Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Blog Logs


Today's shortwave BLOG LOGS, represent those recently cut from my SWBC Logs column in Monitoring Times, due to space constraints. Contributions are always welcome for the magazine or blog, and may be directed to my above email address. Thanks very much to all the contributors for your kind words and support. This edition features a QSL card from the first entry from Anguilla's Caribbean Beacon.
Gayle VH

Frequencies in kHz, all times UTC. English unless otherwise indicated. // parallel frequencies.

* sign-on - sign-off *

Anguilla
6090, 0303. Caribbean Beacon. Religious text and sermon to vocal pop music. SIO 444. (S MacKenzie, CA) 6090, 0444. More items about being in financial stress. (H Frodge, MI)

Ascension Island
7160, 0520. BBC World Service. Announcer segment on various businesses in Africa. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Australia
4835, 0802-0815. VL8A Alice Springs. Acoustic music to announcer's chat. Poor signal and not much to work with // 4910 VL8T-Tennant Creek. (S Barbour, NH)
13690, 2323. Radio Australia. Interview on investments in Cambodia. Asian News segment about The Sun, a Malaysian newspaper. ID at 2335. // 17795, 17785. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Bolivia
9624.83, 2140-2150. Radio Fides. Spanish. Soccer commentary for Uruguay 1 vs Bolivia 0, from San Cristóbal for the "Copa America," ID as, "Radio Fides, La Paz." Local commercials with musical jingles. SINPO 33433.// 6155.03. (A Slaen, Argenina)

Bulgaria
9900, 2148-2205. Radio Varna. Vernacular/English program mix. Music program featuring Bonnie Tyler. Fair signal quality. (S Barbour, NH)
9400, 0512. Radio Bulgaria. Russian announcements to Russian pop music in English and Slavic languages. (J Wood, TN). 11700, 2305-2311. Talk on UN Secretary General visiting several leaders in Central Europe. (J Wood, TN)

Canada
6030, 0825+. CFVP-Calgary. Occasional bits of C&W music amid poor signal. Not much of a log, but this is the first time I have heard anythng on this frequency during Radio Marti silent period. (S Barbour, NH)
6160, 1304-1315. CKZU Vancouver BC. National and world news to 1312. Announcer's chat to weather update for good signal. (J Wilkins, CO)
6110, 0545. NHK/Radio Japan relay. Japan Music Scene program. (S MacKenzie, CA)

China
10000, 1255-1400. BPT Lintong (Time/Frequency Station). Time pips to "BPM" repeated ten times in morse code. Voice announcement by lady to 1400 ID. Fair signal at this hour on 10 MHz, slightly better than WWVH, but not quite as good as WWV, which was not very strong. (J Wilkins, CO)

Clandestine
9525, 0735-0800.* Cotton Tree News via Ascension Island relay. Male/female alternate items in Afro dialects. Fair signal at best with QRM from Voice of Indonesia sign-on at 0740 with Gamelan music and interval signal. Closing English announcements at 0759. (J Wilkins, CO)

Cuba
6120, 0350-0400.* Radio Rebelde. Spanish. Syrupy musical vocals to station ID at 0400. (J Wood, TN) 5025, 0334. Radio Rebelde. Spanish announcements to Beatles music and lady's station ID for very good signal. (J Wood, TN) Also logged this freq at 1011.

Czech Republic
9870, 0315.Radio Prague. Comments and editorials on the Czech Republic, plus local vocal tunes. Sign-off at 0327. (S MacKenzie, CA) 6080, 0345. Classical music program to station ID. Russian service at 0357. (MacKenzie, CA)

Ecuador
4919, 0418-0430.+ Radio Quito. Spanish. Sports commentary to station ID and proo, but too much QRN. SIO 232 with abominable swiper QRM, a bit better in LSB. (H Frodge, MI)

Egypt
7270, 0316. Radio Cairo. Comments and news about Egypt. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Greece
7475, 0410-0425. Foni Tis Hellades (Athens). Greek. Folk music featuring violins sounding a bit Celtic. Good signal. (J Wood, TN)

Israel
11590, 0340. Kol Israel. World news plus national news headlines segment and weather report. Time tips into French service at 0345. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Malaysia
5965, 1130-1300. Klasik Nasional FM. Noted station off the air today around 1130-1300. (J Wilkins, CO)

New Zealand
3935.06, 1154-1200. Radio Reading Service. Scraps of audio and music. Poor signal and nothing usable. (J. Wilkins, CO)
6095, 1430. Male announcers comments on Count Basie music into several selections, "Radio New Zealand International" ID 1431. (S MacKenzie, CA) 15720, 0350. Pop music program to New Zealand weather forecast to national news items. (S MacKenzie, CA) 15720, 2337 with Hail Caledonia anthem from a 78 rpm recorded over 80 years ago. (S MacKenzie, CA)
13730, 0450. Interview on bike and cell phone thefts. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Nigeria
9690, 0759-0811. Voice of Nigeria. Listed Hausa language. Interval signal at tune-in to sign-on ID and opening announcements. National news of fair-good signal quality. (S Barbour, NH)
15120, 0751-0758.* French text to musical bits. New announcer at 0757, including snippet of interval signal to sign-off. (S Barbour, NH)

Palau
9965, 1035-1102. T8BZ. Mandarin text to musicla ballad. Male/female voice overs to fanfare and ID at 1100. Weak signal but clear. (S Barbour, NH)

Peru
4826.74, 1045-1050. Radio Sicuani. Spanish/Quecha messages for rural listening regions. Local commercials and ID as "en los estudio, de Radio Sicuani." SINPO 24322. (A Slaen, Argentina)

Pirate
6925, 0040-0050. WMPR (USA). Station ID as " W- M - P- R- Micro Power Radio." Techno music with fades and static for poor signal quality. (J Wood, TN)

Singapore
6195, 1435. BBC World Service. Discussion on children's working conditions in China. (MacKenzie, CA)

Ukraine
7440, 0335. Radio Ukraine Int'l. Traveloge text on Ukraine to regional folk music special. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA)

United Kingdom
7120, 0424. Sudan Radio Service. Lady announcer's interview on various sports of the U.K. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA)
7225, 0432. Deutsche Welle relay. DW identifications and program news amid QRM from amateur radio operators. (S MacKenzie, CA)
12095, 2257. BBC World Service. World news topics to BBC identification at 2248. (S MacKenzie, CA)

United States
5446USB, 1013. American Forces Radio/AFRTS. Discussions of the merits of various internet telephone services. (J Wood, TN)
13845, 2115-2130+. University Network via WWCR, Nashville, TN. More banter from Doc Scott's widow Melissa. SIO 353 with signal oscillating between S4 to S8 every few minutes. (H Frodge, MI)
6890, 0215-0228.+ WWRB Manchester, TN. Science, Scripture and Salvation program. Into Bro. Stair at 0219 who was knocking science. 6890 has been off more often than on in recent weeks. SIO 453+ not // 3185.(H Frodge, MI)

Vatican State
7305, 0320. Vatican Radio. English/Spanish program mix with Vatican news to interval signal and Spanish service. (S MacKenzie, CA).
9860, 0312. Voice of Russia via Vatican. News and comments on Bangladesh and China. "Voice of Russia" ID //9435, 9665, 9880, and 9515 at 0313. (MacKenzie, CA)
7305, 0250 Vatican Radio. Comments on G8 meeting in Europe plus comments about Africa. // 6040 via Canada. SIO 433. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Yemen
9779.8, 2207-2210.* Republic of Yemon Radio (tentative). Arabic programming of music and text. Poor-fair signal quality with QRM via 9775-Rwanda. (S Barbour, NH)

Zambia
13650, 0745-0750. Extended talks and report with SINPO 24232. (A Slaen, Argentina)