African DX Stations Shine!

Some great African stations feature in this week's DX logbook.

4880   SOUTH AFRICA.  SW Radio Africa - Meyerton. English ID at 1734 then into a science program. Fair signal but riddled with thunderstorm noise, Oct 22.

5950   ETHIOPIA.  VoTigray Revolution - Addis Ababa. Tigrinya programming with NE African songs at 1909, then a telephone talkback interview at 1912. Mixed with RFI's Portuguese service via Meyerton,
which doesn't seem to be a good idea, although Tigray was generally the stronger of the two, Oct 22.

6030   ETHIOPIA.  R. Oromiya - Addis Ababa. East Afro dance music at 1757, ID for "Radio Oromiya" at 1800, then after some anncts back into songs using regional instruments. Uses the Oromo language, a rapidly spoken language where much of it sounds mono tonal with glottal sounds and clicks….to my ears anyway! Fair to good level on Oct 22.

6080   BELARUS.  Belaruskaye Radio 1 - Minsk. Discussion program in Belarusian domestic service at 1940. RA-Shepparton txer off for maintenance enabling this to come through on Oct 22. Later CNR 1 s/on 2000 making listening to Minsk difficult.

6089.9   NIGERIA. R. Nigeria - Kaduna.  Logged here several months ago, and again on Oct 25 with Hausa programming at 1850 with a fair carrier but low audio. Can be quite irregular with its transmission schedule - absent from the frequency on some days. Created an almighty het with CRI's s/on in Mandarin to Eu at 1900. Then Kaduna was back in the clear after CRI's s/off at at 2000. The other station listed here, Amhara State Radio (Addis Ababa), appears to have been off-air for quite some time now.

6115   CONGO.  R. Congo - Brazzaville. With a poor strength and low modulation at 1806 with French news. Discussion program at 1810. Later, monitored with final ID at s/off 1829 on Oct 22.

9470   INDIA.  AIR - Aligarh. National programming channel with Hindi news at 1832. Solid signal Oct 22.

9625   AUSTRIA.  VoVietnam - Moosbrunn. French service to Eu with news at 1840, good level Oct 22.

9915   ENGLAND.  BBC - Woofferton. English to WAf at 2015, NF x 12095, and fair with some jamming noted, Oct 22.

11560   BULGARIA.  Dimtse Radio Erena - Kostinbrod. At 1720 with African songs and much laughing and joking between two anncers, ID at 1729 (unsure of the language used, possibly ), then accordion music music to close at 1730 Good level on Oct 22.

11730   BELARUS.  R. Belarus - Minsk.  Weak with the German service to Eu 1922, and heavy QRM RNZI 11725, Oct 22.

12095   GERMANY.  VOA - Nauen. 30 min Hausa service at 2030 s/on to WAf, weekdays only, NF x 9815, Oct 22.

15190   PHILIPPINES.  R. Pilipinas - Tinang. Filipino news (sprinkled with plenty of English words) at 1743, frequent IDs and a fair signal on Oct 23. Later, s/off noted at 1930 with full ID.

7340   RWANDA.  DW - Kigali. S/on 1900 with English news inc. report on NSW bush fires. NF (x 15275) big signal on Oct 22.

15505   MALI.  CRI - Bamako. Mandarin to Af 2245 to 2300 s/off. As is often the case with Malian stations, the carrier was fair but the audio was quite weak, Oct 24.

15140   OMAN.  R. Sultanate of Oman - Thumrayt. Arabic news at 1918, followed by commentary. Weakish signal but in the clear on Oct 22.

15315   FRANCE.  Voice of the Gospel - Issoudun. Vigorous preaching in the listed Fulfulde language at 1846, then discussion program 1850, short squirts of African music in between the talk. S/off 1858 after ID and address. Good level on Oct 22.

15505   MALI.  CRI - Bamako. S/on 2230 Mandarin for the 30 min service to Af, a weak and fluttery signal coming SP just scraping north of Antarctica, Oct 21.

15630   GREECE.  VoG - Alvis. Lots of conversational talk and occasional Greek rock-style music from 2220 to eventual s/off 2303 (not 2250 as indicated in some lists). Then s/on late at 2308 (scheduled 2300) on 15650 but very weak by then as the band is almost closed SP to Europe by that time. Oct 21.

73 and have a great weekend everyone.

Rob VK3BVW