Blog Logs

All times UTC // parallel frequency

Stations monitored February 15-25, 2020 

SDR references as indicated

AWR Europe QSL 

Austria

AWR Europe relay via Moosbrunn, 11955 kHz. Listed as Punjabi service, 1545. Fair signal (SIO 322) with religious program formats to 1554.  Choral hymn to 1557 and station ID, contact info, web address, interval signal to 1559 sign-off. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Bonaire

TWR Bonaire, 800 kHz AM, Spanish service 0010 tune-in, with station promos, local time check and PSA’s. Bible scriptures and Christian radio dramas from 0015. Christo program promos. Video offer with address to “Radio Trans Mundial Biblica Internacional;.” Station info, website, address. Spanish contemporary Christian tune. (Bonaire SDR)

Botswana

USAGM/Voice of America relay. English service Sunnyside of Sports program feature with interviews, and goals for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Station ID, morning program promos for African News segment. Station freqs, ID and schedules. VOA’s São Tomé relay on 9515 kHz at 1905 tune-in. French newscast, best in // 15730 (no sign of 12075) (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Radio Nacional do Amazonia QSL

Brazil

Radio Nacional do Amazonia 11780 kHz. Tune-in 1653 to announcer’s Portuguese talk and reading names, followed by a Portuguese rendition of Happy Birthday tune. Easy-listening vocals to talk and several references to “Radio Nacional.” World news topics. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP) Braz vocals to “Nacional” ID on 6180 kHz at 0037. Samba vocals, “Nacional do Amazonia” ID and evening hello’s to listeners in Argentina and Motto Gross, Brazil with music dedications. Subsequent monitoring for late afternoon monitoring from 2000-2200 on 6180 // 1780 kHz with Brazilian news topics, phone-in correspondent’s report. (SDR-S.B. Campo, Brazil) Radio Relogio Federal, 4905 kHz, 0045. Portuguese Christian pop vocals to announcer’s music intro. English pop/rap to the 23^rd Psalm – I Just Need You as announced title. Promo for upcoming Christian pop tune, Overcomer. Additional Portuguese/English Christian pops to PSA. Station info at 0100 with brief devotional. (SDR-S.B. Campo, Brazil)

Clandestine

Radio Ndarason International 12050 kHz vis Ascension Islands. African highlife vocals 1920, to listed Hausa/Kanuri service. Station ID and promo to chat and program features.  (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP) SOH/Sound of Hope, Xi Wang Zhi Sheng, 11530 kHz. SOH from 1405 with Asian vocals, and religious cadence text in presumed Chinese. Frequent signal fades, sharing 11530 kHz with additional clandestine station. Sermons led to Asian religious tunes and 1440 tune-out, followed by signal peak of other station. Denge Welat/VO Homeland via Moldova relay in Kurdish. Programming of Middle Eastern music, interviews and talk. Good signal for programming to 2200.  (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP) Denge Welat audible at 1430 tune-in. Kurdish text on 11530 kHz, (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Radio Habana Cuba QSL

Cuba

Radio Habana 11760 kHz. Spanish newscast 1410 to correspondent reports. Fanfare melody intros to feature on Venezuela/Cuba’s ongoing relations, and the country in general. Info on Radio Habana, frequency/hour schedules. Parallels on 7340, 9535, 13700 kHz. Cuba’s Radio Rebelde 5025 kHz from 1450 tune-in. Cuban conga music to 1500 canned ID and intro to Spanish news briefs on Cuba to 1502. Local time check, station promos.  (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Germany

AWR Europe relay via Nauen, 11560 kHz. Tune-in 1635 with ethnic African music to Tigrinya service. Religious scriptures and conversations (SIO 433). (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP) Bible Voice BC relay via Nauen, 11875 kHz. Announcer’s Nuer text 1645, followed by listed Somali service. Both religious programming formats to 1650 tune-out. (SIO 333) (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Greece

Voice of Greece, 9420 kHz. Greek newscast topics to announcer’s comments. (SIO 434). Fanfare intro’s into Greek music program. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

India

All India Radio-External Svc, 11560 kHz. Melody interval signal at 1613, station sign-on 1615. Russian service intros of station info, ID, contact info and website address. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Radio Kuwait

Kuwait

Radio Kuwait-Main Prgrm 1134 // 963 kHz AM. Arabic news format, no // 940 AM heard, noted // 630 kHz AM, listed as Quran Prgrm. Signals matching SIO 322. Radio Kuwait Classical Arabic Music on 1269 kHz AM. This is a 24 hour schedule (SIO434)  (SDR-Kuwait)

  

North Korea

Voice of Korea, 9435 kHz. English service at 1520 tune-in. Ladies choral music to program announcement at 1535. No sign of // freqs 11710, 12015. Asian orchestra music with jamming noted on this frequency. Program text to additional chorus music to 1552. Station identification and info to 1555 sign-off. Noted 1600 English sign-on 9890 (no // 11645) Poor signal quality SIO 222. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Philippines

Voice of America relay 9800 kHz. Korean text from 1435 tune-in. Closing station info to English VOA ID at 1459. Sign-off VOA ID, Yankee Doodle interval to 1500 sign-off. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP) FEBC-Philippines 1500-1600 on 9345 kHz. Chinese sermon on being “pure of hear" to scripture readings. Christian pop vocals. Additional teachings to Russian service 9920 kHz, 1500-1600. PBS Pilipinas 9925 kHz at 1915 in Filipino on 9925 kHz, (SIO 333) // 12120, 15190 audible (barely) at SIO 212. Interviews and announcer’s chat to 1920. English ID “Philipines Broadcasting Service,.” station freqs to Spanish ID, and station info. Easy-listening Filipino vocals to 1928. ID, off 1930 (SDR-Talisay, Philippines)

Saudi Arabia

SBA Itha' Huna Al Azm, 11745 kHz. Tune-in 1435-1512 to Arabic text to 1515. Fanfare intros that separate program segments. Fair signal on this long-path reception. Very weak (222) Arabic music and talk heard from 2340. (Kiwi SDR/Izghawa, Qatar) SBA Call of Islam, 15435 // 15225 (SIO 222) at 1520. Two male’s Arabic conversation. SBA’s Quran program on 13710 kHz from 1527 tune-in (no // 17615).  Arabic text to 1545. Additional on 7425 kHz 2300-2359 without s/off. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

United Kingdom

Voice of America 11610 kHz via Woofferton relay. Sign-on 1600 with VOA melody tune. Somali  service covering opening ID and news headlines to 1610. Fanfare intro into text on Somalia including correspondent’s report, interviews segments and continued items on African headlines. No sign of // 11910 kHz. SIO 444. ((AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

United States

WRMI-Supreme Masters TV, 15770 kHz. English programs from 1905 tune-in, Asian-themed topics from male/female duo. References to “Supreme Master TV” and contact info at 1927. Intro for Asian vocal music tunes. WBCQ 7490 kHz from 1515 tune on financial success tips. WBCQ-Last Chance Radio 9330 kHz, 1520-1540. WEWN/ETWN-Spanish on 12050 kHz, 1525-35. WRMI relaying Overcomer Ministry, 9395// 9455 kHz from 1500 tune-in. Freqs to 1700. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

Vatican City

USAGM-VOA Radio Ashna relay 12075 kHz. Male/female announcer duo from 2020, in Pashto with news topics and several “Radio Ashna” ID’s. Correspondent reports to musical interludes separating segments. Station ID and promo info. Announcer’s return with lengthy talk on Pakistan. (AirspyHF+D/W6LVP)

(GVH/Teak Publishing)

Corona virus, the mail, and QSLing ?

Worth repeating folks ...  If you've been wondering where your mail could have absconded to - this might be the answer. E-QSLing remains the better alternative.

Mail exchange between Kazakhstan and China has been suspended.

Director of the Department of Advertising and PR at Kazpost Dilara Zarlykova on her Facebook page said that the postal exchange of auto, air and rail links between China and Kazakhstan on the initiative of the Chinese postal administration has been canceled, writes zakon.kz.

Due to the cancellation of the postal exchange, Kazpost suspended the acceptance of all types of postal items to China, as well as countries to which mail arrives in transit through China (Bangladesh, Brunei, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Laos, North Korea, Thailand,  Sri Lanka, Philippines, Taiwan), she wrote.

Here, the Kazakhstanis received an answer to the question, but what will happen to those parcels that have already been sent?

"Those ordered are on the way. Even if they don't return it, Aliexpress will return the money"?said Dilara Zarlykova.

"Everything will reach. Departments work as usual, parcels sent by China earlier via transit countries are now arriving. As soon as China Post works, all the packages will arrive in KAZ.

Some of the packages are also located at Khorgos, which is closed to prevent the spread of the virus among the people who work there,"?added Saul Mukasheva, an employee of the advertising and PR department at Kazpost, to complement her response.

Recall that the World Health Organization (WHO) said that when receiving parcels and letters from China, it is impossible to become infected with a new coronavirus.

According to recent studies, coronaviruses do not live long outside the body, so there is no risk of infection, the organization explained.

https://tinyurl.com/smfma85
(Anatoly Klepov-RUS, RUSdx #1067 via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Febr 9)

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2020 Feb 24 0149 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 17 - 23 February 2020

Solar activity was very low. No active regions with sunspots were observed and no apparent earth-directed CMEs were detected this period.No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached moderate levels on 17-19 February and high levels on 20-23 February. Geomagnetic field activity reached active levels on 18 Feb and active to G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 19 Feb. The enhanced geomagnetic field activity on 18-19 Feb were attributed to the passage of a transient solar wind feature. The active conditions were once again observed on 21 February, and due to negative polarity CH HSS influence. Generally quiet or quiet to unsettled conditions were then observed throughout the remainder of the week.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 24 February - 21 March 2020

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 reach high levels on 24 February-01 March, 05-09 March, and 19-21 Mar.ch throughout the remainder of the outlook period.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to reach active levels on 26 Feb, 04-05 Mar, and 19 Mar due to the infuences of multiple recurrent CH HSSs. Generally quiet or quiet to unsettled conditions and are expected to prevail throughout the rest of the outlook period under a nominal solar wind regime.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2020 Feb 24 0149 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2020-02-24
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2020 Feb 24      71           8          3
2020 Feb 25      71           8          3
2020 Feb 26      71          12          4
2020 Feb 27      71           8          3
2020 Feb 28      71           8          3
2020 Feb 29      71           8          3
2020 Mar 01      71           5          2
2020 Mar 02      71           5          2
2020 Mar 03      71           5          2
2020 Mar 04      71          15          4
2020 Mar 05      71          15          4
2020 Mar 06      71           5          2
2020 Mar 07      71           5          2
2020 Mar 08      71           5          2
2020 Mar 09      71           5          2
2020 Mar 10      71           5          2
2020 Mar 11      71           5          2
2020 Mar 12      71           5          2
2020 Mar 13      71           5          2
2020 Mar 14      71           5          2
2020 Mar 15      71           5          2
2020 Mar 16      71           5          2
2020 Mar 17      71           5          2
2020 Mar 18      71           8          3
2020 Mar 19      71          12          4
2020 Mar 20      71           8          3
2020 Mar 21      71           5          2
(NOAA)

Radio Bulgaria to resume its audio broadcast

Radio Bulgaria QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection)

Radio Bulgaria needs to resume its sound presence and we are to work together with the team, in order to build a firm concept in this direction." This was what BNR Director General Andon Baltakov said in his first interview with Radio Bulgaria.

