[IRCA] Oregon Cliff (Rockwork 4) Ultralight DU's for 8-9

[d1028gary@xxxxxxxxxxx]

The ninth and final session of the Rockwork 4 DXpedition (yesterday morning) featured more exciting DU propagation, with another monster signal from 558-Fiji, a new Oz 558 co-channel with a rock format, the best signal ever from the 1 kW 936-Chinese Voice and the first FSL logging of the 2 kW 927-Newstalk ZB. 

The ocean cliff session opened in the predawn darkness at 1150 with the unpleasant sight of a huge RV parked in my usual antenna setup spot. After setting up FSL's in the north end of the turnoff I made my final DXpedition attempt to received Longwave NDB's from the South Pacific, which were again comatose. 531 was full of signals, though, with PI and a presumed 2PM fighting it out at decent levels. The rejuvenated 558-Fiji started making serious waves around 1247 but was troubled by an UnID Australian rock station,,which managed to force it off the frequency at times from 1259-1304. Fiji recovered in fine form, through, finishing up with its island choral music at a huge level by 1329. 

Since this was the last day of the DXpedition a deliberate effort was made to go after unheard but marginal DU stations, resulting in a fair to good logging of 846-2RN around 1255, a new logging of a modest-level 927-Newstalk ZB (with an Oz music-format co-channel) at 1306, fair-level 963-Star //657 at 1319, 738-2NR //774 at 1328 (but sliced up by SF splatter), 855-Oz //774 at 1311 (but sliced up by Tacoma splatter) and in one of the most convoluted, back-and-forth parallel checks in ocean cliff history, 837-RNZ //756 at 1345 (which, oddly enough, was the only RNZ parallel audible at that extremely late time, even though the 50 kW Portland mega-pest 750-KXTG is only 70 miles and 6 kHz away). As if to prove the point, I made an recording of 756-RNZ all by itself at 1338, during which the solid rock cliff shut down the Portland splatter to a negligible degree, providing very solid reception of the last surviving Kiwi signal of the session. Wow! 

Overall this August 2017 DXpedition has been far and away the most productive Rockwork 4 trip ever, with two Western Australians (531-6DL and 558-6WA) received at decent levels, five stations received on 531 kHz alone (PI, More FM, 2PM, 4KZ and 6DL), 558-Fiji completely restored and reaching S9 levels, an S9 recording of 585-2WEB (confirmed by David Sharp), the best-ever signals from the Kiwis on 531 (More FM), 603, 657, 765, 936 and 1503, monster signals from 585-7RN and 639-5CK, multiple receptions of 1017-Tonga, etc. Even when we needed to dodge the "sleeping squatters" it was a lot of fun to share the cliff with my DXpedition partners Tom and Chuck, especially during the phenomenal August 4th session (when Tom and I both made out like bandits). I'm sure that both of us will remember that wild and wacky session for years to come! 

531 PI Auckland, NZ, 5 kW Female Samoan speech at good level at 1229 
https://app.box.com/s/iifum3lablh8wxwt87toehpuwzo8e9yd 

531 2PM Kempsey, Australia, 5 kw (Presumed) The likely one with an ad string in a "talker" format at 1232 with no apparent oldies music transmission for 15 minutes https://app.box.com/s/uf6hkk32rw5k6llyi1xo08suvk9iegxe 
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558 Radio Fiji One Suva, Fiji, 10 kW After shaking off the pesky UnID Oz rock station around 1305 this rejuvenated wonder once again pounded in with island choral music at 1329 https://app.box.com/s/lrsxo24dkqaozmzn8zf5it13c1zfu6f5 

558 UnID-Oz Mystery Australian rock station in a snarl with Fiji from 1259-1304, and silencing it during the two recordings linked below. 
Fast-paced rock music at 1304 https://app.box.com/s/fyync8y821ua6qx4js7rhrcmn3hcqipt 
Female and male-voiced DU English ads at 1259 https://app.box.com/s/ittyjnuupwt4kdbkj26ui3xv2o1hpctn 

756 RNZ Auckland, NZ, 10 kW The solid rock cliff acts as a "splatter eliminator" to filter out 750-KXTG in Portland (50 kW and only 70 miles away), providing easy reception of this Kiwi RNZ relay (the last surviving DU very late in the session).at 1338 
https://app.box.com/s/anomc4qcr64ezmoe8aykin4podyah1w7 

927 Newstalk ZB Palmerston North, NZ, 2 kW Low-powered Kiwi relay (in a mix with an UnID Oz music station) was tracked //1035 at 1308 to provide an all-new logging https://app.box.com/s/vdhttgri1d1r0uf69rt4jtgr6y7gyno7 

936 Chinese Voice Auckland, NZ, 1 kW Best signal ever from this amazing 1 kW Kiwi wonder with male Chinese speech at a very good level at 1304 
https://app.box.com/s/z8jbfnptywt446a66kmpqqwzyuq0upsu 

963 Star Christchurch, NZ, 10 kW Tracked down at a good level //657 at 1319, apparently with its Oz co-channel at times 
https://app.box.com/s/329ztas72h18f3vgyha2l1i0d03t21za 

73 and Good DX, 
Gary DeBock (DXing at the Rockwork 4 ocean cliff near Manzanita, OR, USA) 
7.5 inch loopstick CC Skywave and Tecsun PL380 Ultralights + 
17 inch and 15 inch "Airport Unfriendly" FSL antennas 


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