** BIAFRA [non]. As noted last Friday Dec 11, V. of Biafra International was missing from WHRI 15665 at its previously scheduled time of 19-20 UT.
As 1900 approached on Dec 18, I checked the WHR and VOBI websites. At WHR, VOBI is now nowhere to be found; checking the Angel-1 and Angel-5 schedules, other things are shown Friday during this hour (and surely not both of them are really on same frequency at same time!).
Their own website http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm still shows 15280 Fri 20-21 UT which was used only briefly sometime last year.
They do have an audio file for Dec 11 which I belatedly started listening to, in case there be any explanation. After many minutes of anthems and the usual sign-on routine, they finally got to the anti-Nigerian `news`, and at that very point the file started hiccuping, buffering, even backing up and repeating itself. This was on their own clipstream player rather than downloading first for an external media player.
During the first quarter-hour, at least, nothing at all said about any change in their schedule. Or for that matter, anything at all about their schedule, but they gave up on that some weeks ago as the frequency kept being changed. I listened until the same announcer switched into Igbo.
At 1900 UT Dec 18 checked 15665 anyway and it was off the air. Perhaps Angels 1 and 5 cancel each other out? Axually, a great deal of the WHR SW schedule on their website is imaginary. It makes sense only to go on the air when they have paid programming, instead of WHR-produced fill, but why do they claim otherwise?
So are VOBI done for? We might look around for a replacement transmission in the 19-22 UT period this Friday, but if any, they aren`t saying. So far, no reports of it received. And we shall see whether a Dec 18 audio file be forthcoming. Not as the final hour of UT Dec 18 was ticking away, nor at 1617 check Dec 19 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL [and non]. RNA, Brasília, at 0640 Dec 19, 11780 on the air with open carrier only, so checked 6185 and it was also on but already modulating music atop XEPPM. By 0643, 11780 was // in violin with guitar accompaniment.
During the OC I could also hear Pastor Pete Peters as WWCR 5890 was overloading and making a harmonic in the FRG-7; along with DGS 5935 mixing with WEWN fundamental on 11870. I checked these on the YB-400 and found them much stronger, which doesn`t compute unless they depend on internal receiver circuitries` harmonic-suppression capabilities. There seemed to be a threshold effect on the FRG-7 as the WWCR audio would surge in and out (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake Dec 18 at 2211: poor on 9000, not audible on 8000, 10210 or 11300, but might have been on some higher ones had I sought them out.
Dec 19 at 1434: 11300 poor with flutter, 10210 JBA, 9000 zilch, 8400 fair (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Re previous report of RHC expanded schedule on 9600 instead of 6140: later rechecking the `official schedule` sent out by e-mail, it already showed 9600 in Spanish at 23-05; so it`s only after 05 that was new for it. But next night, UT Dec 19 at 0530 check, no 9600, back on 6140 in Spanish // 6120, 6150. This increases the probability that op had neglected to change 9600 to 6140 at 0500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA [and non]. Transpolar signals were good Dec 18, altho fluttery. At 2136 the AIR GOS had music on 7550 // 9445 intended for Europe. At 2138 the National Channel on 9425 was ending a dekaminute newscast in English with sporting items, 2140 into Hindi. For the next icosaminute we had a choice of two different nearby Indian music channels, plus Greek on 9420. At 2200, 9445 went to news in English ending at 2210 after cricket stuff vs Sri Lanka much like a semihour before on the other service, then commentary about a nuclear deal with Russia: the latter segment had muffled and hummy audio, apparently a studio problem.
9690, AIR GOS, Dec 19 at 1415, good signal but always with hum, lecture on Indian classical music. 1425 ending press review mostly about Pakistan, then ``Mainly for Tourists`` about the northern state of Haryana, which we don`t hear much about since it`s dominated by Delhi. Handy map I found:
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/haryana/haryana.htm
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9525.9+, VOI back in Malay during the 14 UT hour Dec 19, at 1432 check, whilst it had been erroneously in English 24 hours earlier. I thought the frequency had edged a bit higher than previously, and Ron Howard measured it on 9525.96v, Dec 17 at 1505. Now when rounding we should really call it 9526- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND [and non]. I have not reported it lately, but RNZI monitoring in our mornings is still a writeoff due to the collision with VOR in Chinese on 6170 due west from Khabarovsk, such as Dec 19 at 1439 talk about Canterbury and Christchurch, mixed with Russian music. VOR is finished at 1500, but by then I have noticed several times there is not much signal left from NZ which is scheduled until 1750 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9955, Dec 19 at 0635, no WRMI and no jamming audible either. Both of them must have been off as WYFR was inbooming on 9985 and four other 31m band frequencies. Still the same at 1548 check. A truce, or something else wrong? Surely only coincidental. Earlier on UT Dec 19 Jeff White told me:
``Glenn: I think we have the northern antenna fully operational again. It's on as I write this (0100-0300 UT Saturday) with Faith the Dog special 0200-0300. Next times it will be on are: 1500-1700 UT Saturday, 2000-2100 UT Saturday (Faith the Dog again), 1500-1700 UT Sunday, 0500-0530 UT Monday (La Biblia Explicada), 1500-1700 UT Monday (and 7 days a week as usual). Jeff``
I enquired again and Jeff replied at 1611 UT Dec 19: ``Glenn: Well, it was OK for a few hours going north last night, but something got messed up again with the northern antenna, and it was causing problems with the transmitter; we had to shut it down. We've just now gone back on the air (going south) and so far it's OK, but it may be off and on for a few hours yet while they make some adjustments. We're trying to get in touch with our consulting engineer to see what he thinks may be wrong with the northern antenna. Jeff`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Afternoon DXing from caradio, nondirexional whip:
1660, no sign of KXTR Kansas City, but a weak 3-way SAH could be detected at 2015 UT Dec 18, presumably traces of the TX, ND and MI stations. KXTR website has referred to being off the air periodically for antenna work. It currently shows this, now outdated, so they are still not finished:
``KXTR WILL NOT BE BROADCASTING ON 1660AM FROM 8AM TO 6PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY UNTIL DECEMBER 14 SO THE FINAL PHASE OF WORK ON OUR TOWER CAN BE COMPLETED. KXTR WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM AT WWW.KXTR.COM AND BROADCAST IN HD AT 98.1 FM HD2. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE!``
1250 Spanish and 1090 EWTN from the KC area were in well, so skywave was obviously in play, and KXTR should have been easily audible if on. I hope the `work` does not include diminishing the skywave component.
Talk on 1670 also in, no doubt WTDY Madison WI (I had also heard it Dec 17 around 1800, close to low noon at 1832 UT = 1200 LMT); and no sign of CJEU Gatineau QC.
1210, KGYN Guymon OK still ailing with very weak groundwave signal, but barely audible ``US Country`` slogan at 2020 Dec 18, SAH between two other very weak signals.
1560, at 2015 UT, our nearest groundwave station on that frequency, KOCY, 1 kW Del City (why license to this SE suburb of OKC? It was originally much further off to the SW in Chickasha as KWCO, which stood for Women`s College of Oklahoma; KOCY were heritage calls which should have stayed on 1340); now 1560 is Radio Disney, already getting heavy QRM from a skywave pileup, mainly something with a talk show. And one of them far enough off-frequency to cause a rumbling audible het (such as 30-40 Hz, maybe).
Next check at 2035 it was even worse; besides the rumbling AH, there were also a SAH of 6 Hz, and another faster SAH. So that`s at least three or four stations. At 2100, Houston-orientated sportstalk on top, obviously 50 kW KGOW ``Bellaire`` TX, but no legal ID to be heard. 2101 played PSA for http://texasflu.com and then at 2102 ID only as ``1560 The Game, happily filling the holes in your life``, which I must say is a distinctive slogan altho it leaves me cold; what holes? Is that any way to talk to a proud listener? Probably played then, since a golf ad was to follow, ha2.
Rather tight major daytime lobe is at 14 degrees, and one of the nulls at 330 degrees; we are roughly halfway between them, meaning considerably off the boresight.
http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1222668-101220.pdf
This is the same station that got out widely a few months ago during a hurricane/flood emergency when running day facilities at night, and relaying news from a local TV station, KPRC `2`, as I recall. Low sun now means it gets plenty of daytime skywave propagation.
1370, rechecked again in the afternoons of Dec 17, and 18, still no groundwave signal from KGNO Dodge City KS, which used to be a daytime fringe regular here. It`s still on the books as non-direxional, day power 5 kW, an heritage station, but does it exist any more? It`s now part of a 20-station group all over Kansas, so just another cog. I should phone and inquire, 620-225-8080.
