** CHAD. 6165, April 28 at 0542, no longer hearing Ndjamena underneath RHC,
which for a while was making an obvious subaudible het sometimes with audio. Nor
have I for a few nights now around this time. So are they completely gone again
from SW? Thorsten Hallmann in Germany reported April 24:
``6165 RN
Tchadienne: There is usually a little gap between 1757 (CRI off) and 1800 (BBC
on) to indicate Chad activity which seems to be running not always till after
1900, when the channel becomes clear again. But not there in the gap on Thursday
and Saturday`` [April 21 and 23] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** CHINA [and non]. 15590, April 28 at 1357, CNR1 jammer // 11785
atop algo, still at 1401. Target victim is VOA Chinese at 13-15, but shifting
site at 14 from Thailand to Tinang (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** CUBA. 17730.007, April 28 at 1230, I measure this RHC
frequency once it has built up to blasting daytime level, also overmodulated
& distorted. When tuning across it, I have long noticed a bit of a wobble
against the BFO, also the case with several other RHC frequencies, but overall
they do a good job of frequency accuracy. There, I said something
positive!
FYI, the way I do this on the R75, which came to me from
Brandon Jordan accurately calibrated, is in USB or LSB mode, pick a frequency to
three decimal places ending in zero on one side of the frequency to be measured,
so it makes an audible het. Then tune to the other side to hear the same pitch
and note the frequency there. Then punch in the exact frequency on the other
side and hear if it match pitch. If not, make slight adjustments until they do.
Then subtract the difference, divide by two and add the result to the lower
measurement (or subtract from the upper position), and there you have the exact
carrier frequency halfway in between. Depending on the strength it may also be
possible to listen for a zero beat, tuning up and down in 1-Hz steps, but I
think there is greater accuracy by the method described. (On the NRD-545 a
similar technique, but it`s slightly out of calibration, so I am having to make
adjustments of 1 or 2 Hz, somewhat less precise.)
19280, April 28 at
1257, JBA carrier from RHC, 2 x 9640; might also be one on 19070 = 2 x 9535 as
before, but now that`s blocked by a blob from a local device (Glenn Hauser, OK,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDIA. 9870, April 28 at 1235, no signal from AIR
VBS as supposedly restarting at 1230; but already on at next check 1249. Jose
Jacob`s site has the accurate info:
9870
500 Bengaluru 0025-0440, 0900-1200, 1245-1740 (Vividh Bharati)
But enjoy
the Indian pop music while we can, as by 1300, CRI English will be colliding on
9870 until 1557. If it`s this bad over here, how much worse can it be in Asia?
There`s also a collision with Turkey in Spanish at 0100-0150v, but Saudi`s use
of 9870 at 18-23 fits neatly between VBS broadcasts. Both BSKSA and AIR make
9870 worth memorizing for their music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** KURDISTAN [non]. 11600, April 28 at 1219, two stations adding
up to poor-fair S8, atop in Chinese. Aoki shows 12-13 with RTI Taiwan in Amoy,
and not jammed, but why not? Anyhow, this buries Denge Kurdistanye, which should
have a clearer shot after 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 660, April 28 at 1137, a twist of the wrist holding the
DX-398 while hearing KTNN [see U S A], nulling that, brings in a Spanish partial
ID for 102.9 FM, and that leads directly and only to XEEY, Aguascalientes2,
50/10 kW, La Kaliente (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SWEDEN
[non]. 11874.935, April 27 at 1929, off-frequency S3-S6 signal stands out like
sore thumb, as I bandscan in 1 kHz steps with BFO on R75. Sounds like vocal HOA
or at least African music, then vaguely familiar sounder, 1930 drumming and
tonal language.
HFCC A-16 shows 11875 at 1900-2000 is IBRA via
Woofferton UK, 300 kW, 170 degrees to CIRAF 46 in ``Und`` language. But would be
unusual for WOF to be that far off frequency by -65 Hz --- suspect transmission
has been switched to someplace like RSA or UAE capable of achieving this. How
about it, Dave Porter?
What do other listings show? Aoki, also
Woofferton: since this is Day 4 = Wednesday: Going from Ful to Zar at 1930. EiBi
agrees , but with abbrs. curtailed to FU and ZA. So what are they, really? FU is
Fulani/Fulfulde, spoken in Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso. ZA is Zarma/Zama
spoken by 2 Mega in Niger. CIRAF 46 is Nigeria & Niger, and westward to the
coast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TAIWAN. 7445, April 28
at 1125, RTI in English is poor at S7. At least there is no CCCCCCI (Chinese
Communist Chinese language co-channel interference), and this is probably our
best chance to hear it in North America, since RTI blew off its audience here by
canceling relays via WYFR and not renewing them on WRMI (unlike Spanish!). Rick
Barton often reports 7445 RTI English from Arizona, but that`s at 4-5 am
local!
Like all Taiwan info, this transmission is banned by the ChiCom
from appearing in HFCC, while they themselves do not include their own pervasive
jamming disservices. Last year`s Aoki showed 7445 as 100 kW, 225 degrees from
Paochung, hardly a suitable azimuth for us but directly off the back would be 45
degrees, and it was a*terisked then as jammed.
WRTH 2016 shows only two
English broadcasts left on SW from RTI, the other being 03-04 on 15320 via
Tainan, both targeting SE Asia. O, I just noticed in Aoki that the 11-12 English
is also listed on 11600 via Paochung and not marked as *jammed (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also KURDISTAN [non]
** U S A [and non].
WORLD OF RADIO 1822 monitoring: confirmed Wed April 27 at 2100 on WBCQ 7490
webcast; this time after the long WBCQ ID, a short almost-ID is inserted in the
2?-second gap before WOR playback starts: ``Free Speech Radio, WBC``. Also
confirmed at 2330 Wed Apr 27 on WBCQ 9329.86-CUSB, fair.
WORLD OF RADIO
1823 monitoring: confirmed first SW airing Thursday April 28 at 1130 on WRMI
9955, good at S9+10, no jamming, and still so at 1159 conclusion.
Next:
Thu 2100 WRMI 13695 to NW
Thu 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to
WSW
Fri 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE
Fri 2130.5 WRMI 13695 to NW
Fri 2330
WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sat 0630 HLR 6190-CUSB to SW [confirmed last
week]
Sat 0700 Unique Radio 3210 NSW low-power
Sat 1400 Unique Radio
3210 NSW low-power
Sat 1430 HLR 7265-CUSB to SW [back on air from this
week?]
Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND
Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to
WSW
Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND
Sun 0830 Unique Radio 3210 NSW
low-power
Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Mon 0030 WRMI 7730 to
WNW
Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW
Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE
Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE
Tue
2130 WRMI 15770 to NE
Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Wed 1315.5 WRMI
9955 to SSE
Wed 2100 WBCQ 7490v to WSW
Wed 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to
WSW
Complete schedule including AM & FM, satellite, webcasts:
(Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 11583.0, April 27 after 1925
as I tune by, what`s this? WRMIBS is 3 kHz off, but at approx. 1925:49 it cuts
off and back to 11580.0. This happened so quickly on the R75 that I could hardly
believe my eyes & ears, but I do tend to attribute it to transmission
anomaly rather than reception.