On the eve of Radio Bulgaria's 84th anniversary, which was celebrated on February 16, 2020, Mr. Baltakov said that broadcasts of the National Radio aimed for foreign countries would be  modernized, but would preserve their philosophy - being Bulgaria's window to the world and vice versa.

You can read the whole interview at: https://bnr.bg/en/post/101228237/andon-baltakov-i-believe-in-the-goodness-that-everyone-carries-inside

From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, February 23-29

From the Isle of Music, February 23-29
This week, our special guest is Jesus"Aguaje" Ramos, a veteran of the Estrellas de Areito, Buena Vista Social Club and many other projects, who will present his excellent new big band recording, De Vueltabajo Llegó.

The broadcasts take place:
For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (ikHz, from Sofia, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)

If you don't have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=9400am 

For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0100-0200 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 kHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).

If you don't have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490) http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7 

For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
If you don't have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in Europe.
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic 


Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, February 23 and 25 
Episode 153 takes us to Colombia with thanks to Cesar Rodríguez Charry for some excellent recommendations. On WBCQ only, there is a second half-hour featuring one of the first episodes of our show in 2017.
The transmissions take place:

Sundays 2300-0000 UTC (6:00PM -7:00PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe

If you don't have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490) http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7 

Tuesdays 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.

If you don't have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from different web SDRs in Europe.

Visit our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/UncleBillsMeltingPot 
William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC

Atlantic 2000 International to air on February 22

Atlantic 2000 International atlantic2000international@gmail.com

Atlantic 2000 International will be on the air on Saturday, February 22, 2020, with two hours of programming.

09:00 to 10:00 UTC on 6070 and 7440 kHz via Channel 292
10:00 to 11:00 UTC online only

Stream addresses will be available at; http://radioatlantic2000.free.fr

Only detailed reception reports will be confirmed by eQSL to: atlantic2000international@gmail.com

Good listening!
Visit our website: http://radioatlantic2000.free.fr   
Listen to our Podcasts and follow us: https://www.mixcloud.com/atlantic2000

Radio Öömrang scheduled for 2020 broadcast

a reminder of the annual broadcast, as seen in the Winter 2019-2020 edition of Global Radio Guide.

The winter schedule from Media Broadcast has included a listing for the annual broadcast of Radio Öömrang (Radio Amrum). The annual program is broadcast annually on February 21, a North Frisian holiday. The program was founded by amateur radio operator, Arjan Kolzow on the island of Amrum in North Germany.

The first broadcast was in 2006.Programming is in the North Frisian language (Öömrang dialect), as well as Standard German. Programming is aimed to the descendants of North Frisian immigrants in North America. The 2020 broadcast is scheduled for 1600-1700 UTC on 15215 kHz, relayed via Issoudun, France transmitter facilities. Send your program details to: qsl-shortwave@media-broadcast.com or postal address: c/o Mr Michael Puetz, Media Broadcast GmbH, Order Management & Backoffice, Erna-Scheffler, Strasse 1, 51103 Cologne, Germany. Additional contact: info@media-broadcast.com

Radio Taiwan plans shift to SpaceLine

From the onset of the summer schedule period, commened to be on Sunday, March 29, 2020,

Radio Taiwan International's French service will be aired via SPC-NURTS Spaceline Ltd. Sofia Kostinbrod Bulgaria relay site.

Tests transmissions are planned February 22-23; February 28-29 and March 1

All times UTC

1900-1930  6005 SOF 100 kW 306 deg to WeEUR French plus QRM Adygeyan Radio
from 1900  6000 ARM 100 kW 188 deg to CeAS  Adygeyan Sunday Adygeyan Radio
(DXB/WWDXC Top Nx 1415)

AIR Updates DRM Progress, Nears Public Launch

Now that infrastructure is in place, interested parties seeking a framework to bring DRM to the public

RW STAFF, 16 Feb 2020

At a Digital Radio Mondiale stakeholders meeting in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 12, All India Radio (AIR) briefed more than 100 attendees that it has made great progress in its rollout of DRM.

AIR says that today it has 35 DRM transmitters in the AM band, four of which are now working in pure DRM digital mode.

The broadcaster adds that it has extended the pure DRM hours of transmission for the remaining sites, and that DRM transmission has also allowed for the broadcast of more varied content.

Addition story at Radio World: https://tinyurl.com/vlrady7

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2020 Feb 17 0312 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 10 - 16 February 2020

Solar activity was very low throughout the period. No active regions with sunspots were observed and no earth-directed CMEs were detected.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 10-11 Feb and reached moderate levels on 12-16 Feb.

Geomagnetic field activity was generally quiet with isolated periods of unsettled activity.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 17 February - 14 March 2020

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 reach high levels on 05-09 Mar with normal to moderate levels expected for the remainder of the period.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 04 Mar with active levels expected on 26 Feb and 05 Mar due to multiple, recurrent CH HSSs. Generally quiet and quiet to unsettled conditions are expected to prevail for the
remainder of the outlook period.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2020 Feb 17 0312 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2020-02-17
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2020 Feb 17      71          10          3
2020 Feb 18      71           8          3
2020 Feb 19      71          10          3
2020 Feb 20      71           8          3
2020 Feb 21      71           5          2
2020 Feb 22      71          10          3
2020 Feb 23      71           8          3
2020 Feb 24      71           5          2
2020 Feb 25      71           8          3
2020 Feb 26      71          12          4
2020 Feb 27      71          10          3
2020 Feb 28      71           5          2
2020 Feb 29      71           5          2
2020 Mar 01      71           5          2
2020 Mar 02      71           5          2
2020 Mar 03      71           5          2
2020 Mar 04      71          20          5
2020 Mar 05      71          15          4
2020 Mar 06      71           8          3
2020 Mar 07      71           5          2
2020 Mar 08      71           5          2
2020 Mar 09      71           5          2
2020 Mar 10      71           5          2
2020 Mar 11      71           5          2
2020 Mar 12      71           5          2
2020 Mar 13      71           5          2
2020 Mar 14      71           5          2
(NOAA)

From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, February 16-22

From the Isle of Music, February 16-22

This week, we listen to some of the music of Ernán López-Nussa, who performed the gala finale at Jazz Plaza 2020 (no interviews)

The broadcasts take place:

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 Sofia, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=9400am

For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0100-0200 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 kHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).

