** BOLIVIA. 6135-, June 30 at 0100, R. Santa Cruz is even stronger than usual, as must be getting a trans-equatorial propagational boost, but now becomes too obvious that it`s also somewhat distorted by overmodulation; salsa music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. 4915, June 30 at 0101, still zero signal from R. Daqui for the second evening in a row, despite usual weak carriers from variety of active 60m ZYs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 13362-USB, June 30 at 0107, I am first tuning LSB for LTA on 13363.5, since it`s UT Sunday so could be active with silly ballgame, and there is something with broadcast talk cadence --- but instead it`s USB from 13362, and in English, going from very poor to copiable at 0109 during drunk-driving PSA, i.e. surely AFN from US military where I understand that drunkenness is quite a problem. I always check for 12759-USB, AFN Diego Garcia around this time too, but no luck for months. 15345v LRA was in well, anyway, on its weekend extension (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Bits of sporadic E occasionally poke MUF up to 55 MHz, with some video briefly on NTSC channel A2, with antenna south: June 29 at 2043 UT, fade-in enough easily to recognize the +v Mas Visión bug in the UR, i.e. XEWO-TV, Guadalajara; fades right back out, and again JBV at 2059; unID video bits continued next bihour a few times;
2301 UT on A2, fade-in a drama with Azteca net-7 bug easily spotted very briefly in UR, probably XHTAU, Tampico; nothing more (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 5980, June 30 at 0058, usual R. Chaski carrier with bits of modulation vs noise level until cutoff at 0103:58* which is five seconds later than yesterday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 17775, June 29 at 1902 UT, KVOH reactivated with advance-publicized 2-hour test broadcast this date only: At first I was out & about using only the DX-375 I keep in the car; fair reception, deep fades on rather insensitive radio with whip only. Full ID in English about the tests, asking for reports.
As it turned out, this was not a good day to carry out such a test. The K index was 3 at 18, and went up to 4 by 21 UT; and back at 06 UT it had hit 7! ``Geomagnetic storms reaching the G3 level occurred`` in the past 24 hours, says WWV. Besides that, 16m band propagation has generally been pitiful for weeks in the summer doldrums. Yet it`s a stand-out signal at this time of day when hardly anyone else in the Hemisphere is interested in even trying to transmit on this band.
The revived KVOH is merely resuming the frequency originally occupied for years, aimed eastward in the daytime only. It`s again also announcing the other registered frequency, 9975, which had not really been used for a lot longer than the last years on 17775 only. Do they plan to use it now?
Back on home rig FRG-7 at 1926, deep fades remain, and even at peaks, it`s not enough to overcome the prevailing noise level. The *only* other signal on band is open carrier on 17530, 250 kW Greenville warming up for an hour in French aimed east, which is roughly at equivalent level, even tho KVOH is 50 kW aimed 100 degrees (again, still, right?), not too far off from here.
At 1926 there`s another English test ID, and then Spanish, with slogans such as ``Voz de vida para las Américas``, ``La Voz Esperanza`` (no de la audible), with Apartado 102, Los Ángeles CA 90078 or mail@kvoh.net addresses, the latter requiring spelling-out in Spanish. 1929 same in English, and ``when you care enough to listen to the very best``. Then some gospel music with a reggae beat.
Another check at 2000, paying attention to the transmission quality: certainly have fixed the ailing old transmitter: now the modulation is OK and the carrier stable. Sometimes the KVOH announcements are momentarily under-modulated, but I assume a lapse in the input level.
No spurs heard, but it may require a stronger perhaps Es-boosted opening to detect them if they have not been removed. You may recall that I reported them numerous times in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, varying slightly around 17630 and 17920, extremely distorted but matchable to the fundamental audio.
At 2000, 17775 is slightly stronger than Cuba 17720 which is slightly stronger than VOA 17530. 2043 more gospel music, as VOA is now finished and its only companion on the band is Cuba 17720 which is still somewhat weaker, but intended for Europe and presumably off the side to here.
Other DXLD yg members were checking this out: barely made it to eastern USA or not at all, barely to S America or not at all, and to British Columbia was apparently about like I heard it, despite being off-beam, but not surprising at a good single-hop distance, which may have been Es-enhanced. Testing on more days for more than two hours will be required for a better evaluation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9479, 9930, 12105, June 29 at 1930, all three WTWW frequencies are inaudible, and presumed off. Later I am not so sure they were off, or just blacked out. At 2305, now 9930 and 9479 can be detected but quite weak vs their normal super-signals. 9930 improves by 2330 when I am expecting WORLD OF RADIO, but instead it`s a preacher and music until almost 2400*. WTWW got to next frequency 5085 quicker than I did, to find that WORLD OF RADIO 1675 had just started by 0000. I have no idea if this is a permanent change or a variation, but check both next week. Recheck at 0058, 5085 had Ted Randall announcing a Field Day 2013 broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1675 monitoring: as in other item, this week appeared at 0000 UT Sunday on WTWW-2 5085 instead of 2330 Sat on 9930. Next: UT Sunday 0400.5 on WTWW-1 5830; presumably Sunday 2330v on 9930.
Also check for the special tests of Hamburger Lokalradio with WORLD OF RADIO this and following Sundays at 0630, 1030, 1430 and 1830 on 15785-CUSB, with 1 kW from Göhren, Germany (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9350, Saturday June 29 at 2316, comparing WWCR with other Tennessignals from WTWW, I am astounded to encounter some programming other than gospel or political-huxtering! Usual inbooming signal is now attenuated to only fair, deep fades, but with primitive instrumental music, soon announced by phil@wwcr.com that next selexion will be a 1906 wax cylinder, which turns out to be ``I Love to Tell the Story``. I assume/hope he is mixing gospel/secular songs. Uplooked later in the WWCR program schedule dated 1 June, this is `The Talking Machine Show` with Phil Patton, who IIRC is also the CE at WWCR. And there are three more semihour airings, viz. UT:
Sat 1000 4840
Sat 1430 15825
Sat 2300 9350
Mon 0400 4840
Aside from the propagation disturbance today, now there`s an ancient-recording show we can axually hear well on SW, unlike the two on WBCQ 7490 which are buried in the daytime noise level here all summer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9925, June 30 at 0058 check, The Mighty KBC, Netherlands via Nauen, GERMANY, has good signal level, but with extremely heavy flutter due to propagation disturbance, not uncommon for this weekly roll-of-the-dice. Should be a good test for the VOA Radiogram attempts this week (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL. 4915, June 30 at 0101, still zero signal from R. Daqui for the second evening in a row, despite usual weak carriers from variety of active 60m ZYs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GUAM. 13362-USB, June 30 at 0107, I am first tuning LSB for LTA on 13363.5, since it`s UT Sunday so could be active with silly ballgame, and there is something with broadcast talk cadence --- but instead it`s USB from 13362, and in English, going from very poor to copiable at 0109 during drunk-driving PSA, i.e. surely AFN from US military where I understand that drunkenness is quite a problem. I always check for 12759-USB, AFN Diego Garcia around this time too, but no luck for months. 15345v LRA was in well, anyway, on its weekend extension (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. Bits of sporadic E occasionally poke MUF up to 55 MHz, with some video briefly on NTSC channel A2, with antenna south: June 29 at 2043 UT, fade-in enough easily to recognize the +v Mas Visión bug in the UR, i.e. XEWO-TV, Guadalajara; fades right back out, and again JBV at 2059; unID video bits continued next bihour a few times;
2301 UT on A2, fade-in a drama with Azteca net-7 bug easily spotted very briefly in UR, probably XHTAU, Tampico; nothing more (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PERU. 5980, June 30 at 0058, usual R. Chaski carrier with bits of modulation vs noise level until cutoff at 0103:58* which is five seconds later than yesterday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 17775, June 29 at 1902 UT, KVOH reactivated with advance-publicized 2-hour test broadcast this date only: At first I was out & about using only the DX-375 I keep in the car; fair reception, deep fades on rather insensitive radio with whip only. Full ID in English about the tests, asking for reports.
As it turned out, this was not a good day to carry out such a test. The K index was 3 at 18, and went up to 4 by 21 UT; and back at 06 UT it had hit 7! ``Geomagnetic storms reaching the G3 level occurred`` in the past 24 hours, says WWV. Besides that, 16m band propagation has generally been pitiful for weeks in the summer doldrums. Yet it`s a stand-out signal at this time of day when hardly anyone else in the Hemisphere is interested in even trying to transmit on this band.
