ANGOLA Radio Nacional de Angola noted regularly late December on the distinctive off-channel frequency of 7217 when I was checking Eritrea on 7220. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC-UK Communication via DX Listening Digest)
ANTARCTICA British Antarctic Survey (BAS) heard on 7775USB with strong voice traffic from BAS stations on Antarctica with check-ins on the hour. Callsign used is Skyblue (assumed to be the Sky Blu Logistics Facility). (Mike Chace-Ortiz, location unknown, December 27, UDXF Yahoo Group via DX Listening Digest)
Heard in Michigan same day at 0345, can only read one voice, hard to copy. Perhaps two others, very weak and buried in noise. Chatter at 15 minute intervals. (Terry Wilson, DXLD)
Listened to the audio file Terry posted and just before 2 minutes in, mentions doing a radio check on a lower frequency, 5020? Not certain of third digit. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
www.ats.aq/documents/ie/ukpre07e.doc has information on the frequencies in use for 2006-2007, assuming no change the lower frequency would be 5080. (Anderson Colla, Brazil, Starchat#wunclub)
Good conditions December 26 and 27. I heard Byrd Radio on 8997USB, no set schedule, at 0700 and also on 13251 at 0800. McMurdo was active on 4470 as well as several other very low signals including on 9032 throughout the day between 1800 and 0900. (Andrew D., New Zealand, UDXF Yahoo group via DX Listening Digest)
The club does not normally cover utility stations outside of voice traffic that would be of particular interest, as with these loggings. (Mike Barraclough)
AUSTRIA ORF shortwave schedule now entirely in German, except for 5 minutes of Spanish Monday to Friday at 2155, Tuesday to Saturday 0000, 0030 and 0100. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
The Austrian National Radio Service is still transmitting a 4 minute news service in English. At 0045 Kerry Skyring or Murray Hall has been giving the daily news. (gcerow, name and location unknown, January 6, Prime Time Shortwave via DXLD)
This is a repeat of the early morning English (and French) news broadcasts of the Austria 1 domestic network just after 0700, Monday to Fridays. Unfortunately, these bulletins consist mostly of international news, with very little Austrian content, though we do get the local weather report for the day. It is good to hear that at least a few of the English service staff survived the end of "Report", but the ORF is certainly getting a lot of mileage out of those news bulletins when you realize that the last repeat goes out at 0100 the next day, some 18 hours after the live broadcast on Austria 1. (Will F., Pennsylvania, DX Listening Digest)
I have monitored repeats of the 0709 English news bulletin at 1309 on 17855 followed by French. News in Spanish, German, English and French monitored at 0000-0020 and 0030-0050 on 7325 and at 0100-0120 on 9840. (Dave Kenny, BDXC Communication)
AZERBAIJAN Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) President Jeffrey Gedmin called the December 30 decision by the government of Azerbaijan to take foreign broadcasters off the air "a sad day for the Azeri people, who will now find themselves without access to free and independent media." The OSCE calls the move a "serious step backwards" for Azerbaijan and the US State Department says the decision "retards democratic reform in Azerbaijan."
