Thanks to Mauno Ritola of Finland for an update on missionary station PMA. Earlier reports, as indicated below from World QSL Book, PMA was being heard in March 2007, testing on shortwave.
Micronesia
4755 Oct 3 1300-2000 FSM: PMA The Cross Radio Station. Verified already my tentative email report from yesterday including recording. Have received reports also from Japan.
They wish to receive as small audio samples as possible due to dial-up connection. Exactly on 4755.25 kHz. (Mauno Ritola, Finland, 4 oct 07)
Thanks to Mauno Ritola for pointing out that this station has resumed broadcasting. I'm hearing them this morning from tune-in at 14:20 and they're still going now at 14:44, although the non-stop music seems to have suddenly stop. I announcement at 14:32 by a YL, ending with "Radio". Not a strong signal, but then again it's well after dawn now. I'll have to recheck a bit earlier tomorrow. (Walter Salmaniw, Victoria, BC Canada 4 Oct 07)
4755.25 PMA Pohnpei hrd 10/5 from 1200 tune to 1415 tune out (entire session recorded). Possibly weak audio but mostly just a carrier hrd until 1222.5 when audio suddenly appeared at S3 with a female praise vocal. Longer than normal gaps between songs. All Christian mx pgming w/ a woman ann (EE) at 1257 with about a 7 sec anmt – could not make it out. Same YL ancr (sounded like a young girl) again at 1330 and 1357. Sporadic QRM from RTTY bursts and Mexican 2xSSB, but not enough to be bothersome. Otherwise clear channel. After 1222.5 signal remained fairly constant at S3 lvl w/ some deep fades (S2 to S8 on the S-meter) – however modulation lvls dipped from time to time. The pgming seemed almost like a test bcst – a station like this would normally have syndicated Christian pgming mixed with non-stop mx for shorter periods. I have a 3 min audio clip (360 KB) from 1356 to 1359 incl the YL ancr at 1357 for Sights & Sounds (and a little of the SSB QRM), if desired. This seemed to be the peak reception period. The PMA web site has an interesting comment on the people of Micronesia – “caught between the computer and the canoe”, an apt description I would imagine. As it’s just after Midnight on Guam, I will wait a few hrs to e-mail a report to Melinda Espinosa on Guam.
1. Recorded a later session from 1421-1451 . Hymns, gospel and praise vocals as before w/ woman ann in EE w/ very short anmt at 1428. Still going but fading fast after 1450. Pgm format seems similar to CRN in PNG (except for the Vatican R. relays…). Nice S3 signal, mostly in the clear – Mexican 2xSSB on channel in ECSS (USB) but switching to LSB solved that problem. Rechecked at 1510 – still audible but S2 w/ incr noise lvl.
Earlier this morning (0730 to 0800) hrd some similar mx mixing with R. Educacao Rural on 4.755, but PMA was fading in and out and the Brazilian dominated in this time frame. Tried ECSS (U) w/ 3.8 KHz bandwidth, notching and USB but couldn’t isolate PMA enough to distinguish pgming.
Thanks to Mauno for alertly picking this up and the precise freq measurement! (Bruce Churchill, Cumbre DX)
4755.25 Pacific Mission Aviation 1229-1400+ Oct 5. Presumed with programming as described by Bruce Churchill, i.e. mostly religious-sounding music, with occasional anmts by young-sounding female. Not much readable from the anmts; the "best" of these was at 1332 when she said "Hi, this is Melinda[?]. You are listening to....". There was also a male announcer from time to time but could not make out any of his words. Not very strong - suspect rather low power, as other regional stations (PNG) were doing well. More or less readable until a bit past 1400, although a very weak carrier still detected at 1500. (J Wilkins-CO)
From World QSL Book:
Pacific Missionary Aviation / PMA
Missionary radio station also identifies as "PMA." Part of a Christian evangelical organization serving Guam, Micronesia, and the Philippines that was established in 1956. Broadcast on medium wave. Japanese DXers observed English test programming on shortwave from this station in March 2007.
PMA does plan to give the station an official name (slogan) and begin a permanent broadcast schedule.
Until further notice, all correspondence should be directed to:
Pacific Missionary Aviation – Guam
P.O. Box 3209
Hagata, Guam 96932.
