My DX Archive: July - August 1996

THE Summer of 1996 is our destination, for this selection of logs of radio broadcasts received on the Short Wave band. The logs don't actually state the receivers used, so from memory, the receivers used at the time were a Hitachi TRK 5854 E, or a Zeon Tech Multi Band Receiver.
As an introduction to these posts, I try to find alternative ways to answer the question "What is Short Wave Radio?" I do hope the following from Radio Australia a few years back is of interest:

On to the logs of July & August 1996. First, housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

July 1996: Short Wave

• 11 July [1996]: 1745 UTC: 6155 kHz: Radio Austria International Strong to moderate reception. European economies and the Americas, David Ward. Dale Henderson. Joanna King with reports of tougher policies and asylum, the European Union.
• 11 July: 1756 UTC: 6180 / 6195 kHz: BBC World Service Good to poor reception. 'Sports Roundup': The British Grand Prix at Silverstone. 18 UTC news: Arrest warrants for Karadic & Miladic.
• 11 July: 1805 UTC: 7120 kHz: Radio Netherlands 'Media Network' reporting on SABC, South Africa. English to South, East, West Africa via Talata Volon, Madagascar. Good to poor reception. Reports by Stephen McGregor, aurora recordings on CD, 'Receiver Shopping List', Arthur Cushen, Invercargill, New Zealand.
• 11 July: 1830 UTC: 7240 / 7350 / 7360 kHz: Voice of Russia Good to poor reception. 'Commonwealth Update', 'News In Brief', 'This Is Russia'. Music break: Wham! 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go'.

Radio Moscow [Voice of Russia] QSL, 11 July 1996.

• 11 July: 1840 UTC: 7415 kHz: Voice of America 'Sports Journal' Olympic basketball: US beat China. Boxing: Riddick Bowe v Mike Tyson. 'Africa World Tonight', White House correspondent Deborah Tate with a report of Bill Clinton. Strong to moderate reception, to Africa via Botswana.
• 11 July: 1900 UTC: 7465 kHz: KOL Israel - Israel Radio International Strong to good reception, 40.18 meters to Europe and America. 'Israel News Magazine' USA & Israel relations. Benjamin Netanyahu in USA, meeting President Clinton. Israel will negotiate with Syria. Report from the Bank of Israel. France - Israel relations include the launch of a satellite from French Guyana in South America, for services to Europe.
• 11 July: 1927 UTC: 9480 kHz: Voice of Russia 'Science & Engineering in the Commonwealth', 'News In Brief': bus bomb in Moscow. Blockade of Chechnya. Strong to moderate reception. [See QSL above, verifying reception of this broadcast.]
• 11 July: 1947 UTC: 9510 kHz: Radio Romania International Good to poor reception. English to Europe. 'Listeners' Letter Box'.
• 11 July: 2033 UTC: c.9410 kHz: BBC World Service John Peel. Music: Delta 92 'Rich Girls Like To Steal'. Music from Germany.
• 11 July: 2106 UTC: 11690 kHz: Radio Canada International 'World At Six': Hurricane Bertha plots a course off the coast of Floria. US sanctions against Cuba. Rwandan refugee in Canada. Changes in education in Newfoundland. English via Sackville, strong to good reception. David Foley reports from Sarajevo. Orangemen march in Portadown, Northern Ireland, Allan Dow reports from Belfast.

Radio Canada International QSL, 11 July 1996.

• 14 July: 1523 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service via Skelton. Sport: British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Tour De France, Phil Liggett reports on a stage win for Abdujaperov on Bastille Day, Bjarne Riis wears the yellow jersey. Strong to moderate reception.
• 23 July: 2030 UTC: 11990 kHz: Radio Kuwait to Europe: 'Sports News Update', 'Story in English'.
• 31 July: 1543 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service via Skelton, strong to good reception. English to Europe, North and Central Africa. 'The World' produced by BBC, Public Radio International and WGBH, Boston, USA: Interview with an American who served 60 years ago in the armed forces.

August 1996: Short Wave

• 4 August: 0815 UTC: 7570 kHz: Radio ABC/Denmark Strong to good reception. English to Europe via Kaliningrad. First ever reception. Music: Tommy Roe 'Shiela'. Address: Radio ABC/Denmark, PO Box 174, DK-8900 Denmark. Song: 101 "Playing With My Heart", Barry Manilow, Lou Rolls, 'Never Can Say Goodbye'.
• 10 August: 0852 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service via Skelton. Dave Lee Travis with 'A Jolly Good Show': Music: M-People 'Search For The Hero', Bob Dylan 'Mr Tambourine Man', All 4 One 'I Swear'.
• 11 August: 0814 UTC: 7570 kHz: Radio ABC/Denmark Music: 'It Only Takes A Minute', Procol Harem 'Whiter Shade of Pale'. 120 kW to Europe via Kaliningrad, Russia. Right Said Fred 'Deeply Dippy'. Address: Radio ABC/Denmark, PO Box 174, DK-8900, Randers, Denmark. Internet: www.radioabc.dk Music: Bachman Turner Overdrive 'You Aint Seen Nothing Yet', Edwyn Collins 'A Girl Like You', Dodgy 'Good Enough'. Strong to good reception.

Radio ABC logo.

• 18 August: 1150 UTC: 7570 kHz: Radio ABC/Denmark Strong to good reception. Music from Zaeger & Evans 'In The Year 2525', Paul Young: 'Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Home'. Off air @ 12 UTC.
• 22 August: 1843 UTC: 6065 kHz: Radio Sweden Strong to good reception. Headlines from Swedish newspapers on 'Sixty Degrees North', Music from Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
• 30 August: 1910 UTC: 6140 kHz: Radio Budapest 'Gateway' Strong to good reception. Address: H-1800 Budapest Hungary.
• 30 August: 1934 UTC: 6195 kHz: BBC World Service Strong to poor reception. Joanna Buchan hosts 'Newshour': Headlines.
• 30 August: 1940 UTC: 7235 kHz: Rai International via Radio Roma, moderate to good reception. USA: President Clinton on the election trail. Clinton's advisor caught with prostitute. News from Tel Aviv. BBC report regarding the British Monarchy.
• 30 August: 2010 UTC: c.6950 kHz: China Radio International World news: Bill Clinton, Internal news: Links between China & Hong Kong in security and coal mining, arrests over alcohol poisoning during June & July 1996. Agricultural news regarding typhoons, floods features on 'News About China'. 'Current Affairs' reports on links with Israel, mining, Beijing congress, reports on shipping. Good to moderate reception.

China Radio International QSL, 30 August 1996.

• 30 August: 2033 UTC: 7110 kHz: Rai International Bill Clinton's advisor caught with a prostitute is published in the Italian press. 42.19 mBand, Rai International English to Middle East & North East Africa, 'Zone E'. Music: 'I Wish It Would Rain Down' by Phil Collins featuring Eric Clapton on guitar. Good to moderate reception, to Near East.
• 30 August: 2058 UTC: 7230 kHz: Radio Yugoslavia Signing off in English, 41.49mBand, 500 kW to Australia 100°, Zones 55, 58 & 59 English 4.
• 30 August: 2102 UTC: 7250 kHz: Radio Budapest 'OSC Chairman makes a statement regarding a treaty binding Romania'. Agriculture may be a challenge for Hungary in the EU. Strong to moderate reception. 'The Dailies' Journalists say Hungary is a haven for sex tourists and paedophiles. Hungarian-Romania treaty. Hospital beds cuts.
• 30 August: 2127 UTC: 7325 kHz: BBC World Service 'Britain Today' profile of professional boxer Frank Bruno, age 33.
• 30 August: 2135 UTC: 7350 / 7360 / 7420 / 7570 kHz: The Voice of Russia Music: 'Mr Vain' by Culture Beat. Voice of Russia postal address. 'Science & Engineering': Life on Mars? Moderate reception.
• 30 August: 2208 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service The United Nations are monitoring Kurds and Iraqis, report from Jerusalem on 'Newsdesk'. Good to strong reception. Lead story: War in Chechnya is over.

Thank you for visiting this post on Reporting From The Fox Tower. Please do continue to read my posts.

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My DX Archive: Winter 1995-96

PAST the mid-point of August 2018, the football season is back and (spoiler alert) today's Premier League matches are underway; Manchester City have recorded a 6-1 victory over Huddersfield Town.
Away from football, the Settle - Carlisle Railway has today hosted Engine number 60103 - The Flying Scotsman - What a pleasure it was to see the engine on the line. I must, when I have a picture available, share here on the blog!

