martedì 2 febbraio 2010

Glenn Hauser logs February 1-2, 2010

** BRAZIL. 11815, R. Brasil Central, Goiânia, Feb 2 at 0623 with lively talk, 0624 TC for 4:24. Some music audible underneath, but as nothing else is scheduled, may have been receiver overload from RHC 11760, tho I could not get rid of it with attenuation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CROATIA [non]. Tnx to a tip from Dragan Lekic, V. of Croatia heard testing new 7385 via Woofferton UK, Feb 2 at 0309, YL with weather report in English, then something about recipes. This was // only a slight echo behind usual 7375, which is Wertachtal 100 kW at 300 degrees plus Nauen 100 kW at 325 degrees. But stronger signal from the Germans.

Evidently VTC, or whatever it is called this week, is making a bid to take business away from DTK, or whatever it is called this week. Dragan says this test on 7385 is for four nights only, UT Feb 2-5 at 03-05 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 11930, DCJC pulsing against nothing, Feb 2 at 0622, long before/after Radio Martí is on this frequency, currently scheduled only at 13-22. The jamming bothers more R. Bandeirantes, Brasil on 11925v.

Meanwhile RHC 11760 was super-strong causing overload in its vicinity; see BRAZIL.

Now that Prague has killed its morning service to the Americas on 13580, RHC leapfrog has the frequency to itself, Feb 2 at 1453 in Spanish, mix of 13780 over 13680 which is back on the air. Well, not quite; now on 13580 it QRMs CODAR or vice versa.

RHC, 11760, 11690, etc., Feb 2 at 1557 had Arnaldo Coro talking about Cycle 24, in his sci/tech segment in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUAM. 11955, Feb 2 at 1530, ``KSDA, Agat, Guam; the following program is in --- on 11955 kHz``, poor but clear, opening with classical fanfare, into S Asian language, then ethnic music. The answer in Aoki: Malayalam, daily 1530-1600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI with no het from CRI Kashgar, East Turkistan, Feb 2 at 1546, undermodulated dialog in Indo/Malay, drama? Usually VOI is off the air during this hour, or if on, it`s in English. And normally CRI has at least enough signal on 9525.0 to produce a het; propagation must be favoring Indonesia this date.

Unfortunately, Atsunori Ishida has not updated his site
http://www.max.hi-ho.ne.jp/a-ishida/ins/
since Jan 25, but in the previous week, only on Jan 21 did he find VOI on the 9526 air at this time, when it was Indonesian straight thru from 1404 to 1600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [non]. Shiokaze, 5910 via JSR JAPAN, Tuesday Feb 2 at 1425 with YL speaking Chinese slowly and clearly over usual piano bed, and also whoop-whoop oscillating Juche jamming, which is usually inaudible here, but at least we know the DPRK considers Chinese a language worth jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SAUDI ARABIA. Patrolling 15 MHz band around 1500 UT Feb 2, I was braced for another blast of buzz from Riyadh 15435 transmitter, but it never happened! At 1506 I checked 15435 itself and there was BSKSA, but it`s been fixed, (or transmitter substituted), no buzz at all, and occupying normal bandwidth not exceeding 10 kHz!!! But not totally healthy as it does have a lite whine on it.

Apparently BSKSA finally got an earful at HFCC Kuala Lumpur, or somehow, that they had a slight problem for the past year. By 1548 recheck, 15435 was weakening with flutter, now in Arabic talk rather than Qu`ran recitation, still stronger than // 15225. Let us hope the buzz be gone forever, but it`s too early to count on that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also UNIDENTIFIED 15360, 15380

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 9385, WWRB with Brother Scare, extremely strong as usual, Feb 2 at 1545, but also with considerable CCI from station in Korean, producing rippling SAH since WWRB is off-frequency. Went from a wild non-BS preacher to BS himself at 1546 pushing some giveaway concerning ``the inevitable destruxion of the USA``. Tnx for letting us know! We may as well stop trying to make anything better.

The station under would have been perfectly good without WWRB. It`s RFA, 325 degrees via Saipan at 15-17. Let`s hope the poor North Koreans do not get enough of this BS to bother them: WWRB azimuth is 340 degrees per Aoki, i.e. toward them also, but that was B-08 info. FCC and HFCC B-09 list 45 degrees. Since it`s such a blast here, I would have gone with 340, tho we are closer to 270 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SUDAN [non]. Miraya FM relay via IRRS via SLOVAKIA is back on 19m, without notice, a new frequency, 15670, Feb 2 at 1508 when I wondered what`s this? English and Arabic dialect mixed together, axualities and voice-overs. Reminded me of Libya 17725 but not //. Nor // SRS via Portugal 17745. At 1510 headlines alternating with stingers, ``end of news, [www. but lost to fade], FM news, 101 Míra FM`` (that`s the way it`s pronounced, almost dropping the -ya, so I must stop saying Miráya).

Somewhat rough modulation, probably a feed input problem rather than a transmission problem. This broadcast at 15-18 had been on 9825 so far in B-09, where we could not hear it, so welcome back! Furthermore, IRRS found a clear frequency this time instead of resuming 15650 where it collided for months with Greece despite our advice. Ironically, Greece was missing from 15650 at the moment, but was back at 1528 check.

