** ANGUILLA. 11775 nor 6090, April 5, it`s dawning on me that the so-called Caribbean Beacon has not been heard for a while, a week or more. Easy to miss due to convoluted ``schedule``. Mark Coady on the ODXA iog April 5:
``A fellow ham radio operator from Peterborough, Ontario, winters for over a month or two with his wife on the island of Anguilla. They recently had their first cases of the COVID-19 virus on the island, apparently brought in by recent tourists from the US and his return flight has been cancelled.
On top of not knowing when he can come home, he noted that he hasn't heard the Caribbean Beacon on 1610 lately and I haven't heard them on shortwave either. Pastor Melissa Scott is still on WWCR but I wonder if the Caribbean Beacon is another COVID-19 casualty for now. Has anyone been hearing them on 6090 or 11775 lately?`` 1610 has been off for a long time (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 15370, April 5 at 2152, RHC is S9 of dead air; also 13740 S9+20 but cut off at 2153*. 11850 DA. 11880 DA at S8, this one warming up prior to nominal 2200 start, but what about the others? Spanish tarde supposedly starts at 2100, already modulating `Formalmente Informal` show on 11760 and much weaker 11670; at 2158, 9640 is too but suptorted. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 11760, Sunday April 5 at 2254, second play of `En Contacto` I make a point of hearing, trying to copy details missed earlier tnx to Arnie`s hard-to-understand speech. The azimuth for 6145 he might have said 335 instead of 325 degrees (treinta sounds a lot like veinte), and still unreadable that for 6000. Closing credits uttered by the one who speaks, sounds like Yalina Cascaret, but no certainty about either spelling, instead of Marta Rios. This via Alexandria SDR, arriving somewhat distorted. Something`s always wrong at RHC. Searching for name on website goes nowhere.
As for the azimuths, no RHC at all in boycotted HFCC; EiBi doesn`t deal with them at all; so that leaves Aoki/NDXC, FWIW. A-20 admits RHC info is still from B-19: 6000, 10 degrees from Quivicán; 6165, 340 degrees from Bauta. Yes, ``6165`` as NDXC never caught up with that change to 6145 months ago (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 6200, April 6 at 0551, JBA carrier, possibly leapfrog mixing product of RHC 6000 over 6100 another 100 kHz higher; but only if both now be really from same site rather than Titán and Bauta. Only thing listed is Lhasa, but midday there. 6000 is S9+20/30 not undermodulated for a change yet somewhat distorted; 6100 is S9+10/20 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** NEW ZEALAND. Updating WORLD OF RADIO times on World FM, and webcasts, with DST off in NZ as of April 5: all shifted one real UT hour later to: Thursday 0930 and 2300 UT; UT Friday 2300. Unfortunately due to my current produxion schedule on Thursdays, the first two airings there are almost a week old (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** NORTH AMERICA. 6936-USB, April 5 at 2143, ``whether you like it or not, we`re with you again --- Col-Virus 19``, song, 2156 still on with music; S6. Earlier than pirates usually heard here 3+ hours before sunset. Many more logs here: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,65153.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** NORTH AMERICA. 4955-USB, April 6 at 0327, tnx to tip on the WOR iog from Mick Delmage who was getting a good signal in Alberta: good also to Ohio SDR I bring up quickly, hard rock, then jazz; 0335 Mix ID, 0346 ``Mix Radio International Worldwide``, quick YL IDs every few minutes as music runs on; 0350 heavy echoes on ID; 0355 another, but cut off at 0359*. So much for Amauta (the legal Peruvian sporadically? active on 4955). Mix first reported here at 2345 but none as late as we heard it: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,65158.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** ROMANIA. 6100, April 6 at 0059, RRI is S9+20 on NF in Romanian to North America at 00-02; 0100 a bit of classical music but into discussion of Estonian-Romanian relations; found // 7420 at 0112. This bihour should also include a good variety of music from domestic service (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 17615.064, April 6 at 1447, S5-S6 with music probably Qur`an, as this always-offfrequency makes a showing despite no registrations and nothing audible on 17660, 17705 or 17895; would be the OSOB except for JBA 17630 CRI Mali.
Others have monitored extensively to confirm most but not all previously scheduled KSA broadcasts are still running, notably WOR iog members Dr Hansjoerg Biener and Wolfgang Bueschel; not including French, per Antoello Napolitano:
``Any idea for the French broadcast scheduled at 1355-1600 on 17660 kHz? I tried a number of times in the last days but nothing was detected. This has been quite regular for years so I am wondering if they stopped broadcasting in French (the only European language still used by Saudi Radio on shortwaves) or simply moved to a new frequency. I confirm, instead, the broadcast in Indonesian on 21670 kHz heard here in the South Italy on 4th April at 1017`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** SCOTLAND [non]. 5850 // 5010, UT Sun April 6 at 0100-0200, `Encore` classical music reconfirmed on both WRMI frequencies.
