** CANADA [non]. For those who haven`t been keeping up with our DX/SWL/MEDIA programs reference, http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html
a reminder that CKUT`s International Radio Report is now getting a regular airing on WBCQ`s Area 51, Sundays at 2230 on 5110.
Checked at 2255 Feb 28, Sheldon Harvey was mentioning the imminent Winter SWL Fest #23 that he would be attending, having missed only two of them since they started. Seems Sheldon, ex-host and subbing this year for Janice, does most of the talking now on the IRR. One can also retrieve it from the CKUT archive for 10:30 am Sundays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [and non]. 9490, VOA World News Now, on 200 degree beam from Tinang, PHILIPPINES at 22-24, is nevertheless quite regular back here in deep NAm. Fair Feb 28 at 2240, but with something else underneath. The only thing scheduled is CRI Spanish, 150 kW from Beijing site at 318 degree azimuth, northwestward, for Europe? It is indeed right across Spain, but the official targets are CIRAF 12-14, most of South America beyond.
I wonder how well it does there? Signal goes right down the Brazilian coast, which is not part of the CIRAF target, and focuses on central Argentina, which is the antipodes of the Beijing area. After 2257, VOA is in the clear. Earlier in the hour, WTWW 9480 was too strong to hear much on 9490 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ECUADOR [non]. 12025, Feb 28 at 2141 VG signal in Arabic, YL giving a website with English words in it but she spells them with French pronunciation, and then gives an address in Spain! How`s that for multinationalism?
It`s HCJB`s Arabic half-sesquihour at 2100 transmitted from Sackville, which HCJB Global HQ in Colorado assured me is really their own ministry, except they dont`t call it HCJB; nor did I hear anything about the obsolete Andes.
The website given was http://www.arabicbroadcasting.com which should pull in a lot of generic searchers who aren`t expecting this to be from Christian crusaders. The homepage partly in English is also seemingly secular until you dig further and look at program titles.
At 2143 she gave an Apdo. In Málaga, Espagne; 2144 cut to several iterations of the RCI IS and ID, and off. We appreciate the transmitter site not being veiled, unlike Radio República relays, but does this not imply that the Canadian government somehow endorses what HCJB is doing, rather than merely selling them airtime?
The casual Arabic listener might even think the program has some produxion connexion with RCI which has other Arabic broadcasts of its own. They ought to include a disclaimer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT. 9390, at 2244 Feb 28, R. Cairo no doubt again the source of strong but unmodulated carrier except for lite whine of slightly higher pitch than 9330, with similar flutter rate; see SYRIA for further discussion. 9390 is supposed to bear the Portuguese service for Brasil at 2215-2330. What a farce (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAHAN [non]. 9955, WRMI fair but jamming-free at 2236 Sunday Feb 28 during AWR Wavescan, Jeff White reading script about broadcasting in Tajikistan which will also appear in the next DXLD (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. The Crystal Ship tipped us to another Sunday evening broadcast on 5385, and there it was at 2327 check Feb 28 with music, good signal tho not as strong as Cuba 5025 or Mauritania 4845. More like 5385.2. Unfortunately, too much going on to stop and listen. Still going at 0101 March 1. I am adding their E-QSL recently received for a previous broadcast, to my gallery at
http://www.worldofradio.com/QSL.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PRIDNESTROVYE. Since it`s UT Sunday, Radio PMR is back after its 2-day weekend break, Feb 28 at 2252 in English, good signal on 6240. The first thing I hear is propaganda, ``victorious fatherland`` about a 1972 memorial on the 28th anniversary of the liberation of Tiraspol from the Nazis. So now it is the 38th anniversary of the 28th anniversary! Get over it? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SYRIA. 9330, Feb 28 at 2237, S9+10 open carrier with a lot of flutter. Has got to be R. Damascus, as nothing else is ever registered on this frequency except WBCQ earlier, and it was certainly not that. Nothing audible on 12085 supposed to be // for Spanish hour at 22-23, so either off or just way above the prevailing MUF. See EGYPT, similar signal and flutter on 9390, while e.g. Greece 9420 at a somewhat lower latitude path had no such flutter, S9+15. By 2244 I found the 9330 carrier, nominally 500 kW, 250 degrees from Adra, peaking at S9+18.
Both 9330 and 9390 had lite whines, the pitch slightly lower on 9330. Perhaps these units are siblings, dating from the good ol` UAR days? As I strained to hear any modulation at all on 9330, I also compared it to other `330 signals such as CHU and decided Syria was a smidgin on the low side. Next check at 2302 found 9330 had gone off, altho registered for a further broadcast in Arabic until 0040. Perhaps the Syrians find it more appropriate to broadcast nothing in Spanish, than nothing in Arabic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9480, WTWW`s program testing resumed Feb 28, heard until 2032 with Pastor Pete Peters who seems to be the default audio source, but we must not assume he will wind up the 24/7 occupant; then switching to gospel music.
Next check 2111, had started live remote from the National Religious Broadcasters convention at Opryland in Nashville, Ted Randall interviewing some religionists bashing public education.
Extremely strong signal with splatter as far as India on 9445, which used to have a clear shot here with its relatively weak signal. At 2217 I could even match a music spur on 9298 with 9480. And then further peaks around 9325, 9350 and 9445, still at 2233 during talk. WTWW splatter range varies, but at 2235 I can hear the audio as far as 9520 on the other side.
Now we have two huge signals from TN in the daytime on 31m, this and WWCR 9980, each splattering and desensitizing significant portions of the band. Inadvisable to try to listen to anything closer to 9480, but relented a bit later, perhaps with slightly weakening fundamental strength; see CHINA 9490.
Next guests discussed how Christianity is doing in China. At 2201 the WTWW canned ID from near the banks of the Upper Cumberland River, was skipping words, and then some music was wowing heavily for six minutes, as if a tape were snagging, if not a warped LP; or is this a modern digital effect? 2208 another canned ID, this time no skipping, and more music. Still buggy, I guess.
2220 next check, Ted is interviewing someone from Galcom about their marvellous solar-powered fix-tuned radios, e.g. in Colombia they can get not one but two frequencies! Switchable between 5910 and 6010 for different degrees of evangelism from Colombia para Cristo. Ted thinx these are really cool and seemed to have persuaded his guest to give him one.
Strangely enough, in the previous hour they were decrying the fact that in North Korea, radios are fixed-tuned. How is this any different? It`s all about mind control. Claims to have distributed 800,000 of them in 125 countries. Galcom guy admitted that there is not a hidden tuner inside, but instead ``an electronic device locks the chip to the proper frequency and it cannot be retuned once it is set``.
I am baffled how some members of the SWL/DX community do not totally reject Galcom and the very idea of fixed-tuned radios! We have also highlighted how counter-productive this approach can be if QRM develops on your deeply committed frequency! Fortunately, their Colombian victims can also get Cuba and Sweden on 6010, Romania on 5910, among others, HJDH QRM permitting.
At 2301 off the 9480 air, but right back on at 2302, and into another interview at 2304. Still going at 2354 with huge signal.
George McClintock told me they would continue with this in the evening on 5755, and more the next two daytimes on 9480. He was also concerned about co-channel QRM on 9480, reported from San Francisco and he could also hear it about 25 miles away from the site.
In Bahia, Brasil, before 2200, Jorge Freitas was hearing nothing but the other station. That of course was YFR via Nauen, Germany, which is why WTWW previously had to shift to 9475 while it was on 9480 at 19-22. Aimed 185 degrees toward Africa, computer models may show no collision, but what do they know?
Next check at 0100 March 1, WTWW had switched to equally forceful 5755, probably an hour before then, starting Music for His People show, i.e. Aryans benefiting from Christian Identity, on the Scriptures for America feed, seems // 9980 WWCR which by now was quite weak (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9369v, WTJC observations Feb 28: at 2150 the music had a continuous crackle, which I previously described as clicking. By now, WWRB had closed 9385, so we only had to sort out the spurs from WTWW and WTJC. At 2232 could hear WTJC music splattering down to 9340 and up to 9380-9400. At 2303 the WTJC splatter ranged from 9330 to 9410 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 5010, nothing to be heard at 2254, 2327 and 2355 chex Feb 28, altho Jerry Strawman in IA had something with continuous music 24 hours earlier, which he presumed to be Radio Misiones Internacional, Honduras. That has occasionally appeared on this sesquiharmonic of 3340, where it has also been missing for weeks. My first guess would have been Radio Pueblo, Dominican Republic, which is less sporadic and more secular. Cuba was already well audible on 5025 at 2254 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
a reminder that CKUT`s International Radio Report is now getting a regular airing on WBCQ`s Area 51, Sundays at 2230 on 5110.
Checked at 2255 Feb 28, Sheldon Harvey was mentioning the imminent Winter SWL Fest #23 that he would be attending, having missed only two of them since they started. Seems Sheldon, ex-host and subbing this year for Janice, does most of the talking now on the IRR. One can also retrieve it from the CKUT archive for 10:30 am Sundays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [and non]. 9490, VOA World News Now, on 200 degree beam from Tinang, PHILIPPINES at 22-24, is nevertheless quite regular back here in deep NAm. Fair Feb 28 at 2240, but with something else underneath. The only thing scheduled is CRI Spanish, 150 kW from Beijing site at 318 degree azimuth, northwestward, for Europe? It is indeed right across Spain, but the official targets are CIRAF 12-14, most of South America beyond.
I wonder how well it does there? Signal goes right down the Brazilian coast, which is not part of the CIRAF target, and focuses on central Argentina, which is the antipodes of the Beijing area. After 2257, VOA is in the clear. Earlier in the hour, WTWW 9480 was too strong to hear much on 9490 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ECUADOR [non]. 12025, Feb 28 at 2141 VG signal in Arabic, YL giving a website with English words in it but she spells them with French pronunciation, and then gives an address in Spain! How`s that for multinationalism?
It`s HCJB`s Arabic half-sesquihour at 2100 transmitted from Sackville, which HCJB Global HQ in Colorado assured me is really their own ministry, except they dont`t call it HCJB; nor did I hear anything about the obsolete Andes.
The website given was http://www.arabicbroadcasting.com which should pull in a lot of generic searchers who aren`t expecting this to be from Christian crusaders. The homepage partly in English is also seemingly secular until you dig further and look at program titles.
At 2143 she gave an Apdo. In Málaga, Espagne; 2144 cut to several iterations of the RCI IS and ID, and off. We appreciate the transmitter site not being veiled, unlike Radio República relays, but does this not imply that the Canadian government somehow endorses what HCJB is doing, rather than merely selling them airtime?
The casual Arabic listener might even think the program has some produxion connexion with RCI which has other Arabic broadcasts of its own. They ought to include a disclaimer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT. 9390, at 2244 Feb 28, R. Cairo no doubt again the source of strong but unmodulated carrier except for lite whine of slightly higher pitch than 9330, with similar flutter rate; see SYRIA for further discussion. 9390 is supposed to bear the Portuguese service for Brasil at 2215-2330. What a farce (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAHAN [non]. 9955, WRMI fair but jamming-free at 2236 Sunday Feb 28 during AWR Wavescan, Jeff White reading script about broadcasting in Tajikistan which will also appear in the next DXLD (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. The Crystal Ship tipped us to another Sunday evening broadcast on 5385, and there it was at 2327 check Feb 28 with music, good signal tho not as strong as Cuba 5025 or Mauritania 4845. More like 5385.2. Unfortunately, too much going on to stop and listen. Still going at 0101 March 1. I am adding their E-QSL recently received for a previous broadcast, to my gallery at
http://www.worldofradio.com/QSL.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PRIDNESTROVYE. Since it`s UT Sunday, Radio PMR is back after its 2-day weekend break, Feb 28 at 2252 in English, good signal on 6240. The first thing I hear is propaganda, ``victorious fatherland`` about a 1972 memorial on the 28th anniversary of the liberation of Tiraspol from the Nazis. So now it is the 38th anniversary of the 28th anniversary! Get over it? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SYRIA. 9330, Feb 28 at 2237, S9+10 open carrier with a lot of flutter. Has got to be R. Damascus, as nothing else is ever registered on this frequency except WBCQ earlier, and it was certainly not that. Nothing audible on 12085 supposed to be // for Spanish hour at 22-23, so either off or just way above the prevailing MUF. See EGYPT, similar signal and flutter on 9390, while e.g. Greece 9420 at a somewhat lower latitude path had no such flutter, S9+15. By 2244 I found the 9330 carrier, nominally 500 kW, 250 degrees from Adra, peaking at S9+18.
Both 9330 and 9390 had lite whines, the pitch slightly lower on 9330. Perhaps these units are siblings, dating from the good ol` UAR days? As I strained to hear any modulation at all on 9330, I also compared it to other `330 signals such as CHU and decided Syria was a smidgin on the low side. Next check at 2302 found 9330 had gone off, altho registered for a further broadcast in Arabic until 0040. Perhaps the Syrians find it more appropriate to broadcast nothing in Spanish, than nothing in Arabic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9480, WTWW`s program testing resumed Feb 28, heard until 2032 with Pastor Pete Peters who seems to be the default audio source, but we must not assume he will wind up the 24/7 occupant; then switching to gospel music.
Next check 2111, had started live remote from the National Religious Broadcasters convention at Opryland in Nashville, Ted Randall interviewing some religionists bashing public education.
Extremely strong signal with splatter as far as India on 9445, which used to have a clear shot here with its relatively weak signal. At 2217 I could even match a music spur on 9298 with 9480. And then further peaks around 9325, 9350 and 9445, still at 2233 during talk. WTWW splatter range varies, but at 2235 I can hear the audio as far as 9520 on the other side.
Now we have two huge signals from TN in the daytime on 31m, this and WWCR 9980, each splattering and desensitizing significant portions of the band. Inadvisable to try to listen to anything closer to 9480, but relented a bit later, perhaps with slightly weakening fundamental strength; see CHINA 9490.
Next guests discussed how Christianity is doing in China. At 2201 the WTWW canned ID from near the banks of the Upper Cumberland River, was skipping words, and then some music was wowing heavily for six minutes, as if a tape were snagging, if not a warped LP; or is this a modern digital effect? 2208 another canned ID, this time no skipping, and more music. Still buggy, I guess.
2220 next check, Ted is interviewing someone from Galcom about their marvellous solar-powered fix-tuned radios, e.g. in Colombia they can get not one but two frequencies! Switchable between 5910 and 6010 for different degrees of evangelism from Colombia para Cristo. Ted thinx these are really cool and seemed to have persuaded his guest to give him one.
Strangely enough, in the previous hour they were decrying the fact that in North Korea, radios are fixed-tuned. How is this any different? It`s all about mind control. Claims to have distributed 800,000 of them in 125 countries. Galcom guy admitted that there is not a hidden tuner inside, but instead ``an electronic device locks the chip to the proper frequency and it cannot be retuned once it is set``.
I am baffled how some members of the SWL/DX community do not totally reject Galcom and the very idea of fixed-tuned radios! We have also highlighted how counter-productive this approach can be if QRM develops on your deeply committed frequency! Fortunately, their Colombian victims can also get Cuba and Sweden on 6010, Romania on 5910, among others, HJDH QRM permitting.
At 2301 off the 9480 air, but right back on at 2302, and into another interview at 2304. Still going at 2354 with huge signal.
George McClintock told me they would continue with this in the evening on 5755, and more the next two daytimes on 9480. He was also concerned about co-channel QRM on 9480, reported from San Francisco and he could also hear it about 25 miles away from the site.
In Bahia, Brasil, before 2200, Jorge Freitas was hearing nothing but the other station. That of course was YFR via Nauen, Germany, which is why WTWW previously had to shift to 9475 while it was on 9480 at 19-22. Aimed 185 degrees toward Africa, computer models may show no collision, but what do they know?
Next check at 0100 March 1, WTWW had switched to equally forceful 5755, probably an hour before then, starting Music for His People show, i.e. Aryans benefiting from Christian Identity, on the Scriptures for America feed, seems // 9980 WWCR which by now was quite weak (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9369v, WTJC observations Feb 28: at 2150 the music had a continuous crackle, which I previously described as clicking. By now, WWRB had closed 9385, so we only had to sort out the spurs from WTWW and WTJC. At 2232 could hear WTJC music splattering down to 9340 and up to 9380-9400. At 2303 the WTJC splatter ranged from 9330 to 9410 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 5010, nothing to be heard at 2254, 2327 and 2355 chex Feb 28, altho Jerry Strawman in IA had something with continuous music 24 hours earlier, which he presumed to be Radio Misiones Internacional, Honduras. That has occasionally appeared on this sesquiharmonic of 3340, where it has also been missing for weeks. My first guess would have been Radio Pueblo, Dominican Republic, which is less sporadic and more secular. Cuba was already well audible on 5025 at 2254 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
