DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-33, March 1, 2000 edited by Glenn Hauser {Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages} CONTINENT OF MEDIA 00-02. A new edition produced Feb. 25 should be available soon at http://www.DXing.com and on RFPI: Fri 1900 25930-USB Sat 0300 6975 15049 Sat 1100 6975 Sat 1730 25930-USB Sun 0130 6975 15049 Sun 0930 6975 Tue 2000 25930-USB Wed 0400 6975 15049 Wed 1200 6975 25930-USB Wed 1730 25930-USB Thu 0930 6975 Topic summary: http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/com0002.html WORLD OF RADIO ON WWCR. Thursday at 2130: Remember that from March through November we are back on 15685 instead of 9475 (and April through October at 2030 instead). On 12160 Saturday 2030 is cancelled as of March 4, but the replacement we were expecting, Sat 1730, will NOT happen. There may be other changes in March; the March schedule should be posted at http://www.wwcr.com on March 2 or 3. From UT April 3, the Monday 0130 broadcast is expected to move to Monday 0000 on 3215 (half an hour earlier local time, plus DST shift) THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO 1026: See topic summary at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1026.html ** AUSTRALIA. Dummy antennas do not have to be resistors! Once upon a time they were incandescent globes, and tuning would be done for maximum light output! The purpose of a dummy antenna is to conveniently carry out equipment adjustments without radiating a signal, and it should act as a perfectly matched transmission line - i.e., be a pure resistance. Dummy loads are rated according to power dissipation, duty cycles, and maximum frequency. The maximum power dissipated can be increased for short time periods: for SSB the duty cycle is generally taken as 30% or less (Bob Padula, Electronic DX Press via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. In a past bulletin I talked of the silence from ROI on 13730. From ORF's technical department, Ernst Vranka tells us, via Wolfgang Bueschel, that their log-periodic antenna at the Moosbrunn transmitter site was faulty and out of service; for some days, the ineffective vertical antenna was in use instead. The log-periodic is again in use. Signals are heard again very well, for example yesterday 0005 UT (Elmer Escoto, Honduras, Conexion Digital Mar 1, via DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1026) ** CANADA. Dear Mr Hauser, Thanks for your letter, though I'm sorry I'm so late in responding to it. I'd be happy to try and clear up some of the points you raised. [cf. DXLD 00-25, item sent to Q&Q too] > ...the difference beetween the geographical and the geomagnetic north pole. This may have been true in the final version (edited for length) in which case I think it would have to be an omission rather than an error (though we might have left it in to be clearer if time had allowed). We raised this issue with Dr Sager, and he acknowledged that indeed the geomagnetic pole wanders, but over relatively short distances and time scales but that on average over large timescales the geomagnetic pole tracks the geographic poles pretty accurately. Over the period he's discussing they can be effectively treated as the same thing. As you pointed out, the effects you discuss are over thousands of years (a period Dr Sager's technique isn't sensitive to, in fact, which is why there's considerable uncertainty in the duration of the polar wander he discussed). As to continental drift, I think the opposite time scale factor applies. The speed of the wander is actually considerably quicker than any continental drift the earth would have seen -- ten times faster than the current "land" speed record (the asian subcontinent driving up the Himalayas. I'd suggest that if you want to double check for yourself, have a look at the issue of Science at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol287/issue5452/ Sincerely, (Jim Lebans, Producer, Quirks and Quarks, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation http://www.radio.cbc.ca/programs/quirks/ via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. Once again there has been no signal from RRI on 11787 in the local eveniings here; around 0500 March 1, DW was audible on 11785 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. New updated sked on Israel Defence Forces Radio Galei Zahal in Hebrew (times vary +/-30 minutes): 0600-1700 on NF 15785v (+/-500 Hz) (x7345, re-ex 6898). 1700-0600 on NF 6895v (+/-500 Hz) (x7345, re-ex 6898). (Observer, Bulgaria, March 1 via DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1026) ** MEXICO. DX programs on Mexican stations: Three of the four currently active Mexican SW stations include DX programs in their schedules. There are also a couple of programs on MW that talk about radio, without becoming DX programs, not mentioned here due to their local or regional coverage at best. XEPPM-OC, Radio Education Their program is titled ``Entre Medios`` [Among Media], a very nice show with the special characteristic of being hosted only by women. They present a variety of themes with their own commentaries on radio, its development, technical matters and problems, and the development of telecommunications. It`s easily digested in 30 minutes. There are also interviews and phone calls on the air, reading correspondence and reception reports. You can hear it every UT Thursday at 0430, repeated Fridays 0630, Wednesdays 0230. These are the times best heard here [so are there more? gh]. Don`t forget to request a QSL card which this year are on archaeological themes. Frequency is 6185, and if you can hear it outside Mexico, also MW 1060. XEPPM-OC, A. P. 21-940, 04021 Mexico, DF. XEOI Radio Mil Belonging to the Nucleo Radio Mil group, thanks to the efforts of two great friends, Dr. Julian Santiago Diez de Bonilla and Engineer Hector Garcia Bojorge (always assisted by the restless Alejandro Morales), have made possible a new DX show on this important station which retransmits its AM programs on SW. A couple of months ago their ``Encuentro DX`` program began, after a few weeks of testing. We invite everyone to assist this new DX program, sending reports, comments and input. The best heard time is 0330 UT Mondays, or 9:30 pm Sundays Central Mexico Time. The broadcast that is recorded goes out every [UT presumably] Thursday at 0500, repeated Fridays 1700, Saturdays 0000, 1430 and 2200, and Sundays 0230, 1500, Mondays 0000. There are lots of repeats, so with luck you should hear some of them. Radio Mil transmits on 6010 SW and 1000 MW. Send correspondence to: Radio Mil (onda corta), A.P. 21-1000, 04021 Mexico, DF. Nor neglect to ask for their pretty QSL card, the first the station has issued in half a century. XERMX-OC Radio Mexico Internacional is another SW station which has a DX program, called ``Estacion DX``. It is conducted by our friend Juan Jose Miroz L., who besides being a DXer, is a ham who can be contacted on the bands. This program airs every Wednesday at 0300, repeated Saturdays 2100, Mondays 0300. A new QSL card came out a few months ago, so don`t delay in sending your reports in order to receive it. Write to them at: Radio Mexico Internacional, A.P. 21-300, 04021 Mexico, DF. Tel. 5604-7846 and 5628-1720. E-mail: rmi@eudoramail.com URL: http://hello.to/rmi Regarding the other SW stations: We do not know if R. Huayacocotla has a DX section, but their directoress indicates they have not. Radio UNAM, inactive currently due to the strike, has no such program either. XERTA, Radio Transcontinental de America is inactive at the moment readjusting its transmitter, antenna and programming (Ivan Lopez Alegria, Aztlan, Jan-Feb, Nayarit DX Club, Tepic, translated by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. Glenn, Wed 01 Mar, RNZI 1000 UT News bulletin and subsequent repeat-progs to NZ Peacekeepers in East Timor et al heard on 17675 kHz. Former 17690 silent. [Finbarr O'Driscoll...Ireland, DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1026] ** NEW ZEALAND. Effective March 1, RNZI`s entire schedule from 1650 to 1205 is on 17675 (Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI) Frequency synthesizer freeze again, and/or Tikhiy Okean gone from 17675? How will this affect planned non-DST sked from March 19? (gh, DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1026) Correct - they have very kindly moved so that we can remain on 17675. We had to move from 17675 to 17690 in Jan due to interference from VOR. Mr Titov has agreed to move from 17675 which means we no longer need to change at 0605. Our schedule commencing 19 March is unchanged. (Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI, March 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. I'll be listening for RNZI on 15115 0705-1205 as of March 19. I'm hoping reception will be good. I've really missed them this winter! I wonder if they will go even lower as of May 7th, perhaps 13 MHz? (Ivan Grishin, Ont., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Local band guy James Plumlee planned to use LPFM during a concert, probably 102.9 FM in the microwatt range, rockin` Plumlee radio. Full story in the Tulsa World: http://search.tulsaworld.com/archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=DisplayStory&ID=000225_Sp_sp30james And an earlier story about LPFM in general: http://search.tulsaworld.com/archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=DisplayStory&ID=000225_En_d6radio (via Artie Bigley, OH, DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1026) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Australian media reports advise that Radio Bougainville has been reactivated, using 3325, from new studios and radio broadcasting facilities at Hutjena (Buka Island), funded by the Australian Government. The project has also allowed new equipment to be installed at Rabaul (Radio East New Britain, 3385), and 1000 solar powered wind-up radios are being distributed to schools in Bougainville. Radio Bougainville was formerly known as Radio North Solomons, and it had been forced to use a shared transmitter at Rabaul, following destruction of its own station during civil unrest. (Bob Padula, Electronic DX Press via DX LISTENING DIGEST, WORLD OF RADIO 1026) ** RUSSIA. Glenn, I've been listening to Radio Rossii, Russia, with its general-service programming on 5905 kHz, mid-afteroon in Ireland. Over the weekend I've had opportunities to pick up the station and stay with it approximately 1530 to 1615 UT. Despite the language barrier, there were clear male-voice station IDs to be heard before and after the top-of-the-hour ten-minute news bulletin Sunday 27 Feb. However, Radio Rossii is also putting out an harmonic on 29525 kHz [5905 x 5 = 29525]. The harmonic is weak and variable where I live, but there have been umpteen opportunities to confirm identical content with the Fundamental Frequency of 5905. I doubt that I would have stumbled across the harmonic without Roger Perkins, owner-operator of Amateur FM Repeater W1OJ near Boston, telling me that he was experiencing AM mode interference on the input frequency of W1OJ. I don't honestly think that I could have noticed a weak AM mode signal way up on 29 megs, where I would normally have been using NFM mode, with the Squelch control always cranked up a bit. With slight editing, this is some of what Roger Perkins said: "In recent weeks there has been an AM shortwave broadcast station intruder, operating for several hours a day, near our repeater input [29520]. It comes up at about 1500 or 1600 UT on 29525 kHz which is only 5 kHz above our input. It is causing us QRM and keeps 29620 [output] machines keyed up at times. My beam heading, NE from here [Boston], shows that it may be coming from Russia or Asia...If you happen to hear this station or can learn more about its actual origin, it would be interesting..." If Roger/W1OJ over there in Massachusetts, can get to hear the magic words "Radio Rossii" on 29525 kHz AM, he will be well on the way to sorting out an unusual problem. So, there may be another chapter to my story yet... [Finbarr O'Driscoll.....Ireland, DX LISTENING DIGEST] I believe 5905 has also been reported on its 3rd harmonic 17715 - - or was that Ukraine? (gh, DXLD, WORLD OF RADIO 1026) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. Correcting three typos in the first graf of this item in DXLD 00-32:! Radio Hapi Isles, SIBC`s National Service is installing a new 10 kW transmitter (made by Omnitronics, Philadelphia) at the Henderson Transmitting Station, 13 km east of Honiara. It will replace the old 10 kW unit on 5020 kHz, which was running at only 5 kW during the past few years. After overhauling it, the old transmitter will remain as a stand-by. SIBC uses 5020 // 1035 MW at 1900-1200. ``Wan FM`` (One FM) is SIBC`s new 2nd programme for Honiara on 96.3 MHz at 1900- 1300... ** SOMALIA. 