DX ARCHIVE
HOME PAGE

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - SATURDAY 29th AUGUST 2009:

A FEW LOGS FOR SATURDAY MORNING:

0500

530 Pres Cuba Encyclopedia, but no ID
570 CKGL
580 CFRA
610 Long FF ann TOTH, not // today to 730
670 WSCR again pres. SPORTS but no IDs.
710 WOR
720 WGN
770 WABC Mumbling ID's
1010 WINS
1310 WCCW
1330 WRCA (0300)
1350 WOYK
1380 CKPC
1420 WOC
1630 KCJJ
1650 KCNZ

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - FRIDAY 28th AUGUST 2009:

 

LOGS FOR FRIDAY MORNING:

The band seemed well down on the last couple of days, especially the higher end. Don't get me wrong, there were stations to be heard, but perhaps below average sounding conditions, and a bit more euro splatter on some channels. But on the lf end, I had a few firsts for this season.

0500 (Lots more common stuff omitted here)

570 WSYR (News Radio 5-70)
580 CFRA
600 CBC still awfully low audio
640 CFMJ Toronto
650 WSM Booming in !!
710 WOR CNN Radio Nx
720 WGN
830 SS again with WCRN
900 CHML
970 SS with WZAN. Radio Voz something.....
1270 Sporting Nx Radio jin, pres Detroit again
1400 WOND
1420 WHK
1600 WUNR
1660 KRZI

 

0400

1270 CJCB (0432)
1650 KCNZ
1670 WFSM GA

By the way, anyone who read the tale of the trapped coax yesterday, I added todays photo of the spate. The tree is well washed away!!

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - THURSDAY 27th AUGUST 2009:

 

TODAY'S MW DX :

Conditions this morning at first glance at the 0500 recording, seemed a little down on yesterday's strong signals. On closer inspection, many of the same stations were logged as yesterday, less the gem on 930. WHAM was quite loud this morning on 1180. Adding to yesterdays list, I heard the following stations for the first time this season.It is about time to make up the new table for 2009.

560 WGAN / REBELDE mixing 0500
570 CKGL 0500
580 CFRA Weak 0505
600 REBELDE CUBA 0504 Same shouting over music on 560, and 670
660 WFAN 0503 Very Strong at this time
670 WSCR Chicago. fair before the hour. Weak Chicago id TOTH. Call just in mush 0500
720 WGN 0400
1170 WWVA 0500
1300 WOOD 0300
1310 CIWW 0502
1390 WRIG But again call sounded different. Also 2nd stn, poss WFBL, but requires other ears. 0300
1410 WPOP 0500 weak
1480 WGVU 0500
1490 Unid 0500 not quite strong enough
1650 KCNZ The Fan 0500

 

FRENCH NETWORK:

I heard Rick Ashley or was it Astley (tacky late 80's singer) being played on 800kHz around 0502, and noticed it was in // on 610, 690, 730, 800 and 1150. I never realised there was some kind of a night network in French Quebec. I have not been hearing much in the way of ID's from 610, or indeed CKAC sport of late. That would explain why.

 

BEVERAGE CHECKED LAST NIGHT:

I went for a walk yesterday evening to free one of my aerial feeders from a tree that has almost fallen into the river at the back. It doesn't look like much from this side, but from the other side it is a fair sized little thing. I don't know what will happen when the river rises again, as it is at the time of writing, touching the surface of the water now. It is also raining tonight at 1815, so I will keep an eye on it. It is also near the main beverage feeder too you see, but I think it will go under it quite nicely if and when it gets washed away. The feeder to the 200m beverage running west has been moved higher out of the way now.

UPDATE 28th AUG: By luck I rescued the entangled feeder when I did as more heavy rain overnight again turned the river into a torrent. See photo on right taken 28th. The fallen tree is well away!!!

In the proccess I decided to have a walk along the beverage. Boy is the woodlands thick with growth at this time of year. Kids have been playing at nights over in the woods, but not in the rough part where my aerial is thankfully. They have been in a nicer flatter higher part. But I made the error of leaving a handful of sticks close by, which were scattered over the area they have been playing on their tree swing. Luckily there were only half a dozen or so. The other pile is just across from me here, and in the bushes. This was the planning stage of running another beverage through the woods on higher sticks, and comparing the difference. But the weather this summer since July has been so wet, the enthusiasm to run new antennas has never arisen yet. It may soon though with the start of MW dxing again..

 

A FEW RECORDINGS :

Below, are some recordings from this morning and yesterday mornings dxing. I would like a second opinion of the WRIG recording. It probably is WRIG, but I had convinced myself it was saying something else. Two mornings on the trot I have thought the call something else. Also on the WRIG recording is something else, which I am taking to be WFBL, whose call also throws me quite often, the way it is said. I am open to suggestions of these two ids during WEGP silence. WPAT id is included, as are some powerhouse signals received in the last days.

 

090827_0503_660_wfan_vg_inc_xxx_ad.mp3

090826_0500_680_cftr_vg.mp3

090826_0500_750_cbc_vg.mp3

090826_0503_780_radio_coro_venez_id_only.mp3

090826_0500_930_wpat_paterson.mp3

090826_0500_1020_kdka_vg.mp3

090826_0500_1160_wyll_chicago_gd_peak.mp3

090827_0300_1390_tent_wrig_unid_wegp_usb_then_lsb.mp3

 

DAVIE'S AERIALS:

It was brought to our attention on the Skype chat the other day, that I have not put any photos of David Hamilton's aerial up here on the site. Someone was asking the other day, and we couldn't show them. Here are a few shots taken in winter. There are some of the village, and the image looking North really shows what a deep river valley we lie in. In image four, you can see the antenna pointing directly at my own shack. Photo one is a more general view of the village.

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - WEDNESDAY 26th AUGUST 2009:

 

TVDX IN LATE AUGUST:

David H up the street alerted me to a TVDX opening around 1700GMT tonight. RTP (E3), M1 (R1) and briefly HRT (E4) came through. Not bad for so late in the TVDX season.

 

NOVICE MW DXERS:

I don't know if such a thing exists, but maybe there are still the odd ones who fancy giving MW a go, and making the best of the prolonged sunspot minimum.

All times referred to in these pages refer to GMT, or called by some UTC, or ZULU.

When is the best time to listen for MWDX? Right now, in late August at these lattitudes, there is a definite peak around 0500 GMT. This is the hour or so around dawn when the band is at it's best for reception from the west. I was up briefly at 0500 GMT the other morning and a nice bright morning it was as well. I should have taken a photo to include here of how daylight it really was at that time, but I was up chasing noisy geese away from the bedroom window, and returned to the land of nod. The perseus was doing the work for me at that time. Darkness falls here just around 1945 - 2000 at this time of the year, but the fade in doesn't take place till about 0000UTC I think it is, as darkness comes first to Newfoundland, and spreads west. I will check closer later tonight and report back.

 

MID WEEK MW DXING:

Todays MW dx was best at 0500 here. There were very loud signals from 1160 WYLL, and 1200 WOAI. These two are not what you would call like WBBR or VOCM, and heard at these strengths regularly, but today was nice. Also peaking well a few minutes after 0500 was 780 Radio Coro Venezuala. WPAT was heard on 930 as well. I think this was possibly a first known reported in the UK in June when I heard it for the first time. MAH also reports another one of the rarer stations on 930, other than CFBC and WBEN.

Aint it amazing to think that 930 was always dominated by CJYQ St John's and now they claim to want to reduce power to 25kW. Well, if they are running anything like 25kW, I should be very surprised. More like a couple of kW. Maybe they have put up a very directional aerial with a good null in this direction, as they are only a shadow of their former self.

Odd station heard on 1190 at 0400 GMT on 25th Aug. WOWO was heard with ads and usual id after toth, but there was a station with CBS news at the top of the hour. WLIB doesn't have this does it??

