Glenn Hauser logs August 8-9-10, 2019

** ANGUILLA [and non]. 11775, Thu Aug 8 at 1351, so-called Caribbean Beacon is on with so-called Pastor Melissa Scott, on so-called University Network. ``Scheduling`` has appeared to be random, scattershot on this and night frequency 6090, but her website does present a schedule, much less than the 24/7 in the good ole DGS era: https://www.pastormelissascott.com/shortwave-schedule.html and this particular log does fit into it; I have added 24-hour UT to her confusing am & pm, for which days of week are also confusing:

``Radio Broadcast Schedule --- Join Pastor Melissa Scott via the Shortwave Broadcast from the Caribbean Beacon.

Caribbean Beacon, Anguilla, BWI --- Coordinated Universal Time

Sunday    4pm to 10pm Daytime       11.775MHz  16-22

Tuesday   1am to 4am Nighttime       6.090MHz  01-04

Wednesday 1am to 5am Nighttime       6.090MHz  01-05

Wednesday 10am to 1pm Daytime       11.775MHz  10-13

Thursday  Noon to 4pm Daytime       11.775MHz  12-16

Friday    Midnight to 4am Nighttime  6.090MHz  00-04

Friday    7am to 10am Nighttime      6.090MHz  07-10

Saturday  5pm to 8pm Daytime        11.775MHz  17-20

WWCR Nashville, TN --- Coordinated Universal Time

Monday thru Saturday 8pm to Midnight Daytime   13.845MHz  20-24

Sunday               6pm to Midnight Daytime   13.845MHz  18-24

Daily                Midnight to 11am Nighttime 5.935MHz  00-11

Pastor Scott's Program Broadcast on Intermountain Public Radio

MOUNTAIN TIME. . . [a bunch of FM stations in Wyoming, Idaho]``

BTW, this is not on the Hitlist, altho several other major American gospel huxters can be reached. While searching for her, I came across this unsolicited testimonial for the Hitlist from Gilles Letourneau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0tQFZ0rFC4 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. 10920, Aug 9 at 1348, JBA Chinese, and 10960 JBA carrier; only other CNR1 jammers in survey up to 15 MHz are: 12870, JBA Chinese; 13550, S5-S7 Chinese with heavy flutter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. 17550, Aug 9 at 2202, JBA carrier from R. Kuwait N American service in Arabic, in over-optimistic propagation expectation. Several previous chex recently has been inaudible, but when it is, by this hour the OSOB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENNG DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 88.3 WBFM, Aug 9 at 1730 UT, `Thru the Bible`` is starting, today`s reading from the whole thing being Jeremiah 13-16; starts off about men wearing girdles, then skirts and heels! Hee, hee; non-robotic voice keeps a straight face?? Don`t listen to whole thing but retune at 1746 just as wrapping up this segment with Family Radio ID. So our local satellator K202BY is finally back on the air. I first noticed it yesterday, but then and now could have been the non-translator gospel huxter from Wichita with some tropo, and in fact this one has some fades as I drive around. But now I`ve got the FR ID out of California. (BTW, 92.1 KAMG-LP is still silent.)

[and non] Fortunately my BST-1 caradio RF feeder on 88.3 still overcomes K202BY when I turn it on at 1818 UT --- as the memory scan soon lands on 13670 for another gospel huxter in English (TWBD), this time all the way from Madagascar World Voice. Aside from the programming, I still think it`s neat to hear this, mobile in faraway Enid. Almost exactly 15.8 megameters, or 9.818 kilomiles statute, 8.532 nautical distant. It has to traverse the whole of the African landmass before exiting from Morocco into the Atlantic. Later in the hour has faded down considerably. We may soon know whether in B-19 HFCC, they reascend to the 17 MHz band. The B19 HFCC/ASBU Coordination Conference will be held from 26 to 30 August 2019 in Argentina (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. Electronic billboard on the NE corner of Garriott & Garland in front of the new JiffyTrip about to open in Enid (which replaced a worm-infested pecan grove; sad!), flashes ``Rush will soon be on Enid FM Radio``, and the same for ``Sean``, August 9. I can`t read it all as I am in motion, but this surely refer to the 100.9 CP translator K265FL [Fully Loony] for KGWA which is already airing their rubbish on AM 960. No, 100.9 is not on quite yet. I cannot hardly wait. This will of course also difficultize if not block reception of 100.7 from Ponca City, and 101.1 from Stillwater & Woodward. KGWA`s original FM sibling, 103.1 KOFM, has been spurring or overloading down to this area too (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. I have been discussing KROU`s new 105.7 transmitter from Spencer/OKC with KGOU+ CE Patrick Roberts, Aug 9:

I`m glad you got a new transmitter for KROU; no doubt it was needed, not that it will do us any good in Enid with that translator on 105.5, not to mention Alva on 105.7.

But KROU ERP remains only 1.6 kW, right? As per FCC. Is that the legal limit for this facility, or how high could you go if cost did not matter?

I just had another look at the panel photo of the new transmitter: https://www.kgou.org/post/new-oklahoma-city-transmitter-improves-sound TPO 30 watts??? That would be the exciter? What is the full TPO? Must be under 1 kW for an ERP of only 1.6 kW --- so hard to imagine (for me not in the business) how the new transmitter of a few hundred watts cost as much as it did, even at a bargain? 

``Hi Glenn. The unit with 30w on the display is the exciter, on top. The transmitter is 4600w. Our antenna is effectively a 1 bay (level), four-sided panel at 640 ft. 1600 watts effective radiated power. The new transmitter system is capable of 5000 watts. Thanks. Patrick Roberts`` 

Patrick, Thanks for explaining. I did not realize that the ERP could be less than the transmitter power -- negative gain apparently with that kind of antenna. Glenn

``No problem. Karen [Holp, former GM] and I bought the panel to give the most consistent coverage we could, squeezing all we could out of the “new site” when we moved to [KFOR tower, virtual channel] 4 $$$$$. It really did clean it up. We used to have a 3-bay to this baby panel at the [KAUT virtual channel] 43 tower. It was producing a messy signal, side-mounted on that tower. Yeah... 4.6 in and 1.6 out. At our power level erp-wise, strangely, a “1 bay” lit up is the best option. There’s NO nulls under it in the first several miles like the gain antennas produce. No need for null fill because there are no nulls from multiple bays. No tower shadowing because this beast custom-wraps around the massive 4 tower. At 640 ft, there’s not much more terrain shadowing vs. 300 on the 43 tower which had a ton of it. KFOR was going to charge the same anyway. I took the height :) Negative gain systems are an odd thing in a way, but they are a bit of a legal ability to push the envelop as much as we could. It did extend the reach as a byproduct of raising height too. You know how it goes in pub radio. We get one chance to do it right. Thanks! Patrick Roberts`` (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. RF 36, Aug 9 at 1505 UT, from OKC, KUOK-CD briefly decodes enough to enable the PSIP ID, then breaks up. Presumably the same Univisión programming as on a subchannel of full-power RF 29 KTUZ Shawnee, which displays as 36. Hepburn tropo map shows level-1 minor tropo enhancement between here and OKC. (Enid is almost always on the margins or beyond tropo areas --- but wait for next Tuesday!). W9WI.com lists 7.33 kW, CP for 15. Anything else unusual?

RF 21, KUOT OKC is *much* stronger and in solid with subchannels 1-2-3-4-5, including 3ABN, but KUOT is the PSIP ID on all of them. W9WI.com show it`s 15 kW, really KUOT-CD, without any subchannel info. NOT to be confused, as I almost did with another RF 21 listed for OKC, KTOU, 4 kW with 6 subchannels. There are also Bad signal bars on 20 and 22. In fact rabbitears.info shows KTOU-LD is now on 22 virtually and really, not 21. 20 could be KQCW-DT Muskogee, which seems to be the most-often seen from Tulsa market. Ultimately repacked, the only UHF channels unoccupied in OKC Market #50 will be 17, 20, 28, 34 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. 9830, Aug 8 at 2330, oh2, something is on here, poor S6-S8 --- listening closely, jup, it`s in German for another Voice of Turkey overrun instead of turning off NLT 2300 after English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1994 contents: Australia, Canada, Cook Islands, Congo DR, Cuba, Denmark, Germany, International Waters non, Iran non, Ireland/Italy nons, Kashmir, Laos, Latvia, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands non, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oklahoma, Panama non, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, USA; and the propagation outlook

The shortwave broadcasts should be:

2200 UT Friday    WRMI 9955 to SSE

0130 UT Saturday  WRMI 7780 to NE

0629vUT Saturday  HLR 6190-CUSB Germany to WSW

1000 UT Saturday  Unique Radio 3210-USB NSW [Aug 17? alt. weeks] ND

1430 UT Saturday  HLR 9485-CUSB Germany to WSW

1930vUT Saturday  WA0RCR 1860-AM ND

2100 UT Saturday  WRMI 9955 to SSE

0130 UT Sunday    WRMI 5850 to NW

0300vUT Sunday    WA0RCR 1860-AM [nominal 0315] ND

1030 UT Sunday    HLR 7265-CUSB Germany to WSW

2130 UT Sunday    WRMI 7780 to NE

0130 UT Monday    WRMI 9395 to NNW, 7780 to NE

0230 UT Monday    WRMI 7780 to NE

0300vUT Monday    WBCQ 5130v Area 51 to WSW, 6160v? to WSW

0330 UT Monday    WRMI 9955 to SSE

0930 UT Monday    Unique Radio 3210-USB NSW [hiatus?] ND

1130 UT Monday    Unique Radio 3210-USB NSW [hiatus?] ND

1816 UT Monday    IRRS 7290 Romania ND

0100 UT Tuesday   WRMI 7780 to NE

0800 UT Tuesday   Unique Radio 3210-USB NSW [2 editions; hiatus?] ND

2100 UT Wednesday WRMI 9955 to SSE

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

WORLD OF RADIO 1994 monitoring: ready for download early UT Friday August 9; and confirmed first SWBC Fri Aug 9 at 2200 on WRMI 9955, fair S9-S4 with perfect timing starting on the dot with no upcut or overlap; local high line noise level still blasting below 9 MHz, disaudiblizing whatever be on e.g. 7780, but not affecting 9955. Sounds like me under the HNL on 7780 UT Sat Aug 10 at 0130 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 15555-USB, Aug 9 at 1357, gospel huxter is readable in English at S3-S4. WJHR, Milton FL is so rarely audible that it needs to be logged for the record. Is it sporadic on air, or sporadically propagating with its paltry incredible 250 watts, run at 1 kW PEP, per WRTH rather than the legal minimum of 50 kW for FCC-licensed SWBC stations? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. (7490), Aug 10 at 0054, I tune in WBCQ webcast toward the end of `AAAWWW` when he usually gets down to business with info about the Superstation, etc. He`s already talking about it with a caller, so I did not get it all, just: the power supply modules in the modulator keep popping off; it`s a design issue which has been there since installation. When it runs, it runs beautifully. Need spare modules; in fact, NO spare parts have been supplied tho he has been asking for them for months! This manufacturer [Continental] is not like RCA or Gates which used to be eager to help. Nobody cares any more. Also says they have ``lost the prime manufacturer of antenna`` --- what?? Ampegon? I am not sure this be relevant, but searching on Ampegon bankruptcy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transradio Ampegon took over Transradio a couple years ago. Transradio was successor to Telefunken. 

Allan says he is confident things will work out in the end. But could the superstation become a white elephant? Who would be left holding the bag, World`s Last Chance, or WBCQ?

Call from John, the VORW, says he is hearing WBCQ on both 6160 and 9330 now. Just in time for this report, here`s John Carver`s summary:

``Tonight's show started on time on 7490. Allan and Angela in the studio. Allan is feeling used and abused this evening. A rambling dialog trying to illustrate his disgust with things. First phone call at 0015 from Freddie. Mr. Mike calls at 0026 with information of two upcoming hamfests.

Allan says they're still having problems getting the antenna adjusted. Says the company has gone bankrupt and they can't get manuals, blueprints, tech information or spare parts. Said it's difficult to program the antenna for all the frequency changes without a manual. He says that there are also problems with the power modules on the new transmitter and the company is dragging its feet getting back to them with information or new parts. Allan blames the problems on everything on the antenna and transmitter being controlled by computers and not having access to programming info. The German company that bought out part of the antenna company will not honor the warranty on the antenna so the station has to pay for any assistance and at the moment they're not getting any assistance.

Allan says that 7490 is running on very low power, as something in the transmitter melted about 3 this afternoon and he can't tear into it till tomorrow. Phone call at 0045. Caller says he is an engineer and is working on a new shortwave station and has been affected by the recent bankruptcy and was trying to pump Allan for information about it. He stated that the new station was still in the future and he didn't feel comfortable releasing any information about it.

Reading of emails at 0057. Allan also mentioned that they had set another transmitter to broadcast on 9330 and were using it from time to time but no details on when or what. Closing prayer at 0102. Show was off the air at 0108 and 7490 went into Brother Stair in progress. John, Mid-North Indiana`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1160, Aug 9 at 0241 UT, further chex of KSL SLC, which has been unusually weak lately: now it`s sufficient, but a SAH of 156/minute = 2.6 Hz, on the R75; rather different on the DX-398, easily nulling KSL increasing QRM from music, Spanish. At 0317 the QRM is worse, Spanish music overcoming at times. Nothing from UT to compare it with, but 850 KOA Denver is also poor, when it could/should be good. I hear from people at KSL that things seem OK there, running full 50 kW from the Nautel, but they are looking into it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1480, Aug 9 at 1306 UT, ``Good Morning Sunshine`` song is finishing, English named in outro, then W&M light-hearted Vietnamese chat, from KNGO Dallas, ex-KBXD, but I`ve yet to hear the new ID since it changed a few months ago. Initially atop KQAM Wichita, but skywave is dying down less than a sesquihour after sunrise, and soon losing to KQAM English talker by groundwave (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 10365-USB, Aug 8 at 1354, 2-way in colloquial Spanish, very poor (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report despatched at 0226 UT August 10

Agenda DX 10/08/2019

ANNIVERSARIO EMITTENTI
Radio Antofagasta, Cile 1460 Khz (1937)
Radio Cenit de Portoviejo, Ecuador 4775 Khz (1955)
Radio Guarani, Brasile 1340 Khz (1936)
AM 940, Brasile 940 Khz (1935)


FESTE NAZIONALI
Dichiarazione d'Indipendenza in Ecuador


ANNIVERSARIO EVENTI
Guglielmo Marconi effettua un nuovo collegamento in microonde tra Rocca di Papa e Capo Figari (Sardegna) 269 km. (1932)

SWLDXBulgaria News August 9

FRANCE(non)   Fair signal of Eye Radio via TDF Issoudun on August 9:
1600-1700 on 15410 ISS 250 kW / 139 deg to EaAf Juba Arabic* Mon-Fri
* including other langs English/Dinka/Nuer/Shilluk/Bari/Zande/Lutoho
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/fair-signal-of-eye-radio-via-tdf.html

FRANCE(non)   Reception of Alameda Bible Fellowship via TDF Issoudun, August 9
1930-2000 on 11860 ISS 500 kW / 180 deg to WeAf English Mon/Wed/Fri, fair/good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-alameda-bible-fellowship_9.html

GERMANY(non)   Reception of Voice of Oromo Liberation via MBR Nauen, August 9
1700-1730 on 15420 NAU 100 kW / 144 deg to EaAf Afan Oromo Fri/Sun, very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-voice-of-oromo-liberation_9.html

GREECE   Reception of Voice of Greece on 9420 kHz, August 9
from 2000 on  9420 AVL 150 kW / 323 deg to WeEu Greek tx#3:
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-voice-of-greece-on-9420_9.html

NUMBERS STATION   Reception of S11a Cherta in 40HAM band, August 9
1020-1023 on  6977 unknown secret tx site to Eu Russian USB, fair:
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-s11a-cherta-in-40ham-band.html

NUMBERS STATION   E11 Oblique & R.Romania International on 9610 kHz, August 9
1910-1913 on  9610 unknown secret tx site to Eu English USB mode E11 Oblique,
at same time  9610 TIG 300 kW / 262 deg to SoEu Spanish AM mode R.Romania Int
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/e11-oblique-rromania-international-on.html

RUSSIA   Fair signal of GTRK Adygeya/Adygeyan Radio, August 9
1800-1900 on  6000 ARM 100 kW / 188 deg to CeAs Adygeyan Fri
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/fair-signal-of-gtrk-adygeyaadygeyan.html

SUDAN(non)   Radio Tamazuj via Talata Volonondry&Issoudun, August 9
1459-1557 on 15150 MDC 250 kW / 340 deg to EaAf Juba Arabic*, weak
1459-1557 on 15400 ISS 250 kW / 139 deg to EaAf Juba Arabic*, good
* at 1544 on 15150 MDC 250 kW / 340 deg to EaAf English news on Fri
* at 1544 on 15400 ISS 250 kW / 139 deg to EaAf English news on Fri
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/radio-tamazuj-via-talata-volonondry.html

SUDAN(non)   Radio Dabanga via Santa Maria di Galeria & Issoudun, August 9
1529-1557 on 13745 ISS 250 kW / 139 deg to EaAf Darfur Arabic, good signal
1529-1557 on 15550 SMG 250 kW / 150 deg to EaAf Darfur Arabic, poor & weak
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/radio-dabanga-via-santa-maria-di.html

TURKEY   Voice of Turkey in Georgian & Tatar on wrong frequencies, August 9
0956-1003 on 11750 EMR 500 kW / 120 deg to N/ME Georgian, instead of 9655 &
0956-1003 on 11795 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg to WeAs Tatar - instead of 9855 kHz
1004-1055 on  9655 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg to CeAs Georgian, as scheduled A-19
1004-1025 on  9855 EMR 500 kW / 032 deg to CeAs Tatar - as scheduled A-19
Something`s always wrong at TRT Voice of Turkey Emerler transmitting station
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/voice-of-turkey-in-georgiantatar-on.html

U.K.(non)   Trans World Radio Africa via ENC-DMS Al-Dhabayya, August 9:
1300-1315 on 17680 DHA 250 kW / 230 deg to EaAf Afar Thu-Sun, weak/fair
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/trans-world-radio-africa-via-enc-dms-al.html

U.K.(non)   Reception of FEBA Radio via ENC-DMS Yerevan, August 9:
1730-1800 on  7510 ERV 300 kW / 192 deg to EaAf Silte, fair signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-feba-radio-via-enc-dms_9.html


--

73! Ivo Ivanov
More information on the shortwave listening hobby,
please visit to http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com

QTH-1: Patreshko, Bulgaria
Receiver: Afedri SDR
Software: SDR-Console v2.3(using remote connection)
Antennas: various Inverted V and beverage antennas.

QTH-2: Sofia OK2, Bulgaria
Receiver: Sony ICF-2001D
Antenna: 30 m. long wire

Media & Tech - 09/08/2019

The K7RA Solar Update

A new sunspot group appeared only briefly this week, on August 7-8. It was sunspot 2747, from current Cycle 24. Sunspot numbers on Monday and Tuesday were 11 and 12.

Average daily solar flux shifted only slightly from last week, from 67 to 67.2. Average planetary A index, a geomagnetic indicator aggregated from magnetometers around the world, more than doubled, from 5 to 10.3. This was due to solar wind which raised the planetary A index to 35 on Monday. Alaska’s high latitude college A index reached 61 on Monday and 24 on Tuesday.

Predicted solar flux is 68 on August 9-16 and 67 on August 17 through September 22.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on August 9, then 8 on August 10-11, 5 on August 12-16, 8 on August 17-18, 5 on August 19-25, 8 on August 26-28, 5 on August 29-30, then 12, 25, 25, 16 and 8 on August 31 through September 4, then 5, 8 and 8 on September 5-7, 5 on September 8-12, 8 on September 13-14, then 5 on September 15-21 and 8 on September 22.

OK1HH sent his geomagnetic activity forecast for the period August 9-September 4, 2019, a day early this week. There will be no forecast from him next week.

Geomagnetic field will be

Quiet on: August 12, 16, 21, September 4

Quiet to unsettled on: August 9, 13-15, 17, 22, 29-30, September 3

Quiet to active on: August 10 (- 11,) 19-20, 23-25, 28, 31

Unsettled to active on: August (18, 26-28), September 1, (-2)

Active to disturbed-none

Solar wind will intensify on: August (9-14,) 27-29, (30-31, September 1-2)

- Parenthesis means lower probability of activity enhancement.

- Next forecast will be issued on August 22

Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, posted a new 3-hour-long space weather mini-course a few days ago: https://youtu.be/56oVhXD7AZE

And here is her video report from August 8: https://youtu.be/a3hiGPOHZ-U

Tamitha will be one of the speakers this Saturday at the Pacific Northwest DX Convention, along with Joe Taylor, K1JT: https://pacificnwdxconvention.com/

Mark, K4SO, in Virginia wrote on August 8: "My friend and neighbor, K1HTV, suggested I drop you a note about a brief, surprising opening on 10 meters this morning.

“I had my small tribander antenna (an A3S) almost due north and decided to drop down from 6 meters to 10 meters, on the way down to more active bands. JTDX was running, as usual, when I got a JTAlert audio message and saw a decode of RV0AR, calling CQ SA. I assumed it was a broken decode of some noise, but in the next cycle it changed to CQ NA! I started calling with 100 W and turned on my Alpha 89 amplifier.

I used JTAlert's text function to encourage him to keep calling, but there was no indication he was online. Luckily for me, his signal continued to build as the amplifier tubes warmed up.”

Mike, KA3JAW, likes to monitor various VHF services, such as FM broadcast, for sporadic-e. He forwarded a report from William Hepburn in Grimsby, Ontario Canada who monitored over 45 minutes of e-skip from 162 MHz weather radio broadcasts from eight stations in Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and Oklahoma from 2:19 PM to 3:06 PM local time back on July 20. Distances ranged from 839 to 1,253 miles.

If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers, email the author at k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service at http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere.

An archive of past propagation bulletins is at http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/.

Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation.

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins.

Sunspot numbers for August 1 through 7, 2019 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 12, 11, and 0, with a mean of 3.3. 10.7 cm flux was 66.8, 66.9, 65.7, 66.9, 68.1, 68.1, and 68, with a mean of 67.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 4, 3, 4, 35, 12, and 6 with a mean of 10.3. Middle latitude A index was 8, 4, 4, 6, 20, 10, and 6, with a mean of 8.3.

Propagation News – 11 August 2019

Matter from a solar coronal hole hit the Earth last week as predicted. However, we got the date wrong, as it actually impacted us on Monday and not Sunday, as it was moving slightly slower than we thought. This sent the Kp index up to five as the Earth’s geomagnetic field was disturbed and where it stayed for four consecutive Kp sessions, or 12 hours in total. There were reports of a pre-auroral enhancement on 10 metres, but overall HF conditions were down as a result.

Tuesday was characterised by reduced maximum usable frequencies, but by Wednesday the solar wind stream had calmed down and the ionosphere soon got back to its normal sunspot minimum doldrums. There was DX to be chased though, with the CY9C St Paul Island DXpedition off Nova Scotia being workable on the lower HF bands, especially 20m, and being very audible in the UK.

Next week NOAA predicts a calm Sun with a solar flux index of 67 and zero sunspots. After potentially unsettled geomagnetic conditions this weekend due to a coronal hole, the rest of the week should be fine, with a maximum Kp index of two or three.

Don’t forget that it is International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on the 17th and 18th, which should attract more than 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. A full list can be found at illw.net, but please note that with ionospheric conditions the way they are you may struggle to work nearby UK lighthouses on 40m due to the low critical frequency, and 80m may be closed from mid-morning until late afternoon due to D-layer absorption. But feel free to try for the European stations and those further afield on 40 and 20m.

VHF and up:

The next week or so is looking decidedly unlike summer with a tendency for low pressure, especially in the north. Wind, rain, thunder and no tropo is hard to sell, but there are usually some positives even in bad weather! Let’s start with a strong positive, which is a good jet stream pattern for sporadic E. In this case a marked upper trough crosses the country with segments of strong jet stream winds over the UK and near continent. In the closing weeks of the sporadic E season, a strong jet stream is a real bonus, so pursue the usual summer operating rules and check the 10m and 6m bands late morning and late afternoon.

Another positive is that the Perseids meteor shower is approaching its peak, so expect excellent meteor scatter conditions over the coming days. The broad peak of 11 to 13 August may cause meteor ionisation, which is an important component in the formation of sporadic E.

Now the bad news. There is pretty much a total absence of high pressure, so it’s unlikely that tropo will feature much, if at all. Strong winds will remind us to check the antennas are in good shape for winter. Trying to end on a positive note, thunderstorms are useful if you are into GHz bands rain scatter from the large cumulonimbus clouds.

Moon declination is at its minimum, most negative, today, so the Moon will be very low in the sky at its zenith. Losses are still increasing as we approach apogee on Saturday, so it’s a poor week for EME.

Shortwave Radiogram, 8-11 August 2019

Last weekend, Shortwave Radiogram included a brief "hidden message" during the closing music. It was in the BPSK63F mode, centered on 50 Hz. At that very low audio frequency, it was not audible. I did not publicize this message last week, because I was not sure that data at such a low audio frequency would actually be pass through the WINB and WRMI transmitters. When I established that the data was transmitted by both stations, I publicized it in the @SWRadiogram Twitter account. A few listeners were able to decode the BPSK63F. The BPSK63F is not as robust as the MFSK modes we usually use, so it did sometimes fail during fades. But it could work on a local AM (medium wave) station, where fading is not generally an issue, coexisting inaudibly with the voice and music programming. We'll try this again in future shows. Thanks to those of you who stated your preference on the line breaks at 65 characters. There is now definitely a consensus in favor of the 65-character breaks rather than "natural" line wrapping. This weekend's show is in the usual MFSK32 and MFSK64. with nine MFSK images. Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 112, 8-11 August 2019, in MFSK modes as noted:  1:47  MFSK32: Program preview  2:57  Czech restaurant's 50-crown fine for not clearing plate  6:34  MFSK64: Radio waves from dead planets* 10:40  How the 5 riskiest U.S. cities are preparing for floods* 15:23  This week's images* 27:18  MFSK32: Closing announcements * with image(s) Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net And visit http://swradiogram.net Twitter: @SWRadiogram or https://twitter.com/swradiogram (visit during the weekend to see listeners' results) Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304

Shortwave Radiogram Transmission Schedule UTC Day UTC Time Frequency Transmitter Thursday 2330-2400 UTC 9265 kHz WINB Pennsylvania Friday 1300-1330 UTC 15770 kHz WRMI Florida Friday 1500-1530 UTC 15120 kHz DRM WINB Pennsylvania Saturday 0230-0300 UTC 9265 kHz WINB Pennsylvania Sunday 0800-0830 UTC 5850 kHz 7730 kHz WRMI Florida Sunday 2330-2400 UTC 7780 kHz WRMI Florida

The Mighty KBC transmits to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC.  Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.  “This is a Music Show” is the newest addition to digital modes via analog shortwave. Most of the show is a music show, but the host transmits some MFSK text and image near the end of the broadcast. It’s transmitted Thursday 0100-0200 UTC (Wednesday evening in the Americas) on 5850 kHz, and Thursday 0130-0230 UTC (Wednesday evening in the Americas) on 9395 kHz, both frequencies via WRMI Florida.  Also look for a waterfall ID at the beginning of the show. thisisamusicshow@gmail.com . www.instagram.com/thisisamusicshow/ www.twitter.com/ThisIsAMusicSho/ New York and Pennsylvania NBEMS nets. Most weekends, as KD9XB, I check in to the New York NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging Software) net Saturday at 1200 UTC on 3584 kHz USB, and the Pennsylvania NBEMS net Sunday at 1200 UTC on 3583 kHz USB (with out-of-state check-ins now starting at 1130 UTC). Check-ins are usually in Thor 22, and messages are in MFSK32 (PA NBEMS is experimenting with Thor 50x1 for messages). Messages generally use the Flmsg add-on to Fldigi. If you are a radio amateur in eastern North America, feel free to check in. Outside the region, use an SDR in the eastern USA to tune in and decode. You do not need Flmsg to check in, and most of the messages can be read without Flmsg. If you can decode the net, send me an email to radiogram@verizon.net , or tweet to @SWRadiogram , and I will let them know you are tuned in. USEast NBEMS Net: Please also note the USEast NBEMS Net, Wednesdays at 2300 UTC (7 pm EDT) on 3536 kHz USB. I will try to check in to this net more frequently.jjjj Thanks for your reception reports! Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB Producer and Presenter Shortwave Radiogram Reporting on international broadcasting at https://twitter.com/kaedotcom

SWLDXBulgaria News August 8-9

FRANCE   Reception of Radio France International in 25mb, August 9
0530-0600 on 11790 ISS 500 kW / 140 deg to ECAf Swahili, very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-radio-france-international_9.html

