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DX program

This is Radio Bulgaria’s weekly DX Program for radio amateurs and short wave listeners which is included in our one-hour broadcasts starting as follows: Friday at 21.00 UTC on 5900 and 7400 kHz beamed to West Europe, at 23.00 UTC and Saturday at 02.00 UTC on 9700 and 11700 kHz to North America, as well as in the half-hour broadcasts on Sunday at 06.30 UTC on 9600 and 11600 kHz and at 11.30 UTC on 11700 and 15700 kHz to West Europe.

In this issue by DX Editor Dimiter Petrov, LZ1AF, with Broadcast Tips by Rumen Pankov:

The Glorioso Island, FT5GA DXpedition, Update

Glorioso / FT5GA is the topic of discussion this week. The French Military team is doing a pretty good job considering all things. The “Statistics” on the web site shows they are averaging around 2,500 QSOs a day. Considering they are involved in military duties and the fact that they have to shut down four times a day for generator servicing, that number is probably pretty good.

They have two Yaesu FT990’s and an Elecraft K3 transceiver with three Bulgarian-made ACOM 1010 amplifiers. The antennas are three spiderbeams – V40, V80 , V160 and K9AY. With five operators and scheduled departure of October 8th, they choose to have three stations running during the day and two at night to allow for some rest. They have four periods of shutdown daily for generator maintenance (usually at 04, 10, 16 and 23 UTC, but the hour may vary).

Please note that there has been some pirate operation. If your contact does not show up on the log search, work them again, as they are aware of the pirate activity. QSL to Didier, F5OGL.

Midway Island, K4M DXpedition, Update

The DXCC entity Midway Island is KH4 and the DXpedition has been issued the call sign K4M. There is less than a month to go before the K4M hits the air. Our final dates are now set, is said in their Press Release Number 7.

“We arrive on the island on October 9 and our return will be October 19. That gives us two weekends to be active. Our website was updated this week with interactive propagation chart. Pick a month and then the time and it will show you openings from KH4 to the world at that moment.

QSL route: Midway 2009, Box 333, Bethlehem, Georgia 30620-9989, USA. All direct QSL requests must contain a self-addressed envelope (SAE or SASE) and sufficient return postage or NEW (not expired IRCs). Do not send IRCs that expire December 31, 2009.

SUNSPOTS by Lee, KH6BZF

In a year when the sun has been utterly blank 80% of the time, the sudden emergence of two large spots in a single day is a noteworthy event. NASA satellites and amateur astronomers are monitoring a pair of growing sunspots, both apparently members of long-overdue Solar Cycle 24. The emergence of these active regions is not enough to end the deepest solar minimum in nearly a hundred years, but they do represent a significant uptick in solar activity.

The IARU High Speed Telegraphy and Direction Finding Championships held in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs (BFRA) hosted again the International Amateur radio Union (IARU) World High Speed Telegraphy Championships September 11-15 and the IARU Region 1 Amateur Radio Direction Finding (known also as Fox Hunting) Championships September 16-21, 2009 in Obzor on the Black Sea coast. More than 550 competitors and guests from 25 countries and 3 continents participated in the events. Interviews with Andreas Thiemann, HB9JOE, Panayot Danev, LZ1US,IARU Region 1 Executive Committee members, Barry Kutner, W2UP, Fabian Kurz, DJ1YFK,

Gary Schmidt, W5ZL, Rumen Stefanov, LZ2RS and Bob Titterington, G3ORY were recorded especially for our DX Program and will be included in our next issues.

Broadcast Tips

Niger. Radio Niger of Central Africa has resumed its broadcasts on short wave on 9705 kHz. The emissions start at 17 or 18 hours on the different days and are in local languages, at 18.57 hours in French while at 19 hours the program Journal en Francais of Radio Voix du Sahel is aired. There are no emissions in English. The postal address is: La Voix du Sahel, B.P. 361, Niamey, Niger, Africa.

Germany & China. The main frequency of Radio Deutsche Welle 6075 kHz is already covered by China National Radio First Program from 15 to 18 hours. The latter was heard with music programs on 6030, 6075, 6145, 9455, 9555, 9565, 9905, 11925 kHz and other frequencies.

USA. Radio Sawa which was broadcasting on medium wave only was heard at 19 hours on 9650 kHz. The same program was emitted on 1548 kHz as well. Other programs of the same radio were received on 990, 1170 and 1431 kHz. At 19.15 hours there is news in Arabic on 9650 and 1548 kHz from a transmitter in Kuwait, on 990 kHs fro Cyprus, on 1170 kHz from the United Arab Emirates and on 1431 kHz from Djibouti, all received in Sofia.

Sudan. Radio Dabanga, broadcasting to Sudan, announcing itself as Sawt Al Alam broadcasts from 04.30 to 05.30 hours on 13800 and 13840 kHz and from 15.30 to 17.30 hours on 11500 and 13730 kHz.

Mongolia. Radio Voice of Mongolia has announced its new time schedule on short wave: on 12085 kHz from 09 to 11 hours with half-hour programs in Japanese, Mongolian, Chinese and English and on the new frequency of 9665 kHz from14 to 16 hours in Mongolian, Chinese, Japanese and English.

The QSL address is: Voice of Mongolia, English Service, P.O.Box 365, Ulaanbaator 13, Mongolia.

Poland. Polish Radio External Service was reported with programs in English from 12 to 12.55 hours on 7330 and 9525 kHz and from 17 hours on 9790 kHz.

Argentina. Radiodifusion Argentina al Exterior already broadcasts in English Monday through Friday from 18.05 to 18.55 hours on 9690 and 15345 kHz to Europe and Tuesday through Friday from 02 to 03 hours on 11710 kHz to North America. Reception in Bulgaria is impeded by Radio Morocco also broadcasting from 18 hours on 15346 kHz. Programs from Argentina can be received on 11133.5 kHz LSB – a frequency used as a feeder in the country.

Thank you for being with us. 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 – in the DX Program category or if you scroll down to the bottom of the page. You can download it from your computer or print it out!

So, 73 and DX!



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