Path: news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!lgw!news.funet.fi!not-for-mail From: mrodrigu@dino.conicit.ve (Manuel Rodriguez T. (Hosp. Militar)) Newsgroups: sfnet.harrastus.dx-kuuntelu Subject: Tropical Tuning #35 Date: 25 Jan 1995 05:47:25 +0200 Organization: Finnish University and Research Network Lines: 398 Sender: daemon@news.funet.fi Distribution: sfnet Message-ID: <9501241619.AA05488@dino.conicit.ve> NNTP-Posting-Host: news.funet.fi Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit To: dx-kuuntelijat@nic.funet.fi, PAYRAS@sara.cc.utu.fi, jeo@nesterc.neste.fi, andy.sennitt@almac.co.uk, DURHAM%TRANSY.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu, RMCVICAR@mhs.hcjb.com.ec, kmacharg@mhs.hcjb.com.ec, 101042.1210@compuserve.com, 71163.1735@compuserve.com, gst@gagme.wwa.com, Larry.Nebron@pcgfx.com, diego@pinos.com, 72700.31@compuserve.com, 70760.3540@compuserve.com, JimRenfrew@aol.com, jann.larsson@swedx.ct.se, anders_hultqvist@online.Idg.se, kwp@rai.ping.at, X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL21] Content-Length: 20209 Tropical Tuning _________________________________________________________________ JANUARY 24, 1995 NUMBER 35 Editor: Manuel Rodriguez Lanza e-mails: mrodrigu@conicit.ve manuel.a.rodriguez@spacecom.uunet.ve Address: P.O.Box 65657, Caracas 1066-A, Venezuela. Tel: +58 (14) 258359 (cellular) _________________________________________________________________ Notes from Editor _________________________________________________________________ VENEZUELA- Radio Barquisimeto on Shortwave: Accordingly with conversation between Dxer Luis Guerra Brandt and the Director-Owner of Radio Barquisimeto, they were ready to start transmissions on 9510 kHz but in holidays some people stole the radials of SW antenna in transmitter site, because they sell this copper in 20,000 Bolivares but to the station this action costs 2,500,000 Bolivares. Almost the insurance cover this, and they are waiting the money to buy again this part of the antenna. In one month probably Radio Barquisimeto starts transmissions on 9510 kHz. R.Enlace 860 noted sign off at 0300 UTC. _________________________________________________________________ EDITOR'S LOGGINGS _________________________________________________________________ Very good conditions on currents days. Please read carefully my details. All times are UTC. Receiver: Panasonic RF-3100. Antenna: LW 30 meters. 3295 AIR Jaipur, India. 01/23 - 0145-0205 - 33333 OM talking presumibly Hindi. Folk mx. At 0200 full ID by OM in English, then other OM return to Hindi. 3325 R.Maya de Barillas, Guatemala. 01/22 - 0206-0224 - 33333 Folk mx. OM with commentaries in Kanjobel language with T/Check (UTC -6) in Spanish. 3360 La Voz de Nahualá, Guatemala. 01/20 - 0202-0220 - 32232 Folk & Ranchera mx. OM with news in Spanish. 3370 R.Tezulutlán, Guatemala. 01/23 - 0215-0222 - 33333 Ranchera mx. ID as: "Están en la sintonía de Radio Tezulutlan..." by OM. At 0222 sign off abruptly. 3380 R.Chortis, Guatemala. 01/19 - 0217-0239 - 32222 YL with messages and congratulations. Folk mx. 4320 Radiodifusora Municipal, Cangallo (presumed), Peru. 01/24 - 0246-0312 - 22222 OM & YL talking in Spanish (very bad modulation - too bass). T/Check (-5 UTC). Latin Balad Pop mx. ID as: "...por los 4330 kHz transmitimos para nuestra audiencia". At 0312 sign off with the following message: "Hasta los momentos transmitio Radiodifusora Municipal... les agradecemos su sintonia y los invitamos para mañana cuando nuevamente estaremos con ustedes". 4634 R.Soledad, Parcoy, Peru. 01/23 - 2303-2342 - 33333 Vallenato mx. OM with advs. "Bazar Bodega El Jaujerito", "Electronica Salinas". T/Check. ID as: "En Radio Soledad estamos siempre con la musica, alegria tropical" & "Radio Soledad le ofrece la cumbia andina para todos nuestros grandes amigos". In Advs "PARCOY" mentioned repeatly. Please check town name is not Porcoy like I saw in some loggings. 4781 Onda Musical, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana. 01/23 - 2135-2230 - 44444 Latin oldies mx. Advs by OM. "Continuamos con la verdadera musica tipica dominicana, fiesta diseñada a traves de la inconfundible Onda Musical". Merengue mx. "A nombre de la pasta dental Sensicort con extracto de Patapanal, oxigeno y miel, la formula arabe, han presentado para ustedes Conjuntos Populares de Aye y Hoy en la Musica, por el favor de la atencion, gracias, buenas tardes, Alberto Camar quien les habla les invita para el proximo programa Fiesta Quisqueyana con el mitigo Daniel Quesada". Full ID as: "Transmitiendo desde Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana, la inconfundible Onda Musical, frecuencias de 1150 kilociclos onda larga y 4780 kiloHertz onda internacional de 60 metros. Santo Domingo paraiso turistico de America." by OM. 4786 UNID Arabic. 01/23 - 0232-0254 - 32332 Arabic mx. YL in arabic language. _________________________________________________________________ RAMADAN STARTING DATE _________________________________________________________________ FROM: MOHAMMED F. HADI DATE: Jan-14-95 10:11pm This year Ramadan will start on January 31 or February 1 so expect extended broadcasting hours from Islamic countries during that month. Also during the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan there will be further broadcasting extensions to cover the Qiam prayers which are performed between midnight and 2 am local time. Every year Ramadan starts around 12 days earlier than the year before so next year it will start around January 20. FROM: MOHAMMED F. HADI DATE: Jan-16-95 5:03pm Nicholas Rian Grace wrote: When will the Day of Ead (final day of Ramadan when the fasting ends)? I would like to send some cards to friends of mine who will be celebrating. Thanks! I'm afraid you cannot tell which day the Ead is until the 29th night of Ramadan. That's when each country decides if Ramadan should be 29 days or 30 days subject to whether or not the moon is spotted at a certain time. Almost all Islamic countries opted against the scientific approach and preferred the more traditional way of actually spotting the moon, an approach that is easily affected by an overcast sky. My best bet for the Ead Day this year is March 3, give or take a day or two. By the way, the Day of Ead is not the final day of Ramadan. It's the day following the last day of Ramadan. _________________________________________________________________ 60 METER RECEPTION _________________________________________________________________ FROM: CENTEL1 DATE: Jan-17-95 1:30am List of Stations heard this date, 60 meters, on Drake R8, in eastern PA 60 Meter Reception 1-15-95 Around 1:00 UTC Freq Station Reception Additional 4765 Radio Rural (Brazil) Fair Talk, Music 4779 Onda Musica, Dom. Repub.? Poor Talk 4790 Radio Altantida, Peru? Poor Talk 4805 Radio DF Amazanos, Brazil Talk 4810 Radio 2000, S. Africa Good Contemp Adult Music 4820 La Voz Evangelica, Honduras Good Talk 4835 Radio Tetzulaton, Guatemala Fair Talk 4930 Radio Internacional, Hondural? Fair Talk 4980 Ecos Del Torbes, Venezuela Good Music & Talk FROM: DON MOORE DATE: Jan-18-95 6:04pm < 4779 Onda Musica, Dom. Repub.? Poor Talk Onda Musical has been inactive for the past few years. This is most likely Radio Cultural Coatan in Coatan, Huehuetenango Dept, Guatemala. This is a new station - just came on in October - so not listed in the 1994 WRTH or 1995 PWBR. I think the actual frequency is around 4779.7 < 4930 Radio Internacional, Hondural? Fair Talk Again, certainly Internacional. Actual frequency is 4930.6 I got a QSL from these guys in December. The card was a postcard of a rustic fish restaurant along the shores of Lake Yojoa that I once ate in when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras in the early '80s. What a nostalgia trip! FROM: ANDY SENNITT DATE: Jan-20-95 11:29am ME>Onda Musical has been inactive for the past few years. This is most likely Radio Cultural Coatan in Coatan, Huehuetenango Dept, Guatemala. This is a new station - just came on in October - so not listed in the 1994 WRTH or 1995 PWBR. I think the actual frequency is around 4779.7 We did manage to sneak this news into WRTH95, page 600, but unfortunately not into the main section. Incidentally, I might draw everyone's attention to the additional Last Minute Information on pages 598-600, which is not referenced in the contents at the front. Why ? Well, the 64 page 4 color section has to be completed and sent for printing before the rest of the book. This year the printer had a lot of other jobs going on and squeezed us to get the 4 color section finished early... _________________________________________________________________ 90 AND 120 METER BROADCAST RECEPT.. _________________________________________________________________ FROM: ROB KEENEY DATE: Jan-17-95 4:13am There's no reason why you shouldn't here plenty of stuff on 90 meters from the East Coast. Try for these: TWR-Swaziland - 3200 0300 s/on BBC-Lesotho - 3255 0300 s/on Zimbabwe - 3306 0300(approx) s/on Zimbabwe - 3396 0300(approx) s/on The above stations are what's heard best in the MidWest. Some others to look for: HCJB-3220, Togo-3222, Honduras-3249, Namibia-3270, Guatemala-3300, 3325, 3360, 3370, 3380. This doesn't scratch the surface. FROM: DON MOORE DATE: Jan-16-95 10:29pm You should have no trouble getting some of the stronger Guatemalans on 90 meters. Radio Cultural on 3300 kHz is the strongest. Also there is Radio Chortis on 3380, Radi Tezulutlan on 3370, and La Voz de Nahuala on 3360. While these are on in the evenings, usually signals are stronger in the morning around 1100 UC. The best bet on 120 meters is the Guatemalan La Voz de Atitlan on 2390 kHz. These stations are not powerhouses, and it will take some careful listening to ID them, but this is the best time of year. A lot of others are possible as well, but the Guatemalans are better bets because they are closer to the US and put in better signals that Ecuadorians or Bolivians, for example. FROM: WILLIAM MERRILL DATE: Jan-17-95 6:15pm : You should have no trouble getting some of the stronger Guatemalans on 90 meters. Radio Cultural on 3300 kHz is Also two strong Africans are Ghana 3366 (just after est sunset) and R. Oranje, S. Africa 3230 (somewhat later in the evening). R. Cultural is quite dependable here, E. Massachusetts, try before sunrise when it's nice and quiet. FROM: DON MOORE DATE: Jan-18-95 6:08pm < Also two strong Africans are Ghana 3366 (just after est sunset) and R. Oranje, S. Africa 3230 (somewhat later in the evening). Out here in Iowa, Radio Oranje's frequency is always covered with a digital-mode utility signal which makes listening impossible. There have been a few cases of great African openings where Oranje has risen above the ute - once I was even able to copy the name of the DJ - , but most often I can't even hear a single note of music through all the digital gibberish. I guess this illustrates just how different reception can be between two locations just about 1000 miles distant from one another (Boston to Davenport). _________________________________________________________________ VENEZUELA ON SW _________________________________________________________________ FROM: DON MOORE DATE: Jan-16-95 10:03pm I just arrived back home less than 12 hours ago from a 19 day trip to the western Venezuela Andean states of Merida, Trujillo, and Tachira. I had a wonderful trip, Venezuela is a fantastic and friendly country to visit. I've been to most of Latin America, and this trip without doubt ranks as one of my favorites. I have not read the the newsgroup since December 21, so if anyone posted anything looking for me, try again! SHORTWAVE INFO: *** Radio Mundial Los Andes from Merida is active on 6010 kHz (actually 6010.5, plus or minus 100 Hz - can't get that exact with a Sony ICF-2010). The schedule is somewhat irregular, but they were heard almost every day that I was there and on the few days I didn't hear them, I might have just tuned in at the wrong time. Twice they were on around 0700 UTC (3 a.m. local) and twice not on around the same time. Also heard several times in the morning (1000 UTC) and evenings (0000 UTC), as well as during daylight hours when long distance propagation is not possible. I have not seen reports of this station in the DX press for a long time, but suspect the reason is that Radio Mil, Mexico, on 6010 covers them up. So, if you hear something in Spanish on 6010, be sure to get an ID, as it is probably the Mexican. However, the Venezuelan is, indeed, active. This used to be a private station affiliated to the Mundial network, but in July, 1993 the owners sold the station to the net. However Orlando Castro, owner of the Mundial net & the Banco Progreso went bankrupt recently (one of two big bank failures in Venezuela) and the Mundial network is up for sale. **** If you've logged Radio Frontera in San Antonio on 4761 kHz during the past week, you owe me a thank you, hi! I visited the station Tuesday morning (Jan 10). While I was talking with Sen~or Modesto Marchena, the owner-manager, the technician dropped by. The station had not been on SW for some time, but Don Modesto told him to go out to the plant and turn it on. He left and called back about fifteen minutes later saying he had done this. This was about 1600 UTC, so propagationally impossible at a distance. However, I did note them on the air two subsequent mornings around 1100 UTC and one evening as well. In nearby Merida, signal strength was very strong - it lit up all the lights on my ICF-2010, but modulation was rather low which made the audio a bit difficult to listen to. Don Modesto is a wonderfully friendly man. While I was there he called his home and had his son bring a present to the station for me - four clear-glass glasses with the Radio Frontera logo on them! *** Otherwise, Ecos del Torbes 4980, Radio Tachira 4830, and Radio Valera 4840 are all active, indeed, easy to hear here in North America. I visited all of them. The SWs for each have been a bit irregular and on a reduced schedule to save money. Venezuela is going through some economic hard times and stations want to save on electricity. I did a lot of MW DXing in Venezuela and some ute aero DXing. Will be posting info on that and more SW later as well as writing stuff for NASWA and a detailed article about Venezuela's SW stations to send to Monitoring Times. Now I've got to go home and finish un-packing! _________________________________________________________________ VOICE OF THE MARTYR _________________________________________________________________ FROM: WOLF HARRANTH DATE: Jan-17-95 7:10pm I do not remember whether someone asked about this station here or on another echo. Anyway: RADIO VOICE OF THE MATYR has been broadcasting via R. Luxembourg and other stations for quite some years. They talk about persecuted Christians. Test transmissions now via Armenia, Radio Intercontinental, 1800-1830 with announcements in German, English and France, on 9.480. Address: POB 5540, D-78434 Konstanz, Germany. _________________________________________________________________ LOGGINGS FROM SCANDINAVIA _________________________________________________________________ FROM: JORMA MANTYLA DATE: Jan-18-95 10:18am I have included those loggings which might have some news value to the readers of this newsgroup and omitted several loggings.There are loggings both from myself and two DXpeditions in Lapland. Complete loggings are found in Scandinavian dx-magazines. PPP17 and PPP18 = DXpedition to Posio, Southern Lapland: 25.12.1994 - 1.1.1995 (Vesa-Jussi Rinkinen), 1.1.-8.1.1995 (Jorma Mantyla & Mika Salmela). Rx: NRD 525 & 2x Icom IC-R71E Antennas: 305deg 330m, 320deg 550m, 338deg 600m, 358deg 850m, 50deg 660m, 55deg 350m. (Beverages) JM = Jorma Mantyla, Kangasala, near Tampere, Icom Ic-R71E + 3xBeverages. I use the Scandinavian log-format: fequency, date, UTC-time, stn+info. ASIA: 830 27.12etc 1600 R Pakistan. PPP17, PPP18 846 14.1 2000 DZNN Quezon City w report of pope's visit to the Philippines. Moscow closes now 2000 and then frequency is relatively free. JM CENTRAL AMERICA: 840 4.1 0523 R Caraibes w id in EE & "FM-101,1".PPP18 3300 5.1 1115 TGNC R Cultural. PPP18 4779,8 5.1 1100- Unid w very weak signal & s/on, presumably the new Guatemalan stn which is impossible in Europe during night-time due to QRM Ukraine 4780. PPP18 4835,1 5.1etc 1135 TGTZ R Tezulutlan. PPP18 6306 5.1 1124 La Voz del CID. PPP18 SOUTH AMERICA: 1020 16.1 0600 YVRS R Mundial Margarita w id: "Mundial Margarita" & "Cadena Mundial".Programming does not seem to changed despite state ownership of Mundial-network. JM 4914,4 5.1 1000 OAZ4N R Cora del Peru. PPP18 4924,0v 5.1 0950 CP114 R San Miguel. PPP18 4965,8 5.1 1015 OAZ7B R San Miguel & huayanos. PPP18 5039,3 5.1 1038 OCY4Y R Libertad, Junin. PPP18 5049,7 8.1 1000- HCFF1 R Jesus del Gran Poder. PPP18 5097,3 5.1 1022 OAX8V R Eco, Iquitos. PPP18 6090 15.1 0815 CE609 R Esperanca, Temuco, seems to be this w religious programming. Heard relatively often as Luxemburg is off (closed all sw-transmitters?). JM 6135 8.1 2302 CP32 R Santa Cruz. PPP18 11704,6v 3.1 -2059 ZYE858 R Nova Visao w s/off & id, asks for reports.PP18 _________________________________________________________________ MY MAIL FRIEND IN CHINA. _________________________________________________________________ FROM: YANGCHUN ZHONG DATE: Jan-19-95 5:47am The following is a short list of major holidays: New Year's Day Jan. 1 Chinese New Year Jan 31 (each Chinese New Year will be on different date. It is the first day in lunar calender) Labour Day May 1 Youth's Day May 4 Children's Day June 1 Middle Autumn Sept 9 (date changes according to lunar calender) National Day Oct. 1 People also celebrate other special days in different places in China. For example, most Chinese celebrate the night of 15th of the 1st lunar month. In this year, it is Feb. 14. I will say Thanksgiving and Christmas are getting more popular recent years. _________________________________________________________________ RAI VIA SINGAPORE _________________________________________________________________ FROM: WOLF HARRANTH DATE: Jan-19-95 6:03pm Quoting Andy Sennitt: Another new transmission for the QSL hunters - according to a revised schedule of RAI, Italy, just issued by BBC Monitoring, there is a new transmission in Italian to Asia at 1000-1100 UTC on 11850. This comes from the BBC's Far Eastern relay station in Singapore. They also use Italian for America 0130-0230 6.110 and 11.765 via BBC Ascension. - Satellite feed for both programms via Eutelsat II-F2 under RAI Due on 11,095, subcarrier 7,56. FROM: ANDY SENNITT DATE: Jan-20-95 10:27am WH>They also use Italian for America 0130-0230 6.110 and 11.765 via BBC >Ascension. - Satellite feed for both programms via Eutelsat II-F2 under >RAI Due on 11,095, subcarrier 7,56. Thanks, Wolf - I didn't mention those because they're already in the WRTH :-> As a matter of fact, we also list 15320 to the Pacific at the same time, also from Ascension -- but I haven't a clue where I got that from, and it appears not to be true _________________________________________________________________ ANDEAN LOGS _________________________________________________________________ FROM: NICHOLAS RIAN GRACE DATE: Jan-21-95 11:19pm Stations logged in downtown Washington, DC with a 160m dipole and Kenwood TS-440S. Radio Sensacion (Huancabamba, Peru); 6895.30 kHz at 0037 to 0105 UTC sign off on January 21, 1995. Signal: 322 with some RTTY QRM. Program of huaynos and announcements/time checks by male DJ. Possible ID, but still presumed log. Incidentally, I called the international operator to get a phone number for this one, but she said that no radio stations are listed in Huancabamba at all. Radio Paititi (Guayamerin, Bolivia); 4682.36 kHz at 1023 UTC on January 21. Signal: 232. Strongest I've ever heard them! Program of romantic music with male DJ. Also announced as "El Vision de Cristo," but not sure if this was the name of the morning program. This station is a good verifier. My QSL and pennant came from Brazil, where owner Ancir Vaca Cuellar had taken a ferry to to send the letter. It's always a good policy not only to send a dollar or mint stamps, but also to answer the QSL with a note of appreciation.