[IRCA] Oregon Beach Ultralight DU's for 7-17

[d1028gary@xxxxxxx]

Hello All,

After a one day propagation bust the South Pacific DX again returned 
here to Lincoln City, continuing a bizarre six-day pattern of 
alternating good and bad DXing sessions.

As on the other two "good days" (7-13 and 7-15) the propagation was 
Kiwi-slanted, with the New Zealand big guns (567, 657 and 675 kHz) 
sounding very vibrant. 603-Waatea was healthy with its Maori-language 
program around 1245, and 1035-Newstalk ZB made its first appearance. 
1017-Tonga had fair native-language music and speech at 1318, and the 
mystery pop-music station on 765 kHz was also around, with what 
appeared to sound like a foreign language. Since almost all the Aussies 
seemed Missing in Action this morning (as during most of this weird 
DXpedition), this may provide further evidence of the 765 station's 
identity.

With the exception of the Kiwis, 738-Tahiti, 1017-Tonga and 666-New 
Caledonia (back this morning with anemic French // 738) the South 
Pacific signals have been checkered during this DXpedition, with both 
Australia and Fiji seeming to be weak at best. Only 891-5AN has 
produced much of a signal from Australia, although the 531 kHz classic 
rock Mystery Australian continues to taunt me with its absolute refusal 
to ID itself (for the 7th DXpedition in a row).

The new Ferrite Sleeve Loop antennas (8" diameter Medium Wave and 6.5" 
Longwave) have performed like a DXer's dream (with PL-380 Ultralights) 
during this week, providing inductive coupling boosts that seem to 
border on science fiction. Both compact (one cubic foot) antennas have 
run wild when propagation turns good, with the MW model finally 
providing reception good enough to confirm the 666-Noumea // with 738 
(a long-sought goal, which the 3' and 4' air-core loops never could 
do), and the tiny Longwave FSL providing reception of a 1 kW 
aeronautical beacon (270-FA) in Samoa at over 5,000 miles (the first 
Ultralight trans-equatorial NDB reception). Despite the roller coaster 
propagation it's been a real blast here, and I can't wait for other MW 
DXers and DXpeditioners to experience the same huge enthusiasm boosts 
that these compact FSL antennas provide!

73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Lincoln City, Oregon for one more day)



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