** CHINA. Firedrake not only on 8400 and 9000 as often the case, but also on 9300, Feb 12 around 1445. This too is in Aoki as a 1 kW Sound of Hope transmitter, also tying up more Chinese jamming. This monstrous country is scared to death of what tiny SOH may have to say (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [and non]. 6030, Feb 14 at 1357 with DentroCuban Jamming Command pulsing vs. Chinese from CNR1 program // 6040 and 5030. CNR1 went off 6030 after timesignal at 1400, uncovering something weaker, presumably India, Cyprus, and/or Calgary, but the jamming continued. Commies vs Commies! The Cuban jamming is overrun against R. Martí, which closes 6030 two hours earlier! and CNR1 is axually Chinese jamming, per Aoki, against ``Ming Hui Radio 1300-1400 1234567 Chinese 100 325 Tanshui TWN`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DESECHEO. Heard the big ham DX-pedition to this tiny island in the Caribbean west of Puerto Rico on 14190-USB, Feb 14 between 1422 and 1444. During that entire period I never heard the word ``Desecheo`` mentioned once. The op there IDed only as ``K5D`` without fonetix, but he used a lot of fonetix on the stations he was calling, ICAO alfabet except S = sugar, e.g. calling an SN4- at 1428. What`s he got against sierra? I am baffled why so many hams mix up their fonetik alfabets; is this deliberate or just carelessness, or ignorance?
Among the calls logged were ON4QX at 1423, then ON4EB, 1424 ON5JV; hmm, what a coincidence, three Belgians in a row. Was this set up? Every so often, including amid these contax, K5D mentioned ``200, 220`` meaning he was listening on 14200 and 14220 (or 14200 thru 14220?); yet every so often someone would call him on 14190, which hi-traffic DX-peditions try to keep free for the DX station only.
W3LWH didn`t get it, calling periodically on 14190 at 1420, 1431, 1432, 1432, 1434; at least he made it quick with nothing but his call, and we were to assume he was really trying to contact K5D. Then at 1433 someone said ``Oscar Lima`` a few times on 14190; not sure what that meant, just spoiling? AM carriers too at times on frequency. At 1443 someone equally exasperated with W3LWH and some others interjected that K5D was ``listening up``, and ``what a zoo`` --- I agreed and had enough. A new DXCC country is safely in my log, unless I heard the last DXpedition there.
Much of the time, there was a much stronger SSB ham on the low side around 14185, so not good on the wide FRG-7; best reception on the ICF SW07, which I break out for such special occasions, as always just using the Sony loop in the south-side window. I also tried 7084 a bit earlier before 1400, but no sign of K5D there, just a strong Mexican(?) on 7087. Nor did I have any luck around 0700 on 3781 or 1843.3, other frequencies publicized for the K5D DXpedition. Also checked 18165 and 18145 at 1445, but not there either.
This Desecheo DXpedition also got me thinking about the whole deal. Just once, it would be nice if a DXpedition to a rare island promulgated some slightly different rules, such as: each contact must last at least one minute, and include: not only call, signal report, but also handle, location by town, state or country, and a factoid about that location. The DX station would do the same, especially the factoids. What`s the point of going to an exotic place and not saying anything about what it`s like, its history, obstacles overcome, etc., etc. Here`s a bit about it on their website:
http://69.89.25.185/~trexsoft/t-rexsoftware.com/desecheo/about.htm
But this would drive the DXCC crowd batty, as it would reduce the supremely important goal of racking up as many meaningless contacts as possible.
The derivation of the name of the place should be interesting. The root in Spanish refers to refuse, or throwing stuff out. This page confirms it means ``thrown away``:
http://www.dokufunk.org/amateur_radio/dxcc_entities/index.php?CID=4728&lang=EN
Another thing: at very little additional cost, such a DXpedition could also put a SW broadcast station on the air! One more transceiver, and antenna (or diplexing onto another one) could be dedicated to broadcasting prepared recorded one-way programming about the place. Preferably on AM, but we`d settle for SSB; preferably in a broadcast band (just one will suffice), or at least in a fixed band outside the ham bands. Turn it on and let it run, not interfering at all with the ham activity. This should not be a pirate, but duly authorized like the ham operation, so there is no question about counting it as an SWBC country.
In places under US jurisdixion like Desecheo, this could be accomplished with an experimental license, which would bypass all the unreasonable requirements for a regular SWBC station, like 50 kW minimum, step-by-step construction permit, program test authority, etc. Experimental licenses are routinely granted by the FCC for all kinds of stuff with some scientific or covert purpose. Dream on: tho a lot of hams are allegedly also SWLs, I bet this idea has never been seriously considered, and certainly never fulfilled (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, must be R. Africa heard at a much earlier time than usual, Sat Feb 14 at 1541, sounds like the jailed Tony Alámo with his low-key preaching; next check at 1555, a YL was on instead, talking about visiting Mali and Mozambique. I bet if I had been listening between the off-timed programs, there would not have been any ID, anyway. Unlike some other signals on 19m, this one had no flutter fading, sufficient with no QRM, rather like Morocco 15345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** HONDURAS. HRMI has been missing lately from 3340, but it was active Feb 14 at 0646 check with music, 0706 talk in Spanish; presumed ID as nothing else there and when active habitually runs late- or all-night; poor with quite a lot of fading, and frequency a smidgin on the low side. Yes: earlier in the evening Brian Alexander measured it on 3339.99 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. JSR, Shiokaze, 5910 confirmed in English again this Friday, Feb 13, at 1414 check with heavy accent talking about N Korea. No jamming or other QRM audible, but insufficient signal. Even worse 24 hours later, and not in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ROMANIA [and non]. 15235, Feb 14 at 1545 a bit surprised to hear a song in Spanish, but this turned out to be the Arabic service of RRI via Galbeni, 1547 YL speaking Arabic, 1548 song in Romanian(?), 1555 IS and off after frequency announcement. Heavy flutter. At 1605 a weaker signal from Channel Africa in French had taken over 15235 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA [and non]. Feb 13 at 0700 I was tuned to 7200, hearing R. Rossii ID and timesignal mixing with R. Bulgaria IS. Ex-Commies vs ex-Commies! The two deliberately collide since R. Rossii is Yakutsk scheduled all the way from 2000 to 1600, 100 kW non-direxional; R. Bulgaria is starting a broadcast in Spanish via Plovdiv 250 kW, 258 degrees, to Spanish Morocco and nearby countries (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 15435, BSKSA, now with a very big buzz at roughly equal level to the Arabic modulation, Feb 14 at 1543, and still at 1604. Much weaker // 15225 without buzz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. WCKY, 1530, Cincinnati OH, Feb 12 at 0641 tuneby, Brother Scare mixed with audio noise bursts. Not local QRN, but transmitted that way, bad feed. Once great station not only takes no pride in its programming but in its engineering (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. REE, Amigos de la Onda Corta, at new time 0605 UT Sat, instead of originally publicized 0505 UT, Feb 14 monitored on webcast. If I had been listening on SW, would have been on 5965 via CR. NOT on the frequencies mis-announced at the beginning of the show. Tho they had corrected the time from 0505 to 0605, still listed the frequencies in use at 0505, including 6055 and 3350, which are off the air after 0600! After 0630 I was listening on SW and confirmed those two were off, 6055 already occupied by Nikkei, Japan; as REE`s companion mailbag show Cartas del Oyente was starting, again with listing of all times and frequencies for it, but still with both wrong time and consequently wrong frequencies, `0530` including 3350 and 6055! Will REE ever get its act together?
Among topics on the DX program was an interview with someone from the S500 club in Valencia on the campaign to get `diexismo` and `diexista` approved as real words and entered into dixionary of the Spanish Royal Academy (DRAE). It might help if these words weren`t mimicking English pronunciation of ``DX`` --- in proper Spanish they should be spelt deequisismo, deequisista, but that isn`t going to happen.
Also their definitions as explained were SWL-oriented only, including QSLing as mandatory! I beg to differ --- one can DX in any language without QSLing, which is an optional sub-hobby; the QSL-maniax cannot imagine doing one without the other, and try to dominate or denigrate the rest of us. Ignored also were hams who use these same terms to refer to two-way contacts only.
Also monitored the Cariari relay`s behavior on Saturday morning, Feb 14: At 1552, big open carrier from 17850; 1559 both this and 15125 had sign-on message also mentioning 9765 --- 1600 is the start-time only on Saturdays. But after one-second-late timesignal, 15125 went quiet, while 17850 started programming with news. It was not until 1607 that the audio was faded up on 15125, program about opera. Meanwhile I confirmed 9765 // but just barely audible. Will REE ever get its act together? Oops, I already said that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. A split-second check of WHRI-6, 11785, Sat Feb 14 at 1551 confirmed a gospel-huxter was on instead of DXing with Cumbre. Checking the WHR online schedule I see that DWC has finally been deleted from that timing, 1530, now shown on 11785 Saturdays at 1830 UT only. So was DWC heard then? Of course not! Not even on the air! But it was on the webcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CHINA [and non]. 6030, Feb 14 at 1357 with DentroCuban Jamming Command pulsing vs. Chinese from CNR1 program // 6040 and 5030. CNR1 went off 6030 after timesignal at 1400, uncovering something weaker, presumably India, Cyprus, and/or Calgary, but the jamming continued. Commies vs Commies! The Cuban jamming is overrun against R. Martí, which closes 6030 two hours earlier! and CNR1 is axually Chinese jamming, per Aoki, against ``Ming Hui Radio 1300-1400 1234567 Chinese 100 325 Tanshui TWN`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DESECHEO. Heard the big ham DX-pedition to this tiny island in the Caribbean west of Puerto Rico on 14190-USB, Feb 14 between 1422 and 1444. During that entire period I never heard the word ``Desecheo`` mentioned once. The op there IDed only as ``K5D`` without fonetix, but he used a lot of fonetix on the stations he was calling, ICAO alfabet except S = sugar, e.g. calling an SN4- at 1428. What`s he got against sierra? I am baffled why so many hams mix up their fonetik alfabets; is this deliberate or just carelessness, or ignorance?
Among the calls logged were ON4QX at 1423, then ON4EB, 1424 ON5JV; hmm, what a coincidence, three Belgians in a row. Was this set up? Every so often, including amid these contax, K5D mentioned ``200, 220`` meaning he was listening on 14200 and 14220 (or 14200 thru 14220?); yet every so often someone would call him on 14190, which hi-traffic DX-peditions try to keep free for the DX station only.
W3LWH didn`t get it, calling periodically on 14190 at 1420, 1431, 1432, 1432, 1434; at least he made it quick with nothing but his call, and we were to assume he was really trying to contact K5D. Then at 1433 someone said ``Oscar Lima`` a few times on 14190; not sure what that meant, just spoiling? AM carriers too at times on frequency. At 1443 someone equally exasperated with W3LWH and some others interjected that K5D was ``listening up``, and ``what a zoo`` --- I agreed and had enough. A new DXCC country is safely in my log, unless I heard the last DXpedition there.
Much of the time, there was a much stronger SSB ham on the low side around 14185, so not good on the wide FRG-7; best reception on the ICF SW07, which I break out for such special occasions, as always just using the Sony loop in the south-side window. I also tried 7084 a bit earlier before 1400, but no sign of K5D there, just a strong Mexican(?) on 7087. Nor did I have any luck around 0700 on 3781 or 1843.3, other frequencies publicized for the K5D DXpedition. Also checked 18165 and 18145 at 1445, but not there either.
This Desecheo DXpedition also got me thinking about the whole deal. Just once, it would be nice if a DXpedition to a rare island promulgated some slightly different rules, such as: each contact must last at least one minute, and include: not only call, signal report, but also handle, location by town, state or country, and a factoid about that location. The DX station would do the same, especially the factoids. What`s the point of going to an exotic place and not saying anything about what it`s like, its history, obstacles overcome, etc., etc. Here`s a bit about it on their website:
http://69.89.25.185/~trexsoft/t-rexsoftware.com/desecheo/about.htm
But this would drive the DXCC crowd batty, as it would reduce the supremely important goal of racking up as many meaningless contacts as possible.
The derivation of the name of the place should be interesting. The root in Spanish refers to refuse, or throwing stuff out. This page confirms it means ``thrown away``:
http://www.dokufunk.org/amateur_radio/dxcc_entities/index.php?CID=4728&lang=EN
Another thing: at very little additional cost, such a DXpedition could also put a SW broadcast station on the air! One more transceiver, and antenna (or diplexing onto another one) could be dedicated to broadcasting prepared recorded one-way programming about the place. Preferably on AM, but we`d settle for SSB; preferably in a broadcast band (just one will suffice), or at least in a fixed band outside the ham bands. Turn it on and let it run, not interfering at all with the ham activity. This should not be a pirate, but duly authorized like the ham operation, so there is no question about counting it as an SWBC country.
In places under US jurisdixion like Desecheo, this could be accomplished with an experimental license, which would bypass all the unreasonable requirements for a regular SWBC station, like 50 kW minimum, step-by-step construction permit, program test authority, etc. Experimental licenses are routinely granted by the FCC for all kinds of stuff with some scientific or covert purpose. Dream on: tho a lot of hams are allegedly also SWLs, I bet this idea has never been seriously considered, and certainly never fulfilled (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, must be R. Africa heard at a much earlier time than usual, Sat Feb 14 at 1541, sounds like the jailed Tony Alámo with his low-key preaching; next check at 1555, a YL was on instead, talking about visiting Mali and Mozambique. I bet if I had been listening between the off-timed programs, there would not have been any ID, anyway. Unlike some other signals on 19m, this one had no flutter fading, sufficient with no QRM, rather like Morocco 15345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** HONDURAS. HRMI has been missing lately from 3340, but it was active Feb 14 at 0646 check with music, 0706 talk in Spanish; presumed ID as nothing else there and when active habitually runs late- or all-night; poor with quite a lot of fading, and frequency a smidgin on the low side. Yes: earlier in the evening Brian Alexander measured it on 3339.99 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. JSR, Shiokaze, 5910 confirmed in English again this Friday, Feb 13, at 1414 check with heavy accent talking about N Korea. No jamming or other QRM audible, but insufficient signal. Even worse 24 hours later, and not in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ROMANIA [and non]. 15235, Feb 14 at 1545 a bit surprised to hear a song in Spanish, but this turned out to be the Arabic service of RRI via Galbeni, 1547 YL speaking Arabic, 1548 song in Romanian(?), 1555 IS and off after frequency announcement. Heavy flutter. At 1605 a weaker signal from Channel Africa in French had taken over 15235 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA [and non]. Feb 13 at 0700 I was tuned to 7200, hearing R. Rossii ID and timesignal mixing with R. Bulgaria IS. Ex-Commies vs ex-Commies! The two deliberately collide since R. Rossii is Yakutsk scheduled all the way from 2000 to 1600, 100 kW non-direxional; R. Bulgaria is starting a broadcast in Spanish via Plovdiv 250 kW, 258 degrees, to Spanish Morocco and nearby countries (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 15435, BSKSA, now with a very big buzz at roughly equal level to the Arabic modulation, Feb 14 at 1543, and still at 1604. Much weaker // 15225 without buzz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. WCKY, 1530, Cincinnati OH, Feb 12 at 0641 tuneby, Brother Scare mixed with audio noise bursts. Not local QRN, but transmitted that way, bad feed. Once great station not only takes no pride in its programming but in its engineering (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. REE, Amigos de la Onda Corta, at new time 0605 UT Sat, instead of originally publicized 0505 UT, Feb 14 monitored on webcast. If I had been listening on SW, would have been on 5965 via CR. NOT on the frequencies mis-announced at the beginning of the show. Tho they had corrected the time from 0505 to 0605, still listed the frequencies in use at 0505, including 6055 and 3350, which are off the air after 0600! After 0630 I was listening on SW and confirmed those two were off, 6055 already occupied by Nikkei, Japan; as REE`s companion mailbag show Cartas del Oyente was starting, again with listing of all times and frequencies for it, but still with both wrong time and consequently wrong frequencies, `0530` including 3350 and 6055! Will REE ever get its act together?
Among topics on the DX program was an interview with someone from the S500 club in Valencia on the campaign to get `diexismo` and `diexista` approved as real words and entered into dixionary of the Spanish Royal Academy (DRAE). It might help if these words weren`t mimicking English pronunciation of ``DX`` --- in proper Spanish they should be spelt deequisismo, deequisista, but that isn`t going to happen.
Also their definitions as explained were SWL-oriented only, including QSLing as mandatory! I beg to differ --- one can DX in any language without QSLing, which is an optional sub-hobby; the QSL-maniax cannot imagine doing one without the other, and try to dominate or denigrate the rest of us. Ignored also were hams who use these same terms to refer to two-way contacts only.
Also monitored the Cariari relay`s behavior on Saturday morning, Feb 14: At 1552, big open carrier from 17850; 1559 both this and 15125 had sign-on message also mentioning 9765 --- 1600 is the start-time only on Saturdays. But after one-second-late timesignal, 15125 went quiet, while 17850 started programming with news. It was not until 1607 that the audio was faded up on 15125, program about opera. Meanwhile I confirmed 9765 // but just barely audible. Will REE ever get its act together? Oops, I already said that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. A split-second check of WHRI-6, 11785, Sat Feb 14 at 1551 confirmed a gospel-huxter was on instead of DXing with Cumbre. Checking the WHR online schedule I see that DWC has finally been deleted from that timing, 1530, now shown on 11785 Saturdays at 1830 UT only. So was DWC heard then? Of course not! Not even on the air! But it was on the webcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
