Suddenly, after a rather lengthy series of low K-values, the Sun came
up with some trick causing higher geomagnetic levels. The last days
have brought along mixed conditions, with an intriguing Brasilian on
4894.86 (a recently reported IPB Novo Tempo?) heard around 22.40 on
Jan. 29th. Altura from Peru on 5014.35 (same day, around 03.50) have
made a nice come back, together with Guaruja Paulista on 5045.
On mediumwaves, the only usable LPAM channel at our latitudes came up
live with Radio Carillon (Jan. 29th at 02.00) while an off frequency
Turkmenistan, drifting between 1471.1 and .42, tries to spoilsport
our beloved, and only, "clear" channel. Another anomaly from...
Spain: COPE Almeria 4th harmonic on 4896, where it can be highly
confusing.

All this until the K index suddenly exploded on January 29th. And one  
of those extermely unusual stations profited from the conditions and  
a partially free channel in the 31 meters band. Radio UNAM, 9600,  
Mexico, have been recently reported by Glenn Hauser, who has to be  
credited with the following, prophetic, exhortation: "Europeans  
should try for these now." Giampiero Bernardini, from an unreported  
location, did just that, around 22.30 the other day (Jan. 29th) and  
(strongly) tentatively logged UNAM with classical music. Thanks to  
his tips on HCDX the station has been tried for in Parma and other  
Italian locations the following day, and verified against an  
excellent quality stream from UNAM Web site on http:// 
www.radiounam.unam.mx/htm/index.htm. The stream seemed to be  
matching... Renato Bruni is going to upload a couple of recordings  
from his surveillance session on 9599.25 (Jan. 30th). In spite of  
their marked fading, one can fairly easily recognize a few bars from  
Henry Purcell's Ode for the birthday of Queen Mary. A perfect match  
indeed with UNAM's program at the same time. Let's hope the signal -  
extremely faint - won't go away very soon, and that it may streghten  
up a bit for a positive identification.
Don't miss these and several other goodies, including Peru on 5602  
and the uncommon X-bander KWHN 16-50 - on Radioascolto.org's latest  
posts!
http://www.radioascolto.org/html/index.php

											

Incredible opening this morning, Jan. 26th, with several strong-level
catches from Mexico. Here's what Giampaolo Galassi reported from
Savignano, not far from the Adriatic coast of Rimini:

1190 XEWK, Guadalajara,JL, Mexico, melodica mx and "Doble-U" id W/F  
0628 26/1
1380 unid.mex. with "Centro exoterico la casa de la suerte" (and a  
station disclaimer..) pres. XECO Romantica F/G 0605-0620 26/1
1410 XEBS,Mexico City DF, traditional mx px and id "Sinfonola" F 0615  
26/1

1470 XEAI, Mexico City DF, advs and full id G/E 0558 26/1
1500 XEDF, Mexico City DF, "Radio Formula 1-500 AM" F/G 0559 26/1
1570 tent XERF -La poderosa- talk px from studio F 0610 26/1
1700 KVNS, Brownsville TX, mx and Id "La Preciosa" G 0623 26
What's more, similar conditions have been experienced by Saverio De  
Cian, who has already alerted the Italian DX mailing list IDXM. His  
tips, Saverio says, will follow soon. Let's hope to add some other,  
possibly different station, to those reported by Giampaolo on:
http://www.radioascolto.org/html/index.php
So be ready to come back in the next days!

											

Short openings on interesting channels in the 60 MB and medium waves
are going on. Renato Bruni in Parma has just received an e-mail
verification for a tentative log of KKGM-1630 from Texas (hrd at
04.35 Jan. 23rd), which makes the second highly unusual US State on
this frequency after Wyoming (a strong tentative by Andy Lawendel in
L'Ago, Borghetto (Liguria).
These days, the attention has shifted on 4865v with refreshing
announcements from Verdes Florestas in Brasil, hrd after 00.00 after
years of fruitless waiting. BUt what about the station on 4864.6ca
with what sounded German programming? Renato has been monitoring this
channel for three or four days, often with remote support from Rocco
Cotroneo, listening from Rio de Janeiro. Well, it turns out this one
(which actually precedes Verdes Florestas around 23.00 utc), could
really be Radio Logos in Bolivia with a program in "low" German for
the local Mennonites minorities. You can find a reference to this
peculiar broadcast in a recent issue of Glenn's DXLD newsletter:

