** ALBANIA. R. Tirana still blocked by DentroCuban jamming against nothing(?) on 6110 between *0000 and 0100* Oct 31; see CUBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BIAFRA [non]. V. of Biafra International still on 15665 in B-09, Oct 29: 1859 WHRI sign-on, 1900 to VOBI theme music. Poor signal here with fading, heavy echo probably backscatter rather than long/short path. Fridays only 19-20. Local time change next week probably won`t affect this, but still need to reconfirm then. Or rather, reconfirm every week, as you never know what they will do next (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHAD [and non]. With a sense of foreboding, I came upon hilife music on 6165, Oct 31 at 0554, then undermodulated French announcement, clinching that RNT was on this frequency today. But I knew that RNW would soon blast Bonaire on at *0559 in Dutch, and so it did. In the meantime, a second weak signal became audible at 0558, no doubt Croatia which is scheduled to start at 0600 too. Wow, three continents in three minutes on one frequency! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake Oct 31: at 1258, nothing on 8400, JBA on 9000; 1312, poor with flutter on 10210; but at 1353, fair on both 8400 and 9000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. Trying to track down Radio República, Oct 30: at 2300 found heavy jamming on 9810, a frequency they have used before, but nothing audible under the jamming, nor at 2357. Kept checking periodically, and at 0058 Oct 31, the Radio República ID and theme music was audible briefly over the jamming, both still going past 0101. By 0223 it was again jamming only to be heard. So it looks like República is on 9810 at least from 23 to 02, possibly all the way to 0400, their previous span. Lately they have been on only one frequency at a time, but not necessarily.
There is also heavy DentroCuban jamming noise on 6110. No jamming at first check 2300 Oct 30, but it started at 2359 just as R. Tirana was about to open Albanian sesquihoiur to NAm with weak signal, and jamming quickly built up force, ruining Tirana reception. Nothing else audible during following hour, and jamming completely off at 0100, clearing frequency for Tirana.
Possibly there is something else on 6110 really `needing` jamming by the Cubans, but more likely they are totally confused, jamming a former frequency of VOA Spanish an hour later than they were using it in A-09.
The VOA Spanish hour is now 23-24 on 5890, 5940 and 9885, so checked those for jamming Oct 30 shortly after 2300: 5890 heavily jammed tho VOA is strong too, but no jamming audible on 5940 or 9885. By the end of the hour at 2357, jamming had overtaken VOA on 5890. The other two VOA signals had weakened, but still could not hear any jamming on them.
Just after 2300, there was the usual lite residual/standby jamming pulsing on 9545, where it is often to be heard far beyond the hours República ever used the frequency. At 0005 Oct 31, jamming on 9545 was heavier, roughly equal to that on 9810 and against Martí on 9565, 9825. Now is RR 9810 via Sackville, or UK???
Since RHC runs 11760 22 hours a day (and the same transmitter elsewhere during the break), it`s logical to assume that the two dozen spurs around it will also be heard at many times other than when I am usually monitoring in the local mornings. And so they are. Oct 31 at 0006 UT I measure -1 circa 11708.4 but don`t take time to search out all the rest, which are certainly outgoing. How many make it depends entirely on how well propagation is holding up on that band from Cuba. At 0224 it and its +1 mate circa 11811.6 are audible but poorly.
Next check at 0547 propagation is excellent from Cuba with +1 on about 11811.9, the whines almost every 52 kHz up and down the band, as far as 12382.8 and 11137.2 (computed, not measured exactly), i.e. 12 steps each. Not just the whine, but audio audible as far as on +11, 12330.9, unusual. Keep fingers crossed that one does not land on Radio Saint Helena`s frequency,
I find it strange that no one else seems to be reporting these multiple spurs, altho there have been a few logs of RHC around 11710 as if that were an intentional frequency. Apparently people skip past and just ignore the extra noise out of Cuba. Don`t take it lying down, raise hell about it, if you care about shortwave.
With all its transmitters, RHC can spare only one for English to NAm during prime time, 01-05 on 6000, as noted Oct 31 at 0219 with poor signal; while Spanish was on 5965, 6060(best), 6120(vs Iran), 6140, plus 9600, 11760 and its 24 spurs.
5-digit Spanish YL spy numbers on 5762.5, Oct 31 at 0221, only fair signal. Seemed to be USB + LSB but with carrier reduced, an odd mode.
Another spur check around 11760 at 1303 Oct 31, found them as low as 11453 and as high as 12275, approximately. More precisely at 1324 estimated the first ones at 11708.3 and 11811.7.
At 1309, RHC 13680 and 13760 were normal, but 13780 just a big open carrier. They could not modulate it, but kept it on as the fulcrum to make 13680 leap over to 13880, clearly audible mixing product. At 1334 found weak 15360 also unmodulated unlike strong 15120; and at 1401, 13780 was still OC only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT. R. Cairo, English to NAm on unexpected 6270, Oct 31 at 0212, explaining a bit o` Qur`an in English, then recitation in Arabic. Roughly same signal level as Arabic service on 6290, lower modulation on 6270 but sufficient. Until, that is, the news which followed, checked at 0217 when the YL caster was hard to make out. 6270 is the same frequency used for English to Europe at 2115-2245, so we wondered it if was a mistake at 0200-0330. Perhaps not, once they realized winter nitepath MUF would not hold up to 7540, originally planned to continue from A-09 usage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** HUNGARY. Altho English has long since been banished, Radio Budapest holds on for dear life, with one hour in Hungarian still on the air to NAm, 0200-0300 on 6100. Fair signal at 0216 Oct 31, considerably weaker a semihour later. There had been signs in previous seasons that MR would switch to an external relay site, but this is still registered as JBR in Hungary itself (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. AIR National Channel, 9425 via Bengaluru, Oct 31 opening at 1318 good with IS and Vande Mataram, so where is the Aligarh 9470 blob today? Just above, centered about 9440 with // audio, but a lot weaker. At 1356, 9425 had some quick audio dropouts during music, how annoying; by then just some noise on 9440 and could not be sure it was still the blob; however, the DRM from Irkutsk on 9440-9445-9450 got out of the area in B-09. Recheck at 1431, 9425 had news in English by YL starting with US relations, 1435 back to Hindi. Meanwhile the VBS on 9870 from before 1318 had stronger signal with music and commercials (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRAN [and non]. They sure know how to pick `em at VIRI! Both English frequencies of `V of Justice` to NAm in B-09 are under collisions, 7250 and 6120 at 0130-0230. Oct 31 at 0102 I find VOR WS in English on 7250, somewhat weaker than // Moldova 6240. 7250 is `Armavir` site all evening USward, so why in the world did Iran pick that? Yes, at 0214 check, VORWS is atop Iran with SAH, and 6120 is of course under Cuba, which as an outlaw nation refuses to participate in HFCC, so the Iranians could claim not to know about their usage of 6120, but what good does that do? Somebody, move! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ISRAEL. Galei Zahal, Oct 31 at 1326, poor with music measured on 15786.8, nothing to het yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO [and non]. XEPPM, Radio Educación with 10 kW on 6185, is still getting blown away by Brasília with 250 kW whenever the latter is on. Oct 31 at 0102, RNA was way atop the XE, ditto at 0218 check. Not sure what the current span of RNA is, but Aoki shows it 0700-0300, 250 kW at 344 degrees, plenty close to USward and Mexicoward, altho on the wrong frequency, 6180 where RNA used to shift occasionally. I wish they would again and stay there, as XEPPM is incapable of coping with this itself. Then by 0300, Vatican Radio is taking over the frequency, leaving essentially zero QRM-free time in the evening for XEPPM.
At 0601 Oct 31 I tuned to 6185 again and found an open carrier, then XEPPM joining the national anthem in progress. This was probably a late switch from the SW programming to become // MW. Now it was making a rippling SAH with Vatican which fortunately this date was relatively weak. Live DJ gave ID for 1060 only (is he even aware SW is still on??), from the ``cabina Vasconcelos`` (name of the studio) in Colonia del Valle (neighborhood location), sending out abrazos to listeners called ``educaditos`` (or was it educativos?), asserting that station transmits 24/365, then into album ``Siempre Son``. With lack of minute-by-minute program schedules any more, I am beginning to think it`s just free-form after midnight (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI, 6170, Oct 31 at 1346 with island music, and no co-channel from Russia audible. Ron Howard found that missing yesterday, but back today before 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. The station hijacked from Atoka to `Catoosa` OK, axually closer to Sperry in the woods on the N side of Tulsa, and moved to 1120 in order to free 1110 to cram yet another AM station into The Metroplex, and now pending a large power increase for that --- had not been heard since March. I have been checking 1120 every day or two, whenever I`m in the car in the daytime, with a handy preset (must not call them pushbuttons any more).
Never heard until Oct 30 at 2014 UT, same music-only fill format as before, pauses between cuts, from CD player at site? Never any announcements, and no legal ID in a few minutes either side of hourtops I made sure to monitor around 2100 and 2200 UT.
By 2200 heavy SAH of about 4 Hz from KMOX, which is gaining the upper hand. KEOR should go off NLT LSS, who knows? Which will change on November 1, of course. FCC data for this 2 kW daytimer
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/srsstime?dlat=36&mlat=18&slat=31.00&dlon=95&mlon=58&slon=25.00&tzone=B
shows Oct SR/SS is 1230-2345 UT;
November SR/SS is 1300-2315 UT
I assume they are back on the air just to keep the license active, so may not last long. Unless they have a new buyer they are warming up for. Last transfer approved at
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1290309
was to the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa as of 3/17/09, but as we found out from Bruce Winkelman a couple months later, that deal fell thru:
http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld9044.txt
The next morning, Oct 31, Bruce heard 1120 IDing as "Hot 13-40 The Groove" at 1414 UT. Playing non-stop R&B/UC music. He says, A "google" shows 1340 KJMU Sand Springs OK uses that slogan. Perhaps a clue to new owner? Not // 1340 KJMU at 1430 tho (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. Late nights and early mornings I often step thru the UHF band on analog TV to see if anything is left besides my local KXOK-32. Nothing seen lately until Oct 31 around 1515 UT when the LPTVs in OKC and/or Stillwater still did come thru on channels 17, 19, and 21, but gone at next check a semihour later after some minor area tropo offburned as a frigid morning was warming up fast (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL. Only on weekends can we depend on a good signal from RDPI to NAm on 15560: Sat Oct 31 at 1335 strong enough to audiblize a lite whine of slightly varying pitch, like we hear on certain other transmitters such as WWCR, WEWN. Lo fi interview on phone, 1338 song by Antônio Braga with guitar, drums, refrain ``todo o mundo é composto de mudanças``, but not sure of that last word.
Then at 1412 found RDPI also on // 17590, show seems named ``Hotel Internacional`` as mentioned a few times, but squashed by the sideband of powerful REE on 17595. Portugal and Spain are inextricably nestled together in Iberia, but that doesn`t mean they have to land 5 kHz apart on the 16m band with plenty of open space! 17590 is aimed 144 degrees from Lisbon, and supposedly on the air every day except Saturday per HFCC, but this *was* Saturday! More accurate schedule in DXLD 9-077 shows 17590 is Sat and Sun only, to Africa, i.e. Mozambiqueward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ROMANIA [and non]. Only on Saturday mornings is REE Costa Rica taking a break from 15170 (why?), allowing RRI to come thru unscathed in the 13-15 Romanian broadcast to Europe, 290 degrees from Galbeni, so also USward. If only it were still English. At 1313 Oct 31 I found it odd to hear Romanian being spoken with an Italian accent, but apropos, as they were talking about spaghetti and other peninsular cuisine (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. 6075, Radio Rossii, Petropavlovsk/Kamchatsky, Oct 31 at 1348, baroque music would have been nice were it not for the motorboating carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SERBIA [non]. IRS still missing from scheduled 6190 for NAm at 01-02, instead very poor signal detectable on prolonged A-09 channel 9675, UT Sat Oct 31 at 0102. Listen for English at 0130 except UT Sundays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SLOVAKIA. RSI, 7230, at 0104 Oct 31 with Slovakia Today, doing fairly well on their only NAm frequency as // 9440 is 245 degrees for SAm, CIRAF zones 13-15. But 7230 is an illegal channel in the exclusive 40m hamband thruout the Western Hemisphere, so hams are free to QRM it however they wish. The Slovax blatantly register 7230 for zones 7-10, 150 kW at 305 degrees, not even pretending like the Croatians did when they were using 40m via Germany, that it is for Iceland! And this is the only English broadcast to NAm from RSI, for which we must still be grateful, but it should be outside the hamband. Where are ARRL`s intruder-watchers? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also IRAN
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Not having copied accurately WWCR`s surprise announcement about switching from PMS to BS the day before, I was all set Saturday Oct 31 at 1359 on 13845: they said WWCR-2 carries The Overcomer Ministry Mon-Sat 7 am-1 pm Central = 12-18 UT, Sunday 7 am-noon = 12-17 UT. Of course it`s still wrong, as this was really happening two hours later, and at 1400 sharp, switching to the BS feed. Unless updated, it will become even more wrong Nov 1 with the one-hour timeshift in all programming post-DST (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA for more on WWCR
** TAIWAN. RTI 9735 Japanese service Oct 30 was very distorted, so how is it Oct 31? At 1322, good modulation but splattering just a tad above and below. Certainly an ailing unreliable transmitter like others upon Taiwan; even RA found itself off-frequency tnx to Taiwan`s relay circa 11550 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. VOT English on 15300, Oct 31 at 1329 with IS barely audible under RFI French making a fast SAH with it, contrary to VOT Turkish music with VG signal on clear 15350; not surprising, judging from relative azimuths (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Checking WWCR-2, 13845, Oct 31 at 1310, had fair signal from Pastor Melissa Scott, but co-channel QRM which as noted before could only be BBC Thailand in Kyrgyz; At 1357 some HF sporadic E had kicked in to push the WWCR signal up to a very good level, such that the squeal on the transmitter became audible. Asserted ``you are watching the University Network``, which as an SWL I always find offensive. 1-800 number, and // 11775 Anguilla. I was standing by for the transition to Brother Scare: see SOUTH CAROLINA [non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. Looking over WRMI`s latest schedule grid as of November 1, which is available in the archives of the DXLD yg, I compute only 4 hours and 15 minutes out of the 168 hours in a week that WRMI is currently carrying Cuban exile programming in Spanish. And it is all on Saturday and Sunday evenings. No more large blocks of Radio República or Radio Cuba Libre, nor have there been for months.
Yet there is extensive, altho not continuous DentroCuban jamming of 9955, every day, making it difficult to hear most of the English and other Spanish programming which has nothing to do with Cuba. Let that be a lesson: you will be punished if you ever get involved with FueraCuban broadcasting! Complaints should be directed to Arnie Coro, a `false friend` and meanwhile you might want to tell him you are boycotting RHC not only because of all the jamming, but all the spurs they put out, lately polluting the entire 25 meter band and beyond.
Back to WRMI. When on the NW antenna, and the MUF holds up, 9955 can still arrive excellently with or without jamming. Such was the case, S9+22, UT Sat Oct 31 at 0551 toward the end of La Rosa de Tokio, playing a clip of Yemen 9780. At 1300 Saturday, about equal to jamming level with repeat of PCJ Media`s special on Faith the Dog, or rather ``The Faith Train`` instead of scheduled Wavescan and World of Radio which we hope will be back next week at timeshifted 1400 and 1430. PCJ had gained a bit over the jamming at wrapup time 1354, then WRMI QSL offer, 1400 Prague relay, 1430 Zion Fellowship, still jammed. 1500 DX Partyline doing better vs jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA [and non]
** U S A. WRNO seems drifting further off 7505.0 --- Oct 31 at 0225 by counting the 40-Hz clix on the DX-398 fine tuning, we came to their carrier on 7505.5 or so. Still no sign of expanded schedule beyond 0200-0500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WEWN, 7555, Oct 31 at 1255 in Spanish announced that frequency was about to close, to be on 11550 and 12050 next hour. However, at 1307 nothing audible on 12050, tho 11550 was strong with kidsongs in Spanish plus SAH from something under. Must be R. Sweden aimed east this semihour only as scheduled; Taiwan transmitter produces an audible heterodyne later in the morning (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. VOA Korean service, Oct 31 at 1349 on 7235 startled me with a stereo effect on my mono headphones, then found it to be underneath open carrier with tone tests on and off, fast SAH. At 1400 this 12-15 transmission is supposed to switch from IBB TINIAN to TINANG, Philippines site, so maybe that explains it, but why QRM itself? Just ask the guys in Greenville and Botswana, who in B-09 no longer have to cope with a VOA English handover at 1430 on 17585. Then checked the other VOA Korean outlets: 5890 which is Tinian thruout, was running a couple seconds behind 7235, and 9555, which switched from Saipan to Tinang at 1300, was a couple sex ahead of 7235.
