| |
CX2SA > SWL 17.03.05 06:19l 119 Lines 5659 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 23947-CX2SA
Read: GUEST DK5RAS
Subj: DX LISTENING DIG. 5-046 13/18
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0EA<DB0RES<ON0AR<7M3TJZ<EA5RKV<EA5AKC<CX2SA
Sent: 050317/0504Z @:CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA #:23947 [Minas] FBB7.00e $:23947-CX2SA
From: CX2SA@CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA
To : SWL@WW
** VATICAN. VR has extended it daily 20-minute [English] programme to
30 minutes. Reception in my area is good 2050-2120 on 4005, 5885,
7250. On 12 Feb featured anniversary of the 1929 first transmissions
from Vatican City with the first greetings of Pope Pius XI and Marconi
in the 20[sic]-minute report; also, interview with Marconi`s daughter
Princess Elettra on her memories of her father setting up the station
(Jonathan Murphy, Ireland, via Paul Youngs, Making Contact, march
World DX Club Contact via DXLD)
** VENEZUELA [non]. Previous report in 5-044 about RNV via Cuba being
cut back to Sundays only, except at 2300 UT on 13680, was, as I
suspected, incorrect. Tuesday March 15 after 2000, RNV was heard as
usual on 13680 and 9550 in synch, tho inaudible on the other two
frequencies perhaps due to high local computer noise level. As has
been the case for months, the 1900 broadcast on 13740 is still MIA
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ZIMBABWE [non]. (Clandestine), SW Radio Africa, 11845, received an
e-mail, "to say thank you very much for your reception report," from
Gerry Jackson, Station Manager Gerry @ swradioafrica.com indicating
their technicians would send me a formal confirmation. Notes that she
is: "Very pleased to hear that we're available in California. It's our
poor Zimbabwean listeners who are having a terrible time hearing us -
and we're moving frequencies constantly to try to overcome the
jamming." In less than 2 days, for an e-mailed report (Ron Howard,
Monterey, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Additional frequency for SW Radio Africa in English to Zimbabwe: 1600-
1700 on 11845 (55544), tent. via ASC \\ 6145 via MEY 100 kW / 005 deg
(Observer, Bulgaria, March 15 via DXLD)
They've added the missing frequency for 1700-1900 UT. From website:
We had Plan B but now we're already on to plan D! We are trying
something new. We will be on a different frequency for each of the
three hours this evening. We know this is complicated, please bear
with us. This jamming is a serious problem.
1800-1900 11845 kHz (unchanged)
1900-2000 11705 kHz
2000-2100 11995 kHz
All in 25 metre band Zimbabwe time [so 1600-1900 UT!]
We're broadcasting on 3 frequencies. If you can pass this on to family
and friends back home, that would be great.
Don't forget medium wave and shortwave broadcasts in the morning.
5 - 7 am Zim time Medium wave on 1197 Khz, Morning shortwave on 3230
in the 90 metre band (via Andy Sennitt, March 15, dxldyg via DXLD)
Checking 15 Mar.: 11845 at 1623 decent signal
11705 at 1723 mostly covered by Radio Farda, some fade-ups of R SW
Africa audible. Noted about 1000 Hz interfering signal.
11995 switched from 11705 at 1800, Good signal but the 1000 Hz signal
appeared also here shortly. 73 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland,
ibid.)
Like Jari, I also heard SW Radio Africa last night (15 March) for the
1800-1900 period on 11995. The signal was good, but as Jari says,
there was a 1 kHz tone on the channel. (It was NOT a 1 kHz het.)
The SW Radio Africa audio was cut at exactly 30 seconds before 1900,
a longstanding BBC procedure that these days is a "giveaway" that the
transmitter or the feed is in the hands of VT Merlin.
Ref. the possible Chinese and/or Iranian connections. One shouldn't
assume that the jamming would have to sound like existing Chinese or
Iranian jamming. These countries might just have supplied the
transmitters, leaving the Zimbabweans to decide what audio to put on
them.
A year or so ago there was a lot of publicity in the Zimbabwean press
about Iranian support for the ZBC. An Iranian delegation visited
Zimbabwe and met Zimbabwean ministers and senior officials. The
word "jamming" did cross my mind even then (Chris Greenway, Kenya?,
March 16, dxldyg via DXLD)
SW Radio Africa is being effectively jammed on the following
frequencies and times:
3230 0300-0500 UT
3230 1600-1900 UT
6145 1600-1900 UT
11845 1600-1700 UT, jamming heard from 1630.
This is not localised jamming, but is a pair of high powered jamming
transmitters located, very likely at ZBC Gweru facilities in Zimbabwe.
I have been actively monitoring these and other new test frequencies
provided to SWRA by Sentech et al. 1197 MW 0300-0500 UT heard well in
Zimbabwe, no jamming signal present (David Pringle-Wood, Harare, March
15, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
It would be interesting to know what kind of jamming signal they are
using. As I wrote earlier, I noted about 1000 Hz tone on two of the SW
R Africa frequencies in the 25 meterband. Just wonder if this was a
jamming signal or something else (Jari Savolainen, Finland, dxldyg via
DXLD)
On 14 March the Zimbabwean newspaper The Daily News reported: "Sources
in Zimbabwe have confirmed that the government has installed jamming
equipment at Thornhill air base to interfere with radio signals. The
equipment, which was imported from China, has however failed to jam
signals from the Voice of America transmitters situated in
neighbouring Botswana, where the popular Studio Seven signal is beamed
to Zimbabwe." (BBC Monitoring via DXLD)
The Daily News of Harare claims the jammers are installed at Thornhill
Airbase. Maybe David can tell us how far that is away from Harare.
That report says the jammers are from China, but South Africa's
Business Day suggests they may have been installed by the Iranians.
Perhaps one of you jamming experts can tell from the sound of the
jammers which is more likely (Andy Sennitt, March 16, dxldyg via DXLD)
Info about Gweru-Thornhill Air Base can be found at
http://www.scramble.nl/mil/1/afz/orbat.htm
Click "Order of Battle" 73, (Jari Savolainen, ibid.)
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
