söndag 25 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: VOA Deewa, Afghanistan upgraded

AFGHANISTAN
621 The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has issued a modification to its contract with Harris Corporation concerning a recently-installed BBG mediumwave transmitter in Afghanistan. Harris is the only firm capable of meeting BBG´s requirement to enhance the capabilities of the existing 200 kW shelterized mediumwave (MW) transmitting system in a remote location of Afghanistan to provide for 24-7 operations. The enhancement to existing Harris designed and provided broadcast site includes the design, fabrication, shipment, optional installation, commissioning and testing of one (1) additional Caterpillar C-18 generator capacity and fuel capacity at the recently completed site. It is mandatory the new equipment be precisely integrated into the existing site with no downtime. Harris is required to provide all personnel, design, equipment, materials, supplies, documentation, training, fabrication, assembly, packing for overseas shipment, shipment, installation and otherwise do all things necessary and incident to the delivery of a highly efficient and highly reliable commercially available enhancement to the existing solid-state mediumwave (MW) transmitting system. Minimal US Government security is provided at the site.

This appears to be the VOA´s Deewa Radio Service in Pashto serving the area near the Pakistan border.

The transmitter is already on the air and have been heard in Scandinavia.

(25.4.2010 Google News, BBG via BE/Bengt Ericson, ARC)

fredag 23 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: Many Thai stations now 24 h

Tarmo Kontro says in his logging about R. Thailand 1476 kHz that many Thai stations are 24h now due to the crisis. (Mauno Ritola via Bengt Ericson, ARC)

Log from Fredriksfors April 22nd

Spanish on 1510! Faded down just on top on the hour but quite good up to and after. ”Must be” Boston on its high 1510,019. Have been heard with brokered program at nights earlier and Spanish isn´t quite a surprise but  very wearth noting.
In the evening Brazilian signals on 740 and 1220 but nothing interesting and I went to bed at 22.15 uTC.
At  01 some eastern (common) NA:s together with Bahamas very good on 1540. 1370 (WDEA with sports from Sox) and 1200 (with C2C) best.
Signals went southwards and mainly Venezuela and Colombia. Some channels, as 1290 and 1190, to be checked a little better. WIPR alone on 940.
Instead of La Plata at sunrise (03.07 UTC) signals went north again, but to week and to noisy then.

Log from Fredriksfors April 13th.

Spent the night in Fredriksfors. Nothing ”interesting”.
The Brazilian(?) carriers were too weak to be audible and I went to bed for a couple of  hours sleep at 22.30 UTC.
A new try at  01 but only some ”mumble”.
A little ”better” at 02. Apolo on 1320 quite descent and some LA:s also on 1280, 1290, 1370, 1380, 1470, religious on 820 and 1610. Nothing interesting. 1570  didn´t seem to be ”Q”, but no id.
About  03.30 (at sunrise) a week ”top” from La Plata with signals on 1070, 1190 and 1620 (best a for quite a time, but onlu audible on AM).

måndag 19 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: Radio Seagull goes offshore again

Dutch MW station Radio Seagull/Waddenzee will be on the air on MW 1602 kHz from the last remaining radio ship in action, the m/v Jennie Baynton from April 30th to May 16th. Power is estimated at 500 W. For those interested it is also possible to visit the ship. More information on http://www.radioseagull.com/offshore.html (Svenn Martinsen, Norway, ARC)

onsdag 14 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: Correction Qatar AM

QATAR:

Correction:

Patrick Robic, Austria and Mauno Ritola, Finland have informed that Qatar Radio is now broadcasting different programs on 675 and 954 kHz.

954 kHz carries the Al-Jazzera TV sound (see WRTH 2010) and 675 kHz the Arabic Main program.(Bengt Ericson, ARC, Växjö)

måndag 12 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: New super power MW tx on the air from Qatar

The new superpower transmitter at Al-Arish in Qatar is now on the air on 675 kHz with full power after a week of test with low power. Heard with very good strength at 1730 UTC on April 12th, 2010 in parallel with 954 kHz. (Bengt Ericson, ARC, Växjö )

söndag 11 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: Bulgarian MW update

864 kHz Radio Blagoevgrad with regional programs is still on the air reports Patrick Robic from Austria. He included an excellent audio recording with his mail.

1296 kHz Kardzhali is heard with Christo Botev program. At 17.30 UTC one hour of almost non-stop classical music. (Bengt Ericson, ARC, Växjö)

fredag 9 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: Current active Bulgarian MW stations

With assistance from Stoyan Kovachev in Bulgaria and Mauno Ritola in Finland here is the current schedule for Bulgarian MW-stations on the air after April 6th, 2010:

747 Petrich 0300-2200 (reduced power)

747 Shumen 24h 10 kW

864 Samuil 24h 5 kW

963 Kardzhali 0152 to 2400 50 kW

963 Pirin ? ?

963 Malko Tarnovo 24 h ? 5 kW

1161 Targovishte 24 h 10 kW

1161 Dulovo 24 h 10 kW

1224 Vidin 0300-2200 500 kW

1296 Kardzhali 0252-2100 ?

(Bengt Ericson, ARC, Växjö)

tisdag 6 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: Bulgarian MW stations off

Today, April 6th, many Bulgarian mediumwave transmitters have ceased their operations. According to reports 594, 648, 747, 774, 828, 864, 873, 1143 and 1161 are closed.

After monitoring the frequencies we will be back with a full report within a few days. (Bengt Ericson, ARC, Växjö)

söndag 4 april 2010

ARC Newsflash: Radio Nord Revival - RSL-station on the air in the summer of 2011

In the summer of 2011 a temporary event station (RSL) will be on the air from the museum ship and former icebreaker S:t Erik on medium wave to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of offshore station Radio Nord in 1961. Further information about the project which is called Radio Nord Revival will be published on http://www.radionordrevival.blogspot.com/ Behind the project are radio enthusiasts Göran Lindemark and Ronny Forslund. (RFK, Arctic Radio Club)