If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490) http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7

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

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in Europe.
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, February 16 and 18

Episode 152 takes us to Celtic Canada.

On WBCQ only, there is a second half-hour featuring on of the first episodes of our show in 2017.
The transmissions take place:

Sundays 2300-0000 UTC (6:00PM -7:00PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe

If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490) http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7

Tuesdays 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from different web SDRs in Europe.

Visit our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/UncleBillsMeltingPot

 William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer

Tilford Productions, LLC

The return of IBC on shortwave

IBC (Italian Broadcasting Corporation) back on shortwave 3975 / 6160 kHz!

(edited and translated from Italian for clarity)

Effective from February 15, 2020, a new Italian program Scorribande, hosted by the three voices of IBC ((Saverio Masetti, Manlio Candelli and Gabriele IZ3GOM), will transmit with 1 kW on Shortwaveradio from Lower Saxony, Germany, on the following schedule. 

All times UTC

Saturday, 2200-2300 on 3975 kHz

Sunday 0900-1000 on 3975 / 6160 kHz

Mondays 1000-1100 on 3975/ 6160 kHz

1600-1700 on 3975 kHz

2100-2200 on 3975 kHz

Wednesdays 1300-1400 on 3975 and 6160 kHz.

The contents remain the same, with news, current affairs and curiosities, plus news on amateur radio. 

Reception reports are welcome and verified with the official QSL of Shortwave Radio! 

Send your program details to:  scorribande@shortwaveradio.de

http://shortwaveradio.de/

Shortwaveradio adds programming to schedule

New program, Scorribande will broadcast via Shortwavradio (SWR) from February 15, 2020. Listen to Saverio Masetti, Manlio Candelli and Gabriele who will accompany you once again through news, current affairs and curiosities from the world of radio, BCL and radio amateurs. There will also be replicas of the most interesting transmissions aired on IBC Italy since 1979.

All times UTC

Scorribande
Programming transmitted from Winsen an der Aller, Germany
2200-2300 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Sat
0900-1000 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Sun
0900-1000 on  6160 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Sun
1000-1100 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Mon
1000-1100 on  6160 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Mon
1600-1700 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Mon
2100-2200 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Mon
1300-1400 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Wed
1300-1400 on  6160 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu Italian Wed

Updated schedule of Southgate Amateur Radio News via SWR
2100-2200 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Sat
1000-1100 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Sun
1000-1100 on  6160 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Sun
1500-1600 on  6160 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Sun
2100-2200 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Sun
0900-1000 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Mon
0900-1000 on  6160 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Mon
1700-1800 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Mon
2300-2400 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Mon
1400-1500 on  3975 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Wed
1400-1500 on  6160 WIS 001 kW / non-dir to NWEu English Wed

Broadcasting from August 2017, by group of local shortwave enthusiasts.

e-QSL to: 3975@shortwaveradio.de  6160@shortwaveradio.de
Postal mail: D-29323 Wietze, Germany

(DXB)

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins, February 10

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2020 Feb 10 0203 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 03 - 09 February 2020

Solar activity was very low. The visible disk remained spotless and 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 was between normal to high levels. High levels were reached on 08-09 Feb in response to a negative polarity CH HSS. Normal to moderate levels were observed for the remainder of the summary period.

Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to active levels. Active levels were observed on 06-07 Feb in response to the onset of a negative polarity CH HSS, with wind speeds reaching a max near the 650 km/s on 07 Feb. As wind speeds declined, unsettled conditions were observed on 08-09 Feb. Another isolated period of unsettled was observed on 04 Feb in response to sustained southward Bz. The remainder of the summary period was quiet.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 10 February - 07 March 2020

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels 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 reach high levels over the 10-14 Feb and 06-07 Mar in response to multiple CH HSSs. Normal to moderate levels are then  expected for the remainder of the outlook period.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels. G1 (Minor) conditions are likely on 04 Mar in response to influence form a recurrent extension of the southern polar crown coronal hole. Active levels are likely on 11 Feb, 17 Feb, 26 Feb and 05 Mar; unsettled conditions are likely 12 Feb, 14 Feb, 18 Feb, 25 Feb and 27 Feb. These geomagnetic  disturbances are anticipated from multiple, recurrent CH HSSs. The remainder of the outlook period is expected to be at quiet levels.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2020 Feb 10 0203 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2020-02-10
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2020 Feb 10      71           5          2
2020 Feb 11      71          12          4
2020 Feb 12      71          10          3
2020 Feb 13      71           5          2
2020 Feb 14      71           8          3
2020 Feb 15      71           5          2
2020 Feb 16      71           5          2
2020 Feb 17      71          15          4
2020 Feb 18      71          10          3
2020 Feb 19      71           5          2
2020 Feb 20      71           5          2
2020 Feb 21      71           5          2
2020 Feb 22      71           5          2
2020 Feb 23      71           5          2
2020 Feb 24      71           5          2
2020 Feb 25      71           8          3
2020 Feb 26      71          12          4
2020 Feb 27      71          10          3
2020 Feb 28      71           5          2
2020 Feb 29      71           5          2
2020 Mar 01      71           5          2
2020 Mar 02      71           5          2
2020 Mar 03      71           5          2
2020 Mar 04      71          20          5
2020 Mar 05      71          15          4
2020 Mar 06      71           5          2
2020 Mar 07      71           5          2
(NOAA)

The 2019 Milcom Files - TSM Edition - Now Available on Amazon

The Teak Publishing Company is pleased to announce the release of its latest eBook in the Milcom Archive series – The Spectrum Monitor Volume 2 (2019) by Larry Van Horn.

