Shortwave Broadcasting end of their DST Sept 22: handle sustained winds over 30 mph (George Thurman, TX, WORLD OF 0430-04451158515640 RADIO) We checked all scheduled WYFR frequencies on Sept 4-5, and found 1030-10451564017535 them all missing; with 14 transmitters, the bands were a lot quieter than 1830-1845116051564017535 usual. What happened? (gh) 2000-2025156151564017535 Extensive damage to the building. Moderate damage in the field. (Observer, Bulgaria) Power is still out. When power is restored, we anticipate being able to bring This could hove entailed further frequency changes, as well as for B-04 up about half of the systems. Within another two weeks, we hope to have from Oct 30 (gh) At 0430 (originally 0330) actually on 1 1590 (Erik Koie, the rest restored. But repairs will take months before the building is back to Denmark, DXLD) rights. Lost a good port of the roof, and water damage ruined many ceilings [non] Hmong Lao Radio, UT Wed & Fri only 0100-0200 had been broad- and walls (Dan Elyea, WYFR, Sept 7 via Jeff White) I have power at my casting to Laos on 15260 via Taiwan, but changed a second frequency from house and computer capability. Yes, everyone is OK. WYFR had part of the 11725 to 9515 (via Wolfgang Bijschel, Germany) Both 11725 on Aug 25 and roof come off, which caused extensive water damage in the office area. We 9515 on Aug 27 were blasting in here, from what site? Website http:// lost ceilings. hod standing water, and an overall real mess. It looks like the www.hmonglaoradio.org/defaultasp?active_page id=33 says their transmitters are OK, but there are some transmission lines down and mission is "live broadcast... to Hmong and Lao people in Laos and in the antenna switch platforms in need of repair (Evelyn Marcy, WYFR Okeechobee) United State and also around the world through the Internet." (Jerry Berg, We'll gradually restore one at a time, making repairs as we go. Almost MA, NASWA Flashsheet) 9515, ULMD pounding into Wyoming (Hans Johnson, every circuit that we put power to seems to have problems. Still no power at Cumbre DX) And into OK, nice folk music to end, tho missing on one home. The entire WYFR office area is totally trashed, so I'll be working in a occasion (gh) 9515 is via Rampisham, UK (Wolfgang &Ache!, Germany, very low -efficiency mode for a while. Best regards (Dan Elyea, WYFR, 12 DXLD) Hey, BBC WS could use that to broadcast to North America, novel Sep, via Jeff White, George Thurman, DXLD) First frequencies back on the idea (gh) air were UT Sept 12 at 0207, 9505 and 15440. Then at 0228, 5950 [Taiwan NEPAL Visiting Chengdu, Sichuan, , in late August I was able to hear R. relay]. Five transmitters were up 24 hours later, and eleven by the following Nepal, only on 5005 with national and international news and weather in day (Dan Elyea, WFYR, DXLD) English at 1415-1425 (David Norcross, DXLD) During its downtime, DXers checked WYFR frequencies for other sta- NETHERLANDS ANTILLES As Hurricane Ivan passed near Bonaire Sept 8, the RN tions it normally blocks; e.g. BOLIVIA (gh) relay station with its 20 antennas up to 100m high was closed down and When Hurricane Ivan passed near Birmingham, we noted all WEWN evacuated for safety reasons. Flevo substituted on some of the frequencies. frequencies were off the air, probably as a precaution, as they were back the There was little damage and Bonaire resumed 25 hours later; the third next day (gh) transmitter, with water cooling, took a bit longer to check out and bring back Amos and Andy is now on WWRB, UT Tue-Sat 0130-0200 on 5745 (Andy Sennitt, Radio Netherlands, DXLD) (Dave Frantz, WWRB, rec.radio.shortwave via John Norfolk) Sounds like the NIGERIA VON has been using 15120 and 17800 alternatively during English to same show which was on WBCQ 7415, 0400-0415 UT Mon -Sat, recreations Europe from 2000-2300, altho 15120 is announced from 0445 to 2300 by Ed Bolton [if still on same schedule, one UT hour later after DST ends Oct (Thorsten Hellmann, Germany, DXLD) Seemingly 15120 one day, 17800 the 30) (gh) next day and so on (Brian Alexander, PA, ibid.) Since VOA has turned into a multifaceted media system and is focus- OMAN R. Sultanate of Oman reactivated 15140, including the English hour at ing on TV programs, radio broadcasts in Uzbek will not be aired as of 1400, heard under India in Russian (Mauna Ritola, Finland, BC -DX) Sched- Saturday, 31 July. The Uzbek service will continue via satellite and TV uled as the Thumrayt site, 315 degrees; the other English hour at 0300 on (VOANews.com) 15355 is at 220 degrees (BC -DX) Also heard at 1432 on 15140, mixing with Radio Free now offers QSLs via Automated Reception Reports, HCJB in Spanish too (Roger Chambers, NY, ODXA) anonymous or attributed, at http://www.techweb.rfa.org/form/dx.html SPAIN REE in English, UT Aug 22 at 0030 not only on 15385 but also on 12035 (Nino Marabello, Italy, DXLD) This advanced new service combines the which cut off at 0038 (Joe Hanlon, NJ, DXLD) Maybe just testing 12035 power of the Mambo http://www.mamboserver.com open -source con- transmitter scheduled later in the morning; or as possible fall replacement tent management system and a database. RFA also will issue a new design for 15385. It's always seemed to me that 15385 to 6055 is a bigger seasonal for the QSL every quarter or when special events dictate (Andrew Janitschek jump than necessary (Glenn Hauser, OK, DXLD) 15385 already starting to (A. J.), RFA, DSWCI DX Window) propagate poorly by end of August, especially the last half hour. Wish they WORLD OF RADIO, as projected after DST timechange Oct 30: WBCQ: used 25 or 31 m instead until the change in October (Roger Chambers, NY, Wed 2300 7415, Thu 0000 17495-CUSB, 2200 9330-CLSB, Sat 2130 17495- ODXA) CUSB, Sun 0400 9330-CLSB, Mon 0200 9330-CLSB, 0530 7415, 2200 9330- SRI LANKA SLBC, 15747.9, 0103-0128, in English, with assorted oldies, pops and CLSB, Tue & Wed 2200 9330-CLSB. WWCR: Thu 2130 15825 [Dec -Feb country music requests, birthday greetings, "All Asia Service" ID // 9770 94751, Sat 1130 5070, Sun 0330 5070, 0730 3210, 2030 12160, Wed 1030 (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., NH, DXLD) Varies from 15745; people keep hearing 9475. WRMI: Mon 0330 6870. For latest update see http:// this and wondering if it's a pirate (gh) www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html SUDAN A friend of mine visited New Site, South Sudan. He hand -delivered my 9 VANUATU R. Vanuatu missing from 7260.06 lately, off or moved? (Dave Valko, March 2004 reception report to the staff at the Radio Peace (4750) transmit- PA, Cumbre DX) Vila transmitter problems: it's only on around 200 watts; ter site (which, I believe is some 10 km from New Site). In return he however, by Sept 7 heard at a good level here in Sydney at 0700 (Johno received a handwritten confirmation letter. That letter arrived at my letterbox, Wright, NSW, ARDXC) mailed from outside Sudan. The letter says there is no e-mail nor postal VENEZUELA [non) Just as things were getting interesting with the referendum on service to the station. I've heard that many people there use PO Boxes in Pres. Chavez Aug. 15, RNV relay was knocked off the air Aug. 12 by Loki, Kenya, which is the frontier town near the border. It is about two hours Hurricane Charley hitting Cuba. We kept checking almost every day, and the drive from New Site. So there is a faint chance to get a letter through routing "San Francisco" service was not back until Sept. 3, sporadically, and an- it "via Loki, Kenya." Letter from Augustino Makude Anur (?) says schedule is nouncing a modified schedule, all in Spanish, contrary to their own outdated 0230-0430 and 1600-1800 UT including "Spotlight English." Some photos of and confusing website: Radio Peace: 1900-2000 13740 San Francisco http://www.dxing.info/community/viewtopic.php?t=1506 2000-2100 9550 Coribe (Jari Savolainen, Finland, DXLD) 2000-2100 13680 Chicago [non] Opposition station, Voice of Sudan, by the National Democratic 2000-2100 15230 Buenos Aires Alliance, NDA, poor to fair on 7999.34 at 1535 UT, scheduled 1530-1600, 2000-2100 17705 Rio de Janeiro said to be located in Eritrea (Jouko Huuskonen, Finland, DXLD) 2100-2200 11875 Santiago de Chile SYRIA [non] Press release from Reform Party of Syria says R. Free Syria added a 2300-0000 9820 and 13680 Chicago broadcast at 1800-1900 on Friday to the one on Sunday (Tarek Zeidan, 2300-0000 11760 Norte, Centro y Sud-America Egypt, DXLD) Got confirmation letter specifying Mich, Germany site for In the following fortnight, the only frequencies we could confirm were 13650, from P. 0. Box 59730, Potomac, MD 20859, USA; Tel: 301-346- 13740, 15230 and 11760. If 13680 had been used at 2300, it would have 5000, Fax: 301-299-4955 (Bjorn Fransson, the island of Gotland, Sweden, collided with China -via -Canada! The Sunday morning Ale Presidente around DXLD) Also got E-QSL in 9 days from [email protected] 1400-1800 could not be heard on Sept. 5 or 19, but was on 11875 Sept. 12 Report sent directly to Radio Free Syria got no reply (Luca Botto Fiore, Italy, (Glenn Hauser, OK) ibid.) From Oct 1 [end of DST in Syria) at 1900-2000 instead and on new ZIMBABWE Plans by Zimbabwean multi -media company New Ziana to launch a 9495, 100 kW, 120 degrees Fri/Sun to ME Arabic, ex -13650 (Observer, radio station are at an advanced stage with equipment expected to arrive in Bulgaria) country by the end of September. "We will be launching a radio station U K [non] When WYFR was without power after Hurricane Charley, the BBCWS before the end of November," said New Ziana Electronic Business Unit head relay on 1 1835 at 0000-0300 went missing. But BBC was prepared for Happison Muchechetere. It will be an all -news 24 h, 7 day radio station Hurricane Frances; as soon as WYFR went off, another site picked up 11835 based in Gweru. Staff recruitment was underway while program prepara- during this period, later identified as Ascension (via Dan Elyea and Evelyn tions had started. News 247 will broadcast on SW, which goes further than Marcy, WYFR) all other frequencies (Xinhua via WorldSources, Inc. via Mike Cooper) U S A WYFR was off the air several days due to power outage, not damage, Until the Next, Best of DX and 73 de Glenn! caused by Hurricane Charley in mid -August. But Hurricane Frances on Labor Day weekend was much worse (gh) Dan Elyea at WYFR tells me that they closed down well before Hurricane Frances arrived, as their antennas cannot

40 MONITORING TIMES November 2004