DX LISTENING DIGEST 00-79, June 24, 2000 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com {Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only providing full credit be maintained at all stages and we are provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission} ** BOLIVIA. 4802V (listed at 4815): R. Mamoré is back operating at full power. Through coordination of Cumbre contributors Walt Fair (Venezuela) and Bill Smith (TX), a pair of new 813 style transmitting tubes (Russian GU-13) was generously donated by Latvian amateur radio operator Gintras Sakenas, LY2KW, who direct shipped to R. Mamoré three weeks ago. R. Mamoré owner Lucio Montan reported to Fair June 20 the tubes were safely received, installed in the transmitter and that he, Lucio, is appreciative for the assistance. Sakenas is a distributor of radio parts and equipment. R. Mamoré is a rare DX catch. Lucio Montan has agreed to broadcast specific DX test transmissions for tropical band DXers. The time and dates are being determined. CUMBRE readers will be advised. This is an example how shortwave DXers and amateur radio operators can help keep small ``mom and pop`` tropical band radio stations serving their intended local audience while providing excellent DXing opportunities (Bill Smith, TX, Cumbre DX June 22 via DXLD) ** CONGO DR [non]. CLANDESTINE from/to CONGO; 15725: Radio Télé Liberté: saw the BBCMS report via DXLD that this one was back so I decided to give it a shot. I heard it June 21 from 1915 with music, retuned at 1930 to hear the same male announcer I heard before a few months back till 1945 fade. (Hans Johnson, WY, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. CLANDESTINE from GERMANY to ETHIOPIA; 15715: Radio Huriyo is the ID the ILG is listing for this new one. Heard both Jun 16 and 20, sked is Tue and Fri 1630-1700. 1627 open carrier, jumped into percussion tune lasting about a minute, Islamic greeting [strange, I thought Ethiopia was largely Christian, but it I guess we know Radio Huriyo's slant now]. ID by man in Amharic [Radio Freedom? Hurriyah is 'freedom' in Arabic; wonder if Huriyo is freedom in Amharic.] Short Koranic recitation. Some very short talks, but mostly music until 1658 suddenly off. I also hear Voice of Oromo Liberation on the same frequency at 1700, but at a much weaker level. (Johnson Jun 16, 20) heard at 1915 tune in mixing with presumed WYFR in German. Talk in Amharic with Western music bridge at 1923, one Ethiopian song. Then closing announcements with ID and off at 1929. (Hans Johnson, WY, June 21, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. 4052.47, R. Verdad, June 10 0125-0219, Soft SP religious music throughout with occasional announcements by live man announcer. Mention of San Felipe and ``...escucha todo el país...`` at 0133, and ``La Cruz`` at 0142. ID during announcements at 0150 ``TG?? (could be AV) Chiquimula...este es... R. Verdad...informa ??. Saludos amigos...escucha...``, and at 0154 ``...el corazón... principal...de potencia ?? R. Verdad...P.O. Box (yes, address in EG!!) ?? Guatemala, oficina... (music bridge) ...R. Verdad, desde Chiquimula, Guatemala...``. A Coo-Coo SFX was played at 0203 denoting top of the hour followed by a canned announcement, but didn't get an ID there. Several more IDs were noted at 0206 and 0218 (2). Poor signal amid the noise, but just good enough to ID. Surprised to hear this as I didn't expect it to be on so late (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbre DX June 22 via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non?]. Tho Radio Northsea International is not mentioned, Meister & Bollier continue to make news in connexion with the Lockerbie trial. Here`s one from last week: Cape Zeist, Netherlands (AP) – The co-owner of a Swiss company that supplied electronic components to the Libyan government testified Friday that he received an ``urgent`` order for 40 timers just days before the 1988 explosion of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Irwin Meister of the Swiss firm of Meister and Bollier, Ltd., said his business partner, Edwin Bollier, took 40 Olympus timers to Tripoli at the request of the Libyan government, but brought all of them back to Switzerland. The timer the prosecution believes detonated the explosives wasn`t an Olympus timer, but another sort, called MST13. One of the Olympus clocks had been set to go off at 7:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, Meister said. The bomb that killed 270 people, including 189 Americans, went off at 7:03 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21. (Enid News & Eagle June 17 via gh, DXLD) NPR`s Weekend Edition, Saturday, June 24, had an item on this which first aired at 1230-1234 UT, and is available at the ``latest program audio`` listing on the NPR website: Lockerbie Trial (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Sarah Chayes reports on testimony heard this week at the Lockerbie trial in Netherlands. The court heard from a key witness: the co-owner of the Swiss electronics firm that manufactured a timer which prosecutors say detonated the bomb on Pan Am