Thursday, September 27, 2018

Empire Radio slated for weekend broadcast




"This Sunday (30th September) the 40th anniversary Empire Radio programs will be repeated on short wave. Join the original 1978 team of Keith Rogers, Chris Cooper and Albert Hall for an entertaining mix of music and comedy.

We'll be looking back, over 40 years, but certainly not stuck in the past. The most likely frequency is 5825kHz, with 5800 kHz being an alternative,

Of course, these days it is possible to listen to short wave on the internet, via a WebSDR, such as the one at the University of Twente in The Netherlands, which I'll try and tune to myself: http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

The Empire will kick off at 0800 GMT and run until 1300. Programmes will then be repeated 1400-1800. We hope you will be able to tune in, and enjoy our brand of broadcasting lunacy!"
(C Cooper/FB/BDXC)

The First Wireless Message from England to Australia: 100th Anniversary



The first direct Wireless Message from England to Australia was successfully transmitted in darkness and daylight, across empty oceans and a wide land expanse, on Friday September 22, 1918, exactly one hundred years ago yesterday.  The wireless transmitter station was located near Carnarvon in Wales and the receiver was located in a private dwelling in Wahroonga, a suburb of Sydney in the Australian state of New South Wales.

The longwave wireless signal was transmitted from Carnarvon at 3:15 am and it was received in Sydney Australia at 1:15 pm.  Due to the fact that longwave propagation is best along a pathway of maximum darkness, it is suggested that this historic wireless signal traversed more than halfway across the globe via the Atlantic, across the Americas and then across  Pacific for a distance of 13,700 miles.

The Carnarvon wireless station was installed near Waunfaw, some seven miles southeast from the royal city of Caernarvon in northern Wales in the year 1914 by the Marconi company of Chelmsford.  The 3600 ft long aerial system was atop 10 steel masts each standing 400 ft tall on top of Cefndu Mountain in Snowdonia. 

The entire antenna system was beamed towards Montreal in Canada for TransAtlantic communication, not towards Sydney in Australia, and its natural wavelength was 5600 m (53.6 kHz).  However, a wireless tuning system enabled the station to transmit on the even lower 21 kHz.

When the station was completed in its early era, it contained a total of six transmitters arranged in pairs; 2 synchronous alternating current transmitters at 300 kW each, 2 continuous wave transmitters also at 300 kW each, and 2 arc transmitters at 200 kW each.  Electrical power was derived from the local hydroelectric power distribution system.  The receiver station was located at Towyn on the coast of Wales some 40 miles south from the transmitter station.

The AWA Managing Director in Australia, the Englishman Sir Ernest Fisk, made a return visit to England in 1916 for the purpose of discussions with Marconi and others for direct wireless communication between England and Australia.  During the following year, he received approval from the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney to erect a wireless station with both transmitter and receiver at the AWA staff housing facility located at “Logan Brae” on Station Street in the Sydney suburb of Pymble.

The allocated callsign for the Pymble wireless station was an AWA callsign, AWY, and frequent tests were conducted  with the large AWA transmitter station located at outer suburban Pennant Hills.  On several occasions during the year 1917, station AWY in Pymble heard wireless signals from England, though no real communication was achieved.  In addition, AWY also often heard wireless transmissions from the high powered German station at Nauen, near Berlin,;and this, during the Great War, as it was called back then.

In December (1917), station AWY was transferred from Pymble and reinstalled in Sir Ernest Fisk’s own home, “Lucania”, at the corner of Stuart and Cleveland Streets in Wahroonga, in Sydney’s upper North Shore.  A combination receiver, made up of a crystal receiver together with three stages of battery-powered valve amplification, was installed in a large back room at ground level in the home.  Likewise, wireless transmissions from England were often heard at this new location, though no direct transfer of messages was achieved.

The antenna system, consisting of two wires 100 ft long and three feet apart, was strung from a square wooden tower 80 feet high in the southeast corner of the home property to a mast in the northwest corner of the property.  This antenna system was suspended high above the house itself.

For several days in advance of the planned inauguration date, reception tests were conducted at station AWY in Wahroonga to discover the optimum time of the day for the best reception of a wireless signal from England.  On the auspicious date, Friday September 22, 1918 a large group of dignitaries including newspaper representatives was invited to arrive at the Fisk home around noon. 

Awaiting a time of successful reception in Australia, were two VIP messages at the Marconi receiver station at Towyn on the west coast of Wales.  These messages had been lodged at the Central Telegraph office in London and they were then transmitted across the telegraph wire system in England to the Marconi receiver station located at Towyn in Wales.

On that auspicious day, September 22, 1918, the two VIP messages were tapped out again in Morse Code at Towyn beginning at 3:15 am and sent via the telegraph network over the intervening 40 miles to the high power transmitter station near Carnarvon.  With a spark power of 200 kW and a frequency of 21 kHz, the transmitter at Marconi’s station MUU thrust the signal out across the Atlantic towards Montreal in Canada. 

However, the beam width was sufficient for reception in Australia, and apparently this very first transmission in Morse Code was decoded in Australia.  Actually the prearranged procedure was for station MUU to transmit the same message every hour on the first quarter hour, and at least two subsequent broadcasts of the same message were heard and decoded at Wahroonga.  The AWA engineer in Wahroonga who decoded the Morse messages and entered the information into the AWY log book was Raymond E. McIntosh.   

