martedì 11 marzo 2014

Glenn Hauser logs March 9-10, 2014

** ALGERIA [non]. 7295, March 10 at 0556, RTA is announcing in French its full relay schedule via FRANCE, not prepared to record or copy, but probably they do so every day circa 0555 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BANGLADESH. 15505, March 10 at 1359, BB very poor with IS, and for a change, the TS ends 3.5 seconds fast 1400:00.

BTW, Swopan Chakroborty, Alan Roe and Ivo Ivanov tell us that BB has made a rare frequency change, replacing 7250 at: 1315-1345 Nepali now on 9455; 1745-1900 English now on 13580. Those should get out better (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. 6070, March 10 at 0552, CFRX in the clear with RHC off, perhaps by 0500 now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake [non] CNR1 jamming, vs Sound of Hope, u.o.s.:

14750, March 10 at 1349, CNR1 jammer, good with flutter

14800, March 10 at 1349, CNR1 jammer, ditto, a reverb apart

13970, March 10 at 1355, CNR1 jammer music, very good with flutter

15375, March 10 at 1355, CNR1 jammer // others, good, this blocking RFA Tibetan via Tajikistan at 12-14 (also 11-13 via UAE)

15590, March 10 at 1355, CNR1 jammer, good with het on lo side from V. of Tibet, 15587 via TAJIKISTAN at 1345-1405 per Aoki. See TIBET [non]

16920, March 10 at 1439, CNR1 jammer, fair with flutter, and at this hour no others found 12-19 MHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. Confusion reigns at RHC, but that`s nothing new; only exacerbated by the imposition of daylight-shifting by Yanqui Imperialism (ha ha, the Cubans certainly didn`t have to go along with it on exact same schedule as USA; in fact, it`s rather pointless in the tropix with less variation in sunrise/sunset times).

In last report I found that on first day of DST, March 9, RHC had moved its Spanish morning schedule one UT hour earlier to end at 1500 (and presumably start at 1100). Based on behavior in previous DST seasons, I was also expecting the 20-21 UT first English broadcast of the day on 11760 to shift to 19-20 UT --- but nothing there at 1905. Not rechecked until 1937, and *now* it`s on with mailbag, so off to a late start --- clueless RadioCuba operator may have needed reminding to turn the transmitter on an hour earlier by UT even tho it`s same local clock time as before. Got with it on March 10 recheck, 11760 already going at 1902, but more daytime absorption. Off the air after 2000 since there`s no French now until 2200 instead of 2100 which used to follow English, // 11880.

Further chex on March 9: European service is still on 13680, at 1940 in French; carrier was on way early circa 1910. After 2000 in Portuguese too as before. Presumably 2030 Arabic, unchecked.

Did not check around 2100, but assumed 13680 and other frequencies would be on an hour earlier instead of from 2200. This did cause `En Contacto`, the DX program to show up at its summer timing of 2244.5 instead of 2340v, as heard best on 13680, also on 11840 VG level but undermodulated; 9810 poor, 9710 fair. So despite missing its Sunday morning airing which should have been at 1335 UT, show still exists, with this edition being #10 for 2014y: only two birthdays to celebrate, then clip of R. Mil XEOY/XEOI; rerun of perennial Rubén Guillermo Margenet `Efemérides` = this week in radio history, starting with PCJ being heard in Saba on 11-12 March 1927.

Tuning in 13680 a bit earlier, at 2240 the Filatelia show was running another quiz; 2243 RHC self-promotion with a clip of Fidel about the inauguration of SWBC back on 1961y, and then multi-lingual IDs, including two incomprehensible ones, ergo *still* not only Quechua, but also Guaraní which was deleted years ago.

Next day March 10 checked at 2102, and confirmed 13680, 11840 undermodulated, 9810 very poor, 9710 poor, all on the air by this hour now; 5040 could also be on this early but inaudible. It is audible by 2212, poor in high noise level, Spanish.

13780, March 10 at 2217, RHC VG in Spanish, but not // 13680; then found 13780 // weak 6000, so those are the separate `Mesa Redonda` TV simulcast, starting as early as 2200 now.

The African service during standard-time season had been on 11880 at 2100 French, 2130 Portuguese, 2200-2300 English. You might assume any change for summer would be one UT hour earlier, but like last summer, these have moved an hour *later*: March 9 at 2230 confirmed opening Portuguese, noting that the music is not distorted but the speech is, and it`s running about 6 seconds behind another PP playout on 15230 (which as heard March 10 at 2215 has additional Portuguese in the previous semihour, also undermodulated; prepeat?). First talking about Amerigo Vespucci, presumably another day-in-history item. And English confirmed now from 2300 and // 5040 which is just becoming audible. However, next day March 10 at 2214, 11880 is missing, and no replacement found anywhere on 11 thru 17 MHz bands. Meant to check whether it was on by 2300 for English, but missed it.

March 9 being Sunday, I also check 15370 at 2235, and find Esperanto is still running then, but undermodulated, crackled and distorted, and with some understation, per Aoki KSDA in Chinese during this hour to its northwest. Not surprising, as at this time, KSDA is a regular with `Wavescan` on clear 15320, at 2236 check.

5040, March 10 at 0552, RHC English service with music // 6000, 6060, 6100, 6165, but 5040 goes to dead air by 0600, and off by 0602, while the 4 x 6 MHz overkills resume another hour of English with IS.

9850, March 10 at 1247, RHC Spanish modulation is cutting out; wiggle that patchcord. This frequency about to go off, but at 1304 check of 19m, the new frequency first heard yesterday, 15370 is gone again, and instead back on 13780, as well as 15340 mixing with HCJB. So was 15370 a mistake (on their roster for tarde services), or an experiment by self-styled propagation expert Arnie Coro? ¿Qué será? ¿Quién sabe?

17730, March 10 at 1403 and later, today`s AWOL frequency, while 17580 is on; not sure whether I was hearing 17730 an hour earlier. At 1405, 15230 has fair signal but JBM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. DST confusion probably accounts for R. Martí getting thru without any jamming, but likely not for long:

5980, March 10 at 1234, R. Martí is jam-free during news quoting Yoani, who is certainly not harmless to The Revolution, and 8:34 timecheck = EDT as vigent both in Little and Big Habanas. // at this time is 7405, which is about equal level to its wall-of-noise jamming. Before and after the DST shift, 5980 is scheduled until 1300, but going by the Cuban clock, they must have figured it would still be finishing at 8 am local time, which is now 1200 instead of 1300 UT.

March 9 at 1906 UT, 11930 is also jamming-free during musical documentary about ``Piano Man``, likely harmless anyway. 11930 is and was registered all the way from 13 to 22 UT, so DST should not make any difference in this case.

11930, March 9 at 1959, R. Martí ID plugged its also being carried by R. Caracol 12-60, at 10-12, presumably meaning pm EDT = 0200-0400 UT. That`s WSUA, 50/20 kW in Miami, per NRC pattern book with the biggest night pattern of any 1260 station, but it`s a big blob favoring the oceanic ESE with a null toward Habana and western Cuba, if that is to believed.

9955, March 9 at 2245, wall-of-noise jamming against WRMI, when `Buscando la Verdad` is scheduled on Sundays, so it`s political? Preceding at 2130-2230 certainly is, `Foro Revolucionario`. IIRC on weekdays this period is not being jammed, despite being non-Spanish, and/or non-political (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EAST TURKISTAN [and non]. 15665, March 10 at 0548 rippling SAH in CCI, partly in Chinese, and maybe Russian; shortly find // music on 15445. Those two are CRI Russian via Kashgar; while other 15665 signal would be CNR1 jamming and/or R. Free Asia Chinese via Saipan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [non]. 15190, March 9 at 2237, R. Africa Network via WRMI remains here with preacher, and 1+ kHz het on the hi side, no doubt poor R. Inconfidência, Brasil`s only active 19m station which has the misfortune to be on the same frequency as Okeechobee. WYFR was also blocking Brasil but before it self-destructed had finally moved off 15190. WRMI of course reactivated 15190 since it`s also replacing R. Africa, Equatorial Guinea`s frequency (with the slight problem of colliding all during December).

Now that Tony Alamo`s victims have been awarded more than a semigigadollar, is he still being heard on this service? One could make the case that this ``ministry`` now needs to raise a *lot* more money even than The Overcomer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUATEMALA. 4055, March 10 at 1236, now that I`m awake this early, find R. Verdad still audible with hymnic harmony but about to fade out. Our sunrise today is 1249; Chiquimula`s was 1209, so getting out a semihour past LSR on this band is doing well (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDIA. 13600-13605-13610, March 9 at 2241 noting DRM noise. Aoki shows it`s AIR Bengaluru at 2245-0045, 250 kW, 58 degrees from Bengaluru toward E Asia; doubt enough signal to have decoded here (Glenn Hauser, OK DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH. 7580, March 10 at 1243, fair signal with orchestral music in semi-sweet Juche style, but not // stronger 9435. That`s because 7580 is VOK Japanese service and 9435 Korean this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [non]. 9775, March 10 at 1351, JBA signal, wonder if R. Free Chosun is back to Uzbekistan? No, from late *1354, VG carrier comes on with some humbuzz, off and back on at *1355 with musical prélude but *not* the same love songs we have been hearing for weeks. Still romantic, but different: first a duet; 1358 a YM solo in English, no more ``At 17`` by YL, but cut off as usual for 1400 opening of RFC, via RVA PHILIPPINES. Now to try to ID the new music, which could cut on as early as 1345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENIGN DIGEST)

** KOREA SOUTH. 15575, March 10 at 1252, fair open carrier with flutter, as KBSWR is still turning this on way early, but now it`s propagating, sufficiently to understand the 1300 English broadcast, good signal if you put up with the flutter. Today`s top news story at 1301: Korean doctors go on strike to protest government medical policies, i.e. against for-profit hospitals and tele-medicine. Govt maintains it`s illegal for doctors to strike, but doctors apologize for harm caused to patients, while scheduling further action on specific dates later in March (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 960, March 10 at 0502 UT during KGWA Enid Fox-hole of open carrier, mix of ABC News, which would be KGKL San Angelo TX and/or KMA Shenandoah IA, --- and a Mexican state anthem, the first few notes of which match the cadence of Chihuahua`s here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvEBTc6U6hY&index=27&list=PL6CA310CE18DB0E1E
Therefore, presumed the only Chihuahuan on this frequency, XEFAMA, Ciudad Camargo, listed in IRCA as 10000/100 watts, but surely not on night power to be heard thusly. WRTH and Cantú show night power 1000 watts, which is more like it. Previously have IDed XEK Nuevo Laredo, but this was not the Tamaulipas anthem. 0500 UT however would not be local midnite in Camargo which is still on MST of UT -7 unlike Juárez on UT -6 or -5 in N Laredo. Did not hear any Mexican NA before or after this. Sked may be skewed on local Sunday nights due to `La Hora Nacional` which airs originally at 0400-0500 UT Mondays = 10-11 pm CST/HCM (Glenn Hauser, Enidi OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. RF 33, KOCB OKC, which has never run any visible DTV subchannels, strangely, March 10 at 2010 UT as I am tuning around, insists on remapping to PSIP displayed as 33-3, yet there is nothing on 33-2 or 33-1. In fact, direct entry of those two remaps to 33-3. Same thing happening on two different Zenith set-top boxes. But as I keep entering these channels, then they start remapping correctly to 34-1. Have not encountered such anomalies on other channels, but unclear whether caused by station or boxes. Ideas? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OMAN. 15355, March 10 at 2236, RSO is good in Arabic, so must have made the QSY from 15140 closer to the proper time of 2200 today, unlike March 6 when 15140 was still running past 2300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ROMANIA. 15160, March 9 at 2238, Spanish here, but not // 17850 and 11940, and rather stilted, so not Madrid which has been on 15160 at least in A-seasons; also // and synch on 13860; 2255 giving full Spanish schedule for RRI. What?? I wish I had copied the details announced, since the 22-23 broadcast for B-13 is supposedly on 9790 and 11870 as uplooked later in EiBi and WRTH. Nothing in HFCC about these other two frequencies for RRI, nor in the WRTH Feb Update. However, Aoki has this RRI Spanish hour on 15160 as starting Nov 4, i.e. a bit later after B-13 began; but not on 13860. They changed both?? Again hearing 13860 // much better 15160, March 10 at 2213 in Spanish, and nothing audible on 9790, 11870 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN. 17850, Sunday March 9 at 2233, REE is amid `Desde el Infierno` hour of spooky music and narration, VG here, and also VG on 11940. Along with Kuwait heavy-fluttery on 17550, these are the only two signals on 16m. Read more about this hellish show in DXLDs: 10-29, 10-38, 10-39, 11-27, 11-32, 11-33, 11-35, 12-07, 12-10 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TIBET [non]. 15520, March 10 at 1405, V. of Tibet is good via MADAGASCAR, atop CCCCCCI from CNR1 jammer. At 1406:47, VOT jumps to 15515, leaving behind a 15520 carrier, presumed jammer, still there at 1414 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More CNR1 jamming under CHINA

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1711 monitoring: confirmed on Area 51 webcast via WBCQ, and presumably 5110v-CUSB, at new DST time of 0300 UT Monday March 10. Next: Tuesday 1100 on WRMI 9955; Wednesday 1300 on WRMI 9955 (it appears that the switch of transmitters and antennas from SSE to NW now occurs at 1300 instead of 1400, contrary to graphic schedule) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 7455, March 9 at 2249, Rick Wiles` `TruNews` which just started last week, has made the DST shift to start one UT hour earlier at *2200 via WRMI. With constant RTTY underneath which has been on 7455 for ages, whence??? Would be annoying if one cared to hear what Wiles and his cohorts are asserting. Also too close for comfort to GREECE 7450 until it`s off circa 2250. Anyhow, good signal from WRMI 7455, but this early, // 5850 is much weaker. Europeans are also complaining of QRM to a Danish coastal utility station on 5850, as discussed in DXLD 14-10 and DXLD yg. Also, at 0553 March 10 check, 5850 has QRM (and vice versa?) from Cuban digital numbers transmission which has been on 5855 for a long time, known to ENIGMA, but not to HFCC. Jeff White says WRMI`s 7455 and 5850 both now run until 1000*.

9955, Monday March 10 at 1248, WRMI, Spanish DX program with report about (from?) Cuba about TV media, and no jamming! *1249 other WRMI carrier overrides, but at next check 1253 it`s off, so `Antena DX` is clearly heard, the only DX program from Panamá. Typical double signals for WRMI-11 warmup prior to 315-degree switch from WRMI-10 on 160-degree antenna, which before DST was occurring one real UT hour later.

The graphic frequency schedule effective March 8 still shows the switch at 1400, but all programming is one hour earlier now, and so is the switch, which means that own WRMI programming which had been on NW beam at 14-15 is now at 13-14 but still on NW antenna, including WORLD OF RADIO Wednesdays at 1300. Today at 1259 immediately after Antena DX is a generic `Scoreboard` promo with no scores, instead touting being heard in various world cities, as also heard some previous morns; sports director on holiday? Also, March 10 at 1400 on 9955, all-day Brother Scare has started an hour earlier than before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA [non] concerning jamming

** U S A [and non]. 12105, March 10 at 1353, WTWW-3 is still not on in Russian, so RFA Burmese via SAIPAN is clear. Then check the other WTWWs: 9930 and 9475 also absent, since they are still on nite channels 5085 and 5830 at 1354. Yesterday March 9, first day of DST, all three day channels had come on circa 1300, to stay at 8 am CT, but as I pointed out, each with an additional hour of co-channel QRM. So will the standard QSY now be at 1300 or 1400? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 17775, March 10 at 1402, KVOH already with VG signal, finally propagating this early which has not been the case during winter. Spanish modulation is still not smooth, best described as somewhat choppy, a sound we sometimes hear on webfeeds with inadequate bitrate, so is this one from studio to transmitter? However, promptly updated March 9 KVOH schedule on website shows transmissions have shifted an hour earlier, now Spanish M-F 1300-1900 on 17775, English UT Sun & Mon 0200-0400 on 9975 (including AWR Wavescan now at 0200 UT Mondays). So maybe it will resume not propagating as early as 1300. Simi sunrise today was not until 1412, but will reach as early as 1243 by June. Yes, another check of 17775 at 1959 finds it already off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 770, March 10 at 1315 UT I am standing by for KKOB Albuquerque to cut on 50 kW ND day pattern, and so it does, right on time in mid-word, discussion of Democratic NM gubernatorial primary candidates; tho it or the Santa Fe fill-in repeater was weakly audible before. How long it lasts is steadily diminishing with earlier sunrises, but at Marchbegin was a good 60 minutes (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 9741-SSB, March 10 at 0558, colloquial Spanish ``puta-madre`` 2-way intruders, hard to understand anything else; presumably poachers or narcos circuMexico (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report dispatched at 0055 UT March 11