On 9360, Oct 31 at 1437 wailing YL with rock song in English, S9+18, whence? Answer at 1441, Indonesian announcement. Cut off air at 1459:30 during some Michael Jackson, uncovering JBA IS from Radio Sweden. At 14-15 Fri/Sat/Sun only on 9360 it is VOA Indonesian, supposedly only the old 50 kW transmitter in Philippines aimed 220 degrees, VG here for that. R. Sweden is starting a Swedish broadcast, 125 degrees from Hörby plus English at 1530 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Circa 7259, ratchety noise, sounds like somebody`s spur, Oct 31 at 0235, but could not find a match above or below. It was bothering a weak signal on 7260, presumably VOR to Latin America as scheduled from Moscow site, but I don`t think it was coming from that transmitter; could evade it by offtuning upward. Could be just some deliberate QRhaM against the Russian intruder (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15390 with strong open carrier, Oct 31 until 1330* Likely Greenville testing prior to usage much later for Creole, but why do they keep doing this? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** BIAFRA [non]. V. of Biafra International still on 15665 in B-09, Oct 29: 1859 WHRI sign-on, 1900 to VOBI theme music. Poor signal here with fading, heavy echo probably backscatter rather than long/short path. Fridays only 19-20. Local time change next week probably won`t affect this, but still need to reconfirm then. Or rather, reconfirm every week, as you never know what they will do next (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHAD [and non]. With a sense of foreboding, I came upon hilife music on 6165, Oct 31 at 0554, then undermodulated French announcement, clinching that RNT was on this frequency today. But I knew that RNW would soon blast Bonaire on at *0559 in Dutch, and so it did. In the meantime, a second weak signal became audible at 0558, no doubt Croatia which is scheduled to start at 0600 too. Wow, three continents in three minutes on one frequency! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake Oct 31: at 1258, nothing on 8400, JBA on 9000; 1312, poor with flutter on 10210; but at 1353, fair on both 8400 and 9000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. Trying to track down Radio República, Oct 30: at 2300 found heavy jamming on 9810, a frequency they have used before, but nothing audible under the jamming, nor at 2357. Kept checking periodically, and at 0058 Oct 31, the Radio República ID and theme music was audible briefly over the jamming, both still going past 0101. By 0223 it was again jamming only to be heard. So it looks like República is on 9810 at least from 23 to 02, possibly all the way to 0400, their previous span. Lately they have been on only one frequency at a time, but not necessarily.
There is also heavy DentroCuban jamming noise on 6110. No jamming at first check 2300 Oct 30, but it started at 2359 just as R. Tirana was about to open Albanian sesquihoiur to NAm with weak signal, and jamming quickly built up force, ruining Tirana reception. Nothing else audible during following hour, and jamming completely off at 0100, clearing frequency for Tirana.
Possibly there is something else on 6110 really `needing` jamming by the Cubans, but more likely they are totally confused, jamming a former frequency of VOA Spanish an hour later than they were using it in A-09.
The VOA Spanish hour is now 23-24 on 5890, 5940 and 9885, so checked those for jamming Oct 30 shortly after 2300: 5890 heavily jammed tho VOA is strong too, but no jamming audible on 5940 or 9885. By the end of the hour at 2357, jamming had overtaken VOA on 5890. The other two VOA signals had weakened, but still could not hear any jamming on them.
Just after 2300, there was the usual lite residual/standby jamming pulsing on 9545, where it is often to be heard far beyond the hours República ever used the frequency. At 0005 Oct 31, jamming on 9545 was heavier, roughly equal to that on 9810 and against Martí on 9565, 9825. Now is RR 9810 via Sackville, or UK???
Since RHC runs 11760 22 hours a day (and the same transmitter elsewhere during the break), it`s logical to assume that the two dozen spurs around it will also be heard at many times other than when I am usually monitoring in the local mornings. And so they are. Oct 31 at 0006 UT I measure -1 circa 11708.4 but don`t take time to search out all the rest, which are certainly outgoing. How many make it depends entirely on how well propagation is holding up on that band from Cuba. At 0224 it and its +1 mate circa 11811.6 are audible but poorly.
Next check at 0547 propagation is excellent from Cuba with +1 on about 11811.9, the whines almost every 52 kHz up and down the band, as far as 12382.8 and 11137.2 (computed, not measured exactly), i.e. 12 steps each. Not just the whine, but audio audible as far as on +11, 12330.9, unusual. Keep fingers crossed that one does not land on Radio Saint Helena`s frequency,
I find it strange that no one else seems to be reporting these multiple spurs, altho there have been a few logs of RHC around 11710 as if that were an intentional frequency. Apparently people skip past and just ignore the extra noise out of Cuba. Don`t take it lying down, raise hell about it, if you care about shortwave.
With all its transmitters, RHC can spare only one for English to NAm during prime time, 01-05 on 6000, as noted Oct 31 at 0219 with poor signal; while Spanish was on 5965, 6060(best), 6120(vs Iran), 6140, plus 9600, 11760 and its 24 spurs.
5-digit Spanish YL spy numbers on 5762.5, Oct 31 at 0221, only fair signal. Seemed to be USB + LSB but with carrier reduced, an odd mode.
Another spur check around 11760 at 1303 Oct 31, found them as low as 11453 and as high as 12275, approximately. More precisely at 1324 estimated the first ones at 11708.3 and 11811.7.
At 1309, RHC 13680 and 13760 were normal, but 13780 just a big open carrier. They could not modulate it, but kept it on as the fulcrum to make 13680 leap over to 13880, clearly audible mixing product. At 1334 found weak 15360 also unmodulated unlike strong 15120; and at 1401, 13780 was still OC only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT. R. Cairo, English to NAm on unexpected 6270, Oct 31 at 0212, explaining a bit o` Qur`an in English, then recitation in Arabic. Roughly same signal level as Arabic service on 6290, lower modulation on 6270 but sufficient. Until, that is, the news which followed, checked at 0217 when the YL caster was hard to make out. 6270 is the same frequency used for English to Europe at 2115-2245, so we wondered it if was a mistake at 0200-0330. Perhaps not, once they realized winter nitepath MUF would not hold up to 7540, originally planned to continue from A-09 usage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** HUNGARY. Altho English has long since been banished, Radio Budapest holds on for dear life, with one hour in Hungarian still on the air to NAm, 0200-0300 on 6100. Fair signal at 0216 Oct 31, considerably weaker a semihour later. There had been signs in previous seasons that MR would switch to an external relay site, but this is still registered as JBR in Hungary itself (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. AIR National Channel, 9425 via Bengaluru, Oct 31 opening at 1318 good with IS and Vande Mataram, so where is the Aligarh 9470 blob today? Just above, centered about 9440 with // audio, but a lot weaker. At 1356, 9425 had some quick audio dropouts during music, how annoying; by then just some noise on 9440 and could not be sure it was still the blob; however, the DRM from Irkutsk on 9440-9445-9450 got out of the area in B-09. Recheck at 1431, 9425 had news in English by YL starting with US relations, 1435 back to Hindi. Meanwhile the VBS on 9870 from before 1318 had stronger signal with music and commercials (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRAN [and non]. They sure know how to pick `em at VIRI! Both English frequencies of `V of Justice` to NAm in B-09 are under collisions, 7250 and 6120 at 0130-0230. Oct 31 at 0102 I find VOR WS in English on 7250, somewhat weaker than // Moldova 6240. 7250 is `Armavir` site all evening USward, so why in the world did Iran pick that? Yes, at 0214 check, VORWS is atop Iran with SAH, and 6120 is of course under Cuba, which as an outlaw nation refuses to participate in HFCC, so the Iranians could claim not to know about their usage of 6120, but what good does that do? Somebody, move! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ISRAEL. Galei Zahal, Oct 31 at 1326, poor with music measured on 15786.8, nothing to het yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO [and non]. XEPPM, Radio Educación with 10 kW on 6185, is still getting blown away by Brasília with 250 kW whenever the latter is on. Oct 31 at 0102, RNA was way atop the XE, ditto at 0218 check. Not sure what the current span of RNA is, but Aoki shows it 0700-0300, 250 kW at 344 degrees, plenty close to USward and Mexicoward, altho on the wrong frequency, 6180 where RNA used to shift occasionally. I wish they would again and stay there, as XEPPM is incapable of coping with this itself. Then by 0300, Vatican Radio is taking over the frequency, leaving essentially zero QRM-free time in the evening for XEPPM.
At 0601 Oct 31 I tuned to 6185 again and found an open carrier, then XEPPM joining the national anthem in progress. This was probably a late switch from the SW programming to become // MW. Now it was making a rippling SAH with Vatican which fortunately this date was relatively weak. Live DJ gave ID for 1060 only (is he even aware SW is still on??), from the ``cabina Vasconcelos`` (name of the studio) in Colonia del Valle (neighborhood location), sending out abrazos to listeners called ``educaditos`` (or was it educativos?), asserting that station transmits 24/365, then into album ``Siempre Son``. With lack of minute-by-minute program schedules any more, I am beginning to think it`s just free-form after midnight (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI, 6170, Oct 31 at 1346 with island music, and no co-channel from Russia audible. Ron Howard found that missing yesterday, but back today before 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. The station hijacked from Atoka to `Catoosa` OK, axually closer to Sperry in the woods on the N side of Tulsa, and moved to 1120 in order to free 1110 to cram yet another AM station into The Metroplex, and now pending a large power increase for that --- had not been heard since March. I have been checking 1120 every day or two, whenever I`m in the car in the daytime, with a handy preset (must not call them pushbuttons any more).
Never heard until Oct 30 at 2014 UT, same music-only fill format as before, pauses between cuts, from CD player at site? Never any announcements, and no legal ID in a few minutes either side of hourtops I made sure to monitor around 2100 and 2200 UT.
