** AUSTRALIA. It`s already August in Australia, and I am alarmed by the absence of any Shepparton signals, normally inbooming here on 13 and 15 MHz, August 1 before and after 0500: zilch on 17750, 15515 (except uncovering KUWAIT, q.v.), 15415, 15240, 15160, 13630. Hope RA SW has not been suddenly abolished, and that there`s no earthquake, wildfire or flood again! Propagation is OK as I catch NZ on 15720 just before QSY to 11725 (which has an anomaly of its own, q.v.). At 0515 still no RA, except on 12080 a VP signal, which is probably Brandon site as scheduled. Whew, next check 1155, RA is back as usual on Shep 12065, 9580, 6150, 6080. But why was it absent earlier? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake, August 1 before 1300:
13795, fair with CCI at 1244
The rest are CNR1 jammers instead:
12870, very poor at 1243 also with tones
13530, good at 1244
13830, poor at 1245; none in the 14-19 MHz range, except low 15s
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT [and non]. 13855, July 31 at 0106, bigsig from R. Cairo with some hum but no intelligible modulation; 13620 with lesser open carrier, hum. Amazingly, these two are the OSOB (*only* stations on band), yet both are totally pointless, but no doubt valued customers for Egypt`s electricity company. 13855 is supposed to be Abis in Spanish, 250 kW at 286 degrees, while 13620 is same but 241 degrees.
Checked again August 1 at 0119: except for OTH radar pulses, presumably from Cyprus ranging 13785-13810, these two are again the OSOB, but now 13855 VG signal has trace of modulation, 13620 good signal, still no modulation.
9720, August 1 at 0234, R. Cairo English to N America frequency has trace of modulation at best; 9965 Arabic with a bit more modulation, scratchy and useless. At 0236, 13850 with distorted undermodulation.
13850, at 0457 August 1 with more modulation but still too distorted, and now heavy flutter too. After switching from 13855 circa 0200, 13850 is now 250 kW, 315 degrees USward from Abis in ``Arabic``. While not the OSOB at this hour, it`s often the strongest, especially with R. Australia missing, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. 9420, August 1 at 0052, ERT with open carrier/dead air again, and same on weaker 15650, equal 7275, which I keep monitoring until music starts up at 0055. Maybe this is a planned pause like 24 hours earlier.
Since Ivo Ivanov reported news in English from ERT July 21, I have been trying to hear it vs almost no propagation around 1300. Finally August 1 at 1311, 15630 has surged to a very poor level so I can make out a YL speaking, seemingly with English intonation but can`t copy any words; periodically interrupted by brief music bits. Other scheduled frequencies: 9420 occupied by Chinese; 9935 out of the question with Brother Scare now on 9930 WTWW. English segment presumably ended at 1317 when I could just barely hear the haunting old ERT IS.
English starts between 1305 and 1307, and on July 27, Alan Roe in UK heard it from 1307 to 1316, with this announcement: "These are the news in English broadcasted by the Free Hellenic Radio programme". Sure wish they would add some other English times when we can hear it well; maybe they have, as yet undiscovered. It had been years since the original ERT provided any English, let alone the news (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9526-, August 1 at 1252, VOI with VP signal but improved modulation, as always slightly on the lo side of 9526, and way on the hi side of ``9525``; music and talk intonation sounds Japanese as scheduled, with flutter. 1301 opening English, hear ``kHz`` mentioned in totally wrong tri-frequency announcement, but too poor to copy any programming; while so-called domestic service of RRI on 9680 is quite strong and well-modulated, I think, but also useless vs the China radio war (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 17550, July 31 at 2359, tune in just in time for R. Kuwait`s Arabic service to C&W North America; good signal with flutter during Qur`an, rudely cut off at 0000:15* August 1. Allah`ll get`em for that. Always fun to hear this wacky service propagating almost trans-polarly, as it will be steadily declining on the average as we get into fall and winter.
15515, August 1 at 0527, VP signal with ME music, i.e. R. Kuwait, Arabic at 05-09, 250 kW, 59 degrees form Kabd. Normally totally blocked by R. Australia in one-hour overlap, but that`s missing tonight, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 580, August 1 at 0442 UT, XEMU, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, has overtaken WIBW Topeka, mentioning ``los dos Laredos``, timecheck, ``La Rancherita del Aire``. I suppose it covers Laredos too with non-direxional day & night signal, but it`s tough luck for WIBW, despite beaming our way at night to protect WILL. I consulted the 2005 NRC Pattern Book, but a new one has just been published! Ordering details:
http://www.nrcdxas.org/catalog/books/index1.html#APB
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND. 11675, August 1 at 0513, RNZI is in AM! Instead of DRM, // 11725 AM; second transmitter failed to go into DRM mode after QSY? Back in DRM noise by 0525 recheck (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. Regional tropo is up, August 1 at 1525 UT with some Kansas DTV and also:
RF 11, KSWO-TV Lawton, (ABC) 7.1, plus subchannels:
7.2, Telemundo
7.3, LWN
W9WI.com has 7.2 TM but nothing as 7.3 for KSWO. LWN = Live Well Network; we don`t get that on any closer station. At the moment with fat lady exercising; soon fades below decode level. I should have started DTVDXing much earlier in the morning (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OMAN. 15355, August 1 at 0007, VG signal in Arabic with slight hum, slow deep fades, 0013 music, 0014 ID ``Idha`at ---`` something, could not make out the word, but sure didn`t sound like Oman. Yet that`s certainly R. Sultanate of, running late past nominal 2400* as the *0000 frequency 9760 is vacant --- until 15355 cuts off abruptly at 0029* during Qur`an. Allah`ll get `em too for that. Then I retune to 9760 and sure `nuff, *0030:15 with carrier, 0040:40 add modulation resuming Qur`an. Not as good here as had been on 15355, but sufficient (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 5980, August 1 at 0056, JBA Chaski carrier until cutoff at approx. 0100:11.5*, which is 11.5 seconds later than two nights ago. I am still avoiding the mosquitoey porch hoping for an August drought to dry them up again; instead of the FRG-7 inside which apparently overloaded with a distracting othersig last night, I am using the DX-398 inside connected to the random wire wound around the ceiling, normally reserved for lightning storms (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOLOMON ISLANDS. Not having enough signal from Micronesia vs noise level as 1200 UT approaches Aug 1, I instead detect the SIBC 5020- carrier (slightly on low side compared to KOKP 1020), with BFO and wait for its automatic cutoff --- but it`s still there at 1202. Yesterday, Ron Howard heard it stop at 1200* on 5019.88 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 2000-USB, August 1 at 0518 UT, New York Radio VOLMET is poorly audible, WSY70 still active on this strange new frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1680 monitoring: completed in time for first airing UT Thursday August 1 at 0330 on WRMI, but too much noise to detect it on 9955, and the stream would not connect for me. Next:
Thursday 2100.5 on WTWW-1 9479
UT Friday 0325v on WWRB 5050 [we hope; computer problems last week]
UT Saturday 0130v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110-v-CUSB
Saturday 0630 & 1430 on HLR 7265-CUSB [need to be reconfirmed in Aug]
Saturday 1500 on WRMI 9955
Saturday 2329v on WTWW-2 9930 [but last week not until 0000 Sun 5085]
UT Sunday 0400.5 on WTWW-1 5830
Sunday 2330v on WTWW-2 9930
Tuesday 1100 on WRMI 9955
Wednesday 0630 & 1430 on HLR 7265-CUSB [need to be reconfirmed in Aug]
BTW, I mismentioned the `new` DXLD as 13-32 instead of 13-31
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake, August 1 before 1300:
13795, fair with CCI at 1244
The rest are CNR1 jammers instead:
12870, very poor at 1243 also with tones
13530, good at 1244
13830, poor at 1245; none in the 14-19 MHz range, except low 15s
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT [and non]. 13855, July 31 at 0106, bigsig from R. Cairo with some hum but no intelligible modulation; 13620 with lesser open carrier, hum. Amazingly, these two are the OSOB (*only* stations on band), yet both are totally pointless, but no doubt valued customers for Egypt`s electricity company. 13855 is supposed to be Abis in Spanish, 250 kW at 286 degrees, while 13620 is same but 241 degrees.
Checked again August 1 at 0119: except for OTH radar pulses, presumably from Cyprus ranging 13785-13810, these two are again the OSOB, but now 13855 VG signal has trace of modulation, 13620 good signal, still no modulation.
9720, August 1 at 0234, R. Cairo English to N America frequency has trace of modulation at best; 9965 Arabic with a bit more modulation, scratchy and useless. At 0236, 13850 with distorted undermodulation.
13850, at 0457 August 1 with more modulation but still too distorted, and now heavy flutter too. After switching from 13855 circa 0200, 13850 is now 250 kW, 315 degrees USward from Abis in ``Arabic``. While not the OSOB at this hour, it`s often the strongest, especially with R. Australia missing, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. 9420, August 1 at 0052, ERT with open carrier/dead air again, and same on weaker 15650, equal 7275, which I keep monitoring until music starts up at 0055. Maybe this is a planned pause like 24 hours earlier.
Since Ivo Ivanov reported news in English from ERT July 21, I have been trying to hear it vs almost no propagation around 1300. Finally August 1 at 1311, 15630 has surged to a very poor level so I can make out a YL speaking, seemingly with English intonation but can`t copy any words; periodically interrupted by brief music bits. Other scheduled frequencies: 9420 occupied by Chinese; 9935 out of the question with Brother Scare now on 9930 WTWW. English segment presumably ended at 1317 when I could just barely hear the haunting old ERT IS.
English starts between 1305 and 1307, and on July 27, Alan Roe in UK heard it from 1307 to 1316, with this announcement: "These are the news in English broadcasted by the Free Hellenic Radio programme". Sure wish they would add some other English times when we can hear it well; maybe they have, as yet undiscovered. It had been years since the original ERT provided any English, let alone the news (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9526-, August 1 at 1252, VOI with VP signal but improved modulation, as always slightly on the lo side of 9526, and way on the hi side of ``9525``; music and talk intonation sounds Japanese as scheduled, with flutter. 1301 opening English, hear ``kHz`` mentioned in totally wrong tri-frequency announcement, but too poor to copy any programming; while so-called domestic service of RRI on 9680 is quite strong and well-modulated, I think, but also useless vs the China radio war (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 17550, July 31 at 2359, tune in just in time for R. Kuwait`s Arabic service to C&W North America; good signal with flutter during Qur`an, rudely cut off at 0000:15* August 1. Allah`ll get`em for that. Always fun to hear this wacky service propagating almost trans-polarly, as it will be steadily declining on the average as we get into fall and winter.
15515, August 1 at 0527, VP signal with ME music, i.e. R. Kuwait, Arabic at 05-09, 250 kW, 59 degrees form Kabd. Normally totally blocked by R. Australia in one-hour overlap, but that`s missing tonight, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 580, August 1 at 0442 UT, XEMU, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, has overtaken WIBW Topeka, mentioning ``los dos Laredos``, timecheck, ``La Rancherita del Aire``. I suppose it covers Laredos too with non-direxional day & night signal, but it`s tough luck for WIBW, despite beaming our way at night to protect WILL. I consulted the 2005 NRC Pattern Book, but a new one has just been published! Ordering details:
http://www.nrcdxas.org/catalog/books/index1.html#APB
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND. 11675, August 1 at 0513, RNZI is in AM! Instead of DRM, // 11725 AM; second transmitter failed to go into DRM mode after QSY? Back in DRM noise by 0525 recheck (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. Regional tropo is up, August 1 at 1525 UT with some Kansas DTV and also:
RF 11, KSWO-TV Lawton, (ABC) 7.1, plus subchannels:
7.2, Telemundo
7.3, LWN
W9WI.com has 7.2 TM but nothing as 7.3 for KSWO. LWN = Live Well Network; we don`t get that on any closer station. At the moment with fat lady exercising; soon fades below decode level. I should have started DTVDXing much earlier in the morning (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OMAN. 15355, August 1 at 0007, VG signal in Arabic with slight hum, slow deep fades, 0013 music, 0014 ID ``Idha`at ---`` something, could not make out the word, but sure didn`t sound like Oman. Yet that`s certainly R. Sultanate of, running late past nominal 2400* as the *0000 frequency 9760 is vacant --- until 15355 cuts off abruptly at 0029* during Qur`an. Allah`ll get `em too for that. Then I retune to 9760 and sure `nuff, *0030:15 with carrier, 0040:40 add modulation resuming Qur`an. Not as good here as had been on 15355, but sufficient (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 5980, August 1 at 0056, JBA Chaski carrier until cutoff at approx. 0100:11.5*, which is 11.5 seconds later than two nights ago. I am still avoiding the mosquitoey porch hoping for an August drought to dry them up again; instead of the FRG-7 inside which apparently overloaded with a distracting othersig last night, I am using the DX-398 inside connected to the random wire wound around the ceiling, normally reserved for lightning storms (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOLOMON ISLANDS. Not having enough signal from Micronesia vs noise level as 1200 UT approaches Aug 1, I instead detect the SIBC 5020- carrier (slightly on low side compared to KOKP 1020), with BFO and wait for its automatic cutoff --- but it`s still there at 1202. Yesterday, Ron Howard heard it stop at 1200* on 5019.88 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 2000-USB, August 1 at 0518 UT, New York Radio VOLMET is poorly audible, WSY70 still active on this strange new frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1680 monitoring: completed in time for first airing UT Thursday August 1 at 0330 on WRMI, but too much noise to detect it on 9955, and the stream would not connect for me. Next:
Thursday 2100.5 on WTWW-1 9479
UT Friday 0325v on WWRB 5050 [we hope; computer problems last week]
UT Saturday 0130v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110-v-CUSB
Saturday 0630 & 1430 on HLR 7265-CUSB [need to be reconfirmed in Aug]
Saturday 1500 on WRMI 9955
Saturday 2329v on WTWW-2 9930 [but last week not until 0000 Sun 5085]
UT Sunday 0400.5 on WTWW-1 5830
Sunday 2330v on WTWW-2 9930
Tuesday 1100 on WRMI 9955
Wednesday 0630 & 1430 on HLR 7265-CUSB [need to be reconfirmed in Aug]
BTW, I mismentioned the `new` DXLD as 13-32 instead of 13-31
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
