Ed: HeP

HAARP, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program in Gakona, Alaska, is about to conduct its second listening test. The first was held in 1997, and received a lot of attention.

This year's test will be held March 26-27, and those sending reception reports will receive a QSL card from the HAARP facility.

March 26, 1999: 0800-0830 UTC.

March 27, 1999: 0700-0730 UTC

Frequencies: Near but below 3.39 MHz and as close to 6.99 MHz as possible. Exact frequencies will be chosen at the time of the test to avoid existing short wave users.

Not the best of hours? Well, they were chosen "to give radio listeners in the USA and Canada the best opportunity to hear the transmission".

Reception reports may be sent to: High Frequency Active Auroral Research Facility, P.O. Box 271, Gakona, Alaska 99586, USA.

Reception reports should include your copy of the CW text transmission along with signal strength observed during the constant carrier periods. Audio files could also be used. A description of the antenna and receiver used would be useful but is not required.

A lot more info on the test, and a lot of stuff on radio propagation, can be found at the official HAARP web site at http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/. (Nordic Shortwave Center)

Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, LRA36, will start its official transmissions Monday, March 1, with a regular schedule of 1800-2100 Monday to Friday, reports Argentinian DXer Gabriel Ivan Barrera.

The station has been heard by many DXers on its frequency 15475v kHz since mid Febuary.

The station will be using its new transmitter of 10 KW power. The old 1 KW transmitter was restored for emergency operations, but is no longer working. (Nordic Shortwave Center)

in Calgary, Alberta, sent a letter with very detailed technical info. Signed by Ken Crook, Chief Engineer. Long waiting, 13 months. Heard in Denmark. (Honzik, via hard-core-dx)

in Medicine Hat, has left the air for the last time at 1200 noon local time (1900 UTC). I had been anticipating a longer period of simulcasting the new FM outlet, but today, 30 days after the FM signed on, that was it. (Pimblett, via hard-core-dx)

sent a QSL letter, sticker, business card; v/s was Wayne S.Harvey, Chief engineer, and he has these e-mail addresses: Wharvey@Fundyweb.com or chns@ns.sympatico.co My report was send by E-mail, after 1 week I received the QSL. (Vos, DX Window)

Radio Barahona transmitting from the Dominican Republic has been reported as active. The station, transmitting on 4930 kHz, has been heard with normal programming, and ID as Radio Barahona Internacional. (Nordic Shortwave Center)

Radio Universidad Nacional, XEYU, has been heard on 9600 kHz, with good signal strength but with very low modulation, reports Glenn Hauser in his World of Radio.

He reports hearing the following ID: "Esta es Radio Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, transmitiendo desde México, Distrito Federal, capital de la república (chime), 860 kHz amplitud modulada estereofónica, XEUN; 96.1 MHz frecuencia modulada... y 9600 onda corta, banda internacional de 31 metros...". (Nordic Shortwave Center)

The Dutch government have given permission to build two antenna towers 35 kilometers off the coast of the Netherlands. The towers will be used by Delta Radio to transmit their programmes to the UK, probably on longwave.

Earlier, Delta Radio tried to get permission to build antenna towers in the Netherlands near the town of Apeldoorn. This permssion was not given due to many protests of people living in the neighborhood, but also due to environmental reasons because the antenna towers will be 400 meters in height.

The government has no possibilities to stop the building of the towers in the North Sea, even if sealife should suffer from the electromagnetic currents and birds from the towers. (van Arnhem, via hard-core-dx)

sent a personal letter and magazine named "Testimonia", v/s was Señora Martha Flores Ushinahua. They have e-mail soermi@mixmail.com (Vos, DX Window)

in Lowell-Lawrence, MA, will soon switch to an all-Spanish format. (North East Radio Watch)

in Hartford, CT, is dropping One-on-One and going with in favour of ESPN Sports and will bill itself as "ESPN Radio 1410." (North East Radio Watch)

in Stockton, CA, sent full detailed letter along with the transmitter tube used during the test Jan 1/1999. I am the winner of the station contest. The filiment used 6.3v at 72 amps! What a neat gift, especially today (March 4/99) which is my 50th birthday!. V/S : Paul Shinn-CE. Rec. in 63d for taped report. Address: 2141 Ralph Avenue, Stockton CA 95206. (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

Auburn, CA, has been heard on 1620 kHz at 0307 UTC February 27 with poor signals under WHLY and WPHG with religious talk programming. (Dxing.com)

The ARRL has suggested that a new ham radio band can be added in the 5100 to 5450 kHz range; the declining use of the range by utility stations has made an exclusive or shared allocation for hams a vianle idea and WA2XSY is a test of it. The WA2XSY is good for the next two years.

in, South Bend, IN, sent full detailed form letter in 100 days for taped report. V/S: Rebecca L. Dolglaw. Address: 2010 S. Michigan Street - South Bend, IN 46613. (Martin, via hard-core-dx)

in Costa Mesa, CA, will abandon its all traffic reports format and switch back to adult standards, according to the LA Radio People web site. This would be the third format change in two years, as KKTR has been all Beatles, adult standards, and all traffic reports in its short lifetime. (Gibson via AM DX NewsFlash)

in Macon, GA, has changed callsigns from ex WNML. They are on the air with their new format of "Classic Country" (Jones, via IRCA web site)

WPHG - AL, Atmore - rel

KSMH - CA, Auburn - rel

WHLY - IN, South Bend - nos

KYIZ - WA, Renton - r&b

KCJJ - IA, Iowa City - chr(rock)

KKWY - WY, Cheyenne - c&w

KDIA - CA, Vallejo - r&b

KKJY-OR, Lake Oswego - rel/gos

WAZI-WI, Sussex - rel

KKTR-CA, Costa Mesa - traffic

KCNZ- IA, Cedar Falls - nx/tk/spx

WHKT-VA, Portsmouth - rel

WQSN-MI, Kalamazoo - spx

WBAH-NJ, Elizabeth - SS (unica)

KXOL-UT, Brigham City - old (55-65)

WRNC-GA, Warner Robins - c&w

WTDY-WI, Madison - talk

WJNZ-MI, Ada - r&b/rap

WHWH-NJ, Princeton - rep. testing

KDDZ-CO, Arvada - R. Disney/kids

WMDM-MD, Lexington Park - tk/spx

WRNU-FL, Miami Springs - SS (unica)

KBGG-IA, Des Moines - biz/tlk

BBC World Service has announced a three year investment plan for moving programming from shortwave to internet.

-- Twelve World Service language services will be fully multimedia by 2002. All World Service language Services will be in real audio on the internet by 2005, said Mark Byford,chief executive for BBC World Service.

The following are some of the key changes:

** The German language Service will close.

** Shortwave coverage will be reduced in regions where this does not endanger the ability of audiences to access World Service programmes.

** The World Service online investment in at least twelve languages will make the BBC the world's leading online news provider.

** An aim to be on FM in as many capital cities of the world as possible. (Nordic Shortwave Center)

First, BBC World Service degraded shortwave in its recent three-year plan. And the Economist magazine stated that shortwave is a rotten way to listen.

Still, shortwave does not seem to be in decline everywhere, notes Kim Andrew Elliott in a recent Communications World on Voice of America. The Cuban newspaper Granma has reported that agreements have been signed between Cuba and China to modernize radio transmitters. When Chinese technicians return to the island, they will breathe new life into Titan, which is Cuba's international shortwave transmission center.

And evangelical international broadcaster Trans World Radio, based in Cary, North Carolina, has nearly completed work on a fifth shortwave transmitter on Guam.

Also, AM radio will return to the Falkland Islands. Writing in rec.radio.shortwave, Michael Westfall cites an article in the January 29th Penguin Times from the Falkland Islands, which says that KMZ Electronics is installing a 132-meter high tower at the west end of Mount William, which will be used for a 15 kilowatt medium wave tramsitter. The article does not specify the frequency, but Michael Westfall notes that a 132-meter mast would make a 5/8th wave antenna for around 1420 kilohertz. A moderately powered medium wave transmitter would be needed to cover all of the hilly terrain of the Falkland Islands.

After some earlier tests it was decided that Radio Baltic Waves should go on the air on 6230/6235 kHz.

The station is set up to broadcast programs for the Belarussian opposition movements from neighbouring Lithuania.

Radio Baltic Waves' project coordinator Rimantas Pleikys in Lithuania complains in an email to the hard-core-dx list that "following the tests of Radio Baltic Waves and the successful funding for this project, the Belarusian telecom authorities has now put the signal of Belarusian Radio 1 on 6230/6235, which was supposed to be the frequency choice for RBW. The signal is very wide and seems to be in FM mode".

The station says it will start broadcasting in May, probably on 612 kHz from Vilnius, with 40 kW, and also on some frequency near 6 MHz, with 50 or 100 kW of power.

Mr Pleikys is asking for reception reports, which can be e-mailed to riplei@lrs.lt. (Nordic Shortwave Center)

The American Radio Relay League has announced it has been issued an experimental radio service license, WA2XSY, for operation in the 5100 to 5450 kHz range. Ham radio operators in New Hampshire, Tennessee, Ohio, Florida, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Indiana, California, Utah, New York, Texas, Maryland, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will operate under the authority and call sign of this license, with effective radiated power restricted to 200 watts. Both RTTY and SSB will be used. (Dxing.com)

hermod@sydsvenskan.se