Monthly Archives: January 2019

Frequency coordination news and IRDR updates

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Hughes, who shares this article by WRMI’s Jeff White in Radio World magazine. Besides covering updates in the A19 broadcast season, and Radio Exterior de España’s increased broadcasts, Jeff notes frequencies and updates for the International Radio for Disaster Relief initiative.

For more information about the IRDR, check out the information below taken from this page on the HFCC website:

International Radio for Disaster Relief (IRDR)
Humanitarian Aspects of HFCC Activities

From its infancy since 1920s shortwave radio has been associated with its potential of being a communication tool in emergencies. This use of shortwave radio is still very much present among amateur radio enthusiasts for example, who discovered its long distance properties early in the twentieth century. Amateur radio provides a means of communication on shortwaves and other frequencies “when all else fails”. This role of amateur radio is well recognised, valued and appreciated both by the public and by the world institutions managing and regulating the use of the radio spectrum.

In contrast the huge technical potential of international shortwave broadcasting that operates transmitter facilities tens, or hundred times, more powerful than those of amateur radio, remains almost unused in emergencies. At the moment when local and even regional communication and information networks are needed most, they are destroyed or overloaded and the population suffers from an information blackout. Shortwave radio is capable of remaining the only source of information.

Although the life-saving role of radio broadcasting is widely recognised by the public, and confirmed by surveys conducted after the recent disasters – and even acknowledged by world leaders – no concrete projects have been ever designed and no regulatory framework has been developed.

That is why the HFCC – International Broadcasting Delivery in co-operation with the Arab States and Asia-Pacific broadcasting unions are working on an International Radio for Disaster Relief (IRDR) project that is based on the system of online co-ordination of frequencies managed by the HFCC in accordance with International Radio Regulations.

The HFCC is aware of the humanitarian aspects of international broadcasting. It pointed out in 2012 – as the UNESCO partner for the preparation of the World Radio Day – that terrestrial shortwave radio in particular is still considered as a powerful communication and information tool during emergency situations. Read more >>

Receivers are inexpensive and require no access fees. Shortwave radio is important for people living in remote and isolated regions of the world. It reaches across the digital divide to the most disadvantaged and marginalised societies. This is also in keeping with the Declaration and Action Plan of the World Summit on the Information Society.

The annual edition of the World Disasters Report of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued in October 2013 stressed again that with only 6 percent of people in low-income countries using the internet in 2011 the digital divide is still stark, and access to low cost media technology is really the key.

The HFCC is a strong advocate for incorporating terrestrial broadcasting permanently on the disaster risk reduction agendas of the ITU and other UN agencies and institutions. It submitted two documents for the ITU-R Working Party 6A November 2013 meeting:

HFCC – The Importance of Terrestrial radio in International Broadcasting
HFCC – The International Radio for Disaster Relief Project

Both documents are annexes in Section 8 of the ITU-R Study Group 6 Report BT.2266 “Broadcasting for public warning, disaster mitigation and relief”. The report can be downloaded via this link.

A workshop was held during the November 2013 meeting addressing these issues. The web site of the Emergency Broadcasting Workshop can be accessed here. The web site also contains copies of all the presentations that were made at the workshop, and a Video interview with Christoph Dosch, Chairman of ITU-R Study Group 6 (Broadcasting service)

The HFCC has applied for membership in the CDAC (Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities) Network in keeping with the conclusion of the debate on emergency communication during the Bratislava B13 Conference. Read more >>

The HFCC is staying in touch with the Information and Communication Sector of the UNESCO agency on the preparation of the World Radio Days that are celebrated each year on February 13th.

Humanitarian aspects of terrestrial broadcasting were also on the agenda of the Global Kuala Lumpur conference in January 2014. Read Opening Remarks.

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Updates from Radio Bulgaria

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares the following:

I’m sending you two interesting articles from the renewed website of Radio Bulgaria:

The Bulgarian National Radio has changed its home four times (01/25/19):

Many attempts have been made to tell the story of the Bulgarian National Radio but usually, in an effort to present a concise version, we fail to mention some curious details that would sparkle the interest of anyone keen on the history of this country. Over the course of its existence, the Bulgarian National Radio has resisted many changes that transformed Bulgaria over the past eight decades.

What is considered to be the official start of radio broadcasting in Bulgaria? It happened in the remote 1929 and consisted in the construction of a 60-watt radio transmitter by a group of engineers. The desire of the enthusiastic members of the radio amateurs club called Rodno Radio (Native Radio) to create a radio program was supported by the state authorities, which allowed them to use a small building on the corner of the central Sofia streets Moskovska and Benkovski.

Soon, however, it became clear that the available equipment was insufficient to reach a larger audience, and a team of local engineers took up the challenging task to build a more powerful transmitter. Another problem arose as the people working on the radio programs increased and the building soon turned out to be too small to accommodate all. Therefore, with the permission of the state, the amateurs moved and occupied an entire floor of a building on 19 Moskovska Street. After radio broadcasting was made a state monopoly with the decree of Tsar Boris III in 1935, the Bulgarian radio began developing at a rapid pace. In addition to the Bulgarian language broadcasts, the year 1936 saw the start of overseas emissions – first in Esperanto, and several months later, also in French, German, English and Italian, the foreign service department of the radio known today as Radio Bulgaria. […]

Read the full story at Radio Bulgaria.

BNR marks its 84 the birthday and 90 years since first radio broadcast in Bulgaria (01/25/19):

Radio Bulgaria reaches users in more than 150 countries through its internet pages in Bulgarian and nine foreign languages, which is an excellent achievement, Boyko Stankushev who works as analysts at the Programme Department of the Bulgarian National Radio pointed out.

Highest number of people using Radio Bulgaria’s web sites is registered in Germany. The users in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hessen are most active. In the United Kingdom highest number of users is registered in London, followed by Manchester-apparently the people living in these two British cities show specific interest in the information published on the web sites of Radio Bulgaria’s foreign language sections. When it comes to Bulgaria’s neighboring countries Turkey is the undisputed leader in terms of the number of visitors in Radio Bulgaria’s site. I would underline that many people in this country visit the Bulgarian pages of the Bulgarian National Radio, including the Bulgarian web page of Radio Bulgaria. Istanbul is the leader in this ranking, followed by Ankara, Bursa and Izmir. Radio Bulgaria has users in some smaller Turkish towns such as Mu?la and Tekirda?. I believe that the Bulgarians studying at the local universities are regular users of Radio Bulgaria’s content and read both in Bulgarian and Turkish.

In 2018 the interest in Radio Bulgaria’s content by US users increased. The number of visits in publications in English was very high, followed by visits in Radio Bulgaria’s Greek and Spanish page from North and Latin America. In the USA the highest number of visits was registered in Illinois, which is not surprising, because of the huge Bulgarian community living in Chicago. In California huge internet activity was registered in areas with large technological parks and highly-educated people, i.e. we are talking in this case about a very high-quality audience.[…]

Click here to continue reading this full article at Radio Bulgaria.

Thank you, David!

Your message prompted me to find a recording I made of the final Radio Bulgaria broadcast on shortwave which, coincidentally, happened seven years ago today!

Click here to listen to Radio Bulgaria’s final shortwave broadcast.

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Sony ICF-SW100: Whip vs. DE31MS active vs. Sony AN-LP1

Click here to view on YouTube.

Guest Post by: Troy Riedel

It’s been a while since I posted a video on my YouTube Channel (but I’ve gotten the urge to make several more videos as I’ve been recently comparing my equipment – 16 portable receivers & many antennas).

I try to tune in to Radio Prague via WRMI on many weekday East Coast USA mornings from 1300-1325 UTC. Yesterday I encountered bad propagation but today was much better.  The video linked to this post is from today – 30JAN2019 recorded around 1310 UTC.

[Sorry, no tripod for this one]

People often ask, “are amplified antennas helpful” – as evidenced by this post from Thomas from a few years ago.

Without repeating the debate, just take a look at this one example.  As stated, reception was pretty good today off the little whip – but – there is an improvement using an amplified antenna.  My question: is there a difference between the two amplified antennas?  And if so, is the difference worth the price?

My TG34 is a clone of the DE31MS – purchased from Tquchina Radio & Component (ebay user: Tao Qu … they used to have an eBay store “Sino Radios” if I recall, but they stopped selling on eBay when the Post started cracking down on shipment of batteries – I actually exchanged an email with a frustrated Tao Qu when they closed the store).

I paid about $21 if I recall for my TG34 (the DE31MS is available today on eBay for as little as $17.28).  I paid over $100 for the Sony AN-LP1 (out of production now and can be listed for as high as $300 on eBay).  So … $21 versus “over $100”.  Is there a difference – and if so – is it 5x the difference – 5x better?!

You be the judge.

P.S. Just a quick slightly over 1-minute video recorded inside my house (sitting in my breakfast nook) … typically “okay” reception but not my usual Listening Post.

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FTIOM & UBMP, February 3-9

From the Isle of Music, February 3-February 9, 2019:
This week, our special guest is vocalist Emilia Morales, who will speak with us about her career and share some music from her new album Sentimientos. Also, some charanga for dancing.
The broadcasts take place:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0100-0200 UTC (New UTC) on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC (New CETs) on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, February 3 and 5, 2019:
Episode 98, Boricuas, presents some wonderful Puerto Rican & Nuyorican music of the 60s and 70s.
The transmissions take place:
1.Sunday 2300-2330 UTC (6:00PM -6:30PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
2. Tuesday 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe. If current propagation conditions hold, the broadcast should reach Iceland AND Western Russia due to a long skip.
Also recommended:
Marion’s Attic, a unique program produced and hosted by Marion Webster featuring early 20th Century records, Edison cylinders etc played on the original equipment, comes on immediately before UBMP on Sundays from 2200-2300 UTC on WBCQ 7490 Khz.

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Gary DeBock’s November 2018 Poipu, Hawaii Ultralight DXpedition

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary DeBock, for sharing the following guest post:


November 2018 Poipu, Hawaii Ultralight DXpedition

A Thrilling Sample of Forward Pacific Propagation

By Gary DeBock, Puyallup, WA, USA   January 2019

In late September my wife and I stumbled across an outstanding 6-day Costco Travel package to the Aston at Poipu Kai on Hawaii’s Kauai island, the westernmost of the main Hawaiian islands (and closest to Asia). Included in the $2.3K cost was roundtrip airfare for two on Alaska Air (nonstop from Seattle both ways, with no “red-eye” flights), 5 nights at a gorgeous, beachside 2-BR condo with a patio area ideal for TP-DXing (and within easy walking distance to the island’s best snorkeling beach), a full sized new rental car and a $50 Costco cash card to use for a little spending $$. This was far and away the best travel bargain we have ever had to the Hawaiian Islands– and right in the middle of the DX season!

The location at Poipu Kai was at the extreme southeastern tip of Kauai Island, which offered a clear, unobstructed salt water path to Asia, ANZ, the Pacific islands and both North and South America. Unfortunately, it also offered a clear salt water path to the RF Zoo of Honolulu (more about that later).

Of course, before you can chase DX in Hawaii you will need to bring along some kind of radio and antenna– whether it is a hot-performing portable, an SDR along with a small broadband antenna or an Ultralight with a “Frequent Flyer” miniature FSL. Whatever you bring will need to go through TSA inspections both ways– so try not to get too complicated or extravagant. Fragile items can be taken in hand-carry luggage, so use this for radios, FSL antennas, digital recorders and anything else that could be smashed. Also keep in mind that many large motels and condos do not allow external antennas to be set up on their property– and most of them generate enough indoor RFI to make DXing indoors a lost cause. Before leaving for the Islands, be ready with a DXing plan that you know will work!

For me, TP-DXing with a modified CC Skywave SSB portable and TSA-friendly 5 inch (127mm) diameter FSL antenna in the large open patio area right outside our condo meant chasing enhanced DX right in the middle of a gorgeous beach side garden (click here to view on YouTube).

These 2-BR condo complexes were overbuilt somewhat, and the mainland owners of these condos badly need the tourist rental income to pay their mortgages. The competition for this rental income is high. As such, the cost per night for a stay at one of these newer 2-BR condos on Kauai is about the same as for a well-worn 1-BR motel room in Kona (on the Big Island).

So, what can a TP-DXer expect from the transoceanic propagation at Poipu Kai? First of all, there is so much enhanced DX coming from so many different areas of the world that you will need to carefully choose your priorities. What is your main DXing thrill? For me, it was chasing exotic Asian DX that was unlikely or unavailable at home in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, when I tried to do this during the evening hours on Kauai (0700-1000 UTC) there was so much enhanced transoceanic DX coming from North and South America that the frequencies became a snarling maze of languages and heterodynes. During a check of 801 for kHz Pyongyang BS at 0922 UTC the frequency was completely hijacked by 800-Radio Transmundial in the Caribbean (near South America). The same thing was going on all over the band, with North and South American stations on the 10 kHz band plan fighting it out with Asians and Pacific Islanders using the 9 kHz frequency system. Honolulu QRM added its own distinctive touch to this jumbled fiasco, and eventually I was forced to concentrate on sunrise DXing sessions in order to track down any really exotic Asian DX. The bands were so much quieter during the sunrise sessions starting around 1500 UTC. Of course, if a DXer was mainly interested in North or South American DX in Kauai he could have made out like a bandit around local sunset, when the Asian and Pacific Island stations would not yet have faded in.

The Asian propagation to Kauai Island during the sunrise sessions was like having constant exposure to the best possible TP-DXing signals that ever show up on west coast ocean beaches– except that far more of Asia was in play. Big gun Middle East stations like 702-BBC (in Oman) can show up at decent strength, and not too many TP-DXers have familiarity with Arabic. Stations like 918-Cambodia which are rare DX on the west coast often thunder in at S9, and by necessity a DXer quickly learns the Vietnam parallel frequencies for its various networks. The Chinese propaganda blasters on 666, 783 and 909 pound in like locals, and a DXer needs to wait out their sign off times in order to receive anything exotic on their frequencies. The entire situation is a crash course in surviving and thriving in the middle of nonstop exceptional propagation, which can easily overload your abilities to sort out languages, stations and programming. Depending on your TP-DXing experience, you will either find this situation thrilling or bewildering.

If you have extensive TP-DXing experience on west coast ocean beaches you will probably feel like you are on Cloud Nine, but without this experience you will probably wonder where to start. The usual Asian big guns on 594, 747, 774 and 972 are either buried in Honolulu splatter or have trouble holding down their frequencies. Language recognition of Chinese, Korean and Japanese becomes essential in sorting out unfamiliar stations, and at least basic recognition of Vietnamese, Thai and Taiwanese is helpful. In addition, knowledge of exotic station frequencies is necessary before a DXer can hope to track these exotic stations down. Many exotic station frequencies (like 576, 594, 657, 693 and others) are jumbled with Honolulu splatter, and you need to know which ones are not (702, 729, 918, 954 etc.).The amount of TP-DXing experience that you can bring to the island is directly related to the results that you can expect from DXing on the island. Fortunately, because of two previous Hawaii trips and an April visit to the Cook Islands, I was able to track down some thrilling TP-DX on Kauai– 693-Bangladesh, 702-BBC (Oman), 729-Myanmar, 918-Cambodia, 927-AIR, 954-AIR plus Vietnam stations on 675, 702, 711 and 729. An S9-level 800-Radio Transmundial in Bonaire (next to South America) jumped over to 801 during an evening session. As an example of the outstanding ocean-enhanced propagation, for the first time ever in any DXpedition I was able to receive 7 transoceanic DX stations on one frequency alone (702 kHz).