In Baku the Azeri National TV-Radio Council formally ruled to ban all international broadcasters, including RFE/RL, VOA, and BBC, from the airwaves effective 1 January. The move essentially guarantees a monopoly for state-controlled media and prevents any independent news broadcasts from reaching the Azeri people. Gedmin rejected Azerbaijan's suggestion that RFE/RL can broadcast effectively on alternatives to FM frequencies such as Internet radio or shortwave. "Losing our FM frequency means losing 90 per cent of our audience," he said. "Nevertheless, we will find ways to reach our listeners. Our mission of bringing uncensored news and information to the Azeri people is now more important than ever." (RFE/RL website via BBCM via DXLD)
RFE/RL has added an additional frequency, now 1600-1700 on 7480 9485. VOA Azerbaijani is 1830-1900 on 7435 9625 9885. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
BAHRAIN Radio Bahrain heard on 6010 0000-0010 January 25, English announcements and pop songs. Audible when Chinese National Radio signed off at 2400. (Anker Petersen, Denmark, PLAYDX via DX Listening Digest)
BANGLADESH I wondered whether Bangladesh Betar 4750, inaudible from Kolkata, India was a propagation hiccup. An email from the stations senior engineer said that “at present 4750 kHz is in trouble. There is no other shortwave transmission for the Home Service.” (Supratik Sanatani via Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX)
BELARUS Radio Racja shortwave service in Belarussian via Sitkunai were temporarily suspended on January 1 due to other budget priorities, but are expected to be back on the air by the spring at the latest. (Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany)
BENIN ORTB Parakou heard at 1938 January 16 with talks in French on 5025 but hardly any perceived audio. (Carlos Goncalves, DX Listening Digest)
BRAZIL Presumed Radio Tupi, Curitiba heard on 11765 2124-2129 December 26 with A Voz do Brazil. (Antonio Laurentino Garcia, Brazil, Hard Core DX)
So the government show is one hour earlier now during daylight saving time in part of Brazil, 2100-2200. Many stations are evading broadcasting it live, moving it out of prime time, or not at all. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Tupi, Curitiba has changed its name to Super Radio Deus e Amor, broadcasts on 1210 6060 9565 and 11765. The New web link is: http://www.superradiodeuseamor.com.br. (Marcelo Vilela Bedene, DX Clube do Parana, Cumbre DX)
Radio Globo 11804.8 heard with Super Radio Deus e Amor programming 1026-1115 January 11. (Manuel Mendez, Spain, ibid)
CANADA. CBC Northern Quebec service transmitter again having problems December 27 at 1326 when 9625 was quite distorted, and also putting out almost constant spurs matching modulation peaks, ranging 9645 to 9660 or so, worst at 9650, this time also bothering Iran on 9660. I don’t understand why this stays on the air, unlistenable on fundamental and interfering with other stations. I notified Sackville and Montreal again.
They replied to several emails January 2 saying in part: We appreciate your emails and encourage you to continue to file any anomalies you detect. We are working at solving the issue with our Northern Quebec service. Unfortunately, it is a stubborn, sporadic malfunction which necessitates operating the transmitter to troubleshoot. Rest assured our techs are aware of the situation and are working diligently to correct the fault. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
Since CHU has only one transmitter and one antenna for 40 metres the frequency change occurred in steps. 7335 was shut down on the afternoon of December 31. A coil at the base of the antenna was changed. The transmitter was then turned on and tuned to 7850 and the carrier continued. The audio was then applied. (Raymond Pelletier, National Research Council of Canada, DX Listening Digest)
CHU departed 7335 at about 2107. (Andy Reid, Ontario, ibid.)
Carrier came up on 7850 at 2227, at 2235 had already started modulating with usual time signals and still including the frequency change announcements. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
CFRX Toronto heard on 6070 from 2305 December 30, , identification for CFRB at 2306 at poor to fair level, but in the clear. They used to be an easy catch on the west coast, but these days, since their return, they're much more difficult. The frequency is usually covered by CVC Santiago as well. (Walt Salmaniw, British Columbia, DX Listening Digest)
Since their latest return in mid-December, they ought to be much easier with good modulation and strength. 2300-2400 is a clear hour after Romania and Liberia, before Chile. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Bangui was heard regularly at various times during the daytime on 7220, co-channel with Eritrea. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, late December, BDXC-Communication via DX Listening Digest)
CHAD As reported elsewhere, Chad has resumed the use of 4905 in the morning and evening (daytime on 6165), though exact frequency usage seemed to be a bit erratic. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DX Listening Digest)
