** AUSTRALIA. RA reception really degraded: May 17 at 0137, can`t hear it on usually inbooming 19000, nor on 17795. But by 0233, 19000 has become poorly audible.
15515, May 17 at 0308, poor signal but enough to tell RA is in French, the new service for partner stations at 0300 M-F, but not always. By 0505, now back in English starting `Pacific Beat`, 15515 has arisen to usual very good strength (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. 6180, May 17 at 0520, RNA is gone again, but // 11780 is still on overnight with fair but undermodulated signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA [and non]. 6190, May 17 at 0516, CRI English via Sackville is on correct frequency tonight, atop much weaker BBC via SOUTH AFRICA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 17, with propagation quite poor:
15570, very poor at 1324; none in the 16s, 14s, 13s, 12s
17560, very poor at 1404, SAH and CCI from V. of Tibet, Madagascar
WWV reported at 1200 and 1500:
``Geophysical Alert Message
#
Solar-terrestrial indices for 16 May follow.
Solar flux 131 and estimated planetary A-index 9.
The estimated planetary K-index at 1500 UTC on 17 May was 1.
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level occurred.
Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level occurred.
Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be minor.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S1 level are expected.``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 6000, May 17 at 0514 strong open carrier, presumably RHC, not turned off yet after English to 0500; while English was already going on the four scheduled frequencies, 6010, 6050, 6060, 6125. Recently, 6125 had been missing when 6000 was on late, but they have plenty of transmitters to go around after Spanish ends at 0500. Not checked again until 0532 when 6000 had vanished.
5300, May 17 at 0531, squishy pulse jammer against nothing, as frequently found wandering around this range, spur? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, May 17 at 0535, S9+10 peaks from R. Africa with gospel huxter, OM in English, distorted modulation, suspect defective original recording. Was not on air a semihour earlier when I tuned across, and still no sign of Nigeria 15120, quite sporadic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA. 7245, May 17 at 0517, IGIM fair signal with Arabic talk; 0539 now chanting on better signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA [and non]. 17735, May 17 at 0507, Arabic music, fair signal. Quickly found // on 7275 and 12005, so confirmed as IWT, then both 17735 and 12005 went off at 0508*. 7275 continued with a SAH, presumably from FRCN Abuja, NIGERIA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [and non]. 9915, May 17 at 0522, BBC Arabic has good strength, but with bad roar, crackle, breakup and carrier wobbling. First impression might be that this is external jamming, but not a service normally subject to that, so again suspect something is very wrong at Skelton and/or Woofferton. Can`t BaBcoCk tell?
7305, May 17 at 0527, B-B-C- chimes, fair signal, 0529 opening in Hausa. Thus BBC have done as I suggested in this previous item:
``ASCENSION. 7305, April 23 at 0527, BBCWS with announcement loop,
``no programmmes on this channel at present``, which just might
encourage ordinary listeners to tune away, but not me --- 0529 cuts to
Hausa opening. Why don`t they use that biminute for something more
entertaining, like B-B-C- chimes, Oranges & Lemons, or Lilliburlero?``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Or Bow Bells
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1617 was ready for first SW broadcast UT Thursday May 17 at 0330 on WRMI 9955; repeats: Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. Also:
Thu 2100 on WTWW 9479; UT Fri 0330v on WWRB 5050 (last week started at 0335); UT Sat 0130v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB (last week started after 0145); UT Sun 0400 on WTWW 5755. Also on WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 7555, May 17 at 0518, WEWN Spanish is missing again; other two transmitters poorly audible on 11520 English, 11870 Spanish. After 1300, all three poorly audible, 11550, 12050, 15615 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15866.5-USB, approx., May 17 at 0215, US-military-sounding contact, only one side heard evidently from an aircraft. Mentioned ETAs, ``drop a patient off``, ``about an hour out now from the Atlantic(?) test center``. Mostly silence, occasionally punxuated by ``running water`` blasts, usually two at a time, one after another, related? At 0225 gave position as 38-47 north, 122-17 west, except I am not sure of the 122, but surely in the Pacific, not Atlantic. Or rather, those coördinates would put it right close to Sacramento already, overland. This is in a fixed, not aeronautical band, but the military can transmit wherever they like (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
15515, May 17 at 0308, poor signal but enough to tell RA is in French, the new service for partner stations at 0300 M-F, but not always. By 0505, now back in English starting `Pacific Beat`, 15515 has arisen to usual very good strength (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. 6180, May 17 at 0520, RNA is gone again, but // 11780 is still on overnight with fair but undermodulated signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA [and non]. 6190, May 17 at 0516, CRI English via Sackville is on correct frequency tonight, atop much weaker BBC via SOUTH AFRICA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. Firedrake May 17, with propagation quite poor:
15570, very poor at 1324; none in the 16s, 14s, 13s, 12s
17560, very poor at 1404, SAH and CCI from V. of Tibet, Madagascar
WWV reported at 1200 and 1500:
``Geophysical Alert Message
#
Solar-terrestrial indices for 16 May follow.
Solar flux 131 and estimated planetary A-index 9.
The estimated planetary K-index at 1500 UTC on 17 May was 1.
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level occurred.
Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level occurred.
Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be minor.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S1 level are expected.``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 6000, May 17 at 0514 strong open carrier, presumably RHC, not turned off yet after English to 0500; while English was already going on the four scheduled frequencies, 6010, 6050, 6060, 6125. Recently, 6125 had been missing when 6000 was on late, but they have plenty of transmitters to go around after Spanish ends at 0500. Not checked again until 0532 when 6000 had vanished.
5300, May 17 at 0531, squishy pulse jammer against nothing, as frequently found wandering around this range, spur? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. 15190, May 17 at 0535, S9+10 peaks from R. Africa with gospel huxter, OM in English, distorted modulation, suspect defective original recording. Was not on air a semihour earlier when I tuned across, and still no sign of Nigeria 15120, quite sporadic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MAURITANIA. 7245, May 17 at 0517, IGIM fair signal with Arabic talk; 0539 now chanting on better signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TUNISIA [and non]. 17735, May 17 at 0507, Arabic music, fair signal. Quickly found // on 7275 and 12005, so confirmed as IWT, then both 17735 and 12005 went off at 0508*. 7275 continued with a SAH, presumably from FRCN Abuja, NIGERIA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [and non]. 9915, May 17 at 0522, BBC Arabic has good strength, but with bad roar, crackle, breakup and carrier wobbling. First impression might be that this is external jamming, but not a service normally subject to that, so again suspect something is very wrong at Skelton and/or Woofferton. Can`t BaBcoCk tell?
7305, May 17 at 0527, B-B-C- chimes, fair signal, 0529 opening in Hausa. Thus BBC have done as I suggested in this previous item:
``ASCENSION. 7305, April 23 at 0527, BBCWS with announcement loop,
``no programmmes on this channel at present``, which just might
encourage ordinary listeners to tune away, but not me --- 0529 cuts to
Hausa opening. Why don`t they use that biminute for something more
entertaining, like B-B-C- chimes, Oranges & Lemons, or Lilliburlero?``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Or Bow Bells
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1617 was ready for first SW broadcast UT Thursday May 17 at 0330 on WRMI 9955; repeats: Sat 0800, 1500, 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. Also:
Thu 2100 on WTWW 9479; UT Fri 0330v on WWRB 5050 (last week started at 0335); UT Sat 0130v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB (last week started after 0145); UT Sun 0400 on WTWW 5755. Also on WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 7555, May 17 at 0518, WEWN Spanish is missing again; other two transmitters poorly audible on 11520 English, 11870 Spanish. After 1300, all three poorly audible, 11550, 12050, 15615 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15866.5-USB, approx., May 17 at 0215, US-military-sounding contact, only one side heard evidently from an aircraft. Mentioned ETAs, ``drop a patient off``, ``about an hour out now from the Atlantic(?) test center``. Mostly silence, occasionally punxuated by ``running water`` blasts, usually two at a time, one after another, related? At 0225 gave position as 38-47 north, 122-17 west, except I am not sure of the 122, but surely in the Pacific, not Atlantic. Or rather, those coördinates would put it right close to Sacramento already, overland. This is in a fixed, not aeronautical band, but the military can transmit wherever they like (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
