Mount Evelyn DX Report: AFRICA - DX QUICK TIPS

From 1973, a Voice of Nigeria QSL for 7255 kHz. Still using that frequency after all these years! The back of this card is displayed below.

AFRICA - DX QUICK TIPS

January 27, 2017

Over the past week I have been monitoring a number of known frequencies from the African continent. This is a quick list of stations heard in the time I had available. It is by no means a complete list of all broadcasts from African transmitter sites. That list might come later!

3255 SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. English WS to SAf with music programming at 1850, poor signal on Jan 22 but some days this can be quite strong.

4930 BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. English service to SAf at 1815 with a political discussion, fair signal Jan 22.

5950 ETHIOPIA. VoTigray Revolution - Addis Ababa. A programming mix of East African music and talk at 1945 till s/off at 2001, very good signal, Jan 18.

6030 ETHIOPIA. R. Oromiya - Addis Ababa. Groovy Horn-of-Africa dance music in the Oromo service at 1953 to s/off 1957. Very good signal, Jan 17.

6090 ETHIOPIA. Amhara State Radio - Addis Ababa. A very good signal with African pop-styled music and Amharic anncts at 2053. It could still be heard going strong at equal strength to CNR 2 when that signed on at 2055. Amhara's s/off today was at 2102. Jan 18.

6110 ETHIOPIA. R. Fana - Addis Ababa. First noted at 2015 with long talks in one of the local Ethiopian languages. I came back later to hear lively Afro dance music at 2047 until s/off 2100. Last September, this station was heard quite strongly here. However, today the carrier was at a good level but the audio was well down. Jan 18.

6130 SWAZILAND. TWR Africa - Manzini. Preaching and religious songs in the listed KiKonga language of Angola at 1910, fair signal on Jan 22.

6190 SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. English WS at 1840, poor signal, Jan 22.

6195 BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. English service to CAf at 2015 with African music programming, very good signal, Jan 17.

7120 SOMALIA. R. Hargeisa (Somaliland). A very strong carrier but quite weak audio at 1821 with a local music program. Brief QRM from ham station S51DX (Slovenia) but this is to be expected as R. Hargeisa persists in operating smack bang in the middle of the 40m ham band, Jan 22.

7254.91 NIGERIA. VoNigeria - Abuja. English to WAf heard in the three-minute gap between CRI's Russian s/off 1857 and Turkish s/on 1900 on 7255 kHz. Once CRI is on, it's almost impossible to hear VoN clearly at this time. Into the French service at 2000. Jan 22. Also noted on Jan 24 on the slightly higher 7254.95 kHz at 0615 in Hausa to WAf with a fair signal and no QRM.

9650 GUINEA. R. Guinée - Conakry. Noted at 0612 with what sounded like the Qur'an. Then after French anncts, selections of West African music at 0620. Weak signal here but better on the Bay of Islands (NZ) SDR. Improved slightly around 0645, indicating that this was probably via the long path over the Atlantic, Canada and the Northern Pacific Ocean. Monitored on-and-off till 0730 when co-channel VoKorea s/on for their Japanese service. Jan 28.

11735 ZANZIBAR. ZBC Radio - Dole. Lovely traditional East Afro music at 2025 and occasional Swahili chat, weak to fair signal but in the clear on Jan 17.

12095 SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. English WS to WAf at 0625, very weak signal.

15420 MADAGASCAR. BBC - Talata Volonondry. English WS news 0600 to EAf. A fair signal with occasional 0.7-second echo from reception via both the main short path (the daylight path across the lower Indian Ocean near Antarctica) and the occasional appearance of long path (across Africa, USA and the Pacific). Jan 24.

15670 MADAGASCAR. MWV - Mahajanga. A ballad at 0325, English ID and address at 0329, into preaching at 0330. A very weak signal at 0325 but it suddenly rose out of the mud at 0328, still weak but quite readable! Jan 22.

17710 SOUTH AFRICA. DW - Meyerton. Swahili to EAf at 1053 with talk and background African music, many mentions of Tanzania. ID at 1059 then s/off theme music. Weak signal and not regularly heard here during this low part of the sunspot cycle, Jan 26.

73 and good DX to you all,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW