Thursday, May 15, 2008

Blog Logs


Today's shortwave BLOG LOGS, represent a portion of additional logs recently cut from my upcoming SWBC Logs column in Monitoring Times, due to space constraints. Contributions are always welcome for the magazine or blog, and may be directed to my above email address. Thanks very much to the contributors for your kind words and support.
Gayle VH

All times UTC, frequencies in kHz, English unless otherwise indicated // parallel frequencies.
* sign-on - sign-off *

Australia
Radio Australia via Shepparton 13630, 2155. SIO 433. Announcers' comments about Malaysia, India and the Stock Market downturns. "Radio Australia" ID into world news at 2200. Noted on 11880 at 1710. Notebook program audible on 15230 at 2257. "RA News" at 2300. (S MacKenzie, CA).

Burkina Faso
Radio Burkina. 5030, *0528-0545. Sign-on with national anthem. Opening French announcements at 0530 and announcers talk. Poor signal quality with a lot of signal splatter from Cuba's Radio Rebelde on5025 kHz. (B Alexander, PA).

Canada
Radio Canada International 6250, 0104-0159.* Spanish programming amid a leapfrogging spur of 6100 kHz. Freq 6100 leaps over 6175 Voice of Vietnam via Sackville, Canada and landing on 6250 kHz. This is a 75 kHz separation between each frequency. Reception varied from very weak to very good with deep fades. Occasional RTTY interference. (B Alexander, PA).

Croatia
Croatian Radio 3984.87, 2316-2330. English/Spanish programming. News on Serbia and Kosovo to items on sports and weather. Shortwave, medium wave and satellite schedules. "Croatian Radio ...Voice of Croatia" identification at 2320. Musical ballads into presumed Croatian until Spanish service at 2330. Good signal quality. (S Barbour, NH)

Egypt
Radio Wadi el Nile 9250, 2215-2300.* Arabic service of talk to local music and Qu'ran recitations at 2253. Station sign-off with national anthem at 2258. Signal poor to fair with noisy conditions. (B Alexander, PA)

France
Radio France International 13695, 2012. French comments plus musical interludes. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Gabon
Radio Gabon 4777, *0458-0510. Sign-on with opening in French to announcements. No national anthem noted but did note regional tribal music at 0459. Newscast at 0500 of good signal quality. (B Alexander, PA).

Guinea
RTV Guineenne 7125, 2228-2303. French announcements to talk between Afro pops and hi-life music selections. Heard a tentative "Conarky" in passing at 2256. Signal weak and poor. (S Barbour, NH)

Indonesia
Voice of Indonesia (presumed) 9524.9, 1142-1203. Mandarin service as announcers' ta;l to musical ballads, and text to 1200. No discernible observed during poor and rough copy for audio. (S Barbour, NH)

Italy
Miraya 101 FM via IRRS 9825, *1458-1515. Sign-on with African music. Time pips, ID and English news at 1500. Poor signal quality and difficult copy with co-channel QRM and possible jammer. Lost in the noise at 1515. (B Alexander, PA).

Japan
Radio Japan 17810, 2305. Indonesian. SIO 333. Lady announcer's program comments, followed by additional program news and music. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Mali
RTVM, Bamako. 5995, 0556-0630. Tune-in to guitar melody interval signal. National anthem at 0558 to opening French ID announcement at 0559. Qu'ran recitations at 0600 to local music at 0614 and vernacular talk. Fair signal but some splatter from Radio Havana Cuba on 6000 kHz. Also heard at 0800 sign-off with closing ID announcements. Poor signal at this time with co-channel interference. (B Alexander, PA)

Mauritania
Radio Mauritania 7245, *0833-0845. Abrupt sign-on with Arabic talk. Brief breaks of Middle Eastern style pop music. Fair signal. This is the same time of programming heard earlier on 4845 kHz. (B Alexander, PA).

Northern Marianas
Radio Free Asia relay 15430, 2355. Chinese. SIO 444. Program comments, music and abruptly off the air at 2357. (S MacKenzie, CA).

Papua New Guinea
Radio East New Britain 3385, 1044-1124. Tok Pisin language with surprisingly decent signal with what appeared to be a music request program. Male announcers' taking listeners phone calls. English music ballads to mentions of "Rabual and several mentions of "......FM." Station ID amid poor-fair quality with signal peaking at 1700 - barely audible at tune-out. (S Barbour, NH).
Russia
Radio Rossii via {etro Kamchatsky. 6075, 0840-0902. Russian service of male/female announcers with text and conversation. Musical ballad at 0856. Frequencies 7200 via Yakutsk and 7320 via Magadan were parallel to one another throughout programming. Frequency 6075 was not // with either freqs to 0900 when all three were in synch. (S Barbour, NH).

São Tomé
Voice of America relay 13735, 2008. French VOA programming to vocal music. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA).

South Africa
Radio Okapi via Meyerton. 11890, *1600-1700.* French/Vernacular talk to "Okapi" jingles. Weak signal but readable. (B Alexander, PA).

Spain
Radio Exterior Espana 12035, 2018. Arabic service of segments and announcers comments. SIO 333. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Vietnam
Voice of Vietnam 12020, 2305. Vietnamese. SIO 333. Announcers conversation to regional style music. (S MacKenzie, CA)

Contributors:
Brian Alexander, PA
Scott Barbour, NH
Stewart MacKenzie, CA