My DX Archive: Winter 2000-01

QUIRKY is one way to describe these posts recounting radio broadcasts of years gone by, as we are now mid-July, it must be time to recount the broadcasts of Winter 2000-01.
A previous post, covering October - November 2000, can be found here.
Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

December 2000: Short Wave

• 25 December [2000]: 1247 UTC: 5805 kHz: Radio Free London Music: 'Step Into Christmas' Elton John. DJ Kenny Myers. Music: Kate Bush. Fair reception. English... to Europe? Music: Beach Boys 'Little Saint Nick'. Adrian Cooke, Dave Small.
• 25 December: 1307 UTC: 5955 kHz: Radio Nederland Wereldomroep Radio Netherlands Dutch language service to Central Europe. Music, Female host. Strong to good reception. Music: 'Silent Night'.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide logo.

• 25 December: 1531 UTC: 6110 kHz: Brother R G Stair Strong to good reception. Brother R G Stair preaches on an email from England regarding child's life, God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Write to Walterborough, South Carolina 29488 USA. Telephone 00-1-843-538-4202. News stories.
• 25 December: 1750 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service 31mBand. Music: 'Optimistic' Radiohead (album: 'Kid A'), speech featuring 'White Ladder' (David Gray), 'Play' (Moby), and the Beatles ('1'). Music: Toploader 'Higher State' (album: 'Onka's Big Mocka'). "This Is London". Signature tune. 1800 UTC.
• 25 December: 1820 UTC: 9735 kHz: The Voice of Vietnam Good to fair reception. English speaking male talks of Junior Vietnamese Chess Champion. Music, ID, Close at 1828 UTC.
• 25 December: 1843 UTC: 9740 kHz: BBC World Service 'Outlook': 'Utopia' closes, male wishes 'Happy New Year'. Queen's message in 1 hour, ad for 'Poems by Post'. Now: 'Patterns of the Faith', African Americans' spirituality. Good to fair reception.
• 25 December: 1901 UTC: 9775 UTC: Voice of Russia World Service Strong to good reception. English. Male host, news: President Putin to consider new arms productions, Productivity increases in Russia, Russian ships and submarines to carry less weapons. Russia and the EU to work closer in 2001, state Messrs. Prodi and Putin.
• 25 December: 1945 UTC: 11990 kHz: Radio Kuwait Steve Hughes with music and comedy, Music: Modjo 'Lady (Hear Me Tonight)', Texas 'In Demand'. Strong to good reception. The Corrs 'Give It All Up'. English to Europe and North America. Comedy track: Man becomes coal miner. Music: David Bowie 'Dad's Army'.

Ministry of Information postcard.

• 25 December: 2032 UTC: 12160 kHz: WWCR Nashville TN USA Strong to good reception. English 'Genesis Radio Network' Male talks of a book regarding the Boer war, written by a Mr Packenham and how it relates to modern day. Talk of 'Council on Foreign Nations' / 'Secret Society', South Africa / Europe. Host: Dr. Stan.
• 29 December: 2139 UTC: 6010 kHz: Wales Radio International Good to fair reception. English via Skelton, Jenny O'Brien with music: Female classical singer, interview with lady regarding music festival. Station ID, Cardiff International Airport, KLM-UK. Contact details. Guest: Dr Brian Johns. New Year celebrations.
• 30 December: 1310 UTC: 12095 kHz: BBC World Service Good to fair reception. Steve Wright: 'Wright Round The World' Music: Five 'Keep On Movin''. Listener feedback. Music: Baha Men 'Who Let The Dogs Out'. 'Entertainment Quiz' winners receive The Beatles album '1'. Elton John interview, music: 'I'm Still Standing' (Live).

