** CUBA. 5025, Nov 4 at 0528, R. Rebelde has no RTTY QRM at the moment, but now its own modulation is distorted and suppressed, lacking the usual vigour. Substituting one of RHC`s defective transmitters? Next check at 1223, more or less back to normal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Guess what: despite dis- or mis-information from RHC`s B-12 schedule labeled as effective Nov 1, and timeanddate.com which showed Nov 11 as the timechange date for Cuba from UT-4 to UT -5, in the end Cuba kowtows to yankee imperialism by going off DST on the same date, Nov 4, as is obvious by sudden shift of RHC Spanish programming to one UT hour later than it had been. At least this will minimize confusion with gusano clox in Miami, and international flights.
17580 et al., Sunday Nov 4 at 1337, is in `Cuba Campesina` folk music show which had been circa 1230 UT, and no `En Contacto` DX program yet. That is on at 1435 ex-1335, and gives entire new schedule for itself, from ``next week``, meaning today, and only I care to rearrange the frequencies into sequential order:
Sun 1435 on 6150, 9540, 9550, 9850, 11690, 11750, 11760, 11860, 13780, 15230, 15340, 17580, 17730
Sun 2345 on 5040, 9710, 9810, 11840, 15340, 17705
Mon 0235 on 5040, 6060, 6120, 11680, 11760, 11840, 15230
E.C. ends already at 1448, shortened, or started a bit early?
`Amigos de Cuba`, mailbag only for comsymps, is also an hour later after 1400. However usual confusion by RadioCuba with 15340 and 11860 in dead air, 17730 and 17580 still modulating. Morning Spanish had been finishing at 1500 in the summer, but now at 1503 check these are still on: 11750, 11760, 11860, 13780, 15230, 15340, 17580, 17730. Not there have been fewer seasonal frequency changes than usual, just time changes. One significant change is the European service on 15340 at 22-24, ex 17750 at 21-23; also 15340 for French, Portuguese and Arabic at 1930-2100. And evening English at 01-07 is now supposed to be on 6125, ex-6050 where HCJB should again be clear after years of blockage.
Weekly Esperanto had been Sundays at 1500 on 11760 only, but now scheduled an hour later. At 1600 Nov 4, 11760 is still in Spanish, plus dead air/open carriers still on 11860, 13780, 15340, 17580, 17730. Then at 1601, 11760 switches to theme and Esperanto opening, ``Saluton,`` from Radío Havano Kubo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4055, Nov 4 at 1221, R. Verdad is already on with music (and not faded out yet), despite nominal Sunday late opening at 1255 as per detailed program schedule at
http://www.radioverdad.org/programaci%C3%B3n
which has not been updated either to show earlier weekday sign-on at 0930 UT instead of 1100+, as Dr. Madrid recently confirmed to a listener, tnx to the new morning operator who wanted to come in and turn on that early, 3:30 am local (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUIANA FRENCH [and non]. Regarding my previous report, of squealing surrounding the 9500 Mighty KBC broadcast via Bulgaria, Nov 4 at 00-02, Greg Putrich, N0QDS in Plymouth MN was also monitoring this and confirms our suspicion that it was really coming from Montsinéry, not Kostinbrod:
``I don't think it was 9500's transmitter, but probably spurs from R República's transmitter on 9490. At 0003Z, R República came on. Until 0005Z, The Mighty KBC & R República's signals looked good on the SDR waterfall and sounded fine.
At 0005Z (0005:31Z), a weak carrier comes on 9483.2, 9496.8, 9503.6. After about 5 seconds, the waveform then switches to what looks like audio. Once the carrier is done, another spur shows up at 9476.4. Interestingly, that one didn't start as a carrier (which shows up nicely), but came in with very weak unintelligible audio.
By 0008Z, those spurs have become stronger.
The spurs seem to be modulating along with the signal on 9490, and at 0100Z when the national anthem is played, there is an obvious similarity between the four spurs and the main signal on 9490.
Was able to listen to 9500 with little problem, when I switched to sync-AM on the USB and narrowed the bandwidth to just under 3.5 kHz (blocking out the 9503.6 spur). Obviously not the greatest enjoyment at that point, but it worked.
At 0156:57Z, 9490 dropped audio and about 2 seconds later, the carrier dropped. After the audio went away, could see a carrier on 9384.2, 9503.6, and a very weak one at 9496.8. 9476.4 is clear. When the carrier drops at 0157:00Z, everything is gone.
With all of that said, KBC's signal was much weaker than it was last time. It varied from S0 to occasionally S8, with it being on average S4 at the start and slowly dropping over time. Other signals were also weaker.
After R República went off the air, KBC was still on playing music and I switched back to sync-AM DSB and widened the bandwidth to 11 kHz and was sounding good, even though the signal was fairly weak (about S3)``
Thanks, Greg, good monitoring! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 3325, Nov 4 at 1218, enough signal on my 7325-3325-2325 check for some modulation recognizably Indonesian to be heard vs the noise level, so RRI Banjarmasin (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 930, Sunday Nov 4 at 1308 UT, WKY`s token public-affairs discussion in English is now one hour later Sunday mornings, staying at 7 am whether CDT or CST (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1120, Nov 4 at 1306 UT, KEOR is back on with Spanish music, overcoming still-audible KMOX, from the direxion of Sperry (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. 17595 direct // 15170 via COSTA RICA, Sunday Nov 4 at 1315, REE `Mundofonías` world music show remains during this hour, and maybe next week before new schedule starts Nov 12. Ends at 1355, but after 1400 another great music show about flamenco until 1455. Also audible on weaker 21610, 15585 direct, 15125, 9765 CR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. With resumption of EST in Wáshington DC, VOA Spanish has made its usual shift to one UT hour later, unlike all other VOA programming which sensibly stays on the same UT, like most of the target areas. Presumably, the Spanish studio staff are unable to comprehend UT vis-à-vis local time changes, and cannot adjust their activities by one hour twice a year. However, this more or less matches time changes in Cuba (only), q.v., certainly not anywhere else in Latin America.
13750 // 15590 are in usual Sunday pop-music fill in English instead of informative programming in Spanish, at 1314 check and still at 1357 Nov 4.
HFCC shows morning VOA Spanish effective Nov 4 is now at 13-14 instead of 12-13 UT daily, also on 9885 unchecked. Evening Spanish ex 2330-0100 weeknights only will now be at 0030-0200 on 5890, 9885, 12000. No jamming heard on the two frequencies this morning, but expect some at any and all times on all these frequencies and even beyond when VOA is really on them. Meanwhile, the US government allows RHC to broadcast in English to us unscathed, instead of retaliating (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9330-CUSB, Nov 4 at 1404, WBCQ is stuck in feedback loop of noise repeating about 6 times per second, still the same an hour+ later at 1505! Instead of Rod Hembree`s GFRN programming, who is probably responsible for not overseeing his own program feed which at other times has been dead air for hours and hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. Guess what: despite dis- or mis-information from RHC`s B-12 schedule labeled as effective Nov 1, and timeanddate.com which showed Nov 11 as the timechange date for Cuba from UT-4 to UT -5, in the end Cuba kowtows to yankee imperialism by going off DST on the same date, Nov 4, as is obvious by sudden shift of RHC Spanish programming to one UT hour later than it had been. At least this will minimize confusion with gusano clox in Miami, and international flights.
17580 et al., Sunday Nov 4 at 1337, is in `Cuba Campesina` folk music show which had been circa 1230 UT, and no `En Contacto` DX program yet. That is on at 1435 ex-1335, and gives entire new schedule for itself, from ``next week``, meaning today, and only I care to rearrange the frequencies into sequential order:
Sun 1435 on 6150, 9540, 9550, 9850, 11690, 11750, 11760, 11860, 13780, 15230, 15340, 17580, 17730
Sun 2345 on 5040, 9710, 9810, 11840, 15340, 17705
Mon 0235 on 5040, 6060, 6120, 11680, 11760, 11840, 15230
E.C. ends already at 1448, shortened, or started a bit early?
`Amigos de Cuba`, mailbag only for comsymps, is also an hour later after 1400. However usual confusion by RadioCuba with 15340 and 11860 in dead air, 17730 and 17580 still modulating. Morning Spanish had been finishing at 1500 in the summer, but now at 1503 check these are still on: 11750, 11760, 11860, 13780, 15230, 15340, 17580, 17730. Not there have been fewer seasonal frequency changes than usual, just time changes. One significant change is the European service on 15340 at 22-24, ex 17750 at 21-23; also 15340 for French, Portuguese and Arabic at 1930-2100. And evening English at 01-07 is now supposed to be on 6125, ex-6050 where HCJB should again be clear after years of blockage.
Weekly Esperanto had been Sundays at 1500 on 11760 only, but now scheduled an hour later. At 1600 Nov 4, 11760 is still in Spanish, plus dead air/open carriers still on 11860, 13780, 15340, 17580, 17730. Then at 1601, 11760 switches to theme and Esperanto opening, ``Saluton,`` from Radío Havano Kubo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4055, Nov 4 at 1221, R. Verdad is already on with music (and not faded out yet), despite nominal Sunday late opening at 1255 as per detailed program schedule at
http://www.radioverdad.org/programaci%C3%B3n
which has not been updated either to show earlier weekday sign-on at 0930 UT instead of 1100+, as Dr. Madrid recently confirmed to a listener, tnx to the new morning operator who wanted to come in and turn on that early, 3:30 am local (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUIANA FRENCH [and non]. Regarding my previous report, of squealing surrounding the 9500 Mighty KBC broadcast via Bulgaria, Nov 4 at 00-02, Greg Putrich, N0QDS in Plymouth MN was also monitoring this and confirms our suspicion that it was really coming from Montsinéry, not Kostinbrod:
``I don't think it was 9500's transmitter, but probably spurs from R República's transmitter on 9490. At 0003Z, R República came on. Until 0005Z, The Mighty KBC & R República's signals looked good on the SDR waterfall and sounded fine.
At 0005Z (0005:31Z), a weak carrier comes on 9483.2, 9496.8, 9503.6. After about 5 seconds, the waveform then switches to what looks like audio. Once the carrier is done, another spur shows up at 9476.4. Interestingly, that one didn't start as a carrier (which shows up nicely), but came in with very weak unintelligible audio.
By 0008Z, those spurs have become stronger.
The spurs seem to be modulating along with the signal on 9490, and at 0100Z when the national anthem is played, there is an obvious similarity between the four spurs and the main signal on 9490.
Was able to listen to 9500 with little problem, when I switched to sync-AM on the USB and narrowed the bandwidth to just under 3.5 kHz (blocking out the 9503.6 spur). Obviously not the greatest enjoyment at that point, but it worked.
At 0156:57Z, 9490 dropped audio and about 2 seconds later, the carrier dropped. After the audio went away, could see a carrier on 9384.2, 9503.6, and a very weak one at 9496.8. 9476.4 is clear. When the carrier drops at 0157:00Z, everything is gone.
With all of that said, KBC's signal was much weaker than it was last time. It varied from S0 to occasionally S8, with it being on average S4 at the start and slowly dropping over time. Other signals were also weaker.
After R República went off the air, KBC was still on playing music and I switched back to sync-AM DSB and widened the bandwidth to 11 kHz and was sounding good, even though the signal was fairly weak (about S3)``
Thanks, Greg, good monitoring! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 3325, Nov 4 at 1218, enough signal on my 7325-3325-2325 check for some modulation recognizably Indonesian to be heard vs the noise level, so RRI Banjarmasin (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 930, Sunday Nov 4 at 1308 UT, WKY`s token public-affairs discussion in English is now one hour later Sunday mornings, staying at 7 am whether CDT or CST (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 1120, Nov 4 at 1306 UT, KEOR is back on with Spanish music, overcoming still-audible KMOX, from the direxion of Sperry (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SPAIN [and non]. 17595 direct // 15170 via COSTA RICA, Sunday Nov 4 at 1315, REE `Mundofonías` world music show remains during this hour, and maybe next week before new schedule starts Nov 12. Ends at 1355, but after 1400 another great music show about flamenco until 1455. Also audible on weaker 21610, 15585 direct, 15125, 9765 CR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. With resumption of EST in Wáshington DC, VOA Spanish has made its usual shift to one UT hour later, unlike all other VOA programming which sensibly stays on the same UT, like most of the target areas. Presumably, the Spanish studio staff are unable to comprehend UT vis-à-vis local time changes, and cannot adjust their activities by one hour twice a year. However, this more or less matches time changes in Cuba (only), q.v., certainly not anywhere else in Latin America.
13750 // 15590 are in usual Sunday pop-music fill in English instead of informative programming in Spanish, at 1314 check and still at 1357 Nov 4.
HFCC shows morning VOA Spanish effective Nov 4 is now at 13-14 instead of 12-13 UT daily, also on 9885 unchecked. Evening Spanish ex 2330-0100 weeknights only will now be at 0030-0200 on 5890, 9885, 12000. No jamming heard on the two frequencies this morning, but expect some at any and all times on all these frequencies and even beyond when VOA is really on them. Meanwhile, the US government allows RHC to broadcast in English to us unscathed, instead of retaliating (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9330-CUSB, Nov 4 at 1404, WBCQ is stuck in feedback loop of noise repeating about 6 times per second, still the same an hour+ later at 1505! Instead of Rod Hembree`s GFRN programming, who is probably responsible for not overseeing his own program feed which at other times has been dead air for hours and hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
