April 2018 - Australian DX News - 1

255003-04913 Print Post Approved Registration No. A0011728G Edition No. 612 – April 2018 ISSN 0810-9826 ARDXC Inc. ABN: 83 818 568 199

Australian DX News Monthly Publication of the Australian Radio DX Club Inc. - Australia’s Premier DXing Organisation since 1965

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ARDXC Officials and Addresses Committee Officers: Tony Magon (President), Robert Fitzgerald (Vice-President), John Wright (Secretary), Geoffrey Wright (Treasurer) Ordinary Committee Members: David Brown, John Sanderson, Dennis Allen, Denis Smithson. Correspondence for Committee: John Wright, 29 Milford Road, Peakhurst, NSW, 2210. Annual Membership Fees (from 1/7/2013): All prices quoted in Australian dollars and include GST. Australia $62 (Student under 18yo $31); NZ, Pacific & Asia $76; Rest of the World $98; Family Membership $10 Email only membership $20 Australia (or US $20 overseas) Email + Hard Copy Membership $70 Australia Sample copies of the ADXN are available for $5 (or equivalent) from John Wright, 29 Milford Road, Peakhurst, NSW, 2210. Email inquiries can be directed to dxer1234@gmail.com Club web page: http://www.ardxc.info

Editorial Deadlines & Addresses

Next deadlines: May 2018 (Issue 613): Friday 27 April 2018 Jun 2018 (Issue 614): Friday 1 June 2018 SW Trail, On Air and Editorial Craig Seager, 12 Pellion Place, Bathurst, NSW, 2795 (email: shango12@gmail.com) Broadcast Band/FM/Scribblings John Wright, 29 Milford Rd, Peakhurst, NSW 2210. (email: dxer1234@gmail.com) Utility John Volpato, PO Box 247, Deakin West, ACT 2600. (email: john@volpato.net) Amateur Bob Ronai, (email: vk2bob@gmail.com)

News from Club HQ (with John Wright) Welcome to the April 2018 edition It’s the New Zealand DX League 70th anniversary! So, we do congratulate our Anzac brothers and sisters! A fine goal! We have sent an email to Bryan Clark to be read out and the meeting this weekend the 6,7,8th April! What a wonderful achievement! New Members We welcome the following new members and re-joining members: 2809 Steve Carr, from Macarthur Square. Steve, we met at the Sydney branch meeting and he is VK2FSIC. Steve has Yaesu and ICOM gear! 2810 Bruce Churchill, from Fallbrook California USA. Bruce is very well known in the Dxing world!

2700 Alokesh Gupta, from India has re-joined, and he has already made his mark by supplying schedules! So, we welcome you all, and invite you to contribute to whichever sections you please! Facebook Edwin Lowe has kindly launched an ARDXC Facebook page. It is at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ARDXC/ Melbourne Meetings! Yes, this is a best seller. All types of radio people turn up! The next one should be in April on the second Saturday at The Novel Nook in Cockatoo at the bottom of Bailey Road. As Shelley and I are moving in four weeks to Inverloch I will no longer be organising these Breakfasts. Wayne VK3XF has taken up the baton and all is in his hands now. (Paul Mitchell). Please ask Steven to send an email to Wayne VK3XF at waynevk3xf@gmail.com so that he may be put on the email distribution list if he wishes. So how good is that you can even bring your spouse! We haven’t had meetings in Melbourne for some years. Advertising and Growth Sponsorship of Radio 4KZ and Ozy Radio. The committee of the club after much discussion were unanimous that we support both stations and also if any other member gets a shortwave station up and running. So, we are spending $500-00 on advertising over the next three months! Currently we are at 139 members, up from 126 from last June. We also organised that both stations send us any email addresses of people asking for QSL’s or advising of reception. Such as your hard-working committee. Renewals These are due 1 July 2018. The only price to go up is the hard copy version to New Zealand and the Pacific $84-00 airmail. Email membership is $20-00. Price has now held for 20 years!!!! A4 within Australia is still $62-00 and combined pdf and A4 is $70-00 still! Brisbane Meeting Saturday 5th May 11.30am “Hi guys, next ARDXC Brisbane BBQ will be, 11.30 am Saturday 5th May 2018. 9 Sylvateere Cres, Wakerley QLD. This will tie in with Sam Dellitt's trip to Brisbane from

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Canberra. Don't forget to bring your toys along. Hope you can make it” (John & Colleen 0429176131). Sydney Meeting Saturday 31st March. Those present were Wayne Bastow, David Brown, Dennis Smithson, Steven Carr, John Faulkner, Robert Fitzgerald, Edwin Lowe, Tony Magon, John Sanderson, Eric Gauja, Peter Theodorakis, Geoffrey Wright, John Wright and guest Ian Baxter. Apologies Bob Yorston, Dennis Allen, and Mark McInnes. A real nice day weather wise, so there was the BBQ. Much discussion on the new stations Ozy Radio and Radio 4KZ. We had Ozy Radio playing on 4835 kc/s. The highlight was “Turn up your radio”, by the Masters Apprentices. It got turned up the ICOM R75! All these old rockers in the club!! Philip Costa: this famous Dxer in Australia we have some 20 QSLs from the 1930’s when he lived at 33Kilgour St, Geelong Victoria and also in the mid-seventies when he lived at 104 Savoy Drive, Florida Gardens, Gold coast, QLD Australia! Even a QSL from Kokusai-Denwa Kaisha Ltd, from Tokyo Japan September 6th 1936!!! 20 kw but many frequencies on the card. Radio Togo 5047 KHz 16th May 1974. Panama! LA Voz de la Victor on 6005 KHz 20 August 1937! Thanks to Michael Charteris from Queensland for his extremely thoughtful donation! Auction Eric Gauja also from Peakhurst is downsizing his radio collection. So, what better way to sell off a SRT CR304A. A rack mounted receiver from the 80s. This also very heavy 20-25kg and sensitive. Bands from 0 to 30 MHz. So, bang it around and you have an issue. We will start off at $50-00. Closing date is 26th April 2018 5pm. Bids by email dxer1234@gmail.com or postal mail. No bids by phone. It’s a collect from my place at 29 Milford Rd, Peakhurst. There is a cheat sheet with how the set operates really made well this Swedish set! Website Needed Wanted a volunteer to do a very simple web page. Most internet companies when you sign up over some range of coverage for making of a web site. Now just a page with just the one link to dxer1234@gmail.com Probably update twice a year that’s it. Enquiries to the above email address or 0416766490. Cheers Johno 2018 AGM BRISBANE. Saturday 27 of October 2018. 1230pm Start, the AGM proceedings. The venue is John & Colleen Smiths place, at 9 Sylvateere Cres, Wakerley QLD 0429 176131. Some more interesting DX sites! Thanks to Ron Howard from California there is a site with the old SPEEDX magazines. Yes, I was in SPEEDX many years ago. Am 73 now and have been DXing about 47

years. Time flies when having fun!! (I am now 60 trying to catch up, Ron) - ed JW http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Speedx.htm Hans in the Netherlands as given these sites, and WOW if you want the free of costs site…email Hans hknot@home.nl Please thank Hans! Tell him you’re in the ARDXC! “As well-known media historian I’ve free sites of enormous amount of my publications including our on-line journal for media and music culture on our university Groningen www.soundscapes.info (this year 21 years) We run www.radioday.nl from 1978 on Also free of costs www.hansknot.com also many years. And http://freewave-media-magazine.nl/ (this year 40 years). Other The final word goes to Edwin Lowe who proposes renaming the Scribblings page, The Listening Post…..HMMM, sounds good. Any takers? WOW! So much information! (JW)

Stop Press! MONGOLIA April 8 - From 1130 to 1148 UTC, on 7260 kHz., non-stop pop songs by same YL American singer; no announcements at all; assume Mongolia and clearly fits the program three format of non-stop pop songs; stronger than China, which fortunately was just talking till they started music at 1148, making for more of a challenge to make out Mongolia. Thanks very much to Mauno for the positive confirmation and link to program three. Very nice to have them active again! Today nothing on 4830 nor on 4895. (Ron Howard via WOR list/WRTH Facebook Page) Front Cover: QSL from 1986 for Radio La Cruz del Sur, one of the more easily heard Bolivians of the time. Sadly, the station is long gone from shortwave, but you can hear it pretty easily online (or if you visit La Paz!)

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Shortwave Trail Our monthly roundup of members’ loggings edited by Craig Seager

Editorial Address 12 Pellion Pl., Windradyne NSW 2795 E-mail shango12@gmail.com You want more? We got more! A bumper Trail this month, reflecting the many frequency changes that occurred in late March. We also have news of a frequency change for Ozy Radio, and we welcome ARDXC newcomer Bruce Churchill (USA). Also, welcome back to Jerome Van der Linden, after many, many years absence from these pages. 3320 Radio Sonder Grense, Meyerton. 0413-0443 10/3,

noted in Afrikaans language, eventually followed by pop music program. Station ID and announcements at 0432 followed by more music. Fair. (D’Angelo-PA)

3320 PBS Pyongyang. 1234, 17/03, Korean at fair strength, strong heterodyne from 3325 adjacent channel (Lowe-T)

3325 RRI Palangkaraya. 1252 17/03, Bahasa with annct at good strength and clear. (Lowe-T)

3480 VO the People, Kyonggi-do Koyang. 1619 03/03, Korean talk programming, fair strength(Lowe). 1303, 17/03, Korean talk with jamming by ringing signal (Lowe-T)

3925 Radio Nikkei 1, Chiba. 1418 10/03, Japanese music programming. Good strength with adjacent channel QRM from 3930. (Lowe)

4450 PBS Pyongyang. 1433, 10/03, Korean talk commentary. Very noisy with QRM at fair strength.

4775 R.Tarma, Peru. 23/3 at 0157 in SS, song, at 0200 an “banda…kHz…ID…”&cl/d at 0202 (Pankov*).

4810 Voice of Homeland via Armenia. 25/3 at 0445 w/ID in Kurdish “Dendzhi Uelat” //7520 & the new item was mentioned on 2/4 at 0530-0540 w/nx in Turkish on 11530 (Pankov*).

4835 Ozy R, Razorback NSW. Pops and IDs at 0445, NF (ex 5045) and fair signal. Nice to see it back on air after having gone missing for most of March while it acquired the required transmitter parts for the frequency change. 29/3. (Wagner). Fair level 1000 (1 kW?) and with some static on first day of operation (28/3). Better reception next morning at 2000. Plenty of ‘Ozy Radio’ ids and fine Aussie pop music from the past. 28/3 (Shepherd). First day of txm 28/3, 0755 perfect signal playing OZY MUSIC. Thanks to call from Craig Allen, we are back on air! (Wright). 1026 with ID. Great signal compared to old frequency. 3/4 (Zollo). Good level 1826, NF (Schache). Me too! Very large with John Farnham song 0735, recent NF. Also heard over Easter from near Federal in the NSW North Coast hinterland, 0200, but nowhere near as strong as from home, 2/4 (Seager)

4850 PBS Xinjiang, Urumqi. 1210 05/03, Kazakh at fair strength, with QRM heterodyne from 4855. (Lowe)

4870 Clandestine, Voice of Kashmir (Radio Sedayee Kashmir). In Kashmiri 1445, *1430-1530* to Pakistan from AIR Kingsway transmitter. Weak signal, only just discernible. Logged 27/3 (Shepherd)

4875.26 R.Difusora Roraima, Boa Vista RR. A mix of talk

and light music at 0945, a weak signal in the local atmospherics, 15/3. (Wagner). 0323-0352 15/3, program of Brazilian pop vocals in the Portuguese language with a series of ads and announcements. Another man with long religious talk at 0325 followed by “amen” and brief choir vocals at 0341. Nice formal station ID and frequency announcement over instrumental music. Fair signal. (D’Angelo-PA)

4885 Radio Cultura do Pará, Belém. 0253-0337 10/3, lively Portuguese language discussion with full station ID and frequency announcements at 0308. Into popular music program shortly thereafter. Fair to good. (D’Angelo-PA)

4885 Echo of Hope VOH2, Goyang. 1350 03/03, Korean talk programming, good strength. (Lowe)

4900 VO Strait, Fuzhou. 1343 03/03, Hokkien talk programming, very strong, clear, solid signal. (Lowe)

4905 PBS Xizang, Lhasa. 1616 03/03, English, China Tibet Broadcasting programming of current affairs, music and weather. Very strong, clear, solid signal. (Lowe)

4920 PBS Xizang, Lhasa. Fair level but a bit noisy. Heard with a Tibetan discussion and samples of Tibetan songs and music at 1150-1155 on 12/3 (Allen).

5020 Solomon Islands BC. 1055 with music and ID and news in EE at 1100. Best signal strength ever noticed here. 12/3 (Zollo).

5845 R.IBC (Italian Broadcasting Corp), Gavar. Italian service with plenty of IDs and chat at 1920, on Weds only, very good signal, 28/3. (Wagner). 21/3 at 2000 w/ID & DX px in EE called “Italian Shortwave Panorama” and it was their No. 100 px (Pankov*).

5860 Radio Farda, Lampertheim. 1511, 10/03, Farsi music programming with annct at good strength. (Lowe)

5875 VoA, Ban Dung. At 2002 with news in Korean to EAs, NF and good signal on 28/3. (Wagner)

5875 R.Thailand, Udon Thani. Good reception of a s/on in EE before the start of the VV service at 1101 on 12/3 (Allen).

5885 Radio Free Asia, Tinian. 1520, 10/03, Korean commentary at very good strength. (Lowe)

5895 BBC, Dushanbe. 1629 04/03, Korean, English lesson programme and annct. Very strong signal. (Lowe)

5905 R.Algerienne Chaine 1 via Issoudun. Weak reception of an AA talk at 1938, 18/3. Not scheduled for s/on at 2200. // 7375 was slightly better (Allen).

5910 RRI, Tiganesti. Ukrainian service to EEu at 1930, NF (ex 5930), fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

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5915 ZNBC, Lusaka. At 2130 with on-location news reports in one of the many local (vernacular) languages. Afro pops at 2136, and telephone talkback at 2143. S/off at exactly 2159. Fair signal on 1/3. (Wagner)

5925 VoIRI, Sirjan. Pashto to SAs at 1650, NF (believed to be ex 5935 via Ahwaz), weak signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

5930 R.Algerienne, Issoudun. S/on 2100 in Arabic to NWAf, excellent signal and NF for A18. 26/3. (Wagner)

5930 BBC, Meyerton. French to SAf and Madagascar at 1810, an additional freq for this service, weak signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

5930 VoIRI, Sirjan. Albanian to Eu at 1831, NF (ex 5925), weak signal and heard after the BBC s/off at 1830, 30/3. (Wagner)

5935 Shiokaze, Yamata. 1312, 17/03 Japanese talk at fair strength, with co-channel jamming, and co-channel with PBS Xizang in Chinese (Lowe-T)

5935 WWCR University Network. 1124 tentative as no ID heard. Good signal in EE. Presumed PBS Xizang faintly underneath. 6/3 (Zollo).

5940 R.Deegaanka Soomaalida, Jigjiga. This relatively new station is still operating here for A18 in Somali, noted at 1935 with talks and instrumental music, a signal on 28/3. (Wagner)

5940 Voice of I.R.Iran, Sirjan. 1559, 11/03, Urdu at good strength, but with strong adjacent channel QRM from 5945 CNR1. (Lowe)

5945 VoIRI, Sirjan. Italian to SEu at 1940, NF (ex 6135), fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

5950 Vo Tigray Revolution, Addis Ababa. Fair signal with Horn of Africa instrumentals at 1945, 28/3. (Wagner)

5950 CLANDESTINE Dandal Kura Radio, Issoudun. 0503-0536 7/3, announcer talking in listed Kanuri language with occasional brief instrumental music segments. Mainly talk on this outlet. Fair. (D’Angelo-PA)

5955 BBC, Dhabayya. S/on 2200 with English WS to SEAs, NF and a fair signal but accompanied by a bad hum on the modulation, 26/3. (Wagner)

5960 CLANDESTINE Dandal Kura Radio, Ascension or Radio Ndarason Intl. 0500-0519 9/3, after NHK closedown noted with announcer speaking in listed Kanuri language with vocals beginning at 0508. Poor to fair. (D’Angelo-PA)

5960 NHK, Issoudun. 0452-0500* 9/3, talk in the Japanese language, Another announcer at 0458 with closedown announcements and station ID over light instrumental music. Closed with two time pips. Good signal. (D’Angelo-PA)

5960 VoT, Emirler. Turkish to ME at 1950, NF (ex 6120), good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

5970 VoA, Moepeng Hill. French to Af at s/on 1959, NF and a fair signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

5970 WEWN. 1210 tentative as not ID'd, but quite obvious from religious programming. 5/4 (Zollo).

5975 CNR 8, Beijing. 1321 17/03, strong Korean programming, with weak co-channel VO Vietnam. (Lowe-T)

5980 RNZI, Rangitaiki. English to Oc at 1300, NF (ex 7390), excellent signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

5990 Radio Romania International, Galbeni. 2009 in

Romanian to Southern Europe with ID at 2030. 11/3 (Zollo).

5995 VoIRI, Sirjan. Armenian to CEu at 1645, NF (ex 5945), fair signal 2/4. (Wagner)

5995 Echo of Hope VOH, Suwon-Osan. 1205, 05/03, Korean, strong but noisy, with poor audio due to QRM from adjacent channels. (Lowe)

6010 R.Japan, Yamata. Japanese to ME at 1954, NF (ex 9670), good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

6010 CNR 11, Baoji. Fair w/rustic vocals 1047, Tibetan service, retimed, 11/3 (Seager)

6025 CRI, Xian. 1555, 10/03, Russian music programming to sign off, very strong strength. (Lowe)

6030 Radio Martí, Greenville. 1151 05/03, Very strong signal, with CNR Beijing QRM co-channel at fair strength. (Lowe)

6030 Radio Oromiya. 1614, 10/03. Oromo talk. Weak and poor, heard under CNR1 co-channel, distinguishable and not Radio Romania Int in Russian sce, listed on freq at this time (Lowe). Ethiopian music programming at 1957 to s/off 2000, fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

6035 PBS Yunnan, Kunming. 1155 05/03, Chinese talk and music. Strong signal, with strong adjacent channel QRM from Radio Marti 6030. (Lowe)

6040 VoA, Pinheira. The Kinyarwanda service to EAf at 1950 (weekdays only), NF and a good signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

6040 VOIRI, Sirjan. Quite strong but also noisy. Heard with a US-accented EE report on the poisoning of the Russian spy in England, followed by a detailed ID including transmission and internet details. Heard at 1940 on 18/3 (Allen).

