At 1505 UTC today I observed that the 209 kHz frequency went from a steady carrier to nothing at all. I stand to be corrected on this, but to me it would suggest that only one transmitter on this frequency is currently active, likely Dalanzadgad in the south. Multiple transmitters going off the air at precisely the same moment seems unlikely in my opinion.
The remaining transmitters all appear to have serious technical issues. It would seem to me that any one or more of the following explanations would apply here:
- There is a difficulty in obtaining spare parts for the transmitters, most of which are now more than forty years old.
- There is a lack of in-house or local expertise available to carry out necessary repair work.
- Maintenance of the LW transmitters is not considered a matter of priority.
That’s my two cents on the matter. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who might have additional insight. Any and all attempts to obtain official information from the broadcaster have been unsuccessful so far. Until then, all we can do is speculate and make educated guesses,
Regards, Conor Burns (2023-07-06)