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To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to hard-core-dx-requ...@hard-core-dx.com You can reach the person managing the list at hard-core-dx-ow...@hard-core-dx.com When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Hard-Core-DX digest..." ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list Hard-Core-DX@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt Today's Topics: 1. CPC DX Test QSL Report WWKY 990 and WMST 1150- Dual Test DX From Kentucky (Les Rayburn) 2. Glenn Hauser logs July 2-3-4, 2022 (Glenn Hauser) 3. CPC DX Test QSL Report KQKD 1380 Redfield, South Dakota (Les Rayburn) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2022 01:42:37 -0500 From: Les Rayburn <l...@highnoonfilm.com> To: mwcir...@groups.io, IRCA List <i...@groups.io>, via NRC-AM <nrc...@googlegroups.com>, "m...@ultralightdx.groups.io" <m...@ultralightdx.groups.io>, WAYNE HEINEN <nrc.e....@gmail.com>, o...@groups.io, b...@groups.io, Hard-Core-DX <Hard-core-dx@hard-core-dx.com>, Tore Larsson <torelarsson...@gmail.com> Cc: "Paul B. Walker, Jr." <alaskaradion...@fastmail.com>, DX Central <w4lv...@gmail.com>, Joseph Miller <k...@californiamail.com> Subject: [HCDX] CPC DX Test QSL Report WWKY 990 and WMST 1150- Dual Test DX From Kentucky Message-ID: <3b1e6cf7-8c60-4912-8927-cc9aaec56...@highnoonfilm.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 My apologies for the lengthy delay in verifying this season?s DX Test receptions. The fault is mine. The rest of the CPC, including Joseph, Paul, and George, have all volunteered to take this off my plate. Now that I?ve completed listening to all the recordings and compiling a list of verified receptions, Joseph Miller, KJ8O, will design cards and send out electronic QSLs in the coming weeks. Please be patient with him. This is the first report. I hope to finish those for KJJR, KQKD, and WCGA tomorrow. WWKY 990 Winchester, KY & WMST 1150 Mount Sterling, KY DUAL-DX TEST One of my favorite tests in recent years was conducted by the owner of the stations, Hays McMakin. After an exhausting schedule of broadcasting high school basketball playoffs in Kentucky, which involves a lot of travel and late night, Hays agreed to stay up late to offer a rare chance to log new stations from the Bluegrass state. These particular tests were arranged by Harry Dence, who went to bat for the entire hobby. Without DX?ers willing to leverage their local contacts, most DX tests would never happen. Thanks so much, Harry! SOAPBOX: Wayne Heinen, N0POH, am...@nationalradioclub.org <mailto:am...@nationalradioclub.org>, managed to null posts KRKS just five miles west of his QTH in Colorado and CBW in Winnipeg to snag WWKY on 990 from Kentucky. Including a great recording of three minutes of rock-solid Morse Code IDs from the station. Walt Salmaniw, can...@gmail.com <mailto:can...@gmail.com>, also managed to log WWKY 990 from his home in Masset in SW Ohio using his Perseus SDR and ALA-100LN antenna. Vince Cavaseno, vinc...@verizon.net <mailto:vinc...@verizon.net>, logged WWKY 990 ?barefoot? on his CCRadio Plus in Brookline, MA, with sweep tones. No joy with WMST, but it certainly wasn?t for lack of trying. Vasiliy Lazarev, lazarevvasil...@gmail.com <mailto:lazarevvasil...@gmail.com> in Stavropolsky raion, Russia, used an online Kiwi SDR owned by Christopher Smolinksi, W3HFU in Westmister, MD to log the test. Chris?s SDR is not only online for all to use. But it?s also equipped with a 500-foot beverage antenna. Congratulations to both Vasiliy and Chris for logging the station from Maryland. Tom Jasinski, jasinskit...@gmail.com <mailto:jasinskit...@gmail.com> in Joliet, IL, managed to snag both WMST 1150 & WWKY on 990. It was nicely done, Tom! Timmy Harvath, dx1...@protonmail.com <mailto:dx1...@protonmail.com> in Clarksburg, WV, logged both stations using a PL-330 portable. Timmy sent in an excellent MP4 video recording of his receptions. Could you keep them coming? I love to hear reports from Mothman Country! Sylvain Naud, esn...@telus.net <mailto:esn...@telus.net>, used sweep tones to his advantage to log both stations from his DX shack in Portneuf, QC, Canada, snagging the first international test reception. Steve Howe, sh...@albany.edu <mailto:sh...@albany.edu> in Saint Albans, Vermont, also managed to log both tests to add two new stations to his logbook. This, despite a lot of QRM from CKOC, making it challenging to pull WMST 1150 out of the noise. In the end, Morse Code, sweeps, and the sound of a landline telephone in off-hook condition made it through. For Paul Walker and our other younger DX?ers, remind me to explain what the term ?off the hook? means to you. Or Google it. Get off my lawn! * Steve, we could use your help in arranging a DX Test with a station in Vermont. Please contact me and let me know if you have any contacts that could help. Not everyone was as fortunate as Steve. Stephanie Battaglino, in Palm Desert, CA, decided to sit this one out due to the high winds at her location. She wanted to try for it but didn?t want to chance losing one of her loop antennas. You?ll get them next time. *Stephanie, we?re also looking to line up a couple of stations to test from California in the fall. Please reach out to me if you have any leads for us! Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, stanz...@sbcglobal.net <mailto:stanz...@sbcglobal.net> logged WMST 1150 quickly on his trusty Icom IC-R8600 receiver from Wolcott, CT. WWKY was a no-go despite a lot of attempts using four different antennas. WNTY 990 is only 4 miles from Stan?s shack, making it a long shot at best. Still a new station in the log for Stan?so well done! James C. Reda, jr...@zoominternet.net <mailto:jr...@zoominternet.net> of Beaver Falls, PA (Shout out to the home of Broadway Joe! Roll Tide!) sent in dynamite recordings of both WWKY and WMST. He uses a Sony ICF SW7600GR portable for his DXing. This is an underrated portable capable of excellent receptions. Russ Lay, russ...@embarqmail.com <mailto:russ...@embarqmail.com> of Nags Head, NC, used the impressive Eton 850 with the rotatable MW loopstick antenna to log both stations. Lots of QRM and noise, but the sweep tones, phone off-hook, and CW cut through everything to be heard in both recordings. Thanks for sending those in, Russ. Nice catches! Ronald Musco, ronaldjmu...@yahoo.com <mailto:ronaldjmu...@yahoo.com>, used the legendary R-390A to snag both stations from the Bluegrass in Poquonock, CT. Ronald is a former CPC Chairman, so he understands what is involved in setting up these tests. He passed along his sincere thanks to both owner/engineer Hays McMakin and Harry Dence for making these tests possible. We?re grateful for Ronald?s years of service to the hobby. His DX Tests helped put many new ones in my logbook. Happy to be a small part of returning the favor. It was a good night for DX?ers named Ronald. Powder Springs, Georgia?s listening legend Ronald Martin, ronaldbmar...@gmail.com <mailto:ronaldbmar...@gmail.com>, also heard both tests on a Radiowow R-108. He had some trouble from WAKM in Memphis logging WWKY, but the CW was audible underneath in his recording. Thank you for two great recordings and a clear, concise report. Rob Ross, VA3SW, va...