A sampling from recent shortwave monitoring. Thank you to those that contributed their logging's and to the radio newsletters and email groups who graciously permit Shortwave Central to share what their members are monitoring. Your contributions and comments are always welcomed. Tell our readers what your hearing in the world of shortwave by sending your logs to: w4gvh @ frontier com
All times UTC/ frequency in kHz (kilohertz) // parallel frequency
* Sign-on / Sign-off *
English unless otherwise indicated
Logs edited for clarity as needed
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| AWR Europe QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection) |
17605 AWR Europe via Moosbrunn, 1440. Good signal with local Horn of Africa string and percussion music and vocals 1440-1445. Male announcer in presumed Afar service at 1445. Musical interlude to possible station interval signal (?). Lady announcer's chat 1446-1447. Lenghty religious text 1447-53. Interval signal again with string/percussion music vocals 1454-1458. Instrumental music interval signal (?) 1458-59.Abruptly off the air at 1459. (David Ross, Ontario, Canada/MARE 810) Website: www.awr.org
Australia
4835, NT VL8A Alice Springs. Signal showing up at 2010. Announcer briefly at 2018 at recheck. Sounded like English at 2022. Lady announcer at 2024, followed by promos as usual at just before 2030, then unmistakable ABC news fanfare, and news script. If not for the CODAR, it would have been much much easier. (Dave Valko, PA/Cumbre DX) Website: www.abc.net.au/radio/
Bolivia
5952.43, Radio Pio Doce. Morning music at 1013 from DJ host with mentions of Potosi. Remote reporter's soundbites. Ad break at 1015 beginning with quick station ID. Phone ringing and whistle SFX during ads. Mentions of Potosi. Back to news at 1019 and almost immediately into sound bits. Best heard in quite a while. Fairly good signal at start but fading by 1020. Interference noted from China's CRI on 5995 (Valko)
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4965, Radio Alvorada. Just missed getting an ID recorded at 0903 tune-in. A lot of talk (Portuguese) by male DJ with an occasional song. Rooster crowing SFX. Many "Bom Dias." Long ad/promo block at 0929-0935 with full ID and frequencies from male announcer at 0934:50 at the end. Rooster SFX again with studio DJ, then into a song. Not bad, and modulation seemed a little higher today. Website: www.radioalvorada.am.br/ Two additional Brazilian's - 5939.76 Voz Missionaria with nice brief station ID at 2349:20. Very disturbed conditions making it weaker than usual and sounding watery and choppy. Radio Verdes Florestas on 4865.015 in Portuguese with soft vocal music tune at 1035 tune-in. Full station ID at 1036 with frequencies from announcer over music, then into what sounded like a morning religious program. Just good enough to copy (Valko)
Bulgaria
9465, Global 24 Radio via Kostinbrod transmitter. The Rock Pile Oldies show including songs like Roxanne, Magic Carpet Ride and Buffalo Springfield’s For What It's Worth song (lyrics-"everybody look what's going down"...) English announcements. SINPO 3+44+3+3+ 0150-0230 (Zichi MI/MARE)
China
9520 Nei Menggu PBS, Hohhot. Have been trying for this one for several mornings, and after hearing Myanmar, checked this frequency..and whoa..a really nice signal coming in with long talks and language lesson of some sort, with musical breaks. Despite the very strong presence of China's CRI on 9525, best in LSB with 2.4 filter helped to bring a nice recording. I checked their parallel but a unstable signal and could not confirm if in parallel. Again nice s2-s4 and faded out by 1551. Very unusual propagation conditions to say the least. (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, Canada) Website: www.nmrb.cn
15557, Voice of Tibet (via Tajikistan) Sign-on at 1230 with usual routine after 15548 finished. Frequency 15548 was interfered by China's CNR1 jammer on 15550. This frequency had a little interference from 15555 VOA until the signal went off shortly after 15557 started, then it was clear and very nice. One of the strongest if not the strongest I've ever heard V.O. Tibet. http://youtu.be/37_JTUDyPR8 (Valko) Website: www.vot.org/