Flight 103. (3:30). http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20000624.wesat.05.rmm or http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20000624.wesat.05.ram Edwin Bollier was described as a ``cold war mercenary`` who had worked with the East Germam Stasi for 20 years, paid in generous lump sums. He also sold timers to Stasi, so an East German connexion in the case was being made. (gh, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. The current page of our Oklahoma Broadcasting News has been changed to http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Oklahoma5.html Now that this is active again, we may not necessarily post all Oklahoma items in DXLD (gh) ** RUSSIA. Previously TWR rented airtime on Radio Odin, but recently they cancelled and changed to Mayak instead. The official name of Radio-1 according to the license was ``Radio Odin Kultura`` already since they became a commercial broadcaster in 1997, but on air always simply ``Radio Odin`` was used. Reportedly Radio Odin will resume broadcasting first on a 66...73 MHz band frequency in Moscow; we will have to monitor if Belarus will again rebroadcast Radio-1, especially on LW 171. And regarding Radio Slavyanka: According to Anatoly Klepov they are 23 hours a day on FM 107.8 in Moscowl; the remaining hour is in use by the station of the Moscow police (``Militseyskaya Volna``). The origin of the limited operations on MW 990 in Moscow area is listed as Povarovo; this site is not mentioned for any other broadcast frequency, so I guess this is a military transmitter; perhaps the seldom reported 7100 outlet they had a few years ago also originated from these facilities. By the way, Radio Slavyanka also took over studio equipment, archives and most of the staff of Radio Volga, the station of the Russian forces in Germany, after its closure in July 1994 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. There will be another chance to listen for the Swedish station SAQ on 17.2 kHz Sunday, the 2nd of July. The 200 kW carrier is produced by an alternator, and was last on air to celebrate the new year. Next weekend's transmissions will be at 0830, 0845, 1230 and 1245 UT. Associated with these historic transmissions will be an amateur radio station, callsign SA6Q. Interference permitting, it will be operating CW on 3,515, 7,015, 14,035, 21,030 and 28,030 kHz. SSB operation will be on 3,740, 7,050, 14,215, 21,205 and 28,415 kHz. (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News, posted June 23, via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAJIKISTAN. Democratic Voice of Burma, 15600, via Dushanbé, date- only personal letter on DVB letterhead, ``Free Burma`` sticker, business card and info leaflet, v/s Saw Nelson Ku, Administrative Assistant. Received in 20 days for a taped report and $2 to the Oslo, Norway address. Since the letter only mentions NRK Kvitsøy and Deutsche Telekom-Jülich as transmission facilities, I asked Mr. Ku for an email clarification on the exact site of 15600. He says, ``Yes, the transmission on 15600 is from Tajikistan Radio in Dushanbé, Tajikistan. DVB has been using the Russian transmission in Sushanbe [sic] since 1997.`` Their email address is dvbburma@online.no (Randy Stewart, MO, 21 June, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. HISTORIC MORSE CODE RADIO STATION RETURNS TO THE AIR Former ``Wireless Giant of the Pacific`` Will Once Again Be Heard 22 JUNE 2000 (MRHS) - The former Marconi and RCA Morse code radio station KPH will make a commemorative broadcast on Wednesday, 12 July, the first anniversary of the last commercial Morse code transmission in North America. KPH began life at the dawn of radio. Its first home was the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, from which it derived its first call letters, PH. When the Palace Hotel was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire the station moved to several different locations, eventually finding a permanent home on the mesa west of the small California town of Bolinas. Along the way federal regulators added the K prefix to the original PH, creating KPH, one of the most famous radio call signs in the world. Radio operators ashore and afloat came to regard KPH as ``the wireless giant of the Pacific``. Only the best operators worked at KPH. They were there 24 hours a day, ready to help with everything from the mundane messages of maritime commerce to urgent requests for assistance from ships in distress. The KPH signal literally spanned the globe. Radio operators on ships in the far corners of the world were comforted by the steady signal of KPH in their earphones. As technology progressed the end of Morse code was predicted many times. But KPH soldiered on providing good, reliable service to the maritime community. The end came at Bolinas in 1997 when Globe Wireless purchased the license and the big transmitters were finally shut down. On July 12, 1999 Globe Wireless sent the last commercial messages in Morse code from KFS, their master station near Half Moon Bay. It was the last time the famous call KPH would be heard on the air - or so it