BCDX Informations Plus DX Memories etc From Japan,Australia & Guam

 From  Radio Japan NHK World Radio  English Service

QSL Cards For Reception Reports Only Upto 20th instant:

A DXER friend of mind last month sent an interesting information regarding Radio Japan's termination of QSL Cards(verification cards).Later visiting the website of Radio Japan NHK World, I could find the information posted myself.Radio Japan has decided to stop issuing verification cards(QSL Cards) for correct reception reports of  their broadcasts by listeners.And they will issue QSL Cards for reception reports of the broadcasts  upto of March 20th (of 2025)only.

However, listeners can send feedbacks and requests on their program contents of English Service via Contact Us link on their website.

No information about the provisions of e-QSL Cards(verification cards) there mentioned.

Radio Japan English Service used to be a good verifier of reception reports.I received many printed QsL Cards of Radio Japan English inially without detail & later with detail QSL Cards by regular post from all the way from Tokyo.Here are the scanned versions..first front side & then back side..

Frontside

Depicting "Colourful kites are part of New Year scene"

Without Details...Backside

Frontside 

Depicting "Cherry Blossoms and Hirisaki castle in Aomori"

With Details..

Backside..

Radio Japan's Hindi Service is used to issue QSL Cards too for correct reception reports.I have received over the years several QSL Cards with Hindi print but with out any detail informations printed...

Here is the one ....scanned version..

Front side

Depicting "Colours Of Spring"..from Shizouka Prefecture

Backside..

Wavescan May Be From WRMI Production Team On Shortwave To Asia from A25 Season 

Via Reach Beyond Australia  To Asia

Another BCDX expert  passed the info to me a few weeks back, that  Wavescan ,the weekly Global DX Program produced now-a-days from Radio Maimi International( WRMI) is likely to be  on air to Asia from the beginning of A25 spring-summer international broadcasting season effective March 30th to October 25th of 2025 via Reach Beyond Australia 

And as per the A25 schedule of Reach Beyond Australia ...

1400 -1430 utc on 11870 kHz (Sunday)

and to Japan 

2230-2300utc  on 17650 (monday)

I will have to wait and check on air the schedule specially the 2230utc onwards slot whether it is on sunday as per UTC time or on monday.

It was mentioned earlier that Adventist World Radio(AWR) had stopped using leased transmitter sites  and only goes on air via its Agat,Guam transmitter sites at the start of B24 winter season on shortwave and it also dropped the  weekly Global DX Program, Wavescan produced at WRMI studio( on sundays) from its program.There is  no English Program from AWR too.The program goes on air via WRMI only perhaps on shortwave and may a few other stations relays it.And from time to time, by checking WRMI schedule, I have listened  their live streaming audio via WRMI website(www.wrmi.net).

And another link to listen to the Wavecan program online(podcast) at your convenient time ..

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/wavescan

It has  mentioned in the Wavescan program that WRMI is trying to air this Wavescan program via other radio stations/leased transmitter sites who broadcasts to Asia.And I am waiting for this Wavescan broadcast via  Reach Beyond Australia site in Kununurra(100kW-Australia) on sundays from March 30th.

And nowadays, AWR is only transmitting on shortwave via its own transmitter site located at Agat,Guam.I used to receive lots of QSL Cards plus program schedules etc from Guam during my initial active phase of my DXING hobby.They were used to be a good verifier of reception reports from listeners.
Here is the scanned version of my probably first QSL Card from AWR ..program Wavescan the Global DX Program then produced in England by AWR English Staff..presented by David Borasoain as far as I could recall..
Frontside..

Depicting "Sunrise at Bear Rock Agfayan Bay, Inarajan, Guam"

Backside..

More observations/radio news/monitoring reports etc from time to time.

73

Gautam Kumar Sharma(GK)(VU3WTI)

(Abhayapuri)(Assam)(India)

Radio Japan NHK World South Asia Flash

On December 29th,after several weeks of poor to barely audible reception of Radio Japan NHK World's shortwave transmissions of Bengali,Hindi & Urdu service,I heard very good reception overall on their respective frequencies.

