** CANADA. 300 kHz, Feb 16 at 0720 UT, ND beacon dash and YIV, which
is 500 watts from Island Lake, Manitoba.
317 kHz, Feb 16 at 0722 UT, NDB dash and VC, which is 1000 watts from
La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
366 kHz, Feb 16 at 0729 UT, NDB dash and YMW, which is 500 watts from
Maniwaki, Quebec. Also two from USA, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 6060, Feb 15 at 0717, RHC is S9+30 of dead air; 6145 S9+10/20
with sufficient English modulation; 6000 & 6100 are off; at 0721, 5040
is also S9+30 of dead air plus hum; 5025 Rebelde distorted.
Something`s always wrong at RHC/RadioCuba.
Steve Henderson, N6RHH, earlier replied: ``Hi Glenn, I always get a
chuckle out of your There's Always Something Wrong At RHC comments.
And yes I've heard some really nasty sounding transmissions. It's
amazing they turn those loose on the airwaves. But anyway I haven't
seen you mention their broadcasts on 6145. Their 10 kHz wide audio
actually sounds good. Last night they were an S9+30 here in Las
Cruces, NM. It may be their only listenable frequency these days. 73,
Steve, R-8600, Wellbrook loop`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 13771, 13842-trace, 13629, 13558, Feb 15 at 1531, RHC very
distorted spurblobs from RHC 13700-AM, 71-kHz intervals. Something`s
always wrong at RHC. 13740 is still on with S9+10 of dead air.
Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** CUBA. 13700, Sun Feb 16 at 1436, `En Contacto` in progress with a
new voice besides Marta Rios, outroed as Luis Alberto Santander, if I
read my scribble correctly. Lots of fluff with bits about Cuban radio
history, yawn, and no Arnie until 1445 via impressive fibre-optic
hookup to his home. Arnie is getting harder and harder to understand,
mumbling rapidly. Give the man an extra minute so he can slow down!
This time something about hams helping out forest fire-fighters (now?
in Cuba?), and no sunspots for 13 days.
Once this is over, at 1451 I check around 13700 for spurs --- and they
are everywhere! Instead of 66-70 kHz intervals, first one found is
circa 13732, only 32 kHz away, but it`s wobbly, soon up to 13744, or
is that another one? Also 13785, 13833, 13870, 13922, 13968, but there
is a lot of hash in between them. Another check at 1454, circa: 13744,
13655, 13615, 13566, 13523, i.e. mostly 44-45 kHz intervals. Very
ill-defined and none of them with readable audio in FM or AM.
Fundamental 13740 is already off so not in the way. Something`s always
wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** MADAGASCAR [and non]. 17570, Feb 15 at 2000, poor signal with music
and language, scheduled AWR in ``Mos``, 250 kW at 295 degrees, so
favoring us beyond and at this hour is the Only Signal On Band.
Also circa 2000, I keep checking 17550-AM whether there be even a
trace of Kuwait staring a 4-hour Arabic service for central and
western North America, supposedly 365 days a year but only makes it
circasummer. Is it really on the air every day? Not a trace. Need to
check remote in Europe, but may not even reach there since it`s
starting out in the middle of their night: rather inept frequency
management (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** SAUDI ARABIA. 17895.0, Feb 15 at 1449, Qur`an at S7-S9. Spring/MUF
is looking up as hardly a JBA carrier from this all winter. No signal
on 17705 which is supposed to run at 12-15 like 17895, but General
program. Also 17615.065, always off+frequency, Qur`an same level as
17895, S7-S9. If anything make it on 16m, these do, would be the OSOBs
except for JBAC 17885 Mali, but still the SSOBs.
17895 is registered 12-15, 500 kW at 295 degrees; 17705 same at 310
degrees would be USward; 17615 at 13-16, 190 degrees.
15435, Feb 15 at 1458, Qur`an here is better than usual, S7-S9;
13710+, Feb 15 at 1534, more Qur`an, this one commonly heard and
always slightly off+frequency.
This MUF map showed only 13 MHz between there and here:
https://qrznow.com/real-time-band-conditions/
Before I checked 16m, I had one unID phoneham on 18142-USB at 1446, so
I knew there was some propagation, but probably not HZ1AB = Hot
Ziggity One American Boy, QSLed sesquidecades ago (Glenn Hauser, OK,
WOR)
** TURKEY. 5960, Sat Feb 15, carrier on only a few sex before *2300,
whew, so English to us succeeds. Still starts with canned sign-on
giving WRONG English sked info, for A-season! Only a sesquimonth to go
before it`s right again, barring any further changes. I.e. at 1830,
2030, 22-23 on 9830, 15520 at 1930-2030 instead of 1630 instead of
1730, 03-04 on 9515, 06-07 on 6165 --- the last one would have been
local time, axually was at 03-04 UT, same time as on 9515! Yet
advisory at end of announcement that news is pre-recorded during the
23-00 and 04-05 broadcasts, which *are* the correct winter times.
No one ever notices all these mistakes; evidently same announcer comes
on non-live with the olds. I resume at 2322-2333 for his `Letterbox`,
very ad-hoc as if he is opening mail for first time rather than
scripted; from Philippines, Xingyang for first time, Java, more than
one each from India and Russia, finally Lithuania. Only name I
recognize is Anatoly Klepov, Moskva. Some write to English service,
lacking another common language. Nothing from W Europe or N America!
He says ``thank you, thank you`` to everyone, more to answer but out
of time. Closes saying would be back in two weeks, altho this has been
showing up every Saturday - repeats? (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 329 kHz, Feb 16 at 0723 UT, ND beacon PMV, which is 25 watts
from Plattsmouth, Nebraska.
342 kHz, Feb 16 at 0726 UT, NDB PFT, 25 watts from Pine Creek - Piney,
Minnesota. The F and T without a space so it seemed like a 5-character
letter! Later figured must be this. Also three from CANADA, q.v.
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 414 kHz, Feb 15 at 0732, ND beacon SD, which is 40 watts
from Sioux City, Iowa; was tuned to 412-USB (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 2021 monitoring: Ivo Ivanov,
Bulgaria, reports: ``Fair signal of World of Radio#2021 and Shortwave
Radiogram#139 on February 15
1300-1330 15770 RMI 100 kW / 044 deg WeEu Sat World of Radio #2021
1330-1400 15770 RMI 100 kW / 044 deg WeEu Sat Shortwave Radiogram``
WOR 2021 also confirmed UT Sunday Feb 16 at 0429 UT on WA0RCR,
1860-AM, MO, VG S9+20/30, about 7 minutes into so started circa 0422,
closer to nominal 0415-. Next:
2130 UT Sunday WRMI 7780
0130 UT Monday WRMI 7780
0230 UT Monday WRMI 7780 9395
0400vUT Monday WBCQ 5130v Area 51
0430 UT Monday WRMI 9955
0900 UT Monday Unique Radio NSW 5045-USB
0930 UT Monday Unique Radio NSW 5045-USB [another episode]
1900vUT Monday IRRS 7290 Romania?
0100 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780
0900 UT Wednesday Unique Radio NSW 5045-USB
2100 UT Wednesday WRMI 7780
2200 UT Wednesday WBCQ 7490v
0100 UT Thursday WRMI 7780
Full schedule including AM, FM, webcasts, satellite, podcasts:
http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 9330.0, Feb 16 at 1917, S9+10/20 open carrier, so WBCQ-6
superstation is reactivated after a month. Per previous info, was
going to test this weekend, and resume World`s Last Chance nonsense
sometime Monday Feb 17. Probably aimed away toward Arablands now, as
would be even biggersig if thisaway (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. John Carver now reports on UT Saturday 0100 Feb 15 WBCQ:
``Glenn, Was too cold in the command center for the computer to boot
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and this morning. Don't know when I'll be
able to boot again.
As for the last AAWWW, no readable signal on 7490 although a couple of
hours earlier Brother Scare was S9. Tuned in 5130 two minutes before
the top of the hour and heard an irritating high pitched tone. At one
minute before the top of the hour a bell rang and Steve Cole gave a
station ID and the tone started again. Tone continued until 0133 when
it slowly stopped and Pirate Joe faded in. He was talking about the
politics of the previous week and then got sidetracked. Program was
off at 0159 and instead of going into the poetry show they ran an old
AAWWW. At a minute before the top of the hour the bell rang again and
the Steve Cole ID ran once so they at least fixed that problem on
5130. John, mid-north Indiana`` (Glenn Hauser, WOR)
** U S A. 5085, Feb 15 at 2214, WTWW-2 is already on since it`s
Saturday, ham stuff about AMSAT, S9+20/30 and overmodulated. Once upon
a time they ran day frequency 9930 for this but not heard there in
ages; maybe also pre-empting SFAW on 9475 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 5085, UT Sun Feb 16 at 0112-0144, anonymous theater organ
show occupies this span, always a bit more than 29 minutes and never
during a specific half hour; I soon switched to WTWW-2 stereo webcast.
