giovedì 9 ottobre 2014

Glenn Hauser logs October 7-8-9, 2014

** ALBANIA. 11775, Oct 8 at 0515, good signal in Arabic, holding its own against 11780 Brasil: CRI at 05-07 via Cërrik, better than // 9515, 9590 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ANGUILLA. 11775, Oct 9 at 1313, no signal from DGS (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRALIA. 15300, 15240, 13630, Oct 8 at 0513, no signals from RA, which have normally been good to very good. Propagation is degraded and not much else on these bands either, but not sure if Sheps are really off the air at the moment. 24 hours later, 13630 is weak but audible.

9580 & 12065, Oct 8 at 1128, RA live coverage of the Lunar eclipse, with visual references as if we could be watching it on the radio --- so it`s `The World` TV newscast or whatever they may have renamed it, shifted one UT hour earlier to 11-12 instead of 12-13, due to otherwise irrelevant DST in NSW & Victoria which just started Oct 5.

It turns out this has caused a major revamp in SW programming, not merely shifting everything one UT hour earlier. One cannot necessarily believe the accuracy of everything in RA`s online program guide, but once making sure it displays UT instead of London as ``my local time``, we find that `The World` is supposedly only on Tue & Fri at 11-12, which makes no sense for a major daily(?) newscast, and anyway this is Wednesday! `The Daily Planet` of world music is gone from 13-14, as `Unearthed`, music I dislike from JJJ is now at 13-17, what a waste! as rap already heard Oct 9 at 1345 past 1400, no break even for news; but soon an ad for Triple-J T-shirts. This date // 9475 also audible past 1400 with WTWW`s failure to QSY from 5830.

`Late Night Live`, the excellent ABC talkshow, however, now appears at 12-13 [Mon-Thu only?], confirmed Oct 9 just before 1300.

Further chex of the skeds as displayed Oct 9: claims `The World` is two hours on Fridays at 11-13, but probably missing an entry for 12-13; `Saturday Night Country` is to last from 12 to 15 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1742, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. RHC is really having problems tonight. Never a dull moment with this poorly managed and engineered plant:

6165, Oct 9 at 0610, English service is distorted and suppressed modulation, also splashing way out during music; 6000 is off the air, but 6100 and 6060 are nominal.

5025, Oct 9 at 0611, R. Rebelde Spanish audio is mixed with RHC English audio! Furthermore there are *two* transmitters on this frequency, making a SAH of 96/min = 1.6 Hz. Spanish is slightly louder and there is so much cacophony I am wondering it there is a second Spanish audio in a three-way mix, maybe RHC too (5040 is off, as normally in English until 0600). By next check 1256, R. Rebelde is alone again on 5025 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ECUADOR. 6050, Oct 8 at 1115, fair signal in Spanish from HCJB preaching about Apocalipsis (Revelation); I`m up to view the total Lunar eclipse; by 1130, HCJB signal is fading down (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRAN. 7355, Oct 9 at 1321, VIRI IS on poor signal, 1323 s/on, NA, Qur`an, 1327 language unknown, 1330 chimes and news theme, not // Arabic on 13785. Surprised to hear Iran on 40m at this time, but must be close enough to short-path grayline, half a sesquihour after sunrise here, and half a sesquihour before sunset in Tehran at 1407 UT. Aoki shows thus starts a 3-hour, 500 kW, non-direxional broadcast from nearby Kamalabad in the Kirmanji dialect of Kurdish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MALI. 5995, Oct 9 at 0558, open carrier, presumed ORTM and no ACI, so I keep listening hoping to hear sign-on, but dead air with maybe a trace of modulation which could also be overload/crosstalk from something else. RHC is still conveniently absent from 6000 by 0604 when I give up on still dead-air 5995 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 610 // 650, Oct 8 at 1201, news sounders, Spanish, `Panorama Agropecuario` as XEGS Guasave and XETNT Los Mochis, Sinaloans are combined as usual for this program, and synchronized (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 880, Oct 8 at 1204, YL DJ ID as ``La Rancherita``, and she does live ads including Molinos Siglo XX, then government PSA combines federal SEP with Sinaloa mention, so it must be per Cantú:
880 XEPNK Planeta + FM 103.5 Los Mochis, Sin. 10,000 2,000
but with a new name. This handy listing by format of Grupo Radio México stations,
http://www.gradiomex.com/estaciones-por-formato/
confirms 880 XEPNK is indeed La Rancherita now; apparently moved from their 1450 station, XECU which is now La Zeta. Did this change make it into the new IRCA Mexican Log? Haven`t seen it yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MICRONESIA. 4755.5+, Oct 8 at 1157, PMA The Cross carrier until autocutoff at 1159:32* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NORTH AMERICA. On Oct 4 received nice e-QSL from John Poet of The Crystal Ship for my last log of it with `Bubblegum Express`:
http://www.w4uvh.net/TCS eQSL Glenn Hauser.png
illustrated with gummy album covers, for ``Sept 26, 2014, 0030-0110 UTC 6876 kHz AM Glenn Hauser`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 5020, Oct 8 at 1157, no signal from SIBC, must have cut off early? I think the carrier was there at first check circa 1113 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 9955, Oct 9 at 0553, ``you`re a low-down lyin` son-of-a-bitch, who wants to control people like Jim Jones``, etc., as Brother Scare is playing clip of a dissatisfied caller, thus proving he can take it. Exactly same thing heard again as I tune by 11825 at 1314, both via WRMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1741 monitoring: confirmed the Wednesday 1315 airing on WRMI 9955, checked Oct 8 at 1340, after a post-Eclipse nap, with lite pulse jamming, tnx a lot, Arnie! Also confirmed on webcast of 7490 WBCQ after 2100 Wednesday; and on WRMI 9955, at 0350 UT Thursday Oct 9, fair signal; 1742 not quite finished yet.

