By Rob Wagner, VK3BW, Melbourne, Australia (EDXP Special Projects Manager)
Originally published in the EDXP Magazine No. 258, June 17, 2002.
One of the most invaluable reference sources you can have on the desk next to your radio is, without a doubt, the indispensable Domestic Broadcasting Survey produced by the Danish Shortwave Club International. Edited once again by Anker Petersen, the 4th edition is now available and should be considered by every serious DXer.
I had a chance to review this latest DBS while away from home recently for a long weekend holiday, with trusty radio in tow! At various times of the day and night I checked out many of the frequencies listed in the document and found it to be of great accuracy. In fact, for some Latin broadcasters, accurate quotations of the station identifications were even listed, which in more than one case proved to be invaluable when comparing with what I was actually monitoring at the time.
The list is made up of actual monitored reports by DXers around the world. For me, this is what makes the survey such an invaluable resource. It is not just some government or broadcasting authority's view of what should be on frequency, but accurate loggings by people who constantly scan the bands for this information. Added to this is the coded listing of activity for each station by regular, sporadic or likely inactive, which really helps confirm to which station you are probably listening.
The survey is jammed-packed with useful information on languages, transmission times, the broadcaster's network, parallel frequencies, announcements, locations, transmitter power and a host of other tips. There is also a special listing of those Indonesian provinces and special districts that helps to accurately locate stations on those far-flung islands to the north of Australia.
I particularly found interesting the list of stations deleted from previous editions of DBS. It was fascinating, and rather alarming, to see so many stations, particularly Latin broadcasters leaving the tropical bands. However, the reduction in the number of 60 mb and 90 mb stations is compensated by the expanded review of domestic broadcasts on the higher frequencies. This detailed analysis of non-international shortwave broadcasts puts DBS in a league of its own.
Congratulations to Anker Peterson and the Danish Shortwave Club International for, once again, producing such a fine resource. Their foresight in electing to make the document available by E-mail in a PDF format ensures that the Domestic Broadcasting Survey gets into the hands of DXers for a reasonable price.
(This Infoview compiled by Rob Wagner VK3BVW, Melbourne, Australia, who is the Special Projects Manager in the EDXP)
NOTE: Members
of the EDXP in Australia may order their copies of DBS4 from EDXP
HQ here in Melbourne, and the publication will be sent out directly
as a PDF file from Denmark within a day or so. The price is A$10
(cash, bank cheque, personal cheque, credit-union cheque, stamps,
or postal order) payable to Bob Padula, 404 Mont Albert Rd, Surrey
Hills, Victoria 3127.