** CHINA. Firedrake Feb 29, before 1400:
12600, good at 1357
12670, good at 1357
12980, good at 1357; none in the 13`s
14970, good at 1358
15535, fair at 1358; nothing in Aoki or HFCC to account for this or the next one, but this area usually inhabited by jumparound V. of Tibet via Tajikistan, if not Sound of Hope
15570, good at 1358; none in the 16s by 1400
After 1400:
17560, fair at 1405, maybe something else underneath it. Unusual to be on air this soon after hourtop. But 1400-1430 is when V. of Tibet broadcasts via Madagascar. It`s been quite a while since I have heard either that or the Firedrake here.
Before 1500:
12500, good with flutter at 1445; none higher or lower, off at 1500*
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Today`s missing frequency from RHC: 11750, Feb 29 at 1356, nor is it on 11705 by mistake; however at 1446, 11750 is back on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENNG DIGEST)
** INDIA. 15175, Feb 29 at 1521, AIR Gujrati is undermodulated, mostly a rumble and mixed with whine of slightly varying pitch. Since I can hear this with BFO on both the hi and lo sides, I conclude that it is not a het from something else, but coming out of the very same GOA transmitter, which had a lot of problems that were supposedly recently repaired (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENIG DIGEST)
** INTERNATIONAL. I am in the habit of checking the 7 MHz band around 0630 UT, and it`s amazing how much things change from night to night. Here`s Feb 29, certainly a unique occasion:
At 0625, nothing from: 7265 Romania French, 7245 Mauritania [q.v. for more], 7220 France Hausa (Yes, RFI in HFCC ended 7220 as of Feb 25.)
At *0628, 7250 carrier on from SMG Vatican unlike yesterday, 0629 bells. 10 kW Gardens was not audible before this.
At 0629* Tunisia goes off 7275, but unlike yesterday, no trace of Nigeria being uncovered.
These are on before and after 0630: 7320 Magadan, 7335 Tunisia, 7360 Vatican, 7210 CRI Arabic via Albania. Among several others, of course
On from before 0630: 7310 Romania English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 9595, Feb 29 at 1415, fair to poor, R. Nikkei`s unpredictable eclectic music mix today presents: Aretha with gospel or soul tunes, 1423 maybe joined by Poynter Systers? 1434, ``R-E-S-P-E-C-T``, 1436 ``Chain of Fools``, and she`s still going at 1452. R. Australia 9590 competed with rap at 1432 so I tuned right back to 9595 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA. 7245, Feb 29 at 0630, IGIM is not yet on, but at next check 0641, it is, marred by QRhaM blowing into mike with rude noises vs Arabic YL and music, eclipsing much weaker Vatican 7250 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 5890, Feb 29 at 0637 tuning across Brother Scare via WWCR, there is mixture of audio, the other with a YL asking ``where`s the peanut butter?`` Quickly checked synchro // 3185 WWRB, and same thing there, but it took another minute or so for this to appear on the delayed feed via 5085 WTWW. Finally, something down to earth on The Overcomer Ministry! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SYRIA [non]. 9330, Feb 28 at 2155 I find WBCQ has lapsed into dead air again, so this could be our big chance to hear Damascus! On the DX-398, I compare LSB to USB: with just the (reduced) carrier on, for some reason I am getting a higher signal meter reading on LSB that on USB. WBCQ modulation cuts back on at 2159, and now of course there is much more modulation on USB than on LSB --- where there is yet a little bit. When monitoring pure USB or LSB on this receiver, there is nothing at all on the opposite side, so does this mean WBCQ is really outputting some mod on the loside, or does the presence of a carrier confuse the receiver? What do others find in such a case? Never heard any trace of Syria, tho some in NE America get it with LSB vs WBCQ, where presumably its signal is weaker and overskipping unlike here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9705, Feb 29 at 1449, VOA Cantonese via SAIPAN has QRDRM, noise audible here and on 9710, but not on 9700 where CRI is. But nothing in DRM is scheduled. Theory: Ethiopia is running its 9705 transmitter in DRM, a mode which they normally employ only for jamming other frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9760, Feb 29 at 1500 I tune in for VOA news via Tinang, PHILIPPINES, and of course hear nothing, as they can`t retune immediately from the Korean service on 9555. Finally cuts on at *1501:42 in progress with report from Dan Robinson at the White House. Since this habitually happens, editors compiling the 1500 news ought to reverse the inverted-pyramid format, since the top story will never be heard at the beginning! But then, VOA news on SW is nothing but a teaser now for ``more news at voanews.com`` as always plugged (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5446.5-USB, Feb 29 at 0644, AFN Saddlebunch Keys FL with reliable Jim Hightower commentary, this time about a pow-wow in Coachella Valley of billionaires against Obama. Referred us to http://www.united4thepeopole.org site vs such corruption. Reception is normally best here on 7811, but not much audible there, so tuned down to this //, and of course in the nightmiddle can`t expect to hear it on other // 12133.5 if it be on. However, 5446.5-USB had uncomfortably close ACI SSB QRM on the hi side, YL in English with numbers, maybe aeronautical (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 9750, Feb 29 at 0643* tone test and off a few sex after I intuned. Tho not known for such behavior, possibly NHK which is destined to start at 0655 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
12600, good at 1357
12670, good at 1357
12980, good at 1357; none in the 13`s
14970, good at 1358
15535, fair at 1358; nothing in Aoki or HFCC to account for this or the next one, but this area usually inhabited by jumparound V. of Tibet via Tajikistan, if not Sound of Hope
15570, good at 1358; none in the 16s by 1400
After 1400:
17560, fair at 1405, maybe something else underneath it. Unusual to be on air this soon after hourtop. But 1400-1430 is when V. of Tibet broadcasts via Madagascar. It`s been quite a while since I have heard either that or the Firedrake here.
