[IRCA] Kona, Hawaii Ultralight TP's for 4-12

[d1028gary@xxxxxxxxxxx]

My final session on the Big Island featured the usual overwhelming Pacific Island signals from 0730-1030 as well as a modest recovery of the Asians which had been hit by a solar disturbance on the previous couple of days. Despite Kona's general reputation as a DXer's paradise the Asian propagation does go through the typical cycles that we experience, although the superb Pacific Island propagation seems to be practically guaranteed. 

The sunrise enhancement period on Kona seemed relatively short in comparison to those observed at Rockwork 4 and Grayland in April, possibly because during this month both the sunrise and sunset dusk periods in Hawaii are substantially shorter than what we experience here in the northern latitudes. As a result it was always a wild scramble to track down the Asians during this typically enhanced period from 1530-1615, and choose frequency priorities before the propagation reaper crashed the party. 

My fifth floor oceanfront motel room was ideally situated for both DU's and TP's, but when the latter got hit by solar disturbances the motel's moderate RFI issues became more of a challenge. It would have been possible to take my lightweight gear to a local area to escape the RFI, but the Kona motel complex on Alii Drive is extremely crowded, featuring all sorts of curious tourists and vigilant property owners who would no doubt congregate and attempt to ask multiple questions (and use up a live DXer's limited sunrise enhancement time). Overall my oceanfront room certainly fit the bill for a thrilling Mini-DXpedition, though, especially considering the fact that during this four day Kona trip the transoceanic DXing was supposed to be a secondary priority to an anniversary trip with my wife (who actually seemed convinced that I had managed to honor this priority :-) 

540 2AP Apia, Samoa Vibrant island music continuing well past 1000 (and shooting down my initial plans to record a 2AP sign off routine when the PAL said it should sign off) 
https://app.box.com/s/tbo84s7gb2jci6gfxkawo7rsqpmpkyp3 

621 Radio Tuvalu Funafuti, Tuvalu Overwhelming island music (its typical strength each evening) at 0835; this station's powerful signal was one of the trip's huge surprises 
https://app.box.com/s/whp0jcdrbi2fqq413m9idu4vuch45yph 

630 HLSA Namyang, S. Korea Interval music and KBS2 deep-voiced male at moderate strength at 1521 
https://app.box.com/s/9s3g67w2j5ge9ggsj31kwuwnqmfdiyh9 

972 HLCA Dangjin, S. Korea Male-female speech at moderate level at 1525; Asian propagation was still halfhearted after a two-day solar disturbance 
https://app.box.com/s/oeq8zwacpt4vt8k4dx3ysar1lbzdn1ub 

1035 Newstalk ZB Wellington, New Zealand Anemic DU male conversation at 1611; oddly enough this was the only NZ reception during the entire trip. It certainly seemed like the Kiwis were taking a vacation coinciding with mine-- I have no idea what was going on, but even the Western Australians on 531 and 558 were fairly regular. Bizarre! Kona certainly seems to be the opposite of the Rockwork 4 cliff, which typically enhances New Zealand in a freakish kind of way. 
https://app.box.com/s/1lwotewd38bn4z26l786ihjv5eyuklzf 

1440 Radio Kiribati Bairiki, Kiribati Potent strength with the usual female announcer at 0832; an unknown Spanish station from the Mainland attempts to compete around 2:00 into the recording, but pays the usual price of a Mainlander trying to compete with a Pacific Island DU 
https://app.box.com/s/qxzl4ume5xv5bnjbn6ewbmh1kd3jxjse 

1593 CNR1 Changzhou, China Male speech at a fairly good level at 1525; frequently in a mix with NHK2 
https://app.box.com/s/3shbri3d8hfpaej6kvzyklkz6kl1oq4j 

1593 NHK2 Synchros Matsue and Niigata, Japan Mixing with CNR1 during moderate Asian propagation at 1520 
https://app.box.com/s/my9bdqgobvo4iuvgd3hhrkh9yap28xgr 

73 and Good DX, 
Gary DeBock (DXing at the Royal Kona Resort motel in Kona, Hawaii) 
7.5" CC Skywave Ultralight + 
5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna 
https://app.box.com/s/2lixzaly97goivq7i3qqj6etrr0ce109 








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