FRANCE(non)   TDA Telediffusion d'Algerie via TDF Issoudun on August 9
0500&0503 on  6125 ISS 500 kW / 194 deg to NWAf Arabic HQ/French, fair
0500&0503 on  9535 ISS 500 kW / 162 deg to CEAf Arabic HQ/French, good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/tda-telediffusion-dalgerie-via-tdf.html

GERMANY(non)   Reception of Bible Voice Broadcasting via MBR Nauen, August 8
0600-0615 on 11655 NAU 125 kW / 180 deg to NoAf Arabic Dardasha 7, very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-bible-voice-broadcasting_9.html

GERMANY(non)   Reception of Adventist World Radio via MBR Moosbrunn on August 8:
0603-0700 on 11880 MOS 300 kW / 175 deg to EaAf Arabic, very good, BUT bad audio
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-adventist-world-radio-via_9.html

GERMANY(non)   Adventist World Radio via MBR Moosbrunn in 25mb, August 8
0701-0730 on 11880 MOS 300 kW / 206 deg to WeAf French, very good signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/adventist-world-radio-via-mbr-moosbrunn_9.html

GERMANY(non)   Adventist World Radio via MBR Moosbrunn in 19mb, August 8
0800-0830 on 15145 MOS 300 kW / 210 deg to NoAf French, fair/good signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/adventist-world-radio-via-mbr-moosbrunn_76.html

GERMANY(non)   Adventist World Radio via MBR Moosbrunn in 25mb, August 8:
1500-1530 on 11955 MOS 300 kW / 115 deg to N/ME Turkish, very good signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/adventist-world-radio-via-mbr-moosbrunn_36.html

GERMANY(non)   Adventist World Radio in 31mbvia MBR Nauen, August 8:
1600-1630 on  9830 NAU 125 kW / 135 deg to EaEu Bulgarian, very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/adventist-world-radio-in-31mbvia-mbr.html

GERMANY(non)   NHK World Radio Japan via MBR Nauen, August 9:
0430-0500 on  6165 NAU 125 kW / 085 deg to EaEu Russian, good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-nhk-world-radio-japan-via.html

GERMANY(non)   Adventist World Radio in 25mb via MBR Nauen, August 9
0455-0525 on 11955 MOS 300 kW / 190 deg to WeAf Hausa, good signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-adventist-world-radio-via_87.html

GERMANY(non)   Reception of Bible Voice Broadcasting via MBR Nauen, August 9:
0501-0516 on  9735 NAU 250 kW / 120 deg to N/ME Arabic/English Fri, very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-bible-voice-broadcasting_55.html

GERMANY(non)   NHK World Radio Japan via MBR Issoudun on August 9:
0500-0530 on 11970 ISS 500 kW / 155 deg to SoAf English, good, co-ch
at same time 11970vKBD 250 kW / 100 deg to SoAs English DRM R.Kuwait
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-nhk-world-radio-japan-via_9.html

NUMBERS STATION   Reception of E11 Oblique in 25mb on August 9
0600-0603 on 11559 unknown secret tx site to Eu English USB, good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-e11-oblique-in-25mb-on.html

NUMBERS STATION   Reception of S06s Russian Lady in 31mb, August 9
0641-0647 on  9655 unknown secret tx site to Eu Russian CUSB, poor
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-s06s-russian-lady-in-31mb.html

SECRETLAND(non)   Radio Taiwan International via Secretbrod, August 8
1700-1730 on  5900 SCB 050 kW / 030 deg to EaEu Russian, good signal.
Today August 8 again no signal of Brother HySTAIRical via Secretbrod:
14-1655 on 11600; 15-1655 on 6000; 16-1945 on 9400 & 20-0155 on 6055.
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-radio-taiwan-international_9.html

SECRETLAND(non)   Bible Voice Broadcasting via Secretbrod, August 8
1710-1745 on  9490 SCB 050 kW / 126 deg to N/ME Arabic Tue/Thu/Fri
1745-1800 on  9490 SCB 050 kW / 126 deg to N/ME Arabic Dardasha 7
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-bible-voice-broadcasting_66.html

SRI LANKA   Reception of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, August 8
1630-1830 on 11750 TRM 125 kW / 345 deg to N/ME Sinhala City FM, good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-sri-lanka-broadcasting.html

TAIWAN   Reception of Radio Taiwan International on August 8:
1400-1500 on  9590 TSH 300 kW / 325 deg to CeAs Russian, weak
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-radio-taiwan-international.html

U.K.(non)   Radio Ranginkaman / Radio Rainbow NOW IS NOT via ENC-DMS Grigoriopol:
1630-1700 on  7580 unknown kW / unknown to WeAs Persian, ex 1730-1800 KCH-July 31
1630-1700 on  7535 KCH 500 kW / 116 deg to WeAs Persian is deleted from A-19 HFCC
1730-1800 on  7580 KCH 500 kW / 116 deg to WeAs Persian is deleted from A-19 HFCC
In RMS / IBB Monitoring Radio Ranginkaman/Rainbow is under "RTC", not under "RKM"
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/radio-ranginkaman-now-is-not-via-enc.html

U.K.(non)   Reception of BBC via ENC-DMS Moosbrunn, August 9
0600-0630 on 11620 MOS 300 kW / 235 deg to NoAf French, good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-bbc-via-enc-dms-moosbrunn.html

VATICAN(non)   NHK World Radio Japan via SM di Galeria, August 8
0500-0530 on  9860 SMG 250 kW / 184 deg to WeAf English, good:
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/nhk-world-radio-japan-via-sm-di-galeria.html

VATICAN(non)   Voice of America via SM di Galeria on August 9
till 0700 on 12070 SMG 250 kW / 184 deg to WCAf French, 1 minute
0700-0730 on 12070 SMG 250 kW / 184 deg to WCAf Hausa, very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-voice-of-america-via-sm-di.html

--

73! Ivo Ivanov
More information on the shortwave listening hobby,
please visit to http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com

QTH-1: Patreshko, Bulgaria
Receiver: Afedri SDR
Software: SDR-Console v2.3(using remote connection)
Antennas: various Inverted V and beverage antennas.

QTH-2: Sofia OK2, Bulgaria
Receiver: Sony ICF-2001D
Antenna: 30 m. long wire

Wolfgang Bueschel log of Aug 9th

Log of Aug 9th remote SDR unit access,
in Detroit MI state and in Austria Europe, in 49 Meterband

5829.987 USA  WTWW English presenter in action,
         S=9+30dB signal noted in Detroit at 05.50 UT.

5899.990 UNIDentified signal, S=7 at 05.49 UT, mayby EXCITER signal only
         from WRMI Okeechobee FL ?

Sao Tome aligned odd / even:
6080.028 STP  VOA English, S=6 at 05.45 UT,
6180even STP  but VOA French outlet also.


and in Europe
5959.876 KWT  Radio Kuwait under threshold, poor due of daylight
         path Kuwait to central Europe at 06.08 UT.

5840 kHz DEN  WMR Randers S=7 signal in Austria at 06.11 UT on Aug 9.
         fq 1 Hertz lesser side ...
         looks like speedy music from West Africa played this morning,
         -  of my amateur - like music judgement ... -

[selected SDR options, span 12.5 kHz RBW 15.3 Hertz]
(wb  df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Aug 9)

Agenda DX 09/08/2019

ANNIVERSARIO EMITTENTI
Radio Siboney, Cuba (1968)
Ecos del Torbes, Venezuela 4980 Khz (1947)
Radio Andorra FM (1939)

Media & Tech - 08/08/2019

Glenn Hauser logs August 6-7-8, 2019

ACCESS TO A-19 SW SCHEDULES via: http://www.worldofradio.com

** AUSTRALIA. 9610, August 7 at 1302, South Asian song W&M duet at S3-S5, but I bet it`s a gospel huxter trying to ingratiate itself with victims: Yes, HFCC shows RBA Kununurra, in Tamil this semihour daily, but don`t you believe it`s that simple. EiBi shows 5 different languages, depending. First half on Wednesdays is in MALalayam (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA [and non]. 6070-, Aug 7 at 1954 while my noise level has abated, I again try for the JBA NAFTA midday carriers on 49m, and there they are: CFRX, as well as 5950 WRMI and 6185 XEPPM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. CNR1 jammer survey, Aug 7 from 1346: 10160 Chinese JBA; 10960 JBA carrier; 11120 Chinese JBA; no more WOOBs up to 15 MHz on a poor propagation morning (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 5025, Aug 7 at 1952 UT, line noise level has abated, and I detect the JBA carrier from Radio Rebelde, but strangely there are also audible pips at the rate of 40 per minute superimposed. An artifact around here, or transmitted that way? Something`s frequently wrong at RadioCuba (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 6100, Aug 7 at 0611, RHC English is S9+20 of JB modulation, better than 6000 which is off; while 6165 is S9 and barely audible vs high noise level. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 15230, Aug 7 at 1354, RHC is S9+10 but suptorted, while // 15140 is OK. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA. 11769.9, Aug 7 at 2008, S6-S7 of undermod talk from Voice of Nigeria, yet one of the better signals now on 25m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Via Benn Kobb and Mike Cooper, we had advance notice of this event:

``U.S. Nationwide Emergency Test Today --- In the United States, the next Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is scheduled for today, Aug 7 2019, at 2:20 p.m. ET.

All radio and TV stations must participate. The test will not be transmitted via Wireless Emergency Alerts (mobile phones). Moreover, the test will not be distributed via the Internet so stations will have to get the originating signals directly by radio from assigned sources.

These tests tend to expose audio impairments and transmission glitches, which is why the government keeps scheduling them. Some stations 'forward' (rebroadcast) the tests immediately, some delay it and some don't do anything at all, though required by law. Stations must report their readiness and test results via three FCC forms.

