[IRCA] Domestic MWDX to Enid OK, January 15-22, 2015

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

All times and dates strictly UT [5 hours ahead of `ELT`]. Rx: mostly DX-398 or PL-880 with internal antenna only; Nissan stock caradio as specified; FRG-7 with E/W longwire 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

All my MW DX reports starting August 2011 are archived in this forum with open access: 
http://forums.wtfda.org/showthread.php?6543-MW-DX-from-Enid-OK-by-Glenn-Hauser/page30

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

** OKLAHOMA. 530, various daytime chex Jan 16, `K530AM`, Vance AFB TIS is indeed off, no longer even a weak signal audible. Just as well, as the thing never met 1% of its potential (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1757, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 530, Jan 21 at 1940 UT I have driven down to the Visitors Center (with a number of mounted aircraft exhibits outside) at the north side of Vance AFB, and even here there is no `K530AM` to be heard. I am not pursuing this with the powers that be at Vance, since they may not have noticed it`s off, and I`d rather have it gone so R. Enciclopedia et al. are unimpeded. Indeed the electronic sign beside Southgate on the way to Vance gate, still flashes ``TUNE INTO / 530 AM`` along with hours of various gates. 

On the way earlier at 1930 UT Jan 21, I make a point of driving along the next E-W street to the north, Rupe, where there are hi-voltage lines/de facto Beverage antennas? Which re-radiate MW signals along with the noise and used to mix with K530AM, but never identified. I park at one peak point and monitor 530 for a while. It doesn`t take long to recognize the main audio is just local KGWA // 960, with an ag report. Weaker audio I realize must be from our other local, KCRC 1390, since, guess what, 1390 minus 430 = 960 and 960 minus 430 = 530. In other words, a leapfrog between these two which are not at the same site, with the assistance of OG&E [local electric company, no gas except maybe partly to generate the juice].

** OKLAHOMA. 580-720, Jan 15 at 2158 UT in NE OKC on caradio, KWPN Moore, 5/1 kW transmitter site on south side of OKC, is splattering out to this range, much worse the closer to fundamental 640. So it bothers or blox groundwave from WIBW 580, KMKI 620, KSKY 660, KGGF 690, KGNC 710, to name a few. IBOC is also on, but the splatter includes extremely distorted analog audio. I suspect out of whack IBOC is causing this. Fortunately have never heard it this bad in Enid. No other OKC market AM signal is such a mess (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 640-700, Jan 20 at 2036 UT, KWPM Moore splatter is audible up to 60 kHz above fundamental, even in Enid, like I was hearing in OKC last week, altho not as strong here of course. It`s enough to QRM 690 KGGF Coffeyville KS; and 700 KHSE Wylie (Dallas) TX which runs only one sesquikW. Also extends below 640, but harder to detect there with several strong stations. KWPM IBOC is also on, but the splatter is more analogic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

While at the Vance AFB VC in Enid, since it`s a quiet location without overhead powerlines, I perform a quick MW bandscan, including:

590-640, splatter from KWPM Moore can now be detected also on the low side, QRMing Omaha 590, Kansas City 610, and probably on 580 too but WIBW is strong enough to block it (and audibilize the usual weak groundwave signal under, which must be remnant of 500-watt KRFE Lubbock TX). Other non-Oklahoma logs are filed under USA (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA [and non]. 1120, Jan 19 at 1329-1332+ UT, open carrier looping toward Tulsa, while KMOX and presumed KTXW are mixing when it`s nulled. Tired of waiting for KEOR to start modulating, but 1330 UT is the official Catoosa sunrise in January (Feb: 1315 UT). KEOR is now a regular reliable groundwave daytime signal. I think it`s still religious, but I see in FCC that it`s now owned by La Zeta 95.7 of Springdale AR, not to be confused with OKC-based KTUZ 1270. Why is Zeta such a popular radio handle in Spanish? Likes to be associated with narcotrafficking?

1120, Jan 19 at 2039 UT, KEOR Catoosa is again, or more likely *still* open carrier dead air, as noted earlier today after sunrise time of 1330 UT. Still so at 2210 UT on caradio now that KMOX is propagating, making a SAH of 320/minute = 5 and a third Hz. So my earlier remark ``KEOR is now a regular reliable groundwave daytime signal`` may have jinxed it. Not to be confused with another Tulsa suburb, Jenks [sic, no X].

Jan 20 at 1512 UT, I am still getting an 1120 open carrier from the direxion of Tulsa, but it`s very weak, not the full licensed 10 kW, and the SAH with remnant KMOX is now 280/minute = 4 and two thirds Hz. Such a disparity ought to make us suspect a third station is involved, but why shouldn`t KEOR add frequency instability to all its other defects? 

1120, Jan 21 at 1856 UT on caradio, KEOR is still open carrier/dead air (no BFO, but one can tell a carrier is there lowering the noise level compared to relatively vacant 1110, 1100, etc.) At 1946 UT recheck, trace of talk under, which is most likely KMOX already (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1640, Jan 15-UT Jan 16, chex of KZLS Enid while in OKC, and on the way back to Enid finds heavy QRM and SAH, mostly from WTNI Biloxi MS, so KZLS is unable to get a usable signal into its primary (?) market at night. Still suspect WTNI is running 10 instead of 1 kW (as KZLS sometimes does when obvious from local range). It would help if the two would zero-beat; no chance of that (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

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

** U S A. 620, Jan 16 at 0722 UT, Fox Sports Network mentioned. At first I figured KTAR Phoenix, but that`s ESPN. NRC AM Log indicates only two possibilities: KMNS Sioux City IA, and KPOJ Portland OR, and FSN website confirms them both. I`ll have to go with KMNS far more likely here, also more likely DF. Strangely, no sign of XEBU Chihuahua which is usually dominant; off after midnight? Only other signal is KMKI, still Disney, Metroplex, judging from the music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 650, Jan 17 at 0246 UT, Herman Cain call-in show, easily recognizable voice, in null of WSM which is no problem for it now. Must be KGAB in Cheyenne WY. Yes, sked now at 02-05 UT per
http://kgab.com/shows/friday/
which admits this fine station also propagates other anti-American wackos Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck.

COL is Orchard Valley implying WY is not a desert; licensed for 8500/500 watts, but doing very well if only on nite pattern and power --- no, it can`t be, as night pattern aims northwest! Official January sunset is 0000 UT (Feb: 0030 UT). And there is nothing about a PSSA in FCC Correspondence File; however they do have a PSRA of 24 to 330 watts depending on the month. Nothing heard now from XETNT Los Mochis, which is a more frequent occupant of WSM`s null from here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 700, Jan 21 at 0101 UT, weak station in Spanish with WLW nulled while reporting on the bridge collapse and traffic snarls. SS I think mentions ``40 Principales`` which would lead to a Mexican top-40 group, but maybe misheard as then phone with 214- AC, so it`s merely The Metroplex, KHSE Wylie (Dallas) TX, 920 watts at night. No big deal to hear it day or night here, but it`s being reported back east getting past WLW. It must be (or have been) on day pattern with major lobe NE, rather than nite pattern westward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 910, Jan 20 at 0656 UT, ``EWTN Global Catholic Radio`` non-ID in English, peaking N/S, ergo KATH, Frisco (Dallas) TX, 1/0.5 kW, the only such station listed in NRC AM Log. What an ideal callsign: the other half of it, OLIC, would have to be in Czechia. NRC Pattern Book shows in daytime it`s NW/SE, and nighttime SW, neither much good for us (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTIENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 920, Jan 15 at 0642 UT check, `Coast to Coast AM` is still audible here from the NW, presumably KVEL Utah, and still nothing from KYFR IA Family Radio to the northeast, off the air? But by 24 hours later it`s back as usual.

