DX LISTENING DIGEST 7-048, April 22, 2007 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 2007 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html For restrixions and searchable 2006 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid6.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1355: Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] [WOR also appears at flexible times on WRMI 9955 M-F between 0500 and 0900, 1000 and 1200] WORLD OF RADIO, CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL SCHEDULE: Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: 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 WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS VIA WRN NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL] http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org ** ABKHAZIA. Re DXLD 7-047, ``RUSSIA. ABKHAZIA/GEORGIA/RUSSIA: The transmitters on 9495 and 9535 kHz (why not and MW 1350 kHz?) for me are located in Russia (there are several indications in the past decade for it). (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, April 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` The indications point into another direction: a) the presently used technical infrastructure in Soxum existed already in Soviet times: the 30 kW MW transmitter on 1350 kHz carried Georgian Radio 1 & programming from a local studio. The 5 kW SW transmitter(s) were part of a typical local groundwave jamming station in Soxum. b) Already in 1996, the station itself (in the person of Deputy General Director Yury Kutarba) confirmed the transmitter site for 1350 and SW as Soxum (Sukhum) in a QSL-letter, see http://www.schoechi.de/cl-geo.html (note the reference to two SW frequencies already then) "Radio of the Republic of Abkhazia comes out in the middle waves on frequency 1350 kHz, in range of 222.2 m., and also on short waves on frequency 9495 kHz and 9508 kHz in range of 31 m. Antenna height of middle waves transmitter, 106 m. above sea level. Antenna height of SW transmitter, 68 m. above sea level. [...] -We inform you that SW transmitter on frequency 9495 kHz. [which was indicated in the reception report] is in Abkhazia, in her capital-- Sukhum. QSL-cards contain the station stamp, and - transmitter power-- 5 kW." c) Later, Radio Sochi in another letter officially denied that it is involved in relays of its transmissions on 1350 & SW. d) All stations in Russia must have proper licenses (as a broadcasting media and technical licenses), no matter if private or state-run. All Russian broadcasting licenses are public. There are no records for such a station in Russia. e) There is no technical reason to operate such a station on a foreign territory outside of Abkhazia, nor is there a political one. This is a state service of the administration in Abkhazia which will do everything to provide a satisfactory broadcasting infrastructure on its own territory, in order to demonstrate its sovereignty. As for the "relay mix": you have two or three choices to fill the airtime outside of own programs: by going off the air, by nonstop music, or by relaying other stations. Apsua Radio chooses to provide its listeners with news and entertainment from neighbouring Russia (to which it feels closely related) by relaying Russian stations. Re "Radio Relax", this is probably "Max FM" from Sochi on 107.4 MHz, well audible along the Abkhazian coast (Bernd Trutenau, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. 7355, KNLS, 0909-0920+ April 21. Noted a male in religious discourse in Russian language. At 0917, notice a slight improvement of the signal quality. I checked the grayline position and saw that it was just approaching north of Alaska. At 0921, music with English lyrics. Signal began to degrade by 0927 as the band seemed to change (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. Heard LRA 36, 15476, last Monday, April 16, 2045 with usual weak signal, better on SSB, while playing something like folk pop Argentinian vocalist Diego Torres around 2045. Hard to get it on regular AM due to noise floor. 73s. Raúl Saavedra. Costa Rica, April 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) LRA36 zeersterk op 15476 kHz vanaf 1900 UT April 18 Gr (Maurits van Driessche, Belgium, BDX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. RA is still abruptly cutting off a 5-minute `Perspective` commentary in the middle of it at 1358* Thursdays on 9580, as monitored April 19. One must quickly retune to weaker // 9590 for the rest of it; no sign-off, no apology, no retune advice given (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA / MALAYSIA. From: http://abc.net.au/corp/pubs/media/s1867926.htm posted March 9, 2007: Radio Australia is to sign an arrangement with the Malaysian National Broadcaster (RTM) providing a regular live radio link-up. The live link-up between Radio Australia's uniquely styled morning program "Breakfast Club", hosted by Phil Kafcaloudes and co-host Adelaine Ng, and Traxx FM's, "The Wake Up Show" will be broadcast on a regular basis. Under the arrangement, audiences in Kuala Lumpur will hear this regular segment of the two programs interacting as one program. The broadcast will showcase a taste of Malaysian style and radio available through Radio Australia's English network across Asia and the Pacific. At the same time Traxx FM's Malaysian audiences will be provided with a distinctly Australian flavour and perspective. Head of Radio Australia, Jean-Gabriel Manguy says, "Having a slice of Australian radio available live on a highly regarded and popular Malaysian radio network is a landmark arrangement for Radio Australia, as it allows local audiences with access to Radio Australia via their normal radio listening habits, in their homes, cars and offices." According to Mr Manguy, the deal marks a significant development in relations with Malaysia's public broadcaster. He says it builds on a similar arrangements RA has with RRI in Indonesia and with Radio 938Live in Singapore. From: http://besonline.rtm.net.my/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=74875 The half an hour slot will go on air at 8.20 every Friday morning [0020 UT]. (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I thought J-G Manguy had stepped down as head of RA (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. I've been monitoring 12080 kHz for the last week and have not seen any signs of DRM transmissions. However, even the AM signals from Radio Australia on 12080 kHz are very weak at my location, and in our evenings there is an extremely strong signal from V. of Mongolia on 12085 kHz that would swamp any weak DRM on 12080. 5995 kHz is still switching to DRM at 1200 UT today. Aussie DXers on the MWOZ list have reported DRM on mediumwave 1431 & 1701 kHz this evening, but I cannot hear any signs of those signals here at my NZ location. 73 (Chris Mackerell, NZ, April 22, HCDX via DXLD) Radio Australia DRM 5995 kHz --- Earlier in the week, Nigel Holmes at RA told me that 5995 kHz uses DRM 1200-1400 UT on 010 deg to PNG and 12080 is DRM 1100-1200 UT on 080 deg (into SW Pacific). Both from transmitters at Brandon. Nominal power is 8 kW but did want to run as low as 2-3kW. The relatively low power (and the beam headings) might explain the poor results. I can't get anything useful on 12080, and 5995 only produces occasional snatches of audio. The high bitrate (23.54 kbps) no doubt doesn't help. Nothing here on 1431 or 1701 either (central west of New South Wales). Can't even hear DRM hash on 1431; 1701 seems to register something in Dream periodically, but not enough for any on-screen information & definitely no audio yet. Regards, (Craig Seager, Bathurst (Icom R75, Dream software), April 22, HCDX via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. 11955, 2100-2130* Sunday 15-04, AWR, Ghana, via Moosbrunn English ID, talk about young people, hymns, good advices, ID: "You are listening to Adventist World Radio, Ghana", magazine, closing announcement. No Wavescan that evening! 45444 AP-DNK (Anker Petersen, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4409.81, Radio Eco, Reyes, 0140-0155+, April 20, Spanish ballads, Bolivian music. Spanish announcements. Weak (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 3375.01, Radio Educadora, Guajara Mirim, *0901-0955+, April 22, Sign on with ID announcements & into continuous Portuguese ballads. Fair to good (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. 9900, Radio Varna, *2050-2110+, April 22, Abruptly on with local pop music, ballads. 2054 canned ID. 2100 time pips & National Anthem followed by news in presumed Bulgarian. 2107 ID and into local pop music. Strong. Very good. Sundays only (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 6009.92, Radio Sweden via Sackville, 0245, April 22, English programming. Noted still slightly off frequency. First noticed on March 31 on 6009.96. Has since slipped down a little further. Very good signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. While waiting for my spot and during C2CAM program breaks last night, 0700-0930 UTC 4/19, I monitored 7335 kHz per Glenn Hauser's DXLD tip to see how WHRI was impacting CHU. WHRI dominated the frequency each time I checked, and if WHRI was carrying music, CHU was obliterated. I wonder how this affects Canadian users of CHU; I suspect listeners in the western provinces may no longer be able to hear CHU at all on 7335 during this time period. But during WHRI talk, the CHU time pips could be clearly heard in the background, which made for some Dada-esque listening: "The coming rapture [peep!] will whisk away [peep!] the Godly [peep!] and leave sinners [peep!] to suffer [peep!] seven years [peep!] of torment [peep!]. . . " It was like a mash-up of Jerry Falwell and Kraftwerk, and enjoyable in an odd sort of way. ---------- (Harry Helms W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19 http://topsecrettourism.com April 19, ABDX via DXLD) ** CANADA. CFFX-960 Kingston ON has applied to the CRTC to move to FM (104.3 MHz, 4kW, 247.9 metres): http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Hearings/2007/n2007-6.htm#4 CKLC-1380 Kingston ON has also applied to the CRTC to move to FM (98.9 MHz, 8.7 kW, 132.2 metres): http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Hearings/2007/n2007-6.htm#6 CFWB-1490 Campbell River BC has applied to the CRTC to move to FM (106.1 MHz, 663 watts, 409 metres): http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Hearings/2007/n2007-6.htm#10 73, (via Deane McIntyre VE6BPO, April 20, DXLD) ** CHINA. 9200, Firedrake, 1135 on April 20, noted that the music jamming has returned here after being off for several weeks, // 10300, both good (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) China is again jamming 18160 kHz (17 m ham band) with its well known nonstop music "program". 1330 UT. 73 (Harald Kuhl, Germany, April 22, HCDX via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. Question about Chinese jamming Since China is jamming many many stations which broadcast in Chinese dialects (VOA, RFA, BBC...), I was wondering does anybody know which broadcasts in Chinese are NOT jammed by China? I know for sure VOR and P`yongyang are not jammed. Best regards & many 73s! (Dragan Lekic from Subotica, SERBIA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I'd like to start the list --- RFI, Deutsche Welle, Radio Australia, Radio Singapore International (Yogesh, China, ibid.) Yes - there are many. Perhaps the principal ones (in alphabetical order) are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Russia. And the religious broadcasters in Mandarin-Chinese are apparently not disturbed (Noel R. Green (NW England), ibid.) ** CROATIA. Hi Glenn, Re DXLD 7-046: ``Is German really on HR1 (Prvi program), too?`` No. I checked it on Apr. 18th with the FM frequencies of HR. The German programme is only on Glas Hrvatske on short- and mediumwave. The DRM frequency 594 kHz should be added to the A07 schedule. It´s on air 0600-1400 UT with Glas Hrvatske programming. 73, (Patrick Robic, Austria, April 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The Croatian transmitter operator OIV confirmed that the 100 kW SW transmitter in its transmitting centre at Deanovec is now transmitting Glas Hrvatske instead of HR1. The schedule is 1200-0800 on 6165 and 0800-1200 on 9830 kHz (Bernd Trutenau, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA [and non]. (via Germany), 9925, Croatian Radio-Voice of Croatia, 0200-0215, April 20, English broadcast with IDs & "Croatia Today" news program. Light music at 0215. Good. Listed // 6165 not heard due to a strong Radio Nederland-Bonaire {make that Sines} on 6165 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) La Voz de Croacia, 0230 Español, 9925 SINPO 54554, Jueves 18 Abril. Comentario: Si no fuera por un casi imperceptible desvanecimiento, su señal se definiría como ¡local en Tiquicia! // 6165 imposible, RNW Español desde Sines no le da la mínima opción. LV de Croacia 9925 representa actualmente, una de las señales más nítidas desde Europa Central (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) CROACIA, 6165 Voz de Croacia, 2230-2240, escuchada el 20 de abril en español, fuertemente interferida por CRI en 6175 en portugués, sin emisión en 9925, SINPO 33353 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Bueno, José Miguel, te fallaron en ese horario de las 2230. Por si las moscas, acabo de chequear hacia las 0242z, 21 Abril, y ahí estaban en 9925, fuerte y claro. Mañana será otro día; esperemos que no se repita. 73s (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) Quizás problemas con la transmisión?? Veremos hoy lo que ocurre, la cosa es que me extraño mucho. 