Mount Evelyn DX Report: DX QUICK TIPS

DX QUICK TIPS

September 29, 2019

👍 7425 SAUDI ARABIA. R. Saudi Int’l - Riyadh. Somewhat unusual propagation on Sept 24 with this being the only station holding up on the 41mb at 2345. Qur’an programming and a weak signal.

9330 USA. WBCQ - Monticello ME. Old Jazz, dated pops programming and ID at 0000. Full ID at 0005 then s/off. I was expecting Overcomer Ministry at this time but no sign of that raspy old voice. Fair to poor signal; probably not at the full 500kW yet? Sept 25.

9635 VIETNAM. VoV - Son Tay. Vietnamese news at 0010, weak signal, Sept 25.

👍👍 9695 SRI LANKA. SLBC - Trincomalee. S/on 1114 in Hindi to SAs, talks and some pleasant music. NF (ex 9720) and a very good signal. Sudden unannounced s/off mid-song at 1158. Sept 28.

👍 9700 VATICAN. R. Veritas Asia - SM Galeria. The Kachin language service to SEAs at 0013, noted to s/off 0027, fair to poor signal. Kachin is spoken by around 900,000 people in the Kachin State of northern Myanmar and Yunnan Province, China. Sept 25.

9810 SRI LANKA. AWR - Trincomalee. Thai service to SEAs at 0017 until s/off 0030, fair signal, Sept 25.

👍 15090 KUWAIT. R. Azadi (a.k.a. R. Free Afghanistan) - Umm al-Rimam. Dari service beamed to AFG/Iran, a weak signal when first tuned at 0502 but quickly improved to a good strength (with occasional deep fades), Sept 25.

15320 TAIWAN. R. Taiwan Int’l - Paochung. The Hakka language service for SEAs at 0450 to s/off 0500, fair signal, Sept 27.

15435 PHILIPPINES. FEBC - Bocaue. The Tai Nüa service to SEAs at 0048 to s/off 0100. Fair to poor signal. Tai Nüa (a.k.a Tai Nuea and Dihong Dai) is spoken by the Dai people of southwest Yunnan Province and the Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of China, as well as in northern Myanmar. Sept 25.

15640 PHILIPPINES. FEBC - Bocaue. The Mro service to SEAs between 0030 and 0045, fair signal. Then the language changes to Kachin at 0045 until s/off 0100. The Mro language (a.k.a. Khami and Mro Chin) is spoken by people in villages and towns of the Chin and Rakine States of Western Myanmar. Sept 25.

15755 THAILAND. R. Mashaal - Ban Dung. Pashot service to Pakistan at 0447, weak signal on Sept 27.

👍 17530 MADAGASCAR. WCB/KNLS - Mahajanga. Mandarin to EAs at 0431 to s/off 0456. A weak signal on Sept 27.

17650 GUAM. KSDA - Agat. AWR programming in Mandarin at 0032, fair signal, Sept 25.

Vanuatu Broadcasting - An Observation

Reports have surfaced from several sources that Radio Vanuatu is in the process of upgrading its infrastructure operations on shortwave, mediumwave and FM. For years now, the country has suffered from ongoing natural disasters that have played havoc with its broadcasting services. Being an economically poor country, programs of replacement, repair and maintenance have not been undertaken in a long time. Existing equipment is obsolete and has been allowed to fall into such disrepair that some broadcasting services are no longer available to Ni-Vanuatu citizens. Thus, the signals on 3945 and 7260 kHz have been absent for ages.

The country consists of 83 islands spread out across some 12,000 square kilometres, of which 65 islands are inhabited. Bearing in mind that the population of Vanuatu is only around 270,000 spread across all those islands, many inhabitants experience feelings of remoteness and helplessness in times of natural disasters. When your country lives in a cyclone zone and is prone to year-round earthquakes and tsunamis, emergency broadcasting and backup communications are vital.

So, the news that more than US$8 million is being ploughed into new infrastructure will be most welcome for the citizens of that country. It is pleasing to see that the Australian government is making a contribution to this project. With respect to our Pacific neighbours, Australia has been asleep at the wheel for some years now. New Zealand has been putting us to shame and China is making great strides into the Pacific region. Australia's interest in the Pacific has been waning for far too long - the abandonment of Radio Australia on shortwave stands as a glaring example - and we must do more to assist others.

However.....after the new infrastructure has been completed, it is vital that Vanuatu engineers and technicians be afforded the appropriate education, skills and training to implement ongoing repair and maintenance of equipment. Without that, the new broadcasting infrastructure will again fall into disrepair.

73 and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW