martedì 29 marzo 2011

Glenn Hauser logs March 28-29, 2011

** ALBANIA. Further monitoring of R. Tirana A-11 on March 28:

At 2010: 13640 good signal with music, fair modulation, and again absolutely no interference co- or adjacent channel. 7465 for Europe not audible, although WWCR is indeed no longer on it at this hour.

At 2101: Albanian on 9860 is fair, during music; not audible of course on 6165 this early, for Europe, where I expect it will have co-QRM from Chad.

UT March 29:
At 0010, Albanian speech on 9860 // 7425, both fair and with fair modulation, no ACI or CCI.
At 0030: English on 9860; missed it
At 0145: 7425 English good signal, undermodulated; some spikes from Brother Scare on WBCQ 7415 unless narrow selectivity used on DX-398; also some lite clix nearby, probably spur of DentroCuban jammer
At 0230: 7425 English S9+22 on FRG-7 but too undermodulated
At 0330: 7425 English somewhat weaker, no QRM
At 1441: 13625 English too weak to copy; also there is a weak signal on 13620 in S Asian language, but not enough to bother RT. This is listed as IBB Kuwait in Urdu, 250 kW, 80 degrees.

Typo in previous report showed 7325 instead of correct 7425: R. Tirana, Albanian, daily:
0630-0900 7390
2030-2200 9860 6165
2300-2430 9860 7425
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ALGERIA [non]. 7295, checking again for the heavy echo from RTA via Issoudun, FRANCE, March 29 at 0535 in Arabic, not this time, altho some reverb on the audio. Wolfgang Büschel suggests they are running two transmitters there at different azimuths, but not synchronizing the audio feeds.

It`s true that these RTA relays use both 162 and 194 degree antennas, but supposedly not at the same time. Currently 7295 is scheduled as 04-05 on 162 degrees, 05-06 on 194. But perhaps they sometimes fail to turn off one of them before turning on the other one.

48 hours earlier, Eric Bryan in WA reported to DXLD: ``Radio Algerienne presumed on 7295 at 0515 on March 27th via France with sole male voice singing Koran/call to prayers. Outstanding signal in the clear.``

Before that, Ralph Anderson, F/K9GGZ replied on primetimeshortwave:
``I monitored this station with two different vertically polarized
antennas from southern France, 0520-0540 on both 24 and 25 Mar.  Signal was only fair here (near the Med), but no echo or reverb noted`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36 still absent, March 29 at 1313, 1350 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BONAIRE. 6250, Spanish at 0513 March 29 soon proves to be NHK World R. Japón, mixing with weaker Dutch from RNW. In A-11 this mixing product is back like A-10, leapfrog of NHK 6080 over RNW 6165, another 85 kHz higher, but off at 0527 when 6165 closes altho 6080 runs another two sesquiminutes.

NOT to be confused with Equatorial Guinea fundamentally on 6250 with widely variable opening time, rarely before 0530! At 0534 nothing but ute noises audible so far around 6250.

From latest version of RNW`s comprehensive A-11 schedule at
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/rnw-frequency-schedule-summer-2011
I find all the times when two 49m frequencies are on the air from Bonaire, and thus likely to produce leapfrogs; this handy schedule should prevent mistaken assumptions or unIDs on any of these pairs:

0159-0227 5915 & 6290 from Vatican Spanish 6040, RNW Spanish 6165
0229-0250 5915 & 6290 from Vatican French  6040, RNW Spanish 6165
0400-0427 6135 & 6225 from RNW Spanish     6165, NHK Spanish 6195
0500-0527 5995 & 6250 from NHK Spanish     6080, RNW Dutch   6165
1000-1030 5615 & 6485 from DW German       5905, RNW Spanish 6195
1059-1100 5645 & 6425 from DW German       5905, RNW Spanish 6165

The only other occasion when two Bonaire transmitters are on the same band at the same time is:
2200-2227 14990 & 15815 from 15265 NHK Japanese, RNW Dutch 15540

Of course, leapfrogs are also possible, but less likely between two transmitters several MHz apart on different bands, as are difference products B minus A (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BRAZIL. 15190, R. Inconfidência, March 29 at 0116, fair with flutter, DJ greeting listeners. In A-11 should be blocked by WYFR, also in Portuguese to Brasil at 2200-2445, as yet unchecked. See also SPAIN [and non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. Checking RCI`s only English from Sackville again, 20-21 scheduled on 17735, 15235 and 13650: March 28, like March 27 it is NOT on 13650, but instead 15330 at 2010. There is residual lite bubble jamming underneath from Cuba against nothing, since R. Martí does not use 15330 at all in A-seasons. At 2101, 15330 is still on in French when it does appear on the RCI schedules (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. Firedrake March 29:
8400, fair with flutter at 1246, mixing with something, while normally alone: presumably Sound of Hope, on higher power now?
12240, VG at 1316, flutter
12600, VG at 1345 // 13130, 12240; unusual frequency
13130, VG at 1316
15545, fair with flutter at 1352 // others. Nothing scheduled on 15545; maybe wandering SOH or Voice of Tibet used it today
15900, JBA at 1315
No others found up to 19 MHz by 1357.

11595, March 29 at 1406, CNR1 jamming plus noise roar, against an IBB Tibetan service via Kuwait, the jamming // 12040 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. After the big mixup in RHC languages and RNV relays March 27, I check again March 28. Now things seem back to normal. At 2206, 11670 has RNV in Spanish about Libia; 11770 is RHC in `Revista Iberoamericana` // 12010, 12040, and nothing yet on 13680 or  15250.

11845, March 29 at 1343, DentroCuban Jamming Command has finally caught up with R. Martí on usual A-11 frequency which went unjammed on March 27 and 28, penetrating Cuba for a biday with its evil free speech. No jamming either on 11930 before RM comes up on it too. At 1359, jamming has started on 11930 vs RM carrier as RM cuts on modulation at 1400, under the jamming level here.

12040, March 29 at 1349, RHC buried by ChiCom echo jamming against VOA, Commies vs c-Commies! How long will RHC stick on 12040?

15230, however, no longer has the RHC collision with CRI English via CANADA, since as always in A-seasons at 13-14, that has shifted to 15260. Arnie ignored suggestions from listeners all B-10 to QSY away from China, and what do you bet the collision resumes in B-11, if Cuba is still Communist?

15230 RHC signal at 1348, however is poor with crackles, signal cutting down but not out, a short in the antennas? During boring 50th-anniversary self-promotion, getting to be almost as stultifying as the constant barrage about Los Cinco (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUAM. 5765-USB, could not hear AFN March 28, but it`s there March 29 at 1258 closing `Marketplace` from APM. Others have reported AFN on 13362-USB simultaneously, but not audible here and now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI, Tuesday March 29 at 1319 ``and that was the news``, slogan ID as ``Voice of Indonesia: let`s make the world dream`` (? Or is it green? Preen? Can`t tell). Perpetual IADs. 1320 Commentary about ASEAN. 1323 announced as `Exotic Indonesia` co-produxion with RRI Banjarmasin; Jak announcer`s English is quite broken, while mystery man in Banj speaks it much better; they chat for a while, then 1324 `Today in History` by YL from Jak starting with 3/28/04, Ireland banned smoking in all public places, and had no adverse economic impact. 1331 ending `Focus` which opposed both Q`Daffy and US axion against him. Then co-hosts back to gab about how bad smoking is, best to quit, altho I had the impression one of them has not, yet. 1334 introducing main pre-produced feature from Banj, 1335 about education, Islamic studies, Arabic language (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRAN [non]. 17695, March 29 at 1420, vocal music I took to be in Arabic, but must have been Persian as R. Farda is now scheduled 1330-1430, 100 kW, 77 degrees via Lampertheim, GERMANY. Gone at 1430* altho supposed to continue another sesquihour via Biblis, 85 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KAZAKHSTAN. 9365, March 29 before 13 is open carrier; 1338 just barely modulated with flutter; still OC at 1407. In A-11 this is scheduled as YFR in Burmese at 13-14, English at 14-15, 300 kW, 141 degrees from Almaty. Tsk2 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. 21540, R. Kuwait, VG at 1456 March 29 during beautiful Qur`an recitation, and I am gritting my teeth anticipating its habitual interruption: yes, abruptly cut off air at 1500:30. Allah`ll get `em for that? There had been no CCI, Spain apparently having closed a bit earlier. SSOB, much better than 21610 Spain, 21655 Portugal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LIBYA. 17725, VOAf from the GJ, March 29 at 1420 poor signal in English about Africa; ho, hum (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. 6125, RNW in Dutch, March 29 at 0515 running a couple words behind stronger // 6165. 6125 is via VATICAN to Greece and Turkey, until 0557 and still heard at 0532, while 6165 is Bonaire to WNAm finishing at 0527.

11835, RNW English March 29 at 1400 with documentary/interview on Libya, fighting Islamic extremism (no longer any NEWS from RNW, in English!), fair signal and thank god, not yet a super-signal from adjacent WYFR 11830. For A-11, this service to S Asia has been cut from two hours to one, and only two frequencies left, this 250 kW, 50 degrees from MADAGASCAR, and 9800, 250 kW, 345 degrees from SRI LANKA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also BONAIRE!

** OKLAHOMA. 99.9, the GCN pirate previously traced to a business on the south side of Enid, I have not mentioned lately, but it is still active; however, usually off the air weekends, such as Saturday afternoon March 26. But Monday March 28 at 2035 UT check it was also off (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1670, March 28 at 2040 UT on caradio I am getting weak talking house, with Greg Winkeljohn, but can`t quite copy the address. Last one on 1670 we heard in December was at 3017 Falcon Crest but its range was not quite so far as my location when hearing this. To be investigated further. It`s about time that house sold (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN [and non]. 6055, REE 00-01 English to NAm is indeed back here after most of B-10 on 5970, March 29 at 0008 check.

