DAVE'S LATEST DXPEDITIONS

Dave Valko's screenshot of Lupo Radio from Argentina on 6,973 kiloHertz during a snowy and foggy micro-DXpedition.

DAVE'S LATEST DXPEDITIONS

Dave Valko (PA, USA) has been VERY busy over the Christmas holiday season with four micro-DXpeditions between December 20 and 24. He has kindly allowed me to reproduce some of his finds here in today's MEDXR blog post. 

For northern hemisphere listeners, right now is the peak DX season. Use Dave's loggings as inspiration to get out the radio and see what YOU can hear! Here is a summary of highlights from Dave's observations:

2850    NORTH KOREA   KCBS Pyongyang  Soft W vocal song, not really like the usual opera-like fare at 2207.  Getting some weird rapid pulsing wideband QRM here for a time.  Can’t be anything local as I wasn’t anywhere near anything electrical.  Clear at 2222 but weaker fading signal.  (20 Dec.)

3325    INDONESIA   RRI Palangkaraya  Signal wasn’t there at 2155, so it obviously signs on at 2200.  2159 end of IS but couldn’t start the recording fast enough.  Fanfare, then live studio W anncr w/clear ID at 2200:00, during annct, Pop-like mx, then canned ID annct at  2202:40, and live W returned.  More canned anncts at 2204 with annct of Indonesia, and another mentioning “programa” and Palangkaraya.  2206:20 short “RRI Palangkaraya” ID, then into ballad song.  Still easily audible at 2217 w/ballad.  (20 Dec.)

3480    CLANDESTINE (SOUTH KOREA)   V.O. the People  Sounded like the same M speaking at 2152 as on 4450, but the signal was weak and QRMed by a strong OC on 3479.6.  (20 Dec.)

4450    CLANDESTINE (SOUTH KOREA)   V.O. the People  Barely able to hear the M talking in Korean at 2151 amidst the jammer.  (20 Dec.)

4750     CHINA   CNR1, Hailar  Canned anncts at 2259, usual time ticks w/last higher, then “Beijing tsen” ID.  Presumed news at 2301, and some canned anncts at 2303, //4800 which was better.  Feed on this freq just a hair behind 4800.  Interestingly this had a slight echo effect.  (20 Dec.)

4774.91    BRAZIL   R. Sora  From 2239.  Mixing a little w/Tarma.  2247:35 “Radio Congohas” ID by W.  2248 full ID by M.  Nonstop Brazilian Pops over the ToH 2257-2307.  Haven’t heard it this strong in a long time.  Only about 4 or 5 hertz separates this from Tarma.  (20 Dec.)

4790   TADJIKISTAN   BBC  Signal already on at 1257 and audio up at 1258:42 w/M anncr giving e-mail addr.  Dead air, 1259:17 w/canned ID annct by M in EG, then another in lang. ending w/”…BBC London”, then into apparent Uzkek program at 1300.  Fairly good but horribly CODAR QRM.  (21 Dec)

4885    CLANDESTINE (SOUTH  KOREA)   Echo of Hope  2240 usual program info format w/familiar song at this time, then W in Korean at 2242 mixing equally w/Para.  Strange to hear these 2 mixing.  (20 Dec.) And again, at 1255 short Gregorian chant-like vocal and W w/”VOH” ID, then another annct by W w/at least 3 “VOH” IDs.  Still audible at 1354 w/“VOH” IDs again.  Was still there at 1410 but there was a white noise jammer making it very difficult to detect audio. (21 Dec)

4905    BRAZIL  R. Relogio (presumed)  Sounded like M in Portuguese slightly under Tibet (W anncr) at 2244.  Way too weak and too much Tibet QRM. (20 Dec.)

 5045    AUSTRALIA   Ozy R.  Heard what was apparently the news by W after 1100, then caught “Waltzing Matilda” w/M anncr mentioning “radio” at 1107.  Couldn’t copy anything else though. (21 Dec)

5050    CHINA   Beibu Bay R.  2258 M vocal song. 2300 time ticks and W ID in CH followed by W w/EG TC “It’s Beijing time 7 AM”, canned M anncr, then ID in unison by several people.  2305 ad starting w/”Jingle Bells”. Fair signal for Beibu Bay on this freq here.  (20 Dec.)

