0550 eAF/ME 11985 1910-1930 eAF/ME 11835 Spanish 0055-0115 C+SAM 9840 0315-0335 AM 11800 9840 2110-2130 nwAF 6010 7290 Swedish 2000-2020 EU (m/w/f) 6045 9760 Turkish 1500-1520 eEU 5970 9800 Ukrainian 0405-0425 eEU 5965 7165 (via Roberto Scaglione - www.bclnews.it - tnx Andrea Borgnino; re- arranged by Alan Roe, WDXC for DXLD) ** JAPAN [non]. Caught some traditional music and some talk on 11890 before signoff at 1400; likely R. Japan in Urdu to South Asia via Sri Lanka relay (listed in EiBi) with good signal; will recheck again Sun to confirm this (Joe Hanlon, NJ, Oct. 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN. CLANDESTINE, 6335, Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan, Salah al Din, 0345-0350, October 08, Kurdish, local songs, announcement by male, announcement by female at 0350, 24332. Very low jamming (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [and non]. TURKISH GOVERNMENT BLOCKS VIEWERS FROM WATCHING ROJ TV --- 10/14/2006 KurdishMedia.com - By Nezar Ahmet http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=13432 Turkish authorities have entered a new stage in their long campaign against free Kurdish television and broadcasting in Northern Kurdistan (Turkey) by successfully blocking one of the main Kurdish television stations broadcasting from Denmark. According to a number of sources in Northern Kurdistan, the Turkish Government has successfully blocked viewers in Kurdistan from watching the Kurdish television station, ROJ TV. Unconfirmed reports have stated that the Turkish Government appears to have cut off access to the station by jamming satellite signals. The signal has been completely blocked off in several cities throughout Northern Kurdistan such as Elih (Batman), Riha (Sanli-Urfa), Culemerg (Hakkari), Veransher and Gever (Yusekova). Other cities in both Kurdistan and western Turkey, such as Istanbul and Izmir, have reportedly been experiencing very bad signals in the past week. Experts claim that jamming transponders on a commercial satellite is a relatively easy thing to do with the available modern technology. Such a method effectively blocks satellite signals and disallows viewers from watching satellite stations cut off. Some anonymous sources commented that the blocking of ROJ TV is very disturbing and appears to be a direct consequence of the constitutional and legal regulations that do not allow free Kurdish broadcasting in Turkey. Following recent pressures by the EU on Turkey to make democratic reform, the Turkish Government has granted limited rights for broadcasting in the Kurdish language by airing 45-minute programs on State Television every week. Recently, a representative of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) and mayor of Culemerg, Matin Tekche, met with an EU delegation and raised the issue that the beaming of ROJ TV in Kurdistan is constantly disrupted. Both the mayor and representatives of the Civil Society informed the delegation about the importance of ROJ TV for the Kurdish viewers in the area. The Turkish Government has responded by doing anything to try and shut down the satellite station and the recent developments in their satellite jamming are part of that campaign. The Turkish Government has repeatedly demanded that Denmark revoke the Kurdish station's broadcasting license and has claimed that ROJ TV has connections with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Danish Government has refused to shut down ROJ TV but has agreed to investigate whether the content of its programs is in line with the Danish legislation of freedom of expression. Fifty-six mayors of the pro-Kurdish DTP have signed a letter asking the Danish Government to resist pressure from the Turkish Government on the issue of ROJ TV. The Turkish Government responded by charging all mayors with providing assistance to the PKK by signing the letter. If convicted in Turkish courts, the mayors could each face heavy fines and/or up to 15 years in prison. ROJ TV broadcasts in nine different languages and provides a range of programs from news and happenings in Kurdistan to Kurdish music and children’s shows. The station has denied having any links to the PKK and continues to maintain that their broadcasts are important for Kurdish viewers all over the world. In an official Danish statement, ``In April 2006, the Danish Radio and TV Council made an official statement, responding on a complaint from the Embassy of Turkey in Copenhagen over Roj TV, that it did not find that Roj TV had broken Danish law, Roj TV's programming contained no incitement to hatred of Turkey, and as such it could see no reason whatsoever to stop Roj TV from broadcasting`` (via Media Network via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA [SARAWAK]. 7130.02, Sarawak FM at 1326-1402 on Oct 3. Vocal selections with a touch of sub-continental flavor; occasional YL announcer; 5+1 pips to 1400, then YL with apparent news. Co-channel Taiwan (7129.88) had been bothersome at tune-in but deteriorated throughout the hour while Kuching held its own and was dominant at 1400 UT. The infamous Firedrake jammer came on at 1400 UT, but was not a big factor. Sarawak FM also noted on \\ 5030, also QRM'ed by Chinese-language station; 5030 and the 60 m.b. were fading and almost gone by 1400 (John Wilkins, CO, DXplorer Oct 8 via BCDX via DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. R. Mauritania, 4845, 0140-0325+ Oct 8, on late for Ramadan with Arabic talk, phone talk; instrumental Arabic music, local pop music. 0203-0207 and at 0258, Kor`an. Good, strong (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Re 6-152, XEPE 1700 full details? Glenn, No, I did not ask any of that, other than time, date, power (10 KW fulltime), transmitter near 1630 and the airport he mentioned. I consider a full detail QSL to have station, date, time, location (city). etc. That is all I need. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, IRCA via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. No sign of RNZI analog 7145 around 1352 Oct 14, tho DRM was going on 6090-6100; nor anything on 9870. Later this day at 2049, I could hear nothing but Brother Scare on 13730, so suspect RNZI analog transmitter is still down; but DRM audible on 15715-15725 --- (Hint: report DRM frequencies as covering 10 kHz spans, which is the truth.) Don`t you believe the upper right corner of the home page http://www.rnzi.com which says: ``On the Air --- We are currently broadcasting on 13730 AM & DRM 15720 kHz in the 21 & 19 m band. The programme on-air is Relay of National Radio. The live audio stream is active`` This looks like it is configured to show what is really happening right now, but seems in reality it just displays what is theoretically supposed to be happening right now according to schedule. What good is that? As usual when a Rangitaiki transmitter breaks down, there is no one there and engineers have to make a long commute, once they are notified, and the absence was first noted here at almost 3 am local, when nobody in-house is monitoring? Or nobody in-house, period. Or it could be internally scheduled downtime for maintenance, but that`s usually on Thu or Fri during local daytime, and would-be listeners should have been warned. Can anyone hear RNZI 13730 in the 21-0658 period UT Oct 14-15? One should really check all their current and recently used frequencies in case their clockwork has gone haywire again and they`re stuck on the wrong one by mistake (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. Cambio de la hora oficial, Del Diario ABC Color: Asunción, Paraguay, Sábado 14 de Octubre de 2006 EN LA MEDIANOCHE SE ADELANTA LA HORA A partir de esta medianoche se adelantará la hora oficial en 60 minutos en todo el territorio de la República, según el Decreto 1867 del 5 de marzo del 2004, firmado por el presidente Nicanor Duarte Frutos. La medida gubernativa responde a la necesidad de ajustar la hora oficial a las variaciones climáticas de primavera y verano. Esta disposición es aplicada teniendo en cuenta la modalidad consensuada que busca un mejor aprovechamiento de la luz solar en territorio paraguayo, a fin de permitir mayor seguridad para las personas, aprovechamiento de las actividades escolares, principalmente en las áreas rurales, y la regulación económica en los servicios de suministros de energía eléctrica a la población en general, según la argumentación esgrimida en el documento oficial. Agrega que el cambio de hora influye directamente en el consumo de la energía eléctrica, pues el objetivo es distribuir mejor la carga de energía según la demanda de suministro eléctrico en las horas pico, que son a la mañana y al final de la tarde (via Levi Peter [Iversen?], condig list via DXLD) So what will the UT offset be? They don`t even say! From: UT -4; to: UT -3 (gh) ** PERU. NOTICIAS DE EMISORAS DE CUSCO PERU --- Estimados Amigos, escribo la presente para que hagas de conocimiento que dialogué con el dueño y gerente de Radio Universal de Cusco y estoy autorizado a recibir las cartas QSL o los informes de recepción vía correo electrónico para remitirlos luego con su primera QSL de Radio Universal de Cusco que sólo opera de 7 am hasta las 9 am hora de Perú [1200-1400 UT] en 6090 kHz con 2 kW de potencia. Radio Universal está sumamente interesada en saber cómo llega su señal en la banda de 49 mts. A vuelta de correo se remitirá su calcomanía [sticker] de la estación. Las cartas QSLes deberan ser enviadas a: Carlos Gamarra Moscoso Avenida Garcilaso 411, distrito de Wanchaq, Cusco, Perú o al correo electrónico de adalidcusco @ hotmail.com También ayudamos con QSLes de Radio Sicuani, Onda Imperial de Cusco que emite su señal de onda corta desde las 8 am hasta las 10 am [1300-1500 UT], Radio Santa Mónica y Radio Wilcamayu en 31 mts. Cordiales 73 (Carlos Gamarra Moscoso, via Dario Monferini, Oct 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND [non]. Re 6-152: Glenn, you make a great point, Poland should have an opportunity to reach North America if they are using transmitters in French Guiana; this is really a matter as to if R. Polonia has the funds to make it possible. Certainly it would be nice if French Guiana would be used to reach Poles living in such places as Chicago, with the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw, and also present life in Poland to English-speaking listeners throughout the US with regular broadcasts. The 2200 broadcast in Polish to Europe might have some audibility on the east coast (Joe Hanlon, NJ, Oct. 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Look at all those broadcasts in various languages back to Europe. All they need to do is dedicate one hour a day via GUF to NAm, half in English, half in Polish. Could be playbacks of earlier broadcasts to Europe requiring no additional studio produxion time or even anyone on duty in the middle of the night in Poland, if that would be a problem (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAINT HELENA. RADIO ST HELENA DAY REVIVAL ON SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER 23 October 1999 was the last worldwide shortwave transmission from Radio St Helena, and this sadly ended a yearly event which began in 1990. The revival is being planned to go worldwide on Saturday 4 November this year, transmitting on 11092.5 kHz in Upper Side Band mode. [QSL illustration] http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/sthelena99.jpg The first construction works began a couple of weeks ago at Radio St Helena in Pounceys, St Helena, with the pouring of the concrete slab, which holds the base to the shortwave transmission antenna. This antenna will be erected later this month when the man behind the revival of the Radio St Helena Day, Robert Kipp, arrives from Germany. This project was made possible entirely by generous donations. The antenna was funded by overseas shortwave enthusiasts and the concrete slab holding the base was sponsored by local building contractors and friends. After this year’s revival, Radio St Helena plans to continue this annual worldwide transmission, which is very popular with shortwave radio enthusiasts and local listeners - who can hear peoples’ greetings from all parts of the world. Next year will be an extra special shortwave transmission, which will coincide with Radio St Helena’s 40th anniversary. More information of the Revival of Radio St Helena Day, including the schedule, can be found at http://www.sthelena.se/radioproject (Source: St Helena Herald via Media Network blog Oct 13 via DXLD) This is one of these rare occasions when the local people are getting as excited as the shortwave hobbyists. St Helena has traditionally been one of the most isolated places on earth. With a population of around 4000, this tiny island in the South Atlantic has no airport (though that`s about to change), and access has been via the Royal Mail Ship St Helena, which takes 5 days from Cape Town and about half that time from Ascension Island. By 2010, the new airport should be ready, and the RMS St Helena will be taken out of service. The airport, with a 2,250m runway, will be established near the eastern coast - at Prosperous Bay Plain - and will be capable of supporting long-haul jet aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800. This will be a big boost to the economy of St Helena, which has all the requirements to become an exotic tourist destination. It will also be easier and quicker to deliver supplies to the island. But will St Helena change for the better? There’s a part of me that wonders if this new access to the outside world will spoil the idyllic and laid back lifestyle that the inhabitants seem to enjoy. Find out more at http://www.sthelenaonline.com (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) I think that the building of a runway will spoil the island; it`s one of the few places where time has stood still in a sort of way. The local people won`t know what has hit them if it turns into a tourist spot (Steve Coombs, October 12th, 2006 at 19:12, ibid.) But, $$$$ ** SIERRA LEONE. Towers visible in Google Earth at 08 25 16N, 13 17 16W, Goderich, Freetown, Sierra Leone (Mauno Ritola, Finland, shortwavesites Oct 3 via BCDX via DXLD) Initially I was republishing all little items like this, but have not been recently and recommend those really interested to subscribe to the shortwavesites yg (gh) ** SOMALIA. Re 6-152: Baidoa on 6798: it was 1544 UT; I wanted to tip people off quickly. It had gone by the time the message got through. Talk in Somali language, surprisingly good audio but lots of hets either side, intentional jamming? Call it a presumed log, as I didn't get an ID (Tim Bucknall, UK, BDXC-UK and DX LISTENING DIGEST) I did find a reference to a Radio Baidoa, Somalia operating on 6806 1500-1800, and seemingly reported by Clandestine Radio Watch and BBCMS back in 2002. http://www.schoechi.de/crw/somalia.html (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. See KURDISTAN [non] ** UKRAINE. RADIO UKRAINE INTERNATIONAL Winter B06 Broadcasting Schedule (29 October 2006 - 25 March 2007) Time UTC; Frequency; Transmitter Site; Power; Azimuth; Target Area 0000-0500; 5820; Mykolaiv; 500; 314; Northeastern America 0100-0600; 5830; Kharkiv; 100; 055; Russia 0600-0900; 7440; Kharkiv; 100; 290; Western Europe 0900-1400; 9925; Kharkiv; 100; 277; Western Europe 1400-1800; 5830; Kharkiv; 100; 055; Russia 1800-0100; 5840; Kharkiv; 100; 290; Western Europe Transmission schedules in various languages are as follows: ENGLISH (one hour long): at 2200 on 5840 kHz, at 0100 & 0400 on 5820 kHz, at 1200 on 9925 kHz. GERMAN (one hour long): at 1800, 2100 & 0000 on 5840 kHz. UKRAINIAN programmes are transmitted on all frequencies and at all times except for the time reserved for English and German programmes, as shown above. Romanian (half an hour long): at 1800, 2030 & 2200 on 657 kHz (via Chernivtsi). On WEB-site http://www.nrcu.gov.ua transmissions in Real Audio format: ENGLISH: at 2200, 0100, 0400, 1200; GERMANY: at 1800, 2100, 0000; UKRAINIAN: all other times of the day. The Ukrainian and English transmissions are also available on satellites "Hellas Sat 2" (39 degrees East, 11512 MHz) and "Sirius 2/3" (5 degrees East, 11766 MHz). =========================== 73, (via Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Segundo informação de J. A. Ceschin, locutor da CVC, em seu programa Sem Limites de 13/10/2006, sexta-feira, a CVC, a partir de 29 de outubro próximo, fará alteração de frequências. Só não copiei os horários. Ficarão assim:-- 6170 kHz 49m 11745 kHz 25m (já transmite nesta QRG) 15410 kHz 19m Observação -- A frequência de 6170 kHz irá misturar-se com a 6170 kHz da Cultura de São Paulo que retransmite em ondas curtas a FM 103.3 MHz músicas clássicas. É bom a CVC repensar essa alteração. A Cultura de SP em ondas curtas de 49m (6170 kHz) não tem sido ouvida de manhã na região de Campinas, Limeira, etc, até mais ou menos 9h30, por total falta de propagação. Quando entrar a hora de verão, então, talvez se estenda a manhã toda sem propagação naquela região. Vamos aguardar. 73 a todos (Luiz Chaine Neto, Limeira -sp- 13/10/2006, radioescutas via DXLD) Amigos, Infelizmente se isto o que está descrito vier mesmo a acontecer, a radiodifusão brasileira será desrespeitada. Pode até ser que esta freqüência tenha sido programada por parte da CVC sem que percebessem a existência da Rádio Cultura de SP, que é uma das poucas que transmite uma programação mais eclética para todo o Brasil (muitos são os ouvintes que a acompanham e que opinam sobre isto, inclusive aqui pela lista), e cabe a nós de forma apropriada entrar em contato com a CVC para que isto não venha a ocorrer. Já se foi o stress há mais de um ano quando a CVC optou em transmitir em 15475, em cima da emissora argentina que transmite da região da Antártida, bastante acompanhada por Dxistas e ouvintes de várias partes do mundo e agora se corre o risco de termos um novo round de descontentamento. Quem não se lembra deste fato, quando a freqüência então foi mudada para 15485? Particularmente não acredito que a CVC aja de forma a desejar prejudicar a quem quer que seja aqui no Brasil. Seria interessante escrevermos para a CVC (seria bom termos divulgado o e-mail da coordenação do Dep. Português), com intuito de contribuirmos na solução desta questão. 73, (Rudolf Grimm, radioescutas via DXLD) CVC has chosen 6170 for B-06, ignoring the fact that R. Cultura São Paulo has been on that frequency for a long time. Well, what do you expect? RCSP is not in HFCC, nor are any Brazilian stations except CRI relays, so they do not exist! CVC plans to use 6170 only between 1000 and 1500, via Chile of course (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. While we know that VOA Hausa at 2030-2100 on 11720 is via Greenville on weekdays, the same frequency was much too weak on Sat Oct 14, when French instead is scheduled, closing at 2059. So that`s still Morocco site. In fact, Zanzibar on 11735 which was also just signing off with its tinny anthem had a much stronger signal than 11720 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA JOURNALIST MARK W. HOPKINS By Patricia Sullivan Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, October 11, 2006; B07 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001322_pf.html Mark Wyatt Hopkins, 75, a Voice of America journalist who died of complications from liver cancer Sept. 25 at Sibley Memorial Hospital, broadcast from China's Tiananmen Square as tanks rolled in to crush the 1989 student demonstrations. He also was the first to alert the world in 1991 to former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev's ouster in Moscow. Mr. Hopkins, a Washington resident, was one of a number of journalists expelled from China for his reporting on the massacre in Beijing. He had worked in China earlier, establishing the VOA's first bureau in Beijing from 1982 until 1988, learning the Chinese language and covering earlier student demonstrations. The VOA's Chinese-language broadcasts at the time were a key source of information for student demonstrators, The Washington Post reported in 1986, relying on VOA news programs for information about their own demonstrations and about similar protests in other Chinese cities. Mr. Hopkins returned to China in 1989 to help cover Tiananmen Square events until he was kicked out a month after Chinese troops forcibly cleared the square, killing an unknown number of demonstrators. At the time of his expulsion, he told the Milwaukee Journal: "The city has gone silent. The people who have another version of what's happening aren't speaking. They're afraid to talk to us. They can meet with a foreign journalist and later get picked up and interrogated for a few hours or a day. For the Chinese, that's nasty business. The army and the secret police are running the city right now. They can do just about anything they want to do." Two years later, Mr. Hopkins was at the epicenter of another world- altering event. He was the Moscow bureau chief when the Soviet Union collapsed and covered the emergence of Russia and the former Soviet republics as separate states, as well as the attempted overthrow of Gorbachev. He won an Overseas Press Club award for his coverage. From 1994 until retiring in 1996, he was chief of the London News Center. He then became the VOA's first ombudsman, spending a year as a critic of the organization's news coverage. His longtime friend Tom Blinkhorn said Mr. Hopkins combined a strong sense of integrity about the news with an engaging conversational style of interviewing. "The cadence in his voice was such that he was able to make people comfortable, even people I knew . . . he detested," said Blinkhorn, a former journalist and World Bank official. Mr. Hopkins was born in Peoria, Ill., and served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955. He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1956 and received a master's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin in 1958. He also received a certificate from the Russian Area Studies program at the University of Wisconsin. Mr. Hopkins joined the Milwaukee Journal in 1961 to work as a reporter, editorial writer and editor, specializing in Soviet and Russian affairs. A decade later, he went to Yugoslavia on an Alicia Patterson Foundation fellowship and later joined the VOA. He set up the organization's first bureau in a Communist country, in Belgrade. He subsequently worked in Munich as the VOA's eastern European branch chief. Mr. Hopkins wrote "Mass Media in the Soviet Union" (1970) and "Russia's Underground Press: The Chronicle of Current Events" (1983), as well as a number of trade magazine articles. In retirement, he accompanied several National Trust tour groups to China, serving as a lecturer, and he traveled to Eastern Europe. His marriage to Mary Jean Hopkins ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 18 years, Elizabeth Davies of Washington; four children from his first marriage, Jon Hopkins of Milwaukee, Elizabeth Hopkins of Washington, Paul Hopkins of North Adams, Mass., and Amy Silver of Chevy Chase; a brother; and 10 grandchildren. (c) 2006 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) OBIT ** U S A. NPR IS SAID TO BE DEMOTING NEWS EXECUTIVE By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE October 13, 2006 William K. Marimow, the executive vice president for news at National Public Radio, has been asked to take a lower position, as NPR's ombudsman, according to current and former colleagues at the broadcasting network. An announcement is expected today, they said. It is not clear whether Mr. Marimow would accept that job, take another non-news job or agree to a buyout, according to these people, who asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the network. Mr. Marimow could not be reached for comment. . . [registration required] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/13/business/media/13npr.html?pagewanted=print (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) TOP NEWS EXECUTIVE AT NPR STEPS DOWN --- By Paul Farhi Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 13, 2006; C04 The top news executive at National Public Radio suddenly resigned from his post last night, leaving the Washington-based organization without an editorial leader for programming that reaches more than 20 million listeners a week. Bill Marimow will stay at NPR and become its ombudsman, which removes him from daily responsibility for programs such as "All Things Considered." The much-decorated newspaperman joined NPR in mid-2004 and was named vice president for news and information only in February. A replacement has not been named. NPR, which declined to comment on Marimow's departure yesterday, will announce his resignation today. Staff members at NPR said Marimow had clashed with his immediate boss, head of programming Jay Kernis, about the scope and nature of his responsibilities, and that Kernis accepted his resignation. The specific nature of their disagreement was unclear. Marimow was in Boston and could not be reached for comment. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101202033_pf.html (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. AIR AMERICA FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY --- Liberal Talk Radio Network Vows to Go On --- By Paul Farhi Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, October 14, 2006; C01 Air America Radio, which has tried to create a liberal talk and news network to challenge the dominance of conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh, yesterday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection but said it would remain on the air. Air America has battled financial turbulence since its launch in early 2004. Despite the star power of Al Franken -- the comedian and best- selling author who hosts one of its weekday programs -- the privately owned company has lost almost $42 million since its inception, including $13.1 million so far this year, according to its bankruptcy filing. Franken himself is owed some $360,000 on his $2 million annual contract. The New York-based service has also struggled to get and keep affiliate stations with strong signals. It was recently dropped by its flagship station in New York, the nation's largest radio market, which forced Air America to move to a weaker outlet. It isn't heard at all in Dallas, Philadelphia and Houston, three of the nation's 10 largest radio markets. In all, Air America's programs are heard on 92 stations and on Washington-based XM Satellite Radio. The liberal network says it has about 4 million listeners. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/13/AR2006101300534_pf.html (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) A couple of points are worth noting. For one, many potential advertisers are corporations that support the laissez-faire policies of the Bush administration. Bobby Kennedy, Jr., has publicly suggested that there is an unofficial boycott of progressive stations because some of these corporations feel progressive shows attack corporate policies (umm, like greed and corruption, perhaps?). There are documented cases where the progressive station had excellent ratings yet had to change format because no sponsors would support it. And there is also the case of a certain major Salt Lake station that aired ONE progressive talk show for 3 weeks and then pulled it off the air, due to what they claimed were "complaints from mothers that they didn't want their children to hear this sort of anti-American programming." I am not making this up. Oh and the show they complained about? Ed Schultz, by all accounts the most moderate of all the progressive talkers, who loves to hunt & fish, supports the working man and woman, is a religious Christian, but believes Republicans (and he used to be one) have forgotten the poor, the middle class, and anyone who isn't making huge bucks, and that Republican politicians who howl endlessly about "moral values" (which just means no abortion, no gay marriage, no stem cell research) are not putting a dollar in the pocket of the average hard-working American, while the corporate buddies and big donors are raking in the advantages. What about THAT message is bad for tender little ears to listen to? Also, the article contains some info about Al Franken being owed big bucks -- here is what I posted about that to another list (and for those who don't know me, I have been in broadcasting for over 30 years and am the author of 3 books and many articles-- not trying to say I am an expert, but just explaining that I know some of the people in the articles): My well-informed sources (people inside Air America Radio) say that a large chunk of the money Al is owed is money HE lent Air America during some times of financial crisis, just to keep it on the air. And one other well-informed source who is with a competitor tells me Al is quietly shopping his show around to see if he can place it elsewhere, in the event AAR doesn't get back on firm financial ground. There was a myth from Bill O'Lie-ly that Al was being paid 500,000 a year or something -- I've seen some of the financials, and no, he wasn't paid anything close to that. Like him or not, Al really believes in progressive radio, and while AAR has been run by some pretty inept people (including the dishonest original founder, Evan Cohen, who incidentally was a long-time Republican and supporter of Bush the Daddy. I only mention that because some of those who are gloating on the right are ignoring that a rightie is one of those who started this entire set of problems, which AAR then compounded with some incredibly bad management decisions.) Interestingly, if it's "liberal talk" that is a failure, why are the Ed Schultz Show and the Stephanie Miller Show, both syndicated by the Jones Radio Network, either breaking even (Stephanie) or making a profit (Ed)--- AAR's problems are more complicated than "oh progressive talk can't work." We've discussed this before, and I don't wanna beat a dead horese, so I'll just remind everyone from the right that it took Limbaugh SEVEN YEARS to become a successful talker, and sponsors were hesitant about being on his show then, just like many are hesitant to start off with progressive talk now. But when talk shows are interesting and are on stations where you can actually hear their signal, and when there is a promotion budget to support some outside events to bring in new cume, there are a number of markets where progressive hosts are getting very good numbers. The format is just 2 years old -- let's not write it off because AAR has never figured out how to run their business cost-effectively (Donna Halper, Oct 13, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 6-152, State of Emergency: Buffalo NY. Those outside the area can hear this via http://wben.com As mentioned, WBEN and WWKB have dumped regular programming (Coast to Coast AM and the Saturday morning infomercials). Larry Hunter was in studio until 2 am [EDT = 0600 UT] Tom Puckett (host of Buffalo Evening News) made his debut as a talk show host at 2 am, until 6 when weekday morning team Susan Rose and John Zak take over. Should be "fun" Saturday as temperatures approach 50F. Snow emergency morphs into flood watch, while they try to clean up the fallen trees and power lines. Power still down for a quarter million homes and businesses. Assuming many have no power, this coverage is probably the only news they have in the region. No TV, no internet. Imagine, just radio. How primitive! And how important and vital radio can be. Oh, and I love the WBEN storm jingle. (Dramatic Voice) "You are listening to live coverage of the October Surprise Storm of 2006" (Fred Waterer, Ont., Oct 14, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIRGIN ISLANDS US. Re 6-152, WDHP overpowered? If they are 100 kW, it certainly has made no difference here in the NE US. They are poor at best. When the first went on, I don't think they powered down from 10 kW. Often quite listenable on a car radio in Providence. I do check them frequently here, and nada. RVC-530 is almost always entertainment level for comparison. I'd wager only a kilowatt, as licensed (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, IRCA via DXLD) When I talked with the owner of WDHP a couple of years ago, he was surprised to have been heard in the Florida panhandle. He told me he was running 4 kW at night, 10 kW daytime. The transmitter was rated to 12 kW, he said. This was 2003, IIRC. No telling now what they're doing, but I wouldn't imagine it's changed all that much (Gerry Bishop, Niceville, FL, ibid.) But aren't they supposed to run 1 kW at night ? 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL/WI, ibid.) Dunno. They believed they were quite legal with 4. No telling now what they run at night (Gerry Bishop, Niceville, FL, ibid.) If they are going to run 100 kW (or anything over 10 kW) for purposes of Radio Marti cutting thru jamming, they may as well have added highly direxional antennas as well (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. ¿Cuál es la dirección más fiable para contactar con la R.N.RASD? Hace un par de días mandé un e-mail a la Radio Nacional de la RASD rasdradio @ yahoo.es con el fin de remitirles un informe de recepción de mi captación en su frecuencia de los 1550 Khz. Me gustaría saber si alguién ha utilizado esta dirección electrónica y conseguido respuesta por parte de esta emisora. A mi personalmente me está siendo harto complicado comunicarme con ellos, en anteriores ocasiones lo intenté por correo postal utilizando las dos direcciones que tenía recogida en los listados de la AER, pero los resultados fueron infructuosos. A pesar de que introdujé un cupón de respuesta internacional para ayudar con el sello de retorno (Álvaro López Osuna, Granada, (España), Noticias DX via DXLD) Hola Alvaro: Hace algo así como un año escuché un programa de la emisora dedicado al servicio de correos de la R.A.S.D. en el que decían que disponían de una dirección central a la que se podían enviar todas las cartas dirigidas a cualquier estamento de ese país. Nunca la he probado, pero por si te sirve para algo, aquí va: R.N.R.A.S.D. P.O.Box 470 37000 Tindouf ARGELIA Suerte Paz y Dx (Ignacio Sotomayor, Segovia, Castilla, España (40º56'35,14''N-4º07'04,30''W), ibid.) Hola compañeros, Yo he mandado bastantes informes a esa dirección y aun espero la respuesta; esta emisora es cuestión de suerte que te verifique. Así que suerte y a por la QSL. Un saludo desde Cartagena- España (JOSE HERNANDEZ MADRDID, ibid.) ** ZAMBIA. R. Zambia, ZNBC, 5915, *0242-0305+ Oct 8, sign-on with distinctive Fish Eagle IS. 0250 instrumental NA. 0251 talk in unID language, local drums, local pop music. Poor to fair with some QRM. 6165 not heard. I can usually Zambia under R. Nederland on 6165, but not tonight (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Sir: I have been listening to your program for a decade or more on WWCR 5070. I used to listen Friday nights west coast time, but now listen at 7:30 pm Saturday evenings WCT. You always come in loud and clear, and you always have something interesting to relate. I especially like articles about religious stations and broadcasts (John Young, Baldwin Park CA, Sep 30, by P-mail) And then he ruined it by proselytizing me. And why are so many coastals reluctant to call their time zones by proper names, Pacific or Eastern? (gh, DXLD) WORLD OF HOROLOGY +++++++++++++++++ UNUSUAL TIME ZONES When the New Year began in Australia just last weekend, there was a majestic fireworks display on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, quite reminiscent of a similar spectacular event during the recent Olympic Games over there. In Tokyo, Japan, they rang a bell 108 times to ring in the New Year. In Beijing, China, there was a fireworks display and a computer-controlled display of dancing lights. Moscow celebrated in a similar way in Red Square, and in New York, the globe lit up and dropped, right on time. All of these spectacular New Year events were filmed [sic] and presented worldwide on TV, and they remind us quite clearly once again that we live on a round world and that time as we measure it moves progressively with the movement of the sun through the sky. These days, there are just 24 major time zones around the world, each at one hour difference from its neighbor. However, it has not always been this way. Originally, every locality observed its own local time which may or may not have been related to any other nearby time zone. When railways began to span across continental North America, there was a literal multitude of time zones, even more than 100 at one stage, and as can be imagined, this caused a lot of confusion. In the year 1884, the United States established just four time zones nationwide, each one hour apart, though with some local variations. [wrong; it was Nov. 18, 1883 per Library of Congress; http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov18.html --- gh] For example, at the time of the annual change for summer and winter, the city of Indianapolis and nearby country areas make no time zone change and remain always at UT minus five. [until recently --- gh] In the same year 1884, an international conference established just 24 major time zones around the world, each just one hour apart. In the international radio scene, this procedure is very useful today and international radio time is described in terms of UTC, initials for a French term meaning in English, Co-ordinated Universal Time. [nothing French about it: Universal Time, subscript: co-ordinated; there`s no way ``UTC`` could be construed as French, but rather TUC --- gh] However, because of differing geography and political circumstances, there are some unusual time zones, even to this day. As mentioned previously, most of the world observes local time expressed in time zones in increments of one hour duration. For example, all of the large island of Greenland observes time as UTC minus four, except for the eastern tip at minus three, and the western tip at minus five. However, there are many countries that operate on a standard half hour. For example: India is UTC plus 5 and a half hours South Australia is at UTC [plus] 9 and half hours Afghanistan is at UTC [plus] 4 and a half hours Myanmar is at UTC [plus] 6 and a half hours; and there are half a dozen others as well. This half hour difference produces some interesting anomalies. The small French colony off the coast of Newfoundland, St Pierre & Miquelon is at UTC -3, yet it is sandwiched in between Canadian Quebec at -4 and Newfoundland at -3 and a half. If you visualize a world map and travel in a straight line: Calcutta is at UTC plus 5 and a half, Bangladesh is at 6 and a half, and Assam reverts back to the 5 and a half. There are two more strange time zone anomalies. These days, Nepal operates on a quarter hour, though some years back it was on a 10 minute variation. All of India is at UTC plus 5 hours 30 minutes and Nepal, just to the north in the Himalayas, is at 5 hours and 45 minutes. Out in the Pacific, the islands of Tonga have adopted the strange time zone of UTC plus 13, which in reality places them in the previous day. Because of this curious circumstance in local time keeping, the Protestant Christians observe Sunday and the Adventist Christians observe Sabbath both on the same day (Adrian Peterson, AWR Wavescan No. 315, 7 January 2001, via Oct 2006 World DX Club Contact via DXLD) Neat idea, but I don`t think so: dateline is still east of Tonga so it`s UT +13, rather than -11. In other words Tongans of both sects should be observing same day of week (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also PARAGUAY DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM MONITORING IN UKRAINE The only DRM I can listen more-less reliably is 1611 kHz CVA (15-21dB SNR now at 0018 UT, still few drop-outs noted); 1296 kHz UK comes at 12dB SNR - no audio, enough just for ID decoding (Vlad Titarev, Ukraine, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 12 via DXLD) See CZECH REPUBLIC; NEW ZEALAND CRITICAL FLAW IN HD SUB-CHANNELS? Someone on another list to which I subscribe commented on his experience with an HD car radio that he had just purchased as a replacement for a car radio that had died. He was asking about the lack of sensitivity on FM in the digital mode. I gather that, on the main HD channel, the mode flipped to analog in areas where the analog signal was still quite strong, so that if he considered the reception range to extend to where the analog signal was no longer listenable, the sensitivity was about what he expected. Although he wasn't especially happy about the mode flipping back and forth, he had no complaints about the radio's overall sensitivity on the main HD channels. BUT on the HD subchannels (mostly, if not entirely, HD-2), the flip was, of course, to just silence. In other words, the HD subchannels had very limited range -- such limited range that their viability in a car would seem to be very much in question. When I read his posting, my immediate reaction was "Of course; why didn't everybody foresee this fatal flaw?" Most radio listening, I'm told, is done in cars. If the HD subchannels are usable only in areas of very high signal strength, hardly anybody will listen to them in cars, which means that Rich's scenario about a glut of spot inventory depressing ad rates nationwide will never come to pass. It would seem that availabilities on signals that hardly anybody finds listenable are not availabilities at all. Moroever, if the HD Dominion is pinning its hopes on the availability of signals that are largely unlistenable, isn't the Dominion pinning its hopes in the wrong place? -- (Dan Strassberg, AC 707, Oct 13, IRCA via DXLD) It's pretty simple, really --- this flaw wasn't foreseen because HD2 wasn't foreseen. When IBOC was developed in the 1990's, it was seen purely asa simulcast technology. With the audio codec technology of the day, it was thought that the full 96 kbps throughput of the FM IBOC system would be needed to get one decent quality audio stream, and even that was a stretch. Besides which, it was assumed that consumers would flock to the new technology simply because it was digital, even though it offered no new content (except maybe some data like song titles and the like). Of course, experience with DAB in countries other than the UK has subsequently shown that digital simulcasts are a non-starter as far as interest from the radio-buying public is concerned. HD2 came along a few years ago because NPR (and related pubcasters) were concerned that FM IBOC wasn't shaping up as they had hoped. There was only one audio stream, and nothing equivalent to the FM subcarrier (SCA) services that they used for reading services for the blind, etc. They started a project called Tomorrow Radio to test the idea of carving up the 96 kbps into two or more audio streams. In listening tests, they found that with the latest IBOC codec (thanks to a licensing agreement iBiquity made with Coding Technologies in Germany), quality was still pretty good at 48 kbps. It started to get dicey at 32 kbps, but it was still good enough for some types of programming. The commercial guys took note of this, and they were also aware of the dismal performance of DAB in countries such as Canada, where it was tried as a simulcast service. They seized on the Tomorrow Radio idea, dubbed the secondary audio service HD2, and got behind it as the potential killer app that would give some value-added appeal to IBOC and allow it to be more competitive with the satcasters. The FM IBOC spec was updated to allow multiple audio streams (up to 8!), and HD2 services started to roll out... a lot of them are automated jukeboxes, or simulcasts of AM stations, of course, but that's another story. Amidst the hoopla, one troubling aspect of the Tomorrow Radio experiments was ignored. In tests with four different stations, NPR found that reasonably reliable digital coverage didn't extend all that far - it ranged from the 60 dBu to the 70 dBu contours for the four locations. On average, the digital coverage was found to extend to the 66 dBu contour. For most FM stations, this doesn't come anywhere close to duplicating the analog coverage. ``isn't the Dominion pinning its hopes in the wrong place?`` Yep, but what choice have they got? Other than offering new services that aren't available with conventional radios, what does HD have going for it? The limited coverage of the IBOC digital signals is no doubt a major reason why the car manufacturers aren't exactly embracing this technology with open arms. None of them have committed to offering HD receivers as factory equipment (except for BMW, whose receiver doesn't support HD2 reception). They don't want cars returned by customers who are frustrated with radio reception that keeps dropping out. The only solution is to apply bandaids. I notice that several manufacturers are gearing up to offer FM IBOC repeaters that can extend and fill in holes in the digital coverage. The downside is that this can only be done at the expense of damaging analog coverage in some areas. There are tough days ahead for the HD Dominion --- not to mention the fiasco called AM IBOC (Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON, IRCA via DXLD) I wonder if some HD-2 channels are activated but nothing on them? (gh) [also replying to Dan above:] That was my experience with the Kenwood tuner. Its analog reception was exceptional. In mountainous New England mode switching occurred at points where signal levels dropped for short periods. HD-2s went silent. In areas of RT 91 between Hartford and Springfield the digital signal fell short by about 10 miles when the analog signal was still listenable. On the Mass Turnpike from Boston to Springfield the digital signal fell short. Both roads are on fairly flat terrain. Driving in Western MA in the Berkshires was a bust. I even had problems with Albany's WAMC with its transmitter site in MA on Mt. Greylock. In Easthampton, MA, I get a reliable analog signal at about 90 miles from WAMC. Mode switching was terribly annoying on those stations that processed analog and digital separately. It was more a change in the density of processing rather than an increase in fidelity that should have appeared without the preemphasis curve. It seemed to me that stations were trying to keep the analog and digital sounding similar so mode switching wouldn't be so obvious. Secondary channels, I'm told, are often compressed in order to keep the bit rate on the main relatively high. In those cases, the secondaries will always be second banana to the main. I know of a station running classical music on the secondary. The split is 64/32. I listened to it on a $2000 Yamaha receiver with high end speakers in a quiet sound room and the artifacts were very obvious. I suspect the manufacturer's promotional offering of the Sangean component unit will exhibit the same problem with high end systems in a quiet home environment. In-car listening is forgiving because of the high ambient noise level. In Spring, Summer and Fall satellite radio has a serious (no pun) problem with dropouts in areas of New England (and I suspect in the Pacific Northwest) where trees overhang the road. Satellite listeners are used to long periods of silence in those areas. HD-2 will exhibit this problem most everywhere where the signal drops below a certain level. Friends who specialize in ratings analysis dispute the importance of in-car drive-time listening. In most markets, even New York, the commute is relatively short, probably 30-40 minutes at the most. That's two, may three, average quarter hours in the car. I believe morning drive is important because it's when listeners tune in to make sure the world is still in one piece. In-home and in-office listening is long-term. In homes where TV morning shows aren't a factor you can include the period between the clock radio going on and the length of the drive to work. Numbers are most likely better in morning drive because that's where stations run what they consider their best programming. The Arbitron PeopleMeter, I believe, will show this to be true. I still believe the glut of inventory will be a problem. Several time buying service executives have supported that. Most broadcast trade magazines have interviewed several high level buyers and they say there's no additional budget. If they buy secondaries it'll come out of existing budgets and the law of supply and demand will reduce the price. It's been a problem for markets where Docket 80-90 dumped additional stations where there was no increase in advertiser's budgets. As long as the hybrid system is in use (in perpetuity, I believe) you can consider the secondaries as little brother. Maybe the equivalent of an FM Class A riding on the coattails of a Class B or C. It'll cover the metro but fall short in the TSA. Similar, but not as bad, will be the HD-1 coverage compared with the analog. As I've said before, the marketing of IBUZ is being done by the Keystone Kops. Most markets now have many IBUZ stations but a pitifully small number of receivers. The receivers that are available aren't the kind most people use and most retailers don't know what the system is. Others are waiting until "The Buzz of HD Radio" reaches them. So far, it appears to be buzzing in the IBUZ stations, on the HD Dominion's web site and in Ogilvy's puffy deceptive press releases (Seedy quality for FM and FM quality for AM). As good as I thought WBZ-HD sounded, it wasn't nearly as good as a well processed analog FM. For AM, until 24/7 operation is permitted, the analogy of TV going to black and white at night is appropriate (Rich Wood, IRCA via DXLD) The amount of drive time stated above is substantially below what I've seen in several studies on major markets by AAA and others in the transportation area. While not everyone who commutes by car is listening to radio, many are, whether satellite or terrestrial. My point being that the credibility of the listening numbers is potentially dependent on the credibility of the commuting time numbers in this case. While in-home and in-office listening is longer term, it is also less attentive listening - background noise in many cases, and therefore ought to be of less value to advertisers (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, IRCA via DXLD) HD RADIOS AVAILABLE AND NOT HD Radios - snap them up!! --- Bob Foxworth mentioned J&R Music World's $50 rebate on the Boston Acoustics HD Receptor table radio, and added "Who would have thought a rebate was needed? I thought these things were flying off the shelves." WHOSE shelves?? J&R (which does big mail-order/Web business of course, but whose only brick-and-mortar stores are in NYC) is about the only retailer in the nation that so far has bothered to stock the damn things. Ever try to find an HD radio at Circuit City or Best Buy? Or Wal-Mart? (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, IRCA via DXLD) J. D. Stephens wrote that "both Circuit City and Best Buy here (Huntsville, AL) stock some HD models. Both have models for the auto, and Circuit City even has the Boston Acoustics tabletop model." Not in Springfield, MO they don't. And from what I'm hearing, that's still true in a lot of markets around the country. The rollout is taking place VERY slowly indeed, it seems (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, Oct 13, IRCA via DXLD) Don't believe this scurrilous agitprop. Sounds like a false-flag op to slow HD sales by, as you astutely perceive, implying that without rebates HD won't sell. Truly I tell you today, you will not find HD radios in any RatShak, VladMart, Tar-Zhay, BigSlop, etc. HD sells at digital speed. Once people caught the aroma of flatul... er, got wind of HD's attributes - and they are without limit - stores can't keep 'em onna shelves. In comes tractor trailer from Very Big HD Radio Corporation of America, LLP. Customers 'demand' crummy sound on FM and sorta-FM sound on AM. Harried store managers direct customers to truck driver. He swipes their card, hands them The Gateway to 'our inevitable digital future' - a new HD radio. Driving up Manasota Key Road at usual flank speed, approaching BuyGlutton Mall, you can feel the 'Buzz' from these exciting new radios. Rebates? For why? Anyone implying rebates are needed is a saboteur from Antique Modulation Bund, a shadowy gang of miscreants who want to return radio to the era of compelling programs. Do not be found in company with them. They are a devious and dastardly lot. Yours in earnest, (Dr. Paul V. Zecchino, pvz mk fl, ibid.) Let me explain. Rebate coupons are a form of consumer satisfaction survey. By counting the number of coupons that are not returned, compared to the number that could have been returned -- a complex statistical process that involves marketing concepts like WTF (wishful thinking factors) and SNAFU (sales numbers after failing utterly) -- marketeers [sic] can measure the joy with which their product has been received. So appreciative are the customers they wish no rebate, instead they wonder where they might send more money. To simplify it for the layman: the fewer the rebate coupons returned, the better everything is going. Don't'cha know. And of course, as Sir Z. has so astutely observed, the need for the rebate coupons is not to boost sales, rather strictly for market research to plan the next big success --- story (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Raton, (southeast) Florida, ibid.) Don Curtino - A treatise most excellent. If you'd kindly permit, will twist Games Theory into yet another pretzeloid shape. You deftly illustrate that rebates gauge customer satisfaction, e.g. less rebate apps = more satisfaction. What could be a finer show of satisfaction than to forego HD rebate and take it to next level: send HD Bund a contribution? As challenge to others, sending my contribution forthwith. With Two-Hundred Million Dollars in its promotional budget alone, BundHD hardly needs my wealth, immense thought it be. However, as the gentlemen they are, they'll appreciate our appreciation for their superb creation. Even as this is typed, HD's beautiful invention is saving radio from compelling programs. In a surprise poll, consumers not only don't mind the jamming, the express gratitude for it. Jamming second and third adjacent freqs protects them from 'out of contour' stations. Consumers state these out of area stations frequently broadcast compelling programs which invariably foment impure thoughts amongst the vulgate. Another HD benefit! Yours in purity of radio, (Dr. P. V. Zecchino, T.D.* PVZ MK FL BT * - Doctor of Torts, ibid.) I don't know what they'd listen to here. Both AMs are sans HD noise as of this moment, and have been for many days. One is Clear Channel, the other Citadel, so no edict to cover both. Next time I see the CC guy, I'll ask. WPRO-630 and WHJJ-920. One of the FMs, WHJY-94.1, has such excessive reject heat from their HD system that it far overpowered their HVAC [high voltage air conditioning??]. They had to shut it off to prevent a meltdown. Over 10 kW of heat, and maybe much more. Holy Moley!! The electricity increase must be huge! As J. C. Whitney said in their catalog, Heavy Duty Radio. I do find it very curious that many of these new HD outlets have dropped it for extended periods. Who will be the first to have a thousand mile HD DX reception on AM? Anyone in the midwest tried for WBZ at sunrise? I did some extensive listening when WOWO and WHAM left the pot boiling overnight. Nada. I think a thousand mile HD reception on AM would probably be as hard as an analog reception of three or four times the distance. To this day, the best AM DX I've had on HD is about a minute of WOR-710 at sunset, and occasional blips more like FM meteor scatter. HDDX --- hmmm --- Trademark it! (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, Oct 14, IRCA via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ BRA ON ANTENNA CAUSES CRASH http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/NEWS03/61012001/-1/NEWS http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061014/NEWS02/610140385 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003302446_badbra13.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) [see below for SKIRTS] Winradio G313-E I've been using the WiNRADiO 313E exclusively for DXing for the past year, plus. I love the radio and cannot imagine ever returning to a non-SDR receiver. Some of the main advantages of the WiNRADiO and its Flex Radio SDR-1000 competitor are probably only applicable to people DXing International MW and SW --- The Spectrum Scope, for instance, allows you to focus in from 20 kHz wide (max) to 2 kHz wide at total zoom-in. When you are working with close-together signals (say two or three kHz apart, there is nothing like seeing the signals and then graphically dragging the filter envelope and center-of-tuning to fit them precisely between the QRM to achieve the maximum recoverable audio. The other thing that the Scope does is afford the user "situational awareness" to a degree that is just unreachable without a scope. Since you can see what you are trying to hear, in great detail, and you can see the immediate surrounding signals, too, you immediately know what adjustments need to be made to the receiver. It`s not that you can't figure out what needs to be done --- bandwidth, mode, slot filter, etc., in the traditional fashion --- its just so much easier and faster to do it when you have graphical as well as the traditional auditory input. This latter "situational awareness" aspect is something that would benefit Domestic DXers, as well. Another situational awareness attribute of the 313E that I really love is the specific way that alpha-numeric notes can be displayed, after they are associated with a particular memory and frequency. For some years, there have been a few receivers on the market that allowed you to store a title or some form of notes with each memory channel. That way, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE MEMORY CHANNELS, there would be a title like "Mem 1 BBC Evenings 5975 USB" or "Mem 2 R Australia 9580 AM." Well, the 313E does that, too, but in addition, it allows you to associate a comment with each memory. Further and very importantly, it displays that comment just beneath the Frequency Display on the radio, WHENEVER the receiver is tuned (by any means) to that frequency, whether you are in memory mode or not. So, when I have my "Asian MW" memory file loaded, every time I tune past 891, the comment appears just beneath the Frequency numbers on the radio WATCH FOR THAILAND LATE. When I go to Grayland this weekend, when I pass 738, the