[IRCA] Domestic MW DX to Enid OK, February 1-7, 2013

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

All times and dates strictly UT. Rx: mostly DX-398 with internal antenna only; or Sony SRF-59 as specified; Nissan stock caradio as specified; FRG-7 as 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

These logs are in four sexions, Canada [if any], Oklahoma, rest of USA, unidentified, separated by ======= Within each, they are in frequency order

** OKLAHOMA [and non]. 512 kHz, Feb 5 at 0607 UT I am tuning the radio in the bathroom, a Panasonic RF-569D which is positioned on an east-west wall, such that it favors north-south, to the bottom of the AM dial, where I am hearing two beacons interfering, but somewhat separable despite wide bandwidth: HMY and above it PN. The latter is common here, from nearby Ponca City, but HMY? Reminds me of Hominy, Oklahoma, but http://www.dxinfocentre.com/ndb.htm
shows it:
512 HMY USA OK Lexington - Muldrow N 35 01 44 W 097 13 50 --- and
which is SSE of OKC, while unrelated Hominy is NW of Tulsa, an Osage stronghold. Strangely enough, a few minutes later on the DX-398 I found them weaker, but frequencies read as 516 and 513; I thought I had zero-beat the carriers? Says Hepburn`s list:
515 PN  USA OK Ponca City          N 36 49 30 W 097 06 02

Then looked for a few others and found RG on 351 at 0627
350 RG USA OK OKLAHOMA CITY - ROGERS N 35 17 42 W 097 35 19
[i.e. Will Rogers World Airport, SW corner of OKC]

SO on 354, but the O is poorly keyed with the middle dash slightly shorter than the others, so it`s just across the border:
353 SO USA KS Winfield - Strother N 37 05 23 W 097 02 11

And OUN on 369 kHz at 0629:
370 OUN USA OK Norman - Oklahoma University N 35 14 15 W 097 28 52 
So some of these I am reading 1 kHz higher than listed, others 1 kHz lower (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

============================

** U S A. 550, Feb 7 at 1336 UT, KFRM Salina KS, several news stories about nothing but Nebraska, as it`s a virtual local there from transmitter in Cloud County, N Central Kansas. Despite its motto, ``KFRM is full time farm radio and Your source for farm markets in Kansas and Oklahoma``, and no mention of NE now or anywhen on their comprehensive schedule http://www.kfrm.com/downloads/KFRM_programs.pdf
There is however, a scheduled `Oklahoma News Summary` M-F at 1715-1720 UT, followed on Thursdays only at 1720-1725 by `Oklahoma Ag Report`; and M-F 1827-1830 `Oklahoma Ag First`, plus several reports for different regions of Kansas (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 770, Feb 7 at 1403 UT, ``KKOB First News, starts now!``, good timing, for they have just gone to daytime pattern at 1400 UT in February for Albuquerque NM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 810, Feb 3 at 1357 UT, nice instrumental version of `Hallelujah Chorus`, clear in NW/SE null of WHB Kansas City, presumably KLVZ Brighton CO, in the service of religion rather than Art; faded just in time for any hourtop ID (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 860, Feb 7 at 1340 UT in KKOW KS null, land for sale ad in Devine, which is just down I-35 from Von Ormy, SW of San Antonio TX, then rock music, no doubt KONO; had also just heard country music with big sig on 680, no doubt KKYX. And soon heard also 1350 KCOR (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 880, Sat Feb 2 at 1314 UT, KLRG originating an Arkansas show, `Bluegrass with Leo Castleberry`, starts with Hank Williams` ``Lovesick Blues``; 1325 local ads sound ad-libbed, real down-home style. WTAN network website for KLRG shows this is 7-9 am Saturdays:
http://klrg.tantalknetwork.com/index.cfm?PID=2

Also shows the Friday morning shows I have heard previously as: `We the People Radio` at 6-8 am, `Liberty Underground` at 8-10 am from the ``1787 Radio Network``, pre-empting `Imus in the Morning` to only one hour, otherwise he`s Mon-Thu 5-9 am, all CST. Separate schedules are available for WTAN itself, with some duplication, such as 1787 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1060, Feb 7 at 1358 UT, Spanish in Chicano accent, no doubt KIJN Farwell TX as usual, plugs http://myjesusradio.com pronounced in English, proceeding with blessings. That website forwards to http://myjesusradio.wix.com/myjesusradio
which autolaunches crummy audio feed with hum, sounds like picked up off air on cheap AM radio, but at least no fast SAHs here, checked later in the daytime. 

