DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-161, September 11, 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 NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1286: Mon 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0330 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 Mon 0415 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually closer to 0418-] Mon 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Mon 1800 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru 1400 Tue] Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually; temporary] Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Latest edition of this schedule version, with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org WORLD OF RADIO 1286 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1286h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1286h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1286 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1286.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1286.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1286.html WORLD OF RADIO 1286 in true SW sound of Alex`s mp3 (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_09-07-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_09-07-05.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO 1286 downloads in studio-quality mp3: (high) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1286h.mp3 (low) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1286.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO PODCAST: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml (currently? available: 1281, 1282, 1283, Extra 59, 1284, Extra 60, 1285, 1286) CONTINENT OF MEDIA 05-08 from DXing.com: (stream) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0508.ram (download) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0508.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0508.html [finally] DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg. Here`s where to sign up http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36, R. Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, Aug. 24 1945-2100, SINPO 34443, with a song program. Many ID's and giving e-mail: lra36 @ infovia.com.ar (José Turner, near Porto, Portugal, Signal via DXLD) ** BARBADOS [non?]. Hola Glenn, Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. La semana pasada recibí una agradable sorpresa: un paquete contentivo de una enorme QSL especial emitida por Undercover Radio y un CD con un programa especial. Dr Benway me confirma así una transmisión única e irrepetible desde Barbados, con sólo 100 watts. Me recordó las QSL, tamaño gigante, de Alan Maxwell con KIPM, quien ya lamentablemente está retirado del medio. La transmisión de Dr Benway se realizó el 25/06, en los 6925 kHz (USB); es un privilegio poseer un recuerdo de tan peculiar emisión. ¡Gracias Dr Benway! 73s y buen DX (Adán González, Catia La Mar, Estado Vargas, VENEZUELA, Sept 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dr Benway announces tht his rock music shows come ``from the middle of nowhere.`` other slogan is ``don`t tell them what we are doing.`` QSL via Merlin drop, or undercoverradio @ mail.com (George Zeller, Outer Limits, Sept MONITORING TIMES via DXLD) ** BELARUS. During several years already, R Hrodna transmits programs in Polish. They go out every Monday at 1500-1540. SW frequencies are 6040 and 7110, 5 kW (Alekseychik in open_dx via Signal via DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) 6040.0 // 7110, Belaruskaje R 1, Hrodna, 1430-1600, Mo Aug 29, 1430 sports news in Belarusian heard // Minsk 6115, 1500-1535 news and speeches in Polish mentioning President Alexander Lukashenko, not // 6115, 1535-1600 Belarusian programme of local pop songs // 6115, 45444 (6040) and 44444 (7110). (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** BELARUS. 7290, Radiostantsiya Belarus, 3 Sep, 1915-1935, SINPO 44444. Talk on anti-Belarus hysteria in Poland. Sked read at 1929 (7290 kHz wasn't even mentioned in it). [in English so far?]. German broadcast started at 1930. Weak signal, deep under Voice of Vietnam, on 7280 kHz. 7105 kHz came weak as well, but there were no co-channels (Dmitry Mezin, Kazan, Russia, Signal via DXLD) ** BOTSWANA. Thomas Powell, VoA transmitting plant manager in Botswana, replied to my emailed reception report. Here is what he writes: From: "Thomas Powell" tpowell @ bot.ibb.gov Good Morning from Botswana, Mr. Mezin, Please let everyone know in your radio community that the e-mail address you have for me is correct. Here in Botswana we try very hard to answer every reception received at this station. It is very nice for my technicians to know that the hard work they are doing is being received around the world. Please keep listening in. Best Regards from Botswana, Tom Powell (Dmitry Mezin, Kazan, Russia, Signal via DXLD) ** BURMA [non]. MYANMAR, 15478 khz, LV Democrática de Birmania, 1430- 1445, 4 Septiembre, programa en birmano, inician la transmisión con un segmento de música folklórica, 43443 (Manuel Mendez, España, clandestine column of Conexión Digital, edited by Gabriel Iván Barrera, Sept 10, via DXLD) ?? We had (and subsequently corrected) this same item in 5-155; trouble is, it was reported by José Miguel Romero, not Manuel Méndez. Let`s give credit where it is due (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. Captaciones de Daniel Camporini, desde Santa Clara del Mar, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina (400 km al sur de Buenos Aires), estupendas escuchas: 550, 28/09/05 [sic] 0315-0330, R. CFNB, Fredericton, Canadá. Esta es la segunda vez que capto a esta emisora en esta área y siempre por arriba de Radio Colonia. En la ocasión anterior el director me anunció que esa era la primera vez que recibian un informe desde Sudamérica. Muy clara la señal y facil de identificar (Camporini, Conexión Digital Sept 10 via DXLD) Desafortunadamente, CFNB se quitó del aire en 550 hace 9 años. ¿Qué habrá escuchado en realidad? Unfortunately, CFNB has been off the air for nine years, so he must have heard something else, but what could be mistaken for it?? See http://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-040304.html ``Now to CIBX: it was a brand-new station when we visited in 1998, but it was the heir to a much longer history, that of CFNB (550). CFNB signed on way back in 1923 (as "10AD") and eventually grew into one of the province's biggest radio stations. By 1959, CFNB had grown to 50,000 watts from two 303-foot towers out to the southwest of town, alongside Highway 3 in Smithfield. Though most of CFNB's signal was beamed east, it was a common catch in New England as well, right up until June 11, 1996, when it signed off for good and was replaced by CIBX-FM. The only remnants of CFNB that we could find in Fredericton were a few old mikes and other remote gear displayed in a glass case in the studio lobby of CIBX/CKHJ/CIHI at 206 Rookwood Avenue, east of downtown. Imagine our delight, then, as we headed out of town on Highway 3 and saw the old CFNB transmitter building rising out of the fog, giant callsign and all. I wonder if those towers are still standing today? We'll have to revisit Fredericton one of these days (Scott Fybush`s tower sites via Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Same DXer also reported pulling in WWL 870 past LRA, 100 kW in Buenos Aires, a week before the SW relay began (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. I have a question, Back in the late 60's I received a QSL from what was called CBC (Or was it RCI) "Northern Service "; it was on a shortwave frequency. Does this service still exist It was distinct from the regular Canadian shortwave outlet. Any input or feedback from fellow DXers? (Tom Messer, Mequon WI, NRD 525/ kiwa upgrades and various odd and ends, swl at qth.net via DXLD) Yes, it still exists, only on 9625, but with its off-beam from our point of view, and the lack of interference protection it gets even from stations in the US, not to mention Latin America, Europe, and Australia, hearing it clearly down here is not very easy. Years ago they had a second frequency on 11720 in the daytime, 6065 (I think) at night. EiBi has the schedule broken down into languages: 9625 0000-0300 Tu-Sa CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec INU CAN 9625 0300-0507 Tu-Sa CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec E CAN 9625 1100-1500 Mo-Fr CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec INU CAN 9625 1100-1600 Su CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec E CAN 9625 1100-1800 Sa CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec E CAN 9625 1500-1530 Mo-Fr CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec F CAN 9625 1530-2130 Mo-Fr CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec INU CAN 9625 1600-1900 Su CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec F CAN 9625 1800-2000 Sa CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec INU CAN 9625 1900-2100 Su CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec INU CAN 9625 2000-2100 Sa CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec F CAN 9625 2100-2200 Sa CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec E CAN 9625 2100-2200 Su CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec F CAN 9625 2130-2400 Mo-Fr CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec E CAN 9625 2200-2300 Sa CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec F CAN 9625 2200-0507 Su CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec E CAN 9625 2300-0507 Su CAN R. Canada Nord-Quebec E CAN However, they used to broadcast also in Cree and maybe still do. This lineup could also have been modified due to the lockout. Since this originates from Montreal, not locked out, it may be (should be) that CBC has beefed up its SW service, as the local CBC staffers in the north (outside Quebec at least) are locked out and listeners there are getting little if any local radio service. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Their website shows them using English, French, Inuktitut & Cree. They generally come in well here in the daytime using the 200' W-E wire. http://www.cbc.ca/frequency/shortwave.html (Steve Lare, Holland MI, ibid.) I began listening to them on 9625 just after my previous post and there was only canned music with no announcements in between. At 0259 there was a brief announcement mentioning that CBC Radio 1 was not available, and apologies. Time pip after that then back to canned music (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, UT Sept 11, ibid.) ** CANADA. TORY SENATOR HOPES FOR LONG LOCKOUT --- Ex-Mulroney aide says she doesn't want CBC covering the next election http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050910.wlebreton0910/EmailBNStory/National/ (via Ricky Leong, AB, DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. When do we get our [cable-fee] money back from the CBC? TELEVISION By JOHN DOYLE The Globe and Mail Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Page R2 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050907/DOYLE07/TPEntertainment/Columnists If I were to tell you that the CBC lockout has become absurd, it would be like telling you that missing person Pastor Mansbridge is a bit baldy on top. Or telling you that Lloyd "Boy" Robertson has been reading the news for a long time now. Yep, it would be an understatement. There is now a truly surreal quality to CBC and Newsworld programming. And the labour-strife situation is outrageously absurdist. It has all become so comical that I bet I could fill an entire column with observations and reports about the ridiculousness of it all. And I will. On the long weekend, as a small group of locked-out CBC workers traipsed back and forth in front of Fort Dork here in Toronto, along came a whole bunch of people expecting to attend a taping of The Red Green Show. Many had travelled from the United States. The picketers tried to help out, but the dyspeptic Possum Lodge fans were unimpressed when told the taping wasn't at Fort