963 kHz and other Trans-Atlantics

[Toomas Losin]

There are reports of good Trans-Atlantic propagation today. As late as a few minutes ago I heard voice and music on 963 kHz. Earlier this evening it once faded up to clear voice for a few minutes which may have been Lithuanian; at least that's what's scheduled to be on 963 from Pori, Finland, at that time.

I'm using upper sideband to avoid CFAC 960 but I'm still getting lots of QRM, possibly from CKNW.

From the few times I've heard Trans-Atlantic signals it seems that 963 is the best bet in the Lower Mainland to hear something. This is the first time I've actually heard audio!

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Hi Everyone,
Again hope you are having a good January and New Year so far! Thanks again Toomas for the interesting dx report! I will keep that 960 something frequency in mind out in Langley when I get back out there for Trans-
Atlantic DX! Thanks for mentioning it. Well on this end I did manage for the first time in my dxing career and that goes back to about January 1967 (at least when I sent my first dx report to a station namely KSL and was thrilled to get a nice QSL Card back a few weeks or days later!!!) to receive my First South American Am radio station on the mediumwave band! Yep it happened here in the Cobourg, Ontario area with a brand new Grundig Radio I got for christmas from my nephew. Its a Grundig 450 and it sure pulls the stations in and has very nice quality sound too plus output jacks for recording. It covers the entire AM broadcast band, FM and all Shortwave Bands. Its the new updated version of the Grundig 350 that The Source sold for quite a few years and I have two of them out in Langley. They work well but I must say the Grundig 450 seems to be much better and more sensitive with even better selectivity. Its available at The Source across Canada. Interesting though that my TRF 655 AM Portable (Realistic) that Radio Shack used to sell in the late 70s is even a bit more sensitive than the new Grundig 450 I just got. The Realistic TRF 655 was an AM only Portable for the mediumwave band but it sure pulls the stations in. Jim Ve7rox and several other Vancouver dxers think its better than the C.Crane full size one they have. I have about 4 or 5 TRFs in Langley and out here in the Cobourg area of Ontario.

Anyway getting back to my dx catch it was Christmas Night, December 25th, 2012 just after we had christmas dinner here, I tuned to 750 khz. AM. Usually WSB 750 Atlanta, Georgia is the dominant night-time station in Toronto and Cobourg area. However here was this strong spanish station coming in and I heard mention of Caracas and Venezuela etc.... I could not believe it, it was Radio Caracas on 750 khz., then I looked it up in my 2012 World Radio TV Handbook directory! Wow they operate at 100,000 watts whereas WSB is only 50,000 watts. Still I consider it a great dx catch considering Atlanta is a lot closer to Cobourg than Caracas.
My sister spent some time in Venezuela with the ballet company there in the early 1980s and was amazed to hear a station on the AM Band from there right in the kitchen upstairs with a few noisy appliances operating! The station came in well, you could barely detect WSB which was was below them in the dx mud so to speak! Was listening to them for about an hour with only the odd fadeout. I should have taped them but with Christmas Day activities and all I did not have the cassette recorders handy. Anyway have tried for them since and just get WSB 750 at night, will keep trying till I have to leave and head back out to Langley. I might even try for them out in Langley however Portland, Oregon is fairly strong at night on 750 out there with their sports format. So Radio Caracas 750 is my first South American dx catch on the AM Broadcast Band and was very pleased to get it on my new DX radio on Christmas night, thats a nice christmas bonus! Oh by the way it came in very well on the Realistic TRF 655 here too. I also think I had 530 Turks and Caicos Island broadcasting from the Carribean a couple of mornings about 5 AM but have to listen more closely to verify that. If I hear Caracas again I definitely will be taping it.

Best of Dx to all in 2013, take care, really appreciate your reports Toomas keep them coming, very interesting stuff! 73s Eldon

[jon]

I'm really impressed with your 750 catch, Eldon. Just checked and an IRCA DX'er in Newfoundland heard them on December 6th.

[Toomas Losin]

Eldon, congrats on Venezuela. That's a great Christmas DX story. Latin and South American DX is one of my interests but I had to make a choice when I put up the Pennant Antenna and pointed it away from the US towards Japan for Trans-Pacifics. The antenna's null points at Colorado which is in the same direction as Venezuela. One day I'll reverse the direction but, you're right, 750 in Portland would be a pest unless conditions were right.

Tonight I've been hearing music and talk on 963 but not at a good level. I'll know for sure once I've reviewed the recording — it's been running all day.

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Hi Everyone,
Thanks Jon and Toomas for the positive comments. Yes I was very pleased at hearing Venezuela on 750 khz. Maybe I can do it again. I was not using the loop antenna to hear it either. Reception came in well on the new Grundig 450 and the TRF 655 AM Realistic radio. I did not try it on the other radios I have here such as the Superadio Two or the C.Crane Radio. Anyway the Cobourg area seems to be a pretty good dx location in Ontario. The two semi-locals are CKDO 1580 Oshawa and CJBQ 800 Belleville, Ontario however at night CKDO 1580 seems to be the strongest. Now if I could only hear them in Langley when I get back out there. I know you have heard them in Edmonton Jon and that is a good dx catch too! I still want to try for Turks and Caicos Islands on 530 for a definite station Id. as I think I got them two mornings this month around 5 AM Eastern Time. I know Mark Connelly from Massachusetts gets them on the coast in the afternoon but he has some fantastic antennas and receivers. He mentioned it on the Medium Wave Circle Facebook page and I found that interesting. By the way Jon I rejoined IRCA finally but getting DX Monitor Online now. Kind of miss getting the printed bulletin by postal mail but this way its faster, ha!!! New way of doing it for me. I am happy to be a member again!!! Good to see some familiar faces still hanging in there dxing too!!!

All the best to you for 2013, hope dx conditions continue to be interesting for you this winter!!!

73s Eldon

[Toomas Losin]

There are excellent moments of reception on 963 kHz tonight.

[Toomas Losin]

Whoops, sorry, I didn't realize the transmission on 963 was about to end. At the top of the hour there was crashing QRM from CFAC 960 as they aired some well-modulated music which blew away anything on 963. Afterwards there was silence.