** ALASKA. 11870, after yesterday`s good reception, trying KNLS again June 30 at 1230: gospel rock at S9+20 but quite undermodulated, and suffering from 2ACI de 11880 REE/Costa Rica, especially during its music. 1235 YL ID only as ``New Life Station``, introducing Andy Baker`s weekly prayer segment on Thursdays, starts talking about leprosy, a turn-off. By 1255 signal has really weakened, about gone (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. TV antenna still north from last night, and shortly after turning on June 30, at 1451 UT analog signals are showing on channel 2. 1517 it`s clearly `The View` with CTV bug LR. Weak signal in and out and MUF rarely reaching audio 4.5 MHz higher; jockeying rotor, this peaks from NNE, not NNW, so not CKCK but CHBX and/or CKCO2 in Ontario, where `The View` is indeed on CTV at 11 am EDT; 1559 try to catch a local ID but no luck, 1600 into CTV noon news. Continues in and out following hour, mostly too weak. Channel 4 briefly showed a picture, could have been MS rather than Es MUF spike.
During this entire period and beyond, the 50 MHz map at
http://www.vhfdx.info/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&Map=NA
show absolutely no activity, nor for Europe nor for 28 MHz, so the whole thing must be down (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake June 30:
11500, good at 1232, none lower. Used to hear this mixing with something, but not any more
12980, good at 1236
13920, very good at 1236
13970, very good at 1236
14970, good at 1237
15540, poor at 1309
16980, fair at 1245
18180, poor at 1247 June 30. It`s been ages since I have heard FD on this frequency, tho often checked. Normally I don`t try to catch cut-ons after hourtops but I made an exception with this. Stayed on 18180 until resumed at *1320.
Meanwhile, no Sound of Hope or anything was audible on 18180, tho the reason for all these FDs is to block SOH, mostly nuisance 100-watt transmitters upon Taiwan. But why did the ChiCom extend the `monitoring breaks` from 5 to 20 minutes? If SOH is really on continuously, why let them thru for 20 minutes unimpeded? Searching my own logs, the last one of 18180 was March 14, 2010 at 0041, when it was JBA. Nor do I find logs by anyone else since then in the DXLD archive. 18180 was still in at 1356 June 30, peaking at S9+10. Just in case, scanned up to 20 MHz for more, but none (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FRANCE [and non]. RFI workers must be on strike yet again: 17690 via GUIANA FRENCH, June 30 at 1400 usual VG signal, instead of Spanish service, only eclectic music fill, starting with a Brasilian song, and // much weaker 17620 direct, not in synch; latter normally in French instead and not // (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, with WYFR out of the way, one might expect to hear more of V. of Mesopotamia via UKRAINE, HFCC scheduled until September all the way from 04 to 20 UT --- but no sign of even a carrier in several chex around 0530, 1330. Can it be gone, or just not propagating to here? (Glenn Hauser, OK, June 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Danny Oglethorpe commented on my log yesterday, that ``de aquí`` on 4 pertains to XELN Torreón, ``la tele de aquí`` in upper-left red bar, and it is definitely the Galavisión affiliate on 4, no longer the other two. He has a handy listing of network changes: http://tvdxtips.com/mexnetchanges.html
Picking up where yesterday`s sporadic-E report left off, I did switch to FM, but it was rather frustrating; portable DX-398 as usual, UT:
1659 on 87.75, briefly Spanish from ch 6 audio.
1700 on 88.1, Spanish religion strangely mixed with ads: for air-conditioning, phone numbers, ``cantar a la vida`` alabar promo with classical music; ad mentioning El Duelo several times: may refer to a sports match rather than a business. A lot of fading up and down, vs OK stations. RDS displays only LOS 40, but audible slogan as ``Los Cuarenta Principales``, i.e. the Top-40 group, then proper ID for XHZN, 10 mil watts, street address in Zamora, Michoacán. Promo ``La Hora de Angelus`` with Ave Maria music, ad for Agencia Ford de Zamora. Also heard this one a few weeks ago.
BTW, FM Atlas XXI from last year has XHZN on 92.1, but Cantú correctly on 88.1. BTW2, Cantú shows a single FM frequency with zero Mexicans on it: 88.3; wonder why? A place to DX non-Mexican Spanish, but blocked in Enid by Family Radio.
1706 on 92.7, Spanish mentions ``presidente de la república Felipe Calderón``, ``auténticamente mexicana``, ad for a mariscos restaurán. Poor signal and I suspect I have been faked out again by KANR Wichita KS [COL even less Hispanic, Belle Plaine], which is anything but authentically Mexican, and the president of *this* republic is not Calderón! Nor from dentro-México, would they need to proclaim that they are allegedly `authentic`.
1708 on 90.5, Spanish DJ mixing with OK stations; intros a 1988 song from Enya, `Sail Away`. Periodically heard more bits on 90.5 but nothing identifiable. XEDA DF? But there are a dozen to pick from.
1719 on 93.9, Spanish, farmacia ad, ACI from KSPI 93.7 Stillwater (Aguaquieta), CCI from KIMY Watonga; 1733 an ad in pesos as I gave up on FM for now.
1722 on 96.5, Spanish briefly over two OK stations.
1724 on 95.3, Spanish ad in pesos, ACI from 95.1 KS/OK, Mexican PSA, ad in Spanish seems to mention ``The Edge``, Universidad ---algo--- de las Américas; more adstring, IFE PSA, in and out, too weak.
1742 on 6, novela; little bug in UR swirls animatedly, Azteca 13?
1751 on 5, net-5 toon, video only.
1851 on 3, novela, with 3 XHBC bug in LR, net 2 Star-60 bug in UR, also with heavy zero CCI from presumed XHQ, which happens far too often despite the distance and azimuth disparity between Mexicali and Culiacán.
1851 on 5, novela with new Azteca Trece swoosh bug UR, so XHAQ Mexicali; snow-free with ghosting.
I never thought I would see CCI on KOCO-5 again, zero-beat bars, since it`s really KOCO-DT-7, but I keep one TV on analog cable feed, which still exists tho you wouldn`t know it from Suddenlink promotion, and on that set, XHAQ signal was so strong it bled thru on the cable vs KOCO-Cable 5! Likewise from XHBC-3 upon KTBO-15 ``14`` = Cable 3.
1854 on analog 6, ad for something Size 16, i.e. English, then Subway, i.e. XETV Tijuana; Freeway Auto Insurance for $15, displayed as an I-15 hiway shield; Appliance Alley with 619-AC; 1856 back to show with 2 YLs, Garage Sale, from Better Homes & Gardens, becomes snow-free. 1901 6-News San Diego promo, Toyota El Cajón, and 1901 starting `Family Feud` late. 1902 ran tiny-letter ID upper left mentioning XETV and San Diego.
1902 on 3, XHBC is now in local Notivisa news, still heavy zero-CCI, but it`s only a break as at 1905 back to novela from Net-2 bug UR.
1906 on 5, XHAQ now has national newscast from Azteca Trece net. Occasional bug in LR is a new one on me; inside a circle, two vertical bars with one dot centered between them: looks like another Aztec numerical notation, but meaning what? Eleven? Digital clock below this. New Azteca-13 bug continues in UR.
1933, all gone from the WSW, still traces of signals on 2 and 4 from S
UT June 30: 0045 something fades in on 2, novela mixed with game show? Looks unLatin, so maybe Canada, but when I rotate toward north, gone (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See CANADA for next day
** SAUDI ARABIA. 21505+, June 30 at 1358, BSKSA very poor as 13m struggles to open a bit; also signs of Kuwait/Spain on 21540. Wolfgang Büschel measured this way off-frequency, June 21 at 1337 on 21505.732, but now it is only a few Hz above 21505 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 12100, WTWW missing most of the day June 29, back on early June 30, and at 1249 in Arabic.
WTWW has now set the times for its newest program, WORLD OF RADIO, expected to start today June 30 with new edition #1571:
Thursdays 2100 on 9479 (4 pm CDT)
UT Sundays 0400 on 5755 (Saturday night in North America, 11 pm CDT)
Many thanks to George McClintock for scheduling us, a great replacement for WWCR. BTW, WWCR still hasn`t replied to my well-reasoned(?) response about why they made a mistake. We wonder how well these WTWW channels will be getting into Europe; Russia is supposedly on 9480 at 2100, but 5755 might propagate around sunrise.