Dork, it was in the east end of the city. According to the picketers, nobody from management could be rounded up to apologize and appease the Possum Lodge loyalists. On the programming front, what TV viewers are seeing is a disgrace, especially as the aftermath of Katrina is the biggest U.S. news story since Sept. 11, 2001. On Monday night at 10, when you'd normally see Pastor Mansbridge and CBC reporters giving the gist, CBC manager Rae Hull appeared on screen. She read some bland, vague news copy and then handed viewers over to a report from NBC. Yes, NBC! After 13 minutes, the nonsense ended and up popped the BBC World News. Coverage of the Katrina aftermath was comprehensive, but it was from a very British perspective on the United States. It was almost corrosive in its underlying scorn, but played to every British cliché about the U.S. It was not a reasonable substitute for CBC coverage, Meanwhile, Newsworld lumbers along, airing various Antiques Roadshow programs and repeating documentaries. As far as I can figure, we're all still paying part of our cable-fees to Newsworld. I don't know about you, but I'd like my money back. Continuing with CBC lockout looniness, I note that today is Sept. 7. In my desk diary, a note for Sept. 7 says, "CBC new-season launch." Well, that's not going to happen. The idea of a "launch" event for the new TV season was absurd as soon as the lockout began. But a notice of its cancellation only arrived last Thursday afternoon. In any case, it was a ridiculous date to launch CBC-TV's new season, Sept. 7 being the day before the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Like, did anybody really think that the papers would be full of info about CBC-TV on Sept. 8? I've no idea if the bosses inside Fort Dork or the geniuses at the expensively hired outside PR company came up with the date. If it was the latter, then CBC (that means us, the taxpayers) should demand the money back. By the way, the other item in my diary for Sept. 7 is "Ireland vs. France." It's on TV, but you have to go to a bar to see it. My stomach is in knots about it. Not the going-to-a-bar part, the game part. As a fella wrote in an Irish newspaper on Monday: "There is a density of feeling about this game that transports it beyond conventional strategy or tactic." Oh lordy. Still, Duff is fit and that's good news. But I digress. Also, by the way -- tomorrow's diary entry reads "TIFF, start making fun of." That's enough digression. Breaking Point: Canada's Referendum (CBC, 8 p.m.) is new and, in normal circumstance, would be the main focus today. It's a four-hour, two-part documentary (continuing Thursday, 8 p.m.) about the behind- the-scenes shenanigans in the 1995 Quebec Referendum campaign. You know -- when the country almost fell apart. It is made by CBC's documentary production unit, which is headed by the venerable Mark Starowicz. Last I heard, Starowicz was locked out and on the picket line. The tape sent to me by that PR company now shilling for the CBC is 35 minutes long. There is no translation of the French spoken and none of the participants is identified. Clearly this is not what is going to air, but it's all I've got. I can't review it for you. What I've got is, in no way, remotely near completion and the legitimate subject of a review. You're on your own if you want an advance review. In other CBC lockout news, Sounds Like Canada host Shelagh Rogers is on the road doing her show as a podcast. According to heron-line blog, this involves going to people's homes, and staying with them. If you find her blog, you'll see photos of Shelagh bunking down in somebody's house in Castlegar, B.C. Seriously, the poor woman is sleeping in some kid's bunk bed. Good for her, and her stalwart attempt to keep some kind of CBC Radio going. Finally, the British paper The Observer weighed in on the CBC lockout on Sunday. Veteran media commentator Peter Preston, in Canada for a visit, painted a rather wan picture and pointed ominously to public indifference about the absence of the usual CBC programming. The Observer report caused conniptions among locked-out CBC workers. Protests flew on-line. This is crazy -- Shelagh Rogers and the rest of the locked-out should be making Canadian TV and radio programs, not traipsing around aimlessly, on-line or on the pavement. The headline in the Observer story called the situation "A Canadian farce", and that's true. But it's not funny. It's a tragic farce at this point. Dates and times may vary across the country. Check local listings. ========================= A CANADIAN FARCE THE BBC MUST NOT REPEAT Peter Preston Sunday September 4, 2005 Observer (London, UK) http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5277305-102271,00.html It's another hot, bright day, so they've rigged up an apology for a tent outside the TV studios. Technicians in jeans squat on the pavement and drink coffee. Reporters parade wanly up and down, the banners hung around their necks proclaiming a short, sad message: 'Locked Out.' Three thousand miles away, Katrina is carving up Mississippi. And here's the way the BBC ends, you think to yourself: not with a bang - but a shrug of irrelevance. No: not yet. This is Canada - Vancouver, to precise - not Langham Place, but the echoes of what might have been a couple of months ago over Mark Thompson's redundancy plans resonate eerily. The Paxman and Anna Ford equivalents here are on the picket line. Television and radio schedules dole out a thin gruel of repeats, football matches screened without commentators, canned movies and - yes! - bought-in emergency rations from BBC World. It has taken a hurricane to turn the news channel haltingly live again (via a Louisiana affiliate station). The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the nation's public service broadcaster, nearly 70 years strong, has been strike-bound for three weeks now: 5,500 vital journalist and technical staff from its union, the Canadian Media Guild, on the streets in a transatlantic clone of a dispute - 15 months in the brewing - over job security and short-term contracts. There is no public service as usual. Audiences are down 25 per cent since industrial action began, and still falling. But the damnable thing, the awful lesson from all this, is that nobody much seems to care. Only 10 per cent of Joe Public, once polled, thinks the strike a major inconvenience; only 27 per cent would even describe it as a minor inconvenience. The rest of Canada just walks on by, untroubled, uninvolved. Of course the BBC doesn't wallow in quite the same unpopularity hole as its Canadian cousin, at least for the moment. CBC prime time TV audiences have dropped to 5 per cent in the past six years (since the last strike). The usual American marauders and digital destroyers have done it terrible damage. But don't pretend that the same forces of future gloom pass Wood Lane by. BBC audience share in August - 21.5 per cent - was its worst monthly figure ever, and the last Sunday of the month - 16.8 per cent - the worst day since records began. Shrinking, shrinking ... What happens - the Canadian question, already put - when Joe Taxpayer declines to stand up and be counted again? There are differences, to be sure. We have the licence fee, Ottawa has direct government subsidy (nearing a billion dollars a year) to go with CBC's revenue from advertising, a mix-and-match that might come to Britain if fee-payers got too restive. The BBC tries to chase big numbers for its biggest shows; CBC has largely given up the ghost. Yet still, it's the similarities that bring a chill. When great CBC panjandrums deliver learned lectures on 'the need to maintain a public space, a Canadian voice, in a multi-channel universe', they could almost deliver the same message at a Royal Television Society gathering. When they talk proudly of spending $25 million on a documentary series about Canada called A People's History, you can feel the waters of prestige Beebery lapping around your thighs. Public-service broadcasting is there to deliver a service to the public, and tends to deck that role in much the same rhetoric whenever and wherever it strides to the podium. Yet how does that sit with three weeks of locked-out life? There's a dilemma here that shouldn't be ducked. CBC's media foes - and it has many - have not been slow to turn the screw. The National Post (Conrad Black's finest creation) talks openly about living without the CBC. 'It might have been needed one time, but it isn't any more - and never more obviously than when it isn't there.' Though Ottawa may still be reluctant to pull the plug - largely because the corporation fares better among French speakers - you can bet that the subsidy will fall and fall again. This is a spiral towards extinction - and it's accelerating because CBC managers and unions seem to live within a cocoon of introversion that allows them to threaten and stall and hang tough without ultimate penalty. Who needs to be back to work while New Orleans sinks into the ooze? Someone else will cover it. And someone will always pick up our bill. But that someone is shrugging again. He doesn't exert pressure for settlement. He doesn't demand his own voice in a multi-channel universe. He just presses the zapper and leaves those public servants who didn't serve him to the fate of forgetfulness. ---------- (both via Mike Cooper, DXLD) see also INTERNATIONAL VACUUM ** CANADA. CBC RADIO 3 HOST SUFFERS HEART ATTACK http://cbcunplugged.blogware.com/blog/AlexisMazurinUpdates Alexis Mazurin, co-host of CBC Radio 3 programming (and who you may have heard on one of Vancouver's lockout podcasts) has suffered a massive heart attack while attending a festival outside Reno, Nevada. He has not regained consciousness but doctors say he has a good chance of surviving. It's still wait-and-see to hope that his brain was not damaged during its time without oxygen (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC TV substitute programming --- see http://www.680news.com/news/entertainment/article.jsp?content=e090855A CBC will be using the Steven Spielberg/TNT cable mini-series "Into The West" to fill a programming gap resulting from its lockout of 5,500 workers. The 12-hour series is about the opening of the American West. Two things to note: 1) CBC has been thinking about buying this series since June; 2) The series was shot --- in Alberta and Mexico, so it probably goes part-way to fulfilling Canadian content requirements! (Ricky Leong, AB, Sept 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I got all the eps on tape, and may never find the time to watch them (gh, OK, DXLD) ** CHILE. 