73 (José Miguel Romero, ibid.) ** CYPRUS. TCI (antenna supplier) reports that recent off-air times of BBC 1323 at Zyggi (Cyprus) have been due to construction activities for new HF antennas. MF array creates large currents making crane operation unsafe, so has been off air during daytime and possibly other hours irregularly recently. Announcements on air of this situation may not have been monitored by DX'ers (Benjamin Dawson, In attendance at NAB Convention Las Vegas Wednesday 2130 PDT April 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 5009.79, Radio Pueblo, Santo Domingo, 2350- 0001*, April 20-21, Presumed with Spanish talk. Could not catch an ID. Poor, weak in noise. Radio Pueblo heard here on this exact frequency back in March with a 0001 sign off (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. HCJB DRM test from Ecuador on 15680 kHz 2209 (April 19, 2007) - 0037 (April 20, 2007) UT. Only able to decode bits and pieces (sounds like a Dave Clark 5 song :) ) Heard music and HCJB DRM ID. Overall useless. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, VA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But not useless in Washington state, as in 7-047. You are probably pretty far off-azimuth, which HCJB does not reveal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DRM - Radio Mondial Digital - Testsendung für Europa von Radio HCJB Hi, may be of interest? DRM tests in German from Radio HCJB Date: 30. April-26. May 2007 Time: 0400-0630 UT QRG: 9870 kHz QSL-address: DRM @ hcjb.org.ec 73, Paul Gager/Austria, HCDX via DXLD) Viz.: From: "Iris Rauscher" irausche @ hcjb.org.ec Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 7:48 PM Subject: DRM - Radio Mondial Digital - Testsendnung für Europa von Radio HCJB Liebe DX - und HCJB Freunde! Zukunftsmusik! Ab dem 30. April bis 26. Mai 07 werden wir Testsendungen in DRM nach Europa senden. DRM - Digital Radio Mondial. Start: 0400 UT bis 0630 UT auf der Frequenz 9870 kHz. In diesen 2 1/2 Stunden hören Sie u.a. verschiedenste Sendeformate der deutschsprachigen Abteilung aber auch das Programm von Jorge Zambrano "Musica del Ecuador". Wir sind natürlich sehr interessiert an Ihren Empfangsberichten und belohnen diese auch mit der Sonder QSL Karte 2007 - DRM. RRs bitte an: DRM @ hcjb.org.ec Wir sind gespannt! Noch Fragen? Herzlichst, Iris Rauscher und das Team von Radio HCJB (via Paul Gager, HCDX via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 6185, Voice of Tigray Revolution, 0357-0405+, April 20, Tune-in to their distinctive IS. Vernacular talk at 0400. Horn of Africa music at 0403. Weak under Vatican Radio. // 5970-only audible until 0359 when wiped out by Radio Nederland-Bonaire 5975 signing on (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, some bits and pieces: As well as Jari, I only assume that I heard Voice of Tigray Revolution on 6185. It's very difficult to catch an ID; I haven't heard jingles or a sign-off ceremony or anything definite. Last weekend they closed at 1730 with just an announcement; that is what I observed in past years, not 1630* as in WRTH. R. Ethiopia unheard on 9704 some afternoons, but other days causing strong heterodyne to better-modulated Niger, and obviously signing off around 1730 or so. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, http://www.africalist.de.ms April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) New 6185.02, 1645-1745 16-04, Voice of the Revolution of Tigray, Mek'elé, Tigrinya news read by man and woman, e.g. about Iraq, interludes of Horn of Africa music, 1700 TS, talk and songs, New frequency ex-9650 which was silent; 33343 heard best in LSB due to QRM Germany on 6190 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Clandestine, 9445, Dejen Radio (tentative), 1650- 1656, April 14, Tigrigna, talk by male, nf ex 9450, 24332 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) That was a Saturday. WRTH 2007 had Dejen Radio Mon-Fri at 1700-1730 UT on 7335 via Armavir. Their own website http://www.ethiopiancommentator.com/dejenradio/ has some audio linx, but the latest Tigrinya one is dated March 7, 2007. And it says: ``Get the Truth! Listen to Dejen Radio at: 41 meter band or 7590 kHz, Wednesday evenings at 2 PM Ethiopian time! To Support Dejen Radio, please send your contribution to: Liberty Bell Communications, Inc. P. O. Box 792 Indianapolis, IN 46206-0792 Thank you for giving a strong voice for our people and for democracy in Ethiopia. Please act now! If you have any questions, please contact us.`` The last mention of Dejen in DXLD was in 7-023 of Feb 21, a TDP update for B-06 via DX Mix News, Bulgaria: Dejen Radio in Tigrigna: 1600-1700 on 9445 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Sat So at that time it was already on 9445. However, Dejen Radio does not appear at all in the TDP A-07 schedules in 7-041, or 7-038! HFCC A-07 shows: 7590 1730 1900 39,48 ARM 200 188 1234567 020907 281007 D RUS VOR GFC which might include this broadcast if ``Wednesday evening at 2 PM Ethiopian Time`` (and Ethiopian time is really wacky) converts to that sesquihour --- but this entry does not go into effect until 2 September! And what about this, per Aoki: 9445 R. LIBERTY 1600-1700 1234567 Russian 250 60 Wertachtal D 01041E4805 IBB a07 Current RFE-RL Russian schedule at http://www.rferl.org/listen/shortwave/shortwave-ru.asp shows they are still using 9445 during this hour only, so the question is, are you sure what you heard was not in Russian? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. EMR programme-Times (via our internet service) Sunday: 1430-1500 UTC - IRRS - PROGRAMME 1500-1700 UTC - LATIA - PROGRAMME 1830-1900 UTC - IRRS - PROGRAMME 1900-2100 UTC - LATIA - PROGRAMME Monday: 1630-1700 UTC - IRRS - PROGRAMME 1700-1900 UTC - LATIA - PROGRAMME Tuesday 1930-2000 UTC - IRRS - PROGRAMME 2000-2200 UTC - LATIA - PROGRAMME Good Listening 73s Tom and Mike (Tom Taylor, April 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Does EMR still mean European Music Radio, or nothing? It would have been helpful to provide the URL for this. What`s LATIA? (gh) ** EUROPE. PIRATE (Holland), 6265.15, Cupid Radio, 0010-0100+, April 22, rock music, pop music, gave e-mail address, acknowledged listeners' reports, IDs. Poor to fair reception (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PIRATE (Scotland), 6400.31, Weekend Music Radio, 0020-0100+, April 22, rock music by Z Z Top & others. IDs. Gave e-mail address. Poor to fair reception (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GABON. 4777, Radio Gabon, *0500-0515+, April 20, Sign on with short 40 second National Anthem followed by "Radio Gabon" ID & French talk. IDs. Afro-pop music (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GABON [and non]. 19 Abril: En el día de hoy se aprecia a las 1210 que la emisora afro-pop está emitiendo en 17660. Sawt al-Amal no se escucha por ninguna frecuencia; sin embargo a las 1230 se observa que esta emisora está emitiendo en 17667 con un fuerte pitido producido por colisión probablemente con Sawt al-Amal. A ésta emisora no se consigue sintonizar. A las 1330 la emisora afro-pop en 17657 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Cat and mouse play around 1300-1330 UT: "Afropop" station vs Sawt Al- Amal. Apr 17: at 1350 UT Gabon W African music station 17658.000 hetting service on 17660 til 1400 UT. Apr 19: at 1300 UT Gabon W African music station 17667.000. But Sawt Al-Amal 10 kHz away on 17657.500 kHz ! - 500 Hertz odd! Latter disappeared 1323-1324 UT, transmitter cut-off for 90 seconds. Surprisingly then Gabon W African music station appeared in the meantime. But 500 Hertz down on 17657.000. And from about 1325 UT hetting Sawt Al-Amal service on 17657.500. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, April 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Afropop Music Jammer, April 20 at 1327 was on 17627.0, hetting CRI English via Chile on 17625. No sign of Sawt al-Amal here, or much else from hi latitudes on 16m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, 17625.00 / 17627.00 only these two stations hetting each other. No sign of Sawt al-Amal today April 20 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also LIBYA ** GERMANY. Background on T-Systems (in German) including list of some 100 customers in the past 10 years, past and present, with abbrs.: http://www.asamnet.de/~bienerhj/de-jul-1.html Also links to pdf of A-07 schedule as of March 15, all three sites, not just Jülich (via BCDX April 20 via DXLD) See also SAAR ** GREECE. Glenn: Did you notice on the new A07 Voice of Greece HFCC registrations that they are based on the old A05 ones? They do not list KAV anymore as the location, but they have changed to AVL but kept the old Kavala azimuth bearings. Voice of Greece is retaining the Delano and Greenville listings; maybe something is in the works to swing a deal with the Voice of America to resume broadcasts to the Americas. They have kept most of the frequencies from A06 with a few changes to reflect current usage. And, they are still hanging on to the THE 35 kW listings. Regards, (John Babbis, MD DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ever optimistic are you, but I think that it is too easy to keep the old registrations on the books on the remote chance they might be needed and/or to discourage other stations from turning the frequencies from wood to reality (gh, DXLD) ** HAWAII. B-ROCK RETURNING TO RE-ROCK KPOI-FM AND LEAD SISTER STATIONS VETERAN Honolulu broadcaster Brock Whaley, known to rock radio listeners on the old KPOI-FM as "B-Rock," is returning to Honolulu to become director of programming for the five Oahu stations belonging to Maui-based Visionary Related Entertainment LLC. The chance to work with a "truly local company, where the decisions are made locally and for the benefit of the local community, is a rare opportunity in today's radio industry," Whaley said Friday in a statement. Effective Wednesday at 5 a.m., he also will be at the helm of the morning show on KPOI-FM 105.9, bringing back to Oahu the witty, irreverent topical commentary for which he is known. The 5 to 10 a.m. assignment isn't permanent, but its duration will be at least "until I have enough material for the next Gridiron," he said, as a sometimes writer for the Society of Professional Journalists' variety show lampooning newsmakers and events. Current morning man Ed Kanoi, operations manager and program director for KPOI and KUMU-AM 1500/FM 94.7, will remain with Visionary on a consulting basis, according to General Manager John Aeto. Whaley's return is a major development in the retooling of Visionary's Honolulu stations. Aeto announced the promotion of Ryan Sean (Kawamoto) to program director of KDDB-FM 102.7. He had been music director for "Da Bomb" and KQMQ-FM 93.1. Shawn Lynch, former operations manager and program director of KDDB and KQMQ, will stay for about a month before returning to California and his business, Shawn Lynch Consulting LLC. Aeto also announced to staff Friday that the company has lured away former VRE employee Darah York from the Harris Agency. He will be creative director, in charge of commercial, promotional and imaging production. Whaley's listeners will remember York as on-air sidekick Ah Foon. He also is the creator, producer and voices of radio spots for Hawaii's Natural High retail store. Aeto and York will seek to focus "more attention on radio creative" advertising work to bring it "to the forefront of some of the agencies in town. Darah is the guy to do that for us," Aeto said. York is "the best creative talent in Hawaii radio," said Whaley. Whaley's wife and former Honolulu broadcaster Karen Waygood will remain in Atlanta, where she has worked at CNN since 2000. "These appointments demonstrate our continued commitment to becoming the premier radio organization in the state of Hawaii," Aeto said. "We are especially proud to be Hawaii's only locally and privately owned statewide radio group. "There will be more changes, Aeto said. "We're going to compete at a high level." (Erika Engle © Honolulu Star- Bulletin -- http://starbulletin.com via B-Rock Whaley himself, DXLD) Congrats, Brock, and hope you will still be able to DX a bit from outside the Honolulu RF nightmare (gh, DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 9524.97, Voice of Indonesia, 1100-1130+, April 20, English ID & gave website address at 1100 followed by programming in unidentified language. English ID again at 1130. Poor to fair (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9525, VOI, 0828-0859, April 21, English segment, many IDs "From Jakarta, this is the Voice of Indonesia", "musical presentation" pop songs and ballads, "Week in Review" (outbreak of anthrax, Indonesian student killed at Virginia Tech shooting, etc.), more songs, "News in Brief", fair-good (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. 7300, IRIB Tehran in Spanish via Kamalabad 250 kW, 289 degrees, produces two 4 kHz wide spurious signals, at 2030-2127 UT. 7220-7233 and 7367-7371 kHz. One of IRIB's transmitters at Kamalabad is off frequency. Noted today again 7375.72 kHz, Arabic at 0230-0427 UT, heavy whistle tone against co-channel Brother Stair via Costa Rica 7375.10 kHz, latter \\ 6149.98 (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX Apr 19/20 via DXLD) Wonder if my spur on 7313 could be Iran too: UNIDENTIFIED (gh, DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. UCRANIA. Hoy 19 de Abril Radio Zamaneh termina su emisión a las 1930 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) {Presumably 6245} ** ISRAEL. 