Last Sunday's FRS broadcast suffered from instable propagation conditions. Some might have enjoyed good reception whereas others' reception was poor.
It is commonly known that SW conditions have been poor. Not only during daytime but also sometimes during evening. Last Sunday we were received in Cyprus and Mexico (not via SDR) while reception in areas where 7700 is almost always satisfactory, was poor. Apart from the final 60 minutes when the first show (Bert van Leer) was repeated; that was between 23:00-23:50 CEST. During that time 7700 was very strong and also 5810 did well.
There might be a repeat next Sunday August 4th or August 11th. At this moment things are uncertain. But it's worth while to tune in and give it a try! Same time schedule and same freqs being 7700//5810 kHz. Details are still to be read on our site: http://www.frsholland.nl/20-latest-news/132-frs-on-air-sunday-evening-july-28th.html
Remember there are streams planned for next Thursday, Saturday & Sunday (twice!). FRS' 39th anniversary will be celebrated on Sunday Sept. 1st. Details will follow in the course of August.
73s, Peter V. on behalf of the FRS team
(Patrick Travers, Sheffield)
Peter V/FRS)
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Clandestine station schedule updates
Clandestine Stations
Broadcast daily unless otherwise indicated
All times UTC
Targets to North Korea
Echo of Hope (VOH)
Korean
0500-0000 3985, 5995, 6350
0000-0100 3985, 5995, 6350
0900-0000 4885, 6250, 9100
0000-0500 4885, 6250, 9100
Free North Korea Radio
Korean
1200-1400 11510 (Uzbekistan transmitter)
(ex 1200-1300)
1900-2100 7550 (Uzbekistan transmitter)
National Unity Radio
Korean
1800-1955 774 mw (entry deleted)
Radio Free Korea
Korean
0250-0000 1143 mw
0000-0100 1143 mw
Voice of Freedom (new station entry)
Korean
1400-1430 11510 (Uzbekistan transmitter)
2100-2130 7550 (Uzbekistan transmitter)
Station is a new religious station, and should not be confused with the current station of Voice of Freedom. Produced by North Korean Christian Missionary.
Voice of the People
Korean
24 hours 3480, 3910, 3930, 4450, 6520, 6600
(ex 0500-2300)
(WRTH-July update 2019)
(Teak Publishing)
Saturday, July 27, 2019
From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, July 28-August 3
From the Isle of Music, July 28-August 3
This week, our special guest is Athanai, whose album Regresar was the winner of the Contemporary Song category of Cubadisco 2019.
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 0000-0100 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 the Netherlands during the broadcast at http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, July 28 and 30, 2019
Episode 123 brings you some beautiful music from Mali.
The transmissions take place: kKHz 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 a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
(William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer, Tilford Productions, LLC)
The American Voice of the Taj Mahal
 |
| Taj Mahal |
The settlement of Agra, 125 mile south east of Delhi, dates back to very ancient times, though the city itself was established by Sultan Sikandar Lodi in 1504. Agra became the capital city of the illustrious Mughal Empire in India at its height.
The exquisite Taj Mahal was built at the direction of Shah Jahan and it was established on the southern bank of the Yamuna River just before the middle of the 1600s. It took 22,0000 workmen using their elaborate skills, and 1,000 elephants as beasts of burden, and exotic quantities of white marble and precious stones from nearby countries to assemble one of the world’s most beautiful buildings, a building that is to this day the most expensive building ever, anywhere upon planet Earth.
During the concentrated hectic days of World War II, the British focused some of their most constructive efforts on reinforcing their Indian Empire, and in some of these major events it was in co-operation with their ally in warfare, the United States. The first contingent of American service personnel arrived in Agra on May 28, 1942, and their initial responsibility was the construction of accommodations for a large inflow of air force personnel which began two months later in July.
A large new aerodrome was constructed at Kheria, just four miles west of Agra, the City of the Taj Mahal. The 3rd Air Depot Group of the American Army Air Force ferried in a large number of combat aircraft, which were commissioned to deliver war materiel to inland China, via Burma and the famous Stilwell Road.
Because there was a large number of American service personnel on duty in India, the British Indian government gave approval on April 1, 1944 for the establishment of American radio broadcasting stations in several key locations. The Indian Post & Telegraph Department issued licenses for each of these stations, which included an Indian callsign, authorized frequency, and a maximum power of just 50 watts.
One of these duly approved AFRS American Forces Radio Stations was established at the new American air force base at Kheria on the western edge of the city of Agra. AFRS Agra was inaugurated in the Summer of the year 1944, with 50 watts under the callsign VU2ZW. Apparently the authorized frequency was 1305 kHz, though it would appear that they they chose unofficially to operate on 1355 kHz. Or perhaps the listing of an incorrect operating frequency was just an editorial oversight that the proof reader did not catch.
Programming for this new radio broadcasting station was produced locally, it was taken from recordings that were flown in from AFRS California in the United States, and a live program feed was also taken off air from AFRS VU2ZZ shortwave in Calcutta, on 14983 kHz. Maybe the regular news bulletins heard on VU2ZW Agra several times each day were a live relay on shortwave from VU2ZZ Calcutta. The programming from VU2ZW was also heard over a loud speaker system at the air force swimming pool.
In a compilation of relevant information by the renowned American radio historian, Jerome Berg in suburban Boston, he presents a full page Program Schedule for AFRS Agra VU2ZW. This program compilation, he states, is similar to a Program Schedule for AFRS Calcutta VU2ZU/VU2ZZ around the same era.
Some of the 16 AFRS mediumwave stations in India were heard on occasions in both Australia and New Zealand. However, there is no known logging of the AFRS station in Agra VU2ZW being heard in the South Pacific. There are no known QSLs from VU2ZW Agra anywhere.
The Pacific War was over in August 1945, and the Agra air force base was no longer needed. The low powered 50 watt AFRS station VU2ZW was closed on the last day of March of the following year (1946), and the American air force base was subsequently handed over to the Indian authorities. For them, it is the largest air force base in India, and it also supports civilian flights coming in from Delhi and elsewhere.
That was the story of the first radio broadcasting station in Agra, a station that was on the air in the city of the Taj Mahal; and in that sense it was the American Voice of Agra, the Voice of the Taj Mahal. However since then, another mediumwave broadcasting station has been on the air in the city of the Taj Mahal.
