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THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed
and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License
published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt
Today's Topics:
1. Glenn Hauser logs January 31-February 1, 2010 (Glenn Hauser)
2. The Union of Asian DXers is back !! (Andy Sennitt)
3. Greenville to close; VOA and Marti join for new service; LVA
update (Glenn Hauser)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 09:48:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Glenn Hauser <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: [HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs January 31-February 1, 2010
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
** ARGENTINA. While checking out Darwin, Jan 31 at 2201, also punched up
15345v, and there was R. Nacional with live sports, not 11710v as we were led
to believe is used on Sunday evenings instead (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** AUSTRALIA. Since we knew that the CVC English transmission around 1430 UT
Jan 31 on 13635 was ``the last one on shortwave`` as announced, I made another
routine check of Darwin frequencies at 2200 UT Jan 31, not expecting to hear
anything, but the three of them were still on!
Tune in 12010 at 2159 to find open carrier, and 2200 sharp, start modulating R.
Australia news, as 24 hours earlier; slightly delayed compared to Shep 15560
and a longer delay on 12040 via Palau.
On 9630, Indonesian had also started, R. Australia, and music on 9585,
presumably CVC Chinese as previously scheduled.
So where does that leave us? No clean break, depending on the station or
language service, not all stopped at the end of January. It is now indisputably
February everywhere east of Central Europe and West Africa.
Then I heard from Craig Seager in Australia, that the scheduled Darwin
frequencies ceased to be heard after 2400 UT, so the final final close-down
apparently was timed according to the end of January according to UT.
At 1515 UT Feb 1, no signals detectable on 13635 or 13685. But annoying
clicking in the 13685-13690 range (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** AUSTRALIA. Something amiss with R. Australia transmissions, as English on
9475 at 1450 was much stronger than // 9590, discussing radiation hazards in
space. Why? Because 9590 is registered as 30 degrees, and 9475 as 329 degrees,
both from Shepparton, so 9590 is much closer to USward and normally is
stronger. 9590 on low power, or one of them on wrong antenna? (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CYPRUS. OTH radar rapid pulses, presumed from here, Feb 1 at 1518 ranging
15700-15755 as I was checking the extent of the Sa`udi buzz; more pulses below
15495 merging with the buzz and not to be confused with its edges (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CZECHIA [and non]. 13580, R. Prague gone around 1515 Feb 1; used to be
Spanish to America, but one of many frequencies canceled so they can use only
one transmitter at a time; also applies to English at 1400, but both still on
11600, along with French intervening. That is often audible here before the
Cuban jamming starts at 1600.
English at 1400 on 11600 is for S Asia now, but 13580 had been a good reliable
morning English broadcast for us; we`ll miss it. North America still gets
English on five transmissions between 2100 and 0427, but we would gladly swap
two of them for retaining one in the mornings.
Furthermore, R. Prague relays via WRMI are being reduced, apparently no longer
English at 1500 on 9955, once the NW antenna and the 50 kW transmitter are back
in service, which Jeff White expects to be soon. He says Prague in English is
to be scheduled daily, only at 0300 and 1000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** INDIA [and non]. 9690, AIR GOS with perpetual big hum, Monday Feb 1 at 1430
tune-in, time for mailbag Faithfully Yours, which was pre-empted last week by
Republic Day speech earlier in the hour. Hosted by main announcer Sanjit ---
and a co-host whose name I could not catch. First up was mail from someone in
China who reported on several AIR English frequencies (not mentioning that
AIR`s Mandarin frequencies are jammed). Someone referred to it instead as
``Sincerely Yours``.
Next a letter from Hannover, Germany, in November! Emphasized that no return
postage is wanted, IRCs or money, as the Indian Government pays the postage,
and any such enclosures risk the letter being stolen. Also pointed out that
11620 to Europe has been replaced by 6180 at the end of October, and another
new frequency is 7550; please try them.
This is sounding VERY familiar. I am afraid AIR GOS is playing back an old FY I
already heard several weeks ago. Yet another old letter from 16 November,
Hiroyuki Okada, 38, electrical engineer in Japan who reported on 9690. They get
lots of mail from Japan, and another one dated 20 November. 1445 on to film
music programme.
Not only did I waste my time hearing a rerun, but I completely forgot to check
again this Monday whether REE`s Sephardic service was back on the 15385 air at
1425-1455, as it was missing last week! I could ask if anyone else noticed, but
I am afraid there would be no responses (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 3995, RRI Kendari, Sulawesi, nice signal at 1353 Feb 1 song with
piano, occasional weak hets presumably from NAm hams. 1359 Indonesian
announcement, and singing ID (?) jingle. Makassar 4750 also in well, but not
much else (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** JAPAN. 3925, Feb 1 at 0648 ``Claire de Lune`` on piano, pretty clear with
hams avoiding the frequency, thanks very much. JOZ, Radio Nikkei. I am a bit
startled to be hearing it this early, 1548 JST. Again audible at 1352 UT
shortly before closing, S9+20 with guitar or ukulele strumming but SSB hams
nearby (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH [and non]. V. of the People, from S to N Korea, big signal with
music as I tuned across 6600 Feb 1 at 1407, S9+15 atop jamming, // 6512 almost
as good. Usually the jamming is atop here.
6348, Echo of Hope, from S to N Korea, also atop jamming, with music at 1407,
but 6003 had nothing but noise jamming audible.
Same jamming on 6015 against the month-old KBS Hanminjok Bangsong 1, 100 kW ND
from Hwaseong, S Korea, as per Aoki, itself inaudible. XEOI managed to squeeze
in between; see MEXICO (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MALAYSIA. 5030, RTM Sarawak, 1403 Feb 1 announcement and song, fair against
splash from Cuba 5025 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MEXICO. 6010, XEOI during talk block, Feb 1 at 1409 with roundup of
political news from BCN to QR, poor strength but clear in between the Juche
jammers on 6003 and 6015 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MONGOLIA [and non]. 9665 with audible het Feb 1 at 1531, and a bit of music,
as VOM`s English broadcast is scheduled. Trouble is, P`yongyang was already on
this frequency long before, or rather never quite on it, with imprecise
transmitter. What genius at VOM picked this channel? I suspect the music I
could hear was from NK (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORTH AMERICA. A friend passes on a twitter tip that The Crystal Ship is
about to start another Sunday evening broadcast on 5385 AM, so I try it at 2337
Jan 31. Yes, there it is with ID mentioning ``freedom of the airwaves``, e-mail
tcsshortwave @ gmail.com Axually closer to 5385.4, signal around S9+12 but
with quite a bit of deep fading. I need to turn off local noise sources to
increase its S/N ratio.
2338 on to ID in Spanish with echo. 2343 ``last briefing before atomic
detonation; three things: blast, heat, radiation``. 2349, song ``Don`t Fear the
Reefer``. (Did not hear any of the music identified on air.) 2354 unreadable
child`s voice, then Tarzan yell, ID mentioning ``in glorious AM``, e-mail
address again. 2355 song ``Big Muddy``, sounds like an early Pete Seeger. 2358
song ``The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence``, by Gene Pittney.
Now into UT Feb 1: after 0000 I am paying less attention as 60 Minutes is
starting on CBS-TV. Seems to be more music now, fewer announcements but there
is one at 0008; 0031 ``Official Voice of the Blue States Republic``, music with
steel drums(?). 0039 ``El Paso`` by Marty Robins; 0058 still music audible, but
not heard after 0100, off?
Enjoyed the familiar but seldom-heard tunes, creativity of the comedy and IDs;
pse QSL (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 90m check at 1355 Feb 1 found signals with at least some
audio, non-// music on 3365, 3345, 3325, 3315, all PNG frequencies; altho due
to a great breakdown in regional frequency management, 3325 and 3345 are also
active Indonesian frequencies. Nothing on 3385 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 15435 buzz check Feb 1: at 1455 I started listening to Farda
music on 15410, but blasted by the buzz from *1456. At 1518 I monitor its range
today: not nearly as bad as last few days, but I suspect this is no sign of
deliberate tightening up; rather due to random and/or propagational variation.
Brunt covers only 15400-15475 and BBC can still be heard on 15400. 4x/minute
clicking not audible beyond either side; 15435 itself metered just(?) S9+12.
Covering *only* 75 kHz is of course totally unacceptable too, an improvement
only by comparison to its usual range (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Lavwadlamerik, VOA Creole at 2200 Jan 31 on 13725, but // 11905 did
not cut on until 2102:45, par for the course at Greenville (Glenn Hauser, OK,
DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also UNIDENTIFIED 15390
** U S A. 17760, WYFR at 1525 Feb 1 with a bit of ``Onward, Christian
Soldiers``, not the WHR version which has a monopoly on that as theme, but any
missionary station is free to threaten Moslems in this way, marching as to war.
And into Bible reading in English.
This frequency had very heavy flutter on it, like trans-polar or sometimes
trans-equatorial, but the path from Okeechobee is neither, and I have noticed
this before. Less than two megameters away, we must be on the edge of the skip
zone at this time, not getting full signal altho not too far off the 285 degree
WNW beam toward northern Mexico. Perhaps backscatter mix is involved; another
possibility is meteor scatter, causing a Doppler effect so the WYFR signal
interferes with itself (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15160, beautiful performance of the Qur`an, by OM tenor cantor
[what else? Inferior YLs aren`t allowed], Feb 1 at 1505, much stronger and
clearer than BSKSA`s version on 15225; still going at 1535. I was thinking I
had logged this recently, but not so, and unlisted, so it`s something new. One
thing for sure: it`s not AWR via Austria as in PWBR 2009! Nothing shows in
current Aoki, EiBi or HFCC. Must be one of the major stations (Glenn Hauser,
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 15390, open carrier briefly at *1525 Feb 1, presumably VOA
Greenville testing its Krey?l frequency, as often noted before around this
time. Would it be too much to ask to add some IDs or Yankee Doodles? (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 20:17:37 +0100
From: "Andy Sennitt" <[email protected]>
To: "hard-core...@hard-core-dx. Com" <[email protected]>
Subject: [HCDX] The Union of Asian DXers is back !!
Message-ID: <2e5040af07c54f8abda1d58c463c3...@dc5100>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
After a break of about 17 years, the Union of Asian DXers has risen like a
phoenix from the ashes. The UADX has published its first Newsletter since
July 1993 as a PDF file on the DXAsia website, edited now, as then, by my
good friend Victor Goonetilleke in Sri Lanka. Familiar UADX names such as
Gerhard Werdin, Sarath Amukotuwa & Sarath Weerakoon will also be helping
Victor, who says that the first edition of the E-Newsletter is meant as an
introduction and sample. The next edition is scheduled before the end of
February. I hope SWLs and DXers amongst our readership will support this
venture.
Victor has also written an article about Eclipse Monitoring on 15 January
2010. A UADX blog will also be starting soon. Thanks to Alok das Gupta and
his son Abhishek for technical help in getting this material online.
http://wwww.dxasia.info
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 19:33:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Glenn Hauser <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: [HCDX] Greenville to close; VOA and Marti join for new
service; LVA update
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
** U S A. VOA and Radio Mart? have started a ``co-production``, one-hour
Spanish broadcast at 0100-0200 UT weeknights.
The two former rivals are now co?perating! There were reports recently that VOA
would start to have access to RM`s produxion facilities in Miami. This could
also be the beginning of the end for Radio Mart?, starting by merging it back
into VOA, as there is considerable congressional pressure just to kill RM.
Without any advance publicity that I know of, I first found this in progress at
0114 UT February 2 on 11625: a station in Spanish talking about Ch?vez, in the
hour after VOA Spanish normally closes on different frequencies, 5890 and 9885.
At 0100, I was tuned to 9885; it was still on and announcement seemed to be
starting another hour, but cut off before 0101. This made me wonder if
programming was continuing on some other frequency, so started bandscanning
from 5745 upwards.
At 0118 an ID on 11625 gave the full frequency list for this, 11625, 9415 and
7340. I quickly found the lower two were much stronger here and continued to
listen on 7340. They were all in synch, and no doubt Greenville B, which is
doomed to extinction at the end of FY 2010, 30 September as just came out
today. Gee, what will BBG/IBB/VOA do if they need to start another ``surge``
broadcast after then?
There was too much jamming on regular R. Mart? frequencies to tell if they were
//, i.e. 6030, 7365, 9825, but suspect not since only the new frequencies were
announced --- and with no jamming at all on the new ones --- yet! Usual DCJC
noise jamming was audible also on 9810 at 0111 against Rep?blica, and at 0113
on 9715 --- another stray, against nothing?