6045 KNLS, Anchor Point. 1204 with music and ID in EE 1205. 5/4 (Zollo). English to SEAs at 1240, NF and a good signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

6060 Mission Friedensstimme, Nauen. 1624, 10/03, very strong Russian talk and music, strong co-channel QRM from CRI Kunming in English. (Lowe)

6070 R.Nordzee International (The Netherlands) via R.292(Germany). 1/4 at 0855 w/DJ in EE evergreen song “I’m a Man” by the Spencer Davis Group, followed from 0900 w/DX px of DARC HAM Ass in GG & some EE (Pankov*).

6075 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. Mandarin to EAs at 1305, NF and good signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

6075 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. English to EAs at 1405, NF but NOT a good choice as R. Taiwan Int’l and its accompanying CNR 1 jammer already occupy this freq from B17, so KNLS suffers heavy QRM, compared to its good signal in the previous hour, 3/4. (Wagner)

6080 VoA, Moepeng Hill. English to Af at 1945, a change of txer site? Previously listed in B17 as via Pinheira, São Tomé at this time. Fair signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

6080 RFA, Tinian. Mandarin to EAs at 2007 with Firedrake jamming. NF and a weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

6090 RRI, Săftica. German to WEu in DRM at 1940, NF and a real bummer for anyone wanting to listen to the co-channel Amhara State Radio. The Ethiopian can still be heard here underneath the DRM white noise, but it’s not a pleasant experience, 30/3. (Wagner)

6090 CRI, Xian. 1652 10/03, Hakka anncts and talk, with songs in Cantonese and Mandarin, very strong and

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clear. Listed as East Africa target area, if so, an interesting language choice. Sign off at 1658 and immediate change over to CRI English via Kunming, listed as SE Asia target area. SE Asia is a much more obvious programming choice for Hakka, but neither the Hakka nor the English services are optimal listening times for SE Asia local time. English to East Africa would be more logical at this time of day, but the Hakka remains puzzling. Very curious. (Lowe).

6090 University Network, Anguilla, Fair w/old DGS lesson 0733, 2/4 (Seager)

6130 TWR, Manzini. Portuguese talks to Angola at 1940, good signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

6145 KBS World R., Woofferton. French to WEu and NAf at 1935, NF and now on 1-hr earlier for A18, good signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

6170 VoA, Biblis. Kurdish to ME at 1927, NF (ex 9515), good signal and // 7225 also well heard, 4/4. (Wagner)

6170 RRI, Galbeni. French to WEu at 2012, NF and good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

6185 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. S/on 1100 in Russian to NEAs, NF (ex 7370) and a fair signal except for some light co-channel QRM from China Huayi BC, 29/3. (Wagner)

6185 R.Taiwan Int’l, Woofferton. German to WEu at 1915, NF (ex 3955) and good signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

6185 Radio Educación, México City. 0302-0326 15/3, news program in Spanish language, station ID and magazine style news features. Instrumental music at 0321. Poor to fair. (D’Angelo-PA)

6400 PBS Pyongyang Pansong. 1042 tentative as no ID heard with music in Korean. 3/4 (Zollo).

6930U PIRATE (No. Am.), Voice of the Springfield Mission via KIRK. 2230-2236* 7/3, thanks to a tip from Bill Montney-MI (who ID’d the station) which yielded the tail end of apparently a program of David Bowie music with announcer mentioning he was head of the Aryan Nation where they burn logs they don't like. Asked for money, gave address which I missed before terminating transmission. Odd! Fair. (D’Angelo-PA)

7120 R.Hargeisa, Hargeisa. Somali to EAf at 1815, music programming and occasional talks. Fair signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

7140 Voice of the Broad Masses, Asmara. The Network 1 program to EAf in the Tigrinya language service at 1800, with anncts, talk and background Afro pops, fair signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

7180 Voice of the Broad Masses, Asmara. The Network 2 program to EAf in the Arabic language service at 1810, with anncts and Afro pops, weak signal, (7140 seemed slightly stronger here), 4/4. (Wagner)

7205 Rep of Sudan Radio, Al-Aitahab. Arabic interview to EAf at 1826, fair signal, 2/4. (Wagner). 31/3 at 0358 in AA – advertisement for Coca-Cola, at 0400 ID ”Idaatu Omdurman,Sowtu Jumhuryia..Sudan” & nx in AA (Pankov*).

7210 CRI via Cërrik. Fair level but noisy with an AA discussion at 0549 on 21/3 (Allen). Fading in at 0515 on 20/3, poor in AA to NAf (Adams-W).

7220 R.Romania International, Galbeni. A Romanian pop song and anns heard at 0550-0553 on 21/3. Fair

level with some noise and fading (Allen). 7220 R.Dandal Kura Int’l, Issoudun. Kanuri service to

Nigeria at 0515 with occasional IDs, health news, topical news and interviews. Several breaks in audio NF (ex 5950), a weak signal here but very strong on the Kiwi SDR in Kapeleto, Greece. At first, I thought it was IDing as the recently reported Ndarason R. Int’l, but constant monitoring throughout the hour and in the s/off annct, I was definitely hearing R. Dandal Kura Int’l. So, I’m now not sure what the situation is with the rebranding of this station. 28/3. (Wagner)

7235 VoIRI, Sirjan. Italian to SEu at 1935, fair signal and NF (ex 7305), 26/3. (Wagner)

7235 VoIRI, Sirjan. Albanian to SEu at 1830, NF (ex 7305), fair signal but listened in LSB to avoid Ethiopia 7236.3 kHz, 2/4. (Wagner)

7236.36v Voice of Peace & Democracy, Geja Jewe. At 1830 in the presumed Tigrinya language to EAf, frequency drift observed while listening for only 5 min, eventual s/off at 1838. The audio was a bit scratchy at times although a good signal, but listening in USB avoided VoIRI 7235, 2/4. (Wagner)

7245 CRI, Baoji. Russian to EEu at 2020, NF (seems to be ex 7255), very good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

7254.92 VoNigeria, Abuja or Ikorodu? English to WAf at 1835 with news talks and occasional music, weak signal, 2/4. Wolfgang DF5SX advises that this is coming from the Abuja site using Ampegon txers because the Ikorodu site is in such a dilapidated condition. (Wagner). Fading out with an Afro song and music at 0557 before becoming stronger at 0600, 21/3 with presumed Hausa anns. (Allen)

7255 CRI, Kashi. Mandarin to NAf and ME at 2025, NF (possibly ex 7245), fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

7280 V. of Vietnam, Hanoi. Weak and noisy in EE with a report on classical music education. Heard at 1918 on 18/3 (Allen).

7295 NVK Sakha Yakutsk. Domestic station, Sakha Republic of the Russian Far East. Fair at 0900 sign on in RR & Yakut? and this channel // to 7345 kHz. Also heard at 1250 to 1300* with pleasant Russian music and mentions of Moskva. 30/3 (Shepherd)

7300 CRI, Kashi. One of only two stations offering the Esperanto language (the other being R. Habana), noted at 2220 beaming to SAm, NF (ex 7315), weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

7305 BBC, AL Seela. English WS to SEAs at 2215, NF and // 5955, good signal on 26/3. (Wagner)

7305 VoIRI, Sirjan. French to Eu at 1937, NF (ex 6135), weak signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

7315 RRI, Galbeni. English to WEu at 2217, NF and fair signal but co-channel QRM from CNR 2, 26/3. (Wagner)

7330 Radio România Actualităţi (Home Sce). on 25/3 at 0448 in Romanian //several MW & FM txs w the No. 1 song in 1983 in UK “Baby Jane“ by Sir Rod Stewart (Pankov*).

7335 Radio Marti. 1137 in Spanish with ID heard at 1200. Seems to be a new frequency not listed yet? 5/4 (Zollo).

7345 NVK Sakha Yakutsk. Domestic station, Sakha Republic of the Russian Far East. Better reception than 7295 kHz in RR & Yakut? at 0900 sign-on. Blocked by CRI at 1100. This region of Russia is +9

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 7

UTC, hence sign on equates roughly to greyline dusk. Current WRTH lists both channels as licensed but inactive at editorial deadline due to technical problems but definitely operational now. 30/3 (Shepherd)

7355 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. S/on 1000 in English to SEAs, NF (ex 7370) and a fair level, 29/3. (Wagner)

7360 Vatican R., SM Galeria. French to WAf at s/on 2030, NF (ex 7365) and good signal, 28/3. (Wagner). The Rosary in Latin to CAf at 1950, NF (ex 7365), fair signal, 30/3. (Wagner). Special Good Friday service in English to WAf at 1900, fair signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

7360 R.Romania International, Galbeni. Quite strong in FF after s/on at 0600 on 21/3 (Allen)

7365 VoA, Ban Dung. Korean to EAs at 2034, NF and fair signal with light jamming, 28/3. (Wagner)

7375 AWR/KSDA, Agat. S/on 2000 with English ID and then into Russian to Eastern Russia, NF (ex 9760) and good signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

7375 R.Algerienne Chaine 1, via Issoudun. Heard with the usual Koran chanting. Weak and noisy at 1931 on 18/3 (Allen).

7390 BBC, Woofferton. French to NAf at 0611, NF (possibly ex 6135), a weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

7390 RFI, Issoudun. Heard at 0605 on 21/3 with FF anns. A fair level signal with periodic noise and fading (Allen).

7395 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. Mandarin to NEAs at 1325, NF and a very good signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

7410 Gospel for Asia, Nauen. Noted at 2350 in an unidentified Asian language, NF (ex 7380), weak signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

7425 VoIRI, Zahedan. Arabic to ME and NAf at 1945, NF and poor signal on 26/3. (Wagner)

7425 RNZI, Rangitaiki. English to Pacific at 0700 through to 1100, NF (ex 9765), excellent signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

7480 R.Payam e-Doost, Grigoriopol. Farsi service to Iran at 1835 to s/off 1845, a strong signal, 4/4. (Wagner)

7485 VOA, Tinian. At 2035 in Korean with a good signal, runs //7365 and 5875 also heard, 28/3. (Wagner)

7505 WRNO, New Orleans LA. Mandarin at 1015, address given in English at 1026. A permanent addition to the A18 schedule??? Fair to weak signal, 4/4. (Wagner). April 4 at 0630, WRNO still on with music at S9-S7 but undermodulated and rough carrier. Ivo Ivanov, Ron Howard and Dave Kenny have been reporting it on beyond the former 01-04 UT schedule, and Mauno Ritola noted the WRNO website now says: ``SHORTWAVE FREQUENCY 7505 kHz 8PM - 8AM CENTRAL`` Also linked to WRNO FB: which exclaims, ``March 28 at 7:00pm · Excited to reach China with the Good News!`` Well, certainly more possible than before 0400! But 50 kW at 20 degrees? Ron Howard confirms extension to 12 hours a day: ``April 4 - Tuned in at 1245, to hear Chinese & English religious song, then with preaching in Chinese; yes, noted 1300*`` HFCC A-18 also has WRNO registered on 15590 at 16-22, an imaginary frequency not used for many, many years, the Joe Costello era, but always in the listings. 7505 could be expanded further between 22 and 16, altho

the first hour would now confront IBB Tibetan via Tajikistan and jamming (Hauser*). Not heard here for many a moon due to previous operating hours, CC religious session 0750, gave ID and address in Chinglish, not strong, 3/4 (Seager).

7540 VoA Deewa R., Ban Dung. Pashto to Afghanistan at 1850 until s/off 1859, NF (was using 9370 kHz via Ban Dung in B17), good signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

9330 TWR India, Gavar. Hindi to SAs at 1320, NF (ex 9745), very good signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

9345 R.Free Nth Korea, Tashkent. KK talks 1245, a bit of jamming beneath, 17/3 (Seager)

9355 VOA Deewa Radio via Kuwait. Quite clear at times with a Pashto talk at 1855, 18/3 (Allen).

9370 VoA Deewa R., Umm al-Rimam. Pashto to Afghanistan 1853 until s/off 1900, weak signal, ex Ban Dung in B17 and // 7540 where the signal is much stronger, 2/4. (Wagner)

9380 FEBC, Bocaue. Mandarin service to EAs at 1040, NF (ex 9430) and a good signal with only slight co-channel QRM from AIR-Aligarh, 29/3. (Wagner)

9390 Radio Thailand, Udon Thani. 1905 news in EE to Europe with ID at 1925. 11/3 (Zollo). Very good in EE 1246., nx on 17/3 (Seager)

9395 RAE in German via WRMI. 2/4 circa 1930,; but 2003 check on caradio, in VOA News, so must still be Oldies this hour instead of RAE Italian (Hauser*)

9400 End Times Coming R., Kostinbrod. English preaching to Eu at 1820 to s/off 1830 after ID, new time (ex 1900 in B17) and fair signal, 4/4. (Wagner). 1912 religious programming in EE to Europe with ID at 1929. 11/3 (Zollo).

9410 BBC, Woofferton. English to WAf at 2005 with “BBC News Hour”. Fair to weak signal. In B17, this freq was BBC-Al Seela in Arabic at this time. At 2100 (on weekdays only), the service changes to the Ascension Is. relay, which is a weaker signal here. 26/3. (Wagner)

9410 BBC, Ascension. English WS to WAf at s/on 0700, NF and txer site for A18, weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9410 BBC via Al Seela. English to ME at 0445, very poor on 20/3 (Adams-W).

9420 Voice of Greece, Avlis. Good with EE pops during Greek programme to Eu at 0633, 13/3 (Adams-W).

9440 BBC, Woofferton. French to NAf at 0607, NF (possibly ex 7265) and fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9445 Voice of Korea, Kujang. Only fair at 0635 in EE to FE on 13/3 (Adams-W).

9445 AIR, Bengaluru. 2110 in EE to Europe with ID then music. 10/3 (Zollo).

9455 Bangladesh Betar, Dhaka. Nepali to SAs at 1310, news and occasional S.Asian music, good signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

9455 WRMI, Okeechobee. Poor with id and EE news at 0642, 13/3 (Adams-W).

9460 BBC, Al Seela. S/on 1400 in Hindi to SAs, NF (probably ex 9540), fair signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

9470 CRI, Kashi. NF for the English service to Eu at 0105. Not a strong signal but very readable, and should be heard well in Eu, 28/3. (Wagner)

9485 VOA via Woofferton. Fair reception of Amharic anns before s/off at 1900 on 18/3 (Allen).

9490 Bible Voice, Kostinbrod. Arabic to ME 1712, NF (ex 11700) fair to weak signal. 2/4. (Wagner)

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 8

9490 R.República, via RMI via Issoudun, FRANCE. 5/4 at 0143, with good signal tonight, no doubt about it, over the jamming and nothing on 7350, the imaginary A-18 frequency from 0200 (Hauser*)

9510 BBC, Tashkent. The 30-min Bangla service to SAs at s/on 0030. NF (possibly replacing one of the Kranji outlets in B17), started weakly, peaked a little stronger at 0035 and then faded by 0045, 27/3. (Wagner)

9510 VoIRI, Sirjan. Pashto to CAs at 1305. This appears to be a new service in Pashto at this time (scheduled: 1220-1320), a good signal on 29/3. (Wagner)

9525 Denge Welat.2124 in Kurdish to Middle East with ID at 2158. 10/3 (Zollo). Talks in Kurdish 1932, lots of mentions of Kurdistan, very good on 17/3 (Seager)

9535.86 VoV, Son Tay. Network 1 with Vietnamese discussion at 0030. Fair signal at 11:30 am local AEDT and one of the few signals on the band at this time. 27/3. (Wagner)

9540 RFA, Tinian, Korean at 2145, NF and good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9545 BBC, Dhabayya. Amharic to EAf at 1945, into Oromo at 1950, weekdays only, NF and a fair signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

9545 BBC, Kostinbrod. Amharic to EAf at s/on 1730, then into Oromo at 1750. NF (ex 7595), weekdays only and fair to poor signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

9550 VoA via Pinheira. English to Af at 0645, poor on 13/3 (Adams-W).

9560 R.Japan, Yamata. Indonesian to SEAs at 2150 to s/off 2200, NF (ex 6075), fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9565 Super Rádio Deus é Amor, Curitiba. Poor in PP on 13/3 at 0647 (Adams-W).

9570 CRI, Cërrik. Mandarin to NAm at 0259, ID at 0300. Weak signal but not bad considering it’s the beginning of March, usually much stronger in our winter time (May to Aug). 2/3. (Wagner)

9585 KSDA/AWR, Agat. Cantonese service at 1255 until s/off 1300, NF (ex 9800), good signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

9590 CRI, Beijing. English to EAs at s/on 2200, NF (ex 5915), Fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9595 R.Nikkei 1, Chiba-Nagara. Quite good at times, fading in and out. Heard with a JJ discussion at 0918 on 12/3 (Allen).

9600 MWV African Pathways R, Mahajanga. English to SAs at 0252 with pop song, then suddenly off at 0257 without any further anncts. Variable signal from weak through peaking to a fair level at times, 2/3. (Wagner)

9610 R.Veritas Asia, Palauig. S/on 1430 with English ID and then the Urdu service to SAs, NF (ex 11630 via SM Galeria in B17), good signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

9610 Voice of Turkey, Emirler. 2131 news in EE to Australia with ID at 2137. 10/3 (Zollo).

9620 R.Algerienne, Issoudun. Qur’an at 0621 to NWAf, NF and excellent signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9620 AIR, Aligarh. Urdu service to Pakistan at 1035, NF (ex 6145), fair signal but CNR 2-Beijing dominates this freq for most of the transmission until s/off at 1140 after AIR’s 5-min English news bulletin, 29/3. (Wagner)

9625 VoA, Tinang. S/on 2200 in Mandarin with CNR jamming, NF and a fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9630.584 R.Aparecida. 5/4 at 0537, R. Aparecida in song,

poor signal and way off+frequency plus instead of slightly minus. JBA on 11855.80v (Hauser*)

9636.7 VoV, Son Tay. Network 1 in Vietnamese at 0246 with news reports. Interesting short path daytime propagation with a fair signal, 2/3. (Wagner). 1301 09/03, Vietnamese talk at good strength. (Lowe)

9640 Vatican R., SM Galeria. Belarusian to EEu, 1705, NF (ex 6185), good signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

9655 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. Mandarin to EAs at 1745, fair signal, NF (ex 6065 at this time), 2/4. (Wagner)

9655 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. English to EAs at 0825, into Russian at 0900, NF (ex 7370), very good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9665 RFI via Talata- Volonondry. Swahili to EAf on 20/3, poor at 0450 (Adams-W).

9670 Vatican R., SM Galeria. Special Good Friday service to WAf at 1920, weak signal on 30/3. (Wagner)

9685 Reach Beyond Aust, Kununurra WA. English to SEAs at 1230, NF and excellent signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

9690 RFI, Issoudun. Hausa to CAf at 2013, NF (x 9825) and fair signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

9690 Radio Exterior de España, Noblejas. 2143 in Spanish to NAm with ID at 2200. 10/3 (Zollo).

9700 RRI, Galbeni. English to WEu at 0530 to s/off 0557, NF (ex 7345), very good signal, 28/3. (Wagner). A NF for EE to Europe. Heard with news reports at 0535 on 28/3 (Allen).

9710 Vatican R., SM Galeria. Special Good Friday service in Portuguese to SAf at 1915, good signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

9715 Bible Voice B.C. via Moosbrunn. Fair level with some noise and fading. Heard with an EE religious talk at 1848 on 18/3 (Allen). 1939 tentative as no ID heard. Religious programming in EE to Middle East. 11/3 (Zollo).

9720 Sri Lanka BC, Trincomalee. 1147 Hindi to S.Asia with music and presumed ID at 1159? Then overpowered by CRI in Tagalog to Philippines with SL BC faintly in background with male announcer. 12/3 (Zollo).

9725 CRI, Huhhot. Russian to EAs at 1020, NF (ex 5915), fair signal but heavy splatter from 10 kHz away (!) due to the combined efforts of gigantic signals from R. Taiwan Int’l and Firedrake jamming on 9735, 29/3. (Wagner)

9730 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. S/on 0900 in Mandarin to EAs, NF (ex 7355), very good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9730 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. Russian at 1734, NF (ex 7370), fair signal but with co-channel QRM from Vo Vietnam, 2/4. (Wagner)

9735 RFI, Issoudun. Good with EE to CAf at 0620 on 13/3 (Adams-W).

9740 RRI, Tiganesti. Arabic to NAf at 0640, NF (probably ex 15330 or 17810), excellent signal and // 11970 also an NF and equally well heard, 28/3. (Wagner)

9755 KNLS New Life, Mahajanga. Russian to EEu at 1952 to s/off 1956, NF (ex 9810) and a weak signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

9760 R.Nikkei 2, Nagara. EE pops JJ announcement on 13/3, good at 0654 (Adams-W).

9790 RFI, Issoudun. French to WAf on 13/3. good at 0615 (Adams-W).

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 9

9800 Reach Beyond Aust., Kununurra WA. S/on 2110 with jazzy flute theme music, English to EAs, NF (x 9620) and excellent signal. Believed to be scheduled for Sun/Mon/Wed-Fri and ends at 2130. 26/3. (Wagner)

9800 VoIRI, Zahedan. Arabic to ME and NAf at 0240, NF (ex 7380). Plenty of carrier but the audio seemed to be down somewhat….maybe they were phoning it through to the transmitter! ;-) 28/3. (Wagner)

9805 AWR, Trincomalee. S/on 0000 for the Thai service to SEAs, NF (ex 9510), weak signal and faded by 0015, 26/3. (Wagner)

9805 Radio Martí. 1054 in Spanish with ID at 1059 then what seemed to be religious programming. Good signal but listened in LSB to avoid QRM from 9810 (CNR 2). 25/3 (Zollo).

9810 VOIRI, Sirjan. S/on 1422 in Hindi to SAs, NF (possibly ex 5925), good signal but heavy co-channel QRM from CNR 1, Nanning, 3/4. (Wagner)

9825 WRMI, Furman SC. NF, hymns 0542, good on 2/4 (Seager)

9830 VoT, Emirler. English to ENAm at 2207, NF (ex 5960) and weak under a much stronger CNR 1, 28/3. (Wagner)

9835 RTM Sarawak FM. 1943 tentative as no ID heard. Music. 11/3 (Zollo).

9835.05 India Vs Malaysia. At 0040, AIR-Delhi’s Tamil service creating a het with the ever-reliable RTM-Kajang dead-on 9835kHz until 0045 when AIR signs off. A weak signal from both stations around local lunchtime here, 28/3. (Wagner)

9894.57 R.Cairo. 6/4 at 2019, Qur`an alternating with French translations, distorted, so R. Caire is definitely on the air. There had been doubts as various scheduled transmissions had been unheard in Europe; but Wolfgang Büschel was also getting some earlier languages today. I heard this direct, but at 2045 I`m on the UTwente SDR at 9894.58 for more distorted French. Recheck at 2112 it`s already off, but 2113, 9799.57 is on for the 2115 English broadcast, with a timesignal 58 seconds late, almost 2116 but that includes web delay, into music. Later presumed English talk with intolerable distortion. Wolfie later found this transmitter off the air part of the time rather than straight thru to 2245. Another broadcast supposed to start at 2330 in Arabic to South America on 9660, but no sign of it here at 2350 (Hauser*)

9855 VoA, Umm al-Rimam. NF for the Tibetan service at 0050 to s/off 0100 with CNR jamming, fair to poor signal from both stations, 28/3. (Wagner)

9860 CRI, Kashi. Esperanto service to SAm at 2215, NF (ex 9860), fair to weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9860 NHK via SMG. NF, very strong in EE until 0530*, bilingual sign-off anncts., 2/4 (Seager)

9865 AIR, Bengaluru. The Vividh Bharati service with music programming and Hindi anncts at 0232. Fair reception at 1:32 local AEDT, 2/3. (Wagner)

9885 VOA via Pinheira. Weak and noisy reception of a FF talk at 0543, 28/3, and a NF (Allen).

9890 BBC, Kranji. Bangla service to SAs at 0130, NF (ex 9560) and a weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

9890 Vatican R., Tinang. Russian to NEAs at 1135, NF (possibly ex 9695 or 7330), good signal until sudden s/off at 1250 (not the scheduled 1300!), 29/3.

(Wagner) 9900 BBC, Kranji. English WS at s/on 1000 to SEAs,

Indon and Au, an additional frequency for this service and a fabulous signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

9910 AIR, Bengaluru. English to EAf at 1750, NF, co-channel QRM from R. Philipinas-Tinang, 2/4. (Wagner)

9915 BBC, Woofferton. English WS at 0500 to CAf and SAf, NF for A18 at this time, switching over from the Talata relay in the previous hour. A weak signal here and not as strong as Talata on 28/3. (Wagner)

9935 Vo Greece, Avlis. Music and Greek anncts at 0220. Not often heard at this time of year in the middle of the day (1:20 pm AEDT), more like winter reception. Fair signal, 2/3. (Wagner). Fair level signal with only slight noise and fading, and much better than //9420. Heard with a GK conversation at 0548 on 23/3 (Allen). 0610 Typical Greek instrumental music //9420 (poorer), 10/3 (Van der Linden)

9955 AWR, Tashkent. The Hmong service (Thurs/Fri) to SEAs at 1330-1400, Indonesian (Mon/Tues/Sat), NF (ex 11900 via Guam). Very good signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

11530 Denge Welat, Issoudun. 1559 08/03, Kurdish monologue talk, // with webstream, fair strength. (Lowe)

11560 AIR, Bengaluru. Dari service to SAs at 0310 with news, good signal, 2/3. (Wagner)

11580 FEBA India, Agana. In the scheduled Kannada language at 1335 on Thurs/Fri/Sat, in Tamil on Tues/Wed, and English on Mon until s/off 1345. NF (ex 9775 via Trincomalee), good signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

11680 Voice of Hope, Lusaka. Good in EE to SAf on 20/3 at 0510 (Adams-W).

11695 BBC, Kranji. English WS to EAs at 1005, NF and a fair signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

11710 CRI, Xian. English to EAs at 0815 to s/off AT 0957, NF (ex 9415), fair signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

11725 RNZI, Rangitaiki. English to Pacific at 0545, NF (ex 13730), excellent signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

11725 Vatican R., Tinang. Hindi to SAs at 1435, NF and a fair signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

11735 Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation, Dole. 2052-2101* 17/3, tuned in to local vocals with announcer at 2100 taking in Swahili language. Carrier terminated at 21010. Fair. (D’Angelo-PA)

11735 R.Transmundial, St. Maria. 1/4 at 1915 w/ID & an for bands & kHz in PP (Pankov*).

11740 AIR, Panaji. Good in Pasto to Afghanistan at 0255 on 20/3 (Adams-W). Dari to Afghanistan at 0315, finishing the news then music intro into a music program. Good signal and // 11560, 2/3. (Wagner)

11745 Al-Asm R., Jeddah. News reports in Arabic at 1005, the broadcast is for Saudi troops in the south of the country, fair signal, 13/3. (Wagner). Arabic to Yemen on 20/3, poor at 0415 (Adams-W).

11745 R.Free Asia, Tinian. Mandarin to EAs at 1850, NF and tough to hear under the Firedrake racket, 4/4. (Wagner)

11770 Xinjiang PBS, Urumqi. Barely audible in CC on 16/3 at 0639 (Adams-W).

11780 VOIRI, Sirjan. Loves Rainbow interval signal at 0420, signing on in Hebrew, good on 20/3 (Adams-

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 10

W). 11785 China Radio Int. 10/3 0734, Chinese language

lessons, in EE px (Van der Linden) 11790 R.Japan, Yamata. Japanese to EAs at 0323, weak

signal, 2/3. (Wagner) 11790 R.Taiwan International via Talata. Quite good here

with a Swahili song and anns until drowned out by R. Romania ID signal at 0559 on 23/3 (Allen).

11800 DW, Issoudun. Hausa to WAf at 0635, this transmission previously via Nauen in B17, excellent signal, 28/3. (Wagner). Hausa to WAf at 1820, NF (possibly ex 9785), weak signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

11815 R.Japan, Yamata. Good reception of some modern jazz music before JJ anns at 0933, 26/3 (Allen).

11825 AWR, Dushanbe. s/on 1330 in Thai to SEAs, NF (ex 15450 via Guam in B17), good, 3/4. (Wagner)

11830 R.Dandal Kura, Issoudun. Kanuri to WAf at s/on 1800, NF (ex 11670) weak signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

11840 Radio Havana Cuba. 1232 tentative as no ID heard. Spanish programming. 5/4 (Zollo).

11850 BBC, Dhabayya. Amharic to EAf at s/on 1730, then into Oromo at 1750. NF (ex 11720), weekdays only service and fair to poor signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

11850 Voice of America, Santa Maria di Galeria. 1607-1630* 17/3, news in listed Kinyarwanda language followed by a program of features until end of program. Fair. (D’Angelo-PA)

11860 Rep. of Yemen Radio Sana’a, Jeddah. Fading in a little earlier than usual at 1025 with Arabic interview program, weak signal on 13/3. (Wagner). 1254 tentative as not able to ID. Arabic programming. 5/4 (Zollo)

11875 RFI, Issoudun. S/on 1900 in Portuguese to Angola, NF (possibly ex 13660 or 15360?), fair signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

11875 BBC via Al Seela. Heard at 0353-0355, 30/3, with Farsi anns and snatches of songs. Fair signal but a bit noisy on this NF (Allen).

11880 AWR via Issoudun. Good in FF to WAf on 13/3 at 0727 (Adams-W).

11880 AWR via Moosbrunn, Arabic at 0643, good on 16/3 (Adams-W).

11885 KNLS, Anchor Point AK. Mandarin to EAs at 0835, NF (ex 7355), very good signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

11890 KSDA/AWR, Agat. Mandarin to EAs at 2208, NF (ex 11980) and fair signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

11890 BBC, Al Seela. English WS to SAs at 1300, NF and a fair signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

11905 CRI, Jinhua. English to Oc at 0910, NF (possibly ex 17690), S9+ 30dB, 28/3. (Wagner)

11925 AWR, Trincomalee. S/on 0100 in Min Nan Chinese to EAs (in Mandarin on Fri and Sat), NF (ex 15625) and a fair signal, 27/3. (Wagner)

11935 Vatican radio, Santa Maria di Galeria. Arabic to ME at 0725, only fair under CNR 5, Beijing in CC on 13/3 (Adams-W).

11940 RRI, Tiganesti. Russian to CAs at 1315, NF (ex 11985), fair signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

11955 KSDA/AWR, Agat. Indonesian to SEAs at 2205, NF (ex 11800) and a good signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

11980 R.Free Asia via Dushanbe. A weak signal fading in and out of the noise with a CC talk at 0603 on 23/3 (Allen).

11980 AWR Nth Africa, Nauen. 10/3, 0743 Arabic talks

(Van der Linden). Very good in AA to NAf on 13/3 at 0728 (Adams-W).

11985 Adventist World Radio, Nauen. 1709-1737 21/3, religious talk in listed Amharic language. Vocal at 1711 followed by announcer talking over instrumental music. More vocals followed. The pattern continued until 1710 when gave the station identification in the English language (“This is Adventist World Radio, the Voice of Hope”) and repeated in multiple languages. The listed Kabyle language program opened at 1731. (D’Angelo-PA)

11985 R.Algerienne, Issoudun. French to CAf at 1903, into Arabic at 1911. NF (possibly ex 7375 which I can’t hear anymore). Weak signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

11995 RFI, Issoudun. Good in Hausa to CAf on 16/3 at 0620 (Adams-W).

11995 Deutsche Welle, Issoudun. 1611, 12/03. Amharic commentary and interview. Fair strength, but noisy. (Lowe)

12005 BBC, Ascension. French to WAf at 1810, NF (ex 11975) and a weak signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

12015 AWR via Issoudun. French to WAf at 0623, good on 16/3 (Adams-W).

12015 WHRI, Cypress Creek SC. American preaching to Oc at 0915, NF (ex 11825), fair and variable signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

12025 VOIRI, Sirjan. Variable reception of an AA talk at 0358 on 30/3. NF (Allen). NF for AA px, nx briefs 0342, fair on 3/4 (Seager)

12035 BBC via Al Seela. Poor in EE to ME at 0430, 20/3 (Adams-W).

12040 KSDA/AWR, Agat. Sundanese service to SEAs at 2211, NF (ex 9720) and a fair signal. Scheduled Sundanese on Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat and English on Tues/Thurs/Sun until s/off 2230. 26/3. (Wagner)

12055 CNR 17, Lingshi. Weak and noisy reception of a Kazakh song and anns at 1020, 12/3 (Allen).

12070 VoA via Pinheira. Hausa to WAf at 0720, good on 13/3 (Adams-W).

12084.9 Vo Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. English service to As at 0925 with American-sounding pops, ID at 0929, IS and into Mongolian at 0930, fair to poor signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

12095 BBC via Meyerton. Very good in EE to CAf on 0629, 16/3 (Adams-W).

12095 BBC via Dhabbaya. English to EAF on 20/3, good at 0432 (Adams-W).

12130 Mashaal Radio via Kuwait. Barely audible on 20/3, Pashto at 0435 (Adams-W).

13570 CRI, Xian. English to EAs at s/on 1000, NF (ex 5955), fair signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

13580 BBC via Talata. Heard with an EE interview at 0638 on 2/4. Fair signal with some noise and fading. NF (Allen).

13580 Mashaal Radio via Kuwait. Only fair in Pashto at 0646, 16/3 (Adams-W).

13600 R.Sultanate of Oman, Thumrait. AA to CAf at 0648, poor on 16/3 (Adams-W).

13635 V. of Turkey, Emirler. Fair level reception of a TT group discussion at 0642 on 2/4. NF (Allen). Turkish to Eu at 0850, NF (ex 15350), good signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

13640 CRI, Jinhua. Japanese to EAs at 2245, NF (perhaps ex 7440), good signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 11

13645 CRI, Xian. Weak and noisy signal for this NF heard with a CC talk at 0643 on 2/4 (Allen).

13650 VoK, Kujang. The usual opening choral number, ID in Mandarin and more joyous songs at 0335. Fair signal, 2/3. (Wagner)

13670 VoA, Greenville NC. The 30-min Bambara service to WAf at 2130, NF and a fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

13680 R.Japan, Yamata. Japanese to SEAs at 2250 to s/off 2300, NF (ex 11665), fair to poor signal and some light QRM from co-channel Sound of Hope, 28/3. (Wagner)

13680 VO Hope Zambia (KVOH Group). 31/3 at 1600 w/px & DJ in EE called “Song in the Night“ (it was repeat from 30/3 aired by VO Hope from 1900 on MW 1287 Israel site & has repeat also on 17775 kHz), at 1602 the ID “Radio with Love, this is Voice of Hope” followed by fantastic Bee Gees w/“How Can I Mend a Broken Heart?” (Pankov*).

13685 Radio France International, Issoudun. 1715-1740 16/3, French language program with news related features, station IDs with fair to good signal. (D’Angelo-PA). Good at 0705, Hausa to CAf on 13/3 (Adams-W).

13695 AIR, Bengaluru. Hindi service to ME at 0340, with music programming and a big signal, 2/3. (Wagner). Hindi to ME at 0340, good on 20/3 (Adams-W).

13695 RFI, Issoudun. French to WAf on 13/3, good at 0708 (Adams-W).

13720 Saudi Broadcasting Corp. (BSKSA) Riyadh. Somali to EAf on 13/3, only fair at 0710, suffer splash from RNZ, Rangitaiki on 13730 (Adams-W).

13730 RNZI, Rangitaiki. English to the Pacific at 2055, NF (x 15720), very good signal, 26/3. (Wagner). Very good in EE to Oceania at 0555 on 20/3 (Adams-W).

13730 CRI, Kunming. Mandarin to Oc at s/on 0900, NF and // 13765, both replacing 17670 and 15440 from the B17 season. Both powerhouse signals. 30/3. (Wagner)

13730 VoIRI, Sirjan. S/on 1321 in Russian to EEu, NF (ex 11675), fair signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

13740 RFA, Agingan Point. Khmer service at 2300, NF and a weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

13740 VOIRI, Ahwaz. Fair in Dari to CAs on 20/3, 0558. 13745 R, Thailand, Udon Thani. Good on 20/3 with Thai to

ENA at 0320 (Adams-W). 13760 VoK, Kujang. Spanish to LAm at 0343, fair to poor

signal, 2/3. (Wagner) 13765 VoT, Emirler. Hausa to CAf at 0617, NF (ex 15235),

good signal, 28/3. (Wagner) 13790 RRI, Tiganesti. French to NAf at 1005, NF (ex

17640), weak signal, 30/3. (Wagner) 13790 R.Free Asia via Agignan Point. Heard with a CC

talk at 0654, 2/4. Also jamming on this NF (Allen). 13800 CRI, Kunming. English to Oc at 0908, NF (possibly

ex 15210) and excellent signal, 30/3. (Wagner) 13810 Dandal Kura via Woofferton. Poor in Kanuri to

Nigeria at 0713, 13/3 (Adams-W). 13830 Vatican R., SM Galeria. At 1710 in French to CAf

(170?), NF (ex 13765) weak signal. Changes to Amharic to EAf at 1730 (115?) with a slightly better signal here, 2/4. (Wagner)

13830 VoA via Selebi-Phikwe. French to WAF at 0600, good on 20/3 (Adams-W).

13840 BBC via Dhabbaya. Somali to EAf at 0402, good on

20/3 (Adams-W). 13860 R.Farda, Ban Dung. Farsi to Iran at 0922 until s/off

0930, NF (possibly ex 7585…not sure!), fair signal, 30/3. (Wagner)

13860 BBC via Tashkent. Good in Farsi to Iran on 20/3 at 0437 (Adams-W).

15105 Bangladesh Betar, Dhaka. IS 1229 t/in, then EE TC in local time and GMT, ID, frequency. Good level on 17/3 (Seager)

15120 R.Saudi Int’l, Riyadh. Bangla service to SAs at 1105 with a woman (for a change! Uncommon to hear a female voice on this station at any time!) talking about Yemen, and mentions of Washington. Fair signal on 13/3. (Wagner)

15120 VoA, Greenville NC. Bambara service to WAf at 2135, NF and a fair signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

15155 Adventist World Radio Nairobi, Talata Volondry. 1851-1900* 21/3, religious talk in the English language followed by light instrumental music. At 1856 there was a station identification for Adventist World Radio and group vocals until the carrier was terminated. Fair signal. (D’Angelo-PA)

15200 RRI, Galbeni. French to SEu at 1015, NF (possibly ex 17870 or 15260), weak signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

15215 Deutsche Welle, Dhabayya. Dari service to WAs at 1335, NF (ex 15430?), a fair to weak signal with some hum on the audio, 3/4. (Wagner)

15230 CRI, Xian. Cantonese to EAs at 0745, NF (ex 13610), good signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

15275 DW via Talata. Quite good with Swahili anns incl. an ID at 1042, 12/3, then an Afro song and mx (Allen).

15310 BBC, Al Seela. Bangla service to SAs at 1340 until s/off 1400, NF (ex 11750), fair signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

15310 BBC, Kranji. Bangla service to SAs at 0135, NF (ex 11995) and an excellent signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

15310 BBC, Tinang. Burmese service to SEAs at s/on 0200, NF (ex 17790) and a fair signal, much weaker than the Singapore outlet during the previous 30 min Bangla service, 28/3. (Wagner)

15315 RFI, Issoudun. Hausa to CAf on 16/3, good at 0705 (Adams-W).

15320 KSDA/AWR, Agat. Service in the Asho Chin language to SEAs at 2340 to s/off 2400, NF (ex 17650) and fair signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

15360 R.Mashaal, Umm al-Rimam. Pashto to Pakistan at 0730, NF (possibly ex 13580), weak signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

15380 Saudi Broadcasting Corp, Riyadh. Only fair with Quran to ME at 0707, co- channel with CNR 1, Beijing in CC on 16/3 (Adams-W).

15399.93 BBC, Meyerton. English to CAf at 0720, well down on the registered freq, 3/4. (Wagner)

15400 Gospel for Asia, Nauen. Many and varied Asian languages. Changes from day-to-day in 15 min blocks between 1330 and 1530, NF (ex 15235), fair signal, 29/3. (Wagner)

15400 BBC via Meyerton. Poor in EE to CAf at 0709 on 16/3 (Adams-W).

15410 Reach Beyond Aust., Kununurra WA. S/on 2230 in Special English with the Spotlight program to EAs (weekdays only), NF (x 15400), good signal, 26/3. (Wagner)

15410 AWR, Trincomalee. S/on 0300 to EAf in Oromo, NF (ex 12010 via Talata). The transmission suddenly

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 12

ceased at 0320 and then returned at 0325 with a 30-second tuning signal and into unannounced music before the s/off at 0329. I would be curious to know why they switched from Talata to Trincomalee for this service! 28/3. (Wagner)

15420 BBC via Talata-Volonondry. English to EAF at 0711, fair on 16/3 (Adams-W).

15420 BBCWS, Nauen. 0530, 17/03 English at fair strength w/ regular fading. (Lowe-T)

15440 Adventist World Radio, Kunming. 1406 22/03, Urdu at fair strength, with heterodyne from 15435. (Lowe)

15445 CRI, Kashgar. 0534 17/03, Russian talk fair strength, clear signal. (Lowe-T)

15490 R.Saudi Int’l (BSKSA), Riyadh. Rapid and earnest talk in Arabic to Eu at 1056, song at 1058. ID at 1100 and into news. Weak signal on 13/3. (Wagner)

15490 BBC via Meyerton. Good at 0713, ided in FF to CAf on 16/3 (Adams-W).

15505 Bangladesh Betar. 6/4 at 1413, Urdu service, music at S7-S8 with flutter. RHC spur permitting, one of these days I`ll catch the *1400v BB mis-timesignal (Hauser*)

15510 R.Sama (IBRA), Woofferton. Arabic dialect (Fur) to EAf at 1825, NF (ex 9775??), weak signal 2/4. (Wagner)

15515 R.Kuwait, Sulaibiyah. Only fair in AA to FE at 0715 on 16/3 (Adams-W). AA mx 0554, fair signal here, 2/4 (Seager)

15520 REE, Noblejas. Spanish to ME at 1818, NF, fair signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

15565 Vatican R., SM Galeria. Portuguese to SAf at 1814 until s/off 1830, NF, weak signal, 2/4. (Wagner)

15610 WEWN, Birmingham. 1/4 at *0954-1022* relay direct of Easter from Vatican w/“Urbi and Orbi” read by Pope Francis, Nat. Anthems of Vatican & Italy (Pankov*).

15710 CNR 6, Beijing. 0810, 18/03. Mandarin generic CNR annct, followed by Shenzhou zhi sheng annc in Hakka, followed by Hakka news and current affairs commentary, strong and clear. (Lowe-M)

15755 R.Mashaal, Umm al Rimam. Pashto to Pakistan at 0740, NF (possibly ex 15760 via Ban Dung), weak signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

15785 CRI, Xian. NF, good in EE w/sports nx 0143, 3/4 (Seager)

17485 VOA via Udon Thani. Fair level but spoiled by jamming. Heard on this NF with a CC talk at 0916 on 30/3 (Allen).

17520 R.Free Asia via Agignan Point. S/on in CC at 0500 on 31/3. Fair level signal spoiled by bubble jamming and a NF (Allen).

17530 CRI, Xian. Very good reception of this NF for S. Asia with a CC talk with musical background at 0921 on 30/3 (Allen).

17540 CRI, Kashi. Heard at 0505, 31/3 with EE news reports. A weak signal affected by noise and fading. NF (Allen). English to SAs at 0750, NF and a fair signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

17615 CRI, Urumqi. Fair reception of GG reports heard at 0513 on 31/3. A new time for this transmission (Allen).

17615 R.Saudi Int’l (BSKSA), Riyadh. Arabic preaching of the Qur’an at 1050 to SAs, fair signal on 13/3.

(Wagner). 1339, 17/03, Quran at fair strength, but very clear and solid signal. (Lowe-T)

17615 CRI, Kunming. Mandarin to SEAs at 0755 until s/off 0800. NF and a good signal, 3/4. (Wagner)

17730 Saudi Broadcasting Corp. Riyadh. Good with AA to NAF on 16/3 at 0718 (Adams-W).

17760 R.Kuwait. 1/4 open at 1000 (heard on other rx VEF204) w/Nat Anthem & ID in EE & VV, sermon (Pankov*).

17790 AWR, Trincomalee. S/on 0500 in Arabic to CAf and EAf, NF (ex 17780), weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

17805.08 R.Saudi Int’l (BSKSA), Riyadh. Arabic chit-chat program with telephone-in callers at 1040 to NAf. Off-frequency with a variable signal from fair to good strength, 13/3. (Wagner)

17820 VOIRI, Sirjan. Interval signal at 0722, into SS to SEu, good on 16/3, // 17540 also from Sirjan slightly better at 0726 (Adams-W).

17835 VoA, Tinang. Burmese to SEAs at 0210, NF (ex 11820), weak signal, 28/3. (Wagner)

17850 CLANDESTINE Oromo Voice Radio, Issoudun, 1608-1630* 21/3, group male vocals followed by non-stop talk in presumed Oromo language until program closed. Poor to fair but significantly deteriorating reception by closedown. (D’Angelo-PA)

21480 Bible Voice BC/MBR, Madagascar. 31/3 at *1201-1229* w/px in EE “Call to Worship Ministries”, but on 1/4 at *1229-1242* the px was only in Bahasa Indonesian (aired 1st & 3rd Sun of the month) and not(!) in EE as it is shown everywhere (Pankov*).

21670 R.Saudi Int’l (BSKSA), Riyadh. Indonesian service at 1035 with talks, weak signal here (but slightly better strength on the Collie WA Kiwi-SDR). And up on the 13mb, this signal will not be heard here at all the closer we get to winter, 13/3. (Wagner)

Some items follow, heard by people with remote receivers. We don’t have a firm policy (yet) on how to treat these, as in my naïveté I had not considered that people would seek to DX this way – though many folk have used the internet for some time as a reference, to confirm that something distant is indeed active. Interested in peoples’ views, but I think our core activity will always be sitting in front of an actual receiver, whether it be conventional or software defined. 3900 PBS Hulun Buir on 26/3 from 1502 to 1540 with

what sounded like music program in Chinese with woman announcer. Rcvr site was a KiwiSDR at Bay of Islands NZ. “Auld Lang Syne” and two renditions of “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie “Titanic” (one was the original by Celine Dion) as well as “Unchained Melody” were hrd during the program. Heavy ute QRM just below frequency forced use of USB for audibility (Churchill*)

4835 Ozy Radio hrd on 1/4 from a remote Perseus site near Edmonton AB Canada (owned by Don Moman VE6JY) and using a west-facing Beverage. Tuned 1327 until 1414. Vy nice signal for a 13,300 Km+ path after grayline passage in Edmonton. 1327 "Solid Rock" by Goanna; "Will I" by Little River Band ; 1333.5 man announcer on eating healthy; "Electric Blue" by Icehouse (lost receiver 1335-1337; 1338 man announcer with time "22 minutes before 12"; "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Olivia Newton-John;

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 13

"Blackfella/Whitefella" by Warumpi Band; "Tomorrow" by Silverchair; Bonnie Please Don’t Go (She’s Leavin’) by Kevin Johnson; unidentified song, "As the Days Go By" by Daryl Braithwaite. 1359.5 news read by man...tropical cyclone ??... (with some remote reporters), sports news...golf. 1408 Tecsun radio store ad by man; Kookaburra bird call, Waltzing Mathilda tune, Ozy Radio ID by man. 1409.5 "When Something is Wrong With My Baby" by Jimmy Barnes & John Farnham. Also hrd 0715 on 29 March from same site but with S3(-) signal, not quite as good as local mornings in Alberta (Churchill)

6035 PBS Yunnan V. of Shangri-La hrd on 25/3 from KiwiSDR site in Bay of Islands NZ with non-stop Chinese pop music program 1221 tune to 1301. Recorded commercials 1235-1240 and 1255-1300. Man and woman announcers and time pips at 1300. Back into music at 1301. Heavy splash from 6030 (Churchill*)

9720 Reach Beyond Australia North India service on new A18 frequency hrd on 26/3 from KiwiSDR site in Kongsfjord Norway from 1412 to 1445. 1412 "Shabd Sangeet" Hindi program - vocal and instrumental music; 1415 woman announcer; 1416.5 vocal and instrumental music (xmtr off 1424.5-1425.5); 1427.5 woman announcer with contact information; 1428.5 instrumental music with woman announcer; 1430 “Prarthana” Hindi program - man announcer with instrumental music in background; 1436.5 vocal and instrumental music (female vocalist); 1441.5 woman announcer with contact information (address and e-mail); 1443.5 instrumental music; 1445 woman announcer (English) with ID and freq.(Churchill*)

15430 R.Romania Int. 11/3 1045, via Enschede NL SDR (Van der Linden)

Contributors: Steven Zollo, Emerald VIC (Sony 7600G, Sangean ATS-909, Sony ICF-2010, Eton E1XM, Icom IC-7300; antennas include whip, metal chimney and approx 15-20 m of random/longwire)

Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria (Sony ICF 2001D, Folded Marconi Ant 16 meters long, also used rx VEF204).

Rob Shepherd, Toowoomba QLD (JRC NRD-535D, 80’ balanced long wire)

Richard A. D’Angelo, Wyomissing, PA U.S.A. (Ten-Tec RX-340, Drake R-8B, Eton E1, Sangean ATS-909X, Eton E5, Alpha Delta DX Sloper, RF Systems Mini-Windom, Datong FL3, JPS ANC-4)

Dennis Allen, Milperra NSW (Icom IC-R75, Realistic DX-1609, Longwires)

Rob Wagner, VK3BVW, Mount Evelyn, VIC (Yaesu FTDX 3000, Kenwood TS2000, Yaesu FRG100, Kenwood R5000, Tecsun PL-680, Horizontal Sky Loop, Double Bazooka antennas for 80, 40 and 20 metres, Par EF-SWL End Fed antenna, BHI NEIM1031 Digital Noise Eliminating Module, MFJ-1026 Noise Cancelling Module, ATU).

John Wright, Peakhurst NSW (ICOM R75 EWE antennae, 255 degrees)

Jerome Van der Linden, Adelaide SA (Sony ICF SW55, External 1800mm whip

John Adams, Port Douglas QLD (Sangean ATS-909X, 7 Metre Reel Antenna)

Edwin Lowe, VK2VEL, Revesby NSW (IC-746PRO, Marconi CR100, 80m OCF; Selena B206 w/whip)

Bruce Churchill, Fallbrook CA USA (Perseus x 2, Wellbrook ALA-1530 with rotator, various remote receivers)

John Schache, Bathurst NSW (Perseus SDR, Loop with LZ1AQ amplifier)

Glenn Hauser, Enid OK USA (JRC NRD-545 with Wellbrook ALA-330S; Icom R-75, Sangean PL-880, Radio Shack DX-398, Grundig Yacht Boy 400, with random wires; Grundig G8) Craig Seager, VK2HBT, Bathurst NSW (Perseus SDR, JRC NRD-545, Airspy HF+, DX Engineering Preamp, Wellbrook feeder isolator, Icom IC-746, Loop Skywire, Home-made Loop with LZ1AQ amplifier, Wellbrook ALA1530-LNPro with rotator) DXpedition items: W = A beach 5Km south of Wangetti Far North Queensland (Adams) T = Tooraweenah NSW (Sangean ATS-909, 160m loop) (Lowe-T) M = Mendooran NSW (Sangean ATS-909, Sangean reel antenna) (Lowe-M)

* Denotes listener outside of Australia Digital mode

Editor’s hot choice (CS)

India to Employ Long Wave Radio Technology Two towers, about three times the height of the Qutab Minar, are likely to be erected at as-yet-undecided locations in the country for disseminating Indian Standard Time. The National Physical Laboratory, an organisation charged with ensuring that Indian time stays accurate, has signed an agreement with IFR Information Dissemination Services (IFR) Ltd., which will set up the towers and employ long wave radio (LWR) technology to purvey this time to a range of users, from phone companies to railway stations. Customers will need a microchip that can be embedded into everything, from wall-clocks to servers. “Long range radiowaves from the towers can be reliably transmitted even during major disasters. Other than time, information such as a tsunami warning or weather warnings can also be sent,” Pawan Kumar Kasera, director, IFR, said at a press conference. IFR is affiliated to the Germany-based EFR GmbH, which is in the business of providing similar services in Germany. The company now requires a plethora of permissions from other government departments to host these towers, each with a range of 1,000 km, and an investment of about Rs. 600 crore, which it will raise privately. The NPL would help IFR keep their caesium clocks (located in the tower) calibrated but wouldn’t be involved in setting up the infrastructure related to time dissemination. Last year, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-body had tied up with the Indian Space Research Organisation to provide time-related services for its satellites. “The advantage of LWR is that the waves travel close to the ground and so can reach out to far-flung locations, even to submarines. We’d advertised through newspapers asking private players to help us disseminate NPL-time to the public. Five companies approached us and we’ve selected IFR,” Dinesh Aswal, director, NPL, told The Hindu. (The Hindu)

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 14

On Air

The Latest News from the Shortwave Bands edited by Craig Seager Editorial Address 12 Pellion Pl., Windradyne NSW 2795 E-mail shango12@gmail.com

ANTARCTICA LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, on air for the first time this year Station heard via SDR Kiwi Paraguay and SDR Kiwi Pardinho, Sao Paulo both, 15475.97 kHz, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, 1800- UT, non-stop Latin American songs "Boleros", weak to very weak on both and with fading. Nothing here in Lugo at the moment, no audio, no carrier, but the best time to catch it here is about 2000-2100 UT. (Manuel Mendez-ESP, dxld March 27)

AUSTRALIA The number of DAB+ digital radios in Australia climbed to 3.8 million in 2017, up 24% over the past 12 months, according to figures released by radio industry body Commercial Radio Australia. The number of DAB+ portable and home radio receivers in market totalled 2.37 million at the end of the calendar year, with another 1.42 million in cars. CRA chief executive officer Joan Warner said the large increase in DAB+ devices was expected to continue in 2018, with digital radio now standard in 47% of all new vehicles being sold. “More than 560,000 of the new cars sold in 2017 were fitted with DAB+ radio. The adoption in cars is ahead of forecast, which is great news as it means more listeners are able to discover digital radio and the new digital-only stations on offer,” she said. Ms Warner said 43% of listeners in the five major capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth now have access to DAB+ digital radio at home, at work or in the car. Permanent digital radio services are being switched on in Canberra, Darwin and Hobart this year. Commercial radio broadcasters have identified another 13 regional centres as priority markets for rollout within the next five years, including Newcastle, Dubbo, Goulburn and Albury. Ms Warner said broadcasters are working with the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Department of Communications on planning and regulatory processes. Broadcast digital radio via DAB+, which is more efficient

than AM and FM, offers listeners better sound, easy tuning by station name, and more choice, with up to 30 extra stations providing formats such as country music, classic rock, 80s and 90s music, sports and children’s programs. Official radio ratings figures by GfK show an average of 3.77 million people in the five metropolitan markets, or 28% of the available audience, listened to DAB+ each week in 2017. Listening figures for the new DAB+ only radio stations will, from now on, be released on the same day as the regular metropolitan radio surveys eight times a year, to provide the market with immediate audience data for all stations. (Digital Radio Plus)

CHINA The 'Voice of China' is a full organisational merger of CNR, CRI and CCTV, down to the programming and production level. How they will do this across several media forms and transmission modes, e.g. domestic and international radio across 70 languages, domestic and international tv, web sites, podcasts etc remains to be seen, but expect this to be the largest shake up and restructuring since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. The English language reporting of this has been appalling in its ignorance to date, all seem to be regurgitating an 'expert source' who equate 'Voice of China' to be a mimicry of Voice of America. 'Voice of China' was used by the Chinese Nationalist government in Chongqing (Chungking) from 1937-1949, broadcast via XGOY and XGOX. This later became the Voice of Free China after the retreat of the Nationalists to Taiwan, and later Radio Taipei International and Radio Taiwan International. CNR-1 has been broadcasting with the banner of 'Zhongguo zhi sheng' (Voice of China) since 2012(?) and it is this that will be the new brand of the merged media network. (Edwin Lowe) China Is Creating a New Giant Broadcaster to Ensure Its Voice Is Heard Loud and Clear Around the World. Voice of China, as the new outlet will be known internationally, will be formed by combining three mammoth state-run national networks: China Central Television (CCTV), China National Radio and China Radio International. It will employ more than 14,000 people. The merger was revealed in a Communist Party document on a sprawling government reorganization program,

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 15

championed by President Xi Jinping to reinforce the party's absolute control in all aspects of state governance. State news agency Xinhua released the document Wednesday after it was approved by China's rubber-stamp parliament.

