DX QUICK TIPS
January 11, 2023

Elevated solar flux numbers have seen some great reception conditions on frequencies above 13 MHz during the past week. As I write this, the SFI is 202, with smoothed sunspot numbers hovering around 201, the A Index = 6 and the K Index = 2.

Shortwave broadcast stations have been received here in southeastern Australia with very solid signals on the 19, 16 and 13-meter bands. And on the amateur bands, there have been fabulous openings on the 17, 15, 12 and 10-meter bands. I even had a great run of transequatorial DX up on 6 meters (50 MHz) one afternoon with 8 Japanese and Korean QSOs......on the 100m long horizontal loop, no less!

⭐⭐ 2310 AUSTRALIA. Shortwave Australia - Bendigo, VIC. 1150 English to whoever happens to be listening!! This station runs on this 120mb outlet in parallel to the more regularly heard 4835 kHz. Programming was an old British radio pop show, complete with all the old canned anncts and adverts. Every 10 minutes, a brief automated Shortwave Australia ID plays right over the existing programming! With this station, you never know what you are going to hear: classical music, the audio from YouTube videos, university lectures, old radio shows, anything really. Fair signal and is stronger on 4835. Jan 8.

3325 INDONESIA. VoIndonesia - Palangkaraya. 1915 accented English (unintelligible at times) with low audio but a strong carrier. Talks and music interludes. Jan 5.

⭐⭐ 4965 ZAMBIA. VoHope Africa - Makeni Ranch. 1905 English with American proselytising and Gospel songs. ID and freq annct at 1907. Good signal, Jan 5.

⭐⭐ 5995 MALI. RTV du Mali - Bamako. 1850 Bambara (or similar). Discussion px. Weak signal and sandwiched between the much stronger 5990 Echo of Hope (plus jamming) and 6000 NHK via Issoudun. Slightly easier to listen after the NHK s/off at 1900, Jan 5.

7210 D.P.R.KOREA. VoKorea - Kujang. 1840 French to SAf. Korean music. The usual co-channel QRM from a much stronger CRI-Beijing to Eu. Poor signal, Jan 5.

7265 MADAGASCAR. BBC - Talata Volonondry. 1830 English to SAf. Health news report. Good signal but co-channel QRM from CRI - Urumqi to Eu.

⭐⭐ 13695 INDIA. AIR - Bengaluru. 2355 Mandarin to EAs with Indian music programming. Tough listening due to heavy CNR 1 jamming. Dec 31. And again on Jan 8 at 0110 until s/off 01:14:30, fair signal and with no jamming whatsoever.

13705 JAPAN. NHK - Yamata. 2330 Vietnamese to SEAs, live broadcast of NY celebrations. Retuned at 0000 for the Indonesian service. Fair signal, Dec 31.

A view from the Mahajanga antennas on the island of Madagascar.

⭐⭐ 13760 MADAGASCAR. MWV African Pathways R - Mahajanga. 0315 English to SAs, American proselytising and occasional music interludes. Fair to poor signal, Jan 1.

15105 D.P.R.KOREA. VoKorea - Kujang. 0330 Mandarin to SEAs, showy piano music, poor signal, Jan 1.

15190 PHILIPPIINES. R. Pilipinas - Tinang. 1825 Filipino to ME, ID as "Radio Pilipinas Worldwide", fair signal, Jan 5.

15210 INDIA. AIR - Bengaluru. 0335 Burmese to SEAs with Indian pops, fair signal, Jan 1.

15230 CUBA. R. Habana - Quivican. 0340 Spanish to SAm, music show with groovy Latin rhythms. Fair signal, Jan 1.

15300 FRANCE. R. France Int'l - Issoudun. 1823 French to WAf, discussion, fair to poor signal, Jan 5.

15310 SRI LANKA. AWR - Trincomalee. 0350 to s/off 0357 Farsi to Iran. Preaching, fair to poor signal, Jan 1.

15310 SINGAPORE. BBC - Kranji. 0105 English to SAs, Report of Pelé's funeral, good signal, Jan 8.

⭐⭐ 15320 TAIWAN. R. Taiwan Int'l - Paochung. 0352 English to SEAs, interview on people smuggling. Good signal until 0357 when CNR suddenly jammed the frequency in readiness for the RTI change to Cantonese at 0400. Jan 1.

⭐⭐ 15410 ALGERIA. R. Algerienne - Ourgla. 1820 Arabic to WAf. Discussion progam, fair signal, Jan 5.

15420 MADAGASCAR. BBC- Talata Volonondry. 0410 Somali to EAf, news, good signal, Jan 1.

15490 ASCENSION IS. BBC - Ascension. 1817 French to Af, African music programming, fair to poor signal, Jan 5.

15560 PHILIPPINES. FEBC - Bocaue. 0100-0130 Javanese to Indonesia. Good signal, Jan 8.

15580 BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. 1815 English to Af, fair signal, Jan 5.

15610 GUAM. KSDA - Agat. 1140 Shan language to SEAs, AWR programming. Good signal, Jan 8.

15625 SRI LANKA. AWR - Trincomalee. 0100-0130 Amoy to EAs. Fair signal and // 11830 but much weaker there, Jan 8.

15685 UAE. BBC - Dhabayya. 1810 Tigrinya to EAf, news. Fair signal, Jan 5.

15770 USA. Supreme Master TV - Okeechobee FL. 1805 English to ENAm, weak signal, Jan 5.

⭐⭐ 17600 ALGERIA. R. Algerienne - Bechar. 1750 Arabic to CAf. Qur'an, 1800 time pips, then news. Fair signal, Jan 5.

17655 USA. VoA - Greenville NC. 1745 Portuguese to Af, fair signal, Jan 5.

⭐⭐ 17730 U.A.E. Mizzama Radio - Dhabayya. 1138 Burmese to Myanmar, ID and talks. Good signal, Jan 8.

17765 AUSTRIA. AWR - Moosbrunn. 1740 Masai to EAf, weak signal, Jan 5.

17780 ASCENSION IS. BBC - Ascension. 1802 English WS news to WAf, fair signal, Jan 5.

17830 ASCENSION IS. BBC - Ascension. 1735 English to CAf, sports news. Fair signal and // 17780 to WAf, Jan 5.

17895 BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. 1730 English to Af. Discussion on the Republican debacle for US Speaker of House. Weak but readable, Jan 5.

⭐⭐ 21660 MADAGASCAR. BBC - Talata Volonondry. 1100 Somali to EAf, weak signal and rarely heard here but a high Solar Flux Index really helps! Jan 8.

⭐⭐ 21670 SAUDI ARABIA. R. Saudi Int'l - Riyadh. 1108 Indonesian to SEAs, ID and news. A booming signal, Jan 8.

73 and good DX to you all,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW