DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-141, August 7, 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 later at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3h.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1194: RFPI: Fri 1930, Sat 0130, 0700, 1400, 1730, 2330, Sun 0530, 1130, 1830, Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0730, 1330 on 7445 [nominal times subject to pre-emption or delay] WWCR: Sat 1030, Sun 0230 5070, 0630 3210, Wed 0930 9475 WINB: Sun 0031 12160 WBCQ: Mon 0415 7415 WRN ONDEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1194.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1194.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1194h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1194h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1194.html MUNDO RADIAL nueva emisión de agosto, a partir del 12 de agosto en WWCR 15825: martes 2130, miércoles 2130, viernes 2115; en segmentos por Radio Enlace en Radio Nederland los viernes y domingos (Corriente) http://www.k4cc.net/mr0308.ram (Bajable) http://www.k4cc.net/mr0308.rm (Texto) http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0308.html DX PROGRAMS updated: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html WOR/COM/MR RADIO SCHEDULES: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html MASTER TIME SCHEULE: http://www.worldofradio.com/wormast.html UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS Hallo, bdxc-ers, ik ontvang regelmatig een bericht met als onderwerp dx listening digest. Ik weet niet waarom ik die berichten krijg, wat de herkomst ervanis en welke waarde ze hebben. Maken ze deel uit van deze mailing list? groeten (Aad Leeflang, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Aug 5, BDXC topica list via DXLD) Ik neem aan dat je de dagelijkse (?) mailtjes bedoelt waarin de onderwerpen van Glenn Hauser's DX-programma vermeld zijn? Ja, die komen via de list, al weet ik niet wie ze erop zet - ik veronderstel Glenn zelf, hij is ook lid van onze mailing list tenslotte. Als je de links volgt in de betreffende mailtjes kom je vanzelf bij zijn Digest: een ongelooflijke hoeveelheid DX-informatie (Frank, ibid.) ** ALASKA. ALASKA AMATEUR DEBUTS EXPERIMENTAL 136-KHZ BEACON http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/08/07/2/?nc=1 NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 7, 2003 -- An Alaska amateur has launched a beacon on 136 kHz under an FCC Part 5 experimental license. Laurence Howell, KL1X (ex-GM4DMA), reports his WD2XDW CW beacon from Anchorage (BP41xd) has been on the air in shakedown mode daily from 1500 to 0500 UTC at 137.77389 kHz. It will go live 24/7 starting August 9 at 0100 UTC. Howell ran the beacon all night for the first time August 5, checking for hot components and making sure the forced-air cooling for the MOSFET transmitter and toroidal inductors was sufficient. "A lot of experimenters are still reeling after the recent refusal by the FCC to allow a 136-kHz allocation to the Amateur Service," Howell told ARRL. "This Part 5 license approval is most welcomed by the experimental community." In a Report and Order in ET Docket 02-98, the FCC in May unexpectedly turned down ARRL's petition to grant 135.7 to 137.8 kHz to amateurs. In its denial, the FCC cited arguments put forth by power companies that amateur operation in the vicinity of 136 kHz might interfere with power line carrier (PLC) systems used by electrical utilities to control the power grid. The ARRL expressed its disappointment at the news, noting that several European countries already have LF allocations in the vicinity of 136 kHz. The WD2XDW beacon is being used for propagation experimentation within the US and to check transpolar propagation to Europe on paths over the high Arctic. It's transmitting very slow-speed CW -- so- called "QRSS" transmissions of one dit every six seconds -- at up to 2 W ERP. The beacon's antenna is a 32-meter (105 feet) wire vertical with a capacity top hat, about 1 mH of base-loading inductance -- a 14-inch diameter solenoid coil -- and a killer ground system that covers several acres. For starters, close in it has a 100-by-100 feet buried chicken wire mesh complemented by 110 40-meter radials, four 25-meter radials with 8-foot ground rods at the ends and four 4-meter radials with ground rods at the base. Rounding out the ground system are four 550-meter radials -- approximately a quarter wavelength on 137 kHz -- with ground rods at their ends. The homebrew transmitter, capable of 400 W output, will put 2 A of RF current into the antenna system, which -- despite the extensive ground system -- remains pretty lossy at LF. Howell says the fact that the antenna is "nested" in the midst of Kincaid Park forest contributes to additional losses. On the plus side, the site is on a spit that juts into Cook Inlet, so, as Howell put it, "the signal does have good possibilities." While he's received no reports to date, he expects his first to come from Steve McDonald, VE7SL, in British Columbia, some 2200 km to the south. Europe is more than 7000 km away, and, Howell says, "can be a tortuous path through/under/over/around the Auroral Oval, twice or once dependent on the state of the sun." Howell notes that Alaska is still in a period of 24-hour daylight, but he expects things to heat up on LF in late September or early October when openings to Europe may be possible. Experimenters use software such as Argo to "copy" the weak-signal LF transmissions. Howell said he hopes his beacon and "others in the pipeline" will promote a better understanding of complex propagation modes associated with what he termed "this fascinating part of the spectrum." "New low-signal detection modes, algorithms, transmitting modes, aerial designs/results are making me -- licensed since 1974 -- feel like a novice!" Howell said. Howell's experimental license is good until August 1, 2005. Just how long the WD2XDW LF beacon will remain on the air from Alaska is up in the air, however. Howell says his time in The Land of the Midnight Sun is drawing to a close, and he'll either move back to the UK or elsewhere in the US. He says he hopes if he remains in the US he'll be able to move the beacon with him to his new location. Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANGUILLA. Caribbean Beacon, a.k.a. 24/7 Dr Gene Scott, has been missing for about a week as of August 8, from both its frequencies, 11775 daytime and 6090 nighttime, possiblizing the escuchance of diverse other emitters on and around those channels, such as BRAZIL as someone first reported, and I also heard some Portuguese around 0130. Fortunately, as we also reported a few issues ago, R. Anguilla is now on the web, providing some genuine island culture and info, such as local news at 2305 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. NEW RADIO INFORMATION SERVICE LAUNCHED IN NT http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s919670.htm Last Update: Thursday, August 7, 2003. 6:36pm (AEST) An Aboriginal-run organisation says a new short-wave radio service for people living in north-east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory will allow them to easily access important information. The service started this week, giving the 7,000 Yolgnu people living in the region the chance to gain information on issues, such as health, in their own language. Richard Trudgen from Aboriginal Resource and Development Services says listeners can also ring the studio and ask for information they want to be broadcast. Mr Trudgen says it is an easy and quick way to get information across (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) WTFK?? That`s the entire story. Along the lines of the outback radio schools and RFDS, I suppose (gh, DXLD) NEW ETHNIC SHORTWAVE BROADCASTER ON AIR IN AUSTRALIA The Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Inc. (ARDS) has commenced transmissions on shortwave from a transmitter at Humpty Doo, near Darwin, in Australia´s Northern Territory. This is sending a signal across north-east Arnhem Land on 5050 kHz. ARDS says that over the next two months it will be fine tuning the broadcasting system, designed to serve the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land in their own language in a culturally-friendly listening environment. The Radio Service will use a concept developed in Africa called "Radio Browsing". This is where listeners can ring the studio to ask for information they want to hear over the radio. Radio staff research the information via the web and/or other sources and develop a programme to put to air. It also allows listeners to be directly involved in the development of programmes. A Yolngu person within the region and a radio announcer/interpreter can have a discussion with a doctor in Darwin about diabetes using a three-way telephone connection. This discussion would all be recorded and then later broadcast via the radio service. Radio Browsing allows people to stay in their own homes and access all sorts of information, all in their own language. According to ARDS, the Yolngu suffer from one of the highest death rates in Australia, they have lost almost all of their traditional economic enterprises to English-speaking Australians, and they suffer extremely high levels of unemployment. They are losing control of their communities, substance abuse and suicides are on the rise, and education and training are failing. ARDS says that a radio service is the only way it can effectively deliver the information and community education necessary for the Yolngu people to regain control over their own lives. More information on the station can be found on the ARDS Web site http://www.ards.com.au/ (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 7 August 2003 via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. No he podido captar más a Radio Austria Internacional en español. Mi última captación fue el 22/07 (23/07 universal), a la 0100 y 0130 UT. Luego de la 0115 venía un servicio en inglés y a la 0130 se reanudaba la emisión con un documental leído (esta vez) por Isabel Miró. He tratado por 9870 kHz y no he tenido éxito (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. For a totally different kind of music, now there`s ORF on 6155. On one side, R. Austria International has sadly disappeared from the frequency; on the other, we can now enjoy the all-day relay of Österreich 1 which has many programmes of good classical music. On Sunday mornings, I`ve also heard the news in English and French at about 0605 (Stefano Valianti, Italy, Southern European Report, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** CANADA. Last Wednesday, July 30th, 2003 at 1030 ADT (0930 EDT) CFAN's AM transmitter on 790 kHz was powered down as the shift to 99.3 "The River" on FM was completed. MORE VANISHING CANADIANS - CFAN NOW GONE FROM 790 CFAN has finally gone dark on 790, netting me my first non-CFAN catch on 790 ever, 1000 Watt CFNW in Port-au-Choix, Newfoundland - in broad daylight from Escuminac, NB. Port au Choix is actually up the Burin Peninsula about half way, so that's a distance of 420 miles for a crow. Not bad for a 1000 watter on a car radio. Same distance as Boston from Escuminac. It was a regular there on the Gulf coast, as are over a half dozen other low- and moderate-powered western Newfoundland stations. I'm preparing a daytime bandscan report from that camping trip to Escuminac which I will submit in the next day or so. It is about a sesquihour from my home in Doaktown - about 70 miles. Five provinces are audible from that site, and I was most impressed with the volume and strength of the Newfoundland stations (Brent Taylor, Doaktown, NB, Aug 4, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA. CHEV-1610 TORONTO ON STILL ALIVE ON PAPER A few months ago we had a discussion regarding CHEV-1610 Toronto ON. It seems that on paper at least they are still alive, as they applied for a renewal of there license which was granted today by the CRTC: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-358.htm The renewal however is good only to the end of June 2004 by which time they have to cease operation or apply for a frequency change as 1610 will be required for the new AM in Toronto. 73, (Deane McIntyre VE6BPO, Calgary, Aug 5, NRC-AM via DXLD) I think we can stick a fork in CHEV. They're not coming back. But if they do resurrect their itinerant local sports format, they should haul their portable transmitter to the Skydome. The Toronto Argo-nots need a flagship. They couldn't afford to continue on MOJO-640. The Argos are so financially strapped that the CFL revoked the franchise and is now operating the team, while seeking new ownership - a proposal was even put out to play in London, ON next year! http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/news_story.asp?id=49486 What do the CHEV calls mean? While Canadian calls are somewhat limited by the second letter having to be either F, H, I, J, or K, I'm guessing that they picked "CHEV" either because the original owner was also the proud owner of a 409, BelAir, Nomad, Stingray, (or even a Stovebolt Six), or to honour CBC sportscaster Don Chevrier. 73 (Mike Brooker, Toronto, ON, ibid.) My guess is "EVent"... Semi-dumb question: why not CG-? (Doug Smith, W9WI, ibid.) Reserved for `Canadian Government` utilities? (gh, DXLD) ** CHAD. Africa DX Report - Livinus Torty, with a special report on the current radio scene in the African country of Chad. THE RADIO SCENE IN CHAD: The country of Chad is situated in the heart of the African continent. The total land mass of Chad is about one and a quarter million square kilometers. Most of the northern areas of Chad are desert. The history of Chad goes back a long way and it was an important segment of several large African empires on several earlier occasions. In the 1800s, European explorers and traders moved through the area and the French gained access to the territory with a formal treaty that was signed in 1897. Chad finally gained independence from France on August 11, 1960. Chad has a population of nearly eight million inhabitants with roughly six persons per square kilometer. The languages spoken in Chad include French & Arabic as well as a host of vernacular languages. The capital city is N`Djamena (n-JAH-men-a) and it is also the largest city in the nation with a population of half a million. The national radio of Chad is ``Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne``, RNT, with its headquarters in N`Djamena and it was established in November 1955. RNT is government owned and it is the only body permitted to broadcast in Chad on the shortwave and mediumwave bands. Radiodiffusion Nationale broadcasts to the entire country of Chad on the shortwave frequency of 6165 kHz via its 100 kW transmitter located in Gredia, a suburb of the capital city N`Djamena. RNT is also active in N`Djamena on the FM frequency of 94.05 MHz. RNT has also established four regional stations which broadcast occasionally on mediumwave but are now more active on the FM band. These stations produce local programs in various languages for their audiences living in the various regions. However, the regional stations also carry the major programs from RNT N`Djamena on relay, such as the national news and other major features. In 1999, the government of Chad liberalized broadcasting on the FM band thereby making it possible for groups and individuals to establish FM stations in Chad. Today, besides the government owned RNT FM station, three local non-government controlled FM stations can be heard in N`Djamena. Also heard in N`Djamena are the local downlink relays on FM from several other countries. These FM relay stations include Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Africa No.1 from Gabon, RFI Afrique from France, and the BBC African Service. There are half a dozen other privately owned FM stations in Chad, mostly in the south of the country. Radio broadcasting is crucial for the dissemination of information in Chad. It is the main source for news and entertainment right throughout the country for most people due to the fact that the national television station in Chad, ``Teletchad``, is available only in the capital city area. As a finale to this DX report from Livinus Torty in Chad, we might mention that it seems to be very difficult in obtaining a QSL from the shortwave station in their capital city. The AWR collection in Indianapolis contains not even one QSL from Chad (AWR Wavescan Aug 10 via DXLD) ** CHECHNYA [non]. A very strong signal is noted on 173 kHz LW with the Free Chechnya program (``Chechnya Svabodnaya`` at 0800 UT, almost noon here, and at 1900 --- the broadcast is in Russian with Caucasus accent (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, MW Report, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** CHINA. Glenn, New morning CRI German service 0500-0700 is clear on 17690 S=9 [TRT Turkish to FE/Pac in background, but latter low level], but CRI German broadcast suffers heavy co-channel QRM on 15215 kHz - also strong S=9, but QRM I=4, this channel selection is VERY BAD. CRI German service uses their superpower site at Urumchi, Xinjiang/East Turkestan, 500 kW at 308 degrees. 15215 co-channel interference in 5-7 UT time span: -- Iran in Russian, -- DW Wertachtal in Turkish, -- South Africa in English and Portuguese (Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany, Aug 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Estación Ondas de "Orteguasa" (no sé si se escribe así) [Orteguaza] captada el 05/08, a las 2258 UT, en 4975 kHz, con un discurso religioso. Himno nacional e identificación a las 2300. "HJAU 1160kHz (?), HJKA 4975, desde Florencia, Caquetá". Fuera del aire a las 2304. SINPO 4/3. Saludos y buen DX (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. Glenn, In case you weren't aware of it, RFPI has been stopping scheduled programming between 0300 and 0500 for a live program talking about the problems at the station. They're doing it again tonight and are on now (ohn H. Carver Jr., mid-North Indiana, 0309 UT Aug 6, WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DX LISTENING DIGEST) But this night I think it finished earlier (gh, DXLD) COSTA RICA: RADIO PARA LA PAZ SE NIEGA A SALIR DE UNIVERSIDAD SAN JOSE - La Universidad para la Paz (UPaz), afiliada a las Naciones Unidas y con sede en Costa Rica, se encuentra en medio de una polémica luego que la Radio para la Paz Internacional rechazara abandonar sus instalaciones ubicadas dentro del campus del centro. La Radio dijo en un comunicado divulgado el viernes que el abogado de la UPaz, Luis Varela, les envió una nota en que solicitaba el cierre de la emisora antes del 4 de agosto. Según el semanario en inglés Tico Times, la Universidad reclama a la radio el uso ilegal de frecuencias radiales y una deuda por 14.000 dólares por los servicios de teléfono e internet. "Hay asuntos entre ambas instituciones que requieren ser resueltos, pero no creemos que estos problemas ameritan una orden de desalojo. Quisiéramos poder negociar abierta y pacíficamente con UPAZ", manifestó la entidad a través del boletín. La notificación de desalojo fue dada a conocer por Varela mediante una carta que envió al ex presidente costarricense Rodrigo Carazo, quien también fue miembro fundador de la Universidad y figura en la junta directiva de la radio. La AP intentó conocer la versión de la Universidad, pero en la sede remitieron al abogado Varela, quien no respondió la llamada a su oficina. El director de la Radio, James Latham, dijo Tico Times que hasta el momento no han recibido ninguna notificación oficial sobre el desalojo. El comunicado de la Radio destacó que el edificio que ocupa la radio no pertenece a la UPaz, ya que "fue construido con fondos recibidos de radioescuchas alrededor del mundo". Denunció además que el 21 de julio las autoridades de la Universidad colocaron un candado en el portón de entrada de la Radio, dejando al personal encerrado. "Luego de varias horas, los guardas armados de la UPaz cedieron y dejaron salir a los trabajadores para sacar sus carros, pero el portón permanece con un candado", detalló el boletín (AP Aug 1 via Héctor García Bojorge, DF, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. TALKS LIKELY FOR UNIVERSITY AND RADIO FOR PEACE By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The University for Peace has asked to negotiate with Radio for Peace International to defuse a growing legal battle over the presence of the radio station on the university’s Ciudad Colón campus. Luis A. Varela Quirós, a lawyer working for the university, sent a letter to Rodrigo Carazo Odio, the former Costa Rican president who also is a former president of the University for Peace, a United Nations affiliate. Varela said that he hoped to met Aug. 11 to begin negotiations with the radio station. Carazo has supported the radio station. The Radio for Peace International is a separate non-profit organization that raises its own funds and built its own building on the university campus. On July 21, Varela, in the name of the university, gave the station two weeks to leave. The radio station, in turn, went over the head of Martin Lees, university rector, last weekend and sought support from the 17-member University for Peace Council, the organization’s supreme authority. Members come from many countries. Some 10 members are named by the secretary general of the United Nations. Radio for Peace officials believe that the council was unaware of the eviction effort by Rector Lees. James Latham, chief executive officer of the shortwave radio station, said in a letter that he, too, hoped that people can co-exist peacefully and solve their differences without resorting to force. The text of the letter to Lees was made public. "Furthermore," said Latham, "we condemn the hostile acts of your employees; specifically the padlocking of our independent main access gates, effectively impeding entrance and exit to workers in their everyday transit to work." Radio for Peace International spokesmen said they were not exactly sure that Varela has the power to order an eviction because he showed no credentials and the eviction notice was not signed by Lees. Varela said in his letter that the university would take no legal action while negotiations are taking place. The university has said, and the station agrees, that the university is owed money. The radio station is an international voice supporting the United Nations. It has been transmitting programs on peace, social justice and human rights issues since 1987, the station notes. Arcelio Hernández, a San José lawyer, is representing the radio station in the dispute (AM Costa Rica, via Lisa, http://www.saverfpi.org Aug 5 via WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DXLD) Martin Lees, Rector, University for Peace Dear Mr. Lees, There is something strange going on at the University for Peace. I hope you can help clarify the situation. RFPI seems to be unaware of the nature of the current problem. As you know, Radio For Peace International was established at the university in 1987 at the invitation of former Costa Rican president Rodrigo Carazo Odio. I have seen a copy of what purports to be a letter from Francisco Barahona, Vice-Rector of the University for Peace giving RFPI authorization to construct "a new transmitting building and antenna system on the campus of the University for Peace", and granting RFPI exclusive rights to use them. Please confirm or deny that such a letter is genuine. It appears to me that this would be within his powers. If he exceeded his authority, please explain. Also, the time to raise such issues would be when RFPI began construction, and failing to do so would imply consent. Considering the brevity of the letter I would think that a transmitting building would include the building required to produce or prepare the programming to be transmitted. I am informed that on 21 July locked the gates to the studio, posted an armed guard, and ordered it to vacate the facility within two weeks without even discussing any problems that could give rise to such an action. I see two fundamental issues, First by what authority at the University was this action taken? According to article 12.1(e) of the University Charter you are the legal representative of the University and should have the answer to that question. The second even more serious issue is that according to Article 1 the University for Peace is an international institution of higher education for peace. I have reproduced a section from your web site as a reminder. Peace occurs on all levels, between individual people, between organizations within states, and between states. What conflict resolution efforts were made by the University before it demanded that RFPI vacate it's buildings? How is locking the gate and posting an armed guard consistent with "new approaches to peace-building and conflict resolution"? I have searched http://www.upeace.org for any references to RFPI and found none. If this is the quality of your conflict resolution, reduced funding would seem to be in order. And what problems exist which might serve to justify the action? As far as I can determine, the University for Peace has not disclosed any problems with RFPI that would even partly justify this action. This appears to me to be an irrational behavior on the part of the University for Peace and is incompatible with a mission to settle conficts peacefully (Wayne Robey, Lafayette, Indiana USA, Aug 5, http://www.saverfpi.org via DXLD) ** CUBA. Radio Habana Cuba con excelente señal 5/5, en 11875 kHz, las 0405 UT, el 06/08. Señal marcaba +40 dB. ¿Será un transmisor nuevo? (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [and non]. Checking the DXPL website as late as 0300 UT Fri Aug 8, I find that altho I first heard it last Thursday at 2000 on WWCR 15825, the first DXPL of August still isn`t available to download or stream. The frequency for Tue at 0830 on the homepage I mentioned before has been corrected, and *finally* the DXPL schedule page has been updated --- but only for HCJB Ecuador & Australia, no mention of WWCR or WINB!! Since the direct URL for DX Partyline`s welcome page is now unbelievably unrememberable and complex, http://www.hcjb.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=173&page=1 I have created a Tiny URL for it: http://tinyurl.com/j7g7 Too bad the random alphanumerics didn`t come up /dxpl! You`re welcome O o, this Thursday Aug 7 at 2000 on WWCR 15825, it`s a replay of last week`s August 2 show, rather than an advance of the August 9 show. Now arrives the printed August WWCR schedule, showing some changes for DXPL: Sat 1430 12160, Sun 0200 5070, Tue 0930 9475, Wed 0830 3210, Thu 2000 15825 (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUADELOUPE. Emisora en 640 OM, en francés, golpea bastante a Porteñas 640, acá en Venezuela. A las 0413 UT del 05/08, practicamente anulaba a la venezolana (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Presumed ID by gh 640, R. Guadeloupe, Point-à-Pitre, AUG 4, 2357 - Good; mix of French and English Caribbean music, RFO news at the top of the hour, over Unión Radio Venezuela (Bruce Conti, Camden ME; Drake R8B, MWDX-5, wires 75-m east (100 ) and 150-m south (180 ). DXpedition, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** HONDURAS. Radio Litoral en los 4830.06 kHz, el 05/08, a las 0447 UT. Si no fuera porque Radio Táchira lleva "siglos" fuera del aire, la hubiese confudido con ésta última. Usualmente Radio Litoral están 2 kHz más arriba (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. INDIA CELEBRATES ITS INDEPENDENCE DAY ON AUGUST 15 All India Radio will broadcast a running commentary of the Flag Hoisting Ceremony to be held at Red Fort, New Delhi between 0135-0240 UT on August 15, 2003 as follows: English: 4860 & 6030 (Kingsway, Delhi), 9810 (Aligarh), 13620 (Bangalore), 15050 (Khampur, Delhi) Hindi: 6155, 11830 & 15135 (Kingsway, Delhi), 9595 & 11620 (Khampur, Delhi) (Note: Khampur and Kingsway are the two SW transmitter sites in Delhi.) All stations of AIR will relay this commentary. Due to this there will be some changes in the External Services of Nepali, Pushtu, Urdu on that day as follows: Urdu Service on 6155, 9595 & 11620 will carry Commentary in Hindi. 9810 will be cancelled for Nepali Service at 0130-0230. 13620 will be cancelled for Pushtu Service The Home Service news in various languages will be broadcast later than usual, after the commentary is over. The Regional SW stations will come up on their daytime frequencies about an hour earlier in most cases (leaving their morning frequencies also earlier). The proposed schedule changes of Regional Stations are as follows: Bhopal 50 kw : 3315 0025-0100, 7180 0115-0405 Chennai 50 kw : 4920 0015-0255, 7160 0310-0415 Hyderabad 50 kw : 4800 0025-0115, 7140 0130-0430 Imphal 50 kw : 4775 0025-0115, 7150 0130-0430 Kolkata 50 kw : 4820 0025-0115, 7210 0130-0400 Port Blair 10 kw : 4760 2325-0115, 7115 0130-0345 Shimla 50 kw : 6020 0045-0400 Srinagar 50 kw : 6110 0025-0445 Thiruvanathapuram 50 kw : 5010 0020-0115, 7290 0130-0400 So watch out for these special broadcasts from AIR Home Service on 15th August 2003. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS/AT0J, dx_india via WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DXLD) ** INDIA. Item below mentions a 24-hour AIR shortwave news channel... PTI [TUESDAY, AUGUST 05, 2003 11:22:40 PM] NEW DELHI: Doordarshan is likely to launch a news channel in November, Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma said on Tuesday. He said the process of recruitment of anchors and correspondents was expected to start after August 15, by when Prasar Bharati hoped to get the Finance Ministry's nod for the Rs100 crore budget of DD News. He said music writers, lyricists and composers and not just music companies would be paid royalty. He also said that AIR, which has earned Rs.40 crore revenue in the first quarter of 2003-04 against Rs.20 crore during last year's corresponding period, was going to launch a 24-hour news channel on the short wave frequency. . . http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=115095 73 (Kim Elliott, Aug 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. Recent broadcasting schedule of IRIB, Iran, Bengali service may create some confusion among South Asian Bengali listeners. As per their schedule there is a transmision on 11710 kHz at 0830-0930 UT but it is directed to countries in border of Persian gulf. IRIB broadcasts for a lot of Bengali people living in Arabic countries. IRIB external Bengali service picks up lot of mails from those contries. Thanks, (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, Aug 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. VOICE OF FREE IRAQ WALKS OUT ON US Brian Whitaker, Tuesday August 05 2003, The Guardian A broadcaster who became known as "the voice of free Iraq" after the fall of Saddam Hussein has walked out of his job, saying the United States is losing the propaganda war. Failure to invest in the new Iraqi broadcasting service means foreign channels are gaining popularity at the expense of the US, Ahmed al-Rikabi, the American- appointed director of TV and radio said yesterday. "The people of Iraq, including the Sunni Muslims, are not about to turn against their liberators, but they are being incited to do so. These [foreign] channels contribute to tension within Iraq," he said. Saddam is scoring propaganda successes over the Americans by sending audio tapes to Arab satellite channels, Mr Rikabi continued. "Saddam is doing better at marketing himself, through al-Jazeera and al- Arabiyya channels," he said, referring to the deposed Iraqi leader's recent messages which have been broadcast throughout the Middle East. Last April Mr Rikabi, who had been head-hunted by the Americans, announced the overthrow of the Iraqi regime from a tent near Baghdad airport. Many Iraqis still recall his exact words: "Welcome to the new Iraq. Welcome to an Iraq without Saddam, Uday or Qusay." He then helped to recruit a team of journalists that started TV transmissions lasting up to 16 hours a day. But the channel was dogged by a lack of money and resources. The station was provided with only three studio cameras and five portable cameras, Mr Rikabi said. For the five portable cameras, they were allowed only 10 rechargeable batteries lasting 15 minutes each. The best-paid journalist got a salary of $120 a month, compared with the minimum of $500 a month paid by other Arab networks, he added. There was also a clothing allowance for newsreaders, but only to clothe the visible top half of their bodies. Stephen Claypole, who was a public affairs adviser to Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, said: "It's very typical of everything the Americans get involved in. They announce large budgets and the money is never released." Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited (via Bill Westenhaver, WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DXLD) SWEDISH HEAD OF IRAQI BROADCASTING SERVICE RESIGNS | Text of report by Swedish SVT Europa TV on 6 August [Presenter] After just four months as head of television for the new Iraq, Swede Ahmad Al-Rikabi is leaving his job. He feels that the US- led coalition is not giving the media any support and that they do not understand how important an independent press is. [Al-Rikabi] It became impossible to continue working without resources and without support. We needed cameras, we needed lots of television equipment which is still not available. [Reporter] What were the consequences of not getting this technical support? [Al-Rikabi] The consequences were that we had lost the war to other stations such as Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera and other Arabic networks have won the Iraqi viewers and this is something which may have serious consequences as the sponsors of those channels do not want to see a democratic Iraq. [Reporter] What was it you wanted to show on your television channel which you couldn't? [Al-Rikabi] In Iraq there are lots of rumours, including that American soldiers carry [word(s) indistinct] which show naked women, there are other rumours that American soldiers hand out substances to Iraqi children which will prevent them from having children in future. There are lots of rumours which must be countered and the truth which has been lost in several instances must be shown. [Reporter] What is happening with the television channel today? [Al-Rikabi] I see the channel simply carrying more [word indistinct] and figures and parts of news conferences without meeting the needs of the Iraqi viewer. Source: SVT Europa TV, Stockholm, in Swedish 1000 gmt 6 Aug 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRAQ. IRAQ/USA: HEAD OF US-BACKED IRAQI TV QUITS | Text of editorial analysis by Peter Feuilherade of BBC Monitoring's Media Services on 6 August The head of US-backed Iraqi TV, Ahmad al-Rikabi, has resigned, complaining that inadequate funding prevented the station from competing with rival channels from Iran and the Gulf states. Rikabi announced his decision on 1 August to his bosses at the Iraqi Media Network (IMN), according to international news agencies. The IMN, with about 320 employees, operates a national TV channel, two radio stations and Al-Sabah (Morning) newspaper. It is part of the Coalition Provisional Authority administering the country since the overthrow of Saddam Husayn's regime on 9 April. "The US didn't really succeed in countering the propaganda of such anti-coalition networks as Al-Jazeera in Qatar," Rikabi told the Associated Press (AP). He complained that inadequate funding, equipment and training for staff members had left the IMN unable to deliver "objective news - the truth - presented in the proper way". The network was only able to broadcast for 16 hours a day, compared with 24-hour reports from Al-Jazeera and Iran's Al-Alam channel, which he conceded were attracting growing audiences inside Iraq. "Saddam Husayn is doing better at marketing himself, through Al- Jazeera and [UAE-based] Al-Arabiya Gulf channels," Rikabi said, referring to broadcasts on those channels of audio tapes believed to be from the former Iraqi leader. "If Saddam and his supporters didn't think such broadcasts were beneficial to their cause, they wouldn't use them... I have no doubt that there is a hidden message in the broadcasts by several Arabic networks inciting Iraqis to resist the push toward democracy," he told AP. Iraqis not drawn to IMN TV [subhead] Reports from journalists in Baghdad in recent weeks concurred that few Iraqis watched the Iraqi Media Network television. In June the London-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting, a media think tank that trains local journalists in crisis zones, published a report which said, in part: "Bitter rivalry between the US State Department and Department of Defense have led to an absence of strategy, bad hiring practices and purchasing, and debilitating internal dispute. TV programming, in particular, has been poor." The IMN sees itself as an interim body with the job of building new infrastructure, training journalists and laying the foundation of a public media policy, according to its officials. But it has come in for criticism from several media freedom watchdogs. A report in July by the Paris-based organization Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) suggested that the aims of the IMN should be clarified, "because it can no longer remain a hybrid body that is both a media group and a temporary government ministry. Should it become a public media outlet, an information or communication ministry, a regulatory agency or a government media policy think-tank? Although only an interim body, its goals and powers need to be spelt out clearly - and probably redefined - as soon as possible." Index on Censorship was more critical. Its associate editor Rohan Jayasekera wrote: "Now this bumbling behemoth is going after all the functioning local broadcast media that set up across the country using old state equipment abandoned after the fall of Saddam. "Rough but perfectly serviceable Iraqi stations are being swallowed up or chased off air by IMN, which says it merely wants to reclaim equipment that is legally theirs. Iraqi broadcasters outside the IMN loop are scathing about IMN's own broadcast record, but appear powerless to stop IMN from having its way." The debate about the IMN's role and the extent of its powers is set to grow, especially now that its head has stepped down after only three months in the job. Source: BBC Monitoring research 6 Aug 03 (via DXLD) ** IRAQ. NUMBER OF INTERNET CAFES RISING IN BAGHDAD | Excerpt from report by Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) newspaper Al-Ta'akhi on 3 August The city of Baghdad has been witnessing a large use of internet cafes, which themselves have seen a marked increase after the war of liberation. The Iraqis are frequenting these cafes in order to learn about the [many] services which the world wide web provides and to benefit from them, after being deprived from these and from many other things by the former regime which monopolized them for itself. This divestiture has created a gap between the Iraqis and the wider world which has been set apart by the world of internet, satellite receivers and many other things. The internet cafes are a phenomenon, the widespread use of which we hope will be governed by rules based on a rational and scientific basis. Al-Ta'akhi visited few of these cafes and held interviews with their owners. Firas Wisam is the owner of an internet cafe, who says: "I am endeavouring to make the cafe more like a club than an internet cafe, as the customer is not here only to send e-mails and we can provide everything the customer needs, the majority of whom are students and businessmen." He added: "In the past, communications were the monopoly of the government. However, all communications will be in private sector in the future, which will open further future prospects for Iraqis." A computer specialist and the owner of the electronic and computer company Tina, Ibrahim Al-Samarra'i, has recently opened an internet cafe. He spoke to Al-Ta'akhi about the internet cafe and what it offers the customer: "The spread of the internet cafes is a civilized phenomenon and we want to catch up with what we have been missing." He also said: "There should be a body that will not allow a haphazard spread of internet cafes, as an internet cafe is [an indication of the existence of] a healthy, scientific and cultural state of affairs." [Passage omitted] Ahmad Kamil, an expert in computer science tells us about the internet cafe adding: "The cafe offers services to customers, which includes high-speed internet navigation, communications by video and audio and discounted international connections through the use of Metphone. "The fast data [transfer] was not available before and the problem we are facing now is that before access to majority of internet sites were blocked, particularly the pornographic sites, but now we are forced to employ supervisors in the cafe to prevent access to pornographic sites as doing so will harm the [reputation of the] cafe and our standing, especially since we are in an Islamic country." [Passage omitted] Source: Al-Ta'akhi, Baghdad in Arabic 3 Aug 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRELAND. RTÉ Radio 1 has been relayed on 252 kHz for several hours on a number of occasions recently, including 15, 16, 18 and 22 July. Apparently the transmitter had been damaged by RTÉ engineers and is now being tested following repairs (Radiowaves web site via MW Report, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) The future of the Irish longwave station is still rather uncertain. David Duckworth has spoken to staff in two departments at RTÉ, both of whom confirmed that RTÉ has not yet decided what to do with it. They also both said that if maintenance costs become high, it would be dismantled. The situation seems to be that RTÉ have no money to programme or operate the transmitter regularly. They presumably are not likely to hire it to a third party as it could then be competing with RTÉ`s own channels, which are part commercially funded (David Duckworth, Dave Kenny, MW Report, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. MEDIA-MIDEAST: VOICE OF PEACE TO RISE AGAIN Peter Hirschberg JERUSALEM, Aug 1 (IPS) - For 20 years, intrepid Israeli peace campaigner Abie Nathan broadcast his message of coexistence to Jewish and Arab listeners from his boat in the Mediterranean Sea, which housed his pirate Voice of Peace radio station. In 1993, suffering from lack of funding, the station broadcast its last track -- Pete Seeger`s `We Shall Overcome`. Nathan then scuttled the ship. Some peace activists, comforting themselves, suggested that The Peace Ship, as it was named, had achieved its aim: it ceased broadcasting in the very year that the Israelis and Palestinians signed the Oslo peace accords. But then the peace process got bogged down, derailed and finally collapsed as Israelis and Palestinians went back to war. Some activists began thinking that an unequivocal message of peace needed to be heard again on the airwaves. Now, ten years after the Voice of Peace went silent, it is being reincarnated. This time round, it will be a joint Israeli- Palestinian station, it will broadcast in Hebrew and Arabic, and will be land- based, transmitting from the West Bank city of Ramallah. ``We want the silent majority on both sides that supports peace, that believes peace is not dead, to have a voice,`` Hanna Siniora, a veteran Palestinian peace activist and businessman who is one of the initiators of the project told IPS. ``We believe civil society can exercise pressure on leaders to move forward,`` says Siniora, who also publishes The Jerusalem Times, a weekly English language newspaper based in East Jerusalem. The new Voice of Peace -- Siniora and his partners have asked Nathan for permission to use the name -- will broadcast 21 hours of music a day and three hours of programmes dealing with coexistence and the promotion of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. ``We want to enhance people-to-people type activities between the two sides and give a voice to peace groups,`` Mussi Raz, deputy director- general of the Jewish-Arab Centre for Peace in Givat Haviva in northern Israel, and Siniora`s Israeli partner, told IPS. ``We want to make sure that moderate politicians on both sides get heard.`` Does that mean hardline leaders, whether on the Israeli far right or from the Palestinian groups like Hamas, will not be heard on the new station? ``We still have to sit down and discuss these issues, but we don`t plan to boycott anyone,`` says Raz, a former member of parliament for the left-wing Meretz party. The studios will be located in East Jerusalem, which is considered a relatively safe area for Jews. But the actual transmitters will be in the northern Ramallah neighbourhood of Bitunia, and at some stage in Gaza. Raz and Siniora had hoped to obtain a broadcasting license in Israel as well as in the Palestinian Authority. But due to broadcasting regulations in Israel, they approached Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. He agreed to grant them one of the frequencies that had originally been assigned to the Palestinians as part of the Oslo accords. Raz says the only licence they would have been able to apply for in Israel was a regional one, confined to a specific area. ``We want our broadcasts to reach as many people in Israel and in the occupied territories as possible,`` he explains. ``In the future,`` adds Siniora, ``we hope to reach Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon as well.`` It is not immediately clear what the rating will be for a station that broadcasts in both languages and is politically unpalatable to many on both sides of the conflict. ``There are a lot of people who speak both languages. Anyway, I am sure that even those who speak only one of the languages will find the broadcasts interesting,`` says Raz. For the first two years at least, the station will not have to worry about its rating. The European Union has already donated 80 percent of the 681,000-dollar budget for this period. Siniora says he also has a promise of assistance from the Japanese government, and has approached the Italian government. The launch of the station, symbolically, is planned for November 4 -- the anniversary of the assassination of former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin by a religious Jewish extremist bent on destroying the peace process he had begun. Besides the inspiration provided by Abie Nathan`s peace ship, the idea to resuscitate a peace radio station also grew out of a joint project run by Raz`s organization which has seen Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian youth putting out a joint magazine that focuses on peace building. Unlike many other Israeli- Arab grassroots initiatives, the project survived the Intifadah uprising. Do Raz and Siniora fear that if the road map peace plan fails and the two sides again begin talking out of the barrel of a gun, their broadcasts will be one of the first casualties? ``No one knows how the road map will end,`` concedes Siniora. ``But our newspaper project was one of the few joint initiatives that continued throughout the Intifadah. Things cannot be worse than they have been. With our new station we will try to keep the hope alive that reconciliation is possible and that the two peoples have to learn to live together.`` (END) (via Jan D. Tuckley, DXLD) ** LITHUANIA [and non]. One more time DTK has "forgotten" to mark the LRT transmissions as "+ active on demand". Radio Vilnius cancelled the Jülich relays in spring 2001 when the new, German-made antenna for North America coverage was inaugurated at the Sitkunai site in Lithuania. As local technicians told me, DTK Jülich is keeping the LRT entry in the schedule by its own initiative. There is no demand for it, because the Sitkunai site has all the installations now to serve North America directly. 73s, (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Aug 6, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** MEXICO. So much for the new RMI program schedule in last issue. I checked 9705 August 6 after 1400 and it was in Spanish, not the scheduled English Antena Radio Summary. Perhaps the translators are on vacation? Or maybe running late? At recheck 1425, reception had deteriorated so much that I could not be sure whether it were English or Spanish. Some six hours later I found that 11770 had a better signal than 9705, but very low modulation, bad news for the remaining DX/mailbag shows in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. Tried again at 2100 on 5 Aug this unID on 4895/4830. 4895 carrier appeared at 2055, at 2100 time pips and several times interval signal. Then male announcer and song, possibly national anthem. After that male/female announcers with possible frequency (or rather meterband) announcements. 4830 was off at that time, but noted at recheck at 2130. Checked couple of interval signal sites and the IS heard on 4895 sounds exactly the same as that of Voice of Mongolia. Good signal here in Finland (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DX LISTENING DIGEST) There used to be 12 kW transmitters in Altai on 4830 and Mörön on 4895 (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, ibid.) I also noticed these two stations last week. The language definitely sounds Mongolian. Is this a reactivation of old services, but the reception was very good indeed! 73 (Jarmo Patala, Finland, Aug 6, dxing.info via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. 0500-0700 Urdu to ME now also on 15625 kHz, seemingly ceased 21460??. \\ 17835 strong, and 15100 fair level. 73 (Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany, Aug 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. Quisiera compartir las notícias que estamos realizando un experimento en la tropodifusión UHF. Las condiciones climatológicas nos favorecen mucho. Comenzando el día 3 de agosto, estamos en el aire, las 24 horas del día, todos los días, en la banda UHF, con la señal dirigida hacía Buenos Aires. En esta frecuencia especial se retransmite la programación de ZP20 Radio América, con calidad de FM. Parámetros Técnicos del Experimento: Modo de Propagación: Tropodifusión, empleando el volumen común de la tropósfera. Frecuencia: 326.4 MHZ (919 Milímetros), UHF. Potencia Efectiva Irradiada (PIRE): 252 Vátios. Antena Dirigida hacia: los 180 grados, d N M, con una zona de captura efectiva entre los 157.5 a los 202.5 grados, d N M. Polarización: VERTICAL. La antena está instalada a los 137 metros, SNM. Modulación: F3. Ancho de Banda: 100 KHZ. Es completamente factible captar estas señales experimentales. Existen muchos receptores de UHF, con los cuales pudiera uno combinar una antena de la clase Yagi, o Log Periodic, de la televisión, polarizándola, verticalmente, e orientándola hacía Asunción. No es necesario tener una línea visual abierta, pero sí evitar el bloqueo de edificios cercanos. La señal entrará por rebote troposférico. Tenemos una QSL Muy Especial ya preparada. ¡En Espera de Sus Reportes! Adán Mur, Radiodifusión América, Asunción, Paraguay (via Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Aug 5, Conexión Digital via WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DXLD) Traté de monitorear la emisora pero al parecer la propagación troposférica no está ayudando (Enrique A. Wembagher, propagation specialist, ibid.) ** PERU. Another new Peruvian, this time logged in the UK, by Steve Whitt, is Radio La Luz, in Trujillo, on 1390 kHz, which was heard with fair signals early August at around 0300 with programming different from that of the Lima flagship as there were casual mentions of "1390 AM" together with the usual company slogan "la señal que te bendice", but no location was heard on the audio clips Steve sent me (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, Aug 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO LA LUZ NETWORK IN PERU NCN S.A. is the name of the company owning at least 35 local outlets of Radio La Luz, most of which appear to be on local programming, pending start of satellite feed from Lima, says Richard Juárez Cruz, who is the manager of the station on 1390 kHz, which was recently heard in the UK. The NCN S.A. AM stations listed by the Peruvian Frequency Authority cf. list from Peruvian Radiodifusion.com at http://www.sover.net/~hackmohr/ are as follows (all are 1 kW, and none of them can be found in WRTH 2003): 640 OAX1Y Chiclayo * 700 OBU4J Huancayo 950 OAU5K Ayacucho 1020 OBU1D Piura 1170 OBX8M Iquitos 1220 OAU5U Ica 1240 OAU3C Chimbote 1390 OAU2Z Trujillo 1410 OBU7A Juliaca 1410 OBU1H Tumbes 1490 OBU4N Chaupimarca (Pasco) Radio La Luz flagship station, OAU4I, with streaming audio on the net http://www.radiolaluz.com/m_radio.php is on 1080 with a power of 10 kW. Owners are mentioned as Santa Carolina S.A. A separate programme, apparently audible in parts of metropolitan Lima, is Radio Bendición, OAU4Q, 2.5 kW on 1340 kHz. The QTH is given as Pucusana, Lima. Per the frequency list this station is (or perhaps was?) owned by Radio Colonial S.A. * Per info heard Aug. 5 on the streaming audio of Lima`s Radio La Luz, the Chiclayo station will be celebrating its 1st anniversary in mid- August with a big rally at the Plaza Elías Aguirre where things like key rings and T-shirts will be given out to the crowd (Henrik Klemetz, Aug 6, dxing.info via DXLD) Radio La Luz, 1389.96 kHz is coming in with good signal here in Quito. IDs as "Radio La Luz" or "13-90 La Luz". I have not heard any local ID, just promo for a churchmeeting in "el distrito de La Esperanza". La Esperanza you can find in for example Santa Cruz and Trujillo. 73s de (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. RRI, Galbeni transmitter off-channel on 5953.18 at 0105 July 15, news in Romanian, SIO 344 (Tony Rogers, Birmingham, HF Logbook, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** SAO TOME & PRINCIPE. Radio Broadcasting in the Islands of São Thomé & Príncipe A few weeks ago, some of the international news bulletins on radio and TV mentioned about political disturbances in the islands of Sao Thome [sics thruout] & Principe. These events must have been quite brief as a Google search on the internet failed to bring up any significant items of interest. Nevertheless, the mention of these islands in international news drew our attention in this direction, so we decided that we would look into the story of radio broadcasting in these exotic islands. The independent nation of Sao Thome & Principe lies about 125 miles off the west coast of Africa. The total area of this island country is less than 400 square miles and it is made up of just the two main islands and a few very small islands. The total population is less than 100,000 and the capital is Sao Thome on Sao Thome island. These African islands were discovered in the era of European exploration by the Portuguese in 1470. The Dutch and then the French subsequently took over, but the Portuguese again re-gained control of these islands. The islands ultimately gained their independence in 1975. Radio broadcasting got a late start in Sao Thome & Principe and it began, as often happened in those days, with the use of utility communication transmitters carrying broadcast programming part time. In October 1950, the usage of the single shortwave transmitter on St Thome was diverted one hour each day for the presentation of local programming. Two frequencies were used with an amateur callsign for each channel, CR5SA & CR5ST. After the initial launching of this new medium of public communication in the islands, ``Radio Club de Sao Thome``, the on air schedule began to diminish until it became quite spasmodic. However, in 1967, this station began the relay of programming from Portugal, with the title, ``The Voice of the West``. Soon afterwards, plans were announced for the construction of a radio broadcasting facility made up of two transmitters, 10 kW on shortwave and 10 kW on mediumwave. They even said that they were planning on installing a very large shortwave station to act as a relay facility to the African mainland. In 1971, ``Radio Club de Sao Thome`` became ``Emissora Nacional`` and the shortwave transmitter was soon afterwards de-activated. FM coverage became the new norm for radio coverage in these islands. Currently, they are operating 20 kW on 945 kHz mediumwave and a small network of half a dozen FM transmitters. The Voice of America installed a relay station at Pinheira in 1993. The first unit on air was a temporary 100 kW operating on mediumwave. This was later replaced by a 600 kW unit, and the four shortwave transmitters at 100 kW. This VOA facility replaced the large VOA relay station in Liberia that was destroyed in the civil war there many years ago. In the days when Emissora Nacional was on the air shortwave, they were quite reliable in issuing their quite famous QSL sheet. A QSL card direct from the VOA station at Pinheira shows an early photo of their facility with its buildings and antenna system. The noted international radio monitor from Denmark, Anker Petersen, made a visit to Sao Thome & Principe a few months ago. He states that the VOA station is located near the ocean at the southern edge of the main island, St Thome. He states also that the government mediumwave transmitter is co-located with the VOA facility, though the programming comes directly from the city and is produced quite independent of the VOA programming (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan Aug 10 via DXLD) ** SENEGAL. New on the WorldSpace satellite is Lamp FM. It has a web page, including audio at http://www.africatel.sn/Fenetre/Lamp%20FM.php (Mike Barraclough, UK News, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U S A. Anyone else getting somewhat annoyed that "Wavescan" aired on WRMI seems to so often be old already-heard versions? On UT 8/4/03 0230 the program was number 446 again, which I had heard two weeks before. The other thing about that particular program is that the reader repeatedly pronounced the name of Nikola Tesla as "Telsa"! How can *anyone* interested in radio and electronics make such an error? I like to hear the program, and appreciate that WRMI carries it, giving us more chances to hear it when other scheduled times and frequencies don't work. (WINB on 12160 just didn't seem to be there this past weekend for me; did anyone hear the DX programs block from them?) But is there something that prevents them from getting the current version? Regards, (Will Martin, MO, Aug 6, swprograms via DXLD) Seems WRMI has always run way behind on this show. Wonder if they wait for a tape by seamail rather than just downloading as early as Thursday before Sunday date of broadcast? The reader makes all kinds of mistakes, despite pronouncers in the script; perhaps he is not really interested in radio and electronics, but merely trying to do his job as an announcer mainly of religious shows, without an adequate education in the non-spiritual world. Or he could be dylsexic, certainly not his fault. I continue to admire his smooth style and voice (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA has produced a very slim ``abbreviated`` issue, 8 pages, of the English Program Guide for April/October 2003. But we are advised that the ``Guide will soon be expanded to include information in ALL of VOA`s languages on ALL VOA programming (quite a substantial magazine, I presume!). We will feature broadcasters and programs from all our language services and details on how to tune in on TV, radio, and the Internet. We are hard at work on the new multi-language Program Guide and plan to début it later this year. We are also starting production on new programming coming in the next few months.`` A copy of the VOA Guide can usually be requested at the VOA Audience Mail Unit, 330 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20237, or via e- mail at letters@voa.gov (Stefano Valianti, Italy, Southern European Report, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. I've created an online database for pirate radio logs, much like the spy numbers database http://www.spyumbers.com which has around 50,000 loggings. Take a look, and submit your logs: http://www.blackcatsystems.com/pirate/logs/ (Chris Smolinski, Black Cat Systems, Aug 5, ACE Pirate Radio topica group via DXLD) ** U S A. Estación en 5446.50, en USB, transmitía rock altenativo (Korn, Limp Bizkit) y se identificaba como USA RADIO, si mal no escuché. Parece una emisión de la AFRTS. CNN Radio News a las 00 UT. (06/08). (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. SPANISH-MEDIA GIANT NEAR APPROVAL --- By Frank Ahrens, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, August 7, 2003; Page E01 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25719-2003Aug6.html The Federal Communications Commission appears likely to approve a merger between the largest Spanish-language television network and radio chain, creating an entity that could exert a reach over its audience unrivaled in the English-speaking media industry. The $3 billion union between Univision Communications Inc., which is seen in 97 percent of Spanish-speaking households, and the 69-station Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. has the three FCC votes required for approval, agency sources said. The merger, proposed last summer, has already cleared antitrust hurdles at the Justice Department. Republican FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell was joined by fellow Republican commissioners Kathleen Q. Abernathy and Kevin J. Martin in approving the merger, sources said. Democratic commissioners Michael J. Copps and Jonathan S. Adelstein have yet to vote. Both may suggest conditions aimed at assuaging critics of the merger, who say it would make the combined companies too dominant a force in the Hispanic media industry. Commissioners may change their votes before making them public. The votes are expected to be made public later this month. Univisión is the brand leader in Spanish-language television. The network owns 50 television stations and sells programming to 43 affiliates, appearing in nearly all of the nation's Spanish-speaking homes. Additionally, the company owns Galavisión, a Spanish-language cable network with 6 million subscribers; operates TeleFutura, a 16- station Spanish-language network; and owns Latino record labels and a popular Internet site. Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., which owns or operates stations in top Latino markets such as Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the largest Spanish-language radio chain. Last year, it turned down a merger offer from 27-station rival Spanish Broadcasting System Inc., which has vigorously opposed the Univision-Hispanic Broadcasting merger. Neither radio chain owns stations in the Washington area. In the Hispanic media world, which is dominated by television and radio, rather than newspapers, Univision is already a dominant force. Spanish-language television network Telemundo -- which is owned by NBC's parent, General Electric Co. -- is a distant second. In markets where Univision and Telemundo compete, Univision stations typically get 80 to 85 percent of the viewers. (In Washington, the Univision affiliate is WMDO; Telemundo's affiliate is WZDC.) Those who favor the merger say it will improve media services and choices for Spanish-speaking consumers by giving the combined companies the muscle to compete with English-language media giants, such as Viacom Inc.'s CBS network and the Walt Disney Co., owner of ABC as well as the ESPN cable networks. Opponents of the merger argue that the Hispanic media audience is essentially a closed market that does not compete with English- language media. They say that the merger will give the combined companies a virtual monopoly over the Spanish-speaking audience that the FCC and Justice Department would not allow among non-minority media companies. © 2003 The Washington Post Company (via Kraig Krist, DXLD) ** U S A. This was on the Public Radio Music Personnel list. What do you think - is this the new on-air style I've been looking for?? Randy There's a site that translates English into "jive" http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~eclectic/toys/jive.html I wondered what it would sound like announcing classical music in jive, so I had it translate my intro from today: Badass p.m.. It be P.m. Classics. I is Marisa Waddell wit' yo' ass until 4, dig dis:30. In some hour we gots'ta start wit' da damn early- like beat -- from Mozart's time an' b4 -- 4 Early-like Beat Friday. Until den, anythin' goes. Fust down, in da house's beat by American Composa' Jerome Moross, who wuz born on dis day in 1913. Dis be wassups Concerto 4 Flute an' Strin' Orchestra played by Alexa Still wit' da damn Fresh Zealand Chamba' Orchestra. It's Friday, what can I say? Marisa Waddell, KCBX, San Luis Obispo (via Randy Stewart, KSMU, DXLD) ** U S A. LOCAL CHATTER MATTERS MOST, TALK-RADIO LISTENERS DECLARE By Bud Kennedy, Star-Telegram Staff Writer (07/15/03) Talk radio took a jolt to the ears last week, and this time it wasn't over peddling mystical air purifiers or miracle weight-loss pills. Nearly 1,000 listeners in 100 cities finally got to sound off without waiting for open phone lines between January and April this year. Their message: Local talk radio is better than any network bigmouth. And they don't care all that much about the political angle. Mostly, they tune in for a good radio show. In this 15th year of the A.R. radio era -- After Rush -- it turns out that talk radio's success is mostly about entertainment, not about molding minds for a national political machine or rallying voters to rise up and take back the government. More than 600 of the 1,000 listeners -- 61 percent -- named some local talk host as their favorite over any national host. Yes, over Rush, or even Howard Stern or Doctor Laura. In this market, that's no surprise. Local talk has ruled radio here for 25 years, from the days when Kevin McCarthy dominated the morning ratings to today's Mark Davis daily round table on ABC affiliate WBAP/820 AM. As it turns out, nearly two-thirds of the listeners like their local host -- any local host -- better than some canned network ham. "The message of this study is that local shows ultimately define a radio station," said Rob Balon of Austin. He's president of the Austin-based market research company Benchmark and also a food writer and an occasional fill-in talk host on that city's KLBJ/590 AM. "The temptation for radio managers is to fill up a mostly syndicated lineup of shows. My advice is to resist that temptation." The hometown hosts keep listeners hooked on a station, he said -- and also help listeners remember the call letters. "They identify a station by the local host or the talent," he said. "What makes them remember WBAP or KKDA? Mainly, they remember the host." That's good news for Davis or KKDA's Maryellen Hicks, a judge and a firebrand host of her own Sunday morning talk show. Mostly, the network hosts are old news, and becoming older as their too-similar shows saturate every radio market. No surprise: Limbaugh, a bombastic showman, is the No. 1 host. His name was familiar to 93 percent of talk radio listeners, with the other 7 percent presumably living in some fringe Rush-free zone. But Stern, MSNBC talk host Don Imus and Laura Schlessinger were still better known than any of the syndicated spares. And the accurately nicknamed Michael Savage is more famous (notorious?) than Fox hosts Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity. Next came a network screamer who is now also a local resident, Mike Gallagher. The latter four are all political conservatives, no surprise since 43 percent of radio talk listeners in the survey lined up to the right, up from 35 percent 10 years ago. (I'm surprised even that 20 percent agreed to be identified as "liberal.") Balon's survey also made talk hosts hit the "hold" button with this headline Wednesday on Business Wire: "Liberal Radio Network Might Be Feasible." "I don't know where that came from," Balon said, laughing. "They've been wearing me out over it." That's not exactly what the study says. "What it says is that the liberals" -- by 72 percent -- "don't think their views are fairly represented," Balon said. Not only that, 43 percent of moderates don't think that talk-show views are balanced. As if anybody would listen to a balanced talk show. One conclusion is that an entertaining-if-liberal talk host might be able to stir a share of the radio audience the same way conservatives do. Emphasis on entertaining. This question is an old one by now, but some folks still get confused: Is talk radio news or showbiz? "No question about it -- it's showbiz," Balon said. "The day it becomes journalism is the day the ratings go to sleep. First and foremost, talk radio is entertainment." And that's regardless of whether the "entertainment" is conservative -- or something else. What counts is that it's local. ---------- Bud Kennedy's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (via August NRC DX Audio Service whazzup via DXLD) ** U S A. KHQA is now on the wrong frequency! Supposed to be minus, but it`s exactly on zero now for some reason. It`ll be interesting how long it takes for them to notice (Jeff Kadet, K1MOD, Macomb IL, Aug WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) Jeff Kadet reports KHQA, channel 7, Hannibal MO is off-frequency. They are operating on zero-offset, not their assigned minus offset. I note that WJW, channel 8, Cleveland OH, has changed from zero offset to plus, but KHQA has *not* been assigned zero offset. Strange things tend to happen with regard to broadcast transmission in the Quincy- Hannibal market. Which really shouldn`t be a surprise when you realize that the largest US manufacturer of broadcast transmitters is located there (Doug Smith, TV News, August WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** U S A. KUSA, (channel 9 Denver), seen on channel 4! My first translator by sporadic-E. There are four KUSAs on channel 4, all west of Denver and within 45 miles of each other. Crested Butte, etc., K04GS, 874 miles, 2977 feet, 14 watts, directional antenna putting 740 watts to the east fits the best (Jeff Kadet, K1MOD, Macomb IL, Aug WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) Apparently June 26 between 1120 and 1200 CDT, judging from position in log list ** U S A. I have no converter, but strong indications of HDTV skip have been seen numerous times. Namely on ch 2 and 4 to the south, 2 to the west and 4 to the east. HDTV signals from Chicago 3 and Kalamazoo 2 have blocked Es to the NE. Few channels are open on UHF for tropo here. HDTV signals are dominant. The hobby, as I knew it, is coming to an end (William Eckberg, Dixon IL, Aug WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** U S A. I was just checking out the "Where's That Station" software, and I noticed that WCBS is listed as being 25,000 watts at night. I don't have my NRC Log handy, but I had always thought that WCBS was 50,000 watts all the time. Has this changed, has it always dropped to 25,000 at night, or is the WTS database wrong on this one? Any leads would be appreciated! (Eric Conchie, Tweed, ON, Feel free to look at my logbook at http://ontarioamdxer.tripod.com/ Aug 4, NRC-AM via DXLD) This is actually kind of interesting. They have 3 active listings in the FCC database. One for 50 kW unlimited, non-directional Day/Night. Then they have another 2 entries, one for 25 kW day and another for 25 kW night, also ND. On top of this, there are construction permits listed too, for 35 kW Day and 26 kW night. I dug into some of the recent apps, and it