With echoes of the Voice of America radio service created by the US government during World War II, Voice of China is tasked with "propagating the party's theories, directions, principles and policies" as well as "telling good China stories," according to the document. It will be under the direct control of the party's central propaganda department. The new broadcast juggernaut is being formed at a time when Chinese authorities face growing challenges to control their message in the age of the internet and social media. They are making strenuous efforts to maintain strict censorship at home while pouring money into propaganda projects abroad. Now the most powerful Chinese leader in decades, Xi has cracked down hard on freedom of expression since taking office in late 2012. He has also taken a tough line on the role of news media in the party's "ideological work." In the past decade, Beijing has spent billions of dollars on a global campaign of "soft power" aimed at enhancing its international image and spreading its views. CCTV has launched large operations in Washington and Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, with non-Chinese journalists fronting news reports, while China Radio International broadcasts in 65 languages -- more than any other station in the world. The Chinese government has also set up cultural centres -- such as Confucius Institutes to promote the Chinese language -- across the world, and increasingly provides grants to foreign think tanks in an attempt to shape public opinion. Some of the Chinese efforts overseas have triggered backlashes in host countries, with politicians from countries including Australia and the United States accusing Beijing of political meddling through its foreign operations.

Still, even before the creation of Voice of China, some Chinese state media outlets had spotted a growing opportunity for Beijing's propaganda on the global stage. "It takes more time to completely eliminate the asymmetry of information dissemination between China and the West, but this has obviously become a tendency," the Global Times tabloid wrote in an editorial last week. "The increasingly mediocre Western media also reflect the West's declining advantages over China." (Stephen Jiang, CNNMoney, Beijing, via Edwin Lowe) As most of you will know, CRI is the largest broadcaster on HF in terms of duration and frequencies (channels). The latest HFCC co-ordination period shows CRI increasing its use of HF particularly into Africa and the Pacific region. (Nigel Holmes, who also forwarded a link to the CNN article)

GERMANY

[ARMENIA/AUSTRIA/BULGARIA/FRANCE/MADAGASCAR/TAJIKISTAN/UZBEKISTAN/USA] MEDIA BROADCAST GmbH Cologne, Germany (formerly T-SYSTEMS - DTK), A-18 period 25 March 2018 - 28 Oct 2018 FREQ STARTSTOP CIRAF X/Ant# AZI TYPE DAYS LOC POW BRC 9655 0300-0330 48 330100 140 216 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 5975 0400-0430 28SE 310100 140 216 1234567 NAU 100 AWR 6155 0430-0500 37,38W 330100 220 216 1234567 NAU 100 AWR 7220 0600-0630 46S?alternat S-18? 235 200 216 1234567 ISS 250 AWR 12035 0600-0630 46S 203 162 196 1234567 ISS 250 AWR 15455 0600-0630 46S only J18? 320200 200 218 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 11880 0700-0730 46S 223 170 196 1234567 ISS 250 AWR 15225 0700-0800 37,38W 320200 210 218 1234567 NAU 100 AWR 15225 0800-0830 37,38W 330200 210 218 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 15225 0830-0900 37,38W 320200 210 218 1234567 NAU 100 AWR 11905 0900-1000 28W 330100 180 216 1 NAU 100 AWR 12055 1300-1330 49NW DB_05a 118 416 1234567 DB 100 AWR 17810 1300-1330 42,43W 310200 75 218 23456 NAU 250 AWR 17810 1300-1330 42,43W 310200 75 218 17 NAU 250 AWR 9955 1330-1400 41NE TAC_02 131 418 14 TAC 100 AWR 9955 1330-1400 41NE TAC_02 131 418 56 TAC 100 AWR 9955 1330-1400 54N TAC_02 131 418 237 TAC 100 AWR 11825 1330-1400 49E DB_05a 118 416 1234567 DB 100 AWR 15285 1330-1500 42,43W 310200 75 218 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 15165 1430-1500 49NW TAC_03 121 418 1234567 TAC 100 AWR 15590 1500-1530 41S 1101001 105 616 1234567 SOF 250 AWR 15605 1500-1530 41N 340200 87 218 1234567 NAU 125 AWR 9580 1530-1600 41S TAC_21 163 911 1234567 TAC 100 AWR 11755 1530-1600 41E TAC_02 141 418 1234567 TAC 100 AWR 12025 1530-1600 41W TAC_10 186 910 1234567 TAC 100 AWR 15215 1530-1600 41N 340200 90 218 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 15670 1530-1600 41N, 42S 310200 79 218 56 NAU 250 AWR 15670 1530-1600 41N, 42S 310200 79 218 12347 NAU 250 AWR 9830 1600-1630 28SE 350300 135 216 1234567 NAU 125 AWR 11950 1600-1630 41S 1101001 105 616 1234567 SOF 250 AWR 15490 1630-1700 48 330200 139 218 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 17570 1630-1700 48 RII02008 122 217 1234567 ISS 250 AWR 17720 1630-1700 48 320200 141 218 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 15170 1730-1800 37,38W 320200 210 218 1234567 NAU 125 AWR 17720 1730-1800 48 310200 145 218 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 11790 1900-1930 46W 320100 218 216 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 11800 1900-2000 37,38W 310100 210 216 1234567 NAU 125 AWR 11790 1930-2000 46S 320100 200 216 1234567 NAU 250 AWR 11885 1930-2000 46SE RII02002 165 211 1234567 ISS 250 AWR 11955 1930-2000 37,38W 330100 210 216 1234567 NAU 100 AWR 9565 2000-2030 46E,47W 330100 186 216 1234567 NAU 250 AWR

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 16

9610 2000-2030 37,38W 320100 210 216 1234567 NAU 100 AWR 9770 2000-2030 46SW RII02002 188 211 1234567 ISS 250 AWR 11790 2030-2100 46SE RII02002 165 211 1234567 ISS 250 AWR 11945 0200-0230 41 1783 125 218 157 ERV 100 BVB 9550 0445-0515 39N 310100 120 216 1 NAU 125 BVB 9735 0500-0515 39,4 330100 120 216 6 NAU 250 BVB 11655 0600-0615 46N,47N,38W,37 340101 180 146 1234567 NAU 125 BVB 5945 0700-0730 27,28N 350100 260 156 1 NAU 100 BVB 21480 1200-1230 43S,44S TM 45 157 7 MDC 125 BVB 21480 1230-1245 54 TM 85 157 1 MDC 125 BVB 15265 1400-1430 41 {1st Sat} 340200 102 218 7 NAU 250 BVB 15265 1430-1500 41 340200 102 218 7 NAU 250 BVB 15350 1500-1600 41NW 1101302 91 616 2467 SOF 100 BVB 15310 1600-1700 38S,39S,47,48 330200 148 218 7 NAU 100 BVB 15310 1600-1730 38S,39S,47,48 330200 148 218 3 NAU 100 BVB 15310 1600-1800 38S,39S,47,48 330200 148 218 12 NAU 100 BVB 15350 1630-1700 47,48 320200 145 218 1234567 NAU 100 BVB 15310 1630-1730 38S,39S,47,48 330200 148 218 6 NAU 100 BVB 15310 1630-1730 38S,39S,47,48 330200 148 218 45 NAU 100 BVB 9810 1700-1715 39 3 115 218 6 MOS 100 BVB 9810 1700-1730 39 3 115 218 5 MOS 100 BVB 9810 1700-1900 39 3 115 218 1 MOS 100 BVB 9490 1710-1730 38E,39,40W 1100602 141 616 24 SOF 100 BVB 9490 1710-1745 38E,39,40W 1100602 141 616 356 SOF 100 BVB 9490 1715-1745 38E,39,40W 1100602 141 616 7 SOF 100 BVB 6130 1730-1900 28,29 310101 100 146 1 NAU 100 BVB 9810 1730-1900 39 3 115 218 7 MOS 100 BVB 9610 1800-1830 39,4 320100 105 216 67 NAU 100 BVB 15310 1800-1830 38S,39S,47,48 330200 148 218 7 NAU 100 BVB 9610 1800-1900 39,4 320100 105 216 5 NAU 100 BVB 9635 1815-1830 39,4 320100 125 216 1 NAU 250 BVB 9610 1830-1900 39,4 320100 105 216 13 NAU 100 BVB 9635 1830-1915 39 310101 126 146 1 NAU 100 BVB 7220 0500-0600 46,47 RII01001 167 216 1234567 ISS 100 DAK 11910 0600-0700 46,47 RII01001 167 216 1234567 ISS 100 DAK 11830 1800-2000 46,47 RII01003 167 206 1234567 ISS 100 DAK 11800 0630-0700 46,47W RII01002 170 211 1234567 ISS 500 DWL 15195 1325-1530 46,47{-120518} RI01004 170 206 7 ISS 500 DWL 15275 1600-1700 48 RI01003 130 211 1234567 ISS 500 DWL 11800 1800-1900 46,47W RII01001 170 216 1234567 ISS 500 DWL 15200 1800-1900 46,47W RII01008 165 217 1234567 ISS 500 DWL 6055 1030-1100 27,28 340101 222 146 17 NAU 125 EMG 7410 0030-0130 40E,41NW 340100 100 216 1234567 NAU 250 GFA 15350 1230-1500 41 340200 89 218 1234567 NAU 250 GFA 15400 1330-1530 41NE,43S,49N 320200 85 218 1234567 NAU 250 GFA 15395 1530-1630 40E,41NW 310200 99 218 1234567 NAU 250 GFA 7410 2330-0030 41NE,43S,49N 330100 85 216 1234567 NAU 250 GFA 13800 1530-1630 29S 3 95 218 7 MOS 100 HCJ 7330 1000-1100 27,28 {firstSun} 6 283 805 1 MOS 100 JOY 5960 0000-0200 2-4,6-10{-050518} 300 216 1 NAU 125 KBC 5960 0000-0200 2-4,6-10{020918-} 300 216 1 NAU 125 KBC 9925 0000-0200 2-4,6-10{060518-010918}300 216 1 NAU 125 KBC 11650 0700-0800 27N,28S 310101 230 146 1 NAU 125 KBC$ 6045 0800-0900 27E,28 310101 240 146 1 NAU 125 KBC$ 6095 0800-1500 18SW,27,28,37N 350100 240 156 1 NAU 100 KBC$ 15315 1830-1900 46S,47SE HR4/4/0.5 170 216 1234567 ISS 500 LWF 6140 0800-0900 27,28E 6 270 805 1 MOS 100 MVB$ 13710 1200-1230 19-26 320200 60 218 7 NAU 250 MWF 9680 1600-1630 29,3 1100301 30 556 7 SOF 250 MWF 9490 0300-0500 38,39,40 330100 140 216 1234567 NAU 250 NHK 5985 0400-0430 11,12 LPH 222 805 1234567 RMI 100 NHK 6165 0430-0500 27,28 310101 85 146 1234567 NAU 125 NHK 5975 0500-0530 27SE,28SW 4 ND 926 1234567 MOS 300 NHK 15445 1700-1900 38,39,40 340200 140 218 1234567 NAU 250 NHK

17630 1600-1630 47E,48 HR4/4/0.8 130 217 37 ISS 500 OGM 15205 1430-1445 41 330200 94 216 1 NAU 250 PAB 9515 1930-2000 37,38 340101 155 146 1 NAU 250 PAB 6045 0800-0900 27E,28 350100 233 156 1 NAU 100 RSH$ 15420 1700-1730 38E,39S,48 350300 144 216 16 NAU 100 SBO 15420 1700-1800 38E,39S,48 350300 144 216 4 NAU 100 SBO 5955 1200-1500 27E,28 RII01006 21 146 1234567 ISS 100 SFZ$ 15420 1800-1859 48SW,52NE,53NE TF 320 159 7 MDC 250 SJK AWR Adventist World Radio BVB High Adventure Gospel - Bible Voice Broadcasting DAK Dandal Kura Radio International DWL Deutsche Welle Bonn / Berlin, Germany EMG Evangelische Missionsgemeinden in Deutschland FPU Free Press Unlimited (former PNW Press Now HOL) GFA Gospel for Asia HCJ Reach Beyond (former Voice of the Andes) Sats only, 1530 UT Russian, 1600 UT Chechen language. JOY Radio Joystick, Germany, 1st Sun KBC The Mighty KBC LWF Lutheran World Federation MBR MEDIA BROADCAST (former DTK) MVB Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Baltic Radio MWF Missionswerk Friedensstimme, Gummersbach - Germany NHK Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Radio Japan World, Tokyo, Japan. OGM MBR internal customer name: NGO [RHU Radio Huriyo Xoriyo Ogaden, ONLF] PAB Pan Am Broadcasting RAD MBR internal customer name RSH MBR internal customer name: formerly request Radio - Menschen & Geschichten (Shortwaveservice.com) SBO Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo, Voice of Oromo Liberation. Berlin. SFZ Studio 52 SJK MBR internal customer name: Radio Itahuka in Kirundi Ce/EaAfrica Burundi-Rwanda on Sats.

(BC-DX)

GUAM KTWR GUAM A-18 season schedule Language UTC Days Freq Program China Cantonese 1400-1430 Mon-Fri 9975 Thru the Bible Mandarin 1030-1100 Mon-Fri 12120 Thru the Bible Mandarin 1030-1100 Saturday 12120 The Word Today Mandarin 1030-1100 Saturday 12120 Hope for Today, Macedonian Call Mandarin 1315-1345 Mon-Fri 9975 Thru the Bible Mandarin 1030-1100 Sunday 12120 The Word Today, Hope for Today Mandarin 1130-1200 Sunday 9910 TLC, Macedonian Call Mandarin 1100-1200 Mon-Fri 9910 Self Confrontation, DTA Mongolian 1100-1115 Mon-Sun 9975 Son-Lift Cantonese 1115-1130 Mon-Sun 12120 Son-Lift Hakka 1130-1145 Mon-Sun 12120 Son-Lift Mandarin 1145-1200 Mon-Sun 12120 Son-Lift Nosu Yi 1200-1215 Mon-Fri 9975 Son-Lift Mandarin 1200-1215 Sun 9910 Son-Lift Mandarin 1230-1245 Mon-Fri 9900 Son-Lift Mandarin 1215-1230 Mon-Fri 9900 God Remembers Them Mandarin 1315-1345 Sunday 9975 Women of Hope Mandarin 1315-1330 Saturday 9975 The Word Today Mandarin 1315-1400 Mon-Fri 9975 Thru the Bible, A Word with You Mandarin 1345-1350 Mon-Fri 9975 A Word with You

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 17

Nosu Yi 1215-1230 Mon-Sun 9975 Good News for the Yi English 1100-1130 Sunday 9910 Unlimited Grace Korea Korean 1345-1500 Mon-Fri 7510 YQFG, BR, TWR Seminary (LTS-Thu, WOH-Fri) Korean 1500-1515 Mon-Fri 7510 Light and Life Korean 1315-1345 Mon-Fri 7510 With You Korean 1345-1515 Saturday 7510 Teachers Institute, Pray school, BSB & TTT Korean 1345-1515 Sunday 7510 Sunday Service, TGT, HOD & Christian Faith English 1315-1345 Saturday 7510 Unlimited Grace Japan Japanese 1215-1245 Sunday 7500 B Japan - Friendship Radio Japanese 1130-1200 Saturday 9910 Leading the Way South East Asia English 1100-1105 Mon-Fri 11965 Reachng Your World English 1105-1120 Mon-Fri 11965 Running to Win English 1120-1135 Tues-Fri 11965 Grace Notes-Tue, SFT-Wed, BOL-Thur HFT-Fri, RYW, RTW English 1030-1100 Sunday 11965 Heart of Harvest English 1100-1130 Sunday 11965 Unlimited Grace South Pacific English 1000-1015 Saturday 11995 Bread of Life English 1000-1025 Mon-Fri 11995 Running to Win, RYW English 1015-1045 Saturday 11995 Unlimited Grace Indonesia Madurese 1000-1030 Mon-Fri 11965 Thru the Bible Sundanese 1030-1100 Mon-Fri 11965 Thru the Bible English 1000-1030 Sunday 11965 Unlimited Grace Indonesian 1030-1100 Sunday 11965 Women of Hope Indonesian 1045-1100 Saturday 11965 News of Truth Myanmar Burmese 1200-1230 Mon-Fri 12040 Thru the Bible Burmese 1200-1230 Saturday 12040 Macedonian Call, The Word Today Burmese 1200-1245 Sunday 12040 Woman of Hope, Lifeword S'gaw Karen 1230-1300 Mon-Fri 12040 Thru the Bible S'gaw Karen 1245-1300 Sunday 12040 The Word Today Vietnam Vietnamese 1245-1315 Mon-Fri 9975 Thru the Bible Vietnamese 1245-1315 Saturday 9975 Women of Hope Vietnamese 1245-1300 Sunday 9975 The Word Today South Asia Kok Borok 1230-1300 Mon-Fri 12160 Thru the Bible Kok Borok 1245-1300 Sunday 12160 Discipleship Hour Dzongkha 1230-1245 Sat-Sun 11580 Words of Hope Assamese 1200-1230 Mon-Fri 12160 Thru the Bible English 1230-1300 Saturday 12160 Heart of Harvest Progs : YQFG = Your Quest for God DTA = Discipleship Training on the Air TLC = The Lords Challenge RYW = Reaching Your World

SFT = Search for Truth BOL = Bread of Life HFT = Hope for Tomorrow WWL = Wonderful Words of Life LTS = Lets talk about something WOH = Women of Hope RTW = Running to Win DTA = Discipleship Training on the Air BSB = Bible School Basics TTT = Truth in a Test Tube TGT = The Gospel Train HOD = History of Doctrine CF = Christian Faith BR = Bible Reading

Reception reports to: <rphilyaw@twr.org> (Alokesh Gupta-IND VU3BSE, DXindia March 27, via BC-DX)

MADAGASCAR

6135, March 28 at 1402, S3-S5 carrier, maybe trace of modulation and no jamming audible. This has now been confirmed as RNM, tnx to German visitor to Antananarivo Andreas Tschauder who heard it locally // 5010 and FM 99.2, A-DX, via Eike Bierwirth and Wolfgang Büschel, and further monitoring afar by Ron Howard and Mauno Ritola. To here, it must be arriving by long path across the Indian and Pacific oceans (Glenn Hauser, OK, dxld)

SOUTH AFRICA

SENTECH Meyerton site A-18 schedule. Effective 25 March - 28 October 2018. Broadcaster Start End kHz kW Azi Days Target Area Language AWR 1700 1730 9600 250 19 1234567 East Africa Swahili AWR 1730 1800 9600 250 19 1234567 East Africa Masai BBC 0400 0500 6190 100 20 1234567 East Africa English BBC 0500 0600 9645 250 7 6 East Africa Kirundi BBC 0500 0600 11945 250 5 6 East Africa Kirundi BBC 0500 0600 12095 250 19 1234567 East Africa English BBC 0530 0600 9645 250 7 7 East Africa Kirundi BBC 0530 0600 11945 250 5 7 East Africa Kirundi BBC 0600 0700 12095 100 335 1234567 West Africa English BBC 0700 0730 15490 250 340 1234567 West Africa French BBC 0700 0800 15400 250 330 1234567 West Africa English BBC 1200 1230 17765 250 340 1234567 West Africa French BBC 1330 1400 15420 250 7 6 Somalia Somali BBC 1400 1430 15310 250 328 12345 West Africa Hausa BBC 1400 1500 15420 250 32 12345 7 East Africa Somali BBC 1400 1600 15420 250 32 6 East Africa Somali BBC 1500 1600 12095 250 19 1234567 East Africa English BBC 1600 1700 9410 500 19 1234567 East Africa English BBC 1630 1700 11660 250 5 12345 East Africa Kirundi BBC 1700 1800 9410 500 20 1234567 East Africa English BBC 1800 1830 5930 250 76 1234567 Indian Oc.Isl French BBC 1800 1830 6180 100 35 1234567 Somalia Somali BBC 1800 1830 7245 500 342 1234567 West Africa French BBC 1800 1830 7265 100 30 1234567 Somalia Somali BBCW 0500 0600 3255 100 Omni1234567 Southern Afr English BBCW 0500 0600 6190 100 15 1234567 Southern Afr English

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 18

BBCW 0600 0800 6190 100 Omni1234567 Southern Afr English BBCW 0600 0800 7445 100 15 1234567 Southern Afr English BBCW 1600 2000 3255 100 Omni1234567 Southern Afr English BBCW 1600 2000 6190 100 15 1234567 Southern Afr English Channel Africa 0300 0600 3345 100 5 12345 Southern Afr English Channel Africa 0400 0500 6180 250 19 12345 East Africa English Channel Africa 0600 0700 11925 250 315 12345 West Africa English Channel Africa 0600 0800 7230 100 5 12345 Southern Afr English Channel Africa 0800 1200 9625 100 5 12345 Southern Afr English Channel Africa 1200 1300 9625 100 5 12345 Southern Afr Chinyanja Channel Africa 1300 1400 9625 100 5 12345 Southern Afr Shilozi Channel Africa 1400 1500 9625 100 5 12345 Southern Af Portuguese Channel Africa 1500 1600 9625 100 5 12345 Southern Af English Channel Africa 1500 1600 11880 250 5 12345 East Africa Swahili Channel Africa 1600 1700 15235 250 328 12345 West Africa French Channel Africa 1700 1800 11745 250 328 12345 West Africa English DW 0630 0700 15200 250 330 1234567 West Africa Hausa DW 1000 1100 17710 250 7 1234567 East Africa Swahili DW 1325 1530 17840 250 328 6 West Africa Hausa Sonder Grense 0000 0600 3320 100 275 1234567 N. Cape Afrikaans Sonder Grense 0600 0700 7285 100 275 1234567 N. Cape Afrikaans Sonder Grense 0700 1500 9650 100 275 1234567 N. Cape Afrikaans Sonder Grense 1500 1700 7285 100 275 1234567 N. Cape Afrikaans Sonder Grense 1700 2400 3320 100 275 1234567 N. Cape Afrikaans SARL 0800 0900 7205 100 Omni 7 Southern Afr English SARL 0800 0900 17760 250 19 7 East Africa English (sic, rather 17660 kHz) SARL 1630 1730 3230 100 Omni1 Southern Afr English VOA 1400 1500 15460 500 20 67 East Africa Kirundi VOA 1530 1600 17700 500 340 12345 West Africa Hausa VOA 1630 1700 11910 100 15 12345 East Africa English VOA 1700 1730 6080 100 335 1234567 West Africa English VOA 1730 1800 11720 100 15 12345 East Africa Oromo VOA 1830 1900 11780 500 352 12345 West Africa Kirundi Monday 1.. Tuesday 2 ... Wednesday 3... SARL South African Radio League

(via Alokesh Gupta-IND, [realigned by gh for] dxld March 27)

NEW HISTORY MATERIAL AT

> Update, March 4, 2018 -- Under "DX History/QSLS & Other Station Memorabilia," we have posted several items from the passenger ship M/V Kanimbla, home to ship-borne station "9MI" (VK9MI). The Kanimbla was owned by McIlwraith McEacharn Ltd., "Steamship Owners and Coal Mercahnts," and operated in Australian waters between Melbourne and Sydney from 1936 to 1939, when it was commissioned as a troop transport. The owners said that the Kanimbla was the first passenger vessel equipped with a permanent broadcasting studio. Broadcasts were a half hour in length. 9MI tested at first on 6075 and 11740 kHz., but moved to 6010 and 11710, and sometimes could be heard on the west coast. We have already posted a 1938 9MI QSL received by August Balbi. It shows the power as 50 watts. Other sources said it was 200, 250 or 1,500 watts. We have now posted a letter received by Roger Legge with his QSL, together with a schedule which shows the various Australian mediumwave stations that rebroadcast the 9MI transmissions. We have also posted some postcard views of the ship, and two Kanimbla trinkets: a pin dish and a spoon. -- Under "Specialized Resources/Wavescan," Adrian Peterson has filed three new stories: (1) "Historic Mediumwave Station KQV is Scheduled to Return to the Air!" (Wavescan N469, February 18, 2018); (2) "KDKA Far Northern Service" (Wavescan N469, February 18, 2018); and (3) "Special Report: History of Radio Broadcasting in Zambia" (Wavescan N470, February 25, 2018) . Update, March 11, 2018 -- In 1976, the Finnish DX Association made available a cassette containing recordings of approximately 90 stations around the world, mostly shortwave. It was titled "World on the Air." The club has posted the recordings on its website < https://sdxl.fi/jasensivut/dx-aanilevyt/world-on-the-air-aanitallenteet/ > They appear to be studio quality, not made off the air; and there are lots of memories here. Under "DX History/Recordings" we are posting the insert that accompanied the cassette, and also an index to the recordings as they appear online (arranged somewhat differently from on the cassette), with the locations in the composite online recordings where the individual stations can be found. -- And iin "Specialized Resources/Wavescan" it's back to the far north in Adrian Peterson's "The Canadian Northern Messenger Service" (Wavescan N471, March 4, 2018). Update, March 18, 2018 -- We have already posted a couple of items from Radio SEAC, voice of the South East Asia Command, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), which was active toward the end of World War II and thereafter. Specifically, we have posted a copy of the January 1948 SEAC Forces' Radio Times, and an 11-minute recording of Radio SEAC, kindly supplied by Eric Hitchcock. Now, under "DX History/Stations," we have posted another copy of the SEAC Forces' Radio Times, this one from November 1945, and two issues of the SEAC All-Services Newspaper (September 15 & September 17, 1945). The newspaper is not specifically radio related, but it contains some interesting history of the day and is worth a look. We have also posted a decorative postal cover and insert recognizing SEAC and, in particular, David Jacobs, who announced for Radio SEAC early in his career and went on to become a well-known U.K. radio and TV personality. (He passed away in 2013.) If you want to know more about Radio SEAC, read Eric Hitchcock's excellent book, "Making Waves: Admiral Mountbatten's Radio SEAC 1945-1949" (Helion & Co., U.K., 2014). Update, March 25, 2018 -- Under "DX History/Philately" we have posted two new groups of radio-related postal items from the Middle East to South Asia, specifically, one group of five items from Israel, and a second group of covers from Turkey, Qatar (amateur), Pakistan and India. -- Under "Specialized Resources/The DX Recordings of Colin Miller," we have added a new one, from Brazzaville. Update, April 1, 2018 -- We've already posted several items about Crosley station WLWO, Cincinnati, Ohio, later known as Bethany. (Post war, "Bethany" was commonly used to refer to both that location and the next-door site, Mason, which was in use through the 1950s.) These are: a 1940s promotional brochure containing some early station history; two ID recordings (1959 and 1962); and, under "Specialized Resources/Radio Postcards," some views of the facilities of WLW and related outlets. We are now posting several more items, under "DX History/QSLs & Other Station Memorabilia." From the station's early days we have a 1937 QSL-letter, when the station was still known as W8XAL, and a 1947 QSL-card (it looks like a prepared card but is believed to be the staion's own). Some of the Crosley transmitters which had been installed in the 1940s were taken out of service in 1989, an event commemorated by a VOA QSL-card. The senders were replaced with 250 kw. Brown Boveri (ABB) units, and we have posted a brochure prepared in connection with their inauguration in 1991. In 1992 the station celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special QSL-card. The site was closed down in 1994, and local station staff

memorialized the closing with a black-bordered QSL. (Jerry Berg)

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 19

Editor: John Wright E-mail: dxer1234@gmail.com This column is a data-free zone. We want to hear about you, primarily words, instead of the numbers you see elsewhere in this esteemed technical journal. Think of it as Facebook without the fake news and harvesting of your personal data. Take the plunge and send in some ramblings. It’ll be great! Long-time Sydney member Edwin Lowe, VK2VEL has written a great contribution, recounting his beginnings in the hobby, and how it made him the man he is today . “I was catching up with back issues of the ADXN last month, having finally received many missing editions due to sporadic delivery failure over the last year. It occurred to me that 2017 marked 30 years since I first joined the club! Unfortunately, it has been many years since my last real contribution to these pages, so I’ll try to make up for it now….Life in recent years has generally made radio time scarce, but I am generally found on the amateur bands these days, with the occasional foray into the broadcast and utility bands. A house move in recent months has provided me with an opportunity to reorganise my shack and update my antenna system, so I look forward to being a bit more organised with my approach to the radio. I’m glad that this section has evolved to its current format. Even when I started editing the SW DX Report in 2001, much of the content was ‘musings’–I guess a reflection of the decline of reporting and QSLing, even back then. But for me anyway, this was very much what the club was all about, communications between members.” “On that note, Dennis Allen recently mentioned problems with RFI, which plagues us all in urban environments. For many years now, I have been using a MFJ-1026 Noise Canceller, which goes a very long way in reducing or even eliminating man made RFI and other local sources of QRM. This is truly a hobby saving piece of gear, which allows me to deal with a lot of local source urban RFI, and hear the signals underneath. You need two aerials, one, your main aerial and the second, a receiving aerial that needs to hear the local source RFI. It takes a bit of learning and practise to drive it properly, but once you do, it will keep you at the radio and not be driven away by RFI. If you have RFI problems, I can’t recommend it enough. http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1026”

“I've been a little reflective of late, looking back to my start in radio hobbies, thanks to Craig Seager's recounting of his own nostalgic start with a Panasonic DR26 portable in one of his Receiver Reviews. My story is very similar in many respects. My interest in radio was first piqued when I was 13, messing around with the family’s late-1970s Philips three band cassette tape portable with SW from about 5-12MHz- and hearing different languages, almost impossible to tune. “They’re overseas radio stations” said my father sagely, and he would know, he did his training at the Marconi School of Wireless back in the 1960s. I was soon pouring over his collection of Electronics Australia magazines, complete from the early 1960s to about 1971. I read everything I could in the back section of those EA magazines, all about shortwave radio and DXing, GMT, reception reports and QSLs. I graduated to my father's his mid-1960s Sony TR-911, all shiny black plastic and chrome trim, MW and two SW bands from 3-24 MHz. I still remember the first thing that I seriously tuned and listened to, Radio Australia playing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. Armed with my knowledge gleaned from those old EA magazines, I sent off my first reception report!”

The address we all know and wrote away to: BBC World Service, Bush House, London, WC2. Photo from 2009, a few years before BBCWS left the building.

“Then the most unexpected thing happened. It was so unexpected that I still remember exactly what happened 31 years later. At some point towards the end of 1986, my father announced “I’m going to buy you a shortwave radio!” I couldn’t believe it! We trooped off to the local Dick Smith Electronics and bought a shiny, new DSE branded multiband radio - MW, SW (3-12MHz), FM, VHF TV audio, VHF 108-175MHz, taking in airband, commercial and amateur bands. This was momentous moment. We were a

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 20

family of modest means–gifts were never random or off the cuff and certainly not this expensive. I still remember the price–$109!–that’s 109 1986 dollars. I also bought three books that day–WRTH 1986, Dick Smith’s Australian Amateur Radio Handbook, and How to Tune the Secret Shortwave Spectrum by Harry L. Helms. The radio was adequate at best (or so I thought at the time, though present day reviews of this OEM radio seem quite favourable–maybe it was my antenna system….), and I still needed the old Sony for the higher bands, but still, armed with those radios and books, I was set loose onto the Cold War airwaves! At some point over the 1986 Christmas season, I wrote away to PO Box 227 Box Hill VIC (I still remember that off the top of my head) the address obtained either through WRTH or Amateur Radio Action, and I duly received the February 1987 issue of the ADXN. And so here I still am. Those radios and books led me down not just a hobby path, but also contributed to a career path as an academic in history and politics. I’m sure that all of those Cold War broadcasts, foreign languages, number stations, clandestines, propaganda, and eye opening, headline making utilities I monitored had a real effect!”

I had a meeting at the nearby London School of Economics and couldn’t walk past and not have a photo taken! (2009)

“The end of the Cold War coincided with the social delights of university life, which made monitoring the fall of the Eastern Bloc a difficult and inconvenient proposition! Eventually, in 1998-1999, I found my way back to radio. I acquired a Trio 9R-59D and a Trio JR-60, the latter of which I serviced and re-aligned with my dad. Since that time, I have been very occasionally, collecting radios which I just had to have as a kid, but could never possibly afford. The

first was the Kenwood R-5000, first released in 1986, the year I started in radio myself, and an impossible financial dream for a 13 year old. I keep this for the occasional foray to MW and just for sheer SWL pleasure in my shack (I use the IC-746PRO as my main DX set). This was followed by the long-desired Sony ICF-5900W–green and utilitarian, just like an army radio–this was the must have in my young imagination, and only a 10-year-old model when I started, so a lot of people were still using them and singing their praises. I bought both of these sets very early when I got back into the hobby–what a difference a pay packet makes! They were the real must have radios from my early radio days. My young heart was set on the Sony ICF-2001D, but my Sangean ATS909 has since proven to be more than capable for my DXing interests compared to the reviewed performance of the Sony, which seems to be more of a SWLer’s radio. Even now, their resale value is well beyond what is justified for their relative performance. I keep a Marconi CR100 going, which is a lovely radio at 75 years old, and there are a few ‘nice to have’ radios on the list (Racal, Eddystone etc). But the only unrealised must have radios (at this point) are the Collins R-390A for its performance and the Braun T1000 and Grundig Satellit 700, both for no other reason than their absolutely beautiful design and styling (yes, because they look good)!” Edwin uses a IC-746PRO and 80mOCF dipole. John Wright Peakhurst NSW. Icom R75 EWE antennae 255 degrees. Plenty of listening, got Ozy Radio 4835 0700 first day of transmission on this frequency and a e QSL. Also got a QSL card from Japan 15280. QSL review. Japan Yamata. Radio Japan 15280 Coloured card in 4 weeks FD on the reverse. I sent a USD and they sent it back saying it is too much of a problem with the clerical side of things! Got a sked as well. Ladders Scores updated Countries Deleted Stations QSLs 172 8 632 1618 The ever-reliable contributor Dennis Allen (Milperra NSW), also has a few words to share: “Here we are again with more earth-shattering news. Well, not really, but it just seemed like a good way to get things rolling again.” “With regard to last month’s report on the enthusiastic return to radio construction, I’m afraid things turned out as usual although besides the usual squawking noises, at least I managed to receive a couple of stations that turned out to be the local ABC!” “Needless to say, my enthusiasm has declined somewhat and I haven’t warmed the iron up since! However, I must admit I’m a bit addicted to this type of activity, and already I can feel the lure of the molten solder and the rattling circuit boards dragging me back! Not only that, I’ve dug up another couple of circuit diagrams to try out, and hopefully I may

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 21

have some better news next month, although don’t hold your breath!” “In the meantime I’ve managed to start updating my band charts for the new season with the aid of the HFCC list, although I haven’t been able to dig out AOKI yet. I did manage however to dig out another one, although not so detailed, at http://www.eibi.de.vu/ in case anybody else is interested.” “So now, instead of listening to the same old Asian stations on the same old frequencies every night, I can listen to them on a different set of frequencies! Ha Ha!” “Seriously though, after over 50 years of listening to Short Wave radio, I still can’t keep away from it. Well, that’s it for now folks, Hope to be back next month.” Reports: QSL’s : Nil ! Countries Stations QSL’s. 134 296 872 If you are wondering why the April ADXN is a bit later hitting the streets this year, look no further than Craig Seager’s scribbling below: “Easter each year brings renewed possibility of heading up to Bluesfest at Byron Bay, with plenty of great music on offer from artists of both bygone and the modern eras. As I’ve done a couple of times before, the vehicle was given a compass heading north, and the 12 hour+ trek landed me at a place called Goonengerry, in the hinterland behind Bangalow and Mullumbimby – right in the rainforest.” “Also making the journey was the Airspy HF+, Wellbrook Loop, laptop, iPad, Ovation acoustic guitar and a Cormac McCarthy novel. My quintessential survival pack, in fact!” “The accommodation was superb – a two story self-contained building overlooking 12 acres of greenery, on the

edge of Nightcap National Park. Meanwhile, the music down at the Bay was also great (Robert Plant being the highlight). Usual muddy quagmire underfoot, as one has come to expect from the North Coast in Autumn, but that just adds to the Woodstock-like experience!” “Some listening was accomplished, including tuning into Ozy Radio on

new 4835 kHz.” “Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I’ve been busy putting in a light-weight Channel Master rotator on the Wellbrook, resulting in some good nulls on mediumwave. It is positioned on the edge of the veggie patch, not far from the existing LZ1AQ loop. So, it’s both an antenna and produce patch; an unfamiliar visitor would wonder what on earth takes place in my backyard, should they happen by”

A scene from the 2018 Byron Bay Bluesfest

(JW)

Hot-Rodding the Airspy HF+! The developer of the Airspy HF+ has now made comment on what has become a popular modification to the recently released SDR, that significantly improves sensitivity from 0-15 MHz: “During the early phases of the design R3 was a place holder for a 0 ohms resistor that allows experimenters to customize the input impedance. For example:

• A 300 pF capacitor will naturally filter the LW/MW bands for

better performance in the HAM bands

• A 10µH inductor would allow the use of electrically short

antennas (E-Field probes) for MW and LW

• A short (or high value capacitor) would get you the nominal

50 ohms impedance over the entire band, but then it’s the

responsibility of the user to make sure his antenna has the

right gain at the right band

• A custom filter can also be inserted between the SMA and

the tuner block if so desired.

