DXpedition #7 - James S. McDonnell Park near Saint Ann, MO

On the afternoon of October 19, 2019, I took my radios to James S. McDonnell Park near Saint Ann, MO. The park is located near where Adie Road and Link Avenue splits. Link Avenue heads south into the West Overland area (where it turns into Warson Road), while Adie Road goes southwest toward northbound Lindbergh Boulevard (U.S. 67). I chose this particular park because one of the local Amateur Radio clubs I belong to, the Saint Louis and Suburban Radio Club, has operated their Field Day station from there on several occasions. The park is named in memory of the founder of McDonnell Aircraft Company (now part of Boeing).

Weather-wise, the temperatures were in the lower 60s under mostly cloudy skies with occasional rain sprinkles in the area. I set up on a soft shoulder on a roundabout roughly 100 yards east of the McDonnell Shelter, the site of SLSRC's 2019 Field Day operation. I lashed the 10-foot mast supporting one end of the longwire to a tree about 30 feet from where I set up my listening post. A five-foot mast, lashed to the fully open sliding door of the 2002 Chrysler Voyager I was driving, supported the longwire on the other end. I originally set up my listening post outside; however, when the sprinkles started falling, I moved the folding table I set up my listening post on inside the vehicle.

Late afternoon and sunset conditions on the AM (MW) broadcast band favored the Midwest, Mid-South and the Carolinas. On the shortwave broadcast bands, I once again heard at least one transmitter from each continent. For AM (MW) broadcast band DX, I once again used the General Electric Superadio III with a built-in ferrite rod antenna. For shortwave broadcast DX, I once again used the Tecsun PL-600 with a homebrew 30-foot longwire.

The end of the 30-foot longwire lashed to a tree.

The listening post before the rain came.

The listening post moved inside the van.

The antenna mast lashing.

The center insulator attached to the five-foot mast near the listening post.

AM BROADCAST BAND LOGS (all times Central U.S. time)

720 kHz WGCR Pisgah Forest, NC - 10/19 1739 noted with a Southern Gospel format, mention of previous song played by a female announcer, into The Digital Heritage Moment, with a feature on wildlife in southern Appalachia. A fair signal was noted in a WGN null.

810 kHz WHB Kansas City, MO - 10/19 1745 noted with local ad, "WHB" ID into talk on college football. A fair signal was noted over other stations. 

940 kHz WECO Wartburg, TN - 10/19 1752 noted with a Southern Gospel format, "AM 940 WECO" ID. A fair to poor signal, noted mixing with other stations.

980 kHz KMBZ Kansas City, MO - 10/19 1800 noted with legal ID, "Talk 980 KMBZ" mention into ABC News. A fair signal was noted over KSGM and WYFN.

1070 kHz KFTI Wichita, KS - 10/19 1806 noted with Classic Country, "Classic Country 1070" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KHMO, WAPI, WCSZ and other stations.

1070 kHz WCSZ Sans Souci, SC - 10/19 1810 poked through with an announcement in Spanish into a Regional Mexican format. A poor signal was noted, mixing with KFTI, KHMO, WAPI and other stations.

1200 kHz WRTO Chicago, IL - 10/19 1640 noted with national ad in English into soccer coverage promos in Spanish. A good signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KQQZ 1190 kHz.

1350 kHz WPDR Portage, WI - 10/19 1646 noted with Oldies format, "AM 1350 WPDR" ID. A fair signal was noted over KRAP and WSIQ.

1510 kHz WLAC Nashville, TN - 10/19 1708 noted with Vanderbilt University football play-by-play, local ads, "This is Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC" ID. A good to fair signal was noted over WCAZ.

1530 kHz KVDW England, AR - 10/19 1821 noted with an Urban Gospel format and a local promo. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KGBT and WCKY.

1530 kHz KGBT Harlingen, TX - 10/19 1824 noted with soccer play-by-play in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KVDW and WCKY.

1560 kHz KLNG Council Bluffs, IA - 10/19 1826 noted with the tail end of a Christian teaching program, choral Christian music until sign-off at 1830. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KGOW.

1560 kHz KGOW Bellaire, TX - 10/19 1825 noted with commentary in Vietnamese. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KLNG.

1580 kHz WLIJ Shelbyville, TN - 10/19 1711 noted with a Country format, mention of call letters. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations.

SHORTWAVE LOGS (all times UTC)

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Para ZYG362 Belem, Para - 10/19 2307 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was noted.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 10/19 2113 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 10/19 2257 noted with tail end of commentary in Spanish into RHC interval signal. A fair signal was noted.

5050 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWRB Morrison, TN - 10/19 2258 noted with ID and Christian teaching program in English. An excellent signal was noted. 

5085 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WTWW Lebanon, TN - 10/19 2301 noted with Ham Radio Live and an ad for ICOM America in English. An excellent signal was noted.

7490 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WBCQ Monticello, ME - 10/19 2116 noted with Brother R.G. Stair talking about the military strength of Russia, Israel and other countries in English. A very good signal was noted.

9790 kHz FRANCE Radio France Internationale via Issoudun - 10/19 2119 noted with commentary and discussion in French. A fair signal was noted.

11610 kHz MADAGASCAR Madagascar World Voice via Mahajanga - 10/19 2124 noted with Chinese language lessons with English translations into Christian teaching program in Chinese. A good signal was noted.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazonia ZYE365 Brasilia, D.F. - 10/19 2217 noted with pop music and talk in Portuguese. A very good signal was noted.

11820 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 10/19 2130 noted with the Holy Qu'ran program in Arabic. A good signal was noted.

11915 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 10/19 2133 noted with the Holy Qu'ran program in Arabic. A fair to poor signal was noted.

13680 kHz JAPAN NHK World (Radio Japan) via Yamato - 10/19 2138 noted with piano music and talk in Japanese. A fair to poor signal was noted.

13740 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 10/19 2317 noted with commentary on Cuban political processes in English. An excellent signal was noted.

13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki - 10/19 2322 noted with commentary in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.

15580 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay Mopeng Hill - 10/19 2103 noted with news in English into pop music, A fair signal was noted.

DXpedition #6 - Lincoln Shields Recreation Area, West Alton, MO

For my sixth DXpedition, I decided to give a different place a try. This time, I decided to give the Lincoln Shields Recreation Area a try. I've taken pictures from this area in the past, but I often wondered how DX would be at this location. It didn't take me long to find out!

On the afternoon of October 4, 2019, I took my radios there. Lincoln Shields Recreation Area is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, located in West Alton, MO at the southern end of the Clark Bridge along U.S. Highway 67. The area is within sight of downtown Alton, IL. Temperatures were in the upper 60s Fahrenheit under mostly clear skies; just four days before, the mercury was in the mid-90s Fahrenheit. A breeze was blowing in from the Mississippi River, some 20 yards to the north of where I set up my listening post.

I set up on the southern end of the asphalt parking lot, lashing the 10-foot high mast of the 30-foot longwire to a sign post with a "Bike Route" sign. A second mast, five feet high, was set up on the passenger side sliding door of the 2002 Chrysler Voyager I was driving. Once again, I brought my Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX and my General Electric Superadio III for AM broadcast band DX. The longwire was connected to the Tecsun. I began monitoring shortly after 2100 UTC.

On the AM broadcast band, late afternoon band conditions favored the Midwest. Stations were not only noted from Missouri and Illinois, but also from Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma. I discovered that I could put a tight null on the 20,000-watt day signal of WSDZ 1260 Belleville, IL in the late afternoon hours. I could hear several AMs carrying Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Saint Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves from the Cardinals' radio network. The biggest surprise of the afternoon turned out to be WING 1410 kHz Dayton, OH. I had expected WIZM La Crosse, WI to be dominant on the channel. The closest transmitters were of KFNS 590 and WBGZ 1570.

This was the first DXpedition where I heard at least one shortwave relay station from each continent. So many pleasant surprises were noted, including KBS World via Gimje, South Korea on 11810 kHz, Radio Free Asia via Dushanbe on 9875 kHz and Radio Brasil Central on 11815 kHz. Conditions were fair in the late afternoon all the way to the 49 Meter band, with 60 Meters from as far south as Brazil in by 2300 UTC. I finally wrapped up monitoring at 2340 UTC, five minutes before sunset.

General Electric Superadio III for AM broadcast band DX, Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX.

Clip mount for the center insulator supporting the longwire before adding the RG-6QS cable.

Longwire antenna for shortwave DX at sunset.

AM BROADCAST BAND DX (All times CDT)

  740 kHz WVLN Olney, IL - 10/4 1736 noted with local ads mentioning phone numbers in Area Code 618. A fair signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KWRE 730 kHz.

1100 kHz WTAM Cleveland, OH - 10/4 1743 noted with talk on Las Vegas, "WTAM" ID and mention of the station's Web site. A good to fair signal was noted; alone on channel.

1170 kHz KFAQ Tulsa, OK - 10/4 1821 noted with local ads, promo for The Pat Campbell Show, "Talk Radio 1170" ID, promo mentioning Tulsa, into sports talk show. A good signal was noted over KBOB and KJXX.

1400 kHz WGIL Galesburg, IL - 10/4 1638 noted with Game 2 of the National League Division Series. A fair signal was noted through KJFF.

1410 kHz WING Dayton, OH - 10/4 1702 noted with "ESPN 1410" ID, "From the Buffalo Wild Wings Studios, this is WING" mention into sports talk. A fair signal was noted over WIZM.

1450 kHz WKEI Kewanee, IL - 10/4 1755 noted with Game 2 of the National League Division Series. A poor signal was noted through other stations with ACI from KHOJ 1460 kHz.

1470 kHz WMBD Peoria, IL - 10/4 1701 noted with local news, "WMBD" ID. A good signal was noted with ACI from KHOJ 1460.

1500 kHz WBRI Indianapolis, IN - 10/4 1724 noted with The New Believers Christian teaching program, "AM 1500 WBRI and 96.7 FM" ID into USA Radio News. A fair signal was noted over KSTP and WPMB.

1510 kHz WCAZ Macomb, IL - 10/4 1642 noted with Classic Country format, "Classic Country WCAZ" ID. A fair signal was noted over WLAC.

1520 kHz KRHW Sikeston, MO - 10/4 1644 noted with Classic Country format, "Country Legends 98-9 and 1520 KRHW" ID. A fair signal was noted over WHOW.

1660 kHz KWOD Kansas City, KS - 10/4 1648 noted with local spots, promo mentioning Missouri State sports into Fox Sports Radio. A good signal was noted, alone on channel.

1690 kHz WVON Berwyn, IL - 10/4 1649 noted with "The Talk of Chicago, WVON" ID and several promos. A good signal was noted, alone on channel.

1700 kHz KBGG Des Moines, IA - 10/4 1654 noted with Des Moines traffic report and local ads. A good signal was noted, alone on channel.

SHORTWAVE LOGS (all times UTC)

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Para ZYG362 Belem, Para - 10/4 2317 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was noted.

5010 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Deutsche Welle via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 10/4 2227 noted with tail end of commentary in Spanish into "Fidelio" interval signal. A fair signal was noted.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 10/4 2218 noted with classic Cuban vocal music and commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was noted.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 10/4 2216 noted with light vocal music and commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.

6175 kHz  ALBANIA China Radio International relay via Cerrik - 10/4 2233 noted with traditional Chinese music until 2255, commentary in Portuguese. A fair signal was noted.

6195 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay Mopeng Hill - 10/4 2110 noted with African hi-life music and talk in English. A fair signal was noted.

6950 kHz USB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (PIRATE) Radio Free Whatever - 10/4 2304 noted with rock music, DJ (Dick Weed?) talking about Liam Gallagher and Oasis, mention of other pirates and various food and drink, off at 2310. A good to poor signal was noted.

7350 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kasgar - 10/4 2301 noted with news in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.

9445 kHz INDIA All India Radio via Bengaluru - 10/4 2133 noted with traditional Indian music and commentary in English. A fair signal was noted.

9620 kHz TURKEY Voice of Turkey via Emirler - 10/4 2131 noted with Middle Eastern music and description of the song played in English. A fair signal was noted.

9875 kHz TAJIKISTAN Radio Free Asia via Dushanbe - 10/4 2334 noted with discussion in Tibetan. A fair signal was noted.

