Year End Update

It's the end of 2009 so I figured I'd make one post to catch up on. Here is what I've been hearing lately:

• I added one more station to the ultralight log, bringing the count to 335. This was WORC 1310 from Worcester MA, which broadcasts in Spanish. Logged December 15.
• Did some mediumwave DXing while up in eastern Ontario over Christmas. Added four new stations to the overall log.
• I recently got interested in DXing Navtex stations on 518 kHz. These stations broadcast marine advisory information in a digital format. I set up an old laptop for decoding it and have caught a few new stations. The most noteworthy was OXI in Nuuk, Greenland. I think this is the first radio station I've ever received from that country.
• Did a bit of shortwave DXing too. Most noteworthy things logged: (a) the Royal Air Force Volmet (aviation weather) station on 5450 (SSB) from the U.K., (b) the AFRTS station on 5446.5 kHz (SSB) from Florida, and (c) several frequencies of the Saudi Arabian international broadcaster BKSKA.

And that's it for 2009.

Ultralight Loggings Update

It's time for an update on my ultralight DXing activities. I haven't been spending as much time on it as I was doing this time last year. It has also become a lot more challenging because there are no easy catches left. But I've still managed to add a few more to the log. Used the Eton E-100 for all of these. Ultralight count is now 334.

• 890 WKNV VA Fairlawn - 08-Nov-2009 1703 ELT - Gospel music. Ads. ID as "Joy 890 and ..." some FM frequency. Also heard slogan something like "Today's Southern Gospel Music". 10 kW daytime only. Spotted first on non-ultralight Palstar R30 receiver and then tuned in on the Eton E-100. New. (Fair).
• 970 WZAN ME Portland - 09-Nov-2009 0015 ELT - End of Sunday Night Football broadcast: wrap-up of game. Ads. Callsign IDs with location. Then into some talk show already in progress. Overwhelming normally-dominant WNED. 5 kW. Relog, but first logging from Toronto - previous logging was from Newfoundland in 2007. (Fair).
• 1550 WSRY MD Elkton - 29-Nov-2009 0020 ELT - DX test broadcast on day power of 1 kW. Heard talk and music under dominant CBE, and sweep tones and Morse code IDs: "V V V de WSRY WSRY WSRY WSRY K". Unable to copy the programming but the Morse IDs were clear. New. (Poor).
• 1540 KXEL IA Waterloo - 06-Dec-2009 0115 ELT - Received when local CHIN was transmitting only a silent carrier. Talk show "Midnight Radio Network". Ads. ID for "News Talk 1540 KXEL". 50 kW. (Fair).
• 1630 WRDW GA Augusta - 06-Dec-2009 0204 ELT - Promo saying to log on to wrdw.com. Sports show "Sporting News Radio". Ads, including a spot for a blood donor clinic in Augusta. Mixing with KCJJ, mostly dominant. 1 kW night power. New. (Poor).
• 1250 WARE MA Ware - 06-Dec-2009 1745 ELT - Oldies. Fox news on the hour, weather, and then ID with callsign. Also ID as "Oldies 1250". Then into nostalgia music. Mixing with and occasionally overpowering semi-local CJYE. New. (Poor).
• 1670 CJEU QC Gatineau - 11-Dec-2009 0020 ELT - "Radio Enfant". Children's music. Brief talk at top of hour. French. Brand new - just on the air a day or two. 1 kW. New. (Poor).
• 620 WTMJ WI Milwaukee - 11-Dec-2009 1703 ELT - News, weather, ID. Sunset logging - still on day power of 50 kW. New. (Poor).
• 1470 WLOA PA Farrell - 12-Dec-2009 1655 UTC - Country music. Partial ID on hour. Inaudible most of time under WNYY or under noise. @ approx. 1745 heard ID "Classic Country 940 and 1470". A few minutes later heard a very clear ID "Classic Country WGRP 940 and WLOA 1470". 1 kW day, 500 W night. Initially heard on the JRC NRD-525 but the best ID, with the callsigns, was heard on the Eton E-100. New. (Poor).

I should add that some of these were actually logged on a non-ultralight communications receiver first, and then tuned in on the E-100. I listened on the E-100 long enough to verify that I was hearing the same station, but the actual identification may have taken place on the communications receiver. The details of these loggings are combined from both radios.