Logbook for Week #5 - Shelter-in-Place Order

It's hard to believe it's been a month since the Shelter-in-Place order took effect in Saint Louis County, MO. Unlike some of us, I don't have a case of "quarantine fatigue". DXing has been the primary activity around these parts. This is the best hobby for such historic events as a pandemic.

The week of April 20-26 brought me my first international AM broadcast band DX and my first pirate broadcaster during this Shelter-in-Place order brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK

Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A AM/FM/LW/SW portable communications receiver, homebrew 30-foot longwire and 150-foot dipole antennas. All times UTC.

6105 kHz TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International via Kouhu - 4/21 1022 noted with commentary in Chinese. A fair signal was heard.

6185 kHz MÉXICO Radio Educación XEPPM México, DF - 4/21 0957 noted with Latin Jazz music, commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard, although undermodulated.

6195 kHz SINGAPORE BBC World Service relay - 4/21 1004 noted with news in English. A poor signal was heard.

6925 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (PIRATE) Skippy Radio/Damn Skippy - 4/26 2330 noted with dance and rock music, slow scan TV images and "Damn Skippy" IDs after every song An excellent signal was heard in upper sideband mode.

7850 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 4/20 2344 noted with ID in English, UTC time checks in English and French, time signals and ID in French at 2345. A good signal was heard.

9500 kHz CHINA CNR1 Voice of China Shijiazhuang - 4/21 1005 noted with news and commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9840 kHz VIETNAM Voice of Vietnam via Son Tay - 4/21 1011 noted with commentary in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

INTERNATIONAL AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK

Equipment used: CountyComm GP-5/SSB Gen 3 AM/FM/SW pocket receiver, Grundig AN-200 tunable AM loop antenna. All times UTC.

  710 kHz MÉXICO Radio 710 XEMP México, DF - 4/25 1045 noted with non-stop Mariachi and classic Mexican music, "Radio Siete Diez" ID at 1100 into a choral rendition of the Mexican national anthem. A fair to poor signal was heard with WOR nulled.

1000 kHz MÉXICO Mil XEOY México, DF - 4/25 0955 noted with Caribbean-style pop music, promo and mention of "Mil" in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WMVP.

1050 kHz MÉXICO La Ranchera XEG Monterrey, NL - 4/25 1023 noted with local ads in Spanish, Ranchera music, promo mentioning Ranchera and "La Ranchera" ID. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with CHUM and WNES.

1180 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde, several synchronized sites - 4/25 1012 noted echoing with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WHAM.

DOMESTIC (UNITED STATES and CANADA) AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK

Equipment used: CountyComm GP-5/SSB Gen 3 AM/FM/SW pocket receiver, C.Crane CCPocket AM/FM pocket receiver, Grundig AN-200 tunable AM loop antenna. All times CDT; for UTC, add five hours, for EDT, add one hour.

  880 kHz WCBS New York, NY - 4/21 0223 noted with replay of an excerpt from a press briefing by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, local ads, "WCBS Newsradio 880" ID into news headlines, several on the COVID-19 pandemic. A good to fair signal was heard over WIJR with adjacent channel interference from WLS 890 kHz.

  920 kHz WOKY Milwaukee, WI - 4/26 0259 noted with iHeart Radio promo, "This is The Big 920, Milwaukee's Sports Station, WOKY Milwaukee, an iHeart Radio station" legal ID into Fox Sports Radio update. A fair to poor signal was heard over KDHL and other stations; no sign of usual KARN. 

1020 kHz WLVJ Boynton Beach, FL - 4/22 0501 noted with “Está es Radio Actualidad” ID, brief promo into news in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KMMQ in a KDKA null. 40th AM station heard from Florida.

1040 kHz WPBS Conyers, GA - 4/25 0519 noted with dramatic play in Vietnamese. A fair signal was heard in a WHO null.

1070 kHz WDIA Memphis, TN - 4/22 0620 noted with R&B Oldies format, "WDIA" ID in contest promo, CDT time check and traffic report. A good to fair signal was heard over KHMO.

1130 kHz KWKH Shreveport, LA - 4/25 0514 noted with local ads, "1130 the Tiger" ID in promo into Fox Sports Radio. A fair signal was noted over WBBR with adjacent channel interference from local KMOX 1120 kHz.

1220 kHz WHKW Cleveland, OH - 4/20 0220 noted with In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, features on Christian living, "1220 the Word" ID. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with WLPO.

1350 kHz WWWL New Orleans, LA - 4/25 0438 noted with R&B Oldies format, "Hot 92.9" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KRNT and other stations.

1380 kHz WGLM Greenville, MI - 4/25 0427 noted with local ad, "WGLM-FM 106.3" ID before fading out. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KLIZ, WLRM and other stations; local KXFN off for maintenance.

1490 kHz WOSH Oshkosh, WI - 4/22 0643 noted with "1490 WOSH" ID in promo and a local ad. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations. More frequently heard since KFTK pulled the plug.

1520 kHz WWKB Buffalo, NY - 4/22 0300 noted with legal ID into ESPN SportsCenter Update. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KOKC and KRHW.

1550 kHz CBEF Windsor, ON - 4/24 0454 noted with interview in French. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WDLR and WPFC. 

Who knows what I will hear in Week #6 of this order? While some businesses in other parts of Missouri will open on May 3, Saint Louis County and the City of Saint Louis will still be under a Shelter-in-Place order indefinitely. To wrap up this entry, here's two slow-scan TV images I received from Skippy Radio (Damn Skippy) on 6925 kHz.