DX LISTENING DIGEST 1-016, February 5, 2001 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com {Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. For restrixions and searchable 2001, 2000 contents archive see} http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/Dxldmid.html WORLD OF RADIO, CONTINENT OF MEDIA ON RADIO FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL: See COSTA RICA, below: 7450 testing 0000-0800, so try it for our [suspended] broadcasts in the 0600-0800 period; while 15049 is off. ** AUSTRALIA. John Wright here in Australia. As I am the person who looks after the Radio Australia reports I also sometimes get requests to help with QSLing VNG the time signal station. Well I had a letter from a frustrated DXer in New Mexico USA. I chased up the station and the address is National Standards Commission, PO Box 282, North Ryde 1670 NSW Australia. I spoke to a Mr Richard Brittian. He controls the admin and certain technical aspects and this comprises 5 per cent of his job. He has little time for QSLing, however he does this when the pile is large. I established that Reply postage is a must. Also VNG may go off air in 2002! As this is next door, to Richard Jary ARDXC Chief editor's workplace, we may be able to help out the pile! (Richard doesn`t know this yet)! So QSL now while you can! and please be patient... the ARDXC will try to remedy this situation. Thanks (John Wright, ARDXC Secretary, Feb 5, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. RFPI has stayed on 7450 another two nights, so perhaps will not go back to 7480. UT Mon Feb 5 around 0500 doing quite well. (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio For Peace International Weekly Program Update for the week of February 4 - 10, 2001 ===================================================================== RFPI Frequency Schedule: BAND FREQUENCY/MODE UTC/GMT TIME (Hours subject to change) 40 meters: 7.450 MHz (AM): 0000 - 0800 (testing) 19 meters: 15.050 MHz (AM): 2200 - 0300 (off the air for repairs) 13 meters: 21.815 MHz (USB): 1200 - 0000 ===================================================================== WE`RE YOUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY RADIO - SUPPORTED BY YOU, OUR LISTENER! (RFPI Feb 4 via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. HCJB has finally posted their B-00 English program schedule (although it is still given as A-00 "revised January 12, 2001"). Highlights: EASTERN NORTH AMERICAN 0000-0400 WESTERN NORTH AMERICA 9745 kHz, 11840 kHz, 21455 kHz SSB to Eur/SPac [Days converted to UT] Tuesday-Saturday 0100-0130 News & Studio 9 0130-0200 Tue: Inside HCJB Wed: Saludos Amigos Thu: Ham Radio Today Fri: Woman to Woman Sat: Musica del Ecuador 0400-0430 News & Studio 9 0430-0500 (same as 0130-0200 UT) Sunday 0030-0100 Saludos Amigos 0100-0110 Latin & International News 0110-0200 DX Partyline [currently curtailed to 30 mins] 0200-0230 Ham Radio Today 0230-0300 Inside HCJB 0400-0410 Latin & International News 0410-0500 DX Partyline [currently curtailed to 30 mins] 0500-0530 Ham Radio Today 0530-0600 Inside HCJB 0600-0630 Saludos Amigos Monday 0100-0110 Latin & International News 0110-0200 Musical Mailbag 0400-0410 Latin & International News 0410-0500 Musical Mailbag EUROPEAN RELEASE 0700-0900 9780 kHz, 1900-2100 17660 kHz Monday-Friday 0700-0730 News & Studio 9 0730-0800 Mon: Inside HCJB Tue: Saludos Amigos Wed: Ham Radio Today Thu: Woman to Woman Fri: Musica del Ecuador 1900-1930 News & Studio 9 1930-2000 (same as 0730-0800 UT) Saturday 0700-0710 Latin & International News 0710-0800 DX Partyline [currently curtailed to 30 mins] 0800-0830 Saludos Amigos [in this case DXPL is NOT followed by HRT] 1900-1910 Latin & International News 1910-2000 DX Partyline [currently curtailed to 30 mins] 2000-2030 Ham Radio Today 2030-2100 Inside HCJB 2100-2130 Saludos Amigos Sunday 0700-0710 Latin & International News 0710-0800 Musical Mailbag 1900-1910 Latin & International News 1910-2000 Musical Mailbag SOUTH PACIFIC RELEASE 0700-1100 11755 kHz 21455 kHz SSB to Eur/SPac Monday-Friday 0900-0930 News & Studio 9 0930-1000 (same as Europe 0730-0800 UT Saturday 0830-0900 Saludos Amigos 0900-0910 Latin & International News 0910-1000 DX Partyline [currently curtailed to 30 mins] 1000-1030 Ham Radio Today Sunday 0900-0910 Latin & International News 0910-1000 Musical Mailbag (hcjb.org via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. Hi Tim. The repeater theory is a very interesting one, but I don't believe that an FM repeater can rebroadcast in AM; the modulation techniques are completely different. The only way to do that will be to feed the audio from an AM, or SSB, receiver to the modulator of the FM repeater, just as you were talking