CHU CLOSURE
AND DX QUICK TIPS
May 23, 2026

CHU

Canada's National Research Council has announced that the time station CHU will cease its standard time and frequency transmissions on June 22. The notice simply states: "As of June 22, 2026, the shortwave radio broadcast of the NRC's official time signal will no longer be available."

The NRC announcement does not provide a detailed technical justification on that page. However, it directs users to alternative official time-distribution methods, including the NRC web clock, the telephone talking clock, and Network Time Protocol (NTP). This strongly suggests the same modernisation pressures that ended other HF time stations worldwide: internet-based synchronisation, GNSS/GPS timing, and declining dependence on shortwave dissemination.

This is probably no surprise, as other Canadian services, such as its Weather Radio, have also been in the firing line. However, it is still sad to see a famous time station depart the airways. There is a long history associated with the CHU callsign, dating back to 1938. Even before that, there was an experimental time station with the callsign 9CC that commenced in 1923!

Long-time DXers will remember Australia's VNG station at Lyndhurst, VIC, and later transferred to Llandilo, NSW. That service ended on December 31, 2002. I was surprised to hear that Canada's telephone talking clock was still in operation in 2026! Australia's telephone clock ("George") closed in 2019.

CHU operates on 3330, 7850 and 14670 kHz. So, if you want to get a QSL before CHU is retired, you can send your reception reports very soon! The email address is:

radio.chu@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

DX QUICK TIPS

There have been some good propagation conditions over the past few weeks. Some very good DX has been heard here. All logs below were noted on my own receivers and antennas - NOT via Internet streaming (for God's sake!!). Where signals were very weak, several broadcasts were checked and confirmed using a Kiwi remote SDR at a more favourable location; those logs have been noted accordingly.

Equipment: SDRPlay RSPduo, Yaesu FTDX3000 transceiver, Kenwood R5000 receiver, Yaesu FRG 100 receiver, Kenwood TS2000 transceiver.

Antennas: 80m long horizontal sky loop antenna, a delta loop antenna for 10 MHz, a double bazooka antenna for 14 MHz and a 5/8λ centre-fed vertical for 21 MHz and above.

⭐ 4755 INDONESIA. VoIndonesia - Jakarta. 2110 English with songs, 2114 - A talk on bullying in schools. An astonishingly good signal for this time of morning. May 12.

⭐ 4810 PERU. R. Logos - Chazuta. 1035 Local news report, perhaps? 1040 Peruvian folk song. Weak signal and confirmed via the HK4RAU SDR. Hopefully, this signal will improve as we approach winter. Barely a trace of audio from R. Tarma 4775 on May 8.

⭐⭐ 5035 BRAZIL. R. Educação Rural - Coari, Amazonas. 1010: Portuguese talk on maintaining good health; 1017: Brazilian pops. Fair signal but difficult listening due to splash from the booming 5040 R. Vanuatu. Best monitored in LSB. Noted past 1100 UTC, which is common here because this station is located in the western side of Brazil in the huge State of Amazonas, where the sunrise is much later than on the eastern coast. May 8.

⭐ 5909.98 COLOMBIA. Alcaraván R. - Puerto Lleras. 0752 "It's All Right" Huey Lewis and The News. 0754 Orchestral music, "The King of the Golden Hall". 0758 A prayer in English. 0759 Country music "Somebody Like You" Keith Urban. A talk about eclectic music choices!! Fair signal in the noise, and confirmed via the HK4RAU Kiwi SDR. May 8.

⭐ 5985 MYANMAR. Myanma R. National Service - Yangon. 1120 Pleasant Burmese pops and anncts. 1129 - ID and studio anncts. A weak signal (it's just 6 pm in Yangon, and today's sunset is at 6:29 pm there). Flattened at 1130 by the all-powerful CRI-Beijing in Tagalog to the Philippines. Myanmar emerges again with a somewhat stronger signal after the CRI s/off at 1200. May 17.