5765, April 28 at 0536, as I tune in WRMI,
Brother HyStairical is yet again replaying his bit bouncing off me, ``the
leading worldwide spoxeman for shortwave``. Well, that`s quite an unsolicited
testimonial! I`ve yet to tune in before he starts this segment to get the whole
thing, always in the second half of an hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** U S A. 5050, Wed April 27 at 2331, WWRB is still AWOL; maybe
back on air for the weekend? Check Friday/UT Saturday in case the `Pirates Cove`
thing gets going (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 660,
April 28 at 1132 UT, KTNN, Window Rock AZ with unique Navajo chanting and
drumming, as this station is in another episode of running 50 kW ND day facility
at night, as has been reported by numerous listeners to the east who normally
can`t hear it. 50/50 kW U2 night pattern is supposed to be a circle tangent to
the west, nothing eastward. It`s not merely a matter of going to day pattern too
early, but all night per other reports (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** VANUATU [and non]. 7259.96, April 28 at 1200, I`m looking for
R. Vanuatu, as reported by Ron Howard active on the 41 mb. At first on 7260.0, I
hear a Chinese 5+1 timesignal but it`s 8.5 seconds late! That carrier stays on,
without modulation? There is a second carrier, obviously making double-het with
BFO offtuned to 7259.0. They add up to S6, also with some QRhaM on the upper
side. The stronger carrier cuts off at 1205:35.5* uncovering the JBA one as then
measured above presumed to be R. Vanuatu. Aoki does show -1205 for Urumqi
7260.
Here`s the situation from Ron Howard, California: ``7260, R.
Vanuatu on April 22, just at 1205 heard PBS Xinjiang go off the air here,
leaving the frequency clear for RV reception; announcer and some pop songs; 1216
clear National Anthem ("Yumi, Yumi, Yumi"); audio ended at 1217, but they keep
the transmitter on for a long time after that. Wish they would carry some filler
music or something, seeing as the transmitter is on anyway! Thanks very much to
Hiroyuki Komatsubara (Japan) for the tip about the post-1205 reception of Radio
Vanuatu! Should be of help to many DXers``
WRTH 2016 scheduling indicates
RV has a single 1.5 to 2 kW transmitter, on 7260 for day, 3945 at night. At 1221
I check 3945 where R. Nikkei 2, Japan is still on, this being a weekday until
1400 (while Sat/Sun it`s off after 0900), but detect a second carrier there too
underneath, so could RV be running two transmitters now? (An AM ham could be
confusing things; RN1 on 3925 is usually avoided by hams but now someone in LSB
is right atop it.) At UT +11, approx. sundown in Vanuatu is 0700 UT, so 7260
after 1200 is way too late for ``day``.
Confirming that RV is
off-frequency to the lo side are several recent reports to the DXLD yg by Bryan
Clark, Wolfgang Büschel and Mauno Ritola putting it on 7259.95, 7259.9555 and
7259.96; the 75m frequency as low as 3944.204. On 7260 one must also beware of
listed Mongolia at 0655-1500.
Via Mike Terry and José Miguel Romero2,
RNZI has reported that there is a 100-day plan ending July 1 to return RV to its
``former glory of nationwide coverage`` by somehow upgrading shortwave, but a
problem is informing the public of the correct frequencies to tune rather than
spotty FM coverage, not to mention using SW receivers at all (WRTH 2016 shows
the national broadcaster has only two low-power MW frequencies, one of which is
off, and two even lower-power FMs at the same locations as MW).
RNZI:
``New Zealand radio transmission engineer, Steve White, has made several trips
to Vanuatu and other Pacific countries to help set up transmission equipment. He
says the big advantage of short-wave radio is that receivers are extremely cheap
to buy. Mr White says the other benefit is that the transmission is capable of
covering enormous distances.
STEVE WHITE: From Port Vila you can cover
the entire country of Vanuatu, which spans something like 1100 kilometres in a
roughly North-South direction, that can't be achieved by any other transmission
mode`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** YEMEN [non]. 11860,
April 28 at 1220, Republic of Yemen Radio is S7 in Arabic and triumphal music.
After 6+ months we have no confirmation that site is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as
seems very likely by circumstantial evidence. Reception is no longer so
amazingly loud and clear here, but varying a lot from day to day and hour to
hour. We are also wondering how much longer this will last, as peace talks have
finally started; Rodney Johnson forwards this to the DXLD yg:
FINALLY,
WARRING YEMEN SIDES SIT TOGETHER FOR NEGOTIATIONS [in Kuwait] --- Rebel team
wants political transition before disarming and vacating territories
(Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report despatched at 1817 UT April
28
