sabato 8 marzo 2014

Glenn Hauser logs March 6-8, 2014

** ALGERIA [non]. 7295, March 7 at 0625, RTA via FRANCE, Arabic music but some ham is not pleased, running his AM VFO back and forth across it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BANGLADESH. 15505, March 8 at 1358, Bangladesh Betar IS is poorly audible, whoopee! After a dead winter. Today`s 6-pip timesignal opening Urdu service is almost correct, about 0.5 second late. We`ll see if they can keep that up. 15505 also audible with similar fluttery signal at 1532, south Asian song amid Hindi semihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. CNR1 jammer search is productive March 7:

13970, March 7 at 1328, CNR1 jammer, poor with flutter, vs Sound of Hope

15265, March 7 at 1324, CNR1 jamming fair, also with usual het from RTI Tainan, Taiwan, off-frequency during this hour only

15375, March 7 at 1325, CNR1 jammer, good with flutter; vs RFA Tibetan via Tajikistan, unheard

15510, March 7 at 1325, CNR1 jammer; against BBC Uzbek via Thailand, this semihour only

15555, March 7 at 1325, CNR1 jammer, het on lo side, so against V. of Tibet via TAJIKISTAN on 15552, per Aoki at 1304-1333; none in the 16s

15590, March 7 at 1405, CNR1 jammer, het on hi side, so against V. of Tibet via TAJIKISTAN on 15593, per Aoki at 1405-1430; upshift from 15587 at 1345-1405, so jammer can stay put. See also TIBET [non]

17780, March 7 at 1326, CNR1 plus Firedrake jamming, also against BBC Uzbek, via Oman, this semihour only.

Another CNR1 jammer search March 8:

16450, March 8 at 1357, CNR1 jammer, good with flutter; none higher

16300, March 8 at 1357, CNR1 jammer, good with flutter

16100, March 8 at 1357, CNR1 jammer, very good

15580, March 8 at 1357, CNR1 jammer, fair with flutter. Aoki shows V. of Tibet via Tajikistan as of March 6 at 1333-1345 on 15582, which would cause a jammer on 15580. Also, VOA English via Botswana starts at 1400 on 15580, ChiCom-jammed but would normally be with noise
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. 9440-9450, March 8 at 1405, CNR1 filthy distorted FMy spurblob audible around here, including amid the AM jamming pileup on 9450 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [non]. 9565 // better 7405, Thu March 6 at 2232 `La Tremenda Corte`, ancient Cuban comedy show still running on R. Martí, both with wall-of-noise jamming from the Commies with no sense of humor (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BTW, look for programming to shift one UT hour earlier March 9 along with Cuba as required by USA

** CYPRUS. 18500-18525, March 7 at 1355, OTH radar pulses, presumed from here; not much else to be heard on 18 MHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH. 12015, March 6 at 2226, poor signal with flutter, orchestral music; 2230 dead air and then talk, flutter, piano theme, vocal music, sounds Asian. Nothing in HFCC, but Aoki shows it must be V. of Korea, in Spanish to Europe this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH. 13760, March 7 at 0635, song, French announcement, VOK on 28 degree beam USward, but much weaker than adjacent 13765 Vatican English aimed southward; VOK same beam much better on // 15180 with music at 0640 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [non]. 9775, March 8 at 1406, R. Free Chosun is obviously back on RVA PHILIPPINES transmitter, once again VG signal rather than no signal as last checked March 6 (and not checked March 7), after temporary move to backup by inaudible Tashkent. However, now there`s some humbuzz on the transmitter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA SOUTH. 15575, March 7 at 1324, KBSWR is detectable in English, but poor with heavy flutter. This so-called NAm service aimed at SAm, inaudible all winter, needs a while longer to build up to spring/summer sufficiently listenable reception. Meanwhile countless available relay transmitter hours around North America go to waste (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. 17550, March 6 at 2302, Arabic music, talk, fair with flutter. So R. Kuwait is audible again, first time heard since last fall, in its unique service to C & W North America at 2000-2400, which won`t propagate all winter. Now, the OSOB. It will vary greatly day to day depending on fluxuating MUF (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA [and non]. 15120, March 7 at 0640, VON in English, poor signal mixing about equally with Chinese, i.e. per Aoki, CRI at 0500-0657 from Beijing site, 322 degrees toward Europe, tsk2, blocking entire transmission (and before 0500 also, in English); while VON is allegedly on 7 degree heading from Ikorodu (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 530, March 7 at 2225 UT, `K530AM` Vance AFB, Enid, is clearly audible with usual loop of PSAs, 55 miles away on the north side of OKC via the caradio. Not bad for 10? Watts. Someone in Shawnee also reported programming like this but thought it was from Texas (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1640, March 8 at 1418 UT, open carrier/dead air from KZLS Enid, instead of talk or `True Oldies`; but with some humbuzz, which is also audible when modulating. Ho hum, no one minding the store; who cares if 10 kW is going to waste? Left a receiver on here; finally a few words break thru at 1508 UT, back to DA, but resuming sometime before 1528 UT (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. Observations on caradio during a visit to OKC March 7:

97.7, March 7 at 1639 UT, ads for Sulphur and Pauls Valley, so must be closest station KICM Healdton in far southern OK, listed as 50 kW, 150 m. I was axually hearing this from Dover OK. 97.7 used to be an OKC-area frequency, but who wanted a class A? So everything was shifted around, first to 97.9 and then to 98.1. At 1640 UT on to Uncle John, program, or DJ?

Parked in northern OKC, after 2211 UT March 7, I check for translators around The Metro; time limited, this is not complete, and I have no references with me, so adding info uplooked later in the WTFDA FM Database.

107.3, lofi internet feed with silly ballgame, lo scoring so far but sounds like BKB. It`s Friday afternoon, after all. Must be K297BB, Edmond, 28 watts at 260.7 meters, with primary KYLV ``K-Love``. That`s 88.9, 5.9 kW, 464 m in OKC, so you might wonder why in the world would they need a translator as close as Edmond? To clog up the band, of course, and prevent any competition from occupying it! Format is contemporary Christian (meaning music?), but I suppose something more important like an SBG could pre-empt that. Not knowing of this connexion at the time, I do not compare it to 88.9.

104.5, rock music, no doubt K283BW, the 250-watt, 0=unknown HAAT translator where the once-great classic rock format of KRXO 107.7 was parked once 107.7 main channel was converted to yet more stupid sportstalk. The WTFDA listing does not say anything about a connexion to KRXO.

103.1, KOKC confirmed here with talk // 1520, as even a 50 kW AM station desperately wants to become an FM station, despite it`s only a 75-watt translator, K276EX at 151m HAAT! I previously pointed out that it`s co-channel to 25 kW KOFM Enid, which would impair its coverage area, and indeed I later found the two fighting over the frequency only 10 miles outside OKC. But it was an urgent situation as everyone knows, ``no one listens to AM``. There are also 103.1 translators of others in Stillwater and Seminole. You`d think that Stillwater would have even more QRM from Enid.

101.5, another BKB game and lo-fi, sounds like on 107.3, but both are too weak to make a // using a portable receiver (or too overcome by RF overload from the NE OKC antenna farm). Listed here is K268BR in OKC, 75 watts at 169.8 m HAAT; primary being 93.9 KIMY Watonga, ``The Gospel Station``, southern gospel format, and language listed as Spanish which is surely in error, altho it`s conceivable it has Spanish at some time or other. (BTW, KIMY`s 93.1 translator in Enid remains off, good riddance, allowing Hutchinson KS back in.)

100.1, talk show, pledge drive, 800-FAITH88, and mypraisefm.com --- listed as K261DP, Edmond, 92 watts at 133.7m, primary being KZTH ``The House`` with contemporary Christian. That website refers to 88.7 KLVV in Ponca City, but it`s sibling station to 89.7 KJTH Ponca City, the one known as The House. Both have been adding relays everywhere possible, especially into The Metro. KZTH in particular is 88.5 in Piedmont near NW OKC, 50 kW. You might well wonder why this needs a 92 watt translator as close as Edmond. Same answer as above.

97.3, something religious. This is listed as KKNG-FM, Blanchard OK, 1 kW ``Oklahoma Classic Country 93.3 KKNG``, but format religion, clearly a disconnect/outdated/mixup there. The 93.3 signal quite a while ago ceased being KKNG, and is now KJKK-FM, COL Newcastle OK, `Jake FM`, country. Maybe the 97.3 facility is merely a parking place for the valuable(?) kingly KKNG callsign.