Since this is a brand-new, previously unknown service, I monitored it
attentively during the remainder of the hour. At 0118 they were quoting El
Nuevo Herald, Miami and some European papers about Cuban/Venezuelan relations.
0123 ID as ``A Punto (?) en La Voz de Am?rica y Radio Mart?; 0126 with schedule
as 8-9 pm [EST] M-F, i.e. 01-02 UT Tue-Sat, again with the three frequencies,
``una co-producci?n de La Voz de Am?rica y Radio Mart?``. And ``El Mundo del
Espect?culo`` segment about the Grammy Awards last night. 0130 co-hosts in
Washington and Miami briefly discussed their respective weathers, rather
divergent.
Rest of hour called in correspondents from several Latin American countries for
a few minutes each, starting with Bolivia, concern with contentious Morales.
0137 news from Venezuela about protests in various cities against the banning
of RCTV even from cable. 0139 about the political campaign in Costa Rica. 0141
about the IMF from Buenos Aires. 0143 corresponsal Federico in Bogot?,
Colombia. 0148 interviewing a UCR professor about the situation in Honduras.
0153 Nicaragua, on the sale of Canal 8 TV to Ortega/Ch?vez, leaving only one
independent TV station, Canal 2.
The program seems to concentrate on what`s going on in hostile Latin American
countries, and will likely be labeled ``propaganda`` by them, but it seemed to
me the analysis was balanced. A bigger question arises: will Radio Mart? gain
credibility or will VOA lose credibility with this joint venture??
Name of the program was mentioned every few minutes. To me, sometimes it
sounded like ``A Fondo``, meaning in depth or background; sometimes ``Apunte``
which means abstract or notes.
Looking around the VOA Spanish and Martinoticias websites, I see nothing yet
about this service. I suppose they wanted to slip in under the radar, or the
usual bureaucratic delays. Nor is there any press release about it yet at the
VOA site, the latest one being from Jan 27 about Creole.
I recorded some excerpts, and was all set to get the sign-off before 0200, but
7340 just cut off at 0159:30 while show was still in progress. Then tuned to
9415 and heard it for a few seconds longer, I think a sign-off. Then tuned to
11625 and heard only a very weak signal, but that proved to be in English after
0200, sounded like VOA. Nothing scheduled then either, and may have been
something else, and not necessarily Greenville.
I was also bandscanning on another receiver during this hour, to check out
among other things, Lavwadlamerik`s Krey?l service, which had also been at
01-02 ? and discovered two very interesting things. Besides 5960, it was also
// on new 5835 first noted at 0105. Another frequency VOA refuses to publish on
its A-Z language schedule. Are there too many frequencies now during this hour
for all of them to come from Greenville? We remember that 5835 was once a World
Harvest Radio frequency, but that`s no proof it`s the site now.
The other //, 7465, is now clashing with WWCR, which has just extended its
broadcast on that frequency until 0200, ex-3240! At the beginning of the hour,
WWCR was atop, but before long by 0110 it was losing out to LVA, and by the end
of the hour I could not be certain WWCR was still there underneath, but
probably as it was still missing from 3240.
LVA`s additional Creole hour at 01-02 had been on 7465 since shortly after the
quake, as we have been reporting, but apparently WWCR did not notice. Since it
fades out anyway, WWCR should not have extended 7465 another three hours past
previous close at 2300, tho one or possibly two hours would have worked. This
collision has to be resolved ASAP. Altho we lose WWCR here, the situation may
be quite different in Haiti and elsewhere.
At 0200 LVA had left 5835 as well as 5960 which it must due to NHK/Sackville,
but continued on 7465; still no 7590 had come on by 0205, so apparently that
has been dropped during the final hour, at least.
During this hour I also checked MW 1180, but as usual could not pull anything
out of Marathon. And MW 1030 where Commando Solo is making it into Florida from
Haiti. Dominating the frequency at 0124 was some not // talk in Spanish,
looping roughly east/west, so most likely WGSF Memphis, per NRC AM Log listings
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
If the above report is repeated in our next log report along with other items,
it will have been updated/added to, so use the later version. I did not want to
delay getting this hot news out.
