Monday, January 19, 2009

Shortwave Blog "Bytes"

A selection of recent logs, web links, information and audio links.

All times UTC

Africa on Shortwave
http://www.bdxc.org.uk/

Africa List
http://www.africalist.de.ms/

Alaska's KNLS looking for reception reports
Station KNLS would love to have a reception report from your part of the world. Most shortwave stations begin each broadcast by playing a station theme song or sound for several minutes. This special signal helps listeners find or “tune” the station even when reception is poor. To encourage you to file a report, we offer a special QSL card at the beginning of each broadcast season. Only 200 special cards are awarded each season. Each card is individually numbered and features a full colour photo of Alaska. To qualify for the station verification QSL a report must include the following: . the date and time (UTC only) of the transmission . the approximate frequency, and as many program details as you can supply. KNLS will provide ONLY ONE QSL for each report, regardless of the number of entries and they DO NOT provide QSLs for other transmitter operators who may air World Christian Broadcasting programs. Send reports to:
Station KNLS, Anchor Point, AK 99556, USA. Fax: (615)371- 8791, Email: KNLS@aol.com (subject reception report) (an edited extract from the latest KNLS handout. (M. Beesley/World DX Club Contact)

Australia Media Report program
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/
Includes feed, podcast download, and transcript service.

Via Radio Australia only Thurs 1031 and 1530.
1031 9580 9590 15415
1530 5995 6080 7240 9475 9590 11660
(wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 15/WWDXC top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

BBC Thailand relay notes
Thailand/ Myanmar. Since flood on November 13, 2008, 6105 kHz at 1100-1130 UT BBC London service in Burmese to Myanmar, but via Udornthani-THA 250 kW 264degr. Never seen such usage before -- in past decade. Is the 49 mb antenna still kaput in Nakhon Sawan? Or is a matter of afternoon propagation? Udorn Thani located 400 kilometers easterly, is 700-800 kms distance to central Burma/Myanmar.(wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 10) (WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

Bhutan on 6035
6035 BBS, heard at 0150 on 18 Jan with exceptionally strong signals with some chanting and traditional music. If you can ever catch the opeing of transmissions with the monks chanting, it is a real treat for the ears - truly haunting. (Al Muick, Ahghamistan)

Canada's Sackville transmitter at dusk
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/13151301.jpg
Also another distant image available from GE.
(Ian Baxter-AUS, SW TXsites yg Jan 12/WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

Cancelled transmissions from Radio Ukraine International
0300-0600 on 7285 SMF 100 kW / 004 deg to RUS in Ukrainian
0600-1400 on 15635 LV 600 kW / 096 deg to AUS in Ukrainian#
1500-1800 on 6020 SMF 100 kW / 004 deg to RUS in Ukrainian
1900-0300 on 9785 SMF 250 kW / 245 deg to SAm in Ukrainian*
#except English 0600-0700; 1000-1100; 1200-1300
*except English 2000-2100; 2200-2300; 0100-0200, German 2100-2200
(WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

Clandestine activity dropped in 2008
2008 Clandestine Activity Survey
During the year 2008 the activity of political clandestine stations broadcasting on shortwave has dropped by 5.3 % to 1251 Weekly Broadcasting Hours (WBHs). This is the result of the latest Clandestine Activity Suvey, which has been published annually since 1986. The activity of clandestine stations broadcasting to target areas on the Asian continent has decreased by 2.6 % to 915 WBHs. Activity to target areas on the American continent has remained unchanged at 215 WBHs. The activity to target areas on the African continent, where volatility has always been very high in recent years, has decreased by 27.5 % to 121 WBHs. The most active target area worldwide is now - for the first time in the history of the Clandestine Activity Suvey - North Korea with 245 WBHs (+49 when compared with last year), followed by China P.R. with 224 WBHs (-16) and Cuba with 215 WBHs (unchanged). The number of different target areas active worldwide has decreased from 18 to 17, with Senegal dropping from the list of active targets. On the other hand, no new or reactivated target areas have been reported over the past 12 months. (Kropf via DSWCI) (NZ DX Times /SW Report)

Colombian unknown on 5555
This night (on Jan 11 at 0050-0157* UT) I again heard the probably Colombian station on 5555.00 kHz and not on 5585 or 5590 kHz.

It was slightly stronger than the night before with Indian Band singing until 0100 UT, then a very long interview in Spanish between two men until 0154. Unfortunately the microphone modulation was so poor that I could only perceive a few words, e.g. ".. restaurante..". There were a few short pieces of instrumental interlude music and at 0126 the American evergreen
"I love you". At 0154 instrumental music and carrier off at 0157* UT. SINPO was 25232 nearly all the time with a high local noise level here. (Anker Petersen-DEN, DXplorer Jan 11/WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

Congo tentative on 6115
On 9 Jan at 1820 UT noted on 6115 kHz a station in Afro-French with talks about Congo. Audio was switching from good to real poor. Around 1849 UT I guess there was "Radio Congo" ID and then the signal went off. Maybe Brazzaville firing up a transmitter again.
(Jari Savolainen-FIN, DXplorer Jan 9/WWdxc tOP NEWS/bc-dx #895 wb, Germany)

Cotton Tree News frequency change
Ascension Islands- 11875, Cotton Tree News, via Ascension, 0730-0800*, Nov 28, new frequency, ex 9525, opening “CTN” ID, ann at 0730 and English news. IDs as “C-T-N”. Talk about local election during entire broadcast. They usually go into vernacular talk around 0740 but tonight they were entirely in English. Abrupt sign off. (Alexander in DXplorer) 0700 to 0730 is Star Radio to Liberia also ex 9525 (NZ DX Times/SW Report)

Equatorial Guinea/ Mauritania/ Morocco unid
Unidentified on Dec 31st 2007 I listened to station on 5005 kHz where at 2300 UTC was the salvo and New Year coming and people there spoken in French. I thought there was a mistake in my log, but this time on December 31st, 2008 on same 5005 kHz at 2230 UT there was a meeting on some square and all people shouting in French and at 2300 UTC all said "Bonne Annee, Bonne Annee". Whether it was Madagascar ? All sources are given: 5005 Equat Guinea (but they were talking in Vernacular and Spanish) and Madagascar on 5010 kHz in Malagasy and French. (Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 2)

Yes noted that private talk too on approx. 5005 ... 5006 kHz every late afternoon and local evening, when I monitored Equat Guinea and Madagascar in 5 MHz range during holiday in southern Portugal on the Algarve coast in 2007. Probably fishery fleet of Mauritania and/or Morocco on North West African coast. (wb) (WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

Euro pirate QSLs
E-QSL from Radio Shadowman (via Netherlands)
6300 kHz, confirm with e-QSL in 15
days. Report with audio file sent via email at: radioshadow@hotmail.com
Pic available here:
http://blog.libero.it/radioascolto/6309689.html
(Francesco/playdx2003)

Kazakhstan on 9310
YFR Burmese service, 9310 via Almaty Nikolayevka, distorted satellite audio feed with lots of dropouts. Noted 1300-1400 UT at S=9+10dB signal.(wb, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 8)
(Dario Monferini/playdx2003)

Madagascar station to broadcast additional hours
KNLS says that they soon will be broadcasting an additional 30-35 hours from their new station in Madagascar in at least three additional languages: Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese. The construction in Madagascar is on schedule. (November NASB Newsletter direct and via DXLD) The transmitter building will contain three 100 kilowatt transmitters. The antenna towers are up and the wire will begin to be stretched in January 2009. (World Christian Broadcasting November bulletin/via WDXC-UK Dec Contact Dec 2/ Worldwide DX Club’s DX Magazine via NASWA LN)

Peru's Radio Cusco reactivates on 6195.8
Heard 2204-2310, Dec 13. Not heard since Aug 2007 when it was on 6193.4. Featuring a long program from Iglesia Dios es Amor without ann or advs. During the programme a feature called “Mensajes Cantados” with sung praises. At 2308 a short ID like “...Radio Cusco...” , then continued with another evangelical programme called “La Voz de la Profecia”. Also heard at 1100, Dec 14, again introducing Iglesia Dios es Amor. (Rodriguez via DSWCI).
(NZ DX Times/SW Report)

Qatar QSL
7210 Qatar Broadcasting Service, Full data QSL along letter, book about Radio Qatar, flag of Qatar and freq schedule. Received in 42 days. I just sent a reception report, and one-minute recording of their broadcast(*), no IRC and no money. Signed by Jassim Mohammed Al-Qattan (Head of Public Relations, Exchange and Research) (*) this was the first time I used this technique. I recorded just one minute of their broadcast and saved it as a audio file (*.wav) in my FTP site. Then, I wrote the URL of the sound file on my report and informed them that it was part of my reception report. This is much better and cheaper than sending an audio cassete tape to the station. (Marcelo Tonilo-NY-USA, Mar 24, 2001) (WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

Qatar Radio, QBS,Doha, 17755, Surprised to see a package from Qatar Radio, RTVC Dept. in the PO box today containing a "Radio Qatar..from Doha" booklet (circa. 1991), English sce schedule for 27 June, 2003 to First of Ramadan, which of course neglects to mention a single frequency, SW, MW or FM, a personal letter thanking me for my interest in Qatar Broadcasting Service and, most dissapointing, "We are sorry about a QSL card because we stopped issuing it."

Veri-signer Jassim Mohammed Al-Qattan, Head of Public Relations, Exchange and Research. This in 441 days for 1 IRC and an English report. (Scott Barbour-NH-USA, DXplorer Sept 19, 2003/) WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)

Russia's Radio Magadan on 7320
Radio Magadan; 0055-0220 Dec 31. 7325 spatter until 0058, then in the clear and fair-good with singing Radio Rossii jingle, Russian female, another singing jingle, five short and one slightly extended final time sounders 0100 and into Vesti news by man until 0110. Another Radio Rossii canned ID by female over music bed, into discussion program with female host through 0115.

Recheck 0153, George Michael (or was it Wham! OK, who cares) Christmas song, chatter, 0200 time sounders, Vespi news, then piano filler and into local programming with clear "Govorit Magadan" by female at 0210, brief talk by the same female, semi-techno filler music and talk by her, then female pop vocal from 0218. Signal slowly fading but still quite readable at tune-out.(Terry L Krueger-FL-USA, DXplorer Jan 3) (RUS-DX #186-C)

Syrian radio antennas pic online
Radio & Archeological pics from Saria. Two pictures of radio antennas near the archaeological site of Palmyra (Syria) available here:
http://blog.libero.it/radioascolto
(WWDXC Top News/BC-DX #895 wb, Germany)