'This weekend, John Bryant, Guy Atkins, and myself once again convened in the Grayland, WA area for a mini-dxpedtion. Conventional wisdom states that with the longest day approaching, DXing takes a back burner to normal summer pastimes. Needless to say, this notion has been dismissed soundly in past years, when dxing has been excellent, especially to stations Down-under. John preceded Guy and me by a day, and dxed for a couple of nights at the Grayland State Park, experimenting with his portable Kaz antenna, being unable to erect a Beverage, at least on the second night. We were able to communicate via GMRS radios the night Guy and I arrived. Unfortunately (for the MW dxer), reception was lackluster at best the first night, and a bit more interesting the second night. SW to PNG, however was superb, with the best reception in a long while. The highlight for both Guy and myself was monitoring Wantok Radio Light's official inauguration on 7120 with near armchair levels at times... so much for the NVIS antenna system and 1 kw not getting out! It sure did! Vanuatu on 90 meters was another interesting logging. For the few PNGs not heard the first night, they appeared the following night. Tantalizing was a signal on both mornings on 2410. Could this be Radio Enga again? Unfortunately, unlike in past years, no audio was audible. ARDS 5050 (actually more like 5049.98) was audible only as a reasonable het both mornings. John's Kaz performed rather well compared to the Beverages, providing another alternative for the space challenged DXer, and does not depend on ground conductivity, unlike the EWE and Pennant/Flag antennae. Guy noted that this outing was a first of sorts, with the 3 of us all having spectrum display abilities...John with his WinRadio 3030e, Guy with his Icom 756Pro, and me with my 756 ProII! We mused how the hobby has changed from a simple receiver, cassette deck, and headphones, with a myriad of paper resources. Today, we are all equipped with lap tops (in my case running both the Icom, and the 7030+ with ERGO4 computer control software, and ILG databases, as well as GeoClock, and Bruce Portzer's excellent Pacific AM List, the B-Log logging program, and 2 copies of Recall-Pro fed by each of the receivers via independent sound cards! Utterly amazing, isn't it? We had the choice between 3 Beverages aimed SW, W, and NW to Asia and the Pacific. I now have some 10 or 12 hours of MP3 recordings to listen to. No more cassette tapes, or Minidiscs! When everything works, it''s simply marvellous!!! Now on to the loggings. Enjoy!........Walt Salmaniw, now safely home in Victoria, B.C.
VANUATU 7259.685, 0621-, Radio Vanuatu Jun 11 Sunset in Port Villa, with a decent signal (at least the music) but with lots of summer static crashes. Modern western music. Chatting with Guy Atkins across the table, when it just vanished at 06:25. Very weak het only. I assumed it was some local noise, but I don't think so, as 7120 PNG is coming in with audio. Still nothing at 0642, but fair audio on 3944.86 with identical format, so I'm assuming this is the same transmitter. Listened to 06:58 with mentions of Vanuatu. Port Villa mentioned at 07:06. I checked again at 0800. Rapid drums up to the TOH, then islands type music. No IS or ID on the hour. 'People of Vanuatu' heard at 0805. Transmitter appears to be drifting somewhat. 'Vanuatu government' at 0807. Frequency is 3944.86 at 0810. Radio Vanuatu ID at 08:11:55. Rapid drums, and ?conch shell, and another Radio Vanuatu ID at 08:15, and into music, and presumed ad. All at good signal strength but weak modulation. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 7120, 0634-, Wantok Radio Light Jun 11 Official opening ceremonies of the radio station. Mentions of PNG and Wantok Radio Light. Seemingly live relay of an outdoor event. Superb signal at 07:01 retune. Every bit as strong as Don Moman's fabulous recording from last week. Armchair copy, like Port Moresby's 4890 so often! I rechecked at 08:25. Easily S9+10 to 20 signals, with thanks to various individuals, so I'm wondering whether the opening ceremonies are coming to a close. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) SOLOMON ISLANDS 5019.87, 0708-, SIBS Jun 11 Nice reception except for pretty awful splatter from Cuba on 5025, but quite nicely taken care of by the 7030+ NB on wide setting. Regional news and sports. Time check for 12 minutes past (6? o'clock). In English, but then switched to Pidgin. Nice TC at 07:15. Much stronger now, as the sun sets. Still in Pidgin, with a play by play of a sports match, but no excitement in the announcer's voice! Soccer it seems. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 3905, 0821-, Radio New Ireland Jun 11 Almost armchair copy with Pidgin ad about ?bird conservation, and then singing by children, accompanied by what sounds like cans bumping along the ground. ID for Radio New Ireland heard at 08:31. Then the Golden Rules. One, two, three, four....public service announcement for something or another! Marijuana mentioned multiple times at 08:34 with ill effects on the brain. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 4960, 0840-, Catholic Radio Network Jun 11 S7 to S9 signal with church service in progress with a beautiful choir. Not at all sounding like anything indigenous, though. Lot's of static noise. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 3290, 0845-, PNG Bandscan Jun 11 S7 to S9 open carrier here at this time. Not sure whether this is a Central American, or the PNG station, Radio Central. 2410 has a weak carrier. As I recall Radio Enga hasn't been on the air for a while. Worth watching. 3205 Radio Sandaun, usually one of the strongest is absent today. 3220, Radio Morobe heard with only a fair signal at best. 3235 Radio West New Britain heard at good levels at 08:52 with S9 to S9+5 level with EZL western music. ID for Radio West New Britain at 0856. Lowish modulation for the announcer (female). // to 4890 with National news at 09:04. 3245 Radio Gulf, not on the air. 3260 Radio Madang fair to good, but lot's of atmospheric noise again. Radio Southern Highlands on 3275 is only weakly heard, again with National news relay at 0910. Open Carrier on 3290, Radio Central's frequency. 3305 Radio Western...loud carrier only. 3315, Radio Manus absent. 3325 Radio North Solomons with a political speech, mentioning Bougainville, and tok-tok. Children's choir (sounds like an anthem?). 3335 Radio East Sepik very strong. 3345 Radio Northern's frequency is occupied by the Indonesian, so can't tell. 3355, Radio Simbu is absent. Very weak carrier on 3365.1. Don't think this is Radio Milne Bay. 3375 has several stations, including one 100 Hz high. Not sure is Radio Western Highlands is among them. 3385 is the strongest on the band, with Pidgin male announcer, mentioning Radio Australia from 1985. Powerful signal. 3395 Radio Eastern Highlands not on the air. 3905 Radio New Ireland very strong. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) TAIWAN 7130, 0949-, WYFR Jun 11 Despite what ILG states, WYFR appears to be on at this time with an Asian language and religious songs. Interfered by an off frequency carrier causing a het to be heard, easilly dismissed by the Icom's notch filter. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) AUSTRALIA 1116, 10:40-, 4BC Brisbane Jun 11 Pretty dismal MW conditions thus far, with only this frequency and 846 audible on the medium waves. This was made up with the more than interesting tropical band conditions, and Wantok Radio Light's official sign-on. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) TAIWAN 7129.82, 1326-, Radio Taiwan International Jun 11 Despite ILG listing an even 7130 freq, this transmitter is off, causing a mess with cochannel ?CNR right on freq. Japanese program, with lots of mentions of 'Taiwan. Good to very good reception. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 3385, 1328-, Radio East New Britain Jun 11 A real power house with strong signals long after my sunrise. By far the strongest 90m station, but they pulled the plug within a few minutes of the logging. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 4890, 1400-, National Radio Jun 11 Sign off announcements, with frequencies and then short NA, into dead air by 14:00:45. Still very strong!. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 4960, 1402-, Catholic Radio Network Jun 11 Even a couple of hours after sunrise, this PNG is still going strong with late night instrumental music. Still a S5 to S7. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 3290, 1043-, Radio Central Jun 12 Didn't hear this one last night, but here this morning with a fine S9+ signal with American inspirational vocal. Rechecked at 11:04, when they were carrying the National news. On recheck at 11:28 they were carrying a National program (parallel to 9675). (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 3364.974, 1048-, Radio Milne Bay Jun 12 Definitely on this morning slightly off frequency, with islands music with rapidly increasing audio as I monitor to the hour. Music is decent, but the male announcer is rather muffly. Friday and Monday mentioned. English, not Pidgin at the moment. Into more music at 11:01. Signal is nice and strong, but unfortunately the announcers modulation is terrible. Still nice to hear them today, as they weren't audible yesterday. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 9675, 1119-, Radio National Jun 12 A very unusual PNG morning with very few stations on the air, and the few that weren't on the air yesterday morning are audible today. 4890 was uncharacteristically not on the air. Thanks to Guy Atkins who pointed out that they stayed on their day frequency of 9675! Stong signal except for really bad adjacent splatter from 9680 (Taiwan and the Chinese music jammer). No problem on LSB, though. Continued with a news program. Rather tinny audio, though, compared to the full rich modulation on 4890. End of the program at 11:24:50, with a 'good night'. Open carrier for almost 30 seconds before going into western modern pops. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) AUSTRALIA 2485, 1134-, ABC Northern Territory Katherine Jun 12 Annoying hum with ABC news, and then into a Sunday variety show. The feed source is different from 2310 and 2325, as they are in parallel, but Katherine is a fraction of a second ahead of 2310 and 2325. No hum on the latter 2 either, so a more pleasant listen. Much stronger signals than yesterday am. 2310 Alice Springs the strongest, followed closely by 2325 Tennant Creek. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) FIJI 639, 1159-, Radio Fiji 1 Jun 12 Great reception at our local dawn with Fijian talk ?ID at 12:00, and into some very pleasant south islands music. Parallel to 684. Thanks to Guy Atkins for clearing this one up! Good levels at times. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) NEW ZEALAND 783, 1222-, 2YB Access Radio, Wellington Jun 12 Nice local ID heard for '783 Access Radio'. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) NEW ZEALAND 1125, 1235-, Radio Sport Jun 12 Good reception with American relay with, what else, sports talk, and maybe an infomercial. Strange to hear American programming from so far away!. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) AUSTRALIA 1116, 1236-, 4BC Talk 1116, Brisbane Jun 12 'Talk 1116, Brisbane's 4BC'. Great reception at 12:51. Seems to be continually coming in with good to at times excellent signals! Frequent IDs and local ads. One of the most reliable Aussie stations in Grayland. (Salmaniw, Grayland, WA) ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- World Radio TV Handbook 2005 is coming out. Preorder yours and support open communications for DXers: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0823077942/hardcoredxcom ---[End Commercial]----------------------- ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list Hard-Core-DX@hard-core-dx.com http://dallas.hard-core-dx.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
