** CHAD [non]. 5960, Feb 28 at 0658, one African language, rather than BaBcoCk interval signal as heard 24 hours ago here; a few words of talk before cut off at 0659:30* like yesterday. Again nothing heard on 7315. Earlier I had inquired directly of David Smith:
``Mr Smith, We in the shortwave community are trying to figure out what is going on, with Radio Ndarason International seemingly replacing Radio Dandal Kura.
On the new webpage of Ndarason you are listed as the CEO of it. The phone number starting 235 implies it is based in Chad.
The same web design of Dandal Kura has another person as CEO, and the phone starts with 234, as in Nigeria. It seems DK is still producing programming, at least on the web.
Some of our monitors have heard two stations conflicting on 12050 kHz at 1800 UT, presumably these two. Also on 5960 from 0500 UT it is not clear which one is being aired, or both, from France, or Ascension? Of course, we cannot understand the language(s), only try to catch an ID mention.
Is Radio Ndarason for real, and are you running it? Or is it fake by the Nigerians? Was there a scism with Dandal Kura so both stations are laying claim to the schedule and frequencies? What does the name Ndarason mean?
We would very much appreciate your answering these questions and explaining what is really happening.
Thanks,
Glenn Hauser,
Oklahoma,
WORLD OF RADIO``
and he replied at 0816 UT Feb 28:
``Hi Glenn, Sorry for the delay in replying, I am travelling constantly in areas where connections are dodgy at best.
Radio Ndarason is Dandal Kura Chad in the process of going through a change - that is, a separation from its Maiduguri sister station. The frequencies used for Dandal Kura are paid for by Okapi Consulting, with a goal of covering the Lake Chad region in the interests of stability and peace. There is no Nigerian government involvement in this decision. Okapi Consulting is registered in Chad as a local NGO, under head office in Johannesburg, and in partnership with the Lake Chad Basin Commission, based here in N’Djamena.
We are equally confused about the frequencies being used apparently to relay Maiduguri programme. Okapi has had a contractual engagement with Babcock for these frequencies since the 4th quarter of 2017.
In unrelated news - many years ago I used to work at RCI with Ian McFarland and hear your reports regularly on SWL Digest. I also worked with Jonathan Marks at the RNW.
Kind regards, David
David Smith
Director/Directeur Okapi Consulting (Johannesburg)
Directeur Projet/Project Director Radio Ndarason Internationale (Lac Tchad)
http://www.okapi.cc
RSA +27 72 378 8235
Tchad +235 65 07 86 48
Nigéria +234 814 767 4829
Skype canibale2``
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** COLOMBIA. 5910.266v, Feb 28 at 0703, S7-S4 music from Alcaraván Radio, which has been quite regular lately, varying slightly around this area (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 15160, 15300, 15440, 15510, 15580 approx., Feb 28 at 1458, distorted FMy spurblobs out of 15370-AM RHC. They are not as strong as usual, and not as many as usual, but at least the F# tone can be detected out to the further ones in FM mode. Notably, the one on 15230 is overcome by the other real RHC-AM transmitter, usually vice-versa. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CUBA. 17580, Feb 28 at 1516, RHC is on at S9+10 with `Sonido Cubano` music, and 17730 is also on but a JBA carrier.
11950, Feb 28 at 1520, RHC is also on here, VG S9+10/20, same as // 11760, altho 11950 sounds stronger. 11950 to New York is supposed to cease at 1500 per official B-17 schedule. It also shows:
``17580 Khz/16 m 21:00 - 15:00`` to Buenos Aires – obviously major error as 16m is not running all night! Anyhow it is also on later than scheduled. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MADAGASCAR. 6135, Feb 28 at 1414, S5-S8 carrier, maybe trace of just-barely modulation, and no noise jamming for a change from North Korea (maybe on, but E Asian signals are generally weak on band now). Recheck at 1452, still there but weaker at S3-S6. I keep listening to detect the cutoff which finally comes at 1506.0* sharp. The suspicion is that this is RNM, by longpath. Surely this could be confirmed by monitoring in Africa. WRTH 2018 shows site Ambohidrano on 6135 at 0500-1500, 30 kW, flanked by 5010v with 10 kW at 03-05 & 15-19 (which implies a single transmitter, but different powers?), and ``All transmitters operate irregularly``. It`s quite stronger than long-path Somaliland q.v. had been, signing-off 7120 a few minutes earlier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NIGERIA [non]. See CHAD [non]
** OKLAHOMA [and non]. A level-2 tropo triangle was forecast by William Hepburn for 15 UT Feb 28, OKC-Tulsa-Wichita, and this is exactly what I find in DTV channel scan, besides NTSC snowy KOCY-LP 48 OKC. Most signals are Bad, but decoding at least briefly are:
RF 36, KRSU-TV Claremore OK, something educational as 35.1, and also has a 35.2. On-screen program info for 35.2 says ``Wunderkind Little Amadeus`` but it looks like a cheesy SF movie, and to follow at 11:00 CST would be Dr. Who. This is contradicted by the program sked for Feb at
https://rsu.tv/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-February-35_2.pdf
Which implies that 35.2 is only on air in mornings from 10 am past 2 pm when the final program starts??? And today at 10-12 it shows ``Dr Who: the Tom Baker Movies``
A more interactive program guide at
https://rsu.tv/guide/
shows 35.2 is not limited to 10-2+, but claims what I saw after 10 am ends at 10 am:
``Wunderkind Little Amadeus --- Mixed Up Violins #106
Wednesday, February 28, 09:30 am on 35.2 --- Duration: 0:28:36
Description: A bishop asks the Mozart family, now on a concert tour, to take a valuable violin to Munich as a present for the prince-elector. As always, Devilius wants to get the Mozarts into trouble, so he replaces the valuable violin with a worthless old fiddle. He hopes to make it look like the Mozarts sold the valuable violin in order to make money. Then, Devilius will simply hand over the real violin and receive generous praise. In the end, Amadeus' musical genius takes center stage and thwarts Devilius' plans. The Music: "Violin Concerto in G" K. 216; "Divertimento in F" K. 138; "Violin Concerto in B" K. 207; et al. Additional Content: Monti explains violins' place among the string instruments or "strings." Then, he demonstrates the different sizes of a viola, a violin, a cello and a contrabass (double bass) and viewers hear the sounds they make.
[CC] View Additional Airings - Broadcast In: English
Website: http://www.little-amadeus.com/``
KRSU anyhow soon fades below decode level, but before that I also briefly see a PSIP ID for KUOK on RF 36, which is the -CD low power Univisión in OKC, hardly needed since it has high power as a virtual ``36`` subchannel of 29 KTUZ. KRSU will be moving to RF 32, despite 36 remaining the highest UHF channel surviving repack.
RF 19, Feb 28 about 1615 UT, the only Wichitan decoding is KWCH-DT 12-1, but also some Bad signals, e.g. RF 31.
RF 17, Enid`s only local TV station, K17JN-D of 3ABN with six subchannels, is Bad, not decoding, no doubt due to tropo CCI from the megawatt in Bartlesville, TBN`s KDOR-TV, with a CP to move to 36, which should not be necessary, but no doubt accommodates some other station(s) repacking. The only OK explanation I can find at W9WI.com is that in Tulsa, KUTU-CD, which has Univision from KTUZ, will be moving from 25 to 17, but remain low-powered. There are already low-power stations on 25 in Nowata and Muskogee. KOTV will be moving from 45 to 26, in case that impact 25 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOMALILAND [and non]. 7120, Feb 28 at 1358, undermodulated music at S4-S6, from R. Hargeisa. I stay with it to catch the one-hour hiatus, starting at 1402:14*. Long path; also a trace of 7140 Eritrea, and more than a trace of its other, 7181.6~ not measured. All INTRUDERS. See also MADAGASCAR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A [non]. 9580, Feb 28 at 1411, fair S2-S7 signal in Khmer, i.e. VOA at 1330-1430, 250 kW, 270 degrees via Tinang, PHILIPPINES since Dec 15 per Aoki --- the prime frequency abandoned by Radio Australia.
BTW, WRMI is no longer registering 9580 at the hours RA had used it, 09-21 UT, as WRMI never really activated it, but in A18 it is reserving 9580 at 00-01 UT only, 160 degrees in Spanish toward Cuba, just before CRI via Habana continuing 9580 at 01-03 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
This report despatched at 1803 UT February 28