WORLD OF RADIO monitoring: first airing of 1571 confirmed on webcast of WRMI 9955, UT Thursday 0330, also 1500. WRMI repeats are Thu 2100, Fri 1430, Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730; on WWRB, UT Friday 0330 on 5051 (ex-5050); on WBCQ, Thursday 2130 on 7415, UT Monday 0300 on 5110 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWCR-1 was in whack for a while, not putting out scratchy modulation spike spurs below 15825, but it`s out of whack again June 30 at 1240, with not one, but two separate fields: tuning up 15 MHz band, found spikes 15430-15485 matching 15825 modulation peaks, especially bad on 15450 vs Turkey and a problem for 15476 Antarctica if it ever resume.
And the stronger field 15590-15660 peaking around 15630 ruining Greece! Closer in, splatter 15800-15850, while 15825 itself with preachess was distorted and squealing, at least S9+25 on the frugal FRG7 metre. At 1403, 15825 continues to crackle, and the spur fields roughly reach 15440-15470, 15610-15660. As before, no such spurs on the hi side of 15825; could they flip them so would not bother any broadcasters, except Firedrake, above 16 MHz? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Despite the scratchy spikes from WWCR 15825, June 30 at 1240, I am quite sure that VOA is absent from 15590, where Spanish is supposed to run until 1300. One of the Greenville transmitters held together by chewing gum and baling wire must be out of service. Audible tho not solid on // 13750, and better 9885 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11715, June 30 at 1410, KJES is not only inbooming at S9+20 but also with incredibly good modulation level! Shows they can do it, so why is it JBM so much of the time? Choir with guitar singing ``Alabad al Señor`` (that does not mean the Lord is all-bad) in their monomaniacal devotion (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 13650, June 30 at 1406-1407.5* open carrier at S9+17, atop something in emphatic Korean, then much weaker but clear, KCBS per Aoki, not HFCC, where as an outlaw nation, DPRK refuses to participate. Nothing else on 13650 during this hour per HFCC, but possibilities: CRI English via Albania supposed to end at 1300; CRI Chinese via Urumqi until 1400, VOR St Pete from 1500; or Kuwait to NAm supposedly not starting until 1800, but whose operation is extremely flexible (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** CANADA. TV antenna still north from last night, and shortly after turning on June 30, at 1451 UT analog signals are showing on channel 2. 1517 it`s clearly `The View` with CTV bug LR. Weak signal in and out and MUF rarely reaching audio 4.5 MHz higher; jockeying rotor, this peaks from NNE, not NNW, so not CKCK but CHBX and/or CKCO2 in Ontario, where `The View` is indeed on CTV at 11 am EDT; 1559 try to catch a local ID but no luck, 1600 into CTV noon news. Continues in and out following hour, mostly too weak. Channel 4 briefly showed a picture, could have been MS rather than Es MUF spike.
During this entire period and beyond, the 50 MHz map at
http://www.vhfdx.info/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&Map=NA
show absolutely no activity, nor for Europe nor for 28 MHz, so the whole thing must be down (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake June 30:
11500, good at 1232, none lower. Used to hear this mixing with something, but not any more
12980, good at 1236
13920, very good at 1236
13970, very good at 1236
14970, good at 1237
15540, poor at 1309
16980, fair at 1245
18180, poor at 1247 June 30. It`s been ages since I have heard FD on this frequency, tho often checked. Normally I don`t try to catch cut-ons after hourtops but I made an exception with this. Stayed on 18180 until resumed at *1320.