was thought. Today the former KPH facilities are part of the Point Reyes National Seashore which has a strong interest in the important role the station played in the history of radio communications. The Maritime Radio Historical Society has been working with the Point Reyes National Seashore to preserve and restore KPH with the goal of eventually creating a museum dedicated to this great station that was once heard throughout the world. On 12 July KPH will return to the air from its original location, using its original equipment and its original frequencies - generously made available by Globe Wireless, the current owner of the KPH license and operator of the equally famous KFS from which the last commercial Morse message was sent. Veteran operators, radio engineers and those with an interest in radio history will gather at the Bolinas transmitter building to watch the station come on the air one year and one minute after the last Morse transmission from Half Moon Bay. Commemorative messages will be sent by hand by the operators who once stood watch at the station. And then they will listen for any calls from the few remaining ships at sea with Morse capability. While this event does not signal the return of KPH to commercial Morse service we intend it to acknowledge and honor all the radio operators who have ``worn the earphones`` and played a role in the history of maritime radio. The station will operate on 4247.0, 6477.5 and 13002.0 Kc on shortwave and 500/426 Kc. on medium wave. If additional frequencies become available by 12 July these will be announced in the commemorative broadcast. Contact: Dick Dillman Maritime Radio Historical Society Phone: 415-512-7137 Email: ddillman@igc.org The Worldwide UTE News (WUN) mailing list. WUN is a non-profit, dues-free club established in 1995 to share information on shortwave utilities. For more information: http://www.wunclub.com/ (via Sheldon Harvey, DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Hello SWLs, The transmission of 7205 does not come from Meyerton Radio Station (Bloemendal). This is the only shortwave station that Sentech operates. Should I hear of any location I will pass it on. Best wishes from South Africa, (André du Toit, June 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So that leaves open the other RSA sites... (gh) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. CLANDESTINE from ? to ZIMBABWE: 7215; Voice of the People here in English at 1707 commentary re the financial situation/ land reform/fuel pricing in Zimbabwe, etc. This was followed at 1714 by YL in vernaculars, interviewing people in the streets of Harare. Signal: 5/9 with fades. RX RFB 65 with whip antenna. I doubt that it will be Namibia (although that country uses the 7215 freq. in the local afternoons). Botswana (R. Botswana) should also be out; rather use 3 MHz from BOT as it is just across the border from Zim. May still be VOA relay in BOT ???? Not from Meyerton; they tell me it isn't them. But what about the R. Nederland site on Madagascar (RN in EE this time on 6020). The 6020 bc is stronger (beamed to us) but fading is similar to the 7215 kHz outlet. Maybe freq. usage of the RN txers on Madagascar should be checked ???? (François Steyn, RSA, Jun 20, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Some further thoughts about possible sites for Radio VOP on 7215: Merlin Seychelles: The two transmitters of this small facility are busy in 1700-1900 range on 6005 and 9630, so this site is impossible. Ascension: At 1700 approximately the first 2000 km of the path from Ascension to Zimbabwe are still under daylight, so this site is rather unlikely, as 7215 would hardly work from there; keep in mind that Ascension transmits BBC programming into southern Africa until 1700 on 21660. FEBA Mahé: They already provided airtime to a clandestine operation, so this could be a possibility, too. Kigali: DW will hardly rent airtime to a clandestine operation; furthermore all four 250 kW transmitters are already busy with DW programming (from 1800 on 9735, 11810, 15390 and 17860). However, alongside with the 20 kW transmitter of Radio Rwanda (6055) the site contains also a 100 kW transmitter; I guess, this unit is under disposal of the Kigali government and operated in the past the Radio Rwanda outlets on 9610 and 15340. But, why should Rwanda...? Madagascar: A reporter from South Africa wrote to Cumbre DX: ``But what about the R.Nederland site on Madagascar (RN in EE this time on 6020). The 6020 bc is stronger (beamed to us) but fading is similar to the 7215 kHz outlet. Maybe freq. usage of the RN txers on Madagascar should be checked ???? (Steyn Jun 20)`` From my knowledge the Talata Volondry site consists on two old 300 kW Philips transmitters alongside with the new 50 kW one. During the period in question already three transmissions are scheduled: 1730- 2025 RNW on 6020 and 7120 alongside with 1757-1900 RVI on 11985, but all with 200 kW each?! What we now need is of course a monitor check of all these listings, especially as Mr. Steyn did not mention 7120. Regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###