@rogers.com <mailto:va...@rogers.com> in London, Ontario, Canada, but both stations into his logbook. WWKY 990 was a new station for Rob, while WMST was an always welcome relog from Kentucky. Mr. Ross is rocking some top-of-the-line gear with an Elad FDM-S2 SDR receiver and a Wellbrook ALA-1530 Imperium loop making the magic happen. And Rob Keeney, rkeeney...@gmail.com <mailto:rkeeney...@gmail.com>, reported both stations were ?blasting into his QTH in West Union, SC.? Rob can hear a pin drop from his shack, so these loggings came as no surprise. Rik, farme...@cox.net <mailto:farme...@cox.net> in CT, used a PL-368 along with a beverage-on-the-ground antenna to log WMST 1150 but had no joy hearing WWKY on 990. Rick Dau, drummer196...@hotmail.com <mailto:drummer196...@hotmail.com>, added two new ones to his already impressive logbook. Living in South Omaha, Nebraska, he?s heard nearly every station on 1150. He quickly heard WWKY?s Morse Code IDs despite interference from CBW. And then he struggled a bit more with QRM from KSAL to pull in WMST. Rick uses a Kenwood R-5000 and a Quantum DX Pro Loop. (I always wanted one of those Quantum loops!) Rich Line, richardrradi...@gmail.com <mailto:richardrradi...@gmail.com>, in Sterling Heights, Michigan, employed the consistently effective WinRadio WR-G31DDC and a 40 Meter Delta Loop antenna to snag both stations. Rich was surprised by the signals' strength, especially from WWKY 990. Nice catches, Rich. Kostiantyn Pravotorov, kostiantynpravotoro...@outlook.com <mailto:kostiantynpravotoro...@outlook.com> in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, used a KiwiSDR near the stations in Lexington, KY, to log both tests. These online SDRs provide an opportunity for DX?ers in other parts of the world to hear tests that would otherwise be impossible due to antenna restrictions, conditions, etc. Phillip Chiello, Jr., pjchiell...@yahoo.com <mailto:pjchiell...@yahoo.com> of Elm Grove, WI, used one of the top portables of all time, the Sony ICF-2010 ?barefoot,? to log both stations from his home near Milwaukee. He sent along two crystal clear recordings. You could even hear the singing jingles for both stations in the recording. What a treat to listen to. Well done, sir. Peter Laws, N5UWY, pla...@gmail.com <mailto:pla...@gmail.com> in Norman, logged WMST on 1150 with CW overcoming the pest from Kansas running ?Art Bell-Somewhere in Time? programming. But had no joy with WWKY due to QRM from nearby KTOK 1000 on the next channel. In addition to his exploits on MW, Peter is an impressive ham with nearly every award that amateur radio offers to his credit. Paul Staupe, W0AD, sta...@gmail.com <mailto:sta...@gmail.com>, does his DXing from Minnetonka, MN. He put great equipment and skill to work to log both stations despite a lot of QRM from nearby WHBY in Kimberly, WI. Paul employed an AirSpy HF+ Discovery SDR (top performer that can outperform a Drake R8B) and a 500? long SE Beverage antenna to snag the Kentucky duo. *If you want to try your hand at SDR technology and want a receiver that will compete head-to-head with Perseus, Elad, etc., you cannot beat the AirSpy HF+ Discovery. It?s under $170 right now at: https://v3.airspy.us <https://v3.airspy.us/> Chris Rigas, paokar...@hotmail.com <mailto:paokar...@hotmail.com>, of Wood Dale, IL, heard both stations near his shack in the Chicago area. WWKY 990 was battling it with CBW but winning! While WMST 1150 was mixing it up with WHBY and holding its own. WMST was an ATNO (All Time New One) in the log for Chris. Congratulations. MIke Gorniak, radionorths...@gmail.com <mailto:radionorths...@gmail.com>, reported both stations were strong in East Central Minnesota. Sweeps and Morse Code broke through the QRM. Mike likes a more leisurely approach to the hobby, doing his DXing from the kitchen table using the top-notch CC Radio 3. Mike is about having fun in the pursuit without sweating the small stuff. A good lesson for the rest of us, Mike. You don?t need an antenna farm or CIA-worthy equipment rack to hear great DX. Master DX?er Nigel Pimblett, nige2...@telus.net <mailto:nige2...@telus.net>, may operate a listening post for the Candian Security Intelligence Service! He certainly could with his great location in Dunmore, Alberta, Canada, and the impressive list of equipment he uses. Nigel has logged just four Kentucky stations in over 40 years of DXing but added two more with these tests. He used a Perseus SDR and a phased Array of Wellbrook loops to put them into the log book. Nigel would tell us more about how he does it, but then he?d have to kill us. Pimblett also logged Cuba, XECL, and KRSL during the test period. Sounds like a great night. John Johnson, john_john...@prodigy.net <mailto:john_john...@prodigy.net> of Mesa, Arizona, couldn?t pull WWKY 990 out. Blowtorch XECL was too much. But he did manage to snag WMST 1150 with the tone, codes, and sweeps despite some QRM from KEIB. His semi-local KCKY seemed to be off the air during the test in a nice bit of luck! He nicely included a recording and photo of what the sweep tones looked like on his Perseus SDR. Legendary UK DX?er Steve Whitt of Clashmore, Scotland, reported a ?very poor night? for North American signals during the test. Nothing from the USA except for a few regular 50 kW stations. Good news to those in the Old World, Hays McMakin has already hinted that he has some additional maintenance coming up in the fall, so another test is possible. Stay tuned. Mike Booker, keval.m...@gmail.com <mailto:keval.m...@gmail.com>, of the most diverse city in North America, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, reported Morse Code IDs, sweep tones, and more under CBW on 900 kHz to add WWKY to his log. But 800lb gorilla CKOC proved too much to allow reception of WMST. Nice catch, Mike. The ?other? Mike B, Mike Bugai of Enfield, CT, mbug...@gmail.com <mailto:mbug...@gmail.com> logged the Kentucky Duo with Morse Code IDs copied on both stations. Mike mentioned, "I haven?t stayed up late for a DX Test in decades. I guess I picked a good one to lose sleep over!? Martin Foltz, martinfo...@cox.net <mailto:martinfo...@cox.net>, of Sarasota, Florida, battled QRM from Cuba to log WWKY on 990. He also used one of my favorites, a Sony SRF-M37W, to pull in both stations. Martin sent along four great recordings to document his great catches. Cuba also gave CPC Chairman Les Rayburn, N1LF, l...@highnoonfilm.com <mailto:l...@highnoonfilm.com>, some difficulty with WMKY, but with some phasing, I could put both stations in the logbook for two new catches. For some reason, Kentucky can be tough to hear from Alabama. Thanks to Hayes and Harry for the new ones! Mark Connelly, WA1ION, markwa1...@aol.com <mailto:markwa1...@aol.com> in Cape Cod, MA, seems to hear everything from his seaside perch. No surprise that he managed to log not only both tests but even to listen to the singing jingle for WMST. This is despite some competition from WDXC and WWDJ. Tip of the hat to you, sir. Mark Garrett, KA9SZX, ka9...@gmail.com <mailto:ka9...@gmail.com>, is another fortunate DX?er who managed to log both stations from Kentucky from his shack in Macomb, IL. Mark used a Radio Shack DX-440 with its internal antenna to null QRM from both KCPS and CBW to turn the trick. Mark DeLorenzo, midcapem...@aol.com <mailto:midcapem...@aol.com> of South Dennis, MA, logged WWKY 990 under both WNTP and WDCX. He thanked the DX Gods for the sweep tones, which did the trick. This is KY station #12 for Mark. He notes that the Bluegrass State is brutal to hear, except WHAS 840. We agree! Linda Brodsky, zeke...@gmail.com <mailto:zeke...@gmail.com>, ?bagged ?em both!? from her home in Maiverne, NY. She used a CC Crane Skywave SSB portable and even managed to record the jingle! The CC Crane Skywave is my ?portable of choice? for some great SSS DX when walking the dogs. It?s put dozens of new stations in the log. Highly recommended. Thanks for the great recordings, Linda. Kiv Zichi, radiogu...@gmail.com <mailto:radiogu...@gmail.com>, logged the test from his listening post in Willamston, MI using an RSPdx SDR receiver, +ANC-4 for noise reduction, and a random wire. He used I/Q recordings to record the test and could play it back later to hear both stations. He sent in great recordings and this screenshot of WWKY. Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, kr...@kg4lac.com <mailto:kr...@kg4lac.com>, described 990 kHz as being ?similar to a graveyard frequency? at his location in Manassas, VA. He battled interference from WTLN in Orlando, WMNL in Knoxville, and even the Cuban national anthem to add WWKY to his log. Having some great gear in the form of a WinRadio G33DDC SDR and a Wellbrook ALA1530S+ Imperium loop antenna made sure he would come out on top. You can hear for yourself at the links below: Program ID: 0000:43 Morse code. Brief audio https://misc.kg4lac.com/WWKY_990kHz_0000EDT_April-10-2022_MorseCode.wav <https://misc.kg4lac.com/WWKY_990kHz_0000EDT_April-10-2022_MorseCode.wav> 0003:28 bubble up tones. Brief audio https://misc.kg4lac.com/WWKY_990kHz_0003EDT_April-10-2022_BubbleUpTones.wav <https://misc.kg4lac.com/WWKY_990kHz_0003EDT_April-10-2022_BubbleUpTones.wav> DX?er Karl Forth, koolmo...@comcast.net <mailto:koolmo...@comcast.net>, of Chicago, did even better. He successfully logged the pair of Kentucky stations during the test. Fortunately for Karl, he had less QRM to deal with than Kraig faced in Virginia. Like real estate, DXing is all about location, location, location! John Hanna, W9HC, kc9...@gmail.com <mailto:kc9...@gmail.com>, included two of the best recordings received by the CPC for the test. You can make out the opening announcement. He logged both stations but noted that WWKY 990 was a challenge due to the blowtorch station, WMVP on 1000, just 7 miles from his home in Brookfield, IL. He even sent a YouTube video link showing off his receptions. His shack is an excellent mix of vintage and modern gear. This video is a treat! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvrmKdG1hhs <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvrmKdG1hhs> Top-notch gear also turned the tide in favor of John Fisher, jcfonta...@gmail.com <mailto:jcfonta...@gmail.com>, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, who used a Perseus SDR and a 65-foot-long wire feed by the Wellbrook ALA100LN transformer/amplifier to hear both stations from Kentucky. The opening announcement for WMST 1150 is clear despite a lot of QRM. Thanks for sending in two great MP3 recordings, John. Joe Burke, W1INC, hyedesi...@comcast.net <mailto:hyedesi...@comcast.net>, also logged WMST from his shack in Concord, NH. His recording was made using a Grundig 600 Pro with a center-fed dipole antenna. It was remarkably free from QRM for most of the recording. Morse Code ID and sweep tones could be heard. Good job, Joe. Alex Kaminski, N8UCN, rifleman...@yahoo.com <mailto:rifleman...@yahoo.com>, nailed both stations from the Buckeye Monitoring Post in Springboro, Ohio. He used a C Crane CCRadio Plus with a small loop to capture both logs, despite heavy interference from CBW. It was nicely done, Alex. But I?m still never going to pull for Ohio State. Jim Renfrew, jim.renf...@gmail.com <mailto:jim.renf...@gmail.com>, also bagged his limit by logging both stations. Not sure this is legal at his QTH in Holley, NY, because DX Hunting Season usually closes before April. In all seriousness, Jim is one of the top hunters for weak signal DX. So much so that WMST was a relog for Jim. He captured it during sunset DXing back in January 2021. WWKY was a new one in his logbook. Jim brought out the big guns for these late-season trophies. His weapon of choice was the Drake R8B with two long wire antennas and a Quantum phaser to help tweak the signals. The R8B is one of the best receivers I?ve ever owned, and nothing sounds better. You can listen to it for hours. Not surprising that James Niven, jni...@austin.rr.com <mailto:jni...@austin.rr.com>, pulled off the ?Texas Two-Step? by logging both stations from the Lone Star State. James constantly logs an impressive amount of DX from his home in Austin and overcame interference from nearby KRCD to pull in WWKY 990. WMST on 1150 was considerably more accessible for him to hear?another successful round of tests for the Western DX ace. Bill Whitacre, b...@his.com <mailto:b...@his.com>, of Alexandria, VA (just outside Washington, DC) heard both WMKY and WMST, with 1150 being the more potent. He even managed to copy the voice ids and jingles. Bill uses a Perseus SDR receiver, running JAGUAR software which is tailored for MW DXing, and a 15 X 50-foot Superloop antenna. This is a powerful listening post near our nation?s Capitol. Greg Harris, wdx9...@yahoo.com <mailto:wdx9...@yahoo.com>, logged both stations from his QTH near Chicago Heights, IL. The former US Navy Radioman (RM1) had no trouble copying the Morse code ids on his Icom R75 and Quantum Loop antenna combination. For fun, Greg also copied both stations using only a Sangean DT200X Ultralight receiver! Go Navy! Glen Small, gsmall...@gmail.com <mailto:gsmall...@gmail.com>, was another DX?er who grabbed both stations for his log. This time from his shack in Shrewsbury, MA. Nice catches, Glen! Gerard Hart, geh...@roadrunner.com <mailto:geh...@roadrunner.com>, also successfully copied test signals from both stations from his monitoring station in Niagara Falls, NY. As with many others, WMST on 1150 was the more straightforward catch. G-Man used an AirSpy HF+ Discovery SDR running SDR Console software and a YouLoop antenna. Fred Zalupski, fzalup...@gmail.com <mailto:fzalup...@gmail.com>, in Atco, NJ, used an Icom IC-R75 with the MLA-30+ Active Loop to receive both stations. The great part of Fred?s reception is that the MLA-30+ is indoors, not outside. He also experimented with the CCRadio 2 and the Sony ICF-2010. All three worked to receive both stations?but Sony was the standout performer. Hard to be a legend, and the Sony 2010 is that. Fred Schroyer, ibfredi...@gmail.com <mailto:ibfredi...@gmail.com>, of Waynesburg, PA, marveled at his ability to receive both DX Tests. With the WMST test, he heard the opening announcement. Fred was wondering to whom the silky smooth female voice belonged. He may be surprised to learn that it is a computer-generated voice. I input the text I want, and the computer generates a human-sounding voice. It takes a bit of tweaking to make call letters sound natural, but once the timing is right?it?s great. Great job with the test, Fred! Fernando Cano, fernandoac...