into de mike. Now, if the repeater theory turns out to be possible, and the signal is being picked up by the IF of the receiver section of a repeater and then rebroadcast, we still have an interesting problem in our hands: there are no 2 meter repeaters on 144 MHz in Venezuela. The allocated frequency ranges for repeater operation here are 146 and 147 MHz, so the repeater must be a foreign one, and then I`m receiving the signal thanks to Transequatorial propagation, which means the signal must be originated in Argentina or Uruguay, the only two countries that show TE propagation with YV. I know that, because I work stations in those two countries almost every night during January, February and March and then in October trough November. The rest of the year is more difficult, so hams in one of those two countries must also receive the same signal, since it will be a local one, and so far I haven`t heard anything about this. Now one strong point in your repeater theory is that it will explain why the signal is coming from a bearing of 180 degrees (South), I will have to ask hams in Argentina and Uruguay if they have any repeaters on 144, but right now I doubt it. 73/DX (Jose (Joe), YV5LIX eQSL Advisory Board via harmonics@yahoogroups.com Feb 4 via DXLD) ** FRANCE [non]. Hi Jose, I had a look at the WAV file. Problem: the audio level was far too high.... Noticed that the entire audio spectrum is interleaved with 60 Hz modulation. If this is not a bad neon light or the audio cable passing a power transformer, the next obvious possibility is that it is an intermodulation product from a device such as a TV preamplifier. This could be close to you or km away. The TV amp will mix tv field and line sync with any other strong RF field in the vicinity, producing a modulation product containing both TV and audio information. The frequency could be anything - it depends on the LC constants in the device being overdriven. But have a look for local strong TV vision carrier frequencies and add or subtract the HF shortwave frequency to this to get the product frequency (the TV preamp is operating as a self-oscillating mixer due to being overdriven). This will also explain the chronic audio compression on the signal. Ciao, (Ian ZS6BTE via harmonics@yahoogroups.com via DXLD) ** GABON. Re show 1067 and Africa No 1, thanks for the tip that audio is on the Web. Found a few things: This may be a better overall "direct" URL as it gives the user the choice of two players: http://www.africa1.com/frameset.htm I also figured out how to bypass the browser altogether, which gives me access to each player`s full range of tonal controls (I prefer Real Audio`s sound, but that`s me): RealAudio bookmark: http://www.comfm.com/live/radio/africa/africa.rpm Windows Media Player URL is: http://www.comfm.com/live/radio/africa/africa.asx Once entered, each player can save the link in bookmarks and as a URL, respectively. Regards, Tom --- (Thomas R. Sundstrom trs@trsc.com TRS Consultants http://www.trsc.com Feb 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HOPI NATION [and non]. February 4, 2001 Indian Country Radio Sends a Stronger Signal By CATHERINE C. ROBBINS FIRST MESA, Ariz. -- THE opening day in December of KUYI-FM had a singular flavor, a contemporary American Indian mix of traditional songs and prayers with 21st-century technology and plenty of hospitality. As Hopi women filled a table with trays of cookies, dozens of Indian and white well-wishers, including teenage volunteers from the nearby high school, spilled out of the small reception room into the broadcast studio and the dirt yard outside. ...read entire long article via: http://www.newyorktimes.com/2001/02/04/arts/04ROBB.html Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. [BDXC-UK] WorldSpace reveals financiers DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC-UK). From: http://sat-nd.com/topics/worldspace.htm WorldSpace has finally identified its primary backers. The move is not likely to put an end to the ongoing speculation about the U.S.