sabato 18 settembre 2010

Glenn Hauser logs September 17-18, 2010

** ANTARCTICA. Last Saturday there was a presumed report of LRA36 on the 15476 air despite its normal M-F-only schedule, so I dug for it this Saturday, Sept 18 at 1336 --- no signal detectable, tho Rampisham 15480 was there (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake Sept 18:
8400, 9380 and 10500 all checked but nothing at 1256.
After 1305, full scan 8-19 MHz also produced nothing
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GABON. 9580, just as I intune Sept 18 at 0532, ``Vous écoutez Africa Numéro Un, votre radio``, and more news in French. Fair signal, somewhat undermodulated. We still miss the much better signals they used to provide from the other transmitter on 17630/15475 in the daytime/evening, and it`s supposedly going to come back --- but if the sunspots ever improve, we may again have a chance at 2 x 9580 = 19160 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUATEMALA. YOUR REPORTS PLEASE --- Greetings to all friends of Radio Truth (Radio Verdad). May I inform you that we started to broadcast on short wave today at 1:30 p. m. (Guatemalan time) [1930 UT]. These are temporary transmissions, with only 50 watts power. We are using a very small transmitter. We'll appreciate your reports of how you receive our signal. Send your report to: radioverdad5 @ yahoo.com or to Apartado 5, Chiquimula, Guatemala.

Referring to our large transmitter, it is already on function, but we are waiting for Eng. Ralph Borthwick to come from Canada, for completing its repair, by the middle of October, and be able to come on the air with our full power again. God bless you. PLEASE SPREAD OUT THIS INFORMATION (Dr. Édgar Amílcar Madrid, Manager and Director, Radio Verdad, 2211 UT Sept 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

See previous reports in
http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1036.txt
http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1032.txt

4052.5 kHz. Nominal program schedule shows: Mon-Sat 1100-0605; Sunday 1255-0605 UT, so best chance should be at sign-on or in the few hours before sign-off.

Started trying for it at 0057 UT Sept 18: nothing on 4052.5, but very weak instrumental music in noise level, sounds religious, on 4055; and an even weaker seemingly broadcast signal on 4050: 3 x 1350 KWMU Washington MO as usual? Or Kyrgyzstan.

At 0100 the 4055 signal increases a bit and at 0101 an announcement, made out a word or two of Spanish, including ``nosotros``. So suspect R. Verdad`s low-power 50-watt substitute transmitter is really on 4055; is that right, Dr. Madrid? Reception should improve later in evening. It`s just as well to be on 4055, further from the 4050 QRM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Thank you, Glen[n], for your excellent report. It is very useful and encouraging to us. Yes, you are right, we're transmitting on 4.055 MHz, instead of 4.0525. The new technician argued that that was the right frequency on which we should get on the air. Our authorized frequency is from 4.0475 to 4.0575, and, to my best knowledge, the middle is at 4.0525, and that is the frequency imprinted inside of our big transmitter; however, I could not convince the new technician. Anyhow, I am glad about his temporary help, because now we are on the air. Our low power is 50 watts, but I may increase it up to 100 watts, if the fount [power supply?] supports it. I forgot to include our new frequency in my e-mails (Dr Madrid, 0502 UT Sept 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Despite my spreading the word about this immediately to the major DX lists, few other reports have resulted. Manuel Méndez in Spain tried for it, and got an extremely weak carrier only on 4052.7-LSB until 0606* Sept 18, but apparently that could not have been R. Verdad.

My further monitoring UT Sept 18: at 0449 reception had not improved, still too much storm noise, but now I compare the very weak signal on 4055 to 6055 REE, and with BFO find that 4055 is very very slightly to the low side. (Since Star Radio buried itself inside the 75m band instead of 4025-, have not been able to perform such comparisons.) R. Verdad no better at 0524, as I give up for tonight. Things should be quieter if one be awake to monitor at *1100, except on Sundays it`s too late at *1255 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI, VG signal Sept 18 at 1259 concluding Japanese hour with ID, address partly pronounced in English; 1300 sharp, transition to English without any IS or pause, YL opening with ID, program summary, 1301 news. But STILL suffering from OADs, including some lasting several seconds in the 1302 minute during first boring item about candidates for the position of national police chief (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH AFRICA. 14235-USB, Sept 18 at 1330, ZS1DDK, David working numerous eastern US hams, and QSOs constantly interrupted by others trying to get his attention; also QRM from digital mode on the low side, SSTV? with occasional fast CW IDs. A few minutes earlier was getting another Azanian from Cape Town on 14238 --- or maybe the same guy before QSY; sounded about the same, but hard to copy his own call. QRZ.com IDs this OM as: ZS1DDK, David P. De Kock, 6 Klipspringer Drive, Loevenstein, Cape Town, South Africa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1530 confirmed on first WWCR airing, Friday Sept 17 at 2030, 15825 just barely audible on portable radio, as is the normal case with this frequency in the skip zone lacking any sporadic-E enhancement, but hope it is much better further east and west. Also confirmed at 1600 Saturday Sept 18 on 12160 with VG signal, shortly after *1559. Next WWCR airings are UT Sun 0230 on 4840, 0630 on 3215.

Also tried to confirm DXing With Cumbre on 21630 ex-17520, Saturday at 1600 --- 21630 just barely audible, no comparison to inbooming Portugal 21655, Spain 21610, 21570 --- but it`s not Marie! Some OM talking. Then check webcast for WHRI Angel 1, and sure enough, it`s some preacher, so DWC is gone again from what had been its only confirmed WHRI SW airtime. Searching ``Marie Lamb`` on the WHRI website under Specific Program Criteria, indeed Sat 1600 has been removed and all the others look fishy, previously confirmed as not really on SW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###