** ALBANIA. 7470, Nov 4 at 0237, R. Tirana is barely audible, still here; even
Romania is having a hard time being heard on this band, due to auroral
conditions. See also VATICAN [non]. WWV reported at 0300:
``Solar-terrestrial indices for 03 November follow.
Solar flux 124 and estimated planetary A-index 32.
The estimated planetary K-index at 0300 UTC on 04 November was 5.
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred.
Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level are likely.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL [and non]. 10000, Nov 4 at 0602, Observatório Nacional Brazuguese announcements every dekasecond barely audible under WWVH, and no WWV at all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11670, Nov 4 at 0606, huge open carrier, presumed RHC?
9850, Nov 4 at 1255, RHC Spanish modulation breaking up slightly unlike on weaker 9820. Wiggle that patchcord! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. 7400, Nov 4 at 1331, sad piano music characteristic of Shiokaze, but heavy splash from 7405 Cuban jamming and R. Martí, upon this very weak signal. Yes, Sea Breeze has moved here as first reported Nov 1 by Ron Howard, ex-6020; a first for them, as always previously jumping among half a dozen alternates in the 6 MHz band. Moving up to 7 MHz would otherwise help it to penetrate further into deep North America, presumably with English on Thursdays only. Too, CRI in Burmese is already on 7400 until 1357*!
I check the ``J JIC MIC`` registrations in HFCC B-15, and find 7400 included, but at 13-14 UT, 300 kW, 290 degrees from Yamata, JAPAN. Others listed available, not all during same timespans: 7220, 7240, 7245, 7260, 7435, plus many, many in the 6 MHz band, most of which have never been used by Shiokaze (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 9400, Nov 4 at 1335, very assertive Kurdish talk by woman, good with flutter, rather than FEBC Philippines in Chinese scheduled here until 1400: its other non-// Chinese service on 9430 quite poor. By 1424, Kurdish music with heavy flutter, presumably mostly-music one hour later than in A-15; by 1442 faded to very poor.
Altho HFCC registered as KCH = PRIDNESTROVYE only for the entire 04-22 UT 9400 span, Aoki breaks down the sites this way: 04-06 France, 06-15 Pridnestrovye, 15-18 Bulgaria, 18-20 France, 20-22 Pridnestrovye. Does Ivo agree? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. No doubt due to the geomagnetic storm, off-season sporadic E has been sparked into VHF, November 4, UT:
1505 on 2, fade-in some weak video
1507 on 2, same-offset video CCI; 6m ham map shows only one contact, between CO and SD
1508 on 2, weather and 1510 ``en Monterrey`` (but XEFB 2 is gone)
1510 on 2, star bug in LR from Televisa-2 net with CCI including a large 7 across the screen
1515 on 2, star bug dominates, still same-offset CCI, celebrity interview with YL star of ``Fear of the Living Dead`` with multiple mikes in front of her, including 7 label but may well be on net-2
1517 on 3, video CCI here as MUF ascends
1522 on 2, net-7 bug LR, but still talking about Monterrey: therefore it is Info 7 via XHTAU Tampico
1523 on 4, now some CCI as MUF goes higher
1528 on 2, CCI marimba music --- still probably a Mexican, no 2 in Guatemala
1534 on 2, same-offset CCI including large 5 logo
1537 on 2, Bugs Bunny cartoon amid CCI, probably typical net-5 fare
1537 on 4, f bug LR from Foro TV with `Matutino Express` --- could be flagship XHTV in México DF
1544 on 3, celebrity interview; a large 2 flashes over screen, but not Televisa logo
1546 on 3, net-5 animation audio mixing with video as above
1557 on 2, ``todos los gatos`` ad on video in `hoy` program = Televisa-2, mix with animation audio
1557 on 3, animation audio from Televisa-5 net // 2
1559 on 2, echo animation audio from two net-5 transmitters
1614 on 2 & 3, still CCI; 1620 fading; 1630 2 bits
1635 on 2, fade-in again with PSAs, ads
1637 on 2, Más Vision promo, 1638 mention Guadalajara, i.e. XEWO-TV
1639 on 2, f bug LR, Matutino Express, probably still from XEWO
1652 on 2, still weak audio & video in & out; to be continued?
