Shortwave Logs from Alaska: June 25 – July 16

Alaska-Paul-Walker-Wellbrook

Conditions haven’t been so great lately and combine that with just being a bit tired and worn out means I haven’t DX’ed as much as I’d like. But I have spent a little time at the radio dials and when I do, I usually pull out a few good logs, so here we go:

3325 kHz, July 12 at 1025UTC. NBC Radio Bouganville with an absolutely LOUD, STELLAR signal. Audio was excellent and there was only light fading with no interference or noise. Survivor’s 1984 hit, “High On You” was playing during my recording. They seem to favor 80s and 90s rock or adult contemporary music when they play tunes. Audio of 3325kHz here:

5835 kHz AM (July 15, 1621UTC, 10871.70kHz USB (July 12 2049UTC) & 10861.90kHz USB(2052UTC). Russian Channel Marker. I’m not really sure where in Russia these come from or what their purpose is, as i am not very “up” on the utility type broadcasts on HF. The 5835 kHz beeping is pretty clear and evident, but it sounds like there’s a little interference coming from somewhere or someone else. The signal from the 10871kHz signals is pretty weak but the beeps do make it above the fading/noise,  5835kHz audio

here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEZMo5DziCI. 10871.70kHz usb audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIhn7MIHMR4 and 10871.90kHz USB audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ9BeqosLtc

5857kHz, July 15 at 1626UTC. “HLL Seoul” with a weather broadcast by a woman speaking Korean. Poor to fair signal with some noise and interference. Audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBNmrdyDDI4

7260 kHz, July 12 at 1001UTC. Radio Vanuatu in their local language with talk in the local language, a little preaching and some Christian music. The audio quality isn’t too great (sounds like it’s full of digital artifacts) but the modulation level is better then usual.  Around 14 minutes and 35 seconds in, a female announcer comes on and talks for a bit then begins reading a sign off message then plays the Vanuatu national anthem. The carrier is left on for 10-15 minutes before being shut off. 7260 audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTnudTRmduk

7485 kHz, July 13 at 1636UTC. BBC Bengla service in Bengali language with a news broadcast. An absolutely stellar, steady signal with almost no noise whatsoever and no fading or interference. 7485kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRDZKSDkSMk

7210 kHz & 9730 kHz, July 13 at 1628UTC and July 15 at 1643 UTC respectively. 7201 kHz is their broadcast in Vietnamese with 20kw via Daclac, Vietnam. Vietnamese music is heard at fair levels but with lots of noise and fading. Pretty decent considering what and where it is. As for 9730kHz, it’s The Voice of Vietnam in what appears to be the Russian language. A poor to fair signal with fading/noise and what appears to be interference from another station. 7210kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xUpmAbpOW4 and 9730kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2CE2QCgiD0

9515 kHz & 9640 kHz, July 11 1644UTC to 1652UTC. The 9515 signal is a bit stronger with slightly fess fading and noise. both are broadcasting the KBS World Radio english service with talk about travelers and tourists. 9515kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0k77cY4DLA and 9640kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhBxIPGHMh8

9526kHz, July 15 at 1645UTC. Voice of Indonesia with Arabic language speech and music. Fair to good signal with low modulation and some noise/fading but comparatively speaking, this is a VERY GOOD signal for what is usually heard on 9526 kHz! And yes, they are about as close to 9526 as can be. Zero beating them in USB with my PL880 produces a whine/noise till I’m right at 9526 kHz. One website, Eibi’s schedule says that are at 9525.9.. I suspect they may be even closer then that! 9526 kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4WdKewnyWM

9665kHz, July 16 at 1715UTC. The Voice of Korea is heard here all day everyday but the audio is usually noisy and fairly poor(usually overmodulated) but this is a case of not only good audio but a pretty solid signal! 9665kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMBLYV4icBQ

9770 kHz, July 11 at 1653UTC. KBS World Radio in Korean with men talking and a pretty steady, GOOD signal. Fair amount of noise and light fading. Audio of 9770kHz here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyXb3sg-1-o

9890 kHz, July 11 at 1729UTC. The Voice of Korea signing on in Arabic. Starts off as usual with a dead carrier, the interval signal and announcers mentioning the name of the signal. Noisy signal, but a much better signal then I’ve ever had from VoK on 9890kHz and the first time I’ve heard them here with log worthy audio! You can somewhat hear another station under them in this recording, and normally, that staion is usually on top VoK on this frequency. 9890 kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftVaztXipTg

10005 kHz, July 12 at 1705UTC and July 16 at 1718UTC. For the 2nd and 3rd time in 6 months, I’ve heard the Chinese Firedrake jammer on 10005 kHz. The first time several months ago, it was so strong it was interfering with WWV & WWVH. These last two times it was fairly weak but what made it even more interesting both times is I heard time pips underneath the jammer. If you listen closely in the two following clips, you can hear the tips and you can clearly hear a longer louder tone signifying the minute mark.  July 12th clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3X3iIs41PE. July 16th clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dClTJkpat30

