** CUBA. 6000, Dec 31 at 0706, RHC English is S9+40, suptorted but sufficiently readable, better than usual; while // 6100 & 6165 are also undermodulated but not distorted, while 6060 has completely different loud modulation.. 5040 is already off for the final hour of the cycle. Aoki shows 6000 is Quivicán site, the others all Bauta (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 15507, 15438, 15301, 15232, 15164, 15096, 15029, 14961, Dec 31 at 1447, approx. centers of filthy dirty plus/minus 68-69 kHz spurblobs out of 15370 RHC transmitter mis-modulated by Arnie `En Contacto`, with news of Hermano Stair and his impact on private US SW stations. I can only make this out when briefly tuned to fundamental, which until now has sounded normal itself, but it has become undermodulated and breaking up, as so much power is being squeezed out onto the spurs, like stepping on a tube of toothpaste, blaaatt. 15232 of course also QRMs another intentional RHC frequency, 15230, tsk2. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** IRAN. 9900, Dec 31 at 1421, VIRI IS at S9-S6, 1423 NA, opening the hour in Hindi, due east from Sirjan (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN [and non]. 9750, UT Dec 31, NHK in Japanese with some excited chat, VP S6-S7 but the best we can hear it, 1500 timesignal and apparently celebrating arrival of 2018y. Without the ceremony we used to enjoy years ago with drums, countdown, etc. At least this frequency, 300 kW at 290 degrees, is now scheduled until 1600* instead of cutting off right at the NY.
The best signal for live programming from Europe at Jahrwechsel is traditionally Spain on 9690, but will they keep it on past 2300 UT? Used to play a lot of music in English during the preceding hour, celebrations from some plaza, no doubt Madrid not Barcelona (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NEW ZEALAND. 7390, UT Dec 31 at 1404, RNZ National via RNZ Pacific, national weather forecast, one hour later will have coastal FC; 1305 All-Night Programme, plugging `Science in Axion`, presumably de BBC, at ``3:30`` = 1430 UT, review of 2017y. But first, a short story. It is already 2018y per NZ clox even discounting the pretend-extra DST hour they have cribbed, never mind the Dateline (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA [non]. 11530, Dec 31 at 0714, African music, VP, so R. Herwa International is now on as finally admittedly on the latest WRMI sked update; also at 1930 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. 7805.62-LSB approx., distorted ham net with roll call, unstable. I figure it`s second harmonic from 80m band, rather than spur out of 40m band, and sure enough, it`s from 3903.00-LSB, so why isn`t the harmonic on exactly 7806? NCS never gives call but at S9+40/50 could be next door in Enid! Only his signal is heard on harmonic, so I continue listening on 3903. Stations called by first name, callsign and town, seemingly all in OK except for one near Denison TX across the Red River. Many but not all reply with friendly personal greetings. Obviously these guys have known each other for a long time. Some give local temps in the F teens or less, e.g. 9 degrees in Blackwell (for me it`s 11 in Enid).
NCS is addressed as Ron, and BTW there is some background noise with him. 1414 finally NCS call is WD5HUT. It`s the ``Oklahoma --- something --- Emergency Net`` as someone mentioned once in passing. ARRL/FCC Lookup shows: CLINTON, RONALD L, WD5HUT, 3415 W OKLA[homa], ENID, OK 73703; so he is only a few miles away. The final Nets To You from more than 10 years ago had this entry: ``1400 1300 3900 OKLAHOMA EMERGENCY Sunday [Has been on 3902-3903 recently due to QRM]`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9395 & 9455, Dec 31 at 1426, WRMI ending the last `Wavescan` of 2017 with a bit of Swiss music. In the last DX/SWL/MEDIA Programs we had the Sun 1400 airing only on 9455. This secret airing which has existed for quite some time cannot be seen on the WRMI frequency or program sked grids (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 9330.121-CUSB, Dec 31 at 1427 UT, surprised to find good S9 to S9+10 signal, obviously WBCQ, on a frequency which is just fine when used after sunrise. Louder and clearer than neighbor 9265-AM WINB, only S9. Altho ``compatible``, music still sounds better in USB when tuned precisely. C&W, Dolly & Willie, ``From Here to the Moon and Back``, soon DJ ID as Carl (sp?) O`Donnell (sp?), who is a pastor in NB, doing only his third radio show, and plans more featuring country and bluegrass --- but he never names the show! Every week at this time. More tunes have a gospel subtext as one would expect. 1454 is wrapping up episode for NYE with another George Hamilton IV song, ``Auld Lang Syne``; 1457 contact info: blacksalmonlad@gmail.com as he used to be a fisherman. He`ll now try to check his email more than once every triweek, as he wants to know from where people are hearing him. So I`ll tell him about this. Not clear whether he is aware he is also on shortwave! For the past two Sunday mornings too? Cell 506-221-0147; or via ``Kicks FM`` 94.7 WBCQ. 1459 some Ricky Skaggs runs over hourtop. Karl is a true Canadian as he pronounces about ``aboat``. After a quick check for 2018 arriving on Japan 9750, back to this:
1503 restaurant ad and drive safely from Marston? (NB or ME?), WBCQ-FM ID mentioning several towns, but not Monticello? Late, from 1504 Town Hall News, 1508 optional cutaway, This-Day-in-History, 1510 Kix-FM jingle, and forecast highs for next few days in F: 5, 2, 3, 12, 16 and with C equivalents. Still going with country music past 1530, off at 1547 recheck --- no, it`s not off, just diminished to very poor S5 under the local noise level, why?
As for the WBCQ FM slogan, every station spells it differently, so could even be ``Qycs``. WTFDA FM Database does not help, only as ``Classic Country 94.7``, 6/6 kW at 95m so it must not cover very far into NB. Of course, this transmission is not shown on the WBCQ program schedule for 9330 with incomparably greater coverage. Maybe they were just testing the transmitter with some convenient programming.
Then at 1654 I just got this notice From Allan: ``Hi Gang, 9330 on 24/7 for awhile. Good time for some alternative programming. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks, Allan`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 12056-12057 & 12073-12074, Dec 31 at 1437, approx. plus/minus 8-9 kHz spur peaks of hashcrap out of WEWN English 12065 transmitter, just like accompany 15610 when it`s strong enough. QRMs weak 12075 station, which would be VOA Radio Ashna in Pashto via Kuwait. BTW, NDXC/Aoki shows wrong language for 12065 WEWN at 12-15, Spanish instead of English, as they are discussing some ex-pope (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 4069.826-CW, Dec 31 at 0656, ZN beacon barely audible again, location unknown but probably USA. The pauses between the letters are virtually the same to the ear, so could equally be NZ. Presumed ZN since known as a ``zebra beacon`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report dispatched at 1741 UT December 31
