MW Logs An upcoming DX test

[ka3jjz]

I don't do any MW DX anymore, but I do know this is a bit late to be scheduling one, but there is one coming up real soon...from the SWLing.com blog..

KJJR DX Test on Saturday (May 2, 2002)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following announcement: KJJR 880 Whitefish, MT(Kalispell) will test for 1 hour at 10kw non directional Saturday May 2nd 12:01am t…

swling.com

Mike

 

[a29zuk]

Thanks Mike.. I don't know how much luck I'll have with WCBS and a station in Nebraska on 880 if I get a chance to listen.

I remember years ago staying up late into the wee hours of Monday mornings to listen for testing stations. Back in the 70's I recall catching KOFI Kalispell, Montana 1180 one Monday morning doing what must have been a non-directional test. It was my only Montana catch ever! That was when stations routinely did their testing.
I don't know if stations still do their testing on Monday mornings these days. Obviously this Saturday is not the case.

Jim

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Gonna give this a try... may be my only chance to ever log Montana.
WCBS is the big signal in here, have never been able to catch KRVN.

 

[majoco]

I can find the UTC time but are they on DST and what is the UTC date if they are on UTC-6 and I am on UTC+12? My rough calculation says that 0001 mountain time May 2nd is 1801UTC on the previous day and therefore 0601 NZST on May 1st. 0600 is still dark here so I may have a chance.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Apparently they are on DST which makes them GMT/UTC-6. My QTH is EDT which is -4. It is currently 1635 EDT at my QTH
which makes it 1435 at the Montana station.
By my calculation, 0001 Mountain Time on May 2nd would be 0201 EDT May 2nd here at my QTH and would be 0601 May 2nd at Greenwich.

 

[majoco]

You are right! I had my mental picture of the world rotating the wrong way! So 0001 MDT is 0601UTC and I am 12 hours ahead of UTC so that make it 1801NZST - only just dark but still on the 2nd May.

 

[a29zuk]

By my calculation, 0001 Mountain Time on May 2nd would be 0201 EDT May 2nd here at my QTH and would be 0601 May 2nd at Greenwich.

That's what I had calculated in my head and I was hoping they are using DST.

 

[a29zuk]

You are right! I had my mental picture of the world rotating the wrong way! So 0001 MDT is 0601UTC and I am 12 hours ahead of UTC so that make it 1801NZST - only just dark but still on the 2nd May.

Keep trying that Martin.... we could all get younger! You also have time to put up a beverage antenna.

Jim

 

[WA8ZTZ]

I don't do any MW DX anymore, but I do know this is a bit late to be scheduling one, but there is one coming up real soon...from the SWLing.com blog..

KJJR DX Test on Saturday (May 2, 2002)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following announcement: KJJR 880 Whitefish, MT(Kalispell) will test for 1 hour at 10kw non directional Saturday May 2nd 12:01am t…

swling.com

Mike

Hopefully that date should read May 2, 2020.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Called the airport at Whitefish MT and they confirmed that they indeed are on daylight time there (which is GMT/UTC-6).

 

[a29zuk]

Called the airport at Whitefish MT and they confirmed that they indeed are on daylight time there (which is GMT/UTC-6).

Thanks...now if I can stay up.

 

[majoco]

Hey, well , here you go! I'm not claiming any medals but...



...here's a screen dump from my Winradio G33DDC showing a definite carrier spike at 880 khz at 1858 UTC - no hint of any modulation and I had to null out a local station at 882 kHz and use LSB to dig down into the noise - but hey, it was a load of fun and no-one was more surprised than me! WinRadio G33DDC, delta loop via a multicoupler and lots of local BC band from NZ and Oz too!

 

[a29zuk]

Well I fell asleep but woke up about 15 minutes before the test started. I wasn't set up with a recorder but I used my Sangean PR-D15. With WCBS New York(news) and what I believe was KRVN in Nebraska(country music) dominating the frequency I could faintly hear this underneath:

0600z - 0608z A tone that would go from a lower to higher that would last for 1 second then go off for 1 second. This repeated itself the whole 8 minute duration.

0613z - 0615z A steady tone.

0635z - 0638z A steady tone.

0645z - 0647z A tone similar to the first 8 minutes. This seemed to last a little longer in duration, maybe 2 seconds on then off for 1 second.

0653z - 0655z A steady tone.

When I heard the signals they were very faint. If there was any voice I could not make it out. With fading I probably didn't receive everything. WCBS was strong the whole hour. What I believe was KRVN had a good signal underneath WCBS from @0615z to 0640z then faded almost all the way out up to 0700z. I also have some transformer noise on a power pole near my house. Fortunately it was toward the end of my ferrite rod on my receiver. I was going to use my Palstar R-30 and its outside antenna with a noise canceller but stuck with the Sangean portable.

I will send my email to the station to try to get verification.

Jim

 

[WA8ZTZ]

WCBS very strong here nearly the whole time with only a slight fade towards the end at which time could hear another station underneath but
unable to ID. Otherwise heard no tones. WCBS usually has a strong signal in here but with occasional deep fades... unfortunately
no deep QSB this morning. Anyway, good to see that others had better luck.

 

[a29zuk]

I've been able to receive KRVN in the past using a portable from my location. If I turn the receiver to the southwest I can get a little null from WCBS and hear the Nebraska station clearer. I can also use my noise canceller as a phase/direction control(using 2 antennas) with my Palstar to null out WCBS but didn't try it this morning.
As for earlier this morning I hope I wasn't hearing some local generated tones from electronic devices. An email from the station will hopefully verify that I actually heard their station.

Jim

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Didn't think of it at the time, but should have got in my car and drove around a bit and found a spot(s) where WCBS faded out.

 

[a29zuk]

Kind of hard to believe. I got a conformation e-mail from Paul this morning. About 45 years between the only 2 Montana catches.

I won't be around the next time unless Martin can get the earth rotating backwards!

Jim

 

[a29zuk]

And thanks again Mike(ka3jzz) for suggesting this and other special broadcasts . Years ago he gave us the heads up on Radio St. Helena that, at the time, only broadcast on shortwave once a year. I was able to pull that one in using just a temporary 30' antenna hung over a tree hooked my Palstar R30 on battery power.

Jim

 

[ka3jjz]

NP, Jim. I hear it I relay it - and I expect others (hint hint) to do likewise. We all benefit from many ears. 'Nuff said....Mike

 

[a29zuk]

Yes, during this pandemic, I've have more time to do radio things! This is like pre-retirement for me. Will be able to do more of this as I'll be retiring in a few years. Sounds like I'll be returning to work later this month.

Jim