** ANTARCTICA. It having been inaudible on May 3, I was eager to reconfirm LRA-36 still active on May 4, as you never know when they will vanish for months at a time; tuned in 15476 at 1204 but nothing. Just as I was fine tuning below 15480 Chinese (which is CNR1 Beijing site #572, not a jammer(!) until 1300, per Aoki), on pops the 15476 carrier at *1205, now making a nice hefty 4 kHz het, but no modulation audible. By 1240 some music is making it, with a heavy drum beat; 1252 announcement and more of same; 1300 YL talking but too weak. BTW, I see that Aoki still has not updated the sked for 15476, showing old 18-21 M-F (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. 11925.1v, R. Bandeirantes, fair May 4 at 0518 giving 2:18 time-check, Brazilian talk, no need for ID (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 4:
8400, no sign of any at 1145 and later chex; nor 9000
9150, fair-good at 1145
10970, good at 1148
11420, good at 1148
12960, poor at 1306
13300, poor at 1210
None others found in the 8-18 MHz range.
However, 15795 again with CNR1 jamming, May 4 at 1211, // other CNR1 jammers on 11785 et al. No trace of AIR Mandarin service underneath 15795 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. DCJC pulsing at 0515 May 4 on 9780, 9490, 9460, i.e. against nothing, since República, República and Martí finish with these frequencies earlier in evening. At same time, slower rate but stronger pulsing and other noise on 9955 against WRMI, which presumably is on the air but also with no need to be jammed after 0500, airing WRN English starting with Israel.
Nice to hear the 13580 RHC spur again, May 4 at 1305 which I have not noticed for a while, altho very poor signal, this time was unusually a bit stronger than its twin, 13880, both of which are leapfrogs of 13680 and 13780 over each other, and of course those two were inbooming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: Martí
** INDIA. Since AIR Bengaluru broadcast the wrong language, apparently Dari, instead of English, May 3 at 1330-1415+ on 9690 and 13710, I make a point of checking May 4: at 1318, 9690 carrier is already on with flutter, some hum. 1330 poor, but opening in English. Congratulations! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CHINA
** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI, May 4 at 1310 with hum and just barely audible modulation under it; but at 1312, modulation suddenly jumps and now the YL can be more or less understood. 1314 switches to the guy at RRI Banjarmasin, a Tuesday staple, and once again the modulation lowers to make copy difficult. Wiggle that patchcord! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA. 4845, ORTM, fair May 4 at 0533 with traditional music and Arabic dialect conversation, no QRM from silent WWCR 4840 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 6045, May 4 at 0526, SAH of about 4 Hz, and very weak signals, one of which sounded like a classical song. Also a low audible het. I suspect XEXQ is leaving the transmitter on beyond nominal 0400*. Did not check next morning until 1230 when classical music was JBA but XEXQ for sure (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TAIWAN. 11695-11705, extremely distorted modulation spixe with no carrier, May 4 at 1154, conversation sounds like English but hard to copy. Quick scans of 25 and even 31m find no match. At 1158 sign-off announcement I hear a dot tw, and then RTI`s complete English schedule recited, altho cannot make out two separate frequencies and targets for the 11-12 broadcast. At 1200, 3+1 timesignal, the last one prolonged at higher pitch, and into Chinese.
Uplooked later, what does HFCC say? NOTHING. Taiwan is a nonentity there tnx to pressure from the ChiCom, world`s largest jammer which should be banned from HFCC instead. Aoki and EiBi reveal that RTI is supposed to be on 11715, so that transmitter is malfunxioning. Aoki says site Tainan, 250 kW, 180 degrees. The // is 7445, which would probably have been obscured by RNZI 7440 DRM before 1158. Language at 12-13 is specifically Amoy (Hokkein), says Aoki.
At 1205 I notice that this scratchy noise is also bothering RNV relay via Cuba on 11705, where its own modulation seems OK today. Have I unjustly criticised that previously, really caused by Taiwan? Maybe (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. I have been intending to monitor how BBC handles the transition from BBC Mundo in Spanish to BBCWS in English on 9410 weekdays via WHRI at 12-13. May 4 at 1213, Spanish story about 2-meter crox getting into storm sewers and residences in Villahermosa, Tabasco. After reminding us it is martes, at 1215 sharp immediately switched to English, joining in progress a discussion of terrorist plots against New York.
So here`s how they handle it: clumsily. If SW were not a mere afterthought we are lucky to have at all for 225 minutes a week from BBCWS in English, they would have built in a hard break at 1215 and welcomed all their American listeners at that point. Ha (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5050, WWRB`s extended all-night(?) schedule with Bible dramatizations vanished at least a week ago, clearing 5045-5055 for DX. At 0530 check May 4, WWRB not on. Dave Frantz tells me they had some lightning damage and downtime, but no flooding since he had the foresight to spend $40K on gravel to raise the site near a creek, 3 feet when constructed.
Dave also says he has been inundated by calls from `patriot` broadcasters desperate for airtime while WWCR is down, but he`s had it with getting screwed by them and will only sell it at premium rates, payable 6 months in advance. No takers (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWCR still missing from all frequencies, May 4 at 0532: silence on 3215, 4840, 5890, 5935. Ditto at 1300 check: no 15825, 13845, 9980 or 7490. Still no further details on the WWCR website, but I hear the rhombix are not underwater, so maybe it`s just power outage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. I have been wondering whether the MW frequency at Marathon FL of Radio Martí, 1180, is still off the air after a month. Apparently so, as I happened on an announcement May 4 at 1231 on 6030 atop jamming that it is ``fuera del aire``, but ``es solo temporal``.
That is, assuming at the Miami studios they really know the current status of Marathon. I guess IBB are still installing new transmitter and/or upgrading antennas, which would seem to go counter to the trend in Wáshington against prolonging Martí. I also assume the DentroCuban jamming by at least three co-channel transmitters pretending to be legit broadcasts, continues unabated. Could Marathon be repurposed in a post-Martí era for a general Caribbean service or to resume Kreyòl to Haïti? Dream on.
As I tuned past RHC 13680, May 4 at 1301 they were gleefully quoting Sen. Kerry criticising R/TV Martí (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** BRAZIL. 11925.1v, R. Bandeirantes, fair May 4 at 0518 giving 2:18 time-check, Brazilian talk, no need for ID (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 4:
8400, no sign of any at 1145 and later chex; nor 9000
9150, fair-good at 1145
10970, good at 1148
11420, good at 1148
12960, poor at 1306
13300, poor at 1210
None others found in the 8-18 MHz range.
However, 15795 again with CNR1 jamming, May 4 at 1211, // other CNR1 jammers on 11785 et al. No trace of AIR Mandarin service underneath 15795 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. DCJC pulsing at 0515 May 4 on 9780, 9490, 9460, i.e. against nothing, since República, República and Martí finish with these frequencies earlier in evening. At same time, slower rate but stronger pulsing and other noise on 9955 against WRMI, which presumably is on the air but also with no need to be jammed after 0500, airing WRN English starting with Israel.
