mercoledì 13 febbraio 2013

Glenn Hauser logs February 11-12, 2013

** BELGIUM [non]. 17870-17875-17880, Feb 11 at various chex between 20 and 21 UT, can`t hear any DRM noise from BRB`s `The Disco Palace` via GUIANA FRENCH. However this was on the DX-392 as I was out & about around Enid, and it was hard to find spots where the line noise was low enough to be sure it wasn`t masking the DRM, which was definitely absent 24 hours before on the home rigs. May be due to transmitter downtime at Montsinéry (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. 11635, Feb 12 at 1349, quite an eclectic music mix on CNR1 jammer against weak VOA Chinese via Thailand at 12-14 --- ``Tequila!`` and then a Strauss march, CJKT/ZRGD IDs in passing, // many other frequencies, some of them possibly not jammers. Jam probably stops at 1400 when Taiwan in Thai takes over 11635.

NO Firedrakes found 10-18 MHz, scanned upward until 1351.

7435, Feb 12 at 1357 tone test, 1358 start playing Radio Exterior de España IS as inexplicably usual for years, prior to CRI Nepali service via Kunming; also barely audible amid SSB QRhaM on // 7220 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 6125, Feb 12 at 0639, huge buzz from RHC transmitter atop its useless English; pitch varies slightly, and program modulation cuts out a bit. Wiggle that patchcord? Other four frequencies 6165, 6060, 6010 and 5040 are OK. BTW, Wolfgang Büschel also heard an harmonic recently from 6125, presumably 12250.

Also hear weak buzz of same pitch at 5895 at 0640, which would be leapfrog of 6125 over 6010 another 115 kHz lower, then gone, fell below threshold?

Feb 12 morning missing frequency is 13780 at 1526 check, while 17730, 17580, 15340 are on, but always weak 15230 not confirmed until 1556 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also TURKEY

** DIEGO GARCIA. AFN: You`d never know there is any SW from the WRTH 2013 national radio listing under BIOT, and you`d never know there is anything other than Los Angeles relays in the first entry under USA, AFRTS in the international sexion.

Nor in the SW frequency sexion would you know where to find its listings, as ``12759 3 [kW] DGA DGA AFRTS(AFN Feeder) is all it says. Diego Garcia is not a country header anywhere else in the book.

Nor would you know the time schedule for frequency changes. Aoki shows 02-14 for this frequency and 14-02 for 4319 which is anyway totally blocked here by ute.

I also hunted thru past months` DG logs in DXLDs, mainly for an e-mail address. Found this:

``Estimado Ernesto, con mucho gusto: AFN desde Diego Garcia:
QSL@mediacen.navy.mil Con copia a: gray@mediacen.navy.mil
QSL@dodmedia.osd.mil  73 (Dino Bloise, FL, ibid.) Doesn`t look like
any of those would go direct to DG (gh, DXLD)``

And in DXLD 12-20 there was another 12759 log before 0200 last May 15:

``AFN - Diego Garcia - 12759 USB 0130 UT --- Strong signal tonight into Manassas, VA on an IC-R75 with a Windom Antenna. If you haven't heard this one yet, it is in USB. It is not one of the usual AFRTS stations, this is a simulcast of their FM station called Power 99. Here is their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/AFN-Diego-Garcia/200133586714459
73, (Steve, N0DWB, Bryant, swl at qth.net via DXLD)``

The FB page is still active but lotsa luck in finding a plain old e-mail address for those of us not buying into the FB business model. Linx to their own website as AFN Pacific which is axually in South Korea – maybe organizationally under that, way far from the Pacific!

Following reception report was sent to AFN Diego Garcia; first tried the e-mail in WRTH 2013,
dgar@msc.navy.mil but it bounced before I could get back to my inbox! On a hunch, consulted the WRTH 2010 I had handy, dgar@mediacen.navy.mil and that hasn`t bounced, so I have hope, but no reply by 1900 UT:

``AFN shortwave heard in Oklahoma

Hello AFN Diego Garcia, I have been wanting to hear your station for a long time, and have just succeeded here in Oklahoma.

Your night frequency 4319-USB just does not make it, blocked by interference. So I am glad I checked your other frequency. What time does it start?

Fairly weak but readable signal on 12759-USB, February 12 from tune-in at 0102 UT during news, mentioned US Army, not sure if from AFN or AP.

At 0107 pop music was playing, 0109 woman DJ says ``welcome back`` and promises weather forecast and this day in history later. More pop music, including rap past 0114.

0118, time check as ``currently 7:18``; this is [couldn`t copy her name] on the Morning Maintenance [? sounded like, program name?]; phone number 374-4421 for something; weather coming up in a couple minutes.

0119, AFN TV promos for The Big Loser, Hawaii 5-0, premiere of film ``Lincoln`` this weekend (already?? we should be so fortunate on free TV Stateside), refer to online TV program schedule.