January 2001: Short Wave

• 12 January [2001]: 2125 UTC: 6010 kHz: Wales Radio International Music ID, intro to 'Celtic Notes' with Jenny O'Brien, speech: food hampers, holiday brochures. Interview: Chairman of Welsh Tourism? Fair to poor reception. Music: Classical female vocalist, Sain record label. KLM Global Alliance via Cardiff Airport.
• 16 January: 2032 UTC: 13710 kHz: Voice of America Good to fair reception. English to Africa via Botswana. Sport: Interview with Boxer, re: Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. Football, track and field (athletics). 'Africa World Tonight': Sport in Nigeria.
• 16 January: 2053 UTC: 13750 kHz: Radio Havana Cuba Music. Fair to poor reception. English to Europe. News: Government of Iran / Iraq, Middle East Security Council. Sanctions in Iraq. First Gulf War started ten years ago today. Reports from Baghdad. Unexploded bombs. Depleted Uranium in Iraq. International Olympic Committee.

Radio Havana Cuba QSL, January 2001.

• 16 January: 2152 UTC: 15400 kHz: BBC World Service Strong to fair reception. English to West / Central Africa via Ascension Island 'Newshour' followed by 'Focus On Faith': Islam revolution and reform. BBC World Service ID followed by News at 22 UTC.

February 2001: Short Wave

• 11 February: 1017 UTC: 15175 kHz: Radio New Zealand International Strong to good reception. English to Australasia, 'Sports World' Rugby: New Zealand Sevens, Cricket. Advert: Concert 'The Sound Of Scotland': Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. 'Sports World' Horse racing. To 1030 UTC.
• 18 February: 1056 UTC: 15175 kHz: Radio New Zealand International Strong to good reception. English to Australasia. News: 11 UTC, Baghdad air strikes.

Letter from BBC Atlantic, Ascension Island, 2001.

• 28 February: 2010 UTC: 15400 kHz: BBC World Service Strong to good reception. English to Africa via Ascension Island, BBC Atlantic Relay Station. 'Newshour' with Clive Marden. Twenty groups banned in the UK. New President in the Congo, who also receive aid from the United Nations. Also news from Uganda & Rwanda.
• 28 February: 2056 UTC: 15565 kHz: WYFR Family Radio Okeechobee FL USA 'Reading Service' with Alan Fair. Choral singing. Good reception. Ad for 'Mailbag' with Alan Fair and Karen Johnson on Saturdays. English to Africa. ID, frequencies, signature tune, 21 UTC: Hour begins with a reading: Mark 16, 14:16.
• 28 February: 2130 UTC: 15580 kHz: Voice of America 'News Now' News headlines: Iranian group supporters fundraising in USA stopped. Britain bans 21 militant groups. Pacific earthquake affects USA: Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington. President George W Bush tours the United States.

Voice of America logo.

• 28 February: 2209 UTC: 15590 kHz: KTBN Salt Lake City Utah USA Music at 2210 UTC. English to America 'Trinity Broadcasting Network' Fair reception. 'Praise The Lord' recorded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. On air to 2230 UTC.

Thank you for taking the time to enjoy the memories of these broadcasts, as transcribed from my logbooks of the time. I do hope you enjoy visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower!

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31 metres, August 2017

WELCOME to another collection of radio broadcast logs, here on Reporting From The Fox Tower.
The title of this post, 31 metres, refers to the 31 metreband on short wave radio, where you will find transmissions of 9000 kHz / 9 MHz onwards. 31 metres is also the length of each wave released on a 9 MHz frequency.

On to the logs of broadcasts received August 2017. Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz) and transmission powers in watts or KiloWatts (kW).
A log of broadcasts received on the Short Wave band of the Roberts R881, Wednesday 16 August 2017:

Snapshot of the Bible Voice Broadcasting website.

• 16 August: 1740 UTC: 9400 kHz: Bible Voice Broadcasting, Canada. Strong to moderate reception, 100 kW via Kostinbrod, Sofia (Bulgaria) [Spaceline]. Male speech, Persian, music. Female speech, email address, off air at 1759 UTC.
• 16 August: 1804 UTC: 9400 kHz: Overcomer Ministry, USA. Moderate to poor reception, 100 kW via Kostinbrod, Sofia (Bulgaria) [Spaceline]. Brother R G Stair, speech with music. To 1812 UTC.
• 16 August: 1813 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service, UK. Good to moderate reception, 250 kW via Al Dhabbaya, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. English to East and South Africa. Male speech, studio and on location, female speech with a report regarding trade deals that the United States has, looking at the deal the US has with Canada. Male speech, speaking of a writer? Noise disturbance. UK borders with Republic of Ireland after Brexit. To 1827 UTC.
• 16 August: 1905 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service, UK. Strong to moderate reception. English to East and South Africa via Al Dhabbaya, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 250 kW. Top of the hour news bulletin comes to an end with news from India, the feature programme is looking at the affairs of Eastern Africa. Focus moves to South Africa, with the impact of Manchester United Football Club expanding their brand into South Africa. Female reporter speaks to African women about how they feel about their safety, following some high profile crimes. How women use the internet in Africa. To 1935 UTC.
• 16 August: 1942 UTC: 9420 kHz: Voice of Greece [ERT / Helliniki Radiophonia], Greece. Strong to good reception, 170 kW via Avlis, Greece. [Best reception conditions of the night!] Continual music: Female vocalists. Male vocalist, male and female vocal group. Instrumental in the style of Jazz. Speech from a male, Greek, ID. To 1953 UTC.

• 16 August: 2016 UTC: 9440 kHz: China Radio International, China. Strong to moderate reception, English to Europe, Middle East, Africa via Kunming, China, 500 kW. China Radio International appears to have branched off into an audio 'soap' - Male, appears to be on a night out with 'Barbie / Miss Lee', he steps on her foot and she ends up in hospital, then in a taxi to go home... To 2024 UTC.
• 16 August: 2040 UTC: 9600 kHz: China Radio International, China. Strong to good reception, English to Europe, Middle East, Africa via Kashi, China, 500 kW. Narration of a literature; Narrator is named Ian [Sounds British]. This is a celebration of Chinese literature. Butcher Li Ang [with a West Country accent] deals with an agitated customer, who calls him a 'pig fucker'! The customer kills him... To 2049 UTC.
• 16 August: 2053 UTC: 9610 kHz: Radio Romania International, Romania. Strong to good reception, English to Europe, America via Tiganesti, Saftica, Romania, 300 kW. Tourists visiting the UNESCO heritage site in Romania, Moldovan Ministries and caves, tourists like to visit music festivals. Programme identifies as 'This is Romania'. Male has transmission details for Western Europe and North America. Also listen online. Email address. Close of broadcast at 2056 UTC; Interval signal. Transmitter off at 2057 UTC.
• 16 August: 2105 UTC: 9620 kHz: Voice of Turkey, Turkey. Strong to moderate reception, English to Asia, Australasia via Emirler, Turkey, 500 kW. Female speech, male speech, music. Female speech with frequencies, times, contact details, 'Questions of note'. Music: Male and female vocals. Female and male speech, speaking over the music. ID by male: "You have been listening to the Voice of Turkey English Service..." with details of forthcoming transmissions on short wave - Announcement made at 2122 UTC - Also listen online. Music. Off air at 2129 UTC.
• 16 August: 2141 UTC: 9730 kHz: Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam. Good to poor reception, English to Europe via Hanoi-Santay, 100 kW. Music, followed by female speech: "You are listening to the Voice of Vietnam". Result of an election: President celebrates victory. Other news: Ministers hold an emergency meeting. News update from Latin America. Speech from male and female - Speech from male includes details of programme schedules. Deterioration of signal. To 2150 UTC.

Voice of Vietnam QSL, April 1993.

That concludes the log of short wave broadcasts for August 2017. Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower and please feel free to leave any comments below this post!

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