DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-178, December 3, 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 1338 Mon 0400 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0515 WBCQ 7415 [time varies 0500/0520] 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 ** ANGUILLA. Caribbean Beacon, a.k.a. Defunct Gene Scott, missing from 6090 at 0615 Dec 3, and also missing from 11775 at 1421 and 1743 checks. Now`s the time to DX something else, especially on 6090, e.g. CHILE. BTW, on the remaining DGS frequencies I seem to be hearing more music fill than usual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM. The English news bulletins from Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal on 1512 seem to have been discontinued, checked several times last month and not heard, just pop music during the former slots (Mike Barraclough, Dec World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9695, Rádio Rio Mar, Manáus, 1004-1031, 02-12. Buen boletín informativo en esta emisora, entre las 1000 y las 1030, perteneciente a Radio Bandeirantes, con noticias de Brasil, del mundo y deportes. "Jornal primeira hora", identificación: "7 horas 8 minutos, Rádio Rio Mar", anuncios comerciales, "Noticias de Radio Bandeirantes", "O comentário político de Radio Bandeirantes". A las 1020: "Noticias Bandeirantes, edición [sic] do tempo". 1023: Noticias internacionales, 1027: Deportes. Nueva Identificación: "Rádio Rio Mar, onda média 1290 kHz, ondas curtas, 6160 kHz, faixa de 49 metros, 9695 kHz....". 34333 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 7º 48' 05'' W, 43º 02' 05'' N, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. R. Guaíba, Porto Alegre, 6000.02, 2315-2330 Nov 25, Portuguese talk, ID. Weak and in the clear until covered by R. Prague via Canada in Spanish *2330. // 11784.96 weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Habana must have been off 6000 then? See CZECH REPUBLIC [and non] R. Marumby, Florianópolis, 9664.98, 2245-2300+ Nov 23, Portuguese ballads, talk, ID. 2300 religious sermon. // 11749.86; both fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Bandeirantes, São Paulo, 9645.15, 0155-0215+ Nov 24, Portuguese talk, announcements, ads, jingles, ballads, ID. Fair; very weak on // 11925 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Aparecida, Aparecida, 9629.96, 0840-0900+ Nov 24, Brazilian pops, ballads, Portuguese announcements, ID, talk, ads, jingles. Fair. // 5035 and 11855.1 both weak; // 6135 fair to good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Guarujá Paulista, Guarujá SP, 3384.95, 0700-0720+ Nov 26, Brazilian pops, ballads, Portuguese announcements, ads, jingles. // 5045 and 5940.23, all weak but readable (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [non]. CBC IDEAS is on one US station, and in the daytime: see U S A --- KXOT ** CANADA. Maybe CBC stations will become easier to ID again? I'm hoping. First the CBC eliminates local identities because they are a "national" broadcaster, now they want to go back to focusing on "local" identity. This can only help us as DXers. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2006/11/30/cbc-media.html (Bill Hepburn,Ont., http://www.dxinfocentre.com WTFDA via DXLD) Viz.: CBC KILLS `CANADA NOW’ TO START UP HOUR-LONG, MULTIMEDIA REGIONAL NEWS PACKAGES --- By Lee-Anne Goodman TORONTO (CP) — CBC-TV is doing away with its national suppertime newscast ``Canada Now`` to begin hour-long local news packages starting in Vancouver this winter. ``This 21st-century media world that we’re in is incredibly dynamic and changing and audiences are moving all over the place,`` Tony Burman, CBC News editor-in-chief, told The Canadian Press on Thursday. ``We`ll be looking at a more strategic multi-platform treatment of stories that moves audiences from radio to the web, readers of the web to television, and so on,`` he said. ``We`re heading into a world where we`re all going to become content providers, not TV stations, not newspapers, not radio stations.`` Ian Hanomansing, host of ``Canada Now,`` will become an ``incredibly important`` co-anchor of the new Vancouver program, Burman added, and all the staff and resources devoted to ``Canada Now`` will be redirected to the new show. ``Canada Now`` will go off the air in early February to be replaced by the new show in Vancouver, while local newscasts in other Canadian cities will be expanded to an hour from their current 30 minutes. ``We`re using Vancouver as a sort of incubator and after several months of experience there, we would in some sort of gradual, orderly way move it across the country,`` Burman said, adding that the goal is to roll out the initiative — entitled ``My CBC`` — to markets across Canada over the next two years. Burman delivered the news to staff Thursday afternoon. Integrating services, he told them, is key to the future health and vitality of the public broadcaster. ``Our reporters will no longer be radio reporters or TV reporters — that particular T-shirt will be put aside and there will be far more contributions to the web, far more mixing and movement among the various networks and platforms,`` he said. Ratings for CBC`s supper-hour newscasts have been abysmal, CBC president Robert Rabinovitch said recently. Local CTV and Global newscasts attract far more viewers. But Ian Morrison, of the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting organization, says the new initiative is a puzzling ``back to the future`` move, given it was Rabinovitch himself who killed a lot of regional news programming six years ago. Regional operations took a serious hit 16 years ago when the public broadcaster shut down 10 stations to save money. In 2000, Rabinovitch cut the surviving newscasts from 60 minutes to a half-hour, did away with late-night local newscasts and created ``Canada Now.`` ``This moving back to a one-hour local supper-hour newscast is just a return to something that existed in 2000 when Mr. Rabinovitch came along,`` Morrison said. ``In a way it`s like a deathbed repentence.`` CBC staffers wonder if the new moves will even end up happening, given Rabinovitch`s three-year term as president of the public broadcaster ends next November. ``We know that the rest of his term is measured now in months and since this is something that`s being announced for the future, it will depend on a new president of CBC liking this plan enough for it to go ahead,`` Morrison said. ``So is this really going to happen?`` Canadians want their local CBC newscasts back, Morrison says. ``The idea is popular, but I don`t think they`ll be able to flip a switch and turn the audience back on. They`ll have to earn it. CTV does a very good job on local news, so the CBC is going to have to be very special in order to get some of those viewers back.`` 18:18ET 30-11-06 (via Ricky Leong, AB, DXLD) ** CANADA. The latest online issue of Our Public Airwaves Reports has an item about the termination of a plan to expand CBC Radio coverage: OPA EXCLUSIVE --- CONSERVATIVES NIX CBC RADIO EXPANSION A big NO from the Harper government has killed a low-cost CBC Radio plan to add 10 new stations to serve 5 million Canadians in 24 cities that now have no local CBC station. The 20/20 Radio Growth Plan would have provided new CBC stations in Kitchener, Hamilton, Barrie, Kingston, Peterborough, Nanaimo, Red Deer, Cranbrook, Kamloops and Chilliwack. Stations in Saskatoon and Kelowna were to be upgraded. Name of the plan comes for the projected cost of about 20 million dollars in one-time capital start-up costs and an estimated 22 million dollars in annual operating expenses. Our Public Airwaves has learned that when CBC management sounded out the government for support, the Conservatives made it clear that there would be no new money for CBC to fund the project. The 20/20 Radio Growth Plan is a much-stripped-down version of the CBC's Regional Expansion Plan put forward early last year. That plan, to cost about $83 million dollars a year, included expansion of TV and radio services in both English and French. It received a cool response from the previous Liberal government. (Bobcat, Dec 1, alt.radio.networks.cbc via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC LAUNCHES NEW FM CHANNELS / QMS REPORTING In Calgary: http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/features/99.1fm/index.html In Saskatoon: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2006/12/01/radio.html These are both so-called drop-in channels, duplicating coverage in city cores of existing AM CBC Radio One stations. Also of interest, I found this page on the CBC website: http://www.cbc.ca/qms/ "If you are experiencing problems hearing CBC Radio One or Radio Two from your local CBC Radio transmitter, please help us fix the trouble by providing us some information. Please note that this form is intended for over-the-air technical troubles for Radio One and Radio Two only." (Ricky Leong, Calgary, Dec 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: CBC LAUNCHES RADIO 1 ON FM IN SASKATOON Last Updated: Friday, December 1, 2006 | 3:01 PM CT CBC News It's been a big week for change at CBC Saskatchewan, both with TV and radio. On Friday, CBC Radio 1 was launched on the FM band in Saskatoon, the culmination of years of planning. Morning Edition host Sheila Coles was in the Saskatoon studio for CBC Radio 1's first day on the FM band on Friday. The signal has always been available on AM at 540 on the dial, but there have been complaints about the quality of the signal over the years. Now, though the AM signal will continue, there's another option at 94.1 megahertz on FM. "94.1 is up with a clean signal and we invite everybody to come check it out," said David Kyle, director of radio and television for the CBC in Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, people who watch CBC-TV's News at Six will be seeing big changes in a few months. The CBC announced Thursday that half-hour local and regional news programs across Canada will be expanded to a full hour. The expanded 6 p.m. news launches in mid-February. "We're giving people what they've told us they want — an hour of news, weather and sports," said CBC Saskatchewan managing editor Nigel Simms. "You'll be able to get national and international news as well as the best local journalism in the province. We're really looking forward to the opportunity." (via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) So will there be a separate stream from Saskatoon? None linked yet at http://www.cbc.ca/listen/# If there is a S`toon studio they must have some local origination separate from Regina. CBK 540 must have been deliberately sited halfway between Regina and Saskatoon at Watrous. Hmm, looking at my AAA 2007 Atlas, it`s closer to Saskatoon than Regina, tho with huge groundwave coverage extending well into the USA. I suspect 94.1 is rather low-powered (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re CHHA 1610 Toronto closing temporarily: Still going strong at 2330 EST on Dec 2, so apparently they received an extension on the deadline, or they're ignoring the edict (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, Dec 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CHINA. Various 23 MHz harmonics heard in South Australia: see PROPAGATION ** COLOMBIA [and non]. 5910, Marfil Estereo, 0040-0055, 02-12, canciones llaneras, comentarios, identificación: Marfil Estéreo, seis horas y 49 minutos, bastante calor, un día muy hermoso". 23222. 6009.5, La Voz de tu Conciencia, 0815-0935, 02-12, locutor, español, comentarios religiosos, programa "Un Rey diferente", sobre la vida de Jesucristo, identificación a las 0833: "La Vozde tu Conciencia, desde Colombia para el mundo", canciones religiosas. A las 0855 programa sobre el trabajo de las amas de casa, identificación: "La Voz de tu Conciencia, porque la verdadera radio se hace en equipo". A las 0935 la señal se desvaneció completamente, escuchándose a partir de esa hora Radio Mil de México. Señal débil y mejor en LSB. 23322 variando a 13321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 7º 48' 05'' W, 43º 02' 05'' N, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Spy letters in Morse code, 1 kHz tones in AM on a frequency I had not heard before, 6786, Dec 3 at 0623; previously on 5930, 5800 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. RHC spur, 6295, 0350-0430+ Nov 24, separate English and Spanish programs mixing together onto a weak 6295. English on 6000, 6180; Spanish on 5965, 6060 and 6140. Help! How is this spur produced? I sure can`t figure it out. Heard on several receives including the AOR 7030 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If it were on 6395, that would be 5965 leapfrog over 6180 at 215 kHz intervals, but I guess you were sure it was 6295. Could be another transmitter in use somewhere in there for jamming, relaying something else, which would fit, but have not upcome with a fit on that either. Could also be a difference between two higher frequencies, but still no fit found (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA. 50 years revolutionary Cuba [not quite --- gh]. Noted some special extended live coverage transmissions, like great signal into Europe on 12000 kHz, best frequency to the European audience at present during daytime. Special feature on Cuban ideal health service also on both 15230 and 15370 kHz. 1245-1330 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX Dec 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RHC with special programming in Spanish commemorating Fidel`s postponed 80th birthday, still in progress Dec 1 at 2216 on reactivated 11705, as Bob Thomas had pointed out, ex-11760? Where nothing, but // 9550 and 11800, and at 2220 check 6000 was already on earlier than new schedule showing *2230 and also already on 6180. I suspect for the event, the nominal schedule is being modified with extensions, and certain frequencies for English or other languages commandeered. I also heard a mention in Spanish of Homenaje a Fidel, at 2230 on 17705, but after IS into presumed Guaraní still on the A-frequency instead of 15340 according to Arnie`s B-schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Cuba's Saturday games --- RHC and Rebelde were noted linked this morning, 0800-1000 local (1300-1500 GMT) for the parade and cotton candy in the José Martí Plaza de la Revolución, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the rickety Granma boat landing and subsequent founding of the glorious Fuerzas Armadas. I noted an actuality on the NBC morning show with reporter Mark Potter in Habana, which included a brief feed of Cuba TV. The audio (blank shot cannon fire) was in near perfect sync with monitored air signals here. The Spanish announcer listed the rogues gallery of attendees, including the PM of Jamaica, Gabriel García Márquez and the usual jefe suspects from Vietnam, China, Bolivia and Angola. Monitored channels: 1180, 5025 (Rebelde), 6000, 9550, 11655, 11760, 11805, 12000 (RHC), all in parallel. 530 Radio Cadena Habana and the Progreso network aired their own separate coverage, the former with only brief segments between their more typical music programming. Coverage ended at 1500, with 6000 abruptly catching a fragment of the RHC interval signal, no ID or any other voice announcement, into nonstop Spanish and Brazilian (Portuguese) vocals, a few words from a female announcer in Spanish before the transmitter was brought down. Frequent, short transmitter breaks through tune-out. 5025 was off at 1500 check, but back up with Rebelde audio at 1515 recheck. But wait! There's another opportunity to listen to the antics-of-the- day at 2200 GMT, live from the Harpo Marx Theatre. See the below snip from the online Granma: CUBAVISION, the Canal Educativo, Cubavisión International, Radio Rebelde and Radio Habana Cuba are to transmit live at 5:00 p.m. from the Karl Marx Theater the closing event for the tributes of the Guayasamín Foundation for the 80th birthday of President Fidel Castro Ruz (Terry L. Krueger, Clearwater FL, Dec 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 11655, Radio Rebelde, 1224-1350, 02-12, programa "Haciendo Radio", "Son las 7 con 24 minutos, seguimos haciendo radio". Curiosos anuncios y comentarios sobre las elecciones en Venezuela del 3 de diciembre, proclamas a favor de Hugo Chávez: "El 3 de Diciembre acude a votar a Hugo Chávez, nuestro presidente". Transmisión del desfile militar presidido por Raúl Castro, que estaba teniendo lugar en La Habana. 34333. En paralelo con 9505 con peor señal. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, escuchas realizadas en Friol, 7º 48' 05'' W, 43º 02' 05'' N, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Shame on Cuba for interfering in the internal affairs of another country! (gh) ** CUBA [non]. At midnight 1620 WDHP was running Radio República in Spanish (Paul Crankshaw, UK, Dec 2, MWC via DXLD) 1620 WDHP Frederiksted, USVI (presumed); relay of WRMI, ``Radio República`` programme; at 0000 ``Ésta es Radio República, voz de la victoria --- transmitiendo para Cuba`` and then ``Desde Miami, capital latino-americana ésta es WRMI Radio Miami Internacional, 9555 kHz en la banda de 31 metros, Miami Florida``; in and out of the noise Wpks [weak peaks?] 2304 1/12 mah 73 (Martin A. Hall, Clashmore, Scotland. NRD-545, RPA-1 preamp, beverages: 513m at 240 degrees, unterminated; 475m at 265 degrees, terminated; 506m at 290 degrees, terminated, 550m at 340 degrees, terminated. http://www.clashmore.mwcircle.org/index.html MWC via DXLD) I`m not sure this is strictly speaking a relay of WRMI 9955. RR output is of course carried on WRMI, and WRMI is the station they constantly mention on the air, despite also being relayed from Canada, Germany, UK on SW, and now also WDHP. See also VIRGIN ISLANDS US (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. Cuba is jamming WORLD OF RADIO, as checked at 2235 UT Sat Dec 2 on 9955. I could almost recognize my voice under the pulsing and bubbling, and to be sure checked the WRMI webcast, and yes, it was WOR 1338 at its new time. Arnie, I wouldn`t dream of jamming DXers Unlimited, even if I could! How fortunate you are to live in a country where your broadcasts are not jammed by unfriendly neighbors! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. Shortwave Dec-02 1644 1653 17660 Radio Martí Delano CA United States 250 KW AM 32333 Spanish Drake R8 Communications Rcvr Swanannoa NC John P (Shortwave Log Community via DXLD) Had not noticed they were back up on 16m but not usually tuning around at this hour. Not in HFCC; just shows YFR via Ascension during this hour to Africa. I meant to check this at the same time on Dec 3, but forgot until 1740, when there was no sign of anything whatsoever on 17660; surely if RM is using it they would stay on it longer during the day (Glenn Hauser, OK, DXLD) ** CZECH REPUBLIC [and non]. Tipped by Brian Alexander`s log of BRAZIL on 6000 until 2330, when Prague via Canada blocked, but no mention of Habana on Nov 25: Habana must have been off 6000 then? Checked at 2333 Dec 1, RHC certainly on 6000 with Fidel festivities, mixing with SAH from another strong station, presumably Prague via Sackville: a collision which needs to be resolved. Gee, didn`t R. Prague and VTC and RCI know that Cuba uses 6000 extensively? Of course not! Not registered in HFCC by this outlaw nation, so it doesn`t exist. If they had cracked a PWBR ``2006``, or ``2007`` they would have seen RHC on there after 2300 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 21455 USB, HCJB, La Voz de los Andes, 1210-1245, 02-12, La mejor frecuencia para escuchar aquí en España HCJB con su programación en español. Identificación a las 1214: "HCJB, Hoy Cristo Jesús Bendice, desde la mitad del mundo". 1216, bonito programa de canciones "Himnos de la vida cristiana". Excelente señal. 45444 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, escuchas realizadas en Friol, 7º 48' 05'' W, 43º 02' 05'' N, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. R. Nacional, Bata, 5005, *0512-0545+ Nov 26, abrupt sign-on with Afro-pop music, Spanish announcements. 0528 religious program with local religious music and talk. Weak but in the clear (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ayer recibí lo que con buena voluntad podría definirse como una QSL-letter de R. Nacional Bata (identificada en la carta como Radio Bata), Guinea Ecuatorial. Carta mecanografiada en papel simple, no membretado. Indica la fecha de recepción (23/09/06) y la frecuencia (5005 kHz) y confirma que los datos de escucha fueron correctos. Está firmada por el Sr. Julián Esono Ela, quien muy amablemente me cuenta diversos aspectos de la historia y geografía de su país. Dice que conduce un programa de correspondencia que va los domingos a partir de las 21 horas (supongo que hora local) y que dura 40 - 45 minutos. En ese programa se leen las cartas enviadas por los DXistas. Mi carta, dice, fue leída en dos oportunidades, la última el 5 de noviembre. Envié 2 IRCs y demoró unas 8 semanas. Creo que es lo más parecido a una QSL que voy a lograr de esa emisora. La conservaré junto con el sobre, que dicho sea de paso viene franqueado con un lindo sello alusivo a los 100 años del fallecimiento de Emile Zola. Como cosa curiosa indica la potencia como 5000 kW, lo que ni aún cambiando los kW por W coincidiría con el WRTH (50 kW). Dada la relativa facilidad con que se sintoniza por aquí me quedo con lo indicado en el WRTH. 73, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, Nov 2, condig list via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 15190, Radio East Africa, 0800-0810, 02-12, programa religioso, inglés, identificación: "Radio East Africa, 20410, Town Center Lane, Suite 200, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA", locutor, "Welcome to our program Prophecy for Today". 34433 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, escuchas realizadas en Friol, 7º 48' 05'' W, 43º 02' 05'' N, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FIJI. With the attempted army takeover, the following frequencies have been heard and noted as more than usually active over the last 72 hours. :- 4370 (usb) Fijian Mil/Naval ?? chatting in Fijian 6504 (usb) Fijian Mil 8690 (cw) 12700 (cw) 13080 (usb) Voice in English re "Suva Patrol" ??? There seems to be no set times of any transmissions :- Also several transmissions have been heard in the 33 to 40 MHz bands but no one regular frequency, reported. RAN was monitored on 8688 with a Helo calling ground staff. At 2200 z too faint to hear. [what`s RAN? -- gh] RAAF (OZ ??) also heard giving Flt position at 2345 Z on 11267, again too faint to confirm where in Pacific it was. 73' (Dallas, LAT:- - 41.36 South, LONG:- -171.52 East (Buller, New Zealand), Dec 1, UDXF yg via DXLD) ** FINLAND. 963 kHz, YLE has informed in their program bulletin 28.10- 31.12, 2006 that Pori MW and SW-broadcasts will end with the beginning of 2007. MW 558 kHz from Sandhamn in Helsinki will continue as a service to the Baltic Sea (Bengt Ericson, Nov 6, 2006, ARC Information Desk 13 Nov via Olle Alm, DXLD) Radio Finland schedule: Europe: 558 and 963 24 hours, 6120 0500-2100, 11755 0600-1900, 9560 0700-0900, 9630 1400-1800 (Swedish), 5970 2200- 2230, 7195 1400-1600. South East Europe and Middle East: 6130 and 9815 0350-0430, 9815 and 11865 0500-0600, 21800 1200-1300, 9610 1700-1800, 7175 1900-1950. East and SE Asia: 15490 0930-1100, 15330 1100-1200, 9660 1500-1600, Saturday and Sunday 17780 0730-0900, Sunday 13695 1200-1300 (Swedish), last two also to Australia. Australia: 9560 0700-0900, 15490 0930-1100, 15330 1100-1200. North America 15400 1300-1500, 13715 1300-1400, 12000 1600-1700. South America 21800 1100-1200, 17730 1600-1700. Note that this schedule is valid till December 31st when shortwave broadcasts from Finland end. There is no mention of Nuntii Latini any more as far as I can see (Online schedule via Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest translated and converted to UT by Mike Barraclough, Dec World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** FINLAND. FINLANDIA, 11720, Scandinavian Weekend Radio, 1030-1045, 02-12, comentario en inglés, locutor, leyendo cartas e informes de los oyentes, identificación a las 1032: "Scandinavian Weekend Radio". Musica tecno. A las 1136 comentario en finlandés, nueva identificación "Scandinavian Weekend Radio". 