SUNDAY, Oct 22, 2006 I got together with Guy down at the State Park just after dawn (he is leaving today) and we agreed that this was the poorest, least interesting of our three mornings. It turns out that we each followed almost identical DXing patterns. We were each up and DXing soon after 4:00AM, local time (1100UTC) but found the pickings so slim that we quit after 30 minutes or so and headed back to the warm covers. I noted 24 stations in audio, between 1115 and 1140 UTC, mostly at poor levels and all but the Korean FEBC stations (1188 and 1566) and 972 South Korea, were Japanese. Even some of the Big Gun Japanese were at very poor levels. So, back to bed for two hours and then a return to the dials at 1340, an hour before LSR and 90 minutes before band fade out. Things had improved a decent amount and as dawn enhancement got to full tilt, it wasn't a BAD morning... it just wasn't much good, either. The spotlight was definitely still on Japan, but there were a moderate amount of CCs and KKs in the mix.
Probably the most interesting part of the session was the reception (usually at poor levels) of most of the NHK2 synchronous channels, some of which are rather rare, even here at Grayland: 1377, 1521 1125, 1152, 1386, and 1602 in order of reception. This morning is one of the two each week that we can catch the early NHK2 sign-offs at about 1505, as the band fades out. Both PAL and my own memory is that the NHK2 stations identify as they leave the air. So, I was hoping to finally start adding some specific IDs to some of the ubiquitous "NHK2 Synchros" loggings that we list so often. Unfortunately, by the time 1500 rolled around, all the synchro channels were too low to hope to catch an ID except for 1386, so I was running a recorder there and monitoring both that frequency and 828 (the strongest of the JJ Big Guns remaining) using the Winradio 313E and my Eaton E-1. They ran the usual sign-off routine. Time Pips, Anthem and then about 2.5 minutes of "music box" tones. There was no ID of any sort on either channel. (even though the IDs were there on Monday Morning, I swear that they were missing on Sunday AM. They fall immediately after the time pips.) All NHK2s, that I could check, left the air promptly at 1305, except 828 which kept their carrier on until about 1515 (I remember that pattern from last year!) MONDAY OCT 23, 2006 With a full day of travel (to get home) facing me, I slept in until 1300 and then, very unfortunately, had to close down at 1525, 45 minutes after dawn, to have any chance of hitting the late afternoon ferry up north and getting home by early evening. Normally, there would not be a problem as the DX would have faded about 40 minutes after dawn.... leaving only a few bitter enders that I've logged many times before. As it would turn out this time, my note at closedown was "Carrier on every channel, audio on about half!" and "1575 is loudest at S-9 + 20dB!!!" My only solace was that every audio that I noted in my last sweep up the dial was an old favorite..... so maybe I didn't miss too much..... still, Patrick had a great post-dawn CC morning.... POO. Well, between 1300 and 1525, it WAS a very good morning. Not the best of the season, even, but very good. The Korean peninsula and China seemed to be favored. With CRI and CNRs all over the place.... and plenty of Koreans. I did note that the fairly new big North Korean on 873 was not doing as well as usual and had drifted off frequency enough to begin causing an audible growl hetrodyne on 873.00 Kumamoto. 4QD was in on 1548 for most of the AM, but was the only DU even hinted at in audio, including 1701+ R. Brisvaani. The 648 Russian transmitter carrying both VOA and VOR Korean language programming was doing very well after having been missing the first three AMs. I did notice Chinese over-riding the JJ big guns on 774 and 828 and, happily, finally logged CNR1 on 540, dominating the domestics near dawn. The Chinese on 828 was actually on 828.2.... rather unusual. Unlike Patrick, I had hints of Russia on several frequencies.... 1152, mixing with the NHK2s and then after they left the air and 1386, VOA from Kharborvsk at 1456 UT, mixing with NHK2 before sign-off. Finaly, I'm pretty sure that I caught an ID on NHK2 1386 at 1500...... Going to have to review the recording very carefully. So, it was a varied four days.... generally quite good, but not great. I'm particularly pleased by the one hour of DUs on Friday morning that was quite productive. I'm afraid that was my last Grayland trip of the year. We are leaving for Oklahoma in about three weeks and there is still much to accomplish here.... _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://arizona.hard-core-dx.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: [email protected]
