DXpedition #5 - Sioux Passage County Park near Florissant, MO

The second DXpedition of September 2019 was a return to Sioux Passage County Park near Florissant, MO; the site of my May 2019 DXpedition. This time, the boat launch area was open; however, the debris from the flooding early in the summer blocked the boat launch ramp. According to the information I've been getting from the U.S. Coast Guard river information broadcasts on 157.1 MHz, recreational boating is strongly discouraged; it has been discouraged since the flooding hit in the spring of 2019. Temperatures were in the lower 80s Fahrenheit; the humidity was comfortable. The Missouri River seemed to keep things a bit cooler than inland from the river.

Once again, I brought the General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX, with the Tecsun PL-600 used for shortwave DX. This time, I was able to stretch out the longwire the full 30-foot length, from the passenger side sliding door of the 2002 Chrysler Voyager that transported the setup to a pile of fallen logs some 30 feet away. I set up the receivers on a folding tray table.

On the AM (MW) broadcast band, sunset conditions favored the Midwest and Mid-South. I logged daytime regulars WMIX 940 kHz Mount Vernon, IL and KZIM 960 kHz Cape Girardeau, MO, along with sunrise and sunset regulars WRTO 1200 kHz Chicago, IL and KFEQ 680 kHz Saint Joseph, MO. I was pleasantly surprised to hear WRUS 610 kHz Russellville, KY over KCSP Kansas City, MO. The digital interference from KFUO 850 kHz Clayton, MO is minimized at sunset, so I could hear WSON 860 kHz Henderson, KY. 

Reception conditions on shortwave favored the Americas and Europe. Unlike with the May DXpedition, I logged a number of stations on the 60 Meter shortwave broadcast band; I concentrated on the lower shortwave bands. I even checked the longwire on the FM broadcast band before switching to shortwave; I had a local-like signal from WTRH 93.3 MHz Ramsey, IL (near Vandalia) and heard KCMQ 96.7 MHz Columbia, MO taking out K244FO Crestwood, MO. I began monitoring the shortwave bands shortly after 1820 CDT (2320 UTC) on the upper portion of the 25 Meter shortwave band. After 1830 CDT (2330 UTC), I checked the 90 Meter band, noting a fair signal from time and frequency station CHU Ottawa, ON, Canada on 3330 kHz. I also noted a pirate for the first time on a DXpedition, when I noted Wolverine Radio on 6935 kHz USB at 1852 CDT (2352 UTC). I also logged both shortwave relays in Romania (carrying Radio Romania International): 7420 kHz via Galbeni and 6040 kHz via Tiganesti. I monitored until 1930 CDT (0030 UTC 9/15), when it was time to take down the antenna and pack up the radios before the park closed around 1945 CDT (0045 UTC 9/15).

Support for 30-foot longwire for shortwave broadcast DX.

Jetstream JTCE4 before adding a 12-foot length of RG-6QS cable.

General Electric Superadio III and Tecsun PL-600 receivers used in the DXpedition.

All times on the AM (MW) broadcast band DX logs are CDT; all times on the shortwave logs are UTC.

AM BROADCAST BAND DX

610 kHz WRUS Russellville, KY - 9/14 1902 noted with Oldies format, "Thanks for listening to WRUS Russellville" legal ID at 1903. A fair signal was noted over KCSP.

680 kHz WMFS Memphis, TN - 9/14 1914 noted with Memphis area ads into sports talk program from ESPN. A fair signal was noted over KFEQ and WCTT.

680 kHz KFEQ Saint Joseph, MO - 9/14 1915 noted with Kansas City Royals baseball play-by-play. A good to fair signal was noted over WCTT and WMFS.

860 kHz WSON Henderson, KY - 9/14 1922 noted with Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play and local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KKOW; digital adjacent channel interference from KFUO 850.

940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 9/14 1846 noted with Adult Standards format, "940 WMIX" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KPSZ.

960 kHz KZIM Cape Girardeau, MO - 9/14 1850 noted with "KZIM, KSIM" dual-station ID into weather forecast. A good signal was noted; alone on the frequency.

1200 kHz WRTO Chicago, IL - 9/14 1855 noted with local ads in Spanish. A good to fair signal was noted over KYOO and WSAI.

SHORTWAVE DX (All logs in AM mode except where noted.)

3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 9/14 2331 noted with time signals, "CHU Canada" ID in French on odd-numbered minutes and English on even-numbered minutes, UTC time checks in English and French. A fair signal was noted.

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Para ZYG362 Belem, Para - 9/15 0022 noted with talk and pop music in Portuguese. A poor signal was noted.

5010 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 9/14 2333 noted with anti-Cuba talk in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.

5050 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWRB Morrison, TN - 9/14 2335 noted with church service recorded off a low-quality telephone line in English. A good signal was noted.

6040 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Tiganesti - 9/15 0027 noted with talk on Romanian art in English. A good signal was noted.

6935 kHz USB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (PIRATE) Wolverine Radio - 9/14 2352 noted with a "Wolverine Radio" ID in English into 1920s Jazz. A good signal was noted.

7380 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 9/14 2355 noted with talk in Portuguese into instrumental music. A good signal was noted until WHRI switched on their 7385 kHz transmitter at 2359.

7385 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHRI Cypress Creek, SC - 9/15 0000 noted with sign-on announcement into Christian teaching in English. An excellent signal was noted.

7420 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni - 9/15 0006 noted with pop music in English and ID in Spanish. Romanian is scheduled at this hour. A good signal was noted.

7570 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 9/15 0011 noted with anti government talk by Brother R.G. Stair in English. A good to fair signal was noted.

9665 kHz BRAZIL Radio Voz Missionaria ZYE890 Camboriu, Santa Catarina - 9/15 0020 noted with sermon in Portuguese. A good to fair signal was noted.

12050 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WEWN Vandiver, AL - 9/14 2322 noted with interview in Spanish. A good signal was noted.