The equipment required to create, obtain and forward EAS alerts is complex and requires periodic, expensive upgrades. Few manufacturers produce these devices. Among non-profit community stations, there is a desire to open-source these products, which would require approval of FCC and FEMA and, apparently, issuance of cryptographic keys to device makers.

This is only a test and no action is required of the radio and TV audience. However, the FCC has stated:

"Members of the public and interested stakeholder organizations that are in a position to observe test results in their communities can provide useful feedback on the nationwide test, including any problems observed or any complications in the delivery of the EAS message during the nationwide test by reporting their observations to the Public Safety Support Center at https://www.fcc.gov/general/public-safety-support-center."``

I set an alarum a few minutes prior to 1820 UT, but I had just started lunch. I do grab the PL-880 for some quick chex, and indeed the EAS tones start at 1820 on KOSU 91.7, then switching to AM, also on KGWA 960, VVKigriega 930, KTOK 1000; and KOKP 1020 --- only the last one has noisy background, but announcement is still readable. And it`s all over by 1822. How can we do any significant evaluation in such a short time, especially while lunching? O, yeah, record the entire AM/FM/TV/cable spectrum and sort it out later. Not me; did anyone, unofficially? (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 92.1 WBFM, Aug 6 at 2232 UT while futilooking for a sporadic E opening (later learn that Rob Ross in ON was getting OK), I notice that KAMG-LP Enid is finally off after having run dead air for about 3 months after one day of pretend-programming; what a waste, just to try to block my DX. Well, I hope it`s gone for good (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PANAMA [non]. 9955, Wed August 7 at 1306, DX program in Spanish via WRMI, and sure sounds like Manolo de la Rosa, who retired from RHC two or three years ago, soon outro as part 3 of a talk about the Titanic, but no name given. Would he be mortified to be broadcast now by the gusana station? The show is `Antena DX`, host Víctor Gutiérrez then listing its sked on WRMI and WBCQ frequencies without saying which stations, and I think omitting the very broadcast I am listening to, if they were cited in time order. On next at 1311 to the AER DX report, featuring African stations in Congo DR and Guinea Ecuatorial, once again including R. CANDIP as if it still exist on 5066, and RNGE Malabo as if it still exist on 6250. He always laboriously spells out P and E-mail addresses of each station, most of which are in English. Also DWD on 5905, 6180. Once again he is not named in the outro, so I won`t either (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1993 monitoring: confirmed Wednesday August 7 at 2100 on WRMI 9955, which was on NLT 2055 with IS & ID loop, but joining WOR a few sex late, ``---with World of Radio 1993---``. Earlier thought WBCQ would also be audible, but now the line noise is blasting again, reducing it to a JBA carrier, but WOR confirmed L&C on the 7490.18v webcast.

Also confirmed UT Thursday August 8 at 0119 check the 0100 on WRMI 7780, fair S9+10 without HNL.

Next WOR 1994 should be finished by the end of UT August 8, ready for webcasting, and from August 9 broadcasting (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 7490.177, Aug 7 at 1955, JBA carrier while my line noise is off, so WBCQ must be on this early already on a Wednesday, prior to `Financial Survival` at 2000. 

Unlike August 5, no sign of an early test from WRNO 7505 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 5830, Aug 7 at 0607, WTWW-1 is S9+10 of dead air; if it were modulating, it would still be under-.

9475, Aug 7 at 2005, no signal from WTWW-1 day frequency either, nor a trace on 5830 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 17775, Aug 6 at 2111, KVOH is still on with S9 music, but with BFO, carrier seems to be cutting off & on very rapidly; on AM it sounds like a crackle. Also sounds different depending on whether R75 AGC is off, slow or fast, latter being default (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Agenda DX 08/08/2019

ANNIVERSARIO EMITTENTI
WPLM, Massachusets 1390 Khz (1955)

SWLDXBulgaria News August 7

BOTSWANA(non)   Voice of America via Selebi Phikwe, August 7:
from 1400 on 15580 BOT 100 kW / 350 deg to SoAf English, fair
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/voice-of-america-via-selebi-phikwe.html

DX RE MIX NEWS # 1142 & SWLDXBulgaria News August 7
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/dx-re-mix-news-1142.html

GERMANY(non)   NHK World Radio Japan via MBR Issoudun, August 7:
1430-1500 on 13680 ISS 500 kW / 090 deg to WeAs Farsi, very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/nhk-world-radio-japan-via-mbr-issoudun.html

GERMANY(non)   Adventist World Radio via MBR Issoudun on August 7
1630-1700 on 17570 ISS 250 kW / 122 deg to EaAf Somali, fair/good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/adventist-world-radio-via-mbr-issoudun.html

GERMANY(non)   Reception of Voice of Oromo Liberation via MBR Nauen on August 7:
1700-1800 on 15420 NAU 100 kW / 144 deg to EaAf Afan Oromo Wed, very good signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-voice-of-oromo-liberation_7.html

SECRETLAND(non)   BS TOM is again on air via Secretbrod, August 7:
1400-1655 on 11600 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg to WeEu English, very good
1500-1655 on  6000 SCB 050 kW / 030 deg to EaEu English, weak/fair
1600-1945 on  9400 SCB 100 kW / 126 deg to N/ME English, very good
2000-0200 on  6055 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to ENAm English, pls check
0230-0400 on  5900 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to ENAm English, pls check
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/brother-stair-tom-is-again-on-air-via.html

TURKEY   TRT Voice of Turkey in Azeri on odd frequency 9505.7 kHz on August 7:
1530-1625 on  9505.7 EMR 500 kW / 105 deg to WeAs Azeri, instead of 9505.0 kHz
Something`s always wrong at TRT Voice of Turkey Emerler transmitting station!!
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/voice-of-turkey-in-azeri-on-odd.html

U.K.(non)   NHK World Radio Japan via ENC-DMS Al-Dhabayya, August 7
1515-1600 on 11775.2 DHA 250 kW / 060 deg to SoAs Urdu, weak signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/nhk-world-radio-japan-via-enc-dms-al.html

U.K.(non)   NHK World Radio Japan via ENC-DMS Tashkent, August 7:
1530-1600 on  9600 TAC 100 kW / 163 deg to SoAs Hindi, fair signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/nhk-world-radio-japan-via-enc-dms_7.html

U.K.(non)   Reception of KBS World Radio via ENC-DMS Woofferton, August 7
1700-1800 on  9820 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs Kurdish Voice of America&
1800-1900 on  9820 WOF 250 kW / 066 deg to EaEu Russian, very good signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-kbs-world-radio-via-enc_7.html


--

73! Ivo Ivanov
More information on the shortwave listening hobby,
please visit to http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com

QTH-1: Patreshko, Bulgaria
Receiver: Afedri SDR
Software: SDR-Console v2.3(using remote connection)
Antennas: various Inverted V and beverage antennas.

QTH-2: Sofia OK2, Bulgaria
Receiver: Sony ICF-2001D
Antenna: 30 m. long wire

Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of PORTUGAL logs July 25-Aug 5

Observações OCurta 25Jul-05Ago. (Efectuadas na costa sudoeste).

ANGOLA

4949,8 RNA-Canal "A", Mulenvos, 2121-2131, 29/7. Chamadas de ouvintes; 35242.

AUSTRÁLIA

6230BLS Estação Meteorológica VMW, Wiluna, Austr. Ocidental, 1802-..., 30/7. Avisos;  25332. // 8113.

6507BLS Estação Meteorológica VMC, Charleville, Queensland, 1831-..., 31/7. Avisos (?); 15331.

8113BLS Estação Meteorológica VMW, Wiluna, Austr. Ocidental, 1804-..., 30/7. Avisos; 15331; // 6230.

8176BLS Estação Meteorológica VMC, Charleville, Queensland, 2136-..., 29/7. Avisos (?); 15331.

12362BLS Estação Meteorológica VMW, Wiluna, Austr. Ocidental, 1905-..., 02/8. Avisos (confirmado via // 6230 e 8113); 15341. 12362BLS idem, 0933-..., 05/8. Avisos (?); 15341.

12365BLS Estação Meteorológica VMC, Charleville, Queensland, 0932-..., 04/8. Avisos (?); 15341.

BRASIL

4775 R.Congonhas, Congonhas MG, 2133-2143, 01/8. Missa; 35342.

4875 R.Roraima, Boa Vista RR, 2142-2152, 25/7. Conversa, canções; 35343.

4925 R.Educação Rural, Tefé AM, 2144-2154, 25/7. Notícias regionais; 35332.

5035 R.Educação Rural, Coari AM, 2149-2159,25/7. Canções; 35332

4985 R.Brasil Central, Goiânia GO, 2123-2133, 29/7. Prgr. musical Brasil Sertanejo, anúncios de programação; 35343.

6010 R.Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte MG, 2119-2133, 27/7. Informações, conversa, noticiário de f/ball; 25331.

6080 R.Marumby, Curitiba PR, 2140-2150, 25/7. Propag. religl, canções; 34342. // 9515 SINPO 35343.

6135 R.Aparecida, Aparecida SP, 0855-0925, 31/7. Prgr. musical A Boa Música está no Ar, rubrica Momento Agro; 35342, em perda.

9515 R.Marumby, Curitiba PR, 2125-2145, 03/8. Canções de propag. relig.; 25331. Melhor sinal, em 04/8, pelas 2110.

9550,1 R.Boa Vontade, Pt.º Alegre RS, 2113-2124, 27/7. Propag. relig. adoçada c/ música; 23441, QRM adjacente, mas sinal em ascensão.

9630,1 R.Aparecida, Aparecida SP, 2125-2135, 29/7. Missa; 34443, QRM adjacente; // 6135 (bloqueada por est. não identif.), 11855,7.

9630,4 idem, 0850-0930, 31/7. Prgr. musical A Boa Música está no Ar, rubrica Momento Agro, propag. relig.; 35433.

