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British DX Club

Sheigra (Scotland) DXpedition Reports

13-26 November 1999

With Alan Pennington, Dave Kenny & Duncan Stanworth

Introduction

Perhaps we were spoilt in previous years by being able to lie-in and still get superb Trans-Atlantic DX after breakfast as late as 1200 UTC, but this time it was not to be... Although the ionosphere seemed to remain generally settled throughout our two weeks, conditions were probably what could be described as "average" for periods of solar maximum. Reception was typified by mostly very weak signals from the Americas - both north and south, and particularly early fadeouts for Sheigra - apart from one day, everything was gone by 0900. Those Trans-Atlantic signals we did manage to identify (mostly east coast - though with a few further afield) were often prized out of heavy splatter and right down in the noise - not the armchair signals we have come to expect at Sheigra!

Overall, reception varied little from day to day, typically with a few weak Trans Atlantic signals fading in from about 2200, remaining that way overnight and all fading out abruptly around 0900. The rest of the time it was mostly European and Middle Eastern signals audible after dark, with India and Thailand also making an occasional appearance. There were one or two nice surprises though, with some good openings to the Middle East and some nice signals from Latin America on occasions which kept Alan up all night on the last day! It was interesting too to note the number of Iranian MW channels audible - including several which were unlisted in the 1999 WRTH (there have been many new high-power MW transmitters inaugurated in Iran in the past couple of years).

Another highlight of the second week was a positive logging of a Haitian station - Radio Tet Ansamn - on 980 kHz. Haiti is an extremely rare catch in Europe due to very low powers used there on MW. Our research has revealed that Radio Tet Ansamn has been on the air for several years, although it is not listed in the 1999 WRTH.

Apart from some periods of strong winds, the weather was mostly kind to us until the last day when severe gales hit NW Scotland. Dismantling the aerials became really hazardous on the steep hills above the cottage - it was almost impossible to stand upright in the howling winds. To make things worse we were caught out in a hailstorm on one of the hilltops, during which a sudden bolt of lightening hit nearby. The shock was felt right through the aerial wire Dave was winding in knocking him to the ground! Despite the winds - and the presence of many sheep in virtually all the fields our aerials passed through, reinforcements we had made by adding more canes to support the aerials paid dividends and we suffered no breaks whatsoever in the aerial wires this year - a first for us. All in all it was a most enjoyable fortnight, with plenty of good walks and fresh air, plus some reasonable if not spectacular DX.

Receivers

Dave Kenny - Lowe HF225 Europa and home-brew tuneable pre-amp
Alan Pennington - AOR 7030 Plus and Palstar AA30 active aerial tuner
Duncan Stanworth - Racal RA1792

Aerials

(All long-wire beverages using 7-strand 0.2mm wire supported on 4-5ft bamboo canes)

270 degrees: 450m terminated Caribbean and eastern North America
305 degrees: 550m terminated General North America
325 degrees: 650m terminated Alaska, Greenland, western Canada
050 degrees: 500m terminated Far East, central and south Asia

Day-by-Day Summary of Reception

13-15/11: Absolutely dreadful on MW - just a few weak Latin Americans. SW Tropical bands much better.
16/11: Morning and evening still very poor, but actually managed to log our first North American!
17/11: Definite improvement with Manitoba morning then good Asian afternoon. Poor evening.
18-20/11: Mostly Latin Americans with a few weak East Coast North Americans.
21/11: Good North American signals until about 1100 - the only day Trans Atlantics heard after 0900!
22/11: Morning: A few weak signals. Evening: notably good Middle Eastern reception plus a few Caribbeans.
23/11: All MW and SW signals very weak and fluttery in morning. Good Asian signals again in evening.
24/11: As above, plus early fadeout before 0900. Fair evening all round - Asia and N America.
25/11: A few weak North Americans including BC and MN in Morning. Lively Latin Americans in evening.
26/11: Excellent signals from southern Latin America in early morning, especially Argentina and Paraguay.

The Logs

North America

560 0809 25/11 CHVO Carbonear NF VOCM ID, promotions // 590
570 0927 16/11 KNR Nuuk, Greenland Music box interval signal // 650, 900
580 0802 25/11 CFJX Antigonish NF "Overnight on AM 58, FM 98.9 CJFX"
590 2350 16/11 VOCM St Johns NF VOCM 5 day forecast
620 0050 22/11 CKCM Grand Falls NF VOCM ID, phone in // 590
640 2246 19/11 CBN St Johns NF CBC nx
650 0900 14/11 KNR Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland Talk in Greenlandic, church bells
650 0812 25/11 CKGA Gander NF VOCM 5 day weather // 590
660 0745 23/11 WFAN New York NY "Sports radio 66, WFAN New York"
660 0750 23/11 CCFR Calgary AB ID "66 CFR", ads for Calgary
710 2220 19/11 CKVO Clarenville NF "VOCM million dollar mix"
720 0755 25/11 CHTN Charlottetown PEI "Good Time Oldies, 720 CHTN"
740 0842 21/11 CHCM Marystown NF VOCM relay // 590
750 0905 24/11 CBGY Bonavista Bay NF CBC relay // 1400
780 0815 18/11 CFDR Dartmouth NS "Classic country 780 K" C&W mx
790 0810 21/11 WAXY South Miami FL Talkline Jewish prog from New York, ID
800 2225 19/11 VOWR St Johns NF MoR mx, ID @ 2231
890 0950 22/11 CJDC Dawson Creek BC country rock, ID
900 0925 16/11 KNR Uummannaq, Greenland Music box interval signal // 650, 570
920 0900 17/11 CFRY Portage La Prairie MB Nx, local ID, wx 0903
920 0810 18/11 CJCH Halifax NS Art Bell px "Talk Radio 920 CJCH"
930 0753 18/11 CJYQ St Johns NF "Q93 weather"
950 0817 21/11 CHER Sydney NS Oldies 950, Cher
960 0855 20/11 CHNS Halifax NS "Oldies 96" ID
970 0855 21/11 CBZ Fredricton NB CBC overnight relay of Deutsche Welle
1000 0755 21/11 CKBW Bridgwater NS "CKBW" ID, NX, WX, c&w mx
1010 0052 24/11 WINS New York NY "New York’s weather station 10-10 Wins"
1020 0832 21/11 KDKA Pittsburgh PA "KDKA AM 1020"
1030 0902 21/11 WBZ Boston MA WBZ news, traffic
1070 0910 20/11 CBA Moncton NB Overnight relay of R Australia
1100 0824 25/11 WTAM Cleveland OH "News radio WTAM eleven hundred"
1130 0836 16/11 KFAN Minneapolis MN "Viking Country, AM 1130 KFAN"
1130 0844 24/11 CKWX Vancouver BC News 1130 "Vancouver’s news station"
1130 0810 17/11 WBBR New York NY "Bloomburg Radio 1130" wx, traffic
1140 2210 19/11 CBI Sydney NS CBC nx // 1400
1180 0843 22/11 WHAM Rochester NY "WHAM radar weather for Rochester"
1210 2205 19/11 VOAR St Johns NF Religious px, hymns, ID
1270 0948 21/11 CBA Moncton NB CBC overnight relay of Radio Australia
1290 0958 21/11 CHRM Matane PQ FF wx, nx mentioned "Radio Median"
1320 2211 20/11 CKEC New Glasgow NS "It's a Saturday night at 1320 CKEC"
1375 2152 19/11 RFO St Pierre et Miquelon Local anns, ID & local nx @ 2200. FF
1390 0102 24/11 WXTC Charleston SC Gospel mx, ID "WXTC Charleston"
1400 2135 19/11 CBG Gander NF CBC local nx for Newfoundland
1430 1033 21/11 KEZW Aurora CO "Counting down the greatest hits of the 1900s on AM 1430 KEZW"
1440 2355 23/11 WJAE Westbrook ME One on One Sports, ID @ 0000
1450 2230 19/11 VSB1 Hamilton, Bermuda Full ID, birthday greetings, EZL mx
1500 2354 20/11 WTOP Washington DC "WTOP news time 6.54"
1510 0015 20/11 WNRB Boston MA "WNRB, Boston MA", "AM 1510 sportstalk"
1520 0006 21/11 WWKB Buffalo NY "KB sports radio 1520"
1540 2358 21/11 WDCD Albany NY "Unshackled" px, ID
1560 0703 19/11 WQEW New York NY Pop mx, Radio Disney ID
1570 0822 17/11 CKMW Morden-Winkler MB "Country 1570" ID, C&W
1570 1002 21/11 WANR Warren OH Gospel "Join us here at W-A-N-R"
1580 0057 21/11 WSRF Fort Lauderdale FL Black phone in, ID from tel no 954 587 1035
1590 0825 21/11 WAKR Akron OH "We're 1590 WAKR"
1600 0906 21/11 WAAM Ann Arbor MI CNN nxm ID, WAAM nx
1600 0600 26/11 WQOT Atlantic Beach FL ID, time check for 1 am
1600 1045 21/11 KCKK Lakewood CO "KCKK Lakewood, Denver’s classic country"
1620 0259 20/11 WPHG Atmore AL Rel px, ID, USA Radio News
1650 2337 23/11 WHKT Portsmouth VA IDs, abrupt switch to sport relay @ 0002
1660 0805 16/11 WQSN Kalamazoo MI ID, wqsn.com website promo
1660 0123 21/11 WMIB Marco Island FL ID "1480 WODX and 1660 WMIB", EZL mx
1660 0710 19/11 WWRU Elizabeth NJ Spanish songs & phone in, Radio Unica ID
1670 0720 25/11 WRNC Warner Robbins GA C&W mx, ID "Real Country WRMP 96.5 FM"
1680 0818 18/11 WTIR Winter Garden FL Promo, travel nx, ID
1690 2359 20/11 WMDM Lexington Park MD Legal ID "WMDM-AM Lex. Pk. - Leonardstown"
1700 0740 17/11 WAFN Miami Springs FL ‘1700 The Fan’ ID, sports talk

South America

700 0606 18/11 ZYK686 R Eldorado, S. Paulo BRZ News, ID "Radio Eldorado"
710 0100 26/11 LRL202 R Diez, Buenos Aires ARG ID, news jingle & temp in Buenos Aires
760 2055 13/11 ZYH588 R Record, Fortaleza BRZ PP ballad, ID
790 0045 26/11 LR6 R Mitre, Buenos Aires ARG SS ID in the mix
920 2316 25/11 ZP1 R Nac del Paraguay PRG SS talk // 9737
950 0105 26/11 LR3 R Libertad, Buenos Aires ARG SS ID
980 0055 25/11 ZYH646 R Metropolitana, Fortaleza BRZ "Radio Metropolitana" sung jingle, PP ballads
980 0759 18/11 HJES RCN, Cali COL "Informa RCN" px
980 2222 18/11 ZYH707 R Nacional, Brasilia BRZ "Radio Nacional Informativo"
1000 0800 21/11 HJAQ RCN, Cartagena COL Ads, SS IDs
1070 0007 26/11 RFO Cayenne, Fr Guiana GUF France Inter // 162
1130 0558 18/11 ZYJ460 R Nacional, Rio de Janeiro BRZ Mx, PP ID
1130 0847 19/11 YVRL R Ideal, Maiquetia VEN ID, "Ideal Romantica" px
1140 0717 26/11 R Porlamar, Porlamar VEN SS ID "Radio Porlamar", prog promo
1290 0857 19/11 YVLF R Puerto Cabello VEN ID, LA mx
1350 2345 16/11 LS6 R Buenos Aires ARG Phone-in, IDs, nx
1380 2221 18/11 YVNG Ondas del Mar, Pto Cab. VEN ID "La primera en los majores"
1380 0100 26/11 CB138 R Corporacion, Santiago CHL SS ID heard in the mix
1390 2237 14/11 YVZA R Fe y Alegria, Caracas VEN ID "Fe y Alegria 1390", LA mx
1500 2248 14/11 YVRZ R Dos Mil, Cumana VEN ID, promo
1620 2257 25/11 R Tropicana, Buenos Aires ARG SS IDs, light mx, talk. Muffled audio.

Central America & the Caribbean

530 0233 26/11 R Vision Cristiana Int, Turks & Caicos SS ID "Radio Vision Cristiana International"
800 0000 20/11 TWR Bonaire Portuguese prog, IDs
830 2220 22/11 Trinity Broadcasting Network, Nevis Px on Billy Graham // KTBN 15590
980.05 2350 22/11 R Tet Ansamn, Jeremie, Haiti Creole(?) mx, anns, IDs in FF repeated, s/off w/anthem sung by female choir.
1160 2320 19/11 Caribbean Lighthouse, Antigua religious choir
1180 0919 20/11 R Rebelde, Cuba Light mx // 5020
1390 0737 19/11 R Puerto Rico (WISA), Isabella, PR EE & SS phone interview, ID @ 0800
1400 2200 13/11 Harbour Light of the Windwards, Grenada ID, TC for 6pm, rel px
1440 0000 24/11 YNRM R Maranatha, Managua, Nicaragua ID "R Maranatha bienvenido" under WJAB
1570 2315 14/11 R Amanacer, Dominincan Rep ID, SS mx // 6025
1590 0835 18/11 XEVOZ Bonita AM, Mexico Mexican mx, many IDs "Bonita 1590"
1610 2256 14/11 Caribbean Beacon, Anguilla Dr Gene Scott // 6090, 9725 etc

Middle East & Asia

819 2159 22/11 R Cairo, Batra General Prog in AA /12050
1134 2352 24/11 R State of Kuwait AA ID // 9855
1206 2115 22/11 Kol Israel, Haifa Reshet B in Hebrew //15640
1251 2018 23/11 IRIB Iran (unknown site - unlisted) Farsi talk // 15084
1323 2355 24/11 BBC relay, Zyyi, Cyprus BBCWS English // 648
1386 2330 20/11 IRIB Ahwaz, Iran Tlk in Farsi, tent. "Radio Ahwaz" ID
1404 1930 20/11 IRIB Kiashahr, Iran VIRI English service // 9022
1413 2030 22/11 BBC relay, Masirah Island, Oman Massive signal with BBCWS EE // 648
1430.7 1655 22/11 IRIB Esfahan, Iran Home service // 15084
1449 1500 16/11 IRIB Bandar e-Torkaman, Iran (pres) Koran, talk in Persian
1467 1600 17/11 R Thailand, Bangkok (pres) Tlk in pres Thai, s/off w/ anthem @ 1640
1467 1710 19/11 AIR Jaipur, India Indian classical mx // 1566, 1593
1467 2348 22/11 IRIB Iran (unknown site - unlisted) Strong signal // 1566
1467 1950 22/11 BSKSA Saudi Arabia (unknown site) AA ID @ 2000, nx, // 1521
1476 1952 22/11 UAE Radio, Dubai Arabic prog // 13675. Very strong.
1503 2038 22/11 IRIB Bushehr, Iran Nx in Farsi // 15084
1521 2040 22/11 IRIB Kiashahr, Iran Nx in Farsi // 15084
1521 1400 17/11 China R Int, Xinjiang, China CRI int sig, ID in CC and RR
1539 2350 22/11 IRIB Iran (unknown site - not listed) Nx in Farsi // 1566, 1467
1539 2330 24/11 UAE R Holy Koran Service, Sadiyat Koran, ID "Quran al Kharim min Abu Dhabi"
1548 2148 13/11 VOA relay, Kuwait "Communications World" with Kim Elliott
1566 1630 14/11 AIR, Nagpur, India ID "Akashvani", nx in Hindi
1575 1400 15/11 V of the Armed Forces, Kuwait (CIA cland) ID "Huna Iraq, Sawt al Quwwat..."
1575 1459 17/11 VOA relay, Bangkok, Thailand VOA closing ann in EE
1575 1500 17/11 R Saranrom, Bangkok, Thailand S/on in Thai (followed VOA s/off)
1584 2010 23/11 IRIB Iran (unknown site - unlisted) Strong. // 15084 etc
1593 1634 14/11 CNR1 (unknown site - unlisted), China CC talk // 7935
1593 1730 19/11 AIR Bhopal, India Nx in EE // 1566, 1467
1620 1957 23/11 Al Mustaqbal (cland), Kuwait ID @ 2000 // 1575
1634.2 1630 22/11 Xinjiang PBS, Urumqi Mongolian svc // 5060, 4980. S/off 1648

Africa

711 2015 23/11 Voice of Africa, Tripoli News in AA // 1251
836 0725 18/11 RDP Azores [still off channel] PP talk mentioned Ponta Delgada
1044 2049 23/11 Moroccan R, Seba-Aioun Berber service. Chanting, talk in VN
1251 1730 15/11 Voice of Africa, Tripoli, Libya Nx in AA, EE from 1734
1359 2029 23/11 R Cairo, Batra, Egypt Cultural px, AA play. ID "...min al Qahirah"
1385.9 2245 19/11 R Rurale, Labe, Guinea (pres) Talk in VN, many mentions of Labe
1550 2210 14/11 National R of SADR, Western Sahara Nx in AA, mentions of "Saharaouis"
1593 1640 14/11 R Matruh, Egypt (pres) AA talk, many mentions of Matruh

Europe

612 1630 16/11 Power R (ex Power 612), Kiel, Germany Dance mx, IDs "Power Radio"
612 2000 18/11 RTE Dublin, Ireland Kosovo service - BBC px in Albanian
675 1000 15/11 NRK, Rost (ex Bodo), Norway local Finnmark px from 1003. Strong
711 2015 17/11 Deutsche Welle (tx site/country??) DW Russian svc ID "Nemetski Volna"
792 1504 17/11 BBC R Foyle, Londonderry Local ID & news magazine
846 1028 15/11 Gospel 846 AM (ex R North), Ireland Ann M-F 1000-1230, Sun 1400-1630
981 1015 15/11 R Star Country, Ireland Rel px "Let the Bible Speak"
1188 2144 22/11 Deutsche Welle, St Petersburg, Russia RR ID "Nemetskiy Volna" // 7395
1240.7 2103 22/11 Ukraininan R (unknown site - drifting tx) Ukrainian R 2nd Prog // 1404, 1377
1350 1010 20/11 LPAM Univ R York DJ anncd addr studio@ury.york.ac.uk
1350 1459 18/11 LPAM Kingstown R, Hull Kingstown wx, IRN news
1350 0930 19/11 LPAM WCR, Wolverhampton Clear "WCR" ID in mix
1350 0945 19/11 LPAM R Cavell, Oldham ID "You're listening to Radio Cavell"
1350 1015 20/11 LPAM Sunshine R, Liverpool ID, phone number (as in RSUK)
1467 1700 14/11 R Pridnestrovye, Moldova Nx in RR, ID, anns 1715
1530 1900 16/11 US Navy Bcing Station, Keflavik, Iceland AP network news
1566 1854 25/11 RSL Bantams R, Bradford ID "This is Bantams 1566 AM"
1575 1400 15/11 LPAM R Tyneside, Newcastle IRN, ID @ 1403
1593 1659 17/11 R Cluj, Romania ID, local nx from 1712
1600.7 2159 23/11 ERA, Greece. Off channel tx (nom. 1602) Voice of Greece interval sig, ID
1609 2120 20/11 "Radiofonikos Statmos (?Gigato to Imata)" Greek music, ID (Greek pirate)
1611 2150 24/11 R Antares, London (pirate) ID, address anncd - 9 The Hollies, N11

Unidentified

898.28 1907 23/11 Carrier from unidentified station, peaking on easterly aerial. No modulation detectable
1134 2030 23/11 Gulf Arab station with nx mentioning Emir. ID sounded like "Sawt al (?Haj) min al ??"
1670 0758 19/11 Continuous classical mx, brief muffled announcement (possibly in Spanish) at 0800

Shortwave (Tropical Bands)

2460 2337 25/11 R Alvorado, Rio Branco, Brazil PP, many IDs, "Sprotivo Alvorado" promo
3234.9 2330 14/11 R Luz y Sonido, Huanuco, Peru Andean mx, ID
3329.5 2342 14/11 R Ondas del Huallaga, Huanuco, Peru. SS talk, only audible USB
3869.9 1755 14/11 (cland) V of Communist Party of Iran ID Persian, "Internationale" sung in RR
3912 1951 16/11 (cland) V of the People, S Koea (pres) Korean talk
4471.9 2345 14/11 R Movima, S.Ana del Yacuma, Bolivia SS talk, clear ID 2356
4750 0000 15/11 Tibet PBS, Lhasa ID "Xizang Guangbo Dientai"
4790 0946 22/11 R Atlantida, Iquitos, Peru SS ID, Andean mx
4825 0003 15/11 R Cancao Novo, C.Paulista, Brazil PP ID "R Canaco Novo, Emisora Catolica"
4890 1956 16/11 NBC, Papua New Guinea "Karai National Radio" ID, EE/pidjin
4950.3 0910 22/11 R Baha’i, Otavela, Ecuador Ecuadorean folk mx
4980 0930 25/11 Ecos del Torbes, Tachira, Venezuela SS ID
4990.9 0950 24/11 R Ancash, Huancayo, Peru SS talk, ad
5985.8 1440 17/11 R Myanmar, Yangon EE Svc "New Light of Myanmar" review
6130 0943 16/11 CHNX, Halifax, NS, Canada "Oldies 96" ID
7245 0930 17/11 BBCWS via Yamata, Japan BBCWS EE to Asia // 11765, 15360
7250 0950 18/11 R Netherlands via Petropav.-Kamchatskiy Media Network
8000 1757 17/11 (cland) Voice of Sudan AA talk // 9000, 9517
9517 1600 17/11 (cland) Voice of Sudan AA ID "Sawt al Sudan"
9725 0955 17/11 TIAWR(?) Costa Rica Dr Gene Scott // 6090, 5935 etc
9737 2316 25/11 R Nacional del Paraguay, Asuncion SS talk // 920kHz MW
15150 0936 20/11 VOA relay, Tinian, Mariana Islands Communications World with Kim Elliott
17665 1427 15/11 R Free Chechnya, Russia RR ID "Radiostantsiya Chechnya Svoboda"
17820 1245 15/11 VOA relay, Iranawila, Sri Lanka VOA News Now EE // 11705 etc

Alan, Dave, &Duncan


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This update: 30/10/2001