** ARGENTINA. 15345v, RAE not only is off-frequency around 15345.2 but wobbles producing a non-constant tone against weaker Morocco, Feb 16 at 2149 when fluttery RAE could be made out as in German. One can hear the same wobble with BFO after 2200 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [non]. 9590, something in Arabic at 0635 Feb 17 with Celtic-sounding music, later Brahms, koto, quite a mix. It`s CRI via ALBANIA at 05-07 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** COSTA RICA. 15170, REE missing at 1419 Feb 17, allowing Romania unimpeded, which before 1500 normally happens only on Saturdays, but this is Wednesday. REE relay still going on 9765 // 11815. Such anomalies make us wonder if caused by installation of new DRM-capable transmitter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [non]. 9490, new frequency for R. República, apparently Sackville ex-9810, Feb 17 from *0003, VG signal at first with several dumps off and on, then stays on with sign-on, program summary including in EST = UT -5, i.e. 0000-0500:
8:00 pm, Frente a Frente
8:30 pm, Bloqueo
9:00 pm, La Revista de Ciencia y Tecnología
9:30 pm, Espacio Plural
10:00 pm, Atrévete, juvenil
10:30 pm, Palabra ---
11:00 pm, La --- Cubana, to interview Lincoln Díaz-Belart
y de inmediato
[7:05 pm], Recuento Informativo which followed at 0005:30.
9810 was still being jammed, and no jamming yet on 9490. If 9490 is Sackville, why is it stronger here than RCI English on 9755, 268 degrees? 31m signals from Europe at this time were all much weaker than 9490, except Portugal 9455, which always has a propagational advantage from the southwest corner.
By 0015, 9490 was weakening a bit; 0019 still announcing old schedule of 6-11 pm on 9810, lunes a domingo. Retune at 0057 they were announcing a different schedule but missed first part, including 9955, i.e. via WRMI, but at 0058 repeated ``9810 at 6-11 pm``, outdated info. At 0100 Frente a Frente [Butting Foreheads] started as I ceased monitoring.
Jeff White tells me the new R. República schedule is:
0000-0300 on 9490 UT Tue-Sat, and
0300-0500 on WRMI 9955 daily
I also heard WRMI 9955 just before 0000 UT with R. República theme music; Jeff says WRMI is also informally running R.R. at 22-24 UT weekdays, which amounts to an earlier sign-on than before, ex-WRN programming, but subject to change.
At 0000 WRMI switched to Radio Libertad, another Cuban clandestine, as scheduled, announced as via WRMI at 7-8 pm, ``contacto con el pueblo de Cuba``. República at 03-05 UT bumps off another Libertad hour to one hour later to 05-06 replacing English programming.
No jamming audible on 9955 until next check at 0058, by when WRMI was about to go back into English, totally blocked. This could be a problem UT Friday at 0130, rescheduled time for WORLD OF RADIO, but Richard Lemke in AB reported no interference at our other new time, UT Wednesday at 0230. WRMI`s NW antenna is still out of service.
Jeff later gave me some background on R. Libertad, including QSL info, which will be on WOR 1500 and DXLD 10-07 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 6250, RGE active with YL in Castilian news, Feb 17 at 0618, ute QRM on low side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 13m doing nicely Feb 17 at 1430, HQS on 21460, other service on 21505 // 21640. Checked 15435 at 1456 and carrier was already on, but forgot to modulate it until 1516:50, joining Arabic talk in progress, soon more Qur`an.
15435 replaces either 21505 or 21640, as 21460 continues another hour. At 1509, as normal, one service on 15225 and the other on 21460 // 13710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SWAZILAND [non]. 11640, TWR via SOUTH AFRICA, with low modulation the night before, back to normal Feb 17 at 0625 with African-accented preacher in English. Unusually, this was the SSOB = strongest signal on 25m band; Cuba e.g., on 11760 strength varies widely, and the `skip was long` tonight, making RHC JBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA. 7275, RTT checked again for exact time of cutoff during Arabic music, Feb 17: 0626:30 modulation stops, 0626:40* carrier off. Must be on a timer. But why? There is no pressing need for this transmitter on another frequency that we know of, at least not for broadcasting. Meanwhile same program continues on // 7335 until 0810v (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. VOA and jamming chex early UT Feb 17: VOA Spanish at 0015 on 5890, 9885: nothing but jamming audible on both.
