[HCDX] foreign LW/MW DX loggings (DEC 27 - DEC 31, 2008)

[aurel chiochiu <acq@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Warm greetings to all of you and may your best whises come true during the upcoming 2009 !

While conditions toward both the TAs and the LAs were way below average, there was 1 exception (see it below). Also, condx on LW may not be that bad, but local buzz is stronger than ever and almost unnulable using the PK's Magnetic Shield loop which is a quiet environment should be almost perfect (though the low frequency isn't quite right on 150 kHz, when I choose to apmilify the lowest frequency, France-162 along with some local buzz is boosted, but I can't say the same about 153 which is only slightly amplified, but the most important issue isn't the antenna which is almost perfect, but the ever-going buzz which is stronger than ever). On MW, I get computer-related QRM on frequency I rarely heard such as 780, even WBBM is difficult to listen to due to that.

Well into the logs (made by Bogdan Alexandru Chiochiu in Pierrefonds / Montreal, QC using the Sangean CST-818 and the PK's Magnetic LW loop along with the Sanyo MCD-S830 barefoot):

Trans-Atlantic DX:

162 FRANCE,   France Inter, Allouis DEC 30 2223 - French talk at a fair level but completly subdued by excellent-level buzz that completly disturbed anything else other than local NDBs ! (Chiochiu-QC)

171 MOROCCO,   Medi Un, Nador DEC 30 2346 - playing a wide variety of Arabic mx (traditionnal as well as Dance), jingle and apparent TOH ID in Arabic, then nx. Good signal, but difficult to listen to due to an annoying buzz. SINPO 44242 (Chiochiu-QC)

189 ICELAND,   RUV, Gufuskalar DEC 30 2346 - with an eclectic set of music, mostly jazz and man talk in Icelandic. Fair with severe noise. SINPO 35132. (Chiochiu-QC)

225 POLAND,   Raszyn DEC 30 2354 - with Slavic rock music at a very good level, above the buzz; the best LW signal this evening, surprisingly since it is very far from the Atlantic coast ! SINPO 55332 (Chiochiu-QC)

252 ALGERIA,   Alger Chaîne 3, Tipaza DEC 28 0012 - plaintive AA male vocal then unreadable FF talk, very poor and best in AM Narrow mode on 253 rather than on 252 to avoid QRM from the local "UL" beacon on 248 kHz. The buzz wasn't too much annoying above 189 kHz. SINPO 23422. (Chiochiu-QC)  

Pan-American DX

550 VENEZUELA,   Mundial YVKE, Caracas, Distrito Federal DEC 27 0130 - End of a monologue by a woman, then ID "Mundial YVKE de la mano con el pueblo" followed by a program of semi-traditionnal / semi-popular Latin American music. Among the tunes played, the last one was a number done by a Cuban "trobador" which "...ha sido reconocido en el mundo entero". Slightly under an unID jazz music domestic (the fairly weak Waterbury, VT semi-local WEVD w/ some unusual px ?) during the monologue, but very good and atop during most of the LAm mx px, then shortly after the beginning of the Cuban song, faded down and never cameback with at least a half-decent strenght. First time this season ! A nice surprise, given the awful conditions toward Latin America, even toward Cuba ! Adjacent channel ZIZ-555 unheard since at least a week, so condx toward the Caribbean are as abysmal as the ones toward northern South America (the only area of South America with reliable reception on MW at night in North America outside the primetime coastal areas such as MA, ME, NS or NF !). (Chiochiu-QC)

570 CUBA,   CMDC, Radio Reloj, Pilón DEC 30 0746 - RR code ID was able to get through WSYR Syracruse where the host was talking about the fire of Hell and of volcanoes on Coast-to-Coast AM. When intelligible audio comes from this, condx are at least decent, so they aren't even average toward Latin America yet. SINPO 41521; at least the computers are off late at night, so the high pitched growl usually on the low side of 570 wasn't audible, hence a N factor of 5 over 5. (Chiochiu-QC)

600 CUBA,   CMKV, Radio Rebelde, Urbano Norris DEC 30 0546 - w/ old-fashionned Cuban mx // SW 5025 briefly poking through WICC/CKAT/others. This used to be a pest, sometimes stronger than 670 and 710, now it sounds like rare DX. (Chiochiu-QC)

640 CUBA,   CMBC, Radio Progreso, Guanabacoa DEC 30 0514 - assuming this station from hearing it quite well during better condx with trop. LAm mx under 1 or 2 domestics. SINPO 22512 with no computer noise after midnight. (Chiochiu-QC)

670 CUBA,   CMBA, Radio Rebelde, Arroyo Arrenas DEC 29 0211 - faded up nice and clear with medium level splatter from CINF-690 while WFAN's side-band IBOC hash faded down. I sadly miss Radio Rumbos which was my first YV on MW ! I guess I'll never hear it again unless I move farther from Cuba, New York and Montreal ! (Chiochiu-QC)

750 VENEZUELA,   YVKS, Caracas, Distrito Federal DEC 29 0043 - station's promos leading to a program about sociology, an interesting topic seldom broadcasted over talkradio anywhere (if anyone has sociology features broadcasted by AVENTURE FM in Paris on 105.9 MHz - which merged into MaXXimum on the 23rd of October of 1989, pleaselet me know), but I had a guest which was more or less interested in DXing, so couldn't listen much. Rare to hear real entertaining talk over YVKS / RCR-750, as this station mainly features YV baseball such as the one noted the night before and after. With Venezuela on UTC-3.5, this one goes off at 0430 UTC. The only South American that is really reliable here during such marginal condx, often stronger than WSB. They must run 100 kW day and night ! (Chiochiu-QC)

I guess any DX is severely disturbed by noises which during Xmas and New Year's Eve, are at their peak. We should wait a few days. The first night I had my loop antenna with fresh batteries (DEC 21 / 22 UTC) was my best yet for LW and I can hardly forget it.

There are times I regret this season was seriously lacking any aurora, yet with all the computer-related noise I get on several frequencies, things could only get worse... And there are still some YVs and HJs which sign off for night, so late night DXing when channels such as 570 are clean from computer hash can be DXable isn't a CME-related option ! Yes, CME which stands for Coronal Mass Ejection...

Of course, for TA DX condx were better a few days ago, but I think the situation still can improove. In any event, the scientists are predicting a shocking solar maximum in 2012, so DXing "new" venezuelan "estados" and new cuban locals (I only count the cuban stations, not their "provincias", because they lack the local flavour the venezuelan "estados" have...) should be better come the next fall...

May the good DX bless your heart and restore your nighttime attention instead of your nighttime sleep !
Bogdan Chiochiu
Btw.: Is anyone having any airchecks of Aventure FM on 105.9 MHz in Paris back in 1988 ? It was great !
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