DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-001, January 2, 2007 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 2007 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html For restrixions and searchable 2006 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid6.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 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1342 Wed 2300 WBCQ 7415 Thu 0000 WBCQ 18910-CLSB Fri 2130 WWCR1 7465 Sat 1330 WRMI 7385 Sat 1730 WWCR3 12160 Sat 2230 WRMI 9955 Sun 0330 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0730 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0900 WRMI 9955 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 NETS TO YOU January 2007: http://www.w4uvh.net/nets2you.html DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS Jan 2: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location. Here`s where to sign up http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** ABKHAZIA. 9494.75, Dec 31 2006, 0350 UT, Apsua Radio (Abkhazia), in presumed Abkhaz language, music and clear IDs, slightly distorted audio, SINPO 34322. Parallel to 9535.0 where the audio seemed to be better but the signal was covered by REE. 9535 SINPO: 42322. Another new station for me, and the only one from Georgia currently, apart from the sparse Radio Hara. Rx: JRC NRD-525, Antenna: 25m wire in the trees. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Mainz / Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALBANIA. R. Tirana, Jan 2, *0245-0258* 6115 S9 +36 dB (max) no QRM. 7465 S9 +33 dB (max) no QRM. New Year program with songs. 0254 UT slight QRM on 6115 from Channel Africa's ident signal on 6120 (Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) In some recent DXLD there were information regarding Radio Tirana, and web sites not being up-to-date etc. ... It may add for information, at least for those with some working knowledge of German, that the German speaking Radio Tirana Listeners Club now also is on web, with a new web site http://www.agdx.de/rthk/ yet to be expanded over time, with up-to-date information on the German language broadcasts of Radio Tirana. It also offers for download a free pdf folder (look for "Download Faltblatt" under selection "Radio Tirana") with the complete information re schedule, programmes, addresses etc. of Radio Tirana, German section. Enjoy! (Dr. Anton J. Kuchelmeister, Germany, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BAHRAIN. Radio Bahrain noted on 6010.1 quite regularly here 1900- 1930, time check for 10 o`clock, news headlines, identification followed by pop music (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** BANGLADESH. Today I listened to 4750 kHz, of course to find out if there are new stations appearing [UGANDA]. At 1530 UT I heard a news bulletin and a news commentary from Radio Bangladesh Betar in Shavar with very good reception quality, only interferred by a Chinese speaking station. 73 from (Björn Fransson, the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea of Sweden, Jan 2, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. Dear Glenn, It appears Radio Belarus is now on a new schedule: Radio Belarus, 1500-1700 Belarusian, 1700-1900 Russian, 1900-2040 German, 2040-2100 Polish, 2100-2300 English, 2300-2400 Russian. Same frequencies as before. Best reception in Sweden on 7420 kHz. Kind regards (Christer Brunström, Halmstad, Sweden, Jan 2, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) English had been at 2000-2200 (gh) ** BELARUS. 6070, Jan 01 2007, 0140 UT, Belarusskoye Radio 1 via Brest, in Russian with dance music. Surprisingly strong signal from a Belarussian lowpower, at SINPO 53443. The only other frequency of BR1 at similar strength was the second Brest frequency, 6010, at SINPO 42432 with IRIB disturbing Rx: JRC NRD-525, Antenna: 25m wire in trees (Eike Bierwirth, Mainz / Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. Whatever became of R. Logos, Santa Cruz? The new station on 6165 was reported on the air last year, but heard by hardly anyone, no reports since May or so. Current EiBi indicates the best chances should be just before Bonaire opens at 1100 and again at 2300. On weekends Chad supposedly runs until 2300 instead of 2230* Logos is supposedly on the air all day, so it should be a possible daytime catch in the Southern Cone, altho maybe not in the summer. Please try for it and let`s see if anyone can confirm it active now. ¿Qué pasó con Radio Logos? La nueva emisora en Santa Cruz, Bolivia, no se ha captado desde mayo, parece, en 6165. Evitando la interferencia de Bonaire, las mejores oportunidades deben ser poco antes de la apertura de ésta a las 11 y nuevamente a las 23 TU. Talvez Logos llegará al Cono Sur durante el día, aunque peor en el verano. Por favor tratar de confirmar si la emisora se queda activa en el aire (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Last I talked with Ray Rising, CP6RR in Sta. Cruz, BO in early Dec. 06, R. Logos was alive and well with no reports of technical problems and getting listener reports from in and around E. Bolivia. Ray is now back in the USA but Julio Andino remains in Sta Cruz as station engineer (Wayne Borthwick, VA7GF, Grand Forks, BC Canada, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wayne first brought us news of R. Logos about a year ago (gh, DXLD) Hola Glenn y amigos! Yo la he escuchado en un par de oportunidades en el otoño local, quizas hacia las fechas que vos indicas y luego, efectivamente, no la volví a sintonizar ni a ver reportada por otros colegas. La semana próxima estaré viajando de vacaciones a una zona serrana de la provincia de Córdoba. Se trata de un lugar espectacular para hacer DX que durante el 2006 me permitió realizar no sólo excelentes escuchas sino también sintonizar las emisoras con muy buena señal y calidad lo que facilitaba identificaciones y extracción de datos. La zona es muy favorable para la sintonía de radios de la región andina así que haré propicia la ocasión para buscar a esta y otras radios de las que poco sé (caso de Radio Cooperativa, Huanuni y un largo etcetera). 73 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, condig list via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Hi all, Radio San Miguel replied to me with an e-mail from David Terrazas Irina, Director, radiosanmiguel_riberalta @ yahoo.es -- Muchas gracias por escucharnos. Nos alegra recibir este tipo de noticia. A nombre de todo el equipo de Radio San Miguel te enviamos nuestros saludos y deseamos que este 2007 sea de lo mejor para ti y toda tu familia. Desde ya te aviso que tu correo lo exponderemos en nuestra galería de oyentes internacionales en el acto de inauguración el sábado 13 de enero del presente año. En esa fecha inauguraremos nuestro nuevo edificio. Por ahora no estamos saliendo al aire porque nos hemos dedicado a trasladar nuestras cosas a la nueva oficina. Esperamos seguir comunicándonos y desde ya contamos contigo como un oyente más de nuestra emisora. Con afecto. David Terrazas Irina, DIRECTOR RADIO SAN MIGUEL 73 from (Björn Fransson, Gotland, Sweden, Jan 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Says they are off the air at the moment as they are moving into a new building to be inaugurated Jan 13. No mention of frequency; they had been most recently on 4695v (gh, DXLD) ** BULGARIA. R. Varna is supposed to change from 7600 to 7200 effective January 1, but which would it be this week for the Sunday only/UT Monday 4-sesquihour broadcast at 2200-0400? UT Jan 1 at 0244 I could not hear it on either, whilst 7200 had the Yakutsk Warbler. It was mixed with a trace of something else, I know not what. Bulgaria was propagating on the band, with R. Bulgaria audible in French on 7400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURMA [non]. Re: ``Frequency change for Democratic Voice of Burma in Burmese: 1430-1528 now 9415 via Yerevan 300 kW ex 9960, 300 kW (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Dec 5 via DX Listening Digest)`` Presumed the station heard 1523 on 9415 December 29th, speech partly in English and local language, translation of speech in local language faded up, abruptly cut off mid sentence 1530, excellent reception, SINPO 44444 (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** CHILE. Estoy escuchando desde las 2116 en 17645 una emisora en español con emisión de música y canciones de cantautor. Locutor con comentarios. Alguien puede confirmar que pueda tratarse de CVC. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, Jan 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes indeed José, it's CVC; 17645 is in // with 17680 which is very poor here in France. 17645 is not listed in their schedule. Regards (Jean-Michel Aubier, ibid.) 17645 is supposed to be China via Chile in Portuguese during this hour. Probably feed mixup (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** CHINA. 6060, PBS Sichuan (presumed), 1004-1048 Jan 1, YL DJ with many brief on-air phone conversations (with both "Wei`` plus ``Ni hao`` [traditional Chinese greetings] and also ``Hello``), often gives phone numbers to call, many Chinese ballads and pop songs, mentions “FM”, poor-fair, // 7225 poor (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. Jan 1 at 2153 found English on 7285, mailbag mostly from people in China it seemed, with names and comments in Chinese interjected, about NY resolutions. Some of the people were identified by numbers as is appropriate for a Communist state. Constant lo het, from another broadcaster or ham protester? Seemed like a program from the domestic service in English; 2155 said would be back in a few hours at ``5 o`clock``, but then CRI outro and music, // 5960, both relayed by Albania (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 5910, Dec 31 2006, 0448 UT, Marfil Estéreo, latino music and IDs, SINPO 32432. My first log for this country since the days of CARACOL 5075 and Radio Nacional 4955!! Rx: JRC NRD-525, Antenna: 25m wire in the trees. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Mainz / Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Bien, queridos amigos, he continuado actualizando mi lista de escuchas y comparto con todos ustedes las estaciones que hasta el momento he podido sintonizar en Venezuela entre las 0000 y las 0100 UT. Estas emisoras han sido recepcionadas en este horario y frecuencias con mis receptores Yaesu FT-890 y Degen 1103. Un abrazo para todos y de nuevo Feliz año nuevo 2007. [excerpt] Radio Habana Cuba 5965-6000-6140-9600-12045-11875-11760-11705 kHz Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This caught my eye, because 12045 is not a listed or known RHC frequency. It must be a leapfrog mixing product of 11705 over 11875 at 170 kHz intervals (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mi querido amigo, lo que me comentas es muy interesante; por cierto estuve revisando y no aparece esa frecuencia por ninguna parte como frec. de RHC, pero como la sigo escuchando allí, opté por reportarla. De repente alguien más la ha escuchado por allí, o tienen esa opción de escucha que puede ser rara. ¿Cómo la catalogas tú, amigo Glenn? Recibe un fuerte abrazo y gracias por tus aclaratorias (José Elías, ibid.) Aunque no he encontrado otras captaciones de 12045, la catalogo como una frecuencia espúrea transmitida, bastante común desde esa emisora en muchos otros casos. 73, (Glenn, ibid.) ** CUBA. RHC in Spanish on 6140 // 6060 with music a reverb apart, indicating different sites and/or feed routing, at 0241 Jan 1; // 5965 was synchronized with 6060 rather than 6140 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Habana Cuba I tuned in to 6180 at 1245 UT Sunday December 31 and it was coming in very well here in Spanish (thanks to a tip from gh). It was off at 1300. 12000 was equally strong. Transmissions in Creole have been replaced by French again; observed for the past three days (to Jan. 1). Maybe for weekends and holidays. Heard Arnie Coro at about 2115 Dec. 31 on 11760. He was on only for a short time but was talking about a drive that is on in Cuba to conserve electricity by replacing incandescent light bulbs with new energy saving bulbs. I had to chuckle to myself. There was no suggestion of reducing the number of shortwave transmissions. For example there are eight frequencies in use for Spanish from 1300 to 1400 and 0200 to 0500 and seven at other times. Also six for English from 0500 to 0700. Then there are the jammers. So much for saving electricity (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. Another new unscheduled frequency for R. Martí is 9825, where heard with heavy jamming Jan 1 at 0247. This evidently replaces 9725, where it was for a few weeks at 0000-0300, but now not heard there. Lighter ``maracas`` jamming was still on 9725 molesting Defunct Gene Scott via Costa Rica. This could be a permanent move once Cahuita complained, or it could be another here-and-there tactic against the jamming, like R. Martí does at 0700 on 5890 or 5980, forcing the DCJC to dilute its efforts. I found that RM on 9825 was about one second ahead of // 7365, so that makes 9825 Delano and 7365 Greenville, as previously explained. I am surprised no one has reported 9825 before, and wonder how long it has been in use. On 6030 nothing but jamming was audible, but surely RM is still there too --- except both sides should be taking their weekly rest period on all frequencies 0400-1000 UT Monday (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC [and non]. Re 6-193 --- According to http://www.radio.cz/en/programme R. Prague is involved in both shows, but only Insight Central Europe is on the SW schedule and only on certain specified Saturday broadcasts. Network Europe is available ondemand from them (Glenn Hauser, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) Thanks, Glenn, for correcting the error - I mistook ICE for NE. Happy 2007, everyone! (Richard Cuff, ibid.) ** CZECH REPUBLIC [non]. Another contract which was supposedly ending Dec 31 is R. Prague via Canada. Please check if English is still on 5990 at 0400; maybe I will remember to check at 1500 on 15160. Also scheduled at 2330 on 5990, same time in Spanish on 6000. Tnx, (Glenn Hauser, UT Jan 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing heard on 5990 at 0400, except heavy splatter on adjacent 5895 from WYFR (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Gone from 15160 at 1500 Jan 2; too bad, as that was reliable and convenient here even if a day late (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. RADIO PRAGUE ISSUES NEW SERIES OF QSL CARDS FOR 2007 One of the few international broadcasters that still takes the issuing of QSL cards very seriously is Radio Prague. Each calendar year, they issue a series of eight cards on a particular Czech theme. This year’s series is Czech observation towers. Read and listen to the interview with Radio Prague’s Director Miroslav Krupicka, and get a sneak preview of two of the cards, on this page. http://www.radio.cz/en/article/86800 January 2nd, 2007, 16:56 UTC by Andy (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** DENMARK. Snippets from my current mid New Year's Day listening: Denmark indeed still going on 234 and 1062, as Stig Hartvig Nielsen said would be the case (Chris Greenway, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, New Years Greetings, Delighted to report that both Kalundborg transmitters are providing clear and steady signals on 243 and 1062 as of 1000 today Jan 1 2007. 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 5009.75, Radio Pueblo, 1132-1158, 12/29/06, in Spanish. Energetic Latin music with lively vocals, brass and prominent percussion and regular "Radio Pueblo" IDs heard. Brief English ID by OM at 1146, mentioning "Santo Domingo," "English," "two frequencies," "AM Stereo on coast-to-coast on Radio Crystal International." This was heard at a very good level until 1158 when an overwhelming noise burst ruined reception. This seemed to be concentrated around this frequency, and after several re-checks it was gone. Also zero-beated frequency to 5010, so perhaps AIR carrier was present (Ross Comeau, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. Aventura Diexista, HCJB`s Spanish DX program I came across in progress UT Monday Jan 1 at 0249 on VG 9745. Alen Grájam was interviewing some preacher with an odd accent, Japanese overlaid on Spanish, named Katsuo(?). Discussed enthusiasm of a few Japanese DXers for HCJB who listen to it and send reports in Spanish. Seems Katsuo is responsible for the resumption of Japanese-language programming, scheduled Friday and Saturday at 2230 on 15525. This of course is Kununurra, which I did not hear mentioned, but may have been before I intuned. According to the HCJB B-06 schedule at http://www.bclnews.it/b06schedules/hcjb.htm this 2230-2300 broadcast is on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore we may conclude that the days of week put out in HCJB`s published schedule are not proper UT days, but local days in target! I checked HCJB`s regional Spanish frequency, 6050, and found the same program, but 7 seconds ahead of 9745, so apparently separate playouts, and perhaps 9745 and 6050 are not always //? Back to 9745 as Juan Carlos wrapped it up revealing Alen Grájam was in San Luís, Missouri at the moment. And as usual, automation cut off the last word of the program so all he got to say was ``Aventura. . .`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. FREE RADIO --- Mystery Radio has been broadcasting a hosted evening show 1800-1900 on 6220, email mysteryradio @ googlemail.com Much of the rest of time is continuous music (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) See also ITALY ** FINLAND. Observations of YLE Radio Finland on its last day, Dec 31: at 1300 on 15400, 13715 to NAm, had a discussion in Finnish about continuing to be available via satellite, internet, mobile phones. After 1400 on 15400 only a church service; 1448 announcement on how to keep listening, NA and IS played until 1500* [my notes from phonecall show 1348 and 1400 for this; not sure which are correct]. Then at 2000, 6120 was just barely audible under Turkey in Turkish, until 2100* which must have been the end since nothing heard on 5970 at 2200 (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Christoph Ratzer meanwhile said that actual programming on 963 ran until 2145, concluding with the national anthem after they referred listeners to the Internet and satellite. Then only interval signal anymore for the last quarter hour (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) YLE Pori 963 shut down --- Dear DX-colleagues around the world, YLE Radio Finland, Pori 963 kHz closed down the MW station officially on 31st December 2006 at 2159 UT. The last hour consisted of Finnish language debate about the Pori SW-center, the Finnish national anthem and YLE interval signal. It is a really sad decision that YLE decided to shut down 963 kHz. Finnish truck drivers are very angry right now. Also Finnish citizens living abroad. YLE is still broadcasting on 558 kHz. All the YLE SW services are also closed down from the 1st January 2007. However, I wish you a Happy New Year 2007! (Hannu from Finland http://www.romppainen.net Jan 1, MWC via WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DXLD) FINLANDIA. Hoy 1 de Enero del 2007 se aprecia que YLE Radio Finland en su servicio para Europa en las frecuencias de 9630 y 11755 no están transmitiendo. El cierre se a hecho efectivo. Tentativa a las 0940 UT desde Burjasot en Valencia (España). (José Miguel Romero, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I can report Pori is silent which will clear 9630 in the afternoons and 11755 right up to 1700? 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) For those who speak Russian, YLE Radio Finland still had interesting broadcasts on SW. I have tuned to the last SW programme in Russian on December 31, from 1315 to 1355 UT on 9595 kHz (giving a nice 54433). The broadcast featured (after the usual news) a special programme dedicated to their disappearance on SW. They interviewed a Finnish member of the European parliament, who in former times was the Director of YLE. In the beginning, they discussed the future of YLE and its Russian service. It will continue via satellite, internet, and local mediumwave (i.e. 558 kHz). The interesting question whether the audience of the Russian service will be significantly lowered by the SW closure was not explicitly answered, as politicians love to. The rest of the interview dealt more or less with a 2006 review, especially of Finland's role in the EU etc. In contrast to decisionmakers, the hosts of the programmes seemed to take care about their shortwave listeners and gave a proper farewell, encouraging everybody to continue listening via internet, satellite and MW, knowing the problems this can pose deep inside Russia. After the end of the Russian programme at 1355, the supposedly last ever profane shortwave broadcast in Latin was aired. The Nuntii Latini are famous for latinising modern words unknown to the ancient Romans - in this edition, "president of the USA" (upon the passing of G. Ford), tsunami (they DO decline this Japanese word following the rules of Latin grammar!), and European Union. However, the news were cut in- half as the transmitter respectlessly was switched off at 1358, in the middle of the sentence. Happy new year, (Eike Bierwirth, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. Still tuned to 15160 after confirming Prague via Canada was gone, at 1555 Jan 2 heard some Afropop and French talk; apparently Meyerton on early for the scheduled English relay of RFI at 1600, which began after a timesignal almost half a minute late; only fair, but favorable for us as 328 degrees from South Africa toward West Africa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. Heard DW`s final Turkish broadcast Dec 31 at 1530, G on 15470 via Sines (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. It's IMPOSSIBLE to get a c o m p l e t e DWL schedule, as of Jan 1st. We Germans say: "Too many cooks spoil the broth" There are a lot of different departments in the bc-house. Similar experiences as of German Telecom or Hewlett Packard, big firms and uncounted departements. - The 10 years lasting contract between DWL & DTK Wertachtal [13 x 500 kW units] site ended last night at 2400 hrs UT. Outsourcer at DWL Bonn cut the contract at final date; the remaining Nauen site contract (5 x 500 kW) lasts till 2016y I guess [others say end of May 2007 is the final date]. Instead VCT (ex Merlin) London-GB installations will be used WORLDWIDE in future, luckily to the DWL budget, on lowered dumping price level. Problems, lasting since 20 hrs: DRM - no Wertachtal 3995 anymore. Albions at Skelton couldn't provide DRM equipment on Jan 1st date. DRM mornings via Woofferton, England 7275, and afternoon via Vienna Moosbrunn site 9655 or 9815. DRM 3995 at nighttime via Sines-Portugal then, 1600-0800 hrs UT. At present the DWL technicians fighting to get a positive syncronisation of common frequency 6075 and 9545, to get together different Nauen / U.K. Senders / Sines Portugal signals. 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [and non]. 