** AUSTRALIA. 11660, RA at 1433 Sunday Feb 7, quiz asking ``what mythical Hindu bird is similar to the Phoenix?`` Contestant needed a hint: Indonesian airline. This is during the 4-hour, except for news on the hour ``Sunday Nights`` program at 12-16 per the RA program schedule:
``The program features talkback on an issue of topical interest (usually the first hour), an in-depth interview, the popular Inquizition quiz, great music, and the One O'Clock Chat Room.
Presenter: John Cleary``, see http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/
RA is currently scheduled on 11660, 13-17, 329 degrees from Shepparton (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. Arnie Coro`s henchmen at the DentroCuban Jamming Command are still attacking his former colleague at RHC, Keith Perron: UT Sunday Feb 7 at 0613, a repeat of Happy Station on WRMI 9955 vs jamming pulses. See USA: WRMI for more.
11760, Sunday Feb 7 at 1539 with VG signal unlike weekdays when they have switched to the other antenna/transmitter which is weaker at midday. Probably because still on same setup as for Esperanto 1500-1530 Sundays only. 1539 program had some memorias culturales of Cuban musicians in New York, during Formalmente Informal, which is normally heard weekdays at 1430 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also VENEZUELA [non]
** ETHIOPIA [and non]. 9560, Sunday Feb 7 at 1534 station in Chinese, with het whose pitch was constantly wavering. No doubt the latter is the perpetually off-frequency Ethiopia. Per WRTH, at 15-16 it`s carrying the clandestine Voice of Democratic Alliance, headquartered in Khartoum, against Eritrea, at the moment in Tigrinya, and also using Arabic, Afar, Kunama depending on day of week and which half hour. Aoki shows the Chinese as CRI via Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. 7475, ERT at 0650 Feb 7, fun music which another listener evaluated as ``beer drinking songs``, due to wavering amateur pitches and general level of enthusiasm, but this was really the Sunday morning trihour Voice of Greece dedicates to Greek Orthodox services, where there is no separation of church and state broadcaster.
But just as we were getting into it, cut off abruptly without announcement, explanation or apology, at 0652:35*. Yes, it`s time to retune that Avlis to 12105, come hell or high water. All we could do was retune to // 9420 for continuation, but much weaker there (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM [and non]. 11940, at 1430 Feb 7, English ID from KSDA, Agat, introducing program in a language I could not catch, due to co-channel from Romania. Aoki says it`s Karen daily following Chin daily at 1400-1430. Coincidentally, both stations are aiming 285 degrees from their respective sites, RRI`s being Galbeni, which due to their wide separation means there should be no conflict --- except way off here in deep North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MOROCCO [and non]. RTVM still on 15345 instead of 15341, Feb 7 at 1424, Arabic with perpetual whine out of transmitter. Have they also left 15341 completely earlier in the day? Morocco does not participate in HFCC, but we can`t help but wonder if as part of the just-concluded conference in Kuala Lumpur, representative of HCJB Australia somehow prevailed upon Morocco to get off 15341, especially since they weren`t running it on 15340, and always causing a het to HCJB using 15340 at 1145-1530, 307 degrees from Kununurra to Asia.
Aoki`s latest info was for B-08: `15340`, 09-15, RTVM, 250 kW, 110 degrees from Nador, then 15345 same parameters at 15-22. Making a shift at 1500 from 15340/1 to 15345 may have originally had some interference-avoiding purpose, no longer vigent and may as well be on 15345 from 0900.
Axually, in the best of all possible worlds, the current situation calls for RTVM to shift from 15345 back to 15340 sometime between 1530 and 1700 or 1800, liberating 15345 for ARGENTINA! Fat chance.
RAE was supposedly developing some kind of relationship with HFCC short of full participation requiring payment of dues, much less attending conferences in person. Did the Moroccans even show up as informal observers when a recent HFCC was held in nextdoor Tunisia? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. VOR`s English to NAm frequencies in the 06-07 UT hour, 9840 and 9855, from Pet/Kam and Vladivostok respectively, have not been making it here the past several weeks during the darkest nights of winter; but a bit of solar flux and tilting toward spring helped audiblize them Feb 7 at 0646, during some story-telling.
