** CHINA. Firedrake Dec 25 at 1453: just barely audible on 8400, inaudible on 9000, 10210, 11300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. RHC Dec 25 at 0557: 6140 very lowly modulated with music // 6060 and 6010, ergo English service this time; whilst Spanish was on 6150 and 6120 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. VOI, now only a smidgin below 9526.0, Dec 25 at 1453 from music into English promo announcement as ``being the first, being different, being the best`` --- but is it really, when the next thing they do is play Xmas songs by Chipmunx? 1455 another English ID, then Jingle Bells --- it`s hard to imagine a one-horse-open-sleigh in Jakarta! But never mind.
After CRI Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN het came up at 1457, VOI still on top with Merry Xmas song. I had concluded that VOI was again running the English hour 60 minutes late instead of Malay at 14-15, but at 1459 ID in Indonesian (mentioning Bahasa Indonesia, not Malaya), ending with English slogan ``sound of dignity``. And at 1500 transition announcement from Malay to English, so now we/they are really confused. But audio cut off before English could start, just open carrier with unimpeded hum until 1503:50* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRAN. 9575, GIRI, Dec 25 at 1456, good modulation for a change and also good signal during a Qur`an qlip, Russian comment; JBA on // 9730. No ecumenism here, not a jingle bell to be heard; it is just another Friday, after all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. 5910, Shiokaze = Sea Breeze has moved again, from 5985 back to 5910, Dec 25 at 1419, another English Friday, M announcer talking about Kim Jung-Il and other North Korean matters, his accent not so heavy that I could not understand almost every word. So this was a `news` program rather than an abductee-listing program. No QRM, fair signal and 1426 into wrapup by YL mentioning they are originating in Tokyo, Japan. No doubt Ron Howard will be pleased JSR is again away from Myanmar 5985, tho it makes no difference here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 15110, one of the better extracontinental signals on 19m, Dec 25 at 1511 with Arabic music, announcement; 1600 heavy beat Arabic rock, announcements; altho did not catch ID, it is surely R. Kuwait as scheduled. WRTH 2010 says to S Asia at 1115-1800. I wish WRTH would include azimuths, but they never do --- after all, adding so many three-digit numbers might require another signature (or maybe not: there is still a lot of white space in tabular listings). Aoki shows this as 500 kW, 230 degrees as of A09, which would not be to S Asia; registered as 100 degrees to CIRAF 41, which is indeed S Asia, but this is certainly not in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO [and non]. 6185, XEPPM, Dec 25 at 0559 with Mexican national anthem, as required at local midnite; atop Vatican co-channel rippling SAH which would not be so fast if XEPPM would get on frequency. Then live ID only for MW 1060 with 100,000 vatios (However, WRTH 2010 shows night power cuts to only 20 kW! No wonder it is seldom heard here on 1060, and always subject to lots of QRM.) No mention of SW, which compared to MW must be inconsequential for the DJ, if he is even aware it exist. 0600 is when separate SW programming ends and MW simulcast begins.
It so happens that 6185 is useless until 0557 when CRI via Sackville closes powerful 6190. That has been expanded to last three hours from 0300. Radio Educación also has co-channel from Brasília until 0300 per Aoki, but does it really stay on that late during DST? And also VOR in Spanish via St. Pete. No longer on the HFCC roster, XEPPM is treated by international broadcasters as if it does not exist. But then 250 kW Radio Nacional da Amazônia is also a phantom to them, accounting for VOR`s self-defeating frequency choice (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. The Media Network newsletter this week pointed out that RNW in English is now relayed in NAm by WRMI since it is carrying WRN at 0500-0600 on 9955 (it`s UT M-F, not Tue-Sat, tho), as previously reported in DXLD. So I checked for it UT Fri Dec 25 at 0547, but nothing was audible other than weak DentroCuban pulse jamming.
The MUF at midnight fluxuates a lot, and sometimes WRMI is just not propagating, if it is not off the air, aimed SSE anyway rather than NW. In reality, RNW reception is much more reliable when in English to W Africa via Bonaire, even Madagascar, when that is not off the air for up to a week due to a fire, as currently the case.
One of the other Florida SW stations, WYFR is always handy for propagation comparisons, and it was not to be heard on its five 31m channels, while often they are inbooming. Hardly any signals were audible between 9.7 and 10 MHz, making me think the band was about dead, but then encountered a strong REE Costa Rica on 9675, VOA Greenville French on 9480, WTJC 9370, weaker but sufficient ANO Gabon on 9580, Zambia on 9430, Greece on 9420 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PALAU. 9965, unusually something between WRMI and WWCR, Dec 25 at 1517, strong signal with American preacher, ``there is a mighty God``. I consulted the B-09 Broadcasts in English booklet from the British DX Club I keep next to the radio instead of defunct PWBR, and hunting thru the 1500 UT listings, soon found T8WH in vernacular/English. At 1535 recheck it had changed to Korean.
Once the computer was on, today`s Aoki agrees it is T8WH, daily in English until 1530, then daily in Korean from 1530 with Nippon no Kaze clandestine; the azimuth switches from 318 to 345 degrees but I did not notice much difference here.
Merchant marine Larry Fields is visiting Palau and tried to find T8WH. The locals had never heard of it, and he did not find it, despite driving toward where it was supposed to be, racking up $75 in taxi fare. Google Earth mapping researched by Wolfgang Büschel shows it on the opposite side of the island from Koror, and Kai Ludwig suggests the antennas may be obscured by trees until you are right upon them. Larry is still on the island for another week and is going to try again (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 6055, Dec 25 at 0609 with hilife music, then continuous discussion in French mentioning Sekou Touré, no doubt prompted by the current violence in Guinea. At first I imagined it would be RWANDA, which had been heard a few hours earlier on extended Xmas eve broadcast, and after all it is scheduled from 0300; but this was no doubt the semi-hour in French from BBCWS via Ascension, another competitor for Radio Nikkei (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. A wonderful Xmas gift from WINB in the form of convicted and sentenced to 175 years child-sex predator Tony Alámo (he is still entitled to have his pseudonym accented as he wishes), Dec 25 at 1602 on 13570 as he was trashing the United Nations. I can think of another SW station I hesitate to identify which is also still broadcasting this monster, according to its schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CUBA. RHC Dec 25 at 0557: 6140 very lowly modulated with music // 6060 and 6010, ergo English service this time; whilst Spanish was on 6150 and 6120 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. VOI, now only a smidgin below 9526.0, Dec 25 at 1453 from music into English promo announcement as ``being the first, being different, being the best`` --- but is it really, when the next thing they do is play Xmas songs by Chipmunx? 1455 another English ID, then Jingle Bells --- it`s hard to imagine a one-horse-open-sleigh in Jakarta! But never mind.
After CRI Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN het came up at 1457, VOI still on top with Merry Xmas song. I had concluded that VOI was again running the English hour 60 minutes late instead of Malay at 14-15, but at 1459 ID in Indonesian (mentioning Bahasa Indonesia, not Malaya), ending with English slogan ``sound of dignity``. And at 1500 transition announcement from Malay to English, so now we/they are really confused. But audio cut off before English could start, just open carrier with unimpeded hum until 1503:50* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRAN. 9575, GIRI, Dec 25 at 1456, good modulation for a change and also good signal during a Qur`an qlip, Russian comment; JBA on // 9730. No ecumenism here, not a jingle bell to be heard; it is just another Friday, after all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. 5910, Shiokaze = Sea Breeze has moved again, from 5985 back to 5910, Dec 25 at 1419, another English Friday, M announcer talking about Kim Jung-Il and other North Korean matters, his accent not so heavy that I could not understand almost every word. So this was a `news` program rather than an abductee-listing program. No QRM, fair signal and 1426 into wrapup by YL mentioning they are originating in Tokyo, Japan. No doubt Ron Howard will be pleased JSR is again away from Myanmar 5985, tho it makes no difference here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 15110, one of the better extracontinental signals on 19m, Dec 25 at 1511 with Arabic music, announcement; 1600 heavy beat Arabic rock, announcements; altho did not catch ID, it is surely R. Kuwait as scheduled. WRTH 2010 says to S Asia at 1115-1800. I wish WRTH would include azimuths, but they never do --- after all, adding so many three-digit numbers might require another signature (or maybe not: there is still a lot of white space in tabular listings). Aoki shows this as 500 kW, 230 degrees as of A09, which would not be to S Asia; registered as 100 degrees to CIRAF 41, which is indeed S Asia, but this is certainly not in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO [and non]. 6185, XEPPM, Dec 25 at 0559 with Mexican national anthem, as required at local midnite; atop Vatican co-channel rippling SAH which would not be so fast if XEPPM would get on frequency. Then live ID only for MW 1060 with 100,000 vatios (However, WRTH 2010 shows night power cuts to only 20 kW! No wonder it is seldom heard here on 1060, and always subject to lots of QRM.) No mention of SW, which compared to MW must be inconsequential for the DJ, if he is even aware it exist. 0600 is when separate SW programming ends and MW simulcast begins.
It so happens that 6185 is useless until 0557 when CRI via Sackville closes powerful 6190. That has been expanded to last three hours from 0300. Radio Educación also has co-channel from Brasília until 0300 per Aoki, but does it really stay on that late during DST? And also VOR in Spanish via St. Pete. No longer on the HFCC roster, XEPPM is treated by international broadcasters as if it does not exist. But then 250 kW Radio Nacional da Amazônia is also a phantom to them, accounting for VOR`s self-defeating frequency choice (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. The Media Network newsletter this week pointed out that RNW in English is now relayed in NAm by WRMI since it is carrying WRN at 0500-0600 on 9955 (it`s UT M-F, not Tue-Sat, tho), as previously reported in DXLD. So I checked for it UT Fri Dec 25 at 0547, but nothing was audible other than weak DentroCuban pulse jamming.
The MUF at midnight fluxuates a lot, and sometimes WRMI is just not propagating, if it is not off the air, aimed SSE anyway rather than NW. In reality, RNW reception is much more reliable when in English to W Africa via Bonaire, even Madagascar, when that is not off the air for up to a week due to a fire, as currently the case.
One of the other Florida SW stations, WYFR is always handy for propagation comparisons, and it was not to be heard on its five 31m channels, while often they are inbooming. Hardly any signals were audible between 9.7 and 10 MHz, making me think the band was about dead, but then encountered a strong REE Costa Rica on 9675, VOA Greenville French on 9480, WTJC 9370, weaker but sufficient ANO Gabon on 9580, Zambia on 9430, Greece on 9420 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PALAU. 9965, unusually something between WRMI and WWCR, Dec 25 at 1517, strong signal with American preacher, ``there is a mighty God``. I consulted the B-09 Broadcasts in English booklet from the British DX Club I keep next to the radio instead of defunct PWBR, and hunting thru the 1500 UT listings, soon found T8WH in vernacular/English. At 1535 recheck it had changed to Korean.
Once the computer was on, today`s Aoki agrees it is T8WH, daily in English until 1530, then daily in Korean from 1530 with Nippon no Kaze clandestine; the azimuth switches from 318 to 345 degrees but I did not notice much difference here.
Merchant marine Larry Fields is visiting Palau and tried to find T8WH. The locals had never heard of it, and he did not find it, despite driving toward where it was supposed to be, racking up $75 in taxi fare. Google Earth mapping researched by Wolfgang Büschel shows it on the opposite side of the island from Koror, and Kai Ludwig suggests the antennas may be obscured by trees until you are right upon them. Larry is still on the island for another week and is going to try again (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 6055, Dec 25 at 0609 with hilife music, then continuous discussion in French mentioning Sekou Touré, no doubt prompted by the current violence in Guinea. At first I imagined it would be RWANDA, which had been heard a few hours earlier on extended Xmas eve broadcast, and after all it is scheduled from 0300; but this was no doubt the semi-hour in French from BBCWS via Ascension, another competitor for Radio Nikkei (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. A wonderful Xmas gift from WINB in the form of convicted and sentenced to 175 years child-sex predator Tony Alámo (he is still entitled to have his pseudonym accented as he wishes), Dec 25 at 1602 on 13570 as he was trashing the United Nations. I can think of another SW station I hesitate to identify which is also still broadcasting this monster, according to its schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
