Friday, April 18, 2008

Blog Logs

Today's shortwave BLOG LOGS, represent a portion of 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 the contributors for your kind words and support.
Gayle VH

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

Angola
Radio Nacional (via Mulenvos) 4950, 0420-0434. Monolog by male announcer with tribal drum in the background. Intro to Afropop tunes. Signal S5-fair. (J Wood, TN).

Belarus
Radio Belarus (via Minsk) 7360, 2314-2325. Russian. Slow-paced pop music to male/female announcer host talking. Poor signl oberved - just above the noise level. SINPO 24222. No parallel frequencies heard. (J Evans, TN).

Bolivia
Radio Eco 4409.79, 0218-0230.* Spanish announcements to easy-listening Spanish music. Announcer at 0024 with distorted audio; music from 0226 until station "pulled the plug" at 0230. Signal poor. (S Barbour, NH).

Brazil
Raido Anhanguera (via Goiania) 4915, 0352-0419. Portuguese announcements to Brazilian pop music and listerer call-ins. Sweeper QRM interference. (J Wood, TN).

Bulgaria
Presumed Radio Varna 6000, 2220-2234. Listed as Bulgarian service. Lite pop and ballad music. Program wiped out by Radio Havana Cuba carrier at 2234. Signal weak-poor. (S Barbour, NH).

China
Central People's BS (tentative) 4460, 2314. Announcers in Chinese amid dog barking. Poor signal with utility interference. (H Frodge, MI)

Guangxi PBS-Nanning 5050, 1125-1146. Vernacular from announcer between ballads. Tentative station ID at 1133. Signal poor-fair. (S Barbour, NH)

Clandestine
Radio República 6100, 0347-0357. Politial text in Spanish to rooster crowing sound effects. Station ID, garbled audio due to jamming. (R Howard, CA)

Radio Arabe Sahuari Democratica (tentative) 6300, 2218-2237. Vocals to chanting in Arabic and local language. Announcements in Arabic by male/female host at 2229 with music bumpers and mentions of "Sahuari." SIP 332 with data burst. (H Frodge, MI)

Ecuador
HCJB (tentative) 12000, 2200-2217.+ Religious news with rousing music to 2203, then religious program. Items noted in Spanish. SIO 453 not // 9745 in Portuguese. SIO 453.+ (H Frodge, MI)

HCJB. 3220, 1115-1135. Quecha. Announcers talk with brief selections of local music. Poor signal, improving slightly to SINPO 24222. (J Evans, TN)

Equatorial Guinea
Radio Nacional (Malabo) 6250, 0534-0615. Spanish. West African pop music from male announcer. "Radio Nacional" ID and brief talk from announcer. Mentions noted about "Malabo." Good signal with high side utility interference and deep fades. SINPO 33323. (J Evans, TN).

Eritrea
VO BME 7100, *0355-0415. Interval siganl to vernacular announcement sequence. More vernacular talk at 0400. Signal very weak. (B Alexander, PA)

Ethiopia
Radio Ethiopia (via Gedja) 7110, 0427-0444. Vernacular text, and this being first log of this station and country. Newscast read by female announcer with several remarks about Ethiopia. Signal S9 - good. (J Wood, TN)

Guatemala
Radio Verdad (via Chiquimula). 4052.5, 0505-0520. Pastor's religious text on the resurrection. Many references to the Book of Acts and Hebrews. Signal S&- very good. (J Wood, TN)

Honduras
Radio Luz y Vida 3250, 1103-1200. Spanish. Unmodulated carrier to 1106 opening announcements. Station ID and anthem to Spanish text translated to English. Initially poor signal, improving to good quality. SINPO 34333. (J Evans, TN).

HRMI/Radio Misiones Internacional 3340, 1115-1205. Spanish. Slow religious music and talk by announcer. Change at 1201 to text and upbeat religious music in background. Moderate signal with significant atmospheric noise and fading. SINPO 34222. (J Evans, TN).

HRMI (presumed) 3340, 0916-0936. Non-stop religious preaching in English, with lady's Spanish translations. Signal weak. ® Howard, CA).

Indonesia
Voice of Indonesia 9525.98, 1202-1305.+ Station ID to Japanese programming. Local music into listed Korean service at 1304. Signal weak and poor with adjacent channel splatter. (B Alexander, PA).

Voice of Indonesia 11784.99v, 0937-0959. Program of pop music. Signal weak // 9526v not heard, which recently has been more erratic than usual for them. ® Howard, CA).

RRI-Jakarta 9680, 1000-1020. Repeat fo earlier programming. Kang Guru Radio's English program #5806. Pop songs by Indonesian signer Marcell. Signal fair-poor, with moderate QRM from WYFR. R Howard, CA).

Liberia
ELWA 4759.97, 2220-2303.* English religious text to choral music. Contemporary Christian music to closing English announcement and national anthrm at 2301. Threshold signal at 2220, improving to a poor but readable quality by 2240. (B Alexander, PA).

Madagascar
RTV Malagasy 5009.95, 2310-0005. Vernacular text to pop music and male/female host at 2330. Occasional short musical bridges amid a possible radio drama. Good signal, best ever heard here. SINPO 34333, audio slightly distorted. (J Evans, TN).

Malaysua/Sarawak
Wai FM via RTM 7270, 1021-1109. Lady DJ in vernacular. Pop music to their usual "Wai FM" jingle. No news at 1100. Decent signal against PBS Nei Menggu - not too hard to differentiate the two stations, fairly rare for me to hear Wai FM at this level, clearly parallel with live streaming at their website. (R Howard, CA)

Mali
Radio Mali 9635, 0931. Afro pops to announcer's discussions. Continued Afro pops to 1000 with two brief text items and back to music until signal fade-out. S4, SINPO 24433. (Z Lianges, Greece/HCDX)

Mauritania
ORTM (tentative)7245, 0848-0901. Non-stop talking in what sounded like Arabic. Signal fair until CNR-2/China Business Radio signed on at 0900 with a good signal. (R Howard, CA)

Mexico
XEYU Radio UNAM 9600, 0520-0647.+ Spanish. Exceptional program of classical music that featured compositions from Strauss, Brahms, Bacj, Hayden and others. The Stuttgart Symphony performed the music. Reception was superlative - with only slight QRM from Radio Bulgaria 0520-0530. Station ID noted as "XEYU" and "Radio UMAN." at 0600 along with frequency, location and website. (J Wood, TN)

Moldova
Voice of Russia relay, 6240, 0445-0500.* Scholarly discussion of international law concerning ramifications of Kosovo succeeding from Serbia. Signal S9+10 - very good. (J Wood, TN)

Nigeria
Radio Nigeria (via Kaduna) 4770, 2236-2301.* Mellow pop music with brief announcements and ID by male host. News headlines at 2255 to music at 2257. Closing announcements with fading. SINPO 34323. (J Evans, TN).

Voice of Nigeria 7255, 2126-2132.* French service with native vocals and commentary to station ID at 2130. Additional commentary program amid SIO 544. (H Frodge, MI).

Oman
radio Sultanate 15140, 1425-1442. Tune-in to pop music. Chinese gong to station ID, followed by English news 1431-1439. Techno-pop music at 1439. Signal weak but readable. (B Alexnder, PA)
Papua New Guinea
Radio Central 3289.98, 1143-1159.* Announcer with ballads music - only abke to hear a few words. National anthem at the station's sign-off. Signal poor. (S Barbour, NH)

Pirate (Euro)
Playback Internatioonal 6882, 2257-2330. Pop music to station ID. Signal weak but readable. (B Alexander, PA)

Singapore
BBC relay (via Kranji) 11955, 1435-1445. Hindi. Announcer conducting interview. Poor signal for SINPO 22222. 15245 (Oman) with better signal. (J Evans, TN).

Slovakia
Miraya 101 FM via IRRA 9825, *1458-1505.+ Sign-on in vernacular talk. Local African music at 1459 to English station ID and news at 1500. Signal poor with difficult copy and co-channel QRM. Signal covered by jammer at 1505. (B Alexander, PA).

Swaziland
Trans World Radio 3240, 0313-0322. Vernacular text at tune-in to station ID and banter from lady announcer to 0319, Choral religious music. Signal fair. (S Barbour, NH)

Tanzania
Radio Tanzania-Zanzibar 11735, 1842. Afro pop music to station ID at 1855. Hilife music sounding of Arabic origin. Signal S9, SINPO 35434. (Z Liangas, Greece/HCDX)

Radio Tanzania-Zanzibar 11735, 1757-1808. Local music to Swahili talk. Local drums at 1759 to time-tips, time checl and English news at 1800-1808. ID as "Spice FM" during fair signal. (B Alexander, PA)

Thailand
Voice of America via Udon-Thani relay 7205, 2323-2335. VOA Special English programming with Functioning in Business program. Station ID at 2330, followed by world newscast. Signal good. (S Barbour, NH)

USA
AFRTS/American Forces Radio 7811 USB (via Key west, FL) 2049. Rd Schultz Show. SIO 2+53 // 12133USB SIO 233 with pulse QRM interference // 5446.5 USB poor signal quality - all via Key West. (H Frodge, MI)

Uzbekistan
FEBA Radio (via Tashkent) 7365, 1400-1405. Hindi. Theme music to announcers text and religious talk and music. Poor signal. SINPO 24222. (J Evans, TN)

Zambia
ZNBC 5925, 0243-0300. Tune-in to station's Fish Eagle interval signal. Choral national anthem at 0250 into additional vernacular announcements. Local choral music. Signal poor - difficult copy with splatter from 5920. (B Alexander, PA).

CVC 13590, 2058-2105.* Pop tune to identification at 2059 into Arabic pop tune. CVC Network identification at 2101. News in English - signal abruptly off in mid-news at 2105. Program back briefly and gone again. SIO 454. Presumed this is from Zambia. (H Frodge, MI)

Zimbabwe
ZBC 3396, 0149-0202. Vernacular for usual format of announcers with easy-listening and Afro pops. Presumed station phone number at 0200. As usual, no discernable ID noted. Siganl weak but clear. (S Barbour, NH).

Contributors
Brian Alexander, PA
Scott Barbour, NH
Jim Evans, TN
Harold Frodge, MI/HCDX
Ron Howard, CA
Z. Liangas, Greece/HCDX
Joe Wood, TN