Ed: HeP

Radio VORGAN sliced the airwaves of Angola once again yesterday - the first time since it was silenced last April as mandated by the UN-brokered peace accords. And the station that was repeatedly condemned by the United Nations is back on short wave, reports Nick Grace C. in Clandestine Radio Watch.

Portuguese television reported early Thursday morning, according to Rui Pires (CT1FAK), that the grey clandestine station run by UNITA resumed its short wave transmissions on January 6 - less than a week after a second United Nations cargo plane was shot down.

This report is confirmed by the Portuguese news agency LUSA, which writes "UNITA relaunched shortwave broadcasts Wednesday from its VORGAN radio."

Its frequency and schedule, however, are unknown.

Whether or not the station is employing the 10 kW broadcast containers supplied by the United States during the Cold War is also undetermined.

Although details about VORGAN, an acronym for a Voz Resistencia do Galo Negro (Voice of the Resistence of the Black Cockerel), have always been sketchy since it began in 1979, UNITA representatives in Washington emphasized its importance for their group before it closed last year. SW, they said, allows their message to propagate over Angola's mountainous terrain.

An investigative report on the station, written in 1998, is available on the Clandestine Radio Watch's web site at http://www.qsl.net/yb0rmi/vorgan.htm (Nordic Shortwave Center)

The status of shortwave and tropical bands in Brazil shows that there are currently 62 stations transmitting on shortwave, with two more to be installed in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications, reports Celio Romais in the Radioescutas newsgroup.

On the tropical bands there are 78 stations, also with two more to be installed, one in Amazonas, and another in Rondonia.

The state with the greatest number of shortwave transmissions is São Paulo, with 21 frequencies. São Paulo also leads the tropical list with 15, while Amazonas has only 9.

Some states have shortwave vacancies ("vagas"). Ceará has two, which should be for the old Ceará Rádio Clube; Maranhão has one, which should be for the old Timbiras which once used 19 meters.

On tropical bands, the number is much greater: 542 channels; the state of São Paulo alone has 60 available. (Celio Romais via Glenn Hauser, Jan 6)

in Quebec City, PQ, is not silent, contrary to announcements earlier. We'll put this station back into the database, and we apologize for the error. (Mizar)

in Kelowna, BC, letter in 10 days for taped report. V/S: Jason Mawr-PD. Address: Okanagan Radio Limited, 300-435 Bernard Ave., Kelowna BC V1Y 6N8 (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

in Santiago; thanks to a visit to the station by Hector Frias, I have received a card from Hernán Barahona, Director. Several follow-ups by s-mail for a '92 report had previously gone unanswered. Hernan is a member of Amigos Radioescuchas de Santiago. (Ormandy via AM DX NewsFlash)

is the new namn on the station in San Pedro Sula, since its MW originator has become "Evanecer 12-20". Heard opening with this ID instead of R. Internacional at *1204 Jan 14, immediately into music and alabanzas. (Glenn Hauser, OK, Mundo Radial)

I have been trying to QSL All India Radio, Itanagar, for several years now with no luck. Then, low and behold, I received a reply six weeks after a fourth followup report for a 1997 reception. A prepared and stamped f/d card was returned to me rubber stamped and signed by Assistant Station Engineer, K. Morang.

A little later I received another similar card from AIR Itanagar that I had sent along with a third followup report to them back in June for that same 1997 reception. This one was signed by Station Director, J.J. Jrido (spelling?).

All of my reports and followups were sent directly to the station in Itanagar. I would not want to venture a guess as to what's going on in Itanagar that has resulted in this flurry of QSL's, but in any case, it appears that station personnel are now diligently responding to correspondence. This may represent one of those situations where there is a limited window of opportunity to obtain a QSL that normally is not a happening thing. If you haven't ever received a response from these guys, this may be the time to try again. Good luck! (Ed Tilbury, Nordic Shortwave Center)

in Tijuana sent a verification in 11 days from Tom White, CE. Address: C/O P.O. Box 250028, 1500 Cotner Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90025. (Martin, hard-core-dx list)

"Radio Lobo" in Toluca, Mexico, prompt e-mail reply to follow-up from Oscar Beltran, Sales Director of HQ for Corporacion Mexicana de Radiodifusion S.A. to which XETOL belong, in very good English. E-mail cmr@mail.internet.com.mx (Ormandy via AM DX NewsFlash)

The new Voice of America transmitter on Tinian Island, close to Saipan, belonging to the Northern Marianas Islands, started high power tests on Tuesday, January 5.

As of January 15 they plan to broadcast VOA and RFA programs as follows, according to Dan Fergusson and IBB:

0800-1000 on 11995 (VOA EG), 13650 (VOA EG),

1000-1100 on 11995 (VOA CH), 13650 (VOA CH),

1100-1200 on 9860 (RFA Lao), 13790 (RFA Lao),

1200-1300 on 11825 (VOA CH), 13790 (RFA Khmer),

1300-1400 on 11825 (VOA CH), 15250 (VOA CH),

1400-1500 on 15260 (RFA Cantonese), 15470 (RFA VT),

1500-1600 on 13735 (RFA Mandarin), 15215 (RFA Burmese),

1600-1800 on 11850 (RFA Mandarin),

1600-1900 on 13735 (RFA Mandarin),

1800-2000 on 11790 (RFA Mandarin),

1900-2000 on 11740 (RFA Mandarin).

The station will not be operating 2000-0800 while construction work continues.

Six 500 kW shortwave transmitters are being set up, having been transferred from the Gloria/Lisboa site in Portugal, informs Bob Padula in the EDXP newsletter. (Nordic Shortwave Center)

After some detective work, including lots of listening and lots of email exchanges, it would seem that the Peruvian on 6676 kHz is Radiodifusora Paratón de Huarmaca.

This station has been logged by DXers around the world, and through the joint efforts of mainly Nicolas Eramos in Argentina and Michael Schnitzer in Germany (and the benevolent forces governing the atmosphere) the mystery ended on Christmas eve. Writes Schnitzer from Germany:

I have had stronger signals from Peru than before, giving signals clear enough to solve the mystery on 6676, a station that came though with a clear ID: "Radiodifusora Paratón de Huarmaca".

I listened to the station about 90 minutes from 2310 to 0040, and during that period I heard several clear IDs and this time there are no doubts. The station is Radiodifusora Paratón indeed.

And Schnitzer adds:

If there was someone listening to another station on 6676 this night, I will give up the entire DX-hobby and join a monastery...

Earlier it was believed that this station was giving IDs as Radiodifusoras Tarapoto and Radio Tarapoto. Eramos in Argentina even had his wife suffering though some DX tape recordings, in order to get it correct.

To add to the confusion, in the Passmann's Tropical Band List the station listed on 6676.3 kHz is Radio Huamuchuco.

Reports in a recent Cumbre DX bulletin also points in the direction of Radiodifusora Paratón de Huarmaca, which earlier was on 6670 kHz.

I sent reception reports via fax addressed to Sr. Alonso Hurtado, actual station director, in order to help 3 DXers from Australia, Finland and the USA. Hurtado inform me that he had received those report before but that the details were not enough to demonstrate the reports' correctness. Personally, I think it is difficult for European and American DXers to send detailed reports if they do not know the Spanish language [editorial comment: well, if we as DXers do want the stations to verify, we really have to provide the correct information, language barriers or not. My compliments to Mr. Hurtado. - HP].

Many years ago, Radio Maturín had a QSL card. One was sent to Björn Olsson, Umeå, Sweden, and was published in the British magazine Communcation; I have a photocopy. But Sr. Alonso Hurtado told me that this card does not exist any more, so when he answers correct reports he does it with a QSL letter. (Monges, YV-News, via DX Windows 148)

There has been discussion in the DXing community about some widely heard USA transmitters operating in the 25 MHz band. Sheldon Harvey, Canada, has this information:

"Regarding the stations in 11m, these stations fall into the category of Wireless Telecom Bureau Land Mobile Stations, as per the FCC database. The two stations which everyone is hearing is only the tip of the iceberg. If you would like a complete listing of stations licensed in this range, check out the following:

then select the Wireless Telecom Bureau Database Search.

You will see numerous searches available. I find that the Frequency or Frequency/State searches are most helpful. You will see that each station has an assigned callsign. I think you will be amazed by the number of licenses issued.