COLOMBIA Radio Juventud has reactivated and heard on 5555.3 2320 to 0030 with Ecuadorean music. The station is unlicensed. He also has a crystal for 5587.4. It is a hobby station. (Rafael Rodriguez, Colombia, Connexion Digital)
CONGO On January at 1820 I noted on 6115 a station in Afro-French with talks about Congo. Audio was switching from good to real poor. Around 1849 I believe there was "Radio Congo" ID and then the signal went off. Maybe Brazzaville firing up a transmitter again. (Jari Savolainen, Finland, DX Listening Digest)
Heard 1801-1822 January 28 on 6115, French announcement “Il est exactement 19 heures a Brazzaville” and then presumed news. Sandwiched between WYFR 6120 and BBC 6110. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
CONGO DR The two shortwave stations in the east of the country - Radio Candip on 5066 and Radio Kahuzi on 6210 - were heard regularly with good reception at various times of the day. (Chris Greenway, BDXC Communication via DXLD)
COSTA RICA The silent TIRWR University Network relay shortwave facility in Cahuita is still in limbo. All the transmitting tubes need to be replaced, which would cost around $80,000, plus other repairs to get it operational, and there is no sign that Pastor Melissa Scott is prepared to spend what it takes to bring it back on the air. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
CROATIA Voice of Croatia had planned to switch to 17655 for the 0600-1000 service to Australia however heard near Melbourne January 7 booming in on 15360. (Morrison Hoyle, DX Listening Digest)
DENMARK. The power of the Kalundborg longwave transmissions on 243 was further increased in two steps to 200 watt DRM December 29, which is an 8 dB improvement on the previous 34 watt. Listeners' reports are very much appreciated and may be sent to info@bsd.dk or BSD, Banestrøget 21, DK-2630 Høje. The 300 kW long wave AM transmitter is still kept in working order. (Ydun Ritz, Denmark, Herman Boel, Medium Wave Circle via DX Listening Digest)
DJIBOUTI Radio Djibouti heard regularly on 4780 with excellent signals and good quality audio. The combination of winter and low sunspot activity meant that, despite the low frequency and a distance of around 1,000 miles from my location, the station didn't fade out even during the middle of the day. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DXLD)
ECUADOR Crews removed the last of the tall antennas and towers at Radio Station HCJB’s international transmitter site in Ecuador since they would obstruct the flight path of the future international airport for Quito. “The last of these towers were taken down on December 24 at 9:30 a.m.,” said Geoff Kooistra, operations and engineering director. With 14 other shorter antennas and towers still standing, the transmitters continue to broadcast 60 hours per day with targets throughout the Americas. All shortwave broadcasts from Pifo are projected to end no later than April 1, 2010. (HCJB News update via John Wesley Smith, DXLD)
ERITREA The only definite loggings I made of Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea (VOBME) were on 7220, which was heard regularly at various times of the day, although transmissions are not continuous. It was heard signing on for the evening transmission period at 1400. On one occasion (0935 on 22 December) I heard what may have been a second VOBME channel on 7210. At 0945 this transmitter moved to 7220, co-channel with the other VOBME station, and also with Bangui, making further identification impossible.
No Eritrean transmissions were heard on 8000.
Radio Bana on 5100 was heard regularly, and without any jamming. An English-language lesson was heard in progress with excellent reception at 1745 on 27 December (a Saturday), to close-down at 1803 after a request for letters to be sent to Department of Adult Education,
Ministry of Education, Box 609, Asmara (as in the WRTH) and the national anthem. On another occasion, English was also heard just after 1500, with an identification and announcement that it was on 5100 and 1089. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC-UK Communication via DX Listening Digest)
Voice of Peace and Democracy, via Radio Ethiopia transmitters heard January 2 0357 to 0430, sign on with Horn of Africa music. Echo ID announcements. Talk in Tigrinya at 0400. Occasional local drums. Some Horn of Africa music. Fair signal parallel to 9556.2, listed for Monday, Wednesday, Friday only. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)
Voice of Meselna-Delina in Tigrinya is now scheduled 1730-1800 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on 9610 via Samara. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
ETHIOPIA Radio Ethiopia heard on 9556.1 0659-0739, December 31, opening announcement in Somali after interval signal, chimes then into news. Had drifted up to 9556.3 at 0737 check. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
Ginbot 7 Radio in Amharic schedule is now 1700-1730 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on 7485 and 9610. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
A total of 11shortwave transmitters were confirmed active:
Radio Ethiopia National Service on 5990 (observed closer to 5991), 7110, 9704. The audio quality on 7110 is rather poor. The Monday-Friday English broadcast is now at 1200-1300 (ex 1400-1500), with news at 1230.
