[HCDX] recent logs from this past week-end and week + 1 unID

[aurel chiochiu <acq@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Repport from:
4190 Edward Higgins
H8Y 3M9
Pierrefonds (Mtl's West Island), QC
Equipment:
Sanyo MCD-S830 w/ ferrite bar antenna
Sangean CST-818 connected to the encoding cable which was it's self connected to the long-wire in our interior yard

MW:

~ 525 kHz - noted yesturday (FEB 18 2350 UTC) on the low-end of the AM dial the beacon I thought was ZLS in Stella Maris, Bahamas, but it looped E/W, so apparently a domestic NDB. (Chiochiu-QC)

760 COLOMBIA,   HJAJ, RCN Cadena Basíca, Barranquilla FEB 17 0215 - w/ an interview. Good to fair, dominant w/ weaker residual and nulled WJR Detroit. SIO 444 (would had SIO 455 without the weak residual WJR !). (Chiochiu-QC)
 
890 CUBA,   CMDZ, Radio Progreso, Chambas FEB 18 0130 - ID and time-check which sounded more like "diez treinta minutos" rather than "nueve treinta minutos" (9:30 PM, UTC-4). Fair w/ residual WLS Chicago. SIO 332. (Chiochiu-QC)

SW:

15300 FRANCE,   RFI vers l'Afrique, Issoudun FEB 18 1207 - news about stormy and windy snow weather in Torino and about the bird's virus which apparently hit a duck in London. SINPO 45533 and SINPO 25222 with noises and fading around 0900 EST (1300 UTC). Local-like (SINPO 55555) today between 1155 and 1202 UTC. Surprisingly and fortunately, I found a way to connect the encoding cable which puts quite some gain on 15 MHz. (Chiochiu-QC)

Yesturday, had the pleasure to visit two friends and helped with a newly purchased Grundig radio. I explained to him on what frequencies the Sun and the D layer block signals during the day-time, what frequencies to try and I also gave to them the Real-to-Real antenna we purchased from CCrane which is much better than the Grundig antenna that came with the radio. Even though my practical knowledge of physics and mathematics is almost nil, I made schemas of how the low and high frequencies workd uirng the day-time and at night. Didn't had the Passport to World Band Radio with me, but I know from my memory we heard Africa Numéro Un 15475, RTM 15375, RFI 153000 and two other stations, Saudi Arabia and an US religious station that we tuned to. They were surprised I knew from my memory the channel of Gabon-15475. I've also got to do some breakdancing, but that's another story.

I just looked up over Google and found out Isla Margarita is at 10'31 degrees North. I don't think is it in the skip-zone of TEP. In fact, Felipe, a DXer from Chile withch loves FM DXing, heard, for exemple, 89.9 Bogotá, which is around 5 degrees North, from central Chile, so I could probably ome Brazilian, Paraguayan and southern Peruvian like Lima and Cuzco 88-108 mHz Stereo DX on the Sangean CST-818 which is the best portable FM receiver I have at this time. I talked to a friend at school, from Colombia but he know some Venezuelan stuff too, and learned on YV islands like Isla Margarita, there are less political problems. So, finally, we'll get to visit Isla Margarita. 

The time couldn't be better for TEP, since I HAVE SCHOOL ON THE FIRTST WEEK of March and it is obviously clear that the SECOND week of March, when I do have the 1-week holiday, is MUCH closer to the EQUINOX, when TEP FM DX is REALLY POSSIBLE. After a season long of MW, with some SW, I need to get a break from low-Fi DX and move to the Hi-Fi DX stuff. There is some distortion, but there is much more music on FM than on AM even in Latin America (altough the AMers are less into total news/talk format, than in US) and since double-hop Es on the FM band is VERY rare and UNLIKELY, this my best chance of hearing Latin American FM DX. An opportunity like this is hard to miss ! It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get TEP for a northerner like me. Also, since despite the relative pauverty, Latin America is MUCH prosper than Africa and Asia, digital FM and satellite may implant much faster than in, say, Mozambique which means if I get the chance to travel again between 5 and 35 degrees either side of the equator around the equinoxes in a couple of years, all the DX may be gone then.

May the good DX be with you and have a great coming week !
Bogdan Alexandru Chiochiu
"La jalousie est un grand pieux dans l'évolution spirituelle !"
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