** ALBANIA [non]. 5850, April 28 at 2258, no signal from WRMI-12 (nor 5950, WRMI-14, both off?). 5850 does not cut on until *2301.5, joining in progress new R. Tirana relay in English. Such are the risks of being the first program on any transmission. Now I`m hearing Tirana better than I have in well over a year, before their own Shijak transmitter starting malfunxioning but still remained on air for a year.
Yet it`s far from perfect as the 5850 signal at S9+20 is not enough to overcome the S6 noise level. There is also fading, and the accent of the announcers which makes for readability of R4 at best. I make detailed log notes for this auspicious occasion, which was supposed to be yesterday but the audio file then did not come thru with modulation.
Clara with news in progress, 2304 mid-ID, Italian resort venture in Albania, Tirana mayor on 9 megaeuro to be spent on student dorms; 2308 livestock(?) exports growing. 2309 theme and next segment press review: negotiations re EU and Albania; documents re elexion standards; something about a joint operation with Montenegro police, in SELEC = Southeast Europe Law Enforcement Centre.
2314 announcement of the times for English on webcast, 7x [sic] via http://www.rtsh.al/radio-tirana-3
--- something I had not heard about before, in local time but here I convert to UT: 2200, 0130, 0600, 0830, 1130, 1600, 1800; and 1900 (also?) on SW 6005 [Kall, Germany; no mention yet of WRMI relay].
2315 `Albania and the European Integration Process` now switched to OM announcer, something about Croatia. 2317.5 introducing 4 songs of `Albanian Hits` first titled ``I Have You`` or something like that; #2 at 2321:20; #3 (or #4?) at 2325:30; 2327:50 quick sign-off and playing IS seven times and a fraxion until 2329:30 cut to Okeechobee-song ID.
Reception improved slightly by 2315, but unfortunately this is an all-daytime path on 5 MHz band which requires night or semi-night for best (or any) propagation. Okeechobee sunset is circa 0000 UT and edging later for a couple months more. Too bad this is not on 7 or 9 MHz band if the time must be 2300.
But it`s a start! Welcome back, Radio Tirana, to a North American audience. Now that we can hear the programming, so far it`s too heavy on ``official`` news content, i.e. government-related, but at least it`s Albanian, not bothering with world news which is available everywhere.
A complete English program schedule would be handy, but I find only one in Albanian at
https://rtsh.al/programi-radio-tirana/
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. 6890-AM, April 28 at 2321, pirate music at S7-S8. Besides the line noise level, now there`s electric fence popping to S9 every few seconds. I have not visually sighted the fence in the neighborhood. Probably Unknown Name Radio Network which has been on various frequencies around here. Yes, see this thread:
Unknown Name Radio Network 6890 then 6880 then 6895 AM 2220 UTC 28 Apr 2017 [onwards]
https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34524.0.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TAIWAN. 9735, April 29 at 1320, good S9 signal one of the best on band, in Japanese soon ID as ``Taiwan Hoso desu``. It`s RTI this hour, 100 kW, 45 degree beam from Paochung, also favorable for carrying way on to deep North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY. 9830, April 28 at 2325, Turkishish music S9 with no RTTY this late, still past 2330, presumed the VOT German hour which yet again the Emirler sloppyrators have allowed to run on after English to North America finishes circa 2250. Only 9830 thing in HFCC this hour is CNR southward from Beijing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1875 monitoring: confirmed Friday April 28 at 2230 on WRMI 11580; // 5950 is JBA in noisie level; by 2258 recheck, not even a JBA carrier, off? (Anyway, this is the last week for WOR on 5950, as from May, the new relay of RAE Argentina al Mundo in Spanish will be at 2200-2300 M-F southward on 5950.) Also confirmed Friday April 28 at 2330 on WBCQ 9329.95-CUSB, fair, drifting down to 9329.90 within a minute.
Storms here Saturday morning April 29, so computer off and no check of UTwente for 1431 on HLR 7265-CUSB, which I have not been able to confirm remotely anyway for some weeks. Next:
Sat 1930v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND
Sat 2230 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Sun 0310v WA0RCR 1860-AM ND
Sun 1030 HLR 9485-CUSB to WSW
Sun 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Mon 0300v WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW
Mon 0330 WRMI 9955 to SSE [? pre-empted last two weeks]
Mon 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Tue 0030 WRMI 7730 to WNW
Tue 1100 WRMI 9955 to SSE, 9455? to WNW
Tue 2130 WRMI 15770 to NE, 9455 to WNW
Tue 2330 WBCQ 9330v-CUSB to WSW
Wed 1030 WRMI 5850 to NW, 9455? to WNW
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. 1479.967, April 29 at 0537 UT, 1-kHz step bandscan with BFO finds sore-thumb off-frequency carrier here; 0610 UT ad in English with a 972-904-#### phone number, and covering ``from North Texas north to Oklahoma City``. So KBXD Dallas not with Namaste at this time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 1700, April 29 at 0541 UT, I am paying more attention to the Spanish here from KKLF Richardson (Metroplex) TX. Slogan ID as Banda Trece plus información y deportes, but plays music, in fact a rock song in English! 0546 UT another ID, then Spanish romantic song. 0553 UT after an ad, I clearly copy non-ID as ``Banda 13, música, información y deportes``. So why isn`t it ``Banda Diez y Siete``?? Where does the 13 come from? Arctic Radio Club DXers were reporting this latest slogan change over a month ago, along with a verie displaying the logo.
NRC AM Log 2016-2017 had it as `Super Estelar`, Tejano format, with an address in faraway Corpus Christi. Radio-Locator currently shows even more outdated ``Kick 1700`` name. And ``no website``. O yes, there is, as a simple search reveals: Banda Trece is a ``network`` which came to 1700 at the New Year.
http://www.banda13radionetwork.com/
``Frecuencia Deportiva con Xavier Olalde is now officially on Banda 13. After broadcasting to the local Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Francisco and Miami markets, Xavier Olalde will have his show on Banda 13 Radio. The most popular Spanish morning sports show, Frecuencia Deportiva con Xavier Olalde, will air on Banda13.net weekdays from 7-9a Central Time. Along with the show, Banda 13 Radio will have programming for more Spanish sports shows, followed by music in the afternoon online at www.banda13.net or on 1700AM in the Dallas Fort Worth region, starting late November.
Frecuencia Deportiva con Xavier Olalde
Monday-Friday 7-9a (CT)
http://banda13.net
Banda 13 Radio``
This still doesn`t explain where the 13 comes from, maybe approx. frequency of station in one of the other markets?? Various logos imply that the name applies only to this 1700 station, so the 13 may not allude to a frequency at all. Could be it`s of some sporting significance to the SS.
More about station`s history of format and ownership changes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KKLF
Not including Super Estelar, nor the original reason for the KKLF calls, to duplicate KLIF 570; and ``Banda 13`` still unexplained (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report despatched at 1830 UT April 29