(7490v) WBCQ webcast, UT Monday April 6 at 0000, after `Le Show` and a minute of dead air, ``William Tell Overture`` starts, so after a couple bonus weeks, Encore has been replaced by an Available Time Slot, primarily filled by AAAWWW; however at 0050 recheck there is music so must not have been an AW hosted show.
9455, UT Mon April 6 at 0200-0259, `Encore` via WRMI, good signal into remotes in NY state; website playlist still for last week (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 5900, April 6 at 0103, Brother Scare on VP signal. Who needs it, with multiple WRMI, WBCQ, WWCR frequencies? HFCC shows BULGARIA available 24 hours with 250 kW on 306 beam toward WEu/NWAf, not NAm in same azimuth; but Aoki/NDXC shows TOM at 23-02, 50 kW at 126 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** TAIWAN [non]. 5800, April 6 at 0101, RTI Spanish via WRMI on this frequency only, no //s heard. Supposed to be inauguration of new relay after test phase, but unknown whether it`s really a new show yet.
Repeat of 0200 checked at 0218 via various E USA remotes, to find RTI on *four* frequencies: 5010, 5800, 7780, 9395! 5010 goes off at 0230* (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) See also: USA WRMI
** U K [non]. 9615, April 6 at 1529, 1 kHz tone, then 1530 Korean at S5-S7. That`s the start time for BBC`s recently inaugurated tri-hour for North Korea, and indeed that`s it, on the ubiquitous 21-degree antenna from USAGM Tinang, PHILIPPINES and onward USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 7340-7345-7350, April 5 at 2141, DRM noise already from Radio Martí, before any AM frequencies come up on this band. In fact, per HFCC this starts at *1700, until 0200* --- but labeled as D for analog rather than N for digital! Nominal 50 kW from GB site = Grimesland NC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 2028 monitoring: confirmed UT Monday April 6 at 0130 on WRMI 7780 only, no longer one or two additionals altho some seem available;
Also confirmed UT Mon April 6 on WRMI 7780 again, only.
Also confirmed UT Mon April 6 at 0300 on Area 51 5130 WBCQ.
Also confirmed UT Mon April 6 at 0330 on WRMI 9955, good at Bogotá SDR.
Also confirmed Monday April 6 at 1800.6 on IRRS 7290, VG via UTwente SDR following: 1758 jazz fill, 1759 switch to bit of rock song; 1759.6 canned ID claiming incorrectly that this is compatible USB rather than full AM DSB; 1800 three headlines from Feature Story News, before WOR start. Noticed at 1811 interruption in modulation if not transmission; maybe others. 1829 cut off closing before I could finish with ``standard disclaimer`` (let me assure you it still applies!). Next:
0100 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780 to NE
2100 UT Wednesday WBCQ 7490v to WSW
0100 UT Thursday WRMI 7780 to NE
Full schedule including AM, FM, webcasts, satellite, podcasts:
http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. What`s really on WRMI at 0130 UT Monday April 6?
5800 // 9395, Prague in English
5010 // 5850, fill music starting with ``Cayman Holiday``
7780, WORLD OF RADIO here only, poor; how about 5010 & 5850??
5950, SMTV?
7570 // 7730, TOMBS
9455, Oldies
9955, `Wavescan` about Greenland
At 0230:
5800, Wavescan
5850 // 9395, rock music, oldies?
5950 & 9955 unknown
7780, WORLD OF RADIO 2028, VG via NY remote on this frequency only
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) See also SCOTLAND [non], TAIWAN [non]
** U S A. 9330, April 6 at 0101, WLCR via WBCQ is still on here rather than A-20 registered 6195 for this hour; and still no sign of the other non-9330 frequencies unattainable (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 15745-15750-15755, April 6 at 1532, poor DRM noise from WINB; was not audible at all at 1440 tho supposedly runs 11-17 UT M-F (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15545.445-USB approx, April 6 at 1442, JBA 2-way seems Spanish but not certain; INTRUDERS may have a thing for ``cute`` frequency choices (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
UNIDENTIFIED. 18155.9-USB, April 5 at 2145, ham reminiscing about equipment of yesteryear.
18137-USB, April 5 at 2146, ham in Italian but probably not Italy; pileup replies, one in Spanish; handles are Giovanni and Nando. Soon they finish with 73s and NO IDs.
I am logging these merely to note that the 18 MHz band is open at least NorthAmerically, by HF sporadic E; but not the 21 MHz band.
Lower band nearby broadcasters are however also getting Es boosts far beyond their normal JBA levels: 15610 WEWN S9+25; 15555-U WJHR even S9+10; 15825 WWCR squealing S9+25; 15770 WRMI S9+25; 13845 WWCR S9+35 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
This report dispatched at 2034 UT April 6
``A fellow ham radio operator from Peterborough, Ontario, winters for over a month or two with his wife on the island of Anguilla. They recently had their first cases of the COVID-19 virus on the island, apparently brought in by recent tourists from the US and his return flight has been cancelled.
On top of not knowing when he can come home, he noted that he hasn't heard the Caribbean Beacon on 1610 lately and I haven't heard them on shortwave either. Pastor Melissa Scott is still on WWCR but I wonder if the Caribbean Beacon is another COVID-19 casualty for now. Has anyone been hearing them on 6090 or 11775 lately?`` 1610 has been off for a long time (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 15370, April 5 at 2152, RHC is S9 of dead air; also 13740 S9+20 but cut off at 2153*. 11850 DA. 11880 DA at S8, this one warming up prior to nominal 2200 start, but what about the others? Spanish tarde supposedly starts at 2100, already modulating `Formalmente Informal` show on 11760 and much weaker 11670; at 2158, 9640 is too but suptorted. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 11760, Sunday April 5 at 2254, second play of `En Contacto` I make a point of hearing, trying to copy details missed earlier tnx to Arnie`s hard-to-understand speech. The azimuth for 6145 he might have said 335 instead of 325 degrees (treinta sounds a lot like veinte), and still unreadable that for 6000. Closing credits uttered by the one who speaks, sounds like Yalina Cascaret, but no certainty about either spelling, instead of Marta Rios. This via Alexandria SDR, arriving somewhat distorted. Something`s always wrong at RHC. Searching for name on website goes nowhere.
As for the azimuths, no RHC at all in boycotted HFCC; EiBi doesn`t deal with them at all; so that leaves Aoki/NDXC, FWIW. A-20 admits RHC info is still from B-19: 6000, 10 degrees from Quivicán; 6165, 340 degrees from Bauta. Yes, ``6165`` as NDXC never caught up with that change to 6145 months ago (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 6200, April 6 at 0551, JBA carrier, possibly leapfrog mixing product of RHC 6000 over 6100 another 100 kHz higher; but only if both now be really from same site rather than Titán and Bauta. Only thing listed is Lhasa, but midday there. 6000 is S9+20/30 not undermodulated for a change yet somewhat distorted; 6100 is S9+10/20 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** NEW ZEALAND. Updating WORLD OF RADIO times on World FM, and webcasts, with DST off in NZ as of April 5: all shifted one real UT hour later to: Thursday 0930 and 2300 UT; UT Friday 2300. Unfortunately due to my current produxion schedule on Thursdays, the first two airings there are almost a week old (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** NORTH AMERICA. 6936-USB, April 5 at 2143, ``whether you like it or not, we`re with you again --- Col-Virus 19``, song, 2156 still on with music; S6. Earlier than pirates usually heard here 3+ hours before sunset. Many more logs here: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,65153.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** NORTH AMERICA. 4955-USB, April 6 at 0327, tnx to tip on the WOR iog from Mick Delmage who was getting a good signal in Alberta: good also to Ohio SDR I bring up quickly, hard rock, then jazz; 0335 Mix ID, 0346 ``Mix Radio International Worldwide``, quick YL IDs every few minutes as music runs on; 0350 heavy echoes on ID; 0355 another, but cut off at 0359*. So much for Amauta (the legal Peruvian sporadically? active on 4955). Mix first reported here at 2345 but none as late as we heard it: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,65158.0.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** ROMANIA. 6100, April 6 at 0059, RRI is S9+20 on NF in Romanian to North America at 00-02; 0100 a bit of classical music but into discussion of Estonian-Romanian relations; found // 7420 at 0112. This bihour should also include a good variety of music from domestic service (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 17615.064, April 6 at 1447, S5-S6 with music probably Qur`an, as this always-offfrequency makes a showing despite no registrations and nothing audible on 17660, 17705 or 17895; would be the OSOB except for JBA 17630 CRI Mali.
Others have monitored extensively to confirm most but not all previously scheduled KSA broadcasts are still running, notably WOR iog members Dr Hansjoerg Biener and Wolfgang Bueschel; not including French, per Antoello Napolitano:
``Any idea for the French broadcast scheduled at 1355-1600 on 17660 kHz? I tried a number of times in the last days but nothing was detected. This has been quite regular for years so I am wondering if they stopped broadcasting in French (the only European language still used by Saudi Radio on shortwaves) or simply moved to a new frequency. I confirm, instead, the broadcast in Indonesian on 21670 kHz heard here in the South Italy on 4th April at 1017`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** SCOTLAND [non]. 5850 // 5010, UT Sun April 6 at 0100-0200, `Encore` classical music reconfirmed on both WRMI frequencies.
