** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36, Nov 3 at 1350, barely heard carrier and then a bit of music, weaker than Turkey 15480. As always, I make sure it`s on 15476, not 15475, tho nothing is scheduled on the latter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. 9565, started listening at 1957 Nov 2, hearing only heavy jamming. But at *2000 sharp, on comes R. Martí, with website, opening another hour of transmission. Also R. Martí, with website, opening another hour of transmission. No, that is not an editing error: I was hearing TWO feeds of R. Martí audio, a reverb/echo apart, and still the same at 2048 recheck. Not listening at 2200 transition, but at 2211 there was no longer an echo.
As previously reported, Sackville is now scheduled at 20-22 on 9565, then Greenville at 22-24, but as heard Nov 1, both were on before 22 and at 2156, one of them with wrong audio, VOA Music Mix instead of Martí. Now both of them have RM, so progress is being made. All they need to do is coördinate to the extent of deciding which site to employ on any particular date, and turn off the other one, duh. The SAC deal was as backup in case Greenville lost a transmitter or had to start closing down, but this is obviously not yet the case.
R. Martí is still clueless in the Miami studio about what their frequencies really are, nor at the DentroCuban Jamming Command. At 1256 Nov 3, 5745 was finally being jammed after three days of freedom. 1259, RM announces that ``en algunos instantes`` it can be heard on 11930, 13820 and 15330. But at 1300 it continues on 5745, and jamming is no longer heard. At 1302 I find jamming only on 6030; at 1308, 15330 is NOT on the air, NOR is 13820 which does bear something in S Asian language, i.e. YFR Bengali via Nauen, GERMANY. 11930, however is really on with RM but no jamming. At 1314 RM is also still on 7405, plus jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4052.5-, R. Verdad starting NA at 0600 Nov 3, so signing off a few minutes earlier than usual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, V. of Mesopotamia via UKRAINE, Nov 3 at 1311 with Kurdish music, well atop WYFR in Portuguese, I was quite pleased to note, WYFR far enough down that could still enjoy the music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Nov 3 I was snoozing thru the sunrise skip window from NW Mexico, yet at the late hour of 1328 UT I am hearing Spanish on 710 in the null of KEEL Shreveport [see USA], and sure enough, soon copy ``La Ranchera de Cuauhtémoc`` jingle. XEDP normally peaks about an hour earlier, and Chihuahua is prettymuch gone by 1300. By 1347, KGNC Amarillo is dominating 710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND. While RNZI was doing well on 6170 from *1259 in October, I`ve yet to hear it on the alleged replacement, 5950 for B-10. Nov 3 at 1303, nothing on 5950, flanked by China in Chinese on 5945, China in English on 5955. Recheck 6170, still no NZ there either; now 13-14 occupied by VOR Vladivostok in Mongolian except Sundays in Chinese, per Aoki. So what has become of RNZI? More downtime?
When I check the homepage at 1527, http://www.rnzi.com/index.php it asserts: `` We are currently broadcasting on 5950 kHz in the 49 m band.`` But we have long suspected those automated claims are based on nominal schedule, not necessarily current reality (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PRIDNESTROVYE. On Nov 2, Eike Bierwirth in Leipzig monitored Radio PMR on 6240 with half-hour instead of quarter-hour language segments, from 1800 onwards: 1800 Russian (extrapolated), 1830 English, 1900 French, 1930 German, 2000 Russian, 2030 English, 2100 French, 2130 German, 2200 Russian, and the rest extrapolated: 2230 English, 2300 French, 2330 German to 2400 when VOR takes over 6240.
So I check 6240 at 2212 Nov 2: in Russian (or something Slavic), not used by this service before, and continued past 2216 without the usual quarter-hour language shift. By 2240 however, in English presumably starting 2230. At 2257 music fill; 2300 time signal several sex late, French; 2343 German, so his extrapolation is correct. This presumably happens M-F only, the first part for Europe and the latter part also for NAm, tho there may be no change in facilities. Radio PMR was unreliable in the order of its languages when in quarter-hours, so the order of the half-hours should also be considered changeable (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAIPAN. 9715, R. Svoboda, Nov 3 at 1312 in Russian. Carrier is still jerking around when BFO is on, but modulation on AM does not sound so bad as previous two days (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. Still trying to figure out what REE is really doing about the new Basque-language service, allegedly M-F at 1305(-1330?). Nov 3 at 1305 on 15170 via CR, no, it`s still in Castilian with headlines, W&M alternating, 2:07 timecheck, news about US elexions; 1319 still in Spanish.
