** BELGIUM. Since RTBF and VRT are gone from SWBC, we must try other bands to DX this diminished country. After hearing SP1NL on 21290-USB, see POLAND, Feb 20 at 1442 I was getting another station saying ``oscar radio two radio`` several times, presumably meant to imply that was his own callsign and he wished to talk to someone else, probably not Poland due to skip distance. Later gave his name as John, which fits QRZ.com: OR2R, John Lauryssen, Rotenaard 14, B-2650 Edegem, Belgium. BTW, the fonetik for R is Romeo, if for O you say Oscar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. See last few reports: One more check of 7220 at 1359 Feb 20: there is the REE IS again and today reception is much better so I can tell that at 1400 it cuts to the CRI opening theme, ID as always first in Chinese, but second ID in language obscured by QRhAM, which continues almost without break from ragchewers, but at least they are off to one side.
Continuous talk, no doubt opening newscast, in non-tonal South Asian language; 1410 music fragment and next show including bits of Chinese for voice-over translation. I also hear occasional beeps roughly once a minute but irregularly, not sure out of this transmitter or the hams, which sometimes emit beeps as they start or stop transmission. Still going past 1430.
So it seems the REE IS is just a switching error at some CRI site, and has nothing to do with any intentional REE broadcast before or after. Probably the language to follow is on the same satellite feed channel from Beijing as the 12-14 UT REE relay in Spanish intended to be transmitted only from Xi`an on 11910.
I`ll bet a satellite DXer such as Mark Fahey in NSW could hear the same thing on the appropriate transponder. IBB makes the same kind of mistake on SW with bits of R. Netherlands in English via Tinian.
CRI broadcasts in all these Asian languages at 1400, per EiBi: Amoy, Bengali, Burmese, English, Japanese, Khmer, Mandarin, Mongolian, Russian, Sinhala, Tamil, Vietnamese, but there is one more which fits exactly on 7220:
Nepali, via Kunming. The Nepalis must be wondering why they hear the REE IS just before their hour. Aren`t the Kunmingis paying attention to what they outsend? I love a mystery, especially when I can solve it.
At 1500, CRI 7220 switches language and site to Japanese via Jinhua, and that is a regular here, aimed 59 degrees and also USward, well heard at 1505 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11880, DCJC pulses coming and going Feb 20 at 1512, probably spurs of 11930 jammer against Radio Martí, which has similar pulses best audible on the sides down to 11915. Often these only come out as clix on the spurs ~50 kHz away (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CYPRUS. OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, Feb 20 at 1436 at 21540-21565, bothering Spain on 21540 but not 21570. With all that vacant spectrum above 18 MHz, why does this have to be inside a broadcast band?!?!
Same type of pulsing occupying 15150-15180 at 1524 but no broadcasters audible amid. There were several frequencies scheduled in use but strangely, all ending at 1500 except 15175, AIR Gujarati via Goa at 1515-1600, per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MADAGASCAR [non]. Another weekend, and will R. Mada finally quit colliding with Miraya FM? I start checking 15670 at 1521 Feb 20, when the Miraya signal from Sudan via Slovakia is quite poor and fluttery, hard to tell if another carrier is involved.
Nothing on 15680 or 15660, my suggested alternatives from Radio Mada. At 1527, 15670 Miraya has rapid flutter circa 10 Hz which I suspect is a SAH, but apparently not, because:
At 1529 there is a stronger open carrier on 15660, but also with heavy flutter, peaking S9+5. Undermodulated talk starts late about 1530:25, brief jingle, and intonation sounds French; 1531 cut to better mod, YL maybe on phone line. Not sure if totally in French, mixed with Malagasy or French-accented Malagasy. Also has long/short-path echo, from Pridnestrovye site.
Anyhow, both services are now on clear frequencies after more than a month of colliding, so a cause for celebration: R Mada on new 15660 Sat & Sun 1530-1600. We have been wondering how much longer this will last anyway as the post-coup political situation in Madagascar evolves (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MOROCCO. Missing the day before, RTM is back on 15341, Feb 20 at 1420 with music, lite het presumably from HCJB Australia 15340 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** POLAND. 21290-USB, at 1438 Feb 20, SP1NL with curtailed contest-type contacts, gave his call repeatedly fonetically, and spelt handle; listed at qrz.com as LESZEK BRANCEWICZ, KODRAB, 72-518 LADZIN, Poland. 13m has been open for several days with broadcasters, but not much activity until now on ``15m`` hamband, mostly below 21325 or so. See also BELGIUM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAUDI ARABIA. At the breakfast table with insensitive DX-390, as I was enjoying my semi-grapefruit primarily with my right hand, Feb 20 at 1455 I punched up 21640 with my left hand in order to note exactly when that BSKSA Riyadh transmitter would go off: 1455:40* after a dekasecond of deadair.
Then I retune to 15435 to note exactly when it would cut on: 1457:04, joining in progress Arabic talk which had been so rudely interrupted on 21640, tough for listeners who may have axually been attentive to the topic, missing a sesquiminute of it, assuming they knew where to retune, not announced.
Can`t be sure it was the same transmitter, as 21505 also closes about the same time; as does 17895 but that`s the other service, HQ moving to 15225. After breakfast I write this down in my logbook with my right hand, and then transcribe it and embellish for this log report with ten fingers touch-typing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [non]. REE IS on 7220: see CHINA
** TURKEY. 15480, no sign of TRT or any signal here at 1425 Feb 20, lending credence to my theory that its presence Feb 18 past 1500 was an operational error long past scheduled 1400* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15610, WEWN with solid S9+12 signal tnx to sporadic E patch over Arkansas halfway between, Feb 20 at 1518. With BFO on, mushy parasitic spurs also audible around 15600 and 15620.
Looking over the WEWN frequency schedule, I would say from numerous logs over the past months that these frequencies radiate the spurs:
15610, 13835, 11520, i.e. the English service.
Have not noticed it from Spanish frequencies 5810, 7555, 11870, 12050.
I think I have noticed it with other Spanish frequencies 11550, 13830 altho not logged lately.
It seems the hash always accompanies one of the transmitters, but audibility depends on strength of the fundamental, and they are also more obvious when another station risks running only 10 kHz away, e.g. WYFR on 11530, 15600, WWCR on 13845 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Correlating with lite 50 MHz skip activity as displayed on DX Sherlock, a bit later at 1550 UT Feb 20, Michigan to south Texas, I had been getting WEWN, q.v., with solid S9+12 signal on 15600, 15610 and 15620 at 1518 check; and also solid S9+15 from WWCR 15825 and 13845 at 1517.
Another 6m ham contact was displayed between Colorado and the TX Gulf coast SW of Houston, which also correlates with large steady S9+18 signal thanks to that other Es patch over west Texas, from KJES NM, Feb 20 at 1537 on 11715, with adult reading verses in stilted 17th-century English, way over lite het from RVA via VATICAN which is on-frequency unlike KJES, Catholix vs pseudo-Catholix. KJES modulation somewhat distorted and low, but sufficient considering the signal strength.
Is anyone else correlating SWBC signal levels in North America with sporadic E openings which may or may not reach VHF? I don`t see any such reports. This is quite obvious when stations normally too close, in their skip-zone by F2 layer, inboom instead. Altho it helps to have been a VHF DXer for 55 years.
From before 1600 past 1800 UT I also monitored channel 2 for signs of analog TVDX from Mexico, but MUF did not make it, and 6m activity map also cleared up. Zero activity also on the TV/FM Skip Log! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWCR-3, 7490, Feb 20 at 1425 quick check, still running Musical Memories with Martha Garvin, the piano lady, instead of Country Crossroads with Bill Mack, as still appears on the February 1 pdf program guide for 1400 Saturdays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15550-USB, WJHR, poor signal Feb 20 at 1532 as the overconfident preacher references II Timothy: 3, with splatter from RDPI 15560 worst during applause and music. But Iran 15545 in Arabic weak and no problem today. WJHR still going at 1820 check, weak but now with no QRM (Glenn Hasuer, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15420 at 1526 Feb 20, BBC had variable het on it, presumably WBCQ transmitter warming up for the Brother Scare Sabbath, but could not make out any modulation from him. This week did not keep listening to find when WBCQ would add the mod; unneeded anyway with plenty of BS on 9385 WWRB at 1534, and also one second before it on 17485 via GERMANY, R. G. screaming his lungs out, possessed as he is by the Holy Spirit (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WTWW was allegedly going to test with Pastor Pete Peters all day Feb 20 from 1600 UT until 0400 Sunday, as heard by Thomas Nyberg, announced by PPP on WWCR 5890 --- but no show here from 1600 past 1800 on 9480; if on between 19 and 22 would be 9475, then back to 9480 or 5755 until 0400. Since he is already 24/7 via huge signals from WWCR, it beats me why PPP would want to be on WTWW also, same bands from same state, virtually same coverage. But the ego of Aryan gospel huxters can never be overestimated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. Since BBCWS has quit its special Creole service to Haiti, that reverts 9410 to WHRI-available programming Sat & Sun 12-13. Once upon a time, DXing with Cumbre was scheduled both days at 1200, so I check Sat Feb 20 at 1207: not even on the air, just hearing the China radio war weakly between Fu Hsing, and CNR5 per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CHINA. See last few reports: One more check of 7220 at 1359 Feb 20: there is the REE IS again and today reception is much better so I can tell that at 1400 it cuts to the CRI opening theme, ID as always first in Chinese, but second ID in language obscured by QRhAM, which continues almost without break from ragchewers, but at least they are off to one side.
Continuous talk, no doubt opening newscast, in non-tonal South Asian language; 1410 music fragment and next show including bits of Chinese for voice-over translation. I also hear occasional beeps roughly once a minute but irregularly, not sure out of this transmitter or the hams, which sometimes emit beeps as they start or stop transmission. Still going past 1430.
So it seems the REE IS is just a switching error at some CRI site, and has nothing to do with any intentional REE broadcast before or after. Probably the language to follow is on the same satellite feed channel from Beijing as the 12-14 UT REE relay in Spanish intended to be transmitted only from Xi`an on 11910.
I`ll bet a satellite DXer such as Mark Fahey in NSW could hear the same thing on the appropriate transponder. IBB makes the same kind of mistake on SW with bits of R. Netherlands in English via Tinian.
CRI broadcasts in all these Asian languages at 1400, per EiBi: Amoy, Bengali, Burmese, English, Japanese, Khmer, Mandarin, Mongolian, Russian, Sinhala, Tamil, Vietnamese, but there is one more which fits exactly on 7220:
Nepali, via Kunming. The Nepalis must be wondering why they hear the REE IS just before their hour. Aren`t the Kunmingis paying attention to what they outsend? I love a mystery, especially when I can solve it.
At 1500, CRI 7220 switches language and site to Japanese via Jinhua, and that is a regular here, aimed 59 degrees and also USward, well heard at 1505 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11880, DCJC pulses coming and going Feb 20 at 1512, probably spurs of 11930 jammer against Radio Martí, which has similar pulses best audible on the sides down to 11915. Often these only come out as clix on the spurs ~50 kHz away (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CYPRUS. OTH radar pulses, presumed from here, Feb 20 at 1436 at 21540-21565, bothering Spain on 21540 but not 21570. With all that vacant spectrum above 18 MHz, why does this have to be inside a broadcast band?!?!
Same type of pulsing occupying 15150-15180 at 1524 but no broadcasters audible amid. There were several frequencies scheduled in use but strangely, all ending at 1500 except 15175, AIR Gujarati via Goa at 1515-1600, per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MADAGASCAR [non]. Another weekend, and will R. Mada finally quit colliding with Miraya FM? I start checking 15670 at 1521 Feb 20, when the Miraya signal from Sudan via Slovakia is quite poor and fluttery, hard to tell if another carrier is involved.
Nothing on 15680 or 15660, my suggested alternatives from Radio Mada. At 1527, 15670 Miraya has rapid flutter circa 10 Hz which I suspect is a SAH, but apparently not, because:
At 1529 there is a stronger open carrier on 15660, but also with heavy flutter, peaking S9+5. Undermodulated talk starts late about 1530:25, brief jingle, and intonation sounds French; 1531 cut to better mod, YL maybe on phone line. Not sure if totally in French, mixed with Malagasy or French-accented Malagasy. Also has long/short-path echo, from Pridnestrovye site.
Anyhow, both services are now on clear frequencies after more than a month of colliding, so a cause for celebration: R Mada on new 15660 Sat & Sun 1530-1600. We have been wondering how much longer this will last anyway as the post-coup political situation in Madagascar evolves (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MOROCCO. Missing the day before, RTM is back on 15341, Feb 20 at 1420 with music, lite het presumably from HCJB Australia 15340 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** POLAND. 21290-USB, at 1438 Feb 20, SP1NL with curtailed contest-type contacts, gave his call repeatedly fonetically, and spelt handle; listed at qrz.com as LESZEK BRANCEWICZ, KODRAB, 72-518 LADZIN, Poland. 13m has been open for several days with broadcasters, but not much activity until now on ``15m`` hamband, mostly below 21325 or so. See also BELGIUM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAUDI ARABIA. At the breakfast table with insensitive DX-390, as I was enjoying my semi-grapefruit primarily with my right hand, Feb 20 at 1455 I punched up 21640 with my left hand in order to note exactly when that BSKSA Riyadh transmitter would go off: 1455:40* after a dekasecond of deadair.