6075 Sines/Skelton synchro messed up My first thought when I fired up the radio on 6075 after getting up shortly before 1200: Ooops, nothing?! But not so, there's a faint carrier. Then I went to a west-facing window and was able to make out that it's indeed DW in German. Christoph Ratzer just reported similar observations at Salzburg, he says 6075 is unlistenable there even on communications receivers with outdoor antenna. Glancing through the related postings that appeared in the A-DX mailing list indicates that it's more or less good in the western areas of Germany but drops severely when going further away from Skelton, such as here, about 100 km west of the border to Poland. Zeewolde on 5955, Berlin-Britz on 6005 and Moosbrunn on 6155 are booming in; even the almost 60-year-old Berlin transmitter on 6190, still around with some 15 kW, puts this poor Skelton signal to shame. And the climax for now: French to Africa via Woofferton on 17610, which started at 1200, is really good here. One can even get little pieces of German, but only until they fade them down for their voice- overs. On another check shortly after 1500, when the sun was about to set here, 6075 had finally gained a listenable level, and a bit further on, after 1530, it was really strong. But even stronger was 6140 with English, to my knowledge from Woofferton with a curtain aiming straight on me, in the Berlin/Prague direction where as everyone knows the vast majority of native speakers of English in Europe lives. So it seems, pending further observations of course, that the problem with 6075 is confined to the noon hours. But what will happen in spring, when sunset will shift later and later every day? I'm curious about the arrangements to be made for German if VTC really takes over also the Nauen transmissions in May. By the way, I meanwhile got it also from another source that the initial Nauen contract actually run until Dec 31 2016. So it appears that this is no regular expiration of another contract, instead DW presumably intends to use some exit provise here. Of course this is merely an interpretation of the Guardian report, so I have to maintain that the responsibility for the reported key fact (DW abandoning Nauen) being correct lies with them, not with yours truly. At the same time (1500-1600) I came across an AM signal on 49 metres still originating from TSI facilities: 6110, carrying programming from a Walterboro-based, uh, broadcaster. In November this transmission was shown as closing down at 1500, so apparently yet another schedule change took place here. This is Jülich, using the rotatable log.-periodic antenna, so ironically the very same aerial that beamed DW English on 6140 to the UK until about two years ago. 6075, next act: At 1700 suddenly a second audio signal appeared on 6075, 1.3 seconds ahead of the running one. This must be Sines, coming on 6075 as scheduled, which also means that Skelton has the delayed audio. Until yesterday 6075 was daily from 1700 a synchro operation of Wertachtal and Sines. The carriers were locked to the same reference (I think GPS), and audio was kept in synch by catching modulation with identical equipment (some receiver which is more or less a common standard for professional applications, can't remember the brand right now) from the very same source (Hotbird 6, transponder 155). Apparently the Skelton and Sines carriers are now locked as well, at least there are no signs of any SAH. A possible scenario for the 1.3 seconds delay: VTC feeds 6075 in their usual manner, by picking up the source at Bush House in London and routing it through their internal distribution system, resulting in another satellite hop with another encoding/decoding procedure. If so it would be really a poor idea, no matter that "we always do it this way". Didn't they pride the flexible service offered to DW? Anyway the result is an absolutely unlistenable mess, and I'm curious how long this situation will persist. A quick-and-dirty recording (sorry for the noise level) can again be found in the dxld Yahoo group (Kai Ludwig, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) DW German heard on its usual main freq of 6075 (carrying Angela Merkel's New Year message as I type at 1220), with better reception here in SE England than I had expected from its new UK site (Chris Greenway, ibid.) Kai, I'm interested in your observation about the concentration of native English speakers in the Berlin/Prague direction. I've never been to Germany so I'm unsure about the reasons why they would be in that area. Are they people from the UK and US who are doing business in the area? Are they military forces who are stationed there? Or something else? Thanks for the information and Happy New Year (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, ibid.) This was just sarcasm, since there is of course no such concentration, although one could argue that there are the US and UK forces in Germany. My actual point was that until yesterday 6140 with DW English had been beamed from Germany towards the UK. Now they are using an UK site to beam it back towards Germany, and this does not make much sense, at least not as much as the other way round. I can't help but suspect that the primary purpose of this outlet is just to keep the frequency occupied, rather than serving real listeners. [this bit on WORLD OF RADIO 1342] (Kai Ludwig, ibid.) And I missed the point entirely. Duh. But now I see what you mean. Skelton should be beaming south with a high angle antenna or perhaps just omni-directional to cover the UK and Ireland (Jerry Lenamon, ibid.) 6075 update: Right now, after 2300, I have a strong signal without echo. Appears to be a working synchro operation of both Sines and Woofferton, since there is the hollow sound which is typical for such arrangements. Earlier in the evening there was again an echo when Sines came on at 1700, so probably the problem is confined to Skelton. What I have at hand says that Woofferton is supposed to take turns from Skelton at 2000. Yesterday I noted in passing how apparently both signals, i.e. Skelton and Sines, were disappearing at 2000. I did not wait until transmission resumed then (Kai Ludwig, Jan 2, ibid.) ** GERMANY. 12260 --- An unwanted harmonic noted just of DWL Arabic via Nauen site. 2 x 6130 kHz, heard on four rxs like E1, AOR 7030, various Sony ICF 2001/2010, and Kenwood R1000. 2100-2200, Poor towards Cairo and ARS, but strong Cuba 11760 and Brazil 11815 at present 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, harmonics yg via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. R. Coatán, 4780, Jan 2 at tune-in 1436 to sermon in Spanish, surely about time to fade out, but was actually fading in a bit stronger at the moment to SINPO 34343. Wish I could have stayed with it to see how long it lasted (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. Started listening at 0750 to find a few west coast and prairies stations coming in, but not as strong, nor as stable as in the last few days; much Eurosplatter at first, so much so that I went out to check the antenna. Nevertheless, some interesting DX was to be had, and the year got off to a good start with this season's first reception of Hawaii. I spent a lot of time on 1500 kHz waiting to get a good ID from KUMU, whilst checking (without success) the other Hawaiian possibilities on 760 and 830 kHz, both of which are fairly quiet channels. 1500 KUMU Honolulu HI; first noted with weak peaks at 0934; then in and out of the noise with occasional fair peaks; tentative ID at 0952, then in fades at expected ID times until 1032 when a weak ID as ``Kumu AM 1500, the voice of. . .``; better ID a minute later ``on the issues that affect our island lifestyle, and is heard exclusively on Kumu AM 1500, the new talk of Honolulu``; clip at http://www.clashmore.mwcircle.org/audio/1500_KUMU_1033-1Jan07.mp3 Fpks 1032 1/1 mah 830, Looking for KHVH: very weak talk occasionally noted between 1001 and 1030, but music towards the end, so results inconclusive Wpks 1001-1030 1/1 mah 760, Looking for KGU between 1001 and 1030, but an empty channel 1001-1030 1/1 mah 73s (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) ** HUNGARY. DON`T YOU BELIEVE the DX tips on R. Budapest. I was doing a bandscan for something more interesting, UT Mon Jan 1 at 0219 when I came upon 5980, atop Qur`an, no doubt Morocco per EiBi, two guys giving schedule of R. Miami International. One had an American accent, the other one not. I could hardly believe my ears as the info bore little relation to reality, including: [DO NOT QUOTE THE INFO BELOW as if correct; I am only citing it because it is INCORRECT] 1630-1657 11825 to Europe 2300-2357 6185 to SAm/Caribbean 0000-0027 11665 to SAm 0430-0457 9955 to SAm 1800-1827 7355 to EEu/Russia --- It looks as if some old R. Prague items were mixed in there, evidently confused by 9955 at 0430 which really was a Prague relay via WRMI, but Prague was never mentioned! Then there was a very partial BBCWS English schedule to C&SEu, which, reeling from the impact of the misinfo just transmitted, I did not copy and have not checked out. Kol Israel, 15 minutes of English news at 1830 on 11590 --- Not any more in the B-06 season, but on 9345 7545 6985! R. Tirana schedule was next: 0630-0900 on 7105 in AB, 1800-1815 6235 in Serbian M-F; 1845-1900 7465 and 9925 in English Mon-Sat, 1901-1930 9930 French Mon-Sat; 1901-1930 6225 [missed lang] Mon-Sat; 1931-2030 7475 mixture of German and English Mon-Sat [not mixture, but one after the other]; 2030-2200 6205 AB; 2300-0030 7455 AB daily; 0145-0200 6115 7455 English Tuesday AND Saturday; 0230-0300 6155 & 7455, English Tuesday AND Saturday; 1801-1830 German 1458 MW daily. ---- This is more or less the early A-06 schedule including some mistakes such as 6155, before timeshifts which went into effect two months ago, not to mention frequency shifts. Also before I got them to move off 7455 in July? due to RTTY. The 0145 and 0230 (now 0245 and 0330) are of course Tuesday THROUGH Saturday, not AND. BBCWS via French Guiana in English and Spanish: 0300-0400 6110 Spanish; 12-14 11865 English, 21-22 15390 English, 22-23 5975 English --- More outdated A-06 info; 6110 meanwhile moved to WHRI, 11865 and 15390 are gone, and 5975 happens to have continued. DW in German via Sackville: 00-04(?) 6100, 10-12 15595, 12-14 11900, 15-16 15445 --- All gone with B-06. Were they playing back an old show as emergency fill during the holidays? NO! The hosts bade us Happy New Year 2007 at the closing 0227. I am so sad, that R. Budapest which has kept a DX program going for sesquidecades, is putting out such nonsense. It is WORSE than USELESS. There is absolutely no excuse for this, as current schedule info is available in DXLD and many other online sources. TG they never cite any sources, which might get blamed for all this erroneous outdated info. How in the world can R. Budapest trust these people to compile a DX program? I seldom listen to the show, but on previous occasions years ago have found the same lack of attention to accuracy (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I downloaded the program, mainly to verify that it was aired on December 31 (...And the Gatepost is monthly) and did hear during the first part that Budapest was moving their 0300 broadcast to North America from 6110 to 5980, effective January 1. But in updating the DX Programs list, I see that 6110 is at 0200, not 0300. Did he mean 0330? But that is on 6035, not 6110. Did I not hear him correctly? No, I replayed it and he said 0300, not one, but twice. So yet another bit of misinformation, this concerning his own station! English, of course, is at 0330. I just thought of this: maybe he was giving the time in local (UT +1) instead of UT (John Norfolk, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Anyhow, the 0230 broadcast in Hungarian was already on 5980, and now they have moved the 0200 English also to 5980, ex-6110 (gh, DXLD) ** INDIA. 7180, Jan 01 2007, 0223 UT, AIR Bhopal, heard the AIR Interval Signal under the Voice of Turkey. Quite a rarity to get AIR regionals on 41m! However, it was totally gone by 0250. SINPO at the beginning: 32432 7290, Jan 01 2007, 0228, AIR Thiruvananthapuram, another AIR regional station made it after Bhopal showed that it's possible. AIR Interval signal, SINPO 42433. Rx: JRC NRD-525, Antenna: 25m wire in the trees. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Mainz / Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA [and non]. Very good signal from the Voice of Indonesia on 11860 at 1500 UT. From 1530, RAI International is on the same frequency until 1625 UT. Probably the domestic service, not VoI (Jean- Michel AUBIER, France, Jan 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Jean-Michel. 11860 Radio República Indonesia, 1520, SINPO 55544. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Yes, Jean-Michel, 11860 RRI heard also yesterday til 1700 UT, when New Year 2007 started in INS; and also from 0100 UT onwards past night. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) 11860 Radio República Indonesia, Jakarta, 1520-1530, escuchada el 1 de Enero en idioma indonesio, locutor con comentarios, conversación con invitado, saludo ``Salam alecum, alecum Salam``, SINPO 54544. Audio: http://valenciadx.multiply.com/music/item/313 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A- 108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 9525 VOI and 9680 RRI Jakarta, checking between 0945- 1015, Jan 2, both not heard. 9680 had WYFR, but not even a hint of RRI under them and conditions seemed good (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But you see Ron, how erratic propagation behaves lately. I usually lose conditions on 31m after 15, and guess what? RRI 9525 was there as never before this 1/1 after 1600 and faded our completely by 1700. (BTW, VOA Philippines remained audible on 9760). What I'm missing is RRI 15150 and looking at some recent reports is on 11860 at 1600. I don't think is the same service. 73s and have a great 2007! (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) ** INDONESIA. Re 6-193, PROPAGATION: I didn't see any repostings of the latest news on the Indonesian FM reception in Bombala, Australia so here it is. It appears to be positively translated and identified now. Not the 3,000 mile Es as previously thought, but still over 2,000 miles (Randy Zerr, FL, WTFDA via DXLD) Viz.: Hi All, Alan Davies' reply is reproduced below. Merauke (Irian Jaya) is consistent with the lack of other Jawar Timur, Bali, East Timor FM, and ChE4 Indonesian TV video. Robert also had subsequent reception of Darwin FM at a similar distance. Bombala to Merauke is 2040 miles (3284 km). This highlights that caution should be exercised when one is tempted to quickly assign an identification to a rare DX catch before carefully considering the weight of evidence. Murphy's law didn't apply in this case - a full ID appeared within a 30-second reception window! Without the ID, based on Alan Davies' list, we would likely erroneously conclude that the 95.4 TX was from Jember. Regards, (Todd Emslie, ICDX via Zerr, WTFDA via DXLD) Viz.: Hello Todd, Thanks very much for your message and the link to the recording of 95.4 MHz. I believe the ID is for Radio Republik Indonesia Merauke, located in the south of Papua Province (Irian Jaya). The parts of the recording that I can make out say: "[...] right now good day to all of you, and thank you for being together with us, Radio Republik Indonesia Merauke Programme One transmitting on [...] and also on our MW transmitter on eight hundred and ten kilohertz [...]" The part of the frequency announcement dealing with FM must be in the fade when the audio disappears for a few seconds. I haven't seen this frequency listed for RRI Merauke before, but reliable details for FM frequencies at RRI's more remote stations such as Merauke are very hard to come by. With best wishes (Alan Davies http://www.asiawaves.net ibid.) ** IRAN. 6835, IRIB / VOIRI, 2035 Dec 30 only, heard in Arabic language station with continuous talks, about Iraqi people etc. News on Somalia on 2050 with report by YL, 2052 mentioning Mogadishu and Ethiopia. At 2101 with ID "Huna Dahran". Carrier drifting downwards but no parallel has been found on 6,7 and 9 MHz bands. At 2116 carrier was on 6827! several audio clips can be found in my web site at http://zlgr.multiply.com/music/item/96 including this log (Zacharias Liangas, Retziki THS Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. I'm listening to the Voice of Isl. Republic of Iran (1840 UT) on 6205 7380 and 9565 kHz, but 6250 (from Lithuania) is missing (but was announced). Regards (JM Aubier, France, Jan 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So is 6205, a recent new frequency, actually via Lithuania ex-6250? (Glenn, ibid.) No Glenn, 6205 was in // with 6250 (Jean-Michel, ibid.0 ** ISRAEL. Re: Updated B-06 schedule for Kol Israel: HEBREW 2100-2215 11585 2100-0430 7545 RUSSIAN 2100-2200 6985 (R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX Dec 27) But noted Russian instead on 11585 kHz today. Hebrew on 6985 and 7545, all three S=9+10 dB powerhouses. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) Feeds crossed? ** ITALY. Rai is another station we should be monitoring today to see if they have turned off SW, as rumored to be planned for yearend! Here are the night`s remaining broadcasts to the Americas, from http://www.bclnews.it/b06schedules/rai.htm English 0055-0115 NAM 11800 Italian 0130-0230 C+SAM 6110 9840 11765 0130-0315 NAM 11800 0230-0315 C+SAM 9840 Portuguese 0115-0130 C+SAM 9840 Spanish 0055-0115 C+SAM 9840 0315-0335 AM 11800 9840 (Glenn Hauser, UT Jan 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RAI is still active (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, ibid.) Rai, running its Italian schedule heard since 0100 on 9840 but no trace of 11800. 73s (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica. ibid.) Yes on air, loud and strong on 9840 and 11800 kHz, noted today. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, UT Jan 2, ibid.) ** ITALY. Again active Power FM, Italian pirate station, 6878, 31/12 0250, Power FM "the hottest hit", nice pop & rock songs, some IDs, very good. Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italy, HCDX via DXLD) POWER FM, PIRATE. DATE: 02-01-2007. TIME: 1815-1830 UT. FREQUENCY: 6878 KHz. SIGNAL: SUFF/GOOD. PROGRAM: MUSIC, JINGLE ID. Audioclip available on http://swli05639fr.blogspot.com/ 73's (Francesco Cecconi, HCDX via DXLD) ** LIBERIA [and non]. Dear Dmitry, dear Wolfgang, as you may know, Radio ELWA Monrovia once had a much larger short wave station than today. Being the broadcast arm of a group of indigenous West African churches, they carried not only Liberian languages but also programmes in major languages of the whole region. When the broadcast station was destroyed in 1990 during the Liberian civil war, the partner studios in other countries like Nigeria were left without an international outlet. Several programmes were moved to Trans World Radio Swaziland. This station originally served Southern Africa with 25-kW-transmitters but back then installed a 100 kW-transmitter to also reach Western Africa. Although being separate entities and raising their funds independently, Radio ELWA, Trans World Radio and other evangelical broadcasters share the same beliefs. So co-operation between them has increased over the last two decades. Kind regards and best wishes for 2007 Hansjoerg Dr. Hansjoerg Biener - Nuernberg - Germany http://www.biener-media.de (via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) Also via RSA ** LIBYA [non]. Re 6-139: Afropop jammer on 17660 --- Saludos cordiales Glenn, Feliz Año 2007. En efecto, en ningún momento he planteado que la emisora afro-pop pudiera venir de Irán, pero esa transición podría perfectamente inducir a error; sin embargo hay que aclarar que estuvieron conviviendo las dos emisiones en la misma frecuencia por un período de un minuto o quizás un poco más. Lo que me planteaba era la posibilidad de que esa transmisión pudiera venir de algún país árabe o de origen Musulmán; en efecto Irán no es un país árabe, aunque sí Musulmán, y por que no, Libia podría estar recibiendo ayuda de algún país de ese entorno. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DXLD) Just to note that Sawt al-Amal on 17660 heard with very good signals at sign-on at 1200 today (1 Jan). Initially there was no trace of the usual jammer, but the latter faded up slightly after a few minutes to be heard very faintly in the background (Chris Greenway, England, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) And has anyone (José?) noticed that ANO 17630 is not currently on air when Afro-pops 17660 is? But it is back on air at 1530+ after 17660 goes off. So this seems to confirm that 17660 is once again via Gabon - as someone recently reported (sorry - I "lost" the mailing). Audio quality on 17660 does indeed sound the same as 17630. But lately it has come from somewhere else with better audio and consistent 9+10dB signals (which should mean somewhere other than Issoudun). And I think Chris is refering to the Afro-pops 17660 as a jammer - but it only succeeds as one if Sawt al-Amal chooses to operate on that frequency. The pops don't move around as they used to do but consistently operate on the same 17660. (Noel R. Green (NW England), ibid.) That`s why I sometimes refer to it as a ``distraxion`` (gh, DXLD) ``So this seems to confirm that 17660 is once again via Gabon - as someone recently reported (sorry - I "lost" the mailing). Audio quality on 17660 does indeed sound the same as 17630.`` Probably you have my report from yesterday in mind: ---------- Afropop jammer again active on 17660 today, first noted around 1200, see enclosed message. It's still on now, and apparently originates again from Moyabi rather than an European site (muffled audio, signal behaviour). (Kai Ludwig, Dec 31 2006) ---------- Just to make sure, this applies to yesterday only and is no statement about activity before Dec 31 (Kai Ludwig, Jan 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saludos cordiales, la situación de hoy a sido cómo comentan, a las 1130, termina el servicio de VOIRI en inglés en 17660, irrumpe la emisora afro-pop con señal fuerte y la misma música de ayer; los mismos temas musicales, incluso incorporan un tema en español y se puede apreciar un unos pequeños problemas en la grabación. Esta emisora emitía con fuerza, SINPO 45554, en 17630 África Nº1 vía Gabón, hoy con buena señal pero mucho ruido; sin embargo a las 1200 irrumpe las emisiones de Deutsche Welle en alemán y anulan prácticamente a África Nº 1, Gabón y emisora jammer siempre están emitiendo. Lo que pasa es que las condiciones de escucha desde África no son buenas, pero se escucha a África N º 1 y la emisora Afro-pop. Hay un dato que todavía nadie me ha respondido, es que la emisora Afro-pop y África Nº 1 han llegado a emitir las dos en 17630 al mismo tiempo, ¿es posible esto si las dos emisiones vienen de Gabón? La emisora afro-pop ahora es imposible que transmita desde África; las emisiones desde allí llegan de forma muy precaria a Valencia, sin embargo la emisora afro-pop con señal fuerte y sin ruido. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Jan 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 02/01/2007. Montevideo, Uruguay. Rx. Degen DE1103, Sony ICF-7600DS, antena interior 1158 UT, 17645 kHz. Sawt al Amal. Se aprecia portadora sin modulación. Poco después de las 1200 aparece modulación, con YL en árabe. Casi simultáneamente aparece una segunda señal, que poco después se revela como Voice of Africa, aparentemente en árabe. 1202 marcha de identificación de Sawt al Amal. Pese al QRM de Voice of Africa se escucha bastante bien (SINPO 44444). 1307 la encuentro en 17650 kHz. Como comentario lateral, usualmente la emisión en la banda de 16 m se iniciaba 1200 con ID y marcha, pero en los últimos días noto un retraso de dos o tres minutos desde el inicio de la transmisión a las 1200 y la identificación. Aparentemente la programación sale 24 hs en internet (no sé si también por satélite) pero parece haber acumulado unos minutos de retraso por lo que ahora la emisión en 16 m se inicia con el final de un programa. Asimismo debo comentar que Sawt al Amal se escucha por lo general muy bien por aquí, incluso con antena telescópica no así Voice of Africa, que se escucha rara vez, ni la jammer afro-pop que nunca escuché por aquí. Tengo registrado excepcionalmente el 26/12/06 la escucha de 3 frecuencias de Voice of Africa, 17650, 17670 y 17685 al mismo tiempo que Sawt al Amal ese día iniciaba en 17650. La frecuencia de 17670 de Voice of Africa llegaba mejor que R. Budapest que apenas le ocasionaba QRM ocasional. 73, (Moisés Knochen, en el tórrido Montevideo (Uruguay), condig list via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Still no XEYU, no signal or het around 9600, Jan 2 at 1455 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Re 6-193? I did a typographical error when I mentioned XERCH in Ojinaga, unable to find it. I typed XERCH-1350. All of the Mexican sources, including the information I was using, have it on 1340, and it was on 1340 that I was listening ... and drawing a blank. Thanks to Wayne Heinen for drawing it to my attention. I've said it often enough it's become a cliché: We newspaper editors seem to have Type O blood! (John Callarman, Krum TX, ABDX via DXLD) ** MEXICO. XEPE is absolutely huge here tonight at 2310 EST, blowing the doors off with "Cash 1700" slogans, San Diego ads, etc. (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, UT Jan 2, IRCA via DXLD) How much power they're running is unknown. They're supposed to be directional away from California but they're ND. There are several XE AM's owned by the same guy that are running more power with a more efficient antenna that they're licensed for but the FCC only mildly protested then dropped it. There was another issue with one of his XE FM's interfering with a California station on the same frequency. The FCC rolled over on that one too. They're a blowtorch in the southern half of California during the day. I wish they'd go away (Dennis, Santa Barbara, CA, Gibson, ibid.) XEPE is S-9 +20 db up here in Vancouver, WA. Not as strong was KNX, but stronger than KFI. Signal does fade quite often, down to S-6 level (Dennis Vroomski, 0609 UT Jan 2, Vancouver, WA, JRC 545 150' fence antenna, IRCA via DXLD) Same here -- endless bank commercials for San Diego (Colin Newell - in Victoria B.C. Canada, 0643 UT, ibid.) Dennis, According to their CE, Bill Lipis (ex IRCAer from the 60s), XEPE is running 10 KW ND 24/7. XEPE is the only Mexican I can receive here on the North coast QRM free generally (unless I use the Eastern beverage). Bill Lipis, CE (ex IRCAer), says they are ND and run 10 KW day & night. The info I have read on the Mexican X Banders, all are supposed to be 10 KW ND, but reports earlier said 1630 is 10/1 KW. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) The answer is kind of odd... These guys run two additional stations under what I would consider to be false pretenses: 1. They operate XESDD-1030 Tijuana as if it were an Ensenada station, but the real XESDD in Ensenada continues on 920 kHz with no relation to the new station. 2. They operate XESS-620 Tijuana (after a brief stop on 780 kHz) as if it were an Ensenada station, but the real XESS in Ensenada continues to operate on 1450 kHz with no relation to the new station. ... so only XEKTT-1600 (which moved to a Tijuana transmitter and changed frequencies to 550, 560, and 1700, becoming XEPE somewhere along the way) has actually vacated its old frequency. They also operate KURS-1040. For a time, the studios for XESDD-1030 and KURS-1040 were in the same building in Chula Vista. It was odd to see two stations on adjacent channels operating out of the same building! Their FM is XHBCE-105.7 - this one is currently apparently LMA'd to the folks who lease XEPRS-1090 and is the other half of "double X sports radio"... 73, (Tim Hall, CA, IRCA via DXLD) Interesting, and funny about 1030/40. Do any of these (other) stations operate with unlicenced power or directional patterns. I was wondering if any might be potential targets for me in Ontario (Saul Chernos, ibid.) Good question. As far as I can tell, the other two appear to be running more reasonable powers - it seems to me they negotiated something like 5 kW days, 1 kW nights, and I would guess they are behaving themselves more or less. Co-managed perennial cheater KURS-1040 has reportedly been fined a couple of times for running over their authorized night power, but that's on a much smaller scale. I think their licensed power is something like 63 watts; I suspect they are still running several hundred watts today, and were probably running at least 1 kW several years ago when they got fined. XEPE is obnoxious. They're at the very top of the band, yet I'd be hard pressed to name a 50 kW station that gets out so well. They slop all the way down to 1640 during the day, and create a mixing product on 1560 (mixing with nearby XEUT-1630, which appears to have cut power in the past year or so) which sometimes persists well into the night. Surprisingly, the 1030/1040 combo does not generate whole lot of interference, even when one listens from locations between the two transmitter sites. The same was true of 540/550 when XEKTT(XEPE) started operating from Tijuana (nominally Tecate) on 550. We need a good sheriff to come in here and clean up this lawless town! Last I checked, we still had a pirate on 96.9. I think the 106.9 is gone. And the newer stoplights generate some of the loudest electrical noise I have ever heard. 73, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista CA, IRCA via DXLD ** MONGOLIA. Hi Glenn. In DXLD 6-192 (29 Dec) you commented on the chaotic situation on 12015 kHz. Now the Voice of Mongolia has thrown in the towel: In a message received today from Densmaa Zorigt, Mail Editor, she informs me: "Starting from January 1, 2007 we'll cut 12015 kHz because it couldn't reach our listeners. We are trying to transmit program on the Internet in the first half of 2007." As I understand it, this means that the 1500-1530 and 2000-2030 transmissions have been discontinued, whereas the 1000-1030 English broadcast on 12085 kHz remains unchanged. It's a pity that Densmaa hasn't asked for assistance from experienced DXers in the choice of usuable frequencies. Some people in broadcasting do, like Drita Cico at Radio-Tirana, the staff of the Voice of Turkey and Teresa Abreu and Isabel Soraiva of RDP Lisbon. Since the Voice of Mongolia is considered a nice station worth listening to, I am sure we could work it out.... Any comments? All the best for 2007 from (Ullmar Qvick, Norrköping, Sweden, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surely a clear frequency could be found for these broadcasts. The DX community would be glad to help. Since you are in contact with them, why not make the offer (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. Undercover Radio --- Have been listening many times Cumbre's Pirate King mentioning all those loggings and recordings from pirate stations and my day was defined for Jan. 2 at 0100, 6925 USB, "This is Undercover Radio, broadcasting from the middle of nowhere... (address in)Ontario, Canada...(next) Psychedelic experience". SIO 151. Faded by 0125 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Hello My DX Friends! This is a sample of Radio Willkamayu, Cuzco, Peru. I recorded today Jan 2 at 2250 UT, 10354.8 kHz using my Icom IC-R71A. 73! Alf DXSPACEMASTER (ALFREDO BENJAMIN CAÑOTE BUENO, Lima Perú, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very small clip in the Station Sounds files of the dxld yg (gh) ** POLAND. No signal before and after 2000 on 1080, so it seems that Radio Racja has indeed abandoned the Koszecin transmitter (Kai Ludwig, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) From 1 January Radio Racyja is on 6090 kHz from 1600 to 1800 UT instead of Koszecin 1080 kHz 2000-2200 UT (Marek Kosmala, Lublin, Poland, ibid.) ** RUSSIA. 5960, R. Tikhiy Okean (Radio Station Pacific Ocean), with R. Rossi program relay, *0934-1000* Jan 1, on with Russian folk song, two announcers playing many Russian ballads and folk songs, ID’s for R. Rossi at sign-off, three time pips and off. Fair to good, // 7330 poor. First time I have ever heard them use programming other than their own. No ID at all for R. Tikhiy Okean (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Jan 2, again heard with R. Rossi program relay on 5960 (fair-good) // 7330 (fair), ID’s for R. Rossi, off with no pips at 1000*, // 6075 (fair-good), which was a few seconds slower, continued on past 1000. Hope this is just a temporary situation and that R. Tikhiy Okean will return with their own programming soon (Ron Howard, ibid.) ** RUSSIA. I'm hearing the usual lovely audio from Bolshakova 1386 VOR German (including religion) from 1900 to 2100. I dream of the resumption of English through this excellent transmitter and would love to see a reprieve from closure. 73 (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SINGAPORE. BBCWS heard in evening, Indonesian on 3915 at 2215 Dec 31, fair with ham QRM; also Vietnamese from 2300 on 7280 (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. Please confirm whether RSI is still on the air; sked from bclnews.it: 0100 – 0130 North America English 7230 41 South America English 9440 31 0130 – 0200 North America Slovak 7110 41 South America Slovak 9440 31 0200 – 0230 North America French 7110 41 South America French 9440 31 0230 – 0300 Central, South America Spanish 7230 41 South America Spanish 9440 31 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Happy new year, Glenn! 7230 is on here in English at 0120 with a better than average signal. SINPO - 45444 (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also Slovacchia is still on, IS on 7230 at 0127 UT // 9440 (DW in German dominant) (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, ibid.) Welcome to 2007, Glenn. Sure, alive and kicking, Slovakia is there in Spanish at 0230 in both frequencies in 41 and 31m (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, UT Jan 2, ibid.) ESLOVAQUIA, 11610, Radio Eslovaquia Int, 2105-2115, escuchada el 2 de enero en español a locutora con reportajes, ID. 45454 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, ibid.) ** SOUTH AMERICA. Re 6-193: Pirate. South America. 6291.5a, Radio Pirana Int'l., AM mode, music & ID giving P. O. Box. at 0256 Jan 1. Some QRN and QSB. Pirata. S.Am. 6291.5a Radio Piraña Internacional, en AM, con musica e ID con P.O.Box. 0256. Algunos estaticos y QSB. 73 & Happy New Year/Feliz Año 2007 Rx: degen DE1103 ant: randomwire 25m long 73 (Horacio Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SPAIN. Another time for La Bañera de Ulises on REE, encountered Monday at 2207 on 12045. That`s the ME beam, altho rather late at night over there (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND [non]. I at first thought I had something hot, a new Cuban or clandestine frequency, as the Cuban national anthem was playing at 0229 UT January 1 on 5890. But this was quickly identified in English as the Cuban NA, apparently concluding an item about some trade or diplomatic connexion between Cuba and Thailand, or maybe just in honor of the anniversary of the Cuban revolution. Hey, whose side is Thailand on, anyway? ID as R. Thailand, concluding the News Hour of January 1, 0230 into gongs, and announced conclusion of broadcast to US West Coast at 10-10:30 am Thai Time = 0300-0330 GMT!! That time was changed about 9 months ago to 0200, and they still haven`t updated the announcement! Yet someone in Bangkok must know, since it is really coming over an hour earlier. More bells until opening in Thai at 0231:30. This is via Delano, while the 0030 English on same is via Greenville (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. Turquía cumpliendo. Bienvenidos al 2007! 0202, En. 2/07 y ahí está Turquía! Tal como se había ofrecido de parte de la Radio Turca Internacional, su nuevo servicio en castellano me está llegando nítido y con buena señal en 9865, presentado su servicio informativo. No me dí cuenta si esto empezó realmente anoche, pues ya lo entienden, uno está pendiente del trajín de Fin de Año, aparte de estar pendiente de Radio Eslovaquia en su servicio de las 0230. 73s y DX (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica. WORLD OF RADIO 1342, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Estupenda señal de TRT en 9865 (0207 UT con SINFO=35333) aquí en Rosario. Gracias Raúl por esta buena noticia. Nunca creí que La Voz de Turquía podría orientar antenas para LAm. Sería bueno saber desde cuando comenzó a transmitir para esta área. Un cordial saludo (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, Argentina, UT Jan 3, condig list via DXLD) Acaban ** UGANDA. Re 6-193, plans for new missionary SW station: searching on Dunamis, Uganda, and shortwave led to this pdf http://www.biblevoice.org/uploads/Canada0503.pdf apparently dated March of 2005; BTW Dunamis apparently means dynamite in Greek: AFRICA --- We were at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention (NRB) in Anaheim California last week when we received the email from our Ugandan partner Bishop Grivas Musisi, and it simply read “The God of Heaven is in my house (Short-wave license given)”. I did not need to read the rest of the email (although I did). I knew exactly what had happened. During our visit to Uganda in January, 2004 we were building the new Dunamis FM station for the city of Kampala when suddenly and simply, we declared “If God would send us the funds, we could build a lowpowered short-wave radio station that could reach every corner of this country”. We knew there were 25 million Ugandans living in a nation where over 1.5 million people had been slaughtered under the reign of two successive despots. We also knew that while official statistics show 16% of Ugandans follow Islam, brutal leader Idi Amin once declared this to be a Muslim nation at which time, Muslim immigration increased dramatically. We saw many who follow Islam during our time there…but we also know their presence in that nation is not an accident (Acts 17:26) --- God has allowed Muslim emigration to Uganda so they might hear the Word of the Living God. It is that simple! While terrorism has painted an evil face over Muslims, we know the Creator of every person loves them so much that He sent Jesus to die for them…and He has sent them to Uganda where they will hear the Words of Life through our radio broadcasts and through the churches of that nation. [captions] Bishop Grivas Preaching to Thousands Bishop Grivas Broadcasting on Dunamis FM Now, standing there at the NRB booth, my heart was full of gratitude to God for the American businessman who chose to sponsor this new short-wave radio station (thank God for Spirit-filled business men and women)…and my mind was full of the image of Grivas speaking to his Nakyessa orphans, teachers and our team, sharing the vision God had given him at that very location, when the school was only a dream in an empty field…he was emotional as he recalled how God also told him one day he would reach 68 million Africans and at a time when he had nothing! Now, nearly 15 years later, the reality of sitting at a microphone and preaching to nearly 100 million Africans on short-wave radio was almost more than a finite human mind could grasp! Seeing that email, I knew exactly why Grivas’ email was so emphatic (He also mentioned dancing-but I did not ask for details). Thousands of miles between us meant nothing at this moment and together we praised the God of all creation for His marvelous and miraculous provision! As we contacted our good friends at HCJB for their help, we found the fingerprints of God once again. We require a specialized transmitter and antenna system for this Ugandan short-wave station, one that HCJB engineers have developed and installed very successfully across the world. As we spoke with HCJB leadership we discovered there was only one transmitter left (with a minimum 6 month waiting list to build another one). However, its intended owner had not yet taken delivery (as they wait for their own license) and when asked to release it to us further delaying their project, these wonderful Brothers in the Lord agreed to do so, putting our needs ahead of theirs. Psalm 133 felt alive at that moment! During a conversation with Uganda’s chairman of the broadcast commission I was told we must move quickly on this installation to fulfill our license. This was the first time we have been told to move quickly in Africa and with this sudden release of the only available transmitter, we could do so! Remember, this is the first time in Uganda’s history that a private individual has been granted a short-wave radio license. This is indeed the Hand of God! We have much to do, and as with most projects we face a constant lineup of unexpected costs ($6,000.00 for a studio/transmitter building) ($1,800.00 for additional license fees) ($7,260.00 for a power back-up system) ($5,000.00 for 2 acres of property to house the huge antenna system) but given the souls at stake, this is more than worth the investment. If the Lord should put any of this on your heart, please contact us-we plan (and pray) to be on air by summer 2005! (High Adventure/BVB via gh, DXLD) Disregard the mumbo-jumbo. Didn`t quite make it then, but apparently imminent now a sesquiyear later. NVIS means they are trying to minimize low-angle propagation, something other remote gospel huxters have found to their chagrin does not prevent DXers worldwide from hearing them anyway [not including Logos; cf. BOLIVIA]. 4750 Don heard could also be China, Indonesia or something (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Faint audio there currently 2152 UT Jan 1 near Edmonton, Alberta CANADA. Building as was just a het a few minutes ago. Other African 60m signals aren't great - solar stuff is starting to impact us here. 73 (Don Moman, VE6JY, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Oops, the starting date for Uganda should be 1 Jan 2007, so start monitoring. Sorry (Jari Savolainen, Finland, Jan 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGST) I got an impression that Dunamis Shortwave is not yet on the air, although the starting date was given as 1 Jan. There seems to be some minor delay. The schedule given is: 1500-1700 UT English and 1700-1900 UT local languages. Frequency 4750 (Jari, Jan 2, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC Radio 2: From Broadcast to Podcast Nearly missed this one ... just noticed it on Listen Again: Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 31 Dec. at 1800 UT. From Broadcast to Podcast --- A journey through radio history from the first programme on Christmas Eve to today. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/radio2/aod.shtml?radio2/r2_broadcastpodcast (Alan Roe, Teddington UK, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. SW BROADCAST TONIGHT ON HAM RADIO/FESSENDEN ANNIVERSARY Mon Jan 1, 2007 10:11 am (PST) eHam.net By Mike Gilmer (N2MG) January 1, 2007 KAIJ has a special one hour program featuring amateur radio and the Fessenden anniversary. The show is hosted by Ted Randall (WB8PUM and former Detroit radio personality) , & co hosted by Allen Pitts, W1AGP public relations director of the ARRL. It will air on January 1, 2007 at 2 pm CST (2000 UT) on 9480 kHz and at 4 pm CST (2200 UT) on 5755 kHz. Fessenden is credited for the first voice over radio broadcast Christmas Eve 1906 and New Years Eve 1907. The radio show covers a number of topics about ham radio and pays tribute to the first radio broadcast of 100 years ago. There is a very nice surprise at the end of the show that is heart warming and yet somewhat eerie when heard over shortwave. http://www.eham.net/articles/15618 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DXLD) Well, it`s a no-show at 2000 (on webcast anyway, 9480 not very strong here): Rev. Fulcher instead. Better luck at 2200? I have enquired (Glenn, Jan 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing now except "Advocate Radio" with Janet Carter. Doesn't sound very ham radio like on 5755. 73, de (Nate Bargmann, ibid.) Listening again from 2200 Jan 1 on 5755, heard ID, IRN news, and at 2205 suddenly switched to half-speed/pitch talk, 2206 into Advocate Radio program, so another no-show. But retuning at 2247 found the Fessenden show in progress; must have JIPed sometime during hour; wrapping up interview with W1AGP discussing SW, menitoned website http://www.helloradio.org then Handel`s Largo and O Holy Night, concluding with MCW ID for KAIJ. Ted Randall invited mail to comment @ kaij.us so I dropped him a note. Ted Randall, host of the show, apologized for the technical mixup which didn`t get it going until 2245, and says the show is rescheduled for this Friday Jan 5 at the same times, 2000 UT on 9480, 2200 on 5755 (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I heard your station last night and wanted to submit a reception report, the details are as follows: Date: 01 January 2007. Time: 0400- 0500 UT. Freq: 5755 kHz (per digital display of receiver). SIO: 555. Program details include a request for reception reports, station ID, music theme from the TV Program "Dallas" and a one hour special program with an interview with Allen Pitts W1AGP. Topics discussed include emergency operations on amateur radio where Mr. Pitts described a flood in Connecticut where a homeowner made a cell phone call from the roof of their house, was answered in Virginia and relayed to an amateur radio operator in another state. In addition, he mentioned of the FCC eliminating all Morse Code requirements, and completed his interview describing the 100th anniversary of Reginald Fessenden's first voice call on radio. The program closed with Georg Frederik Handel's "Largo" and "Oh Holy Night" and some repetitious Morse code (Joseph Miller, Troy MI, to KAIJ via gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Someone recently noted that Brother Scare was missing from 6890, but not any more: UT Jan 1 at 0237 found him on WWRB 6890 // 5745, while 3185 was running open carrier; shortly later found 3185 // 5050 with big band music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Just run into an interesting article about the VoA from Time magazine published back in 1950. But somehow I doubt that this item was really posted online on Monday, May 1, 1950 :) THE VOICE OF AMERICA: WHAT IT TELLS THE WORLD Few listeners in the radio-haunted U.S. have ever heard America's most ambitious radio program. Yet it is a show that would probably get a higher Nielsen-rating than Amos 'n' Andy (if a rating could be taken), has the richest sponsor of them all, and sells the world's most priceless product. The sponsor is Uncle Sam and the product freedom. The program is the Voice of America... [MUCH] More at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,812309-1,00.html (Sergei Sosedkin, IL, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. A minor excursion into short-distance DX'ing Glenn, While at Olympic National Park's beach lodge, Klaloch, on New Year's Eve morning, I noted a 1610 TIS with a message more or less "WQEL572, Coast Guard Station (Quillayute - pretty indistinctly) River, For information contact Coast Guard (inaudible) Electronics Support Detachment, (indistinct area code but probably 360) 417 5940." Upon looking at the FCC database I see the record for 3 sites for WQEL572, one at La Push, licensed to the Washington State Department of Parks and Recreation. I thought it interesting as I'd not previously heard a Coast Guard operated TIS, and am amused to hear them operating a state licensed one. La Push is about 50 kliks N. of Klaloch. Was using my Sony ICF-SW7600G and Kiwa Pocket Loop - I had taken them along in hopes of some 2 or 3 hr. post sunrise medium wave far east signals, but to no avail. See: http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/genmen/uls/uls_site_res.hts?db_id=19&link=WQEL572&application_id= (Ben Dawson, WA, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Iowa Public Radio new skeds: http://www.iowapublicradio.org/newsSchedule.php (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks Glenn. Quite a big transition getting underway in Iowa (also combining the classical stations later this year, and somehow fitting in alt music as a third service, just like Minnesota). It remains to be seen whether the Internet streams for near-identical news&info stations will eventually be consolidated, but it doesn't look like anything other than the schedules is changing tomorrow. Sorry that a side-effect was WOR getting bumped off a rare AM outlet. I so associate WOR with shortwave listening that it's always a surprise to hear it on AM/FM (never on WSUI, but I've stumbled onto it on WPKN a couple of times while driving through CT). One less place now, but I trust that most of your WSUI listeners can hear it elsewhere. WBEZ has major schedule changes coming January 8: going all news-and- information, eliminating music. Details at http://www.wbez.org/schedule2007/index.asp Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2007 (Kevin Kelly, Bedford, Massachusetts, http://PublicRadioFan.