::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: SWEDEN CALLING DXERS :: :: from Radio Sweden :: :: Number 2052--July 18, 1989 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Shortwave and other electronic media news from Radio Sweden. This week's bulletin was written by Ingemar Sandberg. Electronic Edition edited by George Wood. Packet Radio BID SCDX2052 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SATELLITES--An Ariane 3 rocket has carried the Europe's Olympus 1 direct broadcast satellite into orbit. At 2800 kg, Olympus was the largest payload ever carried by an Ariane rocket, and was the last launch for Ariane 3, which is to be succeeded now by Ariane 4. Besides two high-powered television channels, Olympus will relay specialized point-to-point communications, such as video conferences, data transmissions, and educational television, between frequencies of 12 and 14 GHz. One of the TV channels is for Italian television (12.16862 GHz), the other for European broadcasters (12.14534 GHz). With 3 transponders in the unusual frequency range of 20 to 30 GHz, Olympus will for the first time attempt to relay video conferences and data across frequency bands as wide as 700 MHz. Olympus is to be placed at 19 degrees West longitude. (Dow Jones, "New Scientist", and "1988 World Satellite Almanac") ANARC--Some 150 radio listening hobbyists and broadcasters gathered July 15- 17 for the annual convention of the Association of North American Radio Clubs, in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. Because of its location there was a Caribbean/Central American theme, and highpoints included talks by Dr. Ernesto Betancourt, the director of the anti-Cuban government station Radio Marti, whose keynote speech was entitled "Radio Marti in an Era of Glasnost"; DX journalist Glenn Hauser, who presented slides about Central American radio stations; and exiled Panamian Senator and radio journalist Mayin Correa who spoke about the role of radio in democratizing Panama. There were non-Caribbean items as well. Mike Villard presented interference- reducing antennas for shortwave, which he developed for the Voice of America before jamming in Eastern Europe ended. "He brought his antennas with him and showed them off and talked about the concepts," says ANARC Executive Secretary Robert Horvitz. "People were just aglow with the possibilities because these are all simple enough to make and experiment with." This week marks the 20th anniversary of the launching of the first Apollo mission to the Moon, from nearby Cape Canaveral. Alan Parrish of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration spoke about the use of two way radio on the space shuttle missions. ANARC's European counterpart, the EDXC, has been experiencing problems recently. Complaints about the annual EDXC conferences led to the holding of two gatherings this year, and clubs have been experiencing declines in membership. This has not been a problem in North America. "Overall membership in all of the clubs that make up ANARC has remained essentially unchanged," says Robert Horvitz. "But there has been a significant redistribution of membership. The large shortwave clubs are losing members to the regional clubs, the scanner clubs, and the specialized clubs." Congratulations to organizer Jeff White on a job well done! There's a bid to hold next year's ANARC convention in Virginia Beach, Virginia in September. (George Wood) BOLIVIA--The Radio Television Popular network resumed its activities on June 19th--a year after it was closed by the authorities for "violating national laws". The network had broadcast comments by drug-trafficker Roberto Suarez Gomes, which the government believed harmful to national dignity. (BBC Monitoring) On 28th June, Radio Horizonte from La Paz was observed signing on in Spanish at 10:00 on the new frequency of 6005 kHz. The opening announcement also mentioned 1060 kHz. (BBC Monitoring) CANADA--CKZU, the CBC station in Vancouver on 6160 kHz, announces the new sign on time of 12:30. (Arthur Cushen's DX World) COLOMBIA--Updating SCDX-2045 another old Radio Sutatenza frequency - 810 kHz - is now being used by the Caracol network. (Richard E. Wood, Hawaii) Caracol, Bogota, which was reported to use 5075 kHz, now seems to have moved to 6075 kHz. Heard around 08:00 hrs but mixed with Deutsche Welle on the same frequency. (Arthur Cushen's DX World) Radio Reloj, Neiva, now uses new 6150 kHz, heard around 08:30, identifying as HJFR and the Caracol Network. (Arthur Cushen's DX World) CZECHOSLOVAKIA--Radio Prague in English at 01:00-02:00 and 03:00-04:00 uses the new frequencies of 13715 and 15540 kHz. (Arthur Cushen's DX World) GUAM--AWR-Asia will open an FM station by the end of 1989. The 3 kW transmitter will operate 24 hours a day. (Aboe Nawan Thaliep, Radio Listeners Club Indonesia) English programs from AWR on shortwave are now broadcast: at 00:00 on 15125, 10:00 on 13720, 16:00 on 11980 and 23:00 on 15125 kHz. On Saturdays and Sundays also at 02:00 on 11700 kHz. (Aboe Nawan Thaliep) HUNGARY--Balaton Channel TV-S, the first commercial television station in Hungary, went on the air on July 1st. Programs are in Hungarian and German and will be transmitted from the Siofok Cultural Centre for 72 days during the Summer 08:00-10:00 and 20:00-24:00 