Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Shortwave Blog "Bytes"

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

Antarctica heard on 15476
The other day, while picking raspberries and blueberries in the woods surrounding our house,
my wife and I were tuned to LRA36 on a portable Lextronix E5 receiver. "Música and cultura" was on the menu. Edmundo Rivero and Susana Rinaldi with tangos, followed by a few zambas and a Yma Sumac-ish rendering of "El cóndor pasa". I was using the telescopic antenna only. Time of reception: 1805-1910+ Reception was very poor at the outset but slowly improving, and approaching fair level around 1900. Temperature at the Esperanza base was given as 15 degrees below zero, which equals 5 degrees F. (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden/HCDX)

Aussie's DX Report # 163 available for download
Audio news magazine includes a propagation research analysis of current spectrum occupancy in the 9 MHz band during the 0000 to 0100 time window, as monitored in Melbourne. There are also features, news and information about shortwave broadcasting, propagation, solar activity, monitoring notes, new schedules, extracts from schedules, and schedule updates. It's 15 minute duration, and may be accessed or downloaded from http://airm.edxp.org/ (Bob Padula,Melbourne, Australia)

Bolivian logs
3310, Mosoj Chaski, 1010-1020. Music to announcer's Spanish. Brief music at 1014, plus more
comments. Signal is nearly nonexistent as it struggles with the natural frequency noise.
(Chuck Bolland, FL)

6134.77, Radio Santa Cruz, 1035-1045. Signal is almost gone, but noted male in Spanish with
comments. Other than that, it was too weak to copy any details. (Chuck Bolland, FL)

Dxers Unlimited available for download
The August 8-9 edition if Radio Havana Cuba’s Arnie Coro C02KK, is available at:
http://dxersunlimited.blogspot.com/2009/08/dxers-unlimiteds-weekend-edition-8-9.html
(Alokesh Gupta, India)

Indonesian monitoring observations
Voice of Indonesia, 9526 kHz in English at 1331-1400. The signal was strong but with high
static level. However, no het was evident. Lady announcer with language lessons. The rest of the program was devoted to songs in the vernacular language to brief news break. Broadcast ended with station’s signature tune. I must have chosen a good time to listen because VOI's sig started at 9520 kHz and went on through 9533 kHz, it being strongest at 9525-26 kHz. What followed at 1400 was even better. The signal was excellent and gone was the loud static noise. However, this was replaced with a low bass hum. The listening was still very good.
(Richard Bianchino, NV/Cumbre DX)

Israel’s Galai Zahal
Station is noted as still off the air on 15785 kHz since August 11, 2009.
(wb, Germany)

Early morning logs
3340 Honduras, HRMI (Tegucigalpa). 1038-1048. 11 Aug 09. Spanish. Inspirational music in Spanish and English. Signal was poor.

3810 Ecuador, HD2IOA (Guayaquil). 1050. 11 Aug 09. Spanish programming. Time signal pips and recorded announcements by male announcer. Signal was fair.
(Joe Wood, TN)

Free e-magazine Ham Mag news
There is a free e-magazine called Ham Mag that is published every month. For members of my radio wave propagation eGroup there is a regular propagation column by ON4SKY.
http://ham.france.free.fr/crbst_17.html (Thomas F. Giella, NZ4O, Lakeland, FL nz4o@arrl.ent

Russian monitoring
Kazakhstan, 9950 Voice of Orthodoxy, *1430-1440. SINPO 33433. Russian programming, 1430 sign on with station interval signal to ID. Choral music and opening announcements and talk.
(Kouji Hashimoto-JPN, JPNpremium July 25)

Sudan’s Radio Peace on 4740
Aug 11, 2009, 0320-0355. Moderate carrier with snippets of audio until about 0335, when really started peaking due to transmitter dawn enhancement. Religious talk alternating between African-accented English, and what sounded like Arabic. Strongest at around 0345 with religious organ music, then steadily fading thereafter. (J..D. Stephens, AL/Cumbre DX)
Broadcast schedule:
0230-0300 Arabic/English/Vernaculars 4740 targeted to Africa
0300-0400 Arabic/English/Vernaculars 4740 targeted to Africa
1600-1700 Arabic/English/Vernaculars 4740 targeted to Africa
1700-1745 Arabic/English/Vernaculars 4740 targeted to Africa
(Gayle Van Horn/Monitoring Times Frequency Manager)

Voice of Nigeria upgrades equipment
15120 Nigeria put a new final stage tube in service. Now noted with superb modulation, not this shredded splatter audio. French service, 0700-0800 UTC, Aug 11.
(wb, Germany)

Voice of Greece observations
ERT ERA5 VoGreece foreign languages FILIA relay on single 11645 kHz is still absent since ?July 27?. At present on all frequencies 9420 11645 15630 kHz same Greek program 05-10UT, except Tuesdays. Aug 11. (wb, Germany/HCDX)

Prop forecast published online
The NZ4O Daily LF/MF/HF/6M Frequency Radiowave Propagation Forecast #2009-27
has been published on Friday 08/07/2009 at 1500 UTC, valid 0000 UTC Saturday
08/08/2009 through 2359 UTC Friday 08/14/2009 at www.wcflunatall.com/kn4lf6.htm .
Thomas F. Giella, NZ4O
Lakeland, FL, USA
nz4o@arrl.net