* Theme - 00:00
"Birthday Serenade" - Willi Glahe
* Opening Announcement - 00:16
Welcome to "Wavescan", international DX program from Adventist World Radio
Researched and written in Indianapolis, produced in studios of shortwave WRMI
Program outline
1. Full Details: The big 2013 AWR Annual Wavescan DX Contest
2. Tribute to Family Radio Shortwave: The Early Years in New York
3. Indian DX Report
4. AWR Local Radio in Africa
5. International DX Report
* Full Details: The big 2013 AWR Annual Wavescan DX Contest, Focus on Africa - 00:50
As Adventist World Radio enters into its 42nd year of international radio broadcasting, we take pleasure in announcing our annual "Wavescan" DX contest, which comes to you under the title, "Focus on Africa". In short, you are invited to check your collection of QSLs from shortwave stations in Africa, and to log AWR programming on shortwave to Africa during the month of July 2013.
This 2013 contest begins tomorrow, and here now are the details of our "Focus on Africa" DX Contest:-
A. African Shortwave QSLs
You are invited to make a list of what you consider to be the 5 top QSLs in your collection of QSL cards & letters from shortwave stations in Africa. These QSLs can be from any shortwave broadcasting station or any shortwave communication station located in any country on the African continent and/or on nearby associated islands. Amateur stations nor CB stations are not valid for this contest. Please state very briefly the reason why you consider these 5 QSLs to be your best from Africa.
B. Photocopies
You are invited to provide a photocopy of each of the QSLs that are on your list in Part A. Preferably, these photo copies should be in color, though black & white copies may be acceptable.
C. African QSLs Wanted
You are invited to make a list of what you consider to be the 5 top shortwave stations in Africa from which you do not hold a QSL, but you would like to add to your collection. Please state very briefly the reason why you consider these 5 shortwave stations to be your most wanted.
D. AWR Reception Reports
You are invited to prepare three reception reports for the broadcast on shortwave of any AWR programming beamed towards Africa. These broadcasts from Adventist World Radio may be from shortwave stations located anywhere in Africa or on nearby African islands; or AWR programming beamed into Africa on shortwave from other countries.
E. Three Radio Cards
Where possible, you are invited to include three radio cards for the Indianapolis Heritage Collection with your contest entry. These cards may be old or new, and they may be QSL cards, reception report cards, or picture cards of radio stations, etc. (Not valid for this contest are amateur cards nor CB cards.)
Other Contest Details
Well, there you have it, the details for our Wavescan 2013 "Focus on Africa" DX Contest. This contest will run through the month of July 2013, and all contest entries should be postmarked at your local post office anywhere in the world on any date up to the end of the month of July, and they should be received at the AWR post office address in Indianapolis no later than the end of the month of August 2013.
Post your entry with all items to Adventist World Radio in Indianapolis, remembering that neatness and preparation, will all feature in the judging process. Due consideration will also be given to the area of the world in which the contestant lives.
Return postage in the form of currency notes in any international currency, or mint postage stamps, or IRC coupons would be welcome. Where possible, a self addressed return envelope, business size or half quarto size, would also be welcome; or your address label.
The awards for the AWR 2013 "Focus on Africa" contest will be similar to all previous contests. There will be a special award for the world winner, one of the Jerry Berg radio history books; and World Radio TV Handbook 2014 for each continental winner. In addition, there will be other special awards as well as AWR souvenirs and radio curios for many participants.
You can remember that all AWR reception reports will be verified with a specially endorsed AWR QSL card. Please remember that it will take a period of many months, well into the new year 2014, to process all of the contest entries and reception reports, but each will in due course be processed.
The only address for the "Focus on Africa" 2013 DX Contest is the AWR address in Indianapolis.
* Program Announcement - 06:04
Allen Graham
* Tribute to Family Radio Shortwave: The Early Years in New York - 06:55
Audio: Insert
WYFR sign off, theme & announcement in Spanish
Two weeks ago, an official announcement from Family Radio stated that their huge shortwave station WYFR located near Lake Okeechobee in Florida will close at the end of the month, on Sunday June 30. Today, June 30, is their last day of regular on air shortwave service. This shortwave super-station, with its 14 transmitters and a widespread antenna farm containing 23 different antenna systems, and its illustrious history spanning a total of some 86 years, will lie silent at the end of the broadcast day today.
Shortwave station WYFR, Okeechobee, Florida, has been by far, the largest non government shortwave station in North America, and rivaled only by some of the larger VOA shortwave stations, such as the three separated facilities at Greenville, North Carolina.
In honor of this magnificent shortwave station, we begin here in Wavescan a multi-part series of topics that traces the long and interesting history of the station and all of its predecessors, beginning way back at the time when radio itself was a new and novel method of instant communication. In this topic, A Tribute to Family Radio Shortwave, we look at the early years in New York, under the sub-title, People & Places.