Website: http://radio.pmapacific.org/
Email: radio@pmapacidic.org
4755 Oct 3 1300-2000 FSM: PMA The Cross Radio Station. Verified already my tentative email report from yesterday including recording. Have received reports also from Japan.
They wish to receive as small audio samples as possible due to dial-up connection. Exactly on 4755.25 kHz. (Mauno Ritola, Finland, 4 oct 07)
Thanks to Mauno Ritola for pointing out that this station has resumed broadcasting. I'm hearing them this morning from tune-in at 14:20 and they're still going now at 14:44, although the non-stop music seems to have suddenly stop. I announcement at 14:32 by a YL, ending with "Radio". Not a strong signal, but then again it's well after dawn now. I'll have to recheck a bit earlier tomorrow. (Walter Salmaniw, Victoria, BC Canada 4 Oct 07)
4755.25 PMA Pohnpei hrd 10/5 from 1200 tune to 1415 tune out (entire session recorded). Possibly weak audio but mostly just a carrier hrd until 1222.5 when audio suddenly appeared at S3 with a female praise vocal. Longer than normal gaps between songs. All Christian mx pgming w/ a woman ann (EE) at 1257 with about a 7 sec anmt – could not make it out. Same YL ancr (sounded like a young girl) again at 1330 and 1357. Sporadic QRM from RTTY bursts and Mexican 2xSSB, but not enough to be bothersome. Otherwise clear channel. After 1222.5 signal remained fairly constant at S3 lvl w/ some deep fades (S2 to S8 on the S-meter) – however modulation lvls dipped from time to time. The pgming seemed almost like a test bcst – a station like this would normally have syndicated Christian pgming mixed with non-stop mx for shorter periods. I have a 3 min audio clip (360 KB) from 1356 to 1359 incl the YL ancr at 1357 for Sights & Sounds (and a little of the SSB QRM), if desired. This seemed to be the peak reception period. The PMA web site has an interesting comment on the people of Micronesia – “caught between the computer and the canoe”, an apt description I would imagine. As it’s just after Midnight on Guam, I will wait a few hrs to e-mail a report to Melinda Espinosa on Guam.
1. Recorded a later session from 1421-1451 . Hymns, gospel and praise vocals as before w/ woman ann in EE w/ very short anmt at 1428. Still going but fading fast after 1450. Pgm format seems similar to CRN in PNG (except for the Vatican R. relays…). Nice S3 signal, mostly in the clear – Mexican 2xSSB on channel in ECSS (USB) but switching to LSB solved that problem. Rechecked at 1510 – still audible but S2 w/ incr noise lvl.
Earlier this morning (0730 to 0800) hrd some similar mx mixing with R. Educacao Rural on 4.755, but PMA was fading in and out and the Brazilian dominated in this time frame. Tried ECSS (U) w/ 3.8 KHz bandwidth, notching and USB but couldn’t isolate PMA enough to distinguish pgming.
Thanks to Mauno for alertly picking this up and the precise freq measurement! (Bruce Churchill, Cumbre DX)
4755.25 Pacific Mission Aviation 1229-1400+ Oct 5. Presumed with programming as described by Bruce Churchill, i.e. mostly religious-sounding music, with occasional anmts by young-sounding female. Not much readable from the anmts; the "best" of these was at 1332 when she said "Hi, this is Melinda[?]. You are listening to....". There was also a male announcer from time to time but could not make out any of his words. Not very strong - suspect rather low power, as other regional stations (PNG) were doing well. More or less readable until a bit past 1400, although a very weak carrier still detected at 1500. (J Wilkins-CO)
From World QSL Book:
Pacific Missionary Aviation / PMA
Missionary radio station also identifies as "PMA." Part of a Christian evangelical organization serving Guam, Micronesia, and the Philippines that was established in 1956. Broadcast on medium wave. Japanese DXers observed English test programming on shortwave from this station in March 2007.
PMA does plan to give the station an official name (slogan) and begin a permanent broadcast schedule.
Until further notice, all correspondence should be directed to:
Pacific Missionary Aviation – Guam
P.O. Box 3209
Hagata, Guam 96932.
Website: http://radio.pmapacific.org/
Email: radio@pmapacidic.org
