domenica 20 novembre 2011

Glenn Hauser logs November 19-20, 2011

** ANGUILLA [and non]. 11775, Nov 20 at 1407, heavy QRM atop PMS making ripple SAH; my first guess was Persian. Nothing in HFCC to account for this, of course, since all India registrations are still missing as of Nov 18, but Aoki shows AIR Nepali, 1330-1430, 250 kW, 25 degrees via Panaji, GOA (also jammed Tibetan at 1215-1315). Despite Caribbean Beacon being aimed 320 degrees so DGS could hear himself in Los Ángeles (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake Nov 19, before 2400:
11500, poor at 2346; none in the 10s, 12s
13920, good at 2346
14700, very poor at 2343
14970, very good with flutter at 2344
15970, very good with flutter at 2344
16100, fair at 2344
16700, fair at 2344
16980, fair at 2344
17170, fair at 2345

Nov 20, before 1400:
 9200, fair at 1352

before 1500:
12600, very poor at 1455, also CW QRM; none higher
12230, poor at 1455
 9200, fair at 1456; none in the 11s, 10s, 8s, 7s
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** COSTA RICA [and non]. 17800, Sunday Nov 20 at 1517, REE big signal in fútbol discussion, about one second behind weaker // 17755 direct, and strong // 17595 direct from SPAIN. Cariari relay is supposed to be on 17850! Must have punched the wrong frequency starting at 1400; still 17800 at 1553.

Fortunately, no harm done so far, as Bulgaria`s registrations on 17800 for 14-15 AM and 14-15 DRM are wooden. But it will be a big problem at 18-19, when DW Hausa is on via MADAGASCAR. 1812 check: they`ve fixed it by now, with REE back on 17850 and DW in the clear on 17800, whew (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. 15230, Nov 19 at 2342, RHC in Brazilian Portuguese with short/long path echo, i.e. a 38-megameter trip round the globe.

13690, Nov 19 at 2357 I tune in early enough to catch the RHC frequency announcement, picking a channel that is not likely to be cut off in the middle of it, while // 13640 might be as the European service is closing: only ones given are ``13640, 13690, 11840, 9540, 9710, 5040``. At 2358 I quickly verified which 31m channels were really on the air: 9810, 9740, 9710, and NOT 9540 which appears erroneously on evening schedules, while really just mornings. 9740 was strongest and 9710 was the first to go off. So they`re still totally confused.

Then at 0000 UT Nov 20 I switch to 5040, and it is opening in English, unlike 24 hours earlier when it was Creole; so apparently English as in new schedule is still supposed to be at 00-01 if the tapes aren`t mixed up.

13750, Nov 20 at 1357, this Sunday I tune in early enough to tell whether RHC is colliding with VOA Spanish until 1400: Yes, VOA barely audible underneath huge RHC // 13675 and 13780. There is no reason whatsoever for RHC to run 13750 on Sundays only --- it was originally for the Venezuelan relay which has been gone for five months and only sporadically before that. The 13750 transmitter is apparently the same one used weekdays on 9850, now missing.

At 1404, 13750 dead air, about to turn off? No, at 1436 it`s remodulating as `En Contacto` #47 for 2011y is starting its new time until 1450 // 13670, 13780, et al., but 9850 still missing. Meanwhile, by 1411, weaker 9540 was audible in the clear, after being blown away by WHRI during the previous hour Sundays only.

Pedro Sedano`s monthly DX report from Zaragoza, Spain was featured, lamenting that two more stations have (almost) dropped Spanish on SW: LV de Grecia except for 5 minutes a week [when??, due to no longer relaying R. Filia], and Bible Voice Broadcasting which used to have a Sunday semihour via Germany [no loss there]. He also referred to B-11 as having started on Oct 25 --- no, it was Oct 30, always the last Sunday of October, which in 2009y was indeed Oct 25. BTW, 13750 had some ACI from Cuba`s CRI relay on 13740 when it was playing music, despite perpetual undermodulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EGYPT [and non]. 13580, Nov 20 at 1451, big varying tones and noise vs VOA Kurdish, 250 kW, 150 degrees from Wertachtal, GERMANY. This could easily be taken for jamming, but I think it must be R. Cairo ``warming up`` prior to 15-16 Albanian service, 250 kW, 315 degrees from Abis, also USward. VOA went off at 1459, leaving the tones, flutter and CODAR, and at 1459:40 the tones and other noise stopped abruptly, proving they had been deliberately transmitted, and unintelligible talk started, deficient low modulation, presumably Albanian. Thus it is inadvisable for VOA Kurdish to use 13580 at this time, lacking a coöperative crash-start from Cairo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDIA. 15050, Nov 20 at 1425, no trace of DRM or AM, nor later in the hour, from AIR`s 13-15 Sinhala service; off the air today? Would expect MUF to support it as usual. VBS on 9870 was in well (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** JAPAN [non]. 17605, UT Sat Nov 19 at 2340, western classical music is still running in this Sunday-morning-ghetto hour relay of NHK in Japanese, now scheduled 22-24, 250 kW, 170 degrees from BONAIRE (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. 15540, Nov 19 at 1813, R. Kuwait is still here and in English, propagating well today, 1814 ending yet another episode in the never-ending Sunni series, `The Pious and Rightly Guided Caliphs`, to be continued tomorrow at 1800+ (and so it was, again VG signal Nov 20 at 1812, but high noon is an inconvenient time here); 1815 Nov 19 jarringly into rock music. Probably faded down and out well before 2100*; not checked further on Nov 19.

Or maybe not, as surprised to find 17550, Nov 19 at 2341 in Arabic music, fair with heavy flutter, as scheduled for A-11, but NOT B-11 per HFCC. There is no direct B-11 replacement for this 20-24 service to C&W NAm, closest being 9880 at 21-24, 500 kW, 310 degrees to Europe. Is that on the air, or transmitter on 17550 instead? We suspect Kuwait has just kept running its A-11 schedule, ignoring B-11, as also still on 21540 in Arabic until 1500, instead of 21520.

Even more amazing in the HFCC B-11 registrations for Kuwait is 11950, 2200-0230, 150 kW DRM, 350 degrees to C&W NAm in ENGLISH. This transmission previously listed on 11675, was imaginary, and probably here too. Is anyone hearing DRM noise, let alone DRM decoding from 11950? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MOROCCO [and non]. 15349.1, Nov 19 at 1811, IMM has shifted down to here after being closer to 15349.5 in the 15 UT hour as heard earlier same day. Sounds like sports discussion in Arabic. BTW, IMM has a constant whine on its own transmission here, distinct from any hets it may cause with on-frequency stations. I assume this meant R. Nacional, ARGENTINA close to 15345v was no longer blocked, nor should it be on M-F when it`s RAE in foreign languages!

15349.1 still the spot Nov 20 at 1420 in Arabish, long-path echo too and its own low whine. But this is still a big problem at 15-16 only, again making huge het with 15350.0 RVA via VATICAN at 1519 check. During this hour until 1600, IMM should stay on 15345, but such a neat solution is probably impossible. Maybe RVA will move if Morocco stix with 15349+.

Not much signal Nov 20 at 1818 on 15345 from presumed Argentina, but still in the clear with IMM still on 15349+, boding well for the English hour M-F at 18-19, and more Eurolangs until 22 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** POLAND [non]. 15770, Nov 20 at 1423, good signal with cowboy ballad in very minor key, but lyrix sound Russian; then Russian announcement mentioning polski, and more music; gone at 1433 recheck. I at first guessed R. Liberty or the like, but it`s really PRW/PRES, 1400-1430, 125 kW, 70 degrees from Woofferton UK, in Russian. As usual, it`s far easier to hear Warszawa [non] in any language but English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TAIWAN [non]. 6875, Nov 20 at 0624, RTI via WYFR still in wrong language, German instead of Spanish; usual excellent signal here on westward Mexican beam, but surely not so in Europe (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TUNISIA [and non]. 7275, Nov 20 I am monitoring exactly when RTT turns off this frequency contrary to the always-wrong HFCC registrations showing -0730*. Really cuts off at 0626:42* --- but right back on a couple sex later! For another few minutes until off for good at 0630:15*, in the meantime still // 7335 which continues. Never noticed such a post-broadcast before.

Afterwards, 7275 was left with a weak carrier, no modulation detectable, suspected FRCN, Abuja, NIGERIA, which is surely overridden in its coverage area too while Tunisia is on. Is anyone hearing that with any modulation at any time? Used to be on the air mornings only. Aoki shows 0530-1200 in Hausa/vernaculars, 100 kW non-direxional.

North American hams mostly avoid at night the upper 100 kHz of the 40m band they are entitled to use, because of all the broadcast QRM, but not during contests! SSB all over the place, including 7273-LSB, NN3W in Virginia calling CQ Contest with no Tunisia ACI after 0630 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 15420, Sat Nov 19 at 1813 no signal from WBCQ which is normally on at 18-22 daily with `Global Spirit Proclamation`, the anapaestic androgynous preacher from Fence Lake NM (and Saturdays also 15-18 with Overcomer, Operation Rescue, Overcomer. It may have also been missing before 16 as I was aroundtuning).

Checked again Sunday Nov 20 at 1841, 15420 has large S9+20 open carrier, which is more than usual from WBCQ, hardly reduced, and without modulation you would not realize it`s normally USB. No sign of BBC now, since in B-11 it`s not scheduled on 15420 after 1800 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. `The Communicators` followed up last week`s appearance by VOA Director David Ensor, this week with Brian Conniff, President of USG`s Middle East Broadcasting Networks, 2330-2400 UT Saturday Nov 19 on C-SPAN-1. Should repeat on C-SPAN-2, Monday Nov 21 at 1300, Tuesday Nov 22 at 0100 UT. Here`s the video link, found only by searching:
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/302684-1
He talked a lot more about Alhurra than Radio Sawa, since TV is so much more important than radio. Strangely enough, his position and MBN are not mentioned on the C-SPAN page until you play the video (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9385, Nov 20 at 0621, Brother Scare is still blathering here! WWRB is stuck on its day frequency instead of 3185, which is vacant. By this hour, 9385 signal is only poor, no match for WWCR 5890 with BS an echo behind. Next check 1350, 9385 is still on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1591 monitoring: confirmed on WTWW 5755 webcast, UT Sunday Nov 20 at 0500. Upcoming on WRMI 9955 & webcast: Sun 1830, Mon 1230. On WBCQ Area 51 5110v-CUSB & webcast: UT Monday 0400v. On WRN via SiriusXM 120 satellite & webcast: Sunday 1830. Full schedule at
http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. 9955, WRMI, Sunday Nov 20 at 1414 with YL preacher in English, roughly equal signal level with something in Chinese making ripple-fast SAH. HFCC B-11 shows it`s KTWR GUAM in ``yue``, 1400-1430 except Saturdays, 100 kW, 285 degrees. Aoki however has KTWR B-11 on 9955 at 1400-1430 as: Hui on Sundays, M-F in Cantonese, different azimuths 305 and 315 degrees respectively. In any event, if it isn`t DentroCuban jamming, it`s other FCC-authorized SW stations QRMing WRMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 15000, Nov 20 at 1515, trying to copy the poorly-enunciated and rushed WWV announcement: it`s something about GPS Constellation status broadcasts being discontinued from 2359 UT November 30; instead go to a website or pay for a phone call to a 703-AC hotline. First part about this aired in previous minute :14+. Nevertheless, the :15+ announcement ran over and had to be cut off at :15:45 in time for WWVH`s voice announcement, inaudible here at the moment (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 15580, Nov 20 at 1432, big open carrier with some hum, still there a few minutes later. Probably Greenville testing prior to the only time it`s currently scheduled here, at 1700-1730; but blotting out any sign of VOA English scheduled via South Africa at 14-15 on 15580 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) collision with VOA 13750: see CUBA [and non]