Before 1500:
12500, good with flutter at 1445; none higher or lower, off at 1500*
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Today`s missing frequency from RHC: 11750, Feb 29 at 1356, nor is it on 11705 by mistake; however at 1446, 11750 is back on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENNG DIGEST)
** INDIA. 15175, Feb 29 at 1521, AIR Gujrati is undermodulated, mostly a rumble and mixed with whine of slightly varying pitch. Since I can hear this with BFO on both the hi and lo sides, I conclude that it is not a het from something else, but coming out of the very same GOA transmitter, which had a lot of problems that were supposedly recently repaired (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENIG DIGEST)
** INTERNATIONAL. I am in the habit of checking the 7 MHz band around 0630 UT, and it`s amazing how much things change from night to night. Here`s Feb 29, certainly a unique occasion:
At 0625, nothing from: 7265 Romania French, 7245 Mauritania [q.v. for more], 7220 France Hausa (Yes, RFI in HFCC ended 7220 as of Feb 25.)
At *0628, 7250 carrier on from SMG Vatican unlike yesterday, 0629 bells. 10 kW Gardens was not audible before this.
At 0629* Tunisia goes off 7275, but unlike yesterday, no trace of Nigeria being uncovered.
These are on before and after 0630: 7320 Magadan, 7335 Tunisia, 7360 Vatican, 7210 CRI Arabic via Albania. Among several others, of course
On from before 0630: 7310 Romania English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 9595, Feb 29 at 1415, fair to poor, R. Nikkei`s unpredictable eclectic music mix today presents: Aretha with gospel or soul tunes, 1423 maybe joined by Poynter Systers? 1434, ``R-E-S-P-E-C-T``, 1436 ``Chain of Fools``, and she`s still going at 1452. R. Australia 9590 competed with rap at 1432 so I tuned right back to 9595 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA. 7245, Feb 29 at 0630, IGIM is not yet on, but at next check 0641, it is, marred by QRhaM blowing into mike with rude noises vs Arabic YL and music, eclipsing much weaker Vatican 7250 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 5890, Feb 29 at 0637 tuning across Brother Scare via WWCR, there is mixture of audio, the other with a YL asking ``where`s the peanut butter?`` Quickly checked synchro // 3185 WWRB, and same thing there, but it took another minute or so for this to appear on the delayed feed via 5085 WTWW. Finally, something down to earth on The Overcomer Ministry! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SYRIA [non]. 9330, Feb 28 at 2155 I find WBCQ has lapsed into dead air again, so this could be our big chance to hear Damascus! On the DX-398, I compare LSB to USB: with just the (reduced) carrier on, for some reason I am getting a higher signal meter reading on LSB that on USB. WBCQ modulation cuts back on at 2159, and now of course there is much more modulation on USB than on LSB --- where there is yet a little bit. When monitoring pure USB or LSB on this receiver, there is nothing at all on the opposite side, so does this mean WBCQ is really outputting some mod on the loside, or does the presence of a carrier confuse the receiver? What do others find in such a case? Never heard any trace of Syria, tho some in NE America get it with LSB vs WBCQ, where presumably its signal is weaker and overskipping unlike here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9705, Feb 29 at 1449, VOA Cantonese via SAIPAN has QRDRM, noise audible here and on 9710, but not on 9700 where CRI is. But nothing in DRM is scheduled. Theory: Ethiopia is running its 9705 transmitter in DRM, a mode which they normally employ only for jamming other frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9760, Feb 29 at 1500 I tune in for VOA news via Tinang, PHILIPPINES, and of course hear nothing, as they can`t retune immediately from the Korean service on 9555. Finally cuts on at *1501:42 in progress with report from Dan Robinson at the White House. Since this habitually happens, editors compiling the 1500 news ought to reverse the inverted-pyramid format, since the top story will never be heard at the beginning! But then, VOA news on SW is nothing but a teaser now for ``more news at voanews.com`` as always plugged (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5446.5-USB, Feb 29 at 0644, AFN Saddlebunch Keys FL with reliable Jim Hightower commentary, this time about a pow-wow in Coachella Valley of billionaires against Obama. Referred us to http://www.united4thepeopole.org site vs such corruption. Reception is normally best here on 7811, but not much audible there, so tuned down to this //, and of course in the nightmiddle can`t expect to hear it on other // 12133.5 if it be on. However, 5446.5-USB had uncomfortably close ACI SSB QRM on the hi side, YL in English with numbers, maybe aeronautical (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 9750, Feb 29 at 0643* tone test and off a few sex after I intuned. Tho not known for such behavior, possibly NHK which is destined to start at 0655 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
