** CANADA [non?]. 11665, Jan 25 at 2144, checking whether WYFR is really in Arabic today --- yes, but RCI IS clearly audible underneath! Both went off at 2145* after which nothing heard. Since there was a slight SAH, I think these were two separate transmitters rather than an audio mixture in one. But RCI is not scheduled on 11665 at any hour from any site; the only other thing registered at this time is Lisbon, obviously not really using it. Could be any VTC site testing or mistaken with RCI input for some reason (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [and non]. 6855-6905, OTH radar pulsing, presumed from here, Jan 26 at 1424; at each edge, QRMing 2-way Spanish SSB on 6905, 6855.5. More OTH radar on 6455-6505 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, Jan 26 at 2039, wildly screaming preacher in Afro-English must be ruining her voice, and a sure candidate for the insanity defense; R. Africa, anyway without any powerdrops at the moment to strong, steady signal. Made her neighbor Harold Camping in Ascension on 15195 seem positively attractive, a great shining oasis of placidity --- but with a terrible message (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 5765-USB, Jan 26 at 1436 and 1458 poor with country music from AFN; another day on the air rather than off, but who needs this format, literally, in SSB on low-power SW? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA [and non]. 4750, RRI Makassar presumed, stronger of two carriers on slightly different frequencies, obvious from double-pitch with BFO, Jan 26 at 1350; 1401 ``island music`` continuing past hourtop, improving slightly by 1405 vs local noise level, a semihour after local sunrise. Also something on 3325, presumably Palangkaraya.
9525, VOI, Jan 26 at 1420, VG signal in Indonesian, with IADs; not the first time reception has improved greatly compared to the preceding hour in English, making me wonder if they are now making an antenna change. Doubt anyone can know for sure, but Aoki shows all 9525 broadcasts are 250 kW, 30 degrees from Jakarta-Cimanggis, certainly favorable for NAm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 5910, this Wednesday, Sea Breeze is in English, Jan 26 at 1412 with bios of abductees born in the 30`s. Fair signal. 100 kW, 290 degrees from Yamata.
5955, NHK with English news, Jan 26 at 1413, equivalent fair signal to NZ 5950, JSR 5910. 5955 not usually listenable, but it is today, 300 kW, 235 degrees from Yamata (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1610, have noticed that the Enid NWS relay via WQCL720, Great Salt Plains State Park, has been overridden by loud roaring noise lately, surely not an intentional new way of representing the nearby town of Jet, but presumably another transmission or input problem unnoticed at park HQ. Got worse as I drove north of Enid on US 81 to release another trapped squirrel banned from our pecans, Jan 24 at 2100 UT just across the Grant County line; and still that way in western Enid on Jan 26 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, Jan 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1430, KALV, Alva has a null toward KBEZ Tulsa, and consequently Enid, but signal is JBA in western Enid Jan 26 at 1940, and just as I tune in hear ``stereo 1430, KALV, Alva`` ID. No AM stereo on my caradio but KALV is among the AM$ stations listed as of Sept 2008 at
http://mysite.verizon.net/tekel/amstereo/usa.htm
Then ad for HCG, which should have included a warning like this:
http://www.hcgdietdangers.net/warning.html
(Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1230, WBBZ, Ponca City, a semi-local here during daytime with oldies; unfortunately when I tuned across Jan 26 at 1944 UT, DJ was mixing extended weather forecast with religious exhortations, e.g., a nice day Sunday so you must go to church, etc., so it took him a couple minutes to get thru the week (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 18058-, Jan 26 at 2043, JBA carrier with traces of audio, from 3 x 6019.3+, R. Victoria; checked here since Chile was inbooming on 17680 which is not unusual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL [and non]. 12040, altho RDPI was made aware of the clash with Cuba several weeks ago, nothing has been done about it. Still Jan 26 at 2034, sports commentary in hyper-Portuguese is about equal level with RHC music. Meanwhile numerous nearby frequencies are open, e.g. 12030 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PRIDNESTROVYE. Since Harold Sellers had reported VOR on new 7290, from Moldova? I checked the usual relay frequency after 0000, 6240, at 0053 Jan 26, and nothing there; something on 7290 but could not tell what (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. 6075, Jan 26 at 1400, R. Rossii indeed motorboatless during closing timesignal, overlapping with start of CW marker on 6074: see UNIDENTIFIED (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. 9765, Wed Jan 26 at 1347, routine check for the Basque semihour from REE via COSTA RICA: instead, Antonio Buitrago in Castilian with mailbag segment, reading reception reports on ``Amigos de la Onda Corta``! That`s the DX program normally aired only at two rather inconvenient times on weekends, one of which is 1330 Sundays. Also on // 17595 direct running a few words ahead before satellite delay. I suspect REE just grabbed a show to substitute for missing Euskera segment today, not a permanent change (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Re my inquiry last time about how WPRR Ada MI could slip off-frequency one kHz to 1681, received this answer from Robert LaFore, Radio Chief Engineer in Atlanta GA:
``Most if not all AM BCB transmitters are crystal controlled. They normally have a main and backup xtal. They can be tweaked with a trimmer. My guesses are:
1. Equipment failure
2. Unusually hot or cold in the tx shack
3. A frequency check led them to believe it was off-frequency, and they then mis-adjusted to make up for the faulty frequency reading
4. They switched from one crystal to the other, and whatever they switched to is off frequency. (Somewhat related to 1 above)``
Rechecked for a recurrence Jan 26 at 0718, no het on 1680 but an open carrier atop the channel from KRJO or something (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Re my report of ``TMP 44`` on 4079.5, I found a good reference on this and other HIFER beacons:
http://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/High_Frequency_Beacons
which shows:
``4079 TMPnnn SW Arizona The TEMPERATURE BEACON - Temperature in deg. F. - sends 'TMP' then 2 - 3 digit temp. in CW every 10 seconds. 1 watt`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6074, Jan 26 at 1400, closing timesignal from R. Rossii, 6075 overlapped slightly with start of CW marker, but as Ron Howard monitored Jan 24, no longer with usual tactical ID as 8GAL; instead, 2MTL again today (he says it was not heard Jan 25). Reception here barely audible in noise, incomparably worse than Ron`s recording of it from a California beach:
http://www.mediafire.com/?rjccwqweh3l8m13
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CHINA [and non]. 6855-6905, OTH radar pulsing, presumed from here, Jan 26 at 1424; at each edge, QRMing 2-way Spanish SSB on 6905, 6855.5. More OTH radar on 6455-6505 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, Jan 26 at 2039, wildly screaming preacher in Afro-English must be ruining her voice, and a sure candidate for the insanity defense; R. Africa, anyway without any powerdrops at the moment to strong, steady signal. Made her neighbor Harold Camping in Ascension on 15195 seem positively attractive, a great shining oasis of placidity --- but with a terrible message (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 5765-USB, Jan 26 at 1436 and 1458 poor with country music from AFN; another day on the air rather than off, but who needs this format, literally, in SSB on low-power SW? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA [and non]. 4750, RRI Makassar presumed, stronger of two carriers on slightly different frequencies, obvious from double-pitch with BFO, Jan 26 at 1350; 1401 ``island music`` continuing past hourtop, improving slightly by 1405 vs local noise level, a semihour after local sunrise. Also something on 3325, presumably Palangkaraya.
9525, VOI, Jan 26 at 1420, VG signal in Indonesian, with IADs; not the first time reception has improved greatly compared to the preceding hour in English, making me wonder if they are now making an antenna change. Doubt anyone can know for sure, but Aoki shows all 9525 broadcasts are 250 kW, 30 degrees from Jakarta-Cimanggis, certainly favorable for NAm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 5910, this Wednesday, Sea Breeze is in English, Jan 26 at 1412 with bios of abductees born in the 30`s. Fair signal. 100 kW, 290 degrees from Yamata.
5955, NHK with English news, Jan 26 at 1413, equivalent fair signal to NZ 5950, JSR 5910. 5955 not usually listenable, but it is today, 300 kW, 235 degrees from Yamata (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1610, have noticed that the Enid NWS relay via WQCL720, Great Salt Plains State Park, has been overridden by loud roaring noise lately, surely not an intentional new way of representing the nearby town of Jet, but presumably another transmission or input problem unnoticed at park HQ. Got worse as I drove north of Enid on US 81 to release another trapped squirrel banned from our pecans, Jan 24 at 2100 UT just across the Grant County line; and still that way in western Enid on Jan 26 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, Jan 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1430, KALV, Alva has a null toward KBEZ Tulsa, and consequently Enid, but signal is JBA in western Enid Jan 26 at 1940, and just as I tune in hear ``stereo 1430, KALV, Alva`` ID. No AM stereo on my caradio but KALV is among the AM$ stations listed as of Sept 2008 at
http://mysite.verizon.net/tekel/amstereo/usa.htm
Then ad for HCG, which should have included a warning like this:
http://www.hcgdietdangers.net/warning.html
(Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1230, WBBZ, Ponca City, a semi-local here during daytime with oldies; unfortunately when I tuned across Jan 26 at 1944 UT, DJ was mixing extended weather forecast with religious exhortations, e.g., a nice day Sunday so you must go to church, etc., so it took him a couple minutes to get thru the week (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 18058-, Jan 26 at 2043, JBA carrier with traces of audio, from 3 x 6019.3+, R. Victoria; checked here since Chile was inbooming on 17680 which is not unusual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL [and non]. 12040, altho RDPI was made aware of the clash with Cuba several weeks ago, nothing has been done about it. Still Jan 26 at 2034, sports commentary in hyper-Portuguese is about equal level with RHC music. Meanwhile numerous nearby frequencies are open, e.g. 12030 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PRIDNESTROVYE. Since Harold Sellers had reported VOR on new 7290, from Moldova? I checked the usual relay frequency after 0000, 6240, at 0053 Jan 26, and nothing there; something on 7290 but could not tell what (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. 6075, Jan 26 at 1400, R. Rossii indeed motorboatless during closing timesignal, overlapping with start of CW marker on 6074: see UNIDENTIFIED (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. 9765, Wed Jan 26 at 1347, routine check for the Basque semihour from REE via COSTA RICA: instead, Antonio Buitrago in Castilian with mailbag segment, reading reception reports on ``Amigos de la Onda Corta``! That`s the DX program normally aired only at two rather inconvenient times on weekends, one of which is 1330 Sundays. Also on // 17595 direct running a few words ahead before satellite delay. I suspect REE just grabbed a show to substitute for missing Euskera segment today, not a permanent change (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Re my inquiry last time about how WPRR Ada MI could slip off-frequency one kHz to 1681, received this answer from Robert LaFore, Radio Chief Engineer in Atlanta GA:
``Most if not all AM BCB transmitters are crystal controlled. They normally have a main and backup xtal. They can be tweaked with a trimmer. My guesses are:
1. Equipment failure
2. Unusually hot or cold in the tx shack
3. A frequency check led them to believe it was off-frequency, and they then mis-adjusted to make up for the faulty frequency reading
4. They switched from one crystal to the other, and whatever they switched to is off frequency. (Somewhat related to 1 above)``
Rechecked for a recurrence Jan 26 at 0718, no het on 1680 but an open carrier atop the channel from KRJO or something (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Re my report of ``TMP 44`` on 4079.5, I found a good reference on this and other HIFER beacons:
http://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/High_Frequency_Beacons
which shows:
``4079 TMPnnn SW Arizona The TEMPERATURE BEACON - Temperature in deg. F. - sends 'TMP' then 2 - 3 digit temp. in CW every 10 seconds. 1 watt`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6074, Jan 26 at 1400, closing timesignal from R. Rossii, 6075 overlapped slightly with start of CW marker, but as Ron Howard monitored Jan 24, no longer with usual tactical ID as 8GAL; instead, 2MTL again today (he says it was not heard Jan 25). Reception here barely audible in noise, incomparably worse than Ron`s recording of it from a California beach:
http://www.mediafire.com/?rjccwqweh3l8m13
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
