Wavescan

"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.

Wavescan N614, November 29, 2020

Return to Nepal - 5: The Mediumwave Scene

Radio Nepal in Kathmandu made its first program broadcast from a temporary studio and a set of hastily-installed electronic equipment at Singha Durbar on April 3, 1951. However, the transmitter was a low powered shortwave unit assembled from already-available equipment that was brought in from country Biratnagar and suburban Aakashbani.

A couple of years later (1953), a very low powered mediumwave transmitter was co-installed with shortwave Radio Nepal at Singha Durbar. This additional unit, as the first official mediumwave station for Radio Nepal, operated with less than 100 watts on 1500 kHz.

A decade late (1962), the original composite shortwave transmitter was retuned to the same mediumwave channel 1500 kHz, thus slightly increasing the audibility of the radio signal in the capital city area. This original location, Singha Durbar in Kathmandu, was the first of nine different locations in Nepal wherein a mediumwave station has been installed.

A new transmitter facility was constructed for Radio Nepal in suburban Jawarlakhel, on the south side of Jhamsikhel Road, three miles southeast from downtown Kathmandu in 1955. This combination mediumwave and shortwave facility was enabled by Australian Aid under what was known back then as the Colombo Plan.

Two mediumwave transmitters, 1 kW units manufactured by AWA, were installed at this new location, they were taken into service during the following year 1956, and they were both tuned to the same frequency, 1500 kHz. These two transmitters, main and alternate, were in use for coverage of the national capital up until a higher-powered station was constructed nearby a dozen years later. For several subsequent years, beginning in 1969, these two small transmitters were kept in standby mode, though they were activated annually for a short period of test transmissions.

A new transmitter station, again both mediumwave and shortwave, was constructed on the southwest side of Satdobato Road in suburban Khumaltar, five miles south of Kathmandu. This station was set up with electronic equipment from the Marconi company in England, and the mediumwave mast stood 300 feet tall. The 10 kW mediumwave transmitter was taken into service in 1969 and it radiated on 790 kHz.

Extensive Japanese Aid enabled the construction of a whole network of mediumwave stations in Nepal, stretching more than 400 miles from Doti in the far west to Dhankuta in the far east. Initially each of these six distant stations in the nationwide network received their programming feed from Kathmandu via shortwave, though as electronic communications throughout the country were extended, then an improved audio quality became available for rebroadcast on local mediumwave.

The first pair of new mediumwave stations under Japanese Aid were installed at Bhainsepati in suburban Kathmandu and at Malepatan in suburban Pokhara in 1983. At both locations, the main transmitter was a 100 kW unit, and the standby transmitter was a 10 kW unit.

The Bhainsepati station was built on Gokul Awas Road, Sainbu Bhainsepati, about 5 miles southeast from the main areas of Kathmandu. The main purpose for this high powered mediumwave station was to provide a more reliable signal for the capital city area. This station radiated on 792 kHz, thus fulfilling the internationally required 9 kHz spacing for all mediumwave stations, and the 14 year old 10 kW station at Khumaltar was relegated to standby usage.

The new mediumwave station at Pokhara was installed on Shanto Marg in suburban Malepathan and it radiated on 684 kHz. We might also add two items of local interest about Pokhara. Because of the mountainous terrain, north Pokhara receives more rain than south Pokhara.

The Zipflyer just north of Pokhara is the longest, highest and steepest zipline in the world. This zipline is more than a mile long, it is a third of a mile high above the terrain, with a speed of more than 100 miles an hour.

Both mediumwave stations for Radio Nepal, at Bhainsepati and Pokhara, are equipped with local production studios. Both stations were officially opened by the King, His Majesty Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in a special ceremony in Kathmandu at 11:45 am on Monday, May 9, 1983.

Six years later again (1989), Japanese Aid enabled the construction of another mediumwave station in a country area, this time at Bardibas, 100 road miles southeast of Kathmandu. This station was located on the western side of the very long BP Highway, and two transmitters at 10 kW each were installed. This new station with its twin 10 kW transmitters (main and alternate) on 1143 kHz, was intended to provide a second program channel for the area, in addition to Kathmandu-Bhainsepati on 792 kHz.

The technical equipment at Radio Nepal Bardibas was damaged during a terrorist attack in 2002, though it was subsequently repaired and returned to the air. Back in 2013, Japanese Aid implemented a project to rebuild this station.

Thus far we have presented the story of six mediumwave stations throughout Nepal, leaving just three more, each of which was listed for the first time in the 1992 WRTVHB. These three stations were also installed through Japanese Aid, and here are the specific details:

Stn Name	Transmitter	Location	Area	Main/alt Fqy
RN Dhankuta	Dharan	R. Nepal Marg	FarE	100/10 kw 648
RN Surkhet	Birendranagar	Karnali Raj Marg	West	100/10 kw 576
RN Dipayal	Doti	Near River	FarW	10/10 kw 810

Dramatic Information from All India Radio - Part 2

In our program last week, we presented the information about the closure of the Vividh Bharati service of All India Radio on shortwave and the closure of five of their regional shortwave stations. Today, we refer to additional radio and TV changes and closures in India.

It is understood that additional closures of the few remaining regional shortwave stations are to be expected sometime soon. Then also, the question remains regarding the planned reopening of the regional shortwave station located at Kurseong up in the mountains.

The closure of the high powered mediumwave station at Alappuzha in Kerala was announced on November 9, but there was such an outcry from the public that a state official contacted the federal minister for radio urging that the planned closure be reversed. Initially, the closure was put on hold for another week; and then on November 12, a newspaper report stated that the station was still on the air, though now at 60 kW, rather than 200 kW.

Under the British Raj, the coastal city of Alappuzha was known as Alleppey. This 200 kW mediumwave station on 576 kHz gives wide area coverage in the Malayalam language, not only in mainland India, but also in the Lakshadweep Islands where a variation of the same language is spoken.

At the present time, the 100 kW mediumwave transmitter at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh is faulty and they are currently radiating on their regular channel, 909 kHz, with a 1 kW mobile transmitter. Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, at the National Institute of Amateur Radio in Hyderabad, informs us that All India Radio utilizes several mobile mediumwave stations, as needed at various locations. He states that mobile mediumwave stations are always readily available in each of the five major AIR radio districts in India, and that a few additional units can be moved to any temporary location as needed.

We might also add that it is anticipated that several other mediumwave stations in India will be closed in favor of FM coverage, and that the high powered mediumwave stations in their major cities are being closed in favor of what they call pure DRM coverage. In addition, their TV network Doordarshan has announced the closure of 273 of their low power TV relay stations.

In our program next week, we plan to list the remaining regional shortwave stations in India that are still on the air.