VOICE OF KOREA - XMAS GIFT FROM SANTA KIM

Photo courtesy of Brian Diener, KimJongUnLookingAtThings.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM KIM JONG UN….AND ME!

Ho, Ho, Ho! It's that time of the year when the big fat guy visits all the good boys and girls around the world. Well, actually there's two big fat guys. The one in red and the other one in red and….um ….I guess….light black???

In the last days before Christmas, I've completed a survey of Voice of Korea broadcasts, and the results are listed in the table below. All observations were made in the last 36 hours. This is not intended as a complete schedule of all VoK transmissions. Summertime at Mount Evelyn means that most of the daytime operations from this station (0300-0600 UTC) do not propagate here. But in my evenings and early mornings, there's plenty to choose from in these broadcasts.

All transmissions are from Kujang (200 kW), except for 3250 kHz from Pyongyang (100 kW) and 6070 kHz from Kanggye (250 kW). In my evenings and early mornings, reception is mostly good to excellent. However, where the service offers a weak signal here, I have noted that in the Comments column. Of course, in your part of the world, reception may be very different to my situation, so try all frequencies. Where applicable, I have also noted interference (QRM) from other stations. 

I have grouped transmissions in UTC, language and ascending frequency order - hopefully this makes it easier to read the table below. This survey only considers the International Service broadcasts. Time restraints because of Christmas preparations prevented me from checking the domestic shortwave outlets - I'll take a look at these in a future MEDXR post.

VOICE OF KOREA TRANSMISSIONS 

OBSERVATIONS FROM MOUNT EVELYN

December 22 - 23, 2014

UTC	FREQ	LANGUAGE	TARGET	COMMENTS
0300-0357	13650	Mandarin	SEAs	Weak signal
0300-0357	15105	Mandarin	SEAs	Fair signal
0300-0357	13760	Spanish	C & SAm	Weak signal
0300-0357	15180	Spanish	C & SAm	Fair signal
0400-0457	15180	English	C & SAm	Weak signal
0400-0457	15105	French	SEAs	Weak to fair signal
0500-0557	15105	English	SEAs	Weak to fair signal
0500-0557	15180	Spanish	C & SAm	Weak to fair signal
0600-0657	15180	French	C & SAm	Weak to fair signal
0600-0657	15105	Mandarin	SEAs	Weak to fair signal
0700-0757	7580	Japanese	Japan	Weak signal
0700-0757	9650	Japanese	Japan	Weak signal but improves later.
0700-0757	9875	Russian	EEu
0700-0757	11735	Russian	EEu
0700-0757	13760	Russian	EEu
0700-0757	15245	Russian	EEu
0800-0850	7580	Japanese	Japan	Weak signal at first, improved later.
0800-0850	9650	Japanese	Japan
0800-0857	7220	Mandarin	EAs	Weak signal at first, improved later.
0800-0857	9445	Mandarin	EAs
0800-0857	9875	Russian	EEu
0800-0857	11735	Russian	EEu
0800-0857	13760	Russian	EEu
0800-0857	15245	Russian	EEu
0900-0957	6070	Japanese	Japan
0900-0957	7580	Japanese	Japan
0900-0957	9650	Japanese	Japan
0900-0950	7220	Korean	EAs	KCBS program
0900-0950	9445	Korean	EAs	KCBS Program
1000-1057	6170	English	C & SAm
1000-1057	6185	English	SEAs	QRM China Huayi BC co-channel
1000-1057	9435	English	C & SAm	QRM CRI Japanese 9440 kHz
1000-1057	9850	English	SEAs
1000-1050	3250	Japanese	EAs	F/in 1015
1000-1050	6070	Japanese	Japan
1000-1050	7580	Japanese	Japan
1000-1050	9650	Japanese	Japan
1100-1157	6170	French	C & SAm
1100-1157	6185	French	SEAs	QRM China Huayi BC co-channel
1100-1157	9435	French	C & SAm	QRM CRI Amoy 9440 kHz
1100-1157	9850	French	SEAs
1100-1157	3250	Japanese	EAs
1100-1157	6070	Japanese	Japan
1100-1157	7580	Japanese	Japan
1100-1157	9650	Japanese	Japan	QRM CNR 1 Jammer 9660 kHz
1100-1157	7220	Mandarin	EAs
1100-1157	9445	Mandarin	EAs
1200-1250	3250	Japanese	EAs
1200-1250	6070	Japanese	Japan
1200-1250	7580	Japanese	Japan
1200-1250	9650	Japanese	Japan
1200-1250	6170	Korean	C & SAm	KCBS Program
1200-1250	6185	Korean	SEAs	KCBS Program, QRM China Huayi BC co-channel
1200-1250	9435	Korean	C & SAm	KCBS Program, QRM CRI Khmer 9440 kHz
1200-1250	9850	Korean	SEAs	KCBS Program, QRM Havana co-channel and CRI Mandarin 9855 kHz
1300-1357	7570	English	WEu	QRM Overcomer Ministry co-channel
1300-1357	9435	English	NAm
1300-1357	11710	English	NAm	QRM AIR Burmese co-channel till 1315
1300-1357	12015	English	WEu
1300-1357	6185	Mandarin	SEAs	QRM China Huayi BC co-channel
1300-1357	9850	Mandarin	SEAs	QRM Havana co-channel and CRI Mandarin 9855 kHz
1400-1800				SLEEP!!   ZZZzzzzzz….ZZZzzzz…zzzzzzz
1800-1857	7570	English	WEu
1800-1857	7210	French	SAf	Severe QRM CRI Russian co-channel
1800-1857	6170	German	WEu
1800-1857	9425	German	WEu	Slight QRM Greece 9420
1900-1957	7210	English	SAf	QRM CRI Cantonese 7215
1900-1957	9875	English	ME	QRM BSKSA Arabic 9870
1900-1957	11635	English	ME
1900-1957	11910	English	SAf	Weak signal here and slight QRM BSKSA Qur’an 11915
1900-1957	6170	German	WEu
1900-1957	9425	German	WEu	Slight QRM Greece 9420
1900-1957	7570	Spanish	WEu
1900-1957	12015	Spanish	WEu	Weak signal here
2000-2057	7570	French	WEu
2000-2057	12015	French	WEu	Weak signal here
2000-2050	6170	Korean	WEu	KCBS
2000-2050	7210	Korean	SAf	KCBS, Slight QRM CRI Arabic 7215
2000-2050	9425	Korean	WEu	KCBS
2000-2050	9875	Korean	ME	KCBS
2000-2050	11635	Korean	ME	KCBS
2000-2050	11910	Korean	SAf	KCBS, Weak signal and slight QRM BSKSA Arabic 1915
2100-2157	7570	English	WEu	Weak and faded by 2130
2100-2157	12015	English	WEu	Weak
2100-2150	7580	Japanese	Japan
2100-2150	9650	Japanese	Japan
2100-2157	7235	Mandarin	EAs
2100-2157	9445	Mandarin	EAs	Severe QRM AIR English co-channel
2100-2157	9875	Mandarin	China
2100-2157	11635	Mandarin	China	Very weak and QRM Cuban Numbers Station co-channel, plus residual QRM AIR English DRM 11620!!
2200-2257	9650	Japanese	Japan	Weak signal and faded by 2230
2200-2257	9445	Mandarin	EAs	Weak under AIR English co-channel
2200-2257	9875	Mandarin	EAs	Weak and faded here by 2230
2200-2257	11635	Mandarin	EAs	Weak under CNR 1 jammer of RTI
2200-2257	12015	Spanish	WEu
2300-2350				Nothing heard at Mount Evelyn on any of the scheduled frequencies – no reliable propagation at this time of year on those frequencies.

If you hear some Voice of Korea transmissions over the holiday period, please tell me and other MEDXR readers through the Comments section below.

Finally, to those who observe the Christmas meaning and its celebrations, my very best wishes to you and your families. For those who have other religious observances or holidays to enjoy, I also send my very warmest wishes. 

73 and best of DX to all.

Rob Wagner VK3BVW