Hawaiian station splatter is a major issue in Kauai, but depending upon the location of these pests, their signals may taper off just before TP propagation collapses (around 1705 in November). On my last session I was able to finally track down the 1000 kW Asian big gun 693-Bangladesh through wicked 690-KHNR (Honolulu) spatter, probably because the pest was farther into daylight than my more westerly Kauai location. The Hawaii pests on Maui and the Big Island also display the same behavior.

Propagation slowdowns on the west coast seem to be fairly irrelevant in Hawaii, with the only difference being S9 Australian and NZ signals showing up in the null of the S9 Asians. During regular sessions the big gun ANZ stations are usually around at S5 levels in the null of the Asians, but I didn’t really go after the DU’s during the Kauai trip. The Pacific island exotic stations on 621, 1017, 1098 and 1440 were usually at S9 levels about 2 hours after local sunset, but once again the North and South American transoceanic DX stations were turning their frequencies into a pretty wild fiasco. Originally it seemed like a great idea to have a straight salt water shot to all these areas, but be careful what you wish for– you just might get it 🙂

Finally, In consideration of the exceptional value of the Costco travel package and the superb transoceanic DX propagation prevalent on the Kauai beach, this 6 day Hawaii vacation proved to be as much of a lifetime hobby thrill as visiting the exotic Cook islands in April– at less than half the cost. My strong advice to anyone who is feeling bored with his AM-DXing hobby is to step out of your comfort zone, and try something really new. You can certainly chase DX at home or at the same flat ocean beach for decades, but you are unlikely to experience anything radically different from what you have already experienced. Breakthrough results require breakthrough innovation, exploration and experimentation, and the commitment to overcome all challenges until you get the results you desire.

DXing on Kauai Island makes it easy for you. All the comforts of home are within a 20-minute drive. A Walmart, Safeway, Costco and Home Depot are all in the local area, close to your gorgeous 2-BR beach side condo. You don’t even need to change currency or bring a passport (well, at least if you live south of the border). An outstanding snorkeling beach is a 5 minute walk away, and the “Garden Island” is one of the most beautiful in the entire Hawaiian chain, waiting for you to explore it in your new, full-sized rental car. What more could you ask for? So go ahead and take the plunge… and discover the exceptional thrill of forward Pacific TP-DXing!

Listed below are 94 transoceanic DX receptions made in Kauai with the related recording links, including stations in Oman, Egypt, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and many others. Sincere thanks is given to all who helped identify mystery stations, especially the Finnish DXers like Mauno, Mika, Jari L. and Jari S. with their awesome language identification skills. You guys really rock!

531  JOQG   Morioka, Japan, 10 kW   Male-female Japanese conversation at good level // 729 at 1542 on 11-8; weak co-channel underneath https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/n4jmmtcrfz27ndi3pj479uzt6dx5zzyi

531  UnID-Chinese   Female speech in apparent Mandarin mixing with NHK1’s male speech at 1543 on 11-8, but no indication whether this was the Mainland or Taiwan https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/mh8iq0j49wx9hxbg0xrp8bhk0ugkopl8

540  CNR1 Synchros   China   Chinese speech with serious echo effect (poorly coordinated network) at very good level at 1510 on 11-4 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/gb5j3a6jlbt2natz372q4jnoer69hft9

540  UnID-Spanish   During a search for Samoa at 0738 on 11-6 this strong mystery Spanish station monopolized the frequency; both North and South America had a clear salt water path to my DXing site, making it tough to chase the Pacific islands after sunset https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/vm0datfx40j4ie2mxyioby62in9v81wl

549  UnID-TP   This was a rough frequency because of 550-Maui, but there is a 1200 kW CNR5 station on the frequency, and some female speech with apparent Chinese intonation was getting through Maui’s male speech at 1515 on 11-4 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/jrbdmp4mb3cd9935dze9v5l2st4ig5ed

603  2RN   Nowra, Australia, 10 kW   Male-female DU English conversation not // 612 at 1541 on 11-7 over UnID music station during auroral conditions https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/6vwkk6f197qg33q2hgmqnoocz2jstviu

603  CRI   Dongfang, China, 300 kW   Vietnamese service with Chinese lessons very strong at 1456 on 11-6  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/sv0u58fu062eblcno5xdnztwdaralsoe

Chinese ID and TOH fanfare at good level at 1500 on 11-6 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/kj9891ur1fkzfks3yycf78uqbdmn51xb

603  HLSA   Namyang, S. Korea, 500 kW   Presumed the station with Korean intonation under strong Chinese music from CRI during its Vietnamese service at 1512 on 11-3 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/0uruseu0ejdxa587llns1gkgd34gr0ey

603  UnID   Music station mixing with 2RN during auroral conditions at 1541 on 11-7; most likely NZ’s Radio Waatea  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/6vwkk6f197qg33q2hgmqnoocz2jstviu

612  4QR   Brisbane, Australia, 50 kW   Overwhelming signal with call-in quiz program during auroral conditions at 1536 on 11-7; this was the strongest Oz signal during the trip https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/xlx5s7acnqxilehj4yfdartp6yda1b4l

612  JOLK   Fukuoka, Japan, 100 kW   Good signal with Japanese male conversation // 729 at 1516 on 11-4  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/491nyli0zpiyoomht2mydrbl6zd66ysr

621  China   (Heilongjiang?)   Chinese music at good level but suffering from the throbbing Pyongyang BS transmitter on the same frequency at 1503 on 11-4 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/d95t13b9vhd8ib01p09gtd68j2ag7j2u

5+1 pips mixing with the awful-sounding 3+1 pips from Pyongyang BS at 1500 on 11-4 (at 39 seconds into the recording) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/612kbk25hqqlxh1r4qfzaxzeuuwktbeo

621  Pyongyang BS/ VOK   Chongjin, N. Korea, 500 kW   The sickest sounding transmitter on the band, with a throbbing off-frequency drift. This was the wacky audio during the VoK Japanese program at 0943 on 11-3 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/7d6eggmr9ntnfjej3zf22dh1s5p32wyd

621  Radio Tuvalu   Funafuti, Tuvalu, 5 kW   The usual S9+ signal with female speech in the island dialect at 0928 on 11-3, with drums pounding for emphasis https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/5089jtrmpi5eajk330uwukvz4brqfoyk

Clear signal and 1 kHz heterodyne from Tuvalu (for the first 7 seconds) degenerates into a throbbing heterodyne and degraded signal when the FSL is re-directed at North Korea at 0942 on 11-3  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/po98lqzzfn1s1vmu6ul6r0tplex85mld

630  4QN   Townsville, Australia, 50 kW   Call-in talk program // 612 over DU English co-channel during auroral conditions at 1542 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/03ubp9so6jtjnywhbt3v2sehs69fzsay

630  CNR2 Synchros   China   Female Chinese speech fairly strong (but with slight muffled effect) over Asian co-channel at 1526 on 11-4 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/to3qzxbb5oofj447q9f4z47y4s1crqap

630  VoV?   Animated male-female speech in apparent Southeast Asian dialect dominant over CNR synchros at 1523 on 11-4; Jari S. guesses this is Vietnamese, but there was no chance at the time to check the 675-711 parallels https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/k0ttlujgsp2p11817uhakkgrqwrzdlvj

630  UnID-DU   DU English co-channel mixing with 4QN during auroral conditions at 1542 on 11-7; experience in the Cook Islands indicates this is most likely RNZ in Hawkes Bay (but no parallels available at the time) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/03ubp9so6jtjnywhbt3v2sehs69fzsay

639  2HC   Coff’s Harbour, Australia, 5 kW   Australian marine weather forecast at 1504 on 11-5; despite lack of any place names, Tony Magon says that ABC stations don’t run such detailed marine weather forecasts  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/bjwhwkeh3ss3d0tmm6sl977pm7mftrd9

639  CNR1 Synchros   China   Male Chinese speech and music strong at 1617 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/fj8tbboshrlvpx0l9m1qcovr69zqhn1j

639  JOIP   Oita, Japan, 5 kW   Japanese female speech mixing with CNR1 at 1457 on 11-8; the Japanese DXers say that this is the NHK1 format https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9pkoxpg045t2y0mmuz5c2b74p2oq15wy

640  KFI   Los Angeles, CA, 50 kW   The North American stations were not targeted during this trip, but this particular one monopolized the 639 split frequency every evening, such as at 0924 on 11-3  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/f2mfmvymwykmbkaylmbhewvjkb25nc0k

657  China   (Henan?)   All alone with good signal (through 650 splatter) with Chinese male speech at 1609 on 11-4  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/pv00eqjyg64vxwltg7cjvsa0bwzaacs8

657  Pyongyang BS   Kangnam, N. Korea, 1,500 kW   The strongest N. Korean signal on the band (and one of few with a clean signal) was at overwhelming strength with music at 1533 on 11-3, with minor 650 splatter https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/lbpugjif1lnf5cwn5vghmmb3qwhrofpy

657  Star   Wellington/ Tauranga, NZ, 50/ 10 kW   Presumed the one with Christian music at a strong level (through some 650 splatter) during auroral conditions at 1509 on 11-5 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/trhq06ghg71chu030263xjngun2vokf0

666  JOBK   Osaka, Japan, 100 kW   Japanese male speech // 729 at temporary good level at 1535 on 11-5  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/sybm328qsshfn4xvscmxxl0k1en2edy8

666  Voice of the Strait   Fuzhou, China, 600 kW   A major propaganda blaster to Taiwan, this station (along with 783) almost always had potent signals during sunrise sessions. This female pop music was at typical strength at 1550 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/3df1thw74spjesqmvuvt3mjq0dlg4jhj

675  Cheng Sheng BC   Peikang, Taiwan, 5 kW   Male-female call in talk program in Chinese dialect at 1655 on 11-7; Hiroyuki Okamura says this is Taiwanese https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/aqd2vjmbcvofpsygksaqx4cqhc0nfbjf

Taiwanese pop music and male speech at good level at 1658 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/n98qe46dyd1vclchaz2b36s6mxc3la0w

675  NHK1 Synchros   Hakodate/ Yamaguchi, Japan, 5/ 5 kW   Male Japanese conversation at modest strength // 729 at 1557 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/2yeze49zxpo1jhyly1ap3xqqhc3l7oek

675  VoV   My Hao, Vietnam, 500 kW   Female speech at very good level // 711 at 1637 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9sg4yp7lgfob6e5hw1wphlklnljbvwyq

693  Bangladesh Betar   Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1000 kW   The super power exotic station finally broke through wicked 690-KHNR Honolulu splatter (10 kW at 113 miles) at 1639 on 11-8 with an apparent Islamic sermon (having mentions of “Allah” at 27 and 31 seconds) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/haye98bfrypbt1cdb1wgma2mx01wskpx

693  JOAB   Tokyo, Japan, 500 kW   NHK2 Music box sign off chimes getting through rough 690-Honolulu splatter quite well at 1533 on 11-4 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/7938apvd3x8lb0tt99ytvr09kvksug8k

702  2BL   Sydney, Australia, 50 kW   Male DU English speech at good level // 612 at 1454 on 11-5  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/ld9wlkvmd3wkdx82ga2udkcauxivtakq

702  BBC Arabic Service   A’Seela, Oman, 800 kW   One of the big surprises of the DXpedition, this station was amazingly strong for the 8,586 mile (13,818 km) distance at 1604 on 11-6. Thanks to Mauno and Mika for the language and station investigation https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/cwgqhpm3hy0thmthw4o018i7c70y0b8i

702  China   Jiangsu, China, 200 kW   Beijing time and fair-level ID after KCBS time pips at 1500 on 11-8; thanks to Chuck and Jari S. for ID assessment https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/6alut7afzdg06a5ll06p54hnuc7s1j8w

702  KCBS   Chongjin, N. Korea, 50 kW   Another North Korean with transmitter issues, this station was somewhat off frequency, with degraded audio (although not as bad as 621). Its Korean ID and 3+1 pips were dominant over China at 1500 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/6alut7afzdg06a5ll06p54hnuc7s1j8w

702  NHK2 Synchros   Kitami/ Hiroshima, Japan, 10/ 10 kW   Japanese female speech at equal level with Korean speech from KCBS (along with its throbbing hum) at 1457 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9cds03s0hq94kzo87stua4qi6orymree

702  VoV   Danang, Vietnam,  50 kW   Male and female speech at 1612 on 11-4 with announcers and format sounding very much like those on 675 and 711 (although not parallel); Jari L. says this is Vietnamese https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/idw17ybpwsblr8evf440xnlr13z4l5c9

702  UnID-DU   Music station looping toward South Pacific mixing with 2BL during auroral conditions at 1452 on 11-5; most likely NZ’s Magic https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/3al6uof4yobmjopsyo98nohvw1k8wuer

711  HLKA   Sorae, S. Korea, 500 kW   One of the strongest Koreans on the band, but it had co-channel issues with V.O. Kuanghua and VoV. This very strong male-female Korean speech was at 1537 on 11-3  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/m4ybyndsuy6ivg6jvyp1xm79ra76cqgs

711  V.O. Kuanghua   Hsinfeng, Taiwan, 250 kW   Trumpet and Kuanghua ID mixing with the 3+1 pips from HLKA at 1500 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/pvg2fdt6hq122dki4vgrtdk5imwyg21a

Chinese conversation at a good level at 1503 on 11-6 (Thanks to Tony Magon for assessment)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/1xegn3xe67cm2p167bihjfdum9lf11pm

711  VoV   Thoi Long, Vietnam, 500 kW   Female speech at good level // 675 at 1529 on 11-6; this station often had co-channel issues with Korea and Taiwan https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/j2vsyc02skttocssv3dxpxc6hknivx0s

720  China   The “Chinese opera station” was dominant on the frequency on most mornings, such as at 1553 on 11-5 with this strong signal, but its location in China is unknown https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/tr03jtqk4qhxscdjn8erazo4944v9tlc

720  UnID-TP   Mystery Asian station (apparently not in any east Asian language) mixing with the Chinese opera station at 1536 on 11-4; Mauno and Jari S. mentioned VOIRI (Iran) as a possibility, but the Tajik and Uzbek languages being broadcast around that time are tough to identify  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/8l5utr5yxvybjzb2wrmaxvkoazuqmdf9

729  China   Chinese male speech mixing with JOCK’s female Japanese speech at a good level at 1456 on 11-8  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/4mbe26337s5j0cdsopwzxolv280je7z0

729  JOCK   Nagoya, Japan, 50 kW   Oddly enough, this was the strongest NHK1 frequency. Female Japanese speech was at a good level mixing with China at 1456 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/4mbe26337s5j0cdsopwzxolv280je7z0

729  Myanma Radio   Yangon, Myanmar, 100 kW  Male-female speech in unique Asian language with clear mention of “Myanmar” at the 46 second point at 1541 on 11-4 (thanks to Chuck for deciphering). Unfortunately 576 and 594 were wiped out by Hawaii splatter https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/yq7uqray3bq93a6zu76kb92enk46wvq6

729  Myanma Radio?   Fading up all alone at 1625 on 11-4, this male speaker’s language and voice sound a lot like the ones in the previous recording (thanks to Bruce for language suggestion, and to Ken Alexander, a Canadian retiring in Thailand, for the improved audio file)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/24c46lrjjm2329x4e1h634u3m7swn3f5

729  VoV   Dong Hoi, Vietnam, 200 kW   Male speaker in Viet-sounding language at 1615 on 11-4 with apparent mentions of “Vietnam” at the 1 second and 32 second points; Jari L. says it sounds like Vietnamese  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9va1h709ki2cqyaz0z7eg380w2k8xmcr

