STATION NEWS AND THE LOGBOOK - No. 4

"I Don't Feel So Good!" - Rob Wagner (Photographed at French Island, Victoria)

STATION NEWS AND THE LOGBOOK - No. 4

STATION NEWS

SOLOMON ISLANDS
Reception of both 5019.88 kHz and 9545 kHz have been somewhat erratic recently. Ron Howard (Asilomar Beach, CA), Mauno Ritola (Finland) and Bryan Clark (New Zealand) have all noted irregular transmissions. Bryan also noted that the 60 mb frequency is now measured at 5020.01 kHz. Mauno suggested that because the normal offset carrier of 130 Hz below the nominal 5020 kHz was missing, perhaps the station was scrapping the old transmitter and now using the new one that can also be heard in operation on 9545 kHz. Ian Baxter advised that the new transmitter was provided to SIBS through Japanese aid. Here at Mount Evelyn on July 22, I noted that station on 5020.01 at 0930 but nothing on 9545 earlier in the day. Then on July 23, I heard nothing from them at 2130 on 5020 kHz. So it appears that testing may be still continuing. One to watch!

RADIO TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL
I've noted RTI now operating at 2100-2200 for its German service to Europe. This is a new frequency and may be replacing 3965 kHz, although I haven't checked to confirm that as yet. At Mount Evelyn, this new channel suffers heavy interference (QRM) from the Zambia NBC Radio 1 network in Lusaka on the same frequency. I suspect that the interference is not being heard for RTI's target audience in Europe, but it's a pity for me as I enjoy listening to Zambia's music programs.

RADIO SYMBAN BACK ON AIR
Over the past 12 months, R. Symban - 2368.5 kHz - transmitting from Peats Hill, New South Wales (near Sydney), is another station that has been using an erratic schedule. However, I noted them this morning (July 23) with Greek music programming at 2130 UTC. This is listed as a 1 kW operation, and is often reported as using even less power. Ron Howard (USA) has just emailed me to say that earlier in the day - around 1310 UTC - he noted a weak signal with repetitive singing. This station is always a DX challenge for international radio enthusiasts!

RADIO NEW ZEALAND
I was looking at the RNZI schedule the other day; they have an updated version (July 12 - Oct 25) on their website. Against the 0250-0400 UTC frequency of 17675 kHz, there's an inexplicit remark stating that "In future our DRM is on air only at times required for rebroadcast by Pacific Stations". So….what does THAT mean? I don't think that's any change from what used to be the case? Frankly, as a rebroadcasting medium, this is the best (and probably only) use for DRM! As of today (July 24), they are still operating DRM on 17675 at 0250 UTC.

SOME RARE LATIN DX
Conditions on the tropical bands and 49mb have not been good over the past few weeks. This is a bit disappointing considering that winter is our main DX season for Central and South America. However, persistence has its rewards. Here are two stations that came up in my band scan, and are rarely heard in southeastern Australia:

4985.51   PERU. R. Voz Cristiana - Chilca, Huancayo. First time heard this year at 1120 with American-style religious talks in Spanish and another language (possibly Quechua), occasional IDs, and snippets of Andean music. Didn't note any change of pace at 1200. Monitored through to f/out 1215, fair to poor signal on July 22.

6185   MEXICO. XEPPM R. Educación - Mexico City. Instrumental jazz combo music at 0445, suddenly off at 0453 with no closing annct. Weak signal but nice to hear it after some years, July 19. Then again on July 21 at 0455 with experimental music programming, then "dead air" at 0458, then at 0501 about three bars of Mexican national anthem and suddenly switched off. 

VOICE OF FREEDOM - KOREA
An article just published yesterday on the excellent website, North Korea Tech, outlines some problems that The Voice of Freedom is having in getting past the DPRK jammers with it's flea-powered transmitter and poor frequency choice. An interesting read, check it out at:
South Korea’s new propaganda radio station faces static

TIME ON MY HANDS!

I'm enjoying very much my two double bazooka antennas - one cut for 3.5 mHz and the other cut for 7.1 mHz. Canada's CHU time signal station at Ottawa on 3330 kHz is regularly noted from 0830 UTC (6:30 pm here) using 10 kW. And, their other outlet on 7850 kHz has been heard with a very strong signal at 1000 UTC, using only 3 kW. Seems like the double bazookas are doing their job!!!!

Incidentally, my YouTube review of the IAC Double Bazookas recently past 12,000 views! If you haven't seen it yet, go back to my blog post The Double Bazooka Antenna - A YouTube Review

THE LOGBOOK

Midday wintertime reception continues to be impressive here at Mount Evelyn. There have been plenty of stations heard between 0000 and 0400 UTC (10am - 2pm here) on 49, 41 and 31metre bands. In addition, there have been a few interesting signals noted at other times, too. Read on…..

5910   FRANCE. R. Japan - Issoudun. Japanese to CAm 0355, poor signal and not as good as several weeks ago, July 22.

5920 ROMANIA. RRI - Galbeni. At 0430 with the Romanian service to SEu. Weak sig when compared with the // 7350 but nice to hear it at 2:30 pm local time, July 19.

5920   USA. WHRI - Cypress Creek SC. S/on in English at 0000 with the IRN USA News. ID "This is World Harvest Radio" at 0005. Poor level on July 22.

5985   USA. R. Japan - Okeechobee. Just fading in at 0420, Spanish to CAm, s/off 0430, July 19.

5990   CUBA. CRI - Havana. Spanish to CAm 0010 with news, very late f/out at 0020, July 22.

6060   CUBA. R. Havana. Spanish to NAm at 0025 to a very late f/out 0040 (10:40am here), weak on July 22.

6080   BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. English to EAf at 2155 to s/off 2200, QRM co-channel CNR 1, July 23

6125   SPAIN. REE - Noblejas. Spanish at 0358, ID 0400, fair to poor on July 22.

6155   AUSTRIA. Oesterreich Rundfunk - Moosbrunn. German news and commentaries to Eu and NAf at 0515, ID 0524, excellent signal. The only chance to hear the national broadcaster these days, July 21.

7295   FRANCE. R. Algerienne - Issoudun. In French at 0415 f/in (2:15 pm here) to CAf, solid signal later in the hour and good wintertime reception, s/off 0559 mid-song on July 19.

7305   USA. Vatican R. - Greenville NC. Spanish service to Car at 1140, fair on July 20.

7325   PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Wantok Radio Light - Port Moresby. First noted at 1045 with English talks and ballad/hymn songs, mixed with CRI's Japanese service. As China became stronger, Wantok became impossible to hear and gone by 1110, July 18. (Ron Howard reported today that CRI may not be currently operating in the 1000-1200 time slot, so PNG becomes a real possibility for other DXers, too!)

7335   ROMANIA. RRI - Galbeni. Romanian service to ENAm 0035, booming winter daytime reception on July 22.

7350   ROMANIA. RRI - Tiganesti. English to WNAm 0340 f/in, 1:40pm here, July 22.

7360   MADAGASCAR. Vatican R. - Talata-Volonondry. Swahili service to EAf 0345. Fair reception July 22.

7395   MADAGASCAR. R. Japan - Talata-Volonondry. Swahili to EAf, fair signal 0350, July 22.

7405   USA. R. Marti - Greenville NC. First station to f/in 0305, early winter reception at 1:05pm here, July 22.

7420   PHILIPPINES. FEBC - Bocaue. Khmer service to SEAs at 1210 with religious fare, nice signal and stronger that co-channel PBS-Hohhot, July 20.

9370   PHILIPPINES. FEBC - Bocaue. Service in Iu Mien language to SEAs at 2325 to s/off 2330. Weak signal under WWRB, July 21. Iu Mien is spoken by over 800,000 people in China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and also in the USA by some of the refugees of the Vietnam War.

9420   GREECE. Helliniki Radiophonia - Avlis. Greek pop songs at 0315 f/in, stronger signal later, July 22.

9425   MOLDOVA. BBC - Kichinev. Farsi service to Iran at 0325, ID and s/off 0329, poor on July 22.

9505   AUSTRIA. AWR - Moosbrunn. S/on 0330 in Farsi, fair to poor signal at 1:30pm here, July 22.

9515   TURKEY. VoTurkey - Emirler. F/in 0320 with English to NAm, poor signal July 22.

11895   OMAN. BBC - A'Seela. Strong signal at 0410 with the Farsi service to Iran, July 22.

13785   IRAN. VOIRI - Kamalabad. Arabic commentary in the ME service at 1050, weak signal July 22.

Well, that's it for now. A rather long post today…..I really should keep these things shorter!!

And if you're on Twitter, don't forget to "follow" me for realtime DX notes: @robvk3bvw

73 and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW


Boy with Clock- Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net