** ALBANIA. 6130, March 20 at 0139 checked the 0130-0145 English from R. Tirana: low modulation and ACI from Spain 6125, bonker on hi side made it impossible to understand. Those were bonker pulses, but no long one, just continuous at same rate.
In A-11 from March 29, if not already UT March 27, the evening broadcasts to NAm, except UT Mondays, shift one UT hour earlier and up in frequencies: 0030-0045 on 9860; 0145-0200, 0230-0300 and 0330-0400 on 7425, which we hope will get thru better (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ARGENTINA. 15345.2, R. Nacional, March 20 at 0025, romantic music, fair and better signal than Brasil 15190- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL [and non]. 15190-, March 20 at 0022, R. Inconfidência music, poor with flutter, and slightly on low side compared to 1190. This is the final week we may enjoy ZYE522 QRM-free at this time, for in A-11, WYFR will resume 15190 at 2200-2445 --- even worse, in Portuguese to Brasil! Bully. Of course, Brazil does not register any of its numerous SW stations on the international bands with HFCC, so the big guns may pretend they don`t exist. WYFR will also block ``Tony Alámo`` at 2158 on Equatorial Guinea, tsk2 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. 2749-USB, March 20 at 0041, marine weather in English, mentions Magdalen, ADT; slowly improving signal, 0048 mentions Cape Breton Island, notice to shipping. OM announcer unseems robotic. Per
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/mb.htm#O%20ATL
this is VCO in Sydney NS, scheduled at 0040.
2598-USB I tuned in next at 0048 March 20, not as strong as 2749, with YL marine weather, repeatedly mentioning visibilities. Above reference shows VCP-4 in St Lawrence-Placentia, Newfoundland, starts at 0048, alternating with 5 other NL stations and one in QC.
A thunderstorm had moved thru Enid a few hours earlier, cleaning up much of the line noise level, and was far enough away by now not to cause much lightning static, accounting for this good DX session (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake early UT March 20:
14900, fair with flutter at 0019; none found lower, but higher:
15900, poor at 0027
16980, good at 0028, all // and no trace of presumed victims, Sound of Hope. No more FD heard up to 22 MHz by 0033 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [non]. 15120, March 20 at 0020, Radio Internacional de China, S9+20 signal in Spanish via Cuba but very undermodulated and hummy (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11760, March 19 at 2025, RHC in English as scheduled, tho missing yesterday when checked during this hour. From March 20, new schedule shows English shifts to 19-20, with French at 2000-2030 and nothing after 2030.
11760 and 12040 with doo-wop song in Spanish, March 20 at 0015, and 12040 has good modulation for a change! Much stronger 12010 which is supposed to be // was only dead air, and still so at 0037.
15370, RHC in Quechua, March 20 at 0026 liberally mixed with Spanish such as ``5 de abril`` and a song in Spanish. 0000-0030 on 15370 is the only Quechua scheduled now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 2279.9, March 20 at 0223, music and talk, significantly on the low side of 2280 compared to 1280; 0229 a little stronger but modulation is somewhat distorted during talk, and music is also undermodulated and distorted. No doubt it`s the second harmonic of 1140, R. Anacaona, as previously IDed. Also a slight het from weaker 2280.0, perhaps another harmonic. I first looked for HIRA a couple hours earlier, but not above the noise level then (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4052.5-, TGAV, March 20 at 0240, amateur YL singing hymn in Spanish with piano accompaniment, good modulation and fair signal. It was already audible before 0100 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUYANA. 3290, VOG for once with no carrier QRM/het on the low side, March 20 at 0234, DJ taking call-ins from three or four listeners, presumably nearby, reporting ``loud and clear`` --- this could be a good time for DXers from abroad to phone in and surprise them, if only we knew the number. Fades up bits of music between calls, which I find quite disrespectful to the music and those who made it. 0236 a bit of a Hindi song, and 0239 more S Asian music with percussion, tambourine, singing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. Checking the pirate band, March 20 at 0112, circa 6900 heard end of a QSO, someone saying he enjoyed the broadcast, but ``over`` before I could pin down the frequency.