I was also hearing SAH and peppy gospel music in Spanish earlier around 0700 UT on 1060, daytimer KIJN as usual funxioning as a fulltimer. Back at 1358, Seemed to be CCI from another SS, but from 1400 UT, ABC News takes over from NW/SE, no doubt KRCN Longmont CO, just powering up from 111 to 50,000 watts as scheduled for its official February sunrise (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1090, Feb 7 at 1344 UT, in null of KEXS Kansas City, mention in English of UFO sightings, soon losing out to fast SAH and XEAU. Could this be KAAY Little Rock back on the air? Yes! per http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/

``Thursday, February 7, 2013 --- KAAY Back On The Air --- Doug Virden has reported that, as of the evening of February 6, 2013, KAAY has returned to the air, and that he wished the music from the 60's and 70's would have returned, as well. Nonetheless, kudos to the technician(s) involved who got the station back on the air! Bud S. (staceys4@xxxxxxxxxxx) Posted by at 6:17 AM`` 

His previous report said it`s a 5 kW transmitter replacing the 50 kW. 
So will it need to stay on the same tight direxional patterns as when full-powered? Apparently the antennas are OK. At FCC AM Query there is nothing obvious about an STA, but in the Correspondence Folder this filing January 17 saying it went silent January 10, including:

``THE KAAY(AM) MAIN TRANSMITTER HAS SUFFERED A MAJOR POWER SUPPLY FAILURE AND THE AUXILIARY TRANSMITTER HAS BEEN FATALLY DAMAGED BY WATER. AS RESULT, THE STATION IS OFF THE AIR. RADIO LICENSE HOLDING CBC, LLC, WILL FILE A REQUEST FOR SILENT SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY IF THE TRANSMITTERS CANNOT BE REPAIRED BY FEBRUARY 8, 2013.``

Station`s own website schedule
http://www.1090kaay.com/common/more.php?m=10&mode=schedule&r=2
shows nothing but ``airtime available`` 24/7! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1350, Feb 7 at 1349 UT, promo in Spanish for traffic and weather every dekaminute, KCOR ID, San Antonio (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1560, Feb 5 at 1454 UT, sports talk is dominating Disney OKC, a sesquihour after sunrise! KGOW Bellaire (Houston) TX really gets out on 46 kW day power, and even on 15 kW night power to deep South America. Finally before 1500 it`s starting to fade. XERF 1570 has already disappeared (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1640, Feb 5 at 0709 UT, pleased to find that KOAG is in open carrier/dead air, and on nite power of 1 kW from transmitter east of Hennessey OK, sufficient to make it easy to hear other stations under the carrier even when not fully nulled: mainly mix of Spanish and English. The Spanish is no doubt KBJA Sandy UT, ads including one at 0716 with an appropriate 801 area-code; and the English likely WTNI Biloxi MS, tho there are three others in the US flung further (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 2660, Feb 1 pre-sunrise I am tracking this and other MW harmonics: presumed KGLD, Tyler TX as per previous reports, but I would still like to catch an ID: at 1155, JBA talk audible, with the noise level alone registering S9+8 on the FRG-7 meter. At 1242 a bit better with music; at 1255 as I am listening, the carrier strength steps up, so suspect they just made the February ``1300`` local sunrise change from 500 to 1000 watts on fundamental 1330; but there is not much modulation. At 1257 it just seems to be open carrier; 1258 gospel solo starts, no ID heard at 1300, just music continuing at S9+12 vs noise level; 1308 music is a bit stronger. 1312 surprise, an announcement by some guy asking ``prayer warriors`` to check out his Facebook wall; 1314 produced PSA with woman narrating, child voice and then man voice mixed with music, seems anti-crime, 1315 back to music. 1326 another anti-crime PSA from the USDOJ, National Crime Prevention Center,
 and more gospel music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

