** CHINA. Firedrake Feb 15:
12500, very poor at 1436
12600, very poor at 1436
No others found 10-18 MHz in the next few minutes. Propagation was generally poor on hi-latitude paths from everywhere (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11532, Feb 15 at 0638-0639+, digital data bursts from V2a are a little earlier than usual, i.e. within the multiples of 5 minutes such as 0640-0641 as heard previously. It`s by far the SSOB on the 25m band including all legitimate voice broadcasters (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 11675, Feb 15 at 1504, fair signal with South Asian singing and drumming, perhaps Christian praise, 1505 YL announcement. Aoki shows it`s KSDA, 1500-1530, 100 kW, 285 degrees from Agat in Telugu (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4055, Feb 15 at 0124 quick check in prime time confirms R. Verdad still on the air altho had been missing one morning. Good signal with ``Alleluia`` [a spelling acceptable to MS Word] hymn on piano only, which I defy anyone to hear without subvocalizing the essential praiseterm, a one-word lyric, so who needs a vocalist? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA [and non]. 9525-, Feb 15 at 1421, S9+20 signal from VOI but barely modulated in unID language talk, presumed Indonesian, with ACI from RVA 9520 splash, conveniently moved down 5 kHz at 1428 so no longer a problem. 1431 now in music and a bit better until 1457*. Slightly later another very poor signal comes on with Chinese language lesson filler prior to CRI English via Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN.
For many months, VOI had stuck to 9526-, but Ron Howard had them on exactly 9525.00, 1036-1048, Feb 13. Now they are definitely offset slightly to the low side of 9525 instead of 9526-. Aoki does not bother with the 1-kHz jumps, listing everything as if on 9525. Ishida says the move occurred already Feb 10: ``Feb 10 9525 kHz Voice of Indonesia: *0950-2000- on February 10. Moved from 9526 kHz.`` The signal has been so poor that I had not tried to check for a change since then (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 9595, Feb 15 at 0635, R. Nikkei has good signal, better than Gabon 9580, while playing album cuts in English by a YL singer, ``Dream a Little Dream of Me`` for starters. Finally another YL makes rapid announcement in Japanese from 0659. // 6055 not yet audible between RHC and RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MADAGASCAR. The RNW relay site has suffered extensive damage:http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/rnw-madagascar-off-the-air-following-tropical-cyclone
So some of the usual transmissions might come from a substitute site on the same frequency, known only to the broadcasters unless specifically queried. I checked 15720, Feb 15 at 1442 and heard usual Hindi news from NHK World, as IDed at 1445 following the usual pause for program change, seems like still/again Madagascar. I posted this on the MN blog:
``What a shame. I wonder if RNW will decide just to quit now rather than pour more money into repairing it?
Feb 15 at 1442 I am hearing NHK World in Hindi as usual on 15720. Can you confirm that Talata is back on the air, at least for this transmission, rather than from a substitute site? Fair steady signal as usual, in the absence of RNZI on the wrong frequency which occurred once a few days ago.``
Andy Sennitt replied at 1715: ``Yes Glenn, the station was back on the air at 1300 UTC as we had hoped. I don't have all the details yet of what's on and what's not, but Rocus confirms the one you heard was Madagascar. I imagine that insurance will pay for repairs. We can't just close down suddenly because we have a duty of care to our staff in Madagascar. They are very hard-working and will get the station fully operational again very quickly.``
I also asked Madagascar World Voice if they had any damage. Reply:
Hello Glenn, We received no damage to the MWV facility in Mahajanga. It appears we were right on the edge of the cyclone. We had some wind and rain, but nothing like the intensity experienced in Antananarivo. It is disturbing to see the pictures of all of the damage to RNW. It is a blessing that no one was hurt. Thanks for asking about MWV. If I can answer more questions, please let me know. Regards, Charles H. Caudill, President/CEO, World Christian Broadcasting (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA [and non]. 7245, Feb 15 at 0625 IGIM is already on with chanting; adjacent VATICAN 7250 from *0628 quite weak by comparison as were most Eurosigs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 7275, Feb 15 at 0629, ditto another Nigerialess night once Tunisia clears the frequency. BTW, 15120 VON has not been audible during this hour for several weeks now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7325, Feb 15 at 1357 as soon as China goes off, JBA carrier with bits of music, and some talk around hourtop, presumed Wantok Radio Light during the semihour window the Chicom so kindly provide (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES. IBB Tinang site, transmitter #2: 9555, Feb 15 at 1425 I find a strong S9+25 open carrier with some hum and flutter when VOA`s Korean service is supposed to air and is usually heard. I leave a receiver on this in case modulation should happen, but no, nothing until 1458:53* for QSY to 9760 VOA English. *1459:21 carrier on there, with brief breaks several times, still no modulation after 1500.