96.5 Radio Beethoven --- Se termina la radio Beethoven. La de la música clásica. O docta. O selecta. O seria. Y justo ahora que Patricio Bañados estaba teniendo una presencia mayor, con sus graciosas lecturas vespertinas del Manual de Carreño y unos chistes cuya inmensa fomedad obligaba a la carcajada grande. Que no se financia, nos dicen. Que se escucha, exponen otros, pero es floja la venta de publicidad. Sabemos, en todo caso, que no está entre las más escuchadas y que los avisadores no se pelean por figurar en su programación. Y en estos días, ante la inminencia de su venta y desaparición, escuchamos la lluvia de quejas: que no se financia la cultura, que nadie hace nada para frenar la chabacanería de los medios, que la prestigiada emisora se transformará en otro tocadiscos amenizado con voces desautorizadas y un largo etcétera. Naturalmente, nadie se hace cargo de la porción que le corresponde en el desastre. Apenas una opinión, perdida en la montaña de quejas, hemos leído a favor de la acción concreta: que financien la emisora quienes están tan convencidos de su valor y tan dolidos por su desaparición. Naturalmente, como siempre sucede, el asunto llega hasta ahí. Se suele reclamar cuando se deja de recibir lo que se ha estado recibiendo gratis. Y en nuestro terreno, dígame, estimado lector, ¿hay proporción entre las sintonías de los partidos que trasmite la televisión abierta y la pagada? Ninguna. El televidente puede marcar mejores ratings con un partido de la segunda división de Trinidad y Tobago antes que con un clásico local, a condición de que el primero sea gratis. Lo sabemos. Pero es más fácil y más rentable reclamar contra quien sea y echarle la culpa a alguien por no tener gratis aquello que es "nuestra pasión". Lo que pasa es que se trata de pasiones cultivadas por muy pocos apasionados. ¿Nadie se sorprende, por ejemplo, de que no haya una emisora especializada en música chilena? ¿O de que el Canal del Fútbol no tenga tantos abonados como podría sugerir nuestra "pasión de multitudes"? El fútbol y la música clásica son pasiones para quienes las viven. Pero estos fervorosos son menos de los que suele suponerse. Puede parecer majadero insistir en este asunto, pero es el único tema sustancial que permitirá que el fútbol llegue a ser entre nosotros el fenómeno que se encaminaba a ser y cuyo tránsito ha sido truncado por tanta insensatez que a diario se comete. El fútbol y la música clásica son pasiones para quienes las viven. Pero estos fervorosos son menos de los que suele suponerse. (nota extraída de http://www.elmercurio.cl vía Arnaldo Slaen, Conexión Digital Sept 10 via DXLD) Too bad; had a webcast too (gh, DXLD) ** CHINA. DX-ing in Heilongjiang 50 years ago --- Our Russian member Valentin Kolchanov has sent us a long and exclusive article for the 50th Anniversary of the DSWCI next year. 50 years ago, Valentin lived as a teenager in Harbin in the Heilongjiang Province in North East China with his Russian parents. In 1965 they moved back to Russia. Here is the first part of it. The full article will be published later on in SWN (DSWCI Ed, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) Let me inform you that the Heilongjiang PBS was the first radio station that I heard on my own radio set. It was 50 years ago in Harbin, China when my father (or better, Santa Claus) gave me at the Christmas Party on January 7, 1955 (25th of December by Julian Calendar) an interesting gift: a small box with 4 terminals and a pair of headphones. Thus I got my own Chinese made crystal radio set with a Galena detector. (Before that, I used to listen my father’s Latvian made 5 tubes’ ``Riga T-755`` radio set when he was absent). It could catch only one local station – the Heilongjiang PBS on around 1000 kHz (WRTH gives 972 kHz). Since that time I have been listening to the station every day. The other more weak station – Harbin PBS on around 600 kHz (WRTH gives 621 kHz) couldn’t be heard due to bad selectivity of radio: the coil was connected directly to antenna terminal. But I always wanted to listen to DX stations. And one day when Heilongjiang station had signed off, I was able to catch the Qiqihar PBS situated 260 km from Harbin. It was my first DX catch and I was happy! I was only able to listen to it once again, because local stations in China usually signed off simultaneously around 1130 Local time and resumed transmissions in the evening at 1600 - 1700 Local time (Valentin Kolchanov, Aug 14, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** CUBA. 1180 - Hello Old Friend. 2115+ GMT 10 September: Rebelde 1180 kHz is nearly up to her old strength, after many weeks of uselessness daytime. Baseball game right now (interesting to hear this host pronounce "provincia" as "Prov-IN-Chia" and "Mantanzas" as "Ma-TAN- zhuh"). Is he from Barcelona, Spain? Meanwhile, 640-Progreso remains weak. Did they wheel the 640 transmitter across the street on a donkey cart to replace the broken 1180-Rebelde? (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. 530 kHz Air Martí watch Weak carrier (as always) present all day on 530 kHz; either a TIS jumble, RVC-Turks & Caicos, the (original) under-a-kilowatt Rebelde jammer, or a combo thereof. This is the second week in a row without Air Martí. Last week I can only guess it was missing due to PANG staff deployment because of relief efforts. The week prior due to Hurricane Katrina & The Waves passing over south Florida. Not sure what gives as the reason this Saturday, other than a possible first scenario. Tune-out 2225 GMT, 10 Sept (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DENMARK. DANMARKS RADIO TO REDUCE BUDGET BY 95 MILLION KRONER Danish public broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) has announced that it is to reduce its budget by 95 million kroner over the next two years. Approximately 100 jobs will be cut, mostly through voluntary retirement. However, the budget cuts also mean that the news in English and five other foreign languages on radio, Internet, teletext and via telephone will end. The new Managing Director of DR, Kenneth Plumber, said at a press conference that DR will still spend more on programming next year than this year. The financial crisis affecting DR has been caused by the late-running and heavily over-budget construction of a new HQ building, due to open next year. (RN Media Network weblog via Steve Whitt, Sept 9, MWC via DXLD) It was also decided that the LW and MW transmitters in Kalundborg would be closed down - and so DR will stop using 243 and 1062 kHz. The final decision on such a closure must however be taken by the Ministry of Culture. Currently DR is obliged to use LW and MW. A decision on the closure of the transmitters in Kalundborg will probably take effect as of January 1st 2007. The foreign language services (in English, Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Urdu and Turkish) will be terminated by the end of December 2005. I was the only board-member to vote against these cuts. Too bad :-( Best 73s (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, ibid.) ** ECUADOR [and non]. HCJB Quito ceases German service direct from Pifo, as of Oct 29th, 2005 HCJB nicht mehr aus Pifo fuer Europa. Heute frueh habe ich bei Radio HCJB in der "Sendung fuer DXer" gehoert, dass man im Winter nicht mehr aus Ekuador in Deutsch nach Europa senden wird, sondern nur noch ueber T-Systems auf 3955 kHz. Begruendet wurde dass u.a. mit den beginnenden Abbauarbeiten in Pifo und den finanziellen Konsequenzen. Da sinkt dann auch noch die Entfernung fuer die Kurzwelle. Aber im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Sprachen gibt es noch die deutschen Sendungen aus dem fernen Quito (Andreas Nitschke-D, A-DX Sep 10 via BCDX via DXDLD) ** ECUADOR. 4909.21, R Chaskis, Otavalo, very strong signal at 1045, Sep 04, "flauta andina" of most excellent quality, ann on the hour, continued music and then fade out 1115. Last previous log was Aug 24 same time, same excellent programing (Robert Wilkner, FL, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** EGYPT. 9990.1, R Cairo, 2115-2130, Aug 23, English, Cairo mentioned several times, but audio was so bad that it was almost impossible to understand anything. I wonder how many listeners have patience for listening to this program as I was not even able to tell what was the subject - but it might have been the news. Maybe the satellite outlet on Hotbird is better and more clear in audio. 44444 (Bjarke Vestesen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) Unfortunately it has been so for decades with most of their SW transmitters (Anker Petersen, Ed., DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. DTK T-systems Nauen sightseeing Day, Sep 11, 2005. Laut einem auf der IFA verteilten Flyer laden DW und T-systems auch in diesem Jahr zum Tag des offenen Denkmals zum Besuch der Rundfunksendestelle Nauen ein: "Besuchen Sie eines der modernsten KW-Sendezentren Europas. Sonntag, 11. September 2005 0800-1400 UT - 10.00 bis 16.00 Uhr MESZ LT, Graf-Arco-Str. 154, Nauen" Wirklich sehenswert und zu empfehlen, sowohl die imposante Sendeanlage und Antennen als auch die historischen Gebaeude! Ich war zu solch einem Tag vor einigen Jahren und kann die Veranstaltung nur loben. Am Rande gab es auch einige hobbybezogene Staende mit Infomaterial, Empfaengern etc.! Also wer es noch nicht gesehen hat und wem es in den Zeitplan passt, Hobbyfreunde aus Berlin-Brandenburg, angrenzenden Gebieten und wer sich sonst noch auf den Weg machen will - eine Woche nach der IFA ruft Berlin (Brandenburg!) schon wieder! (Ralf Schneider-D, A-DX Sep 6 via BCDX via DXLD) Nauen sightseeing Open Day Sep 11, 2005. http://home.snafu.de/wumpus/nauen.htm sagt u.a.: "1997 wurden 4 neue KW-Sender mit jeweils 500 kW in Betrieb genommen. Sender und Antenne bilden eine Einheit (Foto eines der vier Senderaeume ). Die alten KW-Sender aus DDR-Zeit sind noch im Reserve-Betrieb. Die alte Dreh-Antenne war weltweit bekannt. Ein Teil der alten Antennen-Anlage ist 1999 abgerissen worden." Weitere Infos, aber nicht unmittelbar zu Deiner Frage, auch unter: http://www.telekom.de/dtag/ipl1/cda/level3_a/0,3680,10450,00.html (Ralf Schneider-D, A-DX Sep 7 via BCDX via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. CABINET BACKS BROADCAST REGULATOR'S LICENCE APPROVALS FOR SATELLITE RADIO http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/artslife/story.html?id=2f6c806a-d2b7-4806-8e77-28481176e21d (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) Satellite Radio gets the green light from the Cabinet. Thanks to Ricky Leong over at the SWPROGRAMS list for the first heads-up, listed below. The same PR was in the Globe & Mail, at this URL: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050909.wsatrever0908/BNStory/National/ or http://tinyurl.com/a3cxd See the Sirius spin at http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2005/09/c8078.html (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ODXA via DXLD) Sirius announced some significant additions and changes to its line- up starting 9/29. CBC is not listed as one of them, but the announcement of the changes was made prior to the Cabinet's affirmation. Kevin Shea of Sirius Canada says he hopes to have service up and running in Canada before Christmas. I wonder if addition of the CBC streams needs to wait that long? (John Figliozzi, NY, Sept 10, ibid.) Heh -- there isn't much of a CBC to be listened to, right now, is there? Somewhat ironic. We've been waiting with bated breath to get CBC Radio One 24/7, and there's nothing on... I would hope that as soon as Sirius Canada subscriptions "go live", we'd get the CBC and other Canadian channels added to our USA service. As for the September 29 shuffle, the loss of "Swing Street" (ch. 73) is a personal disappointment, as much prefer the instrumental aspects of that music to the vocal standards. Interesting also that the Word network is being replaced with a more broadly-targeted religion network. It also appears much of the rock music channels are being slightly repositioned as well. The BBCWS is moving from Ch. 114 to Ch. 141; WRN moves from 115 to 140. The Sirius preview channel (#184) is being changed to a "weather & emergency" channel, whatever that means; the city-specific traffic & weather channels are also being shuffled; NYC and LA each get their own now. Wonder if Toronto and other large Canadian cities will be given traffic / weather services? (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) Re 5-160: Sirius To Re-align Channels Sept. 29 Part 2 Glenn, Following up my report, I E-Mailed Customer Service to find out where the new Canadian channels would be. Here was their response: ---------- Thank you for contacting SIRIUS regarding the programming of Canadian channels. At this time SIRIUS is not available in Canada therefore we have not added any Canadian programming yet. Once we move into Canada we will be able to provide more channels of that nature. ---------- Sounds like they're going to wait until everything's worked out before they start assigning Canadian channels. As far as my comment about whether or not the Canadian channels would be heard in the U.S., that appears to be the case, according to the "Benefits to Canadian Artists" page at http://www.siriusradiocanada.com : ---------- Canadian performers, writers and creators will gain broader exposure to millions of subscribers across Canada and the U.S Sirius Canada will contribute approximately $22 million (5% of revenues) towards Canadian talent development initiatives over a 7 year period. Sirius expects this to grow as Canadians join the satellite radio phenomenon. The total