STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK - April 5, 2016
The curtain array used by Madagascar World Voice
STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK
April 5, 2016
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| The curtain array used by Madagascar World Voice |
The A16 transmission period began with plenty of changes including new frequencies, new times and changed tranmitter sites. In this post, I look at just a few of the schedule changes that have taken place since the end of March.
STATION NEWS
MADAGASCARThe newest shortwave station on the block is Madagascar World Voice, part of the World Christian Broadcasting Corp., transmitting from the new site at Mahajanga, on the western side of the island. WCB also runs KNLS at Anchor Point, Alaska, BUT this new station is separate from KNLS and is not to be confused! When the station began broadcasting towards the end of March, signals appeared to be well received in both Europe and North America, along with, of course, the main target of Africa. However, here at Mount Evelyn, reception on some frequencies were only fair at best. Here's a few quick observations made here:
9570 S/on 1800 for Russian to EEu, IS, ID and opening anncts, then pop song. Fair signal Mar 29.
11615 Seemly transmitter problems with no audio, only carrier at s/on 2100. Then the carrier went on and off a few times till finally the service in Mandarin began in the middle of the broadcast at 2110. Very good signal from then on, but with slight QRM from 11620 AIR-Bengaluru's English service, Mar 31.
11945 S/on 1900 in Arabic to NAf and ME, fair to poor signal, Mar 29.
13710 S/on 2000 for Arabic to EAf, poor signal Mar 29.
17640 English to WAf and CAf at 1850 till s/off 1900, weak signal Mar 29.
However, in the last few days, the station has been off the air due to technical problems with the new transmitters. This appears to confirm my own observations regarding 11615 kHz above. In the India DXing Facebook group, my old Sri Lankan friend, Victor Goonetilleke reported receiving an email communication from Henry Huffard:
"....Unfortunately, in our fifth day of operations, a defective part shut us down - so you will not be able to receive us now. Everything at the station is new and under warranty so it is just a matter of getting the part to Madagascar and having it installed. We will let you know when we resume operations....."
The other thing to note is that the station appears to identify itself as different names, depending on the language used. So, although it's known as Madagascar World Voice, in English it can be ID'd as "African Pathways Radio" or "Your New Life Station", depending on what service you are listening to. In Spanish it's "La Voz Alegre". For the Russian service, the name appeared to be "Madagascar World Voice" (...in Russian, of course!). So, a bit puzzling at the moment....!
Before the station went suddenly off air, the schedule was as follows:
ENGLISH:
0000-0100 on 9600 kHz to CAf
0100-0200 9665 kHz to SAs
0400-0500 9480 kHz CAf
1800-1900 17640 kHz to WAf
SPANISH:
0200-0300 6190 kHz to SAm
0300-0400 6150 kHz to SAm
RUSSIAN:
1800-1900 9570 kHz to EEu
MANDARIN:
2100-2200 11615 kHz
2200-2300 9455 kHz to EAs
2300-2400 9535 kHz to EAs
ARABIC:
1900-2000 11945 kHz to ME
2000-2100 13710 kHz to EAf
2200-2300 11770 kHz to NAf
So let's keep watching for this station's return to shortwave!
However, in the last few days, the station has been off the air due to technical problems with the new transmitters. This appears to confirm my own observations regarding 11615 kHz above. In the India DXing Facebook group, my old Sri Lankan friend, Victor Goonetilleke reported receiving an email communication from Henry Huffard:
"....Unfortunately, in our fifth day of operations, a defective part shut us down - so you will not be able to receive us now. Everything at the station is new and under warranty so it is just a matter of getting the part to Madagascar and having it installed. We will let you know when we resume operations....."
The other thing to note is that the station appears to identify itself as different names, depending on the language used. So, although it's known as Madagascar World Voice, in English it can be ID'd as "African Pathways Radio" or "Your New Life Station", depending on what service you are listening to. In Spanish it's "La Voz Alegre". For the Russian service, the name appeared to be "Madagascar World Voice" (...in Russian, of course!). So, a bit puzzling at the moment....!
Before the station went suddenly off air, the schedule was as follows:
ENGLISH:
0000-0100 on 9600 kHz to CAf
0100-0200 9665 kHz to SAs
0400-0500 9480 kHz CAf
1800-1900 17640 kHz to WAf
SPANISH:
0200-0300 6190 kHz to SAm
0300-0400 6150 kHz to SAm
RUSSIAN:
1800-1900 9570 kHz to EEu
MANDARIN:
2100-2200 11615 kHz
2200-2300 9455 kHz to EAs
2300-2400 9535 kHz to EAs
ARABIC:
1900-2000 11945 kHz to ME
2000-2100 13710 kHz to EAf
2200-2300 11770 kHz to NAf
So let's keep watching for this station's return to shortwave!
IRAN
As usual, there have been quite a number of changes to VOIRI's schedule for the A16 season. Here's just a few as observed at Mount Evelyn:
As usual, there have been quite a number of changes to VOIRI's schedule for the A16 season. Here's just a few as observed at Mount Evelyn:
9550 Location? (possibly Kamalabad). Spanish to SAm at 0245, NF (ex 7225), fair signal, Apr 2.
9695 via Sirjan. Kurdish at s/on 0320 to ME, NF (possibly ex 9875), strong signal but audio was down a little on Apr 2.