15784.52, Galei Zahal, Tel Aviv, 2030-2040+, April 22, Hebrew talk. Lite instrumental music. Fair. Slightly weaker on // 6972.33 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY [non]. (via Bulgaria?), 9510 NF, IRRS, *0928-1045+, April 22, Opening music & into English religious programming at 0930. IRRS ID & Milano, Italy address at 1045. Threshold level at sign on but quickly improved in strength. Weak but readable by 0935 and at a fair level by 1015 (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As a follow-up to this discussion: Have you noted that IRRS has cut back its shortwave airtime considerably during the last months? I just found in my files that in August 2006 they were on air Mon-Thu 1800- 2030, this has now been cancelled altogether. Fri: Was 1200-1330 and 1600-2200, now cut back to 1600-1830 only. Sat: Was 0700-1200 and 1800-2200, now cancelled altogether. Sun: Was 0700-1300 and 1600-2200, cut back to seven hours now. All the best, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) All depends on how much time can be sold, seems. Unlike e.g. WRMI, they only go on the air when time is really paid for (gh, DXLD) ** JAPAN. NHK World, Radio Japan, April 19 at 1329 concluding Indonesian, and into Thai on 7200, with QRM not only from the Yakutsk Warbler, but also splash from a much stronger NHK transmission in Japanese on 7190! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re NHK on 7200: Per Aoki list it comes on at 1330 so must have crash- started when Indonesian concluded; also the splatter you got from 7190 was from CRI in Japanese (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ha, I hear Japanese just about any morning on 7190 and had assumed it was NHK without looking it up. It`s aimed almost due east, 95 degrees, from JIN site in CHINA at 0900-1500. Per NHK current schedule at http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/freq/all_e.pdf Indonesian on other frequencies ends at 1300, so perhaps the Indo ID on 7200 was just part of a multi-lingual ID cycle, not the end of an Indo broadcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. 6285.13v, Voice of Korea, 1012-1025+, April 22, English news, ID at 1018. Local music. Weak (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. 9485, Shiokaze Two/Sea Breeze via Taiwan, 1302- 1330, April 22 (Sun.), in English. Noted a change in their format. In the past Shiokaze Two was always presented by an OM and Shiokaze One always seems to be presented by a YL, but today heard YL with the sign-on and sign-off announcements. OM telling the story of the 1973 abduction of Hideko Watanabe and her two children from Japan, segment "North Korea Issues" with current news of that county, poor-fair with QRM from 9480. Jamming was noted. 9485, Radio Free Chosun (presumed), 1330-1359*, April 22, on with orchestra music, in assume Korean, YL with sign-on announcement, OM talking, into radio-drama, mostly fair, jamming noted (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Any reliable pattern now as to which days of week English appears on S-2? (gh, DXLD) Hi Glenn, No, my listening has been rather random, not systematic (Ron Howard, ibid.) Shiokaze at 1300-1330, 9485 kHz, no jamming, SINPO 55555. Saturday is Korean program, Thursday is English program with very heavy Japanese accent. All the news of Shiokaze is from Japanese newspaper (newspaper sounds shinben [shimbun] in Japanese). I wrote to Shiokaze by snail mail to the Tokyo postbox in 2005, and no reply. Do you know the email of Shiokaze? Take care (Lenfant Lee, China, April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) via TAIWAN ** KURDISTAN. Iran. Radio Voice of Kurdistan was received in Sofia on April 8 from 14 to 1425 hours on 3927 kHz while Radio Voice of Iranian Kurdistan broadcasts from 1430 to 1625 hours on the same frequency. It interesting to note that the two stations belong to two hostile to each other wings of the Iranian Social Democratic Party (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX April 13 via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. Dear DX-friends, Herewith are the latest loggings done in Skovlunde, Denmark on my AOR AR7030PLUS with 28 metres of longwire. Some of these are quite ordinary stations. Please just copy those you find interesting. 4870.0, 0325-0355 fading out, 19-04, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, via Al-Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Kurdish talk mentioning Kurdistan, Kurdish music, jumped to 4840.0 at 0330, Kurdish ID and more talk 35333 weak jamming was first heard at 0350; // 3970 was off the air. They seem to continue with their "winterschedule"! AP-DNK (Anker Petersen, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** LATVIA. Radio RWE, via Ulbroka 9290 kHz, April 29. Please let me draw your attention to a new initiative called Radio RWE. We rented time of Ulbroka transmitter and plan to air our first show in English. Radio RWE show will be relayed on shortwave via Ulbroka, Latvia transmitter (100 kW) on Sunday, April 29, 2007 from 1400 until 1500 UT on 9290 kHz. Parallelly, you can listen the show then on the Internet at the following address: http://www.radiorwe.com The show will be devoted mainly to shortwave vintage transmissions, jamming and current DX news, as well as some literature subjects. We hope to broadcast on regular basis, no less than once a quarter, with similar kind of programming. Reception reports for shortwave relay are very welcome ! Please send them (including return postage) to the following address: SRS Deutschland, Radio RWE. Postfach 101145, 99801 Eisenach, Germany. We highly appreciate your mp3 files with recordings of our shortwave relay! Please send them to the following e-mail address: radiorwe @ yahoo.com or radiorwe @ radiorwe.com We can confirm your e-mail reception reports - with mp3 recording included - with our electronic QSL cards (if you prefer to receive snail mail "traditional" QSL card, please send return postage and your reception report to the address above). Kind regards, Radio RWE team (via A-DX Apr 14 via BCDX April 20 via DXLD) So what does RWE stand for? No explanation at website: (gh, DXLD) live stream --- [current status: OFF AIR, with interval signal from time to time. The show will start at 1400 UT (16.00 CET) on Sunday, April 29, 2007] (the stream is Shoutcast - best player to listen to is Winamp) (via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. Cat and mouse play around 1300-1330 UT: "Afropop" station from Gabon vs Libyan opposition radio "Sawt Al-Amal". Apr 17: at 1350 UT Gabon W African music station 17658.000 hetting service on 17660 til 1400 UT. Apr 19: at 1300 UT Gabon W African music station 17667.000. But Sawt Al-Amal 10 kHz away on 17657.500 kHz ! - 500 Hertz odd! Latter disappeared 1323-1324 UT, transmitter cut-off for about 90 seconds. Surprisingly then Gabon W African music station appeared on channel in the meantime. But 500 Hertz down on 17657.000 kHz. And from about 1325 UT hetting each other, - Sawt Al-Amal service on 17657.500 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Apr 19, BC-DX via DXLD) MOLDAVIA, 17622.5, Sawt al-Amal, 1225-1235, escuchada el 20 de abril en árabe a invitado con proclamas y referencias a Libia, de fondo gente con cánticos, voz de mujer con comentarios en inglés, la emisora afro-pop en 17660, cuña de ID, SINPO 55555. 17627.5, Sawt al-Amal, 1255-1315, escuchada el 20 de Abril en árabe a locutor con comentarios, la emisora Afo-pop continua en 17660; sin embargo cambia a la misma frecuencia produciéndose una fuerte colisión, SINPO 45444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also GABON ** LIBYA. Saludos cordiales. Un chequeo de LJB a las 1800 UT. 1800- 2000 11835 servicio en Hausa, excelente señal, la emisión principalmente musical, sin señal en 15660. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FRANCIA, 9590 Voice of África, 1920-1935, escuchada el 20 de Abril en idioma no árabe, probablemente hausa o swahili, locutor con comentarios, ID, especie de lectura de carta a "Gadafi", SINPO 45554 73 (José Miguel Romero, ibid.) ** LIBYA. (via France?), 17870, Voice of Africa, 1402-1558*, April 20, Opening English announcements & talk about African Union. Afro-pop music. Open carrier & no audio between approximately 1410-1435. Must use ECSS-LSB to avoid the DRM mess on high side. Fair reception otherwise. // 21695 came on the air around 1415-1420 with a very weak signal (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. 9710, Laser Radio, 1127-1145, escuchada el 22 de abril en inglés a locutor con ID; comienza emisión con tema musical y locutor con presentación, segmento musical, SINPO 34343 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9710, Laser Radio via Sitkunai, 1131-1155+, April 22, Pop music. Caught several IDs at 1147. Weak signal. Tough, difficult copy with adjacent channel splatter (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 15295, V. of Malaysia, April 8, 1527 after hymn with a tune, off/on signal problems, on 1530 again with hymn and program in Arabic (Zacharias Liangas, Litohoron, Greece, using DE1102 alone http://zlgr.multiply.com/journal/item/61 DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 6050, Asyik FM (RTM), 1111-1127, April 20, two men in conversation, in vernacular, 1120 Moslem call to prayers (Maghrib - sunset prayer, their fourth prayer of the day), Kuala Lumpur sunset at 1118, "Asyik FM" singing jingle, fair/moderate het (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) see AUSTRALIA ** MALAYSIA. Dear radio friend, I listened to the radio on the playground today. The Chinese program of Voice of Malaysia on 11885 1030-1230, SINPO 55534, not bad. Program include Malaysia music and culture, Mandarin and Cantonese news, the Malaysian tourist program. I ever received one letter from the Madam Chuiyu of the Chinese section, postcards, stamp from Malay, sticker, very nice program schedule, but no QSL card enclosed. I wrote to her many times again and again, while there's no reply from her. You can try to send your report to sm_mandarin @ hotmail.com --- maybe she will reply your mail (Lenfant Lee, China, April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Acabo de conversar telefónicamente con el Ing. Eusebio Mejía de Radio UNAM quien me informó que el día de ayer se inauguraron las instalaciones que fueron totalmente rehabilitadas y modernizadas en el edificio de Radio UNAM en la Col. Del Valle de la Cd. de México. Por lo mismo y al estar ocupados en los últimos detalles técnicos de la mencionada instalación, no se había llevado a cabo la reparación de la falla qe hubo en el trasmisor de onda corta desde hace unos días, espera que este sábado 21 esten nuevamente al aire en los 9600 kHz Saludos, (Julián Santiago Díez de Bonilla, DF, April 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Still not heard here around 1330 April 22 (gh, OK, DXLD) 9600, XEYU, Radio UNAM, (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), Adolfo Prieto No. 133, Col. Del Valle, Código Postal 03100, Del. Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México, México. QSL Card full data for a reception report sent to teohm @ servidor.unam.mx I received the QSL in one monthV/S: Lic. Teófilo Huerta Moreno, Jefe del Depto. de Planeación y Asistente del Director General. The station sent me a CD with poems by Enriqueta Ochoa & Juan Gelman (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Dear Glenn: Long time DG of Radio Educación - Lidia Camacho - is no longer with the station: http://www.mexicanadecomunicacion.com.mx/Tables/rmxc/elvira.htm 73 (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, April 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Praises her for seeing that RE got much needed upgrade in facilities which had been allowed to stagnate since the late 80s; says most of the people heading cultural radio stations have been seat-warmers with no real interest in keeping the stations at the forefront. New director at RE is Virginia Bello (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO [and non]. MEXICO GULF COAST FM=DX Hello Glenn: 4/19/2007 [CDT] 0924 106.9 XHTVR Tuxpan, VERACRUZ; "La Nueva Azul 106.9". 