Coverage map at http://www.rockingmradio.com/kgno.htm shows the ``0.5 mV/m`` contour extending into OK no further than Alva in Woods county, but it should be audible here over the Ogalalla aquifer with much less signal than that. Er, make that microvolts per meter; what difference does a little factor of three orders of magnitude make? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
As 1900 approached on Dec 18, I checked the WHR and VOBI websites. At WHR, VOBI is now nowhere to be found; checking the Angel-1 and Angel-5 schedules, other things are shown Friday during this hour (and surely not both of them are really on same frequency at same time!).
Their own website http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm still shows 15280 Fri 20-21 UT which was used only briefly sometime last year.
They do have an audio file for Dec 11 which I belatedly started listening to, in case there be any explanation. After many minutes of anthems and the usual sign-on routine, they finally got to the anti-Nigerian `news`, and at that very point the file started hiccuping, buffering, even backing up and repeating itself. This was on their own clipstream player rather than downloading first for an external media player.
During the first quarter-hour, at least, nothing at all said about any change in their schedule. Or for that matter, anything at all about their schedule, but they gave up on that some weeks ago as the frequency kept being changed. I listened until the same announcer switched into Igbo.
At 1900 UT Dec 18 checked 15665 anyway and it was off the air. Perhaps Angels 1 and 5 cancel each other out? Axually, a great deal of the WHR SW schedule on their website is imaginary. It makes sense only to go on the air when they have paid programming, instead of WHR-produced fill, but why do they claim otherwise?
So are VOBI done for? We might look around for a replacement transmission in the 19-22 UT period this Friday, but if any, they aren`t saying. So far, no reports of it received. And we shall see whether a Dec 18 audio file be forthcoming. Not as the final hour of UT Dec 18 was ticking away, nor at 1617 check Dec 19 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL [and non]. RNA, Brasília, at 0640 Dec 19, 11780 on the air with open carrier only, so checked 6185 and it was also on but already modulating music atop XEPPM. By 0643, 11780 was // in violin with guitar accompaniment.
During the OC I could also hear Pastor Pete Peters as WWCR 5890 was overloading and making a harmonic in the FRG-7; along with DGS 5935 mixing with WEWN fundamental on 11870. I checked these on the YB-400 and found them much stronger, which doesn`t compute unless they depend on internal receiver circuitries` harmonic-suppression capabilities. There seemed to be a threshold effect on the FRG-7 as the WWCR audio would surge in and out (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake Dec 18 at 2211: poor on 9000, not audible on 8000, 10210 or 11300, but might have been on some higher ones had I sought them out.
Dec 19 at 1434: 11300 poor with flutter, 10210 JBA, 9000 zilch, 8400 fair (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Re previous report of RHC expanded schedule on 9600 instead of 6140: later rechecking the `official schedule` sent out by e-mail, it already showed 9600 in Spanish at 23-05; so it`s only after 05 that was new for it. But next night, UT Dec 19 at 0530 check, no 9600, back on 6140 in Spanish // 6120, 6150. This increases the probability that op had neglected to change 9600 to 6140 at 0500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA [and non]. Transpolar signals were good Dec 18, altho fluttery. At 2136 the AIR GOS had music on 7550 // 9445 intended for Europe. At 2138 the National Channel on 9425 was ending a dekaminute newscast in English with sporting items, 2140 into Hindi. For the next icosaminute we had a choice of two different nearby Indian music channels, plus Greek on 9420. At 2200, 9445 went to news in English ending at 2210 after cricket stuff vs Sri Lanka much like a semihour before on the other service, then commentary about a nuclear deal with Russia: the latter segment had muffled and hummy audio, apparently a studio problem.