The two official messages from London came from the Australian Prime Minister, the Honorable Mr. William M. Hughes and the Minister for the Royal Australian Navy, Mr Joseph Cook.  The Prime Minister’s message applauded Australian troops in their gallant fight against the enemy in France; and the Minister for the Navy applauded Australian sailors for their gallant fight in the waterways around continental Europe.

So what happened afterwards?  Twenty seven years after this historic event, a memorial monument was erected in 1935 on the street corner in Wahroonga next to what had been the home of Sir Ernest Fisk.  ULTRA  Longwave wireless communication between England and Australia developed into shortwave radio communication.  The Marconi wireless station at Carnarvon continued in communication service for a total of  21 years, closing finally in 1939, and the properties were sold off. 

And we might add, that the Australian counterpart for Adventist World Radio is also located in Wahroonga.  The Adventist Media Center is located on Fox Valley Road, right opposite the Sydney Adventist Hospital, the largest privately operated hospital in the Australian state of New South Wales.
(AWR Wavescan/NWS 500)

Blog Logs

Thanks to our regular contributor, Harold Sellers. He shares with our blog readers, his latest from Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. 

Do you have radio logs you'd like to share with other radio hobbyist ? Your logs and radio-related information are welcome, to the email address in the above masthead.
(GVH)

Listening in my car, parked overlooking Kalamalka Lake. CommRadio CR-1a and Sony AN-1 whip antenna.

All times UTC


RNZI QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection)
13840 New Zealand, RNZI at 0224 discussing the earthquake on Lombok. Very good

7780 USA Radio Prague via WRMI relay at 0231, man with news. Good

11560 India, All India Radio at 0240 with Hindi songs, listed as a broadcast in Pashto. Poor

7375 Romania, Radio Romania International at 0300 with sign on, into news.

9395 USA Radio Prague via WRMI relay at 0302, woman with news. Excellent

6185 Mexico, Radio Educacion (?) at 0307.  Somewhere — but I can’t find it now — I read a report that a flood in their building had knocked Radio Education off the air, but there was a weak 
station in Spanish here tonight.  Hopefully them, back on.

6080 Botswana, Voice of America relay at 0309 with news, African-accented announcer. Fair

6070 Canada, CFRX, Toronto at 0330 with Newstalk 10-10 ID and into “The Best of Rush”.   
       
5925 Botswana, Voice of America relay at 0333, political discussion about Iran and Turkey. //6080. Poor with interference from 5920

9395 USA Radio Slovakia International via WRMI relay at 0344, talking about Slovaks who have returned home from living abroad.

QSL via Gayle Van Horn Collection)
11650 Clandestine, Radio Tamazuj presumed via Madagascar relay at 0353 with talks by man and woman, sometimes sound bridges, to 0357 sign-off. May be Arabic or Sudanese Arabic.
Sign off listed as 0430.   

11980 Turkey, Voice of Turkey at 0358 signing on with music and announcements in language, 0400 time pips, more announcements, 0401 news. Listed as Turkish.

11995 Madagascar, BBC relay at 0402 in Somali with news.

11620 Clandestine-Eye Radio via Madagascar relay at 0406 in Sudanese Arabic. Talks, announcements, some sounded to be in local languages, heard mention of a website, mentions of Sudan and Juba. At 0425 began English with “Eye Radio” promo, followed by “Hello and welcome to our weekly program…”, woman talking about South Sudan. - Fair through noise.

Mystery Broadcast of AWR DX Program “Wavescan”


At the present time, the American shortwave station WINB is conducting a lengthy series of test transmissions in the digital DRM mode from its new transmitter at Red Lion in Pennsylvania.  Apparently the earlier problems they were experiencing have now been resolved.  According to Hans Johnson, Frequency Manager for WINB, these test transmissions are beamed to Europe and to North Africa. 

The AWR international DX program “Wavescan” has been invited to participate in the WINB test transmissions and these special digital broadcasts are scheduled to be on the air during this month of September.  Reception reports on the reception of these DRM broadcasts will be most welcome and they can be addressed to both WINB in Pennsylvania and to the AWR DX program “Wavescan” in Indiana.

The schedule for the broadcasts of “Wavescan” over WINB indicates that this half hour DX program will be on the air twice each week, Monday and Friday, at 1630 UTC on 15670 kHz.  In addition, there will be another broadcast of “Wavescan” during the week in between the Monday and Friday, a Mystery Broadcast, on a day and at a time not announced in advance.

All reception reports addressed to “Wavescan” will be verified with a specially endorsed QSL card, and reception reports of the unannounced in-between Mystery Broadcasts will be honored additionally with a souvenir from AWR in Indiana.  Reception reports indicating reception in the digital DRM mode are preferred, though honest reception reports in the analog mode will also be appreciated.  The analog reports will at least give an indication to WINB of the coverage area of these test transmissions.

Multiple reception reports, each on a different day, will be verified individually with the specially endorsed QSL card.