5054.997    AUSTRALIA  4KZ  1032 mx faintly, M anncr 1033.  1040 mx a little more audible.  Same freq as noted yesterday for the first time.  Couldn’t really get anything more than just mx or talk by M or W throughout to 1145 t/out.  Very fady.  Just a tad weaker than Ozy, as it should be as it’s half the strength (now).  Conditions were too poor.  Thanks to Rob Wagner for the first alert on this.  (21 Dec)

5914.98    MYANMAR   Myanmar R. (presumed)  Signal with 1 kHz test tone from 2315 t/in to 2325.  Weak signal mixing w/slightly stronger presumed CRI.  Couldn’t really confirm any audio, but the freq being slightly off, and the test tone should be a dead give-away.  (21 Dec)

5995    CLANDESTINE (SOUTH  KOREA)   Echo of Hope  Plainly audible over the jamming at 1330 w/discussion in Korean between M and W.  Easy song at 1356-1358.  W in Korean at 1400-1407, best at 1407.  (21 Dec)

6011.74      BRAZIL   R. Inconfidencia   First found around 2252 w/M and W.  W in Portuguese went over the 2300 ToH.  Some canned anncts at 2302, and into mx at 2304.  Slowly getting better.  M in Portuguese at 2318 recheck, and more mx.  Mx program w/M DJ hosting continued, playing a bunch of songs in a row after 2330.  Got a het from presumed China on 6010.  Nothing noted on 15190 as conditions were too poor.  Heard on a couple Brazilian web rxs too and only 1 ID in the 2300-0000 hour.  Wonder why it’s so far off freq.  (26 Dec.)

6045    CLANDESTINE (SOUTH KOREA)   V.O. Freedom  Getting weak mx at 2059 as 6040 VOA Sao Tome signed off.  Gradually getting better during the nonstop Korean Pops, abt half of which were ballads.  Exc. signal by the time of the long anncts by W over piano mx bed at 2155.  M and W anncr in discussion at 2209.  More Pops w/same anncrs between songs.  Getting blasted by CNR and Evangelizar on 6040 by 2250.  Pulsing jammer no match for it.  Thanks to Ron Howard for his continuing monitoring/reporting of this.  (20 Dec.) And again, in the clear finally at 1400 after China went off.  Not a bad signal w/W in Korean then MOR Korean song.  (21 Dec)

6069.98     CANADA   CFRX  Breaking away from their usual news/talk format to play Christmas mx on this Christmas Eve at 2028 check.  (24 Dec)

6085    JAPAN   Shiokaze Sea Breeze  Thought the EG program was only at 1330.  Glad I was recording over 1300 as the signal dropped quite a bit by 1330.  Usual piano mx and long opening annct by W w/ID, website, e-mail, phone, and mailing addr.  Into news focusing on North Korea.  (21 Dec)

6090   ETHIOPIA   Amhara R.  Nice ID by W coming back from HoA Pop song.  Exc. Signal.  Incredibly strong.  (24 Dec.)

6110   ETHIOPIA   Fana BC  2023 song “Let Me Be Your Love-Maker”, then a HoA Pop song.  2028 M DJ.  Audio still slightly over-modulated.  (24 Dec.)

6160.03    BRAZIL   Super R. Boa Vontade (presumed)  Came on late at 0907:54 today w/male choral song.  Too weak as usual.  (26 Dec.)

6350    CLANDESTINE   Echo of Hope  Barely audible through the jamming and UTE at 2115 w/soft mx.  W anncr in Korean at 2126.  W anncr later at 2210.  Signal had an echo at this time as did 6600 V.O. People.  Wonder if I was getting different paths.  Back to mx at 2214.  Too bad the jammers didn’t go off.  (20 Dec.). And again, Echo of Hope at 1254 usual pleasant melody and W w/”VOH” ID.  Heard again at 1354.  (21 Dec)

6400    NORTH KOREA   Pyongyang BS  Still quite audible w/usual opera-like mx 1401-1407.  (21 Dec)

6600    CLANDESTINE   V.O. the People   Easily audible over the jammer at 2115 w/slow Pop song, but couldn’t get 6520 // as it was covered by WLO/KLB UTE on 6519.  2120 opera mx here.  2130+ talk by M and W anncrs in Korean.  Still doing well at 2254.  (20 Dec.)

