DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-066, April 25, 2006 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 2006 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 SHORTWAVE AIRING OF WORLD OF RADIO 1312: Wed 0930 WWCR 9985 FIRST SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1313: Wed 2200 WBCQ 7415 Wed 2300 WBCQ 18910-CLSB Fri 2030 WWCR 15825 Sat 0400 WRMI 9955 Latest edition of the above: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.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 PODCASTS: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS April 25: http://worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html ** ANTARCTICA. As per 6-065, LRA-36 is going to try again to reactivate today April 24. So check 15476 at 18-21 (or rather after Gabon closes at 19). And if you get it, try to determine if it is USB only, USB + reduced carrier, or AM. 73, (Glenn, 1610 UT, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing here at 1910 (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, ibid.) Nothing here in Enid at 1915 (gh, ibid.) Nothing here in London when checked at 1945. Mind you, sunset was over half-an-hour before then, and the 19 metreband is not exactly congested with powerhouse signals at this time (PAUL DAVID, Wembley Park, United Kingdom, ibid.) Here in South Brazil, nothing on 15476 kHz (Denis, 2114 UT April 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar-terrestrial indices for 24 April follow. Solar flux 93 and estimated mid-latitude A-Index 7. The mid-latitude K-index at 2100 UTC on 24 April was 1 (5 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) At present time (1254 UT April 25) there is a USB signal on 15476 in Spanish. (Musique). Is it the Antarctica Station? (Denis, Brasil, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe testing outside the usual schedule? More reason to keep checking at 19-21 (gh, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. Re 6-065: Arnaldo e demais amigos, Como já informei diretamente ao mesmo hoje cedo, ontem captei o sinal da Radio Baluarte com boa intensidade e estabilidade. Veja o logging divulgado há pouco pela Radioescutas e pelo Conexion: 6215 ARGENTINA: R. Baluarte, Puerto Iguazú, SS/PP, 23/04 0106, ads em PP sobre Congresso Evangelístico em abril, px `Voz das Assembléias de Deus na Argentina em marcha pelo Brasil`. Nota: Várias são as inserções na programação sobre 100.7 FM, o que se supõe que as ondas curtas se tratam de uma retransmissão do que é emitido por freqüência modulada. 35543 RWG Portanto, acredito que mantém sim uma irregularidade na transmissão. 73, (Rudolf Grimm, Brasil, April 23, radioescutas yg via DXLD) 6214.3v, ARGENTINA, (Presumed) R. Baluarte, 0100-0133, Apr. 24, Portuguese-?, Music at tune-in, (Presumed) ad string until 0105 followed by format consisting of a minute's worth of ballads then a few minutes of talk; caught a mention of "Argentine". 2 OM via telephone at 0120 then more music and talks, another phone conversation at tune-out at which point the signal was deteriorating badly. Poor/fair; would have been better if not for static levels. Tried again Apr. 25, 0200 --- something was there but too weak under static to copy (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverages, MLB-1, DTS-4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Dear Radio Colleague, Cyclone Monica has left York Peninsula in northern Queensland, leaving a massive trail of damage in sparsely populated areas, it has crossed over the Gulf of Carpentaria and it is now pounding the Top End, far northern mainland areas of the Northern Territory. Wind gusts are currently as high as 220 mph (not kph). Programming this morning on Radio Australia Shepparton 6020 kHz was in parallel with 9580 kHz as normal with the usual planned schedule. However, it could be worthwhile tuning in to 6020 kHz tomorrow, Tuesday, to see (hear!) what is happening. It will be remembered that Cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin city in 1974, and disabled the Cox Peninsula shortwave station. Re-activation of Radio Australia Darwin was delayed for several years and the (now defunct) facility at Carnarvon in Western Australia was constructed as a (supposedly) temporary interim facility. Greetings! AMP (Adrian M. Peterson, IN, April 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I was listening to ``Asia Pacific`` on R. Australia, April 24 at 1305 on 9580, after finding that 6020 had heavy co-channel interference; nothing about Monica on this show. QRM would be Vatican in Chinese via Philippines, scheduled 1230-1314. I should think the collision would be even more annoying in Australasia, tho the RA signal is aimed 30 degrees toward Pacific (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tropical Cyclone Monica --- With a number of Territory communities on alert, stay listening to 105.7 ABC Darwin or your local ABC frequency for all the latest cyclone information. Also available via streaming feed. Monica is currently a category 2 and Darwin is expected to be spared the worst (Paul, NZ, 2134 UT April 24, HCDX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Tennant Creek is back on the air; 4910 heard at 0715. Maybe night channel 2325 is too but can`t hear it here (Chris Hambly, Sydney NSW, April 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AVES ISLAND. YX0, (On The Air, But With Sad News!). The Aves Island DXpedition came on the air April 20th and is expected to be active until about May 1st. However, the DXpedition group had an incident on the island. José "Joe" Manuel Valdés Rodríguez, YV5LIX, one of the operators, suffered a heart attack, and the two physicians with the DXpedition team were unable to resuscitate him. Jose's death, at around 0400z, occurred shortly after the YX0A DXpedition got under way. The Aves Island DXpedition reportedly has obtained permission to use the memorial callsign YX0LIX until the DXpedition ends. The Mexican Navy sent back the ship's helipcopter and picked up Ramón, YV5EED, one of the medical doctors with the operation and the body of José, YV5LIX. Ramón will be taking José's body back to Caracas. Meanwhile, Esteban, W4DTA/YV5DTA, reports that the process of uploading the logs to the DXpedition's Web site http://www.yv0.info/ is trying to take place. However, please be aware that the online logs will all be under the YX0A callsign for the moment. The switch to the YX0LIX callsign did not happen until after 11:00 pm EDT Thursday (0300z Friday). Once the team is back on Caracas, the online log will be corrected to show the QSOs with the respective callsigns (either YX0A and/or YX0LIX). The DXpedition team is doing very well and is very active, even though they are still in shock as we might all expect. However, they want to ensure everyone that they are doing their best to make sure you get in the log. Lastly, OPDX and its readers would like to sent out our deepest sympathy to José's family and friends (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 April 24 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) ** BELGIUM. Being a Belgian (and a taxpayer), wonder what is exactly the situation of SW capacities in Belgium today. http://www.tdp.info/bel.html What is being used right now for 9970 kHz? A 100 kW transmitter, (ORU3), installed in 1952 or the ORU8 installed in 1984? What happens with ORU 1 & 2 (250 kW) installed in 1972? As far as I know they were using the rhombic antenna for 9970 kHz, all day. Thalès will help them repair the other antennas. For which target? Any help? Best regards, (Denis, southern Brasil, April 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Why not send an email to Ludo Maes of the TDP: info @ transmitter.org 73, (Erik in Copenhagen, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. 14 ABR, 1833 UT, 19170 KHZ, Rádio Globo, São Paulo. (9585 x 2). Identificación a las 1835. Fuerte. Desvanecimiento Propagacional (Adán Mur, Ñemby, Paraguay, Conexión Digital April 23 via DXLD ** BRAZIL. BRASIL - A Rádio Educadora, de Limeira (SP), foi ouvida novamente em ondas tropicais, na freqüência de 2380 kHz. O sinal da emissora foi notado em Sorocaba (SP), pelo Ivan Dias Júnior. Também em São Carlos (SP), pelo Samuel Cássio Martins. Conforme Martins, ``o sinal estava muito fraquinho, diferente de outras épocas``. BRASIL - A Radiobrás ainda não iniciou os testes digitais pelo sistema DRM em suas emissoras de ondas médias. A estatal espera equipamentos que serão enviados a Brasília pelo consórcio DRM. Ela deverá fazer testes em Brasília, no Rio de Janeiro e também monitorar transmissões a partir do Suriname direcionadas ao Brasil. As informações foram dadas pelo engenheiro da Radiobrás, Osman Mello, a José Carlos Sigmaringa, da Rádio Senado Ondas Curtas. BRASIL - A Rádio Globo, do Rio de Janeiro, reativou suas duas freqüências em ondas curtas: 6030 e 11805 kHz. A freqüência de 25 metros foi ouvida primeiramente na cidade de Castro, no estado do Paraná, pelo Joseny Gonçalves, no último dia 18. O Gerente de Transmissores do Sistema Globo de Rádio, Gilberto Kussler, informou a Edson Ferreira Gomes, que reside em Paulo Afonso, na Bahia, que a freqüência de 6030 kHz está direcionada para os ouvintes do centro- oeste do Brasil. BRASIL - É provável que a Rádio Inconfidência, de Belo Horizonte (MG), nunca mais volte a transmitir em 19 metros. Tanto é assim que o Plano Básico de Radiodifusão junto à Anatel nem mais menciona horários, potência e dados sobre a antena. Deve priorizar apenas 6010 kHz, em 49 metros, que chega aos ouvintes espalhados ao redor de Belo Horizonte (MG). BRASIL - Ao que tudo indica, a Rádio Guarujá, de Florianópolis (SC), enfrenta alguns problemas técnicos em sua freqüência de 5980 kHz, em 49 metros. A emissora não tem sido captada, neste canal, nos últimos dias, conforme constatação de Edison Bocorny Jr., de Novo Hamburgo (RS). (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX April 23 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 9694.9 kHz R. Rio Mar, Manaus AM, 1932-1949, 22 Apr, talks on football, references to a match in the Manaus field, TCs; 33432, and not better at 2110. 9695, R. Rio Mar, Manaus AM, 0955-1030, 23 Apr, program on Indian vernaculars, including folk music "Gauchada pela Rio Mar", frequencies, ads; 34432; they mentioned 1290, 9695 & 6160 kHz, but this last outlet is not listed. 11805, R. Globo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 1935-..., 21 Apr, phone-ins program "Tarde Legal", TCs, ads; 54533, transmitter suddenly off at 2048 (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. 9300, R. Varna, 2116-2132, Apr. 23, Bulgarian, Easy listening pops and ballads, OM with talks between selections; ID in passing at 2124. Good (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverages, MLB-1, DTS-4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sundays only ** CHINA. BEIJING RESIDENTS EVICTED TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW CCTV BUILDING http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4657/259/1600/Koolhaas-cctv.jpg Dozens of Beijing residents are being intimidated into leaving their homes to make way for state broadcaster China Central Television's 600-million-dollar headquarters, locals said today. A handful of the residents living on the edge of the vast building site in central Beijing's business district were dragged out of their homes early today by armed police and beaten by security guards, witnesses told AFP. "They were old people. Some of them were in their 70s," said a man surnamed Liu, who witnessed the forced eviction. They were taken away in a police car, according to another resident Sun Da. The residential blocks, originally living quarters for staff at a state-owned auto factory, were slated for demolition to make way for the grand construction project, which will cover an area of 187,000 square metres (two million square feet). Residents told AFP that they had been harassed by hired thugs during past months, who tried to intimidate them into agreeing to move out of their homes by smashing their windows and cutting their heating supply. Other residents who live in blocks to be demolished in about a week's time said they were offered inadequate compensation of 4,500 yuan ($563) per square meter, while the market price for housing in the business district was up to 100,000 yuan per square meter. "We have written many times to lobby the city authorities, but no one cares. We never got a reply," resident Liu Fang said. "I've lived here for 35 years but now I can't afford to buy a flat in this area anymore. We're forced to accept however much we're offered," 65-year-old Lu Shuping said. Many people had already accepted the compensation package and left their homes because they felt they had no choice, residents said. A banner hung outside one of the residential blocks on Tuesday read: "The collusion between officials and businesses is oppressing the ordinary people." The 230-metre-tall (759-feet) CCTV structure, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, will host studios, broadcasting and program production centres, as well as administration departments. (Source: AFP) # posted by Andy @ 13:22 UT April 25 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. CLANDESTINA, TAIWAN, 18160, Sound of Hope, 0741-0745, escuchada el 24 de abril en mandarín a locutora con comentarios y segmento musical, SINPO 24432 (José Miguel Romero, Sacañet (Castellón), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So not much QRM. Are you sure you were not hearing the Chicom jammer instead? (gh, DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 5810 UNID, Voz de ¿¿¿???, 0323, Apr 23, Sp. OM ID: "Voz de..., Medellín ..., 160 AM...", anuncios niños, OM comentarios religiosos, OM anuncios, YL comentarios. SINPO/44343 (Ignacio Sotomayor, Sevilla, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hope I figured out the abbrs. Surely the mixing product of the two Colombia para Cristo transmitters in Puerto Lleras, 6010 leapfrogging 5910. The audio should match one of them (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA [and non]. RADIO IMPACTO II [continued from 6-054] I want to thank Ulis Fleming and Sergei Sosedkin from Moscow for their feedback regarding my article on Radio Impacto`s story, who b.t.w. were both surprise for my good English, altho my thanks go the same to GH who kindly make some corrections where needed. We`re on Dxing to support each other, even on our language failures. Ulis was telling me that once he visited Costa Rica, and as the ham he is, had a radio contact with none other than our Arnie Coro and a nearly heated discussion. I told him that precisely some miles west from Guatuso were he was staying, that`s near our border with Nicaragua, another CIA sponsored via VOA took place, with a transmitter park that was surrounded like a fortress. It was christened Radio Costa Rica with studios in downtown San José on the frequency of 930. Mainly, the idea was to have a local signal for Spanish service from VOA`s La Voz de los Estados Unidos de América, and fill the rest of the time with some local production and newcasts and pre-recorded tapes. A.f.a.i.k., it didn`t last more than 5 or 6 years, as VOA`s support was retired and the station was downgrading to a regular broadcaster with too much name for such insipid programing. That 930 granted to RCR, was the channel where Radio Juvenil ended its glorious existence that began on 925 (before the relocation every 20 Kcs. on our local BCB) on October 12, 1965. It was the first of Tiquicia`s all day Top 40 stations transmitting from 6 a.m. til midnight. And we spent our high school years glued to that programing which indeed, now I see as the Golden Age of Rock music, that one between the British Invasion and the arrival of the Disco Nightmare. In the midst of that, everything was with full, real creativity, whatever Otis Redding, Herb Alpert, Deep Purple, Classics IV, The Zombies, Glen Campbell, The Meters or what have you. It was in fact by October 1970 that I entered Radio Juvenil as a DJ, when I was about to leave for Australia to get me a new life, encouraged by my listening, even after hours of RA, and the letters of two friends of childhood, who had migrated to Down Under, in a great time of job opportunities for foreigners. Those were the years after DX Juke Box on RNW and the birth of Espacio Dxista with Jorge Valdez, former name of today`s Radio Enlace. Dewey Hughes was handling accurately ``The Now Sound`` and Willis Conover had a global audience in his pocket with ``VOA`s Jazz Hour``. When VOA was VOA. Sadly for me, WNYW never shined the shoes of WRUL, and WLAC [1510 Nashville], my former after hours company, was folding down those good old R&B days. That`s the point that being young, we were looking for music most of the time, and news and political issues were less important. It was the readings of Jerry Cowan on RNW that opened my interest in building antenna tuners, while Radio New York`s DXing Worldwide was never such a deal for me. I wasn`t attuned with our hobby yet, altho through them I heard the word DX for the first time. I can`t tell now if it was some European pirate station with rock music, somewhere in the 41 mb in 1969, that caught my attention by the way announcers went on the air. Someone has told me about Radio Caroline and I figured out ``Baby I Need Your Loving`` by The Four Tops was coming with that weak signal from a vessel. So when I found Radio Luxembourg on 6090 around 1972, it became a regular for me after work. I enjoyed that rich bassy sound they had. And they provided my first ride on ``A Horse With No Name``. Those guys from BBCWS really made it, with pop musicals like ``Seen and Heard`` and not so long ago ``The Vintage Hit Parade``. Recently I read that many of their announcers were hired from the remains of former pirate stations. Johnny Moran, John Peel and even Brian Matthew, who sounded soberly presenting recordings as if he were a wise man talking to a younger generation. O.K., O.K., too much musical leaning I went by, but is part of our Dxing way of breathing too. Hey, you know what I miss a lot --- that old theme from DX Juke Box that sounded like an elephant fanfare made with trombones. That reminds me, those first QSL cards I began to ask for by the mid 70s. Must be that one from WRUL, which I didn`t really request and was sent thanks to my comments, then came that lot from 1968 when I was a ham for a year but never got the most important, that TT8 from a Chad expedition. Next one must have been from Radio Nederland in Spanish in the early 70s. Got to mention in this point that one of the things I really enjoyed was Arab music. Fortunately must of these countries own real power houses that let you receive good signals most of the time. And I wanted to learn Arabic too over any other language. Those old respective announcement-IDs printed in the WRTH were my first Arabic lessons. By the time I was working for TIXE Radio Omega, I wasn`t aware yet of the frustration that means send one report after another without any reply. In some way, I want to apologize to John Sgrulletta who recently referred to not receiving any confirmation from the now defunct 625 for his taped reports from April 1975. Someone let me hear one of those tapes, but it was not in my hands to reply to them. It is clear that not all AMers from Latin America are interested in these reports. So different with TICAL Radio Rumbo that Mr. Sgruletta logged little time after they had moved from 525. Radio Sonora has moved recently to 700 kHz with a Christian Spanish pop format. That`s the former frequency of TIHB Radio Reloj, completely gone from AM, now exclusively on 94.3 FM, and no more SW [4832, 6006]. Radio Omega that was born on 625 around 1972, as I have explained, ended its days with the late 70s on 575. And when AM frequency relocation took place in Tiquicia around 1979, that transmitter was operating on 590 for Radio Nacional de C.R. Back in time, 625 was home for La Voz de la Víctor. As the name implies, from RCA Victor`s old Victrolas for those 78 rpm. But I can`t tell which one came first, as there was the competitive Radio Columbia, without any commercial relation to the record label. Besides from TIQ Radio Casino from Puerto Limón (born after WW II, 1200 to 1220) I could tell that Radio Columbia that started in the 1940s on 725, now 760; the two oldest commercial AMers on the air, despite the religious TIFC Faro del Caribe, nowadays on 1080, which during the 60s being on 1075, splattered our nighttime hearings from KAAY 1090 in Little Rock, Ark. Thanks God, by 11 p.m. having TIFC signed-off, the door was open to enjoy Stand Recordshop`s hour, with just occasional fading but no interference. Those mid 60s were great for AM DXing being solar cycle at floor level [like now again]. While the 1980`s were going, and before RFPI and Radio Impacto came to be, there was Radio Noticias del Continente operating only on SW. Frankly, I don`t know much of that station, with the exception that they were settled in a place called Puente de Piedra (Stonebridge) in Cantón de Grecia, Alajuela province. I heard they were about to move their studios near Paseo Colón on San José`s West Side, when Costa Rican government shut down their operations, due to many claims from abroad of this communist station. I made a Google search recently, looking for some history and frequencies used by this station without any luck. I just read that it was supported by a South American armed leftist organization called ``Montoneros``. The question is, where democracy really lird in Tiquicia? Not that everybody has the same rights, as well as Radio Impacto was granted a legal operation? As the white elephant that RI was in the eye of most tico broadcasters, no local entrepeneur should be able to maintain those six --- for this country --- high power transmitters on the air, if we consider highest power here had been ranging from 5 to a rare 10 kW. So, all six of them were sent to Cahuita and AWR tico branch, altho situated in Ceiba, Alajuela, linked by microwave, supporting on Irazú Volcano relayer to cross the Continental Divide all the way to our Caribbean coast. Those six must have been too much financial weight for AWR and before too long that Cahuita site ended in the hands of Dr. Gene Scott Ministry. AWR has kept operations here as Radio Lira, now only on 88.7 FM, after many years on 1500, being that name of the former station of Costa Rica`s father of radio Amando Céspedes, who once back in the 1920s had the privilege of a visit at home in Heredia from Admiral Richard Bird, who was impressed with the signal he received while at the South Pole. That was by the time Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of Saint Louis (boy, he really squeezed the juice out of that plane!) on January 9th 1928 made scale on that former tiny landing field of La Sabana, until the mid 50s our international airport. Years went by and yours truly had that blessing to be born and live his childhood next door to former studios of TIQ Radio Casino at hometown Puerto Limón, visiting occasionally announcers Alvaro Espinach and (English program) Sidney Walters. Living just a block away from the railroad yard, I never became part as a worker of that craziness for trains. After losing innocence in San José, 35 years have gone by since my debut in Radio Juvenil to this very day on Super Radio as oldies format producer and reading for Eco News.com and 95.9. I forgot to mention the attendance to ANARCON `89 of a broadcaster engineer as well as former host of ``Caribbean Wavelength`` on TWR Bonaire, Chuck Roswell. In fact, I enjoyed his show too and it was my pleasure to receive from him some advice for antennas. Where is he now? Last time someone mentioned his name, referred to him with Swaziland. [I thought he was at TWR in Vienna ---gh] Also at ANARCON `89 was a former presenter for DXPL over HCJB; a young guy from New Zealand, I think Brent Olpride (?) is his name [that`s not it, but I can`t think of it either --- gh]. And if someone else who was there remembers any other personnel from HCJB, please refresh my memory. One thing I missed at the same was that not even one of the Two Bobs took the chance to attend, a.f.a.i.k. (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, April 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 9 ABR, 0030 UT, 17705 KHZ, Radio Habana Cuba. Árabe. Programa cultural cubana. Fin de transmisión a las 0032. Fuerte. Calidad Excelente (Adán Mur, Ñemby, Paraguay, Conexión Digital April 23 via DXLD Someone is confused here. RHC not scheduled in Arabic at this hour, but in Quechua! Played the wrong tape? I`d think a Paraguayan could recognize Quechua, and he also reports several other stations definitely in Arabic (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) See also HAITI ** CZECH REPUBLIC. REPÚBLICA CHECA - Para 2006, a Rádio Praga programou um concurso de sons entre seus ouvintes. O interessado deve escutar três áudios que a emissora disponibiliza em seu site. Em seguida, deve responder e fazer um breve comentário. As respostas devem chegar à emissora até o dia 18 de junho. Será sorteada uma viagem para a capital da República Checa, de uma semana, para duas pessoas. Todos os detalhes podem ser conferidos em http://www.radio.cz/es/html/soutez06_es.html A dica é do Juan Antonio Morales, desde Córdoba, na Espanha (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX April 23 via DXLD) English version: http://www.radio.cz/en/html/soutezrp06.html (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. HC, ECUADOR (Topband). Rick, NE8Z/HC1MD, reports that Alfredo, HC1HC, is now active on 160 meters CW with a new GAP Voyager Vertical and 1 KW. Tim, HC1HLO, from HCJB was instrumental in helping Alfredo solve his antenna problems. Alfredo will be active as many sunrises and sunsets as possible for the next few weeks --- only on CW. Please monitor DX Summit. QSL via NE8Z (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 April 24 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) WTFK? ** EUROPE. Pirates: 4025.3 kHz, Laser Hot Hits, site?, observed 2120- 2131, 22 Apr, English, music from the sixties; 45232, so an unusually strong signal though spoiled by plenty of static; // 6220 & 6275. 6275, Laser Hot Hits, site?, 2113-2130, 22 Apr, music, e-mail, web, postal address; \\ 4025.3, 6220; 45333 (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. Hi Glenn, Here is a short cut of this missing English news on their satellite relay. Shall try to listen again next week. Also, if you compare the YLE Radio 1 program guide with the Ylesat 1 one, you'll see that there is 'something else' on the satellite at 1255- 1300 UT. http://www.yle.fi/ohjelmat/data/r05today.htm http://www.yle.fi/ohjelmaopas/index.php?&co[]=tv1&co[]=tv2&co[]=mtv&co[]=nel&co[]=r01 So I guess we now have this explained. Vy 73, (Erik Køie, DK-2840 Holte, Denmark, April 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Introduces ``news in English``, then ``Good Af---`` before cut off, back to Finnish (gh, DXLD) ** GABON. Re: is RFI still relayed from here? 8 ABR, 1945 UT, 11995 KHZ, RFI Gabón. Francés. Partido de fútbol, Strasbourg-Bordeaux. Fortísimo. Calidad Superlativa (Adán Mur, Ñemby, Paraguay, Conexión Digital April 23 via DXLD So that confirms the time and frequency, but is it really Gabon? (gh, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Re: Deutsche Welle to make some shortwave cuts on 25 April According to my information, only some frequencies should be dropped, that is a..b..c..: 7190 cancelled (5910 remains) d..: 9770 cancelled (7190 remains) e..: 11915 cancelled (9770 remains) f..: 9770 cancelled (7170 remains) g..: 7170 cancelled (9770 remains) h..: 9605 cancelled (17820 remains) Actually, 5910 kHz is on the air right now. 73 to all, (Stefano Valianti, Italy, 0621 UT April 25, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** GREECE [and non]. The way that the present administration is operating the Voice of America, there does not seem to be much hope that Voice of Greece will be able to continue the trade-off of air time at Delano and Greenville after October 2006. As they did in Portugal, VOA will probably give Voice of Greece or somebody else the transmitters at Kavala and turn the land back to the Greek Government. All of which means that Voice of Greece will then have only Avlis 1, 2, and 3 available to transmit ERA 5 and ERT 3 programs. So, I have put together a B-06 Transmission Schedule that could take care of some of the program needs . . . (John Babbis, Silver Spring, MD, to VOG, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUYANA. 3291.v, "Voice of Guyana", GBC, Sparendaam, 0820 April 18, tune-in with Christian popular vocal, no DJ in between songs. Following the eclectic pattern of the VOG, into sub continental music from India. Crystal clear signal with announcement for "15 minutes before five O'clock". Into song "Guyana ..You've Been So Good to Me" then Smokey Robinson "Don't Care about you Babe". "Wish you a good day back to work". [Easter Friday through Monday holiday] "Let`s get back to the music"; 0915 mention of National Holiday "....in the National Park... for developing your business to its full potential..." Voice of Guyana ID follows. KFC in Guyana is celebrating its 40th anniversary. "Greetings to you Guyana, from KFC". 0920 switch again back to sub continental music. 0928 "Have a nice day and say your prayers... You are tuned to the Voice of Guyana". Quick mention of an auto shop which repairs Japanese Vehicles. 0945 Christian minister with a rather impassioned sermon. [Notes: used both the Icom R75 Kiwa and the 746Pro in AM Wide for this log. Both provide good audio but the R 75 Kiwa AMS seems unnecessary for tropical band DXing; but did hold the signal in AMS using the wide filters. The 746Pro seems to have excellent audio available in an Icom receiver.] (Robert "Bob" Wilkner, Pompano Beach, FL, Estados Unidos, Conexión Digital April 23 via DXLD) ** HAITI [and non]. Cuban-Haitian Cooperation: An Interview with Radio Havana's Anna Kovac By Anna Kovac, Radio Havana, http://www.haiti- progres.com Online at: http://politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/3290/1/163/ (Marxist Thought Online via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [and non]. CBS, XM IN DEAL ON RIBALD RADIO DUO OPIE & ANTHONY --- April 24, 2006 By Steve Gorman Los Angeles Reuters CBS and XM Satellite Radio struck an unprecedented deal on Monday to bring ribald radio hosts "Opie & Anthony" back to commercial drive- time radio in seven cities, replacing rocker David Lee Roth in his ill-fated bid to succeed shock jock Howard Stern. . . (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) More proof, IMHO, that "the camel's nose under the (satellite) tent" that is Clear Channel's stake in XM threatens to deaden innovation at XM and make it increasingly more just like terrestrial radio. Alert observers will recall that Clear Channel recently added ten commercially-supported music channels of its own to XM's line-up. Other Clear Channel talk outlets in some cities will be replicated on XM as "regional talk radio streams". Now this Opie and Anthony deal with CBS Radio. To me, Clear Channel's increasing influence on XM output makes the latter less and less attractive. Why should I pay money for the same crap that I can get on AM and FM radio (to which I already refuse to listen)? P.S.: Parenthetically, some years ago the FCC argued that loosening the ownership rules to allow Clear Channel (and others) to own multiple stations in the same market would result in a marked increase in diversity on the airwaves. That turned out to be true only if you view the slicing and dicing of pop music formats as "diversity". Now this sort of dead brain thinking is being applied by the mavens of terrestrial radio to satellite with the assent of XM management. The latter ought to look at the moribund wasteland that is terrestrial commercial radio in this country before permitting this "experiment" to fester further (John Figliozzi, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. BBC delayed or not on Sirius? See UK [non] ** IRAN [and non]. RADIO FOR EXPATRIATES PLANS MORE SATELLITE BROADCASTS http://medianetwork.blogspot.com/2006_04_23_medianetwork_archive.html#114595866474507503 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ITALY [non]. New daily broadcasts on 9310 and 5785 kHz from IRRS- Shortwave --- Hello There from Milano, Italy, We are announcing a series of high power broadcasts, on 9310 and 5785 kHz on behalf of EGR http://www.egradio.org according to the following schedule: daily, to EU/N Africa & Middle East: 9310 kHz 1400-1800 UTC (1600-2000 CEST) - 100 kW (English) 5785 kHz 1800-2300 UTC (2000-0100 CEST) - 100 kW (English) and (Friday only), to West Africa: 15750 kHz from 1200-1300 UTC (1400-1500 CEST) - 100 kW (French) We welcome your reception reports for the above broadcasts by email to reports (@) nexus.org or in reply to this email. All of our tests broadcasts will be acknowledged by email and QSL on request if you include your mailing address. These test transmissions are is addition to our usual schedule on 5775 and 13840 from IRRS-Shortwave. Please check our A06 program and frequency schedule online at : http://www.nexus.org/NEXUS-IBA/Schedules for details. Thank You for your reports, and stay tuned! 73, (Ron Norton, IRRS, April 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9310, 5785 probably Brother Scare or some other gospel huxter (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) IRRS broadcast via Sofia Kostinbrod Bulgaria at 306 degrees azimuth, either with 20 or 100 kW. G.C. 42N49 23E13 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, HCDX via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 3912, 1848, SOUTH KOREA (CLANDESTINE), Voice of the People presumed the music program here at strong level 11/3 but disrupted by loud humming noise. Parallel 6600 was mostly submerged under a rumble jammer, but interference ceased on both frequencies at 1859:15 when a martial anthem was played until closedown. BCM (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai DX pedition, NZ, April NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. IRAK, VOZ IRAQUI KURDISTAN, Carta QSL en 35 dias, 05 de febrero del 2006, 6335 kHz, 0440 UT, VRS/ Alex Atroushi (César Pérez Dioses, Chimbote, Perú, Conexión Digital April 23 via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. V. of Africa from the Great Jamahariyah, 17850 via France, April 24 at 1415 was barely making it with segment about Martin Luther King, interspersed with drumming. I heard an MLK segment before and so did another reporter, which raises the question whether VOA is obsessed with him, or are the axually repeating the same programming over and over? Ironic that a civil rights leader gets such attention from a country where civil rights are at best limited. Part of the Big Lie to give the impression that the country is in line with MLK`s precepts. Sort of like CRI reporting on countries which axually have free elexions (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Poor conditions lately, but around 1330 April 25 could hear the African music jammer on 17685 aside CVC (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Solar-terrestrial indices for 23 April follow. Solar flux 87 and mid- latitude A-index 8. The mid-latitude K-index at 1500 UTC on 24 April was 2 (13 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. 7295, Traxx FM (RTM), Apr 25, 1038-1145, in English, DJ with pop songs (DeBarge ``Rhythm of the Night``, Sade "Smooth Operator", etc), phone-in segment, announcement for the upcoming program of Jazz Selecta, with Jezza and Maya (only on Tue.), ToH news (local, world and financial), 1110 back to pop music, several Traxx FM IDs, poor-fair. Not heard for the past few weeks (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Estimados amigos: Reciban un saludo cordial de este su colega y amigo diexista, Profesor CESAR PEREZ DIOSES que les escribe desde la ciudad de CHIMBOTE, puerto pesquero peruano localizado en la costa norte del Perú en Sudamérica. El motivo de la presente es para solicitarles información sobre una emisora mexicana que estoy escuchando desde hace algunos días: XEPE 1700 KHZ AM ``La Cariñosa`` desde TECATE Baja California, recibida con buena señal aquí en Chimbote con un SIO de 3-2-2. Deseo saber cual es su dirección de e-mail y/o su dirección postal. Yo envié un e-mail report para jmendez@jaimebonilla.com pero el mail fue regresado como NO EXISTE. Este mail lo encontré en QSL INFORMATION PAGES via Martin Schoech de Alemania. Gracias por adelantado: Dear friends: Special greetings from your DX friend Professor CESAR PEREZ DIOSES from Chimbote city, a seaport located in the north coast of Peru in South America. I am looking for information about a Mexican radio station I have been listening to lately on 1700 kHz. MW XEPE ``La Cariñosa`` from Tecate Baja California, with a good signal received here in Chimbote, SIO code 3-2-2. I want to get E-mail and postal address. I have sent an E-mail report to jmendez@jaimebonilla.com but this mail bounced like doesn`t exist, I got it from QSL INFORMATION PAGES via Martin Schoech from Germany. Thanks in advance: (CESAR PEREZ DIOSES, CHIMBOTE - PERU, April 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hola César, Así como mencionado antes en DXing.info en la página http://www.dxing.info/community/viewtopic.php?t=1942 he recibido una confirmación de XEPE desde la dirección jmendez at jaimebonilla.com pero fué en 2005, y muy posiblemente esta dirección no existe hoy. 73 (Mika Mäkeläinen http://www.dxing.info ibid.) Are you sure that is what you heard? Could you provide full log details? This station has been broadcasting in English, not Spanish, and here are some recent logs that just came in (Glenn Hauser, HCDX via DXLD) 1700, 0611, XEPE Cash Radio in English, the earliest X-bander, ads for NatureBee, Good. 17/3 BCM* (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai DX pedition, NZ, AOR7030+ using a variety of BOG antennas around 100 metres long, aimed at North, Central and South America, April NZ DX Times via DXLD) 1700, 0730, XEPE, Cash Radio 1700, San Diego, Very good in English with sport, weather, ads, news. ``I am Kathy Galloway`` PVP (Phil van der Paverd, Waikato Heads DX-pedition, NZ, April NZ DX Times via DXLD) XEPE, Tecate BCN, 'Cash Radio 1700 Where money talks'; Spanish ID 3 x per hour (Tony King, X-band survey, April NZ DX Times via DXLD) I guess these loggings confirm what I read in a DX book in the 70s that often New Zealand is a good place to hear Americas DX because it is far enough away from the QRM caused by a multitude of stations operating on or near the desired frequency (Paul, Christchurch NZ, HCDX via DXLD) Also commonly heard in Scandinavia, NZ`s northern antipode. Recent loggings mention ToH announcements in Spanish apart from the "Cash 1700" programming. That is probably what César has been hearing (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, ibid.) But why would they ID as ``La Cariñosa`` with a format like that? (gh, DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. After another fruitless check for LRA36 [see ANTARCTICA], I tuned around 19m and found RNZI on 15720, UT April 24 at 1925 with an apparently live ceremony called ``Dawn Parade`` for ANZAC Day, from an island whose name I could not catch. 1928 brief blessing from a padre, invoking J.C. I assume this means any NZers who are not Christians are not welcome, or at the very least, sidelined and ignored. Or could it be that every single Kiwi KIA at Gallipoli and all other battles commemorated, was known to be a registered Christian? Wrapped up this program from National Radio, credited sound engineer, I think the familiar name of Barry Hartley, 1931 trumpet fanfares, hymn; 1935 back to RNZI programming with ``Pacific Business Report``. April 25 I was listening to RNZI on 7145, during ``Tradewinds`` at 1330-1345, including an interview with the Bougainville leader about a Canadian mining company giving B megabux, but not getting anything definite in return, in case mining is opened up there. Trouble is, I had heard exactly the same interview during the previous semihour on another RNZI program, ``Dateline Pacific``. And I think some other segments were also duplicated. One would hope to be able to listen to any station for less than an hour without hearing such repeats (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SPAIN ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. QSL card, 7120, Wantok Radio Light, recibida carta con bonito sello conteniendo una hermosa tarjeta QSL con datos completos, carta de agradecimiento, firmada por v/s Sarah Good y folleto "Steps to peace with God". Tardaron en contestar 43 días y se adjunto 1 US $ al informe de recepción. Dirección: Wantok Radio Light P.O. Box 1273 Port Moresby, N.C.D., Papua New Guinea (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, April 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If anyone can help me ID the following SW station, I'd be most grateful. Heard April 22, 2006 between 1045 and 1100 UT on 7120. It started off sounding somewhat like Contemporary Christian music, so I thought possible Wantok Radio Light from PNG. But, language didn't sound like English. Abrupt sign-off in mid-song at 1100. The only other station Passport shows CPBS Beijing, and HFCC shows China Radio International. Click on link below for the audio: http://www.geocities.com/jdstephens_99/sounds/unid/unid_7120.mp3 Any help would be most appreciated 73, (J. D. Stephens, Hampton Cove, Alabama, U.S.A., HCDX via DXLD) Don`t they use Pidgin?? (gh, DXLD) ** PERU. Members might like to take a listen to this: http://uk.geocities.com/andrew.brade@btinternet.com/UNID_1470_0500_21.4.04.mp3 It's a rather good (even though I say so myself!) recording of CPN Radio, Lima made yesterday at 0500. Thanks to Jan Alvestad who helped confirm this. If you listen at 23 seconds into the recording, you hear the OM say 'solo aqui en ce pe ene radio', the YL gives further IDs later (Andrew Brade, UK, April 22, MWC via DXLD) 1470 is a clear `split` frequency in Europe, and this station is widely reported. Just about impossible in NAm. And others; see also URUGUAY (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SCOTLAND [non]. LITUANIA. 9290, Radio Six International, 0630-0700, escuchada el 22 de abril en inglés a locutor con ID y programa de música pop y rock de los años 70 y 80, cuña de ID con dirección web, horarios y frecuencias "Via Riga, Latvia", dirección de correo de Glasgow. SINPO 35443 (José Miguel Romero, Sacañet (Castellón), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SINGAPORE. Re frequency change: Do these people know that 7275 is already in use by KBS-Kimjae, 2200-2300 and 0700-1600 to the same general target areas? !!! This new channel was registered with the ITU some months ago. As noted here in Melbourne, there is extreme congestion on 7275 during the period 0900 to 1600 and again 2200-0000 from South Korea. Beijing also uses 7275 1100-1730 and 2000-2300, and Urumqi is there 2300-1800. Possibly the shift has been made to avoid Lhasa 7170 which is in use 2000-0300 and 0900-1730, but the use of 7275 on top of KBS`s channel appears ridiculous. I note that the same transmitter at Kranji is used on 7275 for the BBC`s Indonesian service 2200-2300, azimuth 140, then continues at 2300 with MediaCorp services, azimuth 320 degrees (Bob Padula, Victoria, DSWCI DX Window April 19 via DXLD) ** SPAIN. Utilities logged, kHz: 1677, ESPAÑA, Cabo Peñas Radio, 1908, Apr 21, Sp/En, Avisos Para Navegantes. // 1707. SINPO/45444 1698, ESPAÑA, La Coruña Radio, 1909, Apr 21, Sp/En. Avisos Para Navegantes. // 1764. SINPO/35422 1707, ESPAÑA, Machichaco Radio, 1908, Apr 21, Sp/En. Avisos Para Navegantes. //1677. SINPO/15441 1755, ESPAÑA, Palma Radio, 2012, Apr 21, Sp/En. Avisos Para Navegantes. // 1767. SINPO/24453 1764, ESPAÑA, Finisterre Radio, 1909, Apr 21, Sp/En. Avisos Para Navegantes. // 1698. SINPO/45444 1767, ESPAÑA, Cabo de Gata Radio, 2012, Apr 21, Sp/En. Avisos Para Navegantes. // 1755. SINPO/15442 Paz y Dx (Ignacio Sotomayor, Segovia, Castilla, España (40º57'00''N- 4º07'10''W), Rcvx: ICOM R-75; Anx: Hilo largo de 10 metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tho not specified, I believe Ignacio told me before these are all in USB (gh, DXLD) ** SPAIN. I often listen to Nuestro Sello at its new convenient timing on REE, weekdays 1330-1400 on 17595, better audio than // Costa Rica relay on 15170. Lots of good classical music from RTVE`s own label. April 24 concluded with Chaikovsky`s Sleeping Beauty Waltz, then on piano an excerpt from Granados` Goyescas. Great. So what do I hear 24 hours later? Exactly the same two pieces, with the same introduxions. Is nobody paying attention at the studio, playing the same episode two days in a row? At least there was a 24-hour break instead of half an hour; cf NEW ZEALAND (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. Re: DXLD 6-065, Clarifying my comments on Darfur Salaam: I have no strong objections to the WRTH including it under Clandestine and other Target Broadcasters, though a case can be made for it to be listed under United Kingdom, but DXers and DX Clubs are now ignoring the definition of Target Broadcasters in the WRTH and describing everything they see in that section as Clandestines. You cannot redefine the English language (Mike Barraclough, UK, April 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Or Spanish ** SWEDEN. Tests from Sweden on 5940 kHz --- We will be testing from Sweden with a power of 5-10 kW, with a log periodic antenna. No schedule is planned, a carrier or sometimes some audio of music etc. Mostly daytime. If you receive our signal, please report to us by the address below, Best regards from Roy Sandgren http://www.radio603.info.se (via DRM-L@yahoogroups.com via Mike Terry, April 25, dxldyg via DXLD) ** TURKEY. Heard the Voice of Turkey this morning in English with fair to good signals with nominal fading on 15450 from *1230 to 1325*. Heard IS, ID, ID by female, then the Turkish press at 1235; had Turkey and Its Traditions until 1300 when ID and Turkish music until 1315 with Turkish on Radio, then the full ID and frequency sked by a male at 1325, then off (Ron Trotto - WDX-4KWI, IL, April 23, shortwaves yg via DXLD) Their new frequency. Not making it here April 24, or 25. Axually, the winter timing of 1330-1420 worked better (gh, DXLD) Re 6-065: Dear Glenn, Thank you very much for your comprehensive monitoring report. I want to inform you that, TRT is considering relay stations for HF broadcasting. Best regards (Sedef Somaltin, TRT, April 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. RADIO 4 REVOLT AT HIGH PAY OF CHATTERING DJs The Sunday Times April 23, 2006 By Richard Brooks and Maurice Chittenden http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2147752,00.html The head of Radio 4 faces turmoil among his presenters over the disclosure of the six-figure salaries paid to disc jockeys on Radio 2. Their indignation has little to do with how poorly they are paid in comparison. They are simply outraged that the corporation is paying so much money to people who chatter on air between playing records. The Radio 4 presenters have calculated that they are paid a fraction of the money given to Radio 2 DJs such as Jonathan Ross and Chris Evans. Some receive as "little" as £700 a programme. One presenter, who asked not to be named, said: "I accept that we are public service broadcasters but I have worked out that I am paid a tenth of what some receive for spouting between records. It is not just airtime. We can spend hours beforehand researching subjects or preparing interviews." Now some have said that they would like to meet Mark Damazer, the controller of Radio 4, to voice their concerns.Those most vexed are the presenters of daytime and evening programmes. The BBC has begun an investigation to find out who is leaking salary information. It fears there will be more turmoil if the salaries of presenters on its flagship Today programme are disclosed. The corporation has been hit by a series of leaks to newspapers detailing salaries paid to radio presenters, the earnings of the cast of EastEnders, the £1.04m paid to Jeremy Paxman for hosting University Challenge and his increasingly rare appearances anchoring Newsnight. He is scheduled to reappear on Tuesday, only the second time he has been on the programme this month. Previously he averaged three Newsnight shows a week. It is the payments to the DJs that have caused the biggest upset at Radio 4, especially the £530,000 a year paid to Ross for one show a week on Radio 2, the equivalent of £56.62 a minute; £200,000 to Sara Cox for two lunchtime shows of "music and chat" on Radio 1 at the weekend; and the new £540,000 contract for Evans, equivalent to 36p per listener. Terry Wogan is paid the most - £800,000 a year - for five shows a week. But his hourly pay works out at half the amount that Ross receives. By contrast, presenters of many popular Radio 4 programmes are paid between £700 and £1,000 per show. The highest paid was Jeremy Paxman when he used to present Start the Week on Mondays. He received £1,250 a show, according to BBC sources. The BBC suspects a former employee may be leaking the information in return for cash. It fears the next leak may involve the money paid to sports presenters and football pundits, which could cause damaging rifts in its 300-strong team covering the World Cup. It is also bad publicity at a time when the BBC is trying to persuade the government to allow it to increase its licence fee by 2.35% above the rate of inflation each year for seven years until it reaches £180 in 2013. Damazer, who has already upset listeners by dumping the Radio 4 UK Theme - played for the last time at 5.30 this morning - refused to comment. Libby Purves, who presents Midweek, said she would not join the revolt but could not understand why Ross should be paid twice as much as Wogan for his time on air. Purves, who refused to discuss her salary, said: "There is no real national rival to Radios 1 and 2 but for some extraordinary reason they have decided they are in this frenzied celebrity market as if they were television stations." Andrew Marr, who has succeeded Paxman at Start the Week, said: "I take the view that while we are not munificently rewarded it is an appropriate level." Listeners who telephone the BBC to complain about the high salaries of others are being told to call back on a premium rate 0870 number that costs 8p a minute (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Since when has 0870 been a "premium rate" number --- BT charges 0870 at "National Rate", just as if you're dialling London from Manchester http://www.downloads.bt.com/pricing/SpecialisedNos.pdf Then again, it's another stir from the owner of the Times and other media outlets (Mark Hattam, BDXC-UK via DXLD) The Advertising Standards Agency should clamp down on this misleading advertising. It's a premium rate as it is more than the vast majority of customers would pay to call a national number. Many companies get a cut of the revenues from 0870 numbers so you are paying them to complain or get service; not sure if this is the case with the BBC. A simple Google search to providers of these numbers will confirm this. To complain about the BBC you can use 028 9033 8000, which is the Northern Ireland Switchboard, and ask for BBC Information who deal with viewers and listeners comments according to the list at the excellent SayNoto0870 site linked below, which has lists of alternatives to 0870 and some 0845 numbers. 0845 and 0870 numbers are basically diversion services from an ordinary phone number. Money Saving Expert article: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1086555604,78422 Say No to 0870 website: http://www.saynoto0870.com/ (Mike Barraclough, ibid.) Considering the BBC is a public chartered organisation, surely these salaries should be announced for all to know. We in the U.K. have to pay a compulsory licence to the BBC (via The Government), even if we never listen to BBC radio or watch BBC television and only use commercial (advertisement funded) stations we are still forced to pay - and presumably this includes funding presenters. If I go into a shop and don't buy an item, I and the shop proprietor would agree I shouldn't pay for it! One wonders, if the BBC didn't pay such obscene fees to these so called 'personalities', how much those who never listen to or watch BBC would have to pay the Government/ BBC for not doing so! (Rog Parsons, Hinckley, Leics., ibid.) I would agree, Roger: I do an ordinary job for local government and the pay bands for different jobs are not top secret because we are paid from the local Council's Housing Tax. The Beeb don't regard themselves as a government department, even though they are funded by a TV Ownership Tax. Of course I remember the days when top DJ's on Radio London and Caroline were happy to work for £25 a week, plus food, drink, fags and accommodation (bunk on ship). Personal appearances ashore could of course boost this considerably. Many travelled from London to Harwich or Felixtowe by train (2nd class), no chauffeur driven limo in those days! I wonder how the ordinary BBC employees that are reported to be losing their jobs due to so called financial cut-backs feel? If this report is correct Wogan earns more in just 2 days than someone on a state pension receives in a whole year (Andy Cadier, ibid.) ** U K. Media | BBC reaches out to new generation BBC UNVEILS RADICAL REVAMP OF WEBSITE Mark Sweney Tuesday April 25, 2006 MediaGuardian.co.uk The BBC today unveiled radical plans to rebuild its website around user-generated content, including blogs and home videos, with the aim of creating a public service version of MySpace.com. Ashley Highfield, the BBC director of new media and technology, also announced proposals to put the corporation's entire programme catalogue online for the first time from tomorrow in written archive form, as an "experimental prototype", and rebrand MyBBCPlayer as BBC iPlayer. . . [registration required] http://media.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329464991-105236,00.html (via Dan Say, DXLD) BBC CREATIVE FUTURE: THE KEY POINTS Ben Dowell Tuesday April 25, 2006 MediaGuardian.co.uk The BBC is to embark on a major shift in programme strategy after director general Mark Thompson delivered his vision of the creative future of the corporation today with an address to the corporation's staff. . . [registration required] http://media.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329464979-105236,00.html (via Dan Say, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. BBC Newshour will no longer air tape-delayed on public radio stations. --- I noticed in my monthly (paper) mailing from WNED Buffalo that they were changing the AM 970 schedule at noon (1600 UT) on weekdays that effective May 1, they will be airing NPR's "Day to Day" hosted by the sublimely talented Alex Chadwick, instead of a 2 or 3 hour old tape of the BBC's Newshour. They mentioned - as does their website - that they were dropping Newshour due to "circumstances beyond their control." I enquired with the news staff at WNED today what those circumstances were, and they told me that the BBC has informed public radio stations that they, the BBC, will no longer allow stations to air the show tape-delayed. Live-to-air or nothing. Given that there's a good chance I may have already heard Newshour before UT 1600, this is no big loss for me, and again, a chance to hear Alex Chadwick is a good thing. But the question I pose is: why does the BBC even care? I'm sure they get a royalty or fee of some sort on a per air basis, what does it matter to them then? One final aside - WNED's overnight programming from the BBC is not affected in any way by this change (Brent Taylor, Aurora, Ontario, April 24, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I reported recently on a similar situation at KGOU in OK. NEWS?! BBC should never have allowed it to be delayed at all. Delaying news is totally uncalled for, a contradiction, unless called OLDS. 73, (Glenn, ibid.) Of course, a completely contradictory position exists on music and infotainment. The Siruis Satellite Radio feed of BBC Radio 1 is intentionally time delayed by 5 hours so that 9 AM in London is the same as 9 AM in New York. I suppose that they don't care that the West Coast is still 3 hours behind. Maybe they should air on four channels with different time delays. Ridiculous IMHO (Dan Srebnick, ibid.) But --- BBC allows this frequently on Sirius Satellite Radio., Newshour and other major news programs are [aired] repeatedly throughout the day. - (Andy K3UK O`Brien, Fredonia, New York, ibid.) On Sirius though, these are not tape-delayed. There are several versions of programs like "Newshour", "The World Today", etc. BBC claims that the news programming on its Sirius stream (which is the same one fashioned for PRI and used by NPR affiliates) and its "All News" internet feed is all "live". Individual NPR stations that carry BBC News product, OTOH, are permitted to delay programs like Newshour as described if the program is not broadcast live at a convenient time (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) Per my original post, though, and Glenn's followup about the station in OK, this isn't the case anymore, John. As of May 1, it's live or it's nothing for NPR stations (Brent Taylor, Ont., ibid.) Noted -- and IMHO, as it should be (John Figliozzi, ibid.) ** U S A. VOA on Nepal: see THE TINY TRAP below ** U S A [non]. Re V. of Joy, Sat April 22, first airing on 15720 at 13-14, not heard in OK: Reception was surprisingly good over a wide area but particularly east Asia and the Pacific. Here is a report we got from Perth, Australia. Managed to grab a listen on the Sony Portable SW-07 with the whip antenna. 15720 1300 SIO=354 1345 SIO=353 Craig. Not bad at all way down here with just the whip aerial (via Tim Ayris, WRN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That would be Craig Tyson (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. ESTADOS UNIDOS VIA CHILE - A CVC - A Sua Voz está irradiando a chamada anunciando seu novo programa sobre as ondas curtas: o Rádio DX. O programa passa a ser apresentado, a partir de 29 de abril, às 8h, no horário oficial de Brasília [1100 UTC], em 6110 kHz. Também haverá uma reprise nas noites de domingos, às 21h [uma hora das segundas-feiras universais], em 11745 kHz. Um dos segmentos do Rádio DX será o Trans-Oceanic, cujo objetivo é relatar as últimas escutas em destaque no Brasil e no mundo que chamaram a atenção dos dexistas (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX April 23 via DXLD) ?? If it`s at 21 Sunday eastern Brazil time, that would be 00 UT Mondays, not 01. Why not just give times in UT only in the first place so there is no confusion? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. MUSIC STOPS FOR A PIRATE RADIO STATION; 2 HELD Florida Posted on Sat, Apr. 22, 2006 FORT LAUDERDALE State officials have shut down a pirate radio station operating out of Fort Lauderdale. BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ For months, Creole and Caribbean music had flowed from a pirate radio station stashed behind a Fort Lauderdale music store. On Friday, the beat stopped flowing from the station, Sak Pase Compas, after agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shut it down -- making it the seventh pirate station FDLE has dismantled in about a year. Junior K. Pierre, of Fort Lauderdale, and Willem Michel, of Lauderhill, were arrested and charged with operating an unlicensed radio station, said FDLE spokeswoman Paige Patterson-Hughes. Both were being held in the Broward County Main Jail Friday night. Officers seized the station's radio equipment, including a transmitter, mixing board, CD's and microphones, she said. . . http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/14402103.