[IRCA] Grayland DXpedition Oct. 17th - Out with a Whimper

[Guy Atkins <dx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Cozy, warm DXpedition yurt at the park?  Check.
High performance array antenna working like gangbusters?  Check.
Low noise surroundings with most QRM-spewing RVs gone for the weekend?
 Check.
Juicy TP DX signals barreling in, ready to be caught?  FAIL!!

-------------------

That about sums up last night's DX session on medium wave from Grayland. In
fact, even the tropical bands were lackluster compared to the interesting
haul of AIR regionals on 60 meters the night before.

While Kevin Schanilec spent more quality time with his FSL loop antenna and
Ultralight receiver under the stars at the beach, I tried hard to keep up
with his longwave beacon exploits (140+ NDBs heard by him in two nights of
trying). Alas, only a few big gun Japanese TPs were found and they were at
weak levels. Closer towards dawn there were some very weak Chinese  signals
audible but nothing worth noting. It was a shame that my best-ever Wellbrook
ALA100 array installation coincided with dismal propagation. Oh well, DXing
is a lot like fishing; even when they aren't biting it's still fun to be
"out there".

While waiting in vain for the TP DX to appear I kept trying ALA100 array
nulls on various domestic frequencies. I found quite a few instances where I
could consistently put a 40-50dB null on a station. One particular challenge
was nulling KXL Portland on 750 kHz. I was able to effect a null of 58 db
(!! S-9 +10dB down to S-1) to reveal KFQD Anchorage, Alaska beneath. It took
me the better part of an hour to catch a full ID of KFQD, which was still
weak under the dominant Portland signal.

As a consolation prize for the lackluster MW DX, Kevin and I enjoyed more
excellent weather at the coast today. A warm morning sun accompanied our
antenna dismantling and packing up.

All that remains now is the planning for the next trip to Grayland!

73s from Starbucks in Aberdeen,

Guy Atkins
DXing from Grayland Beach State Park, WA
Wellbrook ALA100 Array / AR7030 Plus w/mods
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