Here is a brief reception summary.

Date:December 29,2022

Receiver:Grundig Yacht Boy 400

External Antenna:Long Wire multistranded Copper wire 79ft long 35ft height approx. RG6 coaxial cable feedline etc

Place Of Reception:Abhayapuri(Assam)(India) 

All time mentioned  in  Coordinated Universal Time(utc) 

Radio Japan NHK World

Bengali 

1503-1530utc 11610kHz (Via Yamata-Japan,300kW)

SINPO 45444 very weak could be ignored as slight noise side band splatter of broadcasting station from 11620kHz ,slight occasional fading,overall good reception

News,feature program

Here is the audio file link recorded around 1505utc:

https://app.box.com/s/nhseoxx8bdx3fn47sk3aoh6kdri0vnb6

Hindi 

1530-1549utc 11610kHz (Via Yamata-Japan,300kW)

SINPO 45545,good signal strength,slight fading occasionally,overall reception excellent

opening annoucements,news,Japanese Language Learning program

The audio file link recorded around 1530utc:

https://app.box.com/s/d0ar34kwpqb5xnwcc89y1b09x7y55c48

Urdu

1600-1619utc 11620kHz (Via Yamata-Japan,300kW)

SINPO 55545,excellent signal strength,no noise,no interference,slight occasional fading,excellent overall reception

Usual opening annoucements,News,Japanese learning program

The audio file link recorded around 1601utc:

https://app.box.com/s/gphawjjirc5fpio4un39m2wntl66ko90

QSL Card Flash...Down the memory lane:

Radio Japan used to be a good verifier of reception reports and I also have received lots of QSL Cards from the station..Here is a scanned version(both sides  of a beautiful QSL Card for a reception report for  Radio Japan Hindi Service received in 2005 signed by Radio Japan's T Sato.It is showing  "Snow On a fishing port" Ine-cho,Yosa-gun,Kyoto Prefecture

With Best Wishes

73

Gautam Kumar Sharma(GK)(VU3WTI)

(Abhayapuri)(Assam)(India)

Radio Japan NHK World Hindi& Bengali A22 Update Via Yamata,Japan

Kon'nichiwa!!

Starting from March 27,2022(sunday) i.e.on the first day of coming summer season of international broadcasting season A22, Radio Japan NHK World  Hindi transmission will be on air once only as follows

from 1530utc( from 9.00PM at night in India) everyday on 11655kHz 

There will be no rebroadcast of the  feature program sections of the transmissions as before(twice after the live broadcast  ) on shortwave.And the live broadcast will be available on the website plus on demands audio etc as before.I heard this announcement on last sunday mailbag program (March 13th...unlucky 13th)  Cheri Ke Desh Say.

As far as I could recall I had not heard duration of the broadcast 30 minutes or 20 minutes.

Later checking HFCC A22 date base on HFCC website , it has come to my notice this transmission is listed 30 minute duration and the transmission will be from Yamata (300kW).

The HFCC  A22 database link:

http://hfcc.org/data/a22/index.phtml

Thanks VU2JOS,Hyderabad for posting the link.

And Radio Japan's Bengali transmission is listed on 11655kHz via Yamata Japan (300kW) everyday on 1500utc(8:30PM Indian Standard Time & 9:00PM Bangladesh Standard Time) for half an hour.

And it is after many seasons, Radio Japan will transmit Bengali & Hindi transmissions from Yamata Transmitter Station as per I could recall.

The KDDI Corp.’s Yamata Transmission Station(Koga City , Ibaraki Prefecture?) is the Japan's only shortwave transmission facility for overseas broadcasts.

Here is link to a post on Yamata 

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14367647

Here is a front side of a QSL Card from Radio Japan I received in early 2000s  for my detail reception report to Radio Japan via their Indian Postal address in New Delhi, featuring their their coverage areas on shortwave via Yamata & other leased transmitter sites around the world.

More reports,observations etc soon

Toriaezu sayōnara!!!

Gautam Kumar Sharma(GK)(VU3WTI)

Abhayapuri(Assam)(India)