READING INTERNATIONAL RADIO GROUP The next meeting will be on June 5 in Room 3, Reading International Solidarity Centre, 35-39 London Street, Reading at 2.30 p.m. For more information email me or phone 01462 643899.
ALGERIA RTAlgeria in Arabic via Issoudon, France schedule valid May 2 to September 1 is 0400-0457 on 7295, 0500-0557 on 7295 9535, 0600-0657 on 9535, 1800-1857 on 11775, 1900-1957 on 11775 9375, 2000-2057 on 9375, 2100-2157 on 7495. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
ANGOLA Radio Nacional heard on 4949.8 at 1813 March 26 in Portuguese, good signal strength but usual low modulation, talk by man, into local music after 1816.
On March 27 I heard them on 7217 at 1936 in Portuguese, fair with soccer commentary, best in USB to escape interference from 7215. Programme was parallel to 4949.7, very low modulation. (David Sharp, New South Wales, ADXN via Wolfgang Bueschel)
ANTARCTICA Monitoring has shown that LRA36 is active Monday to Friday 1200-1500 on 15476, not Monday, Wednesday and Friday as reported last month. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
ASCENSION BBC World Service heard on 6100 at 0514 April 5, talk in Portuguese, at 0523 an English lesson, scheduled Monday to Friday 0430-0530 at 102 degrees. The signal had a hum on it and frequency slightly unstable with BFO on; sometimes happens with Ascension, may be something to do with their new power supply. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) The BBC English Bay Wind Farm has started to generate clean electricity for Ascension Island. On Thursday 18 March the first of the wind turbines started generating electricity. Since then three more of the five wind turbines have been commissioned, and last one should be running soon.
The wind turbines were made by Enercon in Germany who chartered a ship to send them to Ascension. Each turbine is 37m to the top of the tower with a 33m rotor diameter, making them 53.5m (176 ft) tall to the tip of the blades. The rotor spins at approximately 35rpm and
always in a clockwise direction. The turbine automatically turns to face into the wind. The towers are steel and the blades are made of fibreglass. The wind turbines are the same model as on the Falklands. Each wind turbine can generate up to 330 kW (450 hp) when the wind speed is 30 mph (25 knots) or more. If the wind speed is lower than this the turbine will produce less power. The wind on Ascension is excellent for generating power as it is both strong and consistent; the wind also seems to be well correlated with the electrical load on Ascension - that is, the wind is strongest at peak times for electricity usage. The power from the wind farm goes directly into the island electricity system.
Once finished the wind farm will be capable of generating up to 1650 kW on a windy day although most of the time it will average about 900 kW. Ascension Island uses between 1000 kW and 3000 kW depending on the time of day and the BBC transmitting schedule. This means that the wind farm will contribute a significant percentage of the island’s electricity and help to reduce the amount of diesel burnt. This is better for the environment as it means cleaner electricity, a lower carbon footprint, fewer diesel tankers and less reliance on fossil fuels. (The Islander via Media Network)
AUSTRALIA I hear that some of the transmitters decommissioned by CVC at Darwin may be going on to useful second (third?) lives: two 100kW could wind up at Radio Australia (RA), Shepparton, if rather expensive shipping costs of a megadollar can be covered. RA may also be getting a 300 kW transmitter, DRM-capable, and some new antennas to serve Africa and SW Asia. Some other equipment from Cox Peninsula has already been donated to HCJB Kununurra. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
AUSTRIA Contrary to the schedule reported last month Radio Austria International broadcasts to the Americas are daily on 9820 at 0000 for Central America, 0030 for Eastern North America, 0100 for South America, 25 minutes Tuesday to Saturday, 15 minutes Sunday and Monday. They relay the 1600 domestic news. (Joe Hanlon, New Jersey, DXLD)
AZERBAIJAN Radio Nagorny Karabakh, Stepanakert heard on 9677.5 at 0502-0510 April 10, Azeri talk with some mentions of Karabakh - extremely strong with usual poorly modulated signal and slight transmitter hum. (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg, Russia, Hard Core DX via DX Listening Digest)
Schedule is now 1500-0530(sic presumably 0500) Wednesday and Saturday, 1300-1330 Tuesday and Friday. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Open DX via RusDX via DXLD)
BELARUS Belaruskaje Radyjo, Brest heard on 6010 2245-2310 March 30, Belarusian song programme. It is now scheduled 23 hours a day, 0200-0100, SINPO 54454, heard parallel to 6040, 6070 and 6080 which were all weaker. (Anker Petersen, Denmark via Dario Monferini, PLAYDX via DX Listening Digest)
BOLIVIA Emisora Pio XII heard on April 5 2330-0000 on 5952.5 with Spanish talks about the socialists
Radio Santa Cruz heard on 6134.8 same night at 2235 with identification. (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Mosoj Chaski heard in Denmark on April 13 0110-0120 on 3310, Quechua announcements and Andean songs, best in USB, usual strong utility interference off this night, SINPO 24222. (Anker Petersen via Dario Monferini, PLAYDX via DXLD)
BRAZIL Radio Nacional de Amazonia noted on 11780 March 28 at 0546 on the air all-night since it’s UT Sunday, and parallel to 6185 on top of Mexico producing a sub audible heterodyne.. No way 11780 is reduced to 7.5 kW as some sources say; strong here when on. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
BULGARIA On April 6 Bulgarian National Radio stopped broadcasting on most of its medium wave transmitters due to the expansion of its FM network. Only three stations were completely closed, the rest will be suspended and possibly used in future for digital broadcasts. (Website, Ivo Ivanov via DX Listening Digest)
This includes the Radio Varna shortwave broadcasts as announced on Radio Bulgaria’s DX Programme on April 17. (Edwin Southwell)
CANADA The scheduled 1700-1759 Saturday Radio Canada International English transmission from Horby on 5850 is not being heard here. BBC WS English heard on the frequency. (David Crystal, Israel, April 26)
Not heard here when I checked 5850 April 30 at 1750, just BBC which is from Thailand. (Mike Barraclough)
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC An HCJB technical team will begin installation work on a transmitter and antenna that will add a night-time frequency for ICDI. This will allow Radio ICDI to add over 8 hours to our programming. (April News from ICDI via DXLD)
ICDI is Integrated Community Development International, a non-denominational, non-governmental, and non-profit faith-based organization presently working in the Central African Republic and other surrounding countries. The shortwave station transmits from Boali, just north of Bangui, programmes are in four different languages. Website is www.icdinternational.org which says:
It is interesting to note that every village has a radio—most have more than one. Radios purchased from countries like Nigeria and Niger are very affordable. They cover FM, shortwave, and mediumwave bands. Prices starting around $6 make this method of communication affordable for a large percentage of the population—everyone listens to the radio! (Mike Barraclough)
CHINA Voice of Tibet added an extra broadcast 1300-1400 in Tibetan, except for Chinese 1315-1330, April 22 on 15540 via Tajikistan. The broadcast consisted of recorded messages of condolence to victims of the earthquake on the Tibetan plateau. The station decided to isolate condolence messages from its regular programmes to escape Chinese jamming. They informed the Chinese authorities however the extra broadcasts were jammed. (Aoki via Glenn Hauser, Hindustan Times via Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX)
CROATIA Croatian Radio via transmitters in Deanovec now scheduled 0459-0758 on 6165, 0759-1358 on 7320, 1359-2028 on 6165 and 2029-0458 on 3985. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
CUBA Radio Havana Cuba is using some new frequencies: Spanish now on 15380 at 1100-2300 and 0000-0500, 12030 at 1100-2400, 12020 and 9525 both 2300-0500. 5040 now starts earlier with Spanish 2100-2300 and 0200-1100, English, French and Creole 2300-0200.
5970 is scheduled 0100-0700 in English and 0700-1100 in Spanish.
15370, ex 11770, is scheduled 2000-2030 Portuguese, 2030-2100 Arabic and 2100-2300 Spanish. All per the Radio Havana website. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
9780 is a new frequency for Radio Republica at 0200-0400 first reported by Jose Elias Diaz Gomez in Venezuela, poor signal here but no jamming, compared to 9490 via Sackville until 0200. The 9780 broadcast is Tuesday to Saturday only. Site unknown, possibly UK or Central America. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
CYPRUS Radio Bayrak, Northern Cyprus heard on 6150 0200-0225, April 3, horribly undermodulated carrier in the clear as soon as co-channel Budapest had left. Faint traces of English pop songs on occasional peaks and whenever AIR on 6155 kept quiet. Actual identification will remain a challenge unless their long-standing audio problem is solved, if it ever will. Meanwhile I have no doubt this is them. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DXLD)
DJIBOUTI I received an email reply in 31 days from La Voix de Djibouti for a reception report and audio file e-mailed to info@lavoixdedjibouti.com. The reply said that: “La Voix de Djibouti is the first independent radio in the history of Djibouti. Our goal is to support the democracy and freedom of speech in one of the most autocratic and dictatorship of Eastern Africa.” (Alokesh Gupta, India, Cumbre DX)
La Voix de Djibouti has the same schedule in A10, Thursdays 1530-1630 on 15615, site unknown. Heard here April 1, instrumental anthem 1530, Horn of Africa song, 1532 into talk seemingly in French, poor signal with traces of long path echo. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
EGYPT Radio Cairo heard on 15065 March 29 at 1458, open carrier past 1501, at 1539 recheck with weak modulation, man talking slowly. Is scheduled for Dari and Pashto 1300-1600, ex 12170. Radio Cairo in Arabic was on 15080 with usual terrible crackly modulation. I wonder what the aeronauts think of all these intrusions into their band?
