Chrissy Brand looks at some of the latest news and programmes across the broadcast bands. She also touches base with an enthusiastic DX club in India and shares a reader's memories of the Voice of Vietnam.

 

 

The summer continues apace and there has been much of interest to hear on the broadcast bands, from specialist short wave broadcasts such as a broadcast to Antarctica to the gentler options on offer like Japanese haiku. I've always been a fan of NHK (Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), Radio Japan's informative broadcasts. It may have escaped your notice that there is a regular programme dedicated to haiku (these are three-line poems, where the first and last lines have five syllables and the middle line has seven).

You can tune to NHK Radio Japan in Europe on 5975, 9860 and 11970kHz at 0500 UTC for a daily thirty-minute broadcast (Fig. 1). The Japan Through Haiku programme is aired on the first Thursday of the month and makes for a serene start to the day. The June edition covered haiku about midsummer and Japanese green plums (aoume) that are used for pickled plums, an alcoholic drink or syrup. The July edition included poems sent in by listeners, with some on the subject of hirune (a midday nap). If you miss it on the air, then you can always catch up online.

www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/radio/haiku

The annual BBC World Service broadcast to Antarctica, on what is Midwinter's Day there, took place on June 21st at 2130 UTC. It aired on 5985, 7360 and 9890kHz. Singer and broadcaster Cerys Matthews introduced the programme for the 38 people living there with the words "This is the BBC World Service in London calling Antarctica."

With her in the studio were British Antarctic Survey marine biologist, Terri Souster, and mechanic Jonny Yates. They had worked at the bases and spoke about the festivities, which take place each Midwinter. There were music requests, audio contributions from family members and brief messages from famous names including Brian Eno, Tim Peake and Lorraine Kelly; all in all, this was an almost ‘surreal’ broadcast.

The BBC World Service preview stated, "In each of the stations, base commanders rise early to cook breakfast for their staff and presents are exchanged. There are sports and, weather permitting, even a naked streak in the snow. Penguin warning: avert your eyes. After the feasting, staff will gather around a short wave set to listen to the broadcast."

If you missed this thirty-minute transmission, catch up on the BBC i-Player.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06blwrc

 

Readers' Reports

Graham Smith noticed that World Harvest Radio, once one of the major broadcasters on the short waves, is not so prevalent nowadays. The broadcast on 5920kHz used to carry Rick Wiles with Trunews at 0100 UTC and the Harvest Show at about 0300 UTC. Now, however, Trunews has its own radio network, and the Harvest Show has finished. World Harvest Radio is down to just one hour, between 0000 and 0100 UTC, on 5920kHz.

Lionel Clyne heard IBC Radio at 1920 UTC on 6070kHz, broadcasting in Italian from Rohrbach Waal with a SINPO of 45333. He stated that it was one of the rare times that he has been able to pick up a station broadcasting at 25kW. He also enjoyed some delightful Greek music from Helliniki Radiophonia at 1838 UTC on 9420kHz.

Tony Stickells has been struggling to hear some parts of the band, due to RFI from a neighbour. This wiped out everything from DC to about 4MHz and it affected his medium wave DXing too.

However, he still totted up an incredible total of almost 900 short wave logs in June.

South America was coming in quite well with local stations using minimal power. However, at times these were very clear. From Camboriú in the Brazilian state of Santa Caterina, he heard religious station Radio Paz No Vale on 5939.8kHz at 0032 UTC. Tony pulled in some interesting stations from Africa as well, with Radio Deegaanka Soomaalida on 5940kHz from Jijiga in Somalia, broadcasting in Somali at 1915 UTC.

Also, in the 49-metre band, on 5950kHz at 0315 UTC, Dimtsi Woyane Tigray, from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, was airing in the language of Tigrinya.

Closer to home, World Music Radio from Karup in Denmark is a regular signal on 5840kHz, which Tony heard at a little after 0030 UTC. If you haven't tuned in yet, I urge you to do so (Fig. 2). The station's playlist contains over 650 tropical world music tracks from countries like Angola to Bolivia and well beyond them. Among the many artists to be heard are Sofia Reyes, Claire Angel, Buju Banton, Katamanto Highlife Orchestra and La Mamba Negra.

At 0030 UTC, just along the band on 5850kHz, Radio Slovakia International was picked up from WRMI in Florida. Amongst the less frequently logged stations were Myanmar Radio in Burmese on 5985kHz at 2308 UTC and Adygeyan Radio from Krasnodar in Russia, broadcasting in Adygeyan on 6000kHz at 1804 UTC.

On 7270kHz at 0507 UTC, Tony picked up Dandal Kura Radio in Kanuri, transmitting from Issoudun in France. This station aims to bring peace and prosperity to the people of northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. The station states that the local population, "have gone through one of the most complicated insurgencies in history. Our line-up of programmes includes entrepreneurship, counselling, human rights, listener feedback, health and reconnection which are pillars to the recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts of the government and of humanitarian organizations."

