** CUBA [and non]. 9490, May 21 at 1245, Celine Dion Will Always Love You, i.e.
VOA Korean which plays a lot of American pop music, scheduled this hour only via
TINIAN --- mixed with Cuban pulse jamming, which is ``needed`` only from 01 to
04 or so against Radio República. But who cares if it also damage another Yanqui
broadcast? Think what a world of trouble RHC would be in, if the USA were in the
jamming business? Bad guys finish first (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1826 monitoring: NOT confirmed Sat May
21 at 1430 on HLR 7265-USB, as UTwente is picking up nothing on this frequency
for the next 30+ minutes. Since it is usually audible that way, I assume HLR is
off the air this week. Was it on at 0630 on 6190-USB? Next:
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
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** U S A. 9329.44 variable, May 21 at 1233, further chex of the
WBCQ AM transmitter which has been running long hours here. It varies as I
listen and over period of a few minutes. First measurement is on 9329.441, then
9329.432, lowest yet. OM monolog in English, hard to copy, but mentions economy
and town halls; may or may not have religious angle, but at least political. Is
not TOM, not // numerous WRMI frequencies. Deep fading from S8 to S3.
At
1252 another measurement, as it`s weakened a lot to ~S2, 9329.545. 1300 mentions
Monticello, but unsounds like a standard canned ID. I wonder if this audio is
coming from their AM or FM station? At 1359 it`s JBA around 9329.66.
No
surprise that the WBCQ website still says nothing at all about the additional
transmitter/transmissions on 9330v:
(Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 5830, May 21 at 0540, NO
signal from WTWW-1 --- you guessed it: Ted has failed yet again to change from
day frequency 9475, where it is very poorly audible at S4, ``hollow`` sound by
backscatter or something, SFAW huxtering. Next check 1244 UT May 21, 9475 is now
loud & clear, S9+20, presumably having stayed on all night, as it`s earlier
than usual QSY time circa 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
**
U S A [and non]. 9370, May 21 at 1500, since I have UTwente running for WOR
check on 7265 until this hour, now I try 9370 for WWRB which allegedly starts
its African service at 1500 Saturdays, and what do I hear? Nothing but weak
Burmese, i.e. IBB via Tinang at 1430-1630.
Then tnx to a tip from Bob
LaRose, San Diego, to the DXLDyg, WWRB is on a brand new frequency! 15240, ``new
Mideast beam, strong at 1600``.
I tune in at 1628, to hear the conclusion
of a gospel huxter in English citing Psalms; at first only a poor signal, much
weaker than neighbor 15825 WWCR which sounds like a sporadic-E boost. 1630 hymn
``Wonderful Words of Life`` as theme for ``Word of Life Broadcast`` with address
Jim Rolen, P O Box 891, Tullahoma TN 37388, and visit http://www.bbctullahoma.com (BBC?? That`s
Bethel Baptist Church!)
His radio page only shows this about SW:
``WWRB
Short Wave .. 1:30 AM & 4:00 PM (ct) Sunday
New Life Radio ..... Uganda,
East Africa (twice weekly)``
1632, canned YL ID for WWRB, 1633 Dave comes
on live as ham WA4SZE, to ``tap dance`` until top of hour next program, which
will last 3 [sic] hours, providing a lot more info about of all this, as I
noted:
Says this is the official first broadcast to ME/Af/Eu, Saturdays
and Sundays at this time, planning to expand. (He never refers to last week`s
9370 -1901* broadcast, which only I heard?? But he has taken my published advice
to go up to 15 MHz band). Acknowledges reception reports already today (so did
it start at 1500 or 1600?), from Rafael in Colombia; someone who says it`s
``like FM quality``, two e-mails in from South Africa, ``blasting crystal
clear``. Says first time on 15240. Refers to website http://www.wwrb.org which is a work in progress
being updated, so keep checking it (at 1930 it still shows 9370 instead of
15240). And tells about the two services, Global 1 and Global 2; plus also a
Global 3 with Brother Stair, but it`s on internet only (as if he needed
that).
Goes on to tell us about facilities. His airport KO (?) number is
K43TN. Has two aircraft and one helicopter, and some other companies also use
the field. Main business is powerline and pipeline control, for TVA etc. Has
complete ILS so is all-weather capable, landing in fog, etc.
WWRB has
been on air every day for almost 20 years. This transmitter is a Harris SW-100F,
but unique as it`s been heavily modified, originally with 4 power tubes, now
only one, the rest replaced with solid state, increasing efficiency to 85% and
power capability to 115 kW (or even 150 but that would be pushing it). Removed a
lot of moving parts. Now water/vapor cooled.
Re-touts 200-foot-high radio
towers supporting rhombix, 4 each times 5 arrays for a total of 20 on site,
requiring a lot of maintenance. Explains how this is so much better than other
US SW stations with rhombix suspended on mere telephone poles only 60-70 feet
high, and sagging. His wires sag no lower than 185 feet AGL, which is about 4
wavelengths: producing a better Brewster angle, as otherwise half the radiated
power is lost heating up the ground below, and results in outgoing signal being
out of phase. Has tweaked his for max efficiency up to 98%. Re-explains again
how he flies around site to measure SW radiation patterns.
