RadioBanter - Trans-Pacific MW and Tropical Band Loggings

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In article , dxAce wrote:
mentions of Indonesia, then into presumed news, and the ocean radar
(swisher), has
faded a bit. Like a lot of stations, the voice modulation seems a bit

Is there any site/source for the current details on what Over the
Horizon Radars are running and their impact on SWL?

(Yea, we're all glad the Woodpecker is gone).

Mark Zenier Washington State resident

Steve, I congratulate you on getting RRI Fak Fak - I'm sure it doesn't come
in everyday in Holland Michigan.
Okay, I have not seen Fak Fak logged recently in the U.S. but have seen
several logs for RRI Serui, hence my comment.
Also, Guy Atkins in Puyallup, an extremely experienced DXer did not log Fak
Fak alongside his Serui log, although he was sure to have tried for it.

You have mentioned befo
I don't think the mountains have a lot to do with it.
but I beg to differ with your opinion. Here in Montagu, my QTH is surrounded
by high mountains and long distance DX comes in very rarely compared with
say a coastal site or a location on a flat plain. I'm not saying it NEVER
comes in, because, of course, my logs show that it does, but that is
occasionally. OTOH if I go on a DXpedition to the coast, then the very long
distance DX come's in everyday very easily.

It has also been written about in professional radio books and by
experienced DXers that long distance DX is very "low angle", which confirms
my own experience that high hills and/or mountains blocks out some of the
exotic long distance DX signals.

I have been on very many DXpeditions to a wide variety of locations and have
formed the opinion that better DX results are obtained if you are in a
"bowl" with its opening out towards the path of the TX site you are trying
for. This is even more enhanced at the coast if you are in a bay backed by
hills or mountains, and the mouth of the bay opens out towards your intended
target area. Magical results can be obtained under those circumstances.

Lastly, I receive more far distant DX from areas that have an open path to
my QTH, whereas getting Peru from over the Andes is a very rare occurrence.
Hence my opinion that mountains block long distance low angle DX signals.

--
John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa
South 33 d 47 m 540 s, East 20 d 07 m 541 s.
RX Drake R8B, SW8
BW XCR 30, Braun T1000, Sangean 818 & 803A.
Hallicrafters SX-100, Eddystone 940
GE circa 50's radiogram
Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro, Datong AD-270
Kiwa MW Loop

"dxAce" wrote in message
...

dxAce wrote:

John Plimmer wrote:

OTOH I received RRI Fak Fak also at 2100 utc booming in quite clear
with
excellent ID's on 4790 Khz. According to my theory Fak Fak is
located on a
large bay with its outlook pointing directly to South Africa and
mountains
behind the TX favouring reception in my area. This is also confirmed
by the
fact that the signal is so strong here that it gives the impression
that the
TX power is much more than the listed 1 Kw, but bear in mind that it
is not
received in the U.S. at all.

Why would you say Fak Fak is not received in the U.S. at all? It is
reported
here from time to time.

In fact, I believe it is them that I have here at 1200 on 4789.95 or so.

That should have been 1100.

I don't think the mountains have a lot to do with it.

dxAce

John Plimmer wrote:

Steve, I congratulate you on getting RRI Fak Fak - I'm sure it doesn't come
in everyday in Holland Michigan.
Okay, I have not seen Fak Fak logged recently in the U.S. but have seen
several logs for RRI Serui, hence my comment.
Also, Guy Atkins in Puyallup, an extremely experienced DXer did not log Fak
Fak alongside his Serui log, although he was sure to have tried for it.

I'm not sure whether Guy tried for it or not, Fak Fak was off recently it seems
for a few weeks, but it is indeed regularly receivable here.

We'll have to continue to disagree about the mountains.

dxAce
Michigan
Drake R7, R8 and R8B

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm

Hi John & dxAce,

I didn't try for Fak Fak when I logged Serui because I was concentrating on
trans-Pacific MW last week. I was just briefly checking a few of the weaker
Indonesian frequencies, like Manggarai on 2960 and Serui.

I note in my logs that I last heard Fak Fak on July 9th at a Grayland
DXpedition. Here's the log:

INDONESIA 4790, 1233-1313, RRI Fak Fak Jul 9 Soft lagu romantik tunes in
Indonesian, continuous from 1233 tune-in. Powerhouse signal level, but some
swisher QRM. No break or announcers at top of hour. Male announcer with ID
at 1310, and back into music. (Atkins-WA)

Regarding Serui's frequency, John, I've noted them on 4604.9v lately.
However, back at the end of August they were 4606.5.

In my opinion, Steve and John's reception of Serui is more impressive than
mine, given your topography and QTH, local noise sources, and antenna
limitations you may have. Although my DXing in Puyallup is in the RF
"shadow" of strong Seattle/Tacoma broadcasters, my reception is enhanced by:

-Kiwa BCB filter + extension filter for shortwave DXing (*really* helps the
RF blocking/desense from the local MW powerhouses)
-underground AC power mains for about 1/2-mile radius from here
-2 Beverage antennas, one "aimed" right at PNG/Irian Jaya
-no horizon blockage
-although I'm about 90 miles inland from the ocean, it's a mostly water path
from here to my favorite targets

Ya wanna talk tough DX targets from my location? All of Latin America (not
really a region of interest for me though) and Africa (which I'd love to
hear more often). African DX is loads of fun on morning longpath, with a
southwest Beverage antenna at the coast, around local sunrise. I've had the
strongest African signals on the morning longpath. BTW, mid-winter is best
for this.

73,

Guy

"dxAce" wrote in message
...

John Plimmer wrote:

Steve, I congratulate you on getting RRI Fak Fak - I'm sure it doesn't
come
in everyday in Holland Michigan.
Okay, I have not seen Fak Fak logged recently in the U.S. but have seen
several logs for RRI Serui, hence my comment.
Also, Guy Atkins in Puyallup, an extremely experienced DXer did not log
Fak
Fak alongside his Serui log, although he was sure to have tried for it.

I'm not sure whether Guy tried for it or not, Fak Fak was off recently it
seems
for a few weeks, but it is indeed regularly receivable here.

We'll have to continue to disagree about the mountains.

dxAce
Michigan
Drake R7, R8 and R8B

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm

Hi Guy,
You raise two points of interest.
One is that it is a fairly regular feature of S. African DXing for us to get
N. American MW stations, but it seems very difficult indeed for U.S. MW
DXer's to get the 100 Kw powerhouse omnidirectional TX's that we have here
in S. Africa in the U.S.A. Even Mark Connelly on the East coast and a
Canadian DXer up in Nova Scotia seem to have great difficulty.

The Canadian fellow achieved what for me must be the ultimate DX catch in
Nova Scotia - he claims to have got our 100 Kw R. 702. Now this TX has a
very effective antenna system beamed only to the South West, so the signal
to him could only have been long path - an astounding 17,000 miles away. If
you go just North of the 702 TX you will get BBC on 702 from Europe. Since
this path lies near Grayland, you might like to try for that when conditions
are next good???

Also, I have a good friend in France who DX's NDB beacons on LW and he has
also commented that European DXer's seem to get more N. American catches
than Americans getting Europe. Go figure.......

Second, your experience is that your best most exotic DX is caught in mid
winter. My experience down here is that the equinox - around 21st March and
21st September have given me markedly better results than any other time.
That applies both to my home QTH and various DXpeditions.

There are some other anomalies too - Although getting U.S. East coast and
Brazil here are fairly common, getting Mexico and Central America is so rare
as to be an occasion to break out a bottle of champagne if you ever get
one..... Also, even though Brazilian catches are common here, right down to
the very South of the country, Argentina, right next door, hardly ever comes
in. I really have no logical explanation for this.

best of 73's
de John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa

Ya wanna talk tough DX targets from my location? All of Latin America (not
really a region of interest for me though) and Africa (which I'd love to
hear more often). African DX is loads of fun on morning longpath, with a
southwest Beverage antenna at the coast, around local sunrise. I've had
the
strongest African signals on the morning longpath. BTW, mid-winter is best
for this.

73,

Guy

I am getting what I believe to be CODAR on two areas of the dial, centered on
these freqs.: 4546 and 4800 kHz. As I am located on Long Island, NY I expect
that these are originating from stations on the New Jersey shore.

73s
Ken Maltz
Jericho, NY
NRD-535D, NRD-220 Collins R-388, Racal RA6790/GM,
ICOM R71A, ICOM R-7100(x3), AOR AR-8000
Panasonic RF-2200, Sony ICF-7600GR,
Hoka Code3 Gold-Pro, 60' long wire, MLB balun