- based satellite radio venture. Actually, the fact that Saudi billionaires are financing WorldSpace is more likely to fuel the discussion. According to Noah Samara, WorldSpace chairman, the entire project cost US$700 million including launches and insurance. [Other sources: US$1 billion.] He told reporters the project was privately financed, but only recently gave up his resistance in disclosing who the financial backers were: Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, whose international business activities range from oil to hotels, and Khalid Bin Mahfouz, banker and businessman, who was earlier involved in the BCCI scandal. Their involvement is of no immediate consequence to WorldSpace: despite operating from Washington D.C. they don't have any license to beam broadcasts to the U.S. It's different with XM Satellite Radio, a privately held company owned by American Mobile Satellite and WorldSpace Inc. XM holds a license for satellite digital audio radio services (SDARS) in the US. Currently, any license holder has to be at least 75-percent US owned. Officially, WorldSpace holds only 20 percent of XM or AMRC, as the venture was called before. Competitors have in the past argued that WorldSpace had "an option to obtain a controlling interest and that WorldSpace has become the real party-in-interest in AMRC." All the current funding for AMRC, they claimed, was coming from WorldSpace. Samara's latest statements are not likely to clarify the situation. He was quoted as saying that WorldSpace officials designed an ownership tree that separates non-U.S. investment in the company from portions of the organisation that are covered by US regulations (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK, Feb 3, via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. Glenn, I wrote you last week about an unknown broadcaster operating within the highly sensitive international aeronautical allocations on 8 MHz. Once again here is the original log entry: January 28th 2145z 8850. DSB Talk by Male announcer in what sounds like Farsi followed by song. Iran mentioned at 2150 followed by Male chorus and Orchestra. Modulation picked up during music. Bubble Jammer appears at 2153 and became dominant on channel. Severe fading on signal and also think the modulation was down in relation to the carrier although it did pick up during music. I did alert some via e-mail but think it didn't make it although Padula sent me a one-liner saying it was clandestine "V of the Muhjaddin". [I agree, likely V. of the Mojahedin -gh] I have been observing the band around the same period and noted that it indeed must be a clandestine broadcaster because it is moving up and down from day to day. On the 30th, it was on 8870 at 2130, awfully close to the Brisbane/Auckland/South Pacific and as a result had some bleedover from the senders in Sydney. It was back on 8850 when I last monitored the channel. Also the broadcast is in 15 minute slots as I have heard it earlier each time I was monitoring. There seems to be an open carrier after the segment is over. Also the bubble jammer was only heard on the 28th. Certainly a very odd frequency selection. Wish it was a little stronger yet suspect it is very low-powered. It doesn't drift during the broadcast and moves about from day to day to possibly avoid the bubble jammer. One wonders if they are making adjustments based on their own monitoring 73, (Robin L. Harwood VK7RH, Contributing Editor, "Spotlight on SWLing" -Amateur Radio Magazine, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAËL. What about the 1130 English broadcast? (Doni Rosenzweig) I tend to ignore the 1130 broadcast, since 5 minutes isn`t worth bothering with and reception here is poor anyway. But looking over his latest sked, I don`t see it there. What frequencies was it on? Same as French at 1100-1130? 73, (Glenn) The frequencies Moshe Oren sent out were the ones that he was registering with the HFCC -- not a 'schedule.' That is, not all of the frequencies will necessarily be used... (which was what you said on your show). Current frequencies should match the ones on http://www.israelradio.org FYI - the Israeli elections are on Tuesday. Looking at http://www.israelradio.org the 1130 English frequencies are the same as French. BTW - when reception is good, I actually listen to the 1130 UT broadcast, as it is the only broadcast available when I`m awake - and not at work (Doni Rosenzweig, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAËL. Feb 4 at 0507 check, English was very good on new 7500, then 9435, and also audible on 17545, but not on 11605 or 7515 or 6280. This matches the schedule now posted on their website. UT Feb 5 the 0500 broadcast announced 7500, 9435 and 17545, and that on Wed Feb 7, morning after the elexion it would be expanded to 30 minutes; earlier elexion returns would be on the Tue Feb 6 2000 broadcast. At 0500 Feb 5 I found that 9435 actually had a stronger signal than 7500, but modulation was much lower. Russian followed at 0515 on 7500 before they finally turned it off at 0519* (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) from http://www.israelradio.org : 0500-0515 9435 31 Europe + N. America Alef 11605 to 14 Dec, from 1 Mar 25 Europe + N. America 7500 15 Dec to 28 Feb 49 Europe + N. America 17545 16 Australasia + Latin America 1130-1135 17545 16 Europe + N. America Reqa 15640 19 Europe + N. America 1700-1730 17545 16 Europe + N. America Alef 11605 25 Europe + N. America 2000-2025 9435 31 Europe + N. America Hei 11605 to 14 Dec, from 1 Mar 25 Europe + N. America 6280 to 14 Dec, from 1 Mar 49 Europe + N. America 15650 19 Europe + N. America 15640 16 Africa (http://www.israelradio.org Feb 3 via gh, DXLD) ** ISRAËL. On the 1/31 Kol Yisrael news they mentioned that the pirates associated with the Shas party, most of whose members are Jews from Arab countries and their descendants (sephardim) and most of whom are very orthodox, had been prohibited by a court order from broadcasting election propaganda for Sharon. It seems rather odd that one reason for the success of the right in Israel is that Labor, with its sometimes semi-socialist noises, was the party of the relatively prosperous Ashkenazim and ignored the relatively poor Sephardim and the right, for whatever good and bad reasons went to the Sephardim (Joël Rubin, NY, Feb 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAËL. Details about special Kol Israel / Israel Radio election coverage on Tuesday: http://israelradio.org/election.htm Extended 30 minute broadcast at 0500 UT - midnight Eastern Standard Exit poll results will be announced in English on the 2000 UT broadcast - 3 PM EST. Hebrew updates throughout on Reshet Bet. IBA TV special coverage via satellite (details on the URL listed above). ----- Some Kol Israel URLs for reference which many of you have seen already: Israel Radio broadcasts- available via the web http://israelradio.org/english.html English - 2 live, 2 recorded http://bet.iba.org.il Reshet Bet live - Hebrew via shortwave and satellite http://israelradio.org/winter00.html Via local FM/AM in Israel http://israelradio.org/stations.html Local rebroadcasters around the world: http://www.israelradio.org/rebroad.html English IBA TV news (recorded) and Hebrew TV news both LIVE and recorded. http://mabat.iba.org.il/ --- Of course there are also English print sources such as The Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com Haaretz http://www.haaretz.co.il/eng right wing radio station Arutz 7 (offshore) which has some English programming: http://www.a7.org and many more (Daniel Rosenzweig, NY, Feb 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREAS. While the numbers stations have ended from North Korea, another numbers station, perhaps from the South, continues- CLANDESTINE from KOREA SOUTH? to KOREA NORTH. 6215 at 1405 Feb 4, lady reading numbers in Korean until 1406. From 1407 music, gone at recheck 1424. The signal was strong and with overprocessed audio (Olle Alm, Sweden, Cumbre DX via DXLD) I also received it yesterday as follows: Date Time(UTC) Freq.(kHz) Opening music Target Count Digits ------- ---------- ------------------ ------- ------ ------ Feb 4 1400-1406 6215 Seoul-eui Mojeong No. 2345 21 five Feb 4 1407-1419 6215 Sarang-eui Miro No. 2626 63 five Please refer to my article about this titled "Suspected South Korean Numbers Stations" on our web site. http://www.246.ne.jp/~abi/ransu/ransu-e2.htm And you can hear audio sampler of the opening music. Seoul-eui Mojeong: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/ABI/ransu/mojong.ram Sarang-eui Miro: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/ABI/ransu/miro.ram (Toru Yamashita, Japan, Feb 5, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Voice of Nigeria joins digital radio group | Text of report from Nigerian newspaper The Comet web site on 4 February Voice of Nigeria, the external broadcasting radio station of the Federal Government of Nigeria, has been admitted as a member of the global radio consortium of digital broadcasters, the Switzerland- based Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM). The DRM consortium is an international body of radio broadcasters that convert broadcasts on the medium AM and shortwave (SW) bands to digital standards. With the admission, VON has become the first African radio station to be admitted into the exclusive class of digital radio broadcasters. In a letter of admission, signed by the chairman, DRM, Mr Peter Senger, to the director-general, Voice of Nigeria, Mr Taiwo Allimi, he congratulated VON for being the first radio station in Nigeria and Africa as a whole to be admitted into the body. Mr Senger expressed the belief that VON would live up to expectations and participate actively in the various activities of the DRM consortium. Source: The Comet web site, Lagos, in English 4 Feb 01 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Thanks Costas. I would like to clarify with everybody the following: 1. Radio Lusofonia is a new service also starting to broadcast on 1/3/2001 via the WorldSpace satellite service, being the first Portuguese Speaking radio service using the technology of the 