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- Subject: Daytime Skywave MWDX to Enid area OK, Jan 30-31
- From: Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 14:43:23 -0800
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** U S A. Daytime Skywave MW DX to Enid OK, 1913-1928 UT January 30
Jan 30 at 1913 UT, only 41 minutes after local mean noon, I find a good & steady signal from WGN 720. Winter daytime skywave is in play. I`m driving away from neighborhood and household noise sources, so in central Enid I keep driving until pervasive line noise and plasma screens are minimal, parking first by a warehouse near the intersexion of Walnut & Jefferson. No DFing on the caradio with vertical whip. Here`s what I log in the next quarter-hour:
720, Jan 30 at 1913 UT, good & steady signal from WGN Chicago, almost 700 miles. Under very quiet conditions even in the summer I can sometimes pull it by groundwave, but this is much stronger. Talkhost is discussing wings and football games, mentions Órion Samuelson in passing.
710, Jan 30 at 1914 UT, Rush with some CCI and a low audible het! Surely the latter is not from the part-time off-frequency Chihuahuan? Rush is KGNC Amarillo, normal dominant on GW, not KCMO Kansas City which is in Dave Ramsey.
670, Jan 30 at 1915 UT, CCI between sports talk and another station. Sports must be WSCR Chicago, but as also on rare groundwave it`s considerably weaker than WGN. Other station is KLTT Denver which normally reaches here barely on GW.
(WBBM 780 and WLS 890 are blocked by Okies and 670 is bothered by splash from 640 Moore. BTW, I keep mistyping its call: once recently as KWPM as in Moore, but it`s really KWPN as in Norman; or since it`s a Sports Animal, ``We Program Nonsense``!)
570, Jan 30 at 1916 UT, WNAX ID and Accuweather for Yankton SD, clearly audible under KLIF Dallas. WNAX is always there on GW, but skywave may be helping a bit now. SAH counted as 212 per minute or 3.53 Hz.
760, Jan 30 at 1917, KCCV Overland Park/Kansas City religion has unID CCI. Could it be 50 kW non-direxional WJR Detroit? 50 kW KKZN Thornton (Denver) is half as far, but day pattern westward, null eastward, and rare here at any time. Arkansas station unlikely on GW, poor conductivity that way.
850, Jan 30 at 1918 UT, Rush. That would be KOA Denver, which per
http://www.850koa.com/cc-common/rushlimbaugh/
just started airing him live this month with the proviso that he will be pre-empted for any sillyballgames on weekday afternoons. KOA can barely reach here on GW but better now, and no sign of the Texan.
1000, Jan 30 at 1919 UT, KTOK OKC, talker is strong as usual, but I can hear something under it, unusual. Since Chicago is in on 670 & 720, I suspect WMVP, which has a lopsided day pattern favoring east, but considerable west too. There`s nothing on 1000 between here and Chicago. Sioux Falls beams NW away from us.
1060, Jan 30 at 1919 UT, station in English with fast SAH from another. Probably KIJN Farwell TX the off-frequency one so obvious at night, and KRCN Denver. KIJN could be GW, but KRCN may need skywave.
1100, Jan 30 at 1920 UT, Rush. Certainly not my closest, KKLL Webb City (Joplin) MO which is religious and barely reaches on GW. NRC AM Log shows him on three 50 kW ND stations: WTAM Cleveland OH, KNZZ Grand Junxion CO, and WZFG Dilworth MN (Fargo). My first choice would be WTAM, city to city 1509 km or 938 miles. All three stations` websites confirm Rush still on live, the other two with super-patriotic hype branding.
1120, Jan 30 at 1921 UT, KEOR Tulsa/Catoosa/Sperry is *still* open carrier dead air, but KMOX St Louis can be heard under it. That takes skywave over poor-conductivity Ozarx.
As I tune up the band, encounter some heavy noise on 1200, so move a few blox to another location near the intersexion of Maple & Madison:
1360, Jan 30 at 1924 UT, EWTN station with a low audible het I heard before at Vance, so seems it`s really there, indicating one of: KPHN El Dorado KS, or KDJW Amarillo TX is considerably off-frequency. If I could get enough signal on the DX-398, I could determine which, by BFO and DFing. May have to do it around SRS or SSS.
1450, Jan 30 at 1925 UT, ``your musical portfolio, live and in color, KGFF``. There`s a unique slogan from Shawnee OK groundwave. Quite a feat, since I thought AM radio was only in black & white. Woodward`s KSIW is about the same distance, and you never know which one or both will be in, but KGFF wins at the moment.
1540, Jan 30 at 1925 UT, ``1540 KXEL`` ID from Waterloo IA, poor with SAH, but definitely there by skywave already, during 50 kW ND pattern. Otherstation probably Kansas.
1690, Jan 30 at 1927 UT, sounds like Disney music, and YL announcer at 1928 UT giving a phone number including 7056. Would that be R. Disney 800 number? It`s not the individual phone of KDDZ Arvada CO as in NRC AM Log, nor would I expect talker WVON Chicago to be doing this unless the music was just a break/liner.
Aha, finally found on R. Disney website this: ``Radio Disney offers several forms of contest / sweepstakes: Call-In: The Radio Disney toll - free phone number for call - in entries is 1 - 877 - 870 - 5678. Changes to the toll - free number will be announced on - air.`` So it`s KDDZ which hasn`t been sold yet. Of course, it has to be skywave at this daypart and distance at top end.
I could have done better at a quieter rural location. If I can pull away, I should go out and try that tomorrow a little earlier during the noon hour, as winter midday skywave will soon be a pastthing, with solar zenith advancing degree by degree empowering D-layer absorption (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. DAYTIME SKYWAVE MW DX, JANUARY 31, 1801-1931 UT
Having heard WGN and a bunch of other skywave stations yesterday during the hour after local mean noon (always 1832 UT), from inside Enid as I was driving and hunting quietest spots to stop and tune, today I plan a DX-pedition to my favorite and closest quiet rural monitoring spot, which is NW of Enid almost to Carrier, 7.5 miles west of US 81/60/64 on SH 45, where there is an area without overhead powerlines, and a convenient pull-off. I shall park facing north with the caradio whip on the right front fender, in case that have any influence on direxionality, pickup. This includes some groundwave logs where there is something significant. We are getting our first good rain in months, so this may be enhancing groundwave a bit.
But first, as I pull out of the garage, WGN 720 is immediately listenable, at fair and steady level, not as strong as at night, but certainly sufficient here at mid-day. Not wanting to lose time on my way to a quick lunch, my first stop inside Enid is in a large open field south of Autry Technology Center without powerlines, which has thus been occupied by kite festivals at other yearparts.
720, Jan 31 at 1801 UT, WGN is in well with obvious local references. WGN is the prime pilot for all this, and the most fortunate in not suffering from any adjacent channel splash, nor any significant co-channel. Chicago-Enid city to city distance: 1074 km = 667 miles
670, Jan 31 at 1802 UT, woman singing the Star Spangled Banner, no doubt inaugurating a silly ballgame on WSCR, Chicago. This signal is atop KLTT Denver which is always here weakly on daytime groundwave
700, Jan 31 at 1806 UT, sports discussion involving Seton Hall and Xavier, way over KHSE The Metroplex; apparently originates from NJ. There are several Xaviers, but WLW schedule for today confirms it`s them at 11:30-2:30 EST:
http://www.700wlw.com/articles/700wlw-programming-233227/saturday-january-31-11124595
Cincinnati-Enid city to city distance is 1213 km = 754 miles
760, Jan 31 at 1807 UT, CCI again with religion atop, no doubt KCCV Overland Park KS. Too much of that to tell whether the understation is WJR Detroit, which would be very nice at 1435 km - 891 miles
830, Jan 31 at 1808 UT, quick ID as WCCO.com with weather, 28 degrees and cloudy. Minneapolis at 1031 km = 641 miles
840, Jan 31 at 1808 UT, SAH between two weak stations; very marginal groundwave here is KTIC, West Point NE, so is the other one WHAS Louisville KY, 1092 km = 678 miles? Yes, see below
850, Jan 31 at 1809 UT, Superbowl discussion, no doubt KOA Denver; more below
1000, Jan 31 at 1809 UT, weak CCI barely, under KTOK, so WMVP Chicago?
1100, Jan 31 at 1810 UT, fast SAH is JBA, so OH/CO/MN and/or MO GW?
1120, Jan 31 at 1810 UT, KMOX under KEOR Tulsa = still open carrier/dead air
1360, Jan 31 at 1811 UT, low audible heterodyne which must be between the two closest groundwave which are both EWTN. See below
Now after lunch on my way to the prime DX spot near Carrier:
1670, Jan 31 at 1850 UT, algo with sportstalk. Has to be WOZN Madison WI. As soon as I am parked at prime spot, monitor this further; at 1854 UT, CBS Sportsradio, which fits for WOZN. 1038 km = 645 miles
1660, Jan 31 at 1854 UT, talk with a SAH, not enough to recognize as Bloomberg, but surely KWOD Kansas City KS; and the other most likely KQWB West Fargo ND, but KRZI Waco TX also possible; WQLR Kalamazoo MI never heard even at night
1610, Jan 31 at 1855 UT, the TIS at Great Salt Plains State Park, OK, is now clearly audible on GW and still relaying NOAA Weather Radio from Kansas, synthetic YL. Nothing but NOAA?
1540, Jan 31 at 1855 UT, two weak stations, probably KXEL IA (SW) and KNGL McPherson KS (GW)
1420, Jan 31 at 1856 UT, low audible heterodyne, no doubt from the two closest groundwaves in KS and OK. At 1917 UT, it`s almost not raining, so step outside the car with DX-398 on BFO and quickly determine that 1420- is KULY Ulysses KS, while 1420.0, almost matching non-offset of several nearby frequencies, is KTJS Hobart OK. The het here is somewhat higher than the one on 1360, q.v. I assume KULY is still not a Metropolitan Opera affiliate, which we can get only on KUCO 90.1. Distance from Ulysses, 336 km = 209 miles; Hobart, 188 km = 117 miles
1360, Jan 31 at 1857 UT, low audible heterodyne, from the two closest groundwave stations in KS and TX. Fortunately at 1907 UT, it`s almost stopped raining so with winds from the south I step our of car, shield the DX-398, and quickly DF the 1360+ one as KDJW Amarillo TX, vs on-frequency KPHN El Dorado KS, which is strong enough for audio; both are EWTN but not enough KDJW signal to tell if they are // and not synchronized; anyhow, Catholix vs Catholix! At 1928 UT I notice that the het is slightly varying, probably KDJW`s fault. I didn`t think to pack in my portable keyboard in order to measure the hets; next time, as they will likely still be doing it
1370, Jan 31 at 1856 UT, still no sign of KGNO Dodge City KS, which Frosty Osborn, closer in Hooker OK, also has trouble hearing; believed to be off or severely ailing. Altho out here local 1390 KCRC is still causing some desensitization 20 kHz away
1200, Jan 31 at 1858 UT, SAH from two weak stations; WRTO Chicago could be one if in Spanish, but at 1913 UT talk show from Texas is in English, so WOAI. Nice also to be getting skywave from the south where the sun is of course higher than from the north. City to city: 778 km = 484 miles
1100, Jan 31 at 1858 UT, 2- or 3-way SAH; 1900 UT, YL news atop. Can`t get a local reference but maybe WTAM Cleveland if not KNZZ Grand Junxion or WZFG Fargo [non]; or all three
1040, Jan 31 at 1901 UT, just as I tune in, 10-second pause for ID during Iowa BKB SBG, timed perfectly: WHO Des Moines: 687 km = 427 miles
870, Jan 31 at 1902 UT, SBG involving LSU, certainly WWL New Orleans, another southie, 1021 km = 634 miles
850, Jan 31 at 1902 UT, organ music, either KJON R. Guadalupe, Carollton TX, or KFUO Clayton MO, mixed with ABC News from KOA Denver, going to CO news about a rock climber killed in Ouray County
830, Jan 31 at 1908 UT, preacher in English is now atop WCCO as definitely logged earlier. Altho rain is starting again, I get out and DF this one ASAP: WNW/ESE, which points to 25 kW ND daytimer KUYO Evansville (Casper), central WY, 1016 km = 632 miles. Not to be confused with Evanston in SW WY. Already logged 830 WGUE Memphis TN and it is not religious
1060, Jan 31 at 1912 UT, discussion of abortion. No doubt KRCN Longmont CO, just this month born again from biz to Catholic
1400, Jan 31 at 1914 UT, whoopee! Local 1390 KCRC is in dead air, so I can hear something adjacent, but with national ads: NAPA, Quicken, and then at 1915 UT, Norman Mitsubishi, so KREF Norman OK. KCRC remodulates a SBG by 1917 UT
700, Jan 31 at 1919 UT, station in English almost zero-beat with KHSE TX groundwave; 1920 clear ID for WLW, Cincinnati. Unlike WGN, the 700 station suffers from ACI splash de 690 KGGF if not 710 KCMO
840, Jan 31 at 1922 UT, talk show on education, abhorring an incident where a girl student had to pull her pants down and show her underwear. Apparently national, with phone 1-800-507-7080, then a caller from Colorado. Can it be WHAS? Let`s see: sked shows Sat 1-4 pm EST, ``The Weekend With Joe Pags`` but no further link worx. Phone number confirmed at http://www.joepags.com/
City to city, Louisville to Enid: 1092 km = 678 miles
1250, Jan 31 at 1927 UT, English talk show, soon fading vs Spanish music, the latter surely KYYS Kansas City KS, La X, La Super Estación. Of the nearest ones in NRC AM Log, IA, NE and TX are musical, while AR MO and TX are talkative of some sort. Too many possibilities
1550, Jan 31 at 1929 UT, ``News Radio 15-50, KKLE, Winfield`` [KS] and singing ID ``KKLE``, last letter raised pitch, 1930 UT into SRN News; is that the best they can do for news? No mention now of 1130 KLEY with which it is allegedly //. 250-watt KKLE is not far, always audible on daytime GW mixing with 2.5 kW KYAL, Sapulpa OK
1690, Jan 31 at 1931 UT, Disney-type music which was not audible earlier, no doubt KDDZ Arvada (Denver) CO again like yesterday
Now only one hour after noon LMT. With that I wrap it up and head home. The skywave DX has been much steadier than at night, but not constant, still subject to fades in and out. Much less interference now to combat (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I may have to reformat some of these logs for my weekly compilation on Thursday, but here they are without further delay
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