OPENING THE LOGBOOK

NOVEMBER 1972

PLEASE READ:

This Opening the Logbook series has been running for just over one year now. I have enjoyed researching and writing these posts and digging out a few of my QSL cards and letters. Those were times rich in both broadcasting and world history. So my aim is to document shortwave radio in the era when I was a young DXer.

But I wonder whether the series interests our regular MEDXR readers. I get the occasional appreciative comment on the blog and from the Facebook feeds, and a few "thumbs up", but that's about it. I can imagine that for many readers, this era isn't of interest or relevance, but for those of us who lived it, it might bring back memories.

It takes many hours and a lot of effort each month to put it all together. If enough people think this series offers something of value, please let me know, and I will keep writing.

Thanks, my friends!

Rob

Each month, I open the old records to see what I (and others) heard decades ago. It has been fun looking back at old issues of the Australian DX News (ADXN - the newsletter of the Australian Radio DX Club), bringing back lots of memories. Here are some memories from November 1972—54 years ago!

All frequencies are in kHz; all times are UTC (or GMT, as we used to say back then!).

All QSL images are clickable for an expanded view.

A BUSY MONTH!

In November 1972, I was in the middle of final high school examinations. So no reception reports went out while I was hitting the books and sitting two- and three-hour exams. Such fun! UGGHH!

But it appears I had the radio on in the background, noting down a few new frequencies from the start of the November 5th transmission season. And, here are a few 90mb observations:

3668 Emissora de Radiodifusão de Timor Portuguesa, Dili. 1405 Portuguese talks at an excellent strength, Nov 19. (see below)

3905 RRI-Djajapura (now known as Jayapura). Music and Indon talks 1320, mixed with Peking, Nov 19.

3935 RRI-Semarang, English 1344, into chants 1345, Nov 19.

3945 RRI-Denpasar, Indon songs and talk, excellent level 1311, Nov 19.

3960 RRI-Padang. ID and songs 1300, some QRM from a Chinese station on the same frequency.

Qatar Broadcasting Service, Doha, QSL received in Nov '72

More Dabbling in Utility Stations!

Following on from my October '72 explorations of the utility bands, I made more personal discoveries in November of that year! It seems I was starting to really get into the swing of things! Here are some more observations on voice mirrors (vm) from utility stations during that era:

2316 VL5AP Adelaide Police QSO VL5BD Port Pirie 0920

10488 4XA73 Tel Aviv, Israel vm in English, SSB at 0713

10690 AFA Andrews Air Force Base, USAF, vm by female at 2240

10869 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, vm by male in Eng/ Amharic SSB 0646

11430 Norfolk Island. vm by male in SSB at 0720

11534 NSS Annapolis, US Navy, vm by male in SSB at 0920

14362.5 New York, American Telephone and Telegraph Co, vm by male at 2235

16250 XVX16C Saigon, South Vietnam PTT, vm by female in SSB at 2310, different vm by male at 2315

18235 Colombo, Sri Lanka, vm by male in English at 0401

19420 Peking Radio Telephone Service, vm by female in Eng/Chin/Fr. on AM 0715

19710 PCK59 Amsterdam PTT, vm by male in English at 1324

20233 Paris Radio Telephone Service, vm by male Eng/French 0555. A1so on 13133.5 at 0915, and on 17277 at 1425

20938 British Post Office, vm by male at 0915, also 18579 at 1250 BW

20986a Kuwait. vm in English/Arabic by female in SSB at 0550, also on 10203 at 1303.

24410 Rome ITALCABLE, vm by male in Eng/French/Ital/Spanish. Also on 19688 at 1240 and on 10134.5 at 0650.

Verification letter from the Netherlands PTS, Amsterdam,
for their PCK-59 voice mirror station on 19710 kHz, received during Nov '72.

Shortwave and Mediumwave News

PAPUA NEW GUINEA. A new station in Popondetta (Papua) opened up on 2468 kHz and was noted by David Foster on Nov 17 at 0940 until s/off at 1001 with the anthem. According to the QSL, the power was 2 kW, and the schedule was 0800-1000 UTC. The address for reception reports was Radio Northern Districts, P O Box 137, Popondetta, PNG.

PORTUGUESE TIMOR. November was also notable for the wide reception amongst Australian DXers of Emissora de Radiodifusão de Timor Portuguesa, Dili, on 3668 kHz. Programming was largely in Portuguese, although a few programs were heard in the local Tetun language. English songs were heard occasionally. Six ARDXC members, including me, were delighted to tune into this one. The signal was much stronger here on 3668 kHz, probably helped by a more powerful 10 kW transmitter, compared to the old 1 kW 3268 kHz outlet.

Back in 1702, Portugal officially claimed the territory as the Colony of Portuguese Timor, eventually making Dili its capital. Fast forward to 1951, and Portugal decided to rebrand its colonies as "overseas provinces" to dodge international pressure to decolonise. Even though its official title became the Overseas Province of Timor, pretty much everyone in the English-speaking world still just called it Portuguese Timor up until 1975. Things changed fast after Portugal's 1974 Carnation Revolution kicked off decolonisation, leading Fretilin's guerrilla resistance to unilaterally declare independence on November 28, 1975, and briefly name the new nation the Democratic Republic of East Timor.

That independence didn't last long, though—just nine days later, Indonesia invaded, and by July 1976, they had annexed it as their 27th province under the name Timor Timur (which simply means "East Timor" in Indonesian). While the UN never officially recognised the takeover and still considered Portugal to be in charge on paper, the Timor Timur name stuck under Indonesian rule right up until 1999. After a UN-backed independence referendum in 1999 and a few years of transitional administration, the country finally gained formal independence on May 20, 2002, settling on its current official name: the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (or, in its short form, simply Timor-Leste).

This friendly Spanish letter from the owner of Radio Los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela arrived during my school exam period! A most welcome distraction!! It included a postcard with a personal note on the back. I'm glad I decided to keep the envelopes from most of these Latin American QSLs; they certainly add to the story.

La Voz de Galápagos

During the month, one of ARDXC's international members, Dr. Earle Hall (Mass,, USA) reported hearing La Voz de Galápagos HCVG8 between 0200 and 0400 UTC with the Ecuadorian anthem. Programming was mainly classical music. Earle noted that this was a new frequency, replacing 6260v kHz.

The station was a 5 kW Franciscan mission broadcaster based in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristóbal Island, in the Galápagos Archipelago. Reportedly, it changed frequency again sometime in 1973 to 4810 kHz, and I note in my 1975 WRTH that the schedule was given as 1100 to 0500 UTC. I can't recall ever hearing it myself. A report in the Danish Shortwave Club International (DSWCI) says the shortwave frequency closed because the transmitter was damaged and they couldn't afford to repair it. However, programs continued on 1320 kHz mediumwave. (Pennant courtesy of Stefano IZ3ENH.)

It took months to get this "airmail" reply from the mediumwave broadcaster
DZXL in Manila, Philippines.

Special Visitor from 4VEH Haiti

Regular readers of this Opening the Logbook series will remember the July 1972 post featuring some of the history behind the Haitian station 4VEH in the article Spotlight on 4VEH (scroll halfway down that long post). Well, at the Nov '72 Victorian branch meeting in Melbourne, we hosted a special visitor from the station!

Our guest was Mr Neale Thomas from the Oriental Missionary Society. He presented an informative lecture, illustrated with coloured slides and a recorded narrative, on the work and operations of Radio 4VEH, the Evangelistic Voice of the West Indies, in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. Speaking on the impact and growth of radio broadcasting in Latin America, he highlighted the many communication difficulties in rural areas and the consequences for the radio medium in both spiritual and educational purposes.

The Society was working in cooperation with other missionary organisations, such as the Far East Broadcasting Company (San Francisco), Trans World Radio, and the Voice of the Andes. Mr Thomas commented and discussed the various ways in which the mutual objectives of these missionary groups were being achieved. He spoke informally to members on radio broadcasting in the Caribbean, with particular emphasis on the importance of fixed-tuned receivers, donated by the various missionary teams, and used extensively by villagers for shortwave reception in the entire Latin American area.

Turbulent Times In Angola

Although my reception report to Emisora Oficial de Angola was sent in June '72, the QSL didn't arrive until November. Considering that a guerrilla war was underway at the time, it's fortunate that the card arrived at all.

Angola was still under Portuguese rule in 1972, though its official title got a makeover that year. Portugal called it an "overseas province" to make it sound like an inseparable part of Portugal itself rather than a colony. In 1972, Lisbon changed its laws and renamed it the "State of Angola," giving local leaders slightly more control over daily affairs while Portugal stayed firmly in charge.

The rest of the world didn't buy the rebranding, though, and the UN still viewed Angola as a colony. At the same time, Portugal was locked in its bitter war against local independence fighters. That conflict lasted only a couple more years, until a 1974 revolution in Portugal ended its rule and led to Angola's full independence in November 1975.

And, finally.....

While reading through the Nov '72 ADXN, I learned that I completely redesigned the club's aerogram reception report form! Apparently, the new form was based on recommendations from a study by the European DX Council (EDXC), plus additional "local" features... whatever THAT means! The new form had more space for comments and general remarks on reception. And, importantly, the new forms complied with the Australian Post Office's requirements! Now....,I can't remember any of that, but I guess it must have happened!! It's in the ADXN, and the newsletter wouldn't lie! 😄

That's it for November 1972. We will be back next month with a look at what radio activities happened in December '72.

73 and good DX,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

RELATED READING:

Opening the Logbook - October 1972

Opening the Logbook - September, 1972

Opening the Logbook - August, 1972