NEWZEALANDRADIODXLEAGUE(Inc.) TheNewZealandRadioDXLeague(Inc.)NewZealandRadioDXLeague(Inc.)isa N.Z. RADIO N.Z. RADIO non-profitorganisationfoundedin1948with NewZealandDXTimes themainaimofpromotingthehobbyofRadio Monthly journal of the DXing.NZRDXLisafoundingmemberofthe D X New Zealand Radio DX League (est. 1948) D X SouthPacificAssociationofRadioClubs Porirua, NZ Postage Paid (SPARC). Permit No. 27 November 2000 - Volume 53 Number 1 TheNZRDXLisadministeredfromAucklandby: LEAGUE http://radiodx.com LEAGUE NZRDXLAdCom,POBox3011,Auckland D X LEAGUE Patron-JackFox N.Z. RADIO with Mark Nicholls, Wellington [email protected] [email protected] NationalSecretary-EvanMurray(Tel.09483 9543)[email protected] As new Chief Editor of the DX Times, I would like to thank Andy Gardner for his role [email protected] as outgoing Chief Editor. Andy brought the DX Times into the 21st Century using electronic [email protected] layout and publishing. Besides making the magazine easier to read with clearer more AnnualMembership: consistent print quality, it has also saved the DX League thousands of dollars as the maga- WithinNewZealand-NZ$35.00. zine is presented to the printer in a ‘ready to print’ format. This has helped contribute to the Australia/PacificIslands-A$35.00 good financial state the League is currently in. Asia/NorthAmerica-US$30.00 I will be ably assisted at times by David Ricquish, who is a former Chief Editor who RestofWorld-US$33.00 will assist with Editorial advice, and Steve and Carolyn Rawdon with electronic publishing Alloverseasmembersgetairmaildeliveryof advice. David of course will continue with his excellent Talkback column. theNZDXTimesmagazine. I apologise for a few minor teething problems last month. The Utilities page ClubStationery-Addressallorders&enquir- somehow got gobbled up in the Adobe PageMaker file. ( I know, take the easy way out and iestoNZRDXLStationery,4KayDrive,Block- blame the computer or the software! ) Adobe PageMaker is the software programme that houseBay,Auckland. is used to layout the magazine electronically, before sending it off to the Printer. Thanks to ClubMagazine: Carolyn Rawdon I can now see what went wrong and hopefully this will not reoccur. TheNZDXTimes,POBox3011,Auckland. Matt Francis who does the Shortwave Report advises that he has been getting Publishedmonthly.Registeredpublication. very little, if any support for his column. Please note that contributions can be sent to him via ISSN0110-3636. P.O. Box 3011, Auckland or email to either [email protected] or [email protected] [email protected]. If support is not forthcoming from members, Matt advises that he may have to consider whether it is worth continuing the column. Even if ©Allmaterialcontainedwithinthismagazine you have nothing to contribute at this point of time but would like to have the column con- iscopyrighttotheNewZealandRadioDX tinue please drop Matt Francis a note. Leagueandmaynotbeusedwithoutwritten If you have any articles on radio listening, DXing, receiver reviews, aerial design permission(whichisherebygrantedtoex- or any topic that you think other members may be interested in please feel free to send it in changeDXmagazines).Wheresuchpermis- to P.O Box 3011, Auckland or by email to me at [email protected]. David Ricquish and I sionisgiven,acknowledgementoftheNZDX have been discussing a few ideas on possible subjects for articles which will be expanded Timesandtheoriginalcontributorisrequired. upon in a later issue. AdvertisingRates: Just a reminder that the closing date at P.O. Box 3011, Auckland for any members “Marketsquare”membersadvertisingis$3.00 Auckland notes for the sub-editors is the 1st Wednesday of each month. Those members that send PO Box 3011 NZ DX Times payableinadvance. NEW ZEALAND contributions direct to the sub-editors can usually allow an extra few days. Commercialratesonrequest. However after saying that because of the New Year Holidays the closing date for the January 2001 issue will be Friday 5th January 2001. SupportyourmagazinebymentioningtheDX D X LEAGUE Timeswhenreplyingtoadvertising. N.Z. RADIO ContributiondeadlinefornextissueisWednesday6thDec.POBox3011,Auckland New Zealand DX Times 0530 13730 Austria ROI English 9925,5910 0530 15110 Kuwait RKuwait English [email protected] with David Ricquish, WellingtonYes, 0700 9780 Ecuador HCJB English 21455 0700 13590 Ukraine RUI Ukrainian we’rebackinyourmailboxalready!Averyrapidturnaroundoncontentshouldbringus 0700 15175 NewZealand RNZI English backintotheusualmonthlypatternwiththisissue.Elsewhere,you’llreadof newChief 0700 15410 Australia RA English 12080,15240, EditorEditor,MarkNicholls,whoheadsupateamofsomefamiliarandsomenewfaces.Bitofa 17750 schmozzlelastmonth,whichisalsoexplainedbyMark,aseveryoneonouremailcontact 0700 15460 Slovakia RSlovakia English 17550,21705 listalsoknowsfromBryanClark’shelpfulmessage. 