@gmail.com <mailto:fernandoac...@gmail.com>, logged the WMST 1150 DX Test, sending in an excellent recording of the sweep tones. I heard using his RSP DX SDR and a Wellbrook loop antenna. Unfortunately, Fred didn?t mention where he was listening from. This is essential information for the station. Please let us know your QTH, Fernando, so that we can pass it on. Dene Lynneberg, dlynneb...@gmail.com <mailto:dlynneb...@gmail.com>, listened to both tests on the Kiwi SDR online. This SDR is located in nearby Lexington, KY. It was built and maintained by Christopher Gay, KU4A. The SDR is connected to the MFJ-1886 Wideband loop antenna. It performs well indeed on the AM band. There was a crowd using the SDR, including listeners in Norway, Hesperia, California, and even Oklahoma DX?er Glenn Hauser. Dene makes his home in New Zealand, so the online SDR was his ticket to hearing these dual tests. David J. Sullivan, djmsulli...@yahoo.com <mailto:djmsulli...@yahoo.com>, of Jersey City, NJ, sent in a fantastic clear MP3 recording of both tests. The opening announcement could be heard like a semi-local. The code was an armchair copy. David uses the AirSpy HF+ Discovery SDR connected to an indoor YouLoop, which does an excellent job of rejecting noise sources. Nicely done, David. The New York/New Jersey pipeline into Kentucky continued with the success of David Hochfelder, dphochfel...@gmail.com <mailto:dphochfel...@gmail.com>, in Albany, NY. He included two prominent recordings with his emailed reception report. Carl Dabeisein, ckda...@comcast.net <mailto:ckda...@comcast.net>, included recordings of the dual tests as well. Bagging both stations with relative ease. His listening post is Maple Grove, MN, and features an Icom R-75 receiver and a 15? X 32? Flag Antenna, which is doing an excellent job for Carl. Please keep these DX Test reports coming from the North. The West Coast was represented well by Bruce Portzer, portze...@gmail.com <mailto:portze...@gmail.com>, Seattle, WA. His attached recording left no doubt of his success, with several Morse Code IDs heard for WWKY 990. Bruce is a superstar DX?er who often digs weak signals out with his Perseus SDR receiver and Delta Loop antennas. He phases them against each other to reduce noise and peak the signals. The proof is in the pudding with this 2,020-mile reception! Take a bow, Bruce! Brent Taylor, VY2HF, vy2hf.ra...@gmail.com <mailto:vy2hf.ra...@gmail.com>, of Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Canada, logged both tests. He provided forensic evidence that would convince any CSI technician in Exhibit A (WWKY recording) and Exhibit B (WMST recording). If it might please the DX court, we declare him guilty of a Reception in the First Degree! We?ve determined that the weapons Brent used were the SDRPlay RSPdx and the Wellbrook ALA-1530AL. More success to report from the Garden State too. Bob Antoniuk, N2SU, radion...@gmail.com <mailto:radion...@gmail.com>, overcame QRM from nearby Philadelphia stations to hear both stations from Kentucky. Bob has his shack in beautiful Clifton, NJ. Superman is allergic to Kryptonite, and the dual DX test from Kentucky proved that Super-DXer Bjarne Mjelde of Artic fame isn?t truly invulnerable either. His Fortress of Solitude comes in the form of two (very) remote sites. They feature remote-controlled Perseus SDR receivers, low noise locations, and kilometer-long Beverage antennas. All this adds up to super-hearing to rival the Man of Steel himself. But poor conditions and the rapidly approaching sunrise left Bjarne with nothing to show for his efforts this time. If you?ve never seen his incredible DXing efforts, take a look at: arcticdx.blogspot.com <http://arcticdx.blogspot.com/> Remote SDR: arcticsdr.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/ <http://arcticsdr.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/> Bill Coury, N8UUP, wcou...@gmail.com <mailto:wcou...@gmail.com>, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, knows something about freezing temperatures, even in April. But he had better fortune than Bjarne, capturing both stations despite the best efforts of arch-villain WDEO, who attempted to defeat our hero. Thanks for the great recordings of both stations, BIll. Dalton, Georgia, is best known for carpet mills and an ?eccentric? Congresswoman. But Brian Dominguez, briandominguez...@gmail.com <mailto:briandominguez...@gmail.com>, managed to pull in the iPhone ringtone signal from the WWKY 990 test as it briefly faded up. Excellent job, sir. Andree Bollin, bol...@wolfsburg.de <mailto:bol...@wolfsburg.de>, of Wolfsburg, Germany, logged both tests using an SDR in Westerville, Ohio. Andree noted that he does a lot of DXing the old-fashioned way, with no Internet involved from Wolfsburg, a town of 125,000 people. It?s known as ?Motorcity? because it?s the home of the main plant for VW. Learn more about his AM DXing exploits at: http://www.abo.bplaced.de <http://www.abo.bplaced.de/> Closer to home, Tom Jaskinski, WDX9HVL, amd...@core.com <mailto:amd...@core.com>, of Joliet, IL, was happy to log a new one in the form of WWKY 990. He sent along four great MP3 recordings to prove his good fortune. One included an armchair copy of the ?Retro Singing Jingle? produced by the CPC just for use in this DX Test. Allen Willie, VOPC1AA, vo1001...@gmail.com <mailto:vo1001...@gmail.com>, used an Icom R75 with a 600-foot terminated Beverage antenna to pull in both stations. He had to battle QRM from Spain and CBW Winnipeg to log WWKY, while CKOC Hamilton and WHBY in Wisconsin provided competition for 1150. He sent in an excellent MP3 recording that made verification a snap. Keep it up! SUMMARY The Dual DX Tests from Kentucky generated more reception reports than any test in recent memory. Despite rising static levels and a surprise solar storm just hours before the test, this success was achieved. An April test ruled out any international receptions from Europe or Scandanavia, as we might see in the winter months. Still, domestic reports poured in from diverse specialty groups of DX?ers. The Ultralight crowd got involved, amateur radio operators who rarely Medium Wave DX joined in the fun, and so did DXers from coast-to-coast. The Courtesy Program Committee would love to thank Hayes McMakin, the owner of both stations, and Harry Dence, who helped with the coordination. They did all the heavy lifting. Hoping we can twist Hayes's arm and arrange a wintertime test later this year. With longer nights and more darkness for our international DXers, it will be fun to crank it up and see what WWKY and WMST can do! 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF l...@highnoonfilm.com <mailto:l...@highnoonfilm.com> 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf NRC & IRCA Courtesy Program Committee Chairman Member WTFDA, MWC Perseus SDR, AirSpy + Discovery, SDRPlay RSP Duo, Sony XDR-F1HD [XDR Guy Modified], Korner 9.2 Antenna, FM-6 Antenna, Kitz Technologies KT-501 Pre-amps, Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop, Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active Whip. ?Nothing but blues and Elvis, and somebody else?s favorite song?? ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2022 23:47:49 +0000 (UTC) From: Glenn Hauser <wghau...@yahoo.com> To: WOR DXLD <w...@groups.io> Cc: Short-Wave Radio Listening <s...@mailman.qth.net> Subject: [HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs July 2-3-4, 2022 Message-ID: <2059339910.735113.1656978469...@mail.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 ** BRAZIL. 9673.22V, July 4 at 0638, RVM gospel music wobbling around here as I try to measure it, good signal and modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) ** CHINA. 13530 & 13130 & weaker 13020, July 4 at 1457, the regular CNR1 jammers with pop music (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) ** CUBA. 12000, July 4 at 0618, RHC English S6/S8, 2 x 6000 which is much stronger. This harmonic appears only occasionally, at transmitter maladjustments? By 0650, these three are unusually all still on: 6000, 6060, 6100 but not 6165. Something`s always wrong at RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) ** U S A [and non]. WORLD OF RADIO 2145 monitoring: Also confirmed Sunday July 3 at 2000 on IRRS SW via AM Italia 1323 kHz, S9+20/25 into nearby Noale SDR including heavy splash from much stronger adjacents on 1314 and 1332, plus storm crashes. Also confirmed Sunday July 3 at 2237 the 2230 still on WRMI 5950, S9+10/22 into Georgia SDR with storm crashes. Also confirmed UT Monday July 4 at 0033 the 0030 on WRMI 7780 S7/S9 into Athens GA SDR, better here than some others checked, even Durango2 and TWR Brownsville. Also confirmed UT Monday July 4 from 0259 on Area 51 via WBCQ 6159.942, S7/S9 into Maryland SDR, trying to avoid ACI from 6165 RHC thru LSB tuning narrow, or AM narrow, but can`t get rid of it completely as these two stations refuse to distance from each other. Next: 0030 UT Tuesday WRMI 9395 to NNW 2230 UT Tuesday WRMI 9955 to SSE [jammed by Cuba] 2330 UT Tuesday WRMI 9395 to NNW 1000 UT Wednesday Unique R, Australia 5035-USB or 3210-USB 1030 UT Wednesday WRMI 5850 to NW 2100 UT Wednesday WBCQ 7490v to WSW 0030 UT Thursday WRMI 9395 to NNW 0130 UT Thursday WRMI 5010 to S; 9395 to NNW Full schedule including AM, FM, webcasts, satellite, podcasts: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For these noncommercial services, voluntary financial support is much appreciated; thanks this week to Terry Colgan, Austin, TX for a contribution via PayPal in US funds, but not necessarily, to woradio at yahoo.com and says, ``Thanks for your continuing dedication to the radio listening hobby. Best wishes for health and good DX`` One may also contribute by MO or check in US funds on a US bank to: Glenn Hauser, PO Box 1684, Enid OK 73702 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) ** U S A. 9940, July 4 at 0645, WTWW with soft rock at S6/S9, still on but not so strong, // 5085 at S9+40 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) ** U S A. 5890, July 4 at 0647, this WWCR is missing TOMBS, while 5935 and 4840 remain (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) ** U S A. Sporadic E FM DX opening Saturday July 2 at 1829-1930 UT from Michigan and vicinity, somewhat Lower than last time; on caradio with fender vertical antenna only, standard provisos to which I add: no possibility of side-tuning to even frequencies avoiding QRM; strictly UT: We start off with a rather confusing situation; perhaps Chris Kadlec can straighten it out. 92.9 at 1829, strong rock/rap. Nothing further here, but based on following logs we look up Michigan: WJZQ 92.9 CADILLAC MI CONTEMPORARY HIT RADIO Z93 100.0 kW 278.0 m Z93 Today's Best Hits Top 40 --- website is: https://www.z93hits.com/ but its studio is in Traverse City, not too far but not too close, to Cadillac --- 1369 km = 851 mi 93.5 at 1830, music CCI with Hayes KS fringer. Later at 1855, ``The Rock Station K-L-T``; 1900 ``Rogers City - Alpena, The Rock Station K-L-T``. WBCM relays:WKLT 97.5 93.5 BOYNE CITY MI ROCK 97.5 WKLT 14.0 kW 283.0 m The trouble is: Boyne City, just S of Petoskey on the NW coast, is 100+ miles from Rogers City & Alpena on the NE coast. So it relays the KLT station as below on 97.5 yet gives own frequency 93.5. But the 97.5 station is in Kalkaska, just east of Traverse City in the NW. It`s also linked to a 98.9 station but not branded as KLT which applies only to 97.5 and 93.5. Is 98.9 serving RC&A? No, it`s in Petoskey. Boyne City: 1458 km = 906 mi 93.9 at 1830, music CCI with KIMY OK. And at 1841 97.5 at 1831, a poet quoted, maybe the source of 93.5 above. 1848, mattress ad in Traverse City. Great Lakes Land with lots in northern MI: WKLT 97.5 KALKASKA MI CLASSIC ROCK KLT THE ROCK STATION 32.0 kW 188.0 m 97.5 FM 98.9 FM KLT The Rock Station //WRGZ 96.7 - 1415 km = 880 mi 93.7 at 1833, Lakers, trends in baseball; unlikely residual KSPI OK; 1835, Z-93, YL DJ on blood giving, Michelle Per?z at noon to one; 929-HITS which chex as number for Z-93, not to be confused with anything on 92.9 MHz: https://www.z93hits.com/contact, Traverse City ads, Cherry Festival, Downtown Arts Fest; Tony`s Best Tacos, Z-93. Must be this just S of Traverse City, but not branded as Z-93: WKAD relays:WMBN-1340 93.7 HARRIETTA MI SPORTS THE TICKET 4.3 kW 119.0 m // W284DF 104.7 --- 1354 km = 841 mi 93.3 at 1834, CCI with Jake OKC 95.3 at 1843, plug event in Kresge Auditorium which chex as Interlochen i.a.; arts fest, Interlochen.org - a classical mecca with arts school. None especially close but outreach probably beyond the WIAA coverage area, like this non-comm down the coast: WGVS-FM 95.3 WHITEHALL MI NEWS/JAZZ WGVU 88.5 & 95.3FM 2.0 kW 110.0 m Saturday Night Blues LISTEN ONLINE AT WGVU.ORG No Program Type or Undefined //WGVU 88.5 & W237CZ 95.3 [Grand Rapids, but oldies??] Whitehall also correlates with next single log across Lake MI in WI: Whitehall: 1253 km = 779 mi 95.5 at 1844, algo trying to edge in to local 95.7 97.3 at 1845, ``97-3 The Game``: WRNW 97.3 MILWAUKEE WI HD SPORTS 97.3 THE GAME 15.5 kW 278.0 m Top 40 [sic] --- 1127 km = 700 mi 96.3 at 1858, Bad Credit Blues ad; Ballard`s Plumbing and Heating in Petoskey; vs ACI from 96.1 OKC: WLXT 96.3 PETOSKEY MI ADULT CONTEMPORARY LITE 96.3 100.0 kW 299.0 m --- 1472 km = 915 mi 94.5 at 1901, 3:01 timecheck, inviting R&R requests, and multi-station ID including WYPV Mackinaw City, too quick to copy all, ``road-runner`` only station for R&R: WYPV relays:WQON 100.3 94.5 MACKINAW CITY MI CLASSIC ROCK Q 100 50.0 kW 110.0 m // WWMN 106.3 --- 1514 km = 941 mi 97.5 at 1911, ``Werewolf 97.5``, country. Turns out to be the Alva OK station not far from Enid to the NW, but a new name on me. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KZLF ``KZLF ("Werewolf 97.5 FM") is a radio station broadcasting an adult hits music format licensed to Alva, Oklahoma, United States.[1] The station is currently owned by Running Wolf Radio LLC, which purchased it from George S. Flinn in 2022.