[A-DX] Log: Radio Sawa - 1431 kHz - 2200 UTC

[Wolfgang Bueschel]

ex FRANZ. SOMALILAND   ... daran haben bei der Technik im Aufbau der 1431
Djibouti Station die IBB Deutschland Spezialisten aus Ismaning und
Lampertheim rund um Ing. Schott nach dem Dec 2001 heftigst gewerkelt.
Und nebenher den RTD tx 4780 kHz auch noch wieder her-gerichtet.

Erste Tests erfolgten dann im Febr 2004:

DJIBOUTI   1431  IBB's 600 kW medium wave tx in Djibouti will begin test
txions on 1431 kHz at 1600-0400 from Febr 1, 2004, carrying one of the
Radio Sawa streams in Arabic.
(Dan Ferguson-USA, "via SWBC mail list at Topica" Jan 30)

The new 600 kW mediumwave tx installed in Arta-Dorale,
southern Djibouti by the US Broadcasting Board of Governors has started
txions. It carries Radio Sawa in Arabic, at 1600-0400 UTC on 1431 kHz,
beamed to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen from a three tower
directional antenna system. The agreement signed on 18 June 2002.
(RNW MN NL Feb 2, 2004)

1431 0000-0400 SAW MRN6 ARAB DJI 02/02/2004 03/27/2004
1431 1600-2400 SAW MRN6 ARAB DJI 02/01/2004 03/27/2004
According to Thales the station has a three tower directional array.
Two pattern possible.

1431 Radio Sawa [US IBB-BBG]. Reliable reports from Djibouti
indicate that nighttime testing, possibly using both directional and non-
directional antenna modes, should now be underway or commence very
shortly. (Ydun Ritz-DEN Mar 4, Ydun's MW Nx via dxld Mar 8, 2004)

R. Sawa, via Djibouti, 1431 kHz MW, is now running 300 kW in the daytime,
600 kW at night.

Distance Djibouti to central Somalia 800-900, to Mogadishu 1050, and to
Nairobi 1650, to Kampala 1750 kms.

See the purple coloured line on the IBB footprint, and you will see
reliable reception up to Sinai peninsula, that's 2100 kilometers.

If the antennas are set reverse, like main signal director/reflector
southwards, set a mirror image on this purple coloured line, you will see
reliable reception on the main lobe at 150 degrees southwards, that's 1000
kms to the Somali coast line, and 1000 kilometres more into Indian Ocean
fishering fleet; and German Marines which keep watch to the coastal
traffic between Kenya-Dar es Salaam and Red Sea.
But also non-dir pattern would cover most of Somali on sufficient
signal level.

new IBB US Dorale site [3 mast tower installation for 1431 MW] of Febr
23, 2004y, 3 kms away southwestwards at 3 mast tower location
11 34 01.03 N  43 04 02.64 E
measuring with the goniometer on the google earth browser image, shows
325-330 / 145-150* degrees direction.

TX seems Thales, but antenna built up by Antenna of Benj. F. Dawson III,
P.E., Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers, LLC, 9500 Greenwood Avenue
North, Seattle, WA, 98103 USA.
(Ben Dawson-WA-USA, dxld Feb 17, 2004y)

Details of the IBB Djibouti pattern were given in the procurement, which was
on line when issued in 2002. It is "super-cardioid," boresight at 325
degrees true, 3 element, in-line. It can also operate omni-directionally.

* 148degr It cannot, in its present feed system configuration, be reversed.


Also spelt Doraleh (RTD website) - but was the older 1539 kHz 40 kW site:
- C'est en 1983, avec le concours de la cooperation allemande (ex RFA)
qu'un centre d'emission pour la radiodiffusion a ete installe a Doraleh en
banlieue de la ville de Djibouti. Ce centre, desormais avait la capacite
de diffuser en onde moyenne, en onde courte, en modulation de frequence et
de produire des emissions radios.
(Olle Alm-SWE, BC-DX Feb 6, 2004)

wb

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christoph Ratzer" <>
Sent: Monday, January 04, 2016 11:16 PM
Subject: Re: [A-DX] Log: Radio Sawa - 1431 kHz - 2200 UTC

> Arabische Musik und Sprache - das dürfte tatsächlich aus Djibouti kommen,
> wenn ich mich nicht irre.

Schönes Log, Danke Reinhold. Das Signal ist an meiner Afrika Beverage auch
sehr stark, das ist sicher Sawa aus Djibouti. Im Hintergrund ist Radio Fars
aus dem Iran zu hören.

73 Christoph
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