7530, R. Hargeisa, apparently ex-7071, reactivated after being off for a long period. Fair at 1748 Feb 28 with Somali songs and talk at 1815 mentioning. "Somaliland," then music porgram and a clear ID at 1830 as R. Hargeisa. Then talk on Somaliland and Hargeisa, many IDs interspersed, 1850 news bulletin, 1900* after a nice song by M&W, probably a signature tune. Heard again at 1605 Feb 29, Koran, so apparently *1600-1900* (Mahendra Vaghjeem, Mauritius, hard-core-dx March 1 via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA. New SW station Radio Banaadir heard. The new Somali SW radio station Radio Banaadir was observed by BBC Monitoring on 28th February. It was heard from tune-in at 1630 gmt on 7213 kHz. The broadcast included listeners letters, songs, a current affairs programme on the Middle East, market prices and a news bulletin at 1700 gmt. The radio signed off at 1900 gmt. Station identification in Somali: Halkani waa Idaacadda Raadiyaha Banaadir (English: This is Radio Banaadir). Source: Monitoring research 28 Feb 00 ((c) BBC Monitoring via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K O G B A N I. Earth One launch date moved to September Peter Luff, who produced the original "Secret Policeman's Ball," leaves the directorship of London's Royal Commonwealth Society at the end of this month to become the first managing director of Earth One, which originally planned to be on the shortwaves this month. He begins his new position April 3rd. Earth One is now due to launch in September, coinciding with the UN Millennium Assembly. Developed by Global Vision Network Ltd, a British-based multimedia company, and partnered by Merlin Communications International, Earth One will broadcast news, current affairs world music and cultural programmming. Their press release says Earth One "will challenge the news values of the traditional media, will bring debate and discussion about the world's key issues to a global audience and enable people from different countries to speak directly to each other. Earth One will offer access to a wide variety of global civil society organisations and will be available for UN and International Committee of the Red Cross emergency humanitarian broadcasts. It will offer an impartial, authoritative, extra-governmental source of news and comment on key social, political, cultural, health and science issues. Earth One will also play unique music from across the planet." Plans are to have Earth One available on the internet and through satellite transmission. Speaking at the New Commonwealth Club in Northumberland Avenue, Luff says "Earth One offers me the tremendous opportunity of building a truly global source of impartial, inclusive, multicultural and authoritative news and information. Economic globalization requires a political and communications balance. The Commonwealth plays a crucial role in building links between communities in all five continents, Earth One can take the process further by letting communities from around the globe communicate directly with each other and by narrowing the information gap between the economically rich and the poorer parts of the world. Earth One will be community radio for the global village." For further information contact Peter Luff at peter.luff@earth-one.net (telephone 44 0 207 930 6733) or Victoria Earle at victoria.earle@earth-one.net (44 0 208 324 2333) (via Ed Mayberry, International Listener, March 1, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WBCQ-2 started up on the 21st with the Christian Media network running 8am-5pm [EST; 1300-2200 UT]. Transmitter blew its power supply the 22nd. Off air 22nd and 23rd.. Back Mon the 24th. On the 28th Christian Media Network moved to 5pm-2am eastern [2200-0700 UT]. All running well. Weekends are still unsold and I am trying to find some alternative radio folks to take the time. I am only charging $20 per hour in a bulk time (4-6 hour blocks) so hopefully I can get some good radio people on the air for the weekends. I can air WOR 4:30-5pm eastern, please tell me what weekday you prefer. Cheers, Allan Weiner, WBCQ, Feb 29) Fridays, please, that`s 2130 UT, starting this week or next? (gh, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1700 kHz: US Special Operations Command PSA, 2/28 2241 CT (2341 ET) [UT Feb 29 0441], very strong and over all other broadcast stations this frequency playing a loop of a PSA for a joint training exercise by the US Special Operations Command. The PSA started with tones, followed by an announcement by male speaker. Mentions that this exercise is connected with Y2K test. Very interesting. Anybody have any idea what this is all about? (Christos Rigas, Wood Dale, IL = Kenwood R-2000, SONY ICF-2010 Kowalski loop, WORLD OF RADIO 1026, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###