Tuesday, January 30, 2018

China National Radio DRM test on 17565KHz

China National Radio test on 17565KHz

User 'zfyoung' from GuangXi Province posted this on DRM Softare Radio Forums ...

Capture the CNR test broadcast on 17565KHz at 03:00 UTC.


Signal is very strong in South China. Not sure of its ERP.

Short term test schedule :

9830   kHz from 2025 to 0200 UTC
17565 kHz from 0200 to 0730 UTC
9830   kHz from 0730 to 1805 UTC

(zfyoung, GuangXi Province @ E106°36′ N23°55′)

14th Global Shortwave Co-ordination Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The High Frequency Coordination Conference (HFCC), the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) jointly held the 14th Global Shortwave Co-ordination Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 22-26 January 2018.


Monday, January 29, 2018

BBC Arabic celebrates 80 years of broadcasting

Launched in 1938, BBC Arabic is both the largest and the first of the BBC's non-English language services.

It was launched as a radio service on 3 January 1938 and has grown to become an award-winning multimedia service, available on TV, radio, online and via mobile handheld devices, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. BBC Arabic currently has a weekly reach of 43 million people.

On Monday 29 January at 4pm GMT a special edition of Talking Point, on TV, radio and online, will discuss what the role of radio is in the era of tech and social media developments. Listeners can give their opinions and share their experiences through Talking Point's social media pages or by calling in. Details on how to get involved and how to listen are here: http://www.bbc.com/arabic/interactivity

And at 7pm GMT on Monday 29 January, a special two-hour radio programme will be broadcast live from the iconic Bush House (the home of BBC Arabic for many years). This can be heard live online here and listeners around the world can share their memories of BBC Arabic and the topics discussed using #BBCArabic80 on social media.

The programme will feature many great names and expert voices from the past and current staff of BBC Arabic, including Sami Haddad, Munir Obied and Salwa Al Jarrah. Topics will include the history and evolution of BBC Arabic: from radio, through TV and online and what role radio will play in the future. There will also be a chance to hear from some of the latest new faces to join BBC Arabic and from audience members across the world who will share their stories.

Further programming to celebrate this milestone in broadcasting will appear in schedules throughout the year.

BBC Arabic maintains unique qualities which have led to its continued success, covering political, social, and cultural issues and bringing impartial, balanced and accurate news that matters to its diverse audiences in the Middle East, North Africa and worldwide.

BBC Arabic has continued to innovate and create special content for younger and female audiences. In the past year, new series such as Trending, BBC Xtra TV, and new radio programmes for the Gulf and North Africa have been launched and digital-first series such as Teenagers and Shame have focused on topics not covered by other media in the region.

The BBC Arabic Festival will also return this April for its fourth year.

BBC Arabic is available on BBCArabic.com, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Google+, Telegram, Pinterest, Vine, Instagram, Soundcloud and Periscope.

AFG

(BBC Press Release)

BBC launches Ethiopian and Eritrean radio services

The BBC on Monday launched new daily radio services producing news, current affairs, features and English language training for Ethiopians and Eritreans.

The BBC World Service programmes will be broadcast from Monday to Friday in the Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya languages and will be aired on shortwave radio and streamed on Facebook.

Full story at :


Schedule :

1730-1830 UTC on 7595, 11720 and 12065 kHz
1830-1930 UTC on 9855 and 15490 kHz

1730 Amharic
1750 Oromo
1810 Tigrinya
1830 Amharic (repeat of 1730)
1850 Oromo (repeat of 1750)
1910 Tigrinya (repeat of 1810)

All India Radio turns to Alexa for expansion

All India Radio listeners can now tune into Amazon's Alexa to access FM radio, the popular Vividh Bharati and 41 other services from any part of the world

The public service broadcaster has partnered with e-commerce platform Amazon for the latter's voice-controlled line of speakers, in a bid to expand global footprint. Echo devices, powered by the artificial intelligent (AI) virtual assistant Alexa, will start streaming All India Radio (AIR) services in the next 10 days, said Fayyaz Sheheryar, director general at Prasar Bharati-owned AIR.

At present, AIR runs 17 local services, including FM Gold, FM Rainbow, Vividh Bharati and 14 other regional language services. through its digital applications and online platform. The broadcaster also runs 27 global services; all 44 services (local and global) will be available on Echo.

Source & full story at : 


Sunday, January 28, 2018

Bhubaneswar getting ready to host Fourth Outreach International Radio Fair


Fourth edition of the only radio Fair of the country is to be held in next month. Philanthropic organization Outreach, organizes this International Radio fair every year, on the occasion of World Radio Day. This year, it will be held on 12th & 13th February at Bhanja Kala Mandap, Bhubaneswar. Preparation for the mega event has been started.

Celebrating Radio and World Radio Day and increasing Radio listenership is the main objective of this event. The organizers have plan to sensitize broadcasters on importance of radio in public service. Chief convener of the event Subrat Kumar Pati says, "we are encouraging youngsters to choose radio as career. Radio Fair is a platform for Promotion and Exchange of Culture." In the event Outreach is providing assistance to Community radio enthusiasts.

Radio listeners and stations from many parts of the world are joining the event. Working Radio Jockeys, Broadcasters and technicians from different stations of India will also come to celebrate the occasion. Union & State Ministers, Government officials, station owners, stake holders will join the meetings and share their opinion on the development of broadcasting industry. Artists from different states to perform music & dance.

International broadcasters like Voice of America, China Radio International, NHK World Radio Japan, All India Radio, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Adventist World Radio and Bangladesh Vetaar has confirmed their participation for joining the event. The exhibition will include old and new radio sets, old and new radio equipments, DRM, auxiliary studio, sand art on World Radio Day theme, Philately on radio, radio repairing shop, new radio set shop, handmade radio shop and selfie zone. Simultaneously, there will be meetings, seminars and cultural programs on stage. Audience can see popular radio stars performing popular radio contents on stage. Selected radio star presenters from different radio channels of India will host the evenings.

Chief convener of the event Subrat Kumar Pati informed that, 6 persons/organisations will be awarded  with Outreach National radio Award on this occasion, for excellence in broadcasting. This is one of the biggest radio get together of India. UNESCO has described Radio Fair as one of the biggest event of World Radio Day.

Subrat Kumar Pati
Convener
Outreach International Radio Fair 2018

+91 9861307280

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

New RFA QSL commemorates the 2018 winter Olympiad

Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces its 66th QSL card

This latest design commemorates the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea scheduled for February 9-25, 2018. The Games always bring people together from around the world in peace and harmony to respect universal moral principles. This new design shows an adaptation of RFA's first panda design originally used for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This updated version of the original design adds a winter cap stylized to match the Games. This QSL design is used to confirm all valid reception reports from January – April 2018.



RFA's QSL commemorating the 2018 Winter Olympics

Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin (including the Wu dialect), Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a 'surrogate' broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest. More information about Radio Free Asia, including our current broadcast frequency schedule, is available at www.rfa.org.

RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at http://techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX'ers, but also from its general listening audience.

Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org and by mail to:

Reception Reports
Radio Free Asia
2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300
Washington DC 20036
United States of America

TWR India celebrates 40th Anniversary


TWR India broadcast in five languages when it went on the air in 1977. Today, TWR's national partner is closing in on 100 languages as it celebrates four decades of proclaiming the gospel to this vast South Asian subcontinent.

To commemorate the 40thanniversary, TWR India will be holding events in 10 strategic cities across the country, culminating Jan. 24 with the annual partners conference and area representatives meeting in Chennai.

"We are grateful to our board and partners for the opportunities to extend our reach and to produce lasting spiritual fruit through mass media," said George Philip, the CEO of TWR. "Our organization's standing and track record have been built largely on their projects, and we thank them for their trust and confidence. Reaching the milestone of our 40th year, there is every reason to celebrate the faithfulness of God!"

In addition to the astounding increase in broadcast languages, TWR India's growth is evident in its expansion into other media. The ministry produces television programs and provides audio players to radio-home groups, which meet weekly in homes to listen to recordings of Thru the Bible in the participants' heart languages.

On the internet, the ministry created and operates youth-oriented Crosswave Radio, and the Interactive Voice Response Mobile Project enables listeners to phone in to hear a recorded message and Bible verse. The caller is then given the option of speaking with a counselor or hearing a fuller presentation of the gospel. This Tamil-language initiative has 795,000 listeners daily and a quarter-million of them are non-Christians.

In this second-largest country in the world, TWR India has a potential audience of 1.3 billion and a presence in almost all the 36 states and territories.

(Source : TWR Global Update , Jan 23, 2018)

Saturday, January 20, 2018

4U0R - Special callsign for 'World Radio Day'



4U0R, Austria

Members of the International Amateur Radio Contest DX Club (ARCDXC) [4U1A] will be active with special callsign 4U0R from the Vienna International Center, Austria, for the 'World Radio Day' (February 13th) between February 13-20th.

Activity will be on various HF bands using CW and SSB. QSL via UA3DX, direct, by the Bureau or ClubLog's OQRS.

For more details, see: http://www.cqdx.ru/4u1a/4u0r

This station counts as Austria for DXCC purposes.

Pakistani authorities orders closure of Radio Mashaal

Pakistan's Interior Ministry on January 19 ordered the closure after Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency accused the private, U.S.-government funded broadcaster of airing programs "against the interest of Pakistan" and "in-line with [a] hostile intelligence agency's agenda."

"The order to close Radio Mashaal is a draconian move by Pakistani authorities and a direct threat to press freedom," said Steven Butler, the Committee to Protect Journalism's Asia program coordinator.

Full story at :

Friday, January 19, 2018

RNZI B17 UPDATED SCHEDULE


RNZI B17 UPDATED SCHEDULE

29 Oct 2017 - 24 Mar 2018

UTC KHZ TARGET DAYS
0000 - 0458 15720 Pacific Daily
0459 - 0758 13730 Pacific Daily **from 01 Dec
0759 - 1058 9765  Pacific Daily
1059 - 1258 9890  Solomon Islands and PNG Daily **from 13 Jan
1259 - 1650 7390  Pacific Daily from 18 Dec
1651 - 1750 5975  (DRM)Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga** From 12 Jan Sun - Fri
1651 - 1758 7390  Pacific Sat
1751 - 1850 9780  (DRM)Cook Islands, Tonga Samoa Sun-Fri
1759 - 1958 11725 Pacific Sat
1851 - 1950 11690 (DRM)Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga Sun-Fri
1951 - 2050 13840 (DRM) Pacific Sun - Fri
1959 - 2058 13840 Pacific Sat
2051 - 0000 15720 Pacific Daily

Satellite

RNZI is available on Satellite, courtesy of TVNZ Pacific Service.
The coverage area extends from Singapore, and eastward to the Cook Islands, which includes Fiji, Tonga, Niue and Samoa.

IS19/23 C Slot A
DL 4146.5 V
FEC 3/4
SR 5.6320

Special broadcasts by AIR for Republic Day 2018

India is celebrating its 69th Republic Day on 26 Jan 2018 (Friday). All India Radio will broadcast special programs in connection with the Republic Day celebrations as follows:

25 January 2018 (Thursday) : Eve of Republic Day

1330 UTC (1900 IST) onwards Hon'ble President's address to the nation in Hindi &  English. This will be broadcast by all stations of AIR on MW, SW, FM. Shortly after this broadcast, the local stations will broadcast its translations in local languages.

SW frequencies:

kHz     kW       Station

4760    7          Leh                
4760    4          Port Blair                    
4800    50        Hyderabad                
4810    50        Bhopal          
4835    10        Gangtok                    
4895    50        Kurseong (Off Air)                 
4910    50        Jaipur  
4920    50        Chennai          
4950    50        Srinagar          
4970    50        Shillong          
5010    50        Thiruvananthapuram              
5040    50        Jeypore                      
5050    10        Aizawl (Off Air)
6030    250      Delhi              
9380    250      Aligarh
9865    500      Bengaluru



26 January 2018 (Friday) : Republic Day

Live running commentary of Republic Day parade & cultural pageant from 0335 UTC (0905 IST) onwards :

Hindi : 7520 (Delhi 250 kW)  (Cancelling External Service in Urdu normally broadcast at this time on these frequency). 13695 (Bengaluru 500 kW)

English : 6030 (Delhi 250 kW); 15185 (Bengaluru 500 kW)

Also MW/FM frequencies as per above mentioned links.

The following regional stations will change from their Morning frequencies  on 60 Meters (4 and 5 MHz frequencies) to their day time frequencies between  0315-0350 UTC (ie much earlier than usual) as follows :

 6000 Leh
 6085 Gangtok
 7315 Shillong
 7325 Jaipur

 The following stations are already scheduled to be on air daily at this time and will also relay the running commentary.

 6110 Srinagar
 7270  Chennai
 7290 Thiruvanthapuram
 7380 Chennai
 7390 Port Blair
 7420 Hyderabad
 7430 Bhopal
 9865 Bengaluru

SPT Chinsurah (594 kHz) and HPT Tuticorin (1053 kHz) will carry the running commentary in English from 0335 UTC (0905 IST) onwards.

Please send your reception reports on line at: http://pbinfo.air.org.in/feedback/


Live streaming of the above programs is available in:

Those who would like to watch the programs on Doordarshan TV  can check in:

DD National Channel:



Wednesday, January 17, 2018

New Version (Version 11) of Popular Logging Program "DXtreme Monitor Log" Released



DXtreme Software™ has released a new version of its popular logging program for radio monitoring enthusiasts: DXtreme Monitor Log 11

Monitor Log 11 lets listeners and DXers log the stations they've heard using advanced features that can enhance their monitoring experience.

Finding Broadcast Stations to Monitor

The Schedule Checker™ lets users import schedules from Aoki, EiBi, and FCC AM web sites and display schedule data according to the filter criteria they specify. A list box lets users switch between schedule types, and depending on the schedule type selected, users can filter schedule information by band, frequency, station, country, city, state, time of day, language, antenna direction, and target area.

When the What's On Now? function is activated, the schedule refreshes automatically at the top of each hour for Aoki and EiBi schedules.

For each schedule item, Schedule Checker queries the Monitor Log 11 database to let users know – through user-defined, foreground and background display colors – whether they need to monitor a station for a brand-new or verified country. Schedule Checker also displays bearing and distance, runs optional Afreet Ham CAP1 propagation predictions, draws optional Afreet DX Atlas2 azimuth plots, tunes supported radios to schedule frequencies when users double-click schedule items3 4 5, and starts log entries for scheduled stations monitored.

Finding Amateur Radio Stations to Monitor

Monitor Log 11 integrates with optional Afreet Band Master6 to let users see, on its graphical interface, where hams are operating. Monitor Log 11 supplies Band Master with an Entity Needed List based on the user's Monitor Log database, making it possible for Band Master to indicate the stations whose entities (countries) users need to monitor. When invoking Band Master, users can select an Entity Needed List for all bands or individually for the 160- through 6-Meter bands.

Finding Utility Stations to Monitor

Links menu provides convenient access to user-specified blogs and web sites that can inform users as to where utility and other stations may be operating.

Logging Stations
Monitor Log 11 lets users log all kinds of stations — radio stations, television stations, broadcast stations, Amateur Radio stations, utility stations, military stations, and more! And it lets them log stations across the radio spectrum — from long wave, to medium wave, to short wave, and beyond.

The Last Log Entries Grid on the Monitor Log window shows up to 5000 of the most recent log entries added. Its records can be sorted, and double-clicking records displays detailed data on the Monitor Log window. Users can resize the grid columns and scroll horizontally to columns that do not appear initially. And because the names of stations and NASWA countries can be quite long, users can also display a larger, resizable Last Log Entries window. A Properties window lets users change the order of columns, the number of log entries to display, and the font and color attributes of grids and other program components, such as the Content Editor for describing the content monitored, the Script Editor for creating and editing scripts, the Direct Tune interface for tuning radios, and the Comments tab for typing ad hoc comments. 2

Reporting Reception

Users can create customized paper and e-mail reception reports for sending to stations plus club report entries for reporting catches to clubs and magazines.