Then right into disco music (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 9475, Sun Feb 16 at 1918, WTWW-1 day frequency is rarely on,
PPPP on SFAW this Sunday at S9+30 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 3215, UT Sun Feb 16 at 0159, Dave Frantz with live? WWRB QSY
announcement to 3185, finishes just in time for *WWCR steel drum and
its sign-on, while open carrier overlaps with a SAH for several more
seconds.
3185, Feb 16 from *0200, WWRB sign-on and into first gospel huxter who
does not explicitly identify but says will be off WWRB at end of
January [sic] since has been getting absolutely no listener response
there; instead funds will go to missionary work in northern Luzon.
Also with big hum. ``Challenge`` mentioned, maybe as name of show?
Recheck at 0429, I notice 3185 is still on, but only on weekends
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 1020 kHz, Feb 15 at 0704 UT, Spanish promos mention
RadioVisión Cristiana a few times, overriding semi-local KOKP Perry
OK, making fast SAH with it. KOKP can only be somewhat heard by
nulling: KCKN Roswell NM, the RVC 1330 NYC relay station, recently
restored after damage causing low power operation for over a year. Now
sounds like original 50 kW, but certainly NOT with a null toward KDKA,
as we are very close to that line on the way, so non-direxional?
Licensed day pattern is also very direxional with tight lobes at 155
and 325 degrees (toward Albuquerque), essentially nothing thisaway.
https://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1795705-136765.pdf
Licensed night pattern is quite similar, peaks at 175 and 320 degrees,
alleged null at 55 degrees:
https://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1795705-136766.pdf
Before it crashed, it was often heard here as if not within spex then
either (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A [non]. 780, Feb 16 at 0814 UT, I happen to awaken, too late
or in time for the KKOH Reno 50 kW ND DX test starting at 0800? I get
a good null on WBBM, but nothing heard except Spanish music. Others
say this was Radio Coro, Cuba, and KKOH did test, but when did it
stop? Shux (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
** U S A. 1140, Feb 15 at 1832 UT, exactly local mean noon here, on
caradio at certain spots I am getting fast SAH QRM to KRMP OKC,
apparently ``power-line beverage`` enhancement. Suspect KCXL Kansas
City, the Russian relayer; but also in area are KLTK in NW Arkansas,
and KHFX Cleburne, N Texas, but direxional away from here: both
Spanish, if only I could make out a language. Shortly on home rig I
can tell there are two beating signals on 1140 but mostly KRMP.
1140, Sunday Feb 16 at 1410 UT, American English W&M discussion of
brain cancer, loops NE/SW, over KRMP but soon losing out. This is when
KCXL is scheduled to carry Sputnik Radio, Russian propaganda, 6-9 am
CT 7 days a week = 12-15 UT now, 11-14 UT during imminent DST. KCXL
got lots of negative press about relaying Russia, supposedly another 3
hours in the evening but own sked shows only mornings:
http://www.kcxl.com/shows.html
Yet, KCXL brands its homepage with an *American* flag. Rest of sked is
a strange mixture of various religions and far-right extremist talkers
(Glenn Hauser, OK, SOR)
UNIDENTIFIED. 2097.3-CW, Feb 16 at 0643 UT, one-letter beacon A is
audible again, with QRM from 2098.0, q.v. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
UNIDENTIFIED. 2098.0, 2166.0, 2231.0, 2298.0, 2800.0, Feb 16 at
0643-0713 UT, things that go beep in the night, CW carrier pips
exactly 3 seconds apart = 20 per minute on these even frequencies,
first noticed when I was checking beacon A on 2097.3. Then found more
as I tuned up, always on exact kHz, but not equally spaced: intervals
of 68, 65, 67 kHz but none around 2365 nor below around 2032 by 0653.
Not until 0713 did I find another, way up on 2800.0 but no others
around it. What in the world? Can`t totally rule out a local device,
but random frequencies would not all be exact; seems intentional
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)
This report despatched at 1956 UT February 16
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/article.php?story=20200216201502537