9665 R.Voz Missionária, Camboriú SC, 2106-2116, 04/8. Canções; 45433.

9665,1 idem, 1834-1847, 25/7. Propag. relig.; 24332, QRM adjacente.

9665,1 idem, 1411-1444, 28/7. Propag. relig., seguida de prgr. dirigido às crianças, canções, indicação das freqs., noticiário; 35433.

9665,1 idem, 0950-1220, 01/8. Canções, ..., noticiário em curso, pelas 1105, ID cantado, canções; 25432.

9665,1 idem, 1853-1912, 01/8. Prgr. noticioso O Brasil e o Mundo, propag. relig., canções; 35342.

9818,4 R. 9 de Julho, São Paulo SP, 2116-2126, 01/8. Noticiário de futebol; 24342, QRM adjacente.

9818,4 idem, 0930-0954, 05/8. Canções, texto; 15341, QRM adj., pelas 1000.

11815 R.Brasil Central, Goiânia GO, 1100-1220, 28/7. Prgr. de música folclórica Goiás Caboclo, anúncio cantado das freqs., texto; 25432. Áudio fraco.

11815 idem, 1503-1526, 04/8. Música pop'; 25442. Áudio fraco.

11815 idem, 0935-1210, 05/8. Canções, noticiários, às 1000, 1100, 1200; 25442. Áudio fraco.

11855,8 R.Aparecida, Aparecida SP, 1829-1843, 25/7. Anúncios comerciais, canções; 34343, QRM adjacente.

11855,8 idem, 1412-1426, 26/7. Prgr. musical A Boa Música está no Ar; 15341.

11895,1 R.Boa Vontade, Pt.º Alegre RS, 1742-1754, 30/7. Propag. relig.; 15341.

11895,2 idem, 2140-2150, 03/8. Canções, texto; 15341. // 9550,1 sob forte QRM adjacente.

CLANDESTINAS

4885 R.Eco de Esperança, Nowon-gu, Coreia do Sul, 1901-1911, 02/8. Emissão em coreano destinada à Coreia do Norte; texto; 35332.

6250 R.Eco de Esperança, Nowon-gu, Coreia do Sul, 1902-1912, 04/8. Emissão em coreano destinada à Coreia do Norte; texto; 34332, QRM do sinal de empastelamento norte-coreano.

7729,9 R.Som de Esperança Int'l, Formosa, 2115-..., 28/7. Emissão em mandarim dirigida à China continental; texto; 25342.

CUBA

5025 R.Rebelde, Bauta, 0927-desvan. total 1015, 05/8. Propag. comunista, música; 25342.

DINAMARCA

5840 World Music R, Randers, 2120-..., 28/7. Música e canções; 25342.

15805 World Music R, Randers, 0936-0946, 04/8. Música e canções; 15341. Primeira vez que a estação é captada nesta frequência.

GUINÉ-Conacri

9650 R.Guinéee, Sonfonia, 1505-1527, 04/8. Francês; entrevista sobre o sistema local de educação; 55444.

9650 idem, 2112-2123, 04/8. Francês; necrologia; 33432, QRM adjacente.  Em suma, havendo condições p/ receber o sinal diurno, é preferível que durante a noite, mercê das flutuações e eventual QRM.

9650 idem, 1105-1155, 05/8. Francês/líng. local; anúncios de progr., canções, chamadas de ouvintes; 45444.

ETIÓPIA

5950 Voz da Revolução do Tigrê, Geja Jawe, 1802-1813, 01/8. Líng. local; canções do chamado Corno de África; 25342.

6110 R.Fana, Geja Jawe, 1844-1755, 30/7. Líng. local; texto, música pop', ID às 1800; 35343.

ITÁLIA

10000* Associação dos Amigos da ITALCABLE, Massarosa, 0940-..., 04/8. Italiano; sinais horários e informações horárias intercaladas por espaços musicais; 25342. *) sinal em AM, mas c/ banda lateral inferior suprimida.

MALÁSIA

11665 Wai FM via RTM, Kajangue, 0943-0959, 04/8. Líng. local; texto, música; 25431.

MALI

5995 R.Mali, Kati, 2128-..., 29/7. Portadora vazia; 55444.

5995 idem, 2120-2130, 01/8. Francês; canções tradicionais; 45444.

9635 R.Mali, Kati, 1215-1303, 26/7. Canções tradicionais, noticiário, em francês, às 1300; 35443.

9635 idem, 1507-1529, 04/8. Líng. local; debate; 45444.

NICARÁGUA

8989BLS El Pescador Predicador, QTH?, 2222-..., 27/7. Propag. relig.; 15341, QRM ocasional, de sinal igualmente em BLS.

NÃO IDENTIFICADA

5778,9 pirata?, 1910-..., 04/8. Música; 14341, QRM adjacente, da est. pirata irlandesa R.Harmony, em 5780.

NOVA ZELÂNDIA

5945 R.NZi, Rangitaiki, 0917-desvan. total 1115, 28/7. Inglês; canções, texto; 35432, em perda rápida.

PIRATAS

3904,9 R.Technische Man (?)_HOL, 2120-..., 03/8. Música pop'; 35343; possível ID via imprensa DX.

5140 Charleston R Int'l_QTH?, 2116-..., 27/7. Música e canções d'outro tempo; 35332.

4071 Não identif._HOL (?), 2101-2110*, 04/8. Música pop', fecho abrupto; 35343.

5780 R.Harmony_IRL, 1837..., 25/7. Inglês; canções; 35332.

5780 idem, 0945-..., 01/8. Canções; 25342.

5780 idem (?), 1120-..., 05/8. Canções; 15331.

5800,1 Não identif., 1837-..., 03/8. Música pop', texto; 35242.

5809,8 Free R Service_HOL, 2101-..., 28/7. Inglês; música pop'; 35443. // 7700,2.

5830 R.Aristona_HOL, 2145-..., 31/7. Música pop', canções holandesas; 35332. ID via imprensa DX.

6209,9 Não identif., 2119-..., 04/8. Música pop'; 25331.

6270 Kennemer R.-1_HOL, 1839-..., 03/8. Inglês; música pop', anúncio do end.º de correio electr.º; 35242.

6272 R.Black Bandit_HOL, 2123-..., 03/8. Música holandesa e pop'; 35343. ID como "R.Abu Dabi".

6284,9 R.Technische Man_HOL, 2215-..., 26/7. Música pop'; 35343. ID via imprensa DX.

6284,9 R.Focus Int'l_G, 1903-..., 02/8. Música pop'; 15341. ID via imprensa DX.

6284,9 R.Focus Int'l (?)_G, 2146-..., 03/8. Inglês; texto, música pop'; 25331.

6285 Kennemer R.-1_HOL, 1816-..., 26/7. Inglês; música pop', texto; 35332.

6287 R.Black Bandit_HOL. 2058-..., 28/7. Holandês/inglês; música pop', "c&w", ref. a relat. de recepção; 35343.  Ignoro o ID dado, mas, como referido mais adiante, a voz chega, por si.

6295 R.Joey_HOL, 1920-..., 27/7. Hoandês/inglês; música pop', texto; 35332, em ascensão.

6295 R.Joey_HOL, 1830-..., 03/8. Música pop'; 35241. ID via imprensa DX.

6299,9 R.Vloedgolf (Onda Gigante)_HOL, 2125-2130*, 03/8. Música pop', ID em inglês, como R.Tidalwave; 45343.

6300 Não identif._GRC (?), 1826-..., 31/7. Música grega; 25341. Ainda em operação, às 2040.

6305 R.Black Bandit_HOL, 2057-2110*, 27/7. Holandês/inglês; música e canções holandesas; 35433. ID dado como "R.Johnny Tobacco, mas a voz é inconfundível, pelo que opto por indicar sempre o ID que creio ser o original.

6305 R.Merlin (?)_G, 2129-..., 01/8. Canções; 25342. Possível ID via imprensa DX.

6305 Não identif.; 2140-..., 02/8. Canções ucranianas; 02/8. 35343.

6319,9 Não idenif._HOL, 1833-1838*, 31/7. Holandês/inglês; música e canções, ref. a relat. de recepção; 35343.

6320 Não identif., 2111-..., 28/7. Música pop'; 25342.

6320 R.Sovereign_IRL, 2135-..., 30/7. Música pop'; 25342. ID via imprensa DX.

6320 R.Sovereign (?)_IRL, 1839-..., 31/7. Música pop'; 25331. Possível ID via imprensa DX.

6320 R.Sovereign (?)_IRL, 2132-..., 01/8. Canções; 25331. Possível ID via imprensa DX.

6334 R.Joey_HOL, 2148-2149*, 03/8. Música pop', fecho c/ hino nac. holandês;

35343.

6875,1 R.Europe_I, 1835-..., 03/8. Música; 15341. ID via imprensa DX.

6935 R.TRX, QTH?, 2128-..., 03/8. Música pop'; 25342; normalmente, c/ sinal muito melhor.

6935 idem, 1908-..., 04/8. Música; 35433.

7700,2 Free R Service_HOL, 2105-..., 28/7. Cf. // 5809,8 supra. 35443.

7725 R.Zepelim, Atenas_GRC, 2132-..., 03/8. Música pop'; 25342.

12255 Reflections Europe_IRL, 1905-..., 04/8. Inglês; prgrs. de propag. relig.; 35443. // 6295 muito fraco e sob forte QRN.

SURINAME

4990 2147-2157, 25/7. Música pop'; 24331.

ZÂMBIA

4965 Voz da Esperança, Rancho Makeni, 1831-1841, 25/7. Inglês; canções relig.; 45343. // 6065 c/ sinal mais forte.

5915 ZNBC-R. 1, Lusaka, 1746-1757, 30/7. Líng. local; texto, música; 25342. Bloqueada por sinal digital (DRM) em 5920.

5915 idem, 2143-2153, 02/8. Líng. local; texto, chamadas de ouvintes, canções; 35343.

6065 Voz da Esperança, Rancho Makeni, 1805-1815, 01/8. Inglês; propag. relig.; 55444. // 4965 SINPO 25342.

Bons DX e 73. (Carlos Gonçalves, PORTUGAL, August 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Media & Tech - 07/08/2019

SWLDXBulgaria News August 6-7

AFGHANISTAN   Fair signal of Radio Afghanistan External Service on August 6
from 1602 on  6100 YAK 100 kW / 125 deg to SoAs Urdu, from 1616UT-NO SIGNAL
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/fair-signal-of-radio-afghanistan.html

ARMENIA(non)   Trans World Radio India in 31mb via Yerevan, August 7
1315-1330 on  9300 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Kurux Wed-Fri, good:
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/trans-world-radio-india-in-31mb-via_7.html

FRANCE   Reception of Radio France International in 13mb on August 6
1500-1600 on 21690 ISS 500 kW / 145 deg to ECAf Swahili, good signal
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-radio-france-international.html

NUMBERS STATION   Good signal of E11 Oblique in 41mb on August 7
0900-0903 on  7449 unknown secret tx site to Eu English USB mode
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/good-signal-of-e11-oblique-in-41mb-on_7.html

NUMBERS STATION   Reception of E11 Oblique in 40 HAM band on August 7:
0930-0933 on  6923 unknown secret tx site to Eu English USB mode, fair
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-e11-oblique-in-40-ham-band.html

SECRETLAND(non)   No signal of Brother Stair TOM via SPL Secretbrod
1400-1655 on 11600 SCB 100 kW / 306 deg to WeEu English on August 6
1500-1655 on  6000 SCB 050 kW / 030 deg to EaEu English on August 6
1600-1945 on  9400 SCB 100 kW / 126 deg to N/ME English on August 6
2000-0200 on  6055 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to ENAm English on August 6
0230-0400 on  5900 SCB 050 kW / 306 deg to ENAm English, pls check!
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/no-signal-of-brother-stair-tom-via-spl.html

THAILAND   HSK9 Radio Thailand World Service in 31mb on August 6:
1800-1900 on  9920 UDO 250 kW / 313 deg to WeEu Thai, fair/good &
1900-2000 on  9920 UDO 250 kW / 321 deg to WeEu English-very good
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/hsk9-radio-thailand-world-service-in.html

TURKEY   Unscheduled on SW Voice of Turkey in Greek on 9610 kHz, August 6:
1426-1431 on  9610.0 EMR 500 kW / 290 deg to SEEu Greek, unscheduled on SW
Something`s always wrong at Voice of Turkey Emerler transmitting station!!
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/unscheduled-voice-of-turkey-in-greek-on.html

U.K.(non)   Reception of Radio ERGO via ENC-DMS Al-Dhabayya, August 7
1200-1300 on 17845 DHA 250 kW / 225 deg to EaAf Somali, weak to fair:
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/reception-of-radio-ergo-via-enc-dms-al.html

U.K.(non)   Fair signal of BBC via  Tashkent, August 7:
1330-1400 on  9560 TAC 100 kW / 131 deg to SoAs Bengali
https://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com/2019/08/fair-signal-of-bbc-via-tashkent-august-7.html


--

73! Ivo Ivanov
More information on the shortwave listening hobby,
please visit to http://swldxbulgaria.blogspot.com

QTH-1: Patreshko, Bulgaria
Receiver: Afedri SDR
Software: SDR-Console v2.3(using remote connection)
Antennas: various Inverted V and beverage antennas.

QTH-2: Sofia OK2, Bulgaria
Receiver: Sony ICF-2001D
Antenna: 30 m. long wire

Agenda DX 07/08/2019

ANNIVERSARIO EMITTENTI
Radio Batallòn Topater, Bolivia 1220 Khz (1974)
JOQC, Giappone 1386 Khz (1938)
Radio Surcolombiana, Colombia 5010 Khz (1974)

How dissidents are using shortwave radio to broadcast news into China

Pro-democracy forces are locked in a cat-and-mouse game with the Chinese government, playing out on the airwaves, the internet and across the globe.

For more than four months, Hong Kong has been in the grips of a civil crisis. Protestors have taken to the streets to challenge the Hong Kong government’s growing acquiescence to Beijing while Chinese government forces and their allies have used militias to attack protestors and electronic tools to disrupt their communications. But media censorship means that few mainland Chinese know what’s going on.

A Silicon Valley-based organization has found a way to get information into China and out to Chinese speakers around the world: shortwave radio. 

“Shortwave broadcast is kinda like a grey area,” said Sean Lin, one of the co-founders of the Sound of Hope radio network. “There’s no law that says you cannot do it. It depends on if governments want to keep [a particular radio station] going or shut it down based on Beiging’s pressure,”

Shortwave radio has been used for decades to broadcast news, information, political messages, and disinformation.  During World War II, the Germans and the British both used radio waves between 3–30 MHz (10 to 100 metres) to try to persuade listeners around the world.

Sound of Hope, co-founded by Lin and Allen Zeng in 2004, looked to take the same technology and broadcast messages into China. Zeng originally set up the station to broadcast to the Chinese language population in Silicon Valley. It was his response to a dearth of Chinese-language news coverage that wasn’t heavily influenced by the Chinese government. “You would expect them [Chinese language news and media in the United States] to have some basic media decency and do their job. They don’t. They all have family in China. They need to go back to China. They need to do business in China,” said Zeng. 

Soon, the Sound of Hope began to broadcast into mainland China itself. Both Zeng and Lin identify as members of the Falun Gong movement, a traditional Chinese religious movement heavily persecuted by the Chinese government. The station does carry religious programing, but they say it’s primarily for reportage and commentary about events in China, and of relevance to the Chinese diaspora.

Shortwave (really, AM) radio can be a powerful tool, but it can be drowned out by a more powerful signal. Five years after the radio effort launched, the Chinese government’s jammers had essentially squelched the broadcast.

“We were desperate,” because of the jamming, said Lin. “Then we had an engineer in Taiwan who came up with a strategy.” 

The station now uses more than 100 radio antennas located in countries all around China, such as Thailand and Taiwan, which trade the signal — in effect, playing a game of keepaway with the station’s broadcasting. It’s a strategy they still employ to get their show to 60 percent of the Chinese mainland, including Hong Kong. They have about a 30-person reporting team, who operate under pen names all around the world. It’s a mix of reporting about China and world events, through an analytical lens that’s much more critical of the Chinese government than the government would allow, as well as some original reporting on events within China itself. 

“We rely on a reporter who calls into China to dig up news,” said Lin. Much of their exclusive Chinese coverage is the sort of thing that a local television investigative news team might cover, “petitioners who petition the central government. A lot of the times their case is not handled by the authorities, so they will find another way to seek help, seek a way to voice how their house is being taken down by local authorities, or corruption cases, things like that.” 

Lin and Zeng say that they would like to do more reporting on everything from the Hong Kong protests to the plight of the almost three million Muslims imprisoned in the sprawling re-education camps of Xinjiang. Sound of Hope gets no help from the U.S. government, a reluctance that Zeng and Lin attribute to pressure from Beijing. Instead, they rely on donations, mostly from Silicon Valley, and an army of volunteers. 

But working with the network carries risks, even outside of China. Last November, Thailand authorities acceded to a Chinese request to arrest a Taiwanese man named Chiang Yung-hsin for setting up an antenna for Sound of Hope. 

“Many prisoners of conscious escape from China and escape to Thailand, so of course the Chinese government have their own control agents,” Lin said.

The Chinese government works both inside and outside China to shape the global perception of its actions and to restrict the ability of Chinese people within the country’s borders from accessing information. They run dozens of radio stations, including in places like Washington, D.C., to carry the government-approved narrative. They manage a vast—but unremarked upon—social media presence on popular platforms like Instagram.

On the ground, where Hong Kong protestors had been using the messaging service Telegram to organize, forces within China launch massive DDOS attacks to disrupt the service. 

“We need to resolve two problems in getting uncensored information to China,” said Zeng. One is getting around attempts to stifle radio broadcast. The other is thwarting China’s attempts to stifle the free flow of information over the Internet, via a massive government effort begun in 1998 to route all traffic through government controls to better suffocate anti-government messaging, dubbed the Golden Shield Project or, more popularly, the Great Firewall. 

The founders of Song of Hope want to reach more Chinese via the Internet, not just shortwave broadcasts. They rely on a virtual private network service called Ultrasurf to help Chinese access their content. But, says Zeng, as the technical tactics of the state evolve, so services like Ultrasurf and Song of Hope are pressured to keep up.

The question for pro-democracy media in China and beyond is whether they can persist in the face of government efforts that show no sign of stopping.

(defenseone.com)

Media & Tech - 06/08/2019

Radioworld: The Internet’s impact on international radio

Many broadcasters saved money by moving from high-power shortwave transmissions to the web. But at what cost?

During the height of the Cold War (1947–1991), the shortwave radio bands were alive with international state-run broadcasters; transmitting their respective views in multiple languages to listeners around the globe.

The western bloc’s advocates were led by the BBC World Service, and included Voice of America, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, Radio Canada International and a host of influential European broadcasters. The eastern bloc’s de facto team captain was the USSR’s Radio Moscow (with its unique hollow, echoing sound), supplemented by broadcasters in Soviet satellite countries (like East Germany’s Radio Berlin International) and allies like Fidel Castro’s Radio Havana Cuba.

Then 1991 arrived, and the Cold War apparently ended with the fall of the Soviet Union and the destruction of the Berlin Wall

In the seeming peace that followed, many governments no longer saw the sense in spending millions on multi-megawatt transmitters and vast antenna farms to keep broadcasting their messages globally.

