[HCDX] Grayland DXpedition 11-12 November

[Bruce Portzer <bportzer@xxxxxxxx>]

Last weekend, November 11-12, Chuck Hutton and I made another DX pilgrimage to Grayland. 
This time, we put up two terminated Beverages, a 700 foot aimed west, and a 900 foot aimed
at about 220 degrees.  The results were rather interesting, especially with the intense
solar storm a few days earlier.  The solar activity was apparently still having an effect,
because medium wave stations from Asia were missing in action, nowhere to be found,
completely absent, and just plain not there.  Not even a hint of a het or carrier from any
of them. The only high latitude station we heard was KBBI-890, which was in for a few
minutes around sunrise 11/11.

Down Under DX, on the other hand, was nothing short of amazing.  Plenty of Aussies were
in, as well as many Pacific Islanders and Zedders.  I had unusually good luck with
stations 1 or 2 kHz removed from strong domestics, like 2QN-1521, National Radio-819/981,
2NZ-1188, NZ-909, unid Aussies on 1071 & 981, etc.   4BC-1116 was astounding at times,
possibly the strongest DU of the trip, usually rivaling the 50 kw ABC stations.  I added
one new country, Micronesia-1503.  Overall, this was one of the best Down Under sessions
I've had in 20 years of Beverage expeditions.  I also did a bit of SW listening when the
MW wasn't in, see the end of the listing.

We had several interesting unids, which I'm hoping some Aussie Dxers can help us with. 
The most mysterious ones are summarized here.  See further down for more details.
1017/1071 - two stations in parallel with soft-rock oldies, at the top of the hour they
ran 6 pips and a woman saying "Today's Easy Hits" or something phonetically similar.  Hrd
the same ToH thing on 2PM-531 if that helps.
1386 - Pacific Island programming at various times.  Could be Solomons, but was heard
w/what could pass for locally-produced programs long after 1035/5020 went into their
BBC-WS relay.  
981 - Southern Cross Network //4BC-1116, obviously 2NM or 3HA, but please don't anyone say
both!
1314/1341 - Two stations in Parallel w/talk.  I would think it was Racing Radio, but the
parent station on 1017 was either inaudible or was the one w/the lame oldies format (see
above)
1215/1287 - Two stations briefly // with a pop vocal
1179 - the rock music station we heard in September was in again, with one announcement in
something other than English.

531	AUSTRALIA, Port Macquairie, 2PM, 11/12 1258 fair w/EZL music, local ads, 6 pips &
"Today's Easy Hits" (?) slogan by woman at 1300, also see 1017/1071.
550	HAWAII, Wailuku, KMVI, 1229 11/12 & other times, loud w/ESPN sports talk, no ID but
format and conditions leave little doubt
558	FIJI, Naulu, R Fiji 1, 1453 11/11 fair-poor w/island music //1152.  Loud w/island mx
1314 11/12.
567	NEW ZEALAND, Wellington, 0958 11/12 talk //756 fair-poor
590	HAWAII, Honolulu, KSSK, 0922 11/11 local-like with light rock, "Hawaii's best mix of
yesterday & today, 92.3 KSSK"
594	AUSTRALIA, Horsham, 3WV fair w/Aussie talk w/splatter from domestics
620	HAWAII, Hilo, KIPA, 1338 11/12 monster 20db/S9 signal w/oldies, "620&790, it's Rainbow
Radio" ID
650	HAWAII, Honolulu, KHNR, 1124 11/12 local news/wx "AM 650 Hawaii's News Radio" ID
mixing w/mainland stns
666	NEW CALENDONIA, Noumea, 1425 11/11 good w/woman in French //Tahiti-738
670	HAWAII, Hilo, KPUA, 0520 11/11 ads, "67 AM KPUA" ID, Univ of Hawaii football game
702	AUSTRALIA, Sydney, 1231 11/12 Aussie Talk good w/heavy KIRO-710/CBU-690 splatter
720	HAWAII, Eleele, KUAI, 1230 11/11, KUAI ID by woman u/KDWN, then Fleetwood Mac song. 
Dominant w/KDWN off 1113 11/12 w/mix of pop/cw/Hawaiian mx
729	AUSTRALIA, Adelaide, 5RN, 1234 11/11 ABC news, Radio National ID, into country music
program, fair w/CJNW-730 QRM
738	FRENCH POLYNESIA, Papeete, 0523 11/11, island music good with KCBS-740 splatter,
French talk good 1007.  11/12 already in w/FF talk 0506, fair-strong at several rechecks
747	AUSTRALIA, Towoomba, 4QS, 1313 11/12 fair w/jazz //774
756	NEW ZEALAND, Auckland, 1YA, 11/12 1001 strong w/news & weather, then jazz piano.  1100
11/12 time pips & RNZ news good.
