[IRCA] MW DX from Enid OK, March 10, 2012

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

All times and dates strictly UT. MW log editors are welcome to excerpt items, reformat and change to favorite timezone if necessary. Rx: mostly DX-398 with internal antenna only; some caradio as specified; above 2 MHz on FRG-7 with 110-foot east-west longwire.

These logs are excerpts from my daily all-band reports, mainly SWBC, also VHF/UHF, sometimes, utility, ham, which may be found in several archives without much delay, such as
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser

And compiled weekly along with extensive news from many other individuals and publications in DX LISTENING DIGEST:
http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html

** CUBA. 530, while up for the Chicago-nontime, checked again for R. Enciclopedia: March 10 at 0827 UT, nothing heard, then 0832 some JBA music, much weaker than 570 Reloj; 0932 some EZL cinemusic, reached fair signal, so apparently it is still there at reduced power.

670, R. Rebelde, and its presumed relay outside Habana off-frequency 671 making constant het during WSCR downtime; the two null at the same point from here, conveniently. Nothing else but KBOI heard with DX test minutes. At 1002 with WSCR back on, Rebelde network was starting a new broadcast day originating remotely from Manzanillo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non: MEXICO]. Here`s my log of the tri-station Chicago downtime monitoring March 10, all in UT. Times could be off by less than a minute, going only by the clock on the radio displaying no seconds. All logged on the DX-398 handheld with internal antenna only, inside, on AC power. All of this I write before reading what anyone else has reported.

670, 720 and 780 are all still going past 0800, but:

670: 
WSCR is first to go off, by 0804 as I tune back after checking the other frequencies. Missed any courtesy announcement. This leaves the Cubans on 670 and 671 dominating the frequency, which are too close to opposite from Idaho to null for expected KBOI test; but at least the two Cubans do give a sharp null at the same point in case anything else show up. But nothing ever does.

0807, I hear 4 or 5 sweeps and some Morse code, but uncopied. Must be the KBOI test as scheduled anyway. Better at 0810-0811 unscheduled time, with 4 or 5 sweeps, code vs Cuba.

0837, I am all set for the only expected repeat of the DX test, and this time there is an obvious power up/non-direxional switch as promised, since the CMs suddenly have a big SAH and confront easily audible ``KBOI BOISE IDAHO`` in code twice, hi pitch, then lo pitch, plus two upward sweeps. A bit of unidentified music, then repeated same ID in hi, lo pitches, and concludes with five sweeps before disappearing by 0839. 

Thanks, Bill Frahm for doing this and Scott Fybush for arranging it! I think I have heard KBOI in the distant past before their direxional pattern change, but ex-KBOI-TV channel 2 much more often. I get this recorded, a bit too loud, but no doubt about the ID following a bit of the music: http://www.w4uvh.net/KBOIdx.rm

WSCR is the last of the three to come back on air, at 1002 just in time for a testosterone-supplement commercial.

720: 
WGN goes off at 0806 after referring to their webcast, and Mexican music immediately takes over and dominates the frequency for most of the next two hours. Can`t null it completely, but at minimum signal angle, still can`t hear anything from KOTZ Kotzebue AK, supposed to run DX test at 0900-0930, checking frequently during this semihour. Except: at 0905 maybe some code, but more likely a momentary similar musical beat from the Mexican.

At first I think the Mexican is KSAH, San Antonio which I have blamed for spoiling WGN reception when I am trying to listen to `Extension 720` (we are close, but usually not close enough to what should be KSAH`s null toward Chicago); however, now it`s really XEDE, and no trace of KSAH. Most of their pieces are only 2 or 3 minutes long, with automated time and temp between each. As soon as music stops, TC by OM, just with the numbers such as at 0813, ``dos, doce``, next music already starts up making it hard to copy the rest of the break, but at 0844 it`s super-hype ``Kaliente`` and then YL with temp ``6 grados centígrados``, hearing that numerous times more such as 0824, 0842, 0912; after 0900 it has plunged to 5 degrees. XEDE runs full canned IDs with SFX near the hour and half hour, such as at 0858 and 0930 mentioning Saltillo, with their full address in Colonia Universitaria. 

At times with XEDE fading a bit I can hear some talk in English in its null: 0819 political call-in; 0938-0946, best at 0942 with a phone number, SAH of 160/minute = 2 and 2/3 Hz, probably KDWN, Las Vegas NV.  

At 0951, WGN is first to resume but open carrier only, making heavy SAH of 200/minute with XEDE = 3 and 1/3 Hz (in Nov 2010 I had counted the KSAH SAH with WGN as 4 Hz); WGN starts modulating at 0959, but nulled, can still hear full ID for ``XEDE-AM, 8 mil watts de potencia ... 720 kHz ... Colonia Universitaria, Saltillo, Coahuila``. 8 kW? IRCA shows 5/0.25 kW; WRTH and Cantú do show 8/0.25. No way it was on nite power. 

780:
At 0805, WBBM is second to go off, forwarding listeners to their FM 105.9, and promising to come right back on if there is any emergency. 780 is then mostly occupied by techno music, presumably XEWGR, Exa FM in Monclova, Coahuila, as recently logged with WBBM on; this is not as dominant as XEDE is on 720; at 0816, it has some CCI, maybe another Mexican; 0846 there is some JBA talk with XE nulled. 0909, XEWGR goes into a fade and some other YL is talking in Spanish, 0911, music fades back up to mix and overtake. By 0947, WBBM is first to come back with news. (It was the instigator of this outage, and its neighbors had to go off for safety reasons.) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 990, March 10 at 0852 UT, talkhost condemning Santorum for his religion-über-alles views, good dominant signal looping E-W or so (and no CBW N/S, but something Spanish), 0855 fade but caught ID as Phil Hendrie Show, who converses with himself. Affiliate list http://www.philhendrieshow.com/stations/category/tennessee
has a fit for KWAM Memphis TN which is supposed to be 450 watts night, 10 kW day. I ruled out a few other possibilities without checking every single state for another 990 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1660, March 10 at 1022, Mexican music making fast SAH with another station talking in English; 1024 super-hype voice actor (SHVA) with ``más música``, 1031 announcement giving an 801-area code phone, and romantic music, clinching this as KXOL Brigham City UT (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Here's a spectrogram I made of Glenn Hauser's recording of the KRPI DX test. As you can see, the morse code was alternating between a 1 kHz tone and a 1.5 kHz tone.
http://mesamike.org/radio/mwdx/pics/Huaser-KRPI_Test.PNG
(Mike Westfall, Los Alamos, NM, March 9, ABDX via DXLD)

_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx