[HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs December 13-14, 2008

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** BRAZIL. RNA, 11780, VG signal Dec 13 at 2322, but audio cutting out every few sex. Weakest link syndrome (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CANADA. All RCI/CBC/CRI relay frequencies, etc., still missing Sunday morning Dec 14. Jeff White hears from Sackville that they don`t expect to have power back until 1800 UT Monday. There`s something wrong with the switching at the main power substation; apparently not related to the ice storm in New England (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. RHC, 11690, Dec 13 at 2323, song in Spanish, VG signal way over DW Rwanda, barely detectable underneath; 2324 RHC said show is ``Sonido Cubano``. As usual their own transmission schedule at http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/frecuencia/frecuencias-espanol.htm
claims this frequency does not start until 0000. Furthermore, their own program schedule at http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/programacion.htm
does not show any programming in Spanish at all in the 23-24 UT hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. Glad to hear at least two of the RRI on 60m, 4750 Makassar and 4790 Fak2, Dec 14 at 1409, with talk and music respectively, both bothered by CODAR; and both registering about S9+15 tho 4790 sounded a bit louder. A few minutes later, both with music but not //. No other Indos detected on 60m. Recheck at 1440, 4750 and 4790 still audible but weaker. Sunrises are already getting earlier, tho sunsets are still getting later, to gang up at the Winter Solstice for the shortest day overall (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LATVIA. I don`t often hear the various special programs from Ulbroka, as they are scheduled too early in the morning, but Sunday Dec 14 at 1345 I came upon a signal occupying the usually vacant 9290. A YL was talking about Latvia in English, fair but fading down into noise level; 1349 outroduxion as Latvia Today, Goodbye, but more music filling, still rock music at 1355. I understand this transmitter will be closed down at yearend, so glad I had a chance to hear it this well (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. Another previously undiscovered one-minute English broadcast from RN! Dec 14 at 1357 I happened to tune to 9390, and heard a promo in English for ``Curious Orange``, before the transmitter cut off at 1358*. RN is not supposed to have any English until 1400, on other frequencies. Checking the schedules, there is an RN Dutch transmission via Tinang, Philippines on 9390, supposedly at 1259-1357 only. This probably correlates with the RN English introduxion I have heard previously on 6105 Tinang at 1359: transmitter switching is NOT properly coordinated with program source switching. I quickly changed to 6105 again this time, but no RN heard there and VOA Chinese again started a few seconds late after 1400. And again the het, presumably XEQM, a bit stronger than before but still could not detect any Maya (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** POLAND [non]. PRES, 9450 via Germany, Sunday Dec 14 at 1351, good signal as Slawek Szefs was interviewing someone about the exhumation of the body confirmed as Gen. Sikorsky`s. BTW, they pronounce his name starting with Sh- even tho it`s not spelt Sz-; why? Googling on the Szikorsky spelling, one gets a very few hits in the Polish language spelling it that way but the preferred spelling is Sikorsky (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PORTUGAL [and non]. The 12040 collision between RDPI and HCJB German starting at 2230 extended longer than ever heard before, Sat Dec 13, still going at 2321. Must have been a rather late-running silly ballgame (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN. REE, 17595, Sunday Dec 14 at 1435 with two sopranos in song outroed as ``Mi Bien Amor``, which I think the announcer said was recorded in Guatemala; 1444 music from Venezuela sung by the RTVE Chorus. Excellent modulation and usual strong, steady signal. I am as impressed by this service direct from Noblejas as I am unimpressed by the muddy Costa Rican relays. Per program grid I found at 
http://www.rtve.es/files/70-12182-FICHERO/Parrilla_colores_corporativos.pdf 
this show is Solo Canciones, Sundays at 14-15. It`s going onto my Monitoring Reminders Calendar (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K [non]. 6030 is overwhelmed with signals now reducing any chance for CFVP to be heard in the mornings here. At least the DentroCuban jamming is gone by 1400, but the Chicom CNR1 jamming is in full force, against what? Aoki says Ming Hui Radio, Tanshui, Taiwan is on 6030 with 100 kW, 325 degrees at 1300-1400 only, and is jammed. They also show CNR1 from Beijing site #572 on 6030, all the way from 2000 to 1735, 50 kW non-direxional. But Dec 14 at 1404 I was definitely pulling news in Arabic thru this mess, and that is BBCWS via Cyprus, 300 kW at 101 degrees, longpath or grayline shortpath? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WEWN, 5755, Sunday Dec 14 at 1406 with two-tone mass in English --- what`s the proper name for that kind of chanting --- a whole string of words `sung` at one pitch, and then the last one at a lower pitch, and why? However, this was getting severe self-QRM from WEWN`s own squealing modulation card, getting worse and worse. Why don`t they fix this problem which has been ongoing for years at varying levels? Do they assume no one is really trying to listen, anyway? Later checked other WEWN frequencies: at 1415, 7555 had much lighter squeal by comparison, not nearly so annoying, as Panis Angelicus was being sung. At 1426, 11520 in Spanish gospel rock, no squeal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WTJC, 9370, back in whack without splattering all over the band, Dec 14 at 1350 with preacher talk. Somewhat distorted audio on fundamental, but as long as they keep it within 4 kHz of 9370, we can live with it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Sunday Dec 14 around 1417 I noticed an Airforce MARS net on 7633.5 SSB, NCS calling stations in Indiana; came back to it at 1445, still going with NCS ID as AFA1NF, attempting to contact many other stations, some of which were not heard by him and all of which were not heard or with much weaker signals here. Does the NCS ex-officio run more power or with better antenna than ordinary members? Seems this frequency was considered secondary. A search of the 18,473 posts so far at the UDXF yg got ONE hit on 7633.5, from the prolific Al Stern, Satellite Beach FL, May 16, 2007, more than a sesquiyear ago:

``USAF MARS has reverted back to its original MARS freqs ending in "0" and "5":
 4557.0
 7633.5
13927.0 Primary
14606.0
18617.0
20992.5
The change has already been instituted and is current.``

Then searched UDXF on the callsign and also got ONE hit: ``4593.5 AFA1NF, USAF MARS Net: 1309 USB Voice (05/MAY/2008) (Jack L. Metcalfe, KY)`` But no info on QTH.

Found this website which mentions AFA1NF as NCS on the previous two Sunday mornings: http://www.marsregionone.org/IndexNew.html
Other Googling leads to Indiana as the provenance of AFA1NF. However, AF MARS regions will be realigned in January, #I becoming New England so I suppose that means all the callsigns will have to change (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VENEZUELA [non]. Another Sunday without Hugo! No sign of previous frequencies for ``Aló, Presidente`` via Cuba, at 1550 check Dec 14 of 13750, 13680, 11875, 11680 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 6074, 8GAL coming in well with usual V/CQ marker on CW, Dec 14 at 1400-1401, partially overlapping the remaining carrier from Rossii 6075 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 10000, mixing with WWV propagation info, Dec 14 at 1418, different pips slightly offset from WWV. 1420 the unknown switches to multiple bips per second in some kind of digital format. Maybe this is LOL Buenos Aires, which Eike Bierwirth says operates only at 14-15 UT? Or the new Rio de Janeiro station, if it is still operating after initial test? Haven`t seen Brazilians report it lately. Then I find the digital stuff still audible down to 9996, so maybe it was really coming from RWM Moskva (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###


      

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