Alaskan and Asian openings

[Toomas Losin]

The ionosphere is becoming interesting again. The path to Alaska has had a few openings in the last two days. KTKN Ketchikan on 930 has made some appearances but I haven't heard KICY Nome recently. SQM 529 on Level Island has shown up but I didn't hear the beacon ID, just the voice weather forecasts. There were a few carriers on 530; maybe TIS stations that never make it to audible levels?

It being a weekend I stayed up late to catch sunset in Japan and parts further west. Saturday evening began with hets on 774, 747, 828, and others, progressing to audio on 774 and 828, and maybe others but by then I was asleep. Korea on 1566 made a good appearance too when I woke up once and looked for it. It seemed to be an asian night as I didn't hear hets on the South Pacific frequencies other than 891, which was being smothered by CJDC Dawson Creek.

It's fascinating to listen to the eikaiwa programs on 774 et al. As a native English speaker I find the material totally inane (entertainingly so!) but I suppose it must help to learn the language. Does it work in both directions? Can English speakers learn Japanese from these programs?

[jon]

Given how the "Great Circle Route" works, most of those signals you heard would be passing through the Arctic. So, it might be worth a look perhaps half an hour before Vancouver sunset this afternoon for Polar signals from Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, maybe even Africa. Bruce Portzer in Seattle heard his first Europe and Africa signals just about this time of year in 1971.

[Toomas Losin]

I've tried to hear Europe a few times without success. If the signals are very low-angle it could be that the North Shore mountains are in the way. The greyline will pass through India where they have that new megawatt transmitter on 1071. If its on the air at that time and the signal can make it over the mountains it'll be interesting to see if it can be heard under CFAX Victoria.

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Hi Everyone,
Glad to see you are keeping close ears to the dial this fall Toomas. Good catches, I hope you can hear some sign of that million watt India station on 1071khz. That would be a great dx catch if you can hear it! My good friend and veteran dxer Pat Martin in the Seaside, Oregon area heard several South Asian stations on the Oregon coast several years ago and has them verified. I believe there was at least one from India. All on the Am broadcast band, he is primarily an AM mediumwave dxer although he does some FM Dxing too. I have photocopies he sent me not too long ago of some of his foreign verifications including India, will have to see what frequency he got it on. Pat is a member of IRCA and was an editor of the worldwide dx column, I think he may still be.

Anyhow its great to see your postings Toomas and keep up the great dxing out of the Vancouver area. I find it most interesting to follow. Out here in Ontario I haven't been able to check the dials much the last 4 or 5 days, might try some sunrise dxing this morning. A radio friend from the States is coming up to Cobourg this Thursday and staying overnight so might try some dxing Thursday night here. Also thought I would mention that I took a couple portable radios into Toronto on Tuesday afternoon and evening, was helping my sister with her house on Condor Avenue there (near Jones and Danforth in East York) that she just sold. I was absolutely amazed at how quiet the radio dial was in that residential area of Toronto, hardly any noise or tvi, computer noise etc.. Its mostly single detached brick homes fairly close along Condor Avenue with lots of trees lining the street. Had most of the Buffalo New York stations coming in well on my Grundig Portable and was surprised how well 1 Kilowatt Daytimer WUFO 1080 Buffalo came in there. Also the expanded band stations all come in well including CHHA 1610 Toronto with Spanish Format, very lively afternoon Latin music!!! They are much weaker 60 miles east in the Cobourg area in the daytime. In East York Condor Avenue area they blast in!!! For some reason CKDO 1580 Oshawa with oldies was much weaker than expected there, being on the east side of Toronto I would have thought they would be stronger. Another station that was amazing in signal strength was 1230 Cheektowaga, New York near Buffalo with what seemed like an oldies format. Also WHLD 1270 Niagara Falls, N.Y. with that Nostalgia MOR/Big Band format was quite strong as well as CJRN 710 Niagara Falls, Ontario with the tourist info. and history format. Again very little static in the attic or interference across the entire AM Broadcast Band in that neighborhood of Toronto both in the house and out on the sidewalk. We had to move some of the display furniture to a storage park in Pickering, Ontario just east of Toronto right near the Go Train Station there. Again it was amazing how quiet the AM Dial was, more noise there than on Condor Avenue in Toronto but relatively good in the afternoon considering it was a light industrial area with the Go Train Station next door!!! Again WUFO 1080 Buffalo came in with quite a good signal and very listenable. Anyway thought I would pass a few comments on about reception in and near parts of Toronto.

Take care everyone, keep up the great dxing Toomas!

73s Eldon

[Toomas Losin]

India on 1566 or 1071 didn't produce even a hint of carrier. I believe 1071 is directing its signal northwest, which is good for Europe but not for us. Not sure about 1566, as it's in central India where it makes sense for it to be non-directional.

Later I heard KSWB on 840 and also heard an excellent legal ID from CKBX 840 100 Mile House as consolation. Conditions seemed to be east-west last night. There was music beneath KGAL on 1580 which was likely from CKDO. There was voice on 1610 but not intelligible. Alaska was not favoured.

Sunset in Japan started letting their signals get out but I only heard weak carriers when hunting in SSB mode. This morning I checked around 06:00 PDT and, while Japan showed up on 774 and Korea on 1566, neither were particularly good. Nothing from VOA Thailand on 1575, not even a carrier.

[jon]

CKDO in Oshawa is pretty easy to ID from music, especially before 9pm Pacific, as they play 30% CanCon Oldies, but none after 9pm. Because 9pm is midnight Eastern after which the CRTC does not enforce CanCon.