Excellent HF propagation continues

The sunspot count continues to be zero, and has been at that level since November.

It is well known across the engineering profession that sunspot activity is only one of many geo-physical conditions which affect long-distance HF propagation. I am continually amazed at the self-styled rubbish which is being written in hobby newsgroups by people with little understanding of HF transmission, falsely believing, without qualification, that low sunspot activity is "causing" long-distance propagation to be non-existent.

These people fail to understand that low sunspot activity will cause a depression of Optimum Working Frequencies to as low as 10 MHz for long-distance transmission paths crossing darkness, or semi-darkness regions. Transmission on daytime paths continues to be excellent worlwide on frequencies between 15 MHz and 22 MHz

During periods of low sunspot activity, HF commmunication services shift operating frequencies downwards for maintaining effective simplex or duplex transmission over darkness zones or long distance circuits.

Here in Melbourne, propagation continues to be very good on all bands at appropriate times of the day and night, for long-distance transmission paths. Some strong daytime signals are already appearing from Asia and Africa on 7 and 9 MHz, following all-daylight paths, some of this supported by multi-mode propagation via reflection off the top of Sporadic-E clouds over north and central Australia, with no intermediate ground reflection.

These phenomena occur regularly here in Victoria during our summer months, with Absorption Limiting Frequencies dropping to very low levels between our local noon and mid-afternoon.

Here's a summary of propagation highlights of December 4 from Melbourne, with long-path denoted as "LP", Asian daytime paths as "AS", African daytime paths as "AF":

7125 MOLDOVA VOR Kishinev Russian 0445 LP
7150 RUSSIA VOR Krasndar English 0445 LP
7220 GERMANY RL Wertachtal Tatir-Bashkir 0455 LP
7295 MALAYSIA RTM Kajang English 0400 AS
7485 THAILAND R. Farda Udon Farsi *2000-2130*
9530 VIETNAM VOV Hanoi nat network Vietnamese 0430 AS
9700 TURKEY VOT Turkish *0500 LP
9730 MYANMAR R. Myanmar Yangon, Burmese 0400 AS
9745 S. AFRICA Channel Africa Meyerton English 0450 AF
9750 MALAYSIA V. of Islam Kajang English 0430 AS
9850 VIETNAM VOV Hanoi dialects network 0445 AS
9875 VIETNAM VOV Hanoi dialects network 0445 AS
11580 USA WYFR Okeechobee Portuguese 0415
11660 CHINA CNR2 0400 AS
11730 INDIA AIR Arabic *0430 AS
11805 CHILE CVC Santiago Spanish 0415
11895 ROMANIA RRI English 0430 LP
11925 IRAN VOIRI Hebrew *0430 LP
12045 CHINA CNR1 0400 AS
12060 IRAN VOIRI Turkish *0430 LP

Excellent signals on 60 mb after sunrise

There has been excellent propagation in the 60 mb into Melbourne in the period around sunrise and for about an hour later, from 1800 to past 2000, for shortpath transmissions originating in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The recently introduced channel of 4765 from the Tajik Radio, at Dushanbe, has been one the strongest signals.

This is what the band looked like on December 2, 2008:

4765 TAJIKISTAN Tajik Radio, Dushanbe, 1830-2000, Tajik
4770 NIGERIA R. Nigeria, Kaduna 1830-2000
4780 DJIBOUTI R. Djibouti, 1800-1900
4828 ZIMBABWEZBC, Gweru, 1830-1900
4845 MAURITANIA R. Mauritania, Nouachkott 1800-2000
4880 S. AFRICA SW R. Africa, Meyerton, 1800-1900*
4930 BOTSWANA VOA, 1830-1900
4965 ZAMBIA CVC, Lusaka, 1800-2000
4976 UGANDA R. Uganda, Kampala, 1830-2000
5010 MADAGASCAR RTV Malagasy, Tananarive, 1800-1900

Monitoring Notes and Audio Version

With no sunspots visible, the 13 MHz band, 22 metres, is offering good propagation in the period 1830-2000.

Long path signals from North America, and shortpath from Asia include observed on December 1, 2008, include:

13605 INDIA AIR GOS 1830-1900 English
13650 CANADA RCI Sackville 1800-1900 English

Other propagation observed on December 2008 between 1900 and 2000 included short path signals:

5820 RUSSIA WYFR Samara German
7270 SPAIN REE Arabic
7455 FRANCE R. Algeria via Issoudin Arabic

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Propagation and Monitoring Report

Sunspot activity continues to remain at zero, with no spots observed from November 18 to 29!

This is causing havoc with HF communications on frequencies above about 12 MHz, attempting to maintain communcations on long-distance paths following darkness or semi-darkness regions.