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 7º 48' 05'' W, 43º 02' 05'' N, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also JORDAN ** FRANCE. I see the new France 24 channel has a promo up before the launch on December 6th. Interesting that some of the tags are BBC and Al-Jazeera - probably hoping that people searching for video from those stations will bump into this one. All the video will be posted on line it seems. France 24 has been the first to use the blogging community for its launch - but I am surprised they haven't launched a question or an issue for the blogosphere to argue about. Unless you're in the biz, you're not that interested in the technology. I'd like to know how France 24 will be different from TV5, CFI - apart from doing stories in English and Arabic. I also wonder whether there will be duplication with Euronews. http://www.dailymotion.com/stephany24/video/xnja6_exclusive-images-of-france-24 posted by Jonathan Marks @ 12:32:00 PM (Critical Distance blog Nov 29 via DXLD) Narration in English keeps pronouncing the name in French, but a quick clip of one of the anchorettes says ``France twenty-four`` (gh, DXLD) ** FRANCE. Radio de la Mer in Paris 1080 kHz, is no longer on the air, now only on the web! Regards from France, (Christian Ghibaudo, Nice, France, Dec 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GABON. ANU Le Buzz, 19160 harmonic, Dec 3 at 1500 at 10 over S9 level, also with traces of speech underneath (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. MV Baltic Radio this Sunday 3rd of December 2006 at 1300 UTC on 5965. Good Listening (Tom Taylor, Dec 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. Could some of our monitors in Europe or eastward confirm the Voice of Greece language lineup reported in 6-175, on 9420, 12105, 15630. Especially what programming the English hour contains. Languages 0600-0700 UT AL (Albanian) 0700-0800 UT Eng (English) 0800-0900 UT F (French) 0900-1000 UT E (Spanish) (except Tuesday 0600-0800 UT) Tnx, (Glenn, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Glenn, I recently heard English and French, but on 15630 only. 12105 & 9420 carry the Greek programme. Regards (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, 0732 UT Sat Dec 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) GRECIA. 15630, Voice of Grecia, 0845-0900, escuchada el 2 de diciembre en francés a locutora con boletín de noticias nacionales e internacionales, música francesa y griega, ID en griego, SINPO 55555. 15630, Voice of Grecia, 0900-1000, escuchada el 2 de diciembre en español a locutora con ID ``Radio Filia``, boletín de noticias nacionales e internacionales, reportaje sobre escritor griego y exposición de artistas griegos ``Pinepoles Delta``, tema musical ``A paso de Conga`` por los hermanos Bravo, noticias exteriores con el viaje de Benedicto XVI a Turquía. Las emisiones en 9420 // 12105 en griego, SINPO 55555 (José Miguel Romero, Sacañet (Castellón) España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Voice of Greece is now relaying the Radio Filia foreign language service carried locally on 666 on 15630 mornings, first heard at 0745 tune in December 1st with English news followed by a feature on the environment; this was followed by French 0800-0900 and Spanish 0900- 1000, good signal on clear channel. 9420 and 12105 are carrying different programming in Greek (Mike Barraclough, World DX Club Contact, December DX News, via dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ICELAND. Rikisutvarpid 13865. Tuned into program in Icelandic at 1845 to off 1907 UT December 2/06. Many mentions of Reykjavik by male and female announcers throughout program. SIO 353 with noticeable polar flutter (Mickey Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Rx: Collins HF2050, Ant: KLM 7-30 MHz Log Periodic, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have an awful time hearing this one, partly due to video swish peaking on 13 MHz band from my next-door neighbor (gh, Enid, DXLD) ** INDONESIA. Voice of Indonesia 9525 kHz at tune in 2008 UT Dec 2/06 with news in English. This followed by an read from the Jakarta Voice about local TV programming. At 2021 "Let`s Go Indonesia" about the village of Panjalu. Other programs of pop music and news to sign off at 2101. Carrier stayed on a while after that. SIO 434 but deteriorated by sign-off (Mickey Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Rx: Collins HF2050, Ant: KLM 7-30 MHz Log Periodic, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. VOI, Jakarta, 9525, 2103-2106* Nov 25; tune-in to the end of their broadcast with English news. 2105 sign-off announcements with IDs, sked. Surprisingly good signal (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. 1368 kHz, Radio Golestan in Gorgan seems to have a high power transmitter on this frequency. Heard very well with full ID "Injah Gorgan est, Radio Golestan" and local programming at 1500 thanks to tip from Mauno Ritola. Excellent signal every afternoon in Växjö. According to MR the Iranian stations have introduced a new ID-style: "Injah (capital) ast Radio (province)". Same type of ID heard from other Iranian stations (Bengt Ericson, ARC Information Desk 13 Nov via Olle Alm, DXLD) ** IRAN [and non]. Re 6-178: 15085 kHz, IRIB Tehran heard (seemingly) testing at 0830-0930 UT in MELAU (believed to be BM/BI) language. Regularly afternoon program is scheduled 1230-1330 on 15200 and 17570 (reserve 15275/15295). [what's BM/BI? gh] Bahasa M / I http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_language http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_language Short calls in use since 40 years in German hobby magazines. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also LITHUANIA ** IRAN. 9495, tentatively Iranian jamming of bubble (oscillating) type noted at 1730-1830 UT VoA Farsi broadcast of IBB via Juelich Germany site today. Jamming stopped suddenly 30 seconds before VoA Farsi program ended at 1829 UT. (wb, Dec 1) 9495 1730-1829 to zone 40 100 degrees JUL 100 kW IBB (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) {correxion in next issue: it was just Sukhumi, Abkhazia, not jam} ** IRAN? 9145, IRIB spur at 1930+ Dec 1 with program in French but better demodulated in FM!!! Was // 6250 [LITHUANIA] and best on 16 H antenna (Zacharias Liangas, Retziki, THS GRC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY [non]. IRRS, 5775, 1900-1930* Nov 24 [Fri], English religious program with talk and gospel music. Poor, weak in noise (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) presumably via BULGARIA ** JAPAN [and non]. Lately I have been noticing Japanese CCI to CRI in English via Sackville 6115 at 06-07, such as Dec 3 at 0620. This must be NSB Nagoya, 50 kW at 50/230 degrees, as scheduled 23-10 UT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. NHK TAKES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST NONPAYERS http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=58728 (via Dan Say, DXLD) ** JORDAN. I have just enjoyed Radio Jordan on 11690 with a tremendous English show 1500-1600! It was really "Saturday Night Fever". I celebrate my 49th years as a DX-er today (started 2nd of December 1957!), so the receiver is hot! 73 from (Björn Fransson, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Björn, Congratulations! Are you sure it wasn`t Scandinavian Weekend Radio, also scheduled on 11690 at that time today? Probably totally overwhelmed by Jordan. 73, (Glenn via DXLD) Yes, I am absolutely sure about Jordan (they had identifications all the time, also in the music played), because I listened on all SWR shortwave frequencies to find a parallel to 1602, where I heard SWR for the first time (really a challenge here, with the Dutch station Waddenzee very dominant). That is why I parked on 11690 and found Jordan. DX-ing is still fascinating after 49 years! 73 from (Björn Fransson, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. Relay schedule of IRIB (VOIRI) via Sitkunai 100 kW in B06, incl. changes valid from 1 December: 0630-0730 Italian on 7545, 1430-1530 Russian on 6250, 1730-1830 German on 6255 (ex 6250), 1830-1930 French on 6250, 1930-2030 English on 6255 (ex 6250), 2030-2130 Spanish on 6250. All broadcasts are transmitted with a 259 degree beam, except for Russian which has a 79 degree beam (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Dec 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also IRAN How odd that 1730 and 1930 broadcasts switch to 6255 while 1830 and 2030 do not; based on when QRM from P`yongyang be worst? (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 6010, Radio Mil, México DF, 0937-1003, 02-12, se escucha a partir de las 0937 en que se desvanece la señal de La Voz de tu Conciencia y aparece Radio Mil. Canciones, locutora: "seguimos nuestro recorrido por la República Mexicana", "Monumentos artísticos más representativos", identificación: "Radio Mil", "Hacemos una pausa en Buenos Días México", mencionan "Acapulco". A las 1000 identificación: "Radio Mil, Mil AM, Feliz Navidad". 24322 variando a 14321. 6185, Radio Educación, México DF, 0840-0920, 02-12, música clásica, identificación a las 0847: "Radio Educación, el oasis del cuadrante, 1060 AM". Más música clásica. 34333 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 7º 48' 05'' W, 43º 02' 05'' N, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 metros, orientada WSW, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Remarkable that there was apparently little interference from CVC Chile, now co-channel on 6185 after 0800 (gh, DXLD) ** MONACO. Since last Friday (December 1st), The Overcomer Ministry (Brother Stair) is on the air, in English, on MW from Col de la Madone on 702 kHz. Daily 1900-2000 UT. Broadcasts until December 31st (Christian Ghibaudo, Nice, France, Dec 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. USA Pirate: MAC Radio, 6850.9, 1917-1930+ Nov 24 [Fri], Beatles` music, IDs, requesting reports; also on 3200.7, 0040- 0119* Nov 25, Beatles, sign-off with NA, both good-strong (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It`s shameful that no licensed US SW station, private or governmental, ever plays our NA, AFAIK (gh, DXLD) ** OMAN. R. Sultanate of Oman, 15140, 1400-1457 Nov 22, 1400 chimes, gongs, English ID and news. 1413 into US pop music. 1457 Arabic talk. Poor; strong carrier and strong hum with weak modulation (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Re 6-177: Today (2 December) I noted Radio East Sepik, 3335, sign-off at 1301 with anthem then silence to 1304 then up in English with what must have been their National Service out of Port Moresby. Item about AIDS protection, weather, and an interesting song seemingly about national unity. Finally pulled the plug on the transmitter at 1309 (Steve Lare, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Radio Morobe, 3220 kHz, Lae, SW transmitter site is apparently located 11 miles from Lae according to research. This makes the ILG & ITU coordinates for the station incorrect. Lae is now in high resolution on Google Earth, but at 11 miles out from Lae, only the north remains in hi-res. As a best guess I would suspect that the transmitter location is located North-West of Lae on the way out to the airport; still this is just speculation at this stage. Radio Morobe was taken off air earlier this year due to vandalism & theft of transmission infrastructure. In fact many of PNG's FM/MW/SW stations go off air regularly due to vandalism & theft of transmission equipment from their sites. In frustration some stations have disbanded certain sites altogether (Ian Baxter, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. Dear Glenn, Have been listening to Radio Pilipinas at 0200 UT here in south India. Ann[nouncer?] says 15155 but broadcasts on 15115. Have heard it a couple of times in the last few days. The other frequency on 15230 is correct with good reception. Also 12030 but not very good. Couldn`t find the website to check (Manikant Lodaya, VU2JRO, South India, Dec 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND [non]. GERMANY, 5975, Radio Polonia, Warsaw in English, Sinpo 55555 via T-systems Nauen, feed differs -- is 1 second behind \\ 9525 via T-systems Wertachtal. 