Mount Evelyn DX Report: DX QUICK TIPS

DX QUICK TIPS

March 26, 2020

Reception on the shortwave broadcast bands has been a bit mixed over the past few days. But there were a few interesting observations made across the spectrum. Equipment includes the Yaesu FTDX3000 transceiver and dipoles for 3.5, 7, 10 and 14 MHz.
(All times UTC, frequencies in kHz, // = same broadcast running in parallel)

Hey, you guys!! No shaking hands - you might catch something!

⭐⭐ 2485 R. Vanuatu - Emten Lagoon. Back on the air at s/on 1000 after having been missing from all its SW outlets for most of the last two weeks. Unfortunately, tonight the signal lasted just one minute before suddenly leaving the air at 1001! But 3945 kHz was strong from 0930 to 1000 before the switch to 2485 kHz. In the recent past, 2485 has been used for the last hour of transmission with s/off at 1100. Seems like there are still problems to work out at the transmitter site. Mar 26.

⭐⭐ 2850 D.P.R.KOREA. KCBS - Pyongyang. S/on 2000 with Korean ID and anthem. Then more martial music programming. Good signal at s/on but faded by 2045 (07:45 AEDT). Running // 3959 via Kanggye but much weaker there, Mar 21.

⭐⭐ 3330 CANADA. CHU - Ottawa ON. The pipping signal peeping through at 0915, weak but steady, Mar 22.

⭐ 3485 KOREA REP. Voice of the People - Goyang. Korean popular music selections at 1840, an excellent signal and no jamming. However, only fair signals on // 3915, 4450, 6520, and 6600, and all these freqs suffered jamming. Mar 18.

3955 ENGLAND. KBS World R. - Woofferton. German to WEu at 2010, fair signal, Mar 21.

4750 INDONESIA. VoIndonesia - Cimanggis. French service with Indonesian pops at 2015, ID in English (!) at 2025, then continuation with French anncts on COVID-19. Much weaker signal than usual on Mar 21.

⭐ 4750 BANGLADESH. Bangladesh Betar - Shavar. Interval signal at 1743, time pips at 1745 to start the English service, news at 1747. Highly distorted audio as always seems to be the case these days, still not fixed. Mar 25.

4800 INDIA. AIR - Hyderabad. Hindi news at 1735 under the dominant co-channel CNR outlet, Mar 25.

4810 INDIA. AIR - Bhopal. Hindi talks and occasional SAs music at 1716, fair signal, Mar 25.

4950 INDIA. AIR - Sringar. English news at 1732, into Hindi news at 1735, weak signal, Mar 25.

5040 INDIA. AIR - Jeypore. Hindi news at 1735, s/off at 1740, good signal, Mar 25.

5940 FRANCE. R. Algerienne - Issoudun. Arabic to CAf at 2030, good signal, Mar 21.

5945 BULGARIA. BBC - Kostinbrod. French news to CAf at 1810, fair signal, Mar 20.

6040 SAÕ TOMÉ. VoA - Pinheira. News in Hausa to WAf at 2035, scheduled daily except Sundays, fair to poor signal, Mar 21.

6060 IRAN. VoIRI - Zahedan. The usual telephone quality audio at 2047 in Arabic to NAf, fair signal, Mar 21.

⭐ 6090 ETHIOPIA. Amhara State R. - Addis Ababa. Horn of Africa dance music at 2050, Amharic anncts at 2055, to s/off 2102 after the anthem. Good signal except for slight co-channel QRM KBS-Woofferton in Arabic to NAf.

6180 U.A.E. Radio Ibrahim - Dhabayya. IBRA programming in Somali to EAf at 1754 with ID and address, then energetic Afro song until s/off 1759. Good signal on Mar 25.

⭐⭐ 6185 MEXICO. XEPPM R. Educación - Mexico City. A very weak signal at first with continuous Mexican folk songs at 0542 with no anncts. Spanish anncts by a man at 0604 for a minute but difficult to decipher what he was saying (I heard the word “Republica” mentioned several times), then into contemporary orchestral Mexican music at 0605. As usually happens in mid-winter reception of this station, the signal peaked somewhat after 0600. The transmission suddenly cut off at exactly 0610 mid-orchestral selections. I have not heard this one at this time in March before (just three days past the Autumnal Equinox!). Usually only heard here during our mid-winter afternoons (June-July), and even then best monitored in the great outdoor Aussie bush where there are zero noise floors, well away from civilization! It could be a good sign for the coming mid-winter DX season…..I hope! Mar 23.

⭐⭐ 7140 ERITREA. Voice of Broad Masses - Asmara. Network 1 programming with Horn of Africa dance music at 1802, commentary at 1807. Not sure of the language, I suspect one of the local dialects, but definitely not Arabic. But the words “Corona Virus” were easily identified!, A weak but clear signal. No sign of the network 2 service listed for 7180 kHz. Mar 25.

⭐⭐ 7205 SUDAN. Rep. of Sudan Radio - Al-Aitahab. Arabic telephone conversation at 1650, fair signal, Mar 20.

7245 PRIDNESTROVIE. TWR Africa - Kishinev. Preaching in Tigrinya and religious pop-styled song at 1815, very good signal, Mar 25.

7265 MADAGASCAR. BBC - Talata Volonondry. English WS to SAf at 1825, weak signal. // 7445 via Talata also heard but with heavy co-channel QRM there from CRI until that s/off at 1825, then BBC in the clear but also with a weak signal, Mar 25.

⭐ 7295 ROMANIA. IRRS - Saftica. Special COVID-19 program in English at 1820, good signal, Mar 25.

7570 D.P.R.KOREA. VoK - Kujang. An orchestral selection in the Spanish service to Eu at 1945, fair to poor signal, Mar 23.

⭐ 9330 USA. WBCQ - World’s Last “Gasp” programming at 1957 in Arabic to NAf. WBCQ ID at 1959, Arabic ID at 2000 then more gasping in Arabic. They might have 500kW at their disposal and the Word of God to preach, but on shortwave, the propagation gods ALWAYS have the last word! - just a mediocre signal via the long path, Mar 23.

⭐⭐ 9505 SUDAN. Rep. of Sudan Radio - Al-Aitahab. Long French talk to CAf at 1640, weak signal, Mar 20.

9515 ENGLAND. R. Sama - Woofferton. IBRA programming in Arabic to EAf at 1835, good signal, Mar 25.

9525 FRANCE. Dengê Welat - Issoudun. News in Kurdish at 1700 to ME, excellent signal and easily beating the co-channel Emirler-transmitted Kurdish music jammer. Mar 20.

9550 SAÕ TOMÉ. VoA - Pinheira. Pop music in the English service to Af at 0630, fair to poor signal, Mar 22.

⭐ 9635 ENGLAND. R. Ndarason Int’l - Woofferton. West African dance music at 1812, jingle ID and announced ID at 1814 in the Kanuri language, fair to good signal, Mar 20.

9665 D.P.R.KOREA. KCBS - Kanggye. Martial music and Korean songs at a gradual fade in around 0640, but a poor signal, Mar 22.

9720 BULGARIA. Dimtse R. Erena - Kostinbrod. Arabic programming with talks at 1720 and Eritrean music at 1745, fair to poor signal, Mar 20.

9850 FRANCE. Dandal Kura - Issoudun. Kanuri language programming at 1821 with Nigerian music and occasional IDs. Fair signal, Mar 20.

⭐ 11835 SRI LANKA. SLBC - Trincomalee. Sri Lankan music programming and Tamil anncts, beamed to ME at 1750. ID’d as the relay of Thendral FM just before s/off at 1800, good signal, Mar 20.

11935 VATICAN. Vatican R. - SM Galeria. S/on 0705 in Ukrainian to EEu, fair signal with co-channel QRM from CNR 5, Mar 22.

13580 KUWAIT. R. Mashaal - Umm al-Rimam. Pashto to Pakistan at 0620, fair signal. // 12110 (also via Kuwait) with a weak signal, and 15760 via Ban Dung with a fair signal. Mar 24.

13590 GERMANY. Deewa R.- Lampertheim. Pashto to AFG at 1620, fair signal. Mar 20.

⭐⭐ 13660 FRANCE. Unidentified Religious Programming - Issoudun. Possibly Alameda Bible Fellowship or similar? Preaching in English at 1705. A strange computer/machine-generated male speaker, weird-sounding intonation of the spoken word!! Nevertheless, the listener is extolled to press the Donate button on the website! The transmission cut off at 1730 just as an ID was about to be given. DOH! Weak signal, Mar 20.

13830 BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. French to WAf at 0610 with commentary. Weak signal, Mar 24.

⭐ 15140 CUBA. RHC - Bauta. French programming at 2016 but doesn’t appear to be scheduled for that language at this time (surprise, surprise!). Spanish ID at 2030 then suddenly off the air. A weak signal and fair audio quality. The only station heard here on the 19mb at this time on Mar 23.

⭐⭐ 15410 FRANCE. Eye R. - Issoudun. Interview program in English to EAf at 1630 on COVID-19, weak signal, Mar 20.

With this lethal COVIT-19 bug doing the rounds, it's a great excuse to stay at home and inside the radio shack!

Wishing everyone the best of health. Duck the Bug!!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW