** CHINA. Firedrake July 31; poor propagation and not as many audible as usual; before 1230:
11500, fair at 1221
12900, fair at 1223; none in the 13s
14700, fair at 1225, none higher
Before 1330:
10300, very good at 1317
11500, missing at 1317
12900, good at 1318
13850, very poor at 1321 // 12900; WWCR not making it on 13845; none higher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. 13740, July 31 at 1435, CRI relay mixing Chinese and English is back; was missing 24 hours earlier.
11760, RHC Esperanto reconfirmed Sunday July 31 at 1521 in YL announcement after music: only the first word did it, ``Saluton``.
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also VENEZUELA [non]
** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 12015, July 31 at 1314 nothing but a het, the stronger signal on the lo side, about 12014.8. Aoki shows both VOK Kujang and VOR via Samara during this hour. I`ll bet I know which one is off-frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [non]. 11880, Sunday July 31 at 1240, REE with `Amigos de la Onda Corta` via COSTA RICA, news item about R. Taiwan International. I quickly check // 11910 via CHINA, and can barely hear it there. So the PRC axually transmitted a non-hostile mention of the enemy. REE is in bed with the ChiCom for relay exchanges, presumably protecting it from jamming; is that explicitly in the contract? One might ask the same about Canada and China (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [non]. 13730, July 31 at 0455, R. Dabanga best heard yet on this frequency, synchronized // 13620 via MADAGASCAR which has the usual tone jamming, but no jam audible on 13730. Scatterbrain Dabanga is over-produced with echo-chamber, cutting every few sex between talk and music clips. At 0457 the signal on 13730 abruptly drops to much weaker without any break. This contradicts the expanded schedule as of July 18 in DXLD 11-29 which showed 13730 not starting until 0500 via Wertachtal.
However, latest HFCC info on 13730 since 18 July does show 13730 at 0430-0459 [sic] as 250 kW, 340 degrees from Madagascar, 0500[sic]-0557 as 250 kW, 150 degrees from Wertachtal; no longer UAE site on this frequency at all. BOTH 13620 and 13730 via MDC during the first semi-hour correlates with equal reception now and synchronization.
As for 13620, HFCC shows 0430-0527, 250 kW, 330 degrees [10 away from 13730 bearing] from Madagascar, 0530[sic]-0557, 500 kW, 156 degrees from Nauen, GERMANY. This one also really starts 3 minutes earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. 15450, July 31 at 1227, altho most signals on 19m are very poor or absent, even CUBA, VOT is surprisingly good with IS; 1230 sign-on by live OM, who still hasn`t engaged brain, and continues to read outdated script claiming the time is 1330 and the frequencies are 15520 and 15450. Following news dominated by mass resignation of Turkish military leadership. Delivery is hesitant, almost off-the-cuff, as if he might be translating on the fly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. Re previous report, what is BBC doing on 15370, Saturdays only at 13-16?
Hi Glenn, Regarding your query in logs July 29/30, I've looked at the Sentech website and they show no A11 BBC WS transmissions on 15370 Saturdays; in fact they show no transmissions on 15370 for anyone at any time.
http://www.sentech.co.za/products/signal-distribution/frequencies/radio/shortwave/bbc
Be aware that this website is not entirely reliable; for example they still show 702 Talk Radio on mediumwave, although it moved to 92.7 FM some 3 or 4 years ago, and is shown as such on their own Gauteng region FM section of the webpage! So it is not conclusive that they have nothing on 15370 (Bill Bingham, Johannesburg RSA, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In fact:
Hi all, BBC in French, not Somali
1300-1600 on 15370 MEY 250 kW / 020 deg Sat only
BBC in English, not Somali
1300-1400 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only
BBC in Somali
1400-1500 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only // 11860 & 15420 both SEY
BBC in English, not Somali
1500-1600 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only
73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Ivo also attaches clips of these frequencies from remote monitoring archives for July 30:
7-30 1305, 15370 BBC French, not Somali
7-30 1406, 15370 BBC French, not Somali
7-30 1508, 15370 BBC French, not Somali
7-30 1302, 17680 BBC English, not Somali
7-30 1407, 17680 BBC Somali
7-30 1506, 17680 BBC English, not Somali
So it appears the 3-hour Saturday Somali broadcast has been cut to one hour in the middle, on a different frequency via a different site, while the South Africa relay on 15370 has been changed to French; why? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1575 monitoring: reconfirmed on WTWW-1, 5755, good signal UT Sunday July 31 after 0400, preceded by the usual automated announcement from SFAW about sorcery on the streets of Washington DC. Standard disclaimer.
Remaining SW broadcasts this week: UT Monday 0300v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB; on WRMI 9955: Sunday 1530, 1730; Monday 1130, 1530, 2130; Tuesday & Wednesday 1530 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LI STENING DIGEST)
** VENEZUELA [non]. While I was reconfirming RHC Esperanto, July 31, also checked the `Aló, Presidente` frequencies, at 1520, and all were silent: 11690, 13680, 13750, 15370, 17750. Altho El Hugazo has returned to Caracas and made some public appearances, it`s unclear whether he will resume the program, and if he does, whether RHC will resume SW broadcasting it. Show website http://www.alopresidente.gob.ve/
still has not been updated since June 12 announcement that it would not appear that day due to emergency surgery; and the last one archived is #375, tho finding its original date is difficult.
So far, all the daily RNV relays via Cuba checked have continued absent. If anyone does hear one, make sure to report it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
11500, fair at 1221
12900, fair at 1223; none in the 13s
14700, fair at 1225, none higher
Before 1330:
10300, very good at 1317
11500, missing at 1317
12900, good at 1318
13850, very poor at 1321 // 12900; WWCR not making it on 13845; none higher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. 13740, July 31 at 1435, CRI relay mixing Chinese and English is back; was missing 24 hours earlier.
11760, RHC Esperanto reconfirmed Sunday July 31 at 1521 in YL announcement after music: only the first word did it, ``Saluton``.
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also VENEZUELA [non]
** KOREA NORTH [and non]. 12015, July 31 at 1314 nothing but a het, the stronger signal on the lo side, about 12014.8. Aoki shows both VOK Kujang and VOR via Samara during this hour. I`ll bet I know which one is off-frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [non]. 11880, Sunday July 31 at 1240, REE with `Amigos de la Onda Corta` via COSTA RICA, news item about R. Taiwan International. I quickly check // 11910 via CHINA, and can barely hear it there. So the PRC axually transmitted a non-hostile mention of the enemy. REE is in bed with the ChiCom for relay exchanges, presumably protecting it from jamming; is that explicitly in the contract? One might ask the same about Canada and China (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SUDAN [non]. 13730, July 31 at 0455, R. Dabanga best heard yet on this frequency, synchronized // 13620 via MADAGASCAR which has the usual tone jamming, but no jam audible on 13730. Scatterbrain Dabanga is over-produced with echo-chamber, cutting every few sex between talk and music clips. At 0457 the signal on 13730 abruptly drops to much weaker without any break. This contradicts the expanded schedule as of July 18 in DXLD 11-29 which showed 13730 not starting until 0500 via Wertachtal.
However, latest HFCC info on 13730 since 18 July does show 13730 at 0430-0459 [sic] as 250 kW, 340 degrees from Madagascar, 0500[sic]-0557 as 250 kW, 150 degrees from Wertachtal; no longer UAE site on this frequency at all. BOTH 13620 and 13730 via MDC during the first semi-hour correlates with equal reception now and synchronization.
As for 13620, HFCC shows 0430-0527, 250 kW, 330 degrees [10 away from 13730 bearing] from Madagascar, 0530[sic]-0557, 500 kW, 156 degrees from Nauen, GERMANY. This one also really starts 3 minutes earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. 15450, July 31 at 1227, altho most signals on 19m are very poor or absent, even CUBA, VOT is surprisingly good with IS; 1230 sign-on by live OM, who still hasn`t engaged brain, and continues to read outdated script claiming the time is 1330 and the frequencies are 15520 and 15450. Following news dominated by mass resignation of Turkish military leadership. Delivery is hesitant, almost off-the-cuff, as if he might be translating on the fly (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. Re previous report, what is BBC doing on 15370, Saturdays only at 13-16?
Hi Glenn, Regarding your query in logs July 29/30, I've looked at the Sentech website and they show no A11 BBC WS transmissions on 15370 Saturdays; in fact they show no transmissions on 15370 for anyone at any time.
http://www.sentech.co.za/products/signal-distribution/frequencies/radio/shortwave/bbc
Be aware that this website is not entirely reliable; for example they still show 702 Talk Radio on mediumwave, although it moved to 92.7 FM some 3 or 4 years ago, and is shown as such on their own Gauteng region FM section of the webpage! So it is not conclusive that they have nothing on 15370 (Bill Bingham, Johannesburg RSA, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In fact:
Hi all, BBC in French, not Somali
1300-1600 on 15370 MEY 250 kW / 020 deg Sat only
BBC in English, not Somali
1300-1400 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only
BBC in Somali
1400-1500 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only // 11860 & 15420 both SEY
BBC in English, not Somali
1500-1600 17680 CYP 300 kW / 160 deg Sat only
73! (Ivo Ivanov, Bulgaria, July 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Ivo also attaches clips of these frequencies from remote monitoring archives for July 30:
7-30 1305, 15370 BBC French, not Somali
7-30 1406, 15370 BBC French, not Somali
7-30 1508, 15370 BBC French, not Somali
7-30 1302, 17680 BBC English, not Somali
7-30 1407, 17680 BBC Somali
7-30 1506, 17680 BBC English, not Somali
So it appears the 3-hour Saturday Somali broadcast has been cut to one hour in the middle, on a different frequency via a different site, while the South Africa relay on 15370 has been changed to French; why? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1575 monitoring: reconfirmed on WTWW-1, 5755, good signal UT Sunday July 31 after 0400, preceded by the usual automated announcement from SFAW about sorcery on the streets of Washington DC. Standard disclaimer.
Remaining SW broadcasts this week: UT Monday 0300v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB; on WRMI 9955: Sunday 1530, 1730; Monday 1130, 1530, 2130; Tuesday & Wednesday 1530 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LI STENING DIGEST)
** VENEZUELA [non]. While I was reconfirming RHC Esperanto, July 31, also checked the `Aló, Presidente` frequencies, at 1520, and all were silent: 11690, 13680, 13750, 15370, 17750. Altho El Hugazo has returned to Caracas and made some public appearances, it`s unclear whether he will resume the program, and if he does, whether RHC will resume SW broadcasting it. Show website http://www.alopresidente.gob.ve/
still has not been updated since June 12 announcement that it would not appear that day due to emergency surgery; and the last one archived is #375, tho finding its original date is difficult.
So far, all the daily RNV relays via Cuba checked have continued absent. If anyone does hear one, make sure to report it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###