1300-1400 UT, letterbox around 1345 on Fridays (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX Dec 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 6240, RUSSIA (?) La Voz de Rusia; 0101-0111 1 December, 2006. Don't know what site, but a huge and clean signal here, parallel 5945 (fair) and 7330 (weaker) with fast-paced Spanish male news reader, ID's. Not listed in PWBR-07 or WRTH-06 and didn't bother digging further for site (Terry Krueger, FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6240 listed in HFCC as Armavir (gh, DXLD) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. See MONACO, unfortunately ** TURKEY. The bad news is Turkey. The French parliament voted for a law making denial of the Armenian genocide a crime. Turkey claims there was no Armenian genocide in the first world war. The French vote was on a Thursday and on that day Voice of Turkey gave only one frequency to English and the second one was given to some other language. I was told over the phone that things were hectic. Callers have not been accepted on Live from Turkey since then. Even worse: on 2nd November, even without callers, Live From Turkey was pre-recorded and was not live from the studio. I know this because the phone number was announced before the programme began. The Turkish Government does not trust even its own people. This is real bad (David Crystal, Israel, Dec World DX Club Contact via DXLD) Was wondering why I had not heard him for a few weeks on the show! (gh) {so they keep giving phone numbers just for window-dressing with no intention of putting callers on air? If they should get any} ** U S A. There is a program originating with West Virginia Public Radio called Mountain Stage that airs on Saturday afternoons at 4 PM EST (2100 UT) here via PRI. It is a program that features what I would call USA roots music including old time country, bluegrass, with a dash of modern folkie/country music. The announcer leading off the program said that Mountain Stage is heard around the world on the Voice of America. I thought VOA had abandoned musical programming years ago. (I never listen to VOA because my government doesn't want me to and I always do what my government tells me to do.) Even when traveling overseas I have only heard VOA once in English and that was while cruising on the Amazon River. I hope it's OK to listen when I'm outside the country. Seriously , what is the VOA policy these days on music programming? Willis Conover rides again? (Joe Buch, DE, swprograms via DXLD) VOA has an entire network called Music Mix, fragments of which do appear on SW, but not including Mountain Stage, AFAIK. I haven`t paid much attn to it since it is primarily on satellite for local FM relay. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) There's a fair amount of music these days...in part because "News Now" has become "News Now and Then"... Segments making it to SW and the "News Now Live" webcast include: Border Crossings, a request show, M-F 1500-1600 African Beat, M-F 2000-2100 American Gold, M 2100-2200 Roots & Branches (eclectic music) Tu 2100-2200 Classic Rock Show W 2100-2200 Top 20 Countdown Th 2100-2200 Hip Hop Connection F Sa 2100-2200 Music Time in Africa Sa Su 2000-2100 Fusion (world music) Su 2100-2200 Jazz America Sa Su 1300-1400 Music Mix Su-Sa 0000-0030, 0200-0300, 0700-1200, also Sa-Su 0600-0700 As Glenn says, there's a separate network, "Music Mix" designed for FM relay. It's also available via webcast, but I can't tell which of the 4 different streams is the one that's webcast. I *think* it's the East Europe schedule, since "Top 20 Countdown" was on at 2300 UT. "Mountain Stage" program appears to be webcast 1500-1700 Saturday, 0200-0400 Sunday (Richard Cuff, PA, Dec 2, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. WMLK, Bethel PA, 9265.04, 1900-1915+ Nov 24, English religious talk about Yahweh teachings. Strong carrier but very weak modulation. 1940 recheck: gone (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WBCQ, 7415, Friday Dec 1 at 2215 with enjoyable selexion of old 78s, DJ with phony British(?) accent, mentioned several websites, omitting the dot after www (why in the world do so many people do this, yet they never omit it before com?) Blurb at WBCQ program schedule sums it up: ``Behavior Night Fr 7415 05:00PM 06:00PM ET 2200 2300 UTC --- Started week of 10/18/06, Friday 5-6 pm ET on 7415. Heard on 10/20/06. Kind of a mix between Uncle Ed's Musical Memories and Marion's Attic.`` But I believe he spelt Behaviour with a U (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WBCQ Schedule Update, December 2, 2006. Good Friends Radio Network is dropping all time on WBCQ 5110. It was on overnights from 7 pm to 6 am eastern time (0000 to 1100 UT) every day except for the Lost Discs Radio Show simulcast Saturdays at 0300 and the Allan Weiner Worldwide simulcast Fridays at 0100. This opens up a huge block of available time on 5110. Christian Media Network is dropping all time on WBCQ 9330. The weekday evening block, 8 PM to midnight eastern time (0100 to 0500 UT) is being replaced by the Good Friends Radio Network, which will now be on 9330 weekdays from 5 PM to midnight eastern time (2200 to 0500 UT). This big shuffle does not impact Good Friends or CMN programming on 18910 and 7415. Regards, (Larry Will, MD, Dec 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have now updated the WBCQ entries on MONITORING REMINDERS CALENDAR (gh) ** U S A. 3180 (2 x 1590), WRCY, Mount Vernon, IN, 0315-0330, Dec 1, WRCY 2nd harmonic was heard here in Nashville, TN with good signal strength and clean audio. IDs as WYFX/WRCW. WYFX is their FM outlet. WRCY is licensed to run a non-directional antenna pattern with a night time power of 35 watts. Was not able to hear the fundamental (David Hodgson, TN, harmonics yg via DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO'S OLD PHILOSOPHER --- Station owner has longest- running one-man show --- By DAVID CASSTEVENS STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER Posted on Thu, Nov. 30, 2006 HEREFORD -- On the morning of the first fall freeze, folks in this small town in the Texas Panhandle tuned in to KPAN/860 AM on the radio dial. A station announcer read the school lunch menus and sent out birthday greetings. The station saluted its Good Neighbor of the Day. At 7:45 a.m., after a message from Hereford Heritage Funeral Home, a familiar voice came on the air. "Well-l-l hello there, and how are you?" The signature greeting crackled over radios in homes and hospital rooms and pickups, across the flat eternity of the High Plains. The longest running daily radio show by one person in America is broadcast county-wide and beyond, to rural communities like Dimmitt and Friona and Bovina, and can be heard as far south as Lubbock, 100 miles away. The host's voice is friendly, unpretentious, gentlemanly, trustworthy, sincere. If Texas could speak, it might sound like Clint Formby. Many people in these parts have grown up listening to "The Old Philosopher." Formby, 82, began broadcasting what he modestly calls "my little program" in October 1955. He comes on six mornings a week and in 51 years he hasn't missed one day -- about 16,000 consecutive shows. Formby doesn't hold elected office but most everyone in town is familiar with him and greets him as the "morning mayor." Longtime friends jokingly marvel that KPAN's owner is the only person they know who not only has a profound thought every day but also an ego big enough to want to share it with the world. . . [much more] http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/16130135.htm (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) Includes linx to audio samples ** U S A. What do Radio Stations make per month / year? ABQ billing goes from KKOB's $550 k a month to a bunch of stations below $250 k. At $35 k a month, I doubt you can make money in ABQ unless you are brokered or religious. There are about $45 million in gross billings, and 38 stations in the market. The top 7 stations take half the revenue, leaving 31 stations dividing $22 million. I'd guess half lose money (David Eduardo Gleason, Nov 28, radio-info NM board via DXLD) ** U S A. Check out the programming on KXOT, the new offshoot of KUOW Seattle. I heard KUOW announce that Left, Right and Center would no longer be on KUOW, but on KXOT. So delete UT Sat 0530 on KUOW, when I found it convenient to listen. They didn`t bother to say when it would be on KXOT, but it shows at 0030 UT Sat. The KUOW grid has not yet been updated but I think there are more changes imminent there: http://www.kuow.org/schedules/schedule_week.asp Here is the KXOT grid: http://www.kxot.org/schedule2_week.asp Of particular note is CBC Ideas scheduled M-F at 1805 UT, in case you miss an episode in the evening on CBC itself --- but are these reliably playbacks of the previous night`s show?? Audio link: http://www.kxot.org/kxot.asx According to http://www.publicradiofan.com/cgi-bin/program.pl?programid=76 KXOT is the ONLY webcasting non-CBC station carrying IDEAS. KXOT also carries WRN overnight 07-14 UT, Sat & Sun to 15. If anyone happens to be listening Sunday at 0932 (1:32 am PST), I`d like to know if this really includes WORLD OF RADIO (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA [non]. Aló Presidente via Cuba, Sunday Dec 3 still going at 1745 check on 11670, 11875. It`s presidential elexion day in Venezuela, and Cuba seems quite interested (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIRGIN ISLANDS US. WDHP relaying R. República: see CUBA [non] [Re R. Martí relays:] As to the USVI transmitter, that sounds like a lot of bunk. It is very, very rare to hear a high powered Cuban in Puerto Rico, so a low powered USVI station, another hundred miles East, is not going to be heard in Cuba no matter what the propagation on 1620 may be. East-West propagation in the Caribbean is known to be very difficult, even at high power (OldGringo, radio-info DX board via DXLD) David's comment about east-west propagation in the Caribbean was right on the money. Within the past 2 months, I've been in Puerto Rico, the DR and Costa Rica (not bragging - it was mostly work) and the Cubans were only weakly receivable in all three. Radio Reloj 570 comes in as well in Philadelphia as it does in rural parts of the Dominican Republic. In CR, RR was best on 790 and very, very faint on 570. Shooting a beam at Castro over 90 miles of salt water is a lot simpler than doing it across the Caribbean to annoy Chávez. The latter is just not feasible (at least on AM) thanks to the distance involved and to all of the RF in the air from super transmitters down there. Almost all of the frequencies are full (BRNout, ibid) I believe the Office of Cuban Broadcasting website listed 1620 as a relay site, though I haven't checked it recently. The broadcasts from 1620 were definitely from the WDHP site (Greg Myers, Largo, FL, ibid.) That is strange. 1620 does not even have a good night signal in Puerto Rico, and daytime is is non-existent (David Eduardo Gleason, Nov 27, ibid.) However bad the Turks & Caicos site is for covering Cuba, I can't imagine it would work any worse than that UHF-TV-from-a-tethered- balloon trick they're pulling (Doug Smith, W9WI, ibid.) ** ZANZIBAR. 11735 at 1800, Nov. 29, man in English with news from Zambia, Kenya, Latvia, Jordan, Israel, Thailand; tho' only 10 minutes of English (1800-1810), a good station for traditional African tribal music, and a little Afro-pop; SINPO: 45433-4, audio a bit quiet (Eric Bryan, WA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [and non]. Re Björn and others` loggings of 3396. 