[IRCA] MW DX from Enid OK, August 5-21, 2011

[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.

** MEXICO. I am starting to hunt for XEs on MW around sunrise again; Aug 7 the storm noise level had abated unlike evenings. Besides, SW conditions are still depressed.

1570, August 7 at 1154 UT, XERF is running its `missing-persons` PSAs, hoping the missees will be listening and contact their friends and relatives in Acuña and many other places on both sides of la frontera, giving phone numbers, even a PO Box in Wáshington, Misisipí (which is just east of Natchez). Between items exclaimed ``RF`` with a faux-Morse-code sounder.

Other Mexicanish signals, mostly music, before 1200 were found on 650, 680, 990, 1010, 1020, 1040, probably IDed last fall; I had hi hopes for 

1160, Aug 7 at 1158 with corrido, but no ID at hourtop, just a segué to another in KSL null, still at 1202 as fading out. Intriguing, as none of the 1160s in WRTH 2011 are in border states. Last year`s NRC AM Log does not show any US SS closer than PR and FL, too late for them, and FL is a talker, anyway (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. Looking for sunrise DX from XE-land, before 1200 UT August 20, local Enid sunrise today being 1153 UT: found quite a few SS channels in the lower half of the MW band. [No TP carriers yet]

650, Aug 20 at 1202, TC as 6:02, opening farm show, mentions ``aquí en Culiacán``; trouble is, no 650 in that city, so must be relayed from: 
650 XETNT Radio 65 + FM 106.5 Los Mochis, Sin. 5,000 1,000 per Cantú,
http://www.mexicoradiotv.com/frec_am.htm

770, Aug 20 at 1156 UT, `Los Cuarenta Principales` slogan, mentioned 104.3 FM between songs in English and then Spanish. Cantú shows the only match is:
770 XEREV Los 40 Principales + FM 104.3 Los Mochis, Sin. 5,000 100
so surely on day power of 5 kW already.

870, had open carrier at 1150 UT Aug 20 looping NE/SW, likely XETAR, 
870 XETAR La Voz de la Sierra Tarahumara Guachochi, Chih. 10,000 D
while another Mexican further south was already musical. 1200 NA, but fading out before definite ID. WWL was long gone.

1040, Aug 20 at 1159 UT, ``La Primera en FM, 90.1``, Sonora mentioned. Cantú shows: 1040 XEGYS La Primera + FM 90.1 Guaymas, Son. 5,000 250
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1640, August 5 at 1222 UT in a brief hi-end MW scan noting some skywave is still showing, local KFXY is in dead air. Open carrier then goes off at 1229*. Back on as usual later in day (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1020, Sunday August 7 at 1146 UT, strong open carrier from semi-local KOKP Perry, atop XE music; still the same at 1210, what a waste. In August, KOKP is entitled to start day power of 400 watts at 1145, ex-250 watts at night, plenty to mess up KDKA reception here (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1520, Aug 8 at 2013 UT, tuning across KOKC to find dead air, for two minutes until resumed programming. Is no one paying attention at this once-great 50 kW clear-channel station? Then checked 1580, KOKB Blackwell, which last year would run dead air for days at a time, but it was modulating. 2017 more dead air on 1520 for at least 20 seconds until JIP a commercial.

780, Aug 8 at 2014-2015 UT, KSPI Stillwater vies with KOMA for the dead-air championship, but only lasted one minute from tune-in. These were several hours before storms really did knock out power in wide areas of OK (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. A squall line with lots of lightning and winds up to 95 miles per hour blew thru Garfield Country August 8, toppling lots of powerline poles, and knocking out electricity to our place at 2304 UT. It was still out 20 hours later. We lost access to off-the-air and cable TV and internet, but battery radios allowed us to try to listen to local radio. Here`s what we found first on Enid frequencies:

Off the air: 103.1, 1390, 960
On air with open carrier only: 95.7, 107.1, 1640
Translators/low power:
Off the air: 88.3, 92.1
On the air: 89.1, 91.1, 93.3, 94.3, 98.5, 104.7, 105.5

At 2314, 89.1 was off allowing KMUW Wichita to be heard again.
100.7 had KPNC Ponca City with a storm warning, knocked off at 2312* as we listened.

