Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Shortwave Blog "Bytes"

All times UTC // parallel frequency *sign-on sign-off*

Argentina RNA log
5945v, Argentina, RNA. On Dec 5 in Spanish at 0832-0843 UT, news program "na camara, medidas economicas anti-crisis", weather report (temp. 13oC), sports. Distorted, sounded better mainly on 5945 but moved till around 5950, SINPO 43433. (Lucio Otavio Bobrowiec-Brazil, JPNpremium Dec 6)

Armenia on 4810 and 1395
Observed 28-30 Nov: on 4810 and 1395 kHz Foreign Service in Unid Caucasian language: 1530 interval signal to national anthrm, news to 1545 UT, when 4810 kHz is closed down, but in the middle of sentence on 1395 kHz goes on program in in Russian, exactly bad Russian till 1600 UT when program in Armenian is with news.(Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 8)

Ascension Island QSLs
Trans World Radio Africa relay, 11985 kHz. Full data card (except the site), personal letter, program schedules in four months via the Swaziland address. Card signed by L.Stavropoulos (DX Secretary). The letter says that the location is not given due to the sensitive nature of the broadcast. Whatever ... but the enclosed schedule identifies the site as Ascension Island. (Vashek Korinek-AFS, DXplorer Nov 31)

Australia
2310 VL8A, Alice Springs NT, 1909-1950, 29 Nov, talks, phone- ins (the usual menu, at least at the time this & the other two 120 m band VL outlets are audible), newscast at 1930, more talks; 15231, but much better on the following day, 30 Nov, at 1950.

2325 VL8T, Tennant Creek NT, 1910-1940, 29 Nov, prgr content cf. \\ 2310 VL8A; 15231, but better on 30 Nov at 1950.

2485 VL8K, Katherine RT, 1912-1942, 29 Nov, prgr cf. \\ 2310 VL8A; 15231, but even worse than VL8T, and then much better on 30 Nov at 1950.

4835 VL8A, Alice Springs NT, 2135-2146, 29 Nov, newscast, talks afterwards; SINPO 24321.

6020 R. Australia, Shepparton VIC, 1130-1215, 01 Dec, English to the Pacific, reports, news, talks; SINPO 35433. SIgnal very poor at 1200 under adjacent DRM QRM. (all Aussie logs via Carlos Goncalves-POR, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 2)

Chad on 6165
6165 RD. Natle. Tchadienne, Gredia, 0955-1244, 01 Dec, French, tribal songs, then light music & songs, chatter. SINPO 25442. It is only some time after the end of this observation time that TCD gets QRM. It is silent on 4905.(Carlos Goncalves-POR, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 2

Clandestine VO Revolution and VO the Iranian Communist inactive
Iran [non] Both stations are not on air since approx Nov 7th, (please see Syria). On Nov 30th, was reactivated one forgotten station VO the Struggle of Iranian Kurdistan, noted on Sun from 1355 (other days from 1427) UT to 1526 UT on 4270 kHz with demodulated sound.(Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 8)

Eritrea
(Unid-tentative) from Horn of Africa station is on 7220 kHz last some days in the mornings (+0350-0430+ UTC) and in the evenings at +1430- 1800* at least. Strong signal here in St. Petersburg - but it is to difficult to hear any clear ID... Dec 8

[later] 7220 *1355-, 1755-1801* UT. ERI Voice of the Broad Masses (tent.), Dec 9, opening with IS and short OM ann under CRI empty carrier (but blocked by CRI music from 1358), also at 1755 with final news bulletin by YL and choral NA at 1759 (tx off at 1802) - fair-poor (ex.
7100?); it seems, according to the opening IS was their Program 1 signals. (Mikhail Timofeyev-RUS, DXplorer Dec 8/9)

Interview with Germany's Deutsche Welle Director
Iterview with Erik Bettermann, published Nov 19:
www.faz.net/s/Rub475F682E3FC24868A8A5276D4FB916D7/Doc~ECBE36E2A1CC
447BEA7EE79B560E77912~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html

Greece's pirate Radio Makedonia shut down
Now the frequency MW 1386 kHz is used by ERA-RSM 2nd program with main freq 1044 kHz. Some of the prgrs on both freqs are relaying on 9935 kHz. Observed on Dec 2nd. Due to the political reasons[sic, ERT never on air Tuesdays due of maintenance !] Radio Filia was not on the air 0700-1000 UT in En, Fr, Sp on 12105 and in Greek on 9420 kHz on same day. When are the prgrs in Ge and Ru please and which freq is using in B-08? (Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 8)

Latest Trans World Radio newsletter now available
via www.twrafrica.org/newsletter2.asp

Lost & Found - a listener from Eritrea
www.twrafrica.org/letters.asp?type=19

The Story of Tinas, a listener from Zimbabwe
www.twrafrica.org/0168.asp (Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, Germany, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Nov 28)
Palau
12130 T8WH World Harvest Radio., heard at 1026 UT on 06 Dec in English with Christian light pop music. Fair to good sigs but beat to death by R. Free Afghanistan on 12140 kHz which was splattering a lot. (Albert Muick-AFG/HCDX Dec 6)

Sri Lanka in English
SLBC English as was observed 28-30 November: Mon-Sat *0100- 0433*, Sun *0030-0530* heard on 9770 kHz and an also 6005 and 15745 kHz. The times on Sun 0030-0100 and 0430-0530 are evangelic programs in English, compiled in US ministries.(Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 8)

Syria
I am trying oftenly since Oct 30th, to catch Radio Damascus on shortwaves 9330 or 12085 kHz, but always there are no any signals at 1700- 2000 and 2100-2315 UT. Rather their Foreign Service is cancelled maybe? But the MW broadcasts to Israel are on the air on 783 kHz: 1700-1830 Hebrew, 1830-1900 Russian.(Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 8)

Yemen on 9780
Yemen Radio & TV Corp., San'a, 1812-1825, 07 Dec, English, news, western songs, feature about the Koran, Arabic music; 43343, adjacent QRM, mainly until 1830. Weak audio, very hard to read. (Carlos Goncalves-POR, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Dec 8)
(Source: WWDXC Top News/BC-DX 890)