** CHINA. Firedrake June 2: this time I bandscanned downward instead of upward, since I was already hearing CRI EAST TURKISTAN [q.v.] on 16m. But did not find any until 1246 on 11500.
8400, poor at 1251, off the air at 1300, but audible again poorly at 1316 during drumming segment
11500, poor at 1246, none higher. This one often shows signs of something beneath FD, so maybe Sound of Hope is running more than 100 watts as in Aoki? No, more likely the collateral victim is Voice of Russia, scheduled 12-15 via Tajikistan to S Asia. I was monitoring 11500 again at 1259, and just before it cut off the air at 1300 there were a few syllables of Chinese spoken, I wonder what? Totally off the air now, not running open carrier as often happens at TOH for 5 minutes. Still off at 1305.
14700, JBA at 1311, not before 1300
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** COSTA RICA. 15170, REE Cariari relay finally got the new DRM-capable transmitter tweaked June 2, no longer crackling and driving spikes up and down the band, causing untold interference for the past week. At 1227 VG and clear signal; 1242 in M-F Catalan news segment (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. 11775, Dead Gene Scott, Anguilla, June 2 at 1245 with DentroCuban pulse jamming underneath. Only reason it`s here is that R. Martí uses 11775 at a totally different daypart, 0000-0300.
What total incompetents the jam operators are! Meanwhile, countless Cubans go hungry as multipesos are wasted on electricity jamming nothing or jamming non-targets. As if any jamming were justified!
9780, lite pulse jamming against nothing, June 2 at 1248. Only reason it`s here is because of R. República which uses 9780 at a totally different daypart, only 10 hours a week at 02-04 UT Tue-Sat, probably UK site rather than Sackville as Aoki supposes (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EAST TURKISTAN. 17490, CRI English, June 2 at 1237 fair and fluttery, talk about an author --- nice to hear something scripted instead of vapid chat occupying so much of their airtime now. It`s 308 degrees via Kashgar; matched by equivalent signal with same parameters in Chinese on 17650, dialog with music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. As I was getting EAST TURKISTAN [q.v.] on 17490 and 17650, also had S Asian music on weaker 17705, June 2 at 1239 soprano song; more of same but even weaker at 1313. This is AIR`s Chinese service at 1145-1315, 500 kW, 58 degrees from Bengaluru, per Aoki.
Since I was hearing such music it must axually have been AIR rather than ChiCom jamming which also infests the frequency but not audible at the moment. Other mornings we have heard Saudi Arabia on 17705, program 1 at 1155-1455, per Aoki, 310 degrees USward, but not today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI with good signal June 2 at 1250, but just barely modulated with music during Japanese hour, hum. At 1315 English also JBM; what a waste. Could be due to a single individual somewhere along the feed chain from studio to transmitter not watching the levels, who should be fired forthwith. If nowhere else, they should know something is wrong at Cimanggis and raise hell about it back up the line. Or is it their own fault? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBERIA. After hearing 4025 around 0630 the night before, I was all set to catch Star Radio signing-on at scheduled 0500 June 2 --- no go: far too much T-storm static, and could not even tell if a carrier was there. Theoretically should be best at 0500 when there is a full darkness path. Must keep trying (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Huge sporadic-E TV DX opening UT June 2. It`s frustrating due to multiple stations vying for dominance on each channel up to 6 --- all or nothing. Sorting out the network relays, on channels other than the original is also difficult without any local programming or hard-to-see tiny-type supered IDs at odd times. First noted opening in progress at 0038 UT and still going past 0400.
One station for sure was XHBC, channel 3, Mexicali, at 0100 hourtop ID had nice rotating logo, 3 XHBC in upper left, then full-screen call-letter ID. Then Notivisa, local newscast (tho I suppose the nationwide Televisa net uses that name on all local stations). Single female anchor. At times snow-free with color, strong and steady enough to videotape. Newscast has constant bug in lower right, of a big white N on a blue square background, also illegible small type below the N. And a digital clock to the right of it in PDT, e.g. 18:36. Some of the items referred specifically to Mexicali. There was an ad for Axtel in Mexicali, and a local political ad for Francisco somebody. Lots of elexions are imminent in Mexico.
Had a hard time finding a website for XHBC, but its sister station in Tijuana has one, both in English and Spanish, tho you can`t toggle languages (and I assume all the programming is in Spanish), including these pages about the newscast:
http://www.xewt12.com/eng/notivisa_eng.html
http://www.xewt12.com/esp/notivisa_esp.html
Some of the QRM on channel 3 included music videos with a large bug in lower right, looks like Grup3ro. At 0212 there was an ad on 3 mentioning Sinaloa, i.e. XHQ in Culiacán. Never saw any sign of Once-net on 3 from Tijuana.
When I turned on TV next morning at 1417 UT, channels 2-6 full of Mexicans past 1635. I am getting TV DX from all over the country, yet DX Sherlock shows no contacts on 6m beyond the NE corner of the country! The FM band is no doubt open too, but I don`t have time to dig out the DX IDs on TV or FM.
At 1646 UT and earlier I see TAMPICO in an infomercial graphic on channel 6, i.e. XHTAO (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTIENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. 12085, Dutch poorly at 1309 June 2. Therefore, it has to be Radio Netherlands, and it has to be from anywhere but The Netherlands. This is via IBB Tinang, PHILIPPINES, 283 degrees at 1300-1327. Need to check whether this frequency too like 9650 under CRI Sackville carries 3 minutes of English at 1327-1330 before automatic cutoff (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. So much for my theory that 1580, KOKB Blackwell would lose modulation mainly on weekends. Also on Tuesday, June 1 at 1724 in open carrier. Next check at 1654 June 2, back on and overmodulated.
1120, KEOR Sperry-Catoosa-Tulsa still off the air. However, a few days earlier, Bruce Winkelman in Tulsa for whom these signals are local, heard KJMU 1340 still jointly IDing with 1120, and also had a program in Asian language, Vietnamese? Perhaps more of that will wind up on 1120 if reactivated. And still off at 1654 June 2 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA [non?]. VOR has a surprise new frequency for English to North America at 00-02: 7440, first noted by Harry Brooks in England on UT June 1. So I was standing by for it before 0000 UT June 2: carrier on between 2357 and 2358; open carrier until 2359 VOR IS, 0000 opening WS of VOR, no frequencies ever announced, of course; 7440 is only a fair signal, little better than 9890 which is still on, but 7440 has no ACI unlike 9890 from the Cuban/American radio war on 9885. 9735 also came on at 0000 in VOR Spanish via Guiana French.
The question is, what is the site for 7440 VOR? Until a couple months ago this was the super-power frequency of Radio Ukraine International, including English to North America at 0000-0100, nominally 600 of the rated 1000 kW via Lviv site. SW from RUI was suspended but they keep claiming that is temporary and they will resume. But with Russia on their frequency??? Are we in for a big collision when RUI come back?
Or has VOR axually reached a deal with the new pro-Russian Uke government to use the Lviv transmitter, just like the good old Soviet days? As Wolfgang Büschel also speculates, this could be a temporary measure to keep the transmitter site in business if RUI itself can not afford to use it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
8400, poor at 1251, off the air at 1300, but audible again poorly at 1316 during drumming segment
11500, poor at 1246, none higher. This one often shows signs of something beneath FD, so maybe Sound of Hope is running more than 100 watts as in Aoki? No, more likely the collateral victim is Voice of Russia, scheduled 12-15 via Tajikistan to S Asia. I was monitoring 11500 again at 1259, and just before it cut off the air at 1300 there were a few syllables of Chinese spoken, I wonder what? Totally off the air now, not running open carrier as often happens at TOH for 5 minutes. Still off at 1305.
14700, JBA at 1311, not before 1300
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** COSTA RICA. 15170, REE Cariari relay finally got the new DRM-capable transmitter tweaked June 2, no longer crackling and driving spikes up and down the band, causing untold interference for the past week. At 1227 VG and clear signal; 1242 in M-F Catalan news segment (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. 11775, Dead Gene Scott, Anguilla, June 2 at 1245 with DentroCuban pulse jamming underneath. Only reason it`s here is that R. Martí uses 11775 at a totally different daypart, 0000-0300.
What total incompetents the jam operators are! Meanwhile, countless Cubans go hungry as multipesos are wasted on electricity jamming nothing or jamming non-targets. As if any jamming were justified!
9780, lite pulse jamming against nothing, June 2 at 1248. Only reason it`s here is because of R. República which uses 9780 at a totally different daypart, only 10 hours a week at 02-04 UT Tue-Sat, probably UK site rather than Sackville as Aoki supposes (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EAST TURKISTAN. 17490, CRI English, June 2 at 1237 fair and fluttery, talk about an author --- nice to hear something scripted instead of vapid chat occupying so much of their airtime now. It`s 308 degrees via Kashgar; matched by equivalent signal with same parameters in Chinese on 17650, dialog with music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. As I was getting EAST TURKISTAN [q.v.] on 17490 and 17650, also had S Asian music on weaker 17705, June 2 at 1239 soprano song; more of same but even weaker at 1313. This is AIR`s Chinese service at 1145-1315, 500 kW, 58 degrees from Bengaluru, per Aoki.
Since I was hearing such music it must axually have been AIR rather than ChiCom jamming which also infests the frequency but not audible at the moment. Other mornings we have heard Saudi Arabia on 17705, program 1 at 1155-1455, per Aoki, 310 degrees USward, but not today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI with good signal June 2 at 1250, but just barely modulated with music during Japanese hour, hum. At 1315 English also JBM; what a waste. Could be due to a single individual somewhere along the feed chain from studio to transmitter not watching the levels, who should be fired forthwith. If nowhere else, they should know something is wrong at Cimanggis and raise hell about it back up the line. Or is it their own fault? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBERIA. After hearing 4025 around 0630 the night before, I was all set to catch Star Radio signing-on at scheduled 0500 June 2 --- no go: far too much T-storm static, and could not even tell if a carrier was there. Theoretically should be best at 0500 when there is a full darkness path. Must keep trying (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Huge sporadic-E TV DX opening UT June 2. It`s frustrating due to multiple stations vying for dominance on each channel up to 6 --- all or nothing. Sorting out the network relays, on channels other than the original is also difficult without any local programming or hard-to-see tiny-type supered IDs at odd times. First noted opening in progress at 0038 UT and still going past 0400.
One station for sure was XHBC, channel 3, Mexicali, at 0100 hourtop ID had nice rotating logo, 3 XHBC in upper left, then full-screen call-letter ID. Then Notivisa, local newscast (tho I suppose the nationwide Televisa net uses that name on all local stations). Single female anchor. At times snow-free with color, strong and steady enough to videotape. Newscast has constant bug in lower right, of a big white N on a blue square background, also illegible small type below the N. And a digital clock to the right of it in PDT, e.g. 18:36. Some of the items referred specifically to Mexicali. There was an ad for Axtel in Mexicali, and a local political ad for Francisco somebody. Lots of elexions are imminent in Mexico.
Had a hard time finding a website for XHBC, but its sister station in Tijuana has one, both in English and Spanish, tho you can`t toggle languages (and I assume all the programming is in Spanish), including these pages about the newscast:
http://www.xewt12.com/eng/notivisa_eng.html
http://www.xewt12.com/esp/notivisa_esp.html
Some of the QRM on channel 3 included music videos with a large bug in lower right, looks like Grup3ro. At 0212 there was an ad on 3 mentioning Sinaloa, i.e. XHQ in Culiacán. Never saw any sign of Once-net on 3 from Tijuana.
When I turned on TV next morning at 1417 UT, channels 2-6 full of Mexicans past 1635. I am getting TV DX from all over the country, yet DX Sherlock shows no contacts on 6m beyond the NE corner of the country! The FM band is no doubt open too, but I don`t have time to dig out the DX IDs on TV or FM.
At 1646 UT and earlier I see TAMPICO in an infomercial graphic on channel 6, i.e. XHTAO (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTIENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. 12085, Dutch poorly at 1309 June 2. Therefore, it has to be Radio Netherlands, and it has to be from anywhere but The Netherlands. This is via IBB Tinang, PHILIPPINES, 283 degrees at 1300-1327. Need to check whether this frequency too like 9650 under CRI Sackville carries 3 minutes of English at 1327-1330 before automatic cutoff (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. So much for my theory that 1580, KOKB Blackwell would lose modulation mainly on weekends. Also on Tuesday, June 1 at 1724 in open carrier. Next check at 1654 June 2, back on and overmodulated.
1120, KEOR Sperry-Catoosa-Tulsa still off the air. However, a few days earlier, Bruce Winkelman in Tulsa for whom these signals are local, heard KJMU 1340 still jointly IDing with 1120, and also had a program in Asian language, Vietnamese? Perhaps more of that will wind up on 1120 if reactivated. And still off at 1654 June 2 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA [non?]. VOR has a surprise new frequency for English to North America at 00-02: 7440, first noted by Harry Brooks in England on UT June 1. So I was standing by for it before 0000 UT June 2: carrier on between 2357 and 2358; open carrier until 2359 VOR IS, 0000 opening WS of VOR, no frequencies ever announced, of course; 7440 is only a fair signal, little better than 9890 which is still on, but 7440 has no ACI unlike 9890 from the Cuban/American radio war on 9885. 9735 also came on at 0000 in VOR Spanish via Guiana French.
The question is, what is the site for 7440 VOR? Until a couple months ago this was the super-power frequency of Radio Ukraine International, including English to North America at 0000-0100, nominally 600 of the rated 1000 kW via Lviv site. SW from RUI was suspended but they keep claiming that is temporary and they will resume. But with Russia on their frequency??? Are we in for a big collision when RUI come back?
Or has VOR axually reached a deal with the new pro-Russian Uke government to use the Lviv transmitter, just like the good old Soviet days? As Wolfgang Büschel also speculates, this could be a temporary measure to keep the transmitter site in business if RUI itself can not afford to use it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
