DXpedition #25 - Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area, Black Walnut, MO

On October 9, 2021 (UTC October 9-10), I once again took my radios to Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area for the fourth DXpedition to the area between Saint Charles and West Alton, MO. The first site I checked out was a parking area along Missouri Highway 94 in an area that is only open from March 15 to October 15. Turning on the General Electric Superadio III, I noticed some power line noise on the AM (MW) broadcast band from overhead power lines going along Highway 94. So, I moved to the site of the last two DXpeditions in a gravel parking area off Island Road, two miles from State Road H. This site is far quieter. 

This time, I brought my MFJ-1022 active antenna for shortwave DX instead of the 30-foot portable longwire I used on previous DXpeditions. Once again, the Tecsun PL-600 came along for the shortwave bands, and the aforementioned Superadio III was used for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. Monitoring took place between 2315 and 0200 UTC (1815-2100 CDT). The shortwave radio band was dominated by Chinese stations, although all other continents except Africa were also heard. On the AM (MW) band, conditions favored the Midwest before sunset, with several New York stations and a few from southwest Ontario making it in after sunset. With the days getting shorter, this will likely be the last DXpedition of the year in which I could stick around after 2000 CDT. 

The receiver setup for DXpedition #25.

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

630 kHz CFCO Chatham, ON - 10/9 1854 noted with Country music, "When asked what's your favorite radio station, tell them CFCO, Chatham Kent's Country" slogan ID. Kent refers to Kent County. A good signal was heard over KYFI.

660 kHz WFAN New York, NY - 10/9 1900 noted with "WFAN, WFAN-FM and HD1 New York, an Audacy station" legal ID into a WFAN Sports Flash. A good signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from WSM 650.

680 kHz WNZK Dearborn Heights, MI - 10/9 1903 noted with Middle Eastern pop music with Arabic lyrics. A fair to poor signal was heard over WMFS.

710 kHz WOR New York, NY - 10/9 1905 noted with weather forecast, local ad, "710 WOR, an NBC News Radio station" slogan ID into The Mark Weber Show. A good signal was heard with ACI from WLW 700.

770 kHz WABC New York, NY - 10/9 1907 noted with Cousin Brucie playing Oldies and talking to a caller from Virginia, "77 WABC" IDs.  The format is usually Talk. A good signal was heard, alone on the channel.

810 kHz WGY Schenectady, NY - 10/9 1915 noted with local ads into Syracuse University American football play-by-play. A good to fair signal was heard with ACI from WBAP 820.

900 kHz CHML Hamilton, ON - 10/9 1917 noted with talk mentioning Canadian politics and the Catholic Church. A good signal was heard over KFAL; with ACI from WLS 890.

1130 kHz KWKH Shreveport, LA - 10/9 1816 noted with local ad and Fox Sports Radio promos. A fair signal was heard over WBBR with minimal ACI from KMOX 1120.

1150 kHz KRMS Osage Beach, MO - 10/9 1830 noted with local ads, promo for a Sunday church service mentioning KRMS into weather forecast for the Lake of the Ozarks. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KSAL.

1150 kHz WEAQ Chippewa Falls, WI - 10/9 1829 noted with a Dance-oriented Contemporary Hit Radio format. A good signal was heard before cutting power at 1830.

1250 kHz WSSP Milwaukee, WI - 10/9 1946 noted with local ads into University of Wisconsin post-game show. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with KYYS.

1270 kHz WXGO Madison, IN - 10/9 2000 noted with "WXGO Madison, Indiana" legal ID into a Classic Hits format. A fair signal was heard over other stations.

1270 kHz WDLR Marysville, OH - 10/9 2004 noted with "My 96-7" slogan ID into a Classic Hits format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WXGO and other stations.

1280 kHz WBIG Aurora, IL - 10/9 2045 noted with Fox Sports Radio promos and local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1390 kHz WGRB Chicago, IL - 10/9 2054 noted with Urban Gospel music, "Inspiration 1390" slogan ID followed by legal ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KCLN.

1390 kHz KCLN Clinton, IA - 10/9 2051 noted with a mix of Adult Standards and Oldies, "AM 1390 KCLN" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WGRB.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK (All times UTC. For CDT, subtract five hours; subtract four hours for EDT.)

2500 kHz UNITED STATES WWV Fort Collins, CO - 10/10 0016 noted with time signals and UTC time checks in English. A good signal was heard.

4790 kHz UNITED STATES WBCQ Monticello, ME - 10/10 0027 noted with talk on shortwave radio in English. A good to fair signal was heard.

4840 kHz UNITED STATES WWCR Nashville, TN - 10/10 0027 noted with tail end of pop music program, PSA mentioning UNESCO and the WHO into The Words of Jesus Christian teaching program. An excellent signal was heard.

4980 kHz UNITED STATES The Overcomer via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 10/10 0032 noted with pre-recorded sermon and political commentary by Brother Stair. A very good signal was heard. 

5050 kHz UNITED STATES WWRB Morrison, TN - 10/10 0036 noted with Scripture study and discussion in English. An excellent signal was heard.

5960 kHz GERMANY The Mighty KBC via Nauen - 10/10 0018 noted with Pop/Rock Oldies, "The Mighty KBC" ID in English, ads in English and Dutch. An excellent signal was heard.

7505 kHz UNITED STATES WRNO Worldwide New Orleans, LA - 10/10 10/10 0140 noted with Contemporary Christian music in English. A very good signal was heard.

9330 kHz UNITED STATES World's Last Chance via WBCQ Monticello, ME - 10/10 0138 noted with Scripture discussion in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9490 kHz CLANDESTINE Radio Republica via Issoudun, France - 10/10 0153 noted with commentary in Spanish, targeting Cuba. A very good signal was heard.

9675 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kashgar - 10/10 0130 noted with talk on Chinese traditions in English with clips of traditional Chinese music. A fair signal was heard.

9710 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kashgar - 10/10 0125 noted with commentary and light vocal music in Spanish. A fair signal was heard, mixing with Radio Havana Cuba.

9710 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 10/10 0125 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard, mixing with CRI Kashgar.

10000 kHz HAWAII WWVH Kekaha, Kauai - 10/10 0149 noted with time signals and UTC time checks in English. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WWV.

11620 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 10/9 2346 noted with Chinese language lessons with Vietnamese translations. A fair signal was heard.

11745 kHz CLANDESTINE Al-Azm Radio via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 10/9 2334 noted with commentary and Koranic chanting in Arabic, targeting Yemen. A fair to poor signal was heard.

11810 kHz SOUTH KOREA KBS World via Kimje - 10/10 0107 noted with news analysis in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard.

11815 kHz BRAZIL Radio Brasil Central ZYE440 Goiânia, Goiás - 10/9 2351 noted with light pop music, ID and brief commentary in Portuguese. A fair signal was heard.

11960 kHz CHINA China National Radio 1 via Beijing - 10/10 0110 noted with commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

12085 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Xiamen - 10/9 2340 noted with commentary in Mongolian into Chinese language lessons with Mongolian translations. A fair signal was heard.

13580 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 10/10 0057 noted with commentary and promos in Chinese. A fair signal was heard.

13770 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 10/10 0048 noted with Chinese language lessons with Vietnamese translations. A fair to poor signal was heard.