765	UNID, 1040 11/12 what sounded like rap music in non-EE briefly, then lost
774	AUSTRALIA, Melbourne, 3LO, 1240 11/11 talk pgm good.  11/12 1235 good w/discussion. 
Loud w/talk 1356 11/12
774	AUSTRALIA, Townsville, 4TO, 1044 11/12 pop mx, ads, "The best songs of all times?.4TO"
ID, fair, soon lost in 770/780 splatter
792	AUSTRALIA, Brisbane, 4RN, strong 1241 11/11 w/talk pgm 
819	NEW ZEALAND, Rotorua, 1YZ, 1343 11/12 briefly good //756 w/inst mx & female operatic
in heavy KGNW-820 splatter
850	HAWAII, Hilo, KHLO, 0537 11/12 strong w/Filipino program, ad for business next to
Hawaii Community College
870	HAWAII, Honolulu, KAIM, monster signal both nights w/religion, ID "The Right Choice
Every Time, KAIM" 1129 11/12.
890	ALASKA, Homer, KBBI 1520 11/11 fair-good w/Weekend Edition program, the only northern
path DX catch of the night, strong het from 5AN-891.  Not hrd 11/12.
891	AUSTRALIA, Adelaide, 5AN 1518 11/11 Aussie talk, still good.  1531 11/12 good w/ABC
news, brief mx 1540, then went into coverage of plane crash in New York, alternating
between CNN feed and local announcers which continued until after they faded out around
1615.
900	HAWAII, Maui, KNUI, 1356 11/12 strong w/local ad into Hawaiian song
909	NEW ZEALAND, Napier, Southern Star, 1113 11/12 lite music //657, briefly good then
gone
927	AUSTRALIA, Gladstone, 4CC at various times 1010-1500 11/11, 70's rock songs, finally
hrd 4-double-C ID 1506
936	AUSTRALIA, Brisbane, 1233 11/11, Newsradio ID good.  11/12 didn't appear until 1440
w/BBC coverage of US plane crash //SIBC-5020.  Still there 1607 but no longer relaying
BBC, gone by 1610.
981	UNID, 1248 11/11 DU talk poor in 980 splatter, 6 pips 1300 weakly, then talk too poor
to decipher
981	NEW ZEALAND, Kaikohe, 1YE, 1340 11/12 piano & female operatic //756/819 poor
w/horrific 980 splatter
981	AUSTRALIA, unid, 1502 11/12 fair in 980 splatter w/Southern Cross Network nx, 1504
went into network coverage of American Airlines crash in NYC //4BC-1116. Either 2NM or
3HA, which one carries this network?
990	HAWAII, Honolulu, KHBZ (tentative) 1238 11/12 investment ads & business nx atop freq,
no ID but format & conditions match
1017	AUSTRALIA, unid 1300 11/11 good w/70's soft rock, 6 pips at ToH, then woman said
"Today's Easy Hits" or something phonetically similar //1071, both in well at times
w/nonstop music, only break noted was 1321 when man talked about the songs he'd played. 
Again 1400 11/11 w/weak ad, 6 pips, & same slogan.  Had same thing or similar on 2PM-531. 
1017	TONGA, Nuku'alofa, 0935 11/12 very good w/island vocals, soft voiced woman DJ
1026	UNID, 1202 11/12 nx w/NZ accent into EZL mx dominant, low growl noted here most of
the night as though someone slightly off freq.
1035	SOLOMON ISLANDS, Honiara, 1029 11/11 fair w/talk //5020.  Good w/discussion about
local elections //5020 1020 11/12, s/off strong w/anthem 1100, then BBC relay the rest of
the night w/good signal o/2ZB.
1062	AUSTRALIA, Renmark, 5MV, 1531, woman w/nx weak & fading fast, seemed //5AN-891, weak
mx in background probably 4TI
1071	AUSTRALIA, unid, 11/11 1300-1400 70's pop songs //1017 (see 1017 for more details),
good-nil in 1070 splatter  
1098	MARSHALL ISLANDS, Majuro, 0958 11/11 loud with woman in island language.  Good
w/country music song 1107 11/12.
1107	AUSTRALIA, Sydney, 2EA, (tentative) 1048/1152 11/11 good w/talk in unid language. 
Good w/BBC nx 1201 11/12 o/unid.  BBC nx //SIBC-5020 1523 11/12
1116	AUSTRALIA, Brisbane, 4BC, very good 1122 11/11 w/ads 4BC ID & telephone talk, also
1250 w/ID, ads, "Psychic Encounters" talk pgm.  Spectacular signal 1150 11/12 & other
times w/telephone talk, possibly the strongest Aussie of the night!  Still good w/coverage
of US plane crash 1524 11/12 & promo for pgm "on Brisbane's 4BC".
1125	UNID, telephone talk 1253 11/11, NOT//1332
1134	AUSTRALIA, unid, 1405 11/11 telephone talk //1143, may have been //1206 but not sure,
probably 2AD-1134/2HD-1143
1152	FIJI, Rakiraki, R Fiji1 1255 11/11 island music good, loud 1419.  Loud all night
11/12
1179	UNID, 1452 11/12 briefly good w/rock music & man in unid language
1188	AUSTRALIA, Inverell, 2NZ, 1128 11/11 presumed the one w/teletalk //1206, then ads,
broke for James Taylor's "Candy Man" 1134, fair-nil in KEX-1190 splatter.  Quite good w/nx
report on plane crash in New York //1206 1511 11/12.
1206	AUSTRALIA, Grafton, 2GF, 1128+ 11/11 2SM network teletalk, good at times, used it to
check other freqs for //s.  Often good w/teletalk 1105-1500+ 11/12.
1215	UNID, 1353 11/11 female vocal //1287, not sure if Aussie or NZ.  Nothing seems to
fit.
1215	UNID, 1411 11/12 briefly good w/pop music, & possible "------ hits" ID or slogan. 
Gone by 1413
1251	UNID, 1138 11/12 music not //1206 briefly hrd, also briefly hrd 1448, NZ or 2DU?
1269	AUSTRALIA, Sydney, 2SM, 1134 11/11 poor in 1270 splatter, IDed by checking 1206 etc
for //
1270	HAWAII, Honolulu, KNDI, 1501 11/11, dominant w/ID "KNDI Honolulu, the Broadcast House
of the Pacific", best signal ever for them
1278	UNID, telephone talk fair 1119 11/11 & 1444 11/12.  Coverage of American Airlines
crash not //1206 1514 11/12, then gone 1515.
1287	AUSTRALIA, Tamworth, 2TM, 1120 11/11 good-nil w/70s rock song "1287 2TM" ID, into
Abbott & Costello routine, mixing w/another station, probably NZ.  Also 1139 w/James
Taylor song //other 2SM network stns
1296	NEW ZEALAND, Hamilton, 1ZH, 0928 11/12 teletalk //1035 briefly good, the lost in
splatter
1314	AUSTRALIA, unid, either 3BT or 2ZW 1209 sports news fair-nil, couldn't find // on 927
or 1017
1332	NEW ZEALAND, Auckland, R Sport, 1216+ 11/11, ads, Radio Sport ID, telephone talk,
good.  Mixing w/unid 70s rock (probably 4BU) good-fair at several rechecks.  Also 11/12
1147 & other times w/sportstalk
1332	AUSTRALIA, Bundaberg, 4BU probably the one battling NZ various times 11/11 & 11/12
w/oldies & Aussie DJ, never hrd ID
1341	AUSTRALIA, Newcastle??, 1257 11/11 Aussie talk //1314 fair-poor, Possibly Racing
Radio, but wasn't //1017
1380	HAWAII, Pearl City, KIFO, 1201 11/11 light jazz atop, Chuck hrd ID a minute earlier
1386	UNID, 1303 11/11 fair w/talk & singing in island language, still there 1414 w/island
music.  Also 1024 & 1206 11/12 w/island language.  Possibly SIBC but wasn't
//SIBC-1035/5020 & was hrd after SIBC went into BBC relay.  Maybe NZ but they're
supposedly all Hindi.  
