E10 Still QRT

As April begins (and this is no April Fool), the presumed Israeli Phonetic Alphabet Station (ENIGMA E10) still has not been heard since 0130 UTC on March first. A month later, it would appear that an operation which once used at least 100 frequencies and 22 call signs is still off the air.

While the timing remains interesting, there is still nothing known on why this happened, or whether the broadcasts will ever come back. There may never be.

Much more in the June column.

Greenland: KNR closes MW/SW

Google translation (not always good) of the Danish language site:

Greenland: KNR closes between wave [MW, also closing SWBC -Hugh]

Friday 10th December 2010
By Stig Hartvig Nielsen

For more than 50 years, the Greenlandic radio KNR, has been broadcast on medium wave.

From five different forward positions, sea and the entire west coast of Greenland were covered by KNRs radio program. But on 11 February 2011 [KNR will turn] off the five AM radio transmitters, and KNR will then only be audible in Greenlandic towns on FM.

It is the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Transport in Greenland, which has decided to dismantle the five medium-wave transmitters, respectively: Upernavik (810 kHz), Uummannaq (900 kHz), Qeqertarsuaq (650 kHz), Nuuk (570 kHz) and Simiutaq (720 kHz). The transmitters are between 5 and 10 kW.

Head Mads Byrialsen from Home Rule to disclose radionyt.com that medium wave facilities are very old, and therefore would be expensive to continue to maintain.

"There is also an extensive network of FM transmitters along the coast, covering all cities and villages and sea near inhabited areas. There are very few who could not hear KNR radio via FM transmitters. It was as a result it estimated that the resources used for maintenance of medium wave facilities may be used more efficiently for other purposes, "says Byrialsen further.

Fishermen and others sailing on the high seas, trappers, hunters and others inside the fjords, people on the ice cap, listeners in Canada and [others will therefore be] precluded thereby from [hearing] KNR. From 11 February next year it will only be in Greenlandic towns and villages, you could hear the KNR. The vast majority of FM transmitters here uses [transmitter powers] between 10 and 50 watts, and has a very limited range.

Mads Byrialsen stresses, however, that this will be very few people who lose the opportunity to hear KNR, and that there are security implications.

It will still be possible to communicate with coast radio and there will four times daily - year round - at 08.05, 12.05, 18.05 and 22.05 Greenlandic time - will be sent weather reports on coastal radio VHF working channels. Broadcasts are 12.05 and 22.05 will be reruns. Fishermen and people moving in nature, will therefore still be able to hear the weather forecast.

Also end with a short wave from Greenland

In the past few years, the main news broadcasts from KNR has been broadcast on a low power SSB shortwave broadcasts from the Greenlandic town of Tasiilaq. These broadcasts also disbanded at 11 February.

Mads Byrialsen indicate that users of the lake is served by KNR's weather announcements will be broadcast over the 4 VHF working channels in the area. "There are so far indicated a very limited number of seagoing ships which are resident in Tasiilaq," adds Mads Byrialsen.

Previously there has been quite other plans - namely that the five medium-wave transmitters on the west coast were replaced by one or two powerful AM short wave transmitters located on Telegraføen at Nuuk. This or these transmitters could cover not only all of Greenland but also all the waters where Greenlandic fishermen come. But those plans were abandoned.

"Plans for an AM short wave transmitter at Telegraføen off Nuuk were downsized during the negotiations for DVBT. The investment was more than 5 million. And the annual operating costs were too high. Furthermore, it was estimated that few users would invest in a shortwave receiver, and that the quality would otherwise be questionable and very dependent on atmospheric phenomena," explains Mads Byrialsen.

On 11 February 2011 8 is the end

All Greenland between wave ends closed on 11 February at 08:00 West Greenland time. Medium Wave plants will be decommissioned immediately after closing, and [not] maintained so hence not operational in any emergency. It would cost Tele Greenland 1.5 million good kr annually to maintain forward clean.

Utility Nerd #2: San Pedro Radio

Don't expect facts here, because I was like 6 years old and don't remember any. My father had a Hallicrafters SX-62A. It had a glass slide rule dial the size of a skate board, full of little dots for all the cities you could tune in.

Mostly he listened to the San Pedro Marine Operator. This was pre-VHF, and pretty antediluvian. The frequency was duplex in the 2 MHz band, with the shore on the high side of the pair and the vessel on the low side.

The call sign shown on old lists is KOU. Modulation was plain old AM, not USB. When the vessel was talking, the shore station filled in with an old-school, pre-DTMF busy signal.

Google turned up exactly two references to the KOU Marine Operator. Both described heroic Old Salts on fishing boats using the miracle of radio to talk to their business people BEFORE they got to shore! Wonder of wonders!

(San Pedro, CA actually had a fishing industry at one time. There were 500 boats and 15 canneries. Now there are maybe 50 boats and no canneries.)

I'm sure business calls happened, but I don't remember them. I remember a bunch of Hollywood types coming back from Catalina Island in pleasure boats. Most of the time they were so hammered it was lucky they could find San Pedro, let alone call it on the radio. All they ever said was that they would be late (just like last week). Don't wait up for dinner (just like last week).

Now, you'd think this would have produced some great on-air marital spats. If there were any, however, they're lost in my brain way down there with First Grade and bad kiddie TV. Here's what I remember:

"Where are you, Honey? Over." (Baap baap baap.)

"OK, we'll eat alone [again]. Nice day out there? Over." (Baap baap baap.)

"WHO fell over the side? Over." (Baap baap baap baap baap baap baap.)

And so it went, in the glamorous world of HF utility. I think I prefer UVB-76.

Swedish Radio - Another SWBC Bites the Dust

On Halloween of this year, the trick is on Sveriges Radio International listeners.  Per the R. Sweden web site, that's the last day of MW and SW international broadcasting.

Swedish Radio’s international broadcasts on short and medium wave will close down from October 31, 2010. This is part of a decision by Swedish Radio’s management on our output and distribution announced on March 16 this year.

This means that from October 31, Radio Sweden’s programming in English will be broadcast nationally (on FM), as well as available on the Internet, and our podcast will be available here and on iTunes for downloading.

 So it goes.