DX QUICK TIPS and STATION NEWS - April 13, 2019

From Radio Tamazuj's Facebook page

DX QUICK TIPS and STATION NEWS

Plus other bits!

April 13, 2019

Following my post last week on A19 TRANSMISSION SEASON - 100+ New Frequencies Monitored (thanks for all the great Facebook feedback and comments everyone!!), I have since discovered a few extra new frequencies (NFs!) during my monitoring.

5945   NEW ZEALAND. RNZI - Rangitaiki. English to WOc 0945, NF (ex 7330). Excellent signal, Apr 7.

9440   OMAN. BBC - Al Seela. English WS to ME at 0300-0400, good signal and NF for A19, Apr 11.

9490   GERMANY. R. Japan - Nauen. 0300-0500 Japanese to ME, fair signal and NF (ex 9620). NHK has previously used this freq in A18 and A17 for the northern summer broadcast periods. Apr 11.

9620   FRANCE. RFI - Issoudun. French to EAf 0400-0500, good signal and NF (ex 7390), Apr 11.

9685   U.A.E. VoA - Dhabayya. Kinyarwanda service to EAf 0330-0430, weak signal and NF for A19. Slight co-channel CNR 5 QRM, Apr 11.

⭐ 9790   CUBA. CRI - Quivican. Cantonese to WNAm 0400-0500, fair signal and NF (ex 5910). QRM noted here at equal strength from the co-channel R. France Int’l French service to EAf. However, for their respective target zones, it works out on this occasion as each station is heard well without QRMing each other in those regions. Apr 11.

9825   BULGARIA. BBC - Kostinbrod. Farsi to Iran 0330-0430, fair signal and NF, Apr 11.

⭐ 9900   IRAN. VoIRI - Zahedan. The Arabic “Al-Quds TV” relay of satellite Palestinian (pro-Hamas) programming 0230-0530 beamed to the ME. Fair signal and NF (ex 7380). This service can also be heard // on 7410 kHz via the Sirjan, also an NF for A19 (ex 7370). Apr 11.

11710   ALBANIA. CRI - Cerrik. English to Egypt 0500-0700, good signal and NF (ex 7220). Apr 11.

11750   VATICAN. VoA - SM Galeria. Hausa to WAf 0500-0530, good signal and NF (possibly ex 6020 via Pinheira), Apr 11.

12015   USA. WHRI - Cypress Creek SC. English to Oc 1000-1030 Sundays only. Other days at 0900-1000. NF (ex 11825). Very good signal, Apr 7.

The all-daylight short path signal from Zambia to
Mount Evelyn at 0500 UTC

ZAMBIA
Not a new frequency, but it was pleasing to hear Voice of Hope Africa - Makeni Ranch (Lusaka) on 11680 kHz with their interval signal at 0457. Sign on was at 0500 with English programming to South Africa. The circuit between southern Africa and southeastern Australia can be notoriously unreliable throughout the year at that time of day, but the signal here was at a fair level on April 11. Interestingly, I had a rather weak signal Ham Radio QSO with South African station Jess ZS6JES via the FT8 mode the next afternoon around the same time up on 14 mHz. So the path between southern Africa and here appears to be open....but NOT on a daily basis.

New English News Service from Radio Tamajuz

Radio Tamazuj focuses specifically on audiences in South Sudan and the southern states of Sudan. However, the military coup that has occurred in the past few days in Khartoum, Sudan and the ongoing civilian protests that have accompanied this action has attracted interest globally. So, the announcement that Radio Tamajuz has begun an English news broadcast could make compelling listening at this time.

The announcement was made on the Radio Tamajuz website and can be found HERE. The service appears to consist of a 10-12 min news program on Tuesdays and Fridays, but the website's schedule is anything but clear! I have checked with the respected Aoki shortwave list for transmission times:

➤ 0330 to 0430 UTC on 7315 kHz (via Issoudun, France) and 11650 (via Talata Volonondry, Madagascar)
➤ 1500 to 1600 on 15150 (via Talata Volonondry) and 15400 (via Issoudun)

Aoki is also quoting:
➤ 1600-1630 on 15550 (via SM Galeria, Vatican) but I have not been able to confirm this outlet as I have no propagation on the 19mb at that time.

Radio Tamajuz has been around with its own transmissions since January 2012. Programs are produced by a Dutch foundation known as Free Press Unlimited. On the website, the station describes itself as being "....editorially independent and not affiliated to any government, political party or armed group in either Sudan or South Sudan. We do not maintain any institutional affiliations that would jeopardise our editorial independence." More can be found about the station's philosophy and background HERE and makes quite interesting reading.

Managing SW Broadcasts From Ascension Island

Grab a coffee, sit back and check out this excellent article on the BBC relay station at Ascension Island. This remote location in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, some 3,200 km (2,000 miles) off the coast of West Africa plays an important role in getting the BBC service into that continent. There is some good technical information and photos accompanying the article.

Solar Cycle Speculation

This week, some of you may have seen in various forums the article on solar cycle 25 from the National Weather Service of NOAA. If you haven't read the article yet, click HERE! The important thing to remember is that predictions are just that. Speculation.....scientific based....but still speculation. As the article quite rightly points out, solar cycle forecasting is a new science and still rather inexact. It is only in recent times that the technology has existed to offer predictions at all, and it is getting better all the time. But, it was only a few weeks ago when a notice came out that there could be a major solar storm. Direct Hit! was the headline. In the end, I'm not even sure if it past a Kp of 6 and even ended up arriving a few days behind schedule.

The truth of the matter is we are seeing many more reports of solar weather predictions that we ever used to in the past. While the technology has certainly improved, so has the media's desire to focus on solar storms and magnetic disturbances with ramped up, sensationalised reporting (the NOAA article excepted). In reality, however, although we are currently in the minimum of cycle 24, and there is still plenty to hear on the shortwave bands.

And finally.....

You are reading the Mount Evelyn DX Report. But what is and where is Mount Evelyn? My wife and I are rather passionate about the lovely environment we live in. So it was pleasing to see this little story published about our little village and region, appearing in Melbourne's major metropolitan daily newspaper several days ago. Mount Evelyn: From Sunday ghost town to bustling city outskirts destination

73 and have a great weekend everyone,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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