Saturday, September 27, 2008

Blog Logs

Saturday's Blog Logs, represent a good sample of what DXers are hearing on shortwave. Have you sent yours in yet ?

All times UTC // parallel frequency *sign-on sign-off*

Australia
4910, VL8T, Tennant Creek, 0841, Sept 26. Running past their usual 0830 sign-off time, about the US presidential campaign, signal weak (R. Howard)

Chad
4905, RN Tchadienne (N’Djamena). 0510-0522. 27 Sep 08. French. Male announcer's pure talk program. Signal S-9, very good. (J. Wood)

Cuba
Radio Nacional de Venezuela via Cuba, 6060, *1100-1140, Sept 25. It has been quite a while since I last checked this one and was surprised to find them mostly in English, talking about the joint commission between China and Venezuela, the financial situation in Venezuela and the world financial crisis ("Result of speculation within the capitalist system"). Reading some of their laws against corruption, etc., poor to fair with QRM from Sichuan PBS-2, many IDs in Spanish, also had segments in Spanish. Map showing their SW coverage and a less than complete schedule at www.rnv.gov.ve/noticias/index.php?pg=internacional . (R. Howard)

Equatorial Guinea
5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, 2250-2303*,Sept 25, Afro-pop music. Spanish announcements.Sign off with national anthem. Signal Weak. Poor in noisy conditions. (B. Alexander)

5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, 0515-0600, Sept 26. Threshold signal at 0515 tune-in improving to a weak level by 0540. Spanish talk. Afro-pop music. Instrumental music. No sign of 6250 Malabo. (B. Alexander)

15190, Radio Africa, 2230-2255*, Sept 25. Tony Alamo religious program. Good. Strong. Weak WYFR audible after Radio Africa sign off. (B. Alexander)

Ethiopia
7110, Radio Ethiopia. 0320-0345. 27 Sep 08. Amharic. Music that was a combination of Middle Eastern and Afro pop. Lady announcer followed by music with a little more Western flair. Male announcer at 0340 with freq announcements. S5/Fair. (J. Wood).

7210, Radio Fana (Addis Ababa). 0415-0432. 27 Sep 08. Amharic. Tentative reception of this station. Announcer duo with general talk. Possible ID with mention of “Fana.” Several mentions of Africa. S5/Fair. (J. Wood).


Gabon
15475, Afrique Numero Un (Moyabi). 1852-1901*. 26 Sep 08. French. Two announcers with
general discussion. Music into 1900, followed by full station ID to time pips and off. Poor. (J. Wood).

Indonesia
9680, RRI Jakarta, 0806-0827, Sept 26, Kang Guru Indonesia program #6108, scheduled for Fri. and Wed., in English, singing "Kang Guru" jingle, explains idioms (on his last legs, break aleg and pulling your leg), talking about their new name, many "KGI" and "Kang Guru Indonesia" IDs, asks listeners who is the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and goes on to talk about Stephen Smith (who was presented with a 20th anniversary KGI t-shirt). Signal fair-poor. I first heard their programming back in 1996, when they were "Kang Guru II Radio English". They originally started back in 1989 and from now through next year they will be celebrating their 20th anniversary, which I guess is the reason for their name being changed at this time. Presently the KGI program is carried on over 145 radio stations across Indonesia on SW, AM and FM. An impressive list of these stations is posted at: www.kangguru.org/broadcastschedule.html >, but unfortunately not that many on SW (R. Howard)

9680, RRI Jakarta Programma Lima, 1200-1215 Noted news and Indonesian comments by various persons. In the background, Firedrake (the music jammer) can be heard, although it is very weak compared to Jakarta.Jakarata's signal is fair. (C. Bolland) September 27, 2008)

3987.04 RRI Manokwari (presumed) 1057. Pleasant Indo Pop vocal music. Sounded like a chime interval signal at 1100. Then lady announcr in definite Indonesian. Squeezed between amateur radio operators on one side and broadcasteron 3985 on the other at this time. Returned at 1131 and seemed to be peaking, no ARO's, but still hetrodyne from 3985. Soft pop music. Of course the ARO fired up just before announcer at 1137. Back to music at 1140. Male announcer in presumed news at 1200 but didn't hear any // to other Indos. (27 Sept.) (D. Valko)

Israel
15785.0, Galei Zahal (presumed), 1518-1541, Sept 25. In Hebrew, pop songs, phone conversations (calls started with "shalom"), fair, first time I have noticed this (R. Howard)

Malaysia
6049.62v, Asyik FM via RTM, 1105-1115, Sept 26. Pop songs; at 1109, a three-minute break for the Islamic call-to-prayer (Maghrib is their sunset prayer, the fourth prayer of the day - Kuala
Lumpur sunset was at 1107). Pop songs continued, weak, best in LSB (moderate QRM from 6050.0) (R. Howard)

Mali
7284.58, RTVM, 0801-0825, Sept 26. Tune-in to flute interval signal. French ID announcement followed by vernacular talk. Local string music at 0823. Weak but readable. Slightly stronger on // 9635. (B. Alexander)

Myanmar
5985.0, Myanma Radio, 1530-1538, Sept 25, English. Seems to give three frequencies (mentions kHz. and meters, but unable to make them out), news (stories about the activities of members of the military [a Brigadier General attended an opening ceremony, a Major General visited someplace else, etc.]). Myanmar weather, slogans about the defense of the country, several IDs, into easy-listening songs, weak, but hope in another month to really be able to make out more of the news items. The 1300-1430 time period usually finds them with fair to good reception in vernacular. (R Howard)

9730.74v, Myanma Radio. 1505-1510*, Sept 25. In vernacular and English, seemed to be giving mathematical formulas, brief indigenous instrumental music at sign-off, poor; 1458-1512, Sept 24, in English and vernacular, reading paragraphs, explaining their basic meaning (all about the seasons: winter is the opposite of summer, heat in summer, etc.), poor (R. Howard)

Oman
7175, Radio Sultanate of Oman. (Sib). 0405-0413. 27 Sep 08. Arabic. Middle Eastern music with male announcer talking over and between selections. Signal S5/Fair. (J. Wood).

Papua New Guinea
3335 Radio East Sepik 1105. Apparent political speech with mentions of Papua New Guinea, program, province, country, development, Southern Highlands, policy, 2000, committee, one government, etc. Tuned out at 1127. Gradually getting better and very nice by 1125. (27 Sept.) (D. Valko)

3235 Radio West New Britain 1130. Tune-in with mentioning ".local station NBC.long Saturday night". And into Dance song. Pretty good. Other PNGs heard this morning include 3905, 3385, 3345, 3335, possibly 3325, 3260, and 3205. (27 Sept.) (D. Valko)

Peru
5939.27, Radio Melodia, Arequipa, 0630-0700, Sept 26. Spanish talk. ID at 0638. Signal poor-fair. Very poor after 0658 due to adjacent channel splatter. (B. Alexander)

Rwanda
7245, Deutsche Welle relay (Kigali). 0434. 27 Sep 08. English. Program about Burma. S7/Good. (J. Wood).

South Africa
Congo (DR)-Radio Okapi relay via Meyerton, South Africa. 11890. 1610-1659*, Sept 26. French/vernacular talk. “Okapi” jingles. Weak but readable. (B. Alexander)

Tunisia
7275, RTV Tunisienne (Sfax). 0437-0501. 27 Sep 08. Arabic. Middle Eastern music to station ID by ladt announcer at 0500, into news. Signal S7/Good. (J. Wood).

Contributors:
Brian Alexander, PA
Chuck Bolland, FL
Ron Howard, CA
Joe Wood, TN
Dave Valko, PA/Cumbre DX