Radio Ethiopia External Service (and anti-Eritrea clandestines) on 7165, 9560. The variable 9560 transmitter was heard as low as 9556. The 7165 channel is very heavily jammed at times with a noise jammer covering 7160-7170 and sometimes even more spectrum than that.
Radio Fana on 6110, 6890.
Voice of Tigray Revolution on 5950, 5980. The 5980 channel was only heard for the early morning transmission, closing at 0530 on weekdays (though heard beyond that time on a Saturday). 5950 is much stronger than 5980, but has telephone-quality audio, supporting the theory that 5980 is from Mekele (where the studio is) but 5950 is from Addis Ababa.
Radio Oromia on 6030.
Amhara Regional State Radio testing on 6090 at 0300-0600, 0900-1100 and 1400-1700. Not in parallel with Amhara Regional State Radio heard on listed 801 medium wave. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DX Listening Digest)
Radio Bilal is a new station, broadcasts in Amharic 1700-1800 Sundays on 9610 via Samara. (DX Mix News Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
FREE RADIO Czech pirate station Radio Bila Hora heard with good signal here from 1925 tune in on 3333.3. Has broadcast in previous years on or around this frequency on New Years Eve, station website: http://rbh.czechian.net. (Mike Barraclough)
Dublin station Premier Radio International which used 6265 was raided January 11 and the operator arrested. (Hugo Matten, Belgium, BDX via DX Listening Digest)
KENYA KBC is definitely off shortwave altogether. I drove to the Langata shortwave transmitting station on the outskirts of Nairobi and found that it was still there. (I would not have been surprised if the site had been redeveloped for housing.) I couldn't stay long but someone on the gate confirmed to me that the station was no longer operating. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DX Listening Digest)
KURDISTAN Denge Mezopotamya heard on 11530 at 0525 January 1 playing The Internationale! Full marching band style. Local level signals. I am quite surprised to hear this on a station supposedly looking for a "free" Iraq. I will have to check their political statement. (Al Muick, Afghanistan, DX Listening Digest)
Denge Mezopotamya has extended another hour on 11530, instead of closing at 1400, still going at 1456 check with Middle Eastern singing, but audio breaking up. Presumably the other frequency via Ukraine, 7540, now opens at 1500 instead of 1400. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
LAOS WHRI heard on 11785 with Hmong Lao Radio Saturday December 27 until 1459, including rustic music we always enjoy, then off the air for a semiminute, back on at 1500 for Hmong World Christian Radio. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Presumed Sam Neua, Laos heard on 4412.6 January 16. Tuned to the frequency at 2253 and three minutes later a signal just about penetrated the background noise. I didn’t hear the interval signal mentioned by Hans Johnson but a grandiose-sounding choral composition (National Anthem?) followed by a short announcement and then music, SINPO 15411. Left the frequency 2310, at 2330 recheck soft music. At 2350 the signal strength had improved but the background was becoming noisy, SINPO 24322. Mix of songs and talk to 0010 when I left the channel, gone at 0030 recheck. Not heard January 17. (Arthur Miller, Wales)
LIBYA I sent a report to Voice of Africa using following address: English Service, Voice of Africa, P. O. Box 4677, Soug al Jama, Tripoli. They responded in about eight weeks with a package of literature, a couple of post cards, a blank report form, but no QSL. The package had really nice stamps on it. (Joe Wood, Tennessee, Hard Core DX via DXLD)
LITHUANIA Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran relay broadcasts via Sitkunai have been cancelled. Mighty KBC Radio and Radio Free Asia Uighur transmissions continue. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, Kai Ludwig via DX Listening Digest)
MADAGASCAR. Radio Malagasy was confirmed active on 3288, 5010 and 6135. 3288 and 5010 were heard in parallel in the evenings. As others have reported, 5010 was heard sometimes in USB+carrier mode. However, it was also heard at least once in conventional DSB mode. (Thorsten Hallmann notes that, when in DSB mode, 5010 is slightly off-channel.) 6135 is slightly off-channel.