At 1553, 15670 still audible but weaker, and again mixing English with Arabic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SUDAN [non]. 13800, Feb 2 at 1535 in Arabic, but also a tone test producing SAH. Source of latter unknown, but the former per Aoki is R. Dabanga, 250 kW, 330 degrees via MADAGASCAR at 1530-1627. Apparently it now has an interference problem; possibly Bulgaria or Iran which may be using the channel at other times (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K [non]. 9580, Feb 2 at 1439, good signal in Vietnamese I had not noticed before, way stronger than Iran plus and minus 5 and also than Australia 9590; mentioned BBC, and clinched at 1444 with ``BBC London`` and BBC vamp music, off at 1444.5.

This is a quarter-hour broadcast via SINGAPORE at 13 degrees, tacked on to the end of the half-sesquihour Burmese service from 1345 at 340 degrees. Axually, to my surprise, this is the ONLY BBCWS Vietnamese service remaining on the radio, per WRTH 2010, daily 1430-1445, also on 1503, 6135 and 7315. Seems like a token to me, and likely destined for deletion. As we know, all Vietnamese sport hand-held devices lacking SW tuners (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. Distributed in advance earlier UT Feb 2 to this same log mailing list, see separate post titled:
GREENVILLE TO CLOSE; VOA AND MARTI JOIN FOR NEW SERVICE; LVA UPDATE

Which is very important but I am not repeating it here; however, some updates and additions:

Yimber Gaviria found this brief announcement about the VOA/Martí program, correctly called A FONDO, but do they mention the frequencies? Of course not!
http://www1.voanews.com/spanish/news/A-fondo-83291037.html

Dragan Lekic, Serbia, says: ``New VOA & R Marti joint new service can be downloaded at [RM file, 9.1 MB]:
ftp://8475.ftp.storage.akadns.net/real/voa/latam/span/span0100a.rm

When you open the file in Real Player and click to "Clip Info", you get this:

=============================================
SPANISH_VENEZUELA_RADIOSURGE 01:00 To 02:00
VOA-SPANISH_VENEZUELA_RADIOSURGE
Public Domain (02/02/10)
=============================================

So, it is a program intended mainly to Venezuela! Since it is "Surge", probably will be cancelled in the future?``

Kim Elliott follows up on this:
"A Fondo": new VOA/Radio Martí co-production for, apparently, Venezuela.
http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=8250
And translates ``A Fondo`` as ``thoroughly``.

Media Network follows up:
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/voa-radio-marti-launch-joint-news-programme#comments
BTW, the UTC originally published, 1500-1600, is totally wrong.

Kim Elliott has followed up on this, partially quoting us:
BBG budget plan includes closure of Greenville transmitting station, last IBB shortwave facility in the US.
http://kimelli.nfshost.com/index.php?id=8252

Kai Ludwig in dxldyg suggests that Greenville may not really close until the end of October, A-10 season, rather than end of Sept, FY 2010.

Media Network also follows up on this:
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/more-on-the-ibbs-plans-for-fiscal-year-2011

Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg, says the Erching, Germany IBB site refers to the former longwave 173 kHz facility.

Finally: WWCR and IBB are working on resolving their collision on 7465 at 01-02 (Glenn Hauser, 1905 UT Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. KJES is back! Not reported for almost two months, but on 11715, Feb 2 at 1449 I am hearing some off-key singing, a dead giveaway, 1450 into OM intoning verses, undermodulated and mixing badly with at least two other stations, i.e. R. Liberty in Uzbek via Lampertheim, and ChiCom jamming, probably CNR1 (tho Aoki does not show it as jammed, we know they jam other Uzbek services).

This mess quit at 1459, but now there is an open carrier as Vatican is about to start relaying RVA Philippines in Tagalog/English back to the jobless Catholic Filipino Gastarbeiter stuck in the UAE et al. Can`t make much out of KJES while this is on, but at 1518 I think I can detect KJES still under there.

Finally at 1559 frequency is clear for KJES, monotone OM preacher in English with robokidsinging off-key in background. 1559.5, kid ID in English with usual ``please let me know if you can hear me`` but not ``and get me out of here!``, 1600 into Spanish as scheduled. Still very undermodulated and must strain to copy. Now there is increased ACI from music on 11720 which is RFA in Uighur via Saipan plus ChiCom jamming; also squeezed on lower side by weaker N Korea. Since KJES had been making a lo het with co-channel stations, I determine it is slightly off-frequency to the low side, but probably not as low as 11714.90.

Now we need to check its other scheduled transmissions to see if they are back too: 1900-2100 on 15385, 0200-0330 on 7555. For starters: yes, 15385 with kidchoir at 1905 Feb 2, doing its best against Greenville 15390 Lavwadlamerik.