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 6-193: "I bet the classical is syndicated, from Beethoven net or WFMT or MPR or WCPE. Exactly same stuff airing at same time on dozens (hopefully hundreds) of stations, yet they pretend to be local staff announcers. Or rather, stations pretend they are, e.g. ``KCCU`s Classical Hosts``. This page does mention Classical 24, for which you will hear no IDs on the air: http://www.kccu.org/programs/classical.html But where in the world are they? Certainly not in Lawton, OK. Oops, we classical lovers can`t really afford to complain about such compromises, can we? (gh)" I cannot speak for WBJC or KCCU, but the classical music on WSCL is all originated at our Salisbury University studio using live, paid and volunteer announcers except between midnight to 0500 local weekdays, or 0800 local Saturdays and Sundays when we carry the Beethoven Network (Peter Van DeGraf voice tracking from Chicago). Yes the station and the network do make an effort to make him sound local with pre-recorded legal ID's at the top of the hour. Programs like Performance Today, From The Top, Heart and Voice, and live broadcasts of the Met Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony and other symphonies all fed by NPR, APM, PRI, etc. round out the WSCL programs. We do not relay WCPE, WFMT, MPR or Classic 24. I have heard WCPE when driving through NC and think even WSCL's volunteer announcers sound more professional. Our general manager just retired and will soon be replaced I presume. The past GM felt strongly that we should have a live, local presence even on weekends and non-prime time to truly serve the local audience. That is accomplished by extensive reliance on our 6000 CD library and volunteer on-air staff to minimize budget impact. I hope the new GM will continue that philosophy (Joe Buch, DE, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KS/NE Radio Station Damage From the Associated Press wire and Inside Radio: Last weekend's winter storm knocked more than a dozen Kansas radio stations off the air. The ice took down part of a one thousand foot radio tower near Copeland, knocking radio stations KJIL and KHYM off the air. The Western Kansas Broadcast Center has lost eight of its nine stations. News Director Andrew Mahoney says the outages are causing billing problems because thousands of commercials have not aired. High Plains Public Radio reports that both of its high powered Kansas stations -- KZNA and KANZ have been off the air for several days and likely won't be back until next weekend. Program Director Bob Kirby says he normally hears 15 to 20 FM stations driving to work in Garden City. Today, he heard only two. Iowa based NRG Media says four of its stations in Dodge City, two in Colby and one in Liberal have experienced disruptions, some ongoing. NRG President/CEO Mary Quass told Inside Radio she believes 20 stations in Kansas and Nebraska are "either off the air of running at reduced power" because of the weekend's major ice storm. And NRG owned KSYZ, Grand Island, NE lost its 900 foot tower because of icing. The only good news there - "No one was hurt." And there's reports of a tower down in South Bend [Indiana] at Artistic Media's WDND (via Mark Erdman, Jan 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) similar story with more detail: http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/state/16369377.htm (via Ken Kopp - KKØHF, dxldyg via DXLD) Too bad about KANZ. Has relays and translators all over area as far away as Amarillo, including OK Panhandle, across the border into CO; so are all of these off? I think many are satellite-fed. Fortunately, just power outages not tower damage; see http://www.hppr.org HPPR Signal Update (as of 1/2/2007 @ 2:47 pm) The recent storms have caused quite a lot of power outages to the HPPR coverage area. KJJP (105.7 Amarillo), KTXP (91.5 Bushland), KTOT (89.5 Spearman/Perryton), Guymon (88.9), Goodland (89.7) and Sharon Springs (90.7) are the only signals on the air, at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and we will update the following chart as soon as we receive more information. In the meantime, you can listen online by clicking here. The following is an estimate of when the other signals will return . . . (HPPR website via gh, DXLD) SECTION OF RADIO TOWER BREAKS OFF IN STORM http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/16362575.htm Ice and wind combined to tear the top 200 feet off a 1,000-foot-tall radio tower in western Kansas on Sunday. Christian stations KJIL and KHYM will be off the air for several weeks, at least, said Don Hughes, president of Great Plains Christian Radio. The tower is near Copeland, about 40 miles southwest of Dodge City. Hughes said he was at home listening to the station when it went off the air. He quickly drove to the site. The top section and the transmitters lay shattered on the ground. "It's about half buried," he said. "You can imagine that steel when it hit the ground." Hughes estimated the loss at about $500,000. The station does have insurance. He said the station's website, http://www.kjil.com will carry the music broadcasts and have updates on the tower repair or replacement. --- Dan Voorhis (c) 2007 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. (via Curtis Sadowski, WTFDA via DXLD) KJIL is a cancer on the high plains, with translators all over the place blocking public radio signals. Let`s hope they are off too (gh) ** U S A. Spread the Word while Supporting the Fight for NonStop Progressive Talk Radio! http://www.nonstopradio.com/podlist.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) Linx to groups in Boston, Columbus, Dallas ** VATICAN [non non]. 4005, Dec 30 2006, 1848 UT. What's wrong with Vatican Radio? Not on 4005 but on 4004.3 instead, and in USB! Power restrictions? This one is not via Santa Maria but from the Vatican city site. Slovak programme with infos, SINPO 33332. Rx: JRC NRD-525, Antenna: 25m wire in the trees. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Mainz / Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. 4900, Time station, unID, 1000-1130+ Jan 1. Noted steady time signals here. I am thinking they may be from Venezuela's time station, possibly a spur? I can hear a voice announcement every once in awhile, but it's too weak to copy? I checked all my references, but nothing found for this freq. However, Anker Petersen heard a time signal on this freq back in 2002 as per DXLD 2-193 of that year. (Chuck Bolland, "Enough already!" Clewiston, Florida, NRD545, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In a much more recent DXLD you would have found YVTO spur reported on 4900 as well as 5100 (gh, DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. Tnx to tip from Ron Howard, I checked the late NYE broadcast of ZNBC, UT Jan 1 at 0217 on 5915 --- yes, several people talking animatedly, with some allo`s, perhaps indicating phone calls, but difficult copy and unseemed entirely in English. This listening session led me on to several other interesting items at a time I don`t normally monitor much, even on NY Eve (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZANZIBAR. 11735, Radio Tanzania-Zanzibar, 1808-1825, 12/25/06, in Swahili. News read by a man; no sign of hoped for Spice Radio English news. ID at 1814 followed by regional vocals. Fair (Rich D'Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) English segment may have ended by 1808 already; or let us hope was just taking a day off (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 5050, 0636, 12-27/06. ``Silent Night`` in German and English. YL in unID language. VP (Joe Wood, TN, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) Both the EiBi list and Passport show ARDS, Humpty Doo in aboriginal language, Australia and Radio Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in Swahili at this time (Mark Taylor, FS editor, ibid.) Neither of which would likely propagate from local daytime at this hour. He should have checked +900 kHz for RTI via WYFR 5950, during that hour in Spanish. One more likely image from this reporter (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non] 7425: Hoy 1 de enero se aprecia en 7425 una emisora sin identificar desde las 1910, idioma sin identificar. SINPO 43443 73 (José Miguel Romero, Jan 1, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Note also his previous report with a clip; unfortunately the ID about 30 seconds in, Radio ---- suffers distortion. ``UNIDENTIFIED. 7425, NO ID, 1810-1825, idioma desconocido, escuchada el 29 de Diciembre a locutor con referencias a Turkmenistan, cuñas. Locutor y locutora con noticias, SINPO 43443. Audio: http://valenciadx.multiply.com/music/item/311 (José Miguel Romero2, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Here`s a theory. RFE/RL Turkmen service, which used to end SW at 1800, but due to recent events may have been extended. The SW schedule on website still ends at 1800, but their satellite schedule already extended to 2000, so the programming was available for the additional SW hours. This very interesting item is on the homepage: ``For strategic reasons, the RFE/RL Turkmen site [Azatradio.org] has been removed from the Internet. Strategik sebeplere gore Azatlyk ve Azat Evropa radiosynyn "Azatradio.org" internet sayty internetden ayralyar.`` That is on the page in English http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/turkmenistan.html which you get if you click on the Turkmen service link on this page: http://www.rferl.org/languages/ which is supposed to go to http://www.azatradio.org in Turkmen. It so happens that 7425 has been scheduled from Kuwait a few hours later a few weeks ago for some other service, so IBB is a suspect in this. Those who may have time may compare the IDs and language on JMRR`s clip to audio from the site at http://www.rferl.org/listen/live/bd/tu/default.asp When I tried at 0531 UT January 2 I was just getting RFE/RL Praha ID loop, so I guess it`s available during live broadcast times only, 02- 04 and 14-20 UT. If not the Turkmen service it may be something else from RFE/RL. Those with access to the latest IBB schedule updates could help us out, anonymously if necessary. 73, (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saludos cordiales Glenn, he escuchado el servicio de Radio Free Europa en Turkmeno; la ID viene a ser algo así como "Radio Free". En el audio que grabé también parece que se identifica así. Aunque no he reconocido el idioma. Por otra parte debo decirle que esta transmisión dura 2 horas pero se ve muy afectada por Radio Belarus en 7420; anoche me quedé escuchándola hasta el cierre a las 1957. Se cortó antes de que se identificara; por el momento es un misterio. También he encontrado un servicio de Radio Free en Ruso a las 2100-2300 en 7425. http://www.rferl.org/listen/shortwave/shortwave-ru.asp Desconozco si realmente transmiten ese servicio o está cambiado a otra hora en otro idioma. 73 (José Miguel Romero, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Durante la emision en 7425 de 18 a 1957 debe ser posible paralelizar (o no) el audio en línea del servicio turcmeno, con la debida demora. http://www.rferl.org/listen/live/bd/tu/default.asp 73, (Glenn, Jan 2, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [luego]: Saludos cordiales, queda confirmado, se trata de Radio Free Europe en Turkmeno; he podido verificar la transmisión en 7425 con el audio en internet, existe una demora de varios segundos. 