All India Radio Agra was officially inaugurated in March 1995, with 10 kW on 1530 kHz. The transmitter power was increased to 20 kW 13 years later (2008), due no doubt to the installation of an additional transmitter.
The only location for the studios of Akashvani Agra are at Ashram Road, Navarangpura, Vivabh Nagar near the Agra Cantonment. The only location for the transmitter facility of AIR Agra is at Shamsabad Road (Highway) at Kahrai. Both locations can be seen on Google Earth.
(AWR-Wavescan/NWS # 53)
Friday, July 26, 2019
India’s 100,000 Islands: The Radio Scene on Kavaratti Island
6. Kavaratti: Following on from our previous topic on the Lakshadweep islands a few weeks back, we come now to the story about the mediumwave radio station on Kavaratti Island.
The Lakshadweep Islands are the northernmost cluster of islands in West Aquamontia in the Arabian Sea off the west coast of India. Actually, Kavaratti Island is the capital “city” island in Lakshadweep, though it is not quite the largest island in the archipelago.
Androth Island is slightly larger than Kavaratti, with just a few more people. Kavaratti has an area of just 1.52 square miles, and a population a little in excess of 11,000 according to at least one authority.
The island has 190 ponds to collect fresh water from the annual monsoon rains, and an additional 1325 fresh water wells. In addition, the Indian government has installed a desalination plant on the island that is able to obtain 26,000 gallons of drinking water from the ocean each day.
The National Institute of Amateur Radio NIAR in Hyderabad has sent several amateur radio personnel on DXpeditions to the Lakshadweep Islands and Jose Jacob VU2JOS has himself participated in three of these DXpeditions. Jose states that on the occasion of his first visit to Kavaratti in 1989, they operated under the callsign VU7APR on Kavaratti Island, and under the callsign VU7NRO on nearby Kadmat Island.
There was no mediumwave station on the island back then. However, a high powered mediumwave station across the waters at Kozhikode on the Malibar Coast of South India with 100 kW on 684 kHz provided evening programming for the benefit of listeners in the Lakshdweep Islands.
There was a longwave radio beacon on the island for use in local navigation by planes and ships. In addition, there were already two solar powered 10 watt TV relay stations on the air. However, most of the residents throughout Lakshadweep prefer to watch TV via the satellite delivered cable systems.
Work on a new mediumwave station for Kavaratti began in 1993 at a location in the middle of the island. This new AIR All India Radio station with 1 kW on 1584 kHz was inaugurated on January 1 of the following year (1994) following a series of test transmissions. Quite by chance, Jose Jacob happened to hear this station on its first day of broadcast, though it took another 9 years before he finally received a QSL letter verifying his reception of this unique island radio station.
Eighteen years after the 1 kW mediumwave transmitter was inaugurated, a new 10 kW transmitter was installed at the same location, a Thompson analog/digital unit Model M2W. When this new transmitter was taken into service on April 21, 2016 on 1152 kHz, the old 1 kW transmitter was retired. However, consideration has been given on occasions to utilizing the old low power transmitter for local community programming.
An FM station with 100 watts on 100.1 MHz began to carry a slave relay of mediumwave programming on December 14, 2012. The AIR station on Kavaratti takes most of its programming as a relay from the AIR headquarters station in the state capital Trivandrum, with a few hours each day of locally produced programming. Jose Jacob also informs us that a 10 minute daily program from the Pune studios of Adventist World Radio is heard via the FM transmitters on Kavaratti, and via the mediumwave transmitter on 1152 kHz.
On a previous occasion here in Wavescan, we presented information regarding five islands in Lakshadweep and for the next few minutes, we catch a brief glimpse of the radio scene on several of the remaining islands in this archipelago.
7. Chetlat is a small island of less than half a square mile and a population of a little more than 2,000. A local solar powered TV station has been on the air here for the past several years.
8. Kadmat also has a local low power TV station that presents a continuous relay of mainland Indian programming. This island of one and a quarter square miles has a population of around 3,500 people. In 2006, two officials from the National Institute of Amateur Radio, Ram Mohan VU2MYH and Jose Jacob VU2JOS, made a fact finding visit to Kadmat Island. Subsequently, two amateur DXpeditions have operated from Kadmat, and they were on the air consecutively as VU7RG and VU7NRO.
9. Kalpatti is a very small uninhabited island and it is the westernmost territory of India. Some years ago it was under consideration for use as an extension to the airport runway from nearby Agatti Island, though this project was never implemented due to wild life conservation. Jose Jacob also visited this island as an assessment project.
10. Kalpeni has a population in excess of four thousand on its one square mile. This island also has a low power TV relay station, and one NIAR amateur radio DXpedition has been staged there.
11. Kiltan supports a population of 3,600 on its .85 square miles of island territory. This island also operates a low power over the air solar powered TV station.
(AWR-Wavescan #544)
Chicago Shortwave Station in Indiana
In our program today, we are as it were, Back Home Again in Indiana, this time, to tell the story of the Chicago Shortwave Station that was located in the western area of northern Indiana. This shortwave station was on the air for a period of some ten years, stretching from 1933 up until it was closed as an international security measure during World War II.
This new shortwave station in Indiana was established by Mackay Radio, and its first operator was Lewis Coe, who became well known in the pre World War II era as a prolific radio historian. He went on to write several books on early radio history in the United States in which he presented valuable information from both the technical as well as the operational point of view.
Back during the year 1932, the Mackay Radio Company established a line of shortwave communication stations stretching from New York, across the United States to San Francisco, and onward to Honolulu, Guam, Manila and China. In order to ensure reliable communication in Morse Code across the United States, Mackay needed an intermediate relay station somewhere in the middle of the continental United States. Chicago and its environs were chosen for this purpose; and specifically, two country locations just across the state border in Indiana.
The location for the combined operating facility and receiver station back at that time was on an isolated 120 acre tract of land in a remote area in Merrillville Indiana where the only access was at the end of an unmarked dirt track. The experienced Morse Code operator Lewis Coe took part in the start up of this Mackay Radio Station and he became their first Chief Operator. Morse Code communication on shortwave from this station under the registered callsign WMEC was made in both directions as needed, towards Mackay stations WSF in New York in the east and KFS in San Francisco in the west.