LOGS FROM THIS MORNING: - Not so much exotic, but stong in signal strength!! Will maybe add some recordings tomorrow, but a few bits and pieces to do tonight..

540 CBC EE 0500
550 SS No ids 0500
580 SS No ids 0500
610 FF. 0500 What does this ID as nowadays?? Is // 1150 still on??
620 VOCM Loud 0500 (710 and 740 not loud)
650 VOCM Loud 0500
660 WFAN 0500
680 CFTR exc levels 0500
700 WLW 0500
730 tent Columbia SS No ID though 0500
750 CBC Vy loud 0500
760 WJR 0500 Stn below, but unknown if even ee or ss
770 WABC 0500
780 WBBM 0500
780 Radio Coro Venezuala. This was what I used to hear Latins like. Strong 0503
790 WAXY FL 0500
820 WBAP Gd at 0500
830 WCRN Carrier only gave SS as well as anthem stn 0500 (common with WCRN's auto playout)
840 WHAS 0500 Good levels
860 SS mix CBC FF stn 0500
930 WPAT Paterson, NJ 0500
990 CKGM 0500
1000 WMVP CHICAGO 0500
1010 WINS / CFRB about equal 0500
1020 KDKA 0500 very loud at this time. multi call id
1050 WEPN NY mix CP24 0400
1070 SS here but IBOC from pres WTIC causing grief 0500
1160 WYLL Booming in at 0500 and 0503
1190 WOWO 0500
1200 WOAI booming at 0458
1250 Joy 12-50 full id 0500
1270 WXYT Detroit Mi 0459 decent id from this for a change
1310 WCCW 0459 20s
1360 WDRC 0500
1390 WRIG 0400 Sounded like a different call, but towns the same. Web check revealed no call change. 0400
1400 WOND 0503
1470 Radio Formula Mex 0457
1540 CHIN 0500
1590 WAKR 0504
1630 KKGM Poor at id time. Gospel peaks. 0500
1650 WHKT / Disney 0500 0300
1650 KCNZ 0400
1660 The Fan WQLR 0500
1660 KRZI TX 0400

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - TUESDAY 25th AUGUST 2009:

 

WABI 910 AGAIN AFTER MANY YEARS:

I had to get rid of some perseus files as I was running out of space. One of the dx tests from a qrp stn on 1400 ran for an hour or two in March (29th) and I recorded the full whack. Listened again to TOTH before deleting, and found a low audio spot from QRO local on 909. WABI Bangor, Maine was there. I have not had this since Five went 24 hours, before which it was once a common station!! I kept the toth and deleted the other 50 gig or so!!

New log, WABI 0400 910kHz 29/3/09

 

DX CLUSTER BACK ON LINE:

Our Skype MWDX tips only chatbox, otherwise known as a dx cluster is back in action again since the season is beginning to roll out. Any links that appeared in the past are now defunct, and dxers must get in touch to be invited in.

 

MW DX THIS MORNING:

This morning I had some strong signals on the band.

At 0500 WJR 760 was exceptional. There were some rarer catches, as well as strong common stations. The whole 5 VOCM channels were loud and clear. CBC 600 still has an awful fault on the audio, and hopefully other dx stations may sneak through. CKGM was on 990, dominant, rather than CBC. WLIB was on 1190. Other stations 1290 CJBK, 970 WZAN, 1010 WINS, 1140 WQBA, 1300 WOOD, 1580 CKDO, 1600 WUNR, 1630 KCJJ, 1650 CINA, 1650 KCNZ, 1660 WBCN, 1700 KVNS, 890 WAMG, 830 WCRN Also with the same automated audio trouble as last season, 660 WFAN. 680 TORONTO NEWS. 0505 950 WWJ. There were many others.

At 0400 add 1190 WOWO, 1610 Like FF CPAM or something?? Seem to remember one of the Canadians id as this,1650 KCNZ, 1660 KRZI WACO, TX, 1670 WFSM (New Call GA stn), 890 WLS

0430 Unid SS 920, 1060 WBIX, 820 WBAP, 780 WBBM.

 

Recordings from this morning:

Unid SS 0430 920. Sure there is an id in here

WJR was just so powerful at 0500, I made this long clip

WJR with a ridiculous disclaimer at 0434

CP24 1050 AT 0434, TORONTO

WBAP 820 Texas 0432

 

E-BOOK - KEN'S MW DX YEARBOOK NOW AVAILABLE:

The previous years complete DX 12 months of reports and chatter which are to be found on this web site are now available as a single 243 page pdf download. The file runs from June 2008 - July 2009, and is bookmarked on a per month basis. There is no general index of contents. The most recent dx is placed at the start of the document, in the same way these pages are designed, so that the latest updates will be seen first on page opening.

The 3,733k file includes all the low res images as seen on line. The high res images which are a click away on line, are not included. The full 243 page pdf is available by clicking below. A newish version of Adobe Reader is required. Version 7 works OK.

If anyone wonders why the file runs from summer to summer, it is due to the MW DX season, which this pdf features in depth. This runs from August or September until March or April roughly. This allows the e book to cover the complete season. Please forgive me if the mid winter entries contain spelling errors. Many entries were written up in a hurry.

Ken's DX Yearbook - 2008 / 2009

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - MONDAY 24th AUGUST 2009:

A FEW RECORDINGS FROM YESTERDAY AND TODAY:

090823_0501_740_am_740.mp3

090823_0500_1010_cfrb.mp3

090824_0500_1620_wdnd_southbend_espn.mp3

090824_0500_1520_wwkb_50kw_jin.mp3

090824_0500_1020_wurn_kdka.mp3

090823_0500_1270_unid_tent_ff_long_clip_inc_mx.mp3(587k)

 

SPOTLESS SUN STILL:

The sun is still spotless. Look at the prolonged period with zero sunspots on http://www.solen.info/solar/ from Jan Alvestad. Last summer the spotless period ran from mid July to mid September!! Check back the historical data on Jan's excellent web resource.

Jan's graph shows in red the spotless count. If you look back at the following two pages in Jan's data history, it is easy to spot the indices around 2nd December and 25th January.

http://www.solen.info/solar/old_reports/2009/january/indices.html

http://www.solen.info/solar/old_reports/2008/december/indices.html

 

MONDAY 24th - TADX DX THIS MORNING:

That's two new stations in two days. Looking good. I have never heard the station in South Bend on 1620, but that was a first for me this morning, WDND 1620, and also hearing at both 0500 and 0400, WURN, Kendal FL 1020, new to me Sunday 23rd at 0500.. The rest of the scribbles below on the freq list are the more common stations, which are heard regularly. Some more so than others.

FRIDAY MORNING - 21st:

The band was pretty interesting here this morning. I was a little surprised to have WSM 650 at 0500 with quite good signal. First this season. Also at 0500, the lf part of the band was littered with SS speakers. I don't think I have many (if any) IDs, or at least not as yet. 550, 570, 600, 610, 620, 710, 770, 970, 1180. The RUMBOS SS ann on 1200 could have been the US stn that has now been authorised to use 50kW there, WKOX - Newton, MA.

0300 and 0400 were not as exciting today. I had a local ID from CBC 1550 at 0259, also heard quietly on 600 with their terrible low audio. Even 950 CKNB has better audio.

 

THE LAST WEEK OR SO LOGS:

540 CBC E and FF mix 0400 18/8
570 Greenland 0400 18/8
570 CUBA 0400 21/8
590 VOCM 0500 20/8 ETC
600 CBC VERY low audio 0400 18/8 Local ID 0259 21/8
610 Frenchy 0400 16/8 (Due off soon??)
620 VOCM 0500 20/8 ETC
640 CBC
640 France Inter I think it was ID. 0500 20/8 Reputed to be Guadeloupe, but no local IDs
650 VOCM 23/9 0500
650 WSM Nashville, Good signal for this early in the season, 0500 21/8
680 6-80 News 0400 14/8
700 WLW 0400 16/8, 21/8 0500
710 WOR 21/8 0500
710 SS La Revolution Habana etc. 21/8 0500
730 CKAC 0400 14/8
740 Toronto AM 740 ZOOMER RADIO (Or similar) 0300 14/8, VG 0501 23/8
740 VOCM 0500 20/8
750 CBC 0400 14/8, 18/8
760 WJR 0400 14/8, 21/8 0500
770 WABC 0500 21/8 0500 unid ss stn dominant at this time.
780 WBBM 0300 14/8 mx mixing, 0400 18/8, 21/8 0500
790 WAXY 0500 23/8
800 CKLW 0400 16/8, 0500 21/8
820 WBAP 0400 16/8
820 TBN 0500 20/8
830 WCRN 0400 16/8
840 WHAS 0400 14/8
850 WEEI 0500 21/8
860 CBC FF SCE
870 WWL 21/8 0400
880 WCBS 0500 16/8
890 WAMG / ESPN 0500 21/8
920 CKNX 0300 18/8, 23/8 0500
930 WBEN 0300 18/8
930 CFBC 0300 21/8
940 MONTREAL 05 20/8
950 CKNB 21/8 0400
960 WEAV THE ZONE 0400 16/8, 0500 21/8
970 WZAN hrd a few times
990 CBC 0500 20/8
1000 ESPN Chicago 0400 16/8
1010 CFRB 0400 19/8, AND Exc 0500 23/8
1020 WURN Kendal, FL New one on me. 23/8 0500, 24/8 0400 +0500!!
1050 CP24 0300 18/8 Good id on this weird named station
1050 WEPN 0500 16/8
1060 WBIX 0500 24/8
1060 R Education, MEXICO . No ID 0300 21/8, ID 23/8 0502
1070 CHOK 0300 16/8
1080 WTIC 0500 20/8
1100 WTAM 0300 16/8
1110 WBT 0500 20/8 CBS
1120 KMOX 0400 16/8
1130 UNID country music, mixing WBBR 0400 14/8, 0400 16/8
1130 UNID sports along with WBBR 0400 19/8
1140 WQBA Miami mix CBC 0400 16/6, 0500 24/8
1160 WYLL 0400 16/8 REGULAR
1180 WHAM 0400 19/8
1200 TEAM 12-00 Ottowa ESPN SPORTS 0400 16/8
1200 SS 0500 21/8 Poss 50kw WKOX
1250 CJYE Joy 1250 0400 14/8 id
1260 R Disney WMLK Boston 0500 21/8
1270 UNID like FF tk 0500 23/8
1290 CJBK 0400 23/9
1300 WOOD 0300 20/8 FOX
1310 CIWW 0500 21/8
1320 CJMR 1250/ 1320 IDs. 0500 + 0400 23/8
1330 WRCA 0500 21/8
1350 WOYK 0500 24/8
1370 WDEA 0400 16/8, 0500 21/8
1390 WEGP REG 0500 24/8
1390 OLDIES 1390 WFBL. 0500 21/8. Often caught with this id thinking the letters are something else.
1400 CBC 0300 16/8
1420 WOC 0400 16/8
1430 WENE The Team mix Toronto ethnic 0500 21/8
1450 WENJ Still ee id toth even though ss px 0500 21/8, 0500 24/8
1500 WFED 0500 21/8
1510 WWZN 0500 21/8
1520 WWKB booming in most times I tune
1550 CBC Local id 0259 21/8
1560 DISNEY 0500 21/8
1570 FF Pres Boomer. no id at 05 24/8
1600 WUNR 0458 20/8
1600 UNID FF 0500 23/8 (WUNR??)
1620 WDND South Bend, IN. ESPN STN. 0500 24/8 New one on me
1650 KCNZ 0300 18/8, 0400 16/8
1650 RADIO SHALOM 21/8 0400
1660 WBCN Charlotte 0300 20/8 new call since 12/8 seemingly
1700 KVNS 0400 18/8, 21/8 0400,

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - THURSDAY 20th AUGUST 2009:

WFNA AM 1660 CHARLOTTE NOW WBCN:

New call noted this morning on 1660. Seems this call has been used since 12th August. A few logs included in the freq list for yesterday, just a little farther down the page.

 

20 YEARS SINCE THE ILLEGAL AND BRUTAL RAID ON THE ROSS REVENGE:

It is difficult to believe that it is now 20 years since the illegal boarding in International waters in 1989 by the Dutch and English governments. The gun slinging Dutch even made a video of the event, and treated their action, comparative perhaps with 1940s Berlin, as though it was some kind of a joke. It is also an amazing 26 years since the Ross sailed into the Knock Deep off Essex and began broadcasting on 963kHz. Anyone who can remember these days as vividly as I can, would have had similar youthfulness on their side. Many years have passed, and at the end of this month, Radio Caroline will have the crew on board the Ross again, and will be broadcasting live via the web and satellite for the bank holiday weekend. The 70's Caroline family got together a year past at Easter and made some very memorable broadcasts from the Ross. The Amsterdam radio day last November was in commemoration of those days. A very enjoyable day.

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - WEDNESDAY 19th AUGUST 2009:

 

SPOTLESS SUN:

If anyone follows the propagation and the activity of our sun on a regular basis, you will notice again that the sun has been spotless for over a month now. If this was happening in mid winter, we would surely be in the middle of another amazing season of great DX. Look at http://www.solen.info/solar/ from Jan Alvestad. The graph shows nicely what has not been happening on the sun. It looked as though the sun was gradually coming back to life a little earlier in the year, but if it just stays at this remarkably low level for another few months, we may well have another great winter of MW dx ahead. The truth I believe is that we just do not know, and will have to wait and see.

 

GOODBYE SUMMER:

Sometimes I can be very negative, especially when it comes to the unpredictable Scottish weather. What a wonderfully unusual warm spell we had in June, to be followed since then by rain, rain and more rain. There have been the odd good days, but no decent prolonged spell of a mid summer in either July or August. The nights are beginning to become very dark, and it is a kind of depressing thought to have to return to the long dark nights of winter, with the feeling of having had no summer, for the third year in a row. I type this at 1900GMT on 19th Aug, and looking out the old shack window I see rain, and darkness slowly but surely beginning to fall. I have just seen someone walk past on the street with a parka on. I think that says it all for a mid August!!

 

GOODBYE TVDX 2009:

Well it seems the FM and TVDX season here for me at any rate, is as good as gone. For the last miserable few weeks, any openings have taken place when I have been away for the day or out for the night. So I may as well say the season is over. There may be the odd burst that a real enthusiast that sits on the bands all day every day may hear, but I don't have the enthusiasm to sit on an inactive band just in case something happens. I have not had a chance to use the D100 in proper anger as yet. This I guess will have to wait until next May!!! If the season was summed up here, I would jump up and say it has been awful. Yet there was the transatlantic opening in June, with verified Canadian transmissions, as well as UNID US stations. Then there was the rare 7 GOLD from Italy, and Belgium, for the first time ever. I am usually too close for sporadic e, too distant for tropo. But in general, I never saw I decent long intense opening. There have been a few I think, but again, when I have been away from the radios for the day. I have reproduced a few photos of old band 1 tv instalations which are still up, in the local area. I have also taken a few photos of some locally, but they were taken from a moving car, so will have to retake them!! They will be also reproduced here.

 

HELLO MW DX SEASON :

In theory, the start of the MW dx season is upon us. Last season I never really started looking for DX until the end of August. The year before I was into September before I began checking. After lacking any enthusiasm for a time, I have begun to record the couple of top of the hours at dawn. Now 0400 GMT is giving a good peak, with David Hamilton reporting that during his live dxing, 0430 was a great peak this last couple of mornings. I have been hearing strong country music on top on WBBR 1130 over the weekend, as well as sports this morning, though ids on none of them. I have nothing worthy of logging so far, though after last years intense dx season, stations like WBBM 780, and 1160 WYLL are classed as common. With the closure of KIX 780, the chance for DX to filter through on 780 is I guess promising, although Chicago has been good on that channel already!! Greenland has also been heard on it's 570 channel.

What concerns me is this. What will happen if the sun does burst into life and mw dxing becomes WBBR, and KDKA on a good night? I doubt it will hold my interest. Time will tell.

I have recorded Friday at 0400 and 0300, as well as Sunday. Here are the freqs and stations heard so far this season.

Against my better judgement, I was going to include a table again for the next few weeks, as I don't expect to hear any new and exciting dx just yet. But I have decided in the end to list them in the entry below for now, adding new stations to the all time list, if any come in. I also will not be logging day after day what I have found to be my common stations here in Scotland. See my common, and all time tables in the logs index listings. I will probably add to this rough but simple list over the coming days.

NB: LOG LIST MOVED TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

 

There was a whole lot more common stuff coming in. Davie noticed SS on 1070, 0400 14/8 (From my rec). Possibly identifiable. Isn't it funny how common pests call signs get forgotton after a summer break??

73s and good dx

Ken

 

KEN'S DX DIARY AND LOGS - SATURDAY 1st AUGUST 2009:

 

NO DXING THIS PAST WEEK:

I have been away again for a few days, which was a good and enjoyable break over in Kintyre. We managed to get a nice day in between the rain here in Scotland. Quite a miserable July all things considered, weather wise and VHF DX wise.

I have little or no DX to report this last week or two really. The TVDX season has died of death here at this location, with only the odd weak fluttery opening. I can not become enthusiastic towards TVDX when there is nothing to see. Weak carriers just don't hold my interest long. Just like when MW is poor, and signals noisy, I would rather forget the dx and do something else.

---

AMUSING NEW RADIO CAROLINE T SHIRT - THE LAST OUTLAW:

I had a smirk to myself the other day when I saw Caroline have a new AUGUST design T shirt. I just might treat myself. Their web site explains.

‘The Last Outlaw’ T shirt to celebrate Caroline surviving all her August's to boast worldwide broadcasts this August Bank holiday, live from The Radio Ship Ross Revenge.

Declared ‘The Last Outlaw’ in 1967

“Radio Caroline has become the last outlaw. It may survive for a short while, but anyone who watches westerns at the cinema will know how even the last outlaw gets captured by the sheriff in the end” (Edward Short MP 1967)

Still waiting for ‘The Sheriff’ in 2009

Click on the link for details

http://rcsocietysales.co.uk/printedshirts.html

I remember the sheriff almost got his way in August 89, during an illegal boarding in international waters by the British and gun slinging Dutch morons.

---

D-100 DX TV CONVERTER - NO SUPPORT FROM MANUFACTURER:

I saw on the Skywaves web pages a few weeks ago that John F was flogging a pair of D100's for the very reasonable price of £40. I bought one, having read the very very favourable comments from other dxers about these converters. Output is at UHF, and freq coverage includes Bands 1, 2, 3, and UHF. The unit is quite easy to suss out, but I have noticed a few oddities.

1) There are three identical coax outlets on the back. None are marked!!!! I know this is difficult to believe, but if you buy a gadget at £160 ish new, you would expect at least a simple in / out sticker or even a rough old felt pen!!!

2) All the various models seem to be called simply D100. There seems to be no on line list of various upgrades etc. I find it odd that they are not called D100 - MK5 etc, or even D100 - 1999 for example, which would be the date of that particular model.

3) Tried to obtain an instruction booklet/ leaflet on line, but there are none to be had. The manufacturers web pages do not even have these basic requirements. E mailed Garry S, at HS PUBLICATIONS, who would not supply a simple scan or pdf or whatever of the leaflet. I was sent his sales pdf though!! How weird it that. What is that all about?? Is that because I bought the unit second hand?? Who can understand people's oddities.