Meanwhile, no Sound of Hope or anything was audible on 18180, tho the reason for all these FDs is to block SOH, mostly nuisance 100-watt transmitters upon Taiwan. But why did the ChiCom extend the `monitoring breaks` from 5 to 20 minutes? If SOH is really on continuously, why let them thru for 20 minutes unimpeded? Searching my own logs, the last one of 18180 was March 14, 2010 at 0041, when it was JBA. Nor do I find logs by anyone else since then in the DXLD archive. 18180 was still in at 1356 June 30, peaking at S9+10. Just in case, scanned up to 20 MHz for more, but none (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** FRANCE [and non]. RFI workers must be on strike yet again: 17690 via GUIANA FRENCH, June 30 at 1400 usual VG signal, instead of Spanish service, only eclectic music fill, starting with a Brasilian song, and // much weaker 17620 direct, not in synch; latter normally in French instead and not // (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 11530, with WYFR out of the way, one might expect to hear more of V. of Mesopotamia via UKRAINE, HFCC scheduled until September all the way from 04 to 20 UT --- but no sign of even a carrier in several chex around 0530, 1330. Can it be gone, or just not propagating to here? (Glenn Hauser, OK, June 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Danny Oglethorpe commented on my log yesterday, that ``de aquí`` on 4 pertains to XELN Torreón, ``la tele de aquí`` in upper-left red bar, and it is definitely the Galavisión affiliate on 4, no longer the other two. He has a handy listing of network changes: http://tvdxtips.com/mexnetchanges.html
Picking up where yesterday`s sporadic-E report left off, I did switch to FM, but it was rather frustrating; portable DX-398 as usual, UT:
1659 on 87.75, briefly Spanish from ch 6 audio.
1700 on 88.1, Spanish religion strangely mixed with ads: for air-conditioning, phone numbers, ``cantar a la vida`` alabar promo with classical music; ad mentioning El Duelo several times: may refer to a sports match rather than a business. A lot of fading up and down, vs OK stations. RDS displays only LOS 40, but audible slogan as ``Los Cuarenta Principales``, i.e. the Top-40 group, then proper ID for XHZN, 10 mil watts, street address in Zamora, Michoacán. Promo ``La Hora de Angelus`` with Ave Maria music, ad for Agencia Ford de Zamora. Also heard this one a few weeks ago.
BTW, FM Atlas XXI from last year has XHZN on 92.1, but Cantú correctly on 88.1. BTW2, Cantú shows a single FM frequency with zero Mexicans on it: 88.3; wonder why? A place to DX non-Mexican Spanish, but blocked in Enid by Family Radio.
1706 on 92.7, Spanish mentions ``presidente de la república Felipe Calderón``, ``auténticamente mexicana``, ad for a mariscos restaurán. Poor signal and I suspect I have been faked out again by KANR Wichita KS [COL even less Hispanic, Belle Plaine], which is anything but authentically Mexican, and the president of *this* republic is not Calderón! Nor from dentro-México, would they need to proclaim that they are allegedly `authentic`.
1708 on 90.5, Spanish DJ mixing with OK stations; intros a 1988 song from Enya, `Sail Away`. Periodically heard more bits on 90.5 but nothing identifiable. XEDA DF? But there are a dozen to pick from.
1719 on 93.9, Spanish, farmacia ad, ACI from KSPI 93.7 Stillwater (Aguaquieta), CCI from KIMY Watonga; 1733 an ad in pesos as I gave up on FM for now.
1722 on 96.5, Spanish briefly over two OK stations.
1724 on 95.3, Spanish ad in pesos, ACI from 95.1 KS/OK, Mexican PSA, ad in Spanish seems to mention ``The Edge``, Universidad ---algo--- de las Américas; more adstring, IFE PSA, in and out, too weak.
1742 on 6, novela; little bug in UR swirls animatedly, Azteca 13?
1751 on 5, net-5 toon, video only.
1851 on 3, novela, with 3 XHBC bug in LR, net 2 Star-60 bug in UR, also with heavy zero CCI from presumed XHQ, which happens far too often despite the distance and azimuth disparity between Mexicali and Culiacán.
1851 on 5, novela with new Azteca Trece swoosh bug UR, so XHAQ Mexicali; snow-free with ghosting.
I never thought I would see CCI on KOCO-5 again, zero-beat bars, since it`s really KOCO-DT-7, but I keep one TV on analog cable feed, which still exists tho you wouldn`t know it from Suddenlink promotion, and on that set, XHAQ signal was so strong it bled thru on the cable vs KOCO-Cable 5! Likewise from XHBC-3 upon KTBO-15 ``14`` = Cable 3.
