Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
Craig, There was a huge diference 25-30 years ago. But it may have been a peak time in the solar cycle too. I cannot remember for sure. A check of an old WRTH would probably show that. 73, Patrick Patrick Martin KGED QSL Manager ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
I wish you guys could have been at Grayland in the late 70s and early 80s. You would have moved in permanently. hi. Morning after morning of 2 KW DUs all over the dial. Amazing times. I have to wonder just what the difference in solar and other conditions were back then, or if it's entirely due to lesser interference in those days. I'd think the improvements in antennas and radios would almost negate the increased levels of current interference. Thoughts? Craig Healy Providence, RI ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
Craig, I believe it had to do with conditions. In those days, Hawaiians also blanketed the dial night after night. As far as antennas go, I had the same SW EWE in those days, I have today, except for new wire. The strong punch just is not there for the South Pacific, it was in the late 70s/early 80s. In those days, by an hour before LSS in Hawaii, I was already getting a couple of the stronger Hawaiians. The QRM factor in the NW with more stations, hasn't changed all that much from the early 80s, everyone was pretty much was NSP and there are not that many new stations to QRM the channels. Sure, there are a few changes, but not many. KOAC 550 Corvallis OR would be off at 10 PM, later 12 Midnight, but it really did not matter as KMVI Wailuku would knock KOAC right out with KMVI totally dominant night at night from LSS in Hawaii, on through the night. Again, the punch it gone. Mentioning KMVI, a friend who lived in Astoria (non DXer), would listen to LD Reynolds Top 40 countdown on KMVI with a shirt pocket portable and KMVI would be solid with little fading. He did not even realize KOAC existed! But as with anything, conditions change. But I felt in those days, the great DU DX would go on however, as it was there constantly. I was the 7th Heven I thought. I really got a bit Burnt out and it was on and on for a number of years. Another powerhouse I would hear strong was the Solomon Islands on 1026 khz (now 1035). I even corresponded with the PD there for a time, as I regularly listened to their Pidgin programming. I caught all three of their channels on MW. It has been sometime since I have heard Solomons even on their main channel of 1035. I also remember typing DXWW-West in 1981 and that was on the 8 1/2 by 14 sheet of paper, before the computer days, but typing it with 4MK 1026 MacKay, Q ( 5KW) booming in at S9+20DB night after night. This was after Solomons moved to 1035. Before they QRM'd 4MK/1ZK later on with the move it was Solomons/2ZB NZ QRM. Ah' the good ol' days. I would sure love to repeat them. 73, Patrick Patrick Martin KGED QSL Manager ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
I believe it had to do with conditions. In those days, Hawaiians also blanketed the dial night after night. As far as antennas go, I had the same SW EWE in those days, I have today, except for new wire. The strong punch just is not there for the South Pacific, it was in the late 70s/early 80s. That's quite interesting. I have to wonder what the differences in solar conditions are, or if that is entirely responsible for the change. I wonder if there is an archive on solar numbers such as is posted automatically. Then compare the numbers. If they are close, then what the heck else could change things that much? Can't be RF, as there was just about as much from AM/FM/TV in the 80's as now. Certainly not a huge difference. I gotta say that I hear a lot more noise these days. The overall noise floor has become waist high rather than a floor. Guess I should pester Google to find a solar numbers archive that goes back 30 years. Craig Healy Providence, RI ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
At 11:30 7/10/2008, you wrote: I wish you guys could have been at Grayland in the late 70s and early 80s. You would have moved in permanently. hi. Morning after morning of 2 KW DUs all over the dial. Amazing times. I have to wonder just what the difference in solar and other conditions were back then, or if it's entirely due to lesser interference in those days. I'd think the improvements in antennas and radios would almost negate the increased levels of current interference. Thoughts? Perhaps you can help answer this one, Craig. Like Patrick, I can recall some pretty incredible DU's in the 80's, and I'm nowhere near the outer coast. Using just a tuned 3 foot square unamplified loop antenna yielded catches like two stations from Western Australia (531 was only 10kw, and 50kw 558), and the Adelaide station on 729, 180 degrees away from a 50 kw station on 730 kHz less than 60 miles away across salt water. These weren't armchair, and were ID'd with parallels, but they don't happen now, and especially not with that antenna. My impression is that domestic splatter has worsened considerably since then (stations were already NSP by then). From your experience, has modulation level / splatter increased since the 80's, and if so, by how much? But propagation must have contributed also. Recent years have seen some pretty good East Asian conditions here compared with what I remember from the past, even if domestic splatter has increased. best wishes, Nick * Nick Hall-Patch Victoria, BC Canada ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
[IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
Hello Guys, John was DXing from his comfortable Room 12 at the Grayland Motel, and I was out in the windy fog at the Grayland Beach Road picnic table, but we both came up with the same conclusion-- it was by far the best DU morning we have experienced this summer. As Dennis guessed, the Aussies and Kiwis were really strong at the ocean today. John logged multiple new Aussies with his Wellbrook Array, both on his 313 and E100, and mentioned that the upper band was especially favorable. With his four optimally-spaced loop elements, John certainly had an exciting morning logging one new DU after another. But with such great conditions, the stand-alone Ultralights were really able to shine. 5AN-891 was so strong at 1225 that is was audible on every portable at the picnic table-- the 30 loopstick ICF-2010, the modified Eton E100 (more later), the 7.5 loopstick SRF-39FP prison radio, and even a stock Sony SRF-T615. This equaled John's all-time Ultralight distance record (or perhaps exceeded it very slightly, since the picnic table is about half a mile farther from Australia :) Received on the hard-core modified ICF-2010 was audio from the following DU's, with approximate carrier levels: 1141 UTC 2YA-567 (7) 1149 2YC-657 (7) 1204 2BL-702 (8) presumed 1218 3AK-1116 (7) presumed 1220 2NR-738 (9) 1225 5AN-891 (9) 1241 3LO-774 (8) Received on the modified Eton E100 were 2BL-702 (presumed) at 1205, 2NR-738 at 1221, 5AN-891 at 1226, and 3LO-774 at 1242. The sensitivity of the modified E100 was just a shade under that of the modified ICF-2010, a very pleasant surprise. Selectivity was comparable, despite the E100's AM-only mode design. The modified SRF-39FP prison radio and the stock Sony SRF-T615 both managed to receive audio from a booming 5AN-891 around 1226, but could not receive the other DU's due to modest selectivity, which allowed domestic slop to interfere. 891 is a special frequency at Grayland, with no local slop after sunrise (at least until KIXI-880 goes IBOC, hi). The newly modified Eton E100 (kind of a special project for John, Guy Atkins and me) was able to receive multiple DU's with a relatively compact 7.5 slider coil loopstick, and a premium 455 kHz narrow filter (the Murata CFJ455K5, the same narrow filter as used in the Eton E1). This filter was suggested by Guy, and has proved extremely effective in separating the 9 kHz split DX from domestic QRM. The slider-coil loopstick, an innovative offshoot of the alignment process, has made a huge difference in the E100's full-band sensitivity. When combined with a frequency-optimized Amidon 7.5 ferrite bar and 40/44 Litz wire, the various modifications combine to produce a compact, effective DXpeditioner's Dream Ultralight. John, Guy and I plan to write a series of articles on this new Monster E100... when we are not having fun with it on an ocean beach :) 73, Gary DeBock . **Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - Check out TourTracker.com! (http://www.tourtracker.com?NCID=aolmus0005000112) ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
Gary, Great going on your logs. 1116 would be most likely 4BC, as they ave a lobe this way. 73, Patrick Patrick Martin KGED QSL Manager ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
Thanks Patrick, I remember meeting in Seaside about a year ago, when you remarked that the guys at Grayland only occasionally have great conditions, while you can enjoy great conditions whenever they come up. Very true indeed-- it took me seven trips to Grayland to come up with conditions like this morning, with a DU being received on every radio in sight. We should all be as lucky as you, hi. 73, Gary **Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - Check out TourTracker.com! (http://www.tourtracker.com?NCID=aolmus0005000112) ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Outstanding DU Morning at Grayland
Gary, But you guys are a bit closer to the water than I am, and you can have a beverage to the West. Here, I am about a mile from the shore and I have to use EWE antennas to the SW/W/NW. I wish you guys could have been at Grayland in the late 70s and early 80s. You would have moved in permanently. hi. Morning after morning of 2 KW DUs all over the dial. Amazing times. But it sounds like you hit it right this week, noting the DX you reported. I should have got up this morning. But Fall is right around the corner too. 73, Patrick Patrick Martin KGED QSL Manager ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
