Monday, January 03, 2011

Shortwave Blog Bytes

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

Clanny, Radio Free Sarawak adjust schedule
Transmitting via Tajikistan and Palau transmitters from December 26, 2010.
1000-1100 15420 HBN 100 kW 270 deg to SoEaAS, no change
1200-1300 6205 DB 100 kW 117 deg to SoEaAS,x2230-2330 7590 same transmitter.
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 3/DX Mix News 658)

Democratic Voice of Burma changes frequency
Frequency change in Burmese from Jan 1
1430-1530 new freq 9355 via Armenia - 300 kW 100 deg to SoEaAS, x11515 // 17790 MDG
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 3/DX Mix News 658)

NEXUS 2011 weekend winter schedules
(ex IRRS)

Frequency 6140 kHz - 10.00 to 1100 UTC

1st Sunday – MV Baltic Radio

3rd Sunday – European Music Radio (March)

4th Sunday – Radio Gloria International

Frequency 9510 kHz 0900 - 1000 UTC

1st Saturday – Radio Joystick

3rd Saturday – Radio City
(Tom Taylor)

New Bargraph Frequency Guide for WRTH
Looking through the 2011 WRTH, I see on page 47 that in January they are coming out with the "WRTH Bargraph Frequency Guide" CD, a Passport-style band survey compilation. It is also mentioned in the editorial on page 7: "We have had many requests to publish something akin to the 'Blue Pages' of the much-lamented Passport to World Band Radio. Doing this in WRTH would unfortunately mean increasing both its size and extent, but we are pleased to announce that we will be producing a CD of the full international schedules and domestic shortwave in bargraph form." It looks like the format of the old WRTH "Shortwave Guide" that was published in 2002 and 2003(Berg). Good news! (DX Window 418)

Pakistan heard on 7100 kHz
Radio Pakistan on 7100 at 1130, Dec 25. Noted here in middle of amateur band with ID etc in Urdu with clean signal. Off by 1200. Not heard or seen listed. Sounded like Home Service. (Jacob/DX Window 418)

Philippines monitoring
9435, FEBC, *2228-2304. Interval signal alternating with ID in Bahasa Indonesia, 2330 opened with male preacher's sermon in English with another man repeating in Bahasa Indonesia. Signal poor to fair. In the clear until CRI in Japanese opened at 2300. (D’Angelo/FCDX)

11730, Radio Pilipinas, *1730-1759. Many Radio Pilipinas, the Voice of the Philippines IDs in Tagalog. Info at http://twitter.com/alan_allanigue/status/9417993452781568 must be outdated, as there was no simulcast today of the Radio ng Bayan program Talking Points, but they did carry the “P-B-S Radio ng Bayan news” and a segment with “ASEAN news,” 1800 long series of Radio Pilipinas IDs. Signal fair // 11890 good (thanks to Gupta for the reminder about this // frequency). Mixing with Radio Africa on // 15190. (Ron Howard, CA)

11890, DZRM Radio Magasin simulcast via Radio Pilipinas, *1730-1830. Tagalog with cultural programming, IDs: “DZRM Radio Magasin 1278 kHz” and “simulcast” via Radio ng Bayan on 738 kHz. and “Radio Pilipinas overseas radio station”, 1830-1845, English language lesson (British accent) ended with “Cherrio.” Signal fair to poor, did not hear // 15190 (only Radio Africa there) // 11730 had transmitter problems and was off the air for a while, as also noted yesterday. (Ron Howard, CA)(DX Window 418)

Radio Free Asia working on new QSL for 2011
Our new QSL for January will commemorate 2011 as the Year of the Rabbit, the design is still being finalized, but look for an announcement sometime next week. Feel free to submit new reception reports as of Jan 01, we will honor them with the new QSL card. All the best from RFA. (Janitschek, Dec 27/DX Window 418)

Sudan's Radio Omdurman on 7200
7200.02, Radio Omdurman, Khartoum, 0212-0242, Dec 23. Early sign on with non-stop Sudanese songs with drums, 0227 Arabic announcement and recitations from the Holy Qur'an. SINPO 35333. (Petersen). Also heard at 1512-1528*, Dec 16, Arabic. Website given as, "“w-w-w sudan . . . ”. Mostly songs, 1526, call-to-prayer for the Maghrib prayer (just after sunset, which was at 1521) and is the fourth prayer of the day for Muslims. Strange sign off time? Better than normal reception. (Ron Howard, CA/DX Window 418)

Shortwave Central blog launches the Monitoring Times Shortwave Central Facebook Fan Page
With the tremendous success of the Shortwave Central blog, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Facebook Fan page, listed on the Facebook System as Monitoring Times Shortwave Central. Postings complement the Shortwave Central Blog and include additional monitoring observations, MT previews, last minute tips and informal radio related post from our readers. We invite Facebook followers to visit the new Monitoring Times Shortwave Central page and click "Like" to be a fan. For Twitter fans, do not forget QSLRptMT for brief radio "tweets" throughout the day.
Gayle Van Horn W4GVH, Monitoring Times Frequency Manager, QSL Report Columnist, Shortwave Central blog http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/ . (Gayle Van Horn, Dec 18/DX Window 418)

TDP station updates from Ukraine and Taiwan
New clandestine, Gunaz Radio from December 29, 2010 in Azeri. 1430-1930 7510 SMF (Ukraine) 250 kW deg to Central Asia, co-channel FEBA Silte 1730-1800.

Suaab Xaa Moo Zoo (Voice of Hope) in Hmong from December 10. 2230-2300 new freq 5930 via Taiwan 100 kW deg to Southeast Asia (ex 7530)
(R Bulgaria DX Mix News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX Top News Jan 3/DX Mix News 658 via wb, Germany)

Voice of Vietnam sets out targets for 2020
The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) has published details of its plans for the decade ahead. It says it “aims to become an influential national radio broadcaster with regional and international recognition.” As far as the international service is concerned, “VOV will combine different channel for transmission and broadcast to extend and improve the quality of coverage both at home and abroad. It will increase the air time and the number of radio programmes in foreign languages via satellite, on the ground, on the internet as well as develop multimedia contents.”

VOV also says that “The national radio station will broadcast information on entertainment and tourism in English 24 hours a day in the capital and major cities in Vietnam on VOV5. The channel will expand its coverage to other continents and key regions in the world via satellites from third countries.”
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Radio Zambia being heard again on shortwave
5915, ZNBC/Radio Zambia 1, Lusaka, 0245-0249, Dec 20. Reactivated with their distinctive African Fish Eagle interval signal. Poor signal, well under the fair signal of CRI in Russian. Perhaps after 0357 Zambia will have a chance with CRI off the air? (Howard)

6162, ZNBC/Radio Zambia 2 (presumed), Lusaka, *1556-1645, Dec 20. Christmas songs, 1559 drums, 1600-1610, news in English, back to non-stop Christmas songs (Bobby Helms with Jingle Bell Rock, etc.), African Hi-Li, etc. First heard carrier about 1525, but was not till about 1556 that audio showed up, faded up slightly and then down again till very poor by 1645. Their local sunset was at 1636 - too poor to make out any news items. Adjacent interference. I will defer to the Japanese DXers with their accurate Perseus software, as my E1 tends to show a lower frequency that true. Nice to have Zambia reactivated again. (Ron Howard, CA/DX Window 418)