Lots of DX, Despite the Storms!

Another busy week on the SW bands with lots of good DX noted. And with the big yellow ball in the sky acting up a fair bit recently, it's amazing we are able to hear anything! Here's a summary of the week's listening activities. I hope you find these of some interest!


3200   SWAZILAND.  TWR - Manzini.  Usual English religious programming with hymns at 1925. Some days it's stronger than others, pretty weak this morning. May 22.

3255     SOUTH AFRICA.  BBC - Meyerton.  English ID at 1930, then into a discussion program. Fair to poor level on May 22.

3945   VANUATU.  R. Vanuatu - Port Vila. Back on air after an absence of some time. Noted at 1900 in the local Bislama language with a news program. The carrier was strong but the audio level was down a long way. It seems this freq is the only one in operation on SW - nothing heard on 7260 so far. May 22.

4810   PERU.  R. Logos - Tarapoto. No ID heard but presumed the one here on May 21 in Spanish with long talks and Andean flute music at 0935 on a night when thunderstorm noise was high. I see Robert Wilkner in Florida has logged this recently so it looks like it is back on air.

4876.22   BRAZIL.  R. Difusora Roraima - Boa Vista.  Presumed to be this one in Portuguese with talks at 1000 on May 21.

4949.8   ANGOLA.  R. Nacional - Mulenvos. Lovely signal at 2135 with Angolan dance music and Portuguese anncts. Audio level seemed stronger than it usually is, and the signal was noted to well past 2230. May 21.

5040   CUBA.  RHC - Havana (100kW).  English programming with a very early and rare fade in at 0525 (3.25pm local Mount Evelyn time). Weak till s/off 0558. Seems to be running // 6010, 6060, and 6125 until that time. Rebelde 5025 comes in a little later (possibly because it is only 50kW), around 0600 and gets strong quite quickly.  May 22-24.
 

5915   ZAMBIA.  Zambia NBC Radio 1 - Lusaka.  First noted 2010 with phone-in discussion program and solid signal, May 22.

5964.7   MALAYSIA.  RTV Malaysia - Kajang. Relay of Klasik FM with laid-back ballads at 1004, weak but copyable on this clear channel. May 23.

6055   RWANDA.  R. Rwanda - Kigali. Local songs and excited talk between the DJ and phone-in listeners at 1942, great signal and killing CRI - Cerrik at that time (which is always good to see!!)  May 22.

6080   BRAZIL.  R. Marumby - Curitiba.  I have been monitoring this freq for weeks,

checking out the long path VOA Sao Tome between 06-0700. Today, I heard another carrier on underneath and waited till 0702 when VOA finally switched off their txer.  This left R. Marumby, which got progressively stronger from around 0715. First noted news, mainly Brazilian and local items, then a rising three note station jingle as "MA-RUM-BY" and TC at 0715 for "quatro horas quinze minutos". Then followed more talk of a topical nature. Pleased to hear this one, although signal was poor to fair and with moderate rapid fading. May 18.

6165   CHAD.  R. Nat. Tchadienne - N'Djamena.  Fine signal strength but with a little hum on the audio, French political program at 2015, Afro dance music 2025, May 22.

6180   BRAZIL.  R. Nacional Amazonia - Brasilia. Checked at 2135 and heard nothing. Checked back at 2210 and noted it peeping through the noise with some sort of documentary or information program with music playing in the background. Began to fade around 2230 then came up again to be quite strong at 2245! Finally gone by 2300 on May 21.This signal comes via the Antarctic in our winter when there is darkness/twilight across the path between Brazil and Melbourne. 

7275   TUNISIA.  RTV Tunisienne - Sfax. Back on air after being unsighted for about three weeks in early Late April - early May.  Noted on May 22 at 0510 in Arabic with occasional musical interludes. Fair level now that this band opens up earlier in the winter's day. 

9730.83   MYANMAR.  Myanmar Radio - Yangon.  Tuned in 1029 to hear that lovely soft and lilting Burmese language with alternating M/F announcers with a news program or similar. From 1040, many different speakers on air. Quasi-pop songs Burmese style from 1050. Poor to fair signal, only made possible by the clear channel. You have to hear it before 1200 because it gets wiped out by CRI after that! I can't hear anything on 7200. Is this freq still functioning? May 21.

11735   TANZANIA.  Zanzibar BC - Dole.  Back here after an absence, with Swahili news at 1904. Afro pops and dance music from 1915. Just about as strong as anything else on the band at that time, fair and fluttery. May 22.

11750   SRI LANKA.  PCJ - Trincomalee.  S/on 1300 with a test txion to EAs and SEAs in English. This may have worked better in the target zones but certainly not in south eastern Australia where Havana's 250kW travels mostly through darkness and dominates the channel. You could hear PCJ there in the background but with no intelligible program content. Pity. May 19.

11780   BRAZIL.. R. Nacional Amazonia - Brasilia. Noted with a fair signal and rapid-fire anncts at 2310. May 21.

15745   SRI LANKA.  SLBC - Ekala.  Softly spoken announcers and discussions, then lovelymusic featuring young singers from 0135 to 0155. Not a strong signal but the clear channel helped, although there was a DRM-like sound on 15750 which made listening difficult, resulting in best reception on LSB, May 21.

Have a great weekend everyone,

73,

Rob VK3BVW