Thursday, November 05, 2009

Shortwave Blog "Bytes"

All All times UTC

All India Radio improved reception on 6155
Per the updated information from Jose Jacob http://alokeshgupta.googlepages.com/freq.htm

6155 500 kW Bengaluru, 0015-0430 Urdu (Pakistan)
(ex Delhi Khampur 250 kW).

This would explain my much better than normal reception on Nov. 4, during random listening from 0047 to past 0125. Significantly better reception!

This probably will effectively block my reception of Radio Fides (Bolivia) on 6155.20, with a scheduled sign off of 0200. (Ron Howard, CA/Cumbre DX)

B09 schedule observations
Here are some comments on abnormality on the bands on first B-09 season day.
Logs from Stuttgart, Germany.
Mornings:
5883 the usual Cuban Spanish number station at 0725 UT, S=7-8, also RHC on 6140 kHz.

7390 Albania at 0730 UT with morning Balcan service, S=7-8 in Germany.

9860 Tatarstan service from Samara Russia, 7-8 UT.

11750 HCA Australia in English at 0745 UT.

11760 RHC same hour.

11865 UNID Japanese program, I see Pyongyang here listed, 0750 UT.

11945 RA Shepparton also \\ on 9710, also NZL on 9765 at 0735 UT.

12105 Avlis Greece in multi language morning service, at 05-10 UT,
propper S=9+30dB, at 0755 UT in Germany.

13650 Terrible mixture. R Kuwait in Arabic, + TINIAN propaganda
station + China jamming, 0757 UT.

15085 and 17590 super strong signals from Iran, in German.
S=9+40dB, 0730-0827 UT.

15245.22 Pyongyang in Russian at 0800 UT.

15430 Romania Sunday special in Romanian, S=9+40dB, but with back side of azimuth lobe antenna towards Near East 110 degr, 08-09 UT.

15555 Radio Portugal Sat/Sun 08-11 UT, no mass service, but only empty carrier today.

15680 KHBN Palau towards Vietnam, CBG, 01-10 UT, at 0815 UT with Tribe songs.

15786.14 Galei Zahal, Israel army forces tx, S=7 at 0817 UT.

15850.00 UNID Station parked a sender here. Program of R Nederland. 0830 UT. No formula of intermodulation, spurious etc. Also still at 0918 UT.

Noted on 3 different RXs. In sync with \\ 9895 Hoerby Sweden, 5955 Nauen Germany, 6120 Wertachtal Germany, 6035 via Vatican radio relay site at Santa Maria de Galeria etc.

17520 DWL from Ceylon, Bundesliga,- football Bayern 2:1, 08-10 UT.

17632.40v UNID and interference whistle. Omani is wandering away in Arabic??, usual 17630 kHz at 06-10 UT.

17700 at 0827 UT interval signal from Islamabad, Pakistan. 0830 UT start program with Prayer. ex17835 kHz. No 2nd tx channel observed so far in \\ .

I hope 2 x 100 kW new senders in Karachi would be ready soon. afternoon + nighttime

3955 Radio Taiwan International in German via Skelton Cumbria U.K. site at 1900-2000 UT, S=9+40dB.

3960 HCJB Russian service - but in Chechen language [German: Tschetschenisch] via Sitkunai, Lithuania relay, only Sundays 1630-1730 UT service. S=9+10dB signal here in Germany.
S=9+10 dB Signal here in Germany.

Reception report to:
SW-Radio e.V. Postfach 8025, 32736 Detmold, Germany.
(BC-DX #936)

Bangladesh continues with new extended schedule
4750, Bangladesh Betar, 1409, Nov. 3. In assume Bengali at 1432 starts news in English. Their time was two minutes late, time check "9:30." Local and sports news (Bangladesh won their cricket match with Zimbabwe for the 4th ODI match held in Bangladesh, etc.) Announcer with slight British accent, 1443-1446 "News Commentary." and back to Bengali and usual series of speeches. Time tips at 1502 and ID to program of subcontinent songs. Also noted this music segment on Nov. 2. Station mixing with China's CNR-1 and the level of interference varies greatly from day to day. (Ron Howard, CA/Cumbre DX)

Democratic Voice of Burma adjust frequency
In Burmese via TRW:
1430-1530 new freq 9430*ERV 300 kW 100 deg to SEAs, x9415 in B-08
*strong co-ch China Radio International in Chinese till 1500
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Nov 3/DX Mix News 597 via wb, Germany)

HCJB Global going through many changes
The Oct 2009 HCA KNX Australia newsletter "Voice & Hands" #134 may be downloaded.

HCJB is going through many changes locally and globally. The rapid closure of HCJB's shortwave facility in Ecuador means plans for the arrival of a third HC 100 transmitter sometime in 2010 are underway.

...maintain our current broadcast commitment of 15 hours each day in 21 languages.

... Some things were a surprise and others were just plain awe inspiring _ like standing at the bottom of a 96 metre tower and looking up.

...96-metre towers ready for the curtain antenna next year.

...designed the air-conditioning system for our new transmitter hall.

...mission staff construct a 5.5 metre high structure alongside the new transmitter building to house the "antenna switching matrix._ This consists of 14 large switchers, built by Murray Graham in Melbourne, which enable the transmitters to connect to different antennas.
(BC-DX #Top News #936 via wb, Germany)

Media broadcast frequency adjustments
From November 1, 2009, via France and Germany
WYFR Family Radio in English
1600-1700 9870 NAU 500 kW 150 deg to EaAf, additional txion

HCJB Global in German
1700-1800 NF 3975 WER 100 kW non-dir to WeEu,x1800-1900 6140 ISS

Gospel For Asia in various South East Asian langs
2330-0030 NF 7240 WER 250 kW 075 deg to SEAs,x7200 ISS
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Nov 3/DX Mix News
597, wb, Germany)

Mauritania monitoring
4845 RTV Mauritaine (Nouakchott), 2313-2330, Arabic. Talk by two men, joined briefly
by a woman at 2327. Recheck at 2340 found a man talking over traditional music. Good, steady
signal. (Jim Evans, TN)

Moldova's Radio Mada International news
New time and frequency in French
1530-1600 on 15640*KCH 300 kW 160 deg to MDC Sat/Sun till Oct.18
1530-1600 on 15670 KCH 300 kW 160 deg to MDC Sat/Sun from Oct.24
*strong co-ch BBC/DW English in DRM mode
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Nov 3/DX Mix News 597 via wb, Germany)

Pirate logs
Over the Horizon Radio, 6900/AM 2142-2150.+ Can just tell there's music and talk there, no chance for copy. Heard one woodpecker blast. Station ID per FRN post. Very poor (Frodge-MI)

Northstar Radio 6880/AM, Signal poor/weak. Rock/pop/Motown/bubblegum music mix from 50's thru 90's. Finally said "six eighty-eight Northstar Radio" during moment of good reception, off suddenly at 0036. Carrier on/off several times, then back on at 0039. If Northstar is reading this, please have ID's more often and several times per ID, thanks. (Hassig-IL)

Scott Joplin Radio 6925USB, 0306UTC. Tuned in to piano music, sounded like it was from The Sting, ID and whistling at 0311, back to music. The Sting played at 0314, 0319 a weak announcement and gone. Strong for a while, I have a recording. PLS QSL (Foltz-CA)

Satan Radio 6925USB, 2240-2255. Metal music backwards speech. ID you are tuned to Satan Radio satanradio@gmail.com (Hertz)
(FRW # 716)

Radio New Zealand B09 shedule
B-09 schedule of Radio New Zealand Internat
from Oct 25
0459-0658 11725 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
0459-0658 11675 RAN 025 kW 000 deg DRM All Pacific
0659-1058 9765 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
0659-1058 9870 RAN 025 kW 000 deg DRM All Pacific
1059-1258 13660 RAN 050 kW 325 deg AM NW Pacific,PNG,Timor
1059-1158 9870 RAN 025 kW 325 deg DRM NW Pacific,PNG,Timor
1259-1550 6170 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
1551-1750 6170 RAN 050 kW 035 deg AM CookIsl,Samoa,Tonga,Niue
1551-1750 7440 RAN 025 kW 035 deg DRM CookIsl,Samoa,Tonga,Niue
1751-1850 9765 RAN 050 kW 035 deg AM CookIsl,Samoa,Tonga,Niue
1751-1850 9890 RAN 025 kW 035 deg DRM CookIsl,Samoa,Tonga,Niue
1851-1935 11725 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
1851-1935 9890 RAN 025 kW 000 deg DRM All Pacific
1936-2050 9615 RAN 050 kW 035 deg AM Tonga
1936-2050 11675 RAN 025 kW 035 deg DRM Tonga
2051-2235 17675 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
2051-2235 15720 RAN 025 kW 000 deg DRM All Pacific
2236-0458 15720 RAN 050 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
2236-0458 17675 RAN 025 kW 000 deg AM All Pacific
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Oct 28)
(BC-DX Top News 936)

Serbia on 9675 at 0100-0200 UTC
Dear friends,
BOSNIA [SERBIA non] 9675 Before I went to bed I noted unusual strong deep night signals on both 41 and 31 mb even from close-by stations like Wertachtal and Lampertheim, some 120 kms away from my location.

On 9675 kHz was International Radio Serbia from Bijeljina, Bosnia on air with typical and very lovely Serbian (yugoslav) folk music in 0100-0200 UT time slot Nov 1st.

Powerful S=9+20dB and excellent audio from the Swiss made transmitter - sure it was the former 500 kW beast - but seemingly reduced to 200-250 kW level. Deep and very fast fluttery though. ID "Belgradu Serbia" in Serbian noted at 0110 UT. Commentary then "Balkanske ... Serbia integratia ... Europske..." . NX in Serbian at 0157-0159 UT by female. At 0200 UT end of program with some "technical" sentence in Serbian. TX switched off at exact 02.00:52 UT.

Adjacent Iran in Spanish on 9680 kHz was very poor, S=6 level. Adjacent 9670 kHz channel content a mixture of both US Tibetan program from Wertachtal and CHN mainland jamming at S=9+10dB level, 0100-0300 UT, but not annoying. wb

Bosnia (Serbia - non)
comment: Kai Ludwig on Oct 25th, 2009 at 15:26
Here is the new schedule, effective Oct 25, 2009
http://glassrbije.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=30&Itemid=123
(wb, Germany/HCDX)

Voice of America releases new times for Urdu service
Effective 1st November Pakistan will go back to normal time ie. UTC+5.00 hrs
and VOA Urdu service will use the following schedule:

MW 972 1539 kHz is available at 1400-0200 hrs instead of 1300-0100 hrs.
SW service 0100-0200 (ex 0000-0100) on 9520(Sri Lanka) 9765(Thailand)kHz.
SW service 1400-1500 (ex 1300-1400) on 7440(Thailand) 9390(Germany)kHz.
(Alok Dasgupta, Kolkata via http://dxasia.info/news/ )