mercoledì 20 gennaio 2010

Glenn Hauser logs January 20, 2010

** INDIA [and non]. 4920, Jan 20 at 1346 with flutter, YL talking in Hindi, AIR Chennai until 1400 dialog, maybe commercial with music mixed, 1401 seemed like 3-pip timesignal but probably not, into singing. During the talk there was weak music under, probably Lhasa, the only two stations active here, discounting Biak. There were weaker signals on a number of other 60m AIR channels (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA [and non]. 9680, RRI at 1420 Jan 20 with QRDRM noise, and more of same against something else on 9670. Not much audible on 9675 itself, but must be emanating from VOR via Moscow site, with DRM centered there, 100 kW, 260 degrees at 14-18 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH. 3560, weak signal in French, Jan 20 at 1405, no doubt feeder of VOK as on 9330, 11710 but did not try to //. Other NK signals: best on 2850, also 3250, 3320, 4450 jamming, but nothing jammed or not on 3480 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** THAILAND. 9725, G signal better than usual during 1400-1430 English broadcast toward Australia, Jan 20 at 1421 but only music, none of usual talk features, so apparently lost feed and filling with this. First was solo piano recital, 1423 dead air for a while, then false starting and restarting native orchestral music featuring drum and flute, joined by soprano with Thai song; 1427 seemed to re-restart same song until interrupted at 1428:30 bell IS, ID as ``HSK9, Radio Thailand World Service from the Public Relations Department``, bells and re-ID cut off air at 1429:30 before completed. Studio/transmitter coordination so often an insurmountable challenge in SWBC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. Another day trying to determine what VOA is really doing with its expanded Creole service since they won`t post their own schedules accurately:

In morning bandscans I have not noticed any unpublicized frequency between 1330 and 1730, but could have missed it.

Jan 20 at 1929 when the midday broadcast officially ends, I tuned to 17565 and 15390. The usual mid-hour pause of dirge music, and then 17565 switched to the VOA French service to West Africa, while after a bit of jazz, 15390 continued in Creole. Both are contrary to known schedules.

Per A-Z VOA schedule, French is supposedly on 17550 and 17580 at 1830-2000, but nothing audible on either frequency. Apparently at least one of those was the Greenville transmitter turned over to Creole on 17565 until 1930, and they did not remember/bother to switch it to correct 17580 for what was left of the French sesquihour. But at next check 1958, 17565 was already gone, still no 17580 but WYFR overpowering on 17575 and elsewhere in the 17.5`s. 15390 in classical music, 2000 continuing in Creole.

The other French frequency, 15225, scheduled 1830-2000 via BONAIRE, was being heard all along, but continued past 2000 with French VOA ID, and then switch to country music in English with audio dropping out/skipping severely. At 2008, 15225 still on with lively Franco-African DJ, same weak signal as earlier, so Bonaire site prolonged? The VOA A-Z schedule for French shows a gap at 2000-2030, but Aoki knows better, showing 15225 Bonaire lasting until 2030.

At 2059 Jan 20, checking to see if same happened as 24 hours earlier: almost. VOA Creole 15390 had a caller on the air, but cut off at 2100:00 sharp for frequency change. So I QSY to 13725 and wait for it. Finally *2101:50 both carrier and modulation with no further delay amid another caller: no news on the hour this time, and no built-in break to accommodate such switches like they do on the half-hour, strange. At 2107 there was another caller in English, Marie – Duran in the 407 area code, which is around Orlando FL, seeking someone; shortly into an interview about aid (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 9940, YFR in unknown Asian language, Jan 20 at 1418 along with big buzz, something you would expect from India rather than listed Novosibirsk, RUSSIA; Aoki still shows this as English, the initial language on this new transmission. At 1430 was spelling out Family Radio URL. Meanwhile at 1415, Camping still in English, Open Forum on 9485 with more flutter but no buzz, and that is due south from Irkutsk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 6140.0, 2-way Spanish SSB intruders Jan 20 at 1348; 1351 discussing camionetas which means station wagons or more likely pick-up trux. One of them had a lot of background noise. No broadcaster to be blocked at the moment (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###