** ARGENTINA. Yes, RAE continues on SW in 2011! 11710.8 approx., UT Jan 4 at 0237, English to NAm is fair with flutter and readable, announcer talking informally about upcoming visit of Brasil`s new president to Argentina. Kudos for doing that instead of everything scripted. WWV reports improved propagation:
Solar-terrestrial indices for 03 January follow.
Solar flux 92 and mid-latitude A-index 3.
The mid-latitude K-index at 0300 UTC on 04 January was 1 (7 nT).
No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours.
No space weather storms are expected for the next 24 hours.
More good news: On Jan 3, Takahito Akabayashi, Japan reported to DXLD:
``Mr. Marcello Carvajal of RAE telephoned to Mr. Kazuhiko Iwasa of JSWC the following on Jan. 2. Director of RAE announced that Argentine government will budget RAE's new shortwave transmitter this week. This is due to the many messages hoping the continuation of RAE's SW broadcast from the listeners in Japan, Germany, and Portugal.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 9490, Jan 3 at 2220, fluttery Spanish discussing US/Mexico drug war; 2230 Chinese aid to Venezuela. Yes, it`s CRI, listed in HFCC and Aoki as Beijing site, 500 kW, 318 degrees to northern S America. You`d think they would use a much closer site such as Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN, but apparently it works all the way from Beijing direct aiming northwest, and it even reaches here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 6030, Firedrake Jan 4 at 1327 percussion passage, atop a couple of Chinese language stations, i.e. Min Hui Radio, TAIWAN, and other ChiCom jamming. Haven`t heard FD anywhere else for weeks, but apparently it and Sound of Hope are now more active in the local mornings, our evenings (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 9955, checking whether the DentroCuban Jamming Command is blasting WRMI today, Monday Jan 3 at 2224: yes, wall of noise, while there was none on Saturday Jan 1 during this same semihour with `Wavescan`.
11760, RHC, Jan 4 at 1502:30, now Antonio Gómez does the honors of giving wrong time: ``exactamente las 10, 1 minuto, amigos``. So now a full sesquiminute off. Tune in Radio Reloj, Tony, which does a better job of synchronizing with WWV, and reset your studio clock once permission may be obtained from the party-member boss (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CYPRUS. 8160-8185, OTH radar pulsing, presumed from here Jan 3 at 2304 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA [and non]. 4052.5, R. Verdad at 0556 Jan 4, now has some utility QRM: intermittent noises of various kinds, such as beeps, ``running water``, noise like jamming, vs talk and music from TGAV. Have not noticed this before, but always a risk, broadcasting in a fixed utility band. Seems to be on exactly same frequency. No 4050 KWMO audible at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9525-, Jan 4 at 1306, VOI news in English about a volcano-watch, 1308 item from the Banjarmasin guy who outroed himself with names including ``Rachman``; in another Tuesday `Exotic Indonesia` co-produxion with RRI-B (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 9595, UT Mon Jan 3 at 2227, unfamiliar chiming IS starting with four notes and then several others, the four notes repeating periodically; and then sign on by ``Radio Nikkei``. WRTH 2011 does show *2225 Sun-Thu, *2155 Fri & Sat, and describes the IS: ``slow tempo chime with Japanese instrument `koto` at sign-on and sign-off`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH. 9335, VOK in English diatribe, Jan 4 at 1312 with co-channel QRM from something in Chinese under. Except none such is scheduled, and this was certainly not Pashto from R. Azadi, Kuwait, which is the only other thing listed on 9335 at this time. Since the level of the Chinese is also constant, I conclude it`s a mixture from another transmission by VOK itself. Wiggle those patchcords! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 15120, Jan 4 at 1510, ``Voice of Nigeria, Lagos`` ID by YL amid 15-minute news block, then about bomb blast in Abuja; somewhat distorted and unstable carrier, but she is more readable than the axualities or other announcers with heavier accents who followed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 18058-, R. Victoria third harmonic of 6019.3+, Jan 4 at 1527, trace of audio, and apparently always there when propagation permits, obvious from its signature off-frequency. I expect it is well under 100 watts (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** POLAND [non]. BBC blox PRES on 11860: see U K [and non]
** RUSSIA [non]. 7335 via GUIANA FRENCH, VOR is in correct language Spanish instead of Russian for the second night in a row, Jan 4 at 0555 check. Keep it up! Or, rather: how about putting English on by mistake now and then so we can hear VOR? Direct 9840 and 9855 from DVR have been inaudible for weeks. Usual VG signal on 7335 but with some `generator hum` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA [non]. 6075, R. Rossii is still totally unusable from Pet/Kam, nothing but motorboating roar, except timesignal barely makes it thru its own noise at 1400, and carrier off a minute earlier than usual at 1400:30*. Still no trace of 8GAL V/CQ marker on 6074 which used to be audible at the same minute (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [non]. 17745, Jan 4 at 1528, music with no echo, 1529 Arabish announcement with some echo self-imposed, including ``Sudan Radio Service`` pronounced in English; via Sines, PORTUGAL. As the referendum draws near for Southern Sudan secession, all ears should be on US-sponsored SRS which has been promoting voting, incessantly for at least the past year; only wish there were more English, which we rarely hear from SRS. Aoki shows 1500-1530 is in English/Sudanese, and 1530-1700 in Arabic/Sudanese as of b10.
But WRTH 2011 shows 15-17 on 17745 is entirely in Juba Arabic, with English daily as follows: 0530-0600 on 13720 and 13720 [sic] via UAE; 1730-1800 on 9590 and 9840 also both UAE, i.e. less likely to be heard in NAm than Portugal site. Yes: nothing audible here on either at 1739 Jan 4.
Via kimandrewelliott.com, Daniel Braverman in Radio World 29 Dec reported that SRS originates from studios in Nairobi, via ``offshore SW transmitters. However, conditions in southern Sudan have improved since the 2005 peace agreement that ended the north-south civil war; and in 2008 it was decided that the time had come to move SRS operations to Sudan and to supplement its shortwave broadcasts with a 2 kW FM transmission from Juba, the southern Sudanese capital." Good, but let`s hope this does not led to a reduxion or elimination of SW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** UKRAINE. Re previous report, no warning that RUI would cut off SW at yearend: Kai Ludwig points out: ``Actually there was:
----------
From January 1, 2011 RUI will presumably be leaving SW for good. Therefore, the station is seeking other opportunities for delivering its broadcasts overseas in addition to its online streaming and Sirius 4 satellite. In particular, RUI is considering joining English and German streams of WRN network (Alexander Yegorov, Ukraine, open_dx via MIDXB 707, October 19, 2010)``
Hmmm, yes, but no warning lately as the date approached. 7440 to NAm is off, but monitors in Europe are still hearing some of the other frequencies (Glenn Hauser OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [and non]. 11860, station in English with news headlines, Jan 4 at 1331, then `Business Daily` at 1332, i.e. BBCWS, and 1351 already to sport with cricket news. Some ACI from WYFR 11855 especially when the latter in music; and also some CCI from music at 1354. I then check 9460, and find the same music.
BBCWS is supposed to be on 11860 only until 1300 M-F, the GUIANA FRENCH relay // WHRI 9410. At 13-14, Woofferton is carrying Polish Radio External Service northeastward on 11860 // 9460, 300 degrees from AUSTRIA. Did TDF forget to turn off 11860 at 1300? It would not be the first mistake from Montsinéry. Will it be there tomorrow? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 3160, looking for WPJK, SC harmonic from 1580, which in Dec was barely audible here going off around 2217 UT, legal sunset being 2215. In January it may operate until 2245, so does it? Jan 3 tune-in at 2219 and cannot detect a signal, so either off a bit before, or not propagating. If really on until 2245, it should have been detectable by 2240-2243, but was not. Sunsets grow later and later. Needs further chex, as well as whether January sign-on is still circa 1230. Did not manage to check that early Jan 4, but at 1303 it was inaudible, already outfaded? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9405, Jan 4 at 0553, very poor signal, presumably WINB, unusable. Meanwhile, neighbors 9370 WTJC and 9430 1Africa Zambia were in quite well. Checking earlier and earlier for 9265, Jan 4 at 1307, 13570 is already on instead, and VG signal. Wonder if they are going directly from 9405 to 13570 around 1130 now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9885, checking whether São Tomé and Meyerton relays of VOA would overlap again before 0600 Jan 4: at 0554, VOA is poor with Cuban pulse jamming, left way over from VOA Spanish on 9885 at 1230-1400 and 0000-0200 (less on weekends; Arnie Coro considers VOA just as inimical as Radio Martí for broadcasting in Spanish audible in Cuba. Meanwhile, RHC broadcasts freely in English to the USA with constant anti-American propaganda, impeded only by its own SNAFUs.)
0558 retune 9885, now I hear only open carrier from SOUTH AFRICA; has VOA audio already ended from ST, or totally blocked? 0559:30 VTC theme music, still with Cuban jamming, 0600 opening `Daybreak Africa` with timecheck, today`s date (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6170.3, approx., het against VOR Chinese via Khabarovsk, Jan 4 at 1326. Suspect the sporadic 500-watt Radyo Magasin, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES, schedule 23-13v per WRTH 2011. Perhaps someone further west can pull some audio and split it off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
Solar-terrestrial indices for 03 January follow.
Solar flux 92 and mid-latitude A-index 3.
The mid-latitude K-index at 0300 UTC on 04 January was 1 (7 nT).
No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours.
No space weather storms are expected for the next 24 hours.
More good news: On Jan 3, Takahito Akabayashi, Japan reported to DXLD:
``Mr. Marcello Carvajal of RAE telephoned to Mr. Kazuhiko Iwasa of JSWC the following on Jan. 2. Director of RAE announced that Argentine government will budget RAE's new shortwave transmitter this week. This is due to the many messages hoping the continuation of RAE's SW broadcast from the listeners in Japan, Germany, and Portugal.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 9490, Jan 3 at 2220, fluttery Spanish discussing US/Mexico drug war; 2230 Chinese aid to Venezuela. Yes, it`s CRI, listed in HFCC and Aoki as Beijing site, 500 kW, 318 degrees to northern S America. You`d think they would use a much closer site such as Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN, but apparently it works all the way from Beijing direct aiming northwest, and it even reaches here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 6030, Firedrake Jan 4 at 1327 percussion passage, atop a couple of Chinese language stations, i.e. Min Hui Radio, TAIWAN, and other ChiCom jamming. Haven`t heard FD anywhere else for weeks, but apparently it and Sound of Hope are now more active in the local mornings, our evenings (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 9955, checking whether the DentroCuban Jamming Command is blasting WRMI today, Monday Jan 3 at 2224: yes, wall of noise, while there was none on Saturday Jan 1 during this same semihour with `Wavescan`.
11760, RHC, Jan 4 at 1502:30, now Antonio Gómez does the honors of giving wrong time: ``exactamente las 10, 1 minuto, amigos``. So now a full sesquiminute off. Tune in Radio Reloj, Tony, which does a better job of synchronizing with WWV, and reset your studio clock once permission may be obtained from the party-member boss (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CYPRUS. 8160-8185, OTH radar pulsing, presumed from here Jan 3 at 2304 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA [and non]. 4052.5, R. Verdad at 0556 Jan 4, now has some utility QRM: intermittent noises of various kinds, such as beeps, ``running water``, noise like jamming, vs talk and music from TGAV. Have not noticed this before, but always a risk, broadcasting in a fixed utility band. Seems to be on exactly same frequency. No 4050 KWMO audible at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 9525-, Jan 4 at 1306, VOI news in English about a volcano-watch, 1308 item from the Banjarmasin guy who outroed himself with names including ``Rachman``; in another Tuesday `Exotic Indonesia` co-produxion with RRI-B (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 9595, UT Mon Jan 3 at 2227, unfamiliar chiming IS starting with four notes and then several others, the four notes repeating periodically; and then sign on by ``Radio Nikkei``. WRTH 2011 does show *2225 Sun-Thu, *2155 Fri & Sat, and describes the IS: ``slow tempo chime with Japanese instrument `koto` at sign-on and sign-off`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH. 9335, VOK in English diatribe, Jan 4 at 1312 with co-channel QRM from something in Chinese under. Except none such is scheduled, and this was certainly not Pashto from R. Azadi, Kuwait, which is the only other thing listed on 9335 at this time. Since the level of the Chinese is also constant, I conclude it`s a mixture from another transmission by VOK itself. Wiggle those patchcords! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 15120, Jan 4 at 1510, ``Voice of Nigeria, Lagos`` ID by YL amid 15-minute news block, then about bomb blast in Abuja; somewhat distorted and unstable carrier, but she is more readable than the axualities or other announcers with heavier accents who followed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 18058-, R. Victoria third harmonic of 6019.3+, Jan 4 at 1527, trace of audio, and apparently always there when propagation permits, obvious from its signature off-frequency. I expect it is well under 100 watts (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** POLAND [non]. BBC blox PRES on 11860: see U K [and non]
** RUSSIA [non]. 7335 via GUIANA FRENCH, VOR is in correct language Spanish instead of Russian for the second night in a row, Jan 4 at 0555 check. Keep it up! Or, rather: how about putting English on by mistake now and then so we can hear VOR? Direct 9840 and 9855 from DVR have been inaudible for weeks. Usual VG signal on 7335 but with some `generator hum` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** RUSSIA [non]. 6075, R. Rossii is still totally unusable from Pet/Kam, nothing but motorboating roar, except timesignal barely makes it thru its own noise at 1400, and carrier off a minute earlier than usual at 1400:30*. Still no trace of 8GAL V/CQ marker on 6074 which used to be audible at the same minute (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [non]. 17745, Jan 4 at 1528, music with no echo, 1529 Arabish announcement with some echo self-imposed, including ``Sudan Radio Service`` pronounced in English; via Sines, PORTUGAL. As the referendum draws near for Southern Sudan secession, all ears should be on US-sponsored SRS which has been promoting voting, incessantly for at least the past year; only wish there were more English, which we rarely hear from SRS. Aoki shows 1500-1530 is in English/Sudanese, and 1530-1700 in Arabic/Sudanese as of b10.
But WRTH 2011 shows 15-17 on 17745 is entirely in Juba Arabic, with English daily as follows: 0530-0600 on 13720 and 13720 [sic] via UAE; 1730-1800 on 9590 and 9840 also both UAE, i.e. less likely to be heard in NAm than Portugal site. Yes: nothing audible here on either at 1739 Jan 4.
Via kimandrewelliott.com, Daniel Braverman in Radio World 29 Dec reported that SRS originates from studios in Nairobi, via ``offshore SW transmitters. However, conditions in southern Sudan have improved since the 2005 peace agreement that ended the north-south civil war; and in 2008 it was decided that the time had come to move SRS operations to Sudan and to supplement its shortwave broadcasts with a 2 kW FM transmission from Juba, the southern Sudanese capital." Good, but let`s hope this does not led to a reduxion or elimination of SW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** UKRAINE. Re previous report, no warning that RUI would cut off SW at yearend: Kai Ludwig points out: ``Actually there was:
----------
From January 1, 2011 RUI will presumably be leaving SW for good. Therefore, the station is seeking other opportunities for delivering its broadcasts overseas in addition to its online streaming and Sirius 4 satellite. In particular, RUI is considering joining English and German streams of WRN network (Alexander Yegorov, Ukraine, open_dx via MIDXB 707, October 19, 2010)``
Hmmm, yes, but no warning lately as the date approached. 7440 to NAm is off, but monitors in Europe are still hearing some of the other frequencies (Glenn Hauser OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [and non]. 11860, station in English with news headlines, Jan 4 at 1331, then `Business Daily` at 1332, i.e. BBCWS, and 1351 already to sport with cricket news. Some ACI from WYFR 11855 especially when the latter in music; and also some CCI from music at 1354. I then check 9460, and find the same music.
BBCWS is supposed to be on 11860 only until 1300 M-F, the GUIANA FRENCH relay // WHRI 9410. At 13-14, Woofferton is carrying Polish Radio External Service northeastward on 11860 // 9460, 300 degrees from AUSTRIA. Did TDF forget to turn off 11860 at 1300? It would not be the first mistake from Montsinéry. Will it be there tomorrow? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 3160, looking for WPJK, SC harmonic from 1580, which in Dec was barely audible here going off around 2217 UT, legal sunset being 2215. In January it may operate until 2245, so does it? Jan 3 tune-in at 2219 and cannot detect a signal, so either off a bit before, or not propagating. If really on until 2245, it should have been detectable by 2240-2243, but was not. Sunsets grow later and later. Needs further chex, as well as whether January sign-on is still circa 1230. Did not manage to check that early Jan 4, but at 1303 it was inaudible, already outfaded? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9405, Jan 4 at 0553, very poor signal, presumably WINB, unusable. Meanwhile, neighbors 9370 WTJC and 9430 1Africa Zambia were in quite well. Checking earlier and earlier for 9265, Jan 4 at 1307, 13570 is already on instead, and VG signal. Wonder if they are going directly from 9405 to 13570 around 1130 now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9885, checking whether São Tomé and Meyerton relays of VOA would overlap again before 0600 Jan 4: at 0554, VOA is poor with Cuban pulse jamming, left way over from VOA Spanish on 9885 at 1230-1400 and 0000-0200 (less on weekends; Arnie Coro considers VOA just as inimical as Radio Martí for broadcasting in Spanish audible in Cuba. Meanwhile, RHC broadcasts freely in English to the USA with constant anti-American propaganda, impeded only by its own SNAFUs.)
0558 retune 9885, now I hear only open carrier from SOUTH AFRICA; has VOA audio already ended from ST, or totally blocked? 0559:30 VTC theme music, still with Cuban jamming, 0600 opening `Daybreak Africa` with timecheck, today`s date (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6170.3, approx., het against VOR Chinese via Khabarovsk, Jan 4 at 1326. Suspect the sporadic 500-watt Radyo Magasin, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES, schedule 23-13v per WRTH 2011. Perhaps someone further west can pull some audio and split it off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