All of the “Wavescan” broadcasts are scheduled for transmission on 15670 kHz and genuine reception reports from anywhere in the world will be most appreciated.  These may be sent by email, or by postal mail with an address label and return postage if possible.  Remember that these IRC Coupons are now no longer valid in the United States.  Remember also that the postal address in Indiana has been “borrowed” temporarily and it is valid only in September and October.

Shortwave radio station WINB is owned and operated by World International Broadcasters and it was inaugurated in October 1962 with a 50 kW Continental transmitter Model No 417B.  The original transmitter was rebuilt and taken into service again in 1997.

The international DX program “Wavescan” is a co-operative venture on the part of Adventist World Radio and KSDA Guam, Radio Miami International WRMI in Florida, Voice of Hope KVOH in California with transmitters in Zambia Africa, and World Wide Christian Radio WWCR in Tennessee. 

Please note the following addresses for reception reports on the WINB test broadcasts:-
* By email to WINB: WINB40th@yahoo.com
* By postal mail to WINB: Box 88, Red Lion, Pennsylvania 17356, USA 
* By email to “Wavescan”: adrian.m.peterson @ gmail.com
* By postal mail to “Wavescan”:
Adventist World Radio
WINB Test Broadcasts
Box 771
Bloomington
Indiana 47402-0771
USA

Dr. Adrian M. Peterson
International Relations
Adventist World Radio(AWR Wavescan/NWS 498)

The Voice of America Relay Stations in the Philippines: Before the Beginning


VOA Philippines relay station
Soon after the discovery that shortwave broadcasting was a valuable method for obtaining international radio coverage, United States interests began shortwave services beamed to the Philippine Islands.  After all, the Philippines were an American colony at that stage, and they had been so for the past half century, ever since they were ceded to the United States at the Treaty of Paris in 1898.   

Yhe earliest known date for a shortwave radio relay from the United States to the Philippines took place in June 1935. Station KKR at RCA Bolinas in California relayed a program to the Philippines on 15450 kHz for rebroadcast on mediumwave and shortwave in Manila.  There were many subsequent occasions back in that prewar era when the huge RCA shortwave station at Bolinas carried similar program relays for live rebroadcast in the Philippines. Interestingly, some of these live relays were originally broadcast on shortwave from Europe, from the BBC at Daventry near London and from the German shortwave station at Zeesen near Berlin in Germany.

The prominent California shortwave station KGEI was inaugurated with test transmissions on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay as W6XBE on February 18, 1939. This station also was noted in Australia and New Zealand at times with a relay of programming from the United States for coverage in the Philippine Islands. Wikipedia states in their historic article on the origins of the Voice of America (Slightly adapted for use on radio)

Even before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government’s Office of the Coordinator of Information, COI, in Washington DC, had already begun providing war news and commentary to the commercial American shortwave radio stations for on a voluntary basis. This procedure was enabled through its Foreign Information Service, (FIS), in New York which was headed up by playwright Robert E. Sherwood, who had served as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech writer and information advisor.

Direct programming beamed to the Philippines began a week after the United States entered World War 2 in December 1941, and the first broadcast from the FIS office in San Francisco was via a leased General Electric transmitter also located in San Francisco (KGEI). A newly organized American shortwave network began its transmissions from studios at 270 Madison Avenue in New York City on February 1 of the next year 1942, and soon afterwards the identification term "The Voice of America" was introduced.

The first Japanese attack against the Philippines took place with an aerial bombardment on December 8, 1941 at several locations just 10 hours after the tragic attack at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Exactly one week later on December 15, 1941, FIS, the Foreign Information Service in the United States, began the transmission to the Philippines of two special programs daily. These daily news programs were specially compiled with information of interest to the Philippines, and the information was rebroadcast by the mediumwave and shortwave stations in Manila and Cebu to the south.

Then two weeks later again on December 28, the broadcast of an expanded series of radio programs began from KGEI on Treasure Island in San Francisco. These broadcasts were beamed to the Philippines and carried live by all six of their mediumwave stations and all six of their shortwave stations in Manila and Cebu City. This series of radio programs under the title the Philippine Program was produced due to a special request from General Douglas MacArthur, and also by a proclamation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  These expanded programs were broadcast not only by the famous shortwave station KGEI, but also by three of the shortwave transmitters at RCA Bolinas.

A total of eight live programs were prepared each day, and all of these were received by the RCA station in Manila, and they were relayed live via station KZRH to all of the mediumwave and shortwave stations then on the air in the Philippines.


For the record, these stations were:
Manila mediumwave KZRH  KZRM  KZRF KZIB KZEG
Manila shortwave KZRH  KZRM KZRF KZIB KZND
Cebu mediumwave & shortwave KZRC

This special programming was on the air for a total of just 18 days. When the Japanese army arrived in Manila on January 2, 1942, the program relays over the Philippine commercial stations ended. However, at the instigation of General MacArthur, an alternative radio news service had already been implemented. Initially, Army Radio WVY in California transmitted news bulletins to the American navy base at Cavite NPO, on the coast south of Manila, and these bulletins were transcribed and read on air over navy radio NPO for local coverage. The Cavite station received these off-air program relays and re-broadcast them for local coverage for just a few days.

It is understood that the radio broadcasting transmitter in use on the Bataan Peninsula was a 1 kW mobile unit licensed under the callsign KZRB which was owned by the former FEBC Far East Broadcasting Company (not related to the subsequent/current FEBC) in Manila.  The American army took over this transmitter for use mainly as a relay station for the programming from shortwave at KGEI in San Francisco.   

These transmissions from mobile KZRB and army radio WTA Bataan contained mainly news and information, sometimes produced locally and sometimes on relay from elsewhere including the Voice of Freedom Radio on Corregidor.  Station KZRB was heard in Australia at times on 11850 11940 or 15545 kHz.  The American forces on Bataan surrendered on April 9, 1942 and mobile KZRB as well as WTA was silenced.  At the same time, station KZRC in Cebu no longer carried a relay from KGEI via WVDM Corregidor.

For another month, station WVDM in Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor Island continued with occasional relays form KGEI, but with the full surrender on May 6, then WVDM was silenced also. Thus it was that these special program relays from the United States to the Philippine Islands were on the air, spread out over some seven years, and they were heard from the major shortwave station KGEI in San Francisco together with three additional relay transmitters at the RCA communication station in Bolinas California and via army radio WVY at the Presidio in San Francisco. In the Philippines, this programming was taken off air and relayed live by six local mediumwave stations and by six shortwave transmitters, as well as by the United States navy radio NPO station located at Cavite, as well as by KZRB-WTA on Bataan Peninsula and by WVDM on Corregidor Island.
(AWR Wavescan/NWS 498)

Monday, September 24, 2018

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins




Radio Communications Dashboard
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/radio-communications
(NOAA)

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2018 Sep 24 0321 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 17 - 23 September 2018

Solar activity was at very low levels this period. There were no numbered spot regions and no Earth-directed CMEs observed in available satellite imagery. 

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reach high levels on 17 - 23 Sep, with a peak flux of 34,900 pfu observed at 17/0005 UTC.

Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet to unsettled levels from 17 - 19 Sep due to effects from a negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS). Wind speeds began the period on 17 Sep near 370 km/s, but increased to over 500 km/s following the onset of the CH HSS, seeing a peak speed near 587 km/s. Total field strength reached 12 nT while the Bz component saw isolated southward deflections to near -7 nT. Conditions returned to quiet levels on 20 Sep and most of 21 Sep, until the last synoptic period, when a SSBC ahead of a positive polarity CH HSS, increased activity to G1 Minor storm levels. The enhanced conditions continued into 22 Sep, with G1 storm levels reached the first period, and unsettled to active conditions continuing throughout the day. Wind speeds took a while to increase, but along with the SSBC from negative to positive, a CIR enhanced the mag field, increasing total field strength to approximately 11 nT and dropped the Bz component to near -11 nT.
Wind speeds eventually increased to reach a peak of 574 km/s late on 22 Sep. By 23 Sep, conditions remained slightly enhanced, with active levels occurring the first synoptic period of the day, but were beginning to subside. Quiet to unsettled conditions returned for the remainder of the day as CH HSS influence continued to wane. 

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 24 September - 20 October 2018

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels throughout the outlook period, with a slight chance for C-class flare activity. 

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at moderate to high levels through the period. Moderate levels are expected from 06 - 08 Oct. High levels are expected from 24 Sep - 05 Oct, and 09 - 20 Oct. 

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 7, 8, 10, and 19 Oct due to recurrent positive polarity coronal hole high speed streams (CH HSSs). There is a chance for G2 storm levels on 8 Oct as well. Active levels are expected on 24 Sep, and 2, 10, and 20 Oct from the influence of the recurrent CH HSSs as well. Field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels throughout the remainder of the outlook period. 

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2018 Sep 24 0321 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2018-09-24
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2018 Sep 24      68          15          4
2018 Sep 25      68          10          3
2018 Sep 26      68           8          3
2018 Sep 27      68           5          2
2018 Sep 28      68           5          2
2018 Sep 29      68           5          2
2018 Sep 30      68           5          2
2018 Oct 01      68          10          3
2018 Oct 02      70          12          4
2018 Oct 03      70           5          2
2018 Oct 04      70           5          2
2018 Oct 05      70           5          2
2018 Oct 06      70           5          2
2018 Oct 07      70          20          5
2018 Oct 08      70          35          6
2018 Oct 09      70          10          3
2018 Oct 10      70          18          5
2018 Oct 11      68          15          4
2018 Oct 12      68           8          3
2018 Oct 13      68           5          2
2018 Oct 14      68          10          3
2018 Oct 15      68           8          3
2018 Oct 16      68           5          2
2018 Oct 17      68           5          2
2018 Oct 18      68          10          4
2018 Oct 19      68          25          5
2018 Oct 20      68          15          4
(NOAA)

Friday, September 21, 2018

From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules



From the Isle of Music, September 16-October 6:
September 16-22, our special guest will be Alejandro Vargas with his excellent Jazz.
September 23-29, we will feature the music of several of Cuba's excellent female vocalists from various decades.

September 30-October 6, we will feature Rafael Monteagudo with his excellent Jazz.
The transmissions take place:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)

2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US). This has been audible in parts of NW, Central and Southern Europe with an excellent skip to Italy recently.

3-4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Also recommended:
Jetzt geht’s los! (Here We Go!), an excellent program of early German Jazz produced by Radio Ohne Nahmen, comes on right before FTIOM on Tuesdays from 1800-1900 UTC on Channel 292.



Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, September 16 -October 2, 2018
Episode 80 (September 16 and 18) features music from Russia from the 1970s to now.
Episode 81 (September 23 and 25) features music from Ukraine.
Episode 82 (September 30 and October 2) features virtuosic accordion music from around the planet.

The transmissions take place:
1. Sundays 2200-2230 UTC (6:00PM -6:30PM Eastern US) on
WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
2. Tuesdays 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe. If current propagation conditions hold, the broadcast should reach from Iceland to Western Russia, Scandinavia down to North Africa and the Middle East, AND a long bounce to parts of New Zealand.

Also recommended:
Marion’s Attic, a unique program produced and hosted by Marion Webster featuring early 20th Century records, Edison cylinders etc played on the original equipment, comes on immediately before UBMP on Sundays from 2100-2200 UTC on WBCQ 7490 Khz.
William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC

Shortwave Radiogram weekend schedules


Hello friends,


Thanks to everyone who participated in last weekend’s exercise to eliminate slant in MFSK images.  Many of you did not see any slant to begin with. This usually happens with direct reception. But if reception is through an SDR, another sound card is involved, increasing the chance for a clash in the sampling rates. This tweet shows how I was able to eliminate the slant during the first image of vertical lines, so that the lines were perfectly (at least to my eye) vertical during the second image.

Recording Shortwave Radiogram gives you another opportunity to eliminate any slant in your MFSK images. You can make the RX ppm adjustment in Fldigi, or use the Audacity software to change the speed of your recording. A (+)100 ppm adjustment in Fldigi would be the same as a (+).01% adjustment in the speed of your playback.

Videos of last weekend’s Shortwave Radiogram are provided by Scott in Ontario (Friday 2030 UTC),  2010DFS in Japan (Saturday 1600 UTC) (see also his Twitter thread showing an inexpensive D-808 receiver connected to a Beverage antenna; his use of a voice recorder might have added additional slant, which he corrected in time for the second image of vertical lines), by Ralf in Germany (Saturday 1600 UTC). Mark in the UK maintains an audio archive. Roger in Germany provided analysis.

This weekend’s Shortwave Radiogram will be in our usual combination of MFSK32, MFSK128, and MFSK64, with maybe a mystery mode (and mystery image – to save it, click Save) during the closing music. The show will include eight MFSK images.

Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 66, 21-24 September 2018, in MFSK modes as noted:

  1:38  MFSK32: Program preview
 2:55  US requiring registration of Chinese media in the USA*
 7:09  MFSK128: Wasps play a crucial role in the ecosystem*
10:36  MFSK64: TESS space telescope spots its first exoplanet*
13:35  Remote island bounces back after its rats are eliminated*
19:19  This week's images*
27:07  MFSK32: Closing announcements

* with image(s)

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net


Twitter: @SWRadiogram or https://twitter.com/swradiogram (visit especially during the weekend)



Shortwave Radiogram Program 66
(21-24 September 2018)

Friday
2030-2100 UTC
7780 kHz
MFSK32
MFSK128
MFSK64
WRMI Florida
Saturday
1600-1630 UTC
9400 kHz
Space Line, Bulgaria
Sunday
2330-2400 UTC
7780 kHz
WRMI Florida
Monday
0800-0830 UTC

7730 kHz
5850 kHz
WRMI Florida

Slow Scan Radio transmits SSTV images and text modes Wednesdays at 1830-1900 UTC on 6070 kHz via Channel 292 in Germany. The website is http://www.slowscanradio.com. Reception reports to  x@xdv.me.

The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ).  And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on the new winter frequency of 5960 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC.  Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/

Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC)  Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama. For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit  http://ibcradio.webs.com/  

Broad Spectrum Radio is transmitted by WRMI Florida Mondays at 0700-0800 UTC on 5850 and 7730 kHz. MFSK32 is broadcast during the second half hour of the show. Reports to broadspectrumradio@gmail.com.

Thanks for your reception reports! 

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB
Producer and Presenter
Reporting on international broadcasting at https://twitter.com/kaedotcom


Thursday, September 20, 2018

New schedule of Radio Nikkei on shortwave


Japan
Radio Nikkei 
Effective: After 01 October, 2018

All times UTC

Radio Nikkei will reduce the frequencies after October 2018. The station announced on their homepage at: http://www.radionikkei.jp/news/denpa.html  that they will reduce the frequencies after October 1, , 2018, for the stability and effectiveness of the management. They say the diffusion of internet listening by PCs or portable phones on  http://radioko.jp  is another reason.

The schedule after October 1 is as follows:

Program # 1
2200-1500 6055  (Nagara transmitter site JOZ2 50 kW)
2200-2300 0800-1500 3925 (Nemuro transmitter site JOZ4 10 kW)

Program # 2 on weekdays         
2300-1000 6115 (Nagara JOZ6 50 kW)
1000-1400 3945 (Nagara JOZ5 10 kW) 

Program # 2 on Saturdays and Sundays
2300-0900 6115 (Nagara JOZ6 50 kW) 

9595 kHz (Nagara JOZ3 50kW) will be out of service but will be preserved for emergency use.

9760 kHz (Nagara JOZ7 50 kW) and 3925 kHz (Nagara JOZ 50 kW) will be discontinued.

Transmitters in Nagara site are all NEC HFB-7847, installed in 1980-82 except JOZ5 (NEC HFB-7840D) in 1991.

Transmitter in Nemuro site (JOZ4 3925 kHz) is NEC HFB-7840C installed in 1996.

Takahito Akabayashi
Tokyo, Japan.
(via wb  df5sx, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 6, correction July 25)
(Top News 1350)

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Wantok Radio Light promotes return to shortwave


Papua New Guinea
Acording to an email received today from Wantok Radio Light, they will be on air again on October 6, 2018.

"We have been off for a while but will resume our shortwave broadcast on October 6, 2018. Please tune in on October 6 to pick up Wantok Radio light on 7325kHz. We would appreciate your confirmation on or after October 6, 2018."

Thank you and blessings to you and family.

Billy Yasi
General Manager
Wantok Radio Light

93.9FM in Port Moresby and parts of Central Province 105.9FM rest of the country 7325 kHz on the shortwave band. Station website with streaming audio: http://www.wantok radio.org

Address:
*Papua New Guinea Christian Broadcasting Network, P. O. Box 1273, Port Moresby, National  Capital District, Papua New Guinea.
*Email: wantok@wantokradio.org
(Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain/HCDX 18 Sept)

Schedule not included, listed in WRTH 2018 as NBC National bulletins at 0700 and 1900 UTC, on 7325/1kW Port Moresby, and 24 hours on satellite. Wantok Radio Light - PNG Bible Church is affiliated with HCJB/Evangelical Bible Missions through Life Radio Ministries. 
(Teak Publishing)

Monday, September 17, 2018

Dxers Unlimited program, Sunday edition 16 September


Radio Havana Cuba

Dxers Unlimited weekend edition - Sunday 16 September 2018
Arnie Coro CO2KK

Hi amigos radioaficionados now enjoying slightly better shortwave propagation conditions as we approach the autumn equinox.

I am Arnaldo, Arnie, Coro your host here at the weekend edition of Dxers Unlimited your favorite radio hobby program coming to you from sunny La Habana Cuba, and here is now our first news item.

For a change, another broadcast station is going back to use shortwave transmissions, to provide better service to its listeners.

Radio Nepal is now back on short-wave.

Victor Goonetilleke just wrote on the Union of Asian DXers Facebook page on  13 September 2018:

Radio Nepal is back on short-wave after six years off the air on the 60 meters tropical band, by adding 5005 kHz to augment its national transmission grid broadcasting on MW and FM. According to a station official, Radio Nepal resumed short wave broadcasts from 02.00–5.00 p m Nepali time using a 10 kw transmitter at Khumaltar, Lalitpur in Kathmandu.

The same source said the station is using very low power. By all accounts, 5005 kHz is a difficult Dx catch for listeners outside of Nepal. Nepal is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of UTC.

  Even though the station is running its old 10kW power at present it can`t be more than a 1 kw or so. However, the greater news is that Nepal is now available on shortwave for Dxers.

Radio amateurs in the states of North and South Carolina continue to provide much needed emergency communications after hurricane Florence impacted the east coast of the United States. This one was a large diameter event, that affected a large area with very heavy rains and storm surges.

The American Radio Relay League sent several portable multi band stations to the area ahead of the arrival of the hurricane, while local radio clubs implemented the emergency plans to provide much needed alternate communications after damages to the cell phone and wired systems required the use of amateur radio stations.

Fixing broken down present day high technology radio equipment is extremely difficult, even when full information is available and the required test instruments can be used. Attempts to repair receivers, transmitters and transceivers using sophisticated solid-state high-density components is next to impossible nowadays, except when very simple problems are causing the failures... One good example is the typical battery contacts corrosion problems that often are the cause of intermittent operation... But once again, attempting to change springs that contact the negative side of batteries and small metal plates used for the positive terminals can prove to be very difficult if you don't have the proper tools and the vitally important instructions on how to disassemble the equipment so that you can access the affected areas.

One vitally important reminder is to never leave batteries inside radios and accessories in storage, and check frequently the batteries for any signs of leaks that can cause permanent corrosion damages to equipment.

Make a check list of all your equipment that uses batteries and once a month open the batteries compartment and be sure that everything is okay. If you have any doubts about possible leaks, discard the batteries immediately and do it in the most ecologically friendly way as possible.

QSL on the air, to the many Radio Havana Cuba listeners that are reporting our 15140 kilohertz frequency that is now starting at eleven AM Cuban time, that is fifteen hours UTC with the full two hours of the Cuba Online magazine show that ends at 18 hours UTC. Then 15140 kilohertz stays on the air with the same central North America 340 degrees azimuth beam with several languages feeds.

The English slot is on from three to four PM local time, that is from 19 to 20 hours UTC.  

Send your reports of the 15140 kilohertz 19 meters band frequency to inforhc @enet.cu and do include your postal mailing address so that we can send you a nice Radio Havana Cuba QSL card.

The best time of the year for AM medium wave Dxing is just around the corner.  Starting around the third week of September and lasting until the end of November the autumn and very early winter AM band Dx season this year should be at least as good as last year's one that started when the number of sunspots went below 20.

