Polish Radio won't terminate its longwave transmissions

It appeared that the information in the international DX press that the Polish Radio is going to switch off its longwave transmitter is wrong. It appeared first on the EuroRadio forum and later was passed to many DX circles and mailing lists, but there's no such information on the "Jedynka" website, nor in its Facebook page.

Dominique from Poland got interested in the issue and contacted Roman Czejarek, Polish Radio employee and active participant in the construction of the Solec Kujawski transmitter site.

Here is the answer: "I do not know anything about such a plan. No one has given such information, at least here in Poland."

He also gave some interesting facts: The longwave transmitter is 40-50% cheaper for the Polish Radio than the network of FM transmitters. That's because the transmitter site in Solec Kujawski is wholly-owned by the Polish Radio and the FM transmitters are leased from a private company.

3 months ago marked the 15th anniversary of the PR1 longwave transmitter site. On the event, the general director of the Polish Radio said that more than 40% of the PR1 audience is listening to the station via longwave radio. He also said that they receive many listeners' letters from Poland and all over Europe.

In 2012, a new campaign for switching off the longwave transmitter began, but soon the station started to receive many listeners' letters of complain which were then read on the air and it was finally decided that the campaign should be terminated.

Radio Pakistan officially launched its new DRM MW transmitter

Radio Pakistan formally launched programmes on Friday from its new medium-wave digital transmitter set up with the technical and financial assistance of Japan.

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid and Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata jointly inaugurated the newly installed medium wave transmitter of 500 KW power in Islamabad.

Speaking on the occasion Ahsan thanked the Japanese government for its magnanimous support for the rehabilitation of Radio Pakistan's MW network. He said that this token of goodwill from Japan would be remembered as the airwaves from this network continue to reach the listeners.

The minister pointed out that several information sources were available to the people in today's world including private radio and TV channels, internet and satellite technology. He said that due to technological development access to information has become very easy.

He said keeping in view the changing trends, the state-owned media institutions would have to bring excellence in their work and adapt to latest technology to better compete in the market. Ahsan said that the government on its part was working to modernise its broadcasting outlets through technological adoption and capacity building of human resource.

Ahsan said that political stability was essential to put Pakistan on the path of sustainable development. He said negative politics would not serve the purpose to alleviate poverty and unemployment. He said the calls of shutting down country's exports hubs Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad would put adverse impact on the economy.

Speaking on the occasion, Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata pointed out that Radio Broadcasting was still a major source of information, particularly in remote areas. He noted that rehabilitation of medium wave network would enable Radio Pakistan to reach out to maximum people in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa.

He expressed the confidence that better access to information on issues such as health, nutrition, economic activities and natural disasters would improve people's lives and thereby contribute to stability of Pakistan. In his remarks, JICA Chief Representative Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki said his agency was looking forward to close coordination with the PBC in future for dissemination of knowledge for livelihood improvement and people's awareness in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier, in her welcome address, Radio Pakistan Director General Samina Pervez briefed the audience about the project. She said that the project had been completed in the given timeframe. She said that fourteen hours transmission would be broadcast from the new transmitter in Urdu and six regional languages.

She said the lifeline project would have lasting impact on the PBC's broadcast and help achieve the objective of national integration through wider reach to the people. The planning minister and the information minister also visited the renovated Master Control Room of the PBC. They were briefed about the digital equipment installed at the control room.

(Source: Daily Times)

Wertachtal masts demolishion

Pictures of the demolishion of the Wertachtal transmitter masts may be found here.

It's a huge pity for every shortwave enthusiast to see one of the best HF transmitter facilities in the world razed to the ground.

15520kHz - Bangladesh Betar

Tonight (08.08.2012) Bangladesh Betar is testing on 15520 kHz towards Europe. Reports are welcome specially from UK and France. Transmitter shall remain same i.e. the new 250 kW one but with old antenna system. Irregular broadcast between 1200-2000 UTC.

Bangladesh Betar is extremely pleased for the reception reports for 7250 kHz test broadcast. Further reports are welcome to rrc@dhaka.net !

(Source: Swopan Chakroborty!)

