This is Radio Bulgaria's weekly DX program for radio amateurs and short wave listeners and DXers which is included in our one-hour broadcasts starting as follows: Friday at 22.00 UTC on 6200 and 7400 kHz beamed to West Europe, Saturday at 00.00 and at 03.00 UTC on 5900 and 7400 kHz to North America, as well as in the half-hour broadcast on Sunday at 07.30 UTC also on 5900 and 7400 kHz to West Europe.
In this issue by DX Editor Dimiter Petrov, LZ1AF, with Broadcast Tips by Rumen Pankov:
Propagation: Astronomers say 2009 was a better year for sunspots than 2008
According to several scientific journals, 2009 will Yarafall short of 2008's record of days with no sunspots or other solar activity. Astronomers note that the solar surface continues see occasional sunspots as we conclude a very active December 2009. This they say insures that 2009 will fall several days short of the 266 blank days of 2008 which was the year with the greatest count of sunspot free days since 1913.
The astronomical community says that the overall solar flux continues to gradually trend upward and there's every reason to believe that the year 2010 will not dip below the low sunspot counts of the past three years. This they say is based on the actual trends since September and not only forecast data. They say that sunspot groups over the past three months have emitted more flares of greater intensity than at any other time in solar cycle 24. They believe that this is further evidence that the solar disk is awakening from its extended sunspot sleep. What researchers cannot or won't promise is a better High Frequency DX condition which usually accompanies solar activity. (Science Online).
Year-long Centenary Celebrations Start
Celebrating the Centenary of Organized Amateur Radio in Australia has now begun and will continue during the entire year 2010 through a variety of program events and activities. A number of clubs ham-fest type have already been registered for the Centenary and these begin this month.
To date 45 clubs throughout Australia have accepted the Wireless Institute of Australia's invitation to take up a three-day roster slot of the commemorative callsign VK100WIA. The callsign will be on air from May, the month in which a program of events will occur around the WIA Annual General Meeting to be held in Canberra, then on a roster basis through WIA affiliated clubs until October. A range of activities and publicity opportunities associated with putting the callsign on the air have been planned to make this collaborative effort an outstanding success.
VK Hams Commemorate Recovery From Bushfire
Australia's Yarra Valley Amateur Radio Group will be setting up a field station with the call VI3KIAH at Kinglake. This in commemoration of the work done by hams at the Black Saturday bush fires. Kinglake was one of the worst affected areas in the Australian 2009 fire season. The suffix KIAH is an Australian Aboriginal word meaning ‘beautiful place’ or ‘from a beautiful place.’
VI3KIAH will be at the Frank Thompson Reserve Kinglake 2pm to 8pm local time on Sunday,February 7, the anniversary of the bush fire. Its first 173 contacts will qualify for a “From the Black” QSL card. The significance of 173 is that number of people died in the disaster.
The Straight Key Century Club
Four years ago the club was started by Tom Peterson, KC9ECI of Galesville, WI and as of January 3, 2010 the club boasts 6235 members worldwide, all practicing Morse code by mechanical means such as straight key, bug, and sideswipe. This harkens back to the days of the late 1800s and early 1900s when telegraph was the major mode of communication.
The club offers many activities such as monthly 2 hour and 24 hour Sprints, award program for DXCC,WAS and awards for working fellow members such as contacting 100 members for the Centurion award.
Right now in January the club celebrates its founding by running a special event station K3Y. Each day of the month it will have an operator from each of the US zones 1-0 (such as K3Y/2. Joining the club is free. “So, join up and help preserve ham radio’s past and get on the air with the old instruments of Morse music!” is said in a press release.
Broadcast Tips
Guinea. Christmas Eve was broadcast from the cathedral in Conakry in French and was received in Sofia after 23 hours on 7125 kHz.
China & Romania. Two stations with programs in English are received from 23 hours on one and the same frequency of 5915 kHz causing significant interference - Radio China International and Radio Romania International. The song "Jingle Bells" in Esperanto was heard in the emission of China Radio International at from 17 hours on 1215 kHz. From 16 hours on 11870 kHz broadcasts Radio Romania Actualitati and not Radio Romania International as reported in various bulletins.
Australia. Radio Australia in English was heard at 13 hours on 9650 kHz with interference from Radio Ethiopia. At 15.30 hours Radio Australia was audible on 5995, 9475 and 9590 kHz.
USA. The popular "Border Crossing Show" was reported between 15 and 16 hours on 7575, 9685, 9930, 11525, 11765, 15580 and 17895 kHz
Korea Republic (South). Local Third Program, station HLKC "Voice of Love" is now on short wave from 21 to 18 hours on 6105 kHz.
Slovakia. Radio City will broadcast on short wave again via a transmitter located in Slovakia. There will be emissions from 09 to 10 hours on 9510 kHz. The address is: citymorecars@yahoo.ca .
USA. A new station on short wave is carrying out test transmissions on 15550 kHz with registered time from 14 to 22 hours. The station is WJHR and its address is: wjhr@usa.com. Most likely it is a religious station.
Yemen. On 6135 kHz at 14 hours was heard with news in Arabic "This is Saana" (Huna Saana). The station is received more often on9780 kHz.
With this we have come to the end of our weekly DX Program. Your opinions and suggestions will be appreciated and all reception reports confirmed with the QSL card of Radio Bulgaria. Please address your letters to English Section, Radio Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria or by e-mail to english@bnr.bg .An online reception report form is available at www.bnr.bg - click on English and navigate!
So, 73 and DX!