Radio Cairo later heard same day on 9305, March 29 at 2044 and 2130 with muffled and distorted audio in Arabic; at times it sounds like there are two carriers or two modulations mixing, but BFO finds only one carrier. This is a new frequency for General Programme, 1900-0700, exactly same parameters, including the awful modulation in B-season, as on 6290, which this replaces. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
ETHIOPIA A new clandestine started mid March via World Radio Network, Ogaden Media at 1800-1830 Monday and Friday on 7425, later shifted to 1815-1845, probably via Armenia (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
On April 16 broadcast moved to 1430-1500 on 15540 via Grigoriopol. (Ivo Ivanov, ibid)
VOA Amharic evening transmission, which as reported last month Ethiopia is jamming, at 1800-1900 is now on nine frequencies: 9620 11520 11905 11925 11975 12140 13835 13870 15730. Ethiopia has also increased its jamming of Eritrean based radio stations. (Chris Greenway, DX Listening Digest)
Listening via the remote monitoring receiver at Addis Ababa all three morning frequencies, 0300 on 6055 7300 and 11790, are successfully jammed. For the evening transmission I heard two frequencies, 15730 at 1815 but covered by jamming at 1845 and 13835 with a fair signal at 1816 and 1846, getting through. (Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid)
FREE RADIO UK Rocks the World made a short notice test transmission to North America April 4 1500-1558 on 15760, reports to ukrockstheworld@googlemail.com. Weak and fluttery here but very good signal using a Global Tuners receiver in New Hartford, Connecticut. (Mike Barraclough)
They were heard earlier the same day on 5875 until just after 1033. (Allen Dean)
GERMANY Deutsche Welle has published its planning for 2010-2013 and performance review. Germans abroad are no longer targeted, with an exception of providing an information service in areas where the infrastructure to access domestic German media is lacking. Arabic has been taken off shortwave in favour of rebroadcasts by RMC Doualiya. Abandoning shortwave is also being planned for the Asian countries in which it is hardly being used anymore. Exceptions are China and Iran where "only a low use of the radio programmes on shortwave can be expected". DRM is no longer mentioned at all.
Daily use of shortwave in percent: Arabic world below 2, India 2.3, Pakistan 2.4, Bangladesh 2.5 (note figures for FM 3.8, mediumwave 8.8), Afghanistan 14, China 0.5 (generally low radio use of just 10, less than a quarter of all households own a radio at all), Indonesia 0.6, Moldova 3.2, Ukraine 1.8, Russia 1.0. (Kai Ludwig, DX Listening Digest)
Christliche Wissenschaft schedule is 0900-0959 Sundays on 6055, 1800-1859 Saturday on 9585, both via Wertachtal. This is the Christian Science Church in Germany.
Evangelische Missionsgemeinden in Deutschland is scheduled 1030-1100 Saturday and Sunday on 7370 via Wertachtal, 1500-1528 Saturday on 11695 via Wertachtal and 1100-1130 Saturday on 13710 via Nauen.
Lutheran World Federation schedule is 1330-1345 Sunday on 15160 via Wertachtal Sunday, Nauen other days, 1830-1859 daily on 9655 via Wertachtal.
Missionswerk Arche schedule is 1100-1115 Sunday on 5945 via Wertachtal.
Radio Reveil Paroles de Vie schedule is 1830-1845 Tuesday and Thursday on 15675 via Nauen.
Radio Traumland schedule is 1300-1400 Sunday on 5945 via Wertachtal. (Deutsche Telekom schedule via Michael Bethge via Wolfgang Bueschel)
MV Baltic Radio relay schedule is now 1st Sunday MV Baltic Radio, 3rd Sunday European Music Radio, 4th Sunday Radio Gloria International at 0900-1000 on 6140 via Wertachtal. (Tom Taylor, Cumbre DX)
Bible Voice Broadcasting Network has a new English transmission to Western Europe Mondays 0700-0800 on 7410 via Wertachtal. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DXLD)
GREECE On Saturday and Sunday, the Albanian, English, French, and Spanish programmes of Radio Filia are on for only 30 minutes, whereas on weekdays they are on for 1 hour. (John Babbis, DX Listening Digest)
English is 0500-0600 Monday to Friday and 0430-0500 Saturday and Sunday all on 666, only the Monday to Friday programme is on 11645. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
GUINEA Radio Guinee heard reactivated on 7125 April 16 at 2255 to past 2310, French and vernacular talk. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, DX Listening Digest)
GUYANA Radio Guyana is now on 3290 full time. Tests were done on 5950 but heavy interference from a Brazilian station. The station is going to apply for a frequency in the 60 metre band. The transmitter is 10kw but is being run at 8kw. (Jamie Labadia, May 1, DX Listening Digest)
HUNGARY Hungarian Radio shortwave broadcasts from Jaszbereny, details of which are in last months column, will cease on June 30. They will then be broadcast, on the same schedule, from Wertachtal. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
IRAN The U.N. telecommunications agency says Iranian jamming of international satellite broadcasts is 'forbidden' and has ordered the Islamic republic to clear the interference. The International Telecommunication Union stopped short in its March 26 statement of blaming the government for the jamming, but said the source was clearly from Iranian territory. ITU said Friday it was acting on a complaint from France, representing satellite provider Eutelstat. ITU has no effective means to enforce its order. (Associated Press, via Kim Andrew Elliott via DXLD)
ISRAEL Kol Israel in Persian heard on 13850 with fair signal March 29, unjammed from interval signal before 1400 till 1407:50 UT, when a poor Iranian army jammer started with tiny bubbling. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
I heard a test transmission from Kol Israel in Russian April 26 1400-1500 on 11985, parallel to the FM service. (David Crystal, Israel)
I checked April 27, fair signal in Russian but much splatter, went into Voice of Russia English at 1500 following interval signal. The programme was parallel to the Voice of Russia Russian service internet feed. Listed is Moscow 500kw to the Middle East 1400-1800. (Mike Barraclough)
I checked 11985 at 1430 April 27 and the ID was "Golos Rossii". (Jari Savolainen, Finland, DX Listening Digest)
On June 30 2004 the Voice of Russia and Kol Israel signed a tentative co-operation agreement for rebroadcasting Voice of Russia programmes in Russian on FM in Israel. (Andy Sennitt, ibid)
ITALY An email from Ron Norton of IRRS in response to my report said that:
“We do acknowledge hereby your reception report, and we may forward it to the programmers that you mention for verification. They may reply to you with a QSL or verification letter…Due to budget constraints, we are unable to reply to all QSL requests or send information, stickers, pennants, schedules or gadgets by regular mail..
We have access to several monitoring stations around the world that provide real time data on the audio delivered on our target, and for this reason old-time technical reception reports, DX reports or QSL request are not very useful to our technical staff.
Mere technical reception reports are not very interesting to those who support our organization, use our media channels and keep our station alive. What we all wish to receive and correspond about with you are comments and suggestions on the content of each programme….Please notice that many stations have stopped issuing QSL cards completely, in an effort to contain costs and continue to provide current services on Shortwave. QSL management is very expensive to deal with for our limited budget as well, and we are not currently staffed to reply to any and all letters and emails that we receive every day. (Ed Insinger, New Jersey, DX Listening Digest)
KUWAIT Radio Kuwait English service is now on new 15540 1800-2100. (Allen Dean, Edwin Southwell)
Radio Kuwait in Arabic noted on April 14 at 1627 tune in , identification 1659 followed by news, fair reception, again heard on April 15. (Edwin Southwell)
Registered as 1600-2200 500kw non-directional to the Middle East. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
Heard April 13 in Arabic at 0630 on 7150. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, ibid)
Following contact from the IARU intruder watch broadcasts on 7150 and 7190 were suspended April 19. (Wolfgang Bueschel)
7190 replaced by 6050 in Arabic 1600-2100. (S. Hasegawa, Japan, ibid)
Radio Kuwait Arabic using new 13650 0200-1100. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
KYRGYZSTAN Kyrgyz Radio 1 heard at 1753 15 April with operas or classical music, barely heard due to very low modulation, parallel to with same audio problem. Signals S7/S9 respectively, 44332. (Zacharias Liangas, Greece)
Following the ousting of Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiev Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s radio and television programmes returned to the air via the national broadcaster after a 2 year absence. Three hours of daily radio programming and two weekly primetime television shows are now being broadcast. (RFE/RL via Kim Andrew Elliott)
The national radio and TV broadcaster buildings were violently attacked during the overthrow. Four of its five studios suffered irreparable damage. They are broadcasting from one studio, located away from their headquarters, which has outdated equipment. (ABU via Alokesh Gupta, Cumbre DX)
LAOS On Saturday March 27 I tuned into 11785 to confirm that Hmong World Christian Radio via WHRI has shifted another hour earlier to start at 1300, bit of Hmong talk and 1330 into Call to Worship, off after 1400. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
MADAGASCAR Radio Mada International is now 1530-1600 Saturdays and Sundays on 15630 via Grigoriopol, can only hear Greece here but World Radio Network say there have been no complaints of co-channel interference in the target area. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
MALAYSIA Traxx FM heard on 7295 at 2344 March 28 with pop songs introduced in English, fair reception and no adjacent channel splatter from 7290 and 7300 due to seasonal frequency changes. (Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, DX Listening Digest)
RTM Kajang is off frequency, heard on 6174.4 at 1815 April 11 in Malay with Salaam FM jingle and pop song. In the clear between co-channel CRI off at 1857 and Wertachtal carrier starting at 1927. Weak parallel to excellent 9750. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DXLD)
MEXICO Bits of Spanish audible on 6104.8 with heterodyne on March 28 at 0549, no doubt XEQM. 0500-0600 is now the best window for this after IBB Lampertheim closes, and before BBC Ascension opens. Also another few minutes from 0630 before TWR Nauen opens around 0645.
XEXQ, Radio Universidad de San Luis Potosi has reactivated on 6045. On April 29 at 1205 I heard Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance March, their sign-on theme, Spanish announcements and classical music to 1306 fade out. Good modulation but weak and fading. Presumably 1 kW transmitter which they were running at considerably less when last heard. Current schedule remains to be determined; Eike Bierwirth lists 1200-2400, extended Tuesday to Saturday until 0530. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
MYANMAR Myanmar Radio heard at 1351-1352 April 9 on 5985.8. In vernacular; usual theme music at start and end of this often heard standard slogan; in English it would be something like:
Only with stability and peace will the nation develop. Only with stability and peace will democratisation process be successful. Anarchy begets anarchy, not democracy. Riots begets riots, not democracy. Democracy can be introduced only through constitution. We favour peace and stability. We favour development. We oppose unrest and violence. Wipe out those inciting unrest and violence. VOA, BBC sowing hatred among the people. Radio Free Asia, Democratic Voice of Burma generating public outrage. Do not allow ourselves to be swayed by broadcasts designed to cause trouble. (Ron Howard, California, Cumbre DX)
NETHERLANDS No one so far has commented on Radio Netherlands service in Dutch to Iceland at 2059-2127 on 9895 via Nauen from May 31-August 29. I can't think of another station broadcasting to Iceland now that Deutsche Welle no longer has to pretend that's where they were broadcasting to on the old 40 metre ham band when the service was actually for North America. (Noel R. Green, Blackpool, DX Listening Digest)
After the Icelandic Krona collapsed my German relatives went for an extended tour of Iceland. I guess many Dutch nationals are doing the same. (Sergei S., ibid.)
This is one of a number of additional transmissions that we add every summer for the benefit of Dutch people on vacation. Believe it or not, we actually do research to find out what destinations are going to be the most popular year by year. Providing Dutch tourists and expats with a service of Dutch and international news is part of our mission statement.
I don't know how much longer we will be doing this on shortwave. A detailed survey was recently carried out of more than 1000 Dutch expats and tourists who listen to RNW. Shortwave is, unsurprisingly, declining in popularity - from memory I think only 55% of those questioned said that they used shortwave. We have already reduced shortwave airtime for Dutch, most of which is now for news and current affairs.
We have probably had emails/letters from Dutch people who visited Iceland last year telling us that they could not get good reception. This transmission carries the final news roundup of the day (it's 11 pm in Western Europe) so is one of the most listened-to transmissions in our Dutch service. (Andy Sennitt, ibid)
NIGER La Voix du Sahel has reactivated 9705, heard April 9 2115 to past 2145 with vernacular talks and local tribal chants. On May 1 heard 2150 to close 2301 following short flute interval signal and National Anthem. (Brian Alexander, Pennsylvania, Cumbre DX)
NIGERIA Voice of Nigeria introduced a new schedule April 4. Monitored as 0455-0700 English, 0700-0800 French on 15120; 0800-0900 Hausa, 0900-1500 English on 9690; 1500-1600 English on 15120; 1600-1630 Kiswahili on 11770, 1630-1730 Yoruba/Igbo on 9690, 1730-1800 Arabic, 1800-1900 English on 15120, 1900-2000 English on 9690, 2000-2100 French on 7255. This schedule will be expanded as new transmitters come onto the air. (Alan Roe, Tony Rogers, Dave Kenny, Thorsten Hallmann, DX Listening Digest)
NORTH KOREA New schedules of stations targeting North Korea monitored March 28:
Fursato no Kaze 1600-1630 on 9780 via Taiwan, 1333-1357 on 9950 via Taiwan, 1430-1500 on 9960 via Palau.
Nippon no Kaze 1300-1330 on 9880 via Taiwan, 1500-1530 on 9975 via Palau, 1530-1600 on 9965 via Palau.
North Korea Reform Radio 1500-1600 on 7590 via Tashkent.
Open Radio North Korea 1400-1500 on 11570 via Tashkent, 2100-2200 on 7510 via Yerevan.
Radio Free Chosun 1200-1230 on 11560 via Yerevan, 1230-1300 on 12085 via Tashkent, 1500-1530 on 7470 via Dushanbe, 2000-2100 on 7490 via Tashkent.
Radio Free North Korea 1100-1200 on 12155 via Dushanbe, 1300-1500 on 7490 via Dushanbe, 1900-2100 on 7530 via Yerevan.
Voice of Martyrs 1600-1700 on 6240 via Tashkent.
Voice of Wilderness 1300-1400 on 11680 via Yerevan. (Shigenori Hasegawa, Nagoya DX Circle via DX Listening Digest)
Shiokaze/Sea Breeze heard on 6135, ex 5910, 1421 to 1429 off April 12. Fair to good reception and no jamming. (Ron Howard, Cumbre DX)
PHILIPPINES Radio Veritas Asia heard well from 1500 on 15350 in Tagalog and English. (Allen Dean, Lancashire)
PRIDNESTROVYE Radio PMR is using 9665 to North America 0000-0200. From 0030 March 31 language rotation was 0030 German, 0045 English, 0100 French, 0115 German, 0130 French, 0145 German. Presumably UT Monday to Friday only.
However on March 29, Joe Hanlon in New Jersey monitored 9665 language rotation as: English at 0000, 0045 and 0130, French at 0015, 0100 and 0145, and German at 0030 and 0115. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Radio PMR is also on 6240 1700-1900 Monday to Friday, language rotation is 1700 English, 1715 French, 1730 German, 1745 English, 1800 French, 1815 German, 1830 English, 1845 French. (Aoki A10 frequency schedule)
ROMANIA Radio Romania International using 7385, ex 7335, for the 0000-0056 English broadcast to North America, for the 0530-0556 English broadcast 15750 has replaced 21500. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
RUSSIA GTRK Kamchatka in Russia has verified my reception report with a proper QSL card, full data except for transmitter site after 4 weeks. They also included a nice postcard featuring Petropavlovsk's local volcano, a very pretty view as long as the mountain is quiet. The transmission schedule of regional programmes handwritten as 0700-0730, 0810-0900, 1100-1130, 1310-1400, 1910-1924, 2010-2100, local time, daily except Sundays.
I heard the station on 6075 in Colorado, which is impossible in Germany due to Deutsche Welle 24/7. Their address on the envelope is GTRK Kamchatka, ul. Sovetskaya 62, 683000 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskij. I sent them a report in Russian, but as the QSL is in English that should work too. (Eike Bierwirth, Germany, Hard Core DX via DXLD)
Station is now on a new summer frequency, 5930. Heard at 1246 with poor audio and modulation. (Ron Howard, California, Cumbre DX)
HFCC schedule lists them here at 1700-1300. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Tatarstan schedule is now 0410-0500 on 15110, 0610-0700 on 9690, 0810-0900 on 15195. (Aoki A10 frequency schedule)
Is Voice of Russia really on 15000, as shown in last months schedules, at 1400-1500? (David Crystal, Israel)
Typo on their website, correct frequency is 11500. (Mike Barraclough)
ST HELENA On 25 January, Gary Walters wrote that Radio St. Helena had received about 300 reception reports for Radio St. Helena Day (RSD) 2009 and that they expected to receive about 400 reports in total -- about the same for the previous broadcast. Again the largest number of reports came from Japan. They will, most likely, not be able to post the RSD 2009 QSL cards to DXers until late July or early August. (Robert Kipp, DX Listening Digest)
SLOVAKIA Radio Slovakia International has announced schedule changes May 1 to September 30. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday they will only broadcast on one frequency. On even weeks English will be at 0100 on 5930, 0700 on 11650, 1630 and 1830 on 6055. On odd weeks English is at 0100 and 0700 on 9440, 1630 and 1830 on 5920. No changes to schedule on other days. (Website via Jean Michel Aubier, France)
SUDAN Radio Dabanga schedule is now 0300-0355 on 5915 via Santa Maria de Galeria, 0430-0525 on 13600 via Madagascar, 13730 via Dhabbaya, 1530-1725 on 11500 via Madagascar, 13730 via Wertachtal. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via DX Listening Digest)
SWEDEN Radio Sweden English 1700-1730 only heard here on 13870, not 13600 as listed in last month schedules column. (David Crystal, Israel)
13870 only frequency listed in English on their website when checked May 2. Aoki and Bierwirth have 13600 in Swedish 1700-1730. (Mike Barraclough)
TUNISIA RTT Tunis schedule is 0400-0610 on 9725 12005, 0500-0730 on 7275, 0700-0830 on 7335, 1700-2110 on 9725 12005, 1800-2210 on 7225, 2000-0010 on 7345. (DX Mix News, Bulgaria via Wolfgang Bueschel)
UGANDA Radio Uganda heard in Denmark on 4976 at 2340 March 29 to 0100 with an all night programme in Vernacular and English, Afropops and phone ins. SINPO 34333 with interference from Urumqi on 4980 in Uighur. (Anker Petersen via Dario Monferini, DXLD)
Radio Uganda heard on 7195 1704-1753 April 13 with English News hour. Carrier suddenly off at 1753. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DX Listening Digest)
Radio Y’Abaganda confirmed Saturdays 1700-1800 on 15410 via Issoudon however on their first broadcast April 3 had a non stop tape loop saying the station was unavailable at this time until 1738 when programming abruptly started with lively discussion in vernaculars. (Dave Kenny, Caversham, DX Listening Digest)
Just a tape loop broadcast for the full hour April 10. (Brian Alexander, ibid)
On April 24 tape loop till 1737 when programme started, I could listen to the Live365 internet feed throughout without any problem. (Alan Pennington, Caversham, BDXC-UK)
UKRAINE Radio Ukraine International’s shortwave transmitters in Kharkiv and Lvov were switched off April 12. Most Ukrainian mediumwave transmitters were also switched off. (Alexander Yegerov, Kiev, DX Listening Digest)
Email from Dana Smolyak, English section says that: “We are currently having some technical problems on shortwave, we are sorry for the listening inconvenience you have experienced. We invite you to listen to our programs on-line at www.nrcu.gov.ua (Anne Fannelli, Kraig Krist, Terry Wilson and others, DXLD)
UNITED KINGDOM Ever since Radio Six International suspended our various shortwave broadcasts via Latvia and IRRS, we have continued to receive regular Reception Reports via email from an assortment of listeners in African countries. They give lists of dates and times received and SINPO codes. Presumably they don't know we're not on these transmitters any more! (Tony Currie, DX Listening Digest)
Latest RSL’s from the Ofcom website:
Aberdeen: Me FM 87.7 June 1 to 28
Banff/Macduff: Deveron FM 87.7 April 26 to May 23
Carshalton: Radio St Helier 87.7 May 29 to June 6
Donington Park: Download Radio 87.7 June 9 to 14
Glasgow: Camglen Radio 87.7 May 25 to June 21
Huddersfield: Meraj FM 87.7 June 8 to July 5
Leeds: HUM FM 87.9 April 22 to May 19
Leicester: Wiggle FM 95.1 May 22 to 29
London N15 Afro Urban FM 87.7 May 30 to June 26
New Romney: Think FM 87.7 May 29 to 30
Peterborough: Pboro FM 87.7 May 29 to June 25
Portstewart: Radio North West 200 106.3 May 9 to 15
Prestatyn: Light FM 87.7 May 17 to 23
Weston under Lizard: Radio Rally FM 87.7 May 28 to June 1
UNITED STATES WTWW shifted its daytime frequency, at least temporarily, to 9479, ex 9480, as of March 31 with the FCC’s agreement. The reason is an unexpected interference problem very near the transmitter site. The school system of Smith County has a remote receiver on a mountaintop which happens to use 151.680 MHz, and the sixteenth [!] harmonic of WTWW from 9.480 has been interfering with their communication to school buses, although it is not a serious safety issue. WTWW’s harmonic is properly more than 80 dB suppressed, but in this circumstance it is not enough. Until a new more powerful and extremely expensive harmonic filter to 90 dB can be obtained and installed, by shifting to 9.479, WTWW moves the harmonic far enough off, to 151.664 MHz.