When users add or display a log entry, Monitor Log 11 prepares a post announcing their DX catch and displays it on the Social Media Post tab. From there, users can drag the post to their favorite social media web sites to share their catch with others.

Using the Script Editor window, users can create and edit scripts that format reception reports, eReports, and social media posts to their liking. The software prompts users to select the script they want to use. Dozens of scripts come with Monitor Log 11.

Users can also print SWL and Address labels on industry-standard label stock, and send eQSL requests to hams automatically through the popular www.eQSL.cc site.

Imaging

Improv Imaging™ lets users associate ad hoc images with log entries using Capture, Scan, and Clipboard functions. Captures of stations received on digital applications, waterfall displays, facsimile and Amateur TV pictures are popular. The Improv Imaging tab and Application let users view images anytime, and an Improv Image Explorer lets them peruse their entire collection and display associated log entries.

QSL Imaging™ functions the same as Improv Imaging, but specializes in associating QSL cards and eQSLs with log entries.

Other Features

Rig Control — Retrieves the frequency and mode from supported radios and permits tuning from the Schedule Checker and Direct Tune interface. Rig control is provided through integration with Afreet Omni-Rig and the SDR applications listed on our web site, currently HDSDR4 (High Definition Software Defined Radio) and SDR Console5.

Audio Archiving — An embedded Audio facility lets users maintain an audio archive of stations heard.

Reporting — Produces Performance, Stations, and Log Entry reports that track the performance and progress of the user's monitoring station. The software lets users FTP those reports to user-provided Web space for remote access. Some reports integrate with Afreet DX Atlas to generate pin maps.

Documentation — Context-sensitive Procedural Help, Field Help, and Microhelp are accessible per window to provide instructions quickly. A web-based Information Center is accessible from the Help menu for late-breaking assistance, and Installation Instructions and a Getting Started Guide are delivered in PDF format with the software.

Operating Systems, Pricing, Contact Information

DXtreme Monitor Log 11 runs in 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft® Windows® 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista®, and XP. It retails for $89.99 USD worldwide for electronic distribution. Pricing for CD versions and upgrading users is available on our Web site. All prices include product support by Internet e-mail. For more information, visit www.dxtreme.com or contact Bob Raymond at bobraymond@dxtreme.com

1 — Licenses for Afreet Ham CAP and Omni-Rig are required to use Ham CAP.
2 — A license for Afreet DX Atlas is required to perform plots and create pin reports. 
3 — A license for Afreet Omni-Rig is required to use rig control with radios supported by Omni-Rig. 
4 — Can be used for rig control. HDSDR is owned by Mario Taeubel. Refer to http://www.hdsdr.de/index.html for more information. 
5 — Can be used for rig control. SDR Console is owned by Simon Brown, G4ELI. Refer to http://www.sdr-radio.com for more information. 
6 — A license for Afreet Band Master is required to use Band Master.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Ampegon to Install first rotatable shortwave high-power array antenna to WBCQ in North America

Ampegon to Install Shortwave Array Antenna

Will deliver its first rotatable shortwave high-power array antenna in North America

Ampegon says it is about to deliver and install its first rotatable shortwave high-power array antenna on the North American continent.

The system, which will be installed WBCQ in the United States, is designed for the transmission of shortwave signals of up to 500 kW, the high-power antenna offers different radiation patterns, an antenna gain of up to 23 dB and uses a technology characterized by a single-shaft structural design.

Read the Radio World story at :

http://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/0002/ampegon-installs-shortwave-array-antenna/340965


DRM Test by Trans World Radio, 17-19 Jan, 2018

DRM Test by KTWR, Guam

Date :    17-19 January, 2018
Freq :     17530 kHz
Time :     0815 - 0845 UTC
Power :  90 kW
Target :  India
Audio :   Mono
Lang :     English
Data :     None, other than ID and contact info