Soon after this Indiana station was inaugurated, it took part in a double monumental and historic event. This is how it happened. Back during the early 1930's, there was a space race on between the United States and Russia, to see who could be the first to fly the highest in altitude. In a joint project between the National Geographic magazine and the United States army, a high altitude balloon was launched from a country location near Rapid City South Dakota on July 28, 1934. A second attempt was made on November 11 during the following year (1935), and a record height of 74,000 feet, a little over 14 miles, was achieved.
On both occasions, the attached gondola carried a small shortwave radio transmitter for live communication with the ground below. The signal was then relayed to shortwave stations W9XF in Chicago, and to W3XL and W3XAL in New Jersey for worldwide coverage.
The airborne transmitter made its broadcasts on 13050 kHz and it was registered with the callsign W10XCX on the first occasion, and with the callsign W10XFH on the second occasion. The radio station on the ground below was identified with the callsign W10XCW on the first occasion and as W10XFN on the second occasion, and it transmitted with 200 watts on 6350 kHz. The Mackay radio station WMEC in Indiana participated in the transmission tests from the air borne gondola Explorer (1) and Explorer 2 on both occasions. These test broadcasts were designed to discover what is the effect of super high altitude on the transmission of a shortwave signal.
The transmitter facility for Mackay Radio Chicago was installed in the center of a 90 acre marginal farm property at St John Indiana that had been obtained at a bargain price. There was a 10 mile separation between the two facilities for Mackay Radio WMEC, with the receiver station at Merrillville and the transmitter station at St John, some 24 miles south east of Chicago. During its 10 years of communication service, several shortwave transmitters were installed at St. Johns, including one at 10 kW, which was considered at the time to be quite high powered. In 1938, Operator Lewis Coe was re-appointed by Mackay management as the Chief Operator in the transmitter station at St. John.
With the American involvement in World War 2 in the middle of last century, changes came to the shortwave radio scene also. Some stations were taken over by the government, some were abandoned. Station WMEC was closed in June 1942, as a wartime requirement, and then it was taken over by the American Army Signal Corps. Beginning on August 1 (1942), the Signal Corps leased station WMEC from the Mackay Radio company with the intent of opening a radio circuit with an American air base located at Churchill on the edge of Hudson Bay in Canada. However, when the Hudson Bay project was cancelled, Lewis Coe was then required to remove the electronic equipment from the Indiana station and ship it to the large Mackay Shortwave Station at Brentwood on Long Island, New York. The equipment was then rebuilt and shipped again, this time to Algiers in North Africa, where it was installed as a new Mackay shortwave communication station rated at 50 kW.
The last project that Lewis Coe worked on for Mackay Radio was the re-furbishing and re-opening in 1945 of their New York shortwave station WSF which had been closed during the war.
The Mackay properties in Indiana were sold off after the war. The location of the receiver station for Mackay Radio WMEC at Merrillville Indiana is now in use as a large shopping complex, the Southlake Shopping Mall, at the southeastern corner of Lincoln Highway and Mississippi Street. The location of the transmitter station for Mackay Radio WMEC at St. John in Indiana is now under water all year round at a small lake on the north side of West 93rd Avenue, opposite West Oakridge Drive, we would suggest.
(AWR-Wavescan # 542)
Free Radio Service Holland slated for July broadcast
Free Radio Service Holland will broadcast on 28 July, 2019 on the following schedule:
All times UTC
1652-2100 on 5810*unknown kW / unknown to WeEu English/Dutch
1652-2100 on 7700 unknown kW / unknown to WeEu English/Dutch
*alt.freq.is 5800 unknown kW / unknown to WeEu English/Dutch
Free Radio Service Holland will be on with the first of two summer evening broadcasts. Similar to what we have done in the past few years, the programs will be aired.
Reports, but more over personal comments are more than welcome to:
P.O. Box 2702
6049 ZG Herten
Netherlands
or via email frs@frsholland.nl.
Please note: the unofficial celebration of our 39th Anniversary will be on Sunday, 01 September, 2019. Details will follow in the second half of August.
(FRS)
Thursday, July 25, 2019
The Radio Scene on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean
In our mini-series on the story of radio transmissions from the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, we have covered the early eras from 1914 up until 1946 in previous editions of our DX program Wavescan. Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago is 37 miles long, it is mostly covered with coconut trees, there are no dangerous animals on the island, though there are wild horses and wild donkeys as a leftover from the colonial days. Diego Garcia is an island of dispute between Great Britain and Mauritius.
Let’s see now what happens next in our sequence of information regarding the island called Diego Garcia. Before we get to the radio scene though, we note that the first postage stamps issued on Diego Garcia, in 1968, showed a series of land and sea animals from the Seychelles Islands. These stamps were overprinted in black with the initials BIOT, identifying the British Indian Ocean Territory. Since then the postal service in the British Indian Ocean Territory has issued more than 500 different stamps which have been in use mainly on the capital city island Diego Garcia.
As a result of negotiations between the United States and Great Britain, work on a large joint radio communication station on Diego Garcia began in 1971. Two facilities were constructed. The transmitter station is located at the northern edge of the island on the western side of the lagoon, adjacent to the south of what was the huge circular Wullenwever receiver station, or the Elephant Cage as these massive aerial systems were known colloquially. The receiver station is located a dozen miles distant almost at the southern tip of the island.
Very little has been made known of the technical equipment at the American communication station on Diego Garcia. However, we do know that at least some of their transmitters are rated at 3 kW; the international callsign is NKW; and one of its major purposes is for rapid communication with security personnel and with wide area international events in the Asian and Middle Eastern scene.
In 1978, for example, a total of 78 shortwave frequencies were listed for use at station NKW. This shortwave station is still on the air to this day with the transmission of electronically coded information. Beginning in the year 2000, AFN American Forces Network programming was broadcast from NKW and beamed to American forces in Afghanistan. The daytime frequency was 12579 kHz, and the nighttime frequency was 4319 kHz, both in USB Upper Side Band mode.
The shortwave channels were heard, and verified, by international radio monitors living in Europe, North America, India, Sri Lanka, and the South Pacific. This program relay was on the air for a period of 15 years, and it came to an end in mid 2015.Perhaps of even greater interest to the international radio monitor than their program rely on shortwave was their mediumwave station which was on the air with an irregular callsign, and obviously with approval from the local authorities. The AFRTS American Forces Radio TV station on Diego Garcia identified on air as AFDG, American Forces Diego Garcia, and it was launched as Radio Reindeer with 25 watts on 1475 kHz in 1972.
