[IRCA] Comments on Conditions Aug 21 1100-1400

["John H. Bryant" <bjohnorcas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am appending below the report that I just posted on ultralightdx 
about loggings this morning from Grayland. Walt Salmaniw, Patrick and 
others might be interested in my overall perception of reception 
conditions this AM.

Local sunrise was about 1325:

When I tuned in at 1120, there were quite a few DUs in at weak 
levels.  They seemed to slowly fade out over the next hour and none 
were above 6s to begin with. Many/most of the regular Japanese were 
in and went through some ups/downs until 30 minutes before dawn. 
There early peaks were often quite good. During the pre-dawn hour, 
both the number and strength of Japanese increased quite a bit until 
I was hearing well more than half of the Japanese that I've ever 
heard from here, often at decent levels. Most of the NHK2 synchros 
were in and so were one or two NHK1 synchro channels. It was a really 
good Japanese morning.

At 1120 tune-in, the only Chinese that was in well was CRI RR Svc on 
963. Over the next two hours, the Chinese also increased in number 
and strength. Most of the Beijing-area and Manchurian Big Guns were 
there, but the central China coast was very attenuated (927, 936, 
etc.) Taiwan was well represented with 738//1143 Fisheries (no 1593) 
and what I think is the new 837 broadcasting to Taiwan across the Strait.

Stuff farther south was missing.... maybe a 6 on 675 that could have 
been Vietnam.... no major Filipinos (tho' Patrick probably heard 
some) and neither Kota Kinabalu, Borneo nor VOA Thailand were doing 
particularly well. At dawn, Asia seemed to fade away and DU came 
up.  I don't think that DU was there earlier and covered by Asia, 
because some frequencies that are pretty exclusive to DU.... 567, 
612... just weren't there while the Asians were at their best. When 
the DUs came up, just at local dawn, they were at relatively low 
levels.... lotsa hets, lotsa 6s and just a few 7s or 8s. Instead of 
hearing a lot of strong stations from the usual Sydney and Brisbane 
Big Guns, there seemed to be two small spotlights.... one on Adelaide 
(both ABC stations) and one on Emerald, Qld. (1143 4HI and 1548 4QD). 
Things lasted at least 40 minutes after sunrise.

It was a really great morning and a barrel of fun.  I sure hope that 
Walt and Patrick were listening, despite the "real world" obligations 
that both have right now.

Here is the Logging report this morning, if you missed it elsewhere:

Friends,

After two good but fairly pressure-packed  DX mornings, I sort of 
anticipated a more leisurely AM today, cruising up the band noting 
all the stations that I'd logged on the first two AMs and logging a 
few new ones in a gentlemanly fashion.... there just couldn't be that 
many more stations available right now.  I did hope that the North 
Koreans would reappear and at such strength that I could nail another 
Ultralight country in the rapidly declining number of those left. 
Sounded like a plan to me.

The general pattern of receptions was a match to the two previous 
AMs.... from about 1120 (LSR around 1320). As usual, when I tuned in, 
there were a few weak DUs around and the Asians, especially the 
Japanese, were already in at very good levels. As time wore on, the 
Chinese gained in number and strength. but with more JJs appearing, 
too, along with BOTH Koreas. Also as usual, dawn marked the demise of 
most of the Asians, to be replaced with lots of hets and weak DUs. 
The DUs lasted even longer than usual after dawn. I quit at 1400 and 
there were still several bits of audio around.

So, the general pattern was as expected. What was not anticipated at 
all was the pace of logging new stations. Although few signals were 
at astounding levels, general conditions were just excellent, and 
wide-spread, too.  I kept very busy logging new stations, totalling 
12 new Ultralight TPs today and shocking myself by adding FOUR new 
countries (North Korea, Russia, Taiwan and East Malaysia!!!)

To top things off, I was tuning up the band one last time with the 
313e, more than 30 minutes after dawn and, as I passed 1143 kHz, this 
Aussie sez, plain as day "4HI......" followed by a brief slogan and 
into a pop song. I could not believe it! In 18 years of DXing out 
here, I've NEVER heard 4HI... wasn't really aware that it existed. I 
quickly dialed 1143 on the E100, while the song was playing (it was 
THERE, too!) I got my internal recorder going and waited for the song 
to end.  Things were fading fast, but the song was over and there it 
was again "4HI" with a very processed sound. The signal faded during 
the third number.  4HI is a 5 kW commercial Aussie in Emerald, 
Queensland and may set another new 5 kW distance record... I'm gonna 
have to measure carefully, as 4TAB in Townsville is the current record.

So, it was an excellent morning, over all, but I'll treasure the 4HI 
logging as one of those real gems that comes along only once or twice 
a season, if that.

The Ultralight loggings:

648 V. of Russia Ussur, Sib. Russia 8/21/2008 1300 Russian M. 
approaching TOH; Bells of Moscow?
729 5RN Adelaide Australia Oceania 50 8/21/2008 1331 "ABC News" with M+W
738 Taiwan Fish. Baisha Taiwan 8/21/2008 1307 CC talk // weaker 1143
819 KCBS Pyongyang North Korea  8/21/2008 1151 Hrd. On 818. Typical 
NK martial orchestral music
837 CNR5? Zangban? China 8/21/2008 1125 Man Talk. Prob. new station 
to Taiwan from Fujian
873 JOGB NHK2 Kumamoto Japan 8/21/2008 1220 Int. EE lessons //774
981 CNR1 Synchro China 8/21/2008 1224 Olympics //5030. Hrd. On 982
1143 Taiwan Fish. Baisha Taiwan 8/21/2008 1310 CC talk // stronger 738
1143 4HI Emerald Australia Oceania 5 8/21/2008 1344 IDs, slogans, Oldies
1278 JOFR Fukuoka Japan 8/21/2008 1234 Olympic coverage JJ. Also maybe Heibei
1323 GovoritPekin Shuanghyashan? China 8/21/2008 1158 Quiet mx to 
TOH, then Russian male ann.
1475 RTM Labuan Kota Kinabalu East Malaysia 8/21/2008 1144 Hrd. On 
1474 to miss 1476 QRM. Slight undermod
1566 HLAZ* Cheju Isl.* South Korea*  8/21/2008 1241 Heard Barefoot: 
T615; Was S-8 on 313e

Total of 12 new Ultralight loggings with the 837 Broadcaster to 
Taiwan as a tentative.  I'm hoping for ID help from Chinese friends, 
though I have not yet gotten a good TOH recording.

And I forgot to mention, amidst all to the cheering and Chickasaw war 
dances, I managed to log a solid HLAZ-1566 as my second TP 
Barefoot... second country, too, with the Sony T615.

There were lots of relogs from Asia and DU, but I'll not list them... 
all were common, many were listed here on previous AMs.

Well, my total TP station count is now above 80, and I dare to hope 
to hit 100 this season.  I'll have two more DXpeditions down here 
this fall and the Chinese come in fairly well at my home on Orcas. 
You can bet that I'll be ultralighting every AM!

Thanks to Ultralighting, I'm having more fun this season than any for 
many years.... and every one of those past seasons was fun, too!

YEE-HAW!

John Bryant
Grayland 2008.8
Winradio 313E
Mod. E100 + T615 Ultralights
Wellbrook Phased Array  
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