0120, PSA about smoking ONLY in designated areas.

0121, weather forecast, including: overcast, 90% rain probability, hi 88, lo 76, winds 20-25 kts, and mentions Diego Garcia.

0122, music resumes ...

Reception peaked about SINPO 25433. There was no interference at all.
Receiver DX-398, which has 40-Hz tuning steps on SSB.
Antenna: maybe 40 feet of wire strung under eaves of my porch. I was sitting outside in 44 degree weather before snowstorm expected later tonight [not seriously starting until 1850].

I would very much appreciate a QSL card or verification letter if you find my report correct, to:

Glenn Hauser
P O Box 1684
Enid OK 73702

I produce the WORLD OF RADIO program each week and will be mentioning this reception on the next show.

Details of my log will also be published on the internet in several hours, so please watch out for any possibly phony reports strongly resembling my details. I have already tipped off my DX Listening Digest yahoogroup subscribers that your signal is coming in over here tonight.

Which of your AM or FM stations are we hearing on SW? Could you provide a schedule of exactly when you have local programming on SW rather than Los Angeles feeds?

Many thanks, Glenn Hauser (veteran, once worked at American Forces Thailand Network)

PS. A perhaps odd question: I have a correspondent in Portugal who insists that the correct name of the island is Diogo Garcia, since that was the spelling of the original Portuguese discoverer. And spelling it Diego represents undue Spanish influence. Is this common knowledge over there?``

Notice that local time is UT +6, which is an hour too fast at 72 degrees east, 8 south, about the same longitude as Maldives and Bombay, not Bangladesh (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, Feb 11 at 1858-1905+, fair signal, soft gospel vocal music with guitar, presumed R. Africa instead of usual spoken gospel-huxtering. Atop understation producing SAH, presumably V. of Philippines. No het from 15191.5v Brasil, off? I heard that at some other hour recently (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDIA [non]. Re: ``UNIDENTIFIED. 15755, Feb 10 at 1408, good signal with gospel-huxter in English being translated after every phrase into S Asian language. Certain keywords make it clear the English comes first rather than vice versa, as evangelism is always one-way, from know-it-all English speakers. So what is it, and from where? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` AND:

``UZBEKISTAN. 15755, re my unID Feb 10 at 1408: Ivo Ivanov says this is the TWR India service via Tashkent, ex-7505, but stays on 7505 after 1430. Jorge Freitas, Brasil, also monitored it Feb 11 from 1349 until 1430 via the SDR in Twente, Netherlands, and heard a TWR ID at the end:
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/75006/14246973/
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)``

However, we now have two reports that the site on 15755 is now KCH = Grigoriopol, PRIDNESTROVYE in TWR`s updated B12 schedule as of 10 Feb:

KCH  15755  1315  1330  41  100  98   23456  100213  300313  DOGRI 
KCH  15755  1315  1430  41  100  98  1     7 100213  300313  HINDI 
KCH  15755  1330  1400  41  100  98   23456  100213  300313  HINDI 
KCH  15755  1400  1415  41  100  98   2 456  100213  300313  HINDI 
KCH  15755  1400  1415  41  100  98    3     100213  300313  AWADHI 
KCH  15755  1415  1430  41  100  98   23456  100213  300313  GARHWALI 
(Jaisakthivel, ADXC, Tirunelveli, India Via Shakti Verma)````

Somewhat contradictory info from Alokesh Gupta showing 15755 is in use after 1330 only on Sat & Sun which are the days we heard it above:

``wef 10th Feb 2013
KCH 15755 1315 1330 41 100 98 0 4/8/0.8  23456  DOGRI    (ex 7505 TAC)
KCH 15755 1315 1430 41 100 98 0 4/8/0.8 1     7 HINDI    (ex 7505 TAC)

KCH 7505  1330 1400 41 100 98 0 4/8/0.8  23456  HINDI    (ex TAC)
KCH 7505  1400 1415 41 100 98 0 4/8/0.8  2 456  HINDI    (ex TAC)
KCH 7505  1400 1415 41 100 98 0 4/8/0.8   3     AWADHI   (ex TAC)
KCH 7505  1415 1430 41 100 98 0 4/8/0.8  23456  GARHWALI (ex TAC)
--- (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, cumbredx via DXLD)``

So I check 15755 again Feb 12 at 1335: today Tuesday it`s poor with echo in S Asian language; 1359, better with S Asian vocal music, echo and flutter. So 15755 is really on the air weekdays after 1330, per the first version above, not the second (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA. 15115-15120-15125, Feb 11 at 1905, no DRM noise detectable from V. of Nigeria, off the air? Africa definitely propagable, still bigsig from 15580 VOA Botswana and smallsig from 15400 BBC Ascension (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1650, Feb 12 at 1303 UT, our other X-band station has finally been reactivated after losing its transmitter site to flooding. (DX MidAmerica claimed it was back last August but no one else, least of all me, ever heard it then). Now there is no doubt, big signal on the FRG7 just after official February sunrise at 1300:

KYHN ID just as I tune in, then series of long-form promos for shows on station, interspersed with more IDs, but never mentioning the airtimes! Not very helpful.