A Fondo, at 0102: good with no jamming on 9415 and 7340, nothing on 11625, but the latter was also on, loud and clear at 0108 check. Meanwhile the old R. Martí frequencies supposedly carrying same joint-produxion hour, were nothing but jamming, 6030, 7365, 9825.
Lavwadlamerik at 0104 reconfirmed on 5835, 5960, 7465, but not on 7590 which had secretly been on at 23-01. 5835 also remains secret, missing from the Creole schedule at
http://author.voanews.com/english/about/frequenciesAtoZ_c.cfm
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DGIEST)
** U S A. WRMI: see CUBA [non]
** U S A. 15550-USB, WJHR, Milton FL, strongest yet heard, Feb 16 at 2135, S9+20 so maybe the new antenna is in use, or sporadic E is boosting signal, tho not up to VHF. Usual preacher railing against a hundred Bible translations since the KJV, which ``bomb out`` within a few years, just done for profit, and not sufficiently fundamental.
Needed attenuation to avoid pumping; 2157 had switched to gospel music and stopped promptly at 2200* Maybe they had an ID or sign-off before the music. I see that Mock has QSLed some P-mail reports with his ham card adapted, but not by E-mail?
At the moment, 2148, this was stronger than WBCQ 15420-CUSB which attained only S9+5 at modulation peaks by the androgynous anapaestic preacher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 17775, KVOH, Feb 16 at 2146, music at S9+22 level which should be enough to audiblize the spurs: yes, whine and noise blobs on fading 17920v and weaker 17630v; at 2153 could match talk modulation peaks on 17775 with 17920 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 1040.2, het on WHO, Feb 17 at 0632, first time noticed here, but source of it was quite a mystery started by Fred Schroyer in PA, eventually leading to ID by Barry McLarnon, Ont., as WJTB, North Ridgeville (Elyria) OH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Absolutely regular carriers cutting on and off every five seconds in this pattern, as monitored Feb 17 at 0612: 6719.5 at 00-01 second, pause half a second, 6720.4 at 01:30-02:30, pause for two and a half seconds, resume. With BFO one can choose whatever pitch of alternating tones is most satisfying. So what is this all about? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CHINA [non]. 9590, something in Arabic at 0635 Feb 17 with Celtic-sounding music, later Brahms, koto, quite a mix. It`s CRI via ALBANIA at 05-07 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** COSTA RICA. 15170, REE missing at 1419 Feb 17, allowing Romania unimpeded, which before 1500 normally happens only on Saturdays, but this is Wednesday. REE relay still going on 9765 // 11815. Such anomalies make us wonder if caused by installation of new DRM-capable transmitter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [non]. 9490, new frequency for R. República, apparently Sackville ex-9810, Feb 17 from *0003, VG signal at first with several dumps off and on, then stays on with sign-on, program summary including in EST = UT -5, i.e. 0000-0500:
8:00 pm, Frente a Frente
8:30 pm, Bloqueo
9:00 pm, La Revista de Ciencia y Tecnología
9:30 pm, Espacio Plural
10:00 pm, Atrévete, juvenil
10:30 pm, Palabra ---
11:00 pm, La --- Cubana, to interview Lincoln Díaz-Belart
y de inmediato
[7:05 pm], Recuento Informativo which followed at 0005:30.
9810 was still being jammed, and no jamming yet on 9490. If 9490 is Sackville, why is it stronger here than RCI English on 9755, 268 degrees? 31m signals from Europe at this time were all much weaker than 9490, except Portugal 9455, which always has a propagational advantage from the southwest corner.
By 0015, 9490 was weakening a bit; 0019 still announcing old schedule of 6-11 pm on 9810, lunes a domingo. Retune at 0057 they were announcing a different schedule but missed first part, including 9955, i.e. via WRMI, but at 0058 repeated ``9810 at 6-11 pm``, outdated info. At 0100 Frente a Frente [Butting Foreheads] started as I ceased monitoring.
Jeff White tells me the new R. República schedule is:
0000-0300 on 9490 UT Tue-Sat, and
0300-0500 on WRMI 9955 daily
I also heard WRMI 9955 just before 0000 UT with R. República theme music; Jeff says WRMI is also informally running R.R. at 22-24 UT weekdays, which amounts to an earlier sign-on than before, ex-WRN programming, but subject to change.