9700 Location? Pashto to SAs at 0250, NF (possibly ex 7390), fair signal, Apr 2.
9765 via Sirjan. Japanese at 2140, poor signal and a NF. Runs parallel with 11965 via Sirjan, which was also a poor signal and also a NF for this service, Apr 4.
However, in the WRTH Facebook group, Mauno Ritola reports that an email received from the station advises that "....Kamalabad shortwave transmitter site is currently off the air for the most part (but used as a reserve site) due to refurbishing."
More concerning, however, in the same WRTH thread, Antonello Napolitano says:
This E-mail was received by an Italian listener:
"Warm greetings from IRIB English Radio Broadcast
IRIB English radio has recently planned to broadcast its programs via Internet and satellite and based on this plan, the shortwave broadcast of our radio will be unfortunately discontinued. As a radio hobbyist and an audience of IRIB English Radio based in Tehran, Iran, what do you think about this idea? Do you think we should take this measure and act as we have planned or you still prefer to follow our programs via shortwave radio? Please let us know and help us to make the best decision.
Best Regards
Keep in touch
Arezou Radd
IRIB English Radio"
Will another one bite the dust?
However, in the WRTH Facebook group, Mauno Ritola reports that an email received from the station advises that "....Kamalabad shortwave transmitter site is currently off the air for the most part (but used as a reserve site) due to refurbishing."
More concerning, however, in the same WRTH thread, Antonello Napolitano says:
This E-mail was received by an Italian listener:
"Warm greetings from IRIB English Radio Broadcast
IRIB English radio has recently planned to broadcast its programs via Internet and satellite and based on this plan, the shortwave broadcast of our radio will be unfortunately discontinued. As a radio hobbyist and an audience of IRIB English Radio based in Tehran, Iran, what do you think about this idea? Do you think we should take this measure and act as we have planned or you still prefer to follow our programs via shortwave radio? Please let us know and help us to make the best decision.
Best Regards
Keep in touch
Arezou Radd
IRIB English Radio"
Will another one bite the dust?
KUWAIT
9490 VOA - Umm al-Rimam. The French service to Af at 2100-2130 is now scheduled as operating from Kuwait (ex Moepeng Hill, Botswana) and noted here with a very good signal. At 2130, the transmitter site changes to Ascension for the Bambara language to WAf till 2200, but that had a much weaker signal from that time onwards, Apr 4.
BRAZIL
Some good Brazilian reception on the 31 metre band was noted here this week:
9724.92 R. RB2 - Curitiba PR. Quite an impressive signal in my local afternoon at 0550, relaying R. Aparecida with pleasant songs and canned adverts. Apr 2. Also noted on Apr 4 with a weak signal at 2135.
BRAZIL
Some good Brazilian reception on the 31 metre band was noted here this week:
9724.92 R. RB2 - Curitiba PR. Quite an impressive signal in my local afternoon at 0550, relaying R. Aparecida with pleasant songs and canned adverts. Apr 2. Also noted on Apr 4 with a weak signal at 2135.
9819.25 R. Nove de Julho - Sao Paulo SP. Relaying R. Aparecida at 0615 and // 9724.92 but not as strong on Apr 2.
EGYPT
9800 R. Cairo - Abis. Seemingly English to EU at 2145, usual unbearable audio problems, Apr 4.
OTHER NEW FREQUENCIES OBSERVED
5875 THAILAND. VOA - Ban Dung. Korean at 2040 to s/off 2100. NS (ex Tinang, PHIL), good signal.
5960 TURKEY. VoT - Emirler. Turkish to ME at 2045. NF (ex 6120), good signal but slight co-channel QRM CRI's English, Apr 4.
5980 BOTSWANA. VOA - Moepeng Hill. NF for French to Af at 2105, fair on Apr 4.
9515 TURKEY. VoT - Emirler. English to NAm at 0310, NF (ex 9655), fair signal Apr 2.
9560 MADAGASCAR. R. Japan - Talata-Volonondry. Swahili service to SAf at s/on 0315, NF (ex 7395), fair signal Apr 2.
9655 FRANCE. R. Algerienne - Issoudun. Arabic to CAf at 2120, NF (ex 9380), good signal on Apr 4.
9700 NORTH MARIANA IS. RFA - Tinian. Korean at 2025, NF and accompanied by noise jamming, Apr 4.
9800 GERMANY. DW - Nauen. S/on 0300 in Swahili to EAf, NS (ex Issoudun), poor signal Apr 2.
9860 MOLDOVA. BBC - Kichinev. Farsi at 0305 to ME and SAs, NF (ex 7410), fair signal Apr 2.
11600 FRANCE. Denge Kurdistane - Issoudun. NF (ex 9400) with Kurdish service to ME at 1835, good signal, Mar 29.
11660 CHINA. CRI - Kashi. French to SEu at 2200, fair signal and NF (possibly ex 6115), Apr 4.
12075 BULGARIA. Bible Voice - Kostinbrod. NF for English service with religious programming 1820, fair signal until s/off 1830, Mar 29.
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