Radio Algerienne Internationale -- Radio Holy Qur'an

Radio Algerienne Internationale -- Holy Qur'an, transmitting from Issoudun, France, was monitored on 28 August 2011 from 18.40 to 19.58 UTC (normal broadcast time is 18:00 to 19:58 UTC) on 13.820 kHz. Signal (SINPO) at 18.40 UTC signal was 35323 -- fair reception degraded by atmospheric disturbance and fading, otherwise speech was clear and discernible. At 19.00 UTC reception worsened to 15211 due to increased QRN.

Programming in Arabic consisted of Quran recitation, nashid (Islamic religious songs) and tafsir (Quranic analysis and interpretation). 

Reception report was submitted by post and emailed from online site. Verification card is pending verification from RAI.

Address:
Radio Algerienne Internationale
Radio Coran
21 Boulevard des Martyrs
1600 Algiers, Algeria

Email:
technique@algerian-radio.dz

Website:
www.radioalgerie.dz

Bible Voice Broadcasting (Issoudun, France)

Bible Voice Broadcasting, transmitting from Issoudun, France, was monitored on 26 August 2011 from 17.05 to 18.00 UTC (normal broadcast time 16.30 to 18.00 UTC) on 13.810 kHz, broadcasting in Amharic to East Africa. Signal (SINPO) at 17.05 UTC was 24412 -- despite weak reception and fading, speech was relatively clear. At 17.45 UTC severe QRN and weakened signal strength degraded reception to 14111.

A reception report was submitted by email and post. I am under the impression email correspondence is not entirely welcome. QSL card was received in the mail on 27 September 2011.



Address:
Bible Voice Broadcasting
P.O. Box 425, Station E
Tornoto, Ontario
Canada M6H 4E3


Email:
mail@biblevoice.org


Website:
www.biblevoice.org/

Radio Free Asia -- Tinian Island

Radio Free Asia, transmitting from Tinian, North Mariana Islands, was heard broadcasting in Korean on 26 August 2011 from 16.00 to 17.00 UTC (regular transmission time 15:00 to 17:00 UTC) on  7.455 kHz. Signal (SINPO) was 44544 -- despite some modulation, speech was strong and clear.

While RFA this is not a new station to DX, their transmitter location in the Pacific Ocean is new and unique to me.  I am looking forward to a QSL card from the reception report that was sent from their on-line web page. QSL was received on 20 October 2011.

Website:
www.rfa.org/english/

Voice of Nigeria (VON)

QSL card

Voice of Nigeria (VON), finally, sent a QSL card verifying a reception report that was submitted in February 2011. You can find images of both sides of the card on my 5th November 2010 blog posting, when I  initially contacted VON regarding a previous reception report, and for which no reply was ever acknowledged. In any event, along with this fabulous QSL card (which, by the way, reminds me of the animated characters in  either Monty Python's Fly Circus or the Beatles movie, The Yellow Submarine), a programme schedule and VON sticker arrived in the mail, today. Yippie!!!

VON sticker

Radio Afghanistan

This follow-up email, promising a QSL, was sent on 24 Oct 2011

Radio Afghanistan (Radio Television Afghanistan) in Kabul was received on 15 August 2011 from 15.30 to 16.00 UTC on 6.102 kHz  Actually the frequency varied with my receivers. On the Sangean ATS909W, signal was received best on 6.104 kHz; on the Grundig Satellit 500 reception was heard well on 6.101.9 kHz; and on the Tecsun S-2000 the signal was best on 6.103 kHz. Overall signal rating (SINPO) was 22322. While speech was clear and loud at times, severe fading and some interference from an adjacent station -- suspect Radio Rossii -- downgraded the quality of the transmission.

English language programming consisted mostly of News for Afghanistan and the region, interspresed with a couple of local pop songs. Programming in Dari or Pashto followed at 16.00 UTC.

Reception report was submitted by email and post with 1 International Reply Coupon. Verification is pending reply from RTA.

POSTSCRIPT 17 AUGUST 2011
I received the following email from the Director General of Radio Afghanistan a few days later after emailing my reception report: 

"Hi Mr. M. Breyel. Thank you so much to give us the good news. It is our pleasure. I hope you will always be in contact. My name is Abdul Ghaney Mudaqiq (Director General of Radio Afghanistan.) If you have any comments regarding our Radio, please send your comments to my email. 

Best regards, Abdul Ghaney Mudaqiq" 

RECORDED ON 15 AUGUST 2011 USING GRUNDIG SATELLIT 500

Radio Afghanistan Headquarters

Address:

Radio Television Afghanistan

P.O. Box 544

Central Post Office

Kabul, Afghanistan

Website: 

www.rta.org.af/

Radio France International (Montsinery, French Guiana)

Radio France International, broadcasting from its transmitter relay site in Montsinery, French Guiana was heard on 14 August 2011 from 19.00 to 19.50 UTC (normal broadcast time is 17:00 to 22:00 UTC) on 21.690 kHz. Signal (SINPO) at 19.00 UTC was 25332 -- weak reception but speech was clearly heard. By 19.45 UTC signal worsened to 15221 due to increased QRN.

Programming was entirely in the French language and entailed a largely news format. Great news coverage if one speaks French!

Reception report was submitted by post and email. This eQSL finally arrived on 19 October 2012, after resubmitting it in September 2012.

Deutsche Welle (Krasnodar, Russia)

Deutsche Welle relay station in Krasnodar, Russia was received on 11 August 2011, broadcasting in the Dari language from 13:30 to 14:00 UTC on 15.595 kHz. An excellent signal (SINPO) rated at 45554 was observed. Programming in Pashto followed at 14.00 UTC. 

Reception report was submitted on-line at Deutsche Welle website. QSL card arrived in th email on 2 November 2011.

PBS Xinjiang -- People's Republic of China

People's Broadcasting Station Xinjiang in Urumqi, Xinjiang was monitored on 13 August 2011 from 17.30 to 18.00 UTC (normal broadcast time 16:00 to 18:00 UTC) on 6.120 kHz. Signal (SINPO) was 45454 -- a relatively strong and clear transmission. Trans World Radio Africa was heard signing-on at 18.00 UTC using the same frequency.

Reception report was submitted by post. Verification is pending.

Address:

PBS Xinjiang

84, Tuaniie Lu

Urumqi, Xinjiang 830044

People's Republic of China


Website:
www.xjbs.com.cn/

Radio Rwanda (ORINFOR - Rwanda Bureau of Information & Broadcasting)

Radio Rwanda (ORINFOR - Rwanda Bureau of Information & Broadcasting) in Kigali, Rawanda was monitored on 13 August 2011 from 18.00 to 19.00 UTC (normal broadcast time 09.00 to 21.00 UTC). Broadcast was heard on 6.055 kHz. Signal (SINPO) at 18.00 UTC was 33443 -- clear speech despite a droning modulation from their transmitter in the background. At 18.40 UTC droning modulation, a weakened signal  and some atmospheric disturbance degraded signal to 22332. By 19.00 UTC droning modulation and adjacent station overwhelmed reception.

Programming featured news in French, radio drama and other specials in a local dialect and news and "Weekly Press Review" in English.

Reception report was submitted on-line at their website and by post. A few hours after submitting my  report I received the following email from Faith Mbabazi, the Director for Radio Rwanda, stating: "Thank you so much for this. You can get more of our programming on our website www.orinfor.gov.rw. You can also watch RwandaTv online on that same website. We will be glad to receive another email from you. Thanks a lot." Unfortunately there was no mention of this report nor an eminent QSL. Needless to say a verification card remains to be confirmed by ORINFOR.


Address:
Rwanda Bureau of Information & Broadcasting
Radio Rwanda
P.O. Box 83
Kigali, Rwanda

Website:
www.orinfor.gov.rw/

Radio Tunis International Channel (RTCI) in Tunis, Tunisia was monitored on 5 August 2011 from 18.15 to 20.10 UTC on 9.725 kHz. Broadcasting from Sidi Mansour (Sfax) with a 500 kW transmitter, the signal (SINPO) was clear and strong with an excellent rating of 55555. On this particular Friday evening, I heard the azan (call to prayer) for Maghrib and Ishak, Ramadan related music and special programmes dedicated to Ramadan, all in a well produced and distinctly Tunisian style.

I have sent correspondence to RTCI on two previous occasions, and each time there has been no reply to my reception reports. World Radio TV Handbook 2011 has recommended reports be sent to Office National de la Telediffusion (ONT). This time around,  I have submitted both letter and email in French to ONT, so let us wait and see the  outcome. 

Address: 
Office National de la Télédiffusion
Cite Ennassim 1 Borjel 
POB 399 
1080 Tunis, Tunisia


Email:
ont@ati.tn
Ont@telediffusion.net.tn

Voice of Broad Masses of Eritrea

Voice of Broad Masses of Eritrea in Asmara, Eritrea was heard on 3 August 2011 from 07.30 to 08.00 UTC on 7.175 kHz. Signal (SINPO) was 21111 -- weak and incomprehensible due to severe jamming. 

I logged this station previously and submitted reception reports, yet I have received no correspondence from them. It would appear some short-wave listeners have been luckier and indeed received a QSL. I will try again by post and email. 

Address: 
Ministry of Information
Radio Department
Radio Engineering Division
P.O. Box 242
Asmara, Eritrea

Ginbot 7 Dimts Radio -- Eretria

Ginbot 7 Dimts Radio, a clandestine station  located in Asmara, Eretria,  was heard on 3 August 2011 broadcasting in a largely talk format from 07.30 to 08.00 UTC on 7.180 kHz. Signal (SINPO) was 25222 -- weak signal with some transmitter modulation and fading, yet clear and audible speech.

Reception reports were submitted by mail and email. Immediately after sending an email to g7radio@ginbot7.org, I received this computer generated reply: "Thank you for contacting Ginbot7 radio. we will respond to your email as soon as we can."  In any event, verification is pending.

Address:

Ginbot 7 Dimts Radio

P.O. Box 56281

London N4 9BH

United Kingdom

Email:

info@ginbot7.org

g7radio@ginbot7.org

Website:

www.ginbot7.org/

Gunaz Radio -- Azerbaijan

Gunaz Radio, a relatively new clandestine station for southern Azerbaijan  transmitting from Mykolaiv (Nikolayev), Ukraine, was heard on 4 August 2011. Programmes in the Azeri language were monitored from 16.45 to 17.30 UTC (regular broadcast times are from 14.30 to 17.30 UTC). The station was broadcasting on 7.610 kHz. Signal (SINPO) was 35443 -- moderate signal strength with clear speech and no interference.


Reception reports were submitted by mail and email. Verification is pending.

Address:
Gunaz Radio
2833 North Broadway,
Chicago, Illinois 60657
USA


Email:
obali@gunaz.tv

Website:

www.gunaz.tv/

Radio Japan (NHK) Summer 2011 Programme Schedule

Radio Japan (NHK) has issued their Summer 2011 programme schedule. With this uniquely elongated brochure, I  received two poems printed on A4 paper. 

.  

Voice of Turkey Fall/Winter 2011 Programme Schedule

Voice of Turkey's Fall/Winter 2011 programme schedule featured an interesting write up on the 17th century Ottoman traveller, Evliya Celebi. This is one of the niceties of short-wave listening; not only does one get to hear another country, one is exposed to cultural aspects one might otherwise never learn about. Moreover, the literature is a small keepsake.

Fall/Winter 2011 Schedule