10051 kHz USB CANADA Gander VOLMET - 10/4 2158 noted with aviation weather reports for various Canadian cities. A good signal was noted.

11810 kHz SOUTH KOREA KBS World via Gimje - 10/4 2209 noted with news and analysis in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.

11815 kHz BRAZIL Radio Brasil Central ZYE440 Goiania, Goias - 10/4 2312 noted with pop music and local ads in Portuguese. A good signal was noted.

11820 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 10/4 2213 noted with the Holy Qu'ran program in Arabic. A fair signal was noted.

11880 kHz AUSTRIA Adventist World Radio Africa via Moosbrunn - 10/4 2121 noted with a Christian teaching program in English. A fair signal was noted.

12095 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 10/4 2118 noted with talk on human versus artificial intelligence in English. A very good signal was noted.

13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki- 10/4 2335 noted with pop music, talk and "RNZ National" ID in English. A fair to poor signal was noted with ACI from WWCR on 13845 kHz.

15370 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 10/4 2124 noted with news analysis in Spanish. An excellent signal was noted. 

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.

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.

DXpedition #3 - Sioux Passage County Park near Florissant, MO

For my first DXpedition in four and a half months, I decided to stay close to my Hazelwood, MO shack, and set up at Sioux Passage County Park, located north of Florissant, MO on May 17, 2019 (UTC May 17-18). The park is run by Saint Louis County. As the camping area and boat launch area were closed due to flooding, I set up the listening post in a gravel parking lot near one of the horse trails.

The weather was very warm that evening; when I arrived to set up around 1800 CDT (2300 UTC), the temperatures were around 86 degrees F (30 degrees C). This DXpedition finally gave me a chance to check out the homebrew 30-foot longwire I made before the Marais Temps Clair DXpedition in December (I couldn't use it because I was in the office parking lot). The antenna outperformed the wire antenna that came with the Tecsun PL-600; I built the wire specifically for shortwave radio reception. I attached the antenna to a Jeststream JTCE4B center insulator that I purchased online from Universal Radio. I also used a PL259 to "F" adapter to get the antenna connected to 25 feet of RG-6QS cable, and an "F" to one-eighth inch connector to hook it up to the PL-600. Pictured below is a closeup of the wooden support of the shortwave antenna, attached to a TV antenna mast.

Once again, the Tecsun PL-600 was used for shortwave DX, while the General Electric Superadio III was used for AM broadcast band DX. Below are the two receivers as set up outside the 2002 Chrysler Voyager minivan I was driving.

The homebrew longwire antenna simply outperformed the wire that came with the PL-600 to the effect that it brought in signals much better. I started listening after 2330 UTC (1830 CDT). Conditions on the shortwave bands favored reception of stations from Europe, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. WWV was in like a local on 5 and 10 MHz, although WWVH gave WWV a run for the money on 15 MHz. I also had Radio Nacional da Amazonia from Brasilia, Brazil in like a local on 11780 kHz; Radio Voz Missionaria from Camboriu in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina had a fair signal on 9665 kHz. Most of the high-powered U.S. and Cuban shortwave signals were in at local strength. I also had excellent reception of Canadian Forces aviation weather station CHR at CFB Trenton, ON on 6754 kHz USB; I even had great reception on the 40 Meter (7 MHz) Amateur Radio band. The biggest surprises were China Radio International on 9590 kHz in Spanish and Radio New Zealand Pacific on 13840 kHz in stronger than University Network via WWCR Nashville, TN on 13845 kHz.

On the AM broadcast band, typical daytime conditions were the norm until after 1900 CDT (0000 UTC). Most of the reception came from the Midwest under sunset skip conditions. I was a little further east of KHOJ 1460 kHz this time around, resulting in the signal of the Catholic broadcaster being taken out after cutting to 210 watts nighttime power. The digital sidebands from KFUO 850 kHz were not quite as strong as they are at the shack; I was able to pull in WCCO 830 kHz Minneapolis, MN through the digital hash. I noted several stations carrying the Saint Louis Cardinals baseball game vs. the Texas Rangers (Texas won 7-3), while several others were carrying Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Finals between the Saint Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks (the Blues won 2-1 in regulation time). I wrapped up monitoring around 2015 CDT (0115 UTC).

Below is the logbook for each band. AM stations were logged using a General Electric Superadio III with the built-in ferrite rod; shortwave stations were logged using a Tecsun PL-600 with a homebrew 30-foot longwire antenna.

AM LOGBOOK (all times CDT)

930 kHz KWOC Poplar Bluff, MO - 5/17 1959 noted with local ads, "Talk 930 KWOC Poplar Bluff, Missouri and K227BK 93.3 FM" legal ID into CBS News. A good signal was noted over WTAD.

1030 kHz KCWJ Blue Springs, MO - 5/17 2002 noted with Saint Louis Blues hockey promo, local spots into Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals vs. San Jose. A fair to poor signal was noted over KFAY, WBZ and other stations.

1090 kHz KAAY Little Rock, AR - 5/17 2003 noted with Christian teaching program with the minister mentioning a phone number in Area Code 225 (Baton Rouge, LA). A good signal was noted over other stations.

1210 kHz WILY Centralia, IL - 5/17 1948 noted with Oldies format, "WILY 1210 AM and 98.7 FM" ID. A good to fair signal was noted over KGYN and WPHT.

1240 kHz WTAX Springfield, IL - 5/17 1900 noted with local ad, "The home of the Cardinals, WTAX" ID into Saint Louis Cardinals baseball vs. Texas. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KFMO.

1290 kHz WCBL Benton, KY - 5/17 1950 noted with local ad, "Great Oldies, 99-1 WCBL" ID (WCBL-FM in nearby Grand Rivers) into Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play. A fair signal was noted over KOIL, WHIO and WIRL.

1290 kHz WHIO Dayton, OH - 5/17 1951 noted with mention of WHIO-TV Channel 7, "WHIO" ID and local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KOIL, WCBL and WIRL.

1390 kHz WLLI Jackson, TN - 5/17 1911 noted with "Willie 94.1 FM and 1390 AM" ID into Country music format. A fair signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KXFN 1380 kHz.

1460 kHz WROY Carmi, IL - 5/17 2007 noted with Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play. A fair signal was noted over KHOJ, KXNO and WJCP.

1540 kHz KXEL Waterloo, IA - 5/17 1905 noted with "The Jim Bohannon Show, live at nine on News/Talk 1540 KXEL" ID, weather forecast from KCRG-TV into The Mark Levin Show. A good signal was noted over WSMI.

1560 kHz KTUI Sullivan, MO - 5/17 1906 noted with local ads into Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. A good to fair signal was noted over WGLB with adjacent channel interference from WBGZ 1570.

SHORTWAVE LOGBOOK (all times UTC)

5990 kHz CUBA China Radio International relay Quivican - 5/17 2339 noted with talk on Chinese civilization in English. A good signal was noted.

9420 kHz GREECE ERT - 5/17 2332 noted with discussion in Greek. A good signal was noted.

9590 CHINA China Radio International via Kashgar - 5/18 0005 noted with commentary on U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, CRI IDs in Spanish into pop music. A fair to poor signal was noted.

12000 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via Quivican - 5/18 0038 second harmonic of 6000 kHz; noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.

13650 kHz CUBA China Radio International relay Quivican - 5/17 2339 noted with discussion in Portuguese. A good signal was noted.

13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific - 5/17 2344 noted with pop music and talk on Australian politics in English. A good signal was noted.

13845 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA University Network via WWCR Nashville, TN - 5/17 2348 noted with a taped sermon from Dr. Gene Scott. A fair signal was noted.

15120 kHz CUBA China Radio International relay Quivican - 5/18 0042 noted with light vocal music and promos for CRI programs in Spanish. An excellent signal was noted.

DXpedition #2 - Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area, Black Walnut, MO

Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area is one of the most serene conservation areas in the St. Louis region. Located in the farming community of Black Walnut, between Orchard Farm and Portage des Sioux, MO, it is also about half way between Saint Charles and West Alton. I chose December 29, 2018 to go on a DXpedition to Marais Temps Clair. The temperature hovered around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero Celsius); I made sure I dressed warmly.

As was the case with the November DXpedition to Babler State Park, a General Electric Superadio III was used for AM broadcast band DX. A Tecsun PL-600 was used for the shortwave broadcast bands, along with the 20-foot longwire that came with the radio. Since the folding table didn't fit on the passenger side of the 2002 Chrysler Voyager I was driving, I put the PL-600 on the front passenger seat and the Superadio III in back of the steering wheel. The pictures below show the receivers on the front passenger seat before starting the DX session, and the shortwave antenna clipped to the car radio antenna.

Sunset skip conditions prevailed on the AM broadcast band when I started tuning prior to 1600 CST (2200 UTC). The areas coming in were other parts of the Midwest, as well as the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. On the shortwave bands, conditions favored the Americas. The place where I set up my listening post, the parking lot of the conservation area office on Island Road a mile from State Road H (Highway H), was just a few miles from the three-tower array of KHOJ (1460 kHz), located on MO 94 in Boschertown. 

At 1600 CST (2200 UTC), KHOJ was running day pattern with 12,000 watts. The adjacent channel interference covered up 1450 and 1470, but was able to hear DX on 1440 kHz and semi-local WJBM on 1480 kHz. At 1630 CST (2230 UTC), KHOJ switched to night pattern with 210 watts. With the listening post in a null toward Peoria, I was able to hear the usual mix on 1450 kHz; WMBD was fighting it out with WVOL in suburban Nashville on 1470 kHz. On 1460, WKAM Goshen, IN was heard underneath KHOJ. WBGZ 1570 kHz Alton, IL was in like a local both on 1,000 watts day power and 74 watts night power. Like with my home QTH in Hazelwood, the conservation area is in a null of KFNS 590 kHz Wood River, IL toward Omaha. Sure enough, KXSP was heard underneath KFNS. The adjacent channel digital interference from KFUO 850 kHz Clayton, MO covered up 840 and 860, but I was able to hear WCCO 830 in Minneapolis and WWL 870 in New Orleans. 

On the shortwave bands, the U.S. and Cuba were the dominant countries. I did hear the Canadian Forces aviation weather station CHR on 6754 kHz USB from the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, ON around 2320 UTC, giving the weather for airports in Canada and Europe with a very good signal. I wrapped up the session around 1730 CST (2330 UTC), leaving for my home QTH as the snow flurries started falling.

As is the case with Babler State Park, the noise floor at Marais Temps Clair is nonexistent, although the adjacent channel interference from the St. Louis stations was a tad stronger. The place is also perfect for a sunrise DXpedition, as well as daytime and evening DXpeditions. The area is open from 0400 to 2200 local time.

AM RADIO LOGBOOK

570 kHz WNAX Yankton, SD noted at 1704 CST (2304 UTC) with local ads, "570 WNAX" ID into regional news. A good to fair signal was noted over KLIF.

580 kHz WIBW Topeka, KS at 1605 CST (2205 UTC) with local ads, "WIBW 580 and 104.9" ID into a talk program. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WILL and adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590.

720 kHz WGCR Pisgah Forest, NC at 1608 CST (2208 UTC) with Southern Gospel music, Eastern time check, "Gospel Carolina Radio" ID into another music set, fading before 1615 sign-off. A good signal was noted over WGN with adjacent channel interference from KWRE 730.

740 kHz CFZM Toronto, ON at 1709 CST (2309 UTC) with Oldies and Adult Standards, "Great Big Zoomer Hits" mention. A good signal was noted over KRMG.

800 kHz CKLW Windsor, ON at 1714 CST (2314 UTC) with weather forecast into a review of weather events in Ontario during 2018. A good signal was noted over KQCV.

880 kHz KRVN Lexington, NE at 1617 CST (2217 UTC) with The Joe Kelly Show and Lexington area ads. A fair signal was noted over WIJR and WCBS.

990 kHz CBW Winnipeg, MB at 1630 CST (2230 UTC) with Country and Folk music, talk about text messages, "CBC Radio One" ID. A fair signal was noted over other stations.

1030 kHz WBZ Boston, MA at 1635 CST (2235 UTC) with Eastern time check, "WBZ News Radio 1030" ID, local news item and local ads. A good signal was noted over KCWJ, KFAY and KTWO.

1060 kHz KYW Philadelphia, PA at 1637 CST (2237 UTC) with sports report, mention of "Sports Radio 94 WIP", "KYW News Radio" ID, promo for Traffic on the Twos into local ads. A good signal was noted over other stations.

1480 kHz KCZZ Mission, KS at 1653 CST (2253 UTC) with sports talk and highlights, "ESPN Deportes" mention and local ads in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WJBM and WLMV.

1660 kHz WQLR Kalamazoo, MI at 1657 CST (2257 UTC) with local ads, "1660 the Fan, WQLR Kalamazoo" legal ID at 1700 (2300). A good signal was noted over KWOD.

SHORTWAVE LOGBOOK

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana at 2158 UTC (1558 CST) with Salsa music, ID into a newscast in Spanish A fair signal was noted.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba at 2307 UTC (1707 CST) with ID into commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was noted.

6090 kHz ANGUILLA Caribbean Beacon at 2233 UTC (1633 CST) with a sermon by Pastor Melissa Scott. A good signal was noted.

9265 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WINB Red Lion, PA noted at 2240 UTC (1640 UTC) with light vocal Christian music and a brief sermon in English. A good signal was noted.

9330 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WBCQ Monticello, ME at 2244 UTC (1644 CST) with The Overcomer with Brother R.G. Stair (some DXers call him Brother Scare). A good to fair signal was noted.

9720 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba noted at 2245 UTC (1645 CST) with Music With a Message, focusing on Cuban revolutionary songs. A very good signal was noted.

DXpedition #1...Babler State Park, Wildwood, MO

The weather was just perfect for a DXpedition on November 24, 2018. This is the first DXpedition I've undertaken in 37 years of DXing. After taking a one-mile hike and taking 140 scenic pictures (photography is another hobby of mine) and having a picnic lunch, it was time to hit the dials.

Babler State Park is located about 25 miles west of downtown St. Louis in the city of Wildwood. The parking area from where I DXed is on the western end of the park, toward Wild Horse Creek Road. Access is through Babler Park Drive (State Road BA) off Missouri 109. 

The picture below is of the two receivers I used on the DXpedition. For the AM broadcast band, I used my trusty General Electric Superadio III with a built-in ferrite rod antenna, which I bought in 1994. For the shortwave band, I used a Tecsun PL-600, which I bought in 2017.

(G.E. Superadio III, Tecsun PL-600)

The picture below is the shortwave antenna I used. I attached the 20-foot longwire that came with the PL-600 to the car radio antenna on the 2002 Chrysler Voyager. 

The noise floor was non-existent where I set up my listening post. When I turned on the Superadio III around 2:15 p.m. local time (2015 UTC), I found that the adjacent channel interference from the St. Louis stations was significantly reduced versus my shack in Hazelwood. The digital sidebands from KFUO 850, the last remaining AM station broadcasting in Hybrid Digital (HD), were noticeably less, allowing me to pull in DX on 820, 830 and, after 3:00 p.m. (2100 UTC), 860 and 870. Chicago AM stations were coming in with good to fair signals; WSCR 670 was at semi-local strength. It was around 2:45 p.m. (2045 UTC) that signals from stations in the Great Lakes region were rolling in. The biggest surprise was WMKT 1270 (see the logbook later in the blog entry). Before I packed up around 4:00 p.m. (2200 UTC), Southern stations began to come in. 

DX was even coming in with a few of the lower-powered St. Louis stations after 3:00 p.m. (2100 UTC). During that hour, WBAA West Lafayette, IN was coming in under WGNU on 920. The park is in a null of WSDZ 1260 toward the west; KSGF Springfield, MO was coming in at equal strength with WSDZ after 2:30 p.m. (2030 UTC).

On the shortwave bands, conditions were good toward the Americas, Europe and Africa. The biggest surprise I had was WWVH from Hawaii taking out WWV on 15 MHz. WWV was in like a local on 10 MHz. I didn't check the Ham or utility bands during the DXpedition. I'll make sure I check these bands on a future DXpedition. The only piece of Amateur Radio equipment I had was a tri-band Yaesu VX-5 (6 meters, 2 meters and 70 cm) handheld transceiver and a Diamond dual-band magnetic-mounted antenna.

Babler State Park is an excellent place for a daytime DXpedition less than 40 minutes from downtown St. Louis. Take a radio and/or antenna with you on your next day trip to this part of the area locals call West County.

AM RADIO LOGBOOK (All times Eastern...for local time, subtract one hour)
Equipment: General Electric Superadio III, built-in ferrite rod antenna

600 kHz WMT Cedar Rapids, IA at 1655 with Mayo Clinic Radio, local ads, The Family Minute with Mark Merrill, "This is Newsradio 600 WMT Cedar Rapids, an iHeart Radio Station" legal ID into Fox News Radio. A fair signal was noted over WREC; no adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590.

640 kHz WCRV Collierville, TN at 1627 with local ads, mention of the Bott Radio Network in a promo, Christmas programming promo, weather forecast for the Memphis area. A fair signal was noted over WOI; no adjacent channel interference from KYFI 630.

710 kHz KCMO Kansas City, MO at 1631 with local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted.

750 kHz KBNN Lebanon, MO at 1529 with Dave Ramsey and local ads. A fair signal was noted with second adjacent channel interference from WEW 770.

750 kHz WNDZ Portage, IN at 1632 with a Christian teaching program in Russian. A good signal was noted over KBNN.

760 kHz WJR Detroit, MI at 1633 with Michigan State University football play-by-play. A fair signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from WEW 770.

800 kHz KREI Farmington, MO at 1549 with a health talk show and local ads. A fair signal was noted; alone on the frequency.

900 kHz KFAL Fulton, MO at 1552 with Country music, "Real Country 900 KFAL" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted.

930 kHz WTAD Quincy, IL at 1532 with University of Illinois football play-by-play and local ads. A fair signal was noted over KWOC.

1000 kHz WMVP Chicago, IL at 1543 with Northwestern University football play-by-play. A fair signal was noted with minor adjacent channel interference from KXEN 1010.

1080 kHz WNWI Oak Lawn, IL at 1602 with news in Polish. A fair signal was noted over WRYT.

1110 kHz WMBI Chicago, IL at 1604 with Contemporary Christian music and "Radio Moody" ID in Spanish. A fair signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KMOX 1120.

1200 kHz WRTO Chicago, IL at 1519 with sports talk in Spanish. A good signal was noted with minor adjacent channel interference from KQQZ 1190.

1270 kHz WMKT Charlevoix, MI at 1640 with local ads, college football scores and "1270 AM and 102.3 FM WMKT" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KIIK and other stations.

1330 kHz WRAM Monmouth, IL at 1607 with a Country-style Christmas song, weak calls into a Country selection. A fair to poor signal was noted with no adjacent channel interference from KSIV 1320.

1370 kHz WSPD Toledo, OH at 1648 with local ads into a health talk show. A fair signal was noted over KDTH and WCCN with adjacent channel interference from KXFN 1380.

1470 kHz WMBD Peoria, IL at 1612 with Bradley University basketball post-game show, local ads and "1470 and 100.3 WMBD" ID. A good signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KHOJ 1460.

1580 kHz WHLY South Bend, IN at 1616 with local ads in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted over KTGR.

1610 kHz CHHA Toronto, ON at 1621 with pop music and announcements in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KATZ 1600.

SHORTWAVE LOGBOOK (All times UTC...for local time, subtract six hours)
Equipment: Tecsun PL-600, 20-foot longwire antenna

6070 kHz CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON at 2108 with discussion, local ads and "In-Depth Radio, News/Talk 1010" ID in English. A fair signal was noted.

7310 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International at 2143 with talk on Romanian and European literature in English. A good signal was noted.

9690 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España at 2015 with play-by-play of a soccer match in Spanish. A good signal was noted. 

11900 kHz SÃO TOME É PRINCIPE Voice of America relay at 2041 with a discussion in Hausa. A good signal was noted.

15000 kHz HAWAII WWVH Kehaha, Kauai at 2035 with time signals, announcement at 2036. A good to fair signal was noted, taking out WWV.

15140 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba at 2034 with commentary in English. A very good signal was noted.

15580 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay at 2026 with a discussion in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.