Sunday, January 06, 2008

Blog Logs


Today's shortwave BLOG LOGS, represent a portion of those recently cut from my SWBC Logs column, 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. Thanks to contributors, John Wilkins, Bob Fraser, Brian Alexander, Chuck Bolland , Peter Ng, Stewart Mackenzie, and Joe Wood.
Gayle VH

All times UTC, frequencies in kHz, English unless otherwise indicated // parallel frequencies.
* sign-on - sign-off *

Albania
Radio Tirana. 13640, 1540. Report on the making of toys. SIO 353. (B Fraser, ME).

Anguilla
Caribbean Beacon. 11775, 1612. Doc Scott's widow Melissa carrying on with preaching. Very good signal. (J Wood, TN).

Argentina
Radio Continental. 13363.5, 0005.+ Spanish text and talk to station identification. (B Alexander, PA)

Ascension Island
BBC World Service relay. 6145, 0313. SIO 433. Two announcers discussion on war in Iraq // 6005. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Austria
Radio Austria International. 13730, 1639-1645. German service for male/female announcers with pop music program. (J Wood, TN)

Bolivia
Radio Santa Cruz. 6134.79, 0930-0945. Spanish. Initially noted a religious commentary until 0934. At the canned full ID noted "Santa Cruz" to ID jingle. Program followed with promos and program announcements. Good signal. C. Bolland, FL)

Brazil
China Radio International relay. 9665, 0303. Spanish service of special segments, ID and an SIO of 444. (S MacKenzie, CA).

Radio Bandeirantes. 11925, 1612. Portuguese programming of announcer's chat, program items and several mentions of "São Paulo." Poor signal. (J Wood, TN).

Bulgaria
IRRS via Milano, Italy. 9510, 1150-1200.* Presumed to be via Bulgaria with continuous pop music. Station ID at station sign-off. Sundays only. Fair-good signal quality. (B Alexander, PA)

Canada
CKZU. 6160, 1300-1318. CBC news to 1311, then back to local studios with announcer's chat, local weather, Canucks hockey scores, etc. Fair signal, noted on // 690 AM. (J Wilkins, CO)

Radio Netherlands Sackville relay. 4762.49, 2345-2357.* Another Sackville sub-harmonic with a fair signal. Talk in listed Dutch. Station ID. (B Alexander, PA).

Clandestine
(targeted to North Korea) Shiokaze via Tiawan. 9485, 1320-1330.* Caught last few minutes of English broadcast with female announcer giving details on selected abductees. Good signal. (J Wilkins, CO).

(targeted to North Korea) Radio Free Chosun via Taiwan. 9485, *1330-1358.* Talks in Korean by male/female announcer duo to abruptly off the air without fanfare at 1358.* (J Wilkins, CO)

Croatia
Croatian Radio. 6165, 0600-0604. Four minutes of English news, sports, weather, station ID and schedule // 9470 via Germany. Both freqs fair-good signal quality. (B Alexander, PA).

Czech Republic
Radio Prague. 5930, 2117. One on One program including an interview with a local artist. SIO 454. (B Fraser, ME).

France
Radio France International 11615, 1630. Report on the legal status of native chiefs and kings. SIO 454. (B Fraser, ME).

Germany
Voice of Croatia relay. 7285, 0337. Croatian programming of music and announcer's conversation. SIO 232. (S MacKenzie, CA).

Greece
Foni Tis Helladas.7475, 0417. Greek programming of local folk music despite noisy signal quality. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Guam
Adventist World Radio via Agat, Guam. 11680, 1608. Comedy routine called Pavlov's Daughter.
Good signal despite a program glitch of a repeating loop of the programming. (J Wood, TN).

Indonesia
RRI-Makassar. 4749.96, 1337-1404.* While monitoring the weak PMA station, noted a good-sized het on the low side, so tuned down to listen to Makassar's good signal. Koran to 1350, followed by instrumnetal and vocal music. Station off at 1404 with ID and brief announcement. (J Wilkins, CO)

RRI-Manokwari. 3987.05, 1327-1400. Older English C&W tunes to 1329. Interval signal to pips at 1330. Announcer's "Radio Republik Indonesia Manokwari." Local newscast to 1337 to English and Indo vocal music . Good signal with slight amateur radio interference. (J Wilkins, CO)

Malaysia
Klasik Nasional. 5964.93, 1324-1400. Vocal music to "Klasik Nasional" identification. Announcer's Bahasa Malaysian text to brief ads and announcements to 1329. Good clear reception to 1359. (J Wilkins, CO)

Traxx FM via Kajang. 7295, 1400-1410.+ Two time pips to 1400, followed by a three-minute newscast. Commercials and jingles and more music at 1405. (J Wilkins, CO)

Micronesia
Pacific Missionary Aviation. 4755.25, 1130-1300. Generally poor with mostly religious music and sermon from 1135 to 1150. Occasional fair signal peaks but mostly unreadable. (J Wilkins, CO) *this is a missionary station also identfying as "PMA" or "Cross Radio." The station is part of a Christian evangelical organization serving Guam, Micronesia, and the Philippines. (GVH)

Moldova
Radio PMR. 6240, 2300. Item on Moldovian-French cultural exchange. SIO 554. (B Fraser, ME).

Netherlands Antilles
Radio Netherlands Bonaire relay. 11675, 1230. Curious Orange program on alcoholism in the Netherlands. SIO 554. (B Fraser, ME)

South Africa
BBC World Service relay. 7205, 0437. Possible Russian service. program comments to BBC identification at 0439, noted as part of "BBC African service." (S MacKenzie, CA).

Trans World Radio relay. 7215, 0340. African vocals to station ID as "Trans World Radio." Classical music program to interval signal at 0345 and off the air. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Saudi Arabia
BSKSA. 9870, 1552. Arabic programming from lady announcer, with chat and musical ballads. Good signal quality. (J Wood, TN)

BSKSA. 9870, 1945-2035 // 11820 (SIO 223) in Arabic. General Arabic programming to announcer's text // 9555 (SIO 222) // 11915 poor signal quality. Two male announcers trade conversation and audible references to Somalia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and America ... possibly a newscript. Noted at 2000 with Arabic fanfare music to lady announcer's brief station identification and programming announcements to feature segments. Magazine show format followed, interspersed with Arabic music instrumentals. Continued Arabic vocals to a news format. Noted new feature at 2020 amid signal fading by 2035. (G. Van Horn, NC)

Sweden
Radio Sweden. 11550, 0243. Commentary and discussion on climate changes for fair reception. (P Ng, Malaysia)

Turkey
Voice of Turkey. 12035, 1400. Program Hues & Colors of Anatolia on the military. SIO 554. (B Fraser, ME)

USA
WWRB. 6370, 0010.+ Very weak signal for second harmonic of 3185 2 x 3185. (B Alexander, PA)

WYFR/Family Radio Worldwide. 18980, 1702. Dr. Spenser with Studying the Word program. (B. Fraser, ME)

Radio Taiwan International relay. 9355, 2235. Jade Bells & Bamboo Pipes. program. SIO 554. (B Faser, ME).

Vietnam
Voice of Vietnam. 7220, 1100. Chinese service including station ID and world newscast for weak signal. (P Ng, Malaysia)