[IRCA] Top 12 Trans-Pacific Signals from the Frozen Oregon Cliff

[d1028gary@xxxxxxx]

Hello All,

Over the Veteran's Day weekend another bizarre Ultralight radio DXpedition was conducted from the top of Oregon's 400 foot high "Rockwork 4" ocean side cliff (about 15 minutes south of Cannon Beach). As during previous trips the DXing conditions were rough (no AC power, running water, street lights or weather protection), but to make things a little more interesting this time the Cliff threw in a few new challenges--- subfreezing cold, gale-force winds and thunderous rain.
 
Despite the nasty weather the Cliff delivered its usual TP-DXing boost, although because of the late-season date (and lean solar year) exotic DX was hard to come by. The Japanese 5 kW synchro stations were numerous, and tended to take over choice frequencies. This Cliff delivered some astonishing DU-DX signals only 3 months ago during an August DXpedition, but only 738-Tahiti showed up from south of the Equator with any real power this time. On the other hand Asiatic signals filled up most of the 9 kHz splits that could be checked during live DXing in the awful weather, which was quite a surprise given the low DX-pectations for the weekend operation. The main DXpedition equipment was a 7.5" MW loopstick Tecsun PL-380 Ultralight and an 8" Medium Wave FSL antenna, along with a 19.5" loopstick ICF-2010 SSB spotting receiver and a backup C.Crane SWP Slider Ultralight. On the last day of the operation (Monday the 12th), thunderous rain (mixed with stiff winds) thoroughly drenched!
  all of this gear-- knocking all of it out of operation temporarily. The overall impression of the entire effort was a deep appreciation of the new Broadband FSL antenna developed by Chuck Hutton and Guy Atkins-- which enables a DXer to drive up to one of these ocean cliff sites and record spectrum on a Perseus SDR-- oblivious to the nasty weather outside. But of course by next summer (when the DU-DX should be pounding in again at these Cliffs), the nasty weather of November will probably be a distant memory.

Posted below are descriptions and MP3 recording links for the top 12 TP-DX signals received during this trip-- which certainly were surprising given the late-season date (and lean solar year). The full DXpedition report is being drafted, which will include many more TP stations with less vibrant signals (about 55 total).

 
531-JOQG  Morioka, Japan   (10 kW)  One of the big surprises on the Cliff, with vibrant NHK1 signals overpowering weak domestic 530-TIS traces (and leaving no heterodyne behind)  http://www.mediafire.com/?pec2vcx9cnioad3
 
567-JOIK  Sapporo, Japan  (100 kW)  Another very strong NHK1 station each morning on the Cliff, and not usually one of the better performers at west coast DXer home locations   http://www.mediafire.com/?t79mke8ggc5w0xu
 
594-JOAK  Tokyo, Japan  (300 kW)  Vibrant Japanese NHK1 big gun was especially strong on the Cliff because of its relatively clear frequency-- unlike other Japanese big guns  http://www.mediafire.com/?sz7nnezz2knf39r 
 
603-HLSA  Namyang, S. Korea  (500 kW)  Amazing signal with American pop music at 1340 UTC on 11-11. This station was one of three TP's which took turns dominating the 603 frequency-- the other two being China and the 5 kW NHK1 synchro station JOOG   http://www.mediafire.com/?iqd7dsotvkf0fsu
 
603-China  Hulun Buir  (50 kW)  Assumed the Chinese station dominating the frequency at times, after an ID was recorded by Nick in September. It typically was on top of 603 about half the time on the Cliff  http://www.mediafire.com/?34yq734v4odcfi3
 
639-CNR1  China Synchros  (Various)  The best Chinese signal on the Cliff, although troubled by KFI splatter at times. This MP3 was recorded on the backup C.Crane SWP Slider after thunderous rain took out the PL-380 on 11-12  http://www.mediafire.com/?iotp9x4j5npg3jt
 
648-VOR  Razdolnoye, Russia  (1000 kW)  VOR Korean service at a strong level at 1527 UTC on 11-12, recorded on the backup C.Crane SWP in heavy rain http://www.mediafire.com/?a1hlfumgzshbb7r
 
657-Pyongyang, N. Korea  (1500 kW)  Enhanced Cliff signal made the typically bad programming a little more obnoxious than usual  http://www.mediafire.com/?ka3am8poo2earax
 
693-JOAB  Tokyo, Japan  (500 kW)  NHK2 big gun had awesome signals on the Cliff-- and was the strongest TP overall during the entire DXpedition  http://www.mediafire.com/?o1r6j7h51576kuz
 
738-Radio Polynesie  Mahina, Tahiti  (20 kW)  Strong French music and OM speech during the rain-drenched 11-12 session at 1335. This was the only DU signal to show up at the Cliff with any real strength during the entire DXpedition  http://www.mediafire.com/?dji9sz3ewl792wr
 
774-JOUB  Akita, Japan  (500 kW)  NHK2 big gun booming in with weather report at 1306 UTC on 11-11. This would have been the best overall signal except for the 770-Seattle splatter   http://www.mediafire.com/?mpbvi9u6vobgrvu
 
1287-JOHR  Sapporo, Japan  (50 kW)  HBC  Very strong signals every morning, and the only Japanese commercial station to make this Top 12 list  http://www.mediafire.com/?2r6m9gp8naxv4mn
 
Finally, for those who have wondered what the NHK2 music box sign-off chimes sound like on the ocean coast, this recording is from 774-JOUB at 1545 UTC on 11-10. This was the last MP3 recorded after a 6 hour, subfreezing session  http://www.mediafire.com/?v397wzzpf3zq7t8

73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)


              
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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