** ANTARCTICA [and non]. For the first weekday in a fortnight, can`t hear any signal on 15476 from LRA36, Monday May 3 at 1321, nor by final check at 1418; but propagation certainly degraded on 19m, with Cubans weaker than usual, no UK on 15480, Turkey barely audible on 15450, and CRI via Sackville 15260 the only inboomer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHILE. After discovering on May 1 that CVC had lost spurs from 11920 but added them from 11665, I recheck May 2 at 2337, this time on portable so they don`t sound as pervasive, but still spiking roughly 11810-11830 from 11665, and trace on 11510 vs spur from WEWN 11520; and yes, 11920 still clean with no HCJB spurs around 11900 or 11940 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 3: propagation is subpar, and can only find poor signals at 1326 on 12980, 12600, none audible above or below in the usual spots between 8 and 18 MHz. The former jumps frequency from day to day, also heard recently on 12970, 12960, 12950 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Rogue jamspurs from DCJC: May 3 at 1237 centered about 7658, fading in and out; could originate from 7405 blast against Martí; pulsing at the rate of 4 per second. Exactly same rate on 12020 at 1328, also weak. This could come from 11845.
12020 is of course a deliberate RHC frequency later in the day. We would dearly like to know whether any of the noise/pulse jamming comes from RHC`s broadcast sites, but will have to wait for the counter-revolutionary era, with RadioCuba exposed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. 9690, AIR GOS frequency better than usual, good signal but fluttery, May 3 at 1334, modulation well over the hum, but it`s not in English! Trying to place it, seems like it`s tonal, not much like Hindi or major S Asian languages. Is there a handy reference showing which are tonal and which not?
1335 to music, then commentary, at 1345 mentioning ``International Court of Justice`` and ``Kyoto Protocol``; 1347 to instrumental music, 1352 announcement and vocal music. At 1354 I check the other scheduled AIR GOS frequencies: weaker 13710 is // so it has the same problem with wrong language input. Both these are Bengaluru; 11620 is Delhi, and JBA, can`t tell if it`s // but may well not be. Kept going past 1400 with more music. Much better signal on 9690 than AIR VBS on 9870 which used to have the edge, also from Bangalore.
Meanwhile I am checking WRTH 2010 to see which other languages are on the AIR at this time, supposed to be on other frequencies. Then for latest info, according to http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/es/time.htm this is the lineup with site abbreviations:
1230-1500 Sindhi 6165(Kh) 7340(M) 9620(A)
1300-1430 Punjabi 702(J)
1300-1500 Sinhala 1053(T) 7270(Ch) 15050(Kh); used later: 9820(P)
1315-1415 Dari 7410(Kh) 9910(Kh); to be used later: 7255(A)
1330-1430 Nepali 3945(G) 4860(Ki) 7420(Gu) 11775(P) 1134(C)
1330-1500 English 9690(B) 11620(Kh) 13710(B) E SE Asia
1415-1530 Pushtu 7410(Kh) 9910(Kh); to be used later: 7255(A)
By now I have suspected announcements are in Dari/Persian, altho not supposed to be a tonal language, so I pay close attention at 1415 when that transitions to Pushtu. 1414:30 stop music, announcement, but signal is fading; 1415 ``Salaam Aleikum`` in a different language, and 1416 into different-sounding music. So I am fairly sure I was hearing on 9690 and 13710 what was supposed to be on 7410 and 9910 from Khampur site near Delhi; unchecked but likely inaudible anyway from that site. Maybe they had English on instead?
The programme feed could have been misrouted from master control in Delhi; or Bengaluru was tuned to the wrong input. In any event, no one had noticed and fixed it during the first half-sesquihour of the 1330 ``English`` transmission, and probably for the entire sesquihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI, which was open carrier only on Sunday made a slight improvement on Monday May 3. At 1259, just barely modulated, under hum could make out the canned ID with gamelan, 1300 English program summary and starting news. Still at next check 1333 with only a trace of modulation under the hum (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 6104.8, XEQM, May 3 at 0554, with romantic music, good peaks but deep fades until *0559.6 became only a het against BBC French via Ascension opening with 5+1 timesignal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 6045-, XEXQ got started a bit earlier Monday morning May 3, tune in at 1208 and already in sign-on announcement mentioning 1190 with 5 kW; and also ``--45`` but could not catch power announced; I`ll bet it was not the true figure of 450 vatios. Seemingly live YL DJ kept talking until classical music started at 1215; barely audible.
BTW, note that other Mexican AM+SW stations have distinct callsigns: XEEP/XEPPM, XEOY/XEOI, XEMQ/XEQM, XEUN/XEYU, etc., but not this one. I have however seen it listed somewhere as XEXQOC, so possibly its true SW call axually has six letters which is possible in Mexico; or -OC considered a suffix like -FM, or -TV (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1580, KOKB Blackwell, once again Sunday afternoon May 2 at several chex running open carrier with no modulation. Perhaps I am the only one who has noticed, but not one who cares, as if they were modulating it would be silly ballgame talk. Sponsors might care if they think they are paying for carrier plus modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Routine check of WWCR for newly scheduled WORLD OF RADIO broadcast Sunday at 2330 on 9980: no signal at 2337 May 2. Can`t be propagation, since nearby WTWW 9479 was inbooming.
Later found this on homepage: ``2 MAY 2010 - WWCR and sister station WNQM are OFF-AIR due to power outage and flooding. Nashville, Tennessee is recovering from 18 inches of rainfall in 2 days. We appreciate your patience and request your prayers for employees and friends of these stations, many of whom have suffered tremendous personal loss. Further details will be posted here as they become available.``
All frequencies still absent May 3 at 1312: 7490, 9980, 13845, 15825. We hope there has been no major damage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5755, WTWW is usually loud and clear, but May 3 at 0600 I noticed SFAW was only a fair signal and bothered by a bonker (TADIL-A) on just about the same frequency. The ute, of course, will have priority if anyone complains. There`s always 5080 alternative, altho we knew it had ute QRM from the outset (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11715-, KJES surprisingly audible with good signal May 3 at 1308, but just barely modulating obsessive Ave María song; by next check 1327 the carrier had dropped to just barely audible. Frequency is slightly on the lo side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CHILE. After discovering on May 1 that CVC had lost spurs from 11920 but added them from 11665, I recheck May 2 at 2337, this time on portable so they don`t sound as pervasive, but still spiking roughly 11810-11830 from 11665, and trace on 11510 vs spur from WEWN 11520; and yes, 11920 still clean with no HCJB spurs around 11900 or 11940 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 3: propagation is subpar, and can only find poor signals at 1326 on 12980, 12600, none audible above or below in the usual spots between 8 and 18 MHz. The former jumps frequency from day to day, also heard recently on 12970, 12960, 12950 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Rogue jamspurs from DCJC: May 3 at 1237 centered about 7658, fading in and out; could originate from 7405 blast against Martí; pulsing at the rate of 4 per second. Exactly same rate on 12020 at 1328, also weak. This could come from 11845.
12020 is of course a deliberate RHC frequency later in the day. We would dearly like to know whether any of the noise/pulse jamming comes from RHC`s broadcast sites, but will have to wait for the counter-revolutionary era, with RadioCuba exposed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. 9690, AIR GOS frequency better than usual, good signal but fluttery, May 3 at 1334, modulation well over the hum, but it`s not in English! Trying to place it, seems like it`s tonal, not much like Hindi or major S Asian languages. Is there a handy reference showing which are tonal and which not?
1335 to music, then commentary, at 1345 mentioning ``International Court of Justice`` and ``Kyoto Protocol``; 1347 to instrumental music, 1352 announcement and vocal music. At 1354 I check the other scheduled AIR GOS frequencies: weaker 13710 is // so it has the same problem with wrong language input. Both these are Bengaluru; 11620 is Delhi, and JBA, can`t tell if it`s // but may well not be. Kept going past 1400 with more music. Much better signal on 9690 than AIR VBS on 9870 which used to have the edge, also from Bangalore.
Meanwhile I am checking WRTH 2010 to see which other languages are on the AIR at this time, supposed to be on other frequencies. Then for latest info, according to http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/es/time.htm this is the lineup with site abbreviations:
1230-1500 Sindhi 6165(Kh) 7340(M) 9620(A)
1300-1430 Punjabi 702(J)
1300-1500 Sinhala 1053(T) 7270(Ch) 15050(Kh); used later: 9820(P)
1315-1415 Dari 7410(Kh) 9910(Kh); to be used later: 7255(A)
1330-1430 Nepali 3945(G) 4860(Ki) 7420(Gu) 11775(P) 1134(C)
1330-1500 English 9690(B) 11620(Kh) 13710(B) E SE Asia
1415-1530 Pushtu 7410(Kh) 9910(Kh); to be used later: 7255(A)
By now I have suspected announcements are in Dari/Persian, altho not supposed to be a tonal language, so I pay close attention at 1415 when that transitions to Pushtu. 1414:30 stop music, announcement, but signal is fading; 1415 ``Salaam Aleikum`` in a different language, and 1416 into different-sounding music. So I am fairly sure I was hearing on 9690 and 13710 what was supposed to be on 7410 and 9910 from Khampur site near Delhi; unchecked but likely inaudible anyway from that site. Maybe they had English on instead?
The programme feed could have been misrouted from master control in Delhi; or Bengaluru was tuned to the wrong input. In any event, no one had noticed and fixed it during the first half-sesquihour of the 1330 ``English`` transmission, and probably for the entire sesquihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI, which was open carrier only on Sunday made a slight improvement on Monday May 3. At 1259, just barely modulated, under hum could make out the canned ID with gamelan, 1300 English program summary and starting news. Still at next check 1333 with only a trace of modulation under the hum (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 6104.8, XEQM, May 3 at 0554, with romantic music, good peaks but deep fades until *0559.6 became only a het against BBC French via Ascension opening with 5+1 timesignal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 6045-, XEXQ got started a bit earlier Monday morning May 3, tune in at 1208 and already in sign-on announcement mentioning 1190 with 5 kW; and also ``--45`` but could not catch power announced; I`ll bet it was not the true figure of 450 vatios. Seemingly live YL DJ kept talking until classical music started at 1215; barely audible.
BTW, note that other Mexican AM+SW stations have distinct callsigns: XEEP/XEPPM, XEOY/XEOI, XEMQ/XEQM, XEUN/XEYU, etc., but not this one. I have however seen it listed somewhere as XEXQOC, so possibly its true SW call axually has six letters which is possible in Mexico; or -OC considered a suffix like -FM, or -TV (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1580, KOKB Blackwell, once again Sunday afternoon May 2 at several chex running open carrier with no modulation. Perhaps I am the only one who has noticed, but not one who cares, as if they were modulating it would be silly ballgame talk. Sponsors might care if they think they are paying for carrier plus modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Routine check of WWCR for newly scheduled WORLD OF RADIO broadcast Sunday at 2330 on 9980: no signal at 2337 May 2. Can`t be propagation, since nearby WTWW 9479 was inbooming.
Later found this on homepage: ``2 MAY 2010 - WWCR and sister station WNQM are OFF-AIR due to power outage and flooding. Nashville, Tennessee is recovering from 18 inches of rainfall in 2 days. We appreciate your patience and request your prayers for employees and friends of these stations, many of whom have suffered tremendous personal loss. Further details will be posted here as they become available.``
All frequencies still absent May 3 at 1312: 7490, 9980, 13845, 15825. We hope there has been no major damage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5755, WTWW is usually loud and clear, but May 3 at 0600 I noticed SFAW was only a fair signal and bothered by a bonker (TADIL-A) on just about the same frequency. The ute, of course, will have priority if anyone complains. There`s always 5080 alternative, altho we knew it had ute QRM from the outset (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11715-, KJES surprisingly audible with good signal May 3 at 1308, but just barely modulating obsessive Ave María song; by next check 1327 the carrier had dropped to just barely audible. Frequency is slightly on the lo side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
