giovedì 18 febbraio 2016

Glenn Hauser logs February 17-18, 2016


** BRAZIL. 6180, Feb 17 at 2325, no signal from RNA, but as usual very good on 11780.1. Checking this because Rodney Johnson, NV, had reported 6180 Feb 17 at 0734-0739. Maybe it`s reactivated only in the mornings? Also no 6180 here at 0453 Feb 18, while propagation disturbance has diminished 11780.1 to only S3 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1813, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BRAZIL. 11854.950, Feb 17 at 0630, R. Aparecida has drifted off-frequency again; will it descend further? Typical obsessive programming about an alleged Marian apparition (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. 900, Feb 18 at 0637 UT, local ad for Hamilton, then ``AM 900, CHML`` ID at 0638 UT and back to `Coast to Coast AM` (and it seems, beyond border-to-border). CHML is dominating 900 rather than any XE, and 860 also bears French from CJBC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** CYPRUS [non]. 9955, Wed Feb 17 at 1410, FG Radio with exactly the same episode WRMI aired a week ago, including the protest song ``Comin` Inside So Strong`, and news headlines starting with NK launch, now even more ``olds`` than they were on Feb 10! It is the responsibility of WRMI programmers to upload new episodes timely; otherwise old one will automatically replay (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUATEMALA. 4055, Feb 18 at 0505, R. Verdad mentions Dr Édgar Amílcar Madrid, hymn in Spanish changes to one in English, introducing `Spiritual Songs`` to enjoy. It`s good at S9+25-30, but I will not assume the signal is being magically ``injected`` into my radio without benefit of a transmitter; rather, tropical southern signals are getting a boost (see also GUYANA), as WWV reports K-index of 4 at 0300, rising to 5 at 0600, after geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level occurred (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENINGN DIGEST)

** GUYANA. 3290.0, Feb 18 at 0458, V of Guyana is stronger than usual at S9+15 --- but just barely modulated! 0459 I make out an ID for BBC World Service and timesignal ending one second late before news relay. Hearing this much is a feat as normally it`s a much weaker carrier only (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 3325, Feb 17 at 1312, song at S4-S6, apparently only one station, so is it RRI Palangkaraya, or NBC Bougainville? Ron Howard says on this date, both were heard at 1237, but by 1305, only RRI. The day before, NBC stayed on much later. By 1325 today, circa sunrise, my 3325 has faded to S3-S5. At 1332 however, it seems like there are two carriers. I also have a JBA carrier on 6020, which I assume, and he says, is nothing but Vietnam (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** JAPAN. 6055, Feb 18 at 1333, R. Nikkei 1 with English lesson as habitual on Thursdays to compete with Sea Breeze: American accented guy is reading a news story about price hikes of train tickets to Disneyland, interspersed with gal in Japanese, not clear if translating or explaining (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [non]. 7400, Feb 17 at 1330, soft songs atypical of Shiokaze via JAPAN, with CCI, so assume CRI Burmese via Kunming is dominating now. 

