[IRCA] Good high band cx from IL to WA last night

[neilkaz <neilkaz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I haven't been very active of late due to extensive travel, so it is nice to be home for a bit and able to DX. My 2 element endfire array of Double KAZ antenna aimed at 285 deg has a beamwidth of just under 80 deg and last night was doing its intended job quite well. Times are CDT.

At 2100 on 1430, a rather clear freq that direction I can just copy the KCLK calls thru KRGI. I've had them a few times this season when legally on day power as here or even later at night. Just a weak KRGI IDed an hour later.

KNTS 1680 is one of the easiest ways to get WA here. They were almost entertainment level at 2100 and still in when switched power at 2115:35. Later at 2200 they were again strong (stunning considering 1 kW) with continuous SS rlg mx. They don't seem to ID when this is on during weekends. IA TIS's haven't been noted on 1680 this weekend.

On 1560 KVAN was o/u an EE rlg stn (KKAA or KLNG) with SS rlg mx and then the multi stn ID for KRSC and KVAN (they say Pasco not Burbank) and some other stn I can never quite copy the calls for.

1550 had KRPI mixing with KYAL at 2200 and a nice ID 30 seconds later. One wonders how KRPI and KVAN can get much signal here on night pattern.

Usually when cx are like this, Freedom 1590 from Seattle shows up, but it was all KVGB mixed with KPRT which I think was on day power.

>From a similar direction, but closer, 1370 had KXTL from Butte audible, and semi dominant but not strong.

This array is the best antenna I've ever used that wasn't at least a half mile long. Phased BOGs are great and have similar beamwidth but one can only get deep F/B for a couple hundred KHz so they aren't nearly as good for Perseus recording. I think the patterns are a bit cleaner (fewer side/back lobes) with the array as well.

If I used only this array I'd gradually forget what regionals are E and SE of me since I never hear a trace unless they are local and at night most of my local regionals are overpowered. It redefines what the dominant or subdominant stns are on quite a few channels. Things like KRDZ 1440 and KREL 1580 are common even on low night power. KGIM 1420 is often in there o/u WOC when KTOE is behaving. 1530 has a nice mix of stuff often overpowering WCKY etc etc.

I'll turn it around to aim 105 deg in Apr when I return from more travel by switching the FLG100LN xfmr/amps and termination resistances and hopefully there's not too much line noise and overlode from Chicago and I can DX that way for a week or so. Then I will take it down and try a broadside array of two due west and then, since it will soon be time for mowing, due some experiments with larger Double KAZ antennas. EZNEC says that 21 ft x 112 ft is about the limit until high end F/B falls off but perhaps in real life the antenna can be larger which gives better low end signals and hopefully even better low end F/B.

73 KAZ Barrington IL
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