738  BEL2   Penghu, Taiwan, 100 kW   This frequency had serious splatter from 740-Maui, but there was enough of the Chinese news format at 1517 on 11-3 spoken by the female announcer to make reasonably certain of the identity https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/55slnp79bhb7sqjpubmnnab9j4g14804

747  JOIB   Sapporo, Japan, 500 kW   The NHK2 big gun was barely able to get by 740-Maui splatter at 0933 on 11-3, but that was better than 594-JOAK, which was totally wiped out by 590-Honolulu  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/zqkpa4892mi9ccdzz7qojocq8bm9lmmq

774  3LO   Melbourne, Australia, 50 kW   LR Network big gun at typical powerful strength with call-in talk at 1558 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/8094b97u3qmi3nzwb15z6bcl500zwmww

783  Voice of the Strait   Zhangpu, China, 600 kW   A major propaganda blaster to Taiwan, this was the strongest Asian station during the trip. All kinds of carefully selected music were broadcast– pop, opera and even rap (which, as Chris Kadlec says, is banned in China but is fair game to broadcast to Taiwan, where it is popular). This big gun was totally immune to any propagation downturns, as demonstrated in this local-like sign off message at 1600 on 11-7, which was actually a DU-slanted morning https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/6cbton9gqiqvqiwe6ewfc8u0aoztv4dm

Female vocal music at an excellent level at 1551 on 11-4 (typical strength) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/rkfzjnew44pm1n35j815sf3zlu9x1ejq

More S9 female vocal music and 5+1 pips prior to the 1600 sign off message on 11-5 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/4qryk7xdtvhih5bche2iixoswcso2sl1

“Banned” Chinese rap music by Allen Su at 1502 on 11-3; a link to the YouTube video of the same song (“Beijing City”) follows (thanks to Chris Kadlec for the link) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/ucf9y8awzw0e3ip5ppke4abwzt22t9ts

Click here to view on YouTube.

783  UnID-China   Weak male Chinese speech continuing on the frequency after the Voice of Strait sign off at 1600 on 11-5 (from 1:10 to 1:20 in the following recording) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/4qryk7xdtvhih5bche2iixoswcso2sl1

792  4RN   Brisbane, Australia, 25 kW   S9 level female conversation during RN network program at 1618 on 11-6  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/2oe10pcuin6qvrrxtsyw5gpzy4wgjrk4

800  PJB   Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, 440 kW   Hijacking the 801 frequency at 0921 on 11-3 with an S9 signal and “Transmundial” ID at 6 seconds, this signal was typical of powerful North and South American stations that would mix with the Asian and Pacific island stations each evening in a wild competition. Received at 5.981 miles/ 9,627 km https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/wiotqzpyghyinwl4o1f0c3vw2s1brtbw

810  RNZ   Dunedin, NZ, 10 kW   Frigid weather report at 1604 on 11-5 during DU slanted conditions  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/b171bq8mute3scndqna3ej0re65vb4r6

810  UnID-TP   Weak Asian showing up at 1553 on 11-4, but not enough signal for language recognition  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/3luto1kh3qamg706b9ax9uqn9vawer6h

819  KCBS   Pyongyang, N. Korea, 500 kW   This Asian big gun wasn’t quite as strong as it was in Kona, Hawaii a year earlier, and suffered some minor 830-Honolulu splatter. There was no sign of the Seoul area jammer, though. Its orchestral music was at good strength at 1606 on 11-3  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/zmtr8yqln8lqg9419a842u802w86pryx

837  CNR5   Quanzhou, China, 1000 kW   Presumed the one with male speech in a Chinese dialect fighting it out with 830-Honolulu splatter at 1526 on 11-3 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/828hx6cpc0dhtsxwau7bz3uyd0x4o7um

855  Pyongyang BS   Sangwon, N. Korea, 500 kW   The usual female choral group shows up at a modest level at 1511 on 11-3. Like on 819, there was no sign of the Seoul-area jammer that showed up in Kona a year ago https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/f4p1wfgy1qank63q9wdh8hjnyiyajrzm

864  HLKR   Gangneung, S. Korea, 100 kW   The Korean big gun is in a wild S9 snarl with a mystery Filipino station at 1539 on 11-3; this was a typical snarling Asian mix very common in the salt-water-boosted Kauai propagation https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/edbmedfei6kjn85jvs9k21lwe8d89cxn

864  UnID-Philippines   Apparent Tagalog male speech mixing with HLKR at a strong level at 1539 on 11-3, but no indication which one of the five stations it was https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/edbmedfei6kjn85jvs9k21lwe8d89cxn

909   CNR6   Quanzhou, China, 300 kW   Another of the Taiwan-directed propaganda blasters, this one tended to play classical or choral music, and (like 783-Voice of the Strait) it was usually at overwhelming strength. This sign off message at 1602 on 11-7 has it all– S9+ strength, a “Shenzhou zhi Sheng” female-voiced ID at 35 seconds, and even a suggestive-voiced female from 49 to 58 seconds. Current sign off is at 1604 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/urhk66t4mqunezupi99r0red0pt4u7ub

Typical classical music (at typical S9 strength) at 1532 on 11-4 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/ctsmjss2s8ly6qnzwint5yidigne44ho

Another sample of CNR6 classical music at 1510 on 11-3 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/0saadxt9qphazr951dfdpk51hftpm95h

909  Xinjiang RGD   Tacheng, China, 10 kW   One of the surprise receptions of the trip. The Mongolian language was unusually strong, and dominant over CNR6’s classical music at 1548 on 11-3; thanks to Mauno and Jari S. for the language identification https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9z54ibieboealz78p0n4zygelv41ghcf

909  JOVX   Abashiri, Japan, 5 kW   Presumed the one with Japanese female speech at 1608 on 11-7 (after the CNR6 sign off), and about 20 minutes after the usual NHK2 sign off that week (the only other Japanese station on the freq.) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/mnd4zqnvx5d6u35ihj7997no2r4hbz4v

918  ERTU   Bawiti, Egypt, 10 kW   Some awesome investigative work by Mauno determined that this modest signal at 1628 on 11-6 was Egyptian Arabic– one of the biggest surprises of the trip (otherwise it would have remained an UnID). Thanks for the extra effort! (8,921 miles/ 14,357 km)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/hhdwsw42ok5pcevh41amx9i7ln3cxmag

918  RNK   Phnom Penh, Kampuchea, 600 kW   One of the biggest stars of the DXpedition, with S9-level Kampuchean pop music almost every morning around 1630, burying Shandong completely. Apparently there is some special propagation between Hawaii and Southeast Asia around this time in early November. This music was at 1637 on 11-3 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/6ohs2orw3o1w5oiqyfyfxcczsrvykazq

Booming pop music at 1653 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/yimn4viqpff60d85ek5cvt1yxe6d5orb

Burying Shandong at 1635 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/geenpiko5i7rkohvdxwhfnbkavb928fe

Full National Anthem at 1700 sign off on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/wfcfv169exidtnlflx3g0ikag1xdg7ql

918  Shandong RGD Synchros   Shandong, China   This Chinese network was mostly cannon fodder for RNK during the trip, but it did manage a very brief moment at equal strength with RNK’s high-voiced female speaker at 1553 on 11-4 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/pq6pl57x1j9qepa8he4lj43x48vggr6j

918  UnID-Philippines   Tagalog-sounding speech at 1602 on 11-3, but no further indication of the identity  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/pjot56bu42rzfhju80c7v9yoo2e386xn

927  AIR-South   Visakhapatnam, India, 100 kW   India news in English by female announcer at 1531 on 11-8 (mixing with China); with mentions of “also approved Indian…” at 9 seconds and “for India to express” at 25 seconds. Thanks very much to C.K. Raman of India for matching the recording to the AIR archives https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/ozrw09zrlayks7nt3dxt95zeaibqmwd7

927  China   Male Chinese speech dominant over AIR’s female English speech at 1533 on 11-8, but no indication which one of the multiple Chinese stations is showing up https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/3pvkcyypj3qzpo3b1hyxtcubghlkf6vh

927  UnID-Chinese   Male and female Chinese speech at 1600 on 11-8 with multiple mentions of the Taoist deity Wong Tai Sin, which would seem highly unlikely in the officially atheist Mainland. Maybe BCC in Taiwan? https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/uvogxslwmgkqympbb041efmn6wp96uig

954  AIR-North   Najibabad, India, 200 kW   Female-voiced English news // 927 dominant over UnID Philippine station at 1534 on 11-8, with mention of “India” at 28 seconds https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/htco3tjnefuoakh8xaauiuhnwav22gzc

Female-voiced English news // 927 temporarily at equal strength with JOKR at 1533 on 11-8, but slowly fading under the Japanese male speaker https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/mllosolyokn18qmpyozv4y6gt1f3sbaj

954  China   Female Chinese dominant over JOKR at 1534 on 11-8, but no indication which of the Chinese stations is showing up https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/35kia9v9t1w352nksqvx2pj5z2wxetx8

954  JOKR  Tokyo, Japan, 100 kW  Japanese male conversation temporarily dominant over a wild mix of AIR’s female English speech, UnID Philippine music and Chinese female speech at 1534 on 11-8  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/6otqthqxgkrgybxe4cn03j5rd5eo25mz

954  UnID-Philippines  Persistently strong Tagalog-speaking lady dominant over co-channels at 1512 on 11-8, but there were no definite identity clues despite the signal strength (thanks to Vlad T. and Jari S. for the language identification) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/wsfgz5aysxey1dw1ecd3jnq0r3v96loz

The same female Tagalog speaker came back to dominate the frequency at 1552 on 11-8 in a conversation with someone, but with three Philippine stations on the frequency the identity remains a mystery  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/gfwl7oisg9cdrsfxqp7t6vuqu1lc05gi

972  China   Henan Economic Service?   Persistent co-channel under HLCA during the week with Chinese speech format, such as at 1633 on 11-8. Rarely dominant https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/guydly45vysak1dxbkkt178p07wfqpyy

972  HLCA   Dangjin, S. Korea, 1500 kW   The Korean big gun played the part during most sessions, although the Chinese co-channel rarely left it alone. Here was a typical S9 signal at 1532 on 11-3, over the Chinese and accented English news co-channels https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/v3ojq208x2pmrajzgrv5uqjh1cxu2xa7

972  UnID– AIR (East)?   Accented English news from 10 seconds to 25 seconds in the following recording under HLCA at 1532 on 11-3, but there was no chance at the time to check the other AIR frequencies for a parallel. Unless Henan Economic was broadcasting in English this was most likely the 300 kW Cuttack transmitter in eastern India, with no other accented English possibilities on the frequency at the time https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/v3ojq208x2pmrajzgrv5uqjh1cxu2xa7

981  CNR1   China Synchros   Not quite as strong as in Kona, with minor splatter from 990-Honolulu. A typically strong signal was at 1505 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/1z0bdvj98dmhq9p8mhmp37xg5q5bgkcw

1008  JONR   Osaka, Japan, 50 kW  Japanese female pop music at modest strength all alone at 1610 on 11-8  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/3k82pa3pb541uje83jq3kof0j3irhq43

1017  A3Z   Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 10 kW   Island music with reverb-enhanced male speaker at strong level at 1617 on 11-8; the recent transmitter rejuvenation made this South Pacific station a reliable powerhouse each morning https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/m7cvf5e2sidwi845lh4jg8c684vz8y03

1044  CRI   Changzhou, China, 300 kW   Japanese service at excellent strength with female speech at 1523 on 11-6, but suffering from some 1040-Honolulu splatter https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/a89delbal9dtjau5klrsetbww9wleeyh

1323  CRI  Huadian, China, 600 kW   Russian service at good strength all alone at 1520 on 11-6 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/jaj942zuj6efhoux4nu8retd2jzg3bge

1440 JOWF   Sapporo, Japan, 50 kW   Always in a mix with Radio Kiribati every evening, the pop-oriented station with its female announcer could occasionally reach a strong level like at 0935 on 11-3  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/3fyr4auint1mpjvxu4tz8tm02knd5x6g

1440  Radio Kiribati   Bairiki, Tarawa, 10 kW   The usual female announcer speaking the island language got a boost from semi-auroral conditions at 0845 on 11-6 to thunder over JOWF’s Japanese female announcer https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/cpgfb9jg414gez35y94k0aaghhh6ffcy

Kiribati could pound in at great strength over JOWF during auroral conditions, such as with this Christian worship music in the island language at 0745 on 11-6 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/qbq68kkr78nri0xbghi7d9q24x43zwny

1557  UnID-TP   Weak music from unknown source at 1622 on 11-8 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/ct5468xgnxmwgq3jqobks9fjcr3ak8f3

1566  HLAZ   Jeju, S. Korea, 250 kW   The Korean big gun with its Christian programming was seriously chopped up by 1570-Maui splatter, such as during its Chinese service at 1526 on 11-3. As such, the frequency was too noisy to chase exotic targets https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/dpy8dlyerl0z55rdy3vuo0qv7avmu0hx

1575  Iranian Jammer   Causing severe interference to VOA-Thailand’s Bengali program at 1620 on 11-8, the “official” target of this prolific Jammer is Radio Farda in the U.A.E. The transmitter location is unknown, but likely distance to Kauai is around 8,000 miles/ 12,875 km  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/pn1iwgnxq3vzgf5tj9b2ek0pb6p14qg3

1575  VOA   Ban Phachi, Thailand, 1000 kW   The big gun generally got its programs through prior to 1600, but the Iranian Jammer wreaked havoc on the Bengali program by 1630. This Burmese program at 1507 on 11-7 had no problem, though https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/zww2i6bb7yc344dh2a7qo50wq9twmhvu

1593  CNR1   Changzhou, China, 400 kW   Male Chinese speech at modest level at 1455 on 11-7  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/imlagv2gf4u2p1uwp28diifz7xxwqclj

1593  NHK2 Synchros   Matsue/ Niigata, Japan, 10 kW/ 10 kW   Presumed the one with Japanese-intonated female speech under CNR1’s male Chinese speech at 1454 on 11-7 https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/1pspxzrtvefmxo4j7r65aqpn212t26ya

Broadband SDR-DXing in Hawaii—A Scouting Report

As most transoceanic DXers are aware, the Hawaiian Islands offer an exceptional opportunity for AM-DXing hobbyists to chase enhanced, salt water-boosted signals from around the world. A recent Ultralight + FSL antenna trip provided all the DXing excitement anyone could hope for, with potent signals received from Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and both North and South America. But this was all live DXing– one frequency at a time. Is a similar trip possible using a broadband loop antenna, and an SDR to record spectrum in one of the world’s most enhanced environments?

Normally such a challenge would be unthinkable, due to external antenna restrictions and the impossibility of carrying large loop antenna components on major airlines. But the unique situation at Poipu Beach on Kauai Island is definitely worth mentioning.

First of all, there is a fully stocked Home Depot store about 15 minutes away by car, offering PVC pipes, concrete bases and antenna wire– along with any tools necessary for antenna assembly. The 2-BR condos on the Poipu Kai beach are not part of a motel, but are individually owned and rented out by a management company for owners on the mainland. I never saw a single management company official on the property during the entire 6 days, except for the night when we checked into the complex management office (and he seemed to stay right there). Each morning I set up my FSL antenna on a 5′ PVC base in the large open patio area behind our condo from 0400-0700 local time (1400-1700 UTC), and never was questioned by anybody– let alone anybody from the management company. I’m pretty sure that small, breakdown versions of broadband antennas (such as the type that both Chuck and Tom have become skillful in setting up at the Rockwork cliff every August) would be fully acceptable during these sunrise enhancement sessions in Hawaii. There is excellent, free Wi-Fi available at the site for checking parallels and web streams, and fragile items like the SDR receivers and Wellbrook amps could be carried in hand carry luggage, similar to how I carry the Ultralights and FSL antennas. After such a broadband DXpedition the antenna parts could be probably be returned to the local Home Depot store, possibly with a chance of refunds.

