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!
Monday, April 20, 2020
Monday, April 13, 2020
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.
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.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Logbook for Week #2 - Shelter-in-Place Order
Now that we've passed the second week of the Shelter-in-Place order in Saint Louis County, there's more to report. As I write this, the statewide Shelter-in-Place order took effect throughout the State of Missouri; it is in effect until April 24, 2020.
During the week of March 30-April 5, I sent out reception reports to CKLW 800 in Windsor, ON, WSJP 1640 in Sussex, WI, WVON 1690 in Berwyn, IL and time and frequency station CHU in Ottawa, ON (3330 kHz). I haven't been doing this as much in recent years, but I'll try and send out more reports as long as these orders are in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The big news in Saint Louis is that KQQZ 1190 kHz Fairview Heights, IL and KZQZ 1430 kHz Saint Louis, MO are now officially pirates; both stations lost their licenses in late March 2020. The stations are now operating illegally.
SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGS
Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A AM/FM/LW/SW portable receiver, 30-foot longwire (installed outdoors), 150-foot dipole (installed in the attic. All times are UTC. (for CDT, subtract five hours.)
5945 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki - 4/4 1225 noted with an interview in English; heard with a good signal.
6100 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 4/4 1220 noted with commentary in Russian; heard with a fair to poor signal.
6930 kHz USB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (PIRATE) Wolverine Radio - 4/5 0139 noted with rock music, "Wolverine Radio" ID after every other song; heard with a good signal.
7335 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Marti via Greenville, NC - 4/4 1148 noted with a Jazz program and ID in Spanish; an excellent signal was heard, drowning out the Cuban jammer.
9555 kHz TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International via Paochung - 4/4 1201 noted with news and commentary in Chinese; heard with a fair to poor signal.
9680 kHz TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International via Tanshui - 4/4 1143 noted with commentary in Chinese; heard with a fair signal.
9760 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kunming - 4/4 1204 noted with news and commentary in English; a poor signal was heard.
11700 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via Quivican - 3/31 2350 noted with vocal music and commentary in Portuguese; a good to fair signal was heard.
11770 kHz CHINA Xinjiang People's Broadcasting Station Urumqi - 4/5 0202 noted with news and commentary in Chinese; heard with a poor signal.
11950 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 3/31 2355 noted with a roundtable discussion in Spanish; heard with a good signal.
13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki - 4/3 0045 noted with interviews in English; a fair to poor signal was heard.
AM BROADCAST BAND LOGS
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, National NC-60 Special AM/SW five-tube receiver, Apex 303WA-2 LW/AM/SW vertical antenna. All times CDT (for UTC, add five hours; for EDT, add one hour).
570 kHz KLIF Dallas, TX - 4/1 0707 noted with local news focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. A fair signal was heard over WKYX.
630 kHz CFCO Chatham, ON - 4/2 0249 noted with a "CFCO" ID into a Country music format. A fair signal was heard through KYFI.
640 kHz WOI Ames, IA - 4/3 0329 noted with an underwriting announcement, promo, "The Talk of Iowa, IPR" mention into BBC News. A fair signal was heard over KWPN and WCRV.
640 kHz KWPN Moore, OK - 4/2 0247 noted with a local ad, "Serving the Great Southwest, ESPN 640" ID into ESPN SportsCenter All Night. A fair signal was heard over WOI.
820 kHz WVSG Columbus, OH - 4/3 1948 noted with The Daily Mass, Breaking the Bread and choral music. The programming matches the Saint Gabriel Radio Web site. A fair to poor signal was heard over WBAP.
840 kHz KWDF Ball, LA - 4/3 0359 noted with "AM 840 KWDF" ID, weather forecast and a legal ID; left on overnight. A fair signal was heard through WHAS.
850 kHz WKNR Cleveland, OH - 4/1 0613 noted with local spots, promos, "850 ESPN" ID and "ESPN Cleveland" mention. A good signal was heard with KOA nulled.
920 kHz WMPL Hancock, MI - 4/2 0158 noted with local ads, "WMPL" ID in a promo. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KARN and KDHL.
1010 kHz CFRB Toronto, ON - 4/2 0701 noted with local traffic report, "News/Talk 1010 CFRB" ID into local news. A fair signal was heard over other stations with KXEN nulled.
1010 kHz WHIN Gallatin, TN - 4/2 0530 noted with an Adult Contemporary format, "The New 100.7 WHIN" ID into local ads. A fair signal was heard with KXEN nulled.
1320 kHz WILS Lansing, MI - 4/5 0559 noted with "Talk Radio 1320 WILS" ID in a promo, legal ID into Fox News Radio. A fair signal was heard through KSIV.
1430 kHz CHKT Toronto, ON - 4/5 0420 noted with light vocal music, "CHKT" ID and a brief announcement in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations; pirate KZQZ was off.
1430 kHz WRMG Red Bay, AL - 4/4 0146 noted with "This is The Big One, 97.9 WRMG, Your Classic Oldies Station" ID into an Oldies format. A fair signal was heard over other stations; pirate KZQZ was off.
1430 kHz KROL Carrollton, MO - 4/5 0331 poked through with mention of 101.3 FM in a promo into a local ad. A poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations; pirate KZQZ was off.
1560 kHz KEBC Del City, OK - 3/31 0625 noted with talk on coaching changes in the National Football League, "NBC Sports Radio" mention into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WGLB.
1600 kHz KNWA Bellefonte, AR - 4/2 0645 noted with "KNWA, 1600 AM and 97.5 FM" ID into a Country music format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KGYM and other stations with KATZ nulled.
During the week of March 30-April 5, I sent out reception reports to CKLW 800 in Windsor, ON, WSJP 1640 in Sussex, WI, WVON 1690 in Berwyn, IL and time and frequency station CHU in Ottawa, ON (3330 kHz). I haven't been doing this as much in recent years, but I'll try and send out more reports as long as these orders are in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The big news in Saint Louis is that KQQZ 1190 kHz Fairview Heights, IL and KZQZ 1430 kHz Saint Louis, MO are now officially pirates; both stations lost their licenses in late March 2020. The stations are now operating illegally.
SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGS
Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A AM/FM/LW/SW portable receiver, 30-foot longwire (installed outdoors), 150-foot dipole (installed in the attic. All times are UTC. (for CDT, subtract five hours.)
5945 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki - 4/4 1225 noted with an interview in English; heard with a good signal.
6100 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 4/4 1220 noted with commentary in Russian; heard with a fair to poor signal.
6930 kHz USB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (PIRATE) Wolverine Radio - 4/5 0139 noted with rock music, "Wolverine Radio" ID after every other song; heard with a good signal.
7335 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Marti via Greenville, NC - 4/4 1148 noted with a Jazz program and ID in Spanish; an excellent signal was heard, drowning out the Cuban jammer.
9555 kHz TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International via Paochung - 4/4 1201 noted with news and commentary in Chinese; heard with a fair to poor signal.
9680 kHz TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International via Tanshui - 4/4 1143 noted with commentary in Chinese; heard with a fair signal.
9760 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kunming - 4/4 1204 noted with news and commentary in English; a poor signal was heard.
11700 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via Quivican - 3/31 2350 noted with vocal music and commentary in Portuguese; a good to fair signal was heard.
11770 kHz CHINA Xinjiang People's Broadcasting Station Urumqi - 4/5 0202 noted with news and commentary in Chinese; heard with a poor signal.
11950 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 3/31 2355 noted with a roundtable discussion in Spanish; heard with a good signal.
13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki - 4/3 0045 noted with interviews in English; a fair to poor signal was heard.
AM BROADCAST BAND LOGS
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, National NC-60 Special AM/SW five-tube receiver, Apex 303WA-2 LW/AM/SW vertical antenna. All times CDT (for UTC, add five hours; for EDT, add one hour).
570 kHz KLIF Dallas, TX - 4/1 0707 noted with local news focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. A fair signal was heard over WKYX.
630 kHz CFCO Chatham, ON - 4/2 0249 noted with a "CFCO" ID into a Country music format. A fair signal was heard through KYFI.
640 kHz WOI Ames, IA - 4/3 0329 noted with an underwriting announcement, promo, "The Talk of Iowa, IPR" mention into BBC News. A fair signal was heard over KWPN and WCRV.
640 kHz KWPN Moore, OK - 4/2 0247 noted with a local ad, "Serving the Great Southwest, ESPN 640" ID into ESPN SportsCenter All Night. A fair signal was heard over WOI.
820 kHz WVSG Columbus, OH - 4/3 1948 noted with The Daily Mass, Breaking the Bread and choral music. The programming matches the Saint Gabriel Radio Web site. A fair to poor signal was heard over WBAP.
840 kHz KWDF Ball, LA - 4/3 0359 noted with "AM 840 KWDF" ID, weather forecast and a legal ID; left on overnight. A fair signal was heard through WHAS.
850 kHz WKNR Cleveland, OH - 4/1 0613 noted with local spots, promos, "850 ESPN" ID and "ESPN Cleveland" mention. A good signal was heard with KOA nulled.
920 kHz WMPL Hancock, MI - 4/2 0158 noted with local ads, "WMPL" ID in a promo. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KARN and KDHL.
1010 kHz CFRB Toronto, ON - 4/2 0701 noted with local traffic report, "News/Talk 1010 CFRB" ID into local news. A fair signal was heard over other stations with KXEN nulled.
1010 kHz WHIN Gallatin, TN - 4/2 0530 noted with an Adult Contemporary format, "The New 100.7 WHIN" ID into local ads. A fair signal was heard with KXEN nulled.
1320 kHz WILS Lansing, MI - 4/5 0559 noted with "Talk Radio 1320 WILS" ID in a promo, legal ID into Fox News Radio. A fair signal was heard through KSIV.
1430 kHz CHKT Toronto, ON - 4/5 0420 noted with light vocal music, "CHKT" ID and a brief announcement in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations; pirate KZQZ was off.
1430 kHz WRMG Red Bay, AL - 4/4 0146 noted with "This is The Big One, 97.9 WRMG, Your Classic Oldies Station" ID into an Oldies format. A fair signal was heard over other stations; pirate KZQZ was off.
1430 kHz KROL Carrollton, MO - 4/5 0331 poked through with mention of 101.3 FM in a promo into a local ad. A poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations; pirate KZQZ was off.
1560 kHz KEBC Del City, OK - 3/31 0625 noted with talk on coaching changes in the National Football League, "NBC Sports Radio" mention into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WGLB.
1600 kHz KNWA Bellefonte, AR - 4/2 0645 noted with "KNWA, 1600 AM and 97.5 FM" ID into a Country music format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KGYM and other stations with KATZ nulled.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Logbook for Week #1 - Shelter-in-Place Order
At 0500 UTC (Midnight CDT) on March 23, 2020, a Shelter-in-Place order took effect for Saint Louis County, MO due to the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) pandemic. This Shelter-in-Place order is in effect until April 23, 2020. This has put a delay on my DXpedition season; I've had to push back my first DXpedition of 2020 (my eleventh DXpedition) for as long as this order remains in place for the Saint Louis metro area.
What is there to do? Of course, for me, I'm DXing. These logs are from the first week of the Shelter-in-Place order for Saint Louis County. The listening post is located in Hazelwood, MO, located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Saint Louis and three miles (0.91 km) north of Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport.
SHORTWAVE LOGS
Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A portable communications receiver, MFJ-959C antenna tuner/amplifier, homebrew 150-foot (45 meter) dipole antenna, installed in the attic, homebrew 30-foot (9.1 meter) longwire antenna, installed outdoors (All times UTC)
5875 kHz VATICAN CITY BBC World Service via Santa Maria di Galeria - 3/28 0514 noted with an interview in English with a fair to poor signal.
6105 kHz FRANCE Radio Algerienne via Issoudun - 3/28 0536 noted with commentary in French into Middle Eastern music with a fair signal. Adjacent channel interference was noted from Radio Havana Cuba on 6100 kHz.
6145 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 3/24 0640 noted with talk on how the COVID-19 virus has affected Cuba in English with a good to fair signal.
7780 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Slovakia International via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 3/25 0042 noted with talk on education in English with a very good signal.
9800 kHz JAPAN Radio Japan via Yamato - 3/26 0744 noted with commentary in Japanese into light vocal music with a fair to poor signal.
10000 kHz HAWAII WWVH Kekaha, Kauai - 3/24 0634 noted with time signals and time announcements every 60 seconds in English. A good signal was noted over WWV.
AM (MW) BROADCAST BAND LOGS
Equipment used: CountyComm GP-5/SSB Gen 3 Ultralight receiver, Grundig AN-200 tunable loop antenna, National NC-60 Special five-tube AM/SW receiver, Apex 303WA-2 LW/AM/SW vertical antenna, Yaesu FRG-7 communications receiver, Worcester Electronics Space Magnet II ferrite core loop antenna (All times CDT; for EDT, add one hour.)
820 kHz WCPT Willow Springs, IL - 3/28 0545 noted with station promos, "WCPT, Chicago's Progressive Talk" slogan into local ads. A fair signal was noted in WBAP's null; apparently on day power and pattern.
930 kHz WGAD Rainbow City, AL - 3/26 0209 noted with a "WGAD" jingle into an Oldies format. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WRVC and WTAD.
960 kHz KZIM Cape Girardeau, MO - 3/26 0356 noted with the tail end of Coast-to-Coast AM, local ads, dual-station legal ID with KSIM 1400 Sikeston, MO into ABC News. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KMA and WABG.
960 kHz KFLN Baker, MT - 3/25 0130 noted with mention of "online at KFLN-dot-com" into a Country format. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KMA and KZIM; apparently on day power. Fifth AM station logged at Hazelwood, MO from Montana.
1050 kHz CHUM Toronto, ON - 3/26 0413 noted with a "TSN 1050" ID into a Toronto traffic report mentioning an accident on the 404 expressway. A fair signal was noted over other stations.
1260 kHz WNDE Indianapolis, IN - 3/24 0043 noted with Fox Sports Radio programming, local and national ads. A fair signal was noted over WSDZ.
1290 kHz WIRL Peoria, IL - 3/24 0127 noted with "WIRL" jingle into an Oldies format. A fair signal was noted over WHIO.
1350 kHz WPDR Portage, WI - 3.27 0033 noted with a weather forecast, "AM 1350 WPDR" ID into an Oldies format. A good to fair signal was noted, mixing with other stations; apparently on day power.
1380 kHz WKJV Asheville, NC - 3/29 0335 noted with a Southern Gospel format and local announcements. A good to fair signal was noted, nearly taking out KXFN.
1450 kHz WDLB Marshfield, WI - 3/24 2157 noted with a Classic Hits format, "1450 WDLB" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KMRY, WASK and other stations. 74th AM station logged at Hazelwood, MO from Wisconsin.
OTHER NOTES: Three reception reports went out during that week. Reports went out 3/27 to Radio Slovakia International (7780 kHz via WRMI) and Gander VOLMET (6604 kHz USB), and on 3/28 to Shannon VOLMET (5505 kHz USB). I checked in to my regular Ham Radio nets that week: the Monday night Lewis and Clark Radio Club net on the 145.230 MHz (-) repeater and the Tuesday night Saint Louis and Suburban Radio Club net on the 146.850 MHZ (-) repeater. 27 operators checked in (myself included) on the LCRC net; 53 operators checked in on the SLSRC net. As long as there's signals to be heard, that's a good thing.
To the DX community: be safe and healthy.
What is there to do? Of course, for me, I'm DXing. These logs are from the first week of the Shelter-in-Place order for Saint Louis County. The listening post is located in Hazelwood, MO, located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Saint Louis and three miles (0.91 km) north of Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport.
SHORTWAVE LOGS
Equipment used: Sangean ATS-803A portable communications receiver, MFJ-959C antenna tuner/amplifier, homebrew 150-foot (45 meter) dipole antenna, installed in the attic, homebrew 30-foot (9.1 meter) longwire antenna, installed outdoors (All times UTC)
5875 kHz VATICAN CITY BBC World Service via Santa Maria di Galeria - 3/28 0514 noted with an interview in English with a fair to poor signal.
6105 kHz FRANCE Radio Algerienne via Issoudun - 3/28 0536 noted with commentary in French into Middle Eastern music with a fair signal. Adjacent channel interference was noted from Radio Havana Cuba on 6100 kHz.
6145 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 3/24 0640 noted with talk on how the COVID-19 virus has affected Cuba in English with a good to fair signal.
7780 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Slovakia International via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 3/25 0042 noted with talk on education in English with a very good signal.
9800 kHz JAPAN Radio Japan via Yamato - 3/26 0744 noted with commentary in Japanese into light vocal music with a fair to poor signal.
