** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36 finally back in business, following sporadic logs of it past two days, and Roberto Scaglione`s news that they hoped to have all the problems solved by April 14 for 1230-1500 transmissions (presumably M-F only) ---
1228 tune-in April 14 to open carrier, fading up from S6 to peaks of S9+10. 1229 YL says ``Transmite LRA36 . . . 15476``. Copy is still marginal but definite. Into music, 1234 ID also mentioning full name ``Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel`` (people tend to leave out the middle word, for some reason, but I still heard it), ``Antártida Argentina . . . el futuro. . .``. More talk mixed with music. 1238 ``saludos . . . nuestras operadoras``. 1239 introducing Señora ---, who says she has ``41 años, soy enfermera [nurse]``. 1242 a male voice is heard briefly, the only one.
1243 weakening, vocal song. Generally mix of music and talk; 1312 YL seems named Lidia; 1313 giving some numbers, phone? And something .com.ar At 1316 I was surprised to hear a couple of fast CW messages ending with K. I had BFO on, but did not want to touch it, so not certain whether this was QRM or something they sent. 1317 music with heavy beat, 1330 announcement, and checked 15480 UK signal, which was steadier at S9+5 but no problem for 15476.
On this auspicious reinauguration occasion, I stayed on 15476 for a full hour, passing up my usual bandscanning, but reception waned.
Occasional chex later found at 1403 still carrier but S3 to S7 max with little audio; 1422 quick CW occurred again.
Esperanza Base is about latitude 63 which puts it outside the Antarctic Circle, and closer to the Equator than Reykjavik, Umea, Arkhangelsk, Anadyr, Unalakleet, Iqaluit.
Then we hear from Roberto Scaglione, recorded in Sicily? Only music 1210-1230 UT, regularly on the air. First 11 minutes are available on
http://www.bclnews.it/110414-15476-1230z.mp3
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA [non]. 21490, no trace of a signal from BVB in English, April 14 at 1339 and further chex to 1400, unlike April 13, so that must have been a test. Or BVB transmissions may vary depending on day of week. Will we ever know whence? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake April 14: no bandscanning 1230-1330 as I was sticking with ANTARCTICA [q.v.], but then found:
13920, good at 1346; gone at 1405
By 1350, no others 8-17 MHz.
10300, very poor at 1351 // 13920; no 8400 now
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. 6050, while RHC was missing later last night, it`s back on the air as usual, // 6010 English during music, April 14 at 0229 check, totally blocking poor HCJB, as Arnie Coro continues to prove what a bully he is, refusing to move off the only channel HCJB can use direct from Ecuador (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY [non]. 11830, April 14 at 0539, Portuguese soon with DW ID in passing; I was expecting RFI, but its Portuguese is on 11830 after 0600 via Meyerton, while DW is 0530-0557, 250 kW, 150 degrees via Sines, PORTUGAL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. 15050, April 14 at 1333, after shivering in the Antarctic for an hour on 15476, I warm up by tuning here for South Asian music, flutter, S9 to S9+10 from AIR`s Sinhala service, 250 kW, 174 degrees from Delhi (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SUDAN [non]
** KUWAIT [and non]. 21540, R. Kuwait, April 14 at 1340, good signal, in fact the Strongest signal on band (SSOB), better than #2 Saudi 21505, during drama in Arabic, complete with music including some Bach, SFX including neigh, 1341 ``Idha`at - Kuwait`` ID, 1343 mentions Lebanon, Brasil. Way atop co-channel Spain; in fact only a hint of a SAH from REE during Kuwait fades, while Spain in clear on 21610, Portugal 21655 were quite weak (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA [non]. 21480, April 14 at 1358 open carrier, like before shifting very slightly and regularly at rate of 72 times per minute, obvious with BFO slightly off-tuned. Something is amiss with this Wertachtal, GERMANY transmitter, but not noticeable in ordinary AM-mode listening.
1400 sharp, percussion starts and Hausa from Hamada Radio International, ``Salaam Aleikum``. At same time started to notice some lite second-ACI from BBC Cyprus which just opened English on 21470.
Latest RMI schedule from MBR via HFCC shows additional frequencies following week only:
9610 0530-0600 daily since 8 April, 180 degrees, 100 kW Wertachtal
9860 0530-0600 daily 15-21 April, 180 degrees, 100 kW Wertachtal
11970 0530-0600 daily since 8 April, 185 degrees, 100 kW Nauen
17860 1400-1430 daily 15-21 April, 180 degrees, 125 kW Wertachtal
21480 1400-1430 daily since 8 April, 180 degrees, 125 kW Wertachtal
11945 1930-2000 daily since 8 April, 180 degrees, 100 kW Wertachtal
13800 1930-2000 daily 15-21 April, 183 degrees, 100 kW Nauen
While registered as daily, weekends may be contingency basis only; all due to elexions in Nigeria (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [and non]. 13620, April 14 at 0527*, tuned in just in time to hear closing ID from ``Radio Dabanga``, good signal. This is 250 kW, 330 degrees from MADAGASCAR at 0430-0527.
Meanwhile there was a tone test in background which continued in the clear until its 0529*. Jamming? Unseems: that gave me time to tell it was a DSB tone on an AM carrier, rather than a het. What else is there there? HFCC shows:
13620 0345 0530 38-40 BGL 500 300 Pers/Arab. IND AIR AIR
Presumably this tone happens at the tail of the AIR transmission, but if also heard much earlier in the Dabanga hour, could be jamming.
13730, April 14 at 0527, whine and grind jamming against something inaudible. The sound cuts out every 15 seconds proving that it is modulation on a normal carrier. It is also pulsing regularly at the rate of 78 times per minute. Continues past 0530 until 0537:28*. The victim is surely R. Dabanga on its other frequency, 500 kW, 255 degrees via UAE at 0430-0527 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 15580, April 14 at 0532, VOA news in English about Libya. Tho listed as Iranawila, Sri Lanka site, until 0700, there is no flutter on this, just normal lite fading, so I suspect IBB has changed to another site. They are always fiddling with sites.
Ahá, latest IBB schedule at
http://hfcc.org/data/schedbybrc.php?seas=A11&broadc=IBB
indeed shows Sri Lanka from 0300, switching to BOTSWANA at 0500 since April 8, 100 kW, 350 degrees. See my previous log April 11, when I also thought it should be Botswana, and in fact it was. Today this was much better than Nigeria on 15120, worse than Australia on 15160, 15240 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1560 monitoring: confirmed on first airings, via WRMI 9955 webcast, UT Thursday April 14 at 0330 and 1600. Next: Thu 2100, Fri 1430, Sat 0800, 1400, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730. On WWRB: Fri 0330 on 2390 (and probably 5050 as last two weeks). On WWCR: Fri 2030 on 15825, Sat 1600 on 12160, Sun 0630 on 3215. On IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS-IBA: Sat 1800 on 7290 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9370-, slightly on low side as usual compared to 1370 stations, WTJC continues to enjoy good modulation for a while, but April 14 at 0541 during hymn, also has spurs around 9335 and 9405, +/- 35 kHz. One might guess the latter were WINB, but now an ex-frequency for it. Unlike previous spur outbreaks, these are not distorted but also with good modulation, but much weaker, fading in and out. With BFO I can tell that 9405 is somewhat wobbly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 14579-SSB, April 14 at 1347, 2-way in colloquial Spanish, hardly any of it understandable; in fact, at first I thought it was Greek. One station had engine noise background, the other breaking up severely (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
1228 tune-in April 14 to open carrier, fading up from S6 to peaks of S9+10. 1229 YL says ``Transmite LRA36 . . . 15476``. Copy is still marginal but definite. Into music, 1234 ID also mentioning full name ``Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel`` (people tend to leave out the middle word, for some reason, but I still heard it), ``Antártida Argentina . . . el futuro. . .``. More talk mixed with music. 1238 ``saludos . . . nuestras operadoras``. 1239 introducing Señora ---, who says she has ``41 años, soy enfermera [nurse]``. 1242 a male voice is heard briefly, the only one.
1243 weakening, vocal song. Generally mix of music and talk; 1312 YL seems named Lidia; 1313 giving some numbers, phone? And something .com.ar At 1316 I was surprised to hear a couple of fast CW messages ending with K. I had BFO on, but did not want to touch it, so not certain whether this was QRM or something they sent. 1317 music with heavy beat, 1330 announcement, and checked 15480 UK signal, which was steadier at S9+5 but no problem for 15476.
On this auspicious reinauguration occasion, I stayed on 15476 for a full hour, passing up my usual bandscanning, but reception waned.
Occasional chex later found at 1403 still carrier but S3 to S7 max with little audio; 1422 quick CW occurred again.
Esperanza Base is about latitude 63 which puts it outside the Antarctic Circle, and closer to the Equator than Reykjavik, Umea, Arkhangelsk, Anadyr, Unalakleet, Iqaluit.
Then we hear from Roberto Scaglione, recorded in Sicily? Only music 1210-1230 UT, regularly on the air. First 11 minutes are available on
http://www.bclnews.it/110414-15476-1230z.mp3
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA [non]. 21490, no trace of a signal from BVB in English, April 14 at 1339 and further chex to 1400, unlike April 13, so that must have been a test. Or BVB transmissions may vary depending on day of week. Will we ever know whence? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake April 14: no bandscanning 1230-1330 as I was sticking with ANTARCTICA [q.v.], but then found:
13920, good at 1346; gone at 1405
By 1350, no others 8-17 MHz.
