DXpedition #31 - Saint Stanislaus Conservation Area, Hazelwood, MO

The 32nd DXpedition to Saint Stanislaus Conservation Area in Hazelwood, MO was the first one I took in fifteen months. This would also be the fourth DXpedition I've taken to the area, and the first in which the UTC month changed while I was monitoring. It's the first I've taken in the month of April (local time). 

I couldn't have picked a better day: sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit (21-26 degrees C). Monitoring started around 1720 CDT (2220 UTC) on April 30, going until 1940 CDT (UTC May 1 0040). Reception conditions on the AM (Medium  Wave) broadcast band were typical daytime conditions until around 1800 CDT (2300 UTC), when stations from across the Midwest and Mid-South of the United States started coming in. Conditions on the 90 and 60 Meter tropical shortwave bands were poor until around 1830 CDT (2330 UTC), when signals from North America and the Caribbean began coming in. On the international shortwave bands, stations from all over the world were heard, with the majority coming from Asia. 

AM (MW) BCB logs were made using a General Electric Superadio III with a Grundig AN-200 passive loop antenna placed near the receiver. Shortwave logs were made with a Tecsun PL-600 with an MFJ-1022 active antenna.

The receiving station at Saint Stanislaus.

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

570 kHz WNAX Yankton, SD - 4/30 1808 noted with Minnesota Twins promo, ads mentioning Nebraska and South Dakota into Minnesota Twins pre-game show. A fair signal was heard.

750 kHz KBNN Lebanon, MO - 4/30 1816 noted with Lebanon High School baseball play-by-play. A fair signal was heard over WNDZ.

920 kHz WBAA West Lafayette, IN - 4/30 1832 noted with NPR News, underwriting announcements, "WBAA" ID and mention of "WBAA dot org". A fair signal was heard.

970 kHz WMAY Springfield, IL - 4/30 1908 noted with a Classic Hits format, "102-5 The Lake" jingle ID. A fair signal was heard.

1070 kHz KHMO Hannibal, MO - 4/30 1843 noted with Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play and local ads. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from WRYT 1080.

1210 kHz KGYN Guymon, OK - 4/30 1923 noted with local ads and a promo for an upcoming event in Guymon. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WPHT.

1220 kHz KLPW Union, MO - 4/30 1753 noted with a Classic Rock format, "This is KLPW" ID. A good signal was heard.

1230 kHz WIBQ Terre Haute, IN - 4/30 1926 noted with an ad mentioning a phone number in Area Code 812. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations.

1250 kHz WRAY Princeton, IN - 4/30 1936 noted with a "Country 98.1" slogan ID into a Country music format. A good to fair signal was heard over KYYS with ACI from WSDZ 1260.

1250 kHz KYYS Kansas City, KS - 4/30 1930 noted with a local ad in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard mixing with WRAY with ACI from WSDZ 1260.

1290 kHz WCBL Benton, KY - 4/30 1929 noted with an ad mentioning Western Kentucky. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WIRL.

1340 kHz WSOY Decatur, IL - 4/30 1904 noted with a "WSOY" ID into Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play. A fair signal was heard over KSMO and KXEO.

1350 kHz KRAP Washington, MO - 4/30 1744 noted with ads mentioning Lake Saint Louis and Washington, "Westplex 107-1" slogan ID into a Hot Adult Contemporary format. A fair signal was heard over WSIQ.

1400 kHz KJFF Festus, MO - 4/30 1748 noted with local ads, "KJFF" ID, "K-Jeff" slogan ID into Sports Talk. A fair signal was heard over KFRU and WGIL.

1410 kHz WIHM Taylorville, IL - 4/30 1753 noted with discussion on Catholic teaching, EWTN promos and a Covenant Network donation appeal. A fair signal was heard.

1560 kHz KTUI Sullivan, MO - 4/30 1856 noted with national ads, program promo, American Ground Radio with mentions of Boeing and the first Inauguration of President George Washington, "News/Talk 1560, 94-1 KTUI Sullivan" legal ID into USA Radio News. A good signal was heard with ACI from WBGZ 1570.

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

2500 kHz UNITED STATES WWV Fort Collins, CO - 4/30 2338 noted with time signals and UTC time checks in English. A very poor signal was heard.

3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 4/30 2225 noted with time signals, "CHU Canada" ID in even numbered minutes and in French on odd numbered minutes, UTC time checks in English and French. A fair to poor signal was heard.

4840 kHz UNITED STATES WWCR Nashville, TN - 5/1 0030 noted with promos, national ads into a conservative talk show in English. An excellent signal was heard.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 5/1 0034 noted with Radio Rebelde promos in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

5085 kHz UNITED STATES WTWW Lebanon, TN - 5/1 0038 noted with Truth to Ponder with Bob Biermann in English. An excellent signal was heard.

5995 kHz MALI ORTM Radio Mali via Bamako - 4/30 2340 noted with promo in French into Hi-Life music. A fair signal was heard.

7490 kHz UNITED STATES WBCQ Monticello, ME - 4/30 2344 noted with pop Oldies, "WBCQ - The Planet" jingle ID in English. A good signal was heard.

7850 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 4/30 2353 noted with time signals, "CHU Canada" ID in English at 2354, UTC time check in English and French. An excellent signal was heard.

8957 kHz IRELAND Shannon VOLMET - 4/30 2301 noted with weather reports for various European airports in English. A fair to poor signal was heard in upper sideband (USB).

9395 kHz UNITED STATES WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 4/30 2356 noted with Glenn Hauser's World of Radio in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9665 kHz BRAZIL Radio Voz Missionaria ZYE890 Camboriú, Santa Catarina - 5/1 0002 noted with Christian music in Portuguese. A fair signal was heard.