13845 kHz UNITED STATES University Network via WWCR Nashville, TN - 10/9 2329 noted with a sermon by Pastor Melissa Scott in English. A good to fair signal was heard.

15100 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing - 10/9 2319 noted with commentary in Chinese into traditional Chinese music. A fair signal was heard.

15380 kHz CHINA China National Radio 1 via Beijing - 10/9 2327 noted with promo and commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

DXpedition #24 - Saint Stanislaus Conservation Area, Hazelwood, MO

On September 10 (UTC September 10-11), I took my radios to Saint Stanislaus Conservation Area, about two miles from my home shack in Hazelwood. This DXpedition was delayed from July due to flooding at the end of June and the beginning of July. This time, the ground was dry. Temperatures were in the mid-80s Fahrenheit (28-30 degrees Celsius) when I started the DXpedition, falling into the mid-70s (24-26 degrees Celsius) after sunset. It was a perfect night to DX. Before I started monitoring, I said a prayer for those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

As usual, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. The Tecsun PL-600, hooked up to an MFJ-1022 active antenna, was used to log shortwave DX. On the AM (MW broadcast band, reception conditions favored the Midwest before sunset; stations from the East Coast, Canada, Cuba and Mexico were in after sunset. On the shortwave bands, all continents except Africa were heard. Monitoring began around 1835 CDT (2335 UTC), wrapping up around 2130 CDT (0230 UTC September 11).

The receiver setup for DXpedition #24.

AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times CDT. For UTC, add five hours; add one hour for EDT.)

630 kHz CFCO Chatham, ON - 9/10 1959 noted with "CFCO" ID into Country music. A fair to poor signal was heard through a nulled KYFI.

640 kHz Radio Progreso CMBC Guanabacoa, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba - 9/10 2002 noted with light vocal music and commentary in Spanish; also heard on 4765 kHz. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KWPN, WCRV and WOI.

680 kHz WNZK Dearborn Heights, MI - 9/10 2128 noted with a talk program in Arabic. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with CJOB and WMFS; adjacent channel interference from WSCR 670.

740 kHz CFZM Toronto, ON - 9/10 2007 noted with "Zoomer Radio Toronto, The Original Greatest Hits" slogan ID, mention of The Nine O'clock Mix into Oldies. A good signal was heard over KRMG.

900 kHz KFAL Fulton, MO - 9/10 1839 noted with the Friday Night Tailgate Show, featuring a preview of upcoming high school football games, mention of The Callaway County Game of the Week, "The Big 900 and 95.3 FM" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

910 kHz KVIS Miami, OK - 9/10 2012 noted with Southern Gospel music, "This is The King's Vision, 910 AM KVIS" slogan ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 9/10 1844 noted with interview with a local high school coach on Rams Interview, mention of the Mount Vernon Rams, "WMIX" ID. A fair signal was heard over KPSZ.

940 kHz KIXZ Amarillo, TX - 9/10 2021 noted with mention of Amarillo in Texas Rangers baseball play-by-play. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KPSZ and WMIX.

950 kHz KWOS Jefferson City, MO - 9/10 1848 noted with high school football preview show, local ads, "It's the Jefferson City Jays on KWOS" mention. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

970 kHz WHA Madison, WI - 9/10 1859 noted with promo mentioning Madison, "WHA Madison" legal ID, mention of "WPR" at 1900 into CBC Radio One's As It Happens. A fair signal was heard over WGTK and WMAY.

1000 kHz KTOK Oklahoma City, OK - 9/10 2023 noted with traffic promo, "News Radio 1000 KTOK" slogan ID into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WMVP.

1020 kHz KDKA Pittsburgh, PA - 9/10 2025 noted with high school football play-by-play, "Friday Night Lights on KDKA" mention. A very good signal was heard.

1030 kHz WGSF Memphis, TN - 9/10 1905 noted with a Regional Mexican format, promo and "Radio Ambiente" slogan ID in Spanish. A fair signal was heard, mixing with KCWJ.

1050 kHz XEG Monterrey, NL - 9/10 2034 noted with Ranchera music, "La Ranchera de Monterrey" slogan ID in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1060 kHz KYW Philadelphia, PA - 9/10 1915 noted with "News Radio KYW 103.9 FM" slogan ID (103.9 refers to WPHI Jenkintown, PA), news headlines and another "News Radio KYW" slogan ID. A good to fair signal was heard over other stations.

1070 kHz WCSZ Sans Souci, SC - 9/10 2039 noted with a Regional Mexican format, local ads and "La Jefa" jingle ID in Spanish. A good signal was heard over CHOK.

1080 kHz KRLD Dallas, TX - 9/10 1916 noted with local ads, promo for 105.3 the Fan (KRLD-FM Dallas), "KRLD" jingle ID into Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex traffic report. A good to fair signal was heard with ACI from KAAY 1090.

1150 kHz KCPS Burlington, IA - 9/10 1921 noted with local ads mentioning Burlington and numbers in Area Code 319, "KCPS, For the People" slogan ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KSAL and WHBY.

1230 kHz WTCJ Tell City, IN - 9/10 1923  noted with "Jack FM" slogan ID into Adult Hits format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WFXN, WHCO and WIBQ.

1280 kHz WBIG Aurora, IL - 9/10 1930 noted with Chicago White Sox baseball play-by-play and local ads. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with WGBF.

1280 kHz WGBF Evansville, IN - 9/10 1933 noted with Fox News Radio and local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WBIG.

1290 kHz WHIO Dayton, OH - 9/10 1936 noted with a "WHIO" ID and an interview with a reporter from WSB 750 Atlanta/WSBB-FM 95.5 Doraville, GA covering 9/11 observances at Shanksville, PA. A fair signal was heard over WIRL.

1560 kHz KGOW Bellaire, TX - 9/10 2116 noted with news analysis in Vietnamese. A fair signal was heard over other stations.

1570 kHz XERF Ciudad Acuña, CL - 9/10 2113 noted with Norteña music, "Está es La Poderosa" ID and local ads in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WBGZ.

1600 kHz WUCT Algood, TN - 9/10 2102 noted with high school football play-by-play, local ad, "WUCT Algood" legal ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KATZ and WAOS.

1610 kHz CHHA Toronto, ON - 9/10 2047 noted with pop music in Spanish, "CHHA 1610 AM, The Voice of Our Community" slogan ID in English into local ads in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

1620 kHz KOZN Bellevue, NE - 9/10 2050 noted with high school football play-by-play and local ads. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with WNRP and WTAW.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGS (All times UTC. For CDT, subtract five hours; subtract four hours for EDT.)

2500 kHz UNITED STATES WWV Fort Collins, CO – 9/11 0041 noted with time signals, UTC time check in English at 0042. A good to fair signal was heard.

3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON – 9/11 0035 noted with time signals, “CHU Canada” ID in English, UTC time checks in English and French at 0036. An excellent signal was heard.

3413 kHz IRELAND Shannon VOLMET – 9/11 0017 noted with weather reports for various European airports in English. A fair to poor signal was heard in USB mode. 

4765 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso via Bejucal, Ciudad de la Habana – 9/11 0042 noted with commentary into pop music in Spanish; also heard on 640 kHz. A very good signal was heard.

