DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-009, January 15, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser, ghauser@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/dxldta03.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html For restrixions and searchable 2002 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid2.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 1165 first airings: WBCQ: Wed 2300 on 7415, 17495-CUSB, Mon 0545 7415 WWCR: Thu 2130 on 9475, Sat 0700, Sun 0330 5070, 0730 3210... RFPI; Fri 1930, Sat 0130, 0730, 1330, 1800, Sun 0000 15039 and/or 7445 [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1165.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1165.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1165h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1165h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1165.html [from Thu] ** ANTARCTICA. Radio San Gabriel Arcángel [sic] na Antártida: En las últimas semanas la noté inactiva. Generalmente estaba en el aire de lunes a viernes entre las 19 a 21 UT [15476v] 73's (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Jan 13, radioescutas via DXLD) Usual summer break? (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1165) ** ARGENTINA. Red 92, La Plata, 1630.0 kHz, 0730-0802, fair on Nov 3. Singing jingle ``Cada dia más, Red 92`` at 0800. Tnx to Hideki Watanabe (Yukiharu Uemura, Kanagawa, Japan, Radio Nuevo Mundo Dec 8 via DXLD) Quite a catch, long haul from Japan, about 18.5 megameters, close to antipodal, which would be more like just west of Korea (gh) ** ARMENIA. 4810 with IS and anthem at 1445 (I checked the web site - it matches) on Saturday Jan 11 (Nigel Pimblett, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s via Moman, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ASCENSION. 6005, BBC 0615 Jan 12, news in English re death row pardons. QRM that sounds like snoring (Jilly Dybka, TN, Cumbre DX via DXLD) I was also noticing this on 6005, but would describe more like multiple tones (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. 5994.80, Radio Australia, Brandon, 1055-1110 Jan 15. Noted mainly comments and IDs. On the hour, news presented. This transmission listed as only 10 kW in reference material. Also significant, the transmission was off frequency by 200 Hertz when measured. What do you think about them being off frequency? I would expect RA to be exact. Signal was initially threshold, but improved to poor by 1110 (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. World Region News: HCJB WORLD RADIO-AUSTRALIA SHORTWAVE STATION GOES ON THE AIR Posted by: newsdesk on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 03:18 PM from http://www.hcjb.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=63&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 HCJB World Radio-Australia`s new shortwave station at Kununurra in the northern part of the country went on the air Sunday, Jan. 5, with its first five-hour transmission to the South Pacific. This culminated more than five years of planning and praying. Staff members are repairing storm damage to the Asian antenna that is expected to go on the air this weekend [not]. ``Praise God, He has done it!`` said Director of Ministries Dennis Adams from the Australian office in Melbourne following a dedication service. ``What a moving moment it was as pastor John Rush said `amen` at the conclusion of his prayer of dedication to hear the sounds of `Advance Australia Fair` ring out at precisely 7 a.m. (Greenwich Time). ``There was hardly a dry eye in the building. Some 60 people had come together for an hour-long service of celebration and dedication in the lead up to the start,`` he said. ``It was a wonderful occasion with the emphasis being a celebration of what God has done and a time of dedication to Him for all that lies ahead.`` HCJB World Radio President David Johnson took part in the inauguration via telephone link from Colorado Springs, Colo. He offered words of congratulations and challenged the staff to carry on the vision of HCJB World Radio cofounder Clarence Jones who urged programmers to keep the gospel at the forefront. ``That`s essential, that`s basic, that`s final,`` Johnson said, quoting Jones. ``Nothing can be added to it, nothing need be subtracted from it. It`s spiritually sound; it`s the dynamic—the power of God unto salvation. . . . It`s the everlasting message of God to sinful men in a dying world.`` Johnson then listened as the switch was pulled and the first special half-hour broadcast began—a ``launch program`` that had been prepared at HCJB World Radio-Australia`s studios in Melbourne. The program featured recorded greetings from Board Chairman Ron Cline and various World Offices along with special music. When the facility is in full operation, the shortwave signal will be within hearing range of more than 3.5 billion people—60 percent of the world`s population. Including the Asian antenna, 10 hours of English programming will air daily: five hours to the South Pacific and five hours to Asia, plus a weekly program in Oromo to Ethiopia. Although the broadcasts are going out on a 100 kw shortwave transmitter designed and built at the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., the transmitter is still running at low power, but this will be increased ``gradually`` as testing continues. Plans are to eventually expand to five transmitters and 16 broadcast towers as land and funds become available. The station came as the result of HCJB World Radio-Australia Director David Maindonald`s longtime vision to start an international shortwave station in the country. This initially seemed like an impossible dream. The prospect that Australia would allow a privately owned international station—including Christian ones—seemed unlikely, and even mission leaders were skeptical about the plan. But instead of giving up, Maindonald trusted God. ``I am filled with a great sense of awe at what God has done to bring about this new Asia-Pacific service,`` said Maindonald at the dedication service. ``These past seven years I have seen God do so many wonderful things. . . . The staff has worked tirelessly to build buildings, erect transmission lines, towers and antennas, re-equip studios and prepare programs. . . . It is my pleasure to dedicate the radio ministry of HCJB World Radio-Australia to the glory of God.`` Here is a brief timeline of the project: 1997: A donor unexpectedly gives 200 acres of prime land for the project near a dam and close to the northern tip of Australia—ideal for sending signals across Asia, the South Pacific and much of Africa. Dec. 22, 2000: After three years of vigorous discussions with the government, the laws are changed, opening the door for entities other than Radio Australia to obtain international broadcasting licenses. April 19, 2001: HCJB World Radio-Australia was awarded not one, but four licenses, to broadcast via shortwave. April 3, 2002: Despite an intense misinformation campaign about the project by local opponents, the ministry obtains all the local approvals needed to begin construction. Late 2002: Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., work with local volunteers to install the 100 kw shortwave transmitter built and designed in Elkhart. Jan. 5, 2003: The first five-hour block of programming to the South Pacific goes on the air (HCJB website via DXLD) News from Dennis Adams, HCJB Australia: Startup of Asian service has been further delayed until Jan 19. Also waiting for additional tests to be completed so can increase power of SPac release. Staff in Melbourne and Kununurra are working hard to correct different problems that have surfaced, part of the learning curve (Allen Graham, HCJB DX Partyline Jan 11, notes by gh for WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. Hola Glenn. Aquí está el concurso de MUNDO DX; este está correctamente redactado es el del sitio web de MUNDO DX CONCURSO 20 AÑOS DE MUNDO DX EN RADIO AUSTRIA INTERNACIONAL El próximo 19 de Enero el programa MUNDO DX cumple 20 Años de emisiones. Desde aquel mes de Enero de 1983, al principio de forma mensual y después semanal, la Asociación DX Barcelona (ADXB) les ha llevado la tecnología, las telecomunicaciones, las últimas noticias, las frecuencias, la onda corta, internet, satélites, en resumen todo para estar al día en los avances tecnológicos. Para agradecer la fiel escucha de nuestros oyentes, hemos preparado un Concurso. El único requisito escuchar, a partir del 15 de Enero todos los programas semanales de MUNDO DX en Radio Austria Internacional, y anotar todas las palabras clave que se mencionen en el programa. Las dos primeras palabras clave a partir del 15 de Enero. Cada semana dos palabras clave, hasta un total de doce. Todas las palabras deben enviarse antes del 15 de Marzo por correo a Radio Austria Internacional, 1136 Viena, Austria, o al correo electrónico: roi.hispano@orf.at Se sortearán diferentes premios entre todos los acertantes. Suerte a todos y no dejen la sintonia de Radio Austria Internacional Con saludos cordiales, (via Julio Trenard, Apartado Postal 41, Cumaná 6101, Venezuela, Jan 14, DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Radio La Cruz Del Sur, 4876.8, Jan 13/03 at 2333 UT. Could not believe my ear with the strength of this one in SS with local Bolivian music and talk by man with many IDs (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1165) As well I had great R. La Cruz del Sur s/on at 0930 on Monday morning Jan 13, but you guys logged that later at a more respectable hour! (Nigel Pimblett, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s via Moman, DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1165) See writeup about the SWL Weekend at bottom ** BOTSWANA. 4820, R. Botswana, 0408-0414- 01/14 EG/Vern. End of news re Congo(DR). News ended with mention of R. Botswana broadcasting (peace?) talks at 7 AM (local). Afropops and English ballad "Lay your head on my pillow" Good (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale NH, hard- core-dx via DXLD) ** CANADA. CKZN, 6160 with CBC Overnight program way over Vancouver, first noted 0755, clear to DW s/on at 0900, and even after that heard the NA and switch into local programming at 0930. This was on Saturday Jan 11 (Nigel Pimblett, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s via Moman, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 18020, RCI, 1607 Jan 12, news about polls and politics. presume this is a spur, parallel 13655 (Jilly Dybka, TN, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 17710 mixing with 17865-Austria relay, 155 kHz apart (gh) ** CHECHNYA [non]. Frequency change for Radio Liberty in Russian/Avari/Chechen/Cherkessi: 0500-0600 to CAs NF 11780, ex 11935 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Hi Glenn: From the January 14 El País (Cali) ...edited for relevance, as they say, but you can judge whether it's relevant enough! ALIAS 'LAURA' ESTÁ SINDICADA DE DIRIGIR LA EMISORA DEL BLOQUE OCCIDENTAL -- CAE JEFE DE COMUNICACIONES DE LAS FARC Enero 14 de 2003 Yira Paola Bolaños fue detenida en un apartamento de la Carrera 8C con Calle 46 del barrio La Castellana, en el sur de Cali. Después de tres meses de investigaciones, miembros de la Dirección de Inteligencia de la Policía, lograron encontrar a esta mujer, conocida con el alias de 'Laura', y quien está solicitada por un fiscal de Popayán por el delito de rebelión Según el comandante de la Policía Metropolitana, alias 'Laura' también era el contacto entre los frentes subversivos del Valle, Cauca y Nariño con el Secretariado de las Farc. Asimismo, la señora Bolaños está sindicada de ser la responsable de la emisora La Voz de la Resistencia, la cual es una frecuencia ilegal utilizada para difundir las proclamas del grupo insurgente, indicó Naranjo. [...]onde según informantes, residía alternativamente esta mujer. "Este es uno de los principales golpes que les hemos propinado a las Farc, especialmente al Bloque Occidental, ya que esta mujer era muy cercana a Pablo Catatumbo", indicó el jefe policial. "También trabajamos para ubicar la emisión de frecuencias clandestinas que funcionan en las montañas del Cauca. Estas emisiones, que buscan desinformar a la comunidad y enviar proclamas contra el Estado colombiano, funcionan en las frecuencias AM y HF", agregó. (via Richard Stoller, Coordinator of Selection and International Programs, Schreyer Honors College, 10 Atherton Hall, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802-3905, Jan 14, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. La Voz de Tu Conciencia, Bogotá, 6010.8, Jan 11/03 at 0828 UT in Spanish with religious talk, nice ID at 0851. Good, but better after het left at 0900. On Jan 12/03 at 0657 better than the night before. Same again on Jan 13/03 at 0548 with nice ID. Great signal (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. CYPRUS, NORTHERN. 6150, Radio Bayrak, 2200-0150. No id but a tourist promo for Northern Cyprus at 0140 followed by a ABBA- medley. Poor audio, fair signal. Receiver: NRD-535 Antenna: Long wires in different directions, all about 500 meters long. 73 (Claes Olsson, Norrköping, SWEDEN, Jan 15, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ERITREA [non]. Voice of the Eritrean People in Tigrina noted on Jan. 12: 1630-1657 Sun only on NF 9990 (55555) to ME, ex 15735 1700-1727 Sun only on NF 7530 (55555) to ME, ex 9990 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** FINLAND. Additional transmissions for YLE Radio Finland effective from Jan. 13, 2003: 0630-0700 Daily 6055 POR 250 kW / 220 deg to WEu 0800-0900 Sat/Sun 21670 POR 500 kW / 090*deg to SEAs/Au || ex 075 deg 0930-1030 Daily 21800 POR 500 kW / 060 deg to NEAs 1100-1200 Daily 21800 POR 500 kW / 090 deg to SEAs/Au 1900-1950 Daily 9805 POR 500 kW / 175 deg to ME/EAf 2000-2100 Thu 9805 POR 500 kW / 310 deg to NAm 2330-2345 Daily 11895 POR 500 kW / 060*deg to NEAs || ex 090 deg (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** GEORGIA. Georgian Radio, 11805.2, Jan 13/03 at 0627 in Lang(?). At 0629:30 their interval signal was played and then s/on announcements in English at 0629:45. English news for 30 seconds and then carrier dropped. Back on 0636 (approx). Gave ID as ``This is the World Wide Broadcast from Tblisi, Georgia`` at 0642. Carrier dropped off for good at 0647. Good signal but bad audio (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. Sorry for not posting for a few days; my ship has been busy getting ready to get under way and its only a short cruise and then back here. I was in a chat mail with Marie Lamb and had mentioned seeing another station here called Family Harvest radio which operates on 88.1 FM. I discovered it by accident as I was on a hill above Radio Baragatta [sic], where the ham club had mentioned once of putting their repeater. I found a place there with a a lot of antenna farms and in the midst was this station. I heard it on FM and it`s a religious station. Went for a short drive to the other side of the island and went past KTWR and noticed some repairs are being done; looks like it will still be a few weeks, but may be sooner. Also went by AWR and one of the station engineers was going inside but wasn't able to find out anything. He looked like he was in a hurry. The unofficial Native News here says the power is about 60% and it`s starting to show. A lot of unlit lights are showing life now. But the artificial traffic lights are still doing their part. The US National Guard have been in place since the power went out. Now over 40 days for some. I got time coming soon and will spend some of it listening again. P.S. I have plans to take a picture of what might be my next QSL card, one of the sail boats now beached here since the storm went through. Since I am a seaman it might be a neat QSL. 73 (from Guam island, Larry Fields n6hpx/du1, Jan 14, swl via DXLD) ** HAWAII. 870, Honolulu KAIM. Back on the air after supposedly signing off for good Jan 1, 2002 at 1000 UT. Noted 11/25 [sic – very old item just now appearing?] with praise music (light Christian AC), plus numerous PSA's and shortform features such as Dr. James Dobson. Slogans include "Hawaii's Christian Music Station." Signal is strong in East Honolulu but audio was weak, and in nearly buried by spurs in the Kalihi area and westward. This may indicate that owner Salem Media was using the 50 KW transmitter on Moloka'i but not cranking up the audio. Still have not got an answer why station has returned. (5P-HI Dale Park, HI, IRCA DX Monitor Jan 18 via DXLD) I had heard that the transmitter site on Moloka'i was taken down and that Salem has been using a local Honolulu site. A new site on Moloka'i? (Pat Martin, ibid.) ** HONDURAS. Björn & Others, What about R. Litoral from Honduras? They carry this sort of religious programs regularly. A few days ago I noticed a similar sudden s/off as in your case, but I assumed it was R. Litoral. Characteristic for R. Litoral is (at least it was last year) that the exact frequency is not 4830.00 but 4830.04 (+/- 0.01 kHz). Regards, (Aart Rouw, Bühl, Germany AR7030+20m longwire/MLB, hard-core-dx via DXLD) See VENEZUELA earlier ** INDIA. AIR Chennai 4920, Jan 12/03 at 0035 UT in EE with News to 0040 then into programming in local language. Poor AIR Delhi 4860, Jan 11/03. External service in presumed Urdu (or at least mention of) from 1459 to 1600 (fading). Good AIR Aligarh 9445, Jan 11/03 at 2204 UTC with EE News. Very Good. AIR Shillang 4970, Jan 12/03 at 1355 in EE with a game show (including questions about AIR). Good AIR Mumbai 4840, Jan 12/03 at 1526 in LL with man and women (news?) talking. Very Good signal but Very Bad audio. AIR Hyderabad 4800, Jan 12/03 at 1535 in EE with News and sports. Fair with Sweeper interference. AIR Ranchi 4960, Jan 13/03. Good (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. RADIO STATIONS TO BE SET UP BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS | Text of report by Indian news agency PTI New Delhi, 13 January: About one thousand radio stations are likely to be set up this year in the country by educational institutions like universities, IITs [Indian Institutes of Technology], IIMs [Indian Institutes of Management] and residential schools, following government's nod to the Community Radio Station Scheme. Anticipating a "radio revolution" in the country, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj Monday [13 January] said in an era of convergence and optical fibre, an inter-disciplinary approach has become necessary. Only entrepreneurs who keep abreast of the latest technological developments, innovate with technology applications and come out with products to meet genuine felt needs of the consumers will get the early bird advantage, she said presiding over the launching of Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineers. Calling upon engineers to seize upon the opportunity and make the new radio stations operational, she asked them to take initiative at a "micro level" so that at the "macro level" the nation as a whole takes a quantum jump. She said the focus must be kept on the 20 million strong diaspora which has among the best electronic, computer, communications, broadcasting engineers and IT experts and larger collaborations between Indians and Indians abroad could help in "making us the world leaders in the knowledge based sunrise industry." Source: PTI news agency, New Delhi, in English 1259 gmt 13 Jan 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) It`s about time ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. FREE WORLDWIDE BROADCAST OF 1/18 ANTI-WAR RALLY The Voices of Solidarity -- Satellite Uplink Project will carry the full, 4 hour live coverage of the Saturday, January 18, 2003 National March on Washington Against the War in Iraq, and will uplink that coverage to satellite for free distribution to media outlets and public access stations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, the United States and worldwide. This satellite uplink is organized by Multi- Media Group, Peace TV, Free Speech TV and World Link working with the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition. The Voices of Solidarity -- Satellite Uplink Project will bring a message of peace to millions around the world. A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY AND GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY This is a historic undertaking of international solidarity, a unique combination of high technology and grassroots democracy that counters the pro-war message being sent by the Government and the corporate media who seek to falsely convince the world that the people of the United States support George W. Bush in his call for aggression against Iraq and first-strike use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY FROM THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE WORLD On January 18th, on the weekend commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, in the tradition of the U.S. civil rights movement, tens of thousands will assemble at the U.S. Capitol to march against the war -- and to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world who seek peace and deserve justice. This massive demonstration is also a message of solidarity from the grassroots, from the people of the United States to the people who are most directly affected by the U.S. war and interventions in Iraq and in the region. It is a message that must be heard and seen globally, without the editing and bias of the pro-war corporate media. Voices of Solidarity Satellite Uplink Project will broadcast on Saturday, Jan 18 From: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm ET -- This is: 16:00 to 20:00 GT [= UT] Within the U.S., public access stations and many universities have the facilities to downlink this historic demonstration. Media outlets around the world can use this service. The 4-hour live coverage (including the rally, march and interviews) can be down linked FREE for immediate live broadcast or taped for later use. THE FREQUENCIES ARE LISTED BELOW: For U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico, Canada Satellite Telstar 6 K Dig, Orbital Slot 93 degrees WL, Transponder: 07-Ch A, Bandwidth: 9 MHz, Uplink Freq: 14158(H), Downlink Freq: 11858 (V) For Middle East, Europe, Africa Satellite NSS 7, (Ku) dig, Orbital Slot 338 degrees EL, Transponder:H8L/Ch 2, Bandwidth:9 MHz, Uplink Freq: 14447.5(V), Downlink Freq: 11657.5(H) For Asia Satellite PAS 2 C Dig, Orbital Slot 191 degrees WL, Transponder:12-Ch A, Bandwidth: 9 MHz, Uplink Freq: 6242.5(V), Downlink Freq: 4017.5(H) ********** For more information on the January 18 National March on Washington DC and joint action in San Francisco, see http://www.internationalanswer.org Make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION to help stop the war before it starts: http://www.internationalanswer.org/donate.html For a list of CITIES ORGANIZING TRANSPORTATION, go to: http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/j18/j18contacts.html Help spread the word! DOWNLOAD the NEW FLYER at http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/resources/index.html For LOGISTICAL INFORMATION (directions, housing, parking, etc.), go to: http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/j18/logistics.html YOUTH & STUDENT ACTION: JAN. 18-19 http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/j18/students.html FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.InternationalANSWER.org http://www.VoteNoWar.org dc@internationalanswer.org New York 212-633-6646 Washington 202-332-5757 Los Angeles 213-487-2368 San Francisco 415-821-6545 Email circulated by: A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Sign up to receive updates (low volume): http://www.internationalanswer.org/subscribelist.html ------------------ Send replies to answer@action-mail.org This is the ANSWER activist announcement list. Anyone can subscribe by sending any message to answer.general-subscribe@action-mail.org (via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. BIG NEWS FOR EUROPE AT LAST CAROLINE TAKES TO THE 'SKY' http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/news.htm Our new 28 degree channel that has been long in the planning, came on air on Mon 13th Jan at 2.30pm. This makes us accessible to the 6.5 million homes (28 million people) who have Sky equipment in the UK. Our service for the Continent continues on Hotbird 6 for the foreseeable future. UK listeners, should tune to 11623 GHz. H polarity. 27.5 Symbol Rate and 2/3 FEC. Overseas listeners can use Hotbird 6 at 13 degrees. 12597GHz. V. 27.5. 3/4. It would help us greatly if you could tell friends and work colleagues how to tune in to Caroline. We will be using these channels to promote the portability of our service sent by Worldspace. New models of Worldspace radio sets will soon be available. Now we need a short rest while we consolidate our new channel, before we look toward the next phase of expansion for Caroline. We would like to thank everyone who helped us achieve this new channel (via Mike Terry, Jan 13, DXLD) What`s the fuss? Do they have any programming that is intellexually stimulating? (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. GM TO OFFER XM RADIO IN 75% OF 2004 MODELS -- - SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE GETS TIMELY BOOST By Renae Merle, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, January 15, 2003; Page E05 Washington's XM Satellite Radio Inc. announced yesterday that its subscription radio service will be available in 75 percent of General Motors Corp.'s 2004 models, expanding its presence at a critical time in the 16-month-old firm's development. The investment community has long considered XM's installation in new cars critical to the success of the company and to its embryonic industry, because consumers are less likely to wince at its $150 to $300 initial price tag and monthly subscription fee when they're spending tens of thousands of dollars for a new vehicle. GM, which is XM's largest shareholder, installed the service in the 2002 models of its high-end Cadillac cars. But to reach a wider audience, the company will make the service available in cheaper and higher-volume vehicles such as Chevrolet's Cavalier and its truck models, said spokesman Mike Merrick. "We're hitting the truck segment pretty hard," he said. For 2003 car models, XM was available in 25 of GM's 54 models. It will be available in 44 of the 57 2004 models. GM expects to install XM equipment in 350,000 to 400,000 cars this year, Merrick said. XM and its New York-based rival, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., are both losing money. They are locked in a race to attract subscribers accustomed to AM and FM radio to their subscription format. The satellite services offer 100 channels of mostly commercial-free music and news stations. After spending more than $1 billion each to launch service, the battlefield has shifted from retail outlets such as Best Buy to car showrooms. By the end of 2003, 50 percent of XM's subscribers are expected to come from new car sales, said XM spokesman Chance Patterson. The deal with GM is unrelated to a $450 million refinancing package announced last month and partially funded by the auto manufacturer, Patterson said. That deal is critical to XM's survival, giving it enough funding to stay afloat until mid-2004, when XM forecasts it will have enough customers to support itself. Analysts have been skeptical of that prediction, saying XM may need another cash infusion by late 2004. And Sirius could pose more competition after it completes a $1 billion refinancing package, according to Salomon Smith Barney, which has an investment-banking relationship with XM but not Sirius. "If it can complete this deal, we believe it will be in a stronger position," Salomon's J. Armand Musey said in a research note Monday. "XM Radio is better situated with strong support from GM. . . . However, we believe that Sirius's proposed restructuring would leave it with more attractive capital structure," he said. © 2003 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [non]. OLD SATELLITE STATION NOW PLUSH HUNTING RESORT IN ALABAMA By JAY REEVES The Associated Press 1/13/03 1:02 AM ESTILL FORK, Ala. (AP) -- The 18-inch satellite dish atop the Paint Rock Valley Lodge and Retreat isn't anything compared to the space-age monstrosity out back. Owner Edley Prince has converted an old satellite ground station -- complete with a steel dish 60 feet across and about 90 feet tall, pedestal and all -- into a destination hunting resort in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Alabama. Hunters like Danny Fitzpatrick, a manager with New York's transit authority, drive hundreds of miles for a chance to shoot deer on the 4,200 acres of land surrounding the lodge. Fitzpatrick and four buddies who accompanied him said the drive and the cost -- $250 a day -- was worth it considering the hunting and the amenities that Prince added. The lodge's extras include an indoor, heated swimming pool; a hot tub; a mini-theater; two pool tables; a stone fireplace; double beds; fine Southern cooking; and, of course, satellite TV. "We were up in Canada and it was so rustic they didn't have electricity," said Fitzpatrick, sitting in the dining room in a Mets T-shirt after a morning hunt. "This is great." Dozens of high-dollar hunting reserves have opened across the South in recent years as entrepreneurs began taking advantage of two of the region's more plentiful resources: land and game. Just recently wildlife officials opened a "quail trail" of bird preserves across Alabama. But Prince's stands out. It is located in an old Western Union facility that once captured satellite signals from space and relayed them to Atlanta, about 100 miles to the southeast. The remoteness that makes the spot attractive for hunting made it good for a downlink station. "The reason they picked out this site was that the mountains kept out all the outside interference," said Prince, a native of the lush Paint Rock Valley, named for the colorful agate in the surrounding mountain. The retreat is in its tenth season. Prince, 58, said residents of the tiny Jackson County community of Estill Fork didn't know what was going on in the mid-1970s when satellite dishes began pointing skyward outside a big, newly constructed concrete building. "You should have heard all the talk," said Prince. "People thought it was for spies and all kind of stuff." The station operated until the mid-'80s, when changing technology made it obsolete. The building was still full of electronic equipment and teletype machines when Prince purchased it. "There ain't no telling how much wiring was in this thing. We hauled it off and gave it away," he said. Prince completely renovated the interior, constructing 18 bedrooms and adding the swimming pool to the back and a shady porch with rocking chairs on the front. The interior walls are lined with rough-cut lumber and cedar logs for a rustic touch, and trophy deer and turkey decorate the big TV room. Deer meat is processed outside and packed for shipping. The hollow concrete base of the station's second huge antenna, which was sold to a company in New Zealand, serves as a small reading room that's popular with wives who come along with their hunter husbands. "We get a lot of repeat customers," said hunting guide Cale Prince, the owner's son. "That's what we want." Deer season ends Jan. 31, and the next big rush of hunters will be for spring turkey season, which opens March 15. During the off season, the lodge is the site of corporate and church retreats. A bluegrass festival is held in September before hunters begin arriving for bow season in October. Advertising on the Internet and in magazines, Prince has been surprised with the success of his satellite installation-turned hunting lodge. The big antenna seems out of place, but it's a conversation starter. "I've sold the dish twice but the guy hasn't come to pick it up," said Prince (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** IRAN. Frequency changes for VOIROI/IRIB effective from Jan. 5: Bengali 0030-0127 NF 9520, ex 6085 0030-0127 DEL 6005 to ME 0830-0927 NF 11705 to ME || new transmission English 0030-0227 NF 6120, ex 6135 French 2330-0027 NF 6120, ex 6135 2330-0027 NF 9790, ex 9740 Hebrew 0230-0257 NF 6120, ex 6135 Malay 1730-1827 on 9805 and 11875 || cancelled 2230-2327 on 9785 and 11750 || new transmission Spanish 0030-0227 NF 9555, ex 9650 Tajik 0030-0227 on 5950 || extended, ex 0100-0227 Urdu 1330-1457 ADD 9830 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via DXLD) 9580, VOIRI, 0037 Jan 11, "welcome to the news from the Voice of the Republic of Iran" by YL and into news by OM and YL." (Jilly Dybka, Nashville TN, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** IRAN. PAPER ON RADIO, TV STATIONS RUN BY "FUGITIVE ANTI- REVOLUTIONARIES" | Text of report by Iranian newspaper Jomhuri-ye Eslami web site on 15 January Fugitive anti-revolutionaries have increased their propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Corrupt elements belonging to the tyrannical regime of the shah, assisted by Western countries, are running many satellite [radio and TV] networks in Farsi [Persian] from the European countries and America. The tone of these networks is becoming more political and they are trying to insinuate that the courageous people of Iran now regret the revolution - which they created some 24 years ago led by His Eminence Imam Khomeyni, God bless his soul, and resulted in the removal of the corrupt regime of the shah - and wish that the situation would return to what it was then. Western governments, particularly America, and their satellite television stations are interested in the role played by such [radio and TV] networks in creating unrest and agitation under any pretext such as the removal of the hejab, Students Day, protest against the detention of [reformist academic Hashem] Aghajari and any other subject which could be turned into a political issue. Managers of such corrupt networks take the most advantage of domestic differences which divert the attention of the country's politicians from their essential work and stops them from thinking about the designs of the enemies of the system. While they [officials] are missing the opportunities here [in Iran], they [enemies] are creating them [over there]. Source: Jomhuri-ye Eslami web site, Tehran, in Persian 15 Jan 03; p2 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRELAND. Hi Glenn. I understand from "Shortwave Magazine" (January 2003 edition) which is available here in England that the transmitter once used first by the station Atlantic 252, then by TeamTalk 252 has apparently been activated once again. A listener in England has reported that they heard the LW 252 kHz (Clarkestown, Eire) transmitter on air in December 2002 which was "powered and undergoing tests". I wonder what is going to turn up this time? Best wishes and 73s, (DXDave [Harries], Bristol, England, Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. COURT LIFTS MUSIC GAG ORDER ON ARMY RADIO, GALGALATZ From today's online Haaretz newspaper: Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner on Tuesday ordered a 60-day delay in implementing an injunction barring Army Radio and its all-music and traffic reports subsidiary station Galgalatz from playing contemporary popular music as attempts are made to reach a compromise agreement with Acum. Donner proposed a compromise agreement to the sides, according to which Army Radio would pay Acum five percent of its annual budget (NIS 1.7 million for 2003). Acum has been demanding seven percent. The sides will attempt to come to an agreement over the next two months. The four-year row between Acum, the performing artists organization that collects royalties for musicians, lyricists and composers, and Army Radio over how much the station should pay in royalties for music it broadcasts, silenced the popular radio station and Galgalatz Monday night at midnight. And... In a typical Israeli compromise, the Israeli High Court has just ruled to give the two sides in the dispute two more months to come to an agreement about royalties. Army Radio head Avi Benihu said "The high court realized that it is impossible to silence a radio station over such an issue" As written above, the two sides now have 60 days to come to an agreement (Mike Brand, via Mike Terry, Jan 14, DX LISTNENING DIGEST) ** JORDAN. Radio Jordan, 11690, Jan 13/03 at 1700 with World News in English. Very Good (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LESOTHO. Radio Lesotho (presumed) 4800, Jan 13/03 at 2240. No positive ID as thru the hour fighting out with China also on the frequency. Lesotho was winning but as they only played uninterrupted African music for 20 minutes, between songs I heard the Chinese chatter. Top of hour there was an announcement in LL, but I`ll have to say I did not hear any IDs. Good (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Bob Padula reported the same problem when Les on after 2000, tho 2240 seems rather late in UT+2 zone; WRTH 2003: 0300-2200 (gh) 4800, 0300-0320, R. Lesotho Jan 13, At tune in sounded like a NA till 0302 with what sounded like an ID. Then a pipe organ, short tune. Male announcer not in English with prayer as he says 'Amen' at the end of the talk. Then possible sermon has male announcer ranting. S8 signal level. Definite African language but not English. Hymn heard at 0311 by mostly female choir. Then to piano music at 0312. A tune written by Elton John, 'Rocket Man'. 0316 male announcer short statement and then to what sounded like a barnyard, cow's mooing and to African chant tune. Excellent reception. 0317, different male announcer in African language (Bob Montgomery, Levittown, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 4800v, R. Lesotho 0416-0423 01/14. Presumed here with talks between 2 OM and a YL. An ad in English was heard, something for "$29.95". Talks resumed. No ID noted. Poor, "data" QRM (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale NH, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. R. Veritas, 5470, audible Jan 14 at 0715 with continuous talk in English, but modulation not up to par and could only understand a word here and there, fortunately including R. Veritas IDs at 0728, 0730:30. If this was a VOA relay, I could not tell without checking for parallels. After 0732 into mostly music, and signal only starting to fade a bit by 0755 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR. RTVM, 5010 (presumed), Jan 12/03 at 1556 to past 1700 fadeout. Language with possibly mention of an ID at 1600. African tunes. The language was not French but close. Good (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Malagasy? 5010, 0308-0330, R. TV Malagasy Jan 14. ID heard at 0302 after IS. Unbelievable copy at S7 level. Best copy ever of this station at my QTH. Male announcer and then to short tune with male and female announcer. Then to some awesome Malagasy tunes with female announcer at 0313. Rapid erratic fades but totally above noise floor. Starting to drop down by 0320. Sunrise is about 0230. Still going past 0330. (Bob Montgomery, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. 1475, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Presumed; great expectations were raised on AUG 28 and 29 with a huge carrier. Again on SEP 23 at 1056 and OCT 13 at 1111. No audio due to high noise level. No significant carrier since. Nine direction finding bearings averaged 335 vs. 330 true, typical skewing for signals grazing the edge of the auroral zone (Ray Moore, North Fort Myers FL; Homebrew receiver, R8, R1000, Comdel preamp, 23-inch spiral MW loop, 23-inch SW loop, rsmcomm@usa.net NRC IDXD Jan 10 via DXLD) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS. Elucidating recent discussion of VOM here, which now has a webcast, the 2003 WRTH says English is at 1200-1400 including news at 1300; SW: occasional operation with reduced power on 5998.5 with 1 kW (tho this hasn`t been reported in years) and they also have a F.Pl for 10 kW SW transmitter and a regular SW service, possibly in 11 MHz band (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. Radio Mali 4835.5 (Very Good) // 4782.5 (Fair) Jan 13/03 at 2230 in French with talk between woman and man (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MARSHALL ISLANDS. 1098, Majuro, OCT 27 1007-1118 - Presumed; instrumental music. + NOV 5 1125 - Soft voiced woman. + DEC 22 1102 - Big carrier, no audio. This is the most consistent transpacific carrier month after month. Many times seems to be only open carrier. Tentative ID based on direction finding and program content noted in previous years. [non] This has been the worst season for "down under" stations since I've been in Florida. Only occasional weak carriers on 1611, 1548, 1512, 1503 and 738 kHz have made it (Ray Moore, North Fort Myers FL; Homebrew receiver, R8, R1000, Comdel preamp, 23-inch spiral MW loop, 23-inch SW loop, rsmcomm@usa.net NRC IDXD Jan 10 via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. Radio Mauritania 4845, Jan 12/03 at 0625 with tone to 0627 Interval Signal and s/on announcements in Arabic at 0629 then into Kor`an reading for 25 minutes. Nice signal. Also Jan 13/03 at 2200 in Arabic with a HUGE Signal. Need I say more (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. Radio Myanmar, 5040.6 Jan 12/03 at 1359 in Language. Signal was very good but transmitter had a bad hum. Checked 4725 with nothing and 5985.8 which is now on exactly 5985 and at 1444 with English news, well under Radio Canada International from Japan. Re- check at 1458 with songs the like of Doris Day, now in the clear but weaker (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Hello from Hilversum, This is a special edition of the Media Network newsletter. Today Radio Netherlands is issuing a press release setting out our strategy for the 21st Century. What follows is the English version of the official press release. In the days and weeks ahead, Media Network will be publishing more detailed information on some of the points highlighted in the press release. Your questions and comments are very welcome at media@rnw.nl and will be put to Radio Netherlands management for their response. NEW MISSION REVITALIZES DUTCH INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTER Hilversum, January 15th 2003 Radio Netherlands, Holland's international broadcaster, has just announced major revisions to its global mission. These will ensure that the activities of one of Europe's most respected broadcasters remain focused and relevant in a changing world. In the last decade Radio Netherlands has built relationships with more than 6000 partner broadcasters. An active dialogue is now in place between people in The Netherlands and selected audiences in foreign countries. Radio Netherlands will now focus its production on selected global themes, making increased use of Dutch expertise both at home and abroad. "The thematic approach to our work will give us new opportunities in the increasingly complex media markets." explains Lodewijk Bouwens, Radio Netherlands' Director General. "Our policy of building partnerships in Latin America has succeeded. We have already established ourselves in that region as a catalyst for discussion on such issues as migration, democratization, globalization, and religious tolerance. We now want to strengthen the number of active partners in selected parts of Africa and Asia. Daily production in three languages is essential for this task: the world languages of English and Spanish, plus Indonesian. Indonesia has historical links with the Netherlands. It is an important economic force in Asia as well as the world's largest Muslim country." Radio Netherlands will also organize more thematically driven events and projects. Activities in Arabic involving TV production and websites will be initiated. Successful French language educational projects and co-productions in Africa will continue. "We expect to start new projects in countries such as Turkey, Morocco and the new members countries of the European Union" says Bouwens. " Our existing audio and video networks will also offer a global broadcast platform for discussions produced with other partners. For instance, we've recently done co-productions and training with UNESCO, Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Médecins Sans Frontières. The current budgetary constraints in the Netherlands will mean that this shift to a more thematic and project driven organization will lead to personnel consequences. More extensive co-productions will be needed with our domestic broadcast colleagues to maintain a radio, TV and Internet service for Dutch speakers living abroad. Radio Netherlands will eliminate any duplication of effort and consolidate some of its shortwave radio distribution within Europe, to Latin America and the Pacific. Lodewijk Bouwens stresses that although the organization will see many changes between now and March 2004, Radio Netherlands will retain its journalistic independence. High value is placed on the trust and respect Radio Netherlands has built in the last 55 years. (Media Network newsletter Jan 15 via DXLD; also via Sergei Sosedkin, WORLD OF RADIO 1165) What does ``consolidating SW radio distribution`` really mean, and what ``personnel consequences`` --- firings or lay-offs? (gh, DXLD) MAJOR CHANGES AT RADIO NETHERLANDS Radio Netherlands has announced a revised mission statement, a more thematic approach to its broadcasting content and more emphasis on partnership. The changes result from an internal process of analysis to define the station's role in the 21st century. The station will continue to broadcast in Dutch, English, Spanish and Indonesian and other language areas will be served on a project basis. The changes, which will go into effect by October this year, will mean the loss of around 60 jobs (From the Radio Nederland website via Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Jan 15, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** NORWAY. Some deleted frequencies for Radio Norway/Radio Denmark: [no doubt to accommodate new clandestine customers at Merlin –gh] 1300-1330 RN 13800 KVI 200 kW / 035 deg 1330-1355 RD 13800 KVI 200 kW / 035 deg 1630-1655 RD 13800 KVI 200 kW / 145 deg || Sun only 1700-1730 RN 7490 KVI 200 kW / 095 deg || Sun only 1730-1755 RD 7490 KVI 200 kW / 095 deg 1730-1755 RD 9980 SVE 200 kW / 180 deg 1830-1855 RD 7490 SVE 200 kW / 180 deg (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. KVOO 1170 in Tulsa was doing well with classic country and changed to news/talk KFAQ. Ratings dropped from 5.1% to 1.3%. The worst thing was dumping the call KVOO, a big mistake. KVOO was known as the "Voice of Oklahoma" many years and had been a successful country station since 1971. The same company "Journal", also dumped the call WOW in Omaha both on AM and FM. At least they run a music format on the new KOMJ 590. I wouldn't be surprised if next they dumped WTMJ in Milwaukee, their original station (John Tudenham, Joplin MO, IRCA Soft DX Monitor Jan 18 via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. Re: Reference numbers on letters from R. Pakistan to Mr. Ifthikhar Hussain Malik... Can you please explain the meaning of the reference numbers you are using? I remember these numbers have been used in late 80'ies, too!. My number was Eng/FM/A-28/02 .. I told other radio listeners about it and one of them in the US had the same reference number .. so all mail from the English department has the same number in one year? (Martin Schoech, Germany...) From: "Controller FM" cfmpbchq@isb.comsats.net.pk Subject: Re: Letter to Mr. Ifthikhar Hussain Malik Date sent: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 14:40:29 +0500 Dear Mr. Martin Schoech, Thank you for the Compliments and greetings. The number you referred is actually the file Number through which we correspond to our listeners relating to our programs directed towards Europe. Therefore all the mail regarding these programs will bear this number. You are quite right, we are using this and all the other numbers of our different services are very old. I hope you will keep writing to us in future as well and for any further query please do not hesitate. With best wishes and very happy new year. Iftikhar H. Malik. --------------------------------------------------------- (via Martin Schoech, Germany, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** PATRIA. Dear Glenn: Thanks for visiting Patria and putting some info on Ramrajyavani on DXLD. I don't have a page totally dedicated to radio. A long time ago I made a logbook of Patria's AM and FM stations. I never even typed it on a computer, let alone put it on the web. Most of the AM stations changed frequencies in 1978, when Patria (along with most of the world outside the Americas) moved from 10 to 9 Khz spacings. Here are the AM and FM stations in Castoropolis (Kashipura), Patria's capital city. [old 10 kHz frequency in square brackets] AM Radio stations: PCRC, 531 kHz (ethnic, variety) [530] PCGE, 595 kHz (Hindu) [590] POKX, 648 kHz (right-wing talk) [650] (formerly Patria's major top 40 rocker) PHTN, 792 kHz (Ramrajyavani-II) [790] PMC, 846 kHz (news, talk, information) [850] PRCC, 918 kHz (Ramrajyavani-I) [920] PTE, 1017 kHz (Hindu) [1020] PTCN, 1071 kHz (Ramrajyavani-III) [1070] PMBC, 1152 kHz (all sports) [1150] PHN, 1251 kHz (liberal-left talk) [1250] PVOG, 1350 kHz (Christian, brokered ethnic) [1350] PKBY, 1404 kHz (Nostalgia/MoYL) [1400] PECR, 1512 kHz (business news) [1520] PGBS, 1557 kHz (ethnic) [1560] FM Radio stations: PHUP, 88.1 MHz (educational/public, Hindu University of Patria) PNIT, 88.9 MHz (educational/public, Patrienish National Institute of Technology) PUC, 89.7 MHz (educational/public, University of Castoropolis) PCCC, 90.5 MHz (educational/public, City College of Castoropolis) PGBS-FM, 91.3 MHz (adult contemporary) PMC-FM, 92.5 MHz (classical, jazz) PREM, 94.9 MHz (new age) POKQ, 96.1 MHz (hot hits) PRCC-FM, 99.1 MHz (Ramrajyavani-IV) PPIX, 103.7 MHz (rap, dance, hip hop) PMBC-FM, 104.9 MHz (C&W) PCGE-FM, 106.7 MHz (classic rock) PRKO, 107.9 MHz (oldies). Ramrajyavani-I : popular music, news, information, documentaries, English/Patrienish. Ramrajyavani-II: Hindu devotional music, Sanskrit. Ramrajyavani-III: all-news. Ramrajyavani-IV: classical music, drama, poetry, arts. A commemorative stamp issued in 2001 for the 75th anniversary of Ramrajyavani is on the Patria Post page http://www.geocities.com/patria1818/patriapost.html The interval signal for Voice of Dharma, Radio Patria, or whatever I called the shortwave service (originally known as RCWS - Radio Castoria World Service - when I used to use Castoria and Patria interchangeably) was taken from Handel's Royal Fireworks music. 73 (Mike Brooker, Toronto, ON, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 9504.60, Radio Tacna, presumed, 1115-1125 Jan 15. Noted a man in steady Spanish Comments. Signal was at a poor level and needed enhanced using the ECSS process (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) http://www.orchidcitysoftware.com/ ** POLAND. PAN EUROPEAN RADIO ``MYSTERY`` SOLVED Here are the facts at last about the mysterious Pan European Radio testing in December from (as Berndt Trutenau could tell) Koszecin in Poland on 1080 kHz with high power. In a QSL Bert Van Schaick, MD, at Pan European Radio (P.O. Box 10386, Beverly Hills, CA 90213, USA) says: ``We hereby confirm and thank you for the reception report concerning our test transmission on 1080 AM in December 2002. The tests have been monitored by our staff in Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Results varie from extreme good reception in Sweden to moderate in the Netherlands and poor in the UK. This image is confirmed by the reception reports that have been sent in from these countries. Your reception report fits this picture as well and is hereby confirmed. The transmitter used is a 350 kilowatt with a non directional aerial. Pan European Radio is not a radio station but an organisation that facilitates other radio stations. The test is a step in our quest for high power AM frequencies in order to offer the radio stations we are connected with the best pan European coverage possible. We thank you again for taking the trouble to send us the information we can hardly do without. At this stage there is no solid plan to involve the 1080 in our range of terrestrial output. Should we decide to use the frequency it`s not very likely this will commence any earlier than 2004. For efficiency reasons I have asked our branch in Europe to distribute this letter. Yours sincerely, Bert VanSchaick, MD`` The letter was distributed from Zwolle, The Netherlands (Jan Edh, DX- ing from Fredriksfors, Sweden, Jan 14 hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Freq change for Voice of Russia via VLD 100 kW / 220 deg: 1000-1100 Korean 1100-1200 Chinese 1200-1300 Korean 1300-1500 Chinese all on NF 3955, ex 4010 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via DXLD) [non?] Voice of Russia on 7240: There is a good chance that this frequency originates from the Ukraine as the "Simferopol`" registration suggests. If memory serves right Voice of Russia already tested 7240 from Kopani (or probably Krasne instead) during the recent months. Best regarda, (Kai Ludwig, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. SIBC 5020, Jan 11-13/03 around 0630 in Language and again daily checked around 1400 when they re-broadcast BBC. Always there it seemed and always good (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Radio Sondergrense, 3320, Jan 13/03. In what sounded more Dutch than Afrikaans, they was a program dealing with world health issues of the day. The health teams were in English (Cloning, Islets, steam cell research). No positive ID at 0000. Very good but fading by 0000 (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. R. Sweden this morning announced the following changes: Effective Wednesday 1/15/03, Broadcast to Asia & Australia on 9445 will change to 9400, at 2030 and a new broadcast to Asia & Australia will start at 1330 on 17505 in addition to 9430 (Wm. "Bill" Brady, Harwood MD, Jan 14, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Glenn, With regard to the info on Radio Sweden in your latest bulletin, this morning I heard the following frequency announcements on that station. From this Wednesday at 2030 UT they are replacing 9445 by 9400 kHz to Asia/Australia. At 1330 to Asia additional frequency of 9430 will be added in parallel with 17505. So 17505 is indeed mentioned by them. Sincerely, (Jose Jacob, India, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 1575, Bangkok JAN 6 1146-1200 - Best reception ever with VOA Burmese service parallel to 9890 kHz (Sri Lanka), 1200-1205 fade out music and woman in unknown language. Finally got tape of top of hour announcement, "This program comes to you from the Voice of America" when station went silent, carrier still on, while 9890 kHz continued with the Yankee Doodle theme and then cut their carrier. 1575 kHz went on to the new program. Also produced audio JAN 2 1152- 1207, JAN 1 1201-1204, and DEC 25 1142-1154. This station comes in directly over the pole and is reminiscent of the Urumchi, China station which was often heard in the east around sunset in the 1960s and '70s on 1525 (later 1521) kHz. These stations often come in when the ionosphere is disturbed and nothing else is heard, while signals from the Far East which skirt the auroral zone (Japan, Sabah) usually need prolonged periods of ionospheric quiet (Ray Moore, North Fort Myers FL; Homebrew receiver, R8, R1000, Comdel preamp, 23-inch spiral MW loop, 23-inch SW loop, rsmcomm@usa.net NRC IDXD Jan 10 via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** THAILAND. Radio Thailand World Service, 9535, Jan 12/03 at 1956 in English with sports and mention of Canadian female hockey player Wickenhueser playing with a men`s team in the Finnish League. National anthem at 1958, Interval Signal at 2000 and S/On in English and then going into the German Service. Absolute killer signal (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET [non]. CLANDESTINE, 11975, Voice of Tibet, 1428 Jan 12, test tones into Tibetan prayer with chod drums, jammer started, man and woman in TB (Jilly Dybka, TN, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** TOGO. Radio Togo, 5047, Jan 13/03 at 2315 in French. There but lots of splatter from US Station on 5050 kHz (Mick Delmage, Alberta DXpedition at Don Moman`s, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U A E. Early this morning Jan 14, Radio Farda was again identified on 1539.08, so obviously they are still making use of the Sharjah facility, known to be off frequency to the upper side. At the same time I could not hear Farda on 1593. Normally I am hearing 1593 but not 1539, so these two seem to be audible under different propagation conditions. Observer mentions 500 kW for Kuwait 1593. Isn't this some kind of future plan or wishful thinking? I have not seen any previous mention of 500 kW for this frequency. The case may be the same for 1539 (Olle Alm, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Olle, do you know that the transmitter location is Sharjah and not Sadiyat or al-Dhabiya? 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have only mentioned the site as listed, which of course may be incorrect at the source. Recent WRTHs mention Sharjah, as does the Geneva plan, but some years back Sadiyat (today's Dhabayya) was mentioned by the WRTH for 1539, when the frequency was listed at all. Sadiyat is the Abu Dhabi site, so Gaines Johnson may be perfectly right when he mentions Abu Dhabi. The point with my report is that the offset frequency is characteristic of the transmitter traditionally using the frequency (Olle Alm, Sweden, Jan 14, 2003, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Part of a long thread about BBCWS on the swprograms topica list (where you may read everything without being a member): I do not think the BBC is at rest. If anything it is charging ahead at break-neck speed. I just wonder if it knows where it is going. Momentum is a property of matter that keeps it moving, once moving, in a specific direction unless acted upon by an outside force. It appears that the BBC World Service has plenty of momentum that keeps it headed onward to who knows what. I simply suggest that the problem we are having with what appears to us to be arbitrary class discrimination against North Americans and our ANZAC cousins may in fact be simply likened to a big ship with rudder damage. It sails in circles with no apparent objective. The BBC World Service of today is simply a vehicle for projecting the UK's version of events and the promulgation of their cultural identity. So today BBC World Service broadcasts silly ball games, dreadfully dull listings of football scores, and soap operas instead of concerts and serious drama. Where it once broadcast uniquely British humor, comedy appears to be totally absent at least from the World Service. The image I get of the UK from listening to the World Service is of a culture that has moved in the last 50 years from an appreciation of good music and literature to one that is obsessed by the same pop-culture influences that seem to have kidnapped most of our own media and the minds of our youth. The original objective of binding together the English-speaking world through easily received broadcasts on relatively cheap receivers has been tossed aside. No objective that I can clearly define has since surfaced. What kind of opinion forming should they be trying to do? Try a Google search on "BBC World Service Mission Statement". You won't find one. You can find a good but wordy mission statement for the Foreign Office which funds the BBC World Service but not the World Service itself. Could the absence of a clear mission objective be responsible for what we perceive as arbitrary discrimination against the major English-speaking former colonies? If the BBC World Service could clearly define its objectives on the back of an envelope maybe it would have a better idea of what it is trying to do and then figure out how best to get there. To be fair, I am not picking on the Brits. Most people under 40 in the USA get their daily fix of what is going on in the world by watching Jay Leno's monologue or Entertainment Tonight. That is why people attach such political significance to the uninformed rantings of folks like Sean Penn and Barbara Streisand. With so much cultural drivel coming out of Hollywood, we in the USA could certainly use a good dose of the old BBC General Overseas Service. On the other hand, I am getting pretty old and crotchety. The world is evolving into something I don't like very much and I can't get off. (I can't get off the world is what I meant. The nasty interpretation you came up with is too far off topic.) ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (Joe Buch, DE, Jan 13, swprograms via DXLD) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ Actually, it goes further than just news and current events. Cultural artefacts have been one of the UK's great export successes over recent decades, whether it be fashion, music, television programs, film, books, whatever. By narrowing its focus in regards to North America and the Pacific region to simply news and current affairs, the BBC harms a potentially useful tool in rejuvenating their now-flagging cultural industries. (British bands, for example, rarely have hits in America these days.) Nevertheless, Bush House has decided that in North America, at least, their brand name means news, and they seem to have no interest at all in telling their cultural story over here any more. It's a curious choice, and one I don't understand. They have this great tool for reaching a sizable, *motivated* audience who listen with great fervor, but instead they prefer to reach a largely uninterested audience who hears them passively. That seems like a misallocation of UK taxpayers' money to me. Go figure (Ralph Brandi, NJ, ibid.) ** U K [non]. LATVIA: Time changes for World Bible Network & Laser Radio effective from Jan. 12: 1500-1600 Sun only (ex 1700-1800) on 5935* World Bible Network in English 1600-2100 Sun only (ex 1800-2300) on 5935* Laser Radio in English *strong co-channel Voice of Russia 1500-1700 in Persian and 1700-2000 in Arabic (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) One has the impression Latvia has been stuck on 5935 for sesquidecades ** U S A [non]. Some frequency changes for Voice of America: 0100-0200 Spanish NF 9560, ex 9590 0300-0430 Kirundi NF 9785, ex 9585 1130-1200 Burmese NF 6140, ex 6100 1200-1230 Dari ADD 1143 1500-1530 Uzbek ADD 9890 1600-1700 Bangla NF 15160, ex 15265 1700-2030 Persian DEL 1593 1730-1800 Hindi NF 12040, ex 11920 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Frequency change for Radio Farda via Iranawila, Sri Lanka, 250 kW / 299 degrees: 0800-1400 Persian NF 21575* ex 21475 *QRM RFI in French on 21580 from 0800 and REE in Spanish on 21570 from 1000. 73 from (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 14 via DXLD) ** U S A. Public radio station KVMR in Nevada City, CA has old clips (including ads) today (1/15/2003) from Tom Donahue's pioneer freeform station KSAN (San Francisco's "Jive 95") in the late '60's/early '70's. They stream using MP3. (so RA or WMP or Winamp will all work) from http://www.kvmr.org By the way, they also have reruns of the CBC's Dead Dog Cafe, Wednesday's around 9:15 A.M. GMT -8/-7. (Joel Rubin, NY, Jan 15 swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. Re: [NRC-am] WCHB IBOC WCHB 1200 MI also tore up 1190 and 1210 at Burnt River. We even noticed effect atop WHAM 1180 this past weekend. IBOC does sound like hell, but when the lawyers get going the viewing may be spectacular. (Saul Chernos, Ont., Jan 13, NRC-AM via DXLD) I hear the same thing both here in Almont, MI and on down into Oakland County Michigan. WCHB is so strong I can just about hear them in the fillings of my teeth. 1190 and 1210 are completely obliterated and totally unusable here. This was not the case prior to IBOC. I have looked at the stations signal spectrally using an IFR 20GHz spectrum analyzer and an IFR 1200 service monitor (built in spectrum analyzer), and am still shaking my head. The DSP in my NRD-545, very tight IF filtering and ANL in my AR7030, and external audio DSP using a DSP- 599zx are all ineffective against the IBOC buzz. I did attempt to contact the station a few times, but never got any response. I was hoping for a chat with the CE, but nothing materialized (Rick Kunath, ibid.) Barry, Here in N.E. MN their signal is not real big right now, but 1190 and 1210 have been trashed for weeks. [or longer]. Gone are the days when you could hear other stuff on 1210 besides the "Big Talker". Last spring I was hearing 1kW CFYM Kindersley, SK on SRS. Fat chance any more (Paul LaFreniere, Grand Marais, MN, ibid.) FYI, Barry and all, WCHB "claims" to have authority to run IBOC at night. Does anyone know where this can be proven or disproven? (Fred Vobbe, ibid.) The only night authority can be a STA for testing ONLY. In fact you have to get a STA just to use it during the daytime (Powell, ibid.) Although some of the noise may be coming from computers, dimmer switches, TV sets, etc., 1190 is getting creamed big-time! 1210 less so. Even without IBOC, WCHB-1200 are a major pest here. 73 (Mike Brooker, Toronto, ON, ibid.) The CE is Ken Wallace. Here's what he told me: Barry, I got a forwarded message concerning WCHB and the running of IBOC at night. WCHB is currently a test station for Ibiquity corp. and is operating under an experimental license. This license permits IBOC at night on an experimental basis. If you have any further questions, please forward them to my attention and I will attempt to answer them. Sincerely, Ken Wallace, Chief Engineer, Radio One, Detroit kwallace@radio-one.com He did reply to a message I sent him, so you might want to try his email, Rick. As for whether they have authorization for night tests, apparently so. It would be interesting to know the details of what is permitted, though... I guess the only way to find out would be to ask the FCC. He told me that WCHB was of particular interest for tests because they have 10 towers. However, the full 10 tower array is only used at night, which should form a tight main lobe aimed north (site is south of Detroit). There's no way they're using a pattern like that right now - they appear to be on day pattern most, if not all the time... and maybe day power too. Wonder if their experimental license allows that? (Barry McLarnon, Ont., NRC-AM via DXLD) I haven't run across any STA's on the FCC site and have a suspicion they are not being reported by the FCC. Is there any place we can get a dump of IBOC STA's???? (Chuck Hutton, ibid.) From the FCC AMQ page: WCHB does have an STA, granted 7/02 BSTA- 20020605ABQ (Robert LaFore, ibid.) The fact that WCHB has 1190 trashed should just about eliminate any chance of hearing WBMJ for everyone except those in Puerto Rico. (Paul LaFreniere, MN, ibid.) DX test scheduled in early Feb Not trashed here, not the way that WOR trashed 700 and esp. 720. I can hear hash on WOWO, but by no means the unlistenable mess that was WGN during the WOR test. I can hear hash on 1210, too, but to a lesser level. What's completely gone is any hope of hearing anything on the adjacent splits, 1197 and 1206. Wonder what this does to WOWO's signal into northern Indiana? Isn't that still part of WOWO's "local" area? (Gerry Bishop, Nicequietyearsofarhereville, FL, ibid.) And it is pretty hard to hear in most of Puerto Rico, too (David Gleason, CA, ibid.) || A really great system, can't broadcast in Stereo yet and if you don't have a HD radio you are indeed going to hear a hiss in the signal. WHY would anyone want to use IBOC in its present form? || And that's the least of your worries. This is what I absolutely loathe about the rabid anti-IBOC people. They give this new system, approved by the FCC on an experimental basis only, no chance at all. || Oh absolutely hogwash. I listened to the files MULTIPLE times. On 2 different computers with high speed connections. I was flabbergasted. And I will say kudos for Tom Ray for the posting of the files.|| Apart from the blatant lies propagated on web sites such as digitaldisaster.org, I have never seen such wholesale negativity about new technology in my life. || Well get used to it. It is not going to get an awful lot better. The bandwidth problems alone will destroy the MW band's usefulness, but I realllllly think that's what IS intended. I can't say anything about the FM, as I have never heard it. And I do like new play toys...when I can afford them. I just see the emperor has NO clothes.|| I'm old enough to remember platform motion while listening to FM stereo through an unlocked decoder and color TV that looked absolutely horrible...but I don't remember anyone suggesting that we throw either of those technologies down the crapper. I still have the original color TV my parents bought in late 62 as a 63 model. It's interesting to note that a friend and I worked on it for hours one night and got the convergence within a phosphor dot. Ugly color pictures can be from any number of reasons, lots of them user error, even on newer sets. || The FCC in all its wisdom says X-banders can run IBOC, but must be in AM Stereo, something that can't even be done yet! Does anyone know if the IBOC radios at the CES convention had AM Stereo capability?