STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK - May 23, 2016


STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK
May 23, 2016


 There hasn't been much action on the Mount Evelyn DX Report blog recently. I have been struggling with ill health over the past three weeks. Results of tests later this week may shed some light on what's really wrong with me. As such there haven't been any real attempts to write any posts or turn on the radio. Even looking at the computer screen has been a struggle. However, over the past two days I've felt a little better, and have managed to do some listening.

ETHIOPIA

There are a few shortwave broadcasters operating out of Ethiopia these days, plus some that are beaming into the country from beyond its shores. Here's two stations that were noted this morning:

 6090 kHz  Amhara State Radio - Addis Ababa. At 2005 UTC with its station ID in the Amharic language and a mix of music and talk, a very good signal. Careful listening and identification is needed as co-channel R. Nigeria-Kaduna is also often heard at the same time, but Kaduna was a much weaker signal today (May 22). Tuning in USB easily separates the two stations as Amhara is on 6090 and Nigeria is usually off-frequency on the lower 6089.88v kHz. At 2055, CNR 2 signs on, which squashes everything!

 6110 kHz  R. Fana - Addis Ababa. Heard at equal strength with co-channel powerhouse CRI's Russian service at 1950 UTC. But China leaves this frequency at 1957 leaving R. Fana in the clear with a nice clear signal, great African popular music and Amharic announcements. Highly recommended listening if you enjoy groovy Horn of Africa music! May 22.

LANGUAGE IDENTIFICATION

You don't hear too much Cantonese on shortwave these days. The vast majority of Chinese language transmissions are in Mandarin. However, of you need a refresher in the audible differences between the sounds of the two Chinese languages, try listening out for the station known as Stream of Praise Ministries on 7530 kHz. The transmissions are beamed from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This station provides the shortwave listener with a good example of the linguistic differences between Cantonese and Mandarin. It signs on at 2100 with Cantonese programming, then shifts into Mandarin at 2115, enabling the listener to clearly hear the differences between the two types of "Chinese". It signs off at dead-on 2130 without any fanfare or ceremony! A very good and clear signal was noted today (May 22).

FROM THE LOG BOOK


 4749.96   INDONESIA. RRI - Makassar. Indonesian music programming and talk at 2140, faded by 2210 (8:10am here), May 22.

 4949.7   ANGOLA. R.Nacional de Angola - Mulenvos. The Canal A domestic service at 2135 with African music programming (lots of drums!) and Portuguese anncts, a weak signal and eventually fading out by 2200 (8:00am here), May 22.

 5965   JAPAN. Shiokaze - Yamata. Japanese at 1304, NF (ex 5935) and a booming signal on May 21.

 6089.88   NIGERIA. R. Nigeria - Kaduna. Hausa talks at 0550 under intense local QRN, and with a het from a weaker station, possibly Brazil or Anguilla closer to 6090 kHz. Fair to poor via the long path on May 22. 

 6180.03   BRAZIL. R. Nacional Brasilia - Brasilia DF. Nice to hear this one back on air again with what sounded like old rock 'n roll songs in Portuguese at 0705. Nice ID at 0729 and very pleasant programming! An excellent signal and running // 11780 but much weaker there, May 22.
7250   VATICAN. Vatican R. - SM Galeria. Mass in Romanian to EEu on Sundays only, noted at 0650 to s/off 0725, fair to poor signal on May 22.

 7300   ENGLAND. HCJB - R. Akhbar Mufriha - Woofferton. Noted at 2105 in the presumed Tachelhit language to NAf with preaching and an African song. ID and contact details at 2112. Into Arabic at 2115, very good signal on May 22.

 7435   VIETNAM. VoV - Son Tay. Network 1 with news at 1234, fair signal and mixed with co-channel CRI's Mandarin to EAs. Also on the frequency is R. Farda via Kuwait in Farsi although this one is only at a low level here, May 21. 

 7595   UZBEKISTAN. North Korean Reform R. - Tashkent. Korean talks at 2045 with no jamming, good signal on May 22.

 7850   CANADA. CHU - Ottawa. A very nice signal strength from this time signal station at 0737. Anncts in English and French. For those who are interested, they do QSL correct reception reports. May 22.

 9490   FRANCE. R. Republica - Issoudun. Spanish to Cuba at 0225 (12:25pm here) poor signal at first but strengthened later, May 22.

 9535   CUBA. R. Habana - Bejucal. Spanish to CAm at 0245 (12:45pm here), poor signal but strengthened later, May 22.

 9570   ALBANIA. CRI - Cerrik. Mandarin to ENAm at 0250, fair signal on May 22.

 9690   AUSTRIA. AWR - Moosbrunn. Song in the Punjabi language beamed to Afghanistan at 0255, ID then s/off 0300, fair signal on May 22.

 11600   MOLDOVA. R. Denge Kurdistane - Kichinev. Nice clear ID in Kurdish at 2041 after commentries, then into music, big signal on May 22.

 11850   ROMANIA. RRI - Tiganesti. English to ENAm at s/on at 2030, seems to be a recent NF for this service, fair to poor signal on May 22.

 11875   PHILIPPINES. Vatican R. - Tinang. S/on 1230 for the 30 min service in Russian to EEu, NF (ex 12030) and good signal. Runs // 15370 also heard but very weak there, May 21.

 11925   KUWAIT. R. Farda - Umm al-Rimam. Farsi to Iran at s/on 0630, NF (ex 7435), very weak signal at first but improved by 0800, May 22.

 13635.03   TURKEY. VoT - Emirler. A little higher than its registered frequency at 0620 with a radio play in Turkish, fair signal, May 22.

 13725   FRANCE. RFI - Issoudun. English to CAf at 0630 with a news update, good signal, May 22.

 15440   FRANCE. Manara R. - Issoudun. S/on 0730 with ID and programming in Hausa to WAf. A weak signal on May 22.

 15450   PHILIPPINES. R. Veritas Asia - Palauig. Burmese service to SEAs at 1150 with pleasant music programming. ID and station details at 1156 then signed off by 1157, fair to poor signal, May 21.

 15500   SPAIN. REE - Noblejas. Spanish sports programming to ME at 2025, fair to poor signal, and // 17855 where it was barely audible on May 22.

 15630   UZBEKISTAN. R. Free North Korea - Tashkent. Korean talks at 1245, poor signal and some strange rustling noises on the carrier, May 21.

 17820   PHILIPPINES. R. Pilipinas - Tinang. English to ME at 0217 with ID and contact details, "This is Radyo Pilipinas, the Overseas Service of the Philippines Broadcasting Service". Then a talk on the coming national elections. Fair signal and // 15640 but much weaker there, May 22.

73 and good DX to you all,

 Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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