** BRAZIL [and non]. Jan 9 at 0647 noticed that RNA open carrier was on 11780 but no modulation yet. 6185 also still had XEPPM with Cuban music unimpeded. But at *0648:30, carrier and modulation from RNA cut on 6185 overriding XEPPM, and shortly after at *0645:45 modulation cut on // 11780 with a song about the madrugada in progress (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. RNGE making another sporadic appearance on 6250.0 (right on, compared to Vatican 7250.0), good S9+12 signal Jan 9 at 0625 with Spanish news mentioning Bata and Malabo, 0626 a timecheck for 7:21 so that explains why news often starts well past hourtop. Frequent stingers, fútbol news; 0627 ute beeps begin to QRM on lo side. 0648 still audible but weakening, as the equatorial sun rises almost vertically building up D-layer absorption. The accent sounded Castilian to me, to be expected but I wonder if native speakers could detect some ex-colonial accent pegging it on EqG? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FRANCE. Despite threats of another strike at RFI, ops seem normal, e.g. 15300, Jan 9 at 1513 talk instead of Musique fill, 1524 phone interview with someone in San Francisco about latest tech news concerning mobile phones.
At Media Network there have been no follow-ups to this Jan 6 story:
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/rfi-unions-call-indefinite-strike-from-7-january
But Mike Cooper sent us this Jan 7: ``AFP reports today that the indefinite strike at RFI has been postponed for 24 hours, after only 2 percent of employees participated. RFI said 97 percent of its programs would air despite the strike`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LAOS [non]. 11785, Sat Jan 9 at 1506, Hmong up-and-down singing, i.e. Hmong World Christian Radio, reminding me that I had tuned past this frequency a few times in the 14-15 hour, and Hmong Lao Radio was missing, no WHRI transmission at all. What will happen Sunday at 14-15? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OMAN [and non]. 15140, Jan 9 at 1440, fluttery signal averaging S9+5 with music but very undermodulated, so I felt better about yet again not having tuned in early enough to hear English news from R. Sultanate of Oman at 1430, since it probably would have been a strain to make anything out of. Similar signal level on decent Romanian transmitter 15170 was adequate to enjoy the music, understand the speech, without CRQRM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PALAU. I was surprised to hear Spanish gospel huxter, ``La Verdad para el Mundo`` at 1431 Jan 9 on 9965. Speaker spoke good Spanish but North American accent detectable. First wondered if WRMI had pulled a fast one and shifted out from under 9955 jamming, tho jamming pulse splatter also bothered 9965, and altho WORLD OF RADIO was supposedly underneath Arnie`s noise at this time on 9955. La Verdad para el Mundo is in fact carried by WRMI at another time per http://www.wrmi.net/schedule.php
And the signal level, modulation could have been WRMI.
La Verdad para el Mundo closing mentioned Billy Graham, and was upwrapping with an apartado in Villa Rica, Georgia 30180! Did they pick that town just so they could use a Spanish name? It`s halfway to AL west of Atlanta on I-20. Top Google hit on zipcode to confirm that name also informed us V.R. had 45 registered sex offenders in 2007, helpful info.
Here`s more than you would ever want to know about that town:
http://www.city-data.com/zips/30180.html
including the fact that it`s hardly a latino hotbed despite the name, presumably developer-chosen to appeal to affluent Anglos desiring a taste of the exotic:
``96.8% of residents of 30180 zip code speak English at home. 1.8% of residents speak Spanish at home (42% very well, 27% well, 25% not well, 6% not at all).``
But I digress. Back to the 9965 signal, whence if not WRMI? Retune at 1445 found open carrier, commercials giving 800 numbers for mortgages, 3-step plan, then USA network sports capsule about NBA axion. 1448 more dead air for a minute, 1449 finally World Harvest Radio ID, English gospel song.
A new WHRI transmission to Latin America? No! at 1457 more WHR promos, not // another broadcast on 9930 which just went off at 1458:20*, and back to 9965 in time finally to hear a T8WH ID at 1458:30, then Peter Sumrall preaching.
Palau in Spanish?! Perhaps for colonial remnants in Guam, Philippines (where many people have Spanish names whether they speak it or not). WHR website is not cooperating, failing to display program schedules, but does deny that such a program title exists in any of them. 9930 is also T8WH, both supposedly in Mandarin, which is not closely related to English or Spanish. Wrong feed? Who knows (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES [non]. 11715, Jan 9 at 1507, RVA via Vatican, animated Tagalog W&W conversation, but throwing in English expressions, such as ``much happiness in the coming year``, ``join us in Facebook``. And another day with zero sign of KJES during scheduled transmission (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL. 15560, RDPI with weekend transmission to NAm, Jan 9 at 1511 was giving periodic but seemingly randomly scheduled detailed frequency/schedule announcement, including satellite info. Squealing slightly audible during pauses, but VG signal. SW included 21655, 15560, but added that because of technical problems, there would be no ``extraordinary`` transmissions to Africa after 2000, or weekends after 1700, i.e. silly ballgame specials.
