Saturday, July 07, 2007

Blog Logs

Morocco
1185.8 RTM-"C", Casablanca, 0905-1110, 24 Jun, Berber, talks, chanting; 55454 but distorted audio that got worse as day progressed. (Carlos Goncalves-Por)

7308 RTM-"C", Sebaa-Aioun, 0926-. 23 Jun, Berber, prayer, music,harmonic of 1044 (S=9+40dB). (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26) (Carlos Goncalves - Por)

7308 RTM-"C", Sebaa-Aioun, 0926-. 23 Jun, Berber, prayer, music, .;
harmonic of 1044 (S=9+40dB). (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26) (Carlos Goncalves - Por)

Nigeria
4770 R. Nigeria, Kaduna, 1001-1026, 24 Jun, English, mass sermon; 15341, but carrier was still detectable as late as 1230! Nigeria 4770 & Benin 5025 are the only 60 m band African stns audible until mid~late morning. (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

Peru
4746.8 R. Huanta 2000, Huanta, 2311-2323, 22 Jun, Spanish, long advertisement for "Rio Farma" (natural medicines); 45333.C(arlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

4775 R. Tarma, Tarma, 2258-2307, 22 Jun, Spanish, advertisements, ID+freq. announcement at 2303, prgr "Antena Deportiva"; 24342, QRM de B. (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)
4940 R. San Antonio, Villa Atalaya, 2235-2246, 22 Jun, Spanish, light songs, TCs; 35322. (Carlos Goncalves-Por,wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

4950 R. Madre de Dios, Pto Maldonado, 2244-2253, 23 Jun, Spanish, songs; (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

4955 R. Cultural Amauta, Huanta, 2241-2248, 23 Jun, Spanish, talks;SINPO 35342.(Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

6019.6 R. Vitoria, Lima, 2249-2255, 23 Jun, Spanish, preacher before live audience; 44433. (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

Singapore
3915 BBC Kranji relay, 2318-2330, 22 Jun, WS in English, "The World Today" feature; 44333, adjt. uty. QRM - a signal that's pesting 3915 for quite some time. (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

South Africa
3320 SAUK/R. Sonder Grense, Meyerton, 2146-2209, 22 Jun, Afrikaans, music, newscast 2200; 55333.(Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)

Swaziland
4775 -Manzini, 0454-0509 Jun 23, religious talk by a man followed by ID and usual tuning signal between programs. Opened another program at 0500. Very poor with much static.

3240 Manzini, 0332-0345* Jun 24, choral vocals followed by a man with religious talk in listed Ndau language. Mix of children's choir vocals and talks until another man gave ID at close followed by hand bells. Fair. (Rich D'Angelo-PA-USA, DXplorer June 26)

USA
15445, 2000-2100, VOA Jun 11 English announcer with African Beat program. Very strong signal, and excellent African music from around the continent. VOA ID and sign-off at 2100*. (Guy Atkins-WA-USA, DXplorer June 19) not Thailand

Zimbabwe
4828 Voice of Zimbabwe, Guineafowl, 2137-., 23 Jun, non-stop African pops; 55333. At the same time, ZBC 3396 was at full steam too. and with the same sort of menu, by the way. (Carlos Goncalves-Por, wwdxc BC-DX June 26)
(Source: WWDXC Top News/BC-dx #814)












Radio Netherlands program preview July 8 - 13


SUNDAY 8 JULY

*** Amsterdam Forum ***

This week Amsterdam Forum examines the rights and wrongs of adopting from
abroad.

In a recent wave of scandals it's come to light that some children adopted
by westerners have in fact been stolen from their biological parents. As it
becomes harder to adopt from Europe couples with the desire to become
parents are looking further afield for their new family members, but at
whose expense.

Child trafficking can not be tolerated, but how can it be controlled and
should children be brought up in their own culture at all costs? Is giving a
child any opportunity for a better future to be applauded? We debate these
issues with an expect panel and hear one adoptee's personal story.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N
America), 1500 (South Asia), 1800 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa),
0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400 (Western N America)

Repeated: Sat 1900 (Central, East and South Africa)

*** Echoes ***

Our new listener feedback programme. Mindy Ran responds to your comments,
queries and complaints about our programmes. And featuring every week A
Critical Eye - commentary from Perro de Jong.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1045 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1145 (Eastern N
America), 1545 (South Asia), 1845 & 2045 (Central, East and South Africa),
0045 (Eastern N America), 0145 (Central N America), 0445 (Western N America)

Repeated: Sat 1945 (Central, East and South Africa)

Note that on Sunday we also run repeats of:

Flatlanders or EuroHit 40: 1400 (South Asia)

Arts and Culture: 1430 (South Asia)

The State We're in: 1900 (Central, East and South Africa)

MONDAY 9 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N
America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and
South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400
(Western N America)

*** Flatlanders ***

Flatlanders features either Dutch people living here or working abroad, or
people who've come to the Netherlands for professional or personal reasons.

Our guest this week is a young rising star on the visual arts scene: video
artist Erik van Lieshout. Following a spate of exhibitions in Europe and
America, van Lieshout has attracted international attention with films and
theatrical installations that combine images of sex and violence with biting
comment on the Netherlands, the new rich, Hollywood, psychoanalysis and
immigrants. Erik van Lieshout also definitely has a sense of humour.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N
America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa),
0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)
Repeated: Sun 1400 (South Asia), Wednesday 1500 (South Asia) 1900 (Central,
East and South Africa)

TUESDAY 10 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N
America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and
South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400
(Western N America)

*** The State We're In, Midweek Report ***

This week on The State We're In - Midweek Edition, we ask the normally
neutral International Committee of the Red Cross why they've condemned the
Burmese government's human rights abuses.

And we're halfway to the planned completion of the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals - but how close are we to actually eliminating poverty?

Listen to this week's programme or take part in the discussion on our
website www.thestatewerein.org.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N
America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa),
0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)
Repeated: Thu 1430, 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa)
Sun 1900 (Central, East and South Africa)

WEDNESDAY 11 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N
America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and
South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400
(Western N America)

*** Arts and Culture ***

"An Ode to Health and Ignorance"

At the recent 2007 New York Festivals, Chris Chambers was awarded a Bronze
World Medal in the category "Health/Medical" for the programme "An Ode to
Health and Ignorance". It was originally broadcast in September 2006 in our
Vox Humana series and received an extraordinary amount of listener response.

What is it like to have a chronic illness? To have a disease which is very
difficult to treat and to diagnose? A condition which isn't even recognised
in many quarters of the medical profession? Welcome to the world of Chronic
Lyme Disease. A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N
America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa),
0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)

Repeated: Fri 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa), Sun
14:30 (South Asia)

THURSDAY 12 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N
America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and
South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400
(Western N America)

*** The Research File ***

The Research File reports on science in the widest possible sense.

Laura Durnford and Thijs Westerbeek keep a close watch on the latest
research and the hottest scientific topics. Climate change, cancer research,
bio fuels, new medicines, recycling, nano technology, anything the audience
might find interesting can and will be covered in an interesting and
easy-to-follow fashion

So if you want to be 'in the know' then don't miss The Research File.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N
America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa),
0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)

Repeated: Mon 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa), Sat
1430 (South Asia)

FRIDAY 13 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N
America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and
South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400
(Western N America)

*** Network Europe ***

A Pan European team links up across the continent each week to provide a
fresh perspective on events and life in Europe.

The programme is a unique example of European co-operation, produced by the
continent's leading international broadcasters, it reflects the diversity of
European society and voices. Each week we drop in on specialists around
Europe and catch up with our extensive network of correspondents for their
unique take on the events shaping the week.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N
America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa),
0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)

Repeated: Tues 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa),
Sat 1400 (South Asia)

Government jamming backfires

Text of report by Zimbabwean newspaper Zimbabwe Independent website on 6 July

[OSC Transcribed Text] [Report by Itai Mushekwe: “Govt gets a taste of own medicine”]

Government radio jamming equipment reportedly purchased in China has backfired, gagging its own new short-wave project, Voice of Zimbabwe (VOZ), sources at the station revealed to the Zimbabwe Independent this week.

The ambitious station, set up to counter Western broadcasts, is said to be battling to recruit qualified personnel to run its operations while its few employees are still in Harare instead of moving to Gweru where it was due to be housed. Sources said the equipment was believed to be made up of three jammers installed at Thornhill, a military airbase and government communications centre in the Midlands.

The plan was to block a perceived negative publicity campaign from outside radio stations such as Voice of America (VOA) funded by the US State Department, SW Radio which beams from London and Dutch-funded Voice of the People (VOP), among others. The jamming equipment has prevented VOZ from starting regular operations due to the self-signal interception going on at the station.

Zimbabweans have been forced to listen to state radio programming owing to punitive broadcasting laws enacted by government. The country has four state-controlled radio stations operating under the frequency modulation (FM) radio wave band and one short-wave, VOZ, which appears to be suffering a stillbirth.

Government clamped down on Capital Radio, Zimbabwe’s first independent radio station in 2000 setting the police on the station’s offices in Harare where its equipment was confiscated. Radio Dialogue, a community radio station housed in Bulawayo, has also been forcibly shut down.

“Ever since the station was launched on May 25, it is yet to start regular operations,” a source said. “There are no news broadcast nor a set programming timetable. To make things worse there are no announcers, liberation war music occasionally plays but fades away at different times.”

Government announced two months ago that the station would run trial broadcasts for three weeks on 5975 kHz and 4828 kHz, but the trials were a major flop owing to the jamming machinery from China.

In a bid to cover the broadcasting setback both Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) and Information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu have remained tight-lipped on the issue and have failed to give any explanation as to why the touted panacea to counter Western “pirate” radio stations is failing to broadcast.

VOZ boss, Happison Muchechetere who is also a war veteran yesterday denied that the station was experiencing technical problems. He said government had purchased state-of-the-art equipment for the propaganda project. Muchechetere said government is at war on the airwaves with imperialists. He said the “imperialists” will not win.

“It’s a war of the airwaves and we’re not afraid,” said Muchechetere. “We know we’re at war with imperialists and they are not going to win. You people forget that you’re doing propaganda for the white man. I’m not ashamed that I’m doing propaganda for Zimbabweans and for someone who liberated this country. Hapana chirikujammer apa (There is no jamming here). We are not experiencing any technical problems,” he said.

(Source: Zimbabwe Independent website, Harare, in English 6 Jul 07 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

SWR Weekend Broadcast


Hello friends,
Scandinavian Weekend Radio lounching nice transmission again 21 hours UTC Friday 6th of July 2007.... Full Partytime whole 24 hours of time!!!!

We shall have MORE power maybe around 500 watts in use on both 25mb and 1602 kHz and on 48 mb changed antenna position, so perhaps some improvments of propagation also there to Europe.... PLEASE check all bands and join with!

ALL Messages, reports and calls welcome:

Call.... or send SMS's to +358 400 995559
e-mails to info@swradio(.)net
SWR Reports
P.O.Box 99
FI-34801 FINLAND

PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Local
Time Frequecy - Taajuudet Program details - Ohjelmatietoja
48 25 MW
00-01 6170 11720 1602 Continental nightshift, R&R with RJ . 21-22 UTC
01-02 6170 11690 1602 Continental nightshift cont. 22-23 UTC
02-03 6170 11690 1602 02.00 Hukala.net News.
02.05 Midnite Dynamite by Dj Madman. 23-00 UTC
03-04 6170 11690 1602 Midnite Dynamite cont. 00-01 UTC
04-05 6170 11690 1602 Happy Birthday to 7 Year Old SWR by Dj Häkä. 01-02
05-06 6170 11690 1602 Happy Birthday to 7 Year Old SWR cont. 02-03 UTC
06-07 6170 11690 1602 Happy Birthday to 7 Year Old SWR cont. 03-04 UTC
07-08 6170 11690 1602 Info not available. 04-05 UTC
08-09 6170 11690 1602 Golden Morning Oldies By Dj Madman. 05-06 UTC
09-10 6170 11690 1602 Lauantailuotain: Lentokapteeni Arto Pellinen Finnairilta esittelee MD-83 liikennelentokonetta, sekä kertoo liikennelentäjän työstä. Uusinta. 06-07 UTC
10-11 6170 11720 1602 Proge-aamu by Esa. 07-08 UTC
11-12 6170 11720 1602 Pena-Sedän Osaamiskeskus. 08-09 UTC
12-13 6170 11720 1602 12.00 Hukala.net News.
12.05 Onneksi olkoon, 7-vuotias SWR by Dj Häkä. 09-10 UTC
13-14 6170 11720 1602 World Radio Roulette. Latest DX Radio News and MadSummer Contest by DJ MadMan. 10-11 UTC
14-15 6170 11720 1602 14.00 Hukala.net News.
14.05 SWR kesäterassi. 11-12 UTC
15-16 6170 11720 1602 Tricky Trev Show part 1. 12-13 UTC
16-17 6170 11690 1602 Peevelin Piinapenkki. Taiteilija maestro Härski taiteilee Peeveliä. 13-14 UTC
17-18 6170 11690 1602 Radio news by Rick Random. 14-15 UTC
18-19 6170 11690 1602 Tricky Trev Show part 2. 15-16 UTC
19-20 5980 11720 1602 Synttäri-kesäterssi by Dj Häkä. 16-17 UTC
20-21 5980 11720 1602 Lauantaiehtoota, mihin matkalla Suomi-neito? Madman ryömiskelee Suomineidon ryntäiltä hameenhelmoihin saakka. Pahinta Mad-roskalaatikkojournalismia synkästi ja syvältä. 17-18 UTC
21-22 6170 11690 1602 SWR wine review - White wines & Blue cheeses by SWR wine tasting team. 18-19 UTC
22-23 6170 11690 1602 SWR wine review cont. 19-20 UTC
23-24 6170 11690 1602 Closing ceremony by SWR crew. 20-21 UTC

Cheeeeers!!!!

Alpo Heinonen
SWR

Blog Logs - Indonesia


Checks have been made regularly on RRI/VOINS 11785, 9680 and 9525 but I've failed - so far - to ID RRI on any of them between 0630 and 1500 UT. BBC via SNG has also been heard on several occaions on 11955 (mixing with TUR) and 11690 (splash from RFI 11700) around 0700 - as well as the usual 11920 that relays NHK.
But KNX-HCJB 11750 is very weak and buried by TUR co-ch - but not so long ago it was usually atop TUR when opening at 0730. (Noel R. Green-UK, wwdxc BC-DX June 19)
RRI was noted also at 0615 UT on 11860 kHz with a good signal (S6) and many ID. Thanks for the tips. 11860 Jun 19 0615-0630 INS: RRI Jakarta, Cimanggis. ID "Radio Republik Indonesia" news in local language and few ID - good signal no QRM SIO: 244.(Vincent Lecleir-F, hcdx June 19/20)
Noted RRI at same time slot today. RRI 11860 kHz S=3 signal at 0800 UT, but later fade down to S=1-2 around 1030 UT. Slight QRM by Tinian-MRA 1200-1300 and BBC SEY 1400-1500 UT.
9525 ASC in WeAF accented English language 0700-0800 UT, plus UNID station underneath, seemingly VoINS Jakarta towards 30 degr in Far East Asia, JPN/KOR, at 0715 UT. But latter seemingly via SoPAC, Colombia, Bonaire, Azores long path towards Europe. (wb, June 19)
11860 RRI Jakarta 0707 with news followed by hymn then ID and a pop song S7 33423 QRM by the same power TWR on 11865 kHz. About S3 on 0755 UT. (Zacharias Liangas-GRC, wwdxc BC-DX June 16)
Seemingly RRI 11860 at 2300-1500 UT.
9524.97 RRI via Cimanggis at 1159-1222 UT on Jun 16. En and Jpn ID's at 1159, then Jpn txmsn with talks and mx. At 1216 there was a mention, inEn, for their website at www.rri.online.com>, then back to JP. Strong signal peaking S=9+30 dB. (John Wilkins-CO-USA, DXplorer June 17)
The Indonesian station monitoring list (Mid June edition. ed by A. Ishida)was released on June 18. (A. Ishida-JPN, ndxc HQ via wwdxc BC-DX June 18; via Sei-ichi Hasegawa-JPN)
9680.06 RRI Jakarta, at 1054-1104 UT mid-east like mx, rapid-speaking M anncr pgm host, soft Lgu, M again, then 1100 fanfare and diff. M w/ID andnx annmt, and into nx read by W. Not very strong and co-channel QRM.
9524.97 Voice of Indonesia at 1059 UT. M in IN w/ske, mailing and e-mail addrs. Sounded like it was in VT at 1104 UT check. Fair and clear. (Dave Valko-USA, hcdx June 16)(Source: BC-DX # 813)

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Blog Logs - TV DX


Looks like some tropo conditions have been in recently. It's that time of the year, so keep that extra TV ready when conditions are prime.
Gayle VH

DTV
RF ID call and details
2 3.1 WWMT-DT Kalamazoo MI w/CBS David Letterman 16:9 HD
3.2 W MI-CW with CW7 on screen logo 4:3 SD Comics unleashed
with Byron Allen seen well with 77% s/n & steady signal 0409
28/Jun--Zichi MI
7 8.1 WOOD-DT Grand Rapids MI; NBC Tonight Show in 16:9 HD
8.2 WXSP Grand Rapids MI (see 41) w/Becker in 4:3 SD
8.3 24 hour News 8 Radar w/audio from Grand Rapids NOAA (KIG63/
WWF34) & video of Doppler radar all these were a little
jittery at only 54% s/n & some QRM from Detroit--this is the
1st time I've ever actually seen video for this station!
0403 28/Jun--Zichi MI
19 17.1 WXMI-DT Fox 17 with Sex in the City rerun full PSIP pro-
gramming info presumed to be HD but the source programming
was SD so hard to tell
17.2 WXMI-D2 w/The Tube SD 4:3 Music videos in fairly steadily
with 57% s/n 0411 28/Jun--Zichi MI
20 41.1 WOTC-DT with ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live & full PSIP programming
info
41.2 WXSP //8.2 also with Becker in VERY well with 78% s/n 0413
28/Jun--Zichi MI
44 43.1 WXPX-DT Ion w/Infomercial
43.2 QUBO w/Sheri Lewis and Lamb-chop
43.3 IONLife w/Bodog Fight
43.4 Worship w/Christian Music TV all pretty stead with 44% s/n
0415 28/Jun--Zichi MI
45 64.1 WLLS-DT w/Religious programming--old man with white hair
talking about the Bible...no PSIP programming data, & the
clock was set to EST rather than EDT...SD 4:3 only 54% s/n
& pretty stable. 0420 28/Jun--Zichi MI

Analog
46 WBSF Bay City MI with CW46 ID & Eye for an Eye with Extreme Akeem
VFA 2-44+ just barely made out video in the snow, but audio
was near perfect. 1st time this has made it in here. This
station is supposedly on RF30 ch 25.2 digital, & will flash
cut to DTV on 46 in Feb 2009 when analog must turn off...
wonder what WEYI will do with their 2nd stream then? 0445
28/Jun--Zichi MI
(MARE Tip Sheet #450)

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Happy Birthday America !



