[HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs July 21-23, 2008

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** AFGHANISTAN [non]. R. Solh, 17700 via Rampisham, UK, poor but audible July 22 at 1324 with announcements, 1329 back to music; will it still play the sticking/skipping CD at 1346? Yes! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. DentroCuban Jamming Command still ruining frequencies needlessly, pulsing at the rate of 128/minute on 9490 and 9640, July 22 at 1330, even tho R. República uses 9490 only at 10-11 via Sackville, and 9640 only at 00-02 via UK. Previous timing of the pulses came to only 120/minute, i.e. 2 per second (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. VOI, 9526, July 21 at 1300 open carrier, 1301 IS and ID, frequencies, opening English, but only fair. Next day, July 22, good enough to be listenable with some concentration, from 1259 opening in English with ID, program summary. 1301 news, almost all of which was about what various members of the bureaucracy were doing! Is there no significant non-government news happening in this vast nation? Antara news agency attributed at times. At 1307 even concerned diplomatic relations with Serbia, and some sporting event there involving Indonesians. Focus segment, something about the Singapore national anthem at 1314-1316 was introed and outroed with VOI ID and slogan ``The Sound of Dignity``. Next about a Thailand/Cambodia border dispute since 1962. 1317 news in brief. 1323 Arts & Culture about the Dyak tribe and their long ears, in Kalimantan forests. 1330 Let`s Speak Bahasa Indonesia Through Songs, playing a song, speaking the lyrix and
 translating them, a feature returning next Tuesday. 1341 another music show as signal weakens. Next morning, July 23, on 9526 reception was much poorer, but could detect news in English at 1300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA. V. of Nigeria, 9690.0, July 22 at 1404 tune-in as news by YL was ending, badly overmodulated with big S9+20 signal. OM announces website http://www.voiceofnigeria.org and into next show with a percussion theme, something about the doings of Nigeria`s president. 1414 outro of this M-F 1405 program, ID with frequency but modulation so bad I could not tell whether they really announced this frequency. Next program to be from the VON Abuja studio; 1415 YL named Rebecca opening that, still quite distorted and also with hum, some interview about refugees, UNHCR. 1420 signal weakening and fading, 1431 even weaker as into music.

This is a repeat of my log on June 16, see DXLD 8-070. In the meantime in almost daily bandscans around this time, have not heard it. This is extremely interesting propagationally. Nothing else from Africa audible on 31m at this time, and at peak the signal strength rivaled WWRB 9385, RHC-9550, Sackville-9650, Firedrake-9930, but of course sounded louder than any of them tnx to overmodulation. No contest with superPete WWCR 9980, however. BTW, it was a quite poor East Asian morning with hardly any Firedrake audible besides 9930 and 15285.

I got out the NGS globe to check the long- and short-path routes. If it`s short, signal exits Africa at the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania, crosses the Atlantic unimpeded, enters North America around DelMarVa, then on to Enid, coming in at an azimuth of 78 degrees, distance of about 6600 statute miles.

If it`s long-path, exits Africa in the middle of Mozambique, across the southern tip of Madagascar, Indian Ocean, enters Australia around Adelaide, exists SE Queensland, across Vanuatu, Kingman Reef, enters North America around Ensenada, then on to Enid, coming in at an azimuth of 258 degrees, some 18400 miles. Either path is far from the auroral zones, going only a little farther from the Equator than Enid is.

Assuming it`s not some highly unlikely skewed path. I wonder if it was being heard in Adelaide at the same time, or if it was even better in DelMarVa and vicinity. I could ask people there to check the next day, but conditions will probably be quite different.

What is the transmitted azimuth? Not registered with HFCC, but Aoki shows A-08 info for 9690 as 248 degrees from Ikorodu, while 15120, whenever it`s on, is at 7 degrees, neither of which is at all favorable for NAm, long or short-path (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN. REE`s classical music hour on Mon/Tue/Wed at 1305, best signal from Europe on 16m, July 22 at 1355 on 17595 with The Moldau, ending precisely before the timesignal at 1400. There`s a professional operation where they know how to back-time, unlike the BBC on 9410 which cuts off classical music in progress an hour earlier. I`ll really miss REE when Spain abolishes SW, surely the number one international broadcaster in Spanish from the standpoint of cultural programming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K [and non]. BBCWS in English finally audible here on new 13675 via Rampisham, fair July 21 at 1826, ex-13865. Scheduled 1700-1900 for Western Russia.

BBC Mundo Radio, 9410 via WHRI, classical fill music on M/W/F at 1234-1300* included Wednesday July 22 at 1240-1250 some heavenly music which must have been Monteverdi, as ever unannounced (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WYFR is not exactly DX nor of any programming interest, so I rarely log it, but could not help but notice that it was inbooming on 21670, July 21 at 1756 with Mexican music, briefly making me wonder if it was something else new, but 1758 WYFR theme music, 1759 Spanish ID giving 21670, 15130, 6085. MUCH stronger than other WYFR transmitters on 13m, 21525 and 21455, which doesn`t make sense as 21670 is supposed to be on 44 degree antenna to Europe, roughly off the side here, just like 21455, while 21525 is 87 degrees to Africa. I can only conclude that 21670 must really have been on an antenna such as the 315 degree which is aimed this way. Once again July 22 at 1818 check, 21670 much stronger than 21525 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Checking 5050, for the intriguing new African music station with French announcements, heard by Roberto Scaglione in Sicily, July 22 from 2241 past 2317, very strong per his recording --- blocked in NAm by WWRB, already on with preacher in English at 2310 check; and at 0533 July 23, nothing audible on 5050. WWRB is authorized by FCC to run 5050 from 0000 to 0500, but as usual sets its own schedule beyond that. We should check 5050 well before 2300, and as soon as WWRB goes off, if that is 0500; WWRB website shows ``6 pm to 12 am``, never specifying timezone, altho it is located barely to the west of the ET/CT boundary (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 9500 sweep tones audible as early as 1211 July 21, but not at 1251; and not heard, July 22 at 1259 UT or later. On previous dates ran as late as 1330. Not heard either July 23 at 1240 check. What`s this? (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1418, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###


      

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