Perhaps Carlos can explain exactly what the cause is --- one transmitter or antenna out of order, or the usual lack of personnel available to make manual switching changes beyond 9-5? If they are still extending broadcasts to other targets, those should certainly be mentioned as audible in Africa for backup. But SW stations where people do not actually listen to SW, tend to think they have discrete targets with no overlap (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. VOT has 11815 to itself, no REE/CR collision, on Saturday mornings, so Jan 9 at 1415 might have enjoyed the music on VG signal --- but modulation poor, rather like English on 12035. TRT really needs to work on the modulation, especially at Çakirlar site --- or, who knows, a problem feeding it without degradation from studio to site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WRMI 9955 transmitter problem: UT Sat Jan 9 around 0635, during La Rosa de Tokio segment about broadcasting in Bahrain, including a clip of an FM station, a few times a minute WRMI would irregularly dump off the air for a second or a split second. Fortunately, no jamming audible then (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also PALAU
** U S A. 11855, WYFR English, at 1411 Jan 9 story time show in Saturday morning kidblock, had audio cutting off and on, mostly off. Unless attenuated FRG-7, during pauses could hear cross-mod from even more powerful 11830 WYFR Spanish, which was constantly, not intermittently audiblized. 11830 is 315 degrees OKward, while 11855 is 355 degrees ONward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9760, VOA via PHILIPPINES, Jan 9 at 1453 ending ``On the Line`` interview on how to fight terrorism, using force, persuasion and some other tactic, with ``thanks for watching``. Standard rant about TV programs pretending to be radio programs and insulting non-viewing audience. As a matter of fact, aside from possible captioning, or lip-reading, even watchers would not get much out of it unless they were also listening! 1455 USG editorial about Yemen, SOS Clinton talks with Qatari PM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Altho I was hearing Arabic(?) QRM to Havana 13770, Jan 7 at 1431, unlisted, did not hear any 24 hours later, nor 48 hours later at 1443 Jan 9, so perhaps it was a mistaken transmission (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. RNGE making another sporadic appearance on 6250.0 (right on, compared to Vatican 7250.0), good S9+12 signal Jan 9 at 0625 with Spanish news mentioning Bata and Malabo, 0626 a timecheck for 7:21 so that explains why news often starts well past hourtop. Frequent stingers, fútbol news; 0627 ute beeps begin to QRM on lo side. 0648 still audible but weakening, as the equatorial sun rises almost vertically building up D-layer absorption. The accent sounded Castilian to me, to be expected but I wonder if native speakers could detect some ex-colonial accent pegging it on EqG? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FRANCE. Despite threats of another strike at RFI, ops seem normal, e.g. 15300, Jan 9 at 1513 talk instead of Musique fill, 1524 phone interview with someone in San Francisco about latest tech news concerning mobile phones.
At Media Network there have been no follow-ups to this Jan 6 story:
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/rfi-unions-call-indefinite-strike-from-7-january
But Mike Cooper sent us this Jan 7: ``AFP reports today that the indefinite strike at RFI has been postponed for 24 hours, after only 2 percent of employees participated. RFI said 97 percent of its programs would air despite the strike`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LAOS [non]. 11785, Sat Jan 9 at 1506, Hmong up-and-down singing, i.e. Hmong World Christian Radio, reminding me that I had tuned past this frequency a few times in the 14-15 hour, and Hmong Lao Radio was missing, no WHRI transmission at all. What will happen Sunday at 14-15? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OMAN [and non]. 15140, Jan 9 at 1440, fluttery signal averaging S9+5 with music but very undermodulated, so I felt better about yet again not having tuned in early enough to hear English news from R. Sultanate of Oman at 1430, since it probably would have been a strain to make anything out of. Similar signal level on decent Romanian transmitter 15170 was adequate to enjoy the music, understand the speech, without CRQRM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PALAU. I was surprised to hear Spanish gospel huxter, ``La Verdad para el Mundo`` at 1431 Jan 9 on 9965. Speaker spoke good Spanish but North American accent detectable. First wondered if WRMI had pulled a fast one and shifted out from under 9955 jamming, tho jamming pulse splatter also bothered 9965, and altho WORLD OF RADIO was supposedly underneath Arnie`s noise at this time on 9955. La Verdad para el Mundo is in fact carried by WRMI at another time per http://www.wrmi.net/schedule.php
And the signal level, modulation could have been WRMI.