350 miles "Lo mejor en música romántica" 0934 104.5 XEHU-FM Martínez de la Torre, VERACRUZ; "SHOCK-FM" MEX rock music, 405 miles. Full ID ``XEHU-FM con 30 mil Watts de potencia en Martinez de la Torre, Veracruz". Jingle "GRUPO M-S radio" 0948 103.7 XHCS Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "La Nueva Amor", 469 miles, "XHCS con 60mil Watts de potencia de Veracruz, Veracruz", full ID "La Nueva Amor 103.7-sólo música romántica" 1011 99.7 XHPB Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "Mar FM", US hit$, pop/mix, 469 miles 1021 100.5 XHVE Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "Lo Mejor FM" música tejana- norteña/banda 1117 103.3 KCRS TX Midland "103-3 KISS-FM" ads, promos, pop/hip-hop mx, 520 miles 1147 93.9 XHTXA Tuxpan, VERACRUZ; ads, música salsa "93.9 grados" 350 miles, "XHTXA con 30mil watts de potencia en Tuxpan veracruz"; "Grupo- FM Multimedios" jingle 1233 98.9 XHCMN Ciudad del Carmen, CAMPECHE; ads,"MAXIMA 98.9" 611 miles 1253 93.7 XHMRI Mérida, Yucatán, "aquí suena-La Qué Buena" tejana- norteña/banda; 582 miles, "XHMRI 100 mil watts de potencia`` 1322 106.5 XHZUL Cerro Azul, VERACRUZ; RTV Veracruz, Spanish interview program 1516 99.3 XHMRA Mérida, Yucatán; "EXA-FM 99.3", TC, Mexican pop/rock; 582 miles 1527 102.9 XHTS Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "YA FM"; MEX pop/rock, 469 miles "XHTS 102.9 Ya FM Ciudad de Veracruz, MEXICO" 1531 103.9 XHRUY Mérida, Yucatán; "103.9 FM" SP discussion program 1533 101.7 XHPR Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "Los 40 Principales"; MEX pop/rock, 469 miles 1615 93.9 XHTXA Tuxpan, VERACRUZ; "CALOR-93.9"; MEX pop/rock music 350 miles 1622 93.3 XHPS Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "EXA-FM 93.3" MEX pop/rock, 469 miles 1628 96.5 XHRN Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "La SUPER Tropical", música salsa, ads, 469 miles 1839 106.9 XHQT Veracruz, VERACRUZ; "XHQT "La Poderosa"; tejana- norteña/banda 469 miles; ID "XEQT 800 & XHQT 106.9" 1845 107.7 XHXAL Xalapa, VERACRUZ; "Radio MAS", beautiful música VERACRUZANA with vocals & harps 2116 100.5 XHBCC? Ciudad del Carmen, CAMPECHE?; tentative with "Los 40 Principales" MEX rock mx --- 4/20/2007 2016 98.9 XHCMN Ciudad del Carmen, CAMPECHE; "MAXIMA 98.9-sólo hits" US/MEX rock music 611 miles; "XHCMN en colonia Santa Margarita en Ciudad del Carmen, CAMPECHE"; 2033 97.3 XHVB Villahermosa TABASCO; "97-3 EXTREMO-FM" US/MEX dance music 615 miles "XHVB Extremo-FM... con 30 mil Watts de potencia... de Villahermosa TABASCO... de grupo Radio Núcleo" 2045 96.5 XHOP Villahermosa TABASCO; "La Nueva Amor, 96.5-sólo música romántica" 615 miles 2055 99.9 XHEMZ Emiliano Zapata TABASCO; program of love songs "Sólo Amor" 666 miles. I can hear traffic, and also heard a cellular ringing when dj talks!; "EXITOS 99.9 FM" 73's de AB5GP (Steven Wiseblood, Boca Chica Beach TX, 6-element FM Yagi at 20 ft, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. RNW April 20, 2007 0201-0300* UT 9405 kHz DRM via French Guiana. "Research File" and "Flatlander". "Research File" was very interesting and informative. "Flatlander" was extremely boring especially since a good portion of the program was the presenter and the guest looking at muscle magazines. The program almost put me to sleep. What was said in about 30 minutes, should have been said in 5. Perhaps, "Flatliner" is more appropriate. Transmission began with slight decoding dropouts. Around 0239 UT dropouts were moderate. By 0245 UT dropouts severe making understanding impossible. When I tuned to 9405 kHz at 0155 I was hearing moderate QRM from Kol Israel, positive ID, on 9400 kHz. When RNW's DRM transmission began, Kol Israel on 9400 kHz was not causing QRM to RNW. However, because of the DRM hash, RNW was probably causing severe QRM to Kol Israel. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, VA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. R. Nigeria - extended schedule this weekend? Hi Glenn, Last Saturday (April 14) Nigerians elected their state lawmakers and governors. As a result, Radio Nigeria extended their usual schedule (as several DX'ers noted on different frequencies). It's a good possibility that with Nigeria's important presidential election taking place this Saturday (April 21), we may again see another extended schedule. There has been considerable controversy regarding the upcoming presidential election. There is a threatened boycott of the election by some of the opposition parties and just this past Monday the Supreme Court ruled that the Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar can be a candidate in Saturday`s election. Even with all this happening, an election commission spokesman insisted, as of April 19, that the vote would go ahead as planned on Saturday (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6089.83, 22/4 0035, Radio Nigeria Kaduna, long non stop slow afro song, extended schedule, active also on 4770 with the other channel. Id only at 0108 in EE, bad voice modulation. Good (in LSB to avoid QRM), RX: Winradio G33EM ANT: long wire 30 metri Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italy, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4769.97, Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, 0105-0225+, April 22, On late for election with English talk. Poor, weak (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. Voice of Nigeria changed some frequencies: 0800-1000+ West African Service 9690 instead of 7255, 1630 Arabic 15120 instead of 11770, with different antenna than English later, 2200-2300 Hausa 9690 instead of 7255, while French at 2100 is still on 7255 (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, http://www.africalist.de.ms April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA [non]. 15180 Radio Saa, 1635-1644, April 14, Hausa, talk by male, report by speaker at 1640, 24332 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) That was Saturday. Still colliding with BBC Arabic, I suppose, but not much QRM with I = 4? (gh, DXLD) 15180, 1635-1645, Great Britain, Wed 18-04, BBC, via Rampisham Arabic news reports about President Mubaraq of Egypt 45444 // 7140, 11820 and 15555. Clandestine R Saa was not heard! AP-DNK (Anker Petersen, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** PERU. 5939.3, Radio Melodía, Arequipa, 0835-0850, April 22, Spanish ballads, IDs. Weak but readable. Some adjacent channel splatter (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND. Das staatliche polnische Radio entlaesst derzeit 295 Mitarbeiter, darunter 80 Journalisten. Nach Ansicht von Gewerkschaften seien dafuer politische Motive bei der regierenden rechtskonservativen PiS (Recht und Gerechtigkeit) verantwortlich. Denn betroffen seien "politisch unbequeme" Mitarbeiter. Der Vizedirektor des Radios, Jerzy Targalski, raeumte auch ein, dass es politische Kriterien fuer die Entlassungen gibt. Es seien diejenigen Mitarbeiter betroffen, die im vergangenen Jahr nicht dem Appell des Vorstandes folgten, freiwillig ueber ihre moegliche Geheimdienst- Mitarbeit im kommunistischen Polen Auskunft zu geben. "Diese Leute sind nicht geeignet", erklaerte Targalski gegenueber der polnischen Zeitung "Gazeta Wyborcza". (Quelle: APA, via Tom DF5JL, A-DX Apr 14 via BCDX April 20 via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. RRI has a new website ==> http://www.rri.ro (JM Aubier, France, April 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But there's nothing there yet (Chuck Bolland, FL, ibid.) Yes there is, if you keep clicking on the linx. But beware: one link to English schedule is outdated B-06: http://www.rri.ro/art.shtml?lang=1&sec=20&art=10 While another one is current: http://www.rri.ro/art.shtml?lang=1&sec=20&art=341 Since the B-06 info is there, how ``new`` is it really? (Glenn, ibid.) Gracias Jean, se aprecia que está en construcción, tiene algunas novedades pero sigue con el mismo problema de accesibilidad. Le cuesta mucho entrar en las páginas. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Too many clicks to arrive at desired destination. Frustrating. Hope it is a work in progress and issues will be fixed. 73, (Kraig, KG4LAC April 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) And now it works fast (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, 1643 UT April 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The term "new" refers to a new design. The domain itself exists since several years, cf DXLD 4-186, December 18, 2004 mentioning http://www.rri.ro (Bernd Trutenau, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here`s what they say about their New Website: http://www.rri.ro/art.shtml?lang=1&sec=5&art=920 ``RRI HAS A NEW WEBSITE: Starting on Wednesday April 18th 2007, Radio Romania International’s web site, which you can access, as usual, at http://www.rri.ro has a new design and a slightly changed content, thanks to our colleague Andrei Boros from the IT department of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. We hope the connection and navigation speed is now closer to what you requested in the questionnaires that you have recently filled in. The site will continue to develop, as we will add further programmes or buttons. Also, once the new Data Center of the Romanian Broadcasting Corporation becomes operational, we intend to increase interactivity on our pages and to provide you with audio files. We are looking forward to you opinions about the new design of RRI’s web page.`` (via gh, DXLD) There are two new contests are also posted on their web, which can also be accessed at YSRC new website at the following url along with other radio stations contest details. http://geocities.com/ysrc_india/Competitions.htm Young Stars Radio Club, Hyderabad, India has also started its reconstructed website with a new look at : http://geocities.com/ysrc_india/ 73, (Hari Madugula, Young Stars Radio Club, Hyderabad, India, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 50% GOOD NEWS IS THE BAD NEWS IN RUSSIAN RADIO By ANDREW E. KRAMER April 22, 2007 MOSCOW, April 21 — At their first meeting with journalists since taking over Russia’s largest independent radio news network, the managers had startling news of their own: from now on, they said, at least 50 percent of the reports about Russia must be “positive.” In addition, opposition leaders could not be mentioned on the air and the United States was to be portrayed as an enemy, journalists employed by the network, Russian News Service, say they were told by the new managers, who are allies of the Kremlin. How would they know what constituted positive news? . . . http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/world/europe/22russia.html?ei=5065&en=d4929f91a6c5b2aa&ex=1177819200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print (via Brock Whaley, GA, DXLD) Same? http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2003676177_russiaradio22.html (via Dan Say, DXLD) ** SAAR. Saarländischer Rundfunk issued an invitation of tenders for new 1422 kHz transmitters. See http://www.sr-online.de/dersr/2251/621408.html and in the linked .zip archive the LV Mittelwellensender.pdf file. Summary: The current 1422 transmitters were installed in the early seventies, the facility has been designed for a maximum carrier power of 1200 kW. Since the late eighties this equipment is used in DAM mode in passive reserve configuration with a maximum carrier power of 600 kW. A separate back-up facility exists as well, consisting of a 100 kW PDM transmitter and an aux antenna. During daytime the aux antenna is now in use for another program on 1179, carried by a 10 kW solid-state transmitter. To be installed is new 400 kW transmission equipment, consisting of two DRM-ready transmitters of 200 kW each in an active reserve configuration. The antenna facilities are to be kept as they are, with an option to make it possible to switch the 100 kW transmitter to the main antenna (two masts, 120 metres tall) as well. The new transmitters are to be switchable to the aux antenna, too, with automatically reducing the output to the maximum power the 60 Ohms coax cable to this antenna can handle (about 100 kW), but not when the 1179 transmitter is on air (1179 has priority over 1422 back-up for this antenna). The existing EMT limiter/compressor is to be replaced by "an audio processor (OPTIMOD)" [I don't think that they intentionally specify Orban products here], the other audio equipment is to be kept and wired to the new transmitter facility accordingly. The new facility has to be installed without disrupting the service. Unavoidable breaks have to be agreed and are restricted to a window between midnight and 5 AM. First the existing transmitter #2 has to be removed to make room for the new facility, with ensuring that the 100 kW transmitter can always be used as back-up. It is possible to reuse the transformer cell of old transmitter #2 for parts of the new facility (power supply, fans). So the output on 1422 will be limited to 400 kW with the new transmitters. Probably this is already the case with 1539 at Mainflingen, reportedly the new facility there is rated at 400 kW, too (old transmitters were 2 x 350 kW = 700 kW output). Perhaps "passive reserve" and "active reserve" are unknown terms outside Germany: The first one designates a back-up concept with a separate stand-by transmitter, usually not on air (hence passive). "Active reserve" means that there are no idle transmitters, any two transmitters set-up (or any complete unit consisting of a "married" transmitter pair) is the classical example of active reserve: If one transmitter fails the other one will stay on air, just the power will be reduced by half. Btw, a typical concept for FM is passive reserve in n+1 configuration: n are as much transmitters as frequencies are on air from the particular facility, added is another transmitter which in cases of a transmitter failure will be tuned up on the affected frequency and fired up with the belonging modulation (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 20, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAINT HELENA. Please note the latest e-mail received from Robert Kipp of Radio St. Helena providing a fruitful information. This information provided cold showers to my mind in midst of severe hot summer. Hope other fellow Dxers might be happy to know this (T. R. Rajeesh, Kerala, INDIA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Kipp" RDC-Roberts-Data @ T-Online.de To: "TR Rajeesh" tr.rajeesh @ gmail.com Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 9:06 PM Subject: TR Rajeesh: Radio St Helena 2006 QSL Hello Mr. Rajeesh, you can start watching your mailbox in about ten days for the Radio St. Helena 2006 QSL card. Please let me know when and what arrives. Many thanks for the wonderful article you wrote about the Radio St. Helena Day 2006 Revival broadcast and your reception. In the DX-Window Nr. 313 (December, 2006) of the DSWCI, I found your article, and I could just "feel" the excitement in the air as I read your fine description. I have been on the SWL-side of DX-broadcasts many, many times, and I know exactly how you and your friends felt. It was a fantastic experience for me to be at the microphone in the RSH studio during the broadcasts on 04. November 2006. Derek Richards did a marvelous job with the 300 email during the course of the evening. We had a big party in the studio until about 4 o'clock the next morning. It was great fun!! Best greetings to you and your family in Kerala and also to: Alokesh Gupta in New Delhi, Swopan Chakroborty in Kolkata, Muhammed Shamim in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, Gautam Kumar Sharma way up north in Assam, C. K. Raman at the IBB in New Delhi, and Mr. Neil (VU2BGK) in Tamilnadu. With very best 73s from St. Helena and Germany, Robert Kipp, Internation Project Manager RSD 2006 Revival Project (via T. R. Rajeesh, DXLD) The following information has just been received re the Radio St Helena QSL's by NZ Radio DX League member Peter Grenfell. Regards Mark Nicholls, Chief Editor New Zealand 'DX Times' New Zealand Radio DX League http://www.radiodx.com/ Please note that the Radio St. Helena Day 2006 QSL cards should be now aboard the RMS St. Helena and on the way to Ascension Island. It should take about a week for the QSLs to reach England. From London, the cards will go by air mail to the many SWLs around the world eagerly awaiting their arrival. Many thanks to everyone for the return postage in most of the reception reports and the extra donations, which were used to purchase the cards. Laura Lawrence and her staff at Radio St. Helena posted the cards this week in Jamestown. RSH staff really appreciated the nice presents included in the reception reports, especially from Japan. With very best greetings from Radio St. Helena to all SWLs, Laura Lawrence Station Manager of Radio St. Helena Robert Kipp RSD Revival 2006 Project Manager (via Mark Nicholls, HCDX via DXLD) ** ST. KITTS. THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH PUBLIC SERVICE JINGLES 19 April 2007 --- Radio station ZIZ, headquartered on the island of St. Kitts, BVI [sic], bills itself as "The Pulse of the Eastern Caribbean." Their AM-side programming (at 555 kHz) is an odd mix of nationalist fight songs, obituary recitations, corny ads aimed at wayfaring tourists, and public-service jingles such as these two gems promoting, respectively, environmental care and food safety. (NB.: Yes, we recognize that this is technically mediumwavemusic, but we were helpless to resist.) ZIZ, St. Kitts: "Care For The Environment" 07/14/2006, 555 kHz (1135 UTC) ZIZ, St. Kitts: "Food Safety" 07/14/2006, 555 kHz (1135 UTC) posted by shortwavemusic at 21:51 (linx at http://shortwavemusic.blogspot.com/ via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. Radio BSKSA, which started broadcasts in English in March, may have stopped them because they have not been heard lately. During the new radio season only its broadcasts in French from 09 to 10 hours on 17785 kHz and from 15 to 16 hours on 17660 kHz have been reported (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX April 13 via DXLD) ** SERBIA. As of today, Saturday April 21, 2007 International Radio Serbia will replace much interfered frequency 6100 kHz with a new frequency of 7240 kHz. This should improve reception in Europe, if 7240 kHz is free between 1300 and 2100 UT. INTERNATIONAL RADIO SERBIA -------------------------- UPDATED A07 SCHEDULE, EFFECTIVE AS OF APRIL 21, 2007 All broadcasts are via mobile transmitter Stubline, Serbia, non- directional. [UT] 1300-2100 7240 kHz 10 kW 1300-1330 ENGLISH 1330-1400 SERBIAN 1400-1430 SPANISH 1430-1500 ARABIC 1500-1530 RUSSIAN 1530-1600 FRENCH 1600-1630 GERMAN 1630-1645 MANDARIN 1645-1700 ALBANIAN 1700-1715 HUNGARIAN 1715-1730 GREEK 1730-1800 ITALIAN 1800-1830 RUSSIAN 1830-1900 ENGLISH 1900-1930 SPANISH 1930-2000 SERBIAN Sun-Fri 1930-2030 SERBIAN Sat 2000-2030 GERMAN Sun-Fri 2030-2100 FRENCH Best regards & many 73s! (Dragan Lekic from Subotica, Serbia, 1538 UT April 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) - at 1600 UT Chinese, not German heard on 7240 kHz (Erik Koie, Copenhagen, ibid.) When first checking shortly after 1610, Stubline probably came in with rather weak signal, if the music program I heard was indeed Radio Serbia. However, a few minutes later co-channel Lhasa started to fade in and had overridden the presumed Stubline signal entirely by 1630. > (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) Now, later in the evening, Stubline is again audible with Serbian until 2030, followed by French. The frequency is still not clear but at least Radio Serbia more or less on the top of the mess, already constituting an improvement over 6100 which mostly got entirely lost in the Junglinster [Luxembourg DRM 6090-6095-6100] buzzzzz. The tiny aux transmitter apparently does not keep its frequency stable; there is a very fast SAH which is an almost exact, scary copy of what could in 1999 be heard on 6100, when Radio Yugoslavia had one of the old, unstable Cërrik transmitters with Radio Tirana's first domestic program co-channel (Kai Ludwig, ibid.) It seems word did not get out about this until 1538 UT, but you should find Sunday and from now on that RN Flevo in DRM is on 7240 until 1500! So much for English at 1300. Besides Lhasa, there is R. Australia on 7240 after 1400, maybe not a big problem in Europe, altho it should be there after Lhasa closes at 1730(?). Why in the world did IRS not look for a clearer frequency if they were contemplating a change? They were already registered with 10 kW on the alternate 7200 they have used for many years. But that has its own problems, such as the Yakutsk warbler, NHK, etc. Maybe 7240 also has spurs in the clear several hundred kHz away like 6100 did? (Glenn Hauser, April 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN [and non]. Ran across La Bañera de Ulises at a new time, 0545-0600* UT Thu April 19 on REE 9630 and 5965 via Costa Rica, lo-fi. Time signals at 0600 overlapped briefly with RN Dutch via Bonaire opening on 9625, then 9630 immediately off. REE has pulled a fast one, leaving their old outdated B-06 schedules up at the previously bookmarked linx, via http://www.rtve.es/rne/ree/ and putting their A-07 schedules at new linx. Full details of current programming and frequencies: http://www.rtve.es/archivos/70-2721-FICHERO/Progra_01.pdf including our favorites, updated in MONITORING REMINDERS CALENDAR: LA BAÑERA DE ULISES [eclectic music from around the Mediterranean Basin; probably starts after 5-minute newscast?] Sun 1100-1200 21610 21570 21540 15585 13720 Mon 0400-0500 9820 9630 9535 6125 6055 5985 3350 Thu 0500-0600 12035 11890 9710 9630 6055 5965 3350 Thu 2100-2200 15110 7275 [maybe also on 15345 to Lebanon] [but we usually get it first on webcast from RNER3, Sat 1700-1800] NUESTRA MÚSICA M-F 1630-1700 21610 21570 17755 17595 15585 15385 Tu-Sa 0330-0400 9630 9620 9535 6125 6055 6020 3350 Also, this one looks interesting, science and technology news: EL SUEÑO DE ARQUÍMEDES UT Tue 0100 15160 11680 9620 9535 6055 6020 There are lots of other excellent shows, mainly talk, if you understand Castilian and are interested in the subjects (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Brother Scare on WBCQ: see U S A ** SUDAN [non]. 15325, 0520-0600* Clandestine, Wed 18-04, Sudan R Service, via Woofferton, UK English talk about Sudan and Sudanese coins 25222 AP-DNK (Anker Petersen, Denmark, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** UKRAINE [Re 7-047]. New updates in schedule of RUI (additional translates in English ex in Ukrainian. Info from Aleksandr Egorov (NRCU)): UKRAINE Summer A-07 schedule of Radio Ukraine International: LVV=Lviv (Lvov) (1) from March 25 to September 22, 2007 0000-0500 on 7530 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS 0500-0800 on 9945 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 0800-1300 on 15675 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 1300-1700 on 7530 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS 1700-2100 on 7490 KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WeEu 2100-2400 on 7510 KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WeEu 2300-0400 on 7440 LVV 600 kW / 303 deg to NoAm (2) from September 23 to October 27, 2007 0000-0500 on 5830 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS 0500-0800 on 7420 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 0800-1300 on 9950 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 1300-1700 on 5830 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS 1700-2400 on 5830 KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WeEu 2300-0400 on 5820 LVV 600 kW / 303 deg to NoAm English transmissions [the new ones with dates]: 0000-0100 on 7440(1) 5820(2) 0300-0400 on 7440(1) 5820(2) 0500-0600 on 9945(1) 7420(2) from April 18 0700-0800 on 9945(1) 7420(2) from April 18 1100-1200 on 15675(1) 9950(2) 1400-1500 on 7530(1) 5830(2) from April 18 to April 24 1900-2000 on 7490(1) 5830(2) from April 18 2100-2200 on 7510(1) 5830(2) German: 1700-1800 on 7490(1) 5830(2) 2000-2100 on 7490(1) 5830(2) 2300-2400 on 7510(1) 5830(2) Ukrainian transmissions - on all other times and frequencies (via Igor, April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Starting from April 18, RUI adds 4 daily one-hour broadcasts in English at 0500, 0700, 1400 (( From 24 April only satellite), 1900 at the expense of reduction of the Ukrainian service. This change applies to all broadcasts via SW, Internet & satellite. Frequency schedule remains unchanged (Alexander Yegorov, Kyiv, Ukraine / "open_dx") So, the English schedule on SW until September will be as follows: 0000-0100 7440 NAm (307) Lviv 0300-0400 7440 NAm (307) Lviv 0500-0600 9945 WEu (277) Kharkiv [new] 0700-0900 9945 WEu (277) Kharkiv [new] 1100-1200 15675 WEu (277) Kharkiv 1900-2000 7490 WEu (290) Kharkiv [new] 2100-2200 7510 WEu (290) Kharkiv (Serghey Nikishin, Moscow, Russia / "open_dx") via RusDX via DXLD) ** U K. ILLEGAL BROADCASTING --- UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/radio/reports/illegal_broadcasting/ (via Richard Buckby, via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) ** U K. Re 7-047: "OFCOM believes switch-off should happen when "digital listening accounts for 50% of all listening." No it doesn't. It has suggested a review of FM services, the outcome of which will take into account the views of the industry and consumers, in 2012 or when digital listening accounts for 50% of all listening. That may well then mean that a date will be set for some or all of the FM broadcasts to end, particularly those that are available digitally. As to the "AM radio could end in two years" headline if the journalist had read Ofcom's proposals on AM carefully, where AM licencing is to be reviewed in 2009 not closed on that date, they would have also noted this paragraph: It is important to note however that while AM listening as a whole is declining there are still some AM services which attract significant audiences such as Talksport, BBC Radio Five Live, local commercial and BBC stations serving the Asian community and some mainstream local commercial stations, particularly in Scotland. As these stations are not available on FM (although many are available on DAB and other digital platforms) it would seem inappropriate to require such services to cease their AM transmissions until digital listening has increased further (Mike Barraclough, April 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Skelton picture slide show. Russell Barnes has added some more Skelton pictures to his site - worth a look! http://www.flickr.com/photos/russell_w_b (Richard Buckby-UK G3VGW, wwdxc BC-DX Apr 14) Also: http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/c/crowborough/ (via BCDX April 20 via DXLD) ** U K. [BBC NEWS | The Editors] BBC WS and anti-western bias http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2007/04/balance_over_time.html (via Dan Say, BC, DXLD) ** U K. Does anybody at BBC Radio 3 ever listen to BBCR3 online? The greeting message is way too loud, compared to the level of the programming which follows, and compared to many other webstreams one may have been listening to at a comfortable level. Has been that way for months. Hoc dicto, there is way too much variation in volume levels in all kinds of streaming. The only way to be safe is to keep the volume down low when changing stations and then adjust. It`s even worse than all the undermodulated, dying SW transmitters still running compared to those who take pride in good full but not excessive modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. LAWMAKERS URGE BUSH TO RECONSIDER BROADCASTING CUTS By Dan Robinson, Capitol Hill, 19 April 2007 Robinson report - Download 629k audio clip Listen to Robinson report audio clip http://voanews.com/english/2007-04-19-voa69.cfm U.S. lawmakers are urging the Bush administration to reconsider proposed budgetary reductions that would end most radio broadcasting in the English language by government-funded Voice of America. VOA's Dan Robinson reports on a hearing on Capitol Hill examining broadcasting and public diplomacy efforts. Reductions proposed by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the nine- member panel that oversees U.S. government-supported non-military international broadcasting, would end all English language radio programming by the Voice of America, except for programs transmitted to Africa. Other cuts would affect radio broadcasts in Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Uzbek, and a number of Balkan languages, along with Tibetan, Thai, Cantonese, Hindi, and Portuguese to Africa. The reductions come amid ongoing expansions in government-funded radio and television programming for the Middle East, Iran and Afghanistan, for which Congress has provided increased funds since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Appearing before the committee, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes faced tough questioning from lawmakers who view the cuts as short-sighted and likely to undermine the ability of the U.S. to communicate abroad. Congresswoman Nita Lowey chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations. "These cuts, while small in the grand scheme of things, loom large when looking at their effect on country programming, and will dampen our public diplomacy efforts," said Nita Lowey. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes (Mar 2007 photo) Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes (Mar 2007 photo) Hughes says the decision to slash VOA English, proposed as part of a $668-million budget request for broadcasting, was made in a difficult budget environment. She says it was based on what she calls sound audience research. "None of us wanted to have to make these decisions, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors, it was a very, very difficult decision because we all believe in broadcasting," said Karen Hughes. "We believe in communicating with the world, we want to provide the Voice of America to the world. We tried to make difficult decisions as best we could, based on research." However Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum said broadcasting to the world in English is a comparatively inexpensive way for the U.S. to communicate, She accused the broadcasting board of trying to, in effect, silence the "global brand" of the United States. "The audiences in fact are not dwindling," said Betty McCollum. "They are just being cut off. If you turn off a transmitter and then do a survey in a country of how many people are listening to VOA, it is going to go down, because they can't listen to Voice of America." Republican Congressman Mark Kirk echoed the concerns, saying the broadcasting board should reassess its approach. "One point six billion people on the planet speak English," said Congressman Kirk. "It is the main language of 71 countries. Al-Jazeera just committed $1 billion a year in English for 24/7 broadcasting. So I am wondering if we can take a second look working with you on that." Kirk also questioned reductions in one of three dialects of Tibetan broadcasted by the VOA and Radio Free Asia, as well as the elimination of Cantonese. Hughes had this response. "[For] both RFA and VOA, the audiences [in Cantonese] were not measurable," she said. "VOA was less than one tenth of a percent, and we could not measure an audience for RFA broadcasts. So, again we based the decisions as best we could on research." Hughes says eliminating broadcasts in one of three Tibetan dialects does not diminish the U.S. commitment to support human rights and liberties in Tibet. Hughes also faced questions about a key element of the broadcasting structure, al-Hurra television for the Middle East. The station was sharply criticized for airing remarks of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, as well as a Palestinian radical who made anti-Israel and anti-American comments. Critics, including pro-Israel groups, say the interviews amounted to the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to support terrorists and undermine U.S. policy. Hughes had this exchange with Democrat Steve Rothman. ROTHMAN: "Why on God's Earth would we want to sponsor a live interview with Nasrallah?" HUGHES: "Well we don't and that was a violation of our policy, that was a mistake that was a violation of our policy, I should have said that if I didn't say that earlier." ROTHMAN: "I am glad to hear you say that." HUGHES: "That was a mistake, it was a violation of our policy." Hughes points to what she calls "comprehensive information" supporting programming reductions, saying the goal is to affect the fewest number of people based on audience research, while expanding transmissions to strategically-important countries like Iran, North Korea, and Somalia. But Congresswoman McCollum, while challenging the statistics used to justify the cuts, said she wants the board to turn over to Congress the minutes of its meetings, which have been closed to the public on national security grounds. She also urged that all radio and television stations under the board's responsibility be formally brought under the charter of VOA. The charter states that the long-term interests of the U.S. are served by communicating directly to the world by radio. In her testimony on what she calls successful efforts to improve public diplomacy programs, Undersecretary Hughes told lawmakers she is committed to ensuring that the United States has a platform to broadcast credible news and information to counteract what she calls hate-filled and anti-American propaganda (VOA News via DXLD) ** U S A. FORMER TV MARTÍ EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO 27 MONTHS FOR KICKBACKS US authorities say a former senior executive with government-funded TV Martí has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for unlawfully accepting payments from a company doing business with the station. The US Attorney’s Office in Miami released a statement yesterday, saying Jose Miranda was sentenced for unlawfully participating in government matters in which he had a financial interest. The statement said his prison sentence will be followed by three years of probation and that he will be fined $5,000. Miranda was TV Martí’s Director of Programming from 1999 until 2004. Authorities say he took $112,000 in bribes from Perfect Image Film and Video Productions between November 2001 and December 2004. He was also charged with false reporting on financial disclosure reports. He pleaded guilty in February. (Source: VOA News) John Figliozzi Says: April 19th, 2007 at 17:56 e I can’t imagine something like this ever happening at VOA. Yet, millions of dollars continue to pour into Marti, while VOA continues to be downsized and downgraded. Makes one question the BBG’s priorities, leadership and qualifications (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A. Check of WRMI, 9955 during flex programming time, UT Thu April 19 found Frecuencia al Día at 0602, but soon ending and 0606 into Tierra Prometida. Not to be relied upon 168 hours later; no jamming. Fair signal, aside RTTY on hi side; but not propagating 23 hours later. Checked at 1258 Sat April 21, 9955 bore nothing but jamming (Glenn Hauser, OKI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi Larry, looks like the WBCQ schedule needs some updating. For one thing, I have been noticing Bro Scare on 7415 after midnight (or whenever other programming ends; no idea for how long.) 73, (Glenn to Larry Will, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Brother Stair has indeed taken over the overnights on WBCQ 7415, all evenings, until 7 AM eastern time (1100 UT). This has been in effect for two or three weeks. This is the only recent change to the schedule. The pirate broadcaster Undercover Radio acquired a few airings of his New Year's 2007 show on Sundays at 2200, but this is temporary and that hour is still officially an available time slot. Regards, (Larry Will, WBCQ, April 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 9265.04, WMLK-Bethel, Pennsylvania, 1950-2000*, April 20, English religious talk about the teachings of Yahweh. Closing announcements at 1957 giving ID, (wrong) schedule, (wrong) frequency, & address. Frequency announced as 9465. I think they last used 9465 back in 2004. Reception was weak but readable. Monday-Friday only. Irregular (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 6-089, June 20, 2006: Hi Glenn, Regarding KTRB, anyone interested in the history of the station and its successor KMPH can find it at the Modesto Radio Museum website. Regarding your article, Cal Purviance is the President of our museum group. Mike Hardester mentioned Milt Hibdon was his late cousin. We have been trying to gather information on Milt and other former employees of KTRB for inclusion in our museum archives and our website. We would greatly appreciate your help in getting in touch with Mike. We are also looking for information on the other pioneer stations in Modesto, CA including KBOX, KMOD, KBEE-FM and others. If you know of anyone or source that might have any information on these stations we would greatly appreciate the help. Thanks again for your help (Bob Pinheiro, WA6ZLO, Webmaster and 2nd VP, Modesto Radio Museum Foundation http://www.modestoradiomuseum.org (April 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. G - Jamestown [Virginia], the first permanent English settlement in North America, was founded in 1607. Members from a number of amateur radio clubs from the east coast area of the UK will operate special event station GB400AA --- Anniversary of America, http://www.gb400aa.net/ --- on 11-13 May. Expect activity on various HF bands (primarily 20, 40 and 80 metres) using CW and SSB. GB400AA might also participate in the CQ WW WPX CW Contest and be active at other times during May. QSL via G0SBW. [TNX VA3RJ] W - Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the Williamsburg Area ARC and the Dominion DX Group will operate special event stations W4J (4-25 May, QSL via KU4FP) and K4J (11-13 May, QSL via KS4RX) respectively. Information on other special event stations participating in the celebrations can be found at on the ARRL Virginia Section http://www.arrlva.us/arrlva/va400/va400_index.html (425 DX News April 21, via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE. NO DEAL UNTIL MUGABE GOES Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:42:00 Boniface Samu http://www.zimdaily.com/news/117/ARTICLE/1591/2007-04-20.html IT never rains but pours for chiefs at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) after Jump TV International in a shocking u-turn hinted they will no longer fulfill earlier agreement to put ZBC-TV and radio programmes on the Internet until President Robert Mugabe steps down. On Monday (26 February 2007), ZBH and Jump TV-a Dubai based company with offices in London, Ontario, Kampala and elsewhere had agreed to put ZBH programmes on the Internet, but the latter due to Mugabe's continual gross suppression of human rights have with immediate effect reversed the deal until the 83 year old tyrant goes. Impeccable sources within ZBH today told ZimDaily that they had lost the golden opportunity to market and penetrate the international community because of ZANU PF’s arrogance. “We have received communication from Jump TV International about the reversal of the previous agreement because of President Mugabe’s arrogance. The company also indicated that they would consider the deal when Mugabe leaves office,” the source said. The climbdown on the deal, according to the source means Zimbabweans living abroad will not be able to watch ZBC TV programmes live on their computers or even, in some countries, on their television set. They would also not be able to listen to all ZBH radio stations. Part of the agreement between ZBH, through their chief executive officer, Henry Muradzikwa and Jump TV general manager for Africa and the Caribbean, Douglas Ames gives Jump TV an exclusive license to commercially distribute and rebroadcast ZBC TV programmes worldwide via Internet TV and Closed Network Internet Protocol TV (Including via telephone networks cable and satellite platforms). In return ZBC TV would have received a share of the revenue generated by Jump TV through subscriptions and advertising. The revenue was aimed at providing ZBC TV with the much needed foreign currency, which will be used to purchase new broadcasting equipment. Internet streaming of ZBC TV programmes would have begun early this month, with radio station broadcasts probably commencing a few weeks after. In an interview with ZimDaily in February, ZBH CEO Muradzikwa indicated that the whole transition would be used as Mugabe’s propaganda vehicle to the international community and at the same time giving Zimbabweans an opportunity to ‘speak directly to those who are receiving distorted information about the country.’ But Raymond Majongwe, the President of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said the move by Jump TV was welcome. Majongwe said it was now the right time for Mugabe and his cronies to call it a day after ruining (running) the country for over 27 years. “The right time for Mugabe to go is today, there is a question that everybody is fed up with him and his party. It’s good news that all nations in the entire world now know Mugabe is more than the Devil. “These people (Zanu-PF crooks) have caused untold suffering on our people,” Majongwe said. Jump TV has agreements with 295 televisions companies in different parts of the world and among the television stations in Africa that have agreements with it are stations in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. End/// (via DXLD) And NO reports of News 247 new SW station (gh) ** ZIMBABWE. 6045, Radio Zimbabwe? 0225-0229, April 20, Tentative with local African music but very weak & covered by adjacent channel splatter at 0229. Nothing heard on 3396. Perhaps ex-3396. 3396, Radio Zimbabwe, 0115-0225+, April 21, hi-life music, song by Josh Grobin, talk in vernacular & some English. Poor to fair. Not on this frequency the previous night but I had a tentative logging of them on 6045 on that night (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Was it really hi-life music that you heard from Radio Zimbabwe? Generally, hi-life music is an older style associated with Nigeria (David Goren, HCDX via DXLD) We tend to use this term too broadly (gh) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Re 7-047, SW Radio Africa`s new frequencies at 1700-1900: Based on yesterday`s reception, I would not think 11975 was a hi-latitude path, as it was coming in like an equatorial signal with good strength and no flutter, e.g. Ascension. Contrary to 12035, and no signal from Russia on 11810 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reception of SW Radio Africa yesterday was best here on 11975 and 11775. There was not much difference between them. I also heard the Rai bird causing some QRM to 11975. And have you noticed that the bird sings better on the sidebands than it does on the actual frequency. Maybe it's a SSB bird? 11810 was audible at fair strength but 12035 was only poor as I would expect. Glenn - if 11975 was ASC I don't think I would have heard such a good signal as I did, but who knows with conditions as they are. The two VOA SW to Zimbabwe channels were poor strength here with no jamming observed. I didn't look for 7120. 73 from (Noel Green, England, ibid.) 11810, SW Radio África, 1744-1747, escuchada el 19 de Abril en inglés con cuña de ID, locutor con comentarios y conversación con invitado, SINPO 44454. 12035, SW Radio África, 1747-1755, escuchada el 19 de Abril en inglés a locutor con entrevista a invitado, emisión en paralelo por 11810 y 11975, referencias a Zimbabwe y a Mugabe, SINPO 44554. ?? 11975, SW Radio África, 1735-1744, escuchada el 19 de Abril en inglés e idioma vernácula a locutor con comentarios, entrevista a invitado, SINPO 55555 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Sangean ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11975, SW Radio Africa, *1700-1725+, April 20, English opening announcements with IDs. "Call Back" interview show. Strongest of all the frequencies but with a transmitter problem producing a slightly unstable carrier. Cleaner audio on // 12035. Weaker on // 11810. 11775 not heard due to Gene Scott on frequency (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) don rhodes Says: April 21st, 2007 at 1:15 e Andy and others, (Hi Joe) I heard R SW AFRICA [sic] at quite good level on 12035 from 1800 (20/4) but silence on 4880. English news and many items about Mugabe and Zimbabwe internal politics, etc. Since it`s 4 am here in Melbourne I only tried two of the frequencies by timer. I`ll try the others tonight. Still no idea about the site?? and do they QSL? (Media Network blog via DXLD) SW Radio Africa 12035 Rampisham: Missing its skip zone and coming through pretty well 140 miles/226 km from the transmitter. Heard from 1700 start with 33333. Slightly bullied by VOR on either side - particularly 12040. Impossible to hear any of the other frequencies at my QTH. Yesterday (20 April) gave listenable results for all except 4880. 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, April 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saludos cordiales, desde Valencia, SW Radio Africa en 12035 con un SINPO 44544. En 11975 sin señal, tampoco en 11810. 73 (José Miguel Romero, ibid.) Por Buenos Aires entra con señal pobre en 12035 kHz pero con muy buena señal en 11810. 73 (Arnaldo Slaen, ibid.) Hopeless: Sin esperanza alguna. Apenas algunas palabras sueltas (just barely words heard). Sólo porque mis colegas lo reportan, es que hay una emisora en 12035. Some other guys have all the luck, not for a tico. My ICF7600GR goes as far as it can, despite the T2FD. 73s (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) Saludos, a las 1850-1900 horas, en 11975 sin señal hoy. ¿Es que hay una emisora en 12035 hoy? Sin señal en Alemania también hoy. 11810 S=9+20 dB un octavo de secundo retrasado, comparado con 11775. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) Saludos wb, reportada por Tomás Méndez en España. Hoy 21 de Abril en Valencia sólo se escuchaba en 12035 Hola: A la escucha, entre otras, de SW Radio Africa: 1730 a 1745 UT, 11775 = muy interferida a causa de co-channel +5 kHz; 11810 = 35443 más débil pero sin problemas. 12035 = fuerte, 44444 ligero splatter frecuencias superior e inferior. 11975 = sin señal. 4880 = ni en sueños.... a estas horas. Saludos cordiales, (Tomás Méndez, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing heard from the new 247 newschannel, but SW Radio Africa on 4 frequencies yesterday at 1800: 4880, 11775, 11975, 12035. 11975 was best at my location (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, http://www.africalist.de.ms April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12035, SW Radio Africa, 1850-1900, April 21, reports and talks, short interview, 23332 // 11810 with 34433. Pips, s/off (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, HCDX via DXLD) 12035, SW Radio Africa, *1700-1740+, April 21, Good signal with English programming. Nothing heard on 11975. 11810 came on the air around 1733 but with low modulation. 11775 totally blocked by Gene Scott, Anguilla (Brian Alexander, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12035, SW Radio Africa, about 1715 on April 22, Richard Allfrey's religious program "Through the Valley", segment of his program had Violet Gonda with phone interviews with 3 Zimbabwe religious leaders. In the past, I always enjoyed hearing Richard's program for his varied commentaries about Zimbabwe. Last heard him back in early 2005 (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Missed audio on Russian relays 11775 and 11810 at program start 1700 UT. Same happened for second time. VTMC had again a problem today, to bring the R S_doubleU Africa program from London Bush house control room to the Russian sites via Moscow control room. Both 11775 and 11810 had their test tone procedure before 1700 UT successfully solved and noted here in Germany on strong level of S=9+10 dB both. But only 12035 RMP started with program audio punctual. Announcement missed test frequency of 11975 again [11975 ceased now from Apr 21]. Finally Russian relays joined transmission late at 1714:10 UT. No jamming received yet, -- except on Madagascar relay 9765 channel at 4-5 UT on Apr 16. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DXLD) That being another station, V. of the People (gh, DXLD) DX Friends, SW Radio Africa 12035 Rampisham: Today the signal is slightly better but the two Moskva giants are both at equal strength really squeezing the signal from Rampisham. Overall 42333. A most interesting effect has taken place during the past week. I have also been hearing strong signals of BBC 11845 from Rampisham in Russian also at 1700. This signal (at 62 degrees) comes over my house and is the ultimate silent skip problem. I'm sure that the Germans have the same problem with Jülich and Wertachtal. As long as it lasts, I will enjoy the strong signals from my local BBC/VT Merlin transmitters. The net result of this is that my reception of 12035 may be boosted by this effect. 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, ibid.) Hello, 12035 SW Radio África, 1810-, SINPO 55544 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, April 22, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) As mentioned on April 20 SWRA broadcast: ``Access denied by SABC policy`` -- that`s the message from SurfControl when journalists at SABC in South Africa now try to access http://www.swradioafrica.com (via gh, DXLD) SW Radio Africa says “The South African government’s interference in the media is the subject of growing concern amongst journalists in the country. The fact that the SW Radio Africa website is blocked not only attests to the extent that reporting on Zimbabwe is controlled but also puts into doubt [SA President] Thabo Mbeki’s suitability as an arbitrator in the Zimbabwe crisis.” Read the whole story on the SW Radio Africa website http://www.swradioafrica.com/news200407/sabcshame200407.htm (Media Network blog April 21 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Re 1670 kHz, R. Corazón: Glenn, KHPY is "El Sembrador" "La Voz de la Nueva Evangelizaci?n" and WVVM is "Viva 1670" Both monitored here in the last couple of weeks... 73 (Wayne Heinen, CO, NRC-AM via DXLD) I tried a Google search on 1670 and Radio Corazon; kept getting hits on FM stations in Chile, Peru. Perhaps one is now being carried on 1670 in one of those countries, as other WSAm MW stations were being heard. Altho there could be a ``Radio Corazón`` somewhere in just about any SS LAm country (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Hi Glen[n], Lincolnshire Poacher numbers station heard on 5746 at 2215 UT on 20/04/2007. An attempt was made to jam the station by an unknown numbers station, first by unmodulated carrier, then by short numbers message in English, I think the jamming signal was being sent from an embassy here in London, possibly just down the road. I have not heard this before but have heard deliberate jamming of VOA by China Radio International. All The Best (Colin Ember (Fairly new to the hobby), UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Extremely distorted spur with squeal from something centered at approx. 7313, April 20 at 0511, mostly talk but some music. Language? Sounded sorta French, sorta Russian; At 0528 switch to a different announcer and definitely French intonation; 0529 repetitive music for a few seconds; IS? but unrecognized. Then into music with a beat. Did not find anything to match nearby on 41 mb. During this hour I usually hear RN Flevo in Dutch on 7310, but not now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also IRAN UNIDENTIFIED. 9690, NO ID, 1215-, escuchada el 22 de Abril en inglés a locutora con comentarios, ¿All India Radio? Esta emisora anuncia comienzo emisiones a las 1330, SINPO 24332. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Nothing listed, but I see no reason to suppose it was AIR (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. 9735v, April 22 at 1406 – there was an oscillating jammer (?) around this frequency --- the carrier was rapidly going up and down so you could not really hear it tuned right on 9735, but certainly with the BFO on, or as its pitch varied beating against BBC 9740; nothing on 9730. HFCC and Aoki have nothing at all scheduled on 9735 at this time, so no idea what or against what (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Unknown site, 17485, 1935, Spanish, 333, April 16: An OM interviewing a YL (Stewart MacKenzie, WDX6AA, Huntington Beach, California, USA, "World Friendship Through Shortwave Radio Where Culture and Language Come Alive", DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe a spur? Did you look for // on 16m band? KVOH 17775 could do that but would have to be on groundwave to you, maybe close enough? (gh, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ MATT SITTEL`S VHF-UHF BC DX AUDIO ARCHIVE I've got about 2,000 audio files up on my web page, finally, showcasing various DX catches over the years. The Yucatán trops from December 7, 1993 are featured, along with 900+ mile trops from Florida, skip from both coasts here in Nebraska, and "classic" skip from my early years of DXing when I was growing up in Tennessee. The links: Bellevue, NE DX (1999-current) http://www.mcsittel.com/html/audio.html Tallahassee FL DX (1992-1994) http://www.mcsittel.com/html/audio1.html Kingsport, TN DX (1986-1992) http://www.mcsittel.com/html/audio2.html All files are in .mp3 format (Matt Sittel, NE, WTFDA via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ AIRWAVES BELONG TO US ALL By MICHAEL J. COPPS, Special to the Times, Published April 20, 2007 Graduating from Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, I remember a city with a vibrant media: locally originated programs, hometown talent, and good coverage of public issues and political campaigns. On April 30, I will be coming back to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, trying to measure how much of that vibrancy remains. I want to know whether the people of this great area believe that their media are serving them in the way they deserve. It's important to me because I serve as a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, and the FCC will soon be deciding whether to allow fewer media giants to buy up still more local broadcasters and other media outlets. All five members of the FCC will be in Tampa on Monday, April 30, at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, beginning at 4 p.m. and extending into late evening, to hear whether you think this is a good idea. Please come tell us what you think. When it comes to the fate of the people's airwaves - your airwaves - no voices should be as important as yours. . . http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/20/news_pf/Opinion/Airwaves_belong_to_us.shtml (via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ NO MORE DX TUNER --- Click http://www.dxtuner.com/ and read... Ystad, Sweden, 20 april 2007 --- Dear subscribers and guests. For the last 10 years I have been presenting Web Controlled receivers here at DxTuners. I have worked constantly to maintain and supervise this network together with my dedicated crew who has put so much effort into it. Regretfully, recently due to other business and personal commitments, I am unable to dedicate as much time or find as much inspiration as before in running the network and it is with much sadness and sincere regret that I have decided to wind up my business over here. This has been a very difficult and emotional decision for me to take, having made many friends over the years, but after a good 20 years in the IT-business I feel the time is right to move on and try something else. I have been trying to find other solutions to continue running DxTuners but I have found it too complex for anyone else to run without my help. I would like to thank all my friends, subscribers and especially my dedicated crew who supported me over the years. I could not have done it without you guys. Thank you all, Kelly Lindman ---------------------------------- IMPORTANT INFO TO EXISTING USERS AND SUBSCRIBERS We are willing to refund your 1 year or quarterly subscription fully or partially depending on its due date. Please contact refund @ dxtuners.com with your login name and your paypal email address and you will get a refund. There will be a forum for old users soon. Links will be presented here (via Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, April 20, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear DX Tuner Site Operator. I have briefly been looking for a replacement administration for DxTuners and I have gotten a few offers. Thank you! However, I have found the platform too complex running without my help, so it is with much sadness and sincere regret that I have decided to close down the network. You are free to shut down your hardware at any point. There will be no stand alone solutions provided by me or my company as we are winding up the business. I would like to thank you all for contributing to the network over the years. 