radio is going to remind me: RECORD PROBABLE JILIN PBS, etc., etc. This ability should be of assistance to domestic DXers, too. Having reminders come up every time you pass certain frequencies is a boon to this 65 year-old DXer, let me tell you! Two other special favorites and then I'll quit: The synchronous detector is the best that I've ever used. In fact, though I've owned most of the receivers with a sync detector, this is the first that I've used as my primary DXing mode. Two reasons --- first, by being synced on the carrier of choice, it actually suppresses some sideband splatter and hash from adjacent signals (wow!) further, even with signals out in the open, it seems to improve signal-to-noise or intelligibility of weak signals. In my Okie terms, "It hears better!" Lastly, an attribute of most serious DSP receivers --- virtually vertical sidewalls on the IF envelope. With any analog IF filters, even the vaunted Collins mechanical filters, the actual window that you are receiving the signal through is shaped like a truncated equilateral triangle. Where your main DXing filter may be 2.7 kHz wide at 3 dB down, it may be 15 or more wide at 30 dB down. The result of that is that you use narrower filters that you really want to, to conquer adjacent channel QRM --- AND since you have to use a wide enough filter to let intelligible audio in, you also allow loud adjacent splatter, etc. in "under the filter skirts." With a total DSP package, from demodulation on down, the IF filtering, of course, is done in the software. Hence, filter skirts that are pretty-much VERTICAL. In my case, I can use say a 4 kHz wide virtual filter rather than a 2.8 physical filter in the same conditions. Since my 4 kHz filter lets in much more of the audio of my DX target (than does a 2.8) I hear more intelligible audio. This would be true, all things being equal, of any set that used virtual IF filters, not just the Black Box receivers like the 313. Purists will argue that other problems in the digital realm degrade this advantage, and to a degree, they are likely correct. However, I can still keep my filters open wider with this radio than with any of the excellent analog sets that I've owned. So, while the 313 black box won't be to everyone's taste, it lets me hear more stations, better and easier than any set I've ever had before. I may someday buy another main DXing set, but I'll guarantee you that it will be a software-defined receiver. P.S. I started MW DXing in the winter of 1953-54 and I love to use classic tube communications gear. I especially love sitting and staring at it while I listen and MOST OF ALL, I love tuning a really well weighted, gear driven tuning knob. For years, I owned a mint 1942 SX-28A. Tuning that set was almost a sexual experience. I sold the SX- 28A to help me afford a totally rebuilt SP-600 --- turning that counter-weighted knob and those beautiful brass gears WAS orgasmic. I love DXing with those sets, and I was so sure that I'd miss a tuning knob on the 313E that I invested in an outboard accessory tuning knob (USB connected) that I used for about three evenings. I can just hear more stuff more easily with this cold little box; and, in the final analysis, my hobby is hearing DX and getting QSLs, not turning knobs, counter-weighted or otherwise, JHB (John Bryant, WA, IRCA via DXLD) Hi John: The filter in any good radio will have a shape factor of about 2:1 using the 6 dB and 60 dB points. (They're pretty much industry standards.) Guesstimating the 30 dB points, I'd say a 2.7 kHz filter would land around 4 for the 30 dB points. A lot of curves are available at http://www.qth.com/inrad/ and then following the instructions if you want to see some real life curves (Chuck Hutton, ibid.) Importance of IF skirts - (was - Winradio G313-E) John Bryant writes a fascinating piece, with which I can't find any fault. I'd like to add a minor historical footnote. I worked at ITT for a while in the 1980's following my broadcasting experiences, until ITT got out of the HF business. So all this is first-hand knowledge. Although the HF circuits were mostly all gone, as were the rhombics. Only six log-periodics were left. ITT WorldComm used to run a lot of HF P-T-P links across the North Atlantic in the 1960-ish time frame. Many of them were voice, or RTTY in a voice-grade channel, and were ISB (this was independent sideband, with totally unrelated programming in the LSB and USB channels). A lot of this was actually done by Mackay Radio, prior to being acquired by ITT in it's gobble-em-up days. They had 10 kW xmitters at Hauppauge, and receivers at Southampton, 40 miles to the east, all using rhombics. (Their competitor RCA operated from Rocky Point and Riverhead, in similar fashion). WSL 500 kc/s was part of this operation. They achieved this ISB by using exciters on the transmit side with paired Collins mech. filters at 455 kHz to generate separate sideband signals. The filters were paired so that the response curves intersected at about the -6 dB point. I recall they were 2.1 and/or 3.1 kHz wide. This composite RF envelope was heterodyned (not multiplied) up to the HF exciter frequency, and contained both LSB and USB energy. What is perhaps more interesting is what they did on the receive side. They used modified SP-600 receivers with provision for phase locking the HFO to a stable local oscillator reference that was created by mixing a roughly 2 MHz VFO with a roughly 2.5 to 4 MHz crystal reference and multiplying it up to the needed HFO frequency, which was anywhere from about 4 to 22 MHz, and sending it to the first mixer. The SP-600 itself then needed to be tuned only close enough to peak the ant and mixer RF circuits and to let the HFO lock onto the substitute HFO. This allowed stably "tuning" the receiver to exact cycles. The 2 MHz was in an oven. This was not trivial to set up properly. The 455 kHz IF was treated similarly by adding a new, outboard IF strip using two custom made L-C filters with bandpasses of 23 to 25, and 25 to 27 kHz. The SP-600 was also modded to use an added xtal oscillator of either 430 or 480 kHz (upright/inverted sidebands) to mix the 455 IF down to 25. These custom 25 kHz filters reportedly had very steep skirts, which were not obtainable at 455 kHz. And the independent sideband energy could be cleanly picked off and sent to two detectors. It was up to the receiver side to separate the sidebands as well as possible. In addition, frequently, two SP-600s ran in space-diversity mode being fed from two side by side rhombics. Both ITT and RCA had dozens of them, many pointed across Europe. Mackay/ITT built combiners allowing the AGC to be slaved in both RX's, combining the audio demod, among other things. I still have a in-house manual for the CNY-2061-D which is the ITT designation for the modified SP-600 which describes the mod. process and alignment for the SP-600. Much of this material was lost in November 1986 when the developer Racanelli razed the site (for an industrial park)* after ITT sold and walked away from it, after the end of all HF ops. I used to have an example of the 25 kHz IF as well as some other stuff I eventually wanted to give to a museum but no one I could find wanted it, and I got rid of it in 1990 when I sold my house and married. There was no eBay then... *Adams Ave, Hauppauge, LI NY --- Rumor has it that, if you dig deeply enough under some office buildings there, you might find a dozen old SP-600's, vacuum caps, etc., etc. RBL's that were 'dozed under. Just a rumor, mind you. The inability to get truly vertical skirts in IF was one of the main things Gordon Nelson always wished he could remedy. It is truly important for weak signal work, as John correctly notes (Bob Foxworth, FL, IRCA via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ EX-SPEAKER HASTERT Ever notice how he never looks anyone in the eye? Or so it seems. Never into the camera, but when he is shown speaking he always seems to be looking downward. That body language should tell us a lot about him. Note: in American culture, it is a virtue to look people in the eye when communicating with them; those who do not are perceived as having something to hide, or as dishonest. At least among men. Many women never allow themselves to make eye contact with an unfamiliar man for fear of that being taken as an invitation, which is a pity (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###