On one occasion I heard a station on 7105 at 1130 but it was too weak to confirm whether it was Madagascar, which is listed on that frequency. Checking 9690 regularly, I heard Voice of Nigeria, rather than Madagascar, also listed on that channel. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DX Listening Digest)
MALTA Radio Joystick, which began via Radio Milano International in 1985, is now broadcasting via IRRS facilities on 9510 every first Saturday of the month 0900-1000. The transmitter site is near Rimavska-Sobota, Slovakia with 150kw of power. Radio Joystick will continue to inform about the small island of Malta, because Malta has no external radio services anymore, and play carefully selected music. Address is Radio Joystick, Postfach 10 08 12, 45408 Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany. (Station via DX Listening Digest)
With Giampiero Bernardini now verifying reports for Radio Maria if you are on holiday in Malta check 89.4 for Radio Maria from Palermo, Sicily. (Allen Dean)
MOLDOVA Radio PMR as of January 19 has resumed announcing their email address as well as their postal one. (Edwin Southwell)
NEPAL The Technical Director of Radio Nepal says that 5005 is still on the air, seemingly dead carrier noted here, at points I thought that I heard something so it could be that the modulation is just low. He commented that “It is a very old Harris SW 100 transmitter and running on very low power.” (Al Muick, Afghanistan, DX Listening Digest)
NETHERLANDS Radio Netherlands is using 1548 to South Asia 2300-2400 until the end of March, reports from the target area requested. (Edwin Southwell, Allen Dean)
Radio Netherlands has dropped the 1600-1700 English transmission on 1296, Dutch is now broadcast at that time. (Darren Rozier, BDXC-UK Yahoo group)
NEW ZEALAND ZLXA Radio Reading Service has been silent on 3935 since December 1 pending the result of a listener survey and the consideration of cost-effectiveness. A final decision as to the future of the service is expected to be made this month. (Station via Walt Salmaniw, David Richquish, DX Listening Digest)
NORTH KOREA Voice of the Wilderness is now on 9830 via Yerevan 1300-1400 and Sundays 2000-2100 on 7265 via Werchatal.
Shiokaze schedule changes: 1400-1430 now on 5985, 2030-2100 now on 5965. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, DX Listening Digest)
PALESTINE Voice of Palestine via Iran heard January 8 at 0410 on 9505 with Arabic talk and interviews. Really strange audio, like it was run through a flanger or was demod'ed SSB. Lots of millisecond breaks in the audio as well. Maybe one of their feeds was acting up. (Al Muick, Afghanistan, DX Listening Digest)
Based on a tip from Jose Miguel Romero, I started monitoring 5815 around 1645 January 9 and I could hear a call in show talking about the situation in Gaza. After a long conversation with the caller, they started playing patriotic songs; around 1740 I heard an identification saying, Alaqsa channel, your eye on home. Around 1800 I heard another identification, Alaqsa Radio. After checking with my satellite receiver I noticed that what I'm hearing on 5815 is matching what I'm watching the audio feed of Al Aqsa TV channel. I noticed that they are transmitting on the NileSat satellite, 7 West. So I wonder who's relaying the Al Aqsa TV audio carrier on shortwave. The audio on shortwave is ahead of that on my satellite receiver. (Tarek Zeidan, Egypt, DX Listening Digest)
At 2035 there were two signals with similar strength on 5815 and 5835. 5835 has better modulation. (Gunter Lorenz, Germany, Cumbre DX)
Fair reception in Birmingham on 5835 from 2115 to abrupt off at 2152. (Tony Rogers, BDXC Yahoo group)
Transmitter location is unknown. (Mike Barraclough)
PERU Radio Nueva Super Sensacion is a new station heard on 6536 January 11 2230-0100. Address given as Calle Pueblo Nuevo No. 303, Huancabamba, Piura. (Rafael Rodriguez, Colombia, Connexion Digital via DX Listening Digest)
PHILIPPINES FEBC heard on 9430 December 29 at 1430, very good signal with unpublicised bilingual broadcast, at 1453 man in American English talking about grace, alternating with lady in Chinese, presumably consecutive translation.
Then at 1504 I found weaker but sufficient signal on 9400 saying Salaam Aleikum, off 1530. The Aoki online schedules say this is FEBC in Uighur. No trace of jamming, so the Chinese government are not so worried about the gospel hunters as they are about the few secular or Islamic-influenced broadcasts on shortwave in Uighur. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
FEBC noted on 9730 January 1 with interval signal and English announcement again and again from 2250 before regular service scheduled time start of 2300. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
RWANDA Radio Rwanda was heard regularly on 6055, including news in English as scheduled at 0515 and 1830. This daytime and evening shortwave relay of the FM service still takes a weekday break at 0600-0900. Early morning reception of 6055 suffered co-channel interference from Kuwait. WRTH says Kuwait should close at 0400, but it was heard continuing beyond that time. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DXLD)
SEYCHELLES Just above big signal from Turkey 12035 I found English preaching with British accent on 12045, December 29 at 1422, S9 +12 on the meter, but quite undermodulated, and flutter. 1428 closing with a P O Box 8700 address somewhere in India, and separate FEBA address. 1429:30 interval signal and off, but back on a few seconds later, much weaker with tone or heterodyne. This is one of the rare English broadcasts from FEBA, this one via Dhabbaya UAE Mondays only, and switching from 110 to 70 degrees for Urdu following, per the Aoki online schedules. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
SLOVAKIA European Gospel Radio broadcasts brokered by IRRS 0530-0630 on 5990 Monday to Thursday and 1400-1430 Sundays on 15725 have been cancelled. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
SOMALIA. No shortwave broadcast activity was heard. Nothing was heard of the reportedly reactivated Radio Hargeysa service on 7120. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC-Communication, via DXLD)
IRIN Radio is now broadcasting humanitarian news and information in Somali 0830-0930 on 17680. (Kimandrewelliott.com)
Transmitter site is Al-Dhabbaya, UAE. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
SUDAN Radio Omdurman heard on 7200 from 1620 January 1 with news in Arabic, identified Huna Omdurman followed by Horn of Africa music. I liked the very professional structure of their news programme including their audio. (Zacharias Liangas, Greece)
Radio Peace from southern Sudan was heard irregularly in the early mornings on 4750 with Christian programming in Arabic and English. However, it was not heard for several days running in the last week of December. It was not heard at all on 5895. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DXLD)
TANZANIA Sauti ya Tanzania (Voice of Tanzania) has a noticeable hum on its shortwave transmitter, heard on 6015 mornings and 11735 evenings. The transmitter is also somewhat irregular in operation. The morning (0300-0600) reception of 6015 was spoiled by co-channel BBC Arabic at 0300-0500 and BBC Turkish at 0500-0530. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication, Jan 9, via DXLD)
UGANDA UBC Radio (clearly identifying as such, not the former name of Radio Uganda) was heard running a single shortwave transmitter on 4976/7195. 4976 often seemed remarkably weak, especially as I was listening only about 130 miles from Kampala. I'm sure it is running well below the listed 10 kW. Audio quality is also poor.
