[HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs December 23-24, 2011

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** CHINA. Firedrake Dec 24: None found 7-18 MHz before 1500, nor in a less thoro search before 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [non]. 6135, Dec 24 around 1400, Shiokaze audible tho poorly, via JSR Yamata, JAPAN. S. Hasegawa explains in the DXLD yg why we were not hearing English the day before on Friday:

``Special emergency Service of Shiokaze is a plan on Dec. 23 to Dec. 25 and Dec. 30 to Jan. 1 (Fri-Sun) at 1330-1430 on 6135 and 2000-2100 on 5910 kHz. Broadcasted in Japanese at 1330-1400, Korean at 1400-1430 on 6135 kHz on Dec. 23``. Apparently the `emergency` is that KJI died a week ago (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. We made our annual circuit of Xmas lite neighborhoods in Enid early UT Dec 24, including the ones with FM transmitters. The one at the western edge of inhabited Enid on 99.9 ex-99.7 last year, was in play, audible only at close range, sufficient to overcome Fort Smith which at ~200 miles away puts in a surprisingly audible signal much of the time on caradios. 

Finally found the new one on 89.5. We had previously concluded from signal levels that it was close to the intersexion of Oakwood and Chestnut; and there it was, a few blox south, visible from Oakwood in the 3500 block of West Oak. Turns out it`s in an otherwise vacant lot, except for two port-a-potties, not attached to a house, fenced off according to a sign, by Grand Operating (with an oil drop), Batchelder 11-1, 
http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5sign.jpg
i.e. the name of a well, probably horizontal drilling, which are cropping down all over Enid within the city limits (who knows, someone may be extracting oil from under my very house! and I get nothing for it). In fact we had visited this site months before, to look at the drilling rigs. Will have to go back in daytime to see what it looks like and whether can spot the antenna, which is putting out far more ERP than the one on 99.9. Both leave their stereo carriers on all day when no music is playing.

89.5 is cuter than the 99.9 one, with three singing Xmas trees
http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5trees.jpg 
to go with the music, which is on a rather short loop, maybe 10-15 minutes before repeating. If you dare and have a fast connexion, download will take a while, here`s a sample of 3+ minutes, huge .mov file of 338 MB, with sound picked up from the caradio speaker, but much higher-fi in situ:
http://www.w4uvh.net/89.5xmas.mov
(Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX Listening Digest)

** ROMANIA. 17820, Dec 24 at 1416 RRI ID with Enescu`s wonderful ``Romanian Rhapsody`` full-orchestra IS we don`t hear enough any more, mixed with beeps as if a timesignal at this odd hour, then introducing pop music from the archives, Romanian service better than // 15170 which on Saturdays has no QRMadrid. 

I have a hunch RRI`s ubiquitous interval signal derives from Enescu but can`t find anything about it on their otherwise comprehensive website, nor do WRTH 2011 or 2012 deal with identifying or describing interval signals any more, let alone their musical notation. How about bringing those back next year? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA [and non]. 9885, Dec 24 at 1400, VOR SE-ward via TAJIKISTAN has just gone from Hindi to Urdu, but much stronger VOA Yankee Doodle Dandy sign-off runs almost until 1401 following Greenville in Spanish; wall-of-noise jamming from Cuba is over, but still residual pulse jamming, Commies vs ex-Commies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U K [and non]. 9740, Dec 24 at 1529, I run across BBCWS via Singapore, during FONLAC = `Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols`, yearly Xmas eve tradition, live from King`s College, Cambridge, reminding me to bring up a public radio station webcasting it, such as WUOT with high bitrate. Missed the first semihour, but lasts until 1700, including postlude by Michael Barone. Those who really want to hear the whole thing can find it repeated at various later times on many US public radio stations, especially Xmas Day.

Tnx to tip from Mike Barraclough, BBC is also presenting previous recordings of FONLAC reprocessed as `Surround Sound thru Headphones` experiments, in various configurations. Details:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/2011/12/the-festival-of-nine-lessons-and-carols-in-surround-sound.shtml#more
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Further chex for KJES following FCC Notice of Violation for being too far off-frequency beyond tolerance: Dec 23 at 1919, nothing on 15385v. Dec 24 at 1405, 11715v is on and very poor at the outset, definitely on the low side, with catechisms. By 1520, it`s much stronger with hymns, 1525 kID, `let me know if you can hear me` from ZIP 88072. 

Now I measure the frequency as closely as I can, with the 40-Hz steps on the DX-398, and I get 11714.80, so looks like it is still In Violation! Anything below 11714.824 is off limits, in FCC`s far too generous allowance. They have until January 3 to reply. Still need to find how far off 7555 it is in the 0200-0330 period. WRTH 2012 says KJES transmissions are ``part of a rehabilitation program for young people``, as if brainwashing were an improvement from whatever they are being rehabilitated from. How about teaching them to transmit on accurate frequencies? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 11550, Dec 24 at 1407, WEWN children`s choir is singing ``Qué Locura Feliz`` to the tune of ``Happy Birthday`` = ``What splendid madness``, which I assume is alluding to religious belief (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 12105, Dec 23 at 2103 check, WTWW is missing, allowing CODAR sweeps thru unimpeded. WTWW back on, in Arabic, after 1400 Dec 24 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. A week later, I have just noticed that I put the wrong frequency on this item, 6850. It should have read 6875 as usual! If anyone copied/published it, please make the correxion. And BTW, when I correct or question someone else`s frequency, don`t take offense, and do not hesitate to correct me before I finally realize it (gh, Dec 23)

6875, Dec 16 at 0616 check, RTI via WYFR is still in wrong language, German instead of Spanish. Now I have an idea why I was previously hearing weak duplicates on 7000 and 6750 --- super-strong 6875 mixing with Wadley-loop even-MHz, FRG-7 birdie at 7000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** U S A. While checking for the 99.9 Enid Xmas light show Part 15, I noticed something new on 99.7 --- Spanish. At first I figured KZLS near OKC must have flipped format from True Oldies, but it turned out I was just in a dead spot for reception from that, as I could still hear it when driving on a few meters further. 

The Spanish was coming from Wichita KS, judging from the ads, and ID as ``Fiesta 99.7 FM``; also doesn`t hesitate to refer to ``La Raza`` even tho turns out it`s owned by a gringo, Daniel D. Smith. Never heard any sign of it before, and suspect newly on air. No listing for it in the final FM Atlas XXI, which is now over a sesquiyear old.

This frequency became available in S Kansas once KXLS moved its 99.7 transmitter from halfway Alva/Enid to Mustang/OKC. All about it here in FCC:
http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=15410

It`s KANR, which used to be the calls of Spanish on 92.7, also city-of-licensed to Belle Plaine KS, which is S of Wichita (not to be confused with Pretty Prairie, W of Wichita!). FCC still has KANR licensed on 92.7 at 12 kW with a CP for 12 kW on 99.7 and an application for 50 kW. Transmitter site is same, NW of Wellington which puts it considerably closer to Enid than it would be from Wichita proper. In fact, with 12 kW ERP, its 60 dbu service contour barely reaches Wichita and the Oklahoma border. The 50 kW will get it slightly past Wichita to the north, and a little bit into Oklahoma, but not as far as Medford, Blackwell or Newkirk. I expect they moved to 99.7 in order to increase power.

Nevertheless, my reception shows that KANR 99.7 is already a nuisance for KZLS, which since it upgraded near OKC has been putting a decent signal back into Enid, after Chisholm Trail Broadcasting hijacked the frequency to a much larger market just as it did before with ex-KNID 96.9, originally a pure Enid allocation. Around noon Dec 24, the two are fighting for 99.7. And once KANR quadruples its power, it will surely be worse. KZLS is licensed for 47 kW, from a site WNW of OKC with a 60 dbu contour not quite reaching Hennessey, and has an STA for 17.4 kW from the original site SW of OKC which barely reaches the other site, which I assume is the one really in use for some months now.

So what becomes of the 92.7 allocation in S KS? That has CP to become KWME in Wellington, moving from 93.5, why? Around 1800 UT Dec 24, on 92.7 I am barely getting Xmas carols (in English) and announcements, so maybe that`s already KWME, with heavy ACI from KOMA 92.5. 

Yes, it is, per website 
http://www.kleyam.com/kwme.html 
all about 92.7, not 93.5, including coverage map 
http://www.kleyam.com/kwme2.html
It`s sister station to KLEY 1130 and KKLE 1550

And finally at 1901 UT Dec 24, ID for Oldies 92.7, KWME, amid a sesquiday of continuous Xmas music. So what becomes of the 93.5 allocation in S Kansas? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1520, Dec 23 as early as 2108 UT, something skywave besides KOKC is audible by deeply nulling its 50 kW groundwave. Sounds like country music, or maybe Xmas music, which could be anything breaking nominal format (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

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