[IRCA] DX

[Patrick Martin <mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have gotten a lot of East Coast DX, especially in the 80s & 90s with
the beverage, but I sure would not have heard any of it, without the
beverage. But unfortunately, back in 2004, I had to raise the first 500
feet of it, so the farm equipment could go under it. The messed up some
of the directivity. From 1982 until 2004, I had it running 4 feet off
the ground on top of old wooden fence posts, but those were removed and
I had to raise the antenna, the first 1/3 or it, but it still works. At
least I still have one. Back in the 80s, WXVI 1600 Montgomery AL was a
nightly visitor. One night 1600 was really in a jumble and in popped
WWRL NY. A nice ID and promo. I got a beautiful QSL card too.  Ah, the
good ol' days. I caught the WARV 1590 RI test and they were mixing with
a station running "Bubba FM". It turned out to be Charleston SC! A nice
QSL from both. Hearing new "W" calls is not quite as easy as it once
was, but I get one once in a while. I still need to ID WSLM 1220 IN.
That one has slipped away so many times. 
   But that beverage has been a pain to keep up in our Pacific storms.
The one in 2007 with winds of over 150 MPH and the storm blew for 4
days, 3of them 100 MPH or more,  tore the daylights out of trees and I
lost over half of the beverage. I had to wait until the weather improved
and I finally got it all back, but it took weeks. But all of the work
has been worth it I never know what might pop in. 
   Before XERF 1570 boosted power to 100KW, they were around 18KW for
years and I rarely heard them. 1570 was wide open after BC & AB moved to
FM. I logged WTRB Ripley TN with 53w. It faded up at ID time and then
disappeared. Fortunately I had the cassette running. The GM about fell
out of his chair when he heard the cassette. He replied that it was too
bad I never heard any of their local programming. I wish XERF would have
stayed at 18 KW.
  I have been DXing MW for over 50 years now and I am glad I found that
old Zenith on that garbage rack on my way home from school back in 1962
in Seward AK. I have often thought, what if I would gone a different way
or if I would not have seen the radio? I was 13 at the time. It changed
my whole life.

73,

Patrick 

Patrick Martin
Seaside OR
KGED QSL Manager


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