DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-105, July 19, 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 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1322: Wed 2200 WBCQ 7415 [first airing of each edition] Wed 2300 WBCQ 18910-CLSB Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Sat 0500 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 WRN 13865 DRM via Bulgaria Sat 1230 WRMI 9955 Sat 1430 WRMI 7385 Sat 1600 WWCR3 12160 Sat 1732 WRMI 9955 [from WRN] Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0530 WRMI 9955 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0830 WRMI 9955 [from WRN] Sun 2230 WRMI 9955 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 Wed 0930 WWCR1 9985 Complete schedule including non-SW stations and audio links: 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 ** AFRICA. MIXED LOGS FROM AFRICA, INCLUDING SOME UNUSUAL ONES... location: Münster, Central Europe. Receiver: Sony ICF-SW7600GR with telescopic antenna or random wire in the tree 4770 Kaduna off 14/7 back 15/7 4780 Djibouti, fine every day 4835 Mali, fair in the evenings, better on 5995 4845 Mauritania, as usual 4910 Zambia not here, but heard under KOL Israel D on 5915 4915 nothing in the evenings 14-16/7 4976 Uganda also off? 5005 Bata very strong 5010 Madagascar, very good signal until 1900* on 14+16th and also later on Saturday 5025 Benin, quite OK 5026 Uganda seemed to be off on 15th, but heard around 1900 on 14th and 16th 5050 Tanzania not heard 5500 Tigre Revoution strong 6210+6940 Fana no problem 6612 Zimbabwe not heard recently here or anywhere else 6960 Shabelle??? fair on 14th and quite good tonight until 1900 when outnumbered [Somalia] 7100+7175 Eritrea fair signal today already at 1600 7230 Burkina (tentative), today most likely French talk heard before 1600, then time signal 7245 Mauritania (tentative), today African music before 1600, then Arabic talk 7255 VON, heard well today from 1250-1600!!! 9505 Sudan, apparently doesn't change to 7200 at 1900/1930 as in some schedules 9560 R. Ethiopia, big surprise today that quite strong from 1300 to 1400+ 9580 ANO, fair today at 1300, but: 17630+15475 unheard yesterday and this morning, but back at 1550. [these are not cross-referenced] 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, July 17, dxing.info via DXLD) ** ALBANIA. Re 6-104: Why was this change not suggested earlier - well, as I wrote, I saw conflicting reports about reception. On this report alone I would recommend that 7450 is used from now on instead of 7455. And I would also recommend that 7450 is registered with the HFCC for B-06. Have you received any other reports direct to your e- mail address? Currently Shijak on 7450 will be spaced 10 kHz from a more powerful (500 kW?) Ukrainian transmission to N America on 7440 and now apparently clear of the RTTY using 7455. The only transmissions that I am aware of on 7445 are via Radio Pakistan to South Asia and no interference from them is likely in N America. Note that Glenn says there is no interference from either UKR 7440 or the RTTY 7455. Greetings from Noel (Noel Green to Drita Cico, via DXLD) Glenn, Your cooperation is much appreciated. I have heard your name, but I do not know anything about you and your location. So, please let me know something about you and your coordinates. All the best from lovely Tirana; Dear all, Thank you so much indeed for your very useful reports and advices on Radio Tirana HF Schedule. Attached please, find the official paper to Shijak r/st about the change of 7455 to 7450 KHz starting from tonight (Drita Cico, ARTV-Head of Monitoring Center, RADIO TIRANA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: (((RTSH))) RADIOTELEVIZIONI SHQIPTAR DREJTORIA E PERGJITHSHME DREJTORIA TEKNIKE Nr. Prot. 1383 Date: 18 Korrik 2006 Drejtuar: DREJTORISE SE STACIONEVE / Radio Stacionit SHIJAK Subjekti: Ndryshim frekuence per Kanalin 3 te Radio Tiranes – Sezoni Veror A06 Prioriteti: i larte Duke filluar nga sot, date 18 Korrik 2006, ne vend te frekuences 7455 KHz per ne Ameriken e Veriut do te transmetohet ne frekuencen 7450 KHz: ora 0100-0230 Shqip ora 0345-0400 Anglisht ora 0430-0500 Anglisht Ky ndryshim frekuence behet per te eleminuar interferencen nga radio RTTY – USA, si dhe per te perdorur 7450 KHz per sezonin e ardhshem dimeror B06. Shenim: Rezultatet e proves se djeshme me r/stacionin Shijak ne frekuencen 7450 KHz dolen positive nga raportet e degjimit ne destinacion. DREJTORI TEKNIK Arben M E H I L L I (Signature & ARTV seal) (via Drita Cico, R. Tirana, DXLD) Drita, Glad that 7450 is working out and you will be keeping it. We can only hope that no other stations will be appearing in B-06 on or next to the frequency. It looks like there could be a problem on 7465 in the winter, with WWCR aiming 45 degrees right toward Europe starting at 2200 at the start of B06, and from 2100 starting in December -- that is, if you are using 7465 after 2100 or 2200 as appears to be the plan. Perhaps you already experienced this last winter. I am in Enid, Oklahoma, approx. 36 North, 98 west, very close to the middle of the US and North America (in terms of east/west). Reception from Europe is generally considerably more difficult here than on the east coast. My websites are http://www.worldofradio.com and http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio where you may eventually find links to some interviews with me. My main activities are publishing DX Listening Digest on line; weekly half-hour broadcast World of Radio on several SW stations, WRN, etc.; monthly SWBC The Global Forum column for Monitoring Times. I look forward to hearing more R. Tirana broadcasts in the clear, and will be glad to assist should any further interference problems arise. Best regards, Glenn Hauser (to Drita Cico via DXLD) At press time, she is looking into resolving the 7465 clash (gh, DXLD) ** ANGUILLA [and non]. As you may have gathered, the most interesting thing about Defunct Gene Scott is tracking how bad the crackle is on his various transmitters. July 18 at 0616 I found Anguilla 6090 with considerable crackle, and WWCR 5935 with just some lite crackle (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 11 m Studio To Transmitter RF Link --- Re 6-104, Publications: G Day Mr Hauser, I will let you know ASAP if I am able to find any information at all that you may be interested in. I have found one am station in New South Wales at Wagga Wagga about an hour North of the Victorian border that has this STL: 27.6700000, 2WG, 16 Fitzmaurice St, Riverina Broadcasters Holdings Pty Ltd. The station is transmitting on 1152 kHz, Power 2 kW. Well, that`s all for now, Mr Hauser; I will be in touch. 73z (Richard Fox VK2UAL, July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Could ARDS be back on 5050? See UNIDENTIFIED ** BAHRAIN? 9745, Bahrain RTV? 1128 July 16 with Arab songs, mixed with V. of Han `s Chinese music program. Fair on 1 x 1 sqm metal mesh (Zacharias Liangas, Litohoro, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BERMUDA. Looking for FM DX from here: see U S A ** BRAZIL. Está de volta os 5015 da Pioneira de Terezena [sic], depois de muitos messes fora do ar. Segundo o Sr Rozemiro, diretor da emissora, o problema era válvula (ISAAC ROSA, CRATEÚS - CEARÁ, July 17, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. R. Guarujá, Florianópolis-SC --- Olá a todos, Pela manhã sintonizei uma emissora forte próximo a R. Guaíba até achei que fosse a R. Senado, mas nesse horário ela nunca teve um sinal satisfatório (por aqui!!), aliás não estou conseguindo captá-la constantemente. Voltando ao assunto, estavam transmitindo a grade de programação e para surpresa, a id. era da Rádio Guarujá de Florianópolis. Fiquei práticamente o dia inteiro sintonizado na emissora, o sinal estava muito bom variando de 4 a 5, quase sem fading e sem interferências até por volta das 2155 quando começou um leve QRM Unid (nesse horário estão entrando as emissoras de outros países e, as brasileiras começam a ir pelo espaço). Quando começou a Voz do Brasil dei um tempo, terminado o horário do px retornei, mas o sinal já tinha desaparecido completamente. 5980, 1420-2200, 18/07/2006, R. Guarujá, Florianopólis-SC, PP, grade de programação, adv, 'Repórter Guarujá Ed. Nacional', px 'Conexão Guarujá, com Polidório Jr.', 1500 px 'Vanguarda Esportiva, com Sérgio Murilo', px `Guarujá Esportes, com Fabrício Almeida', px `Voz do Brasil'. 45444. RG. Forte 73's! Rx: Goodline GS-1133. Ant: Fio 10m. Ref.: ILG-A06 (Reinaldo Gomes, Altamira do Paraná - PR – Brasil, July 18, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Was it inactive? (gh, DXLD) ** BULGARIA. 5775, IRRS Milano, 1858-1905, escuchada el 17 de Julio en inglés con el final de la retransmisión de la Ópera "Aïda", locutor con comentarios, sintonía y locutora con cuña, SINPO 34443 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wonder how much of the multi-hour opera was axually broadcast! (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. 24 hours after DRM went haywire at Sackville, July 18 at 1335 check, R. Sweden relay in English on 15240 was back to normal, analog with no DRM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. After a severe thunderstorm which hit the area on the 18 July, CKAT 600 North Bay ON announced that two of the three towers where blown down. Right now CKAT barely makes it above the electrical noise (Anthony Markewicz, somewhere nearby?, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) NRC Pattern Book shows them with a big null to the south day and night, most of signal going north. So now they should be non- direxional. Anthony, I was thinking you were in Manitoba, but now I guess you are closer to North Bay? Any further news about this would be of interest. Hard to imagine a T-storm blowing down properly guyed radio towers (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. Re 6-104: Regarding Mark Wilson`s posting, in Costa Rica, as the small nation that is, not so different I`d guess from even smaller El Salvador, the FM band is totally crowded. No way anyone can get a spare frequency as all are assigned. So you`ll find a station in each channel from the bottom to the top. But separation rules are strictly observed every .4 MHz and the use of no more than 5 kW of power guarantees nobody will suffer from splatters, unless a disadjustment occurs. It`s nonsense having more than 5 kW in a rugged and mountainous country like this, so if you want to reach both coast lines, your transmitter --- as it happens with most broadcasters --- has to be placed upon the Irazú Volcano, situated some 20 miles East from San José, where most stations are located. AFAIK there are some exceptions to the rule, having different stations on the same channel but using low power and in different cities. That`s the situation with 98.3, shared between Radio Casino in Puerto Limón --- which has dropped usage of 5954 SW --- and Estéreo Visión Internacional, a newcomer with a Christian format from former Radio Alajuela, now only on AM. No clash between them as they are not allowed to have transmitters at Irazú, so no way to cross that natural elevation of some 3000+m above sea level. A similar situation was given some five years ago with 88.3, but this ended in not so clear conditions at Control Nacional de Radio. Those FMers reaching far North from Tiquicia`s central valley, and that`s the case with now tourist burgeoning province of Guanacaste, having to rely on Cerro de Santa Elena. And to the South Zone, relay stations have to be intalled on Cerro de La Muerte, as the presence of this one won`t guarantee a straight view from Irazú to our South border with Panama (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 5025, Radio Rebelde, 0255-0305, escuchada el 17 de Julio en español a locutor con programa deportivo retransmitiendo un encuentro de béisbol, final del partido y repaso a resto de encuentros, conexión con estudios en Cartagena de Indias, ciclismo: velocidad por equipos entre Venezuela y México compitiendo por medalla de bronce, SINPO 35443 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also found R. Rebelde`s midday broadcast on 11655, July 18 at 1731 with RNW well underneath it. Announcer was giving long schedule of sports events starting with gymnastix, in the Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe, in Cartagena, Colombia. Then switched to coverage from Cartagena, and hum appeared on audio feed. Not sure when it went off but gone around 1830, so listeners to this frequency were deprived of the excitement (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Arnie Coro`s DXers Unlimited must have started way later than usual on the secret RHC 2030 English broadcast; Tue July 18 at 2125 he was still going on 11760, and an echo apart on 9505. In fact he ran past 2130, but was not cut off so we heard the very last Morse code beeps at the end of the show. Only at 2131 did French begin, not including the incorrect frequencies they used to announce. If it is about 17 minutes, DXUL must not have started until 2114 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. I did a MW bandscan UT July 18 (more details later) and heard the wobbler clearly on 1100 at 0115 against a preacher, Joplin? 73, (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, IRCA via DXLD) Tonight at 9:40 pm ET, Jul 17 2006, [0140 UT July 18] 1100, Radio Cadena Habana, Havana, Cuba, is producing an Xtreme Wobbler like those heard as far away as Hawaii a few months ago (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Ratón, (southeast) Florida , IRCA via DXLD) Glenn, You caught the 1100 kHz RCH [Radio Cadena Habana] Wobbler at its peak. Not long after it subsided into a lull. Back again now at 0330Z 7/18, not nearly so vigorous, but possibly building up for another go at it later (W. Curt Deegan Boca Raton, (southeast) Florida, ibid.) ** DENMARK. In DXLD 6-104 I note the item about Denmark, but the foreign language news bulletins actually stopped by the end of last year. Please see my posting under Denmark in: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxld5217.txt and another reminder: I am leaving DR by the end of October, and after that date it probably will be very difficult to get a QSL! 73, (Erik Køie, July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. 7100, V. of Broad Masses of Eritrea 1, 1625-1630, escuchada el 15 de julio en tigriña a locutora con comentarios y música pop local, locutor con comentarios, SINPO 33443 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Being on the edge of the old 40m Euro hamband, it gets flagged as an intruder by the watchers (gh, DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. One more quite remarkable thing: Summer may produce unusual signal strength at unusual times: On July 16, 17 and 18 I heard R. Ethiopia external service on 9560 at 1300-1400 hours with sometimes quite strong signal. Also some other Africans may be heard on 31/41m at this time in Europe, but certainly this is limited to just a few exceptional days in the year. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also NIGER; AFRICA ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Clandestina para ETIOPÍA: 15650, Voice of Oromía Independence, 1500-1530, escuchada el 15 de julio en oromo con cuña de identificación en inglés y oromo, sintonía y locutor con comentarios hasta las 1512 con efecto eco que hace incomprensible lo que dice, segmento musical hasta el cierre; se identifica a las 1515, SINPO 45554 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saturdays only, via Germany ** GREECE. ERA-5 and Hellenic Diaspora http://www.satleo.gr/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=5517&Itemid=2 Translation by Christos Rigas: The General Director of ERT Christos Panagopoulos informs the Minister of Interior: "In answer to the question raised in the Greek Parliament under the case number 4158/2/6/07 by the deputy Stavros Mpenos, I would like to inform you that the programs of ERA-5 continue to be transmitted through the transmitters of ERT just like in the past. However from July 1, 2006 there have been certain curtailments in the total of hours of emission. Today, ERA-5 is transmitted from transmitters in Avlida (Avlis) as follows: a) 7-hour program towards America, Atlantic and Canada on 7475 and 9420, b) 6-hour program to Australia, Asia and Indian Ocean on 15650 & 17520, c) 12-hour program to Africa on 12120 & 9420, d) 24-hour program to Europe on 7475, 9420, 15630 kHz. It is a fact that on April 2006 the US government decided to closed down the Voice of America transmitters at Kavala and Rhodos, which transmitted parts of ERA-5 programming. As a result of this, ERA-5 programming to America and Australia had to be reduced. Also foreign language transmissions on shortwave have been eliminated. The foreign language transmissions will continue to be transmitted on AM transmitters only. The reductions of ERA-5 services have nothing to do with economic issues. I would like to assure you that the reduction is the result of the elimination of the Voice of America transmitters. Currently ERA-5 is trying to find ways to reinstate the transmissions to Americas and Australia through other technical means. Finally, I would like to point out that the ERA-5 programming is also available through the Internet, and through the ERT satellite platform." (Christos Rigas, Chicago Area DX Club, http://home.earthlink.net/~dxchicago/ July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. After missing a few days, VOI back on 9525 with usual strength, good music mix, July 18 at 1333 check, and also July 19 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DGIEST) ** INDONESIA. 4749.90, RRI Makassar, 1045-1105 July 19. Noted steady Hindu type music until 1058. At that time woman comments briefly in Indonesian, then theme music. This followed by time ticks and Man with canned ID. On the hour news until 1105 when music continuous. Signal was fair to poor (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, NRD545, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRTH 2006 has an asterisk which I think means inactive, but schedule was 0745-1555, as well as 2045-2400, with 20 kW. PWBR ``2006`` also shows ``temporarily inactive``, 50 kW at 08-16. This used to be the most reliable 60m Indonesian here, ex-Ujung Pandang, ex-Makassar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also UNIDENTIFIED 5050 ** IRAN [non]. LITUANIA, 7540, Voz de la Rep. Isl. de Irán, 2030-2045, escuchada el 12 de julio en español con sintonía y canto de una Sura, horarios y frecuencias, boletín de noticias; se aprecia interferencia de una emisión en código alfa deletreando JSR, SINPO 44444 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. A COUNTRY MUSIC SHOW BEAMED ACROSS BAGHDAD LIFTS TROOPS' SPIRITS WITH SOUNDS OF HOME --- BY JONATHAN FINER Washington Post Service BAGHDAD - The U.S. military's most popular radio host in Iraq downs her last swig of coffee at 9:53 a.m., slings a pistol over her shoulder and steps into the makeshift studio with five minutes to spare. She slips on a headset and grabs a puffy microphone from a desk drawer, standing before a bank of three flat-screen monitors and a large sound control board. This is 107.7 on the FM dial, known to U.S. soldiers as Freedom Radio, and it's time for country music. UNUSUAL REQUESTS ''We're gonna get it started with LeAnn Rimes and some Kenny Chesney, who you all know I love,'' says Spc. Kristen King, 21, her sugary twang a product of her Shreveport, La., upbringing. ``And don't forget the phone calls, y'all. They're the greatest.'' A reservist halfway through a journalism degree at Louisiana State University, King is energetic and apple-cheeked, with a tireless smile. She wears desert camouflage fatigues, and her straight brown hair is pulled tightly behind her head. Her program, Country Convoy, is four hours of down-home Americana beamed throughout Iraq from a trailer tucked amid a warren of identical units in the fortified Green Zone. On the wall behind her is an Iraqi flag embossed with the logo of her distributor, the Armed Forces Network. . . http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/14997905.htm (Miami Herald July 9 via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) ** ISRAEL [and non]. MONITORING THE MIDDLE EAST TINDER BOX UPDATE Tuesday, July 18, 2006 http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2006/07/monitoring-middle-east-tinder-box_18.html (Larry Van Horn`s Monitoring Times blog via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Israel Radio / web / satellite / articles re DG and missle coverage --- A few more Israel Radio (Kol Israel) related things: There is now a Windows Media Player live stream of Israel Radio International (Reshet Hey). Previously, there was only a Real Player stream. For now, at least, it takes quite a few moments before the feed 'kicks in.' Also, the audio volume is lower than the RealPlayer feed. Hopefully, those things will change soon. http://www.israelradio.org/livestream.htm I'm waiting for some more specific details, but Reshet Bet (Hebrew) is on HotBird satellite, to Europe, as of yesterday (Monday, July 17). As of today, it's supposed to be relayed on UK's Sky Digital service. An article about the new IBA Director General, Moti Sklaar (I only quote part of the first paragraph, look at the URL for the full text) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150886036701&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Grapevine: Sklaar takes over at IBA, Lapid at Yad Vashem "IF ANYONE was under the impression that the appointment of Moti Sklaar as the director-general of the Israel Broadcasting Authority was going to have a positive effect, the short-term result suggests that they may be mistaken. Sklaar, who took up his new post only a few days ago, has already stirred major unrest by calling on veteran broadcaster Dan Shilon to take over the 8 a.m.-10 a.m. current affairs talk-show slot on Reshet Bet in place of regular anchors Liat Regev, Amnon Nadav (who for several years was the head of Israel Radio) and Amikam Rotman..." An article about Israeli reporters covering the missles landing in Israel (I only quote a bit of the article. Look at the URL for the entire article). http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/739523.html Broadcasting from Kiryat Shmona "Channel 2 reporter Nessli Barda worked very hard this past weekend. On Friday she broadcast for many long hours from places where Katyushas had fallen in Safed, Rosh Pina and Miron. At night, on the way to the guest house at Kibbutz Hagoshrim, she also managed to cover a fall at the Gomeh Junction. On Saturday morning she rushed to Hatzor Haglilit. "As we were broadcasting from Hatzor," she recapitulates, "we received reports about Tiberias. We went there, hopping from Katyusha to Katyusha." ..." (all via Doni Rosenzweig, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ITALY [non]. See BULGARIA ** LIBYA [non]. Clandestina para LIBIA: 17675, Sawt Al-amal, 1200- 1210, escuchada el 15 de julio en árabe con cuña de identificación, sintonía y canto del Corán, SINPO 43443 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR. 5010, Radio Madagasikara, 0320-0325, escuchada el 17 de julio en idioma malagasy a locutor con comentarios y locutora, segmento musical, SINPO 24332 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [non]. 690 (XETRA Tijuana, BCN --- ye ed) put out ad last week with new phone # (assuming its new address 3500 Olive #250, Burbank, 91505), phone is 818-972-4200 for W radio (Gary Larson, CA, Broadcasting Info, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND [and non]. RNZI, BBC PROGRAMME EXCHANGE From Pacific Magazine Tuesday: July 18, 2006 (Tahitipresse) - Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) will launch a weekday 30-minute programme exchange with the BBC Pacific service starting Monday, Pacific Media Watch reports. At 2030 NZ time (0830 UT), the BBC's Pacific Service will relay a bulletin of Pacific regional news and RNZI's Pacific current affairs programme Dateline Pacific, which draws on the work of RNZI's staff and on stories filed by Pacific journalists from around the region. In exchange, at 1 pm NZ time weekdays (0100 UT) RNZI will be broadcasting a BBC World news bulletin, followed by detailed BBC correspondents' reports on the latest global news and a round-up of the latest in international Sport. RNZI manager Linden Clark says she is delighted with the launch. "This will allow us to get more listeners for our flagship current affairs programme across the Pacific. It's also recognition of the relevance of the Dateline Pacific programme which is already relayed by Radio Australia around the region." The RNZI programme will be on the BBC's Pacific network of FM relays and satellite services. RNZI's short-wave broadcasts cover the area from Papua New Guinea in the west across to French Polynesia in the east and all the countries in between. A new digital (DRM) short-wave service is just now being launched across the Pacific region with partner relaying stations in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Niue all now equipped with digital software receivers. Source: http://www.tahitipresse.pf/index.cfm?snav=see&presse=16469&lang=2 (via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD; via Art Blair, Folsom, CA, July 18, IRCA via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. 24 hours after RNZI was found on the wrong analog and apparently the wrong DRM frequency, 9615 and 9435-9445 resp., July 18 at 1327 check, back to normal with analog on 7145 in Dateline Pacific, DRM buzz on 6090-6100. Then at 0505 July 19, I found RNZI on analog 9615 and DRM buzz on 9435-9445, both as on the currently posted schedule. I suppose on the previous occasion the automation failed to change both frequencies at 0658, or maybe the clock controlling it was way off (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGER. Re 6-104: Yep, seems like Niger is active again. 18 July at 1730 noted them with local languages on 9705. Ethiopia was on about 9704.2. Niger had their usual French news bulletin at 1900. Prior to that a long "drumming session" (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, it's definite now: 18/07, 1900, 9705.0: La Voix du Sahel, ID in French, followed by drums and news in French "Le Président de [la] République, Mamadou Tandja..." etc. Mauno Ritola observed Sign-on at 1657. SINPO 34443 at 1900 (USB to avoid Ethiopia). Good audio also, nice catch. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Just because I've seen all these postings about Niger back on SW, I went to make my own checking on 9705 between 2130 and 2300, and there was indeed a French language station, but I can't be so optimistic as my colleagues in Europe: altho without interference, no more than a signal 1, enhancing slightly near 2300 but splatter from incoming Radio Sofia in English on 9700, ended all. How this been going for DXers in the Americas? As conditions haven't been that good, I'm not having much expectations for the 0400 to 0500 openings from Africa, because not even Radio Ethiopia have been around lately. Let's wait and see (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, I can confirm La Voix du Sahel is active on 9705 heard last night at 2100 with La Voix du Sahel ID Phone in’s with short music breaks ( Music like Mali or Mauritania). Receiver Drake R8, Antennas Wellbrook 1530 Loop and 12.5m wire with RF Systems Magnetic Balun (Stuart Austin, Blackpool, England, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, just to add to the list: this year I got two tentative reports for La Voix du Sahel this year, one from Dan Goldfarb in February, one from Dietmar Birkhahn in May, but: no one could really confirm it, absolutely nothing the next day, but might of course been tests then. We'll never know but shouldn't be too sceptical with all these sporadic logs we read about certain stations in the past. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also ETHIOPIA; AFRICA La Voix du Sahel gereactiveerd op 9705 kHz --- Op het ogenblik (1905 UT) kan je het Franstalige nieuws van La Voix du Sahel uit Niger horen op de gereactiveerde frequentie 9705 kHz. Best afstemmen in USB. Merkte dit op na een tip van Thorsten Hallmann In A-DX. En als je een heel klein beetje lager gaat staan op 9704.2 in LSB hoor je R Ethiopia. Daar krijg je het pas echt warm van. 73, (Guido Schotmans, Belgium, July 18, BDX via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Bonjour, nouvelle adresse electronique du service français de La Voix de Nigéria: voixdenigeria "at" yahoo.fr (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, July 17, dxing.info via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Re DXLD 6-103, ``Broadcast Actions 7/12/2006 PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission REPORT NO. 46275 AM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSE TO COVER LICENSE CANCELLED P 1430 KHZ OK, ALVA LICENSE TO COVER: License cancelled, and callsign deleted by letter dated 7-7-06 1800B3 JDB OK BL-19780901AD DKALV 43280 MM&K OF ALVA, INC. P 1600 KHZ OK, CUSHING LICENSE TO COVER: License cancelled, and callsign deleted by letter dated 7-7-06 1800B3 JDB CIMARRON VALLEY BROADCASTERS, INC. OK BL-4586 DKUSH 11201`` When is a license cancellation and a callsign deletion not a cancellation or a deletion? In these cases! I checked out these two stations UT July 18, and BOTH ARE STILL ON THE AIR, seemingly operating normally. KUSH, 1600 is normally audible at home in the daytime, and quite a bit better on the east side of Enid on a caradio. At 0105 UT (8:05 pm CDT, 1835 LMT), well before sunset with the temp still 100+, skywave was booming in with 1600 dominated by KRVA in the DFW market, Asian Broadcasting (see separate report). So I tried again the next morning when all the skywave should be gone, but at 1356 I was still getting something distant on 1570 and 1660 KXTR. Nevertheless, at 1400 UT, 1600 bore a singing ID sounding like KUSH, and then Oklahoma News Network. No other Okies on 1600, but to be absolutely sure I checked again at 1500 & 1600 got definite full IDs from KUSH. Also has ONN on the half hours. KALV, 1430, Alva: same situation. Has a null toward Tulsa and hence Enid, but on caradio in Enid I was able to ID it at 1455 and again at 1615 UT, when I counted a SAH of 6 Hz, presumably with Tulsa`s buzzer. Still not hearing IBOC from that on 1420 or 1440 here, the latter being essentially empty daytimes except for local line noise, etc. So have KUSH and KALV not received the FCC notification that they are kaput? Or just keep running, hoping FCC will not find out? The same FCC notice had two other deletions, 1240 Idabel and 1560 Sallisaw, but both are out of range here. I am not hearing, however, KTTL 105.7 Alva, but instead once again KROU 105.7, Spencer near OKC, public radio from OU Norman, which had been blocked in Enid, and roughly halfway to OKC. FCC FM Query does not show KTTL off the air (Glenn Hauser, Enid, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) There's nothing at all unusual or odd about that. This is a procedural, paperwork thing that affects a dozen or two stations every renewal cycle. Usually someone forgot to file the renewal paperwork properly, and in some cases (WBAA in Indiana), the paperwork may simply have been lost at the FCC's end. The practice at the FCC is to allow the stations in question to file a late renewal application, then usually fine them several thousand dollars for late filing and, in some cases, unlicensed operation. But the renewal is almost always granted. There have already been at least 20 of these this year. s (Scott Fybush, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 98% of these, the station forgot to renew the license or failed to file some kind of paperwork. The FCC lost the renewal or they mis- filed it for Purdue University's WBAA AM/FM. FCC will let them stay on the air if they file an STA. If they did forget to file they will pay a "forfeiture" for missing the renewal deadline (Bill Frahm - Boise amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. MW bandscanning, continued from U S A [and non]. Another session during full daytime, none of that dratted skywave, I hoped, but started too soon, first from home with FRG-7, longwire, July 18, UT in time order! 1352, 1660, KXTR Kansas City was still in with classical; 1406 fading out 1354, 1570, unID, skywave surely, expecting hi temp of 101 1400, 1600, KUSH singing ID, still on the air tho license cancelled and callsign deleted per FCC (see separate report under OKLAHOMA); into Oklahoma News Network to 1404 --- looked quickly for parallels but none found; tends to be on weaker small-town stations. SAH of 3 Hz, maybe KRVA TX or 50 kW WMQM TN residual skywave? 1406, 1650, KWHN Fort Smith AR with ID, local commercial (transmitter site in OK); not heard later on caradio, so may have been last gasp of skywave, or just too much signal from local KFXY-1640. Now from the Saturn caradio mobile, in eastern Enid: 1455, 1430, KALV ID, confirming another deleted station is still on, Alva OK 1500, 1600, KUSH Cushing OK, full ID, again at 1600, ditto [see OKLAHOMA report for more on both] Saturn caradio, parked at a grocery in eastern Enid; some line noise and strange carriers perhaps from security: 1605, 1320, ``Western Oklahoma`s official news voice, News Talk 1320``, i.e. Clinton, presumably still KCLI. What pray tell, makes it ``official``?? Then contradicted itself by joining Rush (with sub) at 1606. There is no news on that show, only fantasy. 1606, 1390, KCRC Enid runs Paul Harvey an hour before noon 1608, 1700, KKLF Sherman TX is the only x-bander now audible besides local KFXY 1640 1610, 680 also has Paul Harvey early. KFEQ St. Joseph MO would be it 1611, 890, KTLR OKC, preacher with LF hum, increasing in pauses, due to AGC, as transmitted? (This radio has very good bass response) 1611, 1050, hum of maybe 50 Hz (guess) between two stations, no doubt the usual KKRX Lawton and KGTO Tulsa 1612, 1190, C&W with a fast SAH, presumably KVFV Beloit KS vs KFXR Dallas TX 1613, 1220, call-in on religion, so KTLV Midwest City OK still on air 1613, 1240, fast SAH, rather than audible het as used to be the case, so KFH Wichita KS and KADS Elk City OK are closer to frequency 1614, 1260, discussion of BIA, no doubt from the tribal-owned KWSH Wewoka OK. In English 1615, 1430, KALV Alva OK, ID, oldies, with a SAH of about 6 Hz, presumably with KTBZ Tulsa. I estimate such SAHs by watching my watch as the digital seconds click by and counting 1-2-3-4-5-6 for several seconds to find when the second turnovers stay in synch with my count (or 1-2-3, or whatever, by trial and error). This works only up to about 10 Hz for me; some may have quicker brains? (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. IBOC daytime monitoring observations in and near Enid UT July 18: 640, WWLS Moore-Norman, with heavy buzz on 630 and 650, also audible under the DFW station on 660. AND on 640 itself (slightly). 1000, KTOK, OKC, is definitely IBOC, with buzz on 990 and 1010, also audible under KOKP 1020 Perry, when checked at 0110 UT (before LSS in July), and at 1611 UT. KTOK is not listed as IBOC, and may have just started. I will not listen to them enough (analog) to know if they are promoting ``HD`` 1300, KAKC Tulsa; 1380 KMUS Muskogee-Tulsa; 1430 KTBZ Tulsa --- cannot detect any IBOC on adjacent frequencies. Only KAKC has a listenable analog signal here. This list updated June 30, http://topazdesigns.com/iboc/station-list.html does not show KTOK 1000 or KAKC 1300, just three OK stations, WWLS 640, KMUS 1380 (green, meaning had it but currently turned off), and KTBZ 1430 Even iBiquity`s own listing http://www.ibiquity.com/hd_radio/hdradio_find_a_station/OK/StnMarket#stationlist shows only WWLS-640 and KMUS-1380! On FM: KJTH 89.7 Ponca City gospel huxter (site closer to Enid) has IBOC buzz blocking 89.5 and 89.9 during an Es opening, but 89.7 is strong enough to be a problem, IBOC or not. KOSU 91.7 Stillwater public radio seems to have its IBOC on, heard on 91.9 but blocked by a southern KS gospel huxter on 91.5. The KOSU signal is noticeably weaker here since moved to new site closer to OKC. KOSU is not yet promoting any separate IBOC programming. I have not scanned the FM band completely looking for IBOC, but the band is so congested that signals farther away than that, such as Tulsa, may not show up. Strangely enough, iBiquity`s list shows 5 Tulsa FM stations, but only one in OKC, WWLS 104.9. But we know how inaccurate it is (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. After an FM DX opening from Virginia, on Saturn caradio, UT July 18: at 1639, 88.1, a preacher with a 2-word echo. One was probably semi-local KMSI Moore OK. Does Oasis Network have another 88.1, or would it be some other network relayed with same program? Must have been very close to equal strength for capture effect to fail. O, per http://www.oasisnetwork.org/ it`s just KDIM Coweta/Tulsa also on 88.1. Why do they need that since they have KNYD 90.5 Tulsa? Anyhow, between OKC and Tulsa, and even out here in Enid, lack of synchronization shows the fallacy of their engineering. I suppose one is getting a satellite feed (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA. EXTERNAL RADIO SERVICE THREATENED WITH CLOSURE | Text of report by Belgrade-based newspaper Kurir in Serbian on 16 July Radio Serbia [the external radio service of the Serbian government], which was once called [International] Radio Serbia-Montenegro and, before that, Radio Yugoslavia - the only [Serbian] radio station that broadcasts on the shortwave band, as a result of which its broadcasts are heard all over the world - might be shut down. Under the law on public information, the state cannot own any media house other than a news agency, according to Serbian government, adding that the radio station, which broadcasts on the shortwave band, is too expensive for the state to maintain at the moment. Dragan Kojadinovic, minister of culture and information, whose jurisdiction will extend to include Radio Serbia as of September, maintains that the most important thing at the moment is to pay back wages owed to the staff. "Several options are being considered, one of which is to attach Radio Serbia to Tanjug [news agency] as its radio service," Kojadinovic says, adding that experts should have the last word in this matter. Nino Brajovic, president of the Serbian Journalists' Association [UNS], says that every country, if it means to be a real country and to be taken seriously in the world, must have its [external] state radio station. He explains that the radio station needs change, that it needs to have its programme modernized and adjusted to the times we live in, but the high broadcasting costs must not be a reason for shutting it down. "Before considering the cost of maintaining the radio station, it is necessary to reduce overheads and make assembly deputies spend economically instead of squandering state funds as if there was no tomorrow," Brajovic says. On the other hand, Professor Rade Veljanovski of the Faculty of Political Sciences maintains that Serbia does not need a [external] state radio station. "I do not think that such a radio station can do very much towards improving the country's image, which is one of its fundamental purposes. This is expensive technology and its effects are small," Veljanovski says without mincing his words. Source: Kurir, Belgrade, in Serbian 16 Jul 06, p 4 (via BBCM via DXLD) They seem unaware that the SW broadcasts, if not the internet service, vanished months ago; but this explains why (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** TAIWAN [non]. Re 6-096: ``15600 RTI via YFR Okeechobee change USA/TAIWAN === New: RTI Taipei German 15600 kHz (ex 18930) from Okeechobee Florida US relay at 2100-2200 UT. Sommerfrequenzen RTI - Deutschprogramm. Eine Frequenzumstellung ab voraussichtlich 17. Juli 2006. Neu: 15600 kHz (ex 18930) aus Okeechobee Florida from 2100 UT, \\ mit 3965 kHz aus Issoudun - Frankreich. Tainan, Taiwan. Die Ausstrahlung von RTI Taipei in German auf der Frequenz 9955 kHz aus Tainan wurde ab Samstag, 1. Juli 2006 eingestellt. 1900-2000 6185 kHz Skelton, GB 2100-2200 3965 kHz Issoudun, Frankreich 2100-2200 15600 (x18930 kHz from 17th July 2006) Okeechobee, USA 0600-0700 7520 kHz Okeechobee, USA (Dieter Leupold-D, wwdxc BC-DX July 2) 15600 1900-2300 WYFR 100 44 27,28 1234567 260306 291006 [including other languages; so no more 18930 at all?] see also under A06 USA private SW station freq registrations. http://ftp.fcc.gov/ib/sand/neg/hf_web/A06FCC01.TXT (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, July 2, HCDX via DXLD)`` This report said RTI would switch from 18930 to 15600 for German at 21-22 via WYFR. I checked July 17 but the 18 MHz frequencies were too weak; in fact, WBCQ 18910 was coming in much better. However, July 18 at 2125 I found that 18930 had WYFR in Arabic, and 15600 had WYFR in Spanish --- no Taiwan on either! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET. CHINA, 7385, PBS Xizang, 1635-1647, escuchada el 15 de julio en inglés a locutora con comentarios y música de fondo, se aprecia mala modulación, segmento de música pop local, SINPO 35433 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Presumably the ``Holy Tibet`` program, if they still call it that, starting at 1630 (gh, DXLD) ** TIBET [non]. CLANDESTINA Para CHINA: 17560, Voice of Tibet, 1230- 1240, tentativa; se aprecia emisión jammer de opera China que imposibilita escuchar a la emisora, SINPO 34343 (José Miguel Romero, EA5-1022, Sacañet (Castellón), España, a 1016 m de altitud y con Sangean ATS 909 con antena de hilo de siete metros, July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) fecha? ** UKRAINE. 15 July 2006, 0555, 11980 kHz, Radio Dniprovska Khvilya. From 16 July 2006 - from 0600 (Alexander Egorov, Kiev, Ukraine, RusDX via DXLD) Low power outlet (gh, DXLD) ** U K. Programme exchange BBCWS with RNZI: see NEW ZEALAND ** U S A. SENATE APPROPRIATORS LET THE VOICE DOWN On Thursday, June 29, 2006, the Senate Appropriations committee had its markup session on the appropriations bill including appropriations for the BBG and VOA. The Senate approved the administration`s budget proposal in regard to the VOA. This means that the radio cuts to VOA language services remain in place in the Senate`s appropriations recommendations. In addition,, a late amendment to the House appropriations markup cuts $5 million from the BBG`s budget to fund the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention block grant program. Since there are major differences in the respective House and Senate budget recommendations, the bills will be the subject of a conference committee which will look to reconcile the differences and come up with a final bill. This means that those who support VOA have more work ahead of them to try to see that the final appropriations bill is more like the House bill rather than the Senate`s. This will be a challenge. We will continue to keep agency employees informed on this process as information become available. Sincerely, /signed/ Gary A. Marco, President, AFSCME Local 1418 Sincerely, /signed/ Tim Shamble, President, AFGE Local 1812 (AFGE Local 1812 via DXLD) ** U S A. THE MORE YOU HEAR RADIO SAWA, THE LESS YOU LIKE U.S. POLICY? Study, published in Global Media and Communication http://gmc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/2/183 involving 394 Arab students, concludes that there is no relationship between the frequency of listening to Radio Sawa and views towards US policy. The paper also finds that the subjects' views towards U.S. policy worsened during the period they listened to Radio Sawa or watched Alhurra. U.S. News & World Report, 17 July 2006: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060717/17war.htm See Kim's comments about the study. Posted: 18 Jul 2006 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) Viz.: Kim's comments about the el-Nawawy study Because of the study's small number of subjects (394) and the use of a convenience sample, I was expecting to see the paper conclude with the usual "these preliminary findings call for further research using larger and more representative samples." Instead, I found three pages of broad conclusions, including "The US administration may need to face this reality and realize that launching channels such as Sawa and Alhurra must go hand-in-hand with changing and/or modifying its policies on the ground." The most controversial finding, that the Arab students' attitudes towards U.S. foreign policy had worsened since they started listening to Radio Sawa and watching Alhurra, cannot convincingly be made based on one correlational analysis involving this small, non-representative group of subjects. Nevertheless, it precipitated the U.S. News headline ("The more you hear, the less you like"). Other media outlets can be expected to provide similar coverage. This study is illustrative of the perception by most scholars and decision makers in the United States that exposure to international broadcasts can and should change attitudes. But people generally tune to foreign broadcasts in to get news that is more comprehensive and more credible than the news they get domestically. Through their exposure to international broadcasts, audiences are, for better or worse, more completely and accurately informed. During a period including the Iraq War and its complicated aftermath, as well as continued strife in and around Israel, it is to be expected that Arab views towards U.S. policy might deteriorate. A reasonable goal for U.S. international broadcasting is to ensure that any such deterioration of attitudes is not exacerbated by misinformation and disinformation, from other sources, about U.S. policies and actions. In the el-Nawawy paper, I am badly misquoted by a secondary source as saying: "Arab people will always look at Alhurra as a propaganda station that publicized the ideas of the US government." I don't remember saying that, and I certainly never thought that. I have always stressed that U.S. international broadcasting must retain its autonomy. About Alhurra, it may never match Aljazeera or Alarabiya in audience size, but it can serve a significant role in reaching Arabs who would like to receive news from a U.S. source and to know more about American life and institutions. This is being accomplished to some extent, given Alhurra's fairly respectable daily audience figures, ranging from two percent to fifteen percent of households in various Arab countries (27 percent in Iraq, where it has terrestrial transmitters). Kim (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 6-104, WRNO story on KTVT: Seems to me, then, that Dr Mawire walked down the street and persuaded someone (maybe a friend) at Channel 11 to run the story. Note it says, at least in the version on the website, that ``millions of people all over the world are tuning in.