7400, Feb 18 at 1327, S9 = very poor but it`s the Sea Breeze YL, in English as on Thursdays only; requires narrow bandwidth and LSB tuning on R75 to avoid 7405 Cuban jamming and Martí which add up to S9+20; 1328 spelling address, P O Box with piano music, and presumably replaying the first semihour during the second. No CRI Burmese noted today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 540, Feb 18 at 0625 UT, rock song in English, ``Cuarenta Principales`` interjected into song during a brief pause in lyrix, and again a minute later plus some other DJ comment. I would find this extremely annoying if I were enjoying the music, which I almost am; 0628 to a duet in Spanish. It`s XEWA in San Luís Potosí, dominant now instead of XETX in Chihuahua, and forget about CBK. Still I doubt they are running 150 kW as listed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** MEXICO. 680, Feb 18 at 1300 UT, starting local newscast about Sinaloa with activities of PAN party, i.e. XEORO, Guasave, 1/0.5 kW. No problem from KNBR or KKYX yet (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 800, Feb 18 at 1303 UT, paean to Papa Francisco who just visited Juárez, from XEROK, holding own by skywave at right angle to groundwave from KQCV OKC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** MEXICO. 860, Feb 17 at 0532 UT, romantic music in Spanish from south is dominant, no problem from eastward KKOW, in somewhat auroral conditions; 0602 choral Mexican NA, 0606 ID as Radio Recuerdo, i.e. XENL Monterrey NL, 5/1.5 kW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1210, Feb 18 at 1311 UT, just CCI without KGYN; by 1313 UT maybe it`s some country music in the mix. KGYN Guymon has been behaving itself lately, not a bigsig at night either so protecting Philadelphia, but I wonder if it`s even ND 10 kW in the daytime? At 1858 UT on the PL-880 it`s there but JBA. Feb SR/SS times are 1330-0030 UT (March: 1300-0045 UT). If their 50/10 kW CP is ever built, also calls for 39 kW during Critical Hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 91.7, Feb 18 at 1645 UT, KOSU during `On Point` from NPR is rudely interrupted by tone signals and incomprehensible emergency message, I think about a possible child abduxion (Amber alert). The audio is terrible, mixed with several other sources in background, as these things are relayed over and over from one station to another, a terribly dysfunxional system. A cable TV channel (or probably all of them) also interrupted for this, but the text had finished scrolling before I could read it (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PAPUA NEW GUINEA [and non]. 7325-, Feb 18 at 1410, JBA carrier slightly on lo side as characteristic of Wantok Radio Light, but seems another carrier on 7325.0. Hope CRI isn`t back on during what had been a window; then some ``running water``, so the CCI may be from MARS or something instead (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. 9700, Feb 18 at 0453, propagation disturbance has wiped out most of TRT signal to S3 in noise level so I can`t reënjoy the rediscovered traditional IS preceding Turkish service (9955 WRMI is only S5 and Brazil 11780 only S3) (Glenn Hauser, OK DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** UGANDA [non]. A new opposition station has sprung up just before the presidential elexions, Uganda Diaspora P10 Radio. ``Their objective seems to be the prevention of vote rigging, as well as victory for Mr Besigye and his FDC (Forum for Democratic Change).``

(It doesn`t look good for Kizza Besigye; see:

OPPOSITION LEADER ARRESTED AS UGANDA HOLDS ELECTIONS
Kizza Besigya arrested by police just before the end of the voting, which President Museveni is expected to win. . .
Results are not expected until Saturday Feb 20. But all this might prolong the opposition radio if they have enough resources. BTW, VOA was patting itself on back for one of their correspondents previously moderating a candidates` debate.)

Besides a daily broadcast at 1630-1700 on 15405, Uganda Diaspora Radio were to run specials on Feb 18 elexion day, according to Patrick Robic on the A-DX list via Eike Bierwirth, DXLD yg: 
03-06 9490, 09-11 & 13-16 17840, 16-19 15880 [sic]. See 

A different frequency for the morning broadcast 03-06, 9685 according to Mauno Ritola, WRTH Facebook via Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK yg; also 15680 instead of 15880 at 16-19, so someone`s typo? And 9685 would also be added the next morning Feb 19 at 04-06. 

So I check both, Feb 18 at 0340: 9490, nothing but jamming and maybe R. República; 9685 open except for occasional ute(?) noises. Not using 9490 would certainly be a good idea due to the Cuban radio war. At 0453, 9490 jamming has diminished to pulsing and bubbling, and still nothing audible on 9685.

Listeners in Europe or via SDRs were hearing the 17840 broadcasts on Feb 18, but at 1451 for me direct, it`s a JBA carrier (Saudi 17615 and 17705 are very poor, e.g.) I recheck 17840 at 1555 and now I hear a W & M conversation in English with musical background, referring to ringing loud bells, and neat and combed hair. Hmmm. Poor signal and cut off abruptly a few seconds before 1559*, typical MBR behavior. 

Further chex: nothing on 15405 at 1630 as maybe the daily broadcast has been skipped today because of the special supposed to be on 15880 or 15680 after 1600 --- nothing there nor on 17840 either. Then Manuel Méndez in Spain reports hearing this on 15680. So at 1750 I try all of them, with zero results: 15405, 15680, 15880, 17840. 

Speculation is that site could be MBR via Nauen or Trincomalee, as there was a mis-switch for a while to AWR programming in Hindi at 1532 per Richard Langley and Manuel Méndez! I don`t think I would be getting Sri Lanka on 17840 before 1600 (nor would they sensibly transmit from there around local midnite on 16m), but could be Germany, or France. Ivo Ivanov agrees the site is ``unknown, probably MBR`` with 9685, 15405, 17840 and 15680 the correct frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1813, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 6035, Feb 18 at 0510, tonal African language at S7. It`s VOA Hausa via ASCENSION at 0500-0530 daily (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 11570, Thu Feb 18 at 1350, VOA Korean with English lesson, // 9800 which is somewhat better and 11570 now has ACI from 11565 WRMIBS. 11570 is Tinian, 9800 Tinang, but they are well synchronized (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1812 monitoring: 9329.848-CUSB, Feb 17 at 0030, WBCQ is JBA, *much* weaker than 9265 WINB, so conclude WBCQ must still be running reduced power here, but enough to confirm it is WOR. Also confirmed Wed Feb 17 at 1415:33 on WRMI 9955, following a gh ID. 9330v, WBCQ is still JBA, again UT Thu Feb 18 at 0030 check.