As before, 9840 quite a bit stronger than 9855, but 9840 has co-channel QRM under from the other Russian transmission from Moscow area in a prime example of self-defeating frequency planning. // 12030 if still in use, is even less likely to propagate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [non]. Another check of the collision on 15670, Sunday Feb 7: already on at 1418, not anything African, but Celine Dion with some of her popular hits, still at 1427; and ``We Are the World`` on and on at 1437, presumably including her participation. Is this really being outsent by Miraya FM from Sudan, or from somewhere else as prélude to the intentional relay via Rimavská Sobota, SLOVAKIA?
By 1459 reception had worsened, still music; 1504 could tell they were now in expected programming, mixing English and Arabic about Southern Sudan.
At 1513 the fluttery 15670 signal had SAH, I think, from the Pridnestrovye transmitter already upwarming open carrier as also noted yesterday. At 1529, the Russian tuneup tones were ending and 1530 starting Radio Mada audio mixing about equally with Miraya and SAH of almost 3 Hz.
Alfredo Cotroneo of NEXUS says there is no QRM from Mada in Miraya`s Sudan target area, so doesn`t plan to move. That may be, but Madagascar is only 10 degrees away from the 160-degree azimuth out of Slovakia, so Mada listeners are likely to have a problem with Miraya.
Anyhow, there`s no point in going head to head when plenty of clear frequencies are available nearby such as 15660 and 15680, where Miraya should have gone in the first place, ex-9825. Altho Mada was on 15670 first, since its usage is relatively brief, it should make the shift. Tune in next weekend (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 9440, Feb 7 at 0647 XYLs discussing, with babies constantly crying and wailing in the background (thus I assume the women are not mere YLs). 0658 mention BBC World Service, and Nigeria, off at 0659:30. Had not noticed this before, Hausa via Ascension at 0630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA
** U S A. While 15390 was missing for a while, it`s back as the third frequency for the 22-23 UT hour of Lavwadlamerik, Feb 6 at 2221 check // 13725 and 11905. Also reconfirmed 7590 still in use at least during the 00-01 hour, at 0013 Feb 7.
A Fondo, the new VOA/Martí collaboration, was originally announced as M-F only, tho still listed on the VOA A-Z schedule as daily 01-02. But nothing on 7340, 9415 and 11625 at 0140 check Feb 7, so it really is off weekends (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO confirmed on new 4775 via WWCR, UT Sundays 0330, checked Feb 7, ex-5070. Our apologies to the Djiboutians, and those who would DX them, but it was not our idea. I suppose it`s still possible if they turn 4780 on a few minutes before 0300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WRMI, 9955: at 1503 Feb 7, R. Prague relay in English fairly audible without jamming; more of a problem, overload from PPP WWCR 9980. 1536 during Baseball Mexico, Bruce Baskin mentioning various teams including the Chihuahua somethings. This certainly is a curious program, but he does his best to make an obscure subject interesting in a non-native language.
WORLD OF RADIO reconfirmed after 1615 Sunday when I was only checking webcast. 16-18 UT programming on weekends repeats at 18-20, i.e. WORLD OF RADIO again at 1815. At 1825 check, I could hear nothing but jamming on 9955, wondering if WRMI is now on the air, but WOR confirmed repeating then on webcast.
Yet another playback of WOR is on the schedule for 2000 UT Sunday; can anyone hear that on 9955? It`s the last until Tuesday at 1630 and new UT Wednesday 0230 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More jamming: see CUBA
** U S A [and non]. 11715, KJES at 1432 Feb 7, steady S9+12 dominating Lampertheim, kids singing with guitar, then into robokids copying catechisms prompted by adult. Wanted to tell whether RVA relay via Vatican during the next hour was mass in English instead of Tagalog as heard a few Sundays ago, but still too much KJES to discern that, also causing low het (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VENEZUELA [non]. Aló, Presidente check Sunday Feb 7 at 1824: all five frequencies via CUBA audible with El Hugazo speaking, in order of decreasing strength: 12010, 13750, 11690, 17750, 13680. But 11690 had SAH and co-channel in Hausa, i.e. DW via RWANDA during this hour. I never catch exactly when A,P is starting now; has anyone? RHC long ago gave up doing its own prologue from 1400, despite displaying that on its schedules. And where`s Calabazo?? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15570, once again with strong open carrier, and some hum, Feb 7 at 1500, splatter from Portugal 15560. Presumably Greenville test before coming up later on 15580 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
``The program features talkback on an issue of topical interest (usually the first hour), an in-depth interview, the popular Inquizition quiz, great music, and the One O'Clock Chat Room.
Presenter: John Cleary``, see http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/
RA is currently scheduled on 11660, 13-17, 329 degrees from Shepparton (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. Arnie Coro`s henchmen at the DentroCuban Jamming Command are still attacking his former colleague at RHC, Keith Perron: UT Sunday Feb 7 at 0613, a repeat of Happy Station on WRMI 9955 vs jamming pulses. See USA: WRMI for more.
11760, Sunday Feb 7 at 1539 with VG signal unlike weekdays when they have switched to the other antenna/transmitter which is weaker at midday. Probably because still on same setup as for Esperanto 1500-1530 Sundays only. 1539 program had some memorias culturales of Cuban musicians in New York, during Formalmente Informal, which is normally heard weekdays at 1430 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also VENEZUELA [non]
** ETHIOPIA [and non]. 9560, Sunday Feb 7 at 1534 station in Chinese, with het whose pitch was constantly wavering. No doubt the latter is the perpetually off-frequency Ethiopia. Per WRTH, at 15-16 it`s carrying the clandestine Voice of Democratic Alliance, headquartered in Khartoum, against Eritrea, at the moment in Tigrinya, and also using Arabic, Afar, Kunama depending on day of week and which half hour. Aoki shows the Chinese as CRI via Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. 7475, ERT at 0650 Feb 7, fun music which another listener evaluated as ``beer drinking songs``, due to wavering amateur pitches and general level of enthusiasm, but this was really the Sunday morning trihour Voice of Greece dedicates to Greek Orthodox services, where there is no separation of church and state broadcaster.
But just as we were getting into it, cut off abruptly without announcement, explanation or apology, at 0652:35*. Yes, it`s time to retune that Avlis to 12105, come hell or high water. All we could do was retune to // 9420 for continuation, but much weaker there (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM [and non]. 11940, at 1430 Feb 7, English ID from KSDA, Agat, introducing program in a language I could not catch, due to co-channel from Romania. Aoki says it`s Karen daily following Chin daily at 1400-1430. Coincidentally, both stations are aiming 285 degrees from their respective sites, RRI`s being Galbeni, which due to their wide separation means there should be no conflict --- except way off here in deep North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MOROCCO [and non]. RTVM still on 15345 instead of 15341, Feb 7 at 1424, Arabic with perpetual whine out of transmitter. Have they also left 15341 completely earlier in the day? Morocco does not participate in HFCC, but we can`t help but wonder if as part of the just-concluded conference in Kuala Lumpur, representative of HCJB Australia somehow prevailed upon Morocco to get off 15341, especially since they weren`t running it on 15340, and always causing a het to HCJB using 15340 at 1145-1530, 307 degrees from Kununurra to Asia.
Aoki`s latest info was for B-08: `15340`, 09-15, RTVM, 250 kW, 110 degrees from Nador, then 15345 same parameters at 15-22. Making a shift at 1500 from 15340/1 to 15345 may have originally had some interference-avoiding purpose, no longer vigent and may as well be on 15345 from 0900.
Axually, in the best of all possible worlds, the current situation calls for RTVM to shift from 15345 back to 15340 sometime between 1530 and 1700 or 1800, liberating 15345 for ARGENTINA! Fat chance.
RAE was supposedly developing some kind of relationship with HFCC short of full participation requiring payment of dues, much less attending conferences in person. Did the Moroccans even show up as informal observers when a recent HFCC was held in nextdoor Tunisia? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA. VOR`s English to NAm frequencies in the 06-07 UT hour, 9840 and 9855, from Pet/Kam and Vladivostok respectively, have not been making it here the past several weeks during the darkest nights of winter; but a bit of solar flux and tilting toward spring helped audiblize them Feb 7 at 0646, during some story-telling.