A boy was born over in Luxembourg Europe on August 16, 1864, with the name Hugo Gernsbacher. As a young man in Germany way back around the turn of the century into the 1900s, he built a wireless transmitter and receiver. He arrived in New York in February 1904, and changed his name to Hugo Gernsback.
One year later, Gernsback established a wireless importing business, and he lodged the world's first printed advertisement for a complete wireless station, transmitter & receiver. He went on to establish many different radio and fiction magazines, including the well known "Radio News", and he also launched his own radio broadcasting station, WRNY in New York City.
There was another man of wireless/radio fame and that was Walter S. Lemmon who was born over here in the United States in the year 1896. In the year 1919, just after the end of World War 1, he was one of the radio operators aboard the USS "George Washington", a superior German passenger liner that had sought refuge in New York at the beginning of the war and that was later commandeered by the American government.
The General Electric Company installed several radio & wireless transmitters aboard the "George Washington" in April 1919, for experimental work with the navy station NFF at New Brunswick, New Jersey. At this stage, several program broadcasts were presented from the "George Washington" on 167 kHz longwave, most of which were re-transmitted live by the navy's shore based station.
At the time, President Wilson was returning to the United States on the "George Washington" after his successful peace negotiations in Paris and Walter Lemmon, one of the ships radio operators, invited President Wilson to make a July 4 speech to the nation. Wilson did indeed make a brief speech in between music items during the Independence Day broadcast, though he stood so far away from the microphone that his words were not heard clearly in the broadcast. A news reporter subsequently re-read the speech which this time was transmitted quite clearly.
The Hotel Roosevelt was just a new hotel in New York, opened in the year 1924, and it was here that Hugo Gernsback installed his new radio broadcasting station, WRNY, with studios on the 18th floor and the 500 watt transmitter and antenna towers on the roof. One of the speakers at the inauguration of Radio New York on June 12, 1925, was the well known wireless experimenter, Dr. Lee de Forest. During the next year, the transmitter for station WRNY was re-installed across the river on Hudson Terrace in Coytesville New Jersey.
Another well known hotel in New York was the McAlpin, which at 24 stories, was the tallest in New York when it was opened in 1912. This hotel featured in an early experimental radio broadcast when the Italian soprano Luisa Tetrazzini made a broadcast from her hotel room, via a transmitter operated by the Army Signal Corps.
Early in 1925, another series of test broadcasts went on the air from this hotel under the experimental callsign 2XH. Then, on February 1, the new mediumwave station WMCA, standing quite obviously for McAlpin, was inaugurated, the 13th for New York City.
This same Hugo Gernsback and his Experimenter Publishing Co obtained a permit in mid 1925 for a Special Land Station, as they were designated in those days, and the allocated callsign was 2XAL. This was a portable transmitter, licensed for the McAlpin Hotel, and apparently for use on shortwave for remote broadcasts in association with mediumwave station WMCA.
Two years later, on May 25 1927, Gernsback received a Construction Permit for a shortwave station to be located on Hudson Terrace Coytesville, just across the river from Manhattan. That's where we pick up the story again, two weeks from now.
Audio: Insert
WYFR Theme music and announcement in Chinese
* Indian DX Report - 14:10
Greetings friends and welcome to June edition of Indian DX Report. I am your host Prithwiraj. As always I would like to start this month's DX tips with few updates from All India Radio.
All India Radio Chinchurah is testing for the last few days on 1134 kHz in AM mode and in DRM mode on 1142 kHz from 1130 to 2330 UTC using three transmitters at 400 kW each. They are relaying mostly FM Gold Kolkata programs for these test transmissions. Reception reports are requested by this station and must be addressed to:
Installation Officer
Super Power Transmitter
All India Radio
Station Road
Chinsurah 712102
West Bengal, India
Or you can email your reports to ddesptmogra @ gmail.com.
Recently my fellow DXer Gautam Kumar Sharma of Abhayapuri, Assam sent me his monitoring observations for some of the AIR stations in Eastern India. I am pleased to include this information in this edition of IDXR.
Gautam informs us that AIR Kashmir was heard by me on 4870 kHz around 1402 UTC on June 16 with a few Hindi film Songs. The audio was slightly rough. He also heard ABC Alice Springs on 4835 kHz on the same day around 1400 UTC while looking for AIR Gangtok which is off the air for some time now. As per his monitoring on AIR regional radio stations from North East Region, AIR-Imphal, AIR-Guwahati & AIR-Kohima are off the air on their respective shortwave frequencies. But AIR-Aizawl's signal in the morning has been improved slightly on 5050 kHz and can be heard without any QRM. AIR-Itanagar can be heard regularly on 4990 kHz.
