martedì 7 luglio 2015

Glenn Hauser logs July 5-6, 2015


** CANADA. 680, July 6 at 0606 UT, tune in just at right time to hear ``Coast to Coast on 680 CJOB``, i.e. 50/50 kW U4 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Night pattern is supposed to go entirely NNE, while day pattern has a little tail to the south; hmmm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [non]. 13755, July 6 at 1402, fair-good signal in non-Mandarin, on the way to Vietnamese, so assume it is really Cantonese as scheduled this hour only from Radio Free Asia via TINIAN, rather than ChiCom jamming which would be Mandarin on CNR1. Per Aoki, CRI is in fact scheduled on this same frequency from Kashgar before and after the 14-15 hour; how nicely coördinated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also INDIA [and non]

** INDIA [and non]. 13710, July 6 at 1327, pop instrumental sure sounds Chinese, so CRI already on here? 1329 announcement in non-Chinese, presumably Tibetan as usual on misfeed into Bengaluru site, since at 1330, AIR switches to English and opening General Overseas Service announcing 9690, 11620 and 13710 to east and southeast Asia; 1331 news. 

Then I check 9690 and find it almost as good at 13710 which is only poor, but both QRM-less. AIR has a Tibetan service at 1215-1330 supposed to be on three other SW frequencies, but this switching pattern means we never get to hear the wonderful AIR IS before 1330! 9690 seems synchronized with 13710 tho 9690 is Delhi and 13710 is Bengaluru; 11620 is as usual inaudible, really on from Delhi? 

By 1359 there is ChiCom QRM on 13710, CRI English via Kashgar, but today AIR unusually remains atop as Indian music continues past 1400 hourbottom. Aoki shows all three English frequencies are jammed by the ChiCom, since too many Chinese now understand English. This jamming is usually noise rather than CNR1 or Firedragon, and not so obvious over here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** MEXICO. 610, July 6 at 0525 UT, ``La Primera, son tres y cuarto`` --- if I heard that right, automated time-checker is way off! But at 0552 UT back in whack with ```BX, La Primera, 12:52``, i.e. XEBX, Sabinas, Coahuila, 5/0.5 kW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 690, July 6 at 0554 UT, obituary for Jacobo Zabludovsky, well-known news anchorman, formerly TV, and whose radio talkshow in the afternoons had been replaying late at night on XEN México DF, which is surely what I am hearing again now. He died July 2 at age 87. We already had an obit from Raymie Humbert with some audio-video linx in the latest DXLD, http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1526.txt (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 720, July 6 at 0557 UT, full ID including: ``La Kaliente, Grupo Imagen, Multimedia, 105.7 FM, y 720 AM, La Kaliente; Colonia Universitaria (o Universidad)``; WGN has faded out at the moment, then comes back making slow SAH. Often it`s the other way around, with WGN suffering the slow SAH from this, which is XEDE, 8/0.25 kW, Saltillo, Coahuila. (I thought they said 103.7, but listed as 105.7 on FM) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** MEXICO. 860, July 6 at 0602 UT, ID including ``XENL, Radio Recuerdo, 860 AM y 103.7 HD3, cinco décadas, Multimedios``. Listed as 5/2 or 5/1.5 kW from Monterrey NL; KKOW KS not a problem even nulling XENL, close to right angles. The FM upon which it is a mere HD3 signal is: XHFMTU-FM, 100 kW, Milenio Radio // AM 1090 on main channel per WTFDA database (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA. 9690-, July 6 at 0614, Voice of Nigeria, Hausa interview on phone, undermodulated, also synchronized on weaker // 7255- (the 15 & 17 MHz bands are dead even from Africa in case 15120 be in use) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA [non]. 13775, July 6 at 0611, VG signal from Nigerian Armed Forces Radio, via FRANCE, during lively non-English vocal music, about same level as RFI`s only English hour on 13725 (and stronger than RFI Hausa on 13750). NAFR also on much weaker 11825, and this time it`s // and synchronized with 13775. At 0620, Hausa announcement over music slowly spelling out something. Still mostly music and I awaken just enough to catch the cutoff at 0700* without announcement. This is the seventh day of the ``one-week test starting June 30``, so will it continue, I ask Jeff White? He replies on July 6:

``Right now the plan is for tomorrow to be the last day of the tests. Then they will evaluate and decide whether to continue. Lately it has been one bilingual program on both frequencies. Jeff. Sent from my iPhone`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1420-, July 6 at 1240 UT, Oklahoma news mentioning the 77 counties, so KTJS Hobart in better than usual? NO! It`s the spur from local KCRC 1390-, also referencing KNID.com and also audible on 1360+; 1246 UT ID as ``ESPN Radio 1390, KCRC`` heard on 1420-. Fundamental 1390 is noticeably off-frequency slightly to the low side. These spurs, also slightly off and beating against any legit 1360 or 1420 stations, have been constant since I first reported them January 20. See discussion in http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1505
Altho I have not kept relogging them lately. They had been nothing but weak hets, so now they have worsened reaching detectable modulation levels (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAPUA NEW GUINEA [non]. 12025, July 6 at 0613, silly ballgame with good signal from the new NBC National Radio relay via AUSTRALIA.

6075, July 6 at 1255, poor signal with talk, can`t tell if accented English or Tok-Pisin; 1256 music past 1300; 1301 outro as ``all the way from the Solomon Islands`` and switch to presumed news in English. NO signal on 12025 now, and 6075 is gone by 1322 check, a bihour after sunrise here. Has anyone noted how much Tok-Pisin they are uttering?

