September 2001

War on Terrorism
Those wishing to follow the War on Terrorism live on shortwave can find an broad selection on Radio Netherlands' Media Network web site (European tilt) as well as the World of Radio web site (American tilt).
hcdx news desk, September 28, 2001

New Life in Estonia
Tartu Pereraadio - Tartu Family Radio - is testing a 50 KW-transmitter with Christian content on medium wave 1035 kHz.
"We are not officially on the air yet and are testing and tuning," says Jim Hulse, owner and manager for ”Towers For Jesus” and at the moment in charge of the transmitter project.
"We have been running 50 KW most of the time and are licensed for 100KW. We are going on the air with the 50 KW transmitter now and the 100 KW later."
"We started with a 818 foot tower last year and then a dispute came up on the frequency we were assigned at 612. We decided to change frequency to 1035 and not battle in courts for years. In the process of changing frequency we took off 338 feet of tower and placed it in front of the existing tower and are using it as a director for night time use."
"This station is mainly concerned with broadcasting to the Russian people the Christian view."
Jan Edh, Sweden, hcdx list, September 28, 2001



700 thanks to all of you
Since the HCDX mailing list started six years ago, HCDX membership has grown steadily.
Now yet another milestone has been passed, as we have reached 700 list members. It's only 11 months after the 600 mark was reached in October 2000.
The HCDX mail list and its web spin-off have both been the largest and, according to many testimonies, the best DX information source on the Internet for years.
"It's not us in the staff who makes this possible, it's thanks to all of you contributing loggings, QSL info, news, tips, and soforth to the list," says HCDX founder Risto Kotalampi, adding:
"Thank you, all 700 of you, for making the difference and building the de-facto forum for serious DXers."
hcdx news desk, September 21, 2001



America under attack
With lower Manhattan in New York, USA, taking on the look of a war zone after terrorist attacks, many radio emergency frequencies have been brought into service.
Radio listeners interested in trying to monitor these acitivities may find the Monitoring Times page on Disaster Communications to be of interest.
Frequency info also available on the NYDXA web site.
hcdx news desk, September 12, 2001



NSIB, Norway, going for long wave
Norway is to allow a new long wave station to start operating on its silent 216 kHz long wave frequency. LKA Oslo Kringkaster, Kløfta, 200 kW closed down on January 2, 1995.
"We look forward to replace that station with a great signal, and great programming from a great country", says Svenn Martinsen, General Manager of the Northern Star International Broadcasters in Norway.
Martinsen says that he is certain the the NSIB will be awarded the 216 kHz 1200 kW Norwegian license, adding:
"We are planning a commercial International English service on the channel."
"We have struggled for this for 7 years through various offices, Departments, Parliament and licensing authority, so for us it is quite a feat."
In a request to DXers, Martinsen asks for "radio listeners who know what they are doing" to help them out in researching the groundwave and skywave signals of other long wave radio stations transmitting on or aroung 216 kHz, such as Radio Monte Carlo, Rikisutvarpid and Polish Radio.
hcdx news desk, September 10, 2001

Only two companies have applied for a private radio licence to operate on 216 kHz with up to 1200 kW of power: Northern Star International Broadcasters and an organisation of Tamils in Norway.
The NSIB started its work many years ago, and it is thanks to the NSIB that the licence is being advertised at all, through their intense lobbying activities towards the government.
The Tamils, organized in "Det Tamilske Samordningsutvalget i Norge", already operate a FM-station in Oslo (Radio Tamil Murasam 105.8 MHz) on a frequency shared with other organisations. They intend to put their proposed transmitter somewhere in the Oslo-area, airing programmes aimed at theTamil residents all over Norway, while the NSIB is working to establish their facilities somewhere in the southwestern coastal area of Norway, aiming at a more international audience.
The licence will be issued for 7 years only, and may not be prolonged should the government at that stage want to use the frequency for "other purposes", i.e. digital transmissions.
Bernt Erfjord, Norway, in MWC list, January 11, 2001



Voice of Biafra on shortwave
Voice of Biafra International heard on 12120 kHz on September 1, 2001, when they had their first transmission 1900-2000.
Time signal and a welcome ID was followed by music, a short religious message and a very long political speech, all in English.
Reception was quite good and with no interference. It improved after 1930, when there was also a very weak telegraphy transmitter on the frequency.
Postal address to write to? Nothing on their web about the address.
Björn Fransson, Sweden, hcdx list, September 1, 2001

I heard the station announce the following address for listeners' mail at the end of their first broadcast on September 1:
733 15th Street NW, 3700 Washington DC 20005, USA.
Judging from the Russian interval signals I heard as part of the same transmission on 12120 kHz just before and after the Voice of Biafra International programme at UTC 1859 and 1959, the transmitter is most probably located in Russia or one of the former Soviet republics.
Mika Palo, Portugal (xFinland), hcdx list, September 4, 2001

The station's web site, at http://www.biafraland.com/, has a feedback form, and an e-mail address of biafraland@biafraland.com. No postal address stated.
Glenn Hauser, USA, via DXLD, September 3, 2001