4790 kHz UNITED STATES WBCQ Monticello, ME – 9/11 0057 noted with talk on US history, promo into The Overcomer at 0100. An excellent signal was heard.

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará – 9/11 0055 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A fair signal was heard.

4940 kHz COLOMBIA La Montaña Colombia via Maicao, Distrito Capital – 9/11 0046 noted with light vocal music and commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard. 

4980 kHz UNITED STATES WRMI Okeechobee, FL – 9/11 0209 noted with a cappella Christian music and sermon in English; also heard on 7730 kHz. A good signal was heard.

5010 kHz UNITED STATES Radio Slovakia International via WRMI Okeechobee, FL – 9/11 0046 noted with commentary in Spanish. A good to fair signal was heard.

5025 kHz  CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana – 9/11 0054 noted with telephone interview in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana – 9/11 0052 noted with commentary and mentions of Cuba in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

5085 kHz UNITED STATES WTWW Lebanon, TN – 9/11 9/11 0048 noted with pop/rock Oldies, “WTWW Lebanon, Tennessee, United States of America” legal ID and promo in English. A very good signal was heard.

5505 kHz IRELAND Shannon VOLMET – 9/11 0013 noted with weather reports for various European airports in English. A good to fair signal was heard in USB mode.

6050 kHz ECUADOR Vozandes Media HCJB Quito, Pichincha – 9/11 0146 noted with vocal Christian music and inspirational talk in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

6070 kHz CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON – 9/11 0206 noted with reflections on the events of September 11, 2001 in English. A very good signal was heard.

6185 kHz MÉXICO Radio Educación XEPPM México, DF - 9/11 noted with mariachi music, "La Voz del Pueblo" mention and "Radio Educación" ID in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

7260 kHz TURKEY Voice of Turkey via Emirler – 9/11 0105 noted with news and commentary in Spanish. A good signal was heard with minor QRM from United States and Canadian Amateur Radio operators.

7730 kHz UNITED STATES WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 9/11 0210 noted with a cappella Christian music and a sermon in English; also heard on 4980 kHz. An excellent signal was heard.

9265 kHz UNITED STATES WINB Red Lion, PA – 9/11 0025 noted with commentary against globalization in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9385 kHz UNITED STATES WEWN Vandiver, AL – 9/11 0140 noted with The Holy Rosary in English. A good signal was heard with ACI from WRMI 9395 kHz. 

9490 kHz FRANCE Radio Republica via Issoudun – 9/11 0128 noted with commentary, promo and “Radio Republica” ID in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

9665 kHz BRAZIL Radio Voz Missionaria ZYE890 Camboriú, Santa Catarina – 9/11 noted with vocal music and commentary in Portuguese. A fair signal was heard.

9730 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni – 9/11 0027 noted with commentary in Romanian. A fair signal was heard.

9820 kHz CHINA CNR2 Business Radio via Xianyang – 9/10 2350 noted with commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9955 kHz UNITED STATES WRMI Okeechobee, FL – 9/11 0136 noted with Christian teaching in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9975 kHz  UNITED STATES KVOH Rancho Simi, CA – 9/11 0134 noted with Inspirational talk, Nightlife mention into Contemporary Christian music in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9980 kHz UNITED STATES The Overcomer Ministry via WWCR Nashville, TN – 9/10 2340 noted with vocal Christian music, Scripture reading and excerpt from a sermon by the late Brother Stair in English. A very good signal was heard.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, DF – 9/11 0108 noted with instrumental music and commentary in Portuguese. An excellent signal was heard.

11880 kHz UNITED STATES KBS World via Greenville, NC – 9/11 0113 noted with light vocal music in Korean and commentary in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard.

13840 NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki – 9/11 0020 noted with pop music and commentary in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

15555 kHz NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS Radio Free Asia via Saipan – 9/10 2353 noted with commentary in Chinese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

15590 kHz THAILAND Radio Thailand International via Udon Thani – 9/11 0002 noted with news in English. A fair signal was heard.

17855 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas – 9/10 2355 noted with commentary and mentions of Madrid in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

20000 kHz UNITED STATES WWV Fort Collins, CO – 9/10 2356 noted with time signals and UTC time check in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

DXpedition #23 - Lincoln Shields Recreation Area, West Alton, MO

On September 2, 2021, I took my DX receivers to Lincoln Shields Recreation Area at West Alton, MO. This is located on the Missouri approach to the Clark Bridge, which carries U.S. Highway 67 into Alton, IL. This was the site of DXpedition #6 on October 4, 2019. I took along my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX, as usual; I took along my Sangean ATS-803A for shortwave DX instead of the usual Tecsun PL-600. I brought my MFJ-1022 active antenna for the shortwave bands.

This DXpedition allowed me to find out what was happening with my ATS-803A, which had been acting up in recent weeks. The shortwave logs were way down as a result; the nine-volt battery that powers the active antenna ran down on this DXpedition. I tried something new on this DXpedition: logging aeronavigation beacons on the longwave band. These beacons broadcast Morse Code characters in AM mode. This DXpedition was a largely AM (MW) broadcast band DXpedition. Monitoring began around 1645 CDT (2145 UTC), wrapping up around 1930 CDT (0030 UTC September 3).

Reception conditions on the AM (MW) broadcast band favored the Midwest before 1800 CDT (2300 UTC), with stations from the Mid-Atlantic states to eastern Kansas in around sunset. Shortwave reception conditions favored Europe, Africa and the Americas, while reception conditions on longwave favored Missouri and Illinois. There's a local beacon on the longwave band: CVM on 263 kHz from Saint Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, IL. The Longwave Beacons list has the location as Alton, IL. After I returned to the shack, I replaced the battery on my MFJ-1022 and replaced the two AA-cell batteries on the memory backup of the ATS-803A. 

Temperatures were in the lower 80s Fahrenheit (27-29 degrees Celsius) throughout the DXpedition under partly cloudy skies, with a light breeze along the Mississippi River. 

The receiver setup for DXpedition #23.

AM (MW) BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times CDT. For EDT, add one hour; add five hours for UTC.)

580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 9/2 1718 noted with "WILL AM 580 and FM 90.9" ID, station promo, underwriting announcement into All Things Considered. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590 kHz.

670 kHz WSCR Chicago, IL - 9/2 1725 noted with talk on baseball and football, "The Score" slogan ID, promo for the Audacy phone app into a CBS Sports Radio update. A good signal was heard, alone on the channel.

700 kHz WLW Cincinnati, OH - 9/2 1835 noted with local  ads, iHeart Radio phone app promo, EDT time check at 1837, "700 WLW" ID into talk on college football. A good signal was heard with ACI from KSTL 690 kHz.

740 kHz WVLN Olney, IL - 9/2 1842 noted with local ads, mention of phone numbers in Area Code 618 into The Scott Jones Show from CBS Sports Radio. A fair signal was heard with minor ACI from KWRE 730 kHz.

820 kHz WVSG Columbus, OH - 9/2 1847 noted with Catholic Answers Live; also heard on KHOJ 1460 kHz. A fair to poor signal with digital ACI from KFUO 850 kHz.

1040 kHz WHO Des Moines, IA - 9/2 1730 noted with "News Radio 1040 WHO" slogan ID into local news. A fair signal was heard; alone on the channel.

