DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-43, March 20, 2000 edited by Glenn Hauser {Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission} ** AFRICA [non]. Additional info to DXLD 00-41 on African Beacon: MERLIN AND AFFILIATED MEDIA GROUP PROVIDE UNIQUE CHRISTIAN RADIO SERVICE African Beacon is a unique broadcast service in that it is the first major Christian radio service broadcasting American black ministries into the African continent. Merlin will broadcast 8 hours daily, 4 hours a day from Sentech's Meyerton facility, covering Southern Africa and 4 hours from Rampisham, Merlin's short wave site in Dorset, UK, providing extensive coverage throughout Africa. Merlin's Commercial Director, Rory Maclachlan said: "To our knowledge this is the first initiative taking African American Christian programming via radio into Africa and we are delighted to be involved with it and with such a forward-looking company as AMG." Affiliated Media Group's Chairman and Founder, Ray Davis said: "The African Beacon provides a unique opportunity for ministries to target the continent with a powerful mission voice. Merlin Communications' unparalleled level of experience and expertise made the company a natural choice for this initiative." African Beacon Transmission Details Time Frequency Target Area 0430 - 0630 UTC 6115 kHz Southern Africa 1600 - 1800 UTC 6145 kHz Southern Africa 1800 - 2200 UTC 9675 kHz North, Central & Southern Africa (Merlin News Release March 20, via Dave Kenny, British DX Club E-Mail News, excerpted for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. The operator from Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station KC4AAA is Dave, who will be there until November. He has been active on 14243 kHz between 0230 and 0500z. Also, look for him to show up sometimes on 18111 kHz after 0100z. QSL K1IED, Larry F.Skilton, 72 Brook Street, South Windsor, CT 06074, USA. (KB8NW/Ohio Penn DX Bulletin 453, March 20/BARF80 VIA John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. 1630 kHz, Radio Buen Ayre [sic]: this a new brand station in Argentina, and its identification, several times during its programmation is : ``1630 AM, desde la Provincia de Buenos Aires y en la Red 92 Buen Ayre...`` Address: 1630 AM R. Buen Ayre, Calle 32 N 426 E/3 y 4, La Plata, CP 1900 Buenos Aires, Argentina. ALL the best, (Dinan Rogerio, Iracemapolis SP, DX CLUBE DO BRASIL, hard-core- dx March 19 via DXLD) So Tijuana is not the only SS on 1630 (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. ABC /NORTHERN TERRITORY SERVICE: During the recent/ current ABC journalists' strike, the NT Inland Services on 5025 4835 and 4910 carried only music for much of the time. The changeover time from 2 MHz is at 2130 each day. At 2130-2200, on Mar-16, all stations featured a program of indigenous music of West Africa. These should not be confused with African transmitters operating on 4835 4910 and 5025, particularly the Mali station on 4835! (Chris Hambly, Victoria, Electronic DX Press via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 12210 harmonic: R. Cultura Filadelfia (2 x 6105), at 0250, 13 March with an evangelical program by a woman; long talk in Spanish with an Argentine accent; 0300 ID in Portuguese. QRK 4/5 (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Conexion Digital via DXLD) ** CHESTERFIELD ISLANDS. By the time you read this, the The TX8CI/ TX0DX team should be on their way to the Chesterfield Islands (158 deg 19 min East, 19 deg 52 min South). They are expected to arrive mid-day Tuesday and begin the process of determining the best operating sites. They plan to have the equipment set up on Wednesday, and to be fully operational well before the magic hour of 0000z, March 23rd. Excerpts from a press release by Tim Totten, N4GN, indicate that "the team was expected to gather in Koumac, New Caledonia's northern port city, and load supplies and equipment on the ship. The last of the operators were expected to arrive in Koumac on Saturday, March 18th, New Caledonia time. The team was expected to depart for the Chesterfield Islands early Sunday morning. While the early TX8CI IOTA phase of the trip will be shortened slightly from the original plan, the DXpedition team should be in place and ready to go well in advance of 0000Z 23 March. Pending the IARU vote, this is expected to be the magic hour when the TX0DX callsign will hit the air, and QSOs will be valid for the new DXCC entity of the Chesterfield Islands." Your editor has been trying to find out what the status is from the ARRL DXAC (whether there has been a vote taken or one scheduled for the acceptance of Chesterfield Island as a new entity). (KB8NW/Ohio Penn DX Bulletin 453, March 20/BARF80 VIA John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO DR. Radio Canal Liberte. Organization: Forces de la Liberte, Tutsi rebels backed by Uganda. Broadcasts from: Gbadolite, northeast Congo Languages: Vernaculars, French, English ID: (French) Voix de la Liberte du Congo Active Since: March 2000 Contact: P O Box 411884, Craighall 2024, Johannesburg, South Africa E-mail: support@congo.co.za Related websites: http://www.congo.co.za Monitored: Mar 00: *1805-2305* 15725 kHz USB+Carrier (BBCM via WORLD OF RADIO) (The revived Clandestine Radio Intel Mar 20:) http://www.qsl.net/yb0rmi/cland/ (Nick Grace, CRI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. According to announcements, the HCJB morning English service to Europe will be one hour earlier from Mar-27, 0600-0800 (ex 0700-0900), and plans to use new 15150. The North American is planned for 15115 0000-0600 (in lieu of 0000-0700) (Chris Hambly, Victoria, Electronic DX Press via DXLD) ** EUROPE. Voice Without Frontiers (VWF): After hearing a report on World of Radio that this might be on shortwave on March 21st only, I did some poking around. Their website at http://www.amarc.org/vsf/ has some great info, but no exact schedule. But Michelle McGuire of VWF was kind enough to provide it. Here it is- "We are on the air shortwave, from 20.00 to 00.00 Central European Time on 3905 and 7600 kHz." (Hans Johnson, Cumbre DX, Mar 19, via DXLD) Sites??? ** FINLAND. I have the complete Radio Finland English schedule that goes into effect next Sunday. What I notice is that English will be heard daily for only 15 minutes; likely to be Finnish and other Nordic news followed by a press review. So what happens to all those good features we've been hearing every day? Now they are combined into a weekly hour on Saturday/Sunday. So, here is the schedule for English, and I got the sked at the Winter SWL Festival: North America: UT-Sunday 00-01; daily 01-0115 on 11985 and 13770. Asia/Austalasia: daily 0630-0645 on 15250 (also for SW Europe) and 21670; Saturday only at 23-00 on 11985 and 13785. SW Europe: Saturday 08-09 on 9560. Europe: daily 1930-1945 on 6110 (Joe Hanlon, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [and non]. DW A-00 English, complete: ENGLISH 0100 0145 6040 ANTIGUA 250 340 NAM ENGLISH 0100 0145 9640 WERTACHTAL 500 300 N/CAM ENGLISH 0100 0145 11810 SACKVILLE 250 272 NAM ENGLISH 0100 0145 13720 SINES 250 290 N/CAM ENGLISH 0200 0245 1548 TRINCOMALE 400 035 SAS ENGLISH 0200 0245 9615 TRINCOMALE 250 015 SAS ENGLISH 0200 0245 11945 NAUEN 500 090 SAS ENGLISH 0200 0245 11965 TRINCOMALE 250 345 SAS ENGLISH 0200 0245 21560 KUNMING 150 270 SAS ENGLISH 0300 0345 9535 SACKVILLE 250 277 NAM ENGLISH 0300 0345 9640 ANTIGUA 250 340 NAM ENGLISH 0300 0345 11810 SACKVILLE 250 253 NAM ENGLISH 0300 0345 13780 SINES 250 295 N/CAM ENGLISH 0300 0345 15105 BONAIRE 250 320 NAM ENGLISH 0400 0445 7225 KIGALI 250 0ND AF ENGLISH 0400 0445 9565 KIGALI 250 180 AF ENGLISH 0400 0445 9765 KIGALI 250 0ND AF ENGLISH 0400 0445 13690 WERTACHTAL 500 150 AF ENGLISH 0500 0545 9670 ANTIGUA 250 340 NAM ENGLISH 0500 0545 9785 SINES 250 315 NAM ENGLISH 0500 0545 11810 WERTACHTAL 500 330 NAM ENGLISH 0500 0545 11985 BONAIRE 250 320 NAM ENGLISH 0600 0645 13790 SINES 250 170 WAF ENGLISH 0600 0645 15275 SINES 250 150 AF ENGLISH 0600 0645 17860 WERTACHTAL 500 180 WAF ENGLISH 0600 0700 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 0700 0800 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 0800 0900 