Since today is the 4th of July .... America's national holiday of independence, I am taking a blog break. I hope your holiday is a safe and enjoyable one...filled with fireworks, good food and plenty of friends and family.
God bless America and God bless our troops !
Happy Birthday America....this our 231st year of Independence!!
Gayle Van Horn

Shortwave radio propagation forecast


Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity
04 - 30 July 2007

Solar activity is expected to range from very low to low levels.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is
expected to be at high levels during 04 - 05, 16 – 17, and 22 – 23
July.

Field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels during
04 - 10 July. Activity is expected to increase to quiet to active
levels on 11 - 12 July due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed
stream. Quiet to unsettled conditions are expected during 13 - 17
July. An increase to quiet to active conditions is expected during
18 - 20 July due to another recurrent coronal hole high-speed
stream. Mostly quiet conditions are expected 21 - 26 July. A weak
coronal hole high-speed stream is expected to rotate into a
geoeffective position on 27 - 28 July, and will result in quiet to
isolated active conditions. The field will return to quiet to
unsettled levels on 28 - 30 July.

27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2007 Jul 03 1623 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center
# Product description and SEC contact on the Web
# http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html
#
# 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
# Issued 2007 Jul 03
#
# UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest
# Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index
2007 Jul 04 75 8 3
2007 Jul 05 75 5 2
2007 Jul 06 75 5 2
2007 Jul 07 75 5 2
2007 Jul 08 70 5 2
2007 Jul 09 70 5 2
2007 Jul 10 70 5 2
2007 Jul 11 70 15 4
2007 Jul 12 70 10 3
2007 Jul 13 70 8 3
2007 Jul 14 70 5 2
2007 Jul 15 70 8 3
2007 Jul 16 70 5 2
2007 Jul 17 70 5 2
2007 Jul 18 70 10 3
2007 Jul 19 70 15 4
2007 Jul 20 70 12 4
2007 Jul 21 70 5 2
2007 Jul 22 75 5 2
2007 Jul 23 75 5 2
2007 Jul 24 75 5 2
2007 Jul 25 75 5 2
2007 Jul 26 75 5 2
2007 Jul 27 75 10 3
2007 Jul 28 75 10 3
2007 Jul 29 75 8 3
2007 Jul 30 75 5 2
(Source: NOAA)

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Cotton Tree News monitoring update


Dxers continue to log and QSL Cotton Tree News, the daily service of live news and information, broadcast from the studios of Radio Mount Aureol at Fourah College. Good luck on this one.
Gayle VH/WQB

ASCENSION ISL [SIERRA LEONE]Cotton Tree News. (CTN) 9525, Cotton Tree News (CTN), via Ascension, new daily broadcast at 0730-0800 UT to Sierra Leone in English, Krio, Limba, Mende and Temne, following broadcasts from Star R at 0700-0730 UT to Liberia.
Address: Fourah Bay College, Mount Aureol, P.O.Box 766, Freetown.
Email: abennett@hirondelle.org

Heard 0730-0800* UT, May 10, 12 and 13, news in English and African languages, items about: HIV/AIDS (soundtrack of the Sierra Leone National AIDS Director); "This news comes to you from CTN, Freetown"; the United Nations Development Program Goodwill Ambassador (soundtrack of I assume Adisa Jelani Andwele, who was visiting Freetown this past week and held a workshop at the Fourah Bay College branch), drums, "This is CTN", drums, followed by the same news items in their "local languages", no sign-off ann, mostly fair. (Churchill, Herkimer and Howard).

Also heard at *0730-0800*, May 08 and 09.
(Churchill, Herkimer, Howard via SWN dswci)

9525, "Cotton Tree News" - Email reply from George Bennett gbennett76@yahoo.co.uk for email with audio clip to Anne Bennett at abennett@hirondelle.org

"Dear Mr Herkimer,
Thank you so much for your email. I am impressed that you picked up CTN's short-wave bulletins so clearly in New York. It is early days for our project but the students and journalists here at Fourah Bay College in Freetown are very enthusiastic and learning fast. As you may know, the country went through more than ten years of devastating conflict and is emerging as a fledgling democracy - but there is a long way to go and much to do. We at Fondation Hirondelle are proud to help the College develop its radio services and will continue to work here till the end of 2008.
Sincerely, George Bennett, Editor in Chief, CTN, Freetown, Sierra Leone". (John Herkimer-USA & Ron Howard-USA, DXplorer, via RNZDXT July)
(Source: WWDXC Top News -BC DX #814)

Radio Slovakia International multilingual summer schedule


SLOVAKIA Summer A-07 of Radio Slovakia International:
All times UTC

ENGLISH
0100-0127 5930 9440
0700-0727 9440 15460
1630-1657 5920 6055
1830-1857 5920 6055

GERMAN
0800-0827 6055 7345
1330-1357 6055 7345
1600-1627 5920 6055
1800-1827 5920 6055

FRENCH
0200-0227 5930 9440
1700-1727 5920 6055
1930-1957 5920 6055

RUSSIAN
1300-1327 7345 9440
1500-1527 7345 9535
1730-1757 5920 7345

SLOVAK
0130-0157 5930 9440
0730-0757 9440 15460
1530-1557 5920 7345
1900-1927 5920 6055

SPANISH
0230-0257 9440 11990
1430-1457 9440 11600
2000-2027 6055 11650
(Source: DX Mix News #475 via Alokesh Gupta, India)

China releases grant to revitalize Liberia Broadcasting System

The Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, Lin Sontian, has signed a contractual agreement of US$3.75 million for the revitalization of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS). The signing ceremony was witnessed by Chinese Ambassador to Liberia Lin Sontian, Liberia Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, William Bull and LBS Board Chairman, Johnny McClain.

Speaking at the ceremony Chinese Ambassador said his country was committed to assisting Liberia overcoming some of its infrastructure development problems, including the LBS which, he said, when revitalized will be able to cover the entire country with its broadcast services.

The Liberia Broadcasting System was badly damaged during the heat of the Liberian civil war; its shortwave and television are at the moment nonfunctioning. Its current broadcast facilities (FM) can hardly reach beyond Totota in Bong County.

(Source: TheLiberianTimes.com/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Radio Budapest - Hungarian schedule


Hope you caught the last English show from Radio Budapest, last week. This old favorite of many DXers is still around...but now in Hungarian. The following schedule is effective July 1.


HUNGARY Radio Budapest (Koshut Radio)
All times UTC

0000-0100 on 6195 JBR 250 kW / 306 deg to NoAm
0130-0230 on 6140 JBR 250 kW / 306 deg to NoAm
0300-0700 on 3975 JBR 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu Mon-Sat
0300-2200 on 6025 JBR 100 kW / non-dir to WeEu
0400-0730 on 3975 JBR 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu Sun
0400-0730 on 5995 JBR 250 kW / 288 deg to WeEu Sun
1000-1100 on 3975 JBR 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu
1100-1200 on 21590 JBR 250 kW / 104 deg to AUS
1400-1700 on 3975 JBR 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu
1800-1900 on 11795 JBR 250 kW / 075 deg to AUS
1800-2200 on 3975 JBR 250 kW / non-dir to WeEu
2000-2100 on 11695 JBR 250 kW / 306 deg to NoAm
2200-2300 on 9665 JBR 250 kW / 245 deg to SoAm
2200-2300 on 6025 JBR 100 kW / non-dir to WeEu Sat/Sun
(Source: DX Mix News #475 via Alokesh Gupta, India)

NASB Newsletter update

ECUADOR
Update from Ecuador NASB meeting in Elkhart-IN-USA, 2007
The first speaker after lunch was Brent Weeks, missionary engineer at HCJB
Global in Quito, Ecuador. Weeks explained that the DRM transmission from
Quito was currently in the most robust mode that permits AAC operation. He
said that there are lower bit rate, voice quality codecs that are even
more robust, but they are not good for music transmission.
Brent Weeks has worked at HCJB in Quito for six years. He showed a slide
of HCJB's transmitter building, which is in Pifo at an altitude of 8400
feet above sea level in a valley between two ridges of the Andes
mountains, some 20 miles (about 30 kilometers) east of Quito. Mount
Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world, could be seen in the
background of the photo. HCJB has three HC-100 100-kilowatt transmitters
at this location, plus two more at HCJB Global's shortwave site in
Australia.

The antenna field in Pifo includes an antenna directed to Brazil, another
for South America and northwestern North America, another for 49-meter
band regional broadcasts to the Andes corridor, a cubical quad antenna
used for broadcasting to Europe in the 13-meter band and a steerable
antenna with a parabolic reflective curtain which can cover 180 degrees
almost due west to due east. The steerable antenna dipole rolls around on
a track.
Airplanes regularly fly by the site en route to the Quito airport, which
is located in what is now the middle of the city. The Quito authorities
have decided to build a new airport further from the city. "The location
that has been chosen," Weeks said, "means that our antennas are too high.
We've taken down 18 towers already, and we have more to go." The site will
eventually have to be closed.

HCJB has looked at various options for replacing Pifo. One option is to
build another transmitter site in the mountains. But HCJB has its own
power station nearby, and if it continues to use the power from that
station, the options for a new location are limited.
Weeks said that there has also been a change of philosophy in HCJB
Global's mission in the last several years. The focus is now almost
exclusively on transmissions to Latin America in Spanish, Portuguese,
Quichua, Quechua and German for the Mennonite populations in Paraguay and
Bolivia. Gone are HCJB's longtime broadcasts beamed to Europe, Asia and
the South Pacific. The only transmission beamed outside of Latin America
now is German to Europe. Broadcasts to these other regions have been moved
to HCJB-Australia and rented facilities like VT Communications in the UK.
[and DTK Wertachtal 6015 at 1700-1800 UT non-dir 100 kW HCJ too, wb.]
At this point, Weeks went back to the live audio of the DRM transmission
from Quito. The station had just made a switch, timed especially for the
audience at the meeting in Elkhart, to 64 QAM, producing a parametric
stereo signal. The signal-to-noise ratio was 16-17 dB. There were a few
dropouts, but Weeks considered that the signal was doing fairly well
considering they were only using between three and four kilowatts of power
from a Siemens 10-kilowatt linear analog transmitter. After a few minutes,
the signal went back to a 16 QAM mode for a more robust broadcast. HCJB
had been changing the technical parameters of the DRM broadcast throughout
the day. "You need agile scheduling of transmission parameters," said
Weeks. "We'll go to a less robust, higher quality audio later in the day
as propagation improves."
Meantime, a few of HCJB's engineers in Ecuador, including Brent Weeks, are
working with the Global Technology Center in Elkhart on DRM development.
One of those areas is the central control system that drives and tells the
servo-motors what to do. "It needs to be upgraded for DRM," he said. The
station has recently done DRM test transmissions for the SWL Winterfest in
Pennsylvania, the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las
Vegas, and the NASB/USA DRM meetings in Elkhart. Other tests are being
beamed to Germany. "We are getting good reports for the middle-of-the-day
broadcasts to North America," Weeks said.
(NASB Newsletter)

Blog Logs


Todays round of shortwave logs are from the fine folks of MARE, who love to DX all hours of the day and night! Best of DX!
Gayle VH

ALGERIA:
6300 Radio Nacional Saharaui (Rabouni). 2342-2400*. 6/16. Arabic. OM with impassioned talk with mx backgrounds followed by ethnic instrumental mx. Several IDs. Into orchestral mx (NA?) and off at 2400. Fair. (Wood, TN)

ANGUILLA:
11775 University Network via Caribbean Beacon. 1707. 6/16. Mrs. The late Dr. Scott calling for donations and balancing the budget of her organization. VG (Wood, TN)

AUSTRALIA:
15240 Radio Australia (Shepperton). 0341-0346. 6/17. EE OM with enlightening listener call in show on the finer points of the regulations of Australian Rules football. Good (Wood, TN)

BELGIUM:
9970 RTBF (Wavre). 0434. 6/9. French. 2 YL announcers with commentary and pop music. Fair. (Wood, TN)

CANADA:
9815 Bible Voice; 0040 in Bengali. Good signal. English ID & Canadian address at 0045 s/off. 1st time BV heard. (LC 18 June) 13775 ORF Austria (Sackville). 1521-1531. 6/10. English. YL announcer talking about a museum in Vienna that had a pay per call telephone service dealing with adult oriented literature from the 18th Century. VG. (Wood, TN)

CZECH REPUBLIC:
9415 Radio Prague (Litomysl). 2230-2243. 6/?. English. OM with business news followed by Ian Willaby and items about Central Europe. Fair (Wood, TN)
11600 Radio Prague. 2155-2157*, 6/?. English. The tail end of Czech Book program with OM announcer, Ian Willaby. S/O announcements, address and interval signal. Signal very good. (Wood, TN)

GREAT BRITAIN:
12035 Voice of the (Zimbabwe) People; 1856-1859*, 12-June; M cmtry in EE re Zimbabwe/SW Africa; close w/native song. Presumed relay site. SIO=353. Hi/Low tones continued to 1900:10. (Frodge-MI)

HUNGARY:
6040 Radio Budapest; 0100 w/Spotlight, all about Hungarian scientists. No annc about impending closure but didn't expect one. Lousy reception, best in LSB. Good signal at 0230 on 6195 w/prgram report. (LC 18 June)

RUSSIA:
12070 Voice of Russia; 1904-1910+, 12-June; News to 1908 then feature on Russia Day commemorating the 12-June-1990 formation of the Russian Federation; VoRWS IDs. All in EE. SIO=353+ (Frodge-MI)

SEYCHELLES:
15420 BBC relay (Victoria, Mahe). 0346-0356. 6/17. English. YL/OM with discussions of the economics of world food demand & supply. Poor (Wood, TN)

UKRAINE:
7440 Radio Ukraine Int'l; 0010-0018+, 12-June; Ukraine Today, M&W news & cmtry in EE; ID @0011. SIO=4+34-, wind howl QRM--USB takes it out. (Frodge-MI)
(Source: Michigan Area Radio Enthusiasts-Tip Sheet #450 via Harold Frodge)

Broadcast planned to destabilize Iranian government

Report by Uri Yablonka: “Lieberman to cooperate with NATO against Iran”]

Eight months after being appointed Israel’s supreme coordinator in dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman has devised a practical plan of operation.

Israel, NATO, and the EU are considering cooperation in the establishment of television and radio broadcast stations and websites that will air anti-government messages to the Iranian public in a bid to destabilize its government.

Ma’ariv has learned that the plan will include, among other things, the establishment of an Azeri-language television station, since Azeris, whose loyalty to the radical regime in Iran is not absolute, make up 25 per cent of its population. Moreover, the new broadcast stations will appeal to young people in Iran, particularly students, in an effort to encourage elements already critical of the regime to take practical measures to topple it. The aim of the project is to undermine the radical regime by imparting values of democracy and peace to the local population in Iran.

Lieberman’s bureau did not comment on the report Thursday evening, but it has been learned that these steps were discussed in Lieberman’s talks with senior diplomatic sources in Europe during his visit there this week. At the beginning of the week Lieberman left for a comprehensive round of meetings in Madrid and Brussels, where he also met NATO Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo. On 28 June, Lieberman said he had emerged optimistic from the meetings, where he says he discussed, among other issues, the possible inclusion of Israel into NATO and the assignment of a NATO force to the Gaza Strip. Although Lieberman did not receive an answer on the spot, on 28 June he said that it was his strong impression that there is a chance this proposal would ultimately be accepted.

(Source: Ma’ariv, Tel Aviv, in Hebrew 29 Jun 07 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands meia Network Weblog)

DXers Unlimited midweek edition July 3-4


Radio Havana Cuba
By Arnie Coro
Radio amateur CO2KK

Hi amigos radioaficionados!
Welcome to the midweek edition of your favorite radio hobby program, coming to you from sunny Havana, where summer weather is providing us with beautiful days for going to the beach!!! I am Arnie Coro, radio amateur CO2KK, your friend here in Cuba, now ready to read today’s menu:

ITEM ONE: TV DX and FM band season well in progress at this moment, with sporadic E skip events happening all around North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Northern Africa. Several recent sporadic E opening sent the maximum useable frequency up to the FM band, making reception of FM broadcast stations from more than one thousand miles away possible, even with handheld radios and their telescopic whip antennas, as it happened here this week, when I was able to pick up a Chicago FM station on my portable radio while sitting in my balcony !… More information about the sporadic E season later at the end of the program when Arnie Coro’s HF plus low band VHF propagation update and forecast will be on the air...

ITEM TWO: Oscar 40 the ill fated amateur satellite that failed shortly after it was placed in orbit is certainly missed by the world’s amateur radio operators. Remember that this was a unique satellite designed to orbit the Earth using a very special elliptical orbit that would make it available for many hours at a time, just short of a geosynchronous orbit, the so called MOLNYA orbit, that is an excellent choice for any upcoming ham radio satellite that will hopefully replace the doomed OSCAR 40, that had big problems from its very few hours in Earth Orbit.

ITEM THREE: Listeners questions continue to come in via e-mail, postcards, letters and fax messages, and I have quite a backlog of them here waiting to be answered… a recent one from Chile, really surprised me, as normally the show is not heard so far south of Havana… But the use of 11760 kilohertz with our omni directional 6 dB gain array of dipoles antenna explains why English speaking listeners from Chile are picking up Dxers Unlimited...very late in the evening their local time, as we use that frequency from 05 to 07 UTC to broadcast our English language program .

ITEM FOUR: More about low cost , easy to build ham radio antennas, and at the end of the show, our exclusive and not copyrighted HF plus low band VHF from 30 to 120 megaHertz propagation update and forecast. Stay tuned for more radio hobby related information, coming to you from Havana. I am Arnie Coro ready to be back with you in just a few seconds…

Si amigos, yes my friends, you are listening to Radio Havana Cuba, the name of the show is Dxers Unlimited, and YES, we do QSL here one hundred percent, we do verify reception reports and we do it absolutely free of charge, as all short wave radio stations should do… Send your signal reports and comments about the program to arnie@rhc.cu, or VIA AIR MAIL to Arnie Coro, Radio Havana Cuba, Havana, Cuba, And NOW , here is ASK ARNIE, THE most popular section of Dxers Unlimited, according to your e-mails, postcards and letters amigos …

Question Number One for Today: From listener Scotty in Maryland, Scotty wants to know why old radio magazines – he said that he got a bunch of them recently from a friend and found them very interesting to read, he added that those magazines often mentioned the use of so called “converters” ahead of short wave receivers to pick up the higher frequency bands. Well amigo Scotty, a converter is nothing but a complete front end of a radio receiver, it usually includes a radio frequency amplifier stage, a mixer and a local oscillator. The RF stage for the VHF bands used the best available vacuum tubes that provided good gain and low noise, and the really good converters used a crystal controlled local injection oscillator. Even today, adding a homebrew converter ahead of a low cost receiver can provide outstanding results, especially with radios that lack front end selectivity. A few days ago amigo Scotty, I removed a lot of dust from a three vacuum tube six meter band converter that was in storage in my garage for many years… it required 6.3 volts filament voltage and 150 volts DC to operate.

Powering it up from one of my workbench power supplies, I connected the more than 40 years old converter to a modern digital portable receiver, and was happily surprised when I could pick up several of the local VHF communications systems operating here around 49 megaHertz, using just a test lead from the multimeter as an antenna. Converters are no longer required for all practical purposes, as modern HF receivers are including extended tuning range up to the two meters amateur band.