La Verdad para el Mundo closing mentioned Billy Graham, and was upwrapping with an apartado in Villa Rica, Georgia 30180! Did they pick that town just so they could use a Spanish name? It`s halfway to AL west of Atlanta on I-20. Top Google hit on zipcode to confirm that name also informed us V.R. had 45 registered sex offenders in 2007, helpful info.
Here`s more than you would ever want to know about that town:
http://www.city-data.com/zips/30180.html
including the fact that it`s hardly a latino hotbed despite the name, presumably developer-chosen to appeal to affluent Anglos desiring a taste of the exotic:
``96.8% of residents of 30180 zip code speak English at home. 1.8% of residents speak Spanish at home (42% very well, 27% well, 25% not well, 6% not at all).``
But I digress. Back to the 9965 signal, whence if not WRMI? Retune at 1445 found open carrier, commercials giving 800 numbers for mortgages, 3-step plan, then USA network sports capsule about NBA axion. 1448 more dead air for a minute, 1449 finally World Harvest Radio ID, English gospel song.
A new WHRI transmission to Latin America? No! at 1457 more WHR promos, not // another broadcast on 9930 which just went off at 1458:20*, and back to 9965 in time finally to hear a T8WH ID at 1458:30, then Peter Sumrall preaching.
Palau in Spanish?! Perhaps for colonial remnants in Guam, Philippines (where many people have Spanish names whether they speak it or not). WHR website is not cooperating, failing to display program schedules, but does deny that such a program title exists in any of them. 9930 is also T8WH, both supposedly in Mandarin, which is not closely related to English or Spanish. Wrong feed? Who knows (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES [non]. 11715, Jan 9 at 1507, RVA via Vatican, animated Tagalog W&W conversation, but throwing in English expressions, such as ``much happiness in the coming year``, ``join us in Facebook``. And another day with zero sign of KJES during scheduled transmission (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PORTUGAL. 15560, RDPI with weekend transmission to NAm, Jan 9 at 1511 was giving periodic but seemingly randomly scheduled detailed frequency/schedule announcement, including satellite info. Squealing slightly audible during pauses, but VG signal. SW included 21655, 15560, but added that because of technical problems, there would be no ``extraordinary`` transmissions to Africa after 2000, or weekends after 1700, i.e. silly ballgame specials.
Perhaps Carlos can explain exactly what the cause is --- one transmitter or antenna out of order, or the usual lack of personnel available to make manual switching changes beyond 9-5? If they are still extending broadcasts to other targets, those should certainly be mentioned as audible in Africa for backup. But SW stations where people do not actually listen to SW, tend to think they have discrete targets with no overlap (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. VOT has 11815 to itself, no REE/CR collision, on Saturday mornings, so Jan 9 at 1415 might have enjoyed the music on VG signal --- but modulation poor, rather like English on 12035. TRT really needs to work on the modulation, especially at Çakirlar site --- or, who knows, a problem feeding it without degradation from studio to site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WRMI 9955 transmitter problem: UT Sat Jan 9 around 0635, during La Rosa de Tokio segment about broadcasting in Bahrain, including a clip of an FM station, a few times a minute WRMI would irregularly dump off the air for a second or a split second. Fortunately, no jamming audible then (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also PALAU
** U S A. 11855, WYFR English, at 1411 Jan 9 story time show in Saturday morning kidblock, had audio cutting off and on, mostly off. Unless attenuated FRG-7, during pauses could hear cross-mod from even more powerful 11830 WYFR Spanish, which was constantly, not intermittently audiblized. 11830 is 315 degrees OKward, while 11855 is 355 degrees ONward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9760, VOA via PHILIPPINES, Jan 9 at 1453 ending ``On the Line`` interview on how to fight terrorism, using force, persuasion and some other tactic, with ``thanks for watching``. Standard rant about TV programs pretending to be radio programs and insulting non-viewing audience. As a matter of fact, aside from possible captioning, or lip-reading, even watchers would not get much out of it unless they were also listening! 1455 USG editorial about Yemen, SOS Clinton talks with Qatari PM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Altho I was hearing Arabic(?) QRM to Havana 13770, Jan 7 at 1431, unlisted, did not hear any 24 hours later, nor 48 hours later at 1443 Jan 9, so perhaps it was a mistaken transmission (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
