[HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs, April 14-16, 2008

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** CHINA [and non]. Firedrake on 9845, April 16 at 1322, on top of a weaker
station. Per Aoki the other station is: VOA Chinese at 1200-1300 via Tinian,
then 1300-1500 via Tinang (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also
CUBA; USA [and non]

** CUBA. More in the never-ending stream of anomalies from Habana:

April 14 at 2029 I was tuned to 11750 and heard the RHC Portuguese broadcast to
Europe closing, claiming to be on 17750. At the studio they have no idea what
is going on at the transmitters. Then into Arabic.

April 16 at 1258, RN Venezuela relay on 11705 was somewhat distorted, and
accompanied by awful noisy spurs roughly plus and minus 10 kHz, and gaps in
between those and 11705 itself. As usual, ran slightly past 1300, but open
carrier stayed on and on and on, and along with it the spurs even with no
modulation at all on the center frequency. 

Finally they all went off at 1324, uncovering on 11715 a leapfrog mixing
product from two other Cuban transmitters, RHC 11805 over 11760, 45 kHz further
down. 11805 was slightly more distorted than 11760. The 11715 spur was quite
weak by comparison, but enough to block also weak KJES as each faded in and
out.

April 16 at 1320 I found bubble jamming against nothing on 9805, S9+12
apparently from only one transmitter so you could hear the bubbling rather than
the wall of noise from multiple transmitters. This was left over from the R.
Martí transmission at 1000-1300.

April 16 at 1348 I noticed that the CRI relay was missing from 9570, during the
scheduled English hour at 1300. I know it was on before 1300 in Chinese as I
tuned by and noticed it was more undermodulated and distorted than usual (Glenn
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. Since it first reappeared April 11, R. Africa, 15190 has
shown up every day, as confirmed by at least brief chex, such as April 14 at
2030. Usually very good signal with variety of preachers in English in a
variety of modulation qualities. 

Also April 15 at 2221, VG, with no sign of WYFR co-channel, which overrode it
on the first day, but unseems there subsequently. R. Africa programming ended
sometime after 2230, as I was not listening closely, still open carrier at
2300, when maybe there was a trace of WYFR under. Wanted to catch when Bata
finally turned off transmitter, but when I rechecked at 2350 it was just
presumed weak WYFR. Apparently WYFR propagation to here on this frequency is
quite variable, often ceding to the big signal from central Africa.

Aoki shows this as 50 kW at 164 degrees, which means SSE towards South Africa,
and the same for all transmissions on this frequency, whether denominated R.
Africa, R. Africa-2, or even R. East Africa. From the big signal over here one
would think it`s axually aimed our way over West Africa. I wonder if they made
some antenna changes during their long absence (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)

** GREECE. Solar flux is pitiful, but the MUF still struggles to rise with
ever-increasing solar light on high-latitude paths, e.g., VOG on 15630 holding
up as late as 2047 April 14 with, what else? Greek music, but some deep fades.

ERT is all set to get the max out of this frequency, per Aoki, scheduled in
A-08 for very long hours, all the way from 0400 to 2300, first at 285 degrees
until 1800, then switching to 182 degrees for one hour, and from 1900 at 105
degrees, which is the opposite of 285, and none very favorable for NAm. Now,
why in the local evening would they switch from a westerly to easterly beam
rather than vice versa? It would make more propagational sense to aim east in
the morning, west in the evening (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. R. Mil, 6010, April 15 at 0458 was playing the rousing Mexican
national anthem, as no doubt required around local midnight. Befitting the
anti-American lyrix, then said a few words about a battle in the war with the
US, 1847y. But hey, where would the USA be today without all the territory we
stole from the UMS? Aztlán is rectifying that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)

** U K [non]. BBCWS via WHRI Furman, 9410, April 15 at 1231 had a
this-day-in-history feature, Efemérides, about the Titanic and McDonalds ---
hmmm, one day late for Titanic. 1234 back to music fill, on this Tuesday the
top ten pop discs. Never heard any further announcements until 1300* altho I
was not paying close attention, instead to another excellent Late Night Live on
RA 9580 featuring poets. (BTW, I found Cypress Creek much more romantic than
Furman, didn`t you? But the former name was tainted with Christian Science.)

Wednesday April 16 it was back to classical music at 1242 check, VG signal in
non-warhorse piece I did not recognize, even with quiet passages during which I
heard traces of Spanish, but probably cross-modulation from something else on
31 m (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. VOT, 15450, often not making it with pitiful propagation from
Europe/Asia Minor, but it was arriving April 15 at 1306-1313 with The Troubled
Island ? Cyprus. This 7-minute talk should have lasted 9 minutes if the
script-reader would just slow down from breakneck speed and increase
intelligibility significantly. It`s one of the shows they podcast, however, so
we can listen again and again trying to understand every word, which seemed to
be slanted against the Greek Cypriots for some reason (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Very distorted scratchy spur on 9335, April 15 at 1320, not strong
but marring reception of VOK, sob. I looked around for source. It did not match
BS on WWRB 9385, RHC or CRI on 31m frequencies. Was also there before 1300, and
still at 1343, when I concluded it matched WTJC 9370 with Alex Scourby Bible
readings --- I matched it more by feel, with my hand on the speaker, than by
ear, a technique all should try in difficult paralleling situations. Nothing
like it 35 kHz above on 9405. Wish Jesus would hurry up and Come, so we can be
done with these crappy FBN transmitters on 5920 and 9370. On second thought ---
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 9760 used to be ``owned`` by VOA, but the last few years the
Chicom have deliberately interfered with it. April 16 at 1318 I found VOA
English mixing at roughly equal level with something a few Hz away. I thought
it was in Chinese language but per Aoki, CRI is now on there in English at
1200-1357, 135 degrees from Kunming (probably an American or copied American
transmitter), while VOA via Tinang is scheduled 1200-1600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX
LISTENING DIGEST) ###


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