Mount Evelyn DX Report

DISAPPEARING INDIAN REGIONAL STATIONS My colleague and DX legend in Hyderabad, India, Jose Jacob VU2JOS, has advised me that some of our long-loved All India Radio (AIR) regional outlets have left the shortwave bands. During October, the following stations departed the airwaves: AIR Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh State) on 4810 and 7430 kHz AIR Chennai (Tamilnadu State) on 4920 and 7380 kHz AIR Hyderabad (Telangana State) on 4800 and 7420 kHz AIR Jaipur (Rajasthan State) on 4910 and 7325 kHz AIR Thiruvanthapuram (Kerala State) on 5010 and 7290 kHz For decades now, these outlets have been fantastic DXing targets, providing engaging programming in Hindi, English and local languages. Jose reports that these 50kW transmitters were installed in 1992 and have been in continuous service for about 28 years. Like many older shortwave transmitters around the world, replacement parts are very hard, if not impossible to acquire for repairs and maintenance. Jose says: “Although these stations have left sho...

THREE GREAT RADIO PROPAGATION VIDEOS For years, I have been fascinated by HF and VHF signal propagation. We have been using propagation for long-distance communication ever since radio began. Yet, it is still an evolving science as we continue to learn more about the Sun, our own atmosphere and how radio waves travel between the transmitter and the receiver. And, there are different signal propagation characteristics to consider across the radio spectrum, depending on whether we are tuning the longwave, mediumwave, shortwave or VHF/UHF bands. So, knowing the when, where and how to listen to or transmit radio signals is a great aid to understanding and enjoying the radio hobby. Here are three informative and visually appealing videos prepared and produced by Andrew, VK3FS. Although not a "deep-dive" into the ins and outs of radio wave propagation, they serve as a fabulous introduction to the subject. They are between 9 and 14 minutes long. Video 1: Making Sense of Solar Ind...