Pages

Monday, April 19, 2010

Shortwave Blog "Bytes"

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

Aussie DX Report # 199 available
Episode No. 199 of the Australian DX Report audio news magazine about shortwave broadcasting includes field monitoring research in the 13 MHz band.

There are also other features, news and information about shortwave broadcasting, propagation, a solar activity report, monitoring notes, and extracts from schedules of the new A10 season.

It's 15 mins duration, and may be accessed from the Australian Internet Radio Magazine site, at http://airm.edxp.org/

You may download/listen to/save the episodes as an MP3 file on your laptop/desktop, set up a Podcast, or receive/save it on your Mobile Phone or other portable internet-enabled digital device.

You may also subscribe via the site's RSS/Atom feed - full details are at the site.

The shows are very popular - in the four weeks to April 18, 2010, there have been 2079 downloads by subscribers, 1483 site visitors, and 281 episode hits. All-time Channel views now total 28,107!

The episodes are also available on-air, over WWCR Nashville, 0200-0215 on Sundays, on 4840, and on Mondays 1145-1200 on 15825, and via WWCR's streaming audio (live) at http://wwcr.com/

Good listening to the Australian DX Report Episode No. 199, and enjoy the musical interludes from the Aussie Bush Band!(Bob Padula, Melbourne, Australia)

Aussie domestic log
2485 VL8K Katherine 1126-1142. Music to 1130, then ABC news // 2310 and 2325. Back to music at 1141. All freqs fair at best.(John Wilkins, CO)

BBC on SLBC again
Sri Lankan national broadcaster SLBC has started relaying BBC World radio on FM band. The relaying starts the BBC English, Sinhala and Tamil programmes after a 14 month break. The BBC suspended its rebroadcast in February last year.

The BBC programs were suspended in February last year “following deliberate interference in its broadcasts,” BBC said in a statement.

During the suspension, the BBC’s services in all three languages remained available in Sri Lanka via short wave; on www.bbc.com/news, www.bbcsinhala.com and www.bbctamil.com via the Internet, and news bulletins in English via the Sri Lankan commercial broadcaster MBC.

Director of BBC Global News Peter Horrocks said that the BBC wishes to rebuild its partnership with SLBC.

“We have been reassured by SLBC that our contractual agreement will be respected, which guarantees that our programmes in English, Sinhala, and Tamil are broadcast uninterrupted,” he said. Mr. Horrocks added that the BBC audiences value the editorial intergrity of its programming.

“Our audiences understand that in order to cover news events in the most comprehensive and balanced way, the BBC adheres to specific editorial values that include impartiality, editorial independence and seeking a relevant range of views on any topic,” he said.
(Daily Mirror 15/04 (Jaisakthivel, Tirunelveli, India/HCDX)

Bahrain on 9745 ?
9745 Radio Bahrain (Abu Hayan) (extremely tentative), 2239-2258, 4/18/2010, Arabic. Traditional Middle Eastern music. No announcements heard. Very weak signal, down in the noise most of the time, but audible on peaks until Romania's IS at 2258. Received on USB side, but so weak that it cannot be definitively described as USB only. Log is very tentative. The only other station listed on 9745 at this time is Voice of Han in Chinese. Finally hearing Bahrain seems too good to be true, but the Wellbrook loop has reduced noise just enough to allow some previously inaudible signals to occasionally be heard. Any other ideas regarding the identity of this station? (Jim Evans, TN/Cumbre DX)

followup:
Would appear to be Bahrain...this is about the right time period. I have heard them from a Global Tuner in the UK at this time - Voice of Han seems to fade out after 2130 or so and Bahrain (if operating) begins to build after 2200. I remember them being best on USB. In this time period there are typically no announcements but just non-stop Arabic music. Nice job getting this one! I think 6010 is still active but not reported lately. (Bruce Churchill/Cumbre DX)

Belarus
6010, Belaruskaje Radyjo, Brest, 2245-2310, Mar 30, Belarusian song programme, this winter scheduled 23 hours a day: *0200-0100*, 54454 heard // 6040, 6070 and 6080 all weaker. From April *0300-2100*! (Petersen and Ritola)(DX Window 400)

Kuwait finally QSLs !
9880/11990, Radio Kuwait finally responded with a no data form “Thank you for all your reports on our transmissions” letter in 26 days for a follow-up report (1463 days in total) from v/s Layali Mulla Hussain, Head of Frequencies Propagation Section. Included was a nice desk calendar and a handful of pocket calendars. (D’Angelo/DX Window 400)

Lithuania A10 relay schedule
Via: Sitkunai Relays:
0100-0158 on 9490 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to EaAs Radio Free Asia in Uyghur
0300-0358 on 9635 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to CeAs Radio Liberty in Tatar
0430-0458 on 6130 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to EaEu Radio Japan NHK in Russian
0500-0558 on 9635 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to CeAs Radio Liberty in Tatar
0630-0728 on 9770 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB in Italian
1430-1528 on 9555 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to EaEu VOIROI/IRIB in Russian
1530-1558 on 9770 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to EaEu HCJB Global in Russian Sun
1600-1628 on 9770 SIT 100 kW / 079 deg to EaEu HCJB Global in Chechen Sun
1630-1728 on 5940 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu HCJB Global in German
1730-1828 on 5940 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB in German
1830-1928 on 5940 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB in French
1930-2028 on 5940 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB in English
2030-2128 on 6055 SIT 100 kW / 259 deg to WeEu VOIROI/IRIB in Spanish
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 7/DX Mix News 620)

Madagascar on 5010 kHz
RTV Malagasy (Ambohidrano), 5010, 0309-0330, Malagasy. Talk by man and woman, sometimes together, sometimes individually. Pop music in the background most of the time. Good signal with little fading, the best in some time. (Jim Evans, TN)

Malaysia/Sarawak monitoring
7270, Wai FM via RTM. News at 1400 in vernacular. My April 14 observation of "Berita R-T-M Limbang" at the start and end of the news has been confirmed by Dan Sheedy on April 15. At 1400 just after the pips and fanfare he heard: "berita RTM Limbang [mumble mumble] Sarawak, Wai FM". He noted that the news at 1100 and 1300 had just the usual RTM/Wai FM IDs. Thank you very much Dan for your assistance with this! So it seem perhaps they are saying it's local news about Limbang that is going out over Wai FM or could it perhaps be news produced in conjunction with Limbang FM? (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA, April 17)

5964.91 Klasik Nasional 1254-1322. Regional music to male announcer. Time pips (two) at 1300, then news parallel on 7270.01. Back to local programming at 1310 (no longer //) with middle-of-the-road music vocals. Fairly good signal, 7270 was very good (John Wilkins, CO)

6049.63 Asyik FM 1255-1320. Regional music vocals with male announcer speaking occasionally. Not sure of language, to 1300 break. Fair signal. (John Wilkins, CO)

(Sarawak) 5030.02 Sarawak FM 1218-1242. Malay pops hosted by lady announcer in Bahasa Malaysian. Occasional ad strings (and/or program notes). Noted a couple of "Sarawak FM" jingles. Good interference-free signal. (John Wilkins, CO)

(Sarawak) 7270.01 Wai FM 1258-1337. Interval signal on a xylophone-like instrument. Lady announcer with news in Bahasa Malaysian at 1300. Back to Wai FM (jingle) at 1310 with man chatting in language. Vocal music at 1315. Noted occasional references to Limbang but think it is Wai being relayed. Not sure what the Limbang references are, or when/if Limbang FM is still relayed on 7270. Very good signal. (John Wilkins, CO)

Moldova - A10 schedule Radio Mada International
French to MDC:
1530-1600 on 15630* KCH 300 kW / 170 deg. On air Sat/Sun only.
* co-ch ERA-5 Voice of Greece in Greek
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 7/DX Mix News 620)

Mongolian monitoring
4830, Mongoliin Radio, Altay, 2337, Mar 28, Mongolian talks not // with 4895 7260, weak. (Bernardini)

4895, Mongoliin Radio, Murun, 2330, Mar 28, Mongolian talks like reports, music, good. (Bernardini)

7260, Mongoliin Radio, Khonkhor, 2334, Mar 28, Mongolian talks, later songs // 4895, good. (Bernardini)

9665, Voice of Mongolia, Ulan Bator, 1540, Apr 05, English programme with mailbox, despite severe disturbances from the sunspots. (Koie/DX Window 400)

Pakistan Naval Radio new audio clip + vintage QSL
AQP4 6390 KHz 21.00 ch. marker vvv de aqp2/4
Audioclip & old QSL card received in 1998 here:
http://blog.libero.it/radioascolto/8708384.html
(Francesco, Italy/playdx)Blog Logs

Philippines
11720, Radio Pilipinas, Tinang, 1819. Filipino talk about vitamins with many English words and phrases, good //15190. At 1845 re-check neither was heard, altho listed 1730-1930. (Sellers)

15190, Radio Philipinas, Tinang, *1730-1758. Music, then vocals, 1732:30 ID, announcement and talk in Filipino with some English words and sentences, speaking about American naval bases and World War II, Filipino music. Poor at first, but fair-good later. (Sellers/DX Window 400)

Radio Nepal Marks 60th Anniversary
The national radio of Nepal " Radio Nepal" marked its 60th anniversary on Apr 02. On the occasion Radio Nepal organized special program at its premises in Singhadurbar in the capital Kathmandu. During the program, Minister for Information and Communications Shankar Pokharel felicitated the winners of the music competition organized on the occasion. Similarly, Minister Pokhrel felicitated the employees who completed 25 years of service for Radio Nepal. The information minister praised the role of Radio Nepal in institutionalization of the democratic republic.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2010/04/02/4706810.htm . Pictures of Radio Nepal 60th Anniversary celebrations :
http://www.radionepal.org/events/anniversary.php . Radio Nepal New Studio Facility at Singhdurbar
http://www.radionepal.org/events/studio1.jpg . Radio Nepal Multitrack Studio at Singhdurbar
http://www.radionepal.org/events/multitrack.jpg . (Alokesh Gupta, India/DX Window 400)

Radio Prague announces Competition 2010
Radio Prague has announced its 10th annual listeners’ competition.
Details at :
http://www.radio.cz/en/static/competition-2010/
(Alokesh Gupta, India)

Russian government approves digital radio system
The Russian government has approved the expediency of introducing the European digital radio system, DRM, in Russia and will draw up national standards for it within two years to come. The Voice of Russia has been broadcasting to Europe in the DRM format since April 2003. The DRM is used by the BBC, Deutsche Welle and Radio France International. (http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/04/01/5884377.html , Apr 01, via Alokesh Gupta, India/DX Window 400)

Somali Islamist seize radio transmitters for BBC
The Associated Press
Friday, April 9, 2010; 10:34 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/09/AR2010040902326.html
(Alokesh Gupta, India)

Tunisia A10 schedule
RT Tunisia - Arabic:
0400-0610 on 9725 SFA 250 kW / 100 deg to N/ME
0400-0610 on 12005 SFA 500 kW / 100 deg to N/ME
0500-0730 on 7275 SFA 500 kW / 340 deg to WeEu
0700-0830 on 7335 SFA 500 kW / 265 deg to NoAf
1700-2110 on 9725 SFA 250 kW / 100 deg to N/ME
1700-2110 on 12005 SFA 500 kW / 100 deg to N/ME
1800-2210 on 7225 SFA 500 kW / 340 deg to WeEu
2000-0010 on 7345 SFA 500 kW / 265 deg to NoAf
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews April 7/DX Mix 620)

Vanuatu transmitter update
3945 and 5055, Radio Vanuatu, Emten Lagoon. A note from Mr Mjlabadia, the engineer who set up the new transmitters at Pt. Vila. They are now running at 1.5 kW, and have a protection system that folds them back, if a fault is detected. More parts are being sent and an engineer from New Zealand will finish up the loose ends this month. Both frequencies should be at 5 kW soon. The transmitters are solid state running class E with PDM modulators. Reports are requested on the audio quality compared with other stations on SW. Vanuatu are easily heard here on both frequencies. (Rhodes in EDXP FORUM/DX Window).