From the Logbook....

Hi Everyone! This past week I've focussed my listening on the 90 and 75 metre bands, with a little additional listening on the higher frequencies. I know quite a few DXers outside Australia are trying for the low powered Radio Symban in Sydney. It appears they are experiencing a few technical difficulties, which may make it even more challenging. Also, last night NBC Bougainville went on well past their normal s/off time. And earlier in the week, I was delighted to hear the Taiwan Fisheries Broadcasting Station on 11550 kHz and Myanmar on 7345 kHz.  Read on:

The International HQ of Radio Symban!!

2368.5   AUSTRALIA.  R. Symban - Marrickville.  Currently appears to have transmitter or audio problems. Tuned in just after 1300 to find the signal strength well down and distorted. Then at 1318, the signal suddenly came up to its usual full strength, but the audio was still not clean. A recent email from the station owner several months ago indicated they were having transmitter problems and were operating at reduced power. This still seems to be the case! In the wee small hours after 1300 there are no anncts and they seem to play Samoan and other islander style music…..no Greek repertoire here!!

2850   KOREA. KCBS - Pyongyang (Sariwon). Music program with bouncy martial music and vocals from 1327, with occasional anncts in Korean. Poor level.

3200   SWAZILAND.  TWR - Manzini. English religious programming at 1903, poor signal but easily heard because the noise level was right down this morning.

3280   CHINA.  Voice of Pujiang - Shanghai.  Rapid fire talks in Mandarin at 1340. Fair signal through the atmospherics.

3320   KOREA.  PBS - Pyongyang. Fair to poor signal at 1345 with music. Can be irregular some days, perhaps because of electricity restrictions?

3325   INDONESIA.  RRI - Palangkaraya.  Numerous canned anncts and chit-chat topical news at 1350. Then Stevie Wonder wondered in with "I Just Called To Say I Love You"…….which was very nice of him!!! Quite a respectable signal these days.

3365   PAPUA NEW GUINEA.  NBC - Bougainville. Just caught the end of their transmission at 1355 with ID, TC, station address (different to WRTH) and good wishes for the evening, all in English - no Pidgin. Then the station closed with "Desperado"……….which seemed a strange song to send everyone to sleep with.  Then there was "dead air". BUT, the party wasn't over yet!! Thinking the broadcast had finished, I was about to move off frequency when several minutes later at 1403 it cranked up again with another four island songs by some of PNG's good 'ole boys. Then there was a canned annct for NBC 91.4 FM, a community annct regarding keeping violence out of the home, followed by more island songs and old pop hits like "Kung Fu Fighting"!!! No anncts, just continuous music. Still going strong at 1515 when I gave up and went to bed (2:15 am local).

3480   KOREA.  VoPeople - Kyonggi-do. Plenty of political preaching at 1435, strong signal.

3900   CHINA. PBS - Hulun Buir.  Mandarin talks at 1435, s/off 1443.

3905   PAPUA NEW GUINEA.  R. New Ireland - Kavieng. Noted just after s/on 1910 with a pop music program and big signal. Time check in Tok Pisin at 1911. Has been on-air only intermittently recently.

3950   CHINA.  PBS Xinjiang - Urumqi.  Mandarin talks at 1445. Poor level.

3990   CHINA.  PBS Xinjiang - Urumqi. Uighur service at 1450 and better strength than 3950 at this time.

4005   IRAN.  VOIRI - Kamalabad. S/on 1930 with the usual piano music and ID in Russian for the one hour service to Eastern Europe. Fair signal.

4319 USB   DIEGO GARCIA.  AFN, topical news program at 1935 with canned anncts and occasional pop songs. Fair to poor level.

Radio Republik Indonesia Makassar Studios

4750   INDONESIA.  RRI - Makassar. ID at 1500 and pop music. Very strong, so with that and the two China stations (PBS/CNR), there's no hope of hearing Bangladesh at this time.

5810   KUWAIT.  R. Ashna - Kuwait. News program in the Dari language at 1945. Good signal.

5964.7   MALAYSIA.  RTVM - Kajang. Klasik FM service with Malay easy listening pops at 1955.

7320   RUSSIA.  R. Rossii - Magadan. Believed to be this in Russian at 1115 with long dialogue, then into music at 1122. Taxing listening due to heavy QRM from CNR 2 on 7315 and CRI in Japanese on 7325.

7345   MYANMAR.  Myanmar Rakhine BS - Naypyidaw. Noted at 1128 in local languages with light music under CNR 1. Last time I heard this some months ago, it was holding its own against China, but not today. Pity, because I enjoy the music selections. Anncts and ID at 1130 before a change of language programming.

11550   TAIWAN. Yuye Guangbo Diantai (Taiwan Fisheries Broadcasting Station) - Tainan. Noted only on Wednesday evening at 0945 to a sudden s/off at 0957 in the middle of a sentence and no ID!  Programming in Amoy (not Mandarin) and some popular songs. Very good signal.  Scheduled for 0900-1000 on Wednesdays.

11580   GUAM.  KTWR - Agana. S/on 1045 in Mandarin after interval signal and ID. Nice signal strength.

Thanks for checking out this MEDXR Blog and thanks for your support through Facebook. Have a great weekend!

73

Rob VK3BVW