[IRCA] MW DX from Enid OK, October 8-13, 2010

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

All times and dates strictly UT. MW log editors are welcome to excerpt items, reformat and change to favorite timezone if necessary. Rx: mostly DX-398 with internal antenna only; some caradio as specified; above 2 MHz on FRG-7 with 110-foot east-west longwire.

** AUSTRALIA. VL8 check Oct 11 at 1156: 2310 best with Strine talk, weaker 2325 and carrier detectable on 2485, vs hi line noise level here; plus T-storm noise from NE Texas bothering the lower bands. 

Altho designed for players of lightning-prone silly ballgames, this is a handy NAm map to check for such current noise sources:
http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/golf/uslightningstrikes_large.html?from=mapofweek 

1248 recheck, 2310 and 2325 are about level in talk, not 2485. At 1249, 2325 interrupted by ``running-water`` ute QRM. Don`t think I have heard this on 120m before; and now some audio on 2485.

RA was unusually weak on 9580, worse on 9590. On the contrary, David Hodgson in TN found both 2310 and 9580 stronger than usual, at 1200 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** JAPAN. TP MW bandscan around 1200 and 1230 UT Oct 10 unproductive; some of the usual lower-band carriers, best being 747 at 1202, presumably 500 kW JOIB, NHK Sapporo-2, Hokkaido (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** JAPAN [and non]. MW TP conditions quite poor Oct 11, but some carriers detectable, at 1159: 747; at 1206-1210 two scans up and down found only 612, 774 and 855- (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [and non]. Trans-Pacific MW carrier search, Oct 12 at 1229-1233 UT, a few minutes before local sunrise: Only detected on 747, 774, 828, 855-, 882, 1044, 1098, 1116. 

The one on 855 really stix out, markedly different pitch on BFO at 9-kHz steps. Surely KCBS North Korea, altho the MW offset lists at 
http://www.mwlist.org/mwoffset.php?khz=
and 
http://www.myradiobase.de/mediumwave/mwoffset.txt
show:

855.055 KRE KCBS Pyongyang Pangsong (Sangwon) [855.0454-] 2100-2030 2009-01-10

I.e. as of 22 months ago. But I have been reporting it on the low side of 855 instead. Must recheck that. Chuck Hutton in WA reported Sept 19, 2010 to IRCA: ``Absolutely positively and definitely. North Korea 855 has been high forever and stays around 855.045.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH [non]. 855, re previous TP bandscans finding a carrier here, presumably off-frequency NK: Oct 13 around 1210 I am not getting any TPs but this weak carrier is showing steadily, and can`t make a null on it. It`s on the hi side of 855, but at 1245 on the lo side. 

I must conclude it`s of local origin, perhaps even a DX-398 birdie. I see that DXers in the Pacific Northeast reporting lots of Japanese and other East Asians don`t often include 855 NK, despite being listed in WRTH as 500 kW, in external sexion only, as Pyongyang Pangsong, Sangwon site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. Another sunrise and time to check for the fourth Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chiahua2 MW station, after having heard the ones on 550, 710 and 900: Sunday Oct 10 at 1230 on 990, a station from the right direxion, WSW (surely not ENE), vs Mexican music from the south, i.e. Monterrey or Metroplex. But this one is in Spanish Rosary, 1231 interrupted for a hymn, 1234 back to Rosary but losing out to QRM. Tentatively XEER, R. Lobo. Hope they do something less generic on weekdays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. Finding nothing much trans-Pacifically, turned MW attention to here just before sunrise 1235 UT Oct 11:

610, at 1201 Mexican NA, from the southwest, mixing with QRM, and when it finally finished at 1204, just about gone. Since this is normally played (as required?) at 6 am local, it should be coming from a station in the UT -6 = MDT/CST zone, but as far as I can tell, there are not any, just UT -7 and UT -5. Mexico`s DST observations, complicated by border-city variations to match USA, are explained here:
http://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/mexico-starts-dst-2010.html
Note that it ends Oct 31 in most of the country where observed, except border cities Nov 7 matching US.

870, at 1225 Oct 11, YL in Spanish announcing local meetings, family reunions, etc., into November dates, presumably XETAR. 

990, again today it`s the unID Rosary station, Oct 11 at 1223; 1232 song, 1234 story of a single mother who found Jesus, reference (yes, in Spanish) to http://www.fln.ca and Ernesto Pinto, i.e. Family Life Network in Winnipeg, which claims to send its stuff to 1100 Spanish-speaking radio stations including USA and Mexico, but does not list them. http://www.fln.ca/home/global_projects/spanish/

Unlike yesterday, this is hard to null, so I am now not certain it was coming from Chihuahua direxion rather than Farmersville (Villa Agricultor), Tejas. For at least three very good reasons, this is certainly not CBW.

1030, at 1231, ads in Spanish from the WSW, one of them ending with a .mx website. Most likely XEYC Juárez but also possible stations in Sonora, Sinaloa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. Sunrise MW DX check, Oct 12:

830, at 1226 UT, newscast from the southwest, interview with government official about exporting camarones to US, 6:27 timecheck, local news mentioning Culiacán, next story about thieves stealing copper cables. So this is XEVQ there in Sinaloa, rather than the only other likely, XEDR in Guaymas, Sonora, where it`s 5:27.

870, at 1233, 6:33 timecheck by same YL I have been hearing, presumably XETAR, Guachochi, Chihuahua; then government PSA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO [and non]. Sunrise MW DX Oct 13: trouble is, too many stations in too brief a window, so definite IDs are sparse. On DX-398 inside, AC power, built-in ferrite antenna only:

580, at 1226 Mexican music on guitar plus combo from the west, dominating WIBW which is easily nulled. XEFI Chihuahua, Chihuahua most likely, R. Mexicana.

640, Spanish at 1222 easily in null of WWLS OK before day signal; KFI underneath. One of two Chihua2 stations, more likely XEJUA Juárez.

650, at 1234, several news items concerning Sinaloa, starting with a road to Chihuahua. Stingers between every item; 6:35 timecheck en el ``noticiero número uno de Sinaloa en Doble-U Radio, Radio 65``. Definitely XETNT, Los Mochis.

770, at 1232 from WSW, Spanish atop KKOB (Santa Fe?) which 5 minutes earlier was atop with Albuquerque traffic report. Talk about women`s duties vs men`s. 1238 discussion still going on among several people in studio. Based on direxion, the only fit is XEREV, Los Mochis, Sinaloa (and 650 there was also in), but this would be a departure from Los 40 Principales (top 40 format). Certainly worth further pursuit. No, there is no SS US station on 770.

850, Spanish music at 1228 from WSW in null of KOA, most likely XEM Chihuahua.

870, at 1229 YL announcements in Spanish, just about alone on frequency, presumed XETAR, Chihuahua. This one held up a bit longer than the others.

900, at 1230, DJ with phoner, repeatedly uses expression ``que dice``, probably XEDT, Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua as before. Maybe meant, ``what do you say?`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1610, NWS Enid relay again audible, Oct 8 at 2200 UT, JBA on caradio in Enid, so the Great Salt Plains TIS (Jet/Cherokee OK), WQCL720, is back in biz after radiating loud noise blob for a few weeks.

1580, checked KOKB Blackwell Saturday Oct 9 at 1347, and it`s nominal with local sports talk during the hour when, tnx to KOKB open carrier, we used to hear the mystery Spanish sports show which turned out to be KHGG Fort Smith AR. With KOKB applying modulation, no chance of hearing that any more, tsk. We got that while the getting was good, i.e. all summer. 

Compared to sister station KOKP 1020 Perry OK, and found 1580 about one second behind, instead of a much longer delay, so suspect they are now using satellite rather than internet feed from Stillwater studio, and modulation quality has also improved to normal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1610, WQCL720, TIS at Great Salt Plains State Park, Oct 11 at 2055 UT relaying NWS originating in Norman via WXL48, 162.475 MHz, Enid (really Drummond site). This was at one particular mobile location in western Enid, and no noise on the frequency; yet a few minutes earlier at an adjacent store, I was hearing only noise. And a sesquihour earlier at another spot, 1928 UT, 1610 had a mixture of some talk and noise carrier making a 42/minute SAH = 0.7 Hz. So the noise source is either intermittent or quite localized, but separate from WQCL720, rather than coming from it (I think). Could be a stray talking house transmitter.

Meanwhile, 1670, the prime talking house frequency in Enid, tnx to realtor Greg Winkeljohn, is coming thru more clearly with message from one particular house as I drive around western Enid, the one at 1317 Cansler, e.g. at 1929 and 2056 UT Oct 11. Perhaps he has turned off at least one of the others putting out all the hash on 1670. See original detailed report in DXLD 10-26 from late June; 1317 Cansler still hasn`t sold (or forgot to turn off that TH; the same transmitter could even have been moved somewhere else with outdated message radiating, as happened with another of his units.) 1670 TH also audible on home rig at 1321 Oct 12 until a local noise source hits (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 720, Oct 13 at 1239, fair signal in English alone on frequency, Heidi Harris talk show with phone ending in -KDWN, political discussion; seems she is against ``Obama-care``. 

Her show is weekdays at 5-9 am PDT per 
http://www.kdwn.com/index.php?page=106
i.e. 12-16 UT, winters 13-17 UT. Heidi and a Snake! ---
http://www.kdwn.com/multimedia/images_dj/djAlbum__ed4aebf263.jpg
KDWN also features the ilk of Glenn Beck, Dennis Miller and Michael Savage. I think I`ll pass. Unless they wear pythons, which I would encourage them to try.

Nevada is not exactly easy to MWDX here, altho have heard KDWN before.
50 kW should be on night pattern, just barely sunrise here, well before Las Vegas sunrise, deep null 75 degrees toward Chicago, which also means only slightly less null toward Enid in cardioid pattern:
http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1347186-109908.pdf

I wonder why these FCC `electric field strength pattern plots` always show an almost current date (10 Oct 2010 in this case) as if they are constantly subject to change?? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 770, KKOB, with station promos, Oct 11 at 1229 UT, fair signal mixing with an [``old``] Mexican. Unusual to hear this on night pattern with deep null toward New Jersey. Official sunrise in October is 1315 UT (November 1345, December 1400, January 1415, February 1400). Could this be the 230-watt non-direxional co-channel repeater in Santa Fe, which is on the air only while ABQ is on night pattern? This was just before our sunrise, possibly enhancing it.

Can`t be positive, as some signal no doubt leaks out from the North Valley. Years ago I contemplated trying to arrange a DX test from KKOB Santa Fe, i.e. by turning off Albuquerque for a brief period.

After having heard KKOB Albuquerque (or Santa Fe?), 770, the day before at 1229 UT while night pattern prevailed, I wanted to see what would happen at official sunrise there 1315: Oct 12 monitoring from 1312 not much, but a couple sex before 1315, KKOB does pop on, altho only poor signal with local announcements, guest attendance at the [Balloon] Fiesta was up by 40,000 this year. 

Meanwhile there was a SAH of approximately 220 per minute = three and two-thirds Hz with weak groundwave dominator KAAM Garland (The Metroplex) TX. At 1323 KKOB had axually improved a little by comparison. By the end of October, with latening sunrises, the 1315 pattern switch should be more helpful (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also MEXICO 770

** U S A. 1070, at 1238 Oct 11 both KNX Los Angeles news and KLIO Wichita oldies were about equal and easily nullable about 110 degrees apart; in between, they produce fast SAH of some 15 Hz. One is considerably off-frequency, and I bet I know which: 

Yes, in daytime groundwave conditions at 1545, on DX-398 10-kHz steps with BFO, several other stations in the 1000`s and 1100s agree that KLIO is on the hi side of its frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 3160, Oct 12 at 1211, some music, S9+15 but not enough vs local noise level; 1213 DJ and ad break, could only copy 53 degree temp mentioned twice in English, 1217 back to music, 1218 fading more vs some ute bursts, 1222 I compare to 1160 and find 3160 is slightly on the hi side. 

It`s been a long time since I have IDed any domestic DX on the 2-3 MHz MW second-harmonic band. This is likely 2 x something on 1580, altho could be 4 x 790. I was thinking I had a catch on 3160 years before, but none found in partial DXLD archive. 

However, WTTN in Watertown WI was heard last year briefly on 4740 = 3 x 1580. Now all I need is an isotherm map for that moment showing everywhere it was 53 degrees and correlate it with 1580 stations! NWS says it was only 46 degrees, anyway, at Watertown.

3160 will be a hot target the next few mornings. Theoretically starting at 6 am in each zone is prime time for these, as higher day or PSRA powers often start while night conditions still prevail (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 3160, checking out yesterday`s MW harmonic unID, tuning in much earlier Oct 13: nothing there around 1128. Should have stayed on frequency as apparently signed on at 1130. Next check 1136 there is a surprisingly fair signal, S9+20 with soul/gospel music, segué to another at 1139. WWRB 3185 runs S9+25+ by comparison. At 1142, DJ break, southern black accent with timecheck for 7:42 so it`s in the EDT zone, mentions date, Wednesday, October 13, so must be live! 

Show is called Gospel Train; ad for something with one-dollar items, phone 803-526-something. Area code 803 means South Carolina. I had not dreamt it could be that far away. 1148 another ad for same, a restaurant with $1 breakfasts; weather forecast, 63 degrees; 1149 YL canned PSA about children in poverty (for whom the dollar breakfasts should be a draw). 

1151 into another gospel song. By 1155 it is weakening a bit to S9+15, barely above noise level, still at 1200 but becoming JBA. 1201 a W- ID but could not copy call, 8:00 TC in Gospel Train, and heard a couple of monotone whistles. 1202 bothered briefly by `running water` ute QRM. More music. 

That should be plenty to ID it, so looked up in the 2010-2011 NRC AM Log, on 1580, finding WPJK, Orangeburg SC, which has urban contemporary/gospel format. There is another SC on 1580, but it`s Spanish religious. WPJK is a daytimer, sunrise-sunset, 1 kW non-direxional. 

However, the 526 exchange in the 803 AC is in York SC, in the NE, far from Orangeburg but also far from WDAB Travelers Rest in the NW, which various sources maintain is Spanish. Maybe I misunderstood the phone number; sure wish I had got the name of that $1-breakfast-restaurant. Might be worth a trip there. Or it could just be McDonalds, which has had such a promotion, but they don`t want phone calls, do they?

FCC AM Query says WPJK has a `plan` to operate also at night with 15 watts. And it`s licensed to an administratrix: ERMMA BARTON GOWDY. 
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=6447
Radio Locator lists an address for her in Augusta GA.

I`ll bet 1130 UT is the official local WPJK sunrise for October. Yes: 
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/srsstime?dlat=33&mlat=28&slat=43.00&dlon=80&mlon=52&slon=46.00&tzone=A
November will be 1200, December 1215, January 1230, February 1215 UT.

So Brother Scare has some company on 90m from a real South Carolina SW station. Orangeburg is about halfway between Columbia and Walterboro off I-26. Distance from Enid is 1580 km or 982 statute miles.

If anyone else hear it, please do NOT seek a QSL or contact WPJK about this, as that could lead to elimination of this harmless harmonic and its DXability (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)


      

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