The original studio and transmitter were housed in a back room in the Special Services Building, and most of the programming was produced locally and very informally. Inserted programming came from AFRTS studios in the United States. The existence of AFDG mediumwave on Diego Garcia was unrecognized internationally until the noted international radio monitor in Colombo Sri Lanka, Victor Goonetilleke heard this lonesome and isolated station on 1475 kHz. At that stage, it was said to be operating with 50 watts.
Four years later, the station was on the air with an increase in power to 250 watts though the operating channel was still the split frequency 1475 kHz. Accurate reception reports were received from Japan, New Zealand, India, the Maldive Islands, and Sri Lanka, all of which were ultimately confirmed by the volunteer station staff. Dr. S. Chowdhury from the Indian DX Club International in Calcutta visited South India for the express purpose of listening to AFDG and making sample recordings of its programming.
Around the mid 1980s, the station moved up 10 kHz to another split channel 1485 kHz. Then during the year 2015, the mediumwave transmitter, a professionally made CPA transmitter from the United States was silenced forever, though the 135 ft tower still stands.
An FM transmitter with 10 watts on 101.9 MHz began a full time relay from the mediumwave station in 1978 and nearly 10 years later, a new 200 watt transmitter was installed. These days, AFDG is on the air from 2 FM transmitters with separate programming, 99.1 and 101.9 MHz, together with 4 channels of TV at 200 watts each.
In addition BFBS radio and TV programming from London is also available over the air on Diego Garcia on several channels, some of which is linked with programming from Nepal in the Nepali language. Cable & Wireless was established in Diego Garcia in 1982; and there was an amateur radio station on the island, a club station with the call VQ9X, for a period of nearly 23 years running from 1991 to 2013.
QSLs from AFDG mediumwave are quite rare, and these were issued by mail and electronically to a few international radio monitors who were fortunate enough to log this exotic little radio station. Victor Goonetilleke heard the station again while on a DXpedition to a small island near Colombo Sri Lanka and he received two QSLs by post in the same envelope; one verifying his most recent mediumwave logging, and the other verifying an earlier shortwave report.
Another international radio monitor who was living in India at the time, heard AFDG Diego Garcia mediumwave while he was on a professional itinerary to the Maldive Islands in 1985. After sending a reception report to the station several times, he received two self-prepared QSL cards through the post, one in 1986 and another in 1987.
(AWR-Wavescan/NWS #537)
Let’s see now what happens next in our sequence of information regarding the island called Diego Garcia. Before we get to the radio scene though, we note that the first postage stamps issued on Diego Garcia, in 1968, showed a series of land and sea animals from the Seychelles Islands. These stamps were overprinted in black with the initials BIOT, identifying the British Indian Ocean Territory. Since then the postal service in the British Indian Ocean Territory has issued more than 500 different stamps which have been in use mainly on the capital city island Diego Garcia.
As a result of negotiations between the United States and Great Britain, work on a large joint radio communication station on Diego Garcia began in 1971. Two facilities were constructed. The transmitter station is located at the northern edge of the island on the western side of the lagoon, adjacent to the south of what was the huge circular Wullenwever receiver station, or the Elephant Cage as these massive aerial systems were known colloquially. The receiver station is located a dozen miles distant almost at the southern tip of the island.
Very little has been made known of the technical equipment at the American communication station on Diego Garcia. However, we do know that at least some of their transmitters are rated at 3 kW; the international callsign is NKW; and one of its major purposes is for rapid communication with security personnel and with wide area international events in the Asian and Middle Eastern scene.
In 1978, for example, a total of 78 shortwave frequencies were listed for use at station NKW. This shortwave station is still on the air to this day with the transmission of electronically coded information. Beginning in the year 2000, AFN American Forces Network programming was broadcast from NKW and beamed to American forces in Afghanistan. The daytime frequency was 12579 kHz, and the nighttime frequency was 4319 kHz, both in USB Upper Side Band mode.
The shortwave channels were heard, and verified, by international radio monitors living in Europe, North America, India, Sri Lanka, and the South Pacific. This program relay was on the air for a period of 15 years, and it came to an end in mid 2015.Perhaps of even greater interest to the international radio monitor than their program rely on shortwave was their mediumwave station which was on the air with an irregular callsign, and obviously with approval from the local authorities. The AFRTS American Forces Radio TV station on Diego Garcia identified on air as AFDG, American Forces Diego Garcia, and it was launched as Radio Reindeer with 25 watts on 1475 kHz in 1972.
The original studio and transmitter were housed in a back room in the Special Services Building, and most of the programming was produced locally and very informally. Inserted programming came from AFRTS studios in the United States. The existence of AFDG mediumwave on Diego Garcia was unrecognized internationally until the noted international radio monitor in Colombo Sri Lanka, Victor Goonetilleke heard this lonesome and isolated station on 1475 kHz. At that stage, it was said to be operating with 50 watts.
Four years later, the station was on the air with an increase in power to 250 watts though the operating channel was still the split frequency 1475 kHz. Accurate reception reports were received from Japan, New Zealand, India, the Maldive Islands, and Sri Lanka, all of which were ultimately confirmed by the volunteer station staff. Dr. S. Chowdhury from the Indian DX Club International in Calcutta visited South India for the express purpose of listening to AFDG and making sample recordings of its programming.
Around the mid 1980s, the station moved up 10 kHz to another split channel 1485 kHz. Then during the year 2015, the mediumwave transmitter, a professionally made CPA transmitter from the United States was silenced forever, though the 135 ft tower still stands.
An FM transmitter with 10 watts on 101.9 MHz began a full time relay from the mediumwave station in 1978 and nearly 10 years later, a new 200 watt transmitter was installed. These days, AFDG is on the air from 2 FM transmitters with separate programming, 99.1 and 101.9 MHz, together with 4 channels of TV at 200 watts each.
In addition BFBS radio and TV programming from London is also available over the air on Diego Garcia on several channels, some of which is linked with programming from Nepal in the Nepali language. Cable & Wireless was established in Diego Garcia in 1982; and there was an amateur radio station on the island, a club station with the call VQ9X, for a period of nearly 23 years running from 1991 to 2013.
QSLs from AFDG mediumwave are quite rare, and these were issued by mail and electronically to a few international radio monitors who were fortunate enough to log this exotic little radio station. Victor Goonetilleke heard the station again while on a DXpedition to a small island near Colombo Sri Lanka and he received two QSLs by post in the same envelope; one verifying his most recent mediumwave logging, and the other verifying an earlier shortwave report.
Another international radio monitor who was living in India at the time, heard AFDG Diego Garcia mediumwave while he was on a professional itinerary to the Maldive Islands in 1985. After sending a reception report to the station several times, he received two self-prepared QSL cards through the post, one in 1986 and another in 1987.
(AWR-Wavescan/NWS #537)
The Titanic Tragedy: The Flow of Wireless Messages
During the past month or two, we have been presenting a series of topics here in Wavescan on the tragic story of the unexpected sinking of the grand passenger liner Titanic while it was on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic in April 1912. In these previous topics, we have presented the story of the loss of the Titanic itself, as well as the story of several of the ships and land stations whose wireless facilities were involved in communicating the news of these events to a waiting audience in North America and beyond.
In our program today, the focus of international attention is transferred from the Titanic itself to the rescue ship Carpathia, together with its multitude of wireless messages directed to North America. We examine these matters; and each reference to time is given, not in Titanic time in the Atlantic, but rather in local time in New York City. New York time was 1:50 hours, that is 1 hour and 50 minutes, behind Titanic time.
The Titanic station MGY was in a lengthy routine wireless communication with Cape Race station MCE Newfoundland during mid evening Sunday April 14, 1912 at the time when the Titanic struck its disastrous iceberg. As is sometimes claimed, David Sarnoff, supposedly at the Wanamaker Store WHI New York, was not in communication with the Titanic during that time.
At 10:25 pm, the Titanic MGY sent its first CQD message at the order of Captain Edward Smith, stating that they had hit an iceberg, and that they were needing immediate assistance. This first distress call in Morse Code was heard by land based stations at Cape Race MCE and Cape Cod (Boston) MCC, as well as by the ships Mount Temple MLQ and La Provence MLP.
It is also possible that other Morse Code wireless stations elsewhere, now unknown, also heard that same tragic message. At that stage, wireless activity on the longwave and mediumwave bands, as they are now known, was generally quite quiet.
Just seven minutes later, the Carpathia MPA told the Titanic MGY, we are on our way; and they arrived 4½ hours later. By that time the Titanic had already sunk (2½ hours earlier), and now 1500 people were already tragically dead. However, the Carpathia was indeed still able to rescue 700 survivors.
From this time onwards, international attention was no longer focused upon the Titanic, but rather now upon the Carpathia. The flashings and thunderings of spark wireless transmitters aboard ship and on land produced an unmitigated chaos that had never before been witnessed in the radio spectrum.
Back in those days, wireless was still quite in its infancy, and among the multitude of problems encountered by wireless operators in the transfer of information from the Titanic-Carpathia situation to mainland North America were the following circumstances:-
* Acting upon the request of advice from ashore, Captain Arthur Rostron aboard the Carpathia MPA had directed his wireless operators not to provide newspaper personnel with specific information about the Titanic disaster, though they could give brief personal messages and information about rescued survivors now aboard the Carpathia.
* The two wireless operators aboard the Carpathia, 21 year old Harold Cottam and 22 year old Harold Bride from the Titanic, were massively overloaded with incoming and outgoing messages.
* The spark wireless transmitter at MPA aboard the Carpathia was only a low powered unit. At the time, Marconi spark wireless stations aboard ship were rated generally at 1½ kW (considered as low powered) or 5 kW (considered as high powered).
* Marconi wireless operators were directed by their company to communicate only with Marconi stations, and not with stations using other equipment, except in an emergency.
* Many spark transmitters were electronically untuned, though generally they were on air wideband according to the resonant tuning of the equipment and antenna system.
* QRM interference from stronger signals overpowered weaker signals making them unreadable.
* Atmospheric static QRN, especially from lightning and wind and water storms, interrupted the reception of wireless signals.
* Most wireless receivers back then were not much more than an unpowered simple (or perhaps complicated) crystal receiver, with wide band tuning. (The Titanic though utilized a recently developed magnetic receiver with a new Fleming valve detector, though that receiver was now at the bottom of the Atlantic.)
* Many ships acted as intermediate relay stations between the Carpathia and the land based stations in North America.
* Many land stations also were attempting to communicate with each other in an endeavor to obtain and provide the latest information.
* Many licensed (and unlicensed) amateur wireless stations were on the air, some acting courteously (and some maliciously) in an endeavor to spread the news.
* There were several versions of Morse Code in use at the time. The most widely used was the Continental (International) Morse Code which was an updated version of the original Vail-Morse Code. The American navy was still using a variety of Morse Code that was based upon the visual communication of information by maritime communication flags. Then too, there were additional Morse Code symbols that were in use for non-English elements in different languages, such as in German, French or Russian.
(AWS/Wavescan #NWS 536)
Why radio survives and thrives
Veterans of South African broadcasting share their thoughts on why radio still rocks, and has survived and flourished in a digital age.
Despite the all-consuming abundance of digital media, radio still occupies a premium spot in the hearts and minds of its listeners. It gives them a sense of place; a context for where they are right now; it entertains, educates, informs and advises.
“The job of radio is to deliver to the listener, making the emotional connection on a minute-to-minute basis,” says Ashraf Garda, SAfm radio host.
Additional story at: https://themediaonline.co.za/2019/07/why-radio-survives-and-thrives/
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Brazil's Radio MEC extinguished by Bolsonaro government
Brazil: Radio MEC AM, founded in 1923, is being closed by the Bolsonora government in Brazil. It transmits on medium wave 800 kHz in Rio de Janiero (100 kW re WRTH 2019) and Brasilia (10 kW re WRTH 2019) as well as on FM. This report (translated from Portuguese) is from newspaper Brasil de Fato July 5t edition, and notes the signal will be turned off on 31 July, 2019
(BDXC)
MEC AM radio, founded in 1923, four years after the emergence of Pernambuco Radio Club, the first in the country, was extinguished by the Broadcasting Brazil of Communication (EBC), as part of the changes required by the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PSL).
The signal will be turned off on July 31st, according to Lauro Jardim, d'O Globo's column. The closure, however, has not yet been officially confirmed nor communicated to the station's employees, founded by anthropologist Edgard Roquette-Pinto under the name Radio Society, was donated in 1936 to the federal government. Internal sources heard off by Brazil's Fato report confirm the closure information.
The acronym MEC stands for “Music, Education and Culture” and works in Rio de Janeiro. On its website, the station claims to have “about 50,000 records and productions” and “a heritage of recordings from testimonials ranging from Getúlio Vargas to Monteiro Lobato, through chronicles by Cecília Meireles and Manuel Bandeira”.
“The programming is totally focused on the diffusion of Brazilian culture. It contemplates all the diversity of Brazilian music, from genres such as choro, regional music, instrumental and concert music. It also has programs dedicated to literature, cinema, drama and the arts as a whole ”, states the description of public radio.
Edition: Pedro Ribeiro Nogueira
(Brasil de Fato)
https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2019/07/05/emissora-mais-antiga-na-ativa-do-brasil-radio-mec-e-extinta-por-governo-bolsonaro/
KTWR begins DRM in English on August 5
Hi Everyone,
KTWR is about to start regular DRM broadcasts to four different areas. We will do one day per week to each of four areas starting 05 August 2019. We will be working with the content server parameters to come up with the best compromise settings for each area. Each week will have different settings. We would really appreciate your feedback for as many weeks as possible. Your assistance will ultimately help give your fellow listeners the best possible reception in the long run. For now, all programs will be in English.
The schedule will be as follows, starting the week of 5 August through the end of the A19 broadcast season:
All times UTC - 05 August, 2019
Monday 11580kHz 1215-1245 target to South Asia 90kW
Tuesday 11995kHz 1026-1056 target to ANZ/South Pacific 50kW
Wednesday 11995kHz 1026-1056 target to China 50kW
Thursday 11995kHz 1026-1056 target to Japan/Korea 50kW
We hope you enjoy the broadcasts.
(Mike Sabin/KTWR, NH2MS
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
New Chief at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Is a Hopeful Sign for Much-Needed Leadership Change
The announcement of new leadership at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty could signal the beginning of a new era in U.S. international broadcasting.
Last week, foreign policy specialist and German Marshall Fund senior fellow Jamie Fly was appointed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s new president, a choice that bodes well for the mission and for management of the Prague-based media operation.
Story link from Radio World: https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/07/19/new-chief-at-radio-free-europe-radio-liberty-is-a-hopeful-sign-for-much-needed-leadership-change/
Radio Free Asia begins New QSL Series, May-August 2019
®
A reminder to our readers as the end of August nears for the Radio Pioneer QSL offer.
RADIO FREE ASIA ANNOUNCES RADIO PIONEER QSL #5 MAY 2019
Radio Free Asia (RFA)
announces the 5th design in our ‘radio pioneer’ QSL card series Lee
de Forest, 1873-1961, was an American inventor with over 180 patents who
described himself as the Father of Radio. His is best known for his 1906 invention
of the 3-element "Audion" vacuum tube which was a significant
contribution to making radio broadcasting possible. He is also well-regarded
for his influences on the development of long distance telephone lines and talking
motion pictures. This is RFA’s 70th
QSL design and is used to confirm all valid RFA reception reports from May – August
2019.
RFA’s Radio
Pioneer QSL #5 – Lee de Forest
RFA encourages listeners
to submit reception reports. Reception
reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and
quality of our transmissions. RFA
confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the
listener. RFA welcomes all reception
report submissions at http://techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not
only from DX’ers, but also from its general listening audience.
Reception reports are also
accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org and by mail to:
Reception Reports
Radio Free Asia
2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300
Washington DC 20036
United States of America
Radio’s Essential Role in Asia
Radiodays Asia, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, addresses challenges facing radio broadcasters in the region
Anders Held, 23 July 2019
STOCKHOLM — Radio is part of the lives of people around the world. In Asia this can amount to where hundreds of millions of listeners who tune in every day. Radio is a strong, inexpensive and effective medium to reach mass audiences.
Many of the challenges facing traditional radio elsewhere in the world are about to hit Asia. These include the expansion of music streaming services and ad investments being divided among other platforms such as social media. But the structure and maturity of the region’s radio industry differs a lot.
Additional story at Radio World:
http://www.radioworld.com/global/radio-essential-in-asia?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5931&utm_content=RWI_Newsbytes_July%2C+23%2C+2019+&utm_term=&m_i=dStw%2BCZ4IUJyKP8HKhkrF16FKBEgVcXQN9g2el3Oiemo5Kwp8_3Y1os8lk26DymLvdQvCTh6UWZ%2BoYFmAzjVM0wExqGq016ddT&M_BT=1063852520706
Monday, July 22, 2019
Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins
Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2019 Jul 22 0209 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 15 - 21 July 2019
Solar activity was very low on 15-21 July. No spotted regions were observed on the visible disk.
No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 15-21 July. Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet levels on 16-20 July. Quiet to unsettled levels were observed on 15 and 21 July.
Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 22 July - 17 August 2019
Solar activity is expected to be very low throughout the forecast 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 to high levels on 22, 27-30 July and 06-17 August. Normal to moderate levels are expected for the remainder of the forecast period.
Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at unsettled to active levels on 05-06 August due to recurrent coronal hole high speed stream influences. Quiet to unsettled levels are expected for the remainder of the forecast period.
Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2019 Jul 22 0209 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 2019-07-22
#
# UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest
# Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index
2019 Jul 22 67 5 2
2019 Jul 23 67 8 3
2019 Jul 24 67 8 3
2019 Jul 25 67 5 2
2019 Jul 26 67 8 3
2019 Jul 27 67 8 3
2019 Jul 28 67 8 3
2019 Jul 29 67 5 2
2019 Jul 30 67 5 2
2019 Jul 31 67 5 2
2019 Aug 01 67 5 2
2019 Aug 02 67 5 2
2019 Aug 03 67 5 2
2019 Aug 04 67 8 3
2019 Aug 05 67 15 4
2019 Aug 06 67 15 4
2019 Aug 07 67 8 3
2019 Aug 08 67 5 2
2019 Aug 09 67 5 2
2019 Aug 10 67 5 2
2019 Aug 11 67 5 2
2019 Aug 12 67 5 2
2019 Aug 13 67 5 2
2019 Aug 14 67 5 2
2019 Aug 15 67 5 2
2019 Aug 16 67 5 2
2019 Aug 17 67 5 2
(NOAA)
Saturday, July 20, 2019
From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, July 21-27
From the Isle of Music, July 21-27
This week, a Cuban dance party with some excellent charangas including Orquesta Estrellas de la Charanga, Enrique Álvarez, and Ritmo Oriental.
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 0000-0100 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 the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, July 21 and 23, 2019
Episode 122 brings you some very intriguing contemporary music from Serbia.
The broadcast take place:
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
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 a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer
Tilford Productions, LLC
Friday, July 19, 2019
JSR Shiokaze schedule update
Effective: 17 July, 2019
All times UTC
1300-1400 5920 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 5935 and second frequency same time 6040 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 6070 as follows:
1300-1330 Chinese Mon; Japanese Tue/Sat; Korean Wed/Fri/Sun; English Thu
1330-1400 Korean Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat; Japanese Tue/Sun; English Thu
1600-1700 5935 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 5920 and second frequency same time 5980 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs, ex 6165 is as follows
1600-1630 Chinese Mon; Japanese Tue/Sat; Korean Wed/Fri/Sun; English Thu
1630-1700 Korean Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat; Japanese Tue/Sun; English Thu
Frequency change of Furusato no Kaze via Shiokaze Sea Breeze
Effective: 06 June, 2019
1405-1435 6090 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs Japanese Daily, ex 5980
1405-1435 6165 YAM 300 kW / 280 deg to NEAs Japanese Daily, ex 6070
(DXB/Teak Publishing)
Shortwave Radiogram weekend schedules
I'm late again with this weekly email. After producing Shortwave Radiogram on Thursday, I sometimes don't have the time - or energy - to produce this email until the next day. I will try to get back on schedule next week.
A video of last weekend's Shortwave Radiogram (program 108), Friday 1300 UTC, is provided by Scott in Ontario. Ralf in Germany usually also produces a video for us, but reception last Sunday at 2330 UTC was not good at his location. 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 nine images.
Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 109, 18-21 July 2019, in MFSK modes as noted:
1:42 MFSK32: Program preview
2:49 Planting trees can buy time to fight climate change*
9:18 MFSK64: Apollo 11 needed world participation*
15:28 This week's images*
28:17 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
All times UTC days
Frequency Transmitter
Friday 1300-1330 15770 kHz WRMI Florida
Friday 1500-1530 15120 kHz DRM WINB Pennsylvania
Saturday 0230-0300 - 9265 kHz WINB Pennsylvania
Sunday 0800-0830 - 5850 kHz
7730 kHz WRMI Florida
Sunday 2330-2400 - 7780 kHz WRMI Florida
The Mighty KBC transmits to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 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, 9395 kHz, Thursday 0130-0230 UTC (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/
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 1200 UTC on 3584 kHz USB, and the Pennsylvania NBEMS net Sunday at 1200 UTC on 3583 kHz USB (with out-of-state check-ins now starting at 1130 UTC). Check-ins are usually in Thor 22, and messages are in MFSK32 (PA NBEMS is experimenting with Thor 50x1 for messages). 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.
Thanks for your reception reports!
Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB
Producer and Presenter
Shortwave Radiogram
Reporting on international broadcasting at https://twitter.com/kaedotcom
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
RAE Argentina schedule update
RAE Argentina, relays via WRMI Okeechobee, Florida
Effective: 13 July, 2019
All times UTC
2100-2200 - 9395 YFR 100 kW to ENAm Italian Mon-Fri WRMI-6 new time
2200-2300 - 7780 YFR 100 kW to WeEu German Mon-Fri WRMI-1 new time
2100-2200 - 7780 YFR 100 kW / 044 deg to WeEu Ger.Mo-We/Fr/Sa WRMI-1 (deleted)
2200-2300 - 7780 YFR 100 kW / 044 deg to WeEu Italian Mon-Fri WRMI-1 (deleted)
(DX Bulgaria/Teak Publishing)
Monday, July 15, 2019
From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules
From the Isle of Music, July 16-20: This week, our guest is Harold López-Nussa, who will share his latest Jazz release with us.
The broadcasts take place:
For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere 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 0000-0100 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 the Netherlands during the broadcast at http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, July 16, 2019
Episode 121 brings you popular music from Nicaragua. The transmissions take place: 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 a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=6070am
In recent weeks, reception of the Tuesday night broadcasts on 6070 kHz, has been very good in Western Russia.
( William "Bill" Tilford,
Owner/Producer Tilford Productions, LLC)
World's Last Chance Radio, schedule update
After several editions of a broadcast schedule for World Last Chance Radio on WBCQ, the following schedule has been reported as active on 9330 kHz.
World's Last Chance Radio via WBCQ-6
On the air probably only 12 hours per day, instead of registered 24 hours as follows:
All times UTC
2000-2357 on 9330 Arabic
0000-0357 on 9330 English
0400-0557 on 9330 English
0600-0757 on 9330 English
(DX Mix-Bulgaria)
VOA adds new service on 29 July
The Voice of America, will add a new language service to their summer schedule. Effective from 29 July 2019, the new broadcast will air Monday-Friday at 1200 - 1230 UTC in the Rohingya language on 7460, 9310 kHz (both from Thailand) and 11565 kHz (Philippines). Rohingya is a language spoken by Rohingya people of Rakhain state of Myanmar.
(WRTH/FB)
Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins
Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2019 Jul 15 0223 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 08 - 14 July 2019
Solar activity was at very low levels throughout the reporting period. Region 2744 (S27, Lo=209, class/area=Bxo/020 on 07 Jul) decayed to played by 08 Jul. A coronal dimming was observed in the SDO/AIA 193 beginning around 14/0030 UTC from near the vicinity of old Region 2744 (S27W46). A subsequent CME signature associated with the event was observed in SOHO/LASCO C2 imagery beginning at 14//0236 UTC. The slow-moving, narrow and faint signature from the SW limb was modeled and the resulting WSA-Enlil output suggested no Earth-directed component was present.
No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal background levels on 08-09 Jul. An increase to moderate to high levels, in response to activity from a negative polarity CH HSS, was observed on 10 Jul and persisted through 14 Jul.
Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels. An abrupt enhancement from a possible transient was observed at 08/1829 UTC. Total field increase from 4 to 10 nT and solar wind speeds increased from 300 km/s to a brief peak of 400 km/s resulting in an isolated period of active conditions. Late on 09 Jul, the onset of a positive polarity CH HSS increased wind speeds to a peak of 663 km/s and total field to 13 nT. G1 storm conditions followed a period of sustained southward Bz with values reaching as far south as -11 nT at 09/1845 UTC. A final period of G1 storm conditions was observed early on 10 Jul as influence from the CH HSS persisted. Quiet to unsettled levels on 11 Jul transitioned to quiet through the end of the reporting period as the solar wind returned to nominal levels.
Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 15 July - 10 August 2019
Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels over the outlook period.
No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to range from the normal background to high levels. High levels are expected from 15-18 Jul and 06-10 Aug; moderate levels are expected on 19-21 Jul; the remainder of the outlook period is expected to be at the normal background levels. All enhancements in electron flux are expected due to the anticipation of the multiple,recurrent CH HSSs.
Geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to active levels. Active levels are expected on 15-16 Jul and 05-06 Aug; unsettled levels are expected on 17 Jul, 28 Jul, 04 Aug and 07 Aug; the remainder of the outlook period is expected to be at quiet levels. All increases in geomagnetic activity are due to the anticipation of multiple, recurrent CH HSSs.
roduct: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2019 Jul 15 0223 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 2019-07-15
#
# UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest
# Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index
2019 Jul 15 67 10 4
2019 Jul 16 67 12 4
2019 Jul 17 67 8 3
2019 Jul 18 67 5 2
2019 Jul 19 67 5 2
2019 Jul 20 67 5 2
2019 Jul 21 67 5 2
2019 Jul 22 67 5 2
2019 Jul 23 67 5 2
2019 Jul 24 67 5 2
2019 Jul 25 67 5 2
2019 Jul 26 67 5 2
2019 Jul 27 67 5 2
2019 Jul 28 67 8 3
2019 Jul 29 67 5 2
2019 Jul 30 67 5 2
2019 Jul 31 67 5 2
2019 Aug 01 67 5 2
2019 Aug 02 67 5 2
2019 Aug 03 67 5 2
2019 Aug 04 67 8 3
2019 Aug 05 67 15 4
2019 Aug 06 67 15 4
2019 Aug 07 67 8 3
2019 Aug 08 67 5 2
2019 Aug 09 67 5 2
2019 Aug 10 67 5 2
(NOAA)
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Radio Romania International, announces contest for listeners
Radio Romania International/ Contest / Iasi -
Historical Capital of Romania Iasi - Historical Capital of Romania
Eugen Cojocariu, Alecu Marciuc
Dadio Romania International, invites you to participate in a new prize winning contest, entitled "Iasi - Historical Capital of Romania", devoted to the city of Iasi and Iasi County in northeastern Romania.
In 2018, the year of the Great Union Centennial, the city of Iasi was declared under Law no. 361/2018 "Historical Capital of Romania".
Also last year Alba Iulia was proclaimed "Capital of the Great Union". Iasi was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia between 1564-1859, one of the two capitals of the United Romanian Principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia) over 1859-1862, as well as the capital of the Kingdom of Romania between 1916-1918, during the Great War, when Bucharest was under German occupation.
Over May 2, 2019 and May 1, 2020 Iasi has been declared the Capital of Youth in Romania, as part of a national programme devoted to young people. On June 1, 2019 Iasi was visited by his Holy Father Pope Francis, becoming for a few hours the world capital of religion. Iasi is a city of culture and the arts, of high-quality education, history, religion and tourism, but also the birthplace of scores of iconic Romanians.
We invite you to follow RRI's broadcasts, our site http://www.rri.ro and our F_B and LinkedIn profiles and provide correct answers, in writing, to the contest questions. The contest ends on August 31, 2019, mailing date (August 31, at midnight, Romania's time, for online participants).
Two Grand Prizes will be offered to two RRI listeners, consisting of an 8-day (7-night) trip, full-board, over October 10-17, 2019, sponsored by Majestic Hotel in Iasi.
As usual, winners will be asked to cover personal transportation to Romania as well as proceedings to obtain a visa for Romania, where necessary. Additional prizes consisting in objects that promote the
culture of Iasi will be up for grabs.
The contest is co-organized by the Iasi City Hall, The Bishopric of Moldavia and Bukovina, the Roman-Catholic Diocese of Iasi, the Iasi National Museum Complex, the Federation of Youth NGOs
from Iasi, Radio Romania Iasi and other partners.
And now the questions:
- In what context was Iasi the capital of Romania?
- What was Iasi declared over 2019-2020?
- Which world leader visited Iasi early this summer?
Please tell us what prompted you to participate in the contest and why you are listening to RRI's broadcasts and following RRI's content online.
Our address is:
Radio Romania International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, Sector 1,
Bucharest, P.O.Box 111, code 010165, Romania, Europe.
fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro
Please send your answers by August 31, 2019, mailing date (August 31 28, 2019, 24:00 hours Romanian time, for online contributions).
The rules and regulations of this contest are available online and on RRI's F_B profile. Good luck!
(Paul Gager-AUT, via BrDXC-UK and direct via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 3)
(WWDXC/Top News 13 Jul 2019)
KBS World Radio schedule note
KBS World Radio, July 5, 2019
Hello Listeners,
We are delighted to announce that our shortwave transmission from Kimje, South Korea will be normalized after a three week test transmission starting at 0400 UTC on July 8th, 2019.
We thank you for your patience during the past year.
Our English programming on 9785 kHz that was initially moved to 1800-2100 UT due to a transmitter problem will be back on 1400-1700 UT at a stronger output of 250 kW.
Listeners who tune into our programs on 11810 kHz and 15575 kHz can also expect to enjoy better reception since the current 100 kW transmitter will be replaced by a 250 kW transmitter.
Please be sure to tune into KBS World Radio during the test transmission period and send us your reception reports.
Your feedback will help us find ways to improve your listening experience.
Thank you!
http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/about_notice_view.htm?lang=e&no=31617
(via Mike Terry-UK, BrDXC-UK ng July 5/Top News)
AIR Mumbai schedule update
 |
| All India Radio - Delhi, India) |
The revised schedule follows as:
All times UTC
7340 kHz 0025-0430 Urdu
7340 kHz 0830-1130 Urdu
7340 kHz 1130-1140 Home Service
7340 kHz 1230-1500 Sindhi
7340 kHz 1500-1600 Baluchi
11935 kHz 1745-1945 in English (east Africa target area)
(Jose Jacob-IND VU2JOS, www.qsl.net/vu2jos DXindia July 3)