** BIAFRA [non]. 11530, Nov 20 at 1904, R. Biafra Broadcasting from London, good via WRMI, with a prayer in presumed Igbo language, ends with ``amen``. But there was a problem, as I wrote Jeff White later:
``Hi Jeff, I listened to the early part of Radio Biafra today after 19 UT on 11530. FYI there was an irregular ``chuffing`` sound averaging about 2 times per second. This was heard first on my car radio, but not heard on other frequencies, and also heard on this frequency when I checked on a portable radio outside the car (11580 and 11825 were not doing it). So apparently a problem with the 11530 transmitter; which XMTR # is it, by the way? Still does not show on your schedule grid for either transmission. 73, Glenn`` (No reply.)
A quick check at 1900 UT Nov 21 finds 11530 OK without the chuffing.
But I`m busy recording WORLD OF RADIO Tuesday afternoon, so later I find Biafra show on a WRMI server, under a different name, and listen to the opening via that. Now there appears to be a regular invocation a few minutes after start, in Igbo, guy mentioning Jehova, Jesus Christ, and concluding with Amen. Apparently Biafran = Christian, or else. Then the now-head of IPOB endorses in English the Anambra State elexion Nov 18, which he concludes was legitimate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BOTSWANA. 4930, Nov 22 at 0005, JBA carrier, also at 0220, presumed VOA African service relay in English. After my previous report of that Nov 19 around 0230, ahead of normal *0300, Ron Howard suggested that VOA could have expanded to 24 hours due to the crisis in Zimbabwe. Wolfgang Büschel agreed with a schedule of 23 or 24 hours on this frequency and also MW 909. That`s nice, but most VOA programming is disposable music filler, beyond news on the hour, as Mark Taylor, WI, NASWA Flashsheet was also hearing as early as 0205 as early as November 17.
If the crisis is now over with the resignation of Mugabe, perhaps VOA will contract again. But not yet. There are other changes/extensions, as Alan Roe, Teddington, England, UK, reported:
``USA. 21 November at 2000 UT - VoA is broadcasting a special programme concerning Zimbabwe in a local language on 6195 kHz via Botswana in place of usual African Beat English programming``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1905, DX LISTTENING DIGEST)
** EAST TURKISTAN. 5060 & 4980 & 4850 & 4500, Nov 21 at 2357, JBA carriers, surely the four different language services of PBS Xinjiang, Urumqi, grayline. There are several other JBA carriers on 60m matching Tibetan, Indian or Chinese stations, but this quartet all add up to nothing but Xinjiang (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU [and non]. 5980, Nov 21 at 2251, JBA carrier, which is probably Radio Chaski during its hour in the clear; overcome at *2257 by much stronger AM carrier from Romania, this time switching to contrary-to-schedule DRM noise after a few seconds, rather than waiting until 2300 or later. Can no longer make out Chaski carrier underneath it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. 5960, Nov 21 at 2300, VOT English to North America is poor-fair but I can tell that the clueless announcer (or his recording) is still announcing A-17 times and frequencies for English, all of which are now wrong in B-17 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1904 monitoring: Not confirmed UT Tue Nov 21 at 0030 on WBCQ 9330v-CUSB: no signal (meanwhile 7490 is OK, nothing on 5130 or 3265; 9395 WRMI is fair). But confirmed UT Tue Nov 21 at 0030 on WRMI 7730, VG. Also confirmed Tue Nov 21 at 2030 on WRMI 11580 better than // 9455 better than // 7780.
[and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1905 contents: Afghanistan non, Armenia, Bahrain, Biafra non, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia and non, Chile and non, Cuba, Cyprus non, Eritrea and non, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, North America, Oman, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia and non, Solomon Islands, Somaliland and non, Sri Lanka, USA, Zimbabwe, unidentified; and the propagation outlook
WORLD OF RADIO 1905 monitoring: confirmed first airing completed just a few minutes earlier, Tuesday November 21 at 2130 on WRMI, 9455, good. Trying to confirm next chance, UT Wednesday November 22 at 0030 on WBCQ, 9330v-CUSB: first on the R75, I only get a JBA carrier on about 9328.19, as I have before, but apparently this is from a local device, to which this radio is closest. At 0032 on the PL-880 on the porch, I can recognize me JBA about 9329.9. Then at 0035 on the NRD545 I can also hear me about 9329.99, but not well enough to recognize whether it`s new #1905, but probably. So WBCQ is transmitting, just extremely weakly, still such a trace at 0048. Meanwhile neighbors are much better: 9395 WRMIBS at S9+20; 9370 WWRBS at S9+25; even 9265 WINB is S9. And the other WBCQ, 7489.95, is S8. Next:
Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455 to WNW
Wed 1315 WRMI 9955 to SSE
Wed 2200 WBCQ 7490 to WSW
Thu 0030 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Thu 2230 WRMI 5850 to NW
Fri 0030 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sat 0030 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sat 0729 HLR 6190-CUSB to WSW
Sat 1531 HLR 7265-CUSB to WSW
Sat 2030v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND
Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sat 2300 WRMI 11580 to NE
Sun 0200 WRMI 11580 to NE
Sun 0410v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND
Sun 1130 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW
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 2030 WRMI 11580 to NE, 9455 to WNW, 7780 to NE [or 1905?]
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5830, Nov 21 at 0716, no signal from WTWW-1, but a very poor carrier on 9475, probably this, forsaken by Ted on its day frequency all night.
BTW, neighborhood continuous line noise has erupted, reaching S9 around 5.8 MHz. And no one even has Xmas decorations up yet, that I can see (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 7520, Nov 22 at 0047, no signal from WWCR-4 scheduled here at 0000-0200, after 9980, and before 6115. The other three are found on 5935, 6115 (not yet on 4 or 3 MHz), and surprisingly well with DGS on 13845, which must be getting a sporadic-E boost. Tnx to a tip from Peter W Hansen, FL, at 0225 UT Nov 21, to the DXLD yg: ``Last night WWCR-4 was not on 6115; tonight it has not been on 7520, 6115 or 5890``
Also the next night, Nov 22 at 0205, 6115 is not on altho had logged it some nights before, after the swap from WWCR-1 to WWCR-4 at 0200 for one more hour. So it appears #4 is out of order (or it has suddenly lost a lot of business). The entire website schedule for it, in case its other frequencies also lack:
Transmitter #4 - 100 KW - 90 Degrees
12:00 AM-07:00 AM 0600-1300 5890
07:00 AM-06:00 PM 1300-0000 9980
06:00 PM-08:00 PM 0000-0200 7520
08:00 PM-09:00 PM 0200-0300 6115
09:00 PM-12:00 AM 0300-0600 5890
6295, Nov 22 at 2302, JBA carrier. I`m looking for a leapfrog mixing product from WWCR, since when they run two transmitters on the same band, like 5890 and 5935 later at night, they do constantly leapfrog, in that case to a mixture on 5980 (and fighting Radio Martí after 0700, and Cuban jamming even earlier. WWCR is axually contributing to this ``jamming``). In this case, 5935 would leap over 6115, another 180 kHz higher. Suspect it is WWCR on 6295, more likely here than a Europirate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report dispatched at 0310 UT November 22
