Blog Logs - DXpedition Part 2

As promished, here is Part 2 from Walter Salmaniw's recent DXpedition to Queen Charlotte Islands in northern British Columbia. Thanks Walt for your contributions. Tomorrow will conclude with Part 3. To all blog readers, contributions ar always welcomed to: gaylevanhorn @ monitoringtimes.com

CHINA 5050, 1604-, Voice of the Strait Feb 12 Presumed logging. I monitored this on and off for an hour. Not a single announcement just non-stop western music. There is a strong het from 5049.9, from ARDS which would yield decent audio if the Chinese station were not present. No other station fits the bill here. Very strong signal. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)
CHINA 981, 1609-, CNR1 Feb 12 Strong reception with multiple site feeds as there's a slight delay between feeds. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

?KOREA 1467, 1639-, HLKN Mokpo Feb 12 Help is needed with who's on here. Rated a 9/10 initially but faded down. I thought from the strength that it was a JJ station, but only low powered NHK2 stations listed, and they're off the air by this time, so it's either a Chinese or KBS. I'm suspecting the latter. Right, I've answered my own question. // to 738. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

CHINA 1377, 1655-, CNR1 Zhengzhou Feb 12 Very strong signal // to 5030 with ads in Chinese. Amazing how strong they can be!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

JAPAN 1368, 1700-, JOTS Wakkanai, Hokkaido Feb 12 A decent 7/10 signal with light chatting. No time pips or ID at 17:00, though. // to 1287. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

CANADA 570, 0214-, CFWH Whitehorse Feb 13 CBC Radio One's major news program, 'The World at Six' at good level. Some deep fades. By far the best on my N/S Beverage. Not at all audible on the E/W Beverage (CKWL Williams Lake totally dominates here). Watson Lake and southern/central/high north Yukon weather at 02:28. Lows down to -32 Brrrr! Into 'As it Happens' program. Very good reception at this point. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

USA 910, 0301-, The new KTRO 910 Feb 13 Not sure who this is, often very good reception, and then fading down with IDs for Talk Radio Oregon. Finally at 03:01, gave an ID as 'the New KTRO 910'. Not listed in my NRC AM Radio Log. They also ID more frequently as 93.1 Talk Radio Oregon. The only OR station listed in KURY Brookings, but only 37 watts. This station mentions Portland, so presumed another station. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

GREAT BRITAIN 1215, 0336-, Virgin Radio Feb 13 Great evening so far with most channels producing a carrier, many at 4 or 5/10 scale. Deep fades as is common for TA reception. Apart from Virgin Radio (an 8 at times), other audios thus far include 531, 684, 711, 873, 1071, 1089 and 1125. Virgin is the strongest so far. Haven't heard this strength since the fall!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

RUSSIA 1089, 0321-, Radio Rossii Feb 13 Initially I thought it was a French speaking station, but further monitoring confirms a Russian speaker. Really difficult channel with adjacent splatter +++. I have a new found respect for my second receiver here in Masset...my old JRC NRD 535D which seems up to the task for difficult MW reception. Appears every bit as sensitive as the 7030+ as well as dealing with the adjacent splatter. Never very strong, but occasionally fading up to about a 7/10 strength. Second strongest on the band tonight for Euros. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

?DENMARK 1062, 0420-, Danish Radio P3 Feb 13 A possible here. Another strong performer with non-stop modern western music. Surprisingly strong at times despite adjacent splatter. Not sure who else this could be besides listed Denmark. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

GERMANY 1269, 0428-, Deutschlandfunk, Neumunster Feb 13 A decent 7 to 7.5 signal with German variety programming pretty much in the clear. Nice piano piece just before 04:29. Time pips at 04:29:50 and talk in German. Presumably news program. Faded up to almost an 8!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

SWEDEN 1179, 0455-, Swedish Radio Feb 13 Really strong reception at 04:55 in obvious Swedish. Quite the night, with audio after audio for the TAs. I'm very pleased!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

ALASKA 630, 0614-, KIAM Nenana? Feb 13 A bit of a dilemma here. Tuned in to here weather for central Alaska. No ID heard, but I realize that this was not KJNO, which is not that far from me in Masset. The quality was much more folksy and amateurish. Lots of temperatures in the minus 10s and 20s....definitely not coastal Juneau. They were cochannel, presumably Juneau and gradually faded down to oblivion. I'd be very pleased had I heard a legal ID, though!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)
ALASKA 640, 0602-, KYUK Bethel Feb 13 Nice ID for the station in passing, and then into NPR programming. Good reception. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)
ALASKA 670, 0731-, KDLG Dillingham Feb 13 Excellent reception with Bristol Bay weather forecast. KBOI is almost completely eliminated thanks to the phaser. Amazing how long the Alaska weather forecasts tend to be! Life and death, I suppose!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

RUSSIA 720, 0733-, Mayak, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Feb 13 Presumably this station with Russian language call-in show. Very good at times, but at least once completely faded out to be replaced by very strong KDWN Las Vegas, but then returned again at excellent strength again by 07:51. I was wrong! This is actually coming from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with local Russian programming. That explains call-in from Moscow, and the local ads, including for tomatoes! Mayak ID at 07:58. Mayak jingles at 07:00. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

USA 770, 0910-, 'Country 101' Feb 13 Unid station with an ID as 'Country 101' or 'Country 101.com'. Any ideas would be appreciated re legal ID. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

NORTH KOREA 656.94, 1654-, KCBS Pyongyang Feb 13 Good reception with usual melodic vocal by a female. Much stronger than //3250 and 3320. Faded down rather abruptly at 16:56, though. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

VIETNAM 675, 1658-, Voice of Vietnam 1, My Van Feb 13 Presumed Voice of Vietnam 1 program with Vietnamese music up to 16:59 and then a brief announcement and off. No anthem. Sure enough, scheduled s/off is 17:00. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

USA 560, 0225-, KSFO, San Francisco Feb 14 An example of the phenomenal power of the phaser. Without it, the frequency is owned by CHTK, Prince Rupert...just across the water on the mainland. With it engaged, CHTK is gone, replaced by KSFO and a more powerful cochannel with the Cashmir Lady Bulldogs (?) vs Olmak Pioneer basketball game. During the half time show, mentioned KPQ or KBQ. Ahhh, it's KPQ Wenatchee, WA. Good to very good at times. No signs, though, of KVOK, Kodiak. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

ALASKA 920, 1540-, KSRM, Soldotna Feb 14 A tough catch due to the proximity of KTKN 930 in Ketchikan. They also don't ID very often and are prone to deep fades. When they do fade-in, the reception can be excellent. At the moment there are lots of mentions of Kenai, and Homer. Now just for a legal ID! Best on my W Beverage. Plenty of cochannels as well which also fade up and down especially an oldies station. The Oldies station faded up saying that they were the 'Home of Nat King Cole'. Any ideas who that would be? I wonder about KSHO Lebanon, OR? ID for latter heard, and later still for KXLY. Seems the best time for hearing Alaskans is around middle of the night to sunrise here. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)
ALASKA 870, 1609-, KSKO, McGrath Feb 15 Excellent reception of this elusive station. KFLD from Pasco, WA owns this frequency for the past couple of hours, although KSKO does fade in every once in a while. Local news and weather at this time. Otherwise mostly network NPR programming only. For whatever reason, I have a heck of a time IDing these guys! Finally some good levels for an extended period of time. Best using USB to avoid 860 CFPR Prince Rupert. DJ is a male with a relatively slow monotone delivery. Time check for 7:17 AM and into a musical interlude. Into business news for Alaska. Sports at 16:23. By 16:26 faded down into the mud and gone. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

JAPAN 1359, 1642-, NHK2 Feb 15 Low power 100w relays. Heard at fair level with their prolonged sign-off. Nice to see what 100w can do!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

CANADA 1440, 1649-, CKJR Wetaskiwin, AB Feb 15 IDing as 'The new W 1440'. Not sure whether the call letters have changed. Local ad from the Chamber of Commerce. Oldies format. Very good after Sapporo fades out. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

PHILIPPINES 1512, 1702-, DYAB, Cebu City Feb 15 An interesting frequency indeed. Monitored before the TOH to hear English music and talk, weakly. Rechecked after TOH and this is a Filipino station. No idea which. Perhaps Patrick Martin can assist with which station is heard here at this time. OK, got it! An ID for DYAB at 17:19. Boy am I pleased about this one!!. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

AUSTRALIA 1548, 1705-, 4QD Emerald, Queensland Feb 15 ABC Local Radio with news and ID as ABC Local Radio. Good reception with some splatter. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)
UNID 1584.06, 1709-, Unid Feb 15 Station off frequency with western C & W female vocal until 17:11and right into another song. Fair to even good levels at times. Wonder whether this is DWBR Radyo Batay (according to the PAL). Might just fit. Any ideas, please?. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)

?NEW ZEALAND 1593, 1735-, ?Coast Radio, Christchurch Feb 15 Almost non-stop EZL music. English. Only very brief announcements between some pieces. Oldies format. I'm suspecting that this may be Coast Radio in Christchurch, NZ. A good hour after my local sunrise and it's still fading up to fair levels at times and then down to oblivion. Any help here also much appreciated! I see that New Zealand is gray lining at the moment. My assumption anyway. Besides English, they also play the occasional French piece. (Salmaniw, Masset, BC)