Tony also enjoyed some time monitoring FM during the Sporadic E season (See the DXTV section in this issue).

I too was delighted with some of my FM catches in June, two Algerian stations in particular; Radio Batna (also known as Batna FM) on 88.1MHz and Chaîne 3 on 87.6MHz.

 

Voice of Vietnam

The pace of life in the 21st Century is hectic. We are constantly bombarded with news, views, dozens of musical genres and lifestyle opportunities. This comes via radio as well as in all forms of social media. It can result in forgetting radio's heritage, a past that has shaped so much of where the medium is today.

In this context, I was pleased to hear from RadioUser reader Albert Ford. He was prompted to write after reading my musings on the magic of short wave (RadioUser, July 2018: 40-44). I included a vintage pennant from The Voice of Vietnam and its current schedule. Albert logged The Voice of Vietnam throughout June. Thanks to his archive, he recalled writing to them many years ago. On 15th July 1988, he logged them on or around the unusual frequency of 15008kHz (the station's official frequency for that time was 15010kHz) from 1903 to 1930 UTC with a SINPO of 44333. However, he did not receive a reply to his reception report.

However, a report for 14th May 1990 was more successful. Albert heard the station on 15010kHz from 1914 to 1930 UTC with an all-4 SINPO. He received a QSL card, broadcast schedule and paper pennant. Later that year, for a reception report of a broadcast heard on 19th December 1990, he received New Year greetings and a 1991 pocket calendar card (Figs. 3 and 4). Albert concluded that he had not checked his logbook for other notes but was pleased to know they are still on short wave. Perhaps he will soon have occasion to write in again.

The Voice of Vietnam began just after the end of World War II, in September 1945, with President Ho Chi Minh reading out the Declaration of Independence. I raise a toast to the fact that the Voice of Vietnam is still thriving and airs a good range of news, music and cultural programmes.

One of the many features I have enjoyed this summer was on the work of Du Thu Trang. As the station put it, "She is very familiar to Vietnamese people residing in France, through various cultural and art programs. She is the driving force behind the themed stamps depicting Vietnam's seas and islands, published by the French Post. The stamps help to promote Vietnam, its land and people to international friends."

The weekly Letterbox programme airs views and covers all kinds of miscellany about the country. For example, information on weather can be fascinating, when concerning a climate that is very different to your own. The monsoon season arrived in June and, "From July to September, large waves, which can be two to four metres high, are forecast to occur in waters off central and southern provinces, due to impacts of the southwest monsoon, while coastal northern provinces must also watch out for large waves from the northeast monsoon. This year will see about 13 storms and tropical depressions in the East Sea, with five storms forecast to directly affect Vietnam’s mainland."

I strongly encourage listeners to contact the station. Broadcasters like to hear from you and need to know and prove to the ‘bean-counters’ at their stations how they are making an impact in the world. Hence, an insufficient amount of correspondence from an audience may well lead to cuts in a station's services.

http://vovworld.vn

 

Ardic DX Club

The Ardic DX Club is based in India, and part of its mission is to create public awareness of short wave radio listening. Since 1999, it has published a regular Club Bulletin and other guides with tips and news. Monthly meetings are organised by President Jaisakthivel and Arun Kumar Narasimhan, an ardent short-wave radio listener (Fig. 5).

Some of the issues discussed in a recent meeting included the closure of short wave services including the BBC Tamil Service's ending short wave last year and Radio Veritas' closure of its short-wave service in June. On a more positive note, topics discussed were how to bring more youngsters into the DX hobby and the exchange of QSL cards.

The Ardic DX Club also has some useful materials, which can serve as an introduction to DXing. When you are next asked by friends who don't really understand why you spend so much time hunched over a bank of receivers in your radio shack, these words might come in handy: "As radio stations across the world broadcast programmes, one would get to learn about the various cultures and traditions followed in those countries. Language lessons (as heard on China Radio International and NHK Japan) provide an opportunity to learn a language free of cost. Radio stations in foreign countries also air good music of their country, this will give us an opportunity to get to know about music in other countries. Some radio stations provide QSL cards to listeners who write reception reports. There are QSL card collectors, and this is also helpful for philatelists as you can get the QSL card with stamps."

 

Log Contributors

GS = Graham Smith, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Sony ICF-SW600 and a telescopic antenna.

LC = Lionel Clyne, Faversham, Kent. Lowe HF-150, random wire or homemade loop.

OR - Owen Rutherford, London. Lowe HF-150 and a Wellbrook loop.

TS = Tony Stickells, Wrexham. SDRplay RSP2, AOR AR7030 and a 500ft long wire.