17605, Radio Inyabutatu via Issoudun, France relay. Vernaculars broadcast to West Africa 1628-1759.* Program of commentaries and interviews with guest speakers, closing announcements and closing trumpet ballad with singers to sign-off. Very nice signal at s7 to s9. Some utility interference on lower side of 17605, best in USB Mode. (Kusalik)
Congo (Dem Republic)
5066.34, Radio Tele-Candip, 1743, about the strongest I have ever heard them with lengthy talk by French man and local references. In the clear. 6115 Congo Republic, Radio Congo, Brazzaville, 1745, fair with lengthy talk by French man, hi life, low audio. (David Sharp NSW Australia/playdx)
Egypt
15800, Radio Cairo to Africa. Arabic service muddled audio with presumed news from tune-in at 1445. Arabic vocal music - abruptly off at 1454. Did not sign-on at 1500 in Arabic as scheduled. No sign of Persian service on 15790. Presumed Uzbek service with Qu'ran on 13770 to the Middle East at 1505 check. Announcer's text from 1507, followed by Arabic instrumental music. Additional talk and text SIO 323 (Gayle Van Horn W4GVH/NC)
France
15275 Deutsche Welle relay via Issoudun. French service to West Africa. Monitored *1700-1732. Sign-on in mid-programming with information and website, followed with newscast, with focus on African News (Nigeria, Mali, Central Africa Republic and Rwanda) Commentary on WTO and
security issues in Nigeria, noted to tune out with a really good signal at this time period. (Kusalik) Website: www.dw.de
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| Voice of Greece QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection) |
9420, Greece, ERT/VO Greece. Spent the day (02 December) monitoring Greece while working on several radio projects. Monitored from 1200 (to 0000) on 9420, 9935 and 15630; with 9935 having constant audio hum throughout the day. Greek programming consisted of Greek music programs, newscast, conversations, interviews and time tips/to station ID routine on each hour. Frequency 9415 was not heard at 1700-1800, as reported earlier in DX newsletters; nor was 9450 heard from 1800-1900. During 1800-1900, there were only intermittent audio problems on 9420. At 1900-2200 15630 was dropped, broadcasting only on 9420 and 9935. At 2130, both frequencies went off the air. Only signal heard from 2200-0000 was the constant audio hum on 9935-but no discernable programming observed on this or other frequencies. No programming was heard on earlier reported 11645 or 15650 kHz. Recheck 03 Dec. 1700-1900 only broadcasting on 9420 - no sign of 9935 (Gayle Van Horn W4GVH/NC)
India
9870, All India Radio/Vivdh Bharati. Lady announcer's Hindi programming presentation from 1530 tune-in. Announcements to Indian vocals on sitar and tambla. Male joined program at 1552 (SIO 434) Tentative logging of AIR/Thiruvananthapuram, 1608-1615 on 5010 from NLD SDR. Languages listed as Bengali/English/Hindi and Indian vernaculars. Announcer's conversations in presumed Hindi (SIO 222). Far too weak even for an SDR. Presumed AIR/National Channel on 9425, 1515-1530. AIR's External Service in English 1900 on 13695 (to Africa) with sign-on ID and national and Asian nations newscast to segment on past disasters in India. Information on national conference. Indigenous Indian vocals. Parallels 9445 or 17670 not heard. Brother Stair dominates 11580 (Van Horn) Website: http://allindiaradio.gov.in/
4880, AIR Lucknow. Carrier with tone from at least 1208-1213, then AIR internval signal to 1215 when lady came on with apparent opening announcement. Nice to hear Indians on 60 meters again. 5040, AIR Jeypore Quite audible at 1213 with subcontient music and announcer's item. One of many Indians heard this morning (Valko)
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| V.O.I.R.I. QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection) |
6135, V.O.I.R.I. Announcer's talk at 1843 tune-in with fanfare and a few musical bridges mixed with announcer's items and talk. Long remote report soundbite by male in French. Then realized this was Iran, not Yemen. As long as Iran is here at this time, Yemen will be impossible. Too much pulsing utility interference from just below signal (Valko) Website: www.irib.ir Arabic service heard on 13570 to Asia // 9870 (SIO 232) at 1535. Lady announcer's script segment. Albanian service 1820-1900 on two frequencies targeted to Europe - 5925 and 9420. The later heard at 1945 with heavy interference. French service heard on 9850 at 1845 (Van Horn).
Liberia
4760, ELWA (Eternal Love Winning Africa). Close of pleasant religious choral music at 2100. Lady announcer followed with English inspirational religious talk, to mentions of "ELWA." Programming still on at 2106. Signal noted as strong quiet and clear (Valko) 3/Dec/2014 Website: www.elwaministries.org
Myanmar
5985.30, Myanmar Radio 1500-1533. One of the best mornings (29 Nov) to actual hear this station. Noted Burmese newscast at 1500, followed with program of indigenous Burmese music, interspersed by announcements from lady announcer. Noted to 1530 with clear ID in english as "this is Myanmar radio..now the news".... and by 1533 the station faded out. Heard best on my Inverted V cut for 31/19 meter band (3/4 wavelength) but strong signal with local power line noise on the 40-meter long wire. (Kusalik)
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| Radio Oman (Gayle Van Horn Collection) |
15140, Radio Sultanate of Oman 1835. Very weak signal almost covering two male's Arabic conversation. SIO 232. Recheck 1910, signal hasn't improved...but intermittent Arabic vocals between talk segments. Station is scheduled to broadcast this frequency to 0000 (Van Horn). Website: http://part.gov.om/part/
Philippines
15190, Radio Pilipinas/PBS. Usual canned full ID by announcer in English about 1820 tune-in (unfortunately I wasn't recording). After checking other things, came back and noted discussion by two lady's in Filipino. Ended the feature at 1839 w ith lady shouting "bye", followed by "Radio Pilipinas" station Identification, including another ID at 1839:55 with laser SFX. Additional ID in song introduction. Nice long canned ID again. Asian pop music ballad abruptly stopped for full English ID and jingle to signal off. (Valko) Website: www.pbs.gov.ph/
Romania
7340 Radio Romania International, Bucuresti, 0406-0455. English program that included The History Show with anecdotal world and Romanian history and “Sports Roundup” with sports scores, including women’s handball. Station's contact info via www.RRI.ro, RRI Facebook and the RRI P.O. Box address in Bucuresti. Listener's letters from the RRI Letterbox program, including one from a listener in England who had listened to and thoroughly enjoyed the RRI English Service for several decades, followed by an instrumental and vocal music program (Root, MI/MARE)
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| BSKSA QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection) |
13710, Saudi Arabia, BSKSA/R Riyadh/Holy Qur'an. Announcer's Qur'an in progress at 1525 tune-in. Arabic service targeted to Asia // 17615 to Africa. Good signal (SIO 434) for both frequencies. Two announcer's conversation from 1528, returned to recitations shortly. Saudi International Radio's French service 1500-1600 on 17660. Turkmen service on 9885, 1500-1600. Recheck at 1825-BSKSA/General Service on 9555 // 9870 (audio hum present). Male announcer's Arabic world news script. Intro to featured program segment with fanfare music. Scheduled as Holy Qur'an programming 1800-1900, though hearing two male's lenghty Arabic conversation from 1830 tune-in on 11820 (to Europe) // 11915 (to Africa and // 11930 (to Africa). Saudi International Radio's Turkish service on 9675 (to Middle East) audible at 1835 check (Van Horn).
São Tomé
9800, Deutsche Welle relay. Hausa service to West Africa via Pinheira. 0630–06:59.* Noted this station with interval signal for Deutsche Welle, opening announcements, station ID, newscast and program “Afrika hankali.” Program's focus was on culture, media and media reports with interviews. Noted to 06:59 with closing ballad after announcements. Website: www.dw.de (Kusalik)
Taiwan
9660, Radio Taiwan International via Kouhu. Monitored 1447-1522, with program in standard Chinese with commentaries, advertisements. Time notes as 3+1, followed with news highlights. Interference from China's CRI in English on 9665 - best in LSB (Kusalik) Website: www.rti.org.tw
Tanzania/Zanzibar
11735, ZBC Radio. Dead air at 1822, 1841 and 1858 rechecks. So they must have been having problems. Finally found with Arabic pop music at 1950. Very good signal. (Valko) Audible from 1745 on 11735. Announcer's Swahili text to 1800. Lady's reference to station and clear identification, followed by her reading a brief news script to 1806. Have previously heard a male host read English news at this time (1800-1808). Afro pop vocals program. African hilife music interspersed between local news items and recorded sound bites, speeches and interviews. SIO 434 with no fading Scheduled to be on to 2100 (Van Horn).
Uganda
4975.96, UBC Radio. Station ID 2020:05 "UBC Radio" over music. "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton, into another pop song Additional C&W tune. Nice signal with very quiet conditions. Male DJ at 2041 between songs with time check, ID, mentions of upcoming news. Newscast, then back to C&W music at 2046. ID as - "this is UBC Radio" canned ID by announcer between songs at 2050:45. Live studio announcer at 2054:30 with ID, gave his name, program name, ect into "UBC News Hour" at 2100. Off at 2104. Modulation rather low. Incredible S9+10 by 2050, the strongest signal on the band. Despite the C&W music, it was very enjoyable listening. http://youtu.be/yyI79Syh-0w Monitored 4976 Uganda, UBC Radio, 1732. Strong carrier compromised by whispery audio with occasional talk by a man cutting through. (Sharp)
