This is Radio Bulgaria’s weekly DX Program for radio amateurs and short wave fans 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 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 on 5900 and 7400 kHz to West Europe.
In this issue by DX Editor Dimiter Petrov, LZ1AF, with Broadcast Tips by Rumen Pankov:
The TX4T DXpedition
The TX4T DXpedition to French Polynesia is making the news on the ham bands February 9 – 25! The operators are FO8RZ (F5PHW), F6BEE, G3TXF and VE2TZT active on all HF bands 160 to 10 meters on CW, SSB and RTTY.
The CW frequencies are 1831.5 kHz down 5-10, 3503 or 3523 kHz, 7003 or 7023 kHz, 10103 or 10108 kHz, 14003 or 14023 kHz, 18073 or 17078 kHz, 2103 or 21023 kHz, 24893 or 24898 kHz, 28003 or 28023 kHz.
SSB: 1842 kHz up, 3790 down Europe/up USA, 7085 kHz up, 14170 kHz up, 18130 kHz up, 21280 kHz up, 24985 kHz down, 28490 kHz up.
The CW listening frequencies are always up (except on 160 meters), starting at just 1 kHz or 2 kHz up depending on the pile up size. However on 160 meters the listening frequency is down, the actual split will be announced.
The team will make a strong effort on low bands (160 and 80 meters) to try to address the many requests from all continents.
QSL Manager is Nigel Cawthorne, G3TXF, Falcons, St. Georges Ave., Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0BS, United Kingdom. QSL cards can be sent direct, with self-addressed envelope and return postage, via e-mail QSL requests or via the QSL Bureau.
The TX4T team reports excellent propagation conditions with good openings even on 12 meters!
Solar Activity Itensifies After a Long Period of Calm
Scientists say solar flares and regions of powerful magnetic fields known as sun-spots have increased markedly after a period of the lowest activity for almost a century. Intense solar activity can overpower Earth’s own protective magnetic field, causing serious disruption to communications systems and power grids – and the scientists say the current surge could peak about the time of the Olympic Games in 2012.
Science has yet to fully explain these fluctuations on the sun, but the astronomer and author Heather Couper says they can have powerful repercussions on Earth.
Special Ham Radio Events at the 2010 Dayton Hamvention
The 2010 Dayton Hamvention, the Mecca of Amateur Radio, will be held May14 to 16. The SouthWest Ohio DX Association will sponsor the 25th annual DX Dinner. The venue is the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in downtown Dayton.
And the 18th Annual Dayton Contest Dinner is now slated for May 15; the venue is the Van Cleve Ballroom also at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Master of Ceremonies will be CQ Magazine Contest Editor John Dorr, K1AR. Along with Dorr will be CQ World-Wide Contest Director Bob Cox, K3EST, who will formally announce the 2010 CQ Contest Hall of Fame inductees.
The Visalia Top Band Dinner
The famed Top Band Dinner at the 2010 Visalia DX Convention will be held Friday, April 16, at the convention hotel. That’s the Birth Room at the Visalia Holiday Inn in Visalia, California. This years speaker is Bruce Butler, W6OSP. He will present the program “The Low Bands from K4M, Midway.”
Ham Radio in Space
NASA plan to launch 3 CubeSats with amateur radio educational payloads late in November. The small research satellites will go into orbit for several universities as part of the agency’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellite mission.
The satellites are called CubeSats because of their shape. CubeSats are in a class of small research satellites called pico-satellites. They have a size approximately four inches, a volume of about one quart and weigh no more than 2.2 pounds. One of them, called KySat-1 is what the ham in the street is watching because it is believed to be the first CubeSat ever to carry a 2 meter to 70 cm FM transponder. Truly a crossband repeater in space and one that should be accessible by most hams within its flight path.
Broadcast Tips
Australia. Radio Australia in English now uses a transmitter located in the United Arab Emirates for its broadcasts from 11 to 13 hours on 17880 kHz.
Brazil. A new station on short wave is Paz no Vale, also announcing Voz Missionarios on 5940 kHz.
Indonesia. Radio Indonesia has been received often in Sofia on 9526 kHz. They announce that their broadcasts in English are from 02 to 03, from 08 to 09, from 13 to 14 and from 20 to 21 hours. Their emissions in German, Spanish and French are audible in Sofia after 18 hours and in Arabic before 18 hours. The QSL address is: Voice of Indonesia, English Service, P.O.Box 1157, Jakarta 10110, Indonesia.
Germany. Radio Voice of Russia in English has terminated its emissions between 05 and 10 hours on 630, 693 and 1431 kHz via transmitters in Germany.
Mali. Radio Mali, Bamako has been received in Sofia after 09.58 hours, most likely the beginning of their broadcasts on 9635 kHz.
40 meter amateur band. A number of broadcasters are still in the 40 meter amateur band: Radio Voice of Korea from D.P.R. of Korea on 7100, 7140 and 7180 kHz, Radio Guinea on 7125 kHz, Radio Ethiopia on 7110 and 7165 kHz, Sri Lanka on 7190 kHz, Sudan and Myanmar on 7200 kHz. These have been received in Sofia, however, other intruders have been reported as well.
Thank you for being with us. Your opinions, suggestions and contributions will be appreciated and all reception reports confirmed with the QSL of Radio Bulgaria. Please address your letters to English Section, Radio Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria or by e-mail to english@bnr.bg . An reception report form is available at www.bnr.bg - please click on English and navigate!
Any information of interest to our audience is welcome and should be sent to our DX Editor at
dimiterp@yahoo.com .
So, 73 and DX!