So with all this co-channel QRM in a moderate off-season Es opening, there are obviously still plenty of analog low-band transmitters on the air in Mexico (the apagón analógico has mostly been in the north, I think). There are now rumblings that the entire country will not be ready for a total blackout by December 31 as planned (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 9690- // 7255-, Nov 4 at 0559, VON drumming prélude, 0600 opening Hausa. Last several chex, the higher frequency was absent. Both still slightly on the low side, 9690 more so (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 530, Nov 4 at 1259 UT starting a MW bandscan, our local is back on! ``From Enid, Oklahoma, you are listening to K530AM, Vance Air Force Base``, and on to rotation of hoary old PSAs: H1N1 virus awareness, from CDC; ``they jump out of trees`` about booster seats for kids; hurricane preparedness --- gas up (as if we ever had anything but remnants this far inland).
Carrier is slightly on lo side. It had been off since at least January 16, 2015, as in DXLD 15-03. I would guess it has been restored to full power, 10 watts? We`ll see how well we can null it again at night for Cuba. Reminder that K530AM is not an official callsign, but being military, they can call it whatever they like! Consider it tactical? (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 9915, Nov 4 at 0601, BBCWS news in English, good signal, slightly stronger than // 9460. Both are 65 degrees from ASCENSION 9915 at 06-08; 9460 at 06-07 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15770, Tue Nov 3 at 2103 news in English, presumably RFI restored to this hour via WRMI, but sked only on Mon & Tue; reduced to fragments 2115-2200 on Wed, 2130-2200 on Thu. 7570 at same time with `Studio DX` in Italian. Since 7570 is aimed across NAm, and 15770 toward Europe, it would be better to exchange these programs.
9955, after yesterday`s anomalies, what will WRMI do today, Nov 4? 1255, `Wavescan` in progress with JSWC log reports (does anyone get anything useful out of those?)
9955 at 1320, now a report about Syrian refugees in Norway, 1325 ending with no Radio Prague ID before music fill, just referring to radio.cz; 1329 WRMI sports promo; 1330 R. Eslovaquia Internacional --- yes, in Spanish instead of scheduled English! Must have plugged in wrong file, but at least it`s closer than Korea in English as heard yesterday at this time. Does not go off at 1400*. At 1411, more music fill, soul, 1414 recap of headlines from Cyprus on FG Radio; 1415 gh WRMI ID, 1415.5 WORLD OF RADIO 1797 as scheduled. (But the WRMI color-coded transmission schedule grid still shows the 9955 hours off as 14-21 UT instead of 15-22.)
All fair to good with no jamming, altho back at 1320 I thought I was hearing some slight musical CCI --- but nothing else in HFCC or Aoki, which BTW as of Nov 3 under 9955 shows a complete WRMI program schedule --- except the times are one hour too early now, e.g. WOR Wed at ``1315``.
Next and final WOR 1797 airing: Wed 2200 (ex-2100) on WBCQ 7490v. We shall be interested to note whether there is QRM from BBC Thailand now that both are scheduled (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11870, Nov 4 at 0603, WEWN Spanish is on the air again and // much stronger 7515; also English on 11520, so all three transmitters are once again funxional. BTW, WRTH reminds us they have 4 x 500, one as a backup (but obviously not employed lately; really only for scavenging parts? Also, they have been rumored to be running much less than 500 kW, no doubt the case for many other SW transmitters with 500 kW ratings/original capability) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VATICAN [non]. 7305, Nov 4 at 0133, open carrier already from Greenville-B prior to Vatican Radio relay in Spanish --- it signs on at 0145 ``para América Latina y el Caribe`` but didn`t catch any frequency or time mentioned. Off before 0237 next check. So it appears that this transmission has been moved from 0200-0245 to 0145-0230, and along with it the leapfrog mixing product over 7365 Martí landing on 7425. It`s almost as if VR had shifted the time in order to avoid QRMing Albania on 7425 from 0230 --- but no such request was made and surely coincidental. Meanwhile, Tirana is still on replacement 7470 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report dispatched at 1707 UT November 4
``Solar-terrestrial indices for 03 November follow.
Solar flux 124 and estimated planetary A-index 32.
The estimated planetary K-index at 0300 UTC on 04 November was 5.
Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level occurred.
Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level are likely.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BRAZIL [and non]. 10000, Nov 4 at 0602, Observatório Nacional Brazuguese announcements every dekasecond barely audible under WWVH, and no WWV at all (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 11670, Nov 4 at 0606, huge open carrier, presumed RHC?
9850, Nov 4 at 1255, RHC Spanish modulation breaking up slightly unlike on weaker 9820. Wiggle that patchcord! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [non]. 7400, Nov 4 at 1331, sad piano music characteristic of Shiokaze, but heavy splash from 7405 Cuban jamming and R. Martí, upon this very weak signal. Yes, Sea Breeze has moved here as first reported Nov 1 by Ron Howard, ex-6020; a first for them, as always previously jumping among half a dozen alternates in the 6 MHz band. Moving up to 7 MHz would otherwise help it to penetrate further into deep North America, presumably with English on Thursdays only. Too, CRI in Burmese is already on 7400 until 1357*!
I check the ``J JIC MIC`` registrations in HFCC B-15, and find 7400 included, but at 13-14 UT, 300 kW, 290 degrees from Yamata, JAPAN. Others listed available, not all during same timespans: 7220, 7240, 7245, 7260, 7435, plus many, many in the 6 MHz band, most of which have never been used by Shiokaze (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 9400, Nov 4 at 1335, very assertive Kurdish talk by woman, good with flutter, rather than FEBC Philippines in Chinese scheduled here until 1400: its other non-// Chinese service on 9430 quite poor. By 1424, Kurdish music with heavy flutter, presumably mostly-music one hour later than in A-15; by 1442 faded to very poor.
Altho HFCC registered as KCH = PRIDNESTROVYE only for the entire 04-22 UT 9400 span, Aoki breaks down the sites this way: 04-06 France, 06-15 Pridnestrovye, 15-18 Bulgaria, 18-20 France, 20-22 Pridnestrovye. Does Ivo agree? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. No doubt due to the geomagnetic storm, off-season sporadic E has been sparked into VHF, November 4, UT:
1505 on 2, fade-in some weak video
1507 on 2, same-offset video CCI; 6m ham map shows only one contact, between CO and SD
1508 on 2, weather and 1510 ``en Monterrey`` (but XEFB 2 is gone)
1510 on 2, star bug in LR from Televisa-2 net with CCI including a large 7 across the screen
1515 on 2, star bug dominates, still same-offset CCI, celebrity interview with YL star of ``Fear of the Living Dead`` with multiple mikes in front of her, including 7 label but may well be on net-2
1517 on 3, video CCI here as MUF ascends
1522 on 2, net-7 bug LR, but still talking about Monterrey: therefore it is Info 7 via XHTAU Tampico
1523 on 4, now some CCI as MUF goes higher
1528 on 2, CCI marimba music --- still probably a Mexican, no 2 in Guatemala
1534 on 2, same-offset CCI including large 5 logo
1537 on 2, Bugs Bunny cartoon amid CCI, probably typical net-5 fare
1537 on 4, f bug LR from Foro TV with `Matutino Express` --- could be flagship XHTV in México DF
1544 on 3, celebrity interview; a large 2 flashes over screen, but not Televisa logo
1546 on 3, net-5 animation audio mixing with video as above
1557 on 2, ``todos los gatos`` ad on video in `hoy` program = Televisa-2, mix with animation audio
1557 on 3, animation audio from Televisa-5 net // 2
1559 on 2, echo animation audio from two net-5 transmitters
1614 on 2 & 3, still CCI; 1620 fading; 1630 2 bits
1635 on 2, fade-in again with PSAs, ads
1637 on 2, Más Vision promo, 1638 mention Guadalajara, i.e. XEWO-TV
1639 on 2, f bug LR, Matutino Express, probably still from XEWO
1652 on 2, still weak audio & video in & out; to be continued?
So with all this co-channel QRM in a moderate off-season Es opening, there are obviously still plenty of analog low-band transmitters on the air in Mexico (the apagón analógico has mostly been in the north, I think). There are now rumblings that the entire country will not be ready for a total blackout by December 31 as planned (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA. 9690- // 7255-, Nov 4 at 0559, VON drumming prélude, 0600 opening Hausa. Last several chex, the higher frequency was absent. Both still slightly on the low side, 9690 more so (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 530, Nov 4 at 1259 UT starting a MW bandscan, our local is back on! ``From Enid, Oklahoma, you are listening to K530AM, Vance Air Force Base``, and on to rotation of hoary old PSAs: H1N1 virus awareness, from CDC; ``they jump out of trees`` about booster seats for kids; hurricane preparedness --- gas up (as if we ever had anything but remnants this far inland).
Carrier is slightly on lo side. It had been off since at least January 16, 2015, as in DXLD 15-03. I would guess it has been restored to full power, 10 watts? We`ll see how well we can null it again at night for Cuba. Reminder that K530AM is not an official callsign, but being military, they can call it whatever they like! Consider it tactical? (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K [non]. 9915, Nov 4 at 0601, BBCWS news in English, good signal, slightly stronger than // 9460. Both are 65 degrees from ASCENSION 9915 at 06-08; 9460 at 06-07 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 15770, Tue Nov 3 at 2103 news in English, presumably RFI restored to this hour via WRMI, but sked only on Mon & Tue; reduced to fragments 2115-2200 on Wed, 2130-2200 on Thu. 7570 at same time with `Studio DX` in Italian. Since 7570 is aimed across NAm, and 15770 toward Europe, it would be better to exchange these programs.
9955, after yesterday`s anomalies, what will WRMI do today, Nov 4? 1255, `Wavescan` in progress with JSWC log reports (does anyone get anything useful out of those?)
9955 at 1320, now a report about Syrian refugees in Norway, 1325 ending with no Radio Prague ID before music fill, just referring to radio.cz; 1329 WRMI sports promo; 1330 R. Eslovaquia Internacional --- yes, in Spanish instead of scheduled English! Must have plugged in wrong file, but at least it`s closer than Korea in English as heard yesterday at this time. Does not go off at 1400*. At 1411, more music fill, soul, 1414 recap of headlines from Cyprus on FG Radio; 1415 gh WRMI ID, 1415.5 WORLD OF RADIO 1797 as scheduled. (But the WRMI color-coded transmission schedule grid still shows the 9955 hours off as 14-21 UT instead of 15-22.)
All fair to good with no jamming, altho back at 1320 I thought I was hearing some slight musical CCI --- but nothing else in HFCC or Aoki, which BTW as of Nov 3 under 9955 shows a complete WRMI program schedule --- except the times are one hour too early now, e.g. WOR Wed at ``1315``.
Next and final WOR 1797 airing: Wed 2200 (ex-2100) on WBCQ 7490v. We shall be interested to note whether there is QRM from BBC Thailand now that both are scheduled (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11870, Nov 4 at 0603, WEWN Spanish is on the air again and // much stronger 7515; also English on 11520, so all three transmitters are once again funxional. BTW, WRTH reminds us they have 4 x 500, one as a backup (but obviously not employed lately; really only for scavenging parts? Also, they have been rumored to be running much less than 500 kW, no doubt the case for many other SW transmitters with 500 kW ratings/original capability) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** VATICAN [non]. 7305, Nov 4 at 0133, open carrier already from Greenville-B prior to Vatican Radio relay in Spanish --- it signs on at 0145 ``para América Latina y el Caribe`` but didn`t catch any frequency or time mentioned. Off before 0237 next check. So it appears that this transmission has been moved from 0200-0245 to 0145-0230, and along with it the leapfrog mixing product over 7365 Martí landing on 7425. It`s almost as if VR had shifted the time in order to avoid QRMing Albania on 7425 from 0230 --- but no such request was made and surely coincidental. Meanwhile, Tirana is still on replacement 7470 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report dispatched at 1707 UT November 4
