[HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs February 24-25

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** CUBA. More defects Feb 24 at RHC: at 2305 found 17705 in French; at 2323
also in French on 13760, but NOT // --- was one of them Creole? No, listened
carefully: regular French. Then I realized that I was hearing the same
interview, two speakers on both frequencies, but not synchronized. Focusing on
a key word, I found that 13760 was running 28 seconds behind 17705. But what is
supposed to be on these frequencies during this semihour? Per confusingly
laid-out currently-dated schedule at 
http://www.rhc.cu/espanol/frecuencia/frecuencias-espanol.htm
both are supposed to be in Portuguese!

Then at 2329 I am tuned to 5965, and hear RHC ID in Esperanto and 2330 opening
program with usual list of times and frequencies for this weekly broadcast: UT
Sunday 0700 on 6000, 1500 & 1900 on 11760; 2330 on 6140 & 9600 --- omitting the
very frequency I was listening to, 5965, which had a VG signal! Also audible on
6140, but barely, in the skirts of the DCJC and R. República on 6135. Also
audible on 9600, but bad het from XEYU, and did not notice Vatican Vietnamese
at this time.

The announced Esperanto frequency, 6000, instead had special coverage,
presumably replay of the earlier National Assembly session designating Raúl
Castro as leader, but underneath R. Praga via Canadá with weather in Spanish at
2332, a perpetual collision, so just as well Esperanto was on 5965 instead,
which per above sked is supposed to be in Creole!

The 6000 special, which on a weekday would be Mesa Redonda, was found // 9820
and Rebelde 5025. At 2338 this paused to play the national anthem. A woman had
been speaking, and then she introduced another woman, the youngest deputy of
all, an 18-year-old who swore in the 500+ delegates, who had racked up a 97%
attendance quorum. I wonder how many of them dared to vote against Raúl? (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** DUCIE ISLAND. Had been looking around for the VP6DX Pedition in the 160 and
80m DX windows, but not heard it, and not researched the exact frequencies it
is supposed to be using. So I was quite pleased to run across it on 15m, Feb
24. In fact, it was the only signal audible on the band in several sweeps from
one end to the other! This was Feb 24 at 2312 on 21305-USB as the op was just
giving callsign over and over phonetically, usually Victor Papa Six Delta
X-ray, but sometimes David instead of Delta. Sounded like an American accent,
altho possibly handed off to a different op later who used David. No QRZ? No CQ
DX. Just the callsign, but that`s a lot better than some DX ops who only give
their callsign occasionally when working a string of contacts, assuming
everyone knows whom they are talking to. At 2313 worked W9HLA, unheard here.
Signs of VP6DX for about 5 more minutes. Checking 13m, HCJB was making it on
21455-USB, but nothing else (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EGYPT. R. Cairo, or if you prefer, ERTU, General Arabic service to NAm, is
still overlapping ABS and ABZ transmitter sites on 6290 around 0000. Tuned in
Feb 24 at 2351 and heard Arabic talk with a quick echo/reverb, along with fast
subaudible heterodyne estimated around 15 Hz. Previously, the transmitter
supposedly starting at 0000 would come on much earlier without modulation, but
the echo now makes me think it was also running modulation, slightly
out-of-synch. The original program might also have had some reverb on it,
making matters worse. At 2355 YL talk in Arabic mentioned HIV/AIDS. 2356 into
music. One transmitter went off at 2400* sharp, leaving the other with unechoey
audio but as always now, much more distorted than its predecessor.

I see that Aoki now lists Abis both before and after 0000 on 6290 tho switching
from 315 to 325 degrees. EiBi says it`s Abu Zabaal until 2400, then Abis (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ROMANIA. This is old news, but one continues to be amazed at how long RRI is
willing to funxion with such degraded equipment, especially as they are
supposedly about to finish upgrading to brand-new transmitters. Feb 24 at 2335,
6115 in English talking about something Romanian, continuous roar mixing with
the undermodulated audio. The roaring sound varies slightly, rather like a
howling wind, or waves crashing on a beach, but never stops (Glenn Hauser, OK,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. As I was tuning down the 19 MHz band to check for Gabon 19160
harmonic just in case, I encountered instead a rather strong signal from WEWN
with a prayer in English at 2307 UT Feb 24 on 19950! Quickly confirmed as 2 x
9975, which was extremely strong as usual. But 19950 was fading in and out and
soon was gone. I think this was really propagating, thanks to some sporadic E,
a lucky catch, as 20 MHz would normally skip way over OK from AL by regular F2
skip if the MUF were that high. The TV-FM Skip log
http://dxworld.com/tvfmlog.html
does contain one sporadic-E report reaching channel 2 video, a bit later at
2452 from NW Florida (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###


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