** ALGERIA [non]. 7295, RTA via Issoudun, FRANCE, March 23 at 0517 with very heavy echo. I wish monitors in Europe and elsewhere would check whether they hear such an echo on this as it still does not make propagational sense for long/short path and may be caused by something else. Some could even measure the delay in milliseconds as a significant clue (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36 still no-show, March 23 at 1322, while Turkey was fair on 15480 // 15350. No 15476 carrier at 1348 either. March 24, still nothing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake March 23:
8400, poor at 1324; no 10300 or any other found.
17790, March 24 at 1306 and still at 1324, big collision between BBC Uzbek via Woofferton, and CNR1 jamming at about equal level // 7540 jammer against BBC Mandarin via Thailand. Uzbek is at 1300-1330 only. So the ChiCom continue to intervene in the internal affairs of Uzbekistan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. RHC has finally updated its own schedule March 24 showing timeshifts for Spanish and other changes, as previously publicized in DXLD.
http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/c_frecuencia/frecuencias.htm
Have not compared it line by line to our version, but does show English at 19-20 on 11760, 23-24 on 5040, both one hour earlier now. Also still shows 6050 in use at 01-07, despite promises to HCJB that RHC would not be using it in A-11.
11760 in Spanish is shown at ``24-05`` but nothing there March 23 at 0221. I check again at 0502, and now 11760 is on and in English, contrary to schedule. Apparently these are just sloppy overruns of the scheduled Spanish, with the feed switching to English at 05. This time 11760 went off at 0504. At 0505, 6010 was still off, believed to be the same transmitter. By 0509 it had come on, in English.
Meanwhile, at 0503, despite Spanish ending at 0500, `Revista Informativa de la Noche` was starting another playback on 12010; then the signal began to cut down, but not out, like a loose connexion in the antenna, or maybe an uncooperative off-switch.
9790, at 0509 had huge open carrier, no doubt the 250 kW 305 degree relay of CRI at 0300-0500 still not turned off. Has happened before.
9955, Israel Radio via WRN via WRMI with an English report about Syria at 0510 March 23 has lite bubble-jamming intermittently, not what we usually hear from Cuba, but can`t imagine it coming from anywhere else.
Next night, UT March 24, I tune 11760 at 0455 and some British tune is playing, but 0456 RHC Spanish signing off until 1100, giving all the morning frequencies. Now it`s // 5040, 12010 and 12040. At 0504, 11760 is still on but in English, 12010 is off, but 12040 is still on not // with music, presumably Spanish service. At 0516 final check of 6010, and this time it has still not come up in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 3325 and 3345 RRIs, March 24 at 1223 as I tune in sound like they are //, same talk and music, but as I bring up second receiver on weaker antenna, at 1225 they are not //, maybe just having split apart (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRAN. 15515, Kuwait still missing after mistaken appearance earlier; March 23 at 1303 it`s VIRI mentioning Indonesia, news sounder, 1308 website sounded like www.indonesian.irib.ir but that does not work nor indonesia without the n. M&W conversation, fair with flutter in the 1230-1330 service (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBYA. 17725, VOAf from the GJ chex: March 23 at 1350, poor in Swahili.
17725, March 24 at 1303 fair with good modulation in Swahili, ``Radio Libya --- habari``. Listened inattentively to English 1400-1500+ but heard nothing topical (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 15120, looking for VON again March 23 at 0500, but inaudible, probably off. 15160 Australia had a fair signal this night.
15120, March 24 at 0459, VON is back with program previews by YL for after 1800. Still scratchy audio. 0500 GMT timecheck and into `Von-Scope` news introduced by drumming. Audio became more distorted for the news. Tonight it`s the only station on band, no sign of Australia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN. 11895, REE, March 23 at 0505 with token Catalan newscast. Has been M-F at this time, but when and where will it be in A-11? Presumably followed by Galician, but not Basque.
This repeat was missing from the B-10 schedule, nor is it on this version of the A-11,
http://programasdx.com/principal_archivos/frecuenciasreea11.pdf
just M-F at 2330. Altho official-looking, it`s on a DX website as the URL implies, and in the past has proven not to be accurate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA. 9725, March 24 at 0321, good signal tho aimed 100 degrees from Sfax, especially heartfelt Qur`an performance, but 0329 a group joins in so maybe not a strict recitation. Still in at 0440 with good signal in secular Arabic music. As usual, on the air in the hour earlier than HFCC registered *0400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. Dragan Lekic reports that IBB added some shortwave frequencies for Libya from R. Sawa, the rebranded VOA Arabic service which abandoned SW for MW and FM years ago (altho a brief special program for Darfur was put on SW last year).