Of course with a such a pioneering effort there will always be challenges and surprising discoveries, and a sense of optimism and adventure will prove to be most useful. But the opportunity certainly is there– as well as the chance to conduct a breakthrough DXpedition that could be of legendary success.


What an amazing report, Gary! I’ll admit, I’m just a wee bit envious of your Ultralight DXpedition locations! Thanks for sharing the details an, especially, your recordings! Inspiring!

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Sangean DT-800 Review: AM/FM/Weather ultra-compact radio

Two months ago, SWLing Post reader Paul Adler wrote to ask:

“Any reviews and comparisons of the Sangean DT-800?”

The Sangean DT-800? This caught my attention, as I wasn’t, at the time, familiar with this recent addition to the Sangean product family.  So I promptly began investigating the new product, and checked out the manual; I found it has a few features that really intrigue me, namely:

  • The ability to turn off soft muting
  • The ability to internally recharge NiMH AA batteries
  • Multiple bandwidth on AM and FM
  • Weather band with weather alerts
  • FM RDS
  • No telescoping antenna––rather, an included wire antenna

In my mind, these features seemed to set it apart from other similar portables.  And with the ability to defeat the soft mute, I wondered if it could make for a formidable Ultralight DX radio?

I contacted Sangean, and they kindly sent me a review sample of the DT-800. It comes in two chassis colors: standard black and and a bright fire yellow. I chose yellow, which makes it easier to spot should this handheld be lost or dropped in an outdoor setting.

Thanks for the suggestion, Paul!

Giveaway!  By the way: since this is a product sample and was sent to me free of charge, I’m going to give it away to a lucky SWLing Post Coffee Fund or Patreon supporter next week, just to say thanks!

Now, let’s get on with the review…

Initial impressions

As with almost all Sangean products, the DT-800 arrives as a complete package, with all accessories. Inside, you’ll find the radio, a full-length multi-language owner’s manual, a warranty card, an AC adapter (with in-line RF chokes, nice touch), in-ear headphones, an external wire antenna, and a belt clip.

The DT-800 fits nicely in the hand, and the matte finish on the sides and bottom of the radio make gripping it quite easy, lessening the chance of dropping or losing the unit.

The front panel is simple: five multi-function preset buttons and a Page/Menu button. All of the buttons are tactile and have a matte finish, as well; they feel of good quality and have a great response.

The right side of the radio (see side view, above) has a tuning/select up/down jog switch, a mechanical keylock button and a MicroUSB DC in port.

On the left side of the radio (see left side view, above) you’ll find the volume up/down buttons and a stereo/mono/speaker mechanical switch which you can use to switch between the internal speaker and headphones.

On top of the radio (above) you’ll find the power button, band selection button and the headphones port, which doubles as the external antenna port.

On the back of the radio you’ll find the DBB bass-boost slider switch, the battery compartment, and a belt clip.

One thing you’ll quickly notice is a lack of any telescoping whip antenna. Instead, the DT-800 ships with a wire antenna that’s almost three feet long. I suspect that this is the same type of FM antenna that shipped with the Sangean WR-7 (click here to read review).

Design/Ergonomics

All in all, I’m very pleased with the DT-800’s design: it fits well in the hand, the buttons and controls are easy to use, and it’s small enough––and flat enough––to easily slip in a pocket, go-bag, or carry-on. A great portable for one-hand operation. It’s also lightweight, even with the batteries inserted. Truly, this appears to be a quality little radio.

Tuning the DT-800 is a simple process: simply utilize the up/down rocker switch on the right side of the radio to increase by specified frequency steps (selectable 50/100 kHz FM or 1/9/10 kHz AM), or push and hold it in one direction to skip across the band. While the DT-800 does mute between frequencies, it’s not annoying––in fact, muting is brief and audio recovery is rapid so you can actually carry out meaningful band-scanning, actually hearing stations between the steps. If you press the rocker switch, it will initiate an auto-scan in the direction you’re tuning.

While the DT-800 lacks a keypad for frequency input (in truth, I would not expect such a thing on a walkman-style receiver)  it does make tuning to your favorite stations quite easy with 20 FM, 20 AM, and 5 WX presets. Saving a station to memory is truly a breeze: simply select the page you’d like to save it to, then press and hold the preset button to save it to one of the numbered presets. Really, it couldn’t be easier.

To change the volume on this radio, you use rocker buttons on the left side of the radio to increase or decrease volume up to 25 levels. I particularly like the fact that level 1 is very quiet and 25 is as loud as you would ever want from a small radio. I mention this because, in the past, I have reviewed radios that had coarse volume steps, and the lowest setting is louder than I prefer: not so with this little rig.

Entering menu items on the DT-800 is quite easy, too.  Some are accessed by pressing and holding the Page/Menu button and then cycling through and selecting items with the tuning up/down switch. Others are accessed by pressing and holding the Page/Menu button, then selecting one of the five buttons on the front panel (note that each menu function is listed below the numbered button).

The DT-800’s display is backlit and large, thus very easy to read at any viewing angle.

AC Adapter

I can’t think of the last time I gave an included AC adapter its own subheading in a review, but the DT-800 power supply deserves one.

Not only does the DT-800 ship with a power supply (AC adapter), but it’s a quality one: the cord jacketing is thick and feels exceptionally durable––and though I’m not going to cut it apart to find out, I expect the wiring within it is a heavier gauge, as well. This adapter also has no less than two in-line RF chokes.

In a day and age when included “wall wart” power supplies are often of the cheapest quality and spew so much radio interference that they render attached receivers useless, the DT-800 adapter is a very welcome addition to this radio’s kit.

Well played, Sangean! I hope other radio manufacturers follow your lead.

Batteries

Lately, it seems most new radios are being designed to accommodate slim Lithium Ion battery packs. So, another welcome sight was opening the DT-800’s battery compartment to find slots for two AA batteries.

While Li-ion batteries have advantages in terms of weight and size, I prefer AA batteries for pocket and travel radios, as AA batteries are so ubiquitous on this planet and are available in all but the most remote regions of the world.

And better yet? You can internally recharge NiMH batteries with the DT-800. The DT-800 ships with a default setting for alkaline batteries. But to internally recharge NiMH batteries, simply open the battery compartment and change the battery type switch from “Alkaline” to “NiMH.”

This is an amazing and useful feature, but just be sure if you ever use the NiMH internal recharging function and then switch to alkaline cells, that you change the battery selection switch back to the alkaline setting. You certainly wouldn’t want the DT-800 to attempt recharging your alkaline cells!

As you can see in this photo, I’ve been using Panasonic Eneloop NiMH batteries in the DT-800. I use a special charger for Eneloops, so have kept the battery selection switch set to alkaline so the DT-800 doesn’t attempt to charge them. I might even put a small piece of colored tape on the switch to keep it in place for now.

Audio

The audio via headphones? It sounds great on the DT-800!

Indeed, the DT-800’s included in-ear style stereo earphones are a cut above most other included-with-a-product earphones, and as a result, produce more pleasant audio.

With the headphones engaged, FM offers selectable mono or stereo; mono, of course, makes marginal stations more stable since the stereo lock isn’t struggling.

Like the Walkman radios of days gone by, the DT-800 uses the headphone cord as an antenna when it’s attached. If you’re using the internal speaker, you’ll need to attach the included external wire antenna for FM and WX bands.

The DT-800 internal speaker produces decent audio for the size of the radio. The speaker is tiny, so the audio is somewhat tinny (narrow in range) when listening to music. But the DT-800 also has a DBB (Dynamic Bass Boost) switch––engaging this will increase the bass response a bit, most noticeable when using headphones.

Performance

The DT-800 has three bands: FM, AM (mediumwave), and WX (weather). Let’s take a look at each.