10 years is a long time and some of you have been with me for most of that time. Again thank you very much. Sincerely, Kelly Lindman, Sweden (via Brett Saylor, PA, ABDX via DXLD) FYI to all: I've been running a DX Tuners radio at my QTH for about a year, and just received this email. Some of you may be familiar with the DX Tuners network - there were several dozen radios all over the world that were accessible for tuning remotely over the Internet. It allowed the listener to listen "live" to the radio via streaming audio. It was a subscription-based system, very sophisticated (by all accounts a professional-class operation) and seemed to be doing well. There were a number of Icom radios (some R75s but many PRC1000s) so you could tune FM-band as well as BCB and SW from many different countries. Just last week I spent an hour on a "virtual DXpedition" listening to AM stations from a receiver in Germany. It was a lot of fun. As a node operator, I did get free access to the system, which was my main reason for setting up a radio on the system (I had my Icom 718 set up as a receiver). I know several people on the AM DXing email lists used DXTuners to check trans-atlantic stations from radios in Europe, and verify what they were hearing here in the US. I did that once to give me a definite ID on Turkey from Pennsylvania. Given the direction of radio listening in this country, I looking forward to using it more in the future if US radio reception started to tank. Alas, another aspect of the hobby is now gone. On the upside, my Icom is now free for me to play ham radio with :-) (Brett Saylor, Central PA, ABDX via DXLD) I was a passionate user of the DX Tuners run by Mr Lindman. It will be sorely missed by the DX community and anyone into radio. Does ANYONE know of a similar service that is available (David Nordmann, Ex DX Tuner, with bad withdrawal symptoms :( HCDX via DXLD) ENIGMA AND ANTIQUE RADIOS IN MUSEUM Ciao! New photos gallery in Playdx WEB pages http://www.playdx.com/foto/colleferro/index.htm Francesco Cecconi has been visiting the Museo Radio Colleferro http://www.radiomercato.com/viewtopic.php?p=2146&sid=1c9c3b3b671bf8ece8152e230ef106ff near Roma. You may look at many photos of the receivers exposed and the enigma http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_(crittografia) commercial (no military equipment). (Dario Monferini, DX LISTENING DIGEST) HOW AMIGO GARY IN VERMONT DEALT WITH THE NOISY POWER UTILITY TRANSFORMER THAT HE PINPOINTED WITH HIS TWO METER BAND THREE ELEMENT YAGI ANTENNA Yes, you heard it right, Gary connected a portable three element Yagi antenna he built using a short length of PVC pipe and aluminum tubing to his two meters band handie talkie, and went around the neighborhood searching for the noise sources. He told me that when he turned around the corner, the noise increased dramatically when the Yagi was aiming at the other street's utility distribution transformer. Arnie, he said, it was so clear, that there was no chance for a mistake. I then called the power company customer service and they sent an engineer that had a noise finder of a different nature. His equipment was tuned below the AM broadcast band, and could not locate the noisy transformer until it was placed exactly below it, while my handie talkie and Yagi combination could pick up the noise source almost a block away from it. In fact, Gary explains, the very cooperative person from the power utility went to my home and asked for a diagram of my noise finder Yagi, because he said that he was going to build one. The next morning the utility crew came with a new transformer and replaced the faulty one. Two days later, Gary said that the engineer that had worked with him to find the noise source called on the phone to tell him that the transformer was opened at the repair shop and they found damages done by an arc over that was due to a faulty insulator, and he also said that anytime that he had a noise problem he could call directly to his cell phone. Now, that's service at its best, and it shows that many times power company people learn from radio amateurs and short wave listeners when trying to find noise sources (Arnie Coro, RHC DXers Unlimited April 17 via HCDX, DXLD) RADIO PHILATELY +++++++++++++++ US POSTAL RATES ---> Effective 14 May, U.S. postal rates will increase as follows: First Class mail within the US = USD 0.41; Mail to Canada and Mexico = USD 0.69; International Airmail = USD 0.90; International Reply Coupons (IRCs) = USD 2.00. [TNX The Daily DX] (425 DX News April 21, via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM: see AUSTRALIA; CROATIA; ECUADOR; LIBYA; NETHERLANDS; SAAR; SERBIA DAB: see UK INTRUDER WATCH ++++++++++++++ THE THREAT OF CHINESE OTH RADAR THRUOUT THE HAM BANDS editorial which will be posted at http://www.iaruregion2.org/index.html this week. My interest is to educate all the hams about this threat to the amateur spectrum. EDITORIAL As citizens of this planet, air, water and food are the essential items for our existence, those items are the lifeblood for our existence, without any one we could no longer exist. Amateur Radio to exist must have access to a CLEAN amateur frequency spectrum. The radio amateur must have complete access to all the frequency spectrum that was allocated for radio amateur service. Without it, our radio equipment is like an automobile without a road or a boat without water --- The automobile and the boat may be interesting to look at but totally useless. Do you want your expensive and cherished ham equipment to be interesting to look at? It can happen if no one cares enough to fight for your frequencies. Every little bit helps, do your part in any way you can. Please understand, the IARU Region 2 cannot perform miracles, it takes time for reports to work their way through channels. Have I attracted your attention, if so please read on take notes please, but there will be no test at the end of this editorial, the real test will be are you willing to take a few minutes and report unknown stations you believe may be an INTRUDER using our radio amateur frequency spectrum for their gain. Most of us would not think twice about reporting a suspicious character lurking in our neighborhood. You would either question the suspicious person or call the police. In our case we cannot question the INTRUDER, there are no radio amateur police but YOU as a resident of the radio amateur neighborhood should immediately report the INTRUDER to your Intruder Watch person at your radio amateur society. In the case of US amateur radio operators, the ARRL. The intruder in our own neighborhood is usually there to STEAL something of value. The radio amateur community too has items far more valuable than any of our personal possessions, they have radio frequencies, these frequencies used by other countries can bring in billions of dollars to that country. Many countries want to steal the radio amateurs frequencies for monetary gain. If you are a radio amateur who only operates on VHF/UHF or the occasional operator please BECOME A CONCERNED RADIO AMATEUR, read the IARU Region 1,2 and 3 web sites, read about the INTRUDER radio stations who have already invaded our frequency spectrum, read about the Over The Horizon radar on web sites and also read about the famous Russian “Woodpecker”, educate your self to what is happening to our radio amateur frequency spectrum. If you are an operator who takes part in your state emergency HF nets you need to be concerned as much as the avid DX'er about our precious amateur frequencies. To appreciate our existence one should read 200 Meters; Down, a very well written book describes how concerned experimenters (no hams at that time) tried to make the government pass laws to legally recognized the radio amateur. No one just gave the radio amateur their operating privileges and frequencies. Our operating frequencies as we know them today (many amateurs just take them for granted) were fought for. The IARU helped as well as concerned radio amateurs to attain new frequency bands (as an example the WARC bands) many CONCERNED radio amateurs took their time and effort to give us what we seem to take for granted today.. Please if you want to continue using the radio amateur bands as they are then become a CONCERNED citizen of the amateur community, report those stations who do not belong in the radio amateur community. Contact your country`s Radio Amateur Society and tell them you are a concerned citizen of the Radio Amateur community ,“I want to help remove the INTRUDERS from my community.” Presently the biggest INTRUDERS are the Chinese Over The Horizon (OTH) radar stations sometimes closed the DX windows from 160, 75/80 and 40 meters, many times the OTH radar is S-9+20 db or more into California. The Chinese are members of the ITU and have IARU representatives, they do not really recognize the amateur bands. It must be understood that there are radio amateur bands that are shared with other users and there are also radio amateur bands that are not shared. If there is a question then go to http://life.itu.ch/radioclub/rr/frr.htm then scroll down and click on ARS lookup List, this page explains all the radio amateur frequencies as well as foot notes related to the bands in question. Don't say that's not my problem because I live on the East Coast. NOT true, the East coast was plagued by OTH radar in 2005. The OTH radar intruders are not just on the lower bands (old wives tale), they can be found on every radio amateur band from 160 to 10 meters. Is your cherished and expensive radio equipment just sitting on your desk collecting dust while you dream of QSOs you used to have when you talked to other ham operators in distant lands or operated in the World Wide DX contest? Intruders in time will force the retirement of your radio equipment if the Intruders are not forced out of our amateur radio spectrum. If you care less or think someone else will do all that intruder reporting stuff while you are happy only to talk to John, Charlie and Bob on the local repeater, thinking I don’t like the HF bands because they are noisy and use them for the HF emergency nets you are mistaken. How can your run a state HF net when the Intruder has a S-9 to 20 over that covers the band?… If you are a concerned radio amateur and honestly care for the future of ham radio you must be or you would not have read this far) then work with your radio amateur societies to remove these INTRUDERS from our precious radio amateur spectrum. If you care less then find another hobby because you will loose your precious radio amateur spectrum to INTRUDERS such as Chinese Over the Horizon radar and other foreign intrudes who would use our amateur spectrum for commercial gain. Those who are not concerned may be using a tin can and a string for communications. Thank you for reading. Very Best DX 73's Bill WA4FKI (via Fred Osterman, DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ POOR DICTION BY NON-NATIVE SPANISH-SPEAKING INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTERS Re: DXLD 7-047 Taiwan --- Saludos Rubén, lo que me da por pensar mientras leía tu comentario sobre Patricia Lin, es que si ella esgrime pobre dicción en castellano, vos no has tenido el chance de escuchar al locutor de La Voz de Indonesia al español (igualmente notado por Glenn y José Miguel) que sí cuenta con buena dicción, pero le cambia el acento a la mayoría de las palabras, un tanto parecido a la impresión que me produjo Hill Edell cuando en WRUL Radio New York Worldwide, acentuaba el apellido López como LoPEZ, por aquello de la canción "If I Had a Hammer" de Trini López que seguro recuerdas. Pero sabés, después de todo eso es lo que hace simpático escuchar a ciertos locutores de las radios orientales, como yo recuerdo por igual a Olivia Pam, con ese español un tanto masticado o arrastrado. Igual gracia debe hacerle a los que entienden inglés, si vos y yo tomáramos un micrófono para hacerlo en su idioma, con una pronuciación algo "aguacatera" (avocated) como decimos en Tiquicia. 73 y buen fin de semana (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) It is unfortunately extremely common for ignorant gringos to mis- accentuate Spanish names such as López, Chávez. They even get the consonants wrong, as ``loh-PEZZ``, ``sha-VEZZ`` are typical. Part of the blame falls on English-speaking media for refusing to print the accents where they are required. Some semi-integrated Hispanix even give up and allow, nay, expect their names to be mispronounced and even start doing it themselves (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###