Here in Melbourne, the 9 MHz spectrum is very active in the period 1900-2100, with many short-path signals from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, following the darkness zones.

Here is a sample of observed occupancy in the 9 MHz extended-band spectrum, 9335-9500, as noted on November 30, 2008:

9250 EGYPT R. Cairo 1900-2130 Arabic
9310 EGYPT R. Cairo 1900-2030 English
9325 N. KOREA VOK 1930-2000 German
9335 SRI LANKA R. Farda Iranawila 1900-2000 Farsi
9355 MARIANAS RFA Saipan 1900-2000 Mandarin
9390 FRANCE R. Algeria via Issoudin 1900-2000 Arabic
9410 CHINA CNR5 1900-2100 Mandarin
9410 SEYCHELLES BBC 1930-2000
9420 GREECE VOG 1930-2000 Greek
9425 INDIA AIR National Channel 1900-2000
9445 INDIA AIR 1930-2000 English
9430 CZECH REP R. Prague 1930-2000 Spanish/French
9455 MARIANAS RFA Saipan 1900-2000 Mandarin
9455 PORTUGAL RDP 1900-2000 Portuguese sports
9470 GERMANY BVB Wertachtal 1930-2000 English
9480 GERMANY WYFR Wertachtal 1900-1930 English
9500 GERMANY WYFR Wertachtal 1900-2000 Arabic
9500 AUSTRALIA RA Shepparton 1900-2000 English

Monitoring Report - 6200-6300 extended band spectrum

This is a spectrum study of the extended-band range of the 6 MHz band, from 6205-6300, observed on December 1 2008 between 1900 and 2000.

That time period is about one hour after local sunrise, with good shortpath signals from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

This frequency range is shared with the maritime service worldwide, on a non-interference basis.

6205 IRAN VOIRI 1930-2000 Italian

6235 RUSSIA VOR Armivir 1900-1930* Russian

6245 RUSSIA VOA Moscow 1900-2000 English

6255 EGYPT R. Cairo 1900-2000 German

6260 UZBEKISTAN CVC Tashkent 1900-2000 Hindi

6290 EGYPT R. Cairo 1900-1930 Arabic

6300 ALGERIA R. Nac. de la Rasd, 1900-2000 Arabic

44YEARS OF PRODUCING "DX" AND MEDIA BROADCASTS!

In March 2008 I completed 44 years of continuous involvement with writing, hosting, and broadcasting "DX" programs over domestic and international stations.

So it now seems that I am well into my 45th year of doing this sort of unpaid voluntary work!

So, here is my little story which may be of interest to all readers...!

My first involvement was in March 1964, when I started writing and taping the weekly 15 minute DX program, known as "The World at Your Fingertips", heard over two Victorian medium-wave stations - 3UL in Warragul, and 3SR in Shepparton. This was under the sponsorship of the Victorian Branch of the New Zealand DX Radio Association, of which I was a member. Sadly, the NZDXRA closed down in 2007. In those days, there was no Australian national DXing organisation - there had been such a club, but it had ceased in 1946.

WAYF had in fact been on the air for a year or so previously, broadcast only over 3SR Shepparton, by Bruce Eastwood. On Bruce's retirement from the field, he invited me to take over, which I did, and I expanded its coverage by syndicating it over 3UL Warragul.

In 1965, 3SR discontinued this, and other programming, due to a major change of focus, leaving us only with 3UL, which ran the show on Saturday mornings with a rather limited listenership.

In 1966, I moved the show to 3NE Wangaratta, for a Sunday night release, which hosted our program continuously until 1976, when it was decided jointly that the program was no longer serving any useful purpose, either for the station or the hobby, and it was terminated.

From 1967 until 1976, the programs were written and remotely taped on alternate weeks by my South Australian colleague, the late Robert Chester, and myself.

My work in international radio DX programs began in 1965, when I commenced script writing for the weekly "Australian DXers Calling" over Radio Australia.

The program first went on the air on July 9, 1946, and was written and presented by Graham Hutchins, Melbourne, who had been involved with the management of a local DX Club. I had been a keen and avid listener to the program since around 1953 as schoolboy, and I used to copy the details of the programs into a log-book.

That log-book is sitting in front of me as I write this, some 57 years later, and the program of February 13, 1955 reported that Radio France Asie, in Saigon, was on the air on 15430 0800-0815 and on 9775 at 1400 to Europe. The program also reported that RRI had installed a new 20 kW transmitter on 9550 (still there at Makassar!), and that Radio Australia would be carrying live commentary of the 5th Cricket Test between visiting England and Australia. Target areas were announced as including the West Indies, Africa, Korea, Japan, and the British Isles.

As it turned out, I actually went to one day of that famous Test, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground!

The untimely passing of Graham in 1965 now required RA personnel to personally prepare and read the weekly scripts. I had been a regular contributor to the program since 1963, and I was surprised when RA invited me to assume script writing responsibility in 1965. I continued to write the scripts each week until 1982, which were read by senior RA announcers. I was not permitted to include any information about stations in Communist countries, such as Radio Peking, Radio Moscow, Radio Tirana, etc! I was also instructed to give as much information as possible about the Voice of Free China broadcasts. Those directions emanated from sources extremely high up in the Australian Government. I complied!!!

In 1972, I was appointed the script manager, where I introduced and trained other Australian DX hobbyists to these duties, with all of us sharing the roster coordination and writing tasks. The shared arrangements continued until 1976, when the program was discontinued as part of a major and extraordinary change in RA policy.

However, RA's Japanese department had also been using the scripts for many years, translating them into its weekly "DX Time" programs, and we continued to prepare the scripts for the Japanese service until it itself was closed down in 1989. Estimates as to the number of regular listeners to "DX Time" were put at many millions. That was in the days of the 1970s following the CB "boom", when enormous numbers of Japanese schoolchildren were attracted to shortwave listening, coining the term "BCL" (ie, "broadcast listener"), fuelled by the burgeoning Japanese electronics' manufacturing industry.

This massive exposure of millions of Japanese children to the hobby was reflected in the vast numbers of QSL reports received by Radio Australia's Japanese section, the majority of which were for reception of "DX Time"! It was an enormous flood, which was beyond the capability of RA to manage. I helped RA to process those reports, most of which were "gimme QSL" requests - there were mountains of mail in big boxes!

Two of the "DX Time" writing team of the 1970's and 1980's are currently members of the Electronic DX Press Radio Monitoring Association - Craig Tyson and Mick Ogrizek.

RA's Indonesian service also took the scripts for its own DX program until 1989, but there is no longer any Indonesian DX program.

Following representations from listeners, in 1982 RA decided to reintroduce a "communications" program in the English service, calling it "Spectrum", which ran until September 1983. This was hosted by Dick Speekman, formerly of Radio Netherland's "DX Juke Box" (which had also been closed down!)

I assisted Dick with weekly SW and DX notes, as well as being an interviewee, until that program was subsequently terminated in September 1983! One month later, it reappeared under the new name of "Talkback", prepared by RA staffers and Dick was no longer involved.

Each week, until June 1985, I wrote the shortwave news, and visited RA's studios in the new East Burwood (Melbourne) complex to tape the shows. This was a new experience for me - everything had to be precisely scripted - no colloquial expressions - no departure from the written scripts - and no jokes. I was given full access to the complex, and had to book a studio and operator in advance. There were also strict rules for annunciation, pronunciation, and "speaking style" to ensure that the Australian accent didn't seem too prominent!

These studio facilities at the time were an eye-opener, state-of-the-art, with everything on large tape spools, running at 1 7/8 inches/sec. Everything broadcast had to be backed-up and archived for several weeks. It helps the soul to know that what you are taping will be going out to the entire world in a few hours time!

The East Burwood complex was closed down some years ago when ABC's operations were centralised in the Melbourne "Southbank" building. The East Burwood buildings remain, and have been converted into residential units. The surrounding land has been re-developed and is now closely packed with houses.

"Talkback" came to an abrupt end in June 1985 and the popular DX news was never replaced.

I had, and continue, to be involved with DX-type program production over other international broadcasters. This has included "Pacific DX Report" over the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (1979-1981), "South Pacific DX Report" over HCJB (1979-1986), "DX Newsline" over Trans World Radio Guam (1982-1992), and "DX News" over Adventist World Radio Guam (1994 onwards).

Since 1995, I have been doing the monthly "Australian DX Report" scripts over HCJB, WHRI/WHRA and since 1999 over Adventist World Radio. Since May 2006, I’ve been producing the weekly “Australian DX Report” over WWCR, Nashville, Tennessee, with 127 episodes having been produced.

In 1997 I launched the Australian Internet Radio Service, where my weekly "Australian DX Reports" (with music!) may be downloaded free of charge by anyone, anywhere!

So, to answer your question as to "how long have I been working with DX programs? "... continuously since March 1964!

All of the work is done on a voluntary, spare-time basis, and I have lost count of the number of hours dedicated to the tasks over all those years. Unlike some people, I neither seek payment, nor insist on recognition for all of this - I do it because I enjoy it, with a desire to help others. As a matter of fact, the Australian Government must have seen something in what I was doing, as it awarded me the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1981, "for services to the community in shortwave radio", with the approval of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Award is unique, and no similar distinction has ever been made within the Australian Honours List.

So, there you are...

Bob Padula, Melbourne, Australia
December 2008