01 Dec at 1830 3396 was carrying Radio Zimbabwe network in local language. -- - 01 Dec at 1810 noted a different kind of jamming against SW R Africa on 4880. Earlier here I have noted only hum/buzz type weak jamming and SWRA has been nicely readable. Today there was strong music box or rather bagpipe type of jamming overriding the SWRA signal (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ZWE, 3396, Zimbabwe, 1910 Dec 1, talks by 2 x OM in a local language, IS S5/3.5 QRN. The noise is not deleted even using 1025 noise canceller (Zacharias Liangas, Retziki, THS GRC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. SW RADIO AFRICA, 02-12-2006, 1825-1835 UT, 4880, GOOD, ENGLISH PROGRAM: COMMENTARY, ID. NEWS. Audio clip available on http://swli05639fr.blogspot.com/ 73's (Francesco Cecconi, HCDX via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. GERMANY: Voice of the People 11695 just after DW signed off at 1700 UT Dec. 2/06 this station signed on in (language?) and English with many IDs/frequencies reminders for their 7-8 PM daily broadcasts. SIO 444 (Mickey Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Rx: Collins HF2050, Ant: KLM 7-30 MHz Log Periodic, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It`s Madagascar, not Germany. DW is on 11695 until 1659 via Wertachtal and/or Nauen, and continues after 1700 from Trincomalee, which apparently became inaudible once VOP was on from Madagascar; per HFCC (gh, DXLD) Hi Glenn, Thanks for the info. Interesting, as I was listening to the English DW (which is via Wertachtal according to the DW Monitoring sked they sent me), and you could not tell a signal strength change once VoP came on. As you mentioned, and as per DW sked, they continue on 11695 via SL in Urdu which I did not hear. Perhaps the log periodic was doing its job. I cannot remember exactly what bearing I was at, probably around 30 degrees which runs right through Germany and Madagascar. 73 (Mick Delmage, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. There's an Arabic speaking station on 1071 IDing something like "Idhaat al Nur". This was logged as unID some weeks ago by Jan-Mikael Nurmela in Finland. He also heard commercials for e.g. "Eldorado Shopping Center" etc. One such shop is in Beirut. The other day I monitored this station and at times they added "Loubnan" to their ID. There is or was a Hizbollah FM station "Nur" or "Noor" in Beirut, Lebanon, which was bombed by Israeli Forces recently. The Iranian station on 1071 seems to carry its regular programs, so maybe this Nur program is via Syria. It surely is no low-power transmitter (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Dec 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Jari, you may know that Hizbollah is participating in the Lebanese government. So, a Hizbollah run station would not be a clandestine (even if maybe using a foreign-based transmitter). You may like to compare to the station's webstreaming on http://www.al-nour.net Al-Nour is on a large number of satellites and also gives FM frequencies 91.7, 91.9, 92.2 MHz on http://www.al-nour.net//taghtiah.htm (Bernd Trutenau, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 1610 tones et al.: I try not to be conspiratorial in my thinking, but --- Looking at Jim's map, perhaps we are on the wrong track here. Suppose it is not one transmitter, but several which are synchro'ed. Who would be able to pull off such a thing? The government, of course. Can someone say "Department of Homeland Security?" Some secret experimentation on developing a nationwide system? The other thing that came to mind from Jim's map is a shipboard transmitter (pirate), or airborne. There just seems to be too many variables here. I know there are other broadcast engineers on the list. Suppose we set up a time, get out our field strength meters, take measurements - noting carefully the direction of strongest reading, and more accurately triangulate the station. That might give us a better picture of where this is coming from and who could be behind it. 73, Rene' (Rene F. Tetro Lansdale, PA, USA, 0112 ut Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) I'm starting to wonder about shipboard, too. I don't have a FIM [field intensity meter] myself, but Dennis Jackson in CT has his out tonight and should be reporting in shortly. I sent an e-mail this afternoon to Bob Savage at WYSL up here, who's been using his FIM like crazy anyway to get his new 20 kW rig on the air, to see if he could take some measurements on it tonight as well. Haven't heard back yet. s (Scott Fybush, Rochester NY, NRC-AM via DXLD) Driving home, I was listening to 1610 The Tone on my car radio. This was at a little after 5 p.m. AST. This is the first chance I've had to try for this mystery on 1610 given kids, Christmas prep and shopping for the new CILY Community Cruiser a.k.a. the little red sled. Right now, 9:30 AST, I'm listening to 1610 The Tone on my Stromberg-Carlson for Collins R-392. Programming on The Tone is repetitive, to say the least. In the wake of Hal FM and Spud FM, maybe its a new MBS Radio station. But then, it would be on FM, not AM. And, MBS does not care about DX, given the axing of 1000 watt, then 50 watt, CHNX SW. 50 watt transmitters use way too much Nova Scotia Power electricity, don'tcha know. Even though CHNX is still on MBS Radio letterhead filed recently with the CRTC... Shame The Tone didn't take to the airwaves months ago, in time for the Fall BBMs. :) All goofing aside, I tried the Quantum QX Pro Loop to try to null it and get an idea of its direction. Strangest thing I ever tried with the Quantum. Seems to be coming both west of me and south of me, like its on two transmitters. Question: Where does the NSA have its "shop"? I know the CSE [Communications Security Establishment] is headquartered in Ottawa. If the NSA was out of Washington DC or thereabouts, maybe its some joint NSA/CSE excercise. Perhaps they are trying to triangulate Osama... Or, maybe its something else, and as we speak CSE operatives are using those big elephant cage antennas [one is in Gander NL] to work on the problem (Phil Rafuse, VY2PR, PEI Canada, 0156 UT Dec 1, ABDX via DXLD) Jim, Like many, I'm grateful for your efforts. Let me add my own observations --- I'm located in Central Alabama, just outside of Birmingham. 33:17:23N, 86:51:09W. My bearing on the signal is also approximate using a Wellbrook 1530 loop antenna at 50 degrees so NNE of here. Switching to my Western BOG, the signal strength drops considerably when the termination is in place, meaning that I'm virtually certain the signal originates East of here, and not the reverse. I'm also hearing some variance in the signal, but it appears to be propagation, not modulation. Underneath this signal, I do detect a modulated signal that sounds a bit like PSK --- which I've never heard on 1610 kHz before. Related? Looking at it on SpecLab, it appears to be an unmodulated carrier about 35 Hz higher than the center of the channel. Hope that helps. It does seem to be coming from the "Beltway" area -- so maybe DHS isn't so far-fetched. 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, 0203 UT Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) I just checked with my field strength meter and compass again. There is some Spanish speech in the background, which may be messing with my data a bit. But here in SE PA the 1610 mystery station currently appears to be at 195 degrees True North with a field strength of about 0.125 mV/m. 73, Rene (Rene F. Tetro, Lansdale, PA, USA, 0228 UT Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) From Central Pennsylvania (40 deg 47 min N, 77 deg 51 min W) I draw a bead on it at ~170 degrees, which puts it on a line with the Washington/Baltimore area, (Brett Saylor, 0248 UT Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) DX update from northern Delaware: Here`s a Spectran trace of the unidentified signal on 1610 captured early this morning (0114 local) from my Wilmington, DE, QTH: http://www.21centimeter.com/21centimeter/images/1610-khz_0114-Local_12-01-06_Unid.jpg Receiver Details: Drake R8B, AM mode, 6.0 khz. band width Spectran Details: Freq. Offset = 0 hz., USB mode, Resolution = 5.4 Hz, Sampling rate = 22050. Note the apparent signal modulation. From a bearing standpoint, the best that I can do is a line running essentially N-S (true). Lat.-Long. = 39 deg 44' 05" N / 75 deg 39' 50" W Regards, - (Peter Jernakoff, K3KMS, Wilmington, Delaware, IRCA via DXLD) The 1610 tone is also heard albeit weak down here in Fontana, CA, loop bearing is approximately 70 degrees, so coupled with Victoria's 85 degree loop bearing, maybe we can figure out where this thing is! Heard with Superadio and Select-A-Tenna last night about 3:15 AM, PST (6:15 AM, EST), faded up and down some but clear on the peaks (Bob Wien, IRCA, via DXLD) Let me guess -- the US administration is testing a flying broadcast rig to use at Fidel's 80th . . . ? signed anonymous (Eric Floden, BC, IRCA via DXLD) Or, in preparation for the imminent expiration of Fidel? Interesting theory. I believe there was a report recently that the CIA has concluded Fidel is terminal. It would seem natural that the US would position broadcast resources in preparation for this. Some Commando Solo aircraft are stationed in Harrisburg, PA. http://www.paharr.ang.af.mil/ (Damon Cassell, IRCA, ibid.) CUBA (non): Regarding a mystery test tone widely received on 1610 kHz Nov 29-30, the following post is from longtime DXer and former CBS Engineer Bob Foxworth, now living in Tampa, FL. The test tone moved from 1610 to 1020 kHz, noted by longtime DXer Ben Dangerfield near Philadelphia on 1022 EST Friday, Dec 1 - an hour before Bob Foxworth's post. It would appear that the US Gov't is preparing transmitters to broadcast info into Cuba at the time of Castro's death. – "A posting on one of the BC lists within the hour states: 1610 was 'legit and approved.' 10 kW from an unspecified east coast location. Content 1 kHz tone, nothing else (no hidden data, etc). 1610 test is finished. Testing now on 1020, look tonight and Sat night (Dec 1-2). Then testing on 590 from Tue to Friday (Dec 5-8). Then, done. The purpose, authority or location was not given by the poster. I am sure more detail will be forthcoming. Some BC people are looking at Ft. Monmouth NJ (home of an Army communications command) as a possible site based on some DFing they did with FIM-41s. Finally some are speculating this is in preparation for the presumed coming demise of el maximo in order to have radio assets set to deploy." [Bob Foxworth, via Marc DeLorenzo, BADX, NRC IDXD via DXLD] Ft. Monmouth would not make sense here in SE PA, since they are almost due east and my FIM was showing 195 Degrees - SxSW. (Rene F. Tetro, Chief Engineer, NRC-AM via DXLD) As of 1022 EST the mystery tone seems to have left 1610 and landed on 1020 with the same intensity and fluttery high pitch signal. It is fluctuating here so seems to be mostly sky wave. Behind WIBG (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA [15 miles south of Philly and 15 miles north of Wilmington on the Delaware], Dec 1, NRCAM via DXLD) Rene, did you notice that 590 plus 1020 equals 1610? (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA, ibid.) I have it on 1620 right now at 10:46 ET, is very weak but there, nothing on 1020 (Bob Young, Millbury, MA, Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) Let's see - 590, 1610 & 1020. Bottom, top and middle of the band. Almost like a full-band Proof of Performance (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL ) [15 mi NNW of Philadelphia], NRC-AM via DXLD) I was thinking. Some companies build facilities for the military that are mobile and can operate anywhere in the broadcast band. Perhaps the government is testing a new unit. For a look see, check out the following link: http://www.kintronic.com/site/systems/milant.asp I've known the guys at Kintronics for years and they have sold hundreds of these mobile broadcast facilities to various countries, including the US Military and other agencies. They are marvelous units. 