10000 kHz HAWAII WWVH Kekaha, Kauai - 3/24 0634 noted with time signals and time announcements every 60 seconds in English. A good signal was noted over WWV.
AM (MW) BROADCAST BAND LOGS
Equipment used: CountyComm GP-5/SSB Gen 3 Ultralight receiver, Grundig AN-200 tunable loop antenna, National NC-60 Special five-tube AM/SW receiver, Apex 303WA-2 LW/AM/SW vertical antenna, Yaesu FRG-7 communications receiver, Worcester Electronics Space Magnet II ferrite core loop antenna (All times CDT; for EDT, add one hour.)
820 kHz WCPT Willow Springs, IL - 3/28 0545 noted with station promos, "WCPT, Chicago's Progressive Talk" slogan into local ads. A fair signal was noted in WBAP's null; apparently on day power and pattern.
930 kHz WGAD Rainbow City, AL - 3/26 0209 noted with a "WGAD" jingle into an Oldies format. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WRVC and WTAD.
960 kHz KZIM Cape Girardeau, MO - 3/26 0356 noted with the tail end of Coast-to-Coast AM, local ads, dual-station legal ID with KSIM 1400 Sikeston, MO into ABC News. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KMA and WABG.
960 kHz KFLN Baker, MT - 3/25 0130 noted with mention of "online at KFLN-dot-com" into a Country format. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KMA and KZIM; apparently on day power. Fifth AM station logged at Hazelwood, MO from Montana.
1050 kHz CHUM Toronto, ON - 3/26 0413 noted with a "TSN 1050" ID into a Toronto traffic report mentioning an accident on the 404 expressway. A fair signal was noted over other stations.
1260 kHz WNDE Indianapolis, IN - 3/24 0043 noted with Fox Sports Radio programming, local and national ads. A fair signal was noted over WSDZ.
1290 kHz WIRL Peoria, IL - 3/24 0127 noted with "WIRL" jingle into an Oldies format. A fair signal was noted over WHIO.
1350 kHz WPDR Portage, WI - 3.27 0033 noted with a weather forecast, "AM 1350 WPDR" ID into an Oldies format. A good to fair signal was noted, mixing with other stations; apparently on day power.
1380 kHz WKJV Asheville, NC - 3/29 0335 noted with a Southern Gospel format and local announcements. A good to fair signal was noted, nearly taking out KXFN.
1450 kHz WDLB Marshfield, WI - 3/24 2157 noted with a Classic Hits format, "1450 WDLB" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KMRY, WASK and other stations. 74th AM station logged at Hazelwood, MO from Wisconsin.
OTHER NOTES: Three reception reports went out during that week. Reports went out 3/27 to Radio Slovakia International (7780 kHz via WRMI) and Gander VOLMET (6604 kHz USB), and on 3/28 to Shannon VOLMET (5505 kHz USB). I checked in to my regular Ham Radio nets that week: the Monday night Lewis and Clark Radio Club net on the 145.230 MHz (-) repeater and the Tuesday night Saint Louis and Suburban Radio Club net on the 146.850 MHZ (-) repeater. 27 operators checked in (myself included) on the LCRC net; 53 operators checked in on the SLSRC net. As long as there's signals to be heard, that's a good thing.
To the DX community: be safe and healthy.
Monday, November 25, 2019
DXpedition #10 - Babler State Park, Wildwood, MO
One year and one day after my first DXpedition, I returned to Babler State Park in the city of Wildwood, MO for my tenth DXpedition. This time, I set up in the parking lot north of the Gray Park Trailhead, about half a mile from where I set up for the November 24, 2018 DXpedition. The skies were partly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-60s Fahrenheit. It was warm enough to keep one window open on the 2002 Chrysler Voyager I was driving.
This would be the first time I would take the 30-foot homebrew roll-up longwire to Babler. I built this antenna after the first Babler DXpedition; I broke it in on the first Sioux Passage DXpedition in May 2019. I lashed the mast supporting the antenna to a tree about 30 feet away from the listening post; the center insulator was clipped to the front passenger window, which was partially open. Once again, I took along the Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX and the General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. On this DXpedition, I took along the newest piece of equipment in my setup; a Whistler WS-1040 handheld digital scanner.
Reception conditions on the AM (MW) band were typical daytime conditions before 1400 CST (2000 UTC). After 1400 CST (2000 UTC), I was hearing other areas of the Midwest before stations from the East started coming through around 1430 CST (2030 UTC). After 1600 CST (2200 UTC), stations to the west started to come in. On the shortwave bands, conditions favored Africa before 2000 UTC (1400 CST), although a few stations in the Americas were coming through. South Asia and the Middle East came through after 2100 UTC (1500 CST), with East Asia coming through after 2200 UTC (1600 CST). On the scanner, I noted the Franklin County (MO) Sheriff's Department on 151.34 MHz, Lincoln County (MO) Fire/EMS Dispatch on 159.285 MHz and several frequencies on the 800 MHz Saint Charles County trunked radio system (the latter of which I cannot hear at my home listening post in Hazelwood). I also heard the NOAA Weather Radio stations on 162.425 (WNG728 Bellflower, MO), 162.450 (KXI70 Jerseyville, IL) and 162.525 MHz (WWF75 Bourbon, MO) in addition to local KDO89 on 162.550 MHz. I started monitoring around 1315 CST (1915 UTC), wrapping up around 1645 CST (2245 UTC) to face the Monday rush hour traffic in western Saint Louis County.
All times on the AM (MW) broadcast band logs are CST; all times on the shortwave logs are UTC.
AM BROADCAST BAND LOGS
570 kHz WKBN Youngstown, OH - 11/25 1631 noted with local ads, promo for The Sean Hannity Show, "News/Talk 570" ID into weather forecast. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WNAX.
750 kHz WNDZ Portage, IN - 11/25 1437 noted with local ads in Spanish. A fair signal was noted over KBNN.
780 kHz WJAG Norfolk, NE - 11/25 1635 noted with talk on the corn crop and prices. A good to fair signal was noted over WBBM with slight adjacent channel interference from WEW 770.
790 kHz WKRD Louisville, KY - 11/25 1515 noted with talk on University of Kentucky and University of Louisville sports, "Cards Radio 790 KRD" ID, station promo and local ads. A good to fair signal was noted over WMC and WRMS.
880 kHz KRVN Lexington, NE - 11/25 1740 noted with extended agricultural forecast for Nebraska and Kansas, ads for various Nebraska businesses, financial report, seat belt safety PSA. A good signal was noted over WCBS and WIJR.
890 kHz WKNV Fairlawn, VA - 11/25 1529 noted with "Joy FM" ID into Southern Gospel music. A fair signal was noted over WLS.
960 kHz WFIR Roanoke, VA - 11/25 1531 noted with Virginia Tech Hokies basketball pre-game show from the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. A fair signal was noted over KZIM.
1020 kHz KDKA Pittsburgh, PA - 11/25 1447 noted with promo, local ads including one mentioning a number in Area Code 724. A fair to poor signal was noted with moderate adjacent channel interference from KXEN 1010.
1030 kHz WGSF Memphis, TN - 11/25 1452 noted with a Regional Mexican format, promo in Spanish mentioning Radio Ambiente. A fair to poor signal was noted over KCWJ.
1040 kHz WPBS Conyers, GA - 11/25 1555 noted with discussion mentioning Georgia in Vietnamese. A good signal was noted over WHO.
1060 kHz WILB Canton, OH - 11/25 1455 noted with EWTN promos, Christopher Minute, local underwriting announcements. A fair signal was noted over WMCL.
1110 kHz KFAB Omaha, NE - 11/25 1716 noted with "News Radio 1110 KFAB" ID, promo for the iHeart Music Awards mentioning CW 15 (KXVO-TV) into local ads. A good signal was noted with moderate adjacent channel interference from KMOX 1120.
1170 kHz KFAQ Tulsa, OK - 11/25 1505 noted with weather forecast, sports show promo, "Talk Radio 1170" ID before fading to WWVA with Sean Hannity. A good signal was noted over KBOB and WWVA.
1340 kHz KSMO Salem, MO - 11/25 1319 noted with ads mentioning Salem. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KXEO.
1340 kHz KXEO Mexico, MO - 11/25 1324 noted with a Gold-based Adult Contemporary format, "KXEO" IDs. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KSMO.
1350 kHz KRAP Washington, MO - 11/25 1407 noted with a Hot Adult Contemporary format, "Westplex 107.1" ID. A fair signal was noted, mixing with WSIQ.
1360 kHz KBKB Fort Madison, IA - 11/25 1417 noted with local ads, weather forecast, "Fox Sports Radio 1360" ID into Fox Sports Radio. A fair signal was noted.
1410 kHz WING Dayton, OH - 11/25 1421 noted with local ads, promo for Ohio State sports talk show, "1410 ESPN Radio" ID into local sports talk show. A good to fair signal was noted over other stations.
1480 kHz WJBM Jerseyville, IL - 11/25 1427 noted with a Country format, "104.7 FM and AM 1480 WJBM" ID. A fair signal was noted over other stations.
SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGS
3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 11/25 2153 noted with "CHU Canada" ID in French, UTC time checks in English and French, time signals, ID in English at 2154. A good to fair signal was noted.
4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará - 11/25 2209 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A poor signal was noted.
5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta - 11/25 2012 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.
5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 11/25 2208 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was noted.
5960 kHz ALBANIA China Radio International relay Cerrik - 11/25 2004 noted with news, station promo and commentary in English. A fair signal was noted.
5995 kHz MALI ORTM Radio Mali - 11/25 2030 noted with commentary in French. A fair to poor signal was noted.
7375 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni - 11/25 2045 noted with commentary in Romanian. A good to fair signal was noted.
9445 kHz INDIA All India Radio via Bengaluru - 11/25 2118 noted with traditional Indian music, commentary and ID in English. A good signal was noted.
9555 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 11/25 2228 noted with ID and promos in Arabic. A fair signal was noted.
9820 kHz CHINA CNR2 Business Radio via Xianyang - 11/25 2202 noted with promo into commentary in Chinese. A fair signal was noted.
9870 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 11/25 2229 noted with promos and commentary in Arabic. A fair to poor signal was noted.
10000 kHz BRAZIL PPE Rio de Janeiro, R. de. J. - 11/25 2150 noted with time signals, beeps every 10 seconds and announcements in Portuguese. A fair signal was noted under WWV.
11660 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC relay - 11/25 1938 noted with news analysis in Hausa. A good signal was noted.
11770 kHz NIGERIA Voice of Nigeria via Abuja - 11/25 1935 noted with commentary in Fulfulde. A good signal was noted.
11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, D.F. - 11/25 1930 noted with discussion and pop music in Portuguese. A very good signal was noted.
11900 kHz SÃO TOMÉ É PRINCIPE Voice of America relay - 11/25 1940 noted with commentary in French. A good to fair signal was noted.
12075 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay Mopeng Hill - 11/25 1943 noted with sports report in French. A good signal was noted.
13845 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA University Network via WWCR Nashville, TN - 11/25 2226 noted with a recording of a sermon by Dr. Gene Scott. A fair to poor signal was noted.
This would be the first time I would take the 30-foot homebrew roll-up longwire to Babler. I built this antenna after the first Babler DXpedition; I broke it in on the first Sioux Passage DXpedition in May 2019. I lashed the mast supporting the antenna to a tree about 30 feet away from the listening post; the center insulator was clipped to the front passenger window, which was partially open. Once again, I took along the Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX and the General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. On this DXpedition, I took along the newest piece of equipment in my setup; a Whistler WS-1040 handheld digital scanner.
Reception conditions on the AM (MW) band were typical daytime conditions before 1400 CST (2000 UTC). After 1400 CST (2000 UTC), I was hearing other areas of the Midwest before stations from the East started coming through around 1430 CST (2030 UTC). After 1600 CST (2200 UTC), stations to the west started to come in. On the shortwave bands, conditions favored Africa before 2000 UTC (1400 CST), although a few stations in the Americas were coming through. South Asia and the Middle East came through after 2100 UTC (1500 CST), with East Asia coming through after 2200 UTC (1600 CST). On the scanner, I noted the Franklin County (MO) Sheriff's Department on 151.34 MHz, Lincoln County (MO) Fire/EMS Dispatch on 159.285 MHz and several frequencies on the 800 MHz Saint Charles County trunked radio system (the latter of which I cannot hear at my home listening post in Hazelwood). I also heard the NOAA Weather Radio stations on 162.425 (WNG728 Bellflower, MO), 162.450 (KXI70 Jerseyville, IL) and 162.525 MHz (WWF75 Bourbon, MO) in addition to local KDO89 on 162.550 MHz. I started monitoring around 1315 CST (1915 UTC), wrapping up around 1645 CST (2245 UTC) to face the Monday rush hour traffic in western Saint Louis County.
All times on the AM (MW) broadcast band logs are CST; all times on the shortwave logs are UTC.
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The Tecsun PL-600 and General Electric Superadio III on a folding tray table inside the minivan.
The longwire antenna and mast, lashed to a tree near the parking lot.
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570 kHz WKBN Youngstown, OH - 11/25 1631 noted with local ads, promo for The Sean Hannity Show, "News/Talk 570" ID into weather forecast. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WNAX.
750 kHz WNDZ Portage, IN - 11/25 1437 noted with local ads in Spanish. A fair signal was noted over KBNN.
780 kHz WJAG Norfolk, NE - 11/25 1635 noted with talk on the corn crop and prices. A good to fair signal was noted over WBBM with slight adjacent channel interference from WEW 770.
790 kHz WKRD Louisville, KY - 11/25 1515 noted with talk on University of Kentucky and University of Louisville sports, "Cards Radio 790 KRD" ID, station promo and local ads. A good to fair signal was noted over WMC and WRMS.
880 kHz KRVN Lexington, NE - 11/25 1740 noted with extended agricultural forecast for Nebraska and Kansas, ads for various Nebraska businesses, financial report, seat belt safety PSA. A good signal was noted over WCBS and WIJR.
890 kHz WKNV Fairlawn, VA - 11/25 1529 noted with "Joy FM" ID into Southern Gospel music. A fair signal was noted over WLS.
960 kHz WFIR Roanoke, VA - 11/25 1531 noted with Virginia Tech Hokies basketball pre-game show from the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. A fair signal was noted over KZIM.
1020 kHz KDKA Pittsburgh, PA - 11/25 1447 noted with promo, local ads including one mentioning a number in Area Code 724. A fair to poor signal was noted with moderate adjacent channel interference from KXEN 1010.
1030 kHz WGSF Memphis, TN - 11/25 1452 noted with a Regional Mexican format, promo in Spanish mentioning Radio Ambiente. A fair to poor signal was noted over KCWJ.
1040 kHz WPBS Conyers, GA - 11/25 1555 noted with discussion mentioning Georgia in Vietnamese. A good signal was noted over WHO.
1060 kHz WILB Canton, OH - 11/25 1455 noted with EWTN promos, Christopher Minute, local underwriting announcements. A fair signal was noted over WMCL.
1110 kHz KFAB Omaha, NE - 11/25 1716 noted with "News Radio 1110 KFAB" ID, promo for the iHeart Music Awards mentioning CW 15 (KXVO-TV) into local ads. A good signal was noted with moderate adjacent channel interference from KMOX 1120.
1170 kHz KFAQ Tulsa, OK - 11/25 1505 noted with weather forecast, sports show promo, "Talk Radio 1170" ID before fading to WWVA with Sean Hannity. A good signal was noted over KBOB and WWVA.
1340 kHz KSMO Salem, MO - 11/25 1319 noted with ads mentioning Salem. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KXEO.
1340 kHz KXEO Mexico, MO - 11/25 1324 noted with a Gold-based Adult Contemporary format, "KXEO" IDs. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KSMO.
1350 kHz KRAP Washington, MO - 11/25 1407 noted with a Hot Adult Contemporary format, "Westplex 107.1" ID. A fair signal was noted, mixing with WSIQ.
1360 kHz KBKB Fort Madison, IA - 11/25 1417 noted with local ads, weather forecast, "Fox Sports Radio 1360" ID into Fox Sports Radio. A fair signal was noted.
1410 kHz WING Dayton, OH - 11/25 1421 noted with local ads, promo for Ohio State sports talk show, "1410 ESPN Radio" ID into local sports talk show. A good to fair signal was noted over other stations.
1480 kHz WJBM Jerseyville, IL - 11/25 1427 noted with a Country format, "104.7 FM and AM 1480 WJBM" ID. A fair signal was noted over other stations.
SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGS
3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 11/25 2153 noted with "CHU Canada" ID in French, UTC time checks in English and French, time signals, ID in English at 2154. A good to fair signal was noted.
4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará - 11/25 2209 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A poor signal was noted.
5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta - 11/25 2012 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.
5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 11/25 2208 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was noted.
5960 kHz ALBANIA China Radio International relay Cerrik - 11/25 2004 noted with news, station promo and commentary in English. A fair signal was noted.
5995 kHz MALI ORTM Radio Mali - 11/25 2030 noted with commentary in French. A fair to poor signal was noted.
7375 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni - 11/25 2045 noted with commentary in Romanian. A good to fair signal was noted.
9445 kHz INDIA All India Radio via Bengaluru - 11/25 2118 noted with traditional Indian music, commentary and ID in English. A good signal was noted.
9555 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 11/25 2228 noted with ID and promos in Arabic. A fair signal was noted.
9820 kHz CHINA CNR2 Business Radio via Xianyang - 11/25 2202 noted with promo into commentary in Chinese. A fair signal was noted.
9870 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Radio International via Riyadh - 11/25 2229 noted with promos and commentary in Arabic. A fair to poor signal was noted.
10000 kHz BRAZIL PPE Rio de Janeiro, R. de. J. - 11/25 2150 noted with time signals, beeps every 10 seconds and announcements in Portuguese. A fair signal was noted under WWV.
11660 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC relay - 11/25 1938 noted with news analysis in Hausa. A good signal was noted.
11770 kHz NIGERIA Voice of Nigeria via Abuja - 11/25 1935 noted with commentary in Fulfulde. A good signal was noted.
11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, D.F. - 11/25 1930 noted with discussion and pop music in Portuguese. A very good signal was noted.
11900 kHz SÃO TOMÉ É PRINCIPE Voice of America relay - 11/25 1940 noted with commentary in French. A good to fair signal was noted.
12075 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay Mopeng Hill - 11/25 1943 noted with sports report in French. A good signal was noted.
13845 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA University Network via WWCR Nashville, TN - 11/25 2226 noted with a recording of a sermon by Dr. Gene Scott. A fair to poor signal was noted.
Friday, November 15, 2019
DXpedition #9 - Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton, IL
On the afternoon of November 14, 2019, I took my radios on my first DXpedition outside of the State of Missouri. I chose Pere Marquette State Park as the site for my first DXpedition to the Land of Lincoln. The park is operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, named in honor of Father Jacques Marquette, who explored the Illinois River with Louis Jolliet (after whom the city of Joliet, IL is named) in the late Seventeenth Century. The centerpiece of the park is Pere Marquette Lodge, built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The restaurant is noted for their fried chicken, arguably the best in downstate Illinois. As I found out, this area is prime for DX.
The park is about 40 miles north of Saint Louis, MO in southwestern Jersey County on Illinois 100. The road leading to the lookouts with views of the Saint Louis area was closed due to conditions as a result of the snowfall of November 11. I set up near the marina on the banks of the Illinois River; this is my Plan B. The area is within line-of-sight of scenic Calhoun County. Once again, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (medium wave) broadcast band DX; the Tecsun PL-600 was used for shortwave DX, along with my 30-foot homebrew longwire antenna. This time, I set it on the ground. Temperatures were around 40 degrees Fahrenheit under sunny skies; the sunshine kept the 2002 Chrysler Voyager I set up the listening post in warm.
The first thing I found out is that KFNS 590 Wood River, IL and KHOJ 1460 Saint Charles, MO have weaker signals than at the other seven DXpedition sites. The park is in KFNS' null toward WMT 600 Cedar Rapids, IA and a KHOJ null toward WMBD 1470 Peoria, IL. The other Saint Louis AM signals were strong, although I noted DX on adjacent channels, even through the digital sidebands of KFUO 850. The closest stations to the park, KYRO 1280 Troy, MO and WJBM 1480 Jerseyville, IL, had decent signals; I could cleanly seperate these signals from adjacent channel WIRL 1290 Peoria, IL and KFTK 1490 East Saint Louis, IL. I also noted two local format changes on this DXpedition: WSDZ 1260 Belleville, IL switched to Relevant Radio in English, while KXFN 1380 Saint Louis, MO switched to Relevant Radio in Spanish.
I began monitoring around 1325 CST (1925 UTC); typical daytime conditions prevailed on the AM broadcast band until just before 1400 CST (2000 UTC). After 1400 CST (2000 UTC), other parts of the Midwest started to come in; sunset conditions favored Ontario and the Eastern seaboard in addition to the Midwest. Shortwave reception conditions favored North America and Africa before 2000 UTC; European stations began coming in after 2000 UTC. Two clandestine stations were noted on the bands; one hostile to the government in Chad, the other hostile to the Turkish government. Tropical band Cubans began to be noted around 2130 UTC; South American stations began coming in after 2200 UTC. I wrapped up monitoring around 1655 CST (2255 UTC).
All times on the AM broadcast band logs are in Central (U.S.) Standard Time; all times for the shortwave logs are in UTC.
AM BROADCAST BAND LOGS
540 kHz KWMT Fort Dodge, IA - 11/14 1444 noted with a Country format, call letters and local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KTRS 550.
580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 11/14 1329 noted with Here and Now, promo for All Things Considered mentioning AM 580 and 90.9 FM, underwriting announcement mentioning WILL. A fair signal was noted, alone on the channel.
590 kHz KXSP Omaha, NE - 11/14 1645 noted with talk on University of Nebraska athletics. A fair signal was noted through KFNS.
710 kHz KCMO Kansas City, MO - 11/14 1334 noted with local ads into The Dave Ramsey Show. A fair to poor signal was noted, alone on the channel.
740 kHz CFZM Toronto, ON - 11/14 1639 noted with Oldies format, mentions of Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits and gasoline prices in Ontario, Eastern time check, traffic report for the Greater Toronto Area, "Zoomer Radio" ID. A good to fair signal was noted over KRMG with adjacent channel interference from KWRE 730.
750 kHz KBNN Lebanon, MO - 11/14 1434 noted with local ads, "KBNN" ID into The Dave Ramsey Show. A fair to poor signal was noted over WNDZ.
770 kHz WABC New York, NY - 11/14 1651 noted with "77 WABC" ID into New York area traffic report. A fair signal was noted through WEW.
860 kHz CJBC Toronto, ON - 11/14 1649 noted with commentary and Adult Contemporary music in French. A fair signal through digital adjacent channel interference from KFUO 850.
940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 11/14 1450 noted with Adult Standards format, "940 WMIX" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted over KPSZ; weaker than in recent years.
990 kHz WNML Knoxville, TN - 11/14 1548 noted with "99.1 Sports Radio" ID into local ads. A fair signal was noted over CBW.
1040 kHz WPBS Conyers, GA - 11/14 1550 noted with discussion in Vietnamese. A fair signal was noted over WHO.
1100 kHz WTAM Cleveland, OH - 11/14 1456 noted with local ads, talk on the upcoming Browns game, "News Radio WTAM Cleveland, an iHeart Radio Station" legal ID at 1500. A fair to poor signal was noted, alone on the channel.
1110 kHz WBT Charlotte, NC - 11/14 1551 noted with "99-3 WBT" and "WBT, a Radio-dot-com Station" mentions, station promo, "News/Talk 1110 and 99.3 WBT" ID into a talk show with Jim Bohannon filling in. A good signal was noted over KFAB with adjacent channel interference from KMOX 1120.
1140 kHz WRVA Richmond, VA - 11/14 1614 noted with local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KXRB and WVEL.
1150 kHz WGGH Marion, IL - 11/14 1619 noted with local ads, The Mike Gallagher Show, "WGGH Marion" legal ID at 1630 into SRN News. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations.
1180 kHz WHAM Rochester, NY - 11/14 1630 noted with Eastern time check, "News Radio 1180 Wham" ID, news headlines and traffic report. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations.
1210 kHz WILY Centralia, IL - 11/14 1346 noted with "WILY 1210 AM and 98.7 FM" ID into a Classic Hits format. A fair to poor signal was noted with slight adjacent channel interference from KLPW 1220.
1220 kHz KLPW Union, MO - 11/14 1348 noted with a Classic Rock format, "KLPW" ID by Saint Louis radio legend Radio Rich Dalton into local ads. A good signal was noted, alone on the channel.
1260 kHz WSDZ Belleville, IL -11/14 1500 noted with "Relevant Radio 1260 WSDZ Belleville, 95.1 K236CS Saint Louis" legal ID into Relevant Radio News. A very good signal was noted, alone on the channel. Change in format from Urban Gospel.
1340 kHz KXEO Mexico, MO - 11/14 1503 noted with a mix of Adult Contemporary music and Oldies, "Your Local Radio, 1340 KXEO" ID. A fair signal was noted over WSOY.
1380 kHz KXFN Saint Louis, MO - 11/14 1646 noted with discussion on Catholic teaching, “Relevant Radio en español” mention in Spanish. A good to fair signal was noted over other stations. Change from Conservative Talk.
SHORTWAVE LOGS
3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 11/14 2200 noted with "CHU Canada" ID in English, UTC time checks in English and French, brief pause before starting time signals, ID in French at 2201. A fair to poor signal was noted.
5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 11/14 2129 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.
5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 11/14 2201 noted with news headlines in Spanish into vocal music. A fair to poor signal was noted.
9395 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 11/14 1952 noted with Brother Stair telling Bible stories. A good signal was noted.
9420 kHz GREECE Voice of Greece via Avlida - 11/14 2106 noted with traditional Greek music and commentary in Greek. A good to fair signal was noted.
9455 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 11/14 1953 noted with Brother Stair telling Bible stories. A very good signal was noted; slightly better than on 9395 kHz.
9525 kHz CLANDESTINE Denge Walat via Issoudun, France - 11/14 2114 noted with commentary in Kurdish into traditional Kurdish music. A fair to poor signal was noted.
9600 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kasgar - 11/14 2119 noted with discussion in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.
11720 kHz SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE Voice of America relay - 11/14 2136 noted with pop music countdown and ID in English. A good signal was noted.
11770 kHz NIGERIA Voice of Nigeria via Abuja - 11/14 1937 noted with commentary in Fulfulde. A good signal was noted.
11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazonia ZYE365 Brasilia, D.F. - 11/14 2227 noted with a discussion in Portuguese. A very good signal was noted.
11810 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 11/14 2138 noted with a feature on sourdough bread in English. A good signal was noted.
12050 kHz CLANDESTINE Radio Ndarason International via Woofferton, U.K. - 11/14 2026 noted with "Radio Ndarason International" ID and commentary in Kanembu. A good signal was noted.
12095 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 11/14 2020 noted with discussion on the flooding in Venice in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
15555 kHz USB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WJHR Milton, FL - 11/14 2016 noted with preacher talking about the Bible's teaching on adultery in English. A good signal was noted in upper sideband.
15580 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay - 11/14 2009 noted with pop and hi-life music, "VOA" ID in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.
17775 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA KVOH Rancho Simi, CA - 11/14 2005 noted with Contemporary Christian music in Spanish. A very good signal was noted.
The park is about 40 miles north of Saint Louis, MO in southwestern Jersey County on Illinois 100. The road leading to the lookouts with views of the Saint Louis area was closed due to conditions as a result of the snowfall of November 11. I set up near the marina on the banks of the Illinois River; this is my Plan B. The area is within line-of-sight of scenic Calhoun County. Once again, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (medium wave) broadcast band DX; the Tecsun PL-600 was used for shortwave DX, along with my 30-foot homebrew longwire antenna. This time, I set it on the ground. Temperatures were around 40 degrees Fahrenheit under sunny skies; the sunshine kept the 2002 Chrysler Voyager I set up the listening post in warm.
The first thing I found out is that KFNS 590 Wood River, IL and KHOJ 1460 Saint Charles, MO have weaker signals than at the other seven DXpedition sites. The park is in KFNS' null toward WMT 600 Cedar Rapids, IA and a KHOJ null toward WMBD 1470 Peoria, IL. The other Saint Louis AM signals were strong, although I noted DX on adjacent channels, even through the digital sidebands of KFUO 850. The closest stations to the park, KYRO 1280 Troy, MO and WJBM 1480 Jerseyville, IL, had decent signals; I could cleanly seperate these signals from adjacent channel WIRL 1290 Peoria, IL and KFTK 1490 East Saint Louis, IL. I also noted two local format changes on this DXpedition: WSDZ 1260 Belleville, IL switched to Relevant Radio in English, while KXFN 1380 Saint Louis, MO switched to Relevant Radio in Spanish.
I began monitoring around 1325 CST (1925 UTC); typical daytime conditions prevailed on the AM broadcast band until just before 1400 CST (2000 UTC). After 1400 CST (2000 UTC), other parts of the Midwest started to come in; sunset conditions favored Ontario and the Eastern seaboard in addition to the Midwest. Shortwave reception conditions favored North America and Africa before 2000 UTC; European stations began coming in after 2000 UTC. Two clandestine stations were noted on the bands; one hostile to the government in Chad, the other hostile to the Turkish government. Tropical band Cubans began to be noted around 2130 UTC; South American stations began coming in after 2200 UTC. I wrapped up monitoring around 1655 CST (2255 UTC).
All times on the AM broadcast band logs are in Central (U.S.) Standard Time; all times for the shortwave logs are in UTC.
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The Tecsun PL-600 and General Electric Superadio III used on the Pere Marquette DXpedition.
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540 kHz KWMT Fort Dodge, IA - 11/14 1444 noted with a Country format, call letters and local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted with adjacent channel interference from KTRS 550.
580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 11/14 1329 noted with Here and Now, promo for All Things Considered mentioning AM 580 and 90.9 FM, underwriting announcement mentioning WILL. A fair signal was noted, alone on the channel.
590 kHz KXSP Omaha, NE - 11/14 1645 noted with talk on University of Nebraska athletics. A fair signal was noted through KFNS.
710 kHz KCMO Kansas City, MO - 11/14 1334 noted with local ads into The Dave Ramsey Show. A fair to poor signal was noted, alone on the channel.
740 kHz CFZM Toronto, ON - 11/14 1639 noted with Oldies format, mentions of Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits and gasoline prices in Ontario, Eastern time check, traffic report for the Greater Toronto Area, "Zoomer Radio" ID. A good to fair signal was noted over KRMG with adjacent channel interference from KWRE 730.
750 kHz KBNN Lebanon, MO - 11/14 1434 noted with local ads, "KBNN" ID into The Dave Ramsey Show. A fair to poor signal was noted over WNDZ.
770 kHz WABC New York, NY - 11/14 1651 noted with "77 WABC" ID into New York area traffic report. A fair signal was noted through WEW.
860 kHz CJBC Toronto, ON - 11/14 1649 noted with commentary and Adult Contemporary music in French. A fair signal through digital adjacent channel interference from KFUO 850.
940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 11/14 1450 noted with Adult Standards format, "940 WMIX" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted over KPSZ; weaker than in recent years.
990 kHz WNML Knoxville, TN - 11/14 1548 noted with "99.1 Sports Radio" ID into local ads. A fair signal was noted over CBW.
1040 kHz WPBS Conyers, GA - 11/14 1550 noted with discussion in Vietnamese. A fair signal was noted over WHO.
1100 kHz WTAM Cleveland, OH - 11/14 1456 noted with local ads, talk on the upcoming Browns game, "News Radio WTAM Cleveland, an iHeart Radio Station" legal ID at 1500. A fair to poor signal was noted, alone on the channel.
1110 kHz WBT Charlotte, NC - 11/14 1551 noted with "99-3 WBT" and "WBT, a Radio-dot-com Station" mentions, station promo, "News/Talk 1110 and 99.3 WBT" ID into a talk show with Jim Bohannon filling in. A good signal was noted over KFAB with adjacent channel interference from KMOX 1120.
1140 kHz WRVA Richmond, VA - 11/14 1614 noted with local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KXRB and WVEL.
1150 kHz WGGH Marion, IL - 11/14 1619 noted with local ads, The Mike Gallagher Show, "WGGH Marion" legal ID at 1630 into SRN News. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations.
1180 kHz WHAM Rochester, NY - 11/14 1630 noted with Eastern time check, "News Radio 1180 Wham" ID, news headlines and traffic report. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations.
1210 kHz WILY Centralia, IL - 11/14 1346 noted with "WILY 1210 AM and 98.7 FM" ID into a Classic Hits format. A fair to poor signal was noted with slight adjacent channel interference from KLPW 1220.
1220 kHz KLPW Union, MO - 11/14 1348 noted with a Classic Rock format, "KLPW" ID by Saint Louis radio legend Radio Rich Dalton into local ads. A good signal was noted, alone on the channel.
1260 kHz WSDZ Belleville, IL -11/14 1500 noted with "Relevant Radio 1260 WSDZ Belleville, 95.1 K236CS Saint Louis" legal ID into Relevant Radio News. A very good signal was noted, alone on the channel. Change in format from Urban Gospel.
1340 kHz KXEO Mexico, MO - 11/14 1503 noted with a mix of Adult Contemporary music and Oldies, "Your Local Radio, 1340 KXEO" ID. A fair signal was noted over WSOY.
1380 kHz KXFN Saint Louis, MO - 11/14 1646 noted with discussion on Catholic teaching, “Relevant Radio en español” mention in Spanish. A good to fair signal was noted over other stations. Change from Conservative Talk.
SHORTWAVE LOGS
3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 11/14 2200 noted with "CHU Canada" ID in English, UTC time checks in English and French, brief pause before starting time signals, ID in French at 2201. A fair to poor signal was noted.
5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 11/14 2129 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted.
5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 11/14 2201 noted with news headlines in Spanish into vocal music. A fair to poor signal was noted.
9395 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 11/14 1952 noted with Brother Stair telling Bible stories. A good signal was noted.
9420 kHz GREECE Voice of Greece via Avlida - 11/14 2106 noted with traditional Greek music and commentary in Greek. A good to fair signal was noted.
9455 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 11/14 1953 noted with Brother Stair telling Bible stories. A very good signal was noted; slightly better than on 9395 kHz.
9525 kHz CLANDESTINE Denge Walat via Issoudun, France - 11/14 2114 noted with commentary in Kurdish into traditional Kurdish music. A fair to poor signal was noted.
9600 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kasgar - 11/14 2119 noted with discussion in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.
11720 kHz SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE Voice of America relay - 11/14 2136 noted with pop music countdown and ID in English. A good signal was noted.
11770 kHz NIGERIA Voice of Nigeria via Abuja - 11/14 1937 noted with commentary in Fulfulde. A good signal was noted.
11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazonia ZYE365 Brasilia, D.F. - 11/14 2227 noted with a discussion in Portuguese. A very good signal was noted.
11810 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 11/14 2138 noted with a feature on sourdough bread in English. A good signal was noted.
12050 kHz CLANDESTINE Radio Ndarason International via Woofferton, U.K. - 11/14 2026 noted with "Radio Ndarason International" ID and commentary in Kanembu. A good signal was noted.
12095 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 11/14 2020 noted with discussion on the flooding in Venice in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
15555 kHz USB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WJHR Milton, FL - 11/14 2016 noted with preacher talking about the Bible's teaching on adultery in English. A good signal was noted in upper sideband.
15580 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay - 11/14 2009 noted with pop and hi-life music, "VOA" ID in English. A fair to poor signal was noted.
17775 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA KVOH Rancho Simi, CA - 11/14 2005 noted with Contemporary Christian music in Spanish. A very good signal was noted.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
DXpedition #8 - Creve Coeur County Park, Maryland Heights, MO
On the afternoon of October 25, I took my radios to Creve Coeur County Park, located in Maryland Heights, MO. The park is run by the Saint Louis County Parks Department; the park is located in an area bound by Marine Avenue, Maryland Heights Expressway (MO 141) and Page Avenue (MO 364). The primary feature is Creve Coeur Lake, which used to be a loop in the Missouri River.
I set up my listening post near the Taco Bell Shelter at the lake's northeastern shore. For AM broadcast band DX, I once again brought my General Electric Superadio III. Instead of the Tecsun PL-600, I was lucky I brought my Yaesu VX-5 handheld transceiver. Although it is designed to transmit on the 50 MHz (6 Meters), 144 MHz (2 Meters) and 440 MHz (70 centimeter) Amateur Radio bands, it has receiving capabilities for AM, FM, shortwave broadcast, VHF and UHF Public Service bands. I was able to couple a coiled 30-foot longwire to the VHF/UHF magnetic-mounted antenna to pull in shortwave DX.
Monitoring began around 1540 CDT (2040 UTC) with late afternoon conditions on the AM broadcast band favoring the Midwest. A bluff directly behind where I parked the 2002 Chrysler Voyager attenuated lower-powered Saint Louis AM radio stations enough to pull in DX, like WBEL 1380 or KGYM 1600. Shortwave broadcast reception conditions favored the Americas and Asia, although Spain was heard on three frequencies and Greece was also noted. Sunset AM conditions extended into Minnesota and Texas. I wrapped up monitoring around 1810 CDT (2310 UTC), one minute before sunset.
AM BROADCAST BAND LOGS (all times CDT)
910 kHz WSUI Iowa City, IA - 10/25 1715 noted with a discussion on politics, "Iowa Public Radio" ID, Central U.S. time check, news headlines and underwriting announcements. A fair signal was noted over KVIS.
930 kHz WTAD Quincy, IL - 10/25 1705 noted with local ad, "WTAD" ID into The Mark Levin Show. A fair signal was noted over KWOC.
960 kHz KZIM Cape Girardeau, MO - 10/25 1719 noted with promo for America's First News, "KZIM, KSIM" ID into The Lars Larson Show. A good signal was noted over KMA.
980 kHz KSGM Chester, IL - 10/25 1605 noted with local news featuring an item from Sainte Genevieve, MO. A fair signal was noted, alone on the channel.
1080 kHz WNWI Oak Lawn, IL - 10/25 1725 noted with local ads in Polish. A fair to poor signal was noted over KRLD with WRYT nulled.
1250 kHz WSPL Streator, IL - 10/25 1735 noted with an Adult Standards format, "98.5 WSPL" ID. A fair signal was noted over KYYS.
1270 kHz KFLC Benbrook, TX - 10/25 1751 noted with local ads in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WMKT and other stations.
1280 kHz KYRO Troy, MO - 10/25 1608 noted with a Classic Hits format, "FM 105.3, AM 1280 KYRO" ID. 105.3 refers to K287CM Wentzville, MO. A fair signal was noted over WBIG and WGBF. Change of format from News/Talk.
1290 kHz WIRL Peoria, IL - 10/25 1625 noted with an Oldies format, "Stand by for more of the biggest hits of all time, Super Hits WIRL" ID into local ads. A fair signal was noted over WHIO.
1380 kHz WBEL South Beloit, IL - 10/25 1640 noted with a Classic Hits format, "The Beat" jingle. A fair to poor signal was noted in a KXFN null.
1400 kHz WGIL Galesburg, IL - 10/25 1618 noted with local ads and "WGIL" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KFRU and KJFF.
1410 kHz WIZM La Crosse, WI - 10/25 1756 noted with local ads, local talk show and "WIZM" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations.
1490 kHz KTTR Rolla, MO - 10/25 1655 noted with "The New Hot 104.9" ID into a Contemporary Hit Radio format. A fair to poor signal was noted over KFTK and other stations. Change of format from Contemporary Christian.
1510 kHz WCAZ Macomb, IL - 10/25 1800 noted with "Real Country 93.1 FM and 1510 AM, WCAZ Macomb/Carthage, W226CH Macomb/Carthage" legal ID into Fox News Radio. A fair signal was noted over WLAC.
1520 kHz KOLM Rochester, MN - 10/25 1802 noted with end of a CBS Sports Radio Sports Flash, mention of CBS Sports Radio. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KOKC and KRHW.
1530 kHz WLIQ Quincy, IL - 10/25 1541 noted with a local ad, "Your home for Classic Country, Kick AM 1530" ID into a Classic Country format. A fair signal was noted over WCKY.
1560 kHz KLTI Macon, MO - 10/25 1805 noted with a Country format, "KLTI, Today's True Country" ID. A fair signal was noted over KGOW and KTUI.
1570 kHz WFRL Freeport, IL - 10/25 1543 noted with Classic Country format, "AM 1570 the Giant" ID. A fair signal was noted through WBGZ.
1590 kHz KVGB Great Bend, KS - 10/25 1556 noted with The Dave Ramsey Show, "KVGB" ID into local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted over KMOZ.
1600 kHz KGYM Cedar Rapids, IA - 10/25 1559 noted with local ads, "KGYM Cedar Rapids" ID in a multi-station ID into ESPN sports update. A fair to poor signal was noted through KATZ.
1640 kHz WSJP Sussex, WI - 10/25 1809 noted with talk on forgiveness. A good signal was noted over WTNI.
