** ALBANIA. 13640, R. Tirana, Sept 2 at 2022, good signal and modulation with music, outro announcement, theme music and off at 2027:30*. Wish I had intuned at hourtop to hear the whole transmission starting with spoken material. This is the ONLY SW broadcast in English from Europe intentionally for North America at this hour, and R. Tirana deserves our support for it.
In fact, the only other English broadcast to NAm from anywhere outside NAm at this hour is the seldom-audible Kuwait on 11990; axually both Tirana and Kuwait simultaneously serve Europe as they can do from their angles, but NAm is officially targeted too (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. All my logs the last several days have been despite a high local noise level, which was especially a problem on 49m, Sept 2 at 2016, when the only signals I could detect were from the secret daytime transmission of RHC on 5965 and 6000, an echo apart from // 11760. Did not hear CFRX 6070 that I soon learned from Steve Lare had resumed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SWEDEN [non]. 11875, Sept 2 at 2001 with Horn of Africa singing, fair signal but suffering splash from much stronger DW 11865 English via Portugal. 2003 announcement in unID language and continued speaking with the self-confidence of a gospel huxter. Aoki has the answer: it`s IBRA Radio, 250 kW, 169 degrees via Rampisham UK, in the Zarma language (no wonder I didn`t recognize it), on Wed/Thu/Fri, while during the same quarter-hour on Mon/Tue it`s in Fon, Sat/Sun in Wolof. EiBi`s useful language list at
http://www.susi-und-strolch.de/eibi/readme.txt
says Zarma and Fon are spoken in West Africa, and Wolof in Senegal specifically, so HOA does not fit; perhaps I need to refine my recognition of that music, or has there been some change? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 11810, BBCWS at 2006 Sept 2 ending news and into Newshour, fair signal and another option for deprived North Americans, tho it`s 65 degrees from Ascension for Africa. But at next check, 2050, about equal mix with another station in English! Soon clearly RRI as talking about Romania in mailbag, 2052 RRI ID and Sports Club. The two are making a very slow SAH of less than 1 Hz, or could just be propagational fading. RRI off at 2057:25* after IS a few times; BBC off at 2059:35*.
Even a year ago, PWBR knew that RRI was using 11810 during this semi-hour in the A (``S``) season, so why didn`t BBC know? They probably did, but figured a half-hour collision in this two-sesquihour transmission does not matter as the target areas are widely divergent, RRI at 300 degrees for Europe, and who cares about overhearers beyond? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 11855, Sept 2 at 1949 with very undermodulated music, soon recognized as VTC`s music loop fill of guitar with accompaniment. 1952, no it`s not undermodulated, it was just buried under a strong open carrier, which just went off! The carrier came back on at 1959, revealing itself as WYFR signing on in Spanish. Then the VTC music disappeared and WYFR was alone. But checked later in the hour a Portuguese broadcast was atop WYFR. Here`s what must have been happening:
YFR has 11855 tied up, at 18-19 in Arabic via Wertachtal, scheduled at 19-20 in Yoruba via Ascension but that feed was missing so VTC put in the music fill, in effect YFR interfering with itself. At 20-02 WYFR Okeechobee itself in Spanish. The Portuguese around 2045 was BBC via Ascension again, 2030-2100 M-F only, to southern Africa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 15730, Sept 2 at 2011 with C&W song in English, so likely VOA: yes, but it`s the French to Africa service, as following announcement was in French; 100 kW, 76 degrees via São Tomé. While 2000-2030 is daily, on Sat & Sun 15730 is extended until 2100 but switching to Greenville at 2030. Meanwhile, Greenville 17895 with VOA in English to Africa, better signal at 2013 with The African Beat (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
In fact, the only other English broadcast to NAm from anywhere outside NAm at this hour is the seldom-audible Kuwait on 11990; axually both Tirana and Kuwait simultaneously serve Europe as they can do from their angles, but NAm is officially targeted too (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. All my logs the last several days have been despite a high local noise level, which was especially a problem on 49m, Sept 2 at 2016, when the only signals I could detect were from the secret daytime transmission of RHC on 5965 and 6000, an echo apart from // 11760. Did not hear CFRX 6070 that I soon learned from Steve Lare had resumed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SWEDEN [non]. 11875, Sept 2 at 2001 with Horn of Africa singing, fair signal but suffering splash from much stronger DW 11865 English via Portugal. 2003 announcement in unID language and continued speaking with the self-confidence of a gospel huxter. Aoki has the answer: it`s IBRA Radio, 250 kW, 169 degrees via Rampisham UK, in the Zarma language (no wonder I didn`t recognize it), on Wed/Thu/Fri, while during the same quarter-hour on Mon/Tue it`s in Fon, Sat/Sun in Wolof. EiBi`s useful language list at
http://www.susi-und-strolch.de/eibi/readme.txt
says Zarma and Fon are spoken in West Africa, and Wolof in Senegal specifically, so HOA does not fit; perhaps I need to refine my recognition of that music, or has there been some change? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 11810, BBCWS at 2006 Sept 2 ending news and into Newshour, fair signal and another option for deprived North Americans, tho it`s 65 degrees from Ascension for Africa. But at next check, 2050, about equal mix with another station in English! Soon clearly RRI as talking about Romania in mailbag, 2052 RRI ID and Sports Club. The two are making a very slow SAH of less than 1 Hz, or could just be propagational fading. RRI off at 2057:25* after IS a few times; BBC off at 2059:35*.
Even a year ago, PWBR knew that RRI was using 11810 during this semi-hour in the A (``S``) season, so why didn`t BBC know? They probably did, but figured a half-hour collision in this two-sesquihour transmission does not matter as the target areas are widely divergent, RRI at 300 degrees for Europe, and who cares about overhearers beyond? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 11855, Sept 2 at 1949 with very undermodulated music, soon recognized as VTC`s music loop fill of guitar with accompaniment. 1952, no it`s not undermodulated, it was just buried under a strong open carrier, which just went off! The carrier came back on at 1959, revealing itself as WYFR signing on in Spanish. Then the VTC music disappeared and WYFR was alone. But checked later in the hour a Portuguese broadcast was atop WYFR. Here`s what must have been happening:
YFR has 11855 tied up, at 18-19 in Arabic via Wertachtal, scheduled at 19-20 in Yoruba via Ascension but that feed was missing so VTC put in the music fill, in effect YFR interfering with itself. At 20-02 WYFR Okeechobee itself in Spanish. The Portuguese around 2045 was BBC via Ascension again, 2030-2100 M-F only, to southern Africa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 15730, Sept 2 at 2011 with C&W song in English, so likely VOA: yes, but it`s the French to Africa service, as following announcement was in French; 100 kW, 76 degrees via São Tomé. While 2000-2030 is daily, on Sat & Sun 15730 is extended until 2100 but switching to Greenville at 2030. Meanwhile, Greenville 17895 with VOA in English to Africa, better signal at 2013 with The African Beat (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
