QSL of the Week: Emergency Broadcast from a Ship in the Indian Ocean

St. Paul Island

The Island of St. Paul is located in the southern areas of the Indian Ocean, half way between (Western) Australia and (South) Africa.  This very isolated and quite small island is the top of an active volcano.On the map, it is in the shape of a triangle with a large open inlet to the ocean on the eastern side.

            The island St Paul was discovered in 1559 by the Portuguese who were sailing aboard the ship Nau Sao Paulo with Captain Rui Melo da Camara as the commander.  The island was claimed for France in 1843, they renounced their claim ten years later, and in 1892, they laid claim once again to this island.

            In May 1938, a small group of would be colonists set out from St. Malo on the English Channel in France with the intent of establishing a new colony on St Paul Island, in spite of the fact that a similar colonial attempt had failed ten years earlier.  The new colonists travelled aboard the French trawler, Ile de Bourbon, and they arrived at the island in September after following a circuitous route via ports in Africa, as well as visits to Madagascar and Reunion Island.  They intended to support themselves by lobster fishing, for which they had been awarded a government monopoly.

            When they arrived at the island, the group of 48 colonists began to establish themselves on shore, though they still used the ship for all the necessities of life, including accommodation. 

            On December 21 (1938), the ship radio operator tapped out an SOS, an emergency message in Morse Code, stating that they were in need of food and other supplies.  This message was heard by Neil Taylor, a 12 year old amateur radio operator living in California in the United States, as well as by another amateur operator in Bremerton, Washington. 

            The contents of this distress message was conveyed to the United States Navy headquarters in Washington DC, and they flashed the message to the navy cruiser USS Omaha stationed in the Mediterranean, and they passed the information on to the French government who arranged with Madagascar to deliver needed supplies to the stricken survivors at the island of St. Paul. 

            It so happened that international radio monitor, William Palmer in Ohio also heard this doleful message in Morse Code and he sent a reception report to the radio officer aboard the Ile de Bourbon.  Two years later, he reported to the American radio magazine, the Globe Circler, that he had received a QSL from the ship, verifying his reception of the SOS emergency call from the ship in the bay at the island of St. Paul.

 (AWR-Wavescan/NWS 367 via Adrian Peterson)

Wavescan Schedules to March 26

Wavescan Scheduling: B15 Transmission Period

October 25, 2015 - March 26, 2016

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UTC    UTC    Call                    kHz   kW       Station                           Location        Country

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sun      0030    WRMI14            5950  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Sun      0130    WRMI9            11580  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Sun      1000    AWR                 9610  100      Media Broadcast           Nauen           (Italian DX Program)

Sun      1030    WRMI12            5850  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Sun      1130    WRMI14            5950  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Sun      1530    AWR               11750  250      Media Broadcast           Nauen           Germany

Sun      1600    KSDA              15660  100      Adventist World Radio  Agat               Guam

Sun      1600    AWR               11780  125      SLBC                            Trincomalee  Sri Lanka        

Sun      2200    KSDA              15435  100      Adventist World Radio  Agat               Guam

Sun      2330    KSDA              15320  100      Adventist World Radio  Agat               Guam

Mon     MN00  WRMI13            7730  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Mon     0030    WRMI14            5950  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Mon     0130    KVOH               9975    50      Voice of Hope               Los Angeles  California USA

Mon     0130    WRMI9            11580  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Wed     0030    WRMI14            5950  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Wed     1130    WRMI14            5950  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Wed     2130    WRMI11            7570  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Thu      0130    WRMI9            11580  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Fri        2100    WRMI11            7570  100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

Sat       1130    WRMI14            5950 100      Radio Miami Int             Okeechobee Florida USA

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

iPod  AWR WRMI Iphone 1 712 432 8868 3

Internet Stream  AWR.org WRMI.net   WWCR.com KVOH.net      

Archives  AWR.org   Ontheshortwaves.com, Radioheritage.net, Portale.italradio.org                          offshoreradio.de Tunein.com itunes.apple.com mt-shortwave.blogspot.com

The Stupidly Simple Spy Messages No Computer Could Decode

Shane Harris on The Daily Beast has written an new article on HF numbers stations.

UDXF expert Ary Boender was interviewed recently and the result can be found on the website of the Daily Beast. It’s about numbers stations of course.

You can read the article at The Stupidly Simple Spy Messages No Computer Could Decode

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2016 Mar 07 0539 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html
#
#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 29 February - 06 March 2016

Solar activity reached low levels on 04 March due to a C1 flare from Region 2506 (S06, L=223, class/area=Dai/130 on 29 Feb) at 0900 UTC. Very low levels were observed for the remainder of the period. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed in coronagraph imagery.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached moderate levels throughout the period.

Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet or quiet to unsettled levels until 06 March, when a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) became geoeffective. During the onset of the
co-rotating interaction region (CIR) total field (Bt) to a maximum of 22 nT at 06/1646 UTC while the Bz component reached a maximum southward deflection of -18 nT at 06/1834 UTC. Solar wind speeds increased to a peak of around 580 km/s at the end of the period. The geomagnetic field reached G1 (Minor) during the 1500-1800 synoptic period, G2 (Moderate) during the 1800-2100 synoptic period, and G3 (Strong) Geomagnetic Storm levels during the 2100-2400 UTC synoptic period.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 07 March - 02 April 2016

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels, with a chance for C-class flares, 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 high levels from 07-10 March and 17-22 March due to CH HSS effects. Moderate levels are expected from 11-16 March and 23 March - 02 April.

Geomagnetic field activity is likely to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 07 March, 17-19 March, and 02 Apr in reponse to effects from multiple coronal holes. Quiet to quiet to unsettled
conditions are anticipated for rest of the forecast period under nominal solar wind conditions.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2016 Mar 07 0539 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html
#
#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
#                Issued 2016-03-07
#
#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest
#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index
2016 Mar 07      95          22          5
2016 Mar 08      95          10          3
2016 Mar 09      95           8          3
2016 Mar 10      90           5          2
2016 Mar 11      90           5          2
2016 Mar 12      95          10          3
2016 Mar 13      95           8          3
2016 Mar 14      95           5          2
2016 Mar 15      90           5          2
2016 Mar 16      90          15          4
2016 Mar 17      90          25          5
2016 Mar 18      95          25          5
2016 Mar 19      95          25          5
2016 Mar 20      95          12          4
2016 Mar 21      90           5          2
2016 Mar 22      90           5          2
2016 Mar 23      90           5          2
2016 Mar 24      95           5          2
2016 Mar 25      95           5          2
2016 Mar 26      95           5          2
2016 Mar 27      95           5          2
2016 Mar 28      95           5          2
2016 Mar 29      95           5          2
2016 Mar 30      95           5          2
2016 Mar 31      90           5          2
2016 Apr 01      90           5          2
2016 Apr 02      90          25          5
(NOAA)

Update on Republic of Adygea

Russia
After closing, a few years ago, Russia's foreign broadcasting  (Voice of Russia) and off last shortwave domestic broadcast transmitters (Radio of Russii, including - in Tulagino) in this range,
continued its work of a single transmitter, broadcasting a program of the Adygeya radio (GTRK "Adygea") in the amount of three hours per week for compatriots abroad on Circassian, Turkish and Arabic.

Current schedule of his work: 2100-2200 Moscow time (1800-1900 UT) on Mondays and Fridays, 2200-2300 Moscow time (1900-2000 UT) on Sunday at a frequency of 6000 kHz exactly (in the range of 49 meters) over 100 kW transmitter of the Kuban branch of the radio center RTRS "Krasnodar
KRTPTS" in the Tbilisi district of the region. Link to the archive of programs online broadcaster:
http://www.adygtv.ru/programs/radio-inoveshchanie/bro
("VKontakte" group "DX-ing - Far radio reception"
Group Editor: Vladimir Yemelyanov, Samara, Russia.).
(Anatoly Klepov/RUS-DX # 862)

Isle of Music program schedule for March 7

March 7 in the Americas (March 8 in Europe, Asia and Africa), our special guest will be Ethiel Failde, whose Orquesta Miguel Failde defends the Danzon, with an interview we recorded in Havana along with some music from their new album. The Danzon influenced the development of early North American Jazz. We also continue sharing the wonderful Cuban Classical album Piñera Concertante; we'll play 10-15 minutes of this each of the next few weeks. And, of course, more great music from Cuba including a taste of Los Latinos, a popular dance band from the 70s, some of the great Cuban Jazz album Estado de Animo and the great Timba album by El Niño y la Verdad.

