shortwave summary, sep 2006 (part 1)

september 2006 reception reports: (part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5)

Here's my first set of shortwave reception reports for September 2006. It includes a couple very brief logs of Radio Australia, which I'm continuing to follow so that I can request a QSL card from them soon.

My Eton E5 was generous enough to provide these receptions uninterrupted!

Received stations:
* Radio Australia
* Radio Havana Cuba
* China Radio International
* Radio Netherlands

* 03 Sep 2006, 0350 UTC, 15240 khz (Radio Australia): I got a strong signal here with just some slight fading, but it was all about sports. As I wrote in my log book, "I'm outta here!"

* 03 Sep 2006, 0354 UTC, 9820 khz (Radio Havana Cuba): This was a short reception, but I logged it because I almost never pick up Cuba on 9820 khz. Also, listening to Cuba before 0500 UTC is extremely rare for me, because the signals tend to be much weaker until the 0500-0700 UTC timeframe.

Two Latin songs with spanish vocals filled out the hour. Radio Havana Cuba identification. "Broadcasting from liberated territory." This signal was not very strong and had significant fading, but it is typically unusable for me at this time of day. Washington leads the way in war profiteering. Vicente Fox forced to cancel a speech following a protest over the elections. Fox submitted a written form of his speech. Fox started out as a president but ended up as a dictator.

I was using a wire antenna, which gave me stronger reception. Having an antenna connected to the radio is definitely something I need to do if I plan to try more band-scanning.

* 04 Sep 2006, 0700 UTC, 15240 khz (Radio Australia): Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, died in a diving accident. Australia might sell uranium to China. "You're listening to Radio Australia." I had my Degen DE31 active loop antenna connected to the E5's telescopic antenna during this reception. Then I switched to 13630 khz, which was the same broadcast, and I had much stronger reception so I was able to disconnect the loop antenna. The campaign to oust the Taiwanese president has gained pace. I hope to hear about this on Radio Taiwan International soon.

* 05 Sep 2006, 0300 UTC, 9790 khz (China Radio International): The China-Russia friendship tour has concluded. The tour lasted 40 days and ended in Moscow's Red Square. The Chinese ambassador to Zambia has challenged a presidential candidate of that country regarding establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China is investing in ocean exploration technology. China will also build a third research center on Antarctica. Its first two stations in Antarctica are on the edge; the third center will be inland. The broadcaster said something about the "first inland research station in Antarctica," but didn't provide the context that other countries are already doing this!

In 2005, China's population of persons 65 years and older reached 100 million. Steve Irwin was killed while filming on the great barrier reef. The "Crocodile Hunter" was 44 years old, and was killed by a sting ray. Australia's John Howard said: "Australia has lost...a colorful son." Europe's first lunar mission ended with a controlled crash on the moon in the Lake of Excellence. It's the beginning of lunar research in the 21st century. This is a long story - the Chinese love the moon! (And in return, I'm a fan of their moon cakes.) The moon has many natural resources, including silicon, iron, aluminum, and helium. Whoops; maybe that should have been kept a secret.

During the sports update while discussing tennis, the female announcer said "Martina Navratilova" very slowly.

80% of students that drop out of university are heavy Internet users. China is considering a possible curbing of computer usage for first-year university students. Weather forecast for Beijing: sunny early, becoming cloudy later, 17-28C (62-82F).

China passed new bankruptcy laws that are more in line with international standards. The laws took 12 years to develop, and will go into effect on 01 June 2007. "Overseas Chinese returnees" are somewhat unusual now, but will become the norm within 10 years. This story is discussing students and workers overseas. Some may be concerned about returning to China due to the competitive job market and lower salaries. Only "elites" could go abroad in the 1980s. It's difficult to adapt to local cultures and business practices after returning from abroad. Japanese imports from China rose 6%, marking a growth slowdown.

* 05 Sep 2006, 0400 UTC, 6165 khz (Radio Netherlands): The transmission started with the end of a Research File recording. Do they use tapes? "From Hilversum in Holland, this is Radio Netherlands." There's a NATO offensive against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan. Hundreds of Taliban fighters were killed in Operation Medusa. It's difficult to wipe them out; they have an endless supply of recruits. East Timor wants Australia to maintain its troop commitment due to security problems. 100 Dutch troops were sent to Kandahar in order to relieve Canadian troops. Children held by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have been forced into the military, manual labor, and sex slavery. The European Union is trying to improve relations with Russia over issues of energy supplies. Finnish people don't seem to trust Russians. Counterfeit items from Russia often cross the border into Finland. Much of the second half hour of this broadcast was about the recent AIDS conference and the development of an HIV vaccine.

Once again, Radio Netherlands came through with a very strong signal. The contents weren't as interesting to me this time though.