** U S A. KNAK reception using FM mode on 520 Khz
Glenn, I have been receiving a lot of QRM/hash centered on 520 KHz, at night. I
could tell it was voice but, very garbled. Been there for at least a week that
I know of. Heard it trying for the Bermuda NDB on 526, anticipating another BCB
DX season.
Tonight, I switched to FM mode, and I am getting good, but overdeviating, FM
reception of a station that is fading in and out from very good readability to
being just "hash".
It is a station carrying "IRN/USA Radio Network". No station ID discernible at
the bottom of the 0600Z hour; was in a fade or didn't ID.
Been hearing this for several days...but tonight is the first time I had the
idea to switch to FM --- duh! On fade downs, I can hear the INE NDB through the
programming.
My info: I have been a ham since 1966, and long time SWL, BCB and below
listener. Using an ICOM IC-756PROIII and a couple of different HF horizontal
Vee antennas for reception. Also have a 30 vertical, but reception is nil
compared to the wire antennas, needless to say.
I'm in Logandale, NV, a very rural area, with a very low noise floor and a long
way from any powerhouse AMers, and the nearby FMers are all music type
stations, none up with this "IRN/USA" stuff.
I tried going through my Palomar Engineers 4 meg up converter; no change. Any
ideas? Is this a problem with my station, or anybody else hearing this
anomalous "FM broadcast" on 520 kHz? Not receiving any AM or FM stations
currently carrying the program on "normal" channels.
[P.S.]: Breaking News! Just got an ID. It's KNAK, in Delta, Utah. ID was at
0700Z. Guess I need to call their engineers? Nominally on 540 AM, but really
putting in a good signal here on 520 FM. I can't tell you why or how, but, it
is --- TKS 73, (Don DeCaria, NF7R, Logandale, NV, 89021, 0702 UT Sept 13, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
Don, Very interesting. So are they also heard on 540 at all? If not, I guess
the transmitter is very much out of whack funxioning in FM mode 20 kHz off
(Glenn to Don, via DXLD)
Glenn, Tks for the response. They were not heard on 540 here, just usual
mishmash of stations on that channel at night, but sharp listening did not
detect them at all, only on 520 FM. Nil heard this AM in daylight, of course,
and only a southern Utah outlet on 540, as usual. 73, (Don DeCaria, 1530 UT,
ibid.)
Don, There is no other 540 in Utah; Delta is in west central Utah, about 200
miles from you NE of Las Vegas toward Mesquite close to the NV/UT/AZ border.
KNAK is 1000 watts day, supposedly only 13 watts at night, both non-direxional.
I expect that is also what you are getting in the daytime, but back on 540
(Glenn Hauser, ibid.)
KNAK 540: HS FB 2005. Sometimes stays on day power at night due to chronic xmtr
malfunctions 10/08 (Tim Hall, CA, ABDX via DXLD)
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