All three KJES frequencies supposedly rotate the LP antenna to different azimuths at top of each hour, tho I did not notice any difference at 1500 and 1600. Long ago, I believe they had problems with it being stuck in one direxion. Even when active, their broadcasts were sporadic, and some listings show KJES as M-F only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9369v, Arabic at 0111 UT Tue Feb 2, fair signal, obviously from WTJC. Does their program schedule at
http://www.fbnradio.com/new_page_copy%281%29.htm
yet show Arabic anywhere around 8 pm ET? Of course not! In fact there is no Arabic anywhere on their schedule, any day of the week, altho there used to be a bit somewhere. Not to be confused with IBB`s Deewa Radio in Pashtu via Lampertheim, GERMANY, also scheduled on 9370 during this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 13845, PMS via WWCR, Feb 2 at 1455 with heavy swish QRM from WEWN 13835 spur, a constant unresolved problem from at least one of their transmitters; how bad it is heard depending on relative propagation. Shortly WEWN moves its spurs to 15600 and 15620, clearing 13845 after 1500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1660, not a sign of classical KXTR Kansas City, Feb 1. Home page
http://www.kxtr.com/pages/1447847.php? which is what you get if you merely enter www.kxtr.com, does not have any announcement about antenna work, as it did for some weeks in December, January, that it would be off the air weekdays, but it must be missing this afternoon, as I am mobile around Enid with nondirexional caradio.

At 2018 UT, 1660 exhibits only a very weak SAH between two other stations, no doubt ND and TX, and furthermore, KC-area stations on 1250-Spanish, 1090-Catholic were inbooming by skywave already. 2027 the same. At final check of 1660 at 2153 UT, heard an ESPN station with an ad for Morehead, i.e. KQWB West Fargo ND.

Furthermore, at 2025 UT I was hearing a ``Radio Disney`` as IDed in passing atop 1190 before fading, ending some teeny-bopper music, kid on phone in quiz. The only R. Disney on 1190, per NRC AM Log 2009-2010, is KPHN Kansas City MO, day power 5 kW, but a new one to me. That`s strange, as it`s non-direxional, and has been on the air more than 31 years, tho under different calls before March 3, 1997.

At 2019 I was gettin` a surfin` song on 1010. Uplooked later, among adjacent-state stations, format matches KCHI Chillicothe MO, yet another near KC, but there are too many other 1010s around to be sure (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 12000.8, strong and steady open carrier, Feb 2 at 0620. It makes a het with the 12000 birdie in the FRG-7, but it stands alone on the YB-400. Something new, possibly of local origin? But the band is certainly open at this hour, as far as Brazil, q.v., 11815. Is anyone else hearing it?

Next check at 1447, still there, but now the open carrier is intermittently interrupted by digital data bursts. And still at 1536, interfering with CODAR. BTW, this is a BROADCAST band where such utility signals should only be subtracted, not added (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 15360, qontinuous Qur`an, Feb 2 at 1456 aside WYFR Spanish 15355. Fortunately, no RHC on 15360, perhaps just having closed to QSY. Qur`an qeeps going thru hourtop, no break until 35-second pause within the 1504 minute, when they could have easily inserted a full ID! But that might have broken the mood. Meanwhile at 1459 some lite CCI developed on 15360. The only thing scheduled on 15360 is RFI Persian via Issoudun at 1430-1500, previously heard with QubaRM, but not today, perhaps also off at least 4 minutes early.

Or the 15360 transmitter in France has been turned over to the Algerians for a new schedule, or new tests from elsewhere? Periodically, RTA`s Qur`an service tries other sites a few weeks, perhaps for competitive bidding or comparative propagation evaluation. So far in B-09, Algeria via France relays have been using only the 5, 7 and 9 MHz bands, but TDF is known for making mid-season changes at the beginning of Feb, also for RFI broadcasts.

This performer sounds like the same one heard the day before on 15160 around this time, and there is nothing there today! Except splash from REE/Costa Rica plus/minus 15 from 15170 as noted before 1500, gone after then. A good bet that 15360 Qur`an is the same transmission trying another frequency, tho 15160 was quite a bit stronger. Where will it be Feb 3?

However, by 1548 Feb 2, 15360 is gone, and I am hearing an even weaker Qur`an on 15380 versus clicking circa 15382 and Spain 15385 splash. So is 15380 the same transmitter as 15360 in yet another shift? Nothing scheduled now, but Sa`udi HQS is shown on 15380 until 1355, so maybe that was extended. No, I don`t think it was // 15435.

However there are two separate Sa`udi programs in Arabic. WRTH 2010 says 15435 and 15225 are the general program, not the HQS, even tho most of the time they too are reciting.

Perhaps related is Jari Savolainen`s observation:
``UNIDENTIFIED. 7130 / 7160 / 7190 / 7220 --- On 27 Jan at 1615 UT tune-in noted a station with endless Qur`an reciting on 7130. No ID at all at any time. Strong signal and nice, clean AM modulation. Audio went off at 1700 but the carrier stayed on until 1714. A minute or two later I noted them back with Qur`an, now on 7160. This lasted until 1755 when they switched to 7190. And at 1858 they jumped to 7220. Then I had to leave my radio. All I could hear was that Qur`an recording without ID. Sounds like someone testing, but who could this be (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###