11665 kHz, July 13 at 1647UTC. RTM Wai FM with an overall very good reception,  good audio and steady signal. Only a slight bit of fading. This is by far the best I’ve ever heard this frequency here! 11665kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw4oVv1hzOI

11735 kHz, July 11 at 2033UTC. Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation with music and talk in Swahili. This is about the usual kind of signal I get from them, fair to the low side of good with some fading and noise. At times, there signal is even steadier, stronger and less noisy then this. They are listed as being on till 2100UTC but I’ve heard them sign off anywhere between about 2045 and 2058UTC in mid song with no announcement of any kind. In this nearly 19 minute recording, they sign off at 17 minutes and 33 seconds in. Some type of RTTY/data broadcast has recently appear in the last few months on 11735kHz causing interference, severe at times, with Zanzibar on 11735kHz. Audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZiG_nslSi0

12015 kHz, July 11 at 1703UTC & July 13 at 1652UTC. In the July 11th clip, you can hear CRI & VOK fighting it out together, with the two trading places back and forth. If either has a silent carrier, you can clearly here one of them. In the Jul 13th clip, Voice of Korea is on the frequency alone. 12015kHz audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyKCnQ8DLCQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF3PNWT69Fw

12035, July 12 at 0859UTC. The Voice of Mongolia. The signal is incredibly weak and this is a good catch if their beam is headed straight south from the transmitter site in Mongolia. Their interval signal pops up out of the noise a few times and you can hear a male announcer say the name of the station in Mongolia before the English language service begins at 0900UTC. Audio of 12035 kHz here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH3ibgLLAg4

13605kHz, June 25h, 1058UTc. All India Radio with fair signal but lots of fading and noise, this is better then what I usually get from AIR. 13605 audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d03wQHXB-dA

13710kHz & 15435kHz, 1705UTC & 1705UTC. Radio Saudia/BSKSA. The 13710 signal was a bit better strength wise with chanting/Arabic music. The 15435 signal had men talking, like a news or interview program and was a bit weaker. 13710 audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t3YP8RCZY8 and 15435 audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr3tgnRBSn4

15235 kHz, July 14 1649UTC to 1710UTC. Channel Africa, first their news service in French followed by the English broadcast. Signal is good with some fading but very steady and listenable. 15235kHz audio here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtFZxeh468k and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD5lToK7Pdc

15275 kHz, July 16 at 1724UTC.  Deutsche Welle in French, a very noisy signal with lots of fading. Sounds like a news or interview program with a man and woman speaking. Any DW signal is pretty rare here! Audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lChqqJH2crc

17730 kHz, July 13 at 1658UTC. Eye Radio, broadcasting to South Sudan. A very very weak signal with tons of noise and fading. I can barely make out a man speaking before the carrier drops at 1700UTC, which is Eye Radio’s sign off time. Audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-CphVmuJSA

17740 kHz, July 16 at 1732UTC. Deutsche Welle in French with a signal even noisier and worse than 15275kHz. It very well may have been the same broadcast as what was on 15275kHz that I heard minutes earlier. Any DW signal is pretty rare here! Audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lChqqJH2crc

17775 kHz, July 13 at 1706UTC. KVOH which a preacher speaking in Spanish. Weak and noisy but steady signal. This may be the first time I’ve heard KVOH here and I consider this a good catch since they beam to Mexico and Central/South America. Audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqegTkffahA

17850 kHz, July 13 at 1702UTC. Radio France Internationale with a weak, noisy, fading signal. Women talking in French during a news broadcast. Audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujnbGMo8Tww

17850 kHz, June 25 at 1048UTc. Radio Thailand, they are a somewhat regular visitor but this is a bit better then usual signal. However, there is a lot of fading and noise. Audio of 17850 kHz here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOuoZM00XmI

Paul Walker is an avid Shortwave DX’er located in Galena, Alaska working at “Community Radio For Alaska: KIYU” as Program Director and is a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Be sure to check out Paul’s YouTube channel and SoundCloud channel where everything he logs is recorded and posted. Click here to read his other contributions on the SWLing Post.

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2 thoughts on “Shortwave Logs from Alaska: June 25 – July 16

  1. Emily Taylor

    Meh. Would’ve been better actually seeing more shots and video with liek the first pic, and the radio and receiving setup. Doesn’t have to look scenic its nice even just seeing the radio on the desk or park bech or ground and everything around.

    Reply
    1. Paul Walker

      Video’s of each and every reception would be too large, a 45 second video in HD is 20megbytes.. some of my audio only airchecks are dozens of minutes long and would be hundred of megbytes each. Not practical.

      Reply

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