Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Blog Logs - Clandestine radio activity

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

3912, Voice of the People, Goyang, South Korea, 1138-1222, Jan 27. Group singing, long talks in Korean with some music including orchestra version of "It is Now or Never". Poor although steadily improving with // 6518 having less noise and eventually at fair level and 6600 at threshold level at tune in but fair by 1215. (D'Angelo/FCDX)

3926.1, Voice of Kurdistan, North Iraq(tentative), 0345, Jan 15, Vernacular talk, 32432, jammed. (Slaen)

4450, AINDF, North Korea (presumed) 2229-2244, Jan 28. Korean talks, elation style music. Stronger than usual tonight, heterodyne generated with presumed Radio Santa Ana, SINPO 23222. (Otávio)

4876, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, Salah Al-Din, Iraq (t), 0420, Jan 15. Vernacular talk, SINPO 11431, jammed. (Slaen)

4880.02, SW Radio Africa, via Meyerton, 1730-1805, Jan 21, English, ID 1732, local music, talks also in Vernacular, reports about Zimbabwe, no QRM (Jamming!) as mostly, but at 1730 QRM letter station. SINPO 33333. (Mille and Wiespointner)

5815, Al-Aqsa Radio Gaza, via ? , 2120-2125, Jan 22 and 27, Arabic political comments, 25332 // 5835 (44434). Both off at recheck 2157. (Petersen and Romero). 5815 not reported on other days! But cf. 6220 next page. (Ed)

5835, Al Aqsa Radio Gaza, via ?, 1810-2250, Jan 21, 27, 28, 29, 31, Feb 02 and 03, Arabic talks and interviews about Palestina, Ramallah, Kuwait, Yemen, America, Hamas, Iran, Iraqi regional elections and Kurdistan; sometimes was an ambulance siren heard and a phone talk with screeming woman, 2010 ID: "Al-Aqsa....", Arab vocal songs and choir, modulation poor at times, but mostly acceptable. Normally abrupt s/off in mid-sentence of a report at 2130*, but on Jan 21 was still on at 2250, 45444. (D'Angelo, Petersen and Romero)

Al-Aqsa TV run by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) will begin broadcasting from Beirut for one hour a day to develop its capabilities outside Gaza, local Naharnet website reported Jan 31. Hamas- Al-Aqsa TV station in Gaza was hit by Israeli troops during the 22-day Israeli war on Gaza, according to press reports that the building of the TV station has been completely destroyed, but the station continued to broadcast from a mobile TV unit. The Hamas-run TV station was established few years ago, it has been accused by Israel of inciting hate against Jews.

Earlier in January 2009, the French authorities prohibited Hamas TV channel Al-Aqsa from broadcasting to Europe, and the TV sources said they would start broadcasting programs to Europe via a Eurobird European Telecom satellite operated by Eutelast, a Paris based company functioning under French law. The TV station was accused of triggering young Arab speakers in Europe to attack their Jewish neighbors and reject European values.

Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV was prohibited as well from broadcasting in Europe by the French highest administrative court in 2005, because of its anti-Semite programs. (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/31/content_10741847.htm , Jan 31, via Romero)

Radio Solh, via VT Communications relay stations in Dhabbaya, United Arab Emirates (5925 and 11675) and Rampisham, United Kingdom ( 9875 and 13830) cancelled all SW relays from Jan 26. (Ivanov via BC-DX Feb 02 and Petersen)

5975, Sudan Radio Service, via Kigali, Rwanda, 0311, Jan 14, English talks, news mentioning Sudan several times, ID. (Nigro, in DXplorer)

6220, Al Quds TV (meaning Jerusalem TV), via ?, 1600-1903, Feb 03, new relay of audio sound in Arabic with talks and music; despite good signal, the audio level is very low, 34332. Once again thanks to Zeidan for his invaluable assistance in identifying stations in Arabic. The station can also be heard and seen at http://www.qudstv.com/ . (Koie and Romero). Maybe same transmitter as was used on 5815 ? (Ed)

7430, Voice of People, via Talata-Volonondry, Madagascar (50 kW, 265 degrees), *1700-1757*, Feb 02, English and Vernacular talks towards Zimbabwe, new frequency since Jan 27, ex 11610. SINPO 33232. (Ivanov, via BC.DX Feb 02, Petersen)

7530, Voice of Free Radio, via Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 1617, Jan 24, Korean talk and some slow pop music. According to WRTH 2009 this is a religious clandestine. Strange name for all that. Very poor signals. (Muick)

7530, Radio Xoriyo, via Samara, Russia (250 kW, 188 degrees), *1700-1730*, Mo Feb 02, Somali opening ann, 2 ID's, website: http://www.radioxoriyo.com/ (working OK in English and Somali), short muslim prayer and talk, another ID, new frequency since Jan 19 now on Mo and Fr, ex 11720 We/Fr. SINPO 45444. (Ivanov, via BC-DX Feb 02, and Petersen)

9000, Firedrake jammer going full-tilt-boogie against Sound of Hope at 1514-1600*, Jan 25; cf. 9450. (Muick)

9365, North Korea Reform Radio, via Orzu, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 1345-1400, Jan 26, Korean talk and song, closing ann and music. Thanks to J. M. Romero for tips! 35233. (Petersen)
9415, Democratic Voice of Burma, via Gavar, Armenia, 1455, Jan 25, Burmese with telephone interviews. Distorted audio from telephone, but signal very strong and otherwise clean with no jamming. (Muick)

9450, Sound of Hope, via Taiwan, 1440, Jan 25, Mandarin radio play and assorted music. Entertaining even if I had no idea what they were saying. One character in English on the radio play was looking for an international basketball team. Lots of audience laughter. Good signals with no jamming in contrary to 9000. (Muick)

9559.7, Voice of Democratic Alliance, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 15330-1540, Jan 22 and 28, Kunama with some rapid-fire talk, reggae music and many mentions of Eritrea. Reception was fair and peaked to just better than good quite often, 23342. Frequency drifting +/- 600 Hz from nominal 9560. Heard // 7165. Website is www.erit-alliance.com and NOT .org as listed in WRTH 2009. E-mail addresses are on the website, however the first one listed needs to have "www." dropped from it. (Muick and Romero)
(DX Window #370)