1854 on analog 6, ad for something Size 16, i.e. English, then Subway, i.e. XETV Tijuana; Freeway Auto Insurance for $15, displayed as an I-15 hiway shield; Appliance Alley with 619-AC; 1856 back to show with 2 YLs, Garage Sale, from Better Homes & Gardens, becomes snow-free. 1901 6-News San Diego promo, Toyota El Cajón, and 1901 starting `Family Feud` late. 1902 ran tiny-letter ID upper left mentioning XETV and San Diego.
1902 on 3, XHBC is now in local Notivisa news, still heavy zero-CCI, but it`s only a break as at 1905 back to novela from Net-2 bug UR.
1906 on 5, XHAQ now has national newscast from Azteca Trece net. Occasional bug in LR is a new one on me; inside a circle, two vertical bars with one dot centered between them: looks like another Aztec numerical notation, but meaning what? Eleven? Digital clock below this. New Azteca-13 bug continues in UR.
1933, all gone from the WSW, still traces of signals on 2 and 4 from S
UT June 30: 0045 something fades in on 2, novela mixed with game show? Looks unLatin, so maybe Canada, but when I rotate toward north, gone (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See CANADA for next day
** SAUDI ARABIA. 21505+, June 30 at 1358, BSKSA very poor as 13m struggles to open a bit; also signs of Kuwait/Spain on 21540. Wolfgang Büschel measured this way off-frequency, June 21 at 1337 on 21505.732, but now it is only a few Hz above 21505 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 12100, WTWW missing most of the day June 29, back on early June 30, and at 1249 in Arabic.
WTWW has now set the times for its newest program, WORLD OF RADIO, expected to start today June 30 with new edition #1571:
Thursdays 2100 on 9479 (4 pm CDT)
UT Sundays 0400 on 5755 (Saturday night in North America, 11 pm CDT)
Many thanks to George McClintock for scheduling us, a great replacement for WWCR. BTW, WWCR still hasn`t replied to my well-reasoned(?) response about why they made a mistake. We wonder how well these WTWW channels will be getting into Europe; Russia is supposedly on 9480 at 2100, but 5755 might propagate around sunrise.
WORLD OF RADIO monitoring: first airing of 1571 confirmed on webcast of WRMI 9955, UT Thursday 0330, also 1500. WRMI repeats are Thu 2100, Fri 1430, Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730; on WWRB, UT Friday 0330 on 5051 (ex-5050); on WBCQ, Thursday 2130 on 7415, UT Monday 0300 on 5110 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WWCR-1 was in whack for a while, not putting out scratchy modulation spike spurs below 15825, but it`s out of whack again June 30 at 1240, with not one, but two separate fields: tuning up 15 MHz band, found spikes 15430-15485 matching 15825 modulation peaks, especially bad on 15450 vs Turkey and a problem for 15476 Antarctica if it ever resume.
And the stronger field 15590-15660 peaking around 15630 ruining Greece! Closer in, splatter 15800-15850, while 15825 itself with preachess was distorted and squealing, at least S9+25 on the frugal FRG7 metre. At 1403, 15825 continues to crackle, and the spur fields roughly reach 15440-15470, 15610-15660. As before, no such spurs on the hi side of 15825; could they flip them so would not bother any broadcasters, except Firedrake, above 16 MHz? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Despite the scratchy spikes from WWCR 15825, June 30 at 1240, I am quite sure that VOA is absent from 15590, where Spanish is supposed to run until 1300. One of the Greenville transmitters held together by chewing gum and baling wire must be out of service. Audible tho not solid on // 13750, and better 9885 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11715, June 30 at 1410, KJES is not only inbooming at S9+20 but also with incredibly good modulation level! Shows they can do it, so why is it JBM so much of the time? Choir with guitar singing ``Alabad al Señor`` (that does not mean the Lord is all-bad) in their monomaniacal devotion (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 13650, June 30 at 1406-1407.5* open carrier at S9+17, atop something in emphatic Korean, then much weaker but clear, KCBS per Aoki, not HFCC, where as an outlaw nation, DPRK refuses to participate. Nothing else on 13650 during this hour per HFCC, but possibilities: CRI English via Albania supposed to end at 1300; CRI Chinese via Urumqi until 1400, VOR St Pete from 1500; or Kuwait to NAm supposedly not starting until 1800, but whose operation is extremely flexible (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