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 0900 0945 6160 ANTIGUA 250 205 OC ENGLISH 0900 0945 9565 KIGALI 250 0ND AF ENGLISH 0900 0945 15105 TRINCOMALE 250 090 SEAS ENGLISH 0900 0945 15210 TALATA VO. 200 245 EAF ENGLISH 0900 0945 15410 KIGALI 250 180 AF ENGLISH 0900 0945 15470 IRKUTSK 250 110 FE ENGLISH 0900 0945 17560 TRINCOMALE 250 120 SEAS/OC ENGLISH 0900 0945 17800 KIGALI 250 295 AF ENGLISH 0900 0945 21560 KUNMING 250 135 SEAS ENGLISH 0900 0945 21680 WERTACHTAL 500 090 SEAS/OC ENGLISH 0900 0945 21790 WERTACHTAL 500 165 AF ENGLISH 0900 1000 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1000 1100 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1100 1145 11785 KIGALI 250 0ND C/EAF ENGLISH 1100 1145 15410 KIGALI 250 180 AF ENGLISH 1100 1145 17680 WERTACHTAL 500 180 AF ENGLISH 1100 1145 17860 KIGALI 250 295 AF ENGLISH 1100 1200 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1200 1300 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1300 1400 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1400 1500 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1500 1600 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1600 1645 1548 TRINCOMALE 400 035 SAS ENGLISH 1600 1645 6170 TRINCOMALE 250 015 SAS ENGLISH 1600 1645 7225 TRINCOMALE 250 345 SAS ENGLISH 1600 1645 9735 KIGALI 250 0ND AF ENGLISH 1600 1645 11810 KIGALI 250 180 AF ENGLISH 1600 1645 17595 WERTACHTAL 500 090 SAS ENGLISH 1600 1645 21775 NAUEN 500 165 AF ENGLISH 1600 1700 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1700 1800 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1800 1900 6140 JUELICH 100 120 EUR ENGLISH 1900 1945 11785 TRINCOMALE 250 255 AF ENGLISH 1900 1945 11810 KIGALI 250 295 WAF ENGLISH 1900 1945 13720 WERTACHTAL 500 210 WAF ENGLISH 1900 1945 15390 KIGALI 250 295 WAF ENGLISH 1900 1945 17810 TRINCOMALE 250 240 AF ENGLISH 2000 2045 7130 WERTACHTAL 500 300 EUR ENGLISH 2100 2145 9670 TRINCOMALE 250 120 SEAS/OC ENGLISH 2100 2145 9765 WERTACHTAL 500 090 SEAS/OC ENGLISH 2100 2145 9875 KIGALI 250 295 WAF ENGLISH 2100 2145 11865 WERTACHTAL 500 210 WAF ENGLISH 2100 2145 11915 TRINCOMALE 250 120 SEAS/OC ENGLISH 2100 2145 15135 KIGALI 250 295 WAF/AM ENGLISH 2300 2345 9815 WERTACHTAL 500 075 SAS/SEAS ENGLISH 2300 2345 12055 NOVOSIBIR. 500 125 SAS/SEAS ENGLISH 2300 2345 13610 TRINCOMALE 250 090 SAS/SEAS ENGLISH 2300 2345 21790 PETROPAVL. 250 247 SAS/SEAS (from complete DW schedule via Wolfgang Bueschel, excerpted by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. Just heard an OUTRAGEOUS signal from Radio Verdad on 4052.48 kHz at 1153 tune-in. Right where Glenn said it would be. EASILY the best signal from 60 to 90 meters. Just turned on the tape when a perfect ID, freq, mb, QTH and time was given. I didn't catch any call letters but, I will go back through the tape later. Faded quickly by 1215. ID's, freqs, etc. were mentioned frequently. The banjo and cuckoo were heard at the ToH. CA/SA's not easily heard in the Pac. NW as they were in MN. Using AR-7030 w/ 100 m long wire, non-terminated, N/S. (Terry, KC7LDP, hard-core-dx March 20 via DXLD) ** JORDAN. An automatic E-mail response from R. Jordan covers their internet, satellite and TV output as well as this about SW: ARABIC RADIO: Arabian Gulf, FE, Au 1500-0100 6105, 0300-1400 11810 Egypt, Sudan, W Arabia, E Africa 0300-0600 9630, 1200-1500 13630 C/E Europe, Moscow 0500-0800 11835, 1500-2100 7155 N Africa, C America 1000-1200 15355 S America, Brasil [sic] 2100-0100 15435 N America, W Europe 2100-0100 11935, 0300-0800 15435 W Europe 1700-2100 9830. ENGLISH RADIO N America 1100-1300 17680 C, W Europe 1300-1730 11690 (via Volker Willschrey, Saar, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Presumably all these will soon make a one-hour-earlier DST shift; note that both 11690 and 17680 clash with Chile! (gh, DXLD) ** MALAYSIA SARAWAK. 