[IRCA] Re: Graveyard Blog

["Robert Foxworth" <rfoxwor1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Les, and fellow IRCAns,

Sorry for the delay in replying, I am going through bunches of
e-mail starting to pile up here and did not realize you
had addressed me directly.

I would be happy to have you include the article on your site.
Just mention, as you did in the reference to it, that
it may be dated in some respects, especially the
midnight sign-offs that no longer exist.

Perhaps an etymological explanation of the term
"graveyard" itself. My understanding of this term is that
it is an allusion to the way the stations are packed in
together geographically, across the breadth of the
country, just as headstones are arranged close together
in a cemetery.. (Visualize a station location map with
all the sites shown on it with high and relatively
uniform density).

My biggest surprise, when I came to central Florida
7 years ago, was the hope that the channels would seem
clearer than they did when I lived on Long Island, but
that does not seem to be the case. Another was the hope
that sometimes, Caribbean/Central America signals
would be sometimes noted, but they are not. At least,
not in my casual low-tech listening efforts.

Some years ago, a Fla DXer (Schatz?) had reported
XEMQ-1240, Merida, Yuc., MX  (a station apparently
no longer existing, as when I was in Merida in 1999,
no sign of them on my portable rx). It seems like a
simple enough path, but whenever I hear SS it
seems to be domestic, and never well enough to ID.
But this is using built-in ferrites and not outdoor
wires, as I had back then. I was in SFO CA in the
mid-1990's and remember hearing KPRK Livingston
MT on 1340, Oregon Lottery news on 1230 etc.
from there on a portable RX. I've always thought the
band was more "open" in the West than in the
East, where station density is concerned. Then, the
GY's there were jumbles of voices, compared to more
like just noise, although this varies a bit from night to
night. Maybe today, 10 years later, it is different.

I think there are several DXers active today who are
much more proficient at this arcane DXing art form
than I ever was. Actually most of my best loggings
on GY distance-wise were pre-1960 (my high
school years) so I don't participate in the DX records
listing. My all time best, distance wise was KYOR
1450 Blythe, CA, from north New Jersey, in 1959.
They were heard behind the notorious AN-7 WJXN
Jackson MS who used to clog the frequency. One
station running AN on Mondays in the whole country.

Almost everyone used small indoor loops, or short
outside wires, for antennas then.

I sure do wish the GY DX achievements listed the
year of reception, but that probably will never be
added, as it would be a lot of work to do.

So that's a bit of history.  73,

- Bob


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Les Rayburn" <les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America"
<irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 17:38
Subject: [IRCA] Graveyard Blog


> Bob,
>
> I've recently started a "blog" devoted to Graveyard DXing. I'm trying
to
> include
> some of the best references on the subject. Would you be agreeable to
my
> posting an electronic version of the NRC reprint of your article?
>
> If it's ok with you, I'll clear it with Fred V, Paul, and Ken
Chatterton to
> make
> sure the club dosen't have a problem with it. But I think a lot of
newcomers
> would benefit from reading it.
>
> You can view the blog at:
>
> http://gravediggerdx.blogspot.com
>
>
> Les Rayburn, director
> High Noon Film
> 100 Centerview Drive Suite 111
> Birmingham, AL 35216-3748
> 205.824.8930
> 205.824.8960 FAX
> 205.253.4867 CELL
> http://www.highnoonfilm.com
> 205.253.4867
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> IRCA mailing list




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