giovedì 22 maggio 2014

Glenn Hauser logs May 21-22, 2014

** ALASKA. 9910, May 22 at 1300, KNLS 8-note IS for two minutes, interrupted by Chinese ID in the middle. Notice the seventh note of the IS changes from one iteration to the next; 1302 programming starts, poor signal, seems with noise QRM, ute or jamming? I wonder if the KNLS English hour is really on 9920 at 15-16 and audible, when I am seldom monitoring (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BANGLADESH. 15505, May 22 at 1357 JBA carrier, just too weak to detect the BB IS or the misTS. At least it`s on today; Dan Sheedy on Swami`s Beach, California says they were having transmitter problems May 20, mostly off or unmodulated until 1429* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. 6m Es maps show central USA activity again, nothing toward Mexico so I retry to get something from Canada with antenna NNE, UT May 22, and finally succeed for the first time this year:

0042 on 2, fade-in ad in English for Sleep Country (mattresses?); in & out, mostly out, weak signal

0106 on 2, Sears ad; 0110 drama with actor credits, in long-delayed opening after lengthy prologue; anvil bangs give it away as `Law & Order`, which I soon find is what`s scheduled this hour on CTV stations in Ontario.

0117 on 3, L`Oreal ad, and it`s // 2, so another CTV station. 0123 on two TVs I briefly match the audio as synchronized.

Hepburn ch 2 and 3 maps show there are two analog CTV in Ontario on each channel, network key: B. W9WI.com now lacks network info for most Canadians but has the technical details. On 2 it`s a toss-up which, as they are close to same distance, same power and close enough to QRM each other, and in fact there is some CCI:

Sault Ste Marie, ON CHBX-TV   100,000 182 - H 46-35-40N 084-21-00W OP
Wiarton, ON         CKCO-TV-2 100,000 286 - H 44-56-41N 081-07-54W OP

On 3, Elliot Lake at 1684 km = 1046 mi is closer to the ch 2 stations, but Timmins has 5 times the power, at 1904 km = 1183 mi, which is certainly possible, but geography probably trumps ERP:
Elliot Lake, ON     CICI-TV-1  19,000 122 Z H 46-25-47N 082-40-09W OP
Timmins, ON         CITO-TV   100,000 147 +dH 48-32-50N 080-57-08W OP

BTW, on my DTV set I keep hoping for CKPR from Thunder Bay, but still no luck --- Maybe because it`s only 1.2 kW as a ``full-power`` station, which it really was in the analog era and often seen:
Thunder Bay, ON     CKPR-DT     1,200 366   H 48-31-27N 089-06-53W OP 
                                                          2.1:E:CBC

Here the ch 2 and 3 sigs remain weak, in and out, so hardly looks like there could be an MUF into FM --- but I see that Rob Ross in London Ont was getting North Enid`s KNID 107.1 around 0140; and many others were getting KS/OK DX, so I switch to FM tuning on the porch with PL-880 at 0150-0200 UT --- but no sporadic E to be heard on the lower part of the band, just some minor tropo from what turned out to be Arkansas; see U S A (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. 15600, May 22 at 1236, poor signal in Asian language with RTTY QRM. Aoki shows it`s CRI Malaysian via Kunming at 1230-1327; tsk2, CRI getting QRMed!! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. CNR1 jamming morning of May 22: still quite a while since I have found any Firedrake jamming.

15565, May 22 at 1351, CNR1 jammer, very poor but // 19000; no het audible from V of Tibet; and none in the 18s, 17s, 16s, 14s, 13s, 12s

18980, May 22 at 1240, CNR1 jammer, fair vs unheard RFA Tibetan via Kuwait, the Mon & Thu frequency for the 12-13 hour, per Aoki. None in the 17s, 16s, 14s, 13s, 12s by 1243

19000, May 22 at 1347, CNR1 jammer, good with flutter, vs unheard RFA Tibetan via Kuwait, its Thursday-only frequency during this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 17730, May 22 at 1349, RHC is just barely modulated; slightly better on // 17580, barely modulated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NORTH AMERICA. 7330-AM, May 22 at 0402, Station YHWH barely audible in the noise level, but recognizable intonation. Would never have found it without timely tip from Ron Howard (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. Recently noticed that KSBI RF 51 was displaying as 52-3 and 52-4, no 52-1 or 52-2, strange. Then May 22 at 1409 UT I find that 52-3 and 52-4 are // rather than separate programming, both with PSIP ID as KSBI-HD, and the middle section of the screen is overtaken by a black box saying ``KSBI is installing new antenna. Rescan your TV. See re-scanokc.com``. It`s hard to read on screen due to severe breakup rather than usual sufficient signal. That website is generic with basic instruxions, promoting up to 39 ``free`` TV channels if you do that.

New antenna? That`s not all: new channel! KSBI had a CP for RF 23 and now it`s on, with no breakup, remapping to 52-1 KSBI-HD and 52-2 KSBI-SD, the latter with THIS network, not Tuff as in W9WI.com

FCC TV Query shows no change in antenna coordinates, ERP 1000 kW on old and new channels. However, the new antenna is evidently much lower on the same tower, 330.7 m AAT instead of 457.9 m; will it ultimately be back up on top??

The upper-UHF stations of course are now migrating to lower channels before the upper ones are auxioned off. How does this change area DX around here? RF 23 has several translators in outlying areas which might now have a QRM problem and be forced to move: Idabel, Ponca City, Strong City, Tulsa, Weatherford. Idabel is safely in the far SE corner, but closest to OKC are Weatherford and Ponca.