The leader among them, the BBC World Service (BBCWS), trumpeted the web and webcasting as modern, cost-effective alternatives to expensive shortwave broadcasting (along with satellite radio and leasing local FM airtime in the countries they used to broadcast to). This is why the BBCWS ceased shortwave transmissions to North America and Australia in 2001 and Europe in 2008, while retaining SW broadcasts in less-developed parts of the globe.

“It is my understanding that it was the BBC that started to spread the notion that shortwave was dying or already dead,” said Bob Zanotti; co-host of Swiss Radio International’s popular “Listener Mailbag” show “The Two Bobs” from 1970 to 1994. (He now runs the English-language Swiss information webcaster www.switzerlandinsound.com)

“Swiss Radio International accepted this uncritically and was the first to announce the complete closure of its shortwave operations. Later, others like Radio Netherlands, Radio Sweden, Deutsche Welle and Austrian Radio followed suit.” So did Radio Canada International, Radio Australia, Radio Budapest, Radio Portugal, Radio Finland, Radio Denmark and even Radio Moscow. Renamed Voice of Russia in 1993 (and Radio Sputnik in 2014), this Eastern European powerhouse left the shortwave bands for good on April 1, 2014.

Now it is 2019, and another Cold War has resumed with the West on one side and Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea on the other. But this time, many of the powerful international voices that brought Western news and views to nondemocratic countries are now only found on the web — where adversarial governments can easily block them.

“In my opinion, the abandonment of shortwave for international broadcasting was a mistake,” said Zanotti. “It was based on what many believed to be the end of the Cold War. However, events since then have proved that to have been a false (and even foolish) notion.”

“Today, there is very little uncensored information available on shortwave. Classic information and entertainment are also practically nonexistent,” he added. “The clever Chinese strategy seems to have been to wait for all the major western shortwave players to leave the scene, and then move in to fill the vacuum, making China Radio International virtually the only shortwave show in town.”

The official reason the BBC World Service moved away from shortwave (although not entirely) was because the web was where most 21st century listeners were going.

“Digital technology has undoubtedly come of age. Now the hype over the internet revolution is behind us, the real benefits to businesses and to broadcasters are shining through,” declared then BBC World Service Director Mark Byford when he delivered the 2001 Cornwall Lecture.

“For the World Service, it means that people who could never receive our radio transmissions in the 42 languages can now listen to live output, or catch that program they particularly want to hear, at a time when it suits them, anywhere in the world.”

“For media users, the internet unlocks a whole new world of information tailored to you as an individual,” Byford continued. “You can listen to a program when you want. You can have your say to a global audience.”

The BBC World Service’s web-first focus was subsequently adopted by many state-run broadcasters, who also cut back on their shortwave broadcasts (or left the band entirely) in favor of the web.

There was logic to this argument: “Large government broadcasters, have always tried to reach the ‘influencers’ in a country; those who might eventually help guide a country’s policy and international relationships,” said Thomas Witherspoon, editor of the shortwave listener website www.SWLingPost.com. “And the great majority of these influencers, according to audience research, have moved to social media and the internet as a source of information.”

The unofficial reason for so many governments leaving shortwave was to save money. “Shortwave broadcasting is expensive when compared with streaming or ‘broadcasting’ online,” Witherspoon said. “The power requirements of shortwave transmitters pumping out 50, 250, or 500 kW is substantial, and the infrastructure — the large antennas, feedlines, transmitters, power supplies — all require regular maintenance from expert technicians.”

Money was a major factor in the death of Radio Netherlands (in Dutch: Radio Nederland Wereldomroep), which was succeeded in other media (including the web) by RNW Media. But it wasn’t the only factor; populism also played a part.

“In 2012, public international radio in The Netherlands had to stop broadcasting, said Jennifer Bushee, RNW Media’s communication and stakeholder manager. “The Dutch government had decided to cut the subsidy to Radio Nederland Wereldomroep by 70%. The broadcaster was no longer seen as relevant, and there was a real effort to reduce subsidies from conservative or even more right-wing politicians … So we were cut off and had to go off the air.”

ASSESSING THE IMPACT

It is true that the web has changed the very nature of international communications. In the past, only the most powerful broadcasters could address the world, simply because it took massively expensive transmission farms to send the signals out. Today, anyone can do it from the convenience of their laptop computer and their local ISP.

This said, moving away from shortwave has plunged many once-distinct international broadcasters into obscurity — and in some cases, into extinction — precisely because they are competing directly with the millions of streaming services the internet has to offer. (This extra choice has certainly cut into the audience for shortwave radio, as has the growing variety of multiple media sources in countries around the world. This said, shortwave audiences were and are not measured by any ratings services, so evidence as to their decline is mainly anecdotal.)

“What really disappoints me are the international broadcasters who have stopped shortwave in favor of internet, usually because it’s much less expensive to operate, but ostensibly because the internet is ‘new technology,’” said Jeff White, general manager of the commercial United States-based shortwave broadcaster WRMI Radio Miami International. “Then they end up some months later shutting down their internet broadcasts and websites also, leaving the world with no means of hearing official broadcasts from these countries. This is particularly the case in 

In its Cold War heyday, Radio Canada International was one of the world’s most listened-to international shortwave broadcasters. Popular programs like “The SWL Digest” made RCI announcer/producer Ian McFarland into a bona fide shortwave star. (Even today, airchecks of the SWL Digest are being shared online.) They were broadcast from RCI’s Atlantic Ocean transmission farm in Sackville, New Brunswick.

Sackville’s North American/European reach was so good that many international broadcasters rented it as a relay site. (Historical note: According to RCI’s website, the first

Montreal home of the then-named Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s International Service was “a former brothel and garment factory.”

Founded in 1942 during World War II, RCI prospered until the 1991 thaw in the Cold War. Then the cuts made by successive cash-hungry governments began: First the number of broadcast languages were cut back, followed by the replacement of RCI-produced content with domestic programs made by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Eventually some RCI-produced content returned, but the cuts continued: By 2012, an 80% cut in federal funding forced RCI to abandon SW and satellite radio broadcasting entirely and retreat to www.rcinet.ca. The famed Sackville transmission farm was torn down two years later.

“In the wake of the 80% budget cuts, RCI is down to 23 staff members, editor-in chief included and is now part of Radio-Canada’s News department,” said Soleïman Mellali, RCI’s web editor-in-chief. (Radio-Canada is the country’s French-language public broadcaster.) “Content is produced on weekdays to cover all seven days.”

It took an extensive amount of staff training to get RCI’s web content to its current level,” said Mellali. “The team had a solid radio background but felt uneasy about RCI’s transition to web-only, which has left them a bit off kilter.”

The effort has paid off. According to Mellali, RCI’s number of monthly visitors has tripled since its web was made more user-friendly. “Social media participation has (also) increased,” he said. “On Facebook, for instance, we’ve shot up from 1,200 fans to over 18 000.”

Nevertheless, RCI’s transformation into a web-only service has substantially narrowed its scope, said McFarland, and the service’s ability to reach listeners worldwide.

“When RCI deserted the shortwave bands in favor of the web, the service’s philosophy also changed,” McFarland told RWI. “It went from appealing to basically anyone who was interested in Canada, in what was happening here and our relationship with the rest of the world, in favor of broadcasting to people who might be interested in immigrating to Canada.”

“Meanwhile, the computer was now the only way to hear broadcasts from Canada: Listeners in African, Asian and European countries who tuned to Canada on cheap shortwave receivers were no longer a segment of the worldwide listening audience that RCI was interested in reaching,” he added. “This change in target audiences was a great slap in the face for RCI’s long time and very loyal listeners around the world who held Canada in very high esteem for many decades of successful broadcasting on shortwave.”

Other international broadcasters who have abandoned shortwave for the web have likely experienced this loss. The reason: Access to “high-speed internet is not a universal thing,” said Colin Newell, a shortwave enthusiast since 1972 and operator of the shortwave listener site www.DXer.ca. (“DX” is an old Morse Code abbreviation standing for “long distance.”) “It is surely widespread and available in the oddest of places, but it is not universal or universally reliable.”

VULNERABLITY TO CENSORSHIP

When it comes to the fallout from international broadcasting moving to the web, there is one fact that everyone agrees on; namely the internet’s vulnerability to censorship by hostile powers.

Back when international programming was delivered via multiple high-powered shortwave transmitters using many locations and shortwave frequencies, “jamming of broadcasts was an expensive and often ineffective method of blocking ‘the message,’” said Newell. Today, “jamming is as simple as a few clicks of a mouse on a national internet service. Full scale censorship is a significantly easier technological exercise.”

The bottom line: Today’s international broadcasters are nowhere near as capable as their Cold War predecessors were in getting messages through to the “other side” — and those who rely solely on the web can’t guarantee content delivery at all.

This is a textbook case of irony. By eschewing shortwave for the web, many international broadcasters have lessened their ability to serve their target audiences at all times; and in some cases, eliminated this capability entirely.

Take RCI: During the Cold War, its shortwave signals managed to reach listeners in the Soviet bloc. But today? Should he ever want to, Vladimir Putin could cut RCI off from Russian audiences in seconds.

Now it is theoretically possible that RCI could return to shortwave broadcasting. But this would require building a new transmission farm.

The demolished Sackville site isn’t available. Several New Brunswick Mi’kmaq indigenous communities purchased its cleared 90-hectares in 2017 to add to the Fort Folly First Nation reserve. But even if it were, the Canadian government would be unlikely to spend the money required to build a replacement shortwave facility. This is likely true in other countries that have demolished their shortwave transmission sites as well.

The inescapable conclusion: Moving to the web has fundamentally compromised international broadcasting’s ability to do its job, compared to what it could do back in shortwave’s glory days. And unless something happens to motivate governments to reinvest in expensive shortwave broadcasting, this will remain the case from now on.

James Careless reports on the industry for Radio World from Ottawa, Ontario. (radioworld.com)