(7490v) WBCQ webcast, UT Monday April 6 at 0000, after `Le Show` and a minute of dead air, ``William Tell Overture`` starts, so after a couple bonus weeks, Encore has been replaced by an Available Time Slot, primarily filled by AAAWWW; however at 0050 recheck there is music so must not have been an AW hosted show.
9455, UT Mon April 6 at 0200-0259, `Encore` via WRMI, good signal into remotes in NY state; website playlist still for last week (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 5900, April 6 at 0103, Brother Scare on VP signal. Who needs it, with multiple WRMI, WBCQ, WWCR frequencies? HFCC shows BULGARIA available 24 hours with 250 kW on 306 beam toward WEu/NWAf, not NAm in same azimuth; but Aoki/NDXC shows TOM at 23-02, 50 kW at 126 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** TAIWAN [non]. 5800, April 6 at 0101, RTI Spanish via WRMI on this frequency only, no //s heard. Supposed to be inauguration of new relay after test phase, but unknown whether it`s really a new show yet.
Repeat of 0200 checked at 0218 via various E USA remotes, to find RTI on *four* frequencies: 5010, 5800, 7780, 9395! 5010 goes off at 0230* (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) See also: USA WRMI
** U K [non]. 9615, April 6 at 1529, 1 kHz tone, then 1530 Korean at S5-S7. That`s the start time for BBC`s recently inaugurated tri-hour for North Korea, and indeed that`s it, on the ubiquitous 21-degree antenna from USAGM Tinang, PHILIPPINES and onward USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 7340-7345-7350, April 5 at 2141, DRM noise already from Radio Martí, before any AM frequencies come up on this band. In fact, per HFCC this starts at *1700, until 0200* --- but labeled as D for analog rather than N for digital! Nominal 50 kW from GB site = Grimesland NC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 2028 monitoring: confirmed UT Monday April 6 at 0130 on WRMI 7780 only, no longer one or two additionals altho some seem available;
Also confirmed UT Mon April 6 on WRMI 7780 again, only.
Also confirmed UT Mon April 6 at 0300 on Area 51 5130 WBCQ.
Also confirmed UT Mon April 6 at 0330 on WRMI 9955, good at Bogotá SDR.
Also confirmed Monday April 6 at 1800.6 on IRRS 7290, VG via UTwente SDR following: 1758 jazz fill, 1759 switch to bit of rock song; 1759.6 canned ID claiming incorrectly that this is compatible USB rather than full AM DSB; 1800 three headlines from Feature Story News, before WOR start. Noticed at 1811 interruption in modulation if not transmission; maybe others. 1829 cut off closing before I could finish with ``standard disclaimer`` (let me assure you it still applies!). Next:
0100 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780 to NE
2100 UT Wednesday WBCQ 7490v to WSW
0100 UT Thursday WRMI 7780 to NE
Full schedule including AM, FM, webcasts, satellite, podcasts:
http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. What`s really on WRMI at 0130 UT Monday April 6?
5800 // 9395, Prague in English
5010 // 5850, fill music starting with ``Cayman Holiday``
7780, WORLD OF RADIO here only, poor; how about 5010 & 5850??
5950, SMTV?
7570 // 7730, TOMBS
9455, Oldies
9955, `Wavescan` about Greenland
At 0230:
5800, Wavescan
5850 // 9395, rock music, oldies?
5950 & 9955 unknown
7780, WORLD OF RADIO 2028, VG via NY remote on this frequency only
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) See also SCOTLAND [non], TAIWAN [non]
** U S A. 9330, April 6 at 0101, WLCR via WBCQ is still on here rather than A-20 registered 6195 for this hour; and still no sign of the other non-9330 frequencies unattainable (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 15745-15750-15755, April 6 at 1532, poor DRM noise from WINB; was not audible at all at 1440 tho supposedly runs 11-17 UT M-F (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15545.445-USB approx, April 6 at 1442, JBA 2-way seems Spanish but not certain; INTRUDERS may have a thing for ``cute`` frequency choices (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
UNIDENTIFIED. 18155.9-USB, April 5 at 2145, ham reminiscing about equipment of yesteryear.
18137-USB, April 5 at 2146, ham in Italian but probably not Italy; pileup replies, one in Spanish; handles are Giovanni and Nando. Soon they finish with 73s and NO IDs.
I am logging these merely to note that the 18 MHz band is open at least NorthAmerically, by HF sporadic E; but not the 21 MHz band.
Lower band nearby broadcasters are however also getting Es boosts far beyond their normal JBA levels: 15610 WEWN S9+25; 15555-U WJHR even S9+10; 15825 WWCR squealing S9+25; 15770 WRMI S9+25; 13845 WWCR S9+35 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
This report dispatched at 2034 UT April 6
