** CUBA. 890, March 9 at 0653 UT, R. Progreso with ID in passing amid music, dominant here in auroral conditions, vs little from WLS even with CMBC nulled. No wonder: WRTH shows 890 is now 200 kW, from Chambas, Ciego de Ávila; one of three MW in Cuba that strong, the others being R. Rebelde on 710 and 1180, each of which also have multiple weaker transmitters on same frequency unlike 890.
Tuning up to 900, found another Progreso parallel amid QRM. That would be 50 kW in further San Germán, Holguín.
With all this enhanced reception from Cuba, I check 530 again for R. Enciclopedia. At 0713 I can hear some weak EZL music from the NW/SE, so maybe it is still on at reduced power? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. March 9 at 15 UT, K index is still 6, a near-blackout situation, especially on higher bands. WWV reported:
``Solar-terrestrial indices for 08 March follow.
Solar flux 140 and estimated planetary A-index 24.
The estimated planetary K-index at 1500 UTC on 09 March was 6.
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been strong.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G3 level occurred.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S3 level occurred.
Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level occurred.
Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level are expected.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level are expected.
Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level are likely.``
I find that RHC at 1401 is stronger on 11750 than 11760, backwards from usual situation. Both 13670 and stronger 13780 are audible, but not 15230 and 15380, nor much else on 15 MHz band (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6135, March 9 at 1332, I can barely make out Sea Breeze still here in English on Fridays, propagation from JAPAN still very degraded, but not from the TADIL-A bonker on the low side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 760, March 9 at 0654 UT, Catholic stuff in Spanish. No format fit for any known US station, loops NE/SW. There are four Mexicans in that direxion, most of which I have heard before, but none in IRCA or Cantú lists fitting either (however, there is a Radio María, XEYW in Mérida, Yucatán, wrong direxion.) Maybe a nightmiddle departure from whatever usual format. At 0701 orchestral Mex NA playing from same direxion SW, but not necessarily same station, too much QRM at 0702 ID.
770, March 9 at 0657 UT, Grupo Fórmula, XERFR 970 ID from DF originator. Tuning up to 780, heard the same thing repeated 4 seconds later, also at 0716. 770 is the usual XEACH, Monterrey NL.
780, March 9 at 0657 and 0716 UT, I am hearing a R. Fórmula network feed with frequent IDs as such, delayed 4 seconds after 770 XEACH. Cantú shows the only one on 780 is:
780 XEMTS Radio Fórmula + FM 103.9 Tampico, Tamps. 2,300 250
With auroral conditions, not much problem from WBBM, but mixed with several other signals.
780, March 9 at 0700, Exa-FM ID, 10,000 watts, from Monclova, Coahuila, i.e. per Cantú:
780 XEWGR Exa FM + FM 101.1 Monclova, Coah. 10,000 250
IRCA says the old call was XEMF
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also UNIDENTIFIED 1470
** NIGERIA. 15120, with geomag storm, blackouts and K-index of 6 at 0600 and 1500 March 9, no chance of hearing VON around 0630, nor at 1500 when very little is audible on the 19m band, but keep an ear on this frequency as Chris Lewis, England, reports to DXLD that the last few days they have been running the new Abuja transmitter in AM from 1857 to 2000 at least, overlapping the old one at Ikorodu until 1900, and asking for reports.
There have been many other reports of low-rate DRM tests alternating with AM at other dayparts. Harald Kuhl reports the Abuja station is to be inaugurated on March 13, so Wolfgang Büschel concludes the Nigerian government has finally paid for it, more than 2 years after completion. He says the Abuja-Lugbe site has two fixed curtain antennas and the rotatable ALLISS can be seen from above: http://g.co/maps/d8geg --- zoom in on the thing at upper right (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 1160, March 9 at 0705, KSL no longer has to contend with IBOC from 1170 KFAQ Tulsa, which has been HD-less for a month now; yet there is IBOCish noise on 1160 signal as if getting hit from some other adjacent. KSL itself is still IBOC, noise audible around 1150 and 1170 when pointed at SLC; so I wonder if its own IBOC is also QRMing KSL`s center channel.
0707 UT starting Jim Bohannon Show, but this hour is about sports. JimBo is on few 50 kW stations any more, and even fewer carrying him live at 0307 UT weeknights (0207 from next week with DST), and I wasn`t aware he was on KSL even delayed. Is this a recent change? Whatever became of Jepko? Not that I am often listening that late. KSL`s program schedule does show Bohannon at 12-3 am MT ``weekdays``, but Jimbo`s station finder shows 1:00 am M-F, while in both cases it`s surely local Tue-Sat. BTW, 1160 is now second-fiddle to FM 102.7.
