DXpedition #4 - Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area, Black Walnut, MO

What a way to celebrate one year since the IRCA Convention in Saint Charles! On the evening of September 6, 2019, I returned to Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area in the agricultural community of Black Walnut in eastern Saint Charles County, MO. This was the site of my DXpedition on December 29, 2018. On this particular day, the humidity was dropping and the temperature was in the lower 80s Fahrenheit. I set up in a gravel parking lot just off of Island Road, southwest of the area's office. I shared the parking lot with hunters keeping their skills sharp for upcoming fall hunting seasons. I was the only one hunting radio signals!

Once again, I was using a General Electric Superadio III for AM (medium wave) broadcast band DX, and a Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX. I used the same portable 30-foot longwire I used for the Sioux Passage DXpedition in May 2019, but I modified it with a pair of insulators. I set it up in a vertical fashion this time, using one of the supports for a bulletin board to lean the mast on.

(Homebrew SW antenna set up against a bulletin board.)

The GE Superadio III was set up on the steering column of the 2002 Chrysler Voyager I was driving, while I set up the PL-600 in the front passenger seat.

(Top: General Electric Superadio III. Bottom: Tecsun PL-600 with Yaesu HT charger.)

I began monitoring just before 1900 CDT (Midnight UTC September 7). Around 1855 CDT (2355 UTC), I noted Radio New Zealand Pacific on 13840 kHz with a discussion, time pips at 1900 CDT (Midnight UTC) into the midday news in English. A fair to good signal was noted. At 1903 CDT (1903 UTC 9/7), I heard a newscast and analysis in Spanish on 11660 kHz with a fair to poor signal. Looking up the information from the World Radio-TV Handbook's May update, the station was Pars Today, broadcasting to Latin America from Sirjan in the Islamic Republic of Iran. At 1909 CDT (0009 UTC 9/7), Radio Nacional da Amazonia from Brasilia, Brazil was noted on 11780 kHz with news analysis in Portuguese, noting a good signal. After taking a break to DX the AM broadcast band, I turned the PL-600 back on to hear Radio Educacion XEPPM Mexico City, Mexico on 6185 kHz at 1945 CDT (0045 UTC 9/7) with mariachi music, ID and announcements in Spanish, noting a fair to poor signal. Radio Progreso from Bejucal, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba on 4765 kHz was heard at 1954 CDT (0054 UTC 9/7) with salsa music, ID and announcements in Spanish; a fair to poor signal was noted. Another Cuban was noted at 2008 CDT (0108 UTC 9/7); Radio Rebelde from Bauta, Cuidad de la Habana on 5025 kHz with a long speech in Spanish. A fair signal was noted. Before I wrapped up the DXpedition, I heard WTWW Lebanon, TN on 5085 kHz at 2009 CDT (0109 UTC 9/7) with an Oldies show and brief talk on Bo Diddeley in English, noting a good signal.

On the AM broadcast band, high school football games peppered the dial. I noted KRVN 880 Lexington, NE, KWOS 950 Jefferson City, MO, WXNT 1430 Indianapolis, IN, KAPE 1550 Cape Girardeau, MO and KESJ Saint Joseph, MO were all running high school football games. I was able to note WXNT because local KZQZ has been off at night. WCBS 880 New York, NY was noted at 1936 CDT (0036 UTC 9/7) with a local ad, "WCBS News Radio 880" ID into a New York Mets baseball game. A good signal was noted, mixing with KRVN and a nearly inaudible WIJR with adjacent channel interference from WLS 890. I noted my first AM stations from outside the United States on any DXpedition when I logged Radio Reloj from Arroyo Arenas, Cuba on 950 kHz at 1940 CDT (0040 UTC 9/7) with time pips, "RR" ID in Morse Code, "Radio Reloj" ID and brief talk in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KWOS and WAKM. PJB 800 Kralendijk, Bonaire at 1958 CDT (0058 UTC 9/7) with Christian teaching and a "Radio Transmundial" ID in Spanish. A fair signal came from this 440,000-watt blowtorch, taking out regulars CKLW and KQCV. The only domestic AM stations I noted NOT carrying sporting events were CFZM 740 Toronto, ON and KVIS 910 Miami, OK. After noting a Southwest Missouri spot on KVIS, I wrapped up the DXpedition around 2024 CDT (0124 UTC 9/7).

There were plenty of high school football games all over the AM (MW) radio dial. WBGZ 1570 Alton, IL was the closest AM station to Marais Temps Clair to carry a high school game. Shortwave radio reception conditions favored the Americas, the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Sunset conditions on the AM (MW) broadcast band favored the Midwest and the East. Two hunters even asked me about the DX hobby; one of the hunters told me that his grandfather was a Ham Radio operator! Here's the logbook from the Second Marais Temps Clair DXpedition:

AM (MW) RADIO LOGS

740 kHz CFZM Toronto, ON - 9/6 1928 CDT noted with 1980s pop music, "Zoomer Radio" ID and local ads. A good to fair signal was noted, mixing with KRMG.

800 kHz PJB Kralendijk, Bonaire - 9/6 1958 CDT noted with Christian teaching programs, "Radio Transmundial" ID in Spanish. A fair signal was noted over CKLW and KQCV.

880 kHz KRVN Lexington, NE - 9/6 1942 CDT noted with high school football play-by-play, "880 KRVN" ID into local spots. A good signal was noted over WCBS and WIJR.

880 kHz WCBS New York, NY - 9/6 1936 CDT noted with a local ad, "WCBS News Radio 880" ID into New York Mets baseball play-by-play. A good signal was noted over KRVN and WIJR; adjacent channel interference from WLS 890.

910 kHz KVIS Miami, OK - 9/6 2003 CDT noted with a long set of Southern Gospel music, promo for upcoming event at a church in Missouri, mentioning a phone number in Area Code 417. A good signal was noted over other stations.

950 kHz CMCD Arroyo Arenas, Cuba - 9/6 2040 CDT noted with time signals, "RR" ID in Morse Code, "Radio Reloj" ID and brief talk in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KWOS and WAKM.

950 kHz KWOS Jefferson City, MO - 9/6 2040 CDT noted with high school football promo, "950 KWOS" ID into high school football play-by-play. A fair signal was noted over CMCD and WAKM.

1430 kHz WXNT Indianapolis, IN - 9/6 2017 CDT noted with "CBS Sports 1430" ID into high school football play-by-play. A fair signal was noted, mixing with other stations; local KZQZ off.

1550 kHz KESJ Saint Joseph, MO - 9/6 2023 CDT noted with local spots, "Joe at 107.5" ID into local high school football coverage. A good signal was noted over KAPE, WIGN and WPFC.

1550 kHz KAPE Cape Girardeau, MO - 9/6 2024 CDT noted with Cape Girardeau Central High School football play-by-play. A fair to poor signal was noted through KESJ, WIGN and WPFC.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGS

4765 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso via Bejucal, Ciudad de la Habana - 9/7 0054 UTC noted with salsa music, ID and announcements in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde via Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 9/7 0108 UTC noted with the end of a long speech in Spanish. A fair signal was noted.

5085 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WTWW Lebanon, TN - 9/7 0109 UTC noted with Oldies show, host talking about Bo Diddeley in English. A good signal was noted.

6185 kHz MEXICO Radio Educacion XEPPM Mexico City, DF - 9/7 0045 UTC noted with mariachi music, ID and announcements in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.

11660 kHz IRAN Pars Today via Sirjan - 9/7 0003 UTC noted with news and analysis in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio National da Amazonia ZYE365 Brasilia - 9/7 0009 UTC noted with news analysis in Portuguese. A good signal was noted.

13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific - 9/6 2355 UTC noted with a discussion, time pips into midday news in English. A fair to good signal was noted.