FM Band

The DT-800 sports a unique feature on the FM band: the ability to select between a wide or a narrow filter. Since the dawn of the DSP chip, many a portable radio has enjoyed selectable bandwidth filters, but it’s a rare portable that has FM filters. I do pretty much all of my FM listening with the wide filter engaged, but if you live in an urban area with a crowded FM band, choosing the narrow filter, even if it compromises audio fidelity a bit, will give you better selectivity. Nice touch, Sangean!

In terms of sensitivity, with the external antenna inserted, I’ve been very pleased with the DT-800. It receives all of my benchmark FM stations. With headphones inserted (used as an antenna) and stereo engaged, it has ever-so-slightly less sensitivity than several of my other DSP portables. With the headphones inserted and FM in mono, I find that it’s on par with––or surpasses––my other reference DSP portables.

Here’s a little wrinkle, though: when listening with the internal speaker, you must insert the external wire antenna to use this receiver on FM. Without the external antenna, sensitivity decreases by a good 70-80%, as you essentially have no antenna. If you live in an area with strong FM stations, you’ve nothing to fear, but if you live in a rural area, you’ll certainly want to keep that wire antenna handy.

On one hand, the wire antenna is easier and more flexible to deploy than attached telescopic antennas, which can be bent or broken. But on the other, an external wire antenna is just another item you’ll need to pack and take along with the radio if you plan to listen via the internal speaker.

If you plan to listen with headphones, however, no worries! I find the sensitivity with headphones inserted to be just as effective. In fact, instead of taking along the wire antenna you could bring the included headphones, and they’ll double as an external antenna while listening via the internal speaker. In my tests, the headphones performed about as well as the external wire antenna.

My advice? If you purchase the DT-800, either keep the small wire antenna or a pair of headphones nearby to insure you’re getting the best FM reception.

Weather Band

The same notes above about the necessity of an external wire antenna apply on the weather band as well as the FM band.

With the wire antenna or a set of headphones connected, weather radio reception is good. I was able to receive both of my local NOAA weather reference frequencies.

To be clear, the DT-800 is not as sensitive as my C. Crane CC Skywave or CC Skywave SSB––which are truly WX band benchmarks––but it will likely receive your local NOAA or Environment Canada broadcasts as well as most other weather radios.

The DT-800 also includes a Weather Alert feature, but as Sangean notes, you should only use this feature while the radio is plugged into mains power, as it will drain batteries about as effectively as if you were listening to an FM radio station.

AM/Mediumwave Band

If there’s a weak point on the DT-800, I would say it’s the AM band.

Don’t get me wrong: at first blush, the DT-800 looks like a little Ultralight DXing dream, as it’s loaded with great features, such as:

  • multiple bandwidths (wide/narrow),
  • 9/10 kHz spacing,
  • well-balanced AGC (auto gain control),
  • as well as the ability to turn off soft muting.

Yes, the DT-800 has the ability to disable soft mute. Thank you, Sangean! So far, Sangean seems to be one of the only radio manufacturers that enables this DSP chip option in their product line. Another receiver with the ability to disable soft mute was the Sangean ATS-405 (check out our ATS-405 review). I wish other radio manufacturers would do the same because soft mute is what often makes listening to weak mediumwave signals so fatiguing. With soft mute disengaged, weak signals enjoy better audio stability as they’re not fighting to stay above the muting threshold.

But, I’m sorry, DXers: unfortunately, the DT-800’s weakness on AM is the same as the ATS-405 on AM (and shortwave): a higher-than-average noise floor. Somehow, internal noise is being generated and not being contained by shielding and grounding.

I made a short comparison video to demonstrate the noises heard via the DT-800. Before you ask: yes, these noises are present regardless of radio location, or whether or not there are other radios nearby. In addition, I made this video on a folding table far away from my house or any other potential sources of noise (with the exception of my iPhone which was used to make the video). This is the same low-noise spot I use to do comparison tests of all my portable receivers:

Click here to view this video on YouTube.

As I note in the video, the noise floor isn’t consistent across the band––some parts are lower, other parts higher. One of the noise peaks is around 1600 kHz which, unfortunately for me, is where my favorite local AM station resides.

So is this a deal-breaker?  No…not necessarily.  For the casual AM radio listener––a listener primarily focused on listening to local AM stations––I think the DT-800 will please. In fact, I might not have noticed the elevated noise floor had I not: 1) listened to weaker AM stations, and 2) compared the DT-800 with other radios.

Since I’ve been using and listening to this radio for the better part of a month, I can state with confidence that most of my other portables outperform the DT-800 on mediumwave. I compared it with these rigs:

  • Sony ICF-S10MK2
  • Tecsun PL-310ET
  • CC Skywave
  • CC Skywave SSB
  • Radiwow R-108

To be clear, I believe the DT-800 has average MW sensitivity for a radio this size, but the noise floor sort of spoils any hopes of doing marginal or weak signal work, thus also making that awesome soft mute toggle less effective.

If you pair the DT-800 with a loop antenna like the AN200, which I highly recommend doing, it will help those weak signals rise above the noise. Otherwise, if your primary goal in purchasing the DT-800 is to listen to mediumwave, I regret to say, you might want to take a pass on this one.

Summary

Every radio has its pros and cons. Each time I begin a review of a radio, I take notes from the very beginning so that I don’t forget my initial impressions and observations. Here’s the DT-800’s list, from the first moments I turned it on, to the time of writing this review:

Pros:

  • Great overall performance on FM
  • Quality construction and thoughtful ergonomics
  • Both clock and alarm for the traveler
  • Ability to switch between FM stereo/mono with headphones in use
  • Wide/narrow AM and FM filters
  • NiMH AA batteries can be recharged internally [make sure switch inside battery compartment is set to “NiMH”]
  • FM RDS (one mode)
  • Mechanical keylock switch
  • Ability to disable soft mute (other radio manufacturers take note!)
  • Small internal speaker providing quite decent audio
  • Comprehensive gear package includes radio, manuals, quality earphones, quality AC adapter, wire antenna
  • DC port is standard MicroUSB
  • Belt clip
  • Built-in speaker
  • Dynamic Bass Boost

Cons:

  • While listening via the DT-800’s internal speaker without antenna wire or headphones inserted: FM performance is lacking, while weather radio performance is very much lacking
  • AM band: Noise floor is higher than on comparable radios

Conclusion

The Sangean DT-800 is a solid little radio: it’s simple to operate and feels like a quality piece of kit. It’s perfect for hiking, or any sport or task where you’d like one-hand operation.

The DT-800 also has a surprising amount of features and customization through the menu settings––much more than one would expect––which puts it firmly into what I would call the “enthusiast-grade” radio category.

It’s for this reason that it’s a bit disappointing AM reception on this Sangean isn’t better.

The DT-800 has a lot of icing on the cake, otherwise: FM RDS, the ability to internally recharge AA batteries, built-in speaker, Dynamic Bass Boost, multiple bandwidths on AM and FM, the ability to disable soft mute–all of these are essentially pro features.

So, if you’re looking for a quality portable radio primarily for FM and WX band listening and perhaps catching the odd local AM broadcast, the DT-800 is a great choice.

Sangean DT-800 retailers:

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Emilio’s favorite scene from “Never Cry Wolf”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Emilio Ruiz, who writes:

I [note you] have published movies scenes with radios and I remember one of my favorite movies about nature, science, silence, wolves and Inuit culture called “Never Cry Wolf” I’m sharing with you and all readers of SWLing Post blog a radio (I don’t know what brand is, I think is military radio) appear in Never Cry Wolf movie.

I love this scene because the heterodyne sound is a particular sound that drives us crazy to everyone who loves radio!! jaja 😛

The video was extracted from the original Beta format movie, sorry for
the quality.

Thank you for sharing, Emilio!

That heterodyne sound leads me to believe they obtained it using a regenerative receiver. I’ve heard that squeal so many times tuning regen receivers!

I’ll add this post to our ever growing archive of radios in film!

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