Of the major local stations, there are two groups,
Chisholm Trail Broadcasting on 1390, 1640, 95.7 and 107.1
And Williams Broadcasting on 960, 103.1

Only KGWA 960 does local news ordinarily, so we kept monitoring for it primarily. At 2338 it was back on the air with country music instead of usual talk format, ID as KGWA and KOFM, even tho KOFM 103.1 was not really on the air and they don`t normally simulcast. A few minutes later news director `J. Curtis Huckleberry` appeared with news about the storm and power situation.

Into UT August 9 at 0008, a weak QRP signal was on 103.1, ID as KOFM, but with music, not simulcasting 960. Probably on exciter only.

KGWA continued local coverage, including winds hitting 95 miles per hour (not a tornado), OG&E says 5500 homes without power. 0020 UT went back to regular programming, Laura Ingraham, yuk.

Next check at 0032 UT:
960 off the air again; 1390 still off
Open carrier: 1640, 95.7, 107.1

0100 UT, KGWA still off. 0113 it`s back with L.I. 0119-0129 another storm update implying that was it until 7 am, 0129 back to L.I.

We are in the dark (literally and figuratively) all night, with no local sources of info, trying to keep cool with natural ventilation only after at 100+ degree day.

1144 UT August 9, 960 carrier is on; 1390 is back to regular ESPN programming. NEVER heard any local info on any of the CTB stations. 1640 still with open carrier (its transmitter site is considerably remote from Enid near Hennessey).

1200 UT, 95.7 KXLS with music, 1390 with ESPN, 1640 OC
960 still OC, 103.1 off

1208 check, 960 now with music segué. 1217 J-Curt finally comes on with recap of last night`s storm info; power outages reached 10,000, but claims most of it is back now thanks to great work of OG&E crews leaving only some highly isolated areas (like us) still powerless as well as the KGWA studio. Well, KGWA is obviously not powerless: they are on the air from studio and transmitter somehow, with some backup altho it obviously did not kick in immediately and stay in.

1325 I can tell that 103.1 has a weak carrier, KOFM exciter only back.

I am less than impressed with the preparedness of local broadcast media to cover emergencies such as this (it could have been much worse, a tornado). KGWA admitted that much of the info they had came from the local newspaper, which did appear on our lawn too with no problem. We read therein that OG&E crews stopped from 1 to 6 am to get some rest, while stuff melted in our freezers. While we were at the library in the afternoon starting to compile this report, power finally came back sometime between 2000 and 2200 UT (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. 1020, Aug 9 at 0314 UT, open carrier again obviously from semi-local KOKP Perry. Might have power outage somewhere along the program feed line from Stillwater, but long before the storm, August 7 before and after 1200 UT, we also caught them providing dead air to their listener (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1270, Aug 7 at 1208, several IDs as ``12-70 AM, La Voz del Pueblo``, and plug Univisión 23 noticias in DFW, apparently simulcast on the radio? Is KFLC Fort Worth, on day power of 50 kW by now, with skywave still funxioning less than a semihour after sunrise here (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1630, Aug 7 at 1205, sounds like Ray of Bob & Ray doing old-lady voice, but with organ music, hokey scripted drama, so really `Unshackled`? No, KKGM Fort Worth program schedule shows `Stories of Great Christians` for 7 am Sunday; post-sunrise skywave has kept it in vs adjacent local KFXY 1640 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 680, Aug 9 at 0307 the Jim Bohannon theme is recognized, seems to be from NE/SW. His MOR 3-hour talk show is harder and harder to find on the air; used to be on 690 KGGF. Checked here after finding 720 WGN `Extension 720` had two Republican guests on the financial situation, as Milt Rosenberg does not pretend to be fair and balanced. Thought I would give him another try since TV is powerless. 

So what is the 680 JIMBO affiliate? Our first guess from that direxion is KFEQ St Joseph MO, which really doesn`t provide an adequate signal here, day or night. Jimbo`s official website http://www.jimbohannonshow.com/stationfinder?action=stateSearch&state=MO&programID=309
does not list by frequency, but searching by state, ``KFEQ-AM`` [sic] is on the list but at wrong time, starting at midnight, presumably meaning local CDT = 0500 UT, ``M-F``, surely meaning Tue-Sat. But KFEQ`s website
http://www.680kfeq.com/shows/view/?fShowId=9
confirms he is really on from 10 pm to 1 am
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

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