domenica 29 maggio 2011

Glenn Hauser logs May 27-28, 2011

** CHINA. Firedrake May 28: none heard 7-18 MHz at 1255-1300, during severe propagation disturbance, K=6 at 1200 per WWV at 1419, geomag storms reaching G2 level (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MAURITANIA. 7245, May 28 at 0555, R. Mauritanie is on this early with characteristic chanting past 0600. When I tuned past in the previous 5-10 minutes, it was not on. Very little else audible on 41m in disturbed conditions; K-index at 0600 was 3 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 39, KWTV-DT, OKC, normally with News9NOW on 9.2 channel, surprisingly with `Beakman`s World`, science show for kids humor also appreciated by adults, Saturday May 28 until 1500 UT. 9.2 schedule via Titan shows on Saturdays at 8-11 am CDT = 13-16 UT, they do break away for some E/I shows, no doubt to fulfill their quota, while others ones are running on 9.1. Not so on Sundays. Beakman airs twice (different episodes?) at 1300 and 1430; also, `WITWI Carmen San Diego` at 1400 and 1530 UT. Strangely, for proper proportions I had to switch to Squeezed display, which also meant reduced picture, black borders on all sides, except during commercials. At 1600 back to News9NOW, on 5-hour delay per time bug, (make that Olds), still requiring Squeezing, not normally the case. It`s unusual for the aspect ratio to be changeable on any station`s non-main channel.

7, KOCO, OKC, had black screen on Suddenlink Enid digital cable, both 5.1 and 5.2 ThisTV, May 28 at 1511 UT. Direct off-the-air showed signal, but too Bad to decode. Suddenlink analog cable ch 5 also was black. Finally at 1524, the latter cut back on, with a crawler mentioning ``technical difficulties, programming to resume soon``, but it already had in that mode, and then on digital cable too, but OTA remained Bad past 1600. Other OKC signals were normal, so KOCO on weaker backup transmitter? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PORTUGAL. 15560, Saturday May 28 at 1408, RDPI with SW, satellite and internet parameters; weekend-only service, only fair signal now due to K=6, propagation disturbance. Carlos Gonçalves expects RDPI to go off SW in a few days, temporarily, probably becoming permanently.

Tnx to tip from Mike Barraclough, Media Network blog has just confirmed this:

``RDP to suspend shortwave transmissions from 1 June
May 28th, 2011 - 10:47 UTC by Andy Sennitt.

Portuguese public broadcaster RDP confirmed yesterday it is temporarily suspending its shortwave transmissions as of 1 June because of the low number of listeners and as a means of cutting costs. RDP said it would be reviewing the service to see whether it would go back on air at a later date. Listeners around the world can still follow their favourite programmes via satellite, cable and Internet.

The Portuguese broadcaster said it is "just one of many global broadcasters who are reducing or closing their SW transmissions".
(Source: The Portugal News)``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 9385, May 28 at 1306 as I tune by WWRB, Brother Scare is asking for ``radio checks`` on 15.795, the other new WWRB frequency, which as far as we know has been off the air for a couple days. No way to be sure if it is on now, as propagation is extremely disturbed, K=6 at 1200, and very little making it on 15 MHz, not even neighbor 15825 WWCR which no doubt is really on. Neither audible at 1407; however, BS could be heard on WBCQ 15420-CUSB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SWEDEN [and non]. Not really expecting to hear it, and so fulfilled, the R. Nord Revival. May 27 supposed to start using 9940-CLSB at 1800, but nothing heard. On their blog, later reports from Europe indicated they signed on several minutes late. But few if any reports from North America, altho they stayed on late until at least 2145 UT.

And supposed to resume at 0400 May 28 on 9340-CLSB. Not checked until 0543, but no chance with huge signal from WBCQ 9330-CUSB carrying GFRN/2:11, not dead air. WBCQ`s USB is really skewed, extending far above normal USB bandwidth. If something had been on 9320, there would have been no problem from WBCQ.

As I said before, R. Nord picked the worst possible dates to revive, SWPC predicting K-indices reaching 4 all three dates. But that was an underestimate. At 1419 UT on 10000, WWV reported solar flux 90 yesterday, K=6 at 1200 today, G2 geomagnetic storms now and in the future. At 1500, K=5. Reception generally very poor, with all hi-latitude signals gone, nearer ones weaker, only predominantly southern paths still open on lower bands; even 17680 Chile was weakened.

Almost all the reports for May 28 on the blog,
http://radionordrevival.blogspot.com/2011/05/frequency-schedule-for-radio-nord.html
continue to be from Europe, including the third harmonic of MW 1512 which last time R. Nord said they would certainly suppress, 4536 kHz.
As of 1415 UT it was on 7360, unstated if they will resume 9940-CLSB from 1800v UT again Saturday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 11715, Saturday May 28 at 1443, KJES, NM, is on and audible sufficiently with catechisms in English, S9+15 but noisy, undermodulated. Despite severely degraded propagation, especially on higher bands (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 12160, WWCR, confirmed with WORLD OF RADIO 1566, Saturday May 28 at 1600, still good signal despite geomag storm. Next airing is Sunday 0630 on 3215. On IPAR via SLOVAKIA: Saturday 1800 on 7290. On WRN via SiriusXM 120: Saturday & Sunday 1730, Sunday 0830. Also via WRMI 9955 Saturday & Sunday 1730, plus 0800 and 1530 Sunday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###