venerdì 19 dicembre 2014

Glenn Hauser logs December 17-18-19, 2014

** EGYPT. 9860, Dec 19 at 0246, R. Cairo, supposedly English, good signal but extremely distorted music

9905, Dec 19 at 0246, R. Cairo, Qur`an good signal not too distorted, long pauses

9965.3 approx., Dec 19 at 0248, R. Cairo, distorted Arabic, whine (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO [and non]. 1060-, [slightly on the lo side] Dec 19 at 0230 UT I`m looking for the new XERDO in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, as reported by KAZ. There is a bigsig dominating with romantic music in Spanish, ``cada canción``, but it`s E/W, not N/S; and 0233 ID as ``KXPL [letters pronounced in English], Radio El Paso-Juárez, con su música, toda A-M``, then ranchera. However it disappears abruptly at 0234.4*. It is *supposed* to be a 10-kW daytimer-only. Official FCC sunset for it in December is 0000 UT (January: 0030 UT). It does have a PSSA of a hefty 7 watts! But in December that would last only until 0200 UT.

1060, as soon as KXPL goes off, I can now get a weaker SS station from the N/S at 0234 UT Dec 19; SHVA exclaims ``10-60, la estación de todos``, but heavy QRM. This may well be XERDO. [Yes! See below]

On NRC-AM, Neil Kazaross, IL, reported Dec 17: `` For the past couple of nights I'd noted a signal on the high side of 1060 in Spanish and since XEEP was also noted as usual and since KIJN had been noted running all night earlier in the season, I didn't pay any attention to it. Last night it was quite strong and certainly didn't sound like religious Spanish programming, and wasn't XEEP so I paid more attention to it. My Perseus measured the frequency as 1060.076.

At 0400 UTC I recorded a nice ID with calls and "La Raza" slogan and 7000 watts mentioned and an address in Reynosa.

There's some differences in where this is actually located shown on various sites, but this site says Reynosa.
http://www.mpm.com.mx/?r=radio/view&id=9736003F-3B3B-A79A-8618-7CCA15F69578

Anyhow, their move from 1450 licensed to Matamoros is complete and I expect this station to be widely heard. 73 KAZ Barrington IL Perseus and Phased DKAZ antennas with the beam steered about WSW.``

Barry McLarnon, Ottawa, Ont., replied, ``I've also noticed this signal recently, producing a "hum" on the high side of KYW, which was being backgrounded by XEEP. Two nights ago, I measured the carrier frequency to be 1060.0774. Not much chance for audio given my local noise woes, but it's nice to know what it is anyway. Barry``

At 0325 UT Dec 18, Kaz replies again: ``Trivial to log XERDO again tonight with grupera music and seemingly an ID after every song. "La Raza, Mil Sesenta, La Estacion de Todos." 73 KAZ Barrington IL Perseus and phased array of two DKAZ with the main beam steered roughly WSW. .. i.e. "Toto, I think we are back in Kansas." 1340 KGGS Garden City noted again etc.``

That clinches it for me as I heard the same slogan. Altho XERDO on 1060 from Reynosa instead of 1450 from Matamoros changed too recently to make it into the IRCA Mexican Log or the WRTH 2015, it was already reported more than a biweek ago by Greg Hardison. At the time I did not realize it was newly on 1060:

``I've been plying a remote receiver in New Orleans, during middle-of-the-night spare time, and note this morning (Dec 2) that WLNO/1060 is off the air, shortly after 0700 UT. Frequency without local consists mostly of a battle between Ranchero XERDO, and the much more entertaining XEEP; one of whom seems to be somewhat off frequency, creating a half-buzz SAH. WLNO's woes seem financial in nature, affecting owner Communicom Corp. of America, also ex-owner of KXXT/1010 and KXEG/1280 in Phoenix. Both of the Arizona outlets were noted up & running during a visit starting Nov 20; FCC website lists new owners for those two.  Very 73z -- GREG HARDISON``

The MPM listing of it on 1060 linked above was last updated on October 16. Also says transmitter site is Vallehermoso, Tamaulipas, which is SW of Matamoros, further from the border, but also further from Reynosa. Cantú has it on 1060 as 7/2.5 kW, but nombre as ``La Radio`` and location as Matamoros, not Reynosa.

1060, at 0235 UT Dec 19 I am now getting a Spanish music station from E/W, but it`s praise music, keywords such as ``redentor``, ``bendición``, so it`s obviously the usual KIJN Farwell TX cheater, which earlier had been overcome by KXPL.

1060, at 0239 UT Dec 19 back aiming N/S, Spanish station is not // 6185 XEPPM, so at the moment it must again be XERDO (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA [non]. 1520, Dec 19 at 0224 UT on caradio, and past 0254 UT on the PL880/DX398, NO signal from KOKC! And hardly anything else either, just some weak SAHs, a hole in the dial when some cheaters would have had easy access into KOKC`s coverage area (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SAO TOME. 9815, Dec 19 at 0246, open carrier, good with flutter; some SSB ACI. Presumably IBB site warming up for 0300 Afia Darfur broadcast in Arabic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN. 9620, Dec 17 at 2100, REE continues its revived SW broadcasting one day ahead of the official start date --- with a clip of Raúl Castro`s speech.

9620, Dec 18 at 2300 I check the first official broadcast; VG signal now to North America, but instead of news as heard a biday ago, it`s satellite tuning info, implying we SWLs should do that?? And then IS. Nothing audible on 11685; 12030 very poor; 11940 poor with flutter unlike the others, IS still running at 2303 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9395, Dec 17 at 0400, semiminute of `Feature Story News` on Global 24 via WRMI, just before WORLD OF RADIO, is really ``Olds`` as the casualty count at the Pakistan school massacre is given as only 80 + 20, much lower than we have been hearing all day on other media.

Having noted all WRMI frequencies off circa 1350 Dec 18, I asked Jeff White what the problem was and he replied at 1825 UT: ``We had power off connecting 355 antenna to number six for Global 24. It's now connected and back on air on 355 now. Jeff Sent from my iPhone`` So the change to virtually inaudible 181 antenna was much briefer than the two weeks anticipated. But remember it`s now the 50 kW Wilkinson transmitter #6, not the 100(?) kW ex-YFR #1 any more.

At 1905 I do find 9395 and the rest back on and with usual audibility; however 17790 is carrying Brother Scare // and synch with 15770, rather than R. Africa Network (which however, does subcontract BS at some other hours).

9395, Thursday Dec 18 before 2100, G24 is ending `The Mix`, and at 2100 classical music fill instead of `Dialogos Greece` as on sked:

9395, Global 24 via WRMI: a partially updated program grid has appeared at
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sfbOQ_lr65W7iIFaD-lnYF7zJuI3RsNtMPoSTFEfmdA/edit?pli=1#gid=0

Now dated December instead of November 15, and I have conveniently transformed it into a http://tinyurl.com/G24sked
One you get there (I HATE spreadsheets) convert it to pdf to see the whole grid on one page. It now shows, i.a.:
`Democracy Now` M-F at 12-13, 15-16 [except Wed?!], and 23-24
`World of Radio` Thu 2201, Fri 0001, Mon 2201, Wed 0401, Wed 2201
`Media Network/Plus` Sat 0001, Sat 1730, Mon 0001, Tue 0001, Wed 0430
`Wavescan` Fri 0030, Wed 2230
`Song of India` Fri 20-21, Sat 23-24
`Happy Station` Thu 11-12, Sat 13-14, Sun 23-24, Tue 22-23
The `Global 24 Mailbag` has been eliminated; not enough mail to justify?? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 1752 monitoring: First airing would have been 1330 Thursday Dec 18 on 9955, but all WRMI frequencies were off the air. Confirmed Thu Dec 18 at 2201 on Global 24 via WRMI 9395, now back on northern antenna with revived sufficient signal. Retune at 0028 to check the 0030 airing, I instead find WOR playback about to end, so it has been changed without notice to start at 0001 Fridays; and 0030 now with Wavescan. Remaining WORLD OF RADIO 1752 airings:

Friday 2130 on WRMI 7570 (only airing on WRMI NW antenna) & 15770 (NE)
Saturday 0730 & 1530 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB
Saturday 1000 on WRMI 5850 (aimed toward Cleveland, Mongolia, Singapore, like Global 24 9395)
Sunday 0231 on KVOH 9975
Sunday 2300 on WRMI 11580
Monday 0400v on Area 51 via WBCQ 5110v-CUSB
Monday 2201 on Global 24 via WRMI 9395
Tuesday 1200 on WRMI 9955
Wednesday 0401 on Global 24 via WRMI 9395
Wednesday 0730 & 1530 on Hamburger Lokalradio 7265-CUSB
Wednesday 1415 on WRMI 9955
Wednesday 2200 on WBCQ 7490v
Wednesday 2201 on Global 24 via WRMI 9955
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. 9975, Dec 19 at 0249, praise music in Spanish, ``Gloria``, good signal until cutoff at 0250*. Must be KVOH testing. In case you haven`t heard on WORLD OF RADIO 1752, or in the DXLD yg, KVOH is installing a replacement 100 kW Harris transmitter, and this may be it. Modulation level seemed OK in the brief time I could hear it. In January they plan to expand evening English broadcasts to daily instead of weekends only.

Furthermore, this Voice of Hope is purchasing the mothballed Christian Vision/Voice site in ZAMBIA and plans to reactivate 2 x 100 kW SW transmitters there by Easter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

This report despatched at 0524 UT December 19