domenica 30 maggio 2010

Glenn Hauser logs May 30, 2010

** CANADA. Channel 3 analog, French from north, most likely CBWFT Winnipeg, May 30 at 1735 UT with cooking show? 1737 demonstrating how to force-feed geese; gotta get that foie gras (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. RHC Esperanto, Sunday May 30 at 0709 not only on 6010 but // weaker 5970, not on the schedules; while Spanish was on 6060, 6120, 6150 with widely varying signals, modulation levels and quality. At 0715, 5040 also found in Spanish. By 0735, both 6010 and 5970 were still on and back in English with ``Ed Newman`` saying it was Saturday evening, item about Toronto using high-decibel noisemakers to disperse demonstrators. At 0823 check, 6010 was off, opening channel for XEOI; see MEXICO.

Looked for Vanuatu, q.v., on 5055, but as previously noted, a mix of Cuba 5025 and 5040 lands here, not sure if receiver- or transmitter-produced in this case (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ECUADOR. 3810-LSB, HD2IOA, May 30 at 0807 with Spanish timechex every 10 seconds for 3:07+, ``al oir el tono, serán las tres horas, siete minutos, 10 segundos``, beep, etc. No QRhaM at the moment, but HD2IOA only IDs at 59:40 past the hours (or maybe also at 29:40?) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUYANA. 3290, Sunday May 30 at 0810, S9+15 with gospel music, contralto belting ``He`s Got the Whole World In His Hands``. I suspect this is a Christian segment of GBC`s multi-religionist programming. 0812 applause and another hymn by same songstress; 0816 announcement by M and I think he mentioned ``GBC Radio`` but maybe imagined what I was expecting to hear.

Anyhow, no doubt that`s it, as at 0818 onward to Indian music, perhaps Hindu. Constant het from ute on 3297 which occasionally added RTTY bursts. No sign of also active R. Central, PNG, unless it was source of what seemed like a co-channel open carrier on 3290 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO [and non]. As of UT May 30, 2010, I finally have a brand new TV antenna up with rotor and amplifier. Altho it is not as high as I would like, now I am set for double-hop sporadic-E analog TV DX from Caribbean and Central America, which happened so much last summer; and single hop from Canada and Mexico where analog TV still exists. (And some LPTV USA stations still analog; o yeah, also possible DTV Es DX from US stations, as frustrating as it may be.)

There are NO locals of course on any TV channel now except 32-analog, 31-low power digital. However, non-broadcast intermittent QRM bothers some channels including 3. Hope the `white space` is not already filling up here.

First catch was some analog on channel 3 briefly with a graphic at 0247 UT, peaking WSW, which I checked as soon as I saw a 6m opening on DX Sherlock between N5XR east of me and S California.

Figured it was XHBC Mexicali, a regular here in the past at ideal skip distance, but now there is another Mexican channel 3 too close in Tijuana, XHTJB, which is on the Once educational TV network. Need more log details to be sure.

More Es from Mexico May 30 in 1500-1700+ period UT, mostly channels 2 and 4 from the south, occasionally 6; on 2 and 4 several stations/networks mixing with variety of programming including cartoons, sports, speech with PA reverb, but no definite IDs.

At 1504 on 4, ad for Tel Cel, which is Mexico`s leading mobile phone company, then guys in stadium, fútbol.

At 1630 on 2 an ad for Banorte, which is based in Monterrey but has offices all over Mexico and some abroad (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO [and non]. 6104.8, XEQM Mérida, 0714 UT May 30 phone interview in Spanish with laughter, atop lite het from 6105.0. That must be what`s left of the TWR English signal via Nauen, Germany, now far into the dayside, but which is such an obstacle winterly. XEQM with its typical deep fading.

R. Martí`s expanded schedule included 6105 starting at 0700 (except UT Mondays 0900), but the frequency grid at
http://www.martinoticias.com/frecuencia.aspx
now dated 3.5.10, meaning 3 May? No longer shows it on that or any of the other additional times and frequencies.

6010, R. Mil, blocked by RHC, see CUBA, May 30 after 0700 in Esperanto, 0730+ English, but at next check 0823 RHC was off audiblizing Spanish lovesong by YL, 0826 quick ``Radio Mil`` ID, atop slight het, presumably Colombia or Brasil (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NEW ZEALAND. I seldom monitor after 0700 UT, but glad I did May 30 as Pacific conditions were good this early, K=4. At 0710, RNZI VG on 6170 in discussion on human rights and their DRM 7435-7440-7445 also grinding away (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. With 6170, 5020, 3905 incoming from Pacific, it`s time to look for the new Radio Fly, May 30 at 0752: only a very weak carrier detectable on 5960 and heavy splash from REE/CR 5965 which lasts until 0800; at 0822 still something there with no 5965 ACI, but now RHC 5970 is too strong with music splash, as is WYFR from 5950.

3915, the other Radio Fly frequency: at 0821 some music is audible, much weaker than Kavieng 3905; by 0828, 3915 is S5-S9, and at 0833 man talking, but just too weak, and I have to sleep sometime. Aoki says both are 10 kW non-direxional, but is that confirmed? 10 kW is the nominal power of all the other PNG stations. If one could make 3915 // 5960, that would be confirmatory even if too weak to copy details.

3905, R. New Ireland, Kavieng, May 30 at 0755, poor with island music, S9+10, 0757 announcement in Tok Pisin(?), then slow choral music with guitar past 0800 until next announcement at 0804; 0805 music with yelling and then speech with PA reverb. Initially the only broadcast signal on 75m, till 3915 and 3945 started to show a few minutes later, no sign of Japan on 3925; and no SSB ham QRM at this wee hour.

3365, after getting 3905, checked 90m for PNG and found one weak signal here at 0809 May 30 with talk, presumably R. Milne Bay, Alotau; tho both it and Brasil`s R. Cultura, Araraquara supposedly start at 0700, per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also GUYANA

** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 5020, surprised to find a signal here May 30 as early as 0715, YL talk in English, but badly bothered by Cuba-5025 which was constantly splashing its music. Roughly 40 Hz low compared to whatever was on MW 1020. By 0750, 5020 is better with its own music; must be SIBC. I haven`t heard it this well around 1200 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 5890, WWCR open carrier at several chex May 30, including at 0727, 0754. Other frequencies 3215, 4840 and 5935 were OK. At 0754 could barely hear PMS // 5935, not sure if bleedthru, cross-mod, or just barely modulated.

3215 not exactly OK; at 0808 with preaching about lepers, and quite a squeal as so often the case with the #1 transmitter. I suppose this also affected WORLD OF RADIO at 0630-0700 Sunday, unchecked (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9955, WRMI with WORLD OF RADIO 1514 in progress at 1533 May 30, poor signal here but no jamming audible for the Sunday 1515 broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DGIEST)

** U S A. 3185, WWRB missing May 30 at 0808 and other chex before and after (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VANUATU [and non]. With Solomons and PNG in, looked for this on 5055, May 30 at 0750 but blocked by Cuba mix; By 0828 there was a weak carrier on 3945, presumably this, altho per Aoki R. Nikkei is also on the air at this hour on Sundays; however, the stronger Nikkei on 3925 was inaudible.

On 5000 at 0725 May 30, WWVH way atop WWV, but even WWVH was fluttery.

Geophysical Alert Message
Solar-terrestrial indices for 29 May follow.
Solar flux 74 and mid-latitude A-index 26.
The mid-latitude K-index at 0900 UTC on 30 May was 4 (67 nT).
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred.
No space weather storms are expected for the next 24 hours (SWPC)
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. The few analog signals still on UHF really stand out, such as ch 48, May 30 at 0440 UT. Peaks from the NNE, and by 0600 is strong enough to tell it`s Cristina, i.e. Univisión network, // 36 from OKC and cable here but not synchronized with the latter. W9WI shows there is also a 48 LP in OKC with same net, but judging from direxion I must have been getting KUKC-LP, Kansas City MO, which is 12.7 kW. Wichita DTV signals were greatly enhanced at same time (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Note: TVDX is underway, and I beg indulgence from those who may find this off-topic from primarily SW logs I distribute (gh) ###