|| If this person (one of the "I must have my AM stereo" crowd, no doubt) had bothered to actually READ the R&O, he would have found out that the requirement for AM stereo in the expanded band is dropped for those stations choosing to use IBOC. No one is suggesting that this newfangled IBOC thing is perfect, and we know even less at this point about public acceptance. But to pronounce it dead in its infancy because of some growing pains, or because it upsets those who cling to dead-and-buried technologies, is just plain stupid (Sid Schweiger, WRKO, broadcast.net...) No this will bring MW broadcasting to a low not imagined, if not it's death due to interference. I'm glad I have about 500 CDs I can rely on! (Powell [E. Way?] (above dialog via Mark Durenberger, NRC-AM; was Powell the other || || speaker thruout? Who knows?) IBOC is nothing more than using the force of government by corporations to shake your pockets out of any money you may have in there. It`s been a while since I have seen corporations so openly use the government to fleece the public. It would be OK if it was E147 on the band with Canada and we got to choose but this time we don't have the option. It`s all about corporations using force of government to take your money without your input. Canada may be a little more free than the US as at least they give the listener the choice (Kevin Redding, AZ, NRC-AM via DXLD) First, please recall that WCHB was periodically leaving the day rig on overnight last season and before, so this isn't new. They were heard here several times. When they 'behaved' they were rarely heard. WBMJ [1190 Puerto Rico] was heard in North Jersey in the 1970's on regular schedule, although it was during auroral conditions only. So, if WCHB stays on night power, and if we have even moderately auroral conditions, the test could still be heard in the East. (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) WCHB will be turning off their IBOC tonight at local sunset. Any observations and signal reports will be welcomed. Please report to the list any information (Fred Vobbe, OH, Jan 14, ibid.) ______________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: AM BANDWIDTH VS. CHANNEL SPACING Newsgroups: alt.radio.broadcasting, alt.radio.pirate Date: 2003-01-13 02:11:43 PST We have yet to hear ANY digital broadcasting format that can sound anywhere near as good as its analogue counterpart. Over here in Europe, we have "Eureka 147" digital audio broadcasting. It started out almost OK, but then the broadcasters decided to reduce the bit rate progressively to allow more "channels". The "quality" is now a poor joke, and usually sounds worse than a poor MP3. The broadcasters can't understand why nobody wants to buy the (expensive) radios to receive this "service". The IBOC trials and demonstarations we've heard (and yes, we were represented in Las Vegas) have been poorer than the European equivalent. It's truly appalling! It suffers from really obvious digital aliasing effects and all manner of distortion artifacts that just make it unlistenable. It also causes HUGE amounts of interference either side of the carrier (which will please the big corporates - half as many stations in each market on the FM band). IBOC is NOT the way to do digital broadcasting! The interference it causes will certainly give rise to a large number of lawsuits from minor stations, but the FCC have a great history of defending the indefensible..... It will probably be the death of broadcast radio in the USA (BIAS COMMS via Kevin Redding, ibid.) Kevin: This is an interesting viewpoint. Do you know who "BIAS COMMS" is, and what their background is? (Vobbe, ibid.) Bias Comms seems to be a legal and legitimate maker of low power transmitters in Europe (Kevin, ibid.) The principal of Bias Comms appears pretty regularly on the pirate news groups. I believe he is also a legitimate designer and contractor of LPFM type stations. I tried to do a Google search on the company, and don't find anything interesting, though. Still, form my dialogue with the guy I find him fairly well documented, with an obvious non- corporate radio perspective. Definitely more than an idle flamer (David Gleason, CA, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Recién he recibido respuesta a un email por parte de Radio Nacional de Venezuela, y su Jefe Onda Corta Radio Nacional de Venezuela, me informa que pronto estarán en onda corta mientras se hacen los ajustes necesarios, y que al momento salen en 630 y 1050 onda media. No se hace referencia a 15570 y 9540 khz. Respondieron desde ondacortavenezuela@hotmail.com que fue la dirección informada en la Lista por José. Aprovecho de citar, que la persona que respondió el e-mail fue: C. Ali Méndez Martínez, Jefe Onda Corta Radio Nacional de Venezuela. 73's GIB (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Jan 15, Conexión Digital via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) Hoy quiero informarles que Radio Nacional de Venezuela todos los días a la 1 de la madrugada, 0500 UT, transmite a través de la Onda Media [1050 et al??] su programación correspondiente a la Onda Corta. Hoy por cierto, tuve la oportunidad de escuchar esta programación y mi sorpresa fué mayúscula, cuando pude oir que estaban leyendo los correos electrónicos de queridos amigos que escribieron a la radio a través del que suministré en la lista. Por cierto de la ciudad de Barcelona donde resido, nombraron al colega y amigo Néstor Vargas, y a José Elías y me alegró bastante cuando leyeron los correos de los colegas diexistas Gabriel Iván Barrera y Arnaldo Slaen de Argentina y Rafael Rodríguez de Colombia. Esta grabación la tengo en mi poder y está a la orden. En cuanto a los horarios de transmisión de RNV en onda corta, actualmente se están promocionando los siguientes horarios: 11:00 UTC............14:00 UTC....................18:00 UTC 21:00 UTC............00:00 UTC....................03:00 UTC Pero como dijo el colega diexista Gabriel Iván Barrera en su correo, pronto estarán de nuevo en el aire, mientras hacen los ajustes necesarios. También se pueden enviar informes de recepción a la siguiente dirección: Radio Nacional de Venezuela. Apartado Postal 3979 Caracas 1010. Venezuela Queridos amigos diexistas, lo que informo aquí es tomado textualmente de la transmisión escuchada y grabada por mí de la programación de RNV via Onda Media. Lo que si pude oir, es que ellos siguen promocionando la frecuencia 9540 kHz como la de el Canal Internacional de Radio Nacional de Venezuela. Por cierto, pude escuchar el Programa Aviación al Día y como amante de los aviones, sus historias, accidentes, frecuencias etc etc, les puedo decir que es muy bueno. Ya para despedirme, quiero decirles que para mañana les comentaré sobre la programación de RNV correspondiente al Jueves en la madrugada. Reciban un abrazo cordial y que sigan teniendo muy... pero muy... buenos dx (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Jan 15, Cumbre DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. En estos momentos todas las televisoras privadas están enlazadas con RCTV, cuando los Círculos violentos están atacando a un equipo del Canal RCTV, en la Plaza Madariaga en Caracas. Conéctense en vivo al siguiente link: http://www.auyantepui.com/Web/noticias_medios/television/estaciones/ Vean por ustedes mismos la salvajada de estos seguidores del gobierno, y jusguen quién es el violento en este país. ¿A quién le puedo creer? Al Canal del gobierno donde nunca pasan nada, ó a al Vicepresidente Rangel, que siempre dice: "Aquí todo ésta extramadamente - Normal". Atentamente, (Jorge García Rangel, Barinas, Venezuela, Jan 14 3:51pm, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. 6265, R. Zambia, ZNBC 0424-0431 01/14. Talks with 2 OM mentioning "Zambia". Music with drums, chorus of OM. Snippet of "Fish Eagle" IS and drums at 0430. OM with news. Fair/poor (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale NH, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** ZANZIBAR. Hi Glenn; This station has been intriguing me for a long time with its interesting music, but only now have I taken the time to look into it. The combination of music suggested Mauritania at least to me, but I was pleasantly surprised: 11734.1, R. Tanzania Zanzibar (presumed) 2025-2100 Jan 12. Mideastern music, with occasional African-influenced music. Alternating M and F announcers, poor modulation with voice about 50%, with music being somewhat better quality. Anthem at signoff, seemed to match the Tanzanian national anthem at http://www.thenationalanthems.com performed by slightly out- of-tune brass band. A buzz-modulated signal that was moving slowly around within approx. 300-600 Hz of the frequency made positive ID of the anthem somewhat difficult; this interference was not local in origin. George Maroti logging in DXLD 2-186 helped give me a starting point on this station. Signal: 42233 (Steven Zimmerman, Milwaukee, WI, Drake R4A and calibrated signal generator, 80 meter half-wave dipole and coupler, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1710 kHz, Jan 14 0815-1000 with deep fades every quarter hour, and finally did not reappear after 1000. Nothing but music, Spanish, calypso type like you would hear from Venezuela. Fade out would be around sunrise in that area (Ron Trotto, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Lubavitcher pirate in NYC has really been getting out lately, and never heard of anything in LAm on 1710. I wonder if they play music which could be described as above (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. This concerns Harold Frodge`s unID in DXLD 3-008. That certainly sounds like RWM based on the times it is transmitting 'pips' and when it is not. I usually get best reception here listening on 4996.5 LSB. Harold is listening on 4995 USB, and therefore listening 'up' in the passband. Whereas I was listening 'down' in the passband. At any rate, the best way to resolve it is to listen for the CW ID, which RWM transmits at 9 and 39 minutes past the hour (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JANUARY 10-14 2003 SWL WEEKEND, By Don Moman ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Participants: Joe Talbot Nigel Pimblett Mickey Delmage Don Moman Heard lots of good stuff. The others will likely send you some of their loggings and info as well when they get a chance. As always, your DXLD compilations formed the basis of our target lists. I hope I've included the relevant details of what we've heard. [countries mentioned in following text, for search/reference purposes: ANGOLA / AUSTRALIA / BOLIVIA / BRAZIL / CANARY ISLANDS / CHINA / CYPRUS TURKISH / EL SALVADOR / GEORGIA / GHANA / INDIA / LESOTHO / LIBERIA / MALI / MYANMAR / NEPAL / NEW ZEALAND / SAO TOME / SIERRA LEONE / SOLOMON ISLANDS / SOUTH AFRICA / TANZANIA / THAILAND / TOGO / UZBEKISTAN / VANUATU / ZAMBIA. Many more loggings are in country order above] This is a bit of a long rambling recount of the last 4 days, spent with good friends and good propagation. DX hilites were, at times, coming fast and furious and not always obliging with an ID while I skimmed by, so some can only be an educated guess. Times are all UT, dates start Fri afternoon Jan 10th. Our group of four have been getting together for these DX weekends for many years now and the routine is pretty familiar. Nigel Pimblett has about a 7 hour drive to get here, Joe Talbot about 2 hours and Mickey Delmage just 30 minutes away. My location is near Edmonton, Alberta in western Canada. The antennas are located on 80 acres of rural farmland with generally little man made noise. Routinely we expect the K index to soar whenever we plan these things but even if conditions are terribly disturbed (I am at 53 degrees north, even a small solar disturbance can disrupt everything), we have always found that somewhere, on some band there is a bit of unusual DX just waiting to be discovered. The forecast looked pretty good for this time around, another bad sign. While waiting for the gang to arrive I check out the bands. It`s Friday afternoon here and I remember the religious service from the Canary Islands on 6715 for Korean fisherman is on late only on Fridays. Sure enough there is talk and church music audible. Not great but it`s only 100 watts and at 2200, we are 1.75 hours before local sunset. The signal improves as I listen while getting the radio shack ready for the others. The antenna distribution system is the main item – I need to make sure all the coax cables to the various listening positions are functioning. A bit of background on what is involved. The main SWL antenna is a rotatable log periodic covering 4 thru 30 MHz. For amateur radio use there are many towers supporting full size beams for 10, 15, 20, 40 and even 80 meters. Some pictures can be seen at http://narc.net/ve6jy/ There are also a number of beverages for the lower bands. All receiving antennas are routed through their own 32 channel multicoupler, a device that amplifies, isolates and splits the signal so that up to 32 receivers can be connected without interaction. Each listening position has 2 coax feeds, one directly to the 4-30 log and another to an antenna selector that lets one choose between the log and the various beverage antenna. Everybody brings their own radios – Nigel travels with a pair of Kenwood R-5000s, Mickey with his ICOM R71A and Sony ICF 2010 and Joe lugs his heavy Collins HF-2050 (Nigel and Mickey leave theirs at home!). I use a pair of ICOM 756PRO transceivers, it has an excellent receiver for SWL and the spectrum display is a huge asset in spotting signals. While hooking things up I check 6715 again at 2330 and find the