7269.952 R. Malaysia [Kuching]; March 20 1028 peppy music female with chorus interspersed with male announcer; -85 dBm; SINPO 43443; ID at 1030Z with time pips; presumably language Iban. Still present and quite listenable at 12:45Z (Thomas B. Roach, Somewhere in the Sierra mountain foothills, who is really into precision frequency measurement, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Dr Julian Santiago tells me about what happened at R. Mil since their antenna towers fell down March 9: They have been using the posts for the SW antenna, extending another antenna cable from them to transmit the three MW stations of Nucleo Radio Mil. When they tried to put the SW signal on too, this interfered with the AM signals, so they decided to keep the SW [6010] turned off, until the new tower is erected. This work should start this week and be finished in some two or three weeks. So the SW is likely to return in April. So the ``Encuentro DX`` program Dr Julian and I produce will be back when the XEOI SW transmitter returns to the air. (Hector Garcia Bojorge, Mexico DF, March 19, translated by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PRATAS ISLAND. Excerpts from a press release provided by Jimmy, BVAS, states that the Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League (CTARL) has announced that a team of 13 experienced DXers from Taiwan, Japan and the USA will be returning to Tung-Sha Dao (Pratas Island) in April to reactivate BQ9P. The operation is expected to begin with the first station on the air at approximately 0500z, April 5th, and continue until 2100z on April 12th. They plan to have six or seven operating positions from two locations on the island. Activity will be on 160- 10 meters CW/SSB/RTTY and SSTV. Suggested operating frequencies are: CW - 1826.5, 3504, 7004, 10104, 14024, 18074, 21024, 24894 and 28024 SSB - 3790, 7085, 14195, 18145, 21295, 24495 and 28480 RTTY - 14083, 21083, 28083 SSTV - 14230 Operators for this DXpedition included: Bolin/BV5AF (President of CTARL), Kenny/BV2EW, Johnson/BV4DP, William/BV2VA, Bruce/BV2KI, Jimmy/BV4AS, Paul/ BV4FH, Chung/BV4ME, Wang/BV5CR, Sky/BV8BC, Teruji/JA1JKG, Leo/K8PYD and Paul/WT8S. QSL cards for this operation can be obtained from KU9C: Steve Wheatley, PO Box 5953, Parsippany NJ 07054-6953 U.S.A. Web logs will be available after the operation is completed and the logs are compiled. The address is to be announced later. (KB8NW/Ohio Penn DX Bulletin 453, March 20/BARF80 VIA John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. DX Information from the British DX Club. Also heard Voice of Sudan myself on 14th March on 8000.7 at 1737 with speech in English to audience, with many mentions of the NDA and what appeared to be a group within the alliance called the NIS (or NIL?). Ended at 1750 with stirring piece of Sudanese music. Reception peaking to fair towards 1800 sign-off (Tony Rogers, UKOGBANI, March 20, BDXC E-Mail news via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. RADIO SWEDEN, Stockholm: broadcasts in English valid as from 26th March: To Europe, Africa & Middle East: 1330-1400 17895 1730-1800 (exc. Sun) 1179, 6065 1730-1800 (Sun) 13800 1930-2000 1179, 6065 2130-2200 1179, 6065, 9435 To E. Asia & New Zealand: 1230-1300 17895 To Australia & SE Asia: 1230-1300 21810 1330-1400 17895 2130-2200 15255 To S. Asia: 0130-0200 on 13625 To N. America: 0230-0300(#) 9495 0330-0400(*) 9495, 15240 (May-August) 1130-1200(#), 1230-1300 and 1330-1400 18960 (#) = To Central America & Caribbean (*) = Primarily beamed to the West coast. (via Jan Nieuwenhuis, Benelux DX Club, 17-Mar-2000, via DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. Glenn, Swiss Radio International has finally dropped the World Radio Switzerland brand. Maybe one day they will drop the 'arrogance' brand and present programs listeners will listen to. (Larry Nebron, CA, March 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIMOR EAST. 4W DX NEWS FLASH! Just before going to print, Bernie, W3UR, editor of "The Daily DX", announced the following (edited excerpts): "An International team from Finland, Portugal and the United States has been formed to help celebrate the birth of a new DXCC entity, East Timor. Members of the team will arrive late this week for a 7 to 10 day operation. The group has been invited to stay in the home of Thor Stefansson, 4W6MM. His QTH is a DXers dream location including