PRECISE FREQUENCY MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES

In response to an inquiry from Rodney Johnson, I wrote on WOR iog:

Yes, the AMSynch frequency readout is the way to go on UTwente SDR.

Most of my measurements are on the R-75, the old-fashioned way.
Normally I step-tune bandscans at 1 kHz intervals in USB. Thus 1000-Hz
hets are everywhere when 1 kHz below a correct frequency; if something
is slightly plus or minus, it`s immediately obvious from a different
pitch. Then to measure it, I downtune -200 or -300 Hz exactly on the
readout to three decimal places, hear that pitch and then in 1 Hz
step-tuning mode, go up to the plus side until I hear the same pitch,
then comparing by punching in xxxx.800 or whatever where previously
heard. Usually takes a few tries back and forth to get an exact match
to my ear. Then I note the exact frequency which makes a match on the
plus side, and add the total Hz between upper and lower. Divide by two
and add that to the lower spot, and that produces the wanted exact
carrier frequency --- almost. On this receiver it`s slightly off so I
have a correxion factor to subtract according to a table I have
compiled, since the factor increases with higher frequencies. Finally
the exact frequency to be logged. However after all this indirect
``measurement`` I will not claim accuracy to better than about 2 Hz.

On the NRD-545 there is a similar procedure except it reads out to
only .01 kHz instead of .001.

I would encourage other DXers with receivers capable of this to carry
out such measurements. And all editors to respect them rather than
rounding off or deleting the extra decimal places.

Additionally: in some cases with a strong stable signal and
headphones, one can zero-beat a frequency in SSB mode, by rocking
tuning back and forth until no subaudible beat can be heard (Glenn
Hauser, OK, WOR)

** CHINA. CNR1 jammer survey Aug 14 at 1357-1400: 14920 JBA, 14850
S5-S7, 14690 S8-S9, 14635, 14500? carrier only, 13160 S9+10, 13130,
12880 S9 which is as far as I get until timesignal and 1400* (Glenn
Hauser, OK, WOR)

** GERMANY. 9670, Aug 14 at 1655, From the Isle of Music test via
Channel 292: it`s good at UTwente, S9/+10 closing in English, part
Tilford-Spanish and even a bit in German. It seems that Bill did not
post this reminder before to our group, but sent Aug 13:

``Subject: Test broadcast August 14 from Germany
TIME: 1600-1800 UTC FREQUENCY: CHANNEL 292, 9670 KHZ
PROGRAMS: From the Isle of Music 1600-1700 UTC
Uncle Bill's Melting Pot 1700-1800 UTC
Last Friday's test had both propagation and transmitter issues so we
are retrying the time/frequency``

Still good after 1700 with UBMP on 9670 via UTwente. At 1711 I began
recording rest of hour for later hearance, but then found it soon
started fading down by 1714 during Urdu songs he was trying to
pronounce, 1717 some fade-outs, and by 1720 almost lost vs high local
storm noise level at the SDR; still useless when I next checked at
1745 and stopped recording. At least there was no QRM from co- or
adjacent stations since moving all of this to before 1800. Wolfgang
Bueschel had been listening since 1633 and had S3-S9 signals at
several different European SDRs, but ``nil - nothing at Hanson,
Massachusetts state in USA; at AJ1L location. 73 wb`` (Glenn Hauser,
OK, WOR)

** GERMANY. 9670, UT Sat Aug 15 at 0155 I have a JBA carrier here,
maybe Channel 292, no better after 0200 when Texas Radio Shortwave has
scheduled a monthly-on-third-Saturday test with 10 kW ND hoping to
reach us. I try UTwente first, but find it is offline! Now we`ll hear
if TRSW make it to northeast America, on the Maine SDR: yes, but very
poorly with country tunes; 0223 sounds like Willie Nelson; that SDR
times me out at 0230* (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** INDIA. All India Radio specials for Independence Day details, the
second part from 0135 UT Saturday:

https://alokeshgupta.blogspot.com/2020/08/special-broadcasts-by-air-for.html
Since it`s after sunrise, don`t expect to get the lower HS frequencies
at any great distance --- I reminded in advance on the WOR iog. For
the record I check all the frequencies on his list, and of course
nothing to be heard on 4, 5 or 6 MHz. From 0133:

11620 very poor; 15030 JBA carrier; 5010 possible SAH vs WRMI or from
Madagascar; 7420 blocked by RRI. All of this direct, not trying
remotes.

7380 turns out to be best altho VP, USB necessary to minimize 7375 RRI
splash. All I hear is S Asian songs, vocal with drumming, until a bit
of talk at 0149, but back to music by 0153. Forget it after 0200 as
7385 WHRI is also on now squeezing from opposite side. 7380 is Chennai
where VP Kámala (Lotus) Harris` mother came from, Madras.

After that I am mainly monitoring remotes for TRSW on 9670, so missed
the main event in India, but probably not in English anyway. At 0228
Maine Kiwi was poorly pulling a speech in Hindi? on 11620. Apparently
better received a bit further east by Richard Langley in NB (Glenn
Hauser, OK, WOR)

** NORTH AMERICA. 6960-AM, Aug 15 at 0124, music at S8/S9+10, some
pirate but am far too busy chasing INDIA and checking WOR on WRMI.
Rechex finds music still going at 0137, 0205. Many logs here say it`s
Ballsmacker Radio:
https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,70483.0.html
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) [non] TRSW: See GERMANY

** OKLAHOMA. 515-MCW kHz, Aug 14 at 0600 UT, NDB PN Ponca City is
still off; 341-MCW, EI Enid is still on (Glenn Hauser, Enid, WOR)

** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 2047 monitoring; confirmed first
WRMI broadcast Friday August 14 at 2200 on 9955, S7-S9 with lite pulse
jamming, improving soon to S9+15.

Also confirmed UT Saturday August 15 at 0130 on new at this time 9955
WRMI, VG S9+20 despite aiming SSE from Okee; and also 3 seconds later
on VP 7780 separate playout; and still canceled from 5850 & 5010.

Next:
0700 UT Saturday Unique Radio NSW 3210-USB
1300 UT Saturday WRMI 15770 to NE
1930vUT Saturday WA0RCR 1860-AM
2300 UT Saturday WRMI 7780 [NEW] to NE
0300vUT Sunday WA0RCR 1860-AM [nominal 0315; as late as 0400]
0300 UT Sunday WRMI 5800 to SSE
0700 UT Sunday Unique Radio NSW 3210-USB
0030 UT Monday WRMI 7730 to WNW
0130 UT Monday WRMI 7780 to NE
0230 UT Monday WRMI 7780 to NE
0300vUT Monday WBCQ 5130v Area 51 or 6160v to WSW
0330 UT Monday WRMI 9955 [jammed?] to SSE
0900 UT Monday Unique Radio NSW 3210-USB
1800vUT Monday IRRS 7290 Bulgaria to WNW, 594-Italy
0100 UT Tuesday WRMI 7780 to NE
2100 UT Wednesday WBCQ 7490v to WSW
0100 UT Thursday WRMI 7780 to NE

Full schedule including AM, FM, webcasts, satellite, podcasts:
http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html

Thanks for financial support from Ivan Soldo, Australian
Capital Territory, for a contribution via PayPal originally
in Australian$ to woradio at yahoo.com

One may also contribute by MO or check in US funds on a US bank to:
Glenn Hauser, P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702 USA
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** U S A. (7490), UT Sat Aug 15 from 0000, WBCQ webcast of `AAAWWW` is
almost all fiery politix, 1000% pro-Drumpf and anti-Democrats who are
the same as Communists. 0024 finally mentions quadri-casting on 3265,
5130, 6160 and 7490 which I soon confirm on a Rockport ME SDR check,
except 7490 is mostly skipping over there, altho 9330 WLCR inbooms.
Angela sounds more extreme than Allan, playing off each other?
Discussed social media; anti-IRS.

Notable quotes from Allan: ``330 million blockheads`` referring to all
Americans, and ``dickhead Pelosi``, twice --- well, at least that
could not be qualified as sexist? Takes phone call at 0049 from
someone just as reinforced; then some e-mail, and not until the last
minute 0059 does someone ask about buying WHRI, which he confirms
briefly matter-of-factly, more about that ``huge transition`` to come.
I had also e-mailed him for a comment about that.

We had been discussing it all day on the WOR iog since Stephen Luce
posted a matter-of-fact station-sales resumen from Lance Venta:

``[WOR] Allan Weiner/WBCQ buying WHRI
Allan Weiner buying WHRI for $ 1.25 Million, from RadioInsight:
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/195902/station-sales-week-of-8-14/

Perhaps not a surprise in light of the apparent shutdown of the Palau
operation. Will the lower powered WBCQ transmitters in Maine stay on
the air, or will everything outside the 500kw WLC transmitter get
moved to Furman? Stephen Luce, Houston, Texas`` viz.:

``Station Sales Week Of 8/14
Lance Venta by Lance Venta August 14, 2020

World Harvest Radio International WHRI Allan Weiner
Family Broadcasting Corporation is selling shortwave Christian “World
Harvest Radio” WHRI Furman SC to Allan Weiner for $ 1.25 million.
Weiner also owns shortwave Talk “The Planet” WBCQ Monticello ME as
well as Talk/Rock 780 WXME/98.3 W252DW and Classic Country “Kixx 94.7”
WBCQ-FM Monticello. The seller owns multiple Christian television
stations as well as Christian AC “Pulse-FM” 103.1 WHME South Bend IN,
96.9 WHPZ Bremen IN, and 92.1 WHPD Dowagiac MI``

``Wow, what a deal. Seems like a bargain depending on how many Furman
transmitters are really operable. Not a hint from AW before that this
was in the offing. We can only hope that this is not financed too by
World`s Last Chance or some equally odious entity, and that WBCQ
programming will axually be radiated. Glenn`` --- other replies:

``If I had to guess, I'd imagine this was financed by the Flat
Earthers since they have VERY deep pockets and it's already
established that WBCQ on its own isn't all that "well off" financially
(after some fire damage in late 2017, they tried to raise money
through donations to repair/replace one of their classic transmitters)
but hopefully some alternative programming will be relayed via the
powerful WHRI transmitters. A very unexpected development either way!
73 John Jurasek``

``There may still be a third 500 kW (including the one moved in from
Greenbush) and a second 100 kW (ex-Noblesville). Well, a bargain: At
least they found someone who takes the station, after nobody wanted
Palau anymore. And I indeed assume that World's Last Chance has
something to do with this, considering their use of Woofferton and
Encompass-brokered Kostinbrod. Probably Encompass wants to keep its
access to Furman for the time being, because otherwise Woofferton
would be all they still have for NHK, KBS and Voice of Vietnam while
in Asia they still can offer transmissions from Taiwan, resulting in
Palau being dispensable for them. Kai Ludwig``.

And now, John Carver`s version of AAAWWW notes:

``Tonight's show started on time on 6160 and 7490 and a few seconds
later on 5130. An energized Allan and slightly agitated Angela who
blurts out Communism in the opening political statement touching on
the peace agreement in the Middle East and then China which Angela
equates with Black Lives Matter, bleeding hearts and the communists in
general. Allan finally stops the political talk after seventeen
minutes to tell Angela how beautiful she is and then they move into
talking about Face Book. Allan stated once again that Angela was being
groomed to take over the radio station when he could no longer do it.
He mentioned that they were broadcasting again on 3265 which I didn't
try to check as I would have to adjust pre-selector and antenna
tuner.

Back to political talk before the half hour mark with Angela being the
rabble rouser and then they moved to talking about the IRS. Phone call
at 0050 which did nothing to change the topic. Reading of emails at
0053 which caused Allan to drop a bombshell this evening with the
reply to an email about WHRI as he stated that WBCQ was buying WHRI.
Said he would give us more information in the future. Closing prayer
at 0059 and program was off the air at 0100. John Mid-North Indiana``

After barely joining Hal Turner in time at 0100 on 7490, by 0110 I
find 5130 is off while 6160- continues // (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** U S A. 600 kHz, Aug 14 at 0605 UT, ``Newsradio 600, WMT`` ID after
Fox ``news`` and then local weather, from a TV station; dominant
signal on its 1.25? kW ND day facility with the direxional nite tower
downblown by the derecho in Cedarapids IA. I can`t be too sympathetic
to WMT plight as they spew loathsome Limbaugh and hateful Hannity; but
a much wider variety of talkshows on weekends (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

UNIDENTIFIED. 12478.34-USB approx., Aug 14 at 1400, colloquial Spanish
2-way; encountered of course during WOOBandscan for CNR1 jammers
(Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

This report dispatched at 0456 UT August 15