martedì 5 ottobre 2010

Glenn Hauser logs, Octobrr 4-5, 2010

** ANTARCTICA [and non]. 15476, I continue to log LRA36 for the record every day I can detect it, tho seldom with enough strength to enjoy. We know that eventually it will be gone again, perhaps for months or forever.

Oct 5 at 1345, music at S7 to S9+5 peaks, but still barely audible considering the noise level and the undermodulation, somewhat weaker now than Rampisham hetting from 15480, S9+10 to S9+20 on the generous FRG-7 meter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA. VL8 check Oct 5 at 1246 shortly after local sunrise: 2310 with some strinish audio, 2325 and 2485 just carriers. As ever, no trace of 2368.5 Symban vs my noise level (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA. 8176-USB, Oct 5 at 1305, coastal weather for South Australia; 8113-USB at 1308, weaker, similar-sounding, maybe same synthesized male-like voice, but presumably separate content; did not try to //.

8176 is VMC, Charleville, Queensland, and 8113 is VMW, Wiluna, Western Australia, the two remaining consolidated Bureau of Meteorology marine weather stations. BTW, 8100 is the boundary between fixed and marine bands, per
http://www.irkutsk.com/radio/bands.htm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake Oct 5: nothing on 8 or 9 MHz, but:
10500, poor with flutter at 1258; fair with flutter at 1333
11100, very good with flutter at 1258-1300*; still off at 1333
No others found up to 15 MHz by 1300
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. 5955, Oct 5, music mixing with tone-test (not het, as DSB on both sides), 1255 tone stops. Per Aoki, CRI runs 11-16 for all the English-speaking countries 95 degrees from Beijing site; while a 50 kW Tinang, PHILIPPINES unit (PHX) starts Vietnamese westward at 1300. There seemed to be a third station modulating in the mix but cannot account for that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** COSTA RICA. 9630, REE relay, Oct 5 at 0546, very strong and splatter down to 9610, up to 9650, much like it does when in DRM mode, but in analog not quite so annoying. Oct 5 at 1344, it was much the same from 15170, down to 15150, up to 15190. Back off! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. RHC anomalies Oct 5: at 0529, Spanish 5040 off the air, audiblizing Brasil on 5045, free of CubaRM at 0608 check. (Rebelde 5025 still on.)

Back at 0538 found RHC 6110 still on the air, so probably had collided with Japan via Canada at 0500-0530! 6110 normally goes off just in time by 0500, replaced by 6150 and from Spanish to English. Another RHC transmitter is on // 6120 but the two sound completely different: 6110 has some hum but decent audio, 6120 is as always compressed lo-fi audio; and an echo apart from different sites. English on 5970, 6060, 6150, and back on 6010 which had been missing 24 hours earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. As Ron Howard first reported, and confirmed by others, R. Amanecer has been staying on the air late, even all-night, so while comparing Liberia (?) 4025 to Cuba 5025, it`s just a 1-MHz flick to check 6025 too. This one is slightly on the hi side compared to Rebelde, Oct 5 at 0553, seems dialog in Spanish, but heavy ACI from China/Canada 6020 and Cuba/Cubanon on 6030. The former is finished by 0600, but still plenty from the latter, so recheck 6025+ at 0603 by side-tuning low: music; 0604 talking about ``la capital de Honduras es Tegucigalpa`` and saluting listeners there via local stations, Stereo-something and Radio Sol. I assume this is a certain program speaking, not direct relays of R. Amanecer per se. The casual listener might misconclude 6025 is from Honduras.

HIIJ has gone all-night before, but it hasn`t lasted, so get it while you may (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GREECE. 15630, no sign of VOG, Oct 5 at 1347 check, tho neighboring Bulgaria 15700 is heard as usual quite well. Come to think of it, have not heard 15630 for quite a while, which used to be a regular all day long. Still no trace of it at 1720 on 15630 (or 15650; fortunately DW DRM via PORTUGAL 15635-15640-15645 was not bleeding far enough to block Greece if it were there). Had assumed lack of VOG on 15 MHz was due to changing propagation, but is it off? Does anyone hear VOG any more on two frequencies at once? 9420 has not been heard very much here either.

VOG`s constant monitor in Maryland, John Babbis covers 20-02 UT only, but as of Oct 3-4 was barely getting ERT5 on 15630 past 2200 // better 9420 and then barely on 15650 instead from 2300, while best on third frequency 7475 once ERT3 is over. A.k.a. ERA5 and ERA3.

John also forwards this notice; it`s unclear whether such disruptions affect transmission, or just program content:

``24-HOUR STRIKE ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2010
The program of ERA5-"Voice of Greece" will be changed from 06.00 a.m. (0300 UT) on Monday, October 4, until 06.00 am (0300 UT) on Tuesday, October 5, because of the twenty-four hour strike declared by the POSPERT and POESY seeking the signing of the Collective Labor Agreement 2009.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUATEMALA. 4055-, R. Verdad audible with music Oct 5 at 0528, slightly on the low side compared to Spain 6055; retune 0606 as music was ending, dead air, brief unreadable announcement and starting national anthem at 0608.

Explaining recent absences, Dr Madrid tells me they don`t have an air monitor at the station and operators aren`t always aware when the transmitter dumps off. The night before, UT Oct 4, Jim Evans in TN heard 4055 go off after anthem (national?) at 0410* which would appear to be an intentional earlier sign-off on Sunday nights contrary to program schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 3325, ho hum, another morning with relatively fair signal from RRI Palangkaraya, Kalimantan Tengah, M&M discussion in Indonesian Oct 5 at 1244, not as good as last few days (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, Oct 5 at 1315, news from Banjarmasin, in another Tuesday ``Exotic Indonesia`` co-produxion, VG signal but still marred by IADs*, and also briefly by some tones, plus continuous lite hum. Until 1323 Commentary about subsidence in Jakarta water table, the key word mispronounced thruout with a short i. ID with three imaginary frequencies, which refuses to die. 1325 Today in History: Indonesian Armed Forces Day, and World Teachers Day. 1328 Banj guy talks about the 65th TNI (?) Day, plugs his 20-minute upcoming feature, part 2 on the Floating Market Festival; but first: 1330, Focus, on World Food Day of the FAO which will be Oct 16.

*I have been rethinking using the term ``occasional audio dropouts`` (OADs), since where do we draw the line between occasional and frequent? Instead, nonspecific irregular audio dropouts (IADs) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, V. of Mesopotamia, Oct 5 at 1335 very minor-key singing accompanied by plucked instrument, other-worldly, good with flutter via UKRAINE (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LIBERIA [non?]. 4025+, Oct 5 at 0530, JBA carrier slightly hi compared to Cuba 5025. Chris Lobdell in MA tipped me that Star Radio seemed to be back here, heard Oct 3 at 0625 and sent me a clip; at least he got some audio, but I could not make anything out of it. For the past month+ had been on 3960 after trying a few other 75 mb frequencies, and in BDXC-UK Communication:

``Star Radio, Monrovia has settled on 3960 (ex-4025); the new frequency is now listed on their web site as of 5 Sept with schedule 05-09, 18-21``

That must be about the time I quit checking for it to be updated:
http://www.starradio.org.lr/ still says this as of Oct 5:

``STAR radio is broadcasting on 104 FM & 3.960 MHz (mega-hertz) Short Wave in the 75-meter Band. For now test transmission on the Short Wave runs from 5 to 9 in the morning and 6-9 in the evening. Call us on 077577142, 077018797 or 06857000.``

I never could hear it on 3960 with all the QRhaM; can anyone confirm it`s back on 4025, and/or still hear it on 3960?

Achim Brückner, Detmold Germany, says: ``Laser Hot Hits is back on 4025 kHz at weekends 24h. Usually strong here at mornings and evenings.``

The log by Chris and company was on a weekend, but the 4025 carrier I got was on Tuesday, so? It was not 4026:

Chris Diemoz in Italy says: ``I did give a try to Star Radio at around greyline this morning. The attached is what I had on 4026.0, and - although if not readable on voice parts (even if reaching good peaks on music) - I'm led to think it's Star. 4026 - Tent. Star Radio - 0539 GMT - 5th October``

From his 10:28 clip, 1 kHz away, I would lean toward LHH, altho Star Radio does play pop music too (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA. UNIDENTIFIED. 7350, Noel Green in England has been hearing a weak unlisted station in English at 0630, so I start checking for it earlier Oct 5: at 0542, 1 kHz tone test, 0558 open carrier, marred by intermittent ``running water`` ute bursts; 0559:30 music and announcement, more H2O, 0601 M&W intonation sounds English, but just too weak, still so at 0615.

EiBi lists on 7350, RRI in Romanian until 0500; Iran in Arabic until 0530, but nothing in the following sesquihour. Aoki agrees except for -0457* and -0527*. I suppose this could be a mixing product, perhaps from a major station, if we could just pull enough audio to recognize or parallel it. Then Noel replies::

``The station using 7350 is no longer unID. It was heard again this morning (Oct. 5) at around 0630+ UT but again too weak in local noise for me to identify. Mauno Ritola [Finland] was on hand, and he heard it via his own equipment and then identified it by using a remote receiver as "Radio Nigeria National Service".

It was not // with V of Nigeria 15120, Mauno says, and so it's assumed to be the Abuja transmitter formerly using 7275, which frequency now appears empty. 7350 is audible - just - through the hour at 0700 but it cannot be ascertained whether it continues or not. The WRTH lists FRCN Abuja as 0430-2130UT on SW, but that has to be confirmed. Noel R. Green (NW England)``.

Why in the world don`t SW stations moving to a brand new frequency notify the DX world about it? But then that would deny us the thrill of discovery, even if it take a whlie (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PHILIPPINES. 9430, Oct 5 at 1359, Chinese from FEBC continues with same type of programming past 1400; altho could not catch an ID, nothing to indicate it is CRI in Chinese via EAST TURKISTAN, as reported by Gerry Dexter in the Oct NASWA Journal. No sign of that even mixing here either. Could reception conditions be so radically different a megameter away in Wisconsin? I`ll put my list-log up against his (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. The spurs of Brother Scare: see U S A

** TUNISIA. As I was checking the 7350 unID, noticed that RTT 7335 came on abruptly at *0557 Oct 5, // 7275 which would overlap only one semihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also NIGERIA

** U K. 13745, Oct 4 at 2041, Brazilian-accented Portuguese, fluttery and eclipsed by 13755 RDPI with Portuguese-accented Portuguese, in sports coverage splattering down below 13740. 13745 is BBCWS at 2030-2100 M-F, 500 kW, 189 degrees from Rampisham toward Angola; so why would they be using a Brazilian accent? Close enough, I guess, and may please some Brazilian listeners who are denied any intentional SW broadcasts from BBC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 17775, Oct 4 at 2034 as I checked the 16m band was about to enter KVOH as absent, until I detected a very weak carrier with JBA music, so maybe KVOH was really on. On other occasions it inbooms. Is this all due to whether HF sporadic E propagation is assisting over this less-than 2 Megameter path, or does their power and even transmission time fluxuate widely?

KVOH is the only thing scheduled on 17775 after 1500, tho three other sites use it before then. KVOH is aimed 100 degrees toward Caribbean, not too far off our azimuth, yet other signals at similar distances in the other direxion from us, and aimed the other way, Greenville and Okeechobee, are far more reliable on 16m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Tuning up the 9 MHz band, Oct 5 at 1310, came to Brother Scare too early, just below 9250 --- a spur from WINB, 9265? Sounds the same, but NOT //! Is it a spur from WWCR 9980? Not // either!

Leaves one other alternative, WWRB 9385 --- yes, a match, so a spur from that, and heard on three different receivers, measured approximately on 9249.3, and the carrier is unstable. By 1409 could no longer hear it, just weak CODAR around 9250-9270.

Might have been a mirror on 9520.7, which I did not get around to checking for vs very strong Indonesia 9526-, which come to think of it did have an unusual hi-pitched het on it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 11715, Oct 5 at 1335, KJES at S9+22 but undermodulated as usual. Yesterday and many other days around this time, not audible at all. Now we get two programs in English at once, or so it seems: OM reading religious text; YL singing uncorrelated words accompanied on guitar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 12155, Oct 5 at 1339 open carrier with flutter, and at several subsequent chex, hoped it would develop into something interesting but gone at 1401. Later looked up in Aoki, only thing listed is YFR via Tajikistan, English at 13-14, altho HFCC says same is via Kazakhstan; in any event, lost modulation, so send a refund to Oakland (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###