DXpedition #11 - Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area

On June 1, 2020 (UTC June 2, 2020), I went on my long-delayed first DXpedition of 2020. As chaos was brewing in downtown Saint Louis, I set up my listening post at Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area in the farming community of Black Walnut, MO. This is the third DXpedition I've made to the conservation area half way between Saint Charles and West Alton. 

Once again, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM broadcast band DX; the built-in ferrite rod antenna is great for DXing. For shortwave DX, I once again brought the Tecsun PL-600 with a homebrew portable 30-foot longwire. I also brought along the Whistler WS1040 handheld analog/digital scanner to monitor Public Service radio traffic, along with the Yaesu VX-5R handheld transceiver and a Diamond dual-band magnetic-mount mobile antenna. 

On the AM broadcast band, sunset conditions favored the Midwest and Mid-South, with stations from the Caribbean coming in shortly after sunset. On the shortwave bands, Asia and the Pacific were heard on the 19,22, 25 and 31 meter bands; Europe and the Americas were heard on the 31, 41, 49 and 60 meter bands, as well as the utility bands. On the VHF and UHF Public Service bands, I heard the trunked radio systems out of Saint Charles and Saint Louis Counties in Missouri as well as Madison County, IL. I did hear calls for assistance out of Saint Louis County to assist first responders in the City of Saint Louis. Just after 2000 CDT (0100 UTC), I checked into the Lewis and Clark Radio Club weekly net on the 145.230 MHz (-) K9HAM repeater. 

DOMESTIC (U.S. and Canada) AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times CDT; for UTC, add five hours, for EDT, add one hour)

  910 kHz WSUI Iowa City, IA - 6/1 2028 noted with interview and "IPR" mention. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KVIS and other stations.

1220 kHz WLPO La Salle, IL - 6/1 2100 noted with rebroadcast of Game 5 of the 2019 National League Division Series between the Saint Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves. A fair topoor signal was heard, mixing with WSLM.

1230 kHz WFXN Moline, IL - 6/1 2101 noted with "Fox Sports Radio" mention into sports talk. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1240 kHz WENK Union City, TN - 6/1 2034 noted with Oldies format, "WENK, WTPR" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1340 kHz KSMO Salem, MO - 6/1 2044 noted with rebroadcast of Game 5 of the 2019 National League Division Series between the Saint Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KXEO, WSOY and other stations. 

1370 kHz KWRT Boonville, MO - 6/1 2004 noted with Country format, "1370 KWRT" ID. A fair to poor signal, mixing with other stations. 

1430 kHz WCMY Ottawa, IL - 6/1 1958 noted with local ads, "right here on WCMY" mention in a promo. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WPLN and other stations.

1430 kHz WPLN Madison, TN - 6/1 1959 noted with "WPLN International" mention, legal ID, mention of the station's Web site into BBC News. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WCMY and other stations.

1490 kHz KTTR Rolla, MO - 6/1 1956 noted with "Hot 104.9" ID into Contemporary Hit Radio format. A fair signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1590 kHz WCGO Evanston, IL - 6/1 2105 noted with network ads, "Super Talk WCGO AM and FM" ID. A good to fair signal was heard over other stations.

INTERNATIONAL AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times UTC)

  800 kHz BONAIRE Trans World Radio PJB Kralendijk - 6/2 0150 noted with vocal music, "Radio Transmundial" ID into Christian features in Spanish. A fair signal was heard over CKLW and KQCV.

1180 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde synchros - 6/2 0117 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal wasnoted over other stations.

SHORTWAVE BROADCAST LOGBOOK (All times UTC)

  4765 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso via Bejucal - 6/2 0036 noted with ID and vocal music in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

  4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará - 6/1 0051 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

  5010 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Slovakia International via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 6/1 0052 noted with "Radio Slovakia Internacional" ID and commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

  5085 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WTWW Lebanon, TN - 6/1 0054 noted with Classic Country music, "Here's another Nashville classic from our vault" mention. An excellent signal was heard.

  5505 kHz USB IRELAND Shannon VOLMET- 6/2 0121 noted with weather reports for various European airports in English. A good to fair signal was heard.

  6070 kHz CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON - 6/2 0203 noted with news, including mention of Trump's speech in English. A good signal was heard.

  6180 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, DF - 6/2 0150 noted with vocal music and promo in Portuguese. A good signal was heard.

