[IRCA] The UltraOkie Composite Log

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

Since I returned to Oklahoma from Washington state at Thanksgiving, 
I've been enjoying domestic MWDX for the first time since 1959-60, 
via Ultralighting, Unlimited Class.  I had competed in the Ultralight 
Spring Sprint (80 stations) in February of 2008, but this late Fall 
was my first real exploration of the domestic scene in 50 
years.  I've found that it is not nearly as bad as I feared.... yes, 
there is IBOC and yes, there is so much syndication that you turn 
blue in the face, but still, hearing Fergus Falls, MN or Winslow, AZ 
from northern Oklahoma is a pure DX kick  and catching "WBZ, the NE's 
Most Listened-to Station" is positively orgasmic.  I've been having 
real FUN, a lot of real fun doing Ultralight domestically!

That fun has been multiplied and my climb up the station count ladder 
has been accelerated by having two fellow-Okie DX buddies within 40 
miles: Richard Allen, 30 miles to my NW and Kirk Allen (no relation) 
40 miles to my due North. As they have each mentioned here, we share 
DX loggings almost every day and a lot of my catches have been the 
direct result of walking in their footsteps.  Happily, the reverse 
has been true, as well.  As of last week, Richard stood at about 525 
stations logged, mostly (or maybe totally) Barefoot; Kirk stood at 
about 425 stations, Unlimited Class and I stood at about 325 
stations, Unlimited Class. Our varying station counts fairly 
accurately reflect when we each started all of this insanity.

Since sharing loggings among such close DX neighbors has been so 
useful for us, we decided to create an UltraOkie Composite Log, 
thinking that we might each be able to develop superb hit lists from 
the result; we were right. We also thought that we might learn a few 
things that might be of use to others; we think that we were right, there, too.

So, with the Allens standing about 525 and 425 stations and me at 
325, that is 1275 station loggings amongst us three. It turns out 
that there were 672 unique stations logged by at least one of the 
three of us.... and an average of two of our three DXers hearing each station.

Since we really weren't concerned about who heard which station 
first, the most expeditious way to create the UltraOkie Log was to 
start with Richard's 525 stations and add in the other stations 
logged by me and Kirk, but not logged by the others. That is what I 
did, using MS Access database software. Happily, Richard's log was in 
Excell and mine in Access, so combining the two of them wasn't too 
difficult. Kirk's log is in straight text, so I added it last.  I was 
pleased to learn that, even at my paltry 325 stations, I had heard 60 
or so stations that Richard had not heard; Kirk had heard an 
additional 70-some stations that neither Richard nor I had heard, 
thus making up that total of 672 unique stations.

Here is the breakdown of what we've heard from our post halfway 
between Oklahoma City and Wichita:

Total Stations: 672
Total Continents: 4 (NAm, SAm, Asia, EU)
Total Countries: 8 (USA, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Aruba, Japan, Spain, Croatia)

USA: 36 states (missing Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon in the West, some 
mid-Atl and NE states)
   97 stations in Texas (!)

Mexico: 15 states, 77 stations

Canada : 5 Provinces, 23 stations (All provinces Ontario and west)

Cuba: 17 stations

One of the things that impresses me is that we are nearing 100 
Latins.  As far as South America, the picture is grim, though: it may 
speak to our location and all-land route, maybe, but out of those 100 
latins, we have not heard a single station on Mainland South America, 
while having heard three in Japan and two in Europe.

The happiest news for ourselves and possibly the rest of the 
Ultralight community are the levels of our individual Hit Lists. For 
instance, Richard was sitting at 525 stations when we did the 
composite log... with 672 unique stations in the Log, there are still 
over 150 stations that either Kirk or I have heard (or both) but that 
Richard has not!!!  And he knows that each of those stations got 
within about 25 miles of him, at least once. That is pretty 
encouraging for someone with 525 already under his belt.  Kirk has 
around 250 on his hit list and I've almost 350.  VERY NICE!!!

What may be even more encouraging is that the three of us, DXing at 
less than half speed this past week, have still added nine totally 
new stations to the overall composite log... and that nine consisted 
of one new Canadian, one Cuban,1610 Anguilla for a new country and 6 
US stations.  Even better for those of you with high station counts, 
Richard (nearing 550 now) added four of the nine (and added five new 
ones to his hit list, too) So, there is hope out there in radio land, 
even for those of us hanging around the fateful 600 station 
"barrier."  There are clearly more stations out there, even in one season!

Well,  we hope that this little litany has been of interest..... when 
you think of the UltraOkie DXer, picture a bow-legged, stooped older 
guy with a battered straw cowboy hat, long-john uppers, buttoned 
incorrectly, dirty gym sneakers and jeans with a half-zipped fly.... 
that is on a good DX morning. Yes, the hat fits nicely over the 
headphones, too.



John B.
Stillwater, OK, USA
Rcvrs: Hotrodded NRD-535, Slider e100's
Antennas: Wellbrook Phased Array 
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