sabato 24 dicembre 2016

Glenn Hauser logs December 23-24, 2016


** BRAZIL. 4774.967, Dec 23 at 0725, JBA music vs CODAR, like last night, but this time I measure the frequency independently, which is within 3 Hz of where Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal put R. Congonhas, Minas Gerais, Dec 3 at 2218, on 4774.964, rather than R. Tarma, Perú which he had way down on 4774.910 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 6000, Dec 24 at 0057, RHC Spanish at end of `Mesa Redonda` diversion, TV audio track, with quite suptorted modulation. Dead air for a couple minutes, then ``Ed Newman`` opening English which is equally degraded; wiggle that patchcord! Better but as usual undermodulated on // 6165 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KURDISTAN [non]. 11600, Dec 23 at 1354, triumphal music at S7-S9, 1300 IDs as Denge Kurdistane, presumably via PRIDNESTROVYE, and talk. Plenty modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MADAGASCAR. 5012v, Dec 24 at 0226, a very distorted blob of something seems to be separate from 5015 WRMIBS but overcome by it, so is RNM around here at this moment, as nothing is heard wobbling around 5008v? But by 0305 check, now it`s 5008.1, constantly varying must be RNM with music at S6, and I no longer hear the 5012 blob (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 730, Dec 24 at 0151, three canned ``[E]stereo Fiesta, 107.1 FM, 700-30 AM`` IDs by super-hype voice actor within two minutes, as XEHB Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua is now known, outdating WRTH 2017 already on this which still shows ``Ke Buena``; and IRCA Mexican Log 2015 with that plus ``Viva Villa``. Axually, this is hardly news, first reported in August *2015*, NRC IDXD by John Wilkins, CO:

``730 MEXICO XEHB Hidalgo del Parral, Chih. AUG 6 1150 - Orchestral anthem followed by FM-only ID at 1151: "Escucha Estereo Fiesta XEHB-FM Estereo Fiesta..."; also gave address on Ortiz Mena Boulevard and mentioned Grupo Radiorama; back to music after the ID. Good signal and alone on the frequency, probably already on 25 kW day power. New slogan, ex-R. Viva Villa, ex-La Ke Buena. [Wilkins-CO]``

XEHB is totally and typically dominating frequency on caradio, forget XEX or any other NAFTA country, and obviously on 50 kW day power instead of 1 kW night as listed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 770, Dec 24 at 0257 explaining what a Villancico is, 0259 ID as ``Radio Fórmula de Monterrey``, i.e. XEACH, 25/1 kW. Dominant on my N/S antenna, while KKOB is on the E/W, see USA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NEWFOUNDLAND. 6160-, Dec 24 at 0241, not even a carrier from CKZN; nor have I heard any the last night or two. We know CKZU is off, so is CKZN too, or just too far into the auroral zone, and/or too high a frequency, to propagate? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NORTH AMERICA. 6924.13-AM, Dec 24 at 0231, distorted song at S6 from unID pirate, 0234 Jingle Bells version. No reports yet of anypirate UT Dec 24 at hfunderground, but 4+ hours earlier, Chris Smolinski had ``Liquid Radio 6925 AM 2215 UTC 23 Dec 2016 - Quite weak, but I can hear the thumping music``. By now it could be something completely different. Off at my recheck 0246 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** NORTH AMERICA. 5792.0, Dec 24 at 0308, [Station YHWH] preacher can be heard at S8-S9. Checked earlier, was still not on by 0302. His favorite time and frequency lately (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 960, Dec 24 circa 0145 UT, I`m a few blox from the KGWA transmitter site in NW Enid, looking for Xmas lighting displays, so also try to hear the plus/minus 80 kHz spurs on exactly 880 and 1040, which I have detected further at home in daytime --- no trace, vs KRVN and WHO. Will have to try for these and maybe more in full daytime near site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1300/1330/1360 and 1420/1450/1480, Dec 23 circa 1945 UT after dining at Pizza Inn across the street from 1390 KCRC transmitter and studio site in Enid, once the caradio is away from a noisy spot, I go after the perpetual spur field of KCRC. The closest pair, 1360 & 1420, are plenty loud as junior 1390s, here overriding KTJS OK and KPHN KS, which further away in Enid, can be detected as hets against the not-exactly plus/minus 30 kHz spurs from 1390. I`ve also heard much weaker hets on 1330 vs KNSS KS and 1450 KGFF/KSIW OK, and up close they are of course much stronger. Now the supreme catches: plus/minus 90 kHz JBA spurs causing hets on 1300 KAKC OK and 1480 KQAM KS/KBXD TX. But not enough another 30 kHz out to hear anyhets on 1270, 1520. Way to go, Hiram, seven frequencies for the price of one (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 89.5, Dec 24 at 0045 UT, approaching the ``Singing Xmas Trees`` animated light display near Oakwood & Oak in western Enid on a lot vacant except for a capped oil well, the Part 15 music track transmitter must be weaker than before, as I have to park closer to get a fully quiet signal on the caradio. Crawler on display says it`s ``choreographed`` by Chisholm High School, and for the first time credits the music as provided by ``Home Free``, whatever that is.