Says clients
deal directly with him eliminating middlemen brokers who take 20, 40 even 60%
commission, with the difference passed on to customers, saving 50-70%. See
website for details of prices.
Dave has been an SWL since 1967. SW back
then was full of stations, really fascinating for a kid in Livonia, MI, whose
family never went anywhere. There was so much RF that you could hear VOA or
other stations by picking up the phone, dialing 1 for silence, and extending the
coiled cord. If you want SW to survive, support stations now!
Says
program at top of hour will switch language to Afrikaans? Not sure. (NO! read
on). Never mentions source, or name of that program. Report from Israel saying
WWRB signal ``sounds like FM``. At 1652 explains that he plays the Radio RSA
interval signal in tribute to one of his favorite stations as a kid (not for
political reasons). Offers immediate E-QSLs to reports submitted by Contact page
on website.
Asserts the frequency is 15.24 Megacycles, sounds so much
better than MegaHertz (ignoring that there is no such thing as a Megacycle
without a per-unit-time, i.e. /second, altho I prefer Megacycles/hour =
MegaHausers).
1655 replays the canned WWRB promo by YL, wife? 1656 does
play the Radio RSA IS. By now his signal has improved considerably to rival
WWCR. 1700 accompanied by African music, ID and ``commencing service to Africa``
(this week he doesn`t call it ``Radio Africa``, a name already in overuse).
1701.5, starts the African show, with instrumental hymn; could well be a
national anthem? Maybe Uganda`s as it`s the same program we heard last Sat &
Sun on 9370, followed by 5 minutes of singing mentioning Uganda, all in presumed
Luganda language. Finally announces opening at 1706.5, as Radio Manasi (??? Like
last week, something like that but quite uncertain of spelling). 1727 recheck
still talking.
1736, I try it on UTwente instead, but it`s hard to tune
with long lags in stepping up and down 2.5 kHz. Computer is too loaded. There is
a signal on 15240, but no good with lots of slop from 15245. Tuning there, it`s
Voice of Korear, in Korearan, mixing with something African about equal. Neither
in HFCC, but Aoki shows VOK 15245 during long hours and in addition,
this:
15245 1700-1800 F Voice of Assenna Tig Issoudun 257
15245 1700-1800 F Voice of Forum of Eritrea Tig Issoudun 136
15245
1700-1800 F Voice of Forum of Eritrea Ara Issoudun 4
15245 1800-1900 F
Voice of Forum of Eritrea Ara Issoudun 7
And this is Day 7 = Saturday, so
continuous from 17 to 19, too bad for WWRB but only the first hour on Sundays,
yet still VOK ACI, no doubt.
At 1815 on my own PL-880 on the porch, WWRB
is readable, with no ACI from weaker signals on 15235, 15245, while it`s still
heavy at Twente.
Kai Ludwig in Germany observes, ``At least there's
something on 15240, just barely audible in the sideband slope of North Korea on
15245. The situation can only be even worse in the Middle East if that is indeed
the target area. However, I think I heard the word "Africa"...``
Wolfgang
Büschel, Germany, adds: ``WWRB now on exact 15239.976 kHz. Yes, W African music
heard in progress at 1845 UT on May 21, S=9 or -68dBm in MA-NJ-USA area, only
S=4 or -98dBm in western Europe, nil in Calabria Italy and Greece. But latter
SDR rx signal suffered heavily of adjacent 15245 kHz, due of Issoudun POWERHOUSE
of S=9+50dB signal, Arabic of Saturday only outlet Radio Medrek, or
15245
1800-1900 Voice of Forum of Eritrea Arabic TDF Issoudun 7 wb``
At 1900, I
retune on PL-880 just in time to hear Dave signing off after two hours, not
three, to return at 7 pm ET [23 UT] on 5050 with 100 kW to the Americas (what
happened to 60 kW? I figured the reduced rate on ``local`` Global 1 would be
justified by halving the power); off 1901* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** ZAMBIA [non]. 9680, Sat May 21 at 1248, checking for the
weekend-only afternoon broadcast of Voice of Hope, scheduled 12-17 UT, not
expecting to hear it, and do not, just echoing CNR1 jamming (and not its victim
RTI either). Jamming off at 1400* and nothing is left on 9680, not even a JBA
carrier. Then we learn from Bill Bingham in RSA that VOH had been on earlier
until dumped off the air at 1246*, presumably due to another power failure –
just before I started listening. Wonder if it come back on today or even
tomorrow? This situation is already getting tiresome, surely no less so for
intended African listeners. Bill Bingham says it was still not back on by 1700*
today.
Then Ray Robinson replies, ``Hi, Bill. No, we can't blame this
one on the electricity utility. It was a transmitter fault. The on-site engineer
hasn't been able to fix it, so two others are going out from Lusaka tomorrow
morning. Hopefully they'll have a resolution before the 1200 sign-on. Ray``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report despatched at 1957 UT
May 21