⭐ 6010 COLOMBIA. La Voz de tu Conciencia - Puerto Lleras. 0950 Lively song followed by preaching. My basic Spanish was inadequate to understand the abstract nature of the subject matter. 1000 Colombian national anthem, 1003 Station ID, followed by vigorous preaching. A fair signal and in the clear throughout the evening. Amazingly, it was still audible at 1150, although very weak by then. That is 6:50 am in Bogota, with their sunrise at 5:42 am on this day! May 22.

The e-QSL was sent to Manuel Méndez in Lugo, Spain, for a report on the reception of La Voz de Tu Conciencia, which broadcasts from Colombia on 6010 kHz. (Courtesy of DX Fanzine No. 104 - April 2022).

⭐ 6080 CHINA. Hulunbuir RTV - Hailar, Inner Mongolia. 1055 Pleasant instrumental music. 1100 - time pips, CNR music themes, then news in Mongolian. Weak signal. This is one of the remaining low-power Chinese outlets, rated at 10 kW. Amazing that it remains on a clear channel for much of its daily service. May 17.

6100 D.P.R.KOREA. KCBS - Kanggye. 1045 Korean opera favourites! Weak signal, May 17.

⭐ 6110 ETHIOPIA. R. Fana - Geja Jewe. 2102 Just caught the last 30 seconds of the Ethiopian national anthem. Fair signal with just weak co-channel QRM, probably from Xizang's Tibetan service. May 12.

6180 BRAZIL. Rádio Nacional Amazônia - Brasília, DF. 0740 Laid-back Brazilian pops and anncts. Fair signal. Later, after 1000, it's submerged under CNR and RTI. May 17.

9710 VATICAN. Vatican R. - SM Galeria. 0650 Ukrainian (Sun only service). Off at 0700. Weak signal and no sign of Habana. Later, returns with Romanian as noted at 0735 with a slightly stronger signal. May 17.

⭐⭐ 11815 ENGLAND. "Radio Payam" - Woofferton. 2004 Farsi to Iran. Many IDs as Radio Payam, but I am unsure which broadcaster this is. In Iran, there is a Radio Payam, but it is not that. This appears to be anti-Iran content. Short messages, separated by spasms of instrumental music. 2025 - Several songs, Iranian-sounding. 2050 - Political commentary. 2056 - Songs, then suddenly off with no closing annct at 20:59:35. Strong signal. May 12.

15140 ALGERIA. Ifrikya FM - Ouargla. 0720 French to WAf, political discussions. Good signal but spoilt by splash from CRI's Amoy service to SEA on 15145. Runs // 17600 via Bechar, where the signal was very good. May 8.

15410 INDIA. Akashvani - Bengaluru. 0935 Nepali to Nepal with music programming. Good signal, but under the stronger co-channel CNR 1. Terrible muffled audio, too, especially from announcers. I couldn't hear the // 11865 here or via the Kathmandu Kiwi SDR. Is that freq in operation for this service? May 8.

15750.28 BULGARIA. Iran International TV - Kostinbrod. 0740 Farsi talks, good signal but with heavy bubble jamming. May 8.

17600 ALGERIA. Ifrikya FM - Béchar. 0920 Arabic to Africa with an interview that had heavy religious overtones. A weak signal, May 22.

⭐ 17820 CHINA. CNR - Dongfang. 2250 Mandarin programming, changing to Tibetan at 2300. NF and a powerful signal, May 18. BUT….on May 22 at 0900, programming was definitely in Mandarin, not Tibetan, Uyghur or anything else! Big signal. A heavy propaganda commentary about the CCP and local party committees! It appears that not all is well in paradise! 😏 May 22.

17865 U.A.E. IBRA R. - Dhabayya. 0925 Dari to AFG/WAs. Preaching. A weak signal into Mt Evelyn, but confirmed on several SDRs in Eu/ME. May 22.

73 and wishing you good DX.

Rob Wagner VK3BVW