** AUSTRALIA. 11945 & 9580, Thu Dec 20 at 1410-1458, RA intriguing interview from R. National, with author of a book about the CIA, ``The Interrogator: a CIA Agent's True Story``, Glenn Carle, who was pressured by the Bush-Cheney regime to torture a prisoner for Al-Qaida info, but was really a low-level banker with only remote connexions to the terrorists. 9580 cuts off the air abruptly at 1458.
The show is ``Conversations`` with Richard Fidler, and here`s the page with audio link:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/12/10/3651275.htm?site=conversations
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 9955, Dec 20 at 1505, Firedrake vs something in Chinese; first time I`ve heard it on WRMI`s frequency, but which WRMI is not using after 1500 on weekdays. Well, of course! It`s R. Free Asia, Tibetan via TINIAN at 15-16. CNR1 or noise jamming might also be employed. And this will impact WRMI on weekends when it stays on the air all day.
Did not scan entire 7-19 MHz range for other Firedrake this morning, as that has proven to be unproductive for some weeks now. Maybe will start propagating higher frequencies again after Solstice (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. RHC transmissions are all screwed up again, Dec 20; compared to official schedule at
http://www.radiohc.cu/index.php/de-interes/frecuencias.html
9810 at 0505 is just barely modulated, in English instead of Spanish until 0600. Still English at 0515, 0555, but off at 0605 check.
6165, the English frequency scheduled 01-07, is off the air at 0508 and all further chex to 0605, opening up for CHAD, q.v.
6120, supposed to be Spanish until 0600: at 0516 is in English // 6125 but an echo apart from other site. Also at 0555, but off at 0605.
Meanwhile, the other English frequencies before 0600 were as usual: 6010, 6060.
Besides wrong language on two frequencies, one transmitter is evidently down; we can hardly hope 6165 has been abandoned permanently, and no replacement has been found. At 1356 check, 13780 is off, and 11760 is in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHAD. 6165, Dec 20 at 0508, very poor signal seems French, presumed RNT, in absence of RHC, surely only temporarily (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DJIBOUTI. 4780, Dec 20 at 0345, Horn-of-Africa music, vs CODAR and also TADIL-A bonker on the low side, no doubt R. Djibouti (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4055, Dec 20 at 0610, TGAV is running a bit later than usual with majestic choral NA still playing until 0613*.
Also on Dec 19 received in the P-mail R. Verdad`s 2013 calendar, which is a single sheet featuring small color portraits of 13 station personnel from Dr. Madrid to 6 locutores, to Ralph Borthwick, ingeniero; and also a hi-angle photo of the ``Templo Radio Verdad, San Esteban, Chiquimula, Cerro de la Gloria``. Schedule given as ``3:20 AM a 12:05 PM`` [UT -6]. Reminds us that 25 Feb 2013 is the thirteenth anniversary of Radio Verdad.
Also enclosed another sheet with a calendar on one side, tract in Spanish on the other, published in Federal Way, Washington. And a note of greeting from Dr. Édgar Amílcar Madrid, Director y Gerente. No pennant or QSL since I haven`t axually sent a reception report lately. The air-mail envelope now bears no stamps, but a print-out label from El Correo, ``Concesionario del Correo Oficial de la República de Guatemala``, Agencia PPP, dated 05 Diciembre, for Q.6.50 and it`s stuck on the left side of the envelope rather than the upper right. That = about 82 cents US (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUIANA FRENCH. 11740, Dec 20 at 0512, NHK English to NAm has excellent signal, but accompanied by squealing spurs at approx. 7 kHz intervals: 11768, 11761, 11754, 11747, 11733, 11726, 11719, 11712. The 11726 one is especially noticeable, putting squealing QRM on RNZI 11725. Fortunately this only lasts until 0530. The 11761 and 11768 ones also bother SRDA Brasil between them on 11765.
As the last remaining major SW relay site in the Americas, what a shame that Montsinéry is so technically deficient. Need to recheck the 5960 transmitter at 02-04 with NHK Japanese, whether it still puts out multiple spurs at far greater intervals. The 9490 with Radio República at 00-02 seems to be OK as far as the spur situation. Are they all from the same transmitter? WRTH 2013 says there are 4 x 500 kW, and 1 x 250 kW in GUF (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOMALILAND. 7120, Dec 20 at 0335, R. Hargeisa still better heard here just after morning sign-on, than before midday 1400v*. Presumed Somali talk, and with very slow CW QRhaM sending CQ, but no repeat as I prepared to copy callsign from that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 900, Dec 20 at 1402 UT, CBS News, in E/W null of KSGL Wichita gospel huxter; based on listings in the NRC AM Log, and proximity, the only possibility is KHOZ in Harrison AR, now on non-direxional 1 kW day power. Naturally losing it by 1406 when there might have been something local (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 960, Dec 20 at 0600-0605 UT during another Fox-hole from local KGWA Enid, with its dead-air carrier nulled as much as possible, a mix of ABC News, ABC News slightly echoing against the first one, blues music, and Mexican music. The last two probably WABG in Mississippi, and XEK Nuevo Laredo; the first ABC, KMA in Iowa.
I had previously figured that WERC in Alabama was the most likely second ABC station, as listed in the NRC AM Log, but Kevin Redding in TN says WERC is now running Fox news. So I look thru the NRC Log again; altho there are a few ABC affiliates in further reaches of the US, with 2-digit watt night power, the most likely one I am getting is KNEB in Scottsbluff NE, with 350 watts night, and NRC Pattern Book 2005 showed at night it`s a N/S figure-8, meaning some signal should be coming our way to the SE thru KGWA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ZIMBABWE [non]. 12105, Thu Dec 20 at 1640, weak music, and 1643 some talk, presumably Radio Dialogue FM as scheduled this hour via MADAGASCAR, (ex Zimbabwe Community Radio). Others have reported QRM from WTWW in Arabic, but not today. While it`s difficult to pin down a reliable schedule from WTWW-3, I think it is more likely to be on the air weekends, especially Saturdays following Russian (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 880, Dec 20 at 1358 UT, open carrier from the E/W, zero-beat with KRVN Nebraska to the north; only evident by the loss of KRVN modulation when that is nulled and the signal meter still with several bars on the DX-398. Still OC past 1400. Suspect it`s KLRG 50 kW in Arkansas, then fading, instead of `Canada Calling` from the WTAN network as previously heard at this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
The show is ``Conversations`` with Richard Fidler, and here`s the page with audio link:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/12/10/3651275.htm?site=conversations
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHINA. 9955, Dec 20 at 1505, Firedrake vs something in Chinese; first time I`ve heard it on WRMI`s frequency, but which WRMI is not using after 1500 on weekdays. Well, of course! It`s R. Free Asia, Tibetan via TINIAN at 15-16. CNR1 or noise jamming might also be employed. And this will impact WRMI on weekends when it stays on the air all day.
Did not scan entire 7-19 MHz range for other Firedrake this morning, as that has proven to be unproductive for some weeks now. Maybe will start propagating higher frequencies again after Solstice (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. RHC transmissions are all screwed up again, Dec 20; compared to official schedule at
http://www.radiohc.cu/index.php/de-interes/frecuencias.html
9810 at 0505 is just barely modulated, in English instead of Spanish until 0600. Still English at 0515, 0555, but off at 0605 check.
6165, the English frequency scheduled 01-07, is off the air at 0508 and all further chex to 0605, opening up for CHAD, q.v.
6120, supposed to be Spanish until 0600: at 0516 is in English // 6125 but an echo apart from other site. Also at 0555, but off at 0605.
Meanwhile, the other English frequencies before 0600 were as usual: 6010, 6060.
Besides wrong language on two frequencies, one transmitter is evidently down; we can hardly hope 6165 has been abandoned permanently, and no replacement has been found. At 1356 check, 13780 is off, and 11760 is in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CHAD. 6165, Dec 20 at 0508, very poor signal seems French, presumed RNT, in absence of RHC, surely only temporarily (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DJIBOUTI. 4780, Dec 20 at 0345, Horn-of-Africa music, vs CODAR and also TADIL-A bonker on the low side, no doubt R. Djibouti (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUATEMALA. 4055, Dec 20 at 0610, TGAV is running a bit later than usual with majestic choral NA still playing until 0613*.
Also on Dec 19 received in the P-mail R. Verdad`s 2013 calendar, which is a single sheet featuring small color portraits of 13 station personnel from Dr. Madrid to 6 locutores, to Ralph Borthwick, ingeniero; and also a hi-angle photo of the ``Templo Radio Verdad, San Esteban, Chiquimula, Cerro de la Gloria``. Schedule given as ``3:20 AM a 12:05 PM`` [UT -6]. Reminds us that 25 Feb 2013 is the thirteenth anniversary of Radio Verdad.
Also enclosed another sheet with a calendar on one side, tract in Spanish on the other, published in Federal Way, Washington. And a note of greeting from Dr. Édgar Amílcar Madrid, Director y Gerente. No pennant or QSL since I haven`t axually sent a reception report lately. The air-mail envelope now bears no stamps, but a print-out label from El Correo, ``Concesionario del Correo Oficial de la República de Guatemala``, Agencia PPP, dated 05 Diciembre, for Q.6.50 and it`s stuck on the left side of the envelope rather than the upper right. That = about 82 cents US (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUIANA FRENCH. 11740, Dec 20 at 0512, NHK English to NAm has excellent signal, but accompanied by squealing spurs at approx. 7 kHz intervals: 11768, 11761, 11754, 11747, 11733, 11726, 11719, 11712. The 11726 one is especially noticeable, putting squealing QRM on RNZI 11725. Fortunately this only lasts until 0530. The 11761 and 11768 ones also bother SRDA Brasil between them on 11765.
As the last remaining major SW relay site in the Americas, what a shame that Montsinéry is so technically deficient. Need to recheck the 5960 transmitter at 02-04 with NHK Japanese, whether it still puts out multiple spurs at far greater intervals. The 9490 with Radio República at 00-02 seems to be OK as far as the spur situation. Are they all from the same transmitter? WRTH 2013 says there are 4 x 500 kW, and 1 x 250 kW in GUF (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOMALILAND. 7120, Dec 20 at 0335, R. Hargeisa still better heard here just after morning sign-on, than before midday 1400v*. Presumed Somali talk, and with very slow CW QRhaM sending CQ, but no repeat as I prepared to copy callsign from that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 900, Dec 20 at 1402 UT, CBS News, in E/W null of KSGL Wichita gospel huxter; based on listings in the NRC AM Log, and proximity, the only possibility is KHOZ in Harrison AR, now on non-direxional 1 kW day power. Naturally losing it by 1406 when there might have been something local (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. 960, Dec 20 at 0600-0605 UT during another Fox-hole from local KGWA Enid, with its dead-air carrier nulled as much as possible, a mix of ABC News, ABC News slightly echoing against the first one, blues music, and Mexican music. The last two probably WABG in Mississippi, and XEK Nuevo Laredo; the first ABC, KMA in Iowa.
I had previously figured that WERC in Alabama was the most likely second ABC station, as listed in the NRC AM Log, but Kevin Redding in TN says WERC is now running Fox news. So I look thru the NRC Log again; altho there are a few ABC affiliates in further reaches of the US, with 2-digit watt night power, the most likely one I am getting is KNEB in Scottsbluff NE, with 350 watts night, and NRC Pattern Book 2005 showed at night it`s a N/S figure-8, meaning some signal should be coming our way to the SE thru KGWA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ZIMBABWE [non]. 12105, Thu Dec 20 at 1640, weak music, and 1643 some talk, presumably Radio Dialogue FM as scheduled this hour via MADAGASCAR, (ex Zimbabwe Community Radio). Others have reported QRM from WTWW in Arabic, but not today. While it`s difficult to pin down a reliable schedule from WTWW-3, I think it is more likely to be on the air weekends, especially Saturdays following Russian (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 880, Dec 20 at 1358 UT, open carrier from the E/W, zero-beat with KRVN Nebraska to the north; only evident by the loss of KRVN modulation when that is nulled and the signal meter still with several bars on the DX-398. Still OC past 1400. Suspect it`s KLRG 50 kW in Arkansas, then fading, instead of `Canada Calling` from the WTAN network as previously heard at this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
