Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Vacation shortwave loggings


All times UTC // parallel frequency

While in Europe 20-29 June, I was able to do some listening from the Netherlands and in Luxembourg. The report below includes SW, MW, LW, and FM. You should be able to figure out which is which. Here is what was heard and/or observed.


D.R. Congo

6210 R. Kahuzi (pres.)1804 M anncr in what sounded like French, hen utility station started. Music at 1807 when UTE ended. Alternating male/female announcers. to music instrumentals. Rock mx bridge at 1808. (20 June)

Uganda
4976 R. Uganda/UBC R., 1959 just caught end of English address anouncement by male announcer. Afro Hi-life music, then closing announcements to continued Afro Hi-life to 2001. Deadair, then canned EG pgm promo mixed w/Dance Hi-life mx and ment of the Red Channel and mx artists given. ".Red Channel on UBC Radio". 2006 male in English with program sounding like "Radio Waya". Had QRM from a stn of equal strength on 4975 which must have been the V.O. Russia. UBC very nice after 2000 when 4975 went off. (20 June)

All Africas very nice including: 4780, 3345, 4828, and 4950. (20 June)

Surprised to find Indians coming in from 226-2230 on 5010, 4930, and 4920. (21 June)

Russia 9996 RWM time station 0509 continuous CW IDs till 0610, then ticks. (22 June)

United Kingdom 1215 Virgin Radio. 0534 ID near end of 4 Non Blondes "What's Up", song end, then live "Free Fuel Monday" ad, time check, back to music. Good signal. (22 June)

6090 DRM stn here up as high as 6110 and as low as 6080. Takes up a good chunk of the band. (22 June)

India
5015 AIR Thiru. 1915 almost Koran-like vcls, but nonstop. Not a break. Male announcer at 1927 recheck. Definite English news by anniuncer at 1931-1935 but audio very low. 4860 just OC so couldn't check //. Definitely NOT //4880. (23 June)

4860 AIR Delhi 1918 nice signal with local Indian instrumental music. (23 June)

4880 AIR Lucknow 1919 repetitive Indian instrumental music. Sounded like another station here mixing in with male/female announcers talking, probably South Africa. (23June)

Armenia
4810 Public R. of Armenia 1922 Announcer in Arabic. 1923 ID followed by Arabic music and middle-of-the-road instrumental music. Music at 1928. Another ID at 1929 by male, station off at 1930*. Good signal. Had me fooled and thought this might be a Clandestine!! (23 June)

Gabon
4777 RTV Gabon Doing well at 1924 but undermodulated. Some QRM from Djibouti. (23 June)

No sign of 5026 Uganda, but there was someone on 5025. Obviously can't be Cuba. Must have been Parakou. (23 June)

Russia
4975 V.O. Russia Good signal with rock music at 1937. Some utility and Uganda QRM but mainly clear in AM sync LSB. (23 June)

Zimbabwe
3396 R. Zimbabwe?? Must be the one here. Just a signal, no audio at 1947. (23 June)

Brazil
9564.88 R. Tupi (pres.) 2212 Announcer with religious preaching in Portuguese. Noted some slop QRM from 9575 khz but mainly clear. Not very strong. (23 June)

Pirate (Euro)
4908 UNID. Pirate Definitely a Pirate here with pretty decent signal at 0636 tune-in. Easy nonstop German Schlagers. Decent but fade after tune-in. Came back up by 0645. Nice signal w/solid carrier and clear modulation when not fading. Actually pretty good at 0648. Male announcer at 0648:45 but it faded just before, so couldn't copy. If the anmnt would have come 30 seconds sooner, it would have been easy!! A little more mx and off at exactly 0649:35*. Anyone have any idea who this could have been??? I'm really interested in knowing what Pirate station would be using the 60 meter Tropical band!! Please drop me a line if you can provide any input. Thanks!! (26 June)

5050 WWRB was fair but not really strong. 5045 and 5035 presumed ZYs were very weak. 5025 Rebelde was strong this morning. (26 June)

60 meter band scan from 0450-0455: 4965 Zambia religious talk to 0450 with fairly decent signal. 4950 pre. Angola kind of weak. 4915 ZY fair. 4894.9 and 4865 possible ZYs but couldn't get any audio oddly enough. Decent carriers though. 4828 Zimbabwe OK but noisy. 4799.9 Guatemala a little weak audio. 4790.07 OA, decent. 4775 sounds like TWR. 4755 probably the ZY. You'd have to get up in the middle of the night to have any success hearing Latin Americans. (27 June)

Peru
5014.37 R. Altura 0458 "Happy Birthday", ad, live announcer then back to music. Heard earlier before 0450 with "Happy Birthday" as well. Pretty nice signal.
(27 June)

6019.45 R. Victoria Usual Spanish impassioned preaching at 0542, then male announcer. Noted QRM from 6020. No sign of 31 mb outlet. (27 June)

5939.3 R. Melodia Only a weak carrier at 0544. (27 June)

And now a few loggings from home
Nigeria
9689.3 V.O.N. (pres.) 0804-0818 Nothing but long tlk by male in Afro vern. w/many ments of Nigeria. No ID hrd. Not too bad at tune-in but really dropped down after 0815 and barely audible. Could still hear male's talk with journalist sound bite at 0822. Seemed gone at 0828 check but probably just a deep fade. Found it later at 1005 with strong signal and end of English news summary followed by station ID, Afro percussion mx bridge, then into "Business Weekly" by same lady host. (12 July)

Australia
4910 and 4835 Both ABC outlets heard // on these freqs at 0803. 4835 one of the best signals on the band. Of course 5025 blocked by Cuba. at 0831 2325 was already switched on, followed by 2310 a minute later, then found a weak signal on 2485 about 30 seconds after that. (12 July)
(Source: Dave Valko, Cumbre DX)