6765.1U    THAILAND   Bangkok Meteorological R.  1211 end of IS and mechanical M w/opening ID/freq/sked annct in EG as “This is Bangkok Meteorological R. broadcast on the freq of 6765.1 kHz and 8743.0 kHz from…Heavy weather forecast ?? on Thursday the 21st of December 2017.  Broadcast message for shipping…”.  (21 Dec)

6085    JAPAN   Shiokaze Sea Breeze  Thought the EG program was only at 1330.  Glad I was recording over 1300 as the signal dropped quite a bit by 1330.  Usual piano mx and long opening annct by W w/ID, website, e-mail, phone, and mailing addr.  Into news focusing on North Korea.  (21 Dec)

7120    SOMALILAND   R. Hargeisa  Very nice signal at 1944 t/in w/clear ID by M just as I was abt to start recording.  Usual stn theme song, then same M with annct of Somaliland, and talk by another M w/many anncts of Somaliland.   (24 Dec.)

7425    GERMANY  Bible Voice Broadcasting  2015 closing ID/contact anncts in EG by M.  Only fair.  (24 Dec.)

7570    NORTH KOREA   V.O. Korea   2233-2237 just opera mx sounding almost identical to 7580, but they weren’t.  This freq slightly QRMed.  Hear 7580 often, but don’t recall hearing this SP transmission before.  (20 Dec.)

7730    CLANDESTINE (TAIWAN)   Sound of Hope  Immediately after leaving 9155/9180, came down to tune above the 41mb and was surprised to find SoH here w/same M anncr in CH that was on 9155/9180, and also found on //7810 as well!!  These 2 down here were weak but audible very similar to the ones below 31m.  (20 Dec.)

9100    CLANDESTINE (SOUTH KOREA)   Echo of Hope  Fairly strong w/W anncr in Korean at 2109, but of course mixing it up with the UTE here.  Magnificent signal, like a local at 2228 w/M and W in Korean with anncts of Kim Jong.  (20 Dec.)

9155    CLANDESTINE (TAIWAN)   Sound of Hope  End of fanfare mx at 2228, then canned anncts by W in CH for a min., then talk by M to 2232 t/out.  //9180, similar quality signal.  Weak but audible and surprised to catch these.  Would never hear them at home.  (20 Dec.)

9405    PHILIPPINES   FEBC  Another big signal here at 2307 w/jazzy version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”.  M in CH over soft instru. mx at 2310.  Talk by W then w/instru. mx started at abt 2312.  (21 Dec)

9445    NORTH KOREA   V.O. Korea  Fairly good signal here.  Instru. orchestral mx 2307-2312, W anncr in CH briefly, then MOR song w/W vocalist to 2314 t/out.  // much weaker 9875.  Some splash QRM from 9450 FEBC and Taiwan.  (21 Dec)

9514.93   BRAZIL   R. Marumby  2309 C&W like Portuguese religious song.  2312 M anncr in Portuguese with annct of Christo, then choral mx briefly, and canned annct by M w/phone #, and nice canned ID promo by M at 2313:30.  Pretty decent signal.  (21 Dec)

9665    NORTH KOREA   KCBS, Kanggye  Huge signal at 2305 w/W in Korean in forceful desk-pounding manner.  Sounded //6400.  Tuned out at 2314.  (21 Dec)

9795    PHILIPPINES   FEBC  2309-2314 EG lang. lesson in the Mon lang. program hosted by M and W anncrs.  Of course, scriptures were used.  And some words were spelled out such as “think” and “spoke”.  Fair signal.  (21 Dec)

9850    CLANDESTINE (TAIWAN)   Sound of Hope  CH talk by M and W program hosts 2309-2314.  Apparent R. Free Asia relay, but didn’t find this until afterwards, so no //’s checked.  (21 Dec)

9899.58      EGYPT   R. Cairo  Arabic version of “Jingle Bells” at 2108!!!  Had to change the laptop battery after the song, and W was in French on return.  (24 Dec.)

9920     CLANDESTINE (TAIWAN)   Sound of Hope  2309 W in CH, then M anncr from 2311.  Very weak signal w/some fading and slop QRM from a huge WTWW on 9930.  (21 Dec)

9930    USA   WTWW  Massive signal w/Christmas mx at 2106, then nice canned ID by M with annct of “…with miles of wires, and thousands of volts…”.  (20 Dec.)


Dave Valko has also noted many pirate stations from his listening location, including European and Latin American stations, which I haven't listed here due to space constraints. He uses a Perseus SDR and Wellbrook ALA1530S loop at home and BOGs (Beverage on the Ground antennas) of 315 feet (except for 23 Dec. when 630 feet used) on micro-DXpeditions.

Thanks again, Dave, for your fabulous report and successful loggings. Folks should check out and subscribe to Dave's YouTube channel known as Laurel Highlands to see and hear some of his DX catches from the past three years.


73 and good DX to you all,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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