73 (José Miguel Romero, ibid.) UNID program on 7425 noted by José Miguel Romero in Spain at 1800-1957 UT. Seemingly AZAT RADIO - Radio Liberty's Turkmen service. A positive announcement noted at 1859-1900 UTC twice (Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9450 --- Firedrake vs unID on 9450 at 1500 UT. 1/1/07, 1505-1557. Firedrake vigorously jamming another station in Chinese (sounded like Mandarin) from tune in. Talk, contemporary Chinese ballad, talk, modernized Chinese traditional music (with Firedrake, it sounded rather strange), talk, 1518 Firedrake dominating talk, Vocal, 1526 QRM increased, 1530 solemn Western organ piece over both, buried vocal, & Firedrake, 1533 OM talking / firedrake / organ & choir, 1537 bits of Firedrake & organ / choir with talk in Mandarin way under; a mess after 1437 with bits of each of the three stations. Listened until 1557 when WEWN blew all of it away. To summarize: Firedrake throughout. A station with announcers in apparent Mandarin throughout. A station starting at 1530 playing orchestral Western music with no talk. For the 1500-1530 time, there is nothing listed in the references I use (WRTH, EiBi, DXLD). Passport had a listing of Radio Free Asia, but it wasn`t listed anywhere else (esp. in the current RFA schedule) --- I presume it is leftover from earlier schedules. Radio Prague is shown at 1530-1600 in Russian. (The station after 1530 certainly did not sound like Radio Prague - no IS, talk, etc.) Going back 6 months in DXLD, there is a reference in DXLD 6-166 (Nov. 6, 2006) from Jose Miguel Romero, Spain on Nov. 5, 2006 of Firedrake on 9450 at 1458 UT. The station in Mandarin is very similar to other Sound of Hope broadcasts I have on occasion heard via Taiwan. I wonder if the UnID Mandarin station is Sound of Hope being jammed by the Chinese Communist government? Even if so, what is the Western orchestral station after 1530? (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9450 is a long time frequency for SOUND OF HOPE broadcasts from Tanshui Taiwan, at 1400-1600 UT. And accompanied by China mainland jamming via Xian area, which could be read in various lists previously. > (...) Even if so, what is the Western orchestral station after 1530? 9450 1530-1600 zones 29-32 LIT 100kW 80deg CZE RPR TCH in Russian. LIT = Litomysl, Czech Rep. 100 kW for all other frequencies. Google Earth imagery, low resolution, also former foreign service MW site of 1286/1287 kHz: 49 49 N, 16 18 27 E. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Happy New Year to you, Glenn, - with a heartly thank you for your continuing effort to compile and distribute the many DXLDs, which we receive via the HCDX mailing list, and which we appreciate very much (Dr. Anton J. Kuchelmeister, Germany) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ LATIN AMERICA SW RADIO LIST Dear friends, I made a Latin America SW radio list. This list has been compiled starting from April 06, for my and my friends personal use. Dario Monferini, PlayDX editor, helped me, to up to date it, I got the idea from the original Mohrmann's site, Latin American Short Wave Logs, so far it has not been not completely updated in past 2 years, the Mosquito Coast DX Team has done something, but no carefully. My list is just a simple one compilation, it's a beta list too. I hope Mohrmann will restart again his great job! You can see the new up to date on this blog: http://lasw.blogspot.com Hola ! En los ultimos meses, desde abril 2006, he empezado una lista de las emisoras de Latinoamérica. Este elenco ha sido creado por utilizo personal para mí y mis amigos Diexistas. La recompilación ha sido realizada gracias a la colaboración de Dario Monferini del grupo PLAYDX. La elencación es tomada desde la idea original del colega Mohrmann, llamada Latin American Short Waves Logs, que ya desde 2 años no es al dia, y que solamente parcialmente ha sido corregida por los colegas del Mosquito Coast DX Team; es una lista muy preciosa por los que se dedican a la caza de emisoras de Latino América en las ondas cortas. Mi compilación es una beta lista; pueden libremente consultarla visitando mi pagina Blog http://lasw.blogspot.com (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italy, Jan 2, WORLD OF RADIO 1342, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Aoki's B06 site not working http://www.geocities.jp/binewsjp/bib06.txt Trying to access Mr. Aoki's B06 schedules, I instead noted the Yahoo- Japan site come up, in Japanese, apparently noting that the site is not working; this occurrence happened after the start of last year. Is Mr. Aoki working on the deletions from his list (i.e. YLE closing, ending of some DW services, etc.) or was there pressure from some stations that their info not be included in future listings? If this list remains inaccessible then this is another inconvenience to serious monitors who need this information; otherwise I hope the listings will reappear as soon as possible. EiBi's listings are good but it doesn't include the other useful info that Aoki provides such as transmitter power and beam headings, which may be helpful in determining the strength of incoming signals at a listener's location, longpath reception, etc. (Joe Hanlon, NJ, Jan 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here`s the home page with linx to lots of individual schedules: http://www.geocities.jp/binewsjp/ (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see GERMANY ++++++++++++++++++++ POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ARRL January 1: We Go to Court (QST editorial) ``It Seems to Us . . .`` WE GO TO COURT http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2007/01/01/1/?nc=1 By David Sumner, K1ZZ, ARRL Chief Executive Officer, January 1, 2007 Let`s get right to the point: The ARRL is suing the Federal Communications Commission. Here is what led to this decision, why it is the right thing to do, and how you can help. As regular readers of this page already know, under former Chairman Michael Powell the FCC cast itself in the role of cheerleader for an over-hyped technology known as Broadband over Power Line, or BPL. BPL deliberately puts radio frequency (RF) energy on unshielded power lines. As anyone knows who understands RF, this is likely to interfere with nearby radio receivers using the same frequencies. The radio spectrum is a priceless asset. BPL, on the other hand, is an unintentional emitter. Any RF energy that a BPL system radiates is simply spectrum pollution. Through careful frequency selection and design, BPL systems can avoid interfering with radio services. Unfortunately, rules for BPL adopted by the Powell FCC in 2004 allow poorly designed BPL systems operating on inappropriate frequencies -- including amateur bands -- to be deployed. The ARRL and others petitioned the FCC to reconsider these rules and to give better protection against BPL interference to licensed radio services. With Powell`s departure and the appointment of Kevin Martin as Chairman, we thought that technical evidence once again would trump wishful thinking at the FCC. But it was not to be. The FCC`s reconsideration decisions, adopted on August 3, did not improve things. When the Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) was released a few days later, we couldn`t believe it -- they had made matters worse! A new FCC rule is aimed directly against mobile stations -- in all services, not just amateur. The new rule, §15.611(c)(1)(iii), exempts BPL operators from having to do anything to correct interference to mobile operations other than to notch emissions to a level 20 dB (below 30 MHz) or 10 dB (above 30 MHz) below the absolute limit specified elsewhere in the rules. Here`s a direct quote from the FCC (emphasis added): Where an Access BPL operator implements such notching, we will not provide further protection to mobile operations, nor will we require the operator to resolve complaints of harmful interference to mobile operations by taking steps over and above implementing the ``notch.`` Consider what this means. If a BPL system blankets an area with interference, the FCC will require nothing of the BPL system operator beyond putting a 10 or 20 dB notch on the frequency used by a complaining mobile operator. ARRL measurements and studies show that this leaves the interference 25 dB higher than the median values for man-made noise in residential areas and up to 40 dB higher than the minimum values that amateurs routinely use for reliable communication. And as for other services, if a BPL system prevents a dispatcher from reaching a fire truck or ambulance -- well, that`s just too bad. This isn`t just a proposal. It`s a rule that is now in effect. With one stroke, the rights of FCC licensees have been subordinated to those of spectrum polluters! Never before has an unintentional emitter been given a free pass to interfere with licensed radio services. Some well-meaning people tell us, ``Why worry? As a means of delivering broadband services to consumers, BPL is an inferior technology. According to the FCC`s own figures, the BPL industry has managed to reach fewer than 5000 customers nationwide. BPL is failing in the marketplace, as well it should.`` Here`s the problem. Even if BPL disappears from the scene tomorrow, the FCC`s preference for unlicensed, unintentional emitters over the interests of its licensees will remain on the books. Bad rules left unchallenged will lead to even worse rules later. The FCC was heading in the wrong direction under Michael Powell. It`s continuing in the wrong direction under Kevin Martin. Reasoned technical arguments backed up by overwhelming evidence have not altered the FCC`s errant course. There was only one thing left that we could do: appeal in federal court. After carefully considering the costs and consequences, the ARRL Board of Directors concluded that was what we must do. So, on October 10, 2006 the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) joined ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay in filing a Petition for Review on behalf of the ARRL in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. We are not alone. The Association of Maximum Service Television (MSTV) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have decided to intervene in support of the ARRL. Their joint motion states, ``MSTV and NAB believe that the regulations under review are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law, and will adversely impact their members by, among other things, permitting unlicensed users of radio spectrum to interfere with licensed uses of the spectrum.`` The Court of Appeals will not substitute its judgment for the reasoned decision-making of an expert agency. But this long- established principle does not give agencies such as the FCC carte blanche. In another recent case, a panel of this Court had this to say about another federal agency: ``We therefore owe no deference to [the agency`s] purported expertise because we cannot discern it.`` When it reviews the FCC`s BPL decisions we expect the Court to reach a similar conclusion. Mounting a serious challenge to a federal agency is expensive. Attorneys who specialize in this work must be retained -- and the attorneys at WilmerHale are the best in the business. A careful review of the FCC`s records must be performed. Complex technical issues must be made understandable to a panel of judges who are not telecommunications experts. Exhibits must be prepared. Arguments must be selected and fine-tuned. Your Board of Directors has decided to take these steps to protect you and your ability to use Amateur Radio frequencies. Your financial support of the Spectrum Defense Fund is vital to help fund this appeal. If you share our sense of outrage at the FCC`s bending its rules to accommodate a polluter of the radio spectrum at the expense of the licensees it is supposed to protect, please express your support of the ARRL Board`s decision with a generous contribution. Visit www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense for more information and a donation form. Page last modified: 04:16 PM, 27 Nov 2006 ET Page author: awextra @ arrl.org Copyright © 2006, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, dxldyg) ###