*** Every Monday night from 8pm-9pm EST in North, Central and South America (Tuesday morning from 0100-0200 UTC in Europe and Africa) on the short waves on WBCQ The Planet, 7.490 MHz: From the Isle of Music, a new radio program dedicated to the music of Cuba – Jazz, Fusion, Timba, Nueva Trova, Son, Classical, Folklorica, interviews with musicians, even a little history of the music now and then. Partly in English, en parte en español. “Like” our page to keep informed about what we will bring you. (For those without shortwave or outside of viable signal range, there are also a couple of ways to stream the frequency via Internet; see the instructions in our NOTES section).
William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer

Channel 292 broadcast schedule

Due to a free airtime offer a lot of new stations and content have appeared:

All times UTC

We are on air this weekend (SW + FM)

Channel 292 6070 1900-1930 Saturdays (Europe)

Radio 700 7310 1500 Sundays (Europe)
WRMI 9955 0430-0500 Sundays (N.Am/S.Am/India)
WBCQ 5130 0430-0500 Mondays (N.Am) (In AM/CUSB)
World FM 88.2MHz 0330 Thursdays (Tawa, New Zealand)

Saturday March 5
9:00-10:00 RWI
10:00-13:00 Achim's Oldies
13:00-15:00 Laser 558
15:00-17:00 Radio Albatross
19:00-19:30 Hobart Radio International - The Buzz No.23
21:00-23:00 Free Thinker Radio

Sunday March 6

8:00-9:00 SuperClan Radio
9:00-10:00 Goldrausch 6070
10:00-11:00 DARC
11:00-11:30 MFSK 32 test
11:30-12:30 Radio Klien Paris International
12:30-13:00 MFSK 32 test
13:00-15:00 WMBR Rarities Show
15:00-16:00 Laser 558
16:00-16:30 Mennonite Radio
16:30-17:00 Broad Spectrum Radio

Monday March 7
15:00-16:00 Broad Spectrum Radio
16:00-17:00 DARC
20:00 - 21:00 DARC
21:00-21.30 Radio Northern Ireland

More at: http://www.channel292.de/schedule-for-bookings/ for last-minute additions as well as next week's schedule in advance.
On twitter at: @6070Channel292

Channel 292 has fixed their transmitter, now able to be heard well across Europe.

Kind regards,
Rob Wise.
Hobart Radio International - The Voice of Tasmania

Weekend VOA Radiogram schedule

Hello friends,

VOA Radiogram this weekend is all in MFSK32. There is no time for a slow mode such as Olivia 64-3000, because the MFSK32 stories are too interesting to cut.  

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 153, 5-6 March 2016, all in MFSK32:

 1:34  Program preview

  2:36  Ridding Bangkok of pythons and other snakes*

12:57  Astronomers locate source of a fast radio burst*

17:57  Distinguished visitors at the South Pole*

27:13  Closing announcements*

* with image

Decode with Fldigi or MultiPSK for PCs, or AndFlmsg or TIVAR for Android devices.

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 kHz
Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

The Mighty KBC will transmit a minute of MFSK32 Saturday at about 0220 UTC (Sunday 9:20 pm EST) on 6040 kHz, via Germany. Reports for KBC reception to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

DigiDX continues its MFSK32 transmissions this weekend via Channel 292, 6070 kHz, in Germany. The schedule is Friday (today) at 2000-2030 UTC and Sunday at 1100-2030 UTC (presumably including several repeats). This weekend’s DigiDX broadcast includes MFSK32 at the usual audio frequency of 1500, plus, simultaneously (a few minutes into the broadcast) at 600 Hz. You can decode both at the same time using two instances of Fldigi. Additional transmissions of DigiDX are possible during the weekend (consult facebook.com/digidx) as well as digital IDs by Channel 292 itself. 

Thank you for your reports from last weekend.  I’m still working on the gallery of MFSK images from program 135, and hope to be sending this out soon.

I hope you can tune in and write in this weekend.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

@VOARadiogram   

PS:  See my new essay about BBC’s planned North Korean service.

WBCQ schedule update

Effective: 03 March 2016

All times UTC

2000-2100 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Tue
2100-2200 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Mon-Fri
2300-2400 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Mon-Fri Brother Stair
2300-2400 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Daily
0000-0100 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Daily
0000-0100 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Sun/Mon
0100-0200 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Fri-Mon
0100-0200 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Mon Brother Stair
0100-0200 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm Eng/Spa Tue From the Isle of Music
0100-0200 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Wed-Sun
0100-0200 on  9330vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Daily The Full Gospel Hour
0200-0300 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Wed Amateur Roundtable
0200-0300 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Thu Brother Stair
0200-0300 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Fri-Mon
0200-0300 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Daily Brother Stair
0200-0300 on  9330vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Daily Word of Deliverance
0300-0400 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Thu Brother Stair
0300-0400 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Sun/Mon
0300-0400 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Daily Brother Stair
0400-0500 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Sun
0430-0500 on  5130vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Mon Hobart Radio Inter
0400-0500 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Mon-Sat
0400-0500 on  7490vBCQ 050 kW / 245 deg to ENAm English Sun Brother Stair
7490v=7489.9 AM mode
5130v=5129.7 in CUSB
9330v=9330.3 in CUSB

(SWL DX)

Scandinavian Weekend Radio slated for March 4-5

Scandinavian Weekend Radio (SWR), is a free radio station, free of play list, and a monthly contribution to the global radio hobby. Scandinavian Weekend Radio (SWR) transmitter site is located in the city of Virrat, Upper Tampere Region, Liedenpohja village. The station broadcasts mainly on the first Saturday of every month for 24 hours on shortwave, medium wave, and FM from 00:01 local time, UTC +2h (Summer +3h)



Send your program details to: info@swradio.net 



Postal mail:

SWR

P.O. Box 99

F1-34801 Finland

Website: http://www.swradio.net 



Scandinavian Weekend Radio Edition#197 will be on air from 2200UT March 4 to 2200UT 

March 5 as follows:



All times UTC

2200-2300 on  6170 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

2200-2300 on 11720 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

2300-2400 on  6170 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

2300-2400 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0000-0600 on  6170 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0000-0600 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0600-0800 on  5980 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0600-0800 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0800-0900 on  5980 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0800-0900 on 11720 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0900-1400 on  6170 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

0900-1400 on 11720 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1400-1500 on  6170 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1400-1500 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1500-1700 on  5980 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1500-1700 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1700-1800 on  5980 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1700-1800 on 11720 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1800-1900 on  5980 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1800-1900 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1900-2200 on  6170 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

1900-2200 on 11690 VIR 0.1 kW / non-dir to FIN  Finnish

SWL DXing 29 Feb)

Radio Six International plans for special shortwave broadcast

Coming this month.....Ewan Spence takes us to Austin, Texas for a series of daily shows from the gigantic annual music festival South by South West beginning on Monday, March 14th at 20:00 GMT

We'll be back on shortwave later this month, with a special five hour broadcast in the 49 metre band on Saturday 19th March from 12:00 to 17:00 GMT. As well as the usual programmes there will be a special two-hour live edition of Saturday Sounds hosted by Tony Currie and including live emails and messages. Listen online as usual or tune in to 6070kHz (49.39m) from a transmitter near Munich in Germany.

Great new music from a huge variety of worldwide artists every night in Random Play at 20:00 GMT.

http://www.radiosix.com/


If you'd like to send us something by conventional mail, our postal address is:
Radio Six International
21 Sherbrooke Avenue
Glasgow
G41 4HF
Scotland 

If you want to send us your music, please read the rules on the playlist pages. The email address for sending music to is musicsubmissions@radiosix.com Emails which simply ask us to go to YouTube or some other site to listen to your music - rather than provide us with a downloadable file - will be deleted without further action. Likewise, 48k files will screw up our system and won't play, so if you send us a 48k file, don't expect to hear it on the radio!!

Clandestine station updates

(wisegeek.com)

All times UTC

Clandestine radio station, Radio Oemeni-ti/Tamsaasa Radio, listed as OMN is a new Oromo language station via Kostinbrod, Bulgaria. heard at 1800-1900 on Wednesday-Sunday on 15170 kHz (initially it was on 9480). (Mauno Ritola WRTH Facebook 15 Feb, Bulgarian SW Blog 22 Feb) The station appears to be United States, based, its web site www.oromiamedia.org states that OMN (Oromia Media Network) is an “independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit news enterprise whose mission is to produce original and citizen-driven reporting on Oromia, the largest and most populous state in Ethiopia.” Email info@oromiamedia.org

Radio Lead Africa appears to be the name of a new Ugandan opposition broadcaster, targeting their programming to the Middle East. The station has registered with the HFCC via Meyerton, South Africa as;

0300-0400 Monday, Thuesday and Friday 5910 kHz
0500-0600 Wednesday and Thursday 15455 kHz
0500-0700 Saturday 15310 kHz
1700-1800 Sat/Sun 9410
1900-2100 Sat/Sun 9430
Initially reported by German DXer, Wolfgang Bueschel as an unidentified station in early February, but it was registered with the HFCC last October and may already have been on the air for several weeks. It was heard in the United Kingdom on 9430 on 28 February from 2020 tune-in with talks in Swahili to 2045, and in English. The English segment was a political talk against Uganda’s president Museveni.
(edited from BDXC-Communications/March DX News-Short Wave)

Shut Down the Voice of America ?

by Dan Robinson

Feb 11, 2016

Sound extreme? Shut down an institution born in the dark days of World War II, lasting through the Cold War, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, into the new millennium and the age of the Internet and social media?

One that represented freedom of speech and the principles of unfettered journalism to millions around the globe, while also reflecting official U.S. policies and discussion about those policies?

But not so extreme to anyone who has followed reports about the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal agency overseeing all foreign-directed U.S. media, and the struggle over bipartisan legislation to restructure it.

Indeed, I believe closing VOA, and other elements of the BBG, should now be squarely on the table, though so far it's been almost off the radar of 2016 presidential candidates.

Additional story at: http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/shut-down-voice-america

Dan Robinson is a CDP Blog contributor and and former Senior White House Correspondent, Voice of America

Tough Nut: BBC Plans a North Korean Service

by Kim Elliott

The BBC has confirmed its intention to create a radio service for North Korea, although, despite a recent report, a start date for this service has not been set. North Korea’s recent test of what it described as a hydrogen bomb, and its launch of a long-range missile, have instilled urgency to the BBC’s plans.

BBC specifies that this will be a radio service rather than the multimedia operation that is typical in 21st-century international broadcasting. In North Korea’s tightly controlled media environment, there really is no alternative to radio to get information to all but the most elite layer of the country’s population. 

North Korea can be reached by medium wave (“AM”) and shortwave radio. Medium wave is preferred because radios with this band are more typical than those with shortwave bands. Medium wave transmitters that can reach North Korea are in short supply, however. One such transmitter in Russia, previously used by international broadcasters, has been dismantled. China will not supply MW transmitters to BBC for obvious geopolitical reasons. Japan has no history of hosting relay transmitters for international radio stations. With the business case for medium wave radio declining in Japan as it is in the rest of the world, perhaps this opportunity for revenue will be re-explored.

Additional story USCAnneberg/USC Center on Public Diplomacy at: http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/tough-nut-bbc-plans-north-korean-service

Voice of Nigeria monitoring observations

Voice of Nigeria (Abuja & Lagos)

This is a tentative schedule, based on monitoring. Posted in BDXC March column DX News-Shortwave column.
Abuja operates the early morning and evening broadcast, with Lagos filling the gap in the daytime.
The announcers on the two English services are different, and identify the station as "Voice of
Nigeria, Lagos" or "Voice of Nigeria, Abuja."

All times UTC

Nigeria, VO Nigeria Abuja
French
0700-0730 7255af
Fulfulde
0730-0800 7255af
English
0800-0900 7255af
1800-1900  DRM  7255af (alt 9690)
Fulfulde
1930-2000 7255af
Hausa
0600-0700 7255af  9690 (currently unheard)
2000-2100 7255af

Nigeria, VO Nigeria Lagos
Arabic
1730-1800 11770af
English
0900-1000 9690af (alt 15120af)
1000-1100 9690af (alt 15120af)
1100-1200 9690af (alt 15120af)
1200-1300 9690af (alt 15120af)
1300-1400 9690af (alt 15120af)
1400-1500 15120af (alt 9690af)
1500-1530 15120af (alt 9690af)
French
1530-1600 15120af (alt 9690af)
Swahili
1600-1630 9690af
Yoruba
1630-1700 9690af (alt. 11770af)
(BDXC/March Communications-DX News-SW)

March specials from Airmail Postage & DX Supplies

Dear Customer,

Below are specials for March.

 If you need a current stamp list or supply list, I can mail or email it to you.

NEWS:

MORE NEWS:   I have several hundred of $1.20 in 3 stamps available. 100 for $95.00ppd or 300 for $270.00ppd.

IDEA:  

 NEW RATES: Poland increases from 5,20zl to 6,00zl March 1st. Rate covers 50g.

UK increases most rates 29 March, but the 20g rate of 1,33 is not changing. I've been supplying this with 2 x 1st stamps plus a 7p stamp. 1st stamp is worth 63p. On March 29th, it will be valued at 64p...So if you have the 1st + 1st + 7p combo, you're good! AND, if you don't have any UK on hand, check out the March special below! UK covers England, Scotland, N. Ireland and Wales.

 If you hear of or notice any new rates, let me know.

NEW PRICES:  

  

IN STOCK AGAIN:  Russia 5 Rb updates at 30c ea.

STAMPS ON BACK ORDER: Algeria, Fiji, Thailand.

U.S. DISCOUNT POSTAGE DEALS!!

Save Big on your domestic mailings when you plaster

your envelope with colorful stamps.

49c Units	Forever	in 2 stamps	in 3 stamps	in 4 stamps	in 5 stamps
x 100	$46.50	$42.00	$41.00	$40.00	$39.00
x 200	$90.00	$82.00	$80.00	$78.00	$76.00
x 400	$176.00	$160.00	$154.00	$150.00	$145.00

International Rate

$1.15 Units	Global forever
x 20	$22.00
x 100	$100.00
x 200	$200.00
x 500	$475.00

  

MORE U.S. POSTAGE for SALE! 

  $100 Grab Bag - $75        $300 Grab Bag - $210

$500 Grab Bag - $340      $1000 Grab Bag - $670!!

                                                                                              Values up to 30c in envelopes of 100 ea. I'll send a good mix.      

                                                                                                No charge for shipping US postage deals to US addresses.

ORDER NOW!

  

 MARCH 2016  DX  STAMP  SPECIALS

2 Germany-$2.60    2 Russia-$2.60    3 Japan-$3.90  

2 UK-$3.00    2 France-$3.60    2 Spain-$4.00

  

 MARCH 2016  DX  SUPPLY  SPECIALS

200/200 European Mailers and Returns -$40.00

400/400 European Air Mailers and Air Returns - $75.00

600/600 European Air Mailers and Air Returns - $100.00

200/200 Stateside Mailers and Returns - $19.00

Priority Mail Shipping Rates: Orders up to $40.00 add $9.00, orders from $41.00 to $100.00 add $15.00. orders from $101.00 to $150.00 add $20.00, orders over $150.00 add 15%. When ordering supplies and stamps, the stamps ride free, just use supply total to figure shipping costs. Shipments to Canada and overseas ship at a greater cost. (07/2015 modified)

Stamps Only Orders: Just add $1.00 P&H for posting to USA, add $2.00 for posting to Canada.

73, bill

William Plum

12 Glenn Road

Flemington, NJ 08822

908 788 1020

Email: plumdx@msn.com

The Mystery of the Missing Sailing Ship

It was back during the month of March in the year 1938, that a famous sailing ship disappeared never to be seen or heard again.  This ship was sailing in the South Seas, and it was equipped with a modern set of radio equipment.  That is the story here in Wavescan today, the story of a tragic event that took place 78 years ago, next month.

It was back in the year 1908 that a specially designed sailing ship was built at Bremerhaven in Germany and it was one of the last full size sailing ships ever built.  It was designed as a training ship that would see service worldwide on behalf of an organization in Belgium whose French name could be translated into English as Belgian Maritime.  

            This new ship was a four masted barque with a sleek metal hull and it was christened as L’Avenir, the Future.  Three years after it was launched, that is in the year 1911, Marconi wireless equipment was installed and the ship identified in Morse Code with the callsign MAZ.  The good ship L’Avenir was honored as the first sailing ship in the world to have wireless equipment installed.

            In 1932 the ship was sold to Gustaf Erikson of Finland; and five years later again (1937), it was sold to the German shipping company, Norddeutscher Lloyd, the Hamburg Amerika Line.  At that stage, the L’Avenir was renamed the Admiral Karpfanger, in honor of Admiral Berend Karpfanger, a German hero who successfully fought against ocean-going pirates in the 1600s. 

            Under the ship’s German owners, the Admiral Karpfanger plied the major oceans as a cargo carrying training ship.  During the (southern) summer of 1938, this ship entered Spencer Gulf on the south coast of the Australian continent and tied up at the jetty at Port Germein. 

            This oceanside jetty on the edge of a rural wheat-growing locality was the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, extending out into the gulf for more than a mile.  The shallow mud flats made harboring difficult for ocean going vessels.

            At Port Germein, the Admiral Karpfanger took on a full load of bagged wheat, 3½ thousand tons of it, until all of the holds were completely filled.  The ship was heavily laden, allowing only five inches to its legal draught.  However, when it sailed out into the Gulf and into the Southern Ocean, she was within both legal and safety limits.  

            However, there was one known problem at this stage, and it was admitted that the radio generator was defective.  It is presumed that their definition of a radio generator was a power generator that charged the batteries that operated the radio equipment.

            The Admiral Karpfanger sailed out east, past New Zealand and onwards over the wide Pacific Ocean towards the southern tip of South America.  On Tuesday March 1, 1938, the ship radioed Awarua Radio ZLB at the southern tip of New Zealand, stating that all was well. 

            Three days later, another radio message from the Admiral Karpfanger, callsign DJTX, was beamed to the German maritime station DAN, at Norddeich Radio.  And the same again, five days later; and again the following day.

            Then, on Saturday March 12 (1938), the radio officer aboard the Admiral Karpfanger radioed Norddeich Radio once again, and he reported as usual, that all was well.  The reported position of the ship, geographers tell us, was well on course and at a good pace for a wind driven ocean going ship.  However, that was the last message from the Admiral Karpfanger DJTX.  

            No more radio messages, and the ship never turned up at any port anywhere ever again.  So what happened to her?  The fact that the radio was still working, it would seem that whatever happened must have been a sudden and unexpected turn of events. 

            Mariners familiar with the waterways around Cape Horn suggest that the ship unexpectedly struck an unseen iceberg, and foundered.  Others suggest that she struck an uncharted reef and sank nearby very quickly. 

            Over a period of time, a few items of debris from the stricken ship have washed up on nearby shores, some items that were subsequently identified as belonging to the Admiral Karpfanger.  This would suggest that the ship sank, apparently without breaking up, in the vicinity of Navarin Island at the southern tip of South America.

            A German court of enquiry concluded that the ship probably caught a massive rogue wave that tipped her on her side, and she sank quickly due to her own total weight.

            This tragic event with a loss of 60 personnel, crew and trainees, all happened during the month of March 78 years ago.

(AWR/Wavescan-NWS 366 via Adrian Peterson)