JAPAN PREMIUM -Kanto DXers Circle weekly loggings- No.713 -Dec.25 2011-

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Compiled by IWATA Gaku.

JAPAN PREMIUM welcome your contributions.

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You can read "JAPAN PREMIUM Archive" at
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~VZ6G-IWT/jp.html

JP No,001(Apr,30 1998) - No,557(Dec,26 2008) was ziped.

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All time in UTC

===== ASIA =====

BHUTAN
5030.0, BBS, 1252-1406:16*, Dec 21. Had been off the
air from Dec 17 to 20; back again with similar format as heard on the 15th;
various music (EZL pop, indigenous music, etc.) and phone conversations
mostly with young girls; as Jim Young (Calif.) reported today: "Strange
audio sounds weakly in background during entire time period." Very
noticeable! I was unable to hear them on 6035; only PBS Yunnan there,
but Jim and others did report hearing 6035. Edited MP3 audio at
http://www.box.com/s/moh3dn3uoyoxxzqh5d6r . Suddenly went off the air.
[Howard]
5030.0, BBS, 1248 to tune out at 1355, Dec 22. Testing
their transmitter; mostly with reduced modulation (hum) and sporadically
testing with full modulation; some indigenous music; usual phone
conversations with young girls singing songs; at 1341, when they
played some indigenous music, found them clearly // 6035.05.
Yesterday Jim Young (Calif.) and some Japanese DXers could
hear the //, but I was unable to make it out until today; some CW
QRM. MP3 audio at  http://www.box.com/s/t9in5i2h3n33i78isenc .
[Howard]
5030.0, BBS, random listening from 1224 to 1428:38*,
Dec 23. Their best reception so far with good audio quality; in
vernacular with music (indigenous songs and EZL music); 1330
very distinctive assume Bhutanese bagpipe band. MP3 audio at
http://www.box.com/s/nf1ln2o184ovx4xjqhom  with bagpipes and
nice indigenous songs; 1224 confirmed // 6035.05. Very pleasant
listening!
[Howard]

JAPAN
3945, Japan, R. Nikkei 2, Chiba-Nagara. December, 24 0753-0804 male in Japanese talks, instrumental music, back male, soft music by female singer selections. No signal of Vanuatu, 22432
[LOB]

TAIWAN 
Radio Taiwan Intl  RTI  11710  2253 GMT  Chinese  333  Dec 18  Two OMs with comments plus a YL at times.   
[MacKenzie]

=== MIDDLE EAST ===

===== AFRICA =====

SOUTH AFRICA 
Channel Africa  7390  0453  French  333  Dec 19  Two OMs with comments.
[MacKenzie]

===== EUROPE =====

ALBANIA 
Radio Tirana  7425  0447 GMT  Albanian  333  Dec 19  YL with comments and Music.  OM with comments 0449 GMT  Two OMs with comments in English 0450 GMT. 
[Mackenzie]

VATICAN STATE 
Vatican Radio  7360  0455 GMT  French  333  Dec 19  YL with comments, Music 0457 GMT  OMs with comments 0458 GMT.  YL with comments in English 0500 GMT.
[MacKenzie]

=== NORTH AMERICA ===

=== CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA ===

BRAZIL
5055, Brasil, R. Difusora, Cáceres, Mato Grosso. December, 20 0801-0805 male in Portuguese religious talks "nas congregações da igreja. Mato Grosso", religious music. 34533,
[LOB]

BOLIVIA
4796, Bolivia, R. Lípez, Uyuni. December, 22 0749-0801 local folk music selections, male in Spanish talks. Signal pick at 0759, rated as 34423,
[LOB]

CHILE 
CVC  11665  1850 GMT  Spanish  333  Dec 20  YL and OM with comments.
[MacKenzie]

===== PACIFIC =====

AUSTRALIA
2368.5, R. Symban (presumed), 1439-1455, Dec 21.
Continues their expanded schedule; stronger than yesterday;
respectable signal if still 500 watts; Greek songs; short MP3 audio
of music at  http://www.box.com/s/ker3zjiukzuglbcj9rp9 .
[Howard]
2368.5, R. Symban (presumed), 1344-1415,
Dec 20. It was back in early August that they abbreviated
their schedule down to 1200*; was therefore surprised
yesterday and today to find them still on the air well past
1200 playing Greek music; poor reception, so perhaps
still at 500 watts (please see DXLD 11-35 and 11-42 for
details).
[Howard]

VANUATU
3945, R. Vanuatu, Port Vila. December, 20 0750-0800 male and female in an uncertain language. Poor but some slow and progressive enhancement, 25422
[LOB]

=== Site Unknown ===

=== CLANDESTINE ===

6135, Shiokaze/Sea Breeze/JSR via
Yamata. Randomly from 1345 to 1410, Dec 23. Special emergency
programming the result of the death of Kim Jong Il; unusual for two
reasons: was a non-English Friday (rare!) and played emergency
siren before ID. Fair with very light jamming; MP3 audio posted at
http://www.box.com/s/ar7xhpe5try77o4h5fpy .
[Howard]

==== PIRATE ====

==== Un-ID ====

==== LW / MW ====

===== QSL =====

===== ...and others =====

EMR - Radio Saxonia - Radio Gloria this Christmas day

Happy Christmas to all our Listeners from European Music Radio !

Dear Listeners,
MV Baltic Radio relay service is on the air this Sunday the 25th of December 2011

MVBR Schedule via 9480 KHz:
08.00 to 09.00 UTC  on  9480 KHz  -  EMR  (repeat from last Sunday)
09.00 to 10.00 UTC  on  9480 KHz  -  Radio Saxonia - radiosaxonia@web.de
10.00 to 11.00 UTC  on  9480 KHz  -  Radio Gloria    - radiogloria@aol.com
The last transmission from MVBR on 6140 KHz
10.00 to 11.00 UTC  on  6140 KHz  -  Radio Gloria    - radiogloria@aol.com


EMR Programmes via 9480 and 6140 KHz: 
08.00 to 08.20 Tom Taylor programme
09.20 to 09.00 Mike Taylor programme

EMR Internet repeats on Sunday and Monday
Programme repeats are at the following times:
08.00, 1400, 18:00,  21:00 utc

Please visit www.emr.org.uk and click on the "EMR internet radio" button
which you will find throughout the website (see the menu on the left).

Please send all EMR reception reports to: studio@emr.org.uk

Good Listening  73s Tom
[Taylor]

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NVIS Short Wave technology in Afghanistan
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/december2011/nvis_short_wave_technology_in_afghanist
an.htm

ISAF report that a Virginia National Guardsman has found a new use for Near Vertical
Incidence Skywave (NVIS) short wave radio in Afghanistan.

The song "video killed the radio star" was the first video played on MTV in 1981 and launched
a music revolution. Soldiers of the Virginia Army National Guard´s 116th Infantry Brigade
Combat Team are deploying technology in a revolutionary way in Afghanistan using a short
wave radio transmitter that can reach almost every radio in Zabul province.

This is the first time a province-wide transmitter has been used in Afghanistan. The
transmitter allows the Zabul provincial and district government to send messages to rural
Afghan homes.

"No other unit in the International Security Assistance Force has ever done this at any level,"
said Master Sgt. Joel E. Fix of Fort Belvoir, Va. speaking of the novel application of the
technology. "We have the ability to target the signal toward specific districts or the whole
province."

Radio and word of mouth are the primary means of spreading news and information in rural
Afghanistan. Listening to the radio - thousands of which were distributed by NATO-ISAF - is
a cultural norm for Afghans, many of whom follow both the BBC and Voice of America.

Fix, a 14-year veteran of the Guard on his third overseas deployment, came up with the
transmitter solution in response to a problem raised in discussions with Afghan officials: "How
could the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan communicate to their people in
remote areas?"

It was a particularly timely dilemma. As GIRoA expanded its influence into every district,
GIRoA´s continued legitimacy rested on the ability to reliably reach and involve ordinary
Afghans in their parliamentary democracy. Specifically, the district governors of Mizan and
Day Chopan in Zabul province each wanted to invite the elders of their districts to grand
shuras in September 2011.

Day Chopan has the highest elevations of Zabul province with deep valleys unreceptive to
radio signals.

The 116th "Stonewall Brigade", in partnership with Romanian troops and Soldiers of the
Alaska-based 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, all members of Combined Team Zabul,
came together to brainstorm a solution. Traditional options raised by CTZ such as leaflet
drops, broadcasting radio transmissions from aircraft and even flying aircraft with
loudspeakers attached were all denied.

"The government was looking for ways to communicate with people on a greater scale, but
there were gaps in the coverage. Short wave radio is the solution we came up with," said Fix.

Short wave radio is known in the U.S. as ham radio which allows two way communications.
The Zabul transmitter is one way. Most radios used by Afghans are receive-only.

"I was soliciting for bids for a transmitter and was referred to Don Butler to assist with the
project," said Maj. William R. O´Neal a Smithfield, Va. native with the 116th.

Butler, an Air Force veteran from the `60´s, is a ham radio enthusiast from Gun Barrel City,
Texas who provided design help for the transmitter. Butler´s call sign is N4UJW.

"Ham radio is two way communications over short wave. Our transmitter is one way," said
Fix. "With this configuration, no matter where they are, there´s no reason the Afghan´s can´t
get a signal. The frequency is close to but not the same as the one for the BBC. That makes
it easy to find and remember," he added.

The transmitter owes its success to a technique called NVIS - Near Vertical Incidence
Skywave - which involves bouncing radio signals off the ionosphere - a layer of the
atmosphere. Two NVIS antennas are placed horizontal to the ground unlike a traditional
vertical transmitter. The second part of the NVIS antenna is called a ground wire and helps to
boost the signal by forcing it to go straight up instead of outward and limited by the curve of
the earth.

"In a traditional short wave broadcast, you get your antennas up as high as you can go," said
Fix. "It bounces off the F2 layer of the ionosphere but gives you limited coverage with `skip
points´. Using NVIS and our reflector wire, the signal goes up at a very steep angle and
straight back down which can penetrate deeper into mountain valleys. When we were looking
at this system, it was a no brainer," he added.

The transmitter is operated and maintained by coalition forces including the U.S. and
Romanian soldiers and broadcasts content from the local government. At first glance it
doesn´t seem very impressive: two antennas, the ever-useful 550 cord, and some wire that
feeds into a box with one port and an on/off switch.

"Our goal is to transfer the transmitter to the provincial government as part of the transition,"
said O´Neal.

Unlike some new technologies developed and used as part of Operation Enduring Freedom,
this transmitter is inexpensive and effective.

"It has resulted in a savings of around 3,100%," said Fix. "It would take 30-32 FM systems to
cover the same area.



Source: Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
http://www.isaf.nato.int/article/news/video-killed-the-radio-star-virginia
-national-guardsman-finds-new-use-for-old-radio-technology-in.html
[Liangas]

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Many thanks!
This week's Contributors are:

Michael Bethge, Germany.
LOB - Lúcio Otávio Bobrowiec, Brazil.
Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany.
Yimber Gaviria, Colombia.
Alokesh Gupta, India.
Ron Howard, USA.
IWATA Gaku, Japan.
Zacharias Liangas, Greece.
Stewart MacKenzie, USA.
Tom Taylor, UK.
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Radio Heritage Foundation
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Also thanks to

BC-DX / GERMANY.
CONEXION Digital / ARGENTINE.
CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH / GERMANY.
CUMBRE DX / U.S.A.
DX INDIA / INDIA.
HCDX / FINLAND.
radioascolto.org / ITALY.
RUS-DX / RUSSIA.
WWDXC / GERMANY.

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Next deadline : Dec.31
Please send your loggings and tips to: gaku@apple.email.ne.jp
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///// Ohkini! from Kanto DXers Circle /////

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IWATA Gaku. JAPAN.
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~vz6g-iwt/
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