[HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs October 26, 2008

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

The following report represents less than 3 hours of monitoring, a semi-hour session around 0600 UT, and a bihour from 1248, plus some other bits. Many other dayparts need to be scanned for B-08 changes, but doubt I will have much time to do so.

** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Radio Solh is still going and well heard on new 13830 ex-17700, Oct 26 at 1303 with talk at the moment, soon the usual lively dance music. Good signal but occasional splatter from Martí/jamming on 13820. After ``Salaam, Afghanistan`` song ending at 1329 I was monitoring closely at 1330 when Bible Voice was scheduled to join them on 13830 in the B-08 schedule. I could hear the co-channel underneath, but Solh dominating here; the QRM enough to mar good recordings of Solh music. Time will tell how this sesquihour collision pans out for us, but surely in the targets one CIRAF zone apart, 40 vs 41, the mix is unacceptable. Doesn`t VTC coördinate with its major competitor DTK? BVB is 90 degrees from Wertachtal, while Solh is 85 degrees from Rampisham, so look for one of these to move, that is, if anyone is paying attention now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** AUSTRIA. 17855, Oct 26 at 1320 English discussion of airline privatization in Austria, Germany, fair signal; 1321 still IDs as ``Radio Austria International``, and then Post Box, in Report from Austria; acknowledging reception reports such as a scholarly 4-page one from Japan. Did not think to check whether much better signal heard earlier on 13730 was now //, and 17855 gone after 1330 while 13730 was in German at 1332. It`s on only at 1300-1330, 90 degrees from Moosbrunn, which was mentioned in the mailbag in answer to a question about where the transmitters are. So we don`t have to wrestle with OE or O-umlauts to name this station in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. CRI English via Sackville at 1300 is now on 13675, very strong Oct 26, but now they have very strong RHC next door on 13680. Commies vs Commies! The two splatter against each other, somewhat evitable by side-tuning each.

In all my bandscanning for new B-08 info, Oct 26 between 1248 and 1438, it just dawned on me that I had not run across any Firedrake, tho I was not looking for it specifically. I hope this is a good sign, but maybe just a propagational fluke (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CROATIA [non]. VOC already on new 7375 ex-9925, UT Oct 26 around 0245 in Croatian via Germany. Finally out of the 40m American hamband, where it had used 7275 in previous B-seasons, and part of A-season, pretending to target Iceland (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. DentroCuban Jamming Command grinding away plus pulses, Oct 26 at 0555 on 6100, but off at 0605 recheck. The jamming is ``needed`` only until 0400 when R. República closes. This bodes ill for R. Tirana`s 0430-0500 English broadcast scheduled for B-08 on 6100, which should otherwise have been clear for it.

DentroCubans who want to hear R. Martí without jamming should make an effort to tune around on the first days of new seasons, when the Jamming Command is lagging behind frequency changes, even tho they are rather predictable from previous matching seasons. 

Oct 26 at 1248 I found R. Martí on reactivated 5745, jamming-free and // 5980 with had the usual jamming. RM was discussing something about Spain`s cultural center. Recheck 1346, 5745 still going in the clear; at 1358 QSY announcement claimed that in a few moments RM could be heard on 9565, 11930 and 13820. Really?? Nothing on 9565 at this hour. Is RM giving out disinformation, or just ignorant about its own schedule? 9565 is now supposed to run at 20-24 UT, ex-17-24 in A-08, or was it *1730?

Here are my other logs of RM this date: At 1346, open carrier on 15330, which was not used all A-season, jammed anyway at times but not right now. 1402 check, RM programming underway on 15330 as well as 13820, and at 1414 check on 11930 --- almost always runs three frequencies at any one time. 

DCJC still pulsing and grinding against nothing on 9490, Oct 26 at 1255; is that still in use for República via RMI via Sackville at 10-11 only? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CZECHIA. R. Prague usage of 13580 now starts at 1400, VG in English to NAm at 1401 Oct 26 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EGYPT. Altho already heard a few days before B-08, R. Cairo in Arabic Oct 26 at 0603 M&W dialog on 6290, scheduled all the way from 1900 until 0700 at 315 degrees toward us (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** FRANCE. African language at 0601 Oct 26 on 6170, good; 0604 quick ID in passing as ``RFI``, the letters pronounced in French. This is a B-08 frequency for RFI in Hausa via Issoudun at 0600-0630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY [non]. A strange program in English on 7240, Oct 26 at 0606, ``Learning by Ear`` with rather explicit drama about teen sexual encounters, pregnancy at 0610. Some of the players had American accent, others African. VG reception except occasional SSB ham QRM. DW was inviting letters to the program and at 0616 gave website http://www.dw-world.de/lbe 

Is this supposed to be teaching English, or how to manage sex? Apparently it is a general education service, for 12-20-year-olds, claiming an audience of 30 megAfricans, but I suppose that includes the Portuguese, French, Swahili, Hausa and Amharic versions. In A-08 we heard RDPI Lisboa on 7240 at 05-08, but now in B-08 it`s DW at 0600-0629, 150 degrees via Sines, PORTUGAL; followed by 0630-0659 Hausa, 160 degrees via Woofferton, UK.

