lunedì 1 aprile 2013

Glenn Hauer logs March 31-April 1, 2013

** ALBANIA. 9850, March 31 at 2310, poor signal with talk, presumed R. Tirana Albanian hour to NAm on new frequency, expected to improve as summer comes on. Main thing is: it`s in the clear, no ACI or CCI; WHRI is not on 9860 either. Now need to check 9850 for English at 0130-0200 Tue-Sun (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA. 15400, April 1 at 1459, Easter sermon in English somehow connecting eggs hatching, with J.C., continuing past 1500 hourtop, but now with SAH added. Somehow I don`t think this is the only thing in HFCC at 1430-1530, Bengali from Iran (unless it`s the SAH). Since the preacher had a bit of a Strine accent, suspect HCJB Australia, on wrong frequency which is supposedly scheduled in local mornings only, 2345-0300! While the evening frequency continues to be registered as 15340 at 1145-1530 --- including English most days during the final half-sesquihour! Come to think of it, I did not notice it on 15340 after RHC had closed circa 1500. So a mistake, or a change to avoid RHC? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BANGLADESH. 15505, April 1 at 1359 no signal; 1400 no signal; 1401 no signal; finally *1401:50 BB cuts on with humwhine, theme music, ID and news in Urdu service. Tardy yet again, but avoiding the embarrassment of broadcasting inaccurate timesignals. Somehow, I doubt that`s the reason as there is plenty else to be ashamed of (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake April 1 before 1400:
13530, good with flutter; none in the 12s
14980, very good at 1356
15970, very good at 1356
15535, fair at 1357; het on hi side, no doubt V of Tibet/Tajikistan
16920, good at 1358
17300, fair at 1358
17450, fair at 1358; none in the 18s

After 1400:
15570, fair at 1413, het on lo side, no doubt V of Tibet/Tajkikistan
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 15340, March 31 at 2030, RHC is still here in Arabic, but from April 1 this and other `European` services are to change to 17720. That may bother Spain if it`s still on 17715 in an almost-empty band.

15170-15290, March 31 at 2313, buzz from defective 15230 RHC transmitter audible out to plus/minus 60 kHz, but worst closer in; fluxuates a lot (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [non]. Further chex for missing R. Martí transmissions, due to cutbacks, compared to the originally planned A-13 schedule as in my previous report:

At 2026: 9565: altho missing at 1740, it`s on at 2026 March 31 over jamming [scheduled 17-24]; 11930 is detectable under jamming; and 13820, only jamming audible but may be still on there.

At 2309: 11930 RM is VG; 9565 fair; 6030 inaudible, so shorter hours?

At 0141: nothing on 11775 and just as well with bigsig from Brasil on 11780; still no 11775 at 0252 [was sked 00-03] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [non]. 9490, April 1 at 0054, R. República ID immediately upon tune-in, more or less equal to jamming level and no spur circa 9505, so now the site switch has been made from defunct Guiana French to Issoudun, FRANCE, at 00-02. There are however some pulses in the plus and minus 10-15 kHz range, probably spurs from the jammers rather than ISS (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EGYPT. 13850, April 1 at 0523, poor signal in Arabic; not much audible on 22m now but this, per HFCC, ERU at 02-07, 250 kW, 315 degrees from Abis USward including CIRAF 8 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY. 15390, April 1 at 1415, exotic language with good signal; 1430 different language, and since 1420 IS started, it`s QRMing weaker REE Sephardic service on 15385 Mondays only. At 1427 giving an address in Bihar with the numbers pronounced in English. EiBi has the A-13 scoop:

Gospel for Asia, via Nauen, which on Mondays at 1415 is in Santhali, spoken in India plus some in Bangladesh, and at 1430 in Dzonkha, the language of Bhutan; yet another at 1456 check, i.e. from 1445 Mondays in Sharchogpa / Sarchopa (Bhutan). HFCC shows 250 kW, 85 degrees from Nauen, total span 1330-1530 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY. 15180, April 1 at 1426, ``This is Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Praha --- beep`` loop over and over, so what`s next? More of the same at 1430 until finally just before 1500 a bit of S Asian music, ID of some sort, ``habari`` = news. HFCC shows what happened:

15180 is scheduled 1400-1600 in Turkmen, 250 kW, 75 degrees from Wertachtal. Suspect someone in Washington or Praha and/or Wertachtal was confused by the DST change yesterday in Europe, and/or abrupt cancellation of the first hour of this service. (15180 also sked 16-17 in Uzbek but from Lampertheim) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GREECE. 15650, April 1 at 1403, VOG with Greek music instead of on 15630, which they should keep avoiding during all the long hours WEWN is on 15610 along with its squishy second-order spurblob around 15628.
At 1458 on 15650, ``I Foni tis Hellados`` ID and IS.

On March 29, ERT-fan John Babbis predicted in A-13 that 15650 would be in use at 1400-1850 and 2300-0350. But 15630 at 0300-0800, 1200-1350, 1900-2400.