By 2200 heavy SAH of about 4 Hz from KMOX, which is gaining the upper hand. KEOR should go off NLT LSS, who knows? Which will change on November 1, of course. FCC data for this 2 kW daytimer
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/srsstime?dlat=36&mlat=18&slat=31.00&dlon=95&mlon=58&slon=25.00&tzone=B
shows Oct SR/SS is 1230-2345 UT;
November SR/SS is 1300-2315 UT
I assume they are back on the air just to keep the license active, so may not last long. Unless they have a new buyer they are warming up for. Last transfer approved at
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1290309
was to the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa as of 3/17/09, but as we found out from Bruce Winkelman a couple months later, that deal fell thru:
http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld9044.txt
The next morning, Oct 31, Bruce heard 1120 IDing as "Hot 13-40 The Groove" at 1414 UT. Playing non-stop R&B/UC music. He says, A "google" shows 1340 KJMU Sand Springs OK uses that slogan. Perhaps a clue to new owner? Not // 1340 KJMU at 1430 tho (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. Late nights and early mornings I often step thru the UHF band on analog TV to see if anything is left besides my local KXOK-32. Nothing seen lately until Oct 31 around 1515 UT when the LPTVs in OKC and/or Stillwater still did come thru on channels 17, 19, and 21, but gone at next check a semihour later after some minor area tropo offburned as a frigid morning was warming up fast (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL. Only on weekends can we depend on a good signal from RDPI to NAm on 15560: Sat Oct 31 at 1335 strong enough to audiblize a lite whine of slightly varying pitch, like we hear on certain other transmitters such as WWCR, WEWN. Lo fi interview on phone, 1338 song by Antônio Braga with guitar, drums, refrain ``todo o mundo é composto de mudanças``, but not sure of that last word.
Then at 1412 found RDPI also on // 17590, show seems named ``Hotel Internacional`` as mentioned a few times, but squashed by the sideband of powerful REE on 17595. Portugal and Spain are inextricably nestled together in Iberia, but that doesn`t mean they have to land 5 kHz apart on the 16m band with plenty of open space! 17590 is aimed 144 degrees from Lisbon, and supposedly on the air every day except Saturday per HFCC, but this *was* Saturday! More accurate schedule in DXLD 9-077 shows 17590 is Sat and Sun only, to Africa, i.e. Mozambiqueward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ROMANIA [and non]. Only on Saturday mornings is REE Costa Rica taking a break from 15170 (why?), allowing RRI to come thru unscathed in the 13-15 Romanian broadcast to Europe, 290 degrees from Galbeni, so also USward. If only it were still English. At 1313 Oct 31 I found it odd to hear Romanian being spoken with an Italian accent, but apropos, as they were talking about spaghetti and other peninsular cuisine (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. 6075, Radio Rossii, Petropavlovsk/Kamchatsky, Oct 31 at 1348, baroque music would have been nice were it not for the motorboating carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SERBIA [non]. IRS still missing from scheduled 6190 for NAm at 01-02, instead very poor signal detectable on prolonged A-09 channel 9675, UT Sat Oct 31 at 0102. Listen for English at 0130 except UT Sundays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SLOVAKIA. RSI, 7230, at 0104 Oct 31 with Slovakia Today, doing fairly well on their only NAm frequency as // 9440 is 245 degrees for SAm, CIRAF zones 13-15. But 7230 is an illegal channel in the exclusive 40m hamband thruout the Western Hemisphere, so hams are free to QRM it however they wish. The Slovax blatantly register 7230 for zones 7-10, 150 kW at 305 degrees, not even pretending like the Croatians did when they were using 40m via Germany, that it is for Iceland! And this is the only English broadcast to NAm from RSI, for which we must still be grateful, but it should be outside the hamband. Where are ARRL`s intruder-watchers? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also IRAN
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Not having copied accurately WWCR`s surprise announcement about switching from PMS to BS the day before, I was all set Saturday Oct 31 at 1359 on 13845: they said WWCR-2 carries The Overcomer Ministry Mon-Sat 7 am-1 pm Central = 12-18 UT, Sunday 7 am-noon = 12-17 UT. Of course it`s still wrong, as this was really happening two hours later, and at 1400 sharp, switching to the BS feed. Unless updated, it will become even more wrong Nov 1 with the one-hour timeshift in all programming post-DST (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA for more on WWCR
** TAIWAN. RTI 9735 Japanese service Oct 30 was very distorted, so how is it Oct 31? At 1322, good modulation but splattering just a tad above and below. Certainly an ailing unreliable transmitter like others upon Taiwan; even RA found itself off-frequency tnx to Taiwan`s relay circa 11550 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. VOT English on 15300, Oct 31 at 1329 with IS barely audible under RFI French making a fast SAH with it, contrary to VOT Turkish music with VG signal on clear 15350; not surprising, judging from relative azimuths (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Checking WWCR-2, 13845, Oct 31 at 1310, had fair signal from Pastor Melissa Scott, but co-channel QRM which as noted before could only be BBC Thailand in Kyrgyz; At 1357 some HF sporadic E had kicked in to push the WWCR signal up to a very good level, such that the squeal on the transmitter became audible. Asserted ``you are watching the University Network``, which as an SWL I always find offensive. 1-800 number, and // 11775 Anguilla. I was standing by for the transition to Brother Scare: see SOUTH CAROLINA [non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. Looking over WRMI`s latest schedule grid as of November 1, which is available in the archives of the DXLD yg, I compute only 4 hours and 15 minutes out of the 168 hours in a week that WRMI is currently carrying Cuban exile programming in Spanish. And it is all on Saturday and Sunday evenings. No more large blocks of Radio República or Radio Cuba Libre, nor have there been for months.