73, (Rene F. Tetro, Chief Engineer, Salem Communications - Philadelphia, NRC-AM via DXLD) The tone tester is indeed on 1020 kHz now 1500 EST 12/1. It is loud and clear here in Elkridge Maryland and DF's to the same bearing as before 10 - 190. I discovered that the signal is stronger to the South of here and not to the North. It is making reception of the station on 1020 in New Jersey difficult (Bill Harms, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 2100 UT, I'm hearing the tone on 1019, 1020, 1021 and 1022 on my R8 and 110 degree firing Ewe here in Savannah, GA. That's not indicative of signal direction, it's just that its firing out towards the ocean with the back of its cardiod pattern roughly paralleling the coast. The 110 ewe is quieter (S5) than my 35 degree ewe (S9) firing directly up the coast which is presently a soup of regionals and noise. Weather permitting, I'll set up outside after sundown with my 2' ferrite loop and see what the night brings (Gil NN4CW Stacy, Dec 1, IRCA via DXLD) The tone tester now on 1020 must be doing a number on WIBG's signal within WIBG's coverage area. I can't believe the good folks at WIBG are happy about this! And the same will apply to KDKA tonight (Marc DeLorenzo, South Dennis, MA, Dec 1, IRCA via DXLD) WIBG = 1900 watts on 1020 in Ocean City NJ (gh) Now 1620 gone and have it as S3 on 1020. WEIRD! (John Hunter, Rossville GA, ABDX via DXLD) Not noticed on 1610 yesterday afternoon but showed up again around 1530 ET. Today it's noted on 1620 at a rock steady S7. Time is 1114 (John Hunter, Rossville GA, 1615 UT Dec 1, IRCA mailing list via DXLD) Check out the audio download here - http://www.chilton.com/scripts/radio/R8-receiver You need to set the frequency but you can hear it at this online receiver quite nicely (Colin Newell - in Victoria B.C. Canada, IRCA via DXLD) From Kent Winrich. Email is kwinrich @ gmail.com --- OK folks, here is what I can give you on the 1610 signal. First of all it is a legit and approved signal. It is for antenna testing and is running 10 kW on the East Coast. It is strictly a 1 kHz tone. There will be nothing else transmitted. So you don`t need to look for any FSK. The 1610 signal is now off the air, but there is more fun to be had. Starting this morning (Friday) at 0900 (EST) the antenna testing will resume on 1020 and will run until 0700 Sunday morning. The 1020 signal will be shut down Sunday at 0700. Tuesday look for the signal on 590 at 0900 (EST) and run until 0700 Friday. Friday will finish the antenna testing. We would be most interested in any FIM readings you get including location, date, and time. If you don`t have a FIM, an RS(T) report would be great. Again include date, time, location and a general report. Any audio reports would be fun (heck I am a DXer after all) If you have any readings from the 1610 signal, please feel free to forward them to me. I took a reading at Fayetteville, NC yesterday at 1300 EST and got a 700uV. Kent Winrich (via Powell E Way II, SC, Dec 1, ABDX via DXLD) Kent used to be CE of the CC stations in Milwaukee, IIRC; now moderates the radio-insight.com engineering board (gh, DXLD) Tell us more!! Who is sending out this tone & other than antenna testing what will be the future use of the transmitter or antenna system? (Robert M. Bratcher Jr, ABDX via DXLD) Hearing the following at 1157 local in Wilmington, DE: 590 kHz ==> apparent single 1350 Hz tone, weak 1020 khz ==> apparently lightly modulated 1000, 2000, 3000 Hz tones, LOUD Both signals appear strongest on my NE-SW wire, weakest on my E-W wire. The 1020 kHz tonal signal is still blasting (it's LOUD) into northern DE at 1326 local. If the bloody thing starts wobbling, then maybe we can suspect El Presidente of trying to get inside our heads. Regards, (Pete Jernakoff, K3KMS, Wilmington, DE, NRC-AM via DXLD) We should all also be careful not to presume that the signal on any one frequency necessarily is coming from the same transmitter and/or location as one on another frequency until/unless DF'ing seems to indicate it (Russ Edmunds Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL ), NRC-AM via DXLD) Hi Russ, As this seems to be part of some government project, they may be even trading frequency usage from site to site. It may be some FEMA operation for all we know. I'm fairly well versed in Civil Defense, and for no real reason, I have a feeling in my bones that these tones are part of a broadcast system to be used in a time of emergency. Well, like Radio Swan we probably won't know just what's going on for a couple of decades (Curtis Sadowski, IL, WTFDA AM via DXLD) While I certainly can't discount that possibility, I'm also thinking that the potential for use after Fidel's presumed imminent demise is equally likely, as is the potential for use in the Middle East. But I do think we'll know sooner than a couple of decades (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, WTFDA via DXLD) Obviously this is quite different from the 1996 Army Broadcasting Service (ABS) tests on 1670 kHz from Fort Meade, MD using the call sign KTRK (and then A-R-M-Y after they discovered that KTRK was an assigned call). The 1996 tests involved programming and announcements as well as requests for reception reports and telephone calls from listeners outside of a 50 mile radius of Fort Meade. They announced a mailing address in Alexandria VA and gave a telephone number with a 301 area code. Several DXers spoke to them by telephone and received candid replies from the operators about the tests. Perhaps the present transmissions are the less candid, post-9/11 version of that sort of testing. I did some checking and found out that the ABS was apparently "retired" on 11/09/06 and was replaced by the Soldiers Media Center (SMC). However, the contact information on the SMC web site still yields an ABS e-mail address. A message sent to that address this morning inquiring about the possible involvement of ABS/SMC in the transmissions we are hearing yielded an immediate auto- response saying they would get back to me within 72 hours (Patrick Griffith, Westminster CO http://community.webtv.net/N0NNK/ http://community.webtv.net/AM-DXer/ NRC=AM via DXLD) I just took a drive away from the radio stations (I don't get anything in our parking lot, obviously, because of the high level of RF) and was able to pull in 1020 clearly in the area around Conshohocken and Norristown, PA. A bit more clearly than the 1610 signal from the past few days. I checked my FIM and the direction is different from 1610. This one appears to be at about 80-90 degrees True North from here. Maybe there is more than one location? And, maybe Fort Monmouth is the site of the 1020 signal. Which is stupid on the operator's part when there is a licensed station less than 50 miles away on the same freq. 73, (Rene F. Tetro, Chief Engineer, Salem Communications - Philadelphia, 1912 ut Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) I posted a note about this station on radio-info.com & got a reply from someone at WRJE-1600 in Dover, Delaware. He said they were definitely hearing this signal! - it was causing interference in their local coverage area - and they'd called the FCC to file a complaint (Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, 2213 UT Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) This 1020 tone tester is clobbering KDKA here in Maryland, I wonder if the fringe listeners closer to KDKA are having problems with the tones? Does KDKA have the grounds for a complaint? (Bill Harms, 2225 UT Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) I'd hope that a lot of DXers who can hear both KDKA and the tone will call KDKA and register some comments. Surely there must be some talk shows on KDKA that take callers. They may not even know what this is all about. It would be interesting to find out what, and if, they know about all this. This would be one way to start that process. I would say, yes, absolutely they have grounds. Work those phones !! (Bob 1804 est 2304 UT Foxworth, Tampa, NRC-AM via DXLD) My take on this is that the FCC will either disclaim any knowledge, or say that it is a national security issue and cannot comment. I remember in 1960 there appeared a piece in the NY Times about Radio Swan on 1160 and the then FCC said they had no idea what was happening, though I believe they knew a lot more than they let on. I thought I still had that clipping. Need to look for it. Maybe if someone files a complaint saying the tone is being modulated with a slow-scan-TV replay of the half-time show from the 2004 Super Bowl, that will get the attention of these bureaucrats. -- Tone was audible at 1645 local (LSS at 1730) on 1020 here in Tampa on the delco in my truck (Bob Foxworth, FL, 1811 EST, ibid.) Mystery Test tone on 12/1/06 1720 EST - solid signal pegging the S- meter, crushing KDKA (barely heard way underneath). Heading is to the NNE using the SM1 Loop. Certainly KDKA must be receiving a lot of interference complaints? (Fred Nordquist, Moncks Corner, SC (~25 miles north of Charleston SC) 33.21756N, 79.95798W, FM03AF, Receiver: Sony ICF-2010. Antenna: SM1 Loop, NRC-AM via DXLD) Jim Tonne: I got a sharp null on the 1020 tone from Morgantown, WV (39 deg 41 min N -- 79 deg 55 min W): 103 deg, corrected for magnetic declination, which puts it on a line thru Annapolis, MD from here at my dayjob. At 2315 EST this evening, the 1020 tone tester has KDKA down for the count at my home QTH, which is only 47 miles SSW of KDKA's Allison Park, PA transmitter site. We are at the edge of their grade A contour. In fairness to KDKA, we are in the zone where their groundwave & skywave cancel, so fading is normal here, but at least KDKA is normally listenable (for all dem Picksburgh Parrots games 'n 'at, for those of you who know Pittsburghese). But KDKA is completely unlistenable tonight, with the tone dominating the channel like a local. I checked the websites for KDKA-AM and KDKA-TV2, and see no mention of the problem. But I'll bet they've had plenty of calls & emails! Btw, if you want to see a jaw-dropping image of KDKA's tower on Google Maps, go to 40.55917, -79.95306 and satellite view --- you can see the red/white tower, and its shadow is so detailed you can see the tower gridwork in the shadow (Fred Schroyer, Waynesburg, PA 15370 (40 air mis S of Pittsburgh - 20 air mis N of Morgantown, WV) Dec 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) Here it is at 12:14 EST [0514 UT Dec 2], Dr. Knowledge has been on for almost ten minutes now. No mentions made of the noise. I can, with varying success, null the TT and hear Dr. K. The TT is varying in signal strength, and it would be a challenge to listen to him for any length of time. As for the TT, I can null KDKA and the TT is booming in very loudly. I didn't pull out my compass but it seems to be approx 135 degrees this time. (Almost a straight SouthEast). I'll go look in the basement for the cat, who's been hiding down there ever since this began and call it a night. I'm working one of the Skywarn/NOAA special event stations tomorrow, and I'm kind of excited about it (Joe Miller, KD8DLU, Troy, Mich. 43.6N -81.18W Grid EN82 Dec 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) It's amazing just how strong this 1020 signal is. I had to come into work tonight because we lost one phase of our power lines and are running on generator power -- I'm still waiting for the power company to show up after 2.5 hours. Anyway, sitting here at my desk I can listen to the tone station quite clearly on my Icom IC718 (using a Windom antenna) less than 6 feet from our 10 KW transmitter on 990. Normally, I cannot get KDKA in this building at night, so this tone station has to be running some real heat. I would venture a guess that they are running much more than 50 kW -- more likely in the range of 100-250 kW, based on what I'm hearing and what everyone is reporting. It has to be the government. 