financial contribution will be divided equally between English and French talent development. Sirius is creating a Canadian Talent Coordinator in New York to promote Canadian artists and performers for the Canadian and non- Canadian Sirius channels. Sirius will be showcasing Canadian artists `in studio sessions` at its state of the art studios in New York and at broadcast studios across Canada. Sirius will offer an unparalleled quantity of new Canadian music 25% of the airtime on the Canadian music channels will be dedicated to artists who get little or no airplay on conventional radio A further 25% of the airtime on the Sirius Canadian music channels will be dedicated to new releases from better known artists With the current Canadian content requirements for satellite radio, more Canadian content will be played on satellite radio then is played on existing conventional Canadian radio stations. The Sirius Canadian channels will commit at least 50% in new original Canadian programming content. Canadian artists and performers featured on Sirius satellite radio will enjoy a new revenue stream of additional copyright fees. ---------- BTW, their home page says the service is still coming this fall. Later, (Steven Cline, Indianapolis, IN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRELAND [non]. Forgot to check for RTE`s special SW broadcast of the Hurling Finals --- darn! That was today Sept 11 at 1300-1700 on 3 or 4 SW frequencies as recently published. But with the storming going on, probably inaudible here if not in Africa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar-terrestrial indices for 10 September follow. Solar flux 100 and mid-latitude A-index 25. The mid-latitude K-index at 1200 UTC on 11 September was 6 (191 nT). The mid-latitude K-index at 1500 UTC on 11 September was 5 (93 nT). The mid-latitude K-index at 1800 UTC on 11 September was 4 (40 nT). Space weather for the past 24 hours has been severe. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G4 level occurred. Solar radiation storms reaching the S3 level occurred. Radio blackouts reaching the R3 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be severe. Geomagnetic storms reaching the G4 level are expected. Solar radiation storms reaching the S3 level are expected. Radio blackouts reaching the R3 level are expected (SEC via DXLD) ** IRELAND NORTHERN. Northern Ireland MW silent for next month - 2nd change of plan! The BBC engineering website now again says these transmitters will be off air until 5/10!! But today 1341 kHz has been on continuously. 73 (Steve Whitt, UK, Sept 9, MWC via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Word from Moshe Oren, regarding Kol Israel tests aimed towards Asia: "For the next 7 days Sept 11 to Sept 17 we will broadcast between 0930 to 1030 UT at 17600 and the next 7 days Sept 18 to Sept 24 between 0930 to 1030 at 15760." Seemingly, this would be Reshet Hey: English, Ladino, French, Bukharian. Currently, the 0330 English broadcast has a transmitter aimed towards Asia (Doni Rosenzweig, Sept 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. IDENTIFYING JAPANESE NHK MEDIUM WAVE STATIONS by John H. Bryant with Dr. Takazi Okuda When to listen for a station identification and how to decode what you hear. Learn to recognize Japanese NHK Medium Wave stations. http://www.dxing.info/articles/IDing_NHK_stations.dx (via DXLD) ** MEXICO. XHGZP-6 Torreón ID photo. Jeff Kruszka in Bâton Rouge received a rare ID from channel 6 in Torreón Monday night. This is the URL to see the ID: http://www.geocities.com/doglethorpe/jeffxhgzp6.html (Danny, Shreveport, LA, Oglethorpe, Sept 10, ABDX via DXLD) No doubt it helped that WDSU-6 New Orleans was off the air (gh, DXLD) ** MONACO [non]. Hello, Some tests transmissions in DRM from Monte Carlo Radiodiffusion (MCR) from the Fontbonne site. Broadcasts until September 13th, on short wave 6130 kHz at 1000-1530 UT. Programme of RMC Info in French (// with 216 kHz LW). Good listening, (Christian Ghibaudo from France, Sept 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Campaign to prevent the closure of RN`s Portuguese service (which has not been on SW for a few years now): HOLANDA - O que restou da Rádio Nederland em português está a perigo. Devemos não só pedir a manutenção da programação em português da forma como está, mas também exigir algo mais, já que, em diversas oportunidades, os ouvintes brasileiros demonstraram que têm força e ainda escutam rádio em ondas curtas. Não esqueçam! Em entrevista a Cassiano Macedo, do programa Encontro DX, da Rádio Aparecida, o diretor-artístico da programação em espanhol da Rádio Nederland, Jaime Báguena Garcia, disse que a emissora "reconhece a força dos ouvintes brasileiros". De acordo com ele, "cerca de 30% da audiência da programação em espanhol encontra-se no Brasil". HOLANDA - Carlos Lagoeiro, da Rádio Nederland, pede, a quem puder, que escrevam para as embaixadas dos Países Baixos aqui no Brasil e para a representação brasileira naquele país. Aqui vão as coordenadas! Endereço eletrônico da Embaixada dos Países Baixos aqui no Brasil: bra@minbuza.nl. Em informação enviada a Leônidas dos Santos Nascimento, de São João Evangelista (MG), Lagoeiro informa que todas as mensagens chegam na mesa do Embaixador do Brasil na Holanda, Gilberto Sabóia, se enviadas para o endereço eletrônico de sua secretária, que é o seguinte: vanessa @ brazilianembassy.nl HOLANDA – Em nome da Seção em Língua Portuguesa da Rádio Nederland, Carlos Lagoeiro envia a seguinte mensagem à coluna: "Nós, jornalistas da Seção Brasileira da Rádio Nederland, estamos em campanha aberta para garantir que a voz independente de nossa emissora internacional, em português, continue chegando a milhões de lares. Pedimos seu apoio nesta campanha e ainda que nos ajudem a concretizar o sonho de firmar futuras parcerias com as 15 mil emissoras comunitárias do país, entre outras, assegurando noticiário internacional independente a todos. Para efetivar seu apoio, por favor, assine e envie a mensagem abaixo à direção da Radio Nederland ou escreva um texto pessoal, para assegurar a real liberdade de expressão em nosso país. Desde já, agradecemos o seu apoio". HOLANDA – Eis o modelo de mensagem que pode ser enviada para os diretores da Rádio Nederland: "Prezados senhores Jan Hoek e Joop Daalmeijer; a notícia sobre as intenções de fechamento da Seção em Língua Portuguesa da Rádio Nederland nos causa surpresa e preocupação. Estes planos de fechamento não refletem a importância dos laços históricos, culturais, econômicos e sociais existentes entre a Holanda e o Brasil, do século XVII aos dias de hoje. Causa-nos estranheza tal decisão num momento histórico em que, cada vez mais, estes laços se estreitam, principalmente com centenas de empresas holandesas redobrando investimentos em nosso território. A Holanda é o país que mais investe no Brasil e nosso país é líder na captação de recursos batavos na América do Sul. Segundo a Secretaria de Negócios Econômicos da Holanda, o Brasil é "de longe, o nosso mais importante parceiro na América Latina". Além do comércio, a Holanda está enraizada em diversos setores no Brasil, firmando cada vez mais parcerias educacionais, tecnológicas, etc., com intercâmbios importantes para ambos os lados. Destacamos o importante papel das agências holandesas de cooperação, garantindo centenas de projetos de desenvolvimento sustentável, alternativas ao nosso modelo econômico, gerador de uma das piores concentrações de renda do planeta. A Seção em Língua Portuguesa da Rádio Nederland desempenha um importante papel no mundo da comunicação local, transmitindo, diariamente, há 32 anos, noticiários, comentários aprofundados, entrevistas e programas especiais, em português, para centenas de emissoras parceiras no Brasil. Milhões de ouvintes escutam, através dessas rádios, informações e análises que vão além da superficialidade dos meios locais, justamente porque a liberdade de expressão é a tônica da emissora internacional da Holanda. Pedimos que a Direção da Rádio Nederland reconsidere a decisão sobre o fechamento desse importante canal, levando em conta que no Brasil há um controle da mídia por seis grandes grupos privados, inexistindo, de fato, liberdade de imprensa. O rádio e a tevê são os únicos meios de comunicação de 88% da população. Além da concentração da mídia, 56,9% dos brasileiros vivem abaixo da linha de pobreza e temos o pior índice de desigualdade social. A informação independente, fornecida pela Rádio Nederland é vital para o fortalecimento do processo realmente democrático no país, sem exclusão social. Atenciosamente, Fulano de Tal". A mensagem deve ser enviada aos seguintes departamentos: Direção da Rádio Nederland: jan.hoek @ rnw.nl Redator-chefe: joop.daalmeijer @ rnw.nl Conselho de Funcionários: ondernemingsraad @ rnw.nl Seção em Língua Portuguesa: carlos.lagoeiro @ rnw.nl (Célio Romais, Panorama via Conexión Digital Sept 10 via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. The reputation of KCSC-FM 90.1 Edmond OK as one of the nation`s premier almost-all-classical music stations has been seriously damaged, as previewed in their monthly newsletter: breaking format in the extreme for stupid UCO football games. I suppose the U has always had football games, and they were probably broadcast on some commercial station if anybody cared, but now the U`s own station has been obliged, probably by the administration, to transmit the play-by-play. The previous info did not say exactly when, but I ran across it Saturday night, UT Sunday Sept 11 in progress at 0105. Strangely enough, I find nothing about this on their website now, even on the program grid http://www.kcscfm.com/programming/program_main.asp which still shows 0000 UT Sundays The Woodsongs OldTime Radio Hour, 0100 Celtic Connexions, 0200 Keyboard Concert. Fans of those programs are in for rude noises instead (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7120, Wantok R Light, Port Moresby, may be having transmitter problems - no signal heard for two nights now (Sep 04 and 05), even when CRN Vanimo is audible with S2 signal (Bruce Churchillm CA, DXplorer via DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Special Radio entered the DRM Consortium. Starting from October, it will go out in SW using DRM mode. http://www.specialradio.ru/n/?id=156) (open_dx - Victor Rutkovsky, Yekaterinburg, Russia, Signal via DXLD) See also TATARSTAN; UNITED NATIONS [non] ** SPAIN. SPAIN SMP List: REE Program "Amigos de la Onda Corta" in Spanish is included in all Foreign Services in Ar, Fr, Ge, Ru, En - for example on Aug 11th 1750-1800 on 9665 in German program; 1720-1730 on 15325 in Russian program, etc. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, wwdxc BC-DX Sep 1, via DXLD) Well, altho I haven`t listened to either in a long time, Radio Waves in English was not just a translation of Amigos de la OC in Spanish, if that is what you imply (gh, DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. According to my observations, SLBC ends its morning English broadcast at 0400, instead of 0430. It's a pity - I used to listen to it (music program) during preparation period before going to work (15745 kHz). (MEDIA-DX - Alexander Yegorov, Kyiv, Ukraine, via Signal Sept 11 via DXLD) ** SUDAN. 9505, Radio Sudan Republic, 1 Sep, 1608, in Arabic, SINPO 34433. Used the hint of Vlad Titarev. Indeed, signal was rather strong and readable. Sudan uses 9505 kHz in the afternoon, instead of 7200 kHz (Dmitry Mezin, Kazan, Russia, Signal via DXLD) ** SUDAN. 4750, R Peace, 0250-0330, Aug 27, no sign of this station since the signing of the treaty ending the civil war (Bob Wilkner, FL, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. 