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp (via Artie Bigley, Brock Whaley, DXLD) WTFK? Never mentioned ** U S A. 'PIRATE' RADIO IN YPSILANTI IS SCUTTLED --- FCC REPORTEDLY SHUTS DOWN OPERATION OF DEPOT TOWN STATION Thursday, April 20, 2006 BY ROGER LELIEVRE News Arts Writer The plug has been pulled on Johnny Danger's Depot Town Radio. The unlicensed, Ypsilanti-based "pirate'' station that could be heard at 89.5 FM, was shut down this week, reportedly by the Federal Communications Commission. The low-power station began broadcasting in January and could only be picked up in the Depot Town area and south to about I-94. "It was the best thing that ever happened to Depot Town. ... Everybody loved it,'' said Linda French, owner of Sidetrack restaurant. "Part of the fun was trying to figure out where it was being broadcast from. It wasn't like they were interfering with anybody.'' . . . http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-17/114554230954750.xml&coll=2 (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. APPARENT BIG PIRATE IN MILWAUKEE Drove home from Mom's place in the northwest 'burbs this afternoon. Heard through the grapevine that new LPFM WFAQ-LP 92.9 is on in Mukwonago (in the southwest 'burbs) & wanted to give 'em a listen. Their format is NOT Spanish-language rock; but that's what I was hearing from at least I-94 through - well - Mukwonago - on I-43. The LPFM *was* heard too, with a variety of underground music, interesting format. The Hispanic station was a lot louder. If the LPFM was 100 watts then the pirate was at least 500. I.e., it ought to "skip out". Unfortunately, no announcements of any kind were heard (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, April 23, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. Power Hits 103.3 (Pirate) --- I was in the Quad Cities (IA- IL) this past weekend and decided to take a listen to the pirate radio station that has been heavily publicized by the newspapers and TV lately. It seemed to cover most of the Quad Cities good and was stronger in Davenport than Moline. On the way home, I could pick them up until about a mile from Geneseo, which is about 12 miles or so from Moline. They were CHR/Pop with quite a bit of 90's music mixed in. They also had Reel World jingles, which aren't very cheap. I'm not sure if they stole them from another station, but I couldn't find another station called "Power Hits 103.3". They also had a good voice guy too (Chris Cervántez, Peoria, IL, April 24, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. CUMULUS BROADCASTING TO CONVERT 80% OF STATIONS TO HD RADIO(tm) Cumulus Broadcasting, the second-largest radio broadcaster in the US, with more than 320 FM and AM stations, has signed a multi-year agreement with Harris Corporation's Broadcast Communications Division for the exclusive provision of HD Radio(tm) equipment. Harris will provide HD Radio transmitters and its Flexstar(tm) family of HD Radio products to approximately 80 percent of the Cumulus station fleet through 2012. Cumulus Broadcasting began its HD Radio conversions with Harris in 2005 at the following FM stations: WBLX and WYOK in Mobile, AL; WNNK and WWKL in Harrisburg, PA; KIOL in Houston, TX; WJLQ in Pensacola, FL; WPDH in Poughkeepsie, NY; WEBE in Bridgeport, CT; WFAS in White Plains, NY; and WDBY in Danbury, CT. Conversions are currently underway at six FM stations in Toledo, Ohio. More conversions in multiple east coast and Midwest markets will soon follow. It is also expected that the total number of conversions will increase as Cumulus finalizes its purchase of Susquehanna Radio's station inventory later this spring. (Source: Harris Corporation) # posted by Andy @ 17:39 UT April 24 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A. KKOB [770 Albuquerque] seems to be stuck on their night pattern today. What I hear in Los Alamos is their main ABQ signal beating against the Santa Fe fill in transmitter at about a 1 Hz rate. The Santa Fe transmitter is supposed to go off during the day (Mike Westfall, N6KUY, WDX6O Los Alamos, New Mexico (DM65uv), April 24, ABDX via DXLD) Why not just day pattern at main site, and still with booster left on at day? Or maybe at your location you could not hear the booster if main site were not night pattern? Surprised they don`t have them zero- beat, anyway, as this could be a problem during normal operation in some areas (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. I thought the excellent public radio series ``The Unfinished Journey: Lewis & Clark Expedition`` had run its course, but I heard WAMU promoting it, at episode 4, for 8 pm ET Thursday [UT Fri 0000]. However, it is NOT on their posted program schedule, just repeats of Kojo Nnamdi. I e-mailed them for clarification, but auto response says it may take a week for them to get around to really answering. If it is indeed running, and you haven`t heard it, I highly recommend it. Program website, which links to episode summaries, transcripts [pdf free] and audio downloads [audible.com for a $10-13]: http://www.opb.org/lewisandclark/unfinishedjourney/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, April 25 DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** URUGUAY. 1470, Radio Cristal del Uruguay, recorded at 0135 UT 22/04 http://tinyurl.com/qvg3m mention of Montevideo, then trailer for a weekend programme 'De Punta a Punta" and then ID 'AM 14-70 Radio Cristal del Uruguay'. Cristal was dominant for the most part of the recording 2300-0255 UT, initially with a very long drawn out lottery draw (Paul Crankshaw, Troon, UK, MWC via DXLD) See also PERU ** VENEZUELA. MISSIONARIES SEE NO REASON FOR EXPULSION FROM VENEZUELA Christian missionaries expelled by the Venezuelan government say they were doing nothing wrong. --- BY STEVEN DUDLEY CARACAS - If there was ever anything sinister about Florida-based Christian missionaries working with indigenous tribes in southern Venezuela, it remains unknown to them. Venezuela's government ordered the expulsion of close to 50 missionaries from the region earlier this year after accusing members of the New Tribes Mission, headquartered in Sanford, of spying and seeking to exploit its natural resources. Opponents of President Hugo Chávez speculate that it's the government that wants uninhibited access to natural resources in the area, notably uranium it might want to sell to Iran. More likely, it appears the missionaries may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time -- Americans working in a remote jungle in a country ruled by Chávez, a fierce critic of the U.S. government who has repeatedly accused Washington of plotting to oust and even assassinate him. . . http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14413710.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Cultural imperialists at the very least (gh) ** ZANZIBAR [and non]. DX-ing on Zanzibar In February 2006 I spent 12 days on sunny Zanzibar (6 south), to accumulate heat and sunlight for the rest of the cold and long European winter that year. I took a small portable Sangean PT-80 Pro Travel and a list of AM stations in Africa and Middle & Near East with me. Listening on MW was limited by the built-in ferrite antenna and listening on FM by the telescopic rod as the receiver is only fitted with an external socket for SW reception. First reception of FM station. The island, sized approx. 95 x 35 km, is quite flat; the highest point is only 110m above sea level and Tanzania is in a distance about 40 km. [sic; means Tanganyika, the mainland; Zanzibar is actually part of Tanzania, so the distance to it when upon it is zero. Nevertheless we separate Zanzibar for radio-country and historical reasons, but designating the rest of the country TANGANYIKA is for some reason going too far --- gh] I could only hear a weak signal on 98.6, probably in Swahili (Tanzania mainland?), BBC Africa on 94.1, R. Free Africa on 98.6 // 99.3, R. Maria Pemba on 103.5 and some Radio Shaky (?) from an unknown location. I could also hear some weak unID signals on four or five other frequencies and that was all. Situation on short waves was also bad. Weak signals on 3200 and 3255, otherwise African stations in the 60 m band - 5030 (BFA), 5026 (UGA), 5010 (MDG), 4965 (ZMB), 4930 (VoA, BOT), 4915 (KEN), 4910 (ZMB) and 4780 (DJI). My main interest was focused on medium waves (sunset 6:45 PM, sunrise 6:30 AM throughout the year) that were full of stations every evening. To my surprise, during daylight I heard quite a lot of stations from Tanzania and Kenya. Evenings there was no problem to listen to all MW transmitters from these two countries, many transmitters of R. Sarasarye from Iran and from Saudi Arabia, stations from Botswana (VOA on 909), UAE (1539), Yemen (1188), Oman (BBC WS on 1413), Syria (828), Armenia (864), Cyprus (R. Sawa on 990), Azerbaijan (1557) and also R. Farda (1575) with typical jamming known to me when I was listening to RFE in 60s. Europe was only sporadic on the dial, mostly stations from the Balkans (Romania on 1053, 1332 and 1593 and Greece on 729 and 792). I hoped to hear some MW stations from Madagascar, Mauritius and other rare countries; perhaps it was possible, however, no success. Therefore my best catches were quite stable everyday reception of Radio One from Malawi on 1422, although WRTH mentions only 10 kW, and EP do Manica from Mozambique on 1026 kHz. To be honest, I have not enough time and energy for more detailed survey of the MW band because sudden arrival to a climate warmer by 40 C , the days full of great experiences and swimming in the beautiful sea that is so different from constant sitting in front of a PC means that in the evening you are just fit for sleeping (April DSWCI SW News via DXLD) The article is not signed; not clear who ``I`` is --- maybe Bjarke Vestesen, who had an article about the EWE antenna just before this, or more likely, DSWCI`s globetrotting leader Anker Petersen from Denmark. BTW, the temperature above originally read 40 C, but I changed it to C . Here is why: with the degree symbol before the C it actually means a real temperature. With the degree symbol after the C it means a DIFFERENCE in temperature, i.e. a range of degrees, not a specific temp. This is a VERY USEFUL distinxion which I learnt in university if not high school physics, and which is increasingly ignored even by so- called scientists today. It should be applied in the same way to F, and when spoken you also reverse the order, ``degrees Celsius`` or ``Celsius degrees`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [unfortunately, the degree symbol probably got lost in text conversion but I hope you can follow this] UNIDENTIFIED. 4600, 0937 to 1005+, orchestral music; faded in with the Bolivian stations but remained with fair signal after CP's faded. Honduran harmonic logged by Hans Johnson a few months ago? 11 April (Robert "Bob" Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, FL, Estados Unidos, Conexión Digital April 23 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4790 kHz, 2109-2117*, 21 Apr, African French, talks; many fast signal breaks (similar to what you get with a faulty antenna connection in the wind) till the transmitter went off for good; 55433. Whether it's Mali I don't know, but 5995 was carrying a different pogram. Not audible the following day (Sat.). (Carlos Gonçalves, SW coast of Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. About 2 years ago there was a numbers station in my area. I don't remember the frequency. I wrote the FCC; they seemed a little interested. I do not have a short wave receiver at this time. I Live in Sonora, CALIFORNIA. Kind Regards (Dave Oberwager, April 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE TINY TRAP +++++++++++++ It appears that VOA`s correspondent in Kathmandu has blinders on, or does not understand the meaning of words. Overheard on 15445, April 24 at 1921, she referred to ``the tiny kingdom`` of Nepal. Outro as Patricia Noonan, VOA news, Kathmandu. Noonan? Any relation to another Noonan whose politix are well-known? Or maybe she said Newman? No, it`s Nunan, found in a drop-down on the VOA search funxion, which could be useful for looking up other reporters: http://www.voanews.com/english/search.cfm This also allowed me to find the text of the report in question, http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-04-24-voa25.cfm --- look for the graf down the page starting with ``Tourism``; audio also available. Here`s more about her; apparently on TDY from New Delhi: http://www.voanews.com/english/nunan_patricia.cfm How long has she been in Nepal and how much longer will it take her to realize it is not tiny? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ ANTENNA OF THE UNIVERSE You may wish to pick up a copy of the May 2006 Harper's Magazine -- which includes the article, "Antenna of the Universe." It is a memoir by Don Wallace of his grandfather, operator of W6AM -- supposedly the world's largest amateur radio station. The article includes reproductions of several classic QSLs. Take care - (David Cole -- Goodwell, OK, April 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not online, of course EiBi SCHEDULES Dear all, you are invited to download the shortwave broadcasting schedules for the current summer season from my website. As usual, there are two versions, one sorted by UT, and one sorted by frequency. I have created a redirection file which you may add to your bookmarks and which will _not_ change its name each season. Your browser will be redirected to the actual current schedule file. The name of this schedule file changes each season, but now there is a *constant* link to bring you to this file, whatever its name may be. For the UT-sorted schedules, go to http://www.susi-und-strolch.de/eibi/eibi.html For the frequency-sorted schedules, go to http://www.susi-und-strolch.de/eibi/eibi-freq.html If you prefer PDF or DOC format, or need to save bandwidth by downloading the zipped file, go to http://www.susi-und-strolch.de/eibi/dx/dx_e.html In case your browser does not support redirection meta tags, here are the direct links: Sorted by UT: http://www.susi-und-strolch.de/eibi/dx/bc-a06.txt Sorted by frequency: http://www.susi-und-strolch.de/eibi/dx/freq-a06.txt Any comments and corrections are always very welcome. Communication is everything. 73, Eike Bierwirth (EiBi) -- *** Find the current overall shortwave schedule *** on http://www.eibi.de.vu/ capercaillie @ gmx.net - Eike.Bierwirth @ gmx.de ICQ 272 656 360 51 19'53"N - 12 24'28"E --- Rx: JRC-NRD525 --- Ant: 20m wire, PA0RDT MiniWhip (Eike Bierwirth, 04317 Leipzig, Germany, April 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx for all your work on this! (gh, DXLD) RADIOINSIGHT REPLACES RADIO-INFO MESSAGE BOARDS We were also more than a little stunned at the sudden disappearance the other day of Radio-Info, the message-board site that had become a regular destination for chat about all things radio all around the country. The site had apparently been living on borrowed time over the last year or so, since the death of owner Doug Fleming. Fleming's parents, who own the site, locked out (virtually speaking) the volunteers who'd kept it running, and have now relaunched it, without most of the people or content that made it interesting. But in the meantime, most of the people from the old site have migrated to the new http://www.radioinsight.com which launched hastily on Sunday. It's still a long way from what the old site was, but we'll be giving it a spin when we get back to our home base later this week (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch April 24 via DXLD) WORLD OF TELEPHONY see U K ++++++++++++++++++ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ MARCONI'S TRUE ROLE IN RADIO Letters to the Editor, The Times, 24 April 2006 Sir, It is indeed fitting that the collection of equipment and artefacts of Guglielmo Marconi is soon to be on permanent display in Oxford. However, to call Marconi the inventor of radio (report, April 18) is at odds with the facts. Popular myth, coupled with Marconi's huge entrepreneurial flair, have perpetuated this idea, but there are many others more worthy of that title. Of course, there is no doubting that Marconi certainly turned what was just a laboratory curiosity into one of the great industrial success stories of the last century when he showed that it was possible to send wireless signals across the Atlantic in 1901. That feat alone must earn him the highest accolades - but not as the inventor of radio. Radio, like its equally illustrious successor radar, was not invented by one man. For its theoretical justification in 1864, two decades before its existence was proved experimentally, we have to credit the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell. The evidence that radio waves existed and behaved precisely as Maxwell's mathematics had indicated that they should came from the German, Heinrich Hertz, in 1887, while it was Oliver Lodge, a Liverpool University professor, who transmitted the first message by radio in 1894 - a feat he performed, incidentally, during a lecture he gave in Oxford. The first transmission of the human voice by radio must be credited to the Canadian, Reginald Fessenden, in 1906. Incidentally, it was Lodge who developed what we now call tuning (he called it syntony), a significant development that allowed numerous radio signals to co-exist and not to interfere with one another. Lodge patented that discovery in 1897 and Marconi only acquired the patent rights from the Lodge-Muirhead syndicate in 1911. This fact formed the basis of a ruling in the United States Supreme Court as late as 1943 that the only valid patent held by the Marconi Company in the field of tuning was that acquired from Oliver Lodge in 1911. Marconi undoubtedly had the foresight and the connections to lay the foundations of what became a telecommunications revolution. Those others whose contributions were equally as important must never be forgotten (Dr Brian Austin, West Kirby, Wirral, England, via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) To be fair, the curator of the exhibition made it clear in an interesting feature on Today on Radio 4 this morning that Marconi was not the only figure in the development of radio. I don't suppose he'd seen today's letters page in The Times when he was speaking at 07.45, mind you! Today's report can be heard using "listen again". On 24th April, you'll find it listed in the Audio Running Order at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/index.shtml Thereafter, it should appear at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/listenagain_archive.shtml Though I note that at present, the archive has only been updated to Easter Saturday, so there may be some catching up to do. The exhibition also featured in the first early morning "News Briefing", about which I plan to write a thing or two at http://www.radiofar-far.blogspot.com later today! Anyway, the Marconi exhibition sounds fascinating. Happy listening, Marconiphiles :-) (MARK SAVAGE, Feltham, BDXC-UK via DXLD) Though I agree with the good doctor's premise, I would correct the detail, as Mr Sherlock Holmes would put it ; It was Prof. David Hughes who on the 20th February 1980 [sic] demonstrated the transmission of a wireless 'message' some 60 feet from one room to another. This was witnessed by Mr Spottiswoode, The President, and fellows of the Royal Society. Prof. Hughes had already demonstrated the equipment in December 1979 [sic] to Sir William Crookes FRS and Mr W.H. Preece FRS. As I have written before, Prof. Hughes didn't see wireless as a broadcasting medium but as a one-to-one conversation device --- perhaps he was the great grandfather of the mobile 'phone! (Rog Parsons, Hinckley, Leics., ibid.) NEW HOME FOR 'AN INTRODUCTION TO LONG DISTANCE MEDIUM WAVE LISTENING' We're pleased to advise readers looking for the feature 'An Introduction to Long Distance Medium Wave Listening', that used to be carried on the Media Network website, that it has been updated and can now be found its new home on the website of the Medium Wave Circle (MWC). It can be read online and/or downloaded as a PDF file. Thanks to Steve Whitt of the MWC, one of the authors of the original feature, for keeping this section alive. http://www.mwcircle.org/page39.htm RECEIVER SHOPPING LIST, too Work is now commencing on adapting the Receiver Shopping List for the MWC website. Although new reviews are no longer being published, some of the reviews will be of interest to those looking for a secondhand receiver. Well advise readers of this Weblog as soon as the section is online at its new home. # posted by Andy @ 12:08 UT April 24 (Media Network blog via DXLD) CROSSED FIELD ANTENNAS Re 6-065: ``It certainly does work; almost every major broadcaster and transmitter manufacturer has visited them and seen (heard?) it working.`` Why is it, then, that none of the major broadcasters use them? (Gareth Foster, BDXC-UK via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ HD at Cumulus: see USA; DRM: BRAZIL; SWEDEN PROPAGATION +++++++++++ SOLAR WIND COMMENTS UPDATE On April 3, 2006, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a press release announcing a call for public comment on the value of continuing real-time solar wind data, and products derived from such data, provided by the Space Environment Center. Since that time, NOAA has received many thoughtful, compelling comments regarding this issue. It is obvious that people put their valuable time and effort into expressing themselves, and their input is most appreciated. As stated in the April 3 press release, the comment period continues until May 18. All input is important, so, if you haven't voiced your opinion yet and would like to, please take the time to do so. Please send your comments to: solar.wind.comments @ noaa.gov or contact: NWS Contacts: Beth McNulty or Dorothy Haldeman Mail: National Weather Service Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services Aviation Services Branch 1325 East-West Highway, SSMC2 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-713-1726 x116 or 301-713-1726 x130 Thank You. Space Environment Center (SEC User Notes April 24 via DXLD) Anything to do with Propagation Research seems to be under attack at the moment. The UK sub-auroral magnetometer network (SAMNET) is currently under threat of closure due to funding cuts. For further details and email address for messages of support see http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2006/aurora_watch.htm 73 (Trevor M5AKA, April 24, monitoring monthly yg via DXLD) Viz.: POSSIBLE CLOSURE OF AURORAWATCH - WE NEED YOUR HELP! Recently, the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) reviewed its policy in respect of UK solar-terrestrial physics funding. PPARC has decided that it will "maintain a presence in ground-based solar-terrestrial physics" but "withdraw earlier [than planned] from ... a number of solar-terrestrial physics facilities." As a result, as of April 2007, the UK sub-auroral magnetometer network (SAMNET) will no longer be funded as a UK national facility. PPARC has suggested that the Lancaster University SAMNET team apply for alternative support, but future funding is by no means guaranteed. Clearly, if SAMNET closes down the AuroraWatch service will cease to operate entirely. Over the next few weeks, the Lancaster team will be making the case to try and reverse PPARC's decision to stop funding SAMNET as a UK national facility. In this crucial period, messages of support from AuroraWatch subscribers could make a very real difference to our case! If you would like to show your support for the AuroraWatch service, please send an email to me j.wild@lancaster.ac.uk indicating why you do not wish the SAMNET and AuroraWatch service to be discontinued. I will then collate the responses and forward them to PPARC. It does not need to be a lengthy email - a short message will make more impact than no message at all! However, when composing your message you might consider mentioning some/all of the following points: - how long you have been an AuroraWatch subscriber - the basis of your interest in the aurora (e.g. school pupil/student, teacher, amateur astronomer, radio amateur, interested member of the public) - whether you have ever seen the Aurora as a result of an AuroraWatch alert It is also vitally important to give your name and geographic location (i.e. county) Please contact me if you have any questions or require further guidance - every message counts! Finally, it has probably been some time since you last received an AuroraWatch alert, but this doesn't mean that the AuroraWatch service is not working! SAMNET is automatically searching for auroral activity over the UK 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, the Sun is currently approaching the quietest part of its 11 year activity cycle. Over the next couple of years, solar activity will begin to pick up again, increasing the likelihood of aurora over the UK. If you would like AuroraWatch to be operating during this period of increased auroral activity, please support us by responding to this message! Best regards, Dr Jim Wild (and on behalf of the SAMNET/AuroraWatch team) Dr. Jim Wild Space Plasma Environment and Radio Science group Department of Communication Systems InfoLab 21, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4WA, UK Email: j.wild [at] lancaster.ac.uk Tel: +44 1524510545 Fax: +44 1524510493 Dr Steve Marple WWW: http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/pub/cgi-bin/personnel?id=4 email: S.Marple [at] lancaster.ac.uk tel: +44 (0)1524 510407 fax: +44 (0)1524 510493 (please mark "FAO Dr Steve Marple") address: Department of Communications Systems, InfoLab21, South Drive, Lancaster University, Lancaster. LA1 4WA UK (via Mike Terry, April 24, BDXC-UK via DXLD) DXING FM DURING AURORAL CONDITIONS --- by Dave Williams, WTFDA In the past 3 years, since I've gotten back into DXing FM, no type of propagation has piqued my interest more than Au. And while you may think that Au isn't possible where you are, due to a location too far South or too much dial clutter, this article will hopefully alert you to conditions which may generate favorable conditions for Au even at your QTH. The Basics: What causes Aurora and Auroral propagation? When the Earth's magnetic field lines up with the Interplanetary magnetic field, conditions are primed for Au activity. This lineup occurs when Bz is tilted Southward (expressed as negative numbers on propagation/astronomy sites). If you add disturbances to the Earth's magnetosphere, from either coronal mass ejections (solar flares) or high-speed solar wind streams (from coronal holes), during times of negative Bz, Auroral activity will commence. At my QTH in Central Oregon (magnetic latitude 50 degrees), FM Au always occurs when all of the following conditions are true: • Bt = 10 or greater - indication of total magnetic activity. • Bz = -10 or lower - indication of negative "tilt" to magnetosphere. • K = 4 or greater - indication of overall geomagnetic storminess from K=1 to K=9. • Lower Magnetic Latitude = 60 degrees or lower. All of these values can be viewed at http://propagation.dxers.info as well as at other sites mentioned later in this article. Is Au DX possible at my location? The answer is: probably, from once to several to many times a year. The most important factor is the magnetic latitude of your QTH. This is not the same as your latitude; the Auroral oval is just that - an oval - and DXers in the middle of the continent catch a break. In fact, a DXer in northern Missouri is at the same magnetic latitude as I am - and one would hardly think of Missouri as a peak site for Auroral viewing. To determine your magnetic latitude, check this website: http://www.sec.noaa.gov/Aurora/globeNW.html In the past year, visible auroral activity has been noted as far South as Southern California, Arizona, and Alabama. And to reiterate - it's not necessary to be able to view Au to DX Au - the visible activity may be below the horizon where you are, but the FM signals may be popping in all the same. When should I check for Au DX? Follow the space weather forecasts! Because coronal mass ejections and high-speed solar windstreams take 18+ hours to reach Earth from the sun, you can have a good idea of whether or not you need to pay attention to Au at all just by taking a look at the following websites once a day or so: • http://www.spaceweather.com - good source of high-level information. The left-hand column displays Bt/Bz, sunspot, solar flare, and coronal hole data, while the main body of text in the center often includes articles notifying readers of pending solar/geomagnetic storms (and links to really cool pictures). • http://solar.sec.noaa.gov/forecast.html - updated every 6 hours, provides detailed (and a bit more technical) information about what to expect over the next 3 days. Really good for getting statistical probabilities of anything ``fun`` happening in the next 48 hours. • http://maps.dxers.info/ - check to see if 6m contacts are being made to the north of you. You can also use this site during an Au opening to check on activity. If the peak conditions occur either in the late afternoon or very late evening in your location; you're in luck - due to the shape of the Auroral oval these are the best times of day for auroral DX enhancement. If the peak conditions occur at other times, you may be out of luck - but someone halfway around the world likely has enhancement. Once you're into an auroral event, the best sites to keep track of are: • http://solar.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/index.html - real-time auroral oval maps from NOAA. A quick indication as to where the oval is and what overall activity is using the POES auroral activity scale. • http://solar.sec.noaa.gov/alerts/warnings_timeline.html - real-time space weather warnings; most important for K index readings and X-Ray events (solar flares). • http://propagation.dxers.info - real-time Bt, Bz, Lower Magnetic Latitude, A, K, Solar Wind Speed, and more. The display is sparse in terms of explanation; you'll need to fill in the blanks through other sites. A final word of warning: sometimes, Bz can swing wildly negative (-20 or greater) for no apparent solar reason; often near to the Spring and Fall equinox. So if you note your dial sounding funny (with locals/semi-locals sounding scratchy, check propagation.dxers.info to see if something`s ``up``. An Au event is in progress - what will I hear? The first thing you may notice is signal degradation to your semi- local stations (50-200 mile Tr targets), with a scratchy/distorted sound. Particularly when the K index is high (7+), you may notice what approaches a radio blackout in your area. If you have open channels, now is the time to start looking for distant stations. I have about 5 truly ``open`` frequencies to the N/NE here; I check 100.1 first when I suspect Au as CBRL Lethbridge AB or KZOQ Missoula MT are always in when Au is firing. Once I confirm that an event is in progress, I switch to other frequencies. I have received Au stations over semi-locals and have come close on locals (i.e. the signal was there, but I couldn't grab an ID). During a particularly strong event last Summer (K=9), I was unable to hear anything outside a 20 mile range from my QTH during the peak - this is when the ``shock wave`` from a disturbance hits the earth's magnetic field. It`s during or after the initial blackout that the most distant receptions can often be made. After a K=9 event, the geomagnetic disturbance can last for days. Au receptions consist of a mixture of what sounds like distorted Tr (what I call straight Au reception) and AuEs, which sounds exactly like regular Es but is very transient in nature - may last only 5-10 minutes, sometimes shorter or longer. On the overnight of 4/4-4/5 2006, during unattended DX, I had CBRL in for over 5 hours at 524 miles with a strong and distorted signal - definitely not AuEs. At other times, I've had middle-of-the-night Es during auroral conditions; for me this is typically to Minnesota/Manitoba/South Dakota (farther E than N) and the distances range from 800-1200 miles. If you have any questions, comments, or corrections (likely; I`m not an astronomer or space meteorologist!) please contact me via e-mail or offer corrections on wtfda.info (Dave Williams, Redmond, OR, May 2006 VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) WHAT ABOUT LIGHTNING SCATTER? Q. Do I need a super DX set-up to see or hear it, and does it affect FM as well as TV? A: Lightning scatter (LS) bursts are caused by electrical storm activity, and are somewhat similar in appearance to meteor scatter bursts. The effects of LS seem to be strongest on UHF, and it doesn't take anything more than a good high-gain UHF TV antenna, such as a parabolic dish to note it on TV. Of course, using a good UHF preamp Increases your LS results. However, LS tends to be somewhat rare for many TV DXers, as knowing exactly where and when to look for it is critical. Contrary to popular belief, you don't always have to have heavy local thunderstorm activity in your immediate vicinity to note LS bursts. All it takes is an electrical storm situated between your location and the DX station to produce LS bursts. Ideally, the DX station will be located between 200 to 300 miles from you, with the heavy electrical storm somewhere near the midpoint. However, LS bursts can be noted from stations as close as 80 miles away at certain times, and there have been reports of LS DX from as far away as 700 miles. LS is caused by cloud-to-cloud lightning discharges which briefly ionize the air around the actual ``bolt`` of electricity. This short- lived ionized area scatters VHF and UHF signals much in the same manner as a meteor trail does. It should be kept In mind that this takes place at a much lower altitude (30,000 feet or lower) than meteor scatter ionization, which occurs in the E layer at around 50 miles above the earth. LS does affect the FM band, and of course presents even more of a challenge to identity In that range than MS does. A good FM yagi and receiver should do the trick. LS bursts have been noted by TV DXers on channel 2 as well, so even lowband VHF TV is subject to this propagation. A good way to check for possible LS conditions is to listen to local weather radar reports from a local TV station or the weather service broadcasts on VHF available in many regions. When you know that heavy electrical storm activity is taking place in an area 100 to 200 miles away, pointing your DX antennas at the storm area may produce some LS results. Check UHF first, if you have a good UHF TV DX antenna. If the activity is heavy, results may be found on FM and highband VHF TV as well, though only CCI bursts may be seen on highband TV, unless those channels are ``wide open`` in your region (From the July 1979 VUD via May 2006 VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHY NO POSTS IN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS? Some people stop blogging because they lose interest. Mine is a little different: I have been diagnosed as having rectal cancer. It's an embarrassing form of cancer to have . . . http://futureofradio.typepad.com/the_future_of_radio/2006/04/why_no_posts_in.html (Harry Helms, TX, April 24, future of radio blog via DXLD) Very moving. We`re pulling for you, Harry (Glenn) Further comments: http://futureofradio.typepad.com/the_future_of_radio/2006/04/why_no_posts_in.html#comments ###