`` This doesn`t say much for the quality of newsgathering at the TV station (Andy Sennitt, July 18th, 2006 at 07:53, Media Network blog via DXLD) [non]. There is already a station in the Middle East that is ``making a difference``; It is called Radio All for Peace, and broadcasts in Hebrew, Arabic and English 24 hours a day on 107.2 FM locally and http://www.allforpeace.org worldwide (Mike Brand, July 18th, 2006 at 06:01, ibid.) ** U S A. Re crosstalk on WOR on WWCR 12160: A later follow-up: Just wanted to let you know that I heard the crosstalk again this past Saturday. I think it might be there every time, but reception here on 12160 in the mid-day Saturday varies widely, and only when the signal is coming in good and clean do I hear both you and the preacher in the background. It was fine reception that day (the 15th) so I heard it cleanly. Some Saturdays there is terrible noise all over the 11 & 12 MHz ranges and I suspect that it is due to some local RF-generating device used by a neighbor do do something mid-day Saturdays, since it starts abruptly, usually at just the wrong time (like right *after* the junk that precedes WoR!) and shuts off abruptly, sometimes with a few brief bursts of the noise as it stops. Maybe a "power washer" or some other home-maintenance doohickey? A saw wouldn't run for a half-hour continuous, nor would many other power tools, so it's hard to figure out what it is. Whatever it is, it's not on every day or every weekend... Have you ever asked WWCR about it? 73, (Will Martin, St Louis MO, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not directly, but I think they read DXLD (gh) ** U S A. Re 6-104, WCBS New York delay? The delay makes listening to ball games problematic. Most listeners expect the play-by-play to be in real-time. Instead, the play-by-play is delayed a few seconds (Bill Harms, MD, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Who cares? Unless you are watching same game on TV, listening to radio for sound, as I understand a lot of SBG fans do. But then, with digital processing, satellite feeds, TV audio and video are often out of synch anyway. I cannot see why this is such an insurmountable problem (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1530: WCKY Cincinnati OH flips from progressive talk to "Homer 1530" sports today, swapping formats (but not calls, as had previously been reported) with WSAI 1360 Cincinnati OH (Robert Wien, Broadcasting Info, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) ** U S A. NAB WANTS FM TRANSLATORS FOR AM STATIONS Wednesday, July 19, 2006 The broadcasters` group has asked FCC to permit AM stations to use FM translators to retransmit AM service as a fill-in service, so long as no portion of the FM signal does not expand beyond the AM station`s daytime contour. The NAB argues in its petition that such a move would provide consistent service throughout an AM`s operating contour and since more minorities and women are buying AM stations, would also promote diversity in station ownership. ``Providing service to listeners on AM radio can be difficult,`` says the NAB. ``AM Stations, more than almost all other services, must deal with various technical challenges to deliver a high quality signal to listeners, especially at night.`` Because so many AM stations are limited in their nighttime power, the NAB believes that FM translators could be the way for AM operations to have a more level playing field. ``This is important to AM operators,`` NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton tells R&R. ``We are cautiously optimistic that the FCC will give this a full and thorough review.`` --- Jeffrey Yorke, R&R Washington Bureau Chief, radioandrecords.com (via Brock Whaley DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Temporarily in possession of a 2002 Saturn, presumably with its stock radio, much better for MW DX than my SW caradio where MW is an afterthought, I did some bandscanning from about 15 km N of Enid on US 81, UT July 18, 0045-0130. This was well before LSS, with the bright sun still producing 100+ degree temps. Nevertheless, skywave was already booming in on the high end of the band. Besides logs separately reported under OKLAHOMA, here`s what I noted, in UT time order; reference, NRC AM Log 2005-2006: 0043, KXTR, 1660, classical already skipping in from Kansas City. 0045, XERF, 1570, also in already, must be the Mexican tho not IDed 0048, 1600, had an 884- phone number, KOKE ID (Pflugerville TX, Austin market) 0056, 1420, with a het, Firestone ad for Hot Springs AR (KBHS listed); are they off frequency or is KTJS Hobart OK, the daytime dominator, or some other station? Did not hear het later in evening or next day 0011, 1580, KOKB Blackwell OK had a het, a ``low rumble``. Was the off-frequency 1580 ever identified? 0105, 1600, now dominated by Asian Broadcasting Network, 972-877-1428, DFW, Radio ---- some foreign name, and the promo partly in foreign language. Punjabi, maybe? (KRVA, Cockrell Hill TX) 0106, 1370, had a low het on it; someone else off frequency 0107, 1210, Mexican music, probably KGYN Guymon OK, and with IBOC QRM from WOAI 1200 (per http://topazdesigns.com/iboc/station-list.html IBOC is currently turned off there --- NOT!); also IBOC buzz audible on 1190. And detected on 1220 at 0128. 0108, 1170, KFAQ Tulsa OK had a station in Spanish underneath, intriguing; wish I had a loop. Too early, I think for KJJD in Colorado. Maybe an actual Mexican. 0109, 1110, with IBOC buzz, and less so on 1130, but this points to KMOX 1120 St. Louis as source, and they are on the lists as such. But see 0131 entry below! 0111, 850, Spanish music. Guess it`s KJON Carollton TX, the former KRPT hijacked from Anadarko OK to The Metroplex; or the twice-as-far but also Spanish KEYH in Houston. Still too early for KOA and its IBOC sidebands, tho under ideal daytime condx KOA barely makes it here 0115, 1100, R. Cadena Habana`s wobbler clearly audible beneath a gospel huxter, presumably KKLL Webb City (Joplin MO market); wobbler remained when the latter faded down. Curt Deegan says this coincided with a peak in wobbler output as monitored in SE FL 0131, now the IBOC is on 1100 and 1120, which means it`s coming from KFAB 1110 Omaha. So KFAB interferes with KMOX and vice versa (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) continued under OKLAHOMA [+non] ** U S A. I do very little FM DXing, having burned out on that years ago, especially since most of the stations I would not spend a second listening to for their content --- commercials, non-classical music, far-right talk, and religion! And have allowed my DX antenna to deteriorate, tho I still sometimes feel urges to get a new one plus rotor. Then there is all the time I don`t have, to drop everything when DX openings occur, and there have been far too many of them this summer! And the time I am spending right now compiling this report. And then my computer which I imagine needs to be on most of the time, hashes up the FM band. Furthermore my car radio is not good for MW or FM, but passable for SW. So in temporary possession of a 2002 Saturn, while my old Honda`s AC is being fixed (I hope, for the fifth time recently; temps at least 108F today!), I took the opportunity to do a little FM DXing on its stock (presumably) radio while waiting in a parking lot and enjoying its adequate AC, July 18, all times UT in time order! 1618, 88.1, I could hardly believe my ears, at least 7 straight minutes of COMMERCIALS, fully produced with music, for a string of Hampton, VA businesses, each tagged with ```WHOV thanks XXX for support``. But everything else about the one-minute spots was indistinguishable from paid advertising, which of course is exactly what it was, here in the NCE band. First was Queensway Soul Café, downtown Hampton, http://www.queenswaysoulcafe.com At 1619 mentions Gospel Express Morning Show, then Alpha Center, dance classes. 1620, Mary Helen`s Southern & Creole Cuisine, down-home cooking! 1622, Riverdale(?) Trophies which provided ``platinum support``. 1623, Lady Neptune [sic] Seafood Haven; 1624 yet another commercial, did not catch for what, some fading. 1625 another Gospel Express promo. Those lucky Hamptonians, with a commercial gospel huxter in their FM band!!! FM Atlas XX says this one is only 2000 watts ERP, horizontal only. TG for polarization randomization by the E-layer, as I was using a vertical whip on the rear fender (or whatever Saturns have). I would not have time to scan thru the entire band, so went to the high end, downward: 1629, 104.5, Hampton Roads mentioned in interview, Z-104. This is WNVZ, 50 kW. 1630, since SE VA is close to the mid-point of a double-hop path to Bermuda, decided my time would better be spent on Bermudan frequencies. Something was on 94.9 with C&W, perhaps WPTE Virginia Beach but listed as r rather than k; doubt it was Bermuda. Faded out revealing Wichita Falls, i.e. KOLI (calls from FM Atlas XX, as not always heard announced). A good open frequency here with no Okies nor southern Kansans. 1637, tried another Bermuda frequency, 89.1. Some preacher with an Irish accent, again unlikely Bermuda. This frequency has fringe KS and OK stations normally fighting it out here, as the listed Enid translator has been silent for many months. My record of no double-hop FM is unblemished (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks, Glenn, for the mention of FM Atlas re the power of WHOV *88.1 Hampton VA. It is not a gospel "huxter," but instead I show it as having jazz and soul music (BRVCE ELUING, AMFMTVDX mailing list via DXLD) They admittedly play gospel music, ergo huxter (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. WPR CHANGES DRAW SHEARER'S CRITICISM TOM ALESIA July 17, 2006 http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/entertainment/index.php?ntid=91398&ntpid=1 Veteran satirist Harry Shearer -- best known as the voice of Mr. Burns and other characters on "The Simpsons" -- told a national audience on Sunday that Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) canceled his show because the statewide network's officials "were displeased with the political content" of his liberal-leaning national public radio [sic] series. The program, called "Le Show," has aired on WPR's seven core stations covering virtually all of Wisconsin at 11 p.m. Sundays since September 2000. Madison-based WPR made several programming changes this month, including dropping "Le Show" and inserting BBC World Service on WHA-AM (970). WPR director Phil Corriveau said the decision to drop "Le Show" stemmed from a WPR staff review, which examined every WPR program on a 19-topic checklist, ranging from audience size to production values. "When shows are dropped, producers are understandably upset. Harry Shearer is no exception," Corriveau said. "I think he may have read a bit too much into the political aspect of (our critique), though. Frankly, it was one of the comments that came up in the staff review panel, but it was a small factor." Corriveau said "several" listeners have called to complain. Shearer's comments Sunday were not heard in Madison because WPR stopped airing the show on July 2, but the remarks could be heard online. Defending WPR's decision, Corriveau said of "Le Show": "The quality is inconsistent. Sometimes he's brilliant; sometimes he tends to ramble on and it gets kind of boring." Corriveau said WPR has heard the most complaints about the network's decision to bump classical music from 8 to 9 a.m. weekdays on WERN-FM (88.7) and expand "Morning Edition." Shearer, who co-wrote and co-starred in the acclaimed comedy film "This is Spinal Tap," wrote an e-mail last week to Corriveau, who said WPR will reconsider all its changes this fall. Shearer defended his show's content. "The program is satirical," Shearer wrote, "and satire by definition saves its barbs for those in power." (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) Under these criteria, Wisconsin fans of "Car Talk" should be very, very worried (Tom Roche, GA, ibid.) ** VENEZUELA [and non]. Recibida devolución de un informe de recepción por IPOSTEL, ``Instituto Postal Telegráfico``; el motivo de la devolución es el de estar suspendido el servicio de apartado. El informe fué enviado el 23 de Abríl del 2006 a la siguiente dirección: Apartado 3979, Caracas 1010, Rep. Bolivariana de Venezuela (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia) España, July 18, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) P-mail to that box has been bouncing since at least last year and RNV CI kept announcing it on the air, anyway. Are they still? I remember hearing them give an E-mail address, but not sure about the P-mail the last time I listened a few weeks ago (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTITIED. 5050 kHz. 7/17/06 from about 0910 to 0950 something barely coming thru here. Peaked at 0937-0939 with nice choral music, almost Polynesian-sounding. Both Chinese stations and AIR-Aizawl not sked at this time, and wrong time of day for RTD-Tanzania. Might be kind of off the wall, but could this be ARDS-Humpty Doo, running only listed 400-watts? RRI-Serui puts in a decent signal almost every day on 4605 with listed 1 kW, though when I got nice QSL-letter about 20-years ago from Stn. Mgr. Peter Silubun, including small picture of him, I believe was only 250 or 500 watts. And RRI-Sorong was putting in very nice signal 0928- 0931 with OM reading Kor`an on 4870.9. Was in the clear at this time; as usual het from presumed RRI-Wamena went off about 0900. And this het which comes in every day and can be tuned down in LSB to 4869.9, if indeed is RRI-Wamena, I believe this transmitter was listed as 300- watts. So Humpty Doo might not be out of the question, even here in ECNA. This frequency might be worth watching around this time, especially WCNA. Has anyone in North America actually logged this station, and does anyone out there know what their sked is on this freq. and what languages(s) they broadcast in? Thanx! (Alex Vranes, Jr.-Harpers Ferry, WV; avranesjr @ yahoo.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) ARDS 5050 has been inactive on 5050 AFAIK, or even gave up on SW. Further checks! (Glenn) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Even a crusty old conservative like me can appreciate all the hard work you've done reporting on radio activities over the decades. Thanks for the effort. 73, (Bill Lauterbach -- WA8MEA HamRadioFun.com/DWM Communications, with a PayPal donation) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ MW/FM RADIO STATIONS FOR ROAD TRIP IN US? Is there a good way to find out which radio stations will be receivable for a road trip in the US (actually Canada too)? This is especially needed for traffic and news. http://www.radio-locator.com Allows searching by area. They said that they will have a 'road trip' type tool coming this fall. http://radioroadtrip.com Has a road trip tool -- but it doesn't list what type of radio stations they are. Thanks (Doni Rosenzweig, NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Daniel, In most areas of the US the dial is full of stations to hear. You might not like what you hear but there are lots of stations. The areas without a lot of stations are usually in the more sparsely populated areas of the west. One way to plan ahead is to go to the following website http://www.v-soft.com/zipsignal/zip_answer.asp and plot your route via zip codes. This website uses FCC data to rank the strongest signals. It has no value though for determining programming. Enjoy your trip (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, ibid.) BOOK ABOUT BBC AND COMMERCIAL COMPETITORS FYI: Sean Street (2006) Crossing the Ether: British Public Service Radio and Commercial Competition 1922-1945 (Eastliegh: John Libbey Publishing). The long awaited publication of Sean’s extensive research into pre-war British commercial radio. Comes complete with detailed appendices and a CD Rom. A significant contribution to broadcasting history which tells the hitherto largely untold story of the interplay between Reith`s BBC and the competition from abroad (David Goren, July 18, swprograms via DXLD) MORE INTERESTING QSLS ON EBAY Hi Glenn, Found a couple interesting items from the same seller: This listing is for two QSLs form a SW utility station in 1938 from Hicksville, NY, W2XGB and W2XDH, from Press Wireless, Inc. : http://cgi.ebay.com/USA-QSL-Card-1938-PRESS-WIRELESS-Hicksville-LI-LOT_W0QQitemZ300007650004QQihZ020QQcategoryZ38031QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem This one has some of the early SW broadcasters from Boston, also an experimental TV station from Purdue University, W9XG, which evidently broadcast on 2800 kHz in 1935: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290008810367&ssPageName=MERC_VI_ReBay_Pr12_PcY_BID_Stores_IT Some more radio/TV history I'd love to find out more about there... Thank you! (Eric Loy, Champaign IL, July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ YES, SAH! ``SAH`` had me going for a while too. I think it must be short for sub-audio harmonic, but between acronymfinder.com and acronymattic.com, I got well over 50 possible definitions, of which none was sub-audio harmonic. In the magazine I write for, the (excellent) rule is NO undefined acronyms unless everyone in the readership (electronic engineers) ought to know them (examples: AC, DC, RF). (Dan Strassberg, ibid.) No, sah --- it's Sub-Audible Heterodyne, the pulsating heterodyne between stations, that is, well, sub-audible, being below, often well below, the recognized lowest frequency humans can hear . As to its origins as an abbreviation, that I couldn't say, though I remember it being used in the medium wave clubs in the seventies, when precision frequency measurement (PFM, another acronym of limited scope?) was being investigated by such as this list's own C. Taylor. Possibly "SAH" originated there, and never moved very far beyond? Don't believe I've seen it used elsewhere (Nick Hall-Patch, Victoria, B.C. Canada, ibid.) SAH = subaudible heterodyne = CARRIER BEAT = a frequency way below audible frequencies = 0.0 - 15 Hz or so. The further two r-f frequencies are from each other, the greater the frequency of the heterodyne. If one station on, say 1000 kHz (1,000,000) is 1 Hz away from another, 999.999 kHz (999,999.0) or 1000.001 kHz (1,000,001) the two make a carrier beat of 1 Hz. If one moves, drifts upwards, somewhere around 20 Hz there will be heard a heterodyne. The lowest frequency audible by people is 20 Hz, and that's where the FCC set the frequency tolerance. ITU went one better and set it at 10 Hz. But as a percentage, fewer stations outside NA and central Europe hold that tolerance. Most US & Canadian station run closer than 5 Hz of exact center. An offset of 10 Hz will cause a "gurgle" in the modulation of the two stations. I believe Glenn Hauser thunk up SAH. Glenn, if you see this, stand up and admit your perfidy! Perfesser Chuck (Charlie Taylor, NC, IRCA via DXLD) ``As for the synchronicity of "synchros," with continued improvement in the stability of quartz-crystal frequency standards, I think very few MW stations with "synchro" transmitters do anything more than select closely matched crystals for their transmitters.`` Dan, You simply must know that 99.9% of AM transmitters have a frequency trimmer associated with the crystal. Perfesser Chuck (Charles Taylor, ibid.) It was Gordon P. Nelson, in about 1965 when he published his paper in DX News which described sampling the AGC voltage, buffering it, and driving a DC-coupled oscilloscope to look for evidence of low frequency beats in the AGC voltage (too weak to register on the S- meter). This technique provided evidence of the presence of weak secondary signals behind a strong dominant signal, that was inaudible to the ear. He developed this primarily to hunt for weaker European signals, and by use of the precision freq measurements from the European Broadcast Union monitoring stations, which were published monthly, the carrier offsets (which were derived from comparison to known signals) gve a good indication of the identity, though not absolute, of the interfering signals. The technique involved looking for the tell-tale SAH on some Euro channels that looked promising and then waiting for a possible fade-up to audibility, and not wasting time on frequencies with poor prospects. The ultimate goal was always to recover identifiable audio, this was just a way to make the odds better of doing so. Back in that day it was common to find signals several tens of Hz off of the nominal channel, and this measurement technique had a lot pf practical validity. Today, with greater frequency stability and accuracy of European transmitters, and (I believe) the lack of such EBU data nowadays, this is only academic interest. Some DXers squawked about this, as some DXers will do, but in his defense, GPN never intended for this to be a way to "log new stations" under conditions others could not duplicate, giving a potential unfair advantage. His interest was in the technology of the process, not in filling logbooks. There was nothing particularly earth-shattering about the technology; it was just that no one had ever applied it to MW DXing before. There are still several here on this list who have been around long enough to have been to the famous Watertown, MA shack and seen the process in operation. In that day, it was truly state of the art DXing. One of his favorite demos was to hear the weak 640 day signal from carrier current WTBS ("witty-bus") (before Ted Turner bought those calls for his Atlanta TV) at MIT, a few miles away, and show it beating with the even weaker CBN from Nfld., turning the loop, and looking at the (I'm guessing) 10 Hz beat on the scope, and seeing it vary with the loop. This was mid-day. Gordon's paper was never published outside of NRC AFAIK, and so there are probably many DXers, who have not been associated with NRC, who don't know any of the history. Gordon was also first* to develop methodology of using fast fourier- transform analysis of the DC waveform of the recovered AGC voltage created by the presence of multiple carriers, to count and sort the carriers. Today there are several software programs that do this easily, back then it was a lot more complicated. *first to detail it in a non-classified forum such as the DX press, though I believe he never went beyond describing it in very general terms, and I don't remember how much success he had, as it involved sampling a lot of data points at home and then taking them to the lab where the mainframe was, to process the data. 73, "professor Bob" (huh?) sent 1200 edt (Robert L. Foxworth, Tampa FL, July 15, ibid.) Bob Foxworth's account of Gordon Nelson's work was absolutely right on. Sub-Audible Heterodyne was what the acronymn stood for, and Nelson's second most important strength, to back up the research into then-new techniques that he did, was that he shared his information with others so his results could be duplicated by others less technically endowed than he. Another important element was that when he heard something that might have been a new station, he reported specifically what he heard and