1040 kHz WPBS Conyers, GA - 9/2 1850 noted with talk program in Vietnamese. A good signal was heard over KGGR and WHO.

1080 kHz WNWI Oak Lawn, IL - 9/2 1851 noted with vocal music in Polish. A fair signal was heard over WRYT.

1130 kHz KWKH Shreveport, LA - 9/2 1856 noted with high school football play-by-play and local ads. A good signal was heard over WISN with ACI from KMOX 1120 kHz.

1140 kHz WRVA Richmond, VA - 9/2 1857 noted with local ads, station promo, "News Radio WRVA" slogan ID. A good to fair signal was heard over WVEL.

1150 kHz KSAL Salina, KS - 9/2 1901 noted with local ad, Kansas City Royals promo into Royals baseball play-by-play. A fair signal was heard over WGGH and WHBY.

1170 kHz KFAQ Tulsa, OK - 9/2 1903 noted with talk on college football from the Touchdown Radio Network. A good signal was heard, alone on the channel.

1200 kHz KYOO Bolivar, MO - 9/2 1905 noted with Country music, "Your Country 99" slogan ID. A good to fair signal was heard over WOAI and WRTO.

1230 kHz WJBC Bloomington, IL - 9/2 1659 noted with weather forecast, legal ID into CBS News at 1700. A fair to poor signal was heard in a WHCO null.

1290 kHz WIRL Peoria, IL - 9/2 1701 noted with traffic report, "102.7 FM, 1290 AM  and now 93.3 FM HD2" mention, "WIRL Peoria" jingle legal ID, "Super Hits WIRL" slogan ID into Oldies format. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

1340 kHz KSMO Salem, MO - 9/2 1803 noted with local ad and weather forecast. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KXEO and WSOY.

1350 kHz WSIQ Salem, IL - 9/2 1705 noted with weather forecast, PSA for the Marion County Department of Health, "WSIQ" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard over KRAP.

1490 kHz KTTR Rolla, MO - 9/2 1712 noted with a Contemporary Hit Radio format, "We play songs for everybody, Hot 104-9" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard over KBUR.

1610 kHz CHHA Toronto, ON - 9/2 1828 noted with promo, "CHHA 1610 AM" ID and local ads, all in Spanish. A fair signal was heard with ACI from KATZ 1600.

1650 kHz KCNZ Cedar Falls, IA - 9/2 1710 noted with talk on football mentioning local high schools, A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on the channel.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK (All times UTC. For CDT, subtract five hours; subtract four hours for EDT.)

9265 kHz UNITED STATES WINB Red Lion, PA – 9/2 2151 noted with Christian teaching program in English. A good signal was heard.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, D.F. – 9/2 2237 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A good to fair signal was heard.

11975 kHz MALI China Radio International via Bamako – 9/2 2157 noted with news analysis in French. A fair signal was heard.

17855 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas – 9/2 2147 noted with a cappella vocal music and interview in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

LONGWAVE BEACON LOGBOOK (All times CDT. For UTC, add five hours; add one hour for EDT.)

227 kHz FZ Saint Louis, MO - 9/2 1841 noted with "FZ" ID in Morse Code. A fair signal was heard.

326 kHz SU Chesterfield, MO - 9/2 1840 noted with "SU" ID in Morse Code. Beacon located at Spirit of Saint Louis Airport. A fair to poor signal was heard.

329 kHz AAA Lincoln, IL - 9/2 1835 noted with "AAA" ID in Morse Code. A fair signal was heard.

350 kHz CP Cahokia Heights, IL - 9/2 1838 noted with "CP" ID in Morse Code. Beacon located at Saint Louis Downtown Airport (Parks Airport). A fair signal was heard.

382 kHz SP Springfield, IL - 9/2 1839 noted with "SP" ID in Morse Code. A fair signal was heard.

385 kHz JD Belleville, IL - 9/2 1836 noted with "JD" ID in Morse Code. A fair signal was heard.

DXpedition #22 - Creve Coeur County Park, Maryland Heights, MO

 On the evening of August 5 (UTC August 5-6), I brought my radios to Creve Coeur County Park in Maryland Heights, MO for my twenty-second DXpedition. This was the second DXpedition to Creve Coeur Park. This time, I set up my listening post on a picnic table at the Greensfelder Memorial picnic shelter, with a bird's-eye view of Creve Coeur Lake and the Saint Charles Family Arena across the Missouri River. Temperatures were in the low 80s Fahrenheit (27-29 degrees Celsius) under mostly cloudy skies. There were several others using the shelter for their evening meal; none of them were aware of my DX activities. Once again, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX; this time, I remembered to bring my Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX. For an antenna, I used the MFJ-1022 active antenna for the shortwave bands.

On the AM (MW) broadcast band, DX conditions favored the Midwest before sunset, expanding into the Mid-South, Oklahoma, Texas and the Northeast around sunset. On the shortwave bands, all continents except Africa were heard. 

The receiver setup for the second Creve Coeur DXpedition.

AM (MW) BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times Central Daylight Time; for UTC, add five hours; add one hour for Eastern Daylight Time)

580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 8/5 1815 noted with All Things Considered, featuring talk on the United States women's soccer team at the Tokyo Olympics, preview of WILL Now into station promos. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590.

600 kHz WMT Cedar Rapids, IA - 8/5 2005 noted with local ads, iHeart Radio promo, "News Radio 600 WMT" slogan ID into weather forecast.  A fair signal was heard with ACI from KFNS 590.

680 kHz KFEQ Saint Joseph, MO - 8/5 2008 noted with Kansas City Royals baseball play-by-play. A fair signal was heard with ACI from KSTL 690.

710 kHz KCMO Kansas City, MO - 8/5 2010 noted with The Dave Ramsey Show and local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WOR.

740 kHz CFZM Toronto, ON - 8/5 2023 noted with local ads, "Zoomer Radio" slogan ID into The Nine O'Clock Mix (Oldies format). A good signal was heard over KRMG.

880 kHz WCBS New York, NY - 8/5 2027 noted with local ads, "WCBS News Radio 880" slogan ID into local traffic report. A fair signal was heard over KRVN and WIJR.

1030 kHz KCWJ Blue Springs, MO - 8/6 1840 noted with Classic Country format, local ads and a "KCWJ" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard over WGSF.

1150 kHz WGGH Marion, IL - 8/5 1905 noted with "Monster Radio 98.5 FM and AM 1150" slogan ID into Saint Louis Blues hockey promo. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KSAL.

1200 kHz KYOO Bolivar, MO - 8/5 1908 noted with a Country format and a "KYOO" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WRTO.

1270 kHz KRXO Claremore, OK - 8/5 1918 noted with local ads and a Contemporary Hit Radio format in Spanish. A fair signal was heard, mixing with KFLC; ACI from WSDZ 1260.

1270 kHz KFLC Benbrook, TX - 8/5 1917 noted with sports play-by-play in Spanish. A fair signal was heard, mixing with KRXO; ACI from WDSZ 1260.

1330 kHz WBGW Evansville, IN - 8/5 1920 noted with Unlocking the Bible, fund-raising promo mentioning AM 1330. A fair to poor signal was heard with ACI from KSIV 1320.