As I go to breakfast of Mexican strawberries via Salinas, California, and homemade English muffins with apple butter spread on one half, and peach jam on the other [is this close enough to tweeting the important details of my life?], I leave the receiver on 9760 for another hour. Still no modulation at all, and occasional brief offdumps, especially around 1528-1533. Finally stopped monitoring at 1557.
Can`t they tell at Tinang that the transmitter is not being modulated?? Like a meter stuck on zero if they don`t axually listen to their own broadcasts? In which case they might as well turn it off? Or not, if it`s still important to occupy the frequencies with nothing? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 7811-USB, Feb 15 at 0644-0646, Jim Hightower commentary appears again exactly 24 hours after first noticed on AFN Saddlebunch Keys FL, despite absence from extensive online program schedule, so this may be reliable UT Tue-Sat, or M-F? Other frequencies are 5446.5 and 12133.5, not checked but surely // if on the air at this time. Jim mentioned how ROMNEY is an anagram of RMONEY, hee hee (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11580, Feb 15 WWCR-4 is again on secret frequency after 1500 with very strong signal; and at 1555 same canned announcement played twice with Jerry Plummer asking for reports on this ``special test broadcast`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
12500, very poor at 1436
12600, very poor at 1436
No others found 10-18 MHz in the next few minutes. Propagation was generally poor on hi-latitude paths from everywhere (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11532, Feb 15 at 0638-0639+, digital data bursts from V2a are a little earlier than usual, i.e. within the multiples of 5 minutes such as 0640-0641 as heard previously. It`s by far the SSOB on the 25m band including all legitimate voice broadcasters (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 11675, Feb 15 at 1504, fair signal with South Asian singing and drumming, perhaps Christian praise, 1505 YL announcement. Aoki shows it`s KSDA, 1500-1530, 100 kW, 285 degrees from Agat in Telugu (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4055, Feb 15 at 0124 quick check in prime time confirms R. Verdad still on the air altho had been missing one morning. Good signal with ``Alleluia`` [a spelling acceptable to MS Word] hymn on piano only, which I defy anyone to hear without subvocalizing the essential praiseterm, a one-word lyric, so who needs a vocalist? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA [and non]. 9525-, Feb 15 at 1421, S9+20 signal from VOI but barely modulated in unID language talk, presumed Indonesian, with ACI from RVA 9520 splash, conveniently moved down 5 kHz at 1428 so no longer a problem. 1431 now in music and a bit better until 1457*. Slightly later another very poor signal comes on with Chinese language lesson filler prior to CRI English via Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN.
For many months, VOI had stuck to 9526-, but Ron Howard had them on exactly 9525.00, 1036-1048, Feb 13. Now they are definitely offset slightly to the low side of 9525 instead of 9526-. Aoki does not bother with the 1-kHz jumps, listing everything as if on 9525. Ishida says the move occurred already Feb 10: ``Feb 10 9525 kHz Voice of Indonesia: *0950-2000- on February 10. Moved from 9526 kHz.`` The signal has been so poor that I had not tried to check for a change since then (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 9595, Feb 15 at 0635, R. Nikkei has good signal, better than Gabon 9580, while playing album cuts in English by a YL singer, ``Dream a Little Dream of Me`` for starters. Finally another YL makes rapid announcement in Japanese from 0659. // 6055 not yet audible between RHC and RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MADAGASCAR. The RNW relay site has suffered extensive damage:http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/rnw-madagascar-off-the-air-following-tropical-cyclone
So some of the usual transmissions might come from a substitute site on the same frequency, known only to the broadcasters unless specifically queried. I checked 15720, Feb 15 at 1442 and heard usual Hindi news from NHK World, as IDed at 1445 following the usual pause for program change, seems like still/again Madagascar. I posted this on the MN blog:
``What a shame. I wonder if RNW will decide just to quit now rather than pour more money into repairing it?
Feb 15 at 1442 I am hearing NHK World in Hindi as usual on 15720. Can you confirm that Talata is back on the air, at least for this transmission, rather than from a substitute site? Fair steady signal as usual, in the absence of RNZI on the wrong frequency which occurred once a few days ago.``
Andy Sennitt replied at 1715: ``Yes Glenn, the station was back on the air at 1300 UTC as we had hoped. I don't have all the details yet of what's on and what's not, but Rocus confirms the one you heard was Madagascar. I imagine that insurance will pay for repairs. We can't just close down suddenly because we have a duty of care to our staff in Madagascar. They are very hard-working and will get the station fully operational again very quickly.``
I also asked Madagascar World Voice if they had any damage. Reply:
Hello Glenn, We received no damage to the MWV facility in Mahajanga. It appears we were right on the edge of the cyclone. We had some wind and rain, but nothing like the intensity experienced in Antananarivo. It is disturbing to see the pictures of all of the damage to RNW. It is a blessing that no one was hurt. Thanks for asking about MWV. If I can answer more questions, please let me know. Regards, Charles H. Caudill, President/CEO, World Christian Broadcasting (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA [and non]. 7245, Feb 15 at 0625 IGIM is already on with chanting; adjacent VATICAN 7250 from *0628 quite weak by comparison as were most Eurosigs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 7275, Feb 15 at 0629, ditto another Nigerialess night once Tunisia clears the frequency. BTW, 15120 VON has not been audible during this hour for several weeks now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7325, Feb 15 at 1357 as soon as China goes off, JBA carrier with bits of music, and some talk around hourtop, presumed Wantok Radio Light during the semihour window the Chicom so kindly provide (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES. IBB Tinang site, transmitter #2: 9555, Feb 15 at 1425 I find a strong S9+25 open carrier with some hum and flutter when VOA`s Korean service is supposed to air and is usually heard. I leave a receiver on this in case modulation should happen, but no, nothing until 1458:53* for QSY to 9760 VOA English. *1459:21 carrier on there, with brief breaks several times, still no modulation after 1500.
As I go to breakfast of Mexican strawberries via Salinas, California, and homemade English muffins with apple butter spread on one half, and peach jam on the other [is this close enough to tweeting the important details of my life?], I leave the receiver on 9760 for another hour. Still no modulation at all, and occasional brief offdumps, especially around 1528-1533. Finally stopped monitoring at 1557.
Can`t they tell at Tinang that the transmitter is not being modulated?? Like a meter stuck on zero if they don`t axually listen to their own broadcasts? In which case they might as well turn it off? Or not, if it`s still important to occupy the frequencies with nothing? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 7811-USB, Feb 15 at 0644-0646, Jim Hightower commentary appears again exactly 24 hours after first noticed on AFN Saddlebunch Keys FL, despite absence from extensive online program schedule, so this may be reliable UT Tue-Sat, or M-F? Other frequencies are 5446.5 and 12133.5, not checked but surely // if on the air at this time. Jim mentioned how ROMNEY is an anagram of RMONEY, hee hee (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11580, Feb 15 WWCR-4 is again on secret frequency after 1500 with very strong signal; and at 1555 same canned announcement played twice with Jerry Plummer asking for reports on this ``special test broadcast`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
