[IRCA] 2008 Redux

[Barry McLarnon <bdm@xxxxxxxxxx>]

2008 was not a banner year for MW DX here, largely because it was the 
first full year of nighttime AM IBOC operation, which rendered dozens 
of channels useless for DXing.  On the brighter side, AM IBOC has now 
stalled... unfortunately, the drivers have left most of their 
derelict stalled vehicles on the roads, obstructing legitimate 
traffic.

Anyway, despite having to dodge all that manmade noise, I made out 
fairly well in 2008, with 51 new loggings, bringing my total to 2207 
(no call changes counted).

If I had to pick one logging that stands out from the rest, it would 
probably be KWTL in Grand Forks ND, heard on Nov. 8 at 0900 EST, more 
than two hours past local sunrise (1020 miles away).  More often than 
not, I'm hunting for specific targets, but this one was not on my 
radar screen, and was totally unexpected.

Other highlights:

A lot of good things seemed to come in half-dozens in 2008, including:

6 new loggings on 1380, largely thanks to the switch to FM of pesty 
CKLC - in MI, MN, KY, WV and VA (2).

6 new ones from Minnesota - KTNF-950, WZFG-1100, KROC-1340, KKBJ-1360, 
KAGE-1380, and KAKK-1570.

6 new TIS catches - 3 on 1620, and 3 on 1670, in CT, NJ, NY, PA, and 
VA.

6 new TA catches, featuring Ireland on 549 and two new countries, 
Benin (1566) and Sweden (1179).

Other new goodies included some much wanted relatively close unheards, 
such as WHYN-560 (MA), WKVX-960 (OH), WWTR-1170 (NJ), WIRO-1230 (OH), 
WWGE-1400 (PA), WMVB-1440 (NJ), WNYG-1440 (NY), and WUVR-1490 (NH).

A targeted station that finally was logged in late October after 
numerous attempts: KBHB-810 in SD.

And, in the unexpected department, KGOW-1560, on emergency day power 
for Hurricane Ike.

Not a new logging, but a very welcome relog was the appearance of 
KNX-1070 on Nov. 29.  WTIC helped out that night by turning their 
IBOC off.

Nothing much worthy of note on the Latin American front, though... 
just three new Cubans.

A couple of new Canadian stations, on 1650 and 1690, but we bid 
several more than that goodbye (can't say I miss those Kingston 
stations on 960 and 1380, though!).

All in all, not a bad year!  Even with IBOC laying waste to big chunks 
of the band, there are still plenty of nooks and crannies to explore 
in more depth than before.  On to more of the same in 2009!

Barry

-- 
Barry McLarnon  VE3JF  Ottawa, ON
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