1350 kHz WSIQ Salem, IL - 8/5 1928 noted with a Country format and local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KRNT and WPDR; KRAP obliterated.

1360 kHz WNAH Nashville, TN - 8/5 1937 noted with local ads mentioning phone numbers in Area Code 615. A fair signal was heard over WSAI.

1430 kHz WPLN Madison, TN - 8/5 1940 noted with news analysis from BBC World Service, mention of India. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1540 kHz KBOA Kennett, MO - 8/5 1944 noted with local ads, "America's Best Music, 1540 AM and 98.7 FM" slogan ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KXEL and WSMI.

1620 kHz KOZN Bellevue, NE - 8/5 1948 noted with Kansas City Royals baseball play-by-play. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with WNRP and WTAW.

1680 kHz WPRR Ava, MI - 8/5 1955 noted with Urban Adult Contemporary format, legal ID at 2000. A fair to poor signal was heard with low to medium modulation; no sign of KRJO.

1700 kHz KBGG Des Moines, IA - 8/5 1952 noted with Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys American football play-by-play from Canton, OH. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with KKLF.

1700 kHz KKLF Richardson, TX - 8/5 1951 noted with Mexican pop music, discussion in Spanish and local ads in English. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KBGG.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK (All times UTC; for CDT, subtract five hours, subtract four hours for EDT.)

2500 kHz UNITED STATES WWV Fort Collins, CO – 8/6 0026 noted with time signals and UTC time check in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON -8/6 0027 noted with time signals, “CHU Canada” ID in English, UTC time check in English and French at 0028. A fair signal was heard.

4765 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso via Bejucal, Ciudad de la Habana – 8/6 0125 noted with commentary, “RP” ID and vocal music in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará – 8/6 0024 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A poor signal was heard.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana – 8/6 0010 noted with sporting event play-by-play in Spanish. A good to fair signal was heard.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana – 8/6 0020 noted with commentary in Spanish. A good to fair signal was heard.

6070 kHz CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON – 8/6 0031 noted with local ads and iHeart Radio promo in English. A good signal was heard.

7305 kHz UNITED STATES Vatican Radio via Greenville, NC – 8/6 0120 noted with commentary in Portuguese. An excellent signal was heard.

7375 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Tiganesti – 8/6 0045 noted with talk on Romanian language and culture in English. A very good signal was heard.

7490 kHz UNITED STATES WBCQ Monticello, ME – 8/5 2350 noted with talk on eminent domain in English. A very good signal was heard.

7505 UNITED STATES WRNO Worldwide New Orleans, LA – 8/6 0122 noted with Christian teaching in English. An excellent signal was heard.

8764 kHz USB UNITED STATES United States Coast Guard NMN Portsmouth, VA – 8/5 2320 noted with marine forecast for the North Atlantic in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9265 kHz UNITED STATES WINB Red Lion, PA – 8/6 0055 noted with instrumental Christian music into a Bible story in English. A good signal was heard.

9870 kHz TURKEY Voice of Turkey via Emirler – 8/6 0100 noted with news in Spanish. A good to fair signal was heard.

9975 kHz UNITED STATES KVOH Rancho Simi, CA – 8/6 0005 noted with Contemporary Christian music into Christian teaching in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, DF – 8/6 0104 noted with rapid-fire talk in Portuguese. An excellent signal was heard.

11880 kHz UNITED STATES KBS World via Greenville, NC – 8/6 0111 noted with commentary in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard.

12000 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana – 8/6 0112 second harmonic of 6000 kHz; noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

13264 kHz USB IRELAND Shannon VOLMET – 8/5 2326 noted with weather reports for various European airports, “This is Shannon VOLMET, Shannon VOLMET” ID in English. A fair signal was heard.

13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki -8/5 2352 noted with a discussion in English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

15000 kHz HAWAII WWVH Kekaha, Kauai – 8/5 2312 noted with UTC time check in English into time signals. A fair to poor signal was heard with no sign of WWV.

15600 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Beijing – 8/5 2355 noted with traditional Chinese music, sign-off in Portuguese into Chinese program at 2400. A fair signal was heard.

17855 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas – 8/5 2315 noted with pop music and commentary in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

DXpedition #21 - Harry S. Truman Park, Hazelwood, MO

The DXpedition on July 2 (UTC July 2-3) was planned for Saint Stanislaus Conservation Area (the site of DXpeditions #13 and #17), also in Hazelwood. However, due to flooding along Aubuchon and Charbonier Roads, the area was closed. This required a last minute change to Harry S. Truman Park, about a mile to the southeast (and on higher ground). Truman Park is operated by Hazelwood Parks and Recreation; it was originally planned as a Saint Louis County park in the late 1970s. The area around the park was annexed into the City of Hazelwood in 1981 (the year I started DXing). It is named in honor of Missouri native Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, who served from 1945 to 1953.

Temperatures were in the lower 80s (27-29 degrees Celsius) on this July evening under clear skies with low humidity. I set up my listening post on two adjoining picnic tables east of Truman Pond, the centerpiece of the nature-themed park. I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. For shortwave DX, I brought my Tecsun PL-600 receiver and MFJ-1022 active antenna (powered by a nine-volt battery). On the AM (MW) broadcast band, reception conditions favored the Midwest before sunset; after sunset, the band was open from Mexico and Cuba in the south to Manitoba and Ontario in the north. All continents were heard on shortwave except Africa and Asia. This is the first time I took my radios out in the field in the month of July. 

The listening post at Truman Park. (Truman Pond is in the background.)

AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times CDT; for EDT, add one hour, five hours for UTC)

540 kHz KMLB Monroe, LA - 7/2 2105 noted with a promo for The Dave Ramsey Show, "News/Talk 105.7 and 540 KMLB" slogan ID, weather forecast into The Dave Ramsey Show. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KTRS 550 kHz.

570 kHz KLIF Dallas, TX - 7/2 2127 noted with The Jim Bohannon Show with a guest talking about COVID-19, local ads, "KLIF 570 AM and 96.3 FM HD2" ID, Fox News Radio update and a promo. A good to fair signal was heard over other stations.

570 kHz Radio Reloj CMBD Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba - 7/2 2135 noted with news headlines, "Radio Reloj" ID in Spanish, time signals, "RR" ID in Morse Code. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KLIF and other stations.

580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 7/2 1954 noted with Fresh Air, with a guest talking about Classical music, underwriting announcements, brief Blues music, preview of a rebroadcast of All Things Considered from earlier in the day into NPR News. A fair signal was heard with ACI from KFNS 590 kHz.

610 kHz WRUS Russellville, KY - 7/2 2001 noted with a Classic Hits format emphasizing 1980s hits ('80s at Eight?), "Logan County's Information Source, WRUS" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard over KCSP.

610 kHz KCSP Kansas City, MO - 7/2 2109 noted with Kansas City Royals baseball play-by-play. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WAGG.

620 kHz WJDX Jackson, MS - 7/2 2121 noted with iHeart Radio podcast promo, local ads and Fox Sports Radio promos. A fair signal was heard over WRJZ and WTMJ with ACI from KYFI 630 kHz.

730 kHz XEX Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico - 7/2 2139 noted with hard rock music in English, "W Deportes" ID in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

800 kHz KREI Farmington, MO - 7/2 2016 noted with When Radio Was, local ads, "Super Talk 800 KREI" slogan ID. A good to fair signal was heard over CKLW.

