Monday, April 28, 2008

Blog Logs

Today's shortwave BLOG LOGS, represent a portion of additional logs recently cut from my SWBC Logs column in Monitoring Times, due to space constraints. Contributions are always welcome for the magazine or blog, and may be directed to my above email address. Thanks very much to the contributors for your kind words and support.
Gayle VH

All times UTC, frequencies in kHz, English unless otherwise indicated // parallel frequencies.
* sign-on - sign-off *

Bangladesh
Bangla Betar 7250, *1229-1242. Interval signal to whisper-quiet announcer at 1230. Wind instrumental into news. Signal too weak to detail-only an occasional word here and there. More wind instruments at 1237 and more news. (S Barbour, NH)

Bolivia
Radio Universataria 4732, 1045-1050. Spanish programming including vocal ballads with brief announcer at 1048. Siganl weak with fading intermittently. (S Barbour, NH).

Radio Loyola (presumed) 5996.4, 1007-1014. Spanish. Announcer's text and talk with heavy 6000 WYFR splatter. (S Barbour, NH)

Radio San Miguel 4699.35, 1016-1032. Spanish programming thru 1030. Siganl weak but clear. (S Barbour, NH)

Radio Tacana (presumed) 4781.4, 1033. Heard about a minute of Spanish from lady announcer before signal wiped out by 4780 Radio Coatan sign-on. Poor signal under CODAR. (S Barbour, NH)

Radio Yura 4716.7, 0036-0048. Lite music to station ID announcement at 0040. Musical bits with talk to ballad. Poor signal quality. (S Barbour, NH)

Bosnia Herzegovina
Radio Serbia 7115, 0113-0130.* Armchair quality reception hampered only by the accents of the announcers for my first log in years. Announcer's talk about art museums, architecture, Central European countries and Serbia joining the EEU. Musical interludes between sets. Sign-off from another station adjacent frequency. (J Wood, TN).

Brazil
Radio Difusora Manaus 4805, 1035-1041. Portuguese ad string to "Difusora" jingle ID and announcer's text. Fair signal. (S Barbour, NH)

Radio Brasil (Goiania) Portuguese identification and Brazilian music with animated announcer. Signal S9/good. (J Wood, TN).

Burkina Faso
Radio Burkina 7230, 0814-0832. French talks with indigenous and high-lif emusic. Tentative ID at 0830. Signal fair though weakening by 0830. (S Barbour, NH).

Chad
RN Chad 4905, 0550-0601. French service. Native tribal music with lots of drumming and mentions of Chad. Into Middle Eastern language language at 0600. Signl S7/fair. (J Wood, TN)

China
CNR1-CPBS Geermu 4800, 2234-2245. Mandarin chat seguence from male/female announcers. Presumed ad string at 2245. Signal poor-fair under CODAR. Better on // 4460-Beijing. (S Barbour, NH)

Voice of Pujiang (presumed) 3280, 1146-1202. Vernacular programming with announcer's unidentified language. Signal weak under band noise with occasional music bits at 1155. Signal pips at 1200, followed by announcer. Possibly // 4950; weak at imagination level. Poor signal. (S Barbour, NH).

Cuba
Radio Nacional de Venezuela via Cuba 6060, 1105-1110. English commentary about Colombia, very poor under a much stronger China/Sichuan PBS-2. ( R Howard, CA)

Equatorial Guinea
Radio Nacional-Malabo 6250, *0500-0520. Sign-on with national anthem. Opening announcement and local choral music. Signal very weak. (B Alexander, PA)

Radio Nacional-Malabo 6250, 0604-0633. Spanish ID as "Radio Nacional" and "Radio Malbo." Sounded like prayers at 0600 and into news. Signal S5/fair. (J Wood, TN)

Ethiopia
Radio Ethiopia 7110, 0404-0418. Vernacular. Male announcer between Horn of Africa style music. Program intro at 0410 with male/female talk between musical bits. Fair signal possible // 5990 under band noise. (S Barbour, NH)

Guam
Adventist World Radio/Voice of Hope/KSDA via Agat, Guam 11690, 1600-1629.* Jordan off the air, leaving this station audible with English religious programming of talk and music. // 9585 - both frequencies weak. (B Alexander, PA)

Guatemala
Radio Buenas Nuevas 4799.98, 1139-1146. Announcer's Spanish talk and text. Full station ID at 1141 to anthem-like music tune at 1142. Brief announcer at 1145 then silence. Can't image they would sign-off at 6:00 AM Guatemala time. (S Barbour, NH)

Indonesia
RRI-Jakarta 9680, 1005-1025. KGRE program # 5806, help with understanding when tp use "join, enter and follow." Talk about AusAID, pop songs by Indonesian singer Marcell. Fair signal almost no QRM from WYFR. ( R Howard, CA)

Honduras
HRMI (via Tegucigalpa) 3340, 0510-0536. Presumed reception with faint but clear signal for praise and worship service in English with announcer's text in Spanish. Poor signal. (J Wood, TN)

Iran
VOIRI 7160, 0143-0200. Best log for this English service in years. Male announcer's with talk on peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Mentions of US presidential primariea. Signal S7/fair. J Wood, TN).

