[IRCA] MW DX from Enid OK, March 21-30, 2012

[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.

These logs are excerpts from my daily all-band reports, mainly SWBC, also VHF/UHF, sometimes, utility, ham, which may be found in several archives without much delay, such as
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/index.php?topic=Hauser

And compiled weekly along with extensive news from many other individuals and publications in DX LISTENING DIGEST:
http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html

** CUBA. 1180, March 22 at 2353 UT, Cuban-accented talk, with slight reverb, // 5025 R. Rebelde which has multiple transmitters on 1180 to block R. Martí, which was not at all audible here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 690, March 30 at 1204 UT, time check for 6:04 [CST], 19 grados en Monterrey, live announcer welcoming us to 30 de marzo, i.e. XERG (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 710, March 30 at 0535 UT, preacher in Spanish from SW with Cuba nulled, with het which seems to come from this station, then with PSA mentioning Chihuahua, so XEDP Ciudad Cuauhtémoc may have gone off-frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 720, March 30 at 1201 UT, choral NA, mixing with presumed KSAH, ID mentions their time & temp format, Coahuila, and ``La Kaliente`` [sic], i.e. XEDE Saltillo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 760, March 30 at 1200 UT, ID with FM station, mentions Sonora in QRM, but there are two in that state, XEEB Ciudad Obregón, and XENY Nogales, the latter heard before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 850, in absence of KOA (off the air or QRP?), March 28 at 0545, talk mentioning Rio Verde, San Luís Potosí, Bancómer ad, federal PSA about calentamiento global (global warming; why don`t we hear any like that from the USG? Mexican stations are required to carry government PSAs, unlike Americans, optional fillers), ``El Planeta Terra``, ``Milenio Televisión presenta`` more talk, i.e. XEM Chihuahua per Cantú, 500 watts at night. IRCA Log 2011 did not have this with Milenio, instead ``Renacimiento 850``, changed affiliation? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 880, March 30 at 1210 UT, 6:10 timecheck Tiempo del Centro de México, during break in newscast from Grupo Fórmula, ad for Partido Verde, Fórmula 970 program promo; in KRVN null. The 880 Fórmula affiliate is XEV, Chihuahua2 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 940, March 28 at 0542 UT, something in Spanish dominates, with no audible het --- could this mean that XEQ or even XEMMM are back on-frequency? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 1000, March 30 at 1215 UT, crime news of northern Chihuahua state and also Durango, dominant here so weakened KTOK OKC can only be heard in its null, i.e. XEFV Ciudad Juárez. I`ve never heard the other Chihuahuan, XEHPC, R. Mil in Hidalgo del Parral (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. BTW, I never hear southeast OK`s 750 station, 250 W daytimer KSEO in Durant; and wonder if it really be on the air; NRC-AM log shows religious format, CP for 220 watts (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA [and non]. 1000, March 21 at 0549 UT, not hearing KTOK OKC at all, but from SW something in Spanish, probably Juárez, and when rotating to try to get OKC, a different Spanish, probably XEOY DF. Was KTOK really off? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA [and non]. 1000, March 28 at 0540 I am not getting KTOK OKC at all, just something in Spanish from the SW. Next check after sunrise, KTOK is detectable but much weaker than it should be on daytime groundwave.

KTOK has been undergoing an antenna reconfiguration (eliminating the tall center tower of the antenna system pursuant to the construction permit BP-20100830ABU). See the third of four entries, the CP, at:

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?state=&call=ktok&arn=&city=&freq=530&fre2=1700&type=0&facid=&class=&list=0&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9

The reduction from the electrically awkward 148 degrees to 112 degrees will be an operational benefit without any significant effect on coverage. This may result in some off air time while construction is occurring.

The reason for use of the original 148 degree tall center tower is not known, but is not an unusual characteristic. Taller center towers in the center of inline arrays with odd numbers of towers were not an uncommon design in the heyday of expansion of AM service post WW-II (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** OKLAHOMA. Clear Channel has just fired a lot of people, including at KTOK: Dean Of Broadcasters Jerry Bohnen Booted At KTOK:
http://mccarvillereport.com/archives/4354
This is also being discussed on the Oklahoma forum at radio-info.com Tnx to Artie Bigley for bringing this to my attention. Seems Bohnen is an award-winning and highly respected newsman, but I wouldn`t know, not listening to KTOK with its farrightwingnut national programming (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. KBOI, 670, Boise ID, QSL card p-mailed March 22 received March 26 for e-mail report with code ID audio attachment following the DX test on 50 kW day pattern at 0807, 0837 UT March 10: 
http://www.w4uvh.net/KBOIQSL.jpg
View of transmitter site. v/s Randall Rocks confirms I heard them in Enid OK. Also enclosed more photos of studios, Bill and Randall, transmitter, phasor and 6-tower antenna array in envelope from Citadel Broadcasting Company comprising two AM, four FM stations in Boise starting with KBOI. Thanks Scott Fybush and Bill Frahm for the test, and the QSL. To be added to my gallery at 
http://www.worldofradio.com/QSL.html 
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 750, since hearing an unID March 18 at 1243-1249 UT, I have been checking again but usually nothing audible. However, March 22 at 1256 I am getting something in the null of KMMJ NE, game to identify clips from Star Trek movies, to an 800-510 number. ID at 1300 hourtop had ``NO`` in it, so I conclude it`s KKNO, Gretna LA, 250-watt Christian daytimer, a fit for the slanted USA-IRN news which followed, a.k.a. SRN at 1302 cutaway, and an ad with 402 area code --- oh2, that must have come from KMMJ. BTW, I never hear southeast OK`s 750 station, 250 W daytimer KSEO in Durant (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 770, March 30 at 1200 UT, ``Celebrating 70 years, KKOB --`` and ABC News; 1206 still in with local news about Bernalillo County. Poor signal, presumably the 230-watt Santa Fe fill-in relay as NM is still in the night (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 790, March 28 at 0550 UT, Fox Sports Radio dominating from N/S. Only one around here that fits is KBME Houston, presumed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 850, March 28 at 0545 UT, no signal from KOA Denver which normally inbooms here at night, instead something in Spanish: see MEXICO. Can KOA be off the air? Further north signals are not aurorally diminished, WCCO 830 plus IBOC sidebands bothering 820 and 840, CBW 990. Next check at 1248 after sunrise, at first suspect KOA is still off, vs weak Spanish, probably KJON TX, but then fades in a bit interviewing a forest-fire victim in Jefferson County. Reduced power at KOA? (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1030, March 28 at 1244 UT, ``Thanks for listening to Gather Round Morning Show with Greg Harris on 1030 The Light``, gospel music. That slogan means KCWJ Blue Springs MO per NRC AM Log, rather than my first choice, KCTA 50 kW daytimer from Corpus Christi (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1070, in a previous report on the Sans Souci DX test, I typoed the calls as WSCZ instead of correct WCSZ. Since it`s in South Carolina, my typo should have been correct (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1260, March 22 at 1311 UT something in Spanish, 1312 romantic music, maybe from SW/NE, but soon overtaken by KWYR ID from Winner SD. I had been earing this frequency since a DXer inquiry about what`s the dominant Mexican I get on it? None. Unfortunately there are too many SS in mid-America on 1260: KBHC Nashville AR, KDLF in Boone IA, both of which are apparently musical, plus three Texans which are religious or sports (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1340, March 24 just as I tune across at 0556 UT, ID for ``1340 KGGS`` and country music, dominating the graveyard frequency for a bit. Ever since this brand new station hit the air Nov 9 from Garden City KS, owned by KGYN Guymon OK, I had been wanting to hear it, and figured SR/SS would be best, but now I get it without even trying in the nightmiddle. Daytime groundwave blocked by OKC. See DXLD 11-46 
http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1146.txt
for all about KGGS (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1430, March 22 at 1316 UT Aretha, 1318 show name ``Music in the Morning`` with calls I couldn`t catch starting with K-; inviting people to call in event info to 888-394-1430 for PSAs; Coca Cola jingle; 1322 ``True Oldies``. But True Oldies Channel has nothing on 1430 in affiliate list: 
http://www.trueoldieschannel.com/Article.asp?id=1517630

NRC AM Log, however, shows ``Good Time Oldies``, which I assume is a competing format on both KALV Alva OK (nulls toward Tulsa but barely audible here in daytime), and on KZQZ St Louis MO. But that 888 number leads right to KZQZ. And its website 
http://www.kzqz1430am.com/
confirms: ``Welcome to the all new KZQZ 1430 AM, "Hot Talk and Cool Oldies." So it was Cool, not True that I heard (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1440, March 21 around 1330 UT, strong dominant signal in Spanish ending one gospel huxter, bilingual prayer, IDs in Spanish and English as Radio Luz, University Park, KTNO, on to another preacher. Not unusual post-sunrise reception from this 50 kW daytime powerhouse (not R. Vida as in NRC AM Log), but this is:

On the DX-398 handheld, KTNO is peaking E/W rather than N/S. I keep rotating it and find the null about 90 degrees off. Is it because I have the headphones plugged in? The AC adapter plugged in? Too close to metal objects such as the FRG-7 and other equipment? Or to inside random wire antennas? No, I unplug phones and AC and walk around the house but I am still getting the same skewed DF on this frequency. If I didn`t know better I would think I was getting a station from the east or west. 

Why and how could this happen? Has the ferrite bar slipped 90 degrees inside the radio? I haven`t dropped it and it doesn`t rattle! And other DFing is correct, such as WKY 930 reliable groundwave from OKC, which is weak enough to produce a sharp null in the right direxion. This anomaly makes other DFing questionable; perhaps it`s frequency-dependent in the 1440 area only.

Then I tune up to 1460 at 1333 UT March 21, where I am getting something in English, i.e. skywave an hour after sunrise, and not yet my closest KZUE El Reno OK groundwave which is Spanish. It`s ``Trade Fair`` (Fare?), listener call-ins with stuff to sell, typical small-town show still existing here and there on AM radio. No calls from businesses or professional services will be accepted, and caller #1 is a hangup. This too ``loops`` E/W, but the phone numbers are in AC 817 and 683, i.e. Fort Worth, from KCLE, COL Cleburne TX which are south from here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1510, March 21 at 0538 UT, for the third night around this time, KCKK Littleton CO is dominating frequency as ``Mile High Sports``, contrary to its NNE/SSW figure-8 direxional requirement, out of whack (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1550, March 30 at 1227 UT, discussing the Duck Pond and Zimmerman Library on the UNM campus, familiar places to me in Albuquerque, so KIVA. I seriously doubt they were on night power of 27 watts instead of day power 10,000, tho March local sunrise is not until 1315 (April: 1230 UT) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 1060, March 30 at 1220 UT, Spanish with funny American accent, pronouncing lots of team names as in English, ID in passing as ESPN Deportes, was NBA report. I don`t find any affiliate listed in the 2011-2012 NRC AM Log, recent change? On net website http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/ I can`t find any affiliate list. The network has a presence in Mexico, too. Certainly not KIJN Farwell TX, which was audible a bit later with Spanish-American religion (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

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