ten (10) 150-foot towers, which will be utilized by the group. The team will include Olli/OH0XX/4W6xx, Jose/CT1EEB/4W6EB; and Bernie/W3UR/4W6DX and Pertti/OH2RF/4W6RF who will join in the middle of the operation after finishing up at TX0DX. Several UN personnel stationed in East Timor may also join in on the operation depending on their work duties including Ross, 4W6UN; Thor, 4W6MM; and Antonio, CT1EGH. In order to work as many of the Deserving as possible the group will use the callsign 4W6DX on all bands from 10 to 160 meters on CW, SSB and possibly RTTY. The 4W6DX group will be working closely with the TX0DX team in the Chesterfield Islands in order to minimize interference and confusion. For the first several days of operation concentration will be given to CW and SSB on a few bands that will be open around the clock. Planned operating frequencies are: CW - 1826.5, 3524, 7024, 10107, 14007, 18087, 21007, 24907, 28007 SSB - 3799, 7062.5, 14150, 18115, 21200, 24935, 28400 4W6DX QSL via OH2BN, Jarmo J. Jaakola, Kiilletie 5-C-30, 00710 Helsinki, FINLAND." (KB8NW/Ohio Penn DX Bulletin 453, March 20/BARF80 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, and Ken Kopp, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K O G B A N I. Hi all - It appears a 14 kbps stream of "From Our Own Correspondent" from the BBC World Service / Radio 4 is now available for download at the URL http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/from_our_own_correspondent/default.stm I, for one, am thrilled. Today the 25-minute edition was up and available. Please let the folks at the World Service know if you appreciate these efforts... (Richard Cuff, swprograms, Mar 19 via DXLD) ** U S A. KTBN is off the air waiting for power supply to be repaired. I had not heard them for 2 or 3 weeks on 7510, 15590 (George S. Thurman, TX, March 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. NudeNet -- Ham Radio Net for Nudists. About NudeNet: There are many Ham Radio operators who also enjoy the nudist or naturist lifestyle. The "NudeNetters", a loosely-formed group of hams that are associated with The Naturist Society's Amateur Radio SIG, have organized special event stations for events such as National Nude Recreation Week, and Field Day stations operated at locations where clothing is optional. The Naturist Amateur Radio Club, NU5DE, from Austin, TX, also participates in these events as a club. The NudeNetters have an on-air gathering that usually meets on 20 meters every Thursday evening at 0000Z on 14.265 MHz. There is also an IRC chat that meets every Wednesday in #nudenet on irc.sedona.net. (http://www.sss.org/mailman/listinfo/nudenet via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST). I have never heard this net actually on the air, so I don't know if it is really UT Fridays at 0000 (I suspect it is). I have heard NU5DE on occasion during special events, such as the "National Nude Recreation Week" mentioned above. I did check their mailing list archives and according to recent postings some members are trying to get other Nude Nets started. One, for the west coast, is at 1800 UT on 7265 LSB while the other is on 14265 USB at 1800 UT Sundays (these may shift one UT hour earlier in April, if they manage to get them going). (Norfolk, DXLD) ** U S A. Hello all, Paul Logan here in Fermanagh, N. Ireland, just joined this list and thought some of you may be interested in knowing that KFXX in Portland OR is being heard here in the evenings from 15:00 on 25.950. This one is in AM and is a bc link. Best of listening, (Paul Logan, UKOGBANI, ISWL-chat via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 2560.00 WFBS Berwick, Pa (2x1280) (harmonic) 0150, Continuous tape loop promo of April 1st sign-on "...Berwick and Waynesburg's all new WFBS 1280..." Occasional // 1280. Tnx Dave Braun for confirming QTH. (Mark Mohrmann, VT, Mar 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mark, It's ex-WSQV, Berwick, PA. One of the recent DX News' reported this call change, although the station was silent at that time. Guess they're back on now (Dave Braun, NRC-AM) ###