[HCDX] Loggings from Ukraine: Krishnaloka, etc

[Walter Salmaniw <salmaniw@xxxxxxx> (by way of Walter Salmaniw <salmaniw@xxxxxxx>)]

Hello everyone!  Below is a selection of loggings from
my recent trip to 
Ukraine.  I spent a very enjoyable week travelling with emminent
DXer Vlad 
Titarev, and his lovely wife Ira.  The highlight was a great DX
session the 
evening of 26/09 to lunch time on the 27th at his urban dacha/office/dx
shack.  I was able to briefly use his Ukrainian made communications
receivers (which I can vouch are every bit as good as anything I have
used 
in the west).  Mostly, though, I used his AOR 7030 receiver.  A
generous 
and gracious man, with quite a maverick streak, we spent many an hour
talking about the real problems, and threats encountered by DXers in the
former Soviet block.  Only the hardiest of souls, of which Vlad is
one, 
would have been able to stand upto the pressures of the state. 
Unlike 
Rumen Pankov, who was jailed for 10 years for his hobby, Vlad luckilly
escaped such a fate.  Here are my logs from the trip.  My
apologies for the 
delay, but with 10 time zones crossed, and an exceptionally busy workload
upon my return, I haven't been able to get to them until now:

ABKHAZIA 9489.74, 0305-, Abkhaz Radio Sep 27 Very difficult catch at this
time due to cochannel on 9490.  Russian news then ads at 0306:40
(these are 
typical CIS format with the word 'Reklyama' which means advertisement,
and 
into numerous ads.  Weather at 0308 (for Russia) and Radio Rossii ID
at 
0309:15.  Good morning in Russian at 0310, so possibly local
programming at 
this time, but too hard to hear.  Monitored again later at 0730 with
much 
better reception and no cochannel.  Local language.  Abkhazia
mentioned at 
0737.  0800 local Russian news.  ID at 0804:45.  Signed
off at 0815. 
(Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

ASCENSION IS 17570, 1729:45-, UN Radio Sep 26 Excellent reception at
sign-on with UN Today program in English. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh,
Ukraine)

AZERBAIJAN ? 9154.95, 1708-, Ashura Radio Sep 26 Presumed logging with a
strong S9 + 20 signal with EZL middle eastern type music, with minimal
QRM 
(unlike in North America, where I only can hear the QRM).  Continued
past 
18:00, and signed off at 1859 with either an anthem or patriotic song.
(Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

BELARUS 4982, 1431-, Mayak Relay Sep 26 Good reception of this
Belarussian 
relay of the Russian Mayak program.  Also heard following morning at
0432. 
(Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

BELARUS 6080, 1423-, Belarus Home Service Sep 26 Home service programming
in Belarussian at 14:23 with very good reception.  Monitored again
at 0313 
27/09 with only fair reception with transmitter hum and adjacent 
splatter.  Parallel at this time included 11960 fair with cochannel
and 279 
LW excellent. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

CROATIA 6165, 0520-, Croatian Radio Sep 25 Home Service Ist program with
phone feed talk in Croatian followed by a jingle ID and weather. 
Good 
reception.  Parallels noted were 7365 (fair-good) and 9830 (best of
the 
three). (Salmaniw, Brody, Ukraine)

ITALY 9670, 0424-0425, RAI International Sep 27 Sign off announcements in
Ukrainian with excellent reception.  Parallels 11800 good, and 7235
very 
good.  Carrier off immediately. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh,
Ukraine)

ITALY 13839.96, 0538-, IRRS Sep 27 Good reception but with obvious 
transmitter problems, and cut-outs.  English program about West Nile
Virus, 
and reproductive cloning.  Suddenly off in mid sentence, followed by
canned 
ID (as usual), with the Milano address.  This was followed by an
American 
evangelical program from Philadelphia. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh,
Ukraine)

MOLDOVA 999, 1916-, TWR Sep 26 Religious programming in Ukrainian with
excellent reception. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

NEW ZEALAND 15340, 0500-, RNZI Sep 27 SIO of 4-5-4.5 at Vlad Titarev's DX
shack, with amazing signal strength.  National news, including
problems 
with the ANZAC frigates, etc.  Didn't expect such good reception in
Europe. 
(Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

OMAN 15355.55v, 0320-, Radio Sultanate of Oman Sep 27 Good signal on this
off channel frequency, with modern English pop music.  Big Ben
chimes at 
0329, with ID in English as the Radio Sultanate of Oman, with a time
check 
for 7:30.  Followed by news headlines.  Slight drift lower to
15355.53 at 
0332.  Don't recall them being off frequency before.  Glad to
hear this 
station again....like an old friend to me. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh,
Ukraine)

PRIDNESTROVYA (MOLDOVA) 549.06, 0415-, Radio Pridnestrovya Sep 27 Note
the 
off channel frequency.  Excellent reception using Vlad Titarev's AOR
7030 
and box loop.  Into Ukrainian program (which I gather is new) at
0415, then 
Romanian at 0422:30 until BOH.  Have a very good MD recording
available. 
(Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

PUERTO RICO 6458.5, 0516-, AFN Sep 25  Fair reception with sports
news and 
usual cochannel QRM. (Salmaniw, Brody, Ukraine)

ROMANIA 7195, 0530-, Radio Romania International Sep 25 RRI going through
the motions with their Ukrainian service.  Terrible muffled audio,
cochannel with much clearer VOA in English.  Disgraceful for a
country 
adjacent to Ukraine.  Compare this to the excellent reception from
Radio 
Budapest with their brief 15 minute programs, and even Polish
Radio.  Not 
sure why this should be, as the English services monitored in North
America 
propagate quite well. (Salmaniw, Brody, Ukraine)

RUSSIA 9690, 0600-, Radio Tatarstan Sep 27 Very strong signal from
Samara, 
S9 + 20, with sign-on in Tatar.  Well over barely audible DW. 
Has become a 
much more difficult target in WCNA this past year or two. (Salmaniw,
Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

RUSSIA 12060, 1903-, Voice of Malta Sep 26 English programming with 
'Welcome to Malta' with good signal, with minimal het noted. 
Transmitter 
site Moscow. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

RUSSIA 17302, 0825-, Murmanskoe Radio Sep 27 Very good reception of this
local program from Murmansk.  I was unable to hear any other SW
parallels.  Impossible to hear in North America due to the very high
frequency and the time of night. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, 
Ukraine)

TAJIKISTAN 7245, 1649-, Radio Tajikistan World Service Sep 26 English
news 
noted until 1652, and then a historical tale.  S9 + 20 signal but
weak 
modulation with adjacent splatter, so overall only fair reception. 
ID'd as 
the world service (a bit of a stretch I'd say!) at 16:59:30.  IS at
the 
TOH, and into presumed Arabic.  It's been a few years since I've
heard this 
one. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

TANZANIA 5050.10, 0255-, Radio Tanzania Sep 27 Swahili programming with
African music.  Time pips at TOH, and Swahili talk by male.  No
parallels 
heard.  Good reception. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

TIBET 7385, 1615-, Holy Tibet Sep 26 Excellent reception at 1615 
tune-in.  Went into English at 16:30:30, with the following: 
'Hello dear 
listeners.  Welcome to our English program, Holy Tibet'. 
Parallels noted 
were:  6130 (fair with cochannel), 4905 (fair to good), 5240 (good),
6110 
(fair), and 6150 (poor).  9490 was not heard.  When rechecked
at 1642, they 
were reading listeners letters (having had received 30 letters), and this
continued until sign-off at 16:48:42 with an ID as the 'China Tibet 
Broadcasting Company'.  I have a very high quality MD recording of
this 
program which I'll be submitting to DXplorer.  Let me know if anyone
wants 
to hear this one, and I'll send it out as well. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh,
Ukraine)

TURKMENISTAN 4930, 1930-, Turkmen Radio Sep 26 No sign of the English
program at 1940.  Just Turkmen and Russian music and talk.  All
at good 
levels. (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

UKRAINE 765, 0631-, Radio Mayak Sep 27 Odessa's Radio Mayak (no relation
to 
Russia's Mayak) with Russian news after an American oldie.  Jingle
ID at 
0634 'Radio Mayak, z dobrom kazhnoye dom'.  They went into Radio
Liberty's 
Ukrainian service without ID at 0700.  Good reception. (Salmaniw,
Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

UKRAINE 9950, 2111-, Radio Ukraine International Sep 26 Fair reception of
RUI's German service on one of few remaining transmitters.  Parallel
to 25 
kw Chernivtsi transmitter on MW 657 with good signal strength.  Only
other 
RUI frequency heard during my trip was 7410 (in local early mornings).
(Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

UKRAINE ? 7415.55, 0427-, Radio Krishnaloka Sep 27 An extremely
interesting 
station from a DXers point of view.  Times were very variable, and
not 
according to the schedule announced.  First heard at Vlad Titarev's
DX 
shack on 27/09 at 0427 (nothing heard earlier despite frequent checks)
using his AOR 7030 and 80 meter random wire.  Hare Krishna heard in
Russian 
with a difficult signal due to adjacent interference.  About a S9
signal.  Frequent dead air for 20 to 30 seconds.  The music was
always 
better modulated than voice.  Somewhat variable frequency as
well.  Noted 
drifting upwards to 7415.57 at 0455.  Long monotones by usually a
woman.  Talk about Walt Emmerson at 0437.  Mostly though, long
renditions 
of Krishna music.  Reception consistently improved during the
program as 
dawn approached locally.  At 0450, a hypnotic guitar vocal, sounding
like 
'Zing Zan' by a male.  No obvious ID.  Appears to have left the
air by 
0459.  Next monitored in Luhansk Ukraine, much closer to the
apparent 
transmitter site in Donetsk (more on this later) , on 29/09.  This
was a 
village location, with very little QRM.  Used just a Sony 1000T with
it's 
built in whip.  Monitored continously from 0245.  Nothing heard
until about 
0350 with weak talk in Russian and the same type of Krishna music as
before.  Faded upto decent levels, then back into the noise, with
WBCQ 
audible in background.  Frequency was approx. 7415 (unable to more
accurately measure on this receiver).  Very nice fade-up agt 
0413.  Mentioned that this topic would be continued on a future
show.  Nice 
ID as Radio Krishnaloka at 0414 in the clear (I will send this to
DXplorer, 
and to anyone else who wishes a RA file).  Signal became quite good
with 
further Krishna music.  Unfortunately suddenly cut-off at 0422 (0722
local).  Since then, nothing further heard.  I spent the next
week almost 
in Donetsk, the supposed site of the transmitter, but failed to hear
anything at all.  Definitely a highlight of my trip!. (Salmaniw,
Kremenchuh 
and Luhansk, Ukraine)

UZBEKISTAN 5025, 2130-, Radio Tashkent Sep 26 No change during the last
30 
years, with the usual sign on announcement in English, with excellet
reception.  Parallels were 11905 (excellent), 9545 (very good well
over 
cochannel German). (Salmaniw, Kremenchuh, Ukraine)

VATICAN CITY 5890, 0513-, Vatican Radio Sep 25 English programmming with
good reception about learning Latin. (Salmaniw, Brody, Ukraine)


 

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