880 kHz CKLQ Brandon, MB - 7/2 2140 noted with Country format, "Q Country" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard over WIJR with ACI from WWL 870 kHz.

950 kHz KWOS Jefferson City, MO - 7/2 1853 noted with local ads, "News Radio KWOS" slogan ID into  The Sean Hannity Show.  A good signal was heard, alone on the channel.

960 kHz WDLM East Moline, IL - 7/2 2025 noted with Insight for Living, features on Christian living and local promos. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KCGS, KMA and KZIM.

1030 kHz KCWJ Blue Springs, MO - 7/2 2037 noted with local ads, "Classic Country 1030 KCWJ" slogan ID into Classic Country format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1060 kHz KBFL Springfield, MO - 7/2 2057 noted with Springfield Cardinals baseball play-by-play. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1220 kHz KLPW Union, MO - 7/2 1857 noted with Classic Rock format, "KLPW 1220 AM and K224EZ 92.7 FM Union/Washington" legal ID at 1907. A good signal was heard over WLPO.

1360 kHz KBKB Fort Madison, IA - 7/2 1919 noted with weather forecast, promo for The Herd with Colin Cowherd, "Fox Sports Radio 104-5 and 1360" slogan ID into promo for The Dan Patrick Show.  A fair signal was heard over WSAI.

1420 kHz WINI Murphysboro, IL - 7/2 1928 noted with Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play, "Cool 93-5" slogan ID, "WINI Murphysboro/Carbondale" legal ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WOC.

1490 kHz KTTR Rolla, MO - 7/2 1947 noted with local ads, "Hot 104.9" slogan ID into Contemporary Hit Radio format. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations. 

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK (All times UTC; for CDT, subtract five hours, four hours for EDT.)

3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON – 7/3 0044 noted with “CHU Canada” ID in English, UTC time check in English and French into time signals. A good to fair signal was heard.

4765 kHz CUBA Radio Progreso via Bejucal, Ciudad de la Habana – 7/3 0046 noted with light vocal music and brief commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard.

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará – 7/3 0117 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

5010 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Slovakia International via WRMI Okeechobee, FL – 7/3 0042 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana – 7/3 0113 noted with commentary in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana – 7/3 0115 noted with news analysis in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

5085 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WTWW Lebanon, TN – 7/3 0122 noted with 1980s pop oldies, ad for Main Trading Company and a quick “WTWW” ID. An excellent signal was heard.

5505 kHz IRELAND Shannon VOLMET – 7/3 0156 noted with weather reports and forecasts for various European airports, “This is Shannon VOLMET, Shannon VOLMET” ID in English. A good to fair signal was heard in USB mode.

5970 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WEWN Vandiver, AL – 7/3 0112 noted with The Holy Rosary in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard.

5995 kHz MALI ORTM Radio Mali via Bamako – 7/2 2355 noted with commentary in French. A fair signal was heard.

6070 kHz CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON – 7/3 0103 noted with local news, traffic report, weather forecast, “News/Talk 1010” ID in English. A good signal was heard. 

6160 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WBCQ Monticello, ME – 7/3 0106 noted with talk on the American Revolution in English. A good to fair signal was heard with ACI from Radio Havana Cuba on 6165 kHz.

6185 kHz MEXICO Señal Cultura México XEPPM Mexico City, DF – 7/3 0110 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

6604 kHz NEWFOUNDLAND Gander VOLMET - 7/2 2359 noted with weather reports for various Canadian airports, "This is Gander Radio out" ID at 2400. A good signal was heard in USB mode.

6754 kHz CANADA CHR Canadian Forces Base Trenton, ON - 7/3 0001 noted with weather reports for various Canadian airports, "This is Trenton Military out" ID at 0002. A very good signal was heard in USB mode.

7365 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Martí via Greenville, NC – 7/3 0235 noted with commentary in Spanish. A very good signal was heard with Cuban jamming.

9265 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WINB Red Lion, PA – 7/3 0035 noted with Christian teaching in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

9440 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni – 7/3 0225noted with pop music into commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

9490 kHz CLANDESTINE Radio Republica via Issoudun, France – 7/3 0218 noted with commentary in Spanish directed at Cuba. A good signal was heard.

9665 kHz BRAZIL Radio Voz Missionaria ZYE890 Camboriú, Santa Catarina – 7/3 0137 noted with Christian teaching in Portuguese. A fair signal was heard.

9870 kHz TURKEY Voice of Turkey via Emirler – 7/3 0139 noted with commentary in Spanish into Middle Eastern music. A fair signal was heard.

9955 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WRMI Okeechobee, FL – 7/3 0149 noted with Christian teaching in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9975 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA KVOH Rancho Simi, CA – 7/3 0027 noted with Contemporary Christian music, “La Voz de Esperanza” ID in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

10051 kHz NEWFOUNDLAND Gander VOLMET - 7/3 0152 noted with weather reports for various Canadian airports, "This is Gander Radio" ID in English. A good signal was heard in USB mode.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, DF – 7/3 0055 noted with commentary in Portuguese. An excellent signal was heard.

11945 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni – 7/3 0214 noted with commentary in Spanish. A good to fair signal was heard..

13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki – 7/3 0018 noted with pop music and talk on the music in English. A fair signal was heard. 

 

DXpedition #20 - Babler State Park, Wildwood, MO

On the afternoon of June 23, 2021 (extending into the early evening hours), I returned to Babler State Park in Wildwood, MO, the site of DXpeditions #1 and #10, for the 20th DXpedition I've undertaken since November 2018. This is the first time I took my radios to Babler State Park in the warmer months; the first two DXpeditions were during the autumn months, just after Thanksgiving Day. To refresh your memory, the park is 25 miles west of downtown Saint Louis, and is operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. 

On this particular day, temperatures were in the mid-80s Fahrenheit (28-30 degrees Celsius) under partly cloudy skies with a cooling breeze, dropping to around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) around sunset. This time, I selected the Cochran Picnic Area, one of the highest points in the park. I took a table under a shady tree, and set up my listening post. For AM (MW) broadcast band DX, I brought my General Electric Superadio III once again. I brought along my Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX; this is the first time I used the MFJ-1022 active antenna at Babler. On the first DXpedition, I used the Tecsun wire antenna; the second Babler DXpedition used a homebrew 30-foot longwire I made after the first Marais Temps Clair DXpedition. The MFJ-1022 works best when it's powered by a nine-volt battery. The antenna also works for the FM broadcast band (88-108 MHz); I heard many regional FM stations on the Tecsun PL-600. I also brought my Whistler WS1040 handheld  digital scanner to check VHF band conditions using the NOAA Weather Radio band. At my home listening post, I most frequently pull in WNG728 Bellflower, MO on 162.425 MHz and KXI70 Jerseyville, IL on 162.450 MHz (in addition to local KDO89 on 162.550 MHz). At Babler State Park, I have another semi-local: WWF75 Bourbon, MO (162.525 MHz).