WORLD OF RADIO 1813 monitoring: confirmed first SW airing of 1230 UT Thursday Feb 18 in progress at 1252 on WRMI 9955 at S9, no jamming audible. Next:
Thu 2100   WRMI 13695 [NEW] to NW
Fri 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Fri 2130   WRMI 15770 to NE
Fri 2130.5 WRMI 13695 [NEW] to NW
Fri 2330   WRMI 5950 to S [heard last week; unreconfirmed]
Sat 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sat 0730   HLR 6190-CUSB to SW
Sat 1530   HLR 7265-CUSB to SW
Sat 2030v  WA0RCR 1860-AM ND 
Sat 2330   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sun 0410v  WA0RCR 1860-AM ND 
Mon 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Mon 0400v  WBCQ 5110v-CUSB Area 51 to WSW
Mon 0430.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE  
Tue 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Tue 1200   WRMI 9955 to SSE
Wed 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Wed 1415.5 WRMI 9955 to SSE
Wed 2200   WBCQ 7490v to WSW
Thu 0030   WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Early UT Feb 17, WRMI has put up an overhauled frequency schedule grid, but not all of it in effect yet at 0621 check: nothing on 5765, 7780, but 11825 and 11920 are still on; one new frequency has started, 6915 at only S6 and much weaker than // BS on 5850. 

Feb 17 at 1335 I find 6915 is very poor at S4-6. At 1402, reactivated daytime frequencies should be on, but they are not: 13695, 17790; 15440 has a JBA carrier, which Aoki shows as AWR Urdu via Austria until 1430 (strange that WRMI would deliberately go on an AWR frequency). Instead, 7570 and 5850 are still on; at 1518 and 1547, Still 7570 and no 15440 from WRMI. 

But in the afternoon Feb 17 at 1936-1942 check, found all these on with BS: 11565, 11580, 11825, 13695, 15440, 15770, 17790.

Otherwise: 9955, which should be BS, had music (fill?); 6915 and 9455 with JBA carriers, maybe on with BS; 9395 very poor if still SonPower; 21675 very good with Radio Africa Network. No 5 or 7 MHz frequencies on & audible. Interesting to see if 2245 is really the transition time for some other transmitters, as the placement of the frequencies on the quarter-hour blocks in the grid indicated, instead of 2300. NO, 2300 is the correct as I monitor at 2245 and 2300. 

Here is the new alignment for the transmitters in question. Several new or reactivated frequencies, more day/night pairing instead of low and hi frequencies all day and all night, almost all of this concerning Brother Scare per new grid at 

showing the ones changed, with azimuths:
 #3,  44:  7780 2200-1200, 15770 1200-2200
 #4, 160: 11920 2200-1200, 17790 1200-2200
 #5, 285:  6915 24 HOURS
 #8, 355:  5765 0000-1300, 11825 1300-2400
#11, 315:  7570 2300-1400, 13695 1400-2300
#12, 315:  5850 2300-1400, 11565 1400-2300
#13, 285:  7730 2300-1400, 15440 1400-2300
#14, 181:  5950 2000-1300,  9455 1300-2000

Significant change for non-BS programming is 13695 instead of 7570 for the 21-22 UT block, including two WOR airings, Thursday 2100 and Friday 2130. That should greatly improve reception across North America. Yes, Wed Feb 17 at 2122 during `Viva Miami`, 13695 is VG; and `Wavescan` after 2130, both discussing North Korea. As of Feb 18, the program blox below the frequency sked have not been updated, still showing this hour as red on 7570.

After 2300 Feb 17, all these are on with BS: 5015, 6915, 7570, 7730, 7780, 11825. Other programming: 9395, 9955, 11580. And surprisingly, strong 5850 is // weak 5950 with Fámily Radio IS and opening Spanish, which is supposed to be on 5850 but not 5950 with AWR instead. At 0340 check Feb 18, new 5765 is OK, new 6915 poor, and new 7780 has bonker QRM!

As for new WRMI`s new 6915, tnx for first tips about this from Rafman and Chris Smolinski of HF Underground, and also Ron Howard. HFU has discussion about 6915 and interference complaints it is likely to get from MARS and other users, such as Canadian weather fax. See 
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1813, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 5109.7-CUSB, Feb 18 at 0501 I check for WBCQ here and do hear a bit of honky tonk piano at S7, then some hum, and/or off. Was not expecting to hear it, altho on UT Thu only, 5109.7-CUSB substitutes for BS on 7490 to accommodate Hal Turner at 02-04 UT; so did BS get another hour; or something else at 04-05? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 3215, Feb 17 at 0031, WWRB is on with another rant by Dave Frantz, so unclear whether he is really there or not, off on a flight and maybe a playback, but someone has to run it.

3185, however is missing from times it used to be heard: Feb 18 at 0457 check (while 3215 WWCR is inbooming); nor at 1258. 9370 day BS frequency also remains AWOL later in the day (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 680, Feb 18 at 1317 UT, ad for a hatter featuring lots of styles and sizes of Stetsons, et al., ``at 119 Broadway, downtown``, another ad for something Texas-size. Gotta be KKYX San Antonio, and yes, 1319 UT YL resumes KKYX News. At 1300 UT I was getting XEORO in Sinaloa (see MEXICO) on 680, but KKYX goes to 50 kW ND day pattern at 1315 UT in Feb (March: 1245 UT), after night pattern of 10 kW SE into the Gulf (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 880-USB + carrier, Feb 17 at 0534 UT, religious talkshow in English with caller from New York, but this is no WCBS! Obviously KHAC Tse Bonito NM, lacking a lower sideband, and dominant now from the west, no problem from KRVN NE to the north. Its 10 kW ND day power makes it the best bet for NM to the east as long as KKOB and KTNN honor their requirement to null toward New York; unlike KCKN but QRM from KOKP and KDKA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1500, Feb 17 at 1342 UT, turning on DX-398 still tuned for the warbler at night [see UNIDENTIFIED], now I hear nothing but Christian religion in English, wrapping up show with website reference, discovertheword.org, connected with Our Daily Bread, loops NE/SW, and 1345 UT ID as ``AM 1500, WBRI, Indianapolis``, and into another program. WBRI is a 5 kW daytimer with pattern southwest, favorable for us (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** YEMEN [non]. 11860, Feb 18 at 1447, Republic of Yemen Radio during drumming and chanting is S9+20; comparing to WRMI: 11825 is only S9+10, but 11565 is S9+20 with less fading. I never have time to stay with ROYR after 1500 to hear how it degrades, but at 1636 recheck it`s down to a JBA carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 840, Feb 17 at 0536 UT, WHAS has a heavy 6 Hz SAH, but can`t hear any other audio. Wonder what that could be? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1500, Feb 18 at 0451 UT, the warble is still weakly audible here with KSTP nulled. It seems there has been no progress the past week in pinpointing the source, but here`s a pertinent post from Feb 11 on the IRCA list:

``The 1500 noise is stronger here, in Acworth GA tonight. I went out and repeated the 320 (magnetic N reference). On the SDR, the noises are on either side of 1500, leading me to believe that this is not a spur from 1490 or 1510. This is someone on 1500.

In my 37 years as a broadcast engineer, I have encountered a few older transmitters that would "radiate" even when the high voltage was off. Normally this only goes a few miles, if it radiates at all. This
typically goes away when the high voltage is "on". (So, the issue may not be apparent during the normal operation of the station.) I do not think this has anything to do with WFED.

I suspect that it is someone with an older transmitter on 1500; they may be signing off, but the transmitter may continue to radiate some sort of trash. Given a relatively 'vacant' channel (relatively speaking --- if there is such a thing anymore) a few dozen watts can travel a surprising distance at night.

I have heard WPOT here "after hours", so could be them, or someone in W. Kentucky, maybe S. Illinois. Although WPOT seems a bit to far west from what I am seeing here. Robert LaFore, Acworth GA``

WPOT is the 250/6 watt station in Trenton TN (near Jackson), also my suspect for other reasons (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 4888.0, Feb 18 at 1324, JBA carrier, between 4885 South  Korea and 4895 India, so I wonder what? Maybe Ron Howard will find it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 5959.95, Feb 18 at 1339, once again the off-frequency JBA carrier; is it just East Turkistan? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report despatched at 2019 UT February 18