  6754 kHz USB CANADA CHR Canadian Forces Base Trenton, ON- noted with weather reports for various Canadian and European airports in English. An excellent signal was heard.

  7420 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni - 6/2 0035 noted with commentary in Romanian. A good signal was heard.

  9800 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kasgar - 6/2 0008 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

11660 kHz THAILAND Voice of America relay Udon Thani - 6/2 0024 noted with commentary in Chinese. A fair signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from Radio Havana Cuba on 11670 kHz.

15340 kHz PHILIPPINES Voice of America relay Tinang - 6/2 0014 noted with news analysis in Chinese. A fair signal was heard.

15590 kHz THAILAND Radio Thailand International via Udon Thani - 6/2 0015 noted with news on the unrest in the United States in English. A fair signal was heard.

Radio setup inside the 2002 Chrysler Voyager.

Shortwave antenna setup at Marais Temps Clair.

Shortwave antenna at sunset.

Logbook for Week #8 - Shelter-in-Place Order

The Shelter-in-Place order for Saint Louis County, MO expired May 18, 2020 at 0500 UTC. This also applies to the same order for the City of Saint Louis, MO due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have occupied much of these last eight weeks with shortwave and AM broadcast band DXing. FM DX in the last week of the order was limited to a 125-mile radius of my Hazelwood, MO listening post, pulling in stations like WCIL-FM 101.5 Carbondale, IL (100 miles), KGMO 100.7 and KEZS 102.9 Cape Girardeau, MO (115 miles). I'm looking forward to TV DXing in the post-repack era. I'm also now starting to plan future DXpeditions.

The first QSL card from the reception reports sent out during the order arrived Saturday (5/16) from CHU, the standard time and frequency station of Canada's National Research Council, located in Ottawa, Ontario, for reception on 3330 kHz. The last report sent out during the order went to the BBC's Far Eastern relay in Singapore on May 16. (The QSL from CHU is at the end of this blog entry.)

If there are any further outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, I'll be at the dials, God willing.

SHORTWAVE LOGBOOK

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

4840 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWCR Nashville, TN - 5/14 0507 noted with Info Wars with Alex Jones, featuring talk against the COVID-19 quarantine in English. A good signal was heard.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 5/14 0501 noted with news, including stories on the COVID-19 pandemic in English. A fair signal was heard.

5935 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA University Network via WWCR Nashville, TN - 5/12 0049 noted with Urban Gospel music into sermon by Pastor Melissa Scott. A very good signal was heard.

6180 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, DF - 5/18 0254 noted with light vocal music and promo in Portuguese. A good to fair signal was heard.

6950 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Pirate) WDOG - 5/17 0108 noted with Classic Rock music, "We here at WDOG hope you're enjoying your evening" mention in English. A good signal was heard in USB mode.

7245 kHz VATICAN CITY NHK World-Radio Japan via Santa Maria de Galeria - 5/16 0535 noted with commentary in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9410 kHz SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE BBC World Service relay - 5/15 0603 noted with news and analysis in English. A poor signal was heard.

9410 kHz UNITED KINGDOM BBC World Service relay Woofferton - 5/15 0535 noted with commentary in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9490 kHz CLANDESTINE Radio Republica via Issoudun, France - 5/15 0120 noted with news analysis in Spanish. A good signal was heard with moderate Cuban jamming.

9690 kHz SPAIN Radio Nacional de España 1 via Noblejas - 5/12 0039 noted with interview, brief musical interlude, "Radio Nacional de España" ID. Normally carries programming of Radio Exterior de España. An excellent signal was heard.

9700 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 5/18 0242 noted with commentary and ID in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

9955 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Alameda Bible Fellowship via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 5/15 0032 noted with Christian teaching in English. A fair signal was heard with moderate Cuban jamming.

11720 kHz CHINA CNR1 Shijiazhuang - 5/15 0012 noted with commentary in Chinese and light vocal music. A poor signal was heard.

11735 kHz NORTH KOREA Voice of Korea via Kujang - 5/14 0455 noted with commentary in English. A poor signal was heard.

15145 kHz SINGAPORE BBC World Service relay - 5/16 1201 noted with news, Newshour followed at 1204. A fair signal was heard.

15590 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Urumqi - 5/16 1231 noted with commentary in English. A fair signal was heard.

INTERNATIONAL AM BROADCAST LOGBOOK

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

  570 kHz MÉXICO XEBJB Monterrey, NL - 5/16 1046 noted with Norteña music, mention of "Mexicana" in Spanish. A fair to very poor signal was heard with no sign of usual sunrise regulars KLIF or WNAX.

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

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

  690 kHz CKGM Montreal, QC - 5/13 0316 noted with local ads, "TSN 690" ID in promo into sports talk. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WQNO in a KSTL null.

  800 kHz KREI Farmington, MO - 5/12 0605 noted with local ad, "Super Talk AM 800 KREI" ID, weather forecast into local news. A fair signal was heard over CKLW.

  910 kHz WSUI Iowa City, IA - 5/16 0554 noted with talk on the movie Titanic from the BBC World Service, "IPR" mention, underwriting announcement, membership promo, "WSUI 910 AM Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and KRNI 1010 AM Mason City, Clear Lake" legal ID at 0600. A fair signal was heard over KVIS and WAKO. 

1020 kHz KCKN Roswell, NM - 5/13 0540 noted with Contemporary Christian music, "Radio Visión Cristiana" ID, mention of Nueva York into Scripture reading in Spanish. A good signal was heard over KDKA.

1130 kHz WISN Milwaukee, WI - 5/16 0610 noted with mention of Wisconsin into Outdoors Weekly. A good to fair signal was heard over KAAB with adjacent channel interference from KMOX 1120.

1140 kHz WVEL Pekin, IL - 5/13 0545 noted with Urban Gospel music, "AM 1140 WVEL" ID into a Food For the Soul feature. A good signal was heard over KHFX.

1160 kHz KSL Salt Lake City, UT - 5/13 0332 noted with ABC News update, weather forecast, "from the KSL Weather Center" mention into The Jim Bohannon Show. A fair signal was heard in a WYLL null.

1250 kHz WGL Fort Wayne, IN - 5/16 0616 noted with "We're all about Fort Wayne, 103-9 Wayne FM" ID into Classic Hits format. A fair signal was heard over WSSP with ACI from WSDZ 1260.

1310 kHz WTTL Madisonville, KY - 5/16 0427 noted with "Good Times, Great Oldies, Cool 103" ID into Oldies. A fair signal was heard over WIBA and WTLC.

1430 kHz WYMC Mayfield, KY - 5/16 0536 noted with Kentucky News Network news, local ad into Oldies. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WBEV, WXNT and other stations.

1450 kHz WROX Clarksdale, MS - 5/15 0247 noted with "WROX Radio" ID into R&B Oldies. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WASK, WMOH and other stations.

1490 kHz WKRO Cairo, IL - 5/12 0620 poked through with mention of 103.3 FM into rock music. A poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations. This completes the Land of Lincoln on 1490 kHz; the 140th Illinois AM logged at my present location.

1490 kHz KBUR Burlington, IA - 5/12 0555 noted with "News Radio 99.3 and 1490 KBUR" ID in promo into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1570 kHz WFRL Freeport, IL - 5/12 0600 noted with "WFRL, WFPS Freeport, K-92 FM, 1570 the Giant" dual-station legal ID into local news. A fair signal was heard in a WBGZ null.

1570 kHz KBCV Hollister, MO - 5/12 0628 noted with Bott Radio Network promos into Grace to You. A fair to poor signal, mixing with WFRL in a WBGZ null.

1570 kHz KLEX Lexington, MO - 5/12 0637 noted with Grace to You. A fair to poor signal was heard, echoing behind KBCV, mixing with WFRL in a WBGZ null.

The final totals for the Shelter-in-Place logbook are as follows:

AM (MW) - 113 stations, including 17 new logs
Shortwave - 70 stations, including six pirates

Logbook for Week #7 - Shelter-in-Place Order

As I write this blog entry, word on the street is that some restrictions on business in Saint Louis County, MO will be lifted on May 18, 2020. However, it comes at the risk of a second potential wave of COVID-19 cases. As long as we practice social distancing and wear our masks and other protective gear, we may come out of this pandemic in good shape. If there are further waves of this pandemic, I'll be at the dials, health permitting.

A number of FM and TV DXers have been reporting E-skip propagation in other parts of the U.S. and Canada. However, the conditions skipped the Saint Louis area; this was essentially flyover territory for the skip paths. Again, the DX was confined to the AM (MW) and shortwave bands. Here is this week's logbook.

SHORTWAVE LOGBOOK

Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A portable communications receiver, homebrew 30-foot longwire. All times UTC.

6050 kHz FRANCE Radio Algérienne via Issoudun - 5/9 0445 noted with Holy Qu'ran program in Arabic and commentary in French. A good signal was heard. 

6925 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Pirate) Tick Tock Radio - 5/4 0135 noted with soft rock music and announcements in English; no SSTV images. A fair signal was heard in USB mode.

6925 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Pirate) Unidentified station - 5/10 0010 noted with Classic Rock music, "(unintelligible) Radio" IDs in English, later gave an E-mail address on G-Mail. An audio clip of this station was made to try and identify it. A fair to poor signal was heard in AM mode.

6955 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Pirate) Wolverine Radio - 5/10 0100 noted with various styles of U.S. music, "Wolverine Radio" IDs roughly every ten minutes, SSTV image at 0159. A good to fair signal was heard in USB mode.

7365 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Martí via Greenville, NC - 5/8 0248 noted with commentary in Spanish. A good signal was heard with mild Cuban jamming.

9330 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA World's Last Chance via WBCQ Monticello, ME - 5/9 0530 noted with "WLC" mention and listeners' questions about conversion from Judaism to Christianity in English. A very good signal was heard.

9440 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Xiamen - 5/8 0245 noted with commentary in Russian and brief musical interludes. A fair signal was heard.

9675 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 5/9 2001 noted with news and commentary in Turkish, brief chanting in Arabic. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9870 kHz TURKEY Voice of Turkey via Emirler - 5/4 0145 noted with commentary in Spanish, light vocal music until the carrier was cut off at 0155. A fair to poor signal was heard.

12030 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Pirate) Mix Radio International - 5/10 0210 noted with dance music, "From the Coast of California, Burnin' Loud, this is Mix Radio International" ID; "Mix Radio International" IDs after every other song. A fair to poor signal was heard in USB mode.

13650 kHz CUBA China Radio International via Quivicán - 5/10 2337 noted with traditional Chinese music; no commentary in Portuguese. A good signal was heard over Radio Japan.

13650 kHz JAPAN Radio Japan via Yamato - 5/10 2345 noted with commentary in Burmese. A fair to poor signal was heard underneath the CRI Cuba relay.

15230 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 5/5 0149 noted with analysis and commentary in Spanish, mentions of La Habana and Cuba. A good to fair signal was heard.

INTERNATIONAL AM BROADCAST LOGBOOK

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

  620 kHz MÉXICO XENK México, DF - 5/8 0846 noted with local ads, "Radio Seis-Veinte" ID in Spanish into light vocal music. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WJDX, WRJZ and WTMJ.

  710 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde synchros - 5/5 0838 noted with vocal music and commentary in Spanish //5025 kHz. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WOR.

  730 kHz MÉXICO XEX México, DF - 5/6 0648 noted with "W Deportes" ID in Spanish into pop music in English. A good to fair signal was heard over KKDA.

  810 kHz BAHAMAS ZNS3 Freeport - 5/6 0550 noted with Soul music, "Your Radio Station, Zed-N-S" ID in English. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WGY.

  890 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso CMBC Chambas-Centro, Ciego de Avila - 5/6 0611 noted with light vocal music, mention of Cuba in Spanish. A fair signal was noted, mixing with WLS.

  950 kHz CUBA Radio Reloj synchros - 5/6 0609 noted with time signals, announcements and "Radio Reloj" IDs in Spanish, "RR" ID in CW. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KXJK, WORD and WWJ.

  990 kHz MÉXICO XET Monterrey, NL - 5/9 1039 noted with Mariachi music, "La T Grande" ID in Spanish. A fair yo poor signal was heard, mixing with CBW.

1620 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde synchros - 5/6 0904 noted with tail end of news in Spanish into light vocal music. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KOZN, WNRP and WTAW.

DOMESTIC (U.S. and Canada) AM BROADCAST 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; add one hour for EDT, add five hours for UTC.

  800 kHz CHAB Moose Jaw, SK - 5/7 0335 noted with Oldies, station promo, "800 CHAB" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard over CKLW and KQCV.

  910 kHz KCJB Minot, ND - 5/9 0520 noted with weather forecast, "KCJB" jingle into Country music. A fair signal was heard over KVIS.

  980 kHz KOKA Shreveport, LA - 5/5 0355 noted with Urban Gospel music, station promo, "93.3 KOKA" ID. A fair signal was heard over KMBZ and WYFN.

1300 kHz WLXG Lexington, KY - 5/9 0425 noted with ESPN SportsCenter All Night, local ads and ESPN promos. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WOAD and WOOD.

1380 kHz WMJR Nicholasville, KY - 5/7 0247 noted with "Relevant Radio" ID, mention of the Relevant Radio app into discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic. A fair to poor signal was heard through KXFN.

1390 kHz KCLN Clinton, IA - 5/9 0403 noted with weather forecast, "AM 1390 KCLN, Clinton's home for news, weather and sports, AM 1390 KCLN" ID into Oldies. A good to fair signal was heard, way over WLLI.

1490 kHz WGEZ Beloit, WI - 5/6 0248 noted with Country music, morning show promo, "Country 101.9 and 1490" ID. A fair signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

And here's an SSTV image to wrap up this week's blog entry: this one was received from Wolverine Radio on 6955 kHz USB at 0159 UTC 5/10.

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!

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.

Logbook for Week #4 - Shelter-in-Place Order

During Week #4 of the Shelter-in-Place order, the order was extended indefinitely for the City of Saint Louis and Saint Louis County (subject to review), while the statewide order in Missouri is scheduled to be eased on May 3, depending on the spread of COVID-19. I continued to DX AM (medium wave) and shortwave during this order. This hobby has become my window on the world during this pandemic.

At the beginning of Easter week, pirate KQQZ 1190 Fairview Heights, IL turned off their transmitter for good, while pirate KZQZ 1430 Saint Louis, MO still transmits an open carrier during the daytime, blocking DX on 1430. At night, KDMR Kansas City, MO and WOWO Fort Wayne, IN battle it out on 1190, while WBEV Beaver Dam, WI, WYMC Mayfield, KY, WXNT Indianapolis, IN and KRGI Grand Island, NE trade places dominating on 1430 at night. 

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK

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

5850 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 4/16 0746 noted with a sermon by Brother R.G. Stair in English. A good signal was heard; took a report on this one.

7390 kHz FRANCE Radio France Internationale via Issoudun - 4/19 0547 noted with discussion and commentary in French. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9580 kHz CUBA China Radio International via Quivican - 4/19 0240 noted with interviews and commentary in Chinese. An excellent signal was heard with distorted audio.

9675 kHz CHINA CNR1 Beijing - 4/14 0105 noted with news and commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9710 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kasgar - 4/14 0135 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard.

AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK

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

  660 kHz KSKY Balch Springs, TX - 4/18 0601 noted with SRN News, "This is The Answer" ID into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from WSM 650 kHz.

  910 kHz WGTO Cassopolis, MI - 4/16 0537 noted with weather forecast, "Cool FM" ID into local ads. A fair signal was noted, mixing with KVIS.

  920 kHz CKNX Wingham, ON - 4/18 0434 noted with a Country music format, "Time for a break on CKNX" mention into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KARN and KDHL.

  950 kHz WORD Spartanburg, SC - 4/13 0231 noted with a tornado warning for the Greenville/Spartanburg area, simulcast from NOAA Weather Radio station WXJ21 162.550 MHz Greenville, SC before returning to ESPN SportsCenter All Night. A fair signal was heard over WWJ.

1340 kHz KSMO Salem, MO - 4/13 0507 noted with "KSMO Radio" ID, brief talk into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KXEO, WSOY and other stations.

1420 kHz KTOE Mankato, MN - 4/15 0644 noted with local ads, syndicated feature, "1420 AM, 102.7 FM KTOE" ID. A fair signal was heard over WOC and WIMS.

1430 kHz WION Ionia, MI - 4/14 0555 noted with local ad, "WION" ID and a mention of "AM Stereo 1430". A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WBEV, WXNT and other stations.

1430 kHz KRGI Grand Island, NE - 4/14 0600 noted with "AM 1430 KRGI and K288HC 105.5 FM Grand Island" legal ID into ABC News. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WBEV, WXNT and other stations.

1490 kHz KDRS Paragould, AR - 4/15 0600 noted with "iRock 103-7, KDRS Paragould, K279CQ Paragould" legal ID into a hard rock format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1490 kHz WIGM Medford, WI - 4/18 0400 poked through with a "WIGM" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WOSH and other stations. AM station #75 from Wisconsin, completing 1490 from America's Dairyland.

1550 kHz WLTI New Castle, IN - 4/14 0510 noted with a Classic Hits format, "New Castle's Greatest Hits, WLTI" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KYAL and other stations.

What will I hear in Week #5? Stay tuned! 

Logbook for Week #3 - Shelter-in-Place Order

The third week of the Shelter-in-Place order in Saint Louis County, MO was also the first week of a statewide Stay at Home (another term for Shelter-in-Place) order throughout the State of Missouri. There's talk of extending the Shelter-in-Place order in Saint Louis County through the middle of May 2020. 

I did quite a bit of AM broadcast band DX during the week of April 6, but still had time to do some shortwave DX. I've been checking the FM broadcast band; mostly stations within a 100-mile radius of my Hazelwood, MO listening post were heard. On the local AM dial, KFTK 1490 kHz in East Saint Louis, IL is now off the air; KQQZ 1190 kHz Fairview Heights, IL and KZQZ 1430 Saint Louis, MO continued to transmit without their licenses. On the day after Easter, I noted both running open carrier only. Over Easter weekend, I was reading the pages of the April 2020 edition of The NASWA Journal; this quote by Rich D'Angelo caught my eye: "Our hobby is one that tends to be practiced indoors and social distancing becomes pretty easy." This is so true during these extraordinary times, as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK

Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A LW/AM/FM/SW portable receiver, homebrew 30-foot (9.9 m) longwire antenna and 150-foot (45 m) dipole antenna. All times are UTC.

5995 kHz MALI ORTM Radio Mali - 4/11 0637 noted with hi-life and dance music, commentary in French. A fair to poor signal was heard.

6005 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 4/11 0538 noted with commentary in English. A fair to poor signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from Radio Havana Cuba on 6000 kHz.

9410 kHz SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE BBC World Service relay - 4/11 0600 noted with program previews into news in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

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, Yaesu FRG-7 communications receiver, Worcester Electronics Space Magnet II ferrite core loop antenna. All times CDT (for EDT, add one hour; for UTC, add five hours).

  600 kHz WMT Cedar Rapids, IA - 4/11 0723 noted with local ads, "News Radio 600 WMT" ID into The Iowa Home and Garden Show. A good signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590 kHz.

  780 kHz WIIN Ridgeland, MS - 4/9 0510 noted with Blues music, "Blues 93.1" ID and a local announcement. A fair signal was heard in a null of WBBM. 

  860 kHz WSON Henderson, KY - 4/9 0210 noted with a Classic Hits format, "860 AM, 96.5 FM WSON" ID. A fair signal was heard in a null of CJBC.

  940 kHz WMAC Macon, GA - 4/11 0528 noted with local ads, "From the Jack Schmidt Ford studios, this is WMAC Macon, a Cumulus station" legal ID at 0530. A fair signal was heard over KPSZ.

1030 kHz WCTS Maplewood, MN - 4/11 0702 noted with "WCTS Maplewood, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, serving the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin, with translator K250BY at 97.9 FM" legal ID into a Scripture reading. A fair signal was noted over KCWJ.

1340 kHz KICK Springfield, MO - 4/11 0559 noted with local ad, "KICK Springfield and K222CT" legal ID at 0600 into ABC News. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1440 kHz WKPR Kalamazoo, MI - 4/11 0759 noted with mention of 105.1 FM, weather forecast, legal ID at 0800 into a Christian teaching program. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WGEM. AM station #50 from Michigan.

1480 kHz WHBC Canton, OH - 4/8 0429 noted with local ad, "News Radio 1480 WHBC" ID into local news and weather forecast at 0430. A fair signal was heard over WJBM.

1500 kHz KSTP Saint Paul, MN - 4/11 0742 noted with local ads, Minnesota Home Talk Legal Minute, Minnesota Home Talk mention and "Score North AM 1500" ID. A very good signal was heard over WBRI.

1680 kHz KRJO Monroe, LA - 4/7 0134 noted with a Classic Country format, "The Greatest Country Ever Made, 99.7 The Legend" ID. A good signal was heard over WPRR.