[2]`` ``Human all day - WOLF ALL NIGHT`` see https://werewolf975.com/ --- ex-KPAK. WTFDA has new call but not new branding and non-silent format: KZLF 97.5 ALVA OK Silent CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN 97.5 THE QUAKE 50.0 kW 150.0 m 37-01-27 98-41-22 Silent 3/25/22 equip replacement --- 70 km = 44 mi 96.7 at 1917, ad for waterfront property (877) 333-8830 or https://whiteoakcreekranchtx.com --- TX??? I`ve been getting Michigan but those clues indeed lead to Texas, phone in Decatur which is NW of Fort Worth. From photos, the ``water`` refers to ponds or lakes or creeks, not seashore! Surely not advertising waterfront property to Michiganders. Closest station to there is on N side of The Metroplex: KTCK-FM 96.7 FLOWER MOUND TX SPORTS RADIO 1310 & 96.7, THE TICKET 90.0 kW 621.0 m All Sports all the time - KTCK The Ticket - //KTCK 1310 --- so this is fluke extended GW and that tall tower helps, not sporadic E. KTCK 1310 being successor to long-lamented WRR --- 381 km = 236 mi 99.7 at 1927, ``Hank FM``, another fringe Okie, but later see there is another same name in adjacent Kansas on same 99.7; beware, but only ours spells HANK backwards: Can anyone think of another station branding by spelling callsign backwards? FHGK sure won`t work: KNAH 99.7 MUSTANG OK COUNTRY HANK FM 47.0 kW 155.0 m - 112 km = 70 mi KGHF 99.7 BELLE PLAINE KS COUNTRY 99.7 HANK FM 50.0 kW 147.0 m unhrd 93.1 at 1930, ``93 K-ROCK``, one last gasp of the Es from MI, and one Yooper I heard in previous opening: WIMK 93.1 IRON MOUNTAIN MI ROCK 93.1 K ROCK 100.0 kW 180.0 m --- 1331 km = 827 mi More sporadic E FM DX yet to be compiled: July 3 at 0129-0218 UT: AZ, CA; Mexico SONORA already done July 4 at 1634-1907+ UT: NV, UT, WY, ID, MT (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) UNIDENTIFIED. 13745-13755, July 4 at 0616, sure sounds like weak DRM noise but nothing in skeds to account for it. Maybe China or Russia? Romania is on 13750 at other times in AM (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR) This report dispatched at 2347 UT July 4 ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2022 21:26:30 -0500 From: Les Rayburn <l...@highnoonfilm.com> To: mwcir...@groups.io, IRCA List <i...@groups.io>, via NRC-AM <nrc...@googlegroups.com>, "m...@ultralightdx.groups.io" <m...@ultralightdx.groups.io>, WAYNE HEINEN <nrc.e....@gmail.com>, o...@groups.io, b...@groups.io, Hard-Core-DX <Hard-core-dx@hard-core-dx.com>, Tore Larsson <torelarsson...@gmail.com> Cc: "Paul B. Walker, Jr." <alaskaradion...@fastmail.com>, DX Central <w4lv...@gmail.com>, Joseph Miller <k...@californiamail.com> Subject: [HCDX] CPC DX Test QSL Report KQKD 1380 Redfield, South Dakota Message-ID: <382837c3-ad3e-4961-8ddc-155d7b75d...@highnoonfilm.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 The CPC Chairman is slowly working through last year?s test reports. After completing my work, Joseph Miller, KJ8O, will design cards and send electronic QSLs in the coming weeks. Please be patient with him. KQKD 1380 DX TEST There are still station owners who love the radio medium just as we do. One is Ron Schacht, K3FUT, who owns KQKD in Redfield, SD. The company name is Gray Ghost Broadcasting, which is fitting because stations like this seem to be little more than phantoms from an era of broadcasting that is gone today. KQKD is a literal ?mom & pop? operation, with Ron and his wife Denise compromising the board of directors. They are live on the air from 5 AM until 5 PM daily. Many nights they also broadcast the local high school sporting events. Then syndicated programming, including ?Red Eye Radio,? fills out the rest of the night, allowing the owners to get some sleep. They still host elected officials in their studio, run obituaries, help listeners find lost dogs, run a swap shop program, do farm and ranch news, and highlight the local 4H and Future Farmers of America. It?s a small town local radio station. It?s what the medium does best. Ron lives at the transmitter site and does all the engineering for the station too. When he needed to perform some maintenance on the station?s audio chain and offered to run a test?we jumped at the chance. There was some confusion about the maintenance date, so the test ran twice?once on December 11, 2021, and again on January 15, 2022. SOAPBOX: Bjarne Mjelde, bjarne.mje...@gmail.com <mailto:bjarne.mje...@gmail.com>, Norway?s amazing DXer, was the first to report the test from his remote site in Sm?la. He used a Perseus SDR receiver and a 1,115-foot-long Beverage antenna to log KQKD at a distance of 4,040 miles! Bjarne sent in an MP4 video clip of his receiver waterfall with the Morse Code ID coming in very clearly. Years ago, I ceased to be amazed at the catches Mjelde makes from his two remote sites, but the dedication to the hobby and engineering involved never fails to pique my admiration. Bruce Portzer, portze...@gmail.com <mailto:portze...@gmail.com>, of Seattle also caught the first test by reviewing overnight recordings from his Perseus receiver. He sent in two recordings with the Morse Code IDs audible in both. Nice catch, Bruce. Don Moman, VE6JY, ve6j...@gmail.com <mailto:ve6j...@gmail.com>, was the first to report reception of the January 15h test when he heard sweep tones at 0607 UTC from his shack in Alberta. Don uses a Perseus SDR and the Wellbrook loop antenna to dig out the weak ones. Nigel Pimblett, nige2...@telus.net <mailto:nige2...@telus.net>, logged those same sweep tones from his listening post in Dunmore, AB, Canada. He also logged the Morse Code IDs and 1 kHz long tones before calling it a successful test. Fred Schroyer, ibfredi...@gmail.com <mailto:ibfredi...@gmail.com>, was ?delighted? to log KQKD?s 500-watt signal from his home in Waynesburg, PA. If Fred continues to pull in DX like this, we?ll have to start referring to him as ?The (DX) Beast From the East!? Nicely done, sir. John Hanna, W9HC, kc9...@gmail.com <mailto:kc9...@gmail.com>, noted that ?conditions were terrible,? and he had a pitched battle with WKJG, Fort Wayne, IN. Despite those obstacles, he used his SDRPlay RSP1a and a Hustler 5BTV ham radio antenna to copy the test. You can see and hear it for yourself at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZydCqho2ib4&t=2s <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZydCqho2ib4&t=2s> John was a bit confused about the types of sweep tones that we use during our DX Tests. If you find yourself in this camp, watch Loyd?s excellent YouTube video on the topic at DX Central for a few minutes. You?ll be ready for next season?s tests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQX_zmEC4fY <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQX_zmEC4fY> Noted DX?er Rick Dau, drummer196...@hotmail.com <mailto:drummer196...@hotmail.com>, wasn?t going to be outdone. Overall, he pulled in KQKD for South Dakota #28 and #1057 in the log. The Kenwood R-5000 and Quantum loop are working great from his QTH in South Omaha, NB. Wheat Ridge, Colorado?s favorite son, Craig Barnes, bevd...@yahoo.com <mailto:bevd...@yahoo.com>, was next to check-in. Despite some QRM from KHEY in El Paso, he managed to log KQKD to put a new station into his already impressive logbook. Tom Jasinksi, jasinskit...@gmail.com <mailto:jasinskit...@gmail.com>, of Joliet, IL, was surprised to find the tones from KQKD coming in ?loud and clear? at just after 00:19 CST. Five hundred watts into a decent stick can get out, it seems. Jim Renfrew, jim.renf...@gmail.com <mailto:jim.renf...