[IRCA] Mostly Mexican MW DX to Enid OK, January 4-10, 2013

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

All times and dates strictly UT. Rx: mostly DX-398 with internal antenna only. Or Sony SRF-59 when specified.

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

** MEXICO. 540, Jan 8 at 0641 UT, I have to wait almost a minute after tune-in until XETX, La Ranchera de Paquimé, Chihuahua, exclaims an ID; also CCI from another SS, but unseems from XEWA direxion (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. UNIDENTIFIED. 2910, Jan 4 at 1053 UT, S9+12 open carrier ought to prove fruitful as the presumed third harmonic of 970 I have been hearing is about to sign on. Short version of Mexican NA plays at 1059, removing any doubt about the country, and explaining why they don`t play it again at 1200. But just not enough audio vs the noise level; seems this XE is undermodulating on its harmonic if not on its fundamental. 

I listen for about 10 minutes, but can just barely tell a broadcaster is there with some talk and some music; also some additional noise sources cut on and off. For the first time I roll tape on this so I can go back to sleep and maybe pull some details out on playback. Don`t dare leave BFO on due to possible drift, but that means I can instead employ the FRG-7 noise limiter which helps very little. We have a new neighbor who has been refurbishing a vacant house, now with the power on, cable connected, and more RFI surely to follow.

I`ve been listening to the C-90 as I write this report, and it`s not a good morning for XEVT(?). Very slight improvement in S/N around 1200 but really not a single word copiable. Surges a bit more around 1215, maybe with approach of local sunrise? LSR is 1244 UT today in Villahermosa, Tabasco, exactly one hour earlier than Enid. Still in when the tape ends circa 1235. There has been absolutely nothing useful on it, so I can record over it another time.

Someone should be able to get a definite ID at the 1100 sign-on if not later, when they are much more concerned about telling us the time rather than the ID, altho there are plenty of other ways to find out the time. Still not hearing it around my 0600 UT chex, so probably signs off earlier, nor earlier in evenings when my local noise level is probably even higher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

2910, Jan 5 I wake up by 1213 UT, so remonitor this unID frequency during what has proven to be its peak signal time, which isn`t saying much, but today it`s better than yesterday, especially during occasional surges. But about the only details I can copy in the rapid Spanish discussion between M&W announcers are the timechex he frequently gives, starting with 6:13, and at 1224 UT, 6:24. Bits of music are sometimes audible as part of commercial or news produxion, never a full song. At 1225 mentions Féisbuc. From 1227 added to the high local line noise level, some additional local noise bursts come and go. 1228 strongest yet with 6:28 time, phone number; 1233 fading down; 1242, fade up with YL`s monolog; lite SSB ACI; 1247 maybe mentions XEVT in passing; 1249 fading.

Since I don`t expect it to come back, I hasten to fire up the computer and look for its webstream. I don`t like to resort to this, but instead make my IDs in real time on my own radio, but enough is enough. DXing does not mix with online here, as the computer and shack are in different rooms, yet not far enough apart to keep computer noise from disrupting DXing whenever it`s on.

Of course I already am fairly certain it is XEVT. Via the Tabasco page of http://www.mexicoradio.tv com under Villahermosa, I get an instant link to the XEVT stream, via http://www.xevt.com and there they are --- the same voices, same format, I have been struggling to hear on 2910 (but apparently no mention of that frequency! Just 970 and // FM XHVT 104.1). 

>From easy listening now and info on the website, the program is `Buenos Días Telereportaje` at 6-7 am, and extends further until 10 am at least on Saturdays. Now I hear local announcements about street work, meetings, greetings, mentions of Tabasco; 1259 canned ID for ``las frecuencias de la VT, 970 y 104.1``, ``La VT, señal que une``; 1300 singing ad for a plomería; 1302 re-opening another hour of Telereportaje; 1306 news headline mentions Ciudad Juárez, but no XEJ here! 1309 finally a tropical song is allowed to play.

They have a nice interactive website, and even video streaming, but before I even try it, that says ``server not found``.

