** AUSTRALIA [and non]. 17750, RA at 0510 May 28 starting what was admitted by Roger Broadbent to be a repeat of ``The World Today``.
Where have I heard that title before?? O yeah, on the BBCWS, which as it happens was also running its own TWT at the very same time, as IDed at 0514 on 9410 with good signal. Maybe RA should come up with a less duplicative title? RA program guide claims TWT airs only at 0210 UT Mon-Fri: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/158.htm
At 0510 is supposed to be Pacific Beat – Afternoon Edition.
Of note was the fact that there was some co-channel QRM underneath, not noticed previously. Aoki promptly reveals it`s VOA Kurdish via Madagascar, 250 kW at 359 degrees, 05-06 only; while RA is on 17750 at 2330-0700, 100 kW, 329 degrees from Shepparton, which means there should also be a collision in Kurdistan. Another frequency management failure (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 28; propagation quite poor, so only:
14700, at 1255 very poor with flutter; unheard at 1322.
No other FD frequencies audible 8-19 MHz in two scans before and after 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** COSTA RICA. 15170, REE relay, May 28 at 1255 still crackling on fundamental and exporting modulation spikes some 100 kHz above and below, but not as bad as yesterday. At least 15170 itself was not a total loss. Next check at 1327 had improved more, splattering only plus/minus 30 kHz. Severity no doubt depends on the received strength of the fundamental at any moment, as well as transmitter output (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. RHC spurs from 15360, May 28: not so bad, but probably due to poor propagation, weaker fundamental than usual. At 1326, RHC audio also audible around 15323 and 15397 (plus and minus 37 kHz). Did not attempt to split kHz measurements (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. RN asked for North American reports on 6165 at 0459-0527 in Dutch May 28, when French Guiana was substituting for Bonaire one night only. At 0522, still a very good signal, but with some hum, and the audio a bit degraded as if it were an internet feed at inadequate bit rate. Also bothered by distortion caused by selective fading. But I am not sure if this is any worse than we normally get from Bonaire, with which we are supposed to compare this 24 hours later.
There are millions of times more English speakers than Dutch speakers in North America, so we normally don`t pay much attention to the Dutch, except wait for it to go off so we can hear Chad.
Another substitution was at 0059-0127 May 28 on 6190, but I missed checking that. Andy Sennitt`s message said Sackville and Montsinery were the alternate sites, altho he did not explicitly say which was which; assuming they were mentioned in respective order (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** POLAND [non]. 11675, PRES via AUSTRIA in English 12-13 is usually inaudible/unreadable here in summer, but there it was poor-fair May 28 at 1240, W&W interview, about race cars? Hard to tell apart the two voices. 1245 to rock music; 1257 retune but already in musical postlude and shortly off. 24 hours earlier on Thursday we might have heard the DX/Mailbag show Multi-Touch if it still exist (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. VOA is still filling the 1400-1430 English transmission to Africa via Greenville on 17585 with Music Mix, Friday May 28 at 1409 IDing next song as ``Nothing on You``, rap from atop the UK music chart. What is the point of this??? Like gospel huxters such as CVC, does VOA think it is roping in youngsters who would not otherwise listen, and thus get them to hear news on the hour rather than tuning away?
Not // VOA Philippines on 9760 which had news, but that`s for Asia, and Africans must not be allowed to hear it. As noted last weekend, 17585 does go back to news instead of Music Mix on Saturday and Sunday (I think; it`s not always audible.)
VOA was previously notified by Dragan Lekic about this `wrong` feed airing on Greenville and other sites, but it now appears to be intentional. At 1414 found same Music Mix on 12080 but out of synch with 17585, presumably São Tomé; and 12080 was earlier again heard in the unscheduled 1200 hour with news from unknown site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
Where have I heard that title before?? O yeah, on the BBCWS, which as it happens was also running its own TWT at the very same time, as IDed at 0514 on 9410 with good signal. Maybe RA should come up with a less duplicative title? RA program guide claims TWT airs only at 0210 UT Mon-Fri: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/158.htm
At 0510 is supposed to be Pacific Beat – Afternoon Edition.
Of note was the fact that there was some co-channel QRM underneath, not noticed previously. Aoki promptly reveals it`s VOA Kurdish via Madagascar, 250 kW at 359 degrees, 05-06 only; while RA is on 17750 at 2330-0700, 100 kW, 329 degrees from Shepparton, which means there should also be a collision in Kurdistan. Another frequency management failure (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 28; propagation quite poor, so only:
14700, at 1255 very poor with flutter; unheard at 1322.
No other FD frequencies audible 8-19 MHz in two scans before and after 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** COSTA RICA. 15170, REE relay, May 28 at 1255 still crackling on fundamental and exporting modulation spikes some 100 kHz above and below, but not as bad as yesterday. At least 15170 itself was not a total loss. Next check at 1327 had improved more, splattering only plus/minus 30 kHz. Severity no doubt depends on the received strength of the fundamental at any moment, as well as transmitter output (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. RHC spurs from 15360, May 28: not so bad, but probably due to poor propagation, weaker fundamental than usual. At 1326, RHC audio also audible around 15323 and 15397 (plus and minus 37 kHz). Did not attempt to split kHz measurements (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. RN asked for North American reports on 6165 at 0459-0527 in Dutch May 28, when French Guiana was substituting for Bonaire one night only. At 0522, still a very good signal, but with some hum, and the audio a bit degraded as if it were an internet feed at inadequate bit rate. Also bothered by distortion caused by selective fading. But I am not sure if this is any worse than we normally get from Bonaire, with which we are supposed to compare this 24 hours later.
There are millions of times more English speakers than Dutch speakers in North America, so we normally don`t pay much attention to the Dutch, except wait for it to go off so we can hear Chad.
Another substitution was at 0059-0127 May 28 on 6190, but I missed checking that. Andy Sennitt`s message said Sackville and Montsinery were the alternate sites, altho he did not explicitly say which was which; assuming they were mentioned in respective order (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** POLAND [non]. 11675, PRES via AUSTRIA in English 12-13 is usually inaudible/unreadable here in summer, but there it was poor-fair May 28 at 1240, W&W interview, about race cars? Hard to tell apart the two voices. 1245 to rock music; 1257 retune but already in musical postlude and shortly off. 24 hours earlier on Thursday we might have heard the DX/Mailbag show Multi-Touch if it still exist (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. VOA is still filling the 1400-1430 English transmission to Africa via Greenville on 17585 with Music Mix, Friday May 28 at 1409 IDing next song as ``Nothing on You``, rap from atop the UK music chart. What is the point of this??? Like gospel huxters such as CVC, does VOA think it is roping in youngsters who would not otherwise listen, and thus get them to hear news on the hour rather than tuning away?
Not // VOA Philippines on 9760 which had news, but that`s for Asia, and Africans must not be allowed to hear it. As noted last weekend, 17585 does go back to news instead of Music Mix on Saturday and Sunday (I think; it`s not always audible.)
VOA was previously notified by Dragan Lekic about this `wrong` feed airing on Greenville and other sites, but it now appears to be intentional. At 1414 found same Music Mix on 12080 but out of synch with 17585, presumably São Tomé; and 12080 was earlier again heard in the unscheduled 1200 hour with news from unknown site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
