giovedì 21 ottobre 2010

Glenn Hauser logs October 20-21, 2010

** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36 carrier detectable Oct 21 at 1324, much weaker but hetting UK with Russian audio on 15480 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BRAZIL. 15190v, no sign of R. Inconfidência, Oct 20 around 2005 when it should have the frequency to itself, after Philippines phinishes, and with Equatorial Guinea still missing. Nor Oct 19 around 1935. The 5 kW really needs a propagational boost, and also I suspect it is only sporadically on the air. Others are reporting it periodically. I need to recheck around the time of day I first heard it, 0045+ after WYFR QRT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Too busy with MW DX for a thorough Firedrake search earlier on Oct 21, but a quick scan of 8-15 MHz at 1348-1351 found none (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. RHC Oct 20 at 0555: English service with music on 5970, 6010, 6060 and undermodulated on 6150. Arnie Coro`s just-released tentative B-10 schedule shows FIVE frequencies in English at 0500-0700: 6000, 6010, 6050, 6060, 6150 (and 6050, 6000 also on at 01-05, the former colliding with HCJB if really implemented).

0616 check Oct 21: English on 5970, 6010, 6060, 6150. That`s enough.

1110 check Oct 21 (ooh, I only got 5 hours sleep), more overkill on 49 m, in Spanish: 6110, 6120, 6150, 6180 (plus Venezuela relay on 6060, in English). I was amusing myself by tuning to 6115 with just enough bandwidth to tell that 6110 and 6120 were an echo apart, when 6120 quit modulating at 1123, and off a few minutes later. This may or may not have been the transmitter soon found on 9600.

Per sked at
http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/c_frecuencia/frecuencias.htm
6120 is supposed to end at 1100. But 6150 is supposed to be on only at 05-07 in English! (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1535, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CYPRUS. 18745-18770, over-the-horizon radar rapid pulsing Oct 21 at 1348, presumably from here or vicinity. Same sound at 1350 on 14585-14610 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUATEMALA. Seems R. Verdad`s morning person doesn`t always get TGAV on the air by scheduled 1100. Oct 21 at 1110, nothing audible on 4055, but some music is heard at 1134. Soon it will be even harder to be late to work without the whole world knowing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI Music Corner featuring some folk style with usual VG signal would have been great to listen to Oct 21 at 1351, if it were not for the IADs (intermittent audio dropouts) averaging about once ever five seconds. Won`t they ever fix this? Are they not even aware of it? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. 21540, SSOB S9+18, way over collision with Spain, Oct 21 at 1330 in Arabic drama with exaggerated emotions, music, child`s voice. 1335 break for Kuwait ID, more drama, starting with music reminiscent of the buildup to ``Oklahoma`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. Lots of sunrise skip Oct 21 on the DX-398, UT; prime reference is WRTH 2010:

620, at 1201 Mex NA, too much QRM. Likely XEBU in Chihuahua, only other NW Mexican being XESS Ensenada, where it`s 5 am. 1209, definitely XEBU: DJ greeting with date 21 de octubre, mentions Chihuahua, phone numbers for complacencias; CCI (co-channel interference).

770, at 1238, lots of talk, laughter, bits of music, SFX, several speakers in studio, sort of a morning zoo in Spanish, 1242 doorbell, 7-40-40, ``llámenos``. That`s a bit short for a phone number these days, and Googling does not connect it with XEREV in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. But Wikipedia does show 74040 as the SMS number for the network program that station carries, Los Cuarenta Principales.

800, at 1238, XEROK, Juárez, with government PSAs for Ejército y Fuerza Aérea, IFE, soon back to local crime news. What would Benito say? Also with NA after 1200, way over KQCV OKC.

870, at 1235, XETAR with ID, time 25:7, local avisos of fallecimientos (obits) and other family news. Guachochi, Chihuahua.

900, at 1228 mentions ``la junta de Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua``. So XEDT. WRTH shows slogan ``La Reina`` which I have not yet heard them say.

970, at 1202 Mex NA, heavy SAH, 1203 fading but mentioned Chihuahua, no doubt XEJ Juárez.

1180, at 1229 romantic music, 1230 ID claims ``5 mil watts`` but hit by IBOC from KFAQ 1170 Tulsa going to day pattern. Per WRTH, 5 kW day power fits only for XEDCH, Ciudad Delicias, Chihuahua, and that state is our prime SRS DX area. At 1231 blown away by Omaha, double-whammy; see U S A.

1300, at 1221, 6:21 TC ``en Radio México Noticias``, dominating frequency, looping WSW. 1223 PSA for Tribunal Electoral de Chihuahua, website for it, ``Radio México Noticias en Radio Trece``, weather, 13 degrees. It`s the 50 kW XEP, Ciudad Juárez (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PERU. 18057.9, Oct 21 at 1344, very weak but with the unmistakable intonations of wacky wailing gospel huxter David Miranda, from this third harmonic of R. Victoria, OAX4Q, 3 kW on 6019.3 from Lima.

No one else seems to report the harmonic, but some put the fundamental on a somewhat higher frequency. Whenever I hear the harmonic, I carefully check the frequency on the YB-400 by zero-beating the BFO with WWV, then stepping between 18057, 18058 and 18059, always reconfirming that it`s on the low side of 18058, making a higher pitch het when on 18059 than when on 18057; ergo fundamental cannot be higher than 6019.333+. Possibly the frequency varies by time of day; would not be a daily warmup factor if it is on 24 hours as I think it is (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ROMANIA. DRM: see THAILAND [and non]

** THAILAND [and non]. 17515, something here I don`t usually find, Oct 21 at 1326, heavy flutter in central Asian language? Cut off at 1329* after a bit of music I did not recognize, but was not the DW theme. Uplooked later in HFCC, it`s BBC in Uzbek via THAILAND, 250 kW, 325 degrees at 1300-1330. Normally this language is jammed by the ChiCom, but none heard now. Unusual opening. Also fluttery was Saudi Arabia on 17615, 17625, 17895, also high-latitude path over the other side of the north or south pole (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TUNISIA [and non]. 7275, RTT was back where it is supposed to be, Oct 20 at 0557, after having been on 7225 by mistake the night before. BUT, Oct 21 at 0618 check it`s on 7225 once again! And now there is QRDRM from 7225-7230-7235. That`s RRI, Romania in German, fortunately 0600-0630 only, 300 kW, 307 degrees from Tiganeshti, and hence USward. Are they really running full analog-like power with DRM? Most stations cut it back. I trust the Tunisian interference upmessed RRI DRM reception, like vice versa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. First airing of new WORLD OF RADIO 1535 should have been Thursday Oct 21 at 1500 on WRMI 9955 plus webcast. Second airing at 1900 Thursday on WBCQ 7415. After that, UT Friday 0330 on WWRB 3185; 1430 on WRMI 9955, 2030 on WWCR 15825. Full schedule is at
http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html
Audio on demand:
http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html
(Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 18530, Oct 21 at 1347 I can barely hear the ponderous pontifications of Alexander Scourby`s canned Bible readings, which a number of gospel huxters throw into their broadcasts as fill, including Brother Scare; sure enough, can // it with WINB 9265. The transmission on 18530 has quite a warbly carrier with BFO on, presumably twice as much as on 9265 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 3160, started monitoring at 1127 Oct 21 for the sign-on of daytimer WPJK 1580 Orangeburg SC on its second harmonic. I was getting worried as nothing showed past 1130, just occasional utebursts on lowside; could they have suppressed it? Still nothing at 1135 but I stick to 3160. Finally at *1137 carrier comes on, 1138 sign-on ``beginning another broadcast day``, ``All Aboard!`` two toots of a train whistle, which sounded suspiciously like they were also produced by the announcer`s mouth? And another pair a bit later, into Gospel Train wakeup music show. S9+12. At 1150 with BFO, I compared it to KSL on 1160, by down-tuning 2 steps on the FRG-7 MHz dial, and found the 3160 frequency just a touch on the highside. KSL is renowned for its frequency accuracy (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Sunrise DX Oct 21 while mainly stalking Mexicans, in UT; prime reference is the NRC AM Log 2010,
http://www.nrcdxas.org/catalog/books/index1.html

720, looking for KDWN, Las Vegas NV, at 1243 but no signal. Next check at 1245, there it is, ``KDWN, News-talk 720, K-dawn``. Therefore I conclude they are switching to day pattern at 1245 UT in October. That`s a full hour before official LSR per FCC AM Query for KDWN: 1345 UT! I wonder if KDWN thinks ``5:45`` at their page
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/srsstime?dlat=36&mlat=4&slat=22.00&dlon=114&mlon=58&slon=20.00&tzone=D
means PDT instead of PST!?

