RADIO VANUATU GOES ROGUE (and other DX News!)



 RADIO VANUATU GOES ROGUE
(and other DX News!)


In recent days, I and some other SWBC DXers have noted and been reporting on rather strange frequency movements being made by Radio Vanuatu. Here is a summary of what's been going on and my own log observations:

3945 kHz is one of the registered frequencies for Radio Vanuatu (RV). However, for several years now, harmonics of this frequency have appeared on 7890 (2nd harmonic), 11835 (3rd) and occasionally on 15780 kHz (4th harmonic). Indeed, 7890 and 11835 have been heard in many parts of the world.

But on September 5, a listener uploaded a YouTube video of RV operating on 7932.06 kHz via the VE6ARS KiwiSDR in Alberta, Canada. As Ron Howard (CA, USA) commented, this appears to be a fundamental frequency and NOT a 2nd harmonic of 3966 kHz. I confirmed its operation on Sep 6 and again on Sep 7, where I included detailed notes below:

7932.06 VANUATU. R. Vanuatu ­ Emten Lagoon. Fading in on this oddball frequency around 0605 in Bislama with the station IDs and pop songs. 0625 ­ program rundown for the evening followed by pop songs and frequent time checks. Community service anncts between pops after 0630. Off air at 0659. Along with others reporting this, I've been hearing it here since yesterday. But the signal was marginally better (although still pretty weak) today, until about 0645 when the signal kicked up quite rapidly to a comfortable level. Still a bit too much daylight between Vanuatu and Mount Evelyn to hear it much before 0600 on this freq. Heard better on my 10 MHz delta loop than on the big 100m horizontal loop. Not heard on any other channel while 7932 was on the air or after the sign-off on that freq. Sep 7.

On most days, RV signs off on 7932 kHz at or around 0659 UTC. Then, several hours later on Sep 7th, Ron Howard again noted RV further up the dial on 8620 kHz. A quick email around our SWL group confirmed that we were all hearing it on this odd frequency smack bang in the middle of the maritime mobile ship/shore band. Some quick maths and band checking confirmed that this is the 2nd harmonic of the fundamental 4310 kHz, which is also in the maritime mobile part of the spectrum. Plus we could also hear the 3rd harmonic! Here is my log entry for Sep 7:

4310.19  VANUATU. R. Vanuatu - Emten Lagoon. Noted here at 0930 with an interview program in the Bislama language. Also observed on the 2nd harmonic of 8620.38 and the 3rd harmonic of 12930.57 kHz, all at fair to good signal levels. Nothing was heard on the 4th harmonic of 17240.76 kHz, but that would not be propagationally possible here anyway. Sep 7.

This is extraordinary! What the heck are they doing over there!! 4310 and its associated harmonics are obviously related to the ongoing issue with 3945 and its harmonics. The 7932.06 kHz outlet is perhaps the outlier here with another or related technical issue, as there are no observable harmonics attached to it. It is all very weird and indicates something critically wrong in the transmitter. It demonstrates that the local technicians have no idea what they are doing. Clearly, they need to seek help from Hanjin Electronics, the South Korean company that manufactured and installed the transmitter and renovated the antenna system back towards the end of 2019.

This is one to watch!



WRTH TO CONTINUE

It looks like the World Radio TV Handbook has gained another life! By now, many of you will have heard the news that there is be a 2023 edition of the handbook, due for publication this December. A press release from the WRTH  reports that the rights to the handbook have been transferred to the German media data collection company, Radio Data Center. 

What is most interesting is that there will be both print AND digital versions! For some time now, I have been saying that digital was the way to go, so I am delighted that this is finally happening. In the last five years, as my old eyes have lost their ability to see very small print, I have been longing for a format that allows easy reading of the book. I remain hopeful that the digital version in the form of a web app will make readability, updates and data searching much easier and faster.

I note that there is a new website for registering interest in the 2023 handbook. It even has a launch countdown clock at the bottom of the site! 😄 

Check it out at https://www.wrth.org/newsletter_registration.html



DX QUICK TIPS - September 9, 2022

⭐⭐ 6070   CANADA. CFRX - Toronto, ON. 0740 Interview program with the author, Joy Fielding, talking about her book, The Housekeeper, and writing in general. 0745 adverts then back to the interview. 0800 ID and news. A weak and scratchy signal, but always pleasing to hear this low-power operator. Aug 28.

⭐⭐ 6185   MEXICO. XEPPM R. Educación - Mexico City. 0730 featuring Rubinstein's Nocturnes. Enjoyable listening. You never know what programming you are going to get with XEPPM! Fair signal and nice to see it still hanging in there as we come to the end of winter here, Aug 28.

7250   VATICAN. Vatican R. - SM Galeria. S/on 0710 Romanian to EEu, Sunday-only service, fair signal, Aug 28.

7265   SÃO TOMÉ. VoA - Pinheira. 0610 French to WAf. Weak signal via the long path, Sep 8.

⭐ 9455   USA. R. Argentina al Exterior - Okeechobee FL. 0920. Japanese to CAm, fair signal with splash from 9460 CRI­ Kunming to SEAs, Aug 27.

9705   VATICAN. Vatican R. - SM Galeria. 0440­0500 Ukrainian to EEu. Into Russian at 0500 to 0520. Fair signal, Sep 8.

9740   OMAN. BBC - Al Seela. 0308 English WS to ME, news, weak signal, Sep 8.

9790   FRANCE. R. France Int'l - Issoudun. 0555 to EAf, news in French, co­-channel QRM CRI­-Habana in Cantonese, fair signal, Sep 8.

9895.11   UAE. IBRA R. - Dhabayya. 0245 Dari to AFG, off at 0259 mid­song. Weak signal with slight background hum, Sep 8.

9900   IRAN. VoIRI - Zahedan. 0302 Arabic to ME, weak signal, Sep 8.

⭐ 11560   INDIA. AIR - Bengaluru. 0312 Nepali to SAs, into Burmese at 0315 after a 30-sec break in transmission. Weak signal, Sep 8.

11745   SAUDI ARABIA. Al­-Azm ­ Jeddah. 0325 Arabic music programming to Yemen, weak signal, Sep 8.

11760   IRAN. VoIRI -Sirjan. 0322 Arabic to ME, weak signal, Sep 8.

11850   CUBA. R. Habana - Quivican. 0342 Spanish to SAm with jazz show, fair signal but co­channel QRM from CNR­ Nanning, Sep 8.

11860   SAUDI ARABIA. Rep Yemen R. Sana'a - Riyadh. 0240 Arabic music programming, fair signal, Sep 8.

11870   OMAN. BBC - Al Seela. 0330 Farsi to Iran, fair signal, Sep 8.

11905   IRAN. VoIRI - Sirjan. 0035 Arabic to ME, fair signal, Sep 8.


73 and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW



CLICK HERE for VK3BVW Live Stream (Clublog)



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© Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn DX Report, and contributors 2012-2022

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