Month: May 2023

Japan

mw

Only 1 AM station in Japanese Kanto area have decided to stop AM from February 2024.
According to May 21 issue of “Tokyo Simbun”, only 1 AM station in Kanto area have decided to stop AM from February 2024.

Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications permits AM commercial radio stations to stop AM on a trial bases for maximum 2 years from February  2024, if they request in November 2023, when all the AM radio stations renew licenses.

As for Kanto area (Tokyo and surrounded 6 prefectures), only 1 AM station out of 6 decided to stop AM.

Tokyo: Nippon Hoso (Kisarazu 1242kHz/Tokyo Sky Tree 93.0MHz), Bunka Hoso (Kawaguchi 1134kHz/Tokyo Sky Tree 91.6MHz), TBS Radio (Toda 954kHz/Tokyo Sky Tree 90.5MHz) do not stop AM, because 1) each station has only one AM transmitter site, 2) FM from Tokyo Sky Tree (634m) cannot cover the northern Kanto areas.

Kanagawa: Radio Nippon (Kawasaki 1422kHz/Odawara 1485kHz/Yokohama-Tsurumi 92.4MHz) is considering not stop AM because most of the listeners are old aged who prefer to listen on AM.

Tochigi: Tochigi Hoso (Utsunomiya 1530kHz/Nasu 864kHz/Ashikaga 1062kHz/Utsunomiya 94.1MHz/Ashikaga 91.1MHz/3 relays 93.4MHz）does not decided yet. Cause for concern is the low penetration of the FM radios receivable above 90MHz (Japanese old FM radio is covering only 76-90MHz).

Ibaragi: Ibaragi Hoso (Mito 1197kHz/2 relays 1458kHz/Tsukuba 88.1MHz/Hitachi 88.1MHz/Moriya 88.1MHz/Mito 94.6MHz) decided to stop AM because 100W FM transmitter in Tsukuba (located at the top of Mt.Hokyo 461m) can cover much wider areas than AM. 88.1MHz can be received by old FM radios for 76-90MHz.

Original article is https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/251392.

Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan to WOR iog (2023-05-24)

Ireland

mw

40th anniversary of Irish pirate raids.
It’s 40 years this week since a major clampdown on Irish pirate radio when Dublin stations Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio were raided by the authorities. Due to the high power of Radio Nova in particular, both stations were heard on the west coast of Britain on AM and sometimes on FM. Listen back here to recordings of that dramatic period on the Irish pirate radio archive Pirate.ie by clicking here:
https://pirate.ie/archive/tags/1983-raids/

Forwarded from John Walsh. bdxc-news May 19th via WOR iog (2023-05-23)

Russia

mw

According to this post the next transmission center is being sold and dismantled.

https://vk.com/public158109176?z=photo-158109176_457240190%2Falbum-158109176_00%2Frev
“Leningrad region. Radio center #11 Krasny Bor.
Before you is a transmitter broadcasting the program “Radio Teos” at a frequency of 1089 kHz.
Stopped in 2016. It was the last working transmitter.
The radio center is being dismantled. The land is being prepared for sale”

Marco (2023-05-22)

Czechia

mw

Re. https://mediumwave.info/2023/05/19/czechia-6/
The latest from reliable sources: Transmissions of Country Radio on 639 kHz are expected to start in September. Still under negotiation is the power level, but it will under no circumstances be more than 50 kW, rather less.

The contract runs until yearend 2026. Continuing beyond this date requires a replacement of the guy ropes on the two 355 metres tall masts. Offices who stated that they consider the facility as critical infrastructure are expected to provide/secure funding for this expensive maintenance. Else it will be curtains and as precaution an application for the demolition of the antenna will indeed be filed.

Kai Ludwig to WOR iog (2023-05-21)

Czechia

mw

COHIRADIA now provides a wideband IQ-recording of the complete medium wave band between 20:51 and 21:49 UTC which contains ca 1 hour of the historical transmission of Radio Dechovka from Zbraslav at 1233 kHz. As reported by Kai Ludwig (May 15) this was the last transmission from this site in the context of the 100th anniversary of Czech radio.

In addition a sub-band version between 1150 and 1275 kHz with a length of 216 min. has been provided by Walter Barteczek. Between 21:00 and 22:43 there is a documentation about ‘100 years of regular broadcasting in Czechia’.
The data files can be downloaded, played back and tuned through digitally with SDRs. Analogue playback and tune-through is also possible on classical/historical radio receivers with antenna jack when using e.g. the RedPitaya-based platform supported by COHIRADIA @radiomuseum.org.
Interested radio collectors and amateurs are invited to step by and have a look.

Hermann Scharfetter, OE6TWF (hermann.scharfetter@gmail.com) (2023-05-21)


Vietnam

mw

The surrounding issue has been very much in the news recently.
When the update to the International Broadcast part of WRTH was published I was startled to see the new 400kW transmitter at Phước Dinh operating on 1071kHz mentioned there. The town is on the East coast of the country.
Asiawaves has the details of the VOV5 broadcasts in English and Mandarin.
The clue is in mention of that language.
In short, the Chinese have been sending their huge navy all over the South China Sea.
The Spratly islands have no less than 4 nations claiming bits of it. Vietnam has control over the main island called Spratly.
Therefore VOV5 is sending out the signal at 135 degrees to “persuade” Chinese sailors not to over step their activities. Also the idea is to serve Vietnamese civilians in those far flung islands.
Fascinating stuff hopefully to explain an unusual use of a transmitter.

Dan Goldfarb, mwmasts iog (2023-05-21)

Space Weather

mw

SURPRISE GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Surprising forecasters, a crack opened in Earth’s magnetic field last night. The resulting geomagnetic storm sparked naked-eye auroras across many northern-tier US states with photographic auroras descending all the way down to mid-latitudes. The event may have been caused by a near-miss CME. Full story @ Spaceweather.com

Ydun Ritz (2023-05-20)