AIR Vividh Bharati via Relay?

[jimlawrence]

For the past month, I've noticed that All India Radio's Vividh Bharati service on 9870 has been unusually clear to my location in the northeastern US between 1240Z and signoff at 1740Z.

This makes me think that perhaps they're using a transmitter at Sackville or elsewhere in North America rather than transmitting from India. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[ka3jjz]

AFAIK there are no such relays of the National service from India. However during the fall/winter season it's not so uncommon to get a good path to Asia. There have been several reports of 9870 on the NASWA Yahoo list; I can't check to see whether the spreadsheet has the site for this transmission. Not even the DX Asia website lists it. Perhaps the HFCC or FCC list does....

I used to listen to this occassionally when it was still on 10030 (yes, that's way outside the 31mb) in the eves before they moved the freq a year or two ago. That interval signal is still haunting....73 Mike

 

[KT4HX]

The below is from the EiBi listing at SHORT WAVE STUFF . As Mike said, it is highly unlikely that the AIR national network would utilize relays. Never underestimate the variables of propagation. It can really surprise you sometimes.
9870 0025-0435 IND AIR Vividh Bharati HI SAs
9870 0900-1200 IND Vividh Bharati DIGITAL HI SAs
9870 1245-1740 IND AIR Vividh Bharati HI SAs

 

[k9rzz]

I think that's close to a gray line path at that hour which is always good for the other side of the world loggings.

 

[KT4HX]

FYI, as of now (1649Z), I have them in Virginia at S9. So they are definitely putting in a nice signal.

 

[k9rzz]

Maybe we've got some low polar absorption today and perhaps good longwave and mediumwave sigs out of Europe / North Africa tonight.

 

[k9rzz]

Yup, good sigs on LW tonight. Morocco 171khz really sounding good right now.

 

[jimlawrence]

For those of you interested in snagging India, here's my short list of high probability catches.

1240Z-1740Z - 9870, Vividh Bharati
1745Z-1945Z - 9445, All India Radio to West Africa
1745Z-2230Z - 7550, All India Radio to Europe
2045Z-2230Z - 9445, All India Radio to Europe

If you're listening to India at other times during the day with good reliability, please let me know. Thanks! And corrections to the info. posted above always appreciated.

 

[CLynch7]

Pretty good signal on 4915 last nite, 10pm local (eastern), but too much CODAR QRM to be listenable

 

[KT4HX]

They are usually fairly reliable here between 1500Z and 1700Z on 11620 KHz. If you haven't heard their interval signal before, check out k9rzz's interval signal quiz thread.

 

[k9rzz]

I think you've got to catch India before it gets too late in the evening in Europe (no listeners). I'm really struggling with 60 meters so far this fall. 6 - 10mhz is pretty strong almost 24hrs/day, but below 6 I've been struggling to hear anything except the real loud ones. Weak hets is about it.

 

[KT4HX]

Boy, do I ever agree! The tropical bands sure aren't what they used to be in years gone by. Full of Africans in the early evening and then again from 0300 on to 0600. Reception of stations in Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Cameroons, Nigeria, both Congos, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Niger, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), Malawi, Burundi, Lesotho, etc., was pretty much the norm, even in Indiana where I grew up. A lot of those countries had 100KW transmitters and put in some really good signals at times. There used to be so many more Central and South American stations on too. The 60 meter band was just crammed with signals. Then in the pre-dawn hours the pacific would start coming in - Australia local stations, Papua-New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, etc. But things change. Many have moved off of shortwave, we now have CODAR, and other crap on those bands. It is a shame. Used to be a DX'ers paradise, but it is far from that nowadays.

I think you've got to catch India before it gets too late in the evening in Europe (no listeners). I'm really struggling with 60 meters so far this fall. 6 - 10mhz is pretty strong almost 24hrs/day, but below 6 I've been struggling to hear anything except the real loud ones. Weak hets is about it.

 

[ka3jjz]

Boy, do I ever agree! The tropical bands sure aren't what they used to be in years gone by. Full of Africans in the early evening and then again from 0300 on to 0600. Reception of stations in Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Cameroons, Nigeria, both Congos, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Niger, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), Malawi, Burundi, Lesotho, etc., was pretty much the norm, even in Indiana where I grew up. A lot of those countries had 100KW transmitters and put in some really good signals at times. There used to be so many more Central and South American stations on too. The 60 meter band was just crammed with signals. Then in the pre-dawn hours the pacific would start coming in - Australia local stations, Papua-New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, etc. But things change. Many have moved off of shortwave, we now have CODAR, and other crap on those bands. It is a shame. Used to be a DX'ers paradise, but it is far from that nowadays.

Some of those countries are still there - Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria (all rather irregularly reported now), Niger, Zambia, Malawi even occasional reports of the Solomon Islands and many Indonesians. There are still many South American stations on 60 as well. It's a shame that this band has gone to pot with preacher types and CODAR, but that's the way the cookies (and in some cases, at least, the money) goes....73 Mike

 

[k9rzz]

Well, I've been focusing on 49 meters (6mhz) and am finding that right now it's almost a 24 hr/day band. For me, it dies out from sunrise to about 11am, but starting with India at 1145cst it's starts waking up again.

 

[ka3jjz]

OK we've wandered enough OT - start a new thread, please. Thread closed 73 Mike