11590 kHz UZBEKISTAN IBRA Radio via Tashkent - 5/1 0009 noted with Christian teaching in Bengali. A fair signal was heard.

11620 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Tiganesti - 5/1 0010  noted with a sports report in English. An excellent signal was heard.

11720 kHz CHINA China National Radio 1 Shijiazhuang - 5/1 noted with commentary in Mandarin. A poor signal was heard.

11745 kHz SAUDI ARABIA Al-Azm Radio via Riyadh - 4/30 2313 noted with discussion in Arabic. A fair to poor signal was heard.

11815 kHz BRAZIL Radio Brasil Central ZYE440 Goiânia, Goiás - 5/1 0016 noted with commentary in Portuguese. A poor signal was heard.

11830 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Kashgar - 5/1 0018 noted with light vocal music in Chinese and commentary in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard.

11990 kHz CHINA China Radio International via Nanning - 5/1 0021 noted with light vocal music in Chinese and commentary in Khmer. A fair to poor signal was heard.

12045 kHz CHINA China National Radio 1 Beijing - 4/30 2322 noted with promos and commentary in Mandarin. A fair to poor signal was heard.

15110 kHz ALGERIA Ifrikiya FM via Bechar - 4/30 2230 noted with discussion in Arabic into contemporary Middle Eastern music. A good signal was heard.

15190 kHz BRAZIL Radio Inconfidéncia ZYE522 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais - 4/30 2235 noted with commentary and promos in Portugueese. A fair signal was heard.

15245 kHz NORTH KOREA Voice of Korea via Kujang - 4/30 2240 noted with commentary in Spanish. A poor signal was heard.

15330 kHz UZBEKISTAN Adventist World Radio Asia via Tashkent - 4/30 2246 noted with Contemporary Christian music and Christian teaching in Javanese. A fair signal was heard.

17715 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas - 4/30 2251 noted with an interview in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

17855 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas - 4/30 2253 noted with an interview in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard. 

Radio As a Witness to History

 A few years ago, I did a video on my YouTube channel called "Radio As a Witness to History". Many of us were at our listening posts or watching TV when a number of events in our world happened. Now, how many recall the first major event in history we had our shortwave receivers for?

I bought my first shortwave receiver in October 1981 when I was a freshman in high school. The first world event I remember having a shortwave receiver for was the crackdown by the Communist government then in place in Poland on the Solidarity trade union during the Christmas season that year. Some of an older generation might have had a shortwave receiver when the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated on November 22, 1963. David Von Pein's JFK Channel on YouTube features coverage from the Voice of America, Radio New York Worldwide, Alistair Cooke's commentary on the BBC along with reports from various United States radio and TV stations and networks. Many of us who were in the hobby in the late 1980s and early 1990s would likely had their radios on during the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, the Tien-an-Men Square demonstrations or the fall of the Soviet Union. Some might have had their shortwave radios on during Operation Desert Storm or when the United States was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Another example: when the United States and Cuba announced the normalization of relations in December 2014, I heard the American side of the story from the American media. I was recording the Cuban side of the story on the computer off Radio Havana Cuba on 6000 kHz that same evening.

I've also had the fortune of owning VHF/UHF scanner equipment. I can still clearly recall the riots in Ferguson, MO in August and November of 2014. Back then, Saint Louis County first responders were on high band VHF. I spent many nights during the riots monitoring the radio traffic coming out of Ferguson and recording it for posterity. Since the Ferguson riots, Saint Louis County first responders have moved radio traffic to the Saint Louis Area Trunked Emergency Radio (SLATER) digital system, which covers Saint Louis, Saint Charles and Jefferson Counties. Most police radio traffic is now encrypted in the Saint Louis area.

Regardless of whether you have the capabilities of receiving the broadcast or public service bands, our radios can be a witness to the history that's unfolding before our ears.

Hearing Former Local Stations

 When you relocate from one part of the country to another, do you ever think about trying to hear your former local stations on AM and FM, or even on TV? That's exactly what I thought when I relocated from Hazelwood, MO (two blocks from my present location) to the Cobb-Cherokee County line in Georgia in August of 1988, and again when I relocated to my present location in July 1992.

When I was living in Georgia, I primarily DXed the AM and FM broadcast bands. I didn't have an antenna rotator for the TV antenna, since the neighborhoods I lived in were under covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&R); both homes were built in the 1980s. Of course, the easiest Saint Louis AM station I could hear was 50 kW blowtorch KMOX 1120. At sunset, I logged KUSA 550 (now KTRS), KXOK 630 (now KYFI), WEW 770, KFUO 850 and KGLD 1380 (now KXFN). At night, WIBV 1260 (now WSDZ) from Belleville, IL was fairly easy to hear. I also logged WIL 1430 (the calls are now on 92.3 FM) at night. One night also had local WKHX 590 (now WDWD) on open carrier, allowing me to log WKLL 590 (now KFNS), operating 250 watts non-directional from Wood River, IL. I also logged a 1990 DX Test from KSTL 690 while in Georgia. All of the Saint Louis FM stations were logged on a single tropospheric enhancement opening in November 1988. I would log KWMU 90.7, WIL 92.3, KSD 93.7, KFUO-FM 99.1 (now KLJY), KEZK 102.5, KSTZ 105.7 (now KPNT) and KMJM 107.7 (now KSLZ). On TV, I had locals on 2, 5, 11 and 30. I DXed from August 1988 to June 1991 from Woodstock, in Cherokee County, and from June 1991 to June 1992 from the far north of Marietta, in Cobb County. Both locations were 25 miles from downtown Atlanta. At Woodstock, the only Atlanta AM stations audible at night were 590, 640, 750 and 920. At Marietta, 590, 640, 750, 920 and 1380 were audible at night.

When I returned to Hazelwood, the easiest Metro Atlanta AM to hear is WSB 750. The 50,000-Watt Voice of the South could easily be heard at sunset, nighttime and sunrise. At sunset, I've logged the following former locals on AM: 640 (as both WGST and WBIN), 680, 790, 1190(as WGKA and WAFS) and 1550 (as WYNX and WAZX). At sunrise, I've logged 860, 1010, 1080 and 1570 (as WSSA and WIGO). At night, I've logged 610, 970, 1230, 1260, 1480 and 1600. With locals off, I've logged 920 (as WAFS and WGKA) and 1380. I've also logged these stations that came on or relocated from other Georgia communities after I returned to Saint Louis: 990, 1040, 1160 and 1690. I've also logged 1290 in Canton, the only AM in Cherokee County.

On the FM side, I've logged these former locals via tropospheric enhancement: WABE 90.1, WZGC 92.9, WKLS 96.1 (now WWPW), WSB-FM 98.5, WWWQ 99.7, WKHX 101.5 and WTSH 107.1. WSTR 94.1 has been logged via both tropo and meteor scatter. Only one move-in has been logged: 105.3 (I logged this in Woodstock when the frequency was assigned to Macon, and at Hazelwood as a Bowdon assignment). On analog TV, I logged WTBS 17 (now WPCH-TV), WATL 36, WATC 57 and WUPA 69, along with WHSG 63 in suburban Monroe. I've yet to log a digital TV from my old stomping grounds.

Hearing former locals depends on the distance between your DX locations. The two locations are roughly 460 miles apart, making former locals possible to log. 

DXpedition #30 - Harry S. Truman Park, Hazelwood, MO

I had never attempted a DXpedition in the month of January...that is, until New Year's Day 2023. Just ten days earlier, the temperature in my back yard was a bone-freezing seven degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The Saint Louis metro area is well known for wild swings in winter weather. This New Year's Day brought temperatures in the low to mid-60s Fahrenheit under mostly sunny skies; perfect for setting up my listening post outdoors. I chose a picnic table overlooking Truman Pond for my 30th DXpedition.

Once again, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. For shortwave DX, I brought my Tecsun PL-600 and MFJ-1022 active antenna. Monitoring began around 1415 CST (2015 UTC), wrapping up around 1620 CST (2220 UTC). Reception conditions on the AM broadcast band favored the Midwest before 1500 CST (2100 UTC); stations from the Deep South began coming in after that time. Local KXFN 1380 was off the air at the time, enabling me to log a former local from my days in Georgia on the frequency. Shortwave reception conditions were not as good as on previous DXpeditions, with only Africa, Europe and the Americas heard. I was surprised that Asian and Pacific stations weren't heard! I hope conditions are better on shortwave for the next DXpedition.

Listening post at Truman Park for DXpedition #30.

AM (MW) BROADCAST BAND LOGBOOK (All times CST; for EST, add one hour, six hours for UTC.)

610 kHz KCSP Kansas City, MO - 1/1 1422 noted with talk on the National Football League, mention of the playoffs, "Fox Sports Radio" network ID into NFL scores. A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on the channel.

670 kHz WSCR Chicago, IL - 1/1 1431 noted with talk on the day's NFL games, "CBS Sports Radio" network ID into CBS Sports Radio Sports Flash. A good signal was heard, alone on the channel.

720 kHz WGN Chicago, IL - 1/1 1438 noted with talk on the war in Ukraine, mention of other events in 2022, CST time check, "WGN" spoken and jingle IDs into local ads. A fair signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KWRE 730.

750 kHz KBNN Lebanon, MO - 1/1 1449 noted with The Dave Ramsey Show and national ads. A fair signal was heard over WNDZ.

940 kHz WMAC Macon, GA - 1/1 1558 noted with "WMAC" ID in promo into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WMIX and WYLD.

940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 1/1 1455 noted with Adult Standards format, "More Music, More Variety, WMIX" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

940 kHz WYLD New Orleans, LA - 1/1 1558 noted with Urban Gospel format, "WYLD New Orleans" legal ID, mention of the iHeart phone app, "Hallelujah 940" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WMAC, WMIX.

950 kHz KWOS Jefferson City, MO - 1/1 1457 noted with Kansas City Chiefs Football play-by-play, local and network ads, "Kansas City Chiefs Football on News Radio KWOS" slogan ID. A good signal was heard, alone on the channel.

970 kHz WMAY Springfield, IL - 1/1 1528 noted with Classic Hits format, "A Generation of Music and Memories, 102.5 the Lake, Timeless Hits" slogan ID. A good signal was heard, alone on the channel.

1020 kHz WCIL Carbondale, IL - 1/1 1503 noted with ABC News, network ads, station promo, local ad, "WJPF" ID; WJPF 1340 Herrin was not heard. A fair to poor signal was heard over WPEO; minor ACI from KXEN 1010.

1030 kHz WGSF Memphis, TN - 1/1 1542 noted with Regional Mexican format, "Ambiente 1030" slogan ID in Spanish. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

1040 kHz WPBS Conyers, GA - 1/1 1603 noted with story in Vietnamese. A good signal was heard over WHO.

1050 kHz WDZ Decatur, IL - 1/1 1508 noted with network ad, promo mentioning WBBM 780 into Chicago Bears pot-game show. A fair signal was heard, alone on the channel.

