My apologies for not getting this out sooner, but life got in the way! In any case, a good and varied selection of loggings from Masset, BC, off the NW coast of BC and due south of the Alaskan Panhandle. Conditions during the earlier weeks were excellent on the shortwaves, but deteriorated during my last few days there. Nick Hall-Patch, renowned MW DXer joined me for the final 6 days there, where we overhauled all of my antennas and reconfigured the remote shack and the SDRs. In addition, we constructed a new 110/290 deg DKAZ antenna which is larger and quieter than a previous DKAZ which I constructed about a year ago. As always, any errors are mine alone, and comments are always welcome! 73, Walt Salmaniw
ALASKA 3200, 2120-2240, HAARP Oct 22 Tuned in and sure enough, there HAARP with sweep tones pretty much continuously to past 22:00 (they were scheduled between 21:00 and 22:00 to run something called a VLF Amplification) until off somewhere around 22:40. Fair, sometimes good reception. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ALASKA 5400, 0619-, HAARP Oct 23 Listening to first night of Amanda Dawn Christie's experiment via HAARP. Excellent level, following each frequency, or combination of frequencies: 4.85, 4.80 (marred by CODAR), 5.4 MHz, 9.5 MHz, 3.3 MHz, Very strong into Masset, BC. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ALASKA 5800, 0415-, HAARP Oct 23 Following HAARP tonight. They started this hour centered on 4800 kHz, with buzzy carriers every 20 kHz over a span of about 400 kHz. As soon as they went off this channel, they jumped to 5800 kHz. Very strong into Masset! Cut suddenly just before 04:20 UTC, and 30 seconds later, started up centered on 6800. Slightly weaker. They then proceeded to move up as per their schedule to 7.35, 8.05 (7.35 center from 04:29:40 to 04:40, and 8.05 MHz from a few seconds after that to 04:50, and then switching to centered on 9600 (actually 9595) and presumed they'll go to the top of the hour. This test is called the satellite instrument calibration. Test ended, sure enough just before 05:00. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ALASKA 9600, 2345-, HAARP Oct 22 Noted an open carrier with intermittent on/off, lasting a few seconds at a time. This one was scheduled from 22:00 to 24:00, and was called GIOS HF Ocean Scatter, and was very strong into Masset. Then, near 00:00, a very wide band buzz centered on 9600 and 25 kHz on each side began continuously. I can only assume it's them! Off at 00:05:40, but back again at 00:06:09. Off at 00:11:40. Back at 00:12:05. This test is called AERA Radar. Scheduled from 00:00 to 01:30. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ALASKA 11870, 1637-, KNLS Oct 18 Very strong in Mandarin, but still less compared to KNLS in Russian at same time on 9580 (S9 + 30 to 40!). Clearly both transmitters are operational and seemingly at full power. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ALGERIA 7200, 0506-, Radio Algerienne Oct 19 Excellent reception with modern Algerian vocal. Very nice signal and modulation. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ALGERIA 9450, 0530-, Radio Algerienne Oct 20 Unlike the other night, nothing on 7200, but very strong, clean signal in Arabic with news at 05:30 UTC. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) AUSTRIA 6155, 0553-, Oesterreich Rundfunk Oct 20 Superb reception over the Pole in German. If Austria closes, I'll miss this site for sure, with the diverse number of users. Let's hope it doesn't happen!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) CANADA 6030, 0544-, CFVP Oct 19 Good + reception with Cuban jamming in the background, but otherwise a solid S7 to S8 signal. Calgary's Funny 1060 AM. 1060 is audible, but poor with cochannel. Puts out a great signal for 100 watts!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) EGYPT 9440, 1800-, Radio Cairo Oct 18 Listed in Italian. Carrier came on at 17:58 Strong signal but again without any modulation. I can only imagine how good a broadcaster they could be if they would only fix their transmitters!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) EGYPT 9812.581, 2058-, Radio Cairo Oct 17 Distorted but strong signal with hum. Was almost readable 20 minutes ago, but no longer. Listed in French, but surely doesn't sound like it now. Continued until off just before 21:39 UTC. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) EGYPT 9902.519, 1701-, Radio Cairo Oct 18 Turkish is listed from 17:00 to 19:00, but alas nothing but a buzzy and wobbly transmitter off-channel. I'm presuming this is Egypt. No audio otherwise heard today. The pain of it all! Rechecking at 17:39 and the transmitter is now on 9902.56 without any audio. At 18:36 .574 and perhaps some really weak audio audible. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) GUAM 12080, 1627-, AWR Oct 18 Beautiful Indian music at great strength (S9 +10 to 20). Non-English speach at 16:28. Giving AWR's postal address in India. Then e-mail. English sign off concluded the transmission, 'From the Beautiful Pacific Island of Guam,...100,000 watts,...'. So nice to have a full ID heard!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) GUAM 15200, 1646-, KTWR Oct 18 Ukrainian religious programming at fair to good level. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) HIGH SEAS 9285, 1803-, Intruder Oct 18 Presumably fishermen (in Tagalog or something similar). 2 way communication at fair level. I was looking for 9275. Has anyone noticed that they're gone, or possibly at much weaker strength once again?. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) INDIA 9620, 1654-, AIR Oct 18 Very strong reception this morning with Indian music. Farsi programming is listed until 17:30, when it continues with Arabic, and 19:30 in DRM in French. Rechecked at 17:31 and there was the AIR IS, followed by Arabic (mentions of Arabiya and AIR). Remains very good signal. Rechecking a few days later on Oct 20th, and a superb morning again (both on SW and especially MW to Asia!). Once again a very strong signal. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) JAPAN 6090, 1658-, Shiokaze Oct 18 Signing off announcements at superb level, and so nice without any jamming. Superb reception. In either Japanese or Korean (I can't tell the difference) and // to slightly less powerful 7325. Transmitter cut at 17:00:05. Rechecking on Oct 20th has cochannel CRI in Turkish on 7325. Both strong. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) KUWAIT 15530, 0501-, Radio Kuwait Oct 19 The MUF is sure holding up with this solar cycle. English programming, pretty identical to what I heard 30 years ago. Qu'ran with English translation. I recall as a younger man listening to them on this same frequency during our afternoons at armchair level being mesmorized by the presentation. Fair to good reception. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) MYANMAR 576, 1535-, Myanma Radio Oct 18 Good reception in English over cochannel Japanese and // to SW 5985 (which was at very good level with 25 kW, I believe). A good morning for MW compared to yesterday!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) NEW ZEALAND ZL1WN, 2000-, ZL1WN Oct 17 Ham radio operator Ross Biggar working a lot of American hams. 10 meters is definitely open!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) NORTH AMERICAN PIRATE 6932, 0132-, Unid Oct 13 Halloween type programming with constant scary laughter and church bell gongs. Since 01:30 UTC and still the same after a full 3 minutes. Most unusual! SSTV image at 02:04 showing a mouse (or is that a monkey?) riding a pig. Off after 2 snorts at 02:06:42. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) NORTH AMERICAN PIRATE 6935, 0411-, Mix Radio International Oct 10 Very nice signal with a very different program. Church organ music! S6 signal heard by far the best on the 110 deg DKAZ antenna. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) NORTH KOREA 6140, 1713-, KCBS Oct 18 Despite a strong signal, there's something amiss, and I suspect technical as there are still a lot of drop outs and stutters. Non-stop classical instrumental music. // to weaker 3205. Perhaps something is always wrong in Pyongyang!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) PHILIPPINES 774, 1548-, DWWW Oct 13 Very nice English ID for DWWW before fading down again replacing western oldies with Thai or similar sounding language (YL). (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ROMANIA 7375, 0306-, Radio Romania International Oct 13 Excellent reception with both frequencies on the air. Parallel 9850 is even a little stronger. As always, RRI is an example to other SW broadcasters on how to provide worldwide coverage with excellent modulation and quality of programming!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) ROMANIA 9760, 1719-, Radio Romania International Oct 18 I can clearly see the DRM signal, but a bit too weak to decode. The AM transmitter, however, is nearly every bit as good as a DRM signal on 11850 (Tiganesti 300 kW/307 deg) with Inside Romania concluding and into music. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) RUSSIA 7508.9, 0535-, S Channel Marker Oct 20 Very strong reception. Others heard in the immediate area include: P marker from Kaliningrad on 7508.8 (have to use a pretty narrow CW filter!). D marker from occupied Ukraine (Sevastopol) on 7508.7 is visible. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) USA 9275, 1700-, WMLK (non) Oct 20 I've noticed that WMLK has been missing after a brief return. I'm not sure when they were last active, but I've not heard them during my 2 weeks in Masset. Hopefully not another fire!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) USA 28207, 1924-, N4XRO Oct 17 5 watt beacon heard with a bit of a buzzy signal best deciphered on my 110 deg DKAZ.... (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) USA 28236.5, 1933-, W0KIZ Oct 17 Another well heard beacon this morning giving ID in CW along with location. Also very strong at 23:11 recheck. Almost a barn burner! Not bad for 5 watts!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) USA 28244, 1934-, WA6APQ Oct 17 Much stronger, and it shows with their 30 watts output, with slow CW giving callsign, then location. Very strong when rechecking at 23:05 UTC. Frequency is actually a little lower than listed. Actually measuring 28243.942 kHz. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) USA 28248.3, 2258-, NJ5T Oct 17 A relatively difficult catch, but I decoded the J5 part of his call, as well as 'dipole'. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) USA 28250, 2248-, K0HTF Oct 17 Fairly good copy of this beacon away from the coast now in Iowa. Only giving callsign/B. Tom 'Doc' Gruis replyed to my email confirming he's feeding 20 Watts from an Old President radio and feeding an AR-10 antenna. Thanks, Doc!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) USA 28287, 1949-, WI6J Oct 17 Poor reception, but with same format giving ID and location. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) VATICAN CITY 11815, 1644-, Vatican Radio Oct 18 Ukrainian program at good + level. // 9705 only slightly less powerful. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC) _ Hard-Core-DX mailing list Hard-Core-DX@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/
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