Topics

346

Shortwave Broadcast / Asian DX Tips

« on: June 10, 2015, 0129 UTC »

From last night's listening session:

9665 kHz  KCBS - Pyongyang. Talks and Korean "classical" style music at 1045 with a fair signal, // 3959 also heard but was rather weak there.

9820 kHz  Beibu Bay R. - Nanning. Fair signal with pop music and anncts at 1050. QRM Havana at 1100 s/on with their Spanish service. // 5050 also heard but much weaker than usual.

11630 kHz  R. Kuwait. Long Arabic talks to CAf at 1115 UTC, fair to poor signal.

11665 kHz   RTM - Kajang. Relaying Wai FM at 1120 UTC with kitsch pop songs and Malay anncts, fair signal.

Signals appeared to be well down, especially on the low freqs.

347

Shortwave Broadcast / DXing in the Buckland Valley - YouTube Video

« on: June 06, 2015, 0342 UTC »

Hi Folks,

I've just completed and uploaded a YouTube record of very weak signal reception on the 31mb at 0245UTC (12:45pm local time) during a DXpedition to the Buckland Valley in north east Victoria on May 27, 2015. Very low levels of man-made noise made it possible to hear these stations on this early winter’s day, something that would not have been possible at my home QTH. These are transmissions that are probably very easily heard in the evening time slots in the USA, but it's rare for us in south eastern Australia! Perhaps you'll find this little video of some interest. Comments are welcomed and can be left at the YouTube site. 73 and have a great weekend everyone,  Rob VK3BVW

https://youtu.be/W3-JIELApmc

348

Shortwave Broadcast / Some Recent Loggings

« on: May 23, 2015, 0255 UTC »

Some logs from recent days:

5915   ZAMBIA. ZNBC - Lusaka. Now that R. Rwanda has gone for good, I get my African fix from ZBC. Usually a great signal in my mornings, and noted on May 17 at 2145 in a local Zambian language with talkback program.

5995   MALI. RTV du Mali - Bamako. The usual problem of a strong carrier but weak audio at 2125. Long talk past 2130 in the Bambara language (or similar) with plenty of French words sprinkled throughout. Finally heard a groovy Malian song backed by flutes and drums at 2132. Signal comes via the short path across Africa, Madagascar and the southern Indian Ocean. Gets flattened at 2155 by the CNR 1 Jammer intended for VOA's Mandarin s/on at 2200. May 17.

***** 6070   CANADA. CFRX - Toronto. Very pleasing to hear this for the first time this winter DX season with Sunday morning chit-chat at 1015, then a string of adverts, ID for MW CFRB 1010 at 1030, TC as 6:30am, traffic and weather reports, then more chit-chat. Its listed 1KW non-directional signal was doing well with no QRM on the channel until around 1040 when co-channel VoKorea faded in. CFRX faded out by 1050 (6:50am Toronto time), May 17.

6080   BOTSWANA. VOA - Moepeng Hill. English to Africa with a discussion program on Middle East affairs at 1945, good signal but with co-channel and slightly off-frequency QRM het from R. Belarus with their Belarusian service to EEu, May 17.

6100   BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. R. Serbia Int'l - Bijeljina. Jazz program in the English service at 2115. Entertaining program with great music, but heavy QRM from CRI's co-channel Arabic service, May 17.

6185   MEXICO. R. Educación - Mexico City. First noted at 0440 with a weak inconsistent signal (fading in and out) and a talk program. Outro music to end the program, then a series of anncts. Music and ID and s/off around 0500. The carrier remained on till 0503. This station is usually only heard at this time here in mid-winter, just before it's scheduled s/off. It was strange that I could not hear the Brazilian on 6180 after Romania's s/off at 0457 on May 19.

There are lots more logs on the MEDXR blog, too many to list here.

Also some news that R. Vanuatu is having ongoing transmitter problems, and currently operating on much reduced power.

http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/station-news-and-log-book-may-22-2015.html

Have a great weekend everyone!, Rob VK3BVW

349

General Radio Discussion / The QSL Card....At What Cost?

« on: May 16, 2015, 0046 UTC »

Things have changed somewhat for shortwave listeners in the last 15 years. With the disappearance from the bands of many international and domestic shortwave broadcasters, it’s much harder now to gather together a large QSL collection.

(An article I wrote for the April issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine).

http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/the-qsl-cardat-what-cost.html

73 and have a great weekend everyone, Rob VK3BVW

350

General Radio Discussion / Shortwave in the News No. 2

« on: April 12, 2015, 2240 UTC »

Hi folks,

I've compiled a collection of new and very recent online articles relating the shortwave radio hobby. If you missed them in the news recently, these may be of interest to someone here in this forum. Find it at:
http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/shortwave-in-news-no2.html

On a side note - not radio related - several weeks ago, I came across some newspapers that I had collected and tucked away. Front pages of my local Melbourne newspapers reporting on both the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 voyages. Rarely have these papers seen the light of day! They are 45 years old. Some great memories of the Apollo 11 & 13 missions:
http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/apollo-11-and-13-newspaper-reflections.html

AND...... when preparing the above post yesterday, I was not aware that April 12 is actually the International Day of Human Space Flight, marking the day in 1961 when 27-year-old Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the world's first man in space. Here is a short article about this anniversary from VOA.
http://www.voanews.com/content/april-12-marks-anniversary-of-first-man-in-space/2715996.html

Perhaps someone will find these links of interest. For what it's worth!

All the best, Rob VK3BVW

351

Shortwave Broadcast / Just Published - Domestic Broadcasting Survey DBS-17

« on: April 07, 2015, 2346 UTC »

For anyone interested, Anker Petersen from the Danish Shortwave Club International (DSWCI) has just emailed me to advise that the annual Domestic Broadcasting Survey DBS-17 is now available. This is a wonderful publication and I refer to it regularly. Details are on the DSWCI website. I have also published a post on the Mount Evelyn DX Report blog, where I have included a YouTube review of last year's DBS. You'll find it at:

http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/just-published-domestic-broadcasting.html

73 all, Rob VK3BVW

352

Shortwave Broadcast / VOIRI - Kamalabad

« on: April 03, 2015, 1020 UTC »

13650   IRAN. VOIRI - Kamalabad. Italian service s/on 0620 till 0720, NF x 15085, strong signal but also with a strong background hum on Apr 3.

Rob VK3BVW

353

Shortwave Broadcast / Argentina 11710.77

« on: April 03, 2015, 1019 UTC »

11710.77   ARGENTINA. R. Argentina al Exterior - General Pacheco. Argentinian ballads and general conversation in the English service at 0330. A fair signal but suffers QRM now that TWR Africa via Dhabayya has moved to 11710 for the A15 season.

Rob VK3BVW

354

Shortwave Broadcast / WBCQ makes it Down Under

« on: April 02, 2015, 2140 UTC »

7490   USA. WBCQ - Monticello ME. At 2120 with a long discourse of the medical problems between two men on a talkback program (the announcer was Allan Weiner….I think!) - grossly over-detailed and totally unnecessary - but very funny entertainment. Then they ambled over to world politics and conquered all those problems in about 10 min, too! A high level of opinionated BS was noted in the discussion…... I don't hear this station very often here….possibly a good thing, too!! If I started listening to too much of this stuff, I possibly end up believing some of this crap!! Fair signal in LSB to avoid R. Algerienne via Issoudun on 7495, Apr 2.

Happy Easter everyone!!  Rob VK3BVW

355

Shortwave Broadcast / BREAKING NEWS: Vanuatu Back on after cyclone

« on: March 20, 2015, 1131 UTC »

Just noted in the last hour or so:

7259.95 kHz - Vanuatu back on with a fairly good signal, first noted at 0950 UT. Squashed by CRI's Japanese service at 1100.

3945 kHz - Faded in around 1030 UT, but a weak signal so far.

Both frequencies in parallel and carrying information on cyclone mopping up operations and music.

Also, check out this link - a R. Australia interview with the R. New Zealand transmission engineer, reporting from Port Vila on the current communications situation with the station's antennas.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/pacmas-plan-to-help-restore-vital-radio-links-in-vanuatu/1427535

I've just published some more information on my website which may be of interest.

http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/station-news-and-log-book-march-20-2015.html

Hopefully these signals can be heard in the US, too! However, the station MAY be operating on reduced power.

73 de Rob VK3BVW

356

Shortwave Broadcast / Meyerton Relays on 49mb

« on: March 16, 2015, 2107 UTC »

Some Meyerton relays noted this morning between 1900-2000 UTC:

5820   SOUTH AFRICA. RTE Radio 1 - Meyerton. English program on abortion at 1950, s/off 2000 and good signal on Mar 16.

6180   SOUTH AFRICA. RFI - Meyerton. Portuguese to CAf at 1915 with current affairs show, fair signal on Mar 16.

6190   SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. English to SAf with WS at 1912, fair signal, Mar 16.

73 de Rob VK3BVW

357

Shortwave Broadcast / VANUATU??

« on: March 16, 2015, 1938 UTC »

7260 - Big fat carrier noted from 1825, no audio at all. Still there at 1945. Nothing on 3945.

Rob VK3BVW

358

Shortwave Broadcast / Solomon Islands - Cyclone Freq Change

« on: March 16, 2015, 0834 UTC »

9545   SOLOMON ISLANDS. SIBC - Honiara. Operating here all day with cyclone news and general programming, noted on Mar 15 at 1900 and Mar 16 at 0820. This freq is currently being used full-time instead of 5020 kHz because of its better range throughout the Pacific. Clashes with VOA's Mandarin co-channel occupancy between 2200-2300 and 0000-0100, but good signal at other times.

Rob VK3BVW

359

Shortwave Broadcast / Sudan Radio on 7205 again

« on: February 25, 2015, 0115 UTC »

7205   SUDAN. Sudan Radio - Al-Aitahab. Up from the nominal 7200 kHz allocation. Seems it can be heard on either freq these days! Very good signal with Arabic discussions and occasional local music selections at 1850, Feb 24. I have an audio clip at:

http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/from-log-book-february-25-2015.html

73 de Rob VK3BVW

360

Shortwave Broadcast / R. Serbia Int'al

« on: February 25, 2015, 0113 UTC »

6100   BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA. R. Serbia International - Bijeljina.  French service to Eu at 2150 about equal strength with co-channel CRI's Arabic service to NAf. Two minutes of interval signal (in its numerous variations), then into English with ID and news at 2200. However, CRI beams to SEAs in Mandarin at this time and flattens Serbia. A pity! Feb 23.

Rob VK3BVW