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Tuesday 1 November 2016

Skegness Log: 2016-11-01 (MW: Transatlantic)

1160 0200 ATG Caribbean Radio Lighthouse, Jolly Harbour (atg) Tentative. Christian
              style choral. OM presenter. Severe 1161 splatter. Weak  6655 km

1190 0356 CLM HJCV Radio Cordillera, Bogotá DC (bdc) Jingle ID Weak  8566 km

** Personal First

A tentative logging of what I presume was the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse on 1160. It wasn't a bad signal, but the splatter from 1161 was enormous. I couldn't even be sure if the OM presenter was English. I thought I would mention this here in case they have upped their power or something. CRL used to be a regular signal back in the 80s, just like the Caribbean Beacon now is on 1610.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receiver: Perseus SDR Receiver
Software: Jaguar Big Cat
Antenna:  Movable 10ft x 25ft flag
Amplifier: G3PQA 17dB low noise pre-amp

4 comments:

  1. Hi John. Encouraged with your logs, I tried some MW DX last night and found a weak station on 1550kHz to be active. I received this frequency once in 2008, after I purchased AOR-AR8600 scanner, which finally allowed me to AM DX with narrower bandwidth.
    I think 1550 yesterday was even stronger than years ago. I wonder if it might have been WNTN from across the Great Pond or a Middle Eastern off-channel pirate. The station played ethnic, exotic music (Asian or African, I can't tell). I will give it a try again tonight. What is also important, the station switched off at around 0:05 CET (switched down to nighttime power?).
    I'd be glad if you shared your opinion about this one.
    What are the "easiest" TA DX on MW as for a simple longwire like mine? Thanks and 73.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello EMEL.

    Nice to hear from you. Welcome to the exciting (but challenging!!) world of medium wave DXing.

    1550 is not an easy frequency on which to hear North America. 1548 makes a total mess, plus there aren't really any consistent / reliably strong North American signals which have been reported on 1550.

    CBEF Windsor ON is the most consistently reported North American station in the UK on 1550. They carry French CBC programming but they need much better higher latitude conditions to get through - something we haven't had for a few weeks. I can only find one report of WNTN Newton MA being received, and that was in the NW of Scotland by a DXer with a big Beverage antenna. That's not to say you haven't heard it, but there is a more likely possibility: Algeria have had an off-frequency transmitter on 1550 for several years. The exact frequency is currently around 1550.027. The station is listed as "Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic National Radio" and will probably be broadcasting in Arabic. The only schedule I can find is on MW List and states "0600-1215 ar, 1215-1300 es, 1700-1715 ar, 1715-1800 es, 1800-2330". This may or may not be up-to-date.

    If you are receiving this in the early evening then it's unlikely it will be North America as the darkness path won't have settled in then.

    The easiest North American stations in the UK are:

    590 VOCM St Johns NL
    710 CKVO CLarenville NL (relays 590 VOCM)
    1130 WBBR New York City NY
    1140 CBI St Sydney NS (CBC English)
    1400 CBG Gander NL (CBC English)
    1440 WRED Portland ME
    1500 WFED Washington DC
    1510 WMEX Boston MA
    1520 WWKB Buffalo NY
    1560 WFME New York City NY (Family Radio - religious)

    I hope you have success hearing thee and many more, but they are arguably the most easily heard North American stations here. Many more are possible when conditions improve.

    Where are you, by the way?

    Good DX!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey again, thanks for your insight. Always valuable.
    I'm in Poland, a little bit further from Atlantic Ocean:) I wrote to you recently about my FM-DXs in London. Maciek/Emel, that's me:)

    Now that I learned about the Algerian station, I support that theory too. It's better to keep heads chilled than rush into faulty conclusions.
    The time of reception was yesterday around midnight here. Actually, as I'm checking 1550kHz this very moment, the station is already there! OM in Arabic, quite fair.

    Thanks for the frequencies!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Maciek! :O) I did not know it was you. My apologies.

    When conditions are right, you will receive the USA and Canada - and you will wonder why you never received them before. :O)

    As we know - it's all about the conditions.

    Best DX!

    John

    ReplyDelete