What`s that about Greenville closing?? I filed this report earlier, late Feb 1,
to the DXLD yg:
** U S A. I hear from a confidential source that the Greenville transmitting
station of VOA will be closing on September 30, 2010. What this will mean for
the broadcasts it still transmits, Radio Mart?, VOA English, Special English,
recently expanded Creole, Hausa, Portuguese, Spanish, RNW relay is as yet
unknown (Glenn Hauser, February 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Thanks to kimandrewelliott.com we have a link to:
Broadcasting Board of Governors FY 2011 Budget Request
http://www.bbg.gov/reports/documents/BBGFY2011CONGBudgetSubmission-ForInternetPost.pdf
We have found pertinent excerpts from the 119 page document concerning
Greenville, EMPHASIS ADDED WITH CAPS; et al.:
PROGRAM CHANGES:
* The BBG proposes the following reductions in the support area: reduction of
contracting costs by 4 percent throughout the Agency through efficiencies; sale
of a former transmitting site in Erching, Germany [which one is that by a name
we recognize?];
CLOSING THE GREENVILLE TRANSMITTING STATION;
restructuring operations at overseas transmitting stations; reduction of IBB
Engineering support positions and IBB general operating expenses; and reduction
of BCI maintenance and repair budget.
(page 24)
FY 2011 Program Decreases
Transmission
The BBG proposes restructuring operations at some of its overseas transmitting
stations. The BBG will retain ownership of these facilities; however, it would
turn over operations of these sites to a third party on a fee-for-service basis
($1.5 million).
THE BBG ALSO PROPOSES TO CLOSE ITS GREENVILLE TRANSMITTING STATION ($3.2
MILLION).
In addition, the proposed FY 2011 reductions to and eliminations of language
services will reduce transmission costs by ($.91 million).
Operating Expenses and Contractual Services
The FY 2011 request for Engineering and Technical Services includes a reduction
in positions and operating expenses ($2.3 million) as well as a reduction in
contractual services through improved practices ($.8 million).
(page 75)
Engineering and Technical Services
Summary of Increases and Decreases
FY 2010- FY 2011
($ in thousands):
FY 2011 Net Program Changes + (3,135)
Program Decreases - (8,710)
Reflects the following reductions to base operations:
A) TRANSMISSION NETWORK REDUCTION (GREENVILLE STATION) ( 3,149)
b) Reduce support positions and operating expenses ( 2,330)
c) Consolidate services at BBG transmitting stations with other
Western international broadcasters ( 1,500)
d) Eliminate VOA Croatian, VOA Greek; reduce VOA Persian News Network;
end MBN Alhurra Europe (910)
e) Reduce Agency contract costs by 4% through improved efficiencies
(821)
(page 77)
Engineering and Technical Services
Summary of Funds FY 2009 - FY 2011 ($ in thousands)
2009 2010 2011 Increase or
Actual Estimate Request Decrease (-)
Domestic Transmitting Stations
Greenville 4,496 4,874 1,812 (3,062)
Tinian 7,974 8,875 9,008 133
Total, Domestic Stations 12,470 13,749 10,820 (2,929)
Overseas Transmitting Stations
Afghanistan 1,809 3,885 3,031 (854)
Botswana 1,660 1,945 2,066 121
Germany 9,144 11,237 11,417 180
Kuwait 4,485 4,940 5,121 181
Philippines 5,721 5,747 6,026 279
Sao Tome 3,189 3,392 3,706 314
Sri Lanka 2,991 3,043 2,419 (624)
Thailand 3,931 3,882 3,310 (572)
Total, Overseas Stations 32,930 38,071 37,096 (975)
Monitors 1,098 1,249 1,291 42
TOTAL, ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL
SERVICES 169,630 189,839 190,724 885
(page 78)
(extracted by Glenn Hauser for DX LISTENING DIGEST)
It is interesting to note the last item above, that BBG spends over a
megadollar per year on Monitors, i.e. paying some names you would know as DXers
to be official monitors; how many of them are there, for an average salary?
They also get perqs such as monitoring equipment, occasional visits to the USA.
You will note that there are still some funds for Greenville; of course the
site will need to be maintained in some form for a while once it is off the
air, until it can be disposed of (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
End of Hard-Core-DX Digest, Vol 86, Issue 2
*******************************************
