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Saturday, 18 October 2014

Skegness Log: 18-10-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 92.3 2004  G  BBC Radio 3, Rumster Forest (SC-HIL) Presumed site. OM discussion  620km **
 92.3 1857 NOR NRK P2, Skien 1/Vealøs (te) Opera, as web  889km **

** Personal Skegness 'First'

Good DX!

John Faulkner
Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.

Skegness Log: 18-10-14 (MW)

 540 0100 CAN CBT Grand Falls NL. CBC News jingle heard in Euro pile-up Weak  3837 km
 700 0400 USA WLW Cincinnati OH. ID - Newsradio 700 WLW Weak  6292 km
1180 0600 CUB Radio Rebelde, Multi-tx. Rebelde cuckoo. ID. Over US station Good

More blow-outs and deteriorating conditions. These three got through this morning but the far east almost disappeared in the afternoon/early evening.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com

Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna:  10ft x 25ft flag at 28 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; Mestor

Friday, 17 October 2014

Skegness Log: 17-10-14 (MW)

 927 1700 TJK NHK Radio Japan, Dushanbe/Yangiyul (dsb) Time pips, short interval signal and
              vocal ID V weak  5329 km


Conditions still trying hard to recover but not quite getting there.

The time signal from JOIF was clearly heard on 1413 kHz yet again this evening, but still not strong enough for vocal identification. This one is a constant tease!

A Chinese time signal was heard on 1134 at 2000. Interesting to see that the Chinese transmitters on this frequency look like being lower powered, though not all have their powers stated. As a wild guess, perhaps this could be Tongchuan RGD with 10kW.

1359 had FIVE Chinese time signals at 2100, two of which were a couple of seconds past the top of the hour. One of those before the hour is slightly lower in pitch, as if it's a tape playing which has slowed down slightly.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com

Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna:  10ft x 25ft flag at 28 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; Mestor

Skegness Log: 17-10-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 89.3 1912 POL RMF FM, Koszalin or Lublin Madonnas La Isla Bonita, as web **
 91.5 2054  G  BBC Radio 3, Keelylang Hill (SC-ORK) Presumed site. Frequent bursts  681km **
 93.7 1722 CZE Radio Helax, Ostrava/Hostálkovice (MO) Distinctive pop song, as web  1287km **

** Personal Skegness 'First'

Good DX!

John Faulkner
Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.

Thursday, 16 October 2014

Skegness Log: 16-10-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 90.0 0004 SVN Slovenija 1, Plesivec (Urslja Gora) (sg) Shnia-ish Country song, as web  1282km **
 90.0 0009  S  SR P1, Norrköping/Kolmården-Krokek Orrbergen TM (og) Usual waves  1174km **
 90.0 0016 POL PR Radio Kraków, Szczawnica/G.Prehyba (MP) Polish YL, as web  1459km **
 90.0 0212  D  Deutschlandradio Kultur, Röbel (mev) Rock concert, as web  807km **

** Personal Skegness 'First'

Good DX!

John Faulkner
Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Skegness Log: 15-10-14 (FM)

Band 2 Sporadic E:
 87.7 1109 ALG Radio Chlef, Aïn N'sour (48) OMs and phone caller, as web  1913km
 88.9 1115  E  Radio Marca, Sierra de Carrascoy (MUR-MU) OM talk, as web  1706km
 89.2 1117  E  COPE, Lorca (MUR-MU) YL, as web  1729km
 87.6 1138  E  RNE Radio 5 Todo Noticias, Marbella/Castillejos (AND-MA) YL talk, as 87.9  1884km
 87.9 1138  E  RNE Radio 5 Todo Noticias, Cambil/Sierra Almadén (AND-J) YL and OM, as web  1740km

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
102.1 0239  D  sunshine live, Mudau (bwü) Electro music, as web  732km **
102.1 0257  D  Radio Chemnitz, Chemnitz-Reichenhain (sac) Olly Murs song, as web  903km **
102.1 0516  D  RPR 1., Scharteberg (Eifel) (rlp) Bruno Mars song, as web  550km **
102.1 0541  D  WDR 2, Olsberg (nrw) Proclaimers song, as web  592km **

** Personal Skegness 'First'

Yet another surprise out-of-season Es opening!

Good DX!

John Faulkner
Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

Skegness Log: 14-10-14 (MW)

1600 0100 USA WUNR Brookline (MA) Spanish OM on the hour. English OM ID WUNR Boston 30 seconds
              past the hour Fair  5251 km

1330 0330 USA WRCA Waltham (MA) Caught a mention of 13-30 WRCA at precisely the bottom of the
              hour Weak  5251 km

1500 0400 USA WFED Federal News R., Washington (DC) Federal News Radio ID heard in mush Weak
              5860 km

1050 0400 USA WEPN ESPN Deportes, New York/East Rutherford [NJ] (NY) Clear ESPN Deportes Radio
              (Spanish) ID in 1053 splash Fair     5541 km **

1190 0400 USA WLIB New York/Lyndhurst [NJ] (NY) This is your home for gospel, inspiration and
              information, 11-90 WLIB and WBLS 832 New York Fair  5543 km


** Personal Skegness 'First'

Good DX!

John, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com

Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna:  10ft x 25ft flag at 28 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; Mestor

Skegness Log: 14-10-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
102.1 2339  D  BB Radio, Casekow (brb) Phone in, as web 923km **
102.1 2346 AUT FM4, Bregenz or Bruck. India song, as web **

Band 2 General Scatter:
 90.2 1046  D  NDR Kultur, Lingen-Damaschke (nds) Classical music, later ID. 25dB noise free
               477km

 92.1 1245  D  NDR 2, Torfhaus (Harz-West) (nds) V weak pops, as web  707km
 94.6 1242  D  MDR 1 Radio Sachsen-Anhalt, Brocken (san) ID and Queen song. Almost noise free
               on fluttery peaks  712km

 97.2 1616 DNK DR P3, Rangstrup/Gammel Tøndervej 28 (sdk-sjy) V weak pops, as web  617km
 97.6 1255 HOL Radio Decibel, Rotterdam/Alticom Toren (Waalhaven) (zho) 86F0 DECIBEL_. Still
               blasting through in these dismal conditions  313km

101.7 1612  D  Radio Salü, Saarbrücken/Schoksberg (saa) Phone caller, jingle ID and pops  628km
102.1 2333  D  RPR 1., Scharteberg (Eifel) (rlp) Troposcatter? Second steady fade-in in 30
               minutes. YL on phone, as web  550km

103.1 1611  D  Radio ffn, Aurich (nds) Jingle ID and Ultravox song. Almost noise free  478km
105.7 1128  D  Antenne Niedersachsen, Steinkimmen (nds) D388  543km

** Personal Skegness 'First'

I had to lower the 9.2 mast on Monday due to high winds. I suspect this may stay lowered for the forseeable future now, unless some exceptional tropo comes along in which case I will pop it up again. I am pleased to say that scatter doesn't seem to have suffered one bit. In fact, in some ways, the scatter has benefited from less opposition from English stations as they are a good 6-8dB, perhaps more, lower in strength. The scatter is still arriving via the sky and so isn't being affected. Even though it has been lowered, the 9.2 is still a couple of metres above the roof.

Good DX!

John Faulkner
Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.

Monday, 13 October 2014

Skegness Log: 13-10-14 (MW)

1030 0000 USA WBZ Newsradio 1030, Boston/Nantasket Beach (MA) WBZ ID on the hour Weak  5232 km
1390 0000 USA WEGP, Presque Isle (ME) WEGP AM 13-90 Presque Isle ID in mush Weak  4760 km
1290 0100 VEN YVLF Radio Puerto Cabello, Puerto Cabello (cbb) Lively Latin music, ads and ID Weak
              7637 km

1450 0100 USA WPGG WPG Talk Radio 1450, Atlantic City (NJ) WPGG Atlantic City ID  Weak  5670 km
1410 0159 CAN CJWI CPAM 1410, Saint-Constant (QC) IDs as CPAM Clear ID before the hour Fair
              5191 km

1070 0200 USA WAPI, Birmingham (AL) WAPI Birmingham, on ... online, on ....    station. Muffled
              ID in noise Weak  6916 km **

 650 0230 USA WSM, Nashville/Blaw-Knox Mast (TN) Mention of WSM and WSM online Weak  6710 km
1120 0230 USA KMOX, Saint Louis (MO) Presumeed with commercial for the Central Bank Of St Louis
              Fair  6690 km

1400 0400 USA WOND Newstalk-1400, Pleasantville (NJ) Newstalk 14 Hundred WOND, South Jersey's
              Newstalk leader Weak  5673 km

 820 0500 CAN CHAM Funny 820, Hamilton (ON) Comedy. 20 to 20 with CHAM ID Fair  5729 km **
 640 0600 CAN CBN CBC Radio 1, Saint John s (NL) CBC Radio 1 jingle in mush Weak  3731 km
 660 0600 USA WFAN, New York/High Island (NY) Listen to WFAN on your mobile app Fair  5518 km
 970 0600 USA WZAN, Portland/Sunset Park (ME) This is ... talk ... 9-70 WZAN Portland heard in
              noise. CBS News Weak     5104 km

1200 0600 USA WXKS Bloomberg 1200, Newton (MA) Bloomberg Business Radio jingle Weak  5251 km
1296 1900 TWN BCC News Network, Tainan (TN) Top of the hour jingle Weak  9754 km

** Personal Skegness 'First'

Improved conditions at last and two personal firsts. Very pleased with WAPI.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.com

Receiver: Perseus SDR
Antenna:  Movable 10ft x 25ft flag at 300 or 028 degrees
Software: Perseus v4.1a; Mestor

Sunday, 12 October 2014

Mobile 10 Meter Band Activity

After reading all the recent low VHF reports on the Skywaves forums I decided to venture out in my car to a noise-free location just outside town to try my hand at 10m again.

Using an Icom IC7000 and 100 watts into a Sirio Hy Power 4000 mobile whip, I heard some excellent signals from Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, a few Caribbean islands and many US States as far west as Ohio.

I worked stations in Crete, Athens, Russia, The Azores and the US state of Virginia, all with 5/8 or 5/9 signals. It made a refreshing change to the dull conditions we currently have on band 2 and medium wave.