[IRCA] Grayland Logs 3-17 & 3-18

[bportzer@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi gang

As was publicized earlier, Chuck Hutton and I spent the weekend DXing at Grayland, with a couple of 1000' beverages (aimed at 320 and 240 degrees).

Conditions both mornings could be described as good but not great.   We'll have a full log later, but here are some of the highlights.

I listened from 1030 to 1515 UT Saturday morning.   There were signs of Asians on most channels at some point.  The best catch was the Taiwan Fisheries station on 1593 (listed as 1kw) //738.   Most of the 50kw and higher NHK & commercial Japanese stations were producing decent audio at some point, but we heard only a few of the stations with 10 kw or less.  Chinese audio was present on about 20 channels.  Mostly they were the dependable CNR/CRI outlets like 945 963 981 1044 1593 etc, plus a few others.   The high powered South Koreans (711 972 1134 1566 and maybe a couple others) were good, as were a few North Koreans (657 855 873).  Some channels like 909 & 1098 had audio from three or four stations, though  none were IDed. 999 at one point had audio from N Korea, CNR, and another Chinese station.   VOA-1575 wa weaker than normal, though the Thai on 891 was in briefly (I think).  Nothing definite from Vietnam or Philippines.  

There were a few DUs in around 1100-1200, but they died off after that.  Mostly they were higher powered low band ABC stations (702 774 792 648 891 etc) and a couple of NZers (567 675).  There were a couple of high band DUs (1116 1386 1512), but oddly enough I never caught the 1548 Aussie.

Things prettly much died down after 1515, with just a few of the usual stragglers hanging in.  After switching off the radio, I took a one hour cat nap, and then checked the dial again at 1630.  Oddly enough, things had picked up a bit.  I counted audio on over 30 channels between 1000 and 1600, including things like the KBS stations on 1035 & 1044, which I hadn't noted earlier.  The lower end of the dial was pretty quiet at that point except 828 was in well // weaker 747/774 with the post-signoff music box at 1641.  Things started to die out pretty quickly after 1645.  By 1700, the only decent audio came from the Koreans on 972 1134 & 1566.

There was a good opening to Alaska on Saturday night.  I counted about 15 definite or strong tentatives.  KCHU-770 was the best I'd ever heard them.  KGTL-620 & KUDO-1080 were often atop the co-channel Portland stations, and KICY-850 had local-like strength with lots of CFPR-860 splatter (I kid you not).  The others were either below normal or near normal strength.

This morning, I  listened from about 1045 to 1530.  Conditions were better than the previous morning.  Japanese, Korean & Chinese stations were slightly stronger than the previous night.  Some tantalizing  Chinese unids were noted on 1512 (several listed),1062 (the Pearl River station?), and other channels, but they weren't all that strong.  There was also a Chinese unid sometimes mixing with the Korean on 972.  Unlike Saturday morning, we heard several Russians.  The high points were hearing Russians on 720 and 810 equalling and sometimes atop KDWN and KGO.   Again, not much from SE Asia, though I may have had Vietnam-675 briefly.

Reception both mornings seemed to be a bit erratic - some stations changed strength quite quickly.  Also, there were times when things would be good, then not much would come in for a while, then it would pick up again.  

Chuck might have a few things to add later, and a full report will follow.  In the meantime, we'll both go through our notes, listen to recordings, and catch up on our sleep.

Bruce
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