1060 kHz WKNG Tallapoosa, GA - 1/1 1531 noted with "WKNG 92.7 FM and AM 1060" ID into Classic Country format. A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on the channel.

1350 kHz KRAP Washington, MO - 1/1 1511 noted with Hot Adult Contemporary format, "Westplex 107.1" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard over WSIQ.

1380 kHz WAOK Atlanta, GA - 1/1 1522 noted with local ads, station promos, "News/Talk 1380 WAOK" slogan ID into talk show mentioning Atlanta. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with other stations; local KXFN off.

1700 kHz WEUP Huntsville, AL - 1/1 1606 noted with Urban Gospel format, "The New Vision 94.5" slogan ID. A good signal was heard over KBGG.

SHORTWAVE RADIO LOGBOOK (All times UTC; for CST, subtract six hours; five hours for EST.)

5000 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWV Fort Collins, CO - 1/1 2042 noted with UTC time check in English into time signals. A fair signal was heard.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 1/1 2144 noted with commentary in Spanish. A very poor signal was heard (best in SSB mode), increasing to a fair signal after 2200.

6070 kHz CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON - 1/1 2215 noted with local ads, "News/Talk 1010 Toronto" slogan ID into talk on wi-fi in English. A fair signal was heard.

7310 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Tiganesti - 1/1 2147 noted with talk on Romanian history in English. A very good signal was heard.

7375 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Galbeni - 1/1 2149 noted with discussion on Romanian history in English. A fair signal was heard.

9275 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WMLK Bethel, PA - 1/1 2044 noted with sermon mentioning Yahweh in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9395 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 1/1 2208 noted with a pop Oldie and talk on the war in Ukraine in English. A very good signal was heard.

11720 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Voice of America Greenville, NC - 1/1 2119 noted with Country music and "VOA" ID in English. An excellent signal was heard.

11965 kHz MADAGASCAR MWV African Pathways Radio via Mahajanga - 1/1 2018 noted with the story of young Jesus in English. A very good signal was heard.

13630 kHz MALI CGTN Radio via Bamako - 1/1 2032 noted with a discussion on China in English. A fair signal was heard.

13750 kHz SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE VOA relay Pinheira - 1/1 2035 noted with news and commentary in Hausa. A fair signal was heard.

13820 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Radio Martí Greenville, NC - 1/1 2040 noted with a discussion in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard.

15355 kHz MADAGASCAR Adventist World Radio Africa via Talata Volondry - 1/1 2025 noted with Christian teaching and ID in French, off at 2026. A very good signal was heard.

DXpedition #29 - James S. McDonnell Park, Saint Ann, MO

After voting absentee for the 2022 midterm elections at the local election office on November 3, I took my radios to James S. McDonnell Park for my 29th DXpedition; it was also my third DXpedition to the Saint Louis County park named in memory of Saint Louis aviation pioneer James S. McDonnell. This is the first time I took the radios there during the week; that way, I would use one of the two picnic shelters normally reserved on the weekends. The site I selected was the McDonnell Shelter, the first one seen as you come off Adie Road. The McDonnell Shelter, along with the larger Lindbergh Shelter, has hosted several Field Day operations for the Saint Louis and Suburban Radio Club.

As usual, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. For shortwave DX, I brought my Tecsun PL-600; I alternated between the MFJ-1022 active antenna and the built-in telescoping whip, since the battery was low later in the DXpedition. Monitoring took place from 1400 to 1745 CDT (1900-2245 UTC). AM (MW) band conditions favored the Midwest until around 1630 CDT (2130 UTC), when stations from the South and Mid-Atlantic states started coming in. On the shortwave bands, all areas were heard except for the Pacific. The one thing I noted was the Cubans on 5025 and 5040 kHz back on the air, but weaker than usual, after Hurricane Ian.

The receiver setup at the McDonnell Shelter.

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

580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 11/3 1500 noted with "AM 580 WILL Urbana, 90.9 WILL-FM HD3 Urbana" legal ID, preview of Fresh Air into NPR News. A good signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590.

670 kHz WSCR Chicago, IL - 11/3 1417 noted with talk on the World Series with MLB Network's Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo as the in-studio guest, "670 the Score" jingle ID, station promo, "670 the Score, an Audacy Station" slogan before returning to the Mad Dog. A good signal was heard, alone on channel.

720 kHz WGN Chicago, IL - 11/3 1421 noted with interview with guest talking about police funding and the 2024 elections, "WGN" spoken and jingle IDs into local ads. A fair signal was heard with ACI from KWRE 730.

740 kHz WVLN Olney, IL - 11/3 1420 noted with Sports Talk format, "CBS Sports Radio" jingle into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard with ACI from KWRE 730.

740 kHz KRMG Tulsa, OK - 11/3 1744 noted with weather forecast, "News Radio KRMG" slogan ID into traffic report mentioning a serious crash on eastbound Interstate 44. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with CFZM.

740 kHz CFZM Toronto, ON - 11/3 1743 noted with Oldies format, "Zoomer Radio" slogan ID. A good to poor signal was heard, mixing with KRMG.

760 kHz WJR Detroit, MI - 11/3 1731 noted with Fox News Radio, quick "WJR" ID, traffic report, weather forecast into local ads. A good to fair signal was heard with ACI from WEW 770.

780 kHz WBBM Chicago, IL - 11/3 1440 noted with traffic report, "News Radio 105.9 WBBM" slogan ID and weather forecast. A fair signal was heard with ACI from WEW 770.

820 kHz WVSG Columbus, OH - 11/3 1722 noted with talk on deliverance prayers and exorcisms from EWTN. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

890 kHz WLS Chicago, IL - 11/3 1554 noted with local ads, station promo and "890 WLS" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard with ACI from WIJR 880.

900 kHz KFAL Fulton, MO - 11/3 1432 noted with Classic Country format, station promo, "This is The Big 900 KFAL, on FM at 95.3" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

940 kHz WMIX Mount Vernon, IL - 11/3 1511 noted with Adult Standards format, "940 WMIX" ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel. Not as strong as in years passed.

970 kHz WMAY Springfield, IL - 11/3 1556 noted with Classic Hits format, "102.5 the Lake, Timeless Hits" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1020 kHz KDKA Pittsburgh, PA - 11/3 1708 noted with local ad, promo for the Audacy app, preview of upcoming talk show with mention of Pennsylvania. A good signal was heard over WCIL.

1050 kHz WDZ Decatur, IL - 11/3 1559 noted with local ad, "This is WDZ Decatur" legal ID at 1600 into Fox Sports Radio update. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1060 kHz WKNG Tallapoosa, GA - 11/3 1643 noted with "WKNG 1060 AM and 92.7 FM" ID, local ads and mention of Western Georgia. A fair to poor signal was heard over WMCL.

1140 kHz WRVA Richmond, VA - 11/3 1652 noted with traffic report, local ads, "News Radio WRVA" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard over WVEL.

1150 kHz KCPS Burlington, IA -11/3 1632 noted with local ads mentioning Burlington. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WGGH.

1170 kHz KTSB Tulsa, OK - 11/3 1653 noted with local ads mentioning phone numbers in Area Code 918. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WWVA.

1170 kHz WWVA Wheeling, WV - 11/3 1655 noted with local ads, political ad mentioning Ohio, station promo, "News Radio 1170 WWVA" slogan ID into The Sean Hannity Show. A fair signal was heard over KTSB.

1180 kHz WLDS Jacksonville, IL - 11/3 1613 noted with "AM 1180 WLDS" ID, local ads mentioning Jacksonville into View From the Crow's Nest. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1200 kHz WRTO Chicago, IL - 11/3 1618 noted with Sports Talk format and local ads in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on channel.

1290 kHz WHKY Hickory, NC - 11/3 1706 noted with "WHKY Talk Radio" slogan ID into The Mark Levin Show. A good to fair signal was heard over WIRL.

1370 kHz KWRT Boonville, MO - 11/3 1637 noted with quick "KWRT" ID into Classic Country format. A fair signal was heard with ACI from KXFN 1380.

1450 kHz WFMB Springfield, IL - 11/3 1607 noted with local ads mentioning Springfield.  A fair signal was heard with ACI from KHOJ 1460.

1500 kHz WPMB Vandalia, IL - 11/3 1541 noted with Adult Contemporary format, "This is WPMB" ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1580 kHz WAMW Washington, IN - 11/3 1543 noted with Country format, "This is Four-Star Country the General, WAMW" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard with ACI from WBGZ 1570.

1590 kHz WRCY Mount Vernon, IN - 11/3 1545 noted with an ad for a farm co-op in Mount Vernon, election PSA, weather forecast, "AM 1590, 98.9 WPIW" slogan ID. 98.9 refers to W255DQ Poseyville, IN. A fair to poor signal was heard with ACI from KATZ 1600.

1610 kHz CHHA Toronto, ON - 11/3 1700 noted with local ads, "CHHA 1610 AM" ID into local news in Spanish. A good signal was heard with ACI from KATZ 1600.

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

3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 11/3 2120 noted with time signals, "CHU Canada" ID in French, UTC time check in French and English at 2121. A fair to poor signal was heard.

5000 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWV Fort Collins, CO - 11/3 2017 noted with time signals, UTC time check at 2018 into solar weather outlook. A fair signal was heard.

5025 kHz CUBA Radio Rebelde CMBA Bauta, Ciudad de la Habana - 11/3 2219 noted with commentary in Spanish. A poor signal was heard.

5040 kHz CUBA Radio Havana Cuba via Bejucal, Ciudad de la Habana - 11/3 2220 noted with commentary and vocal music in Spanish. A poor signal was heard.

9275 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WMLK Bethel, PA - 11/3 1929 noted with sermon mentioning the Bill of Rights in English. A good signal was heard.

9350 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWCR Nashville, TN - 11/3 2006 noted with sermon in English. A good signal was heard.

9800 kHz PHILIPPINES Voice of America via Tinang - 11/3 2033 noted with news and commentary in Korean. A fair signal was heard.

10051 kHz NEWFOUNDLAND Gander VOLMET - 11/3 2027 noted with weather reports for various Canadian airports, "This is Gander Radio out" ID at 2029 sign-off. A fair signal was heard in USB mode.

11640 kHz MALI CGTN Radio via Bamako - 11/3 2107 noted with commentary and feature on Chinese history in English. A fair signal was heard.

11720 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Voice of America via Greenville, NC - 11/3 2104 noted with news, "VOA News" ID into pop music in English. An excellent signal was heard.

12030 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas - 11/3 2003 noted with news and promos in Spanish. A good signal was heard.

12095 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 11/3 2135 noted with interviews in English. A fair to good signal was heard.

13264 kHz IRELAND Shannon VOLMET - 11/3 2022 noted with weather reports for the North Atlantic and various European airports, "This is Shannon VOLMET, Shannon VOLMET" ID in English. A fair signal was heard in USB mode.

13630 kHz MALI CGTN Radio via Bamako - 11/3 2006 noted with discussion on sleep in English. A good signal was heard.