6925-USB peaking S9+12 with no carrier had music in progress at 0113, YL vocal in big band style, quick ID as ``Wolverine Radio``, next song ``You Are My Special Angel`` and followed by a long series of angelsongs, with no announcements except same ID inserted between every few songs:
0116 another angel song I did not recognize.
0119 ``Devil or Angel``
0121 ``Pretty Little Angel Eyes``
0123 ID and ``Angel Smile`` by Nat King Cole
0126 YL blues song mentioning angel
0129 ``Gotta Find Me an Angel``, Aretha Franklin, starting with narrative
0133 ``Angel Come Down From Heaven``
0137 ID, another unID song
0140 ``I`m No Angel``
0144 ``Make Me An Angel``, YL country song
Some of these may not be correct titles, just lyrics heard. After that, my attention was split to Ask WWCR, but further songs not recognized anyway and may have moved on from angelic. 0201 ID as Wolverine Radio, into SSTV tones until 0207* Please QSL (Glenn Hauser, P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. 6924+ AM, soon after Wolverine signed off, March 20 at 0209 a carrier came on a slightly lower frequency producing het as I was still in SSB. Some percussion, but both music and announcements were muffled, even tho AM, much harder to copy than Wolverine had been on USB. Could not catch any ID (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ROMANIA [and non]. 11960, March 20 at 0056-0057.2* RRI IS following Spanish to SAm, completely unlike what I heard 72 hours earlier in Arabic and no such IS to 0054.6*.
5910, March 20 at 0106 rock music not in English, CCI and fast rippling SAH, presumably RRI in Romanian scheduled 01-03, vs. Alcaraván Radio, COLOMBIA, rather off-frequency. I wonder if HJDH dominates in its local area during this bihour on all those fix-tuned receivers (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TINIAN. 21580, March 20 at 0033, YL in Chinese, OSOB. Suspect it is VOA in Mandarin as scheduled this hour only, rather than ChiCom jamming, as the Pacific signals make it here much better than the Asian ones on 13m. Is Tinian per HFCC, not Tinang as in Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 2390, WWRB, March 20 at 0055 with VG signal, but inside noise envelope extending +/- 20 kHz. Also modulation spikes as far as 2250-2520 or so. Same situation at 0225 recheck. Altho this crackling is centered on 2390, I had a hard time matching it to modulation peaks on 2390 itself, so not positive WWRB was responsible. At 0231 was the mid-break of `Mike Gibson`s Bluegrass Gospel Hour` from Hueytown AL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 7555, March 20 at 0116, S9+22 carrier from KJES, but just barely modulated --- turned volume up to max and still could not copy anything. Anyhow, confirms they have made usual DST shift to one UT hour earlier when axually on the air: 0100-0230; but why bother?
WRNO should have done the same, now starting at 0100 on 7506, but still AWOL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 4840, monitored the first airing of `Ask WWCR` #335 for 3/19 to 4/1. At 0146 tune-in UT March 20, Lyon show was still running, and began to fear `Ask` had been bumped for paid programming as they said could happen just like the ex-DX Block, but it was only late, from 0148 to 0201.
Brady and Jerry, soon to be a full professor, were discussing frequency usage, and obliquely responded to some comments of mine. Emphasized they are testing 3195 in order to ferret out any complaints now so they will be OK to use it next winter, but it and 5070 are being suspended once A-11 starts, altho still reserved and might test both at other times, such as 3195 in the early mornings. Yes, 3195 as early as 2200 does not work now to the west, but better to the east and when they start using it next winter at 2300, that will be after sunset. Will keep it on another week. Brady posts new schedules on Sundays they go into effect, not earlier, since more than one schedule on the page would confuse listeners.
I say: not if they pay any attention to clearly stated dates in effect; putting up schedules somewhat in advance is advantageous for stations if they want them to be published in monthly bulletins with a week or two lead time. E.g. the NASWA Journal for April could not publish the WWCR schedule in effect by the time it reaches readers, if it is not known until March 27, which is after it goes to the printer, so would have to wait till early May to be seen.