However, FCC Correspondence File for KGLD shows it also has a post-sunset authority (PSSA) for February of, in CST and watts:
6:00- 6:30 | 102.0 |
6:30- 7:00 |  51.0 | 
7:00- 8:00 |  36.0 | 
So there would not be any point in employing it after 0030 UT when the night power is more than the PSSA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 2660, Feb 3 at 0106 UT, black gospel music in surprisingly well, same format as heard on KGLD around sunrise. Is in cycle of slow fades up and out; another peak at 0109; 0110 segué to another tune. 0119 another fade-in, and I am not hearing a second carrier tonight. 

Make a point of rechecking before hourtop, 0158 now the music is accompanied by talking, and at hourtop bare-bones legal ID caught for the first time on 2660! ``KGLD, 1330 AM, Tyler``, same as I had heard on a previous webcast check. So now this Texan second harmonic is 100% sure. ID overrode the music program for a few seconds, then that continued. Also at 0158 I noticed some weak CW QRM to this for the first time, on the low side. See my previous reports about KGLD power authorizations: supposed to be 77 watts at night on 1330, altho also with a PSSA of 36 watts until 0200, but the full day power available is 1000 watts (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 2660, Feb 4 at 0050 UT check, very poor with music, presumed usual KGLD Tyler TX, 2 x 1330 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 2660+, Feb 5 at 0643 UT, very poor signal with music, 0647 talk, 0650 music seems gospel. The only 2 MHz harmonic audible at the moment, presumed KGLD Tyler TX as previously IDed; however, I continue to keep an ear on this frequency as at one time I was hearing a second carrier. Also at 1257, very poor with YL talk in English, music continued past hourtop 1300, but 1300:25 tentative KGLD legal ID JBA. 1300 is supposedly when in Feb they can bump up to full day power of 1 kW on 1330, but noticed no change on 2660 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 2660, Feb 7 at 0708 UT, black gospel music, typical default of KGLD Tyler TX, as previously heard many times, best around sunrise, but now just as good, occasional peaks above noise level. Makes me wonder whether besides harmonicizing from 1330, they are not really reducing from 1 kW day power to 77 watts night. Tried to hear // on 1330, but too much pileup QRM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

===================

UNIDENTIFIED. 960, Feb 4 at 0600-0605 UT, dominant signal during KGWA Fox-hole is blues music, again suspected from WABG Greenwood, Mississippi. Instead of my usual supine position abed for this, I have found a `hot spot` elsewhere in the house near a window on the DX-398. Or should I say `cold spot`, i.e. seem to get a better null on the KGWA carrier (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2240 kHz, further chex for the harmonic first heard around sunrise: Nothing audible in the evening, UT Feb 1 at 0000 or 0053.

2240, resumed monitoring at 1157 UT when there is a JBA carrier in the S9+5 noise level; but a stronger one on 2250 I stay with for a while, see separate log. Recheck 2240 at 1215, no improvement, but re-recheck at 1220, now a much stronger signal than 2250 or than 2240 was earlier, with vocal music; did it just sign on or step up power? 1223 announcement; 1230 signal surges a bit; 1235 another announcement. At 1239, 2240 is JBA but stronger than 2250; at 1245, 2240 is gone. Looks like 1215 is the best time to catch it. Probably 2 x 1120 or 4 x 560 from Mexico, as previously heard in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2240, Feb 2 at 1229 UT I awaken a bit too late as the harmonic here has probably already peaked; lively vocal music, 1240 still but weakening, fading to a JBA carrier by 1249. 

UNIDENTIFIED [and non]. 2240, Feb 2 at 0050 UT as I start to check the 2 MHz harmonic band in the evening, a surprisingly strong signal is here with preacher in English, but some total fade-outs. This, combined with the lack of any signal when I switch the DX-398 to LSB or USB indicates it`s an image, not really there. Punching in some of the strong US SW signals, sounds like the same thing as on WTWW-1 5830, so I get another portable and sure enough, they match. How does it land on 2240? I haven`t figured that out, but the receiver IF of 450 kHz is likely involved. None of the other WTWW frequencies were on or audible at this time: 12105, 9905, 5085, so it`s surely not a mix taking place in Lebanon. I`m reporting this to make a point of what is not really DX that one must still be aware of. 

However, I am sure the signal I am hearing around sunrise on 2240 is something else, since it shows none of these symptoms, and is in Spanish, so a true harmonic from 1120 or 560. 

Also, it`s important to note that my evening DX sessions around 0100 are usually performed with the DX-398 on the porch (35 degrees F tonight) with short random wire around the eaves, while in the mornings I`m using the main rig, FRG-7 inside with longwire outside, much less subject to such images. In the evening I am avoiding household noise sources, altho TVI perhaps from the neighbors is still present on many frequencies (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

UNIDENTIFIED. 2240-, Feb 4 at 1213 UT I am alarmed to awaken and turn on to pre-tuned 2240 in anticipation of the harmonic I have been hearing, since on Feb 1, it apparently came on circa 1215. At first there is nothing, but carrier and modulation cut on at *1216:30 with announcement seemingly in Spanish, but too weak to copy, shortly into music. The signal is immediately degrading, to JBA carrier when I give up at 1228. Seems like earlying sunrises will soon impossiblize this.

The 1215 sign-on smax of a US station where the official FCC February sunrise time is then. Mexicans don`t seem to bother with such quarter-hour rounding precision, as in the IRCA Log you can see almost all of them which are not 24 hours schedule starting and stopping at hourtops. Sure wish I could find my set of SR/SS maps designed for MW DXing. 

So I need to find a 560 or 1120 station in the proper 1215 UT Feb sunrise strip. Assuming it`s Spanish, the best possibility on 1120 in NRC AM Log is WXJO Douglasville GA, 1 kW daytimer with a CP for 10. But its Feb SR is 1230 UT, close but not close enough. WNWF, Destin, NW Florida in CST zone is also 1230 UT. And so is WKCE Maryville TN, 1230 UT. And AFAIK, not Spanish. So much for 1120. How about 560, x 4?

There are no known US SS stations on 560. WMIK, Middlesboro KY? Also 1230 UT {Wow! What would Disney pay them to relinquish that call? NFS? Means to them not so much MIddlesboro KY but ``Where Messiah Is King`` per NRC AM Log --- yes religion and monarchy are inextricably linked to the detriment of both}. WRDT Monroe MI? 1230 too. This approach is not working. Based on the LSR time, the 2240 transmitter would have to be a bit further east than all of the above. 

Back to Mexico: on 560 the only station in IRCA with a nominal sign-on of 1200 UT is XESRD, La Tremenda, in Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, 5/0.25 kW. 

On 1120 there are three at *1200: XEZB, La Mejor, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, 2/0.25 kW; XEPOP, Fórmula 11-20 AM in Puebla, Puebla, 1/0.1 kW; and XERUY, R. Universidad, Mérida, Yucatán. 1/? kW. This is going to be solved only by some more good clues from monitoring, if I can yet pull enough signal at sign-on (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Glenn, I also went back to the drawingboard on this one. Considering WPRX is too weak, there is one other station that fit the pattern after investigation, and thats WUST From Wash. DC that goes from PSRA to 20 kW. http://www.wust1120.com/WUST/AudioOnDemand.html
elucidates that a Spanish religious program begins at 0715 EST (1215 UT). This might be your suspect, and is a little East of your previous investigations (Paul S. in CT, Feb 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Paul, Tnx, WUST looks like a good fit, except FCC shows their Feb sunrise is 1200 UT, not 1215. Maybe they wait until then anyway because of programming? When it comes to harmonix, when something is out of whack anyway, WPRX Bristol CT would not necessarily be too weak, but its sunrise is 1145. Listeners further east than I should be able to get 2240 better than I can and maybe a definite ID, starting around 1215. 73, (Glenn, OK, dxldyg via DXLD)

That leaves WBBF Buffalo, NY 1 kW daytimer with proper Feb. Sunrise time and Spanish programming (Paul S. in CT, WORLD OF RADIO 1655, ibid.)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2240 kHz, Feb 5 at 1213 UT, I again alarm myself with the DX-398 to awaken in time for the harmonic about to sign on, but on the FRG-7 it never shows by 1220, tho there is maybe a JBA carrier 1225-1230. Meanwhile, tnx to Paul S. in CT who suggested some more possible fundamental sources on 1120 with Spanish programming: WUST in Washington DC, but its sunrise is 1230; and WPRX in Bristol CT, but sunrise at 1145. Bingo, one more is Spanish and rising at 1215: WBBF in Buffalo NY, 1 kW daytimer. But we`ll need some confirmation from closer listeners (or a better morning here) to decide that`s really it (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1655, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Couldn't get anything here this morning. I have careful aiming needed on this if DC/Buffalo Noise floor rather high at 23 db-micro. Crossing fingers for this morning (Paul S. in CT, Feb 5, ibid.)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2240, Feb 6 at 1216-1227 UT, no signal at all from the harmonic I had been hearing; fixed it? Should be some propagation left if it is WBBF 1120 in Buffalo NY, as theorized (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2250 kHz, Feb 1 at 1157 as I start my pre-sunrise harmonic search, a JBA carrier here, and stronger than the one on 2240. The only MW frequency which would harmonicize on 2250 is 750. (It would be ironic of this turn out to be KSEO in Durant, SE Oklahoma, which I have yet to hear on its fundamental, day or night, and wonder if it`s really on the air.) 1215 still JBA carrier; 1239 weaker than 2240, but at 1245 and 1256, 2250 is still audible while 2240 is gone. Yet I have not been able to pull any audio on 2250. (With only two nearby AM stations, 960 and 1390, I am pretty familiar with where their harmonix and mixtures land, e.g. 2350, not 2250) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

2250, Feb 2 at 1236 UT, this probable 3 x 750 harmonic never exceeds a JBA carrier this morning. It would be nice if some other DXers in this part of the continent would look for these, especially if they have a better S/N ratio on 2 MHz. Of course also due to relative proximity, others may have a better shot at some of them (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2250, Feb 3 at 1303, some JBA music on an apparent third harmonic of 750; first time at least some modulation audible, but need to monitor during previous hour. Too late for anything on 2240, and 2660 is JBA carrier now too (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Feb 2 around 0053 UT, stepping thru the 2 MHz band, besides the known harmonix on 2660 and 2910, I also find JBA carriers on 2480, 2800 and 2860, which are likely to produce more harmonix if they can be pulled above the noise level. 

Remember R. San Carlos, Costa Rica, was being widely heard three years ago on 2859.8 = 2 x 1429.9. 2480 and 2800 bear hundreds of possible US fundamentals on graveyards 1240 and 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2660, Feb 2 at 0049 UT, some music is audible here vs the noise level, same frequency where in the morning I have been getting KGLD, Tyler TX, 2 x 1330. Can`t tell if the music is gospel tonight. Still audible at 0106, and at 0125 with BFO I can tell that besides the music there is a second carrier on a slightly different frequency. So there is at least one other 2 x 1330 harmonic showing up on 2660; and KGLD itself if properly operating legal night power, would be only 77 watts on the fundamental (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 2660, Feb 2 at 0628 UT, algo with music, as earlier in the evening, suspected something other than the KGLD harmonic as heard before sunrise. Recheck 1229 again something. Remonitoring from before 1300 past hourtop, no increase in signal noted today at Tyler sunrise, continues JBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

_______________________________________________
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