10300, very poor at 1351 // 13920; no 8400 now
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. 6050, while RHC was missing later last night, it`s back on the air as usual, // 6010 English during music, April 14 at 0229 check, totally blocking poor HCJB, as Arnie Coro continues to prove what a bully he is, refusing to move off the only channel HCJB can use direct from Ecuador (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY [non]. 11830, April 14 at 0539, Portuguese soon with DW ID in passing; I was expecting RFI, but its Portuguese is on 11830 after 0600 via Meyerton, while DW is 0530-0557, 250 kW, 150 degrees via Sines, PORTUGAL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. 15050, April 14 at 1333, after shivering in the Antarctic for an hour on 15476, I warm up by tuning here for South Asian music, flutter, S9 to S9+10 from AIR`s Sinhala service, 250 kW, 174 degrees from Delhi (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SUDAN [non]
** KUWAIT [and non]. 21540, R. Kuwait, April 14 at 1340, good signal, in fact the Strongest signal on band (SSOB), better than #2 Saudi 21505, during drama in Arabic, complete with music including some Bach, SFX including neigh, 1341 ``Idha`at - Kuwait`` ID, 1343 mentions Lebanon, Brasil. Way atop co-channel Spain; in fact only a hint of a SAH from REE during Kuwait fades, while Spain in clear on 21610, Portugal 21655 were quite weak (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA [non]. 21480, April 14 at 1358 open carrier, like before shifting very slightly and regularly at rate of 72 times per minute, obvious with BFO slightly off-tuned. Something is amiss with this Wertachtal, GERMANY transmitter, but not noticeable in ordinary AM-mode listening.
1400 sharp, percussion starts and Hausa from Hamada Radio International, ``Salaam Aleikum``. At same time started to notice some lite second-ACI from BBC Cyprus which just opened English on 21470.
Latest RMI schedule from MBR via HFCC shows additional frequencies following week only:
9610 0530-0600 daily since 8 April, 180 degrees, 100 kW Wertachtal
9860 0530-0600 daily 15-21 April, 180 degrees, 100 kW Wertachtal
11970 0530-0600 daily since 8 April, 185 degrees, 100 kW Nauen
17860 1400-1430 daily 15-21 April, 180 degrees, 125 kW Wertachtal
21480 1400-1430 daily since 8 April, 180 degrees, 125 kW Wertachtal
11945 1930-2000 daily since 8 April, 180 degrees, 100 kW Wertachtal
13800 1930-2000 daily 15-21 April, 183 degrees, 100 kW Nauen
While registered as daily, weekends may be contingency basis only; all due to elexions in Nigeria (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [and non]. 13620, April 14 at 0527*, tuned in just in time to hear closing ID from ``Radio Dabanga``, good signal. This is 250 kW, 330 degrees from MADAGASCAR at 0430-0527.
Meanwhile there was a tone test in background which continued in the clear until its 0529*. Jamming? Unseems: that gave me time to tell it was a DSB tone on an AM carrier, rather than a het. What else is there there? HFCC shows:
13620 0345 0530 38-40 BGL 500 300 Pers/Arab. IND AIR AIR
Presumably this tone happens at the tail of the AIR transmission, but if also heard much earlier in the Dabanga hour, could be jamming.
13730, April 14 at 0527, whine and grind jamming against something inaudible. The sound cuts out every 15 seconds proving that it is modulation on a normal carrier. It is also pulsing regularly at the rate of 78 times per minute. Continues past 0530 until 0537:28*. The victim is surely R. Dabanga on its other frequency, 500 kW, 255 degrees via UAE at 0430-0527 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 15580, April 14 at 0532, VOA news in English about Libya. Tho listed as Iranawila, Sri Lanka site, until 0700, there is no flutter on this, just normal lite fading, so I suspect IBB has changed to another site. They are always fiddling with sites.
Ahá, latest IBB schedule at
http://hfcc.org/data/schedbybrc.php?seas=A11&broadc=IBB
indeed shows Sri Lanka from 0300, switching to BOTSWANA at 0500 since April 8, 100 kW, 350 degrees. See my previous log April 11, when I also thought it should be Botswana, and in fact it was. Today this was much better than Nigeria on 15120, worse than Australia on 15160, 15240 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1560 monitoring: confirmed on first airings, via WRMI 9955 webcast, UT Thursday April 14 at 0330 and 1600. Next: Thu 2100, Fri 1430, Sat 0800, 1400, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730. On WWRB: Fri 0330 on 2390 (and probably 5050 as last two weeks). On WWCR: Fri 2030 on 15825, Sat 1600 on 12160, Sun 0630 on 3215. On IPAR/IRRS/NEXUS-IBA: Sat 1800 on 7290 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9370-, slightly on low side as usual compared to 1370 stations, WTJC continues to enjoy good modulation for a while, but April 14 at 0541 during hymn, also has spurs around 9335 and 9405, +/- 35 kHz. One might guess the latter were WINB, but now an ex-frequency for it. Unlike previous spur outbreaks, these are not distorted but also with good modulation, but much weaker, fading in and out. With BFO I can tell that 9405 is somewhat wobbly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 14579-SSB, April 14 at 1347, 2-way in colloquial Spanish, hardly any of it understandable; in fact, at first I thought it was Greek. One station had engine noise background, the other breaking up severely (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###