Monitoring began around 1630 CDT (2130 UTC), and wrapped up around 2030 CDT (0130 UTC June 24). Before 1800 CDT (2300 UTC), AM (MW) reception conditions favored Missouri and Illinois stations; the 50 kW Chicago non-directional AM stations were heard. After 1800 CDT (2300 UTC), stations from other parts of the Midwest and Mid-South were heard. On the shortwave broadcast bands, stations were heard from every continent. Babler State Park became the first DXpedition site from where I have logged 100 stations (AM and SW combined) on this DXpedition.

The setup at the DXpedition site.

The picnic area sign.

AM BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times CDT; for UTC, add six hours, for EDT, add one hour)

580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 6/23 1658 noted with underwriting announcement, promo for Fresh Air, "AM 580 WILL and Will Illinois-dot-org" mention, legal ID at 1700. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590.

610 kHz KCSP Kansas City, MO - 6/23 1936 noted with Kansas City Royals baseball play-by-play. A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on the channel.

670 kHz WSCR Chicago, IL - 6/23 1703 noted with a "670 the Score" slogan ID, mention of the Chicago Radiothon, into a conversation with a caller on philanthropy. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

720 kHz WGN Chicago, IL - 6/23 1705 noted with local news, preview of upcoming topics, mentions of President Biden and Chicago politics, "WGN Radio 720, the Voice of Chicago" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KWRE 730.

780 kHz WBBM Chicago, IL - 6/23 1713 noted with local news, "News Radio 105.9" mention, promo mentioning "WBBM News Radio" and local ads. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from WEW 770.

790 kHz WRMS Beardstown, IL - 6/23 1715 noted with talk on fundraising for Catholic organizations, "EWTN Global Catholic Radio" mention into light Christian vocal music. A fair signal was heard with second adjacent channel interference from WEW 770.

810 kHz WHB Kansas City, MO - 6/23 1723 noted with local ads, promo, "ESPN 810" ID into sports talk. A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on the channel.

890 kHz WLS Chicago, IL - 6/23 1727 noted with talk on Chicago politics, CDT time check, "890 WLS" ID into weather forecast. A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on the channel.

900 kHz KFAL Fulton, MO - 6/23 1732 noted with "Your Home for Country Favorites, The Big 900 KFAL" jingle ID into Classic Country format. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 6/23 1855 noted with Adult Standards format, "AM 940 WMIX" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with KPSZ.

970 kHz WMAY Springfield, IL - 6/23 1900 noted with local news, "From the WMAY Newsroom" mention into local  ads. A fair signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1000 kHz WHNY Paris, TN - 6/23 1941 noted with Classic Country format, "Country Legends" mention and local ads. A good to fair signal was heard over WDJL and WXTN with no sign of WMVP.

1230 kHz WHCO Sparta, IL - 6/23 1734 noted with local ads, Saint Louis Cardinals promo, "Real Country 1230 and 97.3 WHCO" ID into  NBC News Radio. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KLPW 1220.

1240 kHz KFMO Park Hills, MO - 6/23 1737 noted with local ads, promo for The Sean Hannity Show, "The Parkland's News, Talk and Sports Leader, AM 1240 KFMO" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard in a WTAX null.

1270 kHz WDLR Marysville, OH - 6/23 1913 noted with Classic Hits format, "My 96-7" slogan ID. A fair to poor signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from WSDZ 1260.

1310 kHz KZRG Joplin, MO - 6/23 1917 noted with local ads, "News/Talk KZRG" slogan ID in promo. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WIBA; adjacent channel interference from KSIV 1320.

1330 kHz WBGW Evansville, IN - 6/23 1922 noted with Unlocking the Bible, promo for financial support, Scripture reading, brief Christian music, features on Christian living, "God's Word Network" group ID. A good signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KSIV 1320.

1370 kHz KCRV Caruthersville, MO - 6/23 1800 noted with "AM 1370 KCRV" ID. A fair signal was heard, mixing with KWRT; adjacent channel interference from KXFN 1380.

1390 kHz KJPW Waynesville, MO - 6/23 2004 noted with Fox News Radio and a PSA mentioning Missouri. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WGRB and other stations.

1400 kHz KJFF Festus, MO - 6/23 1801 noted with ABC News, national and local ads including one mentioning Sainte Genevieve, "K-Jeff" and "Straight Talk 1400 K-Jeff" slogan IDs in promo. A good signal was heard over KFRU.

1410 kHz WIHM Taylorville, IL - 6/23 1828 noted with The Litany of the Saints into a Covenant Network promo. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WIZM.

1430 kHz WYMC Mayfield, KY - 6/23 1831 noted with local ads, Time and Temperature promo, "WYMC" ID in promo into Oldies format. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WPLN and WXNT.

1440 kHz WGEM Quincy, IL - 6/23 1631 noted with local spots, station promo, "WGEM Sports, ESPN 1440" slogan ID into sports talk. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

1450 kHz KYLS Fredericktown, MO - 6/23 1833 noted with Adult Contemporary format, "K-Hits 94-3" slogan ID in promo. A good to fair signal was heard over WFMB; adjacent channel interference from KHOJ 1460.

1480 kHz WBBP Memphis, TN - 6/23 2009 noted with "WBBP, It's in the Music" slogan ID into Urban Gospel format. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WJBM.

1500 kHz WPMB Vandalia, IL - 6/23 1849 noted with Adult Contemporary format, "1500 AM WPMB" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WBRI.

1530 kHz WLIQ Quincy, IL - 6/23 1807 noted with "Kick AM 1530" slogan ID into Classic Country format. A good to fair signal was heard over WCKY.

1540 kHz WSMI Litchfield, IL - 6/23 1820 noted with weather forecast, "There's your weather on WSMI" mention into Country format. A fair signal was heard, mixing with KXEL.

1660 kHz KWOD Kansas City, KS - 6/23 1824 noted with talk on the Kansas City Royals. A fair signal was heard over WTOU.

SHORTWAVE LOGBOOK (All times are UTC; for CDT, subtract five hours, for EDT, subtract four hours)

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará - 6/24 0020 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

5010 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 6/24 0024 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 6/23 2301 noted with news in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via La Habana - 6/24 0027 noted with light vocal music, interval signal, "Radio Habana Ciba" ID into interview in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

6070 kHz CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON - 6/23 2347 noted with local ads, "News/Talk 1010" ID into political talk in English. A fair signal was heard.

6160 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WBCQ Monticello, ME - 6/24 0008 noted with Classic Rock music, talk on the music in English. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from Radio Havana Cuba on 6165 kHz.

7375 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni - 6/24 0010 noted with talk on public pensions in English. A good signal was heard.

7490 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WBCQ Monticello, ME - 6/23 2218 noted with talk on the Recording industry in English. A good signal was heard.

8764 kHz USB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA United States Coast Guard NMN Portsmouth, VA - 6/23 2201 noted with marine forecast for the Caribbean Sea in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9395 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 6/23 2338 noted with AWR Wavescan with mention of the Madison-Milwaukee DX Get-Together in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9590 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kashgar - 6/23 2345 noted with promo in Spanish into Chinese pop music. A fair signal was heard.

10051 kHz USB NEWFOUNDLAND Gander VOLMET - 6/23 2157 noted with weather reports for various Canadian airports in English. A good signal was heard.

11610 kHz MADAGASCAR Madagascar World Voice via Mahajanga - 6/23 2152 noted with Christian teaching in Chinese. A good to fair signal was heard.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, DF - 6/24 0058 noted with commentary in Portuguese. An excellent signal was heard.

11815 kHz BRAZIL Radio Brasil Central ZYE440 Goiânia, Goiás - 6/24 0102 noted with news in Portuguese into light vocal music. A fair to poor signal was heard. This is the 100th station (combined AM/MW and SW) logged at Babler State Park.

13650 kHz JAPAN Radio Japan via Yamato - 6/23 2317 noted with traditional Japanese music with no announcements in Thai or Vietnamese. A very good signal was heard.

13840 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki - 6/23 2144 noted with interview with New Zealand transgender activist Georgina Beyer in English. A good to fair signal was heard.

14670 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 6/23 2220 noted with "CHU Canada" ID in English, UTC time check in English and French into time signals. A fair signal was heard.

15034 kHz USB CANADA CHR Canadian Forces Base Trenton, ON - 6/23 2136 noted with weather reports for various Canadian and European airports, "This is Trenton Military, Trenton Military" ID in English. A good signal was heard.

17855 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas - 6/23 2315 noted with commentary in Spanish. A very good signal was heard.

DXpedition #19 - James S. McDonnell Park near Saint Ann, MO

For the first DXpedition of 2021 (and the 19th overall), I decided to make my second trip to James S. McDonnell Park near Saint Ann, MO. This is the site of the seventh DXpedition, which took place on October 19, 2019. This is also the park that the Saint Louis and Suburban Radio Club has held several Field Day operations at, including the 2021 edition. This is a Saint Louis County park named in memory of Saint Louis aviation pioneer James S. McDonnell.

It was sunny on the evening of May 29 (UTC May 29-30) with temperatures around 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius); unusually cool for late May. Once again, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX and my Tecsun PL-600 for shortwave DX. This time, I brought my MFJ-1022 active antenna for shortwave DX. I set up on the roundabout about 100 yards east of the McDonnell Shelter, the site of SLSRC's 2019 operation. Monitoring began around 1800 CDT (2300 UTC), going until 2000 CDT (0100 UTC). AM (MW) BCB conditions at sunset favored the Midwest and Mid-South, while every continent except Africa was heard on shortwave.

The radios and shortwave antenna used on DXpedition #19.

AM (MW) BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times Central Daylight Time; for Eastern Daylight Time, add one hour, six hours for UTC.)

930 kHz WTAD Quincy, IL - 5/29 1918 noted with local ads, promo for Memorial Day programming on the station, "WTAD" ID, promo for MLS soccer coverage on the Fox Sports 1 cable channel into a sports talk show from Fox Sports Radio. A good signal was heard with slight adjacent channel interference from WGNU 920.

940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 5/29 1922 noted with a "WMIX" ID into an Adult Standards format. A good to poor signal was heard over KPSZ.

980 kHz KSGM Chester, IL - 5/29 1930 noted with a Classic Country format, "980 and 105.3 KSGM" ID. A good to fair signal was heard over KMBZ and WYFN.

1030 kHz WGSF Memphis, TN - 5/29 1936 noted with Memphis area ads in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard over KCWJ.

1070 kHz WDIA Memphis, TN - 5/29 1943 noted with local ads, iHeart Radio app promo, "WDIA" jingle ID into an R&B Oldies format. A good signal was heard, mixing with KHMO.

1180 kHz WLDS Jacksonville, IL - 5/29 1825 noted with the Eye on Travel show from Selma, AL and local ads. A good to fair signal was heard over WUMY.

1350 kHz WWWL New Orleans, LA - 5/29 1952 noted with an R&B Oldies format, "Hot 92-9" slogan ID. A fair to poor signal, mixing with KRNT and other stations.

1420 kHz WINI Murphysboro, IL - 5/29 1845 noted with oldies format, jingle ID, "Southern Illinois' Cool 93-5" slogan ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WOC and other stations.

1420 kHz WOC Davenport, IA - 5/29 1847 noted with promo for The Kim Komando Show, "WOC Newsradio 1420" slogan ID, morning show promo, local ads into The Kim Komando Show. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with WINI and other stations.

1490 kHz KTTR Rolla, MO - 5/29 1858 noted with a Contemporary Hit Radio format, "Hot 104.9" slogan ID. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1550 kHz KAPE Cape Girardeau, MO - 5/29 1905 noted with a local ad, "Cape Radio 95-7 FM News/Talk" slogan ID, weather forecast from KFVS-TV, brief Web Site promo into The Dave Ramsey Show. A good signal was heard over other stations.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK (All times UTC; for CDT, subtract five hours, for EDT, subtract four hours.)

4875 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA United States Air Force MARS stations - 5/30 0009 noted with a net control station taking traffic from various USAF MARS stations in English. A fair signal was heard in USB mode.

4885 kHz BRAZIL Radio Clube do Pará ZYG362 Belém, Pará - 5/30 0008 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

5010 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 5/30 0012 noted with talk in Spanish into light vocal music. A good to fair signal was heard.

5050 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWRB Morrison, TN - 5/29 2334 noted with a church service via telephone line in English. An excellent signal was heard.

5085 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WTWW Lebanon, TN - 5/30 0015 noted with Amateur Radio Newsline, with a story on Boats On The Air in English. An excellent signal was heard.

5505 kHz IRELAND Shannon VOLMET - 5/29 2358 noted with weather reports for various European airports, "This is Shannon VOLMET, Shannon VOLMET" ID in English. A fair to poor signal was heard in USB mode.

5990 kHz CUBA China Radio International via Quivicán - 5/29 2325 noted with promo into talk on opiate manufacturing in English. A good signal was heard.

6754 kHz CANADA CHR Canadian Forces Base Trenton, ON - 5/30 0047 noted with weather reports for various Canadian airports, "This is Trenton Military, Trenton Military" ID and UTC time check in English. A good signal was heard in USB mode.

6950 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Pirate) Wolverine Radio - 5/30 0041 noted with rock Oldies, "Wolverine Radio" ID in English. A good signal was heard in USB mode.

9265 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WINB Red Lion, PA - 5/30 0024 noted with Christian teaching in English. A good to fair signal was heard.

9420 kHz GREECE Voice of Greece via Avlida - 5/30 0027 noted with Classical operatic music and commentary in Greek. A good signal was heard.

9925 kHz GERMANY The Mighty KBC via Nauen - 5/30 0033 noted with pop/rock Oldies, "The Mighty KBC" ID in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9975 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA KVOH Rancho Simi, CA - 5/30 0038 noted with Christian teaching in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard.

11780 kHz BRAZIL Radio Nacional da Amazônia ZYE365 Brasilia, DF - 5/29 2318 noted with pop music, "Radio Nacional" ID in Portuguese. A very good signal was heard.

13650 kHz JAPAN Radio Japan via Yamato - 5/29 2338 noted with brief commentary in Burmese into traditional Japanese music. A good to fair signal was heard.

15000 kHz HAWAII WWVH Kekaha, Kauai - 5/29 2326 noted with time signals and UTC time check in English. A fair  signal was heard over WWV.

15610 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WEWN Vandiver, AL - 5/29 2329 noted with a discussion on a book about Saint Michael the Archangel in English. A very good signal was heard.