 

[Reading suggestion: Kern, A.L. (2018) The Penguin Book of Haiku – Ed.]

 

 

Short Wave Logs

 

UTC	kHz	Station and location	Language	SINPO	Initials
0031	5840	World Music Radio, Denmark	English	35444	TS
0032	5850	Radio Slovakia International (via WRMI)	English	35433	TS
0036	5040	Radio Habana, Cuba	English	35223	TS
0043	7290	IRRS (United Nations Radio), Săftica, Romania	English	55444	TS
0113	6070	CFRX (CFRB), Toronto, Canada	English	35333	TS
0136	9395	Radio Argentina Exterior via WRMI	English	45444	TS
0146	6050	HCJB Quito, Ecuador	Spanish	33223	TS
0208	9395	Radio Tirana via WRMI	English	35434	TS
0412	6145	Channel Africa, Meyerton, South Africa	English	35323	TS
0512	9860	NHK Radio Japan, Santa Maria, Vatican	English	55555	TS
0519	5975	NHK Radio Japan. Moosbrunn, Austria	English	55545	TS
0523	6155	Radio Austria International	German	45454	TS
0535	9700	Radio Romania International	English	45534	TS
1037	6085	Radio Mi Amigo, Kall-Krekel, Germany	English	45233	TS
1111	6005	Radio Slovakia International, Kall-Krekel, Germany	English	35233	TS
1112	6070	From the Isle of Music, Rohrbach Waal, Germany	English	35333	TS
1139	11905	Reach Beyond Australia	Indonesian	35313	TS
1411	9630	KBS World Radio, Kimjae, South Korea	English	35223	TS
1514	9515	KBS World Radio, Kimjae, South Korea	English	35323	TS
1520	15159	Radio Tamuzug, Talata-Volonondry	Sudanese Arabic	44233	LC
1525	12160	TWR India, Kishinev Grigoripol	Punjabi	45333	LC
1537	12085	Voice of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar	Japanese	44233	LC
1612	15245	Voice of Korea, Kujang, North Korea	French	45233	LC
1617	9730	Voice of Vietnam	English	43553	TS
1625	15105	TWR Africa, Manzini	Kirundi	44233	LC
1640	11910	Voice of America, Meyerton, South Africa	English	35423	TS
1747	12120	Radio Pilipinas, Tinang, Philippines	English	35555	TS
1753	6030	Radio Oromiya, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Oromo	35333	TS
1805	6065	Voice of Hope Africa, Lusaka, Zambia	English	33333	TS
1805	11735	Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation, Dole	English	44334	TS
1810	9400	End Times Coming Radio, Bulgaria	English	35534	TS
1825	9810	Bible Voice, Moosbrunn, Austria	English	54233	LC
1838	9420	Helliniki Radiophonia, Aviss, Greece	Greek	54444	LC
1845	13580	Radio Bangladesh Betar	English	45544	TS
1910	6185	Radio Taiwan International, Woofferton, UK	German	55555	LC
1911	9755	KNLS New Life, Madagascar	Russian	45444	TS
1913	9875	Voice of Korea, Kujang, North Korea // 11635	English	23233	OR, TS
1914	9920	Radio Thailand	English	35434	TS
1915	6080	Voice of America	English	35544	GS
1920	7255	Voice of Nigeria	English	42533	TS
1920	6070	IBC Radio, Rohrbach Waal	Italian	45333	LC
1924	7550	All India Radio	English	45444	TS
1926	6165	KBS World, South Korea, Woofferton, UK	French	55455	LC
1945	7210	Voice of Korea, Kujang, North Korea	English	42333	TS
1946	9800	IRIB WS, Sirjan, Iran // 9810	English	35333	TS
2000	7360	Vatican Radio // 9705	English	45344	OR, TS
2017	6195	Voice of America, Botswana	English	44344	TS
2034	9620	Voice of Turkey	English	44333	TS
2041	7220	Voice of Vietnam, Hanoi	English	42333	TS
2052	6170	Radio Romania International	English	55545	TS
2109	13840	Radio New Zealand International	English	35223	TS
2115	5930	Radio Koran, Algeria	Arabic	55555	GS
2116	6040.7	Radio RB2, Curitiba, Brazil	Portuguese	25233	TS
2210	7315	Radio Romania International // 7325	English	55555	OR, TS
2214	9780	PBS Qinghai, Xian, China	Chinese	35223	TS
2216	6060	Sichuan RGD Xinwen Guangbo, Chengdu, China	Chinese	35333	TS
2217	9830	TRT Voice of Turkey	English	45544	TS
2337	6134.8	Radio Santa Cruz, Bolivia	Spanish	33333	TS

 

 

This article was featured in the September 2018 issue of Radio User