Messages

31

Shortwave Broadcast / Radio 4KZ Fires Up! Shortwave's Newest Station

« on: December 20, 2017, 2302 UTC »

Much talked about but slow to get on the air, 4KZ has finally got underway with transmissions this afternoon (December 20), just in time for the Christmas holiday season. Here's my log so far:

5055   AUSTRALIA. 4KZ - Innisfail QLD. Relay of the mediumwave 4KZ first noted at 0840 on Dec 20. Weak signal (much weaker than the 5045 Ozy R.) and mixed with heavy summertime QRN. Pops and occasional adverts, ID at 0852. At 0900, another ID and then news. Also heard on most of the NZ web SDR remotes with the best being at the Bay of Islands site. At 0904, mention made of the 5055kHz shortwave outlet! By 0920, the signal strength had improved considerably to a reasonably strong and steady level.

This station should be audible into Asia, the Pacific and the west coast USA. Get your ears on!!

Here's my video of last night's reception:

https://youtu.be/5eqHB0rvACU


UPDATE:
Radio 4KZ has already been heard by Mauno Ritola in Finland and Ron Howard in California. Power is believed to be around 1kW, licenced for 1.6 kW EIRP. Not a bad effort for the first day of transmission!

73 and good DX to you all.  Rob VK3BVW

32

Shortwave Broadcast / D.P.R.K - 3250, 3320

« on: December 15, 2017, 2327 UTC »

3250   D.P.R.KOREA. VoK - Pyongyang. Japanese service fading in at 1030 (9:30 pm local AEDT). The time pips came through OK but dialogue and music was mixed in with the noise at this time of night. Improves in strength as the evening progresses, Dec 15.

3320   D.P.R.KOREA. PBS - Pyongyang. Korean anncts and sugary orchestral music at 1040, stronger than 3250….but not much! Dec 15.

33

Shortwave Broadcast / Indonesia & PNG

« on: December 15, 2017, 2326 UTC »

3325   INDONESIA & PNG. RRI - Palangkaraya and NBC Bougainville at 1045 (9:45pm AEDT), both with pop ballad style programming and anncts. NBC was a touch stronger at a fair level with summer atmospherics in the background. Dec 15.

34

Shortwave Broadcast / Republic of Sudan Radio

« on: December 10, 2017, 0626 UTC »

7205   SUDAN. Republic of Sudan Radio - Al Aitahab. African music program and Arabic anncts at 1950 and heard quite well under heavy QRM from AWR-Nauen with its Tachelhit service to NAf. But at 2000, a big RFI-Issoudun signal signs on and that makes it impossible to hear Sudan R. at my location. Dec 8.

35

Shortwave Broadcast / Al-Azm Radio

« on: December 10, 2017, 0624 UTC »

11745   SAUDI ARABIA. Al-Azm Radio - Location believed to be Jeddah but this is unconfirmed so far. Arabic service for the Saudi Army at 0730, a mix of songs, interviews and anncts, weak signal on Dec 9. And again later on Dec 9 at 1910 with Arabic songs and a long talk at 1920, a fair to weak signal again.

36

Shortwave Broadcast / 16mb African Sites

« on: December 10, 2017, 0351 UTC »

There was an unusually early opening to Africa up on 17 mHz this morning around 1945 UTC (6:45am AEDT). Although the three signals there in the 16mb were weak, it is a sign that summer is really starting to kick in here!

17570   MADAGASCAR. AWR - Talata-Volonondry. Heard with a weak signal in the Mòoré language at 2017, preaching and occasional musical interludes. ID and address given at 2026. Classical piano music at 2028 before the s/off at 2029. Dec 9. Mòoré (a.k.a. Mossi and other names) is a language spoken in Burkina Faso by about 6 million people and is considered to be one of the official languages of that country.  But Mòoré can also be found in parts of Mali, Togo and to a lesser extent in Benin and the Ivory Coast, where it is spoken by around 60,000 inhabitants. Mossi is the name of a people living in central Burkina Faso, mostly in villages in the Volta River basin. To my knowledge, Adventist World Radio is the only station on shortwave currently broadcasting in the Mòoré language!

17640   MADAGASCAR. MWV African Pathways R. - Mahajanga. Weak and fluttery signal at 2010 in English beamed to CAf. Heavily accented African speaker with preaching, clear ID and frequency annct at 2014. First time heard this summer, Dec 9.

17800   SOUTH AFRICA. AWR - Meyerton. Service to WAf in the Fulfulde language at 1945, full ID and frequency anncts at 1957, theme music and English ID at 2000 before the carrier off. Weak signal and the only station heard on this band at this time (6:45am AEDT), Dec 9.

Cheers all,

Rob VK3BVW

37

Clandestine Stations / Radio Biafra 7240 - Txer Problems

« on: November 30, 2017, 0549 UTC »

Further to the Radio Biafra item below:

7240   FRANCE. R. Biafra - Issoudun. Waited for the scheduled s/on at 0500, however nothing but a noisy, hummy carrier. Then suddenly it burst into life at 0517 in the middle of a music item. Full ID, freq annct and contact details in either the Yorba or Igbo language at 0519. Another song at 0521. 0524 - English ID as "This is Radio Biafra broadcasting from London….". Then a talk in heavily accented English. Full English ID again at 0528 to eventual s/off at 0529. A weak signal but I managed to pull it out of the noise using lots of Yaesu FTDX3000 digital trickery and magic (....oh and the horizontal loop ant)! Nov 30.

So, it seems that it's signing off after only 30 min broadcast (or less if the transmitter is playing up!!). This is the second day I have heard it off by 0530, not 0600 as in some lists.

38

Shortwave Broadcast / KCBS - Uncommon Daytime Reception

« on: November 30, 2017, 0446 UTC »

9665   D.P.R.KOREA. KCBS - Kanggye. Unusual reception across an all-daylight path at 0413 (3:13pm AEDT) to past 0430. A mix of Korean opera and martial music with no anncts until 0424. Time pips at 0430. Weak signal and not often heard this early in our afternoons near the beginning of summer (here in Australia!). Nov 30.

39

Shortwave Broadcast / R. Republica Caught Me Out!

« on: November 05, 2017, 1043 UTC »

Today, I got caught trying to work out who the Spanish broadcaster was just before the 0500 s/off. The ID revealed all....

9490   FRANCE. R. Republica - Issoudun. Extended service on Sun and Mon now runs until s/off 0500 (ex 0400) in Spanish to Cuba. Weekdays it is now *0200 to 0400*, good signal, Nov 5.

40

Shortwave Broadcast / R. France Int'l - English at 0600.

« on: November 05, 2017, 1040 UTC »

9735   FRANCE. RFI - Issoudun. English to CAf at s/on 0600, NF (ex 11905), fair signal, Nov 5.

41

Shortwave Broadcast / AWR via Issoudun - 12015 kHz

« on: November 05, 2017, 1039 UTC »

12015   FRANCE. AWR - Issoudun. French to WAf at 0625 with ID and station info before s/off 0629, NF (ex 12035), weak signal, Nov 5.

42

Shortwave Broadcast / BBC - Meyerton 0715

« on: November 05, 2017, 1038 UTC »

15490   SOUTH AFRICA. BBC - Meyerton. French to CAf at 0715 to s/off 0730, NF (ex 15400), weak signal, Nov 5.

43

Shortwave Broadcast / DW 9830 - Site Change.

« on: November 05, 2017, 1037 UTC »

There's been a change to the Deutsche Welle outlet on 9830 kHz, noted at 0650 to West Africa today. The frequency is the same as for the A17 transmission season, but is now transmitted via Nauen instead of the Pinheira, São Tomé relay. A good signal here at Mount Evelyn today. It runs parallel on 7220 (via Pinheira) but much weaker there. Nov 5.

44

Shortwave Broadcast / Pinheira Via the Long Path!

« on: November 05, 2017, 1029 UTC »

7220   SÃO TOMÉ. Deutsche Welle - Pinheira. Hausa to WAf at 0635, NF (ex 9830), weak signal via the long path, (well....it's the long to Australia!!) Nov 5.

45

Shortwave Broadcast / Three New Freqs Noted After 2100

« on: November 05, 2017, 1027 UTC »

6020   CHINA. CRI - Shijiazhuang. Spanish to SEu at 2123, fair signal and NF (ex 7335), Nov 4.

6060   IRAN. VOIRI - Zahedan. Arabic to NAf and ME at 2130 with speeches, NF (ex 7425). Weak signal, Nov 4.

6170   ROMANIA. RRI - Tiganesti. English to ENAm at 2145 to s/off 2157, NF (probably ex 9610), weak signal, Nov 4.