[HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs October 31, 2008

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** ALBANIA. Both R. Tirana transmitters at Shijak are back on the air, Oct 31 at 2111 with undermodulated music on S9+12 7510 signal; 2123 also heard // 9345 which was somewhat stronger with news in English about Albania; 2126 went to closing theme on 7510 and cut off at 2127 but came back on for another minute or so at 2128-2129* Meanwhile 9345 was playing IS from 2128, rating S9+20, 2130 signing on in Albanian with full transmission schedule just like they do in English. No co-channel from North Korea audible today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BIAFRA [non]. On the last Friday of A-08, Oct 24, V. of Biafra International via WHRI at 20-21 UT was on 15280, but their website said it was on ``15.67``. The first Friday of B-08, Oct 31, we made sure to check during that hour, and there it was on 15665, the scheduled B-08 frequency --- except now their website says:

``Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
transmitting on 15.28 MHz (on 19 meter band)
at 2000 - 2100 Hours UTC (Universal Time [Coordinated]) 
equivalent to 9.00 pm-10.00 pm Biafraland time every Friday.
A project of Biafra Foundation, and Biafra Actualization Forum.``

as in http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm

Will they ever get synchronized? I was not listening at the opening or closing when one frequency of the other may have been announced. Reception was a bit `hollow`, probably back-radiation from WHRI plus backscatter rather than long-path (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** CUBA [and non]. Despite very strong signal of REE on new 9640, Oct 31 at 2100 with RNE news, I could still hear the incompetent DentroCuban Jamming Command underneath it, still running the totally uncalled for jamming against Radio República which formerly used this frequency at another time. Isn`t Spain doing a lot of tourism business with Cuba? Perhaps diplomatic relations should be broken if Cuba does not desist. Yeah sure, like the Spanish government even knows, much less cares about this issue.

As for RHC, found 9550 with unmodulated carrier, Oct 31 at 2103; then checked others: 11760 OK in English; 13680 very weak carrier, but as I strained to listen, at 2117 I could finally detect it was // 11760 and an echo ahead of it. At 2113 recheck, Spanish modulation had resumed on 9550. The tiny signal on 13680 again raises the question of whether this recently-added and unreliable frequency is a secret relay from some other country. One could certainly not blame propagation for its weakness this time, as nearby 13760 in Spanish was quite strong. 

Either that, or 13680 was Cuba, running at extremely reduced power. All those jammers against nothing (and something) do suck up a lot of juice, and naturally take priority over mere outgoing propaganda broadcasts.

At 2207, 13680 had RHC in French // 5965 and leading it slightly. By now the signal on 13680 had improved and was even reading S9+10 but undermodulated, while 13760 in Spanish was S9+20 but sounded much stronger than 13680.

I suggest people with the capability try to DF the 13680 signal between 2030 and 2230 or later, in English and French. Same channel at other times, 13-15 with RHC and 23-24 with Venezuela is very strong here and obviously really from Cuba. And I once heard the two transmitters overlapping around 2250 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EQUATORIAL GUINEA [and non]. R. Africa still going, 15190, Oct 31 at 2137 check with caterwauling and then long period of dead air, both dead giveaways; signal only fair now, and bothered by YFR via Ascension which in B-08 has been expanded from one hour to two, 20-22 UT on adjacent 15195. Before 21, this being a weekday, it was overwhelmed from the other side by VOA Hausa via Greenville 15185. However, 15190 itself is no longer colliding with WYFR, as Okeechobee is no longer using that in B-08 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY [non]. I am beginning to wonder if all the broadcasters on 11690 have finally succeeded in driving the RTTY off 11688? Another day with no RTTY audible during DW English via Rwanda, Oct 31 at 2109 check. At other hours it`s also used by South Africa, Ecuador, Guam, Germany, China, Cuba (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. RN`s only remaining English broadcast via Bonaire, 20-21 UT on 17810, was inbooming Oct 31 at 2040 check, S9+20 and hardly any fading, while // 11655 via Madagascar was much weaker and running 3 seconds behind. Bridges with Africa program, about Rwanda (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NEW ZEALAND [and non]. Resuming 17675 for B-08, RNZI for yet another season collides adjacently with CVC Chile which is on 17680 until 2400. RNZI was getting the worst of it when checked Oct 31 at 2211, especially when CVC was splashing music, which is a lot of the time. Are there no clearer frequencies available on 16m? Of course, there are! But neither cares about serving any audience in North America.

Wait a minute: per its currently dated schedule at http://www.rnzi.com/pages/listen.php 
RNZI is supposed to be on 17675 only after 2236, until 0458, and in DRM, not AM! So we have another double anomaly from RNZI: the DRM transmitter again switched to AM, and went on the air at an unscheduled time, of its own volition or done deliberately without notice from Wellington? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN. 11680, Oct 31 at 2106 found a strange mixture of Spanish and Portuguese. This is the REE service to Brasil. The OM announcer said the correct words in Portuguese, but with a heavy staccato Castilian accent totally inappropriate for Portuguese of either variety, but which one also hears from REE`s Galician service. The YL spoke real Brazilian. F-G signal with REE liners, and ID at 2109 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CUBA [and non]
 
** SWEDEN [non]. Another relay from Madagascar of R. Sweden in English, also arriving in NAm where RS no longer tries to broadcast direct: 9895 at 2030, 320 degrees. Ran across it Friday Oct 31 at 2051 interviewing epidemiologist on cancer and immigration; trouble is, the modulation kept clipping out at troughs, making it rather rough-sounding; I did not notice any such problems on the relay an hour later a few days before, 7395. Maybe it arose in the feed route rather than the ultimate transmission. Also unprofessional and demonstrating inadequate contact and coordination between studio and transmitter: expendable music fill at end of broadcast was cut off abruptly at 2058* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Harold Camping overkill during the 20-21 UT hour on 16m:
Three WYFR frequencies are in use within 40 kHz; some of them are on before or after the hour in other languages, but during this one hour they all converge into Open Forum from the same audio feed.

17535 1800-2145 ENGL 315 
17555 1700-2145 ENGL 285 
17575 2000-2100 ENGL 140 

As noted Oct 31 at 2042, Brother Camping was inbooming on all three, the lowest one being closest to aiming usward. But wait, there`s more --- they all interact producing leapfrog mixing products. Now, I cannot necessarily blame all this on coming out of the transmitters in Okeechobee; such overload could cause the FRG-7 to be involved too. I did switch in maximum attenuation and could still hear these:

17495 = 17575 over 17535 another 40 kHz down
17515 = 17555 over 17535 another 20 kHz down
17595 = 17555 over 17575 another 20 kHz up
However, I was not hearing:
17615 = 17535 over 17575 another 40 kHz up

All three fundamentals are also on the air between 1700 and 2145 when there would be various combinations of Spanish, English, Portuguese and French leapfrogging over each other. You`re asking for mixes like this if you run two or three transmitters at such geographical or frequency proximity.

I was also hearing evangelical Arabic, only fair on 17690 at 2045. Now in B-08 the only US station on 17690 is WYFR, not WHR as in A-08.

Also WYFR on 9355, before 2100 UT Oct 31 in Romanian, and afterwards very strong in Spanish. At 2124 could hear weak Chinese underneath, which must be IBB Saipan, Americans vs Americans! Hard to believe this huge signal from WYFR here is at 44 degrees to Europe, roughly 90 degrees offbeam from OK (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WBCQ, 15420-CUSB on the air past scheduled 2100*, Friday Oct 31 at 2136 with the Fence Lake NM anapestic preacher. Perhaps they just did not get around to turning it off on time; however after DST next week, I assume this will ordinarily run until 2200, and Wednesdays until 2230 for WORLD OF RADIO, altho by then will be facing usual winter nighttime MUF plunge below 15 MHz. A higher frequency ought to be used earlier in the day during winter, not later, but DST/ST leaps trump basic propagation.

WBCQ 7415 still has a pair of very enjoyable music shows on Friday evenings, Behavior Night at 2100, and Bluegrass State of Mind at 2200. Oct 31 at 2139 I was sidetracked from bandscanning by Dixieland music such as the Tiger Rag (hmm, they have tigers in India, so do they also have tiger ragas? Quite an opportunity for crossover). From next week, of course, both one UT hour later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###


      

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