Radio Dunamis on 4750 was heard with excellent reception in the evening. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DXLD)
UKRAINE For financial reasons the following shortwave transmissions of Radio Ukraine International have been cancelled: 6020 1800-0200, 7285 0600-1300 and all transmissions on 9785 and 15635. (Alexander Egerov, Ukraine, PLAYDX via DX Listening Digest)
UNITED KINGDOM Latest RSL’s from the Ofcom website:
Birkenhead: Vintage Radio 87.7 February 16 to March 1
Bradford: Radio Milaad FM 87.9 February 22 to March 20
Bristol: Multi FM 87.7 February 16 to 20
Cardiff: Xpress Radio 87.7 February 9 to March 8
Glasgow: Subcity Radio 106.6 February 20 to March 19
Leicester: Maha Sivratri FM 107.5 February 15 to March 14
London W3: NME Radio 87.7 March 2 to 29
Newhaven: Soundwave FM 87.8 February 20 to 22
Nottingham: Progress FM 87.7 February 9 to 15
UNITED STATES I'm currently listening to several 11 metre stations; 25910 WBAP Ft Worth, 25950 KOA Denver, 25990 Texas, here in Chicago. No, I haven't had any egg nog. FM mode? (Kevin Mikell, Illinois, 0241 December 26, NASWA via DXLD)
Nice catch. From what I've read those are low-powered feeder links from the studio to the transmitter site, but once in a while they're audible far away thanks to sporadic-E propagation. I've heard KOA a few times here before, but never the Texas stations. (Mark Schiefelbein, Missouri, ibid)
It’s a common misconception that these are studio-transmitter links (STL). Rest assured that stations such as KOA and WBAP have much more efficient and reliable STL’ s, on 900 MHz band if they use RF at all. And surely most smaller stations heard on 25-26 MHz. At best they might be backups, but the usual reason for them is for cuing when the station is doing a remote, so the people out there can hear the station’s audio non-delayed, unlike the main frequency. Perhaps the widely-heard ones in Denver and The Metroplex are just left on all the time. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
I am the Chief Engineer of 9 AM and FM radio stations. On of my stations has licenses for 3 frequencies in the 26 MHz range. One of them is still used all the time. The transmit end is high up on the hilltop where the FM transmitter is located. We use it as a backhaul for the VHF RPU [remote pickup unit] receiver at the site back to the studio.
The carrier is on 24/7 but the only time there would be actual audio on it would be during a remote broadcast and you would hear the receiver audio from the VHF RPU receiver. We send the remote broadcast audio from the remote van on VHF to the transmitter site where it is received and retransmitted on 26 MHz. We receive the 26 MHz signal at the studio where it is fed to the audio console and then sent back to the transmitter site on the 950 MHz. STL where it is then broadcast on the FM band.
I suppose, instead of leaving a dead carrier on it during non-remote broadcast times, I could send the FM receiver audio back down the line, which would then make it sound like a rebroadcast of our station to the listener. But, I haven't done it. We use older G.E. brand radios for the link. They work great and rarely (if ever) fail. I think the T.P.O. is 25 watts or so. We get letters about it once in a great while. It is a mystery to some. It has been on the air since about 1959! (Paul Shinn, NASWA Yahoo group via DX Listening Digest)
FCC public notices December 29 include these applications:
Construction Permit: George S Mock (Hill Radio International) to Construct a New International HF Broadcast Station located in Milton, Florida.
License: KTMI, Transformation Media International Limited Partnership, Application for an International Broadcast Station License located in Albany, Oregon. (Ben Dawson, DX Listening Digest)
The KTMI application for license indicates that they are ready to begin operations. As of this writing, the station did not have programme test authority but I expect them to receive it soon. The frequencies on the application are 6025, 9445 and 11615, aimed in the direction of Mexico, Cuba, Kamchatka and Canada. The station address was given in Albany. The FCC online record still shows the transmitter city as Lebanon.
The applicant doing business as Hill Radio International is an individual, Scott Mock, WB4BFO, who plans to broadcast from his Milton, Florida home. He proposes to use a custom-built transmitter and a four-element cubical quad antenna at 90 feet above ground level. He told me that this station, which he hopes to name WJHR, will broadcast exclusively in single sideband. Thus, to the FCC application question of "rated unmodulated carrier power output", he answered "Zero". The stated emission type is B8E.