Anyway, for those of you like amigo Scotty that are interested in VHF converters, I may add that they are not too difficult to homebrew, especially if you use solid state devices. A typical more modern converter will use a high gain low noise MOSFET RF amplifier stage, a double balanced passive mixer and a bipolar transistor oscillator. It will be powered from 12 volts DC and when connected to even a low cost modern digital receiver, will turn the resultant combination into a rather nice VHF receiver, useful for monitoring 6 meters during the summer sporadic E season, like the one we are happily enjoying right at this moment. Remember to tune set the receiver to scan from 50.0 to 50.3 megaHertz where most of the activity on 6 meters is concentrated around the world.

QUESTION TWO: Came from Montego Bay in Jamaica, listener Randy, who listens to our 9550 kilohertz Caribbean edition, tells me in his e-mail that he wants to know more about the “non magnetic loop” antennas and why are they so useful when used at noisy locations. Well amigo Randy, standard one wavelength perimeter loops are not compact antennas, but they are easy to turn around a single mast in any compass direction to cancel noise sources, and above all, can be built very easily and at low cost by anyone.

The ultra simple one wavelength perimeter loop is a perfect example of what I am talking about. It is built using a standard household PVC covered number 14 wire, three home brew insulators and 75 ohms of TV type coaxial cable, and because it is going to be used as a receive only antenna, I didn’t bother to try to match the 110 ohms impedance of the loop to the 75 ohms coaxial cable. It takes less than a couple of hours to complete. The full wave loop is not a MAGNETIC LOOP, and it is capable of providing excellent reception from 10 to 30 megaHertz, but it also works quite well with powerful stations from 5 to 10 megaHertz. Amigo Randy, I am sending direct to you via e-mail the complete , step by step building instructions for the one wavelength perimeter loop, so that you can start building yours and then tell me
also via e-mail how it performs at your location. The one wavelength perimeter loop is possibly one of the lowest cost high performance antennas that exist.

QUESTION THREE: Yes, one extra today to reduce the backlog a bit, well question three, sent by listener Carlos here in Havana, he wanted me to describe the design parameters for the low cost two element antenna for the 2 meters amateur band. Well amigo Carlos, using standard TV antenna elements aluminum rods, the small YAGI uses a split driven element of 980 millimeters, fed at the center with 50 ohm coaxial cable. The boom is made from PVC pipe of the type used for water distribution, and the reflector element is 1002 millimeters long and located at exactly 51 centimeters from the driven element. This antenna has around 4 dB gain, a broad radiation pattern, is rugged and easy to build and will help you to access distant repeaters that can’t be reached using the typical handie-talkie helically loaded antenna, popularly known as rubber ducky because they look like the tail of a duck wagging!!!

Again, here are the dimensions for the 2 element low cost, easy to build YAGI for the two meters amateur band, the driven element is 980 millimeters long and split at the center, you may want to make it a little shorter if you plan to use the antenna for the segment of two meters between 146 and 148 megahertz. The boom of the antenna is made from PVC pipe of the type used for high pressure water distribution, and is one meter long, so that you can hold the antenna to any support from the rear of the reflector element.

The separation between the driven and the reflector element is 51 centimeters, and the length of the reflector element is 102 centimeters, that you can make a little shorter for the upper two megahertz of the two meter band. I feed this antenna with 50 ohm coaxial cable, and right after the feed point, I wind 8 turns of the coaxial cable to the boom of the antenna to make an RF choke... the cable is then fed trough a hole in the boom to the rear of the antenna where it exits . I have made many of these antennas, and found out that they provide excellent performance, and when built using the above mentioned dimensions they are usually below 1.5 to 1 standing wave ratio even before any adjustments are made. They can be adjusted for almost perfect standing wave ratio by sliding the reflector element back and forth across the boom, and then leaving it permanently at the spot that provides the lowest SWR. Remember to use TV antenna rods or tubing, as the dimensions for my low cost two meter YAGI just described are based upon the diameter of the typical TV antenna
elements.

Try to tune the antenna for minimum SWR using a VHF standing wave ratio meter, but again, you can use the antenna directly without any adjustments without fear of high SWR, by just carefully measuring the elements .

And now amigos as always, at the end of the program, here is Arnie Coro’s Dxers Unlimited’s HF propagation update and forecast… HF propagation conditions are very poor during your local daytime hours, but will certainly improve gradually after sunset in the northern hemisphere.

Solar flux is hovering just above 70 units and the A index was at a nice and low 3 units. The sunspot number Tuesday was 11, indicating a very low solar activity.

The good news is that Sporadic E openings are going to continue to be plentiful, surprising, interesting and challenging during the next few days, so monitor the low band TV channels for them. If you have a 10 meters or 6 meters band amateur radio rig, keep it on during the time that you are at home, keep them scanning from 28 to 28.5 MHz and from 50 to 50.3 MHz for signs of openings, that in many cases will be detected when automatic beacons start to come in as the opening starts …


See you all at the weekend edition of the program and don’t forget to send me your radio hobby related questions, signal reports and comments.. send mail to: arnie@rhc.cu , or via Air Mail to Arnie Coro, Radio Havana Cuba, and Havana, Cuba
(Arnie Coro CO2KK)

Radio Netherlands program preview July 3-6


TUESDAY 3 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400 (Western N America)

*** The State We're In, Midweek Report ***

This week on the State We're In:

Jonathan Groubert and his team look at current events from an unexpected perspective.

We also invite you to take part in the programme - find out how on our website: < http://www.thestatewerein.org/

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa), 0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)
Repeated: Thu 1430, 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa) Sun 1900 (Central, East and South Africa)

WEDNESDAY 4 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400 (Western N America)

*** Arts and Culture ***

"Verbal Fireworks"

Alix Olson has been called a "spoken word diva," a "road poet on a mission" and a "word warrior." She calls her voice her "weapon of choice" and her powerful work contains equal doses of humor, anger and compassion.

A champion slam poet, Olson introduced the new urban literary genre to Europe at Rotterdam's Poetry International. As an activist, she's been honored for her exceptional commitment to social justice in Washington D.C. But at the same time, a conservative women's organization put her on their list of Ten Most Dangerous Women in America.

Alix Olson displays her verbal fireworks on Arts & Culture.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa), 0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)

Repeated: Fri 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa), Sun 14:30 (South Asia)

THURSDAY 5 JULY

*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400 (Western N America)

*** The Research File ***

This week: an Archaeology Special.

We'll go visit a dig where the remains of a six-thousand-year-old house have recently been found. It marks the transition from a society of hunter-gatherers into one of farmers.

We report on the way ancient wooden ships are preserved for display, learn the tricks of the fossil trade and find out how a burial hill from the Iron Age has been reconstructed.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa), 0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)

Repeated: Mon 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa), Sat 1430 (South Asia)


FRIDAY 6 JULY


*** Newsline ***

The latest world news and current affairs.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1000 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1100 (Eastern N America), 1400 & 1530 (South Asia), 1800, 1930 & 2030 (Central, East and South Africa), 0000 (Eastern N America), 0100 (Central N America), 0400 (Western N America)

*** Network Europe ***

A Pan European team links up across the continent each week to provide a fresh perspective on events and life in Europe.

The programme is a unique example of European co-operation, produced by the continent's leading international broadcasters, it reflects the diversity of European society and voices. Each week we drop in on specialists around Europe and catch up with our extensive network of correspondents for their unique take on the events shaping the week.

Broadcast times on SW (UTC): 1030 (Asia/Far East/Pacific), 1130 (Eastern N America), 1430 (South Asia), 1830 & 2000 (Central, East and South Africa), 0030 (Eastern N America), 0130 (Central N America), 0430 (Western N America)

Repeated: Tues 1500 (South Asia), 1900 (Central, East and South Africa), Sat 1400 (South Asia)
(R Netherlands)

Iran launches English-language news channel

Iran’s state broadcaster launched its 24-hour English-language news channel yesterday in a bid to break what it called the “stranglehold” of the West over the world’s media. Press TV is promising the usual diet of twice-hourly news bulletins, talk shows and documentaries familiar to viewers of established names like CNN and BBC World but with a distinctly Iranian spin.

“There are few media which rightly fulfil their responsibilities,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the opening ceremony. ”The media are used by the domineering powers to occupy lands and people’s hearts,” he said, promising that the new channel would “stand by the oppressed.”

The channel, which has more than 400 staff, says it has 26 reporters in bureaus around the world, including Jerusalem, Gaza City and Ramallah on the occupied West Bank as well as New York and Washington. It has also brought journalists from foreign countries including Britain on board “to break the global media stranglehold of Western outlets”, its website says.

Mohammad Sarafraz, head of international services of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), said in a recent interview that the main aim of Press TV was to present “an alternative view” of global news. Its features will include documentaries on aspects of the Islamic world and culture as well as live talk shows broadcast from Damascus, New York and Washington.

He said the channel’s website had already received millions of hits but it remains to be seen how Western audiences will respond to the channel during a period when ties between Iran and the West are distinctly frigid. Iran’s state broadcaster already runs Al-Alam, an Arabic-language rolling news channel whose slick programming has won a loyal following from Shiite Muslims in Lebanon and across the border in Iraq.

Although Iran uses satellite to broadcast programmes abroad, it remains illegal to have satellite television within the country, where officials frequently denounce the “cultural decadence” spread by foreign channels. In recent years, many Iranians have discreetly installed satellites in their homes but can still be the target of sporadic crackdowns by the police who confiscate illegal dishes.