Unfortunately, although the local problem has been solved, WTWW now faces heterodynes from stations still on 9480, such as CRI via Albania at 1800-2000 in French.
George McClintock says he has been inundated with hundreds of postal reception reports to an address on FCC records, even though he has not solicited them. Many of them enclose $1 return postage. He does not have the time or staff to deal with them all. However, a new QSL card is on the way to the printer. (Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
WWRB has expanded to all night operation on 5050, was always running English when I tuned across it but at 0428 heard in Spanish, online schedule has not been updated for quite some time. (Glenn Hauser, DX Listening Digest)
Reply from Congressman Walter B. Jones re Greenville to Glenn Swiderski, North Carolina:
Thank you for contacting me about the Obama Administration's proposal to close the Voice of America shortwave broadcasting station outside Greenville, North Carolina. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me and I'm grateful for the opportunity to respond.
As you know, the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) included a proposal to close the Voice of America station outside Greenville, North Carolina. This is the last U.S. government-owned shortwave broadcasting facility in the continental United States.
In my opinion, if the U.S. is going to remain in the business of beaming radio programming into foreign lands as part of our national security strategy, then it makes no sense to do what the BBG has proposed: namely, to close this station and increase our reliance on broadcasting via foreign terrestrial or satellite radio transmission facilities. Such action would be fraught with security issues and could be far more costly to taxpayers over the long term.
Therefore, I have asked the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programmes to include language in its Fiscal Year 2011 bill that would prevent the Broadcasting Board of Governors from implementing their proposal to close the station. North Carolina Congressmen G.K. Butterfield and David Price are joining me in this effort. Thanks again for making me aware of your thoughts on this matter. Should you need additional assistance on this or other federal matters, please don't hesitate to contact me in the future. (DX Listening Digest)
IBB is pressuring remaining staff at Greenville to accept low-figure buy-outs, in order to expedite closing the site. This is like what happened at Delano, a rather backhanded tactic. Greenville is already under-staffed. The old transmitters at Greenville require a lot of maintenance and it’s not unusual for one or more of them to be down, accounting for missing frequency. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
Letter from BBG Office of Public Affairs says that:
The volume of shortwave broadcasts from Greenville has decreased over the past 5-6 years as audience demand for shortwave has declined. BBG will continue to support shortwave transmissions to audiences in Latin America and Africa by using other transmission assets in the BBG global network and by leasing transmission time from other broadcasters.
Given limited resources and difficult choices, it is critical that we remain current in the latest media platforms, including FM, medium wave, satellite, and the Internet, so that we can continue to service our intended audience. (Larry Fields, swl at qth.net via DXLD)
Jacob Owen Myer of Bethel, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully on April 9. He was the owner of shortwave station WMLK. (NASB via DX Listening Digest)
We suspect this may further set back the reconstruction of WMLK which has been off the air for years. (Glenn Hauser, ibid)
KNLS 1200-1300 English broadcast listed on their website as on 7355 and 9680, not 11765 and 12105 as listed in last months schedules column. 7355 confirmed at 1215 April 28 via Global Tuners Hong Kong receiver, 9680 mix of two stations in Chinese, presume Taiwan and Chinese jamming as listed by Aoki. (Mike Barraclough)
ZIMBABWE ZBC heard on 6045 at 0229-0306 April 14, DJ in vernacular playing pop songs, weak but clear frequency throughout. (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DXLD)
CONTRIBUTORS: Germany: Wolfgang Bueschel, Greece: Zacharias Liangas, Israel: David Crystal, United Kingdom: Alan Roe, Allen Dean, Edwin Southwell. MIKE