SHORTWAVE LOGS (all times UTC)
5980 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio-TV Marti via Greenville, NC - 10/25 2212 noted with commentary mentioning Cuba and Venezuela in Spanish. A good signal was noted.
7315 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHRI Cypress Creek, SC - 10/25 2307 noted with Christian teaching in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
7380 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 10/25 2308 noted with commentary in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
9420 kHz GREECE Voice of Greece via Avlida - 10/25 2233 noted with discussion in Greek. A good to fair signal was noted.
9455 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 10/25 2231 noted with Brother Stair discussing Scripture in English. A very good signal was noted.
9625 kHz PHILIPPINES Voice of America relay via Tinang - 10/25 2235 noted with commentary and discussion in Chinese. A good to fair signal was noted.
9665 kHz BRAZIL Radio Voz Missionaria ZYE890 Camboriu, Santa Catarina - 10/25 2210 noted with a sermon in Portuguese. A fair signal was noted.
9675 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 10/25 2250 noted with commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was noted.
9690 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de Espana via Noblejas - 10/25 2208 noted with discussion on the re-burial of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in English. A very good signal was noted.
9900 kHz TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International via Paochung - 10/25 2254 noted with commentary and discussion in Chinese. A good to fair signal was noted.
11850 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via Quivican - 10/25 2201 noted with ID and news in Spanish. A good to fair signal was noted.
11940 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de Espana via Noblejas - 10/25 2204 noted with commentary on the re-burial of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
12030 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de Espana via Noblejas - 10/25 2207 noted with commentary and discussion on the re-burial of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in English. A good signal was noted.
I set up my listening post near the Taco Bell Shelter at the lake's northeastern shore. For AM broadcast band DX, I once again brought my General Electric Superadio III. Instead of the Tecsun PL-600, I was lucky I brought my Yaesu VX-5 handheld transceiver. Although it is designed to transmit on the 50 MHz (6 Meters), 144 MHz (2 Meters) and 440 MHz (70 centimeter) Amateur Radio bands, it has receiving capabilities for AM, FM, shortwave broadcast, VHF and UHF Public Service bands. I was able to couple a coiled 30-foot longwire to the VHF/UHF magnetic-mounted antenna to pull in shortwave DX.
Monitoring began around 1540 CDT (2040 UTC) with late afternoon conditions on the AM broadcast band favoring the Midwest. A bluff directly behind where I parked the 2002 Chrysler Voyager attenuated lower-powered Saint Louis AM radio stations enough to pull in DX, like WBEL 1380 or KGYM 1600. Shortwave broadcast reception conditions favored the Americas and Asia, although Spain was heard on three frequencies and Greece was also noted. Sunset AM conditions extended into Minnesota and Texas. I wrapped up monitoring around 1810 CDT (2310 UTC), one minute before sunset.
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| General Electric Superadio III used for AM broadcast band DX. |
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| Coiled 30-foot longwire used for shortwave DX. |
AM BROADCAST BAND LOGS (all times CDT)
910 kHz WSUI Iowa City, IA - 10/25 1715 noted with a discussion on politics, "Iowa Public Radio" ID, Central U.S. time check, news headlines and underwriting announcements. A fair signal was noted over KVIS.
930 kHz WTAD Quincy, IL - 10/25 1705 noted with local ad, "WTAD" ID into The Mark Levin Show. A fair signal was noted over KWOC.
960 kHz KZIM Cape Girardeau, MO - 10/25 1719 noted with promo for America's First News, "KZIM, KSIM" ID into The Lars Larson Show. A good signal was noted over KMA.
980 kHz KSGM Chester, IL - 10/25 1605 noted with local news featuring an item from Sainte Genevieve, MO. A fair signal was noted, alone on the channel.
1080 kHz WNWI Oak Lawn, IL - 10/25 1725 noted with local ads in Polish. A fair to poor signal was noted over KRLD with WRYT nulled.
1250 kHz WSPL Streator, IL - 10/25 1735 noted with an Adult Standards format, "98.5 WSPL" ID. A fair signal was noted over KYYS.
1270 kHz KFLC Benbrook, TX - 10/25 1751 noted with local ads in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with WMKT and other stations.
1280 kHz KYRO Troy, MO - 10/25 1608 noted with a Classic Hits format, "FM 105.3, AM 1280 KYRO" ID. 105.3 refers to K287CM Wentzville, MO. A fair signal was noted over WBIG and WGBF. Change of format from News/Talk.
1290 kHz WIRL Peoria, IL - 10/25 1625 noted with an Oldies format, "Stand by for more of the biggest hits of all time, Super Hits WIRL" ID into local ads. A fair signal was noted over WHIO.
1380 kHz WBEL South Beloit, IL - 10/25 1640 noted with a Classic Hits format, "The Beat" jingle. A fair to poor signal was noted in a KXFN null.
1400 kHz WGIL Galesburg, IL - 10/25 1618 noted with local ads and "WGIL" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KFRU and KJFF.
1410 kHz WIZM La Crosse, WI - 10/25 1756 noted with local ads, local talk show and "WIZM" ID. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with other stations.
1490 kHz KTTR Rolla, MO - 10/25 1655 noted with "The New Hot 104.9" ID into a Contemporary Hit Radio format. A fair to poor signal was noted over KFTK and other stations. Change of format from Contemporary Christian.
1510 kHz WCAZ Macomb, IL - 10/25 1800 noted with "Real Country 93.1 FM and 1510 AM, WCAZ Macomb/Carthage, W226CH Macomb/Carthage" legal ID into Fox News Radio. A fair signal was noted over WLAC.
1520 kHz KOLM Rochester, MN - 10/25 1802 noted with end of a CBS Sports Radio Sports Flash, mention of CBS Sports Radio. A fair to poor signal was noted, mixing with KOKC and KRHW.
1530 kHz WLIQ Quincy, IL - 10/25 1541 noted with a local ad, "Your home for Classic Country, Kick AM 1530" ID into a Classic Country format. A fair signal was noted over WCKY.
1560 kHz KLTI Macon, MO - 10/25 1805 noted with a Country format, "KLTI, Today's True Country" ID. A fair signal was noted over KGOW and KTUI.
1570 kHz WFRL Freeport, IL - 10/25 1543 noted with Classic Country format, "AM 1570 the Giant" ID. A fair signal was noted through WBGZ.
1590 kHz KVGB Great Bend, KS - 10/25 1556 noted with The Dave Ramsey Show, "KVGB" ID into local ads. A fair to poor signal was noted over KMOZ.
1600 kHz KGYM Cedar Rapids, IA - 10/25 1559 noted with local ads, "KGYM Cedar Rapids" ID in a multi-station ID into ESPN sports update. A fair to poor signal was noted through KATZ.
1640 kHz WSJP Sussex, WI - 10/25 1809 noted with talk on forgiveness. A good signal was noted over WTNI.
SHORTWAVE LOGS (all times UTC)
5980 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio-TV Marti via Greenville, NC - 10/25 2212 noted with commentary mentioning Cuba and Venezuela in Spanish. A good signal was noted.
7315 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHRI Cypress Creek, SC - 10/25 2307 noted with Christian teaching in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
7380 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 10/25 2308 noted with commentary in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
9420 kHz GREECE Voice of Greece via Avlida - 10/25 2233 noted with discussion in Greek. A good to fair signal was noted.
9455 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Overcomer Ministry via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 10/25 2231 noted with Brother Stair discussing Scripture in English. A very good signal was noted.
9625 kHz PHILIPPINES Voice of America relay via Tinang - 10/25 2235 noted with commentary and discussion in Chinese. A good to fair signal was noted.
9665 kHz BRAZIL Radio Voz Missionaria ZYE890 Camboriu, Santa Catarina - 10/25 2210 noted with a sermon in Portuguese. A fair signal was noted.
9675 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 10/25 2250 noted with commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was noted.
9690 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de Espana via Noblejas - 10/25 2208 noted with discussion on the re-burial of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in English. A very good signal was noted.
9900 kHz TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International via Paochung - 10/25 2254 noted with commentary and discussion in Chinese. A good to fair signal was noted.
11850 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via Quivican - 10/25 2201 noted with ID and news in Spanish. A good to fair signal was noted.
11940 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de Espana via Noblejas - 10/25 2204 noted with commentary on the re-burial of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in English. A good to fair signal was noted.
12030 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de Espana via Noblejas - 10/25 2207 noted with commentary and discussion on the re-burial of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in English. A good signal was noted.
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