(Source: AFP/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Monday, July 02, 2007

Radio Prague multilingual summer schedule


CZECH REPUBLIC Summer A-07 of Radio Prague:
All times UTC

CZECH
0130-0157 6200 7345
0230-0257 7345 9870
0830-0857 11600 15710
0930-0957 9880 21745
1100-1127 11665 15710
1230-1257 6055 7345
1530-1557 5930 17485
1730-1757 5930 17485
1930-1957 5930 11600
2100-2127 9410 11600
2330-2357 7345 9440

ENGLISH
0000-0027 7345 9440
0100-0127 6200 7345
0300-0327 7345 9870
0330-0357 9445 11600 + 6080 SAC
0700-0727 9880 11600
0900-0927 9880 21745 + 9955 RMI
1030-1057 9880 11665
1300-1327 13580 17540
1330-1357 9850 RMP in DRM mode Fri/Sat
1600-1627 5930 17485
1700-1727 5930 17485
2000-2027 5930 11600
2130-2157 9410 11600
2230-2257 7345 9415

GERMAN
0630-0657 5930 7345
1000-1027 6055 9880
1200-1227 6055 7345
1300-1327 9850 RMP in DRM mode Fri/Sat
1500-1527 5930
1630-1657 11825 ARM

FRENCH
0600-0627 5930 7345
0730-0757 9880 11600
1330-1357 13580 17540
1630-1657 5930 17485
1830-1857 5930 13580
2200-2227 7345 9415

RUSSIAN
0400-0427 9445 11600
1130-1157 11665 15710
1430-1457 7345 13580
1800-1827 5840 DB

SPANISH
0000-0027 11665 ASC
0030-0057 7345 9440
0200-0227 6200 7345
0430-0457 9955 RMI
0800-0827 11600 15710
0930-0957 9955 RMI
1400-1427 11625 13580
1800-1827 5930 13580
1900-1927 5930 13580
2030-2057 5930 11600
2300-2327 7345 9415
2330-2357 6000 SAC
(Source: DX Mix News #475 via Alokesh Gupta, India)

TDP and DTK update summer schedules

After an extremely busy day, here's a couple of evening blog post. TDP (Transmitter Documentation Project), and DTK Systems International, both who broker leased air times over shortwave transmitters, including various clandestine broadcasters, have released a summer schedule update. Thanks to contributor Alokesh Guptka for sending in the following.
Gayle Van Horn

BELGIUM(non) Some TDP changes:
Denge Mezopotamya in Kurdish from July 2:
0400-2000 on 11530 KCH 300 kW / 116 deg to WeAs Daily, ex 0400-1600

Exiled Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Amharic:
1600-1700 on 15260 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Mon, new from July 2

Suab Xaa Moo Zoo in Hmong:
2300-2330 NF 11655 TAI 100 kW / 250 deg to Asia Daily, ex 11650

GERMANY(non) Some DTK T-Systems Media & Broadcast changes:
WYFR (Family Radio):
1500-1600 on 13840 WER 500 kW / 075 deg to SoAs Punjabi
1700-1800 on 9790 DHA 250 kW / 225 deg to EaAf English via VTCommunications
1900-2200 NF 9860 WER 500 kW / 180 deg to SoAf English, ex 9610#
#to avoid Vatican Radio in Russian 2000-2030

Bible Voice Broadcasting Network (BVBN):
1500-1600 NF 15530*WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Mo/Th/FrBengali, ex 13840
1530-1600 NF 15530*WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Tue Hindi, ex 13840
1515-1600 NF 15530*WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Wed Hindi, ex 13840
1500-1515 NF 15530*WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Sat Hindi, ex 13840
1500-1530 NF 15530*WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoAs Sun Bengali, ex 13840
1630-1700 on 11975 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg to EaEu Fri/Sun Hebrew from June 15
1800-1830 on 9790 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg to EaEu Fri/Sun Hebrew till June 10
1630-1730 on 15495 JUL 100 kW / 145 deg to CeAf Daily UNID CeAf language
*strong co-ch VOA in English via BIB 100 kW / 085 deg,see DX MIX NEWS # 473.
(Source: DX Mix News #475 via Alokesh Gupta, India)

Sunday, July 01, 2007

If it's Sunday...it must be time for the Checkerboard Lounge




That's right blues fans, here it is Sunday again, and time to remind our blog readers of this evenings broadcast.

The best blues show on shortwave airs their weekly program tonight 2200 UTC on 7415 kHz.

If you're a fan of the blues from the likes of Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, James Cotton and more, then fire up that receiver and get ready.

Into QSLing?

Reception reports may be directed to:
The Checkerboard Lounge
7914 Dodge Road, Suite 210
Omaha, NE 68114 USA

The Checkerboard Lounge website address: http://www.wbcq.com/checkerboard

To verify the program, send in your reception report, including the usual date, frequency, time, radio conditions (fading, interferences, reception quality) as well as music titles played. Listeners in the USA need to include a self addressed stamped envelope. Listeners outside the USA need to include a self addressed envelope and 2 IRC's (International Reply Coupons).

Don't forget...The Checkerboard Lounge...Bringing the Blues to the World!
Gayle VH

Tune in to Sky News for the latest on terror alerts


As terror alerts are raised, Sky News is reporting police have carried out a controlled explosion at thehospital where one of the alleged car bombers is being treated. A suspect car was blown up by the police in the car park of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Sky News correspondent Rona Dougall said.
To follow the latest from Sky News, news events as they happen, live coverage on-line, and archived video, refer to:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/home

Latvia Today set for Sunday broadcast


Thanks to Tom Taylor for the following program update.
Broadcasting from Radio SWR
Relay via Ulbroka, Latvia
English weekend program Latvia Today.
July 1
1900 - 2000 UTC on 9290 kHz

Correspondence may be directed to:
SWH: Skanstes iela 13
Riga, LV-1013
Latvia
Web: http://www.radioswh.vl/
(Source: Tom Taylor & Gayle VH/WQB)


Blog Logs - Pirate Radio


This morning we'll take a look at what DXers are hearing from the pirates over the last few days. Don't forget to tune in on the 4th of July.....who knows what or who will broadcast for the holiday.
Gayle Van Horn

Crystal Ship
6875/AM, 0153-0200+, 13-June; Weird tunes & weird stuff. SIO=443,
occasional ute bursts. (Frodge-MI)

5386, 0358-0441. 6/11. The Xtal Ship sailing on an odd freq. Lots of music from the 1980s including: What About Love, Heat of the Moment, Midnight Blue & several others that I couldn't ID. ID at 0431 by YL as; You are listening to the Crystal Ship, then unreadable comments. ID by John Poet at 0432-You're tuned to the Crystal Ship.?Audio clip about the war in Iraq at 0436. Signal audible from 5384-5388 & // 6875. The signal was lost on 6875 at 0425. Static closed in at 0440 on 5386. Some fades throughout the bx. Fair to good signal on 5386 until 0437 then very poor until 0440. Poor signal on 6875 throughout. (Wood, TN).
12471v, 0146-0213, 6/29. John Poet & the Xtal Ship sailing on another odd frequency. Signal was audible from 12471-12473. Several IDs heard. Programming consisted of mx by Bob Seeger, BTO & others then a Star Trek parody. Signal VP from 0146-0153 then improved greatly and then fell to barely audible at 0213. There was a fair amount of static throughout the bx. P-F.(Wood, TN)

Grasscutter/Sunshine Radio (grasscutterradio@yahoo.com )
6935U 6/24 0052-0150+ A show of music (Beatles' Yellow Submarine) with YaYa and Id. Signed off at 0117 followed by more music from Sunshine with Grasscutter helping with the ID. (333 Majewski CT)

MAC Shortwave
6850.85v am, 6/25, 0115utc,sio=122 poor/static, slow down drift in frequency, old rock&roll tunes, mention of Dr. Who. (Hassig-IL)

6850.85v am, 6/25, 0115utc,sio=122 poor/static, slow down drift in frequency, old rock&roll tunes, mention of Dr. Who. (Hassig-IL)

Northwoods Radio
6925u, 0312-0325. 6/17. ID & call of the Loon. Parody mx and poetry. Fair. (Wood, TN)

Voice of Captain Ron-Shortwave
6925u, 0225-0240. First log of this station. The good Captain with numerous IDs playing heavy metal mx in the genre of Man-O-War. Serious QRM from station broadcasting in AM mode. Poor. (Wood, TN)

WBNY/Radio Bunny
6925/U, 2315. 6/15. Cdr. Bunny with ID as WBNY-Radio Bunny & nothing else thru the static. P-VP. (Wood, TN)

WMPR Micro-Power Radio
6925, 0012-0032. 6/21. Standard WMPR prgm. Electronic mx & synthesized
IDs. G-VG. (Wood, TN).
6925, 2349-2354. 6/26. Several synthesized IDs & techno mx. Strong signal with fades. Fair to Good. (Wood, TN).
6925, 0053-0118. 6/29. Several synthesized IDs & techno mx. ID as This is WMPR-6925 with OM synthesized voice followed by YL synthesized voice. I think this is the 1st time I have heard this particular ID. Good. (Wood, TN)

WMPR
6925AM 6/23 0103-0145* The usual techno/dance music that I do not know, but do enjoy. A different Id was given: Male WMPR followed female 6295 You're Invited. Good signal (434 Majewski CT)
6955AM 6/23 2334-2336 More techno/dance with Id of WMPR Micropower Radio. The program was followed by military digital transmissions. (333 Majewski CT)

Wolverine Radio
6925U 6/23 2344-0007 An old time radio story, the adventures of Frank Race. Nice Signal (434 Majewski CT)
6925U 6/28-6/29 from 2350 to 0007. Episode of "The Adventures of Frank Grace" followed by ID at 0007 as "Wolverine Radio," with the echo sound effects, then abrupt sign-off with no further announcements. SIO=434. Nice signal tonight, but somewhat unsteady modulation noted. Please QSL...Does anyone have a postal or e-mail address for them? (Insinger, NJ)
(Source: MARE #450 via Harold Frodge, Free Radio Weekly #594 via Greg Majewski and logs from Joe Wood)

TDP schedule update

MOLDOVA/RUSSIA/TAIWAN Changes on the TDP schedule website.