signal is gone. Nearly all signals are gone. Suspecting I made a wrong connection I check things, but nothing is wrong other than a bit of a solar flare has knocked the bands for a loop. Just then Joe arrives, for a typical start to our weekend – a flare just at the beginning. Once Joe gets settled in I notice the bands are recovering a bit. They continue to recover slowly and at 0345 Joe hollers that 4820 must be Botswana. I`m skeptical but after listening agree it must be them. The bands have recovered after all. VOA São Tomé on 4960 is also in with sports news at 0425 with a good signal. Zambia on 6265 has English news past 0500. By then Mickey and Nigel have also arrived and everyone gets down to the serious business of chasing DX. I notice that Liberia on 5470 at 0600 has a good signal. I rotate the log periodic from Africa to the South Pacific. At 0830 ZLXA New Zealand on 3935.1 is putting in a fair signal. Vanuatu on 7260 is noted just past 0900 (2 am local), as I turn in for some sleep. While there are many prime listening times, some are ``primer`` than others and one of my favourite times in December and January when daylite hours are short is the English news at 1530 from the various All India Radio regionals on 90 and 60 meters. Propagation at that time of morning to India can be excellent and today is no exception. The others tell me about the good DX catches they made earlier; while I don`t make notes it has been a good morning to lose sleep. Joe has been exchanging emails and has set up a ham radio schedule with a SWL friend KG4TUY David Hodgson in Tennessee. Another SWL we know, Bill, W5USM also calls in to say hello. Our sked frequency was 28740 in the 10 meter band which provided excellent signals between us but not between David and Bill (too close, the signals skipped over them) so we couldn`t make a good round table QSO. We chat with Bill and then David for the better part of an hour, exchanging some of the DX catches we`ve made on the first night. Up here, 49 meters is open all through the daylite hours and if things are good 60 meters as well. One of the targets is Bayrak Radio, Cyprus on 6150. Earlier I heard Russian there at 1933 and Chinese there at 2130; at 2200 the channel is clear but no sign of Bayrak. I do note a extremely weak het at 2153 on 6139.1 as I was checking for UNAMSIL, Sierra Leone. Another solar disturbance hits and the bands shut down. The rotator for the big log periodic antenna is a home made affair and doesn`t have a directional indicator built in. Instead I use a small video camera at the base of the tower, looking upwards, to see where it is pointing. At night I have a spotlight I can switch on, but the bulb ceased to function last night, so I need to replace the bulb. While the bands have taken a bit of a fade, the tower work is done. We are now beamed south east from here, which seems to be the best path (long path) for India from here in the late afternoon. Just after 0010 UT (Jan 12th) Nigel mentions that AIR 4790 has signed on and has an excellent signal. It`s way stronger than the CODAR sweeper that bothers that part of the band, a good sign. Other AIR signals on 5010, 5040, and 4990 come on shortly with their haunting Interval signal. The bands have recovered! Two signals which we didn`t have a ``best guess`` for were 4880 (Bangladesh?) and 4980 (maybe China). 0700 UT, midnight local time, so while turning the log again to the Pacific, the Solomons on 5020 rises out of the noise to a solid S9. It`s the pilot signal from that part of the world as sunset reaches it first. Thankfully the recent typhoon hasn`t seemed to affect its antennas. No sign of the new HCJB Australia on 11755 near 0700 though. Time to sleep. Up at 1330. Tashkent on 5060 is parallel 9715 with good signals, 6025 is much tougher. Nepal is good on 5005 but // 6100 is poor. Nigel mentions that they had English news at 1415. Myanmar on 5040.5 doesn`t seem to have English near 1445 but Nigel and Mickey discover their other frequency 5985 does. After the news, some oldies like ``Speedy González`` and ``Lipstick on your Collar`` are nice to listen to. No sign of 4725. Another good morning for AIR regionals as 1530 rolls around. 4635 presumed Tajikistan is audible now too. Checking near 1600, I note 6940 (Ethiopia) with weak audio, 6570 (Burmese Defence FBS) with good signals. Mickey is chasing 5010 Madagascar which has a good signal in the morning long path African opening. He reports an ID at 1600. I was chasing the signal on 5050. I suspect Tanzania to be the one with the Burl Ives song under the dominating Chinese station at 1620. SIBC on 5020 is still solid with BBC news. It lasts until 11 am local (1800 UT). The marine weather broadcast from VMW Wiluna, Western Australia on 6230 usb was like a local at 1630. Geez, those forecasts sound a lot nicer than our –23 deg C weather currently. Still, we have had a mild winter so can`t really complain. I check out another ute frequency: 4610 usb from LaRonge, Saskatchewan, a remote radiotelephone service for the north country. They give a short weather broadcast at 1800 - they are talking about –35 degree weather. We`re not so cold after all. 9535 at 1955 has Thailand just ending their English segment and then into German. I keep an ear on 6150 again, hopeful for Bayrak. Yesterday`s pattern of Russian and then Chinese up to 2200 repeats but there is faint audio thru 2200 but no pips and nothing discernible. Afternoon African signals on 60m got hit by another solar flareup so there is a bit of a lull. 4850 with English gets me interested but just turns out to be language lessons from China. Nigel has been chasing the 17835 Radio Imperial, El Salvador most of the afternoon and finally reports an ID around 0 hours. Jan 13th and the AIR regionals aren`t doing very well at 0020. I must have snoozed off as I`m awakened by Joe telling us he has English news on 4820 – we`re sure it`s Botswana. Great signal. 6265 Zambia also in like a local. Mickey is chasing Georgia on 11805 for their English at 0630. Strong signal but poor audio and frequent transmission breaks but the ID and schedule come thru OK. It`s our last morning and the AIR regionals are poor earlier, tricking Joe into going back to sleep. However they rapidly improve by 1530 and improve to the best and longest lasting opening of the 3 days. The low absorption allows an early fadein for the rare eastern African signals. 4976 Uganda has fair audio thru 2000 (that`s 1 pm local time) and the São Tomé VOA site on 4950 is doing very well. Also hearing Botswana on 4820, we assume. Our daily little solar blip (seems to be about an hour earlier each day now!) prevents the signals from building. Nigel has a 7 hour drive back so is the first to leave. He kids us that signals will improve when he is gone. They do. By 2245, 60m is full of African, Brazilian and Chinese stations. Mali on 4782 and 4835 are doing very well, I don`t recall noting them previous days. Ghana 4915 is huge but starting to lose to the co- channel Brazilian. At 2300, 4800 Lesotho is fighting it out with the Chinese station and winning, Joe reports. I tune by an ID from Angola on 4950 and on my second receiver, note Togo on 5047 doing fairly well, but no where near the signal it had in past years. The US station signing on nearby on 5050 isn`t appreciated. I check 90 meters near 2330 using the big 80m yagi; it works slightly better down here than the log periodic. 3320 South Africa has a great signal with some sort of phone in show. Several Brazilians – 3205 3365 (and nearly co-channel 3366 Ghana) are good as is 3375 (Brazil or maybe Angola – not sure) are audible. 3310 seems too loud to be the listed Bolivian but anything is possible. Mickey hollers over that La Cruz del Sur, La Paz on 4876.75 is IDing frequently so that helps convince me my 3310 signal is also Bolivian. Our usual 0020 India opening has 4790 AIR Chennai with a huge signal way over the CODAR sweeper. It signs off at 0045. Mickey and I check our unID 4980 again, it has the best signal of the 3 nights and we hear good time tones at 0100 but nothing discernable as far as an ID. Conditions take a bit of a fade and everyone remaining decides it is time to pack up and get on the road. We all have agreed that it was one of the best listening weekends we`ve had in some time. I`m not into QSLing so don`t keep the detailed notes I might but the others are and they`ve got enough program details and cassettes to keep them busy until summertime, but that won`t prevent us from getting together again around Easter to do it all again (Don Moman, Alberta, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ SONY ICF-2010 R.I.P. We are writing today regarding your backorder for the Sony ICF-2010. We have just received notification from Sony that the ICF-2010 has been discontinued. We were previously assured that this item would be available until March 31st and that there would be additional production. However, Sony has changed their mind and has elected not to produce any more units. We regrettably have had to cancel your backorder. If you paid by check, a refund check will be mailed very soon. If you ordered using a credit card, you card was never billed. Please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-800-431-3939 to discuss alternate choices. Thank you for your understanding. ---------------------------------------------------------------- (Universal Radio, Inc., Jan 15, via Bill Smith via John Figliozzi, swprograms via WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ TRANS-EQUATORIAL FM DX I live in the south of Brazil. Currently I am able to tune to several Caribbean FM stations because of the transequatorial propagation. I tuned to Radio Saint Lucia, Voice of Barbados, WGOD (from American Virgin Islands), Liberty FM (from Barbados), The Wave FM (from Saint Lucia), WORO and WZNT (from Puerto Rico), Hot FM (from Barbados) and some other stations that I could not identify (Márcio Roberto Polheim da Silva, Brazil, Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) He had asked me for address of WZNT-93.7 (gh) FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 15 JAN - 10 FEB 2003 Solar activity is expected to be low to moderate during the forecast period. There is a slight chance of M-class activity from Region 251/255 complex early in the period and again late in the period when it is due to return. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected during the forecast period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux is expected to reach high levels on 17-18 January, on 25 – 28 January and again on 01 – 02 February due to recurring coronal holes. The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to major storm conditions during the period. Isolated active conditions are possible on 15-16 January due to a weak recurring coronal hole. Minor to major storm conditions are possible on 23 -24 January due to a returning transequatorial coronal hole that was 30 degrees wide during its last rotation. Isolated active conditions are possible on 30 – 31 January due to a smaller recurring coronal hole. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Jan 14 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2003 Jan 14 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Jan 15 160 10 3 2003 Jan 16 160 10 3 2003 Jan 17 155 10 3 2003 Jan 18 155 10 3 2003 Jan 19 155 12 3 2003 Jan 20 155 12 3 2003 Jan 21 145 12 3 2003 Jan 22 135 15 3 2003 Jan 23 125 30 5 2003 Jan 24 120 20 4 2003 Jan 25 115 10 3 2003 Jan 26 115 12 3 2003 Jan 27 115 12 3 2003 Jan 28 115 10 3 2003 Jan 29 125 10 3 2003 Jan 30 135 10 3 2003 Jan 31 145 15 3 2003 Feb 01 150 12 3 2003 Feb 02 160 8 3 2003 Feb 03 160 8 3 2003 Feb 04 170 10 3 2003 Feb 05 180 10 3 2003 Feb 06 185 15 3 2003 Feb 07 185 12 3 2003 Feb 08 175 8 3 2003 Feb 09 170 8 3 2003 Feb 10 165 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio Jan 15, WORLD OF RADIO 1165, DXLD) ###