STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK - June 20, 2015

STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK

June 20, 2015

STATION NEWS

PHILIPPINES
Those readers who have not been following the discussion on my recent post, DXing with the FTDX3000 - Part 1 , may be interested to know of some great feedback offered by Graham Baker VK8GB. Graham is the frequency manager for the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) in the Philippines. I'm reproducing the discussion here in case you missed it:

Graham: "Thanks for your observations about the frequency collisions and jamming interference on 9920. I am currently the Frequency Manager for FEBC International and have been aware of the jamming of our Vietnamese transmissions for many years - not only is 9920 currently affected between 1200 and 1330 Z, but also 9795 from 1100 to 1200 Z. 

"There are multiple jamming transmitters in Vietnam located, we believe in both the North and South of the country running about 10 kW. They are typically set a few hundred Hz off our carrier frequency and are frequency modulated to give the siren effect. If only one jamming transmitter is active, the use of upper or lower sideband is an effective way of minimising their effect. However, sometimes they are located on both sides of the carrier.

"The effect on wideband portable AM shortwave receivers is quite pronounced.

"We have shifted our Vietnamese broadcast frequencies over the years, only to find that the jamming transmitters eventually locate us and shift too! We persevere, despite the jamming, because of skip zone effects within the country which provide some localised relief. 

"KNLS broadcast primarily to North West China and we cause minimal mutual interference to each other in our desired target zones - I believe that KLNS are not significantly affected by the jamming. Our target area is the whole of Vietnam."

Rob:  Were you advised that KNLS would be using this frequency for their service at that time? It seems a pity that there has to be a clash at all between the two stations (even if, as you say, it's minimal), especially when there are other available frequencies that are vacant.

Graham: "Yes we were aware that KNLS was going to use 9920. I spoke to Kevin Chambers about the collision and the jamming we experience, at an HFCC meeting sometime ago. He arranged to move to another frequency for the A season that year but it seems to have slipped through the cracks this season. Kevin has been a bit busy with the start up of their Madagascar station. Frequency management for US based shortwave stations is handled by the FCC.

"Unfortunately there are not enough frequencies available worldwide to have clear channels at all times. Part of the work of HFCC is to minimise mutual interference (apart from finding clear frequencies) - there is a standard applied that requires 17 dB protection in the designated target areas using the field strength expected for 90% of the time from the wanted signal against the signal level expected only 50% of the time from the unwanted broadcast. The main "busyness" at HFCC is working through collision lists produced each day of the conference and negotiating frequency use with other broadcasters face to face."

Thanks Graham for this interesting perspective on frequency management at FEBC. (Rob)


USA
WRNO - New Orleans LA on 7505+ kHz has been off air over the past few weeks, which is a pity because this it the time of year (winter in Mount Evelyn) when I catch them in my afternoons (around 0400 UTC). My thanks to Mauno Ritola in the WRTH Facebook group for an update yesterday with this response from the station:
"We are temporarily off the air due to repairs to the transmitter. We hope to be back and running very soon."

FROM THE LOG BOOK

3185   USA. WWRB - Morrison TN. American preaching at 1000, fair on a noisy night, June 14.

5910   FRANCE. R. Japan - Issoudun. Still the strongest signal on the band in our early afternoons at 0410 in Japanese. If this benchmark station is weak, then you can usually bet that other stations on this band at this time are also weak or inaudible. June 19.

5920   ROMANIA. RRI - Galbeni. Romanian to SEu at 0430, fair signal on June 19.

5950   IRAN. VOIRI - Kamalabad. Additional service for Ramadan, scheduled to start at 2145 in Tajik, but actually switched on at 2142 with talk, then IS 2144, ID at 2145. Big signal on June 18.

5952.43   BOLIVIA. R. Pio Doce - Siglo Veinte, Llallagua. News reports and anncts at 1017, quite a good signal on June 14.

6105.31   UNIDENTIFIED. Weak signal and impossibly hard to read, but I suspect this might be R. Panamericana - La Paz. This station has always been difficult in recent years due to RTI and CNR 1 jammer on 6105 now running 1000-1400, June 20.

6024.96   BOLIVIA. Red R. Patria Nueva - La Paz. Pleasing to hear this station here again for our winter DX season. The signal can be quite unreliable into Mount Evelyn, but it was noted on June 18 at 1010 with a fair to poor signal. Music programming and rapid anncts. Slight QRM R. Martí on 6030 kHz.

6173.9 PERU. R. Tawantinsuyo - Cusco. Noted on June 18 with a talk program and short bursts of music (possibly canned anncts). A Peruvian song at 1028. A weak signal on this occasion made listening difficult while monitoring between 1020 and 1040. Listening in LSB is best as a way of avoiding CNR 1 6175 kHz (although China was also weaker on this day!)

9440   IRAN. VOIRI - Kamalabad. Additional service for Ramadan in Arabic noted at 2227 before the scheduled s/on of 2230 with talkback program, ID 2232, fair signal on June 18.

9540   SINGAPORE. BBC - Kranji. English WS interview to Nepal and SAs at 2325, fair on June 18.

9645   ENGLAND. Afia Darfur R. - Woofferton. Arabic talks for Sudan at 1816. This was previously via Issoudun. June 16.

9700   NEW ZEALAND. WHERE IS IT? Nothing heard from RNZI here at 1755 in AM on June 16. Strange, as the DRM service on 7330 is operating as scheduled in DRM. Recent reports elsewhere indicate that other RNZI services have also gone missing. What gives?

9950   INDIA. AIR - Delhi. This is listed as being a DRM service, but not on June 16 where it was in normal AM mode. Good! Now everyone can listen to it!!  :-)  Nice signal for the English broadcast to Eu at s/on 1745. Runs // 11670 (via Bengaluru) also heard but the signal was quite weak there.



9955   USA. R. Slovakia Int'l - Okeechobee FL. Spanish to SAm at 0445 till s/off 0500 after ID. Then into Overcomer Min. Fair signal June 19.

11510   FRANCE. Denge Kurdistan - Issoudun. Good signal on June 16 in Kurdish with an interview program.

12080   ENGLAND. VOA - Woofferton. Amharic service to EAf at 1820. Previously via Issoudun, good signal on June 16.

13600   BULGARIA. Famagusta Gazette Radio (formerly EU News Network) - Kostinbrod. English to SAf with ID at 1803, then the reading of a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Changes to Overcomer Min at 1815. Fair to poor signal on June 16.

13785   THAILAND. VOA - Ban Dung. S/on 1830 in Kinyarwanda to EAf, poor signal for this weekday only service. Ex Sao Tomê transmitter site on June 16.

13865   ENGLAND. VOA - Woofferton. Amharic service to EAf at 1840, NF ex 13870, fair signal on June 16.

15150   GUAM. KSDA-AWR - Agat. Mandarin to EAs at 1040 with a weak signal and rapid fading characteristics, June 18.

15180   D.P.R.K. VoKorea - Kujang. Martial and operatic music in the English service at 1043, poor signal on June 18.

15235   GUAM. KTWR - Agana. Preaching in Mandarin at EAs at 1047. Poor signal here on June 18, but was quite well heard in Europe on the Twente remote receiver.

15245   UNIDENTIFIED. This is possibly Voice of Eritrean Forum via Issoudun. Weak signal with Tigrinya discussion and occasional bursts of Horn of Africa music, first noted at 1732 on June 16.

15410   INDIA. AIR - Bengaluru. English to EAs at 1052 till s/off 1100, fair signal on June 18.

73 and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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