** CUBA [and non]. Since El Hugazo was a no-show again this Sunday, the special `Aló, Presidente` frequencies, 17750, 13750 and 15370 had already been turned off at 1834 check Jan 16, after having carried nothing but RHC duplications earlier, as in previous report.
Yes, this Sunday, tnx to the triple-alarming capabilities of the DX-398, I remember to check for the alleged Esperanto broadcast from RHC at 2230 on 15370: at 2231, no signal, not even on the air. Maybe a breakdown, since 11730 and 15230 are also anomalous, on the air, but with open carrier only, and in the case of the latter, much stronger than usual on this frequency, on wrong antenna too? JBA under it was R. Australia.
RHC Spanish was going after 2230 on 11770, and RNV relay on 11670; 12040 RHC seemingly on too, making SAH under sports from PORTUGAL, q.v. I reset the alarm again and check again at 2250. NOW, 15370 is on the air with horrible, distorted rap. Surely this is not Esperanto, which altho inexorably mired in Marxism here, is a semi-intellexual pursuit! Previous weeks during this semihour, Creole, French or Quechua has been carried. No, at 2253 it IS Esperanto being announced!
Meanwhile at 2250, `En Contacto`, the DX program in Spanish is audible on 12040 with RDPI now off, 11770, 9820, 6140, 5040; while 11730 and 15230 are still open carrier. Just another day of SNAFUs at RHC and RadioCuba. See also USA: WRMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 5765-USB, AFN barely audible Jan 17 at 1344 with country music, not news/talk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, V. of Mesopotamia with continuous Kurdish vocal music segués, some of it ululatory, always a treat and reliably unannounced during this hour, 1415 Jan 17. Flutter as usual, and it would be odd to hear such music without the flutter which seems like an essential element of it. Good signal but some hum, via UKRAINE.
If only we could hear RUI this well any more! According to Alexandr Yegorov, Kyiv, ex-RUI, in RusDX 16 Jan, the sole English broadcast left is 2000-2100 on 6030, only remnants of which might make it to northeast America, certainly not here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 15540, again Jan 16 at 1823 check, just-barely-audible carrier during English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Es opening underway at tune-in 1747 UT Jan 16, pileup on channel 2, generally peaking SSW. 1800 net-5 bug UR on channel 3 during war movie, and continuing to dominate that channel, quite good by 1810, probably XHBQ Zacatecas. 1817 on 3, Televisa Querétaro animated ID, i.e. XEZ-TV, Zamorano. I have received that station countless times since my earliest TV DXing in OK a semicentury ago, but not with such a particular ID rather than just an XEW relay.
Signs of activity on 4 and 5 too. At 1836, fútbol on 2 with net-2 lazy-star bug in upper right. Nothing more afterwards. DX Sherlock map at 1813 showed center of activity over W/C Texas. First report on the TV-FM Skip Log of Es reaching ch 2 was at 1552, and thence some pokes into FM elsewhere (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. What could be more apropos for Martin Luther King`s unbirthday? 6925-SSB, Jan 17 at 1347, ``I have a dream`` speech with frequent applause. Rather imperative tone, but not to be mistaken for a contemporary gospel huxter. Only fair signal but pumping, leading to dilemma of whether to attenuate or not. 1352 Radio Ga-Ga ID, and into opening of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and far-flung correspondents, leading with `MLK shot to death``.
BTW, another ``pirate radio``, really a legal -LP in Colorado near Laporte, is in the news for running anti-MLK editorials:
http://www.brian-blackwell.com/2011/01/whack-job-kels-fm-owners-concealed.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES. 9570, nothing but a JBA carrier, Jan 17 at 1517, so has R. Blagovest via Radio Veritas Asia now been canceled?
Indonesia had been good as usual on 9525- before 1500, but now at 1517 I am not getting FEBC Manila in Chinese either on 9430. Maybe Phil-prop is just very bad today?