The revived KVOH is merely resuming the frequency originally occupied for years, aimed eastward in the daytime only. It`s again also announcing the other registered frequency, 9975, which had not really been used for a lot longer than the last years on 17775 only. Do they plan to use it now?
Back on home rig FRG-7 at 1926, deep fades remain, and even at peaks, it`s not enough to overcome the prevailing noise level. The *only* other signal on band is open carrier on 17530, 250 kW Greenville warming up for an hour in French aimed east, which is roughly at equivalent level, even tho KVOH is 50 kW aimed 100 degrees (again, still, right?), not too far off from here.
At 1926 there`s another English test ID, and then Spanish, with slogans such as ``Voz de vida para las Américas``, ``La Voz Esperanza`` (no de la audible), with Apartado 102, Los Ángeles CA 90078 or mail@kvoh.net addresses, the latter requiring spelling-out in Spanish. 1929 same in English, and ``when you care enough to listen to the very best``. Then some gospel music with a reggae beat.
Another check at 2000, paying attention to the transmission quality: certainly have fixed the ailing old transmitter: now the modulation is OK and the carrier stable. Sometimes the KVOH announcements are momentarily under-modulated, but I assume a lapse in the input level.
No spurs heard, but it may require a stronger perhaps Es-boosted opening to detect them if they have not been removed. You may recall that I reported them numerous times in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, varying slightly around 17630 and 17920, extremely distorted but matchable to the fundamental audio.
At 2000, 17775 is slightly stronger than Cuba 17720 which is slightly stronger than VOA 17530. 2043 more gospel music, as VOA is now finished and its only companion on the band is Cuba 17720 which is still somewhat weaker, but intended for Europe and presumably off the side to here.
Other DXLD yg members were checking this out: barely made it to eastern USA or not at all, barely to S America or not at all, and to British Columbia was apparently about like I heard it, despite being off-beam, but not surprising at a good single-hop distance, which may have been Es-enhanced. Testing on more days for more than two hours will be required for a better evaluation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9479, 9930, 12105, June 29 at 1930, all three WTWW frequencies are inaudible, and presumed off. Later I am not so sure they were off, or just blacked out. At 2305, now 9930 and 9479 can be detected but quite weak vs their normal super-signals. 9930 improves by 2330 when I am expecting WORLD OF RADIO, but instead it`s a preacher and music until almost 2400*. WTWW got to next frequency 5085 quicker than I did, to find that WORLD OF RADIO 1675 had just started by 0000. I have no idea if this is a permanent change or a variation, but check both next week. Recheck at 0058, 5085 had Ted Randall announcing a Field Day 2013 broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1675 monitoring: as in other item, this week appeared at 0000 UT Sunday on WTWW-2 5085 instead of 2330 Sat on 9930. Next: UT Sunday 0400.5 on WTWW-1 5830; presumably Sunday 2330v on 9930.
Also check for the special tests of Hamburger Lokalradio with WORLD OF RADIO this and following Sundays at 0630, 1030, 1430 and 1830 on 15785-CUSB, with 1 kW from Göhren, Germany (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9350, Saturday June 29 at 2316, comparing WWCR with other Tennessignals from WTWW, I am astounded to encounter some programming other than gospel or political-huxtering! Usual inbooming signal is now attenuated to only fair, deep fades, but with primitive instrumental music, soon announced by phil@wwcr.com that next selexion will be a 1906 wax cylinder, which turns out to be ``I Love to Tell the Story``. I assume/hope he is mixing gospel/secular songs. Uplooked later in the WWCR program schedule dated 1 June, this is `The Talking Machine Show` with Phil Patton, who IIRC is also the CE at WWCR. And there are three more semihour airings, viz. UT:
Sat 1000 4840
Sat 1430 15825
Sat 2300 9350
Mon 0400 4840
Aside from the propagation disturbance today, now there`s an ancient-recording show we can axually hear well on SW, unlike the two on WBCQ 7490 which are buried in the daytime noise level here all summer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9925, June 30 at 0058 check, The Mighty KBC, Netherlands via Nauen, GERMANY, has good signal level, but with extremely heavy flutter due to propagation disturbance, not uncommon for this weekly roll-of-the-dice. Should be a good test for the VOA Radiogram attempts this week (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