He conceded that SSB broadcasting is unusual, but feels that there are enough SSB-capable receivers now and that his content will be compelling. He said the station would be a commercial operation, but would be funded mostly by "contributions from churches that support our beliefs." The programming will come from a 40-year collection of recordings made at Smyrna Baptist Church in Pensacola Florida. This church received its own construction permit for an HF station one year ago. There are several months left before that construction permit expires, but it appears that it will not be built and that WJHR is a new version of that project. (Benn Kobb, Washington D.C, DXLD)
WYFR has added an additional English service to Western Europe 1800-2000 on 3975 via Werchatal. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
Voice of America English frequency changes: 1200-1300 7575 and 9320 replace 9345, 15190; 1300-1400 7575 replaces 9345; 1400-1600 7575 replaces 7125. (DX Mix News Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
7575 noted here 1400-1600. Transmitter site? (Edwin Southwell)
Is via Thailand. (Mike Barraclough)
World of Radio has a new time to Europe via IRRS shortwave. The programme can be heard Saturdays at 0900 on 9510, except on the first Saturday in the month when Radio Joystick programming is aired. DX Party Line is aired at 1030 followed by the poetry programme 39 Dover Street. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
VOA Urdu (Radio Aap kee Dunyaa) has been given back the shortwave transmissions that were dropped on 31 December. They are at 0100-0200 on 9520 and 9820 and 1400-1500 on 7440 and 9390. (kimandrewelliott.com)
VATICAN Vatican Radio is now using new 9545, replacing 12070, for its service to South East Asia 0200-0320 including English 0300-0320. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DXLD)
YEMEN Republic of Yemen Radio heard on 6005 December 24 1650-1705, Arabic songs, announcement, identification 1701, SINPO 43444. (Anker Petersen, Denmark, PLAYDX via DX Listening Digest)
The station was audible on both 6005 and 9780.1 at 1630 on January 2. Arabic music, announcements, identification in Arabic heard at 1633. Better here on 6005. (Tony Rogers, Birmingham, BDXC-UK)
Also noted here January 2 on 9780.1 at 1845 to abrupt sign off 1903. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)
ZAMBIA ZNBC was heard regularly on 5915 and 6165. (Chris Greenway, Kenya, late December, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD)
ZIMBABWE Despite the problems in the country, the ZBC is managing to keep two shortwave transmitters on the air with good signals and audio. Radio Zimbabwe was heard on 3396 or 6045. Voice of Zimbabwe was heard on 4828 or 5975 though always with continuous music. The switchover times between the daytime and nighttime frequencies were inconsistent, sometimes they leave 6045 on through the night rather than switch to 3396. Reception on 3396 could be especially good during the evening. I heard an advert for a car auction "by barter", no doubt because cash auctions are now impossible in a country where hyperinflation means that the currency loses half its value each day.
I heard SW Radio Africa, Radio Voice of the People and Studio 7 on all their listed frequencies. Studio 7 said it was being jammed on 909 mediumwave and advised listeners to tune to shortwave instead. I did not hear any definite jamming on 909, though there was an unidentified carrier on 910 causing a whistle, which might have been a jammer.
I did hear some jamming of SW Radio Africa on 4880. The jamming was either of the "bubble" type or was a carrier rapidly moving in discrete steps on the high side of 4880, causing random interfering tones. Switching to LSB mode eliminated the jamming noise. The jamming on 4880 was intermittent. More of a problem was co-channel interference from India. Reception of the second SW Radio Africa frequency, 11745 from Woofferton, was very poor indeed, inaudible on some days. I think an 11 MHz frequency is too high for an evening path from the UK to Africa when sunspots are so low. Similarly, Sudan Radio Service was getting only a weak signal into Kenya at 1600 on 17745. Far too high a frequency! (Chris Greenway, Kenya, BDXC Communication via DXLD)
CONTRIBUTORS: Germany: Wolfgang Bueschel, Greece: Zacharias Liangas, UK: Allen Dean, Arthur Miller, Edwin Southwell. Until next month, MIKE
