DX LISTENING DIGEST 2-170, November 1, 2002 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits HTML version of this issue will be posted afterwards at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd02.html For restrixions and searchable 2002 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1154: WWCR: Sat 0700, Sun 0330 5070, 0730 3210, Wed 1030 9475 [Thu 2130 on 15825 was pre-empted for make-good of another program] RFPI: Sat 0130, 0730, Sun 0000, 0600, Mon 0030, 0630... 7445, 15039 WRN: rest of world Sat 0800, Europe Sun 0530, North America Sun 1500 WBCQ: Mon 0515 7415 WJIE: M-F 1300, daily 0400 7490... ONDEMAND http://www.wrn.org/ondemand/worldofradio.html (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1154.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1154.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wo1154.html HFCC B-02 AVAILABLE Uwe Volk told me that the B-02 HFCC file is available now: Download: http://www.hfcc.org/data/b02/b02allx2.zip 73 de (Wolfgang df5sx Nov 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Winter B-02 schedule of VOA/RFE Pashto and Dari: Pashto 0030-0130 VOA 801 12140 15690 17595 0230-0330 RFE 801 6010 9825 12140 15690 0630-0700 RFE 15690 17595 19010 21690 0700-0730 RFE 15690 17595 17710 19010 21690 0830-0930 RFE 15690 17595 17710 19010 21690 1030-1130 VOA 15690 17595 19010 1230-1330 RFE 801 1143 15525 15690 17630 19010 21690 1530-1630 VOA 801 11770 15690 19010 1630-1700 RFE 801 11770 12140 15120 15690 1700-1730 RFE 801 6170 11770 12140 15120 15690 1830-1930 VOA 801 2230-2330 RFE 5835 5910 7175 12140 Dari 0130-0230 VOA 801 12140 15690 17595 0330-0430 RFE 801 6010 9825 12140 15690 0730-0830 RFE 15690 17595 17710 19010 21690 0930-1030 RFE 15690 17595 17710 19010 21690 1130-1200 VOA 15690 17595 19010 1200-1230 VOA 1143 15690 17595 19010 1330-1400 RFE 801 15525 15690 17630 19010 21690 1400-1430 RFE 801 15690 17630 19010 21690 1530-1630 VOA 801 11770 15690 19010 1730-1800 RFE 801 6170 11770 12140 15120 15690 1800-1830 RFE 801 11770 12140 15120 15690 2330-0030 RFE 801 972 5835 5910 7175 12140 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Nov 1, via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA. 15475.5 Radio Nacional Arcángel; 2047-2104:30*?, 25- Oct; English rock and Spanish vocals, like show tunes; W in Spanish, "Radio Nacional..." and mention of Esperanza near end. SIO=1+52+ (Harold Frodge, MI...) 15475.4, 25 Oct, 2044 SINPO- 13322; woman talking in Spanish with mentions of Arcángel, man singing at 2059, woman with frequency announcements at 2101, Esperanza ID at 2104, off at 2106. (Karl Racenis, Manchester MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Re "Station X". The only licences actually issued to Mr Peter G. Tate, of Southport, Queensland, according to the official Radiocommunications' Licence Register of the ACA, as at Oct-31 2002, are: 1692 Nerang, Queensland, 400 Watts 1692 McLarenvale, South Australia, 400 Watts 1665 Regents Park, Queensland 400 Watts 1656 Altona, Victoria 400 Watts The 1656 service is currently non-operational; status of the other three are unknown. No HF registration currently exists. However, perhaps "being processed"? Regards (Bob Padula, Melbourne, Nov 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This station X Peter up on the Gold Coast, Coolangatta.....mentioned this to me some months ago...but I can't see this happening without some sponsorship dollars although would love to see this operate...any idea of When? Johno Wright, Australia, Oct 31, ARDXC via DXLD) My comment: Don't be surprised if you hear that Station X has implemented DRM on these frequencies in the fullness of time - say 2-3 years. This would give it an equivalent FM quality service with the reach of m.f./h.f. (Nigel Holmes, Radio Australia, ibid.) This is from Nigel Homes, has Peter and station X.....maybe Peter has hit something here.... (Johno, ibid.) ** BELGIUM [and non]. Interesting - at 1900, VRT noted with all these relays on Oct-31, Dutch: 13650 Julich 13685 Skelton 15325 Al Dhabiyya 7465 St. Petersburg 13720 Madagascar Meyerton is listed 0600-0700 17730, 1200-1300 21630 Regards (Bob Padula, Melbourne, Nov 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM [and non]. B-02 schedule for RVI in English: 0800-0825 5985 JUL 100 kW / 157 deg to WeEu + MW 1512 1130-1155 7390 P.K 250 kW / 144 deg to EaAs 1230-1255 1512 1830-1855 7465 ARM 100 kW / 284 deg to NoWeEu 13650 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg to SoEaEu/ME 13685 SKN 250 kW / 180 deg to SoWeEu + MW 1512 2030-2055 7465 ARM 100 kW / 284 deg to NoWeEu + MW 1512 2230-2255 13700 BON 250 kW / 350 deg to NoAmEa 0400-0425 11985 BON 250 kW / 320 deg to NoAmWe B-02 schedule for RVI in French: 1800-1815 7465 ARM 100 kW / 284 deg to NoWeEu 13685 SKN 250 kW / 180 deg to SoWeEu + MW 1512 2015-2030 7465 ARM 100 kW / 284 deg to NoWeEu + MW 1512 B-02 schedule for RVI in German: 1815-1830 7465 ARM 100 kW / 284 deg to NoWeEu 13685 SKN 250 kW / 180 deg to SoWeEu + MW 1512 2000-2015 7465 ARM 100 kW / 284 deg to NoWeEu + MW 1512 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Nov 1, via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 9624.75 khz Radio Fides, La Paz, 0230-0257*, Oct 31, escuchada transmitiendo el encuentro de fútbol entre Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata (Argentina) vs Bolívar (Bolivia) con motivo de la "Copa Sudamericana de Fútbol". A las 0250 final del encuentro en donde triunfó el equipo de Bolívar, e ID de "Radio Deportes....." como slogan, y jingle de Radio Fides a 0251. A 0253 ID "Grupo Radial Fides", etc. A las 0257* abrupto final de la transmisión. SINPO: 35343 // a 6155.03 khz SINPO: 43443. 73's GIB (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Conexión Digial via DXLD) Hace añares que no se reportaba esta emisora en 31 metros. Es una buena escucha (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, ibid.) RADIO FIDES on 31 mb: 9624.75 khz Radio Fides, La Paz, 0230-0257*, Oct 31, heard in Spanish, with transmission of soccer match by the "Copa Sudamericana de Fútbol" between Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata (Argentina) vs Bolívar (Bolivia) (end 2x0). At 0250 end of the match and ID "Radio Deportes", then jingle of Radio Fides at 0251. At 0253 ID "Grupo Radial Fides", etc. At 0257* end of transmissions. SINPO: 35343 // to 6155.03 khz SINPO: 43443 (Barrera, dxing.info via DXLD) ** BRAZIL/UK: BBC WS SIGNS BRAZILIAN REBROADCASTING DEAL The BBC World Service Brazilian Section has signed an agreement with CBN, Brazil's main radio network, which will take BBC programmes in Portuguese to 22 cities around the country, including Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The deal includes five illustrated news bulletins at peak times and a daily arts programme. With this deal the Brazilian section has virtually doubled the number of stations carrying the BBC in Brazil and considerably increased its reach in key market cities. Source: BBC World Service, London, in English 1 Nov 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** BULGARIA. Glenn, Re Bulgaria: as I had correctly advised some time ago, 18900 and 19000 are via Plovdiv: 18900 1100-1500 to CIRAF 27 and 28 500 kW 18900 1500-1600 to 27 250 kW 19000 1100-1500 to 27 and 28 500 kW 19000 1500-1600 to 28 250 kW Regards (Bob Padula, Melbourne, Nov 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I wonder why the Observers don`t include this in their RB sked? (gh) ** CANADA. --- WEEKEND HOT SHEET, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2002 --- THE SUNDAY EDITION: This week on The Sunday Edition, Part Five of the special series Apocalypse When: the Coming War With Iraq. Michael talks with Phyliss Bennis, the author of "Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today's UN." Also, producer Jean Dalrymple profiles Marian McPartland, the Grand Dame of piano jazz. And Guy Vanderhaeghe: in his is first novel since the acclaimed "Englishman's Boy," Vanderhaeghe returns again to the Canadian west for his latest, "The Last Crossing." That's The Sunday Edition, right after the 9 a.m. news (9:30 NT) on CBC Radio One (CBC Hotsheet via DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC EXECUTIVES ADMIT OVERHAUL NECESSARY Sarah Schmidt, National Post, Thursday October 31, 2002 CBC executives yesterday conceded the public broadcaster is a static organization that needs to overhaul the way it delivers news to Canadians. Speaking at an unprecedented joint meeting of senior editorial staff in radio and television, executives emphasized inter- departmental convergence is necessary to survive in a crowded media market. "One of the assumptions is people are going to be receiving content in a whole bunch of different ways -- some of them we haven't even imagined yet -- and this organization has to be flexible enough in order to respond to those opportunities that are going to emerge," Alex Frame, the outgoing vice-president of English radio, said in an interview at the end of the conference, held in Toronto. The day-long meeting emphasized collaboration between the two distinct departments of radio and television. The goal is to improve the editorial product and allow the public broadcaster to manage its $1- billion budget more efficiently. Mr. Frame, sitting beside Robert Rabinovitch, president of CBC, and Harold Redekopp, executive vice-president, English television, at the introductory session yesterday morning, recognized the proposition of inter-departmental collaboration challenges longstanding practices at the public broadcaster. Mr. Frame joked in his introductory remarks that there had been too much "pissing in beers and spitting in shoes" among the staff of radio, television and new media. Some CBC employees said the consolidation proposal offered an excellent opportunity to enhance editorial content by working as a team, but others expressed grave concerns over the pitch. They include: requiring reporters who specialize in one medium to work in another; convincing reporters to share news tips with competitors in another medium; building trust across program, department and media lines; and ensuring journalism drives collaborative projects rather than business considerations. "What I heard was an expression of fear and discomfort. I think that was loud and clear," one delegate said of the many conversations in sessions throughout the day. Another, who works in radio, said many colleagues working in this medium are terrified television will use the opportunity as a "complete resource grab in the regions." There is also a concern that television reporters do not respect the work of their counterparts in radio, the delegate said. The reorganization of CBC's physical space is part of the consolidation plan. For example, a $60-million CBC Centre is being built in Ottawa's downtown to consolidate the broadcaster's operations in the capital. There is a similar initiative in Edmonton. "In the 1960s, radio and television had one structure," Mr. Frame said. "The organizational structure is organic. It moves to respond to particular needs and what's happening now is it's moving to respond to competitive factors that in fact demand that we see content in different ways." © Copyright 2002 National Post (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ** CHINA. FALUN GONG DISRUPTION OF TV SIGNALS REPORTED BY CHINESE OFFICIAL | Excerpt from Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 30 October: At a routine news conference hosted by the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office today, press spokesman Li Weiyi commented on the "Falun Gong" cult using facilities located in Taiwan to attack the mother mainland's SinoSat again and cross-strait "direct three links" [postal, trade, transport]. Li Weiyi said: At a news briefing on 25 September, a Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman and the relevant experts exposed and condemned the "Falun Gong" cult for its criminal act of using transmission facilities located in Taiwan to illegally transmit television signals to attack the SinoSat and interrupt the normal transmission of the Central Television Station and the China education television channel. They pointed out that the Taiwan authorities undertake unshirkable responsibility for investigating and dealing with this incident, urged the Taiwan authorities to immediately take measures to investigate and deal with it, remove the illegal television signal sources, and stop any recurrence of similar incidents. However, at 36 seconds after 1000 [all times local] on 24 October, the SinoSat's transponder-2A began to detect illegal signal attacks. Until 1700 on 29 October, illegal signals kept alternately attacking the SinoSat's transponder-2A and transponder-3A, seriously affecting the normal reception. China's relevant department promptly conducted technical checks on the source of interruption and confirmed that the source was still in Taipei City, Taiwan Province. Li Weiyi strongly urged the Taiwan authorities to immediately check and track this illegal signal source and severely deal with it... Source: Xinhua news agency domestic service, Beijing, in Chinese 0718 gmt 30 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) CHINA/TAIWAN: FALUN GONG STILL TRYING TO HACK INTO SATELLITE BROADCASTS | Excerpt from report in English by Taiwan News web site on 31 October A pirate broadcaster based in Taiwan tried to break into a Chinese satellite signal last week to show Falun Gong material, a [Chinese] government spokesman and a state television employee said yesterday. The [Chinese] government demanded that Taiwan track down the broadcaster and hand out "severe punishment." It was the second time in six weeks that Chinese authorities have claimed that Falun Gong protesters using Taiwan as a base have tried to break into signals on Sinosat. The satellite carries state-run China Central Television and other channels. The latest attempt began October 24 and continued intermittently until Tuesday [29 October], said Li Weiyi, a spokesman for the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office. He said Chinese technicians had tracked the broadcast to Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. "We strongly demand the Taiwan administration immediately find the illegal signal source and give severe punishment," Li said at a news conference. Taiwanese officials did not immediately comment on Li's accusation. But in the earlier case, they promised to investigate, while expressing doubt that the signal could be tracked so precisely. They said it could have come from anywhere in a large area of the Pacific Ocean... Chinese claims that Taiwan is the base for the satellite attacks put Beijing in the awkward position of appealing for help from a government that it says is illegitimate. Li did not say who was accused of carrying out the latest attack. But a woman who answered the phone at the management office of the China Central Satellite Television Transmission Centre said it was Falun Gong material. The centre is run by CCTV. Source: Taiwan News web site, Taipei, in English 31 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. More Colombian guerrilla radio tidbits From the November 1 El Tiempo (Bogota): EL TIEMPO Incautan equipos de emisoras que transmitían programación de las Farc en Caldas Las emisoras San José, 100.3 FM Estéreo, y Fantasía Tropical, 96.5 FM Estéreo, que transmitían desde el municipio de San José y el corregimiento de Arauca, en Palestina difundían mensaes de la guerrilla. A partir de las 6 p.m., estos medios comenzaban a difundir mensajes y música a favor de las Farc. Esta situación obligó a las autoridades a incautar los equipos de las radiodifusoras. Dos personas fueron capturadas. Las señales de las estaciones de radio, según el comandante de la Policía de Caldas, coronel Rodolfo Palomino López, se originaban desde viviendas ubicadas en el casco urbano de las poblaciones mencionadas y cubrían el occidente del departamento, el municipio de Chinchiná y algunas veredas de Manizales. "Desde estas emisoras se difundían mensajes en contra del Gobierno. Desde hace 15 días las ubicamos con la colaboración de la comunidad", dijo el coronel Palomino. En la sede de San José FM Estéreo fueron incautadas una consola mezcladora de tres canales y dos salidas, una antena con cable y 82 discos compactos piratas. En la otra emisora fueron incautados una consola mezcladora, también de tres canales y dos salidas; una grabadora (deck), tres micrófonos, un estabilizador y 112 discos compactos piratas. Luis Alberto Largo Holguín y Luis Antonio Valencia Velasco fueron capturados y se investiga si son guerrilleros u operarios, conocidos en el medio radial como controles. Manizales (via Rich Stoller, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. 5054.6, Faro del Caribe 0000 Nov 1, presumed this one reactivated, last reported in LA-DX in May. Still there at 0320 and again the next morning at 1010 (Hans Johnson, TX, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. HCJB WORLD RADIO B02 BROADCAST SCHEDULE (27 October 2002 - 30 March 2003) UTC UTC Freq. TXPower Ant.Azi Target Days: Language Begin End (Khz.)(KW) (Degrees) Region SMTWTFS ----------------------------------------------------------------- ENGLISH 0000 0300 9745 100 351 N. Amer. (E) 1111111 0000 0600 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 0300 0600 9745 100 324 N Amer. (W) 1111111 0700 0900 5965 100 35 Europe 1111111 0700 1100 11755 100 228 S. Pacific 1111111 0700 1100 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 1100 1430 12005 75 43 Caribbean 1111111 1100 1430 15115 100 352/128 N/S America 1111111 1100 1430 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 2000 2200 11895 100 42 Europe 1111111 0200 0400 12040 100 42 India 1111111 GERMAN 0600 0630 9765 100 42 Europe 1111111 0600 0630 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 0630 0700 9765 100 42 Europe 1111111 0630 0700 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 0930 1000 6010 100 155 S. America 1111111 1000 1030 6010 100 155 S. America 1111111 2100 2130 11850 100 40 Europe 1111111 2100 2130 15550 100 41 Europe 1111111 2100 2130 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 2230 2300 11980 100 150/330 N/S America 1111111 2230 2300 15550 100 340 N. America 1111111 2300 2400 11980 100 131 S. America 1111111 HUARANI 1030 1100 6050 50 18/172 S. America 1111111 KIKONGO 0500 0515 12005 100 100 W. Africa 0111110 PORTUGUESE 0800 0930 9745 100 100 N. Brazil 1111111 1530 1800 15295 100 139 Brazil 1111111 2300 0230 11920 100 126 Brazil 1111111 QUICHUA 0830 1000 6125 100 155 S. America 1111111 0830 1030 690 50 000/180 Ecuador 1111111 0830 1400 6080 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 1111111 0830 1400 3220 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 1111111 2100 0300 6080 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 1111111 2100 0300 3220 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 1111111 2130 0000 9745 100 155 S. America 1111111 RUSSIAN 0330 0430 9775 100 34 W. Russia 1111111 SPANISH 0100 0500 9650 100 325 Mexico 1111111 0700 0730 9765 100 42 Europe 1111111 1030 0500 690 50 000/180 Ecuador 1111111 1100 0500 6050 50 18/172 S. America 1111111 1100 1300 11960 100 355 Cuba 1111111 1100 1500 15140 100 150 S. America 1111111 1300 1500 17690 100 341 Mexico 1111111 1430 1530 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 2100 2300 15140 100 150 S. America 1111111 2130 2230 9630 100 50 Europe 1111111 2130 2400 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1111111 2300 0100 15140 100 160/330 N/S America 1111111 Note: HCJB`s shortwave broadcast schedule also includes these programs transmitted from the United Kingdom. Russian & Central Asian Languages 1700 1800 11760 500 62 Central Asia 1111111 Arabic 2100 2230 12025 250 165 N. Africa 1111111 Mailing Address: HCJB World Radio Frequency Manager: Douglas Weber, [Box] 17-17-691, Quito, Ecuador E-Mail:dweber@hcjb.org.ec FAX: +593 2 267 263 Regds, Alokesh Gupta New Delhi, India (via BC-DX via DXLD) ** FINLAND. Te...te...te...te...testing! This is Scandinavian Weekend Radio! November 1st-2nd 2002 transmission: New wintertime and - frequency schedule will be taken in use. Check http://www.swradio.net Starting time 22 UT on Friday. North-America tests began. Our 25 mb 2-element beam is directed towards NA (325 degrees) from the beginning to 06 hours UTC. This test time will include special programmes of the serie History of Finnish Radio. Take part to our Mid-Winter Propagation Competition of Scandinavian Weekend Radio. Every correctly detailed reception report coming from our November and both December-transmissions are with in this Competition. Prizes will go to three (3) listeners sending the most distant reports as well