To today's blog post: Taking you back to the Winter of 1995-96, to bring you my logbook of radio broadcasts received during that season. These broadcasts were received on Short Wave radio. To find out more about Short Wave radio, click here. [Editorial note: The link does take you to a broadcaster of gospel / religious programming, though the technical aspects are true to how Short Wave radio works. All the views expressed on the site are those of the broadcaster, the views may not be those shared by this blog.]
Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

December 1995: Short Wave

• 7 December [1995]: 1150 - 1225 UTC: c.5955 kHz: Radio Netherlands Strong to good reception. 'Newsline', 'Media Network' Jonathan Marks and Diana Janssen. Cutbacks at BBC World Service due to a reduction in the 1995 Budget. BBC testing in Slovakia. Jonathan Marks talks to Rich McVicar of HCJB, Quito. HCJB to launch on internet. Mike Bird's propagation report. Next week: Digital short wave.
• 7 December: 1953 UTC: 6155 kHz: Radio Austria International A-1136 VIENNA is closing an international English broadcast with the postal address and internet details. Coming up soon: a German language broadcast.
• 7 December: 2003 UTC: 6165 kHz: Swiss Radio International News: Military meeting between Russia and China. Election results. United Nations to decide future of peace keepers in the African country of Rwanda. London hosts conference for UNHCR to implement the Dayton peace agreement in the former Yugoslavia. English to Europe. Protests in East Timor. Swiss news.
• 7 December: 2025 UTC: 6180 // 6195 kHz: BBC World Service 49mBand to Europe, Middle East and North Africa. 'Newshour' Oliver Scott, Nigeria.
• 31 December: 1620 UTC: 15240 kHz: Channel Africa Strong to moderate reception. Auckland Park, South Africa. 'Short Story': 'The Last Christmas of the War' by Angela Goffey. Music: 'I Believe'. 'Africa Alive' at 1633 UTC, looking forward to the new year 1996. English to West Africa.

January 1996: Short Wave

• 5 January [1996]: 1902 UTC: 5915 kHz: Radio Slovakia International German language broadcast, music and speech.
  
• 5 January: 1912 UTC: 5940 // 5995 kHz: Voice of Russia 'Commonwealth Update' Ukraine weapons. Azerbaijan & Russia make an agreement. Mr Shevardnadze in Abkhazia & Georgia. Malcolm Rifkind features in commentary.
• 5 January: 1930 UTC: 5915 kHz: Radio Slovakia International 'Slovakia Today' News: Border agreement with Czech Republic signed. President's son on fraud charge. New Government priorities for 1996. Slovaks & Danes meet in Copenhagen. 'Back Page News': Public Service interview - Satisfied with Life? Accident: Girl stuck in a washing machine. Search for Mr Slovakia 96: Age 17 to 25. Meteorite on show in Slovakia. 'Slovak Kitchen': Slovakian recipe.
• 5 January: 20 UTC: 5960 kHz: Deutsche Welle English Service News with Geoff Norton: Germany regrets the resignation of a Russian politician. Turkish properties burned in Germany. Telephone charges to rise. Elections in Stuttgart. 'European Journal': Peace in Bosnia. Arms delegation meets in Vienna.
• 5 January: 2155 UTC: 7510 kHz: Monitor Radio via WSHB News with David Brown at PRI (Public Radio International): Government workers get full pay. Financial news. Italian soldiers retaliate in (Somalia) Africa. Israel - Palestine terror. Israel and Syria close peace talks. US involvement in Haiti.
• 7 January: 1308 UTC: 9590 kHz: Radio Norway International 'Norway Now' looking at cold winter weather, new smoking laws. Seizures of illegal narcotics have increased in Norway. Names of asylum seekers to be put on a register. Norwegian man calls off attempt to cross Antarctica.
• 7 January: 1345 UTC: 9590 kHz: Radio Denmark [Danmarks Radio / Radio Danmark]: A walk around Copenhagen including music from sisters from Bulgaria. An interview with Trevor Davies. Postal address: PO 666 1506 COPENHAGEN. Denmark in the EU.

QSL from Denmark, January 1996.

• 28 January: 19 UTC: 12160 kHz: WWCR Nashville TN USA 'World Of Radio': World Radio Network (WRN) satellite service, cut backs at Radio Canada International, Canadian media says RCI has five million listeners, less than other shortwave stations. Details of RCI broadcasts for February [1996]. Television broadcasts on America One via satellite. Broadcasts in Oklahoma, USA. US FM stations closing. I R C A (International Radio Club of America) DX News. Three Alaskan stations are to test in February 1996.