the evidence he offered to support his belief. I recall how hard he chased after "Radio Mendez, the 10 kW Bolivian on 680 that was available to me in Houston and Larry Godwin in Boulder during a 20- minute break on Monday morning after KNBC signed off and before WAPA signed on. In Colorado and Texas, we had no QRM from the Boston station (WNAC back then -- 1966, because of its directional pattern, and Mendez was in the clear. I had moved to Watertown, just a few blocks west of Nelson's apartment at 19 Irma Avenue, and early in 1967, he found a Monday morning when WNAC was silent, made a tape of the unmistakable Aymara music sound, and I was able to confirm absolutely what he had heard. By the way, I should give credit to Larry Godwin --- he was the first to discover the Bolivian. He beat me to it by one week, but we both got good, detailed letter veries before the deluge to the station came on. The way I measure the true ace DX'er is based upon 1) the ability to find and identify new or rarely heard stations; 2) immediately reporting their findings so other DX'ers can tune in. Nelson was the premier. Godwin was good, too. He rediscovered summer Southern Hemisphere DX in 1958, back when most of us were turning off our radios because of summer static. I think he and I were the first DX'ers to hear JBC-700 when it came on the air in 1958, among others, but Larry was able to spend more time at the dials than I, so he was first on a lot of stations. Mark Connelly on the East Coast, Pat Martin on the West Coast and all the fellows who participate in the DXpeditions in Newfoundland, Massachusetts and the Puget Sound follow in the Nelson/Godwin footsteps. I've never met Mark and I'm sorry I'll still be on the way home from China when the Seaside convention is on --- but I was fortunate to know Godwin and Nelson back in their heyday. Not to mention Bob Foxworth, who has never, in the nearly 50 years I've known him, has written a thing with which I would disagree. And there's Ben Daingerfield in Pennsylvania who is Mr. Steady, Mr. Reliable, when it comes to TA openings. He and Connelly keep us alert today. That frequency measurement back in the '60s was not quite so easy as it is today. There were a few DX'ers -- Nelson among them -- who made use of an electronic frequency measurement machine that got to the nearest cycle --- I recall its designation (correct me, Bob, if I'm wrong) was the BC-221. Several of us were in the room at 19 Irma Ave. --- I think maybe it was an evening during one of Foxy's visits to Watertown --- when Gordon demonstrated both the frequency measurement capabilities of the BC-221, the directionality of the Altazimuth Loop and the signal slicing capabilities of the three mechanical filters he'd installed on his receiver. There was a Colombian less than 100 Hz away from WWVA-1170, and Nelson was able to bring each signal to clear, near QRM-free readability. Maybe not that big a deal today, but in 1967, it was remarkable. He taught a lot of people how to do it (John Callarman, Krum, Texas, ibid.) Yes, it was indeed the BC-221 --- unless my memory is totally out of sync. This was a low frequency linear-tuning oscillator in a case roughly the size of a soccer ball. It used a precision vernier tuning knob with a very accurate vernier scale readout. A legacy of the engineering effort carried forth during WW II. This device was meant to be linear but in practice they could never be made that precisely, so the BC221 came with a little booklet, built into the case lid cover, that showed the slight tuning variations and imperfections. It was used as a transfer oscillator; you could tune the 221 to zero-beat the unknown signal, then by reading the tuning knob scale and applying the correction factor from the chart book, get a good idea of the real frequency. Naturally each such booklet was custom-created for that particular device, using a reference whose type I don't know. I honestly don't remember how accurately they could be trusted, but 1 Hz seems reasonable. I remember seeing these being offered for sale without the chart books; no one wanted those. Today it would not matter as you could use a digital counter to read the frequency. Again, with so few true off-frequency signals on MW, this also is technology of just historical interest. And you can also now build a direct synthesis oscillator, with better resolution, stability, and accuracy, with no moving parts, no hard to replace tubes, and smaller size. I never had one but I did use a Palomar oscillator/divider made of TTL circuitry, using a 100 kHz xtal (the type that the HQ-series rcvrs used in their calibrators). This one let you select the divide interval as small as 5 kHz, so by passing the output through attenuators and coupling into the RX ant input, I could generate a local signal at any xxx5 frequency, peak the receiver on it, then switch off the calibrator and wait for the real station on that xxx5 frequency to start fading in. Back then there were a few dozen such "splits" to do this with, most of them in CA/LA Caribbean. Only 535, 555 and 895 remain (Bob Foxworth, Tampa FL, ibid.) GPN was an absolute pit bull when it came to some new opportunity. Remember when he got WBZ to read poetry at 0530 on Sunday mornings, so China-1040 could be heard without WBZ splash. Oh yes, Méndez will for me be one of those that "got away". I have a recollection of being able to listen one morning and hearing what I think was their distinctive music coming through some interference, but I never had any kind of definite log. I think back then was when I was starting out at WCBS and there was a conflict with the times that Messr. Paley and Stanton thought I should be turning knobs on an audio mixer board, not a receiver. Back then, the way we learned of these new catches was by waiting for printed bulletins to arrive, if we didn't telephone each other. The news could be a couple of weeks old. Yes, LBG discovered the mid-summer (in NAm) effect that let CB76 Santiago, Chile (on 760) for one, be heard in California at sunrise, with WJR, etc., long into daylight. This was way before KFMB, etc., of course. The reverse condition today would let Easter Island be heard on the East Coast at local June sunset. The one missing ingredient is a 50 kW MW station on Easter island. That may not happen any time soon... First DXer to win the Powerball has to promise to build one there for us (John Callarman, Krum, Texas, ibid.) I treasure these reminisces, John. Take care, and safe journey, (Bob Foxworth, ibid.) The US military had several different types of frequency meters. The Navy had an LM-xx series of similar units. I had an LM-14 that I bought in the mid 70s for about $25. It operated like the BC-221 but the packaging was different - the booklet was stored in a little slot at the bottom and it had shock mounts for ship/aircraft use. I generally ignored the booklet and instead used my frequency counter to find out the frequency (Bruce Portzer, WA, ibid.) Catching up on a pile o`posts... As later outpointed, the term SAH was not my invention, but the phrase ``Yes, SAH!`` probably was, as I wrote a less technical article under that title. I am still measuring SAHs frequently on SW, where there are usually only two signals to contend with, but hardly anyone else does. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Pile of old posts=(?) What is your measuring equipment, Glenn? PFM techniques are just right for SW, since III-W countries often use transmitters whose frequencies goes uncorrected for long periods. (Charles Taylor, ibid.) I have accurately measured an SAH to 0.022 Hz or once every 45 seconds. On 560 a couple of years ago I caught two stations beating against each other at regular 45 second intervals and have a graphical representation of it. If anyone is interested I will try to locate the file (Bill Harms, July 18, IRCA via DXLD) PARAN ANTENNAS Dan, information on the Paran antenna is indeed rare. There are some photos of the KAPS Paran antenna on my AM-DXer web site (see link below). Note that the FCC lists this array as DA-2, not ND. However, the field plot appears to show it as non-directional. I suspect that the DA-2 designation is an anomaly caused by the fact that there are 4 towers involved. Possibly either the FCC computer, or the person entering the data, presumed that 4 towers must be a directional array. I don't think the Paran antenna has much to do with the NIMBY situation. Although the towers are relatively short for a 660 array, as you will see from my KAPS photos, there is still plenty of steel in the sky. I think the Paran had more to do with the reduction of low angle sky-wave radiation resulting in an "anti-skip" antenna. In the case of KAPS I have been told that they were originally trying to create a degree of protection to a station in Calgary while still providing a non-directional pattern in their primary coverage area. If my understanding of the Paran is correct, I picture the night-time characteristics as being similar to that of the Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) antenna used mostly by the military for medium range HF operations. In NVIS the antenna is horizontally polarized and located a relatively small percentage of the wavelength above the ground. The skywave portion of the radiated signal goes almost straight up. Since it strikes the ionosphere at a near vertical angle it is mostly reflected straight back down. If you could visualize the reflection from the ionosphere it would look something like an umbrella. This provides good short to medium range coverage but reduced long range coverage. I don't know the current status of KIPA but the data for the 3-site synchro system is still in the FCC database. The FCC lists the primary site as Hilo with 5 kw and a standard antenna. It lists the synchro at Kalaoa with 10 kw and a Paran antenna with 4 towers. And it lists the synchro at Naalehu as 5 kw with a Paran antenna but only 1 tower with top-loading. Here's a thought. A lot of AM stations use top-loading to increase the electrical length of the antenna without increasing the physical height. Many use part of the top set of guy wires as the top loading element. For many years Rockwell-Collins has produced an HF NVIS antenna called the orthogonal antenna. It consists of 2 crossed sloping dipoles connected to each other at the elevated center feed point. The outer end of each dipole slopes down to the ground and also serves as a guy wire to support the antenna. The center support is actually the feedline and the RF is coupled to the antenna at the base of the center support. It looks very much like a miniature version of a top- loaded AM tower. I wonder if they were trying to accomplish a MW variant of that design with the KIPA Naalehu synchro antenna? That might explain why the FCC calls it a Paran but it only has 1 top loaded tower (Patrick Griffith, Westminster CO http://community.webtv.net/N0NNK/ http://community.webtv.net/AM-DXer/ July 14, IRCA via DXLD) Both of the Parans that I know anything about have stated horizontal- plane efficiencies of 281.7 mV/m/kW at 1 km. That efficiency is (probably NOT accidentally) the minimum for Class B and D AMs. This odd coincidence suggests that the consulting engineers didn't do detailed proofs of performance but instead relied on published data for Parans -- most likely the data the FCC used to generically certify Parans for use at nondirectional AMs. (When normalized for wavelength, the physical dimensions of the two Parans I know of are not the same, though they are close.) Anyhow, it may be naïve to assume that vertical-radiation patterns achieved through top loading (and any other mystical properties of the Paran design) are the