At 1352, I try 17595 direct. That minute in the B-09 season was inside the 5-minute token Basque news segment, which was really in Castilian except for intro and outro, and which had been heard all A-10 at the DST timing of 1250-1255. Now, there really is Basque! Unlike a day or three ago. Narration with clips, and more than token, continuing past 1355, mentions ETA, Amnistía Internacional, and occasional Castilian words.
Even keeps going thru 1400 timesignal, but shortly cut off for REE Castilian wrong time announcement as 13 horas Tiempo Universal, 3 de la tarde en España, and into news in the national tongue. So the new Euskera service starts sometime in the 1330 semihour, apparently, instead of 1300+, but when? And can we depend on it now? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non?]. 17740, VOA Portuguese, as in previous report was in progress at 1703 UT Nov 2, Sackville or Greenville? Listened carefully before and after 1800 and there was no break detectable in transmission for scheduled handover from SAC to GB --- nor double audio as on 9565 with Martí: see CUBA [and non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 720, on caradio in western Enid, Nov 2 at 1820, WGN with promo, weak but steady. This is only one dodekaminute before local mean noon here which is always at 1832 UT (and means we should be in the UT-7 zone, not UT -6, let alone UT -5 we have been forced to observe for the past almost 8 months!).
The sun is now low enough to allow residual skywave over more than a megameter from Chicago, as we observe periodically within a sesquimonth of winter solstice. Also, there is CCI on KLTT Denver, which normally has 670 to itself at the edge of its groundwave, so no doubt signs of WSCR Chicago. By 1912 recheck, WGN was a bit stronger. However, nothing unusual higher up the band, notably 1690 where I look for WVON Chicago, with 10 kW non-direxional at topend of the band ought to be skywavable, but such openings seem to favor lowend, akin to groundwave. WBBM 780 might make it too, or WLS 890, but both those are blocked by OK stations in the daytime.
570 seemed a bit strange. Normally, KLIF TX dominates but there is always WNAX SD audio underneath causing a slow SAH. At 1825, there were signs of another SAH from a third very weak signal, but no third audio. It seems the most likely source by distance would be 1 kW WKYX in Paducah KY, tho it has a null toward Dallas; would not expect it at all by groundwave, thru the poor-conductivity Ozarx (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 720, checking again for KDWN Las Vegas, Nov 3 at 1315 UT discussion of the elexion ``here in Nevada`` but it`s really an ABC News correspondent via WGN, tsk; 1317 Chicago traffic, of little interest in LV.
At 1332 KSAH in Spanish is up producing usual 4 Hz SAH with WGN, mentioning San Antonio College, still no KDWN, which apparently is not switching to day pattern at 1315 instead of correct 1415 for November (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 710, Nov 3 at 1326 UT, news in English from NW/SE, soon obviously from KEEL Shreveport LA, since refers to ``our state`` and Louisiana, Katrina consequences. Tho 50/5 kW, this one is seldom heard here, with deep null toward us, major lobes from SW to SE, day and night. See also MEXICO. By 1347, KGNC Amarillo is dominating 710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 1030, Nov 3 at 1335 I am getting financial/stox news in Spanish from E/W, mentions both pesos and dólares, stingers between each item; definitely not N/S so not KCTA which is bilingual religious. Then at 1340 a second station in Spanish with romantic music, 1343 both of them talking, but too much CCI to sort them out.
While there are several US Spanish stations on 1030, most likely by far here is WGSF Memphis TN, now on day power of 50 kW and non-direxional per NRC Pattern Book. Strangely, I don`t recall hearing it before. The other one, likely XEYC R. Fórmula, Ciudad Juárez, Chih., or possibly XEMPM, R. Fama, Los Mochis, Sinaloa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 3160, since WPJK Orangeburg SC second harmonic was already on the air a few minutes before legal sunrise 1200 UT Nov 2, I started monitoring Nov 3 at 1125. Nothing there until *1139 abrupt carrier on and standard sign-on announcement a few sex later, mentioning name of general manager, who is obviously clueless about his harmonic or when he should sign on.
So do they still intend to sign on at the illegal November time of 1130? That of course makes it more DXable, but surely not the reason. Right into Gospel Train with its ``conductor``, beginning with `Q` in Morse toots, the same signal heard by compression waves in Enid and everywhere from trains warning of approaches to street crossings. Next check more than hour later at 1251, the 3160 carrier could still be detected (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CUBA [and non]. 9565, started listening at 1957 Nov 2, hearing only heavy jamming. But at *2000 sharp, on comes R. Martí, with website, opening another hour of transmission. Also R. Martí, with website, opening another hour of transmission. No, that is not an editing error: I was hearing TWO feeds of R. Martí audio, a reverb/echo apart, and still the same at 2048 recheck. Not listening at 2200 transition, but at 2211 there was no longer an echo.
As previously reported, Sackville is now scheduled at 20-22 on 9565, then Greenville at 22-24, but as heard Nov 1, both were on before 22 and at 2156, one of them with wrong audio, VOA Music Mix instead of Martí. Now both of them have RM, so progress is being made. All they need to do is coördinate to the extent of deciding which site to employ on any particular date, and turn off the other one, duh. The SAC deal was as backup in case Greenville lost a transmitter or had to start closing down, but this is obviously not yet the case.
R. Martí is still clueless in the Miami studio about what their frequencies really are, nor at the DentroCuban Jamming Command. At 1256 Nov 3, 5745 was finally being jammed after three days of freedom. 1259, RM announces that ``en algunos instantes`` it can be heard on 11930, 13820 and 15330. But at 1300 it continues on 5745, and jamming is no longer heard. At 1302 I find jamming only on 6030; at 1308, 15330 is NOT on the air, NOR is 13820 which does bear something in S Asian language, i.e. YFR Bengali via Nauen, GERMANY. 11930, however is really on with RM but no jamming. At 1314 RM is also still on 7405, plus jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4052.5-, R. Verdad starting NA at 0600 Nov 3, so signing off a few minutes earlier than usual (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, V. of Mesopotamia via UKRAINE, Nov 3 at 1311 with Kurdish music, well atop WYFR in Portuguese, I was quite pleased to note, WYFR far enough down that could still enjoy the music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Nov 3 I was snoozing thru the sunrise skip window from NW Mexico, yet at the late hour of 1328 UT I am hearing Spanish on 710 in the null of KEEL Shreveport [see USA], and sure enough, soon copy ``La Ranchera de Cuauhtémoc`` jingle. XEDP normally peaks about an hour earlier, and Chihuahua is prettymuch gone by 1300. By 1347, KGNC Amarillo is dominating 710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND. While RNZI was doing well on 6170 from *1259 in October, I`ve yet to hear it on the alleged replacement, 5950 for B-10. Nov 3 at 1303, nothing on 5950, flanked by China in Chinese on 5945, China in English on 5955. Recheck 6170, still no NZ there either; now 13-14 occupied by VOR Vladivostok in Mongolian except Sundays in Chinese, per Aoki. So what has become of RNZI? More downtime?
When I check the homepage at 1527, http://www.rnzi.com/index.php it asserts: `` We are currently broadcasting on 5950 kHz in the 49 m band.`` But we have long suspected those automated claims are based on nominal schedule, not necessarily current reality (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PRIDNESTROVYE. On Nov 2, Eike Bierwirth in Leipzig monitored Radio PMR on 6240 with half-hour instead of quarter-hour language segments, from 1800 onwards: 1800 Russian (extrapolated), 1830 English, 1900 French, 1930 German, 2000 Russian, 2030 English, 2100 French, 2130 German, 2200 Russian, and the rest extrapolated: 2230 English, 2300 French, 2330 German to 2400 when VOR takes over 6240.
So I check 6240 at 2212 Nov 2: in Russian (or something Slavic), not used by this service before, and continued past 2216 without the usual quarter-hour language shift. By 2240 however, in English presumably starting 2230. At 2257 music fill; 2300 time signal several sex late, French; 2343 German, so his extrapolation is correct. This presumably happens M-F only, the first part for Europe and the latter part also for NAm, tho there may be no change in facilities. Radio PMR was unreliable in the order of its languages when in quarter-hours, so the order of the half-hours should also be considered changeable (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SAIPAN. 9715, R. Svoboda, Nov 3 at 1312 in Russian. Carrier is still jerking around when BFO is on, but modulation on AM does not sound so bad as previous two days (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. Still trying to figure out what REE is really doing about the new Basque-language service, allegedly M-F at 1305(-1330?). Nov 3 at 1305 on 15170 via CR, no, it`s still in Castilian with headlines, W&M alternating, 2:07 timecheck, news about US elexions; 1319 still in Spanish.
At 1352, I try 17595 direct. That minute in the B-09 season was inside the 5-minute token Basque news segment, which was really in Castilian except for intro and outro, and which had been heard all A-10 at the DST timing of 1250-1255. Now, there really is Basque! Unlike a day or three ago. Narration with clips, and more than token, continuing past 1355, mentions ETA, Amnistía Internacional, and occasional Castilian words.
Even keeps going thru 1400 timesignal, but shortly cut off for REE Castilian wrong time announcement as 13 horas Tiempo Universal, 3 de la tarde en España, and into news in the national tongue. So the new Euskera service starts sometime in the 1330 semihour, apparently, instead of 1300+, but when? And can we depend on it now? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non?]. 17740, VOA Portuguese, as in previous report was in progress at 1703 UT Nov 2, Sackville or Greenville? Listened carefully before and after 1800 and there was no break detectable in transmission for scheduled handover from SAC to GB --- nor double audio as on 9565 with Martí: see CUBA [and non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 720, on caradio in western Enid, Nov 2 at 1820, WGN with promo, weak but steady. This is only one dodekaminute before local mean noon here which is always at 1832 UT (and means we should be in the UT-7 zone, not UT -6, let alone UT -5 we have been forced to observe for the past almost 8 months!).
The sun is now low enough to allow residual skywave over more than a megameter from Chicago, as we observe periodically within a sesquimonth of winter solstice. Also, there is CCI on KLTT Denver, which normally has 670 to itself at the edge of its groundwave, so no doubt signs of WSCR Chicago. By 1912 recheck, WGN was a bit stronger. However, nothing unusual higher up the band, notably 1690 where I look for WVON Chicago, with 10 kW non-direxional at topend of the band ought to be skywavable, but such openings seem to favor lowend, akin to groundwave. WBBM 780 might make it too, or WLS 890, but both those are blocked by OK stations in the daytime.
570 seemed a bit strange. Normally, KLIF TX dominates but there is always WNAX SD audio underneath causing a slow SAH. At 1825, there were signs of another SAH from a third very weak signal, but no third audio. It seems the most likely source by distance would be 1 kW WKYX in Paducah KY, tho it has a null toward Dallas; would not expect it at all by groundwave, thru the poor-conductivity Ozarx (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 720, checking again for KDWN Las Vegas, Nov 3 at 1315 UT discussion of the elexion ``here in Nevada`` but it`s really an ABC News correspondent via WGN, tsk; 1317 Chicago traffic, of little interest in LV.
At 1332 KSAH in Spanish is up producing usual 4 Hz SAH with WGN, mentioning San Antonio College, still no KDWN, which apparently is not switching to day pattern at 1315 instead of correct 1415 for November (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 710, Nov 3 at 1326 UT, news in English from NW/SE, soon obviously from KEEL Shreveport LA, since refers to ``our state`` and Louisiana, Katrina consequences. Tho 50/5 kW, this one is seldom heard here, with deep null toward us, major lobes from SW to SE, day and night. See also MEXICO. By 1347, KGNC Amarillo is dominating 710 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 1030, Nov 3 at 1335 I am getting financial/stox news in Spanish from E/W, mentions both pesos and dólares, stingers between each item; definitely not N/S so not KCTA which is bilingual religious. Then at 1340 a second station in Spanish with romantic music, 1343 both of them talking, but too much CCI to sort them out.
While there are several US Spanish stations on 1030, most likely by far here is WGSF Memphis TN, now on day power of 50 kW and non-direxional per NRC Pattern Book. Strangely, I don`t recall hearing it before. The other one, likely XEYC R. Fórmula, Ciudad Juárez, Chih., or possibly XEMPM, R. Fama, Los Mochis, Sinaloa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 3160, since WPJK Orangeburg SC second harmonic was already on the air a few minutes before legal sunrise 1200 UT Nov 2, I started monitoring Nov 3 at 1125. Nothing there until *1139 abrupt carrier on and standard sign-on announcement a few sex later, mentioning name of general manager, who is obviously clueless about his harmonic or when he should sign on.
So do they still intend to sign on at the illegal November time of 1130? That of course makes it more DXable, but surely not the reason. Right into Gospel Train with its ``conductor``, beginning with `Q` in Morse toots, the same signal heard by compression waves in Enid and everywhere from trains warning of approaches to street crossings. Next check more than hour later at 1251, the 3160 carrier could still be detected (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