Strange stuff

Some strange stuff received today on shortwave:

9430kHz - 55555 - 1230-1300UTC - Test transmission, no station ID during the whole broadcast, only email mentioned (transmissiontest@gmail.com)

9450kHz - 53344 - 1300-1330UTC - E25 Numbers station from Egypt, sending encrypted messages to spies?

Radio Moscow QSL

And now for something completely different!

Before the break-up of the Soviet Union it was almost impossible to get any information about the transmitter sites used by Radio Moscow. As noted above, Radio Moscow often used fake transmitter sites locations on many occasions in their schedules and QSLs. When QSLing Radio Moscow broadcasts, it was almost impossible to predict what site would be indicated on the card. This led at least one CADX member to desperation. Tom Ross, back in 1987 and 1988 vented his frustration, when he could not QSL the sites he needed by putting his thoughts into lyrics. Enclosed below are the results of his frustrations. They first appeared in DX Chicago in 1987 and 1988. Hope you enjoy them.

The Radio Moscow QSL Simferopol Site Blues
by Tommy "Juke Boy" Ross

Well I see my mailman comin’
Walkin’ up to my front door
With that "blue and white" envelope
Lord, you know I need one more

Well, I open up that envelope
And get ready for a surprise
But when I rip that sucker out
I can’t believe my eyes

I’ve been mailin’ cards for months
And I’ve really paid my dues
All I see is Simferopol
And I really got the blues

CHORUS: I’ve got the Radio Moscow

QSL Simferopol site blues
The UHN newsletter’s gone
And I don’t know what to do
I’ve even tried Joe Adamov

And the Moscow Mailbag crew
But nothin’ ever seems to work
To get that 25th site
No matter what I ever do

It never seems to be right
Well, I guess I’ll keep on tryin’
To nail that elusive one
But Simferopol keeps poppin’ up

I ain’t never gonna have no fun

CHORUS: I’ve got the Radio Moscow
QSL Simferopol site blues

© Same 2U Tunes, 1987

(reprinted from the December 1987 issue of DX Chicago)

Tula

(A DXer’s Ditty . . .)

by Thomas V. Ross

Well I heard me a signal from-a ol’ Moscow
Where they drink jet fuel and it don’t cost them lotsa moola.

EM-YOO-ELL-AY moola.

I fired a report off that very same day.
I was hopin’ for Georgia but she said "No way, boy it’s Tula."
TEE-Yoo-ELL-AY Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

Well I’m not dumb but I can’t understand
Why her name is Elena, but she writes like a man.
She gave me Tula.
She said "That’s the rule-a." T-T-T-T-Tula.

Well my Soviet sites stand at 24,
And I’d sell my sister just to get one more.
Elena burned me but I gotta try.
It’s listed as Georgia in the EDI-I-I!

Well I’m not the World’s most eloquent man,
But I’ll pour on the sugar and see if I change that Tula.
T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

I dropped her a line.
I prayed for a sign.
I begged for Tbilisi
I whined "Elena, please!"

And she wrote to me and said: "No, siree!"

That’s the way she said it’s going to stay.
"I always want you for my DX slave. You gotta Tula."
T-T-T-T-Tula

"Lvov ould be Kenga, Kiev’s Armavir.

Boy we’re the real masters of the Soviet sphere,
and this is true-la."
T-T-T-T-Tula

"Enclosed is a report form, love and kisses.

Continue to listen, E. Rogova (Mrs.)." Yes, it’s Tula
T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

Well my mama didn’t raise no panty-waist,

So I followed up again without any haste.
Elena dear sent this terse reply:
"Don’t push it boy, or you’ll get nothin’ but Havana,
Simferopol,and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky till you’re
blue in the face. Dig?"

Well I’m not blunt, but I told here where
She could stash that 10th Derzhinski Square card from Tula.

T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.

(chorus)

Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula. (etc.)

© Same 2U Tunes, 1988
(reprinted from the March 1988 issue of DX Chicago)

12055kHz - Radio Taiwan International

I made a recording how clear and strong is the signal of Radio Taiwan International here in Bulgaria. RTI uses a transmitter in Issoudun, France, beaming to South Asia.