DX QUICK TIPS - May 19, 2018


DX QUICK TIPS
MAY 19, 2018


 In amongst plenty of hamming on the new FT8 mode over the past two weeks, I also managed to check out some weak signal DX on the shortwave broadcast bands. Propagation conditions have been variable at times, but even poor conditions can sometimes yield surprising results!

 👍 5845   SINGAPORE. BBC - Kranji. S/on 2200 in English WS to SEAs, NF (ex 5890), fair signal, May 8.

 ⭐⭐ 5940   ETHIOPIA. R. Deegaanka Soomaalida - Jijiga. Commentary in Somali at 1843, into a long and lively East African song at 1845. ID at 1852. A good signal with plenty of carrier but the audio level appeared to be down a fair way, May 16.
👍 6130   SWAZILAND. TWR Africa - Manzini. Bells interval signal at 1818 with English ID “This is Trans World Radio Swaziland”. Official s/on 1820 in the scheduled (presumed) Umbundu language with choral items and ID. Fair signal on May 16. Incidentally, the King of Swaziland has decided to change the name of the country to eSwantini. When you are a king, you can do these sorts of things.....it seems! Read about it here!

 6180   ROMANIA. RRI - Galbeni. Romanian at 0415 to SEu, weak signal, May 13.

 6195   BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. Accented English with lively Afro music programming making for great listening at 2050, news at 2100. Unfortunately a weakish signal on May 15.

 ⭐⭐7180.02   ERITREA. Voice of Broad Masses - Asmara. Jivy East Afro music at 1813, anncts in a local language, fair signal, May 16.

 ⭐⭐7205   SUDAN. Rep. of Sudan Radio - Al Aitahab. Arabic to EAf at 0430 with on-location news reports. Canned anncts at 0432 then more news reports. EAf pop-ish song sung in Arabic at 0442, another on-location report at 0450. A weak signal but great to hear this one in my afternoon on 7mHz! May 13.

 7280   VIETNAM. VoV - Son Tay. S/on 2130 in English to Eu, fair signal, May 8.

 7510   ARMENIA. IBRA Radio. - Gavar. Noted in the Silt'e language to EAf with the 30-min service to EAf at 1750, East Afro song with a nice groove at 1752. Very good signal, May 16. The Silt'e language is spoken by about 900,000 people in central Ethiopia, including Addis Ababa.

 7550   INDIA. AIR - Bengaluru. A weak signal during the May 8 solar disturbance at 2145 in English to Eu.

 9400   BULGARIA. Bible Voice Dardasha 7 - Kostinbrod. 15-min Arabic service at 0310 to s/off 0315, fair signal, May 13.

 9400   BULGARIA. Bible Voice - Kostinbrod. Farsi service to Iran at 1720 with preaching and occasional short musical interludes, very good signal, May 16.

 9400   BULGARIA. End Times Coming R. - Kostinbrod. S/on 1800 in English to Eu with preaching, good signal, May 16.

 9410   SINGAPORE. BBC - Kranji. English WS to SEAs at 1030 with news, excellent signal and NF (ex 9900 - probably to avoid AIR-Bengaluru), May 13. 

 9440   OMAN. BBC - Al Seela. English WS to ME at 0305, fair signal, May 13.

 👍 9490   FRANCE. R. Republica - Issoudun. Music, ID and s/of anncts at 0259, fair signal and leaving the frequency to R. Japan - Nauen s/on 0300 in Japanese with a weaker signal. May 13.
👍 9490   MADAGASCAR. Light of Life (MWV) - Mahajanga. Mandarin to EAs at 2207 with talks and occasional musical interludes, a weak signal here. Interestingly, despite Mahajanga’s beam heading of 50˚ to EAs, the station could not be heard on the two usually reliable Shenzhen nor Hebei webSDRs, nor from any of the Japanese webSDRs. There should have been some propagation possible at that time to that region. Strange! May 15.

 9515.03   TURKEY. VoT - Emirler. English to NAm at 0320 with music programming, slightly high in freq, May 13.

 👍 9525   FRANCE. Radyo Dengê Welat - Issoudun. At 0328 to the ME with an interview in Kurdish…lots of giggling!! Kurdish song at 0333, a weak signal, May 13.

 ⭐ 9540   OMAN. R. Sultanate of Oman - Thumrayt. “Come on Eileen” (Dexys Midnight Runners) and other pops at 0348. At 0400, annct as “ This is the news in brief from Oman FM”, but he didn’t get past completing the first news item before the txer was switched off. Weak signal on May 13.

 👍 9570   MADAGASCAR. New Life Station (MWV) - Mahajanga. Russian service to EEu at 1835 with choral item, a weak signal on May 16.

 9790   CUBA. CRI - Quivican. Cantonese service at 0410 to WNAm, weak signal. No reception here of the co-channel RFI-Issoudun in French to EAf (although that could be heard on the Qatar web-SDR), May 13.

 9860   ENGLAND. KBS World R. - Woofferton. Korean to Eu at 0730 with K-Pops (is that what they call it?? 😀 ) , impressive signal.

 ⭐⭐ 11835   SRI LANKA. SLBC - Trincomalee. Tamil service to SAs at 1740 with telephone callback segment, then a local song at 1746. At 1800, three time pips (last one longer), ID and music which could have been the start of the national anthem, but the transmitter was suddenly shut off after only a few seconds. A weak signal here but confirmed through the Qatar webSDR where it was quite a strong signal, May 16.

 11910   FRANCE. R. Dandal Kura Int’l - Issoudun. Kanuri service to WAf at 0650 to s/off 0700, fair signal. 

 11965   GUAM. KTWR - Agana. English to SEAs at 1105, fair signal, May 13.

 12090   GUAM. KSDA - Agat. Russian programming at 1110 to EAs until s/off 1130, good signal, May 13.

 13760   D.P.R.KOREA. VoKorea - Kujang. Russian to Eu at 0737 with usual choral renditions of classic Korean “opera”. A weak signal here but much stronger on the//15245, Apr 28.
13810   ENGLAND. R. Dandal Kura Int’l - Woofferton. Kanuri service to WAf at 0707, weak signal on Apr 28.

 13840   NEW ZEALAND. RNZI - Rangitaiki. NF for English to Pacific 2210, (ex 13730), good signal, May 15.

 15400   SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. English WS to CAf at 0712, fair signal.

 15515   KUWAIT. R. Kuwait - Sulaibiyah. Arabic to EAs at 0720, fair to weak signal.

 17615   SAUDI ARABIA. R. Saudi Int’l - Riyadh. Arabic to SAs at 1024, fair signal and also noted on 17570, May 13.

 👍 17760   KUWAIT. R. Kuwait - Sulaibiyah. Filipino to SEAs at s/on 1000 with ID, anncts and Qur’an recitations. Fair signal, May 13.

 17830   GERMANY. R. Farda - Biblis. Farsi service to Iran at 1006 with Iranian songs, weak signal, May 13.

 👍 17849.96   THAILAND. R. Thailand - Ban Dung. Thai to ME at 1010, fair signal, May 13.

 17895   INDIA. AIR - Bengaluru. English to Oc at 1013 with commentary, excellent signal on May 13.

 👍 21670   SAUDI ARABIA. R. Saudi Int’l - Riyadh. Indonesian service at 1020, a weak scratchy signal, May 13.

 21695   PHILIPPINES. VoA - Tinang. Mandarin to EAs at 1016, fair signal with fluttery fades and no CNR 1 jamming heard, May 13.

73 and have a great weekend everyone.

 Rob Wagner VK3BVW


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