”SPOTLIGHT ON SWLING” 2015 is well and truly here as there have been changes here in my unit. Some renovation work has been carried out over January and hopefully I will be able now monitor in comfort. One country has returned to shortwave broadcasting after an outcry from disgruntled listeners forced the authorities to hastily reverse their decision. Radio Exterior Espana from Madrid came back on the 19th December. It has been relaying the domestic networks, mainly in the local evening hours with Spanish programming. I am also hearing whispers that Radio Australia could be also leaving shortwave and may have already pulled the plug. I am reliably informed that management has not renewed arrangements to utilise senders in the UAE, Singapore and Palau. FM relays throughout the Pacific were terminated last year as was Australia Television. Programming over RA now consists of relays from either Radio National or JJ. I have been receiving complaints from listeners overseas about the latter. Radio Australia did relay 2BL 702 during the Sydney siege. The BBC and the VOA along with DW have made plans to further reduce shortwave this year. Russia has already departed. As I have repeatedly remarked, the Chinese have significantly increased their HF output and they are audible practically around the clock with an extensive HF network within the PRC and also from Albania where they have installed powerful senders. Cuba also transmits some programming also on their behalf together with a low-powered sender in Mali. Conditions though have been very much on the decline. The sunspot cycle is rapidly going down with frequent blackouts. I note that propagation has dropped off on the higher frequencies. I do note a huge increase in OTHR activity. There is a substantial Russian facility with a distinctive sound and is between 20 and 50 kHz wide. It is facing Europe from a site in western Russia. Power is conservatively estimated to be in the hundreds of kilowatts. Other nations use different systems yet they are not as wide or as powerful as the Russians. The UK has had a base in Akotiri Cyprus for many decades and their system goes under the codename of Pluto. The French also have a set-up as do the Iranians. We have had a system for many decades known as Jindalee. It seems quite odd that broadcasters are leaving HF to OTHR systems. Recently I came across a broadcast from Iran in English on 21510 at 1050 UTC. Apparently it is directed to South Asia and said to be also on 17560. For some odd reason, Teheran commences all their broadcasts at either 20 or 50 minutes instead on the hour or half-hour. I personally found their English diction somewhat difficult to understand. Don’t forget if you have any news or comments, feel free to e-mail me at vk7rh@wia.org.au. 73 de vk7rh