96.5, rock music: that would be K243BJ, listed as // KRXO-HD3, 75 watts at 169.8m, in Spanish, slogan ``Now 96.5``, format CHR. Another mixup as it`s certainly not both CHR and Spanish. See 104.5 above – would that be // the same? This is presumably enough to block around OKC, the 100 kW stations to the east and west, Tulsa and Elk City.

93.9, yet more basketball. There is a KGCG-LP listed for Blanchard OK, far south side of OKC with 100 watts, further than Norman and west of there, on the air or not? In this case it`s probably KIMY Watonga direct with 4.2 kW from 120m HAAT, Gospel Station, but with SBG and likely matching the 101.5 translator log above.

92.9, comedy, i.e. FM side of 1560 KEBC, as previously reported, but not so listed in WTFDA, just K225BN, OKC, 75 watts, unknown HAAT, no further info. Blox KBEZ Tulsa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OMAN. 15140, March 6 at 2223, RSO good with ME music; 2259 music stops for TOH 16-bongs in Big-Ben style, a monochime for 1 am local and Arabic news about Obama. Per Aoki, 15140 supposedly changes to 15355 at 2200, but not today; also on 9500 after 0000, which we often hear but not checked March 7. Anyhow, 15 MHz signals holding up well into the night now, and even 17 MHz: see KUWAIT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PERU [and non]. 5980, March 7 at 0100, hearing the SAH of 6 to 7 Hz between R. Chaski and BBC via UAE, but no audio on either, or just barely modulated; yet can tell when the SAH stops as R. Chaski cuts off, at 0104:38*, which is 17.5 seconds later than last check 3 nights before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 9955, March 7 at 0710, we are treated to Brother Scare first from WRMI, and then 7 seconds later a weaker echo from T8WH PALAU. Those in the Pacific should not assume they are hearing WRMI with BS, unless as a pre-echo vs stronger T8WH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: WRMI

** SPAIN [and non]. 21640, March 7 at 1334, REE seems to have some CCI? Maybe just music mixed, as it`s talking then about the shamisen. Also March 8, 24 hours later, manages to stay on 21640, avoiding collision with expanded Saturday service of BBC Hausa via 21630 Ascension (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TIBET [non]. 15520, March 7 at 1406, V. of Tibet via MADAGASCAR, fair with no jamming here nor audible on 15525; promptly 1407 amid talk, VOT jumps to 15515, still no jamming co-, but at 1413 a JBA adjacent carrier on 15520, maybe escaped jammer. See also CHINA for more jamming against VOT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY [and non]. 6000, March 7 at 0100, timesignal, TRT Turkish announcement and music; under RHC opening English, but strongest heard yet and would be quite sufficient without blockage by RHC, which as an outlaw station refuses to coördinate in HFCC. BTW, expect RHC to make confusing DST shifts March 9 as mandated by Yankee Imperialism.

15350, March 8 at 0702, Turkish music, poor-fair. So when TRT is finished with 9700 before 0700, it then moves up here and we can still hear it, at least tonight and more so into spring. Both are same parameters, 310 degrees toward Europe and incidentally N America. We can also hear 15350 until closing before 1400. At 0700, just a few other signals on 19m: 15120 DRM noise, from Nigeria?? 15595 Vatican.

In A-14, TRT time and frequency changes replace those with: 11980 at 04-06, 13635 at 06-13 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K. 9870, March 7 at 0630, good signal in African language, ``Salaam Aleikum`` not meaning it has to be Arabic; drums, news with sounders, clip of Pres. Obama in English. HFCC shows BBC Hausa via Woofferton at 0629-0700, which became effective on 28 January; presumably still // 7325 Ascension (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1711 monitoring: confirmed on WTWW-1, 9475, Thursday March 6 at 2201.

WOR NOT confirmed UT Friday March 7 at 0430v on WWRB, 3195, which was off the air. So was 3185 for BS. Checked as early as 0422, the WWRB webcast was running but silent except for some weak bleed from BS. Not a propagational problem on 3 MHz band, as neighbor 3215 WWCR was loud as usual. 3185 still off at 0616, but at 0627, found WWRB BS day frequency 9370 was still running instead, and with VG signal. At some point this spring, 5050 expected to reactivate and eventually replace 3195 in summer, but not heard yet.