@gmail.com>, can hear a pin drop in California, so it was no surprise to get his report of the KQKD test from his home located between Buffalo and Rochester, New York. Having top-notch equipment doesn?t hurt either. Renfrew uses a Perseus SDR, two longwire antennas running 200 and 600 feet in length, and a Quantum phaser. Excellent work, Jim. Rob Keeney, rkeeney...@gmail.com <mailto:rkeeney...@gmail.com>, West Union, SC, heard sweep tones, the 1 kHz continuous tones, and bits of Morse Code from his shack. The Airplay HF+ Discovery, Wellbrook ALA1530LNP, and the 30X90 foot Superloop antenna were his weapons of choice for this long-range hunting expedition. Steve Ratzlaff, AA7U, ratzlaffst...@gmail.com <mailto:ratzlaffst...@gmail.com>, was about to call it quits and go to bed. But suddenly, at 0637 UTC, he heard four sweep tones cut through the noise, despite the constant interference of KLPZ. Later, he logged a Morse Code ID. Steve does his DX in the desert at Sahuarita, AZ, just Southwest of Tucson. Not everyone was so fortunate. Mark Connelly, the technical wizard from South Yarmouth, MA, couldn?t get past dominant station WNYM despite his magic hat full of tricks. Better luck next time, Mark. Where witchcraft failed, so opted to ?cheat? by using an online SDR a bit closer to the action to log the test. Kostiantyn Pravotorov, kostiantynpravotoro...@outlook.com <mailto:kostiantynpravotoro...@outlook.com>, of Zaporijja, Ukraine, used a KiwiSDR located in Fort Collins, Colorado, to log the test and sent along with four excellent recordings of the feat. I hope you are well in Ukraine, my friend. The USA stands behind your country, fighting for freedom from the Russian invaders. Gote Lindstrom, gote.lindst...@gmail.com <mailto:gote.lindst...@gmail.com>, of Tenhult, Sweden, also used KiwiSDR technology to his advantage. He used a receiver in Minneapolis, MN, to log the test starting at around 0653 UTC. Paul Staupe, W0AD, sta...@gmail.com <mailto:sta...@gmail.com>, was also listening in Minneapolis on his own AirSpy HF+ Discovery and a 500-foot-long Beverage antenna. He sent along a great recording with the Morse Code IDs, sweep tones, etc. I envy you that antenna, Paul. Bob Wien, KG6RJW, wien...@aol.com <mailto:wien...@aol.com>, had no trouble logging the test using a C CCrane receiver. He heard sweep tones, 1 kHz continuous tones, Morse Code IDs, and some audio. It was a new station for his log too. They don?t call it ?The Land of Enchantment? for nothing. Tom Laskowski, tml...@att.net <mailto:tml...@att.net>, logged the KQKD test for his SD #16 into the log. Speaking of ?Strange Magic,? he found conditions unusual. He could see sweeps, Morse Code, and long tones on the waterfall display of his SDR but found the actual audio from the test challenging to hear. Switching to portables, he heard them much better on his Sony, Panasonic RF-2200, and even barefoot on his CCrane Skywave. Remember, Tom?It?s not the size of the wand, it's? Bill Coury, N8UUP, wcou...@gmail.com <mailto:wcou...@gmail.com>, of Ypsilanti, MI, has a lot of impressive catches on his SDRPlay RSP2 and MPA-30 Loop antenna. He added another one by logging KQKD easily at 767.6 miles. His recording from around 1:27 AM was one of the best we received. Keep it up, Bill. Jim B, jim01...@gmail.com <mailto:jim01...@gmail.com>, in Springfield, MA, also logged the Morse Code IDs from his shack. This added to the New England listeners who could capture the 500-watt signal from the Plains. He used a 140? DKAZ antenna and a 160 Meter invested V fed into a Quantum Phaser to tweak the signal. His receiver of choice was a Yaesu FTDX3000. Shawn Axelrod, VE4DX1SMA, ama...@mymts.net <mailto:ama...@mymts.net>, has no shortage of DX milestones from his perch in Winnipeg, Canada. Using a mix of analog legends like the Drake R8 and modern SDRs, including the SDRPlay RSPduo, Shawn pulled in the KQKD test from an overnight recording. He reports the test was ?heard easily right after it started.? That?s excellent work, sir. David Walker, AA9UC, aa...@htc.net <mailto:aa...@htc.net>, sent in a nifty test recording including sweep tones, an off-hook telephone sounder, and Morse IDs. All recorded on his CC Crane Skywave SSB portable. This tiny, ultralight radio is a natural performer. I take one out with me when I walk my dogs at the end of the day. It puts lots of new SSS stations into the log. Strangely, David could copy any trace of the test on his Icom R-75 or Yeasu FT-920 despite being connected to a 120-foot-long wire antenna. Many suspect Rob Ross, VA3SW, va...@rogers.com <mailto:va...@rogers.com>, might be in league with the Devil. How else to explain some of the DX he hears from his QTH in London, Ontario, Canada? He listened to the KQKD signal for only 55 seconds out of the entire duration of the test. And he credited his Elad FDM-S2 SDR for saving the day. He managed to tinker with filtering, finding the signal only audible in the USB mode at around 0625 UTC. While he credits the Elad, we?re checking out his story with some paranormal investigators in the area. John Johnson of Mesa, AZ, didn?t fare as well as Rob. He heard only a weak tone and two bits of code at around 0006 CST. It wasn?t quite enough for him to claim reception. This is despite his formidable array of tools, including a Perseus SDR, SDRPlay Duo, and a Wellbrook ALA1530LNP loop antenna. While John missed out on KQKD, he did manage to log KLPZ, KHEY, KTKZ, KSRV, KKOO, and KOTA. Not a bad haul. Darren Hennig, VE4VE, dhenn...@shaw.ca <mailto:dhenn...@shaw.ca>, used the Elad Door SDR and a Wellbrook ALA-100LN-M antenna to capture the test from his monitoring post in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. His recording was apparent with Morse Code IDs, telephone off-hook sounder, and sweep tones. Well done, Darren! Brent Taylor, VY2HF, vy2hf.ra...@gmail.com <mailto:vy2hf.ra...@gmail.com>, of Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Canada, in grid FN86. He sent a lengthy recording of his reception. It required headphones and concentration, but I could detect full Morse Code IDs along with the 1 kHz continuous tones from the station. That?s an impressive catch at 1,702 miles! It was fun to listen to Brent. With Bruce Portzer in Seattle logging the test and Brent on Prince Edward Island, I think we can genuinely claim that KQKD was heard ?Coast-to-Coast? and beyond. Steve Hinman?s, electricstev...@yahoo.com <mailto:electricstev...@yahoo.com>, reception of the KQKD test could be a testimonial for the C CCrane Skywave SSB portable. He logged sweep tones from the test starting around 1:08 AM CST from his shack in Castle Rock, CO. This is an excellent catch with an outstanding little receiver, Steve. Carl Dabeistein, K0SBV, ckda...@comcast.net <mailto:ckda...@comcast.net>, heard KQKD ?right off the bat? with Morse Code IDs, sweep tones, and more. Despite not being too far away in Maple Grove, MN, this was an ATNO (All Time New One) in the log for Carl. He employed his trusty Icom R-75 receiver and a 15? X 32? Flag antenna to do the job. Great catch, Carl! I am glad we could help put a new one in the log for you. One of my mentors and heroes, Phil Bytheway wasn?t so lucky. He had ?dynamic? music from KRKO, making it nearly impossible for him to identify any other signals. He has also been battling a nasty noise source which has become his nemesis. It is rare that Phil can?t log a test using his R-70 receiver and legendary KIWA loop antenna. Hopefully, we can convince Ron and Denise to run another test this season; Phil, give everyone a second chance. During this one, the DX Gods were also not in favor of Stan Weisbeck of Spokane, WA. Like Phil, he struggled with the music from KRKO, and no amount of nulling would solve it. Stan also uses the KIWA loop antenna and a Drake R8. As a consolidation price, he did manage a late-night log of KTKZ, which generally only appears at sunset and sunrise. James Niven, jni...@austin.rr.com <mailto:jni...@austin.rr.com>, had better luck from his DX ranch in Austin, Texas. He logged the test under pest station, KZTS, running a Gospel format. This was a new one in the log book for Niven, giving him South Dakota #8. Later that evening, he added another new station, KKRX, at 0600, running a TOH ID. He sends his thanks out to owner Ron Schacht for running this test. Larry Travel, K8YYY, lfrave...@gmail.com <mailto:lfrave...@gmail.com>, checked in from West Virginia to note that he heard the test from around 0023 until around 0051. He uses an SDRPlay RSP1A and a Pixel Loop for his medium wave work. Karl Virtanen, kari.d...@gmail.com <mailto:kari.d...@gmail.com>, of Inari, Finland, used a Perseus SDR running JAGUAR software, a DX Engineering RPA-1 preamp, and multiple Beverage antennas that are 3,280 feet in length! That is over half a mile in size! Unfortunately for Karl, he used the Beverage pointed at California rather than the Plains. Despite this ?ahem,? handicap, Karl recorded complete Morse Code IDs and sweep tones from KQKD. An impressive catch of a 500-watt signal at 4,097 miles! KQKD was a new log for many DXers, including Glen Hauser, wghau...@yahoo.com <mailto:wghau...@yahoo.com>, of Enid, OK. Glen used an Icom R75 receiver, married to a 100-foot longwire antenna that runs E/W. KQKD is 580 miles from the shack for Glenn, a very nice nice logging indeed. Glen asked for some background on the station. According to Wikipedia, it first went on air in 1963 under the call letters KFCB. On November 16, 1986, a fire destroyed an entire block of buildings in Redfield, including the studios of KQKD. The fire also tragically killed a 17-month-old-girl. According to a wire story about the conflagration, the station was celebrating its 25th anniversary. Happier days now for the station and Glen with a new South Dakota station in the log. Gary Vance, ssvr...@comcast.net <mailto:ssvr...@comcast.net>, of Grand Ledge, MI, submitted an excellent recording of the KQKD test. Despite 705 miles of distance, the signal was clear and readable. In his battle over the noise, Gary employed an SDRPlay RSPdx SDR and a PA0RDT Mini-Whip antenna. We also have a PAR0DT Mini-Whip here and have been exceptionally pleased with its performance and build quality. Keep those reports coming in, Gary. Eric Fetters-Walp, fettwa...@gmail.com <mailto:fettwa...@gmail.com>, used a remote online SDR in Winnipeg to log the test successfully. You can try that remote receiver yourself at: http://24.78.155.2:8073/ <http://24.78.155.2:8073/> Chris Rigas, paokar...@gmail.com <mailto:paokar...@gmail.com>, sent two test recordings from his QTH in Wood Dale, IL. The first yielded nothing but bits of code that I could not identify as originating from KQKD. But the second had the unmistakable sounds of the sweep tones, which were clear even on my laptop speakers. Rigas uses a Drake R8 receiver and a Quantum QX Pro Loop in his shack. Really nice grab, Chris! *Fun fact regarding the sweep tones used in our DX Tests. Engineers originally developed these at WSM radio, 650 in Nashville. Their primary purpose is to test out the audio chain that feeds the impressive transmitter there, but during testing, listeners discovered that they also did a great job cutting through the AM band's noise. Since then, we?ve scientifically proven it in a series of tests conducted by an audiologist in Chattanooga. Pete Taylor of Tacoma, WA, gave it ?the old college try? but could not log KQKD during the test. Only one mile from his shack is KKMO 1360, whose programming ?blurts? down the dial to 1430. Pete likes to kick it old-school, using a Hammarlund HQ-180 receiver as his primary rig and a KIWA Loop antenna. Next time, Pete. Having better luck was Allen Willie, VOPC1AA, vo1001...@gmail.com <mailto:vo1001...@gmail.com>, in Carbonear, Newfoundland, Canada, who managed to snag KQKD on his Icom IC-R75. A 600-foot-long unterminated Beverage antenna aided his efforts. Color me jealous of that antenna, Allen. Dene Lynneberg, dlynneb...@gmail.com <mailto:dlynneb...@gmail.com>, employed remote KiwiSDRs over the Internet to log the test. He chose the SDR built and maintained by Stephen Olesen, VE6SLP, ve6...@slepp.ca <mailto:ve6...@slepp.ca>, located in Lamont, Alberta, Canada, to log the test. The receiver is connected to a 250? loop antenna, fed with a Wellbrook ALA100N preamp. This is a distance of 885 miles, and the signal was loud and clear. If you?d like to hear a nice MW remote SDR, you can listen to Stephen?s at kiwi sdr.ve6slp.ca:8073 <http://sdr.ve6slp.ca:8073/> Les Rayburn, N1LF, l...@highnoonfilm.com <mailto:l...@highnoonfilm.com>, used a Perseus SDR running JAGUAR software and a 20?X50? Superloop antenna fed with the Wellbrook ALA100 to hear the KQKD test in Alabama. Just for fun, I also copied it on my C CCrane Skywave SSB ultralight portable out in the front yard. Kraig Krist, kr...@kg4lac.com <mailto:kr...@kg4lac.com>, of Manassas, VA, was another East Coast DXer who managed to log the test. He had heavy QRM from CKPC, WKJV, WKJG, and an UNID Spanish station. Kraig uses a WinRadio G33DDC SDR and a Wellbrook ALA1530S + Imperium loop antenna. Kraig included several recordings, but the most impressive thing to me was the waterfall display which clearly shows the 1 kHz continuous tones. Check it out: Rob Keeney, rkeeney...@gmail.com <mailto:rkeeney...@gmail.com>, of West Union, SC, found the sweep tones cutting through the noise and the 1 kHz continuous tones. WELE, ?The Cat? from Ormand Beach, FL, provided a ton of QRM to ensure things weren?t too easy for Rob. In the end, his AirSpy HF+ Discovery and Wellbrook ALA1530LNP won the day. Excellent job, Rob. Sean Breazeal, talk2...@medievalcoinage.com <mailto:talk2...@medievalcoinage.com>, in Stansbury Park, UT was able to overcome KLPZ in Parker to hear sweep tones, Morse Code, and the 1 kHz tones too. Put on some headphones for this one, you?ll need them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbPvfQFBE4I&t=174s <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbPvfQFBE4I&t=174s> Trust science, folks. The sweep tones prove their value over and over again. SUMMARY A 500-watt signal was heard in at least four countries and coast-to-coast in North America. As hobbyists, we should all be grateful for radio station owners who are as devoted to the medium as Ron & Denise Schacht. Perhaps with some encouragement, we can arrange for another test this season. Thanks again, Ron & Denise. You?ve made a lot of folks happy with this. End of Hard-Core-DX Digest, Vol 235, Issue 5 ********************************************