7999.33, Voice of Sudan, Eritrea. I have now tried 3 days in a row, and I'm convinced that this station signs on at 1530v. This frequency should propagate here at 1500. As it so happens, the carrier seems to come on between 1520 and 1525, and today Aug 25 they signed on with orchestral music at 1528. The signal here is not strong but stable (Vashek Korinek, RSA, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** TATARSTAN. RUSSIA. Here are the current details of getting QSLs from Tatarstan Wave. Send your reports (written in English, German, or Russian) to: QSL Manager, c/o Ildus Ibatullin P.O.Box 134 Kazan 420136 Russia The station doesn't have funds for QSLing, therefore please enclose return postage: 2 IRCs, or $1, or 1 Euro. Taped reports are accepted, but I'm afraid the cassettes are not returned. Reports sent during this summer/autumn will be confirmed with special QSL cards devoted to the 1000th anniversary of Kazan. There are several card designs, so send your reports in a batch if you wish to have various cards! Broadcast schedule (posted to the forum by Bob Padula, slightly amended by me - Ed.) is the following: 0410-0500 15140 250 kW 60 deg (to the Far East) 0610-0700 9690 250 kW 60 deg (to Central Asia) 0810-0900 11925 100 kW 310 deg (to Europe) Please keep in mind that broadcasts start at xx10, not at xx00! That's because the last broadcast is relayed locally in Kazan and the whole Tatarstan in LW/VHF, and it must not overlap the regular Radio Rossii news (not relayed in SW), which take the initial 10 minutes of the hour on local radio nets (info from Ildus Ibatullin, Kazan, Russia, via Dmitri Mezin, Signal via DXLD) ** TIBET [non]. 17550, Voice of Tibet, via ?, *1400:00-1430* and *1528-1558*, Sep 05, Tibetan ann and ID by a woman with some instrumental music in the background, 1401 talk by a man mentioning Lhasa, 1403 recordings of another man talking in a large room, 1415 talk in the studio by two men, 1427 orchestral music at close. The program was possibly repeated one hour later. Reception was good at 1400 to about 1415 and at 1528-1535 without interference, 35444, but a Chinese "Fire Dragon" music jammer came on from about 1415 and stayed on till 1520* (!). It came back at *1535-1600*. During that jamming the Voice of China was poorly received here with 33443 to 32442 (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) You mean V. of Tibet? These are the new services for Tibetans in India, which VOT begged China not to jam. Of course, they would probably be just as audible in Tibet as the other broadcasts, if not jammed (gh, DXLD) ** TIBET [and non]. CHINESE MUSIC JAMMER logged strongly about 1625- 1650 Sep 6 on 7130 (?jamming who?), 9680, 11750, 11765 kHz (on 11750 two very vague Asians talking under that signal). Also on exactly 17560 - no signal whatsoever of V. of Tibet on or near this frequency audible (Finn Krone, Denmark, DXplorer Sep 8 via BCDX via DXLD) Hi Finn, once again welcome back with new antennas on air. 7130 is used by CBS Taipei Kouhu in Mandarin, and covered by Chinese mainland at same with Chinese opera jamming, 1400-1800. Same on 9680 against CBS Taipei HuWei, 1100-1800. 11750 against US-RFA Uighur from Iranawila Ceylon. Against 17560, nominal V. of Tibet via Tashkent, but really +/- 3 apart on 17517, 17522/3, 17528, 17562, 17568 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Sep 8, BCDX via DXLD) ** U K [non]. Re 5-160: The Last Night of the Proms was fully broadcast in short waves, indeed, but not by the BBCWS. It was transmitted by Österreich 1, from Austria [6155?]. Here in Portugal, it was transmitted by RDP Antena 2, which had two reporters in the Royal Albert Hall. As a matter of fact, all this year's Promenade Concerts were broadcast by Antena 2. A curious note: the SW transmission from Austria was perfectly simultaneous with the one from Antena 2. Not a single delay could be noticed on either side! 73 (Fernando de Sousa Ribeiro, Oporto, Portugal, http://community.webshots.com/user/f_s_ribeiro Sept 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBCWS usually runs the last half, since 3 hours straight from a variable start time would be too much for it to handle, but I did not even check their schedule this year. LNOTP remains OD for a week on the BBC Proms player, as well as the previous week`s Proms, some of which I still have to catch before it be too late (gh, DXLD) ** UNITED NATIONS [non]. RUSSIA Starting from 18 Aug, the Voice of Russia again relays UN Radio programs in Russian. They are on the air Tue-Sat, at about 1212 UT on regular Russian Service frequencies (Voice of Russia, Club DX No. 753, Internet version via Signal via DXLD) ** U S A. WBCQ's 7415 transmitter has suffered a fault and is currently offline. Programming normally heard on 7415 will be on 5105 and 9330 until the problems can be addressed. We'll keep you posted. Keep an eye on http://wbcq.com for updates. -- Tom Barna [at Monticello] via Larry Will 2135 UT 9/10/05 (Larry Will, 2338 UT Sept 10, dxldyg via DXLD) WBCQ 7415 is back online (Larry Will, 2000 UT 9/11/05 (from http://wbcq.com via gh, DXLD) ** U S A. TURN DELANO INTO A DISASTER SERVICE STATION Comments relating to: -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delano%2C_California -- http://www.martinoticias.com/frequencies.htm Considering the full extent of infrastructure damage in the Katrina affected Gulf Coast States, the BBG (the parent crown corporation of VOA, Radio Martí, etc...) should immediately cease (for a time frame of 6 months) all shortwave transmissions to Cuba via the Delano Relay Station. Delano seems to have the best pattern coverage of the affected region, based on fragmentary data I have been able to collect. No more than 100 kw needs to be used, as domestic coverage is the only goal. -- Take note that what I am proposing would not affect BBG's overall transmission schedules, nor would it affect any of the BBG's mandates or geopolitical goals. Money would be saved as well, with 100 kw transmission power. This is a 'zero impact' suggestion that does not need approval at other levels of government. The BBG should relay the following programming (via Delano) to the affected Gulf Coast States -- local disaster relief radio (i.e.: private and public radio stations doing 24-7 recovery radio) -- US Red Cross radio -- other related broadcasting notices -- notices for foreign subjects in the region -- using at least 2 frequencies, 168 hours per week Technical Notes on: Delano + Greenville [A & B] + ALLISS -- I myself have tried many times to get information from BBG on the coverage patterns of Delano, but have run into a Kafkaesque 'brick wall' of bureaucratic refusals. -- The refusal to provide technical information is not only morally and ethically wrong, but the refusals have been without any strategic basis whatsoever. Delano's shortwave transmission technology is outdated by 15 or 20 years. Anotherwords [sic], all information pertaining to Delano has no strategic value whatsoever [at the level of detail I need]. -- Greenville [A & B] could also be redirected on a limited basis to cover for Delano's coverage weaknesses, but I am not suggesting doing so with more than one frequency or directional antenna at a time. -- The US fully handed over technological superiority in shortwave broadcasting to Thales a Swiss-French-German transmitter and antenna manufacturer, when the ALLISS technology was unveiled. TCI, the primary Delano contractor has not duplicated Thales intellectual achievements nor is it able to do so. -- Thales can duplicate Delano's HRS 12/6/1 antenna system, and all of its features at any time. That is to say that Thales does not lack the intellect or talent to duplicate Delano's directional antennas exactly. Some say that Russia (the former USSR) has already separately succeeded in doing so as far back as the 1960s-1970s. -- Some BBG staffers claim that BBG has destroyed the data (and maybe the scientific research study itself) of a multimillion, multi-year propagation study on HR / HRS / HRRS transmission systems used by IBB. I understand that the conclusions of this study were possibly used by Thales (then called Tompson-CSF) to design the ALLISS modules used in Allois and Issodun. -- ALLISS Transmission Technology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALLISS +++ A question passed on to me from another source +++ - - - Not related to the comments posted above - - - ============ Political Question ============ Because of the nature of the recovery effort [and the way that the US federal government, and the State of Louisiana has managed the New Orleans region] there exists a possibility of a total cover-up of genocide or genocide culpability at all levels of government [and possibly private industry] in the Gulf Coast States. If the US is claiming to be a fair and just society, there needs to be neutral international oversight in this case to ensure that the US justice system punishes the appropriate individuals. Separate and parallel intervention of the ICC can very much assist in the US prosecution of such individuals. I need to ask if any Americans (or affected European nationals) can separately file a case of genocide or genocide culpability with the ICC (International Criminal Court): Note -- In the UK, an individual can process [in the courts] cases of murder, if [and only if] the Crown passes on such cases. This is a separate possibility for UK nationals whom have had family members killed by the storm or its aftermath -- where clear US individual culpability exists [but where Crown prosecution of culpability is absolutely impossible for reasons of international relations]. ICC - International Criminal Court http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html Maanweg, 174 2516 AB, The Hague The Netherlands +++ A question passed on to me from another source +++ (Mr Hackett, Sept 9, DXLD) The Wikipedia entry reads as if it were already written by the same. Spelling not a strong point. Yes, DL could put a good signal into Lousipbama, but is it really needed? Unfortunately, people with SW radios there are bound to be few and far between. And IBB facilities are allegedly not to be used for domestic broadcasting (gh) ** U S A. About WRNO, New Orleans: Suburban New Orleans is home to WRNO, Louisiana's only SW station. The station had planned to return to the air late in September after being off for several years. It is not known if WRNO was damaged in Hurricane Katrina. As near as I can tell, this area of New Orleans (known as the West Bank) has not flooded. The local parish president has stated that probably no one will be allowed in the parish where WRNO is located for probably a week. At that time, only residents would be allowed in briefly to simply get essential items. They would then have to leave for another month. Nor is there any electricity in the area. Estimates are that the parish will be without power for an estimated four to six weeks. WRNO started a revival in American private shortwave broadcasting. Let's hope the station has not become part of this great tragedy (Hans Johnson, Aug 31, Jihad DX List via Conexión Digital Sept 10 via DXLD) Costello`s WRNO Worldwide has been dead and gone for many years. Any revival of it under current Good News World Outreach owners would be a travesty, anyway. The website, in case they ever make it more recent than 3 years old: http://www.wrnoworldwide.org/index.html (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. URBONO: A very faint signal was audible in Denmark at 1815 on Mo Sep 05 with talk in U.S. English, 15111 [on 15285] and from *0300 on Tu Sep 06, 25121 [5835]. (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) ** U S A. Help with UNIDS --- Hi everyone, I'm needing some help on IDing someone on 660 at 2011 [EDT? = UT -4] running a delayed feed from WWL. Garland was interviewing someone named Carlton________. Garland mentioned that Fidelity Homestead (?) ATM's are working now. Ad for Allstate Insurance. Heard mention of United Broadcasters of Louisiana [sic] and that AM 1280 (WODT)? came back on the air today. Signal dropped at 2033 leaving a strong SS station playing ballad or Spanish Easy Listening music. I can't find anyone on 660 that would be close enough to MS-NO to run this. Thanks and great DX, (John Hunter Rossville GA, Sept 10, ABDX via DXLD) Don't discount any possibilities based on distance from Louisiana. Last week, KOGO-600 in San Diego was carrying the UBOLA [sic] feed over the weekend too (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA DX-398 / RS Loop, ibid.) ** U S A. NEW ORLEANS RADIO/TV STATUS (Updated 9/9/05) I figured we should keep a running tally of the status of New Orleans radio/TV stations. Post updates here, and I'll add them to the list. Check the date on this particular post to get the most up-to-date information. Radio: AM 600 WVOG: off air 690 WTIX: off air, most staff safe in Houston 730 WASO: broadcasting information for St. Tammany Parish* 750 KKNO: off air 800 WSHO: off air 830 WFNO: off air 870 WWL : flagship for United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans** 940 WYLD: off air 990 WGSO: off air 1010 WCKW: on air? 1060 WLNO: off air 1230 WBOK: off air*** 1280 WODT: URBONO 1350 WSMB: URBONO 1450 WBYU: off air 1540 KGLA: broadcasting Spanish-language information 1560 WSLA: off air FM 88.3 WRBH: off air? 89.1 WBSN: off air? 89.9 WWNO: off air, hopes to find new offices soon to share with WWOZ and get back on real soon 90.7 WWOZ: see 89.9 91.5 WTUL: off air 92.3 WDVW: simulcasting 1300 WIBR from Baton Rouge 93.3 WQUE: URBONO 94.3 WTIX: off air 94.7 WOPR: silent, but still pick up carrier 94.9 WPRF: see 94.7 95.7 WTKL: off air 97.1 WEZB: off air 98.5 WYLD: URBONO 99.5 WRNO: off air 101.1 WNOE: off air 101.9 WLMG: URBONO**** 102.9 KMEZ: off air 104.1 KHEV: URBONO 104.5 KNOU: on air at low power maybe? I hear hip-hop behind the static!***** 105.3 WKBU: off air 106.1 WKSY: simulcasting with 107.1 WHMD/Hammond, doing Northshore news and playing a weird mix of music 106.7 KKND: off air TV: 4 WWL: using LPB studios in BR to run continuous news 6 WDSU: off air 8 WVUE: off air, relocating temporarily to Mobile, supposedly suffered major studio damage 12 WYES: off air 20 WHNO: off air, hopes to return in a month 26 WGNO: off air 32 WLAE: off air, supposedly suffered real major damage to studios 38 WNOL: off air 49 WPXL: running WDSU feed of continuous news from WAPT studios in Jackson, MS 54 WUPL: simulcast of WWL [*] - now this station much more listenable than when Namer owned it [**] - great cooperation between Entercom and CC! I probably shouldn't laugh at the situation, but listening to Garland Robinette and Gerry V. together is hilarious! [***] - I think it was off-air anyway before the storm [****] - looks like before Katrina, they redid the logo; I can't believe they got rid of the "rainbow" logo that's been there almost 20 years! you can see the new logo at http://wwl.com [*****] - fire sale, maybe? anyway, Hot got a new website just before the storm which you can see at http://knouhot1045fm.com (TheBigTymer, moderator, Sept 9, radio-info.com Louisiana Board via DXLD) For numerous replies and updates to this thread, see: http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=536518&Board=louisiana (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Out of curiosity, I did some research on various towers I know about or have visited in the past. In looking through the on-line after- Katrina satellite photos, I was able to find a few that appear to have survived, quantity if not quality: WWL AM 870, upper right corner of photo: http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/katrina/25215839.jpg WSHO AM 800, left center of photo: http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/katrina/25215135.jpg WDSU-TV, WRBH FM, upper left of photo: http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/katrina/24715446.jpg WYLD-FM, top of photo: http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/katrina/24713988.jpg WWL TV, WWNO-FM:, top center http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/katrina/24442138.jpg WLNO-AM, left center, damage visible: http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/katrina/24528010.jpg I looked at WSMB also, they looked OK (towers standing) as far as you can tell from these views (SML, Sept 9, radio-info.com Louisiana board via DXLD) ** U S A. It took the Lousipbama disaster for CNN to acknowledge that there are timezones other than ``East`` and ``West``, as Anderson Cooper & company would occasionally add what time it was in New Orleans! It finally meant something to him since he was actually there. But CNN are back to their usual ignorance of CT and MT in their standard timechecks, such as at 0400 UT Sept 11. Yes, I know they often have a bug in the corner with alternating timezone checks, but verbally they are always talking about EDT and PDT, never properly named as such (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Katrina --- Bingo! Guys (and gal), this is exactly what I've been saying! Katrina had nothing to do with evil Republicans like me trying to kill off the poor, down-trodden Democratic voters. It was the text-book example of a complete communications melt-down. Anyone with even modest equipment on HF (Kirsten, that's the formal term for shortwave), VHF, and UHF could witness the total failure to communicate effectively (hell, most of the chaos was even available on the Web)! Politicians were using the media to talk AT each other instead of communicating. The official Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness evacuation plan for SE Louisiana is available online. Considering that it was written by bureaucrats, it is an amazingly succinct document that, among other things, states clearly that evacuation coordination is a local job. FEMA is basically a huge fire hose of resources; fire hoses flop around until someone down at the business end stands up and starts directing the flow. Katrina is also a stark case of what I've been riding local Amateur Radio Operators about lately. Their sacred cow, 100+-old Morse Code technology, was rendered largely moot by solar conditions (and we're STILL enduring a major flare). If "hams" want their hobby to retain its federally-protected status, they urgently need to step up with robust modern communication modes. A modern ham should be prepared to pass along terabytes of radio traffic while dog-paddling through 20 feet of water and braving 200-mph winds. Yes, I'm exaggerating, but just modestly. Most of the required technology already exists, but our laws heavily restrict what the military can do within local jurisdictions. Hams need to remember that Congress specifically created their "service" to maintain a pool of skilled radio operators ready to dive into disasters on their own and set up emergency communications. This is something hams used to do reasonably well, (Kirsten, please show the web page below to Justin. Perhaps it will make him rethink his rant. :) ) The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments: Shortcut to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9286534/ (Scott Royall, Conch Republic, Sept 11, swprograms via DXLD) An 8-page indictment of this colossal foulup; read it. As for the preceding, I have no idea who Kristen and Justin are, or whether this was written by Royall or forwarded from somewhere else (gh, DXLD) I must have missed the post Scott replied to. However, Scott, I STRONGLY disagree that hams need to step up with a more modern method than CW; during the first few hours after the storm roared ashore I passed a few health and welfare messages via CW. Voice communications were rendered useless as was psk31; and let`s face it, in the southeast, BPL is probably a moot point for some time. (I am chuckling of late hearing news reports of the internet carrying health and welfare traffic, which the media calls 'safety messages' into and out of New Orleans.) I know this is sorta off topic for this list- but trust me, when all else fails, CW will still do its job! 73s (Bill KA2EMZ Bergandano, ibid.) Bill, Considering your probable age, I have no expectation of changing your mind. Even if HF handled ten times the traffic you believe, it would still be a dismal failure in light of the amount of high priority traffic that needed to be moved. That's the point really, hams just don't seem to grasp the amount of even truly urgent traffic that must be cleared in a large emergency (Scott Royall, ibid.) So from what I gather, what needs to happen is that amateurs need to embed themselves in local emergency preparedness operations so they can work alongside the officials. As I recall this is what Victor Goonetilleke did so effectively in Sri Lanka last December. Do local amateur radio clubs do this? It would seem the Katrina disaster would open a window of opportunity for local hams to approach their state and local emergency preparedness agencies and lobby to be included in the process. I will leave the argument as to the protocol (CW, phone, packet, psk31, whatever) to others. There was a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal last Monday (I think) that detailed the communications challenges faced by New Orleans political leaders. They managed to communicate in the early going primarily via Vonage Internet-based telephony using equipment "borrowed" from Office Depot in the early hours of the storm. There was no mention of the role of amateur communications in any aspect of this article -- computer hobbyists (today's hams?) played a bigger role (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) ** U S A. I am wondering why they couldn`t set KAMP up at a nearby location outside the Astrodome? Are the refugees allowed to step outside the Dome to pick up a radio? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. American Routes, which was produced in New Orleans you might want to catch this week with a tribute to that city and its music. Numerous opportunities: http://www.publicradiofan.com/cgi-bin/program.pl?programid=194 73, (Glenn, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Link to program`s own website says produced this week at KRVS Lafayette, and the NO show release dates are Sept 6-12, so hurry up. Not including WVRU at 0100 UT Monday, which is running something else, and I`ve never seen such a messed-up radio station website. Can`t get the program schedule for Sunday to display (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. The Joy of Music, with organist Diane Bish, the only program worth hearing on EWTN or TBN, vanished from its 0630 UT Saturday slot on EWTN, aborted in fact to be replaced by ``Defending Life``; current schedule shows JOM at 0800 UT Saturdays instead, as well 1830 UT Sundays. On TBN it is currently scheduled Tuesdays 0900, which should also put it on SW 7505 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Variety Review : GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK A vital chapter of mid-century history is brought to life concisely, with intimacy and matter-of-fact artistry in "Good Night, and Good Luck." In his second directorial outing, George Clooney pays tribute to the golden era of black-and-white '50s television drama and to a moment when a smart, brave news broadcaster, Edward R. Murrow, successfully confronted the hysteria being whipped up by a political bully, Sen. Joseph McCarthy; latter element assures pic's status as the liberal feel-good movie of the year. Strong critical reaction likely to emanate from bows at the Venice and New York film festivals, as well as extensive off-entertainment page coverage, will translate into an enthusiastic audience embrace in specialized release, although pic's small scale and period setting will test Warner Independent's ability to muscle such a film through to a more general public. From the first minute he's onscreen, David Strathairn is Edward R. Murrow. From the lean physique and dark features to his taciturn air, imperturbable disposition and implacable directness of address, the habitually understated actor entirely inhabits the biggest screen role of his career. In a piece not intended as a psychological study, Strathairn quietly suggests the ways in which Murrow's challenge of McCarthy tested the depth of his character's nerve, resolve and self- certainty. It's a tour de force performance of great subtlety in a deliberately narrow range. . . http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_review&reviewid=VE1117928030&categoryid=31 (via Tom Roche, DXLD) ** U S A. People all over the country feed their local signals into http://www.railroadradio.net (Gary L. Sturm, Boats, Planes and Trains, Sep MONITORING TIMES via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. /CUBA --- Eine freudige Ueberraschung: heute erreichten mich nach 77 Tagen Laufzeit ein schoenes QSL-Blatt und zwei Sticker von RN Venezuela (13680 kHz). Mein Bericht ging direkt nach Venezuela. Die heutige Antwort kam von Cesar Mendez M., 705 NW 111 C.T., Ap. No.8, Miami, Florida 33172, USA (Juergen Waga-D, A-DX Sep 7 via BCDX via DXLD) As I recall reports to the Apartado 3979 address they keep announcing were being rejected by PO, and E-mail was not being answered, so try reporting direct to Miami address. But what authority does this guy in his Miami apartment have to QSL RNV? (gh, DXLD) Don´t you worry if Aló Presidente is off the air today. See Suspenden Aló Presidente por "afonía" del mandatario nacional http://www.unionradio.com.ve/Noticias/Noticia.aspx?noticiaid=145909 El Ministerio de Comunicación e Información informa a toda la colectividad que por recomendaciones médicas al ciudadano Presidente de la República, Hugo Chávez, quien padece de una ligera afonía, ha sido suspendido el programa Aló Presidente correspondiente al día de hoy, domingo 11 de septiembre. Dadas las próximas actividades en la agenda del ciudadano Presidente, el Ministerio informará oportunamente sobre la reanudación de las transmisiones del programa (Unión Radio website via Henrik Klemetz, DXLD) Actually I didn`t check after 1402 UT when 11875 was not on. Afonía is hoarseness. Ah, there`s another ``citizen president`` --- sure wish we had one. Also checked for AIRNV on what used to be its most reliable frequency, 13680, at 2045 UT Sept 11 --- no sign of it, nor on 15230, 9550. Has anyone heard this lately, and if so, when and where? (gh) ** YEMEN. When visiting Yemen a few years ago, I learned that although Al Hiswa is still the location near Aden of a MW outlet, the SW transmitters there were bombed and destroyed by the North Yemeni Air Force during the War of Unification. Since then the Yemeni SW outlets are ONLY at Sana`a (Maarten Van Delft, Holland, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 5745: Glenn, this Sunday evening at 0030 UT, WWRB ID and English religious program on 5744.994 kHz. I think this station has been there also when I have been listening to unID Spanish speaking on 5745.60v kHz. What is strange to me is that the two stations have been transmitting "Palabra de vida" 2330 UT. I just heard WWRB nothing on a split higher up. We have some kind of confusion here I think! 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador http://www.malm-ecuador.com UT Sept 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6175, heard a couple of times in Madagascar at the end of July on my latest Dxpedition, 0250-0410, rather weak non-stop instrumental music, prominently featuring a guitar or similar string instrument. It seemed to be a melody repeated over and over again without any announcement or other interruption, even ignoring the full and half hour! Of course, at that time the signal would have come from a Western direction. Any ideas? (Maarten Van Delft, Sep 04, DSWCI DX Window Sept 7 via DXLD) Namibia reactivated ??? (DSWCI Ed., ibid.) Or VOV via Sackville filling lost feed (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Last night OTH radar interference was baaaaad on 9330! Occurred about every 20 seconds or so from 0200 till about 0245. Is 9330 a shared frequency? Has anybody been able to track down the source of this? I've made a tape of all this mayhem (Lou Johnson, Kf4eon, Atlanta GA, Sept 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ IDENTIFYING JAPANESE NHK MEDIUM WAVE STATIONS by John H. Bryant with Dr. Takazi Okuda When to listen for a station identification and how to decode what you hear. Learn to recognize Japanese NHK Medium Wave stations. http://www.dxing.info/articles/IDing_NHK_stations.dx (via DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ MW OFFSET FREQUENCIES Just a reminder that the offset list is available at http://www.myradiobase.de/mediumwave/mwoffset.txt Also try http://www.myradiobase.de/mediumwave/spectrum/xxxx.txt where xxxx stands for the nominal frequency. Good luck! 73, (Günter Lorenz, MWC via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Please take a look at my homepage "Monthly SHORTWAVE" http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~BCLSWL/TA0509.html in which you can find the articles and photographs of Mr. Goonetilleke and Mr. David Baden visit to Ham Fair 2005. I also attached the photograph of JSWC booth and JSWC members including myself. Some members and I are wearing RFA hats on the head! (Takahito Akabayashi, Japan, wwdxc BC-DX Sep 3 via DXLD) On that page you may also read some DXLD items in Japanese, if you prefer, as well as from Media Network, et al. (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ K9AY ANTENNA PRODUCTION RE-STARTED Hello Folks, After an absence of 12 months, I have decided to resume limited production of the K9AY. This model has been re-engineered to provide improved performance: 1. The Control Unit is housed in a Hammond Engineering Die-cast box. 2. The variable termination is a bespoke LED/LDR cell assembly to replace the Vactrol. 3. A brand new 17dB amplifier using multi-transistors in parallel/ push-pull, each with it is own local feedback provides a much higher intermod spec; Measured with 2 tones at 0.8MHz and 1.0MHz it provides an IP3 +43dBm and more importantly an IP2 +90dBm to reduce MW second order intermod in 160m Ham Band and LW Broadcast intermod in the NDB Band. The new amplifier module will be made available to K9AY home brewers. Full details and pricing will be placed on my web site at a later date. 73s and good listening. Andy G8LUG Andy Ikin e-mail: sales @ wellbrook.uk.com andy @ wellbrook.uk.com URL: http://www.wellbrook.uk.com Wellbrook Communications The Farthings Beulah Llanwrtyd Wells Powys Wales LD5 4YD UK Tel. 01591 620316 Int.+44 1591 620316 Manufacturers of Broadband Loop Antennas (via Steve Whitt, Sept 8, MWC via DXLD) WHAT HAPPENS TO MY RECORDING WHEN IT`S PLAYED ON THE RADIO? By Frank Foti, Omnia Audio & Robert Orban, CRL/Orban, RADIOPAPERS.COM Few people in the record industry really know how a radio station processes their material before it hits the FM airwaves. This article’s purpose is to remove the many myths and misconceptions surrounding this arcane art. . . http://www.broadcastpapers.com/radio/OmniaWhatHappens-print.htm (via Graham Maynard, MWC via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Re 5-160, San Diego: Glenn, They [USN] had a very sensitive facility for HFDF at Imperial Beach, which is just south of San Diego and a few miles from Coronado. I don't know if they required the "RF Quiet Zone" for that however? It was about a mile or two north of Tijuana on the beach (Chuck Bolland, FL, Sept 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) = High frequency direxion finding DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM When DRM receivers appear in the US electronic/shortwave stores in a year or so, it's likely that they will be used to connect to your PC from a receiver that could also provide normal AM and SSB reception. That is a start, but here's what I really think: If DRM has any real chance of success, then manufacturers should seriously look at creating stand-alone (not PC-driven) receivers that have the features of popular portables, that are affordable and can offer DRM operation that is simple and adjustable for the best digital listening experience possible, and at the right price (although one expects that at first prices for such a DRM portable will indeed be expensive because this is of course a new technology). So if BBC honchos really think there's an audience for listeners in the US, they have to hope that affordable DRM portables will work, and that listeners will embrace the audibility and performance they offer to them (Joe Hanlon in NJ, Sept 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, they have at least prototypes like that (gh) IFA 2005 DRM/DRM+ presentation DRM Digital Radio - a broadcasters view of the future, John Sykes, Project Director, BBC World Service http://www.deutsches-drm-forum.de/IFA_Symp_BBC.pdf Includes plans for implementation of DRM+ Link spotted by Paul T, alt radio digital (Mike Barraclough, UK, Sept 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This sets out the development plan very clearly; includes coverage maps of Europe, 21 pages (gh, DXLD) The first item in this weeks BBCWS Write On is about DRM. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/write_on.shtml The European radios have AM/FM/DAB/DRM. There would be no need for DAB in North America. They are being sold to European consumers under the Digital Radio banner, the consumers just select a station from the list, pushes a button and is unaware of what method of digital broadcasting the station is using. A problem in North America is IBOC. You might end up with both DRM digital radios and IBOC digital radios on the North American market. (Mike Barraclough, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [continuing the thread from swprograms in 5-160:] Check the reports in the drmrx forum and you will see problems with propagation reported particularly Sudden Ionespheric Disturbances/ Shortwave Fadeouts which affect the lower shortwave bands most of European DRM is on. In the two more general UK radio forums most are not interested in buying a DRM Radio to listen to the RTL English service because it has been suffering drop outs because of poor propagation and SID'S. The BBC and Deutsche Welle have been experimenting with single frequency networks, using two transmitters on the same frequency with one operating slightly delayed from the other, and multiple frequency networks, where two frequencies are used for the same service and the receiver either selects one or the other or uses diversity reception to combine information from both. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1689149,00.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp094.shtml (Mike Barraclough, UK, ibid.) Any technical problems aside, from what I understand only one (1) manufacturer expects to have a receiver at what could be called affordable consumer prices on the market by Christmas. Inasmuch as there was a module announced as available as early as last winter, it really doesn't seem that manufacturers have been eager to "step up to the plate", to invoke an American colloquialism. One could observe that DAB and DRM joined together to address these marketing problems that each seem to share. DRM and DAB (as well as IBOC) do not (yet?) seem to be driven by consumer demand to any realistic extent. In other words, consumers largely seem content with what we're used already. The only digital audio tranmission scheme that appears to be generating at least some buzz is the satellite radio business in NA. And the jury is still out on that one too (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) What I believe you'll see is a few key relays - like Sackville, Montsinéry, Bonaire, perhaps even Delano - install sufficient DRM capacity for smaller broadcasters to rent DRM airtime vs. upgrade their own sites. As for Sackville, you'd be surprised, Bill -- due to phase distortion and fading, Sackville has generally underwhelmed as a DRM transmitter site for us in the northeastern USA. Ask Ralph Brandi what he thinks. You can get plenty of DRM signal from Sackville, but is often not intelligible. I recall seeing our DRM Fest guests three years ago shake their heads in amazement when a beefy signal yielded an inadequate S/N ratio to decode the DRM signal (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) I have long felt that there should be a major relay site in the high plains of Canada, near the U.S. border. Both eastern and western U.S. cities, plus all of the Gulf Coast and Caribbean would fall into the single hop reception zone on a number of frequencies, particularly during low sunspot times. The soils of the region would also provide decent ground conductivity. It wouldn't consistently help