Ralph Perry tells the DXLD yg, Definitive information received from NBC:

``The program you were listening to is part of our broadcast for the coverage of the 15th Pacific Games hosted by the country for the 3rd time. The first was in 1969 and the last was in 1991.

The current shortwave service is provided by Broadcast Australia from transmitters based in Townsville. This is a temporary measure so that the NBC can provide coverage of the games for the whole of the country. 

We are working towards purchasing our own SW transmitters and hopefully this will be in operation by the beginning of 2016. [N.B.!]

For your information tune into 6075 khz from 5am to 8am (PNG time), 8am to 8 pm 9860 khz (PNGTime) or the Pacific Islands frequency of 12025 khz from 8am to 8pm (PNG time)``

That in UT +10 converts to UT: 6075 at 19-22 UT, 9860 and 12025 at 22-10 UT. They OMIT the local evening broadcast on 6075 which I have just heard here in our morning! So no matter how ``definitive``, we continue also to doubt they really know what site is being used, at least for some of it --- 100 kW Shepparton, judging from the strength way over here on 6075 and 12025. Brandon site, it seems, has been re-branded ``Townsville`` for the larger nearby city. 

Chuck Albertson in Seattle, Washington adds, ``AUSTRALIA. Very good signal 12025 at 0624 7/6, carrying NBC of PNG broadcast of football game. I had read ABC de-commissioned the Brandon SW facility a few months back due to austerity cuts by the Abbott government, but according to WRTH 2015 the site is owned by a Canadian pension fund`` 

Here`s exactly what WRTH says on page 449: ``Broadcast Australia is the national transmitter network operator and is owned by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Has purchased 2 x 100 kW DRM-ready transmitters for use at Shepparton and Tenant[sic] Creek``. Holdings include: 7 x 100 kW at Shepparton, 3 x 10 kW at Brandon (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1780 monitoring: confirmed Sunday July 5 at 2100 on WRMI 15770, and at 2300 on 11580, sufficients. Presumably also UT Monday July 6 at 0330 on 9955, still scheduled. Also confirmed on Area 51 via WBCQ, 5110-CUSB, UT Monday July 6 at 0300 (listening first on webcast, JL was still going at 0300 but cut to ID and WOR). Next:
Tue 1100 on WRMI 9955
Wed 0630 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB
Wed 1315 on WRMI 9955 
Wed 1430 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB
Wed 2100 on WBCQ 7490v
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 600, July 6 at 0450 UT, surprised to hear country music here, soon ID as ``Classic Country KSJB``; 0454 UT a fuller ID mentioning ``Now with improved signal and sound quality covering 25,400 miles``, then fades down. C&W music continues past 0500 UT and 0501 UT segué without any further ID.

``Covering 25,400 miles`` would be a neat trick, about the circumference of the Earth! They probably mean *square* miles, which if it were circular, which it isn`t, would mean a radius of 90 miles, surely too little for 5 kW at 600 kHz. Even the ``local`` contour is more than that at 

Yes, it does seem something has changed, as this 5/5 kW U3 Jamestown ND station is a rarity here, where 600 is normally a tossup between WMT IA and KTBB TX (sometimes an annoying second apart with same network talkshows). In fact my only previous log of KSJB was inconclusive, Dec 30, 2012 as in

NRC Pattern Book shows both day and night it`s a figure-8, NE/SW, which means we should normally be getting some signal to the south; with nulls toward Cedar Rapids and Saskatoon. This log was on the RF-569D, which permanently stays on a wall so that it favors N/S signals.

FCC info for facility 10778 shows KSJB is licensed for 5.0 kW unlimited direxional, but with APPlication for 1.25 day/0.5 night, ND2. Or rather the ND low powers are for Special Temporary Authority. It sounds to me like they have just gone back to the Unlimited license. This explains it from the Correspondence file of August 12, 2014:


``This is in reference to the request filed July 22, 2014, on behalf of Chesterman Communications of Jamestown, Inc. ("Chesterman"). Chesterman requests special temporary authority ("STA") to operate
station KSJB(AM) with temporary facilities.' In support of the request, Chesterman states KSJB(AM) is embarking on a technical update of its transmitting facilities which involves the replacement of all three towers, the phasing and matching equipment and the feed lines. 

Chesterman requests temporary operation from another antenna structure located on the same property as the AM array. Specifically, KSJB(AM) requests STA to operate on the FM tower of co-owned FM station KSJZ(FM). A temporary nondirectional operation is proposed both day and night with a daytime power of 1.25 kilowatts and a nighttime power of 250 watts. [. . .]

The STA facility is limited to a non-directional daytime power of 215 watts and a non-directional nighttime power of 237 watts in order to protect Canadian station CJWW at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.``

Nothing found about this at own site http://www.ksjbam.com/ but I see they have a polka show Sundays at 19-21 UT! And lots of farming stuff (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VATICAN [non]. 11890, July 6 at 1227 tone test ~1 kHz, 1230 JIP a Vatican Radio theme and Chinese sign-on, without any regular IS or ``Laudetur Iesus Christus`` that I can make out. Aoki shows this is via IBB Tinang, PHILIPPINES site, i.e. violating Separation of Church and State --- now IBB must accept demands for airtime by all other religious sects, to be fair! VR is at 1230-1300 (Sat to 1315), 250 kW, 349 degrees; followed  by VR in Vietnamese daily at 1315-1400, shifted to 270 degrees. (And the only other use of 11890 is for ChiCom jamming and BBC English via Singapore at 14-17) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report dispatched at 1755 UT July 6