Then I retune to 15435 to note exactly when it would cut on: 1457:04, joining in progress Arabic talk which had been so rudely interrupted on 21640, tough for listeners who may have axually been attentive to the topic, missing a sesquiminute of it, assuming they knew where to retune, not announced.
Can`t be sure it was the same transmitter, as 21505 also closes about the same time; as does 17895 but that`s the other service, HQ moving to 15225. After breakfast I write this down in my logbook with my right hand, and then transcribe it and embellish for this log report with ten fingers touch-typing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [non]. REE IS on 7220: see CHINA
** TURKEY. 15480, no sign of TRT or any signal here at 1425 Feb 20, lending credence to my theory that its presence Feb 18 past 1500 was an operational error long past scheduled 1400* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15610, WEWN with solid S9+12 signal tnx to sporadic E patch over Arkansas halfway between, Feb 20 at 1518. With BFO on, mushy parasitic spurs also audible around 15600 and 15620.
Looking over the WEWN frequency schedule, I would say from numerous logs over the past months that these frequencies radiate the spurs:
15610, 13835, 11520, i.e. the English service.
Have not noticed it from Spanish frequencies 5810, 7555, 11870, 12050.
I think I have noticed it with other Spanish frequencies 11550, 13830 altho not logged lately.
It seems the hash always accompanies one of the transmitters, but audibility depends on strength of the fundamental, and they are also more obvious when another station risks running only 10 kHz away, e.g. WYFR on 11530, 15600, WWCR on 13845 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Correlating with lite 50 MHz skip activity as displayed on DX Sherlock, a bit later at 1550 UT Feb 20, Michigan to south Texas, I had been getting WEWN, q.v., with solid S9+12 signal on 15600, 15610 and 15620 at 1518 check; and also solid S9+15 from WWCR 15825 and 13845 at 1517.
Another 6m ham contact was displayed between Colorado and the TX Gulf coast SW of Houston, which also correlates with large steady S9+18 signal thanks to that other Es patch over west Texas, from KJES NM, Feb 20 at 1537 on 11715, with adult reading verses in stilted 17th-century English, way over lite het from RVA via VATICAN which is on-frequency unlike KJES, Catholix vs pseudo-Catholix. KJES modulation somewhat distorted and low, but sufficient considering the signal strength.
Is anyone else correlating SWBC signal levels in North America with sporadic E openings which may or may not reach VHF? I don`t see any such reports. This is quite obvious when stations normally too close, in their skip-zone by F2 layer, inboom instead. Altho it helps to have been a VHF DXer for 55 years.
From before 1600 past 1800 UT I also monitored channel 2 for signs of analog TVDX from Mexico, but MUF did not make it, and 6m activity map also cleared up. Zero activity also on the TV/FM Skip Log! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWCR-3, 7490, Feb 20 at 1425 quick check, still running Musical Memories with Martha Garvin, the piano lady, instead of Country Crossroads with Bill Mack, as still appears on the February 1 pdf program guide for 1400 Saturdays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15550-USB, WJHR, poor signal Feb 20 at 1532 as the overconfident preacher references II Timothy: 3, with splatter from RDPI 15560 worst during applause and music. But Iran 15545 in Arabic weak and no problem today. WJHR still going at 1820 check, weak but now with no QRM (Glenn Hasuer, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15420 at 1526 Feb 20, BBC had variable het on it, presumably WBCQ transmitter warming up for the Brother Scare Sabbath, but could not make out any modulation from him. This week did not keep listening to find when WBCQ would add the mod; unneeded anyway with plenty of BS on 9385 WWRB at 1534, and also one second before it on 17485 via GERMANY, R. G. screaming his lungs out, possessed as he is by the Holy Spirit (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WTWW was allegedly going to test with Pastor Pete Peters all day Feb 20 from 1600 UT until 0400 Sunday, as heard by Thomas Nyberg, announced by PPP on WWCR 5890 --- but no show here from 1600 past 1800 on 9480; if on between 19 and 22 would be 9475, then back to 9480 or 5755 until 0400. Since he is already 24/7 via huge signals from WWCR, it beats me why PPP would want to be on WTWW also, same bands from same state, virtually same coverage. But the ego of Aryan gospel huxters can never be overestimated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. Since BBCWS has quit its special Creole service to Haiti, that reverts 9410 to WHRI-available programming Sat & Sun 12-13. Once upon a time, DXing with Cumbre was scheduled both days at 1200, so I check Sat Feb 20 at 1207: not even on the air, just hearing the China radio war weakly between Fu Hsing, and CNR5 per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