Next for WORLD OF RADIO:
UT Sun 0030 on WRMI 9495 [may be previous edition]
UT Sun 0030 on WTWW-2 5085
UT Sun 0501 on WTWW-1 5830

Below, DST timeshifts confirmed to be in effect:
UT Mon 0300v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB
Tue 1100 on WRMI 9955
Wed 0730 & 1530 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB
Wed 1300 on WRMI 9955
Thu 0330 on WRMI 9955 [or new 1712 edition]
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. 9955, March 6 at 2228, WRMI with gamelan(?) music fill, fair signal; 2229 ID by Zanotti; 2230 `Bible Commentary`, so still not Brother Scare as shown on the program schedule until 2400 weekdays.

9495, March 7 at 0057, `Historias de Radio` is ending, so started at 0030 UT Friday, fair signal from WRMI. Jeff White tells me that from March 9 in DST season, most transmissions stay at the same UT including this one at 0000-0100; except TruNews will shift an hour earlier to 22-10 UT on 7455, 5850. However, *programming* within 24h 9955 as before will all shift one UT hour earlier to stay at same Eastern time.

7570, March 7 at 0110, some CCI is audible under strong BS signal of WRMI. Nothing else listed, but the closest in Aoki is ChiCom jamming and VOA Tibetan at 00-01 via Kuwait on Tue & Thu only, while this is UT Fri; maybe extra jamming for good measure, and/or a VOA shift.

9955, March 8 at 1408, WRMI seems completely off. At 1455, sounds like the Japo-Mississippian evangeliste, `Living the Bible`, poor with SAH; so is that WRMI? Must not be on WRMI-11, with NW antenna today, but the weaker SSE antenna on WRMI-10, which normally transfers by 1357. 1458 there`s more CCI, and 1459 I do make out a WRMI ID by Jeff; 1500 into mailbag on `Viva Miami` tho I don`t hear the standard ``Miami Vice`` theme opening. Program grid still displayed tho dated Feb 9 shows 1430-1500 Sats indeed `Living the Bible`, but from 1500 B.S.

I`m also hearing a CNR1 timesignal and theme music after 1500. Aoki shows there is CNR1 and/or FD jamming at 1500-1600 daily on 9955, even tho RFA Tibetan via Tinian is supposedly on 9955 this hour only on Tuesdays and Thursdays (and this is Saturday). Anyhow it makes a mess for WRMI to confront, certainly needing the NW antenna around here to Overcome it. At 1529 March 8, 9955 is dominated by CNR1 in Chinese, with 2-pip timesignal on semihour.

Then at 1530 March 9 I check other WRMI frequencies: 9690 Brother Scare is missing! 17790 R. Africa is on, but with some strength surges up and down; apparently several problems at Okeechobee (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 17670, March 7 at 1327, good signal with Vietnamese music and talk, then a long speech/sermon. It`s AWR via MADAGASCAR, way, way off its target. Do Vietnamese-Americans know they can get this stuff? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VATICAN [and non]. 13765, March 7 at 0635, Vatican Radio VG in English with papal news; could it be Madagascar? No, SMG direct at this hour per HFCC which shows the breakdown for the entire B-13 season dates, in variety of African languages including colonial ones:
Madagascar, at 0430-0600 & 1600-1700;
Vatican direct 0600-0700 & 1700-2115 
At this time, 13765 was much stronger than adjacent Korea North in French on 13760 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 17500, March 7 at 1328, logged as Chinese but not CNR1; uplooked later, nothing scheduled except Iran in Arabic. Nor is there Chinese scheduled from Iran on any frequency at this time, lest it be another mixup of theirs (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 17810, March 7 at 0106, open carrier/dead air, fair with flutter. HFCC shows NHK Japanese at 0000-0500, but which Aoki shows not starting until 0155, and WRTH from 0200; warmup? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 25900, March 7 at 1440, I finally remember to try to pull in Radio Magic Eye, Moscow, Russia on its weekly Friday broadcast: I do detect a JBA carrier, very slightly on the lo side compared to 900 Wichita and 11900 presumed FEBA/UAE. Unfortunately I have a hi local noise level in this frequency range. Keeping on it, at 1448 slightly stronger and hoping to time a cutoff circa 1500; might happen at 1503:10 but unsure as still a trace of something at 1513. The 25900 signal fades a bit, so hoping would not be local device. Could those hearing it better confirm whether it`s on the minus side, and exactly when carrier cut this week? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report dispatched at 2203 UT March 8