More unusual logs in bold
NB: A time of eg 0900 often means the 0900 recording, and not necessary the exact time of the ID.
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - THURSDAY 26th FEBRUARY 2009:
RARE DX - NOT
HEARD HERE: I have not been recording the band this last few
nights. I thought it sounded a bit average and dull any time I checked
in the last few days. So while I was not active, guess what..yes...
My DX neighbour, David H hears no less than four rarities this morning
at 0600 and 0700. After extensive listening from the SKYPE DX CLUSTER
GROUP to the 1190 station, the following four have been confidently
logged. .
1190 WSDQ, DUNLAP, TN 0658 (5kW daytimer!!)
1290 WTKS, SAVANNAH, GA 0700 (5kW)
1350 WLMA, GREENWOOD SC 0700 (1000/ 85 watts daytimer)
1450 WKEU, Griffin, GA 0600 (1kW) All oldies
all the time
Also noted was WBOB 1320, initially thought to be something
more exciting.
Well done Davie, I don't think I have seen the 1190 and 1350 stations
reported anywhere. I could be wrong, but they are certainly rarities...
Can't be bad for an indoor flag antenna. Guess who will check 0700 tomorrow
morning !!! Call signs I have never even heard of..hi.
It may have been interesting to see if I could have heard them anyway,
with a NW pointing beverage. Maybe I would have had something different??
David's aerial is in a westerly direction at present.
BEVERAGE
TO COME DOWN: It is that time of year again, and I knew it
was. I have been talking about it for a while. Today I saw "Big
Sanny the Fermer" who owns the field opposite me. He is almost
ready to plough his field for the barley. So this will be my last weekend
with the beverage aerial. It has been good. In fact superb.
It is not as though I have no other aerials. I have a permanent 500m
beverage through the woods. But the one in the open field does knock
lumps out of it on the HF part of the band. Sometimes the aerial in
the woods has the advantage, especially on the lower frequencies for
some reason. There may well be a slight difference of direction, enough
to give the different characteristics. If you have been reading these
ramblings for a while, you will know I went to see Sanny about another
matter in the Autumn, and he asked if I was there to see about the field.
I couldn't believe my luck.
As it turned out I have had the time available to spend on dxing this
winter, during the best DX conditions for years. And I have ten tons
of Perseus recordings to prove it. The Perseus software has allowed
dxers to record the full band at the top of the hour for the very first
time. So thanks to band conditions, NICO the designer of Perseus, and
the weather which prevented the winter barley being sown in the Autumn,
I have had a great DX season. And judging by David H's logs this morning,
it aint over!!
PLACE
LIKE A TIP: I have been searching here in the shack for some
old missing logs from about 1995 time. I just can't find them for
the life of me. I have turned the place upside down, but found loads
of other odds and ends while I am hunting.
Something I came across got me to thinking how paranoid some folks
really are about copyright. I found some old MW Circle reprints, which
would have been X amount of £ back in about 1995. But my o'
my are they sore on the eyes. They are printed on a really horrible
dark blue paper. Obviously this is incase anyone dared to photocopy
them. Even book publishers print their books on white paper thankfully!
One would have thought that by paying for this reprint, you were buying
the right to read comfortably. But even so, at the time I strived
to read this dreadful style of publishing, and built a Mark Connolly
phaser DX6 from dark blue circuits!!!! And the phaser still works
well.
KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - MONDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2009:
YOUTUBE: Ain't YOUTUBE a great concept. Not only do guys like dx neighbour David H use the facility for DX clips, but old favourite music videos are available. Some of my own include Billy Joel's Piano Man, or Marillion's classic "Kayleigh". I was also discussing the recent reception of Alberta with Paul C, and came up with a Neil Young song, Four strong winds,one of my favourite Young tracks. And there it was on YOUTUBE as well.
OK the tiny mini pictures are not great quality, but the movies are available to view. Similarly a couple of old commercials which I thought I would never ever see again for Heinniken are available. The big old boy singing the blues in his old shack, from the very early 1990's. I used to see this sometimes on ULSTER TV, at a friends hoose in the next village at that time, but not aired every night. I used to think they were superbly imaginitive and amusing. Heinikken Blues commercial search usually finds the two in the set.
The recent recording of Finbar on Malin Head Radio inspired someone to send me a link to a WICK RADIO YOUTUBE video. Other stations come up as links during this one, including Portishead. Very interesting footage, but I am unsure where it originated. Looks like the whole documentary would be worth a look.
CLICK HERE for the WICK RADIO footage.
A Radio Caroline search will bring more videos than you can handle, as will TVDX, etc.
FLAG ANTENNA: I have turned my EWE into a FLAG. This
was the project for a "stoorie" Sunday afternoon, when Davie
up the road was here to assist. The rough direction is approx due SW,
the direction of Latin America. I can't seem to get as good a back null
so far on Forth as I could on the antenna as an EWE. The old feeder
is rotten though and needs replacement before any proper judgement is
made. The antenna performance is certainly not impressive so far. Not
compared to the North American Beverage. So much Euro splatter. Maybe
it is too big. The only difference with Davie's indoor flag up the road
is physical size. Mine is outdoors, and between trees. It is not at
an even height either, top wire is sloping a bit... Maybe a lot of combining
factors have a part to play. Perhaps I need a simpler smaller traditional
aerial, than the large one??
David is bringing 740 and 1220 from Brazil on a regular basis on his
indoor aerial, where I have mostly splatter. So what is the next step
for Latins?? I don't know. Looking through the old logs, I used to hear
Latins pretty good at various times in the 80's and 90's. But not recently.
Was I hearing common stuff that was stronger due to sunspot max propagation?
Last summer I had 3 different long wires up running different directions
to try and mimic the aerials I used in the 80's. None of them were any
good, and they have all been removed. I don't have the length to throw
out a Latin beverage of any significant length. Maybe a beverage needs
to be of a certain length to start to sound like a beverage?? I will
explain. I threw out a Northerly pointing antenna of something short
of 200m earlier in the winter. It ended up picking up absolutely nothing
from AK direction, but I was picking up AK on the NW bev, which is about
420m long. The old permanent antenna through the woods is 500m long.
680 Barrow was also heard on this, all be it not as good as my temporary
antenna.
So what now for Latins?? Same as last year, forget about them?? Well
maybe I could try a few more tricks. There must be something I can do.
Is it a case of me being spoilt because of the beverages?? Years ago
I never thought a MW loop was much use without an extra bit of signal
from a long wire. Am I looking for strong signals, when in fact the
strength is gonna be much down on that of a 500m beverage?? Maybe..
maybe maybe.. Watch this space.... And while typing this, I have just
remembered that was one of the antennas I used to use. A loop/ long
wire combination. Maybe I had hit it just right back then, by nothing
more than luck??
55
- KRC (WKRC): I had a log back in September on 550 that didn't
sound like WFAU, or 55-FAU, a common station on 550. This sounded more
like 5-50 KRC. I let MAH hear the clip the other day, and he agrees
with me. So I removed the tent listing of WKRC, and listed it as 100%
log. A clip is in my audio folder under 23rd Sept. I always hoped I
would one day hear WKRC, the real WKRC. The reason?
WKRC used to be an Irish pirate station in 1981, and they even had a
dx prog on a Saturday night for a time.
Someone had made up jingles for WKRC Newbridge Co Kildare. One included
WKRC, Radio 14. I guess this would be two pinched American jingles shoved
together. The significance of Radio 14 was quite bizzare. WKRC as far
as I can see was always radio 55, never radio 14, ie 550 and 1400kHz.
So where the Radio 14 bit of the jingle came from is anyones guess.
But by sheer chance, Radio 14 had significance in Co Kildare at the
time. Kildare Community Radio used off channel freq of.. yes 1400kHz.
So their rivals WKRC had a RADIO 14 jingle, and probably never knew
what it meant!! WKRC also claimed 10kW which it obviously never was.
I would estimated it at a few hundred watts max. WKRC were also off
channel, on 1250, and used to cause Radio Dublin channel 2 severe intererference
around the city from their on channel 1251. The dates for all this carry
on... Summer 1981.
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - MONDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2009:
WHERE'S THE LOGS??
The band has been very depressed this last couple of weeks, and not
much to hold my interest. Hence the lack of logs. I may get some typed
up late this week, but nothing too exciting.
IMAGINARY PERSEUS FILES: When looking back through my manky
old ID tape lists, I came across a brief recording with a tinny little
microphone of BBC World Service signing off 1088. This was in November
1978 when the MW band was being completely changed over. I got to thinking..
That would be an amazing piece of history if the technology had been
available in 1978 to create a couple of hours recording of the full
band either side of the midnight changeover when all the frequencies
moved up one kHz. At that time my cassette recorder was a tiny as well
as tinny thing of extremely bad quality. I was only a silly young schoolboy
then, with hardly any knowledge of radio. I thought I had though!! Yet
it was in these days just over 30 years ago that I heard my first North
American DX on an old wooden valve radio. The first night I remember
I heard three stations. 3 Personal firsts in one night!! CJYQ 930, CJCH
920 and VOCM on the pres 710 freq. The old set had no dial, and you
had to work out where you were on the band with the ear!!
ALL
TIME LIST: I have spent some considerable time trying to find/
update my very poor ALL TIME TADX list. At present it has Central American,
as well as Latin's among the North American stuff. Maybe I can split
it after I complete it. It may never be complete, as such, but as it
stands after a few days work, it is one huge improvement on the pages
I had up. I have used the same template as my 2008 list. This is mainly
because all the stations received in 2008 almost fully creates the all
time list anyway, bar of course the old calls and SILENT stations!!
Anyway, it is now on line and on a public web site. There are not too
many other UK dxers who do publish their all time list like this.
I keep having other stations spring to mind, so these are being added
as they are remembered. Obviously some old logs and ID tapes have to
be searched. As I said below, my logs would be seen as shoddy, when
I see the care and presision some dxers take. I can't see me ever sitting
typing into databases, all the times I hear WEGP!! I would rather spend
the time constructively, maybe checking old recordings to see what I
have missed.
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - FRIDAY 20th FEBRUARY 2009:
MALIN HEAD COASTGUARD RADIO: MW dxers will have picked up Malin
Head Coastguard on a regular basis on 1677kHz and 2182kHz. There is
a ham radio operator who worked at the coastal station for many many
years. His name is FINBAR (EI0CF). I was listening to 1933 last night
and heard the guys on there talking about Finbar having retired after
30 odd years service. I was sent a couple of audio clips, which make
for interesting listening. One is a radio check on 2182 with St John's
Coastguard, NFLD, and the other was his final shipping report. It is
2.5meg but the end is well worth a listen when he says farewell!! Kinda
sad really. I wish I had known this was happening, as I would have listened
myself for that broadcast. I don't have the date yet or time for that
matter for this broadcast.
Click here for
Finbar's last transmission
Click
here for a radio check with St Johns, NFLD
(Recorded By Alan GI0 OTC.. Tnx for permission to use rec Alan)
I suspect the final recording was made by Paul, EI7JM who lives nearby.
I will find out, and make sure I have permission to use that clip too.
What a great piece of radio history.
I found a few links to web pages to do with Malin Head Radio.
http://www.coastalradio.org.uk/irishcg/malinhead/malinhead.htm
http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.connectfree.co.uk/malinradio.html
http://www.esatclear.ie/~mmullins/ejm/newFrame1.html
http://www.malinheadcoastguardradio.com/equipment.htm
I never visited Malin Head Radio, but I recall going to Portpatrick
Radio during a visit a few years back The coastal station was deserted
and silent. I am not sure if it is worked remotely or closed down.
HELP
WANTED: Can anyone tell me if a CBC Radio 1 (or was it CBC
overnight) ID on 1340 can be classed as a log of Yellowknife, without
a local ID?? Are there other possibilities on the same channel??
Similarly, I have a Radio Newfoundland ID on 1230. Is this id-able,
or are there multiple qrp relays here???
A third station is CBC on 1230. Is there only one possibility??
It is amazing that despite the web, details from remote areas are still
difficult to verify.
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - THURSDAY 19th FEBRUARY 2009:
ASSISTANCE WITH PERSEUS FILES (Part 2) : I like to try and
keep in touch with opinions as the great SDR debates continue to draw
in sometimes heated views. I feel a little ramble coming on.....
Much has been made in recent days of the offer to dxers from Martin
in the North of unchecked Perseus files which would possibly otherwise
have ended up deleted, and unchecked. Martin put the idea to a MW group,
and predictably had differing responses, mainly relating to the ethics
of SDR technology.
QSL
REQUESTS: David H asked me this morning if I believed that
a dxer listening to a file from Martin in the North, could listen to
that file, find a rare station and send for a QSL. What
did I believe was ethical??
My answer was a resounding NO WAY. Sending for a QSL for a station that
you haven't picked up yourself?? That doen't make sense to me... The
QSL would for me be worthless. A nice memento, but the reception was
not my own. This is of course only my opinion and and a practise I would
not participate in.
Back to Martin's files, and the dxer who is simply listening to Martin's
dx is doing just that. He could be listening for pleasure, or even classed
as "working" for Martin. He is certainly not eligable to even
claim a log, or send to a station for a QSL under the pretence of having
heard them. The QTH of the receiver and antennas are at Martin's in
this imaginary example. The listener could be anywhere in the world.
But he is only taking part in a listening exercise on behalf of Martin
and his huge backlog of files. I have no ethical questions about the
listener sharing the credit on a future log list, but would draw the
dx ethical line at sending for a QSL.
In any published listings of these logs, the listener would take credit
for his assistance only, but of course not exclusively. The dual credit
has to be worded correctly. eg:
MAH/KB - Ken B checking Martin's unchecked Perseus files.
RX - Perseus. Antenna - Beverage Farm in the heilans.
If
this was published in the expected MW publication, that would be all
the credit required. It is simple and to the point, and members would
be aware of the situation. A more detailed explanation may be included
on a separate paragraph, or / and if publishing the logs in public on
a web site.
Ken's receivers and antennas are completely irrelevant in the above
imaginary example.
David H has been quite outspoken on this subject. He is certainly not
against file sharing, for listening pleasure and seeing what someone
else's band is like. Like myself, David is in the 21st century when
it comes to SDR wideband recordings and attitudes. His main gripe is
that the owner of the original Perseus wave is not even listening to
the file in the first place. David will spend hours on end on some of
his own. Dave feels that this takes the art of listening out of DXing.
Ken's comment: As mentioned the other day, I feel Martin would have
a listen if there were any rare stations reported on a specific date.
He is simply over run by unlistened to files, and needs a few extra
pairs of ears.
DXPEDITION
ETHICS: Personally I have never been to the North and a real
MW dx pedition. Some guys farther south might say that I have no need.
True it has been a great year for me, but I am just too far South to
have AK on the same scale as Martin will have a few hundred miles up
the road. It was once suggested going to west Wales, but for me, I would
have better reception at home...
Will I ever go??
Maybe if the opportunity arises.
Do I believe in dxpeditions??
Of course, no problems with them.
Would I write for QSL's for any stations heard?
Maybe, but my QSL collection for home reception is very poor anyway.
I would love to have a large collection of real cards from stations
I have heard here, but I just never seem to get around to writing.
Would I include the cards in any totals from home??
Certainly not. The collection would have to be separate altogether from
location XX sorted in a separate album.
DXPEDITION RECORDINGS: So how would a week at Sheigra
stack up if the complete dxpedition was only a few terrabite drives
recorded and checked at a later date?? I would assume with many DXers
in a dxpedition environment, the rules will maybe change. Can everyone
claim logs, as everyone will take home a copy of the files we would
assume. So sharing logs would be essential would it not, to squeeze
out every last ID possible.
How comfortable would the rest of the dxers be if I slipped off to the
pub while the receiver recorded the band?? I could imagine doing this
because I am that type of character... If I was involved in erecting
the beverages, then I am certainly part of the dxpedition, and therefore
even if I am down the local pub, I am well qualified ethically to DX
the files at home.
(Thanks NICO for this development. DXpeditions look even more appealing
now!!!!)
But on returning home, there would be a mountain of recordings to go
through. What would happen if some of the recordings were given to other
dxers to listen to who couldn't make the trip, and then that person
discovered a new station??
Does this raise the same ethical questions that have arisen this week
with Martin's files??
There are some DXers who would prefer to listen live, and listen on
one channel at a time. My own attitude, is grab the DX any way possible.
I don't know if this listen live only preference stands for recordings
of old movies off the TV? Is it not right ethically to watch a video
taped while you were down the pub??
HOLIDAY
DX AND QSLS: I have never been one to write for QSL cards from
anywhere else other than dx heard at home on my own receivers and antennas.
And if I did, I would not count it in any QSL totals from home. QSL
cards are a nice reminder of places and times, but I am merely stating
that holiday QSL's wouldn't add to any "dx at home" total.
Any QSL cards requested for logs on dxpeditions would be in a different
list than QSL's from home. In reality I failed to write for too many
QSL cards anyway, but similarly for station logs, I would never count
stations heard on a dx pedition amongst my all time lists from home.
When I see how thorough other dxers can be with their logs, programme
details and SINPOS etc, I realise how scrappy my own log books have
really been for many years now. I used to carefully note SINPO and prog
details. Nowadays my logs are perhaps similar to the mess hens would
make while walking across the paper.
Incidentally, my earliest QSL card comes from reception at a dxers QTH
about 8 miles from here, who introduced me to QSL collecting in 1977.
I was visiting his shack and had a tune around with his radio. That
night we came upon 2 firsts for him. UN RADIO, and Sri Lanka Broadcasting
Corporation's All Asia Service on 15425kHz. So I copied his reception
reports, learning what to write, programme details, SINPO etc, substituted
my own name and address, and some weeks later a UN radio QSL card came
through the door. By this time I had already had a prompt reply from
Radio Sweden, BBC, DW and a few others which were really my first QSL
cards. SLBC never did reply.
It was this same dxer who gave me "last years" WRTH, the 1976
edition, which is well worn out. But a treasure of my early dxing. I
picked a mint edition up at a rally last year here in Scotland incidentally.
Obviously the ham who bought it in the first place was not a broadcast
dxer!!
His receiver was a bit of a limited thing. A Yaseu FR101, which had
so many gaps, and it never even had the 49m band!! A very important
band for European reception. Even my old valve radio had this!! Another
thing I remeber clearly was that he had 2 antennas, one for higher freqs,
and one for lower freqs. But he had to keep nipping outside the shack
to a kind of an outhouse or something to change these cables over..
I wish I had a photo of that little shack, as a memento of past times..
So my first QSL from the UN, is not really from home, but it does serve
as a reminder of my first night of dxing in a little shed on a summers
night, looking at a world map, with map pins all over the place, and
QSL's on the wall of the shack. . and my first glimpse of a WRTH!!
COMPARED
TO THE SKYPE CHATROOM: Some dxers may have ethics issues with
the way we work on the SKYPE chat. I will use Paul C and myself as the
example. Paul will hear a station at a certain time, alert me, and I
check to see if it is there. Sometimes it could be a rarity that I have
missed maybe because of a weaker signal, or due to sloppy dxing. That
is the reason that I have additional credits in some of my personal
firsts. "Tnx Paul C for tip" appears in many of them. It is
only fair. .
It is not all one sided though. In the same way, I often have tips for
Paul. The interesting part though is that often we can't hear each others
tips!! Amazingly this is because we are sometimes on very different
fades, and we regularly hear different stations dominant at top of the
hour. This despite being only around 20 miles apart. Yet on other days
we will hear the same station.
As I have said on these pages in the past, I used to believe that any
dxer in a similar geographical area, would hear the same dx station
if tuned to the same freq at the same time. I take the geographical
area to be large, ie Central Scotland, Northern England and the Midlands
as a rough estimate. This old theory just isn't true, but yet it can
be true. It depends on the conditions on a particular night, or even
on a particular frequency. Perseus highlights this phenomena big time..
LIARS
AND CHEATS: Any fool who wishes to listen to a web stream or
on line receiver and claim MW reception of that station is free do do
so. He is only a fool unto himself (If we are to assume the mythical
"he" is a male that is).
I saw this happen with a UK on line receiver a couple of years ago,
when a Brazilian dxer was listening to a Euro pirate. He apparantley
wrote to the said Euro pirate with a report claiming reception in Brazil,
and no mention of the on line receiver. How was he rumbled?? He used
the same name to log on to the remote receiver, that by chance a friend
of the said Europirate was using at the same time!!! How much of this
dribble goes on undetected I wonder??
I don't have any problems with web streams or remote receivers. If anyone
want's to write for a QSL card for these, who can stop them. But for
sure, they should neither claim reception to the station from home,or
to any DX clubs/ web sites. That is silly, and deceitful. It will also
have the station believe they have had a long distance report from country
X, when in fact they have not. If A QSL is desired for a web stream/
remote receiver, it should certainly be stated clearly to the station
that reception was on a web receiver just down the road, and not on
a radio 6000 miles away!!
As
I have also stated on these pages before, I don't get the chance to
write for QSL's anyway to the good DX I have had this winter (And maybe
I should). So I don't have the time to make up silly tales either!!
FINALLY: Do I consider myself an expert on DX ethics??
ABSOLUTELY NOT, not at all. I am only voicing my own humble opinion,
because I can.... Every DXer will have their own little ways and habits.
I am only describing mine here. But I believe my dxing ethics to be
honourable, and for that matter quite straight forward....
WGN
QSL: Just while I am on the subject of QSL CARDS, David H received
a proper QSL through the post from WGN CHICAGO 720 recently. Well done
both Davie, and also to WGN for sending a traditional card out in 2009!!
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - WEDNESDAY 18th FEBRUARY 2009:
Mid Feb already and the nights
are gradually getting shorter again. Fade out in the morning is getting
earlier and fade in in evening time is getting later. Still there is
DX to be had if you have the patience to look for it.
I have been spending time sifting through some older recordings too
and making even more discoveries.
I will shortly have to dig up my temporary beverage across the field.
I may make a video of this when it happens. Sad, but it has been a great
help this season for MWDXing. And great that I had time to enjoy the
best DX for years, and use the Perseus in real anger.
LOST LOG: I was looking for a log of a daytimer on 1360 which
I am convinced I made around the same time as the daytimer from GA on
920, but I can't find it. Have I imagined this?? Looking through the
list of 1360, I don't see any calls that ring bells. My logs are certainly
shoddy at best, But I just seem to remember a log of a rarity, and 1360
and Sunday night rings a bell. In my head I also had GA, NC or SC as
locations.!!!! Perhaps I have to think deeper. I have found a morning
log of a daytimer on 1380. Maybe this was the station that confused
me.
PERSEUS FILE REPAIRED: The one that got away in January for
me was CKDM Dauphin, MB 730. This was heard on 25th
January, with a good peak for an ID between country records at 1052,
while listening live. Unfortunately Autohotkeys came on ready for 1100
recording before I noticed it was still set, and closed the recording
prematurely. The Perseus file containing the ID was corrupted. I assumed
that was that. I had a much weaker ID at 1000 from the same station,
so all was not lost, but I would have loved to archive the good id.
Enter CHUCK HUTTON of Seattle, editor of the WAVE CHOPPER, a handy Perseus
file-editing piece of software. Chuck reckoned he could save the file
for me. He described the file to be like a DVD that had not been finalised.
Today I received the DVD from Seattle, with the file aboard. My CKDM
ID was there, just like I heard it live on 25th January.
Thank you Chuck. Much appreciated!!!
DEFINE A DAYTIMER:
What
is a daytimer?? Well they come in a few different guises.
1) : Firstly, the traditional daytimer that is as the
name suggests, on the air from local sunrise to local sunset. These
times of course avoid QRM on the MW band to farther away stations at
night, because as we all know, an AM signal will travel quite a distance
at night, when there is a path of darkness between the transmitter and
receiver. .So the first examples DO as their name suggests, and broadcast
only by day and switch off transmitters at sundown.
2) : Secondly there are the daytimers who run high
power by day and switch to very low power and very limited coverage
at night, covering maybe only the city of the license. Some stations
may switch from 50Kw to a few hundred watts, or even a few watts. So
these could be classed as almost daytimers, as the night time power
is so low.
3) :
Thirdly there are the stations who maybe switch from 1000 Watts by day,
to 500 Watts at night. These stations do not have the extreme power
diffference, and the switch over may not be so noticable. Should these
stations still be classed as daytimers? Or is this another grey area??
There are even one or two that switch to higher power at night!!
4) : Some stations change antenna pattern at night,
and can make it sound as though they have just switched off in the wrong
direction from the beam. CFMB 1280 is one I believe. I have heard them
switching over, and it is as though they sign off.
The interesting part is that their switch off times vary on a monthly
basis. So in the Autumn, there is more darkness between Europe and the
transmitters at the end of the month, so the end of the month is a better
time to try for daytimers.(Because the sign off time will be earlier
come the 1st of the next month).
The opposite effect happens as daylight stretches in February and March.
The beginning of the month is best as the sign off becomes later at
the start of the month.
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - MONDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2009:
NO
DXING : Not too much DXing done over the weekend, too many
high K's to even bother recording any overnight top of the hour's. (TOTH).
ANOTHER DAYTIMER NOTED....... IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!:
Just as unexpected as many of the rest of the daytimers that have been
heard this season, I have noted another one on the great weekend of
DX in January. WGIV 1370 Gastonia, NC 0400 26/1. No
trace at 0500 or 0300. Not got around to checking the 0400 recording
till now!!!! Listed as 45 Watts at night, 16kW by day. The best in talk
and inspiration. I read somewhere on the web of a Norwegian dxer having
a QSL from a daytimer and claiming the night time power on the QSL.
I guess I wouldn't take that as "gospel" if you pardon the
pun, for this particular station either.
WPYR Baton Rouge 1380: This daytimer in SS has been
noted again on older recordings from 26/1 at 0300. as well as 25/1 at
0300. This station I thought was a rarity, but now I have noted it a
number of times. Has anyone ever heard SS on 1380, but failed to identify
it properly. There is just a chance it is an American daytimer.
Rarities: Does anyone ever have the same experience
as I have?? Sometimes I will hear a personal 1st, and sometimes I notice
it is not in any UK all time listings I have seen. But then it rears
it's head above the noise on another day. And in the case of Baton Rouge
1380 above, I have noted it a few times now. I know it is only luck
that the ID happens to be in a fade in, but sometimes this seems to
be a strange phenomena.
920 WHJJ from RI was one of the first stations I heard after dominant
CJCH went off air. I assumed this was going to be one of the dominant
stations, being from RI. I couldn't be farther from the truth. It was
many months before I heard that station again, and in between had possitive
IDs on about 12 other stations on the freq. Amazing really.
ETHICS OF MW DXING ..AGAIN: I have my own ideas and
unwritten guidelines I follow during my MW dxing. Of course they are
my own ideas, but as a rule I tend to stick pretty much to the same
basic ethics. My ideas of hearing an ESPN id but no local id is one
example. That does not mean a proper ID for me, and thus not a proper
log. There are other examples which I mention from time to time in these
pages, including comments at the bottom of this February page (5th).
Since the introduction of wideband recording though, especially the
Perseus SDR, many new issues of dx ethics have crept in. (Maybe rumbled
in like a hurricane would have been a better choice of words).
Perseus was only ever going to be a MW DXer's dream come true. Being
able to playback a specific time across the whole band, eg top of the
hour, from through the night was technology we could only dream of not
much over a year ago.
Many DXer's see this style of DXing as somehow cheating, and I have
had reports of heated debates within DX circles on this very subject
amongst cries of "unfair" and "cheating". I have
never understood the mentality behind the idea that we are cheating
by using a better receiver than the AORs or NRDs, and certainly do not
take kindly to the cheap jibes being fired at Perseus users in general.
One day I may meet these "cheap shot shooters" at a radio
convention somewhere, and hear what they have to say. This might make
for an interesting day.
I wonder about that old movie that I recorded while I was down the pub??
Shouldn't I watch that because it is cheating??
As the traffic volume rises, we build bigger roads. No one mentions
the crowded MW band, DRM/ IBOC jamming, when they fire the cheap shots
at Perseus users. I personally am thankful for technology advancement
which assists in an otherwise messy band. Any improvement which brings
in DX better is worth it no matter how small or large. Perseus is many
powers to the ten above the latter.
If Perseus users are cheats, then users of the said SDR simply have
to get our hands dirty. I see nothing wrong with using every trick in
the book to hear a new dx station. If some dxers like to throw mud around
at us, and call them dirty tricks, then so be it. The band is dirty,
and full of splatter from Euros, and DRM jamming etc, so yes I welcome
new tricks, even if they are seen as dirty. Let those dxers come out
of hiding from behind their PC desks and call us names to our faces
then!!!
ASSIST
LISTENING TO PERSEUS FILES: Today
I heard through the dx grapevine that Martin up north was offering a
load of his Perseus recordings which have went unchecked due to time
limitations, to other dxers.
Martin is an honourable DXer, and comes up with some amazing dx logs
at his very northerly QTH here in Scotland. I hear there is some discussion
on the matter on going.
I don't subscribe to the group where the discussion is taking place,
(mainly because I am banned lol) but for what it is worth, I will write
my humble opinions here.
Basically the recordings have clogged up Martin's hard disk space, and
went unchecked. (Tell me about it!!)
So Martin offers the opportunity to anyone wishing to assist check the
recordings, and if there are any rarities to be published, they will
be credited jointly to the listener, as well as Martin. This may allow
dxers who have never used an SDR an opportunity to try, by using WINRAD.
It also serves to allow an opportunity to hear Martin's MW band.
The discussion was about the ethics of credit. Well I can say that I
wouldn't be happy to take credit for hearing a station on someone else's
dx file as though it were my own log. That doesn't make sense. Certainly
not. But then Martin could hardly take the credit if he hadn't listened
to his recordings. So where does that leave us?? Exactly what Martin's
offer suggested. Joint credit and explanation of why there is a joint
credit. It is a new way to list loggings, but then everything about
the ethics of an SDR is new.
What a new and novel subject for future heated discussions!! I can see
that one going on for a bit..
For me, well personally, ethically I have no problem with this. I love
listening to someone elses MW band. I have compared it to going on holiday
and dragging the Sony portable out to check the bands, even before ordering
the first drink!! I think from memory, my earlier comments were about
Guy Atkin's files. All that was missing was the Pacific wind whistling
through downtown Seattle and a bottle of Budweiser.
As I said before Martin is an honourable dxer, and I don't see this
as particularly unethical, just something different and new. If there
are any rare DX stations discovered by anyone, I am sure Martin WILL
go back and check that particular file so that he is actually listening.
I strongly suspect he will not go back to the file if it is only WEGP
and CFRB that are logged !!
The only possible ethical problem I would have would be parting with
the return postage..lol.. But that's OK. I have the price for each "First
Log" ready for billing....hi..
Maybe the amusing image below from David Hamilton is what he was worried
might happen.
Image - David Hamilton
KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - TUESDAY 10th FEBRUARY 2009:
I thought I would brighten up these pages with a few photos of the recent snow and ice, as well as my top band dipole.
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MW
DXING - DO YOU DIG?: It is amazing how little is known about
this minority geeky part of the radio hobby, even amongst fellow radio
enthusiasts. I know what a radio ham is, I know what rtty dxing means
etc, even though my main interests lie elsewhere. But I was talking
to a radio ham the other night on top band, who seemed to be under the
impression MW dxing is to do with transmitting on MW. He couldn't quite
get it, when I told him my main interest in radio is MW dxing. Oh well,
such is life.
MW DXING - STILL DON'T DIG: I did read some funny comments
on the UK based digital spy board (I think it is UK based, I never read
it, but rather had this page sent as a link). This was in response to
someone who couldn't understand the hobby.
"What is it all about, listening to all the noise, when you can
pick the stations up via web streams nowadays", was the question.
The amusing response in digital spy asks why bother to hit a ball with
a stick, and not just walk across the park and shove them down the holes
!!! He also mentioned fishing, was asked what the point in fishing was
when you could go to a fishmonger !!
Although I am tired of comments from some dxers I once thought highly
of, having cheap shots against Perseus users, about Perseus being like
a drift net. The other fishing comparison amused my simple sense of
humour though. I may try and find the link again and copy the exact
text.
(The original comment from the dxer who first conjured up the PERSEUS
comparison to fishing may have been barely amusing at the time, but
it seems that all the "anti" Perseus brigade jumped on the
bandwagon, and can't wait to use the well worn, and tired phrase as
a cheap jibe)
For the record, I would like to assure everyone reading this that my
interest in TADX is not the rude talk show hosts that simply love to
hear themselves. Neither do I enjoy Brother Stair, or for that matter
sports commentators who seem never to take a minute to draw breath!!
It is the technical issues that hold my interest, of being able to hear
a local station from thousands of miles away in far flung corners of
North America, from places I will probably never ever even hope to visit.
People I know outside DXing often think I am listening to some kind
of a fancy radio show all the way from the States. In reality, they
couldn't be farther from the truth!!
I have a Canadian friend who thought he was helping me once by telling
me that these web streams were available now, and couldn't really "dig"
what the fascination is for mush and splatter !! A neighbour was similarly
bemused....
So if I am ever heard rubbishing anyone else's geeky pastimes ..........
(Something I don't often even consider, as I am in a very weak position
to judge anyone's crazy hobbies)
Originally Posted by WinstonWindrush
Silly question maybe but why do you guys waste your lives trying to
find a virtually unlistenable signal amongst a load of mush. What's
the fascination in that? I've got an Eton which works very well but
if I want to listen to an American station I'll go and hunt it out on
the web and hear it in almost perfect quality. I don't get it, please
explain?
Why bother fishing when you can go to a fishmonger? Why hit a ball with
a stick when you could walk on to a green and just put it in the hole?
OLD QSLS: I have added some QSL's which were initially published here, but I have now made a separate page for them. CLICK HERE TO VIEW
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - SATURDAY 7th FEBRUARY 2009:
920kHz SINCE CJCH:
Since the closure of powerhouse CJCH in 2008, 920 has been a real hot
channel here in Western Scotland. I have heard I think 12 or 13 stations
there this season, 10 or 11 of which are new. CKNX and CFRY are the
ones I had heard before. And at 0000 Sat morning/ Friday night, my Perseus
file produced yet another one, WYBY Cortland, NY. 1Kw Days, and 500W
nights.
1070 Since CBC: Since CBA closed on 1070, I have had
CHOK regular, but not much else. A couple of times KNX Los Angeles popped
up, but that was it. Until this past week. I have heard 3 Daytimers
on the channel. WTWK, WKOK, and WAPI. The latter had a big signal at
the right time for once.
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - FRIDAY 6th FEBRUARY 2009:
SKYPE MW DX CHAT AND CLUSTER: For
many months now, a group of us have been in regular contact on a live
DX chat, which has proved amazingly worthy for sharing MW DX logs and
tips. The benefit of this over traditional postings of logs on say a
notice board, is that we are all LIVE. It is so nice to have a dedicated
group of enthusiasts who are happy to share dx loggings in such a fashion.
Of course it seems there are other DXers who for some reason best known
to themselves, do not like to share their dx tips, but simply publish
them at a later date.
We are certainly not a Perseus users only group, as has once been asked.
True there are a number of Perseus users on the chat, but not exclusively.
We also have a public DX Cluster, which can be accessed via my links
page. Anyone (within reason) can enter the cluster and read DX tips
only. This part of the chat is exclusively for dx tips. No chatting
is desired in this chatroom.
A new user has to be asked in to the MW1 chat room. This is not public,
which serves to keep out any riff raff. All that has to be done to be
asked in, is send a skype message to tvdxrools, or scottish_dxer. The
beauty of the skype chat is that no one person really has to be on line
for the chat to work. And no one person "owns" the MW1 chat.
The requirements are a piece of free software, SKYPE. Install, and create
a user name. Once in the chatroom, a dxer can bookmark the chat which
is titled MW1. Then it is simply a case of clicking on the bookmark
at a later date to come back in.
We have regular chats about dxing in general, etc with our "members"
in Scotland, England, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, USA and even
Australia.
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - THURSDAY 5th FEBRUARY 2009:
LONG LOGS LIST STILL TO UPDATE: I have not caught up yet with
the personal firsts this year, or the 2008-9 season log list. There
has been too much DX going on. I thought I should try and catch up on
the logs in February so far, seeing as we are only at day 5!!. I also
have logs from mid to late January to type up. It all takes time, which
is sometimes better spent dxing both live and sifting through the recordings.
I have just found another daytimer on 1070 from 2128 on 25th
Jan, WKOK Sudbury, PA. So the old recordings are worth keeping,
especially from good dx days.
THE
WONDERS OF THE WEB - OR NOT - WHO'S
DEED NOO?:
The web is a great piece of technology if used correctly and sensibly.
The first story about the wonders of the
web came to light the other night, when I had it reported to me that
an old friend in Ireland had died. Rodney of Craigavon Video was reported
on one of the silly radio notice boards as having passed away. It was
Rodney that had taken a couple of us on a tour of the radio stations
on the border a number of years ago, including a visit to the amazing
ENERGY 106 set up, with the high gain antennas beamed at Belfast. My
mate Ian decided to ring his number to see if anyone was there. Unless
it was a ghostly voice on the other end of the line, Rodney answered,
and in perfect health!!! Not only that, but he is talking about adding
to our shared archives, with a load of the Irish Radio closedown's of
the 1980's. A welcome addition.
It is hard to imagine that it is now over 20 years ago I was sitting
on my local hillside, listening to the FM stations closing, as well
as monitoring the MW stations. They all had to be off the air by 1st
January 1989. Only Radio Dublin and Star Country carried on. Radio North
closed for a few days, before reopening as Northside Radio. (Maybe this
was so that no one knew it was Radio North..lol). Radio Star Country
has continued to this day, as has Radio North, although the latter has
seen a few name changes and ownerships. Radio Dublin closed down eventually
after the boss brought shame to the name, and he was eventually jailed
for his dubious activities. The exact charges I am not 100% sure of,
so will omit here.
So as Mark Twain once said, "The rumours of my death have been
greatly exaggerated" .....
THE WONDERS OF THE WEB - OR NOT - CANADIAN LISTINGS:
Even the web has limitations. As an example, try searching for a frequency
list of CANADIAN only stations. It is not easy to find.
I heard a Radio Newfoundland ID on 1230, which at the time was not //
to any of the VOCM frequencies. I just can't seem to find decent info
on QRP stations.
The superb US freq list I use includes the Canadians, but they are not
always easy to find within. I often refer back to the good old WRTH,
as the Canadians are listed below the USA stations.
The FCC database includes a list by Province. Maybe I should make my
own list up with those dozen or so text files.
Can anyone direct me to a Canadian AM freq list on line??
STOP PRESS - LIST PRODUCED: I have just compiled a
Canadian List from the databases of AM-DX.com.
I have files, frequency order, and Province. Check the links page, or
click HERE for freq, and
HERE for Province. The list
is as it comes from the files, so some stations have multiple entries,
but at least it is Canadian only, and in frequency order, even if the
listings are obviously dated. I have noticed a flaw on the PDF file
which I will address sometime Friday.
LEAVE A COMMENT
Some logs since the start of FEB. Very few common stations
are noted these days, unless notable reception etc.