local time. The limited company is run mainly by Siofok Television, set up by Siofok town council, and by Filmpremier, a small co-operative. (Wojciech Zajac, Poland and BBC Monitoring) The two US government-financed radio stations Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty are this summer to open a news bureau in the Hungarian capital Budapest. The president of the two stations, Eugene Pell, says that the Hungarian government has given approval for the accreditation of a radio correspondent. To begin with, a journalist from Hungarian Radio would work for Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. It is the first time that both stations have been allowed to open a bureau in an Eastern bloc country. (BBC Monitoring) INDONESIA--The Radio Republik Indonesia Programa Nasional, Jakarta, now broadcasts on 15155 kHz between 10:00 and 11:00 with 7270 and 999 kHz in parallel plus 104 and 106 MHz FM. Between 17:00 and 22:30 the frequencies are 3275, 4775 and 6550 kHz. (Aboe Nawan Thaliep) NORTH KOREA--Radio Pyongyang in Russian at 16:00-16:50 is noted on new 11760 kHz replacing 11740 kHz. 9325 kHz remains in parallel. (Richard E. Wood) PHILIPPINES--According to the "Manila Chronicle" a pay dispute threatens to silence the Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas at the end of this month. (BBC Monitoring) POLAND--Radio Polonia has introduced a program in German at 05:30-06:00 on 5995, 7270, 9675 and 1503 kHz. (Herbert Aichele, West Germany) SOUTH AFRICA--Updating SCDX-2043, Radio RSA has a fairly new service in Afrikaans to Southern Africa. Interval signal is noted at 03:50 on 4965 and 6130 kHz. At 05:00 11810 is added. This service seems to coincide with the impending independence of Namibia where Afrikaans is widely spoken. (Richard E. Wood) SRI LANKA--The Deutsche Welle relay station in Trincomalee will go into full operation this month. The installation of the station has been interrupted several times because of the internal situation in Sri Lanka. In May 1988 work resumed at the station and all technical equipment was operational by October 1988. Since then there have been daily transmissions from 07:00 until 17:00. (BBC Monitoring) TURKEY--The Russian programme from the Voice of Turkey has moved half an hour earlier and is now at 14:00 on the new frequency of 15105 kHz. (Alexander Zacharov, USSR) The Voice of Turkey now broadcasts twice a day in German: at 16:30-17:25 and at 19:30-19:55, both on 9825 kHz. (Herbert Aichele) USA--Next month is the historic 50th anniversary of the start of commercial short wave broadcasting from the United States. A number of American commercial short wave stations broadcast to Europe and Latin America during World War II and were very popular.In 1942 some of them became part of the Voice of America. The Crosley Company's WLWO is now VOA's Bethany, Ohio transmitter site. KGEI in San Francisco now belongs to the FEBC and still exists. And W1XAL, Scituate, Massachusetts in 1939 became WRUL. In 1962 this station broadcast Spanish to Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis and then became WNYW and finally in the 1970's became WYFR and moved transmitters to Okeechobee, Florida, and studios to Oakland, California. (William Dickerman, USA) YUGOSLAVIA--Radio Yugoslavia is noted on new 21555 kHz with sign on in Serbo- Croatian at 07:00 on a Saturday. (Richard E.Wood) Radio Yugoslavia in German in 16:30-17:00 is on new 7215 kHz with 9620 kHz in parallel while German at 19:30-20:00 uses two new frequencies: 6100 and 7215 kHz with 9620 remaining in parallel. (Horst Veit, GDR) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sweden Calling DXers is the world's oldest radio program for shortwave listeners. Radio Sweden has presented this round-up of radio news, features, and interviews on Tuesdays since 1948. RS broadcasts to North America: 15:30 hrs on 17880 and 21610 kHz 03:00 hrs on 9695 and 11705 kHz To Europe, Africa, and the Middle East: 15:30 hrs on 21675 kHz (East Africa) 17:00 hrs on 1179, 6065, and 9615 kHz 21:00 hrs on 1179, 9655 and 11705 kHz And to Asia and the Pacific: 12:30 hrs on 17705 and 21610 kHz 14:00 hrs on 17705 and 21610 kHz 01:00 hrs on 15390 and 17790 kHz The Radio Sweden schedule to Europe can be found on Sky Channel's teletext Service, Sky Text, on page 496. The Electronic Edition is based on the Sweden Calling DXers bulletins which are mailed out every 4 weeks to contributors. Contributions can be sent to DX Editor George Wood to Swedish telex 11738, CompuServe (via the HamNet Forum or Easyplex 70247,3516), through the FidoNet system to 2:202/297 or to SM0IIN at the packet radio BBS SK0TM. Reports can also be sent to: Radio Sweden S-105 10 Stockholm Sweden Contributions should be NEWS about electronic media--from shortwave to satellites--and not loggings of information already available from sources such as the "World Radio TV Handbook". Clubs and DX publications may reprint material as long as Sweden Calling DXers and the original contributor are acknowledged, with the exception of items from BBC Monitoring, which are copyright. We welcome comments and suggestions about the electronic edition, Sweden Calling DXers, and our programs in general. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to 28 contributors this week Good Listening!