DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-102, June 22, 2005 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.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 For restrixions and searchable 2005 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 AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1278: Wed 2200 WOR WBCQ 7415 17495-CUSB [first airing of each edition] Thu 1000 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Thu 1000 WOR RNI [archive] Thu 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Thu 2030 WOR WWCR 15825 Thu 2300 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Fri 0000 WOR WTND-LP 106.3 Macomb IL Fri 0200 WOR ACBRadio Mainstream [repeated 2-hourly thru 2400] Fri 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Fri 2105 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Fri 2300 WOR Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 87.35 96.55 105.55 Sat 0000 WOR ACBRadio Mainstream Sat 0800 WOR WRN to Eu, Au, NZ, WorldSpace AfriStar, AsiaStar Sat 0855 WOR WNQM Nashville TN 1300 Sat 1030 WOR WWCR 5070 Sat 1330 WOR WPKN Bridgeport CT 89.5 [also WPKM Montauk LINY 88.7] [at 1000 from July] Sat 1730 WOR WRN to North America (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sat 1730 WOR WRMI 7385 [from WRN] Sun 0230 WOR WWCR 5070 Sun 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0330 WOR WRMI 7385 Sun 0630 WOR WWCR 3210 Sun 0730 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Sun 0830 WOR WRN to North America, also WLIO-TV Lima OH SAP (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sun 0830 WOR KSFC Spokane WA 91.9 Sun 0830 WOR WXPR Rhinelander WI 91.7 91.9 100.9 Sun 0830 WOR WDWN Auburn NY 89.1 [unconfirmed] Sun 0830 WOR KTRU Houston TX 91.7 [occasional] Sun 1200 WOR WRMI 7385 Sun 1300 WOR KRFP-LP Moscow ID 92.5 Sun 1730 WOR WRMI 7385 [from WRN] Sun 1730 WOR WRN1 to North America (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sun 1900 WOR Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 87.35 96.55 105.55 Sun 1900 WOR RNI Mon 0230 WOR WRMI 7385 Mon 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0330 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 [Extra 57] Mon 0415 WOR WBCQ 7415 [time varies, e.g. 0419 May 30] Mon 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours MORE info including audio links: http://worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND [from Friday]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: WORLD OF RADIO 1278 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1278h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1278h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1278 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1278.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1278.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1278.html [from Thursday] WORLD OF RADIO 1278 in true shortwave sound of Alex`s mp3 [projected] (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_06-22-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_06-22-05.mp3 Or keep checking http://www.dxprograms.net WORLD OF RADIO PODCAST Andy O'Brien, Indeed it does work! I used a couple iPOdder tools, like Doppler and Happy Fish and the RSS XML was digested by these tools with no problem. However, I would comment on the audio quality. At this stage of the podcasting game a balance between audio quality, internet download time, file transfer time, and iPod or iPod-like device memory space should be considered. I, for one, think non-music spoken word podcasts do not require a 128 kbs sample rate. By reducing that figure by half or more the 28 MByte WOR file can be reduced also by more than half, along with the time to transfer from place to place. I use an HP iPAQ PDA as my iPOD equivalent and that means space for maps, spreadsheets, music and WOR podcasts are contending for available space. I often transfer podcast content to the PDA as I get ready for work, and sometimes time to transfer is an issue. So, I thank you for providing the MP3's, the XML, and making it all a nicely done podcast package! But, I would appreciate smaller files and faster transfers as an engineering trade-off for audio quality (Pete Costello, NJ, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. 15500, Salaam Watandar, 1330 June 19, with Afghan songs. A report at 1336 mentioning 'kawula' (slave in Arabic?) Another man IDing Salaam Watandar, then a song with more talks then and then children's [gram bahar afgan and hindi(c) song followed. Items in this edition are LOGS FROM CHALKIDKI --- We were for 4 days on vacations in Fourka, the country house of my father-in-law at again a mountain which is nearly totally free of local QRNs. As you will see below, much interesting material has been gathered. Please notice that logs came from various points from the Fourka 'territory' (radius of 6 km). The most clear 'local night' was June 17 without any true QRN. Equipment: Radios: Tecsun PL200 and Degen DE1103, Earphones DE929 + SONY 'superbass" always used; AN-05 Tecsun reel antenna has been used mostly with 3.6 m of length (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. 17700, Solh, 1230 June 19, OM with continuous talks, mention of a tel number, 1240 song. Usual ID at 1242 with "Solh Radio,``, kHz, etc. 34433 (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. Hi Kevin, Your Chinese frequency at 1400 UT today June 22, 9615, was stronger than usual, so I checked 9795 for English --- but all I heard was Vietnamese from France via Japan. Maybe your signal was underneath, but I could not detect it. Nothing on your posted schedules yet, but I am wondering if you have actually made a frequency change to resolve this collision? Thanks, (Glenn Hauser to Kevin Chambers, KNLS, via DXLD) Hello Glenn, Yes, we have moved at 1400 UT to 9555. We hope this change will work! Thank you, (Kevin Chambers, KNLS, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hmmm, not here with Cuba on 9550. Only collision now per EiBi: 9555 0515-1545 AUS CVC International E SAf /AFS 9555 --- Fortunately, that means transmitted from South Africa, not Australia (gh, OK, DXLD) ** ALASKA. Nick Hall-Patch on CCGS John P. Tully at various points in the northeast Pacific Ocean using 6'x9' ALA100 active loop antenna and Drake R8 driven by laptop with Ergo IV. Some interesting stuff here Patrick, from a working trip offshore to 50N 145W. In spite of logging a couple of Chinese, my impression was that Asiatic conditions went downhill after 7/ 8 June, just as we arrived at Ocean Station Papa. Station Papa itself, at 50N 145W, is a good location for Asiatics, even in June, partly due to lack of domestic QRM, but you can see the signal strength generally increase on successive days approaching that site when using the DR333 signal strength monitoring program. Given that it's about a fifth of the way to Japan, I suppose it's not too surprising. Unfortunately, even though we were there for several days, working days of up to 17 hours rather limited my DX time, and as soon as my heavy work finished, we were back towards the Queen Charlottes and domestic QRM again. One highlight was hearing the two stations from Nome with a broad daylight path across a chunk of Alaska. It seemed to be a spotlight effect, as when we moved on from that site (it was a sampling station on the way to the Charlottes), they quickly faded, though of course, we were approaching local noon as well. Shipboard QRM was not a big problem (the ALA100 is quite brilliant in this regard, compared with active whips, plus it is quite sensitive even when suspended between large chunks of steel), but there were buzzes and hums that limited certain parts of the band, and the Russian LWBC were mostly buried. Perhaps I should see if I can get on a sailing ship? Anyway, read, and enjoy. I know I enjoyed doing it. 560 ALASKA, Kodiak, KVOK. 1452 11 Jun. "AM 5-60 KVOK" ID and country music; this one is a regular out in the watery wastes. Fair to good. (NHP-50N 145W) 580 ALASKA, Petersburg, KRSA. 0111 7 Jun. VoA news (!), announcement for a Saturday morning program on KRSA, followed by Haines, Sitka, Juneau, Petersburg and Wrangell. Good signal. (NHP-50N 143 40W) 620 ALASKA, Homer, KGTL. 2341 12 Jun. KGTL 6-20 ID after easy listening music; good signal. (NHP-50N 145W) 650 ALASKA, Anchorage, KENI. 0136 13 Jun. "News Radio 6-50 KENI" ID; Lazy Boy Gallery commercial. Fair to poor. (NHP-51 15N 143 40W) 670 ALASKA, Dillingham, KDLG. 2306 11 Jun. //830 w/man talking after musical interlude; near noise floor; v. poor. (NHP-50N 145W) 750 ALASKA, Anchorage, KFQD. 0000 13 Jun. KFQD ID on hour, after legal advice call in program; good strength. (NHP-51 15N 143 40W) 780 ALASKA, Nome, KNOM. 1552 13 Jun. Old time country mx, mention of Nome and KNOM; surprisingly good considering daylight path across a chunk of Alaska. ID on hour, but messy. Then, quite thunderous 1619 with a small program on birdwatching in the area. Fair to good. (NHP-51 15N 143 40W) 830 ALASKA, Sand Point, KSDP. 2304 11 Jun. "KDLG Dillingham" ID after country music program, which continued a few minutes later; had heard local ID for KSDP at 2128, but recorder wasn't running. Fair. (NHP-50N 145W) 850 ALASKA, Nome, KICY. 1550 13 Jun. Ad with details for ordering the KICY sweatshirt; recorder not running unfortunately; might have ordered one. Good despite daylight and partial overland path of ~2000 km. (NHP-51 15N 143 40W) 890 ALASKA, Homer, KBBI. 1347 11 Jun. Mentions of BBC World Service and a news interview program; listed as BBCWS at this time. Good. (NHP-50N 145W) 920 ALASKA, Soldotna, KSRM. 1607 13 Jun. KSRM mention in middle of news; some shipboard noise; another ID at 1611; fair-poor. (NHP-51 15N 143 40W) 1230 ALASKA, Sitka, KIFW. 2332 11 Jun. "AM 12-30 KIFW" ID by man between blocks of pop music; occasional fades yielded man talking faintly underneath. KVAK? Fair strength and a regular out here. (NHP-50N 145W) (Nick Hall-Patch, IRCA Soft DX Monitor 6/25 via DXLD) His full report has many more loggings, especially from Australia and Japan which are `better DX`, but actual loggings of many of these Alaskan stations are rare, and his information on them is valuable; see also HAWAII (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Is Atheism Dead? Some now argue its failure as a force for social reform has sparked our current renewed interest in religion --- but what exactly is atheism? Is it a belief? And can you be an atheist and still live by a higher moral code? Australia Talks Back, Wednesday June 22. Audio links, 50 minute program, for the moment, are at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/austback/default.htm (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good discussion; recommended (gh) ** BAHAMAS. New Bahamian. 05-34-05 [sic], 102.1 "Bahamas Mix 102" probably Grand Bahama. Not listed (Ken Simon, Lake Worth FL, June 22, WTFDA via DXLD) ** BERMUDA. Re comments by GH in DXLD 5-101: The original item in the Royal Gazette was badly written, and "BJAZ" may be a typo. Since I wanted to know the frequency, I Googled and came across several other reports from various sources that all said KJAZ, so that's why it appeared that way in the Weblog :-) (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) I`d go with BJAZ! Much more creative, and I have heard that Bermuda is not west of the Mississippi, except long way round (Glenn, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. 6185, R. Nacional da Amazónia, Brasília DF, 19 JUN 2239- ..., ballads; 44432, adjcacent QRM only. Almost hard to believe this uses 250 kW when other much smaller local stations usually put better signals (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) + 13 more Brazilian logs; see dxld yg; isn`t it Amazônia? (gh) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Difusora Londrina (4815 kHz) sent me a ``thanks`` letter in Portuguese for my reception report with $1.00 in Portuguese, after 15 days. Letter signer was Oscar Simões da Costa, Gerente Administativo. Mailing Address: Caixa Postal 216, Londrina, PR 86000- 0000, Brasil. Telephone +55 43 3322 1105; FAX: +55 43 3324 7369; E- mail: radiodifusora690 @ aol.com http://www.radiodifusoradelondrina.com.br Frequencies: 0900-0300 690, 4815 kHz. I sent to Caixa Postal 1870, in a letter indicated 216, and in web page 916 -- all these may be correct! Their postal address; Rua Sergipe, 843 -Sala 05, Londrina, PR 86010-360, Brasil (Takahito Akabayashi Tokyo, Japan, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURKINA FASO. 7230, R. Burkina, Ouagadougou, audible on 18 JUN 1341-1424, French, religious item, weather report 1350, ads, Vernancular 1400, local pops; 35443 (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. The premier and provincial legislature of Saskatchewan considered observing daylight saving [sic] time for 2004 and 2005; but they backed off. They also decided not to include this on a recent provincial election ballet. DST is still under consideration for 2006. My understanding is that CTV and Global networks are back fed from B.C. to Saskatchewan stations; rather than the Saskatchewan stations taping to adjust for the lack of daylight saving time; as the network stations in Arizona do for most evening programs. 73. Good DXing. (Dave Sinclair, Vancouver, B.C., June 21, WTFDA via DXLD) ** CANADA. New DX catch forthcoming? http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2005/pb2005-63.htm Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories Application No. 2005-0529-0 Application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to amend the licence of radio programming undertaking CHAK Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The licensee proposes to add an AM transmitter at Tuktoyaktuk to broadcast the programming of CHAK Inuvik in order to serve the population of Tuktoyaktuk. The transmitter would operate on frequency 1150 kHz with a transmitter power of 40 watts day-time and night-time (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) Maybe in Lapland (gh) [Later:] Oops, Upon reading the CBC's full application http://www.crtc.gc.ca/Broadcast/eng/Applications/2005/2005-0529-0.pdf I notice that the application relates to an existing third-party transmitter that has expired -- so this DX catch should already exist -- that the CBC is taking over. "It has come to our attention that the Tuktoyaktuk Broadcasting Society's CRTC licence has expired. In order to maintain CBC's Radio One service to Tuktoyaktuk, we are applying to have CFCT attached to our CHAK Inuvik licence as a full-time re- broadcaster," wrote Bev Kirshenblatt, senior director of regulatory affairs at CBC. Incidentally, the document includes the technical specs of the Tuktoyaktuk facilities. They are co-located with CBC Television's CBEPT transmission site and uses a non-directional vertically polarized Inverted L antenna. Also included is a contour map. 73, (Ricky Leong Calgary, Alta., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non?]. CHU was off 7335 for a few days a couple of weeks ago and pirate Crystal Ship took the "opportunity" to run a broadcast on 7335. Crystal Ship has been using 6854 most frequently lately (6854, not 6954). (MARE Tipsheet June 22 via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 5910, COLOMBIA, (Presumed) Marfil Estéreo, 1001-1026, June 20, Spanish, Format fits previous logs of Marfil Estéreo with campo music, crowing roosters and animated OM over music with several mentions of "Colombia" and many trilled R's. Slipping under static by tune-out. Not // 6010-LV de tu Conciencia (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Marfil Estéreo, luego de su reactivación el pasado 18/06, en los 5909.88 kHz, la capté este 19/06 en los 5909.93 kHz. Quizás luego de unos días se estabilice finalmente en 5910 kHz. Radio Líder prosigue inactiva en los 6139.77 kHz. Tal vez reaparezca gracias a la vuelta de Marfil Estéreo en la onda corta (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, Yaesu FT-890, Antena TH3 MK3, June 21, WORLD OF RADIO 1278, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. Re 5-101: I find this whole exchange fascinating, since Eduardo/Gleason made a reappearance on the NRC list just a few days ago, asking if anyone knows if airborne MW broadcasts are possible/happening. Sounds like he got in a bit over his head on the radio-info forum, then went looking for information to try to dig himself out. Cute. I agree with him that using 530 kHz is stupid, given the length of antenna required, and with RVC nearby over a salt- water path, but this IS the US Govt that we're talking about... I suppose that it's more important to them that they not cause interference to domestic stations. 'Course they could have used 1710 instead (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA, ABDX via DXLD) Cuba on 530, Noted coming in very well on the drive home today (6/21) at 2135Z, through Eglin’s open carrier, apparently with Radio Rebelde. Seems stronger than noted over the weekend. Wonder what Saturday afternoon will hold for us when Marti is again on the air? (Gerry Bishop, Niceville, FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Whew! What a read that was in 1-505! Presume you saw this as well: http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=466956&Board=dx Now, does anyone care to debate whether the US Army really operated "Radio Recovery" on 1610 kHz from a portable unit set up in Homestead, FL for a few weeks, post-Hurricane Andrew (August, 1992)? BTW, it was only the NRC that booted me out years ago (not the IRCA, whom I have no issues with). (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: [The following post contains numerous unattributed quotes, the originals of which I have not seen, presumably from another forum; and it is sometimes difficult to tell which is the quote and which is Gleason`s response. I have attempted to separate them, likely from several different people, by putting the quotes in quotes --- gh] I was dead wrong... Posted by: David Eduardo [Gleason] Posted on: 06/21/05 02:37 PM This is in a manner of apology. The technology exists, and is being tested. The interference from Cuba plus the Turks and Caicos is so significant that the airborne broadcast cannot be heard anywhere. This is, as best I can see, a boondoggle that only the government could have created as it defies all logic from the technical, operational and fiscal aspects. Again, my apology for doubting that the government could have invented such a thing. The sad thing is that the US government has ruined the operation of a responsible evangelical broadcaster, RVC. Now no one can be heard, and 530, used with low power in Costa Rica and Ecuador, is pretty much wiped out as a useful frequency. ``That's something I don't understand about end fed Zepps. If one side of the balanced feed is connected to nothing, it seems to me, the feed is unbalanced and will radiate. I always thought a balanced feed had to be feeding a symmetrical antenna, for example, a center fed 1/2 wave in order for the feedline current to be equal but opposite and cancel each other's fields.`` ``You're still thinking "Broadcasting". In their application, I don't think they care too much about what the field strength is at any given point(s). As long as they're heard.`` Couldn't be measured, anyway, with any degree of accuracy, as the plane is constantly in motion. ``The Zepp is a horizontal half-wave fed radiator, fed by balanced, open-feeder transmission line. One side of the balanced line is connected to one end of the radiator (at the voltage maxima point) -- while the other side of the open feeder line is left floating in most ground-based Zepp installations. Since the Zepp is a half-wave radiator, it is not counterpoised against anything. Even though one side of the open transmission line is left connected to nothing, the line still performs its function by canceling equal but opposite line currents to ensure that the line does not radiate.`` ``I don't think so. The zepp antenna, evidently from the WWI era, predates coax. Here's a web reference on the zepp, and it's entirely made out of wire (no shields):`` ``If memory serves (which, as stated earlier, I did not look it up ) I thought Clive's description (and mine) WAS a Zepp?`` Direct, line of sight, just like FM..... PLUS the over-the-horizon characteristics of MW groundwave (which, according to some theories, is just an artifact of the direct wave passing over head anyway, and is induced on the surface of the ground as it passes) PLUS the skip from the incident angles at which the ground is struck. In other words, more than you would think! ``Then there's the "zepp" antenna, an end-fed half-wave wire, so named because it was first used on Zeppelins. The zepp still needs at least a minimal counterpoise (which could be the airframe), but not much current needs to flow into it since the zepp is voltage fed. Clive's idea of a sleeved dipole is probably better than a zepp.`` ``I should think that a sleeve dipole would work just fine. All you'd need would be a half wavelength length of feeder and a quarter wave piece of outer foil for the return screen/screen.`` ``In my long misplaced manuals for the ART-13 (WW-II aircraft xmtr by Collins tuning 2-18 MC) there were directions for using this type of antenna. for various bands. With am additional unit installed (exact designation forgotten by me) it was possible to operate as low as 2,000 KC (I think that number is correct). Manual had tables for length of wire being towed and settings for initial tuning at various frequencies.`` I believe that the transmissions were intended for aircraft communications and the intended for the general public. The above is as best my memory can recall. ``They also do this with other types of aircraft. Definitely out of the box thinking here. Magic, pure magic.`` ``Hemos estado haciendo pruebas en 530, pero debido a las interferencias de los "Turcos" y del gobierno represivo de Fidel, no han sido satisfactrios ni productivos. No sé se seguirán ni si se harán todos los sábados.`` THIS IS IMPORTANT, so gh translates: ``We have been testing on 530, but due to interference from the `Turks`, and from the repressive government of Fidel, they have not been satisfactory or productive. I do not know if they will continue nor if they will be done every Saturday.`` Presumably from someone at OCB ``A "Zepp" is basically a coaxial sleeve variation, and is every bit as efficient as a 1/4 wave over a full ground plane. Once the plane is aloft, you just spool it out, remembering to wind it back in before landing. If memory serves (without looking it up) a true Zepp was a 3/4 wave antenna, not unlike a 1/2 wave over 1/4 and very, very efficient. The coverage is not at all limited, and performs quite well.`` ``Not a notable frequency for conventional propagation techniques, but you are talking about an airplane at 10-20 thousand feet. Look at the path loss it is direct line of site to everything in it horizon. I think we need to get outside of the broadcaster's box.`` ``My guess is that the fuselage of the airplane is the counterpoise. Not a super efficient one, but one, nonetheless.`` ``An antenna is an antenna. You are thinking inside the box and need to look at it differently. The old VOA in Punta Gorda, Belize used two horizontal dipoles. There was no ground connection, it was all skywave and that was the intent. A long wire from the plane would be just that and would be skywave direct to the receiver. Why not?`` ``It must not be the most efficient transmission. But isn't this simply the way early aviation (i.e. dirigible) radio was conducted? Trolling for seagulls.`` Subject: RE: [BC] AMs from Airborne Airplanes ``How does an antenna dropped from a plane radiate without a ground system or a counterpoise system? Any idea of how efficient such radiators are? I am intrigued by one on 530, where the wavelength is near 600 meters... I would assume the coverage is very limited.`` ``My suspicion is that the 50 kW over salt water would be the better choice. However. It wouldn't have been a visible monument that would have appeased those clamoring for anti-Castro propaganda in Florida. I think it was more a political motivation rather than a technical one. Military friends explain that AM is used in aviation because two signals can be heard. That's important in emergency situations where the capture effect of FM would prevent an emergency or other warning signal from being received. My brother-in-law is the head of maintenance for US Air at Bradley International in Hartford. His explanation was the same. Your question has been asked before. I asked a few friends in the military with whom I often have breakfast if they've ever heard of a medium wave station operated from a plane. None had. However, they had heard of shortwave being used for propaganda purposes in areas of the world where it was the only means of communication. Everyone had shortwave receivers.`` ``When I first read this about an IBB/OCB Radio Martí transmission from an airplane on 530 kHz, I thought your information was mistaken since I work for IBB and had never heard of it. I had only heard of the airborne TV transmissions. Sure enough, it is listed on the frequency schedule on the Radio Martí web site. It appears to be only 6 to 10 PM on Saturdays. It is listed as an airborne transmission. I am very curious and fascinated now. I'll have to see if I can find out any technical details. It isn't likely they are running very much power. I expect the antenna is a long trailing wire. I'm the manager of an IBB site that transmits only VOA programming. We are located on the Equator off the west coast of Africa on Sao Tome Island.`` ``The Commando Solo folks from the 193rd Special Ops Wing of the PA Air National Guard have been broadcasting PSYOPS messages from aircraft in the MW, SW, FM, and TV bands in virtually every major conflict involving the US since 1968. They presently operate 6 specially modified EC-130E airborne broadcast stations. The MW transmitters are frequency agile Rockwell-Collins 10 kw units. The MW antenna is deployed from the belly with a 500 pound weight on the end to keep it relatively vertical. One of the cable science channels produced a very interesting one-hour program about these guys a couple years ago that I still see on the air every once in a while. In Iraq they also air dropped hundreds of single channel MW receivers tuned to their frequency and equipped with hand-crank power generators since there were very few radios available to the natives. Do a Google search for "Commando Solo" and you will find a huge amount of info.`` [end of this post containing unattributed quotes] I guess that when the US Government is carrying out a project, all bets are off if they're going to employ time-tested logic in their actions. After reading all these messages about MW from aircraft, I would now be inclined to believe someone if they said our government was transmitting MW from a raft using a peeled banana as an antenna (Phil J. Smith, ibid.) I was waiting to hear what kind of twisted technology the government was using with these transmissions and I'm really not surprised. It's an inefficient way to garner some propaganda points with a frequency that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. 530 is a terrible choice from the standpoint of interference from T&C, but if being first on the AM dial gets you anything, maybe Radio Martí can lay claim to that honor. Of course if Castro can fire up high-powered jamming transmitters all over the island, it's a lost cause anyway, regardless of what frequency is chosen. Silly me, but I think it's time we ended this ridiculous game that began well over four decades ago by re-opening diplomatic relations with Cuba and ending all the sanctions, thereby allowing free trade and tourism. Fidel is still in power and our policy hasn't worked. That would eliminate the need for Radio (and TV) Martí (jldard, ibid.) They are using about 5 kW into a short antenna. The power is, based on low efficiency, in the 3-4 kW range. They apparently can not load the full 10 kW of the Collins rig into a short antenna, as it arcs to the airframe But not every week. In fact, in the last month, weather has made only one broadcast possible. The wind whipped the antenna, with a 500 lb weight on it, so badly it was a danger to the plane. I have this confirmed, in Spanish, on the referred to post, by an engineer at Martí. He calls the broadcasts experimental, as they are more often than not unable to unfurl the antenna or even get airborne. The FCC does not license Martí. In fact, the definition of the MW band by the FCC is 540 to 1700 kHz, and 530 is not a valid broadcast frequency in the US. See the FCC's own database on 530... http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?state=&call=&arn=&city=&freq=530&fre2=530&type=0&facid=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9 1180 is not licensed by the FCC, either, as stated. This is shown in the early 80's Act of Congress chartering Martí. This shows how wrong the info coming out of the Marti office can be. See http://www.davidgleason.com/1986-Radio-Marti.htm for a bit of the history. The 1180 100 kW MW facility does not even appear on the FCC database at http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?state=&call=&arn=&city=&freq=1180&fre2=1180&type=0&facid=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9 ... because the FCC does not license it and even consider it to exist officially. Please see the engineering discussion I posted with an apology to you (David Gleason, radio-info DX forum via DXLD) I appreciate that. I have nothing against you personally --- I was taken aback by your indictment of my original message, but it's just a message board. I think both of us are all about the correct information getting out. The Martí guy claimed the FCC gave them authority on 530 though. They claim otherwise, but you and I agree absolutely about the efficacy of Martí on 530 - it's classic government ignorance. I can only stand behind your views about how well an airplane signal is going to do against a ground based 50 kW operation on the T&C. Add Cuba blocking it and you instantly make 530 useless for everyone. Glenn Hauser has been reporting on this. Monitors agree with you that the broadcasts have been irregular. I believe some of those balloon broadcasts on TV have had issues as well. Living in Rochester, NY, home to 1180 WHAM, I can tell you that WHAM has paid the price in the past for Martí being on 1180 (it used to carry VOA programs on that frequency before Martí). When Cuba fired up a Voice of Cuba broadcast using super high powered AM signals for one night just after Martí's launch in the 80s, it caused reception problems for WHAM even in central and southern NY. Let me also toss out here that I personally think Radio & TV Martí is a giant waste of money. It's seen and heard more by Cuban-American political groups than its intended audience in Cuba. But I'm ticked off about the overall taking apart of VOA and splintering it off into these kinds of directed operations. I suspect if these frequencies all carried VOA instead of Martí, and the broadcasts were fair and balanced and not being influenced by political groups in Miami, Cuba wouldn't jam them and it wouldn't be a giant flush of tax dollars (Phillip Dampier, ibid.) Uh oh, Marti 530 - was it Sat? - bearings due south this qth, straight line > Habana, placing a/c slightly west of K/WEST, early eve. Previous bearings within ten degrees of 180. RE: Eduardo - How to run high power station simo w/co-channel? Always thought one simply did. Why does this stymie Dr. E.? Good friend, wife's mentor, himself a student of Anna Freud, graced our RI coastal manse w/weekend visits. Spencer was the guy cops called to pry open heads of noteworthy thuggos. One client was Mr. A. DiSalvo, whose adroitness with nylon stockings left thirteen Boston lassies in the aisles, not laughing. Ca. '89, he examined 'mind' of Craig Price, youthful yet accomplished dispatcher of human lives. Expecting intricate answer illuminating dark vaults of criminal mind, I asked Dr. DeV____.*, "Why do worst criminals tatoo fingers, and always w/"LOVE - HATE"? Smiling, he replied good naturedly, "It's just something they do." Simple explanations a puzzlement to some, nonetheless valid. Didn't realize it's impossible to transmit AM from a/c w/o counterpoise. Does this mean TACAMO flights are mere ruse calculated to frighten Soviets into spending inextant resources to keep up with our phantom innovations? 1969, M.B. Radio Club. Stalwart members, undersigned shuffling shoofly along with lifelong esteemed friend, Aviator Maximo, a C-130 afficianado. Ancient brick New England building, fourth floor, dark, smells of dust, dessicated puke, blistering steam heat. Soda machine down hall on boarding corridor. Faculty Advisor, Dr. King B. 'Doc' Odell's, SX-62 our workhorse radio. No antenna budget. Spliced old cords, picture frame wire, anything, tossed out window. Club Presidente - upperclassman - strode in w/school photog for PR shot. Smarmily admonished we know-nothings re folly of expecting sigs from defenestrated wire devoid of counterpoise. Having shooed we unwashed from view, sitting smartly before receiver, he spun dials for camera, utterly chagrined when WWV 25 megs blared forth from matching speaker. Is Eduardo a relation? Does he think we're making this up? Why? Counterpoise my foot. Terry, your chronicles motivated undersigned worthless tiddler, stumbling about radio room deep in throes of red tide narcosis, to dredge up '68 TMC Short Form Catalog. Page 33, two photos of converted USN Lockheed Constellation. TMC's 'new aviation division' outfitted a/c w/TV, FM, and AM broadcast transmitters for freedom broadcasts. Stated a/c now flying in Viet Nam. Not TACAMO, maybe precursor of 193rd '130 miciones? One must of course consider clever misdirection by TMC. Aircraft flying doesn't mean aircraft broadcasting. After all, AM impossible w/o counterpoise. Another strategic bluff on part of this country? Hmmm....maybe Dr. Eduardo inadvertantly blundered into The Grand Conspiracy of All Conspiracies? OK, I confess. I never heard Marti 530. I was listening to Big Ange, alias Salvatore 'Jack' Manzi, on WPRO 630 - "Do the Beeple Beeple Bopple Bop for BIG ANGE" - on R-390#7, the one telepathically connected to my time machine. '69 a great year for radio. 530 reports actually false flag ops by shadowy insurrectionist group whose cryptic motto is 'Less Hertz, More Snot". Connected to ALPHA-66? Secret Armenian Army? Tons Tons Macoutes? -Z.- "Oh, hell. Are the Russians involved?" - Gp. Captain Lionel Mandrake, RAF "Dr. Strangelove", c. 1963, Hawk Films, Ltd. "The enticing thing about bad taste is the aristocratic pleasure of offending." - anon. [Later]: Good heavens, Now it's sleeve antennas? What next? Two C- 130's towing a six thousand foot Rhombic, compleat with support poles and terminating resistor? Don't know about newfangled receivers, but simple flick of RDF bar atop mighty Nova Tech Pilot II or its small cousin, Bendix Navigator 400, quickly nulls RVC for Marti or vice versa. Vice Squada? Squada-ma-zeech? Bopita-zing! Hot diggity dog! And I'm the one seeing a team of psychotherapists? Where is this guy com.....oh forget it. Another prophesied sign of impending doom. -Z.- (Paul Vincent Zecchino, Manasoviet Key, FL, 22 0100 JUN 05 BT, June 21, IRCA mailing list via DXLD) ** EL SALVADOR? 1920, 22-June; Het on 17837.9; only a hint of audio, but that could be splatter from BBC Ascension on 17830. Radio Imperial? Het gone at 2001 (Harold Frodge, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) I too have been on the lookout for this, but no sign of it for months (gh, DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, BATA, 2237-2301*, June 19, Vernacular/ Spanish, Continuos talks/singing by OM in language over native music. Occasionally another OM would briefly speak then a chorus of OM would sing. Different OM in Spanish at 2255 with full "Radio Nacional-Bata" ID announcement and talks. Tone/chime at 2257, final ID then NA until 2301*. Fair and improving. Very Nice! (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 9704.2, R. Ethiopia, Gedja (I was trying NIGER on 9705...), audible on 20 JUN 1017-1051 (couldn't observe its fade-out time), few talks in Vernacular, local songs, news in English 1030 (i.e. as listed in various sources); 25443, gone at recheck at 1115. This is the 3rd time I receive ETH in the morning, viz.: 09JUL'04 & 26AUG'04 at 0930 which doesn't seem to be that common (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. 