The other animated light & music show further west in Enid, surrounding a house at the south-side intersexion of Pheasant Run and Club House Drive, as reported in DXLD 15-52 on 97.7, is a no-show this year. Several other cars were driving around aimlessly in the neighborhood seeking it. Plenty of silent and static Xmas lighting tho. The big fad for the first time this year is projexion of flakes, stars, etc. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1857 monitoring: confirmed UT Saturday December 24 at 0031, fair on WBCQ 9330.112v-CUSB. Nice to get this as most days it`s been inaudible to weak, propagation? Next:
Sat 0730   HLR 6190-CUSB to SW 
Sat 1530   HLR 7265-CUSB to SW
Sat 2030v  WA0RCR 1860-AM ND 
Sat 2330   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sun 0410v  WA0RCR 1860-AM ND 
Sun 1130   HLR 9485-CUSB to SW
Mon 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Mon 0400v  WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW
Mon 0430   WRMI 9955 to SSE  
Tue 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Tue 0030   WRMI 7730 to WNW
Tue 1200   WRMI 9955 to SSE
Tue 2130   WRMI 15770 to NE
Tue 2300   WRMI 9955 to SSE
Wed 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Wed 2200   WBCQ 7490v to WSW
Thu 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 5129.85, UT Sat Dec 24 at 0222, WBCQ is JBA, can`t tell if `Allan Weiner Worldwide` is still running, as 7490 is totally inaudible, off or propped out? No other `WBCQ` on 5120 tonight, or not yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. 12050, Dec 23 at 1346, no signal from WEWN Spanish, but instead Chinese, i.e. CNR1 jammer against RFA Tibetan via Kuwait, this hour only. By 1403, WEWN is on but only S4 with dead air except for some hum. This is supposed to start at 1300, I think.

The SW frequency schedule at
is dated 30 Oct 2016 to 3 March 2017, why? USA DST in 2017 does not start until Sunday, March 12. It shows a 4-hour difference between `EDT` in the left time column, and UTC on the right! So which one are we to believe? Altho WEWN is never heard on more than two frequencies at once any more, it continues to pretend to be on three. The middle column for S America/Caribbean is the imaginary one, with silent 11870 and 13830, but shows 12050 in use at 1000-1700, and 12050 is ALSO in the other Spanish column, 155 degrees for Mexico and Central America at 1300-2400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 5059.2, Dec 24 at 0224, second-order spur from 5085 WTWW-2 Xmas music, i.e. 2 x 12.9 = 25.8 kHz below, much weaker than first-order spur on 5072.1, with some music audible there, not usually the case (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 770, Dec 24 at 0259 UT, after getting XEACH on the N/S antenna (see MEXICO), on the E/W antenna a full ID as ``Happy holidays from 94.5 FM and AM 770 News Radio, KKOB Albuquerque``, bong and CBS News still exists. Seems to be a slight reverb, implying I am getting not only the main 50 kW transmitter in the North Valley, supposedly protecting WABC, but also the 230-watt night-only fill-in from Santa Fe. Someone recently claimed a log of Santa Fe based on double audio, but I wonder just how much out of synch they were and are? 

Also, the 2016-2017 NRC AM Log does not show any FM simul for KKOB. Is 94.5 new? Nor does the WTFDA FM Database, with only two 94.5`s in NM:

``KYAT 94.5 GALLUP USA 100.0 100.0 420.0  35-36-22 108-41-26 KYAT FM COUNTRY NAVAJO FM STATION COUNTRY  

K233CG // KQRI 105.5 94.5 SANDIA NM USA 0.0  0.25 1240.0 35-13-00 106-27-07 AIR ONE CHRISTIAN ROCK`` 

But 94.5 is now on the KKOB homepage, and of course getting top billing there as well as on the air: http://www.770kkob.com/

So NM`s #1 commercial AM station has recently had to get on FM to let a mere translator wag its dog. Apparently just acquired it from Air One/KQRI. It`s on Sandia CREST, not Sandia the town/res, which does make a big coverage difference even with 250 watts --- if there is no co-channel. 

Which there is. I always anticipated, while approaching ABQ from the east on I-40, emerging from Tijeras Canyon and picking up the 100-kW Gallup on 94.5 which at that elevation has a line-of-sight, unlike further down in the valley. Maybe still can get it in spots, as even some of the bigsigs atop the Crest are blocked within the canyon. But not a pretty picture.

The *real* KKOB-FM was and presumably still is, on 93.3, 20 kW from the Crest, but separately programmed from 770/94.5 with CHR. Turnabout: in Gallup, 93.3 is blocked by a local gospel-huxter translator, K227CB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 880, Dec 24 at 0256 UT, it seems that KHAC AZ is off, as I am hearing only KRVN and some weak Spanish music on USB. Then I realize I am on the N/S antenna, and switching to the E/W antenna, there`s KHAC religioning on USB side only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1420, Dec 24 at 0249 UT tune-in, ``Information Radio 1420, KCON[?]``. Not at all sure of the call but best fuzzy match is KTOE, Mankato MN, 5/5 kW U2, ``Your Information Station`` per NRC AM Log 2016-2017. Night pattern goes NE/SW, good for us, null toward WOC IA which is what I usually get and was expecting to hear now, on its own WSW lobe. Fortunately, night signals can overcome the KCRC spur but still be hetted; see OKLAHOMA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1480, Dec 23 at 1838 UT, S Asian music is audible, mixing with KQAM Wichita with usual slow SAH produced by KBXD Dallas. Midday skywave, 6 minutes after mean noon, is funxioning over a 400-km path, with sun about as low as it can go. Yet, another 50 kW Metroplexer, KTNO, is not making it, 1440 vacant of Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Trans-Pacific JBA MW carrier search December 23, UT:
At 1323, 702-WSW, 657-WSW, 612-WSW
At 1326, 792-WSW
At 1328, 1566-NW until cut at 1344:35*, usual time for HLAZ language/beam switch from Japan to China (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report dispatched at 0619 UT December 24