STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK - March 23, 2016


STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK
MARCH 23, 2016

STATION NEWS

CHAD
In recent days, R.N'Djamena (ONRTV) has been reactivated on its longtime 6165 kHz outlet. Noted by Mauno Ritola, Alan Pennington, Michael Stevenson and a few others, the station has been heard between 1800 and 2100 s/off. Some readers may also be able to hear the station in the 0500 time period (although not here in Australia!) so watch out for it then, too! Actually, it seems to be a little lower in frequency, with DXers monitoring it on 6164.96 kHz. Chad has upcoming presidential elections scheduled for April 10. I suspect that this reappearance of R.N'Djamena may have something to do with that. Hopefully, it will continue operations past election day.

 SOUTH AFRICA
An item from Californian DXer, Ron Howard, reporting on a relatively new station calling itself Radio Lead Africa:

 5910, clandestine Radio Lead Africa, 0330-0358*, March 21 (Monday). Carried their own program; person on phone in vernacular with person in studio translating into English; technical problems with phone connection; hard to hear the person on the phone, while the studio audio was good; two different spots giving their schedule for days and times of broadcasts; Colombia (5910+) as usual went off about 0257.

 My audio is partially clear: "Lead Africa Radio," but think she stumbled over the first time she said "Radio," just before the "Lead Africa Radio," as that was not too clear. My audio, starting with two spots for their schedule, followed by translation, at  https://goo.gl/0kTXbr 

 Thanks Ron for the excellent audio clip.

 From it's Facebook page, Radio Lead Africa Media describes itself as:
"....an independent, community radio that PROVIDES a platform for Human Rights civic education; EMBRACES diversity, tolerance of opinions & freedom of expression; SEEKS to stimulate, educate and entertain our audience to reflect, celebrate & promote the creative cultural & political vitality of all African Community; while ADVOCATING for peace, social and environmental justice.To create a new Uganda in which the fundamental rights of its citizens are respected."

 NOTE: From March 27, the station is expected to be operating to the following schedule, all from the Meyerton transmitter, all at 100 kW and all transmissions in English and sometimes in the local Ugandan Lumasaba language (a Bantu language):

 0300-0400 on  5915 kHz - Mon,Tues and Fri
0500-0600 on 12060 kHz - Wed and Thu
0500-0700 on 12060 kHz - Sat
1700-1800 on  9900 kHz - Sat and Sun
1900-2100 on  7425 kHz - Sat and Sun


FROM THE LOG BOOK

As heard here at Mount Evelyn over the past few days....

 6110   ETHIOPIA. R. Fana - Addis Ababa. Music programming and anncts in Oromo at 1745. ID at 1800. Interestingly, the signal suffered heavy QRM from co-channel VOIRI's Russian service via the Ahwaz transmitter….until 1751 when VOIRI changed to their Kamalabad txer for the continuation of Russian. From that time on, R. Fana had much less QRM and listening was easier, although the signal was not strong. Mar 22.

 7210   ETHIOPIA. R. Fana - Addis Ababa. Believed to be in the Oromo language at 0630 with interviews/discussions and occasional songs, fair signal on Mar 17.

 7237.01   ETHIOPIA. Ethiopian BC - Addis Ababa-Geja. Softly spoken French talks at 1710, poor signal and wedged between 7235 CRI's English and a strong 7240 Saudi R. Listened in narrow LSB with the notch filter inline. Up on a bit higher frequency than usual, Mar 22.

 7254.91   NIGERIA. VoNigeria - Abuja-Lugbe. As reported a few weeks ago, this is still heard here in Hausa to WAf at 0640. The frequency has dropped a little further (previously 7254.94 kHz) but this time the signal was strong and consistent - no transmitter dropouts. A good signal considering there was a G1 geomagnetic storm going on at the time. Mar 17.

 7280   VIETNAM. VoV - Son Tay. Spanish to Eu at 1810, good signal and // 9730 also heard on Mar 22.

 7345   ROMANIA. RRI - Tiganesti. English to WEu at 0649 with a big signal, into German at 0700, Mar 17.

 7315   VATICAN. R. Dabanga - SM Galeria. Sudanese programming at 0535 with talks and occasional songs, many IDs. Beamed to EAf till s/off 0556, fair signal and gradually got stronger towards the end of the broadcast. WHRI takes over this freq at 0600 with American religious programming. Mar 17.

 7415   ASCENSION IS. Dandal Kura - Ascension. Kanuri service to Nigeria at 0652 till s/off 0658, weak signal on Mar 17.

 9380   INDIA V's FRANCE. AIR - Aligarh with the National Channel music programming at 2025. Time pips for their top-of-the-hour (India is 5.5 hours ahead of UTC), then the 5-minute news in English, followed by Hindi news at 2035. Heavy co-channel QRM from the co-channel R. Algerienne - Issoudun with its Qur'an service, both stations at good strength, Mar 18.

 9390   THAILAND. R. Thailand - Ban Dung. English to Eu with news at 1903, fair signal Mar 22.

 9400   FRANCE. R. Denge Kurdistane - Issoudun. Live broadcast in Kurdish, sounding like a political rally at 1910, big signal on Mar 22.

 9475   USA. WTWW - Lebanon TN. A weak signal with American religious programming at 2038, Mar 18.

 9515   GERMANY. Bible Voice - Nauen. 15-minute service in Arabic to NAf noted at 2040 till s/off 2045, fair signal on Mar 18.

 9525   INDONESIA. RRI - Cimanggis. German service with current affairs program to Eu at 1816, fair signal on Mar 22.

 9575   MOROCCO. R. Medi 1 - Nador. Long Arabic songs at 2050, French ID and anncts at 2058, news at 2100, poor signal Mar 18.

 9665   D.P.R.KOREA. KCBS - Pyongyang. National service with music programming at 2110, occasional anncts, fair signal, Mar 18.

 9690   SPAIN. REE - Noblejas. Political discussion program at 2120 beamed to NAm, big signal Mar 18. This frequency is scheduled to change to 17855 kHz from the end of March.

 9720   GUAM. KSDA-AWR - Agat. Religious programming and music in Mandarin at 2126, fair signal on Mar 18.

 9830   SAO TOME. Deutsche Welle - Pinheira. Hausa current affairs program at 1820, poor signal on Mar 22.

 9835   MALAYSIA. RTM Sarawak FM - Kajang. A good clear signal with continuous music programming at 0825, ID and anncts at 1830, Mar 22.

 9890   GUAM. KSDA-AWR - Agat. Korean religious talk at 2138, beamed to EAs, fair signal Mar 18.

 9900   EGYPT. R. Cairo - Abis. Apparently this broadcast is in English…..you wouldn't know! Usual horrible audio problems at 2145. Good signal strength but an exercise in futility! Mar 18.

 9925   PHILIPPINES. R. Pilipinas - Tinang. Largely a Tagalog language program with many lapses into English at 1830 with the station address, ID and into Philippine pop music programming, good signal on Mar 22.

 9935   GREECE. ERT VoGreece - Avlis. First noted 0450 with the multi-layered howling whine that seems to be par-for-the-course when it uses this frequency in recent times. Still on at 0600 with the news. Nothing heard on 9420 or 11645 this day, Mar 17.

 9955   USA. PCJ Radio - Okeechobee. S/on 2200 for the Friday only broadcast with a report on domestic violence in Papua New Guinea, fair signal on Mar 18.

 11700   BULGARIA. Bible Voice - Kostinbrod. Arabic religious talk beamed to ME at 1734, weak signal on Mar 22.

 11720   FRANCE. Eritrean Forum Medrek - Issoudun. Horn of Africa instrumental music at 1725, Tigrinya talks at 1727, ID at 1731 then news-based program. Fair signal Mar 22.

 11780.1   BRAZIL. R. Nacional da Amazônia - Brasilia DF. Current affairs report at 0605, Brazilian ballad at 0610, fair to poor signal during a G1 magnetic storm (Kp=5) on Mar 17.

 11870   USA. WEWN - Vandiver AL. Some off-pitch singing from a man and a small group at 0613 in their Spanish service to SAm, good signal….but not good singing on Mar 17!

 11880   AUSTRIA. AWR - Moosbrunn. Arabic programming to NAf at 0615, fair to good signal on Mar 17.

 11975   FRANCE. R. Japan - Issoudun. Arabic service to ME and NAf at 0620. Poor signal during geomagnetic storm on Mar 17.

 11995   FRANCE. RFI - Issoudun. Hausa to CAf at 0623 till s/off 0630, poor signal (usually better than this) on Mar 17.

 73 and good DX to you all.

 Rob Wagner VK3BVW


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