Jordan
Radio Jordan 11690, 1755-1838.* Program on late in English with local pop and US pop music. English news at 1800, then back to a variety of pop, US pop and rap music. "Radio Jordan 96.3 FM" identificaiton. Program abruptly off at 1838, but co-channel QRM at 1800 from a weak and unidentified station. Both stations in at equal levels at time. (B Alexander, PA)

Kazakhstan
WYFR-Almaty 9310, 1300-1316. Listed as Burmese service. Interval signal into intro music, followed by announcer to tune-out. Poor signal unstable by the tune-out. (S Barbour, NH)

Laos
(non) Hmong Lao Radio via WHRI. 11785, 1433-1500. In assume Laotian language, mostly talking. Some English words "Asian Foundation" and "University of Laos," segment in English with translation by Philip[ Smith. . Folk song, indigneous music with sound of seagulls, before 1500 identification for WHRI. Good reception, no sign of Voice of Indonesia noted here or on 9525.98v. ( R Howard, CA)

Malaysia/Sarawak
Sarawak FM via RTM (presumed) Kuching. 7130, 1035-1102. Assume in Malay. Easy-listening songs/ballads, reciting from the Qu'ran. The format and language sounded right for them. Unable to hear // 5030. ( R Howard, CA)

Mali
RTM 5995, 2101-2136. French programming. Male announcer with talk and occasional banter via phone/remote thru 2130. Signal poor-fair, choppy signal. (S Barbour, NH).

Mexico
XEYU-Radio UNAM 9600, 0340. Spanish. Presumed reception of this station with very nice classical music to 0345 when completely covered by Radio Havana. Signal S9/good-very good. (J Wood, TN).

Niger
LV du Sahel 9705, 2150-2245. Afro-pop music to rap music. Vernacular and French talk. Fair level but co-channel QRM from India with theit test tones at 2232. Interval signal at 2243 and English programming from India at 2245. Niger completely covered by India. (B Alexander, PA)

Papua New Guinea
Radio West New Britain 3235, 1148-1205. Presumed Tok Pisin. Announcer between indigenous music selections. Lots of percussion/wind instruments and "wailing" vocals to t1200. Signal poor-fair at best. (S Barbour, NH)

Radio New Ireland 3905, 1206-1236. Lady announcer with news at tune-in. Bits of English "economic..Sudan..." Indigenous music/ballads from 1211 thru with lady announcer bwtween selections. More English bits at 1217. Fair signal at tune-in and holding steady, started to fade by 1225. (S Barbour, NH)
Peru
Radio Maranon 4835, 1046-1100. Spanish talk via announcers. Station ID in passing to presumed ad string between text. Fair signal quality. (S Barbour, NH)

Radio Frecuencia VH 4485.9, 0005-0028. Spanish. Announcer with lite musical selections. Signal poor-weak. (S Barbour, NH)

radio Manantial 4991.1 (presumed) 1004-1013. Announcer's Spanish talk until signal was lost at 1013 under increased band noise. (S Barbour, NH)

Russia
Radio Rossii (via Patropavlovsk-Kamchatka). 6075, 0536-0552. Russian programming, recital of classical organ misc. Station ID as "Radio Rossii," good signal // with 5935 Magadan, poor signal under WWCR; 7200 via Yakutsk, fair with good audio; 7320 via Magadan, also fair. Above average reception for Yakutsk. (R Howard, CA)

Thailand
BBC relay via Nakon Sawan 6125, 2145-2200. Two announcers interview regarding registration, ban of some sort. BBC promos at 2200. Poor signal under adacent co channel QRM. (S Barbour, NH)

Tunisia

Radio RTV. 9720, 0325. Arabic service - very clear with program of Middle Eastern music. Signal S9 good. (J Wood, TN)

Ukraine
Radio Ukraine International 7440, 0149-0200. Lady announcer's features of folk music. Many mentions of Ukrainian folk music and dance scene. Interviews with local artists. Some of the music sounded rather like Celtic - S9/very good. (J Wood, TN)

Vatican State
Radio Vatican 4005, 2217-2230. Italian religious text. Station ID at 2220. Church bells signal, followed by choral prayers to 2230. Signal fair-poor. (S Barbour, NH).

Yemen
Republic of Yemen Radio 9780.06, 1815-1840. Euro-pop and local pop music. English programming but muffled audio problems making difficult to understand. Station ID at 1829, "you are tuned to the English service of the Republic of Yemen Radio broadcasting from Sana/Aden." Englsih news at 1830, back to Euro-pop music at 1835. Weak signal lost in noise T 1840. (b Alexander, PA)

Zambia
Radio Zambia/ZNBC 5915, 0419-0429. English/Vernacular service for male/female announcers. Afro pop music and mentions of "Zambia." Signal S5/poor. Heard 5915, 0518 with fair signal quality. (J Wood, TN)

Zanzibar
Radio Tanzania-Zanzibar 11735, 1800-1809. Five + one time pips to "Nine East Africa Time." Spice FM news in English as "this news comes to you from Spice FM>" Signal poor-fair. ( R Howard, CA)

Radio Tanzania-Zanzibar 11735, 2024-2100.* Listed service as Swahili. Announcer between musical ballads. Wind instrument at 2055 with presumed identification. Tentative "Dar Es Salaam." Definite "Zanzibar" heard followed by weaker audio. National anthem at 2059 during fair signal quality. (S Barbour, NH)

Zimbabwe
Radio Zimbabwe 3396, 0252-0306. Vernacular programming including African high-life music and singing. Four-minute English ID including drums for about a minute to "this is Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Zimbabwe shortwave." Drums signal again, ID repeat, list of cities and frequencies, back into vernaculars. Signal fair - to poor. (R Howard, CA)

Contributors:
Brian Alexander, PA
Scott Barbour, NH
Ron Howard, CA
Joe Wood, TN