Some of the topics covered in this new book during 2019 include:

• Base/Unit Profiles: TAW-5 (NAS Whiting Field FL), 180FW (Toledo OH), 14FTW (Columbus AFB MS), Phantoms in the Desert (Nevada Statewide Milair), and MCAS Cherry Point NC
• Profiles for the Venezuela Military, Pakistan, and Indian Navies
• A North American DoD Aerial Refueling Profile and Frequencies
• Monitoring Government/Military Aircraft in the VHF Aircraft Band
• Monitoring the Air Route Traffic Control Centers: FAA ARTCC Special Use Frequencies, Atlanta ARTCC
• Profiles for the DoD HFHCS HF Radio Network and various USAF HF ALE networks
• Aircraft Spotting in the Digital Age (ADS-B)
• Military Call Sign Lists
• WWV/WWVH Military Broadcasts
• Monitoring the Weather, the Old Fashion Way

The latest Milcom Files - TSM Milcom edition eBook is available now on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Milcom-Files-Spectrum-Monitor-ebook/dp/B084GT5J7C/ for US$4.99.

All his early MT columns have been published in two eBooks. The first two books in the Milcom Files series cover his columns published in Monitoring Times and are available at Amazon.

Book one of The Milcom Files covers the columns published from 1998 to 2006 and sells for US$5.99 at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077NN7RQ5. Book Two in the series covers the period 2007 to 2013 and sells for US$6.99 at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077NQXH3C.

In 2017 Larry joined the Spectrum Monitor writing staff to continue his efforts to chronicle military communications in a new monthly TSM Milcom column.

His first TSM Milcom Archive eBook, the third book of the Milcom Archive series was published at Amazon in May 2019 and is available at https://www.amazon.com/Milcom-Files-Spectrum-Monitor-2017-2018-ebook/dp/B07RN1ZGLJ/ for US$4.99.

This third eBook in the series incorporates the first two years of his TSM Milcom columns written from September 2017 to the end of 2018. These Milcom columns documented HF military frequencies (both foreign and U.S.), and VHF/UHF spectrum military frequencies, mostly for U.S. based monitors. This third book in the series has over 200 pages of frequencies, call signs, monitoring tips, and how-to style articles.

Given recent international events and natural disasters, most radio listeners quickly learn that when the world is in crisis the military will usually be the first organization called upon to intervene. It pays to monitor military frequencies when international events heat up. Monitoring the military can offer some of the most productive and rewarding listening you will ever experience using your radio. The good news is you do not have to live close to a military installation to hear these communications. But you do need to learn where and when to tune in military communications.

Mention the words "Monitor the Military" and most radio hobbyists will immediately think of military air shows, military aircraft flybys or a whole host of other activities that can be heard via radio frequencies. There is a big radio frequency spectrum out there to monitor but if you know where to listen, and some cases when to listen, you can eavesdrop on some of the most fascinating radio communications you will ever hear on a scanner or shortwave radio.

If you are interested in monitoring military communications, own a scanner, shortwave radio, or have an Internet connection for web software-defined radio (SDR) monitoring, the Milcom Archive Files are a must reference on your radio shack shelf.

Larry Van Horn N5FPW, has been a radio hobbyist for more than 55 years listening to world events and monitoring military radio communications. He has spent over 33 years documenting activity in the military radio spectrum in his monthly Satellite, Utility World, and Milcom (Military Communications) columns in the pages of Monitoring Times, Satellite Times, and The Spectrum Monitor magazines. During this time, he has published a treasure trove of military communication monitoring information.

This book is being released internationally. Amazon customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia can order the eBook from Amazon websites directly servicing these countries. All other countries can use the regular Amazon.com website.

You do not need to own a Kindle reader to read Amazon eBook publications. You can read any Kindle book with Amazon’s free reading apps. There are free Kindle reading apps for the Kindle Cloud Reader, Smartphones (iPhone, iTouch, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry); computer platforms (Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and Mac); Tablets (iPad, Android and Windows 8), and, of course, all the Kindle family of readers including the Kindle Fire series. A Kindle eBook allows you to buy your book once and read it anywhere. You can find additional details on these apps at this link on the Amazon website at www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771.

For additional information on this and other Teak Publishing radio hobby books, monitor the company sponsored Internet blogs – The Military Monitoring Post (http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/), The Btown Monitor Post (http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/) and The Shortwave Central (http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/) for availability of additional eBooks that are currently in production. Information on other publications by the author is available on the author’s page at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00G1QMO4C.

From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, February 9-15

From the Isle of Music, February 9-15: 
This week, a Cuban dance party (no interviews)

The broadcasts take place:
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 Sofia, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)

If you don't have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=9400am 

For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0100-0200 UTC (New UTC) on WBCQ, 7490 kHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).
If you don't have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7

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

If you don't have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in Europe.
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, February 9 and 11: 
Episode 151 features Mongolian Metal with The Hu and Hanggai.
On WBCQ only, there is a second half-hour featuring the very first episode of our show in 2017.
The transmissions take place:

Sundays 2300-0000 UTC (6:00PM -7:00PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe

If you don't have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7

Tuesdays 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.
If you don't have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from different web SDRs in Europe.
Visit our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/UncleBillsMeltingPot 

William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC

Radio Sultanate of Oman schedule update

Radio Sultanate of Oman

All times UTC / broadcast daily and may be irregular

Arabic
0000-1000 11760 (target Africa)
1500-2200 15140 (target Europe/Middle East)
2200-0000 9740 (target Europe/Middle East)

English
1400-1500 15140 (target Europe/Middle East)
(WRTH 07 Feb 2020)

Clandestine schedule updates

All times UTC

Target Area: Turkey
Denge Welat
Kurdish
0330-0600 7360    (Issoudun, France relay)
0600-0800 11530  (Grigoriopol. Maiac, Moldova relay)
0800-1200 13730  (Grigoriopol. Maiac, Moldova relay)
1200-1500 11530  (Grigoriopol. Maiac, Moldova relay)
1500-1700 11530  (Grigoriopol. Maiac, Moldova relay)
1600-2000 9525   (Issoudun, France relay)
2000-2200 9525   (Issoudun, France relay)

Dimitsi Wegahta (Voice of the Dawn) and Voice of the Eritrean Lowlands (Munkhafadat Radio) are presumed to be inactive.

Target: North Korea
Furusato No Kaze/Ilbon-Ul Baram (Wind From Japan) 
Japanese
1405-1435 6085 (ex 7260)
1405-1435 7260 (ex 7325)

Target North Korea
Voice of Freedom
Korean
0300-0800 5960 (ex 6045)
0900-1400 5920 (ex 6045)
1500-2000 5920 (ex 6045)
2100-0200 5920 (ex 6045)
Frequency  may be adjusted, due to ongoing jamming)
(WRTH-Clandestine & Other Target-07 Feb 2020)

Iran International TV, broadcast schedule

Clandestine - Iran International TV 

All times UTC / daily unless otherwise indicated, programming targeted to Iran

Farsi
0400-1000  11560 (Yerevan, Armenia) transmitter
1000-1200  thas  11560 (Yerevan, Armenia)
1100-0400 801  (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
1200-0400 6270 (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
1500-0600 1395 (Yerevan, Armenia)
1745-0300 1395 (Yerevan, Armenia)
(shortwave frequencies variable, due to jamming)

Website http://www.iranintl.com
Email info@iranintl.com

Iran International TV
Bldg 11, 1st Floor
Chiswick Business Park
566 Chiswick High Rd.
London W4 5YA, United Kingdom
(WRTH 07 Feb)

Radio Onda, weekend schedule

Radio Onda, a new station on shortwave, is a Brazilian community station based in Belgium, with a Dutch shortwave licence, transmitting 500 kW in the Netherlands, with future plans for  100 kW.

Reception reports are welcome, send your program details to: info@radioonda.be. Include your postal address for a printed QSL.

All times UTC

0800-0900 Sat/Sun  in English/French/Portuguese on 5940 to western Europe
(WRTH)

Radio Onda is a station managed by the association ASBL Onda, based in Brussels, Belgium. Our activities are focused on spreading Brazilian culture across the old continent. For this, in addition to the Internet radio, we set up a short wave station, on the frequency 5940 kHz.

The transmission site is based in the Netherlands with 1 kW of power [actually 500W], which covers a large part of Europe. The programming is quite varied, as you will hear popular Brazilian Music MPB), National Rock, Samba, Country, among other national styles. In this way, we bring you a great musical variety, with a lot of humor and information, for a public not only Brazilian, but also Belgian and European.

ASBL Onda is a member of HFCC, an international entity responsible for the coordination of shortwave radio frequencies, in addition to the ITU, based in Geneva.
(BDXC/Feb 2020)

Shortwave Radiogram schedules

Hello friends,

The Winter SWL Fest will be February 27-28-29 in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania (suburban Philadelphia). Information at http://swlfest.com. I will be there to demonstrate Shortwave Radiogram, and they have invited me to be the banquet speaker ("International Broadcasting in Interesting Times"). If you can attend, I hope to see you there. Walk-ins are welcome. You need to register in advance for the banquet, but if you don't, you can come to the room after dinner to listen to the speech and participate in the popular Winter SWL Fest lottery.

No major mishaps last weekend except for a typo. Videos of last weekend's Shortwave Radiogram (program 137) are provided by 2010DFS in Japan and Scott in Ontario (both Sunday 0800 on 5850 kHz) and Ralf in Germany (Sunday 2330 UTC). The audio archive is maintained by Mark in the UK. Analysis is prepared by Roger in Germany.

This weekend's show is in the usual MFSK32 and MFSK64  with ten images.

Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 138, UTC 7-9 February 2020, in MFSK modes as noted:

 1:40  MFSK32: Program preview
 2:51  Expedition planned to retrieve Titanic's radio gear*
 8:05  MFSK64: New technology may extend lithium battery life*
13:22  This week's images*
27:11  MFSK32: Closing announcements

* with image(s)

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

Twitter: @SWRadiogram or https://twitter.com/swradiogram (visit during the weekend to see listeners' results)

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304

Shortwave Radiogram Transmission Schedule
UTC Day UTC Time Frequency Transmitter

Friday  1500-1530 UTC 13690 kHz DRM WINB Pennsylvania
Saturday  0330-0400 UTC 9265 kHz  WINB Pennsylvania
Saturday  1330-1400 UTC 15770 kHz WRMI Florida
Sunday 0800-0830 UTC 5850 kHz / 7730 kHz  WRMI Florida
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC 7780 kHz  WRMI Florida

The Mighty KBC transmits to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 7-9 EST) on 5960 kHz, via Germany. A 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/.

