[HCDX]: Hauser's SW/DX July 9

["Glenn Hauser" <wghauser@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

      GLENN HAUSER'S SHORTWAVE/DX REPORT 98-31, JULY 9, 1998

THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO 948. New Continent of Media and
Extra-25 on the way; RFPI plans live stream; R. Australia
frequency change changes; Hancock's Half Hour on the web; Euro
video heard in Illinois; R. Prague gets reprieve; DW and VOR
reducing staff; Tajikistan harmonics; R. NADECO dropped; 
collective meditation for Moon landing anniversary; weather
radios sold out; and most of the stories below (Hauser)

WORLD OF RADIO. It's always something at WGTG. Sat July 4, per 
announcement at *2331 on 5085-USB, they had been off the air due 
to local thunderstorm, and instead of playing WOR 947, apparently 
ran the show which should have been on at 2300, and WOR delayed 
until 0500, confirmed. Well, 0500 is a lot better propagationally, 
for those who knew about it (Glenn Hauser)

CANADA. Must check the RCI website more often; they seem to be
keeping it up to date with latest programming changes, including:

Not only is the last half hour of As It Happens on Friday 
occupied by a summer relief show, currently The Vestibules at
2330 as previously reported, but also Monday, Connexions, which
was on last summer, must be docus from NPR et al., like Sound
Print; and Wed, Talking Books. Replacing the defunct CFN shows
via UKOGBANI only at 0500-0600 are: Spectrum, Wed-Sat 0500-0529
and for the first time on RCI, I think, CBC's Vinyl Cafe, Wed
0500-0559, on 7295, 9595, 11835, 15430; updated 30 June. 

While I was there, I checked the times for the French mailbag,
Le Courrier Mondiale, in which Bill Westenhaver has told us he
is participating with introductory DX talks: Sun 1930 on 17870...
11700; 2130 on 17820...9755; Sun 2230 on 15305 only; UT Monday
0030 on 13670, 9755, 5960 (Glenn Hauser, RIB)

CANADA. Dead Dog Cafe Comedy Hour episodes are being repeated
daily [weekdays] for months starting July 6 within This Morning
on CBC, and RCI at 1332-1345 on 11855 and 13650, the latter with
perennial annoying variable het, presumably Korea North (Hauser)

CANADA [non]. Another Sackville screwup, or was Wimbledon so
important BBC grabbed an RCI frequency? Sun July 5 at 1500 noted
13650 was on BBC rather the CBC, whilst 11855 was still CBC (gh)

COSTA RICA. Because of interference complaint from Tasmania,
Since UT July 6, RFPI has switched from 6980 to 6975-AM in the
0000-1500 period; seems absoutely free of interference here
(Glenn Hauser, OK, July 9)

MONGOLIA. V. of Mongolia, 12085, was again marginally readable
on July 7, first checked at 1157 in Chinese, fluttery but fair,
seems more audio on USB than LSB. 1210 started English with IS,
Mongolian and English IDs, theme, schedule; 1212 Aussie(?) 
announcer with "Last Week's News"; 1220 music break; 1226 Mailbag,
but I never caught anyone's name; 1237 goodbye, music; 1238 woman 
with English sked, music, 1240* So the mailbag is on Tuesdays; 
low het on high side grew stronger during the half-hour (Glenn
Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 948)

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. Totally aside from the debate about whether
digital thingies are involved, one of RN-Bonaire's transmitters
is definitely capable of terrible splattering, as Ernie Behr has
insisted. I heard it myself July 7 at 2025 on the 13 meter band,
when 21590 was yelling in Dutch about a silly ball game, 
presumably World Crap, and the same modulation peaks were 
splattering up and down the band, gradually diminishing with 
distance from the centre frequency, but detectable as far down as 
21505 and as far up as 21770, overriding weaker signals such as 
Portugal-21655; still the same at 2130 recheck. The other two 
Bonaires, 17605 and 15315 were not // but with regular Dutch 
programming and no spurs. Sounds like the Orban 9105a as 
described by Bob Zanotti; will RN admit to using one on this
transmitter? (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 948)

The problem may well be in the audio 
processing now widely in use by SW stations. Specifically, it's a 
very sophisticated, state of the art processor called the Orban 
9105a (they have a Website). This is a modernization of the old 
VOA audio clipper of the Cold War days. All the "big boys" are 
using it today, including BBC, RN, DW, Norway, Sweden, Finland, 
RFI, Austria, and the VOA itself. There's one big hitch, however: 
the Orban produces an incredibly punchy, high-level audio signal, 
and if the transmitter is old or improperly adjusted, serious 
splatter and/or poor-sounding modulation will result. Even the
usually careful and reliable DW has had splatter trouble because 
of the Orban. I've had a hands-on experience with the 9105a in 
Schwarzenburg, and I can tell you it's fantastic. But if it's not 
set up properly, it sounds awful and is actually 
counterproductive. 

The year 1996 has been mentioned as the turning point in audio/
modulation problems at some stations, and this in exactly the 
period when the Orban 9105a caught on.

This, just in the way of a possible explanation for SOME of the
modulation problems reported. Best 73 (Bob Zanotti, Switzerland, 
July 2, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING)

NEW ZEALAND/CHILE. I have not heard anyone mention the clash 
between RNZI and Voz Cristiana on 11690. Voz wins here in 
Edmonton at 0500 with SS programming. This has been going on for 
just over a week now (Mick Delmage, July 5, WORLD OF RADIO 948)

Checked July 7 after 0500, and RNZI was winning, barely here, but
it's an awful clash with slow subaudible heterodyne which must be
resolved (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 948)

SAIPAN. RFA to purchase KHBI from Herald Broadcasting -
The First Church of Christ, Scientist's Herald Broadcasting 
Syndicate announced the sale of KHBI in Saipan to Radio Free Asia 
in yesterday's issue of "The Christian Science Monitor". Although 
the sale price was not announced, the purchase agreement does  
allow the Church to use the station to broadcast religious            
programming after the transfer is implemented. RFA management 
hopes that all current KHBI employees will remain at the station 
once RFA assumes possession of the station.                                                              
(Jim Moats, July 7, RIB and WORLD OF RADIO 948)

We've been expecting this for a long time; RFA already using KHBI
heavily, but brokers wouldn't talk about it. Initially KHBI was 
for sale, then not for sale while this was pending (Hauser)

TAHITI [non]. Once again a major religious broadcaster 
callously blows away the only shortwave frequency of an exotic
country--WYFR, Portuguese to Africa heard on 15170 at 0445, 
Arabic 0500, and no trace at all of Tahiti, July 9 (Glenn Hauser, 
OK)

TAIWAN [non]. Family Stations relay effective 20 July changes
11550 to 15165 for Hindi 0000-0100, English 0100-0200, 295 
degrees to S Asia (Dan Elyea, WYFR, June 26 via Hauser)

THAILAND. Surprised to find BBC WS quite readable at local
midnight, 0500 UT July 9 on 21660; this is Thailand beamed 20
degrees at 0300-0530 (Glenn Hauser, OK)

U S A. The "last" Spectrum program June 20 indicated that they
hoped to return in the fall, and on a different station, WGTG-2
(George Thurman, Hans Johnson, Pete Costello, Jim Wishner, 
REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING)                   ###


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