15660, Demtsi Delina? 1525 June 18 with continuous mentions of Arabic names, possibly a memoriam listing each name ended with tehamusten, and flute background music passing 1530, continuing the list to about 1600. At 1600 a new program heard in Arabic, sounded like "Rainbow Demokratiya " with speech at 1613. Signal is 45534 Also 15660, V. Delina or Tensae V. of Unity, 1502 June 19, man in Amharic, mention of Uganda Yahoo Human Rights numbers and internet address, 1510 with music interval and something like Radio Tahano; 1523 song. 44444 (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. Europirate, 3910, Reflections Europe (said to be sited in Éire), 19 Jun 2200-..., English, religious propaganda (which is nothing but their typical menu); 45333; \\ 6295 only slightly better at 45343. They also announce \\ 12295, but for some (odd?) reason I managed to receive it only once or twice in a number of years. Another usual pirate on the band is Holland's R. Spaceman on 3927 kHz, e.g. on 18 Jun 2151-..., 55444 (!).(Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS [non]. Had a chance to recheck the collision on 11720, Tuesday June 21 at 2140: still there, both BBC UK to Falklands, and China Radio International to Brasil, via Christian Voice, Chile. They were about equal level here with a SAH averaging about 3 Hz (the variation caused by Doppler effect along the propagational paths, I guess, rather than unstable transmitters). I would dearly love to hear from someone in the Islands about this. Would anyone reading this there please send us your evaluation of the two signals and whether a change should be made. If no one is reading this there, why not? Surely F.I. now have internet access, and someone might hit upon this doing a Google search on the Falklands. Lacking that, I would settle for observations from Patagonia, and let them call it Malvinas (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Ismaning 6085 was switched off today at 1400 for extensive work. An engineer of Bayerischer Rundfunk says that the signal will return in the evening and presumably cause some surprise: http://forum.myphorum.de/read.php?f=11103&i=267&t=267 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ismaning 6085 did not return after the announced transmitter work yesterday. Reportedly it finally signed on again this morning, without any changes of the signal characteristics (i.e. still a DRM signal on a full AM carrier), so the promised surprise did not become reality. A posting at http://forum.myphorum.de/read.php?f=8773&i=193345&t=193345 says that a professional modification of the transmitter would cost 200,000 Euro. Bayerischer Rundfunk does not want to invest so much money into the shortwave outlet, so they try to get it done in some cheaper way, with no success so far (Kai Ludwig, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY and LUXEMBOURG. Today BCE and T-Systems begun to test a synchronized operation of Junglinster and Jülich on 5990. Details see at http://forum.myphorum.de/read.php?f=8773&i=192932&t=192932 A quick check shortly after 1700 showed a very loud DRM signal on this frequency (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. Excerpted here from full report; see introduction at ALASKA. NHP--Nick Hall-Patch on CCGS John P. Tully at various points in the northeast Pacific Ocean using 6'x 9' ALA100 active loop antenna and Drake R8 driven by laptop with Ergo IV. 720 HAWAII, Eleele, KUAI. 1325 14 Jun. "7-20 KUAI" by woman after easy listening music, difficult to read with distortion. Fair to poor. (NHP-52 50N 138W) 990 HAWAII, Honolulu, KHBZ. 1333 13 Jun. "AM 9-90 KHBZ" by woman, followed by saxophone riffs; fair-good. (NHP-51 15N 143 40W) 1080 HAWAII, Honolulu, KWAI. 1332 14 Jun. Woman advertising "Earth and Sky" program on KWAI, several IDs in a few minutes. Suffered from shipboard electrical noise; poor-fair. (NHP-52 50N 138W) 1370 HAWAII, Pearl City, KUPA. 1340 14 Jun. After laid back music, man mentioning the Breeze 99.5, and mention "the breeze of Hawaii.com" and 99.5, poor-fair, mostly u/KAST. According to http://www.hawaiiradiotv.com/OahuRadio.html this simulcasts 99.5, "Ka Makani". Sure enough, 16 Oct 04 DXM has a logging from Dale Park for this call, but no mention of "the Breeze", though "Ka Makani" translates as "the wind" according to Dale (NHP-52 50N 138W) (Nick Hall-Patch, IRCA Soft DX Monitor 6/25 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Wow, BBC Radio One on Sirius --- that will be cool! Of course, I still trying to figure out why Sirius does not give us the FULL BBC World Service rather than their BBC World Service News package. BBC radio 2 , 3, 4 would be better, as you said (Andy O`Brien, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WILL THEY ALSO ELECTRONICALLY ALTER THE ACCENTS TO SOUND AMERICAN? The BBC's domestic contemporary music channel Radio 1 will be heard in the United States via Sirius Satellite Radio. Will time-lag the content so that morning shows in the UK are heard in the morning in the United States, etc. BBC News, 21 June 2005. This is premasticated international broadcasting. Listening to an afternoon show there, when it's morning here, thus getting a sense of being there, is at least half the fun of listening to foreign radio. By the way, BBC World Service already has a channel on Sirius, as well as on competitor XM Satellite Radio (Kim Andrew Elliott, kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [and non]. 9650, KBS World Radio, 1200-1215 6/22. A tough copy, buried under Voice of Korea. Too bad; yesterday, stumbled onto perfect copy for last 10 minutes of RKI broadcast. The DPRK has taken to staying on 9650 after 1200 and their signal (direct) effectively blocks out RKI via Sackville - at least at my Arizona QTH. I haven't been able to really listen to RKI in a month (Rick Barton, AZ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) What, a coincidence? Here`s how the Koreas `share` 9650: 9650 1000-1100 KOR KBS World Radio K NAm /CAN 9650 1200-1300 KOR KBS World Radio E NAm /CAN 9650 0700-1300 KRE Voice of Korea J J 9650 2100-2400 KRE Voice of Korea J J (EiBi A-05 via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. According to Mr. Rennie, the station manager, Radio Veritas, Monrovia starts its morning broadcast on 6090 at 0600 UT (Jari Savolainen, Finland, June 21, WORLD OF RADIO 1278, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Now if the defunct DGS would just shut up or forget to switch from 11775 (gh) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS [non]. 11800, Minivan R, 1620 June 18 with a semi- Hindi song. Hone ins [?], ID Minivan with possible numbers and frequencies at 1632, then with talks 42442 (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 7286.4 (usually lower than 7285), R. Mali, Kati, audible on 18 JUN 1404-..., talks; 15341 and a very weak audio; \\ 11960 kHz with which I could compare and confirm the station. 11960, R. Mali, Kati, 18 JUN 1406, Vernacular + French, football match report Mali vs. Zambia; 45443, but weak audio; \\ 7286.4 kHz (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. In the absence of WEWN 11645, I was listening to CRI via Mali on 11640, English at 2008 UT June 22; for East Africa, only poor-fair signal here, marred by steady pulsing of about 1.5 per second (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 7245, R. Mauritanie, Nouakchott, logged on 18 JUN 1352- 1415, Arabic, tunes, ID, call to prayer 1355, French 1400 for newscast; 35443 (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 4810, XERTA, R. Transcontinental de América, Cd. de México ("Méjico" in standard Castilian), observed on 20 JUN 0547-..., Castilian, songs, few talks; 33443, adjcacent utility QRM (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. WATCHDOG RELEASES REPORT ON PRESS FREEDOM AT US-MEXICO border | Text of press releaseby Paris-based organization Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) on 21 June On 22 June 2004, Francisco Javier Ortiz Franco, co-founder and editorialist on the weekly Zeta, was murdered in Tijuana, Lower California State, in the north-west. His killing was the lowest point in a black year for the press in Mexico in which five journalists were murdered. But his death prompted a growing realization of the magnitude of the problem within a journalistic community with little tradition for sticking together and above all led the federal government to take over investigations of murders of journalists. One year after the still unsolved murder of Ortiz Franco, there has been little improvement in the plight of Mexican journalists. In particular in the coastal and border states with the USA, blighted by drug-trafficking, corruption and violence. The year 2005 began tragically with one disappearance and two murders of journalists during the first week of April. Alfredo Jiménez Mota of the daily El Imparcial in Hermosillo (Sonora, northwest), has been missing without trace since the night of 2 April. On 5 April, radio journalist Dolores Guadalupe García Escamilla was gunned down in front of the headquarters of Stereo 91 XHNOE in Nuevo Laredo (Tamaulipas, northeast). She died of her injuries on 16 April. On 8 April, the editor of the daily La Opinion Raul Gibb Guerrero was murdered in Veracruz State in the east of the country. These three cases brought to 16 the number of journalists murdered since 2000. And in every case, there was no investigation worth the name leading to the instigators, thus establishing a climate of complete impunity. How do journalists deal with this violent landscape in Mexico's border areas? Do they end up resorting to self-censorship to protect themselves? Are local and national media exposed to the same level of risk? Why have investigations into killings of journalists not produced any results? In the search for a reply to all these questions, Reporters Without Borders carried out an on-the-spot investigation from 22-31 May 2005, in the border towns of Tijuana Nuevo Laredo, and Mexico [as published]. The organization's representatives met local journalists, national media journalists, representatives of the police and judicial authorities, including, state deputy prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos. The investigation allowed them to assess the major failings of the public authorities at all three levels: municipal, state and federal. These failings will not ease a volatile presidential campaign building for July 2006. Full PDF of report can be found on RSF website: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=14153 Source: Reporters Sans Frontieres press release, Paris, in English 21 Jun 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** MONACO [non]. Monte Carlo Radiodiffusion is testing DRM from their Fontbonne site on 6150, as if there would be no reason to care about some AM station on 6155. First reported at drmrx.org from June 14 with a screenshot documenting the label ``R M C``, a text message ``TEST DRM DEPUIS LE CENTRE EMETTEUR MCR DE FONTBONNE`` and an audio bitrate of a mere 12 kbps. Next report (with lament about interference from 6155) from June 20. No further follow-ups on this matter seen so far (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEPAL. BANNED FROM THE AIR, NEPAL NEWS RADIO HITS STREETS June 21 2005, By Gopal Sharma, Kathmandu Banned from broadcasting news since February's royal coup, Nepali radio reporters have found a new way to get their bulletins out: loudspeaker. Every evening, about 300 people gather on a roadside in Biratnagar, 500 km (310 miles) east of Kathmandu to listen to Keshav Bhattarai read out the news from an open air studio on the roof of a narrow, three-storeyed building. As well as spreading the news, the service stands for a [sic] free media, Bhattarai tells his audience, a motley collection of politicians, teachers, students, traders and anyone who just happens to be passing. Nepal's dozens of independent FM stations -- wildly popular as the only alternative on the air to state radio's staid and vetted bulletins --- were banned from broadcasting news when King Gyanendra fired the government and imposed strict censorship on February 1. Some restrictions have been eased, but the FM stations that reach most of the 26 million people in an impoverished nation where a third of district capitals don't have a road link to the outside world, still cannot broadcast even censored news. For Nepalis starved for news, the 15-minute roadside bulletins offer everything from news about the scarcity of fish in the market to the country's Maoist rebellion and its political crisis to the troubles in Iraq. "It is like a normal radio news bulletin where listeners get information about major national and international events," said Shiva Bahadur Karki of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists which organises the streetside broadcasts. "We will continue this until full press freedom is restored. We'll not give up." The federation plans similar broadcasts around the country, including in Kathmandu. So far, police have not stepped in, treating the daily service as a public meeting, which is allowed, rather than a news broadcast, which is not. Nepal's journalists are also sidestepping censorship with Weblogs, or blogs, but they have limited reach in a country with few computers and Internet cafés. Gyanendra said he was forced to take power and restrict some freedoms to crush a nine-year Maoist revolt which has killed 12,000 people and which squabbling political parties have been unable to put down (Reuters via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. 7275, R. Nigeria, Abuja, noted on 20 JUN 1021-fade-out circa 1145, Vernacular, talks, tribal songs & tunes; 25332, but then audible later 1430 when rated 15331 (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7120, (Presumed) Wantok Radio Light, 0951-1005, June 18, Once again logged with choral-like music and YL between selections. Lengthy talks from 1000-1005 then back to music. Poor but better than previous monitoring. Vox audio still too weak to positively ID (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. Radio Nacional del Paraguay, escuchada libre de interferencias y con potente señal (SINPO 45544), en los 9736.86 kHz, a las 2239 UT. Identificación como: "RNP, número uno en deportes". Transmitía partido de fútbol del club Cerro Porteño. (19/06). (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, Yaesu FT-890, Antena TH3 MK3, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 6193.5, R. Cusco, Cusco (wasn't it written "Cuzco"? It doesn't sound exactly the same in Castilian), logged on 19 JUN 2232- 2244, Indian songs, no language or ID heard, but then what else? 25331 (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. Saludos cordiales, hoy en Radio Slovaquia han comenzado una serie de entrevistas de caracter diexista, todos los martes un segmento conducido por Lada. Solicitan de los oyentes sugerencias y preguntas al respecto (José Miguel Romero2, June 21, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. SOLOMON ISLANDS TO DISCONTINUE MARITIME RADIO SERVICE | Text of report by Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation text website on 22 June Solomon Telekom says it will discontinue the current maritime radio service in September this year. In a statement, Solomon Telekom says this is in accordance with the provision set out in the Telecommunications Licence of 17th November 2003. This states that Solomon Telekom shall provide Marine services for a period up to a maximum of one year from the date of the licence. The current maritime service provides an audio watch on the marine search and rescue high frequency. It also provides a monitoring service for all shipping within the national sea boundary. According to the company, contact is made at regular intervals each day to obtain reports on vessel position and destination. It says the reports generated are then passed on to the SIBC, as well as the Search and Rescue Centre in Honiara each day. Solomon Telekom says no alternative service has been requested at this time. Source: Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation text website, Honiara, in English 22 Jun 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK?? ** SOMALIA. 6960, about 2000 June 17. Not sure if it is Shabelle but a marginal to very poor signal has been found with talks and instrumental play till 2000. Mossad covered the signal at 2000 (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA. STN SATELLITE TV OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED The Somali Television Network (STN), a television broadcasting station based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, has announced the official launch of the STN Satellite Television. The television broadcast covers the whole United States and Canada at the initial stage. This will be an ongoing development and expansion process, which will soon be followed by worldwide broadcasting, particularly to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The STN Satellite Television is currently broadcasting via the GlobeCast satellite channel 215, 24 hours a day. Programmes are currently in Somali only, however, the station says it intends to introduce other regional language services in the near future. "The Somali Television Network is the first station in Somali history to broadcast directly from back home to the whole of North America, and it’s the only privately owned network in the entire region to televise live programme coverage worldwide", said Mohamed Hirsi Ismail (Tanade), the STN President and CEO. The STN Satellite Television says its programmes will consist of a unique blend of news, analysis, business, music, culture and sports, in order to inform and update its viewers on the current political, economical, technological and social trends. The station wants to bridge the gap between the Somali communities back home and those living in the Diaspora, and act as the link between the different generations. "STN combines the technical know-how and its extensive high-tech resources in the developed world, plus its own correspondents throughout the country with qualified and experienced news editors/producers and broadcasting staff", said Mr Mohamed A Ogas (Afloos), the Senior Vice President (production). "We the Somalis have been misinformed and misguided for generations. The STN opened the new era of bringing the fact on your screen where ever you are, so that you will believe only what you have seen with your own eyes", said Mr. Abdulkadir Sharraay, the STN Managing Director. STN World Media http://www.stnworldmedia.com # posted by Andy @ 14:01 UT June 21 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 8000, V. of Sudan, 1535 June 19, OM talks in Arabic, possibly a public address. Tune in 1544 with Horn of Africa song, ID at 1553 as Idaatu Sawt Sudan and possibly off at 1600 3x4443. Both radios overloaded at this frequency (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. 12060, R. Nile, 0448 June 19, // 15320 with song, talks in English with mention of Kampala and Sudan and students` song follows. 12060 fair, 15320 poor with PL200 outside window (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Back in Thessaloniki on June 21, 15320 goes 43444 and 12060 as 34443 (Liangas, ibid.) ** SURINAME. 4990, R. Apintie, Paramaribo, heard on 18 JUN 2340-..., talks in Dutch (only presumed due to reception conditions); 25331. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. For the last two weeks Radio Sweden has finally started to Podcast. Nice audio at 80 kbps, but NO music (and of course not on weekends!) Copyrights, I guess; this is the same red herring that prevented RS from using relays for so many years. Radio Sweden receives no feedback on its web page and its online poll receives anyway from 10 to 40 responses in a week. I wonder if station management has a death wish, or should I say, big severance payments waiting if the English section closes? I guess they sent no press release although it is featured on their web page. Maybe that's why Mike Terry has had nothing to copy! (Aaron Zawitzky, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWITZERLAND. SWISSINFO PUBLIC COUNCIL OPPOSES PLANNED WEBSITE CUTS | Text of report by Swiss Radio International's Swissinfo website on 21 June; subheading as published Swissinfo's public council says only a specialized news service is capable of fulfilling the international mandate of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). The council, which assesses the service provided by Swissinfo, is against the SBC's plans to dismantle the website, leaving only a reduced English department. The council said Swissinfo was "indispensable" in providing the more than 600,000 Swiss living abroad with adequate information about their country, and was Switzerland's voice in the world. It said, besides news, an international service needed to provide analysis, feature reports and background information in order to maintain credibility. The council described the planned dismantling of eight of Swissinfo's nine language services as a "great loss for the SBC and the country". "Swissinfo reaches 86 per cent of internet users worldwide and is continuing to experience rapid growth," the council said in a statement on Tuesday [21 June]. The website currently averages 10m page views a month. Audience loss "A large part of the internet audience will be lost if the SBC goes ahead with its planned cuts," the council added, warning the SBC not to bury its head in the sand. It said the restructuring would lessen Switzerland's ability to communicate with the world. It called for the preservation of the services in Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese, saying Switzerland could not afford to ignore the economic and political importance of the countries where these languages are spoken. The council also said Swissinfo was an invaluable service for the 100,000 Swiss abroad with voting rights, by providing them with "detailed, objective, accurate and politically neutral" information ahead of votes and referenda. The council statement came two weeks after the Swiss Senate supported a motion to maintain the multilingual, multimedia site. Swissinfo has also received the support of various parliamentary committees, some of which have called for the government to restore funding for the international service, which runs out at the end of the year. As a reaction to the budget cuts, the SBC announced in March that it would axe up to 80 jobs and eight of Swissinfo's nine language services. Internet services in the national languages - German, French, Italian - would be produced by SBC's regional units. Source: Swissinfo website, Bern, in English 21 Jun 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** TATARSTAN. RUSSIA, 9690, Tatarstan Radio, 0625, 20 June, with songs. YL with short ID ``bukit.... Tatarstan R`` followed by talks over 'atmospheric' music background. Signal 34434. Tune in 0645 with 4544. Also 11925 at 0825 with opera program and ID Tatarstan. Talks followed by classical music /operas. Language seems similar to Kazakh (Zacharias Liangas, Fourka, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. COMMUNITY RADIO'S WEBSITE CLOSED ON "NATIONAL SECURITY" GROUNDS | Text of report by Sathian Wiriyapanpongsa entitled: "Anti- government websites shut down" from Thai newspaper The Nation website on 22 June Two websites with content deemed strongly critical of the Thaksin government have been shut down, allegedly on orders from the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry. Site operators maintain their hosts were ordered to remove them. One website http://www.thai-insider.com belongs to Ekkayuth Anchanbutr, a chit-fund operator who fled the country several years ago but returned last year and became a self-styled crusader against what he said was endemic corruption in the Thaksin government. The other one http://www.fm9225.com belongs to a community radio station with a penchant for hosting vocal critics of the government. Operators of the shut-down sites said they believed the ICT Ministry ordered the host internet service providers (ISPs) to remove them. ICT Minister Suwit Khunkitti denied the charges yesterday, insisting he had no idea why they had been shut down. "The government issued no orders regarding this," he said. Suwit added that officials from the ministry's Cyber Inspection Division might have ordered them shut down on their own initiative after considering some of the content to be detrimental to national security. Ekkayuth launched http://www.thai-insider.com on 11 June. It carried numerous reports and opinion pieces highly critical of the government. A staff member at the website who asked to remain anonymous said he received a call on Saturday [18 June] from the ISP hosting the site. The source was told the ICT Ministry had ordered the removal of http://www.thai-insider.com That evening, it was inaccessible. Ekkayuth said yesterday that he was considering filing a lawsuit against the ministry for violating the constitution, which guarantees the freedom of information. Ekkayuth said he believed his website was shut down partly because it contained an interview with a former ambassador arguing against Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai standing for the post of UN secretary-general. He said the site also provided an insider's information about alleged stock-price manipulations by people close to the government and details of government mishandling of last October's Tak Bai protest. "The owner of our website's ISP was harassed and threatened with reprisals. I can well understand why he had to remove us," said Ekkayuth. "But they can't stop me reopening it." A staff member at http://www.fm9225.com said Cyber Inspector Surachai Nilsaeng had sent a letter on Monday to A-net, host of the site, asking the ISP to remove it on grounds that its content was detrimental to national security. The http://www.fm9225.com website was pulled from the web at 4 p.m. local [0900 gmt] on Monday [20 June] but relaunched operations yesterday morning. It relayed its radio broadcast in streaming-audio format, and 57 major community radio stations picked up the online broadcast for transmission on the air. But the site went offline again yesterday afternoon after Anchalee Paireerak, an executive at FM 92.25 radio, received an email from Surachai that it jeopardised national unity and security. Anchalee pledged to fight to have her website go online again. An official from the Cyber Inspection Division said yesterday that he would prefer yesterday's action against the two websites to be referred to as a "suspension" rather than "closure". He said there were complaints that the two websites contained defamatory content and that authorities were unable to determine who was operating the sites. The official said the suspension would continue until the operators of the sites came forward, or until there were further instructions from the responsible authorities. Source: The Nation website, Bangkok, in English 22 Jun 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U K. The radio licence fee was for a household, not for each receiver, though you did need a separate radio licence for a radio receiver in the car. Both were abolished in 1971. You can see examples of UK radio licences and other associated memorabilia at http://www.radiolicence.org.uk/index.html The website owner is looking for examples of licences from 1970 and 1971 saying it is proving somewhat harder than locating the Holy Grail. By that year of course most people were buying the combined TV/radio licence. The increasing use of computers to access radio and TV broadcasts, which is forecast to increase, is causing the licencing authorities to think about amending the legislation though of course the whole question of BBC funding is up for further review in a few years time. I still maintain it is a very odd use of the word amnesty as I doubt the existence of many sets from 1971 or earlier in households that did not pay the appropriate licence fee, or that the authorities would have any interest in prosecuting them after all this time (Mike Barraclough, UK, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. Some notes on Radio Farda, as gathered by Jörg Wagner last week when visiting RFE/RL at Prague: Radio Farda is produced by some 35 staff members. 8 hours of programming originate from VOA, the remaining 16 hours from RFE/RL. The editor-in-chief of Radio Farda was available for an interview under pseudonym only. He says that they recently had to abandon a mediumwave frequency (no doubt referring to Kuwait 1593 kHz) because Iranian jamming rendered it completely useless. Mentions transmitter sites as ``Kuwait and, if I recall correctly, Abu Dhabi``, so probably considers shortwave as not that important. Says that Radio Farda is unlike VOA no official mouthpiece of the US government, hence they broadcast no official statements, make their own decisions what they broadcast and what not, for example what 30 seconds piece from a two hours speech they select. Radio Farda isn't obliged to explain anybody the viewpoints of the US government. Of course they do that, but they also do reflect the viewpoints of the Iranian government. ``We don't have a political agenda.`` Audience research in Iran shows a marked share of 13...15 percent for Radio Farda. The security measures at RFE/RL are really tight and alarming for visitors. No photography of staff and no photography of equipment, namely the satellite dishes (although at least the biggest one, presumably an uplink, is visible from outside, too). The continuity process of Radio Farda appears to be quite complex. News originate from Prague, but the music came out of a feed from Washington (or rather Springfield now). Apparently they don't pot up a fader for this feed, so it seems that the other way round RFE/RL sends a feed to Washington/Springfield. Technical-wise the Radio Farda signal is of a quite poor quality, with lots of hiss and wild audio level fluctuations on dry talk. Here is an example: http://www.radioeins.de/_/meta/sendungen/apparat/050618_a1.ram Other related notes: What's the third satellite platform to be used for broadcasts into the Iran, announced by BBG on June 17? I saw no report about such transmissions so far. And what about this ``Ahwaziya`` program? Could this be the ``Iranian Media Alliance`` that appeared on Telstar 12 a few days ago? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. DEMOCRATS CALL FOR FIRING OF BROADCAST CHAIRMAN The New York Times June 22, 2005 By STEPHEN LABATON http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/22/national/22broadcast.html?pagewanted=print WASHINGTON, June 21 - Sixteen Democratic senators called on President Bush to remove Kenneth Y. Tomlinson as head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting because of their concerns that he is injecting partisan politics into public radio and television. "We urge you to immediately replace Mr. Tomlinson with an executive who takes his or her responsibility to the public television system seriously, not one who so seriously undermines the credibility and mission of public television," wrote the senators. They included Charles E. Schumer of New York, Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Jon Corzine and Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, Bill Nelson of Florida, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California. Also on Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers joined other supporters of public broadcasting, including children and characters from PBS children's programs, to protest House Republicans' proposed cuts in financing for the corporation. The Democrats' letter follows a series of disclosures about Mr. Tomlinson that are now under investigation by the corporation's inspector general, including his decision to hire a researcher to monitor the political leanings of guests on the public policy program "Now," the use of a White House official to set up an ombudsman's office to scrutinize public radio and television programs for political balance, and payments approved by Mr. Tomlinson to two Republican lobbyists last year. Mr. Tomlinson said he would not resign. "There is no reason for me to step down from the chairmanship of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting," he said. "I am confident that the inspector general's report will conclude that all of my actions were taken in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations and the traditions of CPB." The White House said Mr. Bush continued to support Mr. Tomlinson. "Mr. Tomlinson was first nominated to the board by the past administration and was renominated in 2003," said Erin Healy, a White House spokeswoman. "He is the chair of an independent bipartisan board, and the president stands by the chairman." A new problem emerged for Mr. Tomlinson on Tuesday, when evidence surfaced that he might have provided incorrect information about the hiring of a researcher last year to monitor political leanings of the guests of the "Now" program. In a letter to Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, on May 24, Mr. Tomlinson said he saw no need to consult with the board about the contract with the researcher, Fred Mann, because it was "approved and signed by then CPB President, Kathleen Cox." But a copy of the contract provided by a person unhappy with Mr. Tomlinson's leadership shows that Mr. Tomlinson signed it on Feb. 3, 2004, five months before Ms. Cox became president. Ms. Cox stepped down in April after the board did not renew her contract. Mr. Mann, who was paid $14,170 for his work by the taxpayer-financed corporation, rated the guests on the show by such labels as "anti- Bush" or "anti-DeLay," a reference to Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader. He classified Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as a "liberal," even though Mr. Hagel is well-known as a mainstream conservative Republican. Asked about the apparent discrepancy between the contract he signed and what he wrote to Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Tomlinson declined through a spokesman to comment. Mr. Dorgan was sharply critical of Mr. Tomlinson. "If he signed the contract, he was not telling the truth, which would be very troubling," Mr. Dorgan said on Tuesday. "He's trying to pawn some responsibility for this on others, which is very troubling. This guy has some real credibility problems." At its first public meeting since the inquiry began, the corporation's board on Tuesday did not address who should be the organization's next president. Mr. Tomlinson had made it clear in recent weeks that his top choice is Patricia Harrison, an assistant secretary of state and former co- chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Public broadcasting executives say the choice is another instance of injecting politics into an organization that is supposed to be a political buffer. Mr. Tomlinson has told at least one lawmaker that Ms. Harrison would be a smart choice because of her credibility at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Mr. Tomlinson began the meeting by calling for a bipartisan approach to public broadcasting: "When people with partisan positions come to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, they leave their partisan positions at the door." The other Democratic senators who signed the letter were Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware; Maria Cantwell of Washington; Richard J. Durbin of Illinois; Tom Harkin of Iowa; Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont; Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland; Debbie Stabenow of Michigan; and Ron Wyden of Oregon. * Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) IF THAT'S WHAT VOA AND RFE DO, WHY NOT JUST CALL IT THE "PROPAGANDA BOARD OF GOVERNORS"? According to columnist Molly Ivins, among factors making Ken Tomlinson unfit to be chairman of the Corporation for Public Diplomacy: "He is also the Bush-appointed chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other official arms of the government's propaganda machine." Salt Lake Tribune, 19 June 2005. Viz.: Ivins: IDEOLOGICAL REPUBLICANS ARE WRECKING PUBLIC BROADCASTING http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2812432 (via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A. Irrational Plan For PBS -- DXLD 5-101 contained this quote: "... the Digital Opportunity Investment Trust Act [linked], which, if passed, would more than make up for the budget cuts being proposed. Markey brought the bill to the House floor on May 16, while Jeffords and Dodd submitted it to the Senate on June 11. The upshot of both bills is a unique and forward-thinking one: Using some of the up to $30 billion expected to be generated by the government's planned 2008 sale of TV spectrum rights currently held by PBS (which is abandoning the analog spectrum and going all-digital) to help fund public programming." I'm not commenting on this specific proposed legislation, but on the concept behind it. PBS is the *LAST* broadcast-TV organization that should "abandon the analog spectrum and go all-digital"! Think of who will lose television coverage when and if the final digital transition takes place: those who cannot afford new television sets or digital- converter units for existing analog sets. And who are these people? The poor, especially inner-city and rural poverty-stricken families, or elderly living on fixed incomes or in assisted-living and nursing home environments for whom existing television is one bright spot helping them last through otherwise bleak days, and who rely on broadcast TV and cannot afford the recurring costs of cable. Taking away PBS educational programming from those poor children, and eliminating the majority of quality broadcast programs accessible to someone in a nursing-home room with little other source of stimulation is unforgivable. I am pretty convinced that there will still be some analog TV signals left (at least in cities) but the last holdouts trying to get their signals into the remaining pool of analog sets will probably be religious hucksters aiming to force in their messages and extract every cent they can, along with moneygrubbing infomercial- filled LPTVs (or even pirates). PBS, if they DO get any taxpayer funding any more at this time, should be *required* to maintain analog-broadcast coverage as long as possible, and preferably forever, even if the analog-TV spectrum is reduced in size. They should be able to get surplussed analog TV transmitters on that selection of channels from those abandoned by commercial stations who left those frequencies to move to digital. They could easily provide the signal in parallel with their "main" programming transmitted in digital. 73, (Will Martin, MO, June 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That all may be true, but someone then should clue in the FCC. For it is the FCC that has mandated this for all, including public broadcasters (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) The changeover timeline is at: http://www.cpb.org/digital/tv/stations/conversion.html (Clara Listensprechen, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: PROTEST CUTTING FUNDING FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING Interesting perspectives. We have, to some extent, treated PBS / NPR / PRI all as "public broadcasting", but all three entities have taken on more of a corporate appearance in recent years. NPR is positively mainstream, largely because the commercial radio networks abandoned serious newsgathering and reporting. There really isn't much true "independent" public radio any more. I am biased more towards Joe Buch's solution, because this removes a level of aggregation from the process and improves accountability and connectedness. Let those who value the service pay for it. It appears NPR has generally kept disciplined with a wall of separation between its corporate funders and its content producers. "Marketplace" did an interesting series on that wall of separation about two years ago. What amazes me -- bringing this back to international broadcasting -- is that no broadcaster has attempted to contact the listener community or create a multi-country advocacy organization that allows the listeners to have a direct financial input into their favorite broadcasters. Yes, we get incited to stomp our feet and write howls of protest, but since we aren't taxpayers we have no say. Only one broadcaster has acknowledged that people external to the country have "a dog in the fight" -- that's the BBC, acknowledging that it seeks to reach us opinion formers. Some broadcasters might feel put off that they have to pander to listener wallets in order to stay on the air, but there are seismic changes afoot -- in part brought about by the fact that the demographics of most first-world countries are unfavorable -- populations are growing by immigration, not by birth -- such that social welfare systems and their attendant priorities are facing harsh challenges. All around the globe, public broadcasting institutions are being challenged based on the fact that broadcasting is a lower public priority than, say, health care, retirement, or economic development. The existence of "unlimited bandwidth" of alternate distribution methods further rubs salt into this wound. Public broadcasters have to line up at the public trough behind other priorities. We shortwave listeners were lucky - we were able to be freeloaders for 60 years (Rich Cuff, June 22, swprograms via DXLD) Local Lehigh Valley, PA take on the public broadcasting funding issue: http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-1/111934474156580.xml&coll=2&thispage=2 Interesting that they'd cut overnight programming (i.e. BBC) first (Richard Cuff, PA, June 22, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. Dear Glenn, New program, Radio Classics comes to WBCQ Saturdays, 8-9 pm Eastern [UT Sundays 0000-0100] on 7415. Featuring old time radio programs of the past. Sure to be a favorite with our listeners. The radioship the Katie located in Boston Harbor will soon take to the airwaves. The crew is on board making ready for a summer full of offshore broadcasting. Look for tests this week on 5105 from 9 pm to 12 midnight Eastern [0100-0400 UT]. Our primary sponsor Good Friend Radio is making this all possible. Broadcasts from the ship will be thru July and August so listen in and join the fun. This is all to promote shortwave radio. The ship will be anchored right off the financial district of Boston, fully painted with the station call letters promoting the shortwave station and Good Friends Radio. Shipboard studios will allow programs to originate from the boat, then sent by wireless internet feed to our transmitters in northern Maine. Yes --- we will relay WOR VIA the ship!! Cheers, (Allan Weiner, WBCQ, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good; hope you can give us some advance warning when (gh) More about this: thanks to Good Friends Radio sponsorship, we plan to start a 2-month period of broadcasts from the ship on July 2, following tests this week. All of the programming will be originating from or fed thru the ship, not just on 5105 (Allan Weiner, June 22, ibid.) ** U S A. Mother Angelica`s alternative voice to the infallible Catholic station is silent. At 2008 UT check June 22, 11645 was missing, so I checked ex-11530 in case WEWN had returned there. No. Furthermore, no signals on any of the other scheduled frequencies, 13615, 15745 and 17595. Ditto after 2100. So now`s the time to try to hear anything that WEWN made have been blocking. I found English on 11640, but that was only CRI via Mali to E Africa. 9355 and 9975 are supposed to come on after 2200; 7425 and 5810 after 0000. According to https://thunderstorm.vaisala.com/tux/jsp/explorer/explorer.jsp there is no lightning at all in Alabama at the moment, so must be something else wrong. How long can it last? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Same Bible-reading recording as before still heard on 15250, Wed June 22 at 2015, only fair with sporadic-E lacking, presumably WWRB in another of its unreliable broadcasts. I think this must be test or filler material rather than their new client which was supposed to buy up a lot of time on this transmitter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. I inadvertently heard the closing item on Brian Williams` ***NIGHTLY*** NBC news, June 22, as the Sun bore down on Enid, about the full Moon looking larger than usual because it is the ``lowest in the sky since 1977``. This makes no sense whasoever. It is ALWAYS lowest in the sky just as it is rising (not to mention setting; what else is new?), every day and night. Yes, there is an optical illusion that makes the orb look larger when near the horizon than when high in the sky. Perhaps what is really happening is that the Moon is now at an abnormally close perigee in its elliptical orbit (also would cause extra-high tides), so it really IS closer to Earth than usual, and hence larger-appearing --- whether it`s close to the horizon or not. Perhaps one of our astronomers can confirm this. Meanwhile, the supercilious Williams is not the only one to express whatever is going on as total nonsense! BTW, Williams` news style really grates on me; I wish he would stick to being funny as a talkshow guest (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. FCC GRANTS EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE FOR WTTK-DT (IN) I just received this lengthy and rather detailed email from Rick Poling, the RF Supervisor for Tribune stations WXIN/WTTV/WTTK, Indianapolis/Bloomington/Kokomo, IN. A rather interesting test with DTV signals (Steve Rich, Indianapolis, IN, WTFDA via DXLD) Viz.: To all DTV viewers interested in receiving WTTV's digital signal that currently cannot: The FCC has granted the owners of WTTV an experimental license to build a 2nd WTTK-DT transmitter at Indianapolis, specifically at the WXIN transmitter site. This new low-power transmitter will be on the same channel as the current WTTK-DT at Windfall, and will show up on your receiver as 29-1. The experiment involves testing what happens to reception where the signals from Indianapolis and Windfall overlap (hopefully good things due to new technology). As an added bonus, this new WTTK-DT transmitter should provide WTTV's HD signal to most of Indianapolis, Carmel, and Fishers. So, if you live in one of these areas you should soon be seeing WTTK-DT on the air as 29-1 on OTA channel 54. Part of the experiment involves REDUCING the power at Windfall, so that the overlap zone does not fall in a highly populated area. Therefore, while we still must maintain a certain level of signal in all of Kokomo, some of you who do now receive WTTK-DT may experience a loss in signal level or loss of signal altogether. Since this is going to be an experiment, we will be very interested in your comments as to whether you have better reception or worse and if possible by how much. So feel free to email me at this address to report your change in reception, good or bad. Another facet of this is that the experiment is only for 1 year, so I cannot guarantee what we will do at the end of the experimental period. It may be that we can renew the experimental license, or we may do something else. All that will depend on the results of this experiment. Ultimately, we will endeavor to cover the entire licensed coverage area of WTTK-DT, but exactly how we do that will depend on the results of this experiment. The exact sign-on date of this experiment is not known yet, as the equipment is currently not in place. We expect to have equipment in the next month or so, and it is not too complicated to hook up. So, we could be on the air by the end of July. I will send further notice when we are on the air, or when I know a sign-on date, if I know ahead of time (we may just turn it on one day). For those of you interested in cooperating with the technical aspects of this experiment, if you do now receive WTTK-DT you might want to make a note of your current signal level, if your receiver provides one somewhere. Then, when the new transmitter comes on the air, you'll want to take another reading. Those of you who do NOT receive WTTK-DT now, I already know who you are, but I will want to hear from you if you do get a signal. Another part of this experiment will involve taking some field strength measurements and other measurements relative to making this system work as advertised. So, if you do lose reception and you are in an area where we think you should have signal, we may even be able to visit your driveway with our measuring equipment. Don't be shy about letting us know how your reception changes with this experiment, as this information will be included in our reports to the broadcasting industry and the FCC. For the rest of you, this experiment will have NO effect on WTTV-DT (Trafalgar) or WXIN-DT. Your reception will not change at all. If you currently DO receive WTTV-DT, it is likely you will NOT get WTTK-DT from Indianapolis, with the possible exception of some of you viewers in the Avon and Southport areas and other areas of southern Marion county, which may be able to see WTTK-DT on their antennas that are now pointed at WXIN-DT and the other Indianapolis DTV stations. I would like to here from these particular folks also, as your comments regarding not having to move your antenna anymore to get WTTV-DT will also be valuable. In summary, WTTK-DT will be on the air with a second transmitter from Indianapolis, possibly as soon as the latter part of July. We are very interested in what happens to your reception when this comes on the air. To all of those who have written in the past about not being able to get WTTV-DT or WTTK-DT, thanks for your patience. The wait will soon be over. Rick Poling, RF Supervisor, WTTK-TV 29, WTTK-DT 54, WTTV WB 4, WTTV-DT 48, WXIN FOX 59, WXIN-DT 45 (via Steve Rich, June 20, WTFDA via DXLD) ``RF Supervisor`` --- neat title (gh, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Radio María dispone de una nueva estación, esta vez en Venezuela. Luego de permanecer fuera del aire desde enero del presente año, Sonera 14-50 (antigua Radiolandia), ha vuelto al aire con cambio de nombre: se ha convertido en una filial de la poderosa cadena católica, Radio María. Captada este 19/06, a las 1943 UT, con música religiosa y comentarios sobre la familia. El canal 1450 kHz, junto con 1130 (Radio Ideal) y 1170 (Radio Celestial), es una de las estaciones emblemáticas de la radiodifusión del Estado Vargas. Sin embargo, desconozco si la ahora Radio María tiene sus estudios ubicados en esta jurisdicción costeña. Recordemos que Radio Ideal ya hace años mudó sus instalaciones de Maiquetía a Caracas. Pues prevenidos diexistas amantes de las ondas medias frente a este cambio de denominación. 73s y buen DX (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, Yaesu FT-890, Antena TH3 MK3, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA [non]. Checked for the still-announced RNVAI broadcast to Chile during the 2100 hour on 11875: June 21 at 2142, no sign of it, tho there was some other very weak signal on frequency. June 22 at 2012, RNV was on 13680 via Cuba, and for the first time at this hour, noted some co-channel interference well underneath. It was in Japanese, so that would be NHK, as scheduled to SE Asia at 2000-2400, normally inaudible (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. La Voz de la República Árabe Saharaui fue sintonizada el 19/06, a las 2333 UT, en los 7466 kHz. SINPO 32433. Locutor con comentarios sobre la Liga Árabe y temas musicales en español. Desgraciadamente, interferida por otra estación en el mismo canal, en idioma inglés. Primera vez en 20 años como diexista que la puedo escuchar (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, Yaesu FT-890, Antena TH3 MK3, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WWCR Dear Glenn, Following my last Friday's short message & report to you, here's what I managed to observe during period Fri./17 Jun evening- Mon. 20 Jun on the SW coast, and, by the way, Polisario Front's 7466 outlet is no better down there than here up north in the capital due to the US station on 7465; the only rewarding difference re. their 700 kHz (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Re 5-101, 4795: Hi Matti et al, I recall I logged Bishkek sometime in March and April (from my home in Kathmandu, am in Germany right now), both on 4795 and // 4010 with both English and Ukrainian [??? gh] programs. The Bishkek 4795 often has QRM from 4790, R. Pakistan with their "Hamara Kashmir" program and 4800, AIR Hyderabad... 73 de (Thomas Roth, HCDX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 6105, BRAZIL-?, 2245-2304*-?, June 20, Portuguese, Alternating talks between OM and YL with occasional musical bits between items. Tentative "Voz do Brazil" ID at 2301, followed by different program until cut-off at 2304 and never returned. Unsure if sign-off or technical problems. Poor signal with bad, faulty transmitter-like "hum" (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Re 5-101: Mr. Hauser, I was disappointed to see the completely non- radio related and blatantly biased political entry at the end of the referenced Digest. I think such pandering to one political persuasion diminishes the veracity of your publication (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Raton, (South East) Florida) Mr. Deegan, Sorry you feel that way. I was already aware of your political persuasion from something you said in some posting, but it doesn`t matter to me, and I don`t think it detracts from your veracity in DX/radio matters (Glenn to Curt) Glenn, I was referring only to your publication, not you or your personal postings. If in those you wish to express your political views, I would have no issue. I wrote only because the item was unnecessary and served no purpose but to be inflammatory. I am disappointed for such an item to be included because it demonstrates a slanting of content I would never have expected. None the less, I enjoy the Digest and will continue to read it, except possibly, the editorial content (Curt Deegan, FL) In the occasional and usually brief TFRL I feel free to editorialize even on non-radio matters. I beg your indulgence, as I do not have time to participate in the numerous politico-religious fora which exist. Pandering? No, just seemed like a good idea to evaluate Bush`s impeachable offenses. Curt is the guy with a website about the Wobbler, mysterious sounds on Cuban MW frequencies: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/9543/WWWR/wobbler/ (gh, DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ FREE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT TRACKING http://www.iflylax.com/lax_trac.html (via José Elías Díaz Gómez, Noticias DX via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ HF on Amtrak Going on cross-country Amtrak trip (NY to Seattle). Would like to try some HF ops. FT857D, switching PS, MFJ tuner. Has anyone done this? What antenna might work on sleeper car window? Loop? Folded/compressed quarter wave dipole? Some folks think the solar film on the window might be metallic (problem). Might be a total waste, unless someone has some good info for me. Thanks in advance (Marv, K2IPH, Sachs, HCDX via DXLD) My experience trying to DX, or merely listen to AM or SW radio on trains, has been abysmal. Too much metal shielding, even near the windows. See if they will let you string up a longwire on the roof :-0 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Same experience I had - no chance, neither AM, nor SW, even local powerhouses very weak. Really a pity, especially when I sat for days and days on transcontinental trains in Russia... not to speak of the Trans-Siberian. FM locals are quite useable, though. But the fast QTH change has a strong effect, so hurry with your bandscan - if you're interested in FM. Otherwise, enjoy the landscape... Good luck, (Eike Bierwirth, ibid.) BEVERAGE SITES IN UTAH Now some DX advice for your Utah trip - There are tons of small towns in Utah that offer better DX conditions than a big town like SLC: Try staying at the Border Inn on US 6/50 on the NV/UT border. You can visit Great Basin National Park (tour the Lehman Caves) during the day, and at night you can run a beverage antenna for *miles* to the E or SE. The accommodations are a bit old but there are a few nice restaurants in nearby Baker, NV. Teasdale, UT is a nice place to stay too. We stay on a farm there that has a few motel rooms and a cabin. From the cabin you can run wires for a few hundred feet to the E or W. Capitol Reef NP and scenic byway 12 are nearby. 73, (Tim Hall, CA, ABDX via DXLD) THE TINY TRAP +++++++++++++ Our webpage of this name has now been updated with item from last issue, and a handful of others from the previous year: http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/tinytrap.html PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to major storm levels. The period began with active to minor storm conditions at middle latitudes, and active to major storm conditions at higher latitudes, as the 09 June CME became geoeffective. These conditions lasted through about midday on 13 June. Through early on the 15th, the field relaxed to mostly quiet to unsettled. By 15/0600 UTC, and for the next 12 hours, unsettled to active conditions were observed at the middle latitudes, while active to major storm conditions occurred at the higher latitudes, as the 12 June CMEs became geoeffective. Thereafter, through midday on 16 June, the field was mostly quiet to unsettled. By midday on the 16th, geomagnetic activity levels rose again as 14 June CME became geoeffective. Unsettled to active conditions were observed at the middle latitudes, while active to major storm levels occurred at the higher latitudes. These conditions persisted generally through early on 17 June. Thereafter, and through the end of the summary period, quiet conditions were observed at the middle latitudes, while higher latitudes observed quiet to active conditions. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 22 JUNE - 18 JULY 2005 Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels. After 30 June, and through 16 July, isolated moderate levels are possible after the return of old Region 775 (N10, L=055). A greater than 10 MeV proton event is not expected through 30 June. Thereafter, and through the remainder of the forecast period, there is a slight chance for a greater than 10 MeV proton event after the return of old Region 775. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 22 – 24 June, 27 June – 01 July, and 03 – 18 July. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to minor storm levels. Recurrent coronal hole high speed wind streams are expected to produce active to minor storm levels on 25 - 27 June and on 01 – 04 July, while unsettled to active conditions are expected on 12 – 14 July. Otherwise, expect quiet to unsettled conditions. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2005 Jun 21 2215 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 2005 Jun 21 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2005 Jun 22 80 5 2 2005 Jun 23 80 5 2 2005 Jun 24 80 10 3 2005 Jun 25 85 20 4 2005 Jun 26 85 20 4 2005 Jun 27 85 15 3 2005 Jun 28 90 10 3 2005 Jun 29 95 8 3 2005 Jun 30 95 10 3 2005 Jul 01 100 15 3 2005 Jul 02 105 20 4 2005 Jul 03 105 15 3 2005 Jul 04 105 15 3 2005 Jul 05 110 10 3 2005 Jul 06 110 8 3 2005 Jul 07 110 8 3 2005 Jul 08 105 8 3 2005 Jul 09 105 8 3 2005 Jul 10 100 10 3 2005 Jul 11 95 10 3 2005 Jul 12 95 12 3 2005 Jul 13 95 15 3 2005 Jul 14 95 15 3 2005 Jul 15 90 10 3 2005 Jul 16 90 8 3 2005 Jul 17 85 8 3 2005 Jul 18 85 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1278, DXLD) ###