DW on new 17630, Oct 26 at 1349 in German with strange accent so first doubted it was DW, discussing orthodoxy, but 1355 DW jingle and ID in standard German; was fading up and down in collision with Africa No. One, Gabon, which has used this frequency for many sesquiyears. ANO does not register its usage, however, so DW, not bothering to turn on a radio or consult DXLD or other monitoring resources, assumed they had a clear shot on it, now scheduled at 12-14, 80 degrees via Rampisham.

13585-13590-13595 with DRM buzz, not to be confused with the analog transmitter buzz on 13600, Oct 26 at 1436. DW via Sines, Portugal is scheduled at 1400-1557, 90 kW at 30 degrees for Europe (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GREECE. ERT habitually registers lots of wooden frequencies, such as both 15650 and 15630 thruout the day, but uses only one of them. Now in B-08, Oct 26 at 1317 I find them on 15650 with Greek music, nothing on 15630, and perhaps a trace of // 9420. John Babbis says they have yet to distribute a definitive B-08 schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUAM. 11570, Oct 26 at 1309 with South Asian vocal music. This is KTWR`s Boro language service (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDIA. AIR good but with flutter at 1342 Oct 26 on 9870 with music in VBS, 335 degrees from Bangalore; but GOS unheard on 9690, so wonder if it was still on; still scheduled from same site but at 108 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. VOI did not make it to day 12 on 9526, which started Oct 15 for the English broadcast at 13-14. Oct 26 at 1257 check, nothing at all on 9526, nor at several chex during following hour. Surely not due to propagation, as RRI was propagating very well on 9680 at 1340 atop the CCI. Has VOI gone back to 11785v? Quick check there at 1259 before WHRI came up could not detect it or even a carrier. 9525, however had very weak B-B-C chime notes at 1259, unID language opening, but nothing scheduled there unless they or I were on 9520 by mistake, for Uzbek via Thailand. Normally VOI has only three frequencies available, 9525v, 11785v and 15150v. Possibly they went to 15150 where not propagating at 1345 check, but in the B-season they should certainly stay on the lowest frequency, in addition to the fact that it was loud and clear until the day before! Hope it was just an off-day for 9526; what next? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRAN. 15545, Oct 26 at 1318 with ME singing, VG signal with some flutter; also at 1347 in Arabic, talking about Bahrain, mixing with bits of music. 1430 with VIRI`s theme music, and Arabic, news? Then looked up, it`s Sirjan, 500 kW at 295 degrees with lengthy Arabic service 0530-1630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LAOS [non]. WHRI, 11785 with Hmong Lao Radio, reconfirmed Sunday Oct 26 at 1311; no het audible if Indonesia [q.v.] is back on there now. WHRI was on 11785 only during this hour, nothing before 1300 or after 1400, unlike Saturday when it stayed on with other programming past 1400, even 1500. From Nov 2, we expect HLR to shift one UT hour later to 14-15 on Sun & Sat (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LIBYA. Starting B-08, Voice of Africa still on 17725, fair Oct 26 at 1350 in Swahili, and presumably after 1400 in English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. RN via Nauen, GERMANY, 6120, Oct 26 at 0600 opening an hour in Dutch, fair (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI was quite good on 9615, but now it`s moved to 11725 for B-08, heard Oct 26 at 0613, and only fair here, with report about parliament, Hamilton; in fact it was the strongest if not the only station audible on 25mb at the moment! Now scheduled 0459-0658 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** POLAND [non]. PRES on new, or rather reactivated from B-07 frequency 9450 for English to Europe, now in B-08 shifted an hour later to 13-14, coming in well enough Oct 26 at 1300 with Slavek Szefs opening the hour mentioning timechange, weather. Still OK at 1344 with mailbag. In A-08 was on 9525 at 12-13 under Indonesia. 9450 is via Wertachtal, Germany at 300 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PORTUGAL. RDPI, VG on 15560 with Abraço da Madeira show, Sunday Oct 26 at 1316, giving phone numbers for live call-ins by listeners to greet others. No sign of // 15690 scheduled for Africa; surely I would have heard at least a trace of it if it were on. Madeira hug show is now scheduled 1311-1500 UT Sundays, tho their daily program schedule is as usual slow to recognize that Portugal is back on UT, not UT+1. Scan of 13m as I was finishing the morning monitoring session at 1444 found // 21655 to SAm/WAf audible, and nothing else on that band (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also GERMANY [non]

** ROMANIA [and non]. RRI, 11940, Oct 26 at 1312 with Romanian talk, good signal but some distortion. At 1314 I found // 15170, but here colliding with REE via Costa Rica, making a heavy SAH, RRI now playing music, roughly equal signal level, but RRI winning due to REE undermodulation. At 1345 Romanian music well over REE, and still the case at 1433. RRI is Galbeni, 285 degrees to Europe at 13-15, now ruining REE reception at 340 degrees toward North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA [non]. VOR WS in English to NAm on new, or reactivated, 6135, G at 0558 Oct 26 in closing announcements, saying at 0600 would be on air to Au/NZ on 16 mb, and to Europe on 190, 209, 227, 432, 476 metres. Get out your calculators! Shades of the USSR. And ending NAm service to return at 0200 on the 22, 25, 41 and 49 mb. 6135 was quite strong but somewhat undermodulated, and suffering from splash de RHC 6140. 

I suspect 6135 is via Germany, as IIRC they used it in previous seasons, but this is not on the DTK B-08 schedule, nor is the new VOR B-08 schedule available yet. Previously they did not have the Habana 6140 problem, but now they do, even if 6135 is running for the entire four hours of VOR English starting at 0200. Commies vs ex?-Commies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA [non]. As soon as I tuned in a good signal on 13660, Oct 26 at 1307 I heard an ID ``Govorit Radio Svoboda`` and into piano music. This is via Lampertheim, Germany, 13-14 at 56 degrees (Glenn Hauer, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Not only was WBCQ on 15420-CUSB as early as 1400 Sabbath Oct 25 but also Sunday Oct 26 with Brother Scare, weaker than // 9330-CUSB, but 15420 finally clear of DW Russian collision via UK. So maybe WBCQ will be on 15420 daily this early? See also USA: WINB (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN [non]. REE via Costa Rica, reconfirmed with third frequency 1 kHz off, not only 5964 and 11814, but 9764, as measured Oct 26 at 1302, weak modulation, hetting something on 9765. See also ROMANIA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TUNISIA. RTT is such a regular on 41m that I rarely report it, but often listen for the music, such as 0617 Oct 26 on 7275 stronger than // 7190. 7275 is at 340 degrees and thus better in NAm than 7190 at 265 degrees. Both are now scheduled nominally at 0400-0800, but in reality 7275 has been closing much earlier than 7190. WRTH 2008 with the schedule a year ago showed 0630* and 0810* respectively, and probably still so (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY [and non]. VOT World webcast via http://www.trt.net.tr/wwwtrt/canli.aspx had made the one-hour-later change for standard time in Europe, UT Oct 26 with English at 0400 instead of 0300. So I checked the shortwaves, for this transmission supposed to be on new 6020 direct to NAm, and 7325 via Canada. And what do I hear? CRI relay via Sackville on 6020, with usual Peruvian het and very weak co-channel, presumably Turkey, and nothing on 7325. I`ll bet Sackville turned on 7325 at midnight local time as usual, 0300 UT, and put on some other language coming over the feed from VOT. So not only did Sackville not relay Turkey as it should have at 0400 on 7325, but it blocked Turkey on its other frequency which might otherwise have arrived direct!

The CRI relay scheduled at 0400-0600 ends ambiguously Oct 26, so 6020 should be clear for Turkey on UT Oct 27. And maybe that next night too, VOT 7325 via Sackville will be on the air at 0400 in English. Or maybe next week, after DST is over in North America too. IIRC, at a previous Zeitwechsel, Sackville failed to coördinate with the programming coming over the line from Ankara for several days if not a full week. 

There`s not much Turkish any more from VOT for North America, but 15350 for Europe carries on here, and well heard at 1315 Oct 26. Somewhat undermodulated, and unfortunately not playing music but apparently play-by-play of a silly ballgame on a Sunday afternoon; at 1432 found WYFR Spanish back on 15355 next to it.

17700, vacated by Radio Solh, promptly in B-08 season like B-07, occupied by V. of Turkey 1230 German service, tho I heard only some Turkish music when checked at 1319, off the air by 1326 recheck (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K [and non]. As expected, VOA Greenville is gone from 6180, where all A-season, after RHC finally left, it provided excellent signals off the back to CNAm in English at 0500-0700. Now Oct 26 at 0602 a weak signal in French which is BBCWS due south from Skelton.

BBCWS ending From Our Own Correspondent Sunday Oct 26 at 0628, good on 5875; I had already heard it Saturday at 0432. 5875 looks like a good bet for North Americans to hear BBC despite their best efforts to prevent us, with the seemingly unfavorable azimuth of 62 degrees from Rampisham at 0500-0700 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WEWN has made a lot of schedule changes for B-08. Oct 26 at 1251 heard on 7555 with translation of Italian to Spanish, papist? The old A-08 sked is still displayed on their website Oct 26 at 1623 check, http://www.ewtn.com/radio/freq.htm as well as the Spanish version at http://www.ewtn.com/spanish/Frequencias_radio.asp

Per FCC, 7555 is now sked 05-16 at 220 degrees. Also heard next to Martí 5745, at 1249 in English on 5755, which is 12-16 at 335 degrees, not to be confused with the defunct KAIJ which lives on in FCC schedule listings earlier on 5755 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Altho WINB stayed on 9265v Sabbath Oct 25 as late as 1621, on Sunday Oct 26 Brother Scare was done there by 1400, and at 1401 found WINB on 13570v opening some preacher from Denver, PA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WRMI, 9955, Sunday Oct 26 at 1441 baseball show, unexpectedly good signal over some jamming. Must be on NW antenna; hope it held up for WORLD OF RADIO at 1515, but did not get that checked, as I stopped listening a semihour earlier to start compiling this 2.5-hour monitoring report which it turned out took over 4 hours to complete (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 9345 is a good new frequency for VOA English, heard Oct 26 at 1254, apparently during Press Conference show. Also Sunday 1338 VG in Jazz USA, much better than // 9760. Gone at 1440 recheck, tho something else weak was there, presumably RNW via Tashkent. VOA 9345 is now the 21 degree beam from Tinang, Philippines at 12-14, which in A-08 was doubled up with the 270 degree beam on 9760 at 13-15. Now 9760 is at 270 degrees only at 13-15, joined by 21 degrees at 15-16.

13580, not Prague, but Oct 26 at 1335 in Somali, mentioning Mohammed Ali, 1336 Nairobi. This is VOA via Lampertheim at 13-14 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VATICAN [and non]. Pileup on 6185, Oct 26 at 0602, seems three stations with multiple SAHs; could make out what sounded like Swedish, so Vatican Radio in Scandinavian service. WRTH 2008 does not even try to distinguish them, tho surely there is a day-to-day rotation. Other main signal probably XEPPM, with tentatively some Spanish in the mix. Vatican is finished at 0620, so I rechecked at 0622 and found a strong open carrier, with warbling het. Third station probably Amazonia, Brasil warming up.

Also, 7250, VR in English at 0609 Oct 26; at 330 degrees for UK, it also carries on quite well to NAm.

11740, Oct 26 at 1310, VR in Italian, 310 degrees to Europe and onward to us, over another weaker signal, which now would be R. Japan in Chinese via Singapore, as VOA Korean has departed, but still on 5890 via Tinang (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VENEZUELA [non]. RNV CI enters yet another season clueless about its own schedule. Just as I tuned by 11705 via Cuba Oct 26 1258, heard them giving grossly outdated sked starting with 13740 to San Francisco. As for Aló, Presidente, still no show on any of the former frequencies Sunday morning after 1400, checked at 1415; except 13680 was on with regular RHC philatelic program (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ZAMBIA. 13590, 1Africa, CVC Lusaka, Oct 26 at 1336 in English dialog, F-P signal, fades. Not nearly as good as it used to be around 1900 on 315 degree beam to Nigeria and Upper Michigan; but now 13590 lasts only until 1400, then 13650 at 14-17, and 17-22 on 9420 despite Greece, the latter two not yet checked here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 6115, Oct 26 after 0600 sounds like Arabic with a Christian tinge, fair and mixing with something else; before 0600 was hearing a hum apparently coming from two carriers on slightly different frequencies. In B-08 all that is scheduled here at 0600 is CRI in English via Sackville, which this certainly was not. Nor are there any clues in the A-08 schedules (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 6220, Oct 26 at 0620 weak music making a fast SAH with RHC mixing product. Suspect Europirate, Mystery Radio. No real station is officially scheduled on 6220 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 13600, Oct 26 at 1308 in Russian with big buzz of the Saudi Arabian type obscuring the modulation. Nothing scheduled here, but info from Russia is slow to come in. I suspect this is indeed a Russian transmitter with big problems. Same tho somewhat weaker at 1401, 1435 rechex (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 13720, something in Spanish discussing desarrollo, Oct 26 at 1305, maybe with Italian accent? Also over lite CCI with a SAH --- but nothing is scheduled here that I know of. I suspected Vatican, which does have Spanish at this hour but supposedly on MW only. The Cuban mixing product, 13760 over 13740, cannot start until the 13740 carrier comes on around 1350 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###


      

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