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CONTENTS

Vol. 16, No. 12

December 1997

Radio Navigation in the Baltic ................................ 12

By Rimantas Pleikys
Monitoring Times is honored to present a unique view
of the navigational beacon system as it operated in the
Baltic under the former Soviet Union, written by the
Minister of Communications and Information of the Republic of Lithuania. Though phasing out, some of these
signals are still sending out their Morse code signals for
planes, ships ... and hobbyi sts.

r
/

lft '

+=~~

Beacon, Beacon, Who~ Got the Beacon? .................. 16

Cover Story

AGarden Galaxy
olUghts
By Ernie Blair
Like many communities, the
Huntsville Botanical Gardens put
on a fabulous display of Christmas lights as a fundraiser for local charities. The only thing missing was seasonal music to make
the occasion truly festive. But
blaring music loud enough to be
heard through closed car windows
was not an acceptable solution.
Ernie and Carol Blair and
friends came to the rescue with a
low-powered FM stereo transmitter. Turn to page 8 to see how they
did it, and you, too, can have
lights, camera, music!

By John Mayson
... Beacon QSLing meets the Internet. Hobbyists wanting to verify beacon
signal s have a great new resource in the internet. Why would you want to?
Mayson helps answer that question, too!

The .1.1Ultimate" Longwave Setup ............................ 22

By Jacques d'Avignon
The MW/LW setup may not be pretty, but it's compact,
and it works.

~ode l'ractice CJscillator ......................................... 26

By Arthur Lee and Herb Decker
Listening to beacons is a great way to learn Morse code. Why not try
sending it, too, with this quickie construction project? Once you' ve learned the
code, it' s a snap to take the test, as Arthur Lee demonstrates in a side article.

Reviews:
This month, MT reviews the Uniden
BC895XLT TrunkTracker desktop scanner (p. 94), the Grundig Traveller III portable shortwave receiver (p.92), and the
moderately-priced A vcom Spectrum Analyzer (p.88).

DEPARTMENTS

MONITORING TIMES
(ISSN: 0889-5341) is
publi shed monthly by
Grove Enterprises, Inc .,
Brosstown, North
Corolino , USA.

Copyright 199 7. Period icals postage paid

at Brosstown, NC , and additional moiling
offi ces. Short excerpts may be reprinted
with appropriate credit. Complete articles
may not be reproduced without permission.
Address:

P.O. Box 98, 7540

Highway 64 West,
Brosstown, NC 28902
0098
Telephone:
(704) 837-9200
Fox:
(704) 837-2216 (24 hours)
Internet Address: www.grove.net (web) or
mt@grove.net {e-mail)
Editorial e-mail: mteditor@grove.net
Subscriptions:
order@grove.net
Subscription Rotes: $23.95 in US; $36.50
Canedo; and $55.45 foreign elsewhere, US
funds. Lobel indicates lost issue of subscrip
tion. Seepage 103 for subscription information.
Postma ster:
Send address changes to Monitoring Times ,
P.O. Box 98 , Brosstown, NC 28902-0098.

Disclaimer:
While Monitoring Times makes on effort to
ensure the information it publishes is occu
rote, it cannot be held lia ble for the contents.
The reader assumes any risk for performing
mod ifi cation or constructio n pro jects published in Monitoring Times. O pinion o r
conclusions expressed ore not necessarily
the view of Monitoring Times or Grove
Enterpri ses. Unsolicited monuscripts ore
accepted . SASE if mate ria l is to be returned .

Owners
Bob and Judy Grove
Publisher
Bob Grove, WA4PYQ
bg rove@g rove. net
Managing Editor
Rachel Baughn , KE40PD
mted itor@g rove. net
Assistant Editor
Larry Van Horn , N5FPW
Art Director
John Bailey
Design Assistant
Belinda McDonald
Advertising Svcs.
Beth Leinbach
(704) 389-4007

beth@grove.net

Business Manager
Kelly Davis, KE4TAM
kelly@grove.net

MO NITORING TIMES

December 1997

Letters ................................................... 4
Communications .................................... 6
PCS Front Line ...................................... 28
Cellular companies fight fraud
Scanning Report .................................. 30
Winter Scanner Planning
Utility World ........................................ 34
USAF Global HF System
Global Forum ...................................... 38
The Problem of W ooden' Frequencies
QSL Report .......................................... 42
English Lang SW Guide ........................ 43
Propogation Conditions ........................ 63
A Cood Month to Hear Auroras!
Beginner's Comer ............... ................. 64
Choosing a Handhe/d Radio
Below 500 kHz .................................... 66
Basement Changes
American Bandscan ............................. 68
Anatomy of o Radio
Outer Limits ....... .................................. 70
Holiday Season Increases Activity
On the Ham Bands .............................. 72
Hand Held Hamming
And More! .......................................... 73
Most Fun without o license
DeMaw's Workbench ........................... 74
Monitor the 6-Meter Bond

EDITORIAL STAFF

Plane Talk ........................................... 76

Guide to VHF Aero Freqs
Federal File ......................................... 78
Cope Canaveral monitoring
Satellite TV .......................................... 80
Satellite TV Questions Answered
Experimenters Workshop ..................... 82
WiNRADiO Upgrade: PLL Noise
Computers & Radio .............................. 84
Toto/ RecAll
KIS Radio ............................................ 86
Tuning in to ATUs
Review ................................................ 88
Avcom PSA65C Spectrum Analyzer
What's New ........................................ 89
Magne Tests ........................................ 92
Grundig Traveller Ill
Scanning Equipment ............................. 94
BC895XLT Trunk Tracker
Tracking the Trunks .............................. 96
Trunking Info on the Web
Antenna Topics .................................... 98
Half-Wavelength Antennas
Ask Bab ............................................ 100
Cheap, Effective Scanner Antenna
Stock Exchange .... .... ...... ..... .. ...... .. ... . l 02
Closing Comments ............................. l 04
Merry Christmas from the staff!

Correspondence to columnists moy be moiled c/o Monitoring

Times; any request for a reply should include on SASE.

Frequency Monoger ............. Gayle Von Horn .. ....................... goyle@grove.net

Frequency Monitors .............. Da vid Dotko, Mork J. Fine
Progra m Monager ................ Jim Frimmel ...... .......................... frimmel@stortext/ net
American Bo ndscon .............. Doug Smith , W9WI ................... 72 777.3 143@compuserve .com
And More! ............................ Jock Elliott KB2GOM ................. lightkeeper@sprinlmo il.com
Antenna Topics ....................... W. Clem Small, KR6A ................... clemsmol@bitterroot.net
Beginner's Corner ................. T.J. Arey, WB2GHA .................. ljorey@mosqui lo.com
Below 500 kH z ..................... Kevin Co rey, WB2QMY .. .. ......... KCorey@ mdsroc.com
Computers and Rod io ........... John Cotolono ..... .. .......... .. ......... j_co tolo no@conknet.com
DeMow's Workbench ........... Doug DeMow, W l FB
Digital Dig est ........................ Bob Evons ..... .. ...... ..................... revo ns@ostral.mogic.co
Experimenter's Wkshp .......... Bill Cheek ....... .... .... .................... bcheek@son.rr.com
Federal File ........................... John Fulfo rd, WA4VPY .............. johnf@emi.net
K.l.S . Rodio .......................... Richard Arland, K7SZ.. .............. k7sz@juno.net
Mogne Tests .......................... Lawrence Mogne
On the Hom Bo nds ............... Ike Kersch ner, N31K
Outer Limits .......................... George Zeller ............................. George.Zeller@occl ink.com
PCS Front Line ...................... Don Veeneman .......................... don@decode.com
Plane Tal k ............................. Jeon Boker, KI N9DD
Prog ramming Spotlight ......... John Figliozzi, KC 2BPU ............. johnfig@eorthlin k.net
Propagation .......................... Jocques d' Avigno n ..................... monitor@roc.co
QSLCorner ........................... Gayle Von Horn ......................... goyle@grove.net
Satellite TV ........................... Ken Reitz, KS4ZR ....................... ks4zr@compuserve.com
Scanni ng Equipment ... .......... Bob Pornoss, AJ9S
Scanni ng Report ................... Richard Barnett .......................... SconMoster@ool. com
SW Broadcasting .................. Glenn Houser ............................. ghouser@hotmoi l. com
SW Broadcast Logs ............... Gayle Von Horn ......................... goyle@grove.net
Tracking the Trunks .............. Lorry Von Horn , N5FPW ........... lrunktrocker@grove.net
Utility World ......................... Lorry Vo n Horn , N5FPW ........... steditor@grove.net
GroveNet hosts the following monoged lists free of charge to the hobby.
ocors .. .. ...... ACARS moiling list
omfm tvdx .... AM/ FM/TV DX moiling list
Example:
otlontic ... .. .. . Aircraft monitoring over Atlantic
To subscribe lo ocors, send E
code30users Hoko Code 30 demodulator users
moil lo mojordomo@grove.net,
code31ist ..... Hoke Code 3 ond Code 3 Gold decoder users
with "subscribe ocors in body
fedcom ....... Federol communications
(no signotvre). Add -digest" to
heorsotI .. ... HeorSotI Moiling List
subscribe lo digest (a block of
milcom ...... .. Military HF/ VHF7UHF communications monitoring
messages).
scondc .. .. ... Scanner radio topics in Washington, DC Baltimore
lrunkcom .. .. . For discussion about the new TrunkTrocker scanners
wun ........ .... Worldwide UTE News Club Lisi {Nonbroodcosl SW Radio I

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MONITORING TIMES

L E T T E R S

New Business; Old Business

We welcome Jock Elliott to our writing
staff this month. Jock wrote feature articles
fo r us many years ago, and we' re happy to see
him back. Jock says he's a ham, SW L. and
av id C Be r. 'radioac ti ve since Dad dragged
home a Zenith Transoceanic radio in 1957."
He is a member of the Passporr to World
Band Radio rece iver rev iew pane l. and has
written for numerous publi cations. O ne of the
creative uses he has fou nd for Citizens Band
can be heard every morn ing in the Capital
Region of ew York State. where he runs a
commute r assistance ne twork on CB Ch. 9
a nd 2 meter ham radio.
You may be surpri sed 10 sec a column in
thi s issue by Doug De Maw , foll owing the
announcement of his death in September.
Doug, being a conscientious a nd meticulous
author. was always about two months ahead
in his column preparation. We thought it
wou ld be in his nature to want 10 finish the
year out, all neat and tidy. And. though he is
gone, we weren' t ready to say good-bye just
yet.
A dec ision has not yet been made whether
we will attempt to fill the spot left by hi s
col umn with a simil ar topic. or whether we
wi ll take the opportunity 10 inc rease coverage
in some othe r area. Competi tion for the two
pages is already heating up!

This Gift Could Save a Life

" Here's a n idea for those who puzzle over
what to get our older pa rents for gifts . How
about a radio for Nati onal Weather Service
broadcasts? They are inexpensive, s im ple 10
operate, can run on batteries or AC, and many
have an alarm feat ure for use during potenti al
weather e mergencies.
'The idea came to me last s ummer.
S kywarn was activated as a series of unusually nasty storms approad1ed. T hey were
moving fast, hitting hard, and gave people
litt le time to get unde rcover. Skywarn reports
indicated a cell was mov ing right towards my
mother"s town. fifty miles from mine. I phoned
a nd told he r what was coming. She got the
grandk ids she was babysitting into the house.
Less than five minutes later that area was hit
by heavy rain. strong winds and lightn ing .
The storm took down trees. branches a nd
power lines. A couple of tornadoes touc hed
down bu t, fort unately. not near in he r area.
"Mom ca lled back later and wanted to
know how I could predic t the storm so accurately. There fo llowed a disc ussion o f the
NWS, Skywarn, 2 meter re peate rs, etc . She

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

sounded interested. A few days later she

rece ived an early birthday prese nt: a weather
radio w ith the local NWS frequency selected,
a battery installed, and large, easy-to-see but.tons for controls. She LOVES it! It' s the fi rst
thing she listens to in the morning and she has
used the alert feat ure several times.
" What next? I thin k a scanne r is in order.
I fou nd an old 8-channcl crystal controlled
scanner at a yard sale. For a few dollars and
some c rystals she will have access toSkywarn
and fire and police freque ncies. Mom's eyes ight isn' t good, but w ith these two small
radios she can find out what she needs by
simpl y turning on the ri gs. (If he r eyesight
was better l wou ld consider a gene ral purpose
scanne r. My Bearcat 890 and others has a
weather a lert fun ction and , of course, can
receive any freque ncies used for Skywarn.)
"She is enjoy ing this new' world so much
I am giving serious thought to a s hortwave
radio wi th preset memories. Just a few ideas
that can add security and e ntertainment to
someone's Ii fe."
- Jeff Poulin. KF4JSV. Manassas. VA

Great idea. Jeff.' A new development in

NOAA Weather Radio broadca.11s now also
allmrs the 11serto choose the National Weather
Sen1ice ( NWS) alerts and watches they want.
Louis Boezi, NWS deputy director says, "If
listeners are awakened at 3 a.111. .for a severe
weather warning 75 miles away. they may
evemually 11111e 0111 altogether. We do11 't want
that to happen. "
Look.for a receiver capable <~(picking up
Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME)
alerts. The first SA ME-capable receiver is
available from Radio Siwek. and other ma1111fac111rers may have theirs 011 the shelves i11
time for Chri.11111as. - rb

SW Window to the World

" I have been producing The Shortwave
Report, a 30-mi nute bi-weekly review of stories I hear on shortwave. here on K2YX
Mendocino County Public Radio. T he show
is very popu lar and is begin ning its third year.
Your freque ncy listings are invaluable. and I
give out your add ress on most shows. Pl ease
keep up the exce lle nt. unique work.
"Our station ai rs NPR a nd Pacifica News.
and the listeners are astounded to hear how
d iffe re ntly events are described by other countries- and how many stories arc not even
covered by US radio.
" I li sten and record off a Gru ndi g Satell it
700: I love the memory arrangement, sound
qua lity, and ease o f usi ng 12 vdc.

"Stay alive, SWL wi ll be around fo r decades."

- Dan Roberts, Willits, CA

#Back When"
Harold Sibilla of St. C la ir, M ic higan ,
wishes there was room in MT fo r a page in
which old-timers could share stories, pictures, know ledge from times past, w hich are
gradually being lost to the hobby community.
Here's just one of his tidbits ...
"Around 1930-33 the Canadian Gov' t began issuing BC band licenses to hams al ready
on. I have a 1932 verification from I OBG
Brantfo rd, Ontario--7 .5 watts! The owner
was still alive four years ago, a nd I got a letter
and a second veri 60 years apart-can anybody top that?
"CFCO , CKNX, CKJAT are (also) an
outgrowth of that-they' re I 000 watts now.
We'll have more fo r you in 1998, as Monitoring Times heads for the millenium ! A very
blessed holiday season to you one and all.
- Rachel Baughn. mteditor@grove.ner

(J,,1/:/:1.
TllL Club Circ1tit

h)~

-____

__- ..-

~~:..":':::.:;.;.:,~:::.~;;v~-r.~~~.;r.~~
~~- ..'"""-

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.....,. . _._......., ...... .,...._

::..::-:.::,-:;---_ ...__, _,, _ _

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::~~~~,.:..Nb~-m~;;"i;~-.:r:;.;~tz.-_:_

~"!J:~:~:::.~MA:'-"::1.wjol~ . i.4: ..._W_ f..... ..,- -w 'O

~~:;;~~t1&....,i.- "-- O. .. U1 -

11>-

You are Not Alone!

To find other radio hobbyists, consult

http://www.grove.net/mtclubs.html
for a listing of radio clubs and ne ts
worldwide, or send an SASE for free list
(NA only) to Club Circu it, PO Box 98,
Brasstown, NC 28902.
No local club? J oin a managed email
list (see p.2) for your area of interest.
For hamfests in your area, visit http:/
/www.arrl.org/bamfests.html or call
the ARRL at 860-594-0200.

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MONITORING TIMES

COMMUNICATIONS
An Accident Waiting to Happen?
Even Aesop knew not to put all your eggs
in one basket if you want lo guarantee an
omelet. It' s been a problem fo r communities
like Atl anta who have thrown all their agencies into a single trunked system. Where's the
backup when the system goes clown? Officers
across the country have been scrambling lo
lhc phones to get their instructi ons.
Kansas City public safety agencies have
spent two difficult years working with
Ericsson to get their new $ 18 million system
up 10 specifications. Now Ericsson wants
their final payment. bu1 the city government
says not until they' re satisfied.
When the city postponed a threatened lawsuit over the system, one police officer, Roberl Blehm and his wife Jill Blehm, filed suit
on his own behalf. blaming stati c in the system for getting shol in the leg when his call for
back- up couldn't be heard because of static.
.. It is simply inexcusable that this defecti ve radi o system endangers the lives and
safel y of our police officers and firefighters,"
said Blchm 's lawyer, Gary C. Robb.
In Trenton, New Jersey. the fire officers'
union has filed a gri eva nce lo prevent being
forced lo move to that city's new $6 million
rad io-dispatch system installed by Motorola.
"Docs someone ha ve to get killed before
the administrati on docs someth ing about this
system?" asked Policemen 's Benevolent Association Preside nt Oct. Robert Smith.
Firefighters say they can' I afford to take the
risk. In September the system crashed five
times in one week.
Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer said. "I
don' t care about Motorola one way or the
other. If they canl lprovidc the best system]
we wi ll get someone who can."

A Busy Year for the FCC

The Federal Comm unications Commi ssion has shut down two pirates in recent
months. One stati on on 89.9 MHz in Fort
Walton Beach. Florida. was operated by James
Picrrilus, who voluntarily handed over his
equi pment. The other, Com munity Power
Radio in Sacramento, California, had its equipment seized when it ignored two earlier warnings. The FCC also won lwo district court
cases regarding equipment seized from unlicensed operators last year in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. and in Lutz. Florida.
Another Florida "pirate." however, has
been taunting the FCC for two years. Doug
Brewer has been operating "Tampa's Party
Pirate'' on I02.1 FM and has managed so far
to stall FCC action. But FCC district director
6

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Ralph Barlow says, "Sooner or later I'll nail

him."
Brewer is one of many pirates who would
like to "go legal.'' A Virginia attorney has
petiti oned the FCC to establish a commercial
low-power broadcast service in the expanded
16 10-17 10 kHz band to give such broadcast
wannabe's a legal outlet for local radio operation .

CB and the FCC

The FCC reaffirmed tines against two
stations operating citi zens band radios out of
band with high power, one in Melbourne.
Florida, and the other in Puyallup. Washington.
The agency has also been conducting a
major joint criminal investigat ion with the
US Customs Service into the manufacture.
im portation, di stribution. and sale of illegal
CB radios and linear ampl ifi ers. A number of
arrests already took place earlier this year.
The FCC announced in October ten more
defenda nts charged with 27 counts of unlawfully importing and distributing illegal electronic equipment. They were also indicted
wit h money laundering charges.

Victory for Outdoor Antennas

"You know, when the
Smiths said they were
i11.~talli11g a new dish at
their house, I had 110

ida. " \

One good thing has come out of the 1996

Telecommunications Act. On the basis of
changes in the communications law. the FCC
overturned, for the first time. a local ordinance restricting satellite dishes in Meade.
Kansas. Since then, the FCC has preempted
three homeowner assoc iat ion restri ctions on
outdoor antennas in South Carolina, Texas,
and Maryland.
The primary basis the FCC cites for the
rulings is the following mandate: "On August
6. 1996, the Commission ... [adopted] the
Ruic. which prohibits governmental and private restrictions that impai r the ability of
an tenna users to install. maintai n. or use overt he-air reception devices. The Rule implemcntccl Section 207 of the Telecommuni cations Act of 1996 ... ,whi ch requ ires the Com-

Jan 10, 1998: Loveland, CO

Northern Colorndo ARC will host its
Superfest 9am-3pm at the Larimer Co
Fairgrounds, 700 Railroad Avenue. VE
exams, commercial exhibits, computer
and radio goodies. Tables: Jeanene Gage
NOYHY, 970-351-7327; Info: 970-3525304. Talk-in 145.115 (-offset I00 Hz)
or 146.85 (-)

Jan 17: St. Joseph, MO

The NW Missouri Winter Hamfest,
sponsored by three local radio clubs, will
be held at the Ramada Inn in St. Joseph at
1-29 and Frederick Avenue. Mention
hamfest for special room rate. Talk-in on
146.85 and 444.925. FCC exams, exhibitors, indoor flea market. free parking. Admission $3 or 2 for $5 at door.
Contact Gaylen Pearson WBOW, 1210
Midyett Road, St. Joseph, MO 64506.

m1ss1on to promulgate regulations to prohibit restrictions that impair a viewer's ability

to rece ive video programming se rvices
th rough devices designed for over-the-air reception of .. . multichannel multipoint di stri bution serv ice .... ' The Congressional directi ve to the Commission promotes one of the
primary objectives of lhc Communications
A<.: t of 1934: ' to make availab le. so far as
possible. lo all the people of the United States
... a rapid. efficient. nation-wide. and worldwide wire and radio communication service
with adequate faci lities at reasonable charges.

We welcome news clippings from your world

of radio: Send to Rachel Baughn. editor, at the
MT headquarters or to 1111editor@gro1e.11e1.
Thanks 10 this momh's report ing team: Anonymou~ readers from various states: Va her Aguiar,
Brazil : Bill Battles, New Hampshire; Harry
Baughn. North Carolina; Kenneth Borndalc,
New York: Ed Cichorek, New Jersey; Gary
Ellis. New Jersey: Herb Gesell. New York; Ken
Hydeman. Ohio: Maryann Kehoe, Georgia:
Kevin Klein. Wisconsin: Paul McDonough.
Massachusclls: Richard Naness. New York; Bill
Orrico N 1IPY via email: Roger Parmenter,
Massachuseus; Doug Robertson, California;
Gene Sinko. Nevada; R. Vane, Yfaryland; and
W5 YI Report. Special thanks lo Alan Henney,
and Larry Van Horn.

COMMUNICATIONS
HR 2369 LEGISlATIVE UPDATE

The Hobby Gets a Merry Christmas

t presstime we received news that

HR2369 has gone throug h markup. Previously, Rep Tauzin, authorof H.R. 2369
The Wireless Privacy Acr of 1997, had sent a
"Dear Colleague" letter to all the members of
Congress o n Septe mber 30. In this extraordinary document Tauzin said that H.R. 2369
" would not restri ct citizens from listening to
noncommercial (amateur and public safety)
transmi ssions."
"The Wire less Pri vacy Act is not intended
to' prohibit scanners from intercepting noncommercial mobil e radio services, like those in
the emergency service or public safety bands.
It is des igned to protect users of commercial
radio services-s uch as cellular telephone and
personal communicatio ns services-from having their privacy revealed by electronic interceptio n."
Tauz in al so stated in hi s letter that he was
working with the amateur radi o community
and the FCC to e nsure that the legis lation
narrowly targets its prohi biti ons to reflect these
goals.
Short ly afte r T auzin's lette r was sent to all
the membe rs of Congress. three more Congressional members signed up to cosponsor thi s
anti-scanner legislati on. maki ng a total of nine:
Markey (D-MA). Ox ley (R-OH ), Gillmor (ROH), Eshoo (D-CA). K. McCarthy (D-MO),
Manton (0-NY), Wynn (D-M D), C. Peterson
(D-MN). and Deal (R-GA).
On October 29, following a continuous barrage of res istance to the broad-sweeping restricti ons of the ori g inal BiII , a markup session
substantiall y revised the orig inal word ing. The
salient poi nts are now as follows :
Modifying scanners to receive prohibited
frequenc ies is now prohibited under USC Section 302(b):
The FCC shall deny authorization to any
scanner wh ich
- receives o r may be readily altered to receive PCS frequencies (ce llular frequency restrictions were already law):
- decodes digitized cellular. PCS. protected
SMR, and e nc rypted radio communications
(probably redundant ; all suc h decoders are
already prohibited under the provisions of the
1986 ECPA);
- decodes protected paging tran smi ssio ns
into readabl e text;
FCC shall examine and may prescribe methods to regulate pri vacy of mobile telephone
services wh ic h are shared with public safety;
Section 605 of the Communications Act is
amended making it unl awful to intentionally

intercept, repeat, or publish any communicati ons not intended for the listener except public
safety, maritime, aircraft, government, hams,
CB, GMRS , private land mobile, and broadcasting;
marketing and modifying scanners for receptio n of protected services are subject to
penalties as prescri bed under Section 605.
Still no t addressed is whether indi viduals
may legall y continue to own and trade cellularcapable or ce llular-modified scanne rs. We'll
continue to analyze and to watch the progress
of HR 2369 as it moves through the legislative
process. As it stands, however, it appears the
rad io hobby may have a much merrier Christmas !
For complete text of the revised Bill, see the
MT/Grove website (www.grove.net) .

Service Manuals Censorship

T he rumo r surfaced in October that Uniden,
the largest manufacturer of scanner radios, and
Radio Shack, the largest dea ler of scanners in
the United States. had d iscontinued selling
scanner servic<.: manuals and schematics to the
general publi c.
The report was confirmed in a pho ne conversat ion with Tony Magoulas. Radio Shack
publi c relatio ns, who said the company had
stopped sell ing all of their scanner manual s/
sche matics to their customers at the request of
the Federal Co mmun icatio n Commissio n
(FCC). The FCC denies having made such a
request.
Indu st ry ins iders have to ld MTthat in March
1997, follow ing the Cellular Privacy: Is Anyone Li.11e11i11g _?You Bercha! hearing conducted
by Rep. Billy Tauzin's (R-LA) House Subcommittee o n Telecommunications, Trade and

Consumer Protection, officials from Radio

Shack, Uniden and the FCC met, and the two
companies volunrarily offered to ban the sale
of the technical scanner publications .
Additio nally, Uniden requested that all future scanner certifi cation applications be classified as "confidential" by the Commissio n to
keep the technical information from the public,
thus slowi ng the tide of cellular frequency
restoration efforts.
S hortly after the Tauzi n hearing, Uniden
fil ed a petition with the FCC to stiffen scanner
image rejection spec ifications (to stop the interception of cellular telephone conversations
via the image reception method ). Part of this
petiti on incl uded a provision to voluntarily
stop produc ing double conversion scanners
which are highly prone to image reception .
According to one press account, the FCC
initially turned down Un iden 's request to make
the technical information private, citing the
fac t that service manual s and schematics were
sold to the general public by the compan ies
themselves. That is when the decision was
made and offered by both compan ies to wi thdraw the material fro m the publ ic domain.
Si nce most of the scanners in Radio Shack's
''Pro" line are made for them by Uniden, in
order forany ban of scannertechnical info rmation to be effective, Radio Shack's technical
suppo rt system would have to be in volved . It
must be noted that both companies have large
retai l interest in the cellular te lephone market
and arc members of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Assoc iation (CTIA). Perhaps the cooperative overtures toward the Commission by the two companies are an attempt to
reduce the anti-scanner sentiment that has been
rid ing through Congress.

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December I 997

MONITORING TIMES

Micro-broadcasting Brings
New Music to Holiday Display

he Huntsv ille. A labama. Botanical Gardens ce lebrates the holi throug ho ut the garde ns would not fit into the stately c haracte r of the
days by tilling its 11 2 acres of beauti full y ado rned garde ns w ith
park o r the lig hted di sp lays. Besides, how would you hear the mus ic
spectac ul ar li ghted di splays. Abo ut three
w ith rolled-up windo ws in w inter?
hundred vo lunteers expend 13,000 hours of
- . - - -,....,
The Garde ns requested local radio stati ons to
their own e nergy as well as megawatts of elecplay holiday mu sic in the evenings for the e njoytri city to power millio ns of lights as a fund raiser
me nt of visitors dri ving through the "Galaxy of
for local charities. Do nation s of canned food
Li ghts." Ho wever, it soon became clear that the
and warm coats for the needy are additio nal
Iocal broadcasters' normal programming requirefruits o f hard volunteer work and dedicatio n.
me nts and the need to run commerc ials m ade
T he " magnifi cent mile dri ve carrie s viewers
uninte rrupted mu sic broadcasts impossible.
through fabul o us lighting arra ngeme nts depic ting swimming swans on a real lake, a space
From movies to a galaxy!
shuttle, a moon-landing, toy soldiers that salute
For seve ra l years now , we have used
each passer-by, roses. day lilies, a nati vity scene.
" mi crobroadcasting" o n the FM broadcast band
a menorah, Santa Claus and his reindeer, and a
at the City of Huntsvi lle Park a nd Recreatio n' s
w inter snow forest that completely surrounds
Summe r Dri ve- in M ovie Series (see Monitoring
each vehic le.
Times, June 1993). The movie audio is transmitHuntsvi lie' sown Jurassic Park including huge
ted to car radios, and the results are excellent. It
dinosaurs is absolutely breathtaking at night.
was s uggested that perhaps low- po wer broadThe "Galaxy of Lights'' begins the day a fter
casting - whic h worked extre me ly well at the
Thanksg iving, a nd continues througho ut the
d ri ve-in mov ies - could provide the upbe at
ho liday season. (Yo u can fin d the Gardens'
musical atmosphere for visitors to the "Galaxy."
ye arly ac tivities o n the Web at www.hsvbg.org)
Again cha llenged by a new radio applic ation
and an opportunity to play with o ur "toys," we
Carol Blair proudly displays the
Putting a good thing to music
d usted off the FM transmitter. First we had to
Ramsey M T-JOO "antler" which
As plann ing progressed o n the project, it
look at whe ther there was a difference betwee n
gives outstanding coverage
became clear that seasonal music would add
drive- ins and drive-throughs. W e found a lot of
throughout the "miracle mile" loop
c heer to the exhibiti on. but b laring speakers
si m ilar consideratio ns between the two :

of lights and sound.

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Broadcasting to vehicles requires a verti cal polarization, since most cars have a
quarter wave vertical antenna for the FM
band.
The broadcasts must be perfectly legal.
I' ve had my ham license for25 years now
and rm not wi lling lo jeopardize it-even
to help out a good cause.
Volunteers are in volved, so the equipment
is subj ect to abuse and had better be "armor-plated."
The transmitter must be frequency stable
for today's digitall y tuned car rad ios.

I But the differences were significant!

Monaural tran smissions were okay for the
drive-in. but to get thi.: most from music on
hi-fidelity car radios. a stereo signal is

required .
Cars in motion ex perience a "picket-fencing" effect due to radio-wave multipath if
signal strength is lacking.
The larger coverage area far exceeds the
drive-in's oversized parking lot.
Commercial quality equipment is needed
since it is largely un attended.
A harsher environment is expected for the
antenna-meaning cold, ice, and high
winds for six fu ll weeks.

I Heat up the soldering iron.

Last spring we built an FME 500-6 transmitter kit from Panaxis Productions fo r use at
the drive-in movies. The FME is reasonably
priced for its outstanding performance, and
was constructed in a couple of evenings. It is

a sol id, comme rcia l qu ality transmitter

equipped with an extremely stable Phase
Locked Loop oscillator.
According to the kit's construction plans.
stability exceeds that of broadcast service
standards of+ or - 2 kHz for both long and
short term drift. Typical drift is less than 200
Hz.'' We found the FME's broadcast frequency precise and stable enough for even the
most touchy of di gitally tuned car stereos.
A class A/B buffer fo llows the direct FM
oscillator, rather than the class C output incorporated in many transmitters available to the
hobbyist. This featu re of the FME design
greatly reduces the likelihood of any significant harmonic content in the output. The PLL
uses a precision crystal oscillator as a reference and is programmable over the entire FM
broadcast band in 50 kHz increments. We

If it's Christmas, This Must be Huntsville

Photos by Louis Ossip, Huntsville Botanical Garden

(Above) Hulltsville's owll Jurassic

park f eahtres huge dinosaurs.
Brilliant at night. A favorite with
the kids.

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

found the Panaxis FME' s output to be as clean

as it is stable.
The FM E's only li mitati on is that it broadcasts a monaural signal. When the "Galaxy"
idea was presented, we ordered the companion kit, the Stereo Generator (SG) from
Panaxis. It, too, went together easily in a
couple of evenings.
The Panaxis SG adds audio processing and
time di vision multiplex circuitry to generate
the stereo signal for the FM E. Crystal deri ved
pilot and sub-carrier freq uencies, precision IC
amps. and double-balanced modulation techniques make the SG's stereo generation extremely clean. The kit's instructions state that
FCC commercial broadcast service operating
characteristics for FM stereo generation are
met and/or exceeded. Our ex perience with the
SG bears this out.
Both the FME and the SG package fit
nicely in a single Radio Shack hobby chassis.
Together they provide a high fidelity transmission with stereo separation so good that
you can remove one of the stereo inputs at the
transmitter and hear no cross-talk whatsoever
on that channel when tuned by a stereo receiver.
And a good "antler" to boot!

We constructed a Ramsey MT-100 "Tru

Match" folded dipole antenna kit and installed
it in a vertically polarized position on top of
the centrally located administration building
at the Botanical Gardens. It was set up in line-

The station in operation.

10

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

of-sight to all areas of

th e garde n d riv ethrough. The MT- IOO's
computer design provides proper impedance
matching by incorporating a matc hing transfo rmer which efficiently
couples the broadband
fo lded dipole antenna to
the 75 ohm transmission
line.
A ferrite choke core
is installed just prior to
the feed point to prevent
und esired radiation
along the coaxial trans- The entire compact station - CD player, mixer board,
mission line. We tested transmitter, power supplies, and computer-grade surge
the antenna at several fre- protector - protected from th e elements and wayward
quencies from 88 MHz volunteers in the administration building.
to 108 MHz and measured an acceptably low lati ons. Part 15. Power is limited to well under
SWR throughout the FM broadcast band.
50 milli watts. Our testing verifie<l that using
The entire Ramsey MT- I00 is enclosed in such ex tremely low power in a geographically
I inch. schedule 40 PVC pipe. We used PVC enclosed area wou ld cause no harmful interpri mer and glue to complete and seal the fe rence.
package. The result was a waterproof and
extremely rugged antenna wh ich holds up Makin' Music
against whatever water, ice, and winds a north
Music is providc<l by CDs in rotation on a
Alabama winter can throw at it.
multi-disc CD player. This provides hours of
Fortunately, the Gardens reside in a little
uni nterru pted, non-repeated music. An inexvalley which confines our broadcasted signal
pensive Radio Shack mixer board and microto the areas we wish to serve. With the Panaxis
FME and SG, and the Ramsey MT- 100 in phone al low Garden personnel to make emergency announcements as needed for traffic
place, we were set for effecti ve and legal
control or to clear the road for acc..:ss by public
operation for the event.
safety/med ical personnel. Fortun ately. no
problems requiring such annou ncemen ts have
Let's not forget the FCC
arisen. The CD player is started and the transDes pite the fact that seve ra l mitter turned on just prior to sunset. and
microbroadcasters are up and running on a turned off j ust after the last visitor completes
few watts around the country, it is strictly the dri ve.
illegal to operate an unlicensed transmitter in
violation of FCC Part 15 regul ations. It is I Nothing's perfect
important to go to every ex treme to ensure
There was a period of torrential rain which
that any unlicensed transmitter does not intercaused
ground-fau lt protector circuits to refere in any way with any listener of a licensed
peatedly
pop and require resetting. A couple
broadcast.
of
times
during the rains. the transmitter" s
We thoroughly checked out the FM frePhased
Locked
Loop circuit failed to lock
quency we were to operate on - making sure
back
up
when
power
was restored. This temthat we could not possibly interfere with legal
poraril
y
put
us
off
the
air. The si tuation was
broadcasts coming from citi es anywhere
remedied by cycling the power on and off a
around Huntsville. The Botanical Gardens
few times, correcting the proble m in every
themselves are re moved from the town's resicase.
dential sections and are set in a small valley
We concluded that the PLL lock- up probwhich serves to contain our weak FM broadwas caused by the huge power surges
lem
casts. We tested very carefull y to ensure that
(resulting from megawatts of lighting) drivour micro-powered broadcasts provided no
interference to anyone outsi<le of the Gardens. ing the PLL logic 1:ircuitry into false logic
The Panaxis FME transmitter is designed states. The purchase and installation ofa comto operate legally for this kind of application. puter-grade surge protector at the transmitter
solved the problem once and for al l.
When built properly, it complies to FCC regu-

I A big round of applause for the radio

hobby!
The music broadcasts brought man y compliments from vi sitors, adding cheer to the
visually appealing displays. More tha n 6000
cars, vans and buses brought over 18,000
people from all over the area. Vo lunteers as
well as visitors were entertained by the music.
The e vent itself was a huge s uccess.
A ll expenses were recove red in the first
year of the lighted winter sp lendor. Now that
the up-front costs a re covered. the bene fi ti ng
charities a re assured of profits in future years.
Once again, our radio hobby was shared for
the enjoyment and benefit of othe rs!

Spedrum

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Paradise, C A 95967-0 130

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

11

/, '

ntil 199 1 the three Baltic countries Lithuania, Lat via, and Eston ia - and
the former USSR te rritories on the
Baltic coast (Russian Federation) had in ope rat ion 47 low freque ncy (LF: 280 to 320
kHz) mariti me radio beacons. Out of that
number 24 were part o f navigation systems
and 23 transmitters were NDB's (non directional beacons). T he latter beacons were arranged in chains o f two to six or as stand-alone
transmitte rs.
The forme r Soviet Un ion used fi ve basic
types of V LF/L F ma ritime radi o navigation
syste ms. (See Table I).

he
and

\
lti

\\

sSR\

rmer
\
()

Story and photos by Rima=tasPleikys

Minister of Communicati s and
---... Information, Rep. of Lith \ nia

--

--

-~........

........

TABLE 1: Marine Navigation

System type Freq kHz
RSDN-20

No. of
Guaranteed
trnsmtrs. operating
range, km.
3
s5000
3 to4

S1000

RSDN-3

11.9
12.6
14.9
77.6
77.7
77.8 (1)
100.0

3to5

BRAS
RS-1 0

1660 - 2110 (2)

- 1670 -21 10?

3to6
3- 4

1300-1600
(skywave
$4000)
150-350
?

MARS-75

Klaipeda Mari11e 1s
nondirectional dipole.

Three of these YLF/L F radio beacon syste ms were used to serve the fi shing, co mmerc ial. mili tary. passenger. and other shi ps trave ling on the Ba ltic Sea. They were distributed
mostly along the shore li nes of Estonia. Latvia,
Li thuania. a nd Russian Federati on (Table 2).
In addition to the systems mentioned above,
c hains of LF maritime radio be acons a rc al so
in operation. In a typical s ix-station c hain,
e very transmittc rtransmi ts (is o n a ir) I minute
a nd is o ff for 5 minutes. A n "on-air" minute is
com posed o f:
Beginning: two-le tte r call sign, repeated
four ti mes
12

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

---------\-\

Remarks: (1) MARS-75 system was divided into three

frequency groups, each covering 23 frequencies; listed
are the major frequencies in the groups
(2) BRAS system was divided up into 1Bfrequency
groups, each coveri ng four frequencies.

I The Baltic Chains

-~

TABLE 2: The Baltic MaritimeNet

Name of chain
Baltic Sea

System
MARS-75

Gulf of Finland,
Eastern part

BRAS

Liepaja

BRAS

Semba

RS-10

Taran

RS-10

Kuffiiu (Curonian)

RS-10

Radio stations
Tallinn
Sovetsk
Wustrow
Goat Island
Stirsudden
Kaibolovo
?

Akmenrags
Liepaja
Pape
Taran
Baltiysk
Dalny
?

S~entoji
Taran
Rozewe
Sventoji
Nida
Taran

Freq kHz
77.6
77.7
77.B
1684.6
2105.8
1789.9
1710.9
..1684to1711
1680.9
2101.2
1786.0
1707.2
1676.4
2095.6
1781.2
1671.4
2089.3
1775.9

Signa l: 20 to 25 se<.:ands (for the ship to and named the transmitters not according to
Standard frequency/time VLF radio statake a bearing)
rated power. but according to range of receptions are not normally used for stabilization of
End of session: (callsign again, repeated tion. For example, ANRM-50 corresponds to NOB carrier frequencies or for keeping a time
twice)
an Automatic Navigational Radio Beacon with
synchronization. NOB radio stations operate
If the chain consists of fewe r than six a range of 50 nautical miles (translation of instead with professional mechanical maristati ons then some of them would cycle more Russian language acronym).
ti me (ship) clocks.
than once per 6 mi nute period.
Every coastal radio station conStand-alone (not part of a chain)
tinuously monitors a communicaNOB maritime radio beacons would
TABLE 3: Baltic LF Radio Beacons
tions receiver. The operator on duty
work continuously or I minute "on ..
listens to the signal of his own
Freq kHz Callslgn Modulation Tone,
Operating
NOBradio
and 5 minutes 'off' (during astransmitter and to others on the
range, nm
station
(1)
Hz
signed minutes per hour or accordchain. If an irregularity is recorded
Kaibolovo
KA
A2A
670
60 (2)
294.5
!Of
A2A
700
50
South Aland
294.5
ing to a schedule).
he notifies his colleagues working
A2A
750
75
Moshchny
MH
294.5
Out of the 23 NOB LF radio
at other radio beacons by telephone.
A2A
750
75
Naissar
294.5
NG
Pakri
294.5
PA
A2A
950
80
beacons that operated on the eastern shore of the Balt ic Sea. 19
I Navigation in Aviation
KR
A1A
100
KObassaare
306.5
worked in five chai ns of six, five,
A1A
80
OR
Osmussaar
306.5
The transmitter power of LF
A1A
Syrve
100
306.5
SY
four, two, and two; and four were
NDBs used in aviation is typically
A1A
100
Kolkasrags
306.5
KL
stand-alone. (See Table 3)
400 or 1000 watts. Every radio
Sometimes the NOB radio beaVentspils (3)
A1A
100
312.5
WW
station
is equipped with two transA1A
100
Akmenrags
312.5
AK
cons are mounted on buoys (ex.
A1A
100
Liepaja
312.5
LB
mitters: pri mary (modulation tone
309.5 kHz. Yentspils, "PM"). When
A1A
120
Klaipeda
312.5
KA
1020 Hz) and reserve (400 Hz).
Taran
312.5
BT
A1A
120
a buoy loses its anchor the transmodulation
type A2A.
A1A
120
Baltiysk
312.5
BK
mitter automatically shu ts down.
The
ante
n na s are "T"
The antennas used by these sysA1A
15
Mersrags
291.5
MR
nondirectional
dipoles.
A1A
80
Daugavgriva
291.5
DG
tems were typically "T' dipoles,
Frequency allocations unti l
horizontal or tipped to one side.
A2A
900
100
Ristna
318.5
RS
1995 were from 285 to 1500 kHz,
They are ei ther nondirectional or
A2A
Vilsandi
318.5
VD
850
50
accordi ng to the old USSR fresli ghtly figure "8" shaped.
Nida
315.5
ND
A1A
20
quency allocation. After 1995 they
Thepowerof thecoastal NOB 's
lrbe
285.5
ux
A1A
35
were allocated freq uencies from
Tallinn
TN
A2A
1000
50
300.5
vari ed from I0 to 200 watts, with a
285
to 500 kHz in accordance with
A1A
20
Ventspils (buoy) 309.5
PM
range of 15 to 120 nauti cal mi les.
ICAO standards.
NOB's are usually installed at
Remarks:
In the previously-used system,
(1) The modulation classes are:
lighthouses. Automatic NOB' s optwo transmitter pairs were distribA1A
(CW
not
modulated)
erate without personnel at power
A1B(the same; intended for automatic reception)
uted on each end of the runway.
levels of 50 W or less. and have a
A2A (modulation signal. 300 to 1000 Hz).
The
"closer radio beacon" was lo(2) The actual power of the transmitters used cannot be determined. Figures
range of up to 50 nauti cal miles:
are based on 25 watts for a 20 nautical mile range; 130 watts to reach 120 nm.
cated 400 to 1000 meters from the
they can be without call signs.
etc.
end of the run way, with a 400 WI
(3) This beacon chain is in operation even now; the status of the others needs
The former USSR manufac400 Hz modulation tone;and the
to be confirmed.
tured NOB mariti me radio beacons
"distant radio beacon" was sited
December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

13

approx imate ly
7000
meters from the end of the
runway, with a 1000 W or
400 WI I 020 Hz tone. One
or the other NDB pair is
turned on/off from the Air
Traffic Control Tower, depending upon wind direction.
In the currently used system, "the closer radio beacons" are no longer there;
both distant NDB's operateeonti nuously and on different frequencies - fo r
example, 36S kHz and 38S
kHz (used at the Vilnius
International Airport).

Left: The Klaipeda marine beacon transmitter at 3 I 2.5 kHz, cal/sign KA.
Transmitter type KRM-300 operating at 130 watts. The system's signals are
monitored 24 hours a day using the R-697 receiver (abo ve). The marine NDB
transmitter ANRM-502K at Nida, callsign ND, operating 25 W 011 315.5 kHz
(below).

TABLE 4: LF NOB Radio Beacons in Lithuania

Station
Sventoji

System
RS10

Sventoji

RS-10

Kiaiplda

NOB

Cain
Kur5iu (Sventoji. Nida
Taran)

Freq kHz
1671.4
2089.3
1775.9
Taran (Sventoji,
1676.4
Taran. Rozewe)
2095.6
1781.2
Ventspils. Akmenrags, 312.5
Liepaja, Klaiplda,
Taran, Baltiysk
Stand-alone
315.5

Remarl!s
Operated until 1991
Operated until 1991

Klaiplda. callsign KA.

120nm. 130W,
Tx: KRM300
Nida
NOB
Operated until the summer
of 1996 at 631.3 kHz
(malfunction)
Now at 315.5 kHz
Remarks: The data presented in the table above is based upon information in USSR
Ministry of Defence document "Radio Technical Aids to Navigation in the European part
of the USSR," 1992

TABLE 5: Lithuanian Air Traffic Beacons

Site
Juodsiliai
(Vilnius)
Belmontas
(Vilnius)
Karmelava
(Kaunas)
Karrrelava
(Kaunas)
Dirvupiai
(Klaipfida)
Palanga
(Northern)
Palanga
{Southern)
Siauliai
Siauliai
Siauliai
Siauliai
Skaudvie
RokiSkis

14

Freq kHz
365.0

Callsign
VIL

Tx Type
APR-7

Power, W
1000

385.0

AVN

PAR-10S

400

325.0

KALI

PAR-lOS

400

343.0

KUS

PAR-lOS

400

293.0

KLA

PAR-10

400

407.0

PNG

APR-7

1000

432.0

P:

APR-8

400

307.0
307.0
290.0
290.0
372.0
286.0

SIA
RDV
DL

PAR-10
APR-8
PAR-8SS
PAR-10
APR-7
APR-7

400
400
250 (400?)
400
1000
1000

sz

SKD
ROK

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Application
Airport

Enroute
Enroute

Table S is a list of the

13 LF air traffi c NDBs
regis te red with th e
Lithuanian State Radio
Frequency Service.
The operating range
of aero navigati onal
ND Bs runs from SO km
(400 W. daytime) to SOO
km ( I 000 W, nighttime.
especiall y overthe sea).
The reliable operating
range is from SO to I SO
km.
In the eve nt of a
malfun c tion o f an
aircraft 's VHF communi cations system, the
NDB can be used to
carry voice com munications between the air
traffic control tower
and the night crew.
The NDB transmitters used a t
Lithuani a' s a irports were manufactu red in
the USS R between 1973 and 1988. Today,
modern VOR-DME. DVOR-DME. and GPS
navigation systems arc being installed. It is for
th is reason that the old LF NDBs arc not being
modernized.
Also still in operati on at the NDB transmitter site. 7 km from the run way. are the 7S
MHz VHF zenith radiati on markers.

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fter nearly ten years of listening to

d istant shortwave sig nal s (DXing)
and collecting veri fications of their
recepti on (QSLs), I di scovered navigation
beacons . I also learned that listening to a nd
QSLing beacons is a who le new ball ga me.
U nl ike globa l broadcasters such as the BBC
and Radio Nederland, operators of navigation
beacons do not exist to entertai n and inform
rad io listeners. In fact, they don't care what
rad io listeners think of their program content.
They don't need to attract a wide array of
liste ners in order to j ustify their ex istence to
the governments and adverti sers who fund
them. They exist fo r one purpose only ... serving transportation by providing navigational
aids. weather, and other pertinent information.
O n the other hand, beacon operators are
not ogres: Some of the eng ineers and technicians who maintain these transmitters are rad io hobbyists themselves and understand the
desire to receive verifications. Also, some
genuinely e njoy learning how thei r signal is
being received hundreds or even thousands of
miles away. I have fou nd that the Federal
Aviation Admin istration, the United States
Coast G uard , and Nav Canada are excellent
verifiers, as are many mun icipally operated
beacons .
Maybe you' re exclusi vely a shortwave listener like I once was and you are wondering
what a beacon is and why you even would
want to li ste n to one, much less QSL it!

I What is a beacon?
A beacon is simply a radio transmitte r, at a
known locati on, on a known frequency, which
can easily be ide ntified by the crew of a plane
or ship. lnstrumentation on the bridge of the
ship or in the cockp it of the aircraft helps the
crew to dete rm ine thei r location. Beacons
may operate from the basement bands all the
way into the gigahertz region.
The most popular target of DXers are
non<lirectional beacons (N DBs). Most NDBs
operate be tween 190 kHz and 535 kHz, right
below the medium wave band. Nowadays even
the most inexpensive receivers cover at least
part of this band. I have a low-end radio that
contai ns the longwave broadcast band, which
ranges from 153 kHz to 279 kHz and is used
in Europe, the Midd le East, and Siberia. It was
on this $40 portable that I became hooked,
hearing (from my Florida location) beacons in
16

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Georg ia. Lo uisiana. North Carolina. and in

far-away Massachusetts.
An N DB sends o ut a Mo rse code ide ntifi e r
us ua lly o ne to three characters lo ng and radiates a nondirectio na l signa l patte rn . Based o n
these s ig na ls, the automatic di rectio n fi nder
(AD F) o n board shi ps and aircraft can then
ca lculate a heading in which to travel. Unfortunate ly, N DBs are nearing the end of the ir
usefulness. Satellite based techno logy and
GPS systems prov ide m uch mo re accurate
fi xes .
Heari ng a beacon sig nal calls to mind the
romantic image of a bush pi lot fl y ing hi s DC3 across the frozen tund ra, braving strong
winds, a nd hanging on to every dit a nd dah
fro m a far-off bem.:on to deliver hi m safely to
his desti natio n. T he idea of a profess io na l
crew fl ying a corporate j et from C leve land to
Newark by re lying o n an o rbiti ng sate ll ite to
bring them right to the threshold of their
desired run way just doesn' t have the same
appeal.

I Why QSL these devices?

1 am a<.:q ua in ted with many D Xers and I
have fo und o ne absolute truth abo ut them:
they e ithe r have the "beacon bug or they
don ' t. T hose or us who do. need no further
j usti fi catio n for o ur hobby other than " because it' s there ." T o those of you who fi nd
li tt le to no exc ite me nt in li stening toa series of
Mo rse code let!ers se nt over and over again.
read o n! I' m goi ng lo make a beacon <.: baser
o ut of you yet.
O ne goal of mi ne is to rece ive a QSL fro m
every state in the un ion, be it long-, med iumo r short wave. We have shortwave trans m itters in states such as F lorida, California, Texas.
a nd So uth Caro li na. W e have 50 kW
mediumwa ve trans mitte rs in ma ny states, too.
but have you tried Q SLing a m ediumwave
statio n in thi s <.:nun try? Maybe I' m do ing
some thing te rribly w rong, but l ha ve had li ttle
success. A nd what about states such as, say.
New Mex ico, which is over 1400 miles from
my home in <.:entral Flo rida? Unless I caught
an awesome tropo o pening, l had hardly a
c hance of hearing anything from the Land of
Enchantment. T hat is, until I got serious about
NDBs: T hen l heard a nd QS Led '' RO '' on 305
kH z in Roswe ll, New Mexico.
Maybe your goal is to QSL every country,
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the y arc q uite ti ght fisted w ith their QS Ls. It
fru strated me that l could not get a QS L from
a counc ry a mere 150 miles away, especia ll y
whe n I could he ar this country, day o r night.

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MONITORING TIMES

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350 kHz

350 kHz

RB

Resolute Bay, Northwest Terri~~es, Canada

POWER:

DATE: JO 'November 996

TIME: Cl:JBpmI 1:46pm CST

00 0

Watts

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VERIFIED

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Using the Internet can help you QSL the ends of th e earth.
on my car radio. I hea rd a nd QSLed beacon
" BHF'' on 326 kHz in Freeport and put another feath er in my cap that way. Then, of
course, there are places such as Greenland
where, quite frankl y, QSLing a beacon is
a bout the on ly way you're going to verify
them.
St ill not convinced? O ne thing I love most
a bout beacon chasing and which is often overlooked by DXers is the absence of a language
barrier. A Morse code ide ntifi er is the same in
English as it is in Spanish, French, Russian,
and Urdu. Of course, wri ting the reception
report in a foreign language is another story ...

The dog that caught the car

You heard a beacon and now you want to
se nd a reception report. Where do you send it?
What information do you provide?
When I first heard "GNI" on 236 kHz while
li ving in Atlanta I honestly thought I had the
DX catch of the century. My small radio could
barely pick up New Orleans' 50 kW WWL on
870 kHz and here I was li ste ning to a beacon
using a fraction of the power. I knew the
beacon was located in Grand Is le. Louisiana.
I addressed the e nvelope the best I could , but
within days the e nvelope was returned because the postal service couldn ' t make heads
or tails of the address I provided.
Publications such as the World Radio TV
Handbook, fine as they are, aren't going to
he lp ei ther. They deal exc lu sively with broadcast stat ions. So where should you turn ? If you
have access to the Internet and the World
Wide Web (WWW) the answer is right under
your nose.
Before I fill you in on all of the URLs and
HTTPs. I need to make a distinction. Not all
beacons arc created equa l. Some are owned by

18

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

the FAA. othe rs by the Coast Guard. Still

othe rs arc owned by munic ipa lities or even
foreign entities suc h as Nav Canada. Knowing w ho owns the beacon wi ll determine how
you s tart us ing the WWW to locate an address
to send your re port.
Unfortunate ly , thi s information generally
cannot be fou nd on the Web, fo r the Web lacks
data o n marine and most fore ign NDBs. Instead, it' s ava ilable in Ken S tryker s The
Aero/Marine Beacon C 11ide. available for $ l 5
from Ken . His guide li sts the frequency, ID,
shi ft, locati on, ownership. a nd powerof virtually eve ry beacon in the world. except Europe.
I wi ll guide you through the process of
locating addresses for several types of beacons. The first is a beacon owned by the FA A.

FAA
Let's say you just heard "SQT' on 25 7 kHz
in Melbourne. Florida. Fi rst you need data
about thi s beacon. The Internet is probably the
best source for thi s. I know of two sites that
provide exce ll ent data on ae ro nondirect ional
beacons. One is operated by a ham WZ28 and
can be fo und at http://www.mdsroc.com/
navaid . The other is maintained on a site at
my a lma mater. Georg ia Tech. and can be
found a t http://www.cc.gatech.edu/dbl/fly/
navaid-info.html. Using the W Z2B site l
find that "SQT' is owned and operated by the
FAA. Contacting the FAA about a beacon
gets a little tric ky. A popular method would be
to send a recepti on re port to the FAA in care
of M elbourne Inte rnat ional A irport . I have
found thi s doesn't always work. In fact it
rarely works. It 's best to find a nearby FAA
office. How? Again , the Internet.
Of all the on-line directories out there. I
have found that Yahoo! work s the best. The ir

U RL is http://yp.yahoo.com/yt.hm?&
F AM=yahoo&CMD=FILL&SEC=start.
Enter the city and stare whe re the a irport is
located. In thi s case I'll enter "Melbourne
FL." When it says Enter a busi ness name or
business type" enter "US FAA .. (none of this
has to be capita lized ). I see that the nearest
FAA offi ce is located at "55 1 S Apollo Bl vd.
Melbourne, FL 3290 I ." I wi ll address my
e nvelope as ...
Federal Av iati o n Admini stration (FAA)
Attn: A ids to Navi gati on
551 S Apollo Bl vd
M elbourne FL 3290 I
It is important you include "A ids lo navigation" in the address.
Is there an easier way to do thi s? I'm sure
there is. but I haven' t found it. Other on-line
directories arc nice. but I don't always find
what l need. A problem w ith the other on-line
directories is you must g ive a spec ifi c c ity. or
e lse get a li sting for an entire state. Could you
imagi ne how long a list of all FAA offices in
Californ ia must be? And if you li st a specific
c ity. you mi ght not get a nything at all. Let's
say you 've heard a beacon in At lanta. Well.
the FAA offices arc in Coll ege Park, Georgia.
(You would 've guessed that , right?) Going
through Yahoo 1 has never failed me.

What about beacons not owned by

the FAA?
Many beacons fa ll into th is category. If
they aren' t owned by the FAA the n they' re
most likely owned by a muni cipal governme nt. a foreign government. or another federa l entity like the USCG. First I'll deal with
munic ipall y owned beacon '" BKY" on 278
kH z in Brooksvil le. Florida. Checking the
W Z28 s ite, I see that "BKY" is ow ned and
operated by the Hernando County Aviation
A uthority. T he FA A has nothing to do w ith
thi s beacon.
In these cases. I typicall y write directl y to
the airport. The best source for airport information is located at the Georgia Tech site.
URLhttp://www.cc.gatech.edu/db 1/fly/airport-info.htm I. I'll search by "geographic
place na me." I see the c losest airport to
Brooksv ille is BKY/Hcrna ndo County Airport . Don' t be fooled: It 's rare that the beacon
ident ifier and the airport identifier arc the
same! I sec the address for this airport is:
"16 1 IOAviation Loop Dri ve. Brooksvill e, FL
34609." I w ill address my e nve lope as ...
Herna ndo County Airport
Attn: A id s to Navigation
16 11 0 Aviation Loop Dr
Brooksvi lle FL 34609
Again. it' s important you inc lude " Aids to

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

19

289 kHz

289 kHz
Navigation" in the address. T he person openin g the mail mi ght not have the slightest idea
where to di rect your letter.

Maritime beacons
In the United States a maj ority of mariti me
beacons are owned and operated by the United
States Coast G uard. He re. the Web breaks
down . The NDB related Web sites are dedicated to av iation and conta in no information
about maritime beacons. So how wi ll you
know whether you're listening to one or the
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They make it easy for us. Aero beacons in
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Maritime beacons send identifie rs for 50 seconds then send a single tone for I 0 seconds .
This cycle o f identifiers and tones continues
endlessly. If you hear thi s te lltale sign, you
know you have an American maritime beacon
which is most likely owned by the Coast
Guard.
My intent in thi s article is to e xplain how to
use the Internet to help QSL beacons and I'm
sti c king to it. Sure, you will need a guide such
as Ken Stryker' s beacon handbook, but you
wi ll want to access the Coast Guard 's web site
to uncover w he re to send your reception report. Once you have used Ken 's beacon guide
to determine the location of the beacon, visit
the USCG Web site at http://www.dot.gov/
dotinfo/uscg/units.htm l for address information.

My antiOSL
On eveni ng I heard what I determined to be
"C" on 289 kHz on the Upper Peninsula of
Mi chigan . T his be acon sent .. C .. 22 times for
50 seconds a nd followed it with a 10 second
tone. I quickly started work ing on my recepti on re port. Visi ting the USCG Web s ite
showed me that this beacon was located in the
9th Coast Guard District, headquartered in
Cleveland. I se nt my report to:
United States Coast Guard
Attn: Aids to Navigation
1240 E 9th Street
Cleveland OH 44199

Keweenaw, Michigan
Upper Entrance Light

4714'N

........- I 1.1 i

DATE: 18 November f 996

TIME: 1 I ;40pm- f 1:45pm EST

~j

The author's "anti-QSL" prepared form card. Sometimes the Morse code can be
hard even on the best of us.
I quickly received a reply informing me
that the beacon I " heard" had been decommi ss ioned over two years ago! In spite of having
a n amateur radio license with a code requirement, I learned I was a little rusty copy ing
code. I later determined I was actually hearing
" Y" on 290 kHz in Yankeetown. Florida.
Sadly, thi s e xperie nce wi ll continue as more
advanced for ms of navigation become available. So much for my intrepid bush pilot.

I Our neighbors to the north

Canada has recently gone through a big
c hange with respect to aviati on. Until November I, 1996, a ll publicly owned beacons were
owned and operated by Transport Canada. On
that first day of November, all air traffic
control cente rs. airport towers, fli ght serv ice
stations, radar installations. a nd - affecting
us - electronic aids to nav igation were transferred from T ra nsport Canada to
NA VCANADA, a private corporation.
Some DXcrs worried that thi s new priva te
company would end Canada' s excel le nt record
of verifying reception reports. I can assure
e veryone first hand, that Navcanada is con-

TABLE I: URL Summary

WZ2B NAVAID site: ............................. http://www.mdsroc.com/navaid

Georgia Tech NAVAID site: .................. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/db1/fly/navaid-info.html
Yahoo! Yellow Pages: ......................... http://yp.yahoo.com/yt.hm?&FAM=yahoo&CMD=FILL&SEC=start
Airport Information Server: ................. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/db1/fly/airport-info.html
Coast Guard Information: .................... http://www.dot.gov/dotinfo/uscg/units.html
NAVCANADA ...................................... http://www.navcanada.ca
Transport Canada: ............................... http://www.tc.gc.ca/nov1_96/regions_e.htm
MT's QSL Page: .................................. httpJ/www.grove.net/-larry/qsl.html
Author's Longwave Page: .............. ...... http://www.spacecoast.net/users{Jmayson/longwave.htm

20

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

ti nu ing this fin e tradition. As I type this article. the Navcanada W eb s ite, http://
www.navcanada.ca, does not list the addresses for their six regions . However, based
on my recent experiences with Navcanada, it
appears the addresses for Transport Canada
are valid for Navcanada . Perhaps they didn 't
move physicall y, or Post Canada forwards
their mail to them . At any rate, the addresses
for the s ix Transport Ca nada regions, w hich
co incide ntall y are exactl y the same as
Navcanada' s six reg ions , can be found at
http: //www.tc.gc . ca/nov l _ 96/
r egions_e.htm. However, you might a lso want
to check Gayle Van Horn' s QSL Page located
at http://www.grove.net/-larry/qsl.html fo r
any address updates fo r Navcanada.

I Writing that report

I said before that N DBs are a whole cliffercnt
ball game. This applies to writing the report,
too. Don ' t e xpect them to understand all of the
technica l jargon used by shortwave listeners
and hams. STNPO, QSL, UTC. etc. wi ll mean
nothing to them . In fact, the entire idea of a
reception repo11 may be fore ign to them.
Be sure to explain you' re a radio hobbyist
and why receiving a verification from the m is
meaningful to you. If you arent enthusiastic
about your hobby, why should they do you the
fa vor of a confirniation? ... Yes, a favor' The ir
one and only responsibi lity is to navigation.
nothing else. Be polite, courteous, and brief.
When writing the report, use time local to the
beacon (e.g. if the beacon is in Colorado, use
Mountain T ime.) Instead of confusing them

with SINPO codes, either write out details oft he

signal strength, interference, etc. or offer a scale
(e.g. I =poor, 5=excellent, etc.).
Keep in mind, you're asking for verification
that you did in fact hear their beacon. Simply
saying you heard beacon "ABC'' on 32 1 kHz
isn't enough. On the other hand. you cannot
comment on program content because there is
none. There are two pieces of information you
can provide which should prove you heard the
beacon: the audio shift and the keying rate. The
audio signal and carrier frequency of a beacon
are separated by either 400 Hz or 1020 Hz.
Granted. some beacons, particularly Cuban ones.
stray from this conventi on. but most do confonn.
What does this mean? Take beacon "GAS''
on 362 kHz in Ohio. It uses a shift of 1020 Hz,
meaning the carrier is found on exactly 362
kHz. while the audio is found on 363.02 kHz..
Beacon "SB" in nearby Ontario is also on 362
kHz, but it usesa400 Hz shift, meaning its audio
will be found at 362.4 kHz. If your recei ver has
sharp enough filters, you should easily be able to
distinguish the two.
The second bit of information. the keying
rate. should be self explanato1y. When I first
started DXing NDBs. I assumed all sent thei r
identifiers at about the same rate. Boy, was I
wrong! I have encountered beacons with 3-digit
identifiers sending as fas t as a beacon with a
single digit identifier. I will ge nerall y time how
long it takes the beacon to send I0 identifications (IDs), then convert that into IDs per minute.
When reporting on Canadian beacons. I also
time the length of the tone between IDs.
Last, but certainly not least, you must include a PFC and return postage. A PFC is a
'prepared forn1 card."" Unlike broadcasters, beacon operators do not have their own QSL cards.
so you need to make your own. You don "t need
anything fancy. I use the postage paid postcards
available from the United States Postal Service
and run them through a laser p1inter.
When sending reports to other countries.
where United States postage is no good. I simply usea4" by 6" unl ined index card and include
one US dollar to cover postage. If you don "t
have access to a laser printer, hand stencili ng or
typing a form letter will suffice.
Make this PFC as simple as possible. I provide space for the technician or cnginecr to enter
the power, antenna type. and a signature or
stamp. Remember above all that they are under
no obligation whatsoever to provide you with a
confinnation. Be polite and make this process as
easy as possible for them, and you' ll be more
likely to experience success yourself.

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

21

The Ultimate"
LONG\X./AVE
Receiving Setup
11

By Jacques d'Avignon

ThisMW!LW
setup may not
be pretty, but
it's compact,
convenient, and
it works.

n the rnid- l 950"s, many 12/24 volt LF

beacon surplus re<.:eivers appeared on the
market. At the time. the onl y low frequen<.:y (LF) transmissions that I knew to he
found on that band were the air navigation (Al
N) beacons between 200 and 400 kH z. Also
interesting were the transmissions from the
airport <.:ontro l tower on 278 kHz. If I reca ll
correctly. all towers in North Ameri ca were
transmitting then in simulcast using the AM
mode on 278 and 3023.5 kHz. (This last frequen<.:y surely has a long life: it is sti ll use
today as 3021 USB in the aviat ion field!)
That was my first experience with LF.
Living not fa r from an airport. you <.:ou ld li sten
to the airport towi.:r on 278 kH z and to the
weather broad<.:asts at HH+l5 and HH+45
being transmitted from the A/N range transmitter. All these small surplus receivers con22

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

tained a switchable audio filte r centered on

I020 Hz used to block off the A/N range
sig nal so that you could hear the broadcast on
the same tran smitters. In case of an emergency. the control tower could also transmit
on the bearnn freq uency. whi<.: h is also when
the audio filter would be used.
Low down communications

What ebe was down there? Eventually I

could hear other signals but they were very
weak and uni nte lligib le. Finally. I took the
re<.:eive ron a mobi le expedition and suddenl y.
while passing under a high voltage transmission line. some voice and telemetry signals
appeared. The power companies were using
the lines as a telephone line between the
various power stati ons!

This practice. I believe, no longer exists in

North America but is sti ll in use in New
Zealand. Hey, if you are runni ng wires all over
the countryside why not use them for carryi ng
messages and telemetry also? You had to be
careful how you loaded the telephone circuits
to the AC high voltage lines. though. If you
did not follow the proper procedures you
could be in for a shocki ng experience.
That same transmission mode, called carrier Current" (CC). was also used by the
telegraph companies on the lines along the
railroads; it was possible to multiplex many
carriers on the same line and have as many as
50 different 'circuits"' on the same pair!
There were, in 1950/60, very few receivers
commercially avai lable for LF monitoring
and the sensi ti vity was not very good. Some
rece ivers were being imported from Europe.

where LF was (and sti ll is) bei ng used for

broadcasting purpo cs. but the LF "craze had
not yet hit North America.
In the late 50's and earl y 60's the practice
of broadcasting weather reports on the air
navigation range stations was abandoned. With
the advent of newer navaids, the range stations were decommissioned and turned into
NDB 's. That was easy to do: remove and
scrap the outer four towers and leave the
center one ! Be ing involved in the weather
business. the demi se of the weat her broadcasts was also when I lost interest in the LF
part of the spectrum.
Today. there are a few remaining stations
transmitting weathe r information on the LF
NOB. One of those stations is Logan Airport
in Boston. TUK 194 kHz in Nantucket also
has weather information superim posed on the
carrier.

LF Revival
However. fo r the past th ree to four years
my interest in LF has been rekindled. I suddenly started hea ring about NOB DXi ng, the
possibility of listen ing to the European broadcasters on LF. and other "we ird'' th ings. The
receivers covering this hand we re now available. not only as desktop models. but also as
portabl es.
The sensiti vity of the new receivers was
very good, but anot her factor was now c.:oming
into play to discourage you from liste ning in
those frequenci es: RFI (radi o freq uency interference) ''wall to wa ll!" The street li ght outside your front door. your neighbor' s light
dimmers, the chi ldrcn s VCR. the touch lamps
in the neighborhood. etc ... (Notice that there is
nothing in this list that is located in my listening room! )
Another transmission can also cause you
some major problems: LORAN C on I00
kH z. I used to li ve less than 150 kilometers
from the LORA N transmitter in northern New
York. Anything that you install ahead of and
plug directly to you r receiver is li able to cause
intermodulation problems. and in my case it
did. big time! So some experimentation was in
order.

The ideal LF station

After about a year of trial and error. I
finally came up with the "ullimate" setup for
LF monitoring. It is completely portable and
not connected to the house current. It can thus
be taken to some "quiet" area like a deserted
island, the top of a mountain. a nat ional park,
or wherever the RFI is absent or at least
greatly subdued.

Side view of th e author's MWILW .~e t11p shows th e Sony ICF2010 with Q-Stick on
the custom-mo/de</ plastic stand and turntable. External battery bracket holds 4
cells, instead of the three cells used in the internal compartment.
The receiver is a Sony 20 I0 with the two
Kiwa tilters installed. If you plug any thing in
the external antenna srn:ket of thi s radio. the
LF part of the spet:trum becomes very "dead ...
Thi s is due to a built-i n attenuator that is
switd1ed on when the plug is inserted in the
socket. Thi s attenuator work~ very well from
150 kHz to about 2 MH L.
To cure this problem. I coupled a boosted

signal 10 the internal ferrite of the Sony by

using a "Q-Stick Plus" manu fac tured by Radio Plus (3635 Chastain Way. Pensacola. FL
32504 ). The unit that I use rnn be used fo r LF
and MW. Besides being a booster on its own,
this coupler can be used to ind ucti vely feed an
antenna signal to the Sony. thus by-passing
the attenuator described above.
At the Mohawk Valley DX camp in No-

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MONITORING TIMES

23

vc mbcr 1996. I used th is coupler to inducti vely feed the signal from a 2000-foot ante nn a to the Sony. Feeding a 2000-foot an te nn a directly into a 20 I0 is aski ng fort rouble
at any time. and more so if you suspect that
there is precipitation static building up on the
antenna .... The long antenna did not really
add much to the signal strength already being
boosted by the Q-St ick.
While the receiver and coupler worked
very we ll together. the physical arrangement
was very unstable. The Q-Stick also has to be
positi oned correct ly (within 0.5 inch . more or
less). over the inte rnal ferrite to perform properl y. What do you do? I went to my local
plastic shop and had a slanted support be nt to
accommodate the Sony and the Q-Stick. See
photo above. The support was then modified
and added on to.
The strip behind the coupler is a band of
Velcro. Small Velcro tabs are glued on the
coupler. and once the proper location has been
found, the coupler is pressed on the Velcro
strip and will no longer move. The exact
location of the coupler in relation to the internal fe rrite i ~ very important: by using Velcro
you can position once for L W and fo rget it
du ring your monitori ng session. If you use the
same setu p for MW. you move the coupler to
its new position . allach it to the Vclc.:ro. and
you are in business. In my case. it is easier 10
reverse the coupler and have the tuning knob

24

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

on the left. The Sony also has Velc.:ro tabs

underneath fastened 10 another strip 10 kee p
the receiver from moving around.
Finally. when doi ng some ND B DXing it is
important to be able to move the receiver and
ferrite antenna in azimuth. You can then null
out some beacons and hear others in the null
prod uced. In my case it is possible 10 null out
abcac.:on on 39 1 kHz(3B)about IOOkmfrom
here and hear in this null the Puerto Ri co
beacon (DDP) on the same frequency.
This nu lling abi lity is achieved by mounting the plastic holder on a kitchen lllrntable.
Thi s is simply a Rubberm aid lllm table as
normall y used in your kitchen c upboard. The
photographs clearly show that thi s ho lder is
not a piece of art. It was designed in stages as
each part was deemed to do the job correctl y.
Finally all the pieces were a~scm bled to make
a comfortable operating un it that can be taken
in the lie ld for "serious" ND B DXing.
Power to spare

If you are working in the field and wish to

have some well-defined and clear nulls. you
wou ld want to have the equipment operated
from hatterics. It is a known fact that the 20 I0
docs "cat" batteries al a good rate. If you
dec ide to use nickel-cadm ium batteries you
will face two unrelated problems. The first
one is that you arc liable to get a worn battery

compartment cover on the back of the 20 I0 as

you keep opening and closing this compartment 10 change the batteries. The second
problem is of a more technical nat ure.
The Sony compartment is built 10 lodge
three D cells. The normal voltage of a set of
fresh alkaline batteries wou ld be 4.SV. If you
use Ni-Cd instead, the vo ltage of three freshly
charged batteri es will only be 3.6V. It is a
known fact that the 20 I0 wi II start 10 act
strange and the audio will gurg le badly when
the supply voltage drops around 3.2V. So
whe n you use Ni-Cd batteries, you do not
have a wide margin of operation.
Checking the voltage of the AC adapter
sold with the 20 10. the voltage was measured
at 5.SV! Some experimenters are reported to
have operated the Sony with a supply of 6.0V
wi thout problems. So why not go that route of
slight ly higher voltage and install the power
source outside the battery compartment of the
receiver? Ki ll two birds with one stone!
A 4-D cell holder was purchased from the
hobby store and a connector compatible with
the 20 I0 DC input soc ket was wired in. This
battery holder is loaded with four D Ni-Cad
cells and the start voltage is just over 5.2V
after the batteries have been charged for a 12
hour period. It is interesting 10 note that one
set of batteries will operate the 20 I0 for 12
hours and take 12 hours to recharge. So with
two sets of batteri es you could monitor on a
continu ous basis. The ba11ery holder is
Velcro'ed in under the receiver as you can see
in the photo on page 23.
To date the results on LF with the combination of the Sony 20 I0 and the Q-Stick have
been very interesting; the European broadcasters can be heard frequently from my living room and from more quiet locations. At
the DX camp the reception of the Irish broadcasteron 252 kHz was armchair listening. The
complete setup does offer the possibility of
DXi ng in a qui et RF environment.
Now if you add a "Magic Wand Portable
Antenna" (Mn11itori11g Times. April 1996, page
15) and an antenna wner, you have a full DC10- Daylight monitoring package. Your only
limitation will now be your power source.
This problem was finally solved for me by
using a I 2V ge l-cell battery with a DC to DC
dual voltage converter. One output of the
converter is 4.8V for the Sony 20 I 0 and the
other is 6 V fo r the tape recorder. This arrangeme nt will keep you monitoring for over 36
hours non-stop: that is when the gel-cell quits
or you fa ll asleep.
Have fun and listen down below!

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MONITORING TIMES

25

Code Practice Oscillator: A Good First Project

By Arthur Lee, WF6P, and Herb Decker, KJ6KS

robably the single. most useful piece of

equi pment a prospecti ve ham can own
is a code practice osci llator and key. As
a teacher of Novice classes for the past five
years, I have found that it is one of the most
often asked-for items, yet an item that, if
purchased commerciall y, can be quite costly.
Gone from the shelves of most popular electroni cs supply houses are the old easy-toassemble code practice oscillator kits and
keys which were so plentifu l, inexpensive.
and readil y avai lable in the past. So. it appears
that the onl y real solution today is to resort to
the good old-fashioned ham tradition of do-ityourself.
Many popular ham magazines have publi shed practice oscillator diagrams over the
years; surprisingly, the one or two we tried

Listening to beacons is a
great way to learn Morse
code. While you' re at it,
why not try your hand at
sending it, too ? Following
is a simple circuit for beginners to build to provide
an audio tone as you practice tapping out the code.

didn' t work! Out of desperation, we turned to

page 36-6 in the 1987 (and later) edition of the
A111erica11 Radio RelayLeag11e Handbook.
The diagram there, with only minor modifications, worked fine.
For the Basic Rad io Communicati ons
course at Cabrillo College, Aplos, California.
electronics instructor and lab tech nician Herb
Decker, KJ6KS, assembled one dozen code
practice oscillators. using on-hand materials
cos1i11g 1101more1ha11 $5, less battery.
Due to non-availability in the local area at
the time. and to reduce costs. the telegraph
keys were ingeniously fab ri cated from scrap
PC board materials and other common hardware by Loren Washburn, K8 6NEO. The
assembled code practice osci Ila tors were
placed within metal speaker boxes left over

(1) A wire-wrap gun is used to assemble

to the per/ board but hand wire-wrap
tools work just as easily. Wire-wrapping
techniques ca11 be learned a11d per/ected
after a few minutes ofpractice. (2) Top
view of the wired per/ board shows
location of components a11d co1111ectio11s
which are soldered to the upper portio11s
of the wire-wrap posts. Note that
computer ribbon cable is separated for
solderi11g to co1111ections. Battery power
leads are shown at right.

26

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

(3) Oscillator, fully assembled a11d ready for closing of the case. Plastic stand off posts
s11ap into holes drilled into base of metal speaker box. The 9v battery holder is formed
from scrap aluminum and screwed to the side of the cabi11et. Pots are mounted below
the sp eaker for extemal adjustment of ton e and volume. (4) Th e manual key takes only
a f ew minutes to fabricate from copper PC board scraps and screws. Note that the
contact point gap is adjustable. PC board has sufficient springiness for comfortable feel
while operating CW. (Finger position sho wn is for setting correct poi11t gap purposes
only, 11otfor operati11g.) (S)The complete 1111it is low i11 cost, small in size, big in
practicality, and easy to construct and use.

from previous class projects. although any

wood or plastic box would also do. These
boxes gave the projects a "professional .. look.
housed the component s, and protected them
from freq uent student handling.

person can wire wrap the circuit board in

about 23 minutes.
10

I Key Tricks

I Construction Techniques
The actual rnnstruction was done usim.!
wire wrap tools and wire wrap component;
The whole kit was first breadboarded.""usi ng
proto board (avail able in most elect roni c~
catalogs). The insertion of a 1 K ohm pot
between the capacitor C3 and the speake r
terminal LS I enabled stude nt s to contro l volume as the oscillator normally puts out excessive sound thro ugh the small speaker and is
qui te lo ud.
The 555 timer chip was mounted on a 20
pin wire wrap socket. A lOOmfd capacitor at
50 volts was substitu ted for C-3. as they were
on hand in suitable quantities and were smaller
in size . Wrap post pins were used ror con nections with wire wrap on the boll om and soldering on the top. The C-3 capacitor was soldered
lo the wire wrap pins a rter first passin g the
pigta ils through the upper su rface of the pcrf
board. The res istors and mica capacitors were
pressed direc tly into the 20 pin socket fo r a
friction lit.
For a pleasing e ffect lo avoid wiring
..jumble"' and to provide additional strength.
wiri ng from the circuit board to the speaker
and pots was computer ribbon material. Spacers, as legs for the perf board. were plastic
stand-offs. The pots used for tone and volume

Cl

lll

tn
H

C.

:!!
.___ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __J

Loren made the keys from scrap copper

clad board. used for PC boards, which provided the necessary conducti vity and "spring."
The metal mounting posts were of hex spacer
material . dri lied and tapped to receive the hold
down screws. The upper arm was insulated
from the base. The contacts were made of
standard screw hardware and locknuts, which
allowed for adjustment. Rubber feet were
glued on the base to keep the key from walking around the operati ng table when in heavy
USC.

Fig . 1 - Schematic diagram of the cod&

practice oscillator. Radio Shack part numbers
are given in parentheses.
BT1 - 9-V bauery (23-553).
Cl , C2 - O.Ol" F capacitor (272131 ).
C3 - 220/IF. 35V electrolytic capacitor
(272-1029).
LS1 - 2-in loudspeaker, 8 fl (40-245).
A1 , A2 - 10k0 resistor, v. W (271 -1335).
A3 - 68-kfl resistor, V W.
A4 - 100-kfl polenliomeler (271-220).
U1 - 555 IC timer (276-1723).

I Performance

control show n in the photos were the only

ones ava ilable in ..junk boxes.. and were without protruding s haft ~ or knobs. requiring a
screwdri ver for selling .
Assembly ti me of the oscillator by an inexperi enced person should be about two hours.
including drilling of holes in the perf board
and moun ting in the box. An experi enced

After the kits were assembled. they all

tested perfectly; however, an initial miswiring
resulted in the chip being powered without a~
audible tone, thus bleeding down the batteri es
after one week. Tracing out the wiring diagram revealed the problem, which was easily
and quickly corrected.
Both tone and volume con trol s were
mounted on the fro nt panel fo r ease of adjustmen t. Once in service, the keys and practi ce
oscillators were fou nd to be excellent, and
easily as good as those we tested that were
commercially built. Volume from the 2 inch
speaker was more than sufficient and could be
heard anywhere wit hin a large room, even one
of classroom size.

On Preparing for Morse Code Tests

By Arthur Lee WF6P

!though Morse code has been superseded by modern hi gh speed

c?mmuni cations. it is still a requiremem for all amateur radio licenses but one. On the other hand, while the new
question pool has become a tough hurdle to jump for most of us. the c.ood
old-fashioned Morse code has remained the same. Actually, learning the
code has become easier than it was in the past. To help further. code
exams have become easier as well . Today. examiners arc given the
latitude of giving multiple-choice tests where the examinee merely
makes an educated guess at what was sent.
A proliferation of low-cost. computer chip code generating de v i ce~
make learning on your own a breeze. Older. but still effecti ve code tape ~
are available from mail order catalogs. The master learning tool. however. is the computer. Code teaching softwa re reduces the drudgery of
code learning. mak ing it a "fun experience. Thi s soft ware is widely
avai lable frnm ham clubs or computer user groups.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) transmits Morse code
training sessions over eight differen t frequencies at vari ous times ea<.:11
day. all owing you to practice copyi ng code at speeds from fi ve to 35
words p~r mi nute. Check www.a rrl.org/wlaw.html for the schedule.
Another great way to increase your code s peed is to simply tune in and

copy other amateurs while they arc conducting their ''QSOs.'"

co mpul ~ r

I Taking the Code Tests

Now comes the "proof of the pudding'"-test day. The FCC has
permitted volunteer examiner (VE) teams to allow the examinee to copy
code by hand in the dit and dah mode; that is. write out the characters on
paper as dots or dashes. To most code copiers. if you already know the
character by sound and rote memory, it is simpler and quicker to jot down
the character in the fi rst place. However. it may act as an inducement to
take the test.
Most VE teams use pre-taped tests and multiple-choice answers.
Guc~s i ng is allowed. if not downright encouraged. Why not? If a ham is
goi ng to actually use the code. his license level doesn" t mean he has to
se nd and receive that fast.
As a VE administering code tests I urge candidates to give it a try. Any
characters copied can be a clue lo what the answer is. Exa mple: If a call
sign has an "X .. in the answe r and it is the onl y one on the answer sheet.
and .1rJJ11e1rhe re on you r copy sheet you have an X. by process of

(Continued on Page 102)

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

27

_ ~--Pi_e_rs_o_n_a_I_C_o_m_m_u_n1_c_a_tio_n_s_S_e_rv_ic_e_s
Dan Veeneman

dan@decode.com

Egads, Foiled Again!

raud is on the run , according to the Cellular Telecommunicati ons Indu stry Assoc iation (CTIA) . At the annual Wire less
Fraud 97 confere nce he ld recently in Orlando, indu stry investigators. law enforcement personnel, and security vendors gathered to
discuss the latest efforts to combat fraud in ce llular syste ms.
From its peak in 1995. losses due to "cloned" cellul ar telephones
(sec PCS Front Line, Janu ary 1997). the most s igni ficant source of
fraud, have dropped in most major markets due in large measure to
two technolog ical solutions: authentication and radio frequency
fingerprin ti ng.
Authenti cation preve nts c loning by requiring a cel lular te lephone
to rnrrectly answer a cryptographic challe nge us ing a key that is
known onl y the network and the legitimate phone. Since the key itself
is never transm itted over the air, anyone monitoring the channel wi ll
be unable to an swer the cha ll enge correc tl y.
Wit h at least 30% of cellul ar telephones now in serv ice and almost
all newly manu fac tu red phones supporting authenti cation. the indu stry expects c loning to be virtually eliminated in the nex t few years.
Even now. carriers that have already imple me nted authenticat ion
have seen drops in cloning fraud of 90% or more. with a corresponding relie f in network congestion. As a representative of Los Angeles
Cellular put it , "We were building additi onal capacity to support the
clo ners."
Radio freq uency (RF) fi ngerprinting systems prevent fraudul ent
calls by com paring the "signatu re" of the cellul ar te lephone transmitter to a stored copy. Each cellul ar telephone transmitte r has a series
of parameters that make it unique, including phase noise, ri se time,
harmonics, peak dev iation, a nd other charac teristics that vary fro m
phone to phone. W he n a cell phone atte mpts to access the network
w ith a signatu re that doesn' t match the one on fil e, the call is " knocked
dow n" and the presumed cloner is shut out.
T o date more than two mill ions calls have been knocked down by
RF fingerprinting syste ms. a lthough the two vendors of such syste ms
at present cannot share fi ngerprint databases w ith other. Cell ular
te lephone "signatu res" gat hered on one vendor's syste m cannot be
used on the othe r. leavi ng a gap that some fear may be exploited.

I Future Fraud
Overall more than $300 million has been invested in antifraud
techno logy. As attacks on the "air interface" become less and less
success ful, more attac ks are ex pected on the cell ul a r ne twork , including hacking attempts on the computers that store c ustomer data. More
than 22,000 teleco mmunicati ons sw itc hes are vulnerabl e to outsider
penetration . and many of these are in unmanned fa cilities and
ad mini stered re motely. protected only by a simple username and
password. With the advent of competiti ve local service, more e ntry
points into the telephone network will open up, increas ing the ri sk for
intrusion.
''Social e nginee ring" of co mpany e mployees by outs ide persons
seek ing informati on under fa lse pretenses is a lso on the rise as new
28

MO NITORING TIMES

December 1997

carriers scrambl e to staff the ir operations. Checking the background of

these e mployees is important , as unscrupulous em ployees releasing
unauthorized information also top the li st of a telecommunications
carrier's security weaknesses.
Because wireless carrie rs are in the credit-granting business, they
are subject to the same kinds of fraud that other companies suffer. such
as credit card and other credit-granting businesses. Inc reasing num bers
of c rimina ls are using false identification to apply for service wi th no
intention of paying the bill. This subscripti on fraud is currently the
fastest-growing area of w ireless crime, and industry efforts are underway to apply procedures and polic ies fro m the fina nci al services arena
to limit such los ses.
The CTIA sees itse lf as doing a ll this forthe greater good of soc iety,
since the cellular telephone has become the ''tool of choice for crooks"
because of the anonymity and mobility it provides; by preventing fra ud
they help stop other c rimes in which these thi eves are usually in volved.

I Pager Eavesdropping
More than 40 mill ion America ns now carry pagers, but messages
sent over these broadcast systems are subject to interception as two
recent, high profi le events indicate.
In August, three men were arrested in New York and face a numbe r
of charges, including violating the Electronic Communicat ions Privacy Act (ECPA ) for alleged ly intercepting pager messages destined
for senior me mbers of the New York pol ice and fire departme nts as
well as the mayor's offi ce, the bomb squad, and a district attorney 's
offi ce. T he me n are employees of Fort Lee, New Jersey-based Breaking News Network (BNN), which provides immedi ate notification of
significant fi re and news event s in the Mid-Atlantic region via pager to
thousands of subscribers, primaril y media organj zations including the
Associated Press, the New York Post, and several New York te levis ion
stations.
The U.S. Attorney's offl ce claims these pager messages. deemed
'too sensiti ve" to be broadcast over po lice radio, were received by
BNN and contained suc h detai ls as the location of state and federal
officials. w itnesses, and injuries to police officers. T hey also warned
that " if you are using a paging system. your communications may not
be secure .. . No gove rnme ntal agency or bus iness is immune from this
illegal monitoring."
It appears tha t messages were intercepted via a radio receiver and
pager decodi ng software as well as a number of " cloned" pagers. A
person famili ar w ith the case has suggested that BNN was caught
retransmitting a fa lse message deliberately sent out to trap them . If
BNN passed along incorrec t de tail s that could onl y have come from the
fa lse message, police could prove they were in volved in pager interception.
This is bel ieved to be the first-ever prosecution for the interception
of pager messages. If convicted. each of the three men could face fi ve
years in prison and a $250.000 fin e on each charge.

I White House Pagers

FIGURE 1: Sample messages from Breal<ing News

In September a transcript was postcJ on the Internet or what

appeared to be messages from the White House staff and Secret
Service pag ing system operated by the White House Communi cations
Age ncy. The messages. se nt during an April visit to Phi ladelphia by
President Clinton and gathe red by commo nly avai lable pager intercepti o n so ft ware. reveal on a minute-by-minute basis the departure of
Clinton from Andrews Air Force Base. hi s arrival in Philadelphia. a nd
hi s tra vel to Foster Stadium and later to the W yndham hote l. O ther
messages s how telephone ca llers wait ing for the President that inc luded Bob Dole and Che lsea C linton , as well as a numbe r of
mundane messages regarding food, keys , sports scores, and personal
comments.
T he transcript was com pi led and released to high Iight the po te ntial
security risk inherent in suc h unenc ry pted broadcasting. A White
Ho use s po kes man downplayed the event , stating that White House
employees were told that the system was not secure and "as long as
people are using the syste m properly and not putting sensiti ve information o n pagers, there 's no cause for concern."

lo
PAGER
474133

Receiver

1. .

01

Data Slice r

U/D SMITHFIELD RI PLANE HAS EXPLODED AND IS ON FIRE. ALL VICTIMS

ARE BELIEVED TO BE REMOVED PRIOR TO THE FIRE. BNN 134
9/6/97 5:45 PM
QUEENS.NY "PERP SEARCH' 41ST AVE AND 21ST ST. PERP WANTED FOR A SHOOTING.
ESU REQ POWER SHUT DOWN IN SUBWAY STATION. BNN53
9/6/97 t 0:36 PM
U/D MANHATIAN.NY 'BARRICADED PERP" 435EAST105TH ST. PERP IS WANTED IN
CONNECTION WITH A STABBING . ESU ON SCENE BNN53
9/6/97 10:44 PM
HACKENSACK.NJ (BERGEN) "STOVE EXPLOSION' 40 PASSAIC ST. STOVE
EXPLODED BURNING 1 VICTIM. UNK COND ITION. EMS ENR
9/6/97 10:55 PM

FIGURE 2: Portion of White House pager transcript

Paging
Towe r

NetworkNEWARK.NJ(ESSEX CO) W/F: 991 FRELINGHUYSEN AVE ENG.19 RPTS A FIRE

IN AN 11TH FLR APT. TROUB LE FORCING ENTRY. RESCUE 1 RPTS AN VICTIM IN
CARDIAC ARREST ON THE 11TH FLR PERFORMING CPR. SIGNAL 11 (A/H'S) BNN/145
916197 4:16 PM

Con1pute r

I Encryption
These events and arguments have not swayed law e nforcement , as
FBI Directo r Louis Freeh recently suggested to a Senate committee
that use of strong cryptography by American c itizens should he
banned. since a potential cri minal could hide their telephone calls and
electro nic mai l beh ind a privacy shield that the FBT cou ld no t pie rce.
T he FBI has also been aggressive in strong-arming tc lecom
equ ipment providers. according to the Telecommunications Industry
Associatio n (TIA). Under the 1994 Communications Assista nce to
Law Enforcement Act (CA LEA). equipme nt manufacturers arc required to provide wiretap access to law enforcement agencies under
a set of industry agreed-upon g uidelines. TIA is upset that the FBI has
sh ut o ut equ ipment providers anJ attempted to convince carriers to
purchase wiretap features that are more intrusive to privacy than the
1994 law all o ws .
The carriers themselves have a lso complained of the FB I' s heavyhanded tactics in forcing implementatio n that goes heyond legal
boundaries. In addition, this summer the CT IA requested that the FCC
intervene and arbitrate the ongoing dispute between the FBI and the
te lecommunications industry as to the technical standards of the
wiretap law. The final outcome of thi s remain s unce rtain as the
October 1998 deadline for implementation of CALEA nears.
That' s a ll for this month. More detai ls and web page links are
available at http://www.grove.net/-dan, and I welcome e lectronic
mail at dan@decode.com. Until nex t mo nth , happy mo nito ring!

+------------- APR 27 09:24 AM -------+

G0000052103 ==>EAGLE DEPARTIANDREWS. OP11 421
+------------ APR 27 09:49 AM ------------+
G0000052103 ==> EAGLEIARRIVE.OPl1421
+---- ------APR 27 10:14 AM -----------+
G0000053593 ==>EAGLE DEPARTiPHI LLYIAIRPORT 1012jAM ... OP85j
+------APR 2710:1 7 AM----------+
G0000052034 ==> EAGLEjENROUTEjFOSTERjSTADIUM ...OP851
+------ APR 27 10:27 AM -------+
G0000054146 ==>EAGLE CALLjMR BOB DOLEjHOLDING CALLISWBD OP#103j
+-------- APR 27 10:33 AM ----+
G0000053593 ==>EAGLE ARRIVE jFOSTERjSTADIUM ... OP85j
+-- APR 27 11 :49 AM --------+
G0000055532 ==>YOUR CAR IS BEING TOWED FROM MC SITE. RETURN ASAP
G0000053989 ==>THIS IS A TEST OF AF-1 GROUP PAGE . REQUESTED BY CDR
RICHARDSON
+--------------APR 27 12:47 PM ----------------+
G0000055538 ==>CALL THE AIRCRAFT
+------------APR 27 01:09 PM -------+
G0000052845 ==> EVERYTHING GOING CO DIAL TO AND FROM TRIP SITE, OUR ESCAPE
PLAN IN EFFECT.COLE
+------ APR 27 01:18 PM --------+
G0000054197 ==> MEXICO CITY HAVING SAME PROBLEMS, COLE SENDS. THANKS FOR
YOUR SUPPORT
+------------APR 27 02:18 PM -----+
G0000052170 ==>IF YOU DON'T COME BACK WITH FOOO ....OON'T COME
BACK---AIRBORNE! I!
+------------- APR 27 02:34 PM ------------------+
G0000054489 ==> MINOR HOSTAGE SITUATION IN TEXAS ..NOT MUCH KNOWN
NOW.WILL ADVISE... PEOC
+------------- APR 27 02:42 PM ---- ------+
G0000052034 ==> EAGLE
DEPARTjFOSTERjSTADIUMjENROUTEjWYNDHAMIHOTEL .. OP85i
+----- APR 27 07:25 PM ----------------+
G0000054013 ==> PLS CALL PHILLY SIG FOR MARY STEAMVIRGIN FOR 1ST LADY
+----APR 27 07:53 PM -----------+
G0000052034 ==>EAGLE DEPARTIWYNDAM HOTELIENROUTEiCONVENTIONICENTER .I
+-----APR 27 07:56 PM--------------+
G0000052107 ==> EAGLE ARRIVEICONVENTIONICENTERI
+---------- APR 27 09:01 PM -------------+
G0000052684 ==> EAGLE CALLl2NO REOUESTICHELSEAiCLINTONiHOLDI NG
CALLiSIGNALiOPERATOR 1421

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

29

-~:----1i_h_e_W<_o_rld_A_bo_ve_3_0_M_H_z
Richard Barnett
SconMoster@ool.com

Winter Scanner Planning

t's that season again. Winter is upon us and we' re gearing

up for !he bes! scanning of lhe year. We've covered !he lips
and tec hniques fo r securing your antennas and relaping
your connec tions before. This year. as I consider how 10
upgrade my antenna set before !he weather sets in. I 1hough1ii
might be inleresling to discuss how lo prepare the mos!
complete winier-weather monitoring package.
For the pas! 20 winters or more, each lime !he good storms
have hi! I find 1 rn never as prepared as I would like 10 be. First
I still haven! fou nd a good way 10 keep snow and ice fro m
detuning all my yagis a nd freezing up my anemomete r/ wind
vane. (Like most good scannists, I'm a weather nu!. 100). If
anyone has an y suggestions. short of mounting a space heater
alop my an tenna mast, please let me know. This has been truly
annoying.
The second problem I' ve had is that I never have the right
combi nation of scanners and antennas. I find I'm cons1an1ly
pulling a scanner oul. un screwing an N-connector. and allachScanning in Atlanta is ripe for the picking. See page 32.
ing a coax line 10 another scanner. I li ke 10 have my ho!test
2) Utilityffransportation/News Media/Buff Groups
receiver (an ICOM R-7100-allhough my BC-895 is nearly as
This is a critical rad io during emergency monitoring. If you've got
sensi ti ve) dedicated lo " frequency-fi ndi ng" during storms. I usually
extra
scanning capacity, you may even wish 10 split these services up
have my best omnidirectional antenna (an Austin Ferrel) allached to
into two or even three recei vers. We ve gol!en on our soapbox before
!he !COM for 1ha1 purpose.
about !he importance. and fun, of monitori ng elect rical crews during
This radio is !hen used for general lllning about the bands. using
Aircraft. bus, subway and train frequencies arc equally
storms.
its mulliplc- ~ea rc h ranges or simpl y the YFO knob to sec whal new
enjoyable
to scan . As always. the news media is great to monitor,
transmillcrs can be fo und. I also have a UHF. a VHF and an 800 MHz
panicularly
for breaking stories in com munities you may not be
beam which I switch off to thi s receiver when rm trying to pinpoint
mon itori ng.
a particular frequency target.
However. I also like to have other scanners dedicated 10 monitor3) Trunked Systems
ing specilic regions or se rvices during a storm and I ofte n !ind I want
This radio is only required if you li ve in an area with Motorola
thal Aus tin an tenna feed ing one of these scanners. This year I've
trunking. Many. such as !hose in Al lanla, live in an area with multiple
vowed 10 e rec t additional aerials so 1ha1 I won'! be saddled with the
trun ked systems. Because the Uniden-Bearcal BC-895 (as well as the
problem. (We' ll report back on these new antenn as as !he project
235)
only !racks one system al a ti me, you have Lo make a determinaunfo lds.)
tion whi ch system you want lo monitor. Here in Massachusetts the
answer is fairly easy. The main state police trunked syste m is the way
The Ultimate Scanner Set-up
10 go. There are also trunked syste ms for Logan Ai rport, Slate Police
If you have the luxury of multiple scanners. here are some
in southeastern Massachusel!s. fo r Cambridge, and for Boston (nonth o u g h! ~ on how !hi s edi tor has planned lo scan during a major winter
pol ice and fire). but they are no! quite as important. These systems
storm (w ith li mi ted apologies 10 those in Florida and southern
will be trunk-scanned on a secondary basis in serious weather.
California ):
-l) Local Public Safety/Emer gency Cha nnels (Primary Radio)
I) Freq uency Finding
This is !he radio you'll use when you want to narrow down what
Wh ile you've go110 love the ICOM R-7 100. it docs requires a
you're monitoring to only the essentials, such as:
rereading of !he owner's manual practicall y every lime you go to
Your ow n !own s police, fire, highway and ci vi1defense
operate it. Therefore, 1 use the !COM for tuni ng a specific range of
Perhaps the same for adjacent comm unities; state police
frequencies or for silting atop one spec ific channel, wai ting out a
Local two-meter and 440 MHz Ham repeate rs
transmission. (I've also lied a tone-reader into thedi scriminatorof the
National Guard
!COM so I can sniff oul not on ly frequencies. bu! CTCSS and DCS
County and slate emergency management
tone codes.)
Local county sheriff
Stale Police
30

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

State public works

Red Cross and other emergency services (Coast Guard)
News medi a and noti li cation nets
In terci ty police and fi re channels
Local utilities
If you onl y have one scanner, th is, obviously, is how you should
program your radi o. Also. generall y speaking, you could use a backof-thc-sct antenna to rece ive these local age ncies.

5) Metro Public Safely

This radio is for monitoring police. fi re and po ~s ib l y hi ghway
department traffic on all communities in an arc (you detennine how
wide) around your own home town.

BANK 1

Ch

Agency
Town A Police
Town B Police
Town C Police

2
3

etc.

BANK6

151
152
153
154

Town A Fire
Town A Fireground
Town B Fire
Town C Fire
etc.

This is a matter of personal preference. Please let us know your

thoughts on the best w;1y to hand le this channel conundrum.

Back to Antennas
Optional Scanners
6) Distant Public Safety

Herc in Massachusetts it" s enjoyable to li sten to the stall: and

county authorities in New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island.
Depending on whether you've dedicated a beam to ho me-in on a state
(in the aforement ioned case we would be aimed either north or sout h).
or are using a sim ple omni. you may need to spli t your sca n n er~ .

7) Public Works
This is for those DPW nuts who wa111 to dedicate a rndio to the
snow crews. (The pub lic works guys are usually the closes t thin g to
Seinfeld you can find on a scanner. )

Scanner Overload?
Of course. with this many scanners runni ng all at the same ti me
you would probably be able to hear everything but process not hing..
Some people have set up remote speakers around the ir mo ni toring
sha<.:k so that the audi o from different radi os comes at them from
differe nt directi ons, making it easier to di sce rn who is talking.
Another way to achieve this effect is to run scanner contro l soft ware
programs (or BC-9000's). which provide an alpha-di splay of the
tran smitting agency.
Scanning software is helpful for another reason. If you only have
one or two scanners, you can use the software to rapidly reprogram
your radios to receive some of the above-listed service . T hat's one of
the pri mary reasons fo r having so many scanners. You may not listen
to all fi ve or seven scanners at one time. but by dedicating thei r
mo nitoring duties you won' t constantly need to reprogra m. And. by
limit ing what each scanner scans. you' re more like ly to hear a
transmi, sion of importance than on a scanner which is sca nning
upwards of 400 or more programmed channels.

Programming Problems
Some questio ns al ways arise out of the programming process: If
I'm listening to all the communi ties in a 25-mile radius o r me. in what
order do I program the radio? Should it be:
BANK 1
~
1
2

3
4

5
6
7

~
Town A Police
Town A Fire
Town A Fireground
Town A Highwoy Deportment (DPW )
Town B Police
Town B Fire
Town B Highway Deportment
etc. , or,

Finall y. you"ye got to address antennas. As we discussed earl ier.

it' s hc~ t if you can have a good outside antenna dedicated to each
scanner. ' o that you' re not constantly hookin g-up and unhooking
coax leads. Hav ing five to seven scanners is a lot to ask, bu t having
fi ve or more a ntennas. too?' T hat's very unusual.
If you have the luxury to consider such a set-up (a tower. with sidearm masts is the best way to go for mu lti ple-antenna mounting). there
arc still more consideratio ns. Let' s say you have one scanner ded icated to di stant station mon itoring, bu t some of the more interesting
for-off ' ig nals require a UHF beam. wh ile another low-ba nd station is
onl y rece ivable wi th one of your omni -directi onal di scone antennas.
You can go with multi ple antennas for your "frequency finding"
scan ner and swi tch antennas using a rotary ante nna switch. but your
~c a nn e r will not automaticall y pick the proper antenna each ti me a
signal i' received: you' ll ha ve to do so manually. There are ways to
overcome thi s problem that those with a techn ical/antenna background might di scuss. but. in any case, these solutions usua ll y require
great expense or great loss of signal.

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

31

~mm~ {continued}
.
Sim ply put. there arc no easy answers to either the programming
or antenna problems. Hed. if the answers were easy, thi s hobby
probabl y would n' t be nearl y as much fun .

I Atlanta Scanning
Reader Eric B. Brandon writes us with an interesting persepecli ve
on his favorite freq uencies and agencies to scan:
.. Enclosed with thi s lelter is an extensive listing for the news and
traffic helicopter rn:q ucncies that I frequently monitor in the Atlanta
area. I al so sprinkled in a couple of other interesting a viati on frequenc ies that may be or interest to your readers. Most of the news and
traffi c heli copter frequencies listed were first logged a few weeks
before the Olympics were lo beg in here in At lanta. I started the list to
prepare for the predicted traffic problems during the Olympics so that
I would be able to circumna vigate problem areas.
1 fo und that havi ng all of these frequencies programmed into my
scanner was a defi nite joy. Instead of normally flipping from station
to station on my car radio in the allcmpts of catching a tra ffic report.
but typically mi ssing most of the report , I could hear the very latest
report in its entirety and the off-the-air chit-chat every few minutes.
.. Now with talk or possibl y more highway construction to begin on
Atla nta's high ways. this list will be valuable not only to area residents.
but to readers who plan on traveling through Atl anta on to other
destinations.
"The second list I have enclosed consists of frequenci es for parks
and forests that I always monitor...almost religiously. I am a former
park ranger of six years. Unfortunately, with al l the fede ral budget
cuts. federal positions arc hard to come by ... Wh ile I keep looking for
work as a ranger. I keep my spirits and e nthu siasm up by listening to
what's going on in the field that I love so dear ly.
"I li ve about 500 yards away from the Vickery Creek Unit of the
National Park Service s Chauahoochec National Recreati on Area,
and last summer I volunteered to help tight a small forest fire there.
Prev iously, the only type of fi res lhat I had fought were prairie fires
in North Dakota where I used to work . so thi s was qu ite a change.
"What I wou ld be very interested in finding out. possibl y in
upcoming issues. is:
..The names/titles and frequencies for the tire fighting Hot Shol
teams, as well as smoke jumper teams, that serve the southeas t and/
or slates east of the Mississippi River.
"The names/tit les and freq uencies for private or commercial fire
fi ghting aircraft wh ich arc typicall y leased or contracted out to the
USFS or state fo restry agencies. Ideally. I would also like to learn
where their home base of operations is located."

12
13
14
15
16
17

161.640
161.730
450.0875
450. 150
450.250
450.2875

18
19
20

450.3 125
450.350
450.350

21
22
23
24

450.3875
450.450
450.925
455.0875

25
26

455.250
455.2875

27

455.3 125

WGST AM Traffic 'cffuter

WZGC - FM z.93 Tro ic 'copter
WPLO FM Traffic 'copter
Sky Com Helicopter
WSBTV Skycogier/troffic 'copter
WKLS FM,"9 Rock Jet Patrol'
Troffic Reports
WYAY Traffic 'copter
WQXI FM Tricopter Traffic News
WSTR FM, "Star 94 Tricopter
Tro ffi c ReP.orts"
Metro Traffic Control 'copter(s)
WAGATV/AM Traffic 'copter
WSB TVI AM Troffic ' copter
WKHX FM "Kix Jet 'copter"
Traffic 'c~ter
WSBTV kycopter
WKLS FM, "96 Rock Troffic
Jet Patrol"
Unknown Troffic 'copter

28
29
30
31

455.3 125
455 3875
455.550
455.650

WKHX FM Traffic 'copter

Metro Traffic Control 'copter(sl
Unknown Troffic 'co~ter
WSB FM B98 Tro ic 'copter

32

464.750

Goodyear Blimps

33
34
35
36

471.5125
471.650
471.7125
471.750

37

47 1.7875

38
39

47 1.950
472.150

40
41
42

472.325
476.650
476.7125

43

476.750

44

476.7875

45

477.050

Unknown Traffic 'copter

Unknown Traffic 'copter
Unknown Troffic 'copier
WSTR FM, "Ster 94 Tricopter
Troffic Reports"
WXIA-TV, l l A live News
Skywotch Troffic 'copter
Unknown Traffic 'cofuter
WSBTV News He icopter
Remote Broadcast
WSBTV/AM Traffic 'copter
WSB AM Traffic 'cohter
WNNX FM 99X - C opper X
Troffic 'copter
>1"STR FM, ' Ster 94" Traffic
cop ter
WXIATV, 11 Alive N ews Skywotch
Traffic 'copter
WSB FM B98 Traffic 'copter

l
2

l 22.850
122.850

Helicopter UNICOM Atlanta area

Kroger Blimp "Spirit of Atlanta"

122.900

Monroe Parachute/ Skydiving

4
5

122.925
123.025

Helicop ter UNICOM - Atlonto area

Helicopter UNICOM - Atlanta area

6
7
8

123.050
123.075
123.350

Helicopter UNICOM Atlanta area

Helicopter UNICOM Atlanta area
Bud l Blimp/Goodyear Blimps 3A
and 4A

123.450

Kroger Blimp (Spirit of Atlanta)

10

15 1.625

Goodyear Blimps 3A and 4A

11

151.625

Remox HotAir Balloon to chose

vehicle

32

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Used as Atlanta
police blimp ot the
Olympics
Usually active
every day
Very active during
O lympics

Pilot: Mike O liver;

also on 471 .750
Pilot: Herb Emory

Pilot: Keith Kollen;

also on 476.7125

Pilot: Treaper Dove;

also on 477.050
Blimptoblimp
used during ofympics

Pilot: Mike Oliver;

also on 450.350

Primarily TV audio
normally
Pilot: Herb Emory
Pilot: Keith Kollen;
also on 455.3125

Pilot: Treaper Dove;

also on 455.650

U. S. Forest Service
168.775
168.625
168.650

135. 975

Chattahoochee Notional Forest (Gainesville, Dahlonega, Blairsville)

Regional Heodquorters - Atlanta dispatch to oircrolt
Regional Headquarters - Atlanta dispatch to aircraft
Note: Recent'x, o USFS oircroh preparing to deport for Titusville,
FL, requested frequencies for the wildlife refuge at Merritt Island,
FL 141.300, 164.625, 163.150. Dispatch also noted the
frequency for the Shuttle Landing Facility as 128.550.
Forest Fire Tanker Aircraft and Helicopter bucket drops (air base
at Rome). This was monitored lost year during large forest fire.

U. S. Army Corp. of Engineers (Lake Lanier and Lake Alatomw)

163.4 125
163.4357

Pork Rangers end Power House

"

Georgia Forestry Co111111issio11

151.400

Atlanta Area News and Traffic Helicopters

Pilot: Keith Kollen

Pilot: Jason Hurt

159.280
159.285
159,120
159.225
159.240
159.360
159.390
15 1.145
151.370

Forest Fire Spotter Aircraft (fixed wing and occasionally rotary

wing)
Forest Fire Spotter Aircraft (fixed wing)
Forest Fire Spotter Aircraft (fixed wing)
Gainesville Dispatch (WNNS 637)
Macon Dispatch, Rome Dispatch
Macon Dispatch, Athens Dispatch
Firelighting ground units
Firelighting ;iround units (Cherokee Co. Shop)
District Administrative
District Administrative (occasionally aircraft operations)

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Also Lockheed
test fli ght
frequency
Used os A tlanta
police bl imp at the
Olympics
Used during
Olympics
M onitored in North
Fulton County area

15 l. l 45
151 .475
154.790
172.425

Stote Porks
State Porks (Block Rock State Police)
Stone Mountain Pork Police Dispatch
Fisher ies Division Hatchery (recent release of trout into
Chattahoochee River for " Notional TokeAKidFishing Doy" in
the Roswell area)

Thanks for the superb information, Eric. We love the little nuggets
or detail. Please keep it co ming.

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The HF Communications Spectrum

Larry Van Hom, NSFPW

steditor@grove.net

USAF Global High Frequency System

t has been three years ago this month

since we updated our readers on the most
commonly monitored military radio network in the high frequency spectrum - the
U.S. Air Force Global High Frequency System (GHFS).
On Ju ne I, 1992, the Global HF System
was created by consolidating several Joint
Chi efs of Staff (JCS) HF networks, including the USAF Global Command and Cont rol
System (GCCS), the U.S. Navy Hi gh Command (HICOM) network. the U.S. Navy
Iceland ic ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare)
network, and the dedicated old Strategic Ai r
Com mand Giant Talk system. The goal of
the merger was to deve lop a worldwide nondeclicatcd HF network capable of providing
C 2 (comm and and control) HF commu ni cati ons support to all authorized Department of
Defense (DoD) aircraft. ship, and ground
stations.
GHFS (nickn<:t med Global) is a worldwide network of 13 high-powered radio stations that provide air/ground HF command
and control radio communicati ons between
various government/ military agencies and
U.S. military aircraft and shi ps. Allied military and other aircraft arc also commonly
heard on the GHFS network. While the U.S.
Air Force runs the GHFS network fo r DoD.
it is not dedicated to any service or command. but supports all authorized users on
the basis of traffic priority.
Units using the GH FS usuall y contact
and request service from th is network using
the general air-ground call sign Mainsail.
Any of the global stations hearing the call
sign Mainsail usually responds and provides
the requested service for the aircraft or ship.
Depending on the service req uired, the Global station responding to the request may ask
the aircraft to change to a discrete frequency
for improved and/or extended service.
Now let's take a look at some of the
general services provided by the GHFS .

I General Phone Patch and Message

Relay
The most common com mu nications
monitored on GHFS are phone patches and

34

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

message relay traffi c. A phone patch permi ts

direct voice communications between ground
agencies and a ircraft by electronically connecting telephone circui ts to the radi o transmitting and receiving equipment. Ai rcrew/
ships requesting a phone patc h must include
all informat ion necessary for the G HFS operators to complete the call , including the
identities and locati on of the calling and
called parties, and te lephone numbers, if
known .
These phone patches arc mon itored by
the ground operators, and if radi o reception
isn' t of sufficient quality to complete the
patch, the Global radio operator wi ll attempt
to copy the traffic and relay it to the caller.
All phone patches are supposed to be for
offi cial business only. but you will occasionally hear that definition stretched a bit.
Message relay is a service provided by
Global operators of transcribing encoded or
plain-text messages for aircraft or ground
stations and forwarding the m to the addressee
by radio or landline (te lephone). The text of
these messages will be heard in several forms
including: alphanumerics. code words, plain
text. acronyms. and/or numerical seque nces.
When message data is crit ical. or when an
incomplete transmission is suspected due to
poor radio reception. the receiving station
may request a "read-back'' of the message.
All message received by Global stations are
accepted and delivered using the fastest means
available accord ing to the message s precedence and priority.

I HF Radio Teletype fR1TYJ and

Autodin
Some Global stations can provide HF
radio teletype (RTTY) and autodin re lay
services. According to one source, not all of
the Global stati ons have autodin capabili ty.
Autodin is an acronym for aut omat ic digital
informa ti on network and is used by DoD to
pass written message traffic among various
uni ts.
When RTTY/autodin traffi c is passed.
the Global stati on rad io operator wi ll pass an
un published station discrete frequency to the

aircraft. meet the call ing pztrty on that discrete frequency. and exchange keyboard or
test traffic to ensure a satisfactory li nk before
actual transmission of autodin traffic. RTTY
traffic received for autodin injection is reformatted by Global radi o operators prior to it
being placed into the system. Messages received from au todin fo r I-I F relay to ain.: raft
will he transmitted by the ground operator
without reformatti ng. R1TY se rvice presently provided is frequency shi ft keying
(FSK) mode at 100 words per minute (75
baud). 850 Hz shift with a center freque ncy
of 200 Hz (mark= I 575 Hz and space=2-l25
Hz).

I C2 fCommand and Control)

The Global system is used by mi litary
command and control agencies for military
mission tracking/control. Aircraft using the
Global system for these pu rposes normall y
transmi t an ini tial con tact/departure report to
a Global station as soon as possible after
leaving the point of departure. This message
genera lly consists of the following info rma tion:
Aircraft call sign
Departure point and time
Destination point and ti me
Relay instructi ons fo r mil itary C 1 agencies
Remarks: Dis ti ng uished Visitor/V IP
(DY) codes, special instruc ti ons. etc.

I Emergency Assistance and Direction

Finding
The Global system is capable of providing emergency assistance to a ircraft. Distress and urge nt situati ons arc identified by
the aircra ft using the prowords "Mayday" or
"Pan." While each Global stati on docs not
possess an HF direction finding capahi lity.
once an emergency has been identi fied, G lobal stati ons can coordinate direction finding
efforts between aircraft and direction finding
agencies/stations. This capability is also avai 1ablc to hel p locate suspected radio spectrum
interference.

 Message Broadcasts

Scheduled and unsc hedul ed high priority

Emergency Acti on Message (EAM) broadcasts are made by most Global stati ons on
their published frequencies. Transmissions
from aircraft on these frequencies during
broadcast pe riods are supposed to be limited
to emergency traffi c onl y.
EAM transmissions are one of two types
of high priority broadcast heard on Global
primary channels. Tracking and attempting
to analyze these EAM broadcasts is almost a
hobby in itself. One of ou r regular Ure World
contributors, Jeff Haverlah of Houston.
Texas, is really hooked on these transmissions and has managed to uncover some ve ry
interesting background information. (I confess I got him hooked.) Much of the basic
information below is from Jeff and we arc
indebted to him for his support lO this column.
Since June 1992 Emergency Action Messages usually start out wi th a six-character
preamble. The fi rst two posi tions in a preamble are known as static characters and can
be used to identify what type of EAM is
about to be broadcast. These static characters
can be "alpha-alpha," 'numeric-n umeric,"
"numeric-alpha," or "alpha-numeri c." Since
December 1994 the six-character preambles
have been repeated three times, instead of
twice. pri or to an EA M broadcast.
The most common EAM by far is 26
characters in length, and the lirst two characters of its preamble will generally stay 'static'
for a period of time that seems to vary between 9 to 26 days. From June 1994 to
September 30. 1996, EA Ms were commonly
transmi tted in 6120126 character sets. From
October I, 1996, to the present, this series of
EAM transmissions has been dominated by
26 c haracter sets with a somewhat rarer subset of 20 charm.:tcr EJ\Ms.
An even more rare type of EAM is the
variable character. Chara1.:ters in the message are norma lly 35-88 in length with 44
characters bei ng the most common. The largest known EAM to be broadcast in recent
years was a 500-plus character EAM transmitted on the afternoon of May 19. 1995. At
any particular time there seem to be two
static sets of variable-character EAMs in
use: There do not appear to be established
time periods for set replacement.
Another major change occurred October
I, 1996. A new two-character static series
appeared on theGHFS/Nightwatch nets. This
new se ri e~ consists of either 20 characters or
a vari able-character-count EAM using the

same static-character set (first two character

positions in an EAM tran smission).
These static sets are apparently used exclusively for the 20/20 portions of the 20/20/
26 character EA M broadcasts. They also
seem to be used exclusively for the static sets
that make up the "For .. : EAMs.
To illustrate how iteresting EAMs can be
here is a tidbi t noted by Jeff based on an EAM
broadcast:
"On the very day the Uni ted States
and Russia announced the implementati on of the re-targeti ng of each country's
nuclear weapons. there was a huge EAM
transmitted. I heard one of the operators
say that he was sending a 300+ character
EAM that day .. .. The operator droned on
and on for what seemed like forever."
The other type of high priority broadcast
that is mon itored on the GHFS frequencies is
known as Foxtrot. These transmissions sound
somethi ng like this:
"Skyk ing. Skyking thi s is Offutt,
Offu tt, do not answer, time 060 I, authenti cati on six whiskey sierra. I say again
(message is repeated) Offutt out."
Foxtrot broadcasts contain a higher priority message than EA M transmissions. It
has been noted on numerou s occasions that
during an EAM, all of the Globa l stations
will stop the broadcast to transmit a Foxtrot
message and. when it is finished, resume the
EA M broadcast.
According to one source I talked to,
Foxtrot broadcasts are EA Ms. They are messages that originate from U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) fo r the operational
fo rces. These arc the most important military
messages sent via radio.
We will never know what the content of
the indi vidual messages are, but it is still fun
to monitor and anal yze these cryptic messages.

Try this exercise

If you want to have some EAM fun try
this: Fi nd an act ive USSTRATCOM net (see
the March 1997 Utility World column for the
latest Zulu designator frequencies) and park
on one of the act ive STRATCOM net frequencies. Eventuall y you will hear a unit
wit h a USSTRATCOM call sign - same
station each day wit h a different call sign who wil l start transmitting the EAM . As
soon as he is tinishcd, tune your receiver to

11 175, 11 244 (or any other GHFS primary

channel). Even better. use a second receiver,
if possible.
Usually withi n a few seconds to a few
minutes, a strong carrier will come up first on
all or most GHFS frequencies (tuning up the
tran s m itter), then Offutt (so metimes
McClellan or Andrews) wi ll pop up on the
GHFS calling Mainsail or sometimes a tactical type call sign and wi ll repeat the EAM
you just heard on the Zulu channels. It will
then be repeated by the rest of the GHFS
ground stations.
Direct GHFS ATC Support?

The GHFS does not provide direct air

traffic control (ATC) support to the aircraft
that utilize this communications network.
All military aircraft now get ATC support
directly from civil/ICAO ATC facil ities
(more on these in next month 's Uti lity World).
Finally, the Global stations operate on
mutual freq uencies to provide increased "global" coverage. The published frequency listing does not reflect the complete system of
frequency authorizations. These published
frequencies are used for initial contact, EAM
broadcasts, and phone patch support. You
wi ll hear these Global stations move extended or special services requirements to
other available discrete frequenc ies. Table
One (see p. 37) is a complete listing of the
published GHFS frequencies made available
to Utility World from the Air Force.
I have also included a list of discrete
frequencies that have been located for each
Global stati on from my personal freq uency
list. It is far from complete, and if you hear a
GHFS station on a freq uency not listed in
table one, I would love to hear from you. You
should also watch Mystic Star frequencies
very carefully, as qu ite a few of these channels are used by indi vidual GHFS stations as
di scretes. in addition to VIP communi cations.
The GHFS frequencies offer the military
HF monitor with some of the best concentrated listening available in the Utility World
radio spectrum today. You don ' t have to wait
long to hear acti vity on these frequencies and
the short wait is usually rewarded with some
excellent communication intercepts.
Now. it is time to see what our monitoring crew have been hearing this month in the
Utility World radio spectrum. Gayle and I
would like to wish each of you and your
fami ly a happy holiday season and best wishes
for a prosperous 1998. Happy holidays de
NSFPW SK.

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

3S

_u_~_~_L_og_g_m_g_s_________________
Lorry Von Hom
Abbrev ia tion s used in thi s column
Air Force Base
Advanced Narrowband
Digital Voice Terminal
ARO
Synchronous
transmission and
automatic repetition
teleprinter system
ARO-E/E3/N Single channel ARO
teleprinter system
ARO-M2/4 Multiplex ARO
teleprinter system with
2 or 4 data channels
GARB
Channel Availability and
Readability Broadcast
CFL
Confidential Frequency
List
Com ms
Communications
cw
Continous Wave
(Morse code)
DTRE
Direction des
Telecommunications
des Reseaux Exte rieurs
DV
Distinguished Visitor
Emergency Action
EAM
Message
AFB
ANDVT

ETA
GHFS
HF
MAP
MFA
MOD
m/v
Ops
PAP
PAX
RTTY
SAM
SITOR
SI TOR-A
SITOR-B
Un id
VI P
81-81

Estimated Time of
Arrival
Global HF System
High Frequency
Maghreb Arabe Presse
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Ministry of Defense
Motor Vessel
Operations
Polska Agencja
Prasowa
Passengers
Radioteletype
Special Air Mission
Simplex teleprinting
over radio system
Simplex teleprinting
over radio system,
mode A
Simplex telep rinting
over radio system,
mode B
Unidentified
Very Important Person
Russian teleprinter
mode

4272.0
4442.0
4475.9
4717.5
4724.0
4742.0
5095.0
5430.0
5471.6
5691.0
5700.4
5711 .0
5800.0
6536.0
6709.5

All transmissio ns are USB (upper s ideband) un less otherwise indicated.

All freq uenc ies are in kH z (k ilohertz) and a ll times are UTC (Coordinated
T ime Universal)
2514.0
2606.0
2666.0
2705.0
2789.0
2813.0
2830.0
2840.7
2843.0
2844.0
2846.0
2890.0
3196.0
3764.0
4002.0
4211.0
4246.0

36

Unid station at 0440 with 75 baud RTTY text. (De Berti Paol-Viale
Serfontana, Morbio lnferiore. Switzerland)
FUO-French Navy Toulon, France, at 2008 with 75 baud RTIY test tape.
(De Berti Paol-Switzerland)
Un id station with 5-figure CW groups at 2040. (Ary Boender-Spijkenisse,
the Netherlands}
Unid station in CW with 50 pips per minute all night long starting at
1925. (Boender-Netherlands)
FUE-French Navy Brest. France. at 2013 with 75 baud RTTY test tape.
(De Berti Paol-Switzerland)
IGJ42-Augusta Radio, Italy, at 0513 with 100 baud RTIY test tape. (De
Berti Pao l-Switzerland}
SPB-Szcecin Radio, Poland, witha SITOR-B trafficlistat2100. (BoenderNetherlands}
DLGZ-m/v BG21-Bredstedt working German coast guard station at
Cuxhaven at 1920. (Boender-Netherlands}
PBB-Den Helder Radio, Nederland, at 0517 with 75 baud RTIYtest tape.
(De Berti Paol-Switzerland)
ULX-lsraeli Mossad station at 1900. (Boender-Netherlands)
The weird sounding station again, transmitting( .. -- .. -. - .. -) in CW at
1912. (Boender-Netherlands}
GYA-Royal Navy London, UK, at 0521 with 75 baud test tape. MGJRoyal Navy Faslane. UK, at 2018 with 75 baud RTIY test tape. (De Berti
Paol-Switzerland)
Prague Meleo. Czech Republic, with 50 baud RTIY meteo text at 1824.
(De Berti Paol-Switzerland }
PBB-D utch Navy Den Helder, Netherlands, with 75 baud RTTY GARB
broadcasts at 1435. (Boender-Netherlands)
YRR2-Bucarest Meteo. Romania, with 50 baud RTTY meteo tex1 at
1835. (De Berti Paol-Switzerland}
IGJ42-Augusta Radio. Italy, with 75 baud RTTY test tape at 1837. (De
Berti Paol-Switzerland}
Un id NATO station. probably Royal Navy in the UK with a 100 baud RTTY
transm ission at 2058, online encrypted messages after 16 RY's and
sync string VMGTCNJBH. (Boender-Netherlands)

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

6715.0
6739.6
6556.0
6761.0
6830.0
6993.0
7440.5
7624.0
7831.0
7846.5
8047.0
8535.0
8992.0
9016.0

9017.0

SPA-Gdynia Rad io. Poland, with CW marker at 2052. (Boender-Netherlands}

Air Force 2 working Andrews VIP regarding 0420 arrival at Andrews AFB.
Comms noted at 0345. (Jeff Jones-CA)
P-Russian Navy Kaliningrad. Russia, single letter HF CW marker at 2050.
(Boender-Netherlands)
ANDVT communications noted here at 0700. (Jones-CA}
McClellan as lead GHFS station with a 6 (5SHADU)/20 (5S)/26 (6A)
character EAM set over an eight minute period at 0422. (Jeff HaverlahHouston. TX)
SAM 375 departed MacDill 0325 with 0 DV + 0 PAX, ETA at Andrews AFB
of 0530. 375 was working Andrews VIP at 0415. 54-Echo (British
accent) working unid at 0516. (Jones-CA)
CFH-Canadian Forces Halifax NS, Canada, using 75 baud RTIY text plus
call at 0634. (De Berti Paol-Switzerland)
Numerous one and two letter callsigns (e.g. Delta, Golf, Lime, Sie rra,
sometimes with Juliette added in front). Heard Texaco mentioned at
0255. (Jones-CA)
LN2A-Norsk PTT Sveio, Norway, with CW marker and data burst at 2030.
(Boender- Netherlands)
Russian vo lmet with female announcer at 1120. (Harry Riddell-Rochester, NY)
Delta-2-Victor wo rking Habitat for sig nal checks at 2222. (Jones-CA)
King 61 working Moffett Rescue with ops normal and authentication
challenge at 0230. (Jones-CA)
Overtone called and worked NIGHTWATCH 01at1239. (Haverlah-TX)
PBC-Dutch Navy Goree Island. Netherlands, with 75 baud RTTY text at
1931. (De Berti Paol-Switzerland)
Oriole working various stations. Avenger working unid station at 2127.
At 2145 unid station called MOHAWK. (Haverlah-TX)
Nightwatch 01 working Twin Bed and set Z160 as primary and Z175 as
secondary network frequency at 0116. (Haverlah-TX)
MacDill GHFS off frequency, with an EAM broadcast at 0517. Remained
off freq for other EAM transmissions as well. (Haverlah-TX)
Perth Aerorad io calling Ujang Pandang at 1105. Pandang replies. th ough
signal weak. (Riddell-NY)
Strike Hawk (sounded like} working Astra 57 regarding aerial refueling
at 0436. (Jones-CA}
SAM 375 ( DV + 0 PAX} and five crew. departed MacDill at 0325, ETA
Andrews AFB at 0530 working Andrews VIP at 0329. (Jones-CA)
SPAR 19 working And rews VIP with phone patch to Hilda East at 0125.
(Jones- CA)
ANDVT comms noted here at 1656. (Jones-CA}
HZN47-Jeddah Meleo. Saudi Arabia. using 100 baud RTTY with meteo
text at 0303. (De Berti Paol-Switzerland)
Nightwatch 01 working Twin Bed. but was complaining of "too much
ORM" (the common data tones on this freq) at 011 6. Moved to Z160.
(Haverlah-TX)
ANDVT comms noted here at 2300. (Jones-CA)
SAM 206 working Andrews VIP for new pri mary frequency and phone
patch at 0158. (Jones-CA}
6WW-French Navy Dakar, Senegal, using 75 baud RTIY test plus call at
0514. (De Berti Paol-Switzerland}
MacDill with a 20-character EAM (6AHAOR.. ) At 2234. (Haverlah-TX}.
Overslide calling and working Nightwatch 01 (unheard here} at 0510.
Mudguard then called and worked Overslide. At 0527, Mudguard requested a data check with Overslide, but begged off as" ... his ACS is
setting up for Playground." At 0605 Overslide (with noisy background
picked up by his mic) broadcast a26-character EAM. At 1427, Nightwatch
01 (weak here} broadcast a 26-character EAM taken from a McClellan
20/20/26 character EAM set transmitted sl ightly earlier on GHFS. At
1447 Nightwatch 01 worked Stiletto in clear voice and ANDVT. At 1517
Stiletto worked Nightwatch 01 and requested some data comms. At
1845 Stiletto worked Nightwatch 01 and moved to Z190. PAC OM 01
working Hickam with a phone patch to Hickam weather. At 1450 MacDill
called McClellan. At 1500 MacDill responds to McClellan and they both
move to 11 181.0. (HaverlahTX)
PAC OM 01 working Andrews with a phone patch to Andrews VIP at 2022.
(Haverlah-TX}

9023.0
9126.9
9250.8
9270.0
9320.0

9835.2
9991.5
10204.0
10445.2
10535.1
10544.0
10550.0
10722.0
10872.0

11053.0
11084.0
11175.0

11181.0
11214.0
11217.0
11220.0

11229.0

11244.0
11460.0
11494.0

13242.0
13245.0
13440.0
14656.0
14894.5
15016.0

Bigfoot Surveillance working Chalice Bravo with periodic signal checks

at 2358. (Jones-CA)
RFIJD-French Forces Libreville at 0514 with an ARO-E3 96/386 idling.
(Robert Hall-Capetown, RSA)
FJY2-DTRE Kerguelen at 0520 with an AROE3 96/386 idling. (HallRSA)
ANDVT comms noted here at 0213. (Jones-CA)
PACOM 01 (DV-2). ETA Hickam at 0630 working Andrews VIP with
signal checks and phone patch regarding the possibility of flying with
the Speckled Trout group at 0122. (Andrews VIP checking/using
remote sites out of Yokota and Hickam.). (Jones-CA)
Unid station at 0530 with an ARO-M2 96/400 idling. Good tune. Not
listed in Klingenfuss guide or CFL. (Hall-RSA)
SAM 375 working Andrews VIP with phone patch traffic at 0100.
(Jones-CA)
Stiletto worked Nightwatch 01at1846. (Haverlah-TX)
Maputo at 0559 with SITOR-A 5-character alpha,1umeric urgente
cryptograma groups to Tete. (Hall-RSA)
RDL-Moscow Naval? at 0604 with 50/250 RTTY. Unable decode. (HallRSA)
SAM 375 working Andrews VIP radio for signal checks on Mystic Star
F-577 at 0045. (Jones-CA)
GFL23-Bracknell Meleo, UK, with 75 baud RTTY meteo text at 0913. (De
Berti Paol-Switzerland)
Un ids (Spanish language) setting up data circuit and then into data
comms. Had the same buzzsaw sound heard on US military long-haul
circuits at 0605. (Jones-CA)
P-Russian Navy Kaliningrad, Russia, single letter HF CW marker at
1656. C- Russian Navy Moscow, Russia, single letter HF CW marker at
1656. S-Russian Navy Arkhangelsk, Russia, single letter HF CW marker
at 1656. (Boender-Netherlands)
SAM 971 working Andrews VIP and SPAR 19 at 0135. (Jones-CA)
Mocasin 04 working (in the blind) Coyote en route site 30 at 0121.
Mocasin 04 calling Mocasin 81 and Jello 75. No joy at 0130. (Jones-CA)
McClellan as lead GHFS station with a 20(5S)/20(5S)/26(SN) character
EAM set over a seven minute period at 1426. McClellan as lead GHFS
station with a 89-character EAM (WIOEU5..) at 1110. Nightwatch 01
working MacDill for a radio check and gone at 1417. Andersen. at good
levels here, with a 6A .. EAM broadcast at 0530. (Haverlah-TX)
MacDill working McClellan in voice and data at 1502. (Haverlah-TX)
SAM 375 (0 DV + OPAX). working Andrews VIP with phone patches
regarding a 0240 arrival at Andrews AFB (Jones-CA)
King 29 working Mac Dill with a phone patch to an unid unit about an AR
schedule at 0032. (Jones-CA)
SAM 206 working Andrews VIP with phone patch traffic. Andrews using
the ever troublesome HickamNOX remote site at 0203. Also SAM
26000 working Andrews VIP with phone patch to SAM Command at
2225. (Jones-CA)
Truthful working Nightwatch 01 (unheard here) at 1227. At 1455
Nightwatch 01 (now very strong here) working Retention (very strong)
and advised that Truthful was in the net but currently in monitor only
status. and that the current traffic was HYKCLR and HYNP74. (HaverlahTX)
McClellan as lead GHFS station with a 20 (5S)/20 (5S)/26 (6A) character EAM set over a 14 minute period at 1648. (Haverlah-TX)
SAM 201 working Andrews with phone patch traffic (to Howard base
ops) at 1444. (Haverlah-TX)
Nightwatch 01 working Teatime (or maybe Teetime?) in clear voice and
extensive ANDVT comms at 1507. At completion of the ANDVT stuff
Nightwatch 01 wished Teatime a sate flight and he would catch them
later. Frequency then went quiet. (Haverlah-TX)
Overtone called and worked MacDill who moved them to 15043.0 at
1425. (Haverlah-TX)
Unid station working Nightwatch 01 (unheard here) and set Z220 as net
secondary and Z205 as primary at 1707. (Haverlah-TX)
SAM 375 (0 DV + 11 ) inbound Mac Dill with ETA of 0220, working
Andrews VIP at 0015.(Jones-CA)
SPW-Warsawa Radio, Poland, at 1333 with a voice marker calling all
ships. (Boender-Netherlands)
ANDVT comms noted at 1830. (Jones-CA)
McClellan as lead GHFS station (Offutt's been off for over a month on
this duty) as lead GHFS station with a 56-character (or maybe 55) EAM
"FOR unid station" (sounded like "three" or "tree" at 1404). (HaverlahTX) Jeff, Offutt was off the air for their Scope Command equipment

15043.0
16454.5
17 400.3
18040.0
18042.9
18268.2
18297.0
18380.5
18380.6
18597.7
18648.7

installation according to my sources. You should be hearing Offutt nowLarry.

Overtone called and worked MacDill who attempted to move him to
17973.0 (nothing heard here) at 1426. (Haverlah-TX)
SPW-Warsawa Radio. Poland, with a CW marker at 1334. (BoenderNetherlands)
5ST83-Antananarivo Meleo at 1129 with 100/401 RTTY weather codes.
(Hall- RSA)
TCY4-AA Ankara, Turkey. with 50 baud RTTY Turkish news at 1310.
(Boender- Netherlands)
RFTJ-French Forces Dakar, Senegal, at 1622 with 192/385 ARO-E3
"Code de Voie" on TJD ci rcuit identification. Unlisted Klingenfuss/ CFL.
(Hall-RSA)
HBO-Probable MFA Berne, Switzerland, at 0932 SITOR-A. Lots of 5letter groups to an unknown station. (Hall-RSA)
RFQP-French Forces Jibouti, Jibouti, at 1005 with ARO-E3 100/370
"Code de Voie." Unlisted Klingenfuss. (Hall-RSA)
RFVl-French Forces Le Port, Reunion Island, at 1733 ARO-E3100/400
"Code de Voie" on IRE circuit identification . (Hall-RSA)
MOD Paris, France, at 1636 ARO-E3100/400 with 1253 51etter groups.
Hoka Code 3 Gold decoding groups in both ARO-E3 and M2. (Hall-RSA)
Spanish Embassy Kinshasa at 0850 with non-stop SITORA pulses for
hours. (Hall-RSA)
SOT2658-PAP Warsaw. Poland, at 1740 with SITOR-B frequency info.
(Hall- RSA)

TABLE 1: Global HF System Published Frequencies

All times ore UTC, oil frequencies are in kHz, and the mode is USB.
Published frequencies: 4724, 6712, 6739, 8968, 8992, 11175, 13200, 15016,
17976 kHz.
Unpublished discretes: See individual stations below, plus 11214 and 11226 kHz
Andersen AB, Guam:
Andrews AFB, MD:
Unpublished discretes:
Ascension Is:
Unpublished discretes:
Croughton , UK:

Unpublished discretes:
Elmendorf AFB, AK:
Unpublished discretes:
Hickam AFB, HI:
Unpublished discretes:
lnc)rlik AB, Turkey:
Unpublished discretes:
Lajes AB, Azores:
Unpublished discretes:
MacDill AFB, FL:
Unpublished discretes:
McClellan AFB, CA:

Unpublished discretes:
Offutt AFB, NE:
Unpublished discretes:
Thule AB, Greenland:
Unpublished discretes:
Yokota AB, Japan:

6739 (09002000). 8968 (24 hours), 11175

(24 hours) 13200 (20000900)
4724 (24 hours), 6739(00011000), 8968
(24 hours}. 11175 (24 hours). 15016 (24
hours}. 17976 (1000 2400)
9016, 11181, 11244, 15043
6739 ( 18000600), 8992 (24 hours), 11175
(24 hours), 15016 (0600-1800)
9016, 13204, 146 15, 14635, 18019, 18801
4724 (0500 2300), 6712 (0500 2300), 8992
0500 2300!, 1117512300-05001, 13200
123000500 . 150 16 2300-0500 . 17976
(2300-0500
4894, 5078, 6731 , 7927, 7933, 9057,
10427, 10881 , 11129, 11181, 11220,
11 244
4724 (24 hours' ). 6739 (24 hours"), 8968
(24 hours), 11175 (24 hours), 13200 (24
hours' ), 1501 6(24 hours" ), 17976(24hours)
6715, 90 16
6739 (0400 l 600), 8968 (24 hours). 11175
(24 hours). 13200 (1600-0400)
4745, 6715,9016, 11181, 13242, 15043,
17973
4724 (24 hours), 6739 (24 hours), 11175
(24 hours). 15016 (24 hours), 17976 (24
hour s)
4850, 7805, 7961 , 8026, 11118, 11244,
11445
6739 (24 hours), 8968 (24 hours), 15016
(24 hours)
5739, 9023, 11271
6739 (00010900),8992 (24 hours), 11175
(24 hours). 15016 (0900-2400)
6683, 6715, 6730, 9016, 10462, 11 181,
11217, 11244, 13242, 14615, 15043
4724 (0400 1600), 6739 (0400-1600), 8968
(24 hours). 11175 (24 hours). 13200 (1600
04001, 15016 (16000400). 17976 (24
hours
4745,9016, 11058, 11181, 11244, 13242,
15043
6739 (2300-0800), 8968 (24 hours). 111 75
(24 hours) 17976 (0800-2300)
9025, 9057, 10935, 11211, 11 244, 15043
4724 (24 hours). 6739 (24 hours). 8968 (24
hours), 11175 (24 hours). 13200 (24 hours)
571 1, 11181 , 11244, 11271 , 11494, 13242,
1509 1
4724 ( l 0002100), 6739 ( l 0002100), 8968

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

37

:;no
~-S_h___
"~orlwave ~_-_,_......,
roaacastmg

-~

Glenn Hauser, P.O.Box 1684-MT, Enid, OK73702

E-mail:<ghauser@hotmoil.com>; fax: (405) 233-2948, ATT: Hauser

Solving the Problem of 'Wooden" Frequencies

O lav G rimdalen, of the Nor wegi an T elecommuni cations A dmini stration in Oslo, writes in Elec1ro11ic DX Press:
I've j ust returned from another H F coordi nati on conference
( H FCC) in Warsaw . We managed to sol ve most of the colli sions,
but there will always be some problems w hich we wou ld have
liked to solve in another way . Coordi nation is to negotiate to find
solu tions. Most of the delegates have understood this and do their
bestto help each other. O thers were not too w illing this time to help
out.
In order to find out i f admini strations reall y would use the

frequenci es they had put down in their schedules, three moni toring
stations wi ll start monitoring the w hole schedule of the H FCC
group. T his is to try to put an end to the use of "wooden"
frequenc ies which have been implemented into the database
duri ng the conference. ''Wooden" frequencies are those that may
not be used by administrations- such are used as a trading object
or to prevent others from using them. HFCC has urged member s
not to register frequencies unless they intend to use them. T he
results of the moni toring will be discussed during the next meeting, in Bel gium in February.

ALGERIA R.Algiers. 3rd network, on odd 16295.12 with terrific signals one day at 1500day afternoons, but still includes a lot of CBC English programming, especially on
1900 including English at 1600-1700 but not on announced 1171 5, 15160; gone
weekends (via Dave Jeffery, NY)
the next day (Maarten van Delft, Holland, DSWCI DX Window])
CKFX, 6080, Vancouver, is never coming back to SW; a modified 100-watt ham
transm itter would have cost many thousands of dollars to get "type approved" by
AUSTRALIA RA expected to have to let go another 20 staff members in Oct, such as in
the English correspondence section reducing from five to one person or one
the government, and a 1 kW SW transmit1er as much as $30K, per Jack Wiebe, CE
sesquiperson, and a pro-forma let1er rather than individual QSLs might be
(Ben Krepp, Cumbre DX)
necessary, says Nigel Holmes on Feedback (BBCM) R. Australia has boosted the
CONGO R. Congolaise de la Liberte, 5985 was the new ID at 1800 and 1835 after
number of RealAudio streams from 80 to 200 and eventually will rise to 4000
Brauaville fell in fighting; back at 1700 it was R. Democratique Congolaise. Not to
available at once (Russell Naughton, RA webmaster on Feedback via BBCM) RA
be confused with VORGAN Angola also on 5985v after 1900 (Mahendra Vaghjee.
Mauritius)
switched 5870 to 5890 from 1200 (gh) Probably caused by new N. Korean on
COSTA RICA RFPl's GlobalCommunity Forumforfourth quarter became liveUT Fridays
5872.3 (Hans Johnson. Cumbre DX)
0200-0300 on 7385, 7585 with call-ins, including Far Right Radio Review roughly
AUSTRIA Portugal clash on 9655 was RDP's mistake. moved too early to a W97
every other week; taped interview segments only are repeated Sunday 2230-2300
frequency, as ORF then replaced it with 7325 for winter, at 0000-0300 but English
retimed to 0130 only; to NAm also 1330 on 13730, and via Canada again both 0530
(gh)
CROA TIA [non] Croatian Radio, Zagreb, W97 relays via Germany: 0700-0800 on 11730
& 0630 on 6015 (ORF)
BELGIUM RVI W97 English reduced to only four on SW, and only one of them via relays
230 NZ; 0800-1000 on 11730 260 Au; 2100-2200 on 9590 160 SAf; 0000-0159
now avai lable for Dutch: 0830 Eu 6130, Au 13795; 1300NAm 13680; 1730 Eu 5910,
on 9505 240 SAm; 0200-0400 on 5840 320 WNAm and on 6120 300 ENAm (BC9925, ME via Germany 11 680; 1830Al 13745 (RVI Radio World via Steven Cline.
DX)
CUBA Rising solar flux means the return of broadcast harmonEdwin Southwell)
ics on the 18, 19. 23, 24 and even 30 MHz bands; already
BOLIVIA New 10 kW station by SIM International, which used to have ELWA in Liberia,
is R. Mosoj Chaski, Cochabamba. Will go on air as soon as licensed; studio
RHC heard on 18210 = 3 x 6070 at 1415. bet1er signal than
fading fundamental (gh, OK) RHC W97 add 6180 at 0500construction is complete. and a programm ing team has moved in (Marlin Field,
0700 (Arnie Coro. DXers Unlimited')
NASWA Listeners Notebook)
Heard for a few days in September was R. Nacional de Bolivia, La Paz on 4200.6
RHC is running two separate contests with trips to Cuba
around 0200 (Horacio Nigro. Uruguay) In this country, "R. Nacional" stations are
as prizes. One asks you to answer a question about a poet.
not government. but private or union-owned; the real radio-nacional is R. lllimani
and the other to write an essay on worker's health; deadlines
are in 1998, so if interested, ask RHCforentry forms, details
(Don Moore)
From an extensive survey of Bolivian SW activity during a visit in September: R.
(via Gigi Lytle)
[non] Anti-Castro Clandestine Radio Page has archives
Libertad, La Paz. uses 5005 only for football game relay, Wed 2300-0200, SaVSun
on stations and frequencies, and samples of actual transmissions:
1830-2230v. R. Ems. Bolivia. 4756v has been inactive for a long time. but plans to
http://www . geocilies . com/Capitol Hill/Lobby/ 8115/ (AFM, web master.
resume SW with new or repaired transmit1ers; current AM &FM sked is 1000-1300.
rec.radio. shortwave)
R.-TV Colonia, Yapacani. 6557. has been inactive since August when transmit1er
was destroyed by thunder'; sked was 2100-0200 (Takayuki Inoue N.. RelfJmpago
CYPRUS TURKISH R. Bayrak writes: We still plan to be back on air before yearend. A
new 7.5 kW transmitter is being manufactured by CCA in Fairburn, GA, but behind
DX)
schedule. Installation planned for end of Nov (M. Tosun via Dan Henderson, NU via
BRAZIL R. Cultura audible at various times between 0900and 1730 when 17815 is clear
Electronic DX Press) E-mail: <tosun@cc.emu.edu.tr> (Tosun viaChristoph Ratzer.
of other stations (Noel Green. England, BC-DX)
BC-DX)
BULGARIA R. Bulgaria, W97 English hours: 1200 Eu on 15130 15290; 2000 & 2200 Eu
on 7530 9700; 0000 &0500 NAm on 7375 9485 (Andreas Volk, BC-DX)
CZECH REPUBLIC R. Prague's W97 sked is effective only until Dec 31, as French,
BURMA [non ] Democratic Voice of Burma, via Germany W97 daily 1245-1345 on
Spanish and German were expected to be cancelled after that date. The morning
English to us remains, shifted to 1400-1430 still on 13580, and also to EAf on
11850 ex-15330 (BC-DX)
21700; includes locally-recorded music, mostly jazz. Sats at 1404 (gh) Other W97
CAMEROON After more than a year, the mysterious African on 3970 has been IDed as
CRTV Buea at 2200 //4850 with presumed relay from Yaounde; must be new
English to us: 2100 on 5930; 2230 & 0000 on 5930 7345; 01OOon 6200; 0300 on
transmitter as too strong for listed 4 kW (Bob Hill, MA, DSWCI DX Window)
5930 7345 (via Michie! Schaay, BC-DX)
ETHIOPIA R. Ethiopia external service on 9560,
CANADA Wojtek Gwiazda, who was active in the
7165: 1200-1300 Somali, 1300-1400 Afar,
Coalition to Restore Full RCI Funding, has be1400-1500 Arabic, 1600-1700 English with
All times UTC; All frequencies kHz; * before hr= sig11
come the new host of RCl's Mailbag (gh)
news at 1630, 1700-1800 French; also carries
RC l's new 25mb frequency to USA evenings
0 11, *after hr =sign off; II =parallel programming;
V. of Peace, UNICEF-funded humanitarian
is 11865, including English at 2300, 0000 and
+ conti1111i11g but not mo11iwred; 2 x freq =2nd
service in Somali at 1100-1200 on 11800.
0200. Same programs continue to Eu, NAm, but
harmonic; J-97=May-Sept; Z-97=Summer season; W9560. Separate R. Ethiopia National Service
one UT hour later (via Bill Westenhaver, RGI)
97=Winter
season;
[non]
=
Broadcast
to
or
for
the
listed
has English MF 1030-1100 on 9705, 711 0,
The new CBC Northern Quebec, 9625 schedcountry, but 11ot necessarily originating there.
5990 (BBCM)
ule has deleted Cross Country Checkup on Sun-

38

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

[non] unlDon 5910 viaGermany, UT Sat only at 0100-01 59 mentions Ethiopia,

Somalia (Ivan Grishin, Ont., World of Radio) Our Nairobi unit identifies it as a new
opposition station in Amharic, Rainbow Radio (Keste Damena Radio). the voice of
peaceand brotherhood. also announcing broadcasts to Eth/EAi Thu 1600- t 700 on
15365, WEu Sat 1900-2000 on 6130 (Dave Kenny, BBC Monitoring) But seemingly
absent from the W97 DTK schedule (gh)
FINLAND OSL manager of R. Finland has changed: report now to Raimo Makela. PL
113, 28101 Pori (Makela, Electronic OX Press)
GABON Disregard last month's item: it was not news, but a 1970 retrospective
(Wolfgang Busche!)
GEORGIA "KVOH" via 100 kW Tbilisi W97:
tJI GI> Mwe >-1nrne crJ1>-11s m 1es
1300-1530 SAs 9310122: 1430-2000
TIJe v 01ce or- IJope
Eu 7520 332; 1600-1700 EAi 9310
151; 1600-2200 Eu 6290 302 (Bob
German, George Jacobs & Associates
via Wolfgang Biischel) These registrations may not be used in their entirety.
GERMANY DW's English to NAm at 0100,
...... """"""""'"xs;,,~.FVRmREil
0300, 0500 for fourth quarter made
1 ':!~~~~~~~'ENCIVfNro~~ I
some changes such as Mailbag moved
to UT Mon following the news. presumably still replaced by World DX Meeting the
last week of month (Jim Moats. OH. Review of International Broadcasting) And the
fourth quarter print issue of tune in was the last. to be replaced by program
previews on Internet (Ivan Grishin, R.l.B.)
AWR in English via Jlilich W97: 2030-2130 WAI on 9835 200 (via Michiel
Schaay. BC-DX)
Telefunken and Berlin Technical University are registered for digital mode tests
any day at 1000-1600 on 5900 60 via JOlich (BC-DX)
HUNGARY R. Budapest W97 English: Eu 2000 3975 9535. 2200 3975 9840; NAm 0200
6030 9840, 0330 601 O9840 (Andreas Volk, Electronic DX Press) 6030 may have
a slight problem from R. Marti. But printed sked shows 11910 instead: also at 2000
9840 not 9535 (via Gigi Lytle)
R. Budapest heard all evening on 7950 =2 x 3975 (Maarten van Delft, Holland,
DSWCI DX Window) Five special weekly 7-minute Italian broadcasts were scheduled on R. Budapest in November (Luigi Cobisi, The Four Winds)
/CELANO RUV: Eu 1215-1440 [sio--used to betwo separate broadcasts] 11402. 13860:
1855-1930 on 7735 9275; Ams 1410-1440 & 1935-201 0 on 11402 13860: 23002335 on 9275 11402 (Icelandic NPR via Bob Padula, EDXP)
INDONES/A VOi English at2000-2100 on new 7225 //9525 (Mikhail Timofeyev. Russia.
DSWCI DX Window)
Altho RRI Surabaya is listed on 3976, it is believed inactive. and heard instead
an IDfor RRI Pontianak at 1515 after Jakarta news relay on 3976.1 (Juichi Yamada.
Japan, Jembatan DX)
Several private and local government-run radio stations are under investigation
for fraud-the latter for airing commercials illegally, the former for operating
without a permit from the ministry (Asia Pacific Broadcasting via Electronic DX
Press)
/RAD RIrs English kept changing times: in early October on some days it was at 20572157 on 11785. co-channel to OW in English and Brazil (Brian Alexander. PA.
World of Radio) English heard at 0400 on 11787 mentioning another English at
1030 (Ben McNenly. Ont.. Cumbre DX) Rep. of Iraq. R. on another bizarre
frequency, 9114.7v at 1742-1922v with anti-Sa'udi rhetoric//9715 (Bob Hill. MA,
DSWCI DX Window)
IRELANO [non] West Coast Radio Ireland. via Germany. for W97: ENAm Thu 01000159 5905; AfThu 1900-20001 1665; WEu Sat 1500-16006175 (BC-DX) A"5" day
of week in the sked for 0100 indicates UT Fri instead of Thu (Ivan Grishin. Ont.)
Threatened to cancel the Al broadcast if it didn't start getting response (Grishin and
Finbarr O'Driscoll, R.1.8.)
JORDAN R. Jordan's director of foreign services. Jawad Zada. sent aletter to those who
had sent reception reports as long as nine years ago, saying they have new stateof-the-art powerful computerized transmitters. and inviting letters to the twiceweekly Friends Abroad program. which during the English broadcast on 11 690
time-shifted for winter to 1100-1730, should appear Thursdays at 1230 and
Saturdays at 1530.
KOREA NORTH KCNA criticized reports of increased funding for R. Free Asia: With
socialism frustrated and the people's cause of independence suffering setback in
some countries. the imperialists are trying hard to obliterate the Chuche character
and national character of other countries and gratifying their dominationist
ambition (BBCM)
FrontlineSoldiersRadio has three separatebut similar programs on 1613. 2625
and 3025, all variable, at 1400-2000 ; listen for ID and station jingle at approximately half past every hour. Spurs from 3025 are sometimes heard on 301 3, 3057
(Sonny Ashimori. Japan. hard-core-dx') Then they were all inactive for at least a
week (Ashimori. Cumbre DX)
KOREA SOUTH To commemorate 200th edition of my DX Report on RKI. AWR has been
invited to provide special one-time broadcast for relay by RKI on regular English
broadcasts Dec 21 and early Dec 22; special OSLs and three different sites
possible-Kimje, Skelton. Sackville (Bill Matthews. OH) Such as 11 37 UT Sun on
Sackville 9650

KURDISTAN V. of Iranian Kordestan R.. 3942 in Persian and Kurdish. announced sked
1400-1530. repeated 0330-0500. Freqs have varied in past in these ranges: 38753965. 4060-4370, 4630-4665. 4890-5080, 7050-7420 (BBCM)
[non ] V. of Independent Kurdistan, Turkey, 6205, 1400-1527' with anthem,
Kurdish talk and music, heavily jammed. but becamebetter and better on USB (Finn
Krone. Denmark, DSWCI DX Window)
V. of Independent Kurdistan. PKK mouthpiece hostile to Turkey, last heard in
Sept 1995. was heard again in late August at 1400-1 545 on 6205 (BBCM)
See htlp:l/www.humanrights.de/- kurdweb (Mathias Kropf, World DX Club
Contac~

LAOS LNR. 6130, was weak but clear at 1140-1210 in early October with sunrise/sunset
enhancement (J. D. Stephens. AL)
LIBERIA Star Radio started SW tests Sept 16 with 10 kW, usually 0500-0800. 17002000 alternating between 3400 and 5880 (Olav Nordli, DX Listeners' Club, Norway)
Not 5890 as initially planned (gh) Collins transmitter actually at 4 kW, in 17
languages. Fax 231/227360; E-mail <libe@atge.automail.com> (George Bennet1,
Star Radio via Jerry Berg, NU via Electronic DX Press)
LITHUANIA [non) R. Vilnius mailbag, UT Sunday around 0045 on 5910 via Germany,
said for W97 they would move to 5905, still at 0030-0100. Mailbag also heard on
a UT Thu. Fax on 5907.5 will be just as big a problem. but away from another ute
on 5915 (gh) 5907.5 is USAF Air Weather Service fax from Elkhorn, Of1utt AFB,
Nebraska (Larry Van Horn)
MALI [non] An English schedule from China Radio International dated May 5 was
received in Oct with the former Mali relay frequencies 9710 and 11 71 5 at 0000 and
0300 marked out: and the same forE&SAI at 1600 15130. 1511 0 replaced by 9565.
9620: 2000 & 2100 on 11 715, 1511 0 replaced by 9535, 71BO; but we suspect the
new ones are Urumchi rather than Mali (via Gigi Lytle)
MEXICO XERTA became a nightly fixture in Oct, testing 4800.7 all night with nothing
but avariety of nicemusic and frequent IDs (gh) Oncetests therearecomplete, may
try 15120 next (Hector Garcia. Mexico) 4800 became the best SW signal from
Mexico here (Harry Helms. San Diego, www.DXing.corrt
XERMX has a new manager. Martin Rizo Gavira (Hector Garcia)
R. Huayacocotla. 2390 sked is Mon-Sat 1200-1 600, 2000-2400 (Nayarit DX
Club via XERMX Estaci6n DX) Perhaps one hour later now after DST. R. Ibero is
relayed by R. Huaya daily at 2101-0950 (Erick Fernandez. R. Ibero via Stig H.
Lindholm. WDXC Contac~ Timezone for this unclear. maybe local
MONACO [non] Besides 9755. TWR in English at 0730 has also been using unannounced 9684.Bv via Cerrik. Albania (Noel Green, England, BC-DX) W97 W97
English shows 9755 only, 0755-0920 daily, Sun 0745-0950. Sat -0935 (TWR via
Gigi Lytle)
MONGOLIA VO M's new English schedule effective until March 28: 1200-1230 on 12085
Au. 1500-1530on 9720 12085 SAs. 1930-2000 on 9720 12085 Eu (Niels A. Holst.
Denmark, DSWCJ DX Window) Choice of frequencies
1s not completely up to VO M. Sorry reception isn't
better. but we have no relays. All VOM broadcasts
come directly from Khonkhor station, 25 km east of
Ulaanbaatar. with Soviet-made 100, 250 and 500 kW,
curtain antennas built in mid-sixties. R. Ulan Bator
English was launched on Jan 29. 1965, and renamed
~
...... fS-tTO
'- .......... ~-..
uu
Voice of Mongolia on Jan 1. 1997. Curtains are aimed
. C900-p91p . ""' {
at these bearings: 126, 178. 230, 306. 358. E-mail
,_
.......,,..,..'terminal is inconvenient and difficult to use so often
"'_... .., ...-..
respond
to
E-mail
by
P- mail;
<radiomongolia@magicnet.mn> (David O'Connor via
~:?.~~~,;:~~~~~
Uwe Volk. BC-DX)
We supplied a 2 kW SW transmitter for Saynshand in the Dornogobi desert.
expected on ai r by end of Oct. Part of aid program for shepherds sponsored by
Danish govt. likely with news. weather, educational programs. Reports wanted, on
4790 (Transmitter provider [ELCOR Costa Rica?] via Ludo Maes via Nikolay
Pashkevich, EDXP)
NETHERLANDS RN's Media Network will decide in December whether to broaden the

.-.... . . . . .

. . ."'"' --

..-....- ... ....... .

DX Listening Digest

More broadcasting information by country compiled

by Glenn Hauser

Review of International Broadcasting

SW Programming , opinion , equipment , satellite monitoring.
Samples $2.50 each (outside North America US $3 or 6 IRCs)
10 issue subscriptions $26 in USA, or both for $49

Glenn Hauser, Box 1684-MT, Enid , OK 73702

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

39

~~

the Global Forum {continued}

program further with much less info on SW. Propagation review, certain station
profiles, in-depth receiver reviews would disappear from the on-air version.
Listeners were being surveyed about this (via Wolfgang Busche!)
NEW ZEALAND Paul Ormandy succeeds the late Arthur Cushen as purveyor of DX news
on RNZl's Mailbox, UT Mon 0430 on 15115, 1130 on 9700, Thu 0830 on 9700 (gh)
RNZI W97 effective to March 29: 1650 M-F981O;1853(Sat1858) 11735; 2052 (Sat
2059) 15115; 0458 11905; 0815 (SaVSun 0758)-1206 9700; 1206 occasional
sport 6070 (RNZI printed schedule) Another version by E-mail shows the Sat start
of 11 735at1959, and the 1206 standby as 6105 (Adrian Sainsbury)
NICARAGUA R. Miskut, 5770-USB heard as late as 0319 one evening with variety of
US, Spanish pops, ID, closing with anthem (Brian Alexander, PA)
NIGERIA [non] R. New Nigeria. as headlined last month. quickly replied by E-mail;
besides the UT Sun 0100-0129 broadcast on 5910 via Germany to NAm, others
were Sat 0600-0629 11 995 to Al, Sun 1500-1 529 6175 to CEu. Said they started
June 12 (but apparently no one in the DX world noticed for three months until Ivan
Grishin discovered them in Sept). Check http://Www.nagdhr.comand the preferred
E-mail address is <radioNNig@aol.com>, per Maureen Gold of RNN. Maybe it
continues, but did not appear in the original W97 Deutsche Telekom sked (gh,
World of Radio)
PAKISTAN R. Pakistan has only two powertul transmitters in good repair, and two more
in disrepair marked as "v", including English: 0230-0245 7255, 15119-15125v,
15485, 17705v; 1100-1120 15520, 17835; 1600-1 630 9515, 11565. This includes
home service news at 1600//3664v, 4790v, 5027v, 6070v, 9600v, and slow speed
news at 1615 (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg, NEARS Monitoring via DSWCI
DX Window) Reports are welcomed by the Engineering Manager. PBC HQ,
Frequency Management Cell, Broadcasting House, Islamabad (Noel Green, England, Play-DX via The Four Winds)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA Two more provincial stations were to close down, R.
West New Britain, and R. North
Solomons. R. New Ireland previously closed down. Funding supposed to come from provincial governments did not come through. Only R. East New Britain and R. Manus are
continuing with sound financial help from their governments (PNG Post-Couriervia
BBCM)
Several other stations are no longer heard due to thievery and vandalism.
probably inside jobs, or other breakdowns (Hans Johnson, Cumbre DX)
PARAGUAY LV del Chaco Paraguayo. Mennonite, continues plans for SW, with an
antenna designed by Jim Heck formerly of HCJB; transmitter could be from 1 to 1O
kW for regional coverage. Currently has two half-hours in English on MW (Arne
Boschmann, LVCP, on HCJB DX Partyline)
PERU R. San Francisco Solano, 4750.1 , blasting in 0052 with devotional, then strange
mix of music, plugs for beverages (Henrik Klemetz, Dateline Bogota)
R. Master, 5767.2, at 1150 ID from Moyobamba and Ecuadorian music; full ID
at 1200 gave address Jir6n 20 de Abril No. 308 (Rafael Rodriguez, Colombia)
PHILIPPINES NBC news relay in Tagalog from DZMM Manila heard on 13315-USB at
2314-2330. on a local Saturday morning, but not Sunday; previously on 13170v
for fishermen at sea (Ralph Famularo, Japan, DSWCI DX Window)
RUSSIA R. Perm', 5290 at 2200-2000 has local programs throughout the day in
Russian, and also relays R. Russia from Moscow (BBCM)
SAN MARINO R. San Marino International plans to start SW broadcasts Sat Dec 20;
details at http://WWW.exactweb.com/RSMl (RSMI via Steven Cline, Harry Helms)
Presumably pirate, but of interest if actually from SM. Tested already on a Sunday
morning in Oct, 11410-USB with music, and weak signal widely heard in Europe,
even New Zealand (gh) Transmitters are of 0.2 to 1 kW; plan to test the evening of
Sat Dec 20 on 75, 41m; morn of Sun Dec 21on41and13m in Italian, German
(RSMI website via Giovanni Serra, The Four Winds)
SA 'UDI ARABIA BSKSA heard with ISB feeder on 10990 at 1607 -1630-USB had Call
of Islam service in Arabic //11965, 11780; LSB had pop music (Giovanni Serra,
Italy, The Four Winds)
SEYCHELLES [non] FEBA via TWR Swaziland via Meyerton. South Africa in W97: 15271557 in Sena. Yao for Mozambique on 7265 (TWR via Bob Padula, EDXP) FEBA
W97 shows new weekly English to SAs Fri 0800-0900 on
15540; still 1500-1530 (Sun/Mon 1545) on 11600, and separate Network program
1500-1558 Mon-Sat on 9810 (via Colin Miller via Wolfgang BOschel)
SIERRA LEONE Nigerian jets targeted SLBC in an air attack Oct 17 (David Crawford,
Cumbre DX) 3316 not heard alter that (Finn Krone, DSWCI DX Window)
SWEDEN R. Sweden English to NAm W97: 1230-1300 11650 15240; 0230-0300 7280;
0330-0400 711 5 (Note reduced number of broadcasts; only one in the morning gh) However, to As/Au at 0130 7265; 1330970513740; 1430116501188015240.
No more to Latin America (Andreas Volk, Electronic DX Press)
SWITZERLANO[non] SRI W97 relays via Germany: 1100-133013635 80 SAs; 163018155850115 ME/EAi; 1830-2030 7410 40 NEu (BC-DX) SRI is reducing usage
of its oldest transmitter in Switzerland, at Schwarzenburg-only on 31 mb for
Europe, and as backup for Lenk on 6165. Main unit for overseas is 500 kW Sottens

40

MONITORING TIMES

December 1991

(Christian Bruelhart, Switzerland, BC-DX)

SYRIA R. Damascus external service as monitored, on 13610, 12085: 1905 French,
2005 & 2105 English. 2215 Arabic, 2315-2430 Spanish; also on 13610only 1800
Russian. 1805-1905 German (BBCM)
TAIWAN For W97 WYFR relay, normally all out-of-band. includes new 9630 at 2200
2400 in Mandarin (gh)
TURKEY VOT W97 English with new times. l qs: 1330 on 9630 15290; 1930 on 5960USB, 6110; 2130 on 7200; 2300 on 6135 9655: 0400 on 7300 9685 17705 (via
Michie! Schaay, BC-DX)
UK 0 GBAN I BBC in Spanish is available on internet 15 hours a day, 0000-0400. 10002100 via http://www.clarin .com .a ~BBCWS via BBCM) Overnight it was in English
instead (Joel Rubin. rec.radio.shortwave)
UNITED ARAB EM/RA TES Ongood MUFdays in Oct, UAE Radio, Dubai, booming in with
best Eastern Hemisphere signal , in English at 1329-1351 on 21605, next best on
13675, also on 13630, 15395. Oddly enough, this broadcast was overlooked in the
following (gh, OK) 0329-0350 12005 13675 15400 21485; 0529-0548 15435
17830 21700; 1029-10501367515395 21605; 1600-163813630 1367515395
21605 (Mikhail Ti mofeyev. Russia, NERRS Monitoring via DSWCI DX Window)
US A World of Radio expected for Dec-Feb on WWCR: Th u 2130 on 9475, Sat 0700
on 3210, 5070, Sat 1230 on 5070, Sun 0230 5070, 1000 3210, Mon 0400 3215,
Tue 1330 15685 (gh) Another new WO.R. affiliate is KNOR, 1400, Norman, OK,
Saturdays 7 a.m. Central. than ks to John Carson, weekend programmer (gh)
Ham Radio &More. wh ich previously lost its KFNN origination in Phoenix and
network, but continued on WWCR only, announced it was giving up after Oct 26
(Pete Costello. NJ, World of Radio)
WGTG planned to start testing its second transmitter by Nov, and was looking
for new clients with low, low rates. Initial test frequencies may differ fromfinal spots
expected to be near WWCR tropical outlets (gh)
I haven't heard WMLK 9465 in quite a while. Driving on 1-78 past Bethel, I saw
the gas station they were broadcasting from boarded up and the sign falling down.
but antennas seem intact. Off the air? (Reuben Saltzer, rec.radio.shortwave)
Whenever I check 9465 I don't hear WMLK either (gh) Check their new website:
http://www.AssembfiesofYahweh.com/log.htm (Thorsten Koch, Caug/1t in the
Web , DSWCI DX Window)
The only nighttime service of KJES, 7555, New Mexico, which does not seem to
be on every night, is registered for W97 an hour later at 0200-0330 with an antenna
beam change at 0300 from 335 to 20 (via Nikolay Pashkevich via Wolfgang
Buschel)
Chuck Harder's For the People group has decided not to start their own SW
station, too expensive; an AM stationwill be built instead in Florida (Hans Johnson .
Cumbre DX)
R. Free Asia may get $30 mi llion more than the current $10 million budget in
order to augment broadcasts to China. Ging rich and Republicans as well as the
Administration are working together on this. Legislators realize that US businesses
are vehemently opposed to any restriction on trade with China. Yet they want to
demonstrate in some othe r way that they are working to combat China's continuing
repression of political dissent. They don't want to throw up their hands and do
nothing. Building up RFA is the one solution that has emerged (Jim Mann, LA Times
via Bob Mills, Mike Cooper) RFA began its 7th language, Khmer, on Sept 29 (VOA
Communications Worlcf)
[non] The W97 Deutsche Telekom schedule for Julich, Germany, 100 kW relays
shows a client called "TOM." Ivan Grishin figured this must stand for The
Overcomer Ministry, i.e. Brother Stair. who tested in August and was heard by Jim
Moats to say he was going to buy 12 hours per day from DTK. Since Oct 26, he is
scheduled thus: 1600-1 759 61 75 non-dir to CEu and 11985 115 ME/EEu: 01000259 6170 295 ENAm; 0200-0359 5840 310 CNAmand 6025 320 WNAm; 06000759 9500 255 Au/NZ (sked via BC-OX) Note that at the prime hour of 0200 he is
on three frequencies at once to NAm, and presumably continues 24h on WWCR4, part-time on WRNO (gh)
VENEZUELA Friendly Ecos del Torbes, 4980, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. and
planned to issue a new pennant; one good time to listen is Sat 2200-2300 for
Recordando a gozar, muchachos (Henrik Klemetz, Colombia, Dateline Bogota)
R. Rumbas has been off SW for a while. but its Noti-Rumbos newscast at 2100
is carried by Ecos del Torbes. 9640; also Rumbas is now on RealAudio at http://
www.tycom.eom.ve/rumbos/delault.htm And R. Nacional continues transmitting, we don't know to whom, only heard around 2125 on 9540; also had a website
but has been disconnected (Jorge Garcia Rangel, Venezuela)
VIETNAM VOV transmitting station is at Thai Long in the 0 Mon district, with th ree 500
kW, two 1ODO kW. In addition to use by the foreign language service of VOV, also
by domestic service 18 hpd, and for Khmer ethnic group, and general program for
Mekong Delta 6 hpd (Maarten van Delft, DSWCI DX Window) But nobody ever
mentions any frequencies or even for sure if any of them are SW. No tremendous
new signals or frequencies have been reported on SW (gh)
VOV Japanese service in mid-Oct changed to 9840 and 12020 (Sonny Ashimori,
hard-core-dx) Probably 12020 ex-15010 for all transmissions (gh)
Until the Next, Best of OX and 73 de Glenn!

_B~_oa_d_c_a_st_L_og~g~i~ng~s---------------------~
Gayle Van Hom
0015 UTC on 4779.9
GUATEMALA: Radio Coatan. Spanish text from announcer to station ID at
0025. (Tom Messer, W I/Hard Core DX)
0030 UTC on 5030
COSTA RICA: Adventist World Radio. Religious music and IDs with terrific
signal quality. (Messer, WI) Costa Rica's Radio for Peace lnt'I noted on 15150
//7385 at 0000-02 15 in English. (Lee Silvi, Mentor, OH)
0106 UTC on 7345
CZECH REP.: Radio Prague. National news to Galaxy satellite schedule.
(Howard J . Moser. Lincolnshire, IL) English news 1705-1727. (Silvi, O H)
0127 UTC o n 6480
PERU : Radio Altura. Spanish. Local music to evening "comunicaos" and
mentions of Huancabamba. Fair/poor signal. (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo.
Uruguay/Hard Core DX)
0135 UTC On 5020
SR I LANKA: SLBC. Tamil songs and comments. Monitored at 1445 on 5020.
with Islamic prayers to 1500 time tips. Newscast read by Abdoul Sayet in
Tamil. (Mahendra Vaghjee. Rose Hil, Mauritius) SLBC noted on 15425. 1440
1502 in English. (Mark Veldhuis. Borne. Netherlands/Hard-Core-OX)
0250 UTC on 9745
ECUADOR: HCJB. Old time country and gospel music show. (Sue Wilden.
Columbus. IN) Noted on 12005 at 1115. (Bob Fraser, Cohasset. MA)
0250 UTC on 9605
VATICAN STATE: Vatican Radio. Discussion on The New Age. (Wilden. IN)
French service sign-on with IDs and religious text. English service sign-on at
0626 with IDs and newscast. (Jerry Witham, Keaau. HI)
0320 UTC on 4770
ECUADOR : Radio Centinela. Spanish. Regional news to jingles and ID to
0330'. Ecuador's Radio Quito. "la voz de la capital." on 4919 at 0420. (Will
Passman. Germany/Hard-Core-DX)
0450 UTC on 13525 USS
AUSTRALIA: Defense Forces Radio. Music from Manchester group Oasis,
running past top of the hour, station ID at 0502. (Witham, HI) Great choice of
music!-ed.
0550 UTC on 981 OUSB
KIRIBATI: Radio Kiribati. Regional island music and brief announcements
until English ID at 0600. News relay from New Zealand featuring reports from
Asia. (Amber Hill , Anchorage, AK via Keaau. HI)
0610 UTC on 7255
NIGERIA: Voice of. West Africa Today program to IDs and health report. Hill.
HI)
0630 UTC on 6130
GERMANY: Deutsche Welle. Report on German export dumping affecting
Namibian breeder. (Wishnu Brata, Bandung, Indonesia/Hard Core DX).
0704 UTC on 7300
SLOVAKIA: Radio Slovakia lnt'I. Norwegian minister's state visit and news of
Slovakia's railway financial problems. (Moser, IL)
0945 UTC on 4549.42
BOLIVIA: Emisora Tropical. Spanish. Noted flute and drum music with
announcer's voice-overs. Bolivia's Radio 11 de Octubre noted on 4630.83 at
1007-1015: Radio Villa Montes Bolivia on 4599.26 at 1000-1010. (Charles
Bolland. Lake Worth. FL)
1010 UTC on 4955
COLOMBIA: Radio Nacional. Spanish. Male/female duo with commentary
format. Poor signal. peaking briefly at 1012. (Bolland, FL)
1025 UTC on 2310
AUSTRALIA: VL6AAlice Springs. Morning programming //2325 VL8TTennant
Creek, to fade-out bt 1035. (Lee Silvi. Mentor, OH) Radio Aust ralia on 17750
at 0045. (Brata. IND); 13605 at 0605. (Hill, HI) 1145 on 9560, 1345 on 9410.
(Fraser. MA)
1030 UTC on 4570.79
PERU: Radio Soledad. Spanish. Noted Peruvian huaynos music with canned
ID breaks. Slight signal drift. Additional Peruvians logged as; Radio Tarma
1035-1050on 4774.96; Radio Huante Dos Mil 1014-1025on4747.37; Radio
Slcuanl 1029-1045 on 4826.26; Radio Andahuaylas 1034-1045 on 4840.08;
Radio Villa Rica 1043-1100 on 4886.74; Radio La Oroya 1046-11 00 on
4904.82 (Bolland. FL)
1045 UTC on 6810.5
PERU: Radio Onda del Rio Mayo. Regional commercials and mentions of "av
Cajamarca. dengue... hospital de Nueva Cajamarca," to station ID. 6610 is
frequency move from 6797. (Nigro, URG)
11 35 UTC on 6120
CANADA: Radio Japan relay. Report on the Ainu boat launching ceremony.
(Fraser. MA) Canada's RCI on 11655 al 1500. (Wilden, IN)
11 40 UTC on 6130
LAOS: Lao National Radio. Weak but steady signal in the clear. Talks by

woman in presumed Lao and haunting local music to clock chimes on the
hour. Newscast with co-channel interferences. (J.D. Stephens. Madison,
AUHard Core DX)
1410 UTC o n 9530
Thailand: Radio Thailand. Long, boring script of National Education Plan
and Travel Thailand segment. (Brata. IND).
1456 UTC on 11565
PAKISTAN: Radio Pakistan. Indian music on tabla and organ. Closing of
Typewriter Waltz by Errol Garner to ID as, "ye Radio Pakistan he." (Klaus
Elsebusch, Germany/ Hard-Core-DX)
1504 UTC on 15521.2
BANGLADESH: Radio Bangladesh. Male/female duo in Bengali. Musical
interludes and national news. (Veldhuis, NLD)
1515 UTC on 5012
ZIMBABWE: ZBC/Radio 2. Text in vernaculars to time check in English.
Newscast to station ID and address and regional announcements. Announcement to frequency change at 1630 to the 90 meter band. Station
followed with programming on 3306 kHz. (Vaghjee, MAU)
1655 UTC on 4925
INDONESIA: RRl-Jambi. Indonesian. English pop music to ID at 1659,
followed by "song of the coconut islands" interval signal. Twelve second
signal pause before top of the hour. (Veldhuis, NLD) ARI-Jakarta heard on
9630 at 0700. (Hill, HI)
1704 UTC on 5009.5
MADAGASCAR: RTV Malagasy. Great signal for easy-listening music and
talk in Malagasy to ID and French text. (Veldhuis, NLD)
1740 UTC on 3320
SOUTH AFRICA: Radio Sonder Grense. Evening programming in English
and Afrikaans with male DJ format. (Veldhuis, NLD) Audible 0425 on 3320.
(Witham. HI) This station's English translation is Radio Without Boundariesed.
1742 UTC on 3380
MALAWI: MSC. Hit Parade show of western pop songs and male DJ's ID.
SINPO: 34444. (Vledhuis, NLD)
1745 UTC on 6055
RWANDA: Radio Rwanda. French ID as, "vous ecoutez Radio Rwanda, it et
20 heures" Le Journal News program. (Vaghjee, MAU) Audible 1955 with
IDs and Swahili on 6055. (Passman, Germany) Logged 2303 in French.
(Mauno Ritola, Finland)
1807 UTC on 4935
KENYA: KBC. Strong signal for English news and ID. Sports News segment
to fanfare music, time check, weather, and Elton John's tune Nakita.
SINP0=44343 (Veldhuis, NLD)
1926 UTC on 17605
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES: Radio Netherlands Bonaire relay. Four Minutes program with mailman interview. (Fraser, MA; Wilden, IN)
1930 UTC on 15160
ALGERIA: Radio Algiers lnt'I. English service noted to 2030. (Silvi, OH)
English news from male's text. Noted multichannel interference on adjacent
sides of 15160, // 11714.55 equally as good at times. (Mark J. Fine,
Remington, VA)
2030 UTC on 5050
TANZANIA: Radio Tanzania. Highlife music to lady's vernacular text. Pop
tune lo Arabic newscast. SINP0=22342 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki,
Greece)
2034 UTC on 7255
NIGERIA: Voice of Nigeria. English "tag team" discussion on Nigerian
foreign relations. Grossly overmodulated signal, but otherwise great signal.
(Fine. VA)
2055 UTC on 5100
LIBERIA: Radio Liberia lnt'I. Arabic news to station ID at 2100. English
programming including western music. World news and IDs . (Liangas.
GRC)
2058 UTC on 5009.6
MADAGASCAR: ATV Malagasy. Afro music to talk in Makagasy. National
anthem, three segments of station interval signal to 2100. SINP0=44343
(Veldhuis. NLD)
2130 UTC on 3240
MOZAMBIQUE: Beira. Ex frequency 3273. Non-stop English and African
music. "Beira" ID at 2159 to news relay from Maputo in Portuguese. Swahili
talk following the news to 2206.(Vaghjee, MAU)

Thanks tu 011r co 11trib11tors - /ic11e yo11 sem in YOUR logs?

Send to Gayle Van Horn, do Monitoring Times (or e-mail gayle@grove.net)
11glish broadcast 11nless othenvise noted.

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

41

_Th_e_Q_fil_R~epa
__
rl________________~~Gayle Van Hom, go~e@grove.net

DXing.Com: The Web Resource for Radio Hobbyists

New to the radio hobby? This site ~Chuck Boehnke and Jerry Witham
is the place to start! Harry Helms,
<0oontly infonnod mo thm tho Hwoii"t
author of Tlte Shortwave Listening
Puna DX Club, is looking for webheads
C1~idehook , we lcomes all ~adi u hob
to exchange ~X i~ forma~ i on :Via email ,
by tsts to <http://www.DXmg.com/>
Th W bR
F R d' H bb . t and to establish friendship wtlh DXers
.
e e esource or a m o y1s s of the worId . Chuc k add s, "'tsn, t that
He re you wt.11 1-111<l .mtrod ucttons
and reference material for the entire spectrum of radio, includwhat DXing is all about ? We listen, learn and become friends 1"
ing shortwave listening, scanner monitoring, ham radio, plus
Send your email to: <punadxclub@mailcity.com>.
the latest station schedules, news and information to help you
get the most from your hobby. Harry's website is a must-see!
Happy Holidays from QSL Report!

~-a

AUSTRALIA
Radio Australia via Carnavon. 17875 kHz. Full data QSL card unsigned. Fre
quency/program schedule and station stickers enclosed. Received in 35 days for an
English repon and one !RC. Received in 35 days for an English rcpon and one !RC.
Station address: P.O. Box 428G. Melbourne 3001 Victoria, Australia. (Mahendra
Vaghjec . Rose Hill. Mauriti us)
VL8K-Katherine, 2485 kHz. Full data QSL card unsigned. Frequency schedule
and station stickers enclosed. Received in 30 days for an English report and one
IRC. Station address: CA AMA Radio. P.O. Box 2924. Alice Springs, NT 0871
Australia. (Vaghjec, MAU)
CYPRUS
Cyprus Broadcasting Corp.. 9760 kHz. Full data card unsigned. Received in 41
da ys fora taped repon and one U.S. dollar. Station address: P.O. Box 4824, Nicosia.
Cyprus. (Randy Stewart. Springfi eld, MO) Cyprus is Randy 's /OOth co11111ry

verified 011 s/wrtwave. Co11grats, Ra11dy!-ed.

FMn'V
WGTZ-FM 92.9. Full data prepared QSL card signed by Eugene SimmonsKC8BYE Contract Engineer. Received in 21 days for an English FM report and
mint stamps. Station address: 7 17 East David Road, Dayton, OH 45429. (Robert
S. Ross-VA3SW. London, ONT Canada/AMFMTVDX)
KU C FM 88.5. Full data prepared QSL card signed by Darrell R. Nikolaus-Chief
Engineer. Received in three months for an English FM report and mint stamps .
Station add ress: I 5800 Calvary Road, Kansas City, M064 147- 134 I. (Ross, CAN)

WGY-8 10 kHz AM. Full data verification o n station letterhe;id sig ned by Bob
Blanchard. Received in 15 days for an English AM report. Station address: One
Washington Square, Albany. NY 12205 . (Moura. DC)
WJR-760 kHz AM. Full data QSLcard signed by Ed Buterbaugh. Received in 2 8
days for an English AM report. Station address:P.O. Box 100. New Orleans. LA
70181. (Moura. DC)
PIRATES
WR EC/Radio Free East Coast, 6955 kHz USB. Full data card sig ned by P.J. Sparx.
Received in 60days for an Eng lish report. QSL maildrop: Box I. Belfast, NY 14711.
(Terry Jones, Plankinton. SD)
Radio Kaos, 6955 kHz USB. Letter and QSL certificate for Farewell /JroC1tlcast.
Received in two months for English report. QSL maildrop: Belfast address. (Jones,
SD)
WARR, 6955 kHz USB. Letter and full data QSL card Nickle !Ja11. Received in six
months for an English report. QSL maildrop. Belfast address. (Jones. SD)
ROMA N IA
Radio Romania lnt'I, 11940 kHz. Full data QSL card unsigned. Station letter,
progrmn schedule and stickers enclosed. Received in 64 days for an English repon
and two IRCs. Station address: c/o English Dept.. P.O. Box 111 . Bucharest.
Romania. (William R. Wilkins. Springfield . MO)

WNYO-TV Ch. 49. Full data prepared QSL card signed by Edward Marlatt-Chief
Engineer. Business card, personal lener from the Eng ineer, and Program Listings.
Rece ived in three weeks for an English TV reception report and mint stamps
(returned with reply). Station address: 699 Hertel Ave.. Suite I 00, Buffalo. NY
14207. (Ross, CAN)

SHIP TRAFFIC
Sea-umd A1la111ic KRLZ. 156.81156.6 MHz (Container). Full data prepared QSL

WC MH-TV Ch. 4. Full data prepared QSL card sig ned by Ron Pancrson-Asst.
Chief Eng ineer. Business card and NBC logo key chain. Received in two months
for an Eng lish TV reception report and mint stamps. Station address: P.O. Box 4 ,
Columbus. OH. (Ross. CAN )

Global Link WWDY. 156.65 MHz (Cable Ship). Full data prepared QSL card

GAUON
Africa No. I, 9580 kH z. Partial data Q SL card and personal letter signed by Ombolo
Kiobi. Received in six mo nths for an English repon and one !RC. Station address:
Boitc Poswl I. Libreville, Gabo n. (Jose Moura, Washi ngton, DC)

Crysllll Ace WYQ2722 . 156.8 MHz (Car Carrier). Full data prepared QSL card

.JAPAN
NSB/Rad io Tampa. 3925/6055/9595 kHz. Full data globe/satellite card unsigned.
Pro gram/frequency schedule and souvenir Japanese stamps enclosed. Received in
12 days for an English report, one U.S. dollar, souvenir postcard and a SAE (used
for reply). Sta tion address: 9- 15. Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107, Japan.
(Gayle Van Horn. Brasstown. NC )
MA I.TA
Voice of the Mediterranean, 7440n390 kH z. Full data QSL card unsigned.Station
schedule ind stickers enclosed. Received in 30 days for an English repon . Station
address: P.O . Box 143. Valletta CMR 0 1 Malta. (Vaghj ee. MAU)
MEDIUM WA VE
WBBR- 11 30 kHz AM. Confinnation letter signed by Cullen Malley. Received in
30days for an Eng lish AM reponandaSASE. Station address: 499 Park Ave., New

42

York City, NY 10022. (Moura. DC)

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

card verified. Received for an English utility re pon and mint stamps. Ship address:
Sea-L1nd Service Co., Inc., P.O. Box 2000, Elizabeth. NJ 07207. (Hank Holbrook.
Dunkirk. MD)

verified. Received for an English utility repon and mint stamps. Ship address:
Transoceanic Cable Ship Co., lnc., 340 Mt. Kemble Ave., Room S 110. Morristown.
NJ 07960. (Holbrook, MD)

verified. Received for an English utility repon and one U.S . dollar. Ship address:
Mitsui Kinkai Kisen Co .. Ltd .. Mits ui Bldg.,-2nd Floor, 1- 1 Nihonbashi-M uromachi
2-chome, Tokyo 103, Japan. (Holbrook, MD)

Sealmlk Magnachem KCPG, 156.7 MHz (Chemical Tanker). Full data prepared
QSL card verified. Received for an English utility report and mint stamps. Ship
address: Hvide Shipping Inc., P.O. Box 13038, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 333 I 6. (Holbrook.
MD)
TAIWAN
Central BC System, 3335 kHz. Full data QSL card unsigned, stamped with station's
seal. Received in 65 days forone IRC. Station address: No. 55. Pei-an Road, Taipei.
T aiwan. Rep. of Chim1. (Vaghjec. MAU)
UNITED STATES
WR NO, 15420 kHz. Partial data card unsigned of Lo uisiana World Exposition.
Station schedule and stickers enclosed. Received in 45 days for an English report
and an SASE. Station address: P.O. Box I 00, New Orleans. LA 701 8 1. (Moura. DC)

How To UsE THE .SHORTWAVE GUIDE .

1:

Convert your time to UTC.

Eastern and Pacific T imes are already converted to Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC) at the top of each page. The rule is: convert
your local time to 24-hour format; add (during Standard Time) 5,6,7,
or 8 hours for Eastern, Central , Mountain or Pacific Times, respectively.
Note that all dates, as well as times, are in UTC; for example, a show
which might air at 0030 UTC Sunday will be heard on Saturday evening in
America (7:30 pm Eastern, 4:30 pm Pacific).
2:

Choose a program or station you want to hear.

Some selected programs appear on the lower half of the page for
prime listening hours-space does not permit 24-hour listings.
Occasionally program listings will be followed by "See X 0000."This
information indicates that the program is a rerun, and refers to a previous
summary of the program's content. The letter stands for a day of the week,
as indicated below, and the four digits represent a time in UTC.
S: Sunday
T: Tuesday
H: Thursday A: Saturday
M: Monday
W: Wednesday F: Friday

station name. Irregular broadcasts are indicated "tenr and programming

which includes languages besides English are coded "vi" (various languages).
Choose the most p romis ing frequencies for the time,
4:
location and conditions.
Not all stations can be heard and none all the lime on all frequencies. To help you find the most promising frequency, we've included information on the target area of each broadcast. Frequencies beamed toward
your area will generally be easier to hear than those beamed elsewhere,
even though the latter will often still be audible. Every frequency is followed by one of these target codes:
am:
na:
ca:
sa:
eu:
at:
me:

The Americas
North America
Central America
South America
Europe
Africa
Middle East

as:
au:
pa:
va:
do:
om:

Asia
Australia
Pacific
various
domestic broadcast
omnidirectional

Consult the propagation charts. To further help you find the right
frequency, we've included charts at the back of this section which take
into account conditions affecting the audibility of shortwave broadcasts.
Simply pick out the region in which you live and find the chart for the
region in which the station you want to hear is located. The chart indicates
the optimum frequencies for a given time in UTC.

HOT NEWS .....

Selected Programs. The
BBC World Service program
listing is too large and compli cnted to publish in a single
issue; consequently, we ' ve
decided to s pread it over a
three-mo nth period. This issue
con ta ins the most im portant of
BBC's three services. the AE
(A merica/Europe) Stream. The
AF St ream (Africa) will be in
the Jan uary issue and AS
(Asia) will fol low in February.
Note th at the feature prog rams
in these lis ti ngs arc in a generic
format because they c hange
from week to week.
Soap. Las t month , BBC
World Service introduced
Wes11v(ly, its fi rs t ever soap
o pera for radio. The setting is
in Westway Heal th Cen tre
located in Westgrovc Park,
London (fictiti ous), and the
characters cente r around the
medical offices of Dr. Margaret
Sampson and her juni or partner
Dr. David Boyce. A mal e
ind ian offfice manager. a young
Ni geri an female doctor, and a

COMPILED BY JIM fRIMMEL

pair of female re cept i o ni ~ t s

round out the permanent cast.
Wes111av is a 15-mi nu te.
tw ice-weekly product ion. Tun e
in on Tue 0030/0815/ 15 15.
T hu 08 15/15 15 and Fri 0030 in
the AE Stream. A 30-mi nute
"compilation edition .. enab les
listeners to catch up with the
week's episodes. It can be
heard on Sat at 190 1 and Mon
at 0430.
New Zealand. Paul
Ormandy of Oamaru, NZ. the
host Kiwi DX on ZLXA's
Radio Reading Service. now
provides tuning tips fo r the
South Pacific o n Radio New
Zealan d Internatio na l during
the Mailbox show (0430 o n
15 11 5 kH z 1st and 3rd Mo n.
repeated Thu 0830 on 9700
kHz and Fri 1930 o n I 1735
kHz).
South Korea. Radio Korea
In tern ational commemo rat1.:s
the 200th edition of its DX
Reporl on Dece mber 22nd/
23rd. Adventis t World Radio

wi ll be jo ini ng them for a oneti me relay broadcast. Special

QSL's will be issued for
ve1ificatio ns.

message. Subscribers must be

able to receive large text file
attachments to E-mail.
WaveCuide is produced
mo nthly (more frequently
Ecuador. HCJB anno unces when necessary) and includes
the following special holiday
both a chronolog ical and
alphabetical lis ting of DX/
programs duri ng December:
"Hm1 the Grinch S1ole
Media prog rams. Only broadChri.1111ws .. (Stud io 9. I I th ):
casts wh ich have act ua lly been
"The Call of 1he Andes"
heard are included in
(Stud io 9, 18th , a rebroadcast
WaveCuide. If you are not
of a I 0-ycar old program about located in North America it
Christmas in Ecuador);
may nor be too usefu l to you;
"Villancico Christmas Special however, yo u are welcome to
(Stud io 9. 19th. Carols sung in subscribe-and it's free !
Ecuador and travel tips for the
holidays). and "Chris1111as
Apologies . The ed itor and
Music in !he Andes " (Stud io 9 product io n staff wish to
special , 25 th ).
apo logize for not catchin g the
fo rmatting error in the October
Wavegu ide E lectronic
issue. Many of you thoug ht the
Edition . Computer users can
continuous now of freque ncy
now get my hour-by-hour
information w itho ut breaks
listing o f shortwave broadcasts between hours was o ur " new
that are audi ble at m y locatio n fo rmat"! Actu all y, that's the
in North Central Texas by
way it looks before the layout
sending E-mai l to
department works its magic o n
fri111111el@swr1exr.11er with
it. Somehow an un formatted
"Subscribe WaveGuide.. in the file got se nt to the printer and
subjc<.:l and your name and
no one not iced. But you did!
location in the body of the
December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

43

FREQUENCIES ........ . ....... .. . . ..... .

0000-0100
00000100

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

0000-0100 vi
00000100 vi
00000100
00000015
0000-0100
00000100
00000100
00000100
00000100
00000100
00000029

Australia, VLBK Katherine

Australia. VLBT Tent Crk
Bulgaria. Radio
Cambodra. Natt Voice of
Canada, CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada. R Canada Intl

0000-0004
00000027
0000-0100
00000030
0000-0015 vi
0000-0045
00000100
00000100
00000100
00000100
0000-0100
00000030
0000-0100
0000-0057
00000100 vi
00000100

Croatia, Croatian Radio

Czech Rep, Radio Prague
Ecuador. HCJB
Egypt. Radio Cano
Ghana Ghana Broadc Corp
India. All India Radio
Japan. R Japan/NHK World
Lebanon. Vorce ol Hope
Llbena.LCNI R Llberra Int
Malaysia. Radio
Malaysia, 11TM Kuching
Netherlands. Radio
New Zealand, R NZ Intl
NMh Korea. R Pyongyang
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russra.Voice of Russia WS

6090am
9660pa
15510pa
5025do
4910do
7375na
11940as
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
5960na
11865am
9505sa
5930na
9745am
9900na
3366do
7410as
6155eu
9960va
5100do
7295do
7! 60do
6020na
15115pa
11845na
9675do
5940na

12080pa
17750as

13605pa
17795pa

13755pa

9485na

6040na

9535na

9950as
13630as

Solomon Islands. StBC

Spain. R Exterror Espana
Thailand, Radio
Unrted Kingdom. BBC WS

00000045
00000030
00000100
00000100
0000-0100
0000-0100
0000-0100
00000100

United Kingdom. BBC WS

Umted Kingdom. BBC WS
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice ot America

0000-0030 twhta

USA. Voice of America

0000-0100
0000-0100
0000-0100
00000100
0000-0100
00000100
0000-0100
0000-0100
0029-0059
00300100
0030-0100

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WH Ai Noblesville IN
USA, WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WRMt/R Miami Intl
USA. WANO New Orleans LA
USA, WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Canada. R Canada Intl
Iran, VOIRI
Netherlands, Radio

0030-0t OO
00300100
0050-0100

Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka BC

Thailand. Radio
Italy. RAI Intl

9755na

7345na
21455am
4915do
9705as
6180eu

0000-0100 vi
OOOJ-0100
00000030
00000100

11620as
t 3650as

6t 65na
t 3650na

13760na

15230na

7105na

7125na

7180na

5020do
6055am
9655at
5965as
6195as
1t750sa
3915as
7110as
6200eu
58t0am
15590am
7560as
7535am
72 15as
15290as
5995am
9775am
5825eu
5085am
5745am
11950am
9955arn
7355am
5070am
6085na
5960na
6050eu
5905as
9860as
9730as
9655va
6010na

9690af
5970am
94 10as
I 1955as

11905at
5975am
9590am
t5310as

6175am
9915sa

9580as

11945as

15280as

17510as
9430am
9890as
17735as
6130ca
1t695am

17555pa
15665as
11 760as
17820as
7405am
13740am

15185as
9455am

73t5am

7435am
9505ca
9755na
9022eu
6020na
11655as
15425as
11905va
9675na

9475am

13B45am

9685eu
6165na

7305as

15395as
11800na

SELECTED PROGRAMS .
Sundays
0000
0000
0000
0010
0015
0030
0030
0030
0045

0030

Bulgaria, Radio. Radio. News. Fifteen minutes of world and

Bulganan news.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am) Adventures in Odyssey Lively
chitdrens dramas lrom the "Focus on the Family" team.
UK. BBC London (arnleu): Newsdesk. World news and
dispatches from overseas and UK correspondents.
Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: Topics of the Week Headlines to the
main points in the news.
Bulgaria. Radio, Radio: Ne\'/s Behind the News. Background
to a specilic item of current attaus.
Buigana, Radio. Radio. Folk Studio Myths. legends,
customs, and rituals associated 1111h Bulgarian holidays
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Musical Mailbag. HCJB staffers
have a good time reading listener letters and playing music.
UK, BBC London (amleu)- Letter from America. Alistair
Cooke shares his inimitable view of contemporary American
lite.
UK. BBC London (amleu): Brrtain Today. News about Britain.

Mondays
0000
0000
0000
0000
0005
0015
0030
0030
0030
0045

Bulgaria, Radio. Radio News. See S 0000

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Joni and Friends. Joni EricksonTada presents help and advice especially tor the disabled.
(1'1WW.netchurch comlja!loutreach/radio/radschd.htm)
UK. BBC London (amleu): Chimes ot Big Ben (1 ). Hear the
famous bells at this lime on the first Monday of each month
UK. BBC London (am/eu) Newsdesk See S 0000.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Hour ot Dec1s on. See S 1200.
Bulgaria, Radio. Radio Timeout tor Music A wide variety of
Bulgarian classical. pop and folk music is played.
Bulgaria, Radio. Radio: Plaza Bulgaria. Thirty minutes about
Bulgaria and things Bulgarian.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Mountain Med11at1ons See S
1330.
UK. BBC London (am/eu). Good Books See S 0815
UK. BBC London (am/eu). Brrtam Today. See S 0045.

0030
0030

44

Bulgaria, Radio. Radio: News. See S 0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Insight for Living. See M 1100
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Events and Development A review ot
upcoming events this week.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio Business and Finance. Economic
news brrels and hnanc1al developments in Bulgaria.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am). Focus on the Family. See M
1330.

MO NITORING TIMES

Wednesdays

0000
0000
0000
0015
0030
0030
0030
0045
0050

December 1997

Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: News. See S0000

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Insight tor Living. Sec M t 100.
UK, BBC London (amleu): Newsdesk See S 0000.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Events and Development. See T
0015.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Answering Your Letters. Replies to
listener letters and Bulgarian Music
Ecuador. HCJB Qu110 (am): Focus on the Family See M
1330.
UK. BBC London (amleu): The Farming World. Reports on
new developments from around the world
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Britain Today. See S 0045.
Bulgaria. Radio, Radio: Sports Roundup. A review of
seasonal sporting events and scores.

Thursdays
0000
0000
0000
0015
0030
0030
0030
0045
0054
0054

Tuesdays
0000
0000
0000
0015

0045

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Westway. The World Service's

lirs1-ever regular drama (soap opera) serial
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Britain Today See S 0045

0054
0054

Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: News. See S0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Insight tor Living See M 1100.
UK. BBC London (amleu): Newsdesk. See S 0000
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Events and Development. See T
0015.
Bulgana. Radio. Radio: Cultural Review A 30-mmute
summary of cultural events in Butgarra, cultural newstips.
and regional music.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Focus on the Fanuly. See M
1330.
UK, BBC London (amleu): From Our Own Coirespondent.
See S 0330
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Britain Today See S 0045.
Radio Netherlands Documentary. 50th Anniversary
Celebrations From the Wireless 10 the World Wide Web
(4th). See VI 1254.
Radio Netherlands Documentar1- The High cs (25th).
See F 2354
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Netherlands is Full
(18th). See F 1454.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cost of
Transformation (1 Ith). See A 2354.

Fridays
0000
0000
0000

Bulgaria. Radio, Radio: News. See S 0000

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Insight tor Living. See M 1100_
UK, BBC London (am/eu) Newsdesk See S 0000.

0015
0030
0030
0030
0045

Bulgaria. Radio, Radio Events and Development. See T

0015
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio Lifestyle. A look at everyday hie in
Bulgaria.
Ecuador. HCJB Qu110 (am). Focus on the Family. See M
1330.
UK. BBC London (amleu): Westway. See T 0030.
UK. BBC London (amleu): Brilain Today. See S 0045_

Saturdays
0000
0000
0000
00t5
0030
0030
0030
0045
0046

Bu'garra. Radio, Radio: News. See S 0000.

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Insight tor Living. See M 1100.
UK. BBC London (amleu1: Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Events and Development. See T
00t5.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Straight lrom the Horse's Mouth.
See M 0530.
Ecuador. HCJB Qu110 (am) Focus on the Family. See M
1330.
UK. BBC London (amleu): From the Weeklies. Review of the
British weekly press.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Britain Today. See S0045.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Radio Bulgaria Calling. See S 1315.

0100

Sundays
0100
0100
0109
0130
0130
0130
0145

Ecuador. HCJB Qu110 (am): Latin and International News.

Ten minutes of regional and world news.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): DX Partyline. Ken McHarg gives
you plenty ot information to help you get more tun out of
shortwave listening.
Sweden. Radio: Spectrum (1) Bill Schiller with the latest on
Swedish music. drama. art. and film.
Sweden. Radio: Sweden Today (3). George Wood presents
voices from a wide range ot people m the Scandinavian
nation.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. Special features
and new series.
UK. BBC London (amleu): Sports Roundup. The latest
sports news.

FREQUENCIES . . . . .
0100-0200
01000200

Angu1lla.Ca11bbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

01000200 vi
0100-0200 vi
01000200
01000200
01000200
01000200
01000200
0100-0200
0100-0200
01000104
0100-0200
0100-0127
01000200
0100-0150

Austral a. VLBK Katherine

Austral<a, VLBT Tent Cr k
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada GFRX Toronto
Canada. GFVP Calgary
Canada. GHNX Hahlax
Canada. GKZN St John's
Canada. GKZU Vancouver
Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl
Croatia. Croatian Radio
Guba. Ra<lio Havana
GLech Rep. Radio Prague
Ecuador. HGJB
Germany. Deutsche Welle

OHJ0-0200
0100-0115
01000200
0100-0125
01000200 h
0100-0110
010002JO

Gerrnany.Overcomer Ministr
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Gorp
Indonesia, Voice ol
Iran, VOIRI
lrclandW Coast R Ireland
Italy, RAI Intl
Japan. RJapantNHK World

01000200
0100-0200
0100-0200 smtl'lh
0100-0200 m
01000125

Lebanon. Voice ol Hope

L1bc11a.LGN/R Libe11a Int
Malaysia. Radio
Malta. VO Mediterranean
Netherlands. Radio

01000200
0100-0130 m
0100-0200 vi
0100-0200
0100-0200

New Zealand. R NZ Intl

Norway, Radio Norway Intl
Papua ~ew Guinea. NBC
Ph1l1ppmcs. FEBGIR Intl
Russia.Voice ol Russia ws

0100-0130 mtwhla
0100-0130

Serbia. Radio Yugoslavia

Slovakia. R Slovakia Intl

6090am
9660pa
15415as
5025do
4910do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
7385am
9505sa
6000na
6200na
9745am
5960na
9640na
6170na
3366do
9525na
9022eu
5905am
6010na
11790na
15500as
9960va
5100do
7295do
13605am
5905as
9860as
1s11spa
7465na
9675do
15450as
5930na
7175na
13640na
6195na
5930na

12080pa
15510pa

t3605pa
17750pa

7585am

15050am

9820na
7345na
21455am
6040na

9830na

6085na

13755pa
17795pa

6145na

4915do
9585eu

9685eu

9675na
11860as
15590as

11800na
11890as
17810as

6020na
11655as

6165na

13630na
21610pa

7305as

7545am

5940na
120t0na
13665na
7115eu
7300na

7105na
12025na
15425na
9440sa

7125na
12050na

0100-0200 vt
01000200
0100-0200
0100-0130
0100-0200

Solomon Islands. SIBG

Spain. R Exterior Espana
Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka BC
Switzerland, Swiss R Intl
Ukraine. R Ukraine Intl

0100-0200

United Kingdom. BBC WS

01000200
01000200
0100-0200
0100-0200
0100-0200
0100-0200
0100-0200

United Kingdom. UCB

USA, KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KJES Mesquite NM
USA. KTBN Sall Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA, Voice of America

0100-0200 twhla

USA, Voice ol America

0100-0200
0100-0200
0100-0200
0100-0200
0100-0200
01000200
01000200
0100-0200
0100-0200
0100-0130

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA WANO New Orteans LA
USA WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Uzbekistan. R Tashken1

0100-0126
01250200
0130-0055
01300150

Vietnam, Voice of
Ne1herlands. Radio
Austria. A Austria Intl
Greece. Voice ol

01300200
0130-0200
01300200
01400159

Guam, AWR/KSDA
Lithuania, Radio Vilnius
Sweden. Radio
Vatican State. Vatican R

5020do
6055am
9730as
6135na
5905eu
6020eu
5965as
6145am
9590am
15280as
6200eu
5810am
7555na
7510am
7560as
7535na
71 15as
11705as
17820as
5995am
9775am
5825eu
5085am
5745am
11950am
7490na
9955am
7355am
3215am
6065na
7190eu
9740eu
5940na
9860as
7325na
5895na
11645na
17645as
5910na
7265as
7335au

15425as
9885na
5915na
7150na
5970sa
6175am
9605as
15310as

17510as
9430sa
7205as
15250as

9905ca
5940eu
7205na
5975am
6195as
11 750am
15360as

6010eu
7290eu
6085am
9410as
11955as

17555pa
9740as
15300as

9850as
17740as

7405am

9445am

5070am
9505na
9375eu

5935am
11550as
9530eu

7435am
9715eu

11655as
9495am
6260na

9870am
7450na

9425na

6130am
13740am

7315am

9650au

SELECTED PROGRAMS .
Mondays
0100
0100
0110
0130
0130
0130
0130

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Latin and lntemat1onal News.

See S 0100.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): Saludos Amigos. An
international friendship program with listener contributions
presented by Ken MacHarg.
Sl'leoen. Radio: In Touch with Stockholm (1). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio Sounds Nordic (214). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio Weekend (3). See S t230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu) Vanable Feature. See S 0130.

Tuesdays
0100
0100
0110
0130
0130
0130
0145
Ot47

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am). News. See Mt 134.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Nevisdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador, HGJB Quito (am): Studio 9. Ralph Kurtenback and
Curt Cole are the tour oirectors on your daily travel and
adventure guide to hie in Latin America.
Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): You Should Know. A
contemporary view of issues and ethics with Leonard
Kinzel.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Seven Days. See M 1230.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Variable Fea1ure. See S 0130.
Sweden. Radio: SportScan. See M 1242

Wednesdays

0100
0100
0110
0130
0130
0130
0146

Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Nevisdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): Studio 9. See T 01 10.
Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): El Mundo Futuro. Allen Graham
with theworld ol science and technology and a "Computer
Corner"' segment
S11eden. Radio Sixty Degrees North. See M t230.
UK. BBC London (am/e;) Discovery. See T 0630.
Sweden. Radio Med1aScan (1/3). See T 1246.

Thursdays
0100
0100

0110
0130
0130
0130
0146

Ecuador, HGJB Quito (am): Studio 9. See T 0110.

Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): Ham Radio Today. John Beck wilh
features, tips. news. and helps tor radio amateurs.
Sweoen. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Omnibus. See M 0630.
Sweden, Rad,o: Money Matters. See W 1246.

Fridavs
0100
0100
01 10
0130
0130
0130
0146
0147

ECuador. HGJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsd0$k. See S 0000.
Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): Studio 9. See T 0110.
Ecuador, HGJB Quito (am): Woman to Woman. Focus on
1opics ol concern. (www.gospelcorn.net/Woh/)
Sweden. Radio: Slxly Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Composer of the Month. See H
0730.
Sweoen. Radio: Horizon (415). See H 1246.
Sweoen. Radio: HeartBeat (3). See H 1247.

Saturdays
0100
0100
0110
0130
0130
0130
0130
0154
0154
0154
0154

Ecuador. HGJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.

UK. BBC London (am/cu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuado" HGJB Quito (am): Studio 9. See T 0110.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Muslca del Ecuador. See M 0630.
Sweden. Radio: Newsweek. See F 1235.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. See S 0130.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. SOth Anniversary
Celebrations: From the Wireless to the World Wide Web (6th).
See W 1254.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The High "C's" (27th). See
F2354.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Netherlands is Full
(20th). See F 1454.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cost ol
Translomna1ion (13th). Eric Beauchemin reports on 1he
transition from centrally planned 10 market economies in
Eastern Europe.

HAUSER'S HIGHLIGHTS

ITALY: AWR foRLI

W97 to Eu. Af:
0630-0800
0800-0900
M-F
0900-0930
1000-1100
1100- 1230
1300-1430
(via Michie! Schaay. BC-DX)

7270
7230
7230
11 795
7230
9665

NORWAY: NRK
W97 English on Sunday. UT Monday:
0700
11 625 9590
0800
11 625
1300
9590 9905 13800 13805
1400
13800
1600
13805 13800
1700
7560
1900
7485 9590 9960
2000
7570
2200
7570
0100
7465 7565
0400
7520
(RNl via Djaci F. Sil va. radioescw as)

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Nevis. Sec M t1 3~.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

4S

FREQUENCIES . . . . . . . .
0200-0300
0200-0300 twhla
0200-0300

Angu1lla.Ca11bbcan Beacon
Argentina. RAE
Australia, Radio

0200-0300 vi
0200-0300 vi
0200-0210
0200-0230
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0259

Australia. VLBK Kathe11ne

Australia. VLBT Tent Crk
Bangladesh. Bangla Betar
Canada. Can Forces Net
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada, CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada, CHNX Halilax
Canada. CKZN St John"s
Canada, CKZU Vancouver
Canada. A Canada Intl

0200-0300
0200-0204
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0250

Costa Rica.RF Peace lnll

Croatia. Croatian Radio
Cuba. Radio Havana
Ecuador. HCJB
Egypt. Radio Cairo
Germany. Deutsche Welle

0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0230
02000300 vi
02000300
0200-0300 smtwh
02000300 s
02000300
0200-0300
02000230 m
0200-0300 vi
02000300
02000256

Germany.Overcomer Mmislr
Honduras. LV Evangelica
Hungary. Radio Budapest
Kenya. Kenya Broadc Corp
Lebanon. Vorce ol Hope
Malaysia. Radio
Malla. VO Mediterranean
Netherlands. Radio
New Zealand. A NZ Intl
Norway. Radio Norway lnll
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Philippines, FEBCIR tnll
Romania. R Romania lnll

02000300

Russia.Voice ol Russia WS

6090am
11710am
9660pa
15415as
5025do
4910do
4880do
9535ta
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6t60do
6160do
6155am
11865am
7385am
5840na
6000na
9745am
9475na
6035as
951Sas
5840na
4820am
6030na
488Sdo
9960va
729Sdo
15550au
9860as
1511Spa
7565am
9675do
15450as
5990na
11940na
5920na
7125na
13665na

12080pa
15510pa

9780ca

9535am
7585am
6120na
9820na
21455am

t 3605pa
t 7750as

15240pa
17795pa

Solomon Islands. SIBC

South Korea. A Korea lnll
S11 Lanka, S11 Lanka BC
Taiwan. Tarper Radro Intl

02000300

Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS

117t5ca

9755am

9780am

02000230
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0230
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
02000300

United Kingdom. BBC WS

United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KJES Mesquite NM
USA. KTBN Sall Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Monitor Radio Intl
USA, Voice ol America

0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300 s
0200-0300 mlwhf
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200-0300
0200D300
0215-0220
0230-0245
0230-0300 vVrn-a
0230-0300
0230-0300
0230-0256
0230-0300 vi
0245-0300
0250-0300 SI
0250-0300
0255-0300 vi

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WINS Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WANO New Orleans LA
USA. \W/CR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee Fl
Nepal. Radio
Pakistan. Radro
Philippines. R P1lrp1nas
Swecen. Radio
United Kingdom. BBCWS
Vietnam. Voice ol
Zambia. A Zarnbia/ZNBC 2
Albania, A Tirana Intl
Greece. Voice ol
Vatican State, Vatican A
Zambia. A Zambia/ZNBC 1

15050am
9830na

7265as
9615as
6025na

7285as
98t5as
6170na

9840na
4935do

6150do

7355as

11s1oas
11655as

6t55na
12990na
5930na
12050na
13790na

0200-0300 vi
02000300
0200-0300
02000300

95 10na

9570na

5940na
13640na
15425na

7105na
13645na

5020do
7275as
9730as
5950na
t 1825as
5970sa
6195eu
15280as
9590am
6200eu
5810am
7555na
7510am
7560pa
5850na
7115as
11705as
17820as
5825eu
5085am
7315am
5760am
5760arn
11 950am
7490na
9955arn
7355am
3215am
6065na
3230do
7255va
11885me
7280na
7325am
5940na
6165do
6115na
5895na
7305ca
4910do

11 725am
t542Sas
7130as
15345as
5975am
9~10va

15310as
9915am

17510as
7535na
7205as
15250as

5070am
9505na
5005do
15120eu
15120rne

11810am

15575am

9680na

11740ca

6135al
9605as
15360as

6175am
11955as

I 7555pa
9740as
15300as

9850as
17740as

5935am

7435am

15485va
15270me

17705va

/450na

9425na

9395am

7160na
6260na
9605arn

SELECTED PROGRAMS . . . . . . . .
Sundays
0200
0200
0230
0230
0230

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Solstice. A musical program lrom

HCJB-Austratia for young people.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. Coverage of the
breaking stories and a background brieling on the main news
issues of the day.
Sweden. Radio: Spectrum (1). See S 0130.
Sweden. Radio: Sweden Today (3). See S 0130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Musrc Review. News and views
lrom the wortd of musrc.

Mondays
0200
0200
0230
0230
0230
0230
0230

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Radio Reading Room. Readings

lrom new Christian books.
UK, BBC London (am/cu): Newsday. See S0200.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): L'Abri Lectures. Dr. Francis
Schaeffer is thespeaker.
Sweden. Radio: In Touch with Stockholm ( 1). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio: Sounds Nordic (214). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio: Weekend (3). See S 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Meridian Arts. A weekly program
about the world of the arts.

Tuesdays
0200
0200
0230
0230
0230
0248

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): The Least ol These. Ken MacHarg

lotuses on human needs around the world.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. Sec S0200.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Let My People Think. See S 1530.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Meridian On Screen. The latest
cinematic offerings are discussed.
Sweden. Radio: SportScan. See M 1242.

Wednesdays

0200
0200
0215
0230
0230

46

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Vital Signs. Jorn Karen Schmidt

for a journey through the world ol
UK. BBCLondon (am/eu): Newsday. See S0200.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): The Book and the Spade. The
quest for biblical knowledge lhrough archaeology.
Ecuador. HCJB Ouilo (am): Unshackled. Pacific Garden
Mission's radio drama
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

0230
0246

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Meridian Arts. See M 0230.

Sweden. Radio: MediaScan (1/3) See T t 246.

Thursdays
0200

0200
0230
0230
0246
0254
0254
0254
0254

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Rock Solrd!. A new one-hour

program ol conlemporary (rock) Christian music.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Meridian Arts. See M 0230.
Sweden. Radro: Money Matters. See W 1246.
Radro Nelhertands: Documentary 501h Anniversary
Celebrations: From the Wireless to the World Wrde Web
(4th). See VI 1254.
Radio Netherlands: Documenlary. The High cs (251h).
See F 2354.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Netherlands rs Full
(18th). See F 1454.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cost ol
Transformation (1llh). See A 2354.

Fridavs

0200

0200
0230
0230
0230
0246
0247

E'Cuador. HCJB Ou110 (am): Radio Readrng Room. See M

0200.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Inspirational Classics. Scott and
Judy Gillen of New Zealand with a program ol sacred
classical music. (httpJflconz.co.nz/-gillcn/lc.html)
Sweden. Radio: Siicty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK. BBCLondon (am/eu): Focus on Faith. Alison Hilliard
lalkS to church leaders about their hopes lor the future.
Sweden. Radio: Horizon (4/5). See H 1246.
Sweden, Radio: HeartBeat (3). See H 1247.

Saturdays
0200
0200
0230
0230
0230
0230

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Inside ltCJB Paul Bell gives

you a inside look al the Voice ol the Andes.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Watkin' in the Sunshine Ben
Cummings serves as your host for !hrs
Sweden. Radio: Newsweek. See F 1235.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North See M 1230.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): People and Polrtics. See F 2130.

HAUSER'S HIGHLIGHTS

SAIPAN: KHBI, W97

Time' when both transm iucrs arc n\ll used
for own Christian Science program>:
15()(). 1800
2100-2-100
0100-0800
Times when on ly one i' u":d:
0800-0900
1-100- 1500
2000-2 100
0000-0 100 (WS HB)
i.e.. when probably u'cd for R. Fn:l! A'ia

SLOVAKIA: AWR
W97 in English to Eu. As. Af:
0-100-0DO
0600-0630
0700-07:10
Sat/S un
0930- 1030
l 700-IDO
2030-2 130
2200-2230
(via Michid Schaay. BC-OX)

94(15
11 640
91:15
9-150
D25&
9-150
7265
6055

FREQUENCIES . .

... .. . ... ..

......

03000400
03000400

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

03000400 vi
03000400 vi
0300-0400 vi
0300-0400
0300-0400
03000400
03000400
03000400
03000329
03000400
03000400 vi
03000400
03000400
03000327
03000400
03000330
03000350

Australia. VL8K Katherine

Australia. VL8T Tent Crk
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouve1
Canada. R Canada lnll
China. China Radio Intl
Costa Rica.Faro def Carib
Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl
Cuba. Radio Havana
Czech Rep. Radio Prague
Ecuador. HCJB
Egypt, Radio Cairo
Germany. Deutsche Welle

03000400
03000400
03000400
0300-0400 as/vi
03000400
03000400 vi
03000400
03000400 vi
03000400 v1
03000400 s
03000325
03000400
03000400 vi
03000330 vi
03000400

Germany.Overcomer Mlnistr
Guatemala. Radio Cullural
Honduras. LV Evangelica
Italy. IRRS
Japan. R Jaan/NHK World
Kenya, Kenya Broadc Corp
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Lesotho. Radio Lesotho
Malaysia. RTM Kuch1ng
Malta, VO Mediterranean
Netherlands. Radio
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Philippines. R Pil1pinas
Russia, Voice of Russia WS

03000330
03000400 vi
0300-0400
0300-0400

S Africa. Channel Africa

Solomon Islands. SIBC
Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka BC
Taiwan. Ta1pe1 Radio Intl

0300-0330
030003 t 5 mtwhf
0300-0330

Thailand. Radio
Uganda, Radio
United Kingdom. BBC WS

6090am
9660pa
t5415as
5025do
49t0do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6t30do
6t60do
6t60do
6t55am
9690na
5055do
7385am
6000na
5930na
9745am
9475na
6045na
9640na
5840na
3300do
4820am
7t20va
t 7685pa
4885do
9960va
4800do
7t60do
15550au
9860as
t51 t 5pa
9675do
1t885as
5920na
7t25na
t 3645na
5995af
5020do
9730as
5950na
15345as
9655na
4976do
5970sa
15360as

t 2080pa
t55t0pa

t3605pa
t7750pa

9755am

9780am

7585am
9820na
7345na
2t455am

t5050am
9830na

6085na

6t85na

9535na

6t 50do

t 7570as
t 1655as
t 5t20as
5930na
7t 75na
t3655na

t 5270as
5940na
t 2050na
t3790na

t5425as
9680na

11745au

11905na

15395na

6t35af

7325am

.. . ... .

.....

03000400

United Kingdom. BBC WS

0300-0400
03000400
03000400
03000400
03000400
03000400
03000400

Urnted Kingdom. UCB

USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KVOH Los Angeles CA
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio lnll
USA, Voice of America

03000330 smtwh
03000400
03000300
03000400
03000400 s
03000400 mtwhfa
03000400
03000400
03000400
03000400
03000400
03000400
030003t0
03000400 vi
03000400 v1
03000400 vi
03100340
03290359 sm
03300400
03300357
03300400
03300355
03300400 vi
03300400 twhfa
03300400
03300400
03300400
03300400
03400350
03450400
03450400
03450400 as
03560400

USA. Voice of America

USA, WEWN Birmingham AL
USA. WGTGMcCaysville GA
USA, WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WHRI Noblesville IN
USA, WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KV
USA, WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA, WRNO New Orleans LA
USA, WWCR Nashville TN
USA, WVFR Okeechobee FL
Vatican State. Vatican R
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC t
Zambia, R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe BC
Vatican State. Vatican R
Canada. R Canada Intl
Albania. R Tirana Intl
Czech Rep, Radio Prague
Hungary. Radio Budapesl
Moldova. R Moldova Intl
Philippines. R Pilipinas
Ponugal. R Ponugal lnll
Sweden. Radio
Tanzania. Radio
UAE. Radio Dubai
United Kingdom. BBC WS
Greece. Voice of
Burundi. Radio Na11onale
Tajik1stan.Rad10 Dushanbe
Uganda. Radio
Zambia. Christian Voice

t5240pa
17795pa

6025na

4935do

..

7105na
13640na
15425na

t 1825as

9895am

3255af
6180eu
9600af
t53t0as
6200eu
58t0am
7510am
9975am
7560pa
5850na
6035af
7290af
9885af
4960af
5825eu
5085am
73t5am
5760am
5745am
11950am
7490na
9955am
7395am
3215am
6065na
7305ca
49 t0do
6t 65do
3396do
7360af
6t55na
6140na
7350me
60t0na
7500na
7730as
6t 50am
7t 15na
5050af
t2005na
9610af
5895na
6140do
7245as
4976do
3330af

5975am
6t90af
9605as
t779Qas

6005af
6t95va
t t 760as
2t66Qas

17510as
7535af
6080af
7340af

6t t5af
7415af

7105af
9575at

5935am

7435am

5070am
9505na
9605am

9660af
9755na
7t60na
1t600as
9840na

6175na
9410eu
12095at

17555pa

9780na

t3770as
9570am

t 5330as

13675na
tt73Qaf
6260na

15400na
t t955as
7450na

9905as

t t62Qas

21485na
t528Qas
9425na

6065af

SELECTED PROGRAMS .
Sundays
0300
0300
0305
0315
0330
0330
0330

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Alive!. Ron Hutchcraft.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. Broadcast on the
hour of 5. to, or t5 minutes in length.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World Business Review. A look
back at the previous week's business and a preview of
upcoming events.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
Sweden. Radio: Spectrum (1 ). See S 0130.
Sweden, Radio: Sweden Today (3). Sec S 0130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): From Our Own Correspondent.
BBC correspondents comment on the background to the
news.

Mondays
0300
0300
0305
03t5
0315
0330
0330
0330
0330
0330

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): The Sower. Michael Guido

presents music and inspiration.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Wnte On. See S 0905.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): The Word Today. A discussion of
Biblical themes.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S0145.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Joy International. Dave Freeland
hosts a program of Christian music.
Sweden. Radio: In Touch with Stockholm ( t ). See S 1230.
Sweden, Radio: Sounds Nordic (214). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio: Weekend (3). See S 1230.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): The Woru. Afun Lewis looks at
the impact of tomorrow's technology.

Tuesdays
0300
0300
0305

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Chords of Love Music to

encourage you.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World Business Report. See M
0905.

0315
0315
0330
0330
0330
0342

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Rendezvous. Dick Saunders

presents Bible study and evangelism.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): MasterControl. A magazine
program of current topics, lifestyle issues, and Christian
themes. (www.masterconlrol.org)
Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. See S 0130.
Sweden. Radio: SportScan. See M 1242.

Wednesdays

0300

0300
0305
0315
0315
0330
0330
0330
0345
0346

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Psychology for Living. See T

0600.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World Business Report. See M
0905.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Rendezvous. See T 0315.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Stories of Great Christians. See T
0615.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees Nonh. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): One Planet. See T t 830.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Wonderful Words of Life.
Messages from the Salvation Army.
Sweden, Radio: MediaScan (1/3). See T 1246.

Thursdays

0300
0300
0305

0315
03 t5
0330

Ecuador, HCJB Qu~o (am): CBF Presents. Christian activities

m the Caribbo..an.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World Business Report. See M
0905.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Rendezvous. See T 0315.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S Ot45.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): The Living Word. See T 1430.

0330
0330
0345
0346

Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. See S0130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. See S0130.
Sweden, Radio: Money Matters. See W 1246.

Fridavs
0300
0300
0305
0315
0315
0330
0330
0330
0346
0347

Ecuador. HCJBQuito (am): Words for Women. Helpful ideas

for family living.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. Sec S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World Business Report. See M
0905.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Rendezvous. See T 0315.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Christians Broadcasting Hope. See
H 1430.
Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Assignment. See H 1830.
Sweden, Radio: Horizon (4/5). See H 1246.
Sweden. Radio: HeartBeat (3). See H 1247.

Saturdays
0300

03t5
03t 5
0330

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Science. Scripture and Salvation.

See M 0545.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World Business Report. See M
0905.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Rendezvous. See T 0315.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Adventures in Odyssey. See S

0330
0330
0330

Sweden, Radio: Newsweek. See F 1235.

Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Science in Action. See F 1530.

0300
0305

0000.

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

47

FREQUENCIES . . . . .. .
0400-0500
0400-0500

Angu1lla,Ca11bbean Beacon
Auslralla. Radio

0400-0500 s
0400-0500 vi
0400-0500 vi
0400-0500
0400-0500
0400-0500
0400-0500
04000500
0400-0500
04000500
0400-0429
0400-0500
0400-0500
04000500
0400-0500
0400-0450

Auslraha. Radio
Aus1raha. VLSK Kalhe11ne
Aus1raha. VLST Tenl Crk
Aus1raha.OefenseForces R
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada, CFRX Toronlo
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Hahlax
Canada. CKZN SI John"s
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada. R Canada lnll
Churn. China Radio lnll
Costa Rica.RF Peace lnll
Cuba, Radio Havana
Ecuador. HCJB
Germany. Oeulsche Welle

0400-0500 lwhla
0400-0500
0400-0430
0400-0500 as/VI
0400-0500 vi
0400-0500
04000500s
0400-0430 m1whfa
0400-0458
0400-0430 m
04000500 vi
0400-0456

Gualemala. Radio Cullural

Honduras. LV Evangelica
Iraq, Radio Iraq lnll
llaly. IRRS
Kenya. Kenya Broadc Corp
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Malla. VO Medilerranean
Mexico. Radio Mexico lnll
New Zealand, R NZ lnll
Norway, Radio Norway lnll
Papua New Guinea, NBC
Romania. R Romania l nll

0400-0500

Russia.Voice of Russia WS

0400-0430
0400-0430
0400-0500 vi
0400-0430
0400-0430
0400-0430
0400-0500
0400-0415
0400-0500

S Africa. Channel Africa

Slovakia. AWR Europe
Solomon Islands. SIBC
Sri Lanka. Sn Lanka BC
Swilzerland. Swiss R lnll
Tanzania, Radio
Turkey. Voice ol
Uganda. Radio
Ukraine. R Ukraine lnll

6090am
9660pa
t5510pa
17750as
5025do
4910do
13525as
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
G160do
6160do
6105me
9560na
73B5am
6000na
9745am
6015af
9565af
3300do
4890am
11787eu
7120va
4885do
9960va
t5550as
9705na
t5115pa
7520na
9675do
5990na
1t940na
5920na
9825na
5955af
9465af
5020do
9730as
6135na
5050af
7300eu
4976do
5915na

12080pa
17795pa

13605as

9505me
9730am
7585am
9820na
21455am
6065af

9645me

4935do

6150do

15240pa

15425as
9885na

United Kingdom, BBC WS

0400-0430
0400-0500
04000500
0400-0500
04000500
0400-0500
04000500
04000500

21660as
United Kingdom, BBC WS
United Kingdom, UCB
USA, KAIJ Dallas TX
USA, KTBN Sall Lk City UT
USA, KVOH Los Angeles CA
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monilor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America

0400-0500
0400-0500
0400-0500
0400-0500 mtwhta
04000500
0400-0500
04000500
0400-0500
0400-0500
0400-0500
0400-0430
0400-0500
0400-0500 vi
0400-0500 vi
0400-0500 vi
0415-0440 vi
0415-0500 vi
04250500
0430-0500 m-flvl
04300455
0430-0500
04300500
04300500
04300500
04550500
04590500

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, VIGTG McCaysville GA
USA. VIHRI Noblesville IN
USA, WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WINB Red lion PA
USA. VIJCR Upton KY
USA, WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA, WANO New Orteans LA
USA. V/WCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vietnam. Voice of
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia, R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe BC
llaly, RAI Intl
Malawi, MBC
Nigeria, FRCN/Radio
Lesotho, Radio Lesolho
Moldova. R Moldova lnll
Netherlands, Radio
Swaziland. Trans World R
Switzerland. Swiss R Intl
United Kingdom. BBC WS
Malaysia. Voice of
New Zealand, R NZ Intl

15050am
9830na
7225af

7265al

17570au

6155na
12990na
5930na
12000na

0400-0500

9510na

9570na

6065na
12050na

7175na
13640na

9905na

9685as

17705au

6020eu

6030na

7205eu
3255af
6175am
7160af
11955as
15310as
9605as
6200eu
5810am
75 10am
9975am
7560pa
7535eu
6035af
7290af
9885af
5825eu
5085am
7315am
5760am
11950am
7490na
9955am
7395am
3210am
6065na
12020na
3330af
4910do
6165do
3396do
6010eu
5993do
3326do
4800do
7500na
6165na
3200al
9905na
15420al
6175as
11905pa

3955eu
6180eu
9410na
12085af
15575va

5975af
6190af
9600af
12095va
17640af

6005af
6195eu
11760va
15280as
t7790as

9610af

9895am

11730af

17510am
9835af
6080al
7415af

17555pa

5070am
9505na
150t0na
6065af

7170at
9575af

7280af
9775af

5935am
9985eu

7435am

7270na
4770do

4990do

9590na
4775af

6100af

9750as

15295au

7150na

SELECTED PROGRAMS . . . . . . . .
Sundays

Thursdays

0400

0400
0400
0410
0430
0430
0430
0454

0400
0409
0430

Ecuador, HCJB Ou1to (am): Lalin and International News.

See S 0100
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): OX Par1yline. See S 0109.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Global Business NEW! Roger
While presenis 1his weekly series of intervie.vs, fea1ures
and discussions with lhe movers and shakers of the
international business community.

Mondays
0400
0400
0410
0430
0430

0454

Ecuador. HCJB Oullo (am): Ullin and lnternalional News.

See S0100.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Saludos Amigos. See M 0110.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Westway Compilalion Edilion.
ca1ch up on the week's episodes of the Wo~d Service's
drama serial.

Tuesdays
0400
0400
0410
0430
0430
0430
0455

Ecuador, HCJB Ou110 (am): News. See M 1134.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Ou110 (am): Studio 9. See T 0110.
Ecuador, HCJB Qui10 (am): You Should Know. See T 0130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): The World Today. See M 1630.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Off lhe Shelf. See M 0715.

Wednesdavs
0400
0400
0410
0430
0430
0430
0455

48

Ecuador, HCJB Ouilo (am): News. See M 1134.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See s 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Sludio 9. See T 0110.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): El Mundo Futuro. See W0130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): The World Today. See M 1630.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Take Five. See T 0555.

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

0454
0454

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk See S 0000.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Studio 9. See T 0110.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Ham Radio Today. See H 0130.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). Sees 1700.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Off the Sheff. See M 0715.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. 50lh Anniversary
Celebrations: From the Wireless 10 the Wortd Wide Web (4th).
See W 1254.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The High "C's" (25th). See F
2354.
Radio Netherlands: Oocumentary. The Nelherlands is Full
(18th). See F 1454.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cost of
Transformation (1 1th). See A 2354.

Fridays
0400
0400
0410
0430
0430
0430
0455

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Studio 9. See T 0110.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Woman to Woman. See F0130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Science View. See S 2305.

Saturdays
0400
0400
0410
0430
0430
0430
0455

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Studio 9. See T 0110.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Musica del Ecuador. See M 0630.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): The Wortd Today. See M 1630.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Weekend (Eu). European magazine
prOjJram co-produced by European broadcaslers.
UK. BBC London (amieu): 011 the Shell. See M 0715.

HAUSER'S HIGHLIGHTS

SOUTH AFRICA: CHANNEL AFRICA

W97 English:
0300-0330 &
0400-0430

5955

0500-0530

9675

0600-0630

11900

1300-1455

Sat & S un 9440 15330

17675
1500-1530

9440

1600-1625

5955

1700-1730 & 1800- 1830

15240

( Kathy Otto, SENTECH)

FREQUENCIES .

... ... . .. . ... ...

.......

0500-0600
05000600

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

05000600 a
05000600 vi
05000600 vi
05000600
05000600
05000600 vi
05000600
05000600
0500-0600
05000600
05000600
0500-0600 as
0500-0600
0500-0600
0500-0600 vi
0500-0600
0500-0550

Australia, Radio
Australia. VLBK Katherine
Australia, VLBT Tent Crk
Australia,DefenseForces R
Bulgaria, Radio
Cameroon, Radio Cameroon
Canada, CFRX Toronto
Canada, CFVP Calgary
Canada, CHNX Halifax
Canada, CKZU Vancouver
Costa Rica, Adv World R
Costa Rica, Adv World R
Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl
Cuba, Radio Havana
Cyprus. BRT International
Ecuador. HCJB
Germany. Oeutsche Welle

05000600
0500-0515
0500-0600 as/vi
0500-0600

Guyana. GBCNoice of
Israel. Kol Israel
llaly. IRRS
Japan, R Japan/NHK World

0500-0600 vi
05000600 vi
05000600
05000505
0500-0600
0500-0510 mtwhf
0500-0530 mtwhf
05000525
05000600
05000505
05000600
0500-0557
05000600 vi
05000600

Kenya, Kenya Broadc Corp

Kiribati, Radio
Lebanon, Voice of Hope
Lesotho. Radio Lesotho
Liberia.LCN/R Liberia Int
Malawi. MBC
Mexteo, Radio Mexico loll
Netherlands, Radio
New Zealand, R NZ loll
Nigeria, FRCN/Aadio
Nigeria. Voice of
North Korea. R Pyongyang
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

05000530
0500-0600 vi
05000600
05000600

S Afnca. Channel Africa

Solomon Islands. StBC
Spain. R Exterior Espana
Swaziland. Trans Wo1ld R

6090am
9660pa
15510as
17750as
5025do
4910do
13525as
7375na
4850do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
5030ca
7375am
7385am
6180na
6150do
9745am
5960na
9565na
3290do
7465na
7120va
61 lOna
11895ca
4885do
9810do
9960va
4800do
5100do
3380do
9705na
6165na
11905pa
3326do
7255af
11740as
9675do
5920na
9825na
9675al
5020do
6055am
4775af

120BOpa
17795pa

13605as

15240pa

0500-051 5
05000600

Uganda. Radio
United Kingdom. BBC WS

05000530
05000600
0500-0600
05000600
05000600
0500-0600
05000600
05000600

15420af
17885af
United Kingdom, BBC WS
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA, KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KVOH Los Angeles CA
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio lnll
USA. Voice of America

05000600
05000600
05000600
05000600
05000600
0500-0600
05000600
05000600
0500-0600
0500-0520

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA, WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WINS Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami lnll
USA, WRNO New Orleans LA
USA, WWCR Nashville TN
USA, WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vatican Sl ate, Vatican R

0500-0600
0500-0530 vi
0500-0600 vi
0500-0530 vi
05050600
0520-0530
05250600
05300559

Zambia. Christian Voice

Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC l
Zambia, R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe BC
Swaziland, Trans World R
Vatican State. Vatican R
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
Austria. R Austria lnll

0530-0600
0530-0556

Japan. R Japan/NHK World

Romania, R Romania Intl

05300600
0530-0548
05300600 vi
0530-0600 vi

Thailand. Radio
UAE. Radio Dubai
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe BC

9485na

6150ca

9725ca

7585am
9820na

15050am
9830na

21455am
6065na

7225na

9435na

17545na

6t50eu
11920pa
4935do

9835ca
15230pa
6150do

7265na

11840as

9590na
4770do

4990do

.. ... ....

13790as
5930na
12000na

6065na
12050na

6100af

7175na
13640na

... . ... . ....

4976do
3255af
6175am
7120va
9600af
11940af
l 5575va
21660as
15280as
6200eu
5810am
75 lOam
9975am
7560as
7425af
5970af
7295al
11965eu
5825eu
5085am
5760am
11950am
7490na
9955am
7395am
3210am
5985na
5685eu
15570af
3330af
4910dO
6165do
3396do
9500al
9660af
3366do
6015na
17870me
61 lOna
11790af
15340as
9655eu
15435as
7220do
5975do

3955eu
6tBOeu
7160af
96t0af
12095as
17640af

5975am
6190af
9410va
9740as
15310as
17760as

6005af
6195va
9515al
11760as
15360as

17555pa
7535eu
6035al
9700af
12080al

6080af
9775af
15205eu

7170eu
11825me

7315am

9930am

5070am
9985af
7250eu

5935am
11580eu
9660al

17790as

7435am
11625af

6065al

11625al
4915do
6155eu

15570af
13730eu

15410me

7230eu
11940al
17720as
11905eu
17830as

11840as
15250af
17790af
15115eu
21700as

11920pa
15270af

SELECTED PROGRAMS . . .

!~d~i~a. Radio, Radio: News. See S 0000.

0500 Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Musical Mailbag. See S 0030.

0500
0515
0530
0530
0530

UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.

Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: News Behind the News. See S0015.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Listeners' Choice. Some inleresting
items about Bulgaria and the top of the music charts.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Aherglow. Don Johnson plays
religious music.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Jazzmatazz. The request prO<Jram
that lives up to Its title.

Mondays

0500
0500
0500
0515
0530

0530
0530
0530
0545
0545

Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: News. See S 0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Radio Reading Room. See M
0200.
UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
Bulgaria, Radio. Radio: Timeout for Music. See M 0015.
Bulgaria, Radio. Radio: Straight from the Horse's Mouth.
Discussion of a current matter affecting Bulgaria in an
interview with a cognizant official.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): The Sower. See M 0300.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. See S 0130.
Bulgaria. Radio, Radio: Radio Bulgaria Calling. See S 1315.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Science, Scripture and Salvation.
Proving scientific principles with the Bible.

Tuesdays

0500
0500
0500
0515
0515
0530
0530
0530

Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: News. See S 0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): The Least of These. See T 0200.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
Bulgaria. Radio, Radio: Events and Development. See T
0015.
Bulgaria, Radio. Radio: Radio Bulgaria Spectrum. Thirtyminute digest on a wide variety of topics.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Let My People Think. See S 1530.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.

0555

UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Take Five. A short series of

human interest stories.

~:d~:a~~la~o,
Radio: News. See S 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Vital Signs. See W 0200.

0500
0500
0515
0515

0530
0530
0530
0530
0555

UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.

Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Events and Development. See T
0015.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): The Book and the Spade. See W
0215.
Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: Across the Map of Bulgaria. A
travelOfJUe program of historical sites and interesting places
and people.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Unshackled. See W 0230.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Take Five. See T 0555.

0530
0530
0530
0550
0555

Bulgana, Radio. Radio: News. See S0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Rock Solid!. See H 0200.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Newsday. See S0200.
Bulgaria, Radio. Radio: Events and Development. See T
0015.
Bulgaria. Radio, Radio: Answering Your Letters. See W
0030.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Outlook. Seo M 1405.
Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: Sports Roundup. See W 0050.
UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Music Brief. A five-minute
inle~ude.

Fridays
0500
0500
0500
0515

0530
0530
0555

Bulgaria. Radio, Radio: News. See S 0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Radio Reading Room. See M
0200.
UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: Events and Development. See T

0015.
Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: Cultural Review. See H 0030.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Inspirational Classics. See F
0230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S
1700.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Science View. See S 2305.

Saturdays

0500
0500
0500
0515

0530
0530
0530
0555

Thursda~

0500
0500
0500
0515

0530
0530

Bulgaria, Radio, Radio: News. See S 0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Inside HCJB. See A 0200.
UK, BBC London (arnleu): Newsday. See S 0200.
Bulgaria. Radio. Radio: Events and Development. See T
0015.
Bulgaria, Radio. Radio: Lifestyle. See F0030.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Walkin' in the Sunshine. See
A0230.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Spotlight. Focus on the theater.

Macintosh Software
SHORTWAVE NAVIGATOR
FREQUENCY VALET UTCLOCK
FREOUENCIES/P ROGRAMS/COMPUTER CONTROL
(DRAKE KENWOOD JRC

SEND $2 FOR DEMO DISK TO:

DX COMPUTING 232 SauAw CREEK Ao.
WILLOW PARK , TX 76087

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

49

FREQUENCIES

. . . ... .

0600-0700
0600-0700

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

06000700 vi
0600-0700 vi
0600-0633
0600-0700 vl
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0659 mtwhf

Australia, VL8K Katherine

Australia. VL8T Tent Crk
Austraha.DelenseForces R
Canada, CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgal'f
Canada, CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada, R Canada lnll

0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0650

Costa Rica.RF Peace lnll

Cuba. Radio Havana
Ecuador, HCJB
Germany. Deutsche Welle

0600-0700
0600-0615
0600-0700
0600-0700 vi
0600-0700

Germany.01ercomer M1nis1r
Ghana, Ghana Broadc Corp
Guyana, GBCNoice of
Italy, IRAS
Japan. R Japan/NHK Wo1ld

0600-0700 vi
0600-0700 vi
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0630
0600-0700
0600-0700 vi
0600-0700

0600-0630
0600-0630
0600-0610
0600-0630
0600-0700 vi
0600-0700

Kenya, Kenya Broadc Corp

Kiribati. Radio
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Llberia.LCN/R Liberia Int
Malaysia, Voice of
New Zealand. R NZ lnll
Nigeria, FRCN/Radio
Nigeria. Voice of
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russ1a.Vo1ce ol Russia WS

S Alrica. Channel Africa

S Africa. Trans World R
Sierra Leone. SLBS
Slovakia. AWR Europe
Solomon Islands. SIBC
Sl'laZiland. Trans World R

... .. ..... ..
6090am
9660pa
15240pa
5025do
4910do
13525as
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6050va
11905al
7385am
6180na
9745am
6045af
17820as
9500au
3366do
3290do
3985va
5975eu
9835na
15550as
4885do
9810do
9960va
5100do
6175as
11905pa
3326do
7255af
9675do
7270na
12025as
17795as
11900af
11730af
3316do
11640al
5020do
4775al

11880pa
15415as

6150va
7585am
9820na
21455am
7225af
21705me

12080pa
15510as

9740al

13605as
17750as

9760va

9830na
9565al

7230eu
11840as
17810as
6t50do

9750as

15295au

4770do

4990do

7345na
12055na
21790as

9825na
15470na

6100al

... ... .

0600-0630
0600-0700

Switzerland, Swiss R Intl

United Kingdom. BBC WS

0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0630

15575va
21660as
United Kingdom, UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk Cily UT
USA. KVOH Los Angeles CA
USA. KV/HR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA, Voice of America

0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700 vi
0600-0630 mtwhfa

USA. W'fWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA, WHRI Noblesville IN
USA, WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami ln11
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA, WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vanuatu, Radio
Vatican State. Vatican R

0600-0630
0600-0700
0600-0700
0600-0700 vi
0600-0700 vi
0605-0700
0630-0659
0630-0700

Vietnam. Voice of
Yemen. Radio Aden
Zambia. Chrislian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe BC
Swaziland, Trans World R
Austria, R Austria ln11
USA. Voice of America

0630-0700 as

USA. Voice of America

0630-0645
0631-0640
0645-0700

Vatican State. Vatican R

Romania. R Romania ln11
Romania. R Romania lnll

5840eu
5975am
6190al
7325va
11760as
153103s
1764031

11 765al

4915do

6190na
11740as
15570as
4935do

. .. . . .

9505pa
11920pa

9895na
17570as

9500af

6200eu
5810am
7510am
9975am
7560as
7535eu
5970at
7170eu
11950al
5825eu
5085am
7315am
11950am
7490na
9955am
2390am
5985am
3945do
5885eu
15595va
5925as
9780do
3330al
7220do
5975do
9650af
6015na
5995me
15205eu
5970af
1195031
11625al
9550eu
11740pa
17720pa

6165eu
6005al
61 95eu
9410va
11780eu
153603s
17785as

6175am
7145as
9600al
11 940al
15420al
17885al

6t80eu
7160al
9740as
12095eu
15565va

5995me
7285af
12080al

6035af
11805eu
15205eu

6080af
11825me
15600al

7315am

9930am

32 10am
7355eu
4960do
7250eu

5070am
9985cu

5935am

9645cu

11740eu

7170eu

11805eu

11825me

6035af
12oeoa1
13765al
9665eu
11840pa

6080af
15600al
15570al
11810eu
15250pa

7285at

17555pa

10060as
6065al

15365eu
15270pa

SELECTED PROGRAMS .
Sundays
0600
0600
0600
0610
0630

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Solstice. See S 0200.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
USA. VOA Washington DC (aVeu): VOA News. Ten minutes
of l'lorldwide nel'ls on the hour.
USA. VOA Washington DC (af/eu): VOA Sunday. Interviews
and features about science. sports, agriculture. and
business. plus the latest American music.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): In Praise of God. Weekly
programme of worship and meditation.

Mondays
0600
0600
0600

0600
0610

0630
0630
0630

Ecuador, HCJB Qu110 (am): Mountain Meditations. See S

1330.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
USA, VOA Washington DC (al): Daybreak Africa. Magazine
program of African news. spor1s. features. and
correspondent repons.
USA VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA, VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA Today. Up-to-theminute news summanes. hourly business and sports
updates. interviews on world news events. plus features
on topics from movies lo medicine.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Musica de! Ecuador. Jorge
Zambrano presents a unique mix of Ecuadorian music and
friendly chatter (highly rated).
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK, BBC London (am/cu): Omnibus. Each week a half
hour programme on practically any topic under the sun.

Tuesdays
0600
0600
0600
0600
0610

so

Ecuador. HCJB Ouuo (am): Psychology for Living. Clyde

Narramore of California gives Christian advice on issues of
today.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
USA. VOA Washington DC (af): Daybreak Africa. See M
0600.
USA. VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA, VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA Worldwide. A daily
morning program Illa! provides In-depth analysis or global

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

0615
0630
0630
0630

issues and events through daily roundlable discussions.

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Stories or Great Christians. Radio
drama with Christian theme from lhe Moody Bible Institute.
(www.moody.edu)
Ecuador, HCJB Ouilo (am): Nighlsounds. Christian music and
thoughttul words from Bill Pearce.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Discovery. In-depth look al
scientific research.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.

Wednesdays
0600
0600
0600
0600
0610
0615
0630
0630
0630

Ecuador. HCJB Oullo (am): Psychology for Living. See T 0600.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
USA. VOA Washington DC (al): Daybreak Africa. See M 0600.
USA. VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA. VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA Worldwide. See T 0610.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Stories of Great Christians. See T
0615.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Nightsounds. See T 0630.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Spor1s International. Live
commentaries and Interviews, features and discussions.

0610
06 t 5
0630
0630
0630

USA. VOA Washinglon DC (eu): VOA Worldwide. See T

0610.
Ecuador. HCJB Ouito (am) Stories of Great Christians. See
T0615.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Nighlsounds. See T 0630.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Variable Fealure. See S 0130.

Saturdays
0600
0600
0600
0610
0615
0630
0630

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Psychology tor Living. See T

0600.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
USA, VOA Washington DC (af/eu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA. VOA Washington DC (al/eu): VOA Saturday. See S
06t0.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Stories of Great Christians. See
T 0615.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Nlghtsounds. See T 0630.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Meridian. One of the topical
programs weekly about the world of the arts.

Thursdays
0600
0600
0600
0600
0610
0615
0630
0630
0630

Ecuador. HCJB Ouito (am): Psychology for Living. See T 0600.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
USA. VOA Washington DC (al): Daybreak Africa. See M 0600.
USA. VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA. VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA Worldwide. See T 0610.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Stories of Great Christians. See T
0615.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Nightsounds. See T 0630
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Europe Today (Eu). See S 1700.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Meridian M s. See M 0230.

Fridays
0600
0600
0600
0600

Ecuador. HCJB Ouilo (am): Psychology for Living. See T 0600.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsday. See S 0200.
USA, VOA Washington DC (al): Daybreak Africa. See M 0600.
USA, VOA Washington DC (eu): VOA News. See S 0600.

PROPAGATION FORECASTING
J ACQUES D' A vtGNON, VE3VIA

248 T OWERHtLL R OAD

ON K9H 7N1

P ETERBOROUGH,

CANADA

D 1sm11WTOR

ASAPS

P ROPAGAnoN S onwARE

E-MAIL : MONITOR@RAC.CA

FREQUENCIES .

. ..

07000800
07000800

Angu1lla,Ca11bbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

07000800 vi
07000800 vi
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000704
07000800
07000800 as
07000800 mtwhl
07000800
07000715
07000800
07000800 vi
07000800

Aus1ra11a. VL8K Katherine

Australia. VL8T Tent Crk
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada, CHNX Hahlax
Canada, CKZU Vancouver
Costa Rica.RF Peace lnll
Croatia. Croatian Radio
Ecuador. HCJB
Eql Guinea. R East Africa
Eqt Guinea. Radio Atnca
Germany.Overcomer Ministr
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
Guyana. GBCN01ce of
llaly. IRRS
Japan. RJapal\/NHK World

07000800 vi
07000800 vi
07000800
07000715
07000800 asmtwh
07000800
07000758 as
07000800 mtwhf
07000730 s
07000800 vi
07000745
07000715 s
07000800

Kenya. Kenya Broadc Corp

Kmbal1, Radio
Lebanon, Voice of Hope
Liberia.LCNIR Liberia Int
Malaysia. Radio
Malaysia Voice of
New Zealand. R NZ lnll
New Zealand. R NZ lnll
Norway, Radio Norv1ay lnll
Papua New Guinea, NBC
Romania. 11 Romania lnll
Romania. A Romania lnll
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

07000710
07000730
07000800 vi
07000735
07000800
07000800

Sierra Leone. SLBS

Slovakia, AWR Europe
Solomon Islands. SIBC
Swaziland, Trans World R
Ta11'1an. Ta1pe1 Radio lnll
Ulllled Kingdom. BBC WS

07000800 as
070007t5
07000730

United Kingdom. BBC WS

United Kingdom. BBC WS
Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS

07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800
07000800 vi
07000800
0700-0800 vi
07000800 vi
07300800
07300745 s
07300800
07300800 as
07300800

Uniled Kingdom. UCB

USA, KAIJ Dallas TX
USA, KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA, KVOH Los Angeles CA
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Monitor Radio lnll
USA. WEWN Birmmgham AL
USA. WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WJCR Uplon KV
USA. WRMl/R M1am1lnll
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WVFR Okeechobee FL
Vanua1u. Radio
Zambia, Christian Voice
Zambia. A Zambia/ZNBC 1
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe BC
Georgia. Radio
Greece. Voice of
Netherlands. Radio
Palau. KHBNN01ce of Hope
Switzerland. Swiss r Intl

07300800
07350800 as
07400800
07450800
07450800 s
07450755
07450800 as
07550800 mtwhf
07580800 as

United Kingdom. BBC WS

Swaziland, Trans World R
Guam. TWR/KTWR
Albania. TWR Tirana
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
Greece. Voice of
Monaco. Trans World Radio
Monaco. Trans World Radio
New Zealand. R NZ lnll

.
6090am
9660pa
15240pa
5025do
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6130do
6160do
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... ..

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15565va
9500al

9650al

4915do
7450eu

9425au

5935am

.. .

08000900
08000900
08000830

Albania, TWR Tirana

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

08000830 vi
08000830 vi
08000900 mlwhfa
08000900 vi
08000900
0800-0900
08000900
08000900
0800-0900
08000804
08000857
08000900
08000900 as
08000900 mtwhl
08000805 s
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000830 vi
08000900 vi
08000900
08000900
0800-0900
0800-0825
0800-0900
OS00-0830
08000815 mlwhl
08000900 as
08000830 s
08000900 as
08000900 vi
08000900

Australia. VLBK Katherine

Australia, VLBT Tent Crk
Bhutan. Bhutan BC Service
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada, CHNX Halifax
Canada, CKZU Vancouver
Costa Rica.RF Peace lnll
Croatia, Croatian Radio
Czech Rep. Radio Prague
Ecuador. HCJB
Eqt Guinea. R Easl Af11ca
Eqt Guinea. Radio Africa
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
Guam. TWR/KTWR
Guyana, GBCN01ce of
Indonesia. Voice of
Italy, IRRS
Kiribati. Radio
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Liberia.LCNIR Liberia Int
Malaysia. Radio
Malaysia. Voice of
Monaco. Trans World Radio
Netherlands. Radio
Ne\'/ Zealand, R NZ lnll
Nel'I Zealand, R NZ lnll
Norway, Radio Norway lnll
Palau. KHBNNoice ol Hope
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

0800-09001
08000810
08000900 vi
08000900
08000805 as
0800-0900

Seychelles. FEBA Radio

Sierra Leone. SLBS
Solomon Islands. SIBC
South Korea. R Korea Intl
Swaziland. Trans World R
Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS

08000900 as
08000815
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900
08000900 vi
08000900 vi
08150900 mtwtf
08160900 mtwhf
08200900 vi
08300900

United Kingdom. BBC WS

Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS
Uniled Kingdom. UCB
USA, KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KNLS Anchor Poinl AK
USA. KTBN Sall Lk Cily UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio lnll
USA. WEWN Birmingham AL
USA. WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WJCR Upton KV
USA, WRMl/R Miami lnll
USA, WWCR Nashville TN
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC t
Zimbabwe, Zunbabwe BC
Nigena. FRCN/Rad10
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Chile. A Esperanza
Australia. Radio

0830-0900 vi
0830-0900 vi
0830-0900 vi
0830-0855
0830-0855
08300900 fas/vi
08300900
08300900
08300900
08300900
08550900

Ausuaha. VL8A Alice Spo

Australia. VL8K Katherine
Australia, VL8T Tent Crk
Austria. R Austria lnll
Belgium. R Vlaancleren lnl
Italy, IRRS
Lithuania. Radio Vilnius
Netherlands. Radio
Slovakia. R Slovakia Intl
United Kingdom, BBC WS
Guam, TWR/KlWR

11645au
1t860af

11645au

..
9685eu
6090am
5995pa
12080pa
5025do
4910do
5030do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
7385am
1I730au
9505eu
9365eu
15186af
15186af
3366do
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5100do
7295do
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6100af
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6200eu
5810am
6150as
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7535eu
5825eu
7315am
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9955am
2390am
6065af
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5975do
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9700pa
6089am
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12080pa
2310do
2485do
2325do
6155eu
6130eu
7120va
9710eu
5965pa
11990au
15280as
1183Gau

December 1997

.... ..... .

9580pa
15415as

9710pa
15510as

11880pa
17750as

7585am
11600as
9645pa

21455au

9750as

15295au

t 1895pa

12025as
17795as

13670eu
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7325eu
11760as
1531Gas
15575va
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11 835af

11565pa
9845au

12055as
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15470as
21790as

9650af
9410eu
11940af
15360va
17640va
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9740as
11955as
15400af
17760as

15665eu

9930am

3210am

5070am

4770do

4990do

6080as
15415as

9580pa
15510pa

13730eu
13795au

17870me

9830pa
15460au

13700pa
17570au

5935am

9710pa
17750as

MONITORING TIMES

51

. . . . . . . .. . . .

FREQUENCIES . . . . .
0900-0920 as
0900-1000
0900-1000
0900-1000 vi
0900-1000 vi
0900-1000 vi
0900-1000
0900-1000
0900-1000
0900-1000
0900-0935 vi
09001000
09001000
0900-0904
09001000
0900 1000 as
0900 1000 mtwhf
09000930
09000950

Albania. nvR nrana

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio
Australia. VL8A Alice Spg
Australia. VL8K Katherine
Australia. VL8T Tent Crk
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Chile. R Esperanza
China. China Radio Intl
Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl
Croatia. Croatian Radio
Ecuador. HCJB
Eql Guinea. R East Africa
Eqt Guinea, Radio Africa
Finland. YLE/R Finland
Germany. Deutsche Welle

0900-0915 mtwt1
0900-0955
0900-1000
0900 1000 fas/vi
0900-0930 vi
09001000
0900-0915
09001000
0900-0935 a
09000950 s
0900-0920 mtwhf
0900-0925
0900 1000
0900 1000 as
0900 1000 vi
0900 1000

Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp

Guam. TWR/KTWR
Guyana. GBCN01ce of
Italy, IRRS
Kiribati. Radio
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Llbena.LCN/R Liberia Int
Malaysia. Radio
Monaco. Trans World Radio
Monaco. Trans World Radio
Monaco. Trans World Radio
Netherlands, Radio
New Zealand, R NZ Intl
Palau. KHBNNoice of Hope
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

0900 1000 vi
0900-1000

Solomon Islands. SIBC

United Kingdom. BBC WS

0900-0915
0900-0945
09001000
0900-1000
09001000
0900-1000
09001000
0900-1 000
09001000
0900-1 000
09001000
09001000
09001000
0900-1000 vi
0900 1000 vi
0915-1 000
09300955
0930-1000
09301 000
0930-1 000
09301000
0930 1000 as
0935-0950 s

United Kingdom. BBC WS

United Kingdom. BBC WS
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Monitor Radio Intl
USA. WEWN Birmingham AL
USA, WHRI Noblesville IN
USA, WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
Zambia, Christian Voice
Zambia, R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe BC
Ghana, Ghana Broadc Corp
Austria, R Austria Intl
Canada, CKZN Si John's
Georgia. Radio
Netherlands. Radio
Philippines. FEBC/R Intl
Slovakia. AWA Europe
Albania, TWR Tirana

9685eu
6090am
6080as
2310do
2485do
2325do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6089am
9785pa
7385am
11730au
9645pa
15186af
15186af
9760as
6160au
15145af
21600af
3366do
11835as
3290do
7120va
9810do
9960va
5100do
7295do
9755eu
9755eu
9755eu
5965pa
9700pa
9730as
4890do
9825as
17860as
5020do
5965as
9740as
11945as
15400af
17640va
7325eu
9580as
6200eu
5810am
7510am
11565pa
7395sa
5825eu
5760am
7490na
9955am
2390am
6065af
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5975do
6130do
15455as
6160do
11910eu
7260as
11635as
9450eu
9685eu

9580pa

1t880as

1l755pa
7585am
21455au

15225as
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15410af

9565af
17800af

4915do

9830pa

13700pa

9875as

12025as

6190af
11750as
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15485va
17705eu
15310as
11760as

6195as
11765va
15190sa
15565as
17830af
15360pa
11955as

7535eu

9355as

7315am

9930am

3210am

5070am

52

l 7795as

94 lOeu
l 1940af
15360as
15575va
21660as
17785as
15280as

13840au

5935am

Eqt Guinea. R East Africa

Eqt Guinea. Radio Africa
Guam. AWR/KSDA
Guam, TWR/KTWR
India, All India Radio

l 000-1 t 00 fas/vi
1000 t 020 lfa
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1 100 vi
1000-f tOO vi
1000- 1tOO
1000-1 100
1000-1 100
tOOOt lOOas
1000-t tOOvl
1000-1100
1000-1100

Italy, IRRS
Kazakhstan. Radio Almaty
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Malaysia. Radio
Malaysia. RTM Kuching
Malaysia.ATM KotaKinabalu
Netherlands. Radio
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Nigeria. Voice of
Palau, KHBNNoice of Hope
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Philippines, FEBCIR Intl
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

1000-llOOvl
1000-1100

Solomon Islands, SIBC

Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS

1000-1100 as
1000-1030
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100

Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS

United Kingdom. BBC WS
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America

1000-t 100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-llOOas
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1030 mtwhfa

USA, WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA WHRI Noblesville IN
USA WJCR Upton KY
USA, WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA, WRNO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee fl
Vatican State. Valican A

1000-1030

Vietnam. Voice of

t 000-1100
t000-1100 vi
1020-1040 IV
t 030-1100 mh1hf
1030-1 too
1030-1100
t 030-1100
1030-1100
t030-1055

Zamoia. Chris1ian Voice

Zamoia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Kazakhstan. Radio Almaty
Ethiopia. Radio
Georgia. Radio
Guam. AWR/KSDA
South Korea. R Korea Intl
Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka BC
UAE. Radio Dubai

15t86af
t5186af
11790as
9865as
1t585au
17387au
7120va
9620eu
9960va
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11655as
15560as
5020do
5965va
9740as
11940af
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l 7885va
15190am
15360as
6200eu
5810am
7510am
11565pa
6095am
5985pa
11720pa
5825na
9400am
6040am
7490na
9955am
15420am
2390am
5950na
5885eu
17550va
5940as
1202oas
6065af
7220do
9620eu
5990do
11910me
15170as
11715am
11835as
13675eu

t5170as
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17840au

13700au

15050au

1t820as
17795as

1t880as
17B60as

t 5470as

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t 1750as
t2095eu
15575me
21660as
15400am

6195am
11760as
1531 0as
17640af

9410eu
11765va
15485va
17705af

7395sa
6t65am
15425pa
7425eu

9355as
7405am

9495am

9930am

3210am

5070am

5935am

9645eu

11740eu

15595va

7270as
1so1oas

7400as

9840as

11 720eu

98 1Oas

17830af

11720eu
71lOdo

9705do

t5120as
15395eu

t 7850as
2t605eu

15725as
9590am

7295do
17870au

MT MONITORING TEAM
Next Reporting Deadli11e: December 10, 1997

981 Oas

1000 UTC
10001 100
1000-1100
1000-1 100 vi
1000-1100 vi
1000 1100 vi
1000-l l OOvl
10001100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1 100
10001100
1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1030
1000-1100

ll 715as
17B10as

1000-1100 as
1000-1100 mlwhf
t000-1100
t000-1 tOO
1000-1tOO

Gayle Van Horn

Freque ncy Manager

Jim Frimmcl
Program Manager

swbcskcd @grovc. nc1

DXComp@aol.co m

Jacques d' Avignon

Propagatio n Forecasts
Ontario.Canada
monitor@rac.ca

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio
Australia, VL8A Alice Spg
Australia. VL8K Katherine
Auslralia. VL8T Tent Crk
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
China. China Radio Intl
Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl
Czech Rep. Radio Prague
Ecuador. HCJB

MONITORING TIMES

6090am
6080as
2310do
2485do
2325do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
97B5pa
7385am
17485af
9645pa

9580pa

11880as

Dave Datko. California

Mark Fine, VA

THANK

You

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS MONTH'S SHORTWAVE GUIDE:

11 755pa
7585am
21705me
21455au

December 1997

Joe Bras ier. W HRI: Bob Fraser, Cohasset. MA; Richard Buckl y, UK; Paul
Donegan, Glendale, CA; Clyde Harmon, Anniston. AL ; G len n Hauser.
Enid. OK: Jim Moals. Ravenna, O H: Bob Padula, A ustralia: Larry Van
Horn. Brasstown. NC: BBC MSfWorld Media; DX Pre.~s-A1wralia;
C11111bre DX; Fine Tuning; Gntj1aslt!; Hard-Core- DX: The Fo ur Winds:
DX Ontario: NASWA Juumal; World of Radio: Usenet newsgroups.

FREQUENCIES ....... . .
t t00-t200
1100-1200
t t00-1200 vi
1100-1200 v1
t 100-1200 vi
1100-t200
1100-1200
1100-1200
tl00-1200
tl00-1200
1100-1200

Angu1lla.Carobbean Beacon
Australia. Radio
Australia. VL8A Alice Spg
Australia. VL8K Katherone
Australia. VL8T Tent Crk
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada, CKZU Vancouver
Costa Rica. Adv World R

1100-1200
1100-1200
1100-1200as
1t00-1200
t 100-1150
1100-1200 fastvl
1100-1200
1100-1200
1t00-1200
1100-11t0
1100-1200
1100-1200v1
1100-1200 v1
1100-1129
1100-1125
1100-1200
1100-1157

Costa Rica.Rf Peace Intl

Ecuador. HCJB
Eqt Guinea. R East Africa
Eqt Guinea. Radio Africa
Ge1many, Deutsche Welle
Italy. IRRS
Japan. R Japan/NHK World
Jordan. Radio
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Liberia.LCN/R Liberia Int
Malaysia. Radio
Malaysia. ATM Kuching
Malaysia.ATM KotaKinabalu
Mozambique. Radio
Nelherlands. Radio
New Zealand, R NZ Intl
North Korea. R Pyongyang

1100-1120
1100-t 130 as
1100-1200 vi
1100-1200

Pakistan. Radio
Palau. KHBNNoice of Hope
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

1100-1200
1100-1130 vi
1100-1130

Singapore.R Singapore Int

Solomon Islands, SIBC
Sro Lanka. Sri Lanka BC

1t775am
6080as
2310do
2485do
2325do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
5030am
13750am
7385am
12005am
15186af
9530as
15370af
7120va
6120na
11690eu
9960va
5100do
7295do
7160do
5980do
11812do
6045eu
9700pa
3560af
13650af
15520eu
9730as
4890do
4730as
12065as
15560as
6015as
5020do
1t835as

9580pa

6150am

7375am

7585am
15115am

21455au

15410af

17780af

7t25na

11815as

9725am

9975at

11655as
1s12oas
17755as
6155as

t 1820as
15460as
17860as

t5120as

17850as

Switzerland. Swiss A Intl

Taiwan. Voice of Asia
United Kingdom. BBC WS

1100-t 130 as
t 100-t 130
t 100-t145
t100t200
t100-t200
t 100-t200
1100-t200
tl00-1200
1t00-1200

Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS

United Kingdom. BBC WS
United Kingdom. BBC WS
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Sall Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America

1t 00-t200
t t 00-t200
t100-t200
t t00- t200
t 100-t200
1100-1200
1t00-1200
1100-1200
1100-1 t30
1100-1200
t100-t200vl
t 115-t 145
t 120-1140
1130-t200 vi

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WANO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee f l
Vietnam. Voice of
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia, R Zambia/ZNBC t
Nepal. Radio
Australia.DefenseForces A
China. China Radio Intl

t 130-1157
t 130-1200
t t30-t t35
1t30-1 t40
t t30-t200
t t30-1200
1130-1200

Czech Rep, Radio Prague

Iran. VQIRI
Israel. Kol Israel
Lesotho, Radio Lesotho
Myanmar. Voice of
Netherlands, Radio
United Kingdom. BBC WS

17800af

7190eu
9640af
15230af
17835eu

t1001130
tt00-1200
1100-t200

11335af

t 1BBOas
15535as

9885as
7445as
5965am
9580as
1t955as
15485va
t7705eu
15190am
9700as
t5400af
6200eu
58t0am
7510am
t t565pa
6095am
5985as
t 1705as
5825na
9400am
6040am
7490na
9955am
t5420am
2390am
5950na
7285as
6065af
7220do
3230do
4763as
6995as
t5480as
7345eu
9585as
15640eu
4800do
5990do
6045eu
6195am

t2075as

13635as

6t90af
t t 750as
t2095eu
t5565as
t 7830af

6t95va
11760as
15220am
15575va
17885af

9410eu
1t940af
15310as
17640na
21660af

t 1765va
t 7790as

t5310as

17785as

7395am
6160as
t 1720as
7465eu

9355as
9645as
15425as

9385au
9760as

9495am

9930am

5070am
t1830na
9730as

5935am

15685am

8660as

11445as

11700as

9505eu
t 1830as

1t875as

t5260as

5005do

7t90eu
t7705va

SELECTED PROGRAMS .
Sundays
1100
1100
1130
1130

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Morning Song. Music and

thoughts to start the day.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): The Christian's Hour. Christian
messages of inspiration by Gary York.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Anything Goes. A variety of music
and much more with Bob Holness.

Mondays
1100
1100
1100
11 05
t t tO
t 1t5
t 130

1130
1134

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Insight for Living. Chuck Swindoll

applies the Bible to lite today. (www.insight.org)
UK. BBC London (arnleu): Newsdesk. See S0000.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News (Carib). A five minute
news summary tor listeners In the Caribbean.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Report (Carib).
Weekday coverage of current affairs in the Caribbean region
with emphasis on polibcal and economic analysis.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Sports for the Caribbean (Carib). A
round-up ol the latest scores and sports news.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Magazine (Carib).
General news and features from around the islands.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Morning In tile Mountains. A
I ght-hearted mix of music, conversation, news, and Len
Kinzel helps you start your morning with a hve program of
music. news, scripture reading, and sports.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Jazzmatazz. See S0530.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): News. A summary of wortd and
regional news.

Tuesdays

1100
t 100
1100
1105
1110
1115
1130

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Insight for Living. See M 1100.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Wortd News (Carib). See M 1100.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Report (Carib). See M
1105.
UK, BBC London (am/~u): Sports for the Caribbean (Carib).
See M 1110.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Magazine (Carib). See
M11t5.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Morning In the Mountains. See M
1130.

1130
1134

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable feature. See S 0130.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): News. See M t 134.

Wednesdays
1100
1100
1100
1105
1110
1115
1130
1130
1134

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Insight for Living. See M t 100.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News (Carib). See M 1100.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Report (Carib). See M
1105.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports for the Caribbean (Carib).
See M 1110.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Magazine (Carib). See
M1 115.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am); Morning in the Mountains. See M
1130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports International. See W 0630.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): News. See M 1t 34.

Thursdays
1100
1100
1100
1105
11 tO
1115
1130
1130
1134

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Insight for Living. See M 1tOO.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News (Carib). See M t 100.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Report (Carib). See M
1105.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Sports for the Caribbean (Carib).
See M 1110.
UK, BBC London (am/eu); Caribbean Magazine (Carib). See
M 1115.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Morning in the Mountains. See M
1130.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. See S 0130.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.

Fridavs
1100
1100
1100
11 05
1110

E'Cuador. HCJB Quito (am): Insight for Living. See M 1100.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News (Carib). See M t 100.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Report (Carib). See M
1105.
UK, BBC London (am/cu): Sports for the Caribbean (Carib).
See M 1110.

t 115
1130
1130
1134
1154
1154
1154
1154

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Caribbean Magazine (Carib). See M

1115.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Morning in the Mountains. See M
1130.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Focus on Faith. See F0230.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): News. See M 1134.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. SOth Anniversary
Celebrations: from the Wireless to the World Wide Web (5th).
SeeW 1254.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The High "C's" (26th). See
F 2354.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Netherlands is Full
(19th). See F 1454.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cost of
Transformation (12th). See A 2354.

~~otU~~~l~HCJB
Quito (am): Your Story Hour. Dramatized
children's stories.
t 100
1130
1t30

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newsdesk. See S 0000.

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): We Kids. A fast-moving program
for children.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): People and Politics. See F2130.

International Callsign
Directory
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and their identifications ever assembled
for shortwave and scanner listeners in a massive
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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

53

FREQUENCIES . ... ... .

1200-1300
1200-1300
1200-1300 vi
1200-1300 vi
1200-1300 vi
1200-1300
1200-1300
1200-1215
1200-1300 vi
1200-1300
1200-1300
1200-1300
1200-1300
12001300
1200-1229
1200-1300

Anguilla Canbbean Beacon

Australia. Radio
Australia. VLSA Allee Spg
Australia. VLSK Kathenne
Australia. VLST Tent Crk
Brazil, Radio Bras
Bulgana. Radio
Cambodia. Nall Voice of
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronlo
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halilax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada, CKZU Vancouver
Canada. R Canada lnll
China. China Radio lnll

1200-1230 vi

China. China Radio Intl

1200-1300
1200-IJOO
1200-1 JOO as
1200-IJOO
1200-1257

Costa Rica.RF Peace lnll

Ecuador HCJB
Eqt Guinea R East Afnca
Eqt Gu1rea. Radio Afnca
France. Radio France lnll

1200-1230 s
1200-1230 s
1200-1230
1200-lJOO fas/VI
1200-1300
1200-IJOO
1200-1300
1200-1300
1200-1300 vi
1200-12JO
1200-1250
1200-1230
1200-1206
1200-1300 vi
1200-1300

Germarr1. Universal Life

Germarr1. Universal Life
Iran, VOIRI
Italy. IRRS
Japan. R Japan!NHK World
Jordan, Radio
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Malaysia, Radio
Malaysia. ATM KotaKinabalu
Mongolia. Voice of
Myanmar, Voice of
Netherlands, Radio
New Zealand. R NZ lnll
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

11 775am
5870pa
2J10do
2485do
2J25do
15445na
151JOeu
11940as
9625do
6070do
60JOdo
6130do
6160do
6160do
6150as
7J85pa
t t795pa
6995as
t2t1Qas
7385am
t2005am
t5t86af
9530as
9805af
t5195eu
9710eu
9710eu
9585as
7t 20va
6120na
I 1690eu
9960va
7295do
5980do
12085au
5990do
6045eu
9700pa
4890do
4730as
12065as
15535as
I 7860as

6080as

94 t5pa

9580pa

12001JOO
1200- I JOO
1200-1JOO
1200- lJOO
1200-1300

Singapore.A Singapore Int

South Korea. R Korea Intl
Taiwan. Taipei Radio Intl
Ukraine. R Ukraine ln11
United Kingdom. BBC WS

1200- lJOO
1200- lJOO
1200- lJOO
1200 1JOO
12001300
12001300

United Kingdom. UCB

USA KAIJ Dallas TX
USA KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA KWHR Naalehu HI
USA Monitor Radio Intl
USA Voice of America

t2001 300
t2001300
t2001JOO
1200-tJOO
1200-tJOO
1200-lJOO
1200- IJOO
1200-12JO
1200-IJOO
12001J00vl
1206- 1JOO occsnal
1215-l JOO
12t51JOO
12301300
1230-I JOO
12J01300 \"/
12J0-1300
1230 1JOO
12J0-1JOO
1230-1300
1230-IJOO
1230 I 300
12J0 1JOO a
I 2JO I 300

USA WEWN Birmingham AL

USA WHAi Noblesville IN
USA WJCR Upton KY
USA WRMl/R Miami lnll
USA WANO New Orleans LA
USA V>N/CR Nashville TN
USA WYFR Okeechobee FL
Uzbekistan. R Tashkent
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Egypt. Radio Cairo
United Kingdom. BBC WS
Bangladesh. Bangla Betar
Guam. AWR/KSDA
Indonesia. ARI Sarong
Netherlands. Radio
Romania. R Romania ln11
South Korea. R Korea Intl
Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka BC
Sweden. Radio
Thailand, Radio
USA. Voice of America
Vietnam. Voice of

1240-1250

Greece. Voice or

15290eu

11 7JOas
9565pa
15440as
8660as

15115am

9715as

I 1660as

11445as

t 1700as

21455am

1t600as
15540af

13625eu
17575al

t5155eu

11830as

11875as

1526Qas

7125as

1t815as

7190eu

I 1655as
15 I 20as
15560as

11820as
I 5450as
t7755as

11 B80as
15490as
17795as

6015as
7285af
71JQau
9870na
6190af
9580as
11940af
15485va
17705af
6200eu
5810am
7510am
11565pa
6095am
616Qas
11 715as
5825na
6040am
7490na
9955am
1542oam
2J90am
5950na
7190as
6065af
7220do
6105pa
17595as
15220am
7185as
1J720as
4B75do
5975eu
9690eu
9570as
9730as
11650na
9505as
776Beu
5940as
1202oas
I 1645af

6155as
961Qas
17725au
6195va
974Qas
11955as
15565va
17830af

9410eu
t t 750as
15220am
t5575va
17885af

9515am
11760as
15J10as
17640va
21660af

9355as
9645as
15160as
15745eu
9495am

9JB5au
9760as
t5425as

9455am
1I705as

5070am
6015na
7285as

59J5am
118JOna
9715as

15685am
17750na
15295as

15365eu
I J670as

17720eu

99JOam

9550as

6045eu
118B5eu
9540as
15425as
15240na
9655as
7270as
15010as

9B85as

11905as

7400as

9840as

SELECTED PROGRAMS . . . . . .
Sundays
1200
1200
1205
1215
1230
1245

Ecuador, HCJB (am): Hour of Decision. Evangelist Billy

Graham's radio program. (www.graham-assn.org/bgeat
bgeamin.htm)
UK, BBC (amleu): World News. S OJOO.
UK, BBC(am/eu): Write On. S 0905.
UK, BBC(amleu) In Praise of God S 06JO
Ecuador. HCJB (am): Radio Bible Class. Bible leaching and
the Men of Praise providing lhe music.
(1'rNW.gospelcom.net/rbc/)
UK. BBC (amleu): Spans Roundup. S 0145.

Mondays
1200
1200
1200
1201
1205
1205
1210
1215
1230
1230
1238
1245
1249

Ecuador. HCJB (am): Morning in the Mountains. M 1130.

UK. BBC (amleu): World News (Carib). M 1100.
UK, BBC (am/eu): World News. S 0300.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): News. M 1134.
UK, BBC (amleu): World Business Repon (Carib). M 0905.
UK, BBC (amleu): Wortd Business Report. M 0905.
UK. BBC (amleu). Canbbean Report (Carib) M 1105.
UK, BBC (am/eu) Bnlain Today S 0045.
Ecuador. HCJB (am). Gmdelines. A live-minute commentary
on IMng from Harold Sala. (1w11v.gu1delines.org)
UK, BBC (amleu): Seven Days. Roundup of the week's news.
plus sports h1ghhghls. finance and the weather.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): A Reading from God's Word. A short
break for bible reading.
UK, BBC (am/eu) Sports Roundup. S 0145.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): The Church Doctor. Helping Christians
one at a time.

Tuesdays
1200
1200
1200
1201
1205
1205
1210

54

Ecuador. HCJB (am). Morning in the Mountains. M 1130.

UK. BBC (amleu): World News (Canb). M 1100
UK. BBC (am/eu): World News. S 0300.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): News.MI 1J4.
UK, BBC (amleu): World Business Report (Carib). M 0905.
UK, BBC (am/eu): World Business Repon. M 0905.
UK. BBC (amleu): CJnbbean Report (Carib) M 1105.

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

1215
t230
1230
12J8
1245
1249

UK. BBC (amleu). Bntaln Today. S 0045.

Ecuador, HCJB (am): Guidelines. M 1230.
UK. BBC (amleu): Health Matters. S 22JO.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): A Reading from God's Word. M 12J8.
UK. BBC (amleu): Sports Roundup. S 0145.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): The Church Doctor. M 1249.

Wednesdavs
1200
1200
1201
1205
1215
12JO
1230
1230
12JO
1230
12JO
1238
1245
1249
1254

1254
1254
1254

Ecuador. Ht!B (am): Morning in the Mounlains. M 11JO.

UK, BBC (amleu): World News. S 0300.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): News. M 1134.
UK. BBC (am/cu): World Business Report. M 0905.
UK. BBC (amleu): Bntain Today. S 0045.
Ecuador, HCJB (ain): Guidelines. M 1230.
UK. BBC (all\/cu): Science Feedback (5). T 1615.
UK. BBC (amleu): Seeing Stars (1) T 1615.
UK. BBC (all\/eu): Soundbyle (2). T 1615.
UK, BBC (amleu) Waveguide (4). T 1615.
UK. BBC (amleu): Wildtrack (J). T t615.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): A Reading from God's Word. M 1238.
UK. BBC (amleu): Sports Roundup. S 0145.
Ecuador. HCJB (am) The Church Doctor. M 1249.
Radio Netherlands Documentary. 501h Anniversary
Celebrations From the Wireless lo the Wortd Wrde Web
(3rd) In the final anniversary program. Pete Myers looks
back to RN"s recent past. vnth the 1980s and 90s
respectively
Radio Netherlands Documentary The High cs (241h). F
2J54.
Radio Nethertands Documentary. The Netherlands rs Ful
(17th) F1454.
Radio Netherlands Documentary The Social Cost of
Transformation (10th) A 2354.

Thursdays
1200
1200
1200
1201

Ecuador. HCJB (am) Morning in the Mountains. M 1130.

UK. BBC (amleu): World News (Carib). MI too.
UK. BBC (amleu): World News. S 0300.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): News. M 11J4

1205
1205
1210
1215
12JO
1230
12J8
1245
1249

UK, BBC (amleu): World Business Report (Carib). M 0905.

UK, BBC (amleu): World Business Report. M 0905.
UK, BBC (amleu): Caribbean Report (Carib). M 1105.
UK, BBC (am/eu): Britain Today. S 0045.
Ecuador, HCJB (am): Guidelines. M 1230.
UK, BBC (amleu): Record flews. Focus on the most
interesting new releases of classical recordings.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): A Reading from God's Word. M 1238.
UK, BBC (am/eu): $pons Roundup. S 0145.
Ecuador, HCJB (am): The Church Doctor. M 1249.

Fridavs
1200
1200
1200
1201
1205
1205
1210
1215
1230
12J8
1245
1249

ECuador, HCJB (am): Morning in the Mountains. M 1130.

UK. BBC (amleu): World News (Carib). M 1100.
UK. BBC (am/eu): World News. S0300.
Ecuador, HCJB (am): Nel'IS. M 1134.
UK. BBC (arnleu): World Business Repon (Carib). M 0905.
UK. BBC (amleu): World Business Repon. M 0905.
UK. BBC (amleu): Canbbean Repon (Carib) M 1105.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Vanable Feature. S 0130.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): Guidelines. M 1230.
Ecuador, HCJB (am): A Reading from God's Word. M 1238.
UK, BBC (am/eu): Sports Roundup. S 0145.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): The Church Doctor. M 1249.

Saturdays
1200
1200
1205
1215
1215
12JO
1245

Ecuador. HCJB (am) A V1s1t With Mrs. G Bible stories for

children.
UK. BBC (amleu): World News. S 0300.
UK. BBC (amleu): World Business Review. S 0305.
Ecuador. HCJB (am): Adventure Pals. A weekly adventure
program on Christian11y for children.
UK, BBC (amleu): A Jolly Good Show. S 07JO.
Ecuador, HCJB (am): Adventures In Odyssey. S 0000.
UK. BBC (amleu): Good Books. S 0815.

FREQUENCIES .. . . .. . .
13001400
13001400
13001400 vi
13001400vl
1300-1400 vi
13001325 s
1300-1320
13001400 vi
13001400
1300-1 400
1300-1400
1300-1400
1300- 1400
13001330
13001400

Anguilla Caribbean Beacon

Auslraha. Radro
Auslraha. VL8A Ahce Spg
Auslralta. VL8K Kalherine
Auslralia. Vl8T Tent Crk
Belgium. R Vlaanderen Int
Brazil, Radio Bras
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toron10
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canad.l . CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada. R Canada lnll
China. China Radio lnll

13001400
13001400vl
13001400
1300- 1330
13001400as
1300-1400
1300 1400 fas/vi
13001400
1300 1310
1300- 1400
1300 140~ vi
1300-1400 vi
1300-1325
1300-140) occsnal
1300-1330 s
1300-1400vl
13001400
13001355

Cosla Rica.RF Peace lnll

Cyprus. BRT ln1erna11onal
Ecuador HCJB
Egypl Radio Cairo
Eql Gurnea. R East Africa
Eql Guinea. Radio Africa
Italy, IRRS
Jordan, Radio
Liberia.LCNIR L1berra Int
Malaysia Radio
Malaysia RTM Kuchrng
Malaysia RTM KotaKinabalu
Nelherlands. Radio
New Zealand. R NZ lnll
Nor way, Radio Norway lnll
Papua New Guinea, NBC
Philippines. FEBC/R !nil
Poland. Polish R Warsaw

1300-1356
1300-1400

Romania R Romania Intl

Ru ssia.Voice of Russia WS

13001400as
1300-1400
1300 1400
13001330
13001400

S Africa. Channel Africa

Smgapore.R Singapore Int
Sn Lanka. Sri Lanka BC
Switzerland. Swiss R lnll
Uniled Kingdom, BBC WS

t 1775am
5870pa
2310do
2485do
2325do
13680na
15445na
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
9640na
6140as
9715as
7385am
6150do
12005am
17595as
15186af
9530as
7120va
11690eu
5100do
7295do
7160do
5980do
5975eu
6105pa
9590eu
4890do
11995as
6095eu
11815eu
9690eu
4730as
17860as
9440af
601Sas
9730as
7230as
5990as

5995pa

6080as

11855na
7230eu
11660pa

7385pa
t 1980as

15115am

21455am

9415pa

7405as

6045eu

t3001400
1300-t400
t3001400
1300-1400
1300- 1400
t300-1400
13001400

17885af
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KNLS Anchor Point AK
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice o1 America

1300-1400
t3001400
1300-1400
1300- 1400
1300t400
t300 t400
1300- 1400
t300-1400
t3001400
t 300 1400 vi
1302 1400
1330-1355
1330 1359
13301400
13301400
13301400
13301400
1330-1400
1330 1400 mtwhf
1330-1400
13301400
1330-1400
1330 1355

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R M1am1 Intl
USA. WANO New Orleans LA
USA, WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
USA, WYFR Okeechobee FL
Austria. R Austria Intl
Canada. R Canada Intl
China Heilong1rang PBS
Finland. YLE/R Finland
Guam. AWR/KSOA
India. All India Radio
Netherlands. Radio
Portugal. R Por1ugal Intl
Serbia, Radio Yugoslavia
Sweden. Radio
Turkey. Voice ol
UAE. Radio Dubai

9905as

t3800va

13805am

7145eu

7270eu

9525eu

11885eu
4975as

t5365eu
t 5460as

17720eu
15490as

17675af
6155as
15425as
7480as
6190al

t 7870af

1330 1400
13301400

Uzbekistan. R Tashkent
Vietnam. Voice of

6195va

1335-1345
13451400
1350 t400

Greece. Voice ol
Vatican Stale. Vatican R
South Korea. KBS-1

9410eu

9515am
I 1865am
15310as
15575va
21470at
6200eu
5810am
7365as
7510am
7560pa
6095na
6160as
117 t 5as
5825na
9400arn
6040am
7490na
9955am
t5420am
5070am
5950na
6065af
7220do
1t550as
6t55eu
6t50as
4840do
t t735na
9650as
9545as
9895as
215 t 5as
11835au
9705as
9630as
13630eu
21605eu
7190as
5940eu
12020cu
11645eu
11625au
3930do

9740va
11940af
15420af
17640va
2t660af

11 750as
t2095eu
15485va
17705af

11760as
15220am
t5565as
17830af

9355as
9645as
15425as
15745eu

9385as
9760as

9455na
11705as

9930am

t 5105am

12160am
11830na

t 3845am
13695na

15685am
17750na

13730na
9535as

9640na

11 855na

15400na
13720as
11620as
13700as

137t0as
15585as

13740au
15290as
13675eu

15395eu

17825eu

9715as
7400eu

15295as
9840as

15175na

15630na

7285as
7270cu
15010as
12105eu
13765au

SELECTED PROGRAMS
Sundays

Tuesdays

Thursdays

1300

1300
1300
1315
1330

1300
1300
1315
1330
1330
1330
1337
1346
1347
1356

1300

1330
1330
1330
1330
1330
1337

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am) Simply Worship. A Nonhern

Ireland program ot music. readings and medilation.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newshour. A comprehensive look
al the ma1or topics ot lhe day. plus up-to-the-minute
international and British news.
Ecuador. HCJB Quilo (am): Mountain MeditatlOns. A mixture
of music and devo11onal thoughts in an Andean setting.
Sweden. Radio: In Touch with Stockholm (1 ). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio: Sounds Nordic (214). See s 1230.
Sweden. Radio: Weekend (3). See S 1230.
Turkey. Voice of: News. See S 0400.
Turkey. Voice of Review of the Turkish Press. See S 0408.

Mondays
1300
tJOO
1315

1330

1330
1330
1337
1348
1356

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Precepts. Kay arthur offers a

fresh approach to daily Dible study.
UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Newshour. See S 1300.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am) Proclaim!. Daily encouragement
for godly living wilh Dr Joseph Stowell. President ol the
Moody Bible lnst11Ute
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am) Focus on the Family
Psychologist James Dobson on everyday lam~y matters.
(www.cs.albany.edu/-aull/lof/fof.html (unofhc1al))
Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
Turkey. Voice of: News. See S 0400.
Turkey, Voice of: Review or the Turkish Press. See S 0408.
Sweden, Radio: SportScan. See M 1242.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Beyond the Call. Real questions
and real answers on Chnstian living with Dr Ron Cline. HCJB
World Radio President

1330
1330
1337
1346
t356

Ecuador, HCJB Qurto (am): Precepts See M 1300.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Newshour. See S 1300.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Proclaim! See M 1315.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Focus on the Family. See M
1330.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
Turkey, Voice of: News. See S 0400.
Turkey. Voice of: Review of the Turkish Press. See S0408.
Sweden, Radio: MediaScan (1/3). See T 1246.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Beyond the Call. See M 1356

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Precepts. See M 1300.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): llewshour. See S 1300.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Proclaim'. See M 1315.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Focus on the Family. See M 1330.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
Turkey, Voice of: News. See S 0400.
Turkey. Voice of: Review of the Turkish Press. See S0408.
Sweden. Radio: Horizon (415). See H 1246.
Sweden. Radio: HeartBeat (3). See H 1247.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Beyond the Call. See M 1356.

Wednesdays

Fridays

1300
t300
1315
1330

1300
1300
1315
1330
1330
1330
1335
1337
1356

1330
1330
1337
1346
1354

1354
1354
1354
1356

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Precepts. See M 1300.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Newshour See S 1300.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Proclaim!. See M 1315.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Focus on the Family. See M
1330.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
Turkey, Voice of: News. See S 0400.
Turkey, Voice of: Review of the Turkrsh Press. See S 0408.
Sweden. Radio Money Matters. See W 1246.
Radio Netherlands: Oocumentary. 50th Anniversary
Celebrations: From the Wireless lo the World Wide Web
(3rd). See W 1254.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The High cs (24th). See
F2354.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary The Netherlands is Full
(17th). See F 1454.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cost ol
Transformation (10th). See A 2354.
Ecuador. HCJBQuito (am): Beyond the Call. See M 1356.

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Precepts. See M t300.

UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Newshour. See S 1300.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Proclaim!. See M 1315.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Focus on the Family. See M 1330.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M t 230.
Turkey. Voice of: News. See S 0400.
Sweden, Radio: Newsweek. See F 1235
Turkey, Voice of: Review of the Turkish Press See S0408.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Beyond the Call. See M 1356.

Saturdays
1300
1300
t330
t 330
1330
t 330
1337
1345

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Children's Bible Hour. Songs and

stories for children. (www.gospelcom.neVcbh/)
UK. BBC London (arn/eu): Newshour. See S 1300.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Jungle Jam and Friends. A
program for children.
Sweden. Radio. Spectrum (1). See S 0130.
Sweden. Radio: Sweden Today (3). See S 0130.
Turkey. Voice ol: News. See S 0400.
Turkey. Voice of: Review ol lhe Turkish Press. See S 0408.
Turkey, Voice of: VDT OX Corner (biweekly). Sec S 0415.

December I 997

MONITORING TIMES

SS

FREQUENCIES . . . . . . .
1400- 1500
1400-1500

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia. Radio

1400-1500 vi
1400-1500 vi
1400-1500 vi
1400-1500 vi
14001500
1400- 1500
14001500
14001500
1400-1500
1400 1430 smtwhl
14001500
1400-1430
1400-1500
1400 1500 as
1400-1457
1400-1500
1400-1500 las/vi
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500 vi
1400-1500
1400-1500 occsnal
1400-1430 s
1400-1500 vi
1400-1 500
1400-1500
1400-1455 as
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1430

Australia. VL8A Alice Spg

Australia, VL8K Katherine
Australia. Vl8T Tent Crk
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada, R Canada Intl
China. China Radio Intl
Czech Rep. Radio Prague
Ecuador. HCJB
Eql Guinea. R East Africa
France. Radio France Intl
India. All India Radio
Italy, IRRS
Japan. RJapan/NHK World
Jordan. Radio
Malaysia. Radio
Malaysia. RTM Kuching
Malaysia. ATM KolaKinabalu
Netherlands. Radio
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Norway. Radio Norway lnll
Papua New Guinea, NBC
Pl1ilippines. FEBC/R Intl
Russia. Voice ol Russia WS
SAfrica. Channel Africa
Singapore.A Corp ol Sing
Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka BC
Switzerland. Swiss R Intl

1400-1430
1400-1430

Thailand. Radio
Turkey. Voice of

11 775am
5870pa
9435as
2310do
24B5do
2325do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
9640na
7160as
13580na
12005am
15186al
11910as
9545as
7120va
7200as
11690eu
7295do
7160do
5980do
9895as
6105pa
13800as
4890do
11995as
7130me
9440af
6155do
9730as
6165eu
13635as
9655as
9630as

5995pa
11660as

11855na
7405na
21700al
15115am
15405me
11620as

13700as

9470me
17675af
15425as
9535eu
9830as
15290as

6080as

9535as

9415pa

Turkmenistan. Turkmen R
United Kingdom. BBC WS

1400 1500
14001500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500

United Kingdom. UCB

USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice ol America

1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1500
1400-1405
14001500
t 400-1500 vi
14151420
1420-1500 as
1430-1500
1430-1500 smlwhl
1430 1500 vi
1430-1500
1430-1440 mtwhl
1430-1500
1430-1500
1430-1500 vi
1440-1500
1450-1500
1455-1500

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WRNO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vatican State, Vatican R
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Nepal. Radio
Palau. KHBNNoice ol Hope
Canada. R Canada Intl
Canada. R Canada Intl
China, China Radio Intl
Guam, AWR/KSOA
Indonesia, RRI Uj Pandang
Romania. R Romania lnll
Sweden. Radio
Zambia. R Zambia/ZN BC 2
Myanmar, Voice ol
Vatican Stale, Valican R
Georgia, Voice of Hope

11825as

21455am
17560me
13710as

15585as

9840me
17870af

9885as

14001410 lhfs
1400-1500

12075as

11905as

5015eu
5990as
9515am
11940al
15575va
21470al
6200eu
13815am
7510am
7560pa
9355as
6160as
9760as
15425as
5825na
9400am
6040am
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
5950na
11625au
6065af
4910do
3230do
9985as
9555va
9640na
6995as
7400as
4753do
15335as
11650au
6165do
5990do
11635au
12120as

6190al
9740as
12095eu
17640va
21660al

6195as
11750as
15485va
17830al

94 lOeu
11865am
15565as
17840am

7125as
11705as

7215as
15205as

9645as
15395as

9455na

11875na

15745eu

9930am

15105am

12160am
11830na
13765au

13845am
17750ca

15685am

5005do
11915eu
11855na
8660as

11935va

15325va

9880as

11445as

17720as
11880as

15240au

13765au

SELECTED PROGRAMS
Sundays

Wednesdays

1454

1400

1400
1400
1405
1415
1430

Saturdays

1400
1401
1430
1430
1430
1430

Ecuador, HCJB Quito lam): The Urban Alternative. A

program produced in Dallas for inner-city America.
UK. BBC London !arnleu): News Summary. One minule
news update.
UK, BBC London (arnleu): Variable Music Feature.
Different features ol 15. 30, and 45 minutes length with a
musical 1heme.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Moody Presen1s. Chris1ian
messages from the Moody Bible Institute.
(www.moody.edu)
Sweden, Radio: In Touch with Stockholm (1). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio: Sounds Nordic (214). See S 1230.
Sweden. Radio: Weekend (3). See S 1230.

Mondays
1400
1400
1405
1415
1430
1430
1430
1446

Ecuador, HCJB Ouilo (am): Gateway to Joy. Elizabeth Elliot

with conlemporary women's issues from a Biblical
perspective. lwww.gospelcom.neVbttblfob-gtj.html)
UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Outlook. An up-to-the-minute
mix of conversation. controversy and color from around
lhe world.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Key Life. Steve Brown presents
truthful leachings.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Lel My People Think. See S
1530.
Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Fealure. See S 01 30.
Sweden, Radio: SportScan. See M 1242.

Tuesdays
1400
1400
1405
1415
1430
1430
1430
1446

56

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Gateway lo Joy. See M 1400.

UK, BBC London (arnleu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (arnleu): Outlook. See M 1405.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Key Lite. See M 1415.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): The Living Word. Brother Bob
Russell of Southeast Christian Church of Louisville,
Kentucky conducts the sermon.
Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (arnleu): Multitrack Hit-List. See M 1930.
Sweden. Radio: MediaScan (1/3). See T 1246.

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

1430
1430
1446

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Gateway lo Joy. See M 1400.

UK, BBC London (arn/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Key Lile. See M 1415.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Back to God Hour. The Christian
Reformed Church looks at life in light of the historic Christian
faith.
Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (arnleu): Megamix. See T 1930.
Sweden, Radio: Money Matters. See W1246.

Thursdays
1400
1400
1405
1415
1430
1430
1430
1446
1447

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Gateway to Joy. See M 1400.

UK, BBC London (arn/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK. BBC London (arnleu): Outlook. See M 1405.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Key Lile. See M 1415.
Ecuador. HCJB Ouilo (am): Christians Broadcasting Hope. No
informalion available.
Sweden. Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Multitrack X-Press. See W 1930.
Sweden. Radio: Horizon (4/5). See H 1246.
Sweden, Radio: HeartBeat (3). See H 1247.

Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cosl of

Transformation (12th). See A 2354.

1400
1400
1405
1430
1430

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Rock Solid!. See H0200.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK. BBC London (arnleu): Sportsworld. The weekly sports
magazine.
Sweden, Radio: Spectrum (1). See S 0130.
Sweden, Radio: Sweden Today (3). See S 0130.

SRI LANKA: SLBC

External Englis h:

0025-0430

9730 15425

1030- 11 30

11 835
17850

Fridays
1400
1400
1405
1415
1430
1430
1430
1435
1454
1454
1454

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Gateway to Joy. See M 1400.

UK, BBCLondon (arn/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (arnleu): Outlook. See M 1405.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Key Lile. See M 1415.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Haven. Evangelizing and The
Haven Quartet.
Sweden, Radio: Sixty Degrees North. See M 1230.
UK, BBC London (arnleu): Multitrack Alternative. Latesl
developments on the British music scene.
Sweden, Radio: Newsweek. See F 1235.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. 50th Anniversary
Celebrations: From the Wireless to the WOrld Wide Web (5th).
See w1254.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The High "C's" (26th). See F
2354.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Netherlands is Full
(19th). Theo Tamis looks at how the Dutch are managing their
limited living space.

(i nactive)

9730 15425

1230- 1600
1600- 1700

1900-2000

15 120

daily

15425

Sat/S un

9730

Sat

5975

v ia BBC S ke lto n , England (Vic tor

Goone tille ke, UADX via Marie Lamb,

Cumbre DX)

FREQUENCIES .

. . . .. . . . . . . .

.....

1500-1600
1500-1600

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia, Radio

1500-1600 vi
1500-1600 vi
1500- t 600 vi
1500-1600 vi
1500-t600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600 s
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600 as
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600 a
1500-1530
1500-1600 las/vi
t500-1600

Australia. VLBA Alice Spg

Australia. VLBK Katherine
Australia. VLBT Tent Crk
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada, CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada, CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada, RCanada ln11
China. China Radio ln11
Cos1a Rica.RF Peace ln11
Ecuador. HCJB
Eqt Guinea. R Eas1 Africa
Georgia, Voice of Hope
Guam. TV/R/KlWR
lreland.W Coast R Ireland
Israel. Kol Israel
Italy, IRAS
Japan. R Japan/NHK World

1500-1600
1500-1510
1500-1600
1500-1600 vi
1500-1600 vi
1500-1530
1500-1530
1500-1515 s
1500-1525
1500-1 600 occsnal
1500-1600
1500-1557

Jordan. Radio
Liberia.LCN/R Liberia ln1
Malaysia, Radio
Malaysia, ATM Kuching
Malaysia.ATM KolaKinabalu
Mexico. Radio Mexico lnU
Mongolia. Voice of
Myanmar. Voice of
Ne1herlands. Radio
New Zealand. R NZ lnU
Nigeria, Voice of
Norlh Korea. R Pyongyang

1500-1530 as
1500-1600 vi
1500-1600

Palau, KHBNNoice of Hope

Papua New Guinea. NBC
Philippines. FEBC/R lnU

11775am
5870pa
9435pa
2310do
2485do
2325do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
9640na
7160as
7385am
12005am
151B6al
1212oas
11580as
6175eu
12080na
7120va
7200as
1173012
11690eu
5100do
7295do
7160do
5980do
9705na
9720as
5990do
9895as
6105pa
7255af
3560eu
11735eu
9985as
4890do
11995as

5995pa
11660as

11 855na
9785as
15050am
15115am

7240as
1535531

6080as

9415as

21455am

9535na

15585as

964031
13650me

9975eu

1500-1526
1500-1600

Romania. R Romania ln11

Russia.Voice of Russia WS

15001530
1500-t530
1500-1600 mtwhla
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600

S Alnca. Channel Africa

Seychelles, FEBA Radio
Seychelles, FEBA Radio
Singapore.A Corp of Sing
Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka BC
United Kingdom. BBC WS

1500-1530
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-t600

21660al
United Kingdom. BBC WS
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KJES Mesquite NM
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Voice of America

1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1530
1500-1600
1500-1600 vi
1500-1600 vi
1515-1 530 vi
1530-1600
1530-1545 sm
1545-1600 sh

USA, WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA, WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami ln11
USA. WANO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vatican State. Vatican R
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Cyprus, BAT International
Iran. VOIRI
Seychelles, FEBA Radio
Bangladesh. Bangla Betar

9750as

12085as
13700as

. . .. . ...

11335eu

.. . .... ..
15335as
4730eu
7115eu
9470eu
9440al
t 1600as
9810as
6155do
9730as
5975as
9410eu
11865am
15400af
17705al

17720as
4940eu
7130eu
9635eu

4975eu
7235eu
9840eu

5925eu
9400eu
9905eu

15425as
5990as
9515am
1f940al
15485al
17830al

6190al
9740as
12095as
15565va
17840am

6195as
11750as
15220am
15575va
21470al

11860al
6200eu
13815am
11 715na
7510am
7560as
6110as
9575as
15395as
5825na
9400am
9930am
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
11 830na
11635au
6065al
491 Odo
6165do
6150do
7215as
11600as
4880do

15420al

17880al

21490al

6160as
9645as

7125as
9760as

7215as
15205as

9455na

11875na

15745eu

13760am

15105am

12160am
17750ca
13765au

13845am

11790as

13605as

15685am

SELECTED PROGRAMS
Sundays
1500
1500
1505
1515
1530

Ecuador, HCJB Quilo (am): Encoun1er. Exposi1ory biblical

preaching by S1ephen Dlford.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sporls Roundup. See S 0145.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Concerl Hall. Classical music
concerts.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Lei My People Think.
Addressing queslions of today's lhinklng Christians.

Mondays
1500
1500
1505
1515
1525
1530
1530

Ecuador. HCJB Quilo (am): Back to the Bible. A mix of

music and daily Bible study. (www.gospelCllm.net/bttbl)
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Wo~d News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): BBC English. See M 0930.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Joni and Friends. See M 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Thru the Bible. J. Vernon McGee
presenls a book-by-book study of lhe Bible.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): T11e Ed S1ewar1 Show. Ed plays
the music of internalionally known vocalisls.

Tuesdays
1500
t 500
1505
t 515
1525
1530
1530

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Back to the Bible. See M 1500.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): WoM News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Westway. See T 0030.
Ecuador, HCJB Quilo (am): Joni and Fnends. See M 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): T11ru lhe Bible. See M 1530.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): The Greenfield Collection. See S
0830.

Wednesdays
1500
1500
1505
1515
1525

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Back to the Bible. See M 1500.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Classical Music Feature. A
variable program featuring the world of classical music.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Joni and Friends. See M 0000.

1530
1530
1554
1554
1554
1554

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): T11ru the Bible. See M 1530.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Everywoman. See T 0830.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. 50th Anniversary
Celebrations: From the Wireless lo the World Wide Web
(3rd). See W 1254.
Radio Nethemnds: Documentary. The High cs (24th). See
F2354.
Radio Nethemnds: Documentary. The Nethe~ands is Full
(17th). See F 1454.
Radio Nethemnds: Documentary. T11e Social Cost of
Transformalfon (10th). See A 2354.

Thursdays
1500
1500
1505
1515
t525
1530
1530

Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Back to the Bible. See M 1500.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Wo~d News. See S0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sports Roundup. See S 0145.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Weslway. Sec T 0030.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Joni and Friends. See M 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Thru the Bible. See M 1530.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): T11e Vinlage Chart Show. See M
0730.

Fridays
t500
1500
1505

1515
t525
1530
1530

Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Back to the Bible. See M 1500.

UK. BBC London (ann/eu): Wortd News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Football Extra. A review of the
week's action and the upcoming weekend matches.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Variable Feature. See S 0130.
Ecuador. HCJB Quito (am): Joni and Friends. See M 0000.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Thru the Bible. See M 1530.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Science In Action. The latesl in
science and technology.

~~IU~~~la~HCJB Quito (am): Words of Hope. David Bass

1500
1505
1530

provides the message.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Sporiswo~d. See A 1405.
Ecuador, HCJB Quito (am): Songtime Weekend. Evangelical
teachings and music from Boslon.

Hello, Writers...
Do you have a topic you've always
"thought about" writing up for
Monitoring Times? Now is the
time! Given our full-spectrum
coverage, plus the interest in new
technology on the one hand and
nostalgia for the past on the other,
there is no li mit to appropriate
subject matter to write about.
Bone up on your research, warm
up your pen, and you, too, can
earn a little spending money!
Pitch your idea to the editor at
mteditor@grove.net or call 704837-9200 and ask for Rachel.
Writer's Guidelines are available
on the MT homepage at
www.grove.net, or for an SASE.

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

57

FREQUENCIES .

....

..

1600-1700
1600-1700
1600-1700

Algeria. R Algiers Intl

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia, Radio

1600-1700 vi
1600 1700 vi
1600-1700 vi
1600-1610
16001700 vi
1600-1700
1600-1700
16001 700
1600-1700
1600-1 700
1600-1630 s
1600-t659
1600-1700
1600- 1700 as
1600- 1700
1600-1700
1600-1654

Australia. VLSA Ahce Spg

Auslralia. VLSK Katherrne
Australia. VLST Ten1Crk
Bangladesh. Bangla Belar
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada, CFRX Toronto
Canada, CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada, CKZN SI John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada, R Canada Intl
Canada, R Canada Intl
China. China Radio Intl
Cosla Rica. Adv World R
Cos1a Rica. RF Peace Intl
E1h1opia. Radio
France. Radro France Intl

1600-1700
1600-1650

Georgia. l/orce of Hope

Germany. Deutsche Welle
9735al
9585as
Germany.Overcomer Mrnrstr
Guam. AWFl/KSOA
Guam. TWR/KTWR
Iran. VOIRI
Italy, IRAS
Jordan. Radio
Lesotho. Radio Lesotho
Malaysia. Radio
Mexico. Radro Mexrco Intl
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Nrgerra. Voice of
Norway, Radro Norway Intl
Pakislan. Radio

1600-1700
1600-1700
1600-1630
1600-1630
1600-1 700 laSlvl
16001700
1600- 1610
16001700
1600-1630
1600-1650 occsnal
1600-1 700
1600-1630 s
16001630
1600-1700 vi
1600-1700

1600-1625

Papua New Gurnea. NBC

Russia.Voice of Russia WS
7175al
9470al
9905af
11895al
S Africa. Channel Africa

15160me
11775am
5870pa
9435as
2310do
2485do
2325do
4880do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
9640na
6140as
9565as
9725am
7385am
7165al
11615me
15460al
1212oas
6170as
11810al
6175eu
7455as
11580as
7215as
3985va
11690eu
4800do
7295do
9705na
6105pa
7255al
13800va
3664va
9515me
4890do
4730al
9505al
12065al
5955al

.. . . .

5995pa
11660as

6080as

9~15as

....
1600-1700
1600-1700
1600-1700 as
1600-1700
1600-1630
1600-1638
1600-1700

16001700
16001700
1600-1 700
1600-1700
16001700
1600-1700
1600-1700
1600-1700

Singapore.A Corp of Sing

Soulh Korea. R Korea Intl
Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka BC
Swaziland. Trans World R
Switzerland. Swiss R Intl
UAE. Radio Dubar
Unrled Kingdom. BBC WS
7160as
7275as
15485eu
15565me
21660al
Unrted Krngdom. BBC WS
Unrled Kingdom. UCB
USA KAIJ Dallas TX
USA KTBN Sall Lk City UT
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monilor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America
9575as
9645as
13600al
13710al
15445al
17895al
USA. WEWN Birmingham AL
USA WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHRI Noblesville IN
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WANO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL

1600-1630
1600-1630
1600-1 700
1600-1700 vi
1600 1700 vi
1610-1615
16151630 mlwhl
1615-1700 as
1630-1659 s
16301 700
1630-1700
1645-1700 irreg
1645-1700
1645-1 700
1650-1700
1650-1700 mlwhl

Valican Stale. Vallcan R

Vietnam, l/oice ol
Zambia. Chrrs11an Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/2NBC 1
Zambra. R Zambia/2NBC 2
Bangladesh. Bangla Betar
Eslonra. Radio
Unilcd Kingdom. BBC WS
Canada. R Canada lnll
Egypt. Radio Ca1ro
Slovakia, R Slovakia lnll
Alghanislan. Radio
Israel. Kol Israel
Tajikislan.Radio Dushanbe
Eqt Guinea. Radio Africa
New Zealand. R NZ Intl

15520do

t 1855na
7150as
9620as
11870am
15050am
9560al
11700al
15530al
7120al
13790as
11985eu

11790as

13805na
4790va
9600va
4940al
9585al
13670af

t6001615
1600-1700
1600-1700
16001700
1600-1700
1600-1 700
1600-1700
13750am

1201 5al

15210al

7225as
15145al

7305as

..

13605as

5027va
I 1655me

6070va

4975al
9635af

71 f Sal
9895al

. .. .......
6155do
5975eu
9730as
9500al
9885as
t3630au
3255al
94 lOeu
15575va
5990as
6200eu
138 15arn
15590arn
7560pa
18930al
6035al
9645as
15205as
5825na
9400am
9930am
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
11550as
17750eu
5885eu
9840al
3330al
4910do
6165do
4880do
5925eu
95 15am
9640na
15255al
5915cu
7200as
7465cu
7245as
15186al
9810pa

9515al
15425as

9870af

12075as
13675eu
3915as
I 1750as
17830al

13635as
15395eu
5975as
12095eu
17840am

21605eu
6190al
15400al
21470al

6195as

9515am

9740as

6110as
9760as
15225al

7125as
11920al
15395as

7215as
12040al
15410al

11875na

13615na

15745eu

13760am

15105am

12160am
11 705na
21525al
7250cu
1501oa1
4965af

13845am
11830na
21745eu
9645eu

1t860al
11855na

15420al

6055cu

7345eu

9395eu
9905as

9435eu

15685am
15695eu
11 810va

15640eu

SELECTED PROGRAMS . . .
Sundavs
1600
1600

1600
1610
1615
1630
1630
1645
1657

ui(BBC (amieu): Wortd News. See S 0300.

USA. VOA (al): Nightline Africa. News. correspondent reports.
backgrounders. and lea1Ures on world and African issues.
USA, VOA (aSleu): VOA Nel'IS. Sees 0600.
USA. VOA (aSleu): Encounler. Two experts debale their
conlrasling views on a subjecl of currenl importance.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Variable Fealure. See S 0130.
USA, VOA (al): News Summary. A live-minute wrap-up.
USA, VOA (as/eu): Studio 38. A bright faslpaced show
hlghlighling American lifestyles and culture.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Britain Today. See S0045.
USA, VOA (al): VOA Edilorial. Comments expressing the
official position of the U.S. Governmenl on various subjecls.

Mondavs

1600
1600
1600
1610
1610
1615
1615
1630
1630
1630
1630
1645

UK. nae (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.

USA. VOA !al): News (Special Englrsh). Ten minules of news.
USA, VOA aSleu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA, VOA af): Development Report (Special English). Helpful
rnlormalron for developing nalions.
USA. VOA (aSleu): Mideast Ed iii on. Nel'ls events. issues.
people. and culture for lis1eners in the Middle East and south
Asia. featuring on-the-scene repor1s and rnlerviews_
UK. BBC (am/eu): Seven Days. See M 1230.
USA. VOA (af) This 1s Amenta (Special English). Informative
reports on hie rn lhe United Slates.
UK. BBC (am/eu): The World Today. Examines lhoroughly a
toprcal aspect of the rnternatronal scene.
USA. VOA (af) Afnca Wortd Tonrght. News. sports.
correspondent reports. backgrounders. and lea1ures on world
and Alrrcan rssues.
USA. VOA (as): Now Music USA. Rock and soul hits.
USA. VOA (eu): American Gold. Fifty minu1es of classic pop
musrc hosted by Ray Freeman.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Britain Today. See S0045.

Tuesdavs
1600
1600

UK. il'BC (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.

USA. VOA (al ): News (Special English). See M 1600.

1600
1610
1610
1615
1615
1615
1615
1615
1615
1630
1630
1630
1645

USA, VOA (aSleu): VOA News. See S 0600.

USA. VOA (al): Agriculture Report (Special English).
Developments and reports on farming and agriculture_
USA. VOA (aSleu): Mideast Edition. See M 1610.
UK, BBC (amieu): Science Feedback (5). Lisleners' queslions,
commenls and queries aboul World Service science programs.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Seeing Stars (1 ). A discussion of
aslronomrcal observations and upcoming special evenls.
UK. BBC (am/cu): Soundbyle (2). Presenler Violet Berlin plays
wilh virtual uames and more on the information superhighway.
UK, BBC (am/eu): Waveguide (4). The lalest information on
lnlernalional broadcasting with reviews of receivers and news
aboul receplion.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Wildlrack (3). The natural world. wrlh
emphasis on whal people can see. hear. pho1ograph or collect.
USA. VOA (al): Science in the News (Special English). Recenl
scienlrftc developments.
UK. BBC (am/eu): The World Today. See M 1630.
USA, VOA lat): Alrrca World Tonight. See M 1630.
USA, VOA aSleu): Now Music USA. See M 1630.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Britarn Today. See S 0045

Wednesdays
1600
1600
1600
1610
1610
1615
1615
1630
1630
1630
1645

UK, BBC (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.

USA, VOA !af): News (Special English). See M 1600
USA. VOA as/eu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA. VOA al): Science Report (Special English). Developments
in lhe world of science and lechnology.
USA. VOA (aSleu) Mideasl Edilion. See M 1610.
UK, BBC (am/eu): From Our Own Correspondent. See S 0330.
USA. VOA (af) xptoralion (Special Englrsh). NEW! S1eve
Ember and Shrrley Grrffilh report on space news
UK. BBC (amleu): The World Today. See M 1630.
USA, VOA (al). Africa World Tonight. See M 1630.
USA. VOA (aSleu): Now Music USA_See M 1630.
UK, BBC (am/eu): Britain Today. See S 0045.

Thursdavs
1600
1600

UK, B!l'C (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.

USA. VOA (af): News (Special English). See M 1600.

1600
1610
1610
1615
1615
1630
1630
1630
1645

Fridavs

1600 u'k , BBC (amieu): World News. See S 0300.

1600 USA, VOA laf): News (Special English). See M 1600.
1600 USA. VOA aSleu): VOA News. See S 0600.
161 O USA. VOA (al}' Environmenl Report (Special English). A liveminule report on a specific environmenral subject.
1610 USA, VOA (aSleu): Mideast Edrlion. See M 161 0.
1615 UK. BBC (am/eu) Varrable Feature. See S 0130.
1615 USA. VOA (al): American Mosaic (Special English). Reports
about music. books. movies. and studenl life in the USA.
1630 UK. BBC (am/cu): The World Today. See M 1630.
1630 USA, VOA (af): Alrrca World Tonight. See M 1630.
1630 USA, VOA (as) Counlry Music USA. Country, bluegrass. and
western swrno. plus conversalions with country performers.
1630 USA, VOA (eu) Now Music USA (Top 20 Countdovm). See H
1630
1645 UK. BBC (amieu) Brrtarn Today See S 0045.

Saturdavs

1600
1600
1600
1610

1615
1630
1630
1655

58

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

USA, VOA (as/eu). VOA News. See S 0600.

USA. VOA (al): Science Report (Special English). See W
1610.
USA. VOA (aSleu) Mrdeas1 Edition. See M 1610.
UK, BBC (am/eu): Record News. Sec H 1230.
USA, VOA (al): lhe Makmg of a Nation (Special English).
Chaplers from U.S. hislory in special English.
UK, BBC (am/eu): The World Today. See M 1630.
USA. VOA laf): Africa World Tonight See M 1630.
USA, VOA eu): Now Music USA (Top 20 Countdown). News
and lhe lop hits ol lhe week in lhe USA.
UK. BBC (amieu): Brilain Today. See S0045.

UK. B~C (am/eu). Wo~d News. See S 0300.

USA, VOA (al): Nrghlline Alrrca. See S 1600.
USA, VOA las/eu): VOA News. See S 0600.
USA. VOA aSleu): On the Line. A discussion of U.S. policies
and contemporary issues.
UK. BBC (am/eu): Sportsworld. See A 1405.
USA, VOA (al): News Summary. See S 1630.
USA. VOA (aSleu): Press Conference USA. Newsmakers are
ques1ioncd by Washington Journalists in lhe VOA sludios.
USA, VOA (al): VOA Edilorial. See S 1657.

FREQUENCIES .. ..... .
1700-1800
1700-1800

Anguilla,Canbbean Beacon
Ausllalia, Radio

1700-1800 vi
1700-1800 vi
1700-1800 vi
1700-1800 'II
1700-1800
1700-1800
1700-1800
1700-1800
1700-1800
1700-1800

Auslralia. VL8 A Alice Spg

Australia. VL8K Katherine
Australia. VL8T Tent Crk
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada, CFRX Toronto
Canada, CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
China, China Radio Intl

1700-1800
1700-1727
1700-1800
1700-1800
1700-1730
1700-1800
1700-1 800 vi
1700-1 800

Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl

Czech Rep. Radio Prague
Egyp1, Radio Cairo
Eqt Guinea, Radio Africa
France. Radio France Intl
Germany.Overcomer Ministr
Italy, IRAS
Japan. R Japan/NHK World

1700-1730
1700-1800 mlwl1f
1700-1730 s
1700-1800 vi
1700-1800

Jordan. Radio
New Zealand, R NZ Intl
Norway, Radio Norway Intl
Papua New Guinea. NBC
llussia.Voice of Russia WS
7125af
7175af
7325af
7355af
9585af
9745af
15470af
S Africa. Channel Af11ca
Slovakra AWR Europe
Swaziland. Trans World R
Uniled Kingdom, BBC WS

1700-1720
1700-1730
1700-f 800
1700-1800

1700-1 745
1700-1800
1700-1800
1700- 1800
1700-1800
1700-1800
1700-1800

1700-1800 mlwhf
1700-1800
1700-1 800
1700-1800
1700-1 800
1700-1800
1700- 180)

Umled Kingdom. BBC WS

Umted Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America
9o45as
9760as
15410af
15445af
USA. Vorce of America

1700-1 80)
1700-1800
1700-1800 vi
1700-1800 vi
1700-1800 vi
1730-1755
\ 730-1755
\ 730-1800
1730-1800
1730-1800
\730-1800
1730-1756
1730-1745 mlwh
17301759
1745-1800
1745-1800
1745-1800

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA, WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WJCR Up1on KY
USA. WRMllR Miami Intl
USA. WRNO New Orleans LA
USA. WVICR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Zambia. Ctuistian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC f
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe BC
Austria, RAustria lnll
Belgium, R Vlaanderen Int
Georgia. Radio
Guam. AIVRIKSOA
Netherlands. Radio
Philippines. R Pilipinas
Romania, R Romania Intl
Swaziland. Trans World R
Vatican Stale. Valican R
Armenia, Voice of
Bangladesh. Bangla Betar
Indra. All India Radio

1745-1800
1755-1800

Sviaziland, Trans World R

Georgia. Voice of Hope

1700 - 180~

11775am
5870pa
11 880pa
2310do
2485do
2325do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
5220at
7405at
15050am
5930eu
15255af
15186af
15210af
6175eu
3985va
6035as
7225as
11690eu
9810pa
7560va
4890do
4920af
7180af
7440af
9890at
15240af
7325as
9500af
3255af
6195eu
11 750as
15485eu
3915as
6200eu
13815am
15590am
7560pa
18930af
6040af
11920af
17895af
5990as
9795as
5825na
9400am
9930am
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
11550as
3330af
4910do
6165do
4828do
6155eu
5910eu
6180eu
9370as
6020at
11720me
9550af
3200at
11625af
481 Oeu
7190as
741Oeu
1t935af
3200af
9310eu

5995pa

7150af
9570af

6080pa

7160at
11910af

9415va

7200af

9430af

15460me
11985eu
6190va
9535na

5940af
7185af
9450af
9895af

71 lOeu
11730as

5965af
7255at
9505af
12065af

7200as
11 880at

7115af
7305af
9560af
t 3670af

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Argentrna, RAE
Australia, Radio

18001900vl
1800-t 900 vi
1800-1900 vi

1\ustralia. VL8A Alice Spg

Australia. VL8K Kalherine
Australia. VL8T Tent Crk

11775am
15345eu
5995pa
9435as
2310do
2485do
2325do

Bangladesh, Bangla Betar

Brazil, Radio Bras
Canada. CFRX Toronto
Canada, CFVP Calgary
Canada, CHNX Halifax
Canada, CKZN St John's
Canada, CKZU Vancouver
Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl
Czech Rep. Radio Prague
Egypt, Radio Cairo
Eql Guinea, Radio Africa
Georgia, Voice of Hope
India, All India Radio

1800-1900 vi
1800-1 900 vi
1800-1900
1800-1900 s
1800-1830
1800-1652 mtwhf
1800-1857

Italy. IRAS
Kenya, Kenya Broadc Corp
Kuwait, Radio
Morocco, RTVM Marocaine
Netherlands. Radio
New Zealand, R NZ Intl
North Korea. R Pyongyang

1800-1900 vi
1800-1900 vi
1800-1855
1800-1900

Papua New Guinea, NBC

Philippines, R Pilipinas
Poland, Polish R Warsaw
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

1800-1830
1800-1900
1600-1900
1800-1830
1800-1900

S Africa, Channel Africa

Sudan. Radio Omdurman
Swaziland, Trans World R
Swaziland. Trans World R
United Kingdom. BBC WS

1800-1830
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800- 1900

United Kingdom, BBC WS

United Kingdom, UCB
USA, KAIJ Dallas TX
USA, KJES Mesquite NM
USA, KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America

1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-19JO
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1 827
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900 vi
18001900vl
1800-1900 vi
1805-1830
1830-1855
1830-1900 vi
1830-1900 mtwht
1830-1900

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA, WHAi Noblesville IN
USA, WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WANO New Orleans LA
USA, WWCR Nashville TN
USA, WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vietnam, Voice of
Yemen. Radio Aden
Zambia. Christian Voice
Zambia, R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe BC
Malawi, MBC
Belgium, R Vlaanderen Int
Cyprus. BAT International
Georgia, Radio
Nelherlands, Radio

1830-1900 \'/
1830-1900
18301835
1830-1900 mtwfha
18301900 s
1830-1900
1830-1900 as
1833-1900
1840-1850
1845-1900 irreg s
1853-1900 smtwhf

Saipan, FEBC/KFBS
Slovakia, R Slovakia Intl
Somalia, Radio Mogadishu
Sweden, Radio
Sweden, Radio
Uniled Kingdom, BBC WS
USA. Voice of America
Cole D' lvoire, RDTV
Greece, Voice of
Mali, ROTV Malienne
New Zealand. R NZ Intl

945Dat
5975as
716Das
12095eu
15575va
963Daf

6090va
94 lOeu
15400af
17830af
11860af

6190af
95 lOas
f 5420af
17840at

61 lOas
12!l40af

7125as
15205as

7215as
15395as

6045as
12050as
11875na

9525as
15255as
13615na

9670as

13760am

15105am

121 60am
15695eu
4965af

13845am
21745eu

9655me
9925eu

13710as
11680me

9605af
11890me
11940af

11655af
15190me
15340af

15570af
4990me
9570eu
9650af
13780af

17550af
15520do
9950eu
15075af

15745eu

15685am

13730af

11 620eu

7190eu
15265eu
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
15050am
5930eu
15255af
15186af
9310eu
7410eu
11935af
3985va
4885do
11990na
17615af
6020af
9810pa
4405eu
13760am
4890do
11 720me
6000eu
4920af
7180af
9505af
13670af
15240af
9200af
3200af
9500af
3255af
9410va
15485va
5975as
6200eu
13615am
15385au
15590am
7560pa
9355va
6035af
11975af
5825na
9400am
9495am
15715af
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
15695eu
9840eu
9760do
3330af
4910do
6165do
4828do
5993do
9925af
6150do
6080eu
6020af
15315af
9465as
5915eu
6732do
6065eu
9645eu
6005af
7150af
11920do
11645af
4783do
11735pa

9570as

15520do

9430as

9650af
13770af

9950eu
15075af

11620eu

4935do

6150do

9605af

11655af

6575eu

9345eu

11700am

11890me
6095eu
5940af
7305af
9890at

151 90me
7285eu
5965af
7440af
9695af

7175at
9450at
12065al

6180eu
12095eu
15575va
6090va

6190af
15400af
17830af
951Oas

6195eu
15420af

13625as
9385af
6040af
13710af
11875na

13770eu
9760eu
15410af
13615na

16930af
11920af
15580af
17695eu

13845am

15685am

9605af

9895af

11655af

6055eu

7345eu

9630af
9845af

15445af

15150af
4835do

5995do

21490af

13760eu

12160am
17555eu
15010eu
4965af

13745af

Your Name in Lights!

1800 UTC
t8001900
1800-1900 mtwhf
1800-1900

1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1827
1800-1830
1800-1900
1800-1900
1800-1815

6080as
11880pa

7240pa

9415pa

... or at least in ink within the Monitoring Times Shortwave Guide.

Please send us your "best catches" on the worldwide shortwave
bands - QSLs, that is - and we will try to use them in future
issues of MT Your QSLs will be returned.
December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

59

FREQUENCIES . .... .. .
19002000
1900-2000

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Auslralia. Radio

1900-2000 vi
19002000 vi
1900-2000 vi
19001920
1900-2000
19002000
19002000
19002000
19002000
19002000
19002000
19001930
19002000
19002000
19001950

Australia. VLBA Alice Spg

Australia, VLBK Katherine
Australia, VLBT Tent Cr1<
Brazil, Radio Bras
Canada, CFRX Toronto
Canada, CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halrtax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
China, China Radio Intl
Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl
Cote D' lvoire, RDTV
Ecuador, HCJB
Eqt Guinea, Radio Africa
Germany. Deutsche Welle

1900-2000
19001945

Gualemala, Adv World R

India. All India Radio

19002000 h
1900-2000 vi
1900-2000 vi
19002000
1900-1915
19002000 smtwha
1900-2000

l reland,W Coast R Ireland

Italy, IRRS
Kenya, Kenya Broadc Corp
Kuwait, Radio
Liberia,LCN/R Liberia Int
Malta, VO Mediterranean
Nether1ands, Radio

1900-2000 smtwhf
19002000
19001957
19001930 s
19002000 vi
19001930 vi
19002000

New Zealand, R NZ Intl

Nigeria, Voice of
North Korea, R Pyongyang
Norway, Radio Norway Intl
Papua New Guinea, NBC
Philippines, R Pllipinas
Romania, R Romania Intl

1900-2000

Russia, Voice of Russia WS

19002000vl
19002000
1900-2000 a
19002000
19001 930 s
19002000
19002000

Solomon Islands, SIBC

South Korea, R Korea Intl
Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka BC
Swaziland, Trans Wor1d R
Sweden, Radio
Thailand, Radio
United Kingdom, BBC WS

19002000
19002000
19002000
19002000
1900-2000
1900-2000

United Kingdom, UCB

USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA, KTBN Salt LI< City UT
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Monitor Radio Intl
USA, Voice of America

19001930 s
19002000
19002000
19002000
19002000
19002000
19002000 as
19002000
19002000
19002000
1900-1927
19002000
1900-2000 vi
1900-2000 vi
1900-2000 vi
1910-1955
19252000vl
1930-2000 t
19302000
1930-2000
19302000
19302000 a
19302000
19302000
19351955
19452000
19452000t
19502000
19592000 a

USA, Voice of America

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL
USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA, WHRI Noblesville IN
USA, WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA, WRNO New Orleans LA
USA, WWCR Nashville TN
USA, WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vietnam, Voice of
Zambia, Christian Voice
Zambia. R Zambla/ZNBC 1
Zambia, R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe BC
Germany. VO Mediterranean
Cyprus, BRT International
Belarus, Radiosta Belarus
Georgia, Radio
Iran, VOIRI
Mongolia, Voice of
Serbia. Radio Yugoslavia
Tur1<ey, Voice of
USA, Voice of America
Italy, RAI Intl
Albania, R nrana Intl
Germany, Universal Lile
Vatican Stale, Vatican R
New Zealand, R NZ Intl

11775am
5995pa
9435pa
2310do
2485do
2325do
15265eu
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
6955al
15050am
11920do
12015am
15186af
9640al
13690af
5980am
741 0eu
11935af
11665al
3985va
4885do
11 990eu
5100do
9765eu
6020af
15315af
11735pa
7255af
6520af
7485eu
4890do
11720me
7105af
11810eu
4920eu
7255eu
7490eu
9585eu
5020do
5975eu
5975eu
3200af
9645eu
7210eu
3255af
6195va
11835af
15575va
6200eu
13815am
15590am
7560pa
9355va
6035af
11920al
15410al
4950af
5825na
94il0am
9495am
15715af
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
17555al
9840eu
3330af
4910do
6165do
4828do
12060eu
6150do
6010eu
11910eu
7160eu
9720eu
6100eu
5960eu
4950al
6015eu
6025eu
5890eu
4005eu
11 735pa

6080pa
11880pa

9440al

7240pa

9415pa

11515al

21455am
9765af
15135af

11785al
15425al

11810al

9650af
13780al

9950eu
15075as

11620eu

4935do

6150do

981 0am
9605af

12060me
9895af

9600af
9590af

9975af
9960na

11890me
7195eu
11940af
5940eu
7305eu
9440eu
9890eu

15190me
9550eu

9690eu

5965eu
7325eu
9450eu
9895eu

7180eu
7440eu
9505eu
12065cu

11655af

7275as

9655eu
6005af
9410af
12095eu
17830al

11905eu
6180eu
9630al
15400af

13625as
9385af
9525pa
11975al
15580al

17555pa
13770eu
9760eu
13710al

17510al
11870pa
15180pa

11875na

13615na

17695eu

6190al
9740as
15485va

13760eu

12160am

13845am

t5685am

15010eu
4965af

7105eu

7205eu

7260eu
12085eu
9720af
6175na

9022eu

7210eu

7225eu
7135eu
5885eu

7250eu

9645eu

2000 UTC
2000-2100
20002100
20002100
20002100

60

Algeria. R Algiers Intl

Angola, Radio National
Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia, Radio

MONITORING TIMES

15160al
3355do
11775am
5995pa

9535do
9415pa

December 1997

9435pa

11880pa

20002100vl
2000 2100 vi
20002100 vi
2000-2100
2000-2100
20002100
2000-2100
20002100
2000-2100
20002100

Australia. VLBA Allee Spg

Australia. VLBK Katherine
Australia. VLBT Tent Crk
Bulgaria, Radio
Canada. CFRX Toronlo
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
China. China Radio Intl

20002100
20002 100 vi
20002100
20002 100
2000-2030 m
2000-2100
20002050
20002015 t
20002030
20002010
20002t00
20002030
2000-2100
2000-2030
2000-2025
2000-2 t 00 vi
2000-2100 vi
20002100
20002030 as
20002030
2000-2025

Cosla Rica.RF Peace Intl

Cyprus. BRT lnternalional
Ecuador. HCJB
Eqt Guinea. Radio Africa
Estonia. Radio
Georgia. Voice of Hope
Germany. Deutsche Welle
Germany. Universal Lile
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
Greece. Voice of
Guatemala. Adv World R
Hungary, Radio Budapest
Indonesia, Voice of
Iran. VOIRI
Israel. Kol Israel
Italy. IRRS
Kenya. Kenya Broadc Corp
Kuwait. Radio
Latvia. Radio
Mexico. Radio Mexico Intl
Netherlands. Radio

2000-2052 smtwhl
2000-2058 a
20002005
20002030 s
2000-2100 vi
20002030 mtwhl
20002100

2000-2100
2000-2100
2000-2100
2000-2100
20002100
20002100

New Zealand, R NZ Intl

New Zealand, R NZ Intl
Nigeria. FRCN/Radio
Norway. Radio Norway Intl
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Portugal, R Portugal Intl
Russia.Voice of Russia WS
7305eu
7325eu
9585eu
9820cu
Sierra Leone, SLBS
Solomon Islands. SIBC
Somalia, Radio Mogadishu
Spain. R Exlerior Espana
Swaziland, Trans World R
Swi1Zer1and, Swiss R Intl
Turkey. Voice of
Uganda. Radio
United Kingdom. BBC WS
6190af
6195va
12095eu
1540031
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America

20002030
20002100
2000-2100
2000-2100
2000-2100
20002100
2000-2100
20002100
20002100
20002100
2000-2010

USA. Voice of America

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL
USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Upton KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WRNO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee FL
Vatican State, Vatican R

2000-2100
2000-2100 vi
2000-2100 vi
20052100
20t02030
2015-2030
2025-2045
20302100
20302100
20302100
2030-2130
20302100
20302100
20302100
20302100
20302100
2030-2045
2030-2100 as
20302100
2030-2057
2045-2100

Zambia. Christian Voice

Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe BC
Syria. Radio Damascus
Vatican State. Vatican R
Namibia. NBC
Italy, RAI Intl
Armenia. Voice of
Cuba. Radio Havana
Egypt, Radio Cairo
Finland. YLEJR Finland
Georgia. Radio
Germany.Adventist World R
Poland. Polish R Warsaw
Slovakia. AWR Europe
Sweden. Radio
Thailand. Radio
USA. Voice of America
Uzbekistan. R Tashkent
Vietnam. Voice of
India. All India Radio

20532100 smtwhl
2057-2100
2059-2100 a

New Zealand. R NZ Intl

Iraq, Radio Iraq Intl
New Zealand. R NZ Intl

2000-2015
2000-2100 vi
20002015 irreg
2000-2100 mtwhl
20002015
20002030
20002030
2000-2015
2000-2100

2310do
2485do
2325do
7530eu
6070do
6030do
61 30do
6160do
6160do
5220eu
9635al
15050am
6150do
1201 Seu
15186al
5925eu
9310eu
7285eu
5890eu
3366do
7450eu
5980am
3975eu
7225as
7160eu
7465na
3985va
4885do
11990eu
5935eu
9705na
6020al
15315al
11735pa
11735pa
3326do
7570au
4890do
71 lOeu
4920eu
7440eu
t 3670eu
3316do
5020do
6870al
6125eu
3200al
9620al
5960eu
4976do
3255al
9410eu
15485al
6200eu
13815am
15590am
7560pa
7510eu
6035al
11975af
15445af
4950al
5825na
9400am
9495am
13790eu
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
17555cu
4005eu
9660al
3330al
6165do
4828do
t2085eu
7365al
3270do
7125eu
7480eu
13715eu
15375al
9875af
11760eu
9835af
6035eu
7265af
6065eu
9655eu
4950af
9540eu
9840eu
7150au
9950eu
15115pa
t 1785me
t5115pa

9700eu

6950eu
9920eu

7180al
9935eu

9440af

21455am

4915do
942Deu
9840eu
9525as
7260eu
9365na

9022eu
15640va

4935do

6150do

9605al

9895af

4770do

4990do

9780eu
5940eu
7490eu

9815eu
5965eu
9440eu

7t80eu
9450cu

9885al
6t75na

9905al

1t725al

5975as
9630al
15575va

6005al
1t750am
17830al

6180eu
1183531

t 3625pa
9355eu
7415af
13710al
15580al

17555pa
13840pa
9760eu
15205as
17725al

11855af
15410af
17755al

11875na

13615am

15745eu

13845am
21525al
7250eu

9645cu

11655al

t t775al

13760eu

12160am
17845al
5885cu
11625al
4965al
t361 0eu
9660ar
3290do
9685al
9965eu
13725cu

15685am

1t625al
11840as

6095eu

7285eu

9680eu

11905eu

9545cu
t 2020cu
74 t0eu
11620eu

15010eu
9650eu
11 715au

9910au

.. . .. .. . . . ..

FREQUENCIES . . . . . . .
2100-2200
2100-2130

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Ausl ralia. Radio

2Hl02130 vi
2100-2130 vi
2100-2200 vi
2100-2130 vi
2100-2200 vi
2100-2115 vi
2100-2200 vi
2100-2200 vi
21002200
21002200
21002200
21002200
21002200
21002200

Ausl ralia. VL8A Alice Spg

Australia, VL8K Ka1herine
Australia, VL8K Kalherine
Australia, VL8T Tenl Crk
Auslralia. VL8T Tent Crk
Cameroon. Radio Cameroon
Cameroon, Radio Garoua
Canada. CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toronlo
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halilax
Canada, CKZN SI John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada. RCanada Intl

21002130

Cluna. China Radio Intl

21002200
21002104
21002130
21002200 vi
21002127
2100-2200
21002200
21002200
21002107
21002150

Cosla Rica.RF Peace Intl

Croa1ia, Croa1ian Radio
Cuba. Radio Havana
Cyprus. BRT lnlernalional
Czech Rep, Radio Prague
Ecuador. HCJB
Egypt, Radio Cairo
Eql Guinea. Radio Africa
Georgia. Voice of Hope
Germany, Deu1sche Welle

21002130
21002200

Germany.Adven1is1 World R
Indra. All India Radio

2100-2157
2100-2200 vi
2100-21 15
2100-2107 vi
2100-2200
2100-21 15
2100-2130
2100-2107
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2157

Iraq, Radio Iraq Intl

Italy. IRRS
Japan. R Japan!NHK World
Kenya, Kenya Broadc Corp
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Liberia.LCN/R Liberia lnl
Mexico, Radio Mexico Intl
Namibia, NBC
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Nigeria. FRCN/Radio
North Korea, R Pyongyang

2100-2200 vi
21002125
21002156
21002200

Papua New Guinea. NBC

Poland. Polish R Warsaw
Romania, R Romania Intl
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

2100-2130
2100-2200 vi
2100-2200
2100-2130
2100-2130
2100-2200
21002110
2100-2200

Slovakia, AWA Europe

Solomon Islands, SIBC
Soulh Korea, R Korea lnll
South Korea. R Korea Intl
Switzerland. Swiss R Intl
Syria, Radio Damascus
Uganda, Radio
Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS
5975as
6005af
9t10eu
9630va
15400af
Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS
Uniled Kingdom. BBC WS
Uniled Kingdom, UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Salt Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monilor Radio Intl
USA, Voice of America

2100-2130
2100-2145
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200

2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
2100-2200
21002200 vi
2100-2200 vi
2100-2200 vi
2115-2200
2115-2130
2125-2135 mlwhf
2130-2200

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Uplon KY
USA. WRMl/R Miami Intl
USA. WANONew Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA. WYFR Okeechobee fl
Zambia. Chrislian Voice
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC t
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 2
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe BC
Egypt, Radio Cairo
United Kingdom. BBC WS
Latvia, Radio
Auslralia. Radio

2130-2200
2130-2200
2130-2200
2130-2200

China, China Radio Intl

Finland, YLE/R Finland
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
Guam. AWR/KSOA

11775am
5995pa
9660pa
2310do
2485do
5025do
2325do
4910do
4850do
5010do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6t60do
6160do
5925va
11945va
17820af
3985eu
11715af
15050am
9590al
13715eu
6150do
5930na
12015eu
15375af
15186af
9310eu
9615af
11785as
9835af
7150va
9950eu
11785me
3955va
6035as
4885do
9960va
5100do
9705na
3270do
15115pa
3326do
4405eu
13760am
4890do
6035eu
7105eu
5940eu
7320eu
7265al
5020do
6480eu
3970eu
6165eu
t2085na
4976do
3255af
6180eu
11 750sa
9630af
11680sa
6200eu
13815am
15590am
7560pa
7510eu
6035af
9760eu
15185as
17725af
5825na
9400am
9495am
t3790eu
7490na
9955am
15420am
9475am
17555eu
3330af
4910do
6165do
4828do
9900eu
6175am
5935eu
7240pa
12080pa
5220eu
6135eu
3366do
153 10as

7240pa
11880pa

9415pa
12080pa

9435pa
17795pa

. ...

2130-2200
2130-2200
2130-2200
2130-2200 as
2130-2200
2130-2200

Iran. VOIRI
Malawi, MBC
Soulh Korea, R Korea lnll
Sweden. Radio
Turkey, Voice ol
USA. Voice ol Ame11ca

2130-2200
2145-2200 a

Uzbekislan. R Tashkent
Greece. Voice of

. .. ....
6165pa
3380do
6480eu
6065eu
7200eu
6035af
9760me
15t85pa
17725af
9540as
11595au

6175pa
15575eu
9655eu
6070me
11870pa
15205as
17735pa
9545me
11645au

74t5af
1t975al
15410af

9595as
137103f
155803f

13755pa

15510as

9735va
13690va

9805va
15150va

9840eu
7410eu
11620va
6175pa
9675pa

9650eu
11715au

9910au

4770do

4990do

7105eu
7320eu

7125eu
7360eu

7180eu
7440eu

6010eu

6020eu

6175am
9660as
12080as

6180eu
9890as
15400af

9890as
17820as
11975af

11760as
12080af

9475am
21525eu

12160am

13845am

6155eu
6180na
7345na

13730af

2200 UTC
5995va
13650va

7235va
13690va

9805va
15150va

5220eu
151 l Oaf

6950eu

9920eu

13725eu
7345af
21455am

9670as
11865af

9690af
t5275va

9765as

7410eu
11620va

9650eu
11715au

9910au

6090as
4935do

13630na
6150do

3290do
4770do
6575eu
6095eu
7195eu
5965eu
7440eu

4990do
9345am
7285eu
9690eu
7170eu
9890eu

1170Qam

11810eu
7180eu

15575eu
7410eu
13610au
3915as
6190af
11835af

3955eu
6195va
11945as

5965as
7325va
12095eu

22002230
22002300
22002300

Albania, R Tirana Intl

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia, Radio

2200-2300 vi
22002300 vi
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
22002300
22002300
2200-2229

Australia. VL8K Kalhenne

Ausl ralia, VL8T Tent Crk
Bulgaria. Radio
Canada, CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toron10
Canada, CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John"s
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada, R Canada lnll

12200-2300
2200-2300
22002300 vi
2200-2245
2200-2300
2200-2215
2200-2230
22002230

China, China Radio Intl

Cos1a Rica.Rf Peace lnll
Cyprus. BAT International
Egypt. Radio Cano
Eqt Guinea. Radio Af11ca
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Coop
Hungary. Radio Budapest
India. All India Radio

2200-2225
22002225
22002300
2200-2215
22002300
22002225
22002300
220()-2215
22002230 s
22002300vl
2200-2300

Iran. VOIRI
Italy, RAI Intl
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Uberia.LCN/R Liberia Int
Malaysia, Radio
Moldova, R Moldova Intl
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Nigeria, FRCN/Rad10
Norway. Radio Norway Intl
Papua New Guinea. NBC
Russia.Voice of Russia WS

2200-2230
22002215
22002230
2200-2300 vi
2200-2300 as
22002205
2200-2300
2200-2230
2200-2300

Serbia. Radio Yugoslavia

Sierra Leone, SLBS
Slovakia, AWA Europe
Solomon Islands. SIBC
Spain. R Exterior Espana
Syria. Radio Damascus
Taiwan. Taipei Radio Intl
Turkey. Voice of
Ukraine. R Ukraine !nil

22002300

22002230 mtwhf

United Kingdom. BBC WS

6195as
7325va
9915am
11750am
United Kingdom. BBC WS
United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA, KTBN Sall Lk City UT
USA. KWHR Naalehu HI
USA, Monitor Radio Intl
USA, Voice of America
15185as
t5290as
USA, Voice of America

2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300 vi
2230-2255
22302300
2230-2227
2230-2300
22302300
2240-2250
2245-2300
22452300

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA, WGTG McCaysville GA
USA. WHAi Noblesville IN
USA. WINB Red Lion PA
USA, WJCR Up1011 KY
USA. WRMll R Miami Intl
USA, WANO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN
USA, WYFR Okeechobee FL
Zambia. R Zambia/ZNBC 1
Austria. R Auslria Intl
Cuba. Radio Havana
Czech Rep, Radio Prague
Iraq. Radio Iraq Intl
Sweden, Radio
Greece, Voice ol
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
India. All India Radio

6025eu
11775am
9660pa
17795pa
5025do
4910do
7530eu
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
5995va
11705as
7175eu
7385am
6150do
9900eu
15186af
4915do
3975eu
7150va
9950eu
6165pa
6150pa
9960va
5100do
7295do
7520eu
15115pa
3326do
7570sa
9675do
5940eu
7205eu
9890eu
61 OOeu
3316do
6055eu
5020do
6125eu
12085na
15600eu
7200eu
5905eu
7150na
5965as
9410va
11835af
12095eu
6200eu
13815am
15590am
7560pa
7510eu
72 15as
15305as
6035af
137103f
5825eu
9400am
9495am
13790eu
7490na
9955am
15420am
7435am
17845eu
4910do
5945eu
6000na
5930na
11785me
6065eu
11595au
3366do
74 1Oas

2245-2300

Vatican S1a1e. Vatican R

7305au

15485af

17555pa
9355eu
6070me
11870pa
15205as
17735as
11875na

12160am
17845eu
4965af

7415af
11975af
15410af

9595af
13710af
15580af

13615na

17695eu

13845am
21525eu

15390am

17715am

9435as
13755pa
6950eu

9660pa
17795pa
9635eu

15685am

11695as
9920eu

2200-2230
22002300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300
2200-2300

December I 997

7135eu
11695as

9700eu

7235va
11945va
15050am

11900as

6185eu

11775af
13610au
17750eu
5940eu
7205eu
5975am
9590am
11955as

17555pa
13770sa
9770as
17735as
7415af
13615na

7325eu
11645au
4915do
9705as

9950as

9600au

11830au

11620as

MONITORING TIMES

61

FREQUENCIES

. ... .. .. .. . .

... .

2300-0000
2300-0000

Anguilla.Caribbean Beacon
Australia, Radio

2300-0000 vi
2300-0000 vi
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-2330

Australia. VL8K Katherine

Australia. VL8T Tent Crk
Canada, CBC N Quebec Svc
Canada. CFRX Toromo
Canada. CFVP Calgary
Canada. CHNX Halifax
Canada. CKZN St John's
Canada. CKZU Vancouver
Canada. R Canada Intl

2300-0000

Cos1a Rica. Adv World R

2300-0000
2300-2330
2300-0000
2300-2350
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-2315
2300-0000
2300-2325
2300-0000
2300-2315
2300-2357
2300-0000 vi
2300-2356

Costa Rica.RF Peace Intl

Cuba. Radio Havana
Egypl, Radio Carro
Germany. Deu1sche Welle
Guam. AWAIKSDA
Guatemala. Adv World A
India. All India Radio
Lebanon. Voice of Hope
Liberia.LCN/R Liberia Int
Malaysia. Radio
Moldova. R Moldova Intl
New Zealand. R NZ Intl
Nigeria. FRCN/Radro
North Korea. R Pyongyang
Papua New Gurnea. NBC
Romania. R Romania Intl

6090am
9660pa
17795pa
5025do
4910do
9625do
6070do
6030do
6130do
6160do
6160do
5960am
11865ca
5030am
15460am
7385am
6000na
9900na
6045as
11775as
11775am
74lOas
9960va
5100do
7295do
7520eu
15115pa
3326do
11335na
9675do
5990na
11940na

12080pa

13755pa

9535ca

9755am

6150am

9725am

13750am

15050am
6180na
7235as

9705as

9950as

2300-0000

Russia. Voice of Russia WS

5940na

2300-0000 vi
2300-0000
2300-0000

Solomon Islands. SIBC

Turkey. Voice of
United Kingdom. BBC WS

2300-2315
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000

United Kingdom. BBC WS

United Kingdom. UCB
USA. KAIJ Dallas TX
USA. KTBN Sit Lk City UT
USA, KWHR Naalehu HI
USA. Monitor Radio Intl
USA. Voice of America

2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000
2300-0000

USA. WEWN Birmingham AL

USA. WGTG McCaysville GA
USA, WHRI Noblesville IN
USA, WINB Red Lion PA
USA. WJCR Uplon KY
USA. WRMll A Miami Intl
USA, WRNO New Orleans LA
USA. WWCR Nashville TN

5020do
6135eu
3915as
9580as
11945as
15400af
6200eu
13815am
15590am
7560pa
7510eu
7215as
15185as
17820as
5825na
9400am
5745am
13790am
7490na
9955am
7355na
5070am

2300-2315
2310-2315
2330-0000 as
2330-0000 vi
2330-0000 mtwhf
2330-0000
2335-2345
2335-2345

Vatican Stale. Vatican R

Kyrgstan. Kyrgyz Radio
Canada. R Canada Intl
Ghana. Ghana Broadc Corp
Guam. AWRIKSDA
Netherlands. Radio
Greece. Voice of
Sierra Leone. SLBS

9600au
4010do
6040am
4915af
11 775as
6020na
9395am
3316do

7105na

7125na

7180na

9655eu
5965as
9590na
11955as

5975am
9915am
15380as

6175am
11 750sa

1551 Opa

6040ca

6130as

... . ..

11620as

4770do
11700na

4990do
13760na

15130na

6155na

9510na

9570na

17510as
13770sa
9770as
15290as

17555pa
9890as
15305as

11760as
17735as

7435am

9475am

13845am

11830au
4050do
9535am

11 865am

6165na
9425am

11595am

13615na
9495am

11710ca

SELECTED PROGRAMS
Sundays
2300
2300
2305
2308
2310

231t
2323
2325
2326
2330

2330
2333

Turkey. Voice of: News. See S 0400.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Science View. Alook al complex
issues and the implications of the latest research findings.
Turkey. Voice of: Review of the Turkish Press. See S0408.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Learning Zone. for people who
want to learn more about subjects such as science, health.
1he world and work and lrterature while practicing English
listening skills.
Turkey. Voice of: Turkish Customs and Traditions. A look
into time-honored ways o1 Turkish life.
Turkey. Voice of: Turkish Songs. Currently popular vocal
music.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Pop Short. A five-minute
popular music program.
Turkey. Voice of: Turkish Songs. See S 2323.
Turkey, Voice of: Reflections 01 Civilization on Minerals.
The history o1 ancient civiliations as depicted in
archaelogical treasures.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): In Praise of God. See S 0630.
Turkey. Voice of: Reflections of Civilization on Minerals.
See S 2330_

2319
2325
2330
2338

2300
2300
2305
2308
2313
2321
2330
2333

Turkey, Vorce of: News. See S 0400.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK, BBC London (arn/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
Turkey. Voice o1: Review of the Turkish Press. See S 0408.
Turkey. Voice of: Last Week. A recap of events affecting
Turkey during the previous week.
Turkey. Voice of: Old Turkish Mansions_An audro tour ot
an historic structure.
Turkey, Voice of: Turkish Songs. See S 2323.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Multrtrack Hit-list. See M 1930.
Turkey, Voice of: A History of Westernization in Turkey.
How Turkey evolved to its present state over the centuries
and !he outside influences that affected ii.

Turkey, Voice of: News. See S 0400.

UK. BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S0300_
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Outl ook. See M 1405.
Turkey, Voice of: Review of the Turkish Press. See S0408.
Turkey, Voice of: A Sea and an Island. Turkey's situation today
from a political perspective.
Turkey, Voice of: Another Spot in Turkey. A different location in
Turkey is featured in each program.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Megamrx. See T 1930.
Turkey. Voice 01: Turkish Songs_See S 2323.

Wednesdays
2300
2300
2305
2307
2310
2319
2330
2334
2338

Mondays
2300
2300
2305
2308
2311

Tuesdays

Turkey, Voice of: News. See S0400.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Outlook. See M t405.
Turkey. Voice of: Review of the Turkish Press. See S 0408.
Turkey, Voice of: A Review o1 the Foreign Media. Items of
interest to Turkey found in the media of other countries.
Turkey, Voice of: Letter Box. The weekly mailbag program.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Multitrack X-Press_ See w 1930.
Turkey. Vorce of: Turkish Musrc. Selections of classical Turkish
music.
Turkey, Voice of: Turl<ish Decorative Arts. A looks at
woodcarving and similar crafts in Turkey.

2333
2342

Fridays
2300
2300
2305
2308
2311
2330
2344
2354

2354

2354
2354

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Turkey, Voice o1: News. See S 0400.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): Worl d News. See S0300.
UK, BBC London (am/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
Turkey, Voice of: Review of theTurkish Press. See S 0408.
Turkey. Voice of: Turkish Album. Music and cultural
interviews.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Multitrack Alternative. See F
1430.
Turkey. Voice of: The Southeastern Anatolian Project
(GAP). A progress report.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. 50th Anniversary
Celebrations: From the Wireless to the World WideWeb
(5th). See W 1254_
Radio Netherlan ds: Documentary. The High "C's" (26th).
Marijke van der Meer reports behind the scenes of the
diamond industry.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Netherlands is Full
(19th)_ See f 1454.
Radio Netherlands: Documentary. The Social Cost of
Transformation (12th)_See A 2354.

Thursdays

Saturdays

2300
2300
2305
2308
23t4

2300
2300

2321
2330

Turkey, Voice of: News. See S 0400.

UK, BBC London (am/eu): World News. See S 0300.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Outlook. See M 1405.
Turkey. Voice of: Review of the Turkish Press. See S 0408.
Turkey. Voice of: Turkish Foreign Policy. How Turkey interacts
with its neighbors.
Turkey. Voice of: Turkish Popular Music. Selections o1 music
being played in Turkey.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): John Peel. See H 1930.

2307
2310
2315
2315
2320
2330
2332

62

Turkey. Voice of: I Am Antolia. The evolution of modern

Turkey as seen from thescience of archeology.
Turkey, Voice of: Turkish Popular Music. See H 2321.

Turkey. Voice of: News. See S 0400_

UK. BBC London (am/eu): Play of the Week (1rom 2230).
Sees 1830.
Turkey, Voice of: Revi ew of the Turkish Press. See S 0408.
Turkey. Voice of: Outlook See S 0412.
Turkey. Voice of: Popular Turkish Music_Turkey's music of
today.
Turkey. Voice of: VOT DX Corner (biweekly). See S0415.
Turkey. Voice of: Turkish Literature (biweekly). See S
0415.
UK. BBC London (am/eu): Andy Kershaw's World of
Music. See A 0830.
Turkey, Voice of: Blue Voyage. See S 0433.

DECEMBER -

AGOOD MONTH TO SEE (AND HEAR!) AURORAS

By Jacques d'Avignon
monitor@rac.ca
When I prepare the monthly iable of
propagaiion pred ictions. I always indicate which
ci rcuits cross the auroral zone near the North
Pole (P). Why? I do so because the auroral
doughnut -shaped zone in the polar region
disturbs the ionosphere and causes fluttering in a
signal whose great circle path between the
transmitter and the receiver crosses this region.
Many MT reader~ have seen live or on TV
the fantastic display of Northern Lights. Aurora
Borea lis. but how many have actually heard the
sound produced by the aurora? I can see the
raised eyebrows and hear the readers comment
that I should not sip spiked Christmas eggnog
while writing my December colu mn! (Actually.
this column is being written during the hottest
day o f July. so I am sipping o n strai ght iced tea')
About four years ago. I started reading a
flurry of messages discussi ng the possibi lity of
"rea ll y" hearing the sounds of the aurora.
Hearing auroras has been something very
normal for me. and it was my assumption that
everyone heard them. I now know better.
From 1952 until 1969 my work had me
traveling in very remote areas of Eastern Canada
and the Nort h Eastern USA. In many places I
slept in isolated camps because of the distances
involved in traveling hack to "civilization'' LO get
a room at the inn. It was not unusual to find
myself. in the evening. as far as 200 ki lometers
( 150 miles) from the nearest hamlet - let alone
town!
You did not see an auroral display every
night, but when conditions were right the
spectacle was breathtaki ng. At most o f these
remote sites. the ambient noise level is also very
low at ni ght: the ckctricity-producing diesel was
shut o ff around 2 1:00 local. Then it was
"deafening" si lence except for the howling of
the wolves and the sound of the aurora.
When the auroras were in progress. I could
always hear a sound resembling the swishing"
sound of silk textile being rubbed . It i> very
difficult to explain what it really 'ounds like.
The leve l of the sound would change in intensity
<111d pitch as the auroras would become more or
less luminous. the intensity of the sound would
also change if you had auroral "darts" flowing
out of the main body of the aurora or if you had
a sudden change in intensity of all o r part of the
"curtain."
Since these observations were not very
''>cientific.'" hut more of an anecdotal report of
what I have always considered a normal
occurrence. I never discussed this until recentl y.
There is an easier way to listen to auroras:
Kev in Carey. in his MT column "Below 500

OPTIMUM WORKING FREQUENCIES (MHz)

For the Period 15 December to 14 January 1998
II

,,

"

,.

Flux=97 SSN=43
:

TO/FROM US WEST COAST

SOUTH AMERICA

21

16

13

11

11

10

11

11

10

10

14

21

23

24

24

25

25

25

24

23

WESTERN EUROPE

13

17

19

16

14

11

EASTERU EUROPE tP)

11

10

10

10

10

10

13

18

16

14

13

12

12

10

11

10

MEOITERRAllEAll

MIOOlE EAST iPI

10

10

10

10

CEllTRAL AfRICA

16

15

12

11

10

10

10

sourn AFRICA

14

13

12

11

10

10

10

SOUTH EAS1 ASIA !Pl

18

21

18

14

FAR EAST

22

20

17

13

AUSTRALIA

20

21

21

16

9
10

12

11

10

10

19

22

22

20

18

18

19

19

17

15

21

22

21

21

19

18

16

15

15

10

11

11

11

11

12

18

21

10

10

11

10

10

15

14

14

15

17

17

18

19

18

21

22

22

22

22

22

22

21

20

10

17

14

10

10

12

15

12

17

21

22

TO/FROM US MIDWEST
SOUTH AMERICA

17

13

11

10

10

10

10

10

12

WCSTERN EUROPE

10

11

EASTERN EUROPE

MEDITERRANEAll

12

12

11

10

10

10

MIDDLC (AST (Pl

10

10

10

10

CEllTRAL AFRICA

16

13

11

10

10

10

10

10

10

11

11

SOUllt AFRICA

14

13

11

SOU1H EAST ASIA tp)

17

17

13

FAR EAST

21

18

14

AUSTRALIA

20

20

15

11

18

15

13

12

1?

12

12

11

14

12

11

10

11

10

20

22

22

22

20

18

18

20

20

18

19

18

16

15

15

12

18

22

17

17

18

19

15

21

22

22

21

21

11

12

11

11

10

10

10

10

11

11

10

10

10

10 I 15

15

14

14

15

TO/FROM US EAST COAST

SOU Ht AMERICA

12

10

10

10

10

12

18

20

20

19

19

19

19

19

18

17

14

WESTERN EUROPE

12

18

20

21

20

20

18

15

12

10

EASTERN EUROPE

10

16

18

16

13

10

MEDITERRMIEAll

12

11

10

14

19

22

22

21

18

12

12

12

12

MIDDLE EAST (Pl

11

11

10

10

10

CEIHRAL AFRICA

13

12

11

11

11

11

11

12

11

10

12

12

SOUTH AFRICA

13

12

SOUTH EAST ASIA (P)

13

12

FAR EAST

16

13

AUSTRALIA

18

11

10

13

12

18

18

15

13

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

14

17

21

22

23

23

23

21

19

19

20

19

15

19

23

23

22

22

21

20

19

15

10

12

14

13

11

11

15

10

10

10

10

11

11

10

10

10

12

18

17

15

14

14

15

18

16

16

10

10

10

11

17

19

17

17

18

19

*Unfavorable co11ditio11s: Search around the last listed frequency for activity.
kH1." ha' frequently discussed Natural Radio
,;ounds that can be heard at the bottom end of the
rad io spectrum. Look hack to his columns to find
out on how to do it. or pick up the November/
December Sall'llite Times which contains two
featu re articles on the subject.
I will now leave you with an interesti ng
quest ion : the lowest frequency that Kev in is talks
about for the signals from Natural Radio is about
I0 kHz ( 10.000 Hz). We know that the average
audio range of a human is 60 Hz to about 20.000
Hz. depending on the age anti how well you have
protected your cars from the high ambient
,ound, . Herc is the question for you to ponder
over the holiday turkey dinner: " Is there a
crossover somewhere in this range between radio

tran~m i,~ions heard in the ELF part of the

spectrum and the audio noi>e that 'omc
individuals arc hearing when watching auroras?"
I do not have an answer.
/\ Happy Hanukkah. a Merry Christmas and
very I lappy New Year to all!

REFERENCES
The t\umm Wmchers Handbook. Neil Davis.
published hy University of Alaska Press. ISBN 091200659-5. 1992.
'/he Northern light. A~geir Brekke anti Alv
Engeland. publi shed hy Springer-Verlag. ISBN
Vi-10- 12-129-2. 1983 .

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

63

BEGINNER'S CORNER
UNCLE SKIP'S GUIDE TO MONITORING

SKIP AREY, N2EI

tiorey@mosquilo.com

Choosing a Handheld Ham Radio

very now and then I get a notion fo r

a column that seems so obvious I
wonder to myself why I hadn't
thought of it before. Every day the general
radio press has been throwing facts at me.
FACT ONE: The fastest growing segment of the amateur radio hobby is the
Techni cian Class license, more specifically
the ''No-Code Tech" ticket.
FACT TWO: New ly licensed amateur
radio operators (especially those folks with
Technician Class privileges) tend to gravitate to the pop uJar "repeater" bands of 144148 MHz and 420-450 MHz operating in
the FM mode.
FACT THREE: Because of facts one
and two. the sales of handheld dual-band
FM transceivers are making up a large
portion of the manufacturer's profit margins these days.
Being someone with full amateur privileges and a tendency to operate on all the
bands and all the modes, I was somew hat
remiss in missing the point that so many
folks were hang ing out on 2 meters and 70
centimeters. This occurred in spite of the
fact that a week does n' t go by that I haven' t
had the opportunity to greet a new ham on
any one of my local repeater systems.
Back in the dark ages when I got my first
ham ticket, the VHF action was just getting
stait ed. Most new hams started out with a
Novice ti cket ~ nd worked to get set up on
the HF bands. VHF gear was relatively
ex pensive but you could home brew a 40
meter HF transmitter to use with your SWL
receiver for very little money. Heck, you
could do it for free if you knew your way
around the inside of a discarded tube type
television set. Well, things have obvio usly
changed quite a bit over the years.
So let's say you' re one of these new ham
radio fo lks or you may be thinking of getting in on the fun. Maybe it' s time Old
Uncle Skip put in a few cents about getting
that first handheld transmitter.
Handheld vs. Table Top

This is less of a no-brainer than most

people think, given the sales record of
handhelds. Since youroperati on will mostly
64

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

be through any number of local

repeater systems (special higher
powertransceivers mounted in high
location s that re transm it your
handheld' s signals), a handheld
transceiver running between 3 and
5 watts can take care of business in
most cases. Most true table top units
on these frequencies are the more
ex pensive "all mode'' transceivers
that also cover SS B and CW modes.
That' s great if you' ve got the cash,
but it' s not what we' re talking about
today.
What folks are more likely to consider
are higher power mobile units that can be
put to use in the car or run from the desk top
with a power supply (similartowhat Magne
would call a ''portatop" in a SW receiver).
Here you are talking about rigs that usuall y
run between 30 and 50 watts.
Let me give you some personal experience to get you thinking. I work a little over
35 miles from my home. I can spit on my
"home" repeater from my upstairs window.
Using my 5 watt handheld with a reasonable roof mounted antenna on my car. 1
could normall y communicate without any
complain ts on the other end of the conversation out to about 20 miles using my ''home"
repeater. Switching to a higher power mobile unit allows me to talk all the way to my
parking lot at work and well beyond if
needed.
If the majority of yo ur communication is
going to occur within 15 or so miles of
home, a 5 watt handhcld is great. To move
out further you' II need more juice. This can
be done either in the fo rm of a higher power
rig or by adding an external amplifier to
your handheld.
Further personal experience ... addi ng a
20 watt amp to my handheld stretched my
string out to about 30 miles. As they say.
your mileage will vary. Some of your distance ca pa bi Iity wi11 depend on the repeater
site' s locati on and its height above ground.
Now consider this: If you can have really
reliable communications out to about 15
miles with 5 watts, and if you worked
through a repeater th at was just about 15
miles away from your location , you could

talk to friends IS 111o re miles away in

the general directi on of the repeate r
site. T his is how I stay in routine
commun icatio n with some friends
that live a couple of co unties away
from me. We j ust pick a repeater in
between us and meet in the middle.
so to speak. Remember that FM repeater communication is not really
about chasi ng DX . although some
neat long distance propagation can
be found at times. It's more about
rel iable comm un ication over moderate d istances with the enhancement of repeater systems.
Whi le we're on the wattage thi ng . ..
Some new ultra- miniature handheld receivers have come on the market. These are
great li ttle un its but they often have powe r
limitat ions under 2 watts. Get to know the
locati on of your local repeater systems befo re you plan to rd y on these lower power
units. I've used one around the house because I' m so close to my local repeater.
When I' m putting so me miles between
myscirand the repeater I go with my 5 watt
handheld or the bigger rig in my car.
I Single vs. Dualband

Up unti l about a year ago I was a dyedin-wool si ngle band believe r. My position
seemed pragmati c enough. I used to say to
myse lf and others. ''If a d ual band handhe ld
breaks. you lose two bands." T his is true,
but I started to not ice folks looking at me
funn y when I had two handhelds strapped
to my waist. Maybe they were actually
looking at me funn y because I was always
tu ggi ng at my belt to keep the ri ght side of
my pants up.
Now my pragmatic preaching leans more
toward how many thi ngs I can accompl ish
wi th j ust one dualband transceiver. They
arc pack ing a lot of features into th is modern crop or d ualband handhelds mak ing
th em well wort h a look. Also, my local
A RES and RACES operati ons do a lot of
"crossband" communicatio ns. Moving between the two popu lar bands quickly is
important in mode rn emergency commu ni cations. But having said all this. I open
another can of worms.

I New vs. Used Gear

You know I've always been a strong
proponent of the value of used equipment.
Weil. this trend toward dualband handhelds
is resulting in a lot of single band transceivers hitting the market at very reasonable
prices. So what you need to do once again
is look at the repeater acti vity in your area.
Chances are it's mostly 2 meter systems
with a couple of 70 centimeter operations.
Good two meter rigs abound on the used
market.
Remember the chant of the cheapskate
ham. "You don' t need bells and whistles ..
. You don' t need bells and whistles .. . You
don't need bells and whistles." The only
addit ional expense that I find with most
used handhelds is that the battery packs
tend to be marginal due to age and use.
Replacement battery inserts for these packs
usually run between 20 and 50 dollars. so
you need to figure this into your dickering
before the deal goes down.
If you only plan to work through one or
two local systems, you can even find some
older crystal-controlled two meter ri gs out
there for nearly nothing. At a recent hamfest.
a friend of mine bought an old crystal ri g for
eighteen dollars (down from the twentyfive dollar asking price; he bargains hard !)
He bought three crystals for his local machines at seven dollars each. Total cash
outlay $39.00 and he's got 30 watts into his
local systems. That is about one tenth of the
cost of a premium dual band handheld, folks!

I Ragchewing vs. RACES

This becomes an important consideration even though we all probably do a bit
of both. Most hams like the FM repeater
bands to chat with folks while on the road in
their cars. But, we must remember that
these two bands are also the primary operations frequencies for the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) and the Radio
Amate ur Civi l Emergency Serv ice
(RACES) groups.
Using amateur radio to help fo lks out in
times of trouble is a great ham tradi tion. I' m
active in my local ARES and RACES organi zations. This has had some effect on my
choice of FM equipment. First of all, I lean
toward higher power in both handhelds and
mobile gear, because in emergency situations you may lose access to a repeater and
need lo work point to point. Also, because
of the need to work with emerge ncy power
I look for equipment that can make use of

conditions to allow two or more systems to

interfere with one another. Also, some repeater gro ups want to reserve the privi lege
of using their system to members only. A
common system that allows control over
system access and prevents systems operating on the same frequency from gelling in
each other's way is called CTCSS.
CTCSS stands for Continuous Tone
Coded Squelch System and is sometimes
referred to by its trade name ''PL." CTCSS
uses a subaudible tone under the transmitted signal 10 activate the repealer's squelch
circuit allowing its use. CTCSS has grown
in popularity so it is highly desirable to find
a transceiver that has CTCSS built in.
Another word to folks on the used market: Older gear often had CTCSS on an
optional board that had to be user-installed.
If you want th is feature on that piece of used
gear you need to check to make sure it is
installed. A quick check of the manual will
usually answer all questions in this area.
Well , there you have a liule food for
thought as you plan the first ham radio
purchase. I' ll be listening fo r you.

12 volts DC without a lot of arguments or

accessories. You never know when you' re
going to need to clip up to a car battery to
keep things going.
Also, I tend to pick handhelds that have
battery packs that let you choose between
rechargeable and alkaline cells in case I
need to make use of a handful of batteries
from a convenience store when all else
fails. Several of the newer handhelds are
"ruggedized" to higher military speci fications to assure performance to tough environments. All of these are points to ponder
if you plan on using your amateur radio
hobby in service to the wider community.

I Features vs. Bells and Whistles

A couple of things that used to be bells
and whistles a few years back have become
essenti al features when shopping for ham
gear for the FM repeater bands.
Many local repeaters offer additional
features that are controlled by a touch tone
pad. This is essentially a standard DTMF
touch tone keyboard not unlike the one used
by your telephone. As a matter of fact, some
repeater systems allow you to place telephone call s through the system using the
touch tone pad to dial the numbers.
Some repeaters allow you to control
aspects of the operation by entering tone
sequences. For example. entering a tone or
two might give the currelll time. bring up a
local weather report. or play a ''brag tape"
about the system or the local radio club.
Such tones can be used by repeater system
control operators to perform essential functions to the repeater from a distance. If your
local system allows DTMF based services.
you would most definitely want to fi nd a
transceiver with a touch tone pad.
Due to the large number of repeater
systems on the air, it is possible at times for

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

65

BELOW
500 KHZ
DXING THE BASEMENT BAND

Kevin Care , WB2QMY

KCarey@mdsroc.com

Basement Changes

t. s been sa id that history often repeats itself.

Certa inl y . when we consider the
lnngwaves- wherc amateur radio bcganthi' could soon he true. As the number of
co mmercial and government stations decl ines.
llCW frcque ncies<.:nuld llllCC again bc<.:omcavailab lc for experi mental use. Many countries have
alrcady allocated ' 111all portion' of the spectrum for ham-type operation.
What" si n 'tore for the futurc1 It" ' probably
a , afe bet that ,, c ll 'cc even more traditional
longwavc services \anishing from the band.
We <.: an either brood over these losses. or turn
them into something positive by a ploring new
areas or the hobby. aturai Radio and the
li<.:cnsc-free Lnwfcr band. for examplc. offer
many worthwhile challcngcs.
This month. wc ll highlight the latest changes
in the hasemc nt and discuss how they might
affect your monitoring efforts. Although most
of the news involvcs stations leaving the band.
then: are also so me bright ,pot' for longwa,e
li , tcm.:rs.

uCM
FtCHA1 19 d

mhn*c .. ' "'

OJ O I all that was le ft were the weak beeps ofthc

Ru ,sian Alpha syste m.
The good news is that the . atural Radio
band has just bcc.:omc a much quie ter place 10
I isten. Thi s. says Stephc n. combined with the
increas ing ' unspots and the avai la biI ity of Natu ral Radio receivers. could 111can that we arc
e ntering the .. Golde n Dc<.:ade .. of Natural Radio.
r or mme informatilllt on thi, fascinating
part nfth c hobby. be sure.: to check out the VLF
Natural Radin page on thc Web at http://
www.t riax .com/vlfradio/i ndcx.htm. You can
find plans there for a very simple mural Radi o
recei,cr. ot on the Web'.' Send me an SAS E
for a c.:np) of the receiver plan'.

Loran Termination
Thc <.:l i<.:kety-clac.:k signals of Loran (long
range navigati on. 100 kHt. +/- 20 kHz) may
soon bc hi , tory as we ll- thou gh I don11hink
too many DXcn, will shcd tears over this one.
The Coast Guard ha' announced plans 10 condu<.:I a termination study on Loran in its Local
Noti<.:e to Mari nc rs # J(i.<)7. T hc 1996 Federal
Radiona vigation Plan call s for the termination
of Loran service in the year :woo. This study
will examine whether or not service should be
extendcd beyond that datc .
Co n1111 e nt ~ will be acceptcJ from the public
until December 15t h. T hcy may be se nt by
FAX (703 -917-3023) or by E- mail
(loranc.:C!>' bah.com). Te lephone <.:omments wi ll
not be ac<.:cpteJ.

FIGURE 1. Rare Cuban QSLfnr UCM

I Australian DX

(370 k /1z), submiltcd by an 1111idc11tified

contributor in Plorida. Thi~ is the pe1fect
time of the year to search for Cuban
stations 0 11 lo11gwme.

rrom the /\IU?l Ll'tlcr. Vol. 16. No. J7 .

comes th is news or a long wave ach ievement :
.. Down under low- frequency DX firsts: The
first two-way VLF CW contacts hetwcen Austral ia and NC\\ Zealand have been logged.
ZUFJ used I00 watts on 176 kHz and a 122rne ter (approximately -100 l'cct) mast to work
AX2T AR (operated by VK7ZAL) in Australia
late last month. Report' were Q5 on both ends
of the c ircuit. ,\n au empt at an SS B conta<.:t '""
less '> UCccs,ful. VK 7R0 and VL7ZA I. both
had solid uip) on ZLJFJ. \\Ill> wa~ unable 10
read AX2TJ\R Jue 10 QRM from lot-.11 power
line carric rs. The mast used by ZL3FJ had
recently completed -;crv ice for an MF AM
broad<.: ast ~ lat ion.- -T hank s 10 Bob. ZL2CA.
and the Wirclc~s ln ~tit ut c of Australi a ...
Many thank s IO Pcrry Crabil l (VA) for <.:ail ing thi s new' item 10 my a11c111ion.

I Omega Now Silent

Omega. the longstanding I 0- 14 kHz global
navigation syste m. was finally sile nced on Septcmber 30th at 0300Z. The system. which began 'crvice in the 1960s. had become virtuall y
oh,olctc w ith the ad\ ent of OPS.
Stcphen P. M<.:Grcevy (CJ\) caught the ' hutdown on tape and reportcd that Omcga- D (N.
Dakota) was the first to leave the ai r. This was
fol lowed by Omcga-C (Hawaii) and finall y
Omega- H (Japan ). The shutdown of these stations was not abrupt. bu t rather a fad e-out over
a 1-2 second pe riod. Stephe n re ported that by
66

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Canadian Lowfers
Every now and then I hear from a Canadian
operator interested in setting up a lowfer station. T he I 60-190 kHz band is available to
Canadians under rules quite similar to those
imposed on U.S . operators. T he best ad vice is
to contact the nearest rad io inspc<.:tor or Industry Canada officc. They have literature avai lable on un licensed low-powered equipment.
There arc already a handful of Canadian stations on the air and it would be great 10 hear
more.

I New Online Resource

If you ve bccn waiting to get on the l111ernet.
you now have a gn:at reason to get started.
There is a new listserver cleclica1ecl to low
frequency topi<.:s. Li 1 subscribers send the ir
messages to a hub computer which in turn
reflects .. these mes~a ge s 10 the entire grou p.
T he result is a near real-t ime fo rum where low
frequency enthu, iasts can exchange ideas, ask
questions . or j ust read the ma il. J\ny longwave
topic is we lco me. and i have fou nd this group
(now numbering over I 00) to be most helpful
and friendly.
There is noco,t to subscribe. Simply send an
e-mail message to majordomo@qth.net and
place the words .. sub,cribe lowfcr.. in the body
of the message. T he Subject line shoul d be left
blank. After a short wait, you will receive easyto-foll ow instructions for joining the group.
T hanks to Al Waller (K3TKJ) for sponsoring
this most usefu l mailing list.
I' cl likc to extend the very best holiday
wi shes from my fam ily to you rs. December is a
great time to DX. but clont forget 10 log some
special times wi th the famil y as well. As always. your questions. comments and loggings
arc welcome at l'.0. Box 98. Brasstown. NC
28902. An SASE guara111ees a response. See
you nex t mon1h !

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

67

AMERICAN BANDSCAN
THE WORLD OF DOMESTIC BROADCASTING

Doug Smith, W9WI

72777.3143@compuserve.com

Anatomy of a Radio

few months back, I wrote about oscillator puts out a pu re Here's a block diagram of a typical radio. Wh ether it's a $ 15
"phantom" sig nals- signals you signal at an adjustable fre- pocket portable or a $1000 high-fidelity stereo, the
f undamental circuits are the same:
he ar on your radio, but that aren't quency, and the mi xer is an
rea lly the re. At the time, I alluded to how electronic multiplier - it
this happens, but d idn ' t really go into a multiplies the oscillatorand
whole lot of detai l. This month , I thought a nte nn a s ig na ls. Th ose
I'd explain some o f the circuits fo und in more inc li ned to hi ghe r
yo ur domesti c-band radio and how they math can do the a lgebra,
work. For the purpose of this article, and the but the result of mu ltiplyattached drawing, we ' ll assume yo u' re in ing two radio signals are
Boston and listen ing to WBZ-1030 on the the two origi nal signa ls, a
14.:.:':;':Hz
signa l at the sum of their
AM dial and WS RS -96.1 FM.
1!b Rl.11lz
All radios start with an antenna of some freq ue nc ies. and one at the
kind. On AM sets, it's usuall y a " loopstick" difference of their frequen- basically , an e lectromagnet. On FM (and cies. See the sidebar for the
A .-. o ic, rn y o f 0 1 AV (<>r Ftvl) / a:.10
on AM car radios) a "whip" antenna - a numbers in this case. The
short metal stick - is usuall y used. T he freq ue ncy of the oscillator signal is ad- a mplifier builds up this a ud io signal to a
antenna serves to pic k e lectromagnetic justed to mai nta in the difference between it strength adequate to drive a speaker.
This circuit is common to al most all
waves out of the air and convert them to an and the desired station at 455 kHz.
All fo ur of these signals appear at the radios, and works very wel l. T here's somee lectrica l signal. As a general ru le, the more
metal in the ante nna, the more e lectrical input of the IF amplifier. T his ci rc uit is thing else you might notice about the drawsignal it can deli ver to the radio's circ uitry. probably the heart o f your radio, serving
ing - that the local oscillator freq ue ncy is
The next c irc uit in some rad ios is a n RF two important purposes. For one, it pro- within the broadcast band. In theory, this
Amplifie r. T his device (which actuall y is vides most of the amp lification in the radio. isn't a problem: the oscillator signal is
supposed to stay inside the radio a nd get no
not present in most AM radios but is com- T he signals on the ante nna are very weak.
mon in FM sets) serves to strengthen the (E vertried hooking a crystal set to a speake r? further than the input of the IF amplifier. In
practice, it te nds to get to the input side of
received signa ls fro m the antenna, and to Even if you' re just a few feet fro m the
isolate the loc al oscill ator from the antenna. station' s tower, the signal won' t be very the mixer too. If there 's no RF ampl ifier,
this means it gets to the antenna, and c an be
It conta ins two tuned c ircuits, which serve loud .) T he IF a mplifier bri ngs this signal up
transmitted to interfere wi th other stations !
to reject other stat ions and pass onl y the to a usable strength.
The other important func tion is selecti vThis isn' t usually a big problem on AM,
station you want to listen to. However, it
as your recei vi ng antenna make s a very
isn't perfect at this task; other tune d ci rc uits ity , the ability to separate stations on nearby
frequencies. T he IF amplifier always oper- poortransmitlin g ante nna and doesn't radiin the IF (more on the IF in a minute) handle
ates on the same frequency, so tuned c ir- ate much signa l. FM is a very d iffe rent
thi s.
After the RF Amp comes the Mixer and c uits with extremely tight tolerances can be story. In the example case, this radio tuned
Local Oscillator. These serve to con vert the used. Only signals within about 6 kHz of to WSRS-96.1 could cause serious interference to WMJ X- 106.7. T his is one of the
frequency of the rece ived signal to a com- 455 kH z are passed through this amplifie r.
After leaving the IF ampli fier, the sig- biggest reasons most FM radi os have RF
mon inte rmed iate frequency, or IF. T he
nals reach the detector. This is the only part amplifiers; the oscillator signal has a very
of the radio that's reall y d ifferent (except hard time working "backwards" through
OUTPUT OF THE MIXER WHEN
for the frequency to which you' re tuned) the RF amp to the antenna.
LISTENING TO WBZ
Still, it's pre tty common to hear this kind
between an AM and FM radio. Its purpose
In the example radio. tuned to WBZ. the mixer circuit
is to detect the variations in signal a mpli- of interference on car radios. If you notice
outputs the following signals:
your favorite FM station sudden ly fade to
tude (for AM) or freque ncy (for FM) and
silence as you pull up to a stoplight, check
convert them to an a ud io signal.
1030 kHz
(the antenna signal from the WBZ
transmitter)
the frequencies I 0.6 and 10.8 MHz lower.
You now have an audio signal. In most
1485 kHz
(the signal from the local
T
here's a pre tty good chance you' II find a
cases,
it
could
be
c
onnected
directl
y
to
a
set
oscillator)
2515 kHz
(the sum of the two signals)
station th ere - a nd that one of your neighof he adphone s and you 'd have a legible 455 kHz
(the difference of the two signals)
though weak - signal to listen to. The AF boring motorists is listening to it.
68

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

 LONGWIRE BALUN
m o t ional material. Send an SASE to Phi l

CALL CHANGES
The following AM stations have changed callsigns in
the last month:
~

KUKQ-1060
KUNA-1400
KDES-920
KPSl-1450
KDFC-1220
WTAl-1560
WANM-1070
KNHN-1340
WBIU-1210
WNTL-1030
KMSL-1450
WLLE-570
KXN0-1140
CFG0-1200
new-1610
WIVK-990
WZRS-710
WZHF-1390
WFOG-1600
WKOY-1240
WCZR-1490

Q!Y;
Tempe, AZ
Indio, CA
Palm Springs. CA
Palm Springs. CA
Palo Alto, CA
Melbourne. FL
Tallahassee, FL
Pittsburg, KS
Denham Springs, LA
Indian Head. MD
Great Falls, MT
Raleigh, NC
North Las Vegas. NV
Ottawa. ON
Toronto. ON
Knoxville, TN
Smyrna. TN
Arlington, VA
Chesapeake. VA
Bluefield, WV
Charleston. WV

Use coaxial cab!e

from antenna to
receiver.
Low noise reception from 500 KHz
to 30 MHz.
Your longwire may
~ ~
be up in the clear but
the wire to the radio picks up noise from
light dimmers, TV set, fluorescent lights,
etc.
Coax shields out this noise but has far
lower impedance than the anten na.
Palomar's MLB-1 balun transforms the impedance to give a stronger quieter signal.
Static charges go to ground, not through
the radio.
Model MLB-1 ............. $49.95
+ $6 to ship U.S./Canada.
Sales tax in Calif.

Bytheway . 9705 Mary :"JW. Seatt le WA

981 17-233-+ (or email to

group.

KDUS
KESO
KPSI
KGAM
KBPA
WTMS
WFRF
KSEK
WSKR
WWGB
KOOi
WRDT
KSFN
CJBZ
CHEV
WNOX
WFCM
WVPA
WVBV
WKEZ

wsww

CHEV-1610 is the new 99-watt portable station

mentioned in last month's column.

PhilitJ_8Yilw1rnr

@(lfk.co111 ) for more inl'nrmation on th i s

Some more low-power inl'ormation sta-

t ions have appeared on the dial in the last

few weeks .

Jeff Logan i n the Monterey.

Cal iforni a. area i s hearing one on 8-+0 \\'ith

information on the Laguna Seca Raceway .

Jeff is also hearing an FM pirate. in Spanish. in hi s area. Sandra Piotrowski near

Detroit is h eari n g a tra ve ler' s infor mation
station on 1630 kH z: if som eo ne can help
h er identify th i s station and possi bly l and a

QSL. p lease em ail me or writ e c/o Monitor-

in g Times HQ.
New H am p shire sent a flyer from V ermo nt
Touri sm Radio. a network ol' 15 ver y low
power FM stati on s between 89 .7 and 90.5
M H 1. operat ing at the variou ~ rest areas on
that state s highways.

Speak i ng of spurio us si g nal s. and the

PRESELECTOR .

F inally . an anonymou s co ntributor in

T h e FCC still hasn't issu ed any cx-

" Phanto m s" article in Septemb er. propaga-

pancled-band permi ts. tho ug h they have

tio n forecaster Jacqu es d' Avignon w rote to

now issu ed three digi tal TV permit s. (To

mention an unusual p henomeno n he heard

K ITV--+ H ono lulu and it s relay stations in

in the 1950s. " M y first radio was a crystal

Hi lo and Wail u k u. Hawaiian readers: keep

set with the cat whisker detector. When you

an eye on c h anne ls 18. 29. and -HJ.)

found a good strong stati on . you cou l d

call-sign change for popular Can adian DX

o te the

listen to the sam e stati on on the r egul ar

target C J BZ- 1

ho m e rad io at d ouble it s frequency! It would

'En ergy 1200.. ) Write me at Box 98.

:wo Ottawa (bet ter known as

appear that the crystal radi o wou l d re- radi-

Brasstown NC 28902-0098. o r by email at

ate on d o uble the freq uency."

72777 .3 I 43 @compu serve.L:om.

Hear the weak ones.

Quieter clearer reception.
Palomar's Active Preselector gives over 20
dB exra gain. Eliminates images and adds
selectivity to your receiver. New amplifier
circuit reduces spurious outputs. Continuous coverage 200 KHz to 30 MHz.
Model P-508 . . . .. .. . . . ... $99.95
For 12vDC,
Model PS- 90 AC Adapter .... $9.95
+ $6 to ship U.S./Canada.
Sales tax in Calif.

LOOP ANTENNA

Radio amateurs h ave !'ought thi s problem for years; poor el ect ri c al connect ions

DX TEST BULLETIN

(i n ru st y fen ces, downsp ou ts. etc.) would

rectify theirtran smitted sign als. generating
" harmonics" at rwice the transmitted frequency. Thanks to Murphy' s Law. these
harmonics would tend to fal l in the m ost

These special broadcasts provide o

unique opportunity to hear and identify
the following stations . If you hear these
broadcasts, p lease report to the address
provided.

popul ar loca l TV chann el. Th i s is the first

I 've heard of an yone usi ng a c r ystal set to
generate suc h a signal !
Bits and Pieces

W e've r eceived severa l copies of a news-

l etter from a club som e of you mig ht b e

inter ested in . Dec a lcoMania i sn ' t rea ll y a
DX club. but. as they put it. "the Club for
Fans of Radio." Mater ia l in the newsletter
includes o ffer s to trade "airc h ecks" (re-

Saturday, December 13, 1997 - KTFl1270, 606 Blue Lakes Road North,
# 1270, Twin Fall s, ID 8330 1 DX test at
5,000 watts nondirectional between 2:00
& 3:00 AM EST (0700 - 0800 UTC).
Light rock/ mor music, plus voice announcements, test tones and Morse code
ID' s. Send reception reports + SASE to:
Mr. Bob Jackson Announcer,
bobj@impactradio.com . Special thanks
also to Mr. Allen Sklar - Chief Engineer for the test.

cordings o f l oca l stations). tal k about personal iti es and programming. and informat ion about b umper sti cker s and other pro-

This test was arranged by J.D. Stephens.

Super medium
wave reception.
Low Noise.
Reduced
interference.
Loop amplifier gives 20 dB gain and sharp
tuning. Plug-in loop Model BCB covers
540-1600 KHz AM band. Rotates and tilts
to give best possible reception. Other plugin loops cover 10 KHz to 5 MHz.
Model LA-1 Loop Amplifier . $99.95
Model BCB Loop . . . . . . . . . . $99.95
Add $6 to ship U .S./Canada.
Sales tax in Calif.

Iii
.A.
-=:=-PALOMAR.
...... .
.

~ v1$A J

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BOX 462222, ESCONDIDO. CA 92046

ORDERS ONLY 1-800-883-7020
ORDERSfTECH HELP 619-7473343
FAX: 619-747-3346
e-mail: Palomar@compuserve.com

DeceMber 1997

MONITORING TIMES

69

OUTER LIMITS
,

L, THE UNLICENSED

G or
George.Zeller@acclink.com

Holiday Season Increases Pirate Activity

997 has been an exI Micropirate Busts

..... '::: ::.::.:.:..,,, ..:... :
tremely good year for
/\ Ithough the re have been
North American shortno know n FCC busts of Nort h
wave pirate hroadcastin l.!.
American short wave pi rates
with several stations audible
for three year,. some enfor<.:ealmost every weekend. Hisment acti vit y has been taking
~- - ... .
tori cally, holidays at the end
place on the FM broadca;t
of the year have been exha nd. Literally hund red' of
tremely acti ve periods for
low powe r Fl\ I pirates operate
pirate broad<.:asting. If you
throughout the United States.
want to hear pirate trans/\ mong thesc arc at least seven
mitt e rs. Tha nksg i ,ing.
low power pirates in MilwauChristmas. and New Yca r~
kce. /\ccurding to Radio \llor/d
arc a lways chock-full or
magaz ine . the Milwau kee
acti vity.
'f ile
Jerry-Rigged Radio 's 11ersiou
/\ rca Radi o Broadcasters /\swint e r se ason of the FCC
mciation co mplain ed to the
changes propagati on concliFCC that seven Milwaukee r irat cs were opert ions around the 6955 kH z pirate channel on
ating between 93.0 and 99.9 MH z FM in
43 meters. More broadcasts are heard beWisconsin s largest <.: it y. Following thi s comt ween 1700-0000 UTC. whid1 is a sig nifiplaint from li censed broad<.: asters. the FCC
cantl y earli er time wi ndow than we notice
Chicago ofli n: say~ that they arc in the procl~rin g summer m on th ~. Although sli ghtly
cess of se ndi ng warn ing lc llcrs tu these pihigher sunspot num ber~ arc ex pected as solar
rates.
acti vity graduall y in c rca~es. 43 meters should
According to the Nnrtft .terser Herald and
still have a te ndency to die out a cou ple of
Ne11s. U.S. Marsha ls raided WZVU . operathours after local !>unset. You can already see
earlier operating t i me~ for pirates li~tcd in our ing on 9-l.7 Ml-1 1. from Howell. NJ. The)
sci1.cd broadca,ting cquipm.::nt from Salvalogg ings this month.
dor De Rogati s. who said that hi s stati on had
European pirates wil l probably take adoperated an oldies fo rm at on a 24 hour a clay
vantage of improv ing conditions fo r North
American rcccption. Most Europi ratcs are basis. This bust was prompted by complai nts
by the New Jc r,cy Broadcast in!! Assoc iation.
found in the 3900-4000 and 6200-6400 kHz
Despite o<.:casiunal bu, ts. plenty of local
range. Particularly on the North /\meri can
pirates
continue broadcastin g. Why not scan
cast coast. rece ption may he poss ible around
your own local l'M freque ncies fro m time to
sun set and sunri se on wee kends. If you hear
time ? There mi ght be an i nh.:rc~ tin g pirate
any of these superb DX catd1es. let us know!
cat<.: h in you r ow n area.

___

Cuban Clandestine Web Site

A very useful internet web site has appeared that contains a summary of all known
dandestinc radio stati ons that have taructed
Cuba during the 1980's and 1990's. N~arly
three dozen stati ons ar.:: covered. including
schedules of those stations still on the air. A
URL o f http ://www.geocitics.com/
C apitolH ill/Lobby/8115/ takes you to the
site. The webmeister says that they arc looking for off-air recordings of the stations. If
you have some. clandradio@geocitics.com
is their e-mail address, and they cl like to hear
from you.
70

MO NITORING TIMES

December 1997

I What We Are Hearing

Your pirate logg ings arc always we lcome

for this colu mn via PO Box 98. Brasstown.
NC 28902. or via the e-mail address at the top
nfthi~ page. All fr.::qucnc ic, arc in kHz. with
times in UTC.
North Ameri<.:an pirate ~tat ions listed here
use th.:: follow ing ad d res~cs: PO Box I. Bdfast.
NY 147 11 : PO Box I09. Blue Ri dge Summit.
PA 17214: PO Box 28413. Prov idence. RI
02908: PO Box 146. Stone ham. MA 02 180:
PO Box 11 522. Huntsville. /\ L 358 14: PO
Box 293, Merlin . Ontario NO P I WO: and PO
Box 5 I 0. Basel. Switzerland . h>r return 1wst-

ag.::. enclose three 321<: stam ps in the envelope

to US/\ addresses; $2 US ortwo Internat ional
Rep ly Coupons go to foreign maildrops.
6YCAT- 6955 at 2215. "The Voice of the Cot"
claims.to b~oodcost from Jamaica. Their reggae
music 1s spiced by songs about cols, including a n
interval signal of "Wha t's New Pussycat?" Addr:
Providence. (William Wilkins, Springfield, MO;
John Arendt, Oswego, IL)
~nteoter Radio- 6?55 a t 0015. Using a slogan,
Eighteen Wheel foe Breathing Radio," this one
usually programs rock music. From time to time
they relay other stations. Addr: Belfast. (Greg
Mo1ewsk1, Oakdale, CT; Lee Silvi, Mentor, OH)
Argosy Magazine- 6955 at 2000. This new
operation specializes in old time radio dramas
from the 1930' S, with period a ds for sronsor
Argosy Magaz ine. Addr: Merlin . (Nie Wolfish,
Toronto, Ontario; Shown Axelrod , Winnipeg,
Man itoba; Silvi; Wi lkins)
CSIC- 6953 ot 1945. Pirate Rambo's Canadian
comedy shows ore always fu nny. Every 50th
reception report is verified by a genu ine rubber
chicken, ~o you might wont to send one in . Addr:
Blue Ridge Summit. (H. K. Poh , East Northport,
NY; Dick Pearce, Brattleboro, VT)
Jerry Rigged Radio- 6955 at 0000. Ross was
one of many who received a QSLfrom Simon Ba r
Sinister at this station. He didn't get the picture
OSL we see here; his verification data were all
written on a sailor's hot! Addr: Providence. (Ross
Comeau, Andover, MA; William Hassig, Mt.
Prospect, IL; Silvi)
KIWI- 7475 at 0700. Despite the demise of its
own transmitter, this New Zealand pirate is still
heard direct from Oceania via Radio Jemima
fac ilities. Rob reports receipt of their QSL. Addr:
Napier. (Rob Ross, London, Ontario; Hassig)
KNBS- 6952 at 0 11 5. Phil Muzik's veteran
marijuana advocacy station hos now been
or~und for more than a decode, using a slogan
of The Sta tion with Your Mind in Mind." Addr:
Belfast. (Axelrod ; Frodge; Pearce; Poh Silvi
Wolfish)
'
'
KRAP- 6955 at 01 00. Fred Flintstone' s rock
oldies tunes come from a powerful AM transmitter, so he' s heard almost as well as Radio
Metollico. Addr: Blue Ridge Summit. (Joe Wood,
North Augusto, SC; Ed Kusolik, Lethbridge,
Alberto; Rich and Tolea Jurrens, Katy, TX;
Axelrod; Hassig; Silvi; Wilkins)
Lo Voz de Mundano Tiempo- 6955 at 2230. This
one '~ slightly unusual. It ploys new age, ca lypso,
Mexican ranchera, and Afropop music, with all
identifica tions in Spanish. Addr: Belfast. (Ra nier
Brandt, Hoefer, Germany; Frodge; Pearce Silvi
Wolfish)
'
'
Lounge Lizard Radio- 6955 at 2300. The syrupy
pop music on this pirate a llegedly comes fro m

Nea l, Sugar Land, TX;

cockta il lounges in various
Robert Thomas,
cities. Addr: Providence.
Bridgeport, CT; Arendt;
(Axelrod; Brandt; Frodge; Silvi)
Axelrod; Comeau;
Microdot Radio 6955 at 004 5 .
Frodge; Jurrens; Silvi)
Lee describes the show he
Radio One- 6950 at
heard as a mix of "music, many
IDs, and jokes." Addr: Belfast.
0030. Bobaloo's rock
(Frodge; Silvi)
oldies formc1t is
Mystery Radio- 6 955 ot 2030.
produced in a highly
professional manner, so
Long stretches of new age or
electronic instrumental music
the sound of this pirate
ore the trademark fore on this
is distinctive. Addr:
station . Addr: Stoneham.
Belfast. (Hassig; Jurren s;
(Frodge; Jurrens; Silvi; W ilkin s;
Silvi; W ilkins)
Rodia Tellus- 6955 a t
W olfi sh)
0 l 30. Normally this one
North American Pirate Relay
features rock music, but
Service- 6 955 ot 2330. Dick
lately they hove been
Pistek retired from the pirate
bonds several months a go, but Joe Mama's sharp Radio
adding old time radio
he's returned unexpectedly with Nonsense QSL
dramas such o s "The
Shadow" to their
relays of other pirates such os
Radio Azteco . Addr: Belfast. (Frodge; Ma jewski;
entertainment mix. Addr: Providence. (Hassig;
Silvi)
Majewski; Silvi)
Radio Three- 6955 ot 2000. I don't know a bout
Radio 510- 6955 ot 200 0. This Europirote is
carried by several licensed broadcasters such as
you, but I' m not o big Fon of the syrupy pop music
WRMI in Miami , but sometimes they ore heard
that Sal Amonioc hosts. Apparently he spent
via o genuine pirate transmitter. A repeatedly
money while purchas ing the music, so somebody
likes it! Addr: None; slowly verifies logs in The
a ired program fea tured o lengthy pop music
tribute to Princess Diano. They were Joel's first
ACE. (Gerold Kercher, Q ua ker Hill, CT; Silvi)
Radio Tornado Worldwide- 6955 ot 2330. They
pirate log! Addr: Basel. (Joel Altre-Kerber,
Buffalo, NY; Frodge; Pearce; Silvi)
ore the most active parody of Rodie Metallica.
Radio Azteca- 6955 ot 2300. Brom Stoker hos
The show consists of repeated off-air recordings
of genuine rema rks mode over the air by Dr.
probably transmitted more comedy shows about
Tornado , so look out for this one before ID'ing a
DXing and DXers than any other similar station .
pi rate as Metollico Addr: None; verifies logs
Each show has a Lettermonstyle top ten list a bout
something involving the DX hobby. Addr: Belfast.
printed in The ACE. {Axelrod; Mo,ewski)
Radio USA- 6955 ot 0045 . Mr. Bue Sky and Joe
(Axelrod; Brandt; Frodge; Hassig; Poh; Silvi )
King hove begun their 15th year of broadcasting.
Radio Clandestine- 6955 a t 0 100. Somebody
A recent show wos hosted almost exclusively by o
hos been dusting off old tapes from Cla ndestine
for rebroadcast. Rumor hos it that this hos been
fema le a nnouncer, but o male announcer read
the legendary R. F. Burns himself. Addr: None.
their edito ria l criticizing Princess Diono for being
(Wood)
o n a dulterous welfare recipient. Addr: Belfast.
(Garth Goetze!, Komloops, British Columbia;
Radio Eclipse- 695 5 ot 0030. Steve Ma nn ploys
Deon Burgess, Manchester, MA; Ahre-Kerber;
rock music and promotes the pirate radio scene.
Axelrod; Frodge; Hassig; Kusalik; Silvi; Wolfish;
Addr: Providence. (Axelrod; Jurrens; Mo jewski;
W ood)
Wood)
Southern Music Radio- 6955 o t 15 15 . North
Radio Free Euphoria- 6955 at 2 315. Captain
American relays of this New Zealand pirate seem
Gonjo' s rock and comedy Format leans heavily
to hove increased lately, possibly motivated by
toward the promotion of morijuono use . Addr:
the very sad news of the death of shortwave
Belfast. {Axelrod; Frodge; Hassig; Pearce; Silvi;
Wolfish)
hobby legend Arthur Cushen. Addr: Belfast. (Don
Shumaker, Melvinda le, Ml; Frodge; Silvi)
Radio Free Jesus- A p ress release from the station
Take it Easy Radio 6955 at 0630. Ranier hea rd
soys that they ore organizing a marathon rirote
this rock music pirate from his Europecm location
broadcasting schedule featuring dozens o
ot this extremely late time, a lthough it was
stations. If you' re interested in participating, drop
morning in Germany. Addr: Belfast. (Brandt;
them a line. Addr: Huntsville. {Direct fro m the
Hassig; Wilkins)
statio n)
Radio Metallica Worldwide- 6955 at 2300. Dr.
Voice of Baba Boaie- 6955 at 21 15. One of
Tornado and Senor El Nino hove cut bock on
Howard Stern's sidekicks is memorialized by this
their Formerly doily schedule, but they ore
parody pirate. Addr: No ne. (Altre-Kerber)
normally audible a few limes each week. Their ten Voice of Hell- 6955 at 0015 . The Luci fer Network
wa s active well before Halloween this year, but
kilowatt transmitter, announced a s coming from o
the Devil is a pparently not accepting correspon"cigarette boot" off the east coast, makes them
easily the best heard North American pirate of all
dence a t the moment. Addr: None. (Hassig)
WLS- 6955 a t 2045. Some creative pirate has
time. They were Frank' s first pirate; congratulacombined genui ne jingles from the old top 40
tions! Addr: Blue Ridge Summit. {Frank Ambrister,
Knoxville, TN; Jerry Berg, Lexington, MA; Arendt;
W LS-890 in Chicago with rock oldies of the
period. The effect is nostalgic. Addr: None
Axelrod; Comeau; Frodge; Hassig; Jurrens;
Ma jewski; Pearce; Poh; Silvi; Wilkins; W olfish)
(David Krause, Eastlake. OH; Silvi)
WMFQ- 6955 a t 1730. They ploy rock music, but
Radio Nonsense- 6955 a t 2130. Joe Mama 's
the primary focus of thi s station is promotion of
station mixes rock music and plenty o f funny
porody commercials. We see their new QSL here.
the Q SL process. Addr: Provid ence. (Hassig; Silvi;
Addr: Belfast. (Trent Phillips, Cleveland, OH; Gory Wilkins)

WMPR- 6955 at 0045. A strange mix of rock

and new age music comes from th is o ne. Ross
says that their signoff announcements of sound
effects are often distinctive. Addr: None
(Comeau, Silvi, Wilkins)
WREC- 6955 at 2345. P. J. Sparx's elaborate
shows ore best known for his large collection of
novelty and comedy recordings, all to the tune of
rock hit songs. Addr: Belfast. (James Mansfield ,
Winston Salem, NC; Axelrod; Brandt; Frodge;
Hassig; Kusalik; Phillips; Poh; Shumaker, Silvi )
WRX- I 4403 at 2015. Jimmy the Weasel' s new
station hos been operating a t times on this
unusual frequency. Progra mming is typical for
pirates, with rock music and frequent ID's. Addr:
Huntsville. (Chris Lobdell, Stoneham, MA; Silvi)
WRYT- 6955 a t 2345. About one-third of
shortwave pirates use AM mode instead of
sideband . This is one of them. They spice their
classic rock music with recorded funny telephone
calls, frequently announcing a bighonk @ool.com
e-mail address. Addr: Belfast. (Axelrod; Comeau;
Jurrens; Krause; Majewski, Phillips; Silvi; Thomas;
Wilkins)
WSRR- 6955 at 2200. Solid Rock Radio is using
these call letters lately. Sometimes they program a
rap music fo rmat, while ot other times they
concentrate on pop music. Addr: Belfast. (Pearce)
WVOL- 6955 at 0 100. Using a slogan of the
"Voice of the Loon," they have returned alter o
silent period of almost six years. Look for rock
and comedy programming from them . Addr:
Belfmt. (Altre-Kerber; Arendt; Hassig; Kusolik)

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

71

ON THE HAM BANDS

Ike Kerschner N3/K

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF AMATEUR RADIO

Hand Held Hamming

lot of new hams (and some not so

new) purchase a handheld VHF or
UHF rig and use it from the house.
the car, or as a pedestrian mobile. Using a
handheld for multiple situati ons is quite practical and saves the cost of buying separate
stations for each use. As long as there is a
nearby repeateror group of hams, the handhcld
is usually satisfactory.
Norma lly on VHF/ UHF the low power ( 1
to 5 watt) output will allow us to communi cate
with most stations or repeaters within a nomi nal range. Nominal range wi lI vary depending
on the terrain and location of the handheld.
Most problems arise when using the handheld
in a car or house with the factory equipped
rubber duck antenna. Inside a car or house
several factors can cause deterioration of our
signal- wiring, appliances, metal structures
nearby, or the shielding provided by the metal
body of our vehicle.
The efficiency of your handheld transceiver (HT) can be improved. For example, in
all cases adding an external antenna will increase range greatly. Even a simple quarter
wave whip wi ll provide a dramatic improvement. When using the rig inside your home,
try to put an antenna on the roof of the dwe lling. Gain antennas such as collinear and beam
type antennas will provide maximum range.
If the antenna is going to be more than 30
feet or so from the rig use high quality 50 ohm
coax to connect the antenna to your HT; small
RG-58 or RG-8x is very lossy at VHF frequencies and above and should not be used fo r
long runs.
If you are going to use a beam antenna, an
antenna rotor will be needed unless you onl y
want to work stations in one direction. Remember that FM stations are generally vertically polarized so your antenna must be ve rtical. Horizontal antennas will decrease signal strength up to 20 dB (about I00 times). A
vertical antenna is a whip or length of tubing
that goes straight up and down, or a beam
antenna that is fed with the elements in a
vertical position.
An ex ternal antenna on your vehicle li kewise wi II provide superior performance to the
HT's rubber duckie inside the car. Mobi le
antennas come in several styles; most are
either 114 wave or 5/8 wave. The 5/8 wave is
usually preferred for longer di stances. These
antennas mount to the roof of your car with a
72

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

magnet (mag mount). mount on the glass of a

window, or are installed in a hole drilled into
the body of the vehicle. The prc l'c rred method
is a permanent mount (hole in rnr) mou nted in
the center of the roof. My
second choice is a mag mount
in the center of the roof
(mounting lower can cause
pattern di stortions). However, even a trunk or bumper
mounted antenna outside the
car is much preferred over
the rubber duckie inside.
Window or glass mounted
antennas are a different story
altogether: I have only found
one glass mount that 1likcthc "Larsen --expensive but
effecti ve!
Simply put, the rubber
duck antenna leaves a lot to
be desired for any thing other than use within
a few miles of a repeater. When the rubber
duck won't cut the mustard. consider some
HT-mounted alternati ves. There are I/4 wave.
3/8 wave. and 1/2 wa ve antennas that snap
directly into the BNC fitting of your HT. and
provide surpri sing im provement in performance.
Do 11ot 11se these extended a11te1111as inside
a vehicle due to their length. Use inside a
house is okay, but exercise common sense!
One brand of HT antennas available from
most ham dealers is MFJ.

I Power!
Many hams consider an amp lifier necessary for adequate communications: at VHF/
UHF this is not usually true. If you are attempti ng simplex communi cation over extended range. then by all means add an ampli fier. beam antenna, and preampli lier for the
receiver. But for most commun ications the
under ten watts provided by most handhelds
is more than adequate. One must al so use
caution when using higher power or a beam
antenna not to interfere with a repeater that
you reall y do not want to use.

I Useful Accessories
If you are using the handhcld portable and
must move around. then a battery pac k is a
must. but if' the unit is used in the house. a

small AC operated powe r supply will al low

ex te nded use without draining the batteries.
Likewise, if used in a vehicle. a cable from the
cigarette lighter to the HT will provide plenty
or operating time at high
power: should there be a
problem with noise fro m the
alternator or other sources.
wiring directly to the vehicle battery often prov ides
relief.
I usc a batt ery pack
cal led the Power Pocket that
attaches to the belt for both
portable and mobile operation: it allows many hours o f
operati on with each charge.
It' s avail able from man y
dealers. including Grove Enterpri ses.
Two thin gs that can
make your HT hamming easier and more
enjoyable are an ex ternal microphone and
speaker. Though the fami liar speaker/mike is
easil y held in the hand and excellent for average use. I prefer a separate speake r when
mobile to overcome extern al vehicle and wind
noise. ( I use a powered mobile speaker with
built -in amplifier from Radio Shack.) Most
speaker mikes have a mini-jack molded into
the connector for ex ternal speaker attachment.
Another Radio Shack product I use with
the HT is their super ve lcro to mount the rig in
a convenient location so it does not slide
around in the car.
Happy holidays to one and all '

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AND MORE!

Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

lightkeeper@sprintmail.com

RADIO FUN WITHOUT A LICENSE

The most fun you can have without a license?

hat the heck is " ... and

more"? We ll , it 's a brand
new column for MT. The
idea is to foc us on two-way radio that
people can use w ithout passing a test
- working tools that fa milies and
ind ividual s can use to stay in touch.
to travel more safely, and to run their
li ves more efficiently.
Among the topics we ' II explore in
" . . . and more," will be C iti zens
Band, Family Radio Service, and
General Mobile Radio Service. These
arc all rad io services that require eithe r no li cense or simple payment of
An SSB
a license fee. From time to time. we range.
may eve n touch on 49 MH z eq uipment a nd Marine V HF. Again, these arc communications tools that ordinary fo lks can access with little or no hass le.
The foc us w ill be on lega l use o f these
tools. so if you're looking for a column that is
going to di scuss I I-meter fre cband operations. this isn't it. But if you're inte rested in
great too ls for communications that don' t
have a monthly fee or a licensing test associated w ith them, grab a c up of coffee and make
yourself comfortable, because that' s what
" ... and more" is all about.
Finally, this is your column. too. So if you
have com me nts, questions. things you'd like
me to write about, examples o f your experie nces with any of these radio services, or
simply opin ions you'd li ke to share. wri te to
me h e re a t MT or ema il m e at
Iightkeep er@sprimmail. com.

I The SSB Advantage

Now, let' s talk about o ne of my favori te
modes o f communications: sing le sideband
CB. To lay some groundwork , Citizens Band
is the most popular radio service that can be
used by ordinary citize ns. Eve ry year, mjlli ons of CBs are sold through Radi o Shack,
Wal mart , and countless other retai l outlets as
well as C B specialty stores. It is estimated that
the ins talled base of C B radios is in the range
of 40-50 million transce ivers. That's a lot of
rad ios.
CB is " licensed by rule-maki ng ... That
means you don' t have to have a license; instead you a re legally obli gated. says the Federal Communications Comm iss ion, to abide

seri ous "oomph" to your s ignal.

D oes i t work? Yo u bet !
Throughout New England a nd in
man y other parts of the coun try.
there arc sideband networks that
operate evenings on CB Channels
36-40. usua ll y in lower sideband
mode. although some groups ope rate in upper sideband. These operators routine ly talk station-lo-stati on
al di stances of 30 mil es and more
(w hen long distance. or sk ip. propagat io n is operating, it' s possibl e to
ta lk across oceans w ith just 12
watts). And sidebanders arc a difunit like this Cobra 2010 ca11 nearly double your
ferent breed from AM CBers they use ide ntification numbers inby the CB rules that are packed with every CB
stead of CB ha ndles : they frequently use ham
radio sold in the United States. If you don 't
radi o lingo, s uch as CQ. QRM. a nd the like :
foll ow the rules, and the FCC catches you,
and they genera lly seem to have a great deal of
you could be subject to fin es o f $2.000 or
fun.
more.
There's a rub, though. If you' re operati ng
There are 40 channels des ignated for legal
in s ideband (SSB) mode. you can onl y talk to.
CB operations in the U.S. a nd Ca nada. startand understand s ignal s fro m. a nother s ideing at 26.965 kHz and e nding al 27.405 kHz.
band station operating on the same sideband.
Most CB radios are designed to operate in
But s ince all sideband-equ ipped CBs sold in
AM mode and are legall y lim ited to 4 watts
the U.S. also have AM capabi lity. wit h the flip
transmitte r power. The range of A M C Bs
o f a switch you can be back in AM mode if you
unde r the worst conditions is 1-3 miles bec hose.
tween mobil e units a nd 3-7 miles between
My experience with years o f s idebanding
base stati o ns. But there is a way to legall y
has been overwhelmi ngly positive: the operatriple the transmitter power and nearly dou ble
tors arc courteous and o ften offer interesting
the range of C B - by operating in single
conversation. ls CB sidebanding the most fun
sideband mode.
you can ha ve w ithout a license? I th ink so.
He rc' s how it works: an ordinary AM CB
G ive it a try and fi nd out for yourse lf'
signa l is a hit like a peanut butter sandwichit consists of a center carrie r (the peanut butter
and j e ll y in the middle) a nd two s idebands
(the slices of bread on e ither side). The two
High-Quality &
s idc hands carry the actual information in the
High-Reliability
signal such as the sound of your voice - and
Surveillance
they are identical. The carri er. which carriers
Equipment
none of the information and consumes 50% of
Catalog
the transmitter power. is transmillcd to g ive
UHF Sound Transmitte r
the receiving CB a re fe rence to lock onto.
3 Fixed Channels Receiver
So, if the sidebands arc id..:nti cal and the
Receiver Built-in Recorder
carrier conta ins no informati on. w hat would
Walls Through Microphone
happen if you e liminated one of the sidebands
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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

73

DEMAW'S WORKBENCH
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND TIPS

Dou Demaw, Wl FB

Monitor the Amateur 6-Meter Band

older receivers can be

perked up by using a
low-noise preamplifier
ahead of them. A suitable circuit is provided
in figure I.

ropagation at the upper end of the highfrequency spectrum. and wel l into the
VHF region, wi ll improve more and
more as the sunspots increase. Sporadic-E skip
wi ll become more and more common from
roughly 25 through 150 MH z. However, sporadic-E propagation is somewhat rare above
approx imately 100 MH z. but it does provide
occasional openings in the amateur 2-mctcr
band. I recall working a station in Minnesota on
144.7 MH z while li ving in Connecticut.
I was operating with I 0 watts of SSB power
and using my I 0-meter. 4-clement Yagi beam!
My signal report was 5 X 8 in Mi nnesota. This
proved once more that low power and almost
any antenna wi ll suffice when the conditions
fo r E-skip occu r. That is one of the principal
del ights of monitori ng during thi s special propagation event.
Sporadic-E propagation takes place when
various cloud layers become ioni zed by solar
radiation. The signals rcllcct off these charged
cloud layers to prov ide long di stance communications. some of which arc of very short
duration.
The amateur 6-mctcr band extends from
50.0 to 54.0 MH z. Most of the SSB voice
acti vity occurs between 50. 1 and 50.3 MH z.
FM commun ications (~ impl ex and repeaters)
occur between 5 1.0 and 54.0 MHz. Unfortunatel y. there arc not many commercial receivers or transceivers that include the 6-meter
band. A number of older tube types of receivers
included the 6-meter band, but performance at
50 MHz was dismal by today's standards. These

Receiving at 50
MHz

Sche111atic diagram of the simple 6-meter converter. JJecimal value

capacitors are in F. Others are in pF. Resistors are I14-W carbon.
Cl, Cl, CJ, CS and CS are ceramic or plastic trim111ers ..1 Ll a11d L4
have two turns of 110. 24 e11a111. wire over the lower ends of L2 a11d
L3. LS is two turns of 110. 24 e11am. wire over the center of the L6
winding. L2 (0.5 JI) has 14 turns of 110. 24 wire 011 an Amidon T37-10 toroid.5 Tap at 4 turns abo11e grounded end. L3 and L6 (0.S
;u H) have 14 turns of 110. 24 e11am. wire 011 T-37-10 toroids. L 7 (1
,u H) has 18 turns of 110. 26 e11am. wire 011 a T-37- 10 toroid. L8 (3.2
,u H) co11tai11s 2S turns of 110. 26 euam. wire 011 a T-S0-2 toroid. L9
is 3 turns of 110. 24 wire over the lower end of LS. RFC! consists of
10 turns of 110. 24 e11am . wire 011 an Amidon FT-37-./3 ferrite
toroid. U I is an 8-pin DJP IC. 1 VR 1 is a S.6- V, 400-m W or 1- W
Zener diode. .1 YI is a 36-MHz 3rd oi1erto11e crystal (/Jigi-Key 110.
SE-34SO- ND).'

You may build the

simple convener in figure 2 if you do not ha vc
provisions for receiving the amatcur6-mctcr
RF AMP
band. Only two devices
MI XER/ OSC
FIGURE 2
are needed fo r thi s cir- AITT
cuit. A junction ficldcffect transistor(J FET).
II L II
Q I , is used as a low10 0
noi se RF ampli fier. U I
00~
Cl
Ul
is the popular NE602
~
.:t..:.::.J.
mixe r/osc il lat or integ rate d c irc uit ( IC).
Whe n ope ratin g th e
convener you can tune
from 50.0 to 50.:1 MHz
by using the 20-meter
band of your receiver or transcei ver as the
modest price. 1 These units should appeal espetunable IF (intermediate frequency). Ham band
c iall y t o tho~e who have amateur licenses. They
rcceiverscanbe tuned from 14.0 to 14.3 MHz
transm it as well as receive. The transmitter
for coverage fro m 50.0 to 50.3 MH z. If you
power for each unit is approximately 10 watts
own a general coverage HF rece iver yuu may
on SSB.
monitor the entire 6-rnetcr band by tuning
from 14.0 lo 18.0 MHz. The standard SSB
Simple Antennas Can Suffice
calling l'requencies on 6
Casual monitoring of the 6-mctcr band docs
meters arc 50. 125 and 50.2
PREAMPLIFIER
50 . 2 MHz
FIGURE I
not requ ire an elaborate antenna. Directional
MH z. The national FM sim(+to dB)
beam antennas. such as Yagis and cubical quads.
plex calling frequency is
50 . 2 MHz
can be used with a rotator to obtain maximum
52.525 MHz. There is an
ANT
RCUR
gain and directi vity for a chosen beam heading.
AM calling frequency at
However. for sporadic-E propagat ion, an om50.4 MHz. CW operat ion
QI
nid irecti ona l amcnna is usually adequate.
takes place from 50.0 to
50. 1 MH z. Pro pagation
Quartcrwavc vertical ground-plane antennas
hcacons may be heard beare easy to bui ld. They work effecti vely for 60 . 01
100
a 1a
tween 50.0 and 50. 1 MHz
or I0-mcter reception. CBers have long faduri ng band o pe n i n g~ .
vored vertical ante nn a~ fo r local and skip op+12 u
If you do not want to
eration on 11 meter .
construct a 6-meter conFigure :rn contains information for conA simple RF preamplifier that can be used with older receivers
verter. you may purchase
structing a 6-meter ve rt ical ground-plane anto improve th e sensitivity at 50 MHz. C I and C2 are JS pF
an MFJ Enterprises 9406
tenna. Details are included in figure 3A for
trimmers. 3 LI and IA consist of two turns of 110. 24 enam . wire
mini transce ive r for 6
constructi ng a half-wave dipole. The dipole
at the lower ends of L2 a11d L3. Windings L2 and L3 have 14
meters.1 A vai lablc also is
may be erected verticall y or horizontally. It wi ll
turns of 110. 24 e11am. wire 011 Amidon T-37-10 toroid cores.
the Ten-Tec rnodel 12086be directional off its broad side (figure-8 patTap L2 al 4 turns abo ve the grounded end. Decimal 11alue
meter transvcrtc r kit at a
tern) ifi t is erected horizontall y. Vertical mountcapacitors are in F.

gs

...If?

;~' 11~

If?

74

MONITORING TIMES

,l.

December 1997

DIPOLE
9 FT, 6 IN

FEED POINT

s uch as d elrin or ny lon can be attac hed to the

boom fo r th!s purpose. Small U bolts may be
used to a ffi x the two dipole sections to the
plasti c block. U bolts may be used also for
attaching the insulating block to the boom.
Metal p lates and U bolts can be employed for
attachi ng the re maining elements to the boom.

I The Nature of the 6-Meter Band

4 FT, B IN
RG-59 COAX
RADIALS

45 DEG. SLOPE

90 DEG.

SPACING

BETL.JEEN

RADIALS
't FT, 11-112 IN EACH

GROUND PLANE
VERTICAL

B
FIGURE 3 - Dimensions for a 6-meter
dipole (A). A 6-meter ground plane vertical
is shown at B. The radials can be made
from no. 14 wire. Aluminum tubing or
copper pipe will serve as the vertical
element. Wire may be used for the vertical
element if the upper end has an insulator
and the system is lwng from a tree limb or
other support.
ing makes it o mnid irectio nal. The coaxial feed
line must come away from the vertical dipole at
a 90-dcgree ang le fo r at least I 0 feet in orde r to
prevent the feed li ne from affecti ng the antenna
balance.
Dimens ions for a s imple 3-elcment Yag i
beam antenna are g iven in fi g ure 4. You may
use 3/8- or 112-inch OD aluminum tub ing for
the c lements. The I - or I - I /4 inch 0 D boom is
I0 feet long . Thi s antenna should be used with
a rotator and erected ho rizontally for best result s. Ante nna gain in the favored di rection is
approx imately 7 dB . T he c haracteristic feed
point impedance is 35 ohms w ith the specified
q uarter-wave spacing between the cleme nts.
Therefore, a coax ial impedance-matching section , LI , is inc luded in the fi g ure 3 desig n. This
matching section establishes an S WR (standing wave rat io) of 1.5: I or less at 50. 1 MHz.
The Yagi di pole (center e le ment in ligure 3)
must be insu lated fro m the boom in o rder to
prevent the feed point from be ing grounded. A
3/8- or 1/2- inch thic k piece o f du rable plastic,

There will be days w hen no s ig nal s are heard

on 6- meters. The band can become alive instantly. just as though a switc h had been turned
on. S ignal s can fad e o r vanis h just as rapidly.
depending upon radica l propagat ion changes.
During conditions of intense sporadic- activity , 50 MH z is like ly to be as alive with SS B
signals as is 14 M Hz o n a good day.
Band openings arc most likely to occur in
the mid forenoon and earl y evening hours.
However, openings can and do take place at all
hours o f the day.
If you live in a large urban area it is like ly
that local 6-meter activity will be heard reg ularly during the evening hours and on weeke nds. A rotatable beam antenna is helpful fo r
ho ming in on local s ig nals that may otherwise
be weak .

I Converter Construction Tips

VHF and UHF c ircuits require g reater layout care than is required for HF c ircuits. The
shortest piece of w ire can become part o f a coil
or ci rcuit element. Long PC board conductors
or wires act as additio nal unwanted inductances. Therefore. all RF connections s hould be
as short and direct as practicable. Li kewise for
the leads on capacitors, resistors and transistors. The fi gure 2 con verter can be assembled
" dead bug" sty le o r on a piece o f perforated
board. Experienced b uilders may want to des ign a s mall PC board for this proj ect.

I Adjustment and Use

Attach a 50 -ohrn . 6-meter antenna to the
converter input jack. Connect your receiver to
the converte r output jack. Tune your receiverto
14.2 M Hz. Apply + 12 vo lts to the con verter.
Adjust C4 until you hear a significant increase
in receiver background noise. This w ill inclicate that Y I is o scillating at 36 MHz. If you can
find a weak 6-meter signal near 50.2 M Hz,
adjust C 1, C2, C3 and CS for maximum signal
strength. Ifthere are no sig nals avai lable , use an
electric razor to generate hash w hile adjusting
the trimmers for max imum no ise response.
A mateurs may use the 7 th harmon ic o f 7. 17 1
M Hz as a tuneup marker for 50 .2 MH z.
Si nce the converter draws very little de
current (roug hly 25 mA), you may use an
inexpensive + 12-volt de wall transformer for
the power supply. Reasonable performance may

FIGURE 4 - Dimensions for a simple 3element, 6-meter Yagi (A). Ante1111a gain is
roughly 7 dB. Element spacing is 114
wavelength. See text f or more details.
/ll11stratio11 B shows the driven element and
the matching section, LI. The feed line
should be sealed against dirt and moist11re
at theju11ctio11s of the 75-ohm coax
transformer section, LI.
MAX SIG

f
8 F"T, 10 IN

---o o---

DIRECTOR

9 FT, '1- 1/2 IN

9 FT, 11 IN

DR IUEN ELEMENT
REFLECTOR

3-ELEMENT YAGI

DRIVEN ELEMENT

JJ
'! FT, 11- 1/2

IN

RG-58 COAX
FT, 7-3/'I IN
RG-59 COAX

L1

RG-58, ANY LENGTH

TO RCUR

be expected when us ing a +9-volt wall transformer.

I Closing Comments
Most o f the parts for the fi gure I and fi g ure
2 circuits can be obtained from Dan 's Small
Parts. 3 Crystal YI and other parts for these
c irc uits arc available from Digi- Key Corp.4
The toroid cores may be obta ined by mail from
Amidon Assoc., In c.~

Notes
I-

2-

34-

5-

MFJ Enterprises, Inc ., Box 494. Mississippi State, M S 39762. Phone: (60 I) 3235869.
Te n-Tec, Inc .. 11 85 Doll y Parton Pkwy ..
Sevierville , T N 37862. Phone: (423) 4537 172.
Dan 's Small Parts, Box 36 34. Missoul a,
MT 59806- 3634. Pho ne: (406) 258-2782.
Digi-Key Corp .. 701 Brooks Ave. South.
ThiefRiver Falls. MN 56701-0677. Phone:
1-800-344-4539.
Amidon Associates. Inc .. 250 Briggs Ave.,
Costa Mesa, Ca 92626. Phone: (7 14) 8504660.

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

75

PiLANETALK
MAKING SENSE OF CIVILIAN AERONAUTICAL COMMUNICATIONS

Jean Baker, K/N9DD

A Guide to VHF Aero Freqs

e a so n s gree ting s a nd we lco me

aboard ' T oday, we present a look at
the VHF aero co mmunications band.
The communi cations portion of the VHF
aero band begins at 11 8.000 MH z and runs
through 136.975 MH z. 108.000 throug h
11 7 .975 is all ocated to navaids.
118.000 - 121.400 A ir Traffic C ontrol
121.500 Internati onal V HF E merge ncy
Frequency . Its UHF counterpa1t is 243.000
( 12 1.500 times two). The VHF freque ncy
c an be utili zed for bo th voice and emergency loca tor trans mitter (ELT ) purposes.
Upon im pact, the device is supposed to
beg in e mitting a <lownswept-type of tone,
enab lin g resc ue rs to pinpoint the location
of the aircraft in d istress . However, ELTs
have been known to go off for no rea son
whatsoeve r, leading to a great deal of embarrassme nt.
121.600-121.95 ATC Ground Co ntrol.
121.975 - 122.675 Flight Se rvice Stati ons. The se stati ons provide general av iati on (private pilots) with informatio n o n
a irport co nditio ns, rad io navigati o nal and
communi catio ns aid s, plus facilities fo r
hel ping pil ots to process fl ig ht pla ns, d ispe nse weather sequence information and to
pe rform many othe r func ti o ns. They are
located all across the country and are operated by the FAA.
122.700- 122.950 Unico m Frequencie s.
Unicorns are usuall y operated by pri vate
e nterprise . They a re de fined as aeron autical
advisory co mmunications facili ties and are
usua ll y located at o r nearby an airport. At
quite a few s mall air fie ld s. a Unicom is the
onl y com municati ons fac ility located on
site . In the absence of a control tower, the
Uni corn provides genera l info rmation on
w ind directi on, ru nway conditi ons. and fie ld
sta tus. They may also offer so me in fo rmatio n o n local acco mmodati ons, fuel. and
repair se rvices.
122.975 - 123.075 Heli copter Unicom.
Utili zed by he li copters a ir-to-ai r and airg round-ai r.
123.100 - 123.125 Search a nd Resc ue.
Used by the Coast G uard , Civil Air Patro l
(CA P), and o thers involved in resc ue activities.
123.125 - 123.425 These frequencies are
used by manufacture rs e ngaged in des ig n,
76

MO NITO RING TIMES

December 19 97

<leve lopment, eval uation and testi ng of ai rcraft components. They are a lso used fo r
other purposes, such as Multicoms.
123.450 - A ir-to-Air. Thi s freque ncy is
w here pilots o f comme rc ia l a ircraft ca rry
o n con versatio ns wi th others in the area.
Transmissions o n th is freq can be very
interes ting !
123.500 - Flig ht Schools. Also util ized
by glide r pilots and towing craft fo r coordination with ground stati ons.
123.525 - 123.575 Fli ght T est.
123.6 - 123.650 A rri vals and Departu res. When a fli ght service station is located at an airfie ld whe re an A T C Control
T owe r is not a vail able . pilots of arri ving
and departing aircraft w ill use thi s frequency for communicati o n with FSS personne l.
123.675 - 128.800 ATC freq uencies.
128.825 - 132.000 Aeronautical Co mpany Stati o ns and AR INC. These can be
very interesting and fu n to liste n to. Give
'em a try.
132.050 - 135.975 Air T raffi c Con tro l
136.000 - 137.000 Company Statio ns.
A ir-to-A ir, AT C
Readers' Corner

Larry Fowler (NY) wrote a very time ly

le tter to us concerning the last category
(above) of company stations. Yes, there is
life o n the 136.000-1 36.975 portio n of the
aero band ' T o put it in hi s own word s:
"While li stenin g to the local A RTCC sector, one day, I heard two TOU RJET fli g hts
acknow ledge each othe r after Bosto n (Cente r) pointed o ut they should take note that
each had 'company ' o n the freq ue ncy.
"One fl ight as ked the other in a heavy
This f erocious P-4 0 "Warhawk" was sent in

by Bert H111m ea11lt.

foreign accent to swi tch over to company.

T he other flig ht cou ldn't unders tand the
request so he repeated 'come upon 136.800.'
1 sw itc hed o ve r there also an<l fo und out
they both were headed in to San fo rd. Maine .
"T his was the fi rst time I' d heard anything from 136 - 137 MHz. But this got my
interest and I added this to m y se arc h scanni ng. A fter a few ck1ys. I had anot her hit
identi fi ed in thi s range: 136.525 E mery
Freight at Logan Int' !. Boston. Mass. I d id
fi nd one more o n 136 .250 , bu t neve r d id
find ou t who was using it. A fri end rece ntly
gave me a freq he had fo und in thi s range ,
too: 137 .000. lt's be ing used asan air-to-air
freq by the Air National Guar<l F- l 6s fro m
Burlingto n, Vermont. I 58th FG. So yo u
ne ver kn ow who you' re going to find in that
range !"
Larry added that all tran smi ssio ns heard
we re in the AM mode.
Jim T aylor (T X) sent the fo llow ing San
A nton io International Airport freqs to s hare
with e veryone:
T ower - 11 9.800
Approach\Dep a rture - 124.450. 125 . 100.
125 .700. 127. 100, 128.050
A TIS : 11 8.900
C lea rance Delivery: 126.700
Ground Control - 12 1.900
A Seasonal Poem
"Jolly Old St. Nicholos, I' m from the FAA.
I've bee n told that you hove no
tra nsponder on your sle igh .
Christmas Eve is coming soon,
so listen close to me
G et your sleigh transponder-rigged ,
be sure it ho s mode C!
"When the clock is striking 12
a nd the kids ore a ll asleep
Co ntrollers a t their radar scopes
o n eye on you will keep.
While you' re flying through the sky
and no mode C appears
Put your re indeer o ut to gra ze,
you' re ground ed for 5 years!"

The above poe m can be s ung to the tune

of "Joll y O ld St. Nicholas," and was sent in
anonymo usly. I can see why. hi!
T hat' s a ll for th is month. See you in
January; until then 73 and out.

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fEDERAL FILE

A GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS

John Fulford, WA4VPY

email: JOHNF04 73@aol.com

Waiting for Blast Off...

s you may know. I am located in

So uthern Florida approximate ly 125
m iles south of the Cape . Events get
interesting down my way occasiona lly. when
there is a chance a rocket launch might no t go
as planned. The Cassini probe to the planet
Saturn , for e xample , was the source of much
controversy at its launc h in October. Since
sunlight at the surface of the planet Saturn is
approx imately I00 times less than what hits the
surface of planet Earth , solar power sources
were out of the question. Hence. the Cassini
used a nuclear reactor powered with approximately sevent y pounds of plutonium o n hoard
fo r its power source.
If the unt hi nkable had occured and the T itan
launch vehicle experienced a launc h fa ilure.
there was a very remote c hance that the plutoniu m cou ld go into the at mosphere . The d ispute
spawned numerous de mo nstrations in the a rea
of the Cape .
Our old monito ring fr iend. John Mayson.
has provided what he considers the most inte resting frequenc ies audible from his Iistening
site west of the Cape. Keep these handy for
those ti mes when mo nito ring could get truly
"i nteresting.
Frequency
165.1125
163.5125
409.4750
163.5875
165.0875
170.1250
157.6000
156.8000
157.0500
157.1000
157.1750

Use
Cape communications
Director of operations--Eastern Test
Range
Department of Energy
FCA net
Security--Tac 3
Securily--Main channel
Coast Guard
Coast Guard
Coast Guard Range Control
Coast Guard
Coast Guard

The most interesting monitoring prior to the

launch took place on the Cape Canaveral Air
Force Statio n (launch site for the probe) on
their security frequency of 165.0875 MHz. The
traffic was not routine. Almost al.I of it was
devoted to the Cassini protestors. The Pose idon
Marine Patrol Boat and the Trident Marine
Patro l Boat were heard in com ~ uni c ations
regarding attempts to gain access to the launch
area by coming in from the Atlantic Ocean in
small boats. On the other hand, local police
freq uencies-both munic ipal and state- were
quiet because the security folks at the Cape
handed out their radios to every type of law
enforce ment that came into town.
78

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Prio r to the last lau nch of the shuttle A1/a11ris.

the follow ing freq uencies were mo nito red in
the Cape area:
KSC = Kennedy Space Center
PAFB = Patrick Air Force Base
Frequency
Use
126.6500
KSC weather spotter airplanes
133. 7500
PAFB tower
139.0500
PAFB ALCP
PAFB air support--this is in A. M. mode
141.3000
143.4500
USAF MARS discussing launch
163.4875
KSC security
164.7000
PAFB crash/fire
173.0250
PAFB security
259.7000
Atlantis orbiter to ground during
launch
282.8000
Military air operations
US Coast Guard
294 6000
344.6000
PAFB air
PAFB air
373.2000

Prior to a launc h. there is al so a lot of

interesting shortwave acti vity coming from
Cape Radio. D uring the last Arla11ris shuttl e
launch. the shortwave frequencies of 3 I 87 kHz
and 5246 kHz prov ided an up to the minute
re port of what was transpiring prior to the
lau nc h. The Department of Defe nse operates
the C ape Radio system .
Some of the players monitored on w ith Cape
Radio were DOD Cape, CapeCom. USS Sco11.
Ki ng 1.2,3,4 (these are airc raft). During the
post-launch search and rescue exercise. WW VI
WWVH was broadcast over 3 187 and 5246
kHz as a time millker. The WWV signal yielded
to any com ms from any units on the frequency.
These frequencies sure beat the informatio n
provided by the local televisio n stations.
While o n the topic of space operations, there
are two other install ations tbat have been mo nitored in the recent months . The first is the
NASA Am es Research Center at Mounta in
View, California . They operate on a trunked
system in the UHF bands. The system layout is
as follows:
Trunk Channel
Chan 1
Chan 2
Chan 3
Chan 4
Chan 5
Chan 6

Frequency
406.550
407.350
408.350
408.950
409.750
41 1.350

The NASA facility at Greenbelt, Maryland.

was one 9f the first federal agencies in the
northeast to switch to a trunked system. Frequencies are as fo llows :

410.275
409.525
408 625
408.150
407.000

417.225
416.700
415.525
412.250
412.000

ControlNoice
ControlNoice
ControlNoice
ControlNoice
Phone patch

An Update:
In the October 1997 Federal Fi le. I mentio ned a data delivery signa l on 142.9250 MHz.
T his is an offs hoot of the discont inued 163 .350
M Hz EMW IN wea ther signal. Mr. J erry
Joh nson of the National Weather Serv ice. o ne
of our loyal readers. is involved wit h the radio
project and has brought us up to date.
The 163 .350M 1-17. signal has been recent ly
moved to 400. 1750 M 1-11 by the Nati onal
Weathe r Service. The sig nal on 142.925 MH z
is transmitted at double the data rate of the
orig inal EMW !N sig nal (2400 baud ) and they
use this freq ue ncy to test new techno logies and
software that wil l be mig rated to the GOES
satellites and to other EMW IN ground stations .
T he signal o rigi nates in Laurel. Mary land.
al a power of I 00 walls . The Nat io na l Weather
Service has no thing to do with the 139.650
MHz data signal also me nt ioned in Octo ber.
T hanks . Jerry ....

The Wild West

A lot of repo rts have come to us from o ut
west regarding federal monitori ng. so let s look
at some of them. The C ity of Las Vegas FB I
office prov ided local monitors with a very
conv incing hostage rescue/SWAT Team exe rcise. All comms were o n 16-l.550 MHz wi th
167 .9 Hz tone. This is referred to as C hannel DI. Las Vegas has an ex tensive FB I repeater
system. Here is the latest frequency layout
according to the " Las Vegas Scanner Guide''
Fo urth Edition, Feb. 1997.
Rptr Out
167.2125
167.2625
167.3875
167.4875
167.5375
164.5500
167.5625

Rplr In
163.9125
163.8875
163.9875
163.8375
163.8625
168.8625
Simplex

Channel
Hotel-6
Bravo-2
Delta-6
Delta-1

Dale from Kansas City, Kansas. updates

us o n federal activities in his c ity. In Octo ber, 1
mentioned the DEA using a trunked syste m in
Garden C ity, New Jersey. Jt was Garden C ity.
Kansas. Sorry about that. The information was
good, though. and here is some supplemental

info for those of you with TrunkTrackers in that

area.
DEA uses the Nexte l radio syste m with a
fl eet map ofE I PI . The frequencies are 86 1. 11 25
throug h 865. 1125 MHz and 861.6125 through
865.61 25 MHz. The ID for the DEA Task
Force is 001 - 14. The DEA has just recentl y
installed a repeater on 4 18.9000 MHz and also
use 4 18.7500 MHz for simplex. Most of the
traffic is in the c lear. Hope this he lps make up
for the error.
The fol lowi ng is a Kansas C ity frequency
assig nment for the Immigration and Natura lization Se rvice .
Frequency
163.6250
162.9000
165.9000
163.6750
163.7250
163.7750
163.7500
163.6500

Use
KS base PL 100.0 Hz
Portable rptr output
Portable rptr input
KS investigators
Tac 1
Tac 2
Tac 3
Tac 4

Our monitor Chris Parris in Houston, Texas,

has been receiving some interesting communications on 167.8750 MHz. The traffic is from a
repeater with un its identi fying as Radio Shop.
Command Post. 5 19 Security. The traffic seems
to be co mi ng from the Texas Nuclear Project in
Matagorda, Texas, which is about 90 miles
southwest of Houston. It turns out this frequency belongs to the Department of Energy.
One station has identified as Beaumont. wh ich
could be Beaumont, Te xas . ls this a network of
stations along the coast to mo nito r radiation in
the event of an acciden t at the Texas Nuclear
Project?
While we arc down in Te xas, it appears that
Pres ident George and Barbara Bush are back al
their Houston residence for the long winter
mo nths. T here has been increased acti vity o n
the USSS Protective Detail c hannel in the Ho usto n area. They are using the Baker freque ncy of
165.7875 MHz. They d o 110 1 appear to be using
the PL tone of I 03.5 Hz. Our monitor Chris
Parri s. again , has been mo nitoring the Secret
Service channe ls with the PL ac tivated in hi s
BC-9000 radio but was not hearing any activity. Thinking something was am iss, he turned
off the PL capabil ity and there they were .
President George is Timberwolf and Barbara is Tranquility. The Bush residence in
Ho uston is Tuxedo. T he ca llsigns of Tracker
and Transport will be heard when the Bushes
go out and do the town.

I ... and Elsewhere

John Schaffner provides us with the FB I
freq uencies he is monitoring in O hio. They arc:

Dayton:

167.4875
167.3625
Columbus: 170.6750
Lima:
167.2875

163.9875 173.1750 173.1750

170.9000
170.6250
167.7875

Our monitor in Rochester , New York, Ed

Mathes, reports that the local FB I freq uencies
are dead. A friend of his, " in the know" reported to him that 99.9 percenrt of the FBI
traffic is being done over cellul ar phones. Even
the SMR trunked systems have not seen any
FBI activity there. Keep monitoring ...
An unidentified monito r in the Washington, D.C., area asked about the DC law enforcement unit that identifies with the callsign
" Boardwalk." They are using the frequencies
of 4 15.9750 and 41 4.6750 MHz. T his is the
Foreign Missions Branch, Uniformed Divis ion, United States Secret Serv ice. These are
the ones that guard the embassies, among other
things. Other e le ments of the USSS can be
fou nd on 414.850 and4 l 5.650 MH z. The White
House units are usuallyon4 18.775 and4 I 8.350,
but these are usually encrypted. All tones are
103.5 Hz.
Alan Hen ney reported a Washington, D.C.,
mystery to the Scan-DC mai ler list. Often seen
on Capitol Hill, near the White Ho use and in the
area of the Willard Hotel, are dark blue Lincoln
Towncars w ith DC tags. These Towncars stick
o ut among the other vehicles. Some of them
have as many as four, e levated-feed. 800 MHz
s tyle antennas on the trunk and a VHF
quarterwave o n the rear deck.
Inside the cars there appear to be a mobile
data terminal and at least o ne cell phone. It is
apparently not uncommo n to find several of
these T owncars parked with the drivers just
sitting inside. These cars do no t appear to
belong to any commercial limo company in the
Washington area. The tags genera IIy come back
to Ford Motor Credit Company.
Cars like these can be seen at the Army
garage located in the 1200 block of 22nd Street
NW. This is known as location Carpet. They
haYe similar 800 MHz ante nnas o n them. Our
monitor Ed Ashcraft has also noticed them out
at Ft. Mead. A couple of weeks ago they were
occupied by a Special Response Team or a
SWAT Team personne l. Any c lues?!
Also down at Ft. Meade- home of the National Security Agency- o ne of the NSA
frequnc ies has been operati ng " in the clear."
C heck out 4 10.025 MHz. This channe l is usuall y encrypted.
Those of you in the Washington and Baltimore area that have been accustomed to monitoring the State Sword neLrnn 139.175, 139.350,
and 143. 175 have probably been notic ing the
decreasing activity. The radio users are slowly
switching over to the trunked system at Ft.
Belvoir. These trun ked channels are:

406.200 406.300 406.525 406.775 407.950 408.850

409.250 411 .200

The VHF system is still used, but is becoming a backup system.

Our monitor down near the Quantico Marine Base, Bob Brubaker, sent in the following
frequenc ies from Quantico:
Frequency
41.950
125.800
126.200
134.100
140.100
149.450
150.125
169.500
140.275
140.550
149.100
149.425
149.130
149.350
150.075
149.375

Use
Tower
Tower
Approach/Control
Radar service
Marine Corps crash rescue
Emergency opns rptr output
Emergency opns rptr input
FBI Academy
Ambulances
Medical paging
MP Rptr output
MP Rptr input
MP secondary simplex
Fire Department rptr output
Fire Department rptr input
Base operations

In closing for this month, a new Customs

frequ ency for South Florida has been discovered here in my backyard. It is I 70. 725 MHz
output and is referred to as the " Palm Beach
Repeater" covering Ft. Pierce down to Ft. Lauderdale.
Happy listening and happy hol idays ...

Wizard'"
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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

19

SATELLITE TV
Ken Reitz, KS4ZR
e-mail: ks4zr@compuserve.com

ADVENTURES IN THE CLARKE BELT

Your Satellite lV Questions Answered

omputers drive the electronics industry. From microprocessors for tuning

radios to software for controlling dish
movements in satellite TV gear, computers are
an inescapable fact of modem life. This column
is written on a computer and e-mailed to the
editor whose computer fits it into the magazine
format. If you want to ask a question about
satellite TV you have only to crank up your
computer and fire off a note to the above e-mail
address - In fact, many of you have, and that' s
the subject for this month's Adventure.
Of course, if you're not "on-line" the U.S.
Mail still does a decent job of delivering the
first class stuff and a note to the address in the
front of this magazine will also get a reply.
(Mail queries should be accompanied by a selfaddressed stamped envelope.) So, here are a
few of the questions most recently asked.

Q. Can you hear the audio stations on

a transponder where the video is

scrambled, or does it have to be in the
clear to be able to hear the radio
portion as well?

A . This is a great question because it 's very

sensible. Well, the answer is pretty sensible,
too. It turns out that the audio and the video are
sent on different parts of the sig nal, which is
called the carrier. The audio is picked up in a
separate part of the receiver wh ich has its own
tuning section. Typically, the bandwidth o n a

SATELLITE AUDIO SERVICES ON GALAXY 5

Traa1~nd1c

3
5
6

11
17
18
19
20
21

22

80

Fe~

Servi1;1

KLONFM
Safe Harbor
Trinity Broadcasting Radio
Trinity Radio Service (Spanish)
CNN Radio Network
World Radio Network
Brother Stair Radio
World Radio Network
National Black Radio Network
WFMHM
Yesterday USA
All News 670, Portsmouth, VA
Standard News Network
CNN Radio Noticias
WWTN-FM Nashville
Motor Racing Network
USA Radio Network
BET Music Services
America's Country Music
Saft Hits
Litt and Lively Rock
C assic Collections
New Age of Jazz
Classic Hits
CNN Radio News
CNN Headline News
MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

satellite transponder is so wide

that, not only can a full video
s ig na l be transmitted, but
there's plenty of room for more
than one audio subcarri er.
However, in the case of the
Videoc ipherll (VCII) encryption systems, the audio is sent
in a dig ital format which is
decoded by the YC II module
of the receiver, not the regu lar
audio tuner. Therefore , witho ut a module installed, no program audio would be heard.
S till. there's room fo r analog
audio subcarri ers, which is
w hat we have, for instance, with
the Playboy Channel on Galaxy 5 channel 2.
The video and program audio is VCII encrypted. but if you tune the receiver to 5.58 and
5.76 MHz (left and ri ght c hanne ls; it' s stereo!)
you wi ll hear KLON-FM fro m Long Beach,
CA. a no n-commercial jazz station . Knowledge TY which is on Galaxy 5 channel 2 1, has
analog video programming in the clear. In
addition , there arc six pairs of frequencies used
as subcarricrs for the ..S uper Audio" group of
audio services (sec chart on the left).
The best part is that you don ' t have to watch
TV to enjoy li stening to sate llite audio, and
there are nearly I 00 audio subcarriers listed in
the "Satellite Radio Guide" section of the latest
Smellite Times. Programming ranges from many
international shortwave broadcasters suc h as
The BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle
(both o n 24 hours a day) to FM broadcasters
like WQXR-FM. Ne w York, and special ty services such as reading services for the sight
impaired.
Others include CNN Radio. religio us broadcaste rs. and Yesterday USA. which plays oldti me radio dramas and comedies all day long.
It's a fasc inating line- up of listening whic h is
unrivaled in any radi o market. Listeners searching for news in the ir native tongue will find
Japanese. S panish. French. Italian. Portuguese.
German. A rabic. Tagalog, Greek, Sangeet, and
Inuit. among languages spoken dail y on satellite audio.
To get the be~ t sound , take the audio out
from your sate llite receiver and plug it into the
auxi liary input of your stereo system. You'll
get the full stereo. hig h fid elity sound possible
with sate llite audio.

Hispavisio11 is a service of TVE (Television Espana)

transmitted from Spai11 to Lati11 America and may be
received i11 much of Eastern U.S. 011 Ku-band.

!Mttzl

5.58/5.76
6.80
5.58/5.78
5.96
6.20
6.20
6.45
6.80
7.38
6.30/6.48
6.80
5.94
6.12
7.56
7.56
7.40
6.20
5.95
5.04/7.75
5.22/5.40
5.94/6.12
6.30/6.48
7.38/7.56
8.10/8.28
6.20
7.56

Programming
Jazz
Easy Listening
Religious
Religious
News
Shortwave Broadcasts
Religious
Foreign Language SW
Occ. Audio
Classical Music
Old-time Radio
AM Radio News
News
CNN Radio Spanish Service
Talk Radio
Occ. Audio
Occ. Audio
Occ. Audio
Country
Lite Rock
Contemporary Rock
Classical Music
Lite Jazz
Oldies Rock
News
Audio from CNNHN

FULL-TIME INTERNATIONAL TV BROADCASTS

(C-band in the clear, analog)
Service
Country
NHK
Japa n
RTP
Portugal
ANA
Saudi Arabia
UAE
United Arab Emirates
CBC
Canada
Mexico
Deutsche Welle
Germany
(Ku-band in the clear analog)
Chung Ten
Taiwan
TYB
Hong Kong
WMNB
Russia

Q. I live in Houston, Texas. How can I

receive European TV programming?

A. It depends on what rnu111ries you re in terested in watching. In our region there are C and
Ku-band satelli tes which broadcast programming from sources outside the U.S. all day. For
instam:e. RT P, from Ponugal, transmits 24
hours a day on Galaxy 6 channel 13 (see ch<irt
of full -time fore ign broadcasters). However.
full -time broadc<ists from BBC, Eurospon , RT L
and other popul ar broadcasters will have to
await the introduction of DBS-style packages
which will likely be a reali ty in another fi ve
years.
You might think that if you could see satellites over the Atl antic you could pick up some
Euro-broadcasts. but the onl y thing available
full-t ime. in the clear comes fro m Hispasat
which transmits programm ing from Spain to
Lati n America. Curiously. it's on Ku-band but
has a whopping signal and may be receivable as
far west as Texas. Occasional feeds from vari ous European countries abound but cannot be
counted on for regul ar viewing.

Satellite
Galaxy
Galaxy
GE-2
Galaxy
An ik
Morelos 2
C4

Transponder
6,6
6, 13
22
7, 10
E2

Galaxy
Galaxy
SBS 5

4,7
4, 18
12

systems in stock and are happy to sell them.

Look fo r General Instru ment , Drake, and Uni den
receivers. I name these specificall y because
they are all pan of well -established companies
which have strong repair d ivisions. It's most
imponant to have access to parts in the event
you need repairs and these companies stock
them. There are other popular brands which
have gone out of business but it's unck ar how
long repair parts will be available. If you re
buying a used system fro m a dealer. make sure
the system works and try to get a 30 day
warranty. If it lasts that long. it could last years.
If you have an out-of-warranty system or
one fro m a company no longer in business and
which needs repai rs. the best place I know is
Professional Satellite Repa ir. You can reach
them at Route 350 North. Sandy Ridge. PA
16677 or call 8 14-342-5635.
Findi ng extra remote controls for satell ite
systems can be a problem. Radio Shack claims
that their catalog division can find any namebrand remote or even hard-to-find remotes.
Call 1-800-TH E-S HAC K.

detai ls on all these ite ms sec this column in the

January 1996 M7).
As to receivi ng. local TV channels via satellite: cable viewers who sw itch to DBS are
finding that the local channel s they used to get
via cable now have to he picked up the old
fashioned way. over the air. In most cases a
simple attic mounted antenna will do the job,
but the fu11 her you arc from your local stations
the more im portant it is to have an outdoor
antenna.
As a result. there arc a num ber of products
being offered which attach TY anten nas toyour
satelli te T V dish. Whether it' s C-band or DBS
you can affix a VHF/ UHF outdoor antenna to
your dis h mount. The most important thing you
can add to your outdoor TV antenna is a signal
ampl ifier. In fr inge locations the improvement
is start li ng. However. such an amp in an urban
setti ng will onl y overload your TV's receiver
and cause all manner of on-screen interfere nce.
When you arc setti ng up an outdoor antenna.
use RG/6 coaxial cable with appropriate connectors. This cable has a lower loss than RG/58
particularly at UHF frequencies.

Restores Horizontal
a nd Vertical
Sync Lines from Distorted
Analogue Video Formats
For Free lnlormolion Pockoge on Completed Units ond Pricing

Q. I'm setting up a satellite TYRO

Q. Must d ishes be mounted outside the

system on a shoe-string budget. What

used satellite receivers would you
recommend?

house? Can they be mounted in the

attic? Can you get local network
affiliates on satellite TV?

A. Now is a pretty good time to be looking for

A. More good questions. In the case of C-band

a used satellite system. The populari ty of DBS

has taken many viewers away from C-band and
these folks are eager to get rid of thei r equipment. If you like, you can get an entire system-which is to say, dish all put together and
everything-for a fairly cheap price.
I recently bought a neighbor's dish with Cl
Ku feed, C and Ku-band LNBs, and actuator for
S I00. They are convening to DBS and were
happy to sell . The best pan was that it was
already assembled and it was a matteroflifting
it off his pole. putting it in a pick-up. caning it
off to my house. and sticking it on my pole.
After hooking up the wires and do ing a quick
alignment. we were watching satellite TY.
Virt ually all dealers have complete used

sate llite dishes, yes. they must be mounted

outside. T his is because ( I) they tend to be from
6 to I0 feet in diameter and would be tough to
put inside and (2) because microwaves need an
unobstructed view of your di sh to be received.
But wait: there is a way to disguise your
dish. Under Cover Satellite Systems makes an
outdoor patio umbrella which hides your Cband di sh. It's also possible to mount DBS
dishes in the attic (or li ving room. for that
matter) provided that they have a clear window
to "see" through. Satell ite Enclosures. Inc.
makes a Plcxiglass s ky light which can be
mounted in your attic. There's also a bogus,
fi berglass rock whi ch can hide your DBS dish
and tum it into a landscaping featu re. (For

~I

Call 219-236-5776

Iii

R.C. Distributing PO Box 552 South Bend. IN 46624

KEEP YOUR C-BAND SYSlIM

RUNNING STRONG!

Free Buyer~ Guide

i.

Receivers, including 4DTY

Dish Movers & lNBs, all kinds
Tune-up Kits, Tools & Parts
Skypac" Programming
Toll Free Technical Help

1050F...-Or

fwg.n fol,, .W 565J7

Fax: 1 11 739-41 79
lnl'I: 118739523 1

800-543-3025 i;!Skyvisi on'

www.skyvision.com

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

81

EXPERIMENTER'S WORKSHOP
Bill Cheek

TWEAK, TUNE, AND MODIFY!

email: bcheek@san.rr.com

Upgrading WiNRADiO Communications Update

hi s is the thi rd in a series of

en hanc e me nt s for the
WiNRADiO wide-spcctrum communications receiver. My
Scpt-97 colu mn has instructions
for safe and complete di sasse mbly
of the Wi NRADi O receiver. The
October and November columns
presented the first two modifi cations: one to reduce crossover distort ion and one to improve receiver
sensiti vity. You should save those
co lumns for posterity! This month,
we reduce the phase noise in
Wi NRADiO's PLL circuits. I will
also clue you on how to hyperwarp
the Internet ... literally.
This WiNRADiO mod is more
'"
32pln
detailed than the fi rst two. but it's Con nector
not scary. We j ust replace seven
components with the same types, but different
values. The result is 12-1 3 dB less phase noise at
the 20 kHz offset. Don' t worry if you don' t
understand this terminology - it' s not important. The important thing is the reduced interference and cleaner signals. especially weak ones.

TABLE 1: PARTS LIST

Ckt Symbol Old Value New Value il'Jl..e.. *
C159
.039-F
.001-pF
X?R 0805
C160
.039-pF
.001 -pF
X?R 0805
C167
.027-pF
0.1 -pF
X?R 0805
C168
.027-F
0.1 -F
X7R 0805
R120
47k-ohm
18k-ohm
5% 0805
R121
47k-ohm
18k-ohm
5% 0805
R124
1.2k-ohm
12k-ohm
5% 0805
See this column in MT-Oct-91 for detailed
explanation

PLL Phase Noise Improvement

This hack is in the PLL circuit of U I 3b, Pi n3.
(Sec Fig-3 ). You will need seven surface- rnoum
parts as defi ned in Table I:
The capacitors and resistors are standard
SMT parts. Do not substitute values.

Step by Step
Refer to Table I and Figures 1-3, and follow
these six steps:
I. Disassemble Wi NRADiO per instructions in
my Sept-97 column.

82

remove C 159 andC 160.

See Fig-2 for locations
of these two parts.
5. Solder the repl acement part s onto the
newly vacated pads, using Table I and Fig-2 for
reference.
6. Checkall your work ;
ensure that solder blobs
can t touch other pads
and/or component s. Reasse mbl e
the
C'Ol n ~.. _.. WiNRADiO.
[IJ-1 c,.u
T hat 's it for the
,,,
Phase Noise lmprovemem. It makes a notable
difference in the quality
of reception and is worth
doing if you re not afraid
of surface-mount technology. The li rst two mods
should have warmed you up and put you "in the
mood" by now.
Kits of pan s for the first four Wi NRADiO
mods are avai lable for those who can' t meet
minimum orders required by some vendors. The
kit ensures that all the exact parts are handy, too.
The twelve parts and a bit of wire are US$7.00
domesti c. All foreign is USS I 0.00 ppd, surface.
Allow more for airmail. You can order my part
no. \VRK it 1-4. by e-mai l. fa x. voice. or postal

FIG-1: DAUGHTERBOARD (BOTTOM)

MONITORING TIMES

December 1991

2. On the normally unseen (back or botlom)

side of the smaller WiNRADiO claughterboard.
locate and remove R 120, R 12 1. R 124. C 167.
and C 168. St.:c Fig- I for locations of these fi ve
parts. Refer to my Oct-97 colu mn fo r clues and
hints for working with surface mount parts.
3. Solder the replacement parts onto the new ly
vacated pads. using Table I and Fi g- I for reference.
4. On the visible (top or fro nt ) side of the
smaller WiN RADiO clau ghterboard. locate and

FIG-2: DAUGHTERBOARD {TOP)

Front/top side o f WiNRADIO dau ghterb oard

mail. You can also get most

everything from Dig iKcy (800)
344-4539; Mouser (800) 346 6 873, and/or Future- Acti vc
(800) 655-0006.

I More Information

FIG-3: PLL PARTIAL SCHEMATIC

l:::f"'.,

T he latest informat ion and

so ft ware
updat es
fo r
WiN RADiO arc available at
their US Web s ite at http://
www.winradio.com and at the Australia s ite :
http://www.winradio.n ct.a u If you <lon 't have
a WiNRAD iO, you can still downlo ad the software and run it in d emo mode . I freely provide
tech suppo rt on the W iN RA DiO mods and all
my MT articles by e-mail o r (heaven forbid)
postal mail that inc ludes an SASE. Fax inquir ies
arc ti ne, but cannot be fax-re plied . Please include an e-m ail add res~ if you need a re pl y.

I Hyperwarp the Net - Cable Modem

Service
I' ve waited a while to c lue you in on somethi ng, and now it's time. Write this down: the
conventiu11nl a1111/ug modem is dead. R.I. P.
' Sniff.
Oh, to be s ure. analog modems don ' t know
they' re dead yet. and some m ay arg ue the point,
but that 's okay. Several years ago. visionaries
pronounced MS-DOS dead. It took a whi le for it
to quit squirming and gnashing its teeth, but you
sure do n' t see any thi ng new and exciting in MSDOS anymore, now do you? So call me an
amate ur vis ionary . Data communicatio n over
the pub lic voice telephone network has hit an
impenetrable ce ili ng of speed and bandwidth.
Luckily. a fl edg ling revolutionary alternati ve has emerged . T his replacement to analog
data communication is no secret now. Actually.
there are at least two contenders: o ne is reality,
others are still in the la bs. I' II mention one of the
latter tirst.

I ADSL - Still Vaporware

ADS L (Asynch ronous Digital Subscriber
Linc), the high speed baby cream-pu ff o f the
telepho ne companies, is still in R& D where it is
likely to remain fo r a while . A DS L is an extreme ly fast ( I0 -Mbps) com puter communications technology that may someday. if the telcos
ever re lease it. be avai lable o n your POTS (plai n
old tele phone service) li nes. A DSL uses regu lar
tw isted-pair voice lines, but there is li ttle else in
common between it and data communication by
ex isting modems.

I Slow vs. Fast

Analog modems are capable of a m ax imum
of 33,600 bits per second (bps) . (O r 57.600-bps
with spe<.:ial techn iques from Internet Service
Providers-ISP). Analog modems are commonl y

a certain o n- line "way of life." Cable mo dem

service rede fines that way of life and charts new
tur f.
It's almost unt hinkable to download a 10MB fi le via analog modem ( I -hour, if everything goes perfe<.:tly). You bare ly blink about it
with a cable modem ( 15-scc. typical). Sec what
I mean about a who le new way o f life'! And . it
only gets better!

I Cable Modem Service Areas

limi ted to 28.800-bps (or slower) o n low quality
lines. O ne other teleo data service that I'll mention in passing is IS D N. good for up to 128-kbps .
IS DN is expens ive. no n-standard. not widely
implemented , and immensely overshadowed by
the vaporware ADSL and the newest real datacom
technology.

I Cable Modems Rule!

Cable Mode m Serv i<.:e isn' t a good name and
the device is not a mode m, but that 's what it's
ca lled . Cable modem service, having emerged
early this year, is provi<led by cable TY (CAT V)
<.: um panies. The "cab le mode m" equ ipment connects between the C ATV cable and a personal
computer. T hat 's rig ht: the one cable brings in
norm al TV and a 2-way high-speed connection
IO the Internet. Telepho ne lines are not involved.
T herefore, no d ialu p; no time lim it ; no infernal
logging on and o ff, and fo r the most part , no
delays in surli ng the Internet. Yo u j ust log on
and stay logged on fo r as long as you please ...
days, weeks, months.
Cable m odem service is utterly awesome at
Ethernet speed s of up to 10-Mbps. In practice,
there are fac tors that interfe re with that upper
limit, but I downloaded the I0 .5 MByte M icrosoft
Internet Explorer during " prime time" in 18 sec
for a speed of 5.8 Mbps. Another time too k 16
sec (6.5 Mbps) .
[Note: lower case " b" means bits while upper
case "B" mem1s bytes. Telecom speed is measured in bits per seco nd (bps) while tile sizes are
usually stated in bytes (8), kiloby tes (kB ), or
megabytes (MB). T here are normally 8-bits in a
byte, but in tclccom, start and stop bits are added
to each byte, so fi g ure 10 bits per byte when
calc ulating tclecom perfo rmance. I

I Cable Modem Benefits

T he sig ni fi<.:ance o f cable modem service is
c lear: speed is as fast or faster than a hard disk
drive. On-line time is not limi ted . Real-time or
near-real-time connecti vity w ith o thers is the
rule rather than the ex<.:ep tio n, affording audio video-chat colla boration and much more. Even
the fastest anal og modems are very , very s low in
the most <.:onservati vc <.:ompariso ns. T he slug gard performance of analog modem s, not to
mentio n the hassle of watching your co nnect
ti me and logging on and off w ith IS P 's, evolves

Cable modem service is be ing rapidl y implemented in larger metro areas. T he fo llo wing are
said to have operational networks as o f th is
writing: Seattle. Portlan<l . San Francisco. Palo
A lto, Los Ange les. Orange C ou nty, San Diego,
Phoenix . San Anto nio. Ho usto n. Omaha, C hicago. Minneapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Lou isville. Atl anta. Tampa, Baltimore. Philade lph ia.
Hartford , Boston. and Long Is land. Others have
probab ly co me o n-line by now and many more
are certai nly in the plan ning stages.
Cable modem service is sti ll relati vely new
and unknown. Yo u may no t have been aware of
the service or you m ay have di smi ssed it as ''pie
in the s ky" or even as a gimmick or a fad. Not to
worry, it has co me of age, so you should contact
your C AT V company and po ignantly ask when
they are go ing to implem ent the service. A lso
ask if you can get o n their beta test team if the
service hasn ' t been impleme nted . Pre- lau nch
<.: a ble modern service providers tend to be secreti ve and tight- lipped about their plans. so do n 't
be afraid to pester them into fessing up. Som etimes. that's the o nly way you' ll get any information out o f the m.

I Cable Modems & Radio

The object o f this update o n cable modem
service is ... o f coursc ... radio! Look at it this way:
if you are connected wi th the world 's storehouse
of information, then you 11 be inc li ned to pursue
your interest in rad io to a de pth ne ver before
possib le. Cable mod em service re presents the
most formidable tool yet fo rthe rad io warbag , so
d on ' t hesitate to investigate it. T he fo llowing
two URL' s are good places to lau nch your
search for more in fom1ation:
http://w ww.mot .com /M I MS/ M ultim edia /
prod/sp ecs/m odem.html
htt p ://ww w .c n ct. co m /Co nt cn t/F ea tu r es/
Techno/Cablem od cms/?dd
Merry Christmas and a prospero us. Ha ppy
New Year to all !
E-mail:
WWW:

FTP:
FAX:
Postal:

bcheek@san.rr.co m
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/
homepoges/ bcheek
hp:/ / ftp.els.com/ pub/ bcheek or ftp://
204.210.20. 47
(6 19) 578-9247 a nytime
PO Box 262478; San Diego, CA
92 196-2478

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

83

(OMPUTERS & RADIO

John Catalano, PhD
;_ catalano@conknet.com

RADIO-RELATED SOFTWARE REVIEWS

Total RecAll

' m always on the prowl for software that

wi ll be of interest and use to our Monitoring Times' readers. Well. this mont h I think
we have a program that we all can use. For
profess ionals and hobbyists. SWLers and Scanner people. RccA ll is a program you may have
wanted for a long time.

I So What is RecAJI?
We have all wanted to monitor an event such
as a space shuttle launch only to have a small
obstat:le get in our way: our jobs! Working
certain ly interferes with our li ves and our monitoring. rm sure you would like to know what
goes on in yourtown during the course of a day.
One of the best ways is lo mon itor the local
po lice, fire and emergency services frequencies. But who has the time to si t in front of a
scanner all day'1 Even then. most of the time is
fu ll of silence punctuated by seconds of messages.
There have been a number of products on
the market over the years that record. or "log"
voice messages while you are away. These
hardware "loggers'' range from $59 to $ 150
and leave a lot to be desired when it comes to
quick retrieval of messages and time/date stamping. Add lo this the web (no pun intended) of
tangled wires and power supplies that comes
al ong wi th many of these loggers.
But what would you say if I told you that you
can have exact time stamping. easy message
recovery based on time of message. only one
wire lo connect and all for $ 15? Yup, that's
what I thought you'd say. There is one catch.
You need a 386 computer (or better), Windows
3. 1 or 95. a simple sound card (.wav compatible) and a hard drive. Rec!\IJ' s hardware requirements arc extremely modest. You can
download a free demo "non-crippled" version
from their web site, www.sagebrus h.com.

I How Does a $15 Logger Perform?

We begin by downl oad ing the RecAll file
from the Internet to a holding fi le on floppy or
hard drive. This is qu ickly accomplished in a
few minutes since the fi le is only 300K in size.
RccA ll comes in two flavors. RECALLIO.ZIP
for Windows 3. l or RECALL2 I .Z!P for Windows 95. For this first try we wi ll run the
progra m in Windows 95 on a Pe nti um 133
MHz. Once downloaded. th1.: compressed pro84

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

gram requires the use of an Unzip program

(either DOS or Windows based). Then. you're
ready to go.
Starting the program in Windows 95 brings
up Figure I. l connected the sound cards port
labeled " input'' to the earphone output of an old
GE portable radio with squelch control (purchased at a ham fes t for$ I). The rad io was tu ned
to the local constabul ary in the 150 MHz band.
Then l adjusted the radio's volume control
so that. with a signal present. the vertical window on the left side of RecAll showed a ,alue
of 40 or greater. Dragging the " Level Set"
arrow on the side of the window sets the recorder' turn-on level. l set it to l 5: below the
s ignal present level to insure turn-on. Now
we're almost ready to start digital recorder
logging.

FIGURE 1
16

~[
..,-< 1
J.evel

Segirent f37 of 116

50

Rate 8 kHz
Resolution 8 bi
Size 14.21 MB

Mon Sep 2915:55:01 1997

fo;ition -

Ji---------

Now go back to RecAll's ma in menu. C lick

on the left bull on lo start logging messages. The
tape recorder- li ke bultons arc straightforward
and easy to use. That's it. And if you think that
was ea~y. just check ou t playback.

Play It Again Sam

Once you hit the stop bulton. or you reach
your hard disk memory limit. RccAll will be
ready fo r playback. First use the "Fil e and then
the open" menu to se lect the fi le you want to
play back. Then pres~ Play and a square will
move horizontally from left to right. Above it
will be the exact date and time (to the second )
when the word you are hearing was logged.
Clicking and dragging the sq uare allows you to
position the playback at any point in the logging. In fact. as you drag the square you wi ll
notice that the time stamp displays, in minutes
and seconds. the real time of that speci ric
message reception. Very elegant. and all for
$ 15!
Using it with a number of other scanners and
receivers gave equally excellent resul ts. I also
tried RecA ll with a microphone instead of the
rad io connect ion. This resu lted in crystal clear
playback. mak ing it usefu l as a dic tation machine orHoneydew" reminder device ("Honey.
do thi s ... Honey. do that .. ).

I What's Not To Like

C licking the 'Options" me nu at the top of
the ReeAll sc reen opens a menu which allows
you to set the amount of hard drive space
RecA ll can use for its loggi ng session. Of
course. the amount of hard drive space wi ll
limit the total recording time. For example. if
you allow the program to use I 0 Meg of your
hard drive th is equates to about 22 minutes of
recording time. Remember, s ince the RecAll
only turns on when a signal is present thi s 22
minutes can be many hours. or even days. of
elapsed time depending on c hanncl(s) activity.
If you have I Gig of drive free. you can record
2 182 minutes, or 36 hours. of active signals.
Also set the directory where you would like
you recorded" files saved. Other usefu l parameters can be set via ptilldown menus. I used
the default va lues for all parameters which did
not require me to se t anything. RccAll stil l
worked like a charm .

The answer to this for Rec All is ... nothing.

The performance is excellent. system requ irements minimal. works in either Win 95 or 3.1 .
is very easy to use. and includes a brief on-l ine
help file. At $ l 5 it blows away any other
hardware message logger. . Yes. you need a
computer and sound card. Well. yesterday. at
the local hamfcst l picked up a 386 computer.
sound card. and 120 mcg hard drive for$35 ! So
those of you who arc saying. "But you need a
comput1.:r to use Rec A 11 !" j ust stop before you
make yourse lf look foo lish.
RecAll works in the background of Window. so. in theory. you can use your computer
wi th other programs whi le RecAll automaticall y logs. On Windows 3. 1 l saw a slight start
delay. when using it in the background. But the
results were stil l perfect copy. And if you are
smart you' II watch for a $35 computer deal and
have a "monitoring on ly" dedicated computer.

I Co-Existing with Monitoring Software

OK. So on its own merit RecAll pcrfonns
great and is defi nitely worth $ 15. But how
about when we are using one computer for both
RccAll and a receiver control and frequency
logging program ? Good question. Next time
we get together we II have the answer by trying
a couple of popular of contro l programs and
RecAll in both W indows 3. 1 and Windows 95.
Stay tuned.

I Talking About Windows...

The number of people I speak to who are
hav ing problems w ith Microsoft's Windows
seems to be on a steep increase. A few of you
have contacted me concern ing problems you're
havi ng with communications in the Windows
environment. L et me say that I run Windows 95
on my business computer. W indows 3.1 on my
persona l and laptop computers. and DOS/
Win3. I on my ..playing around.. computer. The
first two are Pentiums and the others arc -l86s.
It's no industry secret that W indows 3. 1 was
(and is) an exce llent effort by Microsoft to
bring the ease of a graphical user interface
(GU I) to the world of DOS command line
users. But if you cut through all the marketi ng
hype you' II find that W in 3. 1 is a DOS program
and not trul y a new operating system. Thi s
allowed program de velopers and users 10 stop
Windows 3. 1 and fal l back 10 their DOS roots
if problems occurred- in some cases a regular
occurrence.
The stitching together of ex isling DOS and
Windows 3. 1 is still an unnaiural act. in my
opinion. In order for applications to run in Win
3.1 1hey must mee1 the Wi ndows sysiem's
condi1ion as we ll as DOS sysi em condi1ions.
L ots of combinaiions of hardware paramcicrs
result: some of them causing a conflict and a
resulting W indows' crash. U suall y. chis w ill
result in us being 1hrown back into DOS. But at
least it i s manageable in DOS when things go
wrong. E111er Windows 95. The images of people
actuall y wai ti ng on line at midn ight in New
Zealand to get the first copies of Win 95 co me
to mind. (Oh. the power of marketing propaganda. And the small evolutionary s!cp between humans and sheep.)
Windows 95 i s a si and-alonc opera!ing system- at leas! tha1 's what M icrosoft implies.
The user never secs a DOS '"C:"' prompl. even
when a problem occurs. Many potential problems Win 95 handles on iis own quite nicely.
But the problems that it cannot handle result in
a system crash wi 1h liulc. if any. in formal ion on
the reason. The only oplion left 10 !he user is to
start !he system again and resort to di vine
intervention ... and I don1 mean from Microsoft.

I Foundations of Sand?
As we try to use our personal compu!ers for

more and differcnl app li cati on ~. and as programmers attempt 10 provide more powerful
appl icat ions includi ng sound and motion, is it
surpri sing that we are experiencing problems')
The 1983 IBM PC and the 1986 ATare siill 1he
basis fur our hot new Pentium 200 MHz running W indows '.WOO. We arc try ing lo expand
our lu xury 1wo slory house 10 become a skyscraper . Bui, buying in!O !he assumption 1ha1
bigger is always beucr. we seem surprised
w hen the foundati on starts 10 crack and fai l.
Oh, sorry. Next time your system seems to

crash for no reason, or an a1 ,ilicaiion that has

worked hundreds of times before will not load.
dun 1worry. Just keep dancing around in colorful clean room suits and waiting on l ine for Win
9X. Remember. life is good ... tha!" s what the
hol y TV ads say.
In 1hi ~ ~ea so n . let" s jus1 l ake a minu1e, cul
away all 1hc commerci alism. and reflect on
what" s of real meaning and value in our short
monal li ves. Maybe we' l l li ve !he next year
w ith a sl ightly different pcrspec1ive. T ill next
year. .. 1

Catch the World with

CiRUnDICi
A world of adventure with the
Grundig Yacht Boy 400 shortwave
radio. Hear news (in English) direct
from the world's capitals ... as it
happens. The compact, easy to
use portable covers all shortwave
frequencies plus AM & FM. With
keypad entry and digital readout,
you won't miss any of the international action!

With the Grundig Traveller Ill,

there is no dialing-ever. To
search any broadcast band use
Auto Scan and the Traveller II I
stops at the next station. Twenty
memories store your favorite
stations for instant retrieval at the
push of a button. Plus the digitaldisplay clock is quartz-accurate.

A Grundig worldband radio is great for an armch air explorer of

any age. Great for international travellers too.
Visit Universal Radio to see the complete line of Grundig
Worldband radios priced from SSO.

Quality shortwave and amateur radio equipment since 1942.

Universal Radio, Inc.

6830 Americana Pkwy.
Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068
'll' 800 431 -3939
"lr 6 14 866- 4267
December 1997

Showroom Hours
10:00 -5:30
Mon Fri.
Thursday
10:00- 7:00
10:00- 3:00
Saturday
Sunday
CLOSED

MONITORING TIMES

85

K's RADIO

Rich Arland, K7SZ

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE FRUGAL MONITOR

k7sz@juno.com

Tuning in to ATUs

ha ve no idea who authored the quote, "you

can'.t l iv~ with' c m anti you can't li.ve .without cm. but surely he hat! to be referring to
antenna tune rs !
First o f' all. let's make one thing perfectl y
c lear: ante nna tuning units ( ATUs) do 110111111e
a111e1111as. They perform impedance matching
between the radio anti the feed line go ing to the
an tenna. ATU are also known by a variety o f
names including " transmatch," matchbox,"
'ante nna tuner." anti "tuner." They a ll perform
the same bas ic fun cti o n: to make the ante nna
c ircuit look li ke the prope r impedance (Z) for
the trans mitter and/ or receiver.
Who needs an ATU? Conservativel y. about
99.5% o f those involved w ith the radio hobby.
Why? Wi thout going into mountains of electronic theory, let's just say that you get the
max imu m sig nal trans fer (both on trans mit and
receive) w hen the antenna impedance matches
the impedance at the o utput of the transm itter o r
the input to the receiver. In essence, an ATU
all ows you to max imize your rece iver/transmitter e ffi c ie ncy.
An ATU also serves to provide another
stage of tuned c ircuitry which helps to suppress
harmonic rad iati on in trans mitters and reject
unwanted incom ing s igna ls in receivers. With

FIGURE 1
L1
Lo Z
(Rig)

Simple L/C Tuner

Lo Z = 50 ll or loss
Hi Z = More than 50 Q

FIGURE 2

L1
Rig
C2

n:Tuner
86

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Buy ur build? Eith er will improve your reception.

the trend by rad io manufacture rs in the last 15
years to g ive us wideband receivers. th is extra
stage of tuned c irc uitry can actually help red uce receiver inte rnwd and increase your
rece iver's perl'nrmance. Therefore . AT Us are
not j ust for the ham radio operato r. Anyone
us ing receiv ing equipment in the HF spect rum
can bene fit from an A T U.

I Four versions to buy or build

ow that I have pointed o ut the benefits of
a tuner. <lo you build or buy? Well. that is
entire ly up tu you . A nte nna tu ners arc nut all
that compl icated. Various confi gurations of inductance (L) and capacitance (C) w ill work qu ite
effecti vely to boost the
overall effi c iency of' your
Hi Z
antenna
farm.
C1 (Antenna)
Pigurc I shows the
basic L/C tuner configuration. Th is is about as
simple as it gets !The neat
pa rt about thi s parti c ul ar
/\T U is that it can be
reversed in the circu it (by
taking the coaxi al cable
fro m th e recei\'er or
transm itte r and connecting it to the "antenna"
s ide o f the circ uit and
con necting the antenna
Antenna to the '' in put" side of the
ci rcuit) to accompli s h
C1
variou s m atching re quire me nts. T h is tune r
works great with rando m
le ngth w ire antennas or
vertical s.

It will also work wi th coaxial fe<l antennas,

too. However. by addi ng a second tunable
capac ito r (C-2 ) on the "radio" side of the circu it. you now ha ve a much mo re llexiblc tuning
un it that wi ll tune a w ider range o f' impedances
(sec Figu re 2). T his configurat ion is called a
" P f" tuner. because it looks li ke the G reek letter
it. Thi s tuner does an exce llent j ob of suppressing second harmon ics from trammi tters. T here
is one more knob to play w ith. bu t th is is a very
llexible design that is very easil y duplicated
u~in g junque hox components.
Figu re 3 show, the ''S PC Tune r" by Doug
DeMaw. W I FB : a variatio n o n Luu McCoy's
" Ultimate Trans match ." T hi s des ig n has been
featu red in the !\ RRL Radio !\111are11rs Ha11dhook 1 fo r at least I0 years o r more and perfor ms very well. It prov ides a constant input
impedance for the trans mitter or receiver and
tunes a very wide range of impedances. It is
more con1plicatcd than the p revious two tu ners
hut it works g n:a1 and. provid ing you are an
adroit scrounge r. you shoul d be ab le to proc ure
all t he parts for thi s c ircu it at hamfest
fleanw rkc ts.
Ou r final tuner (Figure 4 ) is a variati on of
the Grove T UN-J . w hic h was a g reat lin le
receiver accessory whic h unfortunate ly is no
longer manufactured. S ince this ATU is <lcs ig ne<l for use with re<.:eivers on ly. you ca n get
by with us ing molded inducto rs and s mall
capac itor~ to sa\'e space. Mo user Electronics:
has the necessary parts fo r this p roject anti even
an inexperie nced bu ilder s hould only spend
one eveni ng constructing this ATU.
No ti ce it is a basic L/C tu ner and therefore
wi ll work very we ll w ith end fe<l , random
length w ire ante nnas . I ha ve also used this tuner
to couple my receivers to the alumi num ra in
gutters on my house . It works great and defi n itely improves receiver performance . RE-

J1

J3

DUMMY

LOAD

f 8 -30MH1

C2A

Ct

N.C.
ANT.

XMTR
t5 0 nl

200

FIGURE 3: Schematic
diagram of the SPC circuit.
Capacitance i11 pico/ arads.
Used wlper111issio11.
MEMBER: this is a light duty tuner and you
rnnnor rransmir through this device.

Going Commercial
Commercial transmatches are offered by a
number of companies. MFJ 3 has a fine selection of tuners fo r a variety of budgets as well as
a host of radio accessories at reasonable prices.
Many of MFJ' s tuner designs use a tapped
air-core coil and a rotary sw itch to change
inductance values. This is definitely a step
above those tuners that use toroidal inductors
for the main coi l. because toroid coils tend to
saturate quite easi ly in the presence of RF
which changes thei r inductance dramatically.
Recently MFJ started marketing several
roller inductor models of their previously proven
ATU designs. The big di fference is that with a
roller inductor you can achieve a perfect match,
since the roller inductor will allow you to select
an infinite number of UC combinations. I have
been usi ng the MFJ model 969, featuring the
Air Core Roller lnductor'm and 160 through 6
meter coverage, for about six months with my
classic Drake TR-4C transceiver. Rated for 300
watts of RF power, the MFJ 969 is an excelle nt
choice for those of us who do not have the time
or inclination to construc t a tuner from scratch.

FIGURE 4

Rcvr

I use my MFJ-259 antenna analyzer when

initially setting up my tuner's controls. By
coupling the analyzer into the tuner and tuning
the ATU for minimum SWR on the analyzer, I
am assured of fast, accurate band changes when
operating. These switch and knob settings are
logged on a small index card that s its next to the
tuner. When I change bands, it is a simple
matter of presetting the MFJ 969 ATU controls
pert he index card, and tuning the transmitter. A
quick touch-up of the tuner controls whi le
watching the big cross-needle SWR meter in
the tuner and I am ready to go.
Retail cost of the MFJ 969 is $ 179.95, but
you can find them cheaper at hamfests or dealers. In all, it is a solid performer that won' t
break the bank.

The KIS Project

Let's take another look at Fig 4. This simple
little project is a good starter project for those
new to home construction and wi ll provide the
bui lder wi th a very useful receive-only ATU
for about $25, if al l parts are purchased new. A
little junque box scrounging should substan tially cut the costs.
About the on ly critical component is the
case. Stay away from plastic or non-metallic

L1

J1

J2

cases. A Hammond Series 1590 diecast aluminum enclosure would be ideal. These are RF
tight enclosures and, although they are a bit
pricey, they do offer excellent isolation for
tuner components. Antique Electronic Supply
4
offers a selection of Hammond boxes. Part
number P-H I 590C is about the right size for
thi s project.
The rest of the parts are readily obtainable.
A tuning capacitor from an AM transistor radio
is used forcapacitorC-1. Inductors L-1 to-4 are
molded RF chokes available from Mouser Electronics. Input/output connectors can be BNC,
5-way binding posts, S0-239s, or whatever
you have handy. Parts spacing is non-critical.
Just do a good job soldering so your connections are clean and shiny.
Switch S-1 is a multi-position, single pole,
non-shorting rotary switch. Use what you have
on hand. Unused switch poles need not be
connected together. If you have a 12 position
rotary switch and only use the first five positions, that's OK.
Place your new UC tuner in between the
antenna and your rece iver. Do not try transmitting through this device as it is designed f or
receiving only! Pick a band, peak your receiver
preselector (if it has one) and then rotate the
tuner capacitor to obtain maximum noise. Step
through the various inductor settings on S-1
and quickly tune the main tuning cap again to
find the UC combination that provides the
most noise or signal strength on your S-meter.
That is all there is to using this little device.
Rest assured that your new tuner is providing
the most signal into your receiver once it is
"peaked." Additionally, this unit will provide
an extra tuned c ircuit ahead of your receiver,
helping to e liminate out of band signals that can
degrade receiver performance.
For the more adventurous, if you want to
modify the des ign and add another capacitor to
the input side of this tuner, you w ill then have
a classic "PI" tuner which will be capable of
matching wider impedance ranges and provide
more attenuation of unwanted signals. Feel free
to improve upon the basic design.
That's it for this column. Enjoy your new
tuner and have fun on the bands. And remember
to Keep It Simple!

Antenna

Footnotes:
C1

SIMPLE LJC RECEIVER TUNER

S1 =4 psn Non-shorting rotary switch
Mouser #105-14571
C1 =365 pF air variable (old BC receiver)

L1 = 1000 H Mouser # 43LQ1 03

L2 = 150 H Mouser # 43LQ154
L3 =47 H Mouser # 43LQ475
L4 =4.7 H Mouser # 43L0476

1 American Radio Relay league, 225 Main

Street, Newington, CT 06111 TEL: (860) 5940200 FAX: (860) 594-0259
2Mouser Electronics, 2401 Hwy 287N.,
Mansfield, TX 76063-4827 TEL: (800) 346-6873
3 MFJ Enterprises, PO Box 494, Mississippi State,
MS 39762 TE: (800) 647- 1800 FAX: (601) 323655 1
Antique Electronic Supply, P.O. Box 27468,
Tempe, Al 85285-7468 TEL: 602) 8205411
FAX: (602) 820-4346 or (800) 706-6789

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

87

Avcom PSA65C Spectrum Analyzer

nyone who has been exposed to

radio reception for very long eventually comes across the spectrum
analyzer, a handy tool for adding vision to
hearing for acquisition of signals. Spectrum analyzers graphically represent a large
chunk of radio spectrum as a left-to-right
baseline across the screen, low frequencies to the left and high frequencies to the
right; active signals pop up as peaks or
"spikes" on the screen, relative to their
position in the spectrum.
For example, if you are "looking" at
signals between, say, 88 and 174 MHz,
you would see tall spikes clustered at the
left representing powerful FM broadcasters, and somewhat reduced spikes between
150-174 MHz where the land mobile radio
services operate.
More advanced models include FM or
even AM detectors to enable the spectrum
analyzer to hear the communications for
their identification. A digital frequency
display helps nail down the unknown even
further.
The spectrum analyzer is the one instrument valued most by technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) specialists - "debuggers" who offer their services to "sweep" offices, homes, industrial installations, and other vulnerable
targets of eavesdroppers. A quick look at
the screen, and roughly 99% of the surreptitious radio transmitters in use can be
spotted.
Spectrum analyzers are also invaluable
for field testing radio frequency (RF) systems, antennas, aligning satellite systems,
cable TV maintenance, electronic R&D
labs, manufacture and production, and for
technicians of cellular, trunking, and conventional two-way radio systems.
Arguably, the most popular, low cost
spectrum analyzer on the market is the
A VCOM PSA65C (upgraded from the
former PSA65A). With competitive units
selling upwards of $10,000 and more, the

aa

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

identify the likely signal. The display also

reads span and start/stop
frequencies . Although
the VCO does drift,
strong signals may be
stabilized for monitoring by digitalfrequency
lock function . There is
no memory storage.
basic A VCOM costs less than $3000. It
provides 1- 1250 MHz frequency coverage
(extend~ble to 200 kHz-4200 MHz with
optional accessories); AM and FM demodulators may be purchased separately for audio recovery of signals.
The amount of spectrum which can be
displayed at one time (span) is variable
from 0-1250 MHz. Sensitivity is on the
order of -95 dBm, roughly 3-4 microvolts,
adequate for general signal detection and
monitoring. The optional FM and AM demodulators are rather wideband, but do a
reasonable job o n stronger narrowband signals which aren't too closely spaced in the
spectrum.
The spectrum analyzer can also be used
as a spectrum display unit with any receiver
equipped with an IF output, such as the
popular ICOM R7000, R7 I00, R8500, and
R9000 series, as well as the AOR AR3000
and AR5000 receivers.
Front panel controls include a calibrated
attenuator and span selector, as well as
scope adjustments.
The unit is powered by 120 VAC, an
external source of 12 voe, or its own
internal rechargeable battery, good for a
half hour or more. The well shielded, metal
cased A VCOM weighs a hefty 18 pounds
and measures J J-l/2"W x 5- J/2"H x 13l/2"D. A BNC connector is provided for
antenna attachment.
Frequency readout is provided by a backlit, microprocessor-controlled LCD; accuracy is only good to about one decimal place
(roughly I00 kHz), but usually adequate to

The Bottom Line

Scanner and short wave listeners will

find the PSA65C very handy, but a little
obstinate to use. A tiny touch of the main
tuning knob skews the dial far in frequency; although a second (fine tuning)
knob is provided. Signals do drift, requiring retuning. Wide bandwidth means stronger signals are favored at the expense of
weaker signals. The A VCOM is heavy and
big. Dial accuracy of +/-1 OOkHz is rather
coarse compared to the high-resolution
readouts available on scanners and communications receivers. You can't sweep a
spectrum and hear a signal at the same
time.
On the other hand, a combination widecoverage receiver and matching spectrum
display unit (SOU) can provide better
single-signal reception and finer frequency
readout, but it represents two pieces of
expensive equipment, and the span of such
combinations is limited to a mere I 0 MHz
maximum, compared with more than 1000
MHz on the A VCOM.
Keep the spectrum analyzer in perspective. It is not intended to replace a communications receiver, it is designed to give a
visual command of the entire spectrum
and allow monitoring of signals present.
And in that respect, the A VCOM PSA65C
probably delivers the biggest bang for the
buck.
(Contact Grove Enterprises for pricing with
accessories)

WHAT'S NEW?

TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN MONITORING TIMES

Radio Sh11k PR090

VLF Radio!

In thi s era of
trunked communi ca ti o ns.
an y sc ann e r
that even ho pes
to foll ow public sa fe ty and
e m ergency
co mmuni cations needs to
in co rp ora t e
trunk-trac king
tec h nolo gy.
Manufacturers
are meeting the demand: Unidcn
introduced handhe ld and desktop
models of their TrunkTrackcrTM
radios earlier this year, and Radi o
Shack now introduces their PR090-a trunk tracking handhe ld
scanner manufactured for Radio
Shack by Uniden.
Like the BC-235XL T , the PR090 is a triple-conversion receiver
with coverage from 29-54. I 08174. 406-512. 806-956 MH z (less
cellular). It will fo llow Motoro la
type I, II , Iii , Hybrid, Smart net,
and Privacy Plus analog systems.
Three hundred memory c hannels plus I 0 priority channels provide fl ex ibility. The PR0-90comes
with an ac adapter/charger, be lt
clip. rubber antenna. one bauery
pack. manual. and frequency guide.
IL's available from your local Radio Shack, or for $269.95 from
Grove Enterprises. 800-438-8 155.

For a sample of the o mnidirectional beacons we've featured in

this issue of MT, the VLF Radio !
cassette tape by Kevin Carey is a
valu able resource. Kev in Carey.
Below 500 k H~ co lumnist and a
fav orite speaker at the now-d iscontinued Grove Expo, brings the
same c larity and thoroughness to
this in fom1ati ve. 60 minute tape.
Also in th is VLF sampler are
recordings of ships at sea. European broadcasters. cxperi ......,..._
m e n t a 1 ~:::.- - - E.5.!f.-.::::
lowfers. milita ry stati on s .
WWVB. t he
nearly defunct
O me ga and
LO R AN systems. and record ings of natura l rad io-those
radio sig nals generated by natural
pheno me na.
The many examples of o n-air
trans mission modes can be useful
for utility receptio n o n othe r bands.
not just VLF. The tape also inc Iudes suggested resources for furthe r reading and even a beaconrelated poe m! Accompanying the
tape a re re fe re nce no tes. a
lo ngwave spectrum chart. and a
reproducible logshcet.
VLF Radio! is available from
Kev in Carey (P.O. Box 56, West
B loo mfi e ld. NY 14585: emai l:
kcarey@ mdsroc.cnm ) for SI 1.95
U.S .

Take Control of your

ARSOOO
When you re the proud owner
of the AR-5000 wide-coverage receiver and Spectrum Display Unit
combinati on, the AOR Hawk 5000
software has the abili ty to s impli fy
your life by a llowi ng you to contro l both units at your computer
screen. Adding the power of your
computer to thi s sophis ticated
monitori ng syste m will not o nly
add remote and automatic operating features, but make it more
manageable, as we ll. $ 169.95 from
Grove Ente rprises; call 800-4388 155 for syste m req ui rements.

~.::::-..:.:..:

~--

Audio A"essory
Looking fo r a stocking stuffer?
He rc ' s something useful for anyone w ho liste ns LO communications as a hobbyist or o n the j ob.
For o nl y $9.95 the MFJ -28 1
ClearTo ne external speaker wi ll
turn the typically tinny audio of a
hand held radio o r transceiver int o
mo re inte ll ig i b I e
speech. The
spe ak e r is
desig ned Lo

improve voice audio in the range

600 - 4000 Hz, while reducing
no ise. stati c. and hum. It even
c laims to improve the sound of
CW, making it easier to copy.
The speaker houses a 3-inc h
Mylar cone speaker in a case measuring roug hl y 3-3/4 inches by 21/4 inches. It will handl e 8 watts@
8 ohms, and comes with a six foot
cord ending in a 3.5 mm mo no
plug. For your nearest dealer o r to
order cal I MFJ Enterprises at 800647- l 800. And tell them you saw
it in Moni1ori11g Times'

Portable Power
C utting Edge Enterprises has
expanded its line of portable power
suppl ies to fi ll your needs whenever you're o n the go. Users of
handheld scanners o r transceivers
should be delighted with the new
35 watt base station. Just d rop your
hand hcld into the removable side
pocke t for transport. or plug it into
the PowerPort RF-35 for ope ration. The RF-35 ($ 179.95) is rechargeable and provides 9 amp
hours of 12 V de power. Ham radio

operators wi ll get two and a half

hou rs of solid transmit time and
extensive standby before recharging is requi red.
Sli ghtl y li ghter in weig ht and
power is the RF-35 Jr. ($ 159.95) at
2.3 amp hour de power. g iving 45
minute solid ta lk. Both units come
fully charged, w ith RG- 174/U
mini -cable. BNC connector, and a
miniJ , two-meterantennaon !Oft.
of cable which tucks into an accessory pocket.
If you th ink that's g reat, you
can e ven get a rechargeable power
supply w ith enough "oomph" to
power light hand tools and small
motors as well ! PowerPort 259
supplies up to 500 watts to start
heavy loads, w ith a continuo us
output of 250 watts at 115 volts
AC. If you need DC power, it will

December 1997

prov ide up
to 20 amps.
One DC and
two AC outle ts make
several tool
or lightin g
co mbinations available at one time. It's a lso
perfect for rechargi ng small hand
tools. video cameras. laptop compute rs, e tc. whi le in the field .
PowerPo rt 259 is $ 179.95 plus
shipping; 140 watt and 50 watt
versions also available.
Contact Cutt ing Edge Ente rpri ses,
800-206-0 11 5.
c111edgen1@aol.co111 ( 1803 Mission
St., Suite #546, Santa C ruz, CA
95060).

Opto R11
What has twice the sensiti vity
of an Opto Scout frequen cy counter
and costs less than half the price of
thcOptoXplorer? IL'sthe ncw RI I
Near Field Test Receiver fro m Optoelectronics. Fans of the old R-1 0
know what a handy tool the little
receiver can be- not o nl y locking
onto the strongest FM sig nal in the
near fi eld but re produc ing the audio for you to hear. No need to
fumbl e with a frequency counte r/
receiver combinatio n.
New features in the R 11 arc its
abil ity to lock out up to 1000 unwanted sig nals like FM broadcast
stat io ns, in creased sensitivit y
which allows recepti on of a 5 watt
UHF sig nal at a
di s tance of 600
feet. and the ability to ho ld and lock
on a desired sig nal
until you are read y
to sweep again.
Th e
RII
sweeps a range of
3 0MH z-2G H z
(less cellul ar) in
less than one seco nd! When it locks
o nto a strong signal . LEDs indicate
t he genera l frequency range of the locked signal- anothe r requested feature
added by Opto.

MONITORING TIMES

89

Using the R 11 together with a Scout

frequency recorder adds some additional fealures. including the abi li1y
to Reaclion Tune 10 any frequ ency
captured or recorded by the Scout. (A
$9 patc h cord CB-RT is required.) At
$399 the R I I is a moderately-priced
test receiver with a multitude of applications .
The R- 1 I is awaili ng FCC type
acceptance. For more information o r
to order, call Optoelectronics 800327-59 12 or visit:
www .optoelectronics.com

Zenith Radio

in every sense. Enthusiasts and

colleclors alike will delig ht in
Zenith Radio, The Early Years
1919-1935 by H arold Cones and
John Bryant. This new piclorial
essay hig hlights lhe birth and
glory years of 1his American radio manufac turer. Hundreds of
product photos. many in fu ll color.
combine with an extensive ill ustrated histo ry of the company.
The book, published by Schiffer,
is $ 19.95 plus shi ppi ng from
Gro ve E nterpri ses. 800-4388 155.

UK SW Listener's
Guide

Few Ilea market radi os stir the

interesl as the Zeni1h brand. a classic

The Short Wme Listener 's

Guide by Ian Poole - a new, 200
page work by the promine nt British author of radio-re lated publ ications - is a little more technical than most " how 10" shortwave listeners' (SWL) books, bul
this is refreshing in that the explanations are done we ll and

He inema n n. PO Bo x 4500 ,
Woburn. MA 0 180 1-204 1; ph.
(6 17) 928-2500.

should be appealing to liste ne rs w ho

wi sh a little
more girth to
their rudimenta r y
SWL knowledge.
B ei n g
British, some of the vernacular
may see m " fore ig n" at first
("earth" for "ground," "aerial"
for "ante nna." etc.), but it is quite
undersland able. Concepts like sud es ign ,
pe rhetero d y ne
intermodul ati o n, propagation.
synchronous detection , phase
noise, and countless others are
exp lained in lay m an's te rm s.
Minimal math is used to show
signal phasing and mi xing.
Additional chapters cover services to be heard on the SW spectrum, li stenin g tips and techniques, and charts listing amateur
prefi xes and call areas.
Short Wa ve Listener 's Guide
is S28 .95 from Butte rw o rth-

Sound Card Logging

Here's a nifty way to use your
computer: If you have a sound
card that allows wave audio recording, you can use it to record
the aud io fr o m your rad ios
(whether shortwave or scanner)
using Digital Audio Logger soflware from Scan*Star. The program saves time and channel information along w ith the audio.
When you play it back the screen
displays the actual time of intercept , the frequency, PUDPL tone,
and channel identi fication .
T his is a new additi on to the
Scan*Star for Windows Plus; as
an upgrade it is avail able fo r
$49.95, or you can purchase the
entire package for $ 199.95 incl uding the audio logger. Call G rove
Enterprises at 800-438-8155 for
system requirements and scrap
your paper logs forever !

once you use SCANCAT with YOUR radio, you'll NEVER use your radio aJlaln WITHOUT SCANCATI
SCANCAT suppons almost ALL computer controlled radios by: AOR. DRAKE, KENWOOD. ICOM, YAESU and JRC (NRD) Plus PR0-200516135142 (with 054561535). Lowe HF-1 50. and Watkins-Johnson .

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INTRODUCING SCANCAT GOLD FOR WINDOWS "SE" POWERFUL FEATURES SUCH A S : - - - Demographic search for lroqueocy coordma11on and 2-way Usage A.na1ys1s
De1oilod logging to ASCII typo files with DATE, TIME, Sig Sir. Air n no.
UNLIMITED file sizes with our exclusive SCANCAT flling method

Exclusive "MACRO" control by frequency ol DweU. Hang. Resume.

Sig. Treshhold and oven 6 separate programmable. aud1b1e alarms.
Gammond llno options for TIMED ONJOFF ( Unattended) 1ogging/searchos.
Aun as many ns 6 di!ferent C!-V addressable radios as "Master/Slave.

SEVERA L GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS MODES AVAILABLE

se

W11h Scanca1 Gale lor Windows "SE." your spectrum never looked so good' Load Vlrtually any databa5e and Scanca1
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:

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SCANCAT GOLD "SE" ..... $159.95

+ S& W

IF THAT ISNT ENOUGH, try thls...Mulllcotorod, 3-0

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UPGRADE from SCANCAT GOLD FOR WINDOWS .... ... $59.95

Comes with 6 FOOT cable. o.nd Odapters to flt all uni1s wilhin
a single package (Must Specify Yaesu)
Unlike stng1o radio adapters. can be used wilh ANY radio
supported. simply change the ndapter, !hen "Plug and Ptay.
Expandable in future wuh a simple add on adapter.
No exlornal Power required Draws power from compv1cr.
"Reac1loo lune~ scout with NO mOC111tcat1ons 10 radio

90

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

+ S& W

ss

U.S.
$7.50 FOREIGN

Wiretap Detedion
Tethniques
Count e r- s urveillance professionals will
quickly recogni ze the name
of Ted S wift,
an
e xpe rienced, governme nt trained,
countermeasures authority who has
taught the subject for years. He is
the author of Wiretap De1ectio11
Techniques; A Guide Jo Checking
Telephone Lines.
While radio bugs are relati vely
easy to delect, non-radiating bugs
are not. Telephone lines must be
e lectrically analyzed and physically examined . And since they
extend from the immediate premises for great distances, extens ive knowledge about phone syste ms is mandatory.
Swift begins with the basics, a
description of the te lephone and

the line as it exte nds toward the

central office, along with voltage
measurements and a glossary of
terminology. A step-by-step instructi on is pains takingly presented, along with recommendations of inexpensive tools and test
equipment for the job.
One of the most infom1ative
chapte rs is the list of99 frequ ently
asked questions, along w ith authoritati ve answers. A handy glossary helps de fine unfamiliar technical terms.
Wiretap Detection Techniques;
A Guide to Checking Telephone
Lines by Theodore N. Swift is $35
plus $3 shipping from ACM Research Service, PO Box 402 1,
Gaithe rsburg, MD 20885; ph.(301 )
975-0073. For more information
vis it their Web s ite at http://
angelfire.comlbiz/investigator.

NSA Goes Commerdal

NSA - so secretive that it has
been popularly known as "No Such
Agency" - has opened up a mu-

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radio simultaneously

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Books and equipment

for announcement or
seum and gift shop at its headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland. O nly
four years ago you would have
found no signs that even identified
the e xistence of the National Security Agency. The gift shop opened
this past summer, and items with
the NSA seal, such as coffee mugs
and mouse pads, were an instant
sell-out.
The museum is open Mon-Fri
9-3, Sat I 0-2. A map can be found
at the NS A w e bs ite at
www.nsa.gov. The exhibits feature displays such as a fragments
of a U-2 spy plane and the Berlin
Wa ll and the fam ed "Enigma" coding machine used by the Nazis in
World War II. At the "spy shop"
you can buy a code-book with disappearing ink, books, a gol f towe l
with NSA insignia, and more.

review should be sent to

''What's New?"
c/o Monitoring Times,
P.O. Box 98, 7540 Hwy
64 West, Brasstown, NC
28902
Press releases may be
faxed to 704-837-2216
or e-mailed to
mteditor@grove.net.

"The Standard Against Which All Future Decoders Wiii Be Compared"

Many radio amateurs and SWLs are puzzl ed! Just what are all those strange
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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

91

MAGNE TESTS
Lawrence agne
Editor-in-Chief, Passport to World Band Radio

SHORTWAVE EQUIPMENT REVIEW

Grundig Traveller Ill Portable

or those of us whose idea of a perfect

day is getting up before sunri se to catch
DX from Latin America, As ia and the
Pacific, there are some obv ious favorites
among portables. Such models as the Sony
ICF-20 IO are replete with he lpful operating
control s, superior performance and useful features like synchronous selectable sideband.

The Grundig
Traveller Ill has
"quite good"
selectivity,
although in some
other respects
performa nce is
modest, according
to Magne.

Smaller and cheaper equals better

But these beauties al so tend lo be relati vely
large and costly. For the everyday traveler
who wants to keep in touch with news on the
go, smaller, cheaper models make more sense.
They fit better into carry-on bags, and if
they 're lost - or "lost" - the financial hit
isn' t intolerable.
It's not just hotels and the like where electronic gear disappears, either, as I fo und on a
recent trip to Europe. I use my cell phone
going to and from airports, so it's always with
me when I go abroad, even though it won' t
fun ction overseas. The flight had been delayed by a couple of hours, so I was using the
cell phone w hile in the waiting area before
boarding, right in front of 'over I00 fe llow
passe ngers. When I boarded the plane, I stowed
it in my zippered carry-on, stuck it in the
overhead bin, then slept throughout most of
the flight.
When I arrived, the phone was nowhere to
be found. Someone, it seems, fo und it to be
irresistible and made o ff with it while I was
sawing logs.
So it's not surpri sing that Grundig has had
considerable success sell ing low-cost world
band portables to the traveling public. Chief
a mong these hot sellers has been its ''Traveller" series of portables, which tend to get
modest marks in our reviews in Passport to
World Band Radio and MT. These radios arc
widely sold on aircraft, at airports , a nd in
other places frequented by international trave lers, a nd so are ofte n the fi rst shortwave
radios people own.

Omits coverage from 7405-9395 kHz

Handy travel features

The Gru ndig Trave ller 111-"traveller" is
the British spelling- is the latest and best in
the series, and at $ 129.95 the least inexpe nsive. Unusually compact and light, the TR III,
which is remarkably similartoGrundig's snazzier Porsche-designed G2000A, has nu mer-

92

MONITORING TIMES

ous travel-oriented features. These include a

travel power lock, timer, 24-hourclock, alarm,
and delayed-off "snooze" control to override
hote l noise. Alas, the LCD is not illuminated,
a drawback for li stening in dimly lit hote l
rooms or evenings on surfside patios. Bei ng
inte nded for trave l, it has no AC adaptor,
although like most portables it has a socket
for one.
It comes with no tuning knob. but includes
a keypad in standard tele phone-key format, a
handy meter-band control se lector, "signalseek" scann ing to a utomatically bandscan
active c hannels, up/down slewing and 20
station presets-ten for world band, fiv e for
FM and five for AM. Although thi s is more
than adequate. there's an archaic SW l/SW2
sw itc h to se lect that has to be used to go
between the lower and upper porti ons of the
shortwave spectrum. Too, there 's an annoying one-second pa use when tuning fro m one
c hannel to the next.

December 1997

The TR Ill tunes the usual FM band, as

well as the extended AM band and shortwave
from 2300-7400 and 9400-26100 kHz. An
obvious shortcoming is that it misses world
band stations operating from 7405-7600 a nd
9000-9395 kHz, although powerful stations

between 7405 and 7600 kHz can often be

tuned on "image" frequ enc ies 900 kH z lowe r;
thu s. for example, a station on 7465 kHz might
be audib le on 6565 kHz-a solution that is
probably too arcane for world band newb ies.
Also, the TR III doesn' t tune longwave. w hich
is used in such parts of the world as Europe and
North Afri ca.
The LCD di splays di gits in the XX.XX
M Hz/XX .XX5 MHz for mat pec uli ar to
c heaper Chin ese-made radios.
Tuning is in 5 kHz incre me nts, w hich although somew hat coarse for radio aficionados
is handy for casual shortwave li ste ning. The
freq uency display is shared with the clock
di splay. but you can check the time while
liste ning by pressing a button.
Ot her featu res are a microprocessor reset
contro l, wh ich can be a godsend in the unlikely event th at the microprocessor "freezes."
and a marginally useful s ingle-LED tuning
indi cator. The antenna rotates and swivels. a
plus for optimal recepti on on FM and shortwave. as we ll as insurance that the antenna
won't break at its base.
Modest overall performance, but
superior selectivity
Overall, performance is pedestrian. The
bri ght spot is selectivity, whi ch is quite good

even though there is but one bandwidth and

there is internally generated interference from
a plethora of annoying "i mage' signals. Audio qua li ty is quite reasonable on shortwave
and AM, although on FM there is little in the
way of low-frequency ("bass") response.
But weighing again st these virtues is mediocre sensiti vity to weak signals, especially
below 7400 kHz. This can bea real proble m in
much of Asia, Australas ia, Latin America a nd
even North America west of the east coast. In
Europe, North Africa and the Middle East,
w here signals tend to be strong, thi s is less
important, but eve n there Americans trying to
tune in evening signal s from North America
will find that many s implywon' t come through
unless a length of wire is clipped directly onto
the set's built-in telescopic rod.
T he Traveler Ill has obvious appeal as a
travel radio, and serves a commendable "miss ionary function.. by introducing the fl ying
public to world band radio. Still, the Grundig
Yacht Boy 305, w hi ch goes for the same price.
is on ly slightly larger and is a much better
performer. If you can stand the slight increase
in size, the harder-to- find 305 is the way to go.

in providing parts and service for the curre nt

ICF-2010 portable, reader Michael He rman
of i\ew York points out that he has had
excellent results getting parts for hi s discontinued IC F-2002. His point, that Sony overall
does a good job with parts and service, is well taken . To which I can but add that in my 20
years o f evaluating world ba nd radios I have
rarely encountered s uch stubborn determ ination to re medy a problem as Sony of America
showed when a gli tch developed getting parts
for the '20 I 0.

I Weighty issue raises questions

Numerous readers, having seen the Mahatma-like photo of me on page 72ofthe 1998
Passport to World Band Radio, have asked
fo r the secret for my apparently successful

I Sony service kudos

Referring to earlier comments in this column about Sony's now-remedied difficulties

RAD IO DATABASE INTE RNA TIONAL WHITE PAPERreports contai n virtually everything found during
exhaustive tests of premium shortwave
receivers and outdoor antennas. For a
complete list, please send a self-addressed
stamped envelope to RDI White Papers,
Box 300M, Penn' s Park PA 18943 USA:
or go to www.passport.com.

This eq uipment review is performed independently by Lawre nce Magne and his colleagues in accorda nce with the policies and
procedures oflnte rnational Broadcasting Services, Ltd. It is completely independe nt of the
policies and procedures of Grove Enterprises,
Inc., its advertisers and affi liated organizations.

WEATHER STATION

I Japan Radio NRD-545 planned for

1998
Toshimichi Ohtakc. one of our veteran
colleagues at Passport to World- Band Radio.
recently had an opportunity to lay ha nds on a
pre-production vers ion of the planned new
Japan Radio NRD-545 "superset." W ith digital signal processing, ala the pricey WatkinsJohnson HF-1000, this receiver holds great
promise for DX purists.
Nevertheless, he reports that the ' 545 has a
ways to go before it will be developed adequately to go into produc tion. Best bet is that
the bugs will be ironed out sometime in 1998,
and we' ll keep you up to speed as to how thi s
interesting saga unfolds.

weight reduction plan. Alas, I cannot add this

to the roster of helpful advice offered in the
pages of MT as that photo was taken before I
met Jane, my curre nt wife, w hose c ulinary
expertise is evidenced by the more recent
photo of yours truly which appears in splendid a nonymity on page 138 of that same
edition.

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MCA204 :

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STRIDSBERG ENGINEERING, INC.

P.O. Box 5040
Shreveport, LA 71135-5040, USA.

December 1997

.. . . ... $155.00

Phone: (318) 861-0660

Fax: (318) 861-7068

MONITORING TIMES

93

SCANNER EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR MONITORING POST

Bob Pornoss, AJ95

Uniden Bearcat BC895XLT Trunl<Tracl<er

he Uniden Bearcat BC895XLT is a

triple conversion scanner designed to
scan conventional and popular types
of Motorola trunked radio systems. Its 300
channels are allocated amo ng 10 banks and
a 2 second rescan delay may be programmed
on a per channe l basis. A q uery feature
identifies duplicate memory channels and a
Send key pe rmits mov ing the contents of
any nonpriority c hannel to anothe r channel.
A large tuning knob serves as a channel
selector or as a VFO control but can be
d isabled via a Lock key. We found a trick
which lets you load a frequency into the
YFO without writing into a me mory channe l, an improvement over the BC9000XLT:
I. Press the Freq/Chan key to put the
BC895XLT into Freq mode, enabl ing the
VFO.
2. To load a freque ncy into the YFO, press
the digit keys, then twist the tuning knob.
To load a frequency into both the YFO and
memory, press the digit keys followed by
Enter.

f~.~

;..

,.. ...
..

u.Ol :w..-1 """'" '

~

, ,.. . , , .. ,,4

c ...,,.,_,,

,..
'

2 '' 1

r)

~)

--

..

programmed for searching up or down. Up

to 20 frequencies may be locked out from a
limit search. Like the BC 9000XLT , the
ne w BC895XLT incorporates a sile nt Auto
Store faci lity which permits frequenc ies
found during a s earch to be stored auto maticall y in banks o f your choosing.
AM and NFM emi ssion modes are sele cted automatica lly dependi ng on the freq ue ncy and cannot be overridden. This limits flexibility in the 225 - 400 and 137 - 144
MHz ranges, home to both AM and NFM
government activ ity. The BC895XLT lacks
a WFM detector needed for monitoring
mi litary ai rborne mu lti plex transmi ss ions.

I Other Features

Uniden used the PhilippineTable I shows the keypad/ fr;;j;ji"!ii!"'='~~~,,,,_ manufactured BC895XLT to
powerup tricks we discove red
showcase usefu l ne w features
by experime ntat ion and we s ussuch as built-in CTCSS decodpect there are more tricks to be
~-. . ing squelch, CTCSS "tone findfound.
m~mtlllllil ing," computer contro l port, and
5 segment S-meter.
Various co mbinat io ns o f
banks may be scanned and our
A nonstandard , 5 pin comBC895XLT scans a mixture of frequenc ies
puter connection is available through a ho le
on the rear panel, but Uniden does not
at a speedy 85 channels/sec (CTCSS off).
support the s oftware or cables, which must
Thou gh you can program freque nc ies into
memory in any orde r, the TurboScan algobe provided by unnamed third party venrithm scans frequencies in ascending fredors.* The communications protocol and
quency order within each selected bank.
pi n assignments re main a mystery as they
don't appear in the BC895XLT Operating
Memory scan was tes no time scanning
empty channe ls . Individual c hanne ls can be
Guide .
locked out fro m memory scanning, and
Factory preprogrammed NOAA weather
pressing the LIO key for 2 seconds restores
frequencies are scanned by pressing the
WX key. T he BC895XLT can s erve as a
all locked channels in a bank.
One channel in each bank can be designated a priority channel and is sampled *Cable and software to control non-trunked
e very 2 seconds in manual o r search modes. scanning functions is currently available from
A s ingle pa ir of frequency limits can be Scanner Master, 8000-0722-670 I.

94

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Weather Ale rt radio, armed to emit a bonechill ing siren upo n rece ipt of a NOAA severe weather emergency tone.
The A UX feature pe rmits remote acti vation of a tape recorder or other auxiliary
device on a per-c hannel basis. Sw itching is
accompli shed us ing an internal relay and
the contacts are broug ht out to a rear panel
pho no jack.

I Trunking
The BC895XLT , like its porta ble
BC235XLT brothe r, is designed to fo llow
conversations in Motorola T ype I, T ype II,
T ype Jli, Hybrid, S MARTNET . and PRIVACY PLUS 800 M Hz analog trunk systems (see J ul y 1997 MT for BC235XLT
rev iew). It wi ll not track Ericsson EDACS,
E. F. Johnson, 400 MH z, or 900 MHz
tru nked systems, which mus t be scanned in
the conventi onal mode . The BC895XLT
defaults to Motoro la Ty pe II syste ms which
d iv ide a large number of users into several
gro ups, called ta lk groups. We e as ily programmed three public safety T ype II trunked
syste ms by entering their frequenc ies.
The older T ype I systems organi ze users
into fleets and s ubtleets. Programming a
Type I or Iii system is more co mpli cated
because it requires entering something called
a "Fleet Map." There's no easy way to
v

TABLE 1. BC895XLT l<eypad

Tri cfcs
We found that powering on the BC895XLT while
pressing these keys simultaneously produced
interesting results:
Manual, 2, 9 Reset. Erases all memory channels.
Scan, 2, 9- loads test frequencies into channels 1
- 17.
Delay, 2, 9- displays 000 OF. Can use Hold and
Limit keys to step through addresses 000 - FFF.
Data , 2, 9- displays LOAD
CTCSS, 2, 9- displays H 162.400. Press ALRT to
test alert tone.
Priority, 2, 9- loads channels 1 - 300 with
frequences between 144 and 149.98 MHz in 20
kHz increments.
Trunk, 2, 9- displays Ct, trunk, scanner beeps.

less
sensttve

BC895XLT VHF NFM SENSITIVITY

BC895XL T UHF NFM SENSITlVITY

1Z dB ~NAO. 3 KHZ OEVIATtON, Sfflal S750000tt

12 dO SIMAO, l KHZ OEVlATION, S...W '75000019

D.5

0.5

I'

OA

D.J

>:J

~.... ~
~

>:J

DZ

D.2

more
sensrhve

30

t..

f'-

.fO

45

so

more
serstttve

FREQUENCY (MHZ)

820 3 40 HO ea<> 800 920 140 HO

1~

,.

....

1D

'

DA f - - -

-"

"

..........

,....~ .._ ...... --

--

D.D
100

12 dB SINAD, 30".4 moduLaUon. S.t\al '75000019

D.I

~~

BC895 XLT VHF/UHF AM SENSITIVITY

wnsttlve

0.8

FREQUENCY (MHZ)

'''

pi

DD
400 420 440 460 4*0 500

140 145 150 155 160 115 170 175

determine apriori the prope r Fleet Map

unl ess someone tell s you. Yo u can try each
of BC895XLTs 16 preset Fleet Maps or
enter a custom Fleet Map through the keypad.
Finding the right Fleet Map can be a
long. trial-anti-error process. You have to
try eac h Fleet Map. one at a time. listen to
the trunkl'u system, and try to determine if
the BC895XLTis tracking the fleets properly. If not. you must go on to the nex t Fleet
Map.
The BC895XLT sk ips over telephone
calls and rnnversatio ns o n talk groups designated as private. Our BC895XLT also
skips ove r DYP scrambled tran smissions,
but we could hear a brie f noise burst at the
start of scrambled transmissio ns.
Eac h or the BC895XLT's I0 banks can
be programmed w ith the frequencies for a
single trunked system or wi th freque ncies
for conventi o nal use. but you cannot follow
trunk ed conversatio ns and scan conventional sys1ems at the same time. A Trunk
key selects between trunkin g and conventiona l operation.
When using the BC895XLT fo r trunk
trac king . think in te rms o f talk groups or
fleets instead of frequencies. Talk group
and fl eet numbers, no t freque ncie s. are displayed while search ing or scanning in the
tru nkecJ domain. Fo11unately, Unide n designed the BC895XLTs delay, hold, and
lockout fac ilities so o peration is very similar in both trunk and conve nt iona l domains.
One difference is that the trunking. rescan
de lay is 5 seconds instead of 2 seconds.
You can search or . can for activ..: 1alk
groups in 1hc lrunked do main and lock oul
up to 100 uninte resting talk groups. You
can program up to 5 lists per bank wi th I 0
talk group numbers for scannin g.

--

"

'

35

'

1' ..

- -

D.1 f -

D.1 I -

D.D
25

D.4

D3

I It's

120

more
sers Uva

240

I I
2IO

280

300

320

l40

360

lac

a Winner

We are enthusiastic about the BC895XLT.

Despite hearing a few paging and cellular
images, reception qual ity is head and shoulders above the BC890XLTwe tested in June
1995. Trunk-tracking and CTCSS tone finding features are impressive and we heard
little or no intermod.
Uniden should document the computer
control interface a nd replace the frail, 5 pin
computer port with an industry standard
DB9 or DB25 connector as found in the
!COM IC-R8500 and AOR AR-5000. We
hope Uniden w ill develop a new model,
which merges the BC895XLT's trunking,
computer interface, tone finder, a nd weather
features with the BC9000XLT's wider frequency coverage, a lpha labels, per-channel
hit counter and attenuator, and selectable
modes .

MEASUREMENTS, UNIDEN
BEARCAT BC895XLT SCANNER,
SIN 75000019
Frequency coverage (MHz):
29- 54 (NFM)

FREQUENCY (MHZ)

I Wrinkles
Our BC895XLT scanned slowly and
scanned empty channels when first removed
from the box. The user manual does not
specify a processor reset procedure, so we
applied the same reset procedure used in
earlier Unide n models (see Table I). Our
scanner behaved no rma lly after reset.
The BC895X LT uses the same first and
third lFs as the BC9000XLT , but the second IF differs (sec Measurements table).
Despite the hi g h first IF, our BC895XLT
hears images of cellul ar phone signals in
both the civi l and military air band. Image
rejection in those areas measures 38.5 dB
and 43.0 dB, respectively. Digital paging
signals from a 929 MH z paging transmitter
located 2 miles away interferes wi th o ur
168 MH z reception .
The internal surface mount ci rc uitry
spans two printed c irc uit boards. A metalized plastic shie ld covers front end components and is fastened to the main board with
several screws. Most of the scre w heads
have been covered with tamper resistant
epoxy, perhaps J ue to FCC pressure to
hamper expanded freq ue ncy coverage
modificati o ns.

108 - 136. 995 (AM)

137 - 174 (NFM)
216- 224.995 (NFM)
225 - 399.995 (AM)
400 - 512 (NFM)
806 -823.985, 849.015 - 868.985,
894.015 - 956 (NFM)

Sensitivity: see graphs

FM modulation acceptance: 13 kHz
Intermediate Frequencies:
380.8 or 254.4, 10.85, Qnd 0.45
MHz
Image rejection due to first IF:
32.5 dB @ 155 MHz
38.5 dB @ 11 8.6 MHz
43.0 db @ 370 MHz
Audio output:
1.73 W into 8 ohms at 10% distortion
Practical memory scan speed: 85 channels/
sec.
Search speed:
267 steps/ sec. (5 kHz steps}
100 steps/ sec. (12.5 and 25 kHz
steps)

RadioMapTM
T1AA,m1m:r 'II(' 1n you1 ~;, ~ f"C'<.u\'hal ;and m;art.oj on a
b.eau11ful S- In t. 11 full \ Oklf plot Stt K'C licrnM"J ,,.itcs from VLF
th mush rnit-row;r.-c indud1n1 rofM.-c, firT, ttllulM phooc ~to. ~ inn.,,
mdu~ln~. ~C'I"\ ;and~~ FAA lr.a.nvnintt .Mtn. C,;ill~gnli.
frcqumc) au1gnmcn1}, and namt\ prO\ Kkd. Ham ndto "2tions oot
included.
You~ the R"'f' ttntc1 loc&IH~)""3r nc1Uirortiood. tk":ar )OUT
offlC'c, an.Mind~) M<ldium-any1111hc-rc" v.1th1n 1hc United StalCJ. We ldj\lst
11\:lfl cm cr..~ for t-C'' I rc"xbbt h!y, dtJ'IC'ndinJ on lr.lfli.m111c1 ~itc dcmily.
lm :lluable lo r.. d1n prnfC\\1tJn1l l\ :and hllhhyii.b for idcn1ifying
,,,.. er.. <t;Ollf'C'C'~ of ~lo ln1c1fcm k.-c cic . Send ncarc,1 ~llttl intcn.cction and
dl\'C'~ for ~2CJ.')5 p.i)'ahlc 111Rol-.:11 l'':.111111" .

December 1997

u ..111 r t 1 1 1111.t ' \ \ I \

U. 11!1u 1 111111111 1< ' t m llll m .:
~

i: u llm1 i.:l 1'

u.. 1d

I " "'.!" II

1.11~ " I

MONITORING TIMES

95

TRACKING THE TRUNKS

Lor VanHorn
trocker@grove.net

Trunking Info on the Web

ot a day goes by that I don' t see a new

website announced on our T runkcom
newsgroup that has trunking in formation for 235/895 users. O ne s uch site is in
my native state of Texas by well-known scanner enthusiast Ben Sa ladino, KC5 IRJ , author
of the Radio Manager for Windows and Frequency Manager for Windows. Ben recently
wrote:
'T m g lad to see the new Tracking the
Trunks column in Monitoring Times. I' ve
been a subscriber for years and reall y e nj oy
the magazine.
" I have a website with local scanning information, including Trunk Tracking information, fo r the Da llas/Fort Worth Texas Area.
Th e
U RL
addres s
is :
http ://
www.interplaza.com/sca ndfw/
'Tm also a shareware author, and I'm
working on a Trunk Manager for Windows
computer program for storing, searching, and
web publi shing trunked radio information.
It ' s about 50 percent com ple te and I w ill let
you and MT readers know when it is done."

this site for 2 1 sta tes

John McColman has a g reat website for
those of you in Central Virginia. If you are
looking for trunking information from that
com er of the country, you don't want to miss
John's Big Kahu11a '.1 Ugly Web Page at http:/
/www.r ichmond.infi.net/-j m ccolm a/.
I will have more websites in next month's
colum n.

235X LTand the BC-895XLT bc able to monitor th is tru nked system?

For James and others: if the system is set up
as a Motorola di gita l syste m. the Tru nk T racke rs will follow the syste m, display subOeet
identifications, but the on ly thing you w ill
hear out of the speaker w il l be digit al noise, no
clear voice ana log comms (unl ess the ow ners
of the syste m confi gure it that way).

I Baltimore's New Trunking System

I The Escondido Report

James Smith has passed a long the foll owing information a nd questi on. According to a
Motorola press re lease. the C ity of Ba ltimore s
new 800 MH z d igital trunked two-way radio
communications system will have 28 cha nnels and will e mploy Motorola 's AST RO
XTS 3000 portable radios, Spectra mobi le
radi os, and ONCORE XT globa l pos itioning
system receive rs.
The press re lease states that the new AST RO
syste m will provide sophisticated secure comm unications features. The system is scheduled to go live in early 1998. Wil l the BC-

Steve Ra lston has been Tra cki11g the Tmnks

in his hometown of Escond ido. Ca liforn ia,
located in Northern S an Diego Co unty . Below
is Steve's fi rst report on tha t trunking system .
1 would like to thank Steve fo r sharing the
information above on hi s area trun ki ng system and if you have some info to share. please
pass it a long to us at: Tracking the Tru11ks,
P.O . Box 98. Brasstown. NC 28902 or via ema il to t racker @grove.net.
1 hope everyone has a safe a nd happy
ho lid ay se as on. U ni den, Bearc a t , a nd
TrunkT racker a re all trademark s of Unidcn
Ameri ca Corporation.

I More Websites for Trunking

Since we are exploring internet websites,
let's see what e lse is available for the 235/895
users on the internet. T he official T runk
T racker web site is located at URL http://
www.trunktracker.com. Thi s is the web site
mentioned in the Uniden literature that comes
with the radio. It is run by Trunking Technologies, LLC , and is not associated with Un ide n.
As of presstime you w ill fi nd trunking info on

1n

t ho Al llONI

Tnrt.T?IW.l ~ ~V....rqwrH:lltllb&llr\<~OUlrl.U~":::lJ"I- y._,

N-..at:ilt-1.,.,_~lb..c~llrpnsr-.Mk~t*Nd'.Ue._ 11"0'"1,

...

U.itut." lie"*1 .. r~ 1umerw~llo ~~ itJ*-wie TNlkfl'lClo 1c..n:1ru:ft'ITl'I A i d

l!Ufll:oc. UlliiWl t Tr.d.T11d.uttdf'M17 i. ~.,lb& lkvCdtalSXLT, ..., K'tt~XL T
irwtd 1um91trt'"'' Th&rt MO.~C.~'1.,_. ~ tlllloem ll~uii NNu
WM:r:ub.1T~Tr 1Uu 1c.ant,rtta"'U11~d.l t. o:i:.:1,..~lbit"*>'t-l1riu

INiil 'f.wsll Tb<1 t. ITf!:a!U...Ut~Ull'arit.17~tt-.W TN'li.t t)'f"~""' "

1&)'111111 I W'llll ,$'1J41.1U11t1hop Autl'l'trl l61abctw'l.UIWO tq<q !hth01l""f K U Ill..,.
ltP1flllll.7Md1fwfl...wmlJ.......1 p -eln!N1J...ns~11w.~1 -wi11~11 .. oDd)o
~(111 1 ..:llefl'r..-mcr lnOlc~t'm'IJtct ....fU. tllbr. 1tll!M.<'7t'"""7UOKl!u
UKb.~ ~KUWOlc~r1 frq1K1K7. Thll. ll~1 Mmr1 q. 1~ tetalew e t~t

a et lhN&flt,
Tl\ri.T1 1dc:r1t-*'S rdfu UMnau..e~FnMllpo.iblk. 11ot!17~1 171ttm1tiltl&Urard
5':1tt1 0.CTraT1.U.C. 1t-*i& m.mulltows1Q11~tolow .. ~. (-dl SUl) 1dloe
t~TNN;Tr.o.tt1taldlttudntmaku 1~aflsr. 11 w.

Tht,.....T1.u.tJ~ rtc.dft:lis 1 NDUri " polc.<" tumct""*-llrKunt~ 1tltJ:t,

u..:na'dll,-ar,fUu ll -.-..,..11Uf11X.alrtrlfl:lf!ld.tlu~ h'11rMM1ttdou
....,. ltMl lll'llll H.arU.t.1 fw~ y........... .._ . ""W,,,.tt.1 -.a.-~

96

MONITORING TIMES

Motorola Type II
861 .25 862.25 863.25 864.25 865.00 865.25
861.00 (Standard repeater ond FAILSOFT frequency)
IT ID
~
48
80
176
208
210
240

272

TRUNKTRACKER '
r.,ttmg t OU bm:.k

CITY OF ESCONDIDO, CA TRUNl<ING SYSTEM

December 1997

304
400
432
464
528
560
592
656
688
752
816
1360
1584
17 12
1744

~~brrZworks

Unidentified
Unidentified
Pork Rangers
Police Dispatch
Police
Police Dispatch
Police Inquiry
Police Car to Car
Detectives
Unidentified
Police Sergeants
Fire Dispatch
Fire Commend
Fire Command
Fire Toe 2
Fi re Prevention
Fire Car to Car
Citywide
Public Works
EMT to Hospital
Public Works
Public Works

Channel
Safety
Rengers
PDl
Not Known
Dispatch 2 (Used when emergency traffic is on PDl)
PD2
Cars
Investigations
Supervisors
PAGECOM (Tone-out}
Command 1 (Response)
Command 2
Toe 2
Fire 10 (Arson)
Cars
SAU (lnterdeportment Calls)
Water
Palomar Hospital
Water
Building Maintenance

Tolk-oround, private calls and dato channels cannot be heard in trunking mode .

S ,\ N G E A N

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RECEIVER YOU'LL EVER
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Full RDS Reception
5 Tuning Methods
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Auto SW Search
ATS Automatically Presets Memories
Manual Editing
USB/LSB Single Side Band Select
RF Gain Control
3 Individual Timers
Adjustable Sleep Timer
Dual Time System
Selectable Tune Steps
Priority Key
Wide/Narrow Filte r
Battery Indicator
Signal Strength Meter
Mono/Stereo Switch
LCD Display Light
Auto Daylight Savings Time Button
Lock Switch
Reset Switch
Audio Record Output
9KHZ/10KHZ Switch
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Includes AC Adapter
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12

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ANTENNA TOPICS
Clem Small,' KR6A

BUYING, BUILDING AND UNDERSTANDING ANTENNAS

The Many Faces of Half-Wavelength Antennas

e freq uently hear the tem1 " halfwavelength antenna." Indeed, wi th

the ex ce p tion of verti ca lquartcrwavc and loop antennas. I thin k that the
majority o f antenna designs are built. in o ne
way or another, from hal f-wavelength elements.
But there arc many antenna desig ns in whi ch
the ent ire antenna consists of a simple , halfwavelc ngth conductor. When we begi n to add
modifi ers such as celller-fed , end-fed. fo lded ,
and so on to our basic term "half wavelength ,"
then we come up wi th a number o f interesting
and useful antennas. Let' s tal k about some o f
them now.

Single-wire, Halfwave Dipoles:

Probably the most common antenna on the
HF band is the half wavelength, ho rizontall yo rie ntcd , centerfcd d ipo le ( fi g. I A). Th is design is also useful on the upper end of the MF
band. and on VHF and UHF.
The Zepp antenna was popu lar in the days
before we had low- loss. low-impedance feed line
that could match the low impedance at the
center o f a half-wave length antenna. The Zepp
was an end-fed half-wavelength antenna fed
with o ne quarter wavelength of open-wire
feed line ( fig . I 8 ).
Open-wire fcedl ine is very-low Joss, and
allows effic ient transfer of the signal to and

loss, TV-tw in lead can be used as the fecdl inc.

The sig nal-strength advantage of this low-loss
feed system was more important in the past
when low-loss co ax had not yet been developed. Now we have coax with acceptably low
losses, and designs needing 300-ohm twinlead
or open-wire feeders are much less freq uentl y
used.
It is possible to raise the center-feedpoint
impedance of a halfwave dipo le even higher by
adding more conductors to the dipole , or by
varying the size of the antenna' s conduc to rs.
The center-feedpoint impedance of multi -element, directive (beam) antennas is usually quite
low if a sing le-conductor halfwave dipo le is
used as the driven element. T he impedance
transformation obtained by using a mu lti-conductor dipole as the driven e lement can be
helpful in bring ing the feedpoint impedance up
to a practical value.
Multi-conductor, Halfwave Dipole
An interesting fo lded-dipole desig n known
as the " halo" became popu lar in the early days
Antennas:
of mobile VHF ham radio. The horizontal
A single conductor, halfwavedipo le mounted
halfwave d ipole was probably the most coma half wavelength above ground has a centermo n base-station antenna in those days . and
feedpoin t impedance of about 75 ohms. If we
thus most VHF ham signal s were ho ri zontally
"fold" the antenna by addi ng a second halfwave
po larized (see below). T o maxim ize response
connected to the first as shown in fig. I D, the
to those signal s with their mobile communicaantenna' s fcedpoint impedance becomes 300
tions. hams utili zed the horizontally-polarized
o hms.
halo. T he halo was essentially an o rdinary.
At this higher impedance 300-ohm, lowhalfwave, folded dipo le bent to form a ci rcle
and mounted on a mas t attached to the bumper o f the
ROPE
vehicle which ho used the
INSULATOR
//
radio. Bending it into a c irc le
I
.....
CONDUCTOR
made its size manageab le for
! ROPE I=>
mobi le work . The antenna
ROPE
'=
d id resemble a halo someI=
..... ..,. FEEDLINE
w hat.
I=
T oday, VHF base sta._
tions have come to employ
.....
vert ical polarizatio n in o rder
ROPE
to
match the vertical whip
,.,.INSULATOR
CONDUCTOR
~
antennas w hich have s upr
\ -1
CONDUCTOR
planted the halo completel y.
ROPE
INSULATOR
As a matter of fac t, vertically-polarized antennas arc
essentially universa l for moFEEDLINE
bile work these days.

from the antenna. Thi s alllenna got its name

fro m the fact that it was originall y d esigned for
use in Zeppelin air ships. Fed with an antenna
coupl er, th is antenna can also be a good multiband skywire, operating at harmonics of its
desig n frequency. Actually, any halfwave dipole can be operated as a mul tiband alllenna at
or near its odd-harmon ic frequencies.
The J antenna (fi g. IC) is freque ntly employed on the VHF band. It is a half wave le ngth
conductor with a quarter-wavelength open-wire
feed line attached as w ith the Zepp. However
the J is usually oriented vertically, and the
open -wire fe edline of the J usually is in- line
with the antenna as show n in fig. IC. A coax
feed line from the receiver or trans mitte r is
attached to the open-wire feedli ne at a point
where a decent impedance match between the
two reed li nes is found .

I\
CONDUCTOR
B
~-~-~
~....-.Ell-""-'-~~~~\ 'INSULATOR/

ROPE

COAX

c
CONDUCTOR -

COM

FIGURE 1. A basic center-fed, halfwave dipole (A),

a11te1111a (D).

98

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

I Polarization:

A Zepp a11te1111a (B), a J-a11te1111a (C), and a folded dipole

The polarization of a s ig nal

or of an antenna refers to the
orie ntatio n of the electric
fie ld which is trans mitted

from the ante nna, o r the orientation of the

electric fie ld or a sig nal to w hich the antenna
will maximally respond in recepti on.
Generally the polarization o f a dipole, and
the s ignals it transmits or respo nds to maximally, can be determined by looking at the
antenna: dipoles oriented verticall y are vertically po larized. and those oriented horizontally
are horizontally polarized . Ante nnas at a slant
from vertical arc polarized at the angle of that
slant.
Generally speaking. good results can be had
on HF with halfwave ante nnas mounted at any
ang le o f po lari zatio n. The most commo n polarization o n HF is ho rizonta l, altho ugh antennas
mounted at an angle (slopers), and vertical
ante nnas are also popul ar. Once an HF signal
bounces off the ionosphere its polarization may
be radicall y changed from its origina l po lari zation.
On VHF and UHF vertical polarization is
the norm due to the prevalence of mobile un its
using whip antennas as menti oned above.

Matching Feedlines to Dipole

Antennas:
For efficient transfer of e nergy between ai
antenna and its feed line the impedance of th1
antenna and fced li ne sho uld be matched . Actu
ally, a halfwave antenna can present a wid1
range of impedance va lues to its fecdline . Om
impo rtant determiner of this feedpoint imped
ance is the antenna's height above ground. Fo
ins tance a center-fed halfwave horizontal an
tenna may have impedance values from nea
zero ohms to near 100 o hms depend ing on it:
height above ground.
As with the zepp just mentioned the feedpoin
impedance at e ithe r e nd of a halfwave antenn;
is very high - in the thousands of ohms
Feeding the same wire at its center rather tha1
its end g ives a feed point of nom inally 75 ohms
As mentioned above these val ues can chang1
significant ly with variations in the antenna':
he ight above ground.
A halfwave antenna can be fed at any poin
along its leng th to give val ues intermediatt
betwee n the hig h impedance of end feeding
and the lower impedance of center feeding
This variation of feedpoint impedance wit!
location offeedpoint is a lso true of o the r length:
of w ire besides the halfwave. For instance, th<
G5RY multiband antenna makes use of th i:
variation with it s off-center fed d esig n to pro
vide a decent match between coax and antenm
on several bands.

~ RADIO

RIDDLES

~1

Last Month:
I to ld you that the antenna-routing panels w1

discussed depend o n a radio operator to switch

between ante nnas when necessary. On the other
hand, there is a techno logy which is used to
design devices which automatically sw itch between antennas as fad ing occurs. The idea here
is that the antenna with the strongest signal is
automatically selected , and connected to the
system's receiver. Then I asked you "What is
the technology wh ich provides these designs?"
Well, that technology is known as "diversity
reception." Anten nas which are separated by
significant distance. or whi ch have different
polarization, tend to d eli ver different output
levels from the same sig na l. The diversity system monitors the input from two o r more antennas, and automaticall y switches to the antenna
with the strongest s ignal as fading occurs at the
antenna currently connected to the receiver.
Often this greatly reduces the effects of fadin g
on signal intelligibil ity.

In closi ng this month' s column I'd like to

pay my respects to Do ug Dcmaw, a real
radioman 's rad ioman. Goodbye, Doug, you
will be much missed by many.
You' ll
find an answer for this month' s riddle, and
much more, in next month' s issue of M onitoring Times. Ti l then Peace, DX, and Merry
C hristmas.

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them are two antennas with the same name:
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ASK BOB

ANSWERS TO YOUR RADIO QUESTIONS

Bob Grove, WA4PYQ

bgrove@grove.net

Q. I have just erected a 100 foot

wire antenna, connected at the
center by only the inner conductor
of a coax feedline; the shield is
connected at the bottom, however,
to the receiver chassis. On lower
frequencies like medium wave,
signals and noise are both much
stronger if I disconnect the shield at
the bottom as well, just inserting the
plug's center pin into the receiver's
antenna jack. At shortwave, it
doesn 't seem to make much difference. How can I get stronger signals, but reduce the electrical
interference? (Bill Hughes, Sag
Harbor, NY)

A. You must not only connect the shield at the

radio to eliminate the locally-generated electrical noi se, but you must connect it at the wire
antenna as we ll for an efficient transfer of the
signal currents from the antenna to the coax.
Insert an insulator at or near the center of the
wire antenna and connect the coax center
conductor to one side and shield to the other.
From a reception standpoint, the signals
should hit the wire broadside: in other words.
fo r signals from the north or south, the wire

Bob's Tip ,of

the Month
A letter from reader J. Darrell Gammon
of Cary, NC. prompted this suggestion for
a simple solut ion to scanner reception. An
inexpensive, magnetic mount cellular telephone antenna makes a dandy, general coverage, scanner antenna for VHF high band,
UHF, and 800 MHz. It works less well on
VHF low band (30-50 MHz), but this is of

100

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

ax is should be pointed east and west. Two

identical antennas can be erected at right angles
to each other (and even nearly touch where
they cross), fed by separate coax lines, and
switched between fo r best reception.

When pilots fly over my area I

hear them refer to streets by name,
and even restaurants. How can they
see these from such heights? (Robert
Brock, Phoenix, AZ)
Q.

quencies are assignable every 25

kHz {and easily could be 10
kHz ... ed.J, most communications are
separated by 100 kHz, far in excess
of what is necessary for a 6 kHz
bandwidth AM signal. Even then, I
rarely hear much going on there.
With unused frequencies in such
high demand, isn't this a terrible
waste of radio spectrum? (Roger
Morse, Binghamton, NY)

A. A pilot flies using either visual ni ght rules A.

(VFR) or instrumented night rules (IFR). lfhc
is low enough to see streets (and the straight
lines are visible from considerable altitude)
and is familiar with the region, he is probably
using VFR and simply recogni zes landmarks,
otherwise he will use instrument headings and
vectors which are reported as numbers.
It is also possible that he is also calling out
an intersection from his charts as he moves
from one to another; these are named and not
numbered.

Q. I recently purchased a

scanner
which includes the 225-400 MHz
military aircraft band. While fre-

Ycs, but efforts to pry it loose from the

Department of Defense (DOD) have been
fut ile. The DOD assignments are classified,
and they arc commonly protected under the
guise of "national defense." The recent withdrawal of200 megahertz of government spectrum for reassign ment to the civilian sector
makes government users even less eager to
share.

Q. As a newcomer to monitoring, I
have several questions about my
medium wave antenna, which is a
120 foot wire, 15 feet high, and my
ground which is a 6 foot buried
copper rod connected by a copper

Try This Cheap, Easy, Effective

Scanner Antenna
little consequence to most scanner hobbyists.
I am presently using such an antenna for
my own mobiling, both general coverage scanning and effective 144-160 MHz transmitting
as well!
The TNC connector is quickly and easily
converted to a convenient BNC connector by
using a Radio Shack 278-144 adaptor. But its

useful ness doesn't stop there.

For motels or other indoor use, the antenna may be placed atop a fi ling cabinet,
refrigerator. or other large metallic surface
fo r effecti ve reception and transmission. If
there is no metallic surface available, make
one out of a 36" length of alumi num foil and
set the antenna in the middle!

braid. My receiver is a GE Super

Radio.
( 7) Does a longwire have to run
in a straight line?
(2) During a lightning storm, will
unplugging the radio, disconnecting
the antenna and reconnecting it to
the ground braid add protection?
(3) How can I use a loop antenna
effectively in an aluminum-sided
house?
(4) How can I improve the
reception of frequently fading
signals?
(Alan Anderson, Gt. Barrington,

MAJ
A. ( 1)

No, but your wire should be much

higher than it is.

Questions or tips sent to "Ask

Bob," c/o MT are printed in this
column as space permits. If you
desire a prompt, personal reply,
mail your questions along with a
self-addressed stamped envelope (no telephone calls, please)
in care of MT, or e-mail to
bgrove@grove.net. (Please
include your name and address.) The current "Ask Bob" is
now online at our WWW site:
www.grove.net

Do You Have Questions?

Bob Has Answers!

Get the answers
from the expert on
scanner and
shortwave
monitoring. Bob
Grove's Scanner
and Shortwave
Answer Book is
a great addition
lo your reference library.
Order BOK5

$12.95
Plus $2 Bookrate or
$4.50 UPS

Grove Enterprises
7540 Hwy. 64 W .
Brasstown, N.C. 28902
1-800-438-8155

(2) Yes, for nearby d ischarges, but nothing

wi ll withsta nd a direct strike.
(3) By plac ing it outdoors! You can try a
window, or a n attic crawl space above the
s iding, but at those wavelengths, the shielding
and rcllecti ons will be severe.
(4) A long, high, outdoor antenna should
do the tri ck. Use coax transmi ssion line. You
may wish to e rect two, at right ang les to each
other, and sw itc h between the m for additional
directi vity. Using a receiver wi th sy nchronous de tection wi ll a lso he lp reduce the consequences of fading.

Q. The old conundrum, "If a tree

falls in the forest, and there is no

one around to hear it, was there
sound?" raises an interesting question. Does this mean that when my
radio is turned off, there are no
radio waves in my room? (Mark
Burns, Terre Haute, IN)
A.

First of all , there is a sound when the tree

fall s. whether or not a human is around to hear
it. Sound waves are an acoustic vibration of
roughly 20-20,000 Hz (the human heari ng
range), detectable as sound by any number of
non -human species. I' m s ure that many fu zzy
c reatures of the forest arc sent scurrying at the
first crack of the fallin g timber.
The question is rhe torical, intended for
meaningless debate among people w ith little
e lse to do, centered on the vacuous argument
that sound is a human phe nomenon, which it 's
not.
And so far as the rad io waves go, yes, they
are ve ry muc h there whe n the radio is turned
off, just as a n ashlight beam isn ' t extinguished
when you close your eyes.

Q. I live

far from the coast and

wonder if the VHF maritime fre quencies ( 756- 757 MHz range} can
be licensed for other services? I've
heard that farmers in the midwest
use these frequencies unlicensed; is
this true?

A.

Yes, as well as by truc kers , taxi serv ices,

campers. and others. but usua lly without benefi t of li cense . While the frequencies are assigned to the maritime and coastal services on
a primary basis. they arc legally assignable to
inland mobile services on a secondary basis as
well.

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Alpha Delta .............. .... ... ...... ........ 99
Antique Radio Classified ................. 71
Arcron Zeit ......................... ..... ... ... 67
Atlantic Ham Radio .. ...... ... ........ ..... 77
Bandercom .. ..... ...... ....................... 67
Barry Electronics ............................. 21
Kevin Carey ........ ... .. ...................... 66
Communications Electronics ............. 33
Computer Aided Technologies ... 90, 91
CSP Technologies .................. ... ...... 25
Davis Instruments .... ........................ 93
Delta Research ........... ..... ...... ........ . 77
Drake, R.L. ................................. ..... 3
DX Computing .......................... ..... 49
Erie Aviation ................... .. ... ....... ... 65
Fineware ....................................... 72
Future Scanning Systems ... .... .......... 71
Glenn Hauser ................................ 39
Grove Enterprises ... .... .. 11 , 19, 53, 67
plus special 16-page Buyer's Guide
Hiro & Associates ............... .. ... ....... 73
Hollins Radio ...... .. ........... ..... .. ....... 19
ICOM .. .... .. .. ... ... .... ... ........ .. .. Cover Ill
Index Publishing ...... ..... ..... ........ ..... 25
Jacques d'Avignon ................ ......... 50
JPS Communications ....................... 11
Kangaroo Tabor Software ... ............ 79
Kevin Carey ................................... 66
KIWA Electronics ..................... 65, 99
Lentini Communications ................. .. 17
Monitoring Times .... ........ .. ...... ..... 103
Motron Electronics ................. .. ....... 23
OptoElectronics .................. Cover II, JV
Palomar Engineering .. .................... 69
PW Publishing ......... .......... .. .. ... ..... 77
Radiomap .. ..... .... .... ..... .... ...... ....... 95
R.C. Distributing ... .... .... ... ... ..... ...... . 81
R.D.l. White Papers ...... ...... ... .. ...... . 93
Reim Communications ... ............ ...... 15
Songean .... .......... ..... ................ .. .. 97
Satellite Times ...... ... ... ......... ....... .. 103
Scanner Moster .... ... .. ..................... 25
SGC Inc. ... ..... ..... ...... ..... ........... .. .. 21
Signal Intelligence .......................... 67
Skyvision .................. .............. ....... 81
Stridsberg Engineering ........ .. .......... 93
Universal Radio ..... ..... ... ........ ......... 85
Viking International ...... ....... ............. 7
W iNRADIO .................... ................. 5

December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

101

STOCK

EXCHANGE

Mo11itori11g Times assumes no respm1sibiliry

for misreprese111ed merchandise.

ELECTRONIC and technical military

manuals for sale. Basic electricity, basic
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MORSE CODE
(Continued.from Page 27)

elimination, you have the correct call sign.

Most of the other answers follow the same
logic. Cities (QTHs) might be stated as: I.
Cleveland, 2. Oakland, 3. San Francisco, 4.
Lima. You don't have to be a rocket scienti st
to know that if you have an "S," you can
deduce that the answer is one containing that
letter. At a recent testing session, the scene
went something like thi s:
A very nervous code test taker sat down for
the five wpm Novice test. With a shaking
hand, he copied the practice portion of the test,
then, with headphones adj usted and volume
set, he did his best to put down what he heard.
When finished, I passed him the question
sheet. He didn' t mi ss a single question.
"Wanna try the 13?" I asked. Reluctantly,
he agreed, still shaking. I popped in the 13

102

MONITORING TIMES

December 1997

Ads for Stock Exchange must be received 45 days

prior to publicat ion date. All ads must be paid in
advance to Mo11itori11g Times.
Ad copy must be typed for legibility.

NON-COMMERCIAL SUBSCRIBER RATES:

$.25 per word - Subscribers only!
All merchandise must be personal and radio-related.

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wpm tape and tri ed to make him relax, to no

avail. He was very nervous and doubted that
he could copy at that speed. When he finished,
I again passed him the answer sheet. He missed
one question.
Our VE team was just about ready to end
the test session, but I suggested that as long as
he was doing so well ("being on a rol I and al I")
that he try to 30 wpm test! To this, he outright
refused! "Ahhh,give ita try," I said as I put the
20 wpm tape into the machine . "What can
happen?" I asked. "You've already paid your
fee so you have nothing to lose."
I ex plained that he should copy every letter
that he heard. If he mi ssed a few letters, to just
grit his teeth and keep copying ! He wiped his
sweaty hands on his pants and said, "Well,
maybe I could give it a try." I tossed him the
earphones and hit the "go" button. He started
copying the practice session, then shook his
head "no."

COMMERCIAL, NON-SUBSCRIBER, AND

MULTIPLE SALES RATES: $1 .00 per word.
Commercial line ads printed in bold type.
1-3/4" SQUARE DISPLAY AD: $50 per issue if
camera-ready copy or, $85 if copy to be typeset.
Photo-reduction $5 additional charge. For more
information on commercial ads, contact Beth
Leinbach, 704-389-4007 .

DX-360, 9 bands, $25. Both work, like

new. Monitoring Times back copies, January 1986 to now, $1 each, all 144 for $75 .
Everything guaranteed! Jim Roggenti ne,
123 Luana Road , Joli et, IL 60433.
"RADIO STUFF SALE !" Magazi nes, bulletins, books, radio station items, some
equ ipment. Send 2-stamp business size
SASE or$ I for list: G. Dexter, 2 13 Forest
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WANTED: Sony ICF-6800W, with orange
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Call Pat - Phone (330) 702-9722 or (330)
533-1643.
LOWE HFl 50 with lighted dial. Mint, $325
shipping included. Harrison (513) 9773153, 24 hour voice mail.
BEARCAT 235XLT TRUNK TRACKER
hand-held scanner with scanner holder,
$260, 3 months old. C all Steve at (303) 2388450 or (303) 692-3246.
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NlR-1 0, SWL edition, latest EPROMs,
$ 150; JPS ANC-4, $75; SUPERSCAF
switched-capacitor audio filter, $75. Jerry
N3JGN (703) 207-9399.

"Keep going," I implored. He did. I left the

testtable so that he wouldn ' t be intimidated by
the presence of the examiner. When he machine cut off, I handed him the question sheet.
"But what I have on paper doesn' t make
sense!" he groaned. Actually, he had plenty of
text on his copy sheet. "Try !" said I.
After a few minutes he turned in hi s answer
sheet. He missed only a si ngle question and
walked out of the test session with a credi t for
the Extra class code test.

On Your Own
After a candidate leaves the test session
with a code license, code proficiency can take
place only with use. The standard advice to
those who wish to develop code ski lls is
si mple: "Get on the air and enjoy!" To that I
add, "Don't worry about your speed, it will
come later. You won't be able to stay slow for
very long. Trust me."

Think of what
you could do
with this space
It's painless, we promise.
Contact our advertising
manager, Beth Leinbach,
at 704-389-4007

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December 1997

MONITORING TIMES

103

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104

MONITORING TIMES

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December 1997

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Special Acknowledgements
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1997 ICOM America, Inc. 2380 I I 6ih Ave NE, Bellevue WA98004 425-4506088. All 1pecdications Jre sub1ect to change withoul notice or obligation. The
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