** BOLIVIA. Caro Glenn, Ouvida ainda há pouco, entre 2250 e 2305 UT,
Radio Logos, Santa Cruz de La Sierra transmitindo nos 4865 kHz. Ouvi
programa religioso em inglês até as 2300 e em seguida a identificação
em espanhol onde ainda é mencionada a freqüência de 6165 kHz.
Provávelmente trocaram a freqùência, usando agora 4865 anteriormente
ocupada pela Radio Centenario que já estava inativa há algum tempo. 73
(Samuel Cássio Martins, São Carlos, SP, Brasil, Jan 14, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
Wayne, Tnx for your recent reply. Perhaps we should have asked R.
Logos what frequency they are really using. Just got this from a
Brazilian monitor (along with a tough to understand audio clip), heard
on 4865, but still saying they are on 6165.
We have also had an unidentified reported on 4865 before and after
2300 UT in German(?). Perhaps Low German, as for the Mennonites of
Bolivia. Could that be Logos? Tnx, and 73, (Glenn to Wayne Borthwick,
BC, via DXLD) No reply from him yet (gh)
Then Rocco has googled out a detailed link to Radio Logos and its  
multicultural vocation:
http://www.latcom.org/swradio.htm
Keep on following http://www.radioascolto.org/html/index.php for  
other hot tips from the Italian DX scene!

											

Some night and early morning tips from Renato Bruni in Parma
A short, but interesting log from an ever-promising X-band:
1620 0445- WTAW, College Station, TX. Dominant over WDHP. Talk and  
phone-in (Alan Comes Show at 0450, Coast to Coast at 0605) and lots  
of 1-800 ID as "Newstalk 16-20" right before newscast at 0500.
1630 0435- tent. KKGM, Forth Worth, TX. The sweet and sour taste of  
this morning: religious talks by female voice and soft mx in  
background in clear // with their webstream (http://www.kkgmam.com/ 
final/index2.html), but faded out completely (!!!) at 0512 while I  
was hearing their Call id via web... Heard then until 0525 with  
christian country mx stil in // with the web. I will log it as  
"tentative" for lack of proofs, but I have few doubts on who's guilty...
1640 0455- Radio Juventud Don Bosco, S.to Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.  
Rel in ss and id with mentions of "Radio Catiolica Mundial". I have  
to check the tape for further details.
1660 0558-WCNZ, Marco Island, FL, "This is Relevant Radio".
A few hours before, around 23 utc Jan. 22nd, Brasil was quite lively  
in the 60 mb:
4865.03 R. Verdes Florestas, Cruzeiro do Sul, Brasile (a new one for  
Renato)

5014.5 tent. R. Altura, Cerro de Pasco, Peru.
4925.07 R. Educacao Rural, Tefè
5035.1  R. Educacao Rural Coari
For detailed timing and possibly audio please refer to
http://www.radioascolto.org/html/index.php
later on.

											

Given the situation the night before, it was somewhat unexpected.
Sunday morning, Jan. 21st, in L'Ago, has brought some nice signals on
mediumwaves instead, after a few intriguing catches on shortwaves the
day before. No outstanding receptions, barring perhaps WVVM from
Georgia ("Viva 16-70"), on 1670. But a general good feeling of high
DX potential even in an overcast but fully a-light Italian sky. 1700
La preciosa was still audible at 07.05 UTC, which is *late* south of
the Alps, even in January.

The quest is still open for a positive identification of Wantok Radio  
on 7120 kHz. There's a very short window, two or three minutes when  
China's co-channel moves from Russian to Kazakh language programming.  
A station is there and it could well be PNG, hopefully. Another  
excellent catch from D.U. would be Australia's Aboriginal service on  
a split 5049.9. Music has been heard Saturday 20th, around 18.30 (ABC  
had been generally booming since 15.50 on 120 meters, plus SIBC could  
be heard starting from 16.00 UTC) when, guess who?, China had left  
the frequency. But again, no positive ID.
Full details from this weekend DX session can be found as usual on  
"Quelli del Faiallo" Web site at:
http://www.radioascolto.org/html/index.php
Please take due note of two possible Afghan stations on 6700  
(presumed Radio Solh new QRG) and 6800, as reported by Jari  
Savolainen on HCDX and DXLD (thanks, Jari) hrd after 22.30 UTC.  
Please, check also:
http://www.radiopassioni.it
later on, for these stations', plus others', audio excerpts.