RF51 will soon be open once KSBI turns off its old transmitter; unless they have already migrated too, there are numerous TX stations listed, a couple with high power; an LP in Tulsa; and a translator in Seiling OK. We assume the LP in Wichita has already turned off 51 as we`ve seen its new lower channel.

BTW, KSBI is to be applauded for more local origination programming than its major-network counterparts (altho KSBI gave up on meteorology and even news in the face of cutthroat 4-way competition already):

Notably the new `OK! TV`, weekdays at 2:30-3 pm CDT; and `Oklahoma Live!` at 4-5 pm, repeated at 4:30-5:30 am; `Wild Card`, a quiz show at 6:30-7 pm repeated at midnight --- outgrowth of high school and college-level quiz shows already for the past few years (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. RF 31 & 32, KXOK-LD in Enid, May 22 at 1645 UT, still running nothing but infomercials (apparently), and still with no sound! What a sorry excuse for a TV station. And still same situation on non-Spanish subchannels (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SARAWAK [non]. 15430, May 22 at 1226, presumed Iban talk mentioning ``Berita``, from Radio Free Sarawak via RVA PHILIPPINES, 1228 chanting to 1230*; poor signal, but at least audible today unlike yesterday. No jamming heard here, but S. Hasegawa, Japan says today RFS started before 1100 on 15430, switched at 1145 to 15420; while jamming started at 1140 on 15420, and at 1156 on 15430, i.e. reverse frequencies; fooled `em? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 9955, May 22 at 1403, WRMI not with BS/TOM like 9930 WTWW and 9980 WWCR et al., but some other preacher. Perhaps the same one heard an hour earlier after 1300? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** THAILAND. Heard on the news that now it`s official: military coup in Thailand, and normal TV programming has been replaced with loops announcing the takeover. Unfortunately, I missed the 1230 R. Thailand English broadcast (if any), and at 1400, 9390 with a too poor signal. Fortunately, Chuck Bolland in FL was listening at 1230 today May 22:

``Thailand, 9390.026, Radio Thailand World Service, presumed, 1227-1259, Noted a weak carrier on 9390.026 prior to 1230. However, on the half hour Thai music is heard. This continues during the listening period to 1236 when a male person comments. No details are available since the signal is very weak and being chewed up by an annoying carrier. Following the few comments, the music continues. 9390.026 was the best heard frequency and only in upper side band. This time slot (1230-1300 UT) for Radio Thailand World Service is reserved for
the English language according to the recent WRTH 2014. I can still see Thailand's weak carrier on the display at 1255, but no audio heard by then. Thailand's carrier disappears by 1300. Chuck Bolland, May 22, 2014, Excalibur, 26N 081W`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. 7457-USB, May 22 at 1310, AF MARS net ``SIM2`` with NCS AFE4TS calling state by state Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina. A few replies, all weaker to inaudible here; such as AFF4MS in Coldwater (that`s helpful, now revealing towns, this one near Senatobia MS, just south of Memphis TN). AFF4MS is a.k.a. AFA4CL, the State MARS Director. AFE4TS in Tennessee is a.k.a. AFA4NQ, the Division Technical Services Manager, and the Division Training Manager, both for the Southeast Division. There is also a het from an Asian broadcaster on 7460, tho weakening; Aoki shows VOA Korean via Philippines (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1721 monitoring: confirmed on new WBCQ broadcast, Wednesday May 21 at 2100 on webcast, but JBA carrier here on 7490v.

WORLD OF RADIO 1722 monitoring: confirmed on first SW airing, UT Thursday May 22 at 0330 on WRMI-10, 9955 – barely, as weak signal vs pulse jamming; tnx a lot, Arnie! Also confirmed on next airing, Thursday May 22 at 1230 on WRMI-10, 9955; also with pulse jamming, TALA, but generally readable above it.

As usual, this airing is disturbed by WRMI itself, turning on the WRMI-11 transmitter about 1257 with open carrier overriding most of WRMI-10 and the jamming; 1258 adding modulation for one minute of clear WOR until over. 1259 ID by the sports guy, but no `Scoreboard`, just fill music, and 1300 into unID preacher. Next:

Thu 2100 on WBCQ, 7490v, NEW! (How far does this get out in sprummer?)
Thu 2101 on WTWW, 9475
UT Fri 0327v on WWRB, 5050 (we hope; something else aired last week)
Sat 0630 & 1430 on Hamburger Lokalradio, 7265-CUSB
Sat 2330 on WTWW, 9930 (we hope; missing lately)
UT Sun 0030 on WRMI, 9495 (could be previous edition)
UT Sun 0401 on WTWW, 5830
UT Mon 0300 on Area 51 via WBCQ, 5110v-CUSB
Tue 1100 on WRMI, 9955
Wed 0630 & 1430 on Hamburger Lokalradio, 7265-CUSB
Wed 1315 on WRMI, 9955
Wed 2100 on WBCQ, 7490v, NEW
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 90.7, May 22 at 0152 UT as I am looking for Es from Ontario on reverse path, instead I find Harold Camping on a frequency where I don`t normally hear him, too steady to be Es; 0158 ``Be Still, My Soul``, 0159 ID for Family Radio, KEAF-FM, Fort Smith AR. WTFDA FM database shows power as 26 kW vertical only, and HAAT of 636 meters, which is way up there. Must be on a mountain, but not Mount Magazine where KMAG 99.1 is, per its different coordinates, but achieving only 600m HAAT.

93.1, May 22 at 0157 UT, two ads for something in Batesville AR, i.e., KZLE, 99 kW H & V at 300 meters. A good haul on the portable with whip only, city-to-city distance of 565 km = 351 statute miles = 305 nautical miles (good to know in case of a flood) (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report dispatched at 1715 UT May 22