Nice to hear the 13580 RHC spur again, May 4 at 1305 which I have not noticed for a while, altho very poor signal, this time was unusually a bit stronger than its twin, 13880, both of which are leapfrogs of 13680 and 13780 over each other, and of course those two were inbooming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: Martí
** INDIA. Since AIR Bengaluru broadcast the wrong language, apparently Dari, instead of English, May 3 at 1330-1415+ on 9690 and 13710, I make a point of checking May 4: at 1318, 9690 carrier is already on with flutter, some hum. 1330 poor, but opening in English. Congratulations! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CHINA
** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI, May 4 at 1310 with hum and just barely audible modulation under it; but at 1312, modulation suddenly jumps and now the YL can be more or less understood. 1314 switches to the guy at RRI Banjarmasin, a Tuesday staple, and once again the modulation lowers to make copy difficult. Wiggle that patchcord! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA. 4845, ORTM, fair May 4 at 0533 with traditional music and Arabic dialect conversation, no QRM from silent WWCR 4840 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 6045, May 4 at 0526, SAH of about 4 Hz, and very weak signals, one of which sounded like a classical song. Also a low audible het. I suspect XEXQ is leaving the transmitter on beyond nominal 0400*. Did not check next morning until 1230 when classical music was JBA but XEXQ for sure (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TAIWAN. 11695-11705, extremely distorted modulation spixe with no carrier, May 4 at 1154, conversation sounds like English but hard to copy. Quick scans of 25 and even 31m find no match. At 1158 sign-off announcement I hear a dot tw, and then RTI`s complete English schedule recited, altho cannot make out two separate frequencies and targets for the 11-12 broadcast. At 1200, 3+1 timesignal, the last one prolonged at higher pitch, and into Chinese.
Uplooked later, what does HFCC say? NOTHING. Taiwan is a nonentity there tnx to pressure from the ChiCom, world`s largest jammer which should be banned from HFCC instead. Aoki and EiBi reveal that RTI is supposed to be on 11715, so that transmitter is malfunxioning. Aoki says site Tainan, 250 kW, 180 degrees. The // is 7445, which would probably have been obscured by RNZI 7440 DRM before 1158. Language at 12-13 is specifically Amoy (Hokkein), says Aoki.
At 1205 I notice that this scratchy noise is also bothering RNV relay via Cuba on 11705, where its own modulation seems OK today. Have I unjustly criticised that previously, really caused by Taiwan? Maybe (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. I have been intending to monitor how BBC handles the transition from BBC Mundo in Spanish to BBCWS in English on 9410 weekdays via WHRI at 12-13. May 4 at 1213, Spanish story about 2-meter crox getting into storm sewers and residences in Villahermosa, Tabasco. After reminding us it is martes, at 1215 sharp immediately switched to English, joining in progress a discussion of terrorist plots against New York.
So here`s how they handle it: clumsily. If SW were not a mere afterthought we are lucky to have at all for 225 minutes a week from BBCWS in English, they would have built in a hard break at 1215 and welcomed all their American listeners at that point. Ha (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5050, WWRB`s extended all-night(?) schedule with Bible dramatizations vanished at least a week ago, clearing 5045-5055 for DX. At 0530 check May 4, WWRB not on. Dave Frantz tells me they had some lightning damage and downtime, but no flooding since he had the foresight to spend $40K on gravel to raise the site near a creek, 3 feet when constructed.
Dave also says he has been inundated by calls from `patriot` broadcasters desperate for airtime while WWCR is down, but he`s had it with getting screwed by them and will only sell it at premium rates, payable 6 months in advance. No takers (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWCR still missing from all frequencies, May 4 at 0532: silence on 3215, 4840, 5890, 5935. Ditto at 1300 check: no 15825, 13845, 9980 or 7490. Still no further details on the WWCR website, but I hear the rhombix are not underwater, so maybe it`s just power outage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. I have been wondering whether the MW frequency at Marathon FL of Radio Martí, 1180, is still off the air after a month. Apparently so, as I happened on an announcement May 4 at 1231 on 6030 atop jamming that it is ``fuera del aire``, but ``es solo temporal``.
That is, assuming at the Miami studios they really know the current status of Marathon. I guess IBB are still installing new transmitter and/or upgrading antennas, which would seem to go counter to the trend in Wáshington against prolonging Martí. I also assume the DentroCuban jamming by at least three co-channel transmitters pretending to be legit broadcasts, continues unabated. Could Marathon be repurposed in a post-Martí era for a general Caribbean service or to resume Kreyòl to Haïti? Dream on.
As I tuned past RHC 13680, May 4 at 1301 they were gleefully quoting Sen. Kerry criticising R/TV Martí (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