same as those of a standard series-fed vertical radiator having the same horizontal- plane efficiency (that is, a tower approximately 54-degrees high with a "standard" ground system of 120 90-degree radials). The only ways I know of to determine the vertical patterns are a) simulation, b) measurements on a small-scale physical model operating at a much higher frequency, or c) measurements on the real thing made by taking an FIM up in a helicopter (!) But remember if that if the horizontal efficiencies are equal, it does not seem logical that the vertical radiation patterns should differ much. Assuming equal loop resistance, I believe that the integration of the radiated energy over a hemisphere has to come out the same if the power is the same. Although a standard 54-degree stick has no high-angle lobe in its vertical pattern, its skywave performance is not wonderful. High-angle lobes don't develop until the tower height exceeds 180 degrees. They become quite troublesome above about 215 degrees, at which point the station becomes subject to close-in "phasing" under sky-wave conditions because the skywave intermittently cancels the groundwave even in areas of relatively high groundwave field intensity. Nevertheless, the skywave performance of a series-fed 54-degree stick is inferior to that of an otherwise similar 80-or 90- degree stick. I find it hard to imagine how the Paran's vertical pattern could improve a lot on the 54-degree situation and still maintain an efficiency of just 281.7 mV/m/kW at 1 km (Dan Strassberg, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see CANADA; NEW ZEALAND ++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC [see also logs under OKLAHOMA, U S A] Have you read any article on how IBOC is modulated? If not, look at http://topazdesigns.com/iboc I am this time writing an article about IBOC. As for Ibiquity, I have read that radiostations pay an annual fee to Ibiquity! The equipment (hardware, antennas)cost about USD 100000 --- $100,000 for the IBOC equipment including the antennas (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ MEDIUMWAVE DX PATTERNS ON THE OREGON COAST Here on the North Coast, the Fall Equinox Season starts in here in mid to late August when the conditions improve quite sharply for TPs. They last until about the end of October. There is a slight peak sometimes in the Spring (March-April), but not nearly as good. The Fall has always been the best by far. The Fall is normally when I hear the Filipinos, Malaysia, India, etc. By December-January I get into a "dead period", where DX kind of dies off towards Asia, and then can pick back up a bit Feb-March. I still get TP DX, but not nearly as good. For DU DX, back in the late 70s to mid 80s, they were all over the dial morning after morning throughout the whole year for a number of years. Then by the mid 80s, the DUs seemed have died off a lot. Not nearly as strong. I remember when I started doing DXWW-W in November 1980, I would sit at the typewriter and type the column every week listening to "4MK's weekly top 30 Countdown" (4MK 1026 kHz 5 KW MacKay, Q, Australia). It was common for them to be S9+20DB, armchair copy. Every 9 kHz was an Aussie or Zedder. I thought it would last forever. Of course with DX conditions, nothing does. But it was nice while it lasted. Bu the peak for TPs was still in the Fall. With DUs in every morning year around and TPs good in the Fall, if I missed a morning, I really felt I missed something good too. Some years are better than others. The past few years, TP cx have not been as good as in previous years I don't feel. The number of mornings with filipinos have been a lot less. So it does vary from year to year. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, July 18, IRCA via DXLD) Patrick and Bill have given a very good snapshot of year by year conditions. Bruce Portzer also did a good article some years ago based on loggings that clearly showed the sluggish DX returns in mid-winter for Asiatics and Down Unders (IRCA reprint T054; what you don't have the CD of IRCA reprints? contact Lee right away...) Years of low sunspot number, like right now, are most likely to deliver good high latitude conditions, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Asiatic big guns start showing in the Pacific Northwest in the next few weeks if we can drag ourselves out of bed for sunrise. There are carriers there already for the short period that we have a darkness path. In high sunspot years, the first high latitude receptions seem to occur later in September, with receptions of Australia being more common in late August/early September. And although low A-indices are not necessarily an indicator for good high latitude conditions, especially in midwinter, they do give a hint of good conditions in the fall and spring. When a geomagnetic storm kicks in, check for stations from the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia, especially as the storm gets underway. Unfortunately, as Patrick mentioned, down under signals ain't what they used to be, and South Americans are very hard to find, though that lack is at least partly due to more domestic interference (remember the loggings of Argentina on 1620 before Atmore, AL signed on and wiped them out with its mighty 1 kw?) Good luck this season. (Nick Hall-Patch, Victoria, B.C., Canada, ibid.) AMAZING MULTIHOP ES Jeff K., do I recall properly the previous distance record for trans- Atlantic 50 MHz Es was N5JHV in New Mexico? (Doug Smith, WTFDA via DXLD) I wouldn't be surprised if N5JHV holds the Es record, but here's info on 50 MHz Es records from W3ZZ, the person who keeps 50 MHz records at ARRL: Because it is so difficult to tell precisely what type of propagation or mixed propagation modes get a signal from point A to point B on 6 meters, there are no distance records on 6 meters. They start on 2. There is a six meter firsts page that shows who worked each country first on 6 meters from the U.S. at http://www.arrl.org/qst/worldabove/6mfirsts.html To answer your specific question and illustrate the point, the contacts from the recent JA opening east of the Mississippi exceeded 10,000 km. Those were likely Es but may have involved cloud to cloud transmissions so the exact mechanism cannot be guaranteed. Some think Auroral E was involved but for various reasons I don't agree with that. In the other direction there have been some non-East coast contacts with 4X [Israel] this summer. They are in the same order of magnitude as the US FL - JA contacts. The absolute longest Es contacts are likely gray line Q's from South America to JA/Asia. Don't know how long these are but they are sometimes long path and thus are surely longer than any contacts from the US. 73 Gene W3ZZ (via Jeff Kadet, IL, WTFDA via DXLD) FASCINATING FM/TV DX SITE / 500 SKIP RECEPTIONS IN ONE DAY IN SPAIN I happened to stumble onto this site from the Wikipedia TV/FM DX article: http://www.fmdx.altervista.org/ It's from Italy and in Italian, but those who understand Spanish should not have too much trouble with it, and even then a Babelfish link is provided for translation. Plus, anybody can read logs and bandscans. The site seems to be updated daily, is huge, and contains dozens upon dozens of "bandscans" for various cities in Italy and Europe. One thing that really caught my eye was the blog item for 07-12-06, titled "500 ascolti e-sporadico in un giorno" (500 E-Skip loggings in one day). Apparently, a listener in the southern fringe of Andalusia made 500 loggings on July 12th, 400 of the from Italy, with nothing more than a **DEGEN 1103** portable modified with 80 / 110 kHz filters and a radio to read PI codes! (This message courtesy of Jacob Norlund Ham Radio ---- KC?LTV Latitude ---- 46.8N Grid Square -- EN36US Longitude --- 92.3W TV and FM DX from Northern Minnesota Interweb site under Construction at http://www.geocities.com/tvdxer WTFDA via DXLD) Below is the email related to the *listener* you mention, taken from Skywaves and the Europe FM dxlist (Jim Thomas - wdx0fbu Milliken, CO - 40 mi N of Denver, ibid.) Viz.: Hi all, very good conditions this year in Andalusia. From 2 to 14 July opening from Italy every day. In Tarifa, to the extreme south, only with the Degen 1103 (1x110 and 1x80 kHz filters) and a Sangean ATS 909 (2x110 filters, PI code) I listened more 1200 radio (difficult to know it, there it was always to listen to, time to count the listening there is not). Exceptional day July 12: almost 500 repeaters, more 400 Italians. Tropo opening from Canarias the 6 and 7 July (more 50 stations from various islands). Next days the details, and the bandscan from Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Tarifa (Fabrizio Carnevalini, fmdxITALY group http://www.fmdx.altervista.org via Jim Thomas, ibid.) The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to active levels at middle latitudes, while quiet to minor storm levels were observed at high latitudes. Solar wind speed ranged from a low of around 320 km/s early on 11 July to a high of near 550 km/s late on 12 July. The period began with wind speed around 420 km/s with the IMF Bz rotating from approximately +3 nT to -5 nT as the effects of a glancing blow from the 06 July CME were still geoeffective. As a result, quiet to active periods were observed at middle latitudes with quiet to minor storm periods at high latitudes. Approximately midday on 11 July, a coronal hole high speed stream moved into geoeffective position. By late on 11 July, the IMF Bz oscillated between +/- 10 nT and solar wind speed began a slow rise to near 550 km/s by late on the 12th. The geomagnetic field responded with unsettled to minor storm conditions at high latitudes midday on 12 July with only several unsettled periods observed at middle latitudes. By midday on 13 July, solar wind speed began a gradual decline and the IMF Bz became quiet, not varying much beyond +/- 2 nT. These conditions persisted through midday on 14 July when the IMF Bz showed southward excursions to -10 nT due to effects from a solar sector boundary crossing. As a result, the geomagnetic field became unsettled to active at middle latitudes with minor storming at high latitudes on 14 July. By 15 July, the IMF Bz relaxed to not vary much beyond +/- 3 nT and the geomagnetic field became mostly quiet at all latitudes. The period ended with the wind speed around 375 km/s. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 19 JULY - 14 AUGUST 2006 Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 19 July and again on 02 – 05 August. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet to unsettled for the majority of the forecast period. Recurrent coronal hole high speed wind streams are expected to rotate into geoeffective positions on 25 – 26 July, and again on 31 July – 01 August. Active to minor storm periods are possible on 31 July – 01 August while unsettled to active periods are possible on 25 – 26 July and again on 07 – 08 August. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2006 Jul 18 2224 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2006 Jul 18 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2006 Jul 19 70 5 2 2006 Jul 20 70 5 2 2006 Jul 21 70 5 2 2006 Jul 22 70 5 2 2006 Jul 23 70 5 2 2006 Jul 24 75 5 2 2006 Jul 25 75 15 3 2006 Jul 26 75 12 3 2006 Jul 27 75 10 3 2006 Jul 28 75 8 3 2006 Jul 29 75 5 2 2006 Jul 30 75 8 3 2006 Jul 31 75 15 3 2006 Aug 01 75 20 4 2006 Aug 02 75 10 3 2006 Aug 03 75 8 3 2006 Aug 04 75 5 2 2006 Aug 05 75 5 2 2006 Aug 06 70 10 3 2006 Aug 07 70 12 3 2006 Aug 08 70 12 3 2006 Aug 09 70 8 3 2006 Aug 10 70 15 3 2006 Aug 11 70 8 3 2006 Aug 12 70 5 2 2006 Aug 13 70 5 2 2006 Aug 14 70 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1322, DXLD) ###