1303, just did Clark Howard Show promo; 1304 for Michael Smerconish; ``KYHN: we`re larger than all the other [AM] radio stations in the market, combined, 10,000 watts, KYHN``

1305, Focus on the Family promo, running ``best of the best`` segment on marriage; 1309, ``AM 16-50, Arklahoma`s conservative talk radio``; 1310 promo for Sooner game coverage; ``We`re 10,000 watts, larger than all other stations combined, this is AM 16-50, KYHN``.

1311, Dennis Miller promo, lauding snack provider who gives no less than 11% of his profits to veterans.

1316 retune, ending Sunday Night Football promo song; singing ID as ``16-50, Arklahoma`s talk radio, KYHN``

1317, Geraldo Rivera promo; that`s enough.

So far no problem from KOAG-1640; but at 1743 UT recheck, cannot hear KYHN aside KOAG splash, but IIRC it was tough to hear on daytime groundwave anyway, some 200 miles away.

FCC topo map is captioned 12 km southwest of Fort Smith, i.e. across the line in Oklahoma. Yet we get second-billing, instead of ``Oklansas``!

Evidently they are just re-introducing themselves to long-lost listeners. Smerconish? He`s no conservative, a substitute host on MSNBC. His affiliate list (one you know how to spell him)
http://smerconish.com/radio-affiliates-map/
shows nothing ``in`` Arkansas but KUSH-1600 in Oklahoma, M-F 17-19 UT.

Looking thru KYHN`s FCC info, in the Correspondence File we find this dated Sept 25, 2012:

``In re: KYHN(AM), Ft. Smith, AR
Facility ID No. 87114
Silent since February 18, 2012
Request for Extension of Special Temporary
Authority to Remain Silent

Dear Mr. Honig:
This letter concerns the request you filed on September 19, 2012, on behalf of Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, Inc. ("MMTC"), for extension of Special Temporary Authority to permit AM Radio Station KYHN to remain silent.

Commission records reflect that MMTC stated that Station KYHN(AM) went silent on February 18. 2012, for financial reasons. The previous STA was granted on March 29, 2012, and expired on September 25, 2012. MMTC requests extension of its STA pending the grant of its application for assignment of license (File No. BAL-20 12073 IAHH). The request includes the appropriate certification regarding Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.

MMTC's request is granted. Accordingly, Special Temporary Authority is granted to permit Station KYHN(AM) to remain silent until February 18, 2013. Notwithstanding the grant of this Special Temporary Authority, the broadcast license for Station KYHN(AM) will automatically expire as a matter of law if broadcast operations do not commence by 12:01 a.rn., February 19, 2013.2 See Section 312(g) of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 312(g).``

So this may only be a temporary turn-on only to prevent losing its license. They are obviously now fully capable technically to broadcast. But will they be gone again after today? Hasten to hear them. And just what ``Minority`` does their corporate name allude to?

We also see an FCC notice of consummation, i.e. ``assignment of license/transfer of  control``, Nov 26, 2012, to DAVID E. HONIG.

KYHN does not seem to have a website, but here`s its sibling station, KWHN 1320, which has remained active and often audible here:
http://www.kwhn.com/main.html

More background from Wikipedia:

``On April 2, 2008, the 1650 kHz station (KWHN at the time, Facility 87114) filed a 'Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA' with the FCC for the following reason:

"Due to heavy spring rains, localized flooding of a nearby waterway placed the transmitter site, and the transmitter itself under several feet of water. Access to the site to determine damage has only recently been allowed, and a casual inspection has revealed tremendous amounts of damage.

In order to be allowed time to decide how to best proceeded (sic) with this facility, the licensee requests Special Temporary Authority to remain silent for up to 1 year."[3]

According to the filing, the flood damage occurred on March 24, 2008,`` so that`s ancient history now and they could stay on the air if they want to (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PERU [and non]. 5980, Feb 12 at 0059, DentroCuban Jamming Command is infesting frequency again needlessly, atop CNR1 ChiCom jamming, whose timesignal can still be made out until 0100*, then under the noise, music is perceptible, no doubt R. Chaski, Urubamba, Cuzco. I`m back on frequency before 0105 to time exactly when carrier is cut tonight, easy to tell with BFO despite jamming noise: 0105:55*, as expected another 5 sex later than last night (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA [and non]. 5940, Feb 12 at 0642, Russian from R. Rossii, Magadan, poor vs LAH from Brasil always off-frequency, // 5930 Pet/Kam clear but a few words ahead of it. These two are never in synch tho you`d think they would take the same satellite feed from Moskva as they are on the same timezone.

Intervening 5935 WWCR DGS very weak, so no problem at the moment unlike many nights; the other Tennesseans around 6 MHz also degraded, 5890, 5830, while 4840 is still inbooming below the 1-megameter MUF, like 3215 and 3185 always are (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SARAWAK [non]. WRN informed us Feb 11 that the new R. Free Sarawak frequency is axually 11600 where it started Feb 10 for the 11-13 UT broadcast; a miscommunication caused RFS to claim it was 9900, and by now their own website had been changed to show 11600.

So we try 11600 on Feb 12 at 1100: only JBA carrier; recheck 1239 has improved a bit to very poor with some music, 1244 talk, 1255 music, 1257 open carrier, 1258 off. At these hours there were little besides N American signals on 25 m.

Jorge Freitas in Brasil and also via Netherlands remote was hearing Arabic on 11600 at 1050 and feared RFS would be overlapping with Libya (which is not in HFCC, easily overlooked by frequency planners), but he was hearing RFS well after 1100.

Transmitter site is still not being released, altho latest HFCC shows BULGARIA registered 11600 for possible DRM use anytime from 03 to 22 UT. But Ivo Ivanov in Sofia says, ``Very weak signal in Sofia, very strong in Jakarta, Manila, Singapore and Hong Kong. My assumption of the transmitter site is Trincomalee [SRI LANKA] at 60 degrees`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY [and non]. 15350, Feb 12 at 1337 can`t enjoy the VOT Turkish music because of splatter from 15340 RHC. Re my previous comment about no language lessons in English, Alan Roe replies: ``Let's Learn Turkish is aired in the Voice of Turkey broadcasts on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.`` Which reminds me, I have not yet received VOT`s first-semester 2013 program schedule folder, which usually arrives in the p-mail sometime in February (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Since WINB appeared on strange new 9273v the past two evenings, but with a steady carrier, I want to catch their QSY time circa 2200 UT Feb 11 from 13570. At 2156 closing `Guidelines` which strangely enough is a Spanish program, and the 13570 carrier is as usual wobbly. 2158 quick ID and QSY to 9265 announcement by M&W, off at 2158:43*.

I was already monitoring 9273 on another receiver in case it is a second transmitter, as it has not been wobbly, and could be turned on before the other one goes off, proving my suspicion --- but not today. In fact, WINB does QSY to 9265 from *2159:30, and it`s obviously the same unit as on 13570, with the wobble. UT Feb 12 at 0053 check, it`s still on 9265 rather than 9273. Will that ever show up again? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 960, Feb 12 at 0600-0605 UT, a little bit of everything but no IDs during local KGWA`s unmodulated Fox-hole: 0601 romantic music in Spanish, so XEK or XEFAMA; 0602 mixing with blues, so WABG Mississippi; 0603 ABC news so KMA Iowa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 3359.5-, Feb 12 at 0650-0700+, good open carrier with some fading, so not local, and another weaker one on 3133.5-. The two make exactly the same pitch against 1-kHz BFO steps on the YB-400, so related? And both are slightly on the lo side of the midpoint between 1 kHz steps. Nothing halfway between them at 3246.5- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 4835 & 4835+, Feb 12 at 0057, yet again my BFO says there are two JBA carriers on slightly different frequencies, before both become blasted away from 4840 by WWCR; presumably Gangtok and Quillabamba. Many of the other signals from Asia and Latin America recently logged on 60m around this time are in too, not relogged now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 4888.8, Feb 12 at 0124 open AM carrier, vs CODAR; not necessarily a broadcaster, none known on this offset, as this is a utility band outside the tropix (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 5990, Feb 12 at 0100 after CRI/Cuba is off, again tonight a fair open carrier with some flutter. I need to stay with it in case there is a late sign-on, but tonight distracted by DIEGO GARCIA, q.v. 0106 rechecked, now 5990 is just barely modulated with talk of some sort. S Asian monitors, I ask, Is that typical of AIR`s Sindhi service from Delhi? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 7413, Feb 12 at 1320 tune-in to mystery station (not on 7414 today), in Chinesish, unseems Mandarin? Today signal is clear, no self-imposed hash or jamming but somewhat muffled M&W are talking, amid music bits; definitely not CNR1 as audible on numerous 6 and 7 MHz band frequencies and beyond, which were playing western classical music at 1327; Recorded final minute at 1329, 1330 to open carrier, tone test, off at 1330:21* Can anyone pull out an ID, or any other clue, confirm the language? Hear it at
http://www.w4uvh.net/7413unid.rm
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)