SW hours are 0730-1300 only, i.e. mid-day in Libya, I suppose when MW 990 from Cyprus can`t make it to Tripoli. The final set of frequencies until 1300 were reported as 17880, 17555, 15325, 13835, 11950. Propagation was poor on March 23, and all I could hear at 1250 was a JBA signal on 17555.
It was better on March 24: 1250 tune-in to pop music best on 17880, next best // 15325, and then 17555, but not audible on 13835 or 11950. 1255 Arabic announcement, back to more music, YL with rock song but not sure of language. 17880 cut off the air at 1257* while 17555 and 15325 continued. 15325 off at 1300, and I thought 17555 too until I heard the VOA Yankee Doodle Dandy sign-off until 1302*. Never caught a R. Sawa ID, but no doubt that was it. Sites: 17880 Kuwait, 17555 and 15325 Botswana (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 2390, WWRB: March 23 at 0215 has YL preacher // 5050, Scare on 3185, barker on 3195. So maybe WORLD OF RADIO at 0330 UT Friday will be back on both 2390 and 5050 unlike last week? 2390 // 5050 again March 24 at 0143, but 3195 is not on, so is WWRB finished testing there? No, Dave Frantz tells me: ``Transmitter #3 3.185 had an antenna issue: We switched transmitter #4 3.195 to 3.185. Should be back up tonight.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5755, WTWW is back on the air March 23 at 0216, having been off both frequencies on March 22. George McClintock explained March 23 at 0155:
``Glenn, A plate loading cap went mechanically bad and would not turn at frequency change time. Then after replacement with a spare, a water leak developed that took several hours to correct. Then during the night the drive tube went bad. Then we had a power shut down by the power company in the morning so a new set of transformers could be installed to power up # 3 transmitter. What a hell of a 24 hours. George Mc``
9479 also back on air March 23 at 1323, usual VG signal but with hum and warbly unstable carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1558 monitoring: Wednesday March 23 on WBCQ webcast, and presumably 7415, `Amos `n` Andy` ran additional episode until 2130, then played back WOR 1556 from last week. Altho 1558 was ready just in time for 2115, WBCQ could not get it on the air. (Note: my mistake in skipping 1557 in numbering the shows: there was none with that number.)
1558 presumably aired first on WRMI at 0330 UT Thursday March 24. And definitely at 1500, barely audible on 9955 but confirmed on webcast. Next WRMI airings are: Thursday 2100, Friday 1430, Saturday 0800, 1400, 1730, Sunday 0800, 1530, 1730. On WWRB: UT Friday 0330 on 2390 and/or 5050; on WWCR: Friday 2030 on 7465 (next week replaced by 15825), Saturday 1600 on 12160, Sunday 0630 on 3215; on IPAR, Saturday 1900 on 6090, 1566, 1368; presumably replaced in April by 1800 on 7290 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWV, 10000, has developed a serious spur problem. March 24 at 1627, strong distorted spurs around 9950 and 10050, and weaker ones on 9900 and 10100. Especially bothered is VOLMET on 10051. Tnx to William Hassig tip, making this in its third day already (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.:
Last night on WWV 10 MHz I noticed strong spurs about 50 kHz either side of 10 MHz at 9950 and 10050 kHz. Also two weak spurs at 9900 and 10100. The carriers of these spurs were wildly unstable. They were amplitude modulated by the same program as 10 MHz but with some distortion. I tried contacting nist.gov but was unable to send email to them. I was using an old Panasonic RF2600 portable with analog tuning knob but also has digital readout. Just now I tried Drake R8 and the spurs are still there +- about 49 kHz. Upper spur causing QRM to aviation weather on 10051 usb. On 10 MHz, announcements, other than time announcement, are distorted and muffled (William T Hassig, IL, 1317 UT March 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 1200, March 22 at 1745 UT on caradio, gold ad during talkshow, very poor signal and then fading out. Presumed WOAI almost 500 miles away, remnant skywave even tho it`s past equinox and only half a sesquihour before local mean noon (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VATICAN [non]. 9660, March 24 good signal at 0319, English report about a community radio station in Kenya, marred by recording in an echoey room. It`s Vatican Radio via MADAGASCAR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6925.1-AM, pirate with hard rock, poor signal March 24 at 0448. Somewhat better at 0520 when repeats a canned announcement about six times with long pauses, but all I can copy in it is ``echo kilo``. Is that enough for someone to ID this? Then back to some slower rock music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 7211 approx., constant noise at 0510 March 24, but also noted 2 or 3 hours earlier. Atop weaker 7210 broadcaster, presumably VOR in Spanish. Suspect the noise has something to do with Ethiopia/Eritrea as 7210 is also a R. Fana frequency per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36 still no-show, March 23 at 1322, while Turkey was fair on 15480 // 15350. No 15476 carrier at 1348 either. March 24, still nothing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake March 23:
8400, poor at 1324; no 10300 or any other found.
17790, March 24 at 1306 and still at 1324, big collision between BBC Uzbek via Woofferton, and CNR1 jamming at about equal level // 7540 jammer against BBC Mandarin via Thailand. Uzbek is at 1300-1330 only. So the ChiCom continue to intervene in the internal affairs of Uzbekistan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. RHC has finally updated its own schedule March 24 showing timeshifts for Spanish and other changes, as previously publicized in DXLD.
http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/c_frecuencia/frecuencias.htm
Have not compared it line by line to our version, but does show English at 19-20 on 11760, 23-24 on 5040, both one hour earlier now. Also still shows 6050 in use at 01-07, despite promises to HCJB that RHC would not be using it in A-11.
11760 in Spanish is shown at ``24-05`` but nothing there March 23 at 0221. I check again at 0502, and now 11760 is on and in English, contrary to schedule. Apparently these are just sloppy overruns of the scheduled Spanish, with the feed switching to English at 05. This time 11760 went off at 0504. At 0505, 6010 was still off, believed to be the same transmitter. By 0509 it had come on, in English.
Meanwhile, at 0503, despite Spanish ending at 0500, `Revista Informativa de la Noche` was starting another playback on 12010; then the signal began to cut down, but not out, like a loose connexion in the antenna, or maybe an uncooperative off-switch.
9790, at 0509 had huge open carrier, no doubt the 250 kW 305 degree relay of CRI at 0300-0500 still not turned off. Has happened before.
9955, Israel Radio via WRN via WRMI with an English report about Syria at 0510 March 23 has lite bubble-jamming intermittently, not what we usually hear from Cuba, but can`t imagine it coming from anywhere else.
Next night, UT March 24, I tune 11760 at 0455 and some British tune is playing, but 0456 RHC Spanish signing off until 1100, giving all the morning frequencies. Now it`s // 5040, 12010 and 12040. At 0504, 11760 is still on but in English, 12010 is off, but 12040 is still on not // with music, presumably Spanish service. At 0516 final check of 6010, and this time it has still not come up in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 3325 and 3345 RRIs, March 24 at 1223 as I tune in sound like they are //, same talk and music, but as I bring up second receiver on weaker antenna, at 1225 they are not //, maybe just having split apart (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRAN. 15515, Kuwait still missing after mistaken appearance earlier; March 23 at 1303 it`s VIRI mentioning Indonesia, news sounder, 1308 website sounded like www.indonesian.irib.ir but that does not work nor indonesia without the n. M&W conversation, fair with flutter in the 1230-1330 service (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBYA. 17725, VOAf from the GJ chex: March 23 at 1350, poor in Swahili.
17725, March 24 at 1303 fair with good modulation in Swahili, ``Radio Libya --- habari``. Listened inattentively to English 1400-1500+ but heard nothing topical (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 15120, looking for VON again March 23 at 0500, but inaudible, probably off. 15160 Australia had a fair signal this night.
15120, March 24 at 0459, VON is back with program previews by YL for after 1800. Still scratchy audio. 0500 GMT timecheck and into `Von-Scope` news introduced by drumming. Audio became more distorted for the news. Tonight it`s the only station on band, no sign of Australia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN. 11895, REE, March 23 at 0505 with token Catalan newscast. Has been M-F at this time, but when and where will it be in A-11? Presumably followed by Galician, but not Basque.
This repeat was missing from the B-10 schedule, nor is it on this version of the A-11,
http://programasdx.com/principal_archivos/frecuenciasreea11.pdf
just M-F at 2330. Altho official-looking, it`s on a DX website as the URL implies, and in the past has proven not to be accurate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA. 9725, March 24 at 0321, good signal tho aimed 100 degrees from Sfax, especially heartfelt Qur`an performance, but 0329 a group joins in so maybe not a strict recitation. Still in at 0440 with good signal in secular Arabic music. As usual, on the air in the hour earlier than HFCC registered *0400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. Dragan Lekic reports that IBB added some shortwave frequencies for Libya from R. Sawa, the rebranded VOA Arabic service which abandoned SW for MW and FM years ago (altho a brief special program for Darfur was put on SW last year).
SW hours are 0730-1300 only, i.e. mid-day in Libya, I suppose when MW 990 from Cyprus can`t make it to Tripoli. The final set of frequencies until 1300 were reported as 17880, 17555, 15325, 13835, 11950. Propagation was poor on March 23, and all I could hear at 1250 was a JBA signal on 17555.
It was better on March 24: 1250 tune-in to pop music best on 17880, next best // 15325, and then 17555, but not audible on 13835 or 11950. 1255 Arabic announcement, back to more music, YL with rock song but not sure of language. 17880 cut off the air at 1257* while 17555 and 15325 continued. 15325 off at 1300, and I thought 17555 too until I heard the VOA Yankee Doodle Dandy sign-off until 1302*. Never caught a R. Sawa ID, but no doubt that was it. Sites: 17880 Kuwait, 17555 and 15325 Botswana (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 2390, WWRB: March 23 at 0215 has YL preacher // 5050, Scare on 3185, barker on 3195. So maybe WORLD OF RADIO at 0330 UT Friday will be back on both 2390 and 5050 unlike last week? 2390 // 5050 again March 24 at 0143, but 3195 is not on, so is WWRB finished testing there? No, Dave Frantz tells me: ``Transmitter #3 3.185 had an antenna issue: We switched transmitter #4 3.195 to 3.185. Should be back up tonight.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5755, WTWW is back on the air March 23 at 0216, having been off both frequencies on March 22. George McClintock explained March 23 at 0155:
``Glenn, A plate loading cap went mechanically bad and would not turn at frequency change time. Then after replacement with a spare, a water leak developed that took several hours to correct. Then during the night the drive tube went bad. Then we had a power shut down by the power company in the morning so a new set of transformers could be installed to power up # 3 transmitter. What a hell of a 24 hours. George Mc``
9479 also back on air March 23 at 1323, usual VG signal but with hum and warbly unstable carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1558 monitoring: Wednesday March 23 on WBCQ webcast, and presumably 7415, `Amos `n` Andy` ran additional episode until 2130, then played back WOR 1556 from last week. Altho 1558 was ready just in time for 2115, WBCQ could not get it on the air. (Note: my mistake in skipping 1557 in numbering the shows: there was none with that number.)
1558 presumably aired first on WRMI at 0330 UT Thursday March 24. And definitely at 1500, barely audible on 9955 but confirmed on webcast. Next WRMI airings are: Thursday 2100, Friday 1430, Saturday 0800, 1400, 1730, Sunday 0800, 1530, 1730. On WWRB: UT Friday 0330 on 2390 and/or 5050; on WWCR: Friday 2030 on 7465 (next week replaced by 15825), Saturday 1600 on 12160, Sunday 0630 on 3215; on IPAR, Saturday 1900 on 6090, 1566, 1368; presumably replaced in April by 1800 on 7290 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWV, 10000, has developed a serious spur problem. March 24 at 1627, strong distorted spurs around 9950 and 10050, and weaker ones on 9900 and 10100. Especially bothered is VOLMET on 10051. Tnx to William Hassig tip, making this in its third day already (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.:
Last night on WWV 10 MHz I noticed strong spurs about 50 kHz either side of 10 MHz at 9950 and 10050 kHz. Also two weak spurs at 9900 and 10100. The carriers of these spurs were wildly unstable. They were amplitude modulated by the same program as 10 MHz but with some distortion. I tried contacting nist.gov but was unable to send email to them. I was using an old Panasonic RF2600 portable with analog tuning knob but also has digital readout. Just now I tried Drake R8 and the spurs are still there +- about 49 kHz. Upper spur causing QRM to aviation weather on 10051 usb. On 10 MHz, announcements, other than time announcement, are distorted and muffled (William T Hassig, IL, 1317 UT March 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 1200, March 22 at 1745 UT on caradio, gold ad during talkshow, very poor signal and then fading out. Presumed WOAI almost 500 miles away, remnant skywave even tho it`s past equinox and only half a sesquihour before local mean noon (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VATICAN [non]. 9660, March 24 good signal at 0319, English report about a community radio station in Kenya, marred by recording in an echoey room. It`s Vatican Radio via MADAGASCAR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6925.1-AM, pirate with hard rock, poor signal March 24 at 0448. Somewhat better at 0520 when repeats a canned announcement about six times with long pauses, but all I can copy in it is ``echo kilo``. Is that enough for someone to ID this? Then back to some slower rock music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 7211 approx., constant noise at 0510 March 24, but also noted 2 or 3 hours earlier. Atop weaker 7210 broadcaster, presumably VOR in Spanish. Suspect the noise has something to do with Ethiopia/Eritrea as 7210 is also a R. Fana frequency per Aoki (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###