Bulgaria: DX Program June 17, 2011

On the programme:

- Shortwave radio transmitter sites worldwide

- Radio calendar

- Broadcast tips

- DX Mix by Ivo Ivanov

For the sake of shortwave radio dissemination, there are a large number of radio transmitter sites (complexes) all around the globe. Some of them are equipped with many transmitters and antennas which are used by various radio organizations. The rest, which have fewer facilities, serve for the radio dissemination of separate countries. Taking a look at the location of the big radio transmitter sites, it becomes clear that the majority of them are positioned in the torrid zone. The engineers and builders of radio facilities would know that the transmitter sites at such locations can cover vast territories. What is more, most of the countries at or close to the equator do not have their own international radio stations, but would rather rent areas where transmitter sites are built. Transmitter sites are found in countries like Singapore, Sao Tome, etc. For political and other reasons, radio dissemination organizations avoid building transmitters and antennas in equatorial countries such as Angola, Nigeria, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.

Let us see which transmitter sites are positioned closest to the equator. Ecuador, which is envisaged to be built in Pichincha, is only some 10 minutes southern latitude from the equator. The operating site of the Voice of America in Pinheira, Sao Tome is 18 minutes northern latitude. In the past, the BBC possessed transmitter sites (used by the BBC and other radio stations) in Ascension, Singapore and the Seychelles, which were respectively 8,1 and 5 degrees from the equator. In comparison, the transmitter sites in the UK are located between 51 and 55 degrees northern latitude. At only 2 degrees from the equator, there are international transmitter sites in Moyabi, Gabon and in Kigali, Rwanda. The French transmitter site in Montsinery, French Guiana is 5 degrees from the equator. The sites of one of the most important countries in radio dissemination, Sri Lanka, are located between 7 and 9 degrees, together with the shortwave transmitter sites in Iranawila, Ekala and Trincomalee.

We continue with the transmitter sites located furthest from the equator. The sites of the Scandinavian Weekend Radio are at 62 degrees to the north near the town of Virrat, Finland. A big transmitter site near St. Petersburg is at 60 degrees, along with two transmitters of Radio KNLS in Anchor Point, Alaska. To the south, there are transmitter facilities near the capitals of Argentina and Chile located at 34 degrees southern latitude.

In longitude, the transmitter sites in Skelton and Rampisham, the UK, are the closest to Greenwich. Other places suitable for radio transmission are some oceanic islands like Guam, Saipan and Tinian in the Pacific Ocean located between 13 and 15 degrees. Broadcasts from such locations can cover vast spaces and can be heard at great distance.

Radio calendar

On 1 June 1930, Bulgaria's Rodno Radio (Home Radio) started broadcasting from Sofia at 319 meters in the medium wave band, and later at 352 meters. On 6 June 1936, the authorities shut down Rodno Radio Varna (Varna Home Radio) in the city of Varna.

Broadcast tips:

ZAMBIA: Two radio stations, Christian Voice and One Africa, were heard with the same programme in English after 18.00 hours on 4965 and 13590 KHz.

EGYPT: Radio Cairo was received with programmes in English at 23.00 hours on 6270 KHz and at 12.30 hours on 17870 KHz with a very high carrier frequency and low audio.

RUSSIA: Radio Voice of Russia, English language World Service was heard in Sofia at 18.30hours on 4975 KHz via a transmitter located in Tajikistan and on 12040 KHz via a transmitter in Moscow.

UNITED KINGDOM: the BBC World Service in English was received at 11.05 h on 15575 KHz from a Cyprus site, on 17760 from Thailand, on 17790 from Oman and on 21470 KHz from the Seychelles.

CAUCASUS: Radio Republic Abkhazia or Apsua Radio has been reactivated on short waves once again. It can often be heard at 08.00 hours on 9535 KHz with news in Russian.

USA: Radio Voice of America in English was heard between14.00 and 15.00 hours on the following frequencies: 7540 and 12150 from the Philippines; 7575 from Thailand; 15580 and12080 KHz from Sao Tome and on 17545 KHz probably from Botswana .

Compiled by Rumen Pankov

DX MIX

All hours are in Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), all frequencies in kHz.

USA: We kick off with the summer schedule of WEWN Global Catholic Radio via three250 KW transmitters in Birmingham:

-in English

0000-1000 on 11520 and 2000-2200 on 15610 / 85 degrees for West Africa

1000-1200 on 9390 and 1200-1400 on 13580 / 355 degrees for Southeast Asia

1400-2000 on 15610 and 2200-2400 on 15610 / 40 degrees for the Middle East

-in Spanish for South America, azimuth 155 degrees

0000-1000 on 11870; 1000-1700 on 12050 and 1700-2400 on 13830

-in Spanish for Central America, azimuth 220 degrees

0000-0500 on 5810; 0500-1300 on 7555; 1300-1800 on 11550 and 1800-2400 on 12050

Belgium: We continue with the changes made by TDP stations:

-Since June 1 Miraya FM Radio for Sudan in Arabic and English works via TDP and transmitters in Nikolaev, instead of via NEXUS/IRRS transmitter in Rimavska Sobota

0300-0600, new frequency 11560 Nikolaev 250 KW / 180 degrees, instead of 9670

1400-1700 on 15710 Nikolaev 100 KW / 180 degrees

-As of 25 May, Gunaz Radio in Azeri for Central Asia works:

1430-1730, instead of 1430-1930 on 7610 Nikolaev 250 KW / 130 degrees

As of 29 May, Denge Mezopotamya in Kurdish for West Asia works:

1800-2000 on a new frequency of 11530 Nikolaev 300 KW / 129 degrees, instead of 7540

Voice of Asena in Tigrinya for East Asia is on 15360 Samara 250 KW / 188 degrees

1700-1800, Mondays

1700-1800, the station does not have broadcasts on Wednesdays

1730-1800, instead of 1700-1800 Fridays

Germany: Here are the new emissions of Bible Voice Broadcasting Network (BVBN) -Ngoma Radio via Media Broadcast. The programmes are in Luganda and are broadcast:

1700-1800 on Saturday on 15235 and 1900-2000 on Saturday on 11750; both are broadcast via Issoudun 250 KW / 141 degrees for East Africa-Uganda.

Moldova: Coming up next a frequency change made by Radio Xoriyo Ogadenia in Somali

1530-1600 Mondays and Fridays; the new frequency is 17590 Grigoriopol 300 KW / 160degrees for East Africa. The previous one was 15540

The UK: The BBC has made a frequency change in Hindi:

1400-1500; the new frequency is 9395 Nakhon Sawan 250 KW / 275 degrees, instead of9685

Here are the frequency changes made by Radio Australia via BABCOCK transmitters in AlDhabayya, 250 KW for Southeast Asia:

2200-2330 in Indonesian, the new frequency is 7340 / 105 degrees. The previous one was9695

2200-2400 in English, the new frequency is 9855 / 90 degrees. The old one was 9590

Guam: We continue with frequency changes made by stations broadcasting from Guam

KSDA / AWR in Telugu for South Asia

1500-1530 , the new frequency is 11640 Agat 100 KW / 270 degrees. The old frequency was 9530.

KTWR in Mandarin Chinese for South Asia

1200-1215, the new frequency is 11800 Agana 100 KW / 308 degrees, instead of 9975

Iran: There is also a frequency change made by The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Italian:

1930-1957, the new frequency is 9685 Kamalabad 500 KW / 289 degrees for SoutheasternEurope. The old frequency was 7350. The change has resulted from strong interference from China Radio International in French; the parallel frequency is 5910.