11795, REE `Emisión Sefarad` scheduled A-11 here instead of 11780 during B-10, and yes, it is on 11795, UT Tuesday March 29 at 0112 with maddening REE IS of eight electronic notes (last one prolonged so I used to count nine), repeating every six seconds. 0115 opening Sephardic. Altho to SAm, excellent signal here this time, and in fact much better than Brasil 11780. Why REE doesn`t use 11795 the other half of the year is beyond me.

11880 via COSTA RICA, Tuesday March 29 at 1249 REE is in Basque, so that confirms new A-11 time for it circa 1230 M-F, also on all other frequencies including direct 17595.

17595, March 29 at 1423 I am standing by for expected early start at 1425 of 15-minute token foreign language news headlines from REE, but some Castilian program keeps on going; 1429 outro as having been `Africa Hoy`. 1430 timesignal and `Noticias en idiomas del mundo`, so this *is* exactly one hour earlier during DST.

Right into Brazilian first, YL announcer with annoying nasal voice; 1432.5 already into French, 1435 English with Allison, 1437.5 Arabic, 1440 closing in Spanish. So the program still lacks Russian as originally publicized to be included, and has been cut from 15 to 10 minutes as each language has been trimmed to 2.5 minutes. Revise my yesterday`s comment on its scheduling, notably English segment.

21570, BTW, I am no longer hearing at all from REE in the mornings, and per
http://www.bclnews.it/a11schedules/ree.htm it is not being used in A-11 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also KUWAIT

** THAILAND [and non]. 9575, March 29 at 1409, poor signal from R. Thailand in English, mixing with hum, as always infesting this frequency from one of the All India Radio Delhi transmitters. Not yet checked, the other HSK9 morning English at 1230 on 9890, but likely to be bothered by VOA Spanish 9885 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. 15450, March 29 at 1312, Turkish vocal music, even rap, fair here // JBA 15520 eastward, so VOT confirmed on reactivated A-11 frequencies for English at 1230. Final third to half of most transmissions is music fill.

17770, March 29 at 1421, as I tune in, pronouncing URL in English,
www.trtarabic.net (which really forwards to http://www.trtarabic.net/trtworld/ar/news.aspx a bit more complex), and back into Arabic; recheck 1454 with only two iterations of VOT piano IS until off at 1455* just in time to escape KVOH 17775 whose carrier was already on; see U S A. TRT is 500 kW, 252 degrees from Emirler at 14-15 in Arabic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Complete multilingual WYFR A-11 schedule booklet in pdf via Wolfgang Büschel, which he laboriously transformed to plain text for BC-DX and DXLD, shows FR`s own Chinese to North America at 05-07 on 6845 --- that`s strange, has been on 6875 in B-10, never on 6845, a typo? Yes, and they did it twice, once for each hour, as confirmed still on 6875, March 28 at 0501. I wonder how many more mistakes WYFR is publishing in its own schedules? Let alone operational mistakes like Burmese during Arabic; I think they are over-extended. BTW, altho WYFR A-11 transmission skeds from Okeechobee show expiration Oct 30, the pdf booklet *expires* May 21! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENIING DIGEST) See also KAZAKHSTAN

** U S A. 9370-, WTJC back in whack March 29 at 0525 with hymns, good signal and modulation without spurs, but still slightly off-frequency to low side. We know it won`t last, periodically degrading (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENIG DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. 13570, JBA carrier but wobbly, typical of WINB, March 29 at 0528 as now allegedly scheduled here all-night; while 22 mb bore much better signals from Australia 13630, 13690, Russia 13775 and several others (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 10000, pleased to note that after more than a week, WWV no longer spurring around 9900, 9950, 10050, 10100, even after fundamental has built up to very strong daytime level, March 29 at 1340; however, modulation on 10000 itself is still rather ragged (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 11715-, KJES, March 29 at 1404, steady S9+18 but very undermodulated, woman and then child with rote biblical citations. Tho should now be on at 13-16, nothing there when tuned by an hour earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. Re my previous remark that there are *no* Greenville frequencies any more for VOA English in the daytime, Peter W Hansen replies, ``Hi Glenn, I think 17545 kHz 1400-1430 is from Greenville``. Yes, I had seen that listed, switching to Botswana at 1430-1500 but contradicted in different versions showing only Botswana at 1400-1500. So I check March 29 at 1418 --- nothing except a JBA carrier, and no change, no better after 1430. Otherwise this would have resumed the nonsensical site-switch in the middle of an English hour, with its consequent gap-or-overlap problems we kept logging last summer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 17775, just as I am catching Turkey closing Arabic on 17770 at 1455*, VG open carrier already here from KVOH, 1455:30 cutting on modulation in mid-scream during raucous gospel music, in Spanish? No finesse here, like fading it in gently, a station which really knows how to drive away listeners. Restored on Tuesday, after taking Sat-Sun-Mon off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###