Current day`s program schedule is here:
http://www.xevt.com/programacion.php
with linx to other days. Show sign-on at 5 am, off at 23:59, i.e. just before 0600 UT. The first hour after sign-on I heard is: 
05:00-06:00 Amanecer de mi Tierra * Carlos A. Cabrales Aguilar

And the next hour I have been hearing is:
06:00-07:00 Buenos Días Telereportaje * Jesús Sibilla Oropesa
                                      * Humberto Hurtado Beltrán
But those are both male names, so I think the YL co-host after 1300 must axually be funxioning an hour earlier:

07:00-10:00 Telereportaje * Jesús Sibilla Oropesa
                          * Emmanuel Sibilla Oropesa

Except reading the pages about Telereportaje`s 30-year family history, Emmanuel is also a guy, so I still don`t know who the YL is. Hmmm, unless ``she`` is a varonkid whose voice hasn`t changed yet? There are also multiple pages and photos on the history of XEVT itself, since 1954.

So far I haven`t seen reports of anyone else DXing this, but if anyone does, I urge them NOT to try to QSL or even contact XEVT about their third harmonic on 2910, as that will only encourage them to get rid of it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 2910, Jan 7 at 0546 I`m looking for XEVT 970 x 3, Villahermosa, Tabasco, and there it is, somewhat better signal than I have been hearing in the mornings, S9+10 but better S/N ratio. Ads and songs; 0557 brief announcement I could not copy but must have been sign-off, followed 0558 by choral NA, multiverse past 0601 and off, to sign back on at 1100 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1651, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Since SW from Europe was subpar in MUF, I was a bit surprised to find a het on 549 as I started DXing MW at 0649 UT Jan 8, but then detected many more trans-Atlantic carriers at this somewhat late hour, not so late for midwinter; in stepping up 9 kHz on the DX-398 with internal antenna only, generally looping NE/SW, with slightly offset BFO in USB or LSB modes, so the typical het pitches could be easily spotted thru 0654 UT, found:

549, 612, 675, 684, 693, 747, 882, 909, 1035, 1053, 1089, 1143, 1152, 1206, 1215, 1224, 1305, 1314, 1413, 1557, 1584, 1602. Maybe this was not so surprising considering how well VATICAN was doing on 3975 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Trans-Atlantic carrier scan performed Jan 10 at 0624-0630 after hearing a tell-tale het from 909 as I tuned to 910 kHz, put in order here, not the order I heard them: 531, 684, 693, 711, 909, 945, 1044, 1053, 1089, 1206, 1215 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Further on the extremely distorted signal we have been hearing for a long time on 800 kHz:

``Hi Glenn: In regards to the UNID 800, the distorted signal is very  strong in Austin, Texas. The signal is audible throughout the nighttime hours at very strong levels. DFing the signal (with Drake R8B and ferrite loop) indicates a null at 210 degrees. This station has been audible for many months. Regards, Mike Beu, KD5DSQ, Austin, Texas``

Tnx, Michael, I guess you mean the peak was at 210 degrees based on nulling plus/minus 90 degrees from that.

With protractor on a good atlas page showing both TX and Mexico, and the two cities in question, Zaragoza, Coahuila, XEZR is just SW of Piedras Negras, at 235 degrees from you, and Montemorelos NL, XEDD is 198 degrees. Would the latter be within the margin of error? 

Do you hear it at all in the daytime? Groundwave should be pretty good down there. If not, possibly it`s from further into Mexico beyond the border states.

There are three other possibilities in the general direxion: Querétaro, XEGX at 205 degrees; Ocotlán, Jalisco, XEAN at 200 degrees, and furthest Tlapa, Guerrero, XEZV at 184. All approximate.

>From Enid, I measure Ocotlán at 195 degrees, = my recent approximation for the blob, but Zaragoza is very close at 197 degrees, so XEZR is the best bet from my POV.

This is all on a flat map with protractor. I haven`t gone to the trouble of using bearing and distance computation sites yet, as my margin of error is probably still too great.

If someone around Houston or El Paso {only if XEROK should be off!} could get a fix on it, we could triangulate it better. Or someone inside México.

For those who haven`t been following this mystery, I remind that there are NO Texans on 800, except KDDD way up in the NW corner at Dumas, out of the question. The nearest US station in the other direxion is WSHO New Orleans (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

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