sabato 30 giugno 2012

Glenn Hauser logs June 29-30, 2012

** BRAZIL. 6180, June 30 at 0459 past 0500, RNA transmits a big humbuzz and no programming; same on // 11780. 6180 carrier is wavering with flutter too. Harold Seller reports both were still just buzz at 0618 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BRAZIL. 15191.24 approx., June 30 at 0129, poor signal with pop music, no doubt R. Inconfidência off-frequency again. At 0518 it`s audible with music in the absence of Bata, now split right between 15191 and 15192 at 15191.5 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake June 30 before 1300: none heard. Propagation very degraded; nothing but weakened North American signals (including Cuba) audible on the 15 MHz band, little on 13 or 17. WWV reported:

``Solar-terrestrial indices for 29 June follow.
Solar flux 117 and estimated planetary A-index 5.
The estimated planetary K-index at 1200 & 1500 UTC on 30 June was 4.
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor.
Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred.
No space weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** COLOMBIA. 14950, June 30 at 0125, Salem Stereo still hasn`t come back yet. Good luck on finding Rioblanco, Tolima. Checking some atlases, I don`t see it on the maps nor in the indices. Must be quite small (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. Slipshod RadioCuba operators at the 0500 transition in frequencies and languages June 30: At 0503, 6010 and 6125 are on with dead air, while 6000 is still on in English along with 6050 and 6060. Then 6000 cuts off, and 6125 starts modulating with a squeal, but it`s not the same transmitter which was on 6000.

13740, June 30 at 1309, big open carrier with hi-pitched tone, best audible by off-tuning, then tone off but some hum and crackle continue. S9+22 signal equivalent to RHC 13780, and obviously the CRI English relay transmitter tuning up for the 14-16 broadcast. Off the air at 1332 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. 15540, June 29 at 1831, R. Kuwait is again in proper language, English during brief newscast; fair signal. At 2057 still the English service with Western pop music; 2058.5 sign-off still giving imaginary 05-08 UT English on 15110, and wrong frequency for the 18-21, ``11990``.

Back-timed so military band NA would end just in time for 2100 timesignal, switch to Arabic news theme which was cut off before news could begin this time. I sort of hope the s/off with all that years-out-of-date info is canned, as that would be slightly less reprehensible than some clueless announcer rereading it live every night; but still inexcusable (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MYANMAR. 7110, June 30 at 1153, pop songs from Kachin Radio, segués, no announcements heard past 1202; best heard in months, SINPO 23332 with occasional ham CW QRM. At 1239 faded to barely audible, still music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. Since I had heard the 0500 UT June 29 RNW finale on 6165 Bonaire, I did not try to listen to later repeats other than to check out the frequencies for one last time.

17605, June 29 at 1829, Vatican relay is fair to good.
15495, June 29 at 2053, poor signal via Vatican as they are wrapping up; as usual, nothing from France on 11615. At 2055, a unison ``good-bye!``, Carillon is, 2056 NA, which now sounds so sad, 2057* off. This was not exactly the way the 0500 broadcast ended, and I read reports from others that the last 5 minutes changed from one transmission to another. Wish we had known that was going to happen.

One thing I should add about the content as heard after 0500: someone blamed the new right-wing government for RNW`s virtual demise.

The [almost] final Spanish broadcast via Bonaire 6165 after 0100: I taped most of it and haven`t had a chance to listen yet, but seemed to be a studio party including `live` music by a Cuban staffer, quite different from the English version which compiled bits of previous produxions along with some recorded comments from ex-staffers. Spanish just stopped at 0157, no IS, no NA, and open carrier stayed on past 0205.

From July 2, Spanish is to continue from RN, only to serve Cubans deprived of a free press, M-F 1100-1157, 320 degrees from Bonaire on 9895. Most of the previous programs have been terminated, altho a few remain on the web only, while SW will carry the newscast `La Matinal`, to be reconfigured at the end of the A-12 season, and presumably from somewhere other than Bonaire (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PRIDNESTROVYE. 17605, June 29 at 1300, YFR in Burmese is still via KCH, Dan Elyea at Okeechobee confirms, despite HFCC registration as originally planned site Tashkent, Uzbekistan; he says there are no other substitutions currently (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1623 monitoring: confirmed on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB, UT Saturday June 30 from 0130:30; sufficient reception holding its own against the summer noise level.

Remaining repeats: on 9955 WRMI: Sat 1730, Sun 0800, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, 1130. On WTWW 5755: UT Sunday 0400. On WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830. On HLR 5980: Tuesday 0930 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 7555, June 30 at 0508 and still at 1154, WEWN Spanish is gone again from this frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9277 approx., the FM spurblob from WTJC 9370, June 30 at 0510 has varied a couple kHz from previous night 9275; likewise the match around 9463, i.e. 93 instead of 95 kHz offset. Following my previous log, Brian Alexander in PA was hearing these spurs ``giving good reception in the FM mode``, at 2350, measured on 9274.88 and 9464.88, i.e. exactly 95.00 kHz above and below 9469.88, which is always off-frequency. I wonder if they have anything to do with subcarriers as on the broadcast FM band at similar offsets, except they are in the AM mode. Just more evidence that the WTJC transmitter (home-made?) is extremely faulty (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 6165, June 30 at 0458, weak music, making me wonder if Chad is back? 6165 is now totally free of Bonaire! Maybe Zambia is still propagating, and then there is 0430-0500 NHK Russian via Lithuania listed. Some talk after 0500 I could not confirm as French (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)