Thanks to Mike Evans however for supplying a decent res scanned copy of his particular model of D-100. I suppose I would get grief if I reproduced it here for dxers. For such a superb piece of kit, it is hard to believe that on line support and basic technical data is almost non existent. OK as I said, it is pretty self explanatory, once you get the right outlet at the back.

More fuss seems to be made of tuning the UHF output to a TV. That is really very simple, just like tuning a VCR in the VCR days.

My own D100 front

Performance: Boy is it sensitive compared to the televisions I have. I'm sure if you look at my dxtv screen shots, you would agree the old telly's are by no means rubbish, but the D100 certainly gives a weak locked picture sometimes before there are even sync lines on the old Pye TV. But I have been unable to test it properly in anger so far. Surely but surely we will have a decent opening on band one before the final end to the traditional summer sporadic e season.

---

BAND 1 VHF AERIAL:

As I have often stated here in these pages, there are quite a large and surprising number of band 1 and band 3 aerials still on the rooftops of my general area. I have always looked at one which is about 8 miles over the moors in the town of Darvel, the same name as the local main station TV transmitter. It is a folded dipole cross for band 1.

Most of the antennas around here were either the single cross, or the so called "H" for band 1. This was because the transmitter at Kirk O' Shotts was vertically polarised. The H antennas sometimes had a band 3 antenna as well, a dual band thing. Anyway, I had the camera when I was passing the folded dipole cross the other day. One leg is beginning to sag, but it has lasted 30 odd years on a roof in Western Scotland. Can't be bad. The last VHF transmissions in Scotland were around 1984/ 5, but the UHF saturation was much before that, prob in the mid 70's. By the mid 80's, there couldn't have been more than a handful of folks using the 405 line service.

My local pub in the next village also has a nice unbroken band 1 cross on it's roof. Not quite as old as the pub however, with it's Burn's connections.

I don't know of any of the H aerials left. There are a number of "BBC1" band 1 crosses, but many more "STV" band aerials

---

DAVID HAMILTON'S BLOG SITE:

DX Neighbour David Hamilton has added a BLOG site to his empire!! There are entries from the start of the sporadic e season, and stills and video clips. Check out Davie's blog spot at the following link.

http://band1tvdx.blogspot.com/

---

SKYWAVES OFF LINE AGAIN:

Not sure why there are always problems with Skywaves. I suppose it is the same with many dx groups the world over. Always fall outs and disagreements. Skywaves has sadly fallen foul yet again of internal trouble. John F again seized the web domain, leaving the youth that was running the show with the FM YAHOO group. Whatever the reason, the said spiteful youth seems to have deleted about 10 years worth of DX logs, and the Skywaves group!!! Charming. He has went on to start up a breakaway group called something like Elite DX. I fail to see what is Elite about deleting 10 years of DX logs mind you.

Click here to view the new SKYWAVES board

Sometimes these boards and newsgroups become tiresomely bitter. There is a horrible yellow coloured thing which sort of took over from Chris Cary's offshore/ Irish bulletin board, but it is so full of bitter and twisted entries, it is pointless even making an entry. I rarely look at that board, but sometimes there used to be the odd person uploading rare recordings etc, which of course you don't get since the group turned into a snake pit.

I am glad I have no connections with any DX groups. I am quite happy to produce my own logs pages for all to read and toil away without any silly complications.

---

MW DXING:

The main focus of this web site during the dark months is MW dxing, but the season began in earnest last year towards the end of August. Let's hope this very page will begin to show some good logs. Like FM and TV, if there are only the common stations being heard every night, my interest is difficult to get stimulated. Last year was exceptional. What if this year this is not so?? Will I still have the same enthusiasm after being "spoiled" last season?? Time will tell.

---

RARE DX:

Radio Newfoundland, CJYQ was logged here again the other night. This is now very rare here. The station has been reported to have applied to reduce power from 50kw to 25kw or something along these lines. I suspect the real power is much much less. It doesn't even come in much in mid winter any more, where as in years gone by, it was a beacon, strong and first signal heard most nights. (At least among the first). The only other explanation I can think of is a directional antenna, with a great lobe towards Europe of flea power.