Target ETHIOPIA: new on the TDP schedule website is the religious "Zena Tewahedo the Ligament Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Exile", Mondays in Amharic 1600-1700 UT on 15260 kHz. Scheduled to start on 2 July. [via Samara-RUS 250 kW 188 degr]

Target KURDISTAN: new schedule for Denge Mezopotamya: 0400-2000 on 11530 (ex 0200-0400 on 7590, ex 0400-1600 on 11530). [via Grigoriopol-MDA 300 kW]

Target LAOS: frequency change for the U.S. produced religious prgr "Suab Xaa Moo Zoo" in Hmong: now on 11655, x11650. (Bernd Trutenau-LTU, wwdxc BC-DX June 18)

Suab Xaa Moo Zoo in Hmong via Taiwan:
2300-2330 11655 TAI 100 kW / 250 deg
(Source: BC-DX # 813)

Amateur Radio A.R.I. DX Bulletin


30 June 2007
A.R.I. DX Bulletin
No 843
===========================
*** 4 2 5 D X N E W S ***
**** DX INFORMATION ****
===========================
Edited by I1JQJ & IK1ADH
Direttore Responsabile I2VGW

4O - David, OK1FJD will operate on the HF bands and 6 metres as 4O6DJ from Montenegro on 7-14 July. QSL via OK6DJ. [TNX OK1FJD]

5B4 - Manos/5B4AFQ, Kostas/5B4AIR, Andreas/5B8AP and Marios/5B8BE will be active as P3CA from Cape Akamas Lighthouse (ARLHS CYP-001), Cyprus (AS-004) on 7-8 July. They plan to operate SSB, CW and FM on the HF bands, 6 and 2 metres and APRS on 144.800 MHz, and to and to take part in the Aegean VHF Contest. [TNX 5B8BE]

8Q - Al, JA9APS will be active as 8Q7NK from the Maldives (AS-013) on 6-9 July. He plans to operate holiday style on 40-6 metres SSB, CW and RTTY. QSL via home call. [TNX JA1ELY]

9X - Antonio, EA5RM announced that a multi-national team is planning to operate from Kigali, Rwanda "this summer". Details are expected to be provided in due course.

A2 - Announced SSB frequencies where the 5-20 July operation from Botswana [425DXM 841] might be on are: 1840, 3790, 7075, 14220, 14265, 18145, 21270, 24935, 28450 and 50110. The team will be signing A25HQ during the IARU HF World Championship. [TNX K5LBU/A25CF]

C5 - Andre, ON7YK will be active again as C56YK from The Gambia on 14-27 September. He will operate SSB on 10-80 metres, as well as on 6 metres. QSL via home call. [TNX NG3K]

CE - Claudio, CE1VIL will be active as 3G100S until 1 August to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the scouting movement. QSL via XQ1KY, direct or bureau. [TNX F5NQL]

CN - Claude, F5OGE will be active as CN2GE and CN2GE/m from Morocco between 13 and 29 July. He will be travelling from Tangiers to Rabat, Marrakech, Benni Mellal, Fes, Tetouane and again Tangiers. Claude will operate CW and SSB, mainly on 40 and 20 metres, early in the morning and late in the evening (local time). QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [TNX F5NQL]

DU - Chris, VK3FY will be in the Philippines on 5-9 July and plans to operate as VK3FY/DU1 (OC-042) and VK3FY/DU8 (OC-130). He might also be active as VK3FY/DU8 from OC-235, if he can find the time and a boat to take him there. [TNX VK3FY]

EI - To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first transatlantic commercial passenger test flight, a special re-enactment flight http://www.transatlanticflightpby.com/index.php is planned to leave Botwood (Newfoundland) on 5 July, landing at Foynes (Ireland) on the 6th. In conjunction with this event, the Limerick Radio Club www.qsl.net/ei4lrc will operate as EI70FOY on 6-8 July. Activity will take place on on 10-80 metres. QSL via EI8EM. [TNX EI8EM]

EU - Special event callsign EU940OR will be aired until 26 July to celebrate the 940th anniversary of Orsha, the oldest city in Belarus. QSL via UA3FDX.

FM - Alain, F5LMJ will be active as TO5J from Martinique (NA-107) on 14-28 July. He plans to operate mainly CW and digital modes. QSL via home call (but all of the QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau, and he will upload the log to LoTW). [TNX F5NQL]

GM - A large group of operators from the Cockenzie and Port Seton Amateur Radio Club http://www.cpsarc.com will participate in the IOTA Contest (28-29 July) as GM2T from the Isle of Tiree (EU-008). Before the contest they will be signing MM0CPS/P. QSL GM2T via GM4UYZ, direct or bureau. [TNX M0RNR]

HC - Al, HC2SL will operate on 160 metres CW on 1 July, from 00 UTC to 5 UTC. Top Banders should look for him on 1822 kHz. [TNX HC2SA]

HP - Bert/CX3AN, Gus/CX2AM and Mario/CX4CR have extended their activity from Wichubwala Island (NA-170) and will remain QRV until 6 July. [TNX CX3CE]

HS - Eric, SM1TDE will be living and working on Phuket island (AS-053) from August 2007 to June 2008. He expects to be QRV with a HS0Z callsign, mainly CW on 40-10 metres (WARC bands excluded). QSL via SM1TDE, direct (he says he will have a POB address in Thailand) or bureau. [TNX SM1TDE]

HZ - Mohamad, HZ1MD became active as HZ1MD/m from the Farasan Islands (AS-193, new one) on 28 June. He is expected to operate SSB on 40, 20, 17, 15 and 10 metres and to remain there through 1 July. QSL via PA2V. [TNX ST2NH/HZ1NH]

I - Paolo, IK2QPR is active as IU2IPY until 6 December to celebrate the 4th International Polar Year. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [TNX IK2QPR]

I - The Associazione Radioamatori Italiani (ARI) will be represented by the following stations during the IARU HF World Championship (14-15 July): IU1HQ (20m CW, 80m CW, 160m CW & SSB), IU2HQ (40m CW), IU4HQ (15m SSB & CW, 20m SSB, 40m SSB, 80m SSB) and IU9HQ (10m SSB & CW). QSL via bureau. [TNX IK2HKT and IT9BLB]

I - Oreste, IZ8EDJ and several other operators from the Strange Radio Team will participate in the IOTA Contest as IC8DI from Dino Island (EU-144, IIA CS-002). QSL via IK8WEJ.

IS0 - A group of operators from ARI Olbia will be active on the HF bands and 6 metres SSB, CW and digital modes as IM0GG from 30 June to 1 July. The special callsign celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian patriot who led many of the military campaigns that brought about the formation of a unified Italy. The operation will take place from Caprera Island ((EU-041, IIA OT-012), where Garibaldi died and was buried in 1882. QSL via IS0JMA, direct or bureau. [TNX IS0JMA]

JA - Five HQ stations representing JARL will be active from various regions of Japan for the IARU HF World Championship (14-15 July):
Call Band/Mode Location
----------------------------------------------------
8N1HQ 20m-CW, 10m-Ph Kimitsu City, Chiba
8N1HQ 160m-CW, 15m-Ph Minato Ku, Tokyo
8N3HQ 80m-Ph, 20m-Ph, 15m-CW Nara City, Nara
8N3HQ 40m-CW Kobe City, Hyogo
8N4HQ 80m-CW, 40m-Ph, 10m-CW Okayama City, Okayama
Each station may be heard on other bands in the week before the contest. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau. [TNX JA1BPA]

LA - Henk, PA3FMC and Ruud, PE1BTV will operate as LA/homecall from Utvaer Island (about 7 km due west of Ytre-Sula, EU-055) on 16-23 August, International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend included. Plans are to operate SSB and PSK on the HF bands, and meteorscatter on 6 and 2 metres. They have a web page at http://la2007.dxpedition.nl/ [TNX PA3FMC]

OE - The Amateur Radio Section of ORF (the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) and the Documentary Archives Radio Communication/QSL Collection http://dokufunk.org will activate special event station OE16B from 31 August to 9 September, to celebrate the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Austria. Special QSL direct only to ORF/OE16B, A-1136 Wien, Austria (this is a charity operation for the El Molo Mission and School in Kenya), all other reports will get a plain QSL via the bureau. [TNX OE1WHC]

OJ0 - Seppo, OH1VR and Markus, OH3RM will operate SSB and CW as OJ0VR and OJ0/OH3RM from Market Reef (EU-053) from about 17 UTC on 30 June until about 6 UTC on 3 July. QSL via home calls. [TNX NG3K]

PJ2 - Salvatore, DH7SA reports he will be active as PJ2/DH7SA from Curacao (SA-006) on 9-16 July. QSL via home call.