WORLD OF RADIO 1742 monitoring: first SW broadcast at 1230 Thursday Oct 9 confirmed at 1256 check, atop RFI CCI from Taiwan, no jamming audible. Next:
UT Friday 0326v on WWRB 3185 (we hope: missed last two weeks due to internet outages; and not on long-gone 3195 as still listed by ODXA)
Friday 2130 on WRMI 7570 & 15770 (no longer repeating previous ones)
Saturday 0630 & 1430 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB
UT Sunday 0131 on KVOH 9975
Sunday 2300 on WRMI 11580
UT Monday 0259v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB
Tuesday 1100 on WRMI 9955
Wednesday 0630 & 1430 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB
Wednesday 1315 on WRMI 9955
Wednesday 2100 on WBCQ 7490v
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9330-CUSB, Oct 9 at 0043, quick check on ATS-909 next to noisy computer finds music on there, so WBCQ programs something not yet on their online schedule which shows nothing but `Money Talk` M-F 22-23, and `AWWW` UT Sat 00-01[+]; But what is it? I`ve asked Larry Will. 9330 has the best WBCQ signal, so ought to prioritize it. This prompted by item from Wolfgang Büschel in BC-DX:

``9329.986 but noted signal also in range 9328.7 to 9336.4 kHz upper sideband signal, WBCQ The Planet, Monticello, sermon prayer monitored at 0158-0200 UT on Oct 4. Mentioned expanded program Mon-Thurs popular program 8-9 pm ET. S=8 or -79dBm here in Germany. Jack Armstrong show talk, and Thomas Jackson ... (wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Oct 2 / 4)``

** U S A. 5830, Oct 8 at 1117, open carrier/dead air except for some hum, from WTWW-1. Remains dead at further chex 1155, but canned ID fires at 1200, back to DA. So the lack of programming could be upline from Lebanon, maybe nothing coming out of SFAW HQ; or the satellite(?) receiver/computer at WTWW has crashed.

1216 occasional noises; 1300 another ID, more DA; still so at 1411, and has also failed to QSY to 9475 leaving R. Australia unscathed; 1431 my final check, still the same on 5830. Until now recently, random chex of WTWW had found it funxioning more or less normally. Wake up, Ted! Over 3 hours of dead air and wasted 100 kW(?) juice, probably much more overnight. Why does SFAW HQ put up with this?

Back at 1117 I also checked WTWW-2 on 5085, and that was OK with the usual moanin` & groanin` from the sunrise Brother Scare service during this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Photos from Oct 7 tropo TVDX, UT:

1416 on RF 18, KFSM-DT as 5-1, and KXNW-MY as 5-2, the latter with 34 bug in LR; photoed. KXNW major channel is 34 in Eureka Springs, but also on a bunch of minor channels including this, from Fort Smith: KFSM is 550 kW
http://www.w4uvh.net/KXNW-MY.jpg

1448 on RF 21, KHBS-DT as 40-1; ARK-CW as 40-2. Photoed the latter; still in at 1528. Clock on program guide/ID registers CST 9:00 AM at 1500 UT, not CDT! 325 kW from Fort Smith AR.http://www.w4uvh.net/ARK-CW.jpg
[flash by accident, yet produces sharper image than some others]
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Another tropo TV/FM DX opening morning of Oct 8, from further west than yesterday, around the Texas Panhandle, all times UT:

1443 on RF 9, DTV 2-1 as KACV-HD, and 2-2 as KACV-SD (but no others), i.e. PBS from Amarillo. 2-2 is in Spanish! with PBS` V ME network with kidvid but after 1500 tips for expectant mothers. V ME means ``watch me``; why they don`t spell it VE ME is not clear. First time I`ve seen it on any PBS outlet, certainly not on the others around here. 1458 ID break says it`s sponsored by, ``un servicio de Panhandle.``

Full VHF/UHF bandscan finds no other AMA stations decoding, altho KACV is in solid. Other major RF channels there are 7, 10, 15, 19, of which 7 and 15 are blocked by OKC.

1447 on RF 44, intriguing Bad signal here, but there are no full-powers in the TX panhandle, just a bunch of LPs or translators, closest being Gruver, K44CC-D, 420 watts relaying KFDA-10 Amarillo.
Also no greater than 15 kW in Hereford, Lubbock, Memphis, Midland, Wichita Falls.

From OK I am also getting as far east as KTEN RF 26 Ada; also KWET RF 8 Cheyenne from the west.

I also do a full analog bandscan, but nothing seen. It appears all the western OK/TX panhandle analog translators ch 52-69 are now gone, migrated to DTV lower channels, as none listed in W9WI.com presumably drawn from the latest FCC info. The *only* possibility listed in this DX area is, but not seen:

Analog 69, KDFL-LP, 15 kW in Lubbock with Azteca network; really ON? There are still a few in the 52-69 band in extreme S Texas, Mexico, Montana and Canada. Listed at channel 67 is an application from K48NY-D in Gainesville TX (near the OK border toward The Metroplex), which would be an interesting catch if it really exist on 67 instead of 48.

Meanwhile, I check the 88-92 FM band for anything unusual, finding only: 89.5, High Plains Public Radio, 100/100 kW near Spearman TX, at the Top o` Texas, KTOT. 1500 UT announcement asks for people to volunteer as signal monitors! (with so many unattended satellites & translators they need help keeping track of outages).

Local ID on 89.5 jointly with [unheard] KZNZ 91.5 Elkhart KS, which is only 250 watts: evidently KZNZ picks up KTOT to relay; no IDs now for all the other HPPR stations in OK, KS and CO. After NPR news, at 1506 UT, weather for all regions starting with Amarillo & Guymon, and into `High Plains Morning`, unclassical music presumably originating from HQ near Garden City. Still in at 1559, but by 1606 starting to lose out to adjacent local 89.7 (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 610, Oct 8 at 0533, Spanish roughly from SW, atop KCSP Omaha, ID(?) as Radio Viva, plugging a noticiero. XEBX Sabinas, Coahuila, and XEGS Guasave, Sinaloa are the two XEs I normally get on 610, but there is no R. Viva slogan listed for them or anything in Cantú`s AM list except XEF 1420 Juárez, Chihuahua (and there is no CiJz on 610 in case it`s cross-promotion of a sibling station; Viva slogan used to be on 1560 Juárez). Possibly the word was Vida instead, but that leads nowhere at all. Rather than a name/slogan, ``radio viva`` could just mean ``live radio`` generically, altho the normal term would be ``en vivo`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 740, Oct 8 at 1203 UT, with KRMG Tulsa nulled still on night pattern, Spanish making low audible heterodyne. Tim Tromp in Michigan has also been getting this, with a Radio Fórmula slogan, of which there are two listed: XECAQ in Cancún QR, and XEQN in Torreón, Coahuila. KAZ wonder if I could tell which by DF? Afraid not, too much KRMG here, but QR is a lot further than Coahuila which would be more likely, and also better null angle from KRMG. However XECAQ is the strongest 740 Mexican by far per Cantú with 20/20 kW, while XEQN is 10/1 kW. Sunrise in Cancún was 1140 UT, also making the other more likely. KRMG`s night hours in Oct are 2345-1230 UT (Nov: 2315-1300 UT). Beyond that, no chance for anything else (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 930, Oct 8 at 1208 UT with WKY OKC nulled while it is speaking in Spanish, another SS is audible playing a corrida, making fast SAH with WKY or something; 1211 UT announcement but unreadable, just too much QRM. As last year, I am wondering if it`s KHJ Los Ángeles CA, 5/5 kW U2 with ranchera format. No other SS are known in the western USA on 930. There are no Mexicans further northwest than XESHT in Saltillo, Coahuila, and its balada format would also fit, altho it`s low-powered and pretty far from the WKY null azimuth (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 11889-SSB, approx., Oct 9 at 0556, 2-way in not Spanish, or rather 1-way as I hear only one station with long pauses, intruder, anyway (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 15278 approx., Oct 9 at 1408, 2-way SSB briefly audible, intruding, language unknown (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 16000-SSB, Oct 9 at 1343, 2-way in Spanish, or rather 1-way as I hear only one station with long pauses (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report despatched at 1928 UT October 9