A good friend of mine, Alan Roberts, of St. Lambert, Quebec is a real fanatic for DXing these stations. Over the last 5 year or so, he has logged probably over 50 different stations in this frequency range. They are usually either AM, FM or TV stations which use these generally low powered transmitters as off-air monitoring devices. They also use them for remote link-ups to the studios. Many stations operating on a delay system use them to monitor off-air in real time; something that reporters, staff, camera crews, etc. need to monitor remote feeds.

Research that DXer Alan Roberts has done shows that many of the stations' engineers are using transmitters manufactured by a company called Comrex. The antennas are often modified CB antennas.

The Canadian International DX Club (CIDX), is starting a new column in its monthly newletter, The Messenger, in the New Year which will be edited by Alan Roberts. The column will be called 25 Plus and will deal with these types of stations, plus citizens band DX work, plus anything else that shows up in the 25 to 30 MHz. band, excluding the 10m ham band. Check out the CIDX website at: http://www.anarc.org/cidx/

Hope this is helpful to you and everyone else". (Harvey via EDXP 107)

in Plattsburgh, NY, switched on Dec. 14 to a simulcast of country WXPS-FM 96.7, Vergennes, VT. The calls remain the same, but the station is now ID'ing as "Kicks 96.7 Country." (Mizar)

in Salt Lake City, UT, pd letter with coverage map in 23 days for taped report. Heard with night power of 13 watts. V/S: Christopher Wilde-PD. Address: Eagle Gate Plaza-60 East South Temple #120, Salt Lake City UT 84111 (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

in Seattle, WA, is now KRSB. ID at 0500 Jan 12 as "AM 11-50, KRSB-Seattle. The Soul is in the Sound" Non stop song over and over "I'll Take You There" by the Staple Singers. (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

in St. Maries, ID, (pronounced Saint Marys), has moved. Their new address is : KOFE, 201 North 8th Street, St. Maries, ID 83861, phone: (208) 245-1240 (Martin, via AM DX NewsFlash)

in San Rafael, CA; a phone call QSL (recorded, until I get written one), from Michael Day-GM in 4 days from taped report. Address: 77 Tamalpais Drive #208-Corte Madera, CA 94925 (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

in Arvada, CO, letter in 8 days for taped report from: Shannon Blankely-Admin. assit. Address: 730 W. Hampden Avenue #300-Englewood CO 80110 (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

in Albuquerque, NM, verie note on report from : Max Gabaldon-PD in 8 days. Address: 8009 Marble NE-Albuquerque NM 87110. (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

has been leased by Disney, and started carrying Radio Disney on December 28, despite loud protests from far and wide. Many listeners across eastern North America have enjoyed WQEW's American Popular Standards format for many years. The station operated for many years as classical WQXR and switched to the present format a few years back. (Mizar)

in Fox Farm/Cheyenne, WY, is on the air with adult standards and CNN news. Reception reports may be sent to KKWY, 110 E. 17th Street #205, Cheyenne, WY 82001, USA. (Martin, AM DX NewsFlash)

ARVADA, CO, letter in 8 days for report from :Shannon Blankley-Admin. Assit. Address: 730 W. Hampden Avenue #300-Englewood CO 80110 (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

WMXG Barnwell, SC 740 WBAW

KCMX Phoenix, OR 880 KTMT

KSRB Seattle, WA 1150 KEZX

WXNI Westerly, RI 1230 WERI

WTBL Dunedin, FL 1470 WLVU

En ny station startar den 1 februari 0400 UTC på 9490 kHz. Det gäller RTBF, Radio-TV Belge de la Communaute Francaise i Bryssel.

Adressen är Relations International, BE-1044 Bruxelles, Belgien.

Man riktar sig till Centralafrika med en 100 kW sändare belägen i Jülich, Tyskland. Schema fram till den 28 mars:

Alla sändningar är på franska och relä av det inhemska programmet. De har tillverkat ett eget QSL-kort. (BE)

Den omtalade halvtimmessändningen av Communications World (VOA:s mediaprogram) via CIS-sändaren på 15605 kHz söndagen den 17 januari 0930 UTC ägde aldrig rum utan Radio Free Asia sände ett halvtimmes testprogram med urtråkig monoton testmusik och anropen RFA-Channel 1. Jag tror de har kommunikationsproblem även inom storföretaget VOA. (BE)