0700 15485 England BBC English Thismonth,we’relisteningtoRadioMediterraneeInternationalRadioMediterraneeInternationalfromTangier,Morocco.A 0700 17720 Roumania RRI English 21480 verypopularmixofArabicandFrenchmusic,localcommercials,newsandmorewhichcan 0700 21670 Finland YLE Finnish beheardthroughoutMoroccoonFMandLW.Thesignaliscarriedviaa250kWSWxmitteron 0700 21790 Russia VOR English 15460,15470 9575andit’swellworththeQSL.Youcanalsolistenatwww.medi1.comandenjoythemusic 0730 9590 Norway RNorway Norwegian 7180 ofthekasbahinyourkitchen! 0800 9615 Alaska KNLS English IfyouenjoyArabicmusic,checkyourlocalmusicstoreforthe CamelspottingCamelspottingCD(EMI) 0800 11550 Taiwan RTaipeiInt Indonesian whichhasrecentpopularmusicfromMorocco,Lebanon,Egypt,SyriaandYemen.Idealfor 0800 17710 Italy RAI Italian 21520 thatuniquesummerbar-b-quebackgroundmusic! 0830 9885 FrenchGuiana SRI English MartinHadlow,Amman,JordanMartinHadlow,Amman,JordancontinuesourMiddleEasterntheme:Congratulationsto 0830 11995 NorthernMarianas VOA English allinvolvedattheDXTonthepublicationofthefirstissueinthe53rdvolume.Quiteanachieve- 0830 13670 Korea-South RKI English ment!NotonlyisitatangibleindicationofthedepthofinterestamongstDXersforthehobby, 0830 21770 Switzerland SRI English butitalsohighlightsthetirelesseffortsofteamsofvolunteers,who,overhalfacentury,have 0900 11730 China CRI English 15210 givenuptheirrecreationhourstowrite,editandproducethemagazine. 1830 13700 Netherlands RN English Eachmonth,IeagerlyopentheDXTwithitsdistinctivelogoonthefrontpage,andquickly 1830 13710 Belgium RVI English scanthepagesfornewsonbroadcastingdevelopments,topDXtipsandthelatestcatches. 1830 15240 Morocco VOA English ThedemiseofDXinghaslongbeenforecastbypunditswhofeelthatnewtechnologies 1900 9335 Korea-North RPyongyang English (especiallytheinternet),willbringabouttheendofradioasweknowit. 1900 11765 Germany DW English 13610 Sure,therewillbechanges.However,thesepunditsmissthepoint.Tome,theessenceof 1900 15390 SriLanka DW English ourhobbyisthefactthatradiotravelsthroughtheether,notviatelephonelinesorcables. 2000 9370 Guam KSDA unid Theetherisanaturalenvironmentwhichchangesdaily,dependingontheinfluencesofthe 2000 17605 NetherlandsAntilles RN English sun,weatherorotherfactors,thusmakingDXingadifferentexperienceeverytimethere- 2000 21655 Portugal RDP Portuguese 21800 ceiverisswitchedon. 2030 9445 Sweden RSweden English Bycomparison,audiostreamingontheNetissterileandlackingemotion.OnmyPChere 2030 11620 India AIR English 11620 inAmman,Jordan,Icanlisten‘live’toWABCNewYorkorB-105Brisbaneatthesamelevelof 2100 13650 Canada RCI English 9770 qualityandclarity24hoursaday.Whilethetechnicalbrillianceofthisfacilitycan’tbedenied, 2130 11740 Iran VoIRI English 9780 there’snothrilltoit. MuchmoreexcitingtobeatthedialsoftheoldICOMorKenwood,sittingona‘graveyard’ MWchannelhopingthata250wattYankwillcomeoutofthegloom,evenforonlyafew moments. Astothefutureofourhobby,Iwonderhowwecanpassontoyoungpeoplethespiritof NewZealandDX Times the‘miracle’ofradiowhichwe,theoldergenerationwhogrewupwiththemedium,per- ceiveittobe?Nowadays,radioismostlyseenasjustanFMrockstationoranAMtalkshow Monthly journal of the tobeheardinthecar. New Zealand Radio DX League (est. 1948) However,astechnologyadvancesandglobalizationincreasinglydistancesindividuals fromtheirownplaceintheworld,perhaps‘steamradio’willagaincomeintoprominence http://radiodx.com andtakeonamorefashionableimageaspeoplelookbacktosimplertimesandseeka 2 New Zealand DX Times PromotetheDXLeagueontheInternet-useyourfree@radiodx.come-mailaddress! 43 How Many Countries Can You Hear on SW? – Part 1 senseofcontinuitywiththepastandalinkagetothefuture. ByPaulOrmandy,33GretaSt,[email protected] Forme,theDXTisoneofthosevehicles.Itremindsmeofthepleasuresofmyboyhood, Here’sachallengeforyou…howmanySPARCradiocountriescanyouhear?Wouldyou whenIlistenedtotheradiowithmylatefather,anditalsoconveysmeintotheyearsahead believeover150?Well,overthenextfewmonthsI’llbebringinginstalmentsofcountry-chas- asitchroniclesthechangestakingplaceinthecommunicationsindustry. ingtothepagesoftheDXTimes.Thefirst50arebelowandareprettymuchtheeasiestto MorepowertotheDXTforanother52years!Andthanksagaintoallthoseunsungvolun- hear,asthearticlesprogresswe’lllookatthesecondandthirdbatchesof50,andfinallythe teerswho’vemadeitpossible.73s. “realDX”… (IfeltMartin’smessagewellworthsharinginfull.It’sawonderfullypositiveone.Many membersmaynotknowthatMartin,whocurrentlyheadsupUNESCOinJordan(andre- Youmayfinditinterestingtoseehowmanycountriesyoucanhearorboostyourcountry centlyKazakhstan),andbeforethatwasradioguruattheAsia-PacificBroadcastingUnionin