A New Blog

I am phasing this blog out as my permanent return to New Zealand approaches. A Kiwi DXer in Asia doesn't quite cut the mustard in downtown Mangawhai!

I will place postings only on the new site from now on, as more and more of my DX is via the NZ Radio DX League's SDR in Russell - 105km north of Mangawhai. 

The reception conditions in Cyberjaya are dreadful and my new neighbour has a plasma television, I think. I can really hear little from my home QTH as it is obliterated by noise.

The new blog is called Mangawhai DXer and the address is:

https://mangawhaidxer.blogspot.my/

A new and unexpected verie

Back in late 2016 I logged KHNR 690 kHz in Honolulu via the NZRDX League's SDR. I sent a report and a follow up and heard nothing. Yesterday I decided to follow up again, this time on Facebook Messenger. This is the only reason I have Facebook. Back came a verie from the new PD Chaz Ontai.

Aloha Stu! This is Chaz Ontai, Program Director for AM 690 and FM 94.3 THE ANSWER. I was promoted to PD on January 1st and was not aware of your message sent in 2016. Not sure what you want from me but the information you provided matches what we were airing at that time. I hope this helps. I’m happy you found our station! Good luck with your future DXing!
God Bless!
Chaz

I think he has the idea nicely. I am more than happy with that.

I have also managed to log KHTK 1140 kHz in Sacramento, CA.

A pleasing logging

I listened to the DX League's SDR on Wednesday and was pleased to hear KSL, St Lake City, Utah, broadcasting on 1160 kHz at 0740 UTC. I have heard it once before but could not elicit a verification. I am hoping to be more fortunate this time!

A further verie

I logged CRI a couple of nights ago broadcasting in English on 1080 kHz at 1700 UTC. a report was sent off and an eQSL arrived back today.

Does anybody else have trouble mailing to CRI? My first report bounced, but my second attempt to the same address was successful. I was asked a question in the reply I received and when I answered it, it bounced twice. I have now given up!

A new Shortwave verie

Al Kirton has been kind enough to verify my report - sent as a sound file, of 4KZ operating on 5055 kHz with 500 watts from Innisfail in Queensland. It was heard just before Christmas. I have also been fortunate enough to verify the medium wave outlet.

I logged this while in New Zealand. As yet I have not heard it in Malaysia, but it has been heard here, apparently.

Remote loggings

I have been listening to the NZRDXL's SDR in Russell (Northland). I only had a brief listen at the end of work.

I heard the following:

670 WSCR, Chicago - fair and clear with sports talk and local ads. Great id at 0740 UTC

680 KNBR, San Francisco was heard at good levels

690 was mixed - KHNR, Honolulu with talk (good id heard) but what else?

720 KDWN in Las Vegas was there with talk and a good id at 0734.

I have verified KNBR and KWDN so I shall send a report to WSCR. I have one out to KHNR, but they seem reluctant to reply!

A new, and very welcome, verie

Indonesia frustrates me - they are so close to Malaysia and we can hear a number of stations pretty well on medium wave, and yet they are so reluctant to verify.

Back in February/ March I heard RRI Pro Satu (= One) in Tanjung Pinang broadcasting on 1341. It is not difficult to hear. It is situated on Pulau Bintan (Bintan Island), which is part of the Riau Islands, about 80 km south east of Singapore.

I sent the station a Facebook message and heard nothing back. I followed it up in June and again heard nothing back. Suddenly last night, after I had switched the light out, my iPad went ping and it was a message from the station acknowledging my report.

I am satisfied with that and it is a new country.

Inactivity

Inactivity has been the name of the game, alas. I have now returned to Malaysia after two weeks in Mangawhai, New Zealand. I did a little listening whilst there, once I got my portable EWE erected and my radios sorted out.

I was able to hear a few North American stations. This was with a 3m EWE. This is not really big enough. It was an interesting experience, despite being in the middle of suburbia. Admittedly many of our neighbours have their homes as holiday residences or bachs (pronounced batches) as they are known in New Zealand and thus they weren't there.

Once I get there permanently in early July, I will put up a 4 or 5 metre EWE. This should provide greater gain and thus, hopefully more signals.

Since coming back from New Zealand I have had a listen but have been greeted by nothing more than noise.

A new verification and one I am very pleased about

I recently logged CJRJ 1200 in Burnaby (Vancouver) Canada. It features subcontinental (South Asian) programming. I reported the station and had heard nothing, but now have a verification from Shushma Datt, the station chief. Many thanks are due to Theo Donnelly for the point of contact.

When looking at the antenna pattern for nights, it basically points due north east so as to avoid the USA and WOAI, which for many years was on a clear channel. There is a very small lobe out to the south west and that is how I heard it.

A new logging and verification

Yesterday afternoon (13/12/17) I logged Gold FM in Suva broadcasting on 990 kHz. The signal is exceptional and dominates 990. I sent an email this morning and within 3 hours I had a verie. The verie signer was Dion Cavu who is a presenter and producer for the station. His email address is dcavu@fbc.com.fj

He sent a very nice message and made one or two interesting points:

We recently launched our AM frequency after a lapse of a number of years to cater to our far flung audiences in the outer islands as well as those in the interior of the main islands and also act as a backup service in times of natural disaster.

The strength of our frequency has surpassed all expectations and since the launch, we have received messages from a number of DX enthusiasts in the region and  around the world including Dx'ers from as near as Rotuma and as far as Finland and above the Arctic circle, which has truly blown away all expectations of how powerful our AM signal is.

More verifications

Radio Kiribati (pronounced Kiri-bus) 846 kHz and 1440 kHz were heard a couple of nights ago. They were mixed with New Zealand stations and at times dominated them.

846 kHz is on Kirimati (Christmas) Island and 1440 kHz comes from Tarawa. They are approximately 2 time zones and 3250 km apart!

I received an email verification from Babera Marewenimakin (bmarewenimakin@gmail.com)

A new verification

KBBI 890 kHz in Homer, Alaska has replied. I tried emailing but with no success, so I sent a message on Facebook and received a lengthy reply from Kathleen Gustaffson, Director of Content. It said:

Thank you for letting us know you found us!
The music you heard was from a program called Sunday Baroque. We play a lot of different styles of music. On Sundays we play classical in the morning, a bit of chat and folk in the afternoon, and jazz in the evening. It's always a treat to hear from distant listeners. In the digital age, we can communicate instantly. I still remember getting postcards from all over the world in "the old days".
I'm so happy to hear that you found the This American Life episode useful. It has been a difficult year here with regard to Homer's attitudes and practices toward immigrants. We are still having that conversation in the city council and ion the community.
KBBI is a public radio station. We have a staff of eight and 25 volunteer DJs. I'll pass on your message to everyone.
So pleased to meet you,

Kathleen Gustafson
Director of Content, KBBI

I am very happy about this one.

A new and welcome verification

I have received a verie via Facebook Messenger from KFNQ 1090 kHz in Seattle Washington.

The message read

That is 100% the correct station. Congrats on the new station connection!

New loggings

Yesterday was an excellent day for reception via the DX League's SDR in Russell, Northland. I managed to log the following:

• KFNQ 1090 in Seattle, Washington
• CJRJ 1200 in Vancouver, British Columbia
• KNDI 1270 in Honolulu, Hawaii

KFNQ was a very strong signal S4, I4, N4, P4, O4 with CBS Sports Radio

CJRJ was not an easy one to hear. S3, I4, N3, P2 O 2/3. It featured ethnic music (sounded Hindi). No announcements but plenty of songs, so we will see what comes of that. A friend of mine in Canada reliably informs me that this is the first time he has heard mention of CJRJ outside of North America. His house is about 6km from the transmission masts.

KNDI had music that sounded Samoan or Pacific, but not Hawaiian. It came in at S3, I4, N4, P3, O3

A new verie has arrived

KJNP 1170 AM in Alaska has verified with a nice e-card and a letter. It is a VERY welcome addition to my collection.

The address for reports is: kjnp@mosquitonet.com
I wonder is the domain name is indicative of what awaits visitors there?

A new logging

Via the League's SDR I have logged KJNP 1170, in North Pole, Alaska. It was playing Christmas music with a decidedly country flavour - 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' played on a banjo, for example. There were a couple of good ids as well.

It was heard at fair strength, with some fading and mixed with (probably) KFAQ in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This northern winter I have now heard the following Alaskan stations:

KICY, KENI, KQFD, KJNP, KNOM and KBBI.

A new verie dropped into my inbox this morning

Alex Loewen, Broadcast Technologist (?) for Golden West Radio, and CFRY 920 AM in particular, has verified yesterday's report. His email address is alex.loewen@goldenwestradio.com

New loggings 

The League's SDR just keeps coming up with things to report. Following a tip off form Dene Lynneberg in Wellington, NZ, I tuned into 920 kHz at 0715 UTC and managed to log CFRY in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.

I then went to 890 kHz an hour later and logged KBBI in Homer, Alaska, which featured  a programme of polyphonic religious music - quite delightful.

Reports have been sent and now I await a reply.

More loggings via the NZRDXL SDR

I had lots of time this afternoon due to my wife working very late and so I logged on to the League's SDR and had a listen. 

This is some of what I heard. By 9 pm in NZ signals were not as good as darkness had fallen and the locals were swamping the weaker signals on the 10 kHz splits.

650  0715  HAWAII, KPRP good with ids given as Pinoy Power - sounded like gospel songs and local commericals. 

680  0720  USA, KNBR Fair with sports news. 

690  0722  HAWAII, KHNR Good with the best of the Mark Levin Show, local ads and local id - This is AM690, The Answer. 24/11 

720  0745  USA, KDWN Commercials and a good id at 0745 ‘KDWN’. 

770  0750  USA, KKOB (presumed) Fair with talkshow type prog. Some fading. 

850  0754  ALASKA, KICY (presumed) Fair/poor - mixed and fading with religious music - 'All Creatures That On Earth Do Dwell’ - must be the slowest version of the hymn I have ever heard. 

1010  0643  CANADA, CBR fair with magazine type prog. Good ids for CBC Calgary. 

1210  0356 HAWAII, KZOO (presumed) with old time vocals featuring a female vocalist. Fair. 

1690  0801  USA, KDMT (presumed) fair at best with local id and commercials. Quality of signal not great. 

A good night of DX via the DX League's SDR in Russell, Northland, New Zealand


I had a bit of spare time after work today so I had a listen to the League's SDR.
This is a bit of what I heard:
570  0750  USA, KLAC fair at best with Fox Sports talk. Deep fades. Mixed with a music station. 
590  0745  HAWAII, KSSK Very good with music and good ids. 
1020  0808 USA, KTNQ (presumed) fair with SS talk. Couldn’t avoid the splash, which marred an otherwise good signal. 
1040 0810  HAWAII, KLHT (presumed) good with religious prgm, but mixed with a Coast to Coast stn and I can’t work out who! 
1050 0816  USA, KTCT with local psa’s and adverts for Californian Fire services. Mixed with mx stn. No idea who though, only up briefly. 
1140  0823  USA, KHTK fair/ good with ESPN sports news, but mixed with another sports station. 

There were American stations on every 10 kHz spacing. I heard many more than the list above, they were just the ones I bothered to note down. 

Bill Marsh, in Blenheim, NZ, has been chasing a station on 1010 recently. On Wednesday I heard it very clearly - it is a Canadian station, or so the accent tells me. There were also mentions of British Columbia. It is either CFRB in Vancouver or CBR in Calgary. Tonight - there was no sign of it anywhere.

More verifications!

I was delighted to receive from Radio Free Asia verifications for broadcasts in Burmese on 7530 and 11805 kHz both from Tinian and in Khmer on 9700 and 12140 kHz - the former from Tinian and the latter from Saipan. What I was really after was the special set of 4 QSL cards to make the whole. See below. Thank you RFA.

A new verification

I had a little time yesterday afternoon and so I logged KFQD 750 kHz, Anchorage, Alaksa via the NZRDXL's SDR in Russell (Northland). The signal was coming through really well and I was able to get an excellent id - 'Meet The Press on KFQD'.

This station has been difficult, if not impossible, to verify over recent years. My good friend Sutton Burtenshaw in Hamilton tried three times last year and failed and I failed as well. However, I thought I would try again. I went to their website and and the contacts page. I chose the Program Director and sent him a brief email with a recording and back came an email verie this morning. The email address was joe@kfqd.com

A new verification has arrived

I recently logged KJR 950 in Seattle, Washington via the NZ Radio DX League's SDR based in Russell, New Zealand. There is a non-members' one available via the Kiwi SDR page http://kiwisdr.northlandradio.nz:8073/

As I type this at 1525 UTC there are already 4 listeners on it - from Italy (2), Sweden and Bangkok!

I sent a report to them via their Facebook page along with a recording and today back came a verification.

The last station I heard in Washington State was KIRO on 710 in 1981. Before that it was KOMO on 1000 in 1978. I remember they had a splendid QSL card (see below).