Or could they have special dispensation to go-day at sunrise Chicago? No, that is at 1200 UT in October, not that unlimited WGN has to take any notice of it. So it looks like KDWN is taking an extra hour of undeserved daypower.

Can I be the first to have noticed this, probably going on all summer, in DX, broadcasting business or engineering, or enforcement circles?

770, at 1318, no KKOB, NM, just a very weak SAH (subaudible heterodyne). Late switching to day pattern? As heard several days at 1315 sharp.

790, at 1247, Tucson ad, ``News-talk 790, KNST``, Wall Street Journal This Morning. October sunrise there is 1330, so should still be on PSRA of 500 watts instead of 5000, but was it? By 1252, it loses out to:

790, at 1252, political ads for Rogers, NW Arkansas, i.e. KURM; mixed with KFYO Lubbock TX ID, overcoming KNST.

940, at 1215 YL traffic report, on ``Praise 940``, join us at the cathedral Oct 30 (counter-Hallowe`en service?), in Des Moines. So this is what has become of KIOA, now 10/5 kW KPSZ, the closest they could come to evoking ``praise``.

950, at 1216, KWOS ID immediately I tune in, Tigers sports talk, Newsradio 950, KWOS = Jefferson City MO.

990, at 1314, Trading Post on KSWM, also AM-990, phone numbers, callers with stuff to sell in Springfield MO. Must be a simulcast, since the real KSWM is on 940 in Aurora MO, while nearby, also SW of Springfield, on 990 is KRMO in Cassville. Googling confirms these two are related, both in the Talon Group:
http://www.krmo.com/KSWM/Program+Schedule/default.aspx
At 1317, ad for Bob`s Garage in Springfield.

1140, at 1255, Mexican music from E/W, so not XEMR Monterrey; in OKC null, fades out and in. 1302 in Spanish discussing California marijuana legislation; 1303 ``La más mexicana``, K--- and US PSA; mentioned Bakersfield, so figured I had a California station, but Googling leads immediately to
http://www.lamasmexicana1140.com/

I.e., KLTK Centerton AR, 5 kW daytimer as in NRC AM Log only as SS:MEX, but not that slogan. Is the programming really coming out of Alta California? In any event it is certainly *less* Mexican than XEMR! Centerton does not even make the index of my Rand McNally. Must be near Rogers, address in the NRC AM Log.

Temporarily loses out to KCXL (see next log), but back in at 1307, M&W discussing today being the day of San Hilario, joking about how it resembles Hillary. ``La estación de la Raza``, phone 631-4016 and enter to win mil dólares, super-hyped canned ID by the same voice actor/announcer we hear everywhere from both sides of la frontera, who must be doing excellent business. 1311 fades out again. Next check 1320 it`s back with Mexican music, but KRMP OKC is gaining on it.

1140, at 1304, Spanish from KLTK loses out to English from KCXL, Liberty, Missouri, both calls and location mentioned in passing, religious talk, 1305 ``bluegrass gospel``, mentions I-70, various businesses at Old Town, Green Valley. 1307, KLTK resumes dominance.

1180, trying to DX XEDCH [see MEXICO], but US station blasts on at 1231, with Omaha steak ad, Vanguarding ad, YL with Koil traffic report. FCC AM Query for KOIL confirms 1230 UT is official October sunrise in Bellvue NE, so that`s when they ramp up from 1 to 25 kW, and day pattern has major lobe to SW, but still plenty of signal toward us to the SSW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. TP MW carrier search Oct 21 at 1153 down the band on the DX-398 in LSB: only found 774 very weak at 1154. Then up the band in USB mode, from 1156: 747, 774, 1116, 1242. Afterwards I was too busy DXing Mexicans and Americans on 10-kHz channels (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###