looks like the lower power entries are for their auxiliary transmitter. I'm thinking that your original assumption that they are 50 kW unlimited is correct, and the entries you're seeing in "Where's That Station" are referring to the auxiliary transmitter. They do appear to come straight from the FCC's own database (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA, ibid.) They must have upgraded the aux transmitter since I was there. My recollection is that WCBS aux was 10 kW and WNBC was 5 kW. Back then they often ran 10 kW on Monday morning to allow maintenance on the 50. (Bob Foxworth, FL, ibid.) I seem to remember a year or two ago, there were occasional nights where they would go off the air for a couple of hours for what they referred to on air as "transmitter work". I'm wondering if, if indeed they changed anything from the 50 kilowatt 24/7 that they had, that these changes were made at that time? (Eric Conchie, Tweed, ON, ibid.) What they were working on was revamping the antenna system. When WCBS/WNBC built the site in 1963, it was an unusual antenna configuration - a quasi-Franklin, segmented tower which was actually fed about 2/3 of the way up, through a complicated tuning network mounted WITHIN the tower. The idea was to feed both segments of the tower with the 660 signal, while feeding only the lower segment of the tower with the 880 signal. It was a great idea in practice, but never worked well - and do YOU want to have to climb 350 feet up to tweak the tuning network? So the tower was modified to a more standard shunt-fed design, and the insulated section 2/3 of the way up was bridged. A new tuning network was built at the base of the tower to combine 660 and 880. This all required some downtime. Additionally, the original auxiliary tower on the site was very short and presented an unstable load to the solid-state aux transmitters now in use (solid-state transmitters are much more finicky about what they'll drive than the old tube boxes were; there's a discussion underway on one of the engineering lists right now about driving tube transmitters into a piece of iron handrail!) So a new aux tower is going up that can handle more power - hence that "35kw" CP. You can see LOTS of pictures and read more about the site here: http://www.fybush.com/site-030424.html s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) ** U S A. IBIQUITY'S MYSTERY CODEC: WHAT IS IT? Ibiquity has quietly begun inviting broadcast engineers to its Columbia, Md. headquarters to hear its new or upgraded codec. Two engineers who have heard the codec so far praised Ibiquity's efforts. The engineers heard the demo of various music and talk material on CDs sent through an Ibiquity reference exciter and receiver, plus one consumer receiver. One said, "It was not a simulation using a PC." In separate demonstrations on different days, the engineers said they heard FM at 96 kbps and 64 kbps, the latter being the bit rate the primary channel would need to be for stations that wish to split their programming and have a secondary audio channel, a concept that NPR, Harris and Kenwood plan to test soon. The engineers also heard AM at 36 kbps. Ibiquity has been focusing on improving the codec performance, especially on AM at low bit rates, since May. That's when the standards-setting body, the NRSC, said it did not believe Ibiquity's PAC codec delivered broadcast-quality audio on AM at low bit rates. As a result, the group suspended all standards-setting efforts, for both AM and FM. Geoff Mendenhall, vice president of advanced product development for Harris Broadcast, said the progress was "phenomenal to the point where we are satisfied and we think broadcasters will be too." NPR Senior Engineer Jan Andrews described the improvements as "startling." Previously, NPR was one of the more vocal critics of Ibiquity's AM audio performance. Andrews said of the demo, that he found the audio quality "very acceptable." In a memo to stations on a technical public radio list serve, Andrews stated: "Assuming Ibiquity is able to deliver the demonstrated level of performance in the real world (which seems possible given that we were listening through reference exciters and receivers and one consumer receiver), I believe there will be compelling audio quality incentives for stations to adopt HD Radio." More engineers are expected to make the trek to Maryland for a demo this week and next. Reportedly, there will be a further demo at NPR later this month. Ibiquity declined comment on the demos, and particularly on what codec is being used. The spokesman said the company continues to work on the issue and hopes to go public with details soon (RW News Byte Aug 4 via Harry Helms, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. LIGHTNING KNOCKS CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION OFF THE AIR [WFGB 89.7 Kingston NY] http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1769&dept_id=74958&newsid=9950541&PAG=461&rfi=9 (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Hace apenas unos dias informaba sobre la señal horaria venezolana YVTO Observatorio Naval Cajigal que estaba fuera del aire. En esta oportunidad me toca reportar que de nuevo está en el aire, en su frecuencia habitual de 5000 kHz. Atte: (José Elías, Aug 5, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Hola Glenn, saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. Luego de varios días fuera del aire, YVTO regresa a los 5000 kHz. Captada este martes 05/06. Excelente señal (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA. 4910. ZNBC, Glenn, confirmed heard here from *0245 fish eagle IS through 06 fish eagle IS +. English news at 06, fairly poor. Not as good tonight; Botswana has much less static. Thanx for the check on this (David Norcross, djnorx@fix.net, SLO CA, 7600G, eave hung short wire Aug 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 1630: I need Virginia TIS help --- on 1630 about a week ago, I briefly heard a TIS fade up over KCJJ mentioning "Virginia's largest collection of Fabergé Easter eggs". A Yahoo search leads me to believe it may be related to the Virginia Museum of FIne Arts in Richmond. Since Bill's TIS page is down, I can't seem to find anything. If it was Richmond, that's a helluva catch on a Sony 2010 barefoot indoors! Anybody have an idea what this might be? Thanks! (Bruce WB3HVV Collier, York, PA, Aug 6, IRCA via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Estación en 3160.02 kHz, SINPO 2/1, con sermón religioso. Captada a las 0410 UT 05/08. Pensaba que era un armónico de una venezolana, pero no; luego se desvaneció completamente (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. The numbers station broadcasting on LSB on 5924 at 1220 is definitely in Mandarin Chinese after comparing it with my Encarta language samples. Sur is the number 4, Liaow is 6, Ba is 8. 3/8/03 1220 5924 LSB UNID station with female reading/singing three figures. I think it may be Taiwanese after comparing with the N&O webpage but it isn't // with Star Star on 8300. Now can somebody help me to identify the broadcasting station on 5925 in Vietnamese. I suspect that it may be a religious programme (Robin L. HARWOOD, Tasmania, swl at qth.net via DXLD) prompting the following ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THIS DAY`S CHINESE LESSON +++++++++++++++++++++++++ I am far from being a linguist - but did pick up BARELY enough language to be a tourist while working and traveling in Asia. Got to where I could travel, eat, sleep, shop (and even bargain), and make usual pleasant greetings and find the airport, train station, bus station, and taxis - but I would never be able to write a meaningful letter to someone I was not across the table from. There are as many pronunciation variations in Chinese as there are in American English. This can be very confusing if you learn a bit of Chinese in Beijing (standard Mandarin) or in Tianjin (the 'Brooklynese' version of Mandarin Chinese), and then try and use those pronunciations a few provinces away. In Taiwan, the standard language is Mandarin. So Taiwanese stations frequently are confused for those on the mainland. However, a mainland station would never call it just Taiwan. It would be either the Province of Taiwan or Formosa Island/ Province - The PRC is still convinced that they will get it back! Cantonese, in which the characters have the same meaning, is pronounced somewhat [very --- gh] differently than Mandarin. A person born and schooled in the north may have difficulty holding a conversation with someone from Hong Kong without at least some misunderstanding. 'liang' - could mean 'second' (numerically) 'shur' may be 'tens' (soft 'r')- 'sear' may be closer to what might be a four. Sometime also pronounced by shopkeepers as 'qui' for currency. 'Ba is eight, but 'Ban' is 'half' and frequently usually used in time like "Er shur dian ban' - meaning 2, tens, hour, half or 2230. Quite a few folks repeat the time in a 24 hour format - even local time. With one time zone for the 3000 miles east to west, and NO daylight shifting time, there is much less confusion about train and bus schedules. My phonetics might be different than yours - but here's a shot: 1- Yi -or- Yo 2- Er 3- San 4- Si or qui 5- Wu 6- Liu (sometimes sounds more like "Leel" 7- qi (sometimes sounds more like "chee") 8- Ba 9- Jiu (sometimes sounds more like "Joul" with a very soft 'l') 0- Ling Tens- Shi - but can sound more like "Shur" with a very soft 'r' Hundreds- Bai (can sound like "Bye). San Bai is 300. San Bai Er Shi is 320. Half- Ban Quarter - Ka (45 minutes past the hour might sound like 'san ka' (three quarters - sounds like the decaf coffee brand) or spoken like Si Shur Wu fen (4 tens and five). fen can either be seconds or cents - depending on the context. Lots of ways to say a lot of common things - no different than English, Especially American English. The 'official' language is standard Mandarin ("PuTangHua") - as spoken in the NE part of the country and would certainly be used on any government or military radio broadcast. Think of all the slang we use for the denominations of US currency. "Buck", "Fin", "dollar", "C-Note", "sawbuck", "Single"... etc... Or Time: "Midnight", "Noon", "Sunset", "Sunup", "Sundown", ... etc..., -OR- "Where's the John?" "Where's the head?" "Where's Mickey-D's?" ._._. (A10382, ibid.) There is a numerical system for indicating the four or five tones in Chinese dialects, without which great misunderstandings are inevitable; why not use them? (gh, DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2003 WORLD RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE Final report on July`s WRC: http://www.iaru.org/rel030703.html (Chris Brand, Communication Webwatch, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Glenn, One more thing. Since my DXing time this summer has been spent primarily disconnecting anything remotely related to an antenna or plug in the wall (thank you Mother Nature), I have had a little extra time to study the BPL problem. A few personal observations from a long time Florida resident where mediumwave reception as well as shortwave reception is impeded by neglected power lines, transformers, etc. I believe that our approach as hobbyists of emailing and writing the FCC is fruitless. If the smaller radio outlets and other interests could not influence the FCC regarding the recent decision on media dominance in markets, then what makes anyone think we have any input at all? Especially to a department of the Federal Government which is highly politicized and for all practical purposes, for rent. Florida, without a doubt, is a great test market to illustrate the absurdity of BPL programs. Not only does our region of Florida experience inordinate amounts of lightning and other weather related disruptions to the power supply, these same weather events cause damage to the local power grid on a daily basis. FPL (Florida Power and Light) is the primary monopoly in this state and is run no better than