CHED Edmonton AB-630
Even before NRK closed the Vigra transmitter on 630 KHz, CHED in Edmonton AB was one of the most common transpolar stations that could be heard on the frequency. There is of course “better” DX lurking on 630, but this is actually one of the north american stations that I have logged from my job, using just my ICF-2010 and a simple wire on the ground. Today I received a very nice e-mail from the Chief Engineer on the station, Tom Davies, who wrote:
“Dear Hans;
I am pleased to confirm your reception of CHED on January 6, 2012. We receive numerous reception reports from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Lapland during the winter months when the Ionosphere is stable in the Northern Hemisphere. Thank you for taking the time to send your reception report!”
Very nice indeed, to get CHED confirmed. It may be a very common station, but that also means that it has becomed almost a good friend on the MW band.
The audio clip is found here.
73!
Hans
Unid’s: Rowdy Radio promo on 1540 KHz
Okey. Here’s a tough one. Heard in the morning on January 15 up in Vardø. Frequency is 1540 KHz and the station is doing a promo for “Rowdy Radio”, which is a hardcore country show. No ID was heard while the station was audiable in the noise. At the same time 1570-CKMW Winkler MB was heard. The unid station on 1540 is announcing a Rowdy Radio event on 1 AM Central time. I don’t think it’s KXEL, since this seems to be way out of their format. The question is: what station, or stations, on 1540 carry the Rowdy Radio Show?
Heres a link to the audio file
73,s!
Hans
KGO San Francisco, SF-810
A couple of days ago I got a nice e-mail QSL from Larry Jimenez who is working as a technichian in the Cumulus Media Group. Larry, who confirmed my e-mail reception report on KGO, is serving both KSFO and KGO. Yet another”west coaster” confirmed and I owe Larry a lot, because it wasn’t easy to get KGO confirmed, even if the station is heard quite regularly on 810 KHz in Northern Scandinavia. KGO was, for quite a number of decades, quite unique among news/talk-stations in the US – doing all their programming themselves. Until 2007 KGO was the westcoast flagship station in the ABC network, until the station was bought by the Citadel Broadcasting. KGO is now owned by the Cumulus Media Group.
The KGO-810 audio clip is found here.
73,
Hans
Ultralight MW DXing
Being a ham and an avid QRP-operator, I love new challenges in the radio hobby. I’ve decided to give Ultralight MW-DXing a really serious effort this year. I’m excited about the definition of Ultralight DXing, the heart and soul of the whole concept, which states that the DXer who are using ultralight equipment “...intentionally limit the capabilities of their equipment to increase the challenge and to highlight DXing techniques and knowledge…”. Well, to me this means that Ultralight DXing is the BCB-DX relative to QRP-operating in amateur radio. QRP-operators are very often saying that “power is no substitute for skill” – which is true, and that “less is more” or just “QRP IS!!”. Well, all of this is true and indeed applicable also in Ultralight DXing. Less definetely IS more and large monster antennas in combination with sophisticated receivers is no substitute for skill. Sure, big antennas and multi-buck-receivers really helps – but the most important parameters in being a successful DXer is access to a quiet QTH, a pair of good ears and skillful DXing-techniques.
It will be interesting to explore this wonderful new aspect of the DX-hobby!
Ultralight IS!!
Hans
Sun’s coming back…
Much better weather today, than it has been for several weeks. The sun has been over the horizon for about two weeks, but it hasn’t been visible due to ice-fog. This picture was taken from my work at 10:40 UTC today. Note the 5m fiberglass pole, to the right of the chapel, housing my phased HDLA-loops. You can click on the picture to see it better.
Some interesting african stations on shortwave today; Radio Télé Candip on 5066,3 KHz and Dunamis BC, Kampala on 4750 KHz during the late afternoon. More about these two loggings later on. Right now Radio Congo is quite good on 6115 KHz.
73,
Hans
It’s getting better… slowly…
Well, after the last two weeks of extreme solar activity and space weather, conditions on mediumwave and the lower shortwave bands is slowly getting better. Still nothing from North America on MW yet, but it takes time for the band to recover. Tropical bands and lower shortwave is also improving. Iæve been listening for some periods since last friday, and I will get back to you when I got the logs sorted out be the end of the week. I’m currently quite busy at work and I’m leaving Vardø for about a month on thursday.
73,
Hans
KICY Nome AK-850
When propagation favours signals from Alaska, KICY in Nome is a quite common guest on 850 KHz. I’ve
heard the station a couple of times, when KOA Denver CO which dominates the frequency hasn’t been present. It’s easy to distinguish KICY from KOA. While KOA is running a typical news-format, KICY is easily identified due to their religious programming in english and russian. KICY is a 50 KW clear channel, running a westward directional pattern into mosteastern Russia and Siberia.
January 14, I received KICY with quite good signals around 08:00 UTC. I managed to record their station ID, both in english and russian and e-mailed the reception report and audio clip to KICY’s General Manager, Dennis Weidler. Got the QSL via e-mail yesterday evening. Yet an example of what can be heard up here with simple equipment and modest antennas!
The audio file of KICY-850 is found here. Note the ID in russian, after the ID in english.
Two storms…
I have been inactive the last week, and not been listening at all, due to very windy weather conditions just after the last weekend. The storm made spaghetti of my BOG’s at work and my HDLA’s at home, so I decided to usemost of my spare time last week to repair the HDLA’s and re-locate them to my listening post at work. I have winded up the BOG’s and put them in the trunk of the car, so they are now ready for some portable action. Anyway, I assembled my HDLA’s two days ago and they seem to work fine.
Unfortunately, the sun hasn’t been very coorporative this weekend. Conditions is currently useless and there is no transpolar propagation at all on the MW band. This morning proton levels went up and down, and up again. The MW-band was totally dead, except for the semi-local russian stations.
Was listening on shortwave for a while, but there was absolutely nothing of interest. Well, maybe it was Radio Educación in Mexico playing canciones on 6184,9 KHz, but it was very weak and unstable. Besides that, nothing. And auroral flutter on almost every signal that was heard.
So, today I will relax and do some audio file analyzes. It will take a few days for the MW-band to recover, and hopefully better conditions will be present later this week and next weekend.
NB: I have updated the antenna page on this site. There you will find a more detailed description of my HDLA-system.
73,
Hans
Hans