Looking at KSL`s entire program schedule, I am pleased to see that they don`t carry any of the national farrightwingnut talk hosts. Jimbo is sane, rational and MOR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1607 monitoring: confirmed at 2200 UT Thursday March 8 on WTWW 9479, usual very good signal. Next airing, on WWRB 3195, confirmed UT Friday March 9 at 0432 but greatly weakened due to K-index of 5 at 0300 rising to 6 at 0600 (time to go to alternate registered WWRB frequency 2390?). WWRB`s other 90m frequency, 3185 was slightly stronger, and WWCR`s 3215 strongest but still very attenuated and fading. The SC preacher ran late until 0432:21, followed by a respectful 17-second pause until WOR started at 0432:38, approximately, introduced by a Standard Disclaimer.
Next WOR airings: UT Saturday 0200v on Area 51 via WBCQ, 5110v-CUSB (measured by Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK on two dates in February on 5109.77 give or take 10 Hz; The Area 51 schedule for March 9-11 confirms WOR no longer airing alternate UT Mondays 0330; instead on UT March 12 at 0300-0400 `Church of the Subgenius Hour of Slack`; however this does not take into account a possible 1-hour shift due to DST; however2, a signal depending on nighttime propagation needs to shift a real hour later as spring oncomes, or at least not move earlier.)
More WOR SW times: UT Sunday 0500 on WTWW 5755. On WRMI 9955: Saturday 0900, 1600, 1830, Sunday 0800, 1530, 1730, Monday 0500, 1130. On SiriusXM 120: Saturday 1830, Sunday 0830 and 1730 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 1470, March 9 at 0728 UT, romantic music with ID as La Consentida? Not 100% sure and anyway does not match any known US or Mexican station. Unlike my Mexican logs today on the DX-398 with DF capability, this was on the FRG-7 with fixed E-W longwire (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 5050, March 9 at 0626, JBA signal sounds like a broadcaster, surely not WWRB which abandoned this frequency and would not have used it after 0500 anyway. Nothing on or near the darkside is known to be on this frequency at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 15435, March 9 at 1447, R. Veritas Asia, Urdu relay via VATICAN is making it, 250 kW at 70 degrees, but nothing else from Europe on this band, and very little from North America either with K-index at 6, so surprised this is audible. Only other signals on 19m were the three C`s – Costa Rica, Canada and Cuba, all weak. (BTW, Brother Scare is no longer on 15190 via IRRS via Romania.)
15435 has a constant het on low side pitched at B above middle C, i.e. 494 Hz, call it a semi-kHz on 15434.5. SMG off abruptly in mid-word at 1457*, leaving het carrier still there, then weakened BSKSA came right on 15435, to resume the het. At first suspected a V. of Tibet jumparound, but unlikely to propagate from Tajikistan today, nor be that close to a -5/-0 channel (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Tuning up to 900, found another Progreso parallel amid QRM. That would be 50 kW in further San Germán, Holguín.
With all this enhanced reception from Cuba, I check 530 again for R. Enciclopedia. At 0713 I can hear some weak EZL music from the NW/SE, so maybe it is still on at reduced power? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA [and non]. March 9 at 15 UT, K index is still 6, a near-blackout situation, especially on higher bands. WWV reported:
``Solar-terrestrial indices for 08 March follow.
Solar flux 140 and estimated planetary A-index 24.
The estimated planetary K-index at 1500 UTC on 09 March was 6.
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been strong.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G3 level occurred.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S3 level occurred.
Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level occurred.
Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level are expected.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level are expected.
Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level are likely.``
I find that RHC at 1401 is stronger on 11750 than 11760, backwards from usual situation. Both 13670 and stronger 13780 are audible, but not 15230 and 15380, nor much else on 15 MHz band (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6135, March 9 at 1332, I can barely make out Sea Breeze still here in English on Fridays, propagation from JAPAN still very degraded, but not from the TADIL-A bonker on the low side (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 760, March 9 at 0654 UT, Catholic stuff in Spanish. No format fit for any known US station, loops NE/SW. There are four Mexicans in that direxion, most of which I have heard before, but none in IRCA or Cantú lists fitting either (however, there is a Radio María, XEYW in Mérida, Yucatán, wrong direxion.) Maybe a nightmiddle departure from whatever usual format. At 0701 orchestral Mex NA playing from same direxion SW, but not necessarily same station, too much QRM at 0702 ID.
770, March 9 at 0657 UT, Grupo Fórmula, XERFR 970 ID from DF originator. Tuning up to 780, heard the same thing repeated 4 seconds later, also at 0716. 770 is the usual XEACH, Monterrey NL.
780, March 9 at 0657 and 0716 UT, I am hearing a R. Fórmula network feed with frequent IDs as such, delayed 4 seconds after 770 XEACH. Cantú shows the only one on 780 is:
780 XEMTS Radio Fórmula + FM 103.9 Tampico, Tamps. 2,300 250
With auroral conditions, not much problem from WBBM, but mixed with several other signals.
780, March 9 at 0700, Exa-FM ID, 10,000 watts, from Monclova, Coahuila, i.e. per Cantú:
780 XEWGR Exa FM + FM 101.1 Monclova, Coah. 10,000 250
IRCA says the old call was XEMF
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also UNIDENTIFIED 1470
** NIGERIA. 15120, with geomag storm, blackouts and K-index of 6 at 0600 and 1500 March 9, no chance of hearing VON around 0630, nor at 1500 when very little is audible on the 19m band, but keep an ear on this frequency as Chris Lewis, England, reports to DXLD that the last few days they have been running the new Abuja transmitter in AM from 1857 to 2000 at least, overlapping the old one at Ikorodu until 1900, and asking for reports.
There have been many other reports of low-rate DRM tests alternating with AM at other dayparts. Harald Kuhl reports the Abuja station is to be inaugurated on March 13, so Wolfgang Büschel concludes the Nigerian government has finally paid for it, more than 2 years after completion. He says the Abuja-Lugbe site has two fixed curtain antennas and the rotatable ALLISS can be seen from above: http://g.co/maps/d8geg --- zoom in on the thing at upper right (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 1160, March 9 at 0705, KSL no longer has to contend with IBOC from 1170 KFAQ Tulsa, which has been HD-less for a month now; yet there is IBOCish noise on 1160 signal as if getting hit from some other adjacent. KSL itself is still IBOC, noise audible around 1150 and 1170 when pointed at SLC; so I wonder if its own IBOC is also QRMing KSL`s center channel.
0707 UT starting Jim Bohannon Show, but this hour is about sports. JimBo is on few 50 kW stations any more, and even fewer carrying him live at 0307 UT weeknights (0207 from next week with DST), and I wasn`t aware he was on KSL even delayed. Is this a recent change? Whatever became of Jepko? Not that I am often listening that late. KSL`s program schedule does show Bohannon at 12-3 am MT ``weekdays``, but Jimbo`s station finder shows 1:00 am M-F, while in both cases it`s surely local Tue-Sat. BTW, 1160 is now second-fiddle to FM 102.7.
Looking at KSL`s entire program schedule, I am pleased to see that they don`t carry any of the national farrightwingnut talk hosts. Jimbo is sane, rational and MOR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1607 monitoring: confirmed at 2200 UT Thursday March 8 on WTWW 9479, usual very good signal. Next airing, on WWRB 3195, confirmed UT Friday March 9 at 0432 but greatly weakened due to K-index of 5 at 0300 rising to 6 at 0600 (time to go to alternate registered WWRB frequency 2390?). WWRB`s other 90m frequency, 3185 was slightly stronger, and WWCR`s 3215 strongest but still very attenuated and fading. The SC preacher ran late until 0432:21, followed by a respectful 17-second pause until WOR started at 0432:38, approximately, introduced by a Standard Disclaimer.
Next WOR airings: UT Saturday 0200v on Area 51 via WBCQ, 5110v-CUSB (measured by Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK on two dates in February on 5109.77 give or take 10 Hz; The Area 51 schedule for March 9-11 confirms WOR no longer airing alternate UT Mondays 0330; instead on UT March 12 at 0300-0400 `Church of the Subgenius Hour of Slack`; however this does not take into account a possible 1-hour shift due to DST; however2, a signal depending on nighttime propagation needs to shift a real hour later as spring oncomes, or at least not move earlier.)
More WOR SW times: UT Sunday 0500 on WTWW 5755. On WRMI 9955: Saturday 0900, 1600, 1830, Sunday 0800, 1530, 1730, Monday 0500, 1130. On SiriusXM 120: Saturday 1830, Sunday 0830 and 1730 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 1470, March 9 at 0728 UT, romantic music with ID as La Consentida? Not 100% sure and anyway does not match any known US or Mexican station. Unlike my Mexican logs today on the DX-398 with DF capability, this was on the FRG-7 with fixed E-W longwire (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 5050, March 9 at 0626, JBA signal sounds like a broadcaster, surely not WWRB which abandoned this frequency and would not have used it after 0500 anyway. Nothing on or near the darkside is known to be on this frequency at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 15435, March 9 at 1447, R. Veritas Asia, Urdu relay via VATICAN is making it, 250 kW at 70 degrees, but nothing else from Europe on this band, and very little from North America either with K-index at 6, so surprised this is audible. Only other signals on 19m were the three C`s – Costa Rica, Canada and Cuba, all weak. (BTW, Brother Scare is no longer on 15190 via IRRS via Romania.)
15435 has a constant het on low side pitched at B above middle C, i.e. 494 Hz, call it a semi-kHz on 15434.5. SMG off abruptly in mid-word at 1457*, leaving het carrier still there, then weakened BSKSA came right on 15435, to resume the het. At first suspected a V. of Tibet jumparound, but unlikely to propagate from Tajikistan today, nor be that close to a -5/-0 channel (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