The WEWN SW schedule at
http://www.ewtn.com/radio/freq.htm
still hasn`t been updated for A-13 since expiring March 25 [sic], but HFCC shows 15610 WEWN at 13-24 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRAN [non]. 7585, April 1 at 0052, fair with SW Asian music. This season, EiBi has his schedules up without delay:
http://www.eibispace.de/dx/bc-a13.txt
http://eibispace.de/dx/freq-a13.txt
showing R. Farda, 0000-0130 via SRI LANKA on 7585. It`s axually on air all the way from 1700 until 0130, 250 kW, 310 degrees from Iranawila per HFCC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** JAPAN [non]. 11705, April 1 at 1407, NHKWRJ with sufficient signal in English, so this may be the best of the lot left for us as R. Japan continues to self-destruct little by little, altho aimed due west from PALAU! Seemed like there was some QRDRM noise, altho no DRM heard on 11700 or 11710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH. 9435, April 1 at 1300, NK NA, 1303 opening English but first, triumphal choral music, surprise new frequency from VOK ex-9335, leaving that to RFA Burmese via Tinian, which continues in A-13 at 1230-1430; VOK // to NAm 11710 remains unchanged, but overshadowed at 1336 by fellow automatons at The Lord`s Ranch from 11715 KJES.

9435 is but one of several unexpected frequency changes by VOK, as Arnulf Piontek, Ivo Ivanov and Wolfgang Büschel have been scrambling to assemble by monitoring. Ivo summarizes the pattern this way:

``All new frequencies are plus / minus 100 kHz from the older frequencies, for example: 9325/9335/9345/11535/11545 +100 = 9425/9435/9445/11635/11645; and 9975/9990 -100 = 9875/9890. And one exception: 15100 moved + 5 kHz to 15105`` so that would seem to indicate they were not made upon consideration of lessening or avoiding any interference, but just to get them less out-of-band by the law-abiding Juche (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT [and non]. 21540, April 1 at 1508, Qur`an from R. Quwait is VG except for OTH radar pulsing underneath, which spreads 21518-21543 or so. These 25-kHz-wide ones are traditionally pinned on a facility in CYPRUS. Too bad it`s the BBC which has self-destructed there instead: no more 21470 BBCWS in English, but just 13-15 in Somali via UAE, plus another hour on Saturdays (game day) via Ascension (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 660, April 1 at 0548 UT, Mexican music is dominant, certainly no WFAN! (see USA: 880), then singing ID for FM ``98.9``, which Cantú matches with the station heard several times before:
660 XEACB La Lupe + FM 98.9 Cd. Delicias, Chih. 3,000 1,000
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PERU. 5980, April 1 at 0100, bad splatter from CRI/CUBA 5990 lasts a few sex past 0100; then I only have high local noise level to contend with, apparently not jamming. 5980 R. Chaski remains JBA with bits of modulation and helpfully strengthens a bit until cut off at 0102:13.5*, another five sex later than last nite. It so happens that at the very same second my streetlite decided to fire up. Henceforth, as long as dusks are clear, it should be later than the Chaski-cut, as sunsets here are latening by far more than 5 sex per day. You may gather that this has become a ritual I will follow as long as I can, before losing the Chaski signal completely (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PHILIPPINES [non]. 15330, April 1 at 1457* just as I tune in, a carrier cuts off, while Cuban jamming remains, tho there is NO Martí on here in A-seasons. HFCC shows it must have been R. Veritas Asia, 250 kW, 70 degrees from VATICAN in Urdu at 1430-1457.

Had I stayed tuned after 1500 but 10 kHz down, I would have heard the only other RVA via CVA relay: 15320 at 1500-1553, 250 kW, 130 degrees in Filipino (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA [non]. 9465, April 1 at 0053, song in Russian, good with flutter. HFCC has VOR here at 22-01 via KCH = PRIDNESTROVYE, and VOR`s own English schedule shows it at 22-24 to Latin America, which means it`s the best we can hear in North America. Not sure yet what language service the following hour may be, Spanish or Russian? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SERBIA [non]. 9685, UT Monday April 1 at 0047, VG signal in Serbian here, as expected the usual A-season frequency from IRS replacing 6190 in B-seasons; lacking any updated schedule yet, but it`s already off by 0058. Much better modulation and strength than VOR/PRIDNESTROVYE on 9665, always suffering by comparison.

But what about English from Serbia? Altho not updated March 31, the schedule at
http://voiceofserbia.org/program-schedule
has now been updated as of April 1, showing English:
0030-0100 except Sun & Mon 9685, 250 kW
[and no English shown at 0100 one or two days a week as before]
1300-1330 on 9635, 10 kW [i.e. daily, SERBIA non non]
1830-1900 on 6100, 250 kW
2100-2130 on 6100, 250 kW

The complex sked on 9685 in Serbian for C&E N America, W Europe:
0000-0030 except Sunday
0000-0100 special Sunday only
0030-0100 special Monday only
0100-0130 special Tuesday-Saturday
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN. 9535, UT Monday April 1 at 0046, REE with interview about Caracol winning some journalism award in Spain, later with voice of Antonio Buitrago, so `Amigos de la Onda Corta` second and final play is confirmed as 0005+ UT Mondays, not 2305 Sundays as per self-contradictory REE program grids.

9535 is by far the best here, also audible on // 15160 and 9620, the latter with QRDRM from REE COSTA RICA centred on 9630 but the noise spreading plus/minus 30 kHz, which is presumably carrying the same program. Spaniards vs Spaniards! I had checked the same three frequencies at 2311 Sunday, hearing instead an interview about feminism.

Circa 0055 after ADLOC, announcement about a `new` toll-free number for feedback from REE listeners in certain countries, including USA and UK, 800-34-100-100, after appropriate country code (? Does that mean you could get on this from outside the USA by preceding it with the USA country code?). No doubt it only reaches a recording machine; but why not call and thank them for keeping this:

6055 survives into another season for daily English to NAm at 0000, checked at 0046 April 1, when it`s playing Spanish music not // the REE Spanish frequencies.

21515, April 1 at 1401, REE news on new frequency very poor // equally insufficient 21610, but at least out from under inbooming KUWAIT 21540 where it had collided for years (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also GERMANY for new 15390 QRM to 15385 Emisión Sefarad

** SUDAN [non]. 15725, April 1 at 1503, good signal in Arabish about Sudan, with nasty self-imposed modulation echo pretending to be long/short path; ID in passing as Radio Tamazuj. Yes, it`s the A-13 frequency for that and R. Dabanga to follow at 1530, altho in HFCC shown only as PNW via SMG, CVA: 1500-1627, 250 kW, 139 degrees from VATICAN. PNW means Press Now, the parent organization in Hilversum, which is now more of a SWBC service than RNW. Are they still in the old RNW building abandoned by RNW? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1662 monitoring: Sunday March 31 at 2309, WTWW-2 is on 9930 and steady without wobble now; 2314 WOR 1662 plays again. Thanks, Ted! Presumably changed to 5085 circa 0000 April 1; at 0045 VG with country music spun by Ted Randall, and still past 0104 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 690, April 1 at 0551 UT open carrier/dead air is again dominant here, i.e. KGGF Coffeyville KS. This has been happening again and again after local midnight, as if deliberate, but surely not; why not just turn off the transmitter completely if nothing to modulate? I`m sure the municipal Coffeyville Electric Dept doesn`t mind the extra 5+ kWh on the bills (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. 880, April 1 at 0540 UT, KRVN Nebraksa is dominant as usual but in tight E/W null, I am hearing Cuban music and something in English: the latter proves to be WCBS news with weather mentioning White Plains! (which I always associate with AT&T on SW). Believe it or not, WCBS and the other NYC `clears` are quite a rarity out here more than 2 megameters away. By 0541 I am hearing a Mex mx mix instead but if it was really Cuba earlier that would be a 10 kW R. Progreso in Mantua, Pinar del Río per WRTH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 880, April 1 at 0544 UT after hearing WCBS and Cuban music with KRVN nulled, ``La Ley`` mentioned which could be a slogan ID; trouble is, none such listed for Mexico on 880 in WRTH, IRCA or Cantú, altho the latter easily searchable does have five of them on other Mexican frequencies. Could it be a US station? Yes! NRC AM Log shows WIJR Highland IL, 160 watts at night; just east of St Louis MO. Next question: why would any radio station name itself ``The Law``? Must have some other connotation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 960, April 1 at 0500-0505 UT, KGWA Fox-hole is occupied by ABC News, surely KMA Shenandoah IA, but as always, it contains nothing but national ads, and KGWA modulation cuts back on before anything local can be heard from the understation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VATICAN. 7250, April 1 at 0527, VR is already on in unscheduled English, poor with flutter, ending program, ``L.I.C.`` and 0529 bells. Can`t hear any // on 9645, 6075 or 3975. So it`s up to its old trix, following one-hour-earlier summer-time shift away from God`s time. Still at 0530, not on 6075, and at 0533 not on 3975, tho UK DRM noise is quite audible circa 3950-3960. At 0536, however, I find that 9645 has come on with Greg. chant in Latin mass service, now much better than 7250. A13 EiBi shows the 0530 Latin is no longer scheduled on 3975 or 6075, just 7250, 9645, 15595 and 585 --- and new 5980: must check that one. And there is supposedly NO English at 0500 on any frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VIETNAM [non]. 12005, April 1 at 0252, if V. of Vietnam, English to N America via Woofferton UK is really here, it must be the JBA carrier, a bit ahead of the seasonal MUF rise. 9640 in B-12 wasn`t that great, but a lot better than this. Haven`t yet tried the earlier airing at 0100. Meanwhile, the WHRI 6175 relay in Vietnamese at 0430-0527 continues with much better reception, for CIRAF 10 = Mexico. Why don`t they use WHRI for English?? Perhaps VOV believes the fixion that US transmitters can`t serve US audiences; can`t be too careful. Must not get in trouble with the FCC or ITU (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)