According to some newspaper reports, the famous Lord Jagannatha Temple of Puri will host an FM radio station soon. The temple administration has decided to start this FM station to disseminate information on Lord Jagannath. The proposed project would be commissioned at a cost of around Rupees 4 crore and programmes to be aired through the proposed radio station include devotional songs, daily rituals and discourses relating to the Lord, etc. Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri in the Odhisa state of India is a popular Hindu pilgrimage and famous for its annual Ratha Yatra festival.
RTI Item
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation has dropped its All Asia English Service which goes back to the early days of commercial broadcasting in the 1950s and it is now having a single Hindi service from 0115 - 0330 UTC on 11905 kHz. In this service, sponsored English Gospel programs are also inserted. Meanwhile the SLBC service to the Middle East targeting Sri Lankan workers is transmitted from 1630 - 1830 UTC on 11750 kHz on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday only. The service to South India in Malayalam and Tamil between 1115 - 1215 UTC has been moved to 9720 from 21st June.
While many major international broadcasters are ceasing or reducing their broadcasts targeting Asia, Taiwan based PCJ Radio International is emerging as a new start in the shortwave medium. After its successful test transmissions targeting listeners in Asia, PCJ has also tested SW transmissions towards Europe and North America via a transmitter at Nauen clearly indicating its future plan to take hold of the shortwave bands. Meanwhile PCJ's international "Sunday only" broadcasts via Trincomalee have been extended till August 2013, and from 30th June onwards their one hour Sunday transmissions can be heard from 1330 - 1430 UTC on 11835 kHz.
And as the last item, I just want to remind you that the big 2013 Adventist World Radio Annual DX Contest will be underway from July 1st and it will run till the end of July. As Adventist World Radio enters into its 42nd year of international radio broadcasting, they have announced their annual "Wavescan" DX contest under the title, "Focus on Africa". In short, you are invited to check your collection of QSLs from shortwave stations in Africa, and to log AWR programming on shortwave to Africa during the month of July 2013. For complete details on this contest please visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/indiandxreport
And with this I would like to conclude this edition of DX Report from India. For this edition I would like to thank all members of Asian DX League and DX India Yahoo Group. If you have any suggestion or comments on this presentation or if you would like to obtain a special IDXR QSL by sending a reception report, then please write to:
Indian DX Report
C/O-Prithwiraj Purkayastha
Pub Bongalpukhuri
By Lane 4
Jorhat 785001
Assam India
or you can drop me an email at <indiandxreport@gmail.com>. For a paper QSL return postage will be highly appreciated.
So, friends until next time its goodbye from Assam.
* AWR Local Radio - 21:17
Over in Africa, Adventist World Radio is operating a total of fourteen FM radio stations in ten different countries, each of which is on the air 24 hours daily. For those of our listeners living in Kenya in Africa, you have three stations at three different locations from which to choose, and they are:-
Eldoret 103.9 FM Kitul 105.3 FM Nyamira 89.7 FM
For those of our listeners living in Burundi, you can tune in the FM station in Bujumbura on 101.8 MHz, with all programming in the Rundi language. The AWR station in Yaounde in the Cameroons is at 92.4 FM with programming in four languages: Beti, English, French and Fulfulde.
* International DX Report - 22:17
Jeff White: North India Floods, VU2JOS & others, emergency communications
Jerry Berg, Ontheshortwaves, searchable procedure
Anker Petersen, Update on radio in Greece
* Music of the World - 25:42
Finland, Classical piano, folk song, Strawberry
* Closing Announcement - 26:05
Thanks for listening to "Wavescan", international DX program from Adventist World Radio
Researched and written in Indianapolis
Next week:-
1. NASB Report
2. Ancient DX Report 1904
3. Japan DX Report
Two QSL cards available: AWR & WRMI
Wavescan address:-
Box 29235
Indianapolis
Indiana 46229 USA
Wavescan @ AWR.org
Jeff White, shortwave WRMI
* Music Outrun - 27:11
* Program Ends - 28:55
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1. Tribute to Family Radio Shortwave
Progressive Summary
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No. Topic Callsigns Year to Year NWS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The Early Years in New York WRNY WMCA 2XAL 1925-1927 227
2. The Early Years in New Jersey 1926- 229
3. The Move to Boston
4.
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2. Tribute to Family Radio Shortwave: The Early Years in New York
People & Places
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Year Date Information Reference
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Hugo Gernsback: Early Years
1864 Aug 16 Born in Luxembourg as Hugo Gernsbacher
Studied electricity at Technical University, Bingen, Germany
Constructed radio transmitter & receiver
1904 Feb Arrived in New York
1905 Established, with partner, Electro-Importing Co
1905 Nov 25 1st advert, wireless transmitter
1908 Apr Founded world's 1st wireless magazine, Modern Electrics
1911 Apr 11 Began writing science fiction, articles published in his magazines
1919 Jul 1st issue, Amateur Radio News
1920 Jul Amateur Radio News became Radio News
1925 Jun 12 Founded radio station WRNY, 1st broadcast
1928 Aug Began experimental TV transmissions
1929 Declared bankruptcy, re-organized his publications
1948 Jul Radio News became Radio Electronics
1967 Aug 19 Died New York
2003 Jan Last issue Radio Electronics
Walter S. Lemmon: Early Years
1896 Birth of Walter S. Lemmon, New York City
1917 Graduated B.Sc. electrical engineering, Columbia University
1919 Served on USS "George Washington" Brest Harbor France, President Woodrow Wilson
Broadcasts of Peace progress in Paris from ship
1919 Served aboard ship returning President Woodrow Wilson to USA after Peace Conference in Switzerland
1919 Woodrow Wilson broadcasts from ship returning to United States
Wireless operator with US Coast Guard
1929 Aug Walter Lemmon was General Manager W2XAL Sidel 114
1930 Invented 3 gang tuning condenser, sold to RCA
Executive with IBM
Linked up with TV developer Hollis S. Baird at 70 Brookline Rd, Boston
1971 Death of Walter S. Lemmon
USS "George Washington"
1908 Nov 10 Ship SS "George Washington" launched Bremen Germany
Passenger liner for North German Lloyd
3rd largest passenger liner in the world at the time
1912 Apr 14 Warned Titanic of nearby iceberg
1914 Aug 3 Ship interned
1917 Apr 6 Ship taken over by US gov
1917 Sep 6 Commissioned as USS "George Washington"
1919 Mar 13 Arrived Brest with President Woodrow Wilson
1919 Jul 8 Paris Peace Conference
1919 Nov 28 De-commissioned from US navy
1921 Taken into commercial freight & passenger service
1931 Laid up
1941 Mar 13 Re-commissioned as USS "Catlin", lendlease to England
1943 Apr 17 Taken over by US army
1947 Apr 21 Released from service
1951 Jan Disastrous fire
1951 Feb Sold for scrap
Radio Station "George Washington"
1919 Apr 450 m (666 kHz) radio transmitter & receiver installed on "George Washington"
1919 GE test broadcasts between navy NFF New Brunswick NJ & "George Washington"
Programs received by NFF automatically retransmitted on longwave
1919 May 6 Newspaper report, nightly music broadcasts from "George Washington"
1919 Jul 4 Broadcast from "George Washington" on 1800 m (167 kHz) rebroadcast by NFF
Speech by President Woodrow Wilson (2380 kHz?)
Away from microphone, speech re-read for clearer presentation
Hotel McAlpin
1912 Hotel McAlpin constructed, largest in the world 25 stories, 1500 employees, 2500 guests
Broadway & 34th St
1920 1st broadcast from hotel in New York, Luisa Tetrazzini from her room, Army Signal Corps
1925 Station WMCA 500 watts inaugurated, call stood for McAlpin
Hotel Roosevelt
1924 Sep 22 New hotel opened, 45 East 45th St, cnr Madison Ave
Lawrence Welk orchestra in Hotel Roosevelt
WRNY studios on 18th floor, transmitter & towers on roof
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3. Tribute to Family Radio Shortwave: The Early Years in New York
Mediumwave WRNY & Shortwave 2XAL
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Year Date Information Reference
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Mediumwave WRNY Studios, New York
1925 Jun 12 WRNY signed on 1160 kHz
Licensed to Hugo Gernsback Experimenter Publishing Co, Radio News
State of the art studios 18th floor, Roosevelt Hotel, Madison Ave & 45th St
Inaugural broadcast, Dr. Lee de Forest one of speakers
WRNY studios on 18th floor, transmitter & towers on roof
Mediumwave WRNY Transmitter, New York NY
1925 Jun 12 WRNY signed on 1160 kHz
500 watt transmitter & aerial masts roof, Roosevelt Hotel, Madison Ave & 45th St
WRNY studios on 18th floor, transmitter & towers on roof
1926 Changed frequency 800 kHz
1926 Nov Transmitter moved to Hudson Terrace Coytesville NJ, across Hudson from Manhattan
Mediumwave WMCA Hotel McAlpin New York
1925 Test broadcasts as 2XH
1925 Feb 1 Regular broadcasts began on 428.6 m (700 kHz), 13th station in NYC
1925 Feb 6 Began on 800 kHz
Shortwave Station 2XAL/W2XAL Hotel McAlpin New York
1925 Jun 1 2XAL new Special Land Station New York, Experimenter Publishing Co RSB 1-6-25 4
1926 Sep 30 2XAL Associated Broadcasters Hotel McAlpin, portable RSB 30-9-26 5
1927 May 25 Experimenter Publishing Co received CP new SW station, with WRNY Sidel 113
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