lunedì 18 ottobre 2010

Glenn Hauser logs October 17-18, 2010

** ANTARCTICA. 15476, Oct 18 at 1304, carrier enough to confirm LRA36 is on the air this Monday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA. VL8 check Oct 18 at 1249: some audio on 2485, stronger than 2325, stronger than 2310 carriers (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA [and non]. 15400, HCJB, Oct 18 at 1325 fair with instrumental hymn, 1326 plug
http://www.christianmedia.net.au and 1327 HCJB ID in English. Other transmitter to S Asia on 15340 was weaker, underneath Arabic music making SAH of 5 Hz, since Morocco finally got religion and standardized channel from ex-15341 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake Oct 18:
10500, JBA at 1349. No others found 18-8 MHz by 1354. However:

13670, Firedrake-like music Oct 18 at 1347, but doesn`t fit the usual medley, and 1349 adds vocals both sung and spoken in opera, so NOT FD. Later found // on 9855 at 1350, i.e. CRI Chinese hour via Urumqi, EAST TURKISTAN, and Beijing sites respectively (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. RHC anomalies Oct 18: at 0532, 6150 has open carrier, then cuts off and back on, 0533 adding modulation in English, better level than usual, an echo apart from // 6060 de the other transmitter site. English was best tho hummy on 5970, and surprisingly weak on 6010, mixing with Mexico(?), and close enough to produce a SAH, not an AH! Seems like they swapped transmitters around, as 6010 is normally as huge a signal as 5970 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 24935-USB, Oct 17 at 2132, one of several DX signals on 12m, with QRZ, quick contest contacts in Spanish and English, 5-9 readings, one being WB9CDE. QRZ.com says CO8LY is:
Eduardo Somoano Cremati
P.O. Box 104
Santiago de Cuba, 90100,
Cuba
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 12 and 10m open Oct 17 at 2137. On approx. 28339.5-USB heard ``PU2DWL`` a few times, but that turned out to be the station called rather than the station heard. Would it be too much trouble to say ``this is`` or ``calling`` to make it clear? Of course! Those would take up two valuable syllables each, resulting in lower scores. Listening longer, concluded that the station heard was HI3TEJ. QRZ.com says:

TED Jimenez
John F. Kennedy 77
Puerto Plata,
Dominican Republic
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUADELOUPE. The MUF is finally making some progress, with 12m and even 10m opening up. Oct 17 at 2127 on 24965-USB, FG5DH calling CQ, and making several quick K-contacts, sounds like in contesting mode. Handle is Christian, confirmed by qrz.com lookup:
CHRISTIAN COMBET
RUE ALTHEY THEOGENE
MON REPOS
97130 CAPESTERRE BELE EAU,
Guadeloupe
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUIANA FRENCH. 21690, RFI via TDF, Oct 17 at 2153 still in with fair signal in French. It is registered at 17-22, 500 kW, 75 degrees to CIRAF 37 and 46, i.e. Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria and all countries westward in Africa. I wonder if it`s still audible at 10:59 pm in Niamey? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 3325, RRI Palangkaraya, Oct 18 at 1248, poor with W&M conversation in Indonesian. I`m still not hearing any other tropical RRIs, nothing audible on 4750. Unless 3345 was Indo instead of PNG, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH. 2850, KCBS, Oct 18 at 1154, usual choral music reaching S9+10; at 1249 it had ascended to S9+15, more choral music, 1250 Korean talk. Carrier again detectably slightly unstable.

3250, weak signal with talk here at 1248 Oct 18, presumably VOK Japanese service, as it`s too late for Honduras, HRPC fading more than an hour earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTEING DIGEST) see also KOREA SOUTH

** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6135, Shiokaze via JSR JAPAN is beginning to show up again, Oct 18 at 1402, but now I have DTV cable converter box ``bubble jamming`` to cope with, spreading from 6132 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA SOUTH. 3480, Korean talk Oct 18 at 1247; 1257 at S9+15 with slow song, presumed Voice of the People, clandestine from South to North; always weak het on hi side 3481, from Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front KOREA NORTH jammer, per Aoki.

Same audio on 4450 from VOP at 1259, no jamming audible. At 1300, 3480 had fanfare and march music, assertive Korean announcement, but not as overblown as the DPRK TV anchors (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. 21540, R. Kuwait, strongest station on band (SSOB), Oct 18 at 1332 in Arabic with drama, including music, narration, atop Spain making 4 Hz SAH with it, but the latter in the clear on // 21610, 21570 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LIBYA. 21695, VOA, Oct 18 at 1333 in Swahili, with ripple both on the modulation and carrier, especially noticeable during music; same at 1345 on // 17725, not quite so pronounced. Equipment is in sad shape (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. Pre- and post-sunrise (1241 UT) MW DX Oct 18:

620, at 1218, PSA for Chihuahua electoral, promo Día de los Muertos specials running daily at 7 pm; jingle, 6:20 TC, OM DJ, more mentions of Chihuahua, so it`s XEBU, La Norteñita, Chihuahua city, 5 kW day.

660, at 1229, Spanish TC for 6:30, US béisbol lineups. Probably XEACB in Ciudad Delicias, Chih.

710, at 1220 TC for 6:20, jingle mentioning Cuauhtémoc, promo for a giveaway, so XEDP, La Ranchera, 7 kW, in that Chihua2 hi-elevation town. Where`s KGNC Amarillo? Its 10 kW day and night patterns do not favor us, but instead the Llano Estacado, tho we still get it over 400 km away by daytime groundwave, as does OKC. Long live sunrise skipover!

730, at 1221, VG signal with singing ID ``Radio Viva Vida``; has frequent IDs and even the songs seem to be as short as possible; 1230 fed PSA for Constitución, Poder Judicial, full ID as XEHB, 730 kHz, 50,000 watts de potencia, street address on tercer piso, [Hidalgo del] Parral, Chihuahua; norteña music; 1234 SID ``Ésta es Radio Viva Vida``, then slower tune by YL singer featuring accordion and tuba. At first copied call as ``XEACV`` which sounds a lot like XEHB.

760, at 1203, XEES, Antena 7-60, apparent sign-on with street address, in Chihuahua, watts, then ``Antena 7-60 presenta: Al Amanecer``, (At Dawn), TC ``las seis, tres``. Am getting a weak lightning crash every 5 minutes or so as a storm tries to build up over Enid, dissipates. WRTH 2010 shows this as ``Antena Musical 7-60``, 1 kW in Chihuahua capital, but heard slogan several times without the Musical.

Cantú agrees on the slogan, and linx to website,
http://www.antena760.com/ where we see it is one of the seven-station Grupo Radio Divertida; logo is a car whip with a broken circle around the ball on top, and claims to be 10 kW. Sounds like it to me.

800, after a poor showing the day before, XEROK is back with a vengeance, at 1222 with news of latest secuestros (kidnappings), KQCV OKC no problem at the moment.

820, at 1236, Spanish in WBAP null, making SAH of 108/minute = 1.8 Hz; one guy talking, occasional comments by another. Los Mochis most likely, or Mexicali, or maybe Durango. To repursue elsewhen.