“This is a Music Show” is the newest addition to digital modes via analog shortwave. Most of the show is a music show, but the host transmits some MFSK text and image near the end of the broadcast. It’s transmitted on WRMI, Thursdays at 0200-0300 UTC on 5850 kHz and 0130-0230 UTC on 9395 kHz (Wednesday evening in the Americas). Also look for a waterfall ID at the beginning of the show. thisisamusicshow@gmail.com . www.instagram.com/thisisamusicshow/ www.twitter.com/ThisIsAMusicSho/ @ThisIsAMusicSho

New York and Pennsylvania NBEMS nets. Most weekends, as KD9XB, I check in to the New York NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging Software) net Saturday at 1300 UTC on 3584 kHz USB, and the Pennsylvania NBEMS net Sunday at 1300 UTC on 3583 kHz USB (with out-of-state check-ins now starting at 1230 UTC). Check-ins are usually in Thor 22, and messages are in MFSK32. Messages generally use the Flmsg add-on to Fldigi. If you are a radio amateur in eastern North America, feel free to check in. Outside the region, use an SDR in the eastern USA to tune in and decode. You do not need Flmsg to check in, and most of the messages can be read without Flmsg. If you can decode the net, send me an email to radiogram@verizon.net , or tweet to @SWRadiogram , and I will let them know you are tuned in. USEast NBEMS Net: Please also note the USEast NBEMS Net, Thursdays 0000 UTC (Wednesdays 7 pm EST) on 3536 kHz USB.

Thanks for your reception reports!
Kim


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

Jungle Radio on Bougainville Island

WSSO Radio (Radio Heritage Foundation)

An additional story on Bougainville Island, from my earlier post, The Early Wireless Scene on the Tropical Pacific Island, Bougainville on 30 January 2020.

It was in March 1942 that the Imperial Japanese Army made its first landings on Bougainville Island as part of their onward progression through the islands in the South Pacific.  At the time, there were some 50,000 local people on this island, though most of the foreigners had already evacuated in advance of the Japanese incursions.

In April 1943, the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto began a tour of the Japanese occupied islands in the South West Pacific.  Admiral Yamamoto was the key architect in the planning of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor less than two years earlier, the event that brought the United States into the Pacific War.

American surveillance teams at three widely different locations learned via Japanese coded radio transmissions from nearby Rabaul on New Britain Island that Yamamoto was scheduled to fly from Rabaul to Balalae Island, just to the south of Bougainville Island, on the morning of April 18, 1943.  A flight of 16 American fighter planes intercepted the flight of 8 Japanese planes over southern Bougainville and they shot down the Admiral’s plane, killing all on board.

Just six months later on November 1, 1943, American forces landed at Torokina on the central west coast of Bougainville Island and there they established a temporary air force base that was carved out of the surrounding tropical jungle.  Ultimately a total of 60,000 American personnel were staged at the Torokina Air base, and at the same time it is estimated, there were also 65,000 Japanese service personnel on that same island.  There were times of open conflict. 

The American base at Torokina had a frontal area against the ocean 15 miles wide, and it extended 5 miles inland up against a rugged jungle covered mountain range.  One month after the initial American landings, the first American planes landed on the jungle airstrip at Torokina (December 10, 1943). 

A temporary communication radio station was installed in a primitive jungle building on the edge of a very muddy road in a freshly made clearing in the jungle.  They also established a hospital at Torokina, with a holding capacity for 500 patients in a cluster of 70 Quonset Huts.

The first American radio broadcasting station at Torokina was a joint co-operative volunteer effort on the part of American service personnel from the army, navy, marines and seabees.  They assembled whatever radio equipment was available, and they launched a low power radio broadcasting station on 670 kHz on February 16, 1944 under the self-designated callsign WSSO.  The first station manager was Staff Sargent John A. Ettinger 

Radio station WSSO was established by the Special Service Office (hence the callsign WSSO) and it identified on air as the First Entertainment Station in the Solomons.  This new and informal station also identified on air as AES, an American Expeditionary Station, as did many other stations in the Mosquito and Jungle Networks during the latter part of the Pacific War.  There are no known loggings of this informal low power American AES station, not in Australia nor in New Zealand during the one month that it was on the air. 

The second American radio station at Torokina was an official broadcasting station that was set up by a small group of specially trained men who were flown in from California.  In the winter of 1943, AFRS Los Angeles received a request for equipment and personnel to set up three mediumwave entertainment radio stations in the South Pacific; New Caledonia, Guadalcanal and Bougainville.

On January 15, 1944, the three radio teams, together with their equipment, were flown out to the Admiralty Islands, and then from there each team flew onward to its own appointed destination.  The Bougainville team installed their station, both studios and transmitter, in a prefabricated wooden Dallas Hut imported from the United States, and it was inaugurated on April 15, 1944 as AES Bougainville. 

This new station, initially without a formal callsign, radiated 1 kW on 670 kHz, the same channel as the previous informal WSSO.  At this stage, the Torokina station formed part of the loosely federated Mosquito Network. 

This new AFRS station on Bougainville Island was on the air for two months before it was suddenly noted in both Australia and New Zealand.  One of the first radio monitors to hear the new station was the Radio & Hobbies mediumwave columnist Roy Hallett in Sydney.  In mid June (1944), he noted this station with a good signal just before the morning sign on time for mediumwave stations in eastern Australia.  The station sign on announcement stated AFRS Bougainville.

However, a few months later, three major changes took place at AES Torokina.  AFRS management in California had determined that each of the AFRS stations in the Pacific should be granted an American style four letter callsign, and AES Torokina became WVTI.  Station WVTI dropped its Mosquito Network affiliation and it joined the Jungle Network instead, along with half a dozen other stations in the New Guinea area, all with callsigns that began with the two letters WV.  In addition, the operating channel for WVTI was changed from 670 kHz to 680 kHz. 

As time went by, American forces began to move further northward in the progress of the war in the Pacific islands during the year 1944, and thus the American usage of the Torokina Base on Bougainville Island was phased out. and Australian forces began to move in.  The Australian army officially took over the Torokina base on November 22 (1944).

The Torokina AFRS station WVTI was on the air for only nine months; it was closed on January 21 (1945) and it was then transferred to the Philippines for installation in Manila.  However in its place, a temporary low powered Australian mediumwave station superseded the now transferred American station.  It is understood that this new temporary Aussie unit was on the air under the Australian Army callsign 9AC, in anticipation of the arrival of a 200 watt transportable station under the same callsign.
More about 9AC next time.
(AWR-Wavescan/NWS 571)

Frequency updates, Shiokaze (Sea Breeze)

Clandestine - Shiokaze (Sea Breeze)

Effective: 04 February, 2020

All times UTC

1300-1400 6145 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 7310 // freq. at same time on 7245 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 7345 as follows:

1300-1330 Japanese Mon/Tue/Sat/Sun; Korean Wed/Fri; English Thu
1330-1400 Korean Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun; Japanese Mon/Tue; English Thu
1600-1700 5955 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 6085 // freq. at same time 6020 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 7325 as follows:

1600-1630 Japanese Mon/Tue/Sat/Sun; Korean Wed/Fri; English Thu
1630-1700 Korean Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun; Japanese Mon/Tue; English Thu

Frequency changes of Furusato no Kaze via JSR Shiokaze
1405-1435 6070 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs Japanese, ex 6085
1405-1435 7325 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs Japanese, ex 7260
(DXB)

Shiokaze (Sea Breeze)  is produced by the private "Investigation Commission on Missing Japanese Probably Related  to North Korea.

Programming is aimed  at reaching Japanese citizens  believed to have been abducted to North Korea from 1977-1983. Frequencies are frequently adjusted, due to ongoing jamming.

Website: http://www.chosa-kai.jp/siokaze
comjansite2003@chosa-kai.jp

Synchronous AM’s Long and Tortuous History

AM boosters repeatedly have been proven effective, but the FCC consistently has declined to allow their wide use

John Schneider, Jan 27, 2020


With AM improvement on the radars of broadcasters and the FCC, there has been renewed talk in recent years about the subject of AM “boosters,” the carrier frequency synchronization of multiple transmitters. The commission opened a comment period on AM boosters in 2017.

t wasn’t the first time the FCC has explored this topic and failed to act on it. In fact, AM boosters have been proposed and tested dozens of times since the early days of radio.

Additional story at Radio World https://tinyurl.com/uj77b8s

Scandinavian Weekend Radio schedule, February 7-8

Scandinavian Weekend Radio, which broadcast the first weekend of the month, will resume their broadcast on the following schedule

All times UTC

Finland
Scandinavian Weekend Radio Edition #233, February 7-8.
From 2200 Friday to 2200 Saturday. Live broadcast: 0800-2200 Saturday
2200-1000 on 6170 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
2200-1000 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
1000-1400 on 6170 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
1000-1400 on 11720 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
1400-1700 on 5980 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
1400-1700 on 11720 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
1700-2200 on 6170 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
1700-2200 on 11720 VIR 0.1 kW Finnish/English
(DXB-04 Feb 2020)

Wednesday specials from Channel 292

Germany
Wednesday specials on Channel 292

Channel 292 seem to be having a few more of these special Wednesday extended broadcasts in the coming weeks:

6070 kHz - Al times UTC

Wednesday 5th February: 0800 - 2000 UTC Just Right

Wednesday 12th February: 0800 - 2000 UTC Superclan Radio

Wednesday 19th February: 0800 - 2000 UTC Radio Ohne Nahmen

Wednesday 26th February: 0800 - 2000 UTC RNI Goldrausch Diamonds
(Alan Gale/BDXC))

For Radio, It’s Wait and See About 5G

Still plenty of guesswork involved when asking how next-gen wireless will play out

RANDY J. STINE, Jan 21, 2020

The problem facing broadcasters trying to capitalize on 5G-fixed-wireless is they don’t know what it is or isn’t yet.

Prior to this month’s CES show, Gary Shapiro, president/CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, assessed the state of 5G for the Jacobs Media blog: “In 2019, 5G moved from trials to commercialization, with commercial launches in the U.S., Europe and Asia. By 2022, the majority (76%) of smartphones shipping in the U.S. will be 5G enabled,” Shapiro said.

“This year, 5G is capable of significantly greater data capacity for video and telepresence applications, significantly more connections at a time and ultra-low latency. The U.S. is now in a global race for 5G leadership, and connectivity — delivering anytime/anywhere access and information — and it is one of the driving trends of our time.”

More to read at Radio World https://tinyurl.com/t6befmd

Frequency Updates

Radio Tamazuj QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection)

All times UTC

Clandestine - Radio Tamazuj
Transmitter changes from 03 February, 2020
0329-0427 on  6005 Issoudun, France 250 kW / 138 deg to EaAf Juba Arabic, (ex via Madagascar)
0329-0427 on  7315 Madagascar 250 kW / 335 deg to EaAf Juba Arabic, ex via Issoudun, France)
https://radiotamazuj.org/en

Armenia - Trans World Radio-South Asia (former TWR-India) 
New schedule on 9300 kHz via Yerevan, Armenia
1315-1345 on  9300 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Hindi+Indian languages
1345-1420 on  9300 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Hindi Mon-Fri
1420-1425 on  9300 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs English Mon-Fri
1345-1415 on  9300 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Hindi Sat/Sun
1415-1445 on  9300 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs English Sat/Sun

Transmissions of TRW India via Yerevan, Armenia relay that are cancelled
1500-1535 on  7550 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Hindi Mon-Fri
1535-1540 on  7550 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs English Mon-Fri
1500-1530 on  7550 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Hindi Sat/Sun
1530-1600 on  7550 ERV 300 kW / 100 deg to SoAs English Sat/Sun
http://www. twr.in/

(DXB/03 Feb 2020)