mercoledì 25 gennaio 2012

Glenn Hauser logs January 24-25, 2012

** ALBANIA. 7420, Jan 25 at 0235, R. Tirana`s only English to NAm is JBA tnx to the propagation disturbance. WWV reported at 0300:

``Solar-terrestrial indices for 24 January follow.
Solar flux 136 and estimated planetary A-index 17.
The estimated planetary K-index at 0300 UTC on 25 January was 3.

Space weather for the past 24 hours has been strong.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S3 level occurred.

Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are expected.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level are expected.
Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level are likely.``

At 0618, on air WWV reported the K-index at 0600 had risen to 4
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA [and non]. Propagation plus my hi local noise level have prevented any modulated logs of the VL8s for months, but I often check for a 2325 carrier by BFO`ing 5 MHz down from CRI on 7325. Finally Jan 25 at 1313 I do get a trace of a carrier on 2325, also 2485, but not on 2310.

And 3325, 4 MHz down from 7325, where there is usually something from Indonesia or maybe PNG, bore nothing today, with propagation still quite disturbed.
http://rri.jpn.org/ does not yet show whether Palangkaraya was on the air Jan 24 or 25 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. 9755, Jan 24 after 2200, quite a mess with two or three stations in Chinese mixing. Aoki unravels this as VOA, at 22-23 only, 250 kW, 30 degrees via Udon Thani, THAILAND, so also USward, and it is *jammed, by CNR1? PLUS, CNR2 is also on 9755 at 2055-2300, 100 kW, 255 degrees from Baoji-Sifangshan 724 site: Chicom vs Chicom (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. 7435 and 7220, Jan 25 at 1358, both JBA with nonsensical REE IS for this biminute from Kunming site before CRI Nepali: 7435 had CCI, presumably Vietnam; 7220 had QRhaM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 6185, Jan 25 at 1402 I am checking just in case for another XEPPM overtime, as happened 48 hours earlier: there is a similar fast SAH, but this time it`s the N Korean NA mixing with presumed China Huayi, so one of them is similarly off-frequency to Radio Educación. KCBS at 1400 is scheduled to start 50 minutes in Korean at 238 degrees. I was also hearing same SAH an hour earlier when VOK Kujang is in Chinese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. Another Es opening prompted by the CME and disruption to Earth`s ionosphere, but a minor one, UT Jan 25 at 0054, weak signal fades in, 0056 identifiably in Spanish from SSW; in and out, mostly out, but noted an IFE PSA at 0116, not much afterwards. IFE = Instituto Federal Electoral, one of numerous Mexican government agencies getting mandatory PSA time on radio and TV stations (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MYANMAR. 7110, Jan 25 at 1309 I am listening earlier and consequently get better reception of Myanma Radio`s new frequency a semihour before local sunrise here: still poor signal, but can hear some music, not much QRhaM except a CQ from an N4 on the hi side. At 1313, nothing audible on 5915 or 5985v to compare. At 1316 the S-meter shows 7110 fluttering with peaks around S9+17, pop vocal music, but still tough copy. 1322 weakening some. Around 1330 I hear some widely separated beeps, maybe stray CWQRM rather than timesignal at their hourtop, as YL announces something (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAPUA NEW GUINEA [and non]. 7325-, Jan 25 at 1357 I am listening as CRI abruptly cuts off its Japanese service at mid-word, leaving a JBA carrier, presumably Wantok Radio Light, another inadequate signal. Au contraire, Ron Howard in California had one of his better receptions of it today at 1405-1429.

And Bill Smith, W1OW in Massachusetts reports: ``Hi Glenn, Probable logging on Wantok Radio Light, 7325. Noted on 1/22 between 1405 and 1415 UT fadeout. Choir music and then man singing a hymn then faded out. Heavy static with fair signal strength. Using 575 foot horizontal loop, 1030 feet above sea level with DX Engineering balun to match frequency. Palstar R30A with Collins 2.5 kc mechanical filter for receiver`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA. 6074, since I just woke up in time, checking Jan 25 at 1259 for 8GAL or 2MTL V/CQ marker from Russian army in the wake of R. Rossii, 6075, Pet/Kam signing off at 1300. Final timesignal as usual some six seconds late, and carrier stays on a bit longer, but no trace of the CW. However, starting about 1302:15 there may have been some imagination-level CW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TAIWAN [non]. 11995, Jan 25 at 0253, poor carrier here, and I can`t make out any modulation, during RTI`s Spanish service relay 02-03 via GUIANA FRENCH. Like WYFR relays, this has been problematic, but sometimes axually worx.

Prompted by RTI schedule of special New Year programming all this week: rechecking what is happening with the scheduled WYFR relays: Jan 25 at 0238, RTI English is not only on scheduled 9680 and 5950, but also still on 9355, which is supposed to be in Spanish.

Jan 25 at 0315, 6875 is on RTI`s schedule grid as in English to WNAm, but it`s really in Chinese. Not rechecked tonight, but presumably the 04-05 broadcast on 6890 is still in Chinese instead of Spanish, making it // 6875.

Jan 25 at 0620, 6875 is still in German instead of Spanish, starting `Kaleidoscop` program. Surprised at 0630 to hear the exact same ``bai-bai`` novelty song heard yesterday, ending with the ``a shave and a haircut, two bits`` riff. Are they playing back the same hour? No, last night it ran 10 minutes later. Maybe it`s the #1 song in Taiwan, so merits daily replays? Outro had M&W in German gabbing on for several minutes. Per German program grid, `Kaleidoscop` is a Tuesday show, so we Mexikaner (und nein) are getting it the next UT day, long after the evening in Europe times when German is supposed to air via other sites. The final program on the `Monday` schedule is `Hit Parade`, where the tune would have been more expected.

I was looking for the `DX` program that someone had reported UT Wednesday around 0640, but it`s not on the schedule per se. However, the German homepage
http://german.rti.org.tw/ has a link to ``DX Tips von Hans-Werner Lange (und Bernhard Seiser) with monthly mp3 files from December back to August, no presentation in text script, i.e. ``DX-Tipps von Hans Werner Lange in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Vorsitzenden des RTI-Hörerklub Ottenau, Bernd Seiser hören Sie jeden 4. Freitag im Monat im Hörerbriefkasten`` on the fourth Fridays within the mailbag show, which according to the grid occupies the last two-thirds of the `Friday` broadcasts; so the next one should be Jan 27+ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 7811, Jan 25 at 0241, AFN is carrying Pres. Obama`s State of the Union speech, a few sex ahead of a TV network. I doubt that VOA or any private US SW station broadcast it, right? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 7555.1, Jan 25 at 0237, KJES has a good signal during YL sermon in Spanish. I finally get around to checking how far off their third frequency is, approximately during the 0200-0330 broadcast. FCC .0015% tolerance means they have to keep within 113.325 Hz of the nominal, and I can`t be sure they were less than that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGESET)

** U S A [and non]. 7210-LSB, Jan 25 at 1324, N1NR, Nelson Roig in Pennsylvania is discussing antennas, rather than ranting about the Revolution, with stronger contact N4RAU (whose name I bet is Raúl --- yes, per QRZ.com lookup: ``Raul L Oropesa, 3141 SW 142 Ave, Miami Dade, FL 33175 USA``), and the latter also greeted Sergio, CO8ADK, whom I could barely detect, with `un abrazo cariñoso electromagnético``. I assume the DentroCuban would have been less likely to contact a gusano if the subject were politix. (QRZ.com shows him: ``Sergio Fuentes, Calle 3ra # 26 A, Herrera, Holguín, 84340, Cuba``) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VIETNAM [and non]. 7480, Jan 25 at 1312 siren jamming against talk in unknown language. Aoki shows it`s ``Mnong Central`` (Hmong? No, WRTH also spells it Mnong), Wednesdays at 1300-1330 from FEBC, 100 kW, 270 degrees from Iba site, PHILIPPINES, which shares the 13-14 transmission with six other minority languages in a complex schedule depending on day of week and which half hour. The Vietnamese Commies are so threatened by the Christians in Manila, FEBC being one of the few (only?) missionary broadcasters meriting jamming anywhere. Are they doing anything about it? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 5365, Jan 25 at 0625, squishy pulses at a slightly varying rate averaging four per second, much like Cuban jamming, but certainly nothing here to account for it. At first I thought it might be a local appliance; also heard some 24 hours earlier. Is anyone else getting it?

BTW, in frequent bandscans I have yet to run across *any* hams on their five authorized discrete so-called `60 meter`` USB frequencies in this range: 5332, 5348, 5358.5, 5373, or 5405, subject to change as recently happened to one of them. Axually they are all in the ``55 meter band`` -- why would that be so hard to say instead of sixty?

When it comes to metrical names for ham bands, being way off is standard: 6m is really only below 50 MHz, 15m is really 14m, 17m is really 16m, 20m is really mostly 21m, 30m is really 29m, 40m is really 41m, 80m is really 75+m except below 3750, 160m is only that below 1875; below 2000 kHz it`s 150+m. Having to cut antennas for specific bands, you`d think the hams would be more precise in their nomenclature, as we SWLs are without even thinking about it. Anyway, 12m is really 12m! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)