venerdì 19 ottobre 2012

Glenn Hauser logs October 19-20, 2012

** ALGERIA [non]. 9535, Oct 20 at 0536, RTA via FRANCE, with ``pure`` Qur`an, while non-// 7295 sounded impure but still Qur`anish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. 6110, Oct 20 at 0526, NHK English via Sackville is on and modulating; 9555, Oct 19 at 0526, VOV Vietnamese via Sackville is on correct frequency; just before both sign off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake Oct 20, after 1400, not a full search:
15500, stays on, fair past 1400
15560, fair at 1422, het from 15563, presumed V. of Tibet
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 5025, Oct 20 at 0543, R. Rebelde is OFF! Instead there is a ute with RTTY and noise bursts mixed in, something we never hear QRMing Rebelde when it is on, so could the Cubans have turned it off deliberately to replace it with this traffic? Still off at 1209 check when it would otherwise still be propagating. That`s helpful for hearing Solomons 5019.9v, Peru 5025, but not yet by me (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EUROPE. 15880-USB, Oct 19 at 2109 UT looking for R. Spaceshuttle International pirate test as Dick Spacewalker had publicized in advance, but nothing audible; not surprising, since even full-power stations in southern Europe were very poor, such as Greece 15630: too high a frequency for this path starting in the night. I told him, maybe better luck tomorrow morning our time, when he was also going to test intermittently on this or lower channels. He replied that he would extend the Oct 20 broadcast perhaps until 20 UT.

And indeed it was better: a weak signal but definitely there if I go on the porch to diminish household noise levels, as 19m propagation is now above normal: Oct 20 at 1410 rock music, (1414 ionosonde sweeps by swiftly), distorted low voice announcement, maybe mentions Spaceshuttle. Since it`s USB, I can ``improve`` the pitch by offtuning slightly, but still too weak to copy much detail. Not even nudging the DX-398 signal meter from no bars at all, with usual random wire antenna inserted. Boing SFX. 1417 more distorted voice announcements, off at 1418*. Dick said his transmissions would be short and intermittent. 1428 recheck, he`s back on 15880-USB again. Still/again audible at 1445.

For last April`s reception he sent a really neat eQSL, labeled Finland
http://www.w4uvh.net/QSL2012SpaceshuttleDXGlenn.jpg
and another design like that would be welcome (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY. 15670, Oct 20 at 1421, good signal in  Asian language, but heavy short/long path echo. HFCC says 500 kW, 95 degrees from Nauen with YFR in Hindi at 14-16.

15570, Oct 20 at 1422, another S Asian language with same short/long path echo. This too is Nauen, 500 kW at 90 degrees with YFR Oriya at 14-15 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUIANA FRENCH. 11995, Oct 20 at 0538, still open carrier with hum (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, Oct 20 at 1211, VOI remains on the air but unlistenable with just-barely-modulation if any. Still on at 1359 with het upon CRI Russian 9525.0 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA SOUTH. 6760, Oct 20 at 1200, fair signal with K-pop, no jamming, but OTH radar from China(?) on the hi side is edging in on it; 1202.5 announcement in presumed Korean from clandestine to the north, MND Radio. The 1200-1240 broadcast is on 6760 and 4925 per this schedule more than a month ago which also identifies the opening and closing music of each transmission: (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

``New sked of MND Radio S. Korea --- MND Radio in Korean
1* 0400v-0445v 4925, 6760
2* 0500v-0540v 5150, 6480
5* 0600v-0635v 4740, 6700
4* 0700v-0735v 5290, 6360
2* 1000v-1040v 5150, 6480
3* 1100v-1150v 4740, 6700
1* 1200v-1240v 4925, 6760

*  version  Opening music  Closing music
1  male     Come           For Love
2  male     Whistle        Our Wish
3  male     Peace          Our Wish
4  female   Genuine        I miss you
5  female   Peace          Our Wish
- de Hiroshi (S. Hasegawa, Japan, Sept 11, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1634, DX LISTENING DIGEST 12-37)``

** MOROCCO [non]. 9579.12, Oct 20 at 0537, no het against poor signal on 9580, presumed Gabon; and not on 9575 either, so Nador apparently off. 15349.1 remains always off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1120, Oct 20 at 1840 UT, weak open carrier is still on the air from the direxion of KEOR Sperry/Catoosa/Tulsa, but no Spanish music modulation, unlike yesterday when I told Bruce Winkelman in Tulsa about it, and he replied:

``Presumed KEOR-1120 on with Spanish language vocal music, no voice ID or other announcements between songs 1955-2020Z 19 OCT 12. Listening now (2235Z 19 OCT 12) and still on with Spanish language vocals. Just heard what sounded like a quick "Radio Mejor" "ID" in Spanish 2238Z 19 OCT 12 but not sure since it caught me off-guard...``

Bruce Winkelman also reminds us about KJMP 1340 Sand Springs, which at one time was duplicating KEOR: ``KJMU-1340 is permanently off-air from what I saw a while back on the radio-info.com site (I think they have been renamed??). In response to a post about KJMU, someone locally with knowledge of the situation said that the new owner of the property that housed the transmitter/antenna tore down the building and sold the electronics for scrap. Can't vouch for the accuracy of that statement but they are certainly not on the air.``
(Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1580, Oct 19 at 1943 UT check, KOKB Blackwell is still off the air. Oct 20 at 1840, it`s back, with local Kay-county ad (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OMAN. 15140, Oct 20 at 1428, R. Sultanate of Oman is making it, which rarely happens during the English hour, with rock music, or disco, so despite signal only poor, improving readability by employing BFO, I resolve to listen to the whole newscast at 1430:

Starts with Big-Ben-type top-of-hour 16-chimes, and then one bong, so apparently doesn`t signify any real time. ID, martial news theme every ME station seems to require, each with their own variations. Opening headlines by OM with Americanish accent are punxuated by more music bits, about Syria, blockade of flotilla to Gaza. 1432 on to details now without musical interruptions; it seems little matters beyond the region:

Eid-something holiday for public employees (in Oman, presumably), Oct 25-31, and a different set of dates for someone else: Oct 27-30.

Beirut violence; something about SOS Clinton; Israel navy blockades Gaza; Palestinians on West Bank voting; international mediator in Damascus; Turkey fires on Syria; Bahrain vs protesters; rebels in Darfur, Sudan.

1438 something about radio in Oman I wish I could have caught; bus overturns in SW Iran. 1440 recap main points, bringing back the music bits: holidays; Lebanese PM offers resignation after assassination; Gaza blockade; Damascus mediator.

1442, ID, ending news with march theme again, then to rock music, and switch to YL with Britishish accent and harder to understand. Promo mentioning 91.4 FM, I thought, but WRTH shows the 15-hour-a-day English service, a lot more than we get on SW, is on 90.4 and 91.3 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAKISTAN. 17520, Oct 20 at 1406, S Asian music, very distorted with big hum, and carrier is unstable. Therefore I conclude that it is really R. Pakistan, HFCC scheduled 1330-1530 in Urdu, maybe English at the end? 250 kW, 282 degrees from Islamabad, one of two SW transmitters still (mal)funxioning and not really closed down as predicted. From 1410, Vatican via Madagascar, also in Urdu was scheduled on 17520, but finally moved August 27 to 17510. What coordination! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAKISTAN [non]. 15725, Oct 20 at 1419, very poor signal partly in English about Iran, but those are clips voiced-over into some other language. Aoki shows it`s VOA`s Radio Aap ki Dunyaa service in Urdu, 78 degrees from KUWAIT at 14-15 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 15420-CUSB, it`s the Sabbath, Oct 20, so WBCQ is on early at 1402 with Brother Scare --- but he`s way under BBC Somali via CYPRUS. Furthermore, WBCQ is off-frequency, so not only is there CCI, but a het and makes the organ music sound off-key (not that they need much help to accomplish that). What coordination! What coordination? Apparently someone cannot believe that a signal southward from Cyprus could be much stronger than WBCQ on the beam to its own target area. O, never mind. Who wants to listen to BS, anyway? He could be heard a bit better on IRRS via Romania(?) 15215, not on alleged Armenian frequency 11800, with strong CNR1 on 11805, and didn`t even bother to try the other US stations or Germany (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1639 monitoring: confirmed on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB, starting about on time at 0130 UT Saturday October 20; good signal.
Next, on WRMI 9955: Sun 0500, 1530, 1730, Mon 0500, Tue 1100
On WTWW: UT Sunday 0200 on 5085 (last week appeared, experimentally?) and UT Sunday 0400 on 5755
WRN via SiriusXM 120: Sat & Sun 1730, Sun 0830
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 720, Oct 19 at 1959 UT, weak signal on caradio talking about Chicago, so WGN, which could be either groundwave or skywave, which was already starting to show higher in the band (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 960, UT Sat Oct 20 at 0503, tune-in late to find this is another Fox-hole from KGWA open carrier; at 0504 ABC News cutaway to KMA AM & FM ID, first time I have heard them do this: so definitely Shenandoah, IA penetrating my local before its modulation blasted back on at 0505 (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 530, Oct 19 at 2000 UT, on caradio 10 miles N of Enid, weak but readable ID for KEC59 Wichita, NOAA Weather Radio, 162.55 MHz, from Mid-Continent Airport, but unknown site for the 530 relay, previously found to be unlisted. I have e-mailed NWR to enquire about it. Still suspect Kansas Turnpike Authority near the OK border (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1100, Oct 19 at 1957 UT, hymns, usual marginal daytime groundwave signal from KKLL Webb City MO, in the SW corner, but also a fast SAH and some audible CCI, on caradio 10 miles N of Enid. What could the understation be, with skywave starting to funxion? Not many choices: KNZZ Grand Junxion CO, 50 kW; KDRY Alamo Heights (San Antonio) TX, 11 kW, both non-direxional in daytime in the +500-600+ mile range; surely not WTAM Cleveland OH at almost twice the distance (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1300, Oct 20 at 0551, ``por su dolorosa pasión`` catechisms alternating with someone saying something else --- just like we hear on 7555 WEWN`s `Por la luz de la luna`, and in fact, this sounds the same altho not synchronized, and it`s not the primary unxuous announcer we usually hear, weekend off? So where`s the EWTN Spanish affiliate on 1300? The only one on their list at
http://www.ewtn.com/radio/amfm.asp
is WCKI in Greer SC, which NRC AM Log shows with 94 watts at night. I don`t believe I would be getting it even if it were on 1 kW day power. This loops WSW/ENE. In the Log I look for other EWTN affils on 1300 but find none; how about merely SS:REL? WNQM Nashville of course, the AM appendage of WWCR, which part of the time is in Spanish as Radio Vida, but the church in Nashville sponsoring that does not appear to be Catholic, and WNQM`s 5 kW night signal is beamed away from here.

KLAR Laredo TX is SS:REL with 80 watts at night; and KKUB Brownfield TX (near Lubbock) is too, with 120 watts. Is it Catholic? Yes! in this directory:
http://www.intermirifica.net/entity.aspx?Id=4877
and the direxion fits, so KKUB is the tentative source even if R. Católica Mundial doesn`t know about it.

The only Mexican from that direxion is XEP Juárez, Radio Trece, which inbooms here on 38 kW daypower before sunrise, but in the nightmiddle it better be only 200 watts. Basically news format, so unlikely to switch to Catholic, but no program schedule or local website available to be linked from the group (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1540, Oct 19 at 1954 UT, CCI from at least two stations, on caradio 10 miles N of Enid; unusual in daytime. Closest are three little daytimers, two in Kansas, one in Arkansas, plus 32 kW KZMP in The Metroplex but with null to the north. It`s less than a sesquihour after local mean noon at 1832 UT, but skywave must be kicking in already as the midday sun slides lower and lower. Another possibility, or even a probability, is KXEL in Iowa which is habitually one of the first distant skywave signals to kick in (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1610, Oct 19 at 1954 UT, big hum here, on caradio about 10 miles N of Enid after trapping and releasing another squirrel, (and saving oodles of pecans for ourselves!). Probably Great Salt Plains State Park TIS, which has long been neglected, allowed to deteriorate without being turned off, altho I don`t recall such a strong signal from them before this far away (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 6085, Oct 20 at 1204, open carrier atop CNR1 jammer with music // 6110 and many other frequencies. Probably RTI as scheduled, rather than Sikkim, Delhi, or Krasnoyarsk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)