As before, 9840 quite a bit stronger than 9855, but 9840 has co-channel QRM under from the other Russian transmission from Moscow area in a prime example of self-defeating frequency planning. // 12030 if still in use, is even less likely to propagate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [non]. Another check of the collision on 15670, Sunday Feb 7: already on at 1418, not anything African, but Celine Dion with some of her popular hits, still at 1427; and ``We Are the World`` on and on at 1437, presumably including her participation. Is this really being outsent by Miraya FM from Sudan, or from somewhere else as prélude to the intentional relay via Rimavská Sobota, SLOVAKIA?
By 1459 reception had worsened, still music; 1504 could tell they were now in expected programming, mixing English and Arabic about Southern Sudan.
At 1513 the fluttery 15670 signal had SAH, I think, from the Pridnestrovye transmitter already upwarming open carrier as also noted yesterday. At 1529, the Russian tuneup tones were ending and 1530 starting Radio Mada audio mixing about equally with Miraya and SAH of almost 3 Hz.
Alfredo Cotroneo of NEXUS says there is no QRM from Mada in Miraya`s Sudan target area, so doesn`t plan to move. That may be, but Madagascar is only 10 degrees away from the 160-degree azimuth out of Slovakia, so Mada listeners are likely to have a problem with Miraya.
Anyhow, there`s no point in going head to head when plenty of clear frequencies are available nearby such as 15660 and 15680, where Miraya should have gone in the first place, ex-9825. Altho Mada was on 15670 first, since its usage is relatively brief, it should make the shift. Tune in next weekend (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 9440, Feb 7 at 0647 XYLs discussing, with babies constantly crying and wailing in the background (thus I assume the women are not mere YLs). 0658 mention BBC World Service, and Nigeria, off at 0659:30. Had not noticed this before, Hausa via Ascension at 0630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA
** U S A. While 15390 was missing for a while, it`s back as the third frequency for the 22-23 UT hour of Lavwadlamerik, Feb 6 at 2221 check // 13725 and 11905. Also reconfirmed 7590 still in use at least during the 00-01 hour, at 0013 Feb 7.
A Fondo, the new VOA/Martí collaboration, was originally announced as M-F only, tho still listed on the VOA A-Z schedule as daily 01-02. But nothing on 7340, 9415 and 11625 at 0140 check Feb 7, so it really is off weekends (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO confirmed on new 4775 via WWCR, UT Sundays 0330, checked Feb 7, ex-5070. Our apologies to the Djiboutians, and those who would DX them, but it was not our idea. I suppose it`s still possible if they turn 4780 on a few minutes before 0300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WRMI, 9955: at 1503 Feb 7, R. Prague relay in English fairly audible without jamming; more of a problem, overload from PPP WWCR 9980. 1536 during Baseball Mexico, Bruce Baskin mentioning various teams including the Chihuahua somethings. This certainly is a curious program, but he does his best to make an obscure subject interesting in a non-native language.
WORLD OF RADIO reconfirmed after 1615 Sunday when I was only checking webcast. 16-18 UT programming on weekends repeats at 18-20, i.e. WORLD OF RADIO again at 1815. At 1825 check, I could hear nothing but jamming on 9955, wondering if WRMI is now on the air, but WOR confirmed repeating then on webcast.
Yet another playback of WOR is on the schedule for 2000 UT Sunday; can anyone hear that on 9955? It`s the last until Tuesday at 1630 and new UT Wednesday 0230 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More jamming: see CUBA
** U S A [and non]. 11715, KJES at 1432 Feb 7, steady S9+12 dominating Lampertheim, kids singing with guitar, then into robokids copying catechisms prompted by adult. Wanted to tell whether RVA relay via Vatican during the next hour was mass in English instead of Tagalog as heard a few Sundays ago, but still too much KJES to discern that, also causing low het (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VENEZUELA [non]. Aló, Presidente check Sunday Feb 7 at 1824: all five frequencies via CUBA audible with El Hugazo speaking, in order of decreasing strength: 12010, 13750, 11690, 17750, 13680. But 11690 had SAH and co-channel in Hausa, i.e. DW via RWANDA during this hour. I never catch exactly when A,P is starting now; has anyone? RHC long ago gave up doing its own prologue from 1400, despite displaying that on its schedules. And where`s Calabazo?? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15570, once again with strong open carrier, and some hum, Feb 7 at 1500, splatter from Portugal 15560. Presumably Greenville test before coming up later on 15580 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