some prizes thrown by Dame Fortune. More details will be added to our web pages: http://www.swradio.net With best regards, (DJ Madman, Scandinavian Weekend Radio, Oct 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I.e., North American test: 2200-2400 11720, 0000-0200 11690, 0200-0600 11720 (gh, DXLD) ** FRANCE. Test transmissions for receiver adjustment purposes consisting of a continuous tape of a woman reading the days of the week and the months of the year in French were heard on 7000 kHz USB in late September. DF from a number of countries in Europe indicated that the transmitter was in France and the station identification "Test de Matis" indicated the source was possibly the Laboratoire MATIS in northeastern France. Complaints were lodged with their administrations by several national societies in Europe and the transmissions ceased early on 26 September. A successful action by monitoring systems in Region 1! (IARUMS newsletter Nov via Johnson Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GERMANY. SCHEDULE OF GERMAN TELEKOM TRANSMITTING STATION JUELICH B02 period (27/10/2002 - 29/03/2003) B02web02.TXT Gesamtplan 27.10.02 frq start stop ciraf ant azi type day from to broad 6120 0000 0100 7,8,9 105 295 216 1234567 271002 300303 LRT 5975 0700 1500 28 406 60 106 1234567 271002 300303 DRM 15715 0900 1700 28,18 308 20 216 1234567 271002 300303 DRM 9435 2330 0030 49,41 208 80 218 1234567 271002 300303 DVB 6045 0958 1100 27,28 401 ND 926 1 271002 300303 EVR 6015 1830 1859 27,28 401 ND 926 4 271002 300303 EVR 15670 1700 1759 38,39,48 305 130 217 1346 271002 300303 SBO 5985 1000 1059 27,28 104 115 206 1 271002 300303 CHW 15275 1600 1629 48 305 145 217 47 271002 300303 TIS 13855 1830 2000 46,47 305 175 217 1234567 271002 300303 RSA 9710 0500 0530 38,39 105 115 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBR 9470 2000 2100 37,38 405 175 106 1234567 271002 300303 IBR 5840 1645 1715 39,40 111 75 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBR 13840 1900 1930 37,38,46 307 200 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBR 15120 1730 1745 47,48 106 130 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBR 11840 1830 1859 52,53 211 155 216 5 271002 300303 RRP 15275 1600 1629 37,38 406 175 217 1 271002 300303 UNL 9435 0100 0129 41 110 90 217 1 271002 300303 UNL 6015 1730 1759 27,28 401 ND 926 345 271002 300303 UNL 11840 1800 1829 46,47,48 211 155 216 1 271002 300303 UNL 9470 1900 1929 39,40 102 115 217 1 271002 300303 UNL 13810 1300 1400 38,39 103 115 217 1234567 271002 300303 TOM 5975 1200 1300 27 406 290 106 1234567 271002 300303 TOM 6110 1500 1654 27 406 290 106 7 271002 300303 TOM 6110 1654 1759 27 401 ND 926 7 271002 300303 TOM 9490 0357 0559 47,48,52,53 306 160 216 23456 271002 300303 RTB 9490 0527 0559 47,48,52,53 306 160 216 17 271002 300303 RTB 17580 0600 0812 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 23456 271002 300303 RTB 17580 0600 1059 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 7 271002 300303 RTB 17580 0600 0906 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 1 271002 300303 RTB 21565 1057 1306 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 23456 271002 300303 RTB 21565 1100 1217 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 7 271002 300303 RTB 21565 1157 1217 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 1 271002 300303 RTB 17570 1557 1816 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 123456 271002 300303 RTB 17570 1657 1816 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 7 271002 300303 RTB 15715 1330 1430 49,50 202 70 218 1234567 271002 300303 VOH 13810 1630 1659 47,48 106 130 217 1234567 271002 300303 BVB 15775 1330 1535 40,41 110 90 217 1234567 011102 300303 VOH 9860 1530 1729 38,39 105 115 216 1234567 011102 300303 VOH 13720 1700 1800 37,38 406 165 106 1234567 271002 300303 YFR 9595 2000 2100 39,40 105 115 216 1234567 271002 300303 YFR 9815 0400 0559 46,47,52,53 304 160 216 1234567 271002 300303 UMC 11690 0600 0800 37,46 305 190 217 1234567 271002 300303 UMC 13820 1700 1859 38,48,53 304 145 217 1234567 271002 300303 UMC 11735 1700 1859 46,47,52,53 306 160 216 1234567 271002 300303 UMC 9925 0000 0159 11­16 202 230 218 1234567 271002 300303 HRT 9925 0200 0359 6­10 112 300 216 1234567 271002 300303 HRT 9925 0400 0559 2­10 119 325 216 1234567 271002 300303 HRT 9470 0600 0759 59,60 202 230 218 1234567 271002 300303 HRT 13820 0800 0959 55,58,59 208 270 218 1234567 271002 300303 HRT 15680 1430 1530 41,43,49 75 217 1234567 271002 300303 DTK 250kW 15425 1530 1630 40,41 90 217 1234567 271002 300303 DTK 250kW 11680 2330 0030 41,43,49 75 217 1234567 271002 300303 DTK 250kW 1680 0030 0130 40,41 90 217 1234567 271002 300303 DTK 250kW 9490 0030 0130 40,41 90 217 1234567 011202 300303 DTK 250kW 9765 2300 0030 41,43,49 75 217 1234567 011202 300303 DTK 250kW FMO 6140 0600 1900 27,28 405 175 141 1234567 271002 300303 DWL 6045 1127 1325 18S,27,28NW 401 ND 926 1234567 271002 300303 DWL(RNW2) 13685 0557 0756 27,28,37­40 103 115 217 1234567 271002 300303 DWL(VRT2) 5985 0757 0826 27,28 406 265 106 1234567 271002 300303 VRT2 13650 1827 1956 27,28,37­39 111 120 216 1234567 271002 300303 VRT2 5910 1857 2056 27,28 401 ND 926 7 271002 300303 VRT1 9885 0500 0600 28E 102 115S 217 1234567 271002 300303 AWR 9840 0600 0730 37,38W 308 200 216 1234567 271002 300303 AWR 15195 1000 1030 28W 106 145 216 17 271002 300303 AWR 5840 1730 1759 28E 104 115 206 123456 271002 300303 AWR 5840 1730 1759 28E 211 110 216 7 271002 300303 AWR 12015 1800 1900 28E 104 115 206 1234567 271002 300303 AWR 11845 1900 2030 37,38W 406 200 106 1234567 271002 300303 AWR 13790 0555 0800 37S,38W,46 307 200 216 1234567 271002 300303 SRI 9885 0555 0800 37S,38 302 160 216 1234567 271002 300303 SRI 9755 1625 1815 28,38E,39 102 115 217 1234567 271002 300303 SRI 13790 1625 1815 38,39 103 115 217 1234567 271002 300303 SRI 9755 1825 2130 37S,38W,46 308 200 216 1234567 271002 300303 SRI 15485 1825 2130 38,48,53W 106 145 217 1234567 271002 300303 SRI 13660 1825 2130 47,52,53,57 302 160 216 1234567 271002 300303 SRI SOT 17665 0555 0800 47,52,53,57 301 160 216 1234567 271002 300303 SRI SOT 21770 0825 1030 47,52,53,57 301 160 216 1234567 271002 300303 SRI SOT 15555 1625 1815 38,48,53W 106 145 217 1234567 271002 300303 SRI SOT 9885 2155 2400 13­16 202 240 218 1234567 271002 300303 SRI SOT 7340 1127 1200 28 111 105 216 7 271002 300303 TWR 5945 1327 1345 28 104 130 206 1234567 271002 300303 TWR 5850 1657 1745 28 104 115 206 7 271002 300303 TWR 7180 1657 1745 28 101 125 11 7 271002 300303 TWR 11875 0400 0600 39,40 107 115 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 6180 1600 1659 39,40 205 70 211 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 6055 1500 1600 29,30 111 75 216 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 7105 1600 1659 29,30 204 70 212 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 17555 1230 1300 29,30 109 80 218 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 9785 1800 1900 39,40 110 100 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 12110 1600 2030 39,40 208 100 218 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 6110 0230 0430 40 108 90 216 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 500kW 21690 0630 1030 40 123 90 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 500kW 21690 1230 1430 40 123 90 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 500kW 12140 1630 1830 40 111 90 217 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 500kW 5910 2230 0030 40 222 90 216 1234567 271002 300303 IBB 500kW * changes + active on demand # momentary not active AWR Adventist World Radio BVB Bible Voice Broadcasting CHW Christliche Wissenschaft DTK Deutsche Telekom DVB Democratic Voice of Burma DWL Deutsche Welle DLF Deutschlandfunk DLR DeutschlandRadio EVR Evangeliums Radio Hamburg FEC Far East Broadcasting Company, Philippines GFA Gospel For Asia HRT Hvratska Radio Televizija HLR Hamburger Lokalradio IBB International Broadcast Bureau IBR IBRA Radio Sweden LRT Radio Vilnius Lithuania RNW Radio Netherlands World Service RRP Radio Reveil Paroles de Vie RSA Radio Salama RTB Radio Television Belge de la communauté Francaise SBO Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo SRI Swiss Radio International [SOT = standby substitute for Sottens] TIS Tigrean International Solidarity for Justice and Democracy TOM The Overcomer Broadcast TWR Trans World Radio UMC The United Methodist Church UNL Universelles Leben VOH High Adventure Ministries ­ The Voice of Hope (ex HAM) VRT Vlaamse Radio en Televisie (ex RVI) YFR WYFR Family Radio (DTK T-Systems Juelich, transformed from .pdf to pure .txt format by/via Michael Bethge WWDXC, BC-DX Oct 31 via DXLD) ** GREECE. Subject: changes ERA 5. Dear Sir, We are going to proceed to the following changes, starting from 3/11/2002: 1300-1800 UT the frequency 15.725 MHz change to 15.650 MHz. Best regards (Babis Charalampopoulos, ERT via Michael Bethge, WWDXC via Wolfgang Büschel, Nov 1, DXLD) So that solves the WRMI clash ** HAWAII [non]. DISH NETWORK NAMED IN HAWAII SUIT An isle woman claims the network didn't disclose programs are aired on East Coast time By Lyn Danninger A former customer of satellite television provider Dish Network has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging fraud and misrepresentation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and breach of contract. The suit alleges that Echostar Satellite Corp. and Echostar Communications Corp., which does business as Dish Network, failed to disclose that Hawaii programming follows Eastern Daylight Time and that it does not offer local Fox station KHON in its lineup. The company also failed to disclose all fees, the suit said. The suit, bought by Esmina Roberts, a former Dish Network customer, was filed in state Circuit Court by local attorney Robert Kawamura, who is seeking class action status. Roberts is seeking unspecified damages. Dish Network spokesman Marc Lumpkin would not disclose how many customers the company has signed up so far in Hawaii. But overall there are approximately 11,000 satellite television customers in Hawaii who subscribe to either Dish Network, DirecTV or the larger C- Band dish.Dish Network began offering Hawaii service several months ago. While local channels are provided on Hawaii time, Kawamura's suit alleges that much of the programming originating on the mainland is six hours ahead during the mainland's daylight savings time. Lumpkin said he could not comment on the lawsuit. "I can't confirm we've been served yet," he said. But Lumpkin acknowledged the company does not carry local Fox affiliate KHON because it has been unable to reach a re-transmission agreement with the station. Stephen Levins, executive director of the state's Office of Consumer Protection, said his department has not received any complaints about Dish Network (Star- Bulletin via Brock Whaley, Oct 30, DXLD) She`s upset?? What an advantage to get `prime-time` programming earlier in the afternoon, away from all the clutter, and leaving you free to go out in the evening! One reason I enjoy listening to BBC domestic radio here in the afternoon. I won`t sue them (gh, DXLD) ** INDIA. Subject: AIR_B02 External Here is the latest sked of AIR. ALL INDIA RADIO EXTERNAL SERVICE B02 SCHEDULE ON SHORTWAVE TARGET SERVICE TIME-UTC FREQS NEWS AFGHANISTAN PUSHTO 0215-0300 9845 9910 11735 13620 0220 AFGHANISTAN DARI 0300-0345 9845 9910 11735 0305 AFGHANISTAN DARI 1315-1415 7255 9910 1316 AFGHANISTAN PUSHTO 1415-1530 7255 9910 1420 AUSTRALIA & NZ GOS-2 1000-1100 13710 15020 17510 17895 1000 AUSTRALIA & NZ GOS-5 2045-2230 9575 9910 11620 11715 2100 EAST AFRICA HINDI 0315-0415 15075 15185 17715 0320 EAST AFRICA GUJARATI 0415-0430 15075 15185 17715 0415 EAST AFRICA HINDI 0430-0530 15075 15185 17715 0435 EAST AFRICA GUJARATI 1515-1600 11620 15175 1530 EAST AFRICA SWAHILI 1515-1615 9950 13605 17670 1530 EAST AFRICA HINDI 1615-1730 9950 13605 15075 17670 1620 EAST AFRICA GOS-4 1745-1945 11925 15075 17670 1800 EAST EUROPE RUSSIAN 1615-1715 11620 15140 1630 MYANMAR BURMESE 0100-0130 9950 13630 11870 0101 MYANMAR BURMESE 1215-1315 11620 11710 15415 1216 N.E.ASIA GOS-2 1000-1100 13710 15020 15235 17800 1000 N.E.ASIA CHINESE 1145-1315 11840 15795 17705 1215 N.E.ASIA GOS-1 2245-0045 9950 11620 13605 2300 NEPAL NEPALI 0130-0230 3945 6045 7250 9810 11715 0218 NEPAL NEPALI 0700-0800 7250 9595 11850 0700 NEPAL NEPALI 1330-1430 3945 6045 7410 11775 1419 PAKISTAN URDU 0015-0100 6155 9595 0045 PAKISTAN SINDHI 0100-0200 5990 7125 9635 0150 PAKISTAN URDU 0100-0430 6155 9595 11620 0400 PAKISTAN URDU 0830-1130 7250 9595 11620 0832 PAKISTAN SINDHI 1230-1500 9620 11585 1440 PAKISTAN URDU 1430-1735 3945 4860 6045 1430, 1615, 1730 PAKISTAN BALUCHI 1500-1600 9620 11585 1501 PAKISTAN URDU 1735-1930 4860 6045 S.E.ASIA TAMIL 0000-0045 9910 11740 13795 0005 S.E.ASIA INDONESIA 0845-0945 15770 17510 0846 S.E.ASIA THAI 1115-1200 13645 15235 17740 1120 S.E.ASIA TAMIL 1115-1215 13710 15770 17810 S.E.ASIA TELEGU 1215-1245 13710 15770 17810 1240 S.E.ASIA GOS-3 1330-1500 9690 11620 13710 1330 S.E.ASIA GOS-1 2245-0045 9705 11620 13605 2300 S.E.ASIA HINDI 2300-2400 9910 11740 13795 2305 SRI LANKA TAMIL 0000-0045 4790 9835 11985 0005 SRI LANKA SINHALA 0045-0115 11985 SRI LANKA GOS-2 1000-1100 1053 15260 1000 SRI LANKA TAMIL 1115-1215 15050 17860 SRI LANKA SINHALA 1300-1500 9820 15050 1335 TIBET TIBETAN 0130-0200 9565 11900 13700 0145 TIBET TIBETAN 1215-1330 7410 9575 11775 1230 UK & W.EUROPE GOS-4 1745-1945 7410 9950 11620 1800 UK & W.EUROPE HINDI 1945-2045 7410 9950 11620 2000 UK & W.EUROPE GOS-5 2045-2230 7410 9445 9950 11620 2100 W & N-W AFRICA GOS-4 1745-1945 9445 13605 15155 1800 W & N-W AFRICA FRENCH 1945-2030 9910 13605 13620 1950 WEST ASIA KANNADA 0215-0300 11985 15075 0250 WEST ASIA HINDI 0315-0415 11835 13695 15075 0320 WEST ASIA PERSIAN 0400-0430 11730 13620 15770 17845 0405 WEST ASIA ARABIC 0430-0530 11730 13620 15770 17845 0440 WEST ASIA HINDI 1615-1730 7410 12025 13770 1620 WEST ASIA PERSIAN 1615-1730 7115 9910 1620 WEST ASIA MALAYALAM 1730-1830 7115 12025 1745 WEST ASIA ARABIC 1730-1945 9910 13620 1750 (via Alok Dasgupta, India, via BC-DX Oct 30 via DXLD) ** IRELAND. * THE MYSTERY OF IRISH RADIO HISTORY - BBC ERA As a security precaution during the era of the European Conflict, the BBC in London implemented a massive project for the diversification of its shortwave locations. Part of this planning was for the construction of shortwave stations in two or perhaps three countries overseas, as well as the installation of additional shortwave facilities at widely separated localities within the United Kingdom. With the co-operation of the two national governments, large shortwave stations were planned and constructed in Canada and Australia; at Sackville in New Brunswick and at Shepparton in Victoria. Similar plans were enacted for the island of Singapore and the electronic equipment was sent out by ship on two separate occasions, though on both occasions the consignment never reached its intended destination. The ships were sunk en route. In addition to the planned overseas locations, the BBC also diversified its shortwave locations within the United Kingdom with the installation of shortwave facilities in eight different locations, including one in Northern Ireland. In September 1939, the BBC owned only eight shortwave transmitters and these were all located at Daventry, though they were also using a couple of units in the communication station located at Rugby. However, four years later, the BBC was on the air from 43 different shortwave transmitters at the eight different locations. During this concentrated time period, five new transmitters were installed at Daventry and huge new transmitter bases were constructed at Rampisham, Skelton and Wooferton. In addition, two large mediumwave transmitters at Clevedon near Bristol and at Start Point were converted for daytime usage on shortwave, and an additional shortwave unit was installed at Start Point. Over in Northern Ireland, a 100 kW shortwave transmitter was co-sited with the 100 kW mediumwave unit at Lisnagarvey, (LIZ-na-GAR-vey) near Belfast. The mediumwave station at this location was quite new at the time. It was commissioned in 1937 as a replacement for the earlier small unit which had been on the air under the callsign 2BE. The BBC shortwave transmitter in Northern Ireland was a 100 kW unit, model number SWB18, manufactured by the Marconi Company in England. This transmitter was taken into regular service on November 20, 1941 and it was on the air with the BBC as Sender 51. During the first year, this unit carried a relay of the Forces Program on 6140 kHz, after which it carried the general Overseas and Foreign Service. This transmitter left the air on May 26, 1946, when it was officially ``mothballed``. We would presume that it was afterwards removed. Thus, the only regular shortwave station on the air in Northern Ireland was a 100 kW unit operated by the BBC for a period of five and a half years. If ever there were any QSLs issued by the BBC for this station, they would indeed be very rare (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan Nov 3 via DXLD) ** JAPAN. I just got back from the post office and QSLs continue to dribble in from my late September DXpedition. Today's mail brought me one of my all-time best, JOXS, Sapporo (Radio and) TV's 100 watt relay in the small town of Namuro, Hokkaido. 1062 is a Japanese graveyard frequency with only low power relays. My reception was quite poor, but I did catch several words in Japanese clearly and could tell when commercial strings were run. I sent them a lengthy explanatory letter and a CD. Got back a nice QSL card, a STV program schedule and a nice note. It's days like this that keep me stuffing things in envelopes and sending them out to radio stations. Here is what I reported in late September: 1062 JAPAN JOXS Namuro (tent.) SEP 22 1326 - Japanese commercial programming noted here on this graveyard commercial channel of low power relays. Most likely station, by far, geographically, is Sapporo TV's 100 watt relay in Namuro, JOXS. Going to send the station a recording (John Bryant, Orcas Island WA, NRC International DX Digest via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. 3985, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, PDKI Canada Bureau, P.O. Box 29010, London, Ontario N6G 2V3, Canada. Electronic QSL letter in 72 days. V/S: Hazhir The electronic address is: pdkicanada@pdki.org Hazhir help me how get a receiver for listen the programmes from this station in Canada!!! (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine, hard-core-dx via DXLD) 3985, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, PDKI Canada Bureau, P.O. Box 29010, London, Ontario N6G 2V3, Canada. Carta QSL electronica en 72 dias. V/S: Hazhir. La direccion electronica de la que provino la respuesta es: pdkicanada@p... [truncated, but not above]. Este QTH difiere del que aparece en la edición 2002 del PWBR. Hazhir me pide recomendaciones acerca de receptores para poder intentar la escucha de esta emisora desde Canadá!!! Escuché esta estación en ocasión de una Acampada DX realizada en Chascomus, Provincia de Buenos Aires, junto con Nicolás Eramo y su hijo y Enrique Wembagher (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. 12070, Hmong Lao Radio 0139 (Radio Hmong Hope), music, very good signal in Chile, South America 45444. R-5000 Dipolo "V" Time local: 22:39 22º C (Hugo López C. SWL - CE3 TIB ce3tib@qsl.net Cumbre DX via DXLD) I was also listening to 12070 by 0058 UT Nov 1; already a carrier on, but weak and very heavy flutter; could make nothing out of it and detect no increase in modulation at 0100 (gh, DXLD) Escuchada la nueva clandestina Hmong Lao Radio, emisora del Movimiento Laosiano Unido para la Democracia. (ID de acuerdo al CRW 118 Extra B) 12070, desde las 0051 con tonos de prueba, sin audio, señal de apertura de emisiones a las 0100 con música de flautas e ID por locutora en Hmong y luego a las 0101 por locutor y comentarios continuos en Hmong. SINPO: 45444. 0110 continúa hablando el mismo locutor. A las 0112 comienza la locutora a hablar frases en inglés en aparentes clases de inglés. A las 0115 sigue con frases en inglés y hmong. He escrito al e-mail indicado, y lamentablemente me vino retornado como no existente. Aquí una pagina del grupo, desde donde he sacado la información del e-mail. http://home.earthlink.net/~freelao/intro.htm Según CRW 188 Extra B, la organización de la emisora no entiende lo que son los "informes de recepción", -según Shoua Cha-, y además dicen que no tienen interés en los oyentes que no hablan Hmong, a fin de tenerlo presente cuando escriban a la emisora, según dice el comentario. ¿Será cosa de ponerse a estudiar Hmong? Pero, uno nunca sabe quiénes pueden responder o no; siempre el devenir nos tiene reservada alguna sorpresa. Ojalá tengas suerte, Arnaldo, yo de todas maneras igual le estaré enviando mi reporte. 73's GIB (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) STATION CONFIRMED AS HMONG LAO RADIO By Nick Grace, CRW Washington [Oct 31] The United Lao Movement for Democracy program, CRW can now confirm, is called Hmong Lao Radio. First monitored in August 2002, information on the station has been scarce at best. Laotian sources contacted through the Internet quickly identified the language as Hmong, which CRW reported on October 18, and contact was made with the Minnesota-based ULMD. The representative, however, declined to provide information on the station. With the organization's silence and refusal among the Laotian sources to "get involved," the last resort was to turn to an online Hmong-English phonetic dictionary, which CRW used to translate an announced address and provide a tentative station ID for our readers. The ULMD, we can report, is now willing to go on the record. ULMD Chairman Shoua Cha told CRW by telephone earlier this week the station was launched in May 2002 and broadcasts "educational programs, entertainment, sports and world news to Hmong people who cannot read or write" around the world. The target audience is not primarily for listeners in Laos, he said, but also for Hmong speakers in Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Europe and North America. "It is a project... to educate and get our message out to the world." Few stations broadcast in the Hmong language, which according to Cha, who has testified before U.S. Congress, is regrettable. "We have urged the U.S. government to add Hmong to the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia." Although Hmong Lao Radio is an "educational (and) non-profit project," the program does feature political and pro-democratic commentary. "Yes," he said, "we have politicians on from time to time to promote freedom." "We would like to have feedback and (receive) suggestions from our listeners," he said. The address, correctly reported by CRW, is P.O. Box 2426, St. Paul, MN 55106, USA. It is likely that the organization will not understand "reception reports" and the interest of non-Hmong speaking listeners so radio listeners are advised to take care in writing to the station. The ULMD also plans to unveil a Web site soon where the station's audio will be posted. Hmong Lao Radio programs are recorded in Minnesota and broadcast via commercial transmitters in Uzbekistan between 0100 and 0200 GMT Fridays on 12070 kHz (Clandestine Radio Watch Extra Oct 31 via DXLD) ** MEXICO. RESULTS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY FACT-FINDING TOUR [Follow-up to John Callarman`s Valley DX-pedition:] http://www.topica.com/lists/CorazonDX/read/message.html?mid=804711762&sort=d&start=1262 (Corazón DX via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. RADIO NATIONAAL SUSPENDS USE OF 1296 KHZ FROM THE UK The recent fall of the Dutch government has already resulted in the first media casualty. Commercial broadcaster Radio Nationaal, which has been hiring airtime on a high power mediumwave transmitter at Orfordness in the UK for the past few months, has 'suspended' its use of 1296 kHz. The reason is a decision of the Lower House on Thursday that the present Cabinet, which is functioning as a caretaker administration until the general election on 22 January 2003, has no authority to proceed with the re-distribution of frequencies to commercial broadcasters. This will now have to be put on the back burner until the newly elected government is able to deal with it. Consequently, Radio Nationaal's owner, Ruud Hendriks, sees no advantage in continuing to pay the cost of hiring airtime for the next few months without any perceived advantage in terms of winning an FM licence. Hendriks says that Radio Nationaal has "exclusive rights" to broadcast on 1296 kHz, and can decide at any moment to switch the transmitter back on. It had been on the air between 0500 and 1900 UTC. But for now, it will concentrate on cable and Internet distribution. Radio Nationaal currently has access to 85% of Dutch households via cable. The station is unique in that 50% of the music played is in Dutch, and a further 25% is music in other languages produced in The Netherlands. (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 1 November 2002 via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. INTERNET AUDIO. RNZI has greatly expanded its schedule of live audio streaming simulcasts. RNZI also offers listeners to opportunity to hear several of its programs on-demand via internet audio. Please refer to http://www.rnzi.com and click on "Audio Links", for further information. There is no Live Sports Coverage scheduled this week (John Filgliozzi, Oct 31, swprograms via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Re PNG shortwave quest... PORT MORESBY. (The National/Pacific Media Watch): Wantok Radio Light 93FM, the base station for Papua New Guinea's first Christian broadcasting network will stage a three-day "Covering the nation for Christ" campaign in a bid to raise K200,000 to start a short wave station in March next year, The National reports.... http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2002/10.29.2002/PacificIslands4.htm 73 (Kim Elliott, DC, Nov 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 9504v, Radio Tacna with a nice signal and IDs at 1035 Nov 1. Drifting transmitter so one has to listen in AM mode if listening for any length of time (Hans Johnson, Rio Hondo TX Cumbre via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. Here`s yet another version of the RRI schedule in case its format inconvenience you less (gh, DXLD) Winter B-02 schedule of Radio Romania International: ARABIC 0700-0756 15260 15270 15365 17775 17790 17815 1300-1356 11830 15250 15335 15380 17790 17805 AROMANIAN 1800-1826 756 11880 2030-2056 756 9590 BULGARIAN 0500-0526 756 7165 1630-1656 756 7135 CHINESE 0630-0656 17720 21480 1430-1456 9530 11910 ENGLISH 0200-0256 9550 11740 11830 11940 15270 15370 0400-0456 9550 11830 15335 17735 0600-0656 9530 11830 0637-0654 756 9510 9570 9625 11790 11940 0700-0756 17720 21480 1400-1456 15365 17790 1700-1756 7155 9625 9690 11940 2100-2156 5955 7105 7215 9690 2300-2356 7195 9510 9570 11940 FRENCH 0500-0556 6140 7295 9590 0603-0620 756 9510 9570 9625 11790 11940 1100-1156 15245 15380 17745 17790 1500-1556 11940 15245 15390 17805 2000-2056 7105 9510 9690 11740 GERMAN 0620-0637 756 9510 9570 9625 11790 11940 1200-1256 15245 17745 1600-1656 7195 9570 11940 1900-1956 5960 7130 GREEK 1330-1356 756 11765 1730-1756 756 9735 HUNGARIAN 0600-0626 5975 7225 2100-2126 630 6055 7285 ITALIAN 1100-1126 17795 1400-1426 756 17735 2000-2026 756 7245 PORTUGUESE 0100-0156 11875 15250 2200-2256 15365 17720 ROMANIAN 0000-0156 6040 7215 9510 11940 0200-0256 6040 7215 0300-0356 6040 7215 15370 17735 0400-0556 6040 7215 0700-0756 756 9570 11790 0800-1056 756 15105 17720 Sunday only 0800-0856 15335 15380 15390 17735 17745 17805 Sunday only 0900-0956 15380 15470 17735 17745 17790 21480 Sunday only 1000-1056 15245 15380 15390 17735 17745 17790 1100-1256 756 15105 15290 17720 17775 1300-1426 15105 17720 1430-1456 756 15105 17720 1500-1556 756 11790 11830 15105 1600-1626 756 11780 11790 11830 15105 15365 1630-1656 11780 11790 11830 15105 15365 1700-1756 9510 11780 11790 11830 15105 15365 1800-1856 7145 7195 9510 9570 11790 1900-1956 756 6040 7145 7195 9570 2000-2156 6040 7145 7195 9570 2200-2256 6040 7145 9690 11830 2300-2356 6040 7215 9690 11830 RUSSIAN 1200-1256 9570 15380 17735 1500-1556 9590 11735 1900-1956 6085 7155 SERBIAN 1300-1326 756 11765 1830-1856 756 5990 SPANISH 0000-0056 9665 11830 11875 15250 0300-0356 9530 9550 11830 11940 1800-1856 11725 15390 17735 21480 2200-2256 9665 11735 TURKISH 1130-1156 11795 1700-1726 756 9595 UKRAINIAN 0530-0556 7105 1600-1626 7125 73 from Ivo and Angel! (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 29, via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. Noted SLBC on 7115 kHz //11905 kHz in the evening. (Alok Dasgupta-IND, via BC-DX Oct 30 via DXLD) SLBC All Asia Service noted on new 7115 now replacing 7440 and earlier 7190. The sked is: 0020-0400, 0900-1530 Indian languages. Thanks to Alok Das Gupta for the tip. Now what will happen to 15745? 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, ATOJ, Hyderabad 500082, India, Oct 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. Re USA: Bible Voice Broadcasting, based in the UK, is partnering High Adventure Gospel Communications (based in Canada). Sites for B-02 include: 7435 1700-2000 Armavir 7180 0030-0100 Al Dhabiyya 13810 1630-1700 Julich (actually registered for Voice of Hope) 12035 0030-0130 Al Dhabiyya 9610 0200-0230 Al Dhabiyya sites not yet confirmed for 5880 7380 Regards (Bob Padula, Melbourne, Nov 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAM TO CUBA Washington, D.C., Oct. 31, 2002 – The Voice of America this week launched a new 30-minute Spanish language radio program, Ventana a Cuba ["Window on Cuba"] for VOA audiences in Cuba. The program features news, information, and interviews with Cubans inside and outside the country on a wide variety of issues, including labor policy, agriculture, human rights, freedom of the press, health, education, and international law. VOA took this step in response to appeals from Cuban listeners who enjoy VOA's Spanish-language programs directed to Latin America via shortwave and satellite. The Spanish Branch of the VOA Latin American Division currently broadcasts 12 ½ hours of weekly programming. Ventana a Cuba takes its place alongside the Spanish Branch's popular 60-minute weekly radio-TV simulcast Conversemos and the hour-long weekly call-in program Hablemos con Washington. VOA broadcaster Angelica Mora-Beals, who hosts the show, dedicates a segment of each program to respond to letters from the long- established VOA Listeners' Club. More than 60 percent of the mail received by VOA Spanish comes from Cuba. Ventana a Cuba is broadcast on Sunday evenings from 8:00-8:30 p.m. local time in Cuba via shortwave and is also transmitted on the VOASAT satellite system to more than one hundred affiliates throughout Latin America... (VOA Press release Oct 31 via DXLD) No mention of Martí ** U S A. WRMI / Greece clash on 15725 resolved: see GREECE ** U S A [non]. Since WJIE still talks of reactivating 13595, I checked to see if anyone else had moved in, Nov 1 at 1345 and indeed found something going past 1430, fluttery but certainly would be a problem for WJIE. New HFCC B-02 still shows WJCR! 24 hours, but also entry #5214: 13595 1330 1500 40E,41N AHW 250 84 1234567 271002 300303 D URDU IRN i.e. Ahwaz, IRIB, Iran, in Urdu but only during this sesquihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Winter schedule of AWR's Wavescan on Sundays: 0030-0100 6035 DHA to SoAs 1600-1630 11560 SDA to SoAs 6055 DHA to SoAs 15495 SDA to SoAs 0100-0130 9835 MOS to ME 17630 SDA to SoAs 0400-0430 9650 MEY to EaAf 1630-1700 9850 MOS to Eu 0430-0500 12080 MEY to EaAf 9890 DHA to SoAs 15160 DHA to CeAs 11980 SDA to SoAs 0500-0530 6015 MEY to EaAf 1730-1800 9385 SDA to ME 0600-0630 15345 MEY to CeAf 1800-1830 5960 MEY to CeAf 0830-0900 9660 MOS to Eu 6095 MEY to EaAf 17820 MOS to WeAf 1830-1900 11985 MEY to EaAf 1000-1030 11705 SDA to SoEaAs 2030-2100 7160 SDA to NoWeAs 1030-1100 11900 SDA to NoEaAs 11700 SDA to NoWeAs 1300-1330 17870 DHA to CeAs 15295 MEY to CeAf 1330-1400 11755 SDA to NoEaAs 2100-2130 9660 MOS to WeAf 11980 SDA to NoEaAs 2130-2200 11960 SDA to NoEaAs 15385 DHA to SoAs 11980 SDA to NoEaAs 15660 SDA to SoEaAs [NOT INCLUDING WRMI...] 73 from (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Nov 1, via DXLD) ** U S A. CALL PUTS TRUCKER IN SPOTLIGHT Dale Huffman, COMMENTARY How could you not like this guy? It is early Friday morning, and Ron Lantz is hooked up for a satellite interview with Katie Couric on the Today show from the Channel 5 studios in Cincinnati when the last question from Katie is, "Where are you going from here?" With a knee-jerk honesty that seemed refreshing, if not a bit humorous, he told her, "I'm heading over to Channel 9." Later in the day, when asked about that, Lantz said, "I hope she didn't expect me to say I was going to Disneyland." Lantz, who is 62, a professional truck driver, and lives in Ludlow, Ky., just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, has proved to be folksy, homespun and candid during his frenzied 15 minutes of fame. A national spotlight engulfed Lantz after he helped alert police when he spotted the automobile in a rest stop near Frederick, Md., that held two suspects later arrested and held in connection with the sniper killings in the Washington, D.C., area. After he called 911, he and another trucker at the scene pulled their 18-wheelers onto the exit ramp blocking any exit for the suspects. "It was the right thing to do," he said. "I think any truck driver who happened on something like that would do the same thing." He had heard the description of the wanted automobile on the Truckin' Bozo radio show that originates on WLW radio out of Cincinnati, and so, feeling a loyalty to that station he called them first with his story. And during a busy day of talking — back-to-back — to network and cable television news and talk shows, and other media outlets, he took the time Friday afternoon to sit down for an hour with Bill Cunningham on WLW radio. Cunningham called him the "most famous trucker in the world" and Lantz admitted he was enjoying the attention. "But my wife, Ruth, has been sick, and all this stuff is beginning to get old," he said. "We are hoping it dies down and we can get on with life." He said he doubts it will happen soon. "At the grocery store today people stopped me and wanted to shake my hand and get my autograph," he said. "Shucks, I didn't know what to do but to be nice to them." Concerning speculation that he might be considered as one of the recipients of the $500,000 reward money, he said, "My wife and I talked it over and we feel we are OK. We have enough. But if they give us anything we'll donate at least half to the families of the victims of those shootings." Does he have a sense that he was a part of history? "Yes, I do," he said. "I knew this was important. When I watched as the cops kind of got on hands and knees and were sneaking in to surprise them. I knew this was history. I sure did." Like Couric, Cunningham wanted to know what is in store for Lantz and the answer this time didn't deal with his next media appearance. "Well, I am leaving Monday morning on a haul that will mark the beginning of the end of my career," he said. "I have five more trips to make in the next two weeks and then I'm outta here." Lantz, who uses the CB handle Sugar Shack, said he and his wife have purchased a home in Florida, not far from Daytona Beach, and he will be spending winters there and summers in Ludlow. "Who woulda thought that all this would happen just when I'm fixin' to retire." he said. "I just thank God that I was where I was and that I was able to help. Some of us truckers had stopped and prayed together for an end to the violence just a day or so before this happened. I now know that God answers prayers." (Dayton Daily News Oct 28 via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. AROUND THE DIAL FROM A NEW CULVER CITY STUDIO, NPR IS BOOSTING ITS WEST COAST PRESENCE By Steve Carney, Special to The Times, November 1 2002 National Public Radio's Washington headquarters, though only a decade old, are already a seven-story maze of offices and studios, with narrow pathways blocked by stacks of books and files, reels of old programs and archaic tape-editing machines. So the new state-of-the- art West Coast production studios -- scheduled to open Saturday -- exemplify the network's desire to break free of its D.C. base and stretch out, both physically and philosophically. The new facility in Culver City, with its expansive ceilings, funky suede furniture, exposed ducts and honey-colored beams, looks every inch the cushy dot-com office it once was, and from there the network plans to explore stories and trends outside the Northeast corridor. "The purpose is to give us true national reach," Kevin Klose, NPR's president and chief executive, said while visiting the new offices. "What is happening in this state today is what will be happening in America tomorrow" -- particularly in areas such as health care, education, demographic changes and other social issues. In addition to expanding their news-gathering abilities, network executives want to tap into different cultural outlets than their usual Washington and New York sources, to hear youths, Latinos, Asians and others underrepresented on the network. "By having a much larger presence here, it means the content is going to be fresher. It gives us the ability to connect and present ideas to the nation" via NPR's 700 stations, Klose said. The West encompasses "very specific parts of America which we think are fascinating, which have storied pasts. If we can be more in contact with those, it will give us a diversity of voices that's only good for us." The network's eight-person Los Angeles bureau is moving from its office off Wilshire Boulevard to the new quarters, and expanding to 25 to 30 reporters, producers and other staff within a year, Klose said. The year-old "Tavis Smiley Show" will be produced from the new facility, NPR's largest outside Washington, and a midday arts and culture program is being planned. "L.A is probably the most diverse city on the planet," said Smiley, whose namesake interview and news program was the network's first to originate from Southern California. "Now, with NPR West, people are going to hear more of that Western essence on NPR. I'm really looking forward to hearing, 'from NPR in Los Angeles' on other shows." The network's upstart rival, Minnesota Public Radio, already has a Southland presence, devoted to "the production and broadcast of local, West Coast and Pacific Rim news and information programming." MPR's parent took over management of Pasadena City College's KPCC-FM (89.3) in 2000 and established the nonprofit distributor, Southern California Public Radio. Along with the deal came a new $3.5-million production facility in downtown L.A., home to KPCC's newsroom and the business newsmagazine "Marketplace." But in spite of reports to the contrary, NPR West isn't simply the latest troop advance in a turf war, according to Bill Davis, president of Southern California Public Radio. Instead, it will boost all of the area's public radio stations -- including his own KPCC, KCRW-FM (89.9), KKJZ-FM (88.1) and KUSC-FM (91.5) -- by increasing the number of programs originating from L.A. and creating a "critical mass" of public-radio reporters and producers here. "What this is going to do for NPR as a national journalistic entity is going to be significant. And it's going to make Los Angeles a much more significant public-radio town than it's been heretofore," he said. "If they [NPR] look at it as kind of a colony, they'll miss an opportunity. "I'm really happy that this is happening," he added, noting that KPCC airs more NPR programs than any other public station in the Southland. "Any kind of competition we might have is pretty small potatoes compared to the common interest we all have." The expansion was deemed so vital by NPR executives that they pushed ahead with it in spite of economic troubles that forced them to lay off dozens of workers over the past year, including the familiar voice of reporter Daniel Zwerdling. The move, however, upset some staffers, who have questioned management priorities. "In a down economy," Klose said, "you can't keep the staff as fully as you would before. It's very painful. I'm not minimizing it. The people who are engaged with content and substance at NPR, I think they're very excited we're going to make this move. This ultimately is going to strengthen NPR." At one time a woodworking factory, the outwardly modest, 25,100- square-foot building on Jefferson Boulevard belonged to the family of TV bandleader Lawrence Welk. The polka king used it to store sets and costumes. Most recently, an online video production company rented the space before going under. "The beauty of the facility was the infrastructure," with a setup that already included offices and studios left over from the previous tenants, said Bud Aiello, NPR's director of engineering technology. But the studios still needed millions' worth of computer and audio equipment, vibration dampers and extensive soundproofing. Charitable foundations and other donors contributed half the $13 million needed to buy and upgrade the property. The facility will be up and running for election night on Tuesday, with NPR hosts Neal Conan and Scott Simon there, accompanying colleagues in the network's Washington headquarters, reporting on races nationwide. Then the week of Nov. 11, Conan will broadcast his regular call-in program, "Talk of the Nation," from the Culver City studios. Airing weekdays on KPCC from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the show will examine why California issues get national traction, focus on the foundering Pacific Northwest economy and look at the proliferation of ethnic media. "It's an opportunity for us to educate ourselves, and hopefully our listeners, about important things going on not just in California, but in the Western time zone, if you will," Conan said. "It can't do anything but expose us to more influences and more kinds of people. You can only decide, in some respects, to put on what you're familiar with. You can get insular when you're in Washington." Conan also cited a reason that has persuaded millions before him to come to Southern California. "It's 40 degrees and raining here," he said from his office in Washington. "A couple weeks of 75 and sunny sound good." Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Times (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. From inside radio/m street http://www.mstreet.net/topheadline.asp?ID=51772&PT=Today%27s+Top+Stori es CBS-TV`s David Letterman show will be simulcast five nights a week on at least 15 Infinity stations, including WNEW, New York, KLSX, Los Angeles, WCKG, Chicago, KKWV, San Francisco, KYNG, Dallas, WYSP, Philly, WJFK-FM, Washington and WKRK, Detroit. And those are just the top-10 market clearances. Inside Radio also expects ``Late Show with David Letterman`` to clear on Infinity outlets like WZGC, Atlanta, KZON, Phoenix, KXOA, Sacramento, WFNZ, Charlotte (a sports station) and KAMX, Austin (a modern AC). (via Brock Whaley, Atlanta, Nov 1, DXLD) Times?? ** U S A. Interesting anti-IBOC website: http://www.DigitalDisaster.org (Brock Whaley, Atlanta, Nov 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [non]. Curious that the schedule in DXLD 2-169 omitted English at 0330-0400 via Canada 6175, I checked Nov 1, and it was still there (gh, DXLD) ** VIRGIN ISLANDS US [and non]. Glenn, Around 02 UT on November 1, 2002 I stumbled upon a fantastic southern MW opening to my QTH in Annandale, VA. Hearing audio on 555 -- probably St. Kitts (I've not received them in many years). 1620 WDHP St. Croix US Virgin Islands. With Ads, C&W mx, EE ID and local language. Deep fades, but overall fair. 1680 Southern Florida TIS. Amazing as TIS is very low power. 73 (-.. . Kraig, KG4LAC Krist, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If you mean WTIR Winter Garden, it`s the usual 1 kW at night, but could ``forget`` and run day power 10 kW; not a true TIS station but a regular broadcast licensee carrying tourist info (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. The premier mystery of the DXpedition: Unidentified rousing interval signal; held notes, trumpet blares & held notes, repeating every 23 sec. No announcement or sign-on ever heard. Some flutter suggests Asian source, but could be northern Europe. Same IS for all freqs/times listed. 18940, 1546-1627*, 26-Oct 17835, 1214- 1300*, 27-Oct 15385, 1305-1500*, 27-Oct (A composite log from the ever persistent DXpedition Crew, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) We already explained that 18940 is supposed to be Afghanistan via Norway; this gives the full time span logged on other frequencies not so accounted for (gh, DXLD) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ VIVA MIAMI REVIEWS NEW FREEPLAY WIND-UP RADIOS The latest edition of WRMI's "Viva Miami" program (Oct. 28) reviewed two new Freeplay wind-up radios and also included an interview with Rory Stear, founder and CEO of the Freeplay Energy Group in London. Here is the text of the review portion of the program, as presented by Jeff White: Today on Viva Miami we`re reviewing a couple of radios that should be of particular interest to shortwave listeners and people who spend a lot of time outdoors. You may have heard of the Freeplay Energy Group. This is the company that introduced wind-up shortwave, AM and FM radios several years ago now. They started building radios in South Africa, and later moved their production center to the Far East. The company, which was founded in 1994, is headquartered in London. The advantage of these wind-up radios, of course, is that you don`t need batteries nor AC power to operate them. That means they are excellent for outdoors-people -- sportsmen, boaters, campers, etc. But initially at least, the main target market for these radios was people in remote areas, especially in Africa and the rest of the Third World, where batteries are often hard to find or too expensive for many people, and where electrical power may often be lacking. OUTRIDER Freeplay has produced many different models of radios since it began, and now it has added a new feature -- solar power -- to some of its radios. We have been reviewing the Coleman Outrider AM/FM radio that uses Freeplay technology. It`s a small unit -- about 4 inches high, 8 inches long and two-and-a-half inches wide -- and weighs about 25 ounces. For those who use metric measures, that`s 100 millimeters high, 205 millimeters long, 60 millimeters wide, and a weight of 700 grams. The body of the radio is made of gray and black plastic and rubber, and it`s very solidly-built. The Outrider has only three controls to worry about -- an on/off- volume control knob, an AM/FM bandswitch, and a tuning knob. AM coverage is 500-1700 kilohertz, so it will pick up stations for a considerable distance below the official AM band in North America, and also stations in the new expanded AM band from 1600-1700 kilohertz. FM coverage is the North American standard 88-108 Megahertz. Both the front speaker and the headphone jack provide FM mono sound -- no stereo. But the neat thing about the Outrider is its power sources. There is a permanent built-in rechargeable battery pack that can be charged up four different ways. First, it comes with an AC adapter that you can plug into the wall. Or you can use the unique winder on the back of the radio. Just wind it up for about 30 seconds, and the radio will play for over a half-hour at a normal volume level. A third power source is a solar panel on the top of the radio. In direct sunlight, the battery pack will charge itself up and the radio will play non- stop, without even the need to wind it up. And the fourth method is to use an optional cigarette lighter adaptor in your car. So with this radio, you should never lack a power source. And when the battery pack is fully charged, it will run for about 25 hours. The Outrider was developed as a partnership between Freeplay Energy Group and the well-known Coleman company, which produces a variety of products for campers and outdoorsmen. The manufacturer`s suggested retail price for the Outrider is $49.99, and we noted that the reputable mail-order company Universal Radio, in its latest sales flyer, is selling the unit for $44.95. For more information, you can check out the Coleman web site, http://www.coleman.com or in North America you can call 1-800-835-3278. You can also look up Universal Radio`s web site at http://www.universal-radio.com SUMMIT Now for those who are interested in shortwave coverage, Freeplay has just introduced to the marketplace a very significant new radio. The Freeplay Summit is the first wind-up shortwave radio with digital readout. We`ve tested one, and we`re quite impressed. It`s just slightly larger than the Outrider -- 3-and-a-half by 7 by 3 inches, or 90 by 170 by 80 millimeters -- and weighs the same: 700 grams. The casing is silver plastic and black rubber, and it has a sleek sort-of futuristic tabletop design. The Summit has four bands -- AM, FM, longwave and shortwave. Of course the longwave band, from 144 to 281 kilohertz, is not much use for us here in North America, but it will be of interest to listeners in other parts of the world. The FM band goes from 87.5 to 108 Megahertz. The AM band goes from 520 to 1710 kilohertz, nicely covering the new expanded AM band. And it is switchable to a 9-kilohertz frequency separation, which is very important for those travelling to the Eastern Hemisphere. In fact, the Summit is a great radio for world travellers. Besides its portable size and weight, the radio comes with several accessories that travellers will appreciate. There`s a handy carrying pouch, an AC adapter that works in both 110 and 220-volt and both 50 and 60 hertz systems, three adapter plugs for use in most parts of the world, one of those handy reel-in type external shortwave antennas that`s 7 meters or 21 feet long, an instruction manual in seven languages and an insert with a sample listing of shortwave frequencies, although unfortunately only for the BBC for some reason. Anyway, the complete package has just about everything that the travelling shortwave listener needs. The major drawback to the Freeplay Summit is the coverage of the shortwave band. It goes from 5.95 to 15.60 Megahertz, which admittedly covers most of the shortwave range. But the lower end -- 5.95 Megahertz -- chops off part of what is effectively the 49-meter band and all of the 60, 90 and 120-meter tropical bands. And the upper limit -- 15.6 Megahertz -- cuts off a huge chunk of stations at the upper end of the 19-meter band (including WRMI on 15.725) and all of the 17, 21 and 25-Megahertz bands. But if you can live with these limitations, it`s not a bad radio. In fact, we were very pleasantly surprised with the technical quality of the shortwave reception. The selectivity was quite good -- for example, completely separating two strong stations on the adjacent frequencies of 15295 and 15305 kHz, with no interference from one to the other. In terms of sensitivity, it depends greatly on which antenna you use. The built-in telescopic antenna does fine for AM and FM reception, but it`s almost useless for shortwave. You have to use an external antenna. So I connected the wind-up antenna to the telescopic antenna and extended it almost all the way inside a room in my house, and I compared it side-by-side with a Grundig Satellite 500 shortwave receiver, using the same type of wind-up antenna. Overall, the results were quite favorable. I could generally get a slightly better signal out of the Grundig than I could from the Freeplay for most stations. But that`s really to be expected, as the Grundig is a real DXer`s radio which cost about $400 or $500 as I recall. The Freeplay Summit has a suggested retail price of just $100, which is very reasonable. But back to my testing. I then took the Summit into another room and connected a 75-foot outdoor copper wire antenna to the telescopic antenna. Then I was able to get even stronger signals out of the Summit, and the quality was generally just as good as what I got on a Realistic DX-394 receiver using the same longwire antenna. For example, I picked up Radio Australia at 0355 UT on 15515 kHz with an amazing SINPO rating of 55545. The Voice of Russia World Service was also coming in beautifully on 7180 kHz at 0430 UT. However, I soon noted a few problems. The 75-foot longwire antenna actually overloaded the receiver when it came to strong stations like the BBC on 5975 kHz. It splattered outward from about 5960 to 5995 kilohertz. The same thing happened with other strong stations like Radio Martí and the South American beam of WHRI. Radio Martí on 7365 kHz could be heard all the way up to 7405, interfering with the other stations that are really supposed to be on those frequencies, like WRMI on 7385 kHz. And the strangest thing was that I found several strong stations in the 31-meter band which were also audible exactly 900 kilohertz lower, which must have been some sort of spur or image. (I`m not an engineer, so I don`t know what the technical term is for that. [receive images displaced at twice the intermediate frequency]) But Radio Exterior de España, for example, was clearly audible on 8640 kHz, exactly 900 kilohertz below the real frequency of 9540, where it also came in strong and clear. In many of those cases of overloading, I found that I could reduce or eliminate the problem by disconnecting the outdoor longwire antenna and connecting the wind- up antenna that came with the radio. However, in other cases, I found that the wind-up antenna only gave me a fair or poor signal from stations like WJIE on 7490 and Radio Portugal on 9815 kHz, but if I switched to the outdoor longwire, I was able to get them with much better reception. In both of those cases, the stations were almost inaudible using just the built-in telescopic antenna. So what does all of this mean? Well, you definitely need to use at least the supplied wind-up external antenna for shortwave listening with the Freeplay Summit. So don`t forget to pack the antenna when you`re going on a trip. You may need an even better longwire antenna to get good reception from some stations, but it will cause the strong ones to overload. So what would really be nice if they come out with any new versions of the Summit might be some sort of RF gain control or antenna tuner on the radio. In most cases, though, you can get quite satisfactory reception with the wind-up antenna by adjusting its length and height, and placing it close to or even outside a window. And I might offer a few other observations. Number one, there is no tuning dial on the Summit, nor can you enter a station`s frequency directly. There are five station memory buttons for each band. You have to choose one of those memorized frequencies, and then use the scan-up or scan-down button to get where you want. That`s quite frustrating at times. Also, it`s great to have a digital readout, but the dark LCD digital display on the Summit is sometimes difficult to read unless you have a lot of light in the room and hold it at the proper angle. There is a button that turns a light on the display, but the light only stays on for a few seconds; you can`t make it stay on permanently. And the last digit in the digital display -- for example the ``5`` in 9.965 Megahertz -- is only half the size of the other digits, so it is even more difficult to see. And if you`re looking for a shortwave station on a split frequency, you`re out of luck, since the Summit only advances in 5-kilohertz increments. After the frequency readout has been on for several seconds without changing frequencies, the readout switches from the frequency to the time, which you may or may not like. Perhaps in future modifications to the Summit, they can provide buttons for direct frequency entry, the possibility of tuning in 1- kilohertz increments and an easier-to-read digital display. That display, by the way, also includes an alarm clock with sleep and snooze functions, and the clock can be set in either the 12-hour AM/PM mode or the 24-hour mode, which is nice for international use, or setting the clock to UT. The audio quality of the Summit was very good, although there are no bass and treble controls, which might be a nice addition. And of course the best feature of the Summit is the three-way power source. Like the Coleman Outrider, the Summit has a rechargeable -- and in this case replaceable -- battery pack which can be charged with the supplied AC adapter, the built-in winder on the back of the radio, or the solar panel on top of the radio. Again, this is really handy for people who are travelling, camping, boating, or live in remote places, or can`t find or afford batteries. I charged up the battery pack overnight, and it lasted a very long time while I was doing my testing. In summary, the Freeplay group is to be congratulated for coming out with the first digital wind-up solar-powered shortwave receiver. It`s a very good radio for just $100, and we can recommend it highly. It`s not quite up to the standards of a serious DXer`s radio yet, but it`s certainly very adequate for general shortwave listening. And with a few minor improvements, it could become a major competitor for many other shortwave receivers that cost far more. For more information on the Summit and other Freeplay products, see their website: http://www.freeplay.net. The Summit, incidentally, is being sold by mail order in North America by the C. Crane Co. http://www.ccrane.com (Jeff White, WRMI, Oct 28 via DXLD) Too many drawbacks and design failures, even for casual SWL, if you ask me, from what you have described. What we really need is a multi- source power supply SEPARATE from a radio, so we can plug a decent radio into it (gh, DXLD) REAL SOURCE CODE ++++++++++++++++ RealNetworks on October 29 released most of the secret blueprints, or "source code," to its software that allows computer users to play audio and video over the Internet. It also plans to release the source code for its server and encoding software in December. By sharing the code with thousands of developers, the company believes it can more quickly and effectively spread adoption of its software, tailored for scores of different computers, wireless phones and handheld devices. Still, the Seattle-based company is keeping other parts of its source code secret, including the blueprints for such features as burning compact discs. The release is part of RealNetworks' new "Helix" strategy, announced in July. The company is the latest convert to the open-source software movement of sharing software blueprints. The idea is that an assortment of programming talent will improve and build upon existing technology. That's starkly different from the strategy Microsoft follows. The Redmond-based software giant closely guards its source code and considers such open-source software as Linux operating systems and server programming as significant competitive threats. ("Wired News" and NPR) Does this mean we'll finally get a program to edit Real format files? Or a way to convert from Real to other formats (where we can edit)? Real's press release of October 29 reads: RealNetworks today announced that leading consumer electronic companies manufacturing everything from devices to chipsets have integrated portions of the Helix DNA Client into their products. For consumers, this means access to Internet media from their phones, digital video recorders, PDAs and more. The Helix DNA Client includes the source code from the core media engine for RealNetworks' latest media player, the award-winning RealOne Player. (see Helix Community release) By combining the Helix DNA Client with RealAudio and RealVideo, now available from RealNetworks under a simplified distribution license, consumer electronics companies have access to the most flexible solution for creating compelling audio and video software products that suit their unique requirements. With six leading chipset companies now supporting RealAudio and RealVideo in their chipsets, CE and mobile device companies can integrate the Helix DNA Client into virtually every type of consumer device (Real Networks via SCDX/MediaScan, with George Wood`s comments, Oct 30 via DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ SHORTWAVE WITH A DIFFERENCE (CD-ROM) This past month I was thrilled to receive a cd-rom called Shortwave With a Difference, developed by John Batty and other folks in Australia. The CD-ROM is presented in website format and includes sounds clips from military communications, low band VHF signals, utility stations, spacecraft/satellite signals, and international shortwave broadcasters. Of course the most interesting files to me are the sound clips from pirate stations recorded by John & friends in the land down under. Searching around and discovering all the pages and files on this CD is a lot of fun. In the pirate radio section alone there are hours of audio clips. The audio quality on many of the clips is not the best but the number and diversity of selections more than compensate. Alfa Lima International, Radio Borderhunter and Radio Geronimo are three Europirate stations represented. There is a wealth of audio segments and a colorful QSL gallery from Alan Maxwell's intriguing station KIPM. Relative newcomers Voice a da Tiki, Mystery Science Radio and WAIR are also heard on the CD, courtesy of relays via KIPM. In the international broadcast section there are audio files of All India Radio, Radio Singapore International, Radio France International, and dozens of other stations. Also well worth perusing are the numerous articles on antenna design and free radio history and equipment reviews. This CD is a great toolbox for turning people on to the hobby of shortwave listening or for a few hours of exploration and enjoyment. For info on how to obtain this CD with a difference, please visit the website at http://www.shortwave-with-a-difference.com (Frederick Moe, NH, Random Transmissions, Nov The ACE via DXLD) ###