550 WSAU 0800 1/2
570 Greenland Booming in 2000 3/2
570 CKGL ID as 570news.com, usually ESPN. Caught me
out briefly. 0100 1/2
730 UNID SS loud sports, plays past TOTH. CKAC in B/G 0300 1/2
770 CUBA 0500 1/2
620 VOCM id very strong signals 0000 1/2
800 VOWR 2033 Gd 3/2
920 CKNX booming 0200 3/2
920 UNID Radio America show, and IRN USA Radio news. 3/2 0900
(over CKNX)
930 CFBC VG Signal 2201 3/2
950 CKNB 0000 1/2 Very low audio, good for DXers though
960 KMA 0900 3/2
970 WNYM Havensack NJ (9-70 The Apple) 2200 3/2 Daytimer
980 CKRU 2200 3/2
990 Radio Bilbao, Spain. Hrd while tadxing. Remember ee progs from this
on 1260??? (hrd once !!)
1050 CHUM 2300 2/2
1070 WTWK, Plattsburgh, NY (EVE 10-70) 2200 2/2, 2200 3/2
1070 WAPI, Birmingham, AB 2300 2/2 ABC Nx, 3/2 0104 gd pk DAYTIMER
50kW
1080 KRLD TX, 0000 3/2
1230 Radio Newfoundland UNID source. 2038 3/2
1240 CKIM (VOCM) NFLD, 2035 3/2
1250 JOY 12-50 spoken id, not just the unintelligible jingle. 2300 2/2
1250 WMTR Morristown, NJ. Alternative Oldies, 2200 3/2 (Tnx
Paul C for tip)
1280 WEIM Fitchburg, MA (THE BLEND), 2200 2/2. Hrd this back
in Dec.
1280 WNAM Extreme signal for them. 0954 3/2
1300 WJNO Cleveland, OH. 0200 3/2
1320 WILS 0000, 0100
1/2
1320 WJAS 0104 1/2
1380 WPYR Baton Rouge, LA 0100
3/2 DAYTIMER SS
1380 WSYB Rutland 2206 3/2
1390 WCAT Burlington Plattsburgh ESPN. 2200 2/2
1390 WLCM Charlotte, MI 0657 1/2 0300 3/2
1400 CBC 1855 3/2 EARLY..
1410 UNID SS Inc Jingle at toth. 0200 3/2
1440 WHKZ Good levels 0100 3/2
1460 WHIC 0100 3/2
1470 WBKV West Bend 0600 1/2
1470 WNYY 0100 3/2
1470 WLAM 0200 3/2 NOTED BACK TO OLDIES, NBC Nx Radio.
(0000 wk with disney
like yl)
1480 WHBC 0100 3/2
1480 WGVU inc BBC WS. Strong sig 0900 3/2
1520 K-OKC OK CITY 0100 3/2
1540 KXEL 0100 3/2
1550 CBE Windsor. VVG Levels 0100 3/2
1560 KTOW Houston, TX The Game 0000 3/2
1570 Unid pres WNSH MA Daytimer. tk on Superbowl. ee
2200 2/2. Also 3/2. Ad Endicott. No ID.
1630 KKGM / KCJJ mix
1640 KFXY Enid, OK The Score. 0100 3/2
VOCM LOCAL IDs: In addition to the above logs, I had local
IDs from all the VOCM stations at 2030 on 3/2. This is 5pm NFLD time.
590 had faded, 620 CKCM Grandfalls/ Windsor, 650 CGGA Gander, 710 CKVO
Clarenville, 740 CHCM Marystown, and a little later an ID on 1240 CKIM,
although not a local ID. By 2130 they were carrying Radio Newfoundland!!
WHAT CONSTITUTES A 100% LOG:
I have seen some very dubious logs recently. So what is my own personal guidelines that are used in the listings you read on these pages?? Well like all things in life, there are grey areas. Where do you draw the imaginary line?? Let me diversify. These are real loggings I am going to mention and real stations.
CBC 10-10: I first heard CBC on 1010 from Calgary, AB earlier this season. The first logging of CBC 1010 was only the news chimes. This for me was not the desired spoken ID, but as good as. This is the only CBC station on the channel, and the only possibility. I have since had CBC id's which are better than just their news chimes, but my first log is 100% OK for me with chimes only. The chimes are unmistakable and unique.
GREENLAND/ NIGERIA/ ZIZ: Here we go with the grey area again. Regular this season has been Greenland on 570 or 650. I never list KNR as TENT or even PRES. I know it's them. It is there regular. Yet I have never ever had an proper ID from the station in all the years of MW dxing. I first logged them in the early 1980's. All I have ever heard is the mumbling over the top of the hour. Once I heard the word RADIO, so I need to investigate the recording one day. I am quite sure the contributors in the various dx publications do not assume the station to be PRES. But I don't believe everyone who logs the station as a positive ID has actually heard a spoken ID either. We just know it is them.
So if it is OK with Greenland to hear but never ID, then the same goes for NIGERIA on 917kHz. We know it's them. It is the only station in the world off channel on 917kHz. It is never noted as NIGERIA PRES, rather simply NIGERIA. Is this correct?? In these pages I will often comments on dubious logs, yet there can be none more dubious than logging an exotic country like Nigeria, without a positive ID.
St Kitts 555 is another, with their BBC relays. Pest maybe that there are no local ID's after the BBC relays start, but there can be no doubt it is them. They are the only station in the world on 555!!!! Do you content yourself with BBC only ID?? I know I wasn't happy until I had some local ZIZ IDs under my belt.
So there you have the grey area. I bend the unwritten rulebook when it suits me, yet will complain at others who do the same!!!
MORE DUBIOUS LOGS: I often read, or hear about other more dubious logs. How can a tent or pres log be claimed as a personal first???
540/ 990 CBC Stations which share a common freq are very difficult to ID during an opening farther west. The two common stations are from NFLD, although an echo/ split second delay at news time would maybe justify a log. In my own case, although I have heard echos on the 2 frequencies, I still only lay claim to the two common NFLD stations. I would never claim a personal first on any of these unless I had some kind of a local ID, or something unique to that particular station. You just can't be sure, even if a station a few kHz down the band is on a fade. I often hear the two frequencies when the band is open to the west, but there seems no transition between reception of NFLD and the farther afield transmitters. I personally would be uncomfortable listing 990 and 540 as anything other than NFLD, even though there is a good chance I have heard the two westerly stations as I said, during good openings.
580 CKKW: How about a log of old time radio programmes on 580kHz, tent CKKW. I know for a fact because I have heard it, and also seen it listed in the CFRA web pages, that 580 CFRA carries old time radio programmes regularly. Yet I see this log although listed as tent, claimed as a personal 1st..???? This doesn't make sense.
970 preachers pres WWDJ, Hackensack, NJ. Also claimed as a personal first on a station that has no ID?? How can that be?? How can it be PRES in the first place?? WWDJ is now WNYM, 9-70 The Apple anyway.
1050 UNID FF: I also hear FF speech during the opening to MB and SK in January. I had no ID's and thus did not log it as an identified station. Even though it is no doubt from MB.
1260 ESPN. I mentioned a while back that there is more than one station on 1260 that uses the slogan ESPN Radio 12-60. They would, it's the freq they are on. ESPN in itself is NOT an ID. In this case ESPN 12-60 is not an ID either. Both WNSS Syracuse NY and WRIE Erie PA have been heard here this season.
NETWORK ID'S: I don't consider logs of ABC News or ESPN, to be worthy logs, other than under the UNID banner, with suspicions listed under the details/ comments if it is suspected to be a rarity. Even web pages can be well out of date and unreliable to identify a station sched. .
And the worst logs I have ever seen I think come from the "country mx, or Sport - pres xxxx" style of logs, on a busy MW channel. !!!!!!!!
RADIO DISNEY: It was pointed out to me by AB that Radio Disney 1560 is always listed as WQEW. In this case I have no problems with this signal, as it is very dominant on the channel, and rarely does any other station ever get past it. Even though I have may not have heard a full ID on this one, I always log it as a full ID. Sometimes you will hear the full call ID of course, around the toth, but it is more of a pest here than DX, and I don't very often log it in the book. Disney 1640 and 1650 are both common here too, and more often than not pres but again like 1560, I don't even bother to log them.
CARRIER LEVEL: Some DXers log carrier reception as though it had been audio reception. Although I personally don't put too much effort into carrier DXing, it is a worthy and intriguing relatively new part of the hobby. Software like Spectlab, and Perseus allow very accurate carrier measurements. The carriers I showed in the January logs pages (22nd Jan) from 1400kHz demonstrate what a surprising amount of signals can be received. I draw the line at creating a log for a suspected carrier though. Even if that carrier is unique, like some of them on 1400 obviously are.
Again there are grey areas, and the KBRW carrier level is a great indication of possible audio reception, and often worthy of mentioning on the MW DX cluster. But I most certainly wouldn't make any hairy fairy claims of exotic DX reception because I see a carrier.... Proving the carrier's source is too often the stumbling block.
UNID V PERSONAL FIRSTS: Anyone who reads these pages may have noticed on my personal first lists at the top of each months page, I have included some UNIDs, eg espn 1600 etc. This is for my own convenience when possibly looking through the recordings again, rather than a claim of a personal first. It is not a personal first if it is still an UNID, and would not find it's way into my all time list. OR it would also be listed as an UNID, not as a +ve ID.
LEAVE A COMMENT
KEN'S
DX DIARY AND LOGS - TUESDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2009:
RARE DAYTIMERS: Aye,
I said to the chaps on the Skype chat. Better watch out for rare daytimers
now that February has started. We just might catch one or two now that
they will be on an hour later than they were last week. I really say
these things with hope rather than with confidence. However this time
around, they have been coming in. Daytimers are stations that either
close down for the night, or dramatically reduce power and/ or change
antenna patterns at night. They close at sunset, and times are set on
a monthly basis. Therefore at this time of year, the start of the month
is best, as daylight is stretching. In the Autumn, the end of the month
is best, as the days are getting shorter. The following have been heard
in February so far.
970 WNYM
Hackensack, NJ (9-70 The
Apple, NY)
1070 WAPI Birmingham, AL Hrd TOTH very poor, but gd pk 4m past.
1070 WTWK Plattsburgh, NY
1070 WKOK Sudbury, PA (old rec from Jan)
1280 CFMB Montreal
1380 WPYR Baton Rouge, LA
1560 KGOW Bellaire, TX
1570 WNSH Beverley, MA
(NB. 1570 WNSH NOT ided here. Ad for Indicott college certificate heard
here only, Paul C has an ID)
(Eventually IDed a few days later)
WHO 1040 - DX TARGET RECEIVED: I
have been after some impossible DX for many years here in SW Scotland.
Two have been achieved so far this season. As mentioned in the Dec pages,
KBRW Alaska has been regular here, despite never having heard it until
this season.
Another DX target for me was always 1040 WHO, Des Moines, IA. Not a
great DX catch, except I have a strong local on 1035, ILR AYR, and the
direction of their MW transmitter is roughly the same direction from
here as WHO!! So a null on ILR Ayr, is a null on WHO. (And WBZ for that
matter on 1030, though WBZ is easier heard by using the Perseus splatter
killer)
At the end of January, David H, my dx neighbour up the road from me,
advised me that an all too rare audio gap on 1035 had taken place. This
was at 0200, on 31/1. Yes, it was only a few seconds, but there it was,
10-40 W-H-O...!! I have a QSL card from 1030 WBZ from 1980, before the
local QRM came on the air, but for some reason I never heard WHO.
Mouldy old WBZ QSL from almost 30 years ago
WHO 1040 would have been thought of as better DX than WBZ in those days.
Thanks to David, we both now have WHO. Otherwise I might not have noticed
the gap!!
LEAVE
A COMMENT
DONT
THROW AWAY THAT OLD MONITOR: I was stripping some old monitors
the other day, taking odd spares from them before disposal, and what
a shock I had. There inside one of them, was a nice rolled up TENNER!!
Yes £10 inside a monitor I had picked up some time back. How strange.
No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find any more cash inside it
though..!!
One of the large ones I took to pieces got me thinking. It was very
solidly built, and very very well screened, all around. No wonder that
old screen had never given me RF noise. The one with the tenner inside
was not screened like this. Unfortunately this old screen packed up
on me..
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LEAVE A COMMENT
TOP
BAND DIPOLE: After many years of threats, I finally got myself
a callsign. Amateur radio does not really interest me like MW dxing
does. I sat my City & Guilds back in 1984, but never ever applied
for a call sign till last week. I am now GM8HSV. In the UK, CW has been
scrapped, and therefore with the City & Guilds certificate, I have
the equivalent of a Class A. The UK also supplies a lifetime license
now, so it is a one off payment of £20. So I thought, why not.
I do listen to top band some evenings, so I thought I would throw up
a half wave dipole for the freq the other day. It is high and in the
clear on the live end, with the screen side coming down to a bush. A
semi inverted V. A couple of photos are included below. Top band aerial
is going to the trees across the river from me. On the right image the
V is seen at the top of the mast.
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JOHN
FAULKNER SHARES HIS LOGGINGS: John, a name well known in MW
dx circles and FM dx circles for many years, has sent a contribution
to these pages. His logs to date this season may be found here. It makes
for interesting reading, and a welcome addition to my own logs. The
"Logs index" page provides a direct link. It is a pdf file,
and will therefore be downloadable if necessary. Click
here to view/ download.
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