[IRCA] Daytime DX in OK

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

All times are UT = CST +6. This apparently makes my logs ineligible to appear in weekly bulletins, so here you are:

** U S A. Another quick MW bandscan on the caradio at a hotspot in 
western Enid the afternoon of Dec 14, times UT!

1200, at 2137, skywave in, something in Spanish atop WOAI, various ads for juguetes, etc., causing slow SAH with WOAI; later mentioned 
``Chicago informa … 1,200 AM``. So it`s WRTO, 10 kW, ``La Tremenda`` 
per NRC AM Log 2009-2010. Strangely enough, per NRC pattern book, its 
daytime design has a null to the SE, but plenty of signal to the SW. 
WOAI soon faded up overtaking it, but 1200 is hardly a ``clear 
channel`` any more!

540, at 2144, KWMT Ft Dodge IA, groundwave, with two or three IDs in 
passing during info about local events. Usually it`s a mix with KDFT, 
but no sign of Spanish this time; the latter off the air? If it stays 
off I may finally have a chance of inpulling KNMX by daytime 
groundwave, which ought to be possible here [no, next day Dec 15 
around 1930, KDFT is back on and dominating].

570, at 2147, usual mix of KLIF with groundwave from WNAX SD, way 
under but audible with SAH of about 3.5 Hz. Someone was wondering 
whether WNAX was running usual spex; seems so to me (Glenn Hauser, 
Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Afternoon DXing from caradio, nondirexional whip:

1660, no sign of KXTR Kansas City, but a weak 3-way SAH could be detected at 2015 Dec 18, presumably traces of the TX, ND and MI stations. KXTR website has referred to being off the air periodically for antenna work. It currently shows this, now outdated, so they are still not finished:

``KXTR WILL NOT BE BROADCASTING ON 1660AM FROM 8AM TO 6PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY UNTIL DECEMBER 14 SO THE FINAL PHASE OF WORK ON OUR TOWER CAN BE COMPLETED. KXTR WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM AT WWW.KXTR.COM AND BROADCAST IN HD AT 98.1 FM HD2. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE!``

1250 Spanish and 1090 EWTN from the KC area were in well, so skywave was obviously in play, and KXTR should have been easily audible if on. I hope the `work` does not include diminishing the skywave component.

Talk on 1670 also in, no doubt WTDY Madison WI (I had also heard it Dec 17 around 1800, close to low noon at 1832 UT = 1200 LMT); and no sign of CJEU Gatineau QC.

1210, KGYN Guymon OK still ailing with very weak groundwave signal, but barely audible ``US Country`` slogan at 2020 Dec 18, SAH between two other very weak signals.

1560, at 2015 UT, our nearest groundwave station on that frequency, KOCY, 1 kW Del City (why license to this SE suburb of OKC? It was originally much further off to the SW in Chickasha as KWCO), Radio Disney, was already getting heavy QRM from a skywave pileup, mainly something with a talk show. And one of them far enough off-frequency to cause a rumbling audible het (such as 30-40 Hz, maybe). 

Next check at 2035 it was even worse; besides the rumbling AH, there were also a SAH of 6 Hz, and another faster SAH. So that`s at least three or four stations. At 2100, Houston-orientated sportstalk on top, obviously 50 kW KGOW ``Bellaire`` TX, but no legal ID to be heard. 2101 played PSA for http://texasflu.com and then at 2102 ID only as ``1560 The Game, happily filling the holes in your life``, which I must say is a distinctive slogan altho it leaves me cold; what holes? Is that any way to talk to a proud listener? Probably played then, since a golf ad was to follow, ha2.

Rather tight major daytime lobe is at 14 degrees, and one of the nulls at 330 degrees; we are roughly halfway between them, meaning considerably off the boresight.
http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1222668-101220.pdf

This is the same station that got out widely a few months ago during a hurricane/flood emergency when running day facilities at night, and relaying news from a local TV station, KPRC `2`, as I recall. Low sun now means it gets plenty of daytime skywave propagation.

1370, rechecked again in the afternoons of Dec 17, and 18, still no groundwave signal from KGNO Dodge City KS, which used to be a daytime fringe regular here. It`s still on the books as non-direxional, day power 5 kW, an heritage station, but does it exist any more? It`s now part of a 20-station group all over Kansas, so just another cog. I should phone and inquire, 620-225-8080. 

Coverage map at http://www.rockingmradio.com/kgno.htm shows the 0.5 mV/m contour extending into OK no further than Alva in Woods county, but it should be audible here over the Ogalalla aquifer with much less signal than that. Er, make that microvolts per meter; what difference does a little factor of three orders of magnitude make? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)


      

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