SM - Special event station 8S3SYL will be active on 23-26 August during the Scandinavian Young Ladies Radio Amateurs (SYLRA) meeting in Ostersund. QSL via SM3CVM, direct or (preferably) bureau. Full information about the meeting can be found at http://www.sylra.se/_sgg/m1_1.htm [TNX OPDX Bulletin]

SV - Andy, HA0IM will be active as SV8/HA0IM from Zakynthos Island (EU-052) on 18-30 July. He will operate mainly CW with some PSK31 and RTTY on 80-6 metres. Signing J48IM, he will participate in the CQ WW VHF Contest (20-21 July) on 6 metres and in the IOTA Contest (CW only). QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [TNX HA0HW]

SV - Laci, HA0NAR will be active as SV8/HA0NAR and J48NAR from Thassos Island (EU-174) on 24-31 July, IOTA Contest included. He plans to operate SSB and CW on 80-6 metres. QSL via HA0NAR, direct or bureau. [TNX HA0HW]

SV5 - Special event callsign SX5RHO will be aired on all bands and modes from Rhodes, Dodecanese (EU-001) from 30 June to 7 July to celebrate the 12th edition of the Island Games. QSL via SV5FRD (but all of the QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau, and logs will be uploaded to LoTW). [TNX SV5DKL]

SV9 - Theo, SV1EJD will be active as SV9/SV1EJD from Crete (EU-015) on 3-17 July. He plans to operate SSB on 10-80 metres. QSL via IZ8CCW, direct or bureau. [TNX IZ8CCW]

TA - Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Fenerbahce Sports Club (http://www.qsl.net/ta3j/ym1907fb), Berkin, TA3J will be active as YM1907FB from 19 July to 2 August. He will operate all modes on 160-10 metres, plus 2m. QSL via TA3YJ http://www.geocities.com/qslservice/ta3yj, direct (no USD please) or bureau. [TNX TA3YJ]

UA - The RK1OZM team will be active as R50KP from the town of Mirny (RDA AR-10) on 9-16 July to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Plesetsk Cosmodrome. They plan to operate on 40-10 metres CW, SSB and some digital modes with three stations. QSL via RK1OZM, direct or bureau. [TNX UA1PAC]

UA - Victor, UA6AF will operate as UA6AF/P from Sudzhuk Island (EU-185) on 27-30 July, IOTA Contest included. QSL via home call. www.rsgbiota.org

V3 - Dennis, K7BV will be active from Caye Caulker (NA-073, EK57xr), Belize on 7-17 July. He will emphasize 6 metres (breakable beacon on 50106 kHz), but there will be plenty of HF activity when that band is not open. QSL direct to W1JJ. Further information at http://www.qth.com/k7bv/v3/ [TNX N4GN]

VE - Tom, KV8Q will be active from Prince Edward Island (NA-029) on 11-16 July. Expect him to operate mainly CW as VY2/KV8Q, and to participate in the IARU HF World Championship. QSL via KC8UR. [TNX NG3K]

VP2M - K3VX, K4NO, K7NM, AK9F, K9NR and K9CS plan to be active from Montserrat (NA-103) from 20 November through 3 December, including entries in CQ WW DX CW and ARRL 160 Meter CW contests. QSL via K9CS. Further information is expected in due course. [TNX K9CS]

VP6 - The VP6DX expedition to Ducie Island is now expected to be on the air from 10 to 28 February 2008. The team currently include ten operators (DJ8NK, DL3DXX, DL6LAU, DL8LAS, K3NA, OH2BH, OH2PM, SP3DOI, UA3AB and WA6CDR), with other three TBA. They plan to have seven stations up and running on 160-6 metres, with a large number of phased verticals and 4-squares. The budget for this operation is over 200,000 USD and donations are being sought. Details on how contribute, as well as plenty of further information on the expedition, can be found at http://www.vp6dx.com/

VP9 - Seppo, OH1VR will operate mainly CW as VP9/OH1VR from Bermuda (NA-005) on 19-21 August. QSL via home call. [TNX NG3K]

VR - To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's reunification with China, Hong Kong stations have been authorized to use the special prefix VR10 in replacement of VR2 from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008.

W - Look for Matt, KM5VI and Bill, N5LYG to be active from North Padre Island (NA-092) on 27-30 July, IOTA Contest included. [TNX KM5VI]

W - Look for Jeff, AI4U to be active as K4I from Sunset Beach (NA-112) on 11-17 August. He will operate on 10-40 metres SSB and CW as time allows. QSL via home call. [TNX AI4U]

YB - Adhi, YB3MM will participate in the IOTA Contest as YB3MM/9 from Lombok Island (OC-150). He plans to operate SSB and CW on 15 metres only. QSL via IZ8CCW. [TNX NG3K]

===========================
*** 4 2 5 D X N E W S ***
**** GOOD TO KNOW ... ****
===========================
Edited by I1JQJ & IK1ADH
Direttore Responsabile I2VGW

QSL 3V8SS ---> Thanks to DL1DBF's help and support, Daniele, IK0REH operated CW only from the 3V8SS premises in Sousse, Tunisia between 5 and 17 June. QSL for this activity direct only to IK0REH (Daniele Casini, P.O. Box 31, 06010 Citerna - PG, Italy); proceeds will be donated to the club station to help them purchase amateur radio equipment. On-line log and a few pictures can be found at www.aricdc.it/3v8ss . Daniele can also confirm contacts made with 3V8SM on 20-21 June 2006, when he guest operated from Djerba Island (AF-083, www.aricdc.it/3v8sm). [TNX IK0REH]

QSL VIA F6AJA ---> All QSLs for HB0/F2JD, HB0/F5JY, HB0/F6BFH and HB0/N6OX are via F6AJA, direct or bureau. On-line logs are available at http://lndx.free.fr/voirlogs.php [TNX F6AJA]

QSL VIA RX3RC ---> Roman, RX3RC reports he is the new QSL Manager for 4J6WZ and 4K8DWW. Cards can be send either direct (Roman A. Novikov, P.O. Box 21, 392000 Tambov, Russia) or via the bureau.

QSL VIA UA4WHX ---> Vlad, UA4WHX says he is going back home - after almost 26 months and 310,000 QSOs from 21 DXCC entities. Callsigns used include 3DA0VB, 4K0VB, 4L0B, 5H3VMB, 5H3VMB/3 (AF-075), 5H3VMB/5 (AF-074), 5R8VB, 5X1VB, 5Z4/UA4WHX, 5Z4/UA4WHX/P (AF-067), 5Z4BU, 7P8VB, 7Q7VB, 9J2VB, 9U0VB, 9X0VB, A25VB, C91VB, C91VB/4 (AF-103), C91VB/6 (AF-088), D20VB, D60VB, J20VB, OD5/UA4WHX, ST2KSS, ST2VB, V51VV, V51VV/P (AF-070), Z2/UA4WHX (see also the list available for download www.dailydx.com). His QSLling instructions are as follows:
1. Vlad accepts cards sent through the Russian QSL bureau, as well as bureau shipments mailed directly from societies or organizations to his address (Vladimir M. Bykov, P.O. Box 2040, Izhevsk, 426000, Russia). To keep track and make certain nothing is missing when a big batch is on the way, it is advisable to contact him ua4whx@mail.ru.
2. He recommends sending requests direct rather than going via the bureau. Cards will be arranged and replied to by senders, direct/bureau put together. If there is enough postage, the bureau will join the direct requests.
3. Please avoid sending cash, use IRCs instead ("I can technically send 7 pieces of QSLs with one IRC", he says).
4. It is even possible to use credit cards (Visa or Master Card). "I will keep records of the transaction together with your QSL requests", Vlad says. "The transaction is 100% secure and will be done electronically through Svezhy Veter Travel Agency".
5. Those who made multiple QSOs, can send only one card along with the QSO list on a sheet of paper.
6. Vlad did not use a computer, and all QSOs are on paper logs. He will have a few people to help help him with the QSLing. He will let everyone know when the first cards are out.

UK POSTAL RATES ---> Mike, G3TEV (QSL manager for 9J2BO) reminds stations that send for direct QSL cards that due to the current exchange rate a minimum of 2 USD or 1 IRC is required for postage to anywhere outside the UK, Eire and rest of Europe included. The new postal rates became effective on 2 April 2007.
(DX News #843 via Dave Raycroft)

Armenian government moves to end RFE/RL broadcast in Armenia


The Armenian National Assembly is debating on government bills that could end the Armenian-language broadcasts of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a key source of information for a considerable part of Armenia’s population.

The two bills sent to the parliament late on Tuesday were swiftly condemned by local media rights groups and top opposition leaders as an attempt to muzzle what they regard as the only electronic media outlet not controlled by the administration of President Robert Kocharian.

One of the proposed legal amendments would ban the Armenian Public Television and Radio (HHHR) from retransmitting programs of foreign broadcasters. RFE/RL’s Armenian Service primarily relies on the HHHR’s radio frequencies to air its daily news programs across Armenia.

Under the other amendment, the private radio stations, which air some of those programmes, would have to pay hefty fees to the state budget.

Government officials have yet to explain the rationale for the proposed changes which seem to have taken leaders of the parliament’s pro-government majority by surprise. They yesterday praised RFE/RL’s activities in Armenia but would not specify if they will urge fellow lawmakers to reject the government initiative.
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Radio Tirana releases new email address


Dear Radio Tirana Listeners,
We are pleased to notify the first ever email address of Radio Tirana English Section,as follows:
radiotirana-english@hotmail.com
You are kindly encouraged to make your comments,remarks and questions about Albania
and everything Albanian via email.
Thank You and all the best from sunny hot Tirana,
Drita Cico
ARTV-Head of Monitoring CenterRADIO TIRANA
(Source: Alokesh Gupta, India)

Radio Tirana International - English service
All times UTC
Target Areas: eu (Europe) na (North America) va (Various)
0145-0200 Tues-Sat 6120eu 7425na
0230-0300 Tues-Sat 6115eu 7425eu
1300-1330 Tues-Sat 13750na
1845-1900 Mon-Sat 6035eu 7465eu
2000-2030 Tues-Sat 7465eu 13720va
(Source: Gayle Van Horn-Frequency Manager/Monitoring Times, SW Guide)