[HCDX]: DX observations: 2-3 OCT (Connelly, Conti)

[WA1ION@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Brief comments on DX session - Cape Cod, MA, USA
(2 sites: South Orleans and Yarmouth)
UTC 2 OCT @ 2130 to 3 OCT @ 0120

After Steve Whitt's recent remarks pointing to
somewhat auroral conditions in the past few days,
I got a chance to check it out myself.  I think
that Jean Burnell was doing a solo effort from
Cappahayden, Newfoundland coincident with my
listening, so it will be interesting to compare
notes.

Local sunset was at about 2218 UTC.  At 2130 UTC,
with the sun shining brightly on the boats I was
observing in Pleasant Bay off Orleans, the Trans-
Atlantic signals were already starting to show.
The top band yielded good signals from Ceuta-1583.6,
France on 1206 and 1467, Saudi Arabia-1521 (LOUD !),
Guinea-1385.91, Algeria - 1550, and Spain / Canaries
stations "all over the place".

Midband signals soon followed the high-banders:
Morocco-1044 came close to pegging the S-meter.
All the big stations from Spain, Morocco, Algeria,
and the Canary Islands were in there at super
strengths.  Northern Europe was conspicuous by
its absence.  Some less-often-heard North African
stations such as Tunisia-963 and Morocco-936 made
a showing.  The Angolans on 1088 and 1502 could
be heard at poor to fair levels.

The low end of the dial started to perk up by
sunset.  Not surprisingly Canaries-621 had the
best TA signal on that part of the dial.

Once it started getting dark, the Latin Americans
began to appear.  The midband 1000-1200 kHz section
yielded many strong Venezuelans, ZDK-1100 Antigua,
and eventually Colombians as well.  By this time,
the high band was domestic-dominated, but from 2330
to 0100 UTC the lower part of the dial really rocked
to South America and the Caribbean.  Many channels
were complete jumbles of Spanish and Caribbean
English talk; others had a clear-cut dominant with
a booming signal - usually from north-coast Venezuela
and Colombia.  After 0100, the auroral absorption
retreated northward.  For example, 740 had started
with a Puerto Rico / Venezuela blend and it finished
up with strong CHCM and a 2 kHz het from Spain-738.
All the real fun was over by 0130 when the band was
ruled by routine domestics and Pan-Americans (including
a good number of Cubans) along with some run-of-the-
mill TA's (mostly Spain).

A full report will be issued later this week.

----------------------------------

Mark Connelly - Billerica, MA, USA
e-mail: WA1ION@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
homepage: http://members.aol.com/MarkWA1ION/weblink.htm
  

*** Bruce Conti's observations for 2 OCT 1999 are appended ***

(Interesting that he noted midwest stations when nothing from
that area could be heard on Cape Cod.  Also TA's were far from
"nil" out at South Orleans where North Africans were as loud as
they ever get.  On 530, CIAO is a big nothing at sites I use;
it's all Turks & Caicos getting in the way of Falklands.)

Hi Mark!  It's strange that it can be "auroral" in Europe, but not here.  
Last night (OCT 2 UTC), although TA DX was nil, Canadian stations dominated 
the dial with little or no trace of anything from the south.  For example, 
CIAO was dominant on 530, the CBC French stations on 540, CBC on 750, XEQ was 
extremely weak on 940 through domestics, CHNS on 960, "Oldies 1090" CKKW,...  
Midwest domestics like WLS, WMVP, WTAM, ... were also strong.  WWV indicated 
solar activity low, and the geomagnetic field quiet to active, with a K index 
of 4 and an A index of 9.  So the numbers certainly don't indicate any 
auroral activity.  I'm still planning on a Maine camping DXpedition over the 
Columbus Day weekend.  Only really bad weather would force a change in plans. 
 If you have any specific targets that you'd like me to try, let me know.  
The Falklands are on my list, but I belive conditions would have to be 
exceptional enough to knock down CIAO and some of RVC to make it possible.  
I've said it before, and I'll say it again; cycle 23 has been a real yawner 
so far.  Considering the conditions, my best bets will likely be Brazil and 
Mediterranean / African TAs during the sunset hours, and the typical brief 
swamping of the dial by Venezuela, Colombia, and Caribbean stuff at local 
sunrise.  73

Bruce Conti - Nashua NH
BAConti@xxxxxxx


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