73, (Rene' F. Tetro, Chief Engineer, Salem Communications - Philadelphia, 0541 UT Dec 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) Using my Sony ICF-SW7600GR I get a tonal [sic] null on 1020 kHz along the (approx.) 32 deg <--> 212 deg magnetic bearing axis which, given my 12 deg west magnetic declination, translates to a 20 deg <--> 200 deg true bearing axis. So the signal appears to be coming from either my NNE or my SSW. Note that a 200 deg true bearing from me runs east of Baltimore and DC and more or less bisects the line between Richmond and Newport News. Perhaps this is a Navy effort? Regards, (Pete Jernakoff, Lat.-Long. = 39 deg 44' 05" N / 75 deg 39' 50" W, K3KMS, Wilmington, DE, 1955 UT Dec 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) OK, now for the obvious but probably stupid question: any chance we can get a QSL for whatever/whoever this is? (Jim Pogue, Memphis, IRCA via DXLD) Jim, I doubt it. We don't know who was operating the tone. Even if we did, if it was military or government, they may not even admit to broadcasting it. Also, no IDs, so it would be hard to QSL the station. Though, very interesting. I agree that is must to be at least 10 kW to be heard coast to coast so well. Here in NW Oregon it was S9 one night! But I too would love to QSL it. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside, IRCA via DXLD) I wonder if a Freedom of Information Act request would pry an explanation out of someone. At the very least they should be able to explain that they were testing some transmitter or the like even if the exact eventual disposition may be classified. My gosh, the signal is being heard all across the country and even in other countries including Europe (Bill Harms, MD, IRCA via DXLD) For the record, the 1020 signal loops much stronger to the SOUTH of here than to the NORTH towards New Jersey. I may be doing something wrong, but the signal is stronger on my SW and SE loops of my K9AY than on the NW and NE. My bearing is about 190 Degrees which puts it south of Washington, DC, and then near Richmond, Virginia. This bearing more or less follows I95 after that to about Georgia and Florida. I am eyeballing this on my map here, so this is just a rough idea (Bill Harms, Elkridge, Maryland, 2051 UT Dec 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This would rule out speculation about Ft Monmouth NJ it would seem. Also Aberdeen PG [Proving Ground]. Looks as if my guesses are wide of the mark. But why stop now? We're having MORE fun than a DX'er should be ALLOWED to have! Two possible candidates in the area you describe could be Camp A P Hill in northernmost VA, or the FBI facility at Quantico. Back in my college days I used to drive back and forth through A P Hill on Rt 207 after leaving 301 in Md. and picking up US 1 north of Richmond, on my travels between NJ and NC. (this was before I-95 was even built). It's a big area. Or could we even deign to bring out the name Vint Hill? I thought the "company" shut that one down and it's in the area as well. Don't forget that this tone being heard so well is that it's basically a "CW ID" that we love so much on DX tests, except that the key is locked in the "on" position. It's pushing through right now at 2230 local time. The mix on 1020 is Kendall in kreyol, and reloj from Cuba, about even, with no sign of KDKA, as usual here on the west coast of FL (Bob Foxworth, Tampa FL, 2241 EST Dec 1, IRCA via DXLD) KDKA knows what's going on - their news director is a friend of mine, and I tipped him off this morning. I believe he's been talking with their chief engineer all day about it. I had rare daytime KDKA reception here in Rochester as early as 2 PM, with the tone right there underneath it... s (Scott Fybush, 2217 UT Dec 1, IRCA via DXLD) Willis, I already made some observations on the unID tester on 1620: It's not LBA. It's not Greenville VOA. It's not MCB [Marine Corps Base Camp] LeJeune. All three are local or semi-local, and the tester is not here. I think the experimental license for the group in Maryland is almost certain. And I forgot who has that license. Can anyone tell us who has it? 73 de (Charlie Taylor, 2251 UT, Dec 1, IRCA via DXLD) For 1020, put me down for 190 degrees (Bill Harms, Elkridge, Maryland, 0105 UT Dec 2, IRCA via DXLD) Jim, If you do a map for 1020, here's my input: Coord: 26 20 N, 80 06 W; Bearing: 22.5 degrees - NNE. Same direction as with the 1610 signal (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Ratón, (southeast) Florida, 0141 UT Dec 2, IRCA via DXLD At Lansdale, PA (40D12M31S - 75D18M22S NAD27) the signal on 1020 is coming from 107 degrees [east of] true north -- about 85 degrees east of the 1610 signal last night. Signal on my R75 with Terk AM Advantage Antenna is - believe or not - 10 over S9! No sign of KDKA. Readings taken at 2041 EST (0141 UT). (Rene F. Tetro Lansdale, PA, USA, IRCA via DXLD) Glenn: Wouldn't the fact that this one was heard nearly all over the country indicate that it was using much more than 10 kW or multiple locations? I just find it hard to believe that it was only 10 kW. 10 kW from any east coast location other than south Florida isn't going to make much of a noise in Cuba (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) John, Surely they would move these transmitters closer to Cuba when actually put into service. All the DF on 1610 converges on the NJ-VA corridor. 1610 reports from the west coast were certainly weaker than in the east, but it is a clear channel (the only one!) except for TIS/HAR and those two low-power Canadians (OK, and Anguilla, which is surely QRP now). 1020 has already been tried for broadcasts to Cuba from Turks & Caicos. 590 would be head-to-head against powerful Cuban transmitters already there. The ultimate frequencies could be near but not exactly the ones tested. 1040 was used in the Missile Crisis from Tortugas for VOA (long before Martí existed). In case you haven`t seen it, here is another thread, implying that Clear Channel is somehow involved in this: This link will fill in some of the blanks on the 1610, 1020 signals. It's a legit signal. 10 kw. Watch wrap if any... http://radioinsight.com/boards/index.php?t=msg&th=6965&start=0&S=5710d164d16221d27dc956ae58fbeb67 (Bill Frahm - Boise, amfmtvdx via DXLD) For those that want to hear it "live", head over here - http://www.chilton.com/scripts/radio/R8-receiver Hammering KDKA. So. The military is testing a bunch of transmitters to be deployed where and why? Lemme guess. The government is preparing a "Bay of Pigs II" ? I imagine that once Fidel is gone, he will be quickly replaced with his brother and no one will notice the difference (Colin Newell - in Victoria B.C. Canada, Editor-Creator http://www.coffeecrew.com | http://www.dxer.ca 0628 ut Dec 2, IRCA via DXLD) 1020 tone VERY strong here, 1139+ GMT Saturday a.m. with only traces of Reloj and KDKA with brokered talker under. Ran an FCC dB check, nothing matches 1020 and 1610 but if approved spooks, no surprise it wouldn't show here. One interesting and presumed unrelated entry on 1610 is an experimental (supposedly dismissed/denied status) listed as 400 watts "mobile" within 15 mile of Pactolus, NC. Guess what, that's five miles south of the VOA-Greenville complex. WC2XKX licensed to LBA Technology. Seem to think I stumbled on this one during the last unID test and reported it, but not sure, so worth mentioning again. For certain though I never noticed until now that they are (were) also licensed to 530 and 1040. That's not quite 590 and 1020, but close! Go figure (Terry L Krueger, Dec 2, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here in Missouri last night, it utterly demolished KDKA (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, Dec 2, IRCA via DXLD) 1020 kHz unID tone station still clearly audible during the day hours at 1300 in Lansdale, PM. Fighting it out on car radio with WIBG, but easily brought into the clear in the house on the R75 with Terk AM Advantage by nulling WIBG. It looks like the UNID toner is still at about 107 degrees from here, which is about 25 degrees south of the WIBG peak. 73, (Rene' F. Tetro, Lansdale, PA, USA, Dec 2, IRCA via DXLD) WPTX 1690 and "The Tone" on 1020 have roughly the same signal strength here in the daytime. WPTX is 172 degrees, is 65 miles from here from here, and uses 10 kW. If "the Tone" also uses 10 kW, I would guess it is within 60 to 120 miles from here... Yes, this is not the best way to judge signal strength, but it is interesting nonetheless (Bill Harms, MD, 1935 UT Dec 2, IRCA via DXLD) Something I found on Hard-Core DX: http://tonnesoftware.com/1020.gif Odd how those two lines intersect at a certain government facility at Berryville, Virginia (Curtis Sadowski, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) We need to refine our direction finding capabilities. My I suggest that instead of using compass angles from your location use the deviation angle to a known station transmitter site instead. Transmitter site coordinates are very accurate. Get a null on a big power house and then retune and adjust antenna for a null on the unknown signal. Anyone with a Quantum loop or equivalent or a good quality portable radio can easily do this. For example the test tone on 1020, report your bearing relative to KDKA, KYW, WBAL or other easily heard powerhouse in the vicinity. From my location the signal from the tone tester on 1020 is about ten degrees south of bearing to KDKA. The station on 1610 was a few degrees south of bearing to WTAM on 1100. The map created by Jim Tonne looks good and is a great idea, lets give him more accurate information to use for a better fix on the tone testers. Anyone with ideas or suggestions to improve on this are welcome (Tom Jasinski, Shorewood, IL, Dec 2, IRCA via DXLD) WORLD IS NOT FLAT --- Jim, Looking at your 1020 map http://tonnesoftware.com/1020.gif as well as 1610 map, it seems that all the lines are straight. Since a bearing is really a great circle, shouldn`t they be curved on that map projection? Or is it possible for your base map to be based on great circles even tho we don`t really know the center, since that is what we are trying to locate? As someone else mentioned a while ago, NOT using great circles, but drawing straight lines on a flat map can cause large errors at several hundred miles distance, defeating the purpose of this exercise. This is a separate issue, of course, from making correxions for magnetic declination, which is also essential if using a compass. 