21st century; 2. We are now only broadcasting via Sentech in Meyerton in Short Wave between 20:00 and 21:00 hours local time [UT + 2] on Saturday and 20:00 and 21:15 hours on Sunday. The content of the programs is Religion (Christian) programmes from American congregations. Language used on Short Wave as from now: English; 3. Mr. A. de Andrade who is a partner also at Radio Lusofonia used to be the owner of Swaziland Commercial Radio and Radio Cidade Internacional which were both sold in October 2000 to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (Brazilian); 4. Postal address to be used: P O Box 1586, Alberton 1450; 5. E-mail to be used: dario.bettencourt@tollink.co.za Regards and please distribute this information to those concerned. From sunshine Johannesburg. (Dário Bettencourt, dario.bettencourt@tollink.co.za, Tel. +27 12 3618833, Fax. +27 12 348 3713, Feb 5 via Costa Constantinides, Cyprus, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Costas explained to him about QSLs. Is the name Costa or Costas? (gh) Dear Glenn, I am known by both names. In Greek when you are referred to your name in the past tense you can be called Costas. In the spoken or written form. In the present tense the correct way is Costa. 73,s. (Constantinides, DXLD) ** U K. Contrary to my previous remark, I find little if any reception here of BBC African stream at 1630 on Ascension 17830 and 15400, as I have been checking in anticipation of the new history series starting Tuesday, Tsk (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: NBC SCTV Repeats. Hello again, Glenn... The first week back the TV Guide said "Later" for that time period; it now says SCTV. As nice as it is to have the re-runs back on the air, it is worth noting that the cast members have complained in the past, sometimes bitterly, about the restrictive contracts they were forced to sign just before the show really took off, shutting them out of most if not all of the future syndication windfall $$. So I too enjoy these old SCTV's but with a tinge of guilt: the brilliant comics don't see a dime from NBC, and have not for years. Aaron Barnhart, the TV writer for the Kansas City Star provided this insight in a column two weeks ago week: Later, "Later" NBC's 12-year-old wee-hours talk show "Later" officially signed off for the last time Thursday. So does that mean the long-promised "comedy laboratory" scheduled to take its place will appear in the 1:35 a.m. time slot on Monday? Not exactly. However, it will mark the return of half-hour abridged versions of "SCTV," which in its own way was a comedy laboratory during its 1981- 83 run on NBC. Among the careers that "SCTV" launched were John Candy, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy and of course, those hosehead Mackenzie brothers (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas). NBC has aired "SCTV" reruns in the "Later" time slot before, and it's unknown how long the network plans to show them this time around. You can't rush lab work, you know. Speaking of Shorts, Martin Short will star in a new prime-time series for cable, Comedy Central announced (Tom Roche, GA, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I was thinking SCTV went back into the 70s, but a couple quick copyright dates I saw were MCMLXXXIV. Started a few weeks ago on Friday nights was ``Late Friday``, more comedy laboratory, same time as Later but lasting one hour (gh) ** U S A. Checking WWBS on gh`s request, UT Sunday Feb 4 *0000 sharp on 11900, usual Joann Josey doing sign-on, P O Box 18174, Macon GA 31209, and wwbsradio@usa.com [not .net], and into a Georgia preacher (what else?), Joe Selby with ``Diamonds in the Rough``; good signal at first, but fading down by 0020. Had been scheduled for two hours only, and same on UT Mon, when I did not check, but no other broadcasts (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. Over the past few months, there has been interest in the RASD station on 41 meters. People have reported it on 7357 and 7457 kHz. Both channels are occupied during the 2100-0000 period each day. Which station is the real RASD station? I note that an organization in Switzerland was interested in listeners providing feedback on channel availability in the 7450-7460 kHz region. However, the 7357 freq is perfectly clear, if this is indeed their station. I note both Spanish and Arabic from this station. Can anyone assist in determining just which station is the real RASD station? Thanks (Dan Henderson, Feb 4, hard-core-dx via DXLD) I am listening to RASD on 7357 in Arabic with a real powerhouse signal. Vy 73, (Enzio Gehrig Dénia/Spain (38.50N 00.04E) JRC- 535d/ALA-1530/Dipole, 2132 UT Feb 4, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ###