STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK - March 20, 2015
STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK
March 20, 2015
BREAKING NEWS: Vanuatu back on air. First noted at 0950 UTC on 7259.95 kHz and at fade in on 3945 kHz at 1030 UTC on March 20.
STATION NEWS
VANUATU
Devastation exists across the most of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. Only in the last 24 hours has communication been made with many of the outer islands. In some cases, towns and villages have been totally wiped out, leaving the residents without housing, water, electricity and other essentials.
An interview appeared on Radio Australia this afternoon that reports on the current situation with the mediumwave and shortwave antennas. This interview is conducted by Richard Ewart with Steve White, Radio New Zealand's transmission engineer who is currently visiting Port Vila under the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PacMAS). Steve brings listeners up to date with damage to Radio Vanuatu's shortwave and mediumwave facilities, and discusses the plan to fix the infrastructure. This is compelling listening! Check it out at:
Vanuatu is not a rich nation. It will take years to rebuild the country. More importantly though, local communities are in desperate need of assistance. One organisation that deserves support is UNICEF - the United Nations Children's Fund. You can find more information at:
MAJOR SOLAR STORM ACTIVITY AFFECTS PROPAGATION
The past 4 days have seen some major storm and flare activity from the Sun. This has played havoc with reception conditions on both shortwave and mediumwave. Reception conditions on the bands have been quite erratic, with a number of blackouts and near-blackouts, along with high noise levels. If you haven't heard much on the radio recently, this is why! Over at SpaceWeather.TV, Dr Tamitha Skov reports that:
Space Weather activity has been at record levels with the Sun firing an X-class flare, more than 10 M-class flares, and launching a solar storm that caused a G4-level (NOAA’s term for a severe) geomagnetic storm at Earth over St. Patty’s day. Aurora has been seen clear down to France and Iowa, USA, and clear up to Perth Australia.
Check out her full video report (Published: March 19, 2015) of solar activity over the past week, plus her predictions for the coming days:
You can find more details from Dr. Tamitha's excellent website:
FROM THE LOG BOOK
All these observations were made prior to the latest high solar activity:
3365 PNG. NBC Milne Bay - Alotau. Tok Pisin anncts and local pop songs at 1925, good signal. No sign of 3985 Rabaul on Mar 14. However, on Mar 16 at 1945 there was a very strong carrier but the audio was way down.
3480 KOREA REP. V of the People - Kyonggi-do. Good signal with no jamming, Korean talks at 1930. Also heard were 3912 (unjammed), 4450 (oscillating jamming noise but clearly heard over it), 4557 (unjammed and a strong signal), 6518 (unjammed) and 6600 (unjammed and the best signal). Mar 14.
3905 PNG. NBC - Kavieng. Non-stop music from 1905 till 1917 when the first Tok Pisin annct was heard, giving a roundup of the day's programming. Many local Tok Pisin songs played….so I guess the local recording scene is quite strong in PNG! Good signal until about 2000 when it begins to fade with the onsets of morning light. Mar 14. However, this appears to be intermittent as nothing was heard between 1900 and 1945 on Mar 16.
3955 ENGLAND. R. Taiwan Int'l - Woofferton. S/on just after 1900 in the middle of the opening anncts, German service to Eu and weak signal on Mar 14.
3965 FRANCE. R. Taiwan Int'l - Issoudun. Very weak signal for the English service to WEu at 1850, s/off 1900, Mar 14.
3985 KOREA REP. Echo of Hope - Hwaseong. Lovely signal at 1840 with the usual Korean talks and occasional pop-tinged songs. No sign of jamming on Mar 14.
5820 SOUTH AFRICA. RTE Radio 1 - Meyerton. English program on abortion at 1950, s/off 2000 and good signal on Mar 16.
5915 ZAMBIA. ZBC - Lusaka. Maintaining good signal strength on Mar 16 from 2110 in local languages with music and talkback programming. At 2200, sounded like some religious talk for 2 minutes. Then concluded with the national anthem at 2203 (full version today!! Sometimes they cut the anthem off after only a few bars!). Carrier off at 2205.
6180 SOUTH AFRICA. RFI - Meyerton. Portuguese to CAf at 1915 with current affairs show, fair signal on Mar 16.
6190 SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. English to SAf with WS at 1912, fair signal, Mar 16.
6260 UZBEKISTAN. CVC The Voice Asia - Tashkent. Hindi programming at 1845, signs off at 2000. Good signal Mar 16.
6280.1 TAIWAN. Sound of Hope - Taiwan. Mandarin programming at 1907, weak signal and no CNR 1 jamming on Mar 16.
9545 SOLOMON ISLANDS. SIBC - Honiara. Operating here all day with cyclone news, general programming and periods of non-stop music, noted on Mar 15 at 1900, Mar 16 at 0820 and again at 1800. This freq is currently being used full-time instead of 5020 kHz because of its better range throughout the Pacific. Clashes with VOA's Mandarin co-channel occupancy between 2200-2300 and 0000-0100, but good signal at other times. For DXers around the globe, this continuous use of 9545 may give them the best opportunity to hear the station with its 10 kW. UPDATE: Back on 5020 at 1920 with regular programming, Mar 16.
