venerdì 27 novembre 2009

Glenn Hauser logs November 26, 2009 part II

** ALBANIA [and non]. R. Tirana English at 1945 check Nov 26: about equal signals on 11635 and 7465, both in clear but undermodulated, 1947 news. The next English at 2100: Klara Ruci finishing standard 2-minute opening reciting entire English transmission schedule until 2102, then OM with news: 7430 clear but undermodulated, while // 9895 was sinking into the noise level, exacerbated by overload from PPP on WWCR 9980. I assume in Laporte it`s the same way and he is proud of all the trouble he causes (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ANTARCTICA [non]. Is LRA36 off the air again from 15476? The last report I have seen of it was Oct 29 heard in Brasil, as in DXLD 9-079, and it`s been even longer since Maurits Van Driessche in Belgium has reported it in BDX, mid-September? But he`s mainly into MW. I strained to detect even a carrier, Nov 26 at 1937, but nothing; nor 15345 from Bs As, so anyway, propagation not favorable (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake Nov 26 at 1412: about equally fair on 8400, 9000, 10210. Not heard on 11300, where we heard it months ago, despite being on an important aero comms frequency, which was again being reported by UDXF monitors Nov 25-26 around 2320-2430, -1004, 1420, tho they didn`t know what it was. Don`t blame us, the ChiCom will say --- we just jam Sound of Hope wherever it appears. Yeah, right (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. 9355 with a deep mix of YFR and Chinese, Nov 26 at 1954, first the YFR IS mixing with ads(?) in hyper Mandarin, then a bit of classical music. 1959 YFR introducing Romanian hour, and tried to make out the Chinese ID, but no go.

Since this is the same frequency where WYFR has previously been heard mixing two of its own programs in the 06-07+ UT period, Italian/English and Portuguese/Spanish, first suspicion was that RTI programming via WYFR had suffered the same fate. No SAH, as signals were zero-beat as far as I could tell, also making them seem from one transmitter, like the WBCQ case on 15420, see USA.

At 2029, still the mix but Chinese definitely on top, more so than earlier, a clue that it`s not all from one transmitter. At 2057 tried again to unravel this. Chinese even more atop, and very slight fading which could be slight difference in frequency, or propagational.

At 2100, 5+1 timesignal and clear ID we abbreviate as ``CJKT``, or ``ZRGD`` if you prefer, so it`s CNR1, and thus separate from Okeechobee! So strong and steady, could it be via Sackville? No, it`s another of their damn jammers, as the only Mandarin really scheduled on 9355 at 17-22 is RFA via Saipan at 300 degrees, of which nothing at all was audible here, unlike, we can only hope, in xenophobic China, where any words at all from its largest co-dependent trading partner must be blocked from the delicate ears of the people (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 11600, there it is again, heavy DentroCuban jamming noise against nothing detectable at 2033 Nov 26. I am rather sure it was not there earlier in the hour when I tuned by the frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LIBYA. 11965, Nov 26 at 1944 hilife music, // 11860, undermodulated, 1948 talk in presumed Hausa as B-09 scheduled from V. of Africa, instead of 11995 where we heard it well into November in prolonged A-09 schedule usage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. RNW can`t afford one frequency in English for NAm, but Nov 26 at 2107 it`s on two frequencies in Dutch, 17605 and 17810, running one or two words apart, depending on the length of the words, in a deliberate asynchronism of modulation peaks to even out electrical consumption at Bonaire. How does that convert to savings on the power bill? This makes it impossible to employ frequency diversity with two receivers, unless you are an echo-enjoyer.

These semihours are at 170 and 90 degrees respectively, so for quite different targets, tho about the same very good level here, far offtarget from both (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA [and non]. Altho it was close to 15121 earlier on Nov 25-26, VON apparently back to 15120.0, as very weak carrier was measured Nov 26 at 1941, like another very weak carrier on 15190.0 from Equatorial Guinea, unfavorable propagation today.

Per Aoki, nothing else scheduled on 15120 at this time, and I also see that the DRM I heard previously around 15120 was not Nigeria testing, but WAZ-Nachrichten from Nauen, Germany scheduled at 15-16 only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. The continuing saga of KGYN 1210 Guymon: Once again the afternoons of Nov 25 and 26, no signal here on groundwave, unlike the day before, so once again either off the air, very reduced power, or on night pattern with eastward null in the daytime (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 18770, WWRB second harmonic with Brother Scare broadcast, reported earlier Nov 26 at 1510 under USA heading, still/again propagating by sporadic E at 1926 check, fading in and out from S2 to S7 peaks. Two frequencies for the price of one might compensate for coming on the air one sesquihour late (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SRI LANKA. 9925, with S Asian music, Nov 26 at 1952, quite strong but with heavy flutter. Turns out to be R. Farda via Iranawila at 324 degrees, 1930-2130; however not much was audible by 2030; MUF got `em? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SWEDEN [non]. 9490 at 2028 Nov 29 in Swedish, so very likely R. Sweden. Yes, then from 2030 in English, news by Bill Schiller at 2032, magazine of several feature reports including 2046 toxic denims. Loud and clear, might as well be a North American service, but really only for Africa, 320 degrees from Madagascar.

Hey, it really is a North American service too tho they will never say so: the 320 azimuth from Talata exits Africa where Algeria and Morocco meet the Mediterranean, across Iberia, ultimately transiting our continent from Blanc Sablon to Superior to Cheyenne WY, i.e. only 7 degrees away from Enid (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 17580, VOA French, 1928 Nov 26, with heavy long/short path echo; 94 degrees from Greenville at 1830-2000, but almost twice as far as Nashville or Vandiver, LP is closer to only 38 Mm than 39, but I`ll take it.

No such problem with Greenville 15580 tho also directly off the back, in English at 2105 starting VOA Music Mix hour, on Thursdays dedicated to Top 20 with Ray McDonald for the week ending Nov 28 --- but, but, how does he foresee the future of how things will rank on Nov 27 and 28?? Before any music, recitation of pop stars` birthdays this week, including septuagenarian Tina Turner.

Since the current Top 20 are of no interest to me whatsoever, I then tuned to equally excellent 7465 WWCR for the rest of the hour, Rock the Universe, from the doo-wop era (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Some serious problems at WBCQ Nov 26, possibly because it`s a holiday and no one is paying attention:

15420-CUSB at 1931 had not only the preacher on CUSB, but equal mix with rock music, such as Ringo at 1936. Might have been clash from another station, except the rock was also on CUSB only, so mixing in from the single WBCQ transmitter.

Did not listen continuously but on repeated chex heard only music, no announcements or IDs as to original source of it. Could be studio op had it playing for his own pleasure, unaware it was going on the air along with the gospel huxter whom no one in his right mind would want to pay attention to. Same situation at 2027 when the preaching had switched to the anapaestic Fence Lake NM one. 2104 ditto, and presumably lasted until 2200*

As soon as I first heard this, checked 9330 and 7415 for WBCQ to see if the music was from there, but not: a different preacher in // at 1935. Except it was not 9330, but exactly on 9333.0, CUSB! Finger slipped on frequency keypad? Figured the old transmitter might be analogically tuned. At 2000, 9333 still on the air starting WORLD OF RADIO 1488, // 7415. But they cut it off sometime between then and next check 2027 when 9333 was gone (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 13570, WINB, Nov 26 at 1942 with Musical Memories, the same one I heard several days ago on WWCR, and now it really is Thanksgiving. QRM de CODAR swishes, and also persistent ute beeping 2-3 kHz on low side. Usual slightly unstable carrier from WINB itself. WINB schedule shows Martha Garvin`s MM Tue at 8 pm and Thu at 2:30 pm EDT. But there is no EDT now, duh! Must mean EST as that fits for 1930 UT Thu, the other meaning 0100 UT Wednesday when on 9265 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. How low can you go and how early and still expect to propagate to Europe? 5745, WYFR 44 degrees in Arabic from 1900, just barely audible here at 1951 Nov 26; maybe it`s better there as we are close to 90 degrees offbeam (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CHINA [and non]

** VATICAN. 7435 with mass in Latin, Nov 26 at 1939, fair. That means it has to be WWCR, WEWN or Vatican, but it`s VR scheduled on this frequency, only at 1940-2030, to Egypt and Turkey to Oman and Yemen. EiBi shows 1940-2000 portion is Rosary to ME, then Italian (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. Altho R. Nacional de la RASD was missing in the morning of Nov 26 at 0600-0645, 6297.1 had some music in the evening at 2056, much weaker than Cairo on 6290 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ZANZIBAR. 11735, RTZ, Nov 26 at 1946, very nice regional music, good modulation and audio frequency response too unlike so many other third-world transmitters. Strong enough to muscle Cuba 11730 aside with no problem. Recheck at 2002 in case English news appear at this alternate time to 1800, but just heard a mention of habari and back to music. Tempted to keep listening instead of bandscanning, but duty called (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###