R3 and the nearby resistors have been intentionally left outside of the RF shield, and their size was picked to be big enough to allow anyone to play with them. You will notice the size difference with the rest of the components. In general, unless one knows what he’s doing, it’s not recommended to alter a working system. “If it’s working, don’t fix it”. But, we are hobbyists, and not doing so leaves an uncomfortable feeling of something unachieved. Most brands addressing the hobby market

leave some tweaks and even label them in the PCB. The main purpose of the HF+ is the best possible performance on HF at an affordable price. This is to incite HAMs to get started with this wonderful technology while using an SDR that isn’t worse than their existing analogue rig.

The MW/LW/VLF crowd may have slightly different requirements, but that can be addressed by shorting a resistor.

(RTL-SDR website, photo: Nils Schiffhauer. Mod. originally

described by Bjarne Mjelde). And it works well! -cs

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 22

Broadcast Band & FM News Editor: John Wright E-mail: dxer1234@gmail.com

We Start off this month with another huge list by Chris Martin from the Gold Coast hinterland. All the below heard on the 18th of March!! That’s a band scan! “Lucky to still have 450-meter beverage here at the old house, which crosses 4 neighbouring properties. Have been listening around sunset skip time. 24/4 was an opening to Mexico and Cuba. Interesting to hear Rebelde on 670 as well as 1180 both // to 5025kHz. And a possible R. Reloj in the 950 jumble with clock tick and Morse code ‘RR’. Heard KEIB Los Angeles say the broadcast around the globe on iHeart Radio”. Oh say you may be interested to know the BBC is broadcasting into N. Korea on 1431 KHz w/500Kw from Mongolia. Directional @ 130deg. Check: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/bbc-news-launches-korean-language-service http://www.asiawaves.net/mediumwave-1431.htm#mediumwave-1431 Trail from Chris Martin: Ormeau Qld. 18th of March! 580 0750 KMJ w/ Red Eye Radio. 650 0732 XEEJ w/Banda Mx dominant. 670 0720 R.Rebelde // 5025 Cuban Merenge mx. 680 0727 KNBR fair sig “The Sports Leader”. Regular 740 0747 KTRH nx item on Mercy Transportation.

Dominant sig. 760 0759 KFMB promo for Road Team Magazine –

American Truckers. Red Eye Radio. I/d as AM760 KFMB. Dominant.

780 0800 KOH Reno i/d back into Red Eye Radio. w/Trucking spots.

890 0718 KIHC religious 910 0726 Un id. SS talk not KOXR 940 0755 KFIG strong sig w/ESPN 950 0757 XEKAM w/Tijuana spot. 1030 0738 KTWO w/ C2C AM 1040 0737 WHO on C2C AM. In the clear & dominant 1050 0731 KTCT // KNBR sports leader. 1070 0745 KNX “traffic and weather together on the 5’s” 1100 0808 KFAX readings from Revelations 9. Strong sig 1150 0800 “KEIB AM1150 for all of Los Angeles and

broadcasting around the globe streaming on iHeart Radio”

1180 0722 Cuban R. Rebelde //5025. Dominant no Marti. 1470 0753 XEAI w/ Banda mx, dominant. 1570 0755 XERF w/ Salsa Mx. dominant. Martin Greer from Launceston “I have had some DX a few times during March from Gippsland. But I have listed the best tropo DX from (Melbourne/Mt Dandenong) and Gippsland in Victoria, on March 14th 2018 UTC.”

93.1 0657, 3SBS Mt Dandenong noted with Hindi and then into Urdu with a strong signal, with some QRM from local 7ABCFM on 93:3

95.1 0628, 3PNN Gippsland with an excellent signal, and xcellent sound quality

96.7 0847, 3JJJ Gippsland with a very good signal, some QRM from local 7LTN 96:5-translator

100.7 0630, 3GLR Gippsland with an excellent signal and excellent sound quality

101.5 0634, 3ABCFM Gippsland with a good signal and good sound quality

103.9 0704, 3GCB Gippsland-presumed here with tail end of Chuck Swindoll program, with a very good signal, but fighting against local 7LTN on 103:7

104.3 0709, 3KKZ Mt Dandenong with a very good signal, and in heard at 7:11 as Melbourne GOLD 104:3

105.9 0636, 3ABCFM Mt Dandenong with a strong signal and very good sound quality

107.5 0638, 3JJJ Mt Dandenong with a strong signal and very good sound quality.

All times indicated are UTC. The radios used were a Degen DE1121 and Icom R7000 and a Phased Array antenna, with a Kingray preamp. So all the best from Martin.(thanks mate-JW). John Wright from Peakhurst NSW ICOM R75 with an EWE antenna at 255 degrees. Report out to 1629 2 UCB Vision Radio at believed Dubbo. The UCB website is a bit contrary. Also mentions Bathurst but I don’t think so (Bathurst has been off for some months -cs). 1629 0ver Hospital Radio Newcastle dominant station at

0755with Vision IDs and news at 0800. 1656 0800 Radio Rhythm 1656 over Brisbane Chinese, ID

0800 in English resumed with Hindu programme of music 9/4/. Fair level believed to be in Melbourne

1692 Radio Symban Campbelltown. 100 watts not heard, maybe off air as cannot hear any Greek at all! Needs checking!-Johno

Graham Dawe from Broken Hill has sent in a couple of newspaper cuttings unfortunately these turned out rather messy with the scanner. The FM DX is the worst ever for the Lawton Street lookout! Says Graham! I did hear a station on 1386 on the 14/3…no idea (Try Radio Tarana in New Zealand maybe that’s strong)! Also heard Radio 4KZ at night 5/9 +10db over big signal but no OZY RADIO, (try now on 4835 and report to me please Graham -jw). Graham sent in an article about the new Telstra phone tower at the North Family play centre. Telstra said that they would monitor the electromagnetic emissions!! (Yeah right, too bad and too late when your child turns green –jw). Also, a report on the stop/go man that drives a Porsche 911 2018 sports car around Broken Hill! Also, Southern Cross TV turned 50 1/3/1968 for you TV Dxers. (JW)

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 23

Clippings Radio Related Stories from the World Press

Edited by Craig Seager Editorial Address 12 Pellion Pl., Windradyne NSW 2795 E-mail shango12@gmail.com Radio Sawa to Scale Back Regional Broadcasts James Careless, Mar 29, 2018 To save $9.5 million in 2019, the U.S. government’s Arabic language broadcaster Radio Sawa plans to restrict its FM and AM transmissions to Iraq. This will mean the end of Radio Sawa’s radio service, AM and FM, to the rest of the Middle East. In addition, Radio Sawa’s country-centric feeds for Egypt, the Gulf, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco and Sudan will be terminated, both on air and online at www.radiosawa.com. The remaining Radio Sawa Iraq feed will be streamed Cuts to Radio Sawa are part of a bigger reduction for the Broadcasting Board of Governors in proposed federal budgets for FY 2018 and 2019. Billing itself as “America’s civilian international media agency,” the BBG oversees the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa (under Middle East Broadcasting Networks — MBN), and Radio and TV Martí. The BBG budget was proposed at $661.1 million for FY 2019, down from $685.2 million in 2018 and $786.6 million in 2017. A BBG information page says, “Radio Sawa attracts young audiences by playing contemporary Arabic and Western music with news and information programs. It is one of the most popular radio stations in the countries where it can be heard on FM.” So why is the BBG reducing Radio Sawa from a Middle Eastern regional broadcaster to an Iraq-only station? “Tough trade-offs are always necessary in austere budget climates,” replied Nasserie Carew, BBG’s director of global communications and public affairs. “But BBG and MBN leadership are committed to and will continue reaching people in media-restrained countries.” With money being tight, Radio Sawa’s non-Iraq radio broadcasts were a natural target, according to interested observers. “Eliminating the Radio Sawa network of transmitters in all countries except Iraq will save almost $5 million,” said Kim Andrew Elliott. He’s a retired VOA audience research analyst and broadcaster who now produces Shortwave Radiogram a weekly program of text and images via

analogue shortwave radio. “Radio Sawa uses leased FM transmitters in Arab countries, plus mediumwave (AM) relays,” he said, “and these are expensive.” Launched 16 years ago, Radio Sawa is a 24/7 Arabic-language broadcaster meant to attract and influence young Middle Eastern listeners. It replaced the VOA’s Arabic language service, which was viewed by many in Washington as ineffective in wooing regional hearts and minds. To win over this populace, “Radio Sawa reaches audiences in Arabic with a mix of Western and Arab popular music,” said Elliott. “This format is designed to attract a young audience to the news and current features content audience also broadcast by Radio Sawa.” If one goes by Radio Sawa’s numbers, the service is doing pretty well. “Radio Sawa currently has a weekly reach of 11.7 million,” said BBG’s Carew. “Radio Sawa’s largest broadcasting stream is to Iraq, where it reaches 4.7 million listeners, 40 percent of the audience, who will continue to be served by both radio broadcasts and digital initiatives.” It is these digital initiatives that the BBG is hoping will fill the gap created by Radio Sawa’s transmission cuts. Overall, “MBN’s digital outlets have grown to a weekly reach of nearly 6 million,” said Carew. “Additionally, Radio Sawa’s Facebook page has 7.5 million followers.” Nevertheless, starting in 2019, some 7 million Radio Sawa listeners outside of Iraq will no longer be able to tune in via radio. That is 60 percent of the station’s current audience. As a result, the cuts to Radio Sawa’s terrestrial service will “almost certainly” lead to audience losses, said Chris Greenway, assistant editor with BBC Monitoring. “Clearly not everyone in the Arab world is willing or able to receive radio broadcasts via non-traditional means. In-car listening is an obvious example.” Even without budget cuts, the fact that Radio Sawa is putting more emphasis on the web comes as no big surprise. “The BBG proposal is in line with its policy of moving out of both shortwave and AM broadcasting, which has been under way for some years now,” said Greenway. The BBG isn’t alone in choosing lower-cost digital over broadcasting. The BBC, too, has radically scaled down its global shortwave service in favour of web streaming, and many other international broadcasters have followed suit.

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 24

Some, like Radio Canada International, have stopped broadcasting entirely, choosing instead to only stream content over the internet. (Radio World)

Happy Birthday, West Africa Transmitter In the heart of tumultuous West Africa, TWR’s 100,000-watt AM station has reached a milestone – 10 years of broadcasting the gospel.

With a potential audience of 190 million, the West Africa Transmitting Station (WATS) broadcasts a diverse slate of programs in many indigenous languages, including Hausa, Igbo, Twi and Yoruba, in addition to French and English. Its programming reaches into areas where large populations of Christians and Muslims live and where militants frequently operate.

Read more about WATS and its anniversary, along with a little of the history and a couple of responses from listeners, on the TWR Africa website. (TWR News)

Trevor Baylis: Wind-Up Radio Inventor Dies Aged 80 5 March 2018 The inventor of the wind-up radio, Trevor Baylis, has died aged 80, the manager of his company has confirmed. David Bunting said Mr Baylis from Twickenham, south-west London, died on Monday of natural causes after a long illness. Mr Baylis invented the Baygen clockwork radio in 1991. He was appointed CBE in 2015 after campaigning to make theft of intellectual property a white-collar crime. He said chatting with the Queen at the ceremony was "like catching up with an old mate". Mr Baylis had also worked as a film and TV stuntman and an aquatic showman. He had been seriously debilitated, having suffered from Crohn's disease, Mr Bunting said. Mr Baylis was previously awarded the OBE for his radio, which he designed after seeing a documentary about Aids in Africa that suggested educational radio programmes could help tackle the spread of the virus. He had said he received almost none of the profits from the invention because people took advantage of patent laws to sell other versions of it. In later life Mr Baylis advised other inventors on developing their ideas and campaigned against theft of intellectual property. Mr Bunting, who runs Trevor Baylis Brands, said Mr Baylis had no living relatives. Trevor Baylis' wind-up radios could work anywhere. They were sold in the UK, but we weren't the intended market.

What made them important was that they were designed for a Third-World application. They were aimed at Africa and places where mains electric power and access to batteries was a problem. The original one had a clockwork-like mechanism with a very ingenious double-spiral spring. It wound off one pulley onto another and would run for relatively short periods of time - about 15 minutes. Later versions lasted longer and were powered by rechargeable batteries. They were charged up with a crankable dynamo or could be plugged into the mains or solar energy panels, if available. Nelson Mandela would say fine things about them, and they won Trevor Baylis various prizes. But while the Baygens certainly sold and were used, their biggest impact was probably that they had been made by a First World engineer who cared about the Third World.

There are now all sorts of inventions aimed at the developing world and it's a relatively common thing for young engineers to dedicate themselves to, but that didn't always used to be the case. I think Trevor Baylis deserves considerable credit for having

kicked that off and for having served as an inspiration to many other young engineers and inventors. (BBC)

Tonga's TBC Needs Government Help to Recover from Cyclone Gita Tonga’s state broadcaster TBC, says it could be a month before its station is back to full operations and that it needs government assistance in order to do so. The Tonga Broadcasting Commission studios and their transmission equipment was damaged during this month's Cyclone Gita and television services are only now slowly resuming. Electricity services were adversely affected while the threat of dengue remains. A state of emergency will continue to apply until March 12th. The government, with help from the World Bank, plans to undertake an assessment to quantify the damage caused by Gita and provide data for recovery planning. Electricity lines were downed and roofs were torn off houses by the high winds. The government declared a state of emergency before the storm hit and set up evacuation centres where thousands of people stayed overnight. The parliament building in the Pacific country has been destroyed by the worst storm to hit the country in more than 60 years. Gita, a category four storm, battered the island causing widespread damage. TBC’s acting general manager, Solomone Finau, told Koro Vaka'uta it is important that the station, particularly the radio services, get the help that is needed. (CS) ᴥ

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 25

Utility DX Report Editor: John Volpato E-mail: john@volpato.net PO Box 247 Deakin West ACT 2600 Ph 0419 621 008 Another Trove of logs to get through – thanks to Eddy ! Straight into loggings: 3330 CHU Canada Ottawa Time Sig good signal @ 0937z (JV) 3413 USB SF ATC wkg Alaska 004 for selcal continue on CPDLC (JV) 3622.50 TOKYO JAPAN JMH FAX 120/576 WEATHER MAP 1100 UTC 20MAR2018 (EW) 4152.00 JAPANESE MARITIME SELF DEFENCE FORCE MFSK8 USB IN IDLE MODE NO TRAFFIC 1100 UTC 20MAR2018 (EW) 4209.50. XSG SHANGHAI CHINA FEC 100 BAUD 170HZ SHIFT WEATHER INFORMATION WARNINGS ETC 1052 UTC 20MAR2018 (EW) 5547 USB SF ATC WKG DELTA 2147 CLEARANCE TO FL 370 @0940z (JV) 5547 USB SF ATC wkg Air Canada 034, Delta 1412, Alaska 880 with position reports and selcall checks @0921z (JV) 5574 USB SF ATC wkg American 664, American 144 with deviations due weather and position reports back on track 0939z (JV) 5574 USB SF ATC wkg United 1575, United 1023 and American 286 @ 0950z (JV) 5708.00 USAF USB ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO MCC ADW MCC 907 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 6329.00 ISTANBUL TURKEY CW MARINE STATION MARKER TAH REPEAT 1117 UTC 29MAR2018 (EW) 6340.50 BOSTON USA NMF FAX 120/576 WEATHER MAP 1010 UTC 30MAR2018 (EW) 6414.50 TOKYO JAPAN JFW CHUO FISHERIES WEATHER INFORMATION JAPANESE TEXT 937 UTC 30MAR2018 (EW) 6447.70 HALIFAX CANADA CFH USB STANAG 4285 1200 LONG ALL ENCRYPTED MESSAGES 1052 UTC 28MAR2018 (EW) 6454.20 UNID LOCATION STANAG 4285 USB 1200 LONG ENCRYPTION 952 UTC 30MAR2018 (EW) 6479.50 UNID LOCATION STANAG 4285 USB 1200 LONG ENCRYPTION 838 UTC 29MAR2018 (EW) 6559.00 SAN FRANCISCO USB HFDL 1030 UC 28MAR2018 (EW)

6655 USB SF ATC wkg Delta 166, American 266, Air Canada 010, United 37, Korean Air 017 and United 858 for position reports Selcalls and frequency changes 1005 z (JV) 6676 USB Australian VOLMET weather and SIGMET information for Aus major AIrports (I know not that exotic BUT I listened to it via a KIWI SDR in Montana in the USA!) (JV) 7919.80 UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION AND USER FSK 100/170 CCIR 493-4 SELCALLS 6868 AT 1111 UTC 15MAR2018 (EW) Start at: 9:37:14 PM 3/15/2018 with: CODAN 8580 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 128 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 68 CATEGORY: 128 IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12928 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 128 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 128 CATEGORY: 128 IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12928 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 123 SELCALL individual (semi-) automatic CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 6868 CATEGORY: 100 ROUTINE IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 1087 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 123 SELCALL individual (semi-) automatic CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 6868 CATEGORY: 100 ROUTINE IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 0 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 6868 CATEGORY: 100 ROUTINE IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12928 Saved decoder text at: 9:41:40 PM 3/15/2018 --------------------------------------- Baudrate: 100 Shift: 470 Centre: 2199 8054.00 MOSCOW RUSSIA T600 FSK 50 BAUD 200HZ SHIFT IDLE NO TRAFFIC 1007 UTC 12MAR2018 (EW) 8538.00 GUAM US NAVY NPN 75 BAUD 850HZ SHIFT STANAG 4481 ENCRYPTED MESSAGES CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION 952 UTC 28MAR 2018 (EW) 8600.50 NATO UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION STANAG 4285 1200 LONG ALL ENCRYPTED TEXT 1003 UTC 21MAR2018 (EW) (EW) 8968.00 USAF USB ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO HIKSPR GUASPR MCCSPR AEDSPR PLASPR JTYSPR 1015 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 9022.00. US NAVY YOKOSUKA JAPAN USB LINK 11 RADAR 75 BAUD ALL ENCRYPTED TEXT 1055 UTC 15MAR2018 (EW) 9025.00 USAF USB ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO HIK JTY 1006 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 11164.80 UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION AND USER FSK 100/170 CCIR 493-4 SELCALLS 3333 AT 1030 UTC 15MAR2018 (EW) FORMAT SPECIFIER: 128 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 128

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 26

CATEGORY: 128 IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12928 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 123 SELCALL individual (semi-) automatic CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 3333 CATEGORY: 100 ROUTINE IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 116 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 128 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 5 CATEGORY: 128 IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12928 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 128 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 123 CATEGORY: 128 IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12928 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 128 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 128 CATEGORY: 128 IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 12928 FORMAT SPECIFIER: 0 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 3333 CATEGORY: 100 ROUTINE FORMAT SPECIFIER: 128 CALLED PARTY ADDRESS : 123 CATEGORY: 128 IDENTIFICICATION ADDRESS : 828 Baudrate: 100 Shift: 370 Centre: 2196 11226.00. USAF USB ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO PLA JTY GUA MCC 905 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 12226.00 UNKNOWN LOCATION RUSSIA FSK 75 BAUD 258HZ SHIFT ALL ENCRYPTED TRAFFIC 1027 UTC 13MAR2018 (EW) 12610.00.MURMANSK RUSSIA FSK T600 50 BAUD 250HZ SHIFT SHORT MESSAGES ONLY 1057 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) Start at: 9:21:22 PM 3/14/2018 with: T600-A 3/14/2018 9:27:28 PM [SOM] 3/14/2018 9:27:28 PM 1EB41EB2952 3/14/2018 9:27:28 PM key I : 31h 46h 64h 70h 43h 31h 51h 4Ch 4Ch 64h 3/14/2018 9:27:28 PM key II: 31h 46h 64h 70h 43h 31h 51h 4Ch 4Ch 64h 3/14/2018 9:27:28 PM 52h 32h 07h 23h 23h 15h 46h 15h 62h 3/14/2018 9:27:30 PM 26h 4Ch 25h 70h 1Ch 23h 43h 31h 54h 26h 3/14/2018 9:27:31 PM 13h 0Bh 2Ah 46h 0Bh 25h 2Ah 15h 25h 2Ah 3/14/2018 9:27:32 PM 46h 1Ah 51h 4Ch 2Ah 68h 64h 54h 68h 2Ah 3/14/2018 9:27:34 PM 38h 64h 46h 51h 1Ah 32h 38h 58h 16h 26h 3/14/2018 9:27:35 PM 25h 13h 1Ch 2Ch 13h 51h 4Ch 38h 0Eh 46h 3/14/2018 9:27:37 PM 07h 52h 70h 0Eh 1Ch 15h 07h 38h 32h 64h 3/14/2018 9:27:38 PM 32h 51h 07h 16h 34h 4Ch 43h 68h 2Ch 1Ch 3/14/2018 9:27:39 PM 26h 1Ch 58h 62h 32h 4Ah 15h 4Ch 0Eh 4Ah 3/14/2018 9:27:41 PM 70h 31h 43h 13h 38h 70h 2Ah 46h 70h 4Ah 3/14/2018 9:27:42 PM 31h 13h 68h 58h 46h 34h 61h 23h 52h 3/14/2018 9:27:44 PM 34h 31h 4Ah 4Ch 31h 68h 26h 23h 26h

31h 3/14/2018 9:27:45 PM 46h 2Ah 0Eh 58h 25h 68h 0Eh 64h 58h 0Eh 3/14/2018 9:27:46 PM 13h 70h 54h 19h 31h 0Bh 0Dh 1Ah 0Eh 34h 3/14/2018 9:27:48 PM 54h 16h 51h 2Ch 62h 58h 1Ah 64h 0Dh 70h 3/14/2018 9:27:49 PM 51h 68h 54h 62h 16h 32h 31h 68h 4Ah 61h 3/14/2018 9:27:51 PM 64h 15h 25h 51h 4Ah 64h 15h 32h 26h 0Eh 3/14/2018 9:27:52 PM 62h 07h 4Ch 51h 25h 13h 26h 62h 52h 1Ch 3/14/2018 9:27:53 PM 0Dh 68h 51h 31h 2Ch 32h 58h 1Ah 0Eh 61h 3/14/2018 9:27:55 PM 4Ch 0Bh 0Bh 13h 62h 4Ah 38h 51h 64h 43h 3/14/2018 9:27:56 PM 26h 61h 68h 15h 15h 70h 16h 23h 70h 31h 3/14/2018 9:27:58 PM 2Ah 4Ah 16h 32h 2Ch 31h 51h 32h 52h 07h 3/14/2018 9:27:59 PM 68h 62h 70h 2Ch 68h 31h 68h 2Ah 0Eh 32h 3/14/2018 9:28:00 PM 4Ah 23h 0Eh 07h 4Ah 19h 23h 0Dh 51h 68h 3/14/2018 9:28:02 PM 1Ch 31h 54h 19h 62h 15h 64h 16h 23h 26h 3/14/2018 9:28:03 PM 4Ch 1Ah 16h 16h 4Ch 64h 1Ah 61h 19h 0Bh 3/14/2018 9:28:05 PM 43h 68h 32h 0Bh 31h 23h 62h 32h 52h 25h 3/14/2018 9:28:06 PM 0Dh 43h 31h 1Ah 62h 16h 0Bh 61h 3/14/2018 9:28:07 PM 46h 1Ah 23h 31h 70h 58h 2Ah 64h 2Ah 0Eh 3/14/2018 9:28:09 PM 52h 4Ch 51h 38h 4Ah 58h 25h 46h 3/14/2018 9:28:10 PM 62h 51h 25h 26h 0Bh 0Dh 26h 46h 68h 19h 3/14/2018 9:28:12 PM 2Ah 26h 26h 70h 58h 4Ah 2Ah 15h 43h 62h 3/14/2018 9:28:13 PM 58h 15h 34h 23h 2Ah 2Ch 16h 58h 54h 16h 3/14/2018 9:28:14 PM 51h 1Ch 38h 43h 34h 32h 54h 4Ah 43h 62h 3/14/2018 9:28:16 PM 68h 4Ah 31h 38h 34h 23h 31h 13h 52h 54h 3/14/2018 9:28:17 PM 1Ch 15h 16h 25h 1Ch 4Ah 0Eh 70h 46h 64h 3/14/2018 9:28:19 PM 38h 4Ah 32h 70h 26h 23h 13h 25h 58h 31h 3/14/2018 9:28:20 PM 54h 2Ah 13h 1Ah 23h 26h 15h 46h 2Ah 23h 3/14/2018 9:28:21 PM 61h 26h 16h 38h 0Dh 70h 54h 62h 52h 34h 3/14/2018 9:28:23 PM 32h 68h 62h 62h 62h 13h 16h 61h 23h 1Ch 3/14/2018 9:28:24 PM 31h 15h 3/14/2018 9:28:25 PM [EOM] 3/14/2018 9:37:28 PM [SOM] 3/14/2018 9:37:28 PM 1EB41EB2952 3/14/2018 9:37:28 PM key I : 54h 43h 4Ch 61h 43h 2Ah 43h 32h 07h 1Ah 3/14/2018 9:37:28 PM key II: 54h 43h 4Ch 61h 43h 2Ah 43h 32h 07h 1Ah 3/14/2018 9:37:28 PM 38h 1Ah 32h 13h 58h 0Bh 4Ch 07h 3/14/2018 9:37:30 PM 0Bh 13h 23h 4Ch 07h 16h 32h 0Bh 70h 68h 3/14/2018 9:37:31 PM 0Bh 15h 19h 31h 15h 32h 0Bh 46h 26h 13h 3/14/2018 9:37:32 PM 25h 61h 4Ah 34h 51h 51h 34h 3/14/2018 9:37:34 PM 2Ah 31h 0Dh 2Ah 2Ch 3/14/2018 9:37:35 PM 46h 43h 68h 62h 31h 62h 3/14/2018 9:37:37 PM 31h 32h 32h 0Bh 43h 0Bh 0Eh 13h 46h 3/14/2018 9:37:38 PM 25h 58h 15h 46h 61h 1Ch 52h 32h 07h 07h 3/14/2018 9:37:39 PM 32h 4Ch 13h 0Eh 64h 3/14/2018 9:37:41 PM 52h 68h 43h 58h 19h 0Dh 0Eh 31h 2Ch 3/14/2018 9:37:42 PM 46h 43h 13h 49h 38h 26h 3/14/2018 9:37:44 PM 32h 2Ch 0Bh 31h 26h 0Bh 3/14/2018 9:37:45 PM [EOM] Saved decoder text at: 9:42:47 PM 3/14/2018 --------------------------------------- Baudrate: 50 Shift: 197 Centre: 2198

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 27

13107.00 GUANGZHOU CHINA USB TELEPHONE DUPLEX NETWORK TO SHIPS QSX 12260.00 KHZ 937 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 13200 USAF EAM Message USB see https://youtu.be/1glSNIW_lGg (JV) 13215.00. USAF USB ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO HIK JTY GUA 0720 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 13261 USB Brisbane ATC attempting to call Jetstar MA with OTHR obliterating the signal Check https://youtu.be/a-qcFR5qL7U you can see the three distinct transmissions occurring and at 1:08 on the video the tx above 13261 moves down below the initial lower freq. (JV) 13432.80 UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION AND USER FSK 100/170 CCIR 493-4 SELCALLS 12928 AT 0945 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 13528.20 VLADIVOSTOK RUSSIA SINGLE LETTER BEACON f CONSTANTLY REPEATS 954 UTC 14 MAR2018 (EW) 13528.30 PETROPAVLOVSK RUSSIA SINGLE LETTER BEACON k CONSTANTLY REPEATS 955 UTC 14 MAR2018 (EW) 13528.40 MAGADAN RUSSIA SINGLE LETTER BEACON m CONSTANTLY REPEATS 957 UTC 14 MAR2018 (EW) 13536.00 RUSSIA UNKNOWN LOCATION FSK 100/500 STARTS AT EXACTLY 1010 UTC ENCRYPTED CYRILLIC GROUPS OF FIVE CHARACTERS. (EW) 14375.00 YOKOSUKA JAPAN US NAVY 75 BAUD 850HZ SHIFT STANAG 4481 ENCRYPTED MESSAGES CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION 812 UTC 29MAR2018 (EW) 15091.00 USAF ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO JDGSPR JTYSPR GUASPR 835 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 15094.00 USAF ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO GUA JTY JDG 715 UTC 14MAR2018 (EW) 16089.50 MOSCOW RUSSIA UNID USER FSK NOT BAUDOT 100 BAUD 2000HZ SHIFT ALL ENCRYPTED TEXT 0630 UTC 15MAR2018 (EW) 17973.00 USAF ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO JTYNPR 621 UTC 20MAR2018 (EW) 17976.00 USAF ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO JTYSPR JDGSPR GUASPR 805 UTC 20MAR2018 (EW) 18003.00 USAF ALE 125/1750 ALECALLS TO GUA JTY JDG PLA 745 UTC 20MAR2018 (EW) 18041.00 FAR EAST RUSSIA CW DAILY BROADCAST OF FIVE LETTER GROUPS AT 0500 UTC 29MAR2018 (EW) 18107.00 FAR EAST RUSSIA T600 50 BAUD 250Z SHIFT IDLING ONLY NO TEXT 0527 UTC 30MAR2018 (EW)

18187.00 AQUARIUS (F06) 0600 UTC 200/1000 USB SIGNAL TOO WEAK TO DECODE 0610 UTC 15MAR2018 (EW) 18696.00 FAR EAST RUSSIA T600 50 BAUD 250Z SHIFT IDLING ONLY NO TEXT 0538 UTC 30MAR2018 (EW) 18709.00 20072.00 FAR EAST RUSSIA T600 50/250HZ NO TRAFFIC 949 UTC 21MAR2018 (EW) UNID LOCATION RUSSIA FSK T600 50 BAUD 250HZ SHIFT NO TRAFFIC IDLING ONLY 504 UTC 15MAR2018 (EW) [SOM] 1414BEBE952 key I : 4Ch 19h 58h 26h 0Eh 34h 4Ch 32h 62h 43h key II: 4Ch 19h 58h 26h 0Eh 34h 4Ch 32h 62h 43h 46h 68h 23h 4Ch 07h 2Ch 0Eh 58h 46h 46h 19h 4Ah 43h 16h 32h 07h 1Ch 2Ch 34h 0Eh 15h 25h [EOM] Baudrate: 50 Shift: 322 Centre: 2205 22471.00 DIEGO GARCIA US NAVY NKW 75 BAUD 850HZ SHIFT STANAG 4481 ENCRYPTED MESSAGES CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION 652 UTC 29MAR 2018 (EW) 22910.00 DIEGO GARCIA US NAVY NKW 75 BAUD 850HZ SHIFT STANAG 4481 ENCRYPTED MESSAGES CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION 842 UTC 29MAR 2018 (EW)

That’s all for this month folks take care of yourselves and good DX to you all. Cheers, John

Australia to Begin DVB-T2 Broadcast Trials Free TV and Broadcast Australia are to conduct trials of the digital terrestrial broadcast standard DVB-T2, which has the potential to allow 4KTV reception. Broadcasters SBS and ABC will also participate in the Sydney-based trials, which will determine whether Australia will upgrade from its existing DVB-T standard in line with the UK, India, New Zealand and Malaysia. “Terrestrial free-to-air television delivers its service to 99% of the population and over 20 million Australians tune into television every week. This trial is an important part of ensuring that when the time is right, the terrestrial television platform is ready for the next stage of its evolution and that it can deliver the best possible viewing experience,” said Peter Lambourne, CEO, Broadcast Australia (BA). Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said: “While our current platform has many years of life in it, this trial is about planning for our long-term future. Over the past 62 years, television broadcasters have demonstrated their ability to evolve with the times, from black and white to colour, analogue to digital, standard to high definition. I’m very pleased to be working with BA to ensure that all Australians will continue to have access to the free news, sport and entertainment programmes that they rely on and love.” (Asian Broadcasting Union)

April 2018 - Australian DX News - 28

Amateur DX Report Editor: Bob Ronai, VK2BOB / VK4BOB E-mail: vk2bob@gmail.com or vk4bob@gmail.com Postal: 4 Tidal Court, Kewarra Beach Qld 4879 Bill W1OW reports that he has had some good QSOs in January and February, winter over in his neck of the woods. He has heard nothing at all on the higher bands and 17 metres was only open for short periods of time during the day. He uses SSB for the most part but also FT8. His DX on SSB has been: 1.8 MHz: PJ4G Bonaire; TO3Z Guadeloupe. 7 MHz: HJ2APL Columbia; ZC4A British Cyprus; H40YM Temotu; H44YM Solomon Is; H72DX Nicarague; OY1DF Faeroe Is. 14 MHz: C8X Ibo Is; D68I Comores; H94IT Taboga Is; J52EC Guinea-Bissau; Z60A Kosovo; AT3HT India; CP/LU8YD/M Bolivia; EK8A Armenia; N1RAC/KL7 Alaska; LZ250MT Bulgaria; PG55G Netherlands; RA2FDX Kaliningrad; TF3JB Iceland; TO972A Martinique; 3A2NL Monaco; 4Z5SL/P Israel; 9K57NLO Kuwait; 9X9PJ Rwanda. 18 MHz: 3D2EU Rotuma. Bob VK4BOB is still only operating with a trapped vertical antenna on the back fence so DX has been limited. So far worked only 38 countries, a far cry from the 198 worked as VK2BOB. Highlights have been: 7 MHz: AH6GE Hawaii; H40YM Temotu. 14 MHz: ES/HB9DUR Estonia; 4E1ADW Philippines; H40YM Temotu; 3D2EU Rotuma; HL1ZX South Korea; R1DX Russia. 21 MHz: OH7WP, OH2KW Finland. 28 MHz: JP1DJV Japan. 73, Bob ISS SSTV active on 145.800 MHz FM in April The International Space Station (ISS) amateur radio Slow Scan Television (SSTV) transmissions on 145.800 MHz FM are expected to be activate over several days in April. SSTV is also expected be active from April 11-14 worldwide as part of Cosmonautics Day which takes place on April 12. Detailed times are still being worked into the schedule and will be published later. Images will be related to the

Interkosmos project (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interkosmos). The SSTV images will be transmitted on 145.800 MHz FM using the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver located in the Russian ISS Service module. It is expected they will use the PD-120 SSTV format. Note the ISS transmissions use the 5 kHz deviation FM standard rather than the narrow 2.5 kHz used in Europe. If your transceiver has selectable FM filters try using the wider filter. Handheld transceivers generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard and you should get good results outdoors using just a 1/4 wave whip antenna. The ISS Fan Club site will show you when the space station is in range http://www.issfanclub.com/ ISS SSTV information and links at https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/ Please note that the event is dependent on other activities, schedules and crew responsibilities on the ISS and subject to change at any time. You can check for updates regarding planned operation at: ISS Ham https://twitter.com/RF2Space ARISS SSTV Blog https://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/ AMSAT Bulletin Board http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb (AMSAT-UK) International Marconi Day 2018 International Marconi Day celebrates the huge part Guglielmo Marconi played in the development of wireless. IMD is a 24-hour amateur radio event that is held annually to celebrate the birth of Marconi on 25 April 1874. In 2018 it will be held on 21st April from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC. The purpose of the day is for amateur radio enthusiasts around the world to make contact with Historic Marconi Sites using communication techniques similar to those used by Marconi himself. This is not a contest but awards are made to stations contacting a requisite number of registered Award Stations. For a list of Award stations go to gx4crc.com/imd-stations/ The Howth Martello Radio Group will be activating EI0MAR from the Martello tower in Howth again this year. In 1905 the tower was a receiving station set up to demonstrate the Marconi system to engineering staff from the British Post Office in support of an application for a contract for wireless telegraphy. The Royal Mail Ship Monarch with wireless telegraphy transmitting equipment on board sailed to various locations in the Irish Sea and its signals were monitored and logged in Howth. EI0MAR plans to be QRV from about 0800 to 1800 UTC as an Award Station and invites visitors to the event. Especially welcome will be operators willing to give some time to go on air either on phone or CW. (Southgate Amateur Radio Club News). ᴥ