1413	AUSTRALIA, Newcastle, 2EA, 0950 11/11 telephone talk in Chinese, talk in
Russian-sounding lang (listed as Czech on their website) 1103, woman in Asian lang 1222,
BBC news in EE 1302
1422	AUSTRALIA, Melbourne (very tentative) 11/11 1029 Greek music briefly audible, then
lost in 1420 splatter
1467	FIJI, Rakiraki, R Fiji 2, 0936 11/11 loud with Hindi program.  Also loud at several
times 11/12
1503	MICRONESIA, Kosrae, V6AJ, 0952 11/11 island music (sounded religious) with no
announcements between songs good-nil in KGA-1510 splatter, best on western wire, woman in
island language 1043-1047, more island music to 1055, then same woman w/apparent s/off in
EE, seemed to mention V6AJ, then anmt in island language & song (anthem?), gone after
1100.  Again 11/12 0938 w/upbeat island vocals, male ancr, good at times but usually lost
in domestic splatter, seemed to s/off in island language 1101, then anthem(?).  Confirmed
it was them by calling station a couple days later and describing what I heard.  Ex-1584,
still listed there in WRTH.  New country.
1503	NEW ZEALAND, Radio Sport, 1202 11/11 fair-poor w/sportstalk //1332
1512	AUSTRALIA, Newcastle, 2NA, 0932 11/11 Aussie EE & what sounded like Aboriginal
chanting good
1521	AUSTRALIA, Deniliquin, 2QN, 11/11 1104 weak-fair in KKSN-1520 splatter w/news in
English, ID as "1521 2QN" then woman w/weather, into Michael Jackson song, then lost when
1520 went back into music
1540	HAWAII, Honolulu, KREA, 0931 11/11 Korean talk atop KXPA
1548	AUSTRALIA, Emerald, 4QD, 0927 11/11 already in with sporting event, good
1557	AUSTRALIA, unid teletalk, 1019 11/11, probably 2RE
1566	AUSTRALIA, 1022 & 1223 11/11, oldies, probably 3NE
1593	UNID, 1225 11/11 several hundred Hz het between 2 stns, neither was audible except
for brief bits of music.  Paul Ormandy says R Samoa in NZ is off-freq here.
2310	AUSTRALIA, 1325 11/12 fair-good //2485/2325, man interviewing women
2325	AUSTRALIA, 1325 11/12 good w/interview //2310/2485
2485	AUSTRALIA, fair-poor w/Aussie woman 1323 11/12
3250	NORTH KOREA, 1328 11/12 woman in Korean, fair signal but shallow modulation
3280	UNID, Chinese music good 1329 11/12, Voice of Pujiang listed.
3320	NORTH KOREA, 1330 11/12 good w/woman in KK, either //3250 or similar program
(couldn't decide)
4000	CHINA, 1539 11/11 Chinese talk good, Nei Menggu listed
4460	UNID, Asian talk 1537 11/11 fair u/RTTY QRM
4820	INDIA, Calcutta, 1528 11/11 talk in unid language, the 6 pips and news in English,
best of the 60 meter Indians, weaker parallels noted on 4775 4800 4880 4895 4970 4990
4850	CHINA, strong 1555 11/11 Chinese talk, 5&1 time pips 1600, anthem, then woman w/ZRGD
ID & apparent s/off anmt, carrier cut 1603
4890	PNG, strong much of the night 11/12, noted w/Fundamentalist Preacher 1352 11/12, left
carrier on after 1400 s/off
4915	BRAZIL, 0152 11/12 many ads, woman DJ, R Anhaguera ID, suddenly off 0202 (matches
listed s/off)
4919	ECUADOR, SS talk & R Quito ID 0240 11/12
4965	ZAMBIA, 0228 11/12, vocal mx, "Radio Christian Voice" ID fair-good
4985	BRAZIL, 0143 11/12 good-fair w/Portuguese version of "California Dreaming", 0146 ads
& "Brazil Central" ID
5020	SOLOMON ISLANDS, Honiara, 11/12 strong the entire night, noted 1020+ w/interested pgm
about upcoming election, apparent interviews w/politicians, one talked about leading the
country out of its "dark period", Signoff with Anthem 1103, then relayed BBC-WS the rest
of the night.
6010	MEXICO, 0515 11/11 Radio Mil ID & SS covers of pop standards like "Unchain my Heart"
8700	AFGHANISTAN (non), 0237 11/12 Information Radio in USB fair-good w/talk &
subcontinent music
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