73, (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Jim's Great Circle Map (Pizza) has both rectangular and polar map projections menus. The rectangular map has the curved lines. The polar map has straight lines, but both are great circle bearings. I assume the map he is using in this exercise is the polar projection. The menu is slightly different than his freeware version. Perhaps he can clear this up. Come to think of it, polar projection may only give straight lines for one point of origin, and not all points on the map. 73, (Gil NN4CW Stacy, IRCA via DXLD) I think that only an azimuthal equidistant projection (and therefore centered on only one location) would give straight lines to any reporter's location. Polar - per se - wouldn't do the trick. So maybe Jim took a reasonable guess as to that location, did an az equi and any resulting errors are minimal. Dunno. I'm just taking an educated guess (Chuck Hutton, ibid.) Glenn, There's a map (I can't recall the name) which is a projection of the earth from the standpoint of a globe where the bearings can be drawn as straight lines. The map is distorted as the map would be if it were a picture of the earth. This map is used by the military for DFing. I don't know if it's available for civilians or if it's unclassified (Chuck Bolland, FL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I guess that`s the azimuthal equidistant projection as the previous Chuck just mentioned. But straight lines as Great Circles apply only to radiating from the central point of the map. Nothing classified about them; hams commonly have them custom-made to know where to point their beams (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Gents: First, someone wrote to tell me the lines I drew on the 1610 map were not correct. The map, I replied, was really a great-circle projection and was correct. Ha! The joke was on me. The map was indeed correct; the LINES were off by varying amounts. It will take some work to correct the situation. End of confession! As of 10:30 this Saturday morning we have three pretty good bits of data on the 1020 signal location. Each of the data has been entered into the "system" and the results drawn without error (this time). To do this within a reasonable time frame required some manipulation on my part and I had to draw the lines by hand and scan the resultant. It is now posted here: http://tonnesoftware.com/1020.gif As can be seen, a couple of listeners with decent accuracy in getting the signal direction from points in central or eastern New York or Pennsylvania will nail it. Send your name, city/state, latitude, longitude and the apparent source azimuth and I'll add it to the list. So far the data seems pretty good (JimTonne, Dec 2, radio-insight.com DX board via DXLD) Have not yet seen Jim`s direct reply to me, held up in some digest, I suppose. Latest version of above map shows the lines are still straight. I don`t see any way to change the projexion; the buttons on the edge don`t work (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Azimuth projection, I believe. There is an online generator here: http://www.wm7d.net/azproj.shtml 73, de (Nate Bargmann, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Finally here is Jim Tonne`s reply, delayed for me in an NRC digest] Glenn: You are VERY correct! ``Since a bearing is really a great circle, shouldn`t they be curved on that map projection?`` Yes! That is why, now, I have been recentering the map here on the listener's location, placing the line (which is now much more accurate but as it travels farther and farther fails to curve, note where it goes over the probable target, note the appearance, draw a line on a map, etc. Scan it, post it. The map program can draw a grid. But it breaks up that grid into small pieces and plots it bit by bit. I should do the same thing for ultimate accuracy on this project but it is just not worth it. The accuracy of the submitted data is not as good as that. Perhaps when I am really bored I'll write the routine to break up that one line into pieces and plot it piece by piece. But - you have a very valid point. The technique I am now using is much better but still flawed (Jim Tonne, TN, 2209 UT Dec 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) It was extremely strong on 1020 in W. Ma. at 0756 EST coming in best on the SE EWE, but just went off (K1YGG, 1258 UT Dec 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) The tone test, now on 1020 kHz, was constantly audible underneath my semi-local KOKP, around 0608 UT Dec 3 (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Although the mystery tone on 1020 did not stop at 0700 EST as had been predicted, it does seem to be off the air now at 1025 EST. In the phase null of WBZ's IBOC hash I have WIBG all alone on 1020. Can anyone closer to the DC area confirm that the 1020 tone is now off? (Marc DeLorenzo, South Dennis, MA, Dec 3, IRCA via DXLD) Tracking 1610 & Co. --- I can only wonder if these broadcasts are the result of too much discussion about Polonium 210 on the IRCA list. If you don't hear from me in a week. Anyhow, for those who really want to know... Why not call a reporter or editor at the New York Times, or local papers of affected stations, e.g., Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Also worth approaching the broadcast trade magazines. I think it would also very much be worth more than one call to the FCC, to get something on the record. If they tell you 'no comment' or 'we don't know', that can be substantial, especially if or when it turns out they do know. FOIA info access requests would be worthwhile. There's a group called Investigative Reporters and Editors. Their members know how to access FOIA requests, and maybe a staffer there can point you to a couple good investigative journalists (at NY Times, etc., but there are some good, dogged people at smaller papers) who specialize in this sort of thing. It is also worth contacting any stations that are or might be significantly affected. Think of daytimers close enough to the signal, or nightimers that might experience hampered coverage. Talk with their NEWS staff (if they have any). This is also a good one for Coast to Coast, though I see this lower on the order of priorities. I'm kicking myself for assuming 1610 tone would be with us a bit longer. Am in a work binge here, and never got to the car radio. Tried 1020 last night downtown and had a possible tone. Will try this evening. 590 is blocked by a local. I will post some basic info on one e-mail list where some good U.S. reporters lurk (Saul Chernos, ON, 1532 UT Dec 3, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) I'm about to send the following brief synopsis to a group of journalists: "I've a potential story: In the last week or so, someone has started testing radio stations on the AM band, using tone signals. The signals are being heard widely, as far away as Europe and the west coast. At least one of the tests may be causing some interference to a station in Pittsburgh. A group of people I know -- DXers whose hobby it is to monitor the radio bands for long-distance signals (Google 'DX' for more info) - have done some very rudimentary direction finding and suspect the Virginia-Maryland area, and also strongly suspect military tests. The time frame of these tests appears to be limited. They have come on the air suddenly, and then disappeared, one frequency at a time, first on 1610, then 1020, and there is talk of the next station being on 590. I don't mean to engender discussion here. But if any of you want to pursue this, feel free to contact me offlist and I will get you started." OK, DXers! Before I post this to my list of journalists, I am asking if any of you might be interested in a call from an enterprising reporter should one contact me? Volunteers? (Saul Chernos, 1557 UT, ibid.) Glenn: This is from an "off-topic" list sponsored by the moderators of the BC or Broadcast list (Bill Harms, MD, Dec 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Sat, 2 Dec 2006 19:11:36 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Humphrey Subject: Re: [AF] tone tes-ter is now on 1020 To: The Alternate Frequency Neal, I have concerns about this too. But Kent says it's OK and authorized. Not sure by whom, and my Washington DC guy is out of the country for another week (Douglas B. Pritchett) Based on the "clues" I've seen here, I think it's a reincarnation of WC2XKX, operating in excess of 400 watts and past the 12/01/06 expiration date under some type of STA. Search the experimental database for WC2XKX here: https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/els/reports/CallsignSearch.cfm The 2006 application requests operation at 530, 1040, 1610, and 1620 kHz, with modulation frequency not exceeding 3000 Hz. The specified frequency tolerance of +/- 6.0 percent permits 1020 to be used in lieu of 1040. Note also that the 2004 renewal application states that an added purpose of the authorization would include "Testing of short antenna configurations for homeland security applications", which implies there might be some federal "carte blanche" going on. Regarding the apparent lack of station ID, the applicable FCC rule (47 CFR 5.115) only requires experimental stations to transmit a callsign "at the end of each complete transmission", so we may need wait a while longer for that (Mark Humphrey) (via Bill Harms, dxldyg via DXLD) We pointed out the WC2XKX FCC info early on (gh, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ BDXC-AFRICA AND INDIA UPDATES The BDXC pages for 'Africa on Shortwave' and the 'Indian Sub-Continent on the Tropical Bands' have been updated as of December 2006. http://www.bdxc.org.uk/ Click on 'Articles Index Page'. (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, Dec 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ Suggestions for learning Spanish: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/archive/swprograms/msg04582.html (Dan Say, via DXLD) MUSEA +++++ NEW BROADCASTING MUSEUM OPENS IN HILVERSUM On Friday evening, Queen Beatrix opened the new Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision building in Hilversum, which houses the television and radio archives of Dutch national broadcasting. There are also some pages in English. Rotterdam architects Neutelings Riedijk have designed what looks basically like a cube but is enveloped in a spectacular glass façade of multi-coloured computer- controlled images. And that is just a foretaste of what awaits the visitor inside. A large central court extends up the full height of the building... http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/?p=6681 [illustrated] (December 2nd, 2006, 12:14 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Space Weather Canada 27 - Day Magnetic Activity Forecast from Nov 30: http://www.spaceweather.gc.ca/forecast27days_e.php (via DXLD) A new sunspot active region growing fast, and according to what scientists are watching, we may see solar flares during the next several days. Actually propagation condition on the HF region of the spectrum area between 10 and 20 megaHertz were quite good during the past two days, and should continue to be good for at least two more days. More about the HF propagation conditions later, at the end of the program when Arnie Coro's HF plus low band VHF update and forecast... [but missing, incomplete except for:] Sí amigos, yes my friends, short wave propagation is always full of surprises, even when going trough solar minimum as is happening right now !!! (Arnie Coro, CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited Dec 2, ODXA via DXLD) HARMONIC LOGS FROM ADELAIDE SOUTH AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2006 23690, 0312 China Business Radio. CNR2. H2 2 x 11845, Poor with MA/FA with Mandarin program, readable in am-n [narrow] on the R75, a little muffled though!, 11845 not heard, 0322 better heard on 23690, Far East Service. Nov 3rd 23900, 0329, China PRC. PBS. Xizang. H2. 2 x 11950 kHz, Talk with MA, poor in am-n, Mandarin. Nov 3rd 19520, 1358, VOA. Philippines. H2. 2 x 9760 kHz. VOA English program, to South Asia. Very poor audio, not sure if I meant modulation or a weak signal, just a brief note in my log, this transmitter is usually pretty good and don't remember hearing this before. Nov 10th 23320, 0217, China Business Radio. CNR2. Mandarin to Far East. H2. 2 x 11660, muffled in am-n, poor overall. Nov 10th 23500, 0224, BBCWS. Singapore. English to South Asia. H2. 2 x 11750, Fundamental 4 x 4 with pre-amp one, 23500 4 x 4 with QSB. English program, Iraq war, BBC promo, ID 0230. Nov 10th Hearing many carriers on 23 MHz, 23700, 0231, H2 2 x 11850 or H4 5925 Carrier S4, 23720, 0234, S3.5 China PRC or NHK Japan, 23900, 0236, H2 2 x 11950 China PBS Xizang Mandarin or H4 4 x 5975, 24020, 0238, S3.5 H4 4 x 6005 SLBC Sri Lanka EE to South Asia, about the only one that seems possible, no audio heard on any of these, all noted last month, in November, not checked these lately. Also was keeping an eye on Africa Number One, Gabon, and was hearing a Carrier around 0555 on 19160 on November 1. W6EL prop had peak time in VK5 0600-0630z, tried often and only heard a carrier a few times. Also 18690, Carrier S3 H2 2 x 9345 VO Korea around 0310 Nov 2, no audio, And 14560, 0320 China V of Strait, Mandarin to Far East S3, no audio, many more around !! 73 (Dave, Adelaide, South Australia, Vitek, grid pf95ga Icom R75 and G5RV swl call vk5001swl ALL TIMES UTC, Dec 3, harmonics yg via DXLD) I check 23-25 MHz periodically in daytime but haven`t heard any traces of harmonics for ages (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###