February 1996: Short Wave

• 1 February: 1157 UTC: 6045 kHz: Radio Netherlands Strong to good reception via Juilich, Germany. 'Media Network': French authorities decide to play only French language music in France. A government reshuffle in Canada hopes to divert the closure of Radio Canada International, scheduled for 31 March 1996. Deutsche Welle has closed its relay in Malta. Media fair in Cannes, France, hosted by Radio France Internationale. Music: 'Radio Ga Ga' by Queen. Profile of Radio Monte Carlo and Trans World Radio via Monaco. Mike Bird propagation forecast.
• 3 February: 2015 UTC: 12160 kHz: RTÉ via WWCR Nashville USA - Sports news including English football results: Newcastle United 2 - Sheffield Wednesday 0, Wimbledon 2 - Manchester United 4. Moderate to poor reception.
• 4 February: 1151 UTC: 6045 kHz: Radio Netherlands Strong to good reception. 'Sincerely Yours', letters programme with Mr Jonathan Groubert and Lee Martin. Letter from Norway in praise of the Radio Netherlands medium wave service on 1386 kHz. Pete Myers is on holiday in the Caribbean! 'Sounds Interesting' now on air. Slight reception from BRT / RVI Brussels.
• 4 February: 1902 UTC: 5960 kHz: Radio Norway International Strong to good reception. 'Norway Now' news with Colin Glass, weather report. Norwegian relations with Israel. Reading from a book by a lady.
• 7 February: 1600 UTC: 9615 kHz: Radio Australia Strong to good reception. World news features a plane crash in the Dominican Republic. NATO studying peace in Bosnia. Financial relations between Hong Kong and India. Iran to mediate in Afghanistan. No coup in Thailand says General. Indonesia to buy missiles from France. Taiwan stabilises relations with China. 'Australiana' now on air.

• 24 February: 1437 UTC: 5955 kHz: Radio Netherlands Dutch language sport broadcast to Europe via Flevo, music from Wet Wet Wet.
• 24 February: 1446 UTC: 6155 kHz: Radio Austria International Letter concerning holidays in Austria, letter from Jack. Mike Code writes from London, letter from Georgia Middle School in Atlanta, USA. 'Report From Austria'. Pat Mardy. Guitar music. Eric Clapton: 'Tears In Heaven'.
• 24 February: 1536 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service Tennis, golf, Alberta Tomba wins skiing. Football: Blackburn 1 - Liverpool 2, Manchester City 1 - Newcastle United 0. Rugby. 'Sportsworld' Who will win the FA Cup in May? Cycling in South Africa, Bloemfontein, Phil Liggett reports. Football: Carlisle United 0 - Oxford United 0, half time.
• 24 February: 1623 UTC: 12095 kHz: BBC World Service Football: Report from Celtic. Live football: Manchester City v Newcastle United, City lead 2-1. Liverpool lead 3-0 away from home. Goal: Faustino Asprilla scores for Newcastle, 2-2 live from Maine Road, Manchester. Final scores: Blackburn 2 - Liverpool 3. Wimbledon 3 - Aston Villa 3. Tottenham Hotspur 1 - Sheffield Wednesday 0. Carlisle United 1 - Oxford United 2.
• 24 February: 1659 UTC: 15205 kHz: Voice of America News at 17 UTC: Murders in Iraq, NATO in Sarajevo for Yugoslav peace process. Russian troops in Chechnya. Protests in Pakistan.
• 24 February: 1836 UTC: 6040 kHz: Voice of America Special English news: King Hussein visits Israel. 'American stories' via Morocco, 250 kW.

• 24 February: 1852 UTC: 6065 kHz: Radio Sweden AIDS prevention drug in Sweden. 'Swedish youth revolution': Study of those aged 16 to 25.
• 24 February: 1904 UTC: 6180 / 6195 kHz: BBC World Service 'From Our Own Correspondent' to Europe.
• 24 February: 1910 UTC: 6055 / 6130 kHz: Voice of Russia News: Ukrainian ships to fly their flag. Balloon flight to North Pole. Sport: Badminton. Headlines: Chechnya. Turkey. Politics. 'Newmarket'. President Yeltzin to stand for election for a second term.
• 24 February: 1936 UTC: 7235 kHz: RAI International Italy. News: Italy to join the European single currency. European employment pact discussed in Rome, headed by Jacques Santer. Pope John Paul II sets limit for Cardinal selectors. Italians enjoy magic, visiting palm readers. 'Weekend' with Judith Harris. Visit to a museum.

...And at this point, we will stop. Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower!

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