9690, AIR GOS, Dec 19 at 1415, good signal but always with hum, lecture on Indian classical music. 1425 ending press review mostly about Pakistan, then ``Mainly for Tourists`` about the northern state of Haryana, which we don`t hear much about since it`s dominated by Delhi. Handy map I found:
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/haryana/haryana.htm
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9525.9+, VOI back in Malay during the 14 UT hour Dec 19, at 1432 check, whilst it had been erroneously in English 24 hours earlier. I thought the frequency had edged a bit higher than previously, and Ron Howard measured it on 9525.96v, Dec 17 at 1505. Now when rounding we should really call it 9526- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND [and non]. I have not reported it lately, but RNZI monitoring in our mornings is still a writeoff due to the collision with VOR in Chinese on 6170 due west from Khabarovsk, such as Dec 19 at 1439 talk about Canterbury and Christchurch, mixed with Russian music. VOR is finished at 1500, but by then I have noticed several times there is not much signal left from NZ which is scheduled until 1750 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9955, Dec 19 at 0635, no WRMI and no jamming audible either. Both of them must have been off as WYFR was inbooming on 9985 and four other 31m band frequencies. Still the same at 1548 check. A truce, or something else wrong? Surely only coincidental. Earlier on UT Dec 19 Jeff White told me:
``Glenn: I think we have the northern antenna fully operational again. It's on as I write this (0100-0300 UT Saturday) with Faith the Dog special 0200-0300. Next times it will be on are: 1500-1700 UT Saturday, 2000-2100 UT Saturday (Faith the Dog again), 1500-1700 UT Sunday, 0500-0530 UT Monday (La Biblia Explicada), 1500-1700 UT Monday (and 7 days a week as usual). Jeff``
I enquired again and Jeff replied at 1611 UT Dec 19: ``Glenn: Well, it was OK for a few hours going north last night, but something got messed up again with the northern antenna, and it was causing problems with the transmitter; we had to shut it down. We've just now gone back on the air (going south) and so far it's OK, but it may be off and on for a few hours yet while they make some adjustments. We're trying to get in touch with our consulting engineer to see what he thinks may be wrong with the northern antenna. Jeff`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Afternoon DXing from caradio, nondirexional whip:
1660, no sign of KXTR Kansas City, but a weak 3-way SAH could be detected at 2015 UT Dec 18, presumably traces of the TX, ND and MI stations. KXTR website has referred to being off the air periodically for antenna work. It currently shows this, now outdated, so they are still not finished:
``KXTR WILL NOT BE BROADCASTING ON 1660AM FROM 8AM TO 6PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY UNTIL DECEMBER 14 SO THE FINAL PHASE OF WORK ON OUR TOWER CAN BE COMPLETED. KXTR WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM AT WWW.KXTR.COM AND BROADCAST IN HD AT 98.1 FM HD2. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE!``
1250 Spanish and 1090 EWTN from the KC area were in well, so skywave was obviously in play, and KXTR should have been easily audible if on. I hope the `work` does not include diminishing the skywave component.
Talk on 1670 also in, no doubt WTDY Madison WI (I had also heard it Dec 17 around 1800, close to low noon at 1832 UT = 1200 LMT); and no sign of CJEU Gatineau QC.
1210, KGYN Guymon OK still ailing with very weak groundwave signal, but barely audible ``US Country`` slogan at 2020 Dec 18, SAH between two other very weak signals.
1560, at 2015 UT, our nearest groundwave station on that frequency, KOCY, 1 kW Del City (why license to this SE suburb of OKC? It was originally much further off to the SW in Chickasha as KWCO, which stood for Women`s College of Oklahoma; KOCY were heritage calls which should have stayed on 1340); now 1560 is Radio Disney, already getting heavy QRM from a skywave pileup, mainly something with a talk show. And one of them far enough off-frequency to cause a rumbling audible het (such as 30-40 Hz, maybe).
Next check at 2035 it was even worse; besides the rumbling AH, there were also a SAH of 6 Hz, and another faster SAH. So that`s at least three or four stations. At 2100, Houston-orientated sportstalk on top, obviously 50 kW KGOW ``Bellaire`` TX, but no legal ID to be heard. 2101 played PSA for http://texasflu.com and then at 2102 ID only as ``1560 The Game, happily filling the holes in your life``, which I must say is a distinctive slogan altho it leaves me cold; what holes? Is that any way to talk to a proud listener? Probably played then, since a golf ad was to follow, ha2.
Rather tight major daytime lobe is at 14 degrees, and one of the nulls at 330 degrees; we are roughly halfway between them, meaning considerably off the boresight.
http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1222668-101220.pdf
This is the same station that got out widely a few months ago during a hurricane/flood emergency when running day facilities at night, and relaying news from a local TV station, KPRC `2`, as I recall. Low sun now means it gets plenty of daytime skywave propagation.
1370, rechecked again in the afternoons of Dec 17, and 18, still no groundwave signal from KGNO Dodge City KS, which used to be a daytime fringe regular here. It`s still on the books as non-direxional, day power 5 kW, an heritage station, but does it exist any more? It`s now part of a 20-station group all over Kansas, so just another cog. I should phone and inquire, 620-225-8080.
Coverage map at http://www.rockingmradio.com/kgno.htm shows the ``0.5 mV/m`` contour extending into OK no further than Alva in Woods county, but it should be audible here over the Ogalalla aquifer with much less signal than that. Er, make that microvolts per meter; what difference does a little factor of three orders of magnitude make? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