9570 KOREA REP. KBS - Kimjae. English to SEAs at 0830, current affairs program, fair on Mar 16.
9586.95 BRAZIL. Super R. Deus é Amor - Sao Paulo. Portuguese preaching at 0840, using audio echo for extra impact! Fair on Mar 16.
9595 JAPAN. R. Nikkei 1- Nagara. At 0848 with beautiful classical piano music followed by some very jarring anncts and long talks. The parallel 3925 outlet was also heard, just starting to fade in at this time on Mar 16.
9629.96 BRAZIL. R. Aparecida - Aparecida. Enthusiastic ID at 0907 after canned anncts, then into an old-time Brazilian song (reminiscences of listening in the 1970s!). Fair signal on Mar 16.
9645.39 BRAZIL. R. Bandeirantes - Sao Paulo. Noted at 0855 with many recorded anncts and an interview. Time pips at 0900 on Mar 16.
15215.04 GUAM. KSDA-AWR - Agat. Off-frequency broadcast in Mandarin at 2205 with talks and religious songs. Fair to scratchy reception on Mar 16.
3365 PNG. NBC Milne Bay - Alotau. Tok Pisin anncts and local pop songs at 1925, good signal. No sign of 3985 Rabaul on Mar 14. However, on Mar 16 at 1945 there was a very strong carrier but the audio was way down.
3480 KOREA REP. V of the People - Kyonggi-do. Good signal with no jamming, Korean talks at 1930. Also heard were 3912 (unjammed), 4450 (oscillating jamming noise but clearly heard over it), 4557 (unjammed and a strong signal), 6518 (unjammed) and 6600 (unjammed and the best signal). Mar 14.
3905 PNG. NBC - Kavieng. Non-stop music from 1905 till 1917 when the first Tok Pisin annct was heard, giving a roundup of the day's programming. Many local Tok Pisin songs played….so I guess the local recording scene is quite strong in PNG! Good signal until about 2000 when it begins to fade with the onsets of morning light. Mar 14. However, this appears to be intermittent as nothing was heard between 1900 and 1945 on Mar 16.
3955 ENGLAND. R. Taiwan Int'l - Woofferton. S/on just after 1900 in the middle of the opening anncts, German service to Eu and weak signal on Mar 14.
3965 FRANCE. R. Taiwan Int'l - Issoudun. Very weak signal for the English service to WEu at 1850, s/off 1900, Mar 14.
3985 KOREA REP. Echo of Hope - Hwaseong. Lovely signal at 1840 with the usual Korean talks and occasional pop-tinged songs. No sign of jamming on Mar 14.
5820 SOUTH AFRICA. RTE Radio 1 - Meyerton. English program on abortion at 1950, s/off 2000 and good signal on Mar 16.
5915 ZAMBIA. ZBC - Lusaka. Maintaining good signal strength on Mar 16 from 2110 in local languages with music and talkback programming. At 2200, sounded like some religious talk for 2 minutes. Then concluded with the national anthem at 2203 (full version today!! Sometimes they cut the anthem off after only a few bars!). Carrier off at 2205.
6180 SOUTH AFRICA. RFI - Meyerton. Portuguese to CAf at 1915 with current affairs show, fair signal on Mar 16.
6190 SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. English to SAf with WS at 1912, fair signal, Mar 16.
6260 UZBEKISTAN. CVC The Voice Asia - Tashkent. Hindi programming at 1845, signs off at 2000. Good signal Mar 16.
6280.1 TAIWAN. Sound of Hope - Taiwan. Mandarin programming at 1907, weak signal and no CNR 1 jamming on Mar 16.
9545 SOLOMON ISLANDS. SIBC - Honiara. Operating here all day with cyclone news, general programming and periods of non-stop music, noted on Mar 15 at 1900, Mar 16 at 0820 and again at 1800. This freq is currently being used full-time instead of 5020 kHz because of its better range throughout the Pacific. Clashes with VOA's Mandarin co-channel occupancy between 2200-2300 and 0000-0100, but good signal at other times. For DXers around the globe, this continuous use of 9545 may give them the best opportunity to hear the station with its 10 kW. UPDATE: Back on 5020 at 1920 with regular programming, Mar 16.
9570 KOREA REP. KBS - Kimjae. English to SEAs at 0830, current affairs program, fair on Mar 16.
9586.95 BRAZIL. Super R. Deus é Amor - Sao Paulo. Portuguese preaching at 0840, using audio echo for extra impact! Fair on Mar 16.
9595 JAPAN. R. Nikkei 1- Nagara. At 0848 with beautiful classical piano music followed by some very jarring anncts and long talks. The parallel 3925 outlet was also heard, just starting to fade in at this time on Mar 16.
9629.96 BRAZIL. R. Aparecida - Aparecida. Enthusiastic ID at 0907 after canned anncts, then into an old-time Brazilian song (reminiscences of listening in the 1970s!). Fair signal on Mar 16.
9645.39 BRAZIL. R. Bandeirantes - Sao Paulo. Noted at 0855 with many recorded anncts and an interview. Time pips at 0900 on Mar 16.
15215.04 GUAM. KSDA-AWR - Agat. Off-frequency broadcast in Mandarin at 2205 with talks and religious songs. Fair to scratchy reception on Mar 16.
73 and have a great weekend everyone,
Rob Wagner VK3BVW
Rob Wagner VK3BVW
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