Listeners who asked why the autumn DX season for the AM broadcast band is typically better than the spring season, the answer is that during the months of March and early April atmospheric noise levels are higher than during September, and October.

By the way, I am using a recently repaired very old Grundig Yacht Boy 220 Long Wave , Medium Wave, shortwave and FM radio for late evening AM band Dxing with very good results.

Using the built in ferrite rod antenna on the AM Broadcast band during the daytime, I am able to pick up ground wave signals from stations located up to 250 miles away, thanks to the low local noise level prevailing in the neighborhood where I live.

A recent trip for a short vacation at the end of August to beautiful Varadero beach at a seaside location, brought daytime signals from more than 350 miles away coming from Cuban stations located to the east of our main island and operating on the 1200 to 1620 frequency range.

Yes amigos, even an old analog receiver can prove to be an excellent tool for AM medium wave band Dxing, among other highlights because the old radios do not use noisy frequency synthetizers.

This is Radio Havana Cuba, the name of the show is Dxers Unlimited, I am your host Arnie Coro radio amateur CO2KK and now here is ASK ARNIE, the most popular section of this program... just slightly ahead of the HF plus low band VHF propagation updates and forecasts featured whenever possible at the end of the show.

Today I will be answering a question by listener Alberto who listens from Buenos Aires Argentina to our Internet streaming audio. He wants to know why it is not possible for him to pick up our English language programs using his nice shortwave radio and external antenna.

Well amigo Alberto the reason why it is quite difficult to pick our English transmissions via shortwave at your location, is that we use directional antennas to beam the programs to North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and to the Mediterranean area of Europe. The highly directional antenna systems have what is known as a high front to back ratio, so, for example when we use the 6165 kilohertz beam to Central North America, an azimuth of 340 degrees, the reverse of the beam is on 160 degrees, but the passive reflector used on that curtain array cancels the backward lobe so that very little signal is sent in that azimuth.

By the way we do broadcast in Spanish and Portuguese to South America using identical antenna arrays that beam the signals to azimuths of 130, 160 and 172 degrees from Havana to provide full coverage of all of South America.

No need to use high power to enjoy amateur radio, even with simple equipment that do not need the assistance of sophisticate computer software digital communications programs like JT 65 and the most recent widely used FT8.

The unique joy of achieving a successful two way amateur radio contact with a DX station while running very low power, and simple radios is second to none amigos, and by the way here is a partial list of the most popular CW operating frequencies for QRP or very low power amateur stations are 7030 and 7040 on the 40 meters band, 10 dot 106 on the 30 meters band 14060 on 20 meters, 21060 on 15 meters and 28060 on the 10 meters band....Calling CQ using CW on those frequencies will in many instances bring back stations that regularly monitor them for QRP signals.
(Arnie Coro/R Havana Cuba) 

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins


Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2018 Sep 17 0146 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 10 - 16 September 2018

Solar activity was very low throughout the period. Region 2722 (S07, Lo=215, class/area Bxo/10 on 11 Sep) produced the strongest flare of the period, a B1 flare at 11/0759 UTC. The region decayed to plage in the following days. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in available coronagraph imagery.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit ranged from normal background to high levels. High levels were reached on 12-16 Sep and moderate levels were reached on 10-11 Sep. All enhancements in electron flux are associated with the influence of a positive polarity CH HSS.

Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels. The onset of a CIR ahead of a positive polarity CH HSS on 10 Sep increased geomagnetic activity to G1 levels. As wind speeds increased to around 550 km/s on 11 Sep, geomagnetic activity further increased to G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels. Total magnetic field strength (Bt) peaked at 15 nT late on 10 Sep. Bt then decreased to near 5-6 nT by mid-day on 11 Sep, which decreased the geomagnetic response to mostly quiet to active levels. One additional period of isolated G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storming was observed early on 14 Sep. Wind speeds persisted at elevated levels through 16 Sep, with a notable increase to a peak around 650 km/s observed early on 15 Sep. As wind speeds are decreased, quiet to unsettled levels on 15 Sep gave way to quiet levels on 16 Sep.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 17 September - 13 October 2018

Solar activity is expected to be very low throughout the outlook
period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at moderate levels on 06-08 Oct and at high levels for the remainder of the outlook period. All enhancements in electron flux are expected due to multiple, recurrent CH HSSs.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels. G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels are expected on 08 Oct; G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels are expected on 07 Oct and 10 Oct; active conditions are expected on 17 Sep, 23 Sep, 02 Oct and 11 Oct; unsettled conditions are expected on 18 Sep, 24 Sep, 01 Oct, 09 Oct and 12 Oct. All levels of elevated geomagnetic activity are due to the anticipated influence of multiple, recurrent CH HSSs.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2018 Sep 17 0146 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html
#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2018-09-17
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2018 Sep 17      69          16          4
2018 Sep 18      69           8          3
2018 Sep 19      68           5          2
2018 Sep 20      68           5          2
2018 Sep 21      68           5          2
2018 Sep 22      68           5          2
2018 Sep 23      68          16          4
2018 Sep 24      68          12          3
2018 Sep 25      68           5          2
2018 Sep 26      68           5          2
2018 Sep 27      69           5          2
2018 Sep 28      69           5          2
2018 Sep 29      69           5          2
2018 Sep 30      69           5          2
2018 Oct 01      69           8          3
2018 Oct 02      70          10          4
2018 Oct 03      70           5          2
2018 Oct 04      70           5          2
2018 Oct 05      70           5          2
2018 Oct 06      70           5          2
2018 Oct 07      70          20          5
2018 Oct 08      70          30          6
2018 Oct 09      70          10          3
2018 Oct 10      69          18          5
2018 Oct 11      69          15          4
2018 Oct 12      69           8          3
2018 Oct 13      69           5          2
(NOAA)

Friday, September 14, 2018

Murrow Transmitting Station Plans to Broadcast Through Hurricane Florence





“We kind of pride ourselves on pushing through all storms,” program support manager says

Emily M. Reigart

Personnel at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station outside Greenville, N.C., are battening down the hatches ahead of Hurricane Florence’s expected Thursday night impact.

Despite of the threat the storm poses to eastern North Carolina, in a phone interview, Program Support Manager Rick Williford told Radio World their “goal is to maintain 24/7 broadcasts.”

During initial pleasantries, Williford admitted to feeling anxious about the storm and followed up that statement with a colorful explanation.

Additional story at Radio World: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/murrow-transmitting-station-plans-to-broadcast-through-florence

Shortwave Radiogram, 14-17 September


Hello friends,


Sorry about the missing Shortwave Radiogram last Friday at 2030-2100 UTC (Brother Stair was heard on WRMI, instead). That was due to an uploading error on my part.

Videos of last weekend’s Shortwave Radiogram (program 64) have been provided by DFS in Japan and Ralf in Germany (both Saturday 1600 UTC) and by Scott in Ontario (Sunday 2330 UTC). Excerpts of the Saturday 1600 UTC show are presented in videos by DFS in Japan (outdoor reception) and SWLDXBulgaria. Mark in the UK maintains an audio archive. Roger in Germany produced his analysis.

Last weekend, I noticed "positive slope" in many of the decoded images from Space Line in Bulgaria. On the other hand, "negative slope" is often observed with images from WRMI. This may have to do with the sound cards used to play out the Shortwave Radiogram mp3 file at each of these broadcast facilities. 

During the transmission of the first two images of this weekend’s Shortwave Radiogram, observe the vertical lines for slant.  If there is slant, in Fldigi: Configure > Sound Card > Settings > Corrections -- adjust the Rx ppm.

If the lines are slanting to the right as they move downward (negative slope), enter 100 in the space, then make smaller adjustments until the lines become completely vertical.  (It’s faster to type in 100 than to use the up-down arrows.)

If the lines are slanting to the left as they move downward (positive slope), enter -100 in the space, and adjust from there to achieve a completely vertical lines.

Slant with a negative slope looks like this. Use a positive value of ppm Rx correction to make it straight:
   --------
  | \      |
  |  \     |
  |   \    |
  |    \   |
   --------

Slant with a positive slope looks like this. Use a negative value of ppm Rx correction to make it straight:
   --------
  |      / |
  |     /  |
  |    /   |
  |   /    |
   --------

When you have made your adjustment, click Close but not Save, because you might need another adjustment for future broadcasts.

The image of the lines will be transmitted twice.

For more about slant in MFSK images, see this page from the archive of the VOA Radiogram website.

This weekend’s Shortwave Radiogram will be in our usual combination of MFSK32, MFSK128, and MFSK64.

Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 65, in MFSK modes as noted:

  1:43  MFSK32: Program preview
 2:51  MFSK image slant exercise*
 8:25  MFSK128: NASA foldable heat shield*
12:05  MFSK64: China bars Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People"*
15:26  Images of the week*
27:24  MFSK32: Closing announcements

* with image(s)

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net


Twitter: @SWRadiogram or https://twitter.com/swradiogram (visit especially during the weekend)



Shortwave Radiogram Program 65
(14-17 September 2018)

Friday
2030-2100 UTC
7780 kHz
5950 kHz
MFSK32
MFSK128
MFSK64
WRMI Florida
Saturday
1600-1630 UTC
9400 kHz
Space Line, Bulgaria
Sunday
2330-2400 UTC
7780 kHz
WRMI Florida
Monday
0800-0830 UTC

7730 kHz
5850 kHz
WRMI Florida

Slow Scan Radio transmits SSTV images and text modes Wednesdays at 1830-1900 UTC on 6070 kHz via Channel 292 in Germany. The website is http://www.slowscanradio.com. Reception reports to  x@xdv.me.

The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ).  And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on the new winter frequency of 5960 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC.  Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/

Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC)  Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama. For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit  http://ibcradio.webs.com/  

Broad Spectrum Radio is transmitted by WRMI Florida Mondays at 0700-0800 UTC on 5850 and 7730 kHz. MFSK32 is broadcast during the second half hour of the show. Reports to broadspectrumradio@gmail.com.

To any listeners in the vicinity of Hurricane Florence, may the adverse effects be minimal. After Florence moves inland, it will swing back and bring rain to the northeast USA and maritime Canada Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thanks for your reception reports! 

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB
Producer and Presenter
Reporting on international broadcasting at https://twitter.com/kaedotcom