870, at 1201 NA, 1202 XETAR sign on by usual morning YL announcer in Spanish, mentioning Guachochi, Chihuahua, then Indian language, Tarahumara presumed. Remains audible until several minutes past SR. This one has the least QRM, as WWL is gone, and KFJZ Fort Worth, weakly audible here full-daytime on groundwave, seems negligible, tho it does have a 250 watt PSRA. XETAR has 870 to itself, no worries even about SAHs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA. 7350, R. Nigeria, Abuja, previously did not start with NA before 0555, but UT Monday Oct 18 tune-in at 0544 open carrier best yet at S9+8, brief tone test, and starts playing music on rustic instruments. 0548 retune had already signed on, in English program summary concluding at ``1 pm`` = 1200 UT, previously reported sign-off time. Announcements somewhat undermodulated. 0548 into YL vocal music, seems like in English. 0556 announcement blocked briefly by ``running water`` ute bursts; talking about Nigeria, jingle, doze, 0600 news? 0637 still audible as I awoke again before QRT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3345, the best of the lot, (3385 having cut off earlier), Oct 18 at 1255 lo-key and somewhat muffled talk by M, 1256 music, weaker than RRI 3325. Tentative R. Northern, Popondetta. Also carriers on PNG channels on 3365, 3315, 3290, 3275; however, Ishida reports RRI Kendari has been active on 3345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PERU. 18057.9, R. Victoria, 3 x 6019.3, Oct 18 at 1330 with threshold audio, carrier definitely on signature off-frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PORTUGAL. In 13m bandscanning I usually tune up to 21850 just in case, but seldom hear anything above 21695. Oct 18 at 1335, weak talk on 21810+ (slightly on hi side), non-English, undermodulated but S9 peaks; nothing here in final PWBR by the radio. 1340 I can tell it`s Portuguese, so RDPI registered M-F 13-15, 82 degrees to Mideast/S Asia, the only station in the world on 21810, and the second highest SWBC channel now in use (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ROMANIA. 15435, RRI keeps up its tradition of filling out the Chinese hour with obscure but well-performed operatic arias, Oct 18 at 1323, then chopped off coloratura soprano at 1325 for close-down announcement (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 3160, Oct 18 at 1152, WPJK, Orangeburg SC, still harmonicizing from 1580 with gospel music. I see that Mark Taylor in WI has now heard this too (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 18530, WINB, 2 x 9265, Oct 18 at 1330 with Brother Scare at no-strain level, S3 to peaks S7; compared to fundamental 9265 there seemed to be a very slight reverb caused by slightly different propagational paths. At 1344 with BFO I compare the carriers: 18530 does seem to be twice as wobbly as 9265, tho modulation bandwidth is not doubled. Good to hear the MUF picking up like this; better than my last barely-log on Sept 22 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 15550-USB, Oct 18 at 1400 gospel chords, WJHR probably just signed on; dead air, then preacher. Audio a bit choppy, maybe backscatter involved? Tuned by again at 1411 when he was explaining the distinxion between red and white horses; of the apocalypse? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 13845, Oct 18 at 1408, Joyce Riley on WWCR is getting smothered by Mother Angelica speaking on her mushy spur-producing 13835 WEWN transmitter, which was much stronger. But why should I care? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. 6297.1, SASASAM confirmed on this frequency Oct 18 around 0610 chanting (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Trans-Pacific MW carrier search Oct 18 at 1212-1214 UT on 9 kHz DX-398 steps from bottom up to 1260 found nothing from the NW, but at 1213 a very weak 738, null indicating a much lower angle. Also at 1228, with plenty of splash from KRMG 740 Tulsa.

This of course should be the much sought-after TAHITI, a very different direxion from here than East Asia, and low-latitude trans-equatorial likely to propagate when high-latitude TPs do not. Tahiti is 8 megameters from here at 232 degrees, close to SW = 225, and about the same azimuth as XETAR-870. Japan ranges 317-322 degrees, and more like 10 megameters, but with a lot more power, up to 500 kW vs only 20 kW from R. Polynésie, the only MW in that aqueous insular radio country. WRTH does not venture to guess what its hours are, 24? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

UNIDENTIFIED. 674-680 MHz, the mystery channel A-48 analog relay of KUOK, Univisión for OKC, UT Oct 18 faded up from the snow after sunset, 0000 UT but this evening did not build up much by 0500, still weak. Better next morning, with stronger but ghosty, jittery signal from the near northeast where there is not supposed to be any such transmitter. Area tropo favored the Tulsa market on several DTV channels. At 1323 definitely peaking NE, not SSE from the other relay KWDW in OKC, but still quite ghosty. Strong enough at 1529-1532 to tape in case the super ID(?) appear in the upper right, but it does not. Just about faded out by 1600 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###