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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Shortwave Blog "Bytes"

All times UTC

Australian DX Report 202
Episode no. 202 of the Australian DX Report audio news magazine about shortwave broadcasting includes field monitoring research in the 7, 9, 11, and 13 MHz bands

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 website, at http://airm.edxp.org/

You may download/listen to/save the episodes as MP3 files on your laptop/desktop, set up a Podcast, or receive/save them 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 May 8, 2010, there have been 2772 downloads by subscribers, 1059 site visitors, and 385 episode hits. All-time Channel views now total 28,782!

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. 202, and enjoy the musical interlude, including "The Drover's Dream"! (Bob Padula, Melbourne, Australia)

Audio clip 10 from 10 meters
4VHTIAIE Uunid 10 meter Beacon
4VHTIAIE 28221 KHz 1800 - 1830 UTC CW 5/2/2010

The audioclip is available at:
http://blog.libero.it/radioascolto/8803710.html
Any idea about this beacon ?
(Francesco, Italy/playdx)

China - Guayngxi Beibu Radio update
5010, Guangxi Beibu Bay Radio (BBR). Randomly from 1321 to about 1400, May 5. A new frequency for them! In Vietnamese with easy-listening pop songs. Bottom-of-the hour multilingual IDs Mention of "Top Music." Signal fair to good with no All India Radio interference. After 1400 heard back on their normal 5050. Possibly their new schedule is being on 5010 till 1400, then 1400 to 1600* up on 5050. It makes sense for them to move away from 5050, due to the domination there of China Huayi BC (signs off at 1300), but why move to 5010? AIR Thiruv. is now totally covered till 1400. Needs more monitoring to confirm just what their new schedule is. (Ron Hoeard, Asilomar Beach, CA)

EQSLing - it's all there
The electronic QSL Card Center at: http://www.eqsl.cc/qslcard/

Jordan on 15290
Jordan Radio Amman in Arabic noted at scheduled 1030-1130 UT slot, S=8-9 in southern Germany. Noon service is meant to Mediterranean area, North and West Africa. ID at 1114 UT, excellent audio quality today. Cl-down of tx was midst on sentence at 11.35:58 UT, May 7th.
(wb, Germany/HCDX)

Myanmar experimenting with their transmitters ?
Myanma Radio. The folks at Yangon and Naypyidaw are certainly experimenting with their transmitters! Tuned in at 1339 to find Yangon on about 5985.83v (past two days had been via Naypyidaw on 5985.00), then checked 5915 to find them with a distinctive ECHO. Yes, they were broadcasting the same Minorities and Distance Learning Services lecture via WO transmitters. Echo ended about 1350. Checked 5985.83v again and found them still there, but suddenly heard a strong het. Tuned down to 5985.00 to find that Naypyidaw had started broadcasting. After 1400 the Yangon off frequency transmitter went off the air. When 5985.00 and 5985.83v were both on they were NOT parallel. Strange developments! (Ron Howard, Asilomar Beach, CA)

New DRM station from Brazil
Padre Anchieta Foundation
European standard for digital radio 4, May 2010.
Source: Tele-Hours Summary - Digital Radio

The (Brazilian) FCC has issued authorization to the Padre Anchieta Foundation, an organization maintains the Radio and TV Culture, for the testing of the System of Digital Audio Broadcasting DRM - Digital Radio Mondiale, standard developed in Europe. Tests will be done in the frequency 26.040 MHz, with bandwidth digital signal that is radiated between 10 kHz and 20 kHz, in Sao Paulo.

The tests will be conducted over a period of one year but may be extended for an equal period, and aim to support the choice of standard to be adopted by the country. The experiments will be suspended if found the occurrence of harmful interference to radio stations regularly licensed and installed.

At the end of March, decree published by the Ministry of Communications announced the technical guidelines of what should be the model of digital radio to be deployed in Brazil. One of the requirements is that the standard to be adopted meets both the AM and FM systems, ensuring that the consumer has to buy different devices for each system.

According Minicom, so far, the two patterns tested - DRM and IBOC European American - did not meet all technical requirements. According to the tests already carried out, the digital systems in the world today do not bring a quality far superior to the one presented by the FM (Frequency Modulated) analog.

The European standard, DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), also has the preference of the government for being an open system, which opens the possibility of technology transfer. U.S. standard, the IBOC (In-Band-On-Channel), already tested in Brazil, besides depending on the
payment of royalties for their use, presents difficulties for transmissions in Medium and Short Wave, where there is greater interest of the government.
******

No mention of power output, nor does the internet schedule show it yet. Given how the Rwandan 26MHz station is often logged in Europe, this may be a similar case for us, given good trans-equatorial propagation. I'll have to swing my antenna south for it... :)

My thanks to PP5AZF/Ataliba for puttting this info up on the DRM-RX forum.
(Brendan WA7HL/DRMNA)