At 0000 WRMI switched to Radio Libertad, another Cuban clandestine, as scheduled, announced as via WRMI at 7-8 pm, ``contacto con el pueblo de Cuba``. República at 03-05 UT bumps off another Libertad hour to one hour later to 05-06 replacing English programming.
No jamming audible on 9955 until next check at 0058, by when WRMI was about to go back into English, totally blocked. This could be a problem UT Friday at 0130, rescheduled time for WORLD OF RADIO, but Richard Lemke in AB reported no interference at our other new time, UT Wednesday at 0230. WRMI`s NW antenna is still out of service.
Jeff later gave me some background on R. Libertad, including QSL info, which will be on WOR 1500 and DXLD 10-07 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 6250, RGE active with YL in Castilian news, Feb 17 at 0618, ute QRM on low side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 13m doing nicely Feb 17 at 1430, HQS on 21460, other service on 21505 // 21640. Checked 15435 at 1456 and carrier was already on, but forgot to modulate it until 1516:50, joining Arabic talk in progress, soon more Qur`an.
15435 replaces either 21505 or 21640, as 21460 continues another hour. At 1509, as normal, one service on 15225 and the other on 21460 // 13710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SWAZILAND [non]. 11640, TWR via SOUTH AFRICA, with low modulation the night before, back to normal Feb 17 at 0625 with African-accented preacher in English. Unusually, this was the SSOB = strongest signal on 25m band; Cuba e.g., on 11760 strength varies widely, and the `skip was long` tonight, making RHC JBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA. 7275, RTT checked again for exact time of cutoff during Arabic music, Feb 17: 0626:30 modulation stops, 0626:40* carrier off. Must be on a timer. But why? There is no pressing need for this transmitter on another frequency that we know of, at least not for broadcasting. Meanwhile same program continues on // 7335 until 0810v (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. VOA and jamming chex early UT Feb 17: VOA Spanish at 0015 on 5890, 9885: nothing but jamming audible on both.
A Fondo, at 0102: good with no jamming on 9415 and 7340, nothing on 11625, but the latter was also on, loud and clear at 0108 check. Meanwhile the old R. Martí frequencies supposedly carrying same joint-produxion hour, were nothing but jamming, 6030, 7365, 9825.
Lavwadlamerik at 0104 reconfirmed on 5835, 5960, 7465, but not on 7590 which had secretly been on at 23-01. 5835 also remains secret, missing from the Creole schedule at
http://author.voanews.com/english/about/frequenciesAtoZ_c.cfm
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DGIEST)
** U S A. WRMI: see CUBA [non]
** U S A. 15550-USB, WJHR, Milton FL, strongest yet heard, Feb 16 at 2135, S9+20 so maybe the new antenna is in use, or sporadic E is boosting signal, tho not up to VHF. Usual preacher railing against a hundred Bible translations since the KJV, which ``bomb out`` within a few years, just done for profit, and not sufficiently fundamental.
Needed attenuation to avoid pumping; 2157 had switched to gospel music and stopped promptly at 2200* Maybe they had an ID or sign-off before the music. I see that Mock has QSLed some P-mail reports with his ham card adapted, but not by E-mail?
At the moment, 2148, this was stronger than WBCQ 15420-CUSB which attained only S9+5 at modulation peaks by the androgynous anapaestic preacher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 17775, KVOH, Feb 16 at 2146, music at S9+22 level which should be enough to audiblize the spurs: yes, whine and noise blobs on fading 17920v and weaker 17630v; at 2153 could match talk modulation peaks on 17775 with 17920 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 1040.2, het on WHO, Feb 17 at 0632, first time noticed here, but source of it was quite a mystery started by Fred Schroyer in PA, eventually leading to ID by Barry McLarnon, Ont., as WJTB, North Ridgeville (Elyria) OH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. Absolutely regular carriers cutting on and off every five seconds in this pattern, as monitored Feb 17 at 0612: 6719.5 at 00-01 second, pause half a second, 6720.4 at 01:30-02:30, pause for two and a half seconds, resume. With BFO one can choose whatever pitch of alternating tones is most satisfying. So what is this all about? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
