[HCDX]: AFGHANISTAN

["Walter (Volodya) Salmaniw, MD" <salmaniw@xxxxxxxx>]

Having returned from Maui last Monday, this is the first opportunity I have 
had to sit down for more than a few minutes to describe my recent vacation 
in Kaanapali, Maui.  I succumbed to the DX bug and brought my Kenwood R5000 
receiver with me, and monitored virtually every morning from 1400 to 1800, 
before heading to the beach.  Life is tough :) !!
Used a random wire of approximately 250 feet, set at about 330 deg, along a 
10 foot hedge.  Very small gauge, and barely visible, so I was able to 
leave it up the whole time.  A quiet site, especially during the early 
morning hours.  I used a matching transformer from Aurora, and a Wellbrook 
Antenna Feeder Isolator.

Afghanistan was audible every morning, including their English broadcast 
and the Russian broadcast, corresponding to local dawn 
enhancement.  Reception was occasionally nearly excellent, except for 
persistent QRM from hams and utes.  Monitoring this station stretched my 
dxing capabilities to the max, with it's extreme drift, and the need to 
constantly flip from USB to LSB for best reception.  I suspect the English 
broadcast should be audible in the Pacific Northwest, at least for the next 
while.  I was able to hear a het this morning.

22 March:  7073.52 at 1625.  Carrier off when rechecked 1647.
23 March:  7070.64  with very weak carrier at 1631.
24 March:  7083.23 into Russian at 1631.
25 March:  not checked
26 March:  7083.23  carrier only audible at 1631.
27 March:  7083.32  at 1537.
28 March:  not checked.
29 March:  7083.26  in English at 1517 tune-in.
           7083.19 at 1524
           7083.16 at 1525.
           7083.12 at 1530.
           7083.09 at 1531.
           7082.37 at 1548.
           7082.82 at 1605
           7082.66 at 1625. Into Russian at 1632.  Signal is strong, 
except for the darned QRM.  Difficult to hear the exact ID.  I'm going to 
have to listen to the tapes. They clearly state:  "Govorit,...(can't make 
out)..., Afghanistan, Kabul, na russkom yazike.  Dorohij radio 
slushitali..." ie, dear radio listeners.
           7082.65  at 1636.
           7082.62  at 1638.
           7082.60  at 1642.
           7082.59  at 1644.  No sign off announcements that I could hear, 
but starting to fade badly.  Into another language at 1645.

30 March:  7085.02 at 1459.  7084.91 at 1500.  7084.81 at 1503.
           7084.34 at 1514.  7084.20 at 1518 in English.  "You have been 
listening to the ?Voice of  ?".  7084.13 at 1521.  No longer in English 
when rechecked at 1532 on 7083.80.
           7082.92 at 1608
           7082.68  Nice strong signal at 1628.  At 1629 the identical ID 
in Russian was heard.  7082.63 at 1633.  7082.54 at 1640. 7082.53 at 1641, 
into a religious program, with talk of the prophet Jacob, Moses, and 
Solomon.  7082.45 at 1650 with carrier off.

31 March:  Best reception by far this morning!
       7085.01 at 1454.  7084.93 at 1457.  7084.82 at 1458.  English ID at 
1458.  "This is...,...kHz in the 41 meter band."  7084.77 at 1501.
7084.71 at 1502.  7084.59 at 1509.  Signal is strong, but the young female 
announcer does a poor job penetrating the ham/ute QRM.  1507:  "You have 
been listening to the Voice of Sharia".  7084.50 at 1508.  7084.41 at 
1511.  7084.30 at 1514. 7084.25 at 1515, with "goodbye", but then into a 
much louder Afghan song in English!!! "Our guide is the Koran.  Our 
religion is Islam", repeated over and over! No longer in English at 1521 
(on 7084.11).  7084.02 at 1524.  7082.91 at 1631.

1 April:  7082.91 at 1458.  What a difference a day makes.  Barely audible, 
but the big difference is the improved stability of the transmitter from 
this day onwards, and the drift is upwards, not down.
7084.05 at 1516, 7084.15 at 1527, 7084.20 at 1537, 7084.30 at 1557, 7084.38 
at 1622.

2 April:  7085.30 at 1515.  7085.33 at 1518, 7085.35 at 1525, 7085.36 at 
1532, 7085.33 at 1539, 7085.39 at 1606, 7085.37 at 1628.  Russian started 
at 1633.  They announced frequencies of 1107, and 7200.  Continued on until 
1646 with carrier off at 1648.

Great fun and a challenge!

MUCH MORE TO FOLLOW, including Somalia (including English), lots of 
Monglolian logs, and  other Africans, of course.  Stay tuned!

.............Walt.



Walter R. Salmaniw, MD             email:  salmaniw@xxxxxxxx
Victoria, British Columbia    DXING FROM CANADA'S WEST COAST, using
CANADA                        premier radio receivers:

                              Rockwell/Collins 
HF-2050
(250) 592-1033                Collins R390A,ITT Mackay 3031A,
                              Racal RA.117, JRC NRD 535D, and
                              Kenwood R5000.
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