me, unfortunately, as I would be too close most of the time (although I do regularly get good reception from Canadian hams in that region, particularly on 40 meters). But it would sure help others in the more populated parts of the U.S. Kevin Anderson, K9IUA, [Dubuque IA], Sept 11, ibid.) Good idea except for the auroral zone. It would be better to have it south of the US than north of it. Or inside the southern tip of TX (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WOR IBOC CO-CHANNEL INTERFERENCE - HERE'S THE RECORDING Re: I can easily hear WOR's IBOC hash on 700 and 720 kHz here in Wilmington, DE during the day. I can try and record said hash for you (as a .mp3 file) if you're interested (Pete Jernakoff, NRC-AM via DXLD) If you could, that would be good. As I said, I am not hearing what others are describing, so hearing a recording would be helpful. If you could also tell me the radio it was recorded from, that would be helpful, too (Tom Ray, WOR, ibid.,) Tom, This afternoon (1730 local; September 10, 2005) I recorded a quick band scan +/- 20 kHz around 710. in order to document the IBOC interference associated with WOR as heard at my home location (Wilmington, DE; 110 miles from WOR transmitter site, bearing from WOR to my home = 228 degrees). Said recording (Recording #9) can be found at the following url: http://www.21centimeter.com/IBOC.html For simplicity, one can also access said recording by clicking here: http://www.21centimeter.com/21centimeter/Recordings/1730-local_9-10-05_WOR-AM_IBOC_Interference.mp3 The recording starts with my receiver on 730. After 10 seconds on this frequency, I went down in frequency in 10 kHz steps every 10 seconds until I reached 690. Note the clear presence of WOR`s IBOC interference (an audible SHHHHHHHHHHHHH) on 720 and 700. After sitting on 690 for 10 seconds, I then climbed back up to 730 again in 10 kHz steps every 10 seconds. Some details: Receiver = Drake R8B Band width = 6.0 khz. Mode AM Antenna = MFJ-1024 vertical whip with 0 dB attenuation and maximum gain Recorded using Total Recorder (Version 5.2) on an IBM Thinkpad T30 as a .wav file and converted to an .mp3 file using MP3 WAV Converter Version 3.05. Please let me know if you have any questions concerning the above information. Best regards, (Peter Jernakoff, K3KMS, Wilmington, Delaware, NRC-AM via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ TROPO FROM BERMUDA? By Tuesday it looks like the Middle Atlantic States will have a clear shot at hearing Bermuda by tropo! One can hope (Dan Oetting, Elkton, MD, Sept 11, WTFDA via DXLD) referring to Bill Hepburn`s predixion maps MW PROPAGATION The last month has been a period of disturbed ionosphere with double digit A-indices on 50% of days. We had one big storm on 24 August. Note Jan Alvestad makes the following short term forecast... "expect conditions to become very auroral. Unless region 10808 decays quickly over the next few days generally active to severe storm conditions will be likely September 10-22. Conditions could come close to about the worst we have experienced during solar cycle 23. Intense particle (proton) storms are likely as well." Looks like more from Latin America rather than North America! 73 (Steve Whitt, Sept 9, MWC via DXLD) A STRANGE SATURDAY NIGHT Extraña noche sabatina esta --- Estaba escuchando World of Radio desde WWCR 5070 a las 0230 y ocasionalmente quise escuchar Radio Slovakia en español, pero nada de ella en 9440. Lo más llamativo es que el cañonazo que pega a esta hora Radio Internacional de Rusia en 7215 era apenas un petardo. Lo anterior me movió a chequear otras frecuencias de emisoras del centro de Europa y la situación fue recurrente: la fuerte señal en inglés de Rusia en 7180 apenas audible, lo mismo la La Voz de Grecia en 9420 El programa nacional de La Voz de Turquía, usualmente fuerte, ni rastro de ella. Hasta la banda AM se contagio de este mal, que a veces resulta un bien, porque yo ilusionado por tener una señal clara sin "barbas" de parte de REE 9620 (apenas audible esta noche) sobre CBC 9625 para el Saturday Night Blues Special, de nada sirvió porque los colegas canadienses siguen con su huelga. Lo curioso es que las emisoras de Norteamérica están llegando con buena señal, y con menos problema las del Pacífico. El apagón radial es entonces de Centro-Europa hacia acá. ------------------------------------------------------- Such a night --- Can anyone in North America confirm if suffering the same propagation blackout from Central Europe that began to take place around 0230 this UT Sunday? The above reference in Spanish is for every night Central European strong signals, but tonight just barely or no audible at all. BTW, WBCQ was off the air on 7415, while WWCR 5070 was fading in the midst of World of Radio and a little less fading for WHRI with URBONO on 5835. This hour blackout propagation is mistreating the BC band too. Radio Bahamas 1540 and WDHP Virgin Islands 1620 are testifying this. Same goes for the powerful signal I use to get from Radio Imágenes 1050 (former Radio Pirata) from SE (Yucatán?) México (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, 0404 UT Sept 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ================================================================= This Is SKY & TELESCOPE's AstroAlert for Sun-Earth Interactions ================================================================= A s t r o A l e r t 11 September 2005 Solar Terrestrial Dispatch http://www.spacew.com MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY WARNING - 11-14 SEPTEMBER A middle latitude auroral activity warning has been issued for the next several days. Intense solar flare activity continues. The associated high velocity coronal mass ejections are beginning to become more heavily directed toward the Earth. Several smaller impacts were observed over the last 24 to 48 hours from solar activity that occurred when sunspot complex 10808 was on the eastern limb of the Sun. But now, the region has rotated sufficiently far to produce stronger Earthward-directed impacts. The latest impact was observed near 01:19 UTC on 11 September (9:19 pm EDT on 10 September). This disturbance has the potential to produce periods of minor to major auroral storm conditions during the next 12 to 24 hours. Combining this disturbance with several others that are anticipated during the next 48 hours may result in a more volatile mixture of space weather conditions, perhaps capable of producing significant auroral storm activity during the next week. Observers across the United States and Europe (even toward the lower latitudes of the central/southern states) may spot periods of activity during the next week. Active sunspot Region 10808 remains exceptionally complex and volatile. It has produced two X-class flares within the last 12 hours (the largest being a class X2.1 event at 22:11 UTC (6:11 pm EDT) on 10 September. Additional strong X-class flares are expected in the coming days. With each passing day, the trajectory of the ejected mass from these events will impact the Earth more directly, resulting in greater opportunities for observers to spot auroral activity. The official auroral activity warning statement is appended below. Note the statement indicating there is a good chance the warning may be extended beyond the 14 September deadline. MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY WARNING Issued: 01:45 UTC on 11 September 2005 Solar Terrestrial Dispatch http://www.spacew.com VALID BEGINNING AT: EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY VALID UNTIL: 23:00 UTC (6 pm EST) ON 14 SEPTEMBER HIGH RISK PERIOD: 11-13 SEPTEMBER (UTC DAYS) MODERATE RISK PERIOD: 11-14 SEPTEMBER PREDICTED ACTIVITY INDICES: 50, 40, 40, 20 (11 - 14 SEPTEMBER) POTENTIAL MAGNITUDE OF MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY: MODERATE TO HIGH POTENTIAL DURATION OF THIS ACTIVITY: MAIN BELT = 24-72 HOURS MINOR BELT = 72-96 HOURS ESTIMATED OPTIMUM OBSERVING CONDITIONS: NEAR OR AFTER LOCAL MIDNIGHT EXPECTED LUNAR INTERFERENCE: LOW TO MODERATE OVERALL OPPORTUNITY FOR OBSERVATIONS FROM MIDDLE LATITUDES: FAIR TO GOOD AURORAL ACTIVITY *MAY* BE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF A LINE FROM... (THIS LINE IS VALID *ONLY* IF FAVORABLE STORM CONDITIONS OCCUR) OREGON TO SOUTHERN IDAHO AND NORTHERN UTAH TO WYOMING TO NEBRASKA TO NORTHERN MISSOURI TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TO KENTUCKY TO VIRGINIA. ACTIVITY *MAY* ALSO BE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF A LINE FROM... (THIS LINE IS VALID *ONLY* IF FAVORABLE STORM CONDITIONS OCCUR) CENTRAL FRANCE TO NORTHERN SWITZERLAND TO SOUTHERN GERMANY TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC TO POLAND TO CENTRAL RUSSIA. NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTHEASTERN AUSTRALIA SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO SPOT PERIODS OF ACTIVITY. SYNOPSIS... A series of coronal mass ejections have been directed partially Earthward over the last few days. The Earth is beginning to observe impacts from some of the stronger events. Periods of intensifying auroral activity will be observed during the next several days. The first of the larger impacts occurred near 01:19 UTC on 11 September and is expected to produce periods of minor to major auroral storm conditions, sporadically during the next 12 to 18 hours. Additional strong impacts are expected over the next several days. Some of these disturbances are cannibalizing other CME's, and as a result, the potential geoeffectiveness will likely be complex and difficult to accurately predict. Nevertheless, the potential exists for periods of strong auroral storm conditions developing during the next several days (at least). Near-continuous storm-level activity is possible during the next week, if sunspot complex 10808 continues to impress with energetic flare activity. This warning will remain valid through 24:00 UTC (6 pm EDT) on 14 September, with a good chance that it will be extended beyond the 14th. It will be updated or allowed to expire at that time. For updated information, visit: http://www.spacew.com/aurora/forum.html For real-time plots of current activity, visit: http://www.spacew.com/plots.html PLEASE REPORT VALID OBSERVATIONS OF AURORAL ACTIVITY TO: http://www.spacew.com/submitsighting.html ================================================================== AstroAlert is a free service of SKY & TELESCOPE, the Essential Magazine of Astronomy (http://SkyandTelescope.com/). This e-mail was sent to AstroAlert subscribers. (via Alan Gale, ndblist, via Philip Atchley, swl at qth.net via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ HELPING THE VICTIMS OF KATRINA "All we have is each other." http://www.atheists.org AMERICAN ATHEISTS urges all fellow nonbelievers to contribute to the rescue and other humanitarian efforts in the devastating wake of Hurricane Katrina. A number of secular, non-religious aid organizations are active in this relief campaign. They do not incorporate a religious message in their operations, nor do they proselytize to those in need. AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICES COMMITTEE AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS (Founded by Deist-Unitarian Clara Barton) AMERICARES HANDS ON HUMANITY is a project of the Universist Movement. It is operated by Atheists and other secularists, and is concentrating on the Birmingham, Ala. area. It has applied for non-profit status. The MASONIC SERVICES ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA has established a Katrina Hurricane Relief fund and accepts on-line donations. MERCYCORPS NETWORK FOR GOOD (has numerous listings for helping groups, both religious and secular) OXFAM AMERICA SECOND HARVEST UNITED WAY OF AMERICA HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES (Our winged and four-legged friends need help, too!) PETSMART CHARITIES Visit http://www.atheists.org for links to these and other relief organizations. Post your thoughts about Katrina and the rescue effort at http://NoGodBlog.com (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.) (A A Newsletter via DXLD) ###