Logbook for Week #6 - Shelter-in-Place Order

As I write this blog entry, the Shelter-in-Place orders are being eased in many Missouri counties, including Franklin, Jefferson and Saint Charles Counties. However, such orders remain in place for the City of Saint Louis and Saint Louis County, which has seen the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the entire State of Missouri. For me, a resident of Saint Louis County, I have found the perfect isolation activity: DXing. 

The sixth week of the Shelter-in-Place order was the first week since late March that I did not send out a reception report, whether it be by postal mail or E-mail. In the last six weeks, I've logged 15 new AM (MW) radio stations. The shortwave band conditions have been fair to good during this time. The month of May starts the VHF/UHF season; it'll be interesting to see what E-skip and tropospheric enhancement propagation yields this coming summer. This will be the first full season with the Channel Master CM-3020 TV/FM antenna and the new rotator, set up last June with help from fellow members of the Saint Louis and Suburban Radio Club. 

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK

Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A, 30-foot homebrew longwire, 150-foot homebrew dipole. All times are UTC. 

3215 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWCR Nashville, TN - 4/30 0215 noted with a Christian teaching program from Calvary Baptist Church in New York, NY. A good to fair signal was heard.

4765 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso via Bejucal - 4/30 0232 noted with a commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta - 4/30 0234 noted with commentary mentioning Puerto Rico in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

7375 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni - 4/30 0222 noted with Classical music and brief commentary in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

9580 kHz CUBA China Radio International via Quivicán - 4/30 0205 noted with news analysis in Chinese. A very good signal was heard.

11800 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 4/30 0242 noted with commentary, ID and sports report in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

11905 kHz SRI LANKA Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation via Trincomalee - 4/27 0040 noted with commentary in Hindi. A poor signal was heard. 

12000 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 5/2 0207 noted with news and commentary in English; second harmonic of 6000 kHz. A good to fair signal was heard.

15000 kHz HAWAII WWVH Kekaha, Kauai - 4/30 0249 noted with time signals, UTC time checks and advisories giving Web addresses in English. A fair to poor signal was heard over WWV.

INTERNATIONAL AM BROADCAST LOGBOOK

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

  540 kHz MÉXICO XEWA San Luis Potosi, SLP - 5/1 0811 noted with a Contemporary Hit Radio format, "Los Cuarenta San Luis Potosi" ID in Spanish. A good to fair signal was heard over WAUK.

  580 kHz MÉXICO XELRDA Piedras Negras, CL - 4/30 1050 noted with a "La Rancherita del Aire" ID in promo, local ads in Spanish into Ranchera music. A fair to poor signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590 kHz.

  640 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso CMBC Guanabacoa, Cuidad de la Habana - 5/2 0550 noted with Cuban vocal music, "Radio Progreso" ID and mention of Cuba in Spanish. A fair signal was heard over KWPN and WOI.

  900 kHz MÉXICO XEW México, DF - 4/29 1030 noted with local ad, commentary on the COVID-19 pandemic and "W" ID in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with CHML and KFAL.

1060 kHz MÉXICO Radio Educación XEEP México, DF - 5/3 0859 noted with "XEEP, Radio Educación" ID, mention of XEPPM 6185 kHz in Spanish into Classical music. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with KYW, WKMQ and WLNO.

DOMESTIC (U.S. and CANADA) AM BROADCAST LOGBOOK

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

  730 kHz WZGV Cramerton, NC - 5/1 0415 noted with ESPN promo, Charlotte area ad into talk on the NFL. A good to fair signal was heard over XEX.

  830 kHz WACC Hialeah, FL - 5/1 0224 noted with Catholic teaching program, "Radio Paz" mention in promo and local underwriting announcements. A fair signal was heard in a WCCO null.

1050 kHz WEPN New York, NY - 5/2 0427 noted with "1050 ESPN" ID in promo into New York area ads. A fair signal was heard over CHUM, WNES and XEG.

1140 kHz WBXR Hazel Green, AL - 5/1 0428 noted with a Wilkins Radio Network promo, feature produced by Compassion International, "Radio That Changes the Way You Live, AM 1140 WBXR" ID into weather forecast. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with KHFX and WRVA.

1150 kHz WJBO Baton Rouge, LA - 5/2 0130 noted with "WJBO News Radio" ID into local ads. A good to fair signal was heard over WHBY.

1190 kHz CFSL Weyburn, SK - 5/3 0145 noted with a Country music format, local ads, "Great Country for a Saskatchewan Weekend, AM 1190" slogan. A good signal was heard over KDMR and WOWO.

1230 kHz KFPW Fort Smith, AR - 4/29 0606 poked through with "This is 96.7 FM and AM 1230 KFPW Fort Smith; The Marshal, the Talk of the (Arkansas) River Valley" legal ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1280 kHz WMCP Columbia, TN - 5/1 0530 noted with "You're listening to Radio 1280 WMCP Columbia, Tennessee" legal ID into a Country music format. A good signal was heard over WBIG and WGBF.

1290 kHz KOIL Omaha, NE - 5/1 0325 noted with The Jim Bohannon Show, "You're listening to The Jim Bohannon Show on Omaha's News/Talk 1290 Coil" ID into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KIVY, WHIO and WIRL.

1430 kHz WCMY Ottawa, IL - 4/30 0531 noted with a "WCMY" ID in promo and a local ad. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KRGI, WBEV, WXNT and other stations.

1430 kHz WRDN Durand, WI - 5/1 0648 noted with "107.3 FM and 1430 WRDN" ID into a Country music format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WPLN, WXNT and WYMC.

1480 kHz KQAM Wichita, KS - 5/1 0202 noted with local ad, "102.5 FM and 1480 KQAM Wichita, The Big Talker" quasi-legal ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WDJO and WJBM.

There was one DX test scheduled on May 2 from KJJR 880 kHz Whitefish, MT. However, I was unable to hear the test due to WCBS being too strong and WIJR underneath, along with adjacent channel interference from WLS 890 kHz. I have five Montana AM stations in my logbook, with three verified. Week #7 of this order is ahead...what will I hear next? Stay tuned!