WorldComm was (in my opinion and that of many others). If you complain about high levels of static discharge due to shorted out power lines, insulators, transformers, etc., it MIGHT get resolved or repaired withing two to six months. Think about this. I have measured (unscientifically at this point) levels of S-8 + of intereference to local medium wave broadcasters. This is where I think BPL is vulnerable. Do not waste your time emailing the FCC. Email and write ClearChannel. Write to Infinity Broadcasting. Hit the big boys. Let them know that this new science will prevent you from listening to those beloved A.M. broadcasters which play Rush Limbaugh, Jim Rome, etc. This will force a delay in any FCC actions, if you ask me. If ClearChannel thinks they will lose the ability to broadcast in the clear, then there will be zero chance of the FCC approving the concept of Internet access via power lines. The inability of the local power grid to stay 100% within tolerances for normal reception of medium wave and shortwave broadcasts should be proof enough of that. I am emailing our local stations and will follow up with telephone calls also. I hope to have an update on my idea in the next 3-4 weeks. In the meantime I suggest all hobbyists hammer the people who really have the most to lose: the multi-media monopolies who have invested millions in their on-air talent (Phil Marshall, Bradenton, FL, Aug 5, WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BPL IS ``SPECTRUM POLLUTION,`` ARRL PRESIDENT SAYS BPL would use low and medium-voltage lines like these in a typical residential area to distribute digital data using HF and low-VHF frequencies. NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 6, 2003 -- ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says Broadband over Power Line (BPL) -- if widely deployed -- would represent ``spectrum pollution`` on a level that is ``difficult to imagine.`` Haynie reacted after seeing videotape and early data from recent ARRL field studies in four states where BPL is undergoing testing. ``BPL is the most crucial issue facing Amateur Radio and the one that has the most devastating potential,`` Haynie said. In terms of interference potential on HF and low-VHF frequencies, ``nothing is on the same scale as BPL.`` A form of power line carrier (PLC) technology, BPL would use existing low and medium-voltage power lines to deliver broadband services to homes and businesses. Because it uses frequencies between 2 and 80 MHz, BPL could affect HF and low-VHF amateur allocations wherever it`s deployed. BPL proponents -- primarily electric power utilities -- already are testing BPL systems in several markets, and one reportedly is already offering the service. FCC rules already allow BPL, although industry proponents want the FCC to relax radiation limits. It`s feared such a change could exacerbate BPL`s interference potential. At the West Gulf Division Convention (Austin Summerfest 2003) August 1-2 in Austin, Texas, Haynie previewed a short video (see below) that covers highlights of a recent field tour by ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI. The video, which will complement technical data ARRL is gathering and compiling, turned out to be a real eye-opener for many in the audience. Walt Dubose, K5YFW -- assistant chairman of the ARRL High Speed Multimedia (HSMM) Working Group -- said it was about what he`d expected. ``But for most attending -- maybe 60 percent -- it was much worse than they had imagined, and for some it was a real shocker,`` he reported. Dubose said a few of those viewing the video simply couldn`t believe that BPL actually was causing the high noise level. In late July, Hare traveled some 1350 miles to visit BPL trial communities in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York to take measurements over significant parts of the HF spectrum. He also took initial readings at low-VHF frequencies. Driving a specially equipped vehicle loaded with radio gear and measurement devices, Hare said he didn`t need to look long or track down ``a few hot spots`` to find BPL interference. ``The signals were all over,`` he said. ``The interference found ranged from moderate to extremely strong,`` Hare said. The video shows the S meter of an HF transceiver holding steady in excess of S9 as the speaker emits a crackling din, which one observer described as sounding like a Geiger counter. Only the very strongest amateur signals broke through on 20 and 15 meters. Hare noted that the field strengths of the various systems all were within FCC Part 15 limits for power line carrier (PLC) devices. At a couple of points, the video shows noise continuing nearly unabated on 15 and 20 meters as the car moves down long streets lined with overhead wiring. Hare said the signal propagated for at least a couple of miles down one road. ``Signals would have been much stronger using a gain antenna,`` he observed. Hare`s vehicle carried a roof-mounted, horizontally polarized Buddi-Pole antenna -- a loaded dipole. Hare used a typical HF transceiver -- in this case a Kenwood TS-440 – to actually monitor BPL signals on the HF spectrum. His vehicle also was equipped with other receiving gear to take field strength measurements. Each BPL system exhibited a unique sound depending upon the modulation scheme it used, and Hare said he was able to distinguish three types during his recent tour. While in most cases, the signal sounded like static or pulse noise, in one city, it resembled sort of interference a computer monitor or similar device might generate, with warbling ``birdies`` blanketing the bands at closely spaced intervals. ``Naturally, overhead wiring was the worst,`` Hare said. BPL signals continued to be audible in neighborhoods with underground electrical utility wiring, although it was somewhat attenuated. The ARRL already has filed a 120-page package of text and technical exhibits in response to the FCC`s Notice of Inquiry in late May. The League plans to file reply comments -- responses to comments already filed -- by the recently extended August 20 FCC deadline. Haynie has been doing a bit of traveling of his own, including 15 days in Washington so far this year to deal with the FCC and with members of Congress on BPL and other Amateur Radio-related issues. ``Unfortunately, it all costs money, and a lot of these kinds of League activities are not highly visible to our members or to the amateur community,`` he said. During his most recent stop in the nation`s capital, Haynie -- accompanied by ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD -- visited the office of Rep Billy Tauzin (R-LA), who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and met with Howard Waltzman, Tauzin`s chief telecommunication counsel on the committee. He also met with a staffer in the office of Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA), a member of the Telecommunication Subcommittee and a strong supporter of Amateur Radio. Haynie says a lot of hams want to know more about BPL but are put off by the size and depth of the technical documents and filings. He feels that seeing the video presentation might make a stronger impression. Countering critics who suggest that the League is only using BPL as a fund-raising ploy, Haynie said the League would not be putting as much effort into attempting to quantify the BPL threat and to put a face on it if it weren`t real. ``The BPL industry and their associations have told the FCC and the world that there is no interference potential from BPL systems,`` Haynie said. He noted that the American Public Power Association, in its comments to the FCC, put the burden on the technology`s challengers to empirically demonstrate its interference potential. ``The video presentation does just that,`` Haynie said. ``Anyone seeing these BPL signals for megahertz after megahertz for miles along a power line should be convinced that BPL -- even operating at the present FCC limits -- poses a serious threat to all HF and low-VHF communications.`` While the deadline for initial comments on the FCC`s May 23 NOI has passed, the FCC has now extended the reply comment deadline to August 20. More information is available on the ARRL Web site. The ARRL filed a 120-page package of comments and technical exhibits in response to the BPL NOI on July 7. There`s additional information and additional video clips on the ARRL ``Power Line Communications (PLC) and Amateur Radio`` page http://www2.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/ Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (ARRL August 6 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ PERSEID METEOR SHOWER, AUG 12-13 Don`t miss the show: all about it at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/17jul_peseids2003.htm/list880592 (NASA Science News via Mike Terry, Aug BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) HFRADIO ON-LINE DISCUSSON FORUM ABOUT PROPAGATION AND SWLING Hello, fellow hobbyists. I have created a new, on-line forum for discussion of Propagation and Shortwave Listening. If you have a question regarding propgation (like, "How does Aurora Propagation Work?" or, "What is trans-equatorial propagation?" and, "How does the solar flare affect radio signals on HF?"), or have observations, then come join the discussion. Questions will be answered, observations welcomed, and general chat about radio shared. Please come by, today: http://hfradio.org/forums/ I look forward to seeing you there. 73 de Tomas NW7US (AAR0JA/AAM0EWA) -- : Propagation Editor, CQ/CQ VHF/Popular Communications Magazines : : http://hfradio.org/ -- http://prop.hfradio.org/ -- Brinnon, WA : : 122.93W 47.67N - CW / SSB / DIGITAL / DX-Hunting / Propagation : : A creator of solutions -- http://accessnow.com/ -- Perl Rules! : : Washington State MARS Emergency Operations Officer - (AAM0EWA) : : WA State Army MARS Webmaster for http://wa.mars.hfradio.org/ : : 10x56526, FISTS 7055, FISTS NW 57, A.R. Lighthouse Society 144 : --^---------------------------------------------------------------- (SWBC Aug 5 via WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DXLD) FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 06 AUGUST - 01 SEPTEMBER Solar activity is expected to range from low to moderate levels during the period. Region 424 has the potential for isolated M-class activity during the first half of the period. An area of active longitudes is due to return to the visible disk on 08 August and is expected to have C-class and isolated M-class potential. Activity during the second half of the period is expected to be at low levels. No greater than 10 MeV proton events at geosynchronous orbit are expected. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux is expected to reach high levels on 09 - 11 August, on 13 –15 August and again on 25 August – 01 September. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to major storm levels during the period. Coronal hole effects are expected on 07 - 09 August and 11 – 13 August with isolated major storm levels possible. The large coronal hole high speed stream is due to return late in the period and is expected to produce minor storm levels on 22 – 29 August. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Aug 05 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 Aug 05 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Aug 06 130 25 5 2003 Aug 07 135 35 6 2003 Aug 08 140 25 5 2003 Aug 09 145 15 3 2003 Aug 10 145 15 3 2003 Aug 11 145 15 3 2003 Aug 12 145 25 5 2003 Aug 13 140 20 4 2003 Aug 14 135 15 3 2003 Aug 15 135 15 3 2003 Aug 16 135 15 3 2003 Aug 17 140 15 3 2003 Aug 18 140 15 3 2003 Aug 19 135 12 3 2003 Aug 20 135 12 3 2003 Aug 21 125 15 3 2003 Aug 22 115 25 5 2003 Aug 23 105 20 4 2003 Aug 24 100 20 4 2003 Aug 25 100 30 5 2003 Aug 26 100 30 5 2003 Aug 27 100 30 5 2003 Aug 28 105 30 5 2003 Aug 29 110 20 4 2003 Aug 30 120 15 3 2003 Aug 31 125 12 3 2003 Sep 01 130 10 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1194, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###