920, Jan 17 at 0250 UT about a talent search during halftime at the Utah Jazz, ads, presumably KVEL Vernal UT again, which really gets out for its 1 kW at night allegedly aimed northeast, at 690 statute miles from Enid to the southeast, further than Chicago (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1060: Jan 20 at 1945 UT, English, promo for EWTN.com 24 hours per day; makes a SAH of 72/minute = 1.2 Hz with something weaker. Altho I couldn`t find a station list directly from the EWTN homepage last time, by Googling I do now get 
https://www.ewtn.com/radio/radioaffiliatemap/
but the link to a printable list is ``temporarily unavailable``. Anyhow, there are NO 1060 listings in OK (of course), nor adjacent states, nor second-adjacent states, each of which I click on: TX, NM, CO, KS, MO, AR, LA, AZ, UT, WY, NE, IA, IL, KY, TN, MS!! Can`t be KIJN Farwell TX since it`s Protestant, tho it may never utter that word.

NRC AM Log 2014-2015 has two EWTNs on 1060 but are far too far: MA and OH. So it must be a recent flip from something much closer. 1060 in Longmont CO could barely make it, and by golly that`s it:
http://www.krcnradio.com/
24h Catholic Radio Network since January 1, replacing business format. Of course, the RCC is one of the world`s largest and most profitable businesses. And the same old callsign almost fits.

1360, BTW, also EWTN has an audible heterodyne, which if not something local would mean one of our two neighboring EWTNs there is off-channel: KPHN El Dorado KS, and KDJW Amarillo TX (Glenn Hauser, from a full MW bandscan on caradio at the parking lot of the Visitors Center, Vance AFB, south of Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1480, Jan 20 at 0637 UT check, no sign of KBXD Dallas; however there is a LAH against other stations, looping WNW/ESE, which requires further investigation. 

[If this het is on the low side of 1480 it is likely coming from WERM Mobile. They are Black Gospel and clearly below 1480 and I doubt they are running proper night pattern. 73 KAZ Barrington IL]

Come to think of it, KBXD not noted for a month or so, and here`s why, per the latest AM Switch in NRC DX News:

``SILENT STATIONS --- Stations informing the FCC that they are silent:
1480, KBXD, TX, Dallas â Silent Dec. 17, station owners are bankrupt and tower owners have locked them out``. Then searched radioinsight.com but zero hits on KBXD!

So it lasted a bit more than two years. FCC shows from 1989 to 2006 there were six different calls on 1480. The 1480 facility in Dallas, originally KBOX, had been silent for some years, but was being refurbished in 2012: see DXLD issues from that year for numerous progress reports. Finally it was first heard testing Nov 6, 2012 at 2354 UT as in http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1245.txt

A DX test publicized for the following March was a no-show. KBXD could manage a bigsig here in Enid, once skywave set in, bad news for KQAM Wichita, and the two always made a severe SAH; tho I can`t be positive which one was further off, I have not noted such a SAH between KQAM and other 1480s. 

Altho there was talk of running 12.5 kW daytime, current FCC info shows licensed at only 5/1.9 kW, but a CP for 50/1.9 kW, which would have required 6 towers rather than 2. Nothing recent in the correspondence file, and at AM Query you would assume it is still on the air. It`s not on the Silent Stations list either, since that requires two months before eligibility:
http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/audio/newsite/docs/silentAM.html

KBXD turned out to be a brokered-religion outlet, featuring the likes of Rick Wiles and Brother Scare, so no surprise it failed. Not that those two don`t pay their bills, but who would want to listen to them? 

Here`s what really went down: KBXD had other big problems, including a notice of apparently liability charging them $7,200. Dated Dec 10, see
http://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?682411-More-on-James-Crystal-s-financial-issues

``More on James Crystal's financial issues --- From Tom Taylor:

Bankruptcy helps - at least it helps trim the FCC fine owed by James Crystal Enterprises at its Christian teaching/gospel KBXD in Dallas (1480). The February 20 NOW carried the story about the $9,000 fine assessed due to non-working EAS (Emergency Alert System) equipment. But JCE pleaded that when the FCC agent visited, KBXD was at the construction permit stage of operation â and also that its parent company was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and that "payment would impose a dire economic burden that it may not be able to recover from." 

The FCC does reduce the fine from $9,000 to $7,200 â but thatâs as far as itâs willing to go. The February 20 story also told you that JCE at that time owed the FCC $89,940 for various regulatory filings. Yesterdayâs reduction in fine is http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db1208/DA-14-1780A1.pdf
Where is that company going to come up with nearly $90K?`` 
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1510, Jan 21 at 0055 UT, same ad as heard underneath 1520 KOKC, then 1510 with CBS Sports Minute, loops NW/SE. Good signal on 1510, and http://radio.cbssports.com/stations/ list displays on 1510 only KBED in Nederland (Beaumont) TX, and KGA Spokane WA, surely the former, altho KBED is supposedly a 5 kW direxional daytimer despite official January sunset at 2345 UT (Feb: 0000 UT); conveniently its pattern is USward, NNW/SSE.

As for 1520, CBS Sports displays two stations there too, KOLM in Rochester MN, and WHOW in Clinton IL. KOLM is the well-known cheater on 10 kW day power, causing heavy QRM to ailing KOKC now at 0056 UT January 21 and elsewhen (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

[and non]. 1520, Jan 22 at 0653 UT, ``CBS Sports Radio, This is Sports Radio 15-20, The Ticket``, then into `After Hours with Amy` from the network. NO KOKC! Which is off the air at the moment, conceding its ``clear`` channel to the perpetual cheater from Rochester MN, KOLM, obviously on 10 kW non-direxional day power instead of 800 watts night to the north. 

There is still a fast SAH like caused to KOKC, but the understation now from the N/S is playing Mexican music. There are four minor 1520 stations in east/central Mexico, the closest being XEYP, Imagen in El LimÃn, Tamaulipas, 500 watts, but it`s supposedly info format (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1540, Jan 16 at 0403 UT on caradio between OKC and Enid on I-35, Tejano music interrupted for ID in English from KEDA San Antonio, which contrary to authorized patterns and power, 5/1 kW U4, continues to dominate the frequency at night, including on this non-direxional vertical receiving antenna (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

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

UNIDENTIFIED. 530, Jan 19 at 2035 UT on caradio at a quiet location in Enid, very weak fast SAH meaning two stations here. One is likely Kansas Turnpike Authority, perhaps the closest at South Haven, which I think relays NOAA/NWS all or part of the time, but the other? Could be another KTA transmitter. Or?

AFAIK, `K530AM` at Vance AFB south of Enid is off, altho it could be microwatts. Need to drive right up to the Vance gate and find if I can hear any trace of it there. Time to consult the FCC lookup at:
http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/travelers-information-stations-search

By state, it shows only one 530 in OK: WNWU499, of the Oklahoma Dept of Transportation in OKC, allegedly active, but does not give location, only address of the control point, which is ODOT HQ at 200 NE 21 St.! I should have sought it during latest visit to OKC, as K530AM used to reach almost to the NW edge of OKC. But then, FCC never listed `K530AM`, as it was a USAF pirate, outside its jurisdixion. 

530, Jan 20 at 1940 UT, no Vance any more, but trace of a weak talker, probably Kansas Turnpike Authority HAR. (Glenn Hauser, from a full MW bandscan on caradio at the parking lot of the Visitors Center, Vance AFB, south of Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 870, Jan 20 at 1943 UT, SAH of 480/minute = 8 Hz between two very weak stations. One must be nearest groundwave, KFJZ Fort Worth, probably in Vietnamese, but the other? There are three other possibilities, so which one is 8 Hz from KFJZ? No place to look that up easily. I have noted this situation previously.

WWL New Orleans would be the obvious first choice, some 600 miles by groundwave over middlin` ground conductivity. 50 kW with a pattern pushing more of it north avoiding the Gulf waters. Somewhere in east TX someone could confirm whether WWL is the one 8 Hz from KFJZ.

KPRM Park Rapids MN, 40 kW ND in daytime (CP for 50, yet?) is a bit further, but has the northerly advantage in case winter skywave is involved a month after Solstice.

KAAN Bethany MO is only 930 watts but closest, over 300 miles beyond Kansas City. (Glenn Hauser, from a full MW bandscan on caradio at the parking lot of the Visitors Center, Vance AFB, south of Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1240+, Jan 16 at 0407 UT on caradio between OKC and Enid, I can still hear the weak het from some off-frequency station originally estimated at 1240.13, and DFed to WNW/ESE (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
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