Yet there is extensive, altho not continuous DentroCuban jamming of 9955, every day, making it difficult to hear most of the English and other Spanish programming which has nothing to do with Cuba. Let that be a lesson: you will be punished if you ever get involved with FueraCuban broadcasting! Complaints should be directed to Arnie Coro, a `false friend` and meanwhile you might want to tell him you are boycotting RHC not only because of all the jamming, but all the spurs they put out, lately polluting the entire 25 meter band and beyond.
Back to WRMI. When on the NW antenna, and the MUF holds up, 9955 can still arrive excellently with or without jamming. Such was the case, S9+22, UT Sat Oct 31 at 0551 toward the end of La Rosa de Tokio, playing a clip of Yemen 9780. At 1300 Saturday, about equal to jamming level with repeat of PCJ Media`s special on Faith the Dog, or rather ``The Faith Train`` instead of scheduled Wavescan and World of Radio which we hope will be back next week at timeshifted 1400 and 1430. PCJ had gained a bit over the jamming at wrapup time 1354, then WRMI QSL offer, 1400 Prague relay, 1430 Zion Fellowship, still jammed. 1500 DX Partyline doing better vs jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA [and non]
** U S A. WRNO seems drifting further off 7505.0 --- Oct 31 at 0225 by counting the 40-Hz clix on the DX-398 fine tuning, we came to their carrier on 7505.5 or so. Still no sign of expanded schedule beyond 0200-0500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WEWN, 7555, Oct 31 at 1255 in Spanish announced that frequency was about to close, to be on 11550 and 12050 next hour. However, at 1307 nothing audible on 12050, tho 11550 was strong with kidsongs in Spanish plus SAH from something under. Must be R. Sweden aimed east this semihour only as scheduled; Taiwan transmitter produces an audible heterodyne later in the morning (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. VOA Korean service, Oct 31 at 1349 on 7235 startled me with a stereo effect on my mono headphones, then found it to be underneath open carrier with tone tests on and off, fast SAH. At 1400 this 12-15 transmission is supposed to switch from IBB TINIAN to TINANG, Philippines site, so maybe that explains it, but why QRM itself? Just ask the guys in Greenville and Botswana, who in B-09 no longer have to cope with a VOA English handover at 1430 on 17585. Then checked the other VOA Korean outlets: 5890 which is Tinian thruout, was running a couple seconds behind 7235, and 9555, which switched from Saipan to Tinang at 1300, was a couple sex ahead of 7235.
On 9360, Oct 31 at 1437 wailing YL with rock song in English, S9+18, whence? Answer at 1441, Indonesian announcement. Cut off air at 1459:30 during some Michael Jackson, uncovering JBA IS from Radio Sweden. At 14-15 Fri/Sat/Sun only on 9360 it is VOA Indonesian, supposedly only the old 50 kW transmitter in Philippines aimed 220 degrees, VG here for that. R. Sweden is starting a Swedish broadcast, 125 degrees from Hörby plus English at 1530 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Circa 7259, ratchety noise, sounds like somebody`s spur, Oct 31 at 0235, but could not find a match above or below. It was bothering a weak signal on 7260, presumably VOR to Latin America as scheduled from Moscow site, but I don`t think it was coming from that transmitter; could evade it by offtuning upward. Could be just some deliberate QRhaM against the Russian intruder (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15390 with strong open carrier, Oct 31 until 1330* Likely Greenville testing prior to usage much later for Creole, but why do they keep doing this? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