14670 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 11/3 2020 noted with time signals, "CHU Canada" ID in French, UTC time check in French and English at 2021. A very good signal was heard.

15034 kHz CANADA CHR Canadian Forces Base Trenton, ON - 11/3 1902 noted with weather reports for various Canadian airports, "This is Trenton Military out" ID at 1903 sign-off in English. A good signal was heard in USB mode.

15580 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America via Mopeng Hill - 11/3 1902 noted with news, "This is VOA News" ID into VOA News Now in English. A fair signal was heard.

15730 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Voice of America via Greenville, NC - 11/3 1948 noted with interview and promo in French. An excellent signal was heard.

15770 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Voice of America via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 11/3 1950 noted with story on energy supplies in Ukraine in English. An excellent signal was heard.

15825 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWCR Nashville, TN - 11/3 1954 noted with sermon in English. An excellent signal was heard.

17700 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Voice of America via Greenville, NC - 11/3 1908 noted with interview in French. A good signal was heard.

17790 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Pan American Broadcasting via WRMI Okeechobee, FL - 11/3 1919 noted with sermon in English. An excellent signal was heard.

DXpedition #28 - Creve Coeur County Park, Maryland Heights, MO

On October 20, 2022, I took my radios back to Creve Coeur County Park in Maryland Heights for the second DXpedition of 2022. This time, I took a picnic table close to where I parked my minivan. On this DXpedition, I passed 50 AM stations logged from the park, as well as the 100th overall (AM and SW) log. Creve Coeur Park becomes the third DXpedition site from where I've logged over 100 AM and SW stations; Saint Stanislaus Conservation Area in Hazelwood and Babler State Park in Wildwood are the other sites where I've logged more than 100 AM and SW stations.

Temperatures were in the lower 70s Fahrenheit that day under partly cloudy skies with a breeze around 15 mph (24 km/h). Once again, I brought my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX, along with my Tecsun PL-600 and MFJ-1022 active antenna for shortwave DX. Monitoring began around 1425 CDT (1925 UTC), going up to 1710 CDT (2210 UTC). Conditions on AM favored the Midwest; all areas of the world except Oceania were heard on shortwave.

The listening post for the third Creve Coeur DXpedition.

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

580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 10/20 1631 noted with NPR News, ag report, "You're listening to WILL" slogan ID, weather forecast, underwriting announcement into All Things Considered. A good signal was heard with adjacent channel interference from KFNS 590.

600 kHz WMT Cedar Rapids, IA - 10/20 1524 noted with "News Radio 600 WMT" slogan ID into local ads. A fair to poor signal was heard with ACI from KFNS 590.

670 kHz WSCR Chicago, IL - 10/20 1530 noted with local ads, station promo, "670 the Score" slogan ID into talk on the National Football League. A good signal was heard.

720 kHz WGN Chicago, IL - 10/20 1532 noted with local ads, station promo, "Chicago's Very Own 720 WGN" slogan ID into local news. A good signal was heard with minor ACI from KWRE 730.

780 kHz WBBM Chicago, IL - 10/20 1552 noted with local news, CDT time check, local ads, business report, "News Radio 105.9 WBBM" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard with ACI from WEW 770.

790 kHz WRMS Beardstown, IL - 10/20 1556 noted with Covenant Network fundraising promo, mention of a Saint Louis, MO address into light Contemporary Christian music. A good to fair signal was heard.

810 kHz WHB Kansas City, MO - 10/20 1558 noted with local ads, "Sports Radio 810 WHB Kansas City" legal ID at 1602. A fair to poor signal was heard.

890 kHz WLS Chicago, IL - 10/20 1603 noted with local news, "WLS" ID, traffic report, local ads, business report and "890 WLS" ID. A fair signal was heard with minor ACI from WIJR 880.

970 kHz WMAY Springfield, IL - 10/20 1512 noted with Classic Hits format, "102.5 the Lake, Timeless Hits" slogan ID. A good to fair signal was heard.

980 kHz KSGM Chester, IL - 10/20 1436 noted with "Classic Country KSGM" slogan ID into Classic Country format. A good signal was heard.

1040 kHz WHO Des Moines, IA - 10/20 1637 noted with local ads, weather forecast, "WHO" ID into station contest. A good signal was heard.

1140 kHz WVEL Pekin, IL - 10/20 1429 noted with Urban Gospel format, "1140 WVEL" ID into local ads. A fair signal was heard.

1160 kHz WYLL Chicago, IL - 10/20 1616 noted with local ads mentioning Chicago and a phone number in Area Code 773. A fair to poor signal was heard.

1180 kHz WLDS Jacksonville, IL - 10/20 1608 noted with weather almanac and current conditions for Jacksonville, local ads mentioning numbers in Area Code 217, ag report, business report, CDT time check at 1615 into Views from the Crow's Nest. A fair signal was heard.

1190 kHz WOWO Fort Wayne, IN - 10/20 1650 noted with talk on the 1980 Presidential election, mention of Fort Wayne into talk on the 2022 midterm election. A fair signal was heard.

1240 kHz KFMO Park Hills, MO - 10/20 1505 noted with weather forecast and mention of the Parkland. A fair signal was heard, mixing with WTAX.

1340 kHz WSOY Decatur, IL - 10/20 1652 noted with local ads, talk on the 2022 midterm elections, University of Illinois football promo, "1340 AM and 103.3 FM WSOY" ID. A fair to poor signal was heard in KXEO null.

1350 kHz KRAP Washington, MO - 10/20 1446 noted with Hot Adult Contemporary format, "Westplex 107.1, a new station for the Westplex, online at Westplex 107-1-dot-com" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard.

1400 kHz KJFF Festus, MO - 10/20 1619 noted with "K-Jeff" slogan ID into local ads. A good signal was heard over KFRU.

1410 kHz WIZM La Crosse, WI - 10/20 1707 noted with talk on Wisconsin weather, mentions of the Mississippi River and phone numbers in Area Code 608 into local ads. A fair signal was heard.

1420 kHz WINI Murphysboro, IL - 10/20 1646 noted with Oldies format, "Cool 93.5" slogan ID. A fair signal was heard over WOC.

1520 kHz WHOW Clinton, IL - 10/20 1459 noted with local ads, "AM 1520 WHOW Clinton, 92.3 W222BA Clinton and 106.5 W293DJ Normal/Bloomington" legal ID into Town Hall News. A fair signal was heard.

1550 kHz KAPE Cape Girardeau, MO - 10/20 1451 noted with local news, "Cape Radio 95.7" slogan ID into local ads. A fair signal was heard.

1560 kHz KTUI Sullivan, MO - 10/20 1449 noted with local ads, "News/Talk 94.1 and 1560 KTUI" slogan ID into agricultural business news. A fair signal was heard.

1580 kHz KTGR Columbia, MO - 10/20 1701 noted with station promo, "KTGR" ID, "ESPN 100.5 and 105.1 KTGR" ID into The Big Show with talk on University of Missouri football. A fair to poor signal was heard with ACI from WBGZ 1570.

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

3330 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 10/20 2209 noted with time signals, "CHU Canada" ID in English, UTC time check in English and French at 2210. A fair signal was heard.

5000 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWV Fort Collins, CO - 10/20 1959 noted with UTC time check in English and time signals. A fair to poor signal was heard.

9275 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WMLK Bethel, PA - 10/20 1939 noted with sermon mentioning Yahweh in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9460 kHz TURKEY Voice of Turkey via Emirler - 10/20 1941 noted with traditional music in Turkish. A fair signal was heard.

11650 kHz ROMANIA Radio Romania International via Tiganesti - 10/20 2127 noted with commentary in Spanish. A fair signal was heard.

11900 kHz VATICAN CITY Voice of America relay Santa Maria di Galeria - 10/20 2141 noted with news analysis in Bambara. A good signal was heard.

11995 kHz FRANCE Radio France Internationale via Issoudun - 10/20 2012 noted with commentary in French into hi-life music. A fair signal was heard.

12095 kHz ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay - 10/20 2145 noted with commentary in English. A fair signal was heard.

14670 kHz CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON - 12/20 1931 noted with "CHU Canada" ID in French, UTC time check in French and English into time signals. A very good signal was heard.

15245 kHz NORTH KOREA Voice of Korea via Kujang - 10/20 2125 noted with commentary in English. A poor signal was heard.

15300 kHz FRANCE Radio France Internationale via Issoudun - 10/20 1954 noted with feature program in French. A good signal was heard.

15555 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WJHR Milton, FL - 10/20 1957 noted with sermon in English. A good signal was heard in USB mode.

DXpedition #27 - Sioux Passage County Park, Florissant, MO

The 2022 DXpedition season got a late start due in part to high fuel prices, peaking at U$5.09 per gallon in Saint Louis, MO. For this year's DXpedition season, I decided to stick close to my QTH. On October 5, I took my  radios to Sioux Passage County Park near Florissant, MO. This is the fourth DXpedition to the northern edge of Saint Louis County.

Skies were partly cloudy that day with temperatures around 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). The Missouri River, which flows past the park, was at the lowest level since 2012, allowing access to Pelican Island Nature Area on foot. Once again, I took my General Electric Superadio III for AM (MW) broadcast band DX. For shortwave DX, I took my Tecsun PL-600; instead of the homebrew longwire antenna, I took my MFJ-1022 active antenna. I set up my listening post on the only picnic table close to the river's edge. Monitoring began around 1525 CDT (2025 UTC), going until 1730 CDT (2230 UTC). AM (MW) BCB conditions favored Illinois throughout the DXpedition; stations from other parts of the Midwest, as well as the Great Lakes and Deep South, were being heard after 1700 CDT (2200 UTC). Every continent was heard on the shortwave bands.

The listening post setup at Sioux Passage.

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

580 kHz WILL Urbana, IL - 10/5 1604 noted with underwriting announcements, “WILL” ID into local news. A good signal was heard with ACI from KFNS 590.

670 kHz WSCR Chicago, IL - 10/5 1611 noted with Chicago Cubs baseball play-by-play, “The Score” slogan ID and local ads. A good signal was heard; alone on channel.

720 kHz WGN Chicago, IL - 10/5 1612 noted with talk on “butter boards” mentioning Tik Tok. A good signal was heard with minor ACI from KWRE 730.

780 kHz WBBM Chicago, IL - 10/5 1607 noted with local news, “News Radio 105.9 WBBM” slogan ID into local ads. A good signal was heard with no ACI from WEW 770.

890 kHz WLS Chicago, IL - 10/5 1626 noted with talk on bad driving during the COVID-19 pandemic, mentions of I-80 and Joliet. A good signal was heard with no ACI from WIJR 880.

1050 kHz WDZ Decatur, IL - 10/5 1614 noted with Chicago Cubs baseball play-by-play, local ads, mentions of “The Score” and “The Cubs Radio Network".  A good signal was heard, alone on channel.

1180 kHz WLDS Jacksonville, IL - 10/5 1652 noted with local ads into Chicago Cubs baseball play-by-play. A good signal was heard, alone on channel.

1200 kHz WRTO Chicago, IL - 10/5 1654 noted with Chicago Cubs baseball play-by-play in Spanish. A fair to poor signal was heard, alone on channel.

1210 kHz WILY Centralia, IL - 10/5 1701 noted with Classic Hits format, “Super Hits WILY” slogan ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1220 kHz KLPW Union, MO - 10/5 1655 noted with Classic Rock format, “1220 KLPW Union, 92.7 K224EZ Union” legal ID at 1758 into local ads. A good to fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1290 kHz WIRL Peoria, IL - 10/5 1526 noted with local ads, “WIRL” ID into Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play, legal ID at 1630. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1350 kHz WSIQ Salem, IL - 10/5 1553 noted with Country format, “Real Country 92.1” slogan ID. A fair signal was heard with no sign of KRAP.

1370 kHz WLLM Lincoln, IL - 10/5 1557 noted with SRN News, Christian instrumental music interlude, “Great News Radio” group ID into Scripture reading. A fair signal was heard with ACI from KXFN 1380.

1420 kHz WINI Murphysboro, IL - 10/5 1720 noted with Saint Louis Cardinals baseball play-by-play. A fair to poor signal was heard, mixing with WOC.

1420 kHz WOC Davenport, IA - 10/5 1721 noted with local ads, “WOC” ID into The Simon Conway Show. A fair signal was heard over WINI.

1430 kHz WCMY Ottawa, IL - 10/5 1727 noted with ads mentioning Ottawa and Streator, “1430 WCMY” ID into Chicago White Sox baseball play-by-play. A fair signal was heard over WXNT.

1500 kHz WPMB Vandalia, IL - 10/5 1631 noted with Adult Contemporary format, “104.7 and 102.7 on FM, 1500 on AM, WPMB” ID. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

1610 kHz CHHA Toronto, ON - 10/5 1729 noted with local ad, “CHHA 1610 AM” ID in promo in Spanish. A good signal was heard, alone on channel.

1670 kHz WMGE Dry Branch, GA - 10/5 1830 noted with “BIN” network ID in promo, talk on the damage in Florida due to Hurricane Ian into news headlines. A fair signal was heard, alone on channel.

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

3330 kHz  CANADA CHU Ottawa, ON – 10/5 2108 noted with time signals, “CHU Canada” ID in French at 2109, UTC time checks in French and English. A fair to poor signal was heard.

5000 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  WWV Fort Collins, CO – 10/5 2140 noted with time signals, UTC time check in English at 2141. A fair signal was heard.

5995 kHz  MALI ORTM Radio Mali via Bamako – 10/5 2210 noted with commentary in French. A fair to poor signal was heard.

6070 kHz  CANADA CFRX Toronto, ON – 10/5 2101 noted with local news and ads in English. A fair signal was heard. 

9275 kHz  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WMLK Bethel, PA – 10/5 2052 noted with sermon on Holy Days in English. An excellent signal was heard.

9440 kHz  EGYPT Radio Cairo via Abis – 10/5 2208 noted with commentary in English. A good signal was heard with distorted audio. 

9665 kHz  BRAZIL Radio Voz Missionaria ZYE890 Camboriú, Santa Catarina – 10/5 2202 noted with discussion in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was heard. 

9765 kHz  MADAGASCAR Madagascar World Voice via Majajanga – 10/5 2152 noted with choral Christian music in English and Spanish. A good to fair signal was heard. 

9790 kHz  FRANCE Radio France Internationale via Issoudun – 10/5 2148 noted with discussion in French. A fair signal was heard.

9820 kHz  CHINA CNR2 Business Radio via Xianyang – 10/5 2145 noted with promos in Chinese. A fair signal was heard.

11700 kHz  FRANCE Radio France Internationale via Issoudun – 10/5 2025 noted with commentary in Hausa into hi-life music. A fair signal was heard.

11810 kHz  ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay – 10/5 2031 noted with news, “BBC World Service” ID into Newsday in English. A fair signal was heard.

11815 kHz  BRAZIL Radio Brasil Central ZYE440 Goiânia, Goiás – 10/5 2215 noted with pop music and commentary in Portuguese. A fair to poor signal was heard.

11965 kHz  MADAGASCAR African Pathways Radio via Mahajanga – 10/5 2033 noted with talk on the family, mention of African Pathways into Bible lesson in English. A good signal was heard.

12095 kHz  ASCENSION ISLAND BBC World Service relay – 10/5 2038 noted with talk on the war in Ukraine in English. A fair signal was heard.

13264 kHz  IRELAND Shannon VOLMET – 10/5 2042 noted with weather reports for various European airports, “This is Shannon VOLMET, Shannon VOLMET” ID in English. A good signal was heard in USB mode. 

13630 kHz  MALI CGTN Radio via Bamako – 10/5 2117 noted with talk on classic Chinese literature in English. A good signal was heard.

13845 kHz  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA University Network via WWCR Nashville, TN – 10/5 2119 noted with sermon from the archives of Dr. Gene Scott in English. A good to fair signal was heard.

15520 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas – 10/5 2051 noted with Real Madrid soccer play-by-play in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard.

15580 kHz BOTSWANA Voice of America relay Mopeng Hill – 10/5 2123 noted with soul music, “The Best Music, VOA One” mention in English. An excellent signal was heard.

15720 kHz NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Pacific via Rangitaiki – 10/5 2121 noted with discussion in English. A fair signal was heard.

17855 kHz SPAIN Radio Exterior de España via Noblejas – 10/5 2150 noted with Real Madrid soccer play-by-play in Spanish. An excellent signal was heard.

20000 kHz UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WWV Fort Collins, CO – 10/5 2046 noted with UTC time check in English and time signals. An excellent signal was heard.