Also still missing: VOA 9760 via Tinang, which used to be good after 1500 with English Learning. No sign of it at 1513 Jan 17, altho supposedly scheduled 15-16 daily at 21 degrees USward (also at 13-14 Sat/Sun at 283 degrees --- not heard this weekend either). (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL [and non]. 12040, RDPI Jan 16 at 2035-2130+ with hyper-enthusiastic sillyballgame live coverage, challenging my comprehension of Portuguese, and in fact a nice soporific accompaniment to my nap, compensating for too much late and early DXing.
No RHC audible at first, but may have been totally blocked; at 2133, I could tell RHC was under there making a SAH, and still at 2241, but RFPI off by 2250 uncovering RHC; see CUBA. Earlier on Sundays only, Cuba`s 12040 transmitter is moved to one of the El Hugazo frequencies instead, but Portugal still needs to evade this collision, altho there is a weaker but clear // 11960 at 2133 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA. 7275, RTT, Jan 17 until 0627* usual nice calm Arabic music, as if nothing is going on rather than riots and fires (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Over to Mike:
It continues to be interesting to listen to RTCI, the francophone Tunisian service [via satellite, Galaxy 19, Ku]. This morning, a woman is announcing the new interim government, emphasizing that there is no longer a Ministry of Communications or a Ministry of Information, and that information is being allowed to circulate freely. It makes me wonder what it must be like to be at a state-run station when the government body that regulates you no longer exists (Mike Cooper, Atlanta GA, Jan 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** UKRAINE. See KURDISTAN [non]
** U S A. 9955, again on Sunday Jan 16 like Saturday, cannot hear WORLD OF RADIO from WRN via WRMI at 1834, due to wall-of-noise jamming from Cuba at same level as on 9965 vs Radio República. With BFO could detect a WRMI carrier, anyway. Next chances for WOR on WRMI: Tue and Wed 1630 when jamming seems to abate; Tue & Wed 2000 on WBCQ 7415.
WRMI is relaying WRN in English seven days a week at 17-21 UT (weekdays until 22 but believed to be on SW only on weekends), so there is no excuse for the DentroCuban Jamming Command to be blasting 9955 in the early afternoons, wasting countless megawatts while Cubans oppressed for a semi-century crave a good meal, and Arnie`s attempts to maintain a reputation as ``your friend in Habana`` continue to crumble. When he gets his jamming off all my WOR broadcasts, I will reconsider (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 17740, strong open carrier, Jan 17 at 1427, no doubt Greenville B tuning up for the 17 UT VOA Portuguese.
12150, VOA news, good but with some fading, Jan 17 at 1438. This amounts to the best, virtually only frequency to hear VOA at this hour in English, as nothing making it on 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 or 17 MHz, except a trace on 17715 Botswana, seems //. 12150 is via Iranawila, SRI LANKA, 250 kW, 322 degrees intended only for CIRAF 41 = South Asia, 1400-1500 M-F, 1500-1600 daily.
12150 still audible at 1513 but weaker, English interview but apparently it is ``Border Crossings`` since the English is not spe-cial, and the subject is a musician. Now // 12055 is on, stronger but with echo, via Lampertheim, GERMANY. See also PHILIPPINES (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15151.5-SSB, intruders, Jan 17 at 1432, 2-way colloquial Spanish contact fighting QRM from 15150, BBC Russian via Rampisham this hour only, M-F. A frequency heard several times before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15210-, Jan 17 at 1430, het on the lo side of WYFR Portuguese. Previously reported by Eike Bierwirth, DXLD 11-02:
``9 Jan 2011, weak station, with some Asian language, religious? on approx. 15209.35 kHz, apparently fading out, first heard at 1455 UT, the sermon or whatever it is was not interrupted for the top of the hour. Doesn't sound like WYFR Portuguese/Spanish to me, that might be the carrier on 15210.0. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Leipzig, Germany)``
A long shot, but I wonder if it could be this as in DXLD 11-01, on a scrambled frequency? ``Victor Goonetilleke says Family Radio is testing in English on 15120 via 35 kW Ekala, SRI LANKA at 1330-1630``. Since FR on 15120 has yet to be heard by me, or anyone? on 15120, just Saudi and Cuba before 15, Nigeria after (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
Yes, this Sunday, tnx to the triple-alarming capabilities of the DX-398, I remember to check for the alleged Esperanto broadcast from RHC at 2230 on 15370: at 2231, no signal, not even on the air. Maybe a breakdown, since 11730 and 15230 are also anomalous, on the air, but with open carrier only, and in the case of the latter, much stronger than usual on this frequency, on wrong antenna too? JBA under it was R. Australia.
RHC Spanish was going after 2230 on 11770, and RNV relay on 11670; 12040 RHC seemingly on too, making SAH under sports from PORTUGAL, q.v. I reset the alarm again and check again at 2250. NOW, 15370 is on the air with horrible, distorted rap. Surely this is not Esperanto, which altho inexorably mired in Marxism here, is a semi-intellexual pursuit! Previous weeks during this semihour, Creole, French or Quechua has been carried. No, at 2253 it IS Esperanto being announced!
Meanwhile at 2250, `En Contacto`, the DX program in Spanish is audible on 12040 with RDPI now off, 11770, 9820, 6140, 5040; while 11730 and 15230 are still open carrier. Just another day of SNAFUs at RHC and RadioCuba. See also USA: WRMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 5765-USB, AFN barely audible Jan 17 at 1344 with country music, not news/talk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, V. of Mesopotamia with continuous Kurdish vocal music segués, some of it ululatory, always a treat and reliably unannounced during this hour, 1415 Jan 17. Flutter as usual, and it would be odd to hear such music without the flutter which seems like an essential element of it. Good signal but some hum, via UKRAINE.
If only we could hear RUI this well any more! According to Alexandr Yegorov, Kyiv, ex-RUI, in RusDX 16 Jan, the sole English broadcast left is 2000-2100 on 6030, only remnants of which might make it to northeast America, certainly not here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 15540, again Jan 16 at 1823 check, just-barely-audible carrier during English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Es opening underway at tune-in 1747 UT Jan 16, pileup on channel 2, generally peaking SSW. 1800 net-5 bug UR on channel 3 during war movie, and continuing to dominate that channel, quite good by 1810, probably XHBQ Zacatecas. 1817 on 3, Televisa Querétaro animated ID, i.e. XEZ-TV, Zamorano. I have received that station countless times since my earliest TV DXing in OK a semicentury ago, but not with such a particular ID rather than just an XEW relay.
Signs of activity on 4 and 5 too. At 1836, fútbol on 2 with net-2 lazy-star bug in upper right. Nothing more afterwards. DX Sherlock map at 1813 showed center of activity over W/C Texas. First report on the TV-FM Skip Log of Es reaching ch 2 was at 1552, and thence some pokes into FM elsewhere (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. What could be more apropos for Martin Luther King`s unbirthday? 6925-SSB, Jan 17 at 1347, ``I have a dream`` speech with frequent applause. Rather imperative tone, but not to be mistaken for a contemporary gospel huxter. Only fair signal but pumping, leading to dilemma of whether to attenuate or not. 1352 Radio Ga-Ga ID, and into opening of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and far-flung correspondents, leading with `MLK shot to death``.
BTW, another ``pirate radio``, really a legal -LP in Colorado near Laporte, is in the news for running anti-MLK editorials:
http://www.brian-blackwell.com/2011/01/whack-job-kels-fm-owners-concealed.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES. 9570, nothing but a JBA carrier, Jan 17 at 1517, so has R. Blagovest via Radio Veritas Asia now been canceled?
Indonesia had been good as usual on 9525- before 1500, but now at 1517 I am not getting FEBC Manila in Chinese either on 9430. Maybe Phil-prop is just very bad today?
Also still missing: VOA 9760 via Tinang, which used to be good after 1500 with English Learning. No sign of it at 1513 Jan 17, altho supposedly scheduled 15-16 daily at 21 degrees USward (also at 13-14 Sat/Sun at 283 degrees --- not heard this weekend either). (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL [and non]. 12040, RDPI Jan 16 at 2035-2130+ with hyper-enthusiastic sillyballgame live coverage, challenging my comprehension of Portuguese, and in fact a nice soporific accompaniment to my nap, compensating for too much late and early DXing.
No RHC audible at first, but may have been totally blocked; at 2133, I could tell RHC was under there making a SAH, and still at 2241, but RFPI off by 2250 uncovering RHC; see CUBA. Earlier on Sundays only, Cuba`s 12040 transmitter is moved to one of the El Hugazo frequencies instead, but Portugal still needs to evade this collision, altho there is a weaker but clear // 11960 at 2133 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA. 7275, RTT, Jan 17 until 0627* usual nice calm Arabic music, as if nothing is going on rather than riots and fires (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Over to Mike:
It continues to be interesting to listen to RTCI, the francophone Tunisian service [via satellite, Galaxy 19, Ku]. This morning, a woman is announcing the new interim government, emphasizing that there is no longer a Ministry of Communications or a Ministry of Information, and that information is being allowed to circulate freely. It makes me wonder what it must be like to be at a state-run station when the government body that regulates you no longer exists (Mike Cooper, Atlanta GA, Jan 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** UKRAINE. See KURDISTAN [non]
** U S A. 9955, again on Sunday Jan 16 like Saturday, cannot hear WORLD OF RADIO from WRN via WRMI at 1834, due to wall-of-noise jamming from Cuba at same level as on 9965 vs Radio República. With BFO could detect a WRMI carrier, anyway. Next chances for WOR on WRMI: Tue and Wed 1630 when jamming seems to abate; Tue & Wed 2000 on WBCQ 7415.
WRMI is relaying WRN in English seven days a week at 17-21 UT (weekdays until 22 but believed to be on SW only on weekends), so there is no excuse for the DentroCuban Jamming Command to be blasting 9955 in the early afternoons, wasting countless megawatts while Cubans oppressed for a semi-century crave a good meal, and Arnie`s attempts to maintain a reputation as ``your friend in Habana`` continue to crumble. When he gets his jamming off all my WOR broadcasts, I will reconsider (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 17740, strong open carrier, Jan 17 at 1427, no doubt Greenville B tuning up for the 17 UT VOA Portuguese.
12150, VOA news, good but with some fading, Jan 17 at 1438. This amounts to the best, virtually only frequency to hear VOA at this hour in English, as nothing making it on 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 or 17 MHz, except a trace on 17715 Botswana, seems //. 12150 is via Iranawila, SRI LANKA, 250 kW, 322 degrees intended only for CIRAF 41 = South Asia, 1400-1500 M-F, 1500-1600 daily.
12150 still audible at 1513 but weaker, English interview but apparently it is ``Border Crossings`` since the English is not spe-cial, and the subject is a musician. Now // 12055 is on, stronger but with echo, via Lampertheim, GERMANY. See also PHILIPPINES (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15151.5-SSB, intruders, Jan 17 at 1432, 2-way colloquial Spanish contact fighting QRM from 15150, BBC Russian via Rampisham this hour only, M-F. A frequency heard several times before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15210-, Jan 17 at 1430, het on the lo side of WYFR Portuguese. Previously reported by Eike Bierwirth, DXLD 11-02:
``9 Jan 2011, weak station, with some Asian language, religious? on approx. 15209.35 kHz, apparently fading out, first heard at 1455 UT, the sermon or whatever it is was not interrupted for the top of the hour. Doesn't sound like WYFR Portuguese/Spanish to me, that might be the carrier on 15210.0. 73, (Eike Bierwirth, Leipzig, Germany)``
A long shot, but I wonder if it could be this as in DXLD 11-01, on a scrambled frequency? ``Victor Goonetilleke says Family Radio is testing in English on 15120 via 35 kW Ekala, SRI LANKA at 1330-1630``. Since FR on 15120 has yet to be heard by me, or anyone? on 15120, just Saudi and Cuba before 15, Nigeria after (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
