** CHAD. RNT, 6165 believed still in use instead of 4905, as I was getting a mix with Croatia at 0650 Dec 26, but not as well as 24 hours earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ECUADOR. HCJB, 11690, still claiming to be on 21455 as well as 11690 and 11960, in automated Spanish ID at 1429:30 Dec 26. Usual heavy RTTY QRM from 11687.5 which I find hard to believe is coming all the way from Crimea (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ERITREA [non]. V. of Democratic Alliance, checked the next day at 1514 was still slightly above 9556 with music, 1515 announcement supposed to be in Arabic on Friday; via R. Ethiopia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FRANCE. 11675, news mostly about Pakistan, Dec 26 at 1431, which is RFI in Persian at 1430-1500 only, 80 degrees from Issoudun, good but with some long-path echo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. NHKWNRJ, 11705 via Canada, both Dec 25 and 26 with Tales of Genji, fully produced with SFX and music, from the millennium-old classic; finishing Dec 26 at 1429 saying it was the second and final part. Same thing which had been running on last Saturdays of the month instead of World Interactive, no doubt a holiday filler instead of up-to-date programming. This transmission has also been somewhat overmodulated lately. Sackville, please touch it up (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 7540, other-worldly chanting accompanied by strumming, Friday Dec 26 at 1405; strong but flutter and traces of long-path echo, from V. of Mesopotamia, via Ukraine (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. XEOY, 6010, was stronger than usual, Dec 26 at 1352 with government PSA about elexions becoming more democratic; so also checked 6045 and could detect a bit of classical from XEXQ in ACI from China 6040 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOUTH AFRICA. Channel Africa, 17770, opening English at 1500 Dec 26 with accurate timesignal compared to CHU. But only frequency announced was 15235! Current schedules show that frequency is not on the air until 1600 in French, 1700-1800 in English. Another breakdown in communication between the transmitter/engineering/studio departments. Then news starting with RSA government condemning the coup in Guinea (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN. REE, 17595, great signal as usual, Dec 26 at 1440 with wide-ranging, well-produced, year-in-review special, arts and politics in Spain and abroad, including controversy over queen`s opinions, death of Paul Newman. We can only hope nothing significant happens in week 52. Wrapping up at 1449 with ID, ``Radio Exterior de España; nuestras frecuencias hablan español``. How true (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** THAILAND. R. Thailand, 9725, good reception but ear-glazing subject, Dec 26 at 1419, YL in clear but slightly accented English reading what sounds like government press release about education policy reform. Loud piano with orchestra music thruout, a modern concerto? Which I would have preferred to hear without the dull talk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. The winter sporadic-E season has been a slow-starter, but some reaching lower TV channels has been reported in last few days. Es was certainly in play Dec 26 at 1435 when normally barely audible WWCR 15825 was inbooming during Tony Alamo telling of a huge golden altar suddenly appearing in someone`s Los Angeles apartment, with a midget. OK. . . Still coming in well at 1507 recheck with another preacher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. SENTECH, Meyerton, South Africa, is now carrying two different VOA programs on 17740 and 17750 between 1400 and 1500. Dec 26 at 1452 on 17750, feature from Al Silverman in Hollywood about the plot to kill Hitler movie, 1455 to 2-minute USG editorial about Sri Lanka where the Tamil Tigers and the Sinhalese should make peace; off the air at 1459:30, as weaker VOA Kurdish on 17740 was also going off. 17750 is aimed 342 degrees, better for us (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6074, another check for 8GAL, Dec 26 at 1400: certainly not the usual V/CQ marker, but instead a long key-down tone, and indecipherable message for a minute concluding with another long dash. Was not recording to try to figure it out later, but no 8GAL ID heard. Possibly was negatively-keyed by mistake (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** ECUADOR. HCJB, 11690, still claiming to be on 21455 as well as 11690 and 11960, in automated Spanish ID at 1429:30 Dec 26. Usual heavy RTTY QRM from 11687.5 which I find hard to believe is coming all the way from Crimea (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ERITREA [non]. V. of Democratic Alliance, checked the next day at 1514 was still slightly above 9556 with music, 1515 announcement supposed to be in Arabic on Friday; via R. Ethiopia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FRANCE. 11675, news mostly about Pakistan, Dec 26 at 1431, which is RFI in Persian at 1430-1500 only, 80 degrees from Issoudun, good but with some long-path echo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. NHKWNRJ, 11705 via Canada, both Dec 25 and 26 with Tales of Genji, fully produced with SFX and music, from the millennium-old classic; finishing Dec 26 at 1429 saying it was the second and final part. Same thing which had been running on last Saturdays of the month instead of World Interactive, no doubt a holiday filler instead of up-to-date programming. This transmission has also been somewhat overmodulated lately. Sackville, please touch it up (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 7540, other-worldly chanting accompanied by strumming, Friday Dec 26 at 1405; strong but flutter and traces of long-path echo, from V. of Mesopotamia, via Ukraine (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. XEOY, 6010, was stronger than usual, Dec 26 at 1352 with government PSA about elexions becoming more democratic; so also checked 6045 and could detect a bit of classical from XEXQ in ACI from China 6040 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOUTH AFRICA. Channel Africa, 17770, opening English at 1500 Dec 26 with accurate timesignal compared to CHU. But only frequency announced was 15235! Current schedules show that frequency is not on the air until 1600 in French, 1700-1800 in English. Another breakdown in communication between the transmitter/engineering/studio departments. Then news starting with RSA government condemning the coup in Guinea (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN. REE, 17595, great signal as usual, Dec 26 at 1440 with wide-ranging, well-produced, year-in-review special, arts and politics in Spain and abroad, including controversy over queen`s opinions, death of Paul Newman. We can only hope nothing significant happens in week 52. Wrapping up at 1449 with ID, ``Radio Exterior de España; nuestras frecuencias hablan español``. How true (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** THAILAND. R. Thailand, 9725, good reception but ear-glazing subject, Dec 26 at 1419, YL in clear but slightly accented English reading what sounds like government press release about education policy reform. Loud piano with orchestra music thruout, a modern concerto? Which I would have preferred to hear without the dull talk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. The winter sporadic-E season has been a slow-starter, but some reaching lower TV channels has been reported in last few days. Es was certainly in play Dec 26 at 1435 when normally barely audible WWCR 15825 was inbooming during Tony Alamo telling of a huge golden altar suddenly appearing in someone`s Los Angeles apartment, with a midget. OK. . . Still coming in well at 1507 recheck with another preacher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. SENTECH, Meyerton, South Africa, is now carrying two different VOA programs on 17740 and 17750 between 1400 and 1500. Dec 26 at 1452 on 17750, feature from Al Silverman in Hollywood about the plot to kill Hitler movie, 1455 to 2-minute USG editorial about Sri Lanka where the Tamil Tigers and the Sinhalese should make peace; off the air at 1459:30, as weaker VOA Kurdish on 17740 was also going off. 17750 is aimed 342 degrees, better for us (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6074, another check for 8GAL, Dec 26 at 1400: certainly not the usual V/CQ marker, but instead a long key-down tone, and indecipherable message for a minute concluding with another long dash. Was not recording to try to figure it out later, but no 8GAL ID heard. Possibly was negatively-keyed by mistake (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