6940, after monitoring the pirates on 6925 and 6924, at 0222 March 20 refound this WWCR mixing product, of 4840 leapfrogging over 5890 another 1050 kHz higher, confirmed by // audio to both; weak but still audible with max attenuation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
In A-11 from March 29, if not already UT March 27, the evening broadcasts to NAm, except UT Mondays, shift one UT hour earlier and up in frequencies: 0030-0045 on 9860; 0145-0200, 0230-0300 and 0330-0400 on 7425, which we hope will get thru better (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ARGENTINA. 15345.2, R. Nacional, March 20 at 0025, romantic music, fair and better signal than Brasil 15190- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL [and non]. 15190-, March 20 at 0022, R. Inconfidência music, poor with flutter, and slightly on low side compared to 1190. This is the final week we may enjoy ZYE522 QRM-free at this time, for in A-11, WYFR will resume 15190 at 2200-2445 --- even worse, in Portuguese to Brasil! Bully. Of course, Brazil does not register any of its numerous SW stations on the international bands with HFCC, so the big guns may pretend they don`t exist. WYFR will also block ``Tony Alámo`` at 2158 on Equatorial Guinea, tsk2 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. 2749-USB, March 20 at 0041, marine weather in English, mentions Magdalen, ADT; slowly improving signal, 0048 mentions Cape Breton Island, notice to shipping. OM announcer unseems robotic. Per
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/mb.htm#O%20ATL
this is VCO in Sydney NS, scheduled at 0040.
2598-USB I tuned in next at 0048 March 20, not as strong as 2749, with YL marine weather, repeatedly mentioning visibilities. Above reference shows VCP-4 in St Lawrence-Placentia, Newfoundland, starts at 0048, alternating with 5 other NL stations and one in QC.
A thunderstorm had moved thru Enid a few hours earlier, cleaning up much of the line noise level, and was far enough away by now not to cause much lightning static, accounting for this good DX session (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake early UT March 20:
14900, fair with flutter at 0019; none found lower, but higher:
15900, poor at 0027
16980, good at 0028, all // and no trace of presumed victims, Sound of Hope. No more FD heard up to 22 MHz by 0033 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA [non]. 15120, March 20 at 0020, Radio Internacional de China, S9+20 signal in Spanish via Cuba but very undermodulated and hummy (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11760, March 19 at 2025, RHC in English as scheduled, tho missing yesterday when checked during this hour. From March 20, new schedule shows English shifts to 19-20, with French at 2000-2030 and nothing after 2030.
11760 and 12040 with doo-wop song in Spanish, March 20 at 0015, and 12040 has good modulation for a change! Much stronger 12010 which is supposed to be // was only dead air, and still so at 0037.
15370, RHC in Quechua, March 20 at 0026 liberally mixed with Spanish such as ``5 de abril`` and a song in Spanish. 0000-0030 on 15370 is the only Quechua scheduled now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 2279.9, March 20 at 0223, music and talk, significantly on the low side of 2280 compared to 1280; 0229 a little stronger but modulation is somewhat distorted during talk, and music is also undermodulated and distorted. No doubt it`s the second harmonic of 1140, R. Anacaona, as previously IDed. Also a slight het from weaker 2280.0, perhaps another harmonic. I first looked for HIRA a couple hours earlier, but not above the noise level then (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4052.5-, TGAV, March 20 at 0240, amateur YL singing hymn in Spanish with piano accompaniment, good modulation and fair signal. It was already audible before 0100 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUYANA. 3290, VOG for once with no carrier QRM/het on the low side, March 20 at 0234, DJ taking call-ins from three or four listeners, presumably nearby, reporting ``loud and clear`` --- this could be a good time for DXers from abroad to phone in and surprise them, if only we knew the number. Fades up bits of music between calls, which I find quite disrespectful to the music and those who made it. 0236 a bit of a Hindi song, and 0239 more S Asian music with percussion, tambourine, singing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. Checking the pirate band, March 20 at 0112, circa 6900 heard end of a QSO, someone saying he enjoyed the broadcast, but ``over`` before I could pin down the frequency.
6925-USB peaking S9+12 with no carrier had music in progress at 0113, YL vocal in big band style, quick ID as ``Wolverine Radio``, next song ``You Are My Special Angel`` and followed by a long series of angelsongs, with no announcements except same ID inserted between every few songs:
0116 another angel song I did not recognize.
0119 ``Devil or Angel``
0121 ``Pretty Little Angel Eyes``
0123 ID and ``Angel Smile`` by Nat King Cole
0126 YL blues song mentioning angel
0129 ``Gotta Find Me an Angel``, Aretha Franklin, starting with narrative
0133 ``Angel Come Down From Heaven``
0137 ID, another unID song
0140 ``I`m No Angel``
0144 ``Make Me An Angel``, YL country song
Some of these may not be correct titles, just lyrics heard. After that, my attention was split to Ask WWCR, but further songs not recognized anyway and may have moved on from angelic. 0201 ID as Wolverine Radio, into SSTV tones until 0207* Please QSL (Glenn Hauser, P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. 6924+ AM, soon after Wolverine signed off, March 20 at 0209 a carrier came on a slightly lower frequency producing het as I was still in SSB. Some percussion, but both music and announcements were muffled, even tho AM, much harder to copy than Wolverine had been on USB. Could not catch any ID (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ROMANIA [and non]. 11960, March 20 at 0056-0057.2* RRI IS following Spanish to SAm, completely unlike what I heard 72 hours earlier in Arabic and no such IS to 0054.6*.
5910, March 20 at 0106 rock music not in English, CCI and fast rippling SAH, presumably RRI in Romanian scheduled 01-03, vs. Alcaraván Radio, COLOMBIA, rather off-frequency. I wonder if HJDH dominates in its local area during this bihour on all those fix-tuned receivers (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TINIAN. 21580, March 20 at 0033, YL in Chinese, OSOB. Suspect it is VOA in Mandarin as scheduled this hour only, rather than ChiCom jamming, as the Pacific signals make it here much better than the Asian ones on 13m. Is Tinian per HFCC, not Tinang as in Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 2390, WWRB, March 20 at 0055 with VG signal, but inside noise envelope extending +/- 20 kHz. Also modulation spikes as far as 2250-2520 or so. Same situation at 0225 recheck. Altho this crackling is centered on 2390, I had a hard time matching it to modulation peaks on 2390 itself, so not positive WWRB was responsible. At 0231 was the mid-break of `Mike Gibson`s Bluegrass Gospel Hour` from Hueytown AL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 7555, March 20 at 0116, S9+22 carrier from KJES, but just barely modulated --- turned volume up to max and still could not copy anything. Anyhow, confirms they have made usual DST shift to one UT hour earlier when axually on the air: 0100-0230; but why bother?
WRNO should have done the same, now starting at 0100 on 7506, but still AWOL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 4840, monitored the first airing of `Ask WWCR` #335 for 3/19 to 4/1. At 0146 tune-in UT March 20, Lyon show was still running, and began to fear `Ask` had been bumped for paid programming as they said could happen just like the ex-DX Block, but it was only late, from 0148 to 0201.
Brady and Jerry, soon to be a full professor, were discussing frequency usage, and obliquely responded to some comments of mine. Emphasized they are testing 3195 in order to ferret out any complaints now so they will be OK to use it next winter, but it and 5070 are being suspended once A-11 starts, altho still reserved and might test both at other times, such as 3195 in the early mornings. Yes, 3195 as early as 2200 does not work now to the west, but better to the east and when they start using it next winter at 2300, that will be after sunset. Will keep it on another week. Brady posts new schedules on Sundays they go into effect, not earlier, since more than one schedule on the page would confuse listeners.
I say: not if they pay any attention to clearly stated dates in effect; putting up schedules somewhat in advance is advantageous for stations if they want them to be published in monthly bulletins with a week or two lead time. E.g. the NASWA Journal for April could not publish the WWCR schedule in effect by the time it reaches readers, if it is not known until March 27, which is after it goes to the printer, so would have to